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Internet News RecordLibertyNewsprint.com U.S. Edition29/09/09 - 30/09/09
Democratic strategist: don’t bet against HarryReid
By Thomas Ferraro (Front Row Washington)
Submitted at 9/29/2009 3:01:16 PM
A top Democratic strategist has atip for political gamblers: Don’tbet against Harry Reid.Polls show the embattled Senatemajority leader in jeopardy of being rejected by voters in hishome state of Nevada for a fifth,six-year term. But RobertMenendez, the Senate Democraticcampaign chief, said he expectsReid to pull through next year.“I’m convinced that Harry Reidwill win,” Menendez toldreporters on Tuesday at theheadquarters for the SenateDemocratic campaign committee.“I would not bet against HarryReid.”He praised Reid for protectingNevada against becoming the sitefor a proposed nuclear wastedump and helping stimulate itseconomy with new jobs.Yet polls show the oftenoutspoken and combative Reidless than loved by manyconstituents.In fact, a Rasmussen surveyreleased in mid-September foundReid trailing two potentialRepublican challengers by 10percentage points and 7percentage points, respectively.Reid’s numbers have conjuredup memories of Democrat TomDaschle, who in 2004 became thefirst Senate leader in a half century to be voted out of office.Republicans made Daschle theirtop congressional target that year,branding the South Dakotan“chief obstructionist” to then-President George W. Bush’sconservative agenda.“Harry Reid is not Tom Daschle,and this (Nevada) is not SouthDakota,” said Menendez, notingthat registered Democrats nowoutnumber registered Republicansin Nevada. South Dakota is atraditionally Republican state.Overall, 38 Senate seats are upfor election next year — 19 nowheld by Republicans, 19 byDemocrats. The November 2010election is 14 months away, whichMenendez called “an eternity inpolitics.”Yet he acknowledged SenateDemocrats face a challengingenvironment in trying to retaintheir 60-vote majority in the 100-member chamber, their biggest indecades.Menendez said Republicansseem to be betting against theU.S. economy rebounding andDemocrats enacting healthcarereform. The campaign chief saidhe expects the Republicanstrategy to backfire.But Jennifer Duffy, who tracksSenate races for the nonpartisanCook Political Report, said sheexpects Senate Democrats to losetheir 60-vote majority thoughretain control of the chamber.According to Duffy, bettingagainst Reid might be a prettygood bet. She lists his race as a“tossup.”Click here for more Reuterspolitical coveragePhoto Credit: Reuters/JimYoung (Reid walks out of WestWing after meeting with PresidentObama)
Empire State Buildinghonors China, rilingcritics (AP)
(Yahoo! News: U.S. News)
Submitted at 9/30/2009 7:15:53 AM
James buzzed up: Schumer,Democrats Vow to Fight forPublic Option After Setback (Bloomberg)20 seconds ago 2009-09-30T08:22:25-07:00
Search on for Tenn. babysnatched by fake agent(AP)
(Yahoo! News: U.S. News)
Submitted at 9/30/2009 7:32:27 AM
2darkpark buzzed up: About4,000 U.S. troops to leave Iraq inOctober (Reuters)3 seconds ago 2009-09-30T08:27:26-07:00
Economic data weigh onWall Street
(Financial Times - US homepage)
Submitted at 9/30/2009 7:46:16 AM
Economic data weigh on WallStreetBy Samantha Pearson in NewYork Published: September 30 200913:59 | Last updated: September30 2009 15:46
 
2Internet News Record
The First Draft: Public option, Afghan policy under scrutiny
By David Alexander (Front Row Washington)
Submitted at 9/29/2009 6:38:33 AM
Democrats on the SenateFinance Committee face off Tuesday over whether an overhaulof the U.S. healthcare systemshould include an optionalgovernment-run health insuranceplan.The panel, which is debatingchanges to Chairman MaxBaucus’s healthcare reform bill, isdealing with amendments aboutthe public option Tuesday.The public insurance option hasbecome a hot button issue. ManyDemocrats, including PresidentBarack Obama, say it is needed tomake sure there is enoughcompetition to drive down prices.Most Republicans stronglyoppose a government-run plan,fearing it will have an unfaircompetitive advantage that willdrive private insurers out of themarketplace.Baucus, seeking to craft a billthat could win bipartisan support,left the public option out of hishealthcare bill. Instead, heproposed creating privatehealthcare cooperatives as anmeans of ensuring competitionwith insurance companies.Groups on both sides have beenairing advertisements, targetingBaucus, insurance companies andothers.A tracking poll by the KaiserFamily Foundation Tuesdayfound that public support forhealth reform rose in Septemberafter declining during thesummer. The poll found 57percent believe reform is moreimportant than ever.It found 59 percent favored apublic option.A public option would directlyaffect only a small portion of thepopulation. Most Americanswould continue to get their healthinsurance through theiremployers.Those who don’t have insurancethrough their employer would beentitled to purchase insurancethrough a government-runexchange that would offer privateinsurance polices and, possibly,either a public or cooperativeoption.Other healthcare reform billspassed out of congressionalcommittees have included apublic option. Baucus’s bill is thelast one still in committee, muchdelayed by efforts to craft the sortof bipartisan measure Obamasupports.Obama says healthcare is his topdomestic priority. He’ll bekeeping an eye on it from theWhite House Tuesday, but themain issue on his agenda for theday is Afghanistan.Obama is due to meet NATOSecretary General Anders FoghRasmussen and U.S. officialsthroughout the day as heconsiders a proposed strategy shiftthat could require the deploymentof thousands more troops toAfghanistan.For more Reuters political news,click here.
