Iran

For people who aren't very aware of what's going on in Iran and how this plays out in the presidential election, here is a little background information.

Iran is our enemy. They have nuclear weapons. Obama wants to talk to Iran while McCain does not, about getting rid of their nuclear weapons. McCain has criticized Obama about his wanting to talk to Iran, to which Obama says that this is diplomacy. We can't just talk to our friends, we have to talk to our enemies to prevent attacks. This can be seen in this video:


George Bush has also given his worthwhile two cents by comparing Obama to Chamberlain trying to appease Hitler before he invaded Poland. He gave this speech in Jerusalem, where there are plenty of Jewish people. MSNBC's analysts gave their criticisms in this video:

Oil execs defend huge profits

Since regular people are scrimping to pay for gasoline to go to work, Sen. Patrick Leahy wanted to make it personal for the men of Big Oil.

How much money did you make last year? the Vermont Democrat asked the top executives of the country’s five biggest oil companies. They had been summoned to a Senate hearing to explain the extraordinarily high cost of oil and gasoline and their companies’ profits.

Three executives said their compensation was in the millions.

No Place for Women in War

Arguments against women in the military include the idea that women can't fight as well as men, which is described in page 2 of the article. But with a gun in hand, when do any of our soldiers have to fight hand to hand. Anyone can pull a trigger, including well trained monkeys. Soldiers are soldiers and if women want to risk their lives to protect the country, who is to stop them?

Politically speaking, conservatives are probably going to side with McCain while Liberals will side with the democratic nominee, although neither Hillary nor Obama have taken a stance on this issue. Women's rights activists will undoubtedly protest McCain's views, but there are women who agree with the stance that women should not fight in the military. Therefore, I'm going to predict that this issue will not be as important in the general election as the other issues, such as the economy and the occupation in Iraq.

Inconvenient Truth

Gore's highly recognized and praised documentary has turned him from former presidential candidate to Hollywood star. This very respected documentary could turn into a joke. There are talks of transforming an Inconvenient Truth into an opera. Would you watch this?

Check this out

Moore Endorses Obama

Michael Moore was in Larry King Live endorsing his support for Barack Obama. Larry King asked Michael Moore why now? Moore said that he endorsed Hillary when she was running for Senator and that he and his wife even gave money to her campaign, but now things are different. Moore, first, said he wasn’t endorsing anyone but now he says “Obama is a decent individual…and I like how he has responded to certain issues...” Moore says he has become disappointed in Hillary when she voted for the Iraq war and she kept voting the war. Moore said that he sees any Democratic nominee—regardless if it’s Obama and Hillary—will most likely win the Presidential election in November because the American people want change.

Check out this article:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/05/01/moore.q.a/index.html?iref=newssearch

War, Peace and Oil

I have read of it in various publications, had the merits of it explained to me by many distinguished speakers, have been induced to believe that it is of common acceptance, and for the better part of my early life on earth I actually believed that the essence was doable:

That doable was that peace was indeed a realistic goal; that this nation's policy, in scope and function, both domestic and international should be to establish peace. I thought that peace was universally desirous and was a shared commonality for all of humankind. But, with the passing of years, as with all things child-like, I put such beliefs aside and dealt with the world as it is rather than as I wish it was.

Ann Coulter

Some people call her a Nazi. And others believe her to be somewhat of a demon in a human's body. She came to UCI to give a speech about how liberals know nothing. She talks about how if the liberals had control of the Iraq war they would have killed many more civilians because they wanted it in the first place but now they want it to be done now. She also made fun of Barouk Hussein Obama and her "plucky little" Hillary. But in the end she did not really endorse the Republican candidate of John McCain.

Should McClellan Testify Before Congress?

Today Congressman Robert Wexler (D-FL) called for former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan to appear before the House Judiciary Committee to testify under oath regarding the devastating revelations made in his new book on the Bush Administration’s deliberate efforts to mislead the American people into the Iraq War.

McClellan, I'm sure, they'll have no problem getting to testify. But will it help move the ball forward? At least they won't fail to get him there. And maybe that'll lift spirits, given that nobody who's still supporting th' Pretzelnit is going to show. We'll finally have some TV coverage of some potentially explosive hearings.

McCain defines Obama

1. "He does not have the knowledge or experience to make the judgments" on Iraq and other issues

2. The sweeping claim that Obama is unprepared to lead the country and incapable of making necessary tough decisions reminds voters that the Illinois senator is in the midst of his first term — and also insinuates that he's too young to be president at age 46.

3. "One of the differences between me and Obama is that he wants to continue this spending spree."

