Next Obamacare crisis: Small-business costs?

Larry Klayman in huge CNN smackdown

Immigration’s next hurdle: Obamacare

If the government can’t build a website, how can it be trusted to correctly process millions of undocumented immigrants and require every employer to verify the status of their workers? 
I think this is a question that many Americans are asking themselves. This article talks about how the struggles of Obamacare have altered White House plans of an immigration reform, which seemed very promising coming into 2013. 

Senate poised to pass budget deal

This article discussed the two year bipartisan budget deal that was recently passed by both the House and the Senate.  After the Senate voted to advance it on Tuesday, it is pretty much guaranteed for final passage. I found this article to be quite interesting because although the deal only covers one issue of the issues our nation faces today, it shows that the government is beginning to work together and make compromises.

Paul Ryan wants House tax-writing gavel in 2015

http://www.politico.com/story/2013/12/paul-ryan-ways-and-means-committee-2014-101256.html
This article states that Paul Ryan will try his best to become the next chairman of the Ways and Means Committee. This will give him a chance to have a strong say in tax and entitlement reforms. He has wanted this for a long time. You will also read some other people's thoughts and goals for Paul Ryan in this article. Enjoy it. Multiple times. Everyone.

Government blatantly wastes $30 billion this year

Government blatantly wasted $30 billion this year
This was actually a very interesting article highlighting some of the ways the government wasted 30 billion dollars. It was not only enlightening, but it was also funny at points so everyone should enjoy it. It gives many examples from Tom Coburn's annual "Wastebook". Some of the expenditures that do not help most taxpayers include a 3-D pizza printer for NASA, and a football field sized blimp that was ever used. Enjoy. Learn. Government!

In North Korea, Water Is Thicker Than Blood

The leader of North Korea, Kim Jong Un, is making headlines again for ordering the execution of his uncle, Jang Song Thaek. Thaek was not a direct blood relative to Un, only connected through marriage. Thaek, until recently, was considered to be a very powerful figure in North Korea. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is quite worried by these recent events, warning that the execution is an "ominous sign" of instability and danger. Of course, many Americans already know the situation in North Korea is unstable and potentially dangerous, but this execution of Un's own relative is even more unsettling. Un is showing he will not hesitate to kill those who threaten his power, no matter who they might be.

A Nation Wages War Over Gun Control

A year after the tragic school shooting of Sandy Hook Elementary School, not much has changed. Soon after the tragedy, intense debate over gun control spread through the nation, but a year later, not even expanded background checks have come into fruition. Instead, some legislators are now turning their focus on improved mental health care. Many of these people believe that if mental health services are improved, the number of these great tragedies will decline. There's no question a change is needed, and hopefully for the sake of innocent people these changes come sooner rather than later.

Obama Sees a Rebound in his Approval Ratings

The President's approval ratings, which hit an all-time low last month at a 37% approval rate, have risen.  The newest New York Times/CBS News poll has Obama at a 42% approval rating.  Although this isn't a very impressive rate, the rise shows that the political fallout that the President received from the Obamacare website debacle has passed.  The approval rating for the Affordable Care Act has also risen from 31% to 39%.  These numbers, while not staggering, show that the rough reception given to the new law may be fading.

Republicans Moving to Overhaul 2016 Primary Process

Republican party officials are trying to streamline the nominating process for President in 2016 after critics said that the GOP Primary in 2012 was chaotic and damaging to their campaign for the White House.  Closed-door meetings have taken place between RNC members and chairman, Reince Priebus, to hash out the details for a plan that would condense the nominating calendar.  One change being discussed is holding less debates and having more control over how the debates are run.  Another possible change is having an earlier convention date (many within the party believe that the 2012 primary dragged on too long).  The Republicans are trying to modify their tactics in hopes of winning the next Presidential election, where they have lost two in a row.

Budget deal aims to avert another shutdown

http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/10/politics/budget-negotiations/index.html?hpt=po_t1

I was glad to see that our divided government can still work together. Congressional negotiators have reached a bipartisan budget deal that would stop another government shut down from occurring. Both sides gave in a little bit to compromise, which is what we need right now. The proposal will raise spending for the next full fiscal year to $1.012 trillion. This deal would save $85 billion, while "Eliminating $63 billion in forced spending cuts to the military and other programs through sequestration to achieve total deficit reduction of $23 billion". President Obama even called this deal "A good first step".

Democrats not named Clinton also eye presidential bids

This article addresses possible Democratic candidates who have thought about running for President in 2016. The article highlights five candidates; Joe Biden, Andrew Cuomo, Amy Klobuchar, Martin O'Malley, and Brian Schweitzer. Before I read the article, I had only heard of two of the possible candidates. And the article mentions that even though the candidates may not win, some would like to use the 2016 election as a way to get their name out there. Do you think that any of these new possible opponents can compete with Hillary Clinton? Do you think that Clinton will even run in 2016?

House to vote Thursday on budget deal

This article is about the new two year budget deal that is waiting to be approved by the House. The deal assures the American people that until 2015, there will not be another shutdown. However, some outside conservative groups are against this deal which has caused some tension in the Republican Party. What do you think of the conservative groups' opposition? Do you think that the House will approve the deal? If not, do you think the Party leaders can come up with a new deal?

White House gun control goals fade as Newtown anniversary nears

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/12/10/white-house-gun-control-fade/

I thought this article was interesting. As the anniversary of the tragic, Sandy Hook elementary school shooting nears, the Obama administration has little to show for gun control laws. Instead of putting bans on the actual weapons and ammunition itself, the White House has been focusing on a different way of dealing with it. They are putting their focus on the mental health of citizens in the U.S, hoping to have a correlation with a lower number of shootings.

GOP tries to deal with damage done with women

http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/06/politics/gop-house-women/index.html

The Republicans have a problem: they aren't attracting the female vote. House Speaker John Boehner  thinks the solution is that Republican candidates need to be more "sensitive" to female voters. After Missouri GOP Senate candidate Todd Akin referred to "legitimate rape" and Richard Mourdock in Indiana suggested rape was "something God intended to happen," I agree that the republicans are facing a bit of a PR problem. Therefore, the National Republican Congressional Committee is teaching male candidates who are running against women how to respond to specific questions about rape as part of the NRCC's overall media training it conducts each cycle. 

"Rand Paul: Extending jobless benefits a 'disservice' to workers"

"Rand Paul: Extending jobless benefits a 'disservice' to workers"

Rand Paul, a Republican from Kentucky and a probable presidential candidate for the  2016 election said Sunday that "extending unemployment benefits past what the U.S. federal government has already paid would be a 'disservice' to workers." To defend this statement, Paul pointed to a study showing that employers are less likely to hire the long-term unemployed. The White House and Democrats say "evidence shows that jobless benefits don't stop people from trying to find work." In his weekly address, Obama cited the Department of Labor and the Council of Economic Advisers and said "failing to extend benefits could cost businesses 240,000 jobs." It is certainly an interesting argument on Paul's side but I disagree with him and believe that cutting unemployment rates would only hurt those already struggling. 

Boehner Rejects 'Do Nothing' Label For This Congress

This article talks about the pathetic efforts the House and the Senate to try and blame each other for the lack of bills passed this year. I think the article, although short, points out many of the flaws regarding Congress. For one, the ridiculously small number of weeks the House and Senate actually work in any given year. It seems that they are on vacation for most of the year, and when they are actually in session all they can do is blame others for their inability to accomplish anything. People are obviously fed up with Congress, considering their dismal popularity, and yet this doesn't seem to change anything at all.

5 Ways Life Changes in the Senate After Nuclear Option on Filibusters

This article discusses the changes that will occur in Senate now that the "Nuclear Option" has passed in the senate. It is actually very limited as to what it applies to. It does not apply to legislation, only to appointments and nominations. Senators felt that this was a needed measure considering the fact that there have been 168 nomination filibusters in Senate history, and half of them have occurred during the Obama administration. This number is preposterous and hopefully this change in rules, though only effecting a small window of what goes through the senate, will make it easier for the Senate to do it's job. The Nuclear Option will also allow for more judges and cabinet members to be appointed. It will also allow for the heads of agencies such as the EPA and Health and Human Services to more easily to there jobs.

President Obama Rallies Support for Healthcare

President Obama Rallies Support for Healthcare

Obama said that it is time to "refocus" on improving the american healthcare system following the plethora of negative publicity it has recently received. He started by recounting the millions of success stories with Obamacare, but he went on to say that millions still needed to be helped.

"The bottom line is the law is working, we are not repealing it as long as I am president."

In order to do this, the Obama administration has revamped the website; the now once glitch-frenzied website is now clean.

