Viking Pundit

• Some "funny" stuff I found in my ...

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  Some "funny" stuff I found in my latest issue of Wired - The "blog" of "unnecessary" quotation marks. [...]
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  Posted: November 21, 2009, 10:54pm EST
  by Eric

• You can't fool all the people - ...

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  You can't fool all the people - David Broder discusses health care reform in "A budget-buster in the making." He notes that less than one-fifth of Americans believe Obama's promise that the plan will not add to the federal deficit. That's change you can't believe in. [...]
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  Posted: November 21, 2009, 4:10pm EST
  by Eric

• Deep in the red - Here's former ...

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  Deep in the red - Here's former CBO director Douglas Holtz-Eikin with "The coming deficit disaster." [...]
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  Posted: November 20, 2009, 11:27pm EST
  by Eric

• Bah, humbug on taxes - Business Week: ...

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  Bah, humbug on taxes - Business Week: "Best e-commerce sites for the holidays." Take a guess how much spending I'll be doing in Massachusetts and the state's new 6.25% sales tax.' [...]
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  Posted: November 20, 2009, 9:48pm EST
  by Eric

• Bold new blog. Hooray. Now I can ...

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  Bold new blog. Hooray. Now I can bore u from my phone. [...]
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  Posted: November 20, 2009, 9:45pm EST
  by Eric

• Testing 123. Mobile blog post.Update - Wow, ...

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  Testing 123. Mobile blog post.Update - Wow, that's cool. Now I have to figure out formatting. [...]
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  Posted: November 20, 2009, 9:39pm EST
  by Eric

• Like a boring straw, there is no ...

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  Like a boring straw, there is no bend - Megan McArdle has a detailed review of the likely funding (and underfunding) scenarios for the health care bill in "Preliminary thoughts on the CBO report." "I think it's pretty clear at this point that no bill from our Congress is going" [...]
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  Posted: November 20, 2009, 9:22pm EST
  by Eric

• Smoke and mirrors on steroidsThe Senate's health ...

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  Smoke and mirrors on steroidsThe Senate's health care reform bill is deficit neutral only if you believe Congress will cut payments to doctors for reimbursements, raise taxes to unprecedented levels, and slash a half-trillion dollars from Medicare. James Capretta details the "$4.9 trillion spending increase"For starters, the Reid plan assumes [...]
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  Posted: November 19, 2009, 10:44pm EST
  by Eric

• Government intervention: is there anything it can't ...

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  Government intervention: is there anything it can't fix make worse?If you liked the stimulus bill that brought us double-digit unemployment, "Cash for Clunkers" that cost $24,000 a vehicle and the AIG bailout, then you'll love Kiribati's plan to save the fish. NPR: "Reef Conservation Strategy Backfires"Kiribati (pronounced KIR-a-bahs) has a [...]
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  Posted: November 18, 2009, 10:06pm EST
  by Eric

• And now, your moment of ZenA parable ...

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  And now, your moment of ZenA parable for your consideration:Tanzan and Ekido were once traveling together down a muddy road. A heavy rain was still falling. Coming around the bend, they met a lovely girl in a silk kimono and sash, unable to cross the intersection."Come on girl," said Tanzan [...]
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  Posted: November 18, 2009, 8:12pm EST
  by Eric

• Gettin' right to the pointWasting no time, ...

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  Gettin' right to the pointWasting no time, here's Jeffrey Flier in his opening sentences:As the dean of Harvard Medical School I am frequently asked to comment on the health-care reform debate. I'd give it a failing grade.Just like the Massachusetts plan, Dr. Flier writes that the health care bill moving [...]
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  Posted: November 18, 2009, 7:54pm EST
  by Eric

• Like I've been saying - Opinion Journal: ...

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  Like I've been saying - Opinion Journal: "Where are the doctors to implement Obamacare? - A University of California chancellor warns that America could soon look like Massachusetts." Aaaahh!' [...]
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  Posted: November 16, 2009, 10:25pm EST
  by Eric

• Anybody laughing yet? - General Motors is ...

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  Anybody laughing yet? - General Motors is bankrupt, just posted another loss, but they swear they're going to pay back the American taxpayers. This is a joke right? The Truth About Cars writes: "GM's first post-bankruptcy financial data has arrived, underscoring in red ink the folly of the government 'investment''" [...]
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  Posted: November 16, 2009, 9:15pm EST
  by Eric

• Ken Ober checks out - NY Times: ...

