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Entries by Chris Weigant from 02/2008

Friday Talking Points [17]

| Posted 02.01.2008 | Politics
Read More: Ads, Al Franken, Jobs, Filibuster, Fisa, Chris Dodd, Iraq, Immunity, Campaign, Permanent Bases, Telecom, Bush, Warren Buffet, 2008, Midotw, Flip-Flop, Most Disappointing Democrat of the Week, Super Tuesday, 2008 Campaign, Most Impressive Democrat of the Week, Capital Gains, Health Care, State of the Union, Taxes, Harry and Louise, John McCain, Hillarycare, Budget, Mitt Romney, 2008 Elections, Ad, 08, Tax Rate, 100 Year War, Stimulus, 2008 Election, Barack Obama, Election, 08 Election, Elections, Income Tax, 08 Campaign, Mddotw, 2008 Presidential Race, Harry Reid, Hillary Clinton, Earmark, Politics News

This column is dedicated to the idea that Democrats can learn to use talking points as effectively as Republicans often do. This idea annoys many who...

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My Super Duper Tsunami Tuesday Primary Picks

| Posted 02.04.2008 | Politics
Read More: North Dakota, Super Duper Tuesday, Delaware, West Virginia, Connecticut, Colorado, Campaign, Arizona, Missouri, Picks, Republican, California, Primaries, Montana, Mike Huckabee, 2008, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Super Tuesday, 2008 Campaign, Illinois, John McCain, Alaska, Florida, Super Duper Tsunami Tuesday, Primary, Mitt Romney, Democrat, Massachusetts, 2008 Elections, 08, Democrats, Minnesota, 2008 Election, Election, New York, Barack Obama, 08 Election, Elections, Rudy Giuliani, 08 Campaign, Tsunami Tuesday, Arkansas, 2008 Presidential Race, Georgia, Tennessee, Hillary Clinton, Republicans, Utah, Alabama, New Mexico, Kansas, Idaho, Politics News

Between Obama and Clinton, it's going to be a virtual tie. Both campaigns will immediately release spin on why they are now the frontrunner, and why the other should politely drop out of the race.

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Why Californians Should Vote No On Proposition 93

| Posted 02.05.2008 | Politics
Read More: Primaries, Term Limits, No on 93, Primary, Politicians, Prop 93, June Primary, 2008 Elections, Proposition 93, 93, Sacramento, 2008 Election, California, Politics News

If you could spend $50 million of someone else's money to save your job, would you? I suspect most people would answer "yes" to that. Actually, that'...

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How Obama Could Wrap It Up

| Posted 02.07.2008 | Politics
Read More: Obama/Clinton, Vice President, Clinton/Obama, 2008 Elections, Campaign, 08, Dream Ticket, 2008 Election, Election, Barack Obama, 08 Election, Elections, 08 Campaign, 2008, 2008 Presidential Race, 2008 Campaign, Hillary Clinton, Politics News

I think the Clinton camp already has reams of spreadsheets showing exactly how many votes in which states are added for each possible VP nominee.

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Friday Talking Points [18]

| Posted 02.08.2008 | Politics
Read More: Crab Cake Tuesday, Nebraska, Washington, Surveillance, Fisa, Iraq, Campaign, NRCC, Permanent Bases, Dick Cheney, Bush, New Mexico, Mike Huckabee, 2008, Maine, Virgin Islands, Midotw, Telecom Immunity, Most Disappointing Democrat of the Week, Super Tuesday, 2008 Campaign, Waterboard, Most Impressive Democrat of the Week, Kansas, Special Prosecutor, John McCain, Jay Rockefeller, Louisiana, Texas, 2008 Elections, 08, 2008 Election, Barack Obama, Election, 08 Election, Elections, 08 Campaign, Mddotw, Wiretapping, 2008 Presidential Race, Hillary Clinton, Waterboarding, Water Torture, Warrantless, Torture, Politics News

I'm going to start off with a quick piece of advice for both Democratic campaigns (or perhaps for Howard Dean) -- spend the next few weeks taping ever...

