Politics

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Egyptian anti-government activists chant slogans as they gather inside the Lawyers Syndicate in downtown Cairo on Wednesday. Beefed-up police forces on the streets quickly moved in and used tear gas and beatings to disperse demonstrations. (Associated Press)

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Egyptian riot police clash with anti-government activists in Cairo on Wednesday. The activists clashed with police for a second day Wednesday in defiance of an official ban on any protests. (Associated Press)

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Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri (right) meets with Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati at Mr. Hariri's residence in Beirut on Wednesday. Lebanon's new Hezbollah-backed prime minister began the process of forming a new Cabinet on Wednesday, as calm returned to the country after two days of protests against the Iranian-backed militant group's growing influence. (Associated Press)

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The motorcade carrying President Barack Obama makes its way through a snowstorm near Morningside, Md, Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2011, en route to the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

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Sen. Joseph Lieberman, I-Conn., left, accompanied by House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio, gestures during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington on Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2011, to discuss the introduction of legislation on the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program . (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

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Protesters run away from tear gas during clashes in Tunis, Wednesday Jan. 26, 2011. The clashes broke out in front of the prime minister's office as the caretaker government prepared to announce adjustments to its lineup. Hundreds of protesters in the capital are pressuring the interim government to get rid of allies of ousted President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. (AP Photo/Rafael Yaghobzadeh)

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President Obama shakes hand with Green Bay, Wis., Mayor Jim Schmitt upon arriving in Green Bay, Wis. Wednesday, Jan. 26. 2011, before departing for Manitowoc, Wis., as part of his White House to Main Street Tour. Mr. Schmidt gave the president a Green Bay Packers jersey. (AP Photo/Mike Roemer)

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**FILE** President Obama, joined by Republican and Democratic lawmakers, signs Dec. 17 the bipartisan tax package that extends tax cuts for families at all income levels in Washington. (Associated Press)

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Afghan President Hamid Karzai salutes to members of a guard of honor during the inauguration of new parliament in Kabul, Afghanistan on Wednesday, Jan.26, 2011. (AP Photo/Musadeq Sadeq)

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Russian President Dmitry Medvedev heads a meeting on transport security in the Gorki presidential residence outside Moscow on Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2011. Russian news agencies say Medvedev has fired a top official of the country's transport police in the wake of the bombing at Russia's busiest airport that killed 35 people. (AP Photo/RIA Novosti, Vladimir Rodionov, Presidential Press Service)

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As Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. and House Speaker John A. Boehner look on, President Obama called Tuesday night for rejuvenating America's innovative spirit. (Associated Press)

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President Obama delivers his State of the Union address Tuesday at the Capitol in Washington. (Associated Press)

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Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. chats with House Speaker John A. Boehner of Ohio on Capitol Hill on Tuesday before the start of President Obama's State of the Union address. (Associated Press)

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Rep. Michele Bachmann independently scheduled her own GOP response. In prepared remarks released to the press, she charged that Mr. Obama has ushered in an "unprecedented explosion of government spending and debt ... unlike anything we have seen in the history of our country." (Associated Press)

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"Americans are skeptical of both political parties, and that skepticism is justified — especially when it comes to spending. So hold us accountable," said Rep. Paul D. Ryan, Wisconsin Republican, in prepared remarks released before President Obama addressed lawmakers Tuesday evening. (Associated Press)

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President Barack Obama delivers his State of the Union address on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2011. Vice President Joe Biden and House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio applaud at rear. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivias, Pool)

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President Barack Obama is applauded on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2011, prior to delivering his State of the Union address in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2011. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

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