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Oil, money, politics: Keystone XL hits a snag
The politics of oil and ecology have put President Obama between a rock and hard place, as he faces a decision on whether or not to permit construction of a new pipeline. The squeeze just got tighter with a new, negative environmental assessment.
The Keystone XL pipeline will give America energy independence, thousands of jobs, important industrial infrastructure and won't cost taxpayers a dime, say proponents. Many of them are Republican lawmakers.
It is dangerous, inherently filthy and must be stopped, say opponents, some of whom are Democrats who helped get the president elected.
FULL STORYImmigration bill: Must secure border
The border with Mexico must be secure.
This requirement is the cornerstone of an immigration reform bill a bipartisan group of senators are to file on Capitol Hill Tuesday. There will be no path to legal residency for migrants without it.
Undocumented immigrants may also not reach the status of fully legal residents under the proposed legislation, until the Department of Homeland Security has implemented measures to prevent "unauthorized workers from obtaining employment in the United States."
FULL STORYDemocratic convention will highlight differing visions between the parties
Facing a close election and Republican attacks that they have made things worse while in power, President Barack Obama and Democrats seek to emphasize what has been achieved and additional steps to bolster the middle class at their three-day national convention that begins Tuesday.
The political conclave that will formally nominate Obama for a second term serves as a response to last week's Republican convention that nominated Mitt Romney as the GOP challenger in November.
Democrats offered a glimpse of issues expected to play a prominent role in this week's events, releasing their party platform late Monday. It focuses on improving the economic situation for middle-class Americans, a central theme of Obama's campaign and an issue the party hopes will win votes come November. It also contains language endorsing same-sex marriage for the first time, a move that brings the party's official stance in line with that of the president, who said for the first time in May that he supports marriage rights for gays and lesbians.
"Over the course of the week, you'll hear a very different tone than the one that you heard last week in Tampa, which was really essentially one nonstop series of attacks on President Obama," Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee, told CNN on Tuesday.
"We're going to lay out the case for moving the economy forward. President Obama and speakers throughout the week will talk about and have an honest conversation about where we were when he first took office and where we are now after four years of his policies and 29 straight months of job growth in the private sector. And that we need to continue to move forward and we've got a ways to go."
First lady Michelle Obama will address the convention Tuesday night, and former President Bill Clinton headlines the second night before Obama concludes it with his nationally televised address Thursday night.
FULL STORYWhat to make of flap over candidate’s military talk?
[Updated at 6:05 p.m. ET] An Illinois congressman has stuck to his guns - including during a testy interview with CNN’s Ashleigh Banfield this week - in a flap over his assertions that his double-amputee election opponent talks too much about her military service and war injuries.
Rep. Joe Walsh, R-Illinois, has said that the story has been blown out of proportion, arguing that it has been manufactured by liberal opponents who recorded his comments at a campaign event Sunday and then posted them on the Internet, with liberal website ThinkProgress.org starting the coverage.
But he’s defended his stance, arguing that Democrat Tammy Duckworth - a Black Hawk helicopter pilot who lost both legs when her crew was shot down in Iraq in 2004 - rarely makes campaign appearances in her bid to defeat him in Illinois’ 8th Congressional District. When she does, he said, she talks mostly about her background fighting overseas.
We’d like to hear what you think about the issue. First, here’s how it played out this week.
In a Sunday campaign event in a Chicago suburb, Walsh was recalling the 2008 presidential campaign of Republican Sen. John McCain, saying McCain was modest about his background as a prisoner of war during the Vietnam War. Walsh said McCain was reluctant to make that story a focus of his campaign, despite pressure from advisers to do otherwise.
“That's what's so noble about our heroes. Now I'm running against a woman who, my God, that's all she talks about," Walsh said. "Our true heroes, it's the last thing in the world they talk about. That's why we're so indebted and in awe of what they've done."
Gotta Watch: Obama grabs late night laughs with a song
President Obama took time from his hectic schedule to unwind and share some laughs on "Late Night With Jimmy Fallon" Tuesday night. The president is well-known for singing in public, but last night he took on a slow jam with the late night host. You've "gotta watch" Obama's performance.
First lady Michelle Obama, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney and Texas Gov. Rick Perry are among the political figures who have also enjoyed some leisure time lately on the late night talk show circuit. See how they've poked fun at themselves and others in front of a national TV audience.
Obama slow jams with Jimmy Fallon
President Obama has sung before, but last night he and Jimmy Fallon team up for a special slow jam session on Fallon's late night talk show. Watch to see what they sing about.
