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07 Feb 2012 15:23

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Politics: The Obama campaign promotes their Super PAC, with a disclaimer

  • The President opposed the Citizens United decision. … He continues to support a law to force full disclosure of all funding intended to influence our elections, a reform that was blocked in 2010 by a unanimous Republican filibuster in the U.S. Senate. And the President favors action—by constitutional amendment, if necessary—to place reasonable limits on all such spending. But this cycle, our campaign has to face the reality of the law as it currently stands.
  • Obama campaign manager Jim Messina • From a blog post on BarackObama.com, titled “We Will Not Play by Two Sets of Rules.” In it, Messina attempts to explain why the Obama campaign, despite stated opposition to the Supreme Court’s Citizens United ruling (and ostensibly Super PACs themselves), will be playing the same Super PAC game as the GOP candidate this year. This strikes us as a hard sell, especially to independents — saying President Obama needs to use a corrupted system in the hopes of ending said system doesn’t seem like an argument that would have much appeal to those not already extremely trusting of his administration. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

07 Feb 2012 14:59

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U.S.: South Carolina AG sues Justice Department over voter ID law

  • then The U.S. Justice Department blocked enforcement of a new law in South Carolina, which would have required government issued photo identification in order to vote at one’s polling place; Justice says the law would have inordinately disenfranchised minority voters.
  • now The attorney general of South Carolina, Alan Wilson, has sued the Justice Department, hoping to get it overturned. The Republican Party has supported the law as anti-voter fraud, with many Democrats opposed, saying it amounts to voter suppression. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

07 Feb 2012 14:55

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U.S.: CDC: majority of Americans’ salt comes from bread

  • Too much salted dough? A report by the Center for Disease Control claims the majority of salt in the American diet comes from bread consumption. You might find this surprising, especially considering evidently high-salt items like potato chips rank far lower on the list (tenth, in fact). The CDC attributes this to people’s willingness to overindulge in those sorts of foods, which despite a lower salt content in general can smuggle a high sodium total into the body. Salt intake for an otherwise healthy adult is advised at no more than 2,300 milligrams per day, but the average American consumes 1000 milligrams more than that. (Photo by Charles Haynes) source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

07 Feb 2012 14:43

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Politics: Human Rights Organization Calls Out NOM in Minnesota

  • What NOM and its allies are doing in Minnesota is shockingly bold.
  • Human Rights Campaign’s Kevin Nix • Commenting on allegations that the Minnesota branch of the National Organization for Marriage (NOM) skirted campaign finance laws in a series of emails directing contributions to the Minnesota Family Council. John Helmberger, chairman of NOM, is also the acting head of the Minnesota Family Council, a non-profit organization that backs NOM and is not required to disclose its donors. source
Posted by Scott Craft • 0 Comments • Permalink

07 Feb 2012 14:17

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About: New writer at ShortFormBlog: Manic, Chill’s Scott Craft

  • Greetings Internet! My name is Scott Craft, and I’m thrilled to say that I’ll be joining the amazing team here at SFB as a weekend contributor. A bit about me: I’m an IT professional, native Texan, and current Denver resident who you will rarely spot without headphones. An avid fan of hip hop, in my spare time I blog about music, being bipolar, politics, and more at my personal blog “Manic, Chill“. Now back to the news you care about, in the shortest form possible!
Posted by Scott Craft • 0 Comments • Permalink

07 Feb 2012 14:05

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Politics: California’s gay marriage ban, Prop. 8, struck down by court panel

  • Proposition 8 served no purpose, and had no effect, other than to lessen the status and human dignity of gays and lesbians in California.
  • The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals • On today’s 2-1 panel ruling, which overturned California’s gay marriage ban on constitutional grounds. This is a validation of a previous ruling against Proposition 8 back in August 2010, made by now retired Judge Vaughn Walker. ProtectMarriage, the group that backed Proposition 8, still has legal recourse, however; they can seek the ruling of a larger 9th Circuit panel, or try to take the case to the U.S. Supreme Court. The likely “swing vote” in that case is thought to be Justice Kennedy, who could therefore occupy the unusual position of holding millions of people’s future marriages and families in his hands. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

07 Feb 2012 10:20

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Politics: Biden pitches affordable education plan to Florida college students

  • The single most significant thing we can do is have the best educated population in the world. It literally is the thing, the key that leads to everything else from our economic security to our physical security.
  • Vice President Joe Biden • Speaking at Florida State University about America’s education. Biden said in his speech that he wants to make education in America more affordable, citing his own experience with higher education, in which his father was initially denied for a loan. Biden ended up going anyway, eventually getting a bachelor’s degree from the University of Delaware, a law degree from Syracuse and a spot in the White House.  Biden says the Obama administration won’t waver from its goal of providing better education, while at the same time making it more affordable for more parts of society. Biden’s a bit up against it, though: His visit to Florida comes as the state legislature plans to vote on statewide tuition hikes. source
Posted by samimain • 0 Comments • Permalink

07 Feb 2012 08:20

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Biz: Empire buys Luna: Carpet companies with memorable jingles merge

  • Even if you have wood flooring, you know this song for carpet maker Empire Today — ESPECIALLY if you live in Chicago. “588-2300 EMPIRE today.” You may also be aware of their competitor, Luna, which has a jingle of its own involving its phone number. Now, Empire has acquired Luna, ensuring that a mega corporation with multiple jingles at its disposal will be able to shake some money out of you in exchange for carpet. The brands will continue to advertise separately. Might as well — they have two distinct phone numbers! source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

07 Feb 2012 01:35

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U.S.: Earthquake drills: Millions remember New Madrid by hiding under desks

  • 2.2 million people in eight states to participate in a “ShakeOut” source
  • » Get ready Tuesday morning: In honor of Missouri’s earthquake awareness month and timed in honor of the New Madrid Earthquake, millions will take part in a giant earthquake drill that starts at 10:15 CST. Will you take part? You never know when another earthquake might hit.
Posted by samimain • 0 Comments • Permalink

07 Feb 2012 01:22

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U.S.: The day the Plains shook: The New Madrid Earthquake, 200 years later

  • Set your watches: At 3:45 a.m. CST, it will have been 200 years since the strongest earthquake Middle America has ever seen. One of four major earthquakes from the 1811-1812 era, the New Madrid Earthquake (which averaged about 7.8 in magnitude) was felt hundreds of miles away and was so powerful that it destroyed the Missouri town that gives it its name. But could it happen again? Experts say it’s likely, and the damage could be far worse. “If another quake of the magnitude of the New Madrid Quake of 1811 should hit the region, it would be the worst natural disaster in American history,” Arkansas state auditor Charlie Daniels wrote in the 1990s. “Almost all of downtown Memphis would fall.” Is that enough to fret over, though? (Photo: 1904 photo of an earthquake fissure filled with intruded sand in Mississippi County, Missouri, originally created during the New Madrid Earthquake. Photo via USGS; see more photos here.) source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
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