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Top aides to Sen. John McCain’s presidential campaign hit back at Sarah Palin Friday, after news reports revealed that the former vice presidential nominee’s soon-to-be-released book extensively criticizes the campaign’s press strategy – with many of its hardest shots aimed squarely at campaign manager Steve Schmidt. Schmidt, she writes, was “grim-faced” and “cool,” and tried to pin the campaign’s troubles on what he claimed was Palin’s post-partum depression, and even went to so far as to try and dictate her diet. According to excerpts published on the Huffington Post, Palin “took in his rotund physique and noted that he used...

Michelle Obama is to be the first presidential wife to appear on a reality TV series. The First Lady will make a guest appearance on 'Iron Chef America' which features British cook Nigella Lawson as a judge. The episode of the popular series, which pits well-known chefs against each others, has been filmed at the White House and will be aired in the New Year. Many of the ingredients for the meals prepared in the show were chosen from the recently planted White House vegetable garden.

SINGAPORE (Reuters) – Barack Obama has done it again. The president's starpower has made the United States the place most people want to visit and do business with, according to an annual survey that ranks nations like retail brands. The Country Brand Index, compiled by brand consultancy FutureBrand, found the United States had unseated Australia, which held the top spot for the past three years. Australia came in third this year with Canada rising to second place. New Zealand and France rounded up the top five country brands in this year's index that included 102 countries. "The Obama effect has...

Earlier this month, Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) stirred up a tempest when they announced that they could overcome their political differences and agree on the critical need for a national policy that addresses the threat of climate change and moves the United States toward energy independence. Since the publication of their opinion piece, “Yes We Can (Pass Climate Change Legislation)” in the New York Times, pundits and policy experts alike have declared the Senators’ announcement a “game-changer” and possible tipping point that could lead to the passage of a bipartisan climate change bill — maybe even...

It is a cynical but time-honoured practice in Middle Eastern politics: the statesmen who decry the political and humanitarian crisis of the approximately 3.9 million Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and in Gaza ignore the plight of an estimated 4.6 million Palestinians who live in Arab countries. For decades, Arab governments have justified their decision to maintain millions of stateless Palestinians as refugees in squalid camps as a means of applying pressure to Israel. The refugee problem will be solved, they say, when Israel agrees to let the Palestinians have their own state. Yet in the two decades since...

The 6-year-old boy at the center of the runaway balloon saga got sick twice on national television when he and his father were asked during separate TV interviews what he meant about his comment that "we did this for a show."

Let me start by sharing that I like Governor Sarah Palin. Yes, I know she's no longer governor of the Great State of Alaska, but I was raised that you call a person who was a head of state by their former title, hence I will refer to her as Governor Sarah Palin. But it's the "former" tag that will keep her out of office for a good long time.

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras – The coup-installed president of Honduras backed down Monday from an escalating standoff with protesters and suggested he would restore civil liberties and reopen dissident television and radio stations by the end of the week. Riot police ringed supporters of ousted President Manuel Zelaya who gathered for a large-scale protest march, setting off a daylong standoff. The government of interim President Roberto Micheletti declared the march illegal, sent soldiers to silence dissident broadcasters, and suspended civil liberties for 45 days. But in a sudden reversal, Micheletti said Monday afternoon that he wanted to "ask the Honduran people for...

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras — The interim Honduran government on Monday revoked an emergency decree that prohibited large street protests and limited other civil liberties following the return of ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya. The decree, which resulted in dozens of arrests and the closing of two pro-Zelaya media outlets, "has been completely revoked," Interim President Roberto Micheletti said at a news conference with U.S. Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a Florida Republican. Micheletti did not say whether the lifting of the decree would take effect immediately. He had said in a morning television interview it would be formally repealed Tuesday when the new...

Throwing American Apparel's undocumented workers out on the street only replaces one problem with another. American Apparel is in the process of firing all of its undocumented workers, under pressure from the Department of Homeland Security -- a move that will cause as much real harm to Los Angeles as it will imaginary good. Taking away as many as 1,800 jobs that pay $10 to $12 an hour plus benefits will probably drive those workers into an underground economy or into sweatshops, maybe into crime, maybe homelessness. They and their children will be more susceptible to poverty and hunger and...

This year's Day of the Soldier celebrations in Honduras got a mixed response. The military is now seen as tarnished by its role in the ouster of President Manuel Zelaya. Tegucigalpa, Honduras - With rifle shots into the air and the national anthem sung by soldiers in salute, Saturday's Day of the Soldier in Honduras seemed no different than any other year's commemorations for the armed forces. But this Oct. 3, after the June ouster of President Manuel Zelaya catapulted the Honduran military into the middle of a political saga, the customary congratulations from Honduran citizens are more muted.

