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29 Oct 2011 18:12

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U.S.: Joe Biden is not actually comparing Republicans to arsonists, kids

  • Republicans moralizing about deficits. That’s like an arsonist moralizing about fire safety. These guys have zero credibility.
  • Vice President Joe Biden • Turning up the funny at a speech to Florida Democrats at Walt Disney World on Saturday afternoon. source
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

25 Oct 2011 23:16

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Politics: People like Occupy Wall Street…for now

  • +16% Occupy Wall Street’s net favorability. 43% approve of the movement, while just 27% disapprove.
  • 30% of people are still undecided on Occupy Wall Street, according to the same CBS/NYT poll.  source
  • » What this means: While the movement does enjoy a plurality of support (in this poll, at this moment in time), a huge percentage of people haven’t yet made up their minds about it. This means there’s a lot of room for public opinion to swing either way, so decisions on the part of OWS’s still-emerging leadership over the next couple of months will be crucial in solidifying public support or rejection of the movement. This, in turn, will help determine whether or not OWS’s message actually ends up affecting legislation that comes out of Washington. Will Occupy Wall Street become the next Tea Party, which has had a huge impact on national politicians, or is it just a passing fad? According to this poll, the answer to that question is “to be determined.”
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

24 Oct 2011 10:33

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Politics: Mitt Romney on Rick Perry: I would vote for him, if he stood a chance

  • If Rick Perry were the nominee, I’d be voting for him. I believe every single person on the stage in that last debate would do a better job than president Obama.
  • Mitt Romney • Claiming, during an interview over the weekend, that he would vote for Rick Perry, the man he savaged during last week’s debate. But would Rick vote for Mitt? SUSPENSE! source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

23 Oct 2011 11:43

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Politics: Herman Cain, to Michigan crowd: For the poor, it’s not 999, it’s 909

  • If you are at or below the poverty level, your plan isn’t 9-9-9, it is 9-0-9. Say amen y’all. 9-0-9.
  • Herman Cain • Claiming that his much-talked-about 999 plan was intended to always be income-tax-free for the poor. 909? Isn’t nearly as catchy now, is it? Cain made this statement in Detroit on Friday, which plays into some of the criticism his campaign has gotten — that he’s not focusing on the states that will help him win the early primaries. Earlier this month, Karl Rove put this point succinctly: “He needs to get his bus to Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Florida and Nevada. If he doesn’t break through there — and to break through there, you’ve got to show up, particularly in the first three.” source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

16 Oct 2011 14:01

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Politics: The good, the bad and the ugly: Clint Eastwood nearly vice-president?

  • So wait, they picked Dan Quayle over this guy? Back in 1988, there was a period where George H.W. Bush’s presidential campaign was looking a little rough, so they considered a variety of skippers to help steer his ship in the right direction. Among the picks, according to former Secretary of State James Baker? Clint Eastwood, who was a budding Republican politician at the time — the mayor of Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. “When we were way behind. Honestly, [Eastwood] was suggested in not an altogether unserious – Well, he was a mayor. He was a Republican mayor,” Baker noted. The idea got shot down pretty quick … paving the way for the guy now known for going after Murphy Brown for being a career woman. On the plus side, we got “Unforgiven” out of the deal, so it wasn’t all bad. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

12 Oct 2011 10:20

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Politics: Barney Frank rips Newt Gingrich for his Dodd-Frank assessment

  • I wish I knew that he was willing to listen to my advice, I would have given him some: I would have told him not to impeach Clinton, I would have told his successors not to go to war with Iraq, and I would have told [Tom] DeLay not to go on the dance show.
  • Rep. Barney Frank • Getting in an ice burn on Newt Gingrich, who ripped him and fellow Dodd-Frank architect Christopher Dodd, suggesting they should go to jail for daring to pass a financial reform. “If you want to put people in jail, you ought to start with Barney Frank and Chris Dodd,” Gingrich claimed during Tuesday night’s debate. As you might guess, Frank took umbrage with that assessment: “This notion we caused the problem that started while they were in charge even by Gingrich’s standards is very odd.” source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

09 Oct 2011 11:47

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Politics: With weak presidential field, Tea Party focusing on Senate instead

  • No one is going to get perfect in a general election candidate. That is why we think the Senate is a better place to focus.
  • FreedomWorks president Matt Kibbe • Effectively saying that Tea Party groups plan to focus on the presidential election, and instead put their energies towards helping the GOP win back the U.S. Senate, which the Democrats control with a slight majority. The race totals favor the GOP winning more seats — 23 of the 33 seats up for grabs next year are in Democratic power, and at least a few of those seats up for grabs because Senators are retiring — most notably those of Jim Webb and Kent Conrad. Do you guys think the GOP has a chance at getting the Senate back in 2012, especially considering increased Tea Party focus? source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

04 Oct 2011 20:42

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Politics: Suddenly surging in the polls: Herman Cain. Herman Cain?!

  • He’s tied with Mitt Romney for first in one poll and ahead of Rick Perry in another. Months ago, Herman Cain‘s presidential campaign seemed like something of an underdog, with many people unaware of the former pizza chain executive. Now, with multiple straw-poll wins under his belt, the non-politician is within shouting distance of the lead. RealClearPolitics has him in third place, but if you take out the two oldest polls listed, he rises to second, ahead of Rick Perry, thanks in part to consistent poll numbers and Perry’s own faltering of late. Cain’s worth watching, suddenly. Wow. (photo via Gage Skidmore) source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

23 Sep 2011 21:43

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Politics: UC Berkeley College Republicans hold racially-charged bake sale

  • The pricing structure is there to bring attention, to cause people to get a little upset. But it’s really there to cause people to think more critically about what this kind of policy would do in university admissions.
  • UC Berkeley College Republicans president Shawn Lewis • Discussing his group’s reasoning for having a bake sale where people paid different prices based on their race and gender. The pricing scale’s kinda like this: $2 for whites, $1.50 for Asians, $1 for Latinos, $0.75 for Blacks and $0.25 for Native Americans — with a discount of 25 cents for women of all races. As you might guess, this bake sale, scheduled for Tuesday, is flaring up emotions quicker than a character in the movie “PCU.” It’s not the first time it’s been tried — a couple of other schools have tried the idea, and it’s been shut down at least once. What do you think? Does this seem disrespectful and worth getting angry over, or is there a valid point here? (h/t ProducerMatthew) source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

31 Jul 2011 00:27

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U.S.: Breakdown: The new new NEW new nü NEW debt ceiling framework

  • So, those Republicans finally got a framework! If anyone feels like you might be on the most boring roller coaster ever, you are, as there have been so many high and low points with this debt ceiling dramarama today that you probably feel so dizzy that people might mistake you for being drunk. Anyway, in the latest developments, Republicans have apparently reached a framework with the White House to make this debt ceiling deal happen. Based on this, which side do you think won the day? Here’s a roundup:
  • ceiling The debt ceiling would rise to $2.8 trillion (though this number is conflicting; AP reports $2.4 trillion). This would be enough to get us past the 2012 elections.
  • cuts Republicans would reportedly agree to roughly $1 trillion in cuts now, and then another $1.8 trillion later. Ignore our earlier version of the post; this is significant.
  • condition Republicans will get one thing out of the mess which in the end won’t mean anything — a vote on a balanced budget amendement. This will not pass. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
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