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      <title>Roll Call - Opinion</title>
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      <copyright>Copyright 2008 Roll Call. All rights Reserved.</copyright>
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      <pubDate>Thu, 28 Aug 2008 00:14:35 EDT</pubDate>
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         <title><![CDATA[Message Discipline]]></title>
         <description><![CDATA[The latest cartoon from R.J. Matson.]]></description>
         <link>http://www.rollcall.com/issues/54_22/rjmatson/27640-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS</link>
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         <title><![CDATA[Obama's Narrow Lead Harkens Back to 1980 Election]]></title>
         <description><![CDATA[Why isn't Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) doing better in the polls? As the convention opened, that question continued to grip political analysts and observers of all stripes. ]]></description>
         <link>http://www.rollcall.com/issues/54_22/ornstein/27633-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS</link>
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         <title><![CDATA[A Denver Nugget]]></title>
         <description><![CDATA[The latest cartoon from Mike Mikula.]]></description>
         <link>http://www.rollcall.com/issues/54_21/mikula/27572-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS</link>
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         <title><![CDATA[Barack Usain Bolt Obama]]></title>
         <description><![CDATA[The latest cartoon from R.J. Matson.]]></description>
         <link>http://www.rollcall.com/issues/54_21/rjmatson/27571-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS</link>
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         <title><![CDATA[Are There Grounds for an Ethics Complaint Against McCain? ]]></title>
         <description><![CDATA[Q: I do not believe Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) should be elected president, and I am doing whatever I can to prevent it. One idea that occurred to me was to file an ethics complaint against him. However, I wasn't sure whether a regular guy like me could file such a complaint with the Senate. May I? ]]></description>
         <link>http://www.rollcall.com/issues/54_21/davidson/27561-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS</link>
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         <title><![CDATA[Senator Straitjacket Is a Symptom of A Bigger Problem ]]></title>
         <description><![CDATA[Are you among those on Capitol Hill who are frustrated, and not a little embarrassed, by the single-minded dedication of just one minority Senator, Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), to successfully stop the legislative progress? Then you are standing in a long line, increasing in length on both sides of the aisle.  ]]></description>
         <link>http://www.rollcall.com/issues/54_21/guest/27559-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS</link>
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         <title><![CDATA[2008 oPod and oPhone]]></title>
         <description><![CDATA[The latest cartoon from R.J. Matson.]]></description>
         <link>http://www.rollcall.com/issues/54_20/rjmatson/27499-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS</link>
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         <title><![CDATA[With Vast Agenda, Obama Must Name His Priorities]]></title>
         <description><![CDATA[At a time of raging federal budget deficits, one big question emerging from Sen. Barack Obama's (D-Ill.) expansive agenda is: What are his priorities?]]></description>
         <link>http://www.rollcall.com/news/27478-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS</link>
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         <title><![CDATA[Summer Staycation]]></title>
         <description><![CDATA[The latest cartoon from R.J. Matson.]]></description>
         <link>http://www.rollcall.com/issues/54_19/rjmatson/27382-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS</link>
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         <title><![CDATA[When It Comes to Election 2008, You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet]]></title>
         <description><![CDATA[America's long national nightmare — the 2008 election — is coming to an end. But don't worry. We still have another painful, gut-wrenching three months of campaigning, TV ads, direct-mail pieces and political telephone calls that will fill up our answering machines, jam our mailboxes and disrupt our family dinners.]]></description>
         <link>http://www.rollcall.com/issues/54_19/rothenberg/27359-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS</link>
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         <title><![CDATA[Fixing Congress: Oil Companies Out, Voters In]]></title>
         <description><![CDATA[The indictment and arraignment two weeks ago of Republican Sen. Ted Stevens (Alaska) are yet more signs that Congress should move next year to decisively clean up its own house, rather than continuing to allow big business to furnish its house for it. Record lows in Congress' approval rating indicate that the public is weary of the pay-to-play culture on Capitol Hill. Sorely needed campaign finance changes are the next frontier now that new ethics laws are being implemented.  ]]></description>
         <link>http://www.rollcall.com/issues/54_19/guest/27339-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS</link>
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         <title><![CDATA[Do Democrats Want Obama to Be Another 'War President'?]]></title>
         <description><![CDATA[Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) clearly did not get a "bump" — or a "dump" — from his overseas trip. What his supporters may not have focused on is that he means to be, like George Bush, another American wartime president.]]></description>