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  Ken Ober checks out - NY Times: "Ken Ober, "Remote Control" host, is dead." Geez, he was only 52; cause of death "not immediately known.""Remote Control" was MTV's first foray away from videos and into TV shows. It was a super-cheap game show where Ober would ask trivia questions, sometimes [...]
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  Posted: November 16, 2009, 8:37pm EST
  by Eric

• Not cutting costs, part 2 - Robert ...

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  Not cutting costs, part 2 - Robert Samuelson looks at health care reform and declares that costs will skyrocket: "Their sweeping overhaul of the health care system - which Congress is halfway towards enacting - would almost certainly make matters worse." He echoes one of my points in that the [...]
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  Posted: November 16, 2009, 7:46pm EST
  by Eric

• MassCare eats away at the economy in ...

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  MassCare eats away at the economy in the Bay StateThere were two articles in the Boston Globe of special interest for those who want to see how the Massachusetts health care reform will play out when extended nationwide. First, small businesses are getting socked with double-digit increases in insurance rates: [...]
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  Posted: November 15, 2009, 9:48pm EST
  by Eric

• Not cutting costs - The Hill: "House ...

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  Not cutting costs - The Hill: "House health bill will hike costs $289B" That's what the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) says.Plus, there's this from the WashPost: "Nonpartisan agency says House bill will reduce senior care." No wonder Nancy Pelosi pushed through that quick Saturday vote. [...]
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  Posted: November 14, 2009, 9:50pm EST
  by Eric

• The amateur-in-chiefForgetting that he's the President of ...

  Number of comments: 11
  The amateur-in-chiefForgetting that he's the President of the United States of America, Obama committed a breach of protocol and bowed deeply to Japan's emperor Akihito. The LA Times asked "How low will he go?" and Powerline queried "Why is this man bowing?" I think the answer can be found in [...]
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  Posted: November 14, 2009, 2:34pm EST
  by Eric

• Americans aren't buyin' it - Megan McArdle ...

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  Americans aren't buyin' it - Megan McArdle reveals that "the more we talk about health care reform, the less popular it gets." [...]
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  Posted: November 13, 2009, 11:35pm EST
  by Eric

• Everything's bigger in Texas - Including the ...

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  Everything's bigger in Texas - Including the job market. According to Business Week, Texas is home to four out the the top five cities in America for job creation. The fifth is in Utah. [...]
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  Posted: November 13, 2009, 11:30pm EST
  by Eric

• Wanna get into Princeton? Move out of ...

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  Wanna get into Princeton? Move out of New Jersey - As you know, this move came too late for me, but colleges across the nation are giving special consideration to out-of-state students because they normally need to pay a higher tuition, which then subsidizes the in-state students. [...]
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  Posted: November 13, 2009, 11:27pm EST
  by Eric

• Freestyle - Just got back from my ...

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  Freestyle - Just got back from my son's swim meet where he shaved three seconds off his 50m freestyle time, and a first place finish to boot. Nice. [...]
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  Posted: November 13, 2009, 11:14pm EST
  by Eric

• Constitution schmonstitution - Congress plans to mandate ...

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  Constitution schmonstitution - Congress plans to mandate that Americans purchase health insurance and jail 'em if they don't. Any basis in law? Well there's that "general welfare" part of the Constitution which implies that the government can force you to eat spinach too. [...]
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  Posted: November 12, 2009, 9:41pm EST
  by Eric

• Holi-day wi-fi - PC World: "Thanks Google, ...

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  Holi-day wi-fi - PC World: "Thanks Google, but airport wi-fi should always be free." It should, since it's so critical to business, but airports can't resist sources of revenue.' [...]
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  Posted: November 12, 2009, 9:27pm EST
  by Eric

• Veterans DayI miss my dog. When I ...

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  Veterans DayI miss my dog. When I picked her up from the kennel, she would cry and slobber all over my car on the ride home. And that was after only a week or so. [...]
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  Posted: November 11, 2009, 10:31pm EST
  by Eric

• Obama chooses not to decide - Fox ...

  Number of comments: 3
  Obama chooses not to decide - Fox News "Obama won't take any current war options": "President Barack Obama does not plan to accept any of the Afghanistan war options presented by his national security team, pushing instead for revisions to clarify how and when U.S. troops would turn over responsibility'" [...]
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  Posted: November 11, 2009, 9:37pm EST
  by Eric

• Millions for Botox, but not one cent ...

