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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

19 Apr 2010 10:41

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Politics: Does the internet create political polarization? A new study says no

  • perception The internet is making it easier for people to focus only on the extreme opinions they want to hear, either left or right. This creates strong political polarization.
  • reality As a new study notes, “Extreme sites are more common than extreme readers.” And strongly ideological readers read a little bit of everything online. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 2 Comments • Permalink

18 Apr 2010 11:30

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Politics: Bill Clinton: Me or Hillary on Supreme Court a bad idea

  • Because I’m already 63-years-old, I hope I live to be 90. I hope I’m just as healthy as Justice Stevens is. But it’s not predictable. I’d like to see him put someone in there, late 40s, early 50s, on the court and someone with a lot of energy for the job.
  • Former President Bill Clinton • Regarding the possibility of his becoming Supreme Court justice. He says that, while he’d enjoy the job, it’d be better to choose someone younger. He also discounts the possibility of Hillary’s nomination. “She’s like me, you know, we’re kind of doers. We like being out there and doing things, rowing our own boat and making changes we could see happen.” So that’s that. Clinton recommends putting someone on the court who hasn’t been a judge before, who knows the impact of their decisions. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 2 Comments • Permalink

18 Apr 2010 10:11

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U.S.: Fun fact: Obama had NASA frantically removing scenery (for naught)

  • monday The Orion space capsule was not to be a part of Obama’s Thursday speech (which upset many). So NASA was trying to remove all signs of Orion from the building.
  • thursday Obama gave a speech in front of a backdrop that included the Orion capsule – after the administration did an about-face on the program (which surprised many). source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

18 Apr 2010 10:04

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Politics: McCain on Iran policy: U.S. needs to be willing to “pull the trigger”

  • I didn’t need a secret memo from Mr. Gates to ascertain that. We do not have a coherent policy… We have to be willing to pull the trigger on significant sanctions.
  • Sen. John McCain • Speaking on Fox News Sunday this morning. The senator claims that the secret memo leaked by the New York Times yesterday merely states the obvious. He wants to push for more sanctions, saying the U.S. has long held a loaded gun at Iran’s head but has been afraid to “pull the trigger.” Somebody likes using metaphors to get his point across! source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

17 Apr 2010 21:13

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U.S.: Secret memo: The U.S. doesn’t know what the #(&$ to do about Iran

  • This is according to a note sent by man, myth and legend Robert Gates. While the U.S. has a solid short-term strategy for the country (including sanctions), a memo from Gates in January hints that they might be a little lost as to what to do if those measures don’t work. The note set off a tizzy, according to sources hiding behind the shoulders of anonymity. Why? There’s a significant fear that Iran will bump up against the Nuclear Non-Prolifieration Treaty, getting all the elements of a nuclear weapon without actually building one. (Hint: That’d be really bad.) source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

16 Apr 2010 20:12

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Politics: GOP Senators to Obama, again: Drop dead

  • We are united in our opposition to the partisan legislation reported by the Senate Banking Committee. As currently constructed, this bill allows for endless taxpayer bailouts of Wall Street and establishes new and unlimited regulatory powers that will stifle small businesses and community banks.
  • A letter from all GOP Republicans to Harry Reid • Making it clear that the party will again be the Party of No when it comes to financial reform. Because, hey, it worked out for them last time. Obama, by the way, says he won’t pass a bill that doesn’t do something to hold back the onslaught of derivatives. Blanche Lincoln is working on adding teeth to the bill. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 1 Comment • Permalink
 

16 Apr 2010 17:10

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Tech: Apple learns that blocking editorial cartoonists a dumb idea

Pulitzer winner Mark Fiore had his app rejected. Now he has a second chance. “It’s not like I had a phone number for someone at Apple. Interestingly enough, I do now.” source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

16 Apr 2010 11:32

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U.S.: Charlie Crist plays Russian Roulette with teacher pay law veto

  • The people spoke, and they spoke loudly, and boy, did I hear from them this week.
  • Florida Gov. Charlie Crist • On his move to veto a Republican-backed education bill which would tie teachers’ pay to their performance. The move was controversial on all sides of the aisle – the GOP strongly stood behind the bill, while teachers werelargely against it. Even some bizarro hippies didn’t like it. The decision is raising speculation that our boy Charlie will run as an independent in the gubernatorial election, where he has a genuine shot of winning against bizarro hippie-endorsed Marco Rubio (who’s leading Crist handily in the Republican primary) and Democrat Kendrick Meek. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

15 Apr 2010 11:11

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Politics: Rep. Paul Ryan: Let’s talk intelligently about federal spending

  • Paul Ryan is an old-school Republican. He doesn’t seem like he hops on these shows to get into shouting matches with anyone, but instead discusses what he thinks are reasonable issues for cutting spending. He has opinions, but is willing to look at both sides of the aisle for criticism or praise. Plus, he looks like either Dick York or Dick Sergeant (we’re not sure which). Sure, he’s not flashy, but does he have a shot in 2012? source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 1 Comment • Permalink
 
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