So Glenn Beck on Fox News recently (September 29, 2009) showed a graphic murder. This is the sort of thing that would get a video pulled from youtube almost immediately, but for some reason Fox deemed it important enough to put on the Glenn Beck show. Now I've seen the ugly side of mankind. But to be honest this is something that one has to mentally prepare for. It should not be the sort of thing that should get pushed in your face. I mean the only warning Beck gives is to tell 'children to leave the room' before showing...

"Hear our cry, Obama." "Deliver us, Obama." Video at link.

ANYONE who’s been surfing the right-wing blogosphere would mistake the activist group ACORN for a sinister force hell-bent on falsifying the US Census, registering nonexistent voters, and promoting underage prostitution. This caricature distorts the group’s intentions and overstates its influence. Yet the recent criticism contains one point of truth: ACORN should not be both a strident advocate for left-wing policy positions and a government contractor providing services in a neutral way. Discuss COMMENTS (29) The group, whose acronym stands for Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, came under fire after its employees in Baltimore were videotaped offering advice on...

When Glenn Beck made his Fox debut, some shrewd conservatives responded with a wink. Maybe the show was paranoid and hysterical. Maybe Beck was none too scrupulous about facts and truth. But why be squeamish? The other side did as bad, or nearly. And see how usefully he mobilized the base! Those shrewd conservatives assumed Beck was working for them. Big mistake. Beck is working for himself – and he chooses his targets according to his own scheme of priorities.... Glenn Beck is not the first to make a pleasant living for himself by reckless defamation. We have seen his...

Mitt Romney, the early favorite of many for the GOP presidential nomination in 2012, is making nice with his rivals from the last race. The former Massachusetts governor, who was the source of much consternation among his opponents during the GOP presidential primaries last year, has made strides to repair those relationships in recent days. The latest example came Saturday in Romney’s speech to the Mackinac Republican Leadership Conference in Michigan, in which Romney will praise former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s (R) effort to clean up New York and suggest Detroit could use a similar program. “Detroit needs to...

With admirable calm, President Obama has sought to deflect the supercharged politics of race by expressing his optimism about American attitudes and ignoring the most extreme statements by his critics. For his own sake, as well as the nation’s, he is wise to give a pass to the likes of Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh. That is not, however, what they deserve. The behavior of those media provocateurs over the past few months is almost beyond parody. They call the president a racist, even though there is no evidence of prejudice on his part and much evidence to the contrary....

DB: How aggressive can Obama be in insisting to the Israelis that a military strike might be in America’s worst interest? Brzezinski: We are not exactly impotent little babies. They have to fly over our airspace in Iraq. Are we just going to sit there and watch? DB: What if they fly over anyway? Brzezinski: Well, we have to be serious about denying them that right. That means a denial where you aren’t just saying it. If they fly over, you go up and confront them. They have the choice of turning back or not. No one wishes for this...

Well, at least someone has found some good news in these nerve-wracking days of watching President Obama walk us ever closer to an economic precipice. In a very funny piece at the American Spectator online, Ben Stein rapturously thanks the president for “reviving a party, the GOP, that many had left for dead.” How has he done it? By naming “men to office so wildly irresponsible, so extreme in their positions, so vulgar in their means of expression, that they have made the Republican Party regain its of gleam of gentility and good graces. I am not talking only about...

Talking heads' lack of civility hurting GOP, ex-leader says Saturday, September 12, 2009 3:24 AM By Mark Niquette THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Robert T. BennettRobert T. Bennett The former longtime chairman of the Ohio Republican Party yesterday criticized the furor that conservative talk-show hosts and others raised about President Barack Obama's speech to schoolchildren, saying it contributes to a lack of civility and hurts the GOP cause. Robert T. Bennett also said U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson, the South Carolina Republican who shouted out "You lie!" to Obama during a speech before Congress on Wednesday, is "a complete idiot" who should resign....

Author’s Note: What you are about to read didn’t actually happen… yet. Charlie Sheen: I recently had the pleasure of sitting down with our 44th President of the United States of America, Barack Hussein Obama, while he was out promoting his health care reform initiative. I requested 30 minutes given the scope and detail of my inquiry; they said I could have 20. Twenty minutes, 1200 seconds, not a lot of time to question the President about one of the most important events in our nation’s history. The following is a transcript of our remarkable discussion. Charlie Sheen – Good...

