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03 Sep 2009 11:31

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Politics: Animation as politics: Why a health care public option is necessary

  • This animation follows the mold of the Obama penny videos from a while back. Clever YouTube animation used to argue a political point. This one, however, leans left.source

02 Sep 2009 09:45

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U.S.: Not news: Barack Obama is considering a major health care speech

  • He gives major speeches every freaking day. If Obama is anything, he’s a guy that likes to give speeches – often on live television, just to anger major networks. And now he wants to give another on on health care. It’s kind of necessary, because he needs to clearly define the debate, but another speech? The goal, as David Axelrod sums up, is to unify the points of the debate: “We’re entering a new season. It’s time to synthesize and harmonize these strands and get this done.” But another speech? source

28 Aug 2009 17:07

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Politics: Huckabee drags Ted Kennedy’s dead body into health care debate

  • It was just laying there in Boston! Huckabee, who is a smart, funny guy whether or not you like his politics, said on his radio show Thursday that Kennedy would have died sooner under Obamacare. “When Sen. Kennedy was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer at 77, did he give up on life and go home to take pain pills and die? Of course not.” We’re not gonna vouch for this, but we are gonna say that now may not be the best time to make this argument. source

27 Aug 2009 10:16

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U.S.: Obama’s honeymoon with independent voters is over

  • 66% Obama’s approval rating in May from independent voters source

26 Aug 2009 23:05

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Politics: The A.V. Club provides critical analysis of the KFC Double Down

  • Well naturally it’s exceeded expectations: Not only is its design a blow against ‘the tyranny of the bun,’ it’s also the ultimate challenge to the rest of the fast-food industry to step up its game.
  • The Onion A.V. Club columnist Sean O’Neal • On our new favorite sandwich ever, the KFC Double Down. To us, it takes a high level of criticism for us to cover a story like this two days in a row, but Mr. O’Neal (yes, we called him Mr. O’Neal; We’re channeling our inner New York Times) is up to the task. O’Neal suggests that this sandwich is the fast food industry’s way of pushing through health care reform (or as O’Neal hilariously calls it, the “Reichstag fire of health care reform”). • source

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

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
 

22 Aug 2009 12:05

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U.S.: Just in time for three weeks ago, Obama takes on health care lies

  • Today, I want to spend a few minutes debunking some of the more outrageous myths circulating on the Internet, on cable TV, and repeated at some town halls across this country.
  • President Barack Obama • In his weekly radio/Interweb address. In the address he tackled whether illegal immigrants would get health care (no way, Jose), whether abortions would be covered (nope) and those so called “death panels” (lies, lies, and more lies). It’s good to see Obama taking these attacks head on, but where was he when the attacks were actually being made? Now he’s just late to the party. • source

22 Aug 2009 11:17

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Biz: We’ve been boycotting the “Boycott Whole Foods” story – until now

  • 23,947 are boycotting it on Facebook source

21 Aug 2009 18:52

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U.S.: The federal government’s 10-year deficit estimate balloons in size

  • $9
    trillion
    the new ten-year estimate for the federal budget deficit; get ready to freak, conservatives source