Showing posts with label Political. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Political. Show all posts

Friday, February 6, 2009

Obama's New New Deal

Thoughts on the current Stim package vs the new deal ...
Here are some thoughts-
http://www.cato.org/research/articles/powell-031106.html
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25008973-7583,00.html
http://conservativeforchange.blogspot.com/2008/12/new-new-deal-as-bad-as-old-new-deal.html

I do think that Obama saw, sees the New deal as a good idea still, and wants to take our country the same direction. Having the government step in and undermine the market economy.

Obama and Unions

Obama Meets with Union Leaders, Dumps Bush Rules

Friday, January 30, 2009 8:11 AM

Article Font Size

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama is playing to one of the Democratic Party's most reliable constituencies — organized labor — reversing a number of his predecessor's executive orders that critics regard as anti-union.

Labor leaders were to visit the White House for a second consecutive day Friday, where, a union official said, Obama was to abolish four Bush-era directives that unions opposed and then reintroduce Vice President Joe Biden's task force focused on the middle class.

Both were meant as a way for the new administration to connect with workers at the end of a week that has seen U.S. companies announce thousands more jobs cuts.

"Over the last 100 years the middle class was built on the back of organized labor. Without their weight, heft and their insistence starting in the early 1900s we wouldn't have the middle class we have now, in my view," Biden told CNBC on Thursday. "So I think labor getting a fair share of the pie is part of it."

Officials planned to re-announce a Middle Class Task Force aimed at finding ways to help an economic group that has been hammered by the recession. Biden will lead the task force, comprising a panel of advisers and four Cabinet members.

Among the George W. Bush-era executive orders that Obama was to reverse was one that allowed unionized companies to post signs informing workers that they are allowed to decertify their union. Critics claimed it was unfair because nonunion businesses are not required to post signs letting workers know they are legally allowed to vote for a union.

Two Democratic sources also said Obama would prevent federal contractors from being reimbursed for expenses that were intended to influence workers' decisions to form unions or engage in collective bargaining. A third Obama order would require federal vendors with more than $100,000 in contracts to post workers' rights under the National Labor Relations Act.

The final order would require service contractors at federal buildings to offer jobs to qualified current employees when contracts changed. For instance, rank-and-file workers could continue working on the same federal project even if the administrative contract expired.

The officials disclosed the plans on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to pre-empt the White House's announcements.

Labor leaders also visited the White House on Thursday, where Obama welcomed them to the East Room as he signed his first major piece of legislation, an equal-pay act that organized labor and women's groups championed.

Unions have been lobbying the Obama administration to repeal scores of executive orders they view as hostile to their cause. Officials gave administration officials their top 10 executive orders they wanted to see dismantled quickly.

Many executive orders are enacted and repealed based on which party controls the White House. One of the rules Obama planned to repeal Friday was approved by President George. H.W. Bush, removed by President Bill Clinton and reinstated by the second President Bush.

© 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved

http://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/oba...30/176716.html


Not sure what this all means.

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Obama's cabinet

This will be an ongoing post
2nd Republican member - http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7868036.stm

Current-
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/11/07/politics/main4583057.shtml

About the Stimulus Package

http://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/stimulus_pork_spending/2009/01/29/176503.html

The Stimulus Shopping List: $1.17 Trillion in Pork Goodies

Thursday, January 29, 2009 4:00 PM

By: David A. Patten Article Font Size


Having trouble putting down that cigarette? The stimulus bill has $75 million for programs to help people quit smoking. Only 42 percent of Americans now think the bill is a good idea, according to Rasmussen Reports, which had found 45 percent approval last week. (AP Photo)

The $1.17 trillion stimulus bill passed by House Democrats on Wednesday bears little resemblance to the bill originally proposed by President Obama, with less than 5 percent of the funds now going to repair America’s deteriorating infrastructure.

GOP critics point out the bill is loaded with tens of billions for items ranging from Amtrak subsidies to sexually transmitted diseases to the National Endowment for the Arts -- much of which won’t actually flow into the economy until long after economists expect the current economic crisis to subside.

In late November, Obama promised: “It will be a two-year, nationwide effort to jumpstart job creation in America, and lay the foundation for a strong and growing economy. We’ll put people back to work rebuilding our crumbling roads and bridges,” modernizing schools and stimulating development of alternative forms of energy.

