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July 11, 2011

'Man-cession' Ends as Males Learn New Job Skills By Michael Barone

Some of us called it the man-cession. In the deep recession that lasted from December 2007 to June 2009, according to the National Bureau of Economic Research, many more men than women lost their jobs.

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July 11, 2011

53% Favor Repeal of Health Care Law

Voters still want to see the national health care law repealed and remain more closely divided over whether the law will force them to change their existing health insurance coverage.

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July 10, 2011

Bohemian Grove -- Men Only By Debra J. Saunders

"Weaving Spiders Come Not Here" is the motto of San Francisco's Bohemian Club. The motto is supposed to represent the club's edict against doing business during its annual Bohemian Grove retreat, which commences on Thursday on 2,700 acres, 75 miles north of the city. As club spokesman and member Sam Singer explained, "It's a group of gentlemen who are really genuinely interested in arts, theater, jazz and rock 'n' roll." The retreat gives members a chance to "get away from work. It's forbidden to talk about or solicit business at the club or grove."

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July 10, 2011

Most Voters Think President Obama is More Liberal Than They Are

As they have consistently, voters continue to believe that President Obama is more liberal than they are, though that number has reached a new low.

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July 9, 2011

55% Say Decreased Government Spending Good for the Economy

President Obama and Congress are currently debating how deep to cut government spending and whether to include some tax increases as part of a budget deal. But voters feel more strongly than ever that decreasing government spending is good for the economy and think tax increases of any kind are bad economic medicine.

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July 9, 2011

What They Told Us: Reviewing Last Week’s Key Polls - Week Ending July 9, 2011

There was more bad news on the unemployment front Friday, and Americans continue to express little optimism that the elected officials they have now will be able to do anything about it. They also strongly question the national security direction the country has taken.

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July 9, 2011

Obama's Raw Deal? By Joe Conason

Suddenly Republican leaders in Congress, after months of staring down the Democrats over a potentially disastrous debt default, began blinking so fast that they might be signaling in Morse code. Although their message is muddled and illogical -- with House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., saying he can accept closing tax loopholes only if such measures are "revenue neutral," thus canceling their budgetary value -- the Republicans now appear to understand that they will be blamed by voters if the negotiations collapse.

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July 8, 2011

Why the Budgetary Game Is a Big Taxpayer Scam By Lawrence Kudlow

Here's some friendly fiscal advice: Anytime some Washington big-shot like Ben Bernanke or Tim Geithner claims that immediate spending cuts in the debt deal will harm the economy -- ignore them. Completely. You know why? Because in this great country of ours, spending never goes down. Never.

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July 8, 2011

70% Think Banks Should Loan Only To Those Best Able To Repay

While many policy makers worry that credit is too tight, most Americans think instead that people are borrowing more than they can afford.

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July 8, 2011

Hiring Expectations Peaked Last November

Last November, the Rasmussen Employment Index capped four months of improvement by reaching its highest level since February 2008. At that time, the number of workers who reported their firms were hiring (20.5%) was nearly equal to the number reporting layoffs (20.7%). That was the best net hiring number (-0.2) since the financial industry melted down in September 2008. It also turns out to be the peak of the post-bailout era.

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July 8, 2011

72% Favor Free Market Economy Over One Managed by the Government

Voters remain strongly supportive of a free market economy over one controlled by the government and still think small businesses are hurt more than big businesses when the government does get involved.

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July 8, 2011

Getting Away with Murder By Susan Estrich

Casey Anthony killed her daughter. She may not have meant to, and she may have been much more interested in her own social life than in her daughter's well-being, but I have absolutely no doubt that she was responsible for her daughter's death.

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July 8, 2011

U.S. and Europe Listing in the Same Boat By Debra J. Saunders

Three years ago this month, then-Sen. Barack Obama told an enthusiastic throng in Berlin, "In Europe, the view that America is part of what has gone wrong in our world, rather than a force to help make it right, has become all too common."

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July 8, 2011

18% Favor Military Draft, 30% Support Required Year of Public Service

Support among voters for a military draft is at its lowest level in several years, but nearly one-out-of-three voters favor mandatory public service.

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July 7, 2011

40% See Better Job In Their Future

American workers are more confident that their next job will be better than their current one, but most still aren’t looking for other work just yet.

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July 7, 2011

Plurality Sees Both Republicans, Democrats in Congress as Extreme

For the second month in a row, slightly more voters describe the Republican agenda in Congress as being more extreme than mainstream. Voters have consistently felt this way about the agenda of congressional Democrats.

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July 7, 2011

Americans Divided On Views of NAACP

As with many organizations that get caught up in partisan politics, the NAACP gets mixed reviews from the American public.

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July 7, 2011

75% See Vital U.S. Interests As Only Reason For Committing Military Forces to Overseas Action

Compared to the four presidents who followed him, Ronald Reagan had a more limited view of when to send U.S. military force into action overseas and voters today still embrace the more restrained use of force that he advocated.

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July 7, 2011

What the Strauss-Kahn Case Is Not About By Froma Harrop

The twisting rape case against former International Monetary Fund chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn has set off a whirlwind of journalistic creativity. Commentators are whipping a couple of broken eggs into a grand souffle of sweeping statements about the United States, France and their peoples. The facts still point to a violent sexual encounter between Strauss-Kahn and the African immigrant who accused him of attempted rape in the Manhattan hotel where she cleaned rooms.

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July 7, 2011

Racial Quotas, Speech Codes and the Thought Police By Michael Barone

It's racially discriminatory to prohibit racial discrimination. That's the bottom line of a decision issued last Friday, just before the Fourth of July weekend, by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.