US Army Halts Shipments from Afghanistan via Pakistan

US Army Halts Shipments from Afghanistan via Pakistan

The US army has very recently halted shipments from Afghanistan via Pakistan because of the increased risk to truck drivers due to the greater protests of drone strikes by Pakistanis. The United States is doing more than their fair share of helping to rebuild that sector of the world; for me this raises a question, "Should we continue to help rebuild if middle eastern citizens aren't going to appreciate it?" The United States is there to hunt terrorists and sustain troubled governments, I feel that this all comes down to a matter of oil dependency. If the United States can find a substitute for our need for oil, then we can finally put this problem behind us.

Case Over Gun-Safety Ads Fosters Unlikely Alliance

This article discusses a recent case in the Arizona State Legislature based on an ad stating "Guns Save Lives." The city of Phoenix wanted the ads removed, but the business (offering gun-safety lessons) which posted the ad claims this violated their First Amendment rights. Although the First Amendment debate always offers interesting discussion, the more important factor in this article is the unlikely groups which have come together because of this case. Groups with different ideologies rarely see eye to eye as we know, for our two-party system is so divided, but this case seems to be different. The article continues discussing details of the ad, and history in court cases with similar themes, but it will be interesting what the verdict will be.

Underachieving Congress Appears in No Hurry to Change Things Now

This article tells of how our current Congress, the 113th Congress, is the most unproductive in history. I found this to be fascinating, but also predictable, considering the ridiculous, uncooperative behavior Congress has had recently. Numerous bills are mentioned throughout the article, all which might (or probably won't) get passed. The most significant of these bills is the Farm Bill, which Democrats and Republicans, as usual, are very torn. Democrats are putting Republicans on blast, trying to ease them away from the opinionated Tea Party wing of their party. All in all, this article reinforces how broken Congress is today, an idea we've discussed often in class.

US reportedly frees Iranian amid secret talks, but American trio still held

US reportedly frees Iranian amid secret talks, but American trio still held --This is the link

The Obama Administration has faced criticism recently over their releasing of an individual who has allegedly played a role in Iran’s development of nuclear weapons without securing the release of one of at least three Americans who are believed of being detained. They are also taking criticism for not securing the release as part of the nuclear deal—to which they responded with “The P5+1 talks focused exclusively on nuclear issues.” This, however, is contradictory to some allegations that the Iranian’s release was tied to the talks: “the reported release of Atarodi [the Iranian supposedly released] came after those exchanges, and seems more closely aligned to the nuclear talks.”

This instance reminds me a lot of the individuals who said with regard to the Soviet Union “better red than dead.” This is exactly what is being done by the Obama administration—they are simply appeasing Iran without seeking to cripple their nuclear weapons capacity. As Ronald Reagan says, this strategy “gives no choice between peace and war, only between fight or surrender.”

White House launching new ObamaCare push, as GOP sees 2014 opening

White House launching new ObamaCare push, as GOP sees 2014 opening

Amidst plunging poll numbers for the Democratic Party as a whole, President Obama will be “launching a campaign on Tuesday to once again sell the benefits of ObamaCare to the public, and try to head off a backlash in 2014. This comes, however, at a time when the president is losing his influence—Ed Rendell has been quoted as saying that he does not “know any Democrat running for governor [who] would like the president involved.”

This past weekend we saw the ObamaCare website’s relaunch—a drastically important moment for Democrats. While initially starting out well, performance got worse with time, and a queue system was introduced in order to allow current shoppers to complete their purchase. The website’s success has been tied to the Democrats’ degree of success in the 2014 midterms.

It does not come as a surprise that I am vehemently opposed to ObamaCare and this website is only indicative of a far larger issue. If the federal government cannot so much as manage a website, why should we expect it to competently manage our health care system? As Ted Cruz has recently said, there is only one solution: full repeal.

Democrats Lose 2014 Edge Following Obamacare Uproar

This article discusses how within just a month, Democrats lost their lead in the polls for seats in Congress in the upcoming 2014 election. A month ago, Democrats were in the lead 50%-42% because of Republicans' role in the government shutdown. That statistic has now shifted to 49%-47% favoring the GOP. This extreme change was direct aftermath of the Obamacare uproar, and shows how President Obama is not the only one being blamed for the issues. The article talks about the voter profile of those who may have shifted to the GOP side, and how those who Obamacare are designed for are more satisfied. The real question which is brought up towards the end of the article, is whether these numbers will mean anything in a few months and if the GOP will maintain this lead.

Hospital Delays Are Killing America's War Veterans

               This article covers some recent news taken from certain hospital facilities. An investigation done by CNN has found that Veterans are dying because of delays in veterans hospitals. The problem is especially bad at Williams Jennings Bryan Dorn Veterans Medical Center in Columbia, South Carolina. There are many cases where cases of cancer being undetected. Dr. Stephen Lloyd said it best, "It's very sad because people died." The article later goes on to discuss how congress has attempted to fix the problem with tax payer dollars, yet no results are evident. CNN's investigation has shown that the VA has even ignored Congress' attempts to remedy the problem.

Afghans Demand That U.S. Admit Military Errors

The loya jirga that we have read about in previous articles is set to begin meeting on Thursday, so the security agreement between the American and Afghan governments needs to be finalized very soon. The last aspect of the deal that Afghani President Hamid Karzai wants settled is a reassurance that American forces will reform their counterterrorism raids on private Afghani homes, which many Afghans find threatening and offensive. Karzai has asked for a letter from President Obama admitting that American forces have made mistakes in the past in their handling of these sorts of raids and assuring that efforts will be made to correct such errors in the future. Additionally, Karzai wants raids to be conducted only under "extraordinary circumstances" when American lives are in danger. There has been some resistance to this request in the Obama administration, but we will probably not have to wait very long to see what the final response will be.

Justices Reject Bid to Block Texas Law on Abortions

Today, the Supreme Court rejected an application from abortion providers in Texas to block a law that would make it harder for women in much of the state to access abortion services. The law requires that doctors performing abortions have admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles. Opponents say that the law has no medical basis and is simply an effort at restricting abortion access.  Currently, the law is set to go into effect, but it is expected that it will be challenged further, perhaps appearing in the Supreme Court before too long. Abortion providers argue that if the law is allowed to stay while its constitutionality is debated, many clinics will be permanently crippled even if the law is eventually revoked. (This is the same law that Wendy Davis opposed in her 11-hour filibuster in June.)

Why 2016 is ripe for an independent presidential candidate

This article explores the possibility of having one or possibly even two independent candidates running in 2016. The author acknowledges that this is highly improbable, but advocates that if it were to happen, 2016 would be a good time. I thought that this article ties back in with our curriculum because we are often realizing the large number of different ways that our political system favors a two-party system. So after reading this, I'm wondering if it is possible for something like this to happen in the next election, or any election for that matter. We know that it is essentially futile to have three candidates running in the same general election, because one of the party's voter base will be split between the two candidates. But what if it were possible to have four candidates? Then the voter base of each party would be split. But then does the candidate who is elected actually represent the majority of people, in our country? And would that lead us more away from a two-party system, or would it make most American unhappy with our legislature because it is more polarized than before?

The Fight for a “Right”: How an Iran Deal Might Hinge on One Simple Word

This article is about Iran's nuclear power program. More specifically it is about their "right" to enrich uranium. As you will read, enriching uranium is "the process that purifies harmless uranium ore into the stuff of nuclear bombs." This makes it extremely difficult to negotiate some kind of deal because this issue is one that is near impossible to compromise on. Many leaders fear that if Iran is legally given the "right" to enrich uranium, even supposedly for peaceful purposes, it would lead to disastrous consequences both realistically and legally. So what do you think our leaders should do? Is there an answer to a situation like this. Or can it only be answered with simply more questions?

ABC Poll Suggests Obamacare Could Have Cost Obama A Second Term

This article is really similar to the other one that I posted earlier. This one focuses on how if the 2012 Presidential Election had been held today, Mitt Romney would have won, not Obama. Additionally, the article talks about how support for Obamacare has dropped since the launching of the HealthCare.gov website and how the failure to launch this website smoothly has influenced Obama's declining approval ratings and, as a result, could potentially influence next year's election as all 435 House seats and over a third of the Senate seats are up for grabs.

GOP Continues to Give Heat to Democrats about Obamacare

This article discusses how Republicans are continuing to pester Democrats to get rid of Obamacare. In the article, it's mentioned that polls have been conducted, and since the Obamacare website was launched, more and more disapproving of how Obama has handled the situation. It's a fairly interesting read, even though it seems like nothing is in the news but Obamacare all the time anyway.

