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FridayTalkingPoints Article Archive

Friday Talking Points [334] -- Sarah Palin, Under The Republican Bus

[ Posted Friday, January 30th, 2015 – 17:54 UTC ]

That headline certainly does promise a large amount of schadenfreude over the misfortunes of a certain former vice presidential nominee (and half-term governor of Alaska), doesn't it? Well, that'll all have to wait for the end of this column, where we will be supplanting our normal talking points section with a few choice conservative reviews of Sarah Palin's recent speech in Iowa. But before we dive into this snarktastic dessert of vicious quips, we've first got to get through the meat and potatoes of the politics of the week.

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Friday Talking Points [333] -- Obama Steals GOP's Honeymoon

[ Posted Friday, January 23rd, 2015 – 18:21 UTC ]

I have to apologize right here at the start, because that headline is not original. Credit should go to Chuck Todd of NBC, who stated during the State Of The Union coverage this week that President Obama had stolen the traditional post-election "honeymoon" period with the public right out from under the Republican Party's feet. We found this such an apt metaphor that we decided to run with it, so: "Thanks, Chuck!"

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Friday Talking Points [332] -- Getting Ready For Obama's Big Speech

[ Posted Friday, January 16th, 2015 – 17:58 UTC ]

This was a busy week in politics, as the Republicans in the new Congress began a bout of legislating and President Obama ramped up his agenda in preparation for next Tuesday's big speech to Congress and the country. So let's just dive in to the week that was, shall we?

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Friday Talking Points [331] -- Nous Sommes Charlie Hebdo

[ Posted Friday, January 9th, 2015 – 18:13 UTC ]

Je suis Charlie. In fact, let's go even further: Nous sommes Charlie Hebdo. Because we are all Charlie, this week.

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My 2014 "McLaughlin Awards" [Part 2]

[ Posted Friday, December 26th, 2014 – 19:14 UTC ]

Welcome back to our annual year-end awards column!

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My 2014 "McLaughlin Awards" [Part 1]

[ Posted Friday, December 19th, 2014 – 19:34 UTC ]

As we do every year, we are pre-empting our "Friday Talking Points" columns for the next two weeks, to bring you our best and worst of 2014. And, yes, we are going to continue our supercilious and no-doubt-annoying habit of using the editorial "we" throughout these two columns, so thanks for asking! Heh.

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Friday Talking Points [330] -- How Bad Laws Get Made

[ Posted Friday, December 12th, 2014 – 17:29 UTC ]

There were two big things going on in the political world this week: the release of the Senate torture report, and the cromnibus bill which kept the government open. For the most part, we're going to cover the torture report at the end, in a very unusual talking points section.

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Friday Talking Points [329] -- 'Tis The Season

[ Posted Friday, December 5th, 2014 – 18:05 UTC ]

It is indeed the season. Yes, it's that magical time of year when the wee folk of Capitol Hill actually get something done. These brief bursts of activity only happen very rarely, of course, and always immediately proceed another one of the many, many long vacations Congress takes during the year.

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Friday Talking Points [328] -- Obama's Gutsy Move

[ Posted Friday, November 21st, 2014 – 17:40 UTC ]

When Congress wouldn't pass a bill, the president had to act on immigration and deportation policy, to keep families intact -- a measure that affected 40 percent of the undocumented immigrants in the United States. The president in question was George H. W. Bush, and the year was 1990. Congress, at the time, was run by the opposition party. What did they do in response? They passed a bill, which Bush later signed.

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Friday Talking Points [327] -- The Calm Between The Storms

[ Posted Friday, November 14th, 2014 – 17:56 UTC ]

What walks like a duck and quacks like a duck but seems to have serious mobility problems?

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