tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90825985982472780832011-11-27T19:04:15.214-05:00concise commentary on contemporary topicsSahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.comBlogger7021100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-23984834488001234582009-04-30T11:45:00.001-04:002009-04-30T11:47:18.649-04:00

Via Political Wire:"Do you really believe that we lost 18-to-34-year-olds by 19 percent, or we lost Hispanic voters, because we are not conservative enough? No. This is a ridiculous line of thought. The truth is we lost young people because our Republican brand is tainted."-- Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) in the New York Times.It's a good thing he's not up for reelection anytime soon.

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-82061001537178603262009-04-29T19:29:00.003-04:002009-04-29T19:35:07.702-04:00

Video: Sen. Arlen Specter speaks on the Senate floor about Sen. Jim Jeffords leaving the Republican party. Eight years later Specter changed parties himself.

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-37895522236436115952009-04-29T17:01:00.002-04:002009-04-29T17:05:57.581-04:00

The DSCC launches a new ad attacking Crist. Crist hasn't announced that he will be running for the senate seat although most reports seem to imply this will happen as soon as the legislative session in Florida is over.Crist is very popular in Florida but a couple of the criticisms lobbed in this ad could be very effective -- that Crist is abandoning the job (and the state) when the times got

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-69778623115990989132009-04-29T16:07:00.003-04:002009-04-29T16:15:07.152-04:00

A governor from Massachusetts positions himself as a conservative, and a governor from Utah is positioning himself as a moderate...In an interview with ABC News, Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman (R) blasted Republicans in Congress for not engaging with President Obama.Said Huntsman: "You can't just say no. You can't just obstruct or obfuscate. Instead of just kind of grousing and complaining, it would do

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-6784279696459896262009-04-28T12:45:00.001-04:002009-04-28T12:47:12.025-04:00

Sen. Arlen Specter from PA announced today that he was switching parties.Republican Sen. Arlen Specter is switching parties so he can run in the Pennsylvania Democratic Senate primary, abandoning his party because he does not want to be "judged by the Pennsylvania Republican primary electorate."Specter, in a Tuesday afternoon statement, said he knows his supporters will be disappointed but says

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-81995923979012801002009-02-17T17:22:00.000-05:002009-02-17T17:23:33.800-05:00

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-28720859042321734002009-01-26T17:56:00.002-05:002009-01-26T18:01:24.756-05:00

Politico runs a must-read piece on the Obama economic team and how each team member is bringing his or her own expertise to the crafting and implementation (if passed) of the stimulus bill.Christina Romer...She’s an expert on tracking economic outlooks and employment trends. And in a recent report, she estimated that an additional 5 million jobs could be lost this year without an economic

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-81703241431450077712009-01-26T13:08:00.003-05:002009-01-26T13:10:54.166-05:00

The Washington Post has an interesting piece on Colorado's newest senator.He gave up $5 million in unvested stock and a job in finance for the low-paying, high-stress position of chief of staff to Hickenlooper. He left that post to take the helm of an urban school district. Throughout his working life, Bennet has zigged and zagged between seemingly unrelated jobs for which he had no prior

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-70172819689991626462009-01-22T12:24:00.001-05:002009-01-22T12:26:00.755-05:00

Think Progress:After running “the most technologically savvy presidential campaign in history,” President Obama’s staffers encountered “a jumble of disconnected phone lines, old computer software, and security regulations forbidding outside e-mail accounts” on their first day at their new jobs. “It is kind of like going from an Xbox to an Atari,” said Obama spokesman Bill Burton. It appears that

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-22728059827167581172009-01-20T14:29:00.003-05:002009-01-20T14:35:08.580-05:00

Interesting facts and figures about previous inaugurations can be found here.Here's a video on inaugurals from the past and not so distant past.

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-25835097409704971982009-01-12T10:34:00.002-05:002009-01-12T10:36:52.437-05:00

Image Source; H/T: The Democratic Strategist

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-77425750752737749802009-01-08T11:23:00.003-05:002009-01-08T11:24:21.407-05:00

Image Source: The Economist

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-53298808224880128512009-01-08T11:02:00.002-05:002009-01-08T11:05:32.111-05:00

Missouri:Sen. Kit Bond, the senior Republican from Missouri who sits on powerful Senate committees, announced Thursday that he will not run for reelection in 2010, giving Democrats a shot to pick up a seat in a state that has emerged as a major battleground.The announcement is a blow to Senate Republicans who now will have at least four of their incumbents seeking retirement at the end of the

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-56311392182113561442008-12-30T11:17:00.000-05:002008-12-30T11:19:40.101-05:00

Washington Post:In 2006, Henshaw was replaced by Edwin G. Foulke Jr., a South Carolina lawyer and former Bush fundraiser who spent years defending companies cited by OSHA for safety and health violations.Foulke quickly acquired a reputation inside the Labor Department as a man who literally fell asleep on the job: Eyewitnesses said they saw him suddenly doze off at staff meetings, during

