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TWEETS OF THE WEEK

The Crystal Ball’s Tweets of the Week is a look back at the highlights of the past week in politics in snippets of 140 characters or less. To get this analysis as soon as news breaks, follow University of Virginia Center for Politics Director, and Crystal Ball founder, Larry Sabato on Twitter by clicking here.

10:03 AM Mar 24th: “Enhanced interrogation techniques” has a brother in Jay Carney’s new definition of Libya war: “time-limited,scope-limited military action”

10:04 AM Mar 24th: Love those war euphemisms!

9:48 AM Mar 27th: Sec’y Gates says obvious: Libya “not vital interest of US, not imminent threat to US.” Yet Libya adventure costing billions US doesn’t have.

9:49 AM Mar 27th: We’re in era of zero-sum budgeting. When yr favorite domestic programs are cut even more, be sure to give some credit to Libya adventure.

2:32 PM Mar 27th: If naivete about #redistricting could be converted into gasoline, the price of gas would fall $2.

2:57 PM Mar 27th: Can’t take politics out of #redistricting. Even maps drawn by kids with crayons make political choices, in effect.

3:01 PM Mar 27th: Always winners & losers in #redistricting. Always agendas–open or hidden–by those doing line-drawing. Black & white hats? Try all gray.

3:06 PM Mar 27th: Tenured academics (like me) should at least be aware of hypocrisy when insisting that politicians never try to tenure themselves in.

7:34 PM Mar 28th: Our “effort” in Libya…another euphemism for war.

7:40 PM Mar 28th: Partial disagreement with Sec’y Gates. POTUS says Libya war in “our national interests.” Gates said “not in our VITAL national interests.”

7:45 PM Mar 28th: POTUS claiming NATO control saves USA money. We’ll see. Depends on length of war.

7:50 PM Mar 28th: So when will USA get involved in these “humanitarian efforts?” Fuzzy. Whenever POTUS says so? Will Congress be involved? Not this time.

7:54 PM Mar 28th: Would Sen. Obama have approved this “effort” had Pres. Bush undertaken it w/out Congress’ approval? We all know the answer.

8:05 PM Mar 28th: Short term, long term: Libya adventure will be messy & full of ambiguities–just like the Mideast in the modern era.

11:49 AM Mar 29th: Quiet day in Charlottesville. Just pursuing various “humanitarian efforts” that don’t require Tomahawk missiles.

12:32 AM Mar 30th: Notice Marco Rubio didn’t even try to Shermanesque VP question on Nightline. FL + Hispanic + need to jazz up Rs = That’s the ticket.

12:27 PM Mar 30th: “The U.S. must reduce its oil imports,” said President Nixon-Ford-Carter- Reagan-Bush-Clinton-Bush-Obama.