Romney's top ten: 'Gingrich? Really?'
Mitt Romney stopped by David Letterman's show to share the top ten things he'd like to share with the American people. Be sure to see number one on his list.
First lady gets Leno spoof treatment
Jay Leno has a little video editing fun with some footage of First lady Michelle Obama. Check out what he has her do.
Perry pokes fun of himself on Letterman
Gov. Rick Perry appeared on David Letterman's show to poke fun at his presidential debate performance. Watch how he smooths over his infamous "oops" moment.
Overheard on CNN.com: 'Obama isn't American at heart,' reader says of apologies
Editor's note: This post is part of the Overheard on CNN.com series, a regular feature that examines interesting comments and thought-provoking conversations posted by the community.
Is President Barack Obama a weak president? Opinion writer LZ Granderson explored that question in a typically pointed article. Granderson took the position that the president's apologies are appropriate and helpful, but some of our readers would disagree. These readers indicated they feel the president is hurting our position internationally. Others spoke in Obama's defense.
Why Obama's apologies make sense
This reader suspects the president may not feel motivated to act in the country's best interest.
Probity: "There is a difference between apologizing and groveling. Apologizing was absolutely the right thing to do. It should be done in a way that is sincere yet commands respect. Obama is subservient when dealing with other nations leaders. That is the problem and not the apology itself. Obama isn't American at heart. And no, I am not a birther. I don't care what his birth certificate says. He spent much time as a child outside the U.S. and some would argue that it gave him experience but it is obvious that it gave him a negative opinion of America. His associations, his wife's comment about being proud of America for the very first time, his refusal to participate in several patriotic events and abasing himself when dealing with other nation's leaders show his true colors."
Primewonk: "Obama is NOT subserviant when dealing with other world leaders. Not sure where you guys get this. By stating that Obama is not an American 'at heart' you demonstrate profound ignorance. He spent four years living outside the country starting when he was 6. I seriously doubt you would make this claim about other young children. My father was in the military. I lived in other countries from first to third grades. Does this make me not an American at heart? Face it, you tea baggers are still upset that a smart well educated black man won the election."
One commenter said the weakness doesn't stop there. FULL POST
Overheard on CNN.com: Who stands to gain from ongoing contraception debate?
Editor's note: This post is part of the Overheard on CNN.com series, a regular feature that examines interesting comments and thought-provoking conversations posted by the community.
We saw a fiery response to Sandra Fluke's opinion article about the Rush Limbaugh "slut" controversy. Many of our readers were outraged that a religious organization would be forced to pay for contraception coverage, while others said people are paying for their insurance and contraception can be a medical necessity. Women and men alike wondered how much of the debate was politically motivated.
Sandra Fluke: Slurs won't silence women
One reader said this article turned them "180 degrees away" from Fluke, and said they don't want the public to have to pay for contraception
lovedodos: "There is no other non medical necessity that is mandated to be covered by insurance that I know of. Fluke does not make a case for that but simply regurgitates traditional feminist arguments of equality. As an aside, Fluke, who is not a Catholic, should avoid making herself look stupid by trying to define Catholicism. It is not a 'social justice' based faith! It is a scriptual and tradition-based faith and social justice is an element of the teachings that arise from that base. WDR"
Another said they don't think religious organizations should take contraception out of insurance coverage.
LuluB: "You're not being forced to pay for anything. Insurance doesn't work that way. You are not allowed to pick and choose how others will be covered. This issue is about a religious group attempting to stop someone from having a care option that they've paid for. Religious conservatives are free to not take advantage of a health service that they disagree with. They are not, however, allowed to break our laws and oppress others based on religious doctrine. The USA is not a theocracy."
Some were debating the political benefits each side is getting from the contraception issue. Mary Beth Cox of Richmond, Virginia, was the iReport Pundit of the Week after sharing her opinions in a video, which she titled "I have government-funded birth control." In commenting on the candidacy of Sen. Rick Santorum, she said she fears that conservatives are using the issue of contraception as a smokescreen for real issues. FULL POST
Overheard on CNN.com: Battle over federal aid moves to strip clubs, casinos
Editor's note: This post is part of the Overheard on CNN.com series, a regular feature that examines interesting comments and thought-provoking conversations posted by the community.
