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01 Apr 2010 20:27

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Politics: Obama’s still stumping for health care, this time in Maine

  • Every single day since I signed reform into law, there’s another poll or headline that says ‘Nation still divided on health reform! Polls haven’t changed yet!’ Well, yeah. It just happened last week. It’s only been a week!
  • President Barack Obama • Discussing the health care bill in Maine today. The president, whose political legacy rides on the success of the health care bill, got a tweak in at Sen. Olympia Snowe, saying she was a friend “and who spent many hours meeting with me about this bill.” But really, he main target was the media, which he hit with full force. “Can you imagine,” he said, “if some of these reporters were working on a farm, had planted some seeds and came out the next day and looked, ‘Nothing’s happened! There’s no crop! We’re going to starve! Oh no! It’s a disaster!’” Hey, that hurts, man! source

01 Apr 2010 11:03

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U.S.: No, really? Judge says NSA’s warrantless wiretapping is illegal

  • The president, just like any other citizen of the United States, is bound by the law. Obeying Congressional legislation shouldn’t be optional with the president of the U.S.
  • Defense lawyer Jon Eisenberg • Regarding the warrantless wiretapping case, which was decided yesterday. Eisenberg claims the decision, based on a Bush-era policy that the Obama administration has been very careful to scale back, is an “implicit repudiation of the Bush-Cheney theory of executive power.” Gawker put the whole thing best: “Shocker: Illegal Government Spying Is Illegal.source

31 Mar 2010 09:48

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U.S.: Obama reads ten letters a day, but few this powerful

  • In the age of e-mails, Barack Obama still digs the printed letter. He gets thousands a day, but sets aside room to read ten of them. Jennifer Cline, a 27-year-old from Monroe, Mich. wrote one of the lucky ones that had her letter read by the president. Her note, which showed optimism of turning a corner in a situation fraught with adversity, was super-compelling. It’s freaking massive, but this Washington Post article will be the best thing you read today. Trust us. source

30 Mar 2010 20:33

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Politics: Obama: Those Tea Party types have legitimate concerns

  • My hope is that as we move forward and we’re tackling things like the deficit, imposing a freeze on domestic spending, taking steps that show we are sincere about dealing with our long-term problems, that some of that group will dissipate.
  • President Barack Obama • Discussing, with great care, the Tea Party, which largely views him with disdain. While realizing some of them are on the fringe and tough to court, he does feel that he can win over some of the moderate members with firm economic policies. “I think that there’s a broader circle around that core group of people who are legitimately concerned about the deficit, who are legitimately concerned that the federal government may be taking on too much,” he said. source

29 Mar 2010 10:38

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World: So, how did Obama’s Afghan visit go over with the Afghans?

  • It is proof of his cowardice. He came stealthily in the dark, and left in the dark.
  • Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujabid • Regarding their group’s take on Obama’s visit to Afghanistan yesterday. You might suspect that the Taliban might be a little biased, but they’re not alone. “The foreigners only have their own interests at heart,” said Kabul teacher Amirqul Etina. “His coming here doesn’t benefit this country.” Others, however, are happy that he’s taking on Hamid Karzai’s pesky corruption problem. After this, though, Obama has to work on ours. We just love corruption! source

28 Mar 2010 21:10

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U.S., World: Obama in Afghanistan: Breaking bread with Mr. Karzai

  • Somebody just got invited to the White House! Hamid Karzai hasn’t seen Obama in person since the dude was an ambitious, aw-shucks Senator with a dream and a piece of Shepard Fairey propaganda to give him facial recognition. Now Obama’s president, Hamid’s in his second term, and Obama isn’t very happy with the Afghan government in general. But he’s willing to work on it. So, this May, Karzai gets to come to D.C. While you’re here man, we recommend going to see 3OH!3 at the 9:30 Club. They’re playing the night before you’re supposed to visit Obama. They play those really annoying songs you hear on the radio. source

28 Mar 2010 20:46

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U.S.: Obama and Afghanistan: It’s one of his strongest issues

  • 53% of those polled think that Obama kicks butt at Afghanistan
  • 35% think he totally sucks at this
    Afghan War thang
  • 12% fell asleep while the pollster was asking them a question
  • » How does it compare to everything else? He does so well with it that even Republicans can get behind him on it. 37 percent of self-identifying GOP members and 50 percent of indie kids (er, independents) back him on the issue. In the case of Republicans, who give him no better than 15 percent on many major domestic issues, that’s pretty good. So, yeah, this visit to Afghanistan is really good PR for him right now. source
 

28 Mar 2010 20:33

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U.S., World: Obama to U.S. troops in Afghanistan: This visit’s for you

  • There is no visit that I consider more important than this visit I am making now. My main job here today is to say thank you on behalf of the entire American people.
  • President Barack Obama • Speaking to troops about his unexpected but busy visit to Afghanistan today. The Oval Office Overseer stopped in and said “heeeyyyyyy” unexpectedly, but not without reminding the troops why they were there – specifically that the U.S. hadn’t chosen the war. “I’m confident all of you here are going to get the job done in Afghanistan,” he said. source

28 Mar 2010 12:41

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28 Mar 2010 10:02

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World: Benjamin Netanyahu’s probably gonna fire the guy who said this

  • We’ve got a real problem. You could say that Obama is the greatest disaster for Israel – a strategic disaster.
  • An anonymous quote from a Benjamin Netanyahu confidante • Regarding the Obama administration, who Netanyahu had a fun meeting with last week. The quote, which was paraphrased in a banner headline in Israel’s Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, was bashed by Netanyahu’s office in a statement: “The prime minister emphatically rejects the anonymous quotes about President Obama that a newspaper attributed to one of his confidants, and he condemns them.” Who’s getting fired? source