The Youth Movement

Iran Election

2009-06-21T23:54:00.005-04:00

Posted by Ben

I think in the current day its hard to get away from the recent Presidential Elections that were held in Iran. It seems the people of their country (or at least some) have become very angry over the results of the election and feel that there have been major ballot counting irregularities there. The the Iranian press have made it a mission to document the violence and protests that have become a regular occurrence since the results of the election were made public.
In many cases, I would see this as a news story and although I think like most Americans do not favor President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, but I have no personal interest in the elections in Iran.

However things have been different this time in terms of the media's attention to the elections, and the reaction of the people of Iran and the Iranian government. The media here in America, in rare form began to devote exclusive coverage to the elections and its aftermath. With the expansion of websites like Facebook, Youtube, and Twitter many of the citizens of Iran have been able to document their experiences, and allow their message to get out to the world.
Much like what happened two weeks ago as we approached and observed the Tienanmen Square anniversary the Iranian Government began to crack down on websites like Facebook, Twitter and Youtube as the Chinese Government did; however for much different reasons. The Chinese Government wanted to keep the history of Tienanmen unnoticed by the Chinese people, while Iran wanted to keep the revolt against the Iranian elections out of the Global news and to smother the protesters from speaking with the news media.

The most compelling development that I have noticed in this constant news coverage is the people standing up for their rights as voting citizens. In the face of a government that is outwardly not ruling in any democratic fashion, they are standing up. This poses a problem for President Ahmadinejad who loses credibility if he stays in office and meets and or deals with other countries. With reporters being arrested in Iran and the media being shut out on TV sets all across Iran I wonder if the people of Iran will keep the pressure on their government to do the right thing. When at the onset of writing this post an Iranian Council ruled that the ballot counting done in the election had no irregularities and that the results will remain the same. Will the Global news stay interested or will some other mundane event happen that will cause the news outlets to focus on other stories to lead the news causing the Iranian people to have to fend for themselves?

Obama's First 100 Days

2009-04-26T16:20:00.008-04:00

Post Written by Ben

I have been an avid supporter of the President, and much of my time spent away from the blog was also spent away from the news. My aim was to separate myself from the man, and begin to view him as the President. Being one whom disliked President Bush I made it my responsibility to judge President Obama as stringently as I judged Bush. I have slowly brought myself out of hiatus, and started to read newspapers again. I began to watch the nightly news, and on occasion watch the cable news evening news reports. Having yet to relapse from my addiction to the Sunday News shows I rejoin the world of current events just as President Obama enters his first 100 days in office.

As with any President, everyone reflects back on the first 3 months of the Presidents tenure and begin to judge their actions so far, and argue the commitments of the President to his campaign promises. Obama's first 100 hundred days are clear indicators of the way Obama will govern and of how he deals with crisis. No crisis can be more important than the crisis of the day. The economic future of America. After bailouts, and bill passing, Obama and his administration have attempted to maintain a favorable view in the eyes of the American public. This so far has worked for them, as recent polls show that for the first time in five years the majority of Americans feel that the country is moving in the right direction.

Many acknowledge the favorable ratings and positive opinions Obama has received so far, but many are looking towards the next 100 days to be the true test of Obama's Presidency. With the memos and interrogations practices of the previous administration being released to the public Obama is being pressured by many Americans including members of his own party to come down hard on all those involved and to also where fitting begin investigations. The President and the Attorney Generals office have previously already stated that the interrogators will not be prosecuted, but have been oddly silent on future prosecutions or possible investigations of high level Bush officials (including Former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and others) who worked closely with President Bush and who authorized the intense interrogations that took place. While on the campaign trail Obama focused his message on hope for the future, and for Americans to not look to the past. This message will surely haunt Obama in the months to come because he will be against his liking forced to make a sound decision on whether he will investigate members of the Bush Administration on torture charges or will be stick with his campaign message and end the talks of investigations once and for all. Obama currently has a favorable approval rating, but in dealing with such an issue is going to cause outrage and discontent by many, and this will see his approval ratings dip.

The current Administration have begun to take on the tasks they promised during the campaign and have begun to deal with issues that they know will bring them a favorable approval. One such issue is the Health care system. In the recent weeks the Obama Administration have been calling the state of affairs in terms of Health care a crisis and have now been positioning to begin preliminary legislation that will ultimately lead them to their goal of Universal Health Care.

On Thursday, Obama will once again go national to speak directly to the American people. There is not yet a general consensus of what he will talk about just yet, but one could conclude that Obama will touch on the economic climate, health care, Bush Administration investigations, and depending on the next few days if anymore outbreaks occur, Swine Flu.
While the first 100 days have gone considerably well for Obama, I look forward to see what the next 100 days will bring.

The Youth Movement Returns...

2009-04-19T02:16:00.002-04:00

The Youth Movement has been gone for some time.
And now we are returning... we hope you have missed us as we have missed you and we are returning..... May 19th is our scheduled return date but check back often because we may return sooner than that!!!!

Countdown Clocks, USA Countdowns at WishAFriend.com

The Need for The New York Times

2008-12-11T22:12:00.009-05:00

Written by Dave

Earlier this week it was announced that the Tribune Company based out of Chicago was filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The Tribune Company owns the Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, Newsday, Hartford Courant, Orlando Sentinel, South Florid Sun-Sentinel, The Morning Call and The Baltimore Sun newspapers along with a number of other investments that include the Chicago Cubs. The debt of the Tribune Company is approximated at $13 billion.

Other newspaper companies that are hurting include McClatchy publishing company and the New York Times Co., which is currently looking to sell or mortgage their headquarters in downtown Manhattan. The main reason for the economic struggles of these printing powerhouses is that advertising dollars are going elsewhere because the printed newspaper continues to decline in popularity. Coupled with incredibly low stock prices these companies are struggling to stay afloat in the Internet age as both the New York Times Co. and McClatchy are trading at 10-year lows.

Additional layoffs are expected from the industry that has already shed approximately 15% of their staff with more than 15,000 having been laid off in 2008 alone.

The decline of the once prominent newspaper industry will have little economic impact on the economy as a whole as their decline has been predicted for quite some time in this age of digital media outlets and 24-hour news. Some say that this is merely an inevitable cultural transition for a modernized society and that the printed press is a thing of the past. Sure some of these newspapers are able to continue readership online but the numbers are increasing far slower than the decreasing number of people purchasing the printed edition.

For as long as we have had a democracy there has always been the printed press, you could go as far to say that the printed press has the indispensible role of truth seeking in government. There is no telling what the consequences are of the absence of this inquiring journalism. The realization that all news is not good quality news is no more evident than on the 24 hour news circuits where facts are not always clear and developments are continuously being bombarded at the viewer regardless of accuracy.

While some boast the future of media is in the hands of online news sources including blogs, this should not be the case. Credibility and accuracy take a backseat to speed and shock value. The printed press plays in integral part in investigative journalism and in its absence many truths may be hidden, many stories that should be told will never be heard. The aim of this blog is not to create the news, sure both Ben and I have gotten involved where we could but for the most part we present articles of interest and give our take on them. While this is certainly valuable it does not play the same role in journalism that the printed press has so long played. Do I think the main media outlets such as CNN will do a good job? After all they have more resources currently than the newspapers and blogs combined. I still believe they will not be able to fill the void left by the printing giants of the past and it will be a challenge in the future for the public to find truth if newspapers continue to fail.

Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich & Pay-to-Play Politics

2008-12-09T12:49:00.008-05:00

Written by Dave

Rod Blagojevich, the Democratic Governor of Illinois has been taken into federal custody on corruption charges. The governor along with his chief of staff, John Harris has been charged with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and solicitation of bribery. These charges are according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s office for the Northern District of Illinois.

Since Barack Obama will no longer be Senator Obama from Illinois, a replacement must be appointed to fill the vacant spot. This vacancy is then filled by a choice from the Governor of that particular state. Governor Blagojevich attempted to profit from this position in a number of ways. As outlined in the U.S. Attorney statements, Governor Blagojevich was seeking a substantial salary ($250,000 to $300,000) for himself at a non-profit organization or an organization with union affiliation, a spot for his wife on paid corporate boards where he sought a salary of $150,000 a year for her, and campaign funds.

According to the U.S. Attorney, Governor Blagojevich had the following statements caught on tape:

“Unless I get something real good [from Senate candidate 1], s***, I’ll just send myself, you know what I’m saying” – said November 3rd, the day before Election Day.

“is a f***ing valuable thing, you just don’t give it away for nothing” – said November 3rd, referring to a Senate seat.

“I want to make money” – referring to the leverage that he wished to cash in on with his position as Governor.

Also among the taped statements was a discussion with Harris, where they discussed the possibility of President-Elect Obama appointing Governor Blagojevich to the Department of Health and Human Services. They then discussed appointing [Senate candidate 1] but that it could not look obvious that the decision was made this quickly and for possibly the wrong reasons.

Other allegations raised against Governor Blagojevich and Harris were negotiations attempted between themselves and the Chicago Tribune as Tribune Co. was attempting to purchase Chicago’s Wrigley Field. The pair demanded that a number of Chicago Tribune’s executive board members be fired in exchange for the Governor’s assistance in the dealings. President-Elect Obama has not been accused of any wrongdoing in the matter.

Final Word

If this case is as strong as the U.S. Attorney is making it out to be, Governor Blagojevich is in serious trouble. It is a crime against the political establishment itself and is another example of why so many young voters are skeptical of politicians. A Governor should be a role model for children and young adults as it is a position of great responsibility and is truly a service to the community, but stories such as these take politics back years as the public is already uneasy these days about where all of their tax money is going.

In a modern society, wire tapping corruption charges seems like more out of the Prohibition Era than it does in this day and age and the wounds created by these allegations will be slow healing. Now every politician must assure the public that they can be trusted because they are all on the hot seat now no matter how deserving or undeserving that may be.

Obamas, Bidens, and Gores OH MY!!

2008-12-07T19:15:00.007-05:00

Post Written By Ben.

OK. First I will admit. This blog post title is a bit over the top, but hey I couldn't resist.

On tomorrow, President Elect Obama, Vice President Elect Biden and former Presidential candidate and Nobel Peace Prize winner Al Gore will have a sit down meeting at Obama's transition headquarters. The announcement sent the political media in a whirlwind attempting to contact every single "insider" they had in the Obama camp to be the first to leak any information that Gore was being considered for a possible Obama appointment.

Aides to Gore have publicly said that Gore has no interest in returning to government any time soon, and for good reason. Ever since Gore left the political scene he has made millions of dollars in his work on Global Climate Change. He even won two Oscars in 2007 for his documentary. Leaving a lucrative career in the private sector would not necessarily be a step in the "right" direction.

Democratic officials however are trying to tame the speculation and rumors saying that Obama is not intending to speak with Gore about a possible cabinet seat. Instead explaining that Obama and Gore have been on regular speaking terms throughout the election and continue to this day.
Obama heavily courted for Gore's endorsement during the election cycle, but only received it after Clinton quit the race because of the clear Obama victory. In April, Obama said that he wanted Gore at the table to help make crucial decisions to help climate change, even if that meant having him there as an informal advisor.

However it seems very odd that just as Obama, Gore and Biden plan to meet in Chicago. The transition team has turned their focus on filling two very important seats in the new administration, Energy Secretary, and Environmental Protection Agency administrator. Two positions that could easily be filled by Gore. A close friend to Gore said that this meeting is more than just face time, it is about business because Gore would not burn that much carbon to speak with the President Elect if it could be done by phone simply.

With the appointments of "political celebrities" in the administration thus far, a Gore appointment would give Obama much credit in the world in terms of climate change. Obama would also please the left wing of his party who have still been angry about the election in 2000.
However to jump the gun too quickly at what this meeting means must not happen.
With Gore spending so much time on climate change, and the administration staring to look at possible candidates for Energy Secretary of E.P.A. administrator; Gore could simply be joining the team to help vet possible candidates. He could even be looking over the person picked for the two seats so that the Obama team can get his opinion on them.

Special Comment: Post Bush Era

2008-12-06T01:26:00.005-05:00

Post Written by Ben

There are times when I tend to have thoughts or feelings on a topic or person. I have steered clear of writing down thoughts because I really wanted to focus more on the news piece of our blog, but over the past few days I have begun to reflect on many things. I have decided that I would begin to periodically make Special Comments to allow me to share these with you.

As a young voter I have had experience in two presidential elections thus far. 2004 and 2008. As such, this concept of Presidential Transition feels "new" to me. Yes of course I have lived under three presidents already and there have been two Presidential Transitions in my lifetime; this is the first election where I will have a firm understanding of what is going on.
With little over a month before President Bush changes his title for the rest of his life to Former President Bush I begin to think about living in a Post Bush world.
In every generation there is one event that takes place that will be a large part in defining what that generation was. Events like the civil rights movement, the collapse of communism, etc.
For my generation the defining event will obviously be 9/11, but also George Bush. For me, I can recall memories of Clinton in office, but most of that dealt with the Lewinsky scandal. And as someone who has become so enthralled with the political world the Bush years have been my growing years. I learned politics under our current President, and as I reflect on the plethora of things that have occurred it becomes increasingly harder to imagine a world where George Bush is not President.
I admit, I am not a fan of the current President, but I respect the office in which he holds. I cannot imagine the enormous pressure that is on his shoulders every single day.
Eight years is a very long time. I mean think back to who you were eight years ago and you can see how different not only you are but the world as whole. The world has changed so much since Bush took office and the lasting effects of this Administration will be with us for some time to come be that good or bad. I can only imagine what a Post Bush world is going to become.