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-76406793187225649582008-12-30T10:59:00.002-05:002008-12-30T11:03:34.086-05:00

Vanity Fair:After failing to anticipate Hamas’s victory over Fatah in the 2006 Palestinian election, the White House cooked up yet another scandalously covert and self-defeating Middle East debacle: part Iran-contra, part Bay of Pigs. With confidential documents, corroborated by outraged former and current U.S. officials, the author reveals how President Bush, Condoleezza Rice, and Deputy

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-2535127123803276862008-12-24T11:50:00.001-05:002008-12-24T11:52:55.433-05:00

New York Times:... Across the Middle East, young people like Mr. Fawaz, angry, alienated and deprived of opportunity, have accepted Islam as an agent of change and rebellion. It is their rock ’n’ roll, their long hair and love beads. Through Islam, they defy the status quo and challenge governments seen as corrupt and incompetent. These young people — 60 percent of those in the region are under

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-1668413972761514282008-12-23T11:29:00.002-05:002008-12-23T11:31:55.799-05:00

Boston Globe:Southern and western states are poised to snatch more congressional seats from the rest of the country as Americans pursue open spaces and warmer climates. The nation's migration west and south has slowed, according to new government population estimates. But states in the Northeast and Midwest are still projected to lose

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-67253887353258031612008-12-18T11:41:00.002-05:002008-12-18T11:44:56.839-05:00

A couple of appointments to go still, but the folks at MSNBC.com have put together quite the list.7 Ivy Leaguers (Clinton, Duncan, Geithner, Holder, Donovan, Orszag, Jackson)6 State Schoolers (Daschle, Vilsack, Chu, Napolitano, Salazar, Gates)6 Raised in the Midwest (Clinton, Daschle, Vilsack, Gates, Duncan, LaHood) Note: This doesn’t include Chu, who was born in Missouri but grew up in New York)

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-12692142911705209512008-12-18T11:36:00.000-05:002008-12-18T11:37:23.245-05:00

Washington Times:Some top retired military leaders and some Democrats in Congress are backing William White, chief operating officer of the Intrepid Museum Foundation, to be the next secretary of the Navy - a move that would put the first openly gay person at the top of one of the services. The secretary's job is a civilian position, so it would not run afoul of the ban on gays serving in the

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-71744192892290424142008-12-15T11:51:00.001-05:002008-12-15T11:52:46.388-05:00

Politico:Lisa Jackson, who President-elect Barack Obama is expected to name Monday evening to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, is already being hailed as a historic choice. The former head of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and transition team member would be the first African-American EPA chief, and supporters have praised her work ethic, approachability, and

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-74664502565750454752008-12-12T13:23:00.001-05:002008-12-12T13:25:07.012-05:00

CQ Politics:The Tampa Tribune reports that former Gov. Jeb Bush is leaning toward seeking the Republican Senate nomination in 2010. Friends and political associates say Bush has been deluged by Republicans urging him to run, including his brother President George W. Bush. At a White House Christmas party Thursday, “the president was just effusively promoting it to all the Floridians, and so was

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-28510255756099669232008-12-10T18:06:00.002-05:002008-12-10T18:10:06.306-05:00

.cc_box a:hover .cc_home{background:url('http://www.comedycentral.com/comedycentral/video/assets/syndicated-logo-over.png') !important;}.cc_links a{color:#b9b9b9;text-decoration:none;}.cc_show a{color:#707070;text-decoration:none;}.cc_title a{color:#868686;text-decoration:none;}.cc_links a:hover{color:#67bee2;text-decoration:underline;}The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10cMike Huckabee

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-6176033953218446292008-12-09T11:19:00.006-05:002008-12-10T13:13:13.567-05:00

Illinois Gov. Blagojevich (D) was arrested on corruption charges.Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich was arrested on criminal charges on Tuesday, including trying to sell the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by fellow Democrat President-elect Barack Obama, federal prosecutors said. Blagojevich was also accused of threatening to withhold

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-15632512676546962362008-12-08T15:18:00.001-05:002008-12-08T15:31:07.611-05:00

TPM: Tribune Company files for bankruptcy. The company's holdings include the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Baltimore Sun, South Florida's Sun Sentinel, Orlando Sentinel, Hartford Courant, 23 television stations, cable station WGN, and the Chicago Cubs.