PHILADELPHIA – On the very first day of the school year, 12-year-old Mileena Rodriguez was reminded by President Barack Obama himself that hard work can take you places. Mileena listened to Obama's plea to study hard and stay in school Tuesday, watching along with several of her classmates at Thurgood Marshall Elementary School and students across the country. For all the hubbub among adults over the back-to-school speech, many youngsters took the president's message to heart. "He said that we're the future, and he's right," said Mileena, who wants to be a forensic scientist. "That's a president telling you, `I...

(NEW YORK) - It isn't news nor is it slanted to say that FOX News has always been the propaganda arm of the Republican Party, willing to twist facts and even lie to promote the Republican agenda. But the election of President Obama in 2008 pushed FOX News into outright hate-mongering and incitement of violence, which is intolerable in a democracy. Tell FOX News advertisers to cancel their ads Here are some examples of intolerable hate speech and incitement to violence: 6/30/09 Glenn Beck agreed with guest who urged bin Laden to attack U.S. with nuclear weapons. 7/25/09 Neil Cavuto...

MITT ROMNEY isn’t openly running for president yet, but he’s clearly focused like a laser on 2012. And seldom has a noncandidate done so well by doing so little. That’s mostly because an astonishing number of his putative 2012 rivals have obliged Romney by systematically stumbling. Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal’s stock sank like a stone after his amateurish, underwhelming response to President Obama’s February address to Congress. Sarah Palin’s decision to resign as governor of Alaska has only exacerbated doubts about her abilities. South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford and Nevada Senator John Ensign have been badly embarrassed by soap opera...

By now, a year after her emergence on the national scene, it is crystal clear that former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin has this "head of the table" gene in spades. She is, in a remarkable way, the real heir -- make that heiress -- to Senator Kennedy. She is charismatic, she has a decided point of view and she is a lightning rod for controversy. Just as Kennedy managed to sink a once sure-thing Supreme Court nomination with his famous Bork speech, Governor Palin has managed to explode Section 1233 of the ObamaCare House bill with her vivid description of...

Conservatives, Yesterday and Today Gregory Rodriguez August 31, 2009 Think back to the spring of 1968. The U.S. is mired in Vietnam. The country is in turmoil. The sitting Democratic president abruptly pulls out of his campaign for reelection, and the leading conservative columnist of the day neither gloats nor does a victory dance. It's nearly impossible to imagine this happening today. We could chalk this up to the deterioration of civic discourse and the rise in political polarization (or is it the other way around?). But it's really part of a much more significant shift that has fractured the...

Where in the world is Sarah Barracuda Palin? Alaska's sultry superstar has once again mysteriously disappeared right before she was scheduled to speak at one of her very important fundraisers, this one so slutty teenagers who get knocked up have no choice but to have the baby unless they want to get the ol' parental approval for an abortion. Now normally Sarah's habit of shirking her duties is limited to elected terms in office, but ever since becoming an unemployed publicity hound and Facebook junkie, Palin's erratic behavior has instead metamorphosed into canceling paid speaking engagements at the very last...

Colleague and Friend Says Senator's 'Word Was His Bond.' BY KATIE ESCHERICH Sen. John McCain, who knew Ted Kennedy for more than a quarter-century, said he will remember his friend and colleague as "a happy warrior" on the Senate floor. "Many times there was no need for the microphone system, we all heard him very clearly," McCain said on "Good Morning America" today. Kennedy died late Tuesday from brain cancer at the age of 77. He will be buried Saturday at Arlington National Cemetery. "A great part of the legacy of Ted Kennedy is his passionate advocacy," McCain said. "Whether...

OUR OPINION: Last of Kennedy brothers left strong imprint on our history The death of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy marks the end of a remarkable life and a remarkable era in American politics. For the first time in more than half a century, there is no Kennedy in either the White House or the U.S. Senate, leaving a void that became evident in the last months of Sen. Kennedy's tenure. It is a tribute to his legislative ability and his standing with Senate colleagues that even adversaries concede that Sen. Kennedy's absence makes the fight for passage of a healthcare...

As a mark of respect for the memory of Senator Edward M. Kennedy, I hereby order, by the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States of America, that the flag of the United States shall be flown at half-staff at the White House and upon all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions until sunset on August 30, 2009.

