Day Two: Republican House

I would like to take this opportunity to welcome Congressman John Boehner as the new Speaker of the House come January. (Sorry conservatives, Nancy Pelosi is keeping that chair warm for him for two more months.) Sir, I look forward to providing a profile on your past accomplishments in the weeks to come.

Now, I'm not here to applaud the last two years of leadership under President Obama, Speaker Pelosi, or really any of the other Democrats (although, Mr. Grayson, you will be missed). They definitely got themselves into the mess that occurred on Tuesday -- the levees broke and the "Red Sea" flooded the nation -- or more accurately, the Democrats and liberals were too busy (fill in: disorganized/lazy/jaded/incompetent) to get out the vote. The Dems have done some good things, I can't deny that, and I will fully support my belief that they remain the lesser of two evils (later).

As of Tuesday, we can look forward to spending the next two years with a Republican controlled House, under the leadership of Mr. Boehner. In the coming months the ramifications of this power shift will become more apparent. They are already pontificating that their primary goals will be to renew Bush's tax cuts and repeal Obamacare. (Great ideas, no?) But beyond this, their ultimate goal is to make Obama the 13th one-term president. It's no secret. Obama would be in good company with Jimmy Carter and George HW Bush, both finer men and better presidents than our previous two-termer...yet I digress...(actually no. Did you hear about the statement made by the aforementioned president that I am alluding to? That his lowest point in all 8 years of his tenure was when he was dissed by Kanye West? You'd think I'm making this up.) However I'm really not ready for President Palin (fill in the blank with your favorite teabagger.)

So half of Obama's presidential term is over. The Republicans/TEA Party are making their resurgence, and it looks like Obama has kind of lost his mojo. This was quite apparent in Wednesday's press conference. It was depressing. A reoccurring theme seems to be that Obama doesn't "get" it; he doesn't connect with the average American, and now he's being sent a message by the voters and the party that, supposedly, do "get" it.

However, what it seems Obama doesn't grasp, is that his diplomatic and conciliatory attitude toward the Republicans and the right isn't working for him or the Middle Class(although it's working great for the GOP thus far). Now I won't blame the loss of the House solely on Obama, but I don't know how many times the bully on the playground has to smear sand up your nose until you realize that he just isn't going to be your friend, and she isn't going to oblige when you suggest she put it down your shirt instead. Just a thought.

More to come on John Boehner.

On Freedom's Highway

The last day of George Bush's presidency is upon us. 1/20/09 is a day that has been burned into my mind like that of the Pirates of the Caribbean sequel or the release date of the 7th Harry Potter book. I'm having a hard time believing that it's actually here, that the waiting period (of 8 years) has been whittled down to under 24 hours. The conversation around the dinner table last night was a debate about whether George W. Bush was evil or just not fit to be president. I am of the second persuasion myself, but as my father has said, "Only time will tell."

Rather than remarking on all of the atrocities of the Bush Administration (September 11, Katrina and Michael Brown, Torture and Abu Ghraib, Iraq and WMDs, Bin Laden, the economy, ignoring global warming, a failed Medicare plan, No Child Left Behind, Alberto Gonzales, Scooter Libby, Valerie Plame... -- okay I couldn't stop myself) I've set off to find what George W. Bush did right. Unfortunately my quick search on The Google of "Successes of the Bush Administration" (as well as: George W. Bush successes, positive aspects of the Bush presidency, Bush's achievements, and Bush's positive legacy), didn't return the results I was hoping for. "What Bush Got Right" returned slightly more illuminating hits, but none of which strike me as very redeeming. His $15 billion commitment to fight AIDS in Africa and the Caribbean in 2003 (PEPFAR) and his Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, the Hawaiian sanctuary, seem to be the most poignant. Big round of applause? I suppose I would also be thanking Bush if I were a Late Night talk show host or John Stewart.