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-30177001113980503712008-12-08T12:38:00.001-05:002008-12-08T12:40:52.751-05:00

Politico reports the latest in a series of embarrassing stories about Rep. Rangel (D-NY).Between 2004 and 2007, Rep. Charles Rangel steered nearly $80,000 in campaign cash to an Internet company run by his son — paying lavishly for a pair of political websites so poorly designed an expert estimated one should have cost no more than $100 to create.The payments are apparently legal under federal

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-6135637007236353552008-12-08T09:55:00.001-05:002008-12-08T09:56:53.632-05:00

The New York Daily News' DeFrank writes that Shinseki's “appointment as veterans affairs secretary demonstrates that Barack Obama knows big-time change can be created without spending a penny. By restoring to grace a retired four-star general whose career was vaporized by former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld for daring to tell the truth, Obama has delivered a powerful symbolic statement that

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-92078064945209751042008-12-05T12:53:00.002-05:002008-12-05T12:56:33.720-05:00

The Economist:The first wind farms sprouted in California in the early 1980s, thanks to generous tax credits. Today's machines typically have a capacity of 1.5-2.5 megawatts, or 30 to 50 times that of early turbines. Although wind generates only about 1% of all electricity globally, it provides a respectable portion in several European countries: 20% in Denmark, 10% in Spain and about 7% in

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-11710461133713430812008-12-04T17:00:00.002-05:002008-12-04T17:02:40.764-05:00

The Senate Guru digs up this gem from the U.S. Senate website.September 16, 1975Closest Election in Senate History The closest election in Senate history was decided on September 16, 1975. The 1974 New Hampshire race for an open seat pitted Republican Louis Wyman against Democrat John Durkin. Although Wyman enjoyed a lead during the campaign, the Watergate scandals and the August 1974 resignation

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-12294619239949670902008-12-04T16:51:00.001-05:002008-12-04T16:52:42.333-05:00

Think Progress:Studies have consistently shown Fox viewers to be among the most misinformed Americans. A 2008 Pew study ranked Fox News dead last in the number of “high knowledge” viewers, with only 19 percent of Fox viewers able to correctly identify the majority party in Congress (Democrats), the name of the U.S. Secretary of State (Condoleezza Rice), and name of British Prime Minister (Gordon

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-84468992157311270772008-12-04T12:32:00.002-05:002008-12-04T14:09:47.708-05:00

NYT:Prime Minister Stephen Harper formally requested Thursday that Canada’s Parliament be closed down in an effort to delay a vote that could bring down his new government. Mr. Harper’s move is unprecedented, and comes less than two months after he won re-election. If his request is rejected by the formal head of government — the governor general, Queen Elizabeth II’s representative — the prime

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-70777488806182264202008-12-03T10:41:00.002-05:002008-12-03T10:44:39.774-05:00

See more Jack Black videos at Funny or DieThanks for the Tip, Ch'ien.

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-77098410128755641492008-12-03T10:01:00.001-05:002008-12-03T10:08:13.782-05:00

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-8914036775859857562008-12-02T17:32:00.000-05:002008-12-02T17:33:43.282-05:00

First Read:A senior U.S. counter-terrorism official confirms that Indian authorities have found the names of several high-ranking members of the Pakistani-based group, Lashkar-e-Taiba, in the satellite phone used by one those who carried out the attacks in Mumbai. Lashkar is considered a terrorist group by the U.S. government. Morever, there is evidence that calls were placed to some of the

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-41704379420969522772008-12-02T11:56:00.004-05:002008-12-02T12:29:21.411-05:00

Florida: Sen. Mel Martinez (R-FL) will not seek reelection for a second term in 2010. Former Gov. Jeb Bush has been mentioned as a possible contender for the seat. Florida CFO Alex Sink, who was mentioned as a possible challenger to Martinez, had indicated that she will not seek the senate seat even before Martinez announced his decision. Mark Halpernin reports that Martinez may not serve out his

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-6096154539431722312008-12-01T23:54:00.001-05:002008-12-01T23:56:54.530-05:00

Marc Ambinder:The takeaway from Barack Obama's national security team rollout this morning is holism. Announcing, at once, an attorney general, the homeland security chief, Obama's defense chief, his chief diplomat, his chief negotiator and his chief adviser sends the message that Obama's conception of national security includes the need to defend against terror attacks at home and to devise a

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-37619841060769419442008-12-01T22:59:00.001-05:002008-12-01T23:01:30.330-05:00

First Read:It's unusual that outgoing cabinet secretaries praise the choice of their apparent successors from another party. But current Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff today said Janet Napolitano, Obama's choice to take over the job, "is an excellent choice.""I have had the good fortune of knowing and working with Governor Janet Napolitano for years, going back to our days as

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-78163027962565383972008-12-01T15:53:00.002-05:002008-12-01T15:54:42.487-05:00

Image Source

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-77598381309045169572008-12-01T12:01:00.001-05:002008-12-01T12:03:59.393-05:00

RCP:President-elect Barack Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden officially announced key members of their national security team today: nominating Senator Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State, selecting Defense Secretary Robert Gates to remain as Secretary of Defense, nominating Eric Holder as Attorney General, nominating Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano as Secretary of the Department of

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-55773651107182526042008-11-28T14:21:00.003-05:002008-11-28T15:03:29.443-05:00