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  Millions for Botox, but not one cent for flu shots - Real Clear Markets: "Health reform's moral hazard" [...]
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  Posted: November 11, 2009, 8:54pm EST
  by Eric

• Best news today - CNN: "Police officer ...

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  Best news today - CNN: "Police officer who shot Fort Hood suspect says she's 'doing well'" I had heard Officer Munley had lost a lot of blood after the shootout but now it looks like she's on the mend. [...]
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  Posted: November 11, 2009, 8:24pm EST
  by Eric

• Just makin' stuff up, Boston-style - Remember ...

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  Just makin' stuff up, Boston-style - Remember that stimulus package that was supposed to "create or save" jobs? Not so much. Boston Globe "Stimulus job boost in state exaggerated, review finds": "While Massachusetts recipients of federal stimulus money collectively report 12,374 jobs saved or created, a Globe review shows that'" [...]
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  Posted: November 11, 2009, 9:23am EST
  by Eric

• The conspiracy to keep you poor and ...

  Number of comments: 4
  The conspiracy to keep you poor and dependent - Government-run health care is an opportunity to make Americans more dependent on the government...and that helps the statist Democrats. At least one guy let the cat out of the bag: "Confessions of an ObamaCare backer."More - From Q&O. [...]
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  Posted: November 10, 2009, 10:51pm EST
  by Eric

• Twenty years ago - BBC News asks: ...

  Number of comments: 1
  Twenty years ago - BBC News asks: "Where were you when the Berlin Wall came down?" Golly, since I was just starting my senior year at Rutgers, I was probably at the Ale & Wich with my roommates, sharing a $4 pitcher of Budweiser. If my usual jukebox selections were [...]
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  Posted: November 09, 2009, 7:33pm EST
  by Eric

• Once the foot is in the door, ...

  Number of comments: 1
  Once the foot is in the door, expansion foreverI’m back kinda late from New York, so I'll just borrow this thought from Mark Steyn on the passage of the health care bill:If "health care" were about health care, the devil would be in the details. But it's not about health' [...]
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  Posted: November 08, 2009, 10:37pm EST
  by Eric

• See you soon - Goin' to see ...

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  See you soon - Goin' to see Ma this weekend.' [...]
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  Posted: November 07, 2009, 12:04am EST
  by Eric

• Stuff you didn't know - Slate has ...

  Number of comments: 2
  Stuff you didn't know - Slate has some background in a Fort Hood FAQ.' [...]
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  Posted: November 06, 2009, 11:14pm EST
  by Eric

• $3.8 billion in sales, $5 at a ...

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  $3.8 billion in sales, $5 at a time - Business Week has a great article about the genius of Subway's Five-dollar Footlong, both from a product and a marketing viewpoint. C'mon, admit it, you love that jingle.' [...]
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  Posted: November 06, 2009, 11:07pm EST
  by Eric

• Fort Hood tragedy - Fox News: "Suspected ...

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  Fort Hood tragedy - Fox News: "Suspected gunman in custody after deadly shooting rampage at Fort Hood." The news conference from Texas was delayed almost three hours before the shocking news, contradicting previous reports, that the shooter was alive and in custody. The female police officer who cut him down [...]
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  Posted: November 05, 2009, 10:07pm EST
  by Eric

• Yeah...we know - Real Clear Markets: "Why ...

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  Yeah...we know - Real Clear Markets: "Why middle class tax hikes are coming" [...]
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  Posted: November 04, 2009, 8:00pm EST
  by Eric

• I'm saved!Don Surber: "Obama saved 935 jobs ...

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  I'm saved!Don Surber: "Obama saved 935 jobs at a place that employs 508 people"Take it away, Elvis:' [...]
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  Posted: November 04, 2009, 7:56pm EST
  by Eric

• Welcome back, old chap - I was ...

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  Welcome back, old chap - I was going to write about last night's results but by the time I get home from work it's old news. So let's just welcome Atlantic Crossings to the blogroll, the rejuvenated site that used to be called Expat Yank. [...]
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  Posted: November 04, 2009, 7:41pm EST
  by Eric

• Chris Christie gets the checkmark - New ...

  Number of comments: 13
  Chris Christie gets the checkmark - New Jersey's largest newspaper, the Star-Ledger, declares a Republican win in the Garden State. Wow, and it wasn't even close: with 81% of the vote in, Christie still holds onto a 5% lead. Everybody thought this was going until morning.' [...]
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  Posted: November 03, 2009, 10:22pm EST
  by Eric

• Watching New Jersey - With almost half ...

