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14 Apr 2011 14:15

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Politics: Deficit commission heads endorse Obama’s plan

  • yesterday The budget plan pitched by the President Obama in his big speech was very similar to the proposal advanced by his bipartisan deficit reduction commission, under Erskine Bowles and Alan Simpson.
  • today Bowles and Simpson met with the President earlier today, and after their meeting, the dynamic duo endorsed his twelve-year, $4 trillion reduction plan (their plan called for $4 trillion over just ten years). source

30 Mar 2011 16:06

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U.S.: President Obama argues for less imported oil

  • 25% the percentage of global oil production that’s consumed by the U.S.
  • 2% the percentage of global oil reserves under the control of the U.S.
  • 1/3rd the reduction in fuel imports Obama wants for the next decade source
  • ยป So, how do we get there? The nitty-gritty policy proposals President Obama spoke on seemed hauntingly familiar, with emissions standards, electric car production, (safety reviewed) nuclear power and natural gas all figuring into his pitch. These are all worthwhile possible answers or supplements to reduce foreign fuel imports, but will Congress has the desire, or failing that the collective will, to act on issues they’ve to this point been pretty willing to pass on? Especially with a Republican-led House, whose leadership is demonstrably opposed to emissions standards, it’s a worrisome possibility that this effort, like so many over the last thirty years, will fall by the wayside.

21 Oct 2009 22:30

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U.S.: That sound you hear is the the EPIC FAIL of health care’s dry run

  • The Senate couldn’t push through a Medicare payment bill. An attempt to prevent the 21% reduction of doctors’ Medicare fees couldn’t get through the Senate tonight, with both Republicans and centrist Democrats suggesting the $250 billion price tag was too much. They needed 60 votes to get the bill, supported by the American Medical Association, onto the Senate floor. They got 47. This may be a harbinger of things to come. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is suggesting that much. Have we called him a toolbag lately? source