Lame Duck Indeed: Join the Live Chat
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We have breaking news from Capitol Hill, where the Senate has failed to pass a major piece of legislation. We're Keeping them Honest. Are they playing games instead of doing actual work? Plus, a new report on war on Afghanistan. Does it paint a true picture? We'll talk with Peter Bergen who just returned from the country and Sebastian Junger who who spent a year embedded with troops there.
Scroll down to join the live chat during the program. It's your chance to share your thoughts on tonight's headlines. Keep in mind, you have a better chance of having your comment get past our moderators if you follow our rules.
Here are some of them:
1) Keep it short (we don't have time to read a "book")
2) Don't write in ALL CAPS (there's no need to yell)
3) Use your real name (first name only is fine)
4) No links
5) Watch your language (keep it G-rated; PG at worst - and that includes $#&*)
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Anderson Cooper goes beyond the headlines to tell stories from many points of view, so you can make up your own mind about the news. Tune in weeknights at 8 and 10 ET on CNN.
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Wow, only 13 seconds, it seemed like forever on the film.
Mike Jones is absolutely a hero in my mind.
Poor Assange has to stay in a Mansion.
Wow that lighthouse looks cool(no pun intended).
Your right Anderson, the acrobats look a little out of place with the Pope.
Anderson Congrats to Larry!!
The senate pulling the bill tonight is a great thing for our country. We have to make a stand on our country spending and that is what our past election was all about. Just look at what was going on in Greece and Italy to see were our country is going if we dont change our spending.. Wake up America...
This "Salvage Santa" seems to be such a nice man! Glad there are a few Santas left.
Mike Jones was truly the hero that day. Thankfully, he had law enforcement experience and had to do the right thing when the chaos began.
This man is Definately a HERO!!! even though he says he is not he is, Heroes are the ones who say they are just doing their job.
@Sue R. Canton MI. I agree. We have to remember to thank them at every turn.. especially during the holidays. Now is winter in both warzones. We are nice and warm in our houses.. We have many things to thank our soldiers for.
The thing is, some of the people trying to put doubt on president Obama's "birthright" KNOW it's a legitimate U.S. birth. They want to play on the fears and suspicions of those less informed.
REAL heroes never think that they are ones, do they?
@Emily, i agree, Col. Lakin risked years in prison. Amazing he only got 6 mos.
However, he lost his pension and has been dismissed from the service..that has to hurt too.
Bloggers,
I also agree all of you........ I am sorry for Col. Lakin, he made lot mistake what he have done damage to pres Obama's birth Certificate! Yup! he is misleading, confused, he don't know that!
@ sue thank you very much 🙂 yes it is in most jobs nowadays you dont get the privalage to be able to be off for the holidays.
Your interview with Sebastian Junger should be fascinating.
Its unfortunate that this man will lose his pension. But he went too for. He was ill advised. Now he pays the piper.
Defeating this bill was a victory for the public. It had $8 billion in pork barrel earmarks in it and was 1900+ pages long. It funded Obamacare to the tune of $1 billion next year. Another last minute bill that was to be rammed thru the Senate. With this momentum, I hope the Republicans had hold firm on not repealing DADT, not passing the DREAM Act, and not ratifying the START treaty.
@Kent from boston
Good question. I wonder what happens to UE Insurance payouts under Continuing Resolution. Dont know yet.
I don't think that everyone who is serving in our military likes or agrees with their Commander in Chief but they know that their job is to serve and protect. I am so thankful for all of them who are doing so.
Thanks Jeffrey, it wasn't based on facts. There was no case really
I do hope there will not be a new birth of the president is a muslim movement...
Lot of things happening in the United States and the world, lot of energy wasted on accusations..
My heart goes out to the security officer who had to shoot the gunman in that tragic incident. All of those people will be reliving all of that for a long time. I hope they get good stress debriefing to help them cope and minimize long term effects.
That is what heroes of made of courage!
@Emily, Interesting perspective. You could be right. So it was just a pretext to push out his assignment. Quite possible.
Anderson, it literally makes my stomach turn to hear Demint whining about having to working up until Christmas! Heaven forbid he not have x amount of days to lay around his expensive home or take his Christmas vacation in the Caribbean meanwhile people like me that have been without a job struggle to even buy the simplest of necessities! It is sickening!
Good evening anderson. The gop and the dems have been playing games regarding this legislation, but now that the bill has been yanked, what exactly does this mean for the unemployment extensions? Many of us americans have frozen our spending, pending the results of this bill? What do we do now?