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Michigan And Florida Need A Mulligan

| Posted 02.11.2008 | Politics
Read More: Nebraska, Maryland, Washington, Mccain, Democratic, Primary Schedule, Campaign, Revote, Dc, Virginia, 2008, Virgin Islands, Huckabee, Maine, John Edwards, 2008 Campaign, Do-Over, Kansas, Florida, Louisiana, Democrat, Washington DC, 2008 Elections, 08, 2008 Election, Barack Obama, Election, 08 Election, Elections, 08 Campaign, Mulligan, Michigan, 2008 Presidential Race, Hillary Clinton, Politics News

Mulligan -- (noun)  A golf shot not tallied against the score, granted in informal play after a poor shot especially from the tee. This is ...

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Guest Column: How Hillary Could Win Fair (And Lock Up The General Election, Too!)

| Posted 02.13.2008 | Politics
Read More: Fair, Florida, Primary, 2008 Elections, Joshua L. Eisenstein, Campaign, 08, 2008 Election, Election, Barack Obama, 08 Election, Primaries, Elections, Howard Dean, 08 Campaign, 2008, Michigan, 2008 Presidential Race, Superdelegates, 2008 Campaign, Hillary Clinton, Politics News

Hillary and Bill, who are masters at brokering political deals, can sheath both edges of the party rules by engineering a compromise on Michigan, Florida and the super-delegates.

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Friday Talking Points [19] -- A "Rare Uprising" Of Democrats

| Posted 02.15.2008 | Politics
Read More: Fearmongering, Cia, Chris Van Hollen, Fearmonger, Fisa, Dianne Feinstein, Democratic, Immunity, Campaign, Endorsement, Trailers, Formaldehyde, Bush, Telecom, Spanish Inquisition, 2008, Silvestre Reyes, Midotw, Nancy Pelosi, Most Disappointing Democrat of the Week, 2008 Campaign, Speaker, Most Impressive Democrat of the Week, Senate Majority Leader, War Crime, Populism, John Edwards, John McCain, Pat Murray, Jay Rockefeller, Rush Limbaugh, House, Democrat, Fema, 2008 Elections, Majority Leader, 08, Democrats, 2008 Election, Barack Obama, Election, 08 Election, Elections, Valentine, 08 Campaign, Mddotw, 2008 Presidential Race, Wiretapping, Harry Reid, Confession, Hillary Clinton, Dnc, Senate, Torture, Warrantless, Politics News

It's been a busy week for Democrats, with a lot to cover. There has been good news and bad, but on the whole I'd have to judge the week a success for...

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Democratic Electoral Shift In November?

| Posted 02.18.2008 | Politics
Read More: Hawaii, John McCain, Democrat, Democratic, Primary Schedule, 2008 Elections, Campaign, 08, Electoral College, 2008 Election, Mountain West, Election, Barack Obama, Picks, 08 Election, Elections, 08 Campaign, Wisconsin, 2008, Mike Huckabee, South, Electoral Map, 2008 Presidential Race, 2008 Campaign, Hillary Clinton, Politics News

Professional pundits like conventional wisdom. It's comfortable for them to say what "everyone knows" with the voice of authority. But, seeing how o...

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McCain / Rice ?

| Posted 02.20.2008 | Politics
Read More: Vice President, John McCain, Condi, Running Mate, Woman, White, Republican Ticket, 2008 Elections, Vice Presidency, Campaign, 08, Condi Rice, 2008 Election, Election, Barack Obama, African-American, Republican, 08 Election, Elections, 08 Campaign, 2008, Condoleezza Rice, 2008 Presidential Race, 2008 Campaign, Black, Hillary Clinton, Politics News

Since Republicans have all but anointed John McCain as their presidential nominee, it's about time to start speculating on who he's going to choose to...

