Medvedev says Romney’s anti-Russia comment smacks of Hollywood

By Alexei Anishchuk – Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on Tuesday (Mar 27, 2012) a comment by U.S. Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, branding Russia the “number one geopolitical foe”, smacked of Hollywood.

“I would recommend all U.S. presidential candidates … do two things. First, when phrasing their position one needs to use one’s head, one’s good reason, which would not do harm to a presidential candidate.

“Also, (one needs to) look at his watch: we are in 2012 and not the mid-1970s,” said Russian President Dmitry Medvedev at the end of a nuclear security summit in the South Korean capital.

President Obama was overheard assuring Medvedev, who will hand over the presidency to newly elected Vladimir Putin in May, that he would have “more flexibility” to deal with arms-control issues after the Nov. 6 presidential ballot. more> http://is.gd/kMWL9p

Related articles

• Dmitry Medvedev Slams Romney’s Anti-Russia Comments, Says He ‘Smells Of Hollywood’ (mediaite.com)
• Russia’s Dmitry Medvedev tells Mitt Romney to ‘use head’, not Hollywood act (vancouversun.com)
• Russian president suggests Romney use reason, head (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• Overnight Roundup: Romney’s Sharp Words on Russia, Toni Johnson, Council on Foreign Relations
• Tracking the Issues: Obama Defends Remarks to Medvedev, Toni Johnson, Council on Foreign Relations
• Romney, GOP Pounce On Obama’s Russia Comment (npr.org)
  

Justices seem split over striking down healthcare law as arguments end

The Supreme Court Trauma Center
(Photo credit: DonkeyHotey)

By Sam Baker – Justice Anthony Kennedy, the court’s traditional swing vote, for a second day in a row appeared deeply skeptical of the healthcare law’s individual mandate, suggesting he could side with other conservatives to toss it out in a 5-4 vote.

Whether a majority of the court thinks that would necessitate striking the rest of the law remained a more muddled question after the third and final day of oral arguments, which offered the last public glimpse into the justices’ thinking before they retreat into private deliberations. more> http://is.gd/ESYIu5

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• Rough day for Obama healthcare law: Kennedy among mandate skeptics (theneteconomy.wordpress.com)
• Justices Split on Severability Question (myfoxphoenix.com)
• The Caucus: Divining the Supreme Court Health Care Arguments (thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com)
• Quote of the Day: Today’s Supreme Court Debacle (motherjones.com)
• U.S. Supreme Oral Arguments: Obamacare Mandates Or Forces American People To Buy Government Approved Insurance That They May Neither Need, Want or Afford–Young To Subsidize The Sick And Old–Unconstitutional And Illegal Power–Videos (raymondpronk.wordpress.com)
• Health Care Case Now in Hands of Court (myfoxny.com)
• Supreme Court Considers Impact of Striking Down Individual Mandate (legaltimes.typepad.com)
• Reactions: Lawmakers revert to talking points as justices leave them in the dark, Julian Pecquet, Hill
• Justices grapple with polarized Congress, Russell Berman, Hill
• Tracking the Issues: The Battle Over Health Care Reform, Toni Johnson, Council on Foreign Relations

Firewall fail: A tale both funny and sad

By Paul McNamara – “The building was locked down. No phones, no email, no paper coming in or out of the building, no ports on the computers, and (most unfortunately for a guy stuck with nothing to do) no Internet.

“But then one day, I saw one of the employees goofing off in some random chatroom. He explained that he had found it in the history tab after moving to a new computer. It was the site for a random radio station called Cities FM. I went to my own computer, and found many other sites I could access.” more> http://is.gd/41LWZc

The Ebbing Support for the Afghan War

By Toni Johnson – The bottom has fallen out for support for the war in Afghanistan from U.S. voters and is putting the squeeze on GOP presidential candidates, who must navigate between their party’s hawkish line and the public’s growing impatience.

“It’s a role reversal for the parties from 2008, when a Republican president was mired in a long and unpopular war and Democratic candidates, including Obama, tried to convince voters that they should take the reins,” says the Associated Press. Four years later, it is Republican candidates Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich who have been saying it is time to end action in Afghanistan, with Santorum saying allies there need to redefine the goal or “get out” and Gingrich saying the conflict there is simply not win-able.

President Barack Obama has remained steadfast that the United States would stick with the current timeline for withdrawal. more> http://is.gd/RetLZp

Related articles

• Updates from Congressman Allen West
• Afghanistan Massacre Blows Hole in GOP War Support (wired.com)
• Record number of Americans oppose Afghan war (capitolhillblue.com)
• GOP Rep. On Afghanistan War: ‘I Think We’re Getting Into An Untenable Situation’ (thinkprogress.org)
• Support for Afghan War Craters, Obama on Notice (blogs.the-american-interest.com)
• U.S. seeks more money for Afghan force – The Washington Post (mbcalyn.com)
• Army Vet: ‘Stubborn’ Generals Stifled Afghan Conflict (usnews.com)
• Santorum Wants US To Apologize For Alleged Afghan Civilian Massacre (lezgetreal.com)
• Support for Afghan War Wanes Among G.O.P. Candidates (nytimes.com)