Even some Democrats are now objecting that the measure contains too few highway and mass transit projects. Moreover Mark Zandi, chief economist for Moody’s Economy.com, says most of the infrastructure spending in the plan won’t occur until 2010 or later.

Provisions of the bill that many legislators are questioning:

# $1 billion for Amtrak, which hasn’t earned a profit in four decades.

# $2 billion to help subsidize child care.

# $400 million for research into global warming.

# $2.4 billion for projects to demonstrate how carbon greenhouse gas can be safely removed from the atmosphere.

# $650 million for coupons to help consumers convert their TV sets from analog to digital, part of the digital TV conversion.

# $600 million to buy a new fleet of cars for federal employees and government departments.

# $75 million to fund programs to help people quit smoking.

# $21 million to re-sod the National Mall, which suffered heavy use during the Inauguration.

# $2.25 billion for national parks. This item has sparked calls for an investigation, because the chief lobbyist of the National Parks Association is the son of Rep. David R. Obey, D-Wisc. The $2,25 billion is about equal to the National Park Service’s entire annual budget. The Washington Times reports it is a threefold increase over what was originally proposed for parks in the stimulus bill. Obey is chairman of the House Appropriations Committee.

# $335 million for treatment and prevention of sexually transmitted diseases.

# $50 million for the National Endowment for the Arts. $4.19 billion to stave off foreclosures via the Neighborhood Stabilization Program. The bill allows nonprofits to compete with cities and states for $3.44 billion of the money, which means a substantial amount of it will be captured by ACORN, the controversial activist group currently under federal investigation for vote fraud. Another $750 million would be exclusively reserved for nonprofits such as ACORN – meaning cities and states are barred from receiving that money. Sen. David Vitter, R-La., charges the money could appear to be a “payoff” for the partisan political activities community groups in the last election cycle.

# $44 million to renovate the headquarters building of the Agriculture Department.

# $32 billion for a “smart electricity grid to minimize waste.

# $87 billion of Medicaid funds, to aid states.

# $53.4 billion for science facilities, high speed Internet, and miscellaneous energy and environmental programs.

# $13 billion to repair and weatherize public housing, help the homeless, repair foreclosed homes.

# $20 billion for quicker depreciation and write-offs for equipment.

# $10.3 billion for tax credits to help families defray the cost of college tuition.

# $20 billion over five years for an expanded food stamp program.

Republican leaders say the stimulus package will add 32 new government programs at a cost of $136 billion. They object that many of the programs, once established, are likely to continue indefinitely.

Most media outlets are reporting the cost of the package at $819 billion. As Newsmax revealed yesterday, however, the Congressional Budget Office calculates that the interest on the debt generated by the bill’s spending will cost another $347.1 billion, making the total cost approximately $1.17 trillion.

Of course, the measure contains hundreds of billions in tax cuts and infrastructure projects that conservatives will find palatable. But as House Minority whip Eric Cantor, R-Va., told the media Wednesday, “This was not a stimulus bill. It was a spending bill.”

© 2009 Newsmax. All rights reserved.

Monday, November 10, 2008

Interesting Sermon this week

We had an enlightening one yesterday. We are working through Acts, and are on acts 5 the conversion of Paul. And talking about how he had to empty himself before God could use him. And it was a direct result of Paul's emptiness. Being hated by everyone and having nothing that gave us Christianity as we know it.

He also spoke about Abe Lincoln, I didn't realize this but after the Battle at Gettysburg The main speaker called wasn't Abe Lincoln, Lincoln was asked as an after thought. His wife was very ill, had lost his son, everyone hated him, the opposing political party wanted him out of power, and he was suffering from depression. He was in the lowest place of his life. He was asked to write a "few" words. The speaker preceding him spoke for 2 hours and got thunderous applause. And he told his adviser, I don't think my speech is going to be good enough.

But he went on anyway, and in his brokenness God brought us the Gettysburg Address, one of the most quoted speeches in the world.

It was from God using Abe Lincoln also that we could even imagine to have a black president.

That in itself shows that Yes, God does use us. And he uses us the most usually when we are broken, and feel empty. When we stop filling up our emptiness with useless things, like more tv, food, addictions, etc.

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Treatment of Bush.. Disgraceful

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122584386627599251.html

The Treatment of Bush Has Been a Disgrace

What must our enemies be thinking?

more in Opinion »

Earlier this year, 12,000 people in San Francisco signed a petition in support of a proposition on a local ballot to rename an Oceanside sewage plant after George W. Bush. The proposition is only one example of the classless disrespect many Americans have shown the president.

