Fox News Issues Press Release Against New York
Times

post from Open Left - Front Page on 20 February 2008 11:44:55 PM. © Open Left - Front Page

While only a few news outlets have picked up on the story in the New York Times about a close[...]

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Fox News Issues Press Release Against NYT

post from Open Left - Front Page on 20 February 2008 11:44:55 PM. © Open Left - Front Page

While only a few news outlets have picked up on the story in the New York Times about a close[...]

Read The Full Article:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/OpenLeft-FrontPage/~3/238589967/showDiary.do

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McCain health care plan is "revolutionary"

post from AMERICAblog: A great nation deserves the truth on 20 February 2008 11:30:00 PM. © AMERICAblog: A great nation deserves the truth

Slightly aware that health care is a concern for Americans, McCain is leaning on former Senator Phil Gramm as the expert. When they say "revolutionary" what they really mean is a few decades of GOP talking points that have all been proven to be false (and costly) during this second Bush recession in seven years. Leave it all to the market, just as they left it to the market to work out home loans, food safety and Wall Street practices in general. If you think you have problems today, this "anything goes" environment can only mean even more profits for industry, less coverage for Americans and more chaos. Wow, let's all get in line for this.

Putting aside the fraudulent claims of fiscal conservatism (don't they all say that until they have a majority?) McCain is hinting at a bold new health care plan that will turn the world upside down. Ready for this? Tax rebates. Yes, tax rebates. I know, really radical and worth waiting for. I'm still running the numbers on how this will benefit the almost 50 million uninsured Americans who don't have enough money to give a damn about a $2500 or $5000 tax rebate that won't change their taxes, but hey, Gramm is a economics genius. Just ask him! What we all need in 2008 after years of business getting everything is a Wild West free market health care system. This is precisely what we all are begging to have because everyone has so much free time to navigate their new crazy system.

Today, McCain is advocating a plan that's radically different from those of Clinton and Barack Obama, and - if he goes all the way by following Gramm - could revolutionize America's healthcare system. For McCain and Gramm, the problem with our healthcare system - and the reason why over 47 million Americans are uninsured - is that it's excessively, scandalously expensive. The solution, they say, is to let Americans shop for healthcare with their own money. McCain advocates giving tax rebates of $2500 per individual or $5000 per family. With that money, families could purchase policies on their own. What's truly radical about the plan is that it eliminates the tax exclusion for healthcare benefits offered by companies to their employees, and replaces it with the $2500 to $5000 rebates.

Consumers could then use that cash to buy their own insurance in what Gramm foresees as a vibrant, consumer-driven marketplace for healthcare packages.

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http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Americablog/~3/238690326/mccain-health-care-plan-i
s.html

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Late Night Blogging

post from Eschaton on 20 February 2008 11:27:00 PM. © Eschaton

Outsourcing to the Polk award winning JMM.

...adding the point that how this unfolds will largely depend on how the Obama campaign and its surrogates choose to handle it. I'd say the same about the Clinton campaign, but like everyone else they ignore my advice.

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http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/bRuz/~3/238571210/2008_02_17_archive.html

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Bush At 19%--No Fair Thinking!

post from Open Left - Front Page on 20 February 2008 11:15:52 PM. © Open Left - Front Page

There's a bit of a buzz today about an ARG poll that has Bush's job approval at 19%. So,[...]

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http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/OpenLeft-FrontPage/~3/238577118/showDiary.do

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Late Night Music Club with Neil Young

post from Crooks and Liars on 20 February 2008 11:00:29 PM. © Crooks and Liars

Throughout his long and legendary career, Neil Young has occasionally done concerts playing some of his songs on the banjo. Many have wound up on highly prized boots. This track, “Mellow My Mind” [originally from Tonight’s The Night] was recorded on March 3, 1976, in Nagoya, Japan, the day my friend Roland was born.

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http://www.crooksandliars.com/2008/02/20/late-night-music-club-with-neil-young/

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Open Thread and Diary Rescue

post from Daily Kos on 20 February 2008 10:55:52 PM. © Daily Kos

This evening's Rescue Rangers are Avila (thanks for pulling a last-minute double shift!), dadanation, grog, jennyjem, joyful, and Unitary Moonbat, with srkp23 as editor.

dogemperor brings some welcome news (along with detailed research and thorough analysis) from the front lines of the culture wars: Another dominionist "character" front may be blocked in SC. (Unitary Moonbat)

Remember how President ~~24%~~ 19% was against intervention in Kosovo before he supported it? Avenging Angel walks us through how the Current Occupant first found Kosovo on a map and his eventual policy flip-flop in Dazed and Confused: Bush's Hilarious History on Kosovo. (grog)

dedmonds reviews some of the current data on homophobia in our schools and presents a blistering response to an appallingly biased article in Time Magazine regarding the recent murder of 8th grader Lawrence Brown, in Time on Homophobia in Schools: Gay Activists Exaggerate. (dadanation)

