Newser Story Index from November, 2009
Welcome to the Newser Story Index. Here you find stories written by Newser writers and editors, assembled with supporting photos and videos from the files of the news story.
Russia: Bomb Caused Trainwreck
Associated Press
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Nov 28, 2009 8:21 AM CST
(AP) -
Russian officials opened a terror investigation today, saying that a homemade bomb planted on the tracks of the high-speed Moscow-to-St. Petersburg route caused a derailment that killed at least 26 and injured dozens. The head of Russia's Federal Security Service, Alexander Borotnikov, was quoted by Interfax and RIA Novosti as saying that an improvised...
2009's Coolest Pop Culture
Wired
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Nov 28, 2009 8:03 AM CST
(Newser) -
This has been a vintage year for pop culture, say Wired writers listing their year's best in fields from film to video games to microsculpture. Stephen Colbert's "hyper-real genius" made the year for Scott Thill, who believes "Earth’s most relevant living cultural critic" is long overdue for an Emmy for The Colbert...
Test Your Palin Knowledge
Newsweek
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Nov 28, 2009 7:14 AM CST
(Newser) -
With Sarah Palin fever at its highest point since the 2008 election, Newsweek dares you to test how much you know about the nation's most polarizing politician: What question did Palin and strategists plan for her to ask Joe Biden before the start of their debate? Mat, Court, Zamboni, and Colt: Which name wasn't considered as a possibility for...
Cosby's Craziest Moments
Maxim
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Nov 28, 2009 6:35 AM CST
(Newser) -
Bill Cosby's rap album is out, spurring Maxim to take a look at other bold, weird, or just plain insane moments from the funnyman's long career. The comedian is so colorful that his Cosby Show sweaters only ranked 8th in the magazine's top 10.
'Debt Bomb' Nations Could Follow Dubai Into Crisis
New York Times
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Nov 28, 2009 5:53 AM CST
(Newser) -
Dubai's financial implosion could be the beginning of a fresh financial crisis as investors lose faith in the ability of heavily indebted countries to pay their bills. Analysts warn that in the worst-case scenario, the Dubai crisis could lead to mass defaults in emerging markets and even in heavily leveraged Western economies like Ireland and Greece....
Bloomberg Spent $102M to Win 3rd Term
New York Times
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Nov 28, 2009 5:19 AM CST
(Newser) -
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg spent a whopping $102 million—$174 per vote—to narrowly win a third term in office this month, according to figures released last night. The billionaire broke his own record for the most expensive self-financed campaign in American history, the New York Times reports.
Utah Cave to Be Sealed with Man's Body Inside
Salt Lake Tribune
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Nov 27, 2009 10:47 PM CST
(Newser) -
The cave where a spelunker died this week is to be permanently sealed off with his body inside, officials say. John Jones, a 26-year-old med student, died after being stuck in Utah's Nutty Putty cave for 28 hours and police say it will be too dangerous to recover his body. "If we put other people in that same location, they could get stuck or...
25 Killed in Russian Train Crash
Guardian (UK)
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Nov 27, 2009 9:08 PM CST
(Newser) -
Russian authorities suspect terrorism is behind a train derailment that killed at least 22 people last night. Dozens of others were injured when the Moscow-St Petersburg train came off the tracks, the Guardian reports. A crater was found beside the tracks, leading officials to believe a bomb could have been the cause.
Tiger Lost Consciousness; Wife Helped Free Him
Orlando Sentinel
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Nov 27, 2009 7:05 PM CST
(Newser) -
Tiger Woods was unconscious for 6 minutes after his SUV collided with a fire hydrant and tree near his Florida mansion early this morning, and his wife heard the crash and helped free him from the vehicle. Elin Nordegren, a former model, used a golf club—she presumably had quite a selection to choose from—to break the back window of the...
State Dinner Interlopers Met Obamas
Washington Post
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Nov 27, 2009 6:49 PM CST
(Newser) -
Michaele and Tareq Salahi not only penetrated White House security before Tuesday's state dinner but actually went through the receiving line, where they were greeted by President Obama and Michelle Obama. The red-faced director of the Secret Service released a statement today saying, "Preliminary findings of our internal investigation have determined...