A slip of tongue by Illinois Gov. Blagojevich fuels speculation that Rep. Danny Davis will replace Obama in the senate.I don't know much about Congressman Davis so I decided to do some searching. Here's a disturbing little nugget.In promoting himself as a candidate to succeed Barack Obama in the U.S. Senate, U.S. Rep. Danny Davis (D-Chicago) seems to be hoping the public has forgotten his

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-48400983690837768712008-11-26T15:47:00.003-05:002008-11-26T16:22:11.091-05:00

Reuters:At least 80 people have been killed in a series of attacks in Mumbai, police said."We have reports of 80 people dead and at least 250 injured. Many have serious injuries and the toll will go up," P.D Ghadge, a police officer in the main control room in Mumbai, told Reuters.BBC:On Wednesday, gunmen opened fire in at least seven sites, including a train station, two five-star hotels, a

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-518357293577333292008-11-26T15:30:00.003-05:002008-11-26T15:44:43.071-05:00

In the last five decades, only two non-incumbent candidates have garnered a larger margin of victory than Obama. Reagan's margin of victory in terms of the popular vote was 9.7% and George H. W. Bush's margin was 7.8%. Obama's (provisional) margin stands at 7%. That's a mandate.

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-53434734619872690082008-11-26T01:51:00.001-05:002008-11-26T01:54:02.748-05:00

Boston Globe:In tapping academic economist Christina D. Romer to lead his Council of Economic Advisers, President-elect Barack Obama has turned to one of the preeminent scholars of the Great Depression, who colleagues say is likely to push for aggressive government intervention to ease the economic crisis..."Christina has done ground-breaking research on many of the topics our administration will

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-58667784869709681332008-11-26T01:32:00.002-05:002008-11-26T01:35:33.995-05:00

Miami Herald: A Miami-Dade circuit judge Tuesday declared Florida's 30-year-old ban on gay adoption unconstitutional, allowing a North Miami man to adopt two foster kids he has raised since 2004... Moments after Lederman released the ruling, attorneys for Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum announced they would appeal the decision to the Third District Court of Appeal in Miami.

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-32210982034787717152008-11-26T01:04:00.003-05:002008-11-26T01:11:50.457-05:00

Zach Patton on Governing.com: Since the late 1980s, cities have bought heavily into the "broken windows" theory: the notion that an unkempt, disorderly environment breeds crime. Leaders in New York City were the first to act on the idea on a broad scale. After an aggressive campaign to clean up graffiti in the city's subway system, petty crime went down. New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani -- along

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-21280913283717089692008-11-26T00:43:00.002-05:002008-11-26T00:49:45.205-05:00

Boston Globe:...But one statistic made Solomont prouder than any other: the $21.4 million that Obama raised in Massachusetts made it his most lucrative state on a per-person basis.Obama raised $3.31 per Massachusetts resident and $2.91 per Vermonter - more than he took in from New York ($2.62) and California ($2.29), traditionally among the richest pastures for Democrats.By Solomont's measure,

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-36381041939519289102008-11-25T15:55:00.004-05:002008-11-25T21:41:32.568-05:00

The drubbing that the GOP received in the last two elections hasn't stopped a slew conservatives from claiming that the United States is still a center-right country. For the sake of argument, let's say it is a center-right country. The GOP, however, seems more focused on the "right" and not so much on the "center" in center-right.A wholehearted devotion to conservative views on social issues is

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-16265222599262936712008-11-25T14:22:00.004-05:002008-11-25T14:28:45.994-05:00

The LA Times reports, "In a little-noticed regulation change, the Pentagon's definition of combat-related disabilities is narrowed, costing some wounded veterans thousands of dollars in lost benefits." Marine Cpl. James Dixon was wounded twice in Iraq -- by a roadside bomb and a land mine. He suffered a traumatic brain injury, a concussion, a dislocated hip and hearing loss. He was

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-57470322450323927152008-11-21T17:25:00.004-05:002008-11-21T17:38:58.240-05:00

NYT reports "Hillary Rodham Clinton has decided to give up her Senate seat and accept the position of secretary of state, making her the public face around the world for the administration of the man who beat her for the Democratic presidential nomination, two confidants said Friday."Political Punch reports "After a very fluid process in which the identity of President-elect Obama's leading

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-33318177773338519412008-11-21T12:06:00.001-05:002008-11-21T12:08:27.225-05:00

The Minneapolis Star Tribune:With about 46 percent of the 2.9 million ballots counted by Thursday evening, the gap between Republican incumbent Norm Coleman and DFL challenger Al Franken continued to close. Coleman was leading by only 136 votes, a drop from his unofficial lead of 215 that was confirmed Tuesday by the state Canvassing Board.

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-16574525202366301712008-11-20T12:58:00.002-05:002008-11-20T13:05:23.438-05:00

(H/T: Think Progress)Maybe, Bush is not shaking hands because there's no hand sanitizer around.The president turned to an aide nearby, who squirted a big dollop of hand sanitizer in the president’s hand.“Want some?” the president asked. “Good stuff. Keeps you from getting colds.” Not wanting to seem unhygienic, I took a squirt.

