Where should Damocrats go? (Reflection on John Zogby's lecture)

John Zogby delivered a lecture at Chaple this evening. His speech was about how American elections have developed, what problems our two parties are facing, and what our people's expectations are.

Zogby pointed out that the 2008 Election was transformational because President Obama put together a coalition government; however, President Obama is facing challenges during this Mid Term Election because Americans are losing faith and enthusiasm. Zogby suggested a remedy that Democrats should create fear in order to bring their center back.

I think President Obama is now doing what Zogby suggested and he is aware the problems suggested by Zogby. According to yesterday's NPR report, Obama was in Wisconsin to strive for support for Democratic Party. Obama used the similar strategy he used while running for the president to increase people's enthusiasm. After admitting that people are apathetic and disappointed, Obama did try to create fear by saying that :"Wisconsin, we can't let that happen. We can't let this country to fall backwards because the rest of us didn't care enough to fight". President Obama's sentences could be interpreted as: Democrats care much about the well-being of this country, and supporting Democrats is preventing our country moving backwards. He is creating a fear that we even might not be able to keep up with the status quo if we do not vote for Democrats.

Pelosi's Negatives hit all time low; as unpopular as BP

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's negative ratings have hit an all-time high in the new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll. A full 50 percent of those surveyed have a somewhat or very negative impression of Pelosi, while just 22 percent have a somewhat or very positive impression of her.

Read more at the Washington Examiner: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/beltway-confidential/Pelosis-negatives-hit-all-time-high-as-unpopular-as-BP-103977024.html#ixzz112etU0LA

Is the political power of social media exaggerated?

Interesting piece by Malcolm Gladwell. Relevant to our discussion about interest groups.

Putting Your Party Aside

John Zogby at Hamilton

John Zogby will be speaking tonight at the Chapel at 7PM. He is an internationally respected pollster and will be speaking about a broad range of political topics including his mid-term election predictions. This could be a great way to get an expert's perspective for our election prediction assignment.

The Ghost of Full Employment

Campaign plagiarism?

Armageddon?

Conservative pundit on NRO sees the 2010 election as the decisive battle in a fifty year war between liberalism and conservatism. Do you agree?

Tea Partiers continue to pick up support

It is very interesting that the Tea Party's right-wing messages are being embraced throughout the country. This article was particularly interesting because I was surprised to learn that the Tea Party is gaining popularity even in states that are usually thought of as liberal leaning, such as Massachusetts.. this shows the recent trend to the political right in this country..

Obliterating a Generation

Obama Seeks to Reconnect with Voters

Blaming the Voters

House Passes 9/11 Health Care Bill

The House approved a new health care bill about providing medical treatment to sick workers who clean up the world trade center after 9/11 (CNN).

As many workers answered in surveys and interviews, they indeed need health care. Therefore, the House made a huge step forward in terms of protecting human right of these workers after long impassioned debates. Among these debates, Republican and Democrats hold opposite opinions, which are highly compatible to their traditional ideologies. Republicans are worried that this bill might increase the federal deficit and increase tax, while Democrats found it very necessary to create a common good for these sick workers. Learning their different views, I came up with several questions for Republicans: What is the purpose of solving the current deficit? Aren't creating better welfare programs and improving people's living standard part of its purpose? Does the "golden rule" lowering the tax always create the best result?

In addition to different views of the Republicans and Democrats, we should think about how we can best implement this bill. As reported by New York Times, a first responder died of a common symptom of most first responders, but "the medical examiner concluded that his death is not directly related to the 9/11 attack". We want to make sure that people are not using this new health care bill to request a compensation for a sickness unrelated to 9/11, just as many non-disabled people are using disabled parking spaces.

Meager Cash Reserves Dog Several Congressional Incumbents

Republican's Deficit Cuts Lack Specifics

Dramatic increases in federal spending have caused the national debt to spiral out of control and unleashed a populist backlash against elected officials in Washington. This past week Republicans presented their "Pledge to America" which outlined key positions and specific steps the Republican Party promised to take if they resume control of Congress after the 2010 midterm elections. The pledge promised to reduce federal spending but Republicans have been vague as to what specific cuts should occur. The bulk of the deficit problem comes from three popular programs, Medicare, Social Security, and the military. These three problems are the only programs that the Republican pledge promises to exempt from federal spending cuts. If Republicans want to make a significant dent in reducing federal spending they should target programs that are the most costly. The military-intelligence infrastructure has become inefficient, enormous, and very costly. A true fiscal conservative would look at the nation's enormous military budget first if they wanted to find programs that easily could be cut. Reforms to Medicare and Social Security could also save the government billions of dollars in the long run if properly done. Instead, the Republican pledge is vague about what spending cuts to enact and lacks the specificity that is required to truly control the enormous deficit.