White House Tree Arrives in Style
USA Today
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Nov 27, 2009 6:10 PM CST
(Newser) -
The White House Christmas tree arrived today in traditional style: by horse-drawn carriage. Michelle, Malia, and Sasha Obama met the 18½-foot Douglas fir and the West Virginia couple who grew it, Eric and Gloria Sundback, at the North Portico. The nonstop chirping of camera shutters provided the soundtrack, USA Today reports. Asked whether...
Calif. Scientists Trim Forest, Create 'Carbon Bank'
NPR
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Nov 27, 2009 5:30 PM CST
(Newser) -
Researchers in California are perfecting the science of carbon dioxide "banking"—tweaking a forest to store the maximum amount of the gas. In Big River forest, scientists have cleared some undergrowth, leaving the state's iconic redwoods to grow bigger thanks to lack of competition. The idea is that the bigger redwoods will make the...
Lawyer: Knox Is a 'She-Devil'
Times (UK)
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Nov 27, 2009 5:12 PM CST
(Newser) -
An Italian lawyer today called Amanda Knox a “she-devil” for her role in falsely incriminating his client, Patrick Lumumba, in the murder of Meredith Kercher. In early statements to police, Knox said she sat terrified while Lumumba murdered her roommate. Knox appears “angelic,” Lumumba’s lawyer Carlo Pacelli said, but,...
Michelle More Stylish Than Carla: French Mag
Times (UK)
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Nov 27, 2009 4:27 PM CST
(Newser) -
The French edition of Elle magazine puts Michelle Obama at the top of the "political chic" category in its yearly best-dressed list—ahead of French first lady Carla Bruni, a former supermodel. Elle said it favored strong personalities and distinctive styles in this year's selection, and marveled that "Mrs Obama resembles no-one...
Military Divorce Rate Climbs Again
Associated Press
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Nov 27, 2009 3:45 PM CST
(AP) -
The divorce rate in the armed forces increased slightly again in the past year as military marriages continued to bear the stress of the nation's ninth year at war. In the 2009 fiscal year, which ended Sept. 30, there were an estimated 27,312 divorces among the nearly 765,000 married members of the active-duty Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps,...
Tiger OK, Has Cuts on Face: Agent
CNN
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Nov 27, 2009 3:25 PM CST
(Newser) -
Tiger Woods is out of the hospital and doing well after an early-morning car crash in which he suffered facial lacerations. The superstar golfer hit a fire hydrant and tree with his Cadillac SUV, and his condition was initially reported as serious, the designation for any patient transported by ambulance. He was "admitted, treated and released...
White House: UN Nuke Vote a 'Clear Message' to Iran
Reuters
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Nov 27, 2009 3:05 PM CST
(Newser) -
The IAEA vote demanding that Tehran stop its nuclear enrichment demonstrates a broad international consensus against the nation’s nuclear program, the White House said today. "Our patience and that of the international community is limited, and time is running out," said press secretary Robert Gibbs. Gibbs noted that China and Russia—typically...
Northwest Pilots Clammed Up After Overshooting Airport
Minneapolis Star Tribune
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Nov 27, 2009 2:40 PM CST
(Newser) -
Air traffic controllers who sought an explanation from the pilots of the "runaway plane," which overshot the Minneapolis airport by about 100 miles last month, got little satisfaction. After being out of radio contact for over an hour, controllers asked the crew of Northwest Flight 188 for a "brief explanation" of their radio silence,...
Party-Crashers Conned Secret Service
MSNBC
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Nov 27, 2009 2:20 PM CST
(Newser) -
The state dinner crashers got in on pure chutzpah, conning a Secret Service agent into giving them access without verifying their names in the White House computer even though they weren't on the guest list. A law enforcement official tells MSNBC that rumors an administration official "waved in" Tareq and Michaele Salahi are false. And...
Tiger Woods Seriously Hurt in Car Accident
Orlando Sentinel
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Nov 27, 2009 1:51 PM CST
(Newser) -
Tiger Woods was seriously hurt in a car crash early this morning outside his home in Orlando, the Florida Highway Patrol reported this afternoon. Alcohol was not a factor. The golf megastar was pulling out of his driveway at less than 33mph—the speed at which airbags deploy—when he struck a fire hydrant and then a neighbor's tree. The highway...
