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eyes on the U.S.

Instant Reaction Polls Give Romney Big Debate Victory

CNN, CBS, NEW YORK TIMES (US)

Worldcrunch

Instant reaction polls, conducted late Wednesday night, showed Republican candidate Mitt Romney won the first presidential debate in Denver, in a performance expected to raise GOP hopes just one month before the election.

According to a CNN/ORC poll of 430 people who watched the debate, 67% of registered voters thought Romney came out on top, with only 25% believing Obama won.

The poll also suggested that 58% of voters felt Romney had shown himself to be a strong leader, while 37% said the same about Obama.

A poll of undecided voters, conducted by CBS News, also gave Romney the advantage with 46% believing Romney won, 22% siding with Obama and 32% remaining undecided.

The New York Times is reporting that the 67% swing, swaying toward Romney in the CNN poll, was higher than any of the figures in the 2008 surveys, where Obama scored 51% in the first debate and 58% in the third and final debate against Republican John McCain.

It remains unclear how much impact televised debates have on the final electoral outcome, however CNN Senior Political Analyst David Gergen called it Romney's best performance.

"A week ago, people were saying this was over. We've got a horse race," Gergen said.

Romney on a roll, inventing a new tax policy as he goes; Obama with that sourpuss look, head down. Not a good start for him.#denverdebate

— chrissatullo (@chrissatullo) October 4, 2012

Romney ticks off five-point plan for jobs with good verve.As Jim Fallows said, Mitt has some game when it comes to debates. #denverdebate

— chrissatullo (@chrissatullo) October 4, 2012

Romney appeared coherent and forceful last night compared to Obama, who was hesitant, drawn and defensive.

Democrat Strategist James Carville told CNN: "It looked like Romney wanted to be there and President Obama didn't want to be there ... The President didn't bring his "A" game."

#forwardnotback Obama was calm and respectful tonight Romney acted like he was a real housewife at a reunion show

— Stephen Wren (@ImNotTan) October 4, 2012

Romney wants to cut health carePre existing conditions ----privatize social security privatize everything -- why didn't Obama fight ?

— John Cusack (@johncusack) October 4, 2012

The economy dominated the 90-minute debate with the two presidential candidates sparring over healthcare, employment and tax-cuts - with Romney denying he intended to extend Bush-era tax-cuts for the wealthy.

"I'm not in favor of a $5 trillion tax cut. That's not my plan … So you may keep referring to it as a $5 trillion tax cut, but that's not my plan," the Republican candidate said.

He did, however, claim he would cut funding for the public broadcasting television network PBS:

WTF Mitt Romney... :(

— Big Bird (@BlGBlRD) October 4, 2012

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Economy

Lex Tusk? How Poland’s Controversial "Russian Influence" Law Will Subvert Democracy

The new “lex Tusk” includes language about companies and their management. But is this likely to be a fair investigation into breaking sanctions on Russia, or a political witch-hunt in the business sphere?

Photo of President of the Republic of Poland Andrzej Duda

Polish President Andrzej Duda

Piotr Miaczynski, Leszek Kostrzewski

-Analysis-

WARSAW — Poland’s new Commission for investigating Russian influence, which President Andrzej Duda signed into law on Monday, will be able to summon representatives of any company for inquiry. It has sparked a major controversy in Polish politics, as political opponents of the government warn that the Commission has been given near absolute power to investigate and punish any citizen, business or organization.

And opposition politicians are expected to be high on the list of would-be suspects, starting with Donald Tusk, who is challenging the ruling PiS government to return to the presidency next fall. For that reason, it has been sardonically dubbed: Lex Tusk.

University of Warsaw law professor Michal Romanowski notes that the interests of any firm can be considered favorable to Russia. “These are instruments which the likes of Putin and Orban would not be ashamed of," Romanowski said.

The law on the Commission for examining Russian influences has "atomic" prerogatives sewn into it. Nine members of the Commission with the rank of secretary of state will be able to summon virtually anyone, with the powers of severe punishment.

Under the new law, these Commissioners will become arbiters of nearly absolute power, and will be able to use the resources of nearly any organ of the state, including the secret services, in order to demand access to every available document. They will be able to prosecute people for acts which were not prohibited at the time they were committed.

Their prerogatives are broader than that of the President or the Prime Minister, wider than those of any court. And there is virtually no oversight over their actions.

Nobody can feel safe. This includes companies, their management, lawyers, journalists, and trade unionists.

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