The Best Man for the Job

In his latest video and speech campaign Obama has tried to portray himself as "deeply sensitized to the needs and aspirations of women." It is not a coincident that Obama new feminist campaign comes after the breakthrough that Senator Clinton's campaign has had on woman voters, especially among liberal women in Democratic primary states. Obama has no choice but to compete for women's votes, because 54% of the Caucus goers in Iowa and New Hampshire are women. Spokesman for Obama say that it is acceptable for a woman, even a feminist, to back someone other than the woman. So could gender really be a deciding factor for the 2008 Presidential Election?

"Faith in America"

On Thursday Romney will deliver a speech that will "share his views on religious liberty, the grand tradition religious tolerance has played in the progress of our nation and how the governor’s own faith would inform his presidency if he were elected.” With this speech, Romney hopes to easy the suspicions that many conservative Christians have about his Mormon faith. Romney's faith has "dogged" his campaign since it began, which is demonstrated in the many polls that show a large number of Americans would be unwilling to vote for a Mormon Presidential Candidate.

Clinton Targets Elderly

Senator Clinton has geared her campaign toward women who were born before the 19th Amendment was ratified in 1920. Elderly woman have become set pieces at Clinton's political events in Iowa. These woman are "visibly demonstrating the candidate’s effort to highlight her sex and her overtures to female voters, whom the campaign is counting on to propel her to the Democratic presidential nomination." Many woman of younger generations have shown great enthusiasm in Clinton's campaign; however, Clinton shows great pride in her elderly supporters by spending extra time speaking with them and sharing their stories with her audiences. According to some polls, Obama and Clinton are running even among women voters, so it seems as if Clinton is hoping to pull out ahead by gaining support of the older women of the state who may feel a connection to her because of gender.

Obama Admits His Mistakes

On his tour through Iowa, Obama invited his audience to ask whatever question they would like. Making this statement was like an open invitation for the type of questions that candidates try to avoid. One such question involved the use of marijuana. Obama was asked if he inhaled, and unlike president Clinton, who is infamous for lying when it comes to admitting his faults, Obama said he did inhale and "It’s not something I’m proud of. It was a mistake as a young man." I believe that Obama's willingness to tell the truth and show how he has learned from it is a trait we should welcome in our next President.

Clinton's Push for Iowa

Hillary Clinton is doubling her staff in Iowa, and increasing the number of her appearances there in order to gain more support in the state. Her campaign has been on the defensive since the last Democrat debate, and this seems to be her way of trying to regain some of the support she lost due to the attacks she suffered from her fellow Democrats. The only problem with this is it shows that Clinton is not as confident with her lead in the polls as she seems.

Democratic Candidates Promise to Combat Global Warming

Saturday Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, and Dennis Kucinich all expressed their views on how to fight global warming and encourage energy independence. They all expressed the need for government mandate to reduce greenhouse gases, as well as their willingness to negotiate treaties on the environment. According to many surveys, After immigration, reducing oil dependence and global warming is the second most important issue among independent voters. Therefore this issue could help to sway the undecided 20% of voters to the Democratic side in 2008.

The Immagration Issue

The Republican candidates have placed great importance on the issue of immigration during this primary season. The New York Times stated that the Republican cadidates "talk about illegal immigration as if they were in an arms race on toughness." Could this platform hurt their chances of winning the 2008 race for the White House by offending the growing number of Hispanic voters? Or will it help them maintain the White House by using the issue against the Democratic candidates who have remained more or less silent on this issue until lately?

Attacking the Messenger in Action

Yesterday John McCain was asked by a voter, "How do we beat the bitch?" The voter was referring to Senator Clinton. Today, Rick Sanchez suggested that McCain should have "admonished" the voter who asked him that. McCain decided to use Sanchez's accusation to his advantage by attack CNN, and asking supporter to "help us fight Rick Sanchez and CNN and stand with John McCain.”

Thompson Gains Anti-abortion Endorsement

The National Right to Life Committee has chosen to endorse Fred Thompson's presidential campaign, which will assist in his efforts to gain the conservative vote. A spokesman for the committee stated that they chose to endorse Thompson "because of his record on abortion issues as a former senator from Tennessee." Mitt Romney, who has been struggling to gain support among ant-abortion advocates due to his switch from being a defender of a woman's right to choose. Though James Bopp Jr, a founder of the group, is a Romney supporter he was still unable to gain the endorsement.