While you either celebrate or mourn in the coming weeks the Presidential Transition, it is clear that everyone in this country will be entering a new place in history. A new place for our country.

But what will that place be?

Request Increase, 36%

2008-12-04T16:03:00.006-05:00

Written by Dave

Listed below are the proposals set forth by Ford, Chrysler and GM. The three companies met again with Congress today and requested $34 billion from Congress to help the three automotive companies avoid bankruptcy. Some chief economists have determined that a complete turn around for the three automakers could cost between $75 billion and $125 billion.

Ford Plan

Financial Assistance Request: $9,000,000,000

Proposal: [pdf]

Shown below is a video put together by Ford CEO Alan Mulally.

Chrysler Plan

Financial Assistance Request: $7,000,000,000

Proposal: [pdf]

General Motors Plan

Financial Assistance Request: $18,000,000,000

Proposal: [pdf]

Clinton Appointment Unconstitutional?

2008-12-03T21:08:00.004-05:00

Post Written by Ben.

Hillary Clinton has been appointed Secretary of State, but there is (in Clinton political fashion) some controversy. It came to light that since Clinton has been in the Senate the salary of the Secretary of State has increased. The constitutional provision in which I speak of states "the emoluments whereof shall have been increased during his term”. This means that an elected official in the Congress cannot be appointed to a governmental post that has had an increase in the salary that is approved by Congress while that official was a member of Congress.
Senator Harry Reid has said he will introduce a legislative action to decrease the salary in order for Clinton to move through the appointment process as smoothly as possible. This action by Reid was first used when President Nixon appointed William Saxbe to be Attorney General.

Although it seems the "fix" is simple many Republicans who either do not like Obama or do not want Clinton at the helm of the State Department are in outrage that Capital Hill Democrats are trying to side step the constitution in order to get Clinton appointed. While they acknowledge the precedent set in many cases just like this, especially the Nixon-Saxbe case, but they allege that because without the fix Clinton is not eligible to become Secretary of State. Many who are critical of the decision to decrease the salary, they admit that seeing this become a legal issue barring Clinton from the State Department is far fetched because the salary decrease will fix the problem that exists and it is in the right of Congress to do so.

There are still some lawyers who argue that if a state employee alleges that they are put at a disadvantage or they were "harmed" in the fix there could create legal standing. A spokesman for Clinton answered questions about the so called fix saying "This is a Harvard Law graduate nominating a Yale Law graduate here, so all parties involved have been cognisant of this issue from the outset, but putting frivolous lawsuits by fringe groups aside, this issue has been resolved many times over the past century, involving both Democratic and Republican appointments, and we’re confident it will be here too.”

The Balancing Act

2008-12-02T13:51:00.003-05:00

Written by Dave

The worst kept secret in Washington is now official. Hillary Clinton will be Secretary of State in the Barack Obama Cabinet. Both praise and scorn have been showered down on this move and time will tell if the relationship will be Lincoln-Seward or Bush-Powell.

Obama-Clinton: The Lincoln-Seward Compendium

This experiment of rivals working together has been attempted before, under President Lincoln when he selected his then archrival, William Seward as his Secretary of State. Early on in the administration Seward had proposed that President Lincoln relinquish powers to him but after time together they created a mutual respect for each other and became the best of friends.

Similarly the Obama-Clinton relationship may have a rough beginning but former President Clinton will assume the role of assistant and stray away from issues facing the administration. Hillary Clinton leaks to the press will diminish to a trickle and be turned off by the ‘No Drama Obama’ mantra and both Hillary and Barack will have spirited debates behind closed doors and present a united front in public.

Obama-Clinton: The Bush-Powell Compendium

The worst President-Secretary of State relationship of resent memory was that of President George W. Bush and Collin Powell. Powell’s credibility took a number of welts with his unfortunately misleading briefing to the United Nations Security Council. Here Powell’s credibility was destroyed by the misleading and false Iraq weapons of mass destruction claims. Collin Powell’s waning influence in the administration made for the bitter breakup after the President’s first term in office. There relationship or lack there of, became a glaring example of how damaging a poor President-Secretary of State relationship can be to an administration.

While many point out that President Bush and President Obama could not be more different this in no way limits the doomsday scenarios that have Hillary and Obama tearing away in a bitter split. Hillary would influence the Democratic Party more with resignation than Collin Powell had with his, which means the stakes are even higher in this case. Bill Clinton will continue to be a thorn in the Hillary’s side and his outspoken opinions will inevitably fall on Hillary and her ties to the White House. Leaks will continue as the disagreements between Barack and Hillary spill over into the public eye and once again the party will be split along a bitter divide. People will take sides and the audacity of hope will be replaced with the audacity of this pick.

The Final Word

While the Lincoln-Seward match was wildly successful and is the most similar example to the Obama-Clinton experiment one can not say definitively that it will not sour as much as Bush-Powell, but it looks very unlikely. Each side has their reasons and motivations for making this relationship work.

Hillary Clinton, if she so chooses can improve her chances in the 2016 presidential election by being a loyal and insightful Secretary of State for six years or so before stepping aside to pursue the presidency. Also any flair ups within the cabinet will damage Hillary Clinton’s reputation more than that of Barack Obama’s so Hillary would be encouraged for her own sake to keep differences private and show a united front with the President.

Barack Obama will gain the intellect of Hillary Clinton and her valuable insight on issues. This move also goes a step further in improving foreign relations around the world and instilling credibility in the position of Secretary of State once again. Barack Obama will also benefit from having the major players of the Democratic Party in his fold and have the likes of Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton and Bill Richardson working directly under him, while any split would diminish his influence over the party. For these reasons the Barack-Hillary relationship should work well.

United World AIDS Day

2008-12-01T16:16:00.004-05:00

Post Written by Ben

Today I dedicate this post to the United World AIDS day.

In a world that has become more and more chaotic there are still issues that connect us together.
The AIDS epidemic is a tragic disease that has been taking the lives of the future of this world and we must all do our part.

The simple things like dedicating a blog to the cause, donating money, and even traveling to countries where the epidemic is causing the most damage are admirable and ensures that we can each do our part. During this holiday season we have already been thankful but there is still more that we can do. Click on the title of this post and find out what you can do for the cause.

Peace.

Sunday Predictions

2008-11-30T20:44:00.006-05:00

Post Written by Ben

Well today is Sunday and its time for predictions.....

Word has been swirling that MSNBC host Chris Matthews is currently building a team to challenge Arlen Spector for his Senate seat in Pennsylvania in the 2010 election. Matthews has denied any implications that he is considering running for the Senate seat and has also denied reports that he is staffing up his campaign. Matthews' current contract with MSNBC will end in June of 2009 giving him enough time to become a candidate and run for office against the long serving senator.
With the country in the last election deciding that change was most important to them Matthews could be trying to capitalize on the current political atmosphere and attempt to steal the Senate seat from Spector.
Even though Matthews is currently saying he is not going to run, Spector was on CNN's Late Edition with Wolff Blitzer to answer questions about the Matthews rumor. Spector said that he isn't worried about the rumors because he doesn't "look over his shoulder every second" when word of possible candidates begin to hit the media. However I predict that if the story does continue into its second with more information being leaked to the media about this possible campaign run, then I predict that it is true. Chris Matthews will run for the Senate seat in Pennsylvania against Spector. It would be sensible to understand why Matthews would think of running with the success of Al Franken is his run for Senate against a long standing Republican. Although the recounts are still being counted it seems as if Franken may have a chance to claiming victory. With Franken best known for being a comedian, Matthews should in theory be a more formidable candidate because of his notoriety as a political pundit. He will however face those 30 second clips from his show when he sometimes goes off on tangents being used in political attack ads against him.

It will be interesting to see what will transpire in this heated campaign fight that actually hasn't started, but I predict soon will.

India's Horror

2008-11-29T16:11:00.007-05:00

Written by Dave

The last of the terrorists were killed today, November 29^th, by Indian commandos after the terrorists had stormed hotels and other buildings in the commercial capital of India, the city of Mumbai. At least 195 people have been killed and some 300 injured. The Taj Mahal hotel in Mumbai had been gutted by gunfire and grenade explosions from the siege that began at 9:30pm on Wednesday in the hotel’s restaurant the Leopold Café. It was not long before gunfire broke out at a near by train terminal. The terrorists also then killed the head of state’s anti-terrorism squad, Hemant Karkare, commandeered a police car, and did a drive by at cameramen and bystanders in front of the Metro Cinema. Another group of terrorists raided a Jewish cultural center. The Taj Mahal was not the only hotel invaded that night, the Oberoi-Trident hotel was also subjected to attack.

India immediately suspected that Pakistan had a hand in the attacks or that at least the terrorists had come from that region. While details remain unclear, the interrogation of one of the gunmen should give some answers. It is important that the Indian government not assume any conclusions from these events and should proceed cautiously after these terrible events. The attacks are believed to have been carried out by the Lashkar-e Taiba organization and arrived to the coastal city via the sea. The Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra R R Patil reported that the terrorists could have killed 5,000 people with the amount of ammunition and explosives they carried. Indian commandos were able to rescue 250 people in the Oberoi-Trident hotel, 300 in the Taj Mahal hotel and 60 people in the Jewish cultural center through intense gun battles.

Many questions remain but one thing is clear, these terrorist attacks were unlike any others in recent memory. There were no suicide bombers, there were no booby-trapped roadside explosion devices, it was a small well-armed army with the aim of killing as many civilians as possible before they themselves were killed. While initial reports said that Westerners were targeted it soon became apparent that they were killing without prejudice as the vast majority of causalities have been Indian citizens. If the terrorists had really wanted to attack Westerners they would have targeted the local Hilton or Marriott and not the Indian-owned and Indian frequented Taj Mahal and the Oberoi-Trident. A French terrorism specialist Roland Jacquard described the situation,

"Despite a few common elements with al-Qaeda-inspired attacks, this one didn't come out of the usual international jihad playbook. The state and its security forces aren't being attacked as you'd see in Algeria, Saudi Arabia or Pakistan. And the open-ended and complex nature of the Mumbai operation is strikingly different from the sudden suicide missions we see in Iraq or Afghanistan."

The city of Mumbai by definition is a ‘soft target’ because it is open to the public and simply anyone can accomplish a gun attack in a city, there are no metal detectors at every corner, there are no security checkpoints, it is a city like many here in America. When explosions are heard, people do not run away, some run to it to help the injured and that was what the terrorists relied on when they attempted their drive-by attacks against the bystanders that wished to only help. The Indian people must remain strong and everyone in American knows all too well that the only way that terrorists win is by instilling terror in the populous and the Indian populous must remain strong and patient as this crisis continues to unfold.

From Rival to Partner

2008-11-28T21:04:00.001-05:00

It is all but official that New York Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton will become the next Secretary of State under the incoming Obama-Biden Administration. Clinton, who is seen by many as the leading rival of Obama within the Democratic Party, now is taking a huge step over political stubbornness and is accepting a position. Although highly coveted, this position will take her away from the political stage which she has grown to love. Many have argued that the Democratic Party is currently split in two. One group being the strong supporters of Obama who are among all age groups within the party, but with a large majority being those under the age of 45. While group two are strong supporters of Clinton. The demographic makeup for Clinton supporters are those more mature in age and more women tend to support Clinton. Supporters of both Obama and Clinton have been mixed in their reviews of this next phase in the Clinton/Obama saga. It seems that the majority of not only Democrats, but Americans as a whole, view Clinton's rise to the head of the State Department as a good choice.

However, there are some who are very skeptical of this rumored pick. There are some Obama supporters who were very angered by the campaign run by Clinton during the primary season and did not wish to see her attaining a top level position in the Obama Administration. While they understand the reasoning that Obama is picking a "Team of Rivals," they feel with Clinton at the helm of the State Department she will slowly but surely begin to create her own foreign policies and will push back against the orders from the Oval Office as much as she will follow those orders. With Clinton being married to former President Bill Clinton, his foundation donor lists being in question during the primary season, there are some who would question Hillary's motivation while working with those international officials who have been major financial backers of her husband. Then you have those supporters of Clinton who are excited to see their preferred presidential candidate rising to a high level position and they wonder if this choice was all but political. With Clinton being the top rival of Obama's supporters, many have been quietly murmuring that this choice removes her from the political scene, and that all Obama is doing with the creation of his "Team of Rivals" is to ensure that he is the only leader within his party. They feel this move is to ensure that Clinton remains a strong supporter of Obama's and is unable to create any new whirlwind that she may decide to run again during the 2012 election (this is of course contingent on the fact that Clinton remains Secretary of State for Obama's entire first term).

One must also consider what will be the role of a Vice President Biden, who was during the general election, a strength for Obama in terms of foreign policy. Now with Clinton at the head of the State Department, what will this mean to Biden who has vowed to be an integral part of the foreign policy strategies as the issues may arise. This however seems to be far from reality with Clinton in control of the State Department. One thing is clear about Clinton, and that is simple, she is a leader and if she is taking the post at the State Dept. it will have been made clear that she will run the department without much input from Biden unless the orders come from the Oval Office.

