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Friday Talking Points

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Friday Talking Points [99] -- Misdirection

Chris Weigant | Posted 10.26.2009 | Politics

Read More: White House, Pentagon, Troops, Medicare for All, Rumor Mongering, Guantanamo, Monopoly, Reform, Alan Grayson, Dscc, Pentagon Budget, Roger Ailes, Nixonian, Charles Schumer, President, Magic, Military, Bailout, Emanuel, Midotw, Nancy Pelosi, Ailes, Most Impressive Democrat of the Week, Health Care, Reid, Public Option, Olympia Snowe, Democrat, Congress, Playing the Victim, Close Gitmo Now, Rumor, Stage Magic, Democrats, Barack Obama, Rage Against the Machine, Executive Compensation, Calls, Schumer, Mddotw, Rahm Emanuel, Wasted, Health, Weiner, Harry Reid, Nixon, Healthcare, Senate, Orchestra Pit Theory, President Obama, Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, Fox, Obama, Democratic, Media, Grayson, Friday Talking Points, Republican, Pelosi, Snowe, Enemy, Organizing for America, Misdirect, Guantanamo Bay, Most Disappointing Democrat of the Week, Orchestra Pit, Victim, Robust Public Option, Anthony Weiner, Trigger, Trust Busting, House, Tom Morello, Victim Card, War, Ad, Opt Out, 1000 Hours, Defense Appropriations, Enemy of America, Misdirection, Wall Street, Chris Weigant, Health Insurance, Health Insurers, 300000, Fox News, Medicare, Chuck Schumer, Executive Pay, Torture, Morello, Politics News

The real head-scratcher for serious media-watchers right now is what the "war" between the White House and Fox News was meant to distract us from this week. The "war" itself is laughable, for a number of reasons.

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Friday Talking Points: Is Opt-Out The Answer?

Chris Weigant | Posted 10.14.2009 | Politics

Read More: Tax Code, Blue Dog, Progressives, Ways and Means, Compromise, Reform, Charles Schumer, Howard Dean, Tripled Down, Midotw, Nancy Pelosi, 60 Vote, Most Impressive Democrat of the Week, Health Care, Nationwide, Public Option, States Rights, Democrat, Congress, Democrats, Barack Obama, Im in My Place, Nobel Prize, Schumer, Progressive, Mddotw, Put Her in Her Place, Health, Opt Out Plan, Blue Dogs, Americas Next Great Pundit, Healthcare, Senate, George Bush, President Obama, Teddy Roosevelt, Cloture, Senator, Dr Dean, Public Plan, State, Filibuster, Obama, Democratic, Charlie Rangel, Woodrow Wilson, Friday Talking Points, Bush, Dean, Republican, Pelosi, Double Down, Simpsons, Co-Op, Triple Down, Doubled Down, Most Disappointing Democrat of the Week, Taxes, Trigger, Tax Laws, House, Nobel, Marge Simpson, Playboy, Nobel Peace Prize, Opt Out, Tenth Amendment, Rangel, Chris Weigant, Clockwork Orange, Afghanistan, Politics News

The plan isn't going into effect until 2013. Think you're tired of TV ads and screaming folks at town hall meetings now? Picture a more local version of that for the next four years -- not a pretty sight.

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Friday Talking Points [96] -- The Impressiveness of Alan Grayson

Chris Weigant | Posted 10.03.2009 | Politics

Read More: 80, Chicago, Spiro Agnew, Eighty Percent, Reform, South America, Alan Grayson, DC City Council, Dc, Charles Schumer, Death Panel, Die Quickly, Grayson Transcript, William Safire, Floor Speech, Midotw, Sexual Harassment, Most Impressive Democrat of the Week, Don't Get Sick, Health Care, Kenneth Feinberg, Reid, Tarp, Abortion, Public Option, Grayson Speech, Democrat, Letterman, Congress, Pay Czar, Democrats, Barack Obama, Schumer, Mddotw, Child Rape, Health, Harry Reid, Vacation, Nixon, Bonuses, Polanski, Gay Marriage, Healthcare, Senate, David Catania, Ben Nelson, Cloture, President Obama, Sex Scandal, Washington, Filibuster, Moral Relativism, Obama, Democratic, Friday Talking Points, Grayson, Republican, Most Disappointing Democrat of the Week, Paranoid Delusions, Rio, Roman Polanski, Salaries, Rape, House, Copenhagen, Nelson, Consensual, Olympics, Wall Street, Chris Weigant, Sex, Columbus Day, Chuck Schumer, Executive Pay, Troubled Assets, David Letterman, Agnew, Safire, Feinberg, Catania, Politics News

First, let's get rid of the distractions this week. Chicago will not be getting the Olympics in 2016, even after President Obama went over to Copenha...

