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On Tuesday night about 1,100 people participated in a sold-out global warming debate that, in the end, turned downtown Toronto's new concert hall at the Royal Conservatory of Music into a microcosm of a larger tranformation that is sweeping the world. The debate pitted two well known global warming activists of international repute against two well-known skeptics. The skeptics won, shifting the audience's support away from the drastic global warming action demanded by activists and toward the moderate reponse of the skeptics, a move that is rapidly becoming a trend everywhere. If global warming is a problem -- and many...

With an Eye on Copenhagen, Senate Tiptoes Back Into Climate DebateBy DARREN SAMUELSOHN of ClimateWire Published: December 1, 2009 Senate Democrats resume their efforts this week to advance global warming legislation as President Obama readies for the international glare of U.N. climate negotiations next week in Copenhagen, Denmark. Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) plans to meet later this week with key Senate committee leaders for a pre-Copenhagen strategy session. Energy and Natural Resources Chairman Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) hosts a hearing tomorrow on policy options for dealing with climate change. And Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Joe Lieberman...

If I was a Senator allowed to debate the health care bill, this is what I would say. Distinguished colleagues and my fellow Americans: Are we here to promote the general welfare, or are we here to promote it's general destruction? If you believe the government has the power to compel it citizens to buy a product, then you believe in it's destruction, If you believe the government has the power to redistribute health services so every American is covered, then you believe in it's destruction. If you believe the government has the power to tax the wealthy every time...

Have a close look at the screencap [larger image after the jump]. Notice what MSNBC's Norah O'Donnell is holding in her left hand? Those are notes, with factoids from the 2008 presidential campaign. She's reading from them to challenge a Sarah Palin supporter who was waiting in line at the book signing yesterday in Grand Rapids, Michigan. We all remember how back during the '08 campaign, MSM reporters would challenge people attending Obama rallies with uncomfortable truths about their candidate, along the lines "would you still support him if you knew he had the most liberal voting record in the...

As the dean of Harvard Medical School I am frequently asked to comment on the health-reform debate. I'd give it a failing grade. Instead of forthrightly dealing with the fundamental problems, discussion is dominated by rival factions struggling to enact or defeat President Barack Obama's agenda. The rhetoric on both sides is exaggerated and often deceptive. Those of us for whom the central issue is health—not politics—have been left in the lurch. And as controversy heads toward a conclusion in Washington, it appears that the people who favor the legislation are engaged in collective denial... Speeches and news reports can...

I would like a substance based debate for and against Sarah Palin. I don't want to hear vague platitudes and statements not based in fact or an opinion not backed up by a well thought out explanation. This is not meant to be a kool aid drinking session nor a bashing session. I also do not want to hear debate about any other candidates. This is a Sarah Palin only discussion. I want to see a substanative debate among Liberty loving conservatives as to why or why not Sarah Palin should be the conservative standard bearer and leader.

Nov 17, 2009 (CIDRAP News) – Making paid sick leave a national standard is crucial to controlling the H1N1 pandemic and future epidemics, public health and business experts told Congress Tuesday. But others cautioned that forcing businesses to follow federal mandates will make them pay extra costs in a recession and could depress future hiring and investment. The experts made their remarks at a hearing of the US House of Representatives' Education and Labor Committee. The committee's chairman, Rep. George Miller, D-Calif., 2 weeks ago introduced the Emergency Influenza Containment Act (HR 3991), which would guarantee any worker who is...

While President Obama’s decision about sending more troops to Afghanistan is primarily a military one, it also has substantial budget implications that are adding pressure to limit the commitment, senior administration officials say. The latest internal government estimates place the cost of adding 40,000 American troops and sharply expanding the Afghan security forces, as favored by McChrystal, the top American and allied commander in Afghanistan, at $40 billion to $54 billion a year, the officials said. Even if fewer troops are sent, or their mission is modified, the rough formula used by the White House, of about $1 million per...

Goldstone, of the "Goldstone Report" to the UN debates with former Israeli Ambassador Dore Gold at Brandeis University. Videos at link.

The politicians come out of their bunkers and cloud-filled backrooms and promise us goodies and treats. They promise us a vision of hope and utopia where everything will finally be right and just. All we have to do is just sign over our freedoms. Here is a GOP Congressman on the Pelosi health care bill: Why, it's almost like it's so good it hurts you! Or it's health care that's so good you'll end up in prison if you don't accept it. Maybe that's an idea. If we break the law, we will have government-run health care. There's only one...