Who really knows what this decision will actually mean to President-Elect Obama or Senator Clinton. It is certain that from the outset this seems to be a positive joint venture and will bring the celebrity cabinet that Obama desires.

Thankful For

2008-11-27T20:54:00.003-05:00

Written Dave

This Thanksgiving we should give thanks to those that are fighting for us overseas. We gather around the dinner table with our families this evening, a privilege that many American troops will not have the joy of sharing. Their families will have an empty seat and pray that their loved one is doing well, as they do every night, but the holidays are where their absence is most obvious. The sacrifice made not only by the soldier but by their families as well. We should all be thankful for their bravery and the struggles they persevere through in the dead of night and through the scorching desert days.

Currently the United States has some 279,825 service personnel stationed internationally. Since the beginning of combat operations in Iraq, there have been 4,207 American military causalities in Iraq. This marks the numbers of families that will forever miss that spouse, child and family member around the dinner table. The struggles continue for the 30,832 wounded, many struggling to walk, many struggling to breathe at this very moment as you sit here and read this. We should be all thankful for their bravery and their dedication to America.

Many including myself do not believe that we should be in Iraq. We were deceived as a people about circumstances that we did not fully understand and the nation continues to heal from the deception and lies of the Bush Administration. Many once again including myself were concerned that we had enter the Vietnam of our generation but the resolve of our troops was underestimated. They fought against long odds and as of today, they are not repeating the history of Vietnam, having succeeded on many fronts in the war against insurgents, and pushing for regional stability everyday.

We should be thankful for all they and their families have sacrificed over these years and give thanks to the United States of America.

NBC close to picking new anchor

2008-11-26T19:31:00.005-05:00

Post Written by Ben

The Los Angeles Times is reporting that NBC executives are close to deciding an anchor or an anchor team to take over the helm of the leading Sunday Political Talk Show Meet the Press. The show's anchor chair was left empty when the long standing and highly respected Tim Russert suddenly died from a heart attack in his Washington Bureau office. Since his sudden death Tom Brokaw stepped in as interim anchor during the Presidential election while the NBC Execs quietly vetted many to decide who would take on the daunting show that Russert left.

The NBC execs have done a stellar job at ensuring no premature leaks were made in who was being vetted or who was on the shortlist.
That is until now.

The LA Times is reporting that there are four people who are currently being considered for the post.
From left to right, David Gregory, Gwen Ifill, Andrea Mitchell and Chuck Todd.

All but Ifill are already apart of the NBC political family with Gregory hosting his own show on MSNBC, Mitchell being the Chief Foreign Relations correspondent and Todd being NBC's Political Director. Ifill is the host of the PBS political show "Washington Week".

Each rumored candidate would bring something distinct to the anchor chair. Ifill has been a long time close friend of Russert and was regularly asked on the show as a panelists. In a groundbreaking year in regards to the President-Elect. If Gwen Ifill does become the new anchor she would become the first African-American to anchor the desk.

Russert was the mentor of Mitchell and was integral in her rise at NBC. Mitchell is out of the four who are strongly rumored to be in contention for the seat would be the most similar to Russert because of their strong working relationship and the influence Russert had on Mitchell.

Todd and Gregory are the two new faces of the NBC team, both are in their 30s and with Meet the Press being a staple show for NBC either one would bring an expected longevity to the anchor chair following the 17 years of the Russert reign. Both men would bring fresh ideas and a much different take to the show. The Times reports that both men are on the outside because of their youth, with both still being in their 30s. However it would seem fit that either would be asked to anchor the show because they would be able to bring their influence into the show and be able to build a successful reign of their own.

In the Times article it is speculated that December 7 will be the possible announcement date.
Insiders told the reporters that the execs at NBC have been playing around with the idea of having a panel host the show instead of a single anchor.

In whatever decision that the NBC executives choose one hopes that they take the show into a new direction. It is incomprehensible that someone or a team of panelists will be able to attempt to recreate the magic that Russert brought to the program. It would be in better taste to take the show into a new generation to ensure the show continues to gain viewership and retains the high accolades that it has garnered throughout its tv history span.

Fallout seems apparent with the replacement pick for Biden

2008-11-26T01:22:00.001-05:00

Post Written by Ben

With Vice President-Elect Joseph Biden set to resign his seat in the United State Senate representing Delaware, the Governor Ruth Ann Minner (D) is required to name a replacement to fill the seat until 2010 when the seat is up for election again. There has been speculation since Obama named Biden as his VP nominee that Biden's son Beau Biden (who is currently the Attorney General of Delaware) is set to run to replace his father. However, Beau Biden is currently serving in Iraq as he is apart of the Delaware National Guard and because of such is not able to be named the replacement. Beau Biden has not entertained questions asking him if he would be interested in running in 2010 to fill the seat but it is widely speculated in Deleware that he will.

Vice President-Elect Biden did answer this question to reporters once saying, "It is no secret that I believe my son, Attorney General Beau Biden, would make a great United States senator — just as I believe he has been a great attorney general. But Beau has made it clear from the moment he entered public life, that any office he sought, he would earn on his own," Biden said in a statement.

"If he chooses to run for the Senate in the future, he will have to run and win on his own. He wouldn’t have it any other way."

Many in Delaware wanted to see Gov. Minner name the Lt. Governor John Carney as the replacement for Joseph Biden to finish out the rest of the two years left before election. Carney recently lost an attempt to replace Minner who is the current term limited Governor, and so many supporters within the Delaware Democratic Party wanted to see Carney named to fill the seat. So it came as a bit of a shock that Ted Kaufman was named by Minner to replace Biden in the Senate. Kaufman has been a longtime ally of Biden's, having at one point served as Biden's Chief of Staff. Kaufman has already said that he will not make an attempt to run an election of his own in 2010 to be elected in the seat.

Many top Democratic members were stunned by the decision by Minner, and many were not even told of the appointment until after it had already been released. "Delaware Democratic Party Chairman John Daniello was informed neither about the press conference today, nor the appointment of Mr. Kaufman. Therefore, he suggests that all media direct their requests to Governor Minner, Vice President-elect Biden and Mr. Kaufman until he gets an opportunity to speak to the parties involved," Delaware Democratic Party Communications Director Renee Bensley said in a statement, which did not congratulate Kaufman.

Many Democrats quickly went from stun to quiet outrage at the appointment. Many are viewing the appointment as an attempt to ensure that Beau Biden upon his return from Iraq will be the "heir apparent" to take over his father's seat. While if Carney were appointed many believe he would have run in 2010 and would have major backing for his election, and would be the main rival of Beau Biden. With Carney not being appointed, he will have to spend the next two years fighting an uphill battle that Beau Biden (an Iraqi War Veteran) is not ready to be a Senator. This is something spectators do not foresee Carney doing once his term as Lt. Governor ends.

While no one argues that Beau Biden is not qualified to become a United States Senator many within the state party do not like what appears to be a political pick set to create the empty spot that will give Beau Biden the "front runner" and "presumptive nominee" titles for the Democrats in 2010.

The Obama Cabinet

2008-11-25T12:37:00.025-05:00

Written by Dave

Cabinet Positions

There are currently 15 Cabinet positions in the executive branch that answer directly to the President. Listed below are the 15 positions with a brief description of their purpose as well as the expected and current position holder.

Secretary of State

Currently: Condoleezza Rice

Expected: Hillary Clinton

Senator Clinton is expected to accept the post and resign from the Senate. The announcement of this post is expected shortly after Thanksgiving.

Secretary of the Treasury

Currently: Henry Paulson

Announced: Timothy Geithner

Timothy Geithner is officially President-Elect Obama’s Secretary of Treasury. The short-term goal for Geithner will be dealing out the $700 billion TARP (Troubled Assets Relief Program) funds.

Secretary of Defense

Currently: Robert Gates

Expected: Robert Gates

Defense Secretary Robert Gates is expected to retain his post under the Obama Administration. This will assist President-Elect Obama in coordinating troop withdrawal efforts with General David Petraeus.

Attorney General

Currently: Michael Mukasey

Expected: Eric Holder

The confirmation hearing of Eric Holder will be the most difficult of all the Cabinet positions as it is expected that Republican Senate members will ask tough questions regarding President Bill Clinton’s pardon of Marc Rich. Eric Holder was then serving as deputy attorney general under President Clinton.

Secretary of the Interior

Currently: Dirk Kempthorne

Expected: Raul Grijalva

Raul Grijalva has been a Democratic member of the House of Representatives for five years and views current immigration laws as harsh and insensitive.

Secretary of Agriculture

Currently: Edward Schafer

Expected: Tom Buis

Tom Buis is currently the president of the National Farmers Union. Before his time with the NFU, Buis was the senior agriculture policy advisor to Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle for five years.

Secretary of Commerce

Currently: Carlos Gutierrez

Expected: Bill Richardson

Bill Richardson served as former U.N. ambassador and energy secretary under former President Clinton. This made it all the more surprising when Richardson endorsed Barack Obama over Hillary Clinton. It was also reported that Bill Richardson wanted the Secretary of State post but it was apparently filled by Hillary Clinton.

Secretary of Labor

Currently: Elaine Chao

Expected: Dick Gephardt

Dick Gephardt a representation for the state of Missouri is expected to be named as the Secretary of Labor. Gephardt served 28 years in Congress and retired in 2005. He is currently a lobbyist for DLA Piper. These lobbyist ties may however, steer the nomination away from Gephardt.

Secretary of Health and Human Services

Currently: Michael Leavitt

Expected: Tom Daschle

The former Senate Majority Leader is expected to be announced as the Secretary of Health and Human Services in the Obama administration. He had also served eight years in the House of Representatives and contributed advice to Barack Obama when he was a young Senator.

Secretary of Housing and Urban Development

Currently: Steve Preston

Expected: Manny Diaz

Manny Diaz is currently the major of the city of Miami, Florida. He was recently honored as a top leader in 2008 by the US News Media Group for offering optimism and hope through his work

Secretary of Transportation

Currently: Mary Peters

Expected: Jane Garvey

Jane Garvey served as FAA administrator from 1997 to 2002 and had recently accepted a position on President-Elect Obama’s transition team.

Secretary of Energy

Currently: Samuel Bodman

Candidates: Dan Reicher

Dan Reicher is currently the climate director for the philanthropic arm of Google and would be a unique pick if he is in fact chosen, who advocates a more modern electrical grid that would have substantially more transmission capacity for alternative energy sources.

Secretary of Education

Currently: Margaret Spellings

Expected: Roy Barnes

Roy Barnes is the former governor of the state of Georgia and is known for focusing on accountability and raising academic standards.

Secretary of Veterans Affairs

Currently: James Peake

Expected: Tammy Duckworth

Tammy Duckworth is currently the Illinois veterans affairs director. While serving as the director she expanded programs to offer low-interest home loans for veterans, free checkups for traumatic brain injuries and a 24-hour hotline to assist veterans that suffer from post-traumatic stress.

Secretary of Homeland Security

Currently: Michael Chertoff

Expected: Janet Napolitano

Democratic Arizona Governor is expected to be chosen as the Secretary of Homeland Security. Governor Napolitano. She is considered a strong choice for the position because of her law experience, serving as U.S. Attorney, State Attorney General and Governor of a border state that deals extensively with illegal immigration.

CItigroup Rescued and more to come?

2008-11-24T11:21:00.005-05:00

Post Written by Ben

After the government stepped in over the weekend to rescue financial institution Citigroup. President Bush spoke to the media about the decision saying that "the first step to economic recovery is to stabilize the financial system." He also said the government if the situation occurs again the government would step in to help other financial institutions as they did over the weekend with Citigroup. Last week Citigroups shares on the marketplace fell 50%.
The Treasury, the Federal Reserve and the FDIC said the federal government would guarantee roughly $300 billion in losses at Citigroup on its troubled assets and inject $20 billion more into the bank. That new capital injection was on top of the $25 billion given to Citigroup weeks ago as part of the $700 billion bailout passed by Congress in October.
President Bush did make it clear that this decision was discussed with the President-Elect and that Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson "is working closely with the president-elect's transition team. It's important for the American people to know that there is close cooperation."
Upon the news of this rescue of Citigroup the Stock Market seemed to breath a slight sigh of relief with stocks making a gain at the time of this post.

Sunday Predictions: Sarah Palin Anonymous

2008-11-23T16:06:00.001-05:00

Post Written by Ben

The media have fallen in love with Sarah Palin. Yes, the same media that fixated on every mistake and Freudian slip she made during the campaign. Palin (the former Republican Vice Presidential Candidate) is currently sifting through over 800 requests for appearances from December of 2008 on into the new year with around 75% of those requests coming from outside the state of Alaska. She has been entertaining calls from producers for Oprah, Letterman, Leno and The Daily Show, and has had personal calls from Barbara Walter and George Stephanopolous.

With all the news fodder surrounding her and the latest stunt that was undoubtedly not planned by Palin when she was interviewed while standing just feet away from turkeys being beheaded. Palin has withstood the fate of many unsuccessful political candidates and has yet to fade into obscurity back to Alaska where she was picked from obscurity and put on the national stage by Senator John McCain.