ESTES PARK — Bipartisan political leaders strolled through Rocky Mountain National Park this morning studying beetle-kill trees and changing vegetation patterns — and agreed that nuclear power must be part of any comprehensive climate-change legislation.Sen. Mark Udall, an Eldorado Springs Democrat, and Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona are holding a formal hearing in Estes Park later today concerning global warming and its impact on national parks. McCain called on President Barack Obama to come forward with a climate-change proposal to get the discussion started in Congress.

Man Bras - Japan Brings Us Bras For Men 80 rate or flag this page By Hope Alexander God bless the Japanese, they are true innovators. Along with panties from vending machines, solar powered torches, and the beautiful but deadly martial arts like karate, kenjutsu and ginsu, they bring the world this – the man bra, or MENZUSUKYANTI It's been done before no doubt, but has it ever been done with such style? Or with such a Herculean type model heating up the screen? (The fact that none of the models appear to actually be wearing the man bra indicates...

Hamptons gallery planned auction before M.J. deathA portrait of the king of pop, painted by the king of pop art has hit the auction blocks, and may pull in record bids. The Hamptons' Vered Gallery, which will hand the painting to the highest bidder Tuesday, calls Andy Warhol's "The King of POP, MICHAEL JACKSON," "the greatest work to come to auction," due in part to incredible timing. The gallery planned the auction and set the $800,000 starting price before news broke of Jackson's death. Now, the final sale price could jump tenfold. Time magazine commissioned the artwork in 1984, when...

Apparently there have been some 'Snake-Oil' salespersons selling Jesus as a cure-all. For instance I am acquainted with two individuals who profess to be Christians. One is a confessed thief and the other a habitual liar (people pleaser). These two expect God to 'fix' them. So if God chose to take on that responsibility then the next morning the thief wakes and reaches up to scratch his nose only to discover his hands are missing and the liar is unable to speak as his tongue is missing. I don't know anything but I'm pretty sure we're still responsible for our...

Aug. 3, 2009 | Is Sarah Palin America's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad? The two differ in many key respects, of course, but it is remarkable how similar they are. There are uncanny parallels in their biographies, their domestic politics and the way they present themselves -- even in their rocky relationships with party elders. Both are former governors of a northwest frontier state with great natural beauty (in Ahmadinejad's case, Ardabil). Both are known for saying things that produce a classic Scooby-Doo double take in their audiences. Both appeal to a sort of wounded nationalism, speaking of the sacrifice of dedicated troops...

You can't solve a problem if you don't discuss it. That's why some say that despite all the accusations and emotions hindering the resolution of the Henry Louis Gates Jr. imbroglio, there is opportunity for racial progress in President Barack Obama's "teachable moment" sitdown with Gates and Sgt. James Crowley. "If nothing else, it's an important national symbol of a discussion that needs to be held," said Clarence B. Jones, once a confidant of Martin Luther King Jr. and author of "What Would Martin Say?""If it's just regarded as the president bringing two guys together to clear the air, then...

Kennedy is making a final press for universal healthcare, from his sickbed As Congress wrestles with legislation to give Americans access to quality care, which the Democrat worked toward for 46 years, the senator is sidelined with brain cancer, but not out of the game. Faye Fiore and Noam N. Levey July 25, 2009 Reporting from Washington -- Ted Kennedy wakes up mornings in his house on Cape Cod to a packet of news clippings put together by his wife. If there's a hearing going on in Washington, he watches on his computer. Five hundred miles away, Congress is wrestling...

"Does it sound campy to say I love gay men?” asks Meghan McCain, sipping an iced tea at the nouveau-chic Hotel Palomar in Washington, D.C.’s Dupont Circle. Campy or not, the lovesick McCain has been ubiquitous this year, sallying forth on late-night TV -- Larry King Live, The Colbert Report, The Rachel Maddow Show -- to scold the Republican establishment for its social conservatism and stump for gay marriage. “If two people fall in love, they should have the option to get married just like I can,” she told Stephen Colbert, pointing out the inherent hypocrisy of a party that...

Sarah Palin is, and always has been, an intellectual and political featherweight. As a moose-killing Barbie doll, she was exactly what the Republican Party in Alaska wanted for a mouthpiece. She was adored by the Republican masses in Alaska (she carried a gun and favored secession, the only qualifications needed). That worked well for Alaska. It enhanced the image of Alaska to have someone in frilly blouses, rather than plaid wool shirts, to front for their oil industry. Good for Alaska. Then something weird happened. The Republican Party nominated the oldest person ever put forth by a major political party...

Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) delivers his opening statement at the confirmation hearing of Judge Sonia Sotomayor. He was interrupted once by a protester. Franken told Sotomayor that she was "the most experienced Supreme Court nominee in 100 years." He said her story is inspirational and one in which "all Americans should take great pride in."

"What (Palin) had, more than anything else, was a toughness and a dedication to her position. She blew all that with her announcement today." One of the things that Palin had going for her was that she was, as Cindy McCain described her during the Republican National Convention, a "hockey-mommin' ... basketball shootin' ... moose huntin' ... fly-fishin' ... pistol-packing ... mother of five." She had been nicknamed "Sarah Barracuda," and took on the "good ole' boys" who controlled Alaska politics. However, to all but her most loyal supporters, today's bizarre press conference made her look brittle -- like a...

ORLANDO, Florida (CNN) -- He looks like President Barack Obama, speaks like him, and even gestures like him, but he is not exactly the president of the United States. This president is an audio-animatronic Obama surrounded by the 42 other U.S. presidents at Walt Disney World's newly revamped Hall of Presidents in Orlando, Florida. Disney gathered a team of what it calls "Imagineers," each trained in various disciplines such as artistry, design and engineering, to update the attraction that has been around since 1971. It's hard to believe the figures are not real people and, according to Disney officials, that's...

ATLANTA (AP) -- Eric Mongerson's kids couldn't meet his partner of two years, much less join the couple for ice cream. His friends couldn't cheer on the children at concerts or Little League games. The divorced dad spent thousands of dollars fighting an unusual ban imposed by a county judge in 2007 that kept the three minors from having any contact with his gay friends or partners.

Link only, per FR posting policy

(translated from French) I have a scoop, yes. The next season of 24, which narrates the adventures of the intrepid agent against terrorist Jack Bauer, aka Kiefer Sutherland, will be held at UN Headquarters. New York. Jack Bauer, dragged to court during the previous season for his brutal methods and unorthodox, has experienced a deep personal turmoil, and intends to devote to the maintenance of international peace in his new home of the United Nations. This turmoil confirms victory of virtue, the new consciousness of the American superpower in the Obama era, especially the triumph of the Department of Public...

To those out there desperately trying to paste together scraps of enthusiasm by singing the poetic praises of VP Dick Cheney, please don’t expect the average conservative out in flyover country to join your little Republican booster club. Certainly, there is not much to disagree with in what the former VP says. No doubt, we’re “less safe” under Obama. Pres Obama’s administration is obviously lowering all of our defenses. Opening us wide to all manner of political, economic and violent terror attacks. So why does the GOP Base continue to rapidly shrink? (now down to 27% - Gallup) Why is...

U.S. President Barack Obama at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner in Washington May 9, 2009. President Barack Obama laughs during his comic monologue during the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner in Washington May 9, 2009. This is where he said he was going to way something off the cuff, from the heart...and the teleprompters come up from the floor... Actors Ashton Kutcher (R) talks to US Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano (L) at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner in Washington, May 9, 2009. US first lady Michelle Obama (L) hugs comedian Wanda Sykes (R) at the White House...

Earlier this week, Politico reported that First Lady Michelle Obama and four other White House staffers made People magazine's "100 Most Beautiful" list this year. It's a no-brainer that Michelle made the list — numerous magazines and websites, both high-brow and low, have dedicated pages and pages to her beauty and style. The New York Times site has no less than four slideshows on what she's worn since becoming first lady. The other staffers, dubbed "Barack's Beauties" by the magazine, are: White House social secretary Desiree Rogers, assistant White House chef Sam Kass, White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel...

On his 100th day in office, President Obama will be "crowned" in messianic imagery at New York City's Union Square. Artist Michael D'Antuono's painting "The Truth" – featuring Obama with his arms outstretched and wearing a crown of thorns upon his head – will be unveiled on April 29 at the Square's South Plaza. According to a statement released about the portrait, "The 30" x 54" acrylic painting on canvas depicts President Obama appearing much like Jesus Christ on the Cross: atop his head, a crown of thorns; behind him, the dark veil being lifted (or lowered) on the Presidential...

Washington, D.C. (AHN) - Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) on Friday sought to make clear that he doesn't always agree with the views of his daughter, Meghan McCain, who has criticized former Vice President Dick Cheney and former White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove, and spoken about her disagreement with conservative opposition to gay marriages. "I love and respect my daughter, and I appreciate the fact that she brings fresh views and ideas and we need that in our party," McCain told CNN. "We don't always agree, and sometimes we have spirited discussions, and that is good in families."