UK PM David Cameron criticizes 'The Iron Lady' (AP)

LONDON ? Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron has criticized the film, "The Iron Lady," arguing that its timing was poor.

Cameron told the BBC on Friday that the film that depicts an aging ex-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher should have been made "another day." He says it is more about dementia than an "amazing prime minister."

Cameron says one must wonder, "why do we have to have this film right now?"

But Cameron went out of his way to praise Meryl Streep, who portrays Thatcher. He says she was "fantastic."

One of the country's most divisive leaders, Thatcher led Britain from 1979 until 1990. She fought a war with Argentina over the Falkland Islands, saw the fall communism and was branded the Iron Lady by Soviet journalists for her steely resolve.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/britain/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120106/ap_on_re_eu/eu_britain_cameron

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[OOC] Horseback Summer

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U.S. Catholic Church?s Chief Homophobe Gets Promotion

Some things never change. One of the unshakable axioms of the Catholic church is that bishops who toe the line get promoted. This morning, the Vatican presented American Catholics with exhibit A when it announced that New York archbishop and United States Conference of Catholic Bishops president Timothy Dolan will be elevated to the rank of cardinal by Pope Benedict XVI next month.

Considering that the New York archdiocese is widely regarded as the spiritual heart of the Catholic church in America and that eight out of New York?s ten archbishops have been named cardinals, it was only a matter of time before Dolan got the red hat. Still, given the great deal of respect Dolan?s peers have for the archbishop, the visibility of his current office, and the fact that his charm and media savvy have made him the de facto face of the American Catholic church, many people were surprised that it took Rome this long to move on his promotion.

USA-CATHOLICS/I find it particularly telling that Benedict only created Dolan a cardinal after he made the fight against marriage equality a top priority of both his episcopate and the USCCB. In New York, Dolan spearheaded the opposition to the state?s marriage equality law. While the bill was being debated, Archbishop Dolan frantically worked to torpedo it, saying that allowing loving and committed same-sex couples the freedom to marry would turn the State of New York into a communist dictatorship. He called marriage equality ?perilous,? ?detrimental for the common good,? and a ?violation of what we consider natural law that?s embedded in every man and woman.? He railed against same-sex marriage in a series of blog posts, characterizing it as ?Orwellian social engineering.? In the same post, he compared marriage equality to polygamy, and went further in an interview on 60 Minutes in March, saying ?I love my mom. I don?t have the right to marry her.?

Dolan?s anti-gay rhetoric didn?t stop after the law passed. He whined that he had been tricked by the politicians who cast their votes for fairness and lied that Catholic churches in his diocese were being threatened with lawsuits intended to force them to perform same-sex weddings, despite the fact that the law explicitly prohibited such suits. And he doubled down on his rhetoric about the ?threat? to marriage posed by loving same-sex couples, comparing their marriages to ?polygamy, adultery, and forced marriages.?

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has taken a similarly aggressive tack under Dolan?s leadership, forming a so-called subcommittee ?for the Promotion and Defense of Marriage? dedicated to opposing equal marriage rights. This group is so extreme that its Policy Advisor for Marriage and Family, Daniel Avila, was forced to resign late last year after publishing an inflammatory column in which he stated that homosexuality is caused by Satan.

Apparently, engaging in consistent spiritual abuse of LGBT people so endeared him to Catholic leaders in Rome that they gave him a promotion. The worst part? All cardinals under the age of 80 are eligible to vote in a papal conclave (election). Benedict XVI is in failing health, and Dolan?s young age (at 61, he?s a veritable spring chicken among his fellow cardinals, whose average age in 2010 was 78) ensures that he?ll be able to help vote another anti-gay pope into office after the current one dies, and is likely to be able to repeat the feat at least once more. And the cycle of institutional homophobia in the Catholic church continues.

