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25 Jul 2011 22:58

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Politics: Nate sets us straight

  • A very good point. We tend to forget that, as crazy as it sounds, some people’s idea of fun doesn’t involve reading about the debt limit, America’s credit rating, or parliamentary procedure in the United States Senate. source

19 May 2011 20:17

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World: Middle East tepid about Obama’s Arab Spring speech

  • Obama really had an opportunity to reshape and reframe the debate and … he gave it away. This speech was an opportunity to say to Arabs, ‘We as Americans made mistakes, we did not support democratic aspirations as much as we should have, but we’re going to do better.’ Obama didn’t say that.
  • Brookings Doha Center Director of Research Shadi Hamid • Approaching Obama’s Middle East speech today from an outside-looking-in angle. The problem he and others in the Middle East see? It didn’t offer a clear strong apology for American screw-ups nor a good reason for the cynical to give up their cynicism. Obama’s 2009 speech on the Middle East received a much different response, but many in the region feel that the president broke promises and acted too slow on the Arab Spring protests. We understand where they’re coming from, and agree … but unfortunately, the push Obama made for an Israel/Palestine split based upon the 1967 lines is as bold as the president will probably get, considering how divisive the issue remains among Americans. source

18 May 2011 21:58

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U.S.: Obama’s focus tomorrow: The quickly-changing Middle East

  • Obama’s giving a big speech tomorrow. With Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu heading to town to discuss the long-gestating peace deal with Palestine, Obama will give a speech from the State Department intended for both the American public and the Middle East. There’s speculation that he may push for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s resignation … or more surprisingly, endorse pushing back Israel’s borders to pre-1967 levels as a starting point in negotiations between Israel and Palestine. What’s he gonna say? One thing that’s pretty clear at this point is that Egypt’s getting some aid money — roughly $2 billion, to be exact — possibly as an anchor to encourage support of Israel. All in all, fun day ahead. source

19 Apr 2011 16:39

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Politics: Rep. Allen West didn’t much like that Obama speech

  • What you continue to see is a third world dictator-like arrogance, that’s what I saw in that speech last week…This whole talk about shared prosperity I mean that really gives me the goosebumps because I’m starting to believe that a community organizer is nothing but a low-level socialist agitator.
  • Rep. Allen West • Speaking to conservative radio host Laura Ingraham about President Obama’s speech on the deficit last week. This is an extreme example of the general tenor of conservative criticism since he made the speech (another point being that he specifically invited Paul Ryan to the speech, only to trash his plan publicly). This isn’t surprising, as you can usually count on Allen West’s rhetorical style to be intensely hard-right, as well as loaded with hyperbolic drama — dictatorial arrogance normally has a higher price than speechifying. source