Politics

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While President Obama jets around the West Coast, the official White House Thanksgiving turkeys are on their way to Washington to be "pardoned"; they ride upon cedar shavings in their own van. (Minnesota Turkey Federation)

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Deputy Secretary of State William J. Burns used his clout to accelerate previous attempts to create an opening for negotiations with Iran. (Associated Press)

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The GOP hopes to pin Obamacare on Iowa Rep. Bruce L. Braley, the Democratic candidate to replace Sen. Tom Harkin, as the surest way to claim the seat in 2014. (Associated Press)

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Rep. Luis V. Gutierrez, Illinois Democrat: "There is no reason I can think of why any branch of the military should restrict the military service of individuals based on the immigration status of someone else in their family. None. I want to know where this is happening, why and what is being done to fix it." (associated press)

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"The best thing we can do now is to scrap [the Affordable Care Act] and start over with a step-by-step approach that focuses on lower cost and patient-centered solutions," Rep. Michael C. Burgess, Texas Republican and a physician, said in the weekly Republican address about the continued problems with Obamacare in general and the rocky performance of the HealthCare.gov website. (Associated Press)

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Secret Service employees were accused of misconduct in connection with a prostitution scandal at Hotel El Caribe in Cartagena, Colombia, before President Obama's arrival for the Summit of the Americas. Some former veteran agents are concerned that the Secret Service, which fired a dozen agents involved in Cartagena, has been left to reform itself. (Associated Press photographs)