Democrats, Republicans signal standoff over debt ceiling almost certain

Democrats, Republicans signal standoff over debt ceiling almost certain

Both political parties are displaying an indication that the debt ceiling deadline on February 7 will lead to another debate between the two parties. While the Democrats want a no-negotiation increase, Republicans want some strings attached to any debt ceiling increases--noting that there has in fact been negotiations attached to debt ceiling increases. One such string could be approving the completion of the Keystone Pipeline.

In my opinion, it is completely irresponsible to not have some strings attached to a debt ceiling increase. America needs to get its financial situation under control, and this is a perfect opportunity to do just that.

The Worst of Both Worlds

It isn't my week to post in the blog, but I came across this article.  I think that it applies to what we have discussed in class, as well as that it applied to what we were discussing in class, as well as the reading. This article brings up an alternative to why congress has such a low approval rating. It suggests that people don't approve of congress because they believe that "Congress is broken."People should remember that this is an OP-ED article, and it has more of a democratic/liberal bias. 

New Hampshire pot vote could nudge Vermont to loosen rules on marijuana

New Hampshire pot vote could nudge Vermont to loosen rules on marijuana

New Hampshire's House voted in favor of legalization non-therapeutic marijuana. 60% of people in the state approve of the measure and only needs passage by the Senate and the signature of the governor to take effect. The ramifications of such a member are clear and enormous: NH would become the third state in the union to legalize marijuana.

I am a little uncomfortable with the thought of legalized marijuana--while I am all for allowing people to make their own decisions (and live with the consequences of those decisions), marijuana is quite different from alcohol. The cultures surrounding the two drugs are very different (and in the case of marijuana, extremely detrimental). As of right now, if NH were to legalize marijuana, I would probably scratch it off my list of potential states to move to.

The Smart Politics of Snapchat

http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/17/politics/rand-paul-snapchat-younger-voters/index.html
        This seemingly joking article about Rand Paul's Snapchat discusses the new media and voting trends of today's young people. The internet age of media is not only highly popular but almost outmoding other forms of news - newspapers and radio espescially. Television remains to be a relevant form of news to young voters. Data from the Pew Center for the People and the Press is analyzed to discuss how politicians can reach young voters. As one of Obama's strategists said, it's about "fishing where the fish are." The GOP is in need of a better connection to the young adult demographic, and this might be it.

Leahy says Senate will push for NSA legislation, suggests Obama didn't go far enough

Leahy says Senate will push for NSA legislation, suggests Obama didn't go far enough

President pro tempore Patrick Leahy is backing new legislation intended to curb the NSA spying program. According to Leahy, “I believe in going after the bad guys. But I also believe in some checks and balances, so you don’t have a government run amok.” In other words, he is searching for a balance between security and privacy. Attorney General Eric Holder's testimony before Congress is going to impact the content of this new legislation.

Personally, I believe that the NSA program needs to be completely terminated. The Constitution requires a warrant in order to conduct searches and seizures. Therefore, the entire program is unconstitutional. Moreover, we have been presented with no indication that the program has prevented a single terrorist attack. If that is the case, dismantling this program should be even easier. As Ben Franklin once said, "those who surrender freedom for security will not have, nor do they deserve, either one."

Pennsylvania judge strikes down voter ID law

Pennsylvania's Voter ID law has been ruled unconstitutional because it "places an unreasonable burden on people trying to exercise their right to vote" according to Judge Bernard L. McGinley. This ruling will be battled in the PA Supreme Court. Other states are trying to overturn voter ID laws as well on the grounds that they are unconstitutional as well.

Lax regulation, little enforcement preceded West Virginia chemical spill

This is a severe case of a huge folly that has effected the lives of many unsuspecting and innocent people who one day were going about their business. I choose this article because it is a good read to learn about the loose government regulations that have been taken advantage of by many companies dealing with hazardous material. I chose Aljazeera as the source for the article because it is one of the most un-biased news correspondent websites there is in my mind.

Lax regulation, little enforcement preceded West Virginia chemical spill

Foreign media call on Egypt to free journalists

This article talks about three Egyptian journalists who were arrested on suspicion of working with the Muslim Brotherhood. The journalists, who work for Al- Jazeera English, were arrested when the Egyptian government raided there offices. The government claims that one of the journalists were allowing the brotherhood to hold meetings in his hotel room. Over 50 news organizations have demanded the release of the journalists. I hope this doesn't mean Egypt is becoming a totalitarian state, especially after the success of kicking Mubarak out of power after so many years.