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Friday Talking Points [95] -- A Call To Action

Chris Weigant | Posted 09.26.2009 | Politics

Read More: Progressives, Al Franken, Chief of Staff, Reform, Alan Grayson, Paul Kirk, Aid of the Party, Emanuel, Midotw, Glenn Greenwald, Nancy Pelosi, Department of Justice, Most Impressive Democrat of the Week, Health Care, Peter Paul and Mary, Reid, Public Option, Democrat, House Progressives, Congress, Mary Travers, Democrats, Barack Obama, Ted Kennedy, Acorn, Progressive, Constitution, Mddotw, Rahm Emanuel, Party, Health, Blue Dogs, Harry Reid, Republicans, Senate, Healthcare, President Obama, David Kris, Sherrod Brown, Obama, Democratic, Democratic Party, Friday Talking Points, Fourth Amendment, Republican, Paul Wellstone, Pelosi, Defense Contractor, Co-Op, Baucus, Typewriter, Most Disappointing Democrat of the Week, Rahm, Representative Grayson, Trigger, Time for All Good Men, House, Franken, Rahmbo, Surreal, Fraud, Chris Weigant, Max Baucus, Kris, Politics News

The progressives and Blue Dogs are going to have a showdown. It is going to culminate not in statements to the press (or the lack thereof), not in some whispered whip count, but rather in a very public vote.

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Friday Talking Points [93] -- Lies, Lies And Propaganda

Chris Weigant | Posted 11.11.2009 | Politics

Read More: Lies, Go Broke, Reasonable, Reform, Mccain, Midotw, Disrespect, Joe Wilson, Most Impressive Democrat of the Week, Faith, Health Care, Theological, Sandy Line, Joint Session, Bankruptcy, You Lie, Public Option, Propaganda, Democrat, Congress, Big Government, Lie, Democrats, Ted Kennedy, Barack Obama, Heckle, Obama Speech, Mddotw, Health, Republicans, Line in the Sand, Walk It Down, Bankrupt, Healthcare, President Obama, Speech, Kennedy, First Lady, Obama, Democratic, Media, Friday Talking Points, Republican, Laura Bush, Uninsured, Insurance, Wilson, Liar, Most Disappointing Democrat of the Week, Lies and Propaganda, Heckler, John McCain, House, Framing, Medicaid, Teddy Kennedy, Sherrod-Brown, Talking Heads, Illegal Immigrant, Chris Weigant, Heckled, Medicare, Immigrant, Wkharbhsgahm, Wksarbssgahm, Medicompetition, Kennedycare, Medicomp, Politics News

Political discussions in America are fast becoming solely theological in nature.. Each side has their beliefs. Each has their tenets which they fervently defend. Much of this is done on faith.

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Friday Talking Points [92] -- The End Of Silly Season

Chris Weigant | Posted 10.20.2009 | Politics

Read More: Blue Dog, Floor, Children, Al Franken, Reform, Casey at the Bat, Town Hall, Midotw, Nancy Pelosi, Brown, Vetoes, Most Impressive Democrat of the Week, West Wing, Budget Reconciliation, Health Care, Schoolchildren, Reid, Reconciliation, Lincoln, President Bartlet, Signs, Joint Session, Conference Committee, Committee, Public Option, Democrat, Congress, Address to Congress, Floor Vote, School, Democrats, Silly Season, Barack Obama, Progressive, Mddotw, Health, Harry Reid, Bill, Senate, Healthcare, Law, Senator Brown, President Obama, Speech, Sherrod Brown, Obama, Democratic, Friday Talking Points, Legislation, Pelosi, Senator, Insurance, Kids, Schoolkids, Ohio, Most Disappointing Democrat of the Week, Speaker, Baseball, House, Franken, Blanche Lincoln, The West Wing, Chris Weigant, Health Insurance, Indoctrination, Veto, Politics News

Sadly, Obama's speech to school children has become mired in manufactured controversy from the right, with typical sky-is-falling rhetoric about the evil, evil man who occupies the Oval Office.