Beer, Candy And Pot Among Issues Before Voters

All that about money.

Fiscal environment is the most important issue for this year's mid-term election. Interestingly, many of our conventional hot topics, such as gay marriage and abortion, are no longer as important. What more important are candies, marijuana, beer allowance, and tax cut. Apparently, people put increasing revenue as top priority in this election.Could this be a bad sign for the Democratic Party?

Obama: Democratic voter apathy 'inexcusable'

Admonishing his own party, President Barack Obama says it would be "inexcusable" and "irresponsible" for unenthusiastic Democratic voters to sit out the midterm elections, warning that the consequences could be a squandered agenda for years.

For Jobs, Justice and Education

Obama Returns to Campaign Mode with Altered Team

In response to his diminishing popularity, President Obama is rethinking his campaigning strategy for reelection. This team will focus both on saving Obama's public image and maintaining a Democratic majority in Congress through get-out-the-vote initiatives.

A Democrat, in Campaign Ad, Embraces Bush

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OVesNzO8qk&feature=player_embedded

Poll: Bill O'Reilly is popular, but Rachel maddow is unknown to likely voters

Socialist Economy in Cuba

No presidential administration or form of government has ever been credited with finding the “right” role that government should play. The economic situation in Cuba is yet another illustration of the ongoing debate over if, and how much, government should participate in society. This article brings up the issue that too much governmental involvement has hindered progression by stunting the natural development of the economy. The economic instability in Cuba reveals that Castro’s influence over the private sector has led to a failing economy and in my opinion an infringement on personal freedoms and rights. To “save socialism” in Cuba, Castro has been forced to relinquish some state control to allow for “free enterprises” to revive the economy. Fewer government run businesses in Cuba is a first steps towards a more balanced role of government and a more independent citizenry.

Wiretap the Internet?

I thought this article was particularly fitting to the discussions about rights that we have been having in the past few weeks. It raises many questions about the evolution of our rights and governmental control over the people.

Guantanamo Detainee's Trial May Set Tone For Others

President Obama promised to close Guantanamo Bay by January this year when he was running for president. However, a new trial of a Guantanamo detainee, Ghailani, is going to begin, and this serves as a "test run for future prosecutions" as NPR put it. Does this mean there might be more detainees from Guantanamo being on trial no matter under the federal system or not? If so, closing the Guantanamo Bay is currently not on our federal government's agenda. Perhaps, as President Obama answered in a press conference on September 14, "the politics of it are difficult".

Poll: Rocky road seen ahead for Obama

Poll: U.S. Wants More Health Reform, Not Less

Study: Sexist insults hurt female politicians

I thought that in light of our recent discussion of the nineteenth amendment this was interesting.

How to Tilt an Election Through Redistricting

This article discusses the impact that redistricting has on congressional elections throughout the country and notes the five ways to "tilt" an election in one party's favor or another. One way involved tribalism; for example, a district in Arizona was drawn in order to encompass a Hopi Indian reservation. This kind of districting is to make sure that minority groups are being accounted for in terms of ethnicity and race. After losing two House seats in the 2000 census, New York's state government struck a compromise in which two incumbents, one from each party, would be protected in particular districts. Essentially, this article shows that elections aren't traditionally democratic anymore: it is always possible to manipulate a state's voting patterns. In response to this redistricting issue, it is something that should be fixed, as it is not completely representing the interests of areas as a whole. In Sabato's book, he suggested that we try to eliminate gerrymandering by having a nonpartisan council in every state who would be dedicated to drawing the district lines fairly. I think that this idea is a good one, as long as it isn't proposed as an amendment to the Constitution.

What Happens To Health Law If GOP Wins Congress?

