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5 Reasons for Democrats to Give Thanks
Tweet Share on Facebook November 25, 2009 Comment (10)By Julia Piscitelli, Thomas Jefferson Street Blog
Five reasons to give political thanks, Democrat edition.
1. RNC Chairman Michael Steele. He has been behaving like a petulant child about "getting credit" for Republican wins in the New Jersey and Virginia governor's races—throwing himself on the floor and staff out the door over it. We saw smoke coming out of his ears in his post election interview with Gov. Kaine, and in his most recent ouster of an excellent communications staffer at the RNC. Mr. Steele, when you get bad press, you think it is the press secretary's fault, and when you get good press, you think it is because you and your work are inherently interesting. Neither is true.
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Sick and Tired of Sarah Palin
Tweet Share on Facebook November 19, 2009 Comment (42)By Julia Piscitelli, Thomas Jefferson Street blog
Since when did responsible journalism become targeting someone? It apparently is in Sarah's world. The Associated Press put fact checkers on her book to answer numerous complaints from former McCain presidential campaign aides that the book is a work of "fiction." And it was nice of her to suggest that they should put reporters on more important stories, well, they do have more than 11 people on staff, and those other thousands and thousands are certainly handling the rest of the reporting.
Waa, waa, waa. Poor Sarah Palin.
I am sick and tired of hearing Republicans crying about how unfairly Sarah Palin is treated by the press. I'm sick and tired of hearing how she was disrespected by the picture of her in shorts on the cover of Newsweek. Frankly, I'm just sick of Sarah Palin. And that's saying a lot coming from me, someone who has been fighting for the advancement of women in politics for years. Although I disagree with her political beliefs, I respected and admired her accomplishments as an elected official, and as the vice presidential nominee for a major party.
But I lost a great deal of that respect for her on July 26, 2009. That's the day she quit her job as governor of Alaska to make millions selling books.
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Obama on Fox News is Smart Politics
Tweet Share on Facebook November 18, 2009 Comment (9)By Julia Piscitelli, Thomas Jefferson Street blog
If you've been watching Fox News Channel at all over the past few days you have seen a barrage of ads for tonight's airing of President Barack Obama's sit down (read: long) interview with the networks' Major Garrett.
I guess the president never heard the rumor that the White House was trying to squelch Democrats from appearing on Fox. And that's good. That alleged squeeze seemed to only cover "Democratic strategists," the catch-all term networks use for those of us with Democratic Hill, campaign, and/or non-profit backgrounds.
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Plea Agreements for 9/11 Co-Conspirators? In a New York Minute
Tweet Share on Facebook November 16, 2009 Comment (18)By Julia Piscitelli, Thomas Jefferson Street blog
Trying the 9/11 co-conspirators in NYC is brilliant politically, judicially, and simply the right thing to do. Let the justice system work, in the light of day, in front of the families, the country, and the world.
Fred Barnes and I debated the issue Saturday on Fox News. Mr. Barnes regurgitated Republican Party talking points about the need for the trial to be in a military court to protect national security secrets, to avoid creating another potential terrorist target, to not provide a public platform for the terrorists, and the bogus idea that the 9/11 co-conspirators are being treated as "common criminals." The Republicans are making it sound like they are being sent to traffic court. Rapists, mass murderers, and terrorists have all been tried and convicted in this federal court.
These could become real concerns if a full trial were to be held in New York City. But I don't think there will be a trial, as I said on Saturday.
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Extending Daylight Savings Was Bush's Best Domestic Achievement
Tweet Share on Facebook November 2, 2009 Comment (18)By Julia Piscitelli, Thomas Jefferson Street blog
Through the darkness I have seen the light of the policies of George W. Bush.
Last Friday, my husband told me that he mowed the front lawn—his beloved obsession—after work. I also realized that I wore my sunglasses in the car on my commute home that day. How could that be on the last Friday of October? I remember how much I hated when I was a kid that by late fall, it would already be dark soon after I got home from school. But thanks to President George W. Bush signing into law the Energy Policy Act of 2005, he extended daylight savings time by four weeks.
Democrats have grown increasingly frustrated with the barrage of criticism from conservatives on the right about President Obama's accomplishments in his first nine months in office—heck, he's barely been in office longer than a full-term pregnancy and you'd swear he's getting blamed for the common cold.