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-87239806862495026092008-11-20T11:29:00.002-05:002008-11-20T11:31:38.191-05:00

Politico:California Rep. Henry A. Waxman on Thursday officially dethroned longtime Energy and Commerce Chairman John Dingell, upending a seniority system that has governed Democratic politics in the House for decades.In a secret ballot vote in the Cannon Caucus Room, House Democrats ratified an earlier decision by the Steering and Policy Committee to replace the 82-year-old Dingell with his 69-

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-31208619417398235072008-11-19T14:59:00.002-05:002008-11-19T15:11:12.970-05:00

Blame the unions for saddling the US auto companies with debts for such frivolous things as health care and pensions. Executives from the same auto companies flying in private jets to beg for public money, now that's an essential need.

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-30315679155040536822008-11-19T13:30:00.001-05:002008-11-19T13:33:06.174-05:00

NYT:President-elect Barack Obama’s transition team has signaled to Eric H. Holder Jr., a senior official in the Justice Department in the Clinton administration, that he will be chosen as attorney general, but no final decision has been made, people involved in the process said Tuesday.Mr. Holder would be the first African-American to serve as the nation’s top law enforcement official. As a top

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-64750898544498846692008-11-19T13:26:00.001-05:002008-11-19T13:28:31.329-05:00

Andrea Mitchell reports that former Sen. Tom Daschle has been tapped to head the Department of Health and Human Services.NBC News has confirmed that Tom Daschle -- the former Democratic Senate leader who backed Obama early in the Democratic nomination fight -- has been tapped to be the next secretary at the Department Health and Human Services. Roll Call, which broke the news, adds that Daschle "

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-18694655893003984682008-11-19T13:17:00.002-05:002008-11-19T13:21:21.721-05:00

News & Observer has a great profile on Marc Farinella, "the chief architect of Obama's victory in North Carolina."In hiring Farinella, the Obama campaign put one of its most seasoned Democratic veterans -- and someone who once got a dead man elected to the U.S. Senate -- in charge in North Carolina.Farinella grew up in New York and Chicago, the son of a social worker and an interior decorator.

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-85255513519998701522008-11-19T13:07:00.003-05:002008-11-19T13:11:36.625-05:00

Stateline:Massachusetts once again leads all other states in moving its economy away from the old industrial “smokestack-chasing” model to one based on technology, creativity and innovation, a new report released Nov. 18 said. Washington, Maryland, Delaware and New Jersey round out the top five states, while Mississippi and West Virginia ranked lowest in making the transition to the new economy,

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-3471254220248746412008-11-19T13:02:00.002-05:002008-11-19T13:04:33.719-05:00

McClatchy News:A year after problems emerged in the construction of the new U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, another State Department post being built largely by the same Kuwaiti-based company is engulfed by delays, recriminations, and an Inspector General's probe, according to U.S. officials. The embassy building, in the central African nation of Gabon, was supposed to be

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-47227274892556957382008-11-19T12:29:00.002-05:002008-11-19T12:33:24.954-05:00

Anchorage Daily News:Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens lost his job to Mark Begich on Tuesday, putting an end to the era of "Uncle Ted" as the dominant force in Alaska politics.Begich, the Democratic mayor of Anchorage, widened his lead to 3,724 votes in Tuesday's count of absentee and questioned ballots. The lead is insurmountable, as the only votes left to count are approximately 2,500 ballots from

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-56073098890189466502008-11-19T12:09:00.002-05:002008-11-19T12:17:00.113-05:00

The Democratic Strategist:...I think Nate's on to something, based on some very specific numbers. In 2004, Kerry's share of the white vote in Mississippi and Alabama was 18%, and was 22% in South Carolina. This year Obama's share of that vote sank to 11% in Alabama, and 10% in Mississippi, yet rose to 26% in South Carolina....Perhaps SC's recent economic growth, accompanied by a significant if

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-60917718490388019032008-11-19T12:05:00.001-05:002008-11-19T12:07:15.256-05:00

CQ Politics:Congressional Budget Office Director Peter R. Orszag has been approached by President-elect Barack Obama’s transition team about becoming director of the White House budget office in the new administration and is the leading candidate for the job, according to sources on and off Capitol Hill. Orszag, like all candidates for posts in the Obama administration, would have to go

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-57708750209448681242008-11-18T12:27:00.001-05:002008-11-18T12:29:37.700-05:00

Think Progress:The Bush administration is pushing a last-minute proposal to “grant sweeping new protections to health care providers who oppose abortion and other procedures on religious or moral grounds.” Three officials from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission “said the proposal would overturn 40 years of civil rights law prohibiting job discrimination based on religion.” “Just weeks

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-19412897184631724972008-11-18T12:17:00.002-05:002008-11-18T12:19:47.876-05:00