It's billed as "The Hottest Ticket in Political History:" A debate between Bill Clinton and George W. Bush at Radio City Music Hall. The event will happen in February as part of MSG Entertainment's third annual "Minds That Move The World" speakers series. The former presidents will debate topics "ranging from the economy, to foreign policy, to the current administration." From the press release: The series will be formatted to allow for President Clinton and President Bush to each present their thoughts on a wide range of important current events and national issues through a moderated question and answer period...

It has been one week since the Senate Majority Leader announced he sent his health care bill to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) and the American people are still not allowed to see Sen. Reid’s (D-NV) version of Obamacare. Late last week, Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) authored a letter to Reid demanding that Senators be given the opportunity to read the same bill that Reid sent to CBO. The American people have a constitutional right pursuant to the First Amendment to “petition the government for a redress of grievances.” In the name of transparency and participatory democracy, Senator Reid should...

War Crimes in Gaza or UN Crimes Against Israel? Brandeis University, Thurs., Nov. 5 at 5 p.m. Watch the Debate live at http://www.brandeis.edu/israelcenter/ In what is sure to be a heated debate, South African Judge Richard Goldstone will discuss his report for the first time with a senior Israeli figure. Dore Gold, former Israeli ambassador to the United Nations and president of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, will respond to Goldstone in the forum and then both will take questions from the audience. Professor Ilan Troen, who heads the Schusterman Center for Israel Studies at Brandeis University, said in...

On October 20, 2009, Buckeye Firearms Chairman Jim Irvine appeared as a guest on WCPN's (Clevland Public Radio) "The Sound of Ideas," hosted by Dan Moulthrop. In a typical display of your tax dollars at work on the "impartial" forum of National Public Radio (NPR), the opening half of the show was given solely to one of New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg's cronies - John Feinblatt, the city's Criminal Justice Coordinator. The first words out of Feinblatt's mouth during that segment were provably false: "Everybody, at every level of law enforcement, federal, state and local has always known that the...

This week sees the opening on various cinema marquees of the film Collision: a buddy-and-road movie featuring last year's debates between Pastor Douglas Wilson, who is a senior fellow at New St. Andrew's College, and your humble servant. (If I may be forgiven, it's also available on DVD, and you can buy our little book of exchanges, Is Christianity Good for the World?) Newsweek's reviewer beseeches you not to go and see the film, largely on the grounds that it features two middle-aged white men trying to establish which one is the dominant male. I would have thought that this...

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama's willingness to consider alternatives to medical malpractice lawsuits is providing a boost for taking such cases out of the courtroom and letting experts, not juries, decide their merits. The idea of appointing neutral experts to sift malpractice facts from allegations appeals to conservatives in both political parties, who are looking to address medical liability as part of health care overhaul legislation. Trial lawyers remain steadfastly opposed.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. veterans criticized President Barack Obama's lengthy review of Afghan war strategy, saying on Thursday the drawn-out debate in Washington was a direct threat to troops and the nation's defense. The head of Veterans of Foreign Wars, a group representing 1.5 million former soldiers, issued a tersely worded statement urging Obama to follow the advice of his military commanders, who want more troops for the eight-year war. "The extremists are sensing weakness and indecision within the U.S. government, which plays into their hands," said Thomas J. Tradewell Sr., a Vietnam veteran and head of VFW. This was...

Atheist author Richard Dawkins has made it loud and clear that he believes faith has no place in science and that a public debate between him and a creationist – of any type – is out of the question. “The objection to having debates with people like that (creationists) is that it gives them a kind of respectability,” Dawkins said during a recent appearance on the Michael Medved show. “If a real scientist goes onto a debating platform with a creationist, it gives them a respectability, which I do not think your people have earned,” he told Discovery Institute President...

Coming from Robert Gates—the epitome of the soft-spoken, buttoned-down public servant—the rebuke was particularly striking. Military officers, Gates said last week, should give their advice to America's civilian leadership "candidly but privately," an allusion to... McChrystal's remarks in London about the need for counterinsurgency, not counterterror, in Afghanistan. Less noted was the fact that Gates included civilians in his admonition, a broader criticism of all leaks. But the general's comments, which came in a question-and-answer session after a speech to the International Institute for Strategic Studies, are the ones that have roiled Washington and the foreign-policy establishment, producing a head-snapping...

British society cites 'legal issues' just days before event Just one week before Michael Savage was scheduled to debate via video link at the Cambridge Union in England, the co-presidents of the two-century-old society informed the top-rated radio host they have canceled the event. As WND reported, the invitation from the Cambridge Union Society for the Oct. 15 debate was issued in July after Savage was banned from entering the United Kingdom by Prime Minister Gordon Brown's government along with Muslim extremists and leaders of hate groups. In an e-mail today to Savage producer Beowulf Rochlen, Cambridge Union leaders Julien...