Clinton Decides to be Against Driver's Licenses for Illegal Immigrants

In what seems to be an attempt to remove the issue of illegal immigration off the table, Senator Clinton has issued a statement saying that "As president, I will not support driver’s licenses for undocumented people and will press for comprehensive immigration reform that deals with all of the issues around illegal immigration, including border security and fixing our broken system.” I'm sure it is not a coincidence that this statement comes the day before Clinton engages in a debate tomorrow night. Her opponents have more than likely no forgotten her unclear position on this issue in the last debate, and are unlikely to go easy on Senator Clinton this time. Senator Clinton's statement on Immigration relates closer to Republican views than Democrat, which makes it seem as if Clinton is focusing on the general election more than the Democratic Primaries.

Electability

A poll of Democratic voters in Iowa and New Hampshire showed that people believed that Obama and Edwards were more likely to say what they believe, unlike Senator Clinton who is believed to say what she thinks voters want to hear. However, the majority of those polled saw Clinton as the candidate that was more prepared and the most electable Democrat running in the 2008 presidential race. The same poll was conducted for Republican voters in these two states, and they showed that Romney was viewed as the candidate that shared the same views on immigration and that he reflected Republican values more than any of the other Republican contenders, but they believe that Giuliani would be the party's strongest candidate in the general election. This could be bad news for Romney, because a large number of Republicans in both Iowa and New Hampshire said they would be open to voting for someone who had conflicting views on issues such as gay rights and abortion if they had a better chance at winning the Presidency.

A Global Warming Platform

Leading Democratic presidential candidates are committed to cut back on United States greenhouse gas emission. Senator Edwards has even made global warming one of the three pillars of his campaign. Edwards stated "its time for a president who asks Americans to be patriotic about something other than war." Edwards is not the only Democrat making global warming and climate issues a staple in their campaign. Senator Clinton promised to address climate issues by requiring U.S. vehicles to average 55 miles per gallon by 2030. Republican candidates still remain skeptical on the global warming issue. Thompson went so far to say that "warming on other planets has led some people to wonder if they are actually inhabited by alien SUV-Driving industrialist who run their air-conditioning at 60 degrees and refuse to recycle."

Deadliest Year in Iraq

2007 is the deadliest year so far for United States troops in Iraq. Six soldiers were killed Monday, which brings the total number of deaths this year alone up to 852. It is ironic how these deaths came only a few days after the military announced that there has been a significant drop in the rate of American deaths this year. The average number of American military deaths per month is 69, however this October 38 service members died in Iraq, making it the lowest total since 2003. The growing number of deaths is attributed to the large number of troops present since the surge, which brought around 165,000 new troops to Iraq. The Bush administration claims "despite the high cost in terms of lives lost, the strategy has brought improved security to the country."

Democrats Lead in Donations From Heath Care Industry

Despite constant criticism and reform proposals from Democratic presidential candidates, Democratic candidates have raised about $6.5 million fro the Heath Care Industry. On the other hand, Republican candidates have raised only about $4.8 million. Senator Clinton, who is leading the Democrats in the finance race, received $2.7 million despite her "calls for broad changes to the health care system that could pose serious financial challenges to private insurers and other sectors of the industry. Mitt Romney, the leading Republican fundraiser, is trailing Clinton by $1.1 million from the health care industry. Does this shift towards contributing heavily to Democratic candidates symbolize the growing belief that the Democrats have a strong chance to win the White House next year, and the health care industry is trying to influence the candidates?

Mukasey Nomination Depends on Views of Torture

Michael Mukasey’s nomination to replace Gonzales, as attorney general has appeared to be a sure thing over the past few weeks, and Democratic lawmakers say that he may still be confirmed because of the overwhelming need for leadership in the Justice Department. Lawmakers did not show any concern about Mukasey's nomination until his confirmation hearing last week. Mukasey offered some "awkward responses" to questions regarding his views about anti-terrorism policies that the Bush administration has engaged in. President Bush issued a complaint on Friday about how the Democratic leaders in Congress are taking too much time to approve the nomination of Mukasey "even as members complain about the lack of leadership at the Department of Justice."

Obama, Osama

This morning while talking about the threat of radical Islam, Governor Romney mistakenly called Osama bin Laden Barack Obama, not once but twice. A Romney spokesman claimed that Romney "simply misspoke" and "was referring to a recently released audiotape by bin Laden and misspoke when referencing the name." Was this just a slip of the tongue, or was it a subtle way to attack Senator Obama's upbringing and values?

