links for 2010-08-20

On the heels of a new poll suggesting that nearly one in five Americans incorrectly believes that President Obama is a Muslim, one of the nation's most prominent evangelical leaders has weighed in with a seemingly lukewarm endorsement of the president's Christian faith.
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Well, he was and then he attended church with the renowned Jeremiah GD America Wright.

Remember?

Amanda Terkel, one of the lead writers at Think Progress, is exasperated that the "right-wing" has convinced the "media" that Obama's religion is open to question (emphasis mine)…

What we have here really is a failure to communicate. The image-keepers at Think Progress and at the White House do not seem to understand that Obama's failure to connect has nothing to do with bible-thumping on C-SPAN or not.

No one really knows who Obama is, because almost everything we know about Obama prior to his entering public life comes from Obama alone.

Obama has so carefully controlled his image that he has achieved the opposite effect.
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Well, since Jeremiah Wright is no longer his Pastor…….

Republican Senate candidate Carly Fiorina cited the continuing rise in first-time jobless claims as evidence that the Obama administration's economic policies were not working as she renewed her call Thursday for making the Bush-era tax cuts permanent.

In a campaign event in Riverside, Fiorina also called for slowing the rate of government spending — in part through a federal hiring freeze, although her spokesperson later said the freeze would exempt the Department of Defense, Homeland Security, CIA, FBI and other agencies that collectively account for well over half of the payroll of the executive departments.

Black Republicans tell John Avlon that Sarah Palin's tweet in defense of Dr. Laura was ridiculous and indefensible—and that she may be "no longer fit to lead."

Sarah Palin’s post-VP nominee career has so far benefitted from bomb-throwing. The process follows a tight script—a crude, semi-calculated comment is shot into the middle of a political debate via Facebook or Twitter. It gains national attention. Liberals are outraged. Conservatives rush to her defense. Sarah Palin dominates a news cycle and becomes more beloved by her base.

But by unnecessarily rushing to the defense of Dr. Laura Schlessinger—after she dropped the N-bomb 11 times and told the caller “don’t marry outside of your race”—Sarah Palin might finally have gone too far and picked a fight she cannot win.
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Yeah Yeah everyone is a racist.

Sheesh

Iranian and Russian nuclear technicians made final preparations to start up Iran's first reactor on Saturday after years of delays, an operation that will mark a milestone in what Tehran considers its right to produce nuclear energy.

Nationwide celebrations are planned for the fuel loading at the Bushehr facility in southern Iran, while Russia pledges to safeguard the plant and prevent spent nuclear fuel from being shifted to a possible weapons program.

"The startup operations will be a big success for Iran," conservative lawmaker Javad Karimi said in Tehran. "It also shows Iran's resolve and capability in pursuing its nuclear activities."
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And, the USA watches idly by……