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Friday Talking Points [91] -- Win One For Teddy

Chris Weigant | Posted 09.28.2009 | Politics

Read More: Social Security, Ted, May You Be in Heaven, Cloture, Win One for Teddy, Employee Free Choice Act, Public Universities, Irish Wake, Kennedy, Teddy Kennedy, Filibuster, Politicizing, Reform, Politicize, Democratic, Friday Talking Points, Paul Wellstone, Funeral, Video, Edward Kennedy, Mayor Quimby, Simpsons, Senator, Chow-Dah, Midotw, Most Disappointing Democrat of the Week, Most Impressive Democrat of the Week, Public Education, Public University, Health Care, Reid, Diamond Joe Quimby, Irish, Card Check, Massachusetts, Democrat, Medicaid, Majority Leader, The Simpsons, Democrats, Efca, Springfield, The Simpsons Movie, USA Today, Contest, Edward M Kennedy, Mddotw, Eulogy, Chris Weigant, Health, Uncle Ted, Senator Kennedy, Harry Reid, Medicare, Irish Toast, Socialism, Higher Education, Wellstone, Teddy, Up or Down Vote, Quimby, Healthcare, Senate, Politics News

Calling for some sort of decorous avoidance of politics during politicians' funerals is downright ridiculous. It'd be like eulogizing Charles Lindbergh and not mentioning airplanes.

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Friday Talking Points [90] -- Obama To Switch Parties

Chris Weigant | Posted 09.21.2009 | Politics

Read More: Daisy Dukes, White House, Table, Medicare for All, Legalize, Barney Frank, Progressives, Fiction, Reform, Catnip, Rube Goldberg, Blackwater, Midotw, Nancy Pelosi, Assassination, Most Impressive Democrat of the Week, Health Care, Budget Reconciliation, Reid, Nancy Reagan, Reconciliation, Vonnegut, Kurt Vonnegut, Terrorism, Mexico, Shorts, Terrorist, Massachusetts, Democrat, Kathleen Sebelius, Congress, Planet, Democrats, Lie, Ted Kennedy, Barack Obama, Decriminalize, Mddotw, Health, Blue Dogs, Harry Reid, Vacation, Falsehood, Healthcare, Senate, George Bush, President Obama, Central Intelligence Agency, Ronald Reagan, Senator, Tom Ridge, Cia, Kennedy, Cat's Cradle, Drugs, Decriminalization, Iraq, Obama, Democratic, Dining Room Table, Media, Truth to Crazy, Media Catnip, Friday Talking Points, Republican, Bush, Pelosi, Edward Kennedy, Most Disappointing Democrat of the Week, Obama Switches Parties, Speaker, Sebelius, Ridge, Two Bills, Michelle Obama, House, Aides, What Planet, Terror Alert, Obama to Switch Parties, Teddy Kennedy, Mainstream Media, Progressive, Grand Canyon, Chris Weigant, Naked Guy on a Plane, Senator Kennedy, Afghanistan, George W Bush, Healthcare Reform, Nazi, Politics News

Ted Kennedy is putting both his legacy and his sense of entitlement to his office before the interests of his constituents.

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Friday Talking Points [89] -- Fighting Crazy

Chris Weigant | Posted 09.14.2009 | Media

Read More: Leadership, President Obama, Vagueness, Kennedy, Journalist, Democratic, Obama, Reform, Facts, Media, Townhall, Friday Talking Points, Adult, Republican, Candidate Obama, Clinton, Town Hall, Veto Threat, Knife Fight, Midotw, Most Disappointing Democrat of the Week, Most Impressive Democrat of the Week, Health Care, Emotion, The Bear Who Let It Alone, Crazy, Politicians, Post Mortem, Msm, Cheerleader, Tantrum, Democrat, Congress, Bipartisan, Democrats, Teddy Kennedy, Ted Kennedy, Barack Obama, Screaming, James Thurber, Mainstream Media, 1994, Yelling, Mddotw, Hillary, Chris Weigant, Health, Lunacy, Town Hells, Veto, Bipartisanship, Line in the Sand, Healthcare, Pre-Post-Mortem, Thurber, Media News

The media is not completely responsible for the state of the debate over healthcare reform. The Democrats have done such a poor job of presenting their case that they really bear the lion's share of blame.

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Friday Talking Points [87] -- A Tale Of Two Houses

Chris Weigant | Posted 08.24.2009 | Politics

Read More: It Was the Worst of Times, Leadership, Blue Dog, A Tale of Two Cities, Reform, Dickens, Midotw, Nancy Pelosi, Rescission, Most Impressive Democrat of the Week, Press Conference, Pre-Existing Condition, It Was the Best of Times, Health Care, Reid, Dow, August, Bankruptcy, Democrat, Speaker of the House, Nbc, Congress, Democrats, Barack Obama, Brian Williams, Mddotw, Speaker Pelosi, Health, Health Care Reform, Blue Dogs, Harry Reid, Vacation, Republicans, Senate, Healthcare, Leader, Most Respected, President Obama, Obama, Democratic, Media, Friday Talking Points, Republican, Pelosi, Insurance, Baucus, Recess, 9000, Most Disappointing Democrat of the Week, Obstructionism, Speaker, Medical Bankruptcy, Chuck Todd, House, Msm, Charles Dickens, Milquetoast, Tale of Two Cities, Sob Story, Mainstream Media, Dow Jones, Chris Weigant, Jon Stewart, Walter Cronkite, Max Baucus, Djia, Dog Days, Politics News

Simply for acting like a leader this week, Speaker Pelosi wins the Most Impressive Democrat Of The Week award hands-down.