Tags: Archbishop Timothy Dolan, Benedict XVI, cardinal, Catholic, Catholic Church, College of Cardinals, institutional homophobia, John Becker, marriage equality, New York, New York archdiocese, New York marriage equality, promotion, Timothy Dolan

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Source: http://www.truthwinsout.org/blog/2012/01/21303/

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Natural gas, oil boom spurs sand mining in Midwest

CHIPPEWA FALLS, Wis. (AP) - The rolling hills and scenic bluffs of western Wisconsin and southeastern Minnesota hide a valuable resource that has sparked what's been called a modern-day gold rush.

The object of desire is not gold but a soft sandstone needed by drilling companies to unlock underground natural gas and oil supplies in a controversial practice called hydraulic fracturing, or fracking.

Largely overlooked in the national debate over fracking is the emerging fight in the U.S. heartland over mining "frac sand," which has grains of ideal size, shape, strength and purity. Mining companies say the work provides good jobs in rural areas, but some residents fear the increase in mining could harm human health and the environment.

"More and more people are waking up to the fact that there are difficulties with this massive explosion," said Pat Popple, a retired school teacher and principal and anti-sand mining activist.

U.S. frac sand producers sold or used more than 6.5 million metric tons of sand worth $319 million in 2009, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The tonnage likely will have doubled when 2010 data is released, said Thomas Dolley, a USGS mineral commodity specialist who follows the silica mining industry.

"It's huge," Dolley said. "I've never seen anything like it, the growth. It makes my head spin."

Nearly three-fourths of frac sand comes from the Midwest. It's shipped by rail hundreds of miles to the oil and gas fields of Texas, Pennsylvania and North Dakota, where drillers mix it with water and chemicals, then force it deep underground to fracture shale deposits that hold gas and oil that couldn't be tapped conventionally. Critics say the process can diminish water quality and even cause earthquakes.

John Felmy, chief economist with the American Petroleum Institute, said opponents of hydraulic fracturing are "fundamentally misguided" and the environmental fears are unwarranted. The surge in sand mining has extended the domestic energy boom to portions of the country that don't produce much fuel, bringing jobs and economic development, he said.

Frac sand mining has had a foothold in Wisconsin's Chippewa County since 2008. The most visible sign is the huge new EOG Resources Inc. plant in Chippewa Falls, where a steady parade of shiny new trucks delivers a load of orange sand from a nearby mine every few minutes.

The plant, which is still in the start-up phase, will bring 40 to 50 full-time jobs to the community, while mining contractors now employ about 25 people and the trucking company that delivers the sand has added over 70 jobs, company spokeswoman K Leonard said. About 90 percent of the 38 employees EOG has hired so far are from the area, she said.

But not everyone is excited about the growth. On a recent windy day, Heather Andersen, of Bloomer, another retired schoolteacher turned activist, watched as gusts of 30 to 40 mph blew dust off sand piled up at the Superior Silica Sands LLC mine northwest of Chippewa Falls. She said she saw no signs the mine kept the sand watered down to suppress the dust.

"That stuff you see is not dangerous," Andersen said. "It's the stuff you can't see."

Activists say frac sand isn't ordinary sand. They fear fine silica dust from the mines and plants will make people sick, spoil the landscape and contaminate ground water.

Fresh, fine silica dust is a well-documented health risk blamed for lung diseases such as silicosis, cancer and autoimmune diseases, but most published research is about workplace dangers, said David F. Goldsmith, an expert on silica hazards and professor of environmental and occupational health at George Washington University.

Crispin H. Pierce, an environmental public health professor at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Clare, said more information is needed about the risks of frac sand mining. Fresh silica dust has grains with sharp, jagged particles and is more dangerous than the weathered silica found in dirt, although it weathers quickly, he said.

His limited testing for dust outside the EOG plant hasn't found "levels of concern so far," Pierce said. But until more is known, it makes sense for Wisconsin and other frac sand states to follow the leads of states like Texas and California in setting environmental silica standards, he said.

Houston-based EOG Resources, a Fortune 500 oil and natural gas company, says it has worked to address local concerns about dust, safety and the environment at its mines and sand processing plant in Chippewa Falls.

The main mine serving the plant is surrounded by berms, with vegetation to improve aesthetics, Leonard said. Most of the plant's equipment is enclosed and the conveyor, storage and filtration systems are designed to reduce dust. The plant monitors air quality and the company will monitor groundwater at its three mine sites in Wisconsin, she added.

