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Bottled Scorpions in Obama's Budget

The bottled scorpions in President Barack Obama's budget? His health care plan versus "cap-and-trade" legislation to battle global warming by setting carbon emission limits. Will the White House choose or let the Senate decide? Health care reform seems to have...

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February 26, 2009 in Barack Obama | Permalink | User Comments (45)

My Favorite Novel of 2008

Congrats to Joe O'Neill on winning the 2009 PEN/Faulkner Award for fiction for his novel "Netherland." Set in New York after the 9/11 attacks, the book builds it's narrative around the game of cricket. It was my favorite novel of...

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February 26, 2009 in What I'm Reading | Permalink | User Comments (10)

CIA Prepares Daily Report on Global Economic Crisis

It's a sign of the times. New CIA Director Leon Panetta told reporters yesterday that the CIA is now preparing daily reports for President Barack Obama on the global economic crisis. Falling oil prices and failing banks means more threat...

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February 26, 2009 in What I'm Reading | Permalink | User Comments (7)

Going to The Dogs

I love dogs, I'm reading the paper with our mutt, Charlie, now. But the judge in the Leona Helmsley case made the absolutely right decision. The judge overseeing the probate of her will ruled that, contrary to her wishes, the...

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February 26, 2009 in What I'm Reading | Permalink | User Comments (9)

Leonard Cohen Returns

Quote of the day: "The older I get, the surer I am that I'm not running the show" -- Leonard Cohen in today's New York Times. --George Stephanopoulos

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February 25, 2009 in What I'm Reading | Permalink | User Comments (4)

Obama's Challenge? Showing Nation He Gets It

The first thing President Barack Obama had to show the country last night was that he gets it. That he understands what people are going through in this very tough economy. And … that he has a plan to fix...

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February 25, 2009 in Barack Obama | Permalink | User Comments (42)

Report Card: Grading Obama's Speech

So, how did he do? Here's my spot on Nightline last night with ABC's Terry Moran discussing President Barack Obama's first address to a joint session of Congress. --George Stephanopoulos

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February 25, 2009 in Barack Obama | Permalink | User Comments (35)

Lunch at the White House

Charlie Gibson and I had the chance to lunch with the president at the White House today -- a traditional part of the rollout before a presidential speech to a Joint Session of Congress. As always, the food was terrific...

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February 24, 2009 in Barack Obama | Permalink | User Comments (45)

Roses and Thorns

We learned at the White House lunch today that the Obama's have a family tradition that I want to adopt at our house. At dinner, they play a game called "Roses and Thorns." Everyone takes a turn describing a good...

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February 24, 2009 in Barack Obama | Permalink | User Comments (44)

Assessing the State of the Union?

Kenneth Duberstein, former White House chief of staff to Ronald Reagan, has a cool idea in today's New York Times. He says we should have the non-partisan National Academy of Sciences run a Web-based system for measuring key national data...

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February 24, 2009 in What I'm Reading | Permalink | User Comments (9)