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  Watching New Jersey - With almost half the vote counted (48% at 9:30pm EST) Christie is up 49-44% over Corzine.Update - 53% of the vote in, Christie up by 4%. Tight, tight, tight.More - Here's a good NJ map from the NY Times. With 58% in, it's a 6% lead [...]
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  Posted: November 03, 2009, 9:19pm EST
  by Eric

• Beware this guyBoston Globe: "Don't get fooled ...

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  Beware this guyBoston Globe: "Don't get fooled again - freecreditreport.com aims to make you spend money."' [...]
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  Posted: November 03, 2009, 8:11pm EST
  by Eric

• It's expensive - Even before the inevitable ...

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  It's expensive - Even before the inevitable cost overruns, the health care bill moving through the House has climbed to a $1.2 trillion price tag. [...]
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  Posted: November 03, 2009, 7:51pm EST
  by Eric

• New Jersey predictionTomorrow there are some off-year ...

  Number of comments: 4
  New Jersey predictionTomorrow there are some off-year elections and it looks like the Virginia governor's race and NY-23 are in the bag. The only contest left is New Jersey and the fight between incumbent governor Jon Corzine and Republican challenger Chris Christie. This campaign has been deadlocked for weeks. However, [...]
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  Posted: November 02, 2009, 10:31pm EST
  by Eric

• Worst bill ever - That's how the ...

  Number of comments: 10
  Worst bill ever - That's how the Wall Street Journal describes the Pelosicare bill in the House. This is a masterpiece of unminced words: "The healthcare bill that [Pelosi] unwrapped last Thursday, which President Obama hailed as a "critical milestone," may well be the worst piece of post-New Deal legislation" [...]
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  Posted: November 01, 2009, 9:59pm EST
  by Eric

• Perspective on profits - In today's Boston ...

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  Perspective on profits - In today's Boston Globe, Jeff Jacoby compares the "immoral" profits of the health insurance companies versus, say, Tupperware: "Hyperbole in the health debate." [...]
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  Posted: November 01, 2009, 9:35pm EST
  by Eric

• The 2% solution - From the AP: ...

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  The 2% solution - From the AP: "After all the fuss, public health plan covers few." It turns out that the CBO has determined that the House health care plan will attract only 2% of Americans. If the government-run plan is designed to be a low-cost counterweight to the private [...]
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  Posted: October 31, 2009, 11:32pm EDT
  by Eric

• Hey, it's Halloween, not April Fools DayNY ...

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  Hey, it's Halloween, not April Fools DayNY Times: "Democrats push for plan to cut deficit" Clearly this brilliant plan involves passing one trillion-dollar expenditure after another. Have they seen this graph?Boo! [...]
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  Posted: October 31, 2009, 8:14pm EDT
  by Eric

• Ford is punished for staying solventWell, moral ...

  Number of comments: 1
  Ford is punished for staying solventWell, moral hazard has raised its ugly head again. The UAW workers at Ford Motor have rejected contract changes to cut labor costs.Ford sought the deal to bring its labor costs in line with Detroit rivals Chrysler Group and General Motors, both of which won [...]
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  Posted: October 31, 2009, 2:27pm EDT
  by Eric

• NY-23 shocker - Four days before the ...

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  NY-23 shocker - Four days before the special election, Scozzafava drops out. [...]
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  Posted: October 31, 2009, 11:18am EDT
  by Eric

• Clinton tells it like it is - ...

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  Clinton tells it like it is - I have to say it: I was pleased to see Hillary Clinton tell Pakistan that we'd like some help rooting out Al Qaeda. "That's a nice multi-billion dollar foreign aid package you got there - shame if anything happened to it."' [...]
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  Posted: October 30, 2009, 11:17pm EDT
  by Eric

• The Pelosicare bill Here's a roundup from ...

  Number of comments: 2
  The Pelosicare bill Here's a roundup from the AP. And here's all you need to know:It costs a trillion dollars.It's paid for by taxes that won't be collected and cuts to Medicare that will never happen.Extra – From Critical Condition: "The insanity of the House bill"The bill unveiled today by [...]
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  Posted: October 29, 2009, 8:24pm EDT
  by Eric

• Not the Delorean! - Business Week: "Fifty ...

