Wikileaks

I read an article by my classmate, Megan. The article is well written but I do not agree with the subject. Julian Assange released diplomatic cables on his website Wikileaks. The part the I disagree with is the fact that Megan believes this is a catastrophic event. I see this turn of events and a great example of our first amendment rights in action. I myself have taken great pleasure in finding out the details my government has taken with the relationship with other countries.

The Obama administration started with the idea of operating the government with full transparency. In fact earlier this year Hillary Clinton made a speak about the freedom of the internet. In her speaks she stresses the need for users to have basic freedoms. She goes further to state that information freedom was not only a good policy, but connected to our National values. It isn't until the information that she didn't want released is known to the public, that it becomes an issue.

I have read a few articles about the documents that have been released. These documents were not pertaining to top secret military plans. They were cables between Diplomats and Washington. I do not feel that the documents that have been released have cause a risk to national security. I say bring on more documents.

Hard decisions

In times of great unrest tough decisions must be made. The United States is currently is an Economic Crisis. Some say we are in the recovery phase, others don’t see that way.  If Congress extends the Bush Era Tax Cuts, we will lose $3 Trillion dollars over the next 10 years. Now President Obama can push to let them expire, but in doing so he give the Republicans ammunition to use against him for his next election. This is a very difficult problem. Alan Greenspan has gone on record and stated that he is in favor of raising taxes. In fact there are a lot of Conservative economists that believe we have to raise some taxes to deal with the deficit.

This is hard for me. On one hand I like having the extra tax cuts. I do not want to pay more in taxes. If I have to pay more in taxes I will have to give up some of my creature comforts. On the other hand I see the need to pay for my fair share.  I like having Police when I need protection. I like having Hospitals when I am sick. Though I do not like to admit it, I like having Congress pass laws that protect me. The truth is the Government needs the money or those services would not be available.

I say let the Bush Era Tax Cuts expire.   We are currently between a rock and a hard place. We need to stand up and make the hard decisions.  It will be hard but I feel it will allow us to grow and prosper. 

Michael Gonzalez's Christine O'Donnell Opinion

I read “Christine O’ Donnell: A Constitutional Conservative?” on Political Spotlight. This was written by my fellow classmate D. Michael Gonzalez. I have to admit, I was caught up by this years election process. I really liked the race in Delaware. I am no fan of Christine O'Donnell, but I think she was a perfect example of the freedom we have. Where else would someone like Christine be able to get as close to a seat of power as she did?

Michael's article starts off by pointing out the faults of the Tea Party candidate. I have to say that there was a good point made at the debate. The constitution does not have anything about “Separation of Church and State.” This phrase was a metaphor that Thomas Jefferson came up with later. The truth of it is the First Amendment states that there will be no national religion, there is nothing that says there has to be a separation. Now before we go any further there have been many rulings where we have established the “Separation of Church and State” and this is where we are today. I would have loved to see this really play out in the debt, instead of the spinsters adding this tab after the debate. I think it would have made for a much closer race. Christine did not have the mental quickness to catch on to that and play it to her side. No I think the race ended like it should have. She was not qualified to have that much voting power.

The article continues with the Tea Party's agenda. I have to disagree with the statement in here as well. The media has distorted this movement's image for the sake of News. I think the Tea Party is just an emotionally driven group trying to protect the country the best way they think they can. As misguided as they are, I still think it is a wonderful example of how free we really are.

There is no real reason to be scare of the Tea Party. Most of the candidates that ran in key races were not qualified and didn't win. Of the ones that did win, let them try working in government. I really want to see how they vote with their extensive knowledge of the Constitution. Don't buy into the hype that the Media has sold you.

Politics vs Politicing

                 Election time is on us. In fact early voting is now closed. I can’t wait for it to be over. Please don’t get me wrong, I am happy that I live where I do. I have the right to vote, and I have the right to voice my opinion.  It is everyone else’s opinion I am tired of.

                 I have a friend who is a true Democrat. She refuses to move outside of Travis County because everywhere else is too Republican. I have tried to talk to her about key political legislation, but no matter what the issue is, Democrats can do no wrong and Republicans can do no right. Well for me I am done with the diehards on the right and the left. I sick of everywhere I look there are slander campaigns being run to prove one candidate is right and the other is wrong. I am tired of slogans. “Just do it” can sell shoes but I want substance in my candidate.

