Obama, Romney offer classic choices on big issues

Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney gestures as he speaks at the state fishing pier, Monday, April 30, 2012, in Portsmouth, N.H. (AP Photo/Jim Cole)

Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney gestures as he speaks at the state fishing pier, Monday, April 30, 2012, in Portsmouth, N.H. (AP Photo/Jim Cole)

President Barack Obama gestures while speaking to the Building and Construction Trades Department Legislative Conference, Monday, April 30, 2012, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

(AP) ? For the better part of a year, Mitt Romney has tethered himself to an array of positions designed for the Republican presidential primaries, stances that put him to the right of where he's been through much of his career and raise questions about where he really wants to go. President Barack Obama's politicking has tacked to the left, thanks to all those speeches to Democratic fundraisers and other activist-heavy events that play up the liberal in him.

Now, though, it's time for both politicians to start maximizing their appeal to the broad electorate, a task Obama had the luxury of starting early as the incumbent without an intra-party struggle to settle. And as they compete for that middle ground, the essential differences between them may become harder to see.

Those differences surely exist. Obama and his Republican challenger are offering voters a distinct choice on taxes, a sharp disagreement over health care and a classic ideological divide on social issues that neither candidate seems eager to talk about. So, too, Obama has shown he believes in the power of the purse ? or the power of debt ? to right an economic downturn in ways that Republicans find hard to swallow.

Take taxes. Romney and Obama are at odds over whether low taxes on the wealthy help fuel the engine of economic growth or are an unfair giveaway to people who don't need it.

That's far more than a debating-society point. Despite the substantial tax cuts Obama has supported since becoming president, he wants to push even more than in 2008 to raise taxes on the rich and on companies that outsource jobs. Romney wants lower rates for all incomes and no special tax penalties on corporate behavior.

Romney vows to try to roll back Obama's health care law if the Supreme Court doesn't do it in its pending ruling on the case, and to set a different course that lets states drive policy on that front.

Should he succeed, it would be a massive uprooting of one of the most significant reconstructions of social policy in generations. This from a man who, as Massachusetts governor, pioneered the approach Obama adapted for the nation at large.

Although presidential candidates rarely are explicit about it, they have a hefty interest in reworking the ideological balance of the Supreme Court, now with the slimmest conservative majority, should they get that chance.

Romney's opposition to abortion rights can't go very far when those rights were affirmed long ago by the court, but that could be a different story with the addition of another conservative or two. Obama's health care law would not be in judicial jeopardy if he'd been able to nudge the court left.

Both have records that defy easy labels.

Romney governed pragmatically in Massachusetts. He says he had no choice in a state so dominated by the opposing party. That record, along with his flips on some issues, has fed the perception that he's a man of the middle, not necessarily a terrible place to be in a general election. But if he's gone through the GOP race as a moderate in conservative's clothing, that's not to say he and Obama are indistinguishable on the big and little issues of the day.

Obama clearly believes in the value of regulation, despite efforts to roll back some burdensome rules. Romney just as evidently wants to cut them, despite assurances he's not looking to throw out the whole federal rulebook. Obama's environmental record is mixed, even disappointing, in the eyes of advocates, due to his aggressive posture on drilling and his failure to win a cap and trade law even from a Democratically controlled Congress.

But he still stands in contrast to an opponent who wants to open more protected waters for exploration, looks dimly on the potential of green energy, questions the science of climate change and blames environmental regulation for holding back the promise of American energy.

For all those Republican primary debates and Obama's time in office, there are blanks that need to be filled in for both.

Obama has not come up with a plan to rescue Social Security; his opponent has made more of a start on that by proposing to raise the future retirement age for full benefits by one or two years and to reduce inflation increases in benefits for wealthier recipients, while protecting the status quo for people 55 and over.

Romney's handling of any number of foreign policy crises cannot be seen until and unless they confront him in office, whereas Obama has a record to judge.

In any event, only so much can be read into their positions. The makeup of Congress after the election will determine whether a candidate's to-do list gets done, a reality often neglected when presidential candidates make bold promises.