"We will repeal the health care (law) and then we will replace it."
- Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA)

Republicans claimed that they will repeal the new health care plan. Such claim from Republicans is not peculiar especially during an election period. Possibly, the Republicans announced that they are dedicated to pushing tax cut and replacing the new health care plan in order to win the election. However, this year, as Republicans raise the topics on tax and health care, they should be careful. Votes might not go to the Republican Party because there is a Tea Party movement going on nationwide.

Kennedy on church and state: a speech no candidate would make today

The role of religion in politics has certainly changed over the last fifty years. Government is not as removed from religion as it was then. Even the media is criticizes for Obama for not attending church regularly. Kennedy's speech is truly moving. Is it possible for us today to separate church and state once again? Or is religion too deeply entwined into important social issues?

We fear

The anti-Muslim feeling is prevailing because of the potential Islamic mosque at Ground Zero. Recently, a debate over whether Texas should curtail references to Islam in their text books is raised. Conservatives feel safe to support this action, while liberals do not think excluding Muslims matches American values.

Both conservatives and liberals are defending something that they think is important and correct, and both of them could justify themselves with endless reasons. These are our voices, voices from within the United States. However, we are missing voices from Muslims, who are not hostile to the United States and who hope to be treated equally. This debate could go on forever between the conservatives and liberals, and so could the Ground Zero case. We are debating, analyzing, judging, and claiming. We decide how they will appear in our text books. We are the subject, and they are the object. What we are doing now does not directly influence our personal rights or daily lives; however, it does influence our their lives.

Our decision might induce a whole society's fear toward headscarves and a biased view on that sacred land in Middle East. However, we cannot put our country's security at large. We try to ban as many potential risks as possible.

After several Middle East-related terrorist attacks or attempts of attacking, are American people brave enough to accept Muslim more widely and unflappably? Times have changed. Looking at our founders' courage of introducing new government systems and rules to the U.S. when they had very few precedents to refer to, we regret to admit that we are becoming more prudent after we have experienced more.

We dare not to risk.

Money in 2010 election

Obama At U.N. To Remind World Of His Policy Goals

President Obama gave two speeches on his foreign policies at the U.N.. According to his address, it is apparent that we have made progress in terms of all the issues he raised. Among the issues, Wars in Iraq, a highlight of this month's news, was ended. As a goal of his foreign policy, he has accomplished it. However, as a goal of domestic policy, we are looking forward to seeing President Obama nestle our soldiers and their families, reallocate resources, restore the relationship between the United States and Iraq, and build people's confidence toward the government.

House Passes Small Business Legislation

The House just passed the Small Business Jobs Act, which is aimed to help created 500,000 new jobs as well as help small business get loans. Helping small businesses is good for the economy and unemployment but does the government really have enough money to fund the $12 billion in tax breaks that businesses will be granted?

Newark will rise again

The New Health Care Rules: What They Will And Won't Do

It is unfortunate that there is still such a negative attitude towards the health care reform bill. While 40% people disapprove of the bill, a full third of respondents in polls either have no opinion at all or have not been informed enough to have an opinion of the bill. Even though so many disapprove it is to be noted that when people look at the individual aspects of the health care reform the approval for it skyrockets. Frankly I blame A: the media most of all for this vast disinformation effort that seems to have gone on, and B: the politicians who have enacted health care reform and yet have done very little to inform them of all the positives that it comes with. While the bill is not perfect, numerous aspects will fundamentally do good and will also reduce the deficit over all. And who exactly among us poor college students can truly complain about being kept on our parents health insurance until we're 26? Certainly not I! Things like that are just one of the positives and there are numerous more that need to be revealed to the American people.

DC approves NPV

Is the end near for Electoral College as we have known it?

Dale Peterson for Alabama Agriculture Commissioner

This is an actual political add that was run in the great state of Alabama. While this video is humorous, it does have some relevance to our current topics of disscussion. I find this an intersting and amusing depiction of conservatism. Enjoy, and please offer some your thoughts about the video.

Pledge To America

Republicans are planning to a release a series of plans tomorrow (thursday), including major budget cuts in congress and repealing and replacing the health care law. Republicans are attempting to lose $700 billion in tax cuts that would be made from millionaires/billionaires and take away all that Obama has worked for in patients rights for health care reform. Democrats are planning on protecting social security and giving tax cuts to the middle class.