"We look forward to being a good steward of the Chippewa Falls environment and a good community partner with the citizens of Wisconsin," Leonard wrote in an email.

Some counties in Minnesota and Wisconsin have responded to health and environmental concerns by passing mining moratoriums to buy time for more study. Others are debating whether to hit the brakes on further mine development.

In southeastern Minnesota, Jim Gurley has joined with other residents to try to persuade the Winona County Board to adopt a one-year mining moratorium. Like many activists, they're focusing on local concerns, sounding the alarm over the already increased truck traffic from mines in Wisconsin crossing the Mississippi River to a processing plant in Winona, Minn.

Wabasha and Goodhue counties in Minnesota and Pepin and Eau Claire counties in Wisconsin have already adopted moratoriums, although Eau Claire County's is for just six months.

"It's been described by the mining officials as a gold rush," Gurley said. "It's a sand rush. A lot of us are saying 'What's the rush?' The sand is going to be here a year from now."

Source: http://www.katu.com/news/business/Natural-gas-oil-boom-spurs-sand-mining-in-Midwest-136813848.html

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[Big Black Swan] Extremely well said. I pray our next president installs you as the next welfare

To: KLP who wrote (463663)1/5/2012 10:34:23 PM
From: Big Black Swan2 Recommendations&nbsp? of 463732
?
Extremely well said. I pray our next president installs you as the next welfare czar. (Btw, how did the use of "czar" creep into our language? Imported straight from the Russians - I suppose the use of that word in itself shows the problem of big government).

Source: http://siliconinvestor.advfn.com/readmsg.aspx?msgid=27863826

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ViewFromVegas: Tuley the Tout hopes his NCAA postseason success carries over to NFL: Texans -3, DET-NO Under ?, Falcons 3, Broncos ? http://t.co/pqqWB8z3

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Tuley the Tout hopes his NCAA postseason success carries over to NFL: Texans -3, DET-NO Under ?, Falcons +3, Broncos +? bit.ly/x4AjnK ViewFromVegas

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Japan Braces for Loss of Iranian Oil

TOKYO?Japan, under intensifying pressure to join sanctions proposed by the U.S. and Europe, is bracing for the possibility of curbing its imports of Iranian oil, with some refiners seeking other sources.

A Japanese government official said Thursday the country will likely have to reduce imports from Iran substantially, though it hopes to avoid an embargo that would completely cut off the country that provided 8.8% of Japan's crude-oil imports over the first 11 months of 2011.

Meanwhile, an executive of Japan's petroleum association said refiners are already looking for oil to replace some of what the country now buys from ...

TOKYO?Japan, under intensifying pressure to join sanctions proposed by the U.S. and Europe, is bracing for the possibility of curbing its imports of Iranian oil, with some refiners seeking other sources.

A Japanese government official said Thursday the country will likely have to reduce imports from Iran substantially, though it hopes to avoid an embargo that would completely cut off the country that provided 8.8% of Japan's crude-oil imports over the first 11 months of 2011.

Meanwhile, an executive of Japan's petroleum association said refiners are already looking for oil to replace some of what the country now buys from ...

Source: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203471004577142423285170792.html?mod=fox_australian

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Celeb birthdays for the week of Jan. 8-14 (AP)

Jan. 8: Actor-comedian Larry Storch ("F Troop") is 89. Actor Ron Moody is 88. Singer Shirley Bassey is 75. Country-gospel singer Cristy Lane is 72. Singer Anthony Gourdine of Little Anthony and the Imperials is 71. Guitarist Robby Krieger of The Doors is 66. Singer David Bowie is 65. Actress Michelle Forbes ("Homicide," "Star Trek: The Next Generation") is 47. Singer R. Kelly is 45. Bassist Jeff Abercrombie of Fuel is 43. Reggae singer Sean Paul is 39. Singer Jenny Lewis of Rilo Kiley is 36. Actress Gaby Hoffman ("Field of Dreams") is 30. Guitarist Disashi Lumumbo-Kasongo of Gym Class Heroes is 29.