Michael Scherer features some choice nuggets from Lieberman:In the Wall Street Journal, May 2008 By considering centrism to be collaboration with the enemy – not bin Laden, but Mr. Bush – activists have successfully pulled the Democratic Party further to the left than it has been at any point in the last 20 years. Far too many Democratic leaders have kowtowed to these opinions rather than

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-35861463694657098682008-11-18T12:14:00.001-05:002008-11-18T12:16:25.408-05:00

TPM:...And presidential historian Doris Kearns Goodwin, the author of the Lincoln book "Team of Rivals," suggests that the pick would be similar to Lincoln's choice of political rival William Seward for the same gig in 1861. "The parallel with Hillary is almost eerie," Goodwin says.

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-8145320174062705392008-11-17T17:26:00.000-05:002008-11-17T17:27:20.747-05:00

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-12077526360953563742008-11-17T17:22:00.001-05:002008-11-17T17:23:26.178-05:00

Image Source

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-13382751334601452072008-11-17T16:47:00.001-05:002008-11-17T16:49:15.903-05:00

Salon:...In any case, the Coleman camp is clearly worried and has turned up the noisemakers to discredit both the canvass and the recount. Nearly every movement of a few votes into Franken's column has elicited shrieks of "fraud" from the incumbent's friends. In each case, those shrill complaints have been thoroughly discredited by independent observers. On Fox News and on the Journal editorial

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-77743680125484758202008-11-17T16:44:00.000-05:002008-11-17T16:45:35.201-05:00

NYT:The government of Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki is systematically dismissing oversight officials who were installed to fight corruption in Iraqi ministries by order of the American occupation administration, which had hoped to bring Western standards of accountability to the notoriously opaque and graft-ridden bureaucracy here. The dismissals, which were confirmed by senior Iraqi and

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-85779986845140778892008-11-17T11:47:00.001-05:002008-11-17T11:48:33.955-05:00

Time:Citigroup Inc. is cutting approximately 53,000 more jobs in the coming quarters as the banking giant struggles to steady itself after suffering massive losses from deteriorating debt. The plans, posted on the company's Web site, are being discussed by CEO Vikram Pandit at the company's town hall meeting in New York Monday with employees. The company said total headcount is being reduced by

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-71567784810134431092008-11-17T11:19:00.002-05:002008-11-17T11:34:15.973-05:00

According to Time, Mike Huckabee's new book, "Do The Right Thing: Inside the Movement That's Bringing Common Sense Back to America is filled with sharp words for his fellow Republicans who frustrated his bid for the party's nomination."On Mitt Romney:Mitt Romney, Huckabee's principal rival in Iowa, comes in for the roughest treatment. Huckabee writes that the former

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-9381063345181286932008-11-16T16:12:00.002-05:002008-11-16T16:15:21.764-05:00

Via Chris B.

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-80469220111536205102008-11-14T20:07:00.003-05:002008-11-14T20:08:53.693-05:00

Mark Begich (D) leads incumbent Sen. Ted Stevens by 1,022 votes. You can get the latest results here.

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-29094710909458677622008-11-14T17:48:00.001-05:002008-11-14T17:50:05.883-05:00

Huffington Post:President-elect Barack Obama offered Sen. Hillary Clinton the position of Secretary of State during their meeting Thursday in Chicago, according to two senior Democratic officials. She requested time to consider the offer, the officials said. Multiple reports have indicated that Clinton was under serious consideration for the nation's top diplomatic post, in addition to

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-42098353143946899272008-11-14T17:46:00.001-05:002008-11-14T17:47:38.604-05:00

McClatchy News:With a penchant for secrecy finely honed during a disciplined campaign, President-elect Barack Obama may well have thought he could continue to control his message as he's hunkered down behind closed doors since he won the election. Fat chance. There are leaks, leaks and more leaks.From the immediate accounts about what Obama and President George W. Bush

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-24346166917871051422008-11-14T14:02:00.002-05:002008-11-14T14:06:33.501-05:00

The London Times via Think Progress:With Russian tanks only 30 miles from Tbilisi on August 12, Mr. Sarkozy told Mr. Putin that the world would not accept the overthrow of Georgia’s Government. According to [Sarkozy’s chief diplomatic adviser, Jean-David] Levitte, the Russian seemed unconcerned by international reaction. “I am going to hang Saakashvili by the balls,” Mr. Putin declared. Mr.

