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24 Jul 2009 10:09

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U.S.: Not coming in the immediate future: Massive health-care reform

  • The Obama administration anticipated having a sweeping health care bill out the door by Congress’ August recess. source
  • A deadlocked Senate and confusion over what the president wants means it’s gonna have to wait ’til later this year. source

23 Jul 2009 20:32

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U.S.: Half of New Jersey arrested in a corruption scandal for the ages

19 Jul 2009 18:30

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Politics: A lefty says that Sarah Palin is an example of the rise of idiocy

  • She was limited in her ability to explain and defend her positions, and sometimes in knowing them. She couldn’t say what she read because she didn’t read anything. She was utterly unconcerned by all this and seemed in fact rather proud of it: It was evidence of her authenticity.
  • The Wall Street Journal’s Peggy Noonan • Describing why Sarah Palin often didn’t know what the heck she was talking about on TV. Noonan’s quote (Noonan is a conservative, BTW) is something of a centerpiece of Salon columnist Gene Lyons’ thrashing of not only Palin herself but her quote-unquote idiotic fans, calling her a product of TV celebrity culture. Lyons goes further: “President? Get real. Sarah Palin couldn’t manage a Wal-Mart.” Ouch. Those claws sure dig deep, don’t they? • source

17 Jul 2009 17:19

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Politics: For fans of political scandal, three words: “C Street House”

  • Chip Pickering’s tie A mistress of former Mississippi Rep. Chip Pickering, who didn’t run for re-election in 2008, was sued by Pickering’s wife on charges of cheating with her hubby in the house.
  • John Ensign’s tie Nevada Sen. John Ensign, currently in the midst of the fallout from his own affair, was apparently roommates with Pickering at the sketchtastic D.C.-based home with religious group ties. source
  • Chip Pickering’s tie A mistress of former Mississippi Rep. Chip Pickering, who didn’t run for re-election in 2008, was sued by Pickering’s wife on charges of cheating with her hubby in the house.
  • John Ensign’s tie Nevada Sen. John Ensign, currently in the midst of the fallout from his own affair, was apparently roommates with Pickering at the sketchtastic D.C.-based home with religious group ties.
  • Mark Sanford’s tie S.C. Gov. Mark Sanford, while a congressman, was a member of the group. When word broke of his recent marital problems, he said he was getting help from the house. Conspiracy theories ahoy! source

14 Jul 2009 20:31

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U.S.: Sonia Sotomayor: Running through hoops like Sonic the Hedgehog

  • When I worked hard at trying to convince my colleagues of something after listening to them, they’ll often try it for a while. I mean, we’ll have to talk together. We’ll have to figure out that issue together.
  • Supreme Court justice candidate Sonia Sotomayor • On dealing with her potential fellow justices on issues of politics and hashing out disagreements. Sotomayor’s been putting on quite a show during her Senate hearings the last two days with the wording of her answers. She’s willing to be a critic of herself, correcting things she’d said that have been turned back on her, and overall keeping her composure in a situation that would knock others flat. No matter your political persuasion, she’ll probably be a good justice for these aspects alone. • source

12 Jul 2009 11:52

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U.S.: Republicans, Democrats agree: Sotomayor won’t face a Senate fight

  • The GOP doesn’t have the votes for it anyway. Rather than force a political showdown over a Latina woman’s nomination to the Supreme Court, the Republicans were all over this morning’s talk shows saying that they’d probably be unable to filibuster her – although saying that she would be vetted really well. Barring any skeletons in her closet – literal or otherwise – she should have an easy time finding a comfortable seat between Stevens and Ginsburg. source

10 Jul 2009 10:06

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U.S.: Well, guess the gridlock is over in the N.Y. State Senate

  • 135 bills were passed by senators in an all-nighter source
 

07 Jul 2009 10:24

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Politics: Sarah Palin says her decision was “out of the box.” Her words.

  • That caught people off guard… It’s out of the box and unconventional. That’s what we are as Alaskans and certainly how I am as a public servant.
  • Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin • Describing her decision to resign as a way to help her state. Uhhhhhh what? That makes absolutely no freaking sense, and we hope that Top Conservatives on Twitter (a.k.a. #tcot) have a field day giving us grief for criticizing their leading lady. Because we’re saying she shouldn’t be, and people in her own party are saying the same thing. “I said before … ‘You know, politically speaking, if I die, I die. So be it,'” she went on further to say. Wow. • source

06 Jul 2009 21:52

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U.S.: People don’t seem all that excited about Senator Al Franken

  • 44% of people nationwide disapprove of the guy who spent eight months fighting Norm Coleman for his Minnesota seat source

05 Jul 2009 10:25

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U.S.: Sarah Palin had lots of ethics complaints, many dismissed, on her back

  • 15 Ethics complaints had been filed against the Alaska governor while she was in office source