Harbingers of the 2016 U.S. Election

        After the results of election day were taken in, clues for 2016 presidential candidates were visible as well as suggestions of a political drift in Virginia. This article focuses on Chris Christie's possible candidacy in 2016 and how he fairs when it comes to public opinion. On the positive side for Christie, many of the wealthy on Wall Street have a "drooling man-crush" for him; but on the other hand, he may not be viewed as right extremist as he needs to be to win the support of the South and Midwest. More numbers examined in the article are the exiting polls in Virginia after Democratic candidate Terrie McAuliffe's win as governor.

G.O.P. Weighs Limiting Clout of Right Wing

This article explores the divide in the Republican Party between staunch conservative Tea Party types, and other less extreme members. Specifically, this article comments on Cuccinelli's near loss in Virginia for the governor's seat. Some argue that because of the structure in which primaries are run in Virginia, Cuccinelli was sure to win because conventions tend to favor more extreme candidates compared to more moderate ones. 

Justices Weigh Constitutionality of New York Town’s Prayers

This article addresses prayer before town hall meetings in the state New York, but it really relates to  every city or state. The article considers how saying a prayer before a town meeting affects those with a different religion than the prayer relates to, or those who don't identify with any religion at all. The justices had difficultly when considering this dilemma, because they didn't feel comfortable with "deciding what prayers are acceptable." Another question raised, asked whether or not the decision should be made simply because a minority of the citizens don't share the same religious views as everyone else.

Races Say as Much about Future as Election Day

This is a really interesting article. It looks at how the races for election for today will affect the midterm elections next year and potential presidential candidates in 2016. Specifically, it focuses on how Chris Christie is expected to have a landslide victory in NJ this year, stealing Democratic votes from Barbara Buono, and how the tight race for Virginia Governor between Terry McAuliffe (D) and Ken Cuccinelli (R) could be determined how people vote for the Libertarian candidate, Robert Sarvis. I really thought that this would be a good article for today because it focuses on today, Election Day, something that only comes once a year, but it affects us every day of the year.

Senate Working to End Workplace Discrimination

On Monday night, the Senate moved one step further towards outlawing workplace discrimination against homosexuals. Legislation of this sort would lead employers to only judge job applicants on their professional abilities and their job credentials, not on a person's sexual orientation. However, this proposed legislation, The Employment Nondiscrimination Act, completely leaves it wide open for religiously-affiliated employers do discriminate against people in jobs that have no religious function. Also, I think it's kind of ridiculous that at the end of the article, Boehner says that workplace fairness would cost American jobs. I think that is a ridiculous claim. Aside from that though, I think this is a good article that is very related to many of the large social issues in society today.

White House says 'Obamacare' website will be fixed by end of November

With the Affordable Care Act, nicknamed "Obamacare", going into effect last month, very few people have actually been able to sign up. The website has had a lot of problems and people trying to get insured have been receiving error messages. Zients comments saying "It will take a lot of work and there are a lot of problems that will need to be addressed, but the bottom line is that it is fixable." The website is said to be fully functional by the end of November.

Next Hurdle for Republicans: Immigration

After backlash from the recent government shutdown, Republicans now face a new issue in immigration. Some think the Republicans will lose their hold in the House if they do not "embrace and champion immigration reform." Others think that while immigration may be an issue nationally, they won't lose their majority in the House because they are from "safe districts."

Romney pushes back on Obamacare comparisons

Hours beofre Obama's event to endorse Obamacare, former opposing candidate, Mitt Romney, and a few other Republicans once again bashed Obamacare. Romney compares Obamacare to the Massachusetts health care law he put in place, and other Republican figures relate it to coverage on other issues, such as the Vietnam War.

Sebelius: 'I apologize, I'm accountable' for Obamacare website flaws

I felt this article was a good follow up to the article Griffin posted about the immediate issues that occures with online healthcare.  It goes into more details on the problems associated. Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius takes full responsibility for the issues and apologizes to the American public for everything that has gone wrong.

South Koreans Run Away to North Korea...?

It's exactly what it sounds like. Six South Koreans ran away from Soeul to North Korea. After several years in North Korea, the runaways were repatriated to South Korea. "Why the heck would they do that?", you may ask. The reason, apparently, was because the South Koreans suffered economic misfortune in their home country, so believing they would find prosperity in North Korea, they fled. Needless to say they were mistaken. Some of the runaways had participated in pro-Pyongyang campaigns online.

Saudi Women Defy Driving Ban

Over the weekend, a campaign took place in Saudi Arabia in which women were encouraged to defy the de facto driving ban. Many women videotaped themselves driving and uploaded it to YouTube. However, the excitement was short-lived, and now these women who videoed themselves driving are worried about being followed by the government's secret police and the consequences which may follow. As Americans, we view this "right to drive" as a garunteed right, but in Saudi Arabia, not only is the country in general split on the matter, but even the female demographic is divided, some women supporting these protests, while others think the system doesn't need to be changed.

In Fed and Out, Many Now Think Inflation Helps

I figured since we've been beating the dead horse of the debate over healthcare and the government shutdown we could look towards more optimistic subject matter: our nation's prosperous economy. Typically today it seems that we consider inflation as a negative because we associate the term with our struggling economy. However, according to the article, there is a concern of the Federal Reserve policy makers that inflation actually may be rising too slowly. Based on history and economic patterns, inflation has its advantages in our country's current economic conditions, especially for debtors. The article was interesting to me, though, because it contradicted this mindset that I had about how the economy works.

Ted Cruz Spins Shutdown as a Success

Well I realize that this article is very brief, but I saw the title and knew I had to post it. The title really says it all: according to Cruz, the government shutdown was a "success" because the public recognized it as a failure and therefore had quite a bit of heated discussion about it. So I'm curious, based on the other articles about the government shutdown and what you know about Tea Party member Ted Cruz, what do you think? Even if the issue "got people talking," can this really be considered a relative success to the corrupt U.S politics we know today?

Democrats Aim to Restore Immigration to Agenda

With the government shutdown, President Barack Obama and other Democrats were fast to bring up the topic of immigration. A bill may be difficult to pass, however, as some of the GOP is still mad over the small gains they made in the two weeks of government shutdown. Representatives from both parties believe that passing a broad immigration bill could improve the public's opinion on the Republican party. Speaker of the House John Boehner has set a goal to make improvements on America's broken immigration system by the end of the year. Many Democrats are calling for Mr. Boehner to allow a vote such as the one in the Senate that ended the government shutdown. This type of vote passes legislation with both Democratic and Republican votes.

Forget about Obamacare. In Colorado, it's 'Brosurance'

This article discusses a new advertising campaign about healthcare in Colorado.  The Colorado Consumer Health Initiative and ProgressNow Colorado Education are behind this. Their hope is to target two demographics, young residents in Colorado and Latino families. The article features two of campaign ads. One of them has a man brake his head while golfing. The other shows a man drinking. Both ads showcase red solo cups and a pair of American flag swim trunks. Along with the posters, the campaign features hash-tags such as "#doyougotinsurance" and "#brosurance." The hope of these meme like ads is for them to go viral on social networking. The end of the article provides statistics on how many people have signed up for the insurance due to this campaign.

Three big takeaways from Hillary Clinton's return to politics

This article details Hillary Clinton's return to the political spotlight on October 20th. The article begins with a video of Hillary Clinton endorsing Terry McAuliffe during his campaign for governor of Virginia. The author mentions Hillary Clinton being a potential presidential candidate in 2016. The rest of the article is then spent analyzing Hillary Clinton's speech. The author writes about Clinton's relaxed demeanor, her criticism of republicans, and her endorsement of McAuliffe.

Justices Return to a Death Penalty Issue

In 2002, the Supreme Court banned executing the "mentally retarded' in Atkins vs. Virginia. On Monday, the justices agreed to clarify how states should determine who does and does not qualify, triggered by a new case: Hall vs. Florida. In 1978, Freddie L. Hall and an accomplice sexually assaulted and beat 21 year old Karol Hurst, who was 7 months pregnant at the time. In 1999, a trial judge found Mr. Hall to be mentally handicapped, claiming him to be probably somewhat retarded and to have both learning difficulties and a speech impediment. After the Atkins case, Mr. Hall challenged his death sentence. In the case the court decided that "mentally retarded" meant three things; having an IQ lower than 70, having a lack of social skills, and having both appear before the age of 18. Hall tested three times, scoring 71, 73, and 80. The argument now is that what if a mentally retarded person is executed just because of the 70 cut-off line? Justice James E. C. Perry says that “if the bar against executing the mentally retarded is to mean anything, Freddie Lee Hall cannot be executed.” Pamela Jo Bondi, Florida's attorney general, is urging the Supreme Court to dismiss the case, stating that this case is just trying to get the states to not have the power to set an intelligence score for execution.

