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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.

6:11 PM Mar 26th: No one doubts Nancy Pelosi is a powerful Speaker. But the “most powerful in a century”? Has everyone forgotten Sam Rayburn?

7:43 PM Mar 26th: Translation of Justice JP Stevens telling The New Yorker he will retire “in the next 3 years”: He wants a D POTUS to appoint his successor.

7:44 PM Mar 26th: The other liberal justices would want same. The conservative justices want to time their retirements for a R POTUS.

7:45 PM Mar 26th: Supreme Court is just as polarized as the rest of U.S. govt. Some justices love to pretend they are apolitical, but they are pols in robes.

11:42 AM Mar 27th: Seeing Sarah Palin in AZ & NV reminds us she has got the best of all worlds–making $$$ hand over fist, sought after by GOP & Tea P too.

11:46 AM Mar 27th: But it won’t translate to a POTUS race. Intensity of minority support often prevents broader acceptance, which is needed for a 50%+ victory.

11:52 AM Mar 27th: McCain isn’t given to second-guessing himself, but we all wonder: If he knew in Aug’08 what he knows now, would he have picked Palin for VP?

8:18 AM Mar 28th: POTUS in Afghanistan. Presidents love these secret trips. They grab public attention, show leadership, excite the media, no real downside.

8:27 AM Mar 28th: No POTUS has ever equalled LBJ’s semi-secret Dec. 19-24, 1967 trip around the world to try to find a way to end Vietnam War.

8:29 AM Mar 28th: 26,000 unexpected miles, darting here & there, from Pakistan to the Pope, a daring unplanned failure. Lyndon B. Magellan, he was dubbed.

5:53 AM Mar 29th: Best election in the world right now: the UK general. Tories still likely to win it, despite US coverage to contrary. 13 yrs of Labour a lot

5:55 AM Mar 29th: Health care will not fade as much as some think in fall, but it will be 3rd to economy & natural midterm desire to check governing party.

10:27 AM Mar 29th: Want to separate your D friends from your R friends? Just ask which threats/acts of violence they consider serious. For record: they ALL are.

9:36 AM Mar 30th: Pres. Obama doesn’t seem to understand why he’s the 3rd polarizing POTUS in a row. Ds & Rs have very different visions of the world.

2:42 PM Mar 30th: 29th anniversary of Reagan assassination attempt that nearly succeeded. In early chaos, many thought Bush would become 41 eight years early.

2:44 PM Mar 30th: I was teaching a class when messenger interrupted with news. We gathered around a radio. No classroom TVs in those days. Tense afternoon.

2:47 PM Mar 30th: It felt like Dallas all over again. And within months, Pope shot and Sadat killed. A bloody year.

10:16 AM Mar 31st: Will we ever again have a POTUS voluntarily step aside & not run? It last happened 42 yrs ago today, with LBJ’s unexpected withdrawal.

10:18 AM Mar 31st: LBJ’s opponents correctly said what Pres. Martin Van Buren’s foes had once said of him: “Van, Van, he’s a used up man.”

11:42 AM Mar 31st: No surprise in TX SEN. Crystal Ball & many others predicted Kay Bailey Hutchison would stay in her seat thru ’12. One less contest in ’10.