Rally in Albany Tuesday Over H1N1 Flu Shot Debate (New York, NY) -- Hundreds of health care workers will rally in Albany Tuesday, angry that they are being made to receive H1N1 flu shots. The State Health Department has made it mandatory that all health care workers get immunized by November 30th. The protestors say their rights are being violated and that they can not be forced to get a H1N1 flu shot. Officials say there will be exceptions for those health care workers who have a personal health issue that would prevent them from getting the shot. WOR News...

When did you Brits suddenly get so thin-skinned – particular you “newer” ones? Apparently it’s now acceptable in the UK to unleash a legal hurricane on someone with whom you disagree, just because you’re incapable of debating an issue intelligently. Word has traveled all the way to North America about a couple of hotel owners in Liverpool being criminally charged under the “Public Order Act” for getting into a religious discussion about Islam within earshot of at least one Muslim guest, who promptly ran crying to the police...Do what I do in movie theatres to loudmouths, lady – go tell...

For those who do not know who Bob Beckel is, he is the radical left wing Democrat talking head that makes the circuit as a paid consultant for politicians and Fox News. However, did you know that his brother is a conservative? Not just a conservative, but a Hollywood actor to boot. That's right, Graham Beckel is an actor who is credited by the web site Internet Movie Database (IMDb) with 93 television and movies appearances. He has been in hit TV shows like “Chicago Hope”, “Grey's Anatomy”, and “Monk”. His movie credits include such classics as Paper Chase”, “L.A....

More Dem Censorship on Healthcare Debate by Connie Hair 09/23/2009 George Orwell call your office. Again. Was it only two months ago that Cong. John Carter (R-Tx) and a few other conservatives were protesting the Democrats’ censorship of their constituent mailings? Yes, it was. When Judge Carter tried to describe Obamacare as “government-run healthcare” the House Franking Commission told him he couldn’t use the term in a constituent mailing that would be mailed for free as are most constituent mailings. Not only could he not use those words, he couldn’t use the words “Democratic Party.” Now, the Democratic Party (i.e.,...

There is a poll question at this site that asks what do you believe, Evolution or Creationism. Where do you stand in the Creation/Evolution Debate What follows is a description for the four choices available. There are also three other poll questions. Freep them all, there seems they expire at midnight tonight, so lets freep them. A CREATIONIST: A creationist is a person who rejects the theory of evolution and believes instead that the each species on earth was put here by a Divine Being. A Creationist might accept "micro-evolution" (changes in the form of a species over time based...

There are four polls here that look interesting. On the creation/evolution poll, it looks like the Darwinians are winning. If you believe in a 6 day creation then you are in second. Time to freep the poll Christian Freepers. Who do you believe? Click on God and His Son if you believe them.OR Click on Darwin if you believe him. If the images just confused you, then go here and you can freep the poll.Where do you Stand in the Creation/Evolution DebateThe other three polls are on who you want for President, one for Vice President, and one for what...

There is a poll question at this site that asks Freepers what we believe in, 1.) Micro-Evolutionary Creationist (God used evolution)2.) Young Earth Creationist (God did it in 6 days about 6000 years ago)3.) Intelligent Designer (It may or may not have been by the God of the Bible)4.) Evolutionist (I accept Darwin's basic theory)Click here to take the poll Here's an excerpt from the article. At a site called Exploring Constitutional Conflicts, I found this description of for each choice in the poll. After some feedback, I have realized how inaccurate my poll is in the questioning, but it...

If you're a candidate for governor coming to debate in Northern Virginia, you'd better be able to say simply and plainly how you'd raise money to repair and improve the roads. Democratic State Sen. R. Creigh Deeds (Bath) failed to do that Thursday. In fact, he bungled it pretty badly. He managed to sound both vague and two-faced about the most important issue in the race for the Washington region. It's too bad, because as governor Deeds would be more likely to actually fix the roads than his Republican opponent, former attorney general Robert F. McDonnell. That's because Deeds is...

In the context of our New American Revolution, the radicals who would subvert our constitutional republic and replace unalienable rights with contrived entitlements have ill will. Many of them, especially those in power, are extraordinarily intelligent. That intelligence must be respected. It does not have to be honored, but must be acknowledged and accounted for in how we handle them, just as one would respect a knife held by an assailant. To act is if it is not there would foolishly expose oneself to attack. If an opponent's weapon is acknowledged, the mutual awareness levels the playing field somewhat. Opponents...