You think you've had a hard month? Talk to Obama

This article, from USA Today, provides a recap of this month and the political and economic events that have taken place. These events required executive involvement and supports the author's main point that the president has had a lot to deal with in this eventful month. The article is divided into four parts: the recent, lackluster, job report, the technical issues Healthcare.gov has faced, the government shutdown and debt ceiling, finally the President's approval rating has also dropped. The article is filled with statistical data and offers a good summary of the government as of late.

Civilian Deaths in Drone Strikes Cited in Report

This article explains how the CIA's drone attacks in the surrounding area of North Waziristan, Pakistan, specifically Miram Shah, aren't as flawless as reported by the Obama administration. Citizens of Marim Shah are now being backed by a new Amnesty International investigation which reveals that 19 people have been killed in just two attacks since January of 2012. Buzzing drones are always hovering over the area in hopes of finding Al Qaeda or Taliban commanders, who have gotten quite good at avoiding these missiles. Soldiers are typically left at their bases, leaving residents alone in these very trying times. The constant psychological burden on these people has caused sales of sleeping tablets, antidepressants, and anti-anxiety medications to soar. The civilians are forming their lives around the drone attacks and military checks. Even though there is proof that these attacks have killed civilians, President Obama continues to support this system.

Three Takeaways from Hillary Clinton's Return to Politics

This article is about three takeaways taken from Hillary Clinton's first large political speech following her departure from the State Department. The first takeaway is that she was relaxed, this shows that she has become more confident and authoritative since the 2008 elections. The second takeaway is that she wasn't afraid to jab Republicans. Although she remained positive through most of the speech, she had no problem firing shots at Republicans. The third and final takeaway is that she executed the McAuliffe game plan. Based off of these takeaways it is clear that Hillary Clinton could be making a comeback and could be a contender in coming elections.

Democrats Aim to Restore Immigration to Agenda

This article is about how President Obama and other Democrats wanted the issue of immigration to be one of the first back on the agenda of Congress following the government shutdown. Progress on this issue is said to be determined in the House of Representatives and by Speaker John A. Boehner. Democrats and Republicans argue that the Republicans passing a bill on immigration would be a good way for them to make a comeback after bad results in polls during the shutdown. Republicans believe that the President's recent attitude has made it harder to come to an agreement on immigration and that he is less likely to negotiate fairly after the shutdown. Many Democrats say Boehner could pass a bill similar to the Senate’s if he allowed a vote like the one that ended the shutdown, to pass legislation with both Democratic and Republican votes.

Poll: Voters want to throw out bums in Congress

This article shows the great distrust the people have in our government. A record 74% of voters don't want to see the congress members reelected in 2014. But most people blame the Republicans for the government shutdown, which is deserving. But the polls 42% say the GOP can handle the government better while 39% say the Democrats can. Last year 90% of House Members were reelected and 91% of Senators were. I think in 2014 we will a house cleaning of congress because honestly they are a bunch of bums right now. I think we will just have to live with Obamacare for now and maybe the next batch of congress members can repeal it then, but not now.

Dr. Ben Carson compares Obamacare to American slavery, Soviet Communism

Before I tell you about this article you must know two things about me; 1. I hate Rabbits 2. The only thing I hate more than Rabbits is Communism. This article is a Republican view point on Obama Care. Dr. Ben Carson, an African - American, states that Obama Care is the worse thing in America since slavery. He also says it is impossible to deny the fact that Obama Care is a Communist idea created by Vladimir Lenin. Michelle Bachman called it "The crown jewel of socialism." Lenin called socialized medicine the keystone to a socialist state. Before this article I was for healthcare, but some facts are hard to ignore. This truly is a communist idea, and that shouldn't be tolerated in this country. We fought to hard to destroy communism for it to come back to the United States. Now I don't agree with the government shutdown, but I don't think Obamacare belongs in the United States. Any communist idea doesn't belong in this country.

China Begins to Worry About the U.S. Fiscal Crisis

This article is about how the U.S. government shutdown is affecting more countries than just ours. Since our government shutdown our economy has began to decline due to the halt of all government funded jobs. Our economic decline is affecting other countries by causing the value of the dollar to decrease. So for countries like China, who has invested much of their money in U.S. bonds, the pain is starting to set in as they watch their money lose value. Also their hands are tied because if they were to drop the debt that the U.S. owes them it would heavily impact their economy since 60% of their foreign reserves are "in dollar-denominated debt".

Veterans Push to End Government Shutdown

This article is about how various veteran groups are becoming upset with the government shutdown. The main reason veterans are becoming upset is because they are not receiving benefits that they are entitled to. An example of this is that veterans who receive disability and GI Bill benefits are not receiving their payments and so those veterans who rely on those payments are going broke and struggling to make ends meet. Veterans are expressing their frustration by holding a protest at the National Wold War II memorial in an attempt to convince the government to conclude the shutdown. 

Global Reaction to Debt Ceiling Crisis

In this article, the different reactions of many countries around the world are described. While each country has a slightly different message, the main theme is the same. The United States should work to avoid a default as it would negatively affect economies around the world. The article mentions how many country's economies are still recovering from the 2008 financial crisis and avoiding pressure from a default is critical. Diverse leaders from around the world see that a quick resolution is needed to this situation, yet American politicians still continue to argue. If steps to raise the debt ceiling, at least temporarily, are not taken soon, this article points out how the situation could have catastrophic effects not only on the economy of the United States but on that of the world as well.

Republicans Using Shutdown to Stake Positions for Potential 2016 Bids

This article talks about the different approaches Republican leaders are taking in response to the current government shutdown. Many, such as Sn. Marco Rubio of Florida, are trying to associate themselves with Ted Cruz and the Tea Party faction of the Republican Party. Others, like Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey, are trying to stay out of the problems currently associated with Washington.

I think this article points out an important trend in politics today. Republican leaders, especially in Congress, are too concerned with pleasing the extreme members who have come to control their party. While millions of workers are furloughed and the government shutdown is negatively affecting the lives of Americans, many Republican leaders seem to be more focused on party politics and reelection than helping the people that they claim to represent.

Talks Clear Path for U.S.-Afghan Deal on Troops

This was an intriguing article involving Secretary Kerry and Mr. Karzai's talks involving immunity for United States troops staying in Afghanistan after the end of 2014. At the moment, the talks seem to have gone pretty well but it still depends on how the elders in Afghanistan and their parliament feel about the bill.

Obama Sounds Alarm on Debt as Senators See a Deal in Reach

This is an interesting article regarding Obama's recent push for Republican's to put aside their partisan views to pass a bill to fund the government until the end of this year.

GOP Discusses Short-Term Debt Limit Offer

This is an interesting article about the GOP discussing a short-term debt limit offer.

Business Groups Holding Less Influence on GOP

This article talks about how little influence traditional business groups have within certain Republican circles these days.

What is the second Amendment

    With the aftermath of Sandy Hook, Aurora and the Boston Bombings far behind us, I came across this article in that breaks apart the second Amendment and dissects it, getting down to the meaning of it. The author does defend the 2nd Amendment but from a point people don't here very often. he asks the "why?" question. whether or not you support the second amendment or not its worth a read.

Youtube's New Subscription idea?

The article talks about how YouTube came out with the idea to make 30 or so channels (for now!) make users pay .99 cents up to $7.99 a month in order to view their videos. Many of the YouTube creators think this is a great way for channels to get money. They have also included a "14 day free-trial" so a user can decide on whether or not to pay for it.

I honestly don't like this idea, not only because of the money; but it's unfair. The people of the world made YouTube and now since Google took it over, they want us to pay for something we made? Uh...no. I can understand certain channels that would want their videos to be paid for, but those videos shouldn't be on YouTube then. I also believe that many teachers use YouTube for educational purposes. What happens when all the channels end up having to be paid for for the subscriptions and the school district doesn't want to waste the money? There goes a good, fun education for the students. Lastly, Google will probably end up doing what Apple did (if not already doing it) and will raise the price per subscription.

What do you guys think?

Hillary and Jeb Bush in Spotlight

This article talks about how former secretary of state Hillary Clinton, and Jeb Bush, brother of former President George W. Bush both spoke in Dallas, which is where the dedication of the President George W. Bush Presidential Center is going to be dedicated tomorrow. It then talks about how both Clinton and Bush are potential 2016 presidential candidates. Also, many people have been talking about the legacy of the Bush presidency. He has had some of the highest approval ratings (right after 9/11) and lowest approval ratings (towards the end of his presidency).