         <link>http://www.rollcall.com/issues/54_18/kondracke/27267-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS</link>
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         <title><![CDATA[Loose Ends...]]></title>
         <description><![CDATA[The latest cartoon from Mike Mikula.]]></description>
         <link>http://www.rollcall.com/issues/54_18/mikula/27263-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS</link>
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         <title><![CDATA[Oil Laocoon]]></title>
         <description><![CDATA[The latest cartoon from R.J. Matson.]]></description>
         <link>http://www.rollcall.com/issues/54_18/rjmatson/27262-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS</link>
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         <title><![CDATA[Obama's Choices for Veep Are Far Better Than McCain's Are]]></title>
         <description><![CDATA[Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain hasn't had a bad couple of weeks. First, the presumptive White House nominee turns the conventional wisdom on its head and outpoints Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) on the Democratic hopeful's trip to Europe. Instead of Obama using his photo opportunities with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, French President Nicholas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel to convince American voters that he's ready to run this country, his trip nets him surprisingly little beyond criticism about his self-image.]]></description>
         <link>http://www.rollcall.com/issues/54_18/rothenberg/27261-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS</link>
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         <title><![CDATA[Time to Shift Jurisdiction Over Mass Transit]]></title>
         <description><![CDATA[Thomas Jefferson was not one who thought constitutions and other governmental arrangements should remain unchanged over time. ]]></description>
         <link>http://www.rollcall.com/issues/54_16/guest/27196-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS</link>
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         <title><![CDATA[Karl Rove's Medal of Contempt]]></title>
         <description><![CDATA[The latest cartoon from R.J. Matson.]]></description>
         <link>http://www.rollcall.com/issues/54_16/rjmatson/27195-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS</link>
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         <title><![CDATA[Pakistan's Democracy Deserves Full Support, Not Double Messages]]></title>
         <description><![CDATA[After lavishing praise, political support and military aid on Pakistani military dictator Pervez Musharraf for seven years, the Bush administration is curiously ambiguous in its attitude toward the country's four-month-old democratic government.]]></description>
         <link>http://www.rollcall.com/issues/54_16/kondracke/27179-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS</link>
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         <title><![CDATA[DCCC Money Could Tip the Balance in Races at the Wire]]></title>
         <description><![CDATA[With House Republicans still reeling over the party's brand problems, President Bush's unpopularity and the Democrats' advantage on every domestic issue, money remains a major headache for the National Republican Congressional Committee.]]></description>
         <link>http://www.rollcall.com/issues/54_16/rothenberg/27178-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS</link>
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         <title><![CDATA[Bridge to No Delivery]]></title>
         <description><![CDATA[The latest cartoon from R.J. Matson.]]></description>
         <link>http://www.rollcall.com/issues/54_15/rjmatson/27139-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS</link>
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         <title><![CDATA[Editorial: No Confidence]]></title>
         <description><![CDATA[It ought to be a matter of grave concern to Members of Congress of both parties — and a subject of reflection over the August break — that the Gallup Poll not only shows that Congress' approval rating is at 14 percent, a record low, but that only 16 percent of Americans have confidence in Congress, the lowest for any institution in America.]]></description>
         <link>http://www.rollcall.com/issues/54_15/editorial/27124-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS</link>
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         <title><![CDATA[Out-of-Step Brothers]]></title>
         <description><![CDATA[The latest cartoon from R.J. Matson.]]></description>
         <link>http://www.rollcall.com/issues/54_14/rjmatson/27087-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS</link>
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      <item>
         <title><![CDATA[McCain Vs. O'Obama]]></title>
         <description><![CDATA[The latest cartoon from Mike Mikula.]]></description>
         <link>http://www.rollcall.com/issues/54_14/mikula/27083-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS</link>
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         <title><![CDATA[Redistricting Must Be Fixed Before Census]]></title>
         <description><![CDATA[Partisan abuse of redistricting is one of Congress' dirtiest little secrets. The outrage over partisan gerrymanders fades well before the next census rolls around, and this travesty of our democracy never gets addressed.]]></description>
         <link>http://www.rollcall.com/issues/54_14/guest/27072-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS</link>
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         <title><![CDATA[Double Dare]]></title>
         <description><![CDATA[The latest cartoon from R.J. Matson.]]></description>
         <link>http://www.rollcall.com/issues/54_13/rjmatson/27050-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS</link>
