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13 Oct 2009 20:03

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U.S.: So, what’s next on the health-care roadmap? More meetings

  • The Finance Committee’s bill will be combined with a bill passed in July by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. source
  • After that, the Congressional Budget Office and Senate Democrats will do vetting of the combined bill to make sure it passes muster. source
  • Finally, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid promises, the bill will be voted on by the full Senate by the end of the month. Then the House gets it. source

12 Oct 2009 21:09

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Politics: Glenn Beck: The White House has made the war about Fox News

  • It’s not often that we give Glenn Beck credit, mainly because he’s a raging loony who almost never deserves credit from us, but Beck hit this out of the park. The White House should not be screwing with Fox News. They’re small potatoes. Fox News realizes it. However, we draw the line at Beck saying that they’re openly at war with Fox News’ viewers and their politics. Take the high road, White House, and show the country you’re better than this.source

11 Oct 2009 21:52

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Politics: Max Headroom: Al Gore stutters, Keith Olbermann doesn’t

  • Inconvenient for Al Phelim McAleer, co-director of “Not Evil Just Wrong,” a right-leaning film refuting Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth,” happened to be at Gore’s first Q&A in four years, Gore stumbled through McAleer’s question. Then McAleer’s mic was cut. Hm.

  • Inconvenient for Al Phelim McAleer, co-director of “Not Evil Just Wrong,” a right-leaning film refuting Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth,” happened to be at Gore’s first Q&A in four years, Gore stumbled through McAleer’s question. Then McAleer’s mic was cut. Hm.

  • Fox & the GOP in bed? White House Communications Director Anita Dunn made a harsh-tongued accusation against Fox News this morning, calling them the “communications arm of the Republican Party” and saying Obama treats talking to them like a debate.

  • Inconvenient for Al Phelim McAleer, co-director of “Not Evil Just Wrong,” a right-leaning film refuting Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth,” happened to be at Gore’s first Q&A in four years, Gore stumbled through McAleer’s question. Then McAleer’s mic was cut. Hm.

  • Fox & the GOP in bed? White House Communications Director Anita Dunn made a harsh-tongued accusation against Fox News this morning, calling them the “communications arm of the Republican Party” and saying Obama treats talking to them like a debate.

  • It’s about … death Last week, Keith Olbermann devoted a show to the health care debate. He prefaced it by saying that the debate was “about … death.” And he goes on, and on, and on. And a lot of it is pretty good and substantial. (Watch the whole thing here.)

11 Oct 2009 00:39

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U.S.: Obama’s plan for gays in the military: Ask. Tell. (If you want.)

  • The president plans to end the controversial Clinton-era policy. Speaking at the Human Rights Campaign tonight, Obama renewed his pledge to the gay community. “Do not doubt the direction we are heading and the destination we will reach,” he said. Many were supportive, but others noted that, while warm and fuzzy, he didn’t bring up specifics in the speech. source

10 Oct 2009 13:21

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U.S., World: Fidel Castro has nice things to say about Obama’s Nobel Prize

  • Many will say that he still hasn’t earned the right to receive such distinction. We prefer to see in the decision, more than a prize for the president of the United States, a criticism of the genocidal policies that not a few presidents of that country have followed.
  • Former Cuban dictator Fidel Castro • In a comment in the country’s state-run media. Considering that Americans have feelings just as mixed about Castro as they do about obama winning this peace prize, he’s not helping by saying such nice things about Obama. Barack Obama: Latin America’s favorite president ever. • source

09 Oct 2009 23:35

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U.S., World: Critics not feeling this whole Obama Nobel Peace Prize thing

  • I think the committee has gone mad. We haven’t seen anything from him yet. Words and promises only, no actions. His troops are still here, Guantanamo is not closed, and Israel is building new settlements.
  • Fallujah, Iraq lawyer Omar Mohammad • Criticizing the Nobel Committee’s decision to give Obama the Nobel Peace Prize. He’s not alone, not in his region nor worldwide. Our vote on the matter shows that many people oppose his winning of the award, and others suggest that he may have won for his more European-style way of handling diplomacy. • source

09 Oct 2009 04:37

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U.S.: More women than men hit by military’s “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” rule

  • 56 women were dismissed from the military for being gay, versus 34 men source
 

08 Oct 2009 22:57

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Politics: Olympia Snowe may be alone on health care, but she doesn’t mind

  • I’d rather have company. But it’s a different political world we’re in. . . Most people represent either red states or blue states.
  • Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe of Maine • Discussing her status as the lone GOP member of congress willing to stick her neck out to get health care approved. Unlike a lot of Republicans, Snowe doesn’t really have much to lose. She won with 74% of the vote in 2006, and many are supportive of her stance in the state. • source

08 Oct 2009 09:53

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World: Daily poll: Is peace between Israel and Palestine worth fighting for?

  • Avigdor Lieberman, Israel’s foreign minister, added complication to the U.S.’ latest attempt to forge peace between both sides by suggesting that the conflict won’t be able to be solved. “I am going to say very clearly – there are conflicts that have not been completely solved and people have learned to live with it, like Cyprus,” he said. Do you agree? Vote above.source

07 Oct 2009 19:54

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U.S.: The Congressional Budget Office weighs in on Baucus’ health plan

  • $829 billion the cost of the new health care plan over the next ten years source