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November 17, 2010

“Give Us Gridlock” By Howard Rich

While it lacks the panache of Patrick Henry’s impassioned “give me liberty” cry (which the Virginian borrowed from Cato, incidentally), the reality is that Republicans looking for a modus operandi in Washington next year could do a lot worse than “give us gridlock.”

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November 17, 2010

Americans Want a Chance to Vote on Deficit Commission’s Recommendations

President Obama’s bipartisan deficit reduction commission ultimately will propose tax hikes, spending cuts or a combination of the two to reduce the country's historic high debt, but most Americans feel they - and not Congress - should have the final say on whether the commission's proposals become law.

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November 16, 2010

51% Say It’s Possible to Balance Budget Without Raising Taxes

While President Obama’s bipartisan deficit reduction commission is considering a mix of spending cuts and tax increases to tackle the country’s growing deficit, a slight majority of voters now say it’s possible to balance the budget without raising taxes.

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November 16, 2010

Americans Don’t Think New Graphic Warnings Will Deter Smokers, But Raising Prices Will

Most Americans don’t think the FDA’s new graphic cigarette warning labels will decrease the number of smokers in the United States. However, they do think that raising the price of cigarettes would have an impact.

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November 16, 2010

Voters Still Give the Edge to Extending Bush Tax Cuts for All Taxpayers

Extending the so-called Bush tax cuts is front and center as the lame duck Congress returns this week, and voters still hold a slight preference for continuing those tax cuts for all Americans rather than continuing them for all but the wealthy.?

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November 16, 2010

SUCCEEDING IN YOUR BUSINESS: Forming a Limited Liability Company To Shield Assets from Creditors

"I am starting a new Internet business in my spare time, and have considered forming a limited liability company (LLC) for this business. I also owe a ton of money to some people, and there's a good chance I may have to file personal bankruptcy in the next year to two years. I have heard that if an LLC has only one member, it doesn't really protect you because your 100 percent ownership interest in the LLC becomes just another asset your creditors can attack.

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November 16, 2010

Voters View a Jeb Bush Presidential Run as a Long Shot

A third Bush in the White House? Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush has ruled out a presidential bid in 2012 but isn’t closing the door on running after that.

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November 16, 2010

Liberals Have Much to Like in Deficit Plan By Froma Harrop

Many liberals went bananas over the new plan to reduce deficits. The ideas put forth by the chairmen of President Obama's bipartisan deficit commission ignore their priorities, they lament.

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November 15, 2010

Generic Congressional Ballot: Republicans 45%, Democrats 40%

Republicans now hold a five-point lead over Democrats on the Generic Congressional Ballot for the week ending Sunday, November 14, 2010. The Republican lead is now half what it was a week ago and is the smallest gap between the two parties since the beginning of October.

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November 15, 2010

Americans Less Certain About Commission’s Plan to Reduce Deficit

The chairmen of President Obama’s bipartisan deficit reduction commission released draft proposals Wednesday that included plans for tax increases and spending cuts for entitlement programs that drew sharp criticism from both sides of the political aisle.Americans are now a bit less sure as to whether the commission will push more tax hikes or more spending cuts in order to reduce the deficit.

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November 15, 2010

63% Say Renewable Energy is A Better Long-Term Investment for America Than Fossil Fuels

Looking at the future, most voters think investing in renewable energy sources, like wind and solar, is a better long-term investment for America than investing in fossil fuels.

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November 15, 2010

A Majority Now Sees Bush As Somewhere in Between Best and Worst Presidents

As George W. Bush tours the country promoting his new memoir, “Decision Points,” voters are a bit less critical of the former president than they’ve been in previous years.

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November 15, 2010

58% Favor Repeal of Health Care Law, 37% Oppose Repeal

Voters continue to favor repeal of the new national health care plan, and most continue to believe the law will be bad for the country overall.

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November 15, 2010

Bush Had Ups and Downs, but the Surge Counted Most By Michael Barone

George W. Bush is sitting on a hotel sofa in front of a south-facing window on a sunny November morning. His presidential memoir, "Decision Points," is No. 1 on amazon.com and is expected to be No. 1 on the New York Times bestseller list. "I've got a very comfortable life," he says.

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November 14, 2010

41% Now Say “Buying American” Is Top Factor When Purchasing a Car

When looking for a car, adults nationwide now say buying American-made is as important as finding the best deal.

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November 14, 2010

Two Wonks with One Plan About Too Much Debt By Debra J. Saunders

The draft deficit-reduction proposal released last week by former Clinton White House Chief of Staff Erskine Bowles and retired GOP Sen. Alan Simpson of Wyoming -- the co-chairmen of President Obama's bipartisan commission on reducing the national debt -- has the feel of what two wonks might draw up on cocktail napkins in a bar. It's a bit too easy for two unelected guys to hash out a plan that tells other people what they have to give up -- just to be fair.

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November 13, 2010

America Wants What America Makes

When it comes to purchasing products, Americans want their goods home-grown.

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November 13, 2010

What They Told Us: Reviewing Last Week’s Key Polls - Week Ending November 13, 2010

Now that the elections are behind us, 76% of voters think it’s at least somewhat likely that the outgoing Congress will try to pass major legislation during a lame-duck session before the newly elected Members of Congress take office. While most expect them to try, just 36% believe they should.

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November 13, 2010

The Unrecorded Moment By Susan Estrich

I can't quite remember certain things that happened in college, particularly during my junior year "abroad" at Dartmouth. I'm sure some of that is age (in this case, a rare blessing), but the larger part is that I don't want to remember. And I can't imagine wanting anyone else to, either, at least not with any greater accuracy than their equally limited memory should allow.

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November 12, 2010

49% Favor Less Time Between Election Day and the New Congress

Most new members of the U.S. Senate and House won’t be seated until two months after their election, and a plurality of Americans think that’s too long a time.