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24 Aug 2009 22:24

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Politics: A prescription for what ails Obama: A move to the right?

  • For months polls have shown a huge gap between the popularity of the president and the unpopularity of his policies. Sooner or later, one of these had to give.
  • Wall Street Journal columnist William McGurn • Discussing Obama’s health care policy in the wake of his declining poll numbers. McGurn says that by letting go of the fight, Obama will strengthen his position as president – just like Bill Clinton did in 1994. Regarding Clinton, McGurn notes: “Though he continues to deny GOP contributions to his success, after his 1994 health-care defeat, Mr. Clinton did what all smart pols do: He appropriated the most appealing parts of his opponents’ agenda.” Our counterpoint: If Obama does that and loses the battle, we all lose health care reform. One would argue that if Obama actually pulls it off. his legacy will be even greater. • source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

24 Aug 2009 10:36

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Politics: The founder of Frommer’s Travel Guides attacks Arizona gun crazies

  • I will cancel any plans to vacation or otherwise visit in Arizona until I learn more. And I will begin thinking about whether tourists should safeguard themselves by avoiding stays in Arizona.
  • Frommer’s Travel Guides namesake Arthur Frommer • Discussing his displeasure with town hall protesters who carried loaded guns to events in Arizona. There’s no reason they can’t. It’s legal. And that’s Frommer’s problem. He feels that it sets a bad standard for travelers in the state for reasons beyond political. “I not only believe such practices are a threat to the future of our democracy, but I am firmly convinced that they would also endanger my own personal safety there.” • source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

23 Aug 2009 22:26

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Politics: Max Headroom: We want a Joe Lieberman/Alec Baldwin battle royale

  • Lieberman smacks back A while back, Alec Baldwin threatened to move to Connecticut to essentially run against Democrat-turned-indie politician Joe Lieberman. Lieberman’s response: “Make my day.” It’s on now.

  • Lieberman smacks back A while back, Alec Baldwin threatened to move to Connecticut to essentially run against Democrat-turned-indie politician Joe Lieberman. Lieberman’s response: “Make my day.” It’s on now.

  • Wrong place, wrong story Fox News gets this great idea: Let’s take Geraldo Rivera and put him near Hurricane Bill … so that he can discuss Obama’s declining poll numbers. Shouldn’t you be discussing the storm?

  • Lieberman smacks back A while back, Alec Baldwin threatened to move to Connecticut to essentially run against Democrat-turned-indie politician Joe Lieberman. Lieberman’s response: “Make my day.” It’s on now.

  • Wrong place, wrong story Fox News gets this great idea: Let’s take Geraldo Rivera and put him near Hurricane Bill … so that he can discuss Obama’s declining poll numbers. Shouldn’t you be discussing the storm?

  • McCain misses Ted. Bad. It doesn’t matter that they’re in opposite parties: John McCain laments the declining health of Ted Kennedy and the fact that it’s kept him out of the health care debate. It’s tearjerking.

Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

21 Aug 2009 10:32

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Politics: PETA pisses off pretty much every fat woman on the planet

Overweight women, feminists, consumer groups, random bloggers, conservatives, liberals and nice guys and jerks think this message is mean. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

20 Aug 2009 21:35

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Politics: The Democrats “hope” Obama can “change” his health care talk

  • I don’t think the messaging has been very clear … the campaign to disseminate the messaging has not been as relentless and organized as it needs to be.
  • Democratic pollster Celinda Lake • Discussing Obama’s health care rhetoric. In general, many political types say that Obama’s message on health care is lacking – there’s no “change” or “hope” to drive the campaign like there was in January. White House press secretary Robert Gibbs admits there have been stumbles: “I don’t think anybody here believes we’ve pitched a no-hit game or a perfect game. I don’t think that’s the case.” • source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

20 Aug 2009 08:49

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Politics: Did Flickr take down the Obama socialist pic for political reasons?

  • An article on Firas Alkhateeb, the man who did the Obama Joker parody, got written in the L.A. Times. He’s a Dennis Kucinich fan. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

19 Aug 2009 10:09

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Politics: Thank you, Barney Frank: The greatest Town Hall video of all time

  • Barney Frank is too smart to get taken down by this questioner who tries to compare Obama to the Nazis. So instead he comes up with some of the best one liners we’ve ever heard. Talking to you is like talking to a dining room table.source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

18 Aug 2009 23:19

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Politics: They don’t build journalists like Robert Novak anymore

  • For a half-century, Novak worked like a wheat thresher, feeding and grooming his sources until they gave him the harvest of news—or he beat it out of them.
  • Slate columnist Jack Shafer • Describing Robert Novak and what he did to get his scoops, no matter how small. It was a approach that worked for him, but not without imperfection – his methods managed to out CIA operative Valerie Plame, a saga which sullied his reputation late in life. (Though attacks by “The Daily Show” didn’t help his image, either.) All in all, he lived life as the ultimate D.C. insider. This is a great piece on Novak; we suggest you read it. • source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

18 Aug 2009 11:10

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Politics: Slate columnist: Why the public option should stay on the table

  • Why is the public option so vitally important to health reform? At the broadest possible level, the public option is necessary simply because it’s impossible to identify a successful health system anywhere in the world based on a for-profit insurance model.
  • Slate columnist Timothy Noah • Discussing the weaknesses in health care reform that will show up if the public option is off the table. While Obama prefers having it, he’s shown wavering over the last week that makes it seem less-necessary than it once did. Noah puts it this way: “You can also think of the public option as a pressure valve. Without it, the government’s attempt to remake the health sector risks blowing itself to smithereens.” • source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

18 Aug 2009 10:59

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Politics: Glenn Beck’s political ramblings: Not even Wal-Mart likes them

  • Wal-Mart, CVS, Best Buy and many more aren’t advertising with Beck. The Fox News host has a pretty serious issues with advertisers at the moment, weeks after calling Barack Obama a “racist” on his show, causing ColorOfChange.org to start a campaign against him. The list of advertisers is shrinking fast. No word on what the Sham-Wow guy plans to do yet. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
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