Circumstance, too, will shape what gets done. Obama walked into a steep recession, with the financial sector, auto industry and housing market reeling. By necessity he became a manager on the fly, much as George W. Bush did when the terrorist attacks of 2001 changed everything for years to come.

Associated Press

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Size: 354.37 MB

Title: The Price of Pleasure: Pornography, Sexuality & Relationships (2008)
Year: 2008

Rating: 6.0
Genre: Documentary / Adult
Director: Miguel Picker / Chyng Sun
Writer: Chyng Sun / Robert Wosnitzer
Cast: Matthew Tennie / Gregory Mitchell / Stephanie Cleveland / Gabrielle Shaw / Eli Schemel / Gail Dines / Damone Richardson / Ariel Levy / Brandon Iron / Robert Jensen / Annie Cruz / Sarah Katherine Lewis / Joe Gallant / Ernest Greene / Richard Wolff
Plot: Once relegated to the margins of society, pornography has emerged as one of the most visible and profitable sectors of the cultural industries, assuming an unprecedented role in the mainstream of our popular culture at the same time that its content has become more extreme and harsh, more overtly sexist and racist. This eye-opening and disturbing film tackles the complexity behind this seeming paradox, placing the voices of critics, producers, and performers alongside the observations of men and women as they candidly discuss the role pornography has played in shaping their sexual imaginations and relationships. Honest and non-judgmental, The Price of Pleasure moves beyond the liberal versus conservative debates so common in the culture to paint a myth-busting and nuanced portrait of how pleasure and pain, commerce and power, liberty and responsibility have become intertwined in the most intimate area of our lives?
Runtime: 55

File: fico-lsaspt5.avi
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China, US in talks to allow Chen to leave: activist

Beijing and Washington are working on a deal to allow rights activist Chen Guangcheng to leave China for the United States with his family after he fled house arrest, a fellow activist said Tuesday.

Bob Fu, who runs the US-based group China Aid and has been in close contact with Chen and his supporters, said both sides were keen for a swift agreement ahead of key US-China talks that start on Thursday in Beijing.

Chen had initially been reluctant to leave China, but now accepted that it would be difficult for him to stay, and was prepared to go into exile in the United States as long as his family could accompany him, Fu said.

"The situation has changed on the past few days. He understands that there is no way he could return to Dongshigu now," Fu told AFP by telephone, referring to Chen's hometown.

"But he won't leave without his family -- if he had thought about that he would already have gone.

"The most viable scenario is to negotiate a quick deal to allow China to make a face-saving agreement."

That could involve China allowing the family to leave for medical treatment in the United States, said Fu, a former Tiananmen Square democracy activist who fled China in 1996 and now lives in Texas.

Fu did not reveal who his sources were, but said he had contacts with officials in China and Washington who said both sides were "working very actively to find a solution".

Chen, 40, a self-taught lawyer, escaped from house arrest in the eastern province of Shandong on April 22, and is now said to be under US protection in Beijing. His wife and young daughter are believed still to be in Dongshigu.

The affair threatens to overshadow key talks between US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and their Chinese counterparts scheduled for Thursday and Friday.

Neither the United States nor China has so far commented on Chen's whereabouts, underscoring the sensitivity of the situation.

But Clinton has in the past repeatedly criticised China's treatment of Chen, who won worldwide acclaim for exposing forced sterilisations and late-term abortions under China's policy restricting the size of most families.

He and his family were put under round-the-clock house arrest after he completed a four-year jail sentence in September 2010. He has said he was being punished for defiantly continuing to speak out.

Kenneth Lieberthal, a China expert who was a top aide to president Bill Clinton, said he believed the United States wanted a solution that is "the least embarrassing to China and to do so as expeditiously as possible."

"The question to my mind is whether in China this turns into a political football in a very political season. I think it's more likely to be resolved than to turn into a political football, but you never can predict this stuff," said Lieberthal, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution.

China is preparing for a once-in-a-decade political handover, with the communist leadership extremely keen to avoid any embarrassments as Vice President Xi Jinping prepares to succeed President Hu Jintao.

