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18 Jun 2009 18:29

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U.S.: Gay-rights put their foot down and ask for Obama’s help

  • What we need now is leadership from the president, Congress and state officials to deliver that change. I’m frustrated and disappointed that the administration has not yet delivered on the vision we share for a more equal America.
  • Evan Wolfson • Who represents Freedom to Marry, a national pro-gay-marriage organization. Despite having strong support for their initiatives during the presidential campaign, Barack Obama has found himself up against the wall of Washington politics, playing it safe so that the efforts don’t derail his other initiatives. And gay-rights activists aren’t happy. • source

17 Jun 2009 22:11

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U.S.: Most people like Obama, but the love affair is now over

  • 56% Obama’s approval rating in May, down 5% from April source

17 Jun 2009 21:03

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Offbeat, U.S.: When Obama isn’t busy saving the economy, he’s swatting flies

  • Obama has a huge problem. His new house is swarming with flies, and it’s pissing him off. “He chases them down in the Oval with his briefing papers to smack them,” notes Council of Economic Advisors member Austan Goolsbee. They’re trying to kill them, but they’re still floating around everywhere. We know man. They annoy us too.source

16 Jun 2009 10:24

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U.S., World: John McCain: Obama needs to be more forceful about Iran

  • He should speak out that this is a corrupt, fraud, sham of an election. The Iranian people have been deprived of their rights.
  • Sen. John McCain • Who coulda been in the position Obama is currently in, but instead is watching from the Senate. He feels that Obama is being too careful with his words and needs to outwardly support the Iranian people. • source

16 Jun 2009 10:18

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World: A few quick answers to some pressing Iran election questions

  • Where’s the oversight? This is why things are so complicated right now. There’s no independent monitoring of the results – the Guardian Council is in charge of this, and they’re closely tied to the government. Plus, everything’s counted by hand. source
  • Where’s the oversight? This is why things are so complicated right now. There’s no independent monitoring of the results – the Guardian Council is in charge of this, and they’re closely tied to the government. Plus, everything’s counted by hand.
  • Was it rigged? Probably. Current president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad does have large-scale support in Iran, especially in rural areas, but not to the degree that his 63% vote tally suggested. And they sure counted those votes quickly. source
  • Where’s the oversight? This is why things are so complicated right now. There’s no independent monitoring of the results – the Guardian Council is in charge of this, and they’re closely tied to the government. Plus, everything’s counted by hand.
  • Was it rigged? Probably. Current president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad does have large-scale support in Iran, especially in rural areas, but not to the degree that his 63% vote tally suggested. And they sure counted those votes quickly.
  • How is the U.S. affected? That’s still up in the air. But in some ways, the results might help them gain footing in Iran. Having Ahmadinejad in power for an election widely perceived stolen could boost their leverage against a nuclear power. source

15 Jun 2009 22:41

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U.S., World: Ready guys? Obama finally has something to say about Iran

  • I can’t state definitively what happened one way or another with respect to the election. But what I can say is there appears to be a sense on the part of people who were so hopeful and so engaged and so committed to democracy, who now feel betrayed.
  • President Barack Obama • Finally speaking out on the Iranian election which has gripped large portions of the world and the Twittersphere so tightly that it’s unavoidable in some circles (unless you’re CNN). • source

15 Jun 2009 13:00

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Biz, U.S.: Obama: U.S. could go the way of GM with faulty health care

  • If we do not fix our health care system, America may go the way of GM — paying more, getting less and going broke.
  • President Barack Obama • Speaking to the American Medical Association today. A president claiming that the U.S. could go bankrupt for any reason is a big deal, and it’s an even bigger one when it’s because of health care. Wow. • source
 

15 Jun 2009 10:52

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World: Well, that’s good to know: Iran’s booting out foreign media

  • They’re looking to stop the flow of information. Al Jazeera English reports that foreign news crews are getting limited access from the Iranian government. Says their Tehran-based reporter Teymoor Nabili, “Day-by-day our ability to access any information has been slowly whittled away.” They’re not alone, either. A Spanish news crew was booted from the country, and opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi’s newspaper Kalameh Sabz was blocked from publication over the printing of a caricature which apparently was an insult to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Freedom of the press is important. These guys are on the front lines fighting for it. source

15 Jun 2009 10:38

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U.S.: Obama explains himself to the American Medical Association

  • 26 years since a sitting president met with the AMA; tough crowd source

14 Jun 2009 10:51

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World: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is a cold, callous leader

  • Some believed they would win, and then they got angry. It has no legal credibility. It is like the passions after a football match. It is not important from my point of view.
  • Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad • Describing the massive protests that took place after he won the election in Iran on Friday – with many believing that the results were rigged. Here’s our question: What kind of leader, knowing he faces a number of people angry about his victory, says something like this? • source