McCain's biggest rival is Obama, and he is doing all that he can to change the people's mind to gain their vote.

Obama Breaks Grounds

When Obama changed his mind and decided to run for president after only two years in the Senate, however, he effectively dismissed the importance of policy proposals, declaring in one speech in early 2007, "We've had plenty of plans, Democrats," and in another: "Every four years, somebody trots out a white paper, they post it on the Web." He cast his "new kind of politics" in terms of his ability to transcend divisions and his unique biography and offered few differences on issues from Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and the other Democratic presidential candidates.

Web Friendly White House?

If Barack Obama wins the presidency, we may see the first Web-friendly Oval Office.

Interesting.. thoughts?

Could this eventually challenge security? Compromise US' image? Gain public support for Obama?

Failed Government

Richard A. Clarke's new book argues that mediocrity and entropy are "endemic" in America's national-security apparatus — and proposes a way forward. Counterterrorism expert Richard Clarke worked for the government for 30 years under several presidents, including Ronald Reagan, both George Bushes and Bill Clinton. And in a new book, he's charging that the nation is unacceptably vulnerable to cyber-terrorism — a result of what he says is a culture of mediocrity in U.S. national-security programs.

McClellan Hot Spot

One thing’s for sure: President Bush and Scott McClellan won’t be kicking back on those rocking chairs in Texas like Bush predicted when McClellan left the White House two years ago. “I certainly don’t expect it any time soon,” the former press secretary said Thursday morning on NBC’s Today Show. McClellan’s book diminishes any prospect that Americans will view Bush favorably before Jan. 20, 2009. The more relevant, immediate impact of Bush’s low poll numbers and lack of credibility will be felt by McCain and other Republicans on the ballot this fall.

Scott McCellan -- Traitor?

So obviously, the biggest news of the day is that Scott McClellen, a former White House press secretary, has published a memoir. Within this particular memoir, McClellan completely disses President Bush and puts his faults to the forefront. In one particular quote from the memoir, McClellan says that Bush “convinces himself to believe what suits his needs at the moment." Of course, the White House is completely denying all these claims, as is customary. What I found the most interesting about the response from the White House is that they keep remarking on how the Scott McClellan they thought they knew seems a lot different than the McClellan that wrote the memoir.

McCain on Ellen

McCain's recent visit to the Ellen show could eventually hurt him in October. He made it very clear that he opposes gay marriages, and therefore should not be allowed to become legal; He then justifies this by saying the constitution does not support union between the same sex. His conservative viewpoint will lose him some votes.

Gay Marriages

Gay marriages were approved in CA last week, and just recently, NY has came out to say they will recognize marriages from outside the state. Although this is a tiny step, it is the step in the right direction. I think that gay marriage is a very progressive thing and I find it very fitting that California is the 2nd state in the nation to address the issue like this in a positive manner. Gay marriage is something that is long overdue in our society. I recently heard someone within my political science class compare it to the racial oppression of the Brown v. Board of Education case. I think that's a really valid point to bring up because both cases deal with blatant discrimination.

Check out these sites:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/05/28/same.sex.marriage/
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hZmLBrL36NObNyMR0ghXN7vB5hYwD90V6SNG0
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5h2qJ68YTOsLHGjkJTRaUxbqZWP7w

Universal Healthcare

The US is falling behind in providing its citizens with universal health care. Many established European countries are ahead of us in providing health care for its citizens. Providing free and adequate health care access for every American. I guess critics would call the view idealistic to request such a thing, but in all actuality, Universal Health Care is a very attainable thing and in my opinion, crucial to American society.

McCain Has Experience

McCain accuses of Barack Obama of being completely ignorant about the war in Iraq. He believes this is because Obama has not been to Iraq except for a short trip in January 2006 of which he only stayed a grand total of only 2 days in Iraq. And on the other hand McCain has been to Iraq 6 trips since the invasion of Iraq. He believes that going to Iraq is a good thing because it allows him to be able to make big decisions.

Keep Your Health Up Obama!

Obama has been a long time smoker, and it's time to quit. His family history of cancer has made him attempt to quit many times, but without success. Cancer does run in Obama's family: His mother died of ovarian cancer and his maternal grandfather died of prostate cancer. Also, black men are at increased risk of prostate cancer overall — so the two factors typically prompt doctors to begin prostate screening, called a PSA exam, in the 40s. Scheiner listed Obama's PSA last year at a very low 0.6, meaning no sign of abnormalities.

