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    • Sources: DNC Florida Compromise Reached, Michigan Deal On The Table

      Posted by Jeff from Huffington Post

      The Michigan compromise, details of which must still be worked out, would give the majority of delegates to Clinton, who won 55 percent of the vote in the state's primary. Those with knowledge of the RBC's inner dealings say the potential deal involves all of the candidates who took their names off the state's ballot voluntarily agreeing that the now-uncommitted delegates would go to Obama. The Illinois Democrat, accordingly, would receive 40 percent of delegates. Clinton nets roughly nine delegates on Obama under this scenario.

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      Is the Secret Service Investigating Liz Trotta a

      Posted by theangryindian from Angryindian.blogspot

      FOX News political pundit Liz Trotta jokingly suggested this weekend that someone should assassinate an American presidential candidate. She had first 'mistakenly' referred to Obama as 'Osama' while discussing theories that Hillary Clinton's recent comments about the RFK assassination was in fact a suggestion that someone 'knock off Osama.' When she was corrected and reminded that she meant 'Obama,' she then said, 'Well, both if we could.'

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    • Karin Badt: Miracle at St. Anna: A Preview of Spike Lee's Upcoming Film

      Posted by Jeff from Huffington Post

      Spike Lee presented an eight minute clip of his upcoming movie Miracle at St. Anna yesterday, to a handful of Italian journalists in a huge near-empty theater. "Your editor Barry Brown told me a lot about this movie," I said, finding Spike comfortably slouched in his seat under his black baseball cap. "You do know Barry?" I continued. "I mean..." "My editor? Do I know my editor who's edited all my films for twenty years? Or are you telling me there's some anonymous guy who's been doing my films all these years? Of course, I know Barry!"

      Below, Barry's comments about what it was like to edit this film, Spike Lee's first shot in Europe, last fall in what both director and editor say was a most pleasurable sojourn in Florence, with an entirely Italian crew. The film, based on the James McBride novel of the same name, is about an all African-American military division during World War II, who fight off fascists and Nazis and save a young Italian boy. The clip was wildly lively, with running soldiers through gorgeous Tuscan hills, a crescendo of music, and a heartfelt ending comment: "I do believe in miracles."

      As does Spike Lee himself, he piped up later in a discussion in soft white chairs on the Grand Hotel beach. "Of course I believe in miracles. They happen to me. I mean I haven't seen blood pour from the face of Jesus, but I have had real miracles in my life. For example, the fact that this movie was even made is a miracle. Inside Man was my most successful movie ever made, and I still found it difficult to get financing for this film. So we went to Italy anyway and started shooting. Then the money poured ... well let's say trickled in."

      "Miracles ... yes, I notice you're wearing a cross," said a young redhead German journalist, sitting to Spike's right.

      Spike Lee touched his silver cross: studded with skulls.

      "I hope it's not from Indiana Jones?" I noted. Skull amulets had been handed out at their party.

      "Indiana Jones? Indiana Jones! This is from Mexico: the Day of the Dead. A great holiday. They honor their dead."

      The conversation quickly turned political -- and stayed that way. Right before our meeting, at the Clint Eastwood press conference, a journalist had asked Clint Eastwood to respond to Spike's controversial comment about him. The moderator had had the microphone grabbed out of the hand of the journalist and yelled that her comment was "absolutely inappropriate" -- that politics had no place in the discussion of Eastwood's (subtly right-wing) film. He cut her off with a wave of his hand, the first time I had ever seen that happen.

      What was this controversial comment?

      "Controversial? Are you kidding me?" Spike who had seemed reserved, quietly posed in his seat, knees together, suddenly burst out in a bemused laugh. "I just said that in two of his films, Flags of Our Fathers and Letters from Iwo Jima. he had no black soldiers. And I wondered why. That was controversial? It was an observation!"

      "Today is a very exciting day," he continued. "An exciting day in American politics and in world politics. Obama won the primaries in Kentucky and Oregon, and will have the necessary delegates to run for president. It's important not just for the US, but for the world. After eight years of Bush, this will be a great thing. If Obama wins the presidency, it will do a huge thing for the world -- and, with time, change the image of the US abroad."

      How do films connect with politics?