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         <title><![CDATA[How Long Are the House Democrats' Really Long Shots?]]></title>
         <description><![CDATA[Everyone knows about the 40 to 50 GOP House seats at risk this cycle. But what about those lower-tier contests that some consultants and bloggers are pushing?]]></description>
         <link>http://www.rollcall.com/issues/54_13/rothenberg/27023-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS</link>
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         <title><![CDATA[Paulson Pan]]></title>
         <description><![CDATA[The latest cartoon from R.J. Matson.]]></description>
         <link>http://www.rollcall.com/issues/54_12/rjmatson/26977-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS</link>
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         <title><![CDATA[Obama Makes Gains Among Workers Hurt By Bush Economics]]></title>
         <description><![CDATA[A new book designed to show Republicans how to win the working-class vote actually makes a strong case that Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) will carry it.]]></description>
         <link>http://www.rollcall.com/issues/54_12/kondracke/26965-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS</link>
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         <title><![CDATA[Remembering Friend, Protector John Gibson]]></title>
         <description><![CDATA[My daughter jokes that he was tougher on her than I was. But in the case of Capitol Police Detective John Gibson, his influence on my family was not born of the years we were together, the thousands of hours, hundreds of meals and dozens of holidays we celebrated together. It was the man.]]></description>
         <link>http://www.rollcall.com/issues/54_12/guest/26952-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS</link>
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         <title><![CDATA[Can Obama Close the Deal? McCain May Yet Have a Say]]></title>
         <description><![CDATA[The next 15 weeks in the 2008 presidential race will be primarily about whether American voters are comfortable with Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) in the Oval Office. But that doesn't let presumptive Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) off the hook completely. His message and positioning will help determine whether he will remain a credible alternative to Obama.]]></description>
         <link>http://www.rollcall.com/issues/54_12/rothenberg/26947-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS</link>
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         <title><![CDATA[Too Big to Fail]]></title>
         <description><![CDATA[The latest cartoon from R.J. Matson.]]></description>
         <link>http://www.rollcall.com/issues/54_11/rjmatson/26912-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS</link>
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         <title><![CDATA[Rangel Case Would Be Perfect for New Ethics Commission]]></title>
         <description><![CDATA[I return today to an area where Congress has fallen woefully short of its responsibilities: ethics. I know that to regular readers, I sound like a broken record on this subject (well, at least for older readers, who know what a record is). But the reason I keep coming back to it is that Congress makes me, by failing to address the issue adequately or at all.]]></description>
         <link>http://www.rollcall.com/issues/54_11/ornstein/26901-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS</link>
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         <title><![CDATA[Glitches Ahead]]></title>
         <description><![CDATA[Eight years after the 2000 election fiasco in Florida, four years after horrendous voting delays in Ohio — and after Congress has dispensed $3 billion to the states to get the election process right — guess what? It's still not right.]]></description>
         <link>http://www.rollcall.com/issues/54_11/editorial/26900-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS</link>
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         <title><![CDATA[Rotundarama: Nuke Novice]]></title>
         <description><![CDATA[The latest cartoon from Mike Mikula.]]></description>
         <link>http://www.rollcall.com/issues/54_10/mikula/26873-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS</link>
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         <title><![CDATA[No Dummy]]></title>
         <description><![CDATA[The latest cartoon from R.J. Matson.]]></description>
         <link>http://www.rollcall.com/issues/54_10/rjmatson/26865-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS</link>
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         <title><![CDATA[Oil and Water]]></title>
         <description><![CDATA[The latest cartoon from R.J. Matson.]]></description>
         <link>http://www.rollcall.com/issues/54_9/rjmatson/26835-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS</link>
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         <title><![CDATA[What, Not Where Should Govern Internet Postings]]></title>
         <description><![CDATA[On June 24, Rep. Mike Capuano (D-Mass.) sent a letter to House Administration Chairman Robert Brady (D-Pa.) urging the committee to update its guidelines governing Member Web sites. While Capuano's proposal improved the status quo, it ignores the current practice by House Members.]]></description>
         <link>http://www.rollcall.com/issues/54_9/guest/26820-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS</link>
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         <title><![CDATA[For House Races Now, It's All a Question of Money]]></title>
         <description><![CDATA[It's no longer the time for mere scenarios or fundraising polling memos. Now is the time for serious candidates to show they have the fundraising energy and prowess to run top-shelf campaigns. ]]></description>
         <link>http://www.rollcall.com/issues/54_9/rothenberg/26816-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS</link>