  Number of comments: 0
  Not the Delorean! - Business Week: "Fifty ugliest cars of the past 50 years." [...]
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  Posted: October 28, 2009, 8:19pm EDT
  by Eric

• Schwarzenegger's note - According to this professor ...

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  Schwarzenegger's note - According to this professor on NPR, it's really unlikely that the letter placement came together by coincidence. [...]
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  Posted: October 28, 2009, 7:52pm EDT
  by Eric

• Just say "neigh"Some have called the public ...

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  Just say "neigh"Some have called the public option in health care reform a "Trojan horse" while others have called it a "stalking horse" but the meaning is the same: sneak up on the enemy in a non-threatening manner and then spring the trap.Over at National Journal, former HHS secretary Mike [...]
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  Posted: October 27, 2009, 9:34pm EDT
  by Eric

• Three booksI'm a sucker for these kinds ...

  Number of comments: 1
  Three booksI'm a sucker for these kinds of lists but Megan links to a post asking what three books you would recommend to somebody who disagreed with you. We agreed on #1:"Parliament of Whores" - P.J. O'Rourke"America Alone" - Mark Steyn"Heaven on Earth: The rise and fall of socialism" - [...]
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  Posted: October 26, 2009, 10:23pm EDT
  by Eric

• Krugman comes to praise Massachusetts health careAnd ...

  Number of comments: 5
  Krugman comes to praise Massachusetts health careAnd once you get past his dismissal of inconvenient polls, you'll find this admission:And the Massachusetts plan hasn’t yet done anything significant to contain costs.Say what now? I thought the whole point of health care reform was that "the cost of doing nothing is'" [...]
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  Posted: October 26, 2009, 9:02pm EDT
  by Eric

• Strike that, reverse it - Robert Samuelson ...

  Number of comments: 0
  Strike that, reverse it - Robert Samuelson on Newsweek blog: "Now, in the first comprehensive evaluation by a government agency of one of the major congressional health-reform bills, analysts find that it does bend the cost curve - in the wrong direction." As in three-quarters of a trillion dollars over [...]
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  Posted: October 25, 2009, 9:18pm EDT
  by Eric

• Sales tax sends Mass. shoppers to New ...

  Number of comments: 1
  Sales tax sends Mass. shoppers to New Hampshire and the InternetToday I saw an ad on TV urging consumers in Western Massachusetts to avoid the Internet and shop locally to support the local community. Well, that would have been a noble thought except the sales tax in the Bay State [...]
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  Posted: October 25, 2009, 7:06pm EDT
  by Eric

• Obama plays to a half-empty room - ...

  Number of comments: 1
  Obama plays to a half-empty room - That's the scene at a fundraiser for Massachusetts' terrible governor Deval Patrick. The lower-priced $500-a-plate dinner room was "two-thirds full." Of course, it's tough to swing that price for rubber chicken when taxes are so high. Right, Deval? Buh-bye.' [...]
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  Posted: October 24, 2009, 12:32am EDT
  by Eric

• iLawsuit - What's going on with Scandinavia ...

  Number of comments: 0
  iLawsuit - What's going on with Scandinavia lately? First the Norwegians give the Nobel Prize to Obama and now the Finns at Nokia are suing Apple for patent infringement. Soon we'll see something rotten in Denmark (yuk yuk).' [...]
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  Posted: October 23, 2009, 11:05pm EDT
  by Eric

• Roll over BeethovenFox Business: "Country music is ...

  Number of comments: 0
  Roll over BeethovenFox Business: "Country music is the new rock n' roll"Here's Taylor Swift, because she's cute:' [...]
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  Posted: October 23, 2009, 5:53pm EDT
  by Eric

• That sounds like Fox News talk to ...

  Number of comments: 0
  That sounds like Fox News talk to me - Ruth Marcus of the WashPost thinks the Obama White House is "childish," "petty," and "Nixonesque" in its war with Fox News. You've made the list, Ruth.Extra - Smash 'em up, the Chicago way. [...]
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  Posted: October 22, 2009, 10:17pm EDT
  by Eric

• Spending is forever - This is an ...

  Number of comments: 0
  Spending is forever - This is an unsettling analysis: the tax credits and direct aid from the super-successful $800 billion stimulus bill are unlikely to go away completely, so we're actually looking at another $3 trillion in spending over the next ten years. Which we don't have. [...]
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  Posted: October 22, 2009, 9:59pm EDT
  by Eric

• SAMCRO forever - On Tuesday, the FX ...