Employers Offer More OT, Fewer New Jobs
Wall Street Journal
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Nov 27, 2009 1:33 PM CST
(Newser) -
Manufacturers skeptical about economic improvement are hedging their bets and forgoing hiring in favor of scheduling overtime work to fill welcome new orders. The tactic may be working for now—employees surely aren’t complaining—but the phenomenon is likely to be short-lived. “Overtime is more costly,” an analyst tells...
Samoa Tops List of Fattest Countries
GlobalPost
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Nov 27, 2009 1:05 PM CST
(Newser) -
From Pacific islands to Eastern Europe, the world is fat . The cause is the same almost everywhere, Laurie Cunningham writes for Global Post : increased access to processed foods and sedentary lifestyles. The top victims of "globesity:" American Samoa: Percentage of population that's overweight: 93.5. The tiny Pacific nation's traditional...
Smartphones Become Essential Tools for Shoppers
USA Today
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Nov 27, 2009 12:35 PM CST
(Newser) -
Today's Black Friday finds about 1 in 5 shoppers—double that for the 18-to-29 age set— using a smartphone to track bargains and compare prices. While the number of those who actually buy using a mobile device is relatively small—at $750 million, such transactions account for only .5% of online sales—expect it to surge soon as...
Dow Down 154 in Wake of Dubai Crisis
Wall Street Journal
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Nov 27, 2009 12:10 PM CST
(Newser) -
The ripple effect from the Dubai debt crisis shook markets around the world today, with American exchanges rebounding from their morning lows but still registering significant losses, the Wall Street Journal reports. The Dow dropped 154.48 points to close at 10,309.92 The Nasdaq fell 37.61 to end the abbreviated session at 2,138.44 The S&P...
Roadside Bomb Strikes Afghan Gov's Convoy
Los Angeles Times
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Nov 27, 2009 11:50 AM CST
(Newser) -
The governor of Kandahar narrowly escaped death today when a roadside bomb exploded underneath his convoy. Turyalai Wesa was on his way to prayers on the first day of Eid al-Adha, the holiest holiday on the Muslim calendar. Kandahar is the birthplace of the Taliban, a violent Afghan hotspot, and the likely destination of many of the extra troops whose...
Caver Who Died Stayed in 'Good Spirits'
Associated Press
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Nov 27, 2009 11:25 AM CST
(Newser) -
The spelunker who died after being stuck upside-down in a Utah cave for 28 hours became wedged in exactly the same spot where two others had gotten stuck in recent years. In those cases, both in 2004, rescuers saved the trapped explorers. "Caving isn't generally considered to be a dangerous sport," said a sheriff's official. "But I think...
Health Care Bill a Bloated Mess
Washington Post
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Nov 27, 2009 10:56 AM CST
(Newser) -
The Senate heath care reform bill is an “irredeemable” mess that would create “an overregulated, overbureaucratized system of surpassing arbitrariness and inefficiency,” rails Charles Krauthammer . The problem with our system is that it’s complicated and inefficient, and therefore expensive. But the 2,074-page Senate...
Leno Ends Ratings Freefall
The Live Feed
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Nov 27, 2009 10:30 AM CST
(Newser) -
A turning point for Jay Leno? For about two weeks now, episodes of the Leno Show have either held steady in the ratings or improved, reversing a trend that started soon after the program’s debut in September. On the eve of Thanksgiving, for instance, every broadcast program was down—except Leno.
Iraq Starts a YouTube Channel
Reuters
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Nov 27, 2009 10:03 AM CST
(Newser) -
Iraq’s government has launched an official YouTube channel designed, according to Nouri al-Maliki, to combat the “lies and misleading information in the news” media. The move comes a day after Google honcho Eric Schmidt visited the country promising to put images of Iraq’s national treasures online. The US embassy says the...
Prosecutors Go After Famed Journalism Class
Wall Street Journal
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Nov 27, 2009 9:56 AM CST
(Newser) -
State prosecutors in Chicago are trying to take down a famed journalism class that tries to exonerate convicted men. Professor David Protess became a media star in 1991 when he and his class proved that convicted murderer David Dowaliby was innocent, and since then his students have helped free 10 more convicted murderers. Now prosecutors allege that...