Okay, so my desire to see the positives was about as realistic as the 2003 Mission Accomplished banner. But what are the ramifications of making George W. Bush the scapegoat for all of the problems this country is now facing? My true issue is really not with Bush, but with the 62,040,606 million idiots, yes IDIOTS, who voted for Bush in 2004. This brings to mind: "There's an old saying in Tennessee—I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee—that says, fool me once, shame on—shame on you. Fool me—you can't get fooled again." I'm not going to even get into the axiom of what begins in chaos, ends in chaos; I'll leave the 2000 election alone.

I mean, it was pretty clear to me by 15 years old, an age when I was not yet allowed to legally operate a motor vehicle, that George W. Bush was plain and simple bad news for this country. So why is it that I could discern this, and 62 million people could not? My qualm is with these people. Those who were too stubborn or too narrow-minded to see beyond women's rights or gay rights or "flip-flopping", those who actually believed the incendiary lies connecting Iraq to 9/11 because they refused to look beyond the square box in their living room projecting Bill O'Reilly on Fox News or their daily dose of Rush Limbaugh during those long commutes to work in their Hummers and SUVs. I'm trying not to rely solely on stereotypes here, but I know these people. They have been my neighbors, coworkers, classmates, educators, and yes, friends. It is easy to point a finger at George W. Bush and curse him for our current state of affairs, but I think it's time to look in the mirror.

I don't need to preach about fiscal responsibility or our individual responsibility concerning the environment, in fact, like so many of us, I'd much rather look forward. We have a lot of work to do, as a nation. We have an infrastructure, economy and a reputation to rebuild. Global warming is still melting the icecaps. Our prison system needs a face lift. Immigration laws are still in limbo. Health care, social security, and education issues have not declined. We have a lot of work to do. And we have a new captain at the helm. While I do believe President Obama will lead us in the right direction, he is by no means more than just a man. It is going to take each and every one of us, working together, to get this train back on the tracks.

Happy Inauguration Day!

The End of My Lame Duck Period

After taking almost two months off from the political sphere after the election (to reacquaint myself with my friends, fresh air, and food that doesn't come from a freezer -- not to mention my textbooks), I'm diving right back into the fray as we quickly approach Barack Obama's inaugural address on January 20.

So, what have I failed to report on since the beginning of November? A continuously slumping economy which is beginning to look like a piece of silly putty hanging from a high rise that is slowly stretching toward the sidewalk, getting thinner and thinner...please excuse this horrible metaphor. Terrorist attacks in India, Obama introduces his cabinet, a massive stimulus plan and Reverend Dick Rick Warren, Bush's pardons and un-pardons, a domestic circus ring around Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich (which to be perfectly honest doesn't really concern me nearly as much as our economic issue-- which for some reason seems to be less important than governmental corruption and, let's face it, this is about as common as the potholes on California's freeways. Not that I'm saying either of these things are okay with me. Especially the potholes). A new series of violent attacks between Hamas and Israel has left at least 700 Palestinians dead, and counting. Today, Lebanese militants opened fire on Israel and Israel responded with mortar fire into Lebanon. I know there was some good news...the anticipated Britney Spears comeback. That was it.

So, as of Monday, President-Elect Obama has been in Washington waiting out Bush's last 12 days in office. He is not staying at the historic Blair House because apparently the entire premises will be occupied by former Australian Prime Minister John Howard who will be receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom for...supporting Bush's preemptive war against Iraq. Excellent.

This little news story about Russia's natural gas supply to Europe came to my attention today and I find it to be quite interesting. This issue is not new, but due to an ongoing conflict between Russia's OAO Gazprom and Ukraine's NAK Naftogaz over export pricing and division, many European countries are now facing major gas cut-offs. On average, Europe depends on Russia for 25% of its gas but many countries depend on it for a much higher percentage.

Dependence on Russia for gas:
100% dependent on Russia: Latvia, Slovakia, Finland, Estonia
More than 80% dependent: Bulgaria, Lithuania, Czech Republic
More than 60% dependent: Greece, Austria, Hungary
Source: European Council on Foreign Relations, 2006 figures

So what does this say about Russia's relationship with Europe? The terms monopoly, dependence and power are coming to mind. Last I checked, the United States has a similar dependence on Middle Eastern oil. Hm. Interesting.

