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The Moderate Voice

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Do You Have Exploding Head Syndrome ?

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While it might sound like something appropriate to a politically oriented forum this is actually a sleep disorder. An article is out discussing sleep disorders which are downright scary. Nightmare disorder is one we are probably all familiar with but try some of these: 1. Hypnagogic and hypnopompic hallucinations which occur as you wake up or start to fall asleep 2. … [Read more...] about Do You Have Exploding Head Syndrome ?

Why Bunning’s Hold Is Ridiculous

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Here is a link to a rundown about what is occurring due to Sen. Bunning's hold: Unemployment benefits for 400,000 people State reimbursements of $190 million a day Two thousand Federal workers furloughed Construction jobs shut down due to lack of inspectors Things are supposed to resume later this week, but it's still a huge bureaucratic mess that I'm … [Read more...] about Why Bunning’s Hold Is Ridiculous

Quote of the Day: Circumstances Inching Democrats Close to Health Care Reform Votes?

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Our political Quote of the Day comes from the always-highly-quotable MSNBC First Read team of Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, Domenico Montanaro, and Ali Weinberg who suggest that two circumstances may have brought the Democrats two votes closer to health care reform enactment: *** Dems pick up two votes? Are Democrats having their best health-care day in quite some time? Oddly … [Read more...] about Quote of the Day: Circumstances Inching Democrats Close to Health Care Reform Votes?

Mindful Partisanship (Guest Voice)

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WASHINGTON -- The word "partisanship" is typically accompanied by the word "mindless." That's not simply insulting to partisans; it's also untrue. If we learn nothing else in 2010, can we please finally acknowledge that our partisan divisions are about authentic principles that lead to very different approaches to governing? Last week's health care summit was a … [Read more...] about Mindful Partisanship (Guest Voice)

Centrists, Principles and “Men of the Earth”

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One thing that I've noticed in the blogsphere is how many people don't like "deal-makers." Deal-makers are a vanishing breed. Some were centrists, but there could also be people who firmly on one ideological perspective or another. The late Ted Kennedy was a fierce liberal, but he was willing more often than not to work with conservatives to get the job done. But in … [Read more...] about Centrists, Principles and “Men of the Earth”

What They Say vs. What They Mean: Health Care Reform (Guest Voice)

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What They Say vs. What They Mean: Health Care Reform Raging Moderate, by Will Durst You’ve seen “ER” and I’ve seen “ER” and I think we can both agree that if bipartisan health care reform were a patient, Doctor Obama would be dejectedly dropping the paddles, ripping off his mask and asking Nurse Pelosi to call it. Oh, yeah. It’s finished. Done with. Kaput. Defunct. … [Read more...] about What They Say vs. What They Mean: Health Care Reform (Guest Voice)

A Marijuana Political Hangover

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I think I may be suffering long term effects of my drug use in years past — effects most evident in my current political thinking. Indeed, I think many people in my generation may be suffering in the same way. Unlike Bill Clinton, most of us did inhale in the 1960s. A lot. And for years running. This was true not only for people in college in the 1960s, but people like myself … [Read more...] about A Marijuana Political Hangover

Camera Glimpses of Obama Frustration at Health Care Summit

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So what did the (written about ad nauseum including here) recent health care summit that pitted President Barack Obama against his GOP critics accomplish? As I've noted here and elsewhere, it showed (1)both sides had people who did think in terms of substance, (2)the Republicans did have specific ideas despite what some of their critics have said, (3)the philosophical gap … [Read more...] about Camera Glimpses of Obama Frustration at Health Care Summit

Unexpected Impacts

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Often when you are listening to the news they will use little fillers to take up the extra time in the segment. Earlier today I heard a couple I thought worth sharing. As some of you may know the government has imposed new standards for the airlines to comply with. Specifically if the airline leaves passengers on the runway for longer than 3 hours they will be fined for each … [Read more...] about Unexpected Impacts

Live-Blogging the Closing Cermonies of the Vancouver Olympics

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The closing ceremonies got off to a great start with the fourth arm going up -- the one that didn't work during the lighting at the opening ceremonies, the malfunction that got all the overhyped buzz and took on a life of its own in the media -- and with Catriona Le May Doan finally getting to light it, and I enjoyed seeing the athletes come in, all the Canadians, with Joannie … [Read more...] about Live-Blogging the Closing Cermonies of the Vancouver Olympics

Curse of America or Curse of Iran: Iraqi Voters Must Choose – Kitabat, Iraq

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Iraq is at a crossroads, and the upcoming nationwide elections will greatly decide whether the country casts itself primarily as pro-Western, pro-Iranian or the least likely option - independent. According to this article from Iraqi newspaper Kitabat, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has announced that Iraq has joined an alliance consisting of Iran, Syria, Lebanon and … [Read more...] about Curse of America or Curse of Iran: Iraqi Voters Must Choose – Kitabat, Iraq

Imagine If Sodomy Laws Could Be Used To Punish The Stingy, Unconcerned Rich!

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That line is not mine (but it got your attention). It's from Nicholas Kristof's column. Kristof says, "If liberals were less snooty and evangelicals less sanctimonious, what a team!" On the latter: A growing number of conservative Christians are explicitly and self-critically acknowledging that to be “pro-life” must mean more than opposing abortion. The head of World Vision in … [Read more...] about Imagine If Sodomy Laws Could Be Used To Punish The Stingy, Unconcerned Rich!

Major Court Decision in Colombia

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On Friday the Colombian Constitutional Court handed down a major decision which stopped President Alvaro Uribe from running for a third term and therefore majorly reshaped the May elections. Given the importance of Colombia to the US, as both a trading partner (with an FTA still pending in the US Congress) and partner in the war on drugs, the case deserves more attention than … [Read more...] about Major Court Decision in Colombia

A Conservative’s View Of Broken Government

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Tony Blankley, a conservative who has experienced the hard knocks of Washington politics, suggests we won't know whether we have a broken government -- a conclusion already reached in some political circles -- until the Republicans control Congress in 2011. The budget hawks, he argues, will follow the will of the people to curb entitlement spending in Social Security and … [Read more...] about A Conservative’s View Of Broken Government

CNN Will Do Another Independent Voter Panel Discussion Today

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NOTE: CNN's Don Lemon is going to do another independent voter panel discussion today (the most likely topic wil bel panelists' reaction to the health care reform summit). As was the case in weekend segments over the past four weeks, I'll be on a panel with Omar Ali, the historian and independent, voting analyst and Nicole Kurokawa, an independent voting analyst in Washington. … [Read more...] about CNN Will Do Another Independent Voter Panel Discussion Today