Climate Emails Don't Prove Warming Is a Fraud
Washington Post
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Nov 27, 2009 9:55 AM CST
(Newser) -
The leaked climate change emails are “damning” and dangerous to the deadly serious inquiry into the state of our planet, Eugene Robinson writes. It’s not that the science is bad—“If I'm wrong, somebody ought to tell the polar ice caps that they're free to stop melting”—but the perception of it. “Most...
Wright Penn Lifts Pippa Lee
Brianorndorf.com
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Nov 27, 2009 9:32 AM CST
(Newser) -
The ensemble melodrama The Private Lives of Pippa Lee is receiving largely lukewarm reviews, but most critics agree that star Robin Wright Penn's top-notch performance gives it a vital lift. Wright , as a former wild child turned desperately bored middle-aged housewife, "is the miracle this picture needs, helping the material achieve an...
Shuttle Atlantis Back Home
Associated Press
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Nov 27, 2009 9:09 AM CST
(AP) -
Space shuttle Atlantis and its seven astronauts are back on Earth. The shuttle landed at Kennedy Space Center in Florida this morning, swooping through a clear sky. The touchdown ended an 11-day flight in which the astronauts spent time stockpiling the International Space Station with big spare parts.
Black Friday Brings Out the Shoppers
Associated Press
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Nov 27, 2009 9:05 AM CST
(Newser) -
Economic woes didn’t prevent shoppers from camping out outside stores across the country this morning, as retailers offered especially deep Black Friday discounts. Most opened early as well, with some, including Wal-Mart and many Old Navy stores, opening yesterday to get a jump on things. Toys R Us opened most of its stores at midnight.
UK Scientist Misses Call Girl Days
Guardian (UK)
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Nov 27, 2009 8:55 AM CST
(Newser) -
UK research scientist Brooke Magnanti says she misses the job satisfaction she had as a call girl. "I miss the moment when you walk into a hotel, and that feeling of 'I'm about to do a job and I'm about to do it well," says Magnanti, whose sex work blog under the name "Belle du Jour" became a TV series and best-selling book.
Dubai Knocks Dow Down 222 at Open
Wall Street Journal
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Nov 27, 2009 8:35 AM CST
(Newser) -
Stocks braced for a short but ugly Thanksgiving hangover, thanks to news of big debt problems in Dubai. The Dow tumbled 222 points at the open, while the S&P fell 25 and the Nadaq 57, reports the Wall Street Journal . While US traders were enjoying their turkey yesterday, global markets tumbled on news that Dubai World had asked its creditors...
GOP Eyes Resurgent UK Conservatives
Wall Street Journal
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Nov 27, 2009 8:23 AM CST
(Newser) -
Britain's Conservative Party is widely expected to regain power next year after over a decade in opposition, and the US Republican Party is starting to look for lessons from across the Atlantic. David Cameron has led the UK conservatives party to a big lead in the polls after it was trounced in three successive elections, but his centrist style and...
UN Demands Iran Freeze Secret Nuke Site
BBC
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Nov 27, 2009 7:53 AM CST
(Newser) -
The UN’s nuclear watchdog group blasted Iran for operating a secret nuclear site in a new resolution today, its first against Tehran in nearly four years. The International Atomic Energy Agency demanded Iran put an immediate freeze on the uranium enrichment it’s performing at its clandestine Qom site. The resolution passed 25-3, including...
This Photo May Symbolize Obama's Presidency
Wall Street Journal
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Nov 27, 2009 7:50 AM CST
(Newser) -
A bow like the one President Obama gave the Japanese emperor isn't that big a deal, but neither was Gerald Ford's stumble down airplane steps, writes Peggy Noonan. Ford's stumble came to symbolize a presidency seen as bumbling, however. The photos of Obama bowing—paired with headlines labeling his Asian trip a failure—may come to symbolize...
Montgomery: I Never Loved Marion Jones
Times (UK)
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Nov 27, 2009 7:45 AM CST
(Newser) -
The “fastest couple on earth” was as much a fairy tale as Tim Montgomery and Marion Jones’ athletic achievements, the disgraced runner says. In a jailhouse interview with the London Times , Montgomery says he never loved Jones. “Before we got together, Marion and I never spoke at practice. Never,” he says. Once there...