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-34985647602192383772008-11-14T13:41:00.000-05:002008-11-14T13:42:43.917-05:00

Political Wire: Despite the legal saber-rattling as the campaigns gear up for a recount in Minnesota, WCCO-TV notes the changing vote totals "may look suspicious" but "it's really not that unusual.""The night that Sen. Norm Coleman defeated former Vice President Walter Mondale in the 2002 U.S. Senate race he piled up more than 1,062,000 votes. But when all the ballots were certified two weeks

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-6649920540046871212008-11-14T12:50:00.001-05:002008-11-14T12:56:25.571-05:00

Political Wire: Two Obama advisers have told NBC News that Sen. Hillary Clinton is under consideration to be secretary of state. She was seen taking a flight to Chicago today, though an aide claimed it was for "personal business."The Washington Post hears the same chatter and notes the pick "would go a long way toward healing any remaining divisions within the Democratic Party after the divisive

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-89904026381204515462008-11-13T19:00:00.004-05:002008-11-13T19:18:50.648-05:00

Governor, may I suggest an extended study break wherein you actually get to know at least something about policy matters and serious issues that face our government? How about some semblance of intellectual curiosity and rigor ? Or, an attempt to move beyond awkwardly phrased nonsensical platitudes? Perhaps, these things are too challenging for you. May I recommend hiring a speech writer who can

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-44257928444856466732008-11-13T15:57:00.005-05:002008-11-13T18:52:05.311-05:00

It's not welfare if it's for me. it is if it's for the others.Let's hope this is the last time I ever feel the need/desire to post about Joe the Plumber!

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-54240353411639331502008-11-13T14:52:00.003-05:002008-11-13T14:58:03.836-05:00

Obama's tax break would go to people who don't even pay taxes -- this was a claim thrown out often by the Republicans. It was a not-so-subtle and racially tinged message that was intended to evoke welfare mamas and downbeat dads who would receive your hard earned money. Fact Check debunks the claim.Towards the end of the campaign, John McCain and prominent conservatives like Lou Dobbs claimed

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-37583765348309313692008-11-13T14:24:00.003-05:002008-11-13T14:40:14.510-05:00

Bill O'Reilly and Dennis Miller make homophobic jokes about Barney Frank. We've all heard these sorts of jokes and maybe even laughed about them but there is something very disturbing and despicable about the context here. Watch the video clip for yourself and leave your two cents in the comments if you are so inclined.H/T: Think Progress

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-23408838475821743022008-11-13T14:11:00.000-05:002008-11-13T14:12:17.487-05:00

The second one is hilarious... really.

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-28312067200477172152008-11-13T13:47:00.001-05:002008-11-13T13:49:00.622-05:00

BBC:Doctors in Germany say a patient appears to have been cured of HIV by a bone marrow transplant from a donor who had a genetic resistance to the virus. The researchers in Berlin said the man, who suffered from leukaemia and HIV, had shown no sign of either disease since the transplant two years ago. But they stressed it was an unusual case which needed further investigation. Experts said the

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-87238966935929089382008-11-13T10:41:00.001-05:002008-11-13T10:43:22.278-05:00

Washington Post:Along the way, the Bush administration has committed $290 billion of the $700 billion rescue package. Yet for all this activity, no formal action has been taken to fill the independent oversight posts established by Congress when it approved the bailout to prevent corruption and government waste. Nor has the first monitoring report required by lawmakers been completed, though

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-49089697406581510152008-11-12T22:28:00.005-05:002008-11-13T10:08:06.737-05:00

Karen Tumulty reports that Mark Begich is leading Ted Stevens by 3 votes in the Senate race in Alaska. Latest results can be found here.Update: Begich now leads by 814 votes. The state still needs to count at least 15,000 questioned ballots and an estimated 25,000 absentees.

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-33300158888417146982008-11-12T16:08:00.002-05:002008-11-12T16:14:29.443-05:00

Top of the Ticket:Obama recorded his second-best showing in Vermont, where he garnered 66.8% of the vote. On the one hand, that's no surprise. Vermont, to many, is synonymous with liberalism. On the other hand, Obama's showing in the Green Mountain State underscores its amazing transformation from a bastion of Republicanism. In the 34 presidential elections between 1856, the first to feature

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-14554955368028540642008-11-12T16:04:00.001-05:002008-11-12T16:08:09.058-05:00

Top of the Ticket:McCain's best state turns out to be somewhat complicated. He racked up his highest vote percentage -- 65.6, as of the current count -- in Oklahoma (the N.Y. Times took a look Saturday at antipathy toward Obama in the Sooner State). But McCain scored his greatest margin of victory in Wyoming. He picked up 65.2% of the vote there and, with Obama getting only 32.7%, that gave

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-74924934620817230862008-11-12T15:58:00.003-05:002008-11-12T16:04:22.134-05:00

Top of the Ticket:Setting aside the District of Columbia (which Obama carried with almost 93% of the vote), the president-elect's best showing occurred in his native state of Hawaii. The New York Times' results map gives him 71.8% of the vote in Hawaii (making it the only state where either candidate broke the 70% mark). Obama recorded his second-best showing in Vermont, where he garnered 66.8%

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-87575104826274521172008-11-12T15:37:00.002-05:002008-11-12T15:43:58.373-05:00