Democrats Puzzle Out Their Losing Streak in Governor's Race

Lady Gaga Goes Political in Maine

Housing Starts Up; Redistricting Key Issue In Elections; Fed Has Hard Choice

Ronald Reagan Night

After discussing reaganism in class, you might enjoy this event. It's sponsored by AHI Undergraduate Fellows, an intellectually diverse group of students interested the mission of the Alexander Hamilton Institute.

Tea Party Victory Opens Rift Between Moderate and Conservative Republicans

When BP's well is 'dead', what problems arise?

Yesterday, BP announced that the oil in the Gulf of Mexico is plugged permanently. We are glad that, the well, as major newspapers put, is 'dead'. However, new topics worth considering arise.

The next major work of BP will be cleaning up. Obviously, cleaning up will cost a huge amount of money, labor, and of course, time. A large number of aquatic animals died of this oil spill, and many of them are still facing huge challenges to survive in polluted water. I came up with a question: Will BP be able to clean up fast enough to avoid a worse lost of biodiversity? These animals cannot wait and their lives are threatened by the difference between real cleaning up and a slogan of cleaning up.

Having learned a lesson from this oil spill, I suppose we shall improve supervision department in order to avoid another oil spill. Strict and mechanical supervison system now seem to be necessary. In addition, we shall improve our moral education. We shall make it clear that profit can turn out to be a disaster for our nature and for other people's lives. Therefore, becoming less greedy is very important if we want to implement sustainability.

Captain Kirk on the Constitution

Kirk is as eloquent as Amar about the Preamble.

Independent group spending big against local congressman

Americans Renew Call for Third Party

A recent Gallop pole has shown that support of a 3 party system is growing. interesting article and graphs in the link.

When Pollution and Urban Sprawl Attack Hudson Valley (reflection on Linda Mussmann’s lecture)

Linda Mussmann delivered a lecture on How Hudson, New York has changed by this city’s industrialized and how important it is to raise the awareness of protecting Hudson. She showed us how residents’ lives have changed by showing us a movie filed by her and her allies. In the movie, I saw that Hudson residents’ placid life is changed into instable by increasing opportunities and industrial pollution.

It was painful for me to see that Hudson residents who were once advocates of protecting Hudson eventually left the city. They gave up defending their city. Many of them clearly know that the city government is corrupt, that government’s decision making is not transparent, that merely taxing is short-sighted, and that death rate and cancer rate are increasing in town. However, they give way to pollution and urban sprawl. Pollution is replacing their blue sky with a grey one, and urban sprawl is replacing their bird singing with cars’ horn.

There is a fight!

A fight between government and Hudson residents, a fight between Hudson residents’ determination of defending the city and their thoughts of giving up, a fight between the longing for more money and a desire for a quiet life, and a fight between blue sky and grey sky.

Hudson is an epitome of urban sprawl that is happening rapidly domestically and internationally. Could we imagine how many more people are suffering from their town’s changes? And how many more people are fighting and how many more are giving up?

Safe Democracy v.s. Risky Democracy (reflection on Jay Sekulow’s lecture on Constitution Day)

Jay Sekulow gave a speech at Hamilton College on Constitution Day, advocating speech freedom and religious freedom. In his speech, he boldly pointed out the reality that we are promoting freedom publicly while limits on freedom are normal in many academic institutions. His raised examples of academic writing, nature of academic institutions, Ground Zero’s mosque, persecuted Mormon and German, indicating that we tend to avoid controversial topics because we are afraid to touch it.

Through his examples, I see the word “democracy” being torn into two parts: safe democracy and risky democracy. We can easily find examples of safe democracy in different academic institutions’ mottos, in slogans of different movements, and in government officers’ words. We always take it for granted when we hear it. However, as Sekulow suggested, incidents of a lack of democracy are happening more frequently than we would imagine, and there is hardly anyone mention about them. It has become our society’s hidden rule that there might be a cost if we bring forward a controversial topic. Therefore, it is risky to defend a certain group of people’s freedom, for example, minority’s religious freedom and their speech freedom.

It was very interesting for me to see that it is safe for us if we put a group of people’s freedom at risk, while it is risky for us if we defend the safety of a group of people.

Tea party gains in US primaries

Is the tea party movement helping or hurting the Republican Party"? Does having two conservative parties hurt both their causes? The Republican primary in Delaware illustrates a rough relationship between the Tea Party and the Republican Party.

