Most important news story of the week ending February 20, 2009A: people in the French Caribbean are striking against high food costs and low wages
B: the Galeras volcano erupts in Columbia
C: President Obama visits Canada; Hillary Clinton makes Asia her first visit overseas as Secretary of State
D: the first of five former Khmer Rouge officials faces a UN tribunal in Cambodia
E: Venezuelan courts end term limits on Presidents allowing Chavez to run again (and again and again ...)
F: The American Reinvestment and Recovery Act becomes law despite no votes from House Republicans and only three votes from Senate Republicans; several Republican governors put on a show about how they might consider accepting the funds, while simultaneously declaring their ideological opposition to jobs and funding for their states even as people are still without power in the United States in the 21st century and California cuts thousands of jobs because it still can't pass a budget which (by the way) is rumored to be dependent on the vote of one Republican legislator, who's only constituency seems to be ideological talk radio. Oh, and then Meg "I fucked-up eBay, but not before leaving with my bonus and stock options" Whitman is running for governor of California as--get this--a Republican. *
G: an oil spill threatens the Celtic Sea and the Irish coast; a British nuclear submarine collides with a French nuclear submarine--both were reportedly carrying missiles at the time
H: President Obama may lift the photography ban on military coffins at Dover
I: One of the last-minute "incidents" that are a part of the Friday document dump (please see which in my reply)
J: Other (please see my pick for most important new story in reply)
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*
The enormity of the GOP's obstructionism looks much better when it's all written out.