Wright is Wrong

Reverend Jeremiah A. Wright’s comments have clearly hurt Obama’s campaign. Obama has recently denounced his relationship with Rev. Wright at a news conference. Obama’s campaign finally realized the amount of damage Rev. Wright’s comments were doing for Obama’s image.

Wright and Obama's public relationship has changed drastically since the controversy over Wright's sermons. They have gone from being life long friends and mentors to publicly disclaiming and discrediting each other. Obama and Wright have both affected each other because in the long run this will affect Obama and if he does have a chance of running for President this will surely come back again. Wright, on the same hand, has been given so much bad publicity over his sermons. Both Obama and Wright have gotten the bad end of the deal with this.

Michigan Counts

When Michigan and Florida moved their primaries ahead of the dates set by the Democratic National Committee, New York Sen. Hillary Clinton supported the party's decision to strip those states of their delegates.

Political Stunt

Obama is set to visit the troops over seas soon. Could this be a political stunt? Yes.

But to be fair, Obama claims that:
"I think that if I'm going to Iraq, then I'm there to talk to troops and talk to commanders, I'm not there to try to score political points or perform. The work they're doing there is too important."

Ron Paul family friendly campaign

Rep.Ron Paul has built a national following largely by preaching an isolationist foreign policy. Stick with your own kind, says the maverick presidential candidate.And that's more or less what he has been doing over the past few months, putting relatives in a slew of key positions and paying them a total of $169,063, according to the latest campaign finance reports.

Gas Consumers

I have often thought that the rising price of oil and the corresponding increase in the cost of a gallon at the pump has produced benefits for certain persons and entities. Surely, the shareholders of Exxon Mobil Corp, Royal Dutch Shell, Conoco, BP (ARCO), and Chevron Texaco to mention a few of those publicly traded companies that produce and refine this commodity are pleased at the rising price of gas.

Imagine, the appreciation of the shareholders' holdings eventually fills the coffers of the federal government via the tax on shareholder gains; the stock rises in value and the shareholder is giving up a percentage of gains not vested capital, everyone is a winner. The corporation's after tax profits are utilized for future investments in infrastructure, exploration, and financial sureties of differing descriptions.

Congress Overturn President Veto

Congress enacted a massive election-year farm bill Thursday over President Bush's veto, sending new and bigger subsidies for farmers and more food stamps to help the poor with rising grocery prices.

The 82-13 vote in the Senate following a 316-108 vote Wednesday night in the House provided Democrats only their second veto override in Bush's presidency, but they harvested a constitutional controversy with it.

Not all of the bill that Congress passed last week is becoming law immediately. Due to a printing glitch, the version that Bush vetoed was missing 34 pages on international food aid and trade — a mistake that may require Congress to send the White House yet another bill.

Gay Rights

Paterson's legal counsel, David Nocenti, has issued a memo ordering state agencies to recognize same-sex marriages legally performed in other states and countries, such as Massachusetts and Canada — even though New York itself does not recognize same-sex marriage. California will join the list of places where same-sex couples can legally wed starting in mid-June, unless the state's high court issues a stay on the ruling that overturned the state's ban on gay marriage.

An aging Senate contends with time and illness

76-year-old Kennedy's malignant brain tumor Tuesday was a heartbreaker even for this wizened group, which has seen spouses and friends fall before them.

Byrd, 90, wept as he prayed for "my dear, dear, dear friend, Ted Kennedy."

Specter, 78, is balding from treatments for his second bout with cancer. Specter himself once received a diagnosis of brain cancer — and a grim prediction of six weeks to live. Despite his experience with the deadly disease, he told reporters that hearing the news about Kennedy was "just overwhelming."

The fifth-term Pennsylvania Republican has said many times that staying on the job through treatment has been key to his survival.

Age is just a number

Senate passes Iraq war funding bill

The Senate on Thursday approved an additional $165 billion to wage war in Iraq and Afghanistan for another year after lawmakers blocked proposed timetables for withdrawing American troops from Iraq.

By a vote of 70-26, the Senate passed the new war money the Pentagon says it urgently needs to avoid civilian layoffs and the interruption of soldiers' paychecks within months.

The House of Representatives still must weigh in on the legislation. Last week, it passed a drastically different bill that failed to provide any new money for the wars and would withdraw U.S. combat troops from Iraq by the end of 2009.

McCain Resurfacing Tax Policies He Once Opposed

McCain seems to be trying to separate himself from the Republican Party as much as he can. He argues that “He wishes this tax cut would be shared by more working Americans. McCain further stretches his tax cut theory by allowing his mind set to include middle-income Americans. McCain, overall, argues that he isn’t straying from any of his promises, but certain compromises have to be made to get there. Can his inconsistency in public policies be negative trait? Is it a reliable prediction for how he will handle the Presidential seat?