O'Donnell, elated after GOP Senate primary, eyes victory in November

To go off of Mariah's post, here is another story that discusses the win of Christine O'Donnell in the Delaware Republican primary. I think that this triumph just goes to show that the Tea Party movement is not just a bunch of radicals that don't appeal to the masses. Instead, they are potentially starting to have real influence on the Congress and the federal government as a whole. Chris Coons, the Democratic candidate for the Senate seat in Delaware is confident that he will beat O'Donnell, saying that he is running against an ideology rather than a solid political record. O'Donnell, instead of getting defensive, thanked Coons for the exposure to the Democrats that he gave her. It seems as if she may run into trouble with further campaigning since her candidacy is not backed by the national Republican party; however, she is receiving support from Sarah Palin, Jim DeMint, and the Tea Party Express.

New look on Tea Party Movement

I was one of the guilty individuals who viewed the tea party movement as a group solely supported by republicans, and as a “support network for Palin.” This article however attributes Christine O Donnell’s primary election victory to her endorsements from Sarah Palin and the Tea Party. In actuality the Tea Party is comprised of multitude of national organization, and “discussion range from the philosophical, pondering the role of government and the duties to citizens, to the practical, how to canvass and organize. Though it is remains a very conservative movement, my opinion that it is a crowd of crazy extremists has somewhat changed.

Senate Bill on Food Safety Is Stalled

Redesigning the Dollar Bill

There has been a recent movement to redesign U.S. Currency in order to stimulate the economy. Do you think this would be an effective measure?

Recession Raises Poverty Rate to a 15-Year High

Clean Air

You will be attending a talk by Mr. Hayward on October 4.

Constitution Day

Jay Sekulow will deliver Constitution Day address at 7:30PM in the Chapel. Co-sponsored by the Alexander Hamilton Institute and the Libertas Americana Project.

More on Tea Party

Lynn v. Sekulow on "Ground Zero Mosque"

I found this debate blog while researching tomorrow's Constitution Day lecturer, Jay Sekulow. In recent posts, Mr. Sekulow, chief counsel for the American Center for Law and Justice, and Rev. Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, debate the issue of building the "Ground Zero Mosque." I thought this debate was interesting because it questions what it means to have religious freedom and where it is appropriate (if at all) to impose restrictions on such freedom. It also brings up the issue of tolerance as one of America's founding principles and questions whether building the mosque would should be considered religious discrimination. As we discuss issues of constitutionality in APP class, it is interesting to see how these issues remain at the forefront of American politics today, as manifested in the Lynn v. Sekulow debate.

Suggestion for Bon Apetit

A bit off subject, but revealing about regional culture.

If the Dems Lose, Will Pelosi Stay or Go? Read more: http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,2019501,00.html?xid=rss-topstories-cnnpartner#i

Will new slogan and logo make a difference?

Political labels

Tea Party Gains Strength

Influential Republicans Support O'Donnell for Senate

The new organizational structure of the Tea Party

Candidates with more Facebook fans win big on Tuesday

On a slightly less serious note, it is interesting to see how media today affects campaigns. It seems as though free advertising, through Facebook, has helped candidates connect to young voters and win elections. It will be exciting to see how the future of campaigning will continue to change as technology and social networking continues to grow.

Tea Party Bio

I cam across this information while on the New York Times's website. Since this topic has come up a few times in class, I though it would be helpful for those like me who aren't too sure what exactly the Tea Party is about.

Linda Mussmann

Linda Mussmann reminded us that it is ultimately the policies established in your community that effect families and individuals the most. Thus far in our class we have only focused on issues concerning our federal and state governments. In Hudson the cement factory would have caused serious health risks and additionally be damaging to small town business owners. The politics within ones own town have far greater personal consequences then the federal and even state policies implemented. Linda Mussmann’s experiences in Hudson illustrated that politics start at a private community level, and are an essential component to the prosperity of cities/towns and to the broader national and state governmental system.

Meet Christine O'Donnell...

The fact that a candidate this underqualified could unseat the supremely qualified and experienced Mike Castle is certainly something that the GOP should really be worried about. Perhaps it is with actions like these that show that the Tea Party is not necessarily a pro-GOP movement after all, as they seem to relish tearing down the candidacies of mainstream Republicans like Lisa Murkowski, Trey Greyson, Sue Lowden and Daniel Tarkanian. However independent of the GOP these Tea Party elements are, it is indisputable that it is a blessing from above for Democrats. Democrats should be practically jumping up and down at O'Donnell's victory. In a traditionally blue state like Delaware with a large amount of sensible independents that would normally have supported Castle, O'Donnell's victory has basically given the seat back to Democrats and making a Coons victory considerably more probable. I had this seat as a basically guaranteed Republican pick up before the primary but now I am tempted to call it lean Democrat or maybe even safe Democrat.