The facade of a smooth transition was already shattered when rising star Bo Xilai was dramatically ousted from China's inner circle in a scandal that involved his right-hand man seeking refuge, unsuccessfully, at a US consulate.

With the 2012 campaign well under way in the US, White House hopeful Mitt Romney has criticized Obama's China policy, saying he should challenge the rising Asian power more aggressively over its human rights record, trade practices and military expansion.

He has urged the administration to take "every measure" to protect Chen and his family.

Chen addressed Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao in a defiant video released after he somehow escaped from under heavy guard at his home, saying "Dear Premier Wen, I finally escaped."

He went on to detail the harsh conditions of his house arrest, beatings of his wife and mother at the behest of local officials in his hometown, and demanded an investigation.

Fellow dissident Hu Jia, who says he met with Chen following his escape, said Monday that Chen was "not seeking political asylum" but intended to stay in China and fight for protection of legal rights.

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Internet speeds drop around the world according to Akamai, adoption rate up

Internet speeds drop around the world according to Akama, adoption rate up

Here's an odd one: average connection speeds around the globe dropped 14 percent to just 2.3 Mbps during the last quarter of 2011. The drop off remains something of a mystery since the data used to calculate that result doesn't include mobile broadband (so its increased adoption can't be dragging down the whole) and Akamai offers no explanation. Still, it's not time to start panicking, just yet. Even though speeds in the US dropped 5.3 percent from the previous quarter, average connection rates are still up significantly over the previous year. Otherwise, things largely stayed the same. Global broadband adoption was steady at 66 percent and the US continued to trail its friends across the Pacific (by a lot) in the race for the fastest Internet connections.

Interestingly, while the number of broadband connections stayed consistent the number of narrowband lines (under 256 Kbps) declined dramatically. Yet, the percentage of the world's population connected to the web managed to increase 2.1 percent quarter over quarter -- and 13 percent for the year. So, while it may seem that the internet had a temporary set back in Q4 of 2011, the long term trends look good. The number of people online is increasing, the average speeds being pulled down by those people is climbing and the number of folks stuck in the dial up era is dropping. To get a copy of the full report hit up the source.

Internet speeds drop around the world according to Akamai, adoption rate up originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Apr 2012 17:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Acer Iconia Tablet Lightning Review: The Transformer Prime's Chubby Cousin [Android]

Acer isn't exactly the first name that pops into your head when it comes to top-tier tablets, but the company's trying to change that with the Iconia A510. But does it hit the sweet spot between performance and price? More »


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Dayana Mendoza Fired on Celebrity Apprentice


Dayana Mendoza's luck finally ran out this week on Celebrity Apprentice.

A current six-time boardroom veteran and one-time target of Lisa Lampanelli racial slurs, Dayana took charge as Team Forte's project manager this week.

Arsenio Hall stepped forward and led Team Unanimous to victory.

Dayana Mendoza Image

Dayana was in trouble from the start, as Clay Aiken took over the creative process and Lisa was just ... being Lisa. She threw a tantrum and stormed out.

On the plus side, Clay and Lisa bonded over their collective frustrations with Dayana.

Arsenio and Aubrey O'Day exchanged many evil looks, meanwhile, but Aubs' "Hollaback Girl" cheerleader theme for the song won out ... and won the task.

O'Day dominated the spotlight and discounted her teammates in the process, but when you win, the charity getting the prize money won't be complaining.

In the boardroom, Lisa and Clay threw Dayana under the bus, and after so many close shaves this spring, The Donald sort of reluctantly sent her packing.

Were you surprised to see Dayana go? Did she deserve it?

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Refresh Roundup: week of April 23rd, 2012

Refresh Roundup: week of April 23rd, 2012

Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!

Continue reading Refresh Roundup: week of April 23rd, 2012

Refresh Roundup: week of April 23rd, 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 29 Apr 2012 21:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Forget Magnets, This Working 1:48-Scale Wooden Roller Coaster Is the Ultimate Desk Toy [Toys]

Before high-tech engineering upped the ante on amusement park rides, coaster enthusiasts got their thrills riding wooden behemoths that felt like they were going to shake themselves apart. And now you can enjoy those same thrills from the comfort of your office chair. More »


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