Bush Claims He Wants to Help

Bush said yesterday that he was willing to negotiate with democrats about the Children’s Health Care Bill, if the Democrats make up their minds to " put the well-being of the children first. Bush was quoted saying that "My Attitude is, lets help the poor children," and "Let's make sure the program does what it's suppose to do." The president claimed that the bill that was proposed would steer the children's healthcare program away from its core purpose by expanding it to cover families that should be able to afford healthcare on their own. Was this truly Bush's intention when he vetoed the bill, or does he want the coverage of children to continue to be limited in order to use the extra money to fund his war in Iraq?

Clinton and Giuliani Lead Presidential Financial Race

Hillary Clinton and Rudy Giuliani are the front-runners for their parties' presidential nominations, as well as the financial leaders heading into the final months of the primary season. Clinton was reported to have $35 million available to spend on her campaign, making her $3 million ahead of her fellow Democrat Barack Obama. Both Democrats have a huge advantage over their Republican running mates. Giuliani leads Republican candidates, ending September with $16 million in his campaign account, while his closest rival is Romney how has $9 million at his disposal. However, Romney, Giuliani, and Obabma all spent more than their campaigns brought in over the past three months. Obama and Romney both have spent extra on television ads in hope of catching their better-known, front-running rivals. For example, Obama has aired 2400 more television spots that Clinton has this year.

Washington Genocide Vote

Many House members from both sides have begun to withdraw their support from a resolution that would condemn the mass killings of nearly a century ago in Turkey as genocide. The Turkish government has lobbied strongly against this symbolic resolution from the time of its proposal. The diminishing support for this bill is largely attributed to the fears that many House members have about the potential Turkish decision to deny American access to critical military facilities in Turkey. The Bush administration has warned that this proposal could cause harm to the American war effort in Iraq and have encouraged House Republicans to not support this measure.

G.O.P. Jump on the Global Warming Bandwagon

After Al Gore was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize Friday for his "work highlighting the treat posed by climate change," many of the Republican presidential contenders have integrated their views and how they would handle the issue into their speeches. Senator McCain is calling for the capping of gas emissions that are linked to global warming and higher fuel economy standards. On the other hand, Giuliani and Romney are emphasizing a push toward clean coal and other alternative energy sources. However, they all agree on one thing, that nuclear power should be greatly expanded.

McCain dobts Romney's Republican beliefs

Senator McCain criticized Massachusetts Governor Romney today for "his past record of support for both liberal ideas and liberal candidates." McCain also stated that "when Governor Romney donated money to a Democratic candidate in New Hampshire, I don't think he was speaking for Republicans." These comments were in response to a remark made by Romney on Friday. He stated that he was the "only real Republican." After McCain's attack on Romney, a woman in the audience, who was a Romney supporter, stood up and told McCain that he was no Ronald Reagan, and criticized him for joining with Democrats while he was in the Senate. McCain defended himself by saying that what "American's want us to do for them today is to get things done in Washington what could be partisan about fixing social security?"

Hillary's New Endorsement

Senator Clinton managed to extend support for her presidential candidacy today by winning the endorsement of Representative John Lewis of Georgia, a legendary leader of the civil rights movement. Clinton advisers believe that this endorsement will deepen black support for her 2008 presidential campaign. Lewis was an early supporter of Senator Clinton's husband during his 1992 race for the white house, and the two have remained close throughout the years, which has allowed Lewis and Hillary to develop their own friendship. At one point, Lewis was inclined to endorse Obama, but after receiving a phone call from former president Clinton, he was persuaded to "remain neutral and take more time evaluating the candidates." Mr. Lewis was touched by the attendance of Senator Clinton at the anniversary of "Bloody Sunday", and was also impressed with her proposals for pre-kindergarten, healthcare, and the economy.

Gore Wins Peace Frize

Former democratic presidential candidate, Al Gore was awarded the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize today for his "efforts to build up and disseminate greater knowledge about man-made climate change." Gore, who has conflicting views with the Bush administration on many issues, including the war in Iraq, is the second political from the Democratic Party to win the prize this Decade. Former President Jimmy Carter won in 2002. The question is, will Gore run for president now that he has won the Nobel Peace Prize? He already has a strong following who want to see him enter the 2008 race, so will he now consider running?

"Focus on the Poor Children"

President Bush vetoed a bill that would extend healthcare to children whose family could not afford it. He claimed that he would be open to compromise with Congress by spending more than the original bill had proposed. Bush said that he wanted "Republicans and Democrats to come together to support a bill that focuses on the poor." Democrats and Republicans alike seem to be unwilling to compromise on this issue. President Bush seems to be hoping for too much. He seems to be getting nothing accomplished because so many people in Congress disagree with him.

Did Hillary "Talk to him later"?