If General Petraeus or any of our countrymen serving in foreign countries decided to stand down in observance of the holidays and refused to perform our nation's obligations, we'd all vehemently say it is unthinkable and disgraceful for playing such "games". Is what the House did tonight anything less? It's just as disgraceful and they've put personal feelings before those for our country. It's despicable!
@Lori
"Do you wonder why Col Lakin did this?"
I wondered if it had something to do with the fact that he didn't want to go back to Afghanistan as he was about to be? I don't know if he actually believed in the 'Birther' movement as he never said anything himself. (when as AC360°)
@Sue R Canton MI, I agree with you. He should be punished so (a) he learns his lesson (b) the society learns its lesson. Frivolous pursuit can be injurious when you dont care for the truth in your face.
Don't worry Lt Col Lakin will find a job at another news cable network that shall remain nameless. He will be rich after jail with a big news contract.
Not surprised that Col Lakin has rescinded his objection to Pres. Obama not being an American citicen.
I did not know that the "birthers" had used him to make money.
I feel sorry for him if he was mislead. However, i agree with Jeff Toobin, he had to have realized the disobeying orders would not end well-no matter what his reason was.
Good point Anderson, someone else had to go in his place, very sad.
His first lawyer should serve with Birther!
@tanya, Thank you for your service.
Yes, the Congresspeople have it cushy. And, they have the audacity to push back on working the holidays. I have to work all through the "holidays" – just the state of affairs in real world nowadays. Guess the Congress is no longer connected with reality.
They represent their top 2% quite well though!
Oh no!!! another lawyer republican??????? Yikes!!!!! I don't think so!!!!!
I believe that Lt Col Laken should be punished. He disobeyed orders. He also made his own choices when he decided to join this birther group.
At the core of this is the "birther" issue. They are all just a bunch of Obama haters. For some supposedly intelligent people, they have chosen an unbelievably stupid way to attack Obama.
@Sue from syracuse~ I second that emotion! I too wish there were a third party representing the middle. Too far left and too far right. Sounds like war.
I have no sympathy Lt Col. Lakin at all. He got off easily as far as I'm concerned.
@marie, Spot on! We are in for two more years of GRAND theatrics.
Anderson, we are counting on you to keep them honest!
Colonel Lakin cannot renege on this and say he's sorry. His sentencing is clearly stated in the UCMJ (Uniform Code of Military Justice). The "punishment" in the UCMJ is harsher than if he were tried in a civilian court, and rightly so. He knows what he did and the punishment fits.
It must be nice to not have to work on the holidays and be with your family, I am a veteran who was in Iraq during Christmas of 2002 and many other holidays I missed due to military service. I think they (congress) should have to spend some time away from their families and be in a war zone at the same time!! Never will happen though.
Hi Anderson!! Sad to realize we will have 2 more years of Political games! Great Show.. Keep them honest!
Gosh, I so wish there was a viable third party representing the center.
Do you wonder why Col Lakin did this? What is the real motivation? What did he get out of that?
How about the Senators stay in the senate and they give the troops Christmas off. Oh ya, the troops can't afford it.
David Hagen
PA
@Samantha Rowley –
"The country is BROKE. No $$$ to spend anything else on. How hard is this?"
It wouldn't be SO hard if they were spending their OWN money!! After all, it's the tax payers money. It just flows like water to them it seems; after all, with all those earmarks. It's surprising, yet at the same time, not so.
I'm tired of the word games. Childsplay is more appropriate. The only people being held hostage with the capitol antics are the American people. I am very nervous about the next two years ahead of us!
I'm sick of the re-elected Republicans now wanting time away from work, when they put the country into a tailspin to start with...how hypocritical can one get?
If I worked as little and as ineffectively as the legislators do, I would get fired. Can we give them all pink slips? They are wasting OUR tax dollars every minute.
@ Heather, imagine I "discovered" Larry through O.J. and Ross Perot, those were the days 😉
But can't imagine big news without Larry.
Hope his specials will air at CNN international..
Congress needs to quit their whining about having to work till Christmas Eve. There's so many people who wish they had a job and who would be willing to work Christmas day so they could feed their family.
I think Congress just doesn't know how to work together.
I have been unemployed for a little over a year, I barely made $20,000 a year.
I don't appreciate our elected officals holding poor people hostage. I am now disabled trying to make ends meet for my family on a daily basis.
Let the American speak loud and hold up all lesilative pay until they do their job.
Who are these voters who keep these whackos in Congress?!!! And why aren't they listening to the MAJORITY of Americans who want "Don't Ask Don't Tell" to pass, the START treaty ratified, an extension of unemployment benefits and NO tax breaks for the rich!!