  Number of comments: 0
  SAMCRO forever - On Tuesday, the FX network's "Sons of Anarchy" beat Jay Leno's show in the ratings. What was NBC thinking? As charming as Leno may be, nobody can watch one guy for five hours a week. [...]
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  Posted: October 22, 2009, 9:40pm EDT
  by Eric

• The Born ultimatum - Last night, Frontline ...

  Number of comments: 0
  The Born ultimatum - Last night, Frontline (PBS) had a report about the financial meltdown and how one lone woman named Brooksley Born raised the alarm back in the nineties about unregulated over-the-counter derivatives. But the stock market was flying high so everybody, most notably Alan Greenspan, dismissed her. Well, [...]
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  Posted: October 21, 2009, 6:16am EDT
  by Eric

• Fire up the Voight-Kampff machine - Is ...

  Number of comments: 0
  Fire up the Voight-Kampff machine - Is our President a replicant? From Vimeo: "Barack Obama's amazingly consistent smile." (H/T Scrivener) [...]
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  Posted: October 20, 2009, 8:46pm EDT
  by Eric

• Whichever way the wind blows Slate speculates ...

  Number of comments: 0
  Whichever way the wind blows Slate speculates on "Why the Washington Post is hyping the public option." They cite three reasons for the above-the-fold story about a small uptick in support for government-run healthcare: to remind Congress of majority support, reporters are "momentum junkies" and to suggest there's been a [...]
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  Posted: October 20, 2009, 7:56pm EDT
  by Eric

• That was longer than I expected* - ...

  Number of comments: 1
  That was longer than I expected* - I recently signed up for Netflix and tonight we saw "The Dark Knight." But I think it was longer than "Ben Hur." Ah, there wasn't much news today anyway.* "That's what she said!" - Michael Scott' [...]
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  Posted: October 19, 2009, 11:06pm EDT
  by Eric

• This could be a problem at Dunder-Mifflin ...

  Number of comments: 1
  This could be a problem at Dunder-Mifflin - From the Truth About Cars: "Pennsylvania I-80 tolling would cost jobs." [...]
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  Posted: October 17, 2009, 6:10pm EDT
  by Eric

• Let's hope so - WashPost: "Record-high deficit ...

  Number of comments: 0
  Let's hope so - WashPost: "Record-high deficit may dash big plans"And this - Michael Barone: "Reform no one wants to pay for" [...]
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  Posted: October 17, 2009, 8:31am EDT
  by Eric

• Forget what we said, let's spend more ...

  Number of comments: 1
  Forget what we said, let's spend more money John Dickerson makes a good point in this Slate article "The politics don't add up - Why health care reform will cost more than Congress say it will."For the first time since 1975, the Social Security Administration has decreed that there will' [...]
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  Posted: October 16, 2009, 9:44pm EDT
  by Eric

• Winter? Already? - There was an ad ...

  Number of comments: 0
  Winter? Already? - There was an ad on TV for a local hardware store which advised: "It's never too early to start winterizing." Apparently so: it snowed here in Western Massachusetts this morning. I still have to drain the lawnmower. Much to do tomorrow. [...]
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  Posted: October 16, 2009, 9:18pm EDT
  by Eric

• Daamn - Charles drops the Krauthammer on ...

  Number of comments: 1
  Daamn - Charles drops the Krauthammer on Obama's foreign policy, such as it is. [...]
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  Posted: October 16, 2009, 6:11pm EDT
  by Eric

• Narnia, Shangri-La, Atlantis, CongressAll lands of fantasy ...

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  Narnia, Shangri-La, Atlantis, CongressAll lands of fantasy where anything can happen:It is beyond fantastic to promise that future Congresses, for 10 straight years, will allow planned cuts in reimbursements to hospitals, other providers, and Medicare Advantage (thereby reducing the benefits of 25% of seniors in Medicare). The 1997 Balanced Budget [...]
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  Posted: October 14, 2009, 9:34pm EDT
  by Eric

• The VAT tax comethHere's Harvard economist Greg ...

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  The VAT tax comethHere's Harvard economist Greg Mankiw on the value-added tax:Which brings us to Europe. Many European countries have both a VAT and a large government. But here is the hard question: which is cause and which is effect? Did the VAT cause government to become large, as VAT-opponents [...]
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  Posted: October 14, 2009, 9:20pm EDT
  by Eric

• Defying the laws of reasonFor obvious reasons, ...