With many agreeing that Palin is gearing up for a Presidential run in 2012 of her own it is no wonder that every single media outlet from NBC's Meet the Press to TMZ is falling hand over foot to get a sit down exclusive with the Alaskan Governor. I predict one of two things to take place over the next couple of weeks which will ultimately decided the fate of Gov. Palin. She will toe the line more and more with the media in their obsession of her. If Gov Palin does give in to this instant international celebrity she will become overexposed and will in turn begin to turn herself more into a media hound than a possible contender for the White House in 2012.

My other prediction is that Gov. Palin will do more interviews but they will be few and far between. She will remain in Alaska and focus on the state which she has been elected to serve. She will ensure that she takes care of the state and hope that all the positive things she is doing will be enough to rid her of the image she attained during the Presidential campaign. If she sticks with this plan I predict Palin will be a front runner for the Republican candidacy.

Who knows which path that Palin will take, one is sure that she will choose the latter if she is serious about a run in 2012. I predict the less and less you see of the Alaskan Governor that this image of her as an unintelligent politician will begin to decrease.

3 Reasons for Caution, Chevy Volt

2008-11-20T16:22:00.010-05:00

Written by Dave

General Motors, in there recent talks with Congress about a possible $25 billion low-interest loan has said that they are moving in the right direction towards clearer and more fuel-efficient vehicles and if it were not for the economic crisis the companies would be struggling, but getting by until union obligations are fully lifted. A key element of this argument lies in the development of the Chevy Volt as the Chevy website describes,

“Chevy Volt is designed to move more than 75 percent of America's daily commuters without a single drop of gas.(2) That means for someone who drives less than 40 miles a day, Chevy Volt will use zero gasoline and produce zero emissions.(1)

Unlike traditional electric cars, Chevy Volt has a revolutionary propulsion system that takes you beyond the power of the battery. It will use a lithium-ion battery with a gasoline-powered, range-extending engine that drives a generator to provide electric power when you drive beyond the 40-mile battery range.

Chevy Volt. Fully charged 2010.”

As described the Chevy Volt is a great step in development for a company that in the past has rarely missed an opportunity to miss an opportunity, but while the development of the vehicle is a step in the right direction, as opposed to developing a new line of monster-truck like Hummers with the motto “I like to waste gas and run over children”. The reviews of the vehicle concept have been overwhelmingly positive from media outlets as they trumpet it as a new direction in development and success for the automaker. There are, however, several engineering aspects of the design and implementation that still do not quite add up.

1. Batteries, Batteries, Batteries

As mentioned in the above excerpt the Chevy Volt will be powered by a lithium-ion battery. Currently the Chevy Volt has not chosen a battery for its design, mainly because one that achieves a 40-mile base range has not been developed commercially by any battery producing company in the world.

The great challenge of the 40-mile requirement is to create a lithium-ion battery that is reliable, durable, affordable and most importantly, safe. Lithium-ion batteries have experienced great difficulties scaling down technology to fit conveniently into a vehicle. Past designs have been prohibitively large and heavy with production costs incredibly high.

Lithium-ion batteries are critical because of their relatively high power density, offering a 10% to 15% higher power density than nickel metal-hydride batteries with approximately a 20% higher energy density. Simply put, lithium is to plug-ins as gasoline is to conventional vehicles and a commodity shortage is the equating factor, replacing Saudi Arabia with Bolivia for our energy dependence.

2. Costs

The cost of a Chevy Volt has been estimated at $40,000 and that is including the $7,500 tax incentive on each vehicle that was recently approved in the latest Energy Bill from Congress. This cost will make the vehicle more of a fuel efficient luxury than a viable low-cost sedan. While many will argue that the environmentally conscious will make the sacrifice but consider this, the 2009 Prius is starting at just $22,000 and is a known reliable and carefully developed product. Any Chevy Volt mileage per gallon advantage over a 2010 Prius will be irrelevant if it costs $18,000 more for a similar sized sedan.

Also with Chevy selling each Volt for $40,000, the company is not expected to make a profit on them and best case scenarios of the vehicles production having it finally making a profit after several years in production. This will only further drain capital for a money starved company.

In addition to the initial costs of the Chevy Volt it is very unreasonable that a lithium-ion battery of that size and output will last longer than five to seven years even under ideal circumstances. Once the lithium-ion battery fails in this vehicle it will be extremely expensive to replace, estimates place this cost of repair at $5,000 to $10,000, which you will need to spend every five to seven years of operation.

3. Practical Implementation

The practical implementation of the Chevy Volt is extremely difficult. First, the plug-in hybrid’s performance depends largely on the behavior of the driver. During testing of vehicle prototypes a driver was capable of getting 99.9 mpg, while a cautious driver will get 80 mpg, aggressive drivers will get 60 mpg, then hybrid neglect (not charging vehicle) will get less than 40 mpg.

The most drastic change in performance is in battery range:

The expected 40 mile electric range is reduced to 15 miles by turning on the air conditioner.

Secondly, the Chevy Volt is also geared towards the gas-free commute of less than 40 miles, assuming of course that you do not use your air conditioner, but an oversight of this gas-free trip is that gasoline goes bad after a period of time. This means you will have to purge your gas-tank frequently if you do not use the gas in your tank, which is a difficult and time consuming process.

Thirdly, when was the last time you parked along a road or in a parking lot and saw plug outlets at every spot? If you live in an apartment or in a city you might never have the opportunity to charge your vehicle.

Lastly, with every new concept comes a great amount of research and development. General Motors has been gearing towards the opposite, compressing the development process to meet deadlines rather than tackle practical performance and reliability issues that plague every first generation technology. One executive at GM was quoted as saying “They’re making a huge mistake” and with so much riding on the Volt they can not afford to.

No. 2 of Al Qaeda uses racial remark

2008-11-19T18:28:00.009-05:00

Post Written by Ben

A new video has surfaced that is alleged to be from the Number 2 man in the hierarchy of Al Qaeda Ayman al-Zawahiri. In the messages he says that Obama will have "a heavy legacy of failure and crime" awaiting him. He spoke negatively about the President-Elect's policies on Afghanistan and his worldview. Al-Zawahiri said that Obama was "the exact opposite of honorable African-American leaders like Malcolm X."
In the message there were pictures and clips from speeches given by Malcolm X but there was no video image of Al-Zawahiri just a voice that is said to be his but has yet been confirmed.

To add insult to injury Al-Zawahiri grouped Obama with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and former Secretary of State Colin Powell when he likened them to "house negroes". And went on to say "You were born to a Muslim father, but you chose to stand in the ranks of the enemies of the Muslims, and pray the prayer of the Jews, although you claim to be Christian, in order to climb the rungs of leadership in America. And so you promised to back Israel, and you threatened to strike the tribal regions in Pakistan, and to send thousands more troops to Afghanistan, in order for the crimes of the American crusade in it to continue," the message said.

Many analysts have said that although this is not out of character for the Al Qaeda leader it shows the terrorist group's frustration.

Experts on the organization have said that Obama was not who they would like to see taking over the White House. With Obama becoming the next president many in the Arab world are in favor of him, and with a middle name like Hussein it makes the sell of Al Qaeda that Obama will be just like Bush very tough.

Because of this experts say they will try anything to get the Arab world not to trust this new American leader because it will conflict with their recruiting efforts.

This may be the first in many attempts to get the President-Elect to give the terrorist group some evidence that he will react and behave as his predecessor. With Obama skillfully picking his cabinet members it seems that the terrorist group might be dealt a steady blow by the President with Hussein in his name.

Slap on the wrist, Lieberman retains committee chair

2008-11-18T20:37:00.006-05:00

Written by Dave

Senator Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) will keep his Homeland Security and Government Affairs Chairman post after Democrats voted by secret ballot, 42-13 to retain his position as committee head. Senator Lieberman’s support of John McCain and pointed criticisms of Barack Obama left many liberals angry with the Independent senator for his apparent betrayal of the Democratic Party. Other Congressional Democrats were also critical of Senator Lieberman’s monetary donations to Republican Sens. Norm Coleman of Minnesota, Gordon Smith of Oregon and Susan Collins of Maine.

The secret ballot, organized with the aim to have Senator Lieberman retain his position as committee head was led by Senator Dodd (D-Conn.), Thomas Carper (D-Del.) and Ken Salazar (D-Colo.). Senator Lieberman praised these men in a press conference today and praised President-Elect Obama for his support as he had urged fellow Democrats to not punish the senator and move on to more important matters such as the economy.

Senator Lieberman will retain his leadership of the Armed Services Committee Airland subcommittee but was replaced at his Environment and Public Works Committee. The relatively light sentence of sorts did not please all that were present. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) both spoke in opposition to Senator Lieberman keeping his Homeland Security position. Senator Lieberman spoke briefly before the Congressional Democrats to plead his case. While not apologizing for endorsing Senator McCain, Senator Lieberman did express some regret about some of the things that he may have said about Barack Obama. Senator Lieberman spoke after the decision,

"I know that my colleagues in the Senate Democratic caucus were moved not only that Sen. [Harry] Reid said about my longtime record, but by the appeal from President-elect Obama himself that the nation unite now to confront our very serious problems."

All in all, the publicity is good for President-Elect Obama because it appears that he is willing to forgive and forget when the nation has much more important things to be working on, such as the economy. Although it is also impractical that you are going to have every single committee chairman agree with the President or even support him and those that do disagree should certainly not be punished for it. While this is a positive sign as Congress attempts to move forward I also would view this as the only appropriate action.

It should also be noted that the Democrats still need Lieberman and his historically Democratic leaning position on issues. Also with President-Elect Obama’s recent meeting with Senator McCain, it appears that the next President is positioning himself for more support among both Independents and Republicans.

Can Hillary tame Bill?

2008-11-17T16:43:00.005-05:00

Post Written by Ben

As it was being reported last week that Senator Hillary Clinton was being strongly considered to become the new Secretary of State the questions began to rise at what exactly will this mean for former President Bill Clinton.
Clinton has spent the last eight years all over the world, making millions from speaking engagements and appearances. Bill Clinton has global relationships with many countries in the world and this could become an issue for a Secretary of State Clinton when dealing with countries that have been large donors of her husband.
Many will ask if her decision are in part based on her husband's wishes to keep certain global leaders donating money to his foundation. A foundation which during the primary season was heavily under speculation because the Clinton's refused to release the lists of donors arguing that some large sum donors wished to keep their identity private, and that it was under condition of anonymity that they donated money to Bill Clinton's foundation. Clinton however is also admired still overseas by many and so supporters of the Clinton's would argue that with Hillary Clinton as Sec. of State she would be at a great advantage because of her husband.
It is clear that Senator Clinton has all but officially been named the Secretary of State because according to Politico members of the transition team said that when Clinton met with Obama she was told that the position was hers if she wanted it. Supporting this rumor is the fact that Bill Clinton is now being pressured to release the lists of donors to the transition team.
It is alleged that Bill Clinton is pushing back and hard as he is being pushed for the lists and this could ultimately remove Secretary of State out of the hands of Senator Hillary Clinton.
But with politicians from both sides of the aisle praising the news of Senator Clinton being the possible pick to run the State Department a compromise between both camps must be made in order to make the appointment possible.

Sunday Predictions

2008-11-16T23:13:00.003-05:00

Written by Dave

5 Predictions that will headline this business week.

1. The newly approved pact between the United States and Iraq will come under fire from Iraqi parliament as many Iraqis, both Sunni and Shi’ite are strongly opposed to the measure. Many controversial elements include United States right to use Iraqi land, waters and skies to base and train troops and store military equipment. This will include 50 long-term bases in Iraq as well as supervision of the Iraqi Ministry of Interior and Defense.

2. Senator Clinton will become Obama’s Secretary of State. This pick has already received much approval from both Republicans and Democrats and would be an influential pick if both sides are able to mend their differences and move the country forward.

3. The bailout of General Motors, Ford and Chrysler will once again heat up in Washington as many individuals across America become uneasy about large mismanaged companies receiving bailouts while smaller companies that have been wise enough to diversify away from the automakers receive little help at all.

4. Oil prices will drop even lower as demand from China and India continues to fall, prompting further supply cuts be OPEC in the near future.

5. Criticisms will increase on the recently convened G-20 conference. Very little was accomplished among the global financial leaders as they look to the Obama administration to provide policy next April when the group will meet again.

Sunday Predictions: Obama, McCain....Again?

2008-11-16T18:31:00.007-05:00

Post Written by Ben

President Elect Obama and Senator John McCain will be meeting in Chicago at the Transition office for President Elect Obama. This story was the lead story along with the secret meeting between Obama and New York Senator Hillary Clinton last week. In the coming week this is the story I predict will fill the news wave for the better part of the week. With Obama making it very clear that he is going to create not only a cabinet full of political stars he is also going to have a cabinet that will be a "team of rivals" there are some who speculate and/or hope that this meeting between the former Presidential opponents may be a foreshadowing of McCain being apart of the Obama administration.
This however I predict to be more wishful thinking than any concrete theory. This election was by far a very ugly and mean spirited campaign, and after many things that were said by both campaigns it would be a far fetch to see McCain accept any top level cabinet post. There are is not a plethora of topics where the two men agree upon so a possible appointment to head the State Department, or Department of Defense etc., would not be a feasible possibility.
That said, with apparent "forgiveness" of Lieberman and Clinton by Obama one could argue that McCain would only be a step in the right direction. During the election Obama was continuously questioned for his ability to "reach across the isle" and create bridges with Republicans to actually get policies passed and work done. Republicans have argued that Obama is too liberal for America and with Obama's promises of National Health Care, and the end of the Iraq War it seems very difficult for Obama to enter the White House and from the beginning fight the Republican Party for his way. With McCain apart of the Administration it would visibly illustrate that Obama is determined to have a diverse body of thinkers who can give him opposing views in order to make the best decisions. Lets not also forget McCain's viewpoints on Global Climate Change among many others that did not help him in the primary season in his attempt to gain the support of the base of his party.