Personally, I think that it is too early to be talking about the next presidential election. At least it should be too early. I also think that this dedication is not getting the attention that it normal would due to the Boston Bombings.  This will be a very rare occasion because President Barack Obama and all four living former presidents (Jimmy Carter, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush) will be in attendance.

Do you think it is too early to be discussing the next presidential election? What are your views about the Bush presidency?

How Strong is America?

This article describes how national tragedies, like the Boston Bombings, unite this country. It then explains how we have the largest military in the world, and that there is nowhere on this earth were out enemies can hide yet we have some very serious domestic issues we need to solve.

It gives our gun control issue as an example of one of these fatal domestic problems. Tens of thousands of Americans die every year from gun violence, and yet our government cannot do anything about it. Whether you are in support of some form of gun control or not, it is clear that of government is not capable of fixing the problem. 

I think this article makes a very good point. It is amazing that our country can put politics aside and act as Americans instead of Democrats and Republicans when we need it most. It is just a shame that people usually have to die before we unite in this way. We are considered the most powerful country in the world, the leader of the free world, and yet we cannot fix simple things that other countries do not even have to worry about. Do you think that we are as strong as we think we are?

Shrinking Europe Military Spending Stirs Concern

This article relates to foreign policy topics that we have been discussing in class. According to the article, certain European countries have not been paying the amount agreed upon to support NATO. This greatly impacts the U.S. because we rely on other countries in this coalition to pull their weight. Currently, the U.S. is supplying 75% of the money that supports NATO. The economy and large deficits in many countries certainly do not help the situation. In order for NATO to work, each country must supply the predetermined amount of money. Since this isn't happening, NATO is in jeopardy; the loss of NATO poses a huge threat, especially with China's increase in military spending. Surely, "if it (NATO) were gone, it would be very, very hard to recreate.”

Day Centers, Fit Elders, and the Effects on Medicaid

I chose this article because of its relevance to our past lesson on Medicaid. It talks about the increase in adult day care centers and how it is attracting the type of people who seem to me to be lacking legitimacy. Elderly can be found doing activities in these centers, such as "vigorous games of table tennis, billiards and mahjongg," which leads to the suspicion that these elders do not necessarily need such treatment. Although I am a strong advocate for helping the elderly, I do believe that these cases seem a little unnecessary. It certainly seems wrong that the care companies, financed by Medicaid, are paying the centers which refer new clients back to the companies. Advocates for the elderly claim that these social day care centers are taking healthy clients away from the regular senior centers. It seems appalling that these social centers are giving their elderly such rewards as $50 cash payments for recruiting another (possibly healthy) client and an unlimited MetroCard (yet if the client doesn't way the MetroCard, they are offered $125 in cash) yet some regular centers run on about $4 a person per day.

In Gun Bill Defeat, a President’s Distaste for Twisting Arms

The main focus of this article is on President Obama's role in attempting to pass the most recent gun control bill that would expand background checks for people purchasing guns. The article questions how Obama will be able to successfully pass any form of legislation if he was not able to pass the gun control bill that 90% of the public supported. On the other hand, some people on Capitol Hill insisted that President Obama could not have done any more to pass the bill; between dinners, phone calls, and meetings, he discussed the issue with over thirty senators. The article also alludes to the fact that the rules of interaction between Congress and the president are not what they were fifty years ago. This demonstrates just another example of how our government is constantly changing as it adapts to new regulations.

Federal Charges on Boston Bombing Suspect

Here's the link if the link on the title doesn't work.

I chose this article because it provides more up-to-date information on the event of the Boston Marathon bombing. Suspect Ozhokar Tsarnaev was charged Monday for the use of a weapon of mass destruction and wreckage which we all know resulted in death. Although Tsarnaev's first court appearance was from his hospital bed, I think most can agree that there should be no pity for this dreadful boy (19-years-old). The article is accompanied by the document of the federal charges against Dzhokar Tsarnaev, which I found to be very interesting and I recommend taking a look at it. It includes every slight detail of the event and the observations from cameras, which is certainly important when looking at the evidence. It is relieving to know that Obama's promise that the bombers will face justice is being fulfilled.

A Presidential Pat for Young Scientists

In this article, President Obama wants to encourage students to study science, technology, engineering, and mathematics by creating STEM. STEM is supposed to given students the resources to pursue education in discipline. Obama also designated $180 million for the program to increase opportunities for kindergarten through graduate school, mostly for females and minorities. An additional $265 million would be directed toward school districts, universities, science agencies, museums, etc.

I find this article to be really interesting because it deals with science (which I love) and giving money to schools (Which is a great plus for everyone going to college). The only problem I have with this is the reverse discrimination. While females and minorities get a good potion of this, what about the white males or males in general? It's not right to give money to females just because they are females, but not give any to males. People should qualify for these. I get so angry when someone doesn't get as much of a chance than everyone else. This bill should give everyone an equal opportunity. That's what our country is about after all.

Judge Throws Out Some Murder Charges Against Philadelphia Abortion Doctor

This article talks about how a doctor in the Philadelphia area aborted live fetus' when they should have been dead. "Eight workers at Dr. Gosnell’s clinic have pleaded guilty in the case, including three to third degree murder." Later in the article, the doctor said "Baby C"had a spasm after given a drug to kill it, so the judge dismissed that murder charge.

I feel that this is really brutal. If you are going to abort a fetus, please, make sure it is dead first. No organism deserves to go through slow and painful death, on top of getting it's head cut off like that. I also find it very rude/surprising that the doctor called the fetus "Baby C." The baby doesn't even have a name, nor is it a true baby yet, so don't call it one. I am in the middle when it comes to abortion, but I agree with the judges ruling on this case. I also agree with the last line of this article: "When the fetus leaves the mother, they are due the respect of any human being."

Two Videos on Obama about Gun Control Filibuster/Speech

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lowfwLIxagA&NR=1&feature=endscreen (10:58 minutes)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUILWHZ0SWc (5:09 minutes)

Both of these videos are amazing. Obama talks about how 90% of the United States wanted this bill to be passed, but because of the filibuster, it may not even be heard. Obama stands up for the Gun Control bill and wants to get it passed. In both of these videos, Obama rallies the people of Connecticut, telling them it will be accomplished.

I really wanted to watch these videos and found them to be very influential. Obama did a great job with his speeches and I agree with him. Who are the senators representing? Certainly not the American people anymore. The one thing I find funny is how rude/ignorant people are when they comment on the video. It's a shame that there are so many people who bash Obama for trying to tell the Senators they are wrong. What do you guys think?

Report on Iran Urges Obama to Rethink Sanctions

Since we're currently chatting about foreign policy in class I figured I'd veer from the Boston bombings and poisoned letters mailed to Washington and see what was going on over in the Middle East. There's always something.

Many experts who recently left the Obama administration are urging the President to rethink his strict stance on Iran including the oil sanctions and covert operations arguing that they will just push the Iranian government further into the depths of corruption and strain relationships between our two countries further.

It's hard since Congress and Israel, our greatest ally, are pulling us in different directions. As we are currently learning know Congress wants to be a part of the foreign policy making, but does Obama listen to Congress or go the way of Israel since they've been on our side?

Drive for Gun Control Blocked in Senate

First of all I'd like to apologize for my late night blog postings. I guess that's what happens when you take three hour naps on a daily basis. Secondly, yes you're reading this correctly. Nora Roger is posting an article about gun control; however, it's interesting, so we're just going to accept it.

Today the Senate voted down measures to ban assault rifles, a ban on high-capacity magazines, and more extensive background checks when going to buy a firearm. Senate Republican from Iowa was quoted to have said "Criminals do not submit to background checks now. They will not submit to extended background checks" which makes sense, but I still don't see the harm in a little bit more digging before giving certain people access to guns.

What I was most interested in though was the background checks aspect of the vote because out of all the things up for vote that seemed like the most overall supported by the general public. Most people (who aren't criminals) don't seem to have a problem with the idea, so if the Senate is supposed to be representing their constituents and they vote against it, what does that mean for our system? Are we at a point where politicians are just voting no out of spite? What do you think?