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  Defying the laws of reasonFor obvious reasons, I dig this post from John Steele Gordon on Contentions:This is why I like engineers more than I like politicians. Engineers live in the real world. What they design has to actually function as advertised. So they don’t promise an airplane that is [...]
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  Posted: October 13, 2009, 10:01pm EDT
  by Eric

• Swedish piano stairsEMBED-Interactive Swedish Piano Stairs - ...

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  Swedish piano stairsEMBED-Interactive Swedish Piano Stairs - Watch more free videosI think the words in Swedish are: "We got people to use the stairs instead of the escalator." (H/T: Theo) [...]
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  Posted: October 12, 2009, 1:19pm EDT
  by Eric

• Rationing, ahoy! - Your "right" to health ...

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  Rationing, ahoy! - Your "right" to health care meets reality. Boston Globe: "State plan may place limits on patients' hospital options."' [...]
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  Posted: October 12, 2009, 1:05pm EDT
  by Eric

• Nobel-prize winning sissy - I don't dislike ...

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  Nobel-prize winning sissy - I don't dislike Al Gore. He seems like a decent guy who is earnest about his cause. But what bugs me about Gore is that he behaves as if his environmental manifesto is the Sermon on the Mount. There shall be no questions or debate for' [...]
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  Posted: October 12, 2009, 9:53am EDT
  by Eric

• It's called leadership - After raising the ...

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  It's called leadership - After raising the sales tax and driving business to the Internet or New Hampshire, the geniuses on Beacon Hill have a new idea to raise revenue: "Powerball coming to Bay State next year."Yeah, baby, and next up is a casino here in Western Massachusetts. Since there [...]
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  Posted: October 12, 2009, 12:32am EDT
  by Eric

• U-Haul wants you to drive a truck ...

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  U-Haul wants you to drive a truck to Detroit. Please. - Interesting report about the different rates that U-Haul charges depending on whether you're heading to, or away from, a business-friendly state.Heading from Rhode Island (the worst state for business) to Virginia (the best) is going to cost you. Goin' [...]
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  Posted: October 10, 2009, 8:52pm EDT
  by Eric

• Zip line fever - It's unlikely I'll ...

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  Zip line fever - It's unlikely I'll be able to stay up tonight since I spent a chunk of the day on the ropelines at Catamount Adventure Park. They transformed a ski resort into a high-wire park full of rope bridges and zip lines. Lots of fun, but I used' [...]
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  Posted: October 10, 2009, 8:26pm EDT
  by Eric

• Hey, I just said that! - GMTA ...

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  Hey, I just said that! - GMTA and such from the WashPost: "If anything animates Mr. Obama's critics in this country, it is the impression that he is the focus of a global cult of personality."Update (10/11) - Hey, I said that, too! John Bolton in the NY Post: "O's" [...]
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  Posted: October 10, 2009, 9:23am EDT
  by Eric

• Comment of the dayI liked this one ...

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  Comment of the dayI liked this one from the Washington Post Voices section:What an outrage! My unborn granddaughter should have won the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize for curing cancer in 2056.I'm sure she has good intentions and great promise, and that's enough.' [...]
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  Posted: October 09, 2009, 7:52pm EDT
  by Eric

• Let's spend ourselves out of debt - ...

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  Let's spend ourselves out of debt - Opinion Journal: "Step right up: a new entitlement that cuts the deficit!" [...]
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  Posted: October 09, 2009, 7:49pm EDT
  by Eric

• Let a thousand SNL skits bloomWhen I ...

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  Let a thousand SNL skits bloomWhen I heard the 6am news on NPR during my morning commute, my jaw hit the floor. But by the time I got to work, I decided the Nobel Peace Prize would be an albatross around Barack Obama's neck for the remainder of his term.The [...]
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  Posted: October 09, 2009, 7:35pm EDT
  by Eric

• If I had some ham, I could ...

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  If I had some ham, I could have a ham sandwich, if I had some breadThe current thinking on the "deficit neutral" health care bill is: if we raise taxes and cut spending elsewhere, we can have national health care, but we won't cut spending elsewhere. That leaves taxes.Senator Charles' [...]
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  Posted: October 08, 2009, 7:59pm EDT
  by Eric

• My snap review of the CBO's score ...