The meeting this week will be a media frenzy with everyone having their take on the meeting and their attempts at getting the inside information at what was discussed in the meeting and if McCain is in contention for a cabinet post. I predict however that this meeting is nothing more than a "job well done" and a "I need you now in the Senate to help me get those important policies passed". The Obama McCain meeting is much different than the Clinton meeting because it was publicly announced days prior to the actual meeting while Clinton had her meeting in Chicago in secret. So to allege that this meeting could be a possible interview for some executive branch job I predict to be far from reality and I predict that there could be a possible press conference with Obama and McCain promising bipartisanship.

Senator Clinton, Secretary of State Clinton?

2008-11-14T13:00:00.001-05:00

Post Written by Ben

It was reported this week that Senator Hillary Clinton is strongly being considered to be appointed Secretary of State by President-Elect Obama for his first term in office. Senator Clinton flew to Chicago earlier this week and met with President-Elect Obama to discuss further the possibility of her joining his cabinet. The possibility of Clinton becoming Secretary of State was recently discussed on Hardball with Chris Matthews.

Senator Obama said in an interview once when asked that if he was elected President what would be a book that he would as an essential reference besides the Bible "Doris Kearns Goodwin's book ‘Team of Rivals,’” Obama replied. “It was a biography of Lincoln. And she talks about Lincoln's capacity to bring opponents of his and people who have run against him in his cabinet. And he was confident enough to be willing to have these dissenting voices and confident enough to listen to the American people and push them outside of their comfort zone. And I think that part of what I want to do as president is push Americans a little bit outside of their comfort zone. It's a remarkable study in leadership."

Because of Obama's view of a "Team of Rivals" many in the political scene are viewing his possible cabinet appointments as Obama making the Team of Rivals a reality in his administration.
Clinton supporters talked about the rumors of Clinton being considered for the State position on Larry King Live.

There are many within the Obama campaign and outside who do not wish to see Clinton as Secretary of State. Obama supporters think that Clinton will try to force her views in the Administration and may undermine Obama overseas because the Secretary of State represents America in the World. Many Clinton supporters feel that if Clinton receives a cabinet position within in new White House she would remove herself from the political landscape and would be tightly controlled in the Obama Administration. Some believe that this could be exactly what Obama would want to ensure that his main political rival does not make an attempt to run against him in 2012.

Whatever the opinion of Clinton it is clear that she may very well become the next Secretary of State. For a junior Senator from New York, Clinton is in no way going to have a top leadership role within the Senate, and may be looking at the State Department as a compromise. Both the Clinton and Obama camps have both been mute on the issues but anonymous staffers within the transition team have stated that the main reason Clinton was brought to Chicago was to discuss with Obama personally what her feelings would be if she would be offered the position. It was also reported that Clinton left the meeting WITHOUT an offering but an understanding that the cabinet seat would be hers if she wanted it. However as mentioned the Obama transition team has not gone on record about the rumor, and no one actually knows how Obama really feels about Clinton being offered the position. Along with Clinton, Senator John Kerry, Sen Chuck Hagel and New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson have all been named as possible picks for the powerful Foreign Policy seat. The transition team has stated that Obama would not be making any cabinet appointment announcements until well into December to ensure he exhausts all his options.

It could be that the Obama campaign is leaking the information to see what the feedback would be and to see how the public reacts to certain officials being rumored to be considered for a cabinet appointment. For many the questions about former President Bill Clinton still linger in terms of his involvement with Foreign Policy initiatives currently and what he will be allowed or not allowed to do with his wife as Secretary of State. It is clear that Clinton is looking to secure her place in history and is not ready to go back to the Senate and wait to see if she could have a chance at another run for the White House. Only time will tell in this case and it may turn out to be more of a smoke screen to keep the media off the real potential candidates or it could be simply what is being reported that Senator Hillary Clinton may become the next Secretary of State.

Why Bailing Out the Once Big Three Is Bad for Taxpayers

2008-11-13T16:52:00.006-05:00

Written by Dave

The Situation

The Once Big Three automakers, General Motors, Ford and Chrysler have hit incredibly hard times, with GM saying that they may not make to next year. Recently Congress approved a $25 billion loan to the automakers to help them in their transition to making more fuel efficient vehicles. Now the automakers are asking for an additional $25 billion in relief loans with no strings attached. The Democratic Congress and the exiting Bush administration disagree on what should be done. The Democrats, lead by Nancy Pelosi and more recently Barack Obama wish to approve the additional $25 billion and possibly use a portion of the Wall Street Bailout to go towards the auto industry.

General Motors has laid off over 5,600 employees in less than a week as its stock continues to drop, reaching $2.92 a share just this Tuesday. Stock prices of General Motors have not been that low since April of 1943. In addition to the cuts at GM, Ford announced just last week that it had lost over $3 billion in a three month span and is now planning addition cuts to salaried and hourly employees. Chrysler does not publically announce these numbers but are in a similar predicament.

Troubles before the Credit Crisis and Mortgage Meltdown

General Motors used to dominate the market share back in the 1960s with a 50% stake. Their market share now has dwindled to nearly 20% today. Production at GM, Ford and Chrysler has largely been hampered by the United Auto Workers union with unsustainable labor costs and obligations to retirees. In 2007 before the credit crisis and mortgage meltdown occurred, all three automakers were losing money for every car they produced. Ford lost $1,467, GM lost $729 and Chrysler lost $412 per vehicle. The UAW has won several concessions with the three automakers over the years that actually cause the company to lose money continuously while their doors are open. An example of these concessions: UAW workers and retirees never have to pay deductibles or co-pays on medical expenses which are unheard of anywhere in the United States and the UAW Job Bank that pays workers to actually not work. UAW even went as far as trying to protect the “right” of workers to smoke on the assembly line, which needless to say is absent from the Toyota, Honda and BMW facilities.

With its 20% market share in the United States it’s impossible for the mismanaged General Motors to sustain its eight domestic brands: Cadillac, Buick, Pontiac, Chevrolet, GMC, Saturn, Saab and Hummer.

Other automakers in the United States including Toyota and BMW do not have these labor costs with their non-unionized work force and these companies are able to produce vehicles at a profit. The salaries of employees at GM, Ford and Chrysler are comparable to those at Toyota and BMW but the once big three are restricted by limiting work agreements that make production difficult. Toyota and other car manufacturers now produce 4 million cars in nonunionized states in the South profitably, leaving the mismanaged once big three companies in their wake.

Why the Bailout Will Not Work

Simply put, GM, Chrysler and Ford have too many people making too many cars that absolutely no one wants.

The once big three have been poorly managed for decades, relying heavily on profitable SUVs and other excessively large vehicles that consumed exorbitant amounts of fuel. The competition was headed in the other direction, realizing long ago that fossil fuels were a finite resource and that smaller more fuel efficient vehicles were the future of the industry. While the fall of any of the three automakers would have adverse effects on the unemployment numbers, $25 billion will be burned through extremely quickly and the likelihood of bankruptcy would still remain relatively high.

Frank Langfitt of NPR asked the question even if the Detroit companies get federal loans, what would be the outlook for its workers? His response was anything but reassuring,

“Grim. The best-case scenario is more big layoffs. The Detroit auto business is getting hit from all sides. High gas prices destroyed a business strategy that relied on high-profit SUVs. Then the credit crunch and the recession wiped out consumer demand.

Last year, about 16 million vehicles were sold in the U.S. Next year, that number is expected to fall to 12 million. Simply put, there are too many workers making too many cars for too few customers.”

Estimations put an additional 30,000 autoworkers out of a job and an additional 10 plant closings. This will also drastically increase job loss among part suppliers and dealers alike. Good luck explaining equal and fair treatment to Toyota, Honda and BMW as they are in no need of a bailout and have run drastically more efficient companies.

A Solution

One solution would be to only commit taxpayer money if one of the automakers goes into bankruptcy, this idea also supported by business writer Steven Pearlstein would create a compromise of sorts between the automakers and Washington. This would give an opportunity for the bankruptcy courts to reduce the labor obligations of the automaker while financially supporting their efforts to downsize and scale back benefits. Operations would continue but upper level management would be eliminated and a revitalized automaker could once again compete.

Many will be quick to inform you that few people are going to buy vehicles from a bankrupt car company but look on the flipside, few are buying them anyways.

Sarah Palin to the Rescue!!

2008-11-12T17:48:00.000-05:00

Post Written by Ben

Days after Gov. Sarah Palin returned to Alaska she was in Miami, Florida for the American Governors Association. Palin was the media focal point of the conference because of the strong media interest in her role. Palin did many things at the conference that she failed to do during the campaign. She met with the media for sit down interviews and held a press conference.

Embedded video from <a href="http://www.cnn.com/video">CNN Video</a>

The conference was designed for the 12 Republican Governors to meet and strategically plan the future of the party. With the loss of the White House and more losses of seats in Congress the Republican Governors are all in the pursuit to become the future of the Republican Party. With Palin being the former Vice Presidential candidate she is (currently) the obvious choice for front runner to become the new leader of the Republican Party.

For many people they think Palin is something of a cartoon-like character who they have yet to take seriously. I however would like those to take note. While Gov. Palin did many things in the election but realistically did not help Sen. McCain in his bid for the White House she did rally the base of the Republican Party that did not have a strong view of McCain and was reluctant in accepting him as their Presidential nominee. Palin did not have the necessary knowledge to be Vice President (Foreign Policy, Economy, Iran, Iraq etc.) but now Palin has four years to meet with international diplomats, four years to ascertain a working in knowledge of Foreign Policy issues and others. Whatever your view of Palin is, we can all agree that even though this election is over Palin will not go back to Alaska and simply be the Governor. She will remain on the national scene and will remand a heavy contender for the Republican Presidential candidacy. For those who brush Palin off and do not take her seriously will do good not to assume that the Palin of 2008 will be the Palin of 2012.

Refocusing on Our Dual Front Lines

2008-11-11T16:45:00.003-05:00

Written by Dave

Veteran’s Day is today and honors our military veterans both past and present. Veteran’s Day is also celebrated around the world on this day as well, commonly referred to as Armistice Day because it marks the anniversary of the signing of the Armistice that ended World War I at the 11^th hour of the 11^th day of the 11^th month of 1918. This holiday also honors the veterans of our other major conflicts as well including both Iraq and Afghanistan veterans.

It must not be forgotten in these hard economic times that there are American men and women fighting abroad for us today. The news cycle has been taken over by both economics and the excitement surrounding the Obama candidacy. Recent research conducted by the Pew Research Center indicates that only approximately 2% of the news cycle is occupied with stories of Iraq. We here at the Youth Movement are guilty of this as well and it is a cause that requires more attention.

The situation in Iraq and Afghanistan is incredibly complex and the American people have grown tired of the conflict itself and the war has become terribly unpopular. This however should not lessen our appreciation nor quite our voice. Veterans of our wars face great challenges when deployed but may face their greatest challenges once they come home. Ironically, the people that risk their life to protect us are the very same people that our society neglects. According to the Department of Veteran Affairs, eighteen veterans commit suicide every day and 200,000 are left homeless. Post traumatic stress disorder has also historically been a problem among veterans and is now manifesting once again in the veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan. Research from the RAND Corporation indicates that nearly 20 percent of our veterans are showing signs of this illness. The research concluded that major changes are needed to support our veterans beyond the battlefield and that current measures offer inadequate care.

As a country we must take responsibility for this crisis and protect those who have so bravely protected us. Politics must be put aside and our support for them should be unwavering.

Sunday Predictions

2008-11-09T22:48:00.002-05:00

Written by Dave

5 Predictions that will headline this business week.

1. Meeting between President Elect Barack Obama and President George W. Bush will occur this week capturing headlines for its stark contrasts. President Elect Barack Obama has approval ratings as high as President Bush has disapproval ratings. President Bush now possesses the lowest approval ratings contained as historical record, even less popular than Richard Nixon as he was being ushered out of the White House.

2. Key members of Barack Obama’s cabinet will be announced and the role of Vice President Joe Biden will begin to crystallize.

3. The restructured agreement between the federal government and AIG will once again capture headlines as it is less clear as to how much money will actually be needed to keep them from collapse.

4. Oil prices will start to climb again as prices across the United States approach two dollars a gallon.

5. Veteran’s Day this week will have renewed importance as we honor those who have fought bravely in Iraq and Afghanistan and to those who have served us in combat in the past especially the very few remaining World War I veterans that are scattered across the country.

Sunday Predictions: Obama, Obama

2008-11-09T10:46:00.000-05:00

Post Written by Ben

The week that is to come I predict that most of the political news will be centered around two things. The face to face meeting with President Bush and President-Elect Obama. Many will be waiting to see what the discussions between the outgoing and incoming Presidents will be. I predict the conversation between the two will be kept to strictly superficial topics, I do not foresee them engaging in policy talks such as health care and social security. I also think that the further appointments for the new Obama Administration will be heavily covered. With the election over many news outlets will be focusing in on his picks for his White House Staff. Then you have his Cabinet positions, and I think the two seats to watch will be Secretary of State and Secretary of Treasury. I do not think these positions will be filled anytime soon. I do however think that some time in December the next Secretary of Treasury and Secretary of State will be named.

