White House Meeting Ends in Kind Words but No Deals

This article discusses the meeting that Obama had with the Republican Congressional leaders earlier today. The meeting was said to have "pledges of cooperation" but thus far, there have been no agreements on the two major issues that currently divide Democrats and Republicans: national security, and more importantly, fiscal policy. At the moment, the most relevant issue up for discussion is whether or not to continue Bush-era tax cuts that will soon expire. The large debate on these tax cuts is not for how long they should be extended, but rather who should receive the tax relief. The Republicans believe that everybody should get the cuts, while the Democrats think that they should only go to citizens with income under $250,000. In order to settle this debate in a timely manner, two Republicans and two Democrats (one from each party in each hous eof Congress) will discuss the matter with Secretary of Treasury Timothy Geithner. Furthermore, Obama personally apologized to the new Speaker of the House, Boehner, and the minority leader in the Senate, McConnell, for not reaching out to them at all to find some common ground in the past two years. Obama is promising them that this time around, he will do much to promote bipartisanship in Congress. However, both Boehner and McConnel feel that the outcome of recent midterm elections were not only a cry for bipartisanship, but also a "rejection of Obama's agenda." Despite their beliefs, Obama's announcement yesterday of a two-year pay freeze for civilian federal workers was meant to show the Republicans in Congress that he is indeed serious about eliminating as much deificit spending as possible from now on.

A skeptical view of power of technology

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I thought this article was similar to the example Justice Souter gave in his speech.

The rent's too damn high for new members of Congress

President Obama and GOP leaders finally to meet

Obama Proposes a Pay Freeze for Federal Workers

Obama has decided to address the huge federal deficit by initiating a two-year freeze plan for federal employees. This plan would take away the raises that federal employees were expecting to receive for the following two years. While this plan is not expected to take care of the national debt, it will make a small dent. It may also be the beginning of several future proposals that tackle the debt. Republicans are satisfied with Obama's plan, their only critique being that it is not aggressive enough. This may be a good sign that Republicans and Democrats will be able to work together to help solve this monumental issue.

Ex-Justice Criticizes Death Penalty

Two years before his retirement from the Supreme Court, Justice John Paul Stevens announced his belief that the death penalty is unconstitutional. This came after years of supporting capital punishment, indicating a fundamental reversal in his beliefs. In 1976, Stevens felt that the death penalty could be implemented fairly; however, statistical evidence since then indicates racial disparities in the system. Along with racial discrimination, there are several other valid arguments against the death penalty. Aside of moral implications, evidence suggests that the death penalty does not effectively deter crime and, in some cases, costs more than incarceration. All of these issues should be carefully examined by the states before they choose to implement the death penalty.

Liberal Groups to Propose Routes to Smaller De

Liberal Groups to Propose Routes to Smaller Deficit:

The federal budget and deficit have emerged as the nation’s foremost political issue. In fact, President Obama and his administration must determine a plan to shrink the national debt within the next week. With time expiring, liberal organizations propose fewer reductions in domestic spending, more cuts in the military, and higher taxes for the wealthy. They understand that immediate action is needed and both military spending and health care should face the financial “cutting table.” Although liberal organizations are facing the deficit reality, Washington remains ideologically divided over how to approach this growing problem. It will be interesting to see what the Democratic Party comes up with and if their plan compensates any liberal values.

At a 2008 Stop, Obama Promotes His Policies

President Obama and Vice President Biden had a trip to Kokomo, Indiana, a manufacturing city last week, emphasizing the importance of the resurgence of auto plants. President Obama claimed that it is important to save the automobile industry in order to solve unemployment. This effort is seen as a privotal step for his reelection. President Obama has put aggressive effort to save General Motors, President Biden introduced his own manufacturing background in Indiana, a Republican state, according to New York Times.

I agree that manufacturing sector is very important for unemployment and that President Obama is heading to a new and effective direction. It has been an old discussion that President Obama neglected the middle class, and that losing people in the middle, which is the majority in a country, is one of the major reasons his approval rating decreased. He is now becoming more realistic and effective, carrying out policies - saving manufacturing sector - that can lead to short-term effect and can create economic growth immediately. The figures of revenue from manufacturing sector and of unemployment rate will speak louder than any of the speeches he has ever made.

The Palins Ensure They Stay in the News

Sarah Palin has formed a media empire by appearing at different TV shows, publishing two books, shooting for major magazine covers, delivering speeches actively, and being on promotional trips for her books. She has published her second book "America by Heart" ranked No. 10 on Arizona's best-seller list, according to New York Times.