Telecom Immunity

A top lawyer for McCain's presidential campaign said telecommunications companies should be forced to explain their role in the Bush administration's warrantless surveillance program as a condition for legal immunity for past wiretapping, a statement that stands in marked contrast to positions taken by president Bush, McCain and other Republicans in Congress.

America's Schools are in Trouble!

For the second time in five years, the school district in Georgia's Clayton County is on probation. The district faces a loss of accreditation that could mean next year's seniors will find trouble getting into college. The government needs to step in! Implement programs! America has one of the best educational systems in the world, having a school go on probation for a second time is just dis heartening.

Click Here

Republicans Love Their Weapons

Like President Bush, McCain favors extending arms control deals with Russia, opening strategic nuclear talks with China and pressing on multiple fronts to limit the spread of nuclear arms technologies. He emphasized, "we must continue to deploy a safe and reliable Nuclear deterrent." McCain also proposed reviving a treaty banning the testing of nuclear weapons, which the Senate rejected during the Clinton administration and which the Bush White House did not attempt to resurrect. He also stated that he would "cancel all further work" on development of a new earth-penetrating nuclear weapon that the Bush administration had proposed but abandoned more than two years ago. The senator did not explicitly say whether he would support reviving any element of nuclear arms production. "I would only support the development of any new type of nuclear weapons that is absolutely essential for the viability of our deterrent, that results in making possible further decreases in the size of our nuclear arsenal and furthers our global nuclear security goals," McCain said.

American's anti Bush sentiment can essentially cause McCain the presidential vote. Although McCain and Bush have similar republican ideologies, their ways of approaching the problem is different. But is different approaches enough? Are Americans tired of having a republican in office?

Check out this video for another view point:

Republicans Fight 'till the End

The presumptive Republican presidential nominee envisions that we will win the Iraq war by 2013, insisting that “we are winning and we will win.” McCain said he also believes that the "threat from a resurgent Taliban in Afghanistan will be greatly reduced but not eliminated" and that U.S. and NATO forces will remain in the country "to help finish the job, and continue operations against the remnants of al Qaeda." If he is elected, he said, he would hope that Pakistan will work with the United States in deploying counter-insurgency tactics in the al Qaeda-laden tribal regions.

Edward endorses Obama

Edwards ended his second bid for the White House in January after failing to win a primary. After this tragic defeat, Edwards has finally come out and given his support to presidential hopeful Obama. His endorsement will likely boost Obama's support among white, male and working-class voters, groups that have shown strong support for Clinton. Edwards has also shown support for Clinton by praising her for her commitment and strength, “"She has shown strength and character, and what drives her is she cares about working people... and men and women in Iraq. She's a leader in this country, not because of her husband, but because of what she has done”

Presidents drink beer?

A recent report came out identifying where John McCain's campaign money has come from, or at least a good portion of it. Because McCain had not released his tax returns, but he did have at least 3.9 million dollars in income. This report says that John McCain's wife is an investor in a beer distribution company and is worth more than $100 million and provided $3.7 million for John's campaign.

Change for the Better

One thing that Obama has done in this campaign that has been much different than the other two candidates, which is having the ability to unite the people of the United States, no matter what the color of their skin, their age, race or culture. Obama has done more than just put out signs of 'Hope' or spend millions on t.v. advertisements, he has been able to rally the people of the United States together and that is why we are all hanging on to see him win the election and make the much needed change in this country. A change for better, a change that will close the racial and moral gap in the United States, a change that will bring people closer to fight the common enemy and the change that we have all been waiting for, which is to see the United States earn the respect of the world once more and bring about long lasting peace in the Middle East and the rest of the oppressed regions of the world.

Clinton's song

This will be the last post about youtubers' videos campaigning for the presidential election. In this video, posted by salsera2948, entitled "We Need A Woman" brings up one of my biggest pet peeves of all time. Basically, the song is saying, "we need a change, and since there has never been a woman president before, a woman president would equal change! Hey, Hillary's a woman! Let's all vote for her. "

Political Experience

The topic of experience is one that nobody can argue for or against. There have been many debates on whether Obama has enough experience to succeed in the White House. His opponent, Hillary Clinton has mentioned time and time again that she would be ready on day one to lead this country in a better direction. Hillary has been in the political scene since her college days, and she has been exposed to the duties of a president as the first lady. But does experience equal success?