The coming weeks will be filled with anticipation as the next Administration begins to form, and the news media will be there to analyze every single decision made and what it means for the American people.

My Top Ten and Bottom Ten Presidential Election Moments

2008-11-08T23:18:00.005-05:00

Written by Dave

This is the second part of a two part series entitled My Top Ten and Bottom Ten Presidential Election Moments. Listed below are the ten moments/concepts that changed the election from least to most influential.

The Top Ten

10. The Third Presidential Debate

The third presidential debate marked the most riviting debate of three. Senator McCain showed flashes of his old self and went on the attack early and often against Senator Obama. Senator McCain brought up every issue he could against Senator Obama for ninety minutes but as the debate waged on it became clear, Senator Obama couldn’t be rattled. His calm and methodical approach paid off and he was eventually polled later as the winner of the debate.

9. The Great Communicator vs. The New Dealer

Senator McCain’s push for Reagan-era conservative populism ran into the FDR fiscal philosophy. While few believe that either Senator McCain and Senator Obama could live up to their party heros example, many believed that this election was a competition of traditional philosophies. In the end, the people found more hope in New Deal economics than in the supply-side economics and deregulation of Reagan.

8. Obama Infomercial

The Barack Obama infomercial was a show of overwhelming monetary force as it sucked out the air out of the news networks and took over a critical portion of the news cycle from Senator McCain. The infomercial was not only a strategic success for its placement but also seen by many as success for its content. The infomercial did not mention the GOP or Senator McCain once in the thirty minute special and concentrated primarily on the troubles facing average Americans. Barack Obama narrated the majority of the special while mixing in his message of change. The backdrop for his infomercial discussions took place in an office that resembled the oval office where he looked natural.

7. From Iowa to Ohio

Senator Obama became a viable candidate after taking Iowa in the Democratic primaries and he sealed his presidential bid with a win in Ohio of Senator McCain. History was made with Ohio turning blue. A Republican candidate has never won the presidency without carrying Ohio and Senator McCain faced the reality of defeat earlier than many had expected. With the non-competitive races in Washington, Oregon, California and Hawaii, Barack Obama would become our next president. Senator Obama also sealed the deal with successful defenses of both Pennsyvania and New Hampshire.

6. Democratic Campaign Strategy

Red States. The Democratic strategy for this election cycle was an aggressive push into historically Republican states. This caused Senator McCain to go on the defensive early and he remained there attempting to hold the states that President Bush was able to carry in his reelection campaign. This defensive strategy was forced upon Senator McCain because he was relatively under financed compared to the Obama machine. In the end, Virginia fell, North Carolina fell, Colorado fell, New Mexico fell, Indiana fell and Florida fell into the blue category as Barack Obama went onto a historic victory while not dropping any of the states Senator Kerry had taken in 2004.

5. Senator Hillary Clinton and Senator Barack Obama Primary

The last time a primary campaign was so enthralling was for the Republican ticket back in 1976 between Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan. The Clinton campaign machine was in full force and the newcomer Barack Obama was the underdog. It was believed at the time that the Clinton campaign could run a more organized and better financed campaign then Barack Obama but the momentum of the race began to shift on Barack Obama’s message of change and it became clear that the country did not want another Clinton in the White House. The primary was anything but a landslide and was not unblemished from controversy. The states of Michigan and Flordia were penalized by the party because they had moved their primaries up. The delegates from those states were initially denied their seats the results of the two elections never influenced the race. The back and forth affair started with the surprising victory for Barack Obama followed by the surprising victory for Hillary Clinton in New Hampshire. A battle tested Barack Obama emerged with the nomination and months of press coverage going into his campaign against John McCain.

4. Fundraising

While many will be quick to point out that Barack Obama may have backed out a public fundraising promise with John McCain, what Barack Obama was able to create from a grass roots orginazation was nothing short of amazing. Few would have been able to predict the colossol successes that Barack Obama had from donations averaging less than $100.

Senator McCain was limited to the $84 million dollars of public fanacing while Barack Obama became the first major presidential candidate to decline the sum, opting to raise his money strictly from donations. The idea paid off with the voluminous haul of $151 million in September alone. Barack Obama took to the Internet as Roosevelt took to the radio and campaign financing may never be the same.

3. Obama, the brand

Over the course of the campaign in became clear to both Senator Hillary Clinton and Senator John McCain that they were running against a brand rather than just an opponent. The Barack Obama brand centered around the message of hope and change and stuck to the message over the two year campaign. Disciple and consistency of message created a movement for change that symbolically held Barack Obama as its leader. Both attacked Barack Obama as an elitist but the brand had been created and the movement for change had begun. Support for Barack Obama become synonymous with change.

2. Senator McCain’s Concession Speech

Streaks of the old John McCain shown brightly through on Election Day night. While he would have rather been giving a come back from behind victory speech, he made the most of his concession and showed once again his dedication to his country. He acknowledged the change that had just taken place and that he was not blind its historic significance. He showed great compassion for his country and took the necessary steps in attempting close the divides that the campaigns had created between the supports of both campaigns.

1. Hope

Possibly the greatest effect of the election is the hope average Americans now have. The country sent a clear message that they wanted a change and Barack Obama was determined to be the most appropriate candidate to fit the bill and with this change comes a renewed sense of hope. A hope in both the country and a hope for renewed and improved relations with other countries. While I hesitate to make the comparison this early in his term, the buzz and revolution of thinking has not been seen on this scale since JFK took office. Hopes of intellectual discussion of issues have replaced the closed decision making of President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney.

When the campaign ends the finger pointing begins...

2008-11-07T15:52:00.007-05:00

Post Written by Ben

It has only been three days since election night and in time honored tradition the losing campaign has begun to point fingers, and rumors and allegations are abound. However, most of the finger pointing is coming from top McCain advisers who have been speaking to members of the press in anonymity and they are putting much of the blame for the chaotic campaign squarely on the shoulders of Gov. Sarah Palin.
The advisers have alleged that the trouble began when the amount of money spent on her clothing, and the Katie Couric interview hit the press. Then all of that was topped off by Gov. Palin taking a prank phone call interview with a Canadian radio host pretending to be French President Nicholas Sarkozy, and then made a remark that maybe in eight years she may be President.
At that time many advisers have alleged that Senator McCain and his top advisers became outraged and felt that she had all but publicly abandoned any hopes of winning the 2008 election and had started to position herself to become the 2012 candidate. Rumors spread that McCain officials were infighting because Palin would often go off subject in her rallies and began to seem uninterested in receiving advice and refused the advise she was given. Many aids have said they were astonished that during debate preparation they realized that Palin did not know that Africa was a continent and not a country.

Much has been revealed to the press in this last week much of which many political news organizations have deemed unfounded and false. Although these anonymous top advisers keep telling the press more and more. One aids even went so far as to call Gov. Palin and her husband "Wasilla Hillbillies". CNN's Campbell Brown recently spoke about the attacks being made against Palin.

It has been reported that Gov. Palin showed up at the hall where Sen. John McCain would give his concession speech with a speech of her own prepared. McCain's Senior Advisor informed her that she would not be allowed to give a speech before McCain would give his. It is important to note that no Vice Presidential candidate has ever spoken on Election night, be it for a win or lose. However true or false the claims are that are being said by these anonymous advisers I could not agree with Campbell Brown more. If the claims being made are true, in my opinion it says more about the McCain campaign then it does about Palin. If Palin was such of a diva, and made all these incredible mistakes then how was she completely vetted as a candidate. If Palin did not even know that Africa was a continent and not a country then how could these same advisers then turn around and tell the American people that she was ready to be the Vice President of the United States?

I think it is unfortunate that the campaign advisers have resulted to infighting making claims using anonymity as a shield for themselves while throwing Palin under the bus. I will admit that I was not a Palin supporter but It offends me that a group of people would knowingly try to sell a candidate who was not ready for the White House to the American people.

My Top Ten and Bottom Ten Presidential Election Moments

2008-11-06T12:28:00.016-05:00

Written by Dave

This is the first part of a two part series entitled My Top Ten and Bottom Ten Presidential Election Moments. Listed below are the ten blunders that changed the election from least to most influential.

The Bottom Ten

10. ACORN

The Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now gave a black eye to voter registration drives all over the United States for either party. ACORN’s voter registration miscues also were embarrassing to the Democratic Party as a whole because they often praised the organization for registering low-income tenants and blue-collared workers. While Senator Obama was able to distance himself from the organization it cast a doubt on whether the election would be counted fairly although it is important to note that there is a world of difference between voter registration fraud and those imaginary voters actually getting out to the polls and voting because having Mickey Mouse entering a polling station might raise a few eyebrows.

9. Dick Cheney

Talk about great endorsements. Dick Cheney endorsed Senator McCain for president on the first of November even after he had already given Senator McCain his approval. What was the progression of thought on that one? Senator McCain had been attempting to distance himself from the current administration and Dick Cheney figures this is as a good time as ever to remind voters literally days before Election Day that Senator McCain is a good man for the job in his book. He would have done more good for the Republican Party by saying that Senator Obama was what the country needed.

8. Joe the almost Plumber Issues (Socialism, death of Israel, et cetera)

Joe the almost Plumber from Toledo, Ohio became a figurehead for the Republican campaign after discussing small business prospects with Barack Obama. Obama ended the conversation stating that it was good to “spread the wealth around”, which Joe in his ill-informed opinion labeled socialism. John McCain pounced and invited him to the campaign trail which was nothing short of a success…for the Democrats. At one rally John McCain invited Joe up on stage, only to find that his campaign staff did not even invite him and in another appearance he not only signed autographs but agreed with a supporter that if Barack Obama was elected president it would mean the death of Israel.

7. Keating Five

Talk about current events. Barack Obama fought smear with smear with his informative Keating Five video, discovering unknown truths of a man kept in secret until this very day…back in 1989. If anything those events shaped the John McCain of today for the better as he attempts to prove to America that he is a changed man. It should also be noted that the Senate Ethics Committee dropped charges against John McCain at the time because it was found that he had a minimal role and was only guilty of ‘poor judgment’.

6. Lipstick

Lipstick on a pig was probably the lowest of the low in the category of things that had no relevancy with anyone in the United States. When Barack Obama used this phrase to describe the Republican ticket, the GOP jumped on it and proclaimed Obama was sexist despite the fact that John McCain had used the phrase as well as notable females such as Senator Hillary Clinton. All in all, it went on to personify why so many individuals are turned off of politics moving this issue all the way up to six.

5. Fundamentals of the Economy

When Senator McCain uttered that “the fundamentals of the economy are sound” on September 15^th he looked ill-informed at best and delusional at the worst. The phrase popularized by the Bush Administration was ringing a bit hollow with the American people. To make matters worst, his campaign ran an advert that stated the economy was in a crisis that same day.

4. Bitter

President-Elect Barack Obama ran one of the most disciplined campaigns to date but it did not prevent his worst slipup where he said that rural Pennsylvanians were “bitter” and “clinging to their guns and religion and antipathy to others” to vent their frustrations. While Barack Obama has since apologized for comment it raised issues of elitism and urban disdain for rural America. Mix in Senator Biden’s “rhetorical flourishes” and you have some great material for the Republicans.

3. John McCain goes to Washington

His campaign suspension in wake of the economic crisis may go down as one of the most ill conceived attempts at leadership a presidential candidate has ever undertaken. I had written a piece earlier that concluded his act nothing more than a political stunt, but that was only half the story. Senator McCain went back to Washington D.C. in hopes of being the white knight that pushed through the Wall Street Bailout Plan. It could have hardly turned out worse for Senator McCain as an unpopular Republican president sponsored a bailout plan that his own party blocked in the House of Representatives. With the first presidential debate in question, Senator McCain returned to the campaign trail looking sporadic and unable to multitask between an economic crisis and a debate.

2. Socialism

Socialism was the latest craze raised by Republicans in an attempt to strike fear in swing voters and Democrats alike. Socialism by definition is a system of social organization in which the means of producing and distributing goods is owned collectively or by a centralized government that often plans and controls the economy. In the Marxist-Leninist theory this is the intermediate stage between capitalism and communism defined by collective ownership of the economy under a dictator, supposedly Barack Obama.

The tax increase proposed by Barack Obama specifically was what the GOP cited as having socialistic traits and threatened the foundation of our country and would spread the wealth around to those who do not deserve it. Trouble with that argument is that the United States employs a progressive tax structure, which by the GOP’s definition is socialist already. The rich historically have paid both more in taxes (quantity) as well as a greater portion of their income (percentage) as well. Under every administration some of these tax dollars go to welfare and other assistance programs. If that tax increase is socialist then we are already there…

1. Governor Sarah Palin

This pick was a disaster to the McCain ticket. Initial excitement over the maverick pick shot Senator McCain past now President Elect Obama, but then she opened her mouth with Charlie Gibson and Katie Couric. Independents and some notable Republicans alike were horrified. The ill prepared Governor fumbled over question after question in the Couric interview. I could not even watch the entire thing because I felt terrible for her. It was like seeing a car crash and then standing idly by as they both caught fire. SNL did a skit of the interview and used her direct quotes as material and those people make jokes for a living. From that moment on she dragged the ticket down and this race would have been undoubtedly closer if a more appropriate vice-president was selected.