                I blame Politics.  Before I really started looking in to things myself, I thought Politics was the art of Governing a Country. For the last 12 year I have come to realize that Politics is making yourself look good to key groups so you can gain their votes. Now I am not saying I do not believe in government. I am just saying that if a Politician spent as much effort in office as he did running for office, things would be a whole lot different. If people sat down and honestly debated the issues instead of screaming slogans at the top of their lungs, we might a better understanding of our country. People are so diehard Left or Right that if there is a different opinion than what their sides stands for, they will stop at nothing to prove you wrong.

                What is the cure? Knowledge is the cure. I have read more this election year than all years combined. I know where my candidates stand. I am proud to say I support both Democrats and Republicans based on past voting as well as how they conduct themselves. Read and understand what is going on. Don’t be a sheep and follow the pack because they yell the loudest. 

The sky is falling

It is almost time for a midterm election. Both parties know that the Democrats are against the ropes. What better way to get people involved then by sparking fear in the everyday American?  On October 7^th 2010, Donna Brazile wrote an article for CNN. “Mystery funds undermine democracy”.  The title alone makes me worried that America as we know it will never be the same. Donna is no new comer. She was Al Gore’s campaign manager in 2000. She is currently a CNN contributor.

She writes that the Republicans, with the help of anonymous supporters, have spent more than $80 million. She goes on to stress that these anonymous supports could be foreign governments, which plan on using their contributions to win favors of the people they helped to elect. The idea that after this election our jobs would be moving over seas at a faster pace is another scare tactic.

There are several groups out there that I would like to know more about. With social group’s ability to keep their donors anonymous, it does make it difficult to find out what the true motivation is. Donna wants you to jump to the conclusion that there is a secret plot to take over the United States.

I see this article as an attempt to scare the Democrats to jump into action. Based on public opinion the Democrats will be losing the House of Representatives.  I understand the need to jump to action, but there are better ways. Find out what the issues are. After you have educated yourself you can vote with a better conscience. Don’t let fear guide you.

     Ed Rollins is a Republican Strategist. He was the White House political director for President Ronald Reagan and chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee. He also knows how to play politics. Ed wrote an article entitled Democrats, don’t insult the voters.

     I have to hand it to him. He was able to pull key points out of a few speeches and write a very convening article. In an interview with Rolling Stone, President Obama said, "People need to shake off this lethargy. People need to buck up”. Senator John Kerry just about called all Democratic voters stupid. This shows that The Democrats need to make sure they do not open their mouths and insert their feet.

     Now at face value I see Ed offering sound advice to the Democratic leadership. I see him offering his years of experience in the political ring to a troubled Party. What a wonderful person. Considering he is a Republican, wait a minute. Do you think that he is trying to point out flaws and faults?

     Why would he be addressing the Democratic voters? Why would he be telling them that the Republicans are charged and energized and the Democratic Party is not? Would it be to discourage Democratic voters from turning out?

     There is an election in little over a month. There are several key races that might cause the Democrats to lose control of the House. If this article could convince enough people that their vote really didn’t matter, that might be enough to tip the scale in The Republican’s favor.

     I have stated in the past that there was not a clear message from the Democrats. This article does reinforce this fact. Slogans like “Don’t give them the keys back” do sound a little better than “Stop Whining”. Don’t listen to Ed Rollins though, I feel like both sides of the aisle are both very charged with the current political environment. I am look forward to seeing how everything turns out on November 4th.

Legislative plan

I thought I would continue my train of thought.

A few days ago I was watching John Stewart interviewed the chair of the Democratic National Committee, Tim Kaine. John ask Tim what the Democrat's message was. This is where Tim pulled a key chain out of his pocket and handed it to John. The slogan was “Don't Give Them The Keys Back”. Are you serious? I understand that this show is a comedy, but this is a chance to get your message out, and this is what the head of the Democratic Nation Committe thinks will win votes?

Tim Kaine

A few days later John Stewart interviewed the Former President, Bill Clinton. Bill told John, and the American People, a better, more articulate speech on why the American people should vote for the Democrats. From my perseption this speech was off the cuff.  This my friend, is another reason why the Democrats will be losing seats in the House. 

Bill Clinton