Both claim Obama is not 'natural born'
MSNBC Nov 27, 08 9:21 AM CST
(Newser)
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Two lawsuits challenging Barack Obama’s right to be president on the grounds that he is not a US citizen are on the Supreme Court;s "to do" list, but the litigants' hopes of overturning the election results are slim, MSNBC reports. One alleges Obama was born in Kenya, not Hawaii; the other asserts the “natural born” clause in the Constitution means both of a president's parents must be US citizens.
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OPINION
Financial crisis calls for brainpower at the top and Obama looks ready to deliver
Washington Post Nov 27, 08 7:49 AM CST
(Newser)
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The smartest people don't always make the best presidents, David Broder writes in th e Washington Post , but America's lucky it will soon have Barack Obama's brainpower at the top. We're faced with a financial crisis that stumps even the eggheads, Broder writes, admitting that he, personally, has "not a clue whether Bernanke, Paulson and Co. are on top of the situation or are inadvertently making things worse." Fortunately, he says, "Obama is not similarly handicapped."
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OPINION
'This is about the good of the country this time, not the Clinton brand,' pundit writes.
New York Daily News Nov 24, 08 4:30 PM CST
(Newser)
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Hillary Clinton has the potential to be a great secretary of state, but only if she once and for all shelves her presidential ambitions, writes Mike Lupica for the New York Daily News . We saw the best of Clinton when she was losing the primary marathon: “She not only found her voice, she looked about 10 times tougher and better than her husband.”
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Parliament extends term of president; early elections could follow
CNN Nov 21, 08 12:04 PM CST
(Newser)
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Russia's lower house of parliament approved a change to the constitution that extends the term of the president from four to six years, CNN reports. The move is widely seen as a bureaucratic maneuver that will lead to the return of Vladimir Putin as president. The upper house of parliament is expected to follow suit and make the measure law.
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OPINION
Obama needs to emulate Roosevelt's optimism in the face of deep crisis
Washington Post Nov 18, 08 8:16 AM CST
(Newser)
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Barack Obama keeps saying he wants to emulate Abraham Lincoln but he’s lucky that he more closely resembles Franklin D. Roosevelt, Richard Cohen writes in the Washington Post . Lincoln faced the massive challenge of reuniting the Union but knew just how to do it, while FDR, like Obama, confronted an economic crisis that stumped all the experts.
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Prez praised by both parties for ambitious transition efforts
Bloomberg Nov 4, 08 9:33 AM CST
(Newser)
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These days, not even "Brownie" would say "Heckuva job, Bushie," but President Bush is getting lauded by both sides of the aisle over his perhaps unparalleled efforts to ensure a smooth handover of power, Bloomberg reports. Bush began delegating tasks and deadlines this spring. “The White House and agencies are doing a good job, learning from mistakes of the past,” says a former White House aide who’s handled transitions since the Carter presidency.
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OPINION
Columnist rips into the White House's 'all-time loser' on election eve
Guardian (UK) Nov 3, 08 11:38 AM CST
(Newser)
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In the waning days of the Bush administration, Simon Schama wonders how the president is handling his role as the “all-time loser in presidential history.” “If the Statue of Liberty were alive,” Schama writes in the Guardian , “she would be weeping tears of blood” over Dubya’s legacy of hundreds of thousands of dead Iraqi civilians, thousands of US casualties, and “mutilations” of civil liberties.
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49% of respondents don't think Republican could be president; 64% OK with Democrat
Wall Street Journal Sep 24, 08 5:40 PM CDT
(Newser)
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Sarah Palin isn’t qualified to be president, 49% of Americans say, while 64% think Joe Biden is, according to a new poll from the Wall Street Journal and NBC News. Seniors particularly put more confidence in the Democrat (74%) than Alaska's governor (37%). And while only 7% of Democrats believe Biden is not qualified, 15% of Republicans hold that view of Palin. The presidential race remains a dead heat, with Barack Obama up 48% to 46% over John McCain.
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President agrees to resign in wake of struggle with Jacob Zuma
Associated Press Sep 20, 08 9:03 AM CDT
(AP)
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South African President Thabo Mbeki has agreed to resign following orders from the ruling party. A statement from the presidency says that Mbeki, who succeeded Nelson Mandela in 1999, will "step down after all constitutional requirements have been met." Parliament is due to meet in the coming days to formalize the resignation procedure and is likely to appoint the parliamentary speaker as acting head of state.
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A man his age has a 15% chance of dying in one term, 33% in two
Politico Sep 3, 08 3:01 PM CDT
(Newser)
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With all the talk about John McCain's advanced age and the suitability of his vice presidential pick, Politico offers up some statistics on mortality rates. According to the actuarial tables that insurance companies use, there is about a 15% chance that a 72-year-old man would die within 4 years—and a 33% chance within 8.
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PS I Love You star Gershon threatens suit
CNN Jun 4, 08 1:13 PM CDT
(Newser)
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Bill Clinton isn’t the only one fuming over Vanity Fair ’s article blasting his conduct since he left office. Actress Gina Gershon—whom Clinton “has been seen visiting,” according to the magazine—is demanding a retraction, CNN reports. The "insinuation is a lie, and it is irresponsible journalism,” said her publicist. The magazine, however, denied that the article indicates an “improper relationship” between Clinton and the star of PS I love You.
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Glossies
Vanity Fair spots the stains on Teflon Bill’s retirement clothes
Vanity Fair Jun 2, 08 10:38 AM CDT
(Newser)
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As Hillary’s campaign staggers to a close, a professional Clinton-watcher shines the flashlight back into a familiar face—her husband’s. Bill has had a checkered ex-presidency, Todd Purdum reports in Vanity Fair , as a phalanx of former aides spills about girlfriends (including, maybe, Walter Mondale’s daughter), cash, "cavernous narcissism," and a coterie of dubious friends and associates.
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If Hillary doesn't make it, maybe her daughter will
ABC News May 22, 08 4:33 AM CDT
(Newser)
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Bill Clinton hasn't given up hope of a Clinton woman getting into the White House—but it may be his daughter rather than his wife, ABC reports. Clinton says he would never have thought Chelsea would consider running for office—until she proved a natural on the campaign trail this year. Clinton calls his daughter's emergence the second-best thing of the campaign, after his wife's amazing endurance.
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