I can understand that her purpose was to energize the conservative base, but look at their options. You have a young senator from Illinois that has the most liberal voting record in the senate and then you have a maverick from your own party that does not always agree with you but shares your fundamental beliefs. The worst that can happen is that they are reluctantly going to vote for McCain just to keep Obama out of the White House. The pick of Governor Palin was the equivalent of beating a dead horse and her aggressive speeches were nothing more than preaching to the choir.

Voter Turnout in America

2008-11-05T23:43:00.005-05:00

Post Written by Guest Blogger Chris

The record number of new people registering is a real victory for democracy. It is amazing to see long, snaking lines of people – many of whom haven’t voted in a long time - happy to stand in line and cast their vote in such an important election. But to many in America the voter registration effort is thought to be an attempt at fraud. You can’t watch Fox news without hearing about the company Acorn and how they have registered false people. Yes, a very small number of registration forms weren’t filled in correctly, but that is to be expected and Acorn checks ALL of the registration forms to make sure they aren’t false.

But even with big voter registration drives, huge numbers of enthusiastic potential voters weren’t able to register. They came too late in the day of final registration and the queue was too long, or they didn’t realise that they had to register to vote. This is wrong. Everyone who wants to should have a chance to vote. It should be up to the government and public bodies to make it very clear to everyone that they have to register to vote, when they have to register AND make it easy for them to do so.

In the UK we don’t have to go through a series of trials to register. Local councils send forms to every house already partially filled in for you. People register with relative ease compared to the US. The US system is about disenfranchising huge number of people, sections of society, who for some reason people in power want to prevent from voting. If all men are created equal, how come it’s so difficult for some to cast their vote?

President-Elect Obama....Now what?

2008-11-05T17:49:00.007-05:00

Post Written by Ben

The results are in and Senator Barack Obama is now officially President-Elect Barack Obama the forty-fourth President of the United States. As mentioned before in a post of mine the next focus of the political media is on the Presidential Transition that has already begun. It has been reported today what many have speculated for some time that Rep. Rahm Emanuel has been offered the position of Chief of Staff of the White House. The speculation continues on who the rest of the staffers will be.
Obama announced that his transition team would be headed by John Podesta, who served as chief of staff under Clinton; Pete Rouse, who has been Obama's chief of staff in the Senate; and Valerie Jarrett, a friend of the president-elect and campaign adviser. It is also said that Senator John Kerry and Governor Bill Richardson are on the shortlist to become Secretary of State along with Republican Chuck Hagel who has been a staunch opponent of the Bush Administration.
With the President Elect inheriting two wars one in Iraq and the other in Afghanistan many believe that Secretary of Defense Robert Gates stands a fair shot at keeping his post.

With President Elect Obama winning the election, many will be looking at his decisions that will be made in the coming weeks to attempt to decipher how he will begin his Presidency. Obama has made a his campaign focal point about transparency and promises to work with all elected officials to ensure that change comes to America. Based on this campaign promise many pundits and bloggers will be looking at those men and women who Obama chooses to surround himself with in his White House. There has already been some who has viewed his decision of picking Emanuel as Chief of Staff is an example that Obama will be surrounded by left leaning liberals who have not shown in their recent political past that they are willing to work with Republicans to ensure unity versus gridlock that has plagued the current White House Administration for the past eight years. With the country is such a unstable state it behooves Obama to decide his appointments sooner rather than later. President Bush has promised Obama that he will ease this transition period and will consult Obama before he makes any decisions.
It has been reported that Obama spent the day today meeting with members of his staff and speaking with those who are being considered for positions in his White House for five hours. And that the Transition Committee of three is already in place and they have begun the process of vetting possible appointments for the Obama Biden White House that will soon take office.

Historic

2008-11-04T16:28:00.006-05:00

Written by Dave

Lines of voters wrap around street corners and maze through elementary schools and libraries across the country. Voters wait patiently before dawn and will wait well into the night for their chance to have their vote heard. Senator Barack Obama, the first African-American candidate to win a major party ticket nomination will make history if elected. Senator John McCain, a war-hero, will make history if elected as being the oldest president the United States has ever elected as well as having the first female vice-president in Governor Sarah Palin. This election will be the most influential and gripping presidential election of our great country’s history, which also played host to one of the most hotly contested party nomination races between Senator Barack Obama and Senator Hillary Clinton. The last time a primary campaign was so enthralling was for the Republican ticket back in 1976 between Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan. The last time the presidential campaign race was so enthralling was…well never.

Political involvement began to gain momentum under President George W. Bush as Americans became increasingly uneasy about the direction our country was headed. President Bush refused to hold himself or his subordinates accountable for our troubles and made the United States of American synonymous with arrogance, plunging our economy into turmoil and our military into open-ended wars. It might have taken a president as incompetent as Bush to remind the people that they have a say in how things are run. We do not have to stand idly by as our young men and women suffer greatly halfway around the world, away from both their loved ones and the country they so bravely defend. The American people toil in a failing economy trying to make ends meet and put food on the table for their families. They do not look for pity or a handout. They persevere because they want their children to grow up in a world filled with opportunity and equality and when your children and your children’s children ask about the election of 2008 you can sit them down and tell them that you did your part and helped change the world.

The circumstances of our situation are at times suffocating, we feel trapped, hopeless. Now we have our chance at changing our country’s direction and nominating a candidate that will bring democracy back to the democratic process of checks and balances. Today is the day we make our voice heard. As I write this people all over the United States are casting their votes and doing just that.

An active democracy, now that is the American dream.

UK take on US Election

2008-11-03T01:26:00.006-05:00

Guest Blogger Chris

I’m Chris and I’m from the UK. People in the UK are interested in this election too you know. Pretty much all of them are crossing their fingers and hoping that Barack Obama becomes president.

I decided (quite a while ago) that I would travel to the US and do whatever I could to help the Obama campaign. I’ve studied US history and politics, this sort of opportunity doesn’t come up all of the time! I would have loved to help Kennedy get to the White House! I wasn’t going to miss out on my chance. I want to tell my grandchildren one day. Yep, I went and helped out.

But now I’ve just got back to the UK. I had the best time and wish that I could have stayed until the end of the campaign! My chance to help is over, but yours isn’t. There are still 2 days to help Obama become the next president!

During my time in the US I helped out in Detroit (MI), Birmingham (MI), Memphis (TN), New Orleans (LO), Dallas (TX) and Chicago (IL). The first day I helped out in Detroit I got to see Michelle Obama make a speech at the state headquarters. She was an incredible speaker and the atmosphere was electric! What could top that? Day one and I got to see Michelle Obama!

The thing that impressed me most about the campaign was the people. Obama volunteers are amazing, so friendly and welcoming. They’re really pleased that young people care about this election and about the future of the country. I’ve seen three generations of the same family working on this campaign – that is special, it’s historic, and YOU can do something to make sure that this campaign has the happy ending it deserves.

Another thing about Obama’s campaign is the hope and enthusiasm it’s inspired. In the last month I’ve walked around grocery stores, sat in coffee shops and got on buses where people (complete strangers) have seen my Obama pin and shook my hand! I’ve watched as local people carried mounds of freshly cooked food to feed Obama volunteers and I’ve seen piles of hundreds of yard signs snapped up (early in the morning!) by enthusiastic voters.

If you’re lucky enough to be in the USA right now, go and stop in to your nearest Obama office (you can find the address at www.BarackObama.com and look under states to find your area). This is your chance; your help can make a difference! You WILL meet some incredible people and you won’t regret it!

Sunday Predictions: "And the winner is...."

2008-11-02T21:47:00.000-05:00

Post Written by Ben

My Sunday prediction this week is of course the Presidential election will be the ONLY political story, and it will spark secondary stories because of it. The election will result in a long battle for the presidency. The campaign war room that have been "at rest" for most of this long election cycle will be awakened.

Many people have seen the polls indicating a strong Obama victory and some even claiming that it could possibly turn into a landslide victory. However, I predict that this election will be a much closer race than most people think it will be.

I predict that over 50% of Americans will take part in this elections cycle shattering numbers set before. I predict record making lines at the polls. Many polling sites will be kept open longer to allow all voters to cast their votes and because of this we may not even have voting locations closing until midnight or later.
Many American voters will be glued to their television sets anticipating Tuesday night that they will go to sleep knowing who the President-Elect will be. This could not be farther from the reality that will undoubtedly ensue.
It may take days for the election to actually be officially decided and who knows who will be deciding who becomes the next President.

Will it be the American voters, The United States Supreme Court, or even Congress?

With the perfect example from 2000 with a President being decided who in actuality did not win the election it may be a shock to some that every little trick in the book will take place.

Pennsylvania, Ohio and Florida are the three states to watch. I predict major questionable practices taking place here.

I predict that no only will the Presidential race become highly controversial many of the Senate and House races will see recount demands.

What does all this mean?

Well I would like to think that I can predict a winner for you two days away from the election.
History has shown otherwise.
Americans many times have changed their minds in the voting booth.
If however, the polls are correct and things are as they really seem. Then Senator Obama will soon become President-Elect and he will begin the work of finding his cabinet members. Which I predict will be one of the most politically diverse, intellectually challenging cabinets in recent history. He will also meet with Congressional leadership in the new filibuster proof Congress the Democrats will have.

Sunday Predictions

2008-11-02T19:10:00.004-05:00

Written by Dave

1. An electoral college tie at 269, the specific tie which is more plausible then many may think is shown below.

2. Absolute chaos is followed by a House of Representatives vote to decide the next President. The Democratic Party holds an advantage in the House of Representatives (Democrats: 233, Republicans: 202) and will elect Barack Obama as our next President.

3. Incredible amount of lawsuits are filed in all major battleground states including, Florida (no stranger to controversy), Ohio, Virginia, Colorado, Nevada, New Hampshire, and North Carolina.

4. The ACORN issue is taken centerstage and many other voter registration groups are investigated, loosing perspective on the difference between voter registration fraud and actually having those fraudulent voters actually vote.

5. President Obama will be elected the next President of the United States but not without controversy and the possible reworking of the archaic Electoral College and electoral process as America attempts to make sense of the most exciting and dynamic election in the history of the United States.

2008-10-31T18:40:00.000-04:00

HAPPY HALLOWEEN FROM US HERE AT THE YOUTH MOVEMENT

Will Clinton bring Florida to Obama?

2008-10-31T17:24:00.006-04:00

Post Written by Ben

Recently, Former President Bill Clinton campaigned for the first time together with Senator Obama in Florida. The event took place at 11pm EST, which for a political event is pretty late, but in Obama fashion there was a specific reason for this. The rally was covered live on the local Florida stations without the Obama campaign having to buy any air time to do it. The Obama campaign wanted to ensure that Floridians would either watch the rally or ensure they would catch the clips of the rally on the morning news.

Many of the political pundits that watched the debate wanted to see how far would Clinton go in his endorsement of Obama. Many viewed his speech given at the Democratic National Convention did a great job in rallying the party together but was not a personal endorsement of Obama. So it was very important for President Clinton to show he was fully behind Obama, and not use political vagueness to just meet the bare minimum. In Florida during Clinton's race for the White House he was successful in bringing Florida into the blue state category. With Florida still having favorable views of Clinton, the Obama campaign wanted to bring Clinton out with Obama and get the Floridians to see them together in a "passing of the torch" event.

In Clinton's 13 minute speech he said "This man should be our president- all our president" Clinton told the Florida crowd that "He will be our next president, unless Americans forget what this election is about." Clinton talked about the strong economic times of his presidency and the effect of the Bush White House. Clinton portrayed as McCain as a continuation of the Bush years and that in this economic crisis we find ourselves in Obama is the correct choice. Clinton succeeded in his endorsement of Obama, and made it clear that Florida would be a hard fought race. With so much attention being payed to Florida by both candidates it is not surprising that this weekend Al Gore will also be visiting the state to campaign for Obama. Many pundits are counting Florida as a high probability of switching and going to the Democratic candidate this time around.

Infomercial Impact from Left to Right

2008-10-30T12:42:00.007-04:00

Written by Dave

Barack Obama aired a 30-minute closing argument during national primetime television. The extended commercial of sorts ran from 8:00PM to 8:30PM on CBS, NBC, MSNBC, Fox, BET, TV One and Univision, with just six days remaining before Election Day. The total price for the timeslots was estimated to be between $3.5 and $5 million. Senator Obama outlined his plans for the economy as well as the war in Iraq.

Ross Perot an independent running in the 1992 presidential election was the last candidate to buy large chunks of primetime to get his message across but was not nearly as close to Election Day as Senator Obama’s infomercial.

The prerecorded portion of the infomercial is shown, excluding the live feed from the Florida rally that ended the 30-minute time slot.

Democrat Thoughts

This was the exclamation point on one of the most efficient and effective campaigns ever conducted in the history of United States politics. The infomercial reminded you of what the fireside chats with FDR must have been like and how desperately the country needs an eloquent and confident leader that is able to keep his cool and bring people together. This message reached out to Americans all over the country and depicted Senator Obama as a family man as he is always able to make time for his children.

