For general discussion and debate. Possible talking point: Unemployment is higher among Dems and unaligned voters than among Republicans.

Data from Rasmussen Reports national telephone surveys shows that 15.0% of Democrats in the workforce are currently unemployed and looking for a job. Among adults not affiliated with either major party, that number is 15.6% while just 9.9% of Republicans are in the same situation.

Correlation or causation?

For general discussion and debate. Possible talking point: European lefties are slowly realizing that Obama is, well, American.

Barack Obama cast himself as a "citizen of the world" when he delivered his well-received campaign speech in Berlin in the summer of 2008. But the US president has now betrayed this claim. In his Berlin speech, he was dishonest with Europe. Since then, Obama has neglected the single most important issue for an American president who likes to imagine himself as a world citizen, namely, his country's addiction to fossil fuels and the risks of unchecked climate change...

Obama has proven himself to be unable to put an end to the lies that modern American society is based on.

An American president serving American interests? We're all doomed.

For general discussion and debate. Possible talking point: fake stimulus jobs are a "small problem"?

"[Joe Biden] thinks it is a relatively small problem involving a small number of jobs that exist, but which were entered into Recovery.gov with the wrong coding and therefore the wrong address," Biden spokesman Jay Carney said in an email. "He expects the problem will be fixed quickly."

Small number of jobs?! David Freddoso and I determined there were some 75,000 bogus jobs -- over ten percent of the number of jobs the administration claims the stimulus created -- just from compiling the numbers in a very limited number of media reports. A proper accounting would probably find the number of jobs is much higher. The vice-president and supposed "stimulus sheriff" shouldn't be downplaying the problems in the stimulus reporting. It's insulting.

It makes you wonder how disastrous a problem would have to be to considered "large".

For general discussion and debate. Possible talking point: Federal bureaucrats say costs of mammograms outweigh benefits.

Women in their 40s should stop routinely having annual mammograms and older women should cut back to one scheduled exam every other year, an influential federal task force has concluded, challenging the use of one of the most common medical tests.

...the independent government-appointed panel recommended the changes, citing evidence that the potential harm to women having annual exams beginning at age 40 outweighs the benefit...

The new guidelines also recommend against teaching women to do regular self-exams and concluded that there is insufficient evidence to recommend that doctors do the exams or to continue routine mammograms beyond age 74.

A sign of things to come?

For general discussion and debate. Possible talking point: 47 world leaders, one bow.

So if bowing is "protocol," as the administration claims, why is Obama the only one doing it?

What are today's big games and most surprising upsets?

For general discussion and debate. Possible talking point: "Going Rogue."

With her book coming out, and scheduled interviews with Oprah Winfrey and Barbara Walters, former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin will continue to be in the news this week.

Of course, this means she will continue to be trashed by all of her detractors in the media.

Question: has there ever been a political figure who wasn't a member of the White House that has received this kind of regular, constant trashing by the press? If so, who?

Time for college football. Big weekend. What are the must-see games. Predict today's biggest upset!

This has been such a wild week with so many things available for discussion we're going to let you choose the topics to debate.

For general discussion and debate. Possible talking point: ACORN employee caught on tape saying the organization actively worked to elect Obama.

So the main thing what happened is  when Obama ran, we did a, we didn't never say who we were going to run for but it sort of undercover that we were going to put Obama in...

We never declared because we have to be non-partisan--our national organization. But it was sort of like under the grapevine we knew we were going to put in Obama.

Breitbart strikes again.

 

For general discussion and debate. Possible talking point: Ft. Hood's implications for gun rights.

Last week’s shootings, which killed 13 people and wounded more than 30, demonstrated once again the folly of “gun-free zones,” which attract and assist people bent on mass murder instead of deterring them.

Judging from the comments of those who support this policy of victim disarmament, Smith’s desire for a gun was irrational. According to Paul Helmke, president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, “This latest tragedy, at a heavily fortified army base, ought to convince more Americans to reject the argument that the solution to gun violence is to arm more people with more guns in more places.”

Note how the reference to “a heavily fortified army base” obscures the crucial point that the people attacked by Hasan were unarmed as a matter of policy. Also note the breathtaking inanity of Helmke’s assurance that “more guns” are not “the solution to gun violence.” In this case, they assuredly were.

Where guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns. Seems pretty straightforward, no?

What are today's big NFL games and big upsets? Anything else you want to talk about related to sports?

For general discussion and debate. Possible talking point: PelosiCare passes by surprisingly narrow margin.

How many people watched much of the debate and vote Saturday? Regardless of the results, did you enjoy it? How do you think this sets up the Senate? Will this narrow margin make it very difficult for Reid to get 60 voters? What's up with the lone Republican Cao from Louisiana breaking ranks?

Finally, and maybe most importantly, do you think Stupak's abortion amendment impacted the final result actually allowing some moderate Democrats to vote for the bill? Or do you think this is a lot of hooey either because an equal or greater number of liberal Democrats especially women might have voted "Nay" because of that amendment passing or that Pelosi was going to get this passed no matter what she had to do?

Any other post mortems?

C-SPAN is currently showing the healthcare reform debate happening on the floor of the House. We may even see a vote this evening.

Feel free to offer your thoughts.

Other than LSU-Alabama and OSU-Penn State I don't see any really compelling matchups. Anyone disagree?

NBA and NHL now in full-swing. Anything catching anyone's eye?

Anything else, or can I go get some breakfast?

For general discussion and debate. Possible talking point: House ready to debate ObamaCare.

Will Pelosi and Company have the votes to jam down our throats something the American people seem strongly against?

Follow this breaking story here on this thread. Post updates as you find them so others can keep tabs. I've posted a Twitter updater below to make it easier to follow here at NB:

What are today's big games and big upsets?

For general discussion and debate. Possible talking point: Is the stock market rally over?

Friday was a bad day for stocks with all major indices losing several percentage points. Is this the beginning of a serious sell-off that could even test the March lows or just a much-needed correction after an historic move up?

From a more technical standpoint, is the reflation trade of shorting the dollar and buying commodities, in particular oil and gold, about to start a huge unwinding that will bring stocks with it? Has this entire runup in stocks and commodities way over-discounted any potential economic recovery given exploding budget deficits, tighter regulations, and the certainty of higher taxes in the future?

In sum, was this entire rally over-done, and reality is about to set in, or is it more likely that things at this time last year were not nearly as bad as what was advertised, and stocks now are better reflecting actual economic activity than they have in many months?

You think when the college football schedule was set up months ago they had any idea both Texas vs. OSU AND USC vs. Oregon would be such big games at the same hour? Anything else you're watching in this schedule?

Maybe more important, who is praying the Phillies beat the Yanks this series?

Anything else on your sports mind today?