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09 May 2011 17:27

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World: Ayman al-Zawahiri, al-Qaeda’s new top dog

  • Meet the new boss, not like the old boss: Ayman al-Zawahiri is now broadly considered to be al-Qaeda’s new top man. The 59-year-old has been within the organization for years, working as a strategist from the days of the bombing of the U.S.S. Cole until today — in recent years he’d been more vocal, through audio and video releases, than even the vastly more popular Osama bin Laden. His ascension is generally viewed as good news for the opponents of al-Qaeda; Zawahiri is Egyptian, which is a distinct area of racial tension within al-Qaeda, and while he’s a successful strategist, most consider him utterly lacking in the charisma or leadership ability that made bin Laden such a dangerous figure. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

05 Nov 2010 21:32

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Politics: Nancy Pelosi’s next House move, in historical perspective

  • 1998 Newt Gingrich steps down from his House leadership role after a particularly rough midterm; his party was still in the majority
  • 2006 Dennis Hastert leaves his House leadership role after his party lost the majority; he later left the House entirely without much fuss
  • 2010 Nancy Pelosi defies the logic set by previous House speakers and announces that she plans to run for House Minority Leader (oh boy) source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

24 Sep 2010 11:37

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Culture: Months after Conan screw-up, NBC head Jeff Zucker is out

  • You win, Conan fans. And TV fans in general. It took a few months to hit, but Jeff Zucker – a.k.a. the guy who set up the disastrous Jay Leno lineup switch last season – is headed out the door in the wake of the Comcast merger, and not by his own choosing. “in the last nine months it became increasingly clear that they did want to put their own team in place — and I didn’t want to end up being a guest in my own house,” he said. While NBC’s cable networks did great, the mothership struggled, and as a result, Zucker’s out. Good riddance. You deserve it for what you did to Conan O’Brien. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

03 Aug 2010 21:25

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World: Wyclef Jean for Haitian president: Crazier things have happened

  • We’re not sure what, but it’s pretty weird. Jean, pretty much the most famous Haitian in the world, plans to take his deep knowledge of economi … oh, who are we kidding? He’s like Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2003. He’s famous and riding a strong wave of good will, and that high profile and good will may actually be helpful in rebuilding earthquake-torn Haiti, because (while he may only come with a level of political experience equivalent to Alvin Greene) he has charisma and can keep the tragedy on people’s minds. Someone has to. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 1 Comment • Permalink

04 Jul 2010 23:25

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Politics: Max Headroom: Michael Steele gets support from (only) Ron Paul

  • Ron Paul: You’re lying! In this clip with Don Lemon earlier today, Paul, who’s speaking from Skype, claims that Lemon is misconstruing Steele’s comments. Prior to that is a pretty good catch-up on the whole situation, including John McCain and Jim DeMint ripping Steele’s leadership.

  • Erick Erickson rips SteeleThe RedState.com blogger, known for his controversial comments, already said that Steele should resign, but doesn’t think he will, because he’s not concerned for the health of the party, but the success of Michael Steele. We shockingly agree with him 100 percent.

  • Is this about race?Cynthia Tucker of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution speaks so negatively of both Steele and the process that led to his RNC leadership position that she suggests Steele got in through a bizarre form of affirmative action, and he doesn’t deserve the job.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

30 Jun 2010 10:00

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U.S.: Obama stays classy with Stanley McChrystal, guarantees his pension

  • classless Gen. Stanley McChrystal’s staff absolutely rips on the Obama administration and its civilian staff in Afghanistan in a Rolling Stone article. Everyone freaks.
  • classy Despite getting McChyrstal’s resignation over the incident, the president guarantees the four-star general will retire like one. Good move, Obama. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

23 Jun 2010 10:15

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World: Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd tries to save his job

  • cause Julia Gillard, a member of the prime minister’s party, said she was going to challenge Kevin Rudd’s Labor party leadership.
  • reaction Rudd held a late-night press conference where he forced the issue – the party will hold a leadership vote on Thursday. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

06 Jun 2010 12:18

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World: Naoto Kan, Japan’s new prime minister, doesn’t wear ugly shirts

Note the suit that Kan is wearing. It really lends itself to a “take me seriously, United States, you’re a lynchpin of my foreign policy” vibe. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

19 Apr 2010 23:11

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Politics: Bill Clinton on OKC bombing anniversary: Don’t demonize leaders

  • Criticism is part of the lifeblood of democracy. No one is right all the time. But we should remember that there is a big difference between criticizing a policy or a politician and demonizing the government that guarantees our freedoms and the public servants who enforce our laws.
  • Former President Bill Clinton • In an op-ed piece that ran in today’s New York Times. Clinton wrote the piece to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the Oklahoma City federal building bombing, an act of domestic terrorism which in some ways still offers vibrant lessons today. Clinton has been espousing these concerns for a few days, but (no matter your political party) they come from the right place. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 2 Comments • Permalink

18 Apr 2010 11:46

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World: This fresh-faced Ugandan kid has way more power than you do

King Oyo, who just turned 18, is now on his own to lead Uganda’s Tooro kingdom. He’s been running it with advisers since his dad died in 1995 – when he was three. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
 
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