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05 Mar 2011 10:00

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Politics: Obama meets Jeb Bush: Not as successful as it could’ve been

  • As surreal moments go, Obama chillin’ with Jeb Bush in Miami on the education tip could have been a pretty cool one. We think he probably wins some points with the moderates for being willing to give a Bush – and not the unpopular one – the time of day. Unfortunately, it was a moment with flaws – the meeting itself was a tad awkward. And a speech he gave afterwards (in which he mentioned the meeting) actually drew boos for the bipartisanship attempt. It was a calculated political move, yeah, but you have to give the man credit for trying. He’s had relatively little luck pushing through the right side of the aisle, and he made an effort yesterday. source

25 Feb 2011 12:43

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World: Libya: Gaddafi wants to “arm the people” to stop aggression

  • We can defeat any aggression if necessary and arm the people. … You, the youth, be comfortable … dance, sing, stay up all night.
  • Muammar Gaddafi • Speaking to a crowd of pro-Gaddafi supporters in Tripoli, because hey, that’s what he does. His last speech, made last night, was via phone, which led some to raise concerns about his health. But he was totally out today. By the way, it’s worth noting that some officials (specifically in France) are saying that the death toll could possibly be around 2,000 for this whole Libyan protest kit-and-kaboodle. Gaddafi suggesting that he’ll “arm the people” could potentially bring that death toll number way up. source

21 Feb 2011 00:33

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World: Not so much: Saif Gaddafi’s speech goes over like a lead balloon

  • He is worse than his father. His claims about the establishment of Islamic emirates in the country is not true at all.
  • A local Muslim Brotherhood leader in Libya • Disputing the comments made by Mummar Gaddafi’s son, Saif, earlier this evening, which suggested that Islamists would cause civil war if the protests continued in the country. Meanwhile, Obama’s folks have been fishing for “clarification” what Saif meant. We can already tell you what he meant: He meant to impress us all with the way he inherited his crazy from his dad. source

10 Feb 2011 20:57

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World: Mubarak’s speech: Why the United States needs to look inward

  • “I can not and will not accept to be dictated orders from outside, no matter what the source is.” What makes a leader, in the face of international, media and local scrutiny, choose not to listen to repeated calls to resign? Who essentially shames his allies? A man whose statements are so transparent that not even his own people believe them? And why is it that the world allowed him to gain so much authority that he can’t easily be toppled from his position? There are a lot of questions tonight, and we’ve been parsing through them all afternoon. The fact that Mubarak was effectively supported by the United States makes the question marks much more pointed. As Americans, we need to learn how to encourage democracy at all costs, and focus less on what we gain – leverage in Israel, influence in a region, whatever. We can’t support another military state created by the United States. It’s ended in tears multiple times, and every time, Americans lose out monetarily, civilians lose their rights, and our world becomes a little more unstable. No more. This has to stop. source

01 Feb 2011 22:38

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World: Egyptian protesters planning another protest Friday. Will they return?

  • I was angry, but now I am enraged. … Only one thing will make the anger go away: His immediate withdrawal. He must leave. That is the only thing that will make these people go back to their homes.
  • Egyptian protester Abdullah Rawaq • Expressing anger about President Hosni Mubarak’s speech today, where he revealed he would not run for re-election this year – which was far less than protesters were hoping for. People were chanting such things as “He must go! We will not go!” and “Get out! Get out!” And in case he’s wondering whether he’s going to get away from today’s protests scot-free, now’s a good time to note that more huge protests are scheduled for Friday. The hard part about all this, of course, is not starting the protests, but keeping them going. Will the huge crowds return on Friday? source

28 Jan 2011 18:58

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12 Jan 2011 21:43

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U.S.: Obama to Arizona memorial: “Gabby opened her eyes”

  • This may have been one of Obama’s best speeches as president. Certainly at least a little jarring to hear cheering at a memorial for the fallen, but the way he was able to bring context to a terrible event really hit home. The way he spoke about the tragedy brought tears to quite a few sets of eyes, and it’s definitely good to see a major political figure speaking above the never-ending debate that it seems like everyone’s been sucked into over the last few days. It feels like a spark that had been missing for a while just came back. Again, though, it’s sad that this was the event to bring a speech like this out of him. source
 

07 Nov 2009 13:37

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Politics: The speech we missed Sarah Palin give on election day 2008

  • It’s been just 68 days since that afternoon in Dayton, Ohio, when Sen. McCain introduced me as his running mate. He is truly the maverick. My fellow Americans, tens of millions of you shared our convictions and gave us your votes. And I thank you for your confidence. We were facing tough odds and formidable opponents.
  • The words of 2008 vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin • In a speech she would have given had John McCain won the presidency last year. Palin didn’t get to give a losing speech, either – McCain’s handlers decided it was best to let the old man handle the loss himself. If the former Alaska governor had given a losing speech, she would have said this: “I wish Barack Obama well as the 44th president of the United States. If he governs America with the skill and grace we have often seen in him, and the greatness of which he is capable, we’re gonna be just fine.” This is painful to look at now, considering how dirty American politics have gotten. • source

20 Jan 2009 12:15

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U.S.: Meet the guy who wrote the inauguration speech

Barack Obama describes speechwriter Jon Faverau, 27, as his “mind-reader.” source