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Friday Talking Points [80] -- Parsing Obama's Cairo Speech

Chris Weigant | Posted 07.06.2009 | World

Read More: Jews, Nuke, Sessions, Guantanamo, Judge Sotomayor, Extremist, America, Israelis, Muslim, Assalaamu Alaykum, Non-Proliferation Treaty, Midotw, Sotomayor, Racism, Most Impressive Democrat of the Week, Christians, Quran, Jesus, Terrorist, Palestinians, Barack Obama, Judge, Mddotw, Sonia Sotomayor, Israel, Taliban, Respect, Christian, Egypt, Al Qaeda, President Obama, Central Intelligence Agency, Speech, Fact, Cia, Jeff Sessions, Opinion, Obama, Iraq, Nuclear, Religious Tolerance, Friday Talking Points, Koran, Republican, Iran, Most Disappointing Democrat of the Week, Islamic, Shah of Iran, Mohammed, Islam, Npt, Judiciary Committee, Nuclear Weapon, Palestinian, Palestine, Democracy, United States, Settlements, Moses, Jewish, Zakat, Womens Rights, Barack Hussein Obama, Chris Weigant, Cairo, Shah, Afghanistan, Stereotype. Terrorism, Obama Cairo Speech, Torture, Turkey, Ankara-Turkey, Jerusalem-Israel, Islamic Republic of Iran, Indonesia, Lebanon, South Africa, World News

This is an interesting and refreshing subtext in Obama's entire speech -- he says things are "facts" and not opinions. Considering the lunacy that passes for "political debate" on American television screens -- where there are always two points of view, and every "fact" is subject to spin from one side or another -- it is a breath of fresh air.

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Friday Talking Points [47] -- Our First Anniversary

Chris Weigant | Posted 10.13.2008 | Politics

Read More: Lies, Lobbyists, Cindy McCain, Mccain, Campaign, Mark Penn, Sarah Palin, Obama Sex, 2008, Midotw, Craig Ferguson, Liar Liar, Most Impressive Democrat of the Week, Per Capita, Real Estate, Alaska, Trust, 3:00 AM, Felon, Joe Biden, 08, Rant, Pants on Fire, Lie, Barack Obama, Biden, Election, 08 Election, Late Late Show, Elections, Martin Luther King, Mddotw, Obama, Maverick, Arizona, Media, Anniversary, Charlie Rangel, Friday Talking Points, Governor, King, Party Hack, Holiday, Most Disappointing Democrat of the Week, 2008 Campaign, Keating Five, Keating, John McCain, Charles Rangel, Obama Virus, 2008 Elections, 2008 Election, Lobbyist, Rangel, 08 Campaign, Earmarks, Tax, Virus, Palin, 2008 Presidential Race, Charles Keating, Mccain Lies, Earmark, Ferguson, Politics News

Surprise! It's our first anniversary column! But before we get to that, I have to pass on this information, in the hopes nobody will get stung by a v...

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Friday Talking Points [37] -- Welcome, New Readers

Chris Weigant | Posted 07.05.2008 | Politics

Read More: GI Bill, Speech, Friday Talking Points, Fisa, Chris Dodd, Immunity, Campaign, Sewage Plant, Presidential Memorial Commission, Republican, Telecom, Bush, Talking Points, 2008, John Kerry, Midotw, Waste, Most Disappointing Democrat of the Week, Spin, 2008 Campaign, Most Impressive Democrat of the Week, Grover Norquist, San Francisco, Tan, Sewage, John McCain, Beating His Wife, Amnesty, Democrat, 2008 Elections, 08, 2008 Election, Barack Obama, Election, 08 Election, Elections, 08 Campaign, Mddotw, 2008 Presidential Race, Harry Reid, Democratic Underground, Flip Flop, Milquetoast, Du, Politics News

McCain flip-flops on torture, tax cuts, the religious right, Roe v. Wade, lobbyists, gay marriage, creationism, Iraq, talking to enemies, and just about any other subject you care to name.

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