Taurus Rising discusses the life of Cuban poet, novelist and gay activist Reinaldo Arenas, and wonders Dare We Hope a New Day is Dawning in Cuba? (Avila)

theantidesi101 reminds us that a rising tide lifts all of us equally in Labor Unions/Queer Rights: For Economic and Sexual Justice. (joyful)

taonow, with the help of author W.K. Klingaman, compares current attitudes about spending and saving with those of another time in Borrow - It's simply the patriotic thing to do (1929). (jennyjem)

markin reviews a book I'd like to read and reminds us that African-American soldiers and their Black Experiences in the American Civil War were breaking new ground long before Senator Obama. (joyful)

Elsinora suggests that we work to embrace those Republican voters who may share our progressive goals: The Winter of Our Discontent. (joyful)

Goldie Taylor muses on the changing American Dream and the difference between love and pride in our nation in the heartfelt I, too, Sing America. (Avila)

CBcomedian joins Michelle Obama in declaring what makes him proud to be living in this country in PRIDE, LUCK & BEING AN AMERICAN. (jennyjem)

Milos Janus Outlook, with the help of Lincoln historians and their published works, provides a robust context for the war-time policies of our 16th president in Lincoln, Bush, and War Policies. (dadanation)

UN Dispatcher reports new obstacles for peacekeepers and the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea in Meanwhile, In Eritrea... (Avila)

NYCLU Jen reports on the decision of the New York chapter of the ACLU to sue the NYPD over their apparent retaliatory denial of investigative journalist/blogger Leonard Levitt's press badge: NY Cops Deny Press Pass to Respected Police Blogger. (dadanation)

brillig brings Top Comments - 02/20/08 M.O.S. Edition.

Enjoy, and please promote your favorite diaries in the open thread.

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http://feeds.dailykos.com/~r/dailykos/index/~3/238568405/291

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Why Wisconsin Matters

I'm not aware if Mark Penn has issued one of his brilliant missives on the relative importance of certain states since last night, but prior to Wisconsin, the Clinton campaign was certainly trying to underplay the importance of the February 19th contests[...]

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http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/mydd/~3/238563741/1325

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Ultimate Delegate Tracker

In this table we compare six different news sources' delegate and superdelegate numbers for the 2008 Democratic Convention. Check back daily for the latest delegate counts.

As new primaries take place we will update the table.

Last Updated: Wed. Feb. 20, 2008 8:55 PM
Includes GP = Green Papers
State
CNN CBSAPNYT NBC GP

HCBOHCBOHCBOHCBOHCBOHCBOAL(52)
252625272527252725272527AK(13)
494949--4949AS(3)
2121212121--AZ(56)
312531253125312531253125AR(35)
278278278278278247CA(370)
204161207163202161207163207163203167CO(55)
133313321332--1332919CT(48)
222622262226222622262226DE(15)
696969696969DA(7)
------------DC(15)
3
11
310310312410312GA(87)
265926612561266124532661ID(18)
315315315--315315IL(153)
49104481044910349104491034283IA(45)
151615161516--15161516KS(32)
923923923615923923LA(56)
223322342234223422342028ME(24)
915915915--915915MD(70)
18
3424442135162217342743MA(93)
553855385538553855385538MN(72)
244824482448244824482448MO(72)
363636363636363636363636NE(24)
816816816511816816NV(25)
121312131213--12131213NH(22)
999999999999NJ(107)
594859485948594859485948NM(26)
141214121412141214121412NY(232)
139931399313893139931389313893ND(13)
585858--5858OK(38)
241424142414241424142414SC(45)
122512251225122512251225TN(68)
402838283928352238293523UT(23)
914914914914914914VA(83)
29
54
29542954295429542954VI(3)
030303030303WA(78)
153515432652--25531225HI(20)
614-1051425412614WI(74)
324229413242293428402738Total
Pledged
Delegates
10161158
1013117510251178923973101811689921116Pledged
Delegate
Lead

142
162
153
50

150
124Total
Super
Delegates
234161228169238173189144-
-
240
162
Total
Delegates
12501319124113441263135111121117101811681232
1278
Total
Delegate
Lead

69
103
88
5

150
46
State
CNN CBSAPNYT NBC GP

HCBOHCBOHCBOHCBOHCBOHCBO
Special thanks to NiceGuy1951 for compiling all of the data!

Note: Sources aren't updating their totals as they add delegates. We have switched to adding the delegates ourselves so you have the latest numbers.

Note: NYT has the Super Delegates Count back in.

Update: Democrats Abroad has announced that Barack Obama has won their primary with about 65% of the vote. We will add the delegate numbers as soon as our sources update their sites.

Read The Full Article:
http://demconwatch.blogspot.com/2008/02/ultimate-delegate-tracker.html

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Oil closes at record highs onTuesday and
Wednesday

post from AMERICAblog: A great nation deserves the truth on 20 February 2008 10:44:00 PM. © AMERICAblog: A great nation deserves the truth

Again. Two new record high closes in two days. Clearly the $100 mark is being tested and if it breaks through, look out. This morning it has moved up a little but so far it is limited.