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16 Nov 2011 14:18

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Politics: WI Gov. Scott Walker says he didn’t cause recall effort

  • Walker to state: Who, me? As the recall push against Wisconsin’s Governor Scott Walker heats up, Walker has pushed back, denying he incited such action: “…we wouldn’t have to spend a penny of that if there weren’t recalls. This is not something we brought on.” To refresh the memory, Walker and the state GOP passed a law stripping union rights from public sector employees earlier this year. Despite the unions agreeing to accept Walker’s benefit cuts if he’d leave collective bargaining alone, Walker wanted the whole hog (he also admitted to a David Koch impersonator that he’d considered planting troublemakers at the Madison protests). source

16 Nov 2011 13:33

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Politics: Cain: Presidents don’t need to know about the world and stuff

  • I’m not supposed to know anything about foreign policy.
  • Herman Cain • Giving a novel take on the requirements–or lack thereof–for presidential candidates. Okay, seriously? Did he actually say this? Did he mumble? Or does Herman Cain actually not understand what the job of the President of the United States is? This is indefensible.  source

16 Nov 2011 01:37

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Politics: USDA’s healthy school lunches turn into starchy, tomato-ey mess

  • Pizza can continue to be the meal of choice: In a bit of a setback for the Obama administration, the USDA’s efforts to push for schools to provide healthier lunches ran into a wall of starchy special interests after members of Congress, in coordination with the food industry, added an unhealthy amendment to a spending bill. The amendment limits how much the government can regulate starchy vegetables like potatoes, as well as tomato paste (the fundamental ingredient of pizza), in school lunches. Why? Congress says it’ll be more expensive, due in part to vegetable prices. If the spending bill passes, we can blame kids’ unhealthy lunches on Congress. We love pizza too, but really now. (photo via USDA’s Flickr page) source

15 Nov 2011 21:58

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Politics: “Republicans are stupid,” says Republican candidate for president

  • One of the Republican weaknesses is that we rely too much on consultants and too much on talking points, and we don’t rely enough on actually knowing things.
  • Newt Gingrich • In an interview with David Brody. Not quite sure what the political calculus is here, as admitting publicly that your entire party doesn’t know what it’s talking about is rarely good politics. However, not “actually knowing things” would seem to be a disqualifying factor for someone running for president, so Newt’s obviously exempting himself from this assessment. source

15 Nov 2011 15:19

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Politics: Did Herman Cain really ask Henry Kissinger to be Secretary of State?

  • Dr. Kissinger turned my offer down to be Secretary of State. He said he’s perfectly happy doing what he’s doing.
  • Herman Cain • Relating an offer of his Secretary of State position made to Henry Kissinger. Kissinger, now 88, served as National Security Adviser under Nixon, and Secretary of State under Ford, but has not held a government position since. This is pretty bizarre — in the first place, Henry Kissinger is a phenomenally divisive figure in America history, heralded as a savvy elder statesman by some and an evident war criminal by others. He’s also plainly far older than we suspect most Americans would be comfortable with for such a demanding cabinet position. Further, he cited unavoidable conflict of interest due to his financial associations when he resigned as chair of the 9/11 commission, which seems disqualifying for a job like the Secretary of State. source

14 Nov 2011 16:08

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Politics: Here’s the thing about the Gingrich surge

  • yeah…Newt Gingrich is, to the surprise and annoyance of pundits everywhere, storing ahead of his GOP rivals in national polls. Newtmentum!
  • but…Polls also show the “ideas man” faring rather poorly against President Obama in a general election, trailing the POTUS by 812 points. source
  • » Now is probably a good time to bust out this gem from last summer.

14 Nov 2011 12:44

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Politics: Newt Gingrich barges into the lead

  • Flavor of the Week: It looks like Gingrich is the new Black Walnut. If history is any indicator, Newt’s lead will dissipate in a few weeks and Mitt Romney will once again bask in the warm light of inevitability, but hey, you never know. One thing to keep in mind: Primaries are conducted on a state-by-state basis, so national polls, while telling, aren’t the whole story. source
 

12 Nov 2011 16:45

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Politics: Herman Cain: God told me to run for president

  • You da man, Herman. You da man!
  • God • Telling Herman Cain he should run for president — at least according to Herman Cain. In an Associated Press article released on Saturday, Cain said God encouraged him to run for president. God also told Michele Bachmann to run for president back in July and God also apparently supported Tim Pawlenty’s run for president back in April. We’re not entirely sure the above is what God directly said to Cain — if He said anything at all — but we’re pretty sure it’s close. source

10 Nov 2011 15:16

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Politics: Rick Perry tries to overcome debate gaffe by flaunting it

  • Making weakness a strength: That would seem to be the strategy Rick Perry is employing to try to weather his absolutely excruciating brain-lock at last night’s presidential debate (if you haven’t watched it yet, you really should). His tact from the moment he got off the stage (with reports from the spin room that he acknowledged he’d “stepped in it,” and a similar Tweet) seems to suggest his damage control plan is light humor at his own expense, to hope “oops” becomes a humanizing moment. source

10 Nov 2011 10:19

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Politics: Rick Perry looking for mea culpa after infamous debate gaffe

  • If anyone’s looking for the slickest politician or the smoothest debater, I readily admit I’m not that person. I’m hoping the American people are the types of individuals who understand that there are mistakes that get made.
  • Texas Gov. Rick Perry • Defending his infamous gaffe, where he awkwardly forgot one of the departments he recommended eliminating, on “Fox & Friends” this morning. Many, including us, called it a campaign-killer. He’s not doing bad as far as the apologies go, though, and that could save him. Can he be a frontrunner again, though? Considering he came in as the Great Texas Hope, that’s the real question. source