Stay tuned for more news commentary and my upcoming list of concerns I would like to see addressed by the 44th President.

The Final 2008 Election Presidential Debate

As I was sitting on the bus today, allowing myself a brief respite from my textbooks and listening to Democracy Now, I realized that this was the last Presidential debate that my friends and I can play a drinking game to until 2012. I don't even know where I'm going to be in 2012. I could be out of the country....well, I could be out of the country a lot sooner than that depending on what happens on November 4. Just kidding...mostly.

Actually, there's a side note that I want to address. I'm tired of hearing conservatives criticize liberals for being "anti-American" for looking critically at our society and our government. People who take the time to think about what's going on, and who are paying attention to our country (and the world) are patriotic. Yes, I sit here behind the security of my computer and I say some things about conservatives (and sometimes liberals -- if I haven't yet, don't worry, I will) that are less than flattering, but the people I find to be truly anti-American are those who refuse to educate themselves about how our democracy works and then don't exercise their right to vote out of ignorance. When people complain about how neither major party represents them and that they are therefore not going to vote, they seem to either be unaware or indifferent to the fact that there are other parties to choose from. On my ballot, I can vote for the Green party, the Independent party, the Peace and Freedom party, and the Libertarian party in addition to the Democratic and Republican parties. I, for one, would love to see more parties with powerful roles in this country. I would love to see more of a Parliamentary system where there is a representational government based on popular vote. Anyway, I completely digressed. What I wanted to say was that just because I question my country doesn't mean that I am not incredibly proud of our diversity and our freedoms, and it doesn't mean that I don't get a little choked up when I hear the national anthem -- see, that elementary school brainwashing is very effective.

Alright. The debate. I think that John McCain improved upon his last performances, at least at the beginning. Although, I think it may be a little late at this point in the game. But we'll see. I'm not going to read through the transcript like I did for the last debate, so this commentary is going to be a bit more general. 

There was a point, maybe about forty-five minutes in, where McCain seemed to get a little heated up over the negative campaigning and the subject of Bill Ayers. I've heard today, that he actually spent more time discussing this and other non-issues like ACORN than his economic policy. Correct me if I'm wrong.

It seems that every day McCain never fails to remind us that his campaign is running on fumes. The fumes of oil from offshore drilling that will take ten years to hit our markets. Or maybe he's running on nuclear waste? He may have made a point with his "zinger" that he is not George Bush (because if there was more than one GWB the earth would have probably already spun out of orbit and into the sun), but it's impossible to deny his voting record and his "don't bother me with the facts, I'm a gutsy from the heart maverick" attitude. If you were watching CNN last night, you probably noticed that most of the debate was broadcast with a split screen. For the first time, I was more captivated by the many facial expressions of John McCain that I was by that undecided Ohio voter opinion tracker. And yes, Obama had a few good ones too.

No matter how sincere McCain trained his voice to be, I think that his facial expressions really gave the game away. I have gotten a lot of amusement from the comparison between him and the neighborhood old scrooge who shuffles outside to get the newspaper and yells at the kids who walk on his lawn. Because really, McCain looked pretty incredulous during a good part of the debate, like he couldn't believe that Obama had the nerve to oppose him. This image, by the way, is really too good to pass up. Did anyone else catch this at the end of the debate? It was one of those moments when I wished that I had a Tivo hooked up, because I really wanted to hit rewind, multiple times.

That other star of last night's debate, Joe the Plumber, what about him? I'm now considering going into the plumbing industry since he must be making over $250,000 a year, because according to the Joe the Plumber story, he would be losing big with Obama's tax plan...and (I swear I've already been over this) with Obama's tax plan, if you're making under $250,000 a year, your taxes are not going up. So yes, my new vocation, plumber's school. Why waste my time with this whole University education thing? 

I'm sure there are a lot of other things to be commented on after last night's debate. But to be quite honest, I'm just about ready for this election to be over. I've cast my ballot, my vote is in, and I encourage all others to do the same, as soon as you can. And unlike McCain tonight at the Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner, I wish both candidates luck. All I'm really asking for, is a fair election. 