Jan. 9: Author Judith Krantz is 84. Singer Joan Baez is 71. Guitarist Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin is 68. Singer Buster Poindexter is 62. Singer Crystal Gayle is 61. Guitarist Eric Erlandson (Hole) is 49. Actress Joely Richardson is 47. Guitarist Carl Bell of Fuel is 45. Singer Steve Harwell of Smash Mouth is 45. Singer Dave Matthews of the Dave Matthews Band is 45. Singer A.J. McLean of the Backstreet Boys is 34. Guitarist Drew Brown of OneRepublic is 28. Singer Paolo Nutini is 25.

Jan. 10: Singer Scott McKenzie is 73. Singer Rod Stewart is 67. Singer-keyboardist Donald Fagen of Steely Dan is 64. Actor William Sanderson ("Deadwood," "Newhart") is 64. Singer Pat Benatar is 59. Guitarist Michael Schenker (Scorpions) is 57. Singer Shawn Colvin is 56. Singer-guitarist Curt Kirkwood of Meat Puppets is 53. Singer Brad Roberts of Crash Test Dummies is 48. Actress Trini Alvarado is 45. Guitarist Matt Roberts of 3 Doors Down is 34. Singer Brent Smith of Shinedown is 34. Rapper Chris Smith of Kris Kross is 33.

Jan. 11: Actor Rod Taylor is 82. Actor Felix Silla (Cousin Itt on "The Addams Family," "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century") is 75. Country singer Naomi Judd is 66. Guitarist Vicki Peterson of The Bangles is 54. Actress Kim Coles ("Living Single") is 50. Keyboardist Jim Bryson of MercyMe is 44. Guitarist Tom Dumont of No Doubt is 44. Singer Maxee Maxwell of Brownstone is 43. Singer Mary J. Blige is 41. Musician Tom Rowlands of The Chemical Brothers is 41. Actress Amanda Peet is 40.

Jan. 12: Country singer Ray Price is 86. Singer Glenn Yarbrough is 82. Country singer William Lee Golden of the Oak Ridge Boys is 73. Trumpeter Cynthia Robinson of Sly and the Family Stone is 68. Singer-keyboardist George Duke is 66. Actor Anthony Andrews is 64. Actress Kirstie Alley is 61. Country singer Ricky Van Shelton is 60. Radio personality Howard Stern is 58. Drummer Tom Ardolino of NRBQ is 55. News correspondent Christiane Amanpour is 54. Keyboardist Charlie Gillingham of Counting Crows is 52. Actor Oliver Platt is 52. Rapper TBird of B-Rock and the Bizz is 45. Model Vendela is 45. Actress Farrah Forke ("Wings") is 44. Singer Zack de la Rocha of Rage Against the Machine is 42. Rapper Raekwon of Wu Tang Clan is 42. Singer Dan Haseltine of Jars of Clay is 39. Bassist Matt Wong of Reel Big Fish is 39. Singer Melanie Chisholm (Sporty Spice) of the Spice Girls is 38. Singer Amerie is 31. Actress Naya Rivera ("Glee") is 25.

Jan. 13: Actress Frances Sternhagen is 82. Comedian Rip Taylor is 78. Actor Billy Gray ("Father Knows Best") is 74. Actor Richard Moll ("Night Court") is 69. Guitarist Trevor Rabin of Yes is 58. Drummer Fred White of Earth, Wind and Fire is 57. Actor Kevin Anderson ("Nothing Sacred") is 52. Actress Julia Louis-Dreyfuss is 51. Singer Graham "Suggs" McPherson of Madness is 51. Country singer Trace Adkins is 50. Actress Penelope Ann Miller is 48. Actor Patrick Dempsey is 46. Actress Traci Bingham ("Baywatch") is 44. Actress Nicole Eggert ("Baywatch," "Charles in Charge") is 40. Actor Orlando Bloom is 35.