"This gives a whole new meaning to 'stimulus money.' "
–hence21
When a story is about strip clubs and welfare, the reader response is going to be colorful. LZ Granderson wrote an opinion column about a bill designed to prevent people from spending government assistance money in strip clubs and casinos. He argues that Democrats shouldn't bicker and try to oppose this bill.
'Strip club bill' a no-brainer
This commenter said Congress has better things to be doing.
fishfry001: "So LZ, if your position is right, then how come we can't get congress to pass laws putting them under the same health care coverage as the rest of us (maybe you have it, maybe you don't), And why don't they change the laws to stop the lifetime full pensions legislators earn for serving even just one term in congress? Those are very significant drains on taxpayer dollars and deserve to be changed right along with this "strip club" initiative. I'm certainly not saying that those receiving public assistance should be able to spend some of that money in strip clubs or the like, but I AM saying that if we are going to get so deeply into controlling the people at such a base level, with saving taxpayer dollars as the justification and congress is all for it, then it's high time congress made these other changes as well. Oh, and while we're at it, once they leave Washington they should never, ever be allowed to lobby. You've done your time, performed your service to the government, now go home. Taxpayers deserve nothing less. So, LZ – why don't you use your influence and get the dialog started on this initiative?"
Some readers suggested that the government assistance system needs tweaking.
grinch031: "The welfare system should be abuse-proof. No more cash. It should be in the form of vouchers that can only be used for necessities. If someone is able-bodied, welfare should be temporary, not permanent. Time to end the abuse."
This reader said the bill would be hard to enforce. FULL POST
Overheard on CNN.com: Political parties face diverse ideological landscape
Editor's note: This post is part of the Overheard on CNN.com series, a regular feature that examines interesting comments and thought-provoking conversations posted by the community.
If you could create a political party, what would it be? How would you define it, and who would you vote for? CNN had stories about three different political umbrellas on Friday, and commenters responded with thoughts on what each says about our country.
Matt Welch wrote an editorial piece asserting that the GOP has incentive to keep Ron Paul around, even if they don't agree with a lot of his positions, because he's the key to winning over younger voters and Libertarians. Readers talked about Paul, his loyal following and the sometimes complex views about the current political landscape.
Priya86: "I've been a registered Libertarian for about 12 years. It is frustrating to watch Republicans and Democrats split down the middle so severely. You can vote Democrat and know that you are getting four years of fiscal irresponsibility or you can vote Republican and know that you're getting four years of your civil liberties being stripped if they don't line up with Christian Bible tales. The U.S. war machine has been going for most of my life. I've had friends and family killed in wars that were not needed. I've watched as my own job prospects went from great to waitress and maybe a temp even though I have a college degree and am working on my master's. Frankly, Ron Paul sounds great. Stop policing the world. (Isn't that the job of the U.N.? International cooperation and a dream of world peace?) Stop invading the private lives of citizens, stop taxing to pay for bloated and redundant (and wasteful!) federal budgets."
That was the most-liked comment, and it spurred other readers to respond with their own views about Paul. FULL POST
Overheard on CNN.com: Congress' lack of action sparks anger
Editor's note: This post is part of the Overheard on CNN.com series, a regular feature that examines interesting comments and thought-provoking conversations posted by the community.
Congress showed little sign of resolving its partisan standoff Tuesday over the payroll tax cut extension as the Republican-controlled House of Representatives passed a measure expressing disapproval of a Senate plan, and leaders in the Democratic-controlled Senate insisted they won't go along with a new House proposal.
The House motion, passed in a virtual party-line 229-193 vote, called for the dispute to be immediately taken up by a House-Senate conference committee - something already ruled out by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada.
House Republicans on Tuesday passed a motion calling for further negotiations on the payroll tax cut, disagreeing with a Senate measure that called for a two-month extension. Only Republicans supported the motion in the 229-193 vote.
[tweet https://twitter.com/problemcauser1/status/149161231310262273%5D
The Senate voted 89-10 in favor of a two-month tax-cut extension Saturday - a fallback plan designed to give both sides more time to negotiate - but that short-term compromise has slammed into a conservative roadblock in the House, where rank-and-file Republicans are fuming over the short-term nature of the plan, among other things.
As the clock ticks down, nobody appears willing to bend and neither side seems to know how to break the logjam.
The latest political drama follows what seems like a year of endless debt talks and regular episodes of near-government shutdowns, and some people are simply fed up with Congress. We take a look at the frustration with government that people are sharing on both CNN.com and around the Web.
Some users commented they felt lawmakers from both parties are to blame and they planned to hold them accountable. They said that Americans have the power to vote out incumbents if they can't get anything done to help the people of this country.