Here's the first post-Labor Day chance for you to hear what the Republican candidates for Guv sound like live, unscripted and grilled by someone who knows how to ask questions: A "moderated conversation" at 9 a.m. Thursday on the highly-rated "Ronn Owens Program" on KGO (810 AM). And they'll be welcoming calls, too, so start dialing. Well, most of the Republican candidates will be there. Ex-Rep. Tom Campbell and Insurance Commish Steve Poizner will show. Ex-eBay CEO Meg Whitman won't. Here's a reminder about about all the backstage drama behind this. Whitman's reason for blowing off one of the nation's...

Debate between the Democratic Party Meet Up Groups and the Republican Party Meet Up Groups Sponsored by: The Veterans In Politics International, Inc. Date: Monday, September 14, 2009 Time: 7PM Location: Panera Bread in The District at Green Valley Ranch 2235 Village Walk Drive, Suite 169 Henderson, Nevada 89052 (702) 896-2294 Purpose: This debate is to educate and attempt to understand both sides of the political spectrum on issues the affect our day to day life. This is a friendly debate between the two major political parties. Let’s express our opinions to each other in a civil and productive manner....

Specifically, Mayo reiterated its view against what's been called the "public option" and emphasized the importance of end of life discussions with a patient's physician. "We do not support the creation of another government-run, government price-controlled, Medicare-like insurance plan," Mayo says in a document. On Tuesday, Mayo released two documents, "A perspective on current health reform issues from Mayo Clinic" and "A foundation for health care reform legislation." One of the perspectives is co-authored by Mayo CEO Dr. Denis Cortese. The purpose of the documents is to refocus Mayo's message on health care reform, outline processes legislators can follow in...

SACRAMENTO — Meg Whitman's refusal to debate in the early months of her campaign for governor is beginning to raise questions about whether it's part of a long-term strategy to limit her exposure and carefully control the image she wants to project. As the only gubernatorial candidate with no background in elective politics, the billionaire and former chief executive officer of eBay has eschewed head-to-head confrontations with her Republican primary opponents while insisting she looks forward to debates. Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner's campaign accused her of trying to "get around" the typical vetting process of a campaign, taking her to...

GUN DEBATE - As President Obama travels the country to promote his ideas about health care reform, he has been met with hearty debate. But he's also been met with something unexpected, gun-toting citizens who seem to be making a statement about more than just health policy. Are these citizens merely expressing their second amendment rights or do they present a dangerous provocation? We asked two experts for their take. Opinion contributed by Larry Pratt, Executive Director of Gun Owners of America. Click here for Paul Helmke's opposing view. SPRINGFIELD, Va. (OPINION) From New Hampshire to Arizona, Americans openly carrying...

At a press conference, Obama suggested that the MSN support the health care issue by dispelling rumors. And of course, the MSN has stepped efforts to do his bidding. CNN writer Tom Cohen laments the spreading of false rumors and cites the efforts of CNN's Truth Squad (Ha!) to dispel rumors like the ones about 'bank access.' The gist of his article, and the accompanying photograph, is that objections to Obama care are based on stubborn false rumors alone. Since I don't recall if we are allowed to link to CNN directly, I'll put the link here:http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/08/20/health.care.bad.info/index.html

In the current House health care bill, there are 53 new regulators. Let me say that again, the House health care bill creates 53 NEW REGULATORS. The implications of this spread throughout health care reform and the debate surrounding it. In fact, if Conservatives want to keep things simple then they only need to repeat, 53 new regulators, over and over again in any debate. That's because with 53 new regulators everything else is moot. When President Obama says that we'll be able to keep our current insurance that's only if all of the 53 new regulators approve of our...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPMRPm4_u2c

MUSCATINE, Iowa — At her home on Tom Sawyer Road here the other night, Bonnie Adkins agreed to begin spreading the word that President Obama’s embattled health care plan needed help. In Des Moines, Pat Walters made telephone calls to Democrats to rally support for the Obama health care plan. Ms. Adkins, who for the past two years devoted hundreds of hours helping Mr. Obama get to the White House, hosted a potluck supper that was advertised to Democrats in this eastern Iowa town along the Mississippi River. People were invited to bring a favorite salad or dessert — and...

The debate — OK, the shouting match — we are having over "health-care reform" is about many things, including cost, who gets help and who does not and who, or what, gets to make that determination. Underlying it all is a larger question: Is human life something special? Is it to be valued more highly than, say, plants and pets? When someone is in a "persistent vegetative state" do we mean to say that person is equal in value to a carrot? Are we now assigning worth to human life, or does it arrive with its own pre-determined value, irrespective...