We can see that Palin is casting much public attention and has become an iconic politician. However, I worry that her huge media effect is disproportional to his political impact. Even though she has been active with donors for Election 2012, her public image has insensibly transferred from a politician running for president to a supporting role in politics mentioned by people at their leisure. Her image as a female political warrior in the center of American political stage is admirable, but I think her effectiveness stays stable since Election 2008. She has been casting much attention, but always lost the stage by a slim margin. When she was almost there, she didn't make it. We have been used to this, and we start to take her less seriously as a leader. We can always come up with topics about Palin, but these topics are always of less seriousness and real respect. I do not think she should keep promoting herself through media, continuing her current trend. Instead, I think she should consider presenting herself through a new way, a new way that brings something fresh to the audience. We are tired of radical speeches, her opponency to current current government, and her advocacy of her deep love of country. We are are used to seeing her, we will regard her as a long-term participant/ actress on political stage instead of a strong candidate for presidency.

Remake of Obama Economic Team Broadens Scope

President Obama is going to bring in new blood to his economic team. A number of his economic team officials are departing, which provides him with a broader scope, suggested by New York Times. Michael S. Barr, the Assistant Treasury Secretary, Diana Ferrell, the deputy director of National Economic Council, David Axelrod, the sernior adviser of the oval office, just to name a few, are leaving by the end of next year. The major problem, according to Los Angeles Times, is the ineffective communication in White House. Administration officials of Obama's economic team lack of agreement on economic fundamentals, admitted by President Obama to Los Angeles Opinion writer Wolffe. Wolffe suggested that this lack of common ground in West Wing led to the question whether today's high unemployment rate structural or cyclical remain unsolved.

I think even though the answer to this question is important, but having a common comprehension/ answer to this question is even more important, no matter what the answer is. A unified answer would allow the government to make policies under a same base and belief. Every policy takes time to show results. Even if we implement a policy to not accurately subject to the problem, if we draw the wrong answer to the question, it will still solve minor economic problems. In addition, if the number of people benefiting from these minor economic growth is large enough, a big impact on domestic economic improvement will emerge. However, if we leave the question controversial within the central government, there will be no way to make a policy targeting at a unified problem. Policies will be scattered, and what's worse, these policies might even counteract with each other.

Health Law Faces Threat of Undercut From Courts

Although it is safe to assume that the majority of Americans are still skeptical about the health care laws, it seems as though that the opposition of some federal judges to this law is simply a microcosm of the disagreement between the left and right, rather than an issue with the law itself. It is clear that judges trying to oppose this law may only be able to declare (barely) some but not all provisions of the law unconstitutional. It would easier (I believe) to prove the constitutionality of the provisions instead of the opposite. I think that the bigger question here is should ideology precede the courts' attempts to contain the already-out-of-control political turmoil surrounding this issue?

In Los Angeles, Mayoral Aide Weighs Bid for Higher City Hall Perch

Austin Beutner, the duputy mayor of Los Angeles, is running for mayor in 2013. This is another example of business executive running for a government position. Mr. Beutner previously worked as an investment banker at the Blackstone Group. His business experience could provide him advantage financially. However, Mr. Beutner claimed that financial strength is not as important in order to present himself in front of voters. He is prepared to be vetted by the public, which he believes is more important. So far, Mr. Beutner is not a high-profile public figure yet, he does not a Wikipedia page, and his strength remains to be seen, as suggested by New York Times.

I think we are becoming stereotypical when voting for government executives. We haven conventional expectations, such as, a Wikipedia page, a candidate's previous career experience, and his financial strength. However, what we have neglected is whether a candidate can transfer his previous career experience in another sector to the government sector. Even though a candidate could be a business executive, there might be a disconnection between working purely for financial gains and rebuilding economy politically. Therefore, I think what we ought to do is to analyze a candidate's responses, ideas, and methodologies carefully, instead of visiting his website and reading his resume. Websites and resumes could be modified, but it is much harder to prepare instant responses to questions from the public and interviewers. Hence, I think how a candidate responds to questions is a mirror reflecting his real mind.

Obamacare in the courts

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Obama for America

Those of you writing about 2008 Obama campaign will find this useful.

Politics and social networking

Interesting piece for those of you writing paper about technology and politics

Reverse pork barrel?

Interesting piece for those of you discussing power of incumbency in your paper.