Jan. 14: Blues singer Clarence Carter is 76. Singer-songwriter Allen Toussaint is 74. Singer Jack Jones is 74. Actress Faye Dunaway is 71. Actress Holland Taylor is 69. Singer-producer T Bone Burnett is 64. Actor Carl Weathers is 64. Singer Geoff Tate of Queensryche is 53. Rapper Slick Rick is 47. Actor-producer Dan Schneider ("Head of the Class") is 46. Actress Emily Watson is 45. Actor-comedian Tom Rhodes ("Mr. Rhodes") is 45. Guitarist Zakk Wylde (Ozzy Osbourne, Black Label Society) is 45. Rapper LL Cool J is 44. Actor Jason Bateman is 43. Musician Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters (and Nirvana) is 43. Singer-guitarist Caleb Followill of Kings of Leon is 30.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/celebrity/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120105/ap_en_ce/us_celeb_birthdays

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Bombing in Syrian capital of Damascus kills 25 (AP)

BEIRUT ? A bomb exploded Friday at a busy Damascus intersection, killing 25 people and wounding dozens in the second major attack in the Syrian capital in as many weeks, officials said, vowing to respond to further security threats with an "iron fist."

The government blamed "terrorists," saying a suicide bomber had blown himself up in the crowded Midan district. But the country's opposition demanded an independent investigation, accusing forces loyal to the Syrian regime of being behind the bombing to tarnish a 10-month-old uprising against President Bashar Assad.

"Is there anything worse than these crimes?" said Majida Jomaa, a 30-year-old housewife who ran to the streets after hearing the explosion around 11 a.m. "Is this freedom?"

It was impossible to determine the exact target of the blast, but a police bus was riddled with shrapnel and blood was splattered on its seats, according to Syrian TV video and a government official. Blood also stained the street, which was littered with shattered glass.

The bomber "detonated himself with the aim of killing the largest number of people," Interior Minister Mohammed Shaar told reporters. State media said most of the dead were civilians but security forces were also among them.

Midan is one of several Damascus neighborhoods that have seen frequent anti-Assad protests on Fridays since the uprising began in March, inspired by the revolutions around the Arab world.

The violence marks a dramatic escalation of bloodshed in Syria as Arab League observers tour the country to investigate Assad's bloody crackdown on dissent. The monitoring mission will issue its first findings Sunday at a meeting in Cairo.

In a statement, the Interior Ministry vowed to respond to any security threats with an "iron fist."

Syria's state media, SANA, put the initial death toll at 25 and more than 60 wounded. The death toll included 10 confirmed dead and the remains of an estimated 15 others whose bodies had yet to be identified.

"I found bodies on the ground, including one of a man who was carrying two boxes of yogurt," Midan resident Anis Hassan Tinawi, 55, told the AP.

The blast came exactly two weeks after twin bombings targeting intelligence agencies in Damascus killed 44 people. The regime blamed terrorists for those explosions as well.

A Syrian official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not allowed to talk publicly to the media, said a smaller bomb exploded Friday in the Damascus suburb of Tal, killing a girl. Security experts dismantled another bomb nearby, he said.

While many of the anti-government protests sweeping the country remain peaceful, the uprising as a whole has become more violent in recent months as frustrated demonstrators take up arms to protect themselves from the steady military assault. An increasing number of army defectors also have launched attacks, killing soldiers and security forces.

The unrest has posed the most serious challenge to the Assad family's 40-year dynasty. The regime's crackdown has led to broad worldwide condemnation and sanctions, eviscerated the economy and left Assad an international pariah just as he was trying to open up his country and modernize the economy.

The protests continued Friday around the country, and security forces killed at least eight people, according to the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The Local Coordination Committees, another activist group, put the death toll at 17.

The Observatory said 50,000 protesters took to the streets in the Damascus suburb of Douma in the largest protest of the day. The numbers were impossible to confirm, however, because Syria has banned most foreign journalists and prevented independent reporting.

Also Friday, SANA said terrorists blew up a pipeline that carries diesel from the central province of Homs to nearby Hama. There have been several pipeline blasts in recent months, but it is unclear who is behind them.