      "They are totally political. You think it is a coincidence that Native Americans were portrayed as savages in skirts in Westerns? That was on purpose. Do you think Griffin's degradation of black people in Birth of a Nation was a coincidence? That was thought out. When I was in film school, they talked about Griffin's importance, but they left out the fact that the film was used for propaganda by the Klan. Not to say that a film like that can't also have influential filmic value. Star Wars with a Leni Riefensthal shot: everyone lined up in the frame. George Lucas admitted it."

      Back to his work: how would Spike Lee summarize his own style of filmmaking?

      "Make do what you got."

      Quite a condensed comment...

      "Simplicity is great," he said, and then with another spontaneous chuckle, he became serious again and walked off.

      ....AND FROM BARRY BROWN, SPIKE LEE'S EDITOR

      Spike and I go way back. Counting everything -- the features, the commercials and music videos, Miracle at St. Anna is almost our 80th project together as director and editor. We came up through the business together, so after all these years a shorthand has developed between us. But even though it's been many years now, Spike brings an energy to each and every project as if it's one of the first. I just try to keep up.

      Miracle was a joy to work on. First there were months on being on location in Italy. That can't be beat. The film itself was a challenge for me and that makes the editing process a lot more interesting. It was a war film which I had never cut before. The cast included great Italian and German actors delivering scenes entirely in a language that I don't speak. And the film has an epic quality to it. The very rhythm of the film therefore has to be different than what I had done before.

      My father was in World War II. That war fascinated me and Miracle forced me to think about what the real experience of the war must have been like. Of course, there is no way to know without having lived through it, but somehow Miracle brought me closer. I recently met a 90 year old man who had been a photographer during the landing on Omaha Beach on D-Day. I found myself hanging on to his every word as he described that day with emotion and with humor. I'm not so sure I would have been quite as captivated if had not been so deeply affected by Miracle at St. Anna.

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  1. thumbnail

    speedtraphunter comments on:

    Janet Napolitano, Homeland Security Secretary?

    Reply »

    12:20 am 11/22/08
  2. thumbnail

    dude comments on:

    Janet Napolitano, Homeland Security Secretary?

    if her decades of failing to secure the Mexico-AZ border are any indication, then she should do a real bang-up job securing the whole country

    Reply »

    12:15 pm 11/20/08
  3. thumbnail

    aquaisland comments on:

    Obama On Economic Crisis, Transition, Also Discusses National Security, Iraq, And His Cabinet On 60

    The followimg link speaks to the main reason why the United States is in the predicament it is today,hopefully others will agree.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bw257IgnW9w

     

    Reply »

    12:10 pm 11/19/08
  4. thumbnail

    Damianmann comments on:

    Obama advisers: Bush era war criminals will walk

    I think it’s time to say no to this. If we supported Obama to bring about change, then we have to insist that’s what he delivers

    Reply »

    5:08 pm 11/18/08
  5. thumbnail

    oneohone comments on:

    Obama advisers: Bush era war criminals will walk

    If there ire defined, provable crimes, they should be prosecuted but we don’t need a witch hunt.

    Reply »

    3:30 pm 11/18/08
  6. thumbnail

    oneohone comments on:

    Absent Obama is front-and-center in capital - Economy in Turmoil

    It was probably a good political move but I think Obama should have been there as president elect.  He will have to make these decisions in 2 months.

    Reply »

    5:34 pm 11/16/08
  7. thumbnail

    charlieprofit comments on:

    Obama's Transparent Presidency: Weekly YouTube Addresses

    Obama will cause more of a recession. He wants to implement all kinds of programs. The money has to come from somewhere. We already know he is going to raise taxes on the very companies that provide jobs to the people. In order for those companies to afford the increase, prices will go up. People will buy less. Employees will get laid off. Welfare will be at an all time high. With the US Gov handing out checks, there will be a larger influx of immigrants (legal and illegal) which will put even more strain. McCain would NOT raise those taxes and would create incentives to stimulate job growth which would obviously get the economy going. Can it be explained any more simple?

     

    Reply »

    4:38 pm 11/16/08
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    Jeff

    Member since Nov 2008

    Jeff is the founder of NewsCloud. He is also a freelance writer and blogs at Idealog.

    Seattle


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    Damianmann

    Member since Nov 2008

    Damian proudly worked to elect Barack Obama and turn Nevada blue.

    Las Vegas


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    jdbe

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    Sandyenglish

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    Villagenyc

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    East Village via Bama.

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