During the Democratic debate last Wednesday, the candidates were asked a question about an exemption to a torture ban. Senator Clinton said that she opposed an exemption, and then the moderator, Tim Russet pointed out that it was her husband who had issued the statement. Hillary responded with, "I'll talk to him later." However, yesterday on Meet the Press former president, Bill Clinton, backed away from his position regarding the president having the authority to approve the torture of a terrorist. Was this a consequence, or did Hillary really have a talk with Bill?

Reducing the Influence of Money in Politics?

After being defeated in a Congressional race in 2000, Obama sought out a means to revive his political fortunes, and soon found a Chicago group of Entrepreneurs who were looking for a means of trying to break out. If Obama was able to help this group over come historical barriers facing minority owned companies they would help to finance his political endeavors. However, in his presidential campaign, Obama has been "running on a platform of reducing the influence of money in politics.

Withdraw from Iraq

During the Democratic Debate Wednesday night, most of the candidates would not commit to having all troops out of Iraq by 2013. This seems kind of odd, seeing as how most of the candidates are strongly opposed to the war and wanted to immediately withdraw troops from Iraq and end the war. This reluctance makes you wonder if the Democratic candidates are genuinely opposed to the war, or just using the war's unpopularity as a tool to gain votes.

NRA Forum

On Friday the NRA (National Rifle Association) hosted a forum where they invited Republican Presidential candidates to come and express their stance on gun control. None of the Democratic candidates were invited to the forum. According to a NRA spokesman they were not invited because " they have not showed respect of the 2nd Amendment. Giuliani, who had a liberal view on gun control as Mayor of New York, squared off against other Republicans for these views. It did not help his argument when he answered a phone call from his wife during his speech. This was not only rude, but also unprofessional. Does America really want a president who takes phone calls while publicly discussing important issues?

Hillary Defining the Democratic Campaign for President?

Senator Clinton was on five different interview programs Sunday morning where she answered question about her health plan, her views on the Moveon.org ad, and about how she would handle the war in Iraq. The press has recognized Senator Clinton as the front-runner for the 2008 presidential election, however is that really the case? A candidate is considered a front runner with they are ahead in the polls, have collected the most endorsements, is ahead in fundraising, is the subject of the most media attention, or draws the biggest crowds. But just because Hillary draws the most media attention does that necessarily mean that see is the front-runner?

Bush vs. Children's Health Care

President Bush threatened to veto a bill today that he felt was a "step toward federalization." The children's health insurance program is really popular among house Democrats. The current children's health plan, which is set to expire on September 30, provides health coverage for over 6.6 million children and the new proposal will add 4 million to that number. Bush has asked for a temporary extension of the health care program and has accused the Democrats of playing politics with children's health care.

Giuliani Proposes NATO Expansion

Giuliani announced his hope of expanding the NATO alliance during his London visit Wednesday. He believes that Israel would be more than "willing to help us in the effort against terrorism." This trip to London was a way to raise money for his campaign, as well as to gain the support of the Republican faithful. Giuliani did not focus solely on incorporating Israel in NATO, he also listed Japan, Australia, and India as nations that meet the "basic standards of good governance, military readiness." The expansion of NATO is just one of four essential elements, that Giuliani believe will aid in the struggle against terrorism. However, with the tensions that exist in the Middle East already, will including Israel in NATO help the U.S., or just endanger any chance for peace in the Middle East?

The Attorney General Ultimatum

Two Democratic Senator's, Patrick Leahy of Vermont and Charles Schumer of New York, said yesterday that they were going to use the nomination of the new attorney general as a way to get information regarding the conduct of the former attorney general. President Bush wants Mukasey confirmed as the new attorney general by October the 8, but Leahy said, "there would be no quick confirmation without the documents he and Schumer have requested.

O.J. Again

Yesterday, O.J. Simpson was arrested and charged with six felonies. He is believed to have broken into a Las Vagas Hotel room Thrusday night, he was armed, and stole sports memorabilia. Simpson will face any where from 6 to 70 years in jail, if convicted. Simpson claims that he was escorted up to the room, and there were no guns involved. Simpson was quoted saying, " Everybody knows this is stolen stuff. In any event, it's stolen stuff that is mine. Nobody was roughed up."

New Attorney General

President Bush is expected to announce a replacement for former attorney general, Alberto Gonzales, tommorow morning. Micheal Mukasey, a former federal judge from New York is the expected to replace Gonzales. Mukasey has presided over many high profile terrorism trials, however he is not a close confidante of President Bush like Gonzales was. Mukasey is not expected to cause a confirmation battle within the mostly Democratic Senate.