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         <title><![CDATA[No Relief]]></title>
         <description><![CDATA[The latest cartoon from R.J. Matson.]]></description>
         <link>http://www.rollcall.com/issues/54_8/rjmatson/26767-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS</link>
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         <title><![CDATA[Obama Errs on Iraq, McCain on Economy, to Placate Party Bases]]></title>
         <description><![CDATA[The economic news is so bad that it's no wonder Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) is leading the presidential race. But he is giving political gifts to Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) on Iraq policy.]]></description>
         <link>http://www.rollcall.com/issues/54_8/kondracke/26761-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS</link>
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         <title><![CDATA[Jesse Helms Passes Baton to Next Generation]]></title>
         <description><![CDATA[Scores of people packed the memorial celebration for former Sen. Jesse Helms (R-N.C.), who passed away on July Fourth. The vice president attended. There were two planeloads carrying a bipartisan group of more than 20 current Senators. As I scanned the diverse crowd, I was impressed by the number of former staffers — some of whom worked for him decades ago — gathered at the service. This was a tribute to the fact that he was a man of unimpeachable character and integrity.]]></description>
         <link>http://www.rollcall.com/issues/54_8/guest/26749-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS</link>
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         <title><![CDATA[The Big 5: Picking the States That Will Pick the President]]></title>
         <description><![CDATA[It's far too soon to know whether the presidential contest will blow open into a laugher or remain competitive from now until Election Day. But if the race stays close until the end, a mere four or five states are likely to tell you whom the next occupant of the Oval Office will be.]]></description>
         <link>http://www.rollcall.com/issues/54_8/rothenberg/26748-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS</link>
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         <title><![CDATA[Contextual Cover Art]]></title>
         <description><![CDATA[The latest cartoon from R.J. Matson.]]></description>
         <link>http://www.rollcall.com/issues/54_7/rjmatson/26713-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS</link>
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         <title><![CDATA[Home Inspection]]></title>
         <description><![CDATA[Ordinarily, we'd support continuing the House and Senate ethics rules exempting lawmakers from having to list details of their primary residences on financial disclosure forms. We assume that the exemption was designed to offer Members a zone of privacy.]]></description>
         <link>http://www.rollcall.com/issues/54_7/editorial/26699-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS</link>
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         <title><![CDATA[Rotundarama: Monday Night Bailout-Parlay]]></title>
         <description><![CDATA[The latest cartoon from Mike Mikula.]]></description>
         <link>http://www.rollcall.com/issues/54_6/mikula/26679-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS</link>
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         <title><![CDATA[Heavy Lifting]]></title>
         <description><![CDATA[The latest cartoon from R.J. Matson.]]></description>
         <link>http://www.rollcall.com/issues/54_6/rjmatson/26678-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS</link>
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         <title><![CDATA[Bitter Whiners]]></title>
         <description><![CDATA[The latest cartoon from R.J. Matson.]]></description>
         <link>http://www.rollcall.com/issues/54_5/rjmatson/26616-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS</link>
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         <title><![CDATA[Where, Oh Where Are the Top House GOP Opportunities?]]></title>
         <description><![CDATA[Not a single Democratic House seat switched to the GOP in 2006 while Republicans were losing 30 Congressional seats.]]></description>
         <link>http://www.rollcall.com/issues/54_5/rothenberg/26599-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS</link>
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         <title><![CDATA[War Powers Proposal Gives the President Even More Authority]]></title>
         <description><![CDATA[A privately organized Commission on War Powers recommended last week that the 1973 War Powers Resolution be repealed and replaced by a Congressional Joint Committee on Consultation and new procedures to approve or disapprove a "significant armed conflict."]]></description>
         <link>http://www.rollcall.com/issues/54_5/procedural_politics/26598-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS</link>
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         <title><![CDATA[When Congress Overrules, Judges Should Listen]]></title>
         <description><![CDATA[When federal courts threw out lawsuits for victims of a train accident, Congress and President Bush responded last year by passing a law to ensure compensation for victims of preventable accidents. This month, two federal appeals judges said reinstating the lawsuits was now a no-brainer. But a third judge would have thrown out suits by victims of the very accident that prompted the amendment, giving it such a narrow reading that it would be practically repealed. Though his view did not prevail, the case presents a cautionary tale for lawmakers seeking to undo misguided court decisions.]]></description>
         <link>http://www.rollcall.com/issues/54_5/guest/26597-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS</link>
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