I'll be back early next week for an update on national and international affairs. Enjoy the weekend!

Second Presidential Debate

My friends...alright, yes, I know I'm a little slow on the updates, and we've already moved on to the crumbling global economy and the fact that the DOW closed under 9,000 points today. Did everyone hear about the audience members at the Republican rallies, calling Obama a terrorist and saying "Kill him!"? Yeah. I'm not even going to go there. 

We've already heard all of the pundits' reactions, we've already gossiped with our friends and singled someone out as "That One" just to get a laugh. We're all awaiting the report on Alaska's Sarah Palin investigation, which is to be released tomorrow, and wondering how much voter registration fraud has happened in our districts.  I'm personally wondering if I'll be recieving my absentee ballot and voter's guide on time. But, despite all of that, I'm going to return to Tuesday night's debate and go through the transcript so that some of the statements made get the attention they deserve. And by attention, I generally mean criticism, because who really has time for anything other than attack ads these days? 

In McCain's response to the first question, which addressed the current economic disaster, he said that "we've got to stop sending $700 billion a year to countries that don't want us very --- like us very much." He then went on to talk about the $10 trillion dollar debt. Is it just me, or has that debt he's talking about largely been caused by the war in Iraq, the war that John McCain has supported from day 1 and continues to support? Are we not sending billions of dollars into a country whose people want us to get the hell out? Then he mentioned reform to bring "peace in the world." Am I crazy, or did McCain just contradict himself within the first two minutes of the debate? He then made his, not Obama's or Bush's, but his, big economic proposal, which is to order the secretary of the treasury to buy up the bad home loan mortgages and renegotiate new values for those homes...which he admits will be very expensive....but he promises not to raise taxes for anyone. Hm. Interesting. 

I'm a big fan of Bill Maher's show Real Time on HBO. At the end of every show he does his "New Rules" section, which is exactly as it sounds. I think I might throw in some of my own New Rules as I go through this. 1) New Rule: John McCain must stop saying that he suspended his campaign in order to go to Washington and pass the rescue plan aka bailout bill. His campaign was still airing commercials on TV and taking online donations. On top of that, he continued on his campaign before the bailout was passed. 

Obama and McCain both reiterrate the same messages that we've been hearing for weeks. Obama focuses on the middle class, health care, education, change, change, and change. McCain repeatedly talks about stabilizing the housing market (well I guess he hasn't been saying that for weeks, since he only recently realized we have a problem, but I think he's very excited about his new idea). He also repeatedly mentions his history of bipartisanship in questions completely unrelated to his answers. 

2) New Rule: If John McCain wants to discuss Obama's earmarks (which I think is a fair and valid point), he must also discuss Sarah Palin's earmakrs as governor of Alaska. He must also explain why he voted for the $700 billion dollar bailout bill when an additional $110 billion of pork was written in to sweeten it up. 

McCain brings up a good point in discussing Obama's small business tax increases. This is definitely a point that the Obama campaign doesn't want to draw a lot of attention to. Raising taxes on buisinesses does make products more expensive for us consumers. But funding for things like health care has to come from somewhere...and hence, a key economic difference between a Democrat and a Republican... However. It is difficult to say how many small businesses will actually be affected by Obama's tax plan due to the different ways in which people file their income taxes. So, McCain's assertion that taxes will increase on 50 percent of small business revenue is very misleading, if not entirely false. It is unlikely that taxes for more than a few percent of small businesses will actually increase. 

Speaking of health care. I wonder how all those voters in Florida are feeling about McCain's position on privatizing health care and the possibility of losing Medicare? Speaking of Florida...

One thing I think we were all looking for in this debate was for McCain to address some of the issues that have been taking the spotlight in his most recent attack ads...Bill Ayers for example. But it seems as if McCain has a more difficult time bringing up ridiculous accusations when he actually has to face Obama. In fact, he seems to have a difficult time looking at Obama at all.