RE: A Little More Suspicious Than That

I see your point in this matter and completely agree that it's way too convinient for it to have been a technological malfunction. There has most likely been some tampering. In my opinion, I believe both parties are at fault. This meaning that there was most likely a software malfunction that someone noticed but took advantage of. Also, even if it is just a technological problem, it's usually because of the person who made it. So, someone is to blame. Only a thorough investigation will prove who or what the true culprit really is.

Are you a citizen? Not anymore!

Recently, a bill was proposed by Senators Joe Lieberman and Scott Brown. This bill, known as the Terrorist Expatriation Act, would, if passed, give the government the right to revoke your citizenship with the United States. Now, this bill isn't saying that the government can go around randomly taking away the citizenship of anybody they want. They can only do so if it has been proven that you provided materials or resources to a foreign terrorist organization -- as designated by the Secretary of State -- or participated in actions against the United States.

I, for one, don't believe that this is a great idea at all. This bill, if passed, will only result in an eventual abuse of this power. This meaning that they could eventually decided to revoke citizenship for other reasons than actions against the United States. Also, how would our Secretary of State define, "actions against the United States?" It's not very smart to put that decision in the hands of a single person. It seems like a noble and smart way of attempting to pick up the trash and possibly prevent future attacks upon our country, but it's just too much power for our government to wield.

All in all, something does need to be done in order to keep our country and its citizens safe, but I believe that that something isn't giving that kind of power to our government. It's back to the drawing board, and this time, let's really think things through.

The Trafficking of Human Beings. Can it be stopped?

I can see why you are concerned and want more government involvement when it comes to this topic. The only problem is, how do you propose the government handle this situation? The people who are involved in these acts are good at what they do and make it difficult for people to recognize that anything is wrong, thus making it difficult for the government to step in.

Don't get me wrong, I would love to see this industry go down in flames and never resurface again. The fact is, it most likely won't happen soon, if ever.

President Obama's Quarterly Performance Review

How well do I think our government is running these days? Well, I have to start with the top, i.e. President Obama. He has been in office over a year now, and like any other candidate made bold campaign promises that helped him get elected. One that I'm sure a lot of people focus on is the heath care reform promise. Well, we have national health care but I don't thin kit is necessarily what we imagined. I need to see the plan in action to render a final decision but I am definitely lukewarm on the fact there is no public option. I think it was a positive step that will help many who had no option for health care but sweeping change for the health care system I can't see happening.

Another promise was to shutdown Guantanamo Bay. I can't say he has failed to do this yet but he sure has taken his time in putting the wheels in motion. I have a feeling like any other job, once you get in the position, things are not as easy as you expected.

One thing I give a low grade for is the large increase in the national deficit. I realize that $&00 billion of the $1.72 trillion increase came from the Bush administration's bank bailout but in one year the debt increased by over three times the previous fiscal year! Part of that money was the $700 billion President Obama gave as the stimulus package. I don't think stimulus packages work. That is where I side more with the Republicans. Let the private sector help stimulate.

Now, what has Pres. Obama done right? Pushing for don't ask, don't tell to be repealed is a positive. He needs to carry through but all signs look that he can meet his objective. Foreign policy overall is above average. I still believe he will pull back on the troops but I think it was unrealistic to believe this could be done as quickly as everyone wants.

All in all, I think you have to let a first term president get through the first 2-2.5 years before you can pass real judgment. The first year is a learning process no matter who you are. I still believe I made the correct choice on my presidential candidate and that the rest of my generation is being a bit impatient to see him blossom. Ask me again next year, and see if I am still as optimistic as I am today. My grade for President Obama is a B+.

It's Good to see what looks like Actual Progress!

According to The Huffington Post's Aubrey Sarvis, the long awaited repeal of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy of the U.S. military is looking bright and hopeful.

Now, I do share the same opinion of Mr. Sarvis when it comes to this policy; It needs to be repealed, not just suppressed. The intolerable act of discharging some of our men and women who are serving our country due to the fact that their sexual preference isn't the norm is unjust and, quite frankly, not very helpful. The loss of soldiers due to this outrageous policy contributes to the already high demand of recruits for our military forces.

According to Mr. Sarvis, the opposition to this policy is tremendous and quite powerful, but in order for this policy to get repealed as soon as possible, these people need to push the issue and make it something of the utmost importance. It does seem that its repeal is inevitable, but inevitable doesn't come with a deadline. It has taken quite a while for the government to take notice and it's better late than never, but they should have prevented such discrimination far sooner than they have.

In conclusion, those who chose the lifestyle that is frowned upon by some, are finally getting the justice that they rightfully deserve. Although, there are still those who received the punishment of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy before it was challenged, it is still progress, and progress is good (For the most part).

Health summit exposes irreconcilable differences

Well, it comes to no surprise that a bipartisan agreement wasn't reached at the Health reform summit on Thursday. It seems the largest factor of the disagreement is, what else, money. The people of USA Today believe that affordable health care for everyone, no matter what income level, is the way to go. I can certainly agree with their logic, but, as they said, the bill is complex and controversial. In my opinion, not very many good things come without controversy, so I see this as a necessary step towards the potential passage of this bill. The only problem is the potential disagreement among the democratic party itself, which, just might hinder things a bit. Many Republicans who once supported with the insurance requirement now say that it is an "Unconstitutional intrusion on Americans' personal freedom."

The arguments of those at USA Today are valid, but you still can't ignore the aspect of funding. Also, how do they plan to enforce the mandate, assuming it passes. There are still some questions that need answering before there can be any more progress on what the people of USA today call, "The linchpin toward providing universal coverage and ending the most noxious insurance company practices."

Will this be a new trend among politicians?

Representative Patrick Kennedy, the Rhode Island Democrat announced that he won't be running for re-election following his eighth congressional term. He released a video on Thursday in which he stated, "Having spent two decades in politics, my life is taking a new direction, and I will not be a candidate for re-election this year," as also stated in this CNN article Now, I can somewhat understand after twenty years of politics that you would want to move on, but is this going to happen with all of our reasonably seasoned politicians? I don't know about you, but I think that in order to have a steady, stable, government, we need experienced people. I may be overreacting. In fact, I hope I'm overreacting. I just don't want to see our politicians, after five to ten years say, "I've gotten bored with politics, I'm going to move on and become an astronaut!"