BMG:The city of Boston voted overwhelmingly for President-elect Barack Obama in last Tuesday's election. The Hub of the Universe gave 184,320 votes to the Illinois junior senator (who gained national recognition with a speech at our iconic Gahden just four years ago). Senator McCain - who actually beat our own somewhat native son Mitt Romney in Boston during this year's GOP presidential primary -

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-62714583435375852902008-11-12T15:06:00.004-05:002008-11-12T15:16:01.618-05:00

World Economic Forum:Norway (1) leads the world in closing the gender gap between men and women, according to the overall ranking in the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2008. Three other Nordic countries – Finland (2), Sweden (3) and Iceland (4) – also top the Report’s Gender Gap Index. Previously higher ranking countries such as Germany (11), United Kingdom (13) and Spain (17)

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-23420733624921650672008-11-12T13:26:00.001-05:002008-11-12T13:27:54.641-05:00

LA Times:...What does Google want? In Washington, the firm spent $3 million on lobbying in the first nine months of 2008. Its stable of lobbyists includes Anthony Podesta’s firm, the Podesta Group. Podesta’s brother, John Podesta, has become one of Barack Obama’s top advisors. Most recently, Google came under antitrust scrutiny by federal regulators for a plan, since abandoned, to combine

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-46738343098633837102008-11-12T12:32:00.003-05:002008-11-12T12:38:08.525-05:00

Josh Goodman points out that the Democrats narrowly missed gaining an additional seat in the Texas House of Representatives. The Republicans have 76 seats compared to the Democrats' 74 seats. An additional seat for the Dems would have created a tie and that one contested seat in the Dallas area was won by the incumbent Republican by a mere 20 votes!

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-27399729605380320192008-11-12T11:42:00.003-05:002008-11-12T12:22:43.571-05:00

A fascinating piece from pollster, Stan Greenberg, where he points out a key strength for the Democrats -- their appeal to suburban voters. For decades, these mostly-white suburban voters were a key part of GOP's winning coalition allowing the Republicans to counter Democrats' strength in urban areas. Economic issues such as taxes, defense and national security, and race were some of the factors

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-90313541027223413622008-11-12T11:31:00.002-05:002008-11-12T11:37:12.111-05:00

Real Clear Politics:Six congressional elections remain undecided more than a week after Election Day, including three House races (Alaska At-Large, California 4, Virginia 5) and three Senate races (Alaska, Georgia, Minnesota). Alaska - Senate and House seats: The re-election races of embattled Republicans Sen. Ted Stevens and Rep. Don Young could be decided today as the state counts some 90,000

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-57914941578088061302008-11-11T19:59:00.003-05:002008-11-11T20:03:35.611-05:00

Politico: A roomful of academics erupted in angry boos Tuesday morning after political analyst Michael Barone said journalists trashed Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, the Republicans' vice presidential nominee, because "she did not abort her Down syndrome baby."

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-15137691342815726972008-11-11T19:42:00.003-05:002008-11-11T19:48:56.270-05:00

Boston Globe:Arkansas remains the only state from the former Confederacy never to elect an African-American to Congress or any statewide office -- and last week it soundly rejected the man set to become the nation's first black president. Barack Obama lost by 20 percentage points, even though fellow Democrats control all of Arkansas'

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-32819358039522049742008-11-11T19:33:00.000-05:002008-11-11T19:35:45.919-05:00

Alan Greenblatt:More women than ever have been elected to state offices, according to the Center for American Women in Politics at Rutgers. There will now by 1,784 women state legislators, up slightly from the current count of 1,749. Interestingly, most of the gains are among Democratic women. There will now be fewer Republican women legislators, in fact, than at any time since 1988. With Bev

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-87035829141738669712008-11-11T17:31:00.007-05:002008-11-12T12:48:43.644-05:00

A funny collection of George W. Bush pictures compiled by The Telegraph. See more pictures here. (H/T: Michelle)

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-50679246931753817792008-11-11T12:36:00.001-05:002008-11-11T12:39:14.260-05:00

McClatchy News:The California Supreme Court could rule as early as this week on a lawsuit that seeks to invalidate Proposition 8, court spokeswoman Lynn Holton said Monday.Meanwhile, more than 40 Democratic state legislators filed a friend of the court brief on behalf of opponents of the gay marriage ban approved last week by California voters.The lawmakers -- including Assembly Speaker Karen

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-31231101785765737702008-11-11T12:32:00.000-05:002008-11-11T12:33:43.443-05:00

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082598598247278083.post-11731146024538909012008-11-11T11:54:00.003-05:002008-11-11T11:59:29.182-05:00

The New Republic has a must read profile on John Podesta, the man managing Obama's transition plans.If CAP is any indication, chances are that discipline will prevail. And no one has been more influential in creating that new ethos of single-minded purpose than John Podesta and his whip-wielding pal, Skippy. In the past five years, Podesta has turned his think tank into a combination of highly

Sahilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773538981190910944noreply@blogger.com0