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26 Feb 2011 11:24

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Politics: Folks across the country protesting along with Wisconsin today

  • 50 states having pro-union protests in solidarity with Wisconsin source
  • » But will Obama join them? Probably not, despite, you know, this speech he made all the way back in 2007. Where are your comfortable shoes now, Barack?
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

25 Feb 2011 21:35

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Politics: John Boehner’s shutdown-avoiding plan: Layaway. Really.

  • Give it up for John Boehner for figuring out a way to avoid a shutdown … apparently. The House Speaker, who just a week ago pushed through all sorts of crazy stuff that has little chance of passing, has conjured up a plan to keep the government moving. And it’s kinda what you might do if there’s a coat you really like from a place like Burlington Coat Factory, but you can’t really afford it right now. Some details of the apparent deal coming down the line:
  • 2 more weeks to figure out this whole shutdown-threatening budget mess
  • $4 billion in budget savings would have to be made as part of the deal over that two-week period
  • $2 billion more in cuts would have to be found for each additional week they’re at the bargaining table source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

25 Feb 2011 14:41

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Politics: From “Parker Spitzer” to just “Spitzer”: Kathleen Parker’s out, kids

  • Alright, so who wants to watch “In the Arena”? Mediaite reports that the weirdest relationship on television, CNN’s “Parker Spitzer,” is no longer with a female co-host. The Washington Post columnist will be leaving the show, and the show will be renamed on on Monday. Question of the day: Was Kathleen Parker just an excuse to ease Spitzer into his own show? source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

25 Feb 2011 14:25

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Politics: More on Rachel Maddow, PolitiFact and other fun stuff

  • In case you didn’t see our comment on Rachel Maddow’s war of words with PolitiFact, we’d like to point it out again for your kids. We think that there is a lot of context worthy of your time. Above is Maddow’s clip from last night, which, while accurate in pointing out that PolitiFact isn’t always right, does the same kind of cherry-picking that PolitiFact did. From the report, they only quoted a two-second part of a clip that has much more direct context at play. Tommy Christopher at Mediaite took a swing at this whole issue, too, and you know what? He noticed the same thing we did about her surplus/deficit quote. “That passage can be read both ways, but in at least the semantic sense, Politifact is wrong. Their reading of this passage is a matter of interpretation.” In other words, while the exact quote Rachel Maddow pulled proves PolitiFact’s headline is in fact “False,” the problem is that the larger context, which claims that Walker turned a surplus into a deficit (the point of the article), is closer to the truth than Maddow’s people will like. Sorry, Rachel. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

25 Feb 2011 13:16

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Politics: Protip: Don’t ask “Who’s gonna shoot Obama?” at town hall meetings

  • average Georgia Rep. Paul Broun, a Republican, had a town hall meeting on Tuesday night in Athens. People from across the region came by. Broun asked the person who had to travel furthest the first question.
  • awkward Unfortunately, that person asked this ever-popular question: “Who’s gonna shoot Obama?” People laughed, presumably in shock. Broun avoided an exact answer and his folks later talked to the Secret Service. Smart. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

24 Feb 2011 23:38

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Politics: Tim Pawlenty 2: Revenge Of The Fallen

  • Tim Pawlenty has another “Transformers”-esque video out, this one rallying support for Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker. As with his last masterpiece, this movie trail–err, web ad employs shaky archival footage, inspirational words from T-Paw, and an ominous soundtrack implying that the end of the world might be upon us…unless, of course, a savior blesses us with his presence. Perhaps a folksy, Midwestern savior? One with a sometimes-mullet and really hot wife? source
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

24 Feb 2011 22:44

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Politics: Scott Walker is a mildly worried about the deficit

  • claim Embattled Governor Scott Walker says Wisconsin is “broke,” and cites the state’s $3.6 billion budget shortfall as justification behind his controversial union-busting bill.
  • skepticismWalker just signed a bill mandating a 2/3 majority vote to raise taxes, making it way more difficult to corral the funds that could help bite into his state’s deficit. source
Posted by Seth Millstein • 1 Comment • Permalink
 

24 Feb 2011 22:24

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Politics: PolitiFact: Scott Walker revealed new things during prank call

  • While some of the discussion was old news, and no show-stopping revelation emerged, the chat did produce some revelations about strategy, tactics and Walker’s view of his actions. Most notable was his comparison to Reagan busting the government air traffic union.
  • PolitiFact Wisconsin • Regarding Scott Walker’s claim that his chat with the gonzo journalist pretending to be David Koch produced “no new revelations.” The site, which works with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, has managed to correct a number of various facts about the current budget crisis, specifically when he compared his union-busting abilities to Ronald Reagan. To everyone claiming that there’s a budget surplus and Walker is lying to everyone – we point you to this entry. Regarding the scope of this bill, which Walker has said is exactly what he promised over the past two years – we point you to this one. There is a real issue here, and Walker is dealing with it, but the facts clearly point out that his tactics are way too harsh considering what promised to the press. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

24 Feb 2011 20:30

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Politics: 2012 election: Mike Huckabee conflicted about money issues

  • You know, the last few years, I’ve certainly done better than I’ve ever done in my life. You know, if I have the choice of being, let’s say, better off or abjectly poor, I kind of like better off better.
  • Presidential wannabe Mike Huckabee • Pointing out that, were he to walk way from his Fox News and public speaking income and run for president again, it would probably make him broke. The former Arkansas governor has been mulling a presidential run for ages, but seems kinda unsure of whether or not he should. “In order to run for president the last time, I cashed in my life insurance, my annuities,” he noted. “You know, I pretty much went through everything that I ever had as an asset that I thought I might one day live on.” Dude should just run in 2016 and ensure he has so much in the bank that he doesn’t go broke in the process. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

24 Feb 2011 12:10

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Politics: Ken Cuccinelli pays backhanded compliment to Washington judge

  • Of the three rulings that are wrong, it is the best written of the three.
  • Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli • Speaking to Regent University about a judge’s ruling that the health care reform law is constitutional. An unexpected compliment, if somewhat damning the ruling with the faintest of praise, Cuccinelli apparently has the most passing respect for the argument advanced by Washington Judge Gladys Kessler, who seems to suggest the insurance mandate is legal because hospitals are themselves legally bound to provide emergency care to those who can’t pay, which is a money drain that is abysmally downplayed in these cost-cutting discussions. Cuccinelli, however, had this final say: “I still don’t think the distinction that the judge relies on holds up. I don’t find it compelling.” source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
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