[tweet https://twitter.com/Jchawes/status/149126949715984386%5D
us2us: "Who do these people represent? Answer: Themselves."
marjoreemae: "It's a shame responsible people will not come together and fix what's wrong with our country. I vote not to pay these individuals. It's time we have a real voice in our government."
gadzooks: "I do hereby call for the resignation of every member of Congress."
hv19006: "I'm just not voting for any of the incumbents in the next election. They have all proved they can't get the job done, both the Senate and the House, both the Democrats and the Republicans."
[tweet https://twitter.com/jesseclee44/status/149140452552097792%5D
Gotta Watch: Kids 1, Politicians 0
Politicians need to be prepared for pretty much anything. Between the tabloids and reporters – every bit of what they say is scrutinized. There are always going to be moments when politicians get caught off guard by the people they expect the least. You've gotta watch what happens when kids stump politicians on the tough questions starting with an incident between Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann and a teenager.
Teen vs. presidential candidate – Bachmann is questioned by a high school student about her stance on same-sex marriage at a town hall meeting in Iowa. Watch the testy exchange as she just won't let up. See the full video from iReporter Anelia Dimitrova here.
The Reads You Need: Politics and failing debt talks
Editor's note: Each day, we'll bring you some of the diverse voices from our site and across the Web on stories causing ripples throughout the news sphere.
The congressional "super committee" charged with coming up with $1.2 trillion in budget cuts appears doomed for failure, with sources saying the panel will be unable to reach a deal before its practical deadline Monday.
The 12-member bipartisan panel's deadline for a final vote is Wednesday, but any blueprint must be made available 48 hours in advance of a committee vote and must be accompanied by a Congressional Budget Office analysis scoring how much it would reduce deficits.
If the panel fails to come up with the required cuts, automatic ones would be triggered in 2013 to reduce $1.2 trillion in spending, something CNNMoney calls the super committee's "escape hatch." Those cuts would be evenly divided between nondefense and defense items. If the cuts go that way, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta says the U.S. armed forces would be crippled.
Of course, no one in Washington really thinks that will happen as Congress made the law requiring the cuts, and lawmakers can change it however they like before 2013 rolls around.
On Monday morning, pundits on the Web were pointing out that politics still rule in the few months before a presidential election year and the divide between Democrats and Republicans shows no signs of being bridged.
The scientific analogy
A blog on The Economist says the super committee is more atom-smasher than friction reducer.
"The theory behind the super committee was that it would be a superconducting committee, eliminating the frictions caused by hundreds of clashing representatives in the House and Senate and zooming everyone straight along into a $1.2 billion deficit-reduction agreement. Instead, it seems to have become a supercolliding committee, focusing the two parties down into a narrower space so that the impact blasts everything into tiny subatomic particles."
That's because the two parties can't abandon the stances of their base voters, the article continues.
"For Democrats to have any chance of making gains in the 2012 elections, they need to demonstrate to their base that they will fight for higher taxes on the wealthy. They can't walk away from the super committee negotiations without a significant tax hike on the very rich. Similarly, it doesn't look like the Republicans can walk away from the super committee negotiations having allowed that to happen - if anything, they need to show they fought for a cut in the top marginal rate. Hence the supercommittee supercollider."
Pulling a victory from failure
Writing for Politico, Manu Raju and Jake Sherman say "both parties are quickly trying to figure out how to turn the committee’s embarrassing failure into a political win for their side."
Democrats will do so by saying they wouldn't OK a deal that didn't protect social programs while in some way increase taxes on the wealthy. Republicans will do that by saying they wouldn't give ground on demands that spending on entitlements take a hit.
Politico quotes senators from each party to show the hard line that exists in the panel.
“I’ve heard this from Republicans in the Senate and in the House who say to me, ‘The calculation politically has been made by many that they think they’re going to win the Senate, win the presidency, and they want to wait until next year and just write their own deal,' " Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) on NBC’s “Meet the Press” said Sunday.
“In Washington, there’s a group of folks that will not cut a dollar unless we also raise taxes,” Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) said tersely Sunday.
Writing on Time.com, Jay Newton-Small says "looming primaries - both presidential and congressional - have put bipartisan compromise even farther out of reach."