Beck Jokes He Won't Run With 'Yapping' Palin
Gawker
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Nov 27, 2009 7:36 AM CST
(Newser) -
Glenn Beck says a Palin-Beck ticket won't fly in 2012, but he'd certainly consider a Beck-Palin run. No way he'd play second fiddle to the "yapping" Alaskan because she belongs in the "kitchen," he joked on his radio show. "I was just thinking, what, I'm going to take a back seat to a chick?" Sarah Palin recently called...
Schwarzenegger Owes $80K in Taxes
TMZ
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Nov 27, 2009 7:31 AM CST
(Newser) -
We’ve found the Governator’s weakness: paying taxes. Arnold Schwarzenegger owes Uncle Sam $79,064 in back taxes for 2004 and 2005, according to documents filed in LA County Superior Court. Those would be the first two full years of Schwarzenegger’s rule over California. TMZ checked with the LA County Recorder’s Office, and confirmed...
UK Pentagon Hacker to Be Sent to US for Trial
Independent (UK)
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Nov 27, 2009 7:06 AM CST
(Newser) -
A British man who hacked his way into Pentagon computers looking for information on UFOs has lost his final appeal against extradition. Gary McKinnon, who suffers from Asperger's syndrome, is now expected to be sent to the US for trial within weeks, the Independent reports. The 43-year-old Londoner could face up to 60 years in jail if found guilty...
Mein Kampf a Top Seller in Bangladesh
BBC
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Nov 27, 2009 6:42 AM CST
(Newser) -
Booksellers on the streets of the Bangladesh capital of Dhaka have discovered a surprise hit: Adolf Hitler's manisfesto Mein Kampf . The tome is selling as well as Dan Brown's latest book, the Lost Symbol . "For some reason Hitler's book is all the rage among educated people," one street seller told the BBC . What's the appeal? "I...
Europe Divided on Medicinal Pot
Wall Street Journal
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Nov 27, 2009 6:14 AM CST
(Newser) -
Wildly different laws among the EU's 27 nations mean a unified policy on medicinal marijuana is expected to remain a pipe dream for many years to come. The Netherlands has not only legalized medicinal marijuana, but set up a government bureau to ensure users get top-quality pot. Sweden, Britain, and Ireland, meanwhile, refuse to recognize any medicinal...
New 'Cash for Clunkers' Targets Appliances
Washington Post
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Nov 27, 2009 5:50 AM CST
(Newser) -
A new federal version of the Cash for Clunkers program will soon target appliances in a bid to convince consumers to replace their leaky dishwashers and grinding refrigerators. The $300 million Cash for Appliances program will offer rebates to buyers who replace worn out appliances with energy efficient models. Just how much the program will boost...
Hungarian Med Student Opens Fire in School
Independent (UK)
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Nov 27, 2009 4:49 AM CST
(Newser) -
One person was killed and three others seriously injured when a pharmacology student opened fire on classmates yesterday in the southern Hungarian city of Pecs. The university student was arrested after surrendering to police, the Independent reports. The shootings have shocked Hungary, where gun crime is extremely rare. Classmates said the gunman,...
Berlusconi Wife Seeks $64M-a-Year Divorce
Bloomberg
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Nov 27, 2009 4:25 AM CST
(Newser) -
Silvio Berlusconi's string of sex scandals may leave him saddled with one of the most expensive divorce settlements in human history. His estranged wife, Veronica Lario—who announced she was leaving the "ridiculous" Italian leader earlier this year after his bimbo eruptions—is seeking a divorce settlement of $5.3 million a month,...
Bulgarian Scientists: Aliens Have Landed!
Telegraph (UK)
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Nov 27, 2009 3:59 AM CST
(Newser) -
Aliens are here and they've chosen to make contact with the Bulgarians first, according to researchers at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. The deputy director of the academy's Space Research Institute says researchers are analyzing crop circles for the answers to 50 questions they posed to the extra-terrestrials, the Telegraph reports.
How Obama Screwed Up
Wall Street Journal
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Nov 27, 2009 3:39 AM CST
(Newser) -
It's polarized, lobbyist-laden business as usual in Washington, and President Obama is largely to blame despite his campaign pledges to change the way business is done in the capital, writes Fred Barnes. Obama mistook his personal election victory for a victory for liberalism and failed to try hard enough for bipartisan compromise when he had the chance,...