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  My snap review of the CBO's score of the Baucus plan - Increased spending that is certain paid for with spending cuts that are illusory and tax hikes that will never pass or raise as much money as claimed. More here.Extra - Legal Insurrection: "There is no spoon Baucus bill."More [...]
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  Posted: October 07, 2009, 8:11pm EDT
  by Eric

• Paul Shaffer can't read music - That ...

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  Paul Shaffer can't read music - That was the astonishing conclusion to this interview I heard on NPR's Morning Edition. David Letterman's bandleader has a new autobiography coming out and he revealed his rise from piano player at a topless bar in Canada to late-night troubadour. What was hilarious about' [...]
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  Posted: October 07, 2009, 7:37pm EDT
  by Eric

• Let us now pause to praise great ...

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  Let us now pause to praise great engineersThe Nobel Prize in Physics was handed out in Stockholm and the winners were three "masters of light" who advanced technology to bring us high-speed internet and digital cameras. Since I'm a fiber optics engineer, I obviously have a spot in my heart' [...]
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  Posted: October 06, 2009, 8:08pm EDT
  by Eric

• E85 in Canada - TTAC has a ...

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  E85 in Canada - TTAC has a story about our neighbors to the North pushing 85% ethanol flex-fuel cars. There are only four E85 stations in all of Canada, the fuel is more expensive than regular gasoline, and returns worse fuel efficiency. Citing a memo from the natural resources minister, [...]
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  Posted: October 05, 2009, 8:30pm EDT
  by Eric

• Too much for Louisiana - You know ...

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  Too much for Louisiana - You know you've made the big leagues in corruption when even Louisiana can't sit by anymore: "Louisiana attorney general: Rathke embezzled $5 million from ACORN." [...]
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  Posted: October 05, 2009, 8:07pm EDT
  by Eric

• Speaking in publicAlthough I'm an engineer by ...

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  Speaking in publicAlthough I'm an engineer by education, over the past couple years or so it seems my career has turned into one of a professional presenter. I'm a PowerPoint impresario and I'm pretty good, if I do say so myself. The keys to every presentation are essentially the same:' [...]
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  Posted: October 03, 2009, 10:47pm EDT
  by Eric

• The moral compass - There's a really ...

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  The moral compass - There's a really interesting book review in the Wall Street Journal on "Souls in Transition" by the aptly named Notre Dame sociologist Christian Smith. The upshot appears to be that kids with a strong religious foundation have a better sense of morality and critical thinking; meanwhile, [...]
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  Posted: October 03, 2009, 10:32pm EDT
  by Eric

• No freakin' way - UK Telegraph: "Mahmoud ...

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  No freakin' way - UK Telegraph: "Mahmoud Ahmaadinejad revealed to have Jewish past."' [...]
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  Posted: October 03, 2009, 1:39pm EDT
  by Eric

• Chicag-NOThe Boston Globe had an editorial this ...

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  Chicag-NOThe Boston Globe had an editorial this morning panning Obama's trip to Copenhagen:Obama gained support during the presidential campaign by staying cool amid an economic meltdown, while John McCain marched into Washington in an attempt to show a spirit of action. Instead, McCain showed his futility. Americans don’t like to [...]
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  Posted: October 02, 2009, 7:48pm EDT
  by Eric

• The Massachusetts miracle? Not so muchI've posted ...

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  The Massachusetts miracle? Not so muchI've posted a dozen posts on the Massachusetts health care reform. Here's one other things to remember from the Christian Science Monitor: the costs of the program are artificially propped up with federal fundsDespite raising state taxes, the Massachusetts plan is kept afloat only by' [...]
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  Posted: October 02, 2009, 7:35pm EDT
  by Eric

• My government spent a trillion dollars on ...

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  My government spent a trillion dollars on stimulus and all I got was this lousy T-shirtFrom the "no kidding, Sherlock" WashPost: "New Economic Reports Show We're Still Hurting"The fragile economic recovery has relied heavily on government stimulus spending, but new data show that as the money runs out, a sustained' [...]
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  Posted: October 01, 2009, 10:42pm EDT
  by Eric

• Take the lead...but not too far - ...

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  Take the lead...but not too far - Jennifer Rubin looks at the Virginia race for governor and asks "Is McDonnell pulling away?" The Republican candidate should settle into a small single-digit lead because any higher and Democrats are apt to "pull a Torricelli" just like Obama tried with New York [...]
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  Posted: September 30, 2009, 10:34pm EDT
  by Eric