"If you’re, say, Senator Jon Tester, a Montana Democrat who has a tough re-election test ahead of him next November, what incentive would you have to vote for entitlement cuts, which would risk the support Native American tribes, seniors, lower income voters - the trifecta of constituents that are pivotal to winning statewide in Montana. On the flip side, if you’re, say, Rep. Paul Gosar, an Arizona Republican freshman of the Tea Party persuasion, voting for increased revenue could leave you open not just to a primary challenge, but also vulnerable to a conservative Democrat in the general election."
"Deficits remain a great threat to national security, as Mike Mullen, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, once put it. The committee’s failure risks a stock market dive amid a widening European crisis and another potential downgrade of America’s bond rating status. Small business lending could get tougher because of this debacle, the recession could drag out and unemployment could continue to stagnate. There are probably a dozen more winners and losers that I could name on the political spectrum. But the fact of the matter is, whatever short-term political gains anyone gets out of this, in the long run the American people lose."
New Hampshire schedules primary, ending tense maneuvering
New Hampshire will hold the nation's first presidential primary next year, on January 10, New Hampshire Secretary of State Bill Garner announced Wednesday.
The move ends week of tense maneuvering and negotiations with leaders in other states to ensure New Hampshire complied with state law, which says its primary must be the nation's first in an election cycle, and that there must be seven days between its primary and similar contests such as a caucus.
Iowa's caucus date on January 3, and the Nevada GOP's intention to have its caucuses on January 14, had New Hampshire considering putting its primary in December. But Nevada Republicans bowed to pressure and set their new caucus date for February 4.
New Hampshire's January 10 primary will be a week after the Iowa caucus and 11 days before South Carolina's primary on January 21.
The new primary date is more than a month earlier than New Hampshire's original date in mid-February. The primary calendar was thrown into flux when Florida moved its contest to January 31.
FULL STORY
Your Take: Obama's job plan was 'more of the same' or 'light' of hope
In a speech to a joint session of Congress, President Obama told lawmakers to "stop the political circus and actually do something to help the economy" by quickly approving a $447 billion package of measures so he can sign it into law.
"The people of this country work hard to meet their responsibilities. The question tonight is whether we'll meet ours," Obama said to applause. "The question is whether, in the face of an ongoing national crisis, we can stop the political circus and actually do something to help the economy. The question is whether we can restore some of the fairness and security that has defined this nation since our beginning."
In detailing the plan, he noted that there was nothing controversial in the bill and that everything was paid for. He spoke specifically to the need to get the economy up and running, help those who are unemployed, and give incentives to businesses that hire the unemployed and groups that are chronically underemployed.
How did you feel about Obama's job plan? We took a look at widespread reader comments, iReport reactions and Twitter reactions to the speech to see whether Obama presented a plan you liked, that you felt would work, or if he disappointed you. More than 16,000 reader comments (as of this post) came flying in, along with numerous iReports and tweets.
Robert Hallman told iReport that as a teacher a substitute teacher in Fort Worth, Texas, he's going to be looking for jobs once he starts an alternative teaching program.
When the president spoke about his job plans, he specifically referenced jobs for military members and teachers, something Hallman was happy to hear.
"If there will be more teaching jobs, that would be good for me," he said. "I have friends in the military as well as some college friends who might benefit by increased job opportunities."
Hallman praised Obama's speech, especially in comparison to how he felt Obama handled the debt ceiling issue, and was hopeful that this speech and bill would change things around.
"During the Deficit Ceiling negotiations the President was a no show, a non participant. He just let the two parties bicker, fight, and whine just like a room full of Kindergartners. Tonight the President had a strong showing. He told the members of Congress that they NEED to work together because WE the the People demand nothing less," Hallman wrote. "Overall the President showed us something that we haven't seen in a long time. A politician with belief and conviction."
Latest debt talks start
Congressional leaders are in talks Sunday evening with President Barack Obama at the White House, hoping to craft a comprehensive deficit reduction deal that appeared to stall earlier in the weekend.
The key players - including House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada - met in a White House conference room Sunday evening.
When asked before the start of Sunday's talks if a deal could be reached within 10 days, Obama told reporters, "We need to."
FULL STORYGOP ties job numbers to anti-tax stance in debt talks
Top congressional Republicans on Friday used the new dismal jobs report to blast Democrats' push for more tax revenue in the ongoing debt ceiling negotiations, arguing that such a move would derail an already shaky economic recovery.
Federal officials reported Friday that the economy added only 18,000 jobs in June - far below the number predicted by most economists. Unemployment inched up another tenth of a point to 9.2%.