75 economists back minimum wage hike

This article follows the attempt by Representative George Miller and Senator Tom Harkin to raise minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.10. The process would take three years with minimum wage increasing $.95 each year. If the law is passed a full-time minimum  wage worker would see their pay increase from $15,000 to $21,000. Many fear that the republicans won't pass the deal though, because they claim it will hurt jobs by decreasing employees hours. What do you guys think?

N.S.A. Devises Radio Pathway Into Computers

This article made an impact on me, because these past months they had one of the largest leaks of internal information from the whistle-blower, ex-NSA Edward Snowden. They have released this information about a new technique for the security of the United States, calling this an “active defense” against future cyber-attacks, but will they be able to use this accordingly to what they released especially after the phone hacking scandal.




N.S.A. Devises Radio Pathway Into Computers

Israeli defense minister apologizes for comments about Kerry

This article reports on comments made by the defense minister of Israeli, and his subsequent apology. Although the defense minister retracted the comments, one may find some truth in them, but many Americans support Kerry’s efforts, and say the United States is doing its best to bring peace to the region.

Christie tries to move past bridge scandal

The article reports on what Governor Christie had to say about the actions reportedly made by his top aides without his knowledge. The article also gives some people’s opinions on the Governor and how he operates. Personally, I find it hard to believe that Christie had no knowledge of the events, even after there was first speculation about it.

David Brooks' Latest Column

Here is the new column by David Brooks.

Bill Gates unleashes the latest challenge to Obama's leadership

Important notes before you read: Robert Gates the former Secretary of Defense, not William the owner of Microsoft.  Also this article contains some evident bias against President Obama, however the main take away should be whether or not the criticism is deserved.

This article follows Robert Gates and his new book featuring a barrage of criticism on President Obama's handling of foreign affairs during his presidency thus far.  In particular the Syrian crisis among other middle eastern dilemmas.  Is Mr. Gates truly concerned about the wellbeing of our nation by exposing what he believes to be fundamental errors in the current administration, or is he simply another has-been looking to make some extra cash off of a new book?

Supreme Court puts brakes on same-sex marriages in Utah pending appeal

The issue discussed in the link describes how the supreme court effectively reversed a ruling made by an Utah federal judge that decided banning gay marriage was unconstitutional.  Of course, any ruling by the Supreme Court will supersede all others, but was it the right thing to do?  The first amendment makes it clear that government is forbidden from making any laws regarding religion, does marriage fall under that category?  Some may argue yes, but conversely there are those that think marriage has evolved to be a purely political undertaking.  Another issue raised was the cost to taxpayers that will ensue by attacking the supreme court's decision.  Should the issue be dropped out of economic interest, or is there an issue of morality that takes precedence over monetary issues?

Will Christie's immigration bill haunt him in 2016?

This article explains the fact that even though only 3% of Americans believe that immigration is the "most important problem" right now, it can still have large effects on primaries and even national elections. There are many conservatives not happy with the fact that Governor Christie will sign a New Jersey DREAM Act this week, which is a bill that allows undocumented immigrants who have attended high school in the state for at least three years to receive in-state college tuition rates. While his supporters believe that he is a member of the GOP that can win a national election, opponents in the party are not excited to support him. I think that even though Christie is a more moderate Republican, he still has an extremely good chance of winning the nomination for election. I agree with the part in the article that states that the people who are mad at him for signing the bill probably wouldn't be supporting him anyway, so he has to do what he thinks is right and stand by it.

Upcoming Senate test vote on jobless benefits too close to call

The first partisan confrontation of the new year is one having to do with the ongoing struggle over unemployment. The Senate is proposing to extend these long-term benefits for 1.3 million Americans, but they need 60 votes, which means that five Republican votes are needed in order to advance the bill. There is only one Republican senator openly supporting the bill, but there are thought to be at least a few moderates or ones that are from high unemployment states that could vote with the Democrats. Even if they do not gain the Republicans support, the Democrats still see the situation as a positive one because they can then turn the issue into a "political weapon." I think that because this is such a controversial economic issue, the debate will continue long after the vote to further this bill. It will be interesting to see the outcome of the vote, however, and hopefully those in need of help don't go very long without it.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/03/politics/nsa-surveillance-appeal/index.html?hpt=po_c2

This article is simple. It's about the NSA and their rights to record phone conversations. As in every argument there are two sides. NSA supporters are saying that the phone tappings are necessary to catch potential terror threats. The people against NSA say that it is an invasion of privacy.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/03/politics/5-things-obamacare-contraceptives/index.html?hpt=po_c2

This article is about the legal issues behind ACA or "Obamacare".  The problem some people have with the law is that small business companies are forced to provide contraceptive methods,  even if the woman are religiously opposed to it. People are arguing that this contradicts our first amendment right of freedom of religion.  Then these groups are subject to exemption because they are against the use of contraception.