According to Bush, American Safety Depends on a Continual Presence in Iraq

Last night President Bush described his plan to begin gradually removing troops from Iraq. He said that the progress, which has been made so far in Iraq, could be compromised if a large number of troops are pulled from Iraq quickly. This seems like an almost reasonable plan, until Bush called for an "enduring relationship with Iraq that would keep forces there beyond my presidency." He argued that a free and friendly Iraq would be essential to the safety of the United States. He must have had time to "sit down and sort it out in his mind" unlike General Petraeus.

New Twist on Hsu's Case

Norman Hsu, the former Democratic fundraiser who was arrested for fraud, maild a suiced not last week to the New York Offices of the Innocence Project. Innocence Project officals would not give any details about the letter, but a spokesman said that it was "not rambling in nature." The letter arrive last Thursday, and it was one page, type written and signed by Hsu. It was sent by FedEx overnight delievery. Executive director of the Innocence Project, Madeline DeLone faxed a copy of the letter to the California District Attorney's office where Hsu case is being handled.

Fraud in the Clinton Campaign

Senator Hillary Clinton's campaign is having to review thousand of dollars that have been raised by Norman Hsu after learning that he had a warrant for his arrest stemming from a 1991 from his contribution in an attempt to defraud investors in his New York apparel business. Hsu has risen hundred of thousand of dollars for Democratic Candidates since 2003. Could this set back hinder Senator Clinton's, or any of the Democratic Candidate's chance for the White House in 2008?

Anti-War to the extreme

MoveOn.org, an online anti-war group published an offensive ad in The New York Times on Monday that read, "General Petraeus or General Betray Us." This angered many Democrats, who have been trying to gain support in Congress by pledging to end the war. This ad was viewed by many Republican's as "over the top." This ad along with General Petraeus's testimony seemed to renew the confidence of many Republicans, as well as cement President Bush's support among them. Petraeus told Congress that enough stability had been achieved to withdraw 30,000 troops by next summer.

Should we feel safe?

Monday General Petraeus addressed Congress about the diplomatic status in Iraq. Petraeus seemed hesitant when answering a question from Senator John Warner. He asked if Petraeus felt that the war in Iraq is making American's safer. Petraeus replied with a seemingly evasive answer about how the strategy is the best course for achieving U.S objectives in Iraq. Unsatisfied, Warner repeated his question, and Petraeus said, " Sir, I don't know actually. I have not sat down and sorted it out in my mind."
Not only is his answer not reassuring for any American concerned for their safety, but also it makes it seem that the people dying in Iraq to defend our country are dying in vain.

9/11 a Lesson to Keep in Mind, or a Clever Political Tool?

Opponents of Rudolph Giuliani are beginning to question if he is using his personal experiences during 9/11 to gain support for his presidential campaign. Edwards has said that Giuliani "is determined to take every opportunity to exploit the memory of 9/11 for political gain, rather than honor the incredible sacrifices of our first responders." Giuliani has countered this argument by saying that it "is important to keep the lessons [Sept. 11] in mind." It is not an exaggeration in the slightest to believe that Giuliani is using 9/11 as a way to gain the support of voters. However, I believe that if Giuliani's opponents were in the same position that they would also take advantage of the opportunity to get voters to sympathize with them. Therefore, I believe that it is unfair to criticize Giuliani for speaking about 9/11 during his campaign speeches; the people who do criticize him do so out of fear that his personal account will win him more votes.

Newsies

I've never really been what you would call a "blogger", and I'm not really sure what exactly I'm suppose to be blogging about so I hope this subject will do. Friday night I watched a Disney musical called Newsies with a few people from my dorm. The movie takes place in New York City during the summer of 1899. The main characters of the movie, the newsies, deliever news papers to the city in order to earn a living. However, the newsies soon lose their way of life when the owners of all the major papers decide to raise the price on papers to earn themselves some unnessisary extra cash. In an attempt to stop this injustice all the newsies of the city decide to go on strike. They hold protest rallies and form picket lines, but their attempts are all but usless because none of the papers will report on the strike. One of the main characters then states that the protest rally never happened, because if it isn't in the papers then it doesn't exsist. This made me realize exactly how dependent we are on the media, and how easily it can be manipulated to serve the best intrest of only one person or group instead of the general public like it was meant to do. Today we rely on it even more than it we did back then, and it is still true that if we don't see something on the news, hear it on the radio, or read it in the papers then it doesn't exist for us. So what happens today if the owner of ABC or CNN decide that it would profit them more to not report a story?