Word: podium
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...opposition, this presents a great opportunity. Opposition leaders flew down from Moscow to have their turn at the podium during the late-January protest. Alongside local activists, they called not only for lower taxes, more jobs and a new governor but for an end to Putin's reign. Nemtsov was the most prominent figure to speak. A popular governor of Nizhny Novgorod in the 1990s and a Deputy Prime Minister under President Boris Yeltsin, he took the stage in a bomber jacket and jeans. "Moscow is sucking the money from the regions as if they were its colonies," he said...
...would be than just an opportunity to entertain people for 45 seconds, we were able to come up with a speech that is honest and still fun. If she wins, Anna - who is 5 ft. 2 in. - is going to remove her four-inch heels to run to the podium, then put the shoes back on. Then she'll warn the booth to bleep her in five seconds, when she'll mouth an expletive between "This is" and "great." Then she'll make fun of one of her co-winners for not showing enough excitement onstage, since he's British...
...other lesson from Canada is that you can go too far. The country's "Own the Podium" initiative - a $110 million program designed to put Canada on top of the medals table - generated almost as much criticism as podium finishes. The plan limited rivals' access to facilities like the sliding and speedskating tracks, prompting protests from foreign competitors. Some even suggested that it contributed to the tragic death of Georgian luge competitor Nodar Kumaritashvili. Others claimed that it heaped too much pressure on the home nation's athletes. London chair Coe has defended the initiative in recent days...
...sweetness and light. Some Democrats will never forgive Lieberman for endorsing his friend Arizona Senator John McCain in 2008, counseling Sarah Palin in the final days of the campaign and attacking Obama from the podium at the Republican Convention in St. Paul, Minn. "Joe Lieberman ought to be ashamed of himself," then campaign spokesman Robert Gibbs said the next day. "It's pathetic what [he] did here last night." But Obama opted to let those bygones pass when his party won a near filibuster-proof margin in the Senate. Obama personally asked the Democratic caucus to maintain Lieberman's seniority...
Perfect, actually. Canada caught a fair amount of grief for its "Own the Podium" rallying cry, especially after it struggled to win medals early. But as I write this in an cold, empty hockey arena (why am I here, and not taking in the joy in Vancouver's streets?), a bunch of volunteers, who so graciously offer themselves up to the thankless task of guiding confused, angry guests around these Olympics, are popping bubbly upstairs, and singing "Oh Canada!" They deserve this moment. And the world was lucky to witness it. Just like we were lucky to witness these Vancouver...