Obama's Reaction to the Bombing at the Boston Marathon

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/17/us/politics/obama-calls-marathon-bombings-an-act-of-terrorism.html?ref=politics&_r=0

In Obama’s second public newscast after the Boston Marathon, on Tuesday, April 16, Obama describes the bombing as “an act of terrorism”. On Monday, he didn’t use this phrase due to the lack of information and sensitivity of not wanting to evoke the fear of terrorism. In the past, Obama has been noted for not relaying information to the public very well. Three instances in which this happened was the assault in Libya killing four Americans (2012), failed plot to blow up a Northwest Airlines jetliner(2009), and shooting rampage at Fort Hood, Tex., in which Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan killed 13 active and retired soldiers (2009). There is some criticism that Obama didn’t declare the bombing in Boston as an act of terrorism quickly enough. In his speech, Obama said that there is still no information on who was responsible for the bombing or why they did it. His focus was on the quick response of the emergency responders and the crowd in helping those who were injured. He left the American people with these encouraging words,  The American people refuse to be terrorized, if you want to know who we are, what America is, how we respond to evil, that’s it: selflessly, compassionately, unafraid.”

I think Obama wanted a good amount of time to declare this an act of terrorism. I also think that he did a good job at making the American people fell safe and that everything will work out the end. I am confident that we will soon know who set the bombs off and for what purposes.

Immigration Bill

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/17/us/senators-set-to-unveil-immigration-bill.html?pagewanted=1&_r=0&ref=politics

There is bipartisan support for a complex immigration bill that was supposed to be unveiled today (April, 13), but was pushed back due to the bombing at the Boston Marathon. There are eight senators (4 Democratic and 4 Republicans) working on this bill, which is full of compromises. It is the most ambitious effort to reshape and fix the immigration system in the last 26 years. The most controversial part of the bill, is a pathway for current illegal citizens to gain citizenship in a 13 year track. The bill proposes Homeland Security spend around 5.5 billion dollars over the next 10 years to step up security along the boarder. The bill also proposes a merit-base point system, for immigrates to receive a permanent green card. Points would be based on their skills in the work force, education, and family ties. This is to decrease the amount of visas that are given out based on family ties. This bill also sets up a seasonal visa for farmer workers and laborers. Also, a fast track to citizenship for immigrates, who came here as children. These are just some of the examples of what this immigration bill will set up.

There are many great ideas in this bill that can make our immigration system work more smoothly. There are a lot of compromises, which will gain support from both sides, but there will also be much debate of this bill. I hope a compromise can be made and that this bill be passed.

Bomb Details Emerge in Boston Case

Bomb Details Emerge in Boston Case

This article dicusses the tragic events that occurred on Monday at the Boston Marathon. Several bombs went off in the crowd near the finish line during the Boston Marathon, killing 3 so far and injuring more than 170 people. The bombs responsible for this tragedy were rigged  to shoot sharp bits of shrapnel into anyone within reach of their blast. They were filled with nails, ball bearings, and black powder. So far no one has been arrested for this crime, but police are determined on finding the individual or individuals responsible.

I think that the most disturbing part of this bombing is the fact that these bombs were specifically  designed to cause harm. These weren't just random bombs put together, they were meticuloulsy constructed to cause severe damage. So many people lost limbs because of the excessive amount of shrapnel. This to me is the worst kind of attack. This type of violence is a horrific and should never happen, but I'm glad to see that everyone is working together and helping Boston in their time of need.

"The Philadelphia Horror"

Now Michelle Malkin is obviously conservative and the bias in the article is a little heavy, but here's a description pulled from the grand jury report on "The Philadelphia Horror":

“This case is about a doctor who killed babies and endangered women. What we mean is that he regularly and illegally delivered live, viable, babies in the third trimester of pregnancy – and then murdered these newborns by severing their spinal cords with scissors. The medical practice by which he carried out this business was a filthy fraud in which he overdosed his patients with dangerous drugs, spread venereal disease among them with infected instruments, perforated their wombs and bowels – and, on at least two occasions, caused their deaths. Over the years, many people came to know that something was going on here. But no one put a stop to it.”

Dr. Gosnell, who ran this clinic and performed these late term abortions for over 20 years is facing 43 charges (mostly murder). That something like this was noted by inspectors and still nothing was done until now is highly disturbing, and that this travesty has not been widely covered or has been diverted away from the issue of abortion and what counts as "life" (see TIME Report) is to me a sign of how the "SCLM" is not so much "so called" as actually liberal. 

Supreme Court Struggles With Gay Marriage Case

This is a bit late, but I have been meaning to put this up. As all of you probably have seen the red equal sign people have been making their profiles on Facebook (or at least heard of this sign), this article talks about how the Supreme Court struggles to act on Gay Marriage after California same-sex marriage was banned.

I feel that same-sex marriage should be allowed and if someone doesn't, why should someone not be allowed to marry the person they love? What is wrong with that? I don't care if a girl marries a girl or a guy marries a guy; if they truly love each other, why is it a problem? I support equal rights for gay marriage.

What do you guys think?

Obama agency rules Pepsi's use of aborted fetal cells in soft drinks constitutes 'ordinary business operations'

Pepsi This article's title is a bit misleading. Apparently Pepsi has been supporting the use of aborted fetal cells (the remains such as "human embryonic kidney", stated later in the article) to test the effectiveness of its various synthetic flavoring agents. However, it does not, as the article's title suggests, use the aborted fetal tissue in the final product sold to customers. While the article claims there are other more ethical ways "to evaluate how actual human taste receptors respond to these chemical flavorings" such as using viable, non-human alternatives which they apparently have access to, would this truly be a more ethical alternative? Yes it may be inhumane to use this aborted fetal tissue, but then again it is already going to waste and is not used in the final product (just playing devil's advocate--by no means do I support this), but would using a living being other than a human be anymore ethical, isn't that still cruel? Obviously I'm undecided  Let me know what you think. 

Senate Panel Approves 2 Gun Measures

Two measures that are designed to curb gun violence are heading to the Senate floor for a vote. The first measure would require background checks for private gun sales (passed the committee with no Republicans present to vote). The second measure is a grant program that would help schools improve security over a 10-year period (enjoyed more bipartisan support, however all nays were cast by Republicans). The article continues to discuss past and future legislature proposals that seek to acquire bipartisan support that would satisfy the protection of 2nd Amendment rights and initiate action to curb gun violence. Your take?

Obama Meets With Senate Democrats

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2013/03/12/obama-meeting-with-senate-democrats-focuses-on-budget-drones-and-immigration/

Today President Obama began his three days of meetings on Capitol Hill to discuss with Senate Democrats different issues at hand. Those issues being, “ongoing budget negotiations, an immigration overhaul and his administration’s unmanned aerial drone program.” The issue mostly at hand today was the ongoing budget negotiations. One thing that President Obama kept pushing at today’s meeting was the ability to work together and come to some sort of agreement with the Republicans. He said it was part of a bigger goal to come to some sort of “grand bargain”. President Obama never actually said what the “grand bargain” was. But I still think it’s nice to know that at least one person is willing to work with the opposing party. However, it doesn’t really mean anything unless the rest of the Democrats and Republicans can set aside their differences for more than five minutes to agree and get something done. President Obama seemed pretty hopeful today.

Colorado Legalizes Same-Sex Civil Unions

In recent weeks we've discussed the importance and controversy over the ongoing dispute about gay marriage in the nation. This week Colorado passed legislation that will legalize same-sex civil unions. The support was mostly Democratic, however the article mentioned that some Republicans also supported the measure. Colorado residents wonder what this law spells out for the future of gay and lesbian couples and what actions will be taken by those avidly opposed to same-sex marriage. Considering the fact that the question of same-sex marriage is being argued all over the United States, do you think that this law will carry any weight to influence the rest of the states, or even the nation as a whole?

Jeb Bush and Immigration

Jeb Bush and Immigration

This article discusses many things that have come up in class, including a possible Jeb Bush presidential run, the Republican party needing to change their attitude to appeal more to immigrants, and the media. I personally can't think of many worse things than another Bush in the White House. Also, I am interested to see if there actually is a realignment of the Republican Party. The immigrant vote and many other minority votes will not go away, so now it's up to the Republican Party to appeal to the new American population.

The New York City soda ban explained

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2013/03/11/the-new-york-city-soda-ban-explained/

This article is on a Manhattan judge ruling on Mayor Bloomberg's soda legislation. While this is not the most pressing issue in national politics, I thought it was very relevant to our discussion of the dual court system. This state court issue has received a lot of national attention. I personally think that regulating soda purchases is a little too far. Doesn't the government have bigger fish to fry?

Bipartisan bill would punish gun Trafficking

In this article, it talks about how this bill will ban people buying guns for criminals and will punish them greatly if they do. This I such a great idea it isn't funny. I was thinking about this in class and I was told that this was happening and I couldn't believe it. This article showed me it was real, so it was all good :) What do you guys think about this?

