Dems Nostalgic for Reagan Era

Longevity expert debunks myth that White House duty shortens life

(NEWSER) - President Obama's graying hair has set off the typical chatter that serving as president is so stressful it's bound to take years off a person's life. Not so, says a longevity expert in the Journal of the American Medical Association. In fact, our presidents tend to live longer than the rest of us. S. Jay Olshansky of the University of Illinois crunched the numbers involving 34 presidents who died of natural causes and found that 23 exceeded the life expectancy of men in their era, reports Reuters . More»

Angry voters are going to blame the guy in charge

(NEWSER) - President Obama and Democrats are harping on a new theme as the midterm elections approach: voting for Republicans is the same as voting for a return of the ruinous policies of George W. Bush. They're wasting their breath, writes Steve Kornacki for Salon . Democrats will get trounced no matter what they say or do because the economy is a mess right now, and "the electorate exists perpetually in the present tense." More»

George W. Bush, meanwhile, finishes not quite last

(NEWSER) - Two years in, Barack Obama looks like a pretty good president to the nation’s top presidential scholars. The 44th president came in 15th on the all-time list, two spots behind Bill Clinton and three ahead of Ronald Reagan, in a Siena College Research Institute Poll, the New York Daily News reports. Obama got high marks for his intelligence, imagination and communication skills, but lost points for his experience and—what's this? "Family background"? More»

Anti-abortion Dem answers critics of his reform vote

(NEWSER) - The health-care bill passed this week is plenty pro-life for Bart Stupak, the anti-abortion Democrat whose amendment didn’t make the final cut but who wrangled an executive order out of President Obama that carries “the full force and effect of law” in prohibiting federal funding for abortion. In a Washington Post op-ed , the Michigander further blasts conservatives for rallying, unbidden, behind him, using abortion as merely a pretense for defeating health reform. More»

Joe Biden will go down in history with these other respected figures

(NEWSER) - Quite a big deal has been made over Joe Biden dropping the F-bomb . “But America has a long and honorable tradition of top elected officials using salty language,” writes John Dickerson on Slate . Allow him to educate you:

• Barack Obama: Famously called Kanye West a “jackass.”
• Joe Biden: Oh no, this wasn’t his first time. After being greeted by a former colleague as “Mr. Vice President,” he responded, “Give me a fucking break.”