Does money buy elections?

small town politics

One of the things that struck me the most was the lack of political parties in small towns and how during elections or even political disagreements, it's the people themselves and what they stand for that the people find important. This is in complete contrast to what we find in national or state politics. For some reason there is a transition in thinking somewhere between small town and even county political contests and just slightly larger contests where people vote solely on which political party the candidate identifies with. Being from a small town myself I never really thought about the politics that surrounded my life and especially the different parties, I couldn't name the party that my hometown mayor identifies with. This creates such an advantage for the people because the values a candidate supports are the true focus of the campaign not how best to pit one party against the other. I understand that the support system created by a political party can be an invaluable resource but the support given to a strong candidate can be even stronger because the people are giving support based on true knowledge not just a blind following. Why can't national politics follow this model even a bit closer?

TSL

Time and Space Limited is a very interesting place-- great place for a summer internship for someone interested in arts management, marketing, and programming. Despite its problems, Hudson ,NY is a hip place. HC funds designated to support students doing internships in non-profits.

Are RINOS an endangered species?

Mike Castle, Hamilton alum, is the latest RINO (Republican In Name Only) defeated in primary. Is this a significant development? Will GOP snatch defeat from the jaws of victory?

What to watch in Tuesday's primaries

After Volatile Primary Season, G.O.P. Faces New Test

Tea Partiers Bring Cause to Washington

How Much Does Congress Make?

I thought this brief video was interesting given our discussions of the 27th Amendment and Sabato's proposed amendment regarding the salaries of Supreme Court Justices. It's surprising how little the Founding Fathers made given their statuses as celebrities of the time.

Punishing Muslims for terrorism is wrong

I think the construction of the mosque is such a controversial topic because Americans aren't ready to accept that those responsible for 9/11 do not represent the Muslim community. Opposing the construction of mosque is almost opposing a German from purchasing a home and moving in a Jewish town. The analogy clearly (in my opinion at least) demonstrate how ridiculous that would be. But I also think that since 9/11 is rather a recent even, people may (do) still feel ardently angry about what happened however, I don't think people should let their emotions get in the way of what's right/constitutional.

I wonder if this would still have been as controversial as it is now if the building of the mosque is proposed thirty years from now.

GOP foe casts Pelosi as 'Wicked Witch'

Obama Urged to Confront Islamic States on Religious Freedom

Some of the countries that were the most vocal about the threatened Quran-burning also are among the countries where intolerance of religious minorities is widespread and often state-sanctioned, according to advocacy groups.

Many Push for Repeal of Tax Provision in Health Law

Will Republicans Keep Their Word on Tax Cuts?

Recently House Minority Leader John Boehner said that he would support the phasing out of the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy and support Obama's plan to reduce taxes on middle class Americans making less than $250,000 a year. However given the current political climate and the upcoming 2010 midterms which indicate there will be a strong public backlash against current Democratic leadership, I question Boehner's sincerity. Will he be pulled down by the rest of his party if they unite against Democrats in order to keep the Bush tax cuts or will he stay true to his word and help push through much needed middle class tax relief? Our economic recovery has been incremental at best. Giving the middle class the chance to use their tax cuts to further boost the economy might be a welcome opportunity to pull this country out of its long recession.

20 states sue feds over Obamacare

10th amendment v. commerce clause.

Can the GOP win back the knowledge class?

Twitter War: Gibbs V Boehner

Mosque Protests Add Note of Discord to 9/11 Remembrances

Obama Added More to National Debt in First 19 Months Than All Presidents from Washington Through Reagan Combined, Says Gov’t Data

In the first 19 months of the Obama administration, the federal debt held by the public increased by $2.5260 trillion, which is more than the cumulative total of the national debt held by the public that was amassed by all U.S. presidents from George Washington through Ronald Reagan.