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Got an opinion? Washington Postholds pundit contest
By Tabassum Zakaria (Front Row Washington)
Submitted at 9/29/2009 9:36:55 AM
In a town (over) loaded withopinions, The Washington Post islooking for a fresh voice.The newspaper for politicscentral has taken the unusual stepof launching a contest for“America’s Next Great Pundit” onit’s columnist page (bottom rightcorner in today’s paper).The field will be narrowed to 10who will then go through arigorous competition of writing ondeadline, fielding questions,shining on video.“After each round, a panel of Post personalities will offer kudosand catcalls, and reader votes willhelp to determine who getsanother chance at a byline andwho has to shut down theirlaptop,” the contest explanationexplains.Sounds like the newspaperversion of reality TV.The winner gets to write aweekly column for the Post printor online editions for $200 acolumn for 13 weeks (that adds upto $2,600 over three months —don’t quit your day job).“We’ll set our promising punditon a path to become the nextbyline in demand, the talking headevery show wants to book, thevoice that helps the country figureout what’s really going on,” thenewspaper says.UPDATE: The Post respondedto our questions about Why do thecontest and Why not hire thewinner? “Washington is a hotspot for political pundits, and wewanted to give our readers adifferent kind of opportunity to join in the conversation anddebate. This is intended to be afun contest with a great prize,though we’re open-minded aboutwhere it might lead,” Kris Coratti,spokeswoman for TheWashington Post, says.For more Reuters political news,click here.Photo credit: Reuters/stringer(protest in front of Supreme Courtover election in December 2000)
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Photo credit: Reuters/YuriGripas (Baucus talks to reportersSept. 15)
Tango gets UN culturalapproval
(BBC News | Americas | World Edition)
Submitted at 9/30/2009 5:22:24 AM
The Tango has been declaredpart of the world's IntangibleCultural Heritage of Humanity bythe United Nations.The United NationsEducational, Scientific andCultural Organisation aims topreserve a list of legacies underthreat from global change.Argentina and Uruguay, wherethe dance originated, jointlysubmitted it.UNESCO said heritages seekingapproval, transmit from"generation to generation" andgive "communities and groups afeeling of identity".It added that the dance"embodies and encouragesdiversity and cultural dialogue."Argentinian official HernanLombardi said he was "very proudthat the music and dance of theTango have now beensafeguarded for humanity.Artistic traditionsThe UN convention, whichbegan on Tuesday in Abu Dhabi,will discuss other nominationssuggested from differentcountries.Belgium has put forward itsProcession of the Holy Blood inBruges and China has nominatedseveral of its artistic traditions,including the Tibetan opera.In August, it was revealed thatthe international financial crisisand the outbreak of swine flu hadeffected the Argentinianeconomy, with a particularemphasis on tourism.The number of tourists whohave travelled to the country hasdecreased and some Tango showshave been forced to closetemporarily, according to LuisVeiga, president of Argentina'schamber of Tango venues.UNESCO declared in 2001 thatliving traditions - from dance andmusic to rituals and handicrafts -deserve the same protection asnatural and cultural treasures likethe Great Wall of China or theGreat Barrier Reef.Approved traditions are addedto a document, grandly titled TheRepresentative List of theIntangible Heritage of Humanity.Steps are then taken by UNESCOand others to protect and promotetheir use and understanding.Print Sponsor
Pace of US job cuts slows in September
(Financial Times - US homepage)
Submitted at 9/30/2009 8:04:08 AM
US companies made fewer jobscuts in September than in anymonth in the past year, as the paceof job losses has slowly begun toabate, but a labour marketrecovery continues to show signsthat it will lag the rest of theeconomy.In other data released onWednesday, the commercedepartment said that the USeconomy contracted at a slowerpace than previously estimated inthe second quarter, offering hopethat the recession has subsidedand that output will begin toexpand again the second half of the year after shrinking for fourconsecutive quarters.
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(BloggingStocks)
Submitted at 9/30/2009 10:20:00 AM
Politics/ Top News/ Finance/ 
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