"Today's report is more evidence that the misguided 'stimulus' spending binge, excessive regulations, and an overwhelming national debt continue to hold back private-sector job creation in our country," said House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio. "A debt limit increase that raises taxes or fails to make serious spending cuts won't pass the House."
FULL STORYThursday's live video events
President Obama heads to the World Trade Center site in New York today to honor the victims of the 9/11 attacks. Watch CNN.com Live for coverage on this story.
Today's programming highlights...
9:45 am ET - Exiting Afghanistan briefing - Now that Osama bin Laden is dead, what does this mean for the U.S. military's presence in Afghanistan? Two House lawmakers will unveil legislation calling for the president to submit a timeline for withdrawing U.S. troops from the country.
Thursday's live video events
The battle over the federal budget is dominating the talk in Washington today. CNN.com Live is there for all the latest developments.
Today's programming highlights...
9:00 am ET - House budget debate - House lawmakers will be focusing on the budget this morning when they resume their session on Capitol Hill. Senate debate resumes at 10:00 am ET.
Wednesday's intriguing people
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz
The Florida congresswoman will be named chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee, replacing Tim Kaine, who is running for the Senate from Virginia. Two women have previously been the chairs of the DNC: Jean Westwood in 1972 and Debra DeLee in 1994 and 1995. Debbie Wasserman Schultz has risen in the ranks of the Democratic Party since she took office in 2005. The congresswoman is a breast cancer survivor and the mother of three children. Many Americans may recognize her as one of the friends present at the hospital when Rep. Gabrielle Giffords first opened her eyes after being shot in January.
Rep. Curt Weldon
The former Pennsylvania congressman has arrived in Libya to meet with Moammar Gadhafi. Weldon wrote in a New York Times op-ed piece, "I've met him enough times to know that it will be very hard to simply bomb him into submission." Weldon wrote that he's going on the invitation of Gadhafi's chief of staff and called for an immediate U.N.-monitored cease-fire, "with the Libyan army withdrawing from contested cities and rebel forces ending attempts to advance."
Roxy Kurze
The Warren, Michigan, native found a kidney donor for her husband on Facebook. Though an infrequent user of the popular social networking site, Kurze wrote a post lamenting her husband's deteriorating condition, according to the Detroit News. She wrote, "I wish a kidney would fall out the sky," and "If someone knows a living type O donor, let me know." Not long after, Ricky Cisco replied, offering up his kidney.
Cliff Forrest
The 10-year-old from Pittsburgh gave the Super Bowl ring he bought with his college savings for $8,500 back to retired Chicago Bears player William "The Refrigerator" Perry. Perry had to sell the ring several years ago after being diagnosed with an autoimmune disease and falling on hard times. Forrest wanted to buy the ring and give it back to Perry, and the avid sports memorabilia collector told ESPN on Monday, "When I Googled Mr. Perry after I got the ring, I saw he had the disease and went through rough times. And I thought he needed it more than I did."
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Comments: 'Love him or hate him,' but Clinton fires up Democrats at convention
Editor's note: We're listening to you. Every day, we spot thought-provoking comments from readers. Here are some comments we noticed Thursday:
As former President Bill Clinton took to the stage at the Democratic National Convention, readers took to their cameras and keyboards to let us know what they thought about his speech Wednesday night and how the convention is going so far.
Five things we learned from Day Two of the DNC
Clinton has been a controversial figure not only for his politics but for his personal life and resulting impeachment. David P. Kronmiller of Burbank, California, alluded to this past, asking "does he help or hurt Democrats?" and referring to "mixed messages" even as he gave the former president good marks for his words.
"He's an excellent storyteller," Kronmiller said. "He's very good at telling the story of an event - in this case, Barack Obama's successes."
And then there's Mark Ivy, a CNN iReporter who says he leans toward Mitt Romney but was keeping an eye on "classic Bill Clinton" on Wednesday night. The Farmersburg, Indiana, resident said that although many people "love (Clinton) or hate him," he also felt that "no one knows how to reach out and touch the common folk better than the man from Hope," or exhibits better skills to "play to the base of the Democratic Party."
Some of the reaction came directly from Charlotte, North Carolina, site of the DNC events. The following two iReporters won a CNN contest to attend the DNC, just as others had gone to the Republican National Convention.
Omekongo Dibinga of Washington noted in his video commentary that he felt the speech was effective despite some controversy surrounding the convention's second day. FULL POST
Filed under: Barack Obama • Bill Clinton • Comments • Democratic Party • Israel • Politics • Religion