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Friday Talking Points [20] -- Populism 101

| Posted 02.22.2008 | Politics
Read More: Social Security, Charity, Democratic, Campaign, Income, Cap, Television, Minimum Wage, Cable, 2008, A La Carte, 2008 Campaign, Capital Gains, Populism, John McCain, Tuition, Minimum Wage COLA, Neo-Populism, Democrat, 2008 Elections, 08, Satellite, 2008 Election, Democrats, Scandal, Barack Obama, Election, 08 Election, Income Tax, Elections, 08 Campaign, Credit Card Interest Rates, College, Tv, 2008 Presidential Race, Earnings Cap, Warren Buffett, New York Times, Hillary Clinton, Populist, Tax Deductible, Politics News

No awards this week A few quick thoughts this week before we get to the talking points. First, I will not be awarding the Most Impressive Democrat Of...

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Debate Questions I'd Like To Ask

| Posted 02.25.2008 | Politics
Read More: Al Qaeda, Debate, Cia, Marijuana, Fisa, Medical Marijuana, Iraq, Campaign, Bush, Democratic Nominee, 2008, Schedule I, Telecom Immunity, Schedule II, 2008 Campaign, Capital Gains, Democratic Debate, Taxes, Flag Burning, Interrogation, Army Field Manual, Telecom Amnesty, Democrat, 2008 Elections, 08, 2008 Election, Nafta, War on Terror, Barack Obama, Election, 08 Election, Elections, Income Tax, 08 Campaign, Present Votes, Tax, Wiretapping, 2008 Presidential Race, Telecommunications, Warren Buffett, Hillary Clinton, Debates, Senate, Warrantless, Politics News

Tomorrow night may be the last debate in the Democratic primary race. This will be the twentieth debate so far, which has to be some kind of record. ...

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Where Will Iraq Be In November?

| Posted 02.27.2008 | Politics
Read More: November, October, Basra, Iraq, Campaign, Awakening, Shiite, Iran, Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia, Bribe, 2008, Surge, Pkk, Kurds, 2008 Campaign, Cease Fire, Sectarian Cleansing, Iraqi Election, Turkey, John McCain, Kurd, Militia, JAM, Ethnic Cleansing, Iraqi Parliament, Green Zone, 2008 Elections, Mahdi Army, 08, 2008 Election, Al Qaeda in Iraq, Election, 08 Election, Elections, 08 Campaign, Sadr, 2008 Presidential Race, Aqi, Oil, British, Taliban, Baghdad, Maliki, Sunni, Islamic Law, Politics News

While everyone else is having fun determining who "won" or "lost" the Democratic debate last night, I would like to revisit an important topic: Iraq. ...

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Friday Talking Points [21] -- Bash Bush Edition

| Posted 02.29.2008 | Politics
Read More: White House, Barbara Boxer, Clean Air, Natural Born, Cheney, Mercenary, Emissions, China, Meirs, Bush, Mukasey, Bush-Bashing, Bolton, Blackwater, Midotw, Ohio, Nancy Pelosi, Russia, Most Disappointing Democrat of the Week, Press Conference, Most Impressive Democrat of the Week, Environmental Protection Agency, John McCain, Gasoline, Bush Bash, Gas Price, Greenhouse Gas, Attorney General, Landslide, Dick Durban, Leap Day, Contempt, Justice Department, 2000, Recession, Barack Obama, Military Contractors, Mortgage Crisis, Foreign Policy, Olympics, Four Dollars a Gallon, Anti-War, Contempt of Congress, Epa, Archive, Mortgage, Mddotw, Leap Year, Wiretap, $4 a Gallon, Hillary Clinton, Bush Library, Cuba, Emails, Claire McCaskill, Bush-Bash, Senate, Warrantless, Politics News

Happy Leap Day! Because we are given an extra day this year, I would like to spend it in a good old fashioned Bush-bash. Maybe it's because everyone'...

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