Sorry Nora; it's another gun law post :P

Kerry: U.S. not planning to arm Syrian rebels 'at the moment'

http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/05/politics/kerry-interview/index.html?hpt=po_c2

Remember Syria? That Assad guy is still out there. The new Secretary of State John Kerry stated the Aministration's views on Syria. The federal government refuses to give the rebels weapons; it sends boatloads of non-lethal aid instead. Kerry believes that international pressure is mounting on the Assad regime and that more cracks will begin to show themselves.
Kerry also describes himself as"not a yes-man. He says that he is willing to tell the president the truth, a rare trait to find in a person in Washington. I think that Kerry will make a good Secretaries of State. I also applaud the administration's decision to not sell weapons to Syrians; this would probably make the problems much worse

Sequester Could Ultimately Affect Severe-Weather Forecasting

://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/federal_government/sequester-could-ultimately-affect-severe-weather-forecasting/2013/03/05/b41555ee-850b-11e2-9d71-f0feafdd1394_story.html

Cost-cutting measures that were part of the recently passed sequester will negatively affect weather forecasting.There will be less weather satellites in the atmosphere, a less effective radio network, and less hours for reconnaissance aircraft that track hurricanes. Inaccurate forecasting can result in a major loss of property and perhaps even the lives of the victims of natural disasters. The Commerce Department is willing to give the NWS some flexibility in managing its budget. Hopefully a compromise is struck, but compromise is a dirty word in today's Washington. I think that the sequester cuts funds from departments that it has no business cutting, like from the NWS, and organization. However, the irony is that the sequester was supposed to drive Congress into action, yet the measure was passed and inaction remains.

Obama's Energy Cabinet Picks

President Obama chose two very important, energy related cabinet members on Monday. Gina McCarthy was chosen to be the head of the EPA and Ernest Moniz was chosen to be the Secretary of the Department of Energy. These two picks send a strong message which Obama delivered during his inaugural address, which is to tackle climate change the energy crisis America faces moving into the future. Personally, I think the energy problem should be dealt with sooner rather than later when it becomes more urgent and threatening to society. A lot of the solutions to this problem will be found through private industry but the government can help regulate and enforce cleaner and more efficient ways of producing and using energy in America.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez Dies

Long time political leader of Hugo Chavez passed away this afternoon. Although being praised by many of his constituents, Chavez had a rocky relationship with foreign nations, including the US when he referred to George W. Bush as "the devil" multiple times during a UN speech made several years ago. Chavez' death opens up a possible opportunity for the US to strengthen relations with Venezuela and then possibly Cuba, an ally of Venezuela. It should also be noted that despite having an antagonistic relationship with the US, Venezuela is one of the leading exporters of oil to the US.

Obama warns of coming 'pain' without budget fix

Obama warns of coming 'pain' without budget fix

President Barack Obama announced on Tuesday that even with additional flexibility given to him from Congress will still not be enough to prevent 'pain' from being inflicted on the national economy. The President heavily disagrees with the cuts that are currently being made by the government and thinks they will heavily damage jobs in states such as Virginia: "These cuts are wrong, they're not smart, they're not fair," he said. "They're a self-inflicted wound that doesn't have to happen." He continues by making direct remarks about certain republicans, and he implies that with these men, nothing big will change:"Too many Republicans in Congress right now refuse to compromise even an inch when it comes to closing tax loopholes and special interest tax breaks," he said. "And that's what holding things up right now."Is he right to say this and do you agree with his opinion?

Deal on Gun Background Checks Hinges on Tracking Sales

Deal on Gun Background Check Hinges on Tracking Sales


Senators are discussing the expansion of background checks on firearms, and they are unsure of where and how to manage the paperwork for firearm sales. Many advocates of Gun rights are worried that if the federal government collects these records it could be the basis for a national gun registry, which is not permitted under the current law. Tom Cobourn, a Senator from Oklahoma, doesn't feel that negotiations are close to meeting a compromise, but men such as Mark Haze, director of Mayors Against Illegal Guns, says that the agreements are almost there. Is this just a topic that the two sides can't agree on? What should really be done about the paperwork for the firearm sales?

Looming Cuts Spur Release of Illegal Immigrants

As we seem to be moving in a positive direction with some of the new policies coming into play regarding immigrants, unprecedented things are also occurring. Recently, a huge number of detainees from immigration detention centers around the country were released because of the looming budget cuts coming. While on supervised release, these detainees are low risk, and with their releases, will no longer be costing the government thousands of wasted dollars.

Republicans Sign Brief in Support of Gay Marriage

The article "Republicans Sign Brief in Support of Gay Marriage" discuses the shift in support of gay marriage and the push in Washington right now to repeal Proposition 8, an initiative barring same-sex marriage. Including some of President George W. Bush's top advisers, dozens of prominent Republicans are arguing for equal rights for gay people to be able to marry, saying now that the allowance of same-sex marriages will promote family values, individual freedoms, and so on. Surprisingly even some of the more conservative Republicans including Jon Huntsman and Meg Whitman are in favor of the push.
As times are changing it is important and necessary that our government changes with it. In a country that claims to give freedom to all, in my opinion, this never should have needed discussion. I see no need for the government to interfere with the rights of the citizens to make personal, lifestyle decisions, but since there are those who feel they have the right to tell some citizens they cannot live the life the wish to lead, I am very excited to hear that there is a shift in Washington and that it is headed in a positive direction.

Good Job, LA Dept of Health

Louisiana Forces Homeless Shelter to Destroy $8000 Worth of Deer Meat
Since we're discussing the bureaucracy in class, here's a great example of it failing.
$8000 of donated and perfectly edible deer meat was forced to be destroyed by the Louisiana Dept. of Health. Their reasoning is absolutely absurd (see the article), and the idea that you would rather have these people go hungry or be served less quality food because the animal was hunted is a disgrace.

Graham on Hagel's Nomination

Graham on Hagel's Nomination

This article depicts Lindsey Graham's leading the charge to filibuster Chuck Hagel's nomination to the position of Secretary of Defense. Graham continues to ask for more information from Hagel. Many  Members of Congress at this point no longer support this filibuster so a vote of cloture is scheduled for Tuesday (the 26th).

I think this is hurting the nomination process and don' believe the filibuster should have been used to begin with. I don't believe that any new information that is going to cause Hagel's nomination to fail will be brought about by continuing the filibuster and is therefore useless. I hope that cloture is successful and that a vote is taken.

GOP's Changing Sequester Strategy

GOP's Changing Sequester Strategy

This article talks about how at the creation of the sequester military cuts were put into the deal to try and force the GOP to be willing to negotiate the same way that social welfare programs were put into the deal to try and force the Democrats to be willing to compromise. Recently, as the wars in the Middle East have begun to come to their conclusion, the GOP puts less necessity into keeping military spending as high as it is. This means the GOP is willing to allow the sequester to be put into affect cutting large amounts of government spending over the next decade.

I think this could be potentially problematic because if only one side is looking to strike a deal then the odds of the sequester taking affect are fairly high. I personally don't think the sequester is good for the country. The cuts involved with the sequester, for the most part, are fine with me. The relatively short time period over which such large cuts will take place is where I think the sequester becomes most damaging.

Is it the great mentioner? Or is it Bill Clinton?

http://www.theatlanticwire.com/politics/2013/02/hillary-clinton-running-president-ok/62143/

Raising Minimum Wage Would Ease Income Gap but Carries Political Risks

President Obama is making a large push to increase the minimum wage from $7.25 to $9 an hour. He is pushing for this increase to try and reduce the income gap for low income Americans. Obama said "Even with the tax relief we’ve put in place, a family with two kids that earns the minimum wage still lives below the poverty line. That’s wrong."He states that as the richest country in the world people living in poverty is unacceptable. I agree that no one should live in poverty in  the United States. I do however question the fact that this increase will not effect the hiring of small business's. It is hard to believe that a small business that operates at a very small profit will be able to take the $1.75 hit per minimum wage worker. It is a good idea to prevent citizens from living in poverty, I just don't believe that this won't change hiring practices.

Obama to Renew Drive for Cuts in Nuclear Arms

This article informs the reader of an idea President Obama proposed recently. President Obama boldly states that he plans on cutting the Nuclear weapons up to 1/3 of its size now. This proposal would theoretically create much more money for the nation, but like all issues, the opposite party desires something else. The Republicans opposed even modern cuts, but when Obama proposed cutting 1/3 of the weapons, Obama faced much discord. Many people are arguing that America needs all its warheads if they want to be protected and competitive in the 21st century.  I believe that a budget cut would be fine, especially in this era. I can not imagine a country attacking or invading the USA due to this cut. I also believe that we need the money as a nation as well.

