#sid

Russia under President Putin is less democratic and less free today than when he assumed office. If Russia cannot fulfill its obligation to the G-8 and maintain a high standard of democratic governance then its membership should be suspended. ↗

— Vito Fossella

#cannot #democratic #free #fulfill #governance

In times of tumult, voters are likely to forgive a president, if not reward him, for compromises made in service of solutions. ↗

— Ron Fournier

#forgive #him #likely #made #president

Andrew Jackson was the first president to claim that the desires of the public overrode Congress's constitutional prerogatives. Virtually every president since Jackson has claimed the mantle, even while lacking two ingredients of an electoral mandate: a landslide victory and a specific agenda. ↗

— Ron Fournier

#andrew #claim #claimed #congress #constitutional

Hollywood has a history of raising expectations beyond Washington's reach, of appealing to the very American desire to mythologize political leaders, particularly the president. ↗

— Ron Fournier

#appealing #beyond #desire #expectations #history

I've often reflected on this in the past weeks as I've been following the presidential campaign: Very often, I thought it would have been great for both of these guys to sit down and be force-fed a couple of dozen episodes of Star Trek. ↗

— Patrick Stewart

#both #campaign #couple #down #dozen

Barack Obama may have found the answer to his biggest rhetorical challenge: When millions of voters are unemployed or underemployed, how does a president simultaneously sound realistic and optimistic? ↗

— Ron Fournier

#barack #barack obama #biggest #challenge #does

By nominating Chuck Hagel to be his Defense secretary, President Obama is putting forward an aloof contrarian who doesn't suffer fools - a striving politician who considers himself above politics. ↗

— Ron Fournier

#aloof #chuck #considers #defense #fools

Clearly, the Obama presidency hasn't wiped out racial prejudices. ↗

— Ron Fournier

#hasn #obama #obama presidency #out #prejudices

Climate change was a point of division between Obama and Republican rival Mitt Romney. The president declared climate change a global threat, acknowledged that the actions of humanity were deepening the crisis, and pledged to do something about it if elected. ↗

— Ron Fournier

#acknowledged #actions #between #change #climate

It's an appeal as old as America and its presidency: This is an extraordinary country populated by hard-working, big-dreaming, freedom-loving people graced by God when they're not pulling themselves up by the bootstraps. ↗

— Ron Fournier

#appeal #bootstraps #country #extraordinary #freedom-loving