The government has long contended that the turmoil in Syria is not an uprising but the work of terrorists and foreign-backed armed gangs.

In a sign of just how polarized Syria has become, the opposition questioned the government's allegations that terrorists were behind Friday's attacks and the Dec. 23 bombings.

Opposition leaders suggest the regime itself could have been behind the violence to try to erode support for the uprising and show the Arab League observers that it is a victim in the upheaval. Neither the regime nor the opposition has produced evidence backing their accusations, and no one but Syrian authorities have access to investigate the blasts.

A spokesman for the Syrian National Council opposition umbrella group called for an independent investigation.

"It is a continuation of the regime's dirty game as it tries to divert attention from massive protests," spokesman Omar Idilbi said. "We call upon for an independent international committee to investigate these crimes that we believe that the regime planned and carried out."

The Arab League observers started work Dec. 27 on a mission to monitor Syria's compliance with a League-drafted peace deal. Under the deal, Assad's regime is supposed to pull its military off the streets and stop its crackdown on protesters.

Despite the observers' presence, violence has spiked, with Syrian activists saying up to 400 people have been killed since Dec. 21. The U.N. says the overall death toll since the revolt began is more than 5,000.

Arab League Deputy Secretary-General Ahmed bin Helli condemned Friday's attack.

"We are concerned about these explosions. That is why we are calling on the Syrian government to be totally cooperative with the mission and to work by all means to stop the bloodshed and allow room for the political process to begin," he told The Associated Press in Cairo, where the League is based.

Bin Helli said the observers will have insight into the attack.

"The mission which is on the scene will undoubtedly have an opinion," he said.

At the United Nations, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon condemned the bombings, extending his condolences to the families of the victims and saying, "all violence is unacceptable and must stop."

In Washington, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland condemned the attack but declined to say who the U.S. believed was responsible.

"What's interesting here is that, as with previous attacks, the Assad regime has blamed just about everybody," Nuland told reporters. "They've blamed the opposition, they've blamed al-Qaida, they've even blamed the United States. Meanwhile, the opposition, including the Free Syrian Army, has denied carrying out the attacks and it has itself accused the regime of staging these things."

Asked about the Arab League monitors, Nuland said the U.S. accepts that they are doing their best with an uncooperative regime.

Opposition groups have been deeply critical of the Arab League mission, saying it is giving Assad cover for his crackdown. The observer mission's Sudanese chief has raised particular concern because he served in key security positions under Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who is wanted for crimes against humanity in Darfur.

Critics also say the mission is far too small ? and too dependent on government escorts ? to be effective. The regime says the escorts are vital to the monitors' personal safety.

Salman Shaikh, director of The Brookings Doha Center in Qatar, said it was impossible to determine who was behind the attack, even with the Arab League observers offering an outside perspective.

"This again points to the need to have full independent credible investigation," he told the AP.

"I would actually say on the eve of the Arab League meeting, the Arab League mission is failing," he added. "It is failing to protect civilians. We have not had a halt to the violence. I think the Arab League now needs to go to the United Nations and seek a helping hand from the international community."

___

AP writers Albert Aji in Damascus, Sarah El Deeb in Cairo, Bradley Klapper in Washington and Michael Astor at the United Nations contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120106/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_syria

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PBS chief asks viewers to support public TV funds (AP)

PASADENA, Calif. ? The head of PBS wants viewers to oppose Mitt Romney's call to end funding of public broadcasting.

PBS chief Paula Kerger said Wednesday that she recognizes the United States has to make tough budget decisions but defended PBS as an effective public-private partnership.

Kerger says that while she can make the argument, elected officials listen to their constituents.

Romney has criticized public funding for PBS while campaigning for the GOP presidential nomination. He has said he doesn't intend to "kill Big Bird" of "Sesame Street" but that public TV shows will have to become ad-supported.

Kerger says that federal rules governing public broadcasting prohibit commercials. She adds that commercial TV channels are notably different than PBS and contrasts History Channel's "American Pickers" with a Ken Burns' documentary.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/entertainment/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120104/ap_en_ot/us_tv_pbs_funding

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