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26 Aug 2009 02:53

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U.S.: Why Ted Kennedy was truly a significant political force

tedkennedy0826
  • A Kennedy first Ted Kennedy outlived John. Ted Kennedy outlived Robert. He never became president, but he arguably had just as big a political legacy. He came from a lineage that began with their father, Joe and continued through his son, Patrick (who’s currently a Congressman). The line doesn’t go away with Ted, but it loses its brightest strand with his passing. source
  • A Kennedy first Ted Kennedy outlived John. Ted Kennedy outlived Robert. He never became president, but he arguably had just as big a political legacy. He came from a lineage that began with their father, Joe and continued through his son, Patrick (who’s currently a Congressman). The line doesn’t go away with Ted, but it loses its brightest strand with his passing.
  • A liberal second Ted Kennedy was the liberal to end all liberals. He wore that chain around his neck with no shame, despite the connotations that the phrase has earned through years of erosion in the press, on talk shows, and through Fox News. He frequently got vilified for it, much like Nancy Pelosi does now, but it never prevented him from fighting for them. source
  • A Kennedy first Ted Kennedy outlived John. Ted Kennedy outlived Robert. He never became president, but he arguably had just as big a political legacy. He came from a lineage that began with their father, Joe and continued through his son, Patrick (who’s currently a Congressman). The line doesn’t go away with Ted, but it loses its brightest strand with his passing.
  • A liberal second Ted Kennedy was the liberal to end all liberals. He wore that chain around his neck with no shame, despite the connotations that the phrase has earned through years of erosion in the press, on talk shows, and through Fox News. He frequently got vilified for it, much like Nancy Pelosi does now, but it never prevented him from fighting for them.
  • A leader third Fate intervened from making Ted president – in 1969, a car crash in which his passenger died made a run verboten. But over five decades in the Senate, he shaped the political landscape through countless issues, and was well-loved on both sides of the aisle. He was that rare kind of elder statesman that comes along once in a century. source

26 Aug 2009 01:48

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15 Aug 2009 09:30

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U.S., World: Aung San Suu Kyi’s stupid visitor, John Yettaw, is getting released

  • Credit Sen. Jim Webb for the diplomatic work. John Yettaw, the out-of-shape American who swam across a moat to save Burmese human rights leader Aung San Suu Kyi but just made things worse, will be getting out of seven years of hard labor. It’s thanks to Webb, a Virginia senator who comes off as a miniature Bill Clinton in this context. While Yettaw gets out, there’s no word on Suu Kyi, who was sentenced by Myanmar to more house arrest in a decision that angered many. source

09 Aug 2009 21:22

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Politics: Max Headroom: Evidence Howard Dean is more than a scream

  • Dean v. Newt Howard Dean and Newt Gingrich – two former rising stars from another era – still have their hands in the political cookie jar, and both have a lot to say about the health care debate (be sure to watch part two, too). In this debate of wits, Dean gets the upper hand.

  • Dean v. Newt Howard Dean and Newt Gingrich – two former rising stars from another era – still have their hands in the political cookie jar, and both have a lot to say about the health care debate (be sure to watch part two, too). In this debate of wits, Dean gets the upper hand.

  • Economics for clunkers Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell chatted with Fox News about the Cash for Clunkers plan, saying that “if you pay people to buy TVs, or refrigerators, or … that sort of thing, people will go out and do it.” He leans hard on the fiscal conservatism line here.

  • Dean v. Newt Howard Dean and Newt Gingrich – two former rising stars from another era – still have their hands in the political cookie jar, and both have a lot to say about the health care debate (be sure to watch part two, too). In this debate of wits, Dean gets the upper hand.

  • Economics for clunkers Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell chatted with Fox News about the Cash for Clunkers plan, saying that “if you pay people to buy TVs, or refrigerators, or … that sort of thing, people will go out and do it.” He leans hard on the fiscal conservatism line here.

  • So, how’s Kim Jong-Il? We know what you’re thinking. Bill Clinton went to North Korea and hasn’t told the world about Kim Jong-Il yet. Fortunately, National Security Adviser Gen. James Jones relayed it to the world on “Meet the Press.” He says Kim is still firmly in power of his country.

09 Aug 2009 11:38

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U.S., World: The next diplomacy frontier: Climate change in unstable regions

  • I’ve been making this argument for a number of years, but it has not been a focus because a lot of people had not connected the dots.
  • Democratic Sen. John Kerry, who chairs the Senate’s Foreign Relations Committee • Regarding climate change and the effect it could have on the world’s stability. Some regions, such as sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East and Southeast Asia – areas which already could be considered among the world’s more unstable – could face rising tides, droughts, food crises and other problems as a result of global warming. Recent war games have suggested this, and the U.S. is considering how it will handle these issues down the road. • source

12 Jul 2009 21:29

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Politics: Max Headroom: We wanna know which senator felt up David Brooks

  • Looking back For some stupid reason, the Bush administration’s dirty laundry with the CIA keeps coming up. Neocon icon Bill Kristol builds an intelligent context around the start of this Fox News panel chat.

  • Looking back For some stupid reason, the Bush administration’s dirty laundry with the CIA keeps coming up. Neocon icon Bill Kristol builds an intelligent context around the start of this Fox News panel chat.

  • Having her back John McCain, pretty much our favorite talking head ever, says some nice, supportive things about his former running mate, the soon-to-resign Sarah Palin, on “Meet the Press.”

  • Looking back For some stupid reason, the Bush administration’s dirty laundry with the CIA keeps coming up. Neocon icon Bill Kristol builds an intelligent context around the start of this Fox News panel chat.

  • Having her back John McCain, pretty much our favorite talking head ever, says some nice, supportive things about his former running mate, the soon-to-resign Sarah Palin, on “Meet the Press.”

  • Touchy-feely New York Times reporter David Brooks discusses the time an unnamed senator was feeling up his inner thigh at a dinner a couple years ago. Anyone wanna guess who it was?

04 Jul 2009 14:08

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Politics, U.S.: Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski trashes Sarah Palin’s decision to quit

  • I am deeply disappointed that the Governor has decided to abandon the State and her constituents before her term has concluded.
  • Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski • In a statement released Friday night. The senator had made a deal with Palin just months ago that the governor would help raise money for Murkowski’s 2010 senate run. Either way, you know something’s not right in Denmark when someone from your own state – and your own party – pulls out word daggers like this. • source
 

17 Jun 2009 20:25

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U.S.: Nevada Sen. John Ensign, then and now. It’s pretty sad, kids.

  • Ensign, a social conservative, was one of Bill Clinton’s harshest critics during the Monica Lewinsky saga, saying “the truth must come out.” He also trashed on Larry Craig pretty badly. source
  • The rising Republican star took a detour from rising when he admitted last night to an affair with one of his Congressional staffers. Why now? Dude probably wants to run for president. 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

07 Jun 2009 11:05

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Politics, U.S.: Arlen Specter does a dog and pony show for Pennsylvania Dems

  • Maybe it’s no coincidence that I’ve been derided for years by the far-right as a Republican in name only. Well, I’m no longer a Republican. I’m again a Democrat, and I’m pleased and proud to be a Democrat.
  • Sen. Arlen Specter • Speaking in front of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party yesterday, where he was making his debut as a Democrat. He switched parties a month ago, a move so stunning that it caused a 2.8 earthquake to rumble through the District of Columbia (OK, not really). The feeling was mutual in Pa. One Democratic organizer, Jim Burn, noted it was “a little surreal to see someone here who many men and women in the room spent 30 years trying to beat.” • source