Newt Gingrich debated Howard Dean on ABC's This Week with George Stephanopoulos:

The L.A.Times' Dan Neil is confused. He thinks that the so-called progressive movement is right on all the issues, but he just cannot understand why they can't win the public debate. Neil laments that they have all the "English majors" on their side but cannot win "any war of words." Just what is going on here, he wants to know? He's so frustrated that he took to his keyboard to ask these questions in a Pittsburgh Gazette article from August 9. In his piece, Neil wonders, for instance, why the "progressives" are so inept at debate and cannot convince the...

Obama and Public Debate George Joyce At a town hall meeting in Chester, Va. back in August last year candidate Obama had this to say about the important value of public debate regarding health care: "People say, 'Well, you have this great health care plan, but how are you going to pass it? You know, it failed in '93,' And what I've said is, I'm going to have all the negotiations around a big table. We'll have doctors and nurses and hospital administrators. Insurance companies, drug companies — they'll get a seat at the table, they just won't be able...

I learned this morning that I’ll be blessed with a Granddaughter this winter. I honestly fear for her future. On the day she is born her tax debt will be nearly $40,000 – assuming no increase in current deficit spending. She will be burdened by socialized medicine, government owned or controlled industry, a planned economy, absurd environmental regulation, and contrary to what the populist elite would have you believe, her world will have less freedom, less opportunity, and less hope. If she ever wants to get ahead in the world she will probably have to know Chinese – whose economy...

Someone sent this video to me as a means to saying Romney isn't a "real conservative." I'm curious to see if any of you agree with this analysis, and why. Please post your thoughts directly on the blog in response to this post. I will add my comments in a later post...

North Carolina Bus Tour To Focus on Putting Patients First in Health Care DebateTour Will Encourage Citizens to Support Free Market Health Care Solutions Tour Begins Sunday in Raleigh, Continues All Week Bus to meet activists in cities and towns all over North Carolina as Patients First tour urges constituent action against a government takeover of health care As members of the North Carolina Congressional Delegation travel to their home districts over the legislative recess to hear from their constituents, Americans for Prosperity’s Patients First Bus Tour will hit the road, too. The tour will urge grassroots activists to speak...

Health care debate shifts back to Main StreetBy RICARDO ALONSOZALDIVAR, Associated Press Writer Sunday, August 2 WASHINGTON – The health care debate is heading back to Main Street, to cities and towns where people are worried about medical costs but increasingly concerned that overhauling the system may do more harm than good. Some say that's exactly where the discussion belongs. **SNIP** Democrats, on the defensive, need to show how their plans would help working people who have health insurance but are paying more for it every year, and who worry about what would happen if they lose their jobs. Republicans...

With apologizes to Glenn Beck and his chief historical influence, Thomas Paine, I can no longer bring myself to use to term "common sense." It seems increasingly apparent that the collection of obvious conclusions any rational person would tend to arrive at is in no sense common. Rather, the most prolific sensibility seems best represented in our popular culture, where the shortest distance between two points is Michael Jackson. I think it more accurate to refer to "common sense" as plain sense, acknowledging certain logical conclusions which rational people could be expected to arrive at while not going so far...

Experts debate proposed 'big brother' medical councilFrom Kevin Bohn and Jessica Yellin CNN updated 10:04 p.m. EDT, Thu July 23, 2009 WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Obama administration is touting a provocative proposal to give a medical advisory council the power to help decide the scope of coverage that would be eligible for reimbursement under Medicare. Administration officials say the proposed council would improve health care quality and control costs. But some health care industry groups object to the proposal, saying such a council would not be qualified to make those judgments. This council would consist of doctors and health care...

Inpire me, please. I need arguments/opinions for and against guns on campus/school grounds for a Rogerian Argument essay.

Veterans In Politics Talk Show Introduces Clark County Republican Party Chairman Candidate Debate LIVE on www.AllTalkRadio.net July 11: Clark County Republican Party Chairman Candidate Debate the following candidates will be participating Mr. Jim Jonas, Mr. Dave McGowan, and Mr. Steve Esh:: "Veterans In Politics" is a weekly radio show produced by the Veterans In Politics International and hosted by Steve Sanson and co-hosted by Ronda Baldwin Kennedy on www.alltalkradio.net. The "Veterans In Politics" show is live every Saturday 2:05 PM Pacific Time you can call in and speak to the guest or/and hosts at (702) 309-6690.