Focus shifts to Congress after 'don't ask, don't tell' ruling

This article discusses the current 'don't ask, don't tell' policy in the military-- U.S. District Judge Phillips from California has ruled the policy unconstitutional on the basis of violating the First and Fifth Amendments. This ruling is a perfect opportunity for Congress to finally end the policy, as both the White House and the Pentagon have said that they are ready to eliminate gay and lesbian members of the military from not being able to serve openly. I think that this article is an important one to consider as it yet again shows that even though the Constitution did not explicitly address this issue, it is still concerned with a lot of implicit rights that we have as citizens of the United States.

Boehnerizing the election

New ad by DCCC. Will this strategy be successful?

Left Urges Dems to Think Big

Bipartisan View of Next Election

This article is more of an informative bipartisan view of main issue facing the country that will be relevant in the next election. The increasing unpopularity of Obama and the expectation for a Republican majority House and Senate has taken over headlines in the past few weeks. In reading the predictions about the next election, and the criticism for the Democratic Party, it appears to me that people have failed to realize the party that originally placed America in the position it is in today. I was not a staunch Obama supporter but I believe that the Bush Administration had left, among other pressing problems, a huge federal deficit, two war, and a fairly widespread distaste for the way in which we conducted foreign policy . Let us not forget that Obama inherited responsibility for matters that came from Republican activity and eight years of Bush in office.

Dems may punt on Bush tax cuts

While the argument can be made that raising taxes on anyone during a recession is a bad thing I have to say it is harder to make that argument when that "anyone" that we speak of is the top two percent of income earners in the nation. While these super wealthy retain their decades long Bush tax cuts, which don't appear to have been particularly stimulating, lower income Americans are struggling everyday with simply putting food on tables and making mortgage payments. If some in Congress want to have a temporary extension of these tax cuts they should first take in mind the suffering of the average families in their states, not just the wealthy who contribute heavily to their re-election campaigns. Republicans enjoy arguing that small businesses are where the vast majority of jobs are created, so if that is true then they should be advocating for the repeal of these tax cuts so all that money can be put back in the pockets of small business owners. That way it can be put to the most good so that businesses can feel safe about re-hiring again and let the economy recover faster.

NY as Battleground State?

It would take an electoral tsunami for GOP to pick up anything close to eight seats in NY.

Keys to November

Expanding the House

Although this article was written in 2009, it is still pertinent to the discussion from Thursday's class. Peter Baker describes the huge discrepancy in the number of representatives each state has to the number of people are being represented in each district. Baker also raises the question if adding more seats in the House would make the United Sates a more democratic nation.

Can Dems Boehnerize the election?

'Don't ask, don't tell' policy ruled unconstitutional

GOP Insiders Skeptical about Tidal Wave Election

What's the American Way to Fight the Planned 9/11 "Burn a Koran Day"?

Ground Zero Mosque Backers Appear Divided

Republicans privately plot John Boehner-run House

Eye on Redistricting, G.O.P. Is Primed for Statehouse Gains

The November 2 election anticipates the Republican party winning the majority for both Congress and the State Legislature. The Republican esteem comes from the publics’ response to the continuing economic frustration and the growing national debt. If the Republicans win the majority in the State Legislative it will mean the party will play a major role in the once-a-decade process of redistributing the boundaries of Congressional districts in their favor. On the national level, Republicans have high hopes in winning the majority in Congress. If success at both levels is achieved, then it could mean a major shift in political influence towards the right.

Don't bogart that joint

Gettysburg

Professor Klinkner is leading a trip to Gettsyburg during Fall break and has a few spots open. If interested, contact Professor Klinkner.

Clinton Heads home to help fellow Democrat

It was brought up in A More Perfect Constitution, the roles of former presidents and vice presidents after their term ended. Here is one such recent example of former president Bill Clinton continuing to campaign for his Democrat party.

Americans See U.S. Military as No. 1 Now,

For G.O.P., Tea Party Wields a Double-Edged Sword

the Obama Tracker

RIP Freshman Comp

Essay about the demise of freshman composition requirement. Should Hamilton bring it back from the dead?

A good time was had by all

Reception for AHI Undergraduate Fellows was a great success. For more information about Fellows Program, see me.

Turnout

For the first time in 80 years, Republican turnout in primaries exceeded Democratic turnout.

Semester in Washington Info Meeting

Info meeting about the F 2011 and S 2012 Semester in Washington Programs Wednesday, September 15 at 4PM. If you can't make it and have questions about the program, see me.