The infomercial will also effectively suck the air of the room for a day on the 24-hour news networks, taking precious time away from Senator McCain getting out his message. This measure also ensures that Senator Obama will keep his momentum going all the way to Election Day.

“The Obama 30-minute program/ ad may be the finest political advertisement in modern American political history - and regardless of the outcome of the election, will be used as a textbook model for humanized, effective political messaging for years to come.”

Lanny Davis – Attorney and Democratic strategist

Independents/Swing Voters Thoughts

You’re a swing voter and you get word of the 30-minute 7-network Senator Obama infomercial and decide to tune in but Senator Obama’s ego makes you a little hesitant about choosing him. You watched the Democratic National Convention and though that the Greek columns might have been a bit much along with the outdoor venue and then there was that self-made presidential seal that he thankfully scrapped. Also there was the talk of Senator Obama’s campaign plane with President stitched into the seats. So the man seems to have a flair for excess and this move does not strike you as much of a surprise.

When you tune in however, Senator Obama strikes you as presidential, suspiciously sitting on a desk in an office that is very similar in appearance to the Oval Office in the White House. His message is laid out clearly and you grow to appreciate this address against the stark contrast of our current president’s eloquence. At the least you find it refreshing and his message sincere.

You find the stories told in the 30-minute infomercial to be not dissimilar from your own or someone you know. The argument that Senator Obama is too exotic and dangerous of a choice does not hold as much weight. Possibly the most surprising thing that you take away from it is that Senator Obama did not mention the GOP or Senator McCain even once, which you were glad to see because the campaigns seem to have taken a negative turn as of late.

“My son, 13, left his video games to watch it. If Obama achieves nothing else, I thank him for that. In fact, I hear that lots of people watched it with their families or with friends. More importantly, I hear they went out of their way to watch it with their families and friends, as opposed to stumbling across it while waiting for the World Series. Whatever side you're on, when you remind yourself that this was just a long ad, you must admit that this is beyond remarkable.”

Fred Barbash - Senior Editor at Politico

Republican Thoughts

This infomercial should have never even aired because of the campaign financing agreement Senator Obama signed with Senator McCain stating that they would both take the public funding provided by American taxpayers. Once Senator Obama backed out of this promise he was given an incredible advantage in donation funding.

Senator Obama even had the time of the World Series changed. It was absolutely ridiculous that Fox not only allowed the infomercial to air but also contacted Major League Baseball and postponed the deciding game of the series by seven minutes. The liberal media bias continues to hurt Senator McCain even when he has a moment to make his case.

“On the Barackumentary: After watching The One last night, I weepingly came to the conclusion that our country should change the national pastime from baseball to breastfeeding. Let's all hold hands and sing ‘Michael Row the Boat Ashore,’ and have a national group encounter session where we can share our pain with The One. I'm sure if I confess to being a white straight conservative male and thus by definition evil, we can start a national dialogue to help me see the error of my ways. If I try really, really hard and get in touch with my inner child that is.”

Craig Shirley – Reagan biographer and president, Shirley and Banister Public Affairs

The end is near

2008-10-29T18:32:00.003-04:00

Post Written by Ben

The election of 2008 is rapidly coming to a close. In just a few days Americans will go to the polls and in many instances wait in long lines to vote for the candidate of their choice. Senator Obama will break historical ground yet again in this already historic campaign when he airs a thirty minute political ad on 7 different channels this evening. Because of Senator Obama not taking the federal funding for his campaign he has been able to fundraise in historical proportions.
Senator McCain has argued that the political ad being broadcast tonight was made "from broken promises" because of what Sen. McCain says was a promise that Sen. Obama broke when asked if he would take the federal campaign funding (which would limit his campaign financially) or opt out of the funding. The Republican Party has stepped up attacks on Obama with some surrogates calling him a socialist, a radical liberal, and in the case of Former Speaker of the House Tom Delay said today on Hardball with Chris Matthews a Marxist and a black liberator.

In any event this election will end in a different way. As mentioned on the Political Wire, this is the first election where the political blogging has been around. The election next Tuesday night will only be the beginning. Whoever becomes the President will still be in the limelight following the transition of power. The speculation will then turn to who will be appointed to the top positions in the new administration and what that means in terms of how the next administration will conduct themselves. With both candidates alleging that they reach across the aisle, it will be interesting to see how many Democrats will end up in a McCain-Palin White House and how many Republicans will end up in a Obama-Biden White House. In any even the bloggers will be writing and the news authorities will continue in this age of intense political coverage.

A Day late and a Dollar Short

2008-10-27T23:56:00.007-04:00

Post Written by Ben

I have spent much time away from the Internet in the last week or so as evident by my absence here on the blog. I hope you missed me, although I'm sure that Dave has done quite well ensuring that you remain informed. (if i only I could be like David...) In my process of moving from one home to another and without Internet or cable television I have been limited to NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams and the local news at 11pm to allow me to remain an "informed" voter. In this time that I have spent away from feeding into my political addiction I have been reading fiction books that in no way correlate to politics, and I return to you as a blogger with less information. I find myself a day late and a dollar short.

In politics there are many cliches that are said from both sides of the aisle, and repeated by the political pundits on television. There is one cliche however that in spite of its overuse remains on the tongues of everyone. "A week in politics is equivalent to a year", and in many aspects its very true. I left the blog scene with the campaign largely focused on the economy and the failed attempts of Senator McCain at presenting a comprehensive economic plan to the American people to show that he was capable of taking the Wall Street Crisis head on. There was still another debate left for the candidates to take part in, Colin Powell (although he may have personally knew he would) had not endorsed Senator Obama, and Joe the Plumber sounded like a character on the popular kids show Bob the Builder.

In any case, here we find ourselves a week away from the Presidential Election. A week away from finding out if the American people want a candidate who talks about the "audacity of hope" or a candidate who wants "country first". I recently watched PBS's FrontlineThe Choice 08 where they spent two hours talking with staffers and close advisers of both Presidential hopefuls in candid interviews to trace the path each took to get to the place they are today. I would recommend it to EVERYONE!!

Coming back online and back to blogging politics as usual many people I know seem to be resigned in this notion that the election is already over. People seem to buying into the notion that the polls actually matter. I for one frequent political polling websites on the daily. I like them for they serve a purpose of mapping trends, but I stop short of polls predicting the future. During this Presidential Election alone the primary season is littered with the crumbled faces of political pundits who had relied heavily on polls in predicting the winners. Senator John McCain's strongest selling point is that he somehow rallies when all the odds are against him.
In polling the most common factor that is not seriously addressed is the reality that many people who will tell a pollster they would vote for Obama actually never would in order to be more politically correct and seem less racist.
Obama leads in many states with strong numbers, but we will not know for another six days which candidate came up just short of getting their dream.

America's Double Standard

2008-10-23T13:48:00.006-04:00

Written by Dave

Much outrage has been brought up by Republican donors about the expensive political attire of vice presidential hopeful Governor Palin. The Republican National Committee has reportedly spent $150,000 on Governor Palin’s campaign wardrobe and on makeup consultations. However in America today, judgment is passed more severely on women when it comes to their appearance when compared to their male counterparts. This double standard makes any accusations of excess on Governor Palin’s part a moot point. The real problem may be more a sexist divide than it is of whether they should have shopped at Neiman Marcus or not. This is not one of the issues that the American people care to hear about and even if it was, Governor Palin should not be singled out as the only one with expensive clothing.

Senator John McCain has been seen repeatedly wearing $520 black leather Ferragamo shoes with silver-tone “Gancini” buckles, imported from Italy. Senator Barack Obama sports Hart Schaffner Marx suits sold for $1,500 a piece. Michelle Obama’s usual campaign outfits are worth approximately $2,000 each and Vanity Fair quoted Cindy McCain’s Republican convention outfit at approximately $300,000 which consisted of a $3,000 Oscar de la Renta dress and an extraordinary amount of jewelry.

Patsy Cisneros, a Los Angeles-based image consultant thought that the transformation although at a price was well done and appropriate for the higher office which Governor Palin seeks,

“She did come on the scene as governor for Alaska and looked appropriate as governor. She is being seen not just locally but globally, and she needs to represent our country. She has to look appropriate for that.”

Cisneros also added that this practice is also not unusual for any candidate seeking a higher political office,

“We’ve worked with candidates before who have money to spend — some of it was their own, and some of it was from the party. It was put in under so many different ways. You would be surprised what money gets spent.”

While many Republican donors may not want their money spent on clothing many must understand that money is spent in a variety of ways, many of which are more boring and seemingly less productive than buying clothes and that other everyday expenses have to be taken into account.

The fact that this story is getting attention is preposterous and the thought of anyone not voting for the McCain-Palin ticket solely because Governor Palin does not dress like us would be even more appalling. The fact remains that our political leaders must look professional and sometimes this may come at the expense of political donors if an individual is not able to supply their own attire. If done responsibly, I do not find anything objectionable to that. The Obama campaign says that both Senator Obama and Senator Biden have purchased their clothes without DNC or campaign funds and the RNC told reporters that it will donate Governor Palin’s clothes to charity after the election, even if Senator McCain wins this November.

The Colin Powell Endorsement

2008-10-21T13:41:00.008-04:00

Written by Dave

Former Bush administration Secretary of State Colin Powell endorsed Senator Obama for president over the weekend on Meet the Press. The endorsement of Colin Powell had been pursued by both candidates for several weeks because of his successful military record, public popularity and intelligence. Collin Powell retired as a four-star Army general and was the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under President George H. W. Bush.

Endorsement of Barack Obama

Colin Powell and John McCain are only a year apart in age, share similarly impressive military backgrounds and are both Republicans, but Colin Powell articulated a clear argument for supporting Senator Obama while offered sharp criticisms of Senator McCain. As far as political endorsements go, they typically do not get any more influential than this. The endorsement is unique because it both comes from a much respected government figure and it reaches across the aisle so to speak. You have a Republican four-star Army general endorsing a relatively inexperienced Democratic senator. In his own words on Meet the Press, Colin Powell explained his choice,

"Because of [Obama's] ability to inspire, because of the inclusive nature of this campaign, because he is reaching out all across America, because of who he is and his rhetorical abilities -- we have to take that into account -- as well as his substance -- he has both style and substance -- he has met the standard of being a successful president, being an exceptional president."

The endorsement of Colin Powell may help alleviate any concerns that remaining swing voters may have about Senator Obama’s experience in foreign policy and military matters. Colin Powell also commented,

"I think we need a president who is a generational change, and that's why I'm supporting Barack Obama -- not out of any lack of respect or admiration for Sen. McCain."

Criticisms of John McCain

While Colin Powell made it abundantly clear that his choice of supporting Senator Obama was not affected by any short comings of Senator McCain, he did offer some sharp criticisms of the Republican candidate. Commenting on how he felt Senator McCain handled the economic crisis,

“I found that he was a little unsure as to how to deal with the economic problems that we were having.”

Colin Powell was in part referencing Senator McCain’s unusual move of suspending his campaign in an attempt to spearhead support for the first bailout plan that ironically failed in the House of Representatives because of the lack of Republican support, then only to pass on the second attempt with earmarks that Senator McCain has vigorously opposed both as a senator and out on the campaign trail. Colin Powell also offered criticism of Senator McCain’s choice for his vice-presidential pick, Governor Sarah Palin,

"She's a very distinguished woman and she's to be admired, but at the same time, now that we have had a chance to watch her for some seven weeks, I don't believe she's ready to be president of the United States, which is the job of the vice president. And so that raised some question in my mind as to the judgment that Sen. McCain made."

Colin Powell also voiced concerns over topics in the campaign that he viewed were not issues Americans had great concern over,

"This Bill Ayers situation that's been going on for weeks: Why do we keep talking about him. Why do we have these robocalls [arguing about an Obama-Ayers link] going around the country?"

Another topic Colin Powell took concern with was regarding Senator Obama’s religion,

"The correct answer, he is not a Muslim. He's a Christian. He's always been a Christian. But the really right answer is: 'What if he is?' Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country? The answer is no. That's not America."

Republicans however are attempting to undermine the articulate and intelligible endorsement by one of the United States most respected Army generals because he is black and he is only voting for Barack Obama because he is black or because of some estranged bitterness that Colin Powell may have for the Republican party, but when push comes to shove no one is going to be asking Joe the Plumber for foreign policy advice.

Sunday Predictions

2008-10-19T21:32:00.003-04:00

Written by Dave

5 Predictions that will headline this business week.

1. John McCain will receive more criticism from his negative campaign ads and run the risk of alienating independent voters while attempting to please the Republican base. John McCain will continue to slip in the polls if he is not able to identify the benefits of his plan for America better.

2. Oil prices will increase slightly on word that OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) will hold meetings about decreasing the supply of crude oil in order to ‘stabilize’ prices higher than they are currently.

3. The stock markets will gain over the course of the week on renewed confidence in the financial sector and the recent rumors of an additional stimulus package that may be on its way to Americans despite the enormous federal debt that will burden future generations.

4. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke will testify before Congress this week. Expect a possible confrontation between the chairman and Congress Democrats about the details of the current bailout plan and of possibly additional measures to be taken.

5. Discussion of Colin Powell’s endorsement of presidential candidate Barack Obama and the controversy it will stir in the Republican Party after Powell worked briefly for the Bush Administration.