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Keep the Manatees Safe
Tweet Share on Facebook November 30, 2007 Comment (3)There are some subspecies of Homo sapiens who will seemingly stop at nothing to obliterate their fellow mammals. An exaggerated statement? Perhaps. But the statement makes more sense when one considers the plight of the poor Florida manatee.
Despite a huge influx of Homo sapiens into the state of Florida during the past few decades, these gentle, giant mammals have managed to increase their numbers. Normally, more people means destruction of animal habitat and a decrease in animal population. But with the help of another very dedicated subspecies of Homo sapiens, environmentalists, manatees have managed a small increase in their number.
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3 Ways for Bush to Stay Relevant
Tweet Share on Facebook November 28, 2007 Comment (20)On Monday, I explained how and why President Bush's desire to stay relevant in the remainder of his term is unlikely to occur. That said, if the president wishes to stay relevant, I present herewith a laundry list of ideas for him. The sad fact is, most of them would require a complete reversal of course, which, stubborn as he seems to be, is not likely to take place:
1. Bush could attempt to fix the economy, or at a bare minimum feign concern for the economic doldrums in which he has placed the United States. He could do something about the enormous debt his administration has racked up. He could try to bolster the quickly failing dollar. He might even consider expressing one iota of disquietude about his record national debt and America's quickly dissipating leadership in the international finance arena.
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Bush's Sinking Relevance
Tweet Share on Facebook November 26, 2007 Comment (15)I wondered last week whether President Bush had any idea how annoyingly irrelevant he has become.
The question arose at a hastily arranged White House news conference at which the president was asked whether he felt he was " 'becoming increasingly irrelevant?' In response, Bush cited his vetoes—which only recently has he started exercising on congressional spending. 'When I tell you I'm going to sprint to the finish and finish this job strong, that's one way to ensure that I am relevant,' Bush said."
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The Global View on Warming
Tweet Share on Facebook November 21, 2007 Comment (27)Want a good example of how responsible international leaders react to climate change? Here's what Stavros Dimas, the European Commission member responsible for environmental policy, told a joint parliamentary session of the European Parliament last month:
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Bush: The Wrong Guy on Climate Change
Tweet Share on Facebook November 19, 2007 CommentWill someone please explain to the president how annoyingly irrelevant he's become? He still has the power to lead us into poorly executed military operations: Afghanistan, Iraq, and so on (perhaps even Iran). He may still wield a mean veto pen. But the time has long passed since he should be allowed to lead a U.S. delegation on an important scientific mission.
Unfortunately, W will be heading the U.S. delegation to the United Nations Conference on climate change in Bali next month.
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Who Won in Vegas?
Tweet Share on Facebook November 16, 2007 CommentWho won? You decide. The media are all over the place. The most telling initial response I saw was in the Rasmussen Reports poll, which as of Thursday (before the debate) had Hillary Clinton ahead nationally with 41 percent among Democrats, then Barack Obama at 22, and John Edwards at 14.
Then as of Friday morning (the poll was taken Thursday night but before the end of the Vegas debate), Clinton's and Edwards's numbers fell, but Obama picked up 2 percentage points.
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Not So Fast, Merck
Tweet Share on Facebook November 14, 2007 CommentMerck last week announced one of the largest settlements in the history of civil litigation over its Vioxx painkiller drug that patients claimed caused heart damage and strokes. Merck presented the $4.8 billion settlement as almost "airtight."
But a little birdie, or rather, a little monkey tells me that one plaintiff is refusing to accept Merck's offer and is instead joining a petition being filed today with the Food and Drug Administration by
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Parties Swap Roles on Fiscal Policy
Tweet Share on Facebook November 12, 2007 CommentRemember when Republicans reliably cut taxes and spending and Democrats were the party of "tax and spend"? OK, maybe there never really was such a time.
But Republican President Ronald Reagan's 1981 tax cut was the largest in U.S. history. And he successfully painted Democrats as "tax-and-spend liberals" with a coating that stuck so well, no amount of turpentine could remove it for decades.
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It's (Still) a Primary Mess
Tweet Share on Facebook November 9, 2007 CommentWe've all heard of the hit novel and movie Primary Colors. Next year's version should be Primary Mess. States looking to cash in on early primary (and caucus) publicity and clout have so jumbled the process as to make it unrecognizable. Have they jumbled it to the point where they might lower participation rates among primary voters and caucus-goers? These are, of course, the most devoted of all political participants and voters in the nation.
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Ups and Downs for Clinton and Giuliani
Tweet Share on Facebook November 7, 2007 CommentToday's polling news bodes well for Sen. Hillary Clinton on the Democratic side and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani on the Republican. But recent news in each camp could have long-term negative side effects if either makes it into the general election.
The latest Gallup/USA Today Poll shows that Clinton "is backed by 50 percent of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents, compared with 22 percent for Illinois Sen. Barack Obama and 15 percent for former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards."
