A Closer Look at Obama

Now to look at Barack Obama. I'm currently very disappointed in Obama, since his campaign failed to act on my Myspace friend request. I gave them a lil over three weeks, and they muffed it. So it's cancelled. HA!


Education: Obama seems to have his head on straight when it comes to education. He talks about performance pay, better respect, a sense of urgency, and keeping life long education affordable. I can get behind all that.


Diplomacy: This is a good run down on Obama's foreign policy. Essentially, I see the opposite of the cowboy diplomacy going on here. Phrases like "learn from the past" and "understanding the non-Western world" give me hope.


Bipartisanship: Obama has been big on this issue. The biggest sign of it that I've seen is the fact his health care plan doesn't include a mandate (a horror to the right wing) except where children are concerned. That's a compromise position, and I think it's something we should admire.


War in Iraq: He didn't vote for the war, wanted to finish Afghanistan instead (what a novel concept!). He plans on having all but a token force out by 16 months into his administration, with only embassy protection and al-Qaeda hunters left (no permanent military presence). Check it out.


...And Now for Some News...

White House Unveils Plan for Credit Crisis, from NPR

Fire In Lhasa as a Result of Tibet Protests, from BBC

Blue Jackets Still in Playoff Running, from WCBE

Day Before Thanksgiving

So here's another one...I'm thankful that there's finally some oversight happening in Washington. That's about all that's happening, since the Democratic Party has just as much trouble compromising as the GOP. But still, it's good that people are asking questions again instead of blindly submitting to the White House. I'd much prefer to have nothing happening in Washington than to have everything Bush wants happening. Eventually it'll break and compromise will HAVE to happen.

Now for Some News...

French Railway Sabotaged, Strike Talks Start, from BBC
Putin Calls Opponents "Jackals," from BBC
Bush blocked from Recess Appointments, from NPR
White House to Convene Mideast Talks in Annapolis, from NPR
Free Store Distribution Goes on Amid Power Outage, from WVXU
Metro Wants Fare Increase, from WVXU

Monday Monday Monday

So...it's a holiday week...so I plan to do a brief lil "Thankful" theme this week.

So...I'm thankful for...hrm...having real checks and balances in my government. As much as President Bush insists that he knows whats best for us, and that his administration is the only thing that will keep us safe from the terrorists, you don't see him contemplating a run for the Senate in order to hold onto power. No matter how much Bush wants to ignore the Constitutional rights of our citizens in the name of security and tap all their communications because there may be probable cause, you don't seem him simply suspending it and firing the Supreme Court.

I'm thankful the democratic process in the United States has enough juice left to keep the government from completely becoming one man's puppet.

And now for some news...

Musharraf Cleared for New Term, from NPR (With a stacked court, who's surprized?)
Bangladesh Cyclone Toll Hits 3100, from AP via NPR.org
Homeland Security Adviser Resigns, from AP via NPR.org
Fountain Square Busy, but Exact Number is Unknown, from WVXU
Millions Cut from Budget in City Manager's Recommendation, from WVXU
Israel to Release 450 Prisoners, from BBC
Kosovo Warned by EU on Independence, from BBC

Get to Know Your Elected Folks 2

So now we've found US Senators...US Representatives...and now comes time for the other elected branch of the Federal Government, the President.



*Editorial Note* While the evidence IS to the countrary, remember the President does work for YOU. This means it's just as acceptable to drop the Executive a line telling them how you think the country should be run. Whether or not the President understands what it means to serve the constituency is a topic for someone else to debate. *End Note*

1. Go to http://www.whitehouse.gov/


2. Scroll all the way to the bottom. You'll see a set of links such as "President," "Vice President," etc. Among them is a link "Contact." Click that.


3. You'll get the mailing address, comment e-mails, phone numbers, and some other stuff like the Vice President's e-mail.

My goal is to limit how much my personal politics color this blog...but it's safe to say we won't be revisiting the White House webpage while this Administration is in office. Why, might you ask? I don't trust them. Plain and simple. Feel free to poke around on your own, but my time is more valuable than all of that.

Now Some News...

Inquiry Into San Fransisco Oil Spill, from NPR

Lawmakers and the Nation Try to Cope with High Oil Costs, from NPR

Bhutto Under House Arrest, Now Calls on Musharraf to Quit, from BBC

Bird Flu in England, from BBC

Tractor Trailer Closes 71s to 471 Ramp, from WCPO.