Obama to announce 34,000 troops to come home

Personally, I am very pleased to hear this, as many other Americans are. As stated, about 80% of Americans agree with withdrawing our troops and ending the war in Afghanistan. Obama is also planning on doing this ahead of the original schedule. It has moved up a few months from what they planned and will be planning on withdrawing everyone and ending the war in 2014. This move alone will reduce hour troops in Afghanistan by 50%. Afghanistan will soon be leading all of their security and military operations completely on their own.

5 takeaways from the State of the Union

This article summarizes some of the main points taken from Obama's speech. I think he hit some major points well such as gun control and the economy which are always important subjects but even more so today. Another major issue of voting rights was brought up which generally favors democrats if he can get voting procedures changed. He said that people are waiting way too long which means we need to have more voting booths in high-density areas which is generally Democrat-favored. A lot of what he said was stuff that would be widely accepted ideas, especially by wording the size of government phrase to make it seem like the government will be "shrinking" or not growing any more.

North Korea Confirms It Conducted 3rd Nuclear Test

So North Korea made good on it's promises of conducting a third nuclear test. It is very scary that a country run by a man who conducts public execution on his people now has the capacity to create nuclear bombs. This news along with there recent "space program" show that they are close to developing all the tools needed to create a ICBM (Intercontinental Ballistic Missile). North Korea has a long list of enemy's and a very short list of allies, and with North Korea constantly going against China they may lose a superpower and a very powerful neighbor. It should be interesting to see how the Asian nations will react to this news and if action will finally be taken against North Korea. The intentions of the North Koreans is clear and is something that needs to be resolved soon. Also I will include a video released by North Korea from their government to the their people. The video has a translation and it sounds more like a cult then a official government statement (also note that they stole clips from many types of media).

Senate Passes Bill Allowing public College Groups to Restrict Membership

The Virginia Senate has recently passed a law that allows religious or political memberships at public colleges to allow membership to those who agree with the cause. For example, if there were a Christian-based membership group, people could be denied membership if they are not Christian. Opponents say that this is basic discrimination. (Though, if you weren't a Christian, why would you want to be a part of the group anyway? Maybe I'm just missing the point...) Senator Creigh Deeds said that the passing of this bill contradicts a "U.S. Supreme Court ruling that upheld a California law school’s refusal to recognize a religious organization that excluded gay students." On the contrary, Senator Mark Obenshein says that this is a "freedom of association bill." I thought this article was interesting because it again relates to what we've been talking about in class about how the House and Senate vote on bills to hopefully make them laws. 

Senate rejects GOP bid to limit Violence Against Women Act

Senate rejects GOP bid to limit Violence Against Women Act


I thought this was a good article to post because we have recently been talking about how a bill becomes a law between the House and the Senate. Recently, the Senate has rejected a proposal that prevents federal aid given to homosexual, immigrant, and Native American victims of domestic violence. This rejection has caused the congressional re authorization of the Violence Against Women Act, which is a law that gives about 1.6 billion dollars toward the investigation and prosecution of violent crimes against women. It has had bipartisan support since it was created in 1994. The quotes in this article show how members of the House and the Senate feel about it and why the every new proposal is "wrong."

From State to State, Varied Responses to the Issue of Gun Violence

Since the Newtown shooting, many governors have now included some sort of reference to their views on gun control anytime they have made a formal address. However, these views have not always been consistent with the views of the parties these governors belong to, some noticeable examples being Chris Christie and Mike Beebe of of Arkansas. Across the country, new reforms and arguments are appearing that are allowing either stricter or less-strict gun laws without actually going against any federal laws or regulations. However, many states are now trying to avoid the conflict of guns all together by instead turning to trying to change regulations of schools specifically. No matter what happens, the country is in great divide, including in the parties themselves, about gun control and what is the "right" thing to do.

Obama to Visit Israel in Spring

Now that both President Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have both been re-elected to office, President Obama has planned a trip to Israeli in order for the men to ease tensions that have arisen over the past four years.  However, despite Netanyahu's ability to retain his position, he has lost a great deal of influence and followers, and it is likely that the two men will be unable to do anything on a large scale. President Obama will have to deal with an entirely new Israeli government, one that will not necessarily follow the Prime Minister's lead. Many critics hope that this visit will be more than just a photo opportunity for President Obama, considering that he will be only the fifth president to visit Israel. Nonetheless, there is a strong belief in Israel that it is with Obama's help that they can help end some conflict in the Middle East, such as Iran's nuclear program.

Down the Manhole: State Officials Grapple with Gender-Neutral Language

Down the Manhole: State Officials Grapple with Gender-Neutral Language
This article is one that I found sort of interesting. There are some states that are completely overhauling entire portions of the constitutions and existing legislation to make it more politically correct and gender neutral. This turned out to be a much more difficult proposition than one would think because of terms like freshman that we don't  even consider to be gender biased. I am essentially a feminist when it comes right down to it, but even I thought that this was ridiculous and somewhat overboard. As a nation we are obsessed with political correctness to the point that we cannot even say what we want to sometimes for fear that it will offend someone.

We The People

http://swampland.time.com/2013/01/31/we-the-people/
This article is about the petition website We The People that the White House created as a way to directly reach a large percentage of the population that it has been missing. The people that no longer watch the nightly news or tune in for the state of the union address every year are responding to this website. The Obama administration is thrilled because they are getting a direct link to people to hear what their issues are and be able to directly respond to those issues, which is a win win situation for everyone involved. Personally I think this is great. If people have an issue with the president now they can just put together a petition and find a bunch of people to sign it and send it to the White House. Then the president will respond directly to their concerns. Not only is it a great way to reach previously unreachable members of the public, but it also shows that the government is moving into the 21st century and embracing technology and the internet as a new tool at their disposal. I think only good can come of this.

More Filibusters?

McConnell:Senate GOP Could Filibuster
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, though not calling for a filibuster yet, he left the possibility open when he discussed Senator Hagel's nomination for Secretary of Defense. Such a move would be "unprecedented", as no Cabinet nomination has ever been filibustered before. This filibuster actually occurring is unlikely given that a handful of Republican senators, including most notably John McCain, have come out either in support of Hagel or against a filibuster. Even so, I think this article goes along with what we were talking about in class about the expanded role of the filibuster in the Senate. However, I believe it would be too overtly partisan and unproductive to filibuster the Hagel nomination.

Free Wifi For All?

Tech, Telecom Giants Take Sides as FCC Proposes Large Public Wifi Networks
FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski has proposed a plan which would provide super-strong public Wifi, free to all users. This move is compared to the opening up of free radiowaves in the 80's, after which many new innovations like garage door openers and baby monitors were created depending on that technology. 
While it seems like better public wifi would be a good idea, I would highly question how much such a plan would cost and how sustainable improvements would be (as the Intel spokesman says, it disincentivizes private investment then in this field). I think the cost of such a program would probably outweigh the benefits, though no specific figures are provided in the article. Private companies are already investing a lot of money into such efforts; it's not like they're not happening without the federal government's help. I don't think this would be an efficient use of federal dollars.

Obama DOES go Skeet Shooting

And now we have the photo

Boy Scouts Reconsider Ban On Gays

As I Boy Scout, I am curious to see what everyone thinks about this talk about a new change in BSA policy. Currently, you are not allowed to be in Boy Scouts if you are gay. This applies to both youth and adults. They are now talking about lifting that ban. This is open to anyone, I am just curious to see what you guys have to say.

The White House’s curious silence about Obama’s claim of skeet shooting

I found this article to be interesting but humerous because gun rights seems to be a very important topic especially after Newtown. President Obama was quoted saying “Yes, in fact, up at Camp David, we do skeet shooting all the time.”. An investigation was done trying to see if this could be proved true, but not all evidence was lining up. This can also tie back to the media being a watchdog because something that people would not take as something important was blown up more than it needs to be.

As seen under "The Pinocchio Test" heading, the article says  "The evidence suggests that until Obama had access to a shooting range as president, he never went skeet shooting. He certainly did not speak like a politician who had once used a firearm." I agree with this statement but does it really matter to me if President Obama has gone skeet shooting once or multiple times? No.

Failure of Filibuster Reform Jeopardizes Legislative Agenda

This article goes well with what we are learning in class. It hilights the use of the Republican's use of the filibuster in the senate. After 2010 the Democrat's had the majority of 59-41 but lost a few seats after the 2012 election where there are currently 56-44 Democratic seats. The article also states that "any senator can 'hold' a bill without having to be publicly identified or to provide any explanation for that hold."

I believe that because of the two parties that there usually be a political gridlock present and the filibuster helps with that. The Republicans were still able to bring business to a "near halt" with the minority party.  A 60 person majority is difficult enough to get for a vote and I can only imagine how much harder it was when it had to be 66.