[Commentary] AP

According to recent Gallup polls, the president's average approval rating is below 30% -- down from his 90% approval in the wake of 9/11. Mr. Bush has endured relentless attacks from the left while facing abandonment from the right.

This is the price Mr. Bush is paying for trying to work with both Democrats and Republicans. During his 2004 victory speech, the president reached out to voters who supported his opponent, John Kerry, and said, "Today, I want to speak to every person who voted for my opponent. To make this nation stronger and better, I will need your support, and I will work to earn it. I will do all I can do to deserve your trust."

Those bipartisan efforts have been met with crushing resistance from both political parties.

The president's original Supreme Court choice of Harriet Miers alarmed Republicans, while his final nomination of Samuel Alito angered Democrats. His solutions to reform the immigration system alienated traditional conservatives, while his refusal to retreat in Iraq has enraged liberals who have unrealistic expectations about the challenges we face there.

It seems that no matter what Mr. Bush does, he is blamed for everything. He remains despised by the left while continuously disappointing the right.

Yet it should seem obvious that many of our country's current problems either existed long before Mr. Bush ever came to office, or are beyond his control. Perhaps if Americans stopped being so divisive, and congressional leaders came together to work with the president on some of these problems, he would actually have had a fighting chance of solving them.

Like the president said in his 2004 victory speech, "We have one country, one Constitution and one future that binds us. And when we come together and work together, there is no limit to the greatness of America."

To be sure, Mr. Bush is not completely alone. His low approval ratings put him in the good company of former Democratic President Harry S. Truman, whose own approval rating sank to 22% shortly before he left office. Despite Mr. Truman's low numbers, a 2005 Wall Street Journal poll found that he was ranked the seventh most popular president in history.

Just as Americans have gained perspective on how challenging Truman's presidency was in the wake of World War II, our country will recognize the hardship President Bush faced these past eight years -- and how extraordinary it was that he accomplished what he did in the wake of the September 11 attacks.

The treatment President Bush has received from this country is nothing less than a disgrace. The attacks launched against him have been cruel and slanderous, proving to the world what little character and resolve we have. The president is not to blame for all these problems. He never lost faith in America or her people, and has tried his hardest to continue leading our nation during a very difficult time.

Our failure to stand by the one person who continued to stand by us has not gone unnoticed by our enemies. It has shown to the world how disloyal we can be when our president needed loyalty -- a shameful display of arrogance and weakness that will haunt this nation long after Mr. Bush has left the White House.

Mr. Shapiro is an investigative reporter and lawyer who previously interned with John F. Kerry's legal team during the presidential election in 2004.

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

About Obama's win.

Right now I am still sad, cryin a bit.
But I have to say (repeat) that there are two wonderful things that have come out of the elections.. ok three.
#1 First Black President.
#2 Highest voter %age in history.
#3 A strong marital relationship.

oh and I could add #4 cute little kids in the white house!'


ETA--- You who are believers... pray... God can change the mind of any man!

Monday, November 3, 2008

Twas the Night Before the Elections (from an email fwd)

The other day I was reading Newsweek magazine and came across some Poll data I found rather hard to believe. It must be true given the source, right?

The Newsweek poll alleges that 67 percent of Americans are unhappy with the direction the country is headed and 69 percent of the country is unhappy with the performance of the President. In essence 2/3 of the citizenry just ain't happy and want a change. So being the knuckle dragger I am, I started thinking, 'What are we so unhappy about?''

A.. Is it that we have electricity and running water 24 hours a day, 7 Days a week?

B.. Is our unhappiness the result of having air conditioning in the summer and heating in the winter?

C.. Could it be that 95.4 percent of these unhappy folks have a job?

D.. Maybe it is the ability to walk into a grocery store at any time and see more food in moments than Darfur has seen in the last year?

E.. Maybe it is the ability to drive our cars and trucks from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean without having to present identification papers as we move through each state?

F.. Or possibly the hundreds of clean and safe motels we would find along the way that can provide temporary shelter?

G.. I guess having thousands of restaurants with varying cuisine from around the world is just not good enough either.

H.. Or could it be that when we wreck our car, emergency workers show up and provide services to help all and even send a helicopter to take you to the hospital.

I.. Perhaps you are one of the 70 percent of Americans who own a home.

J.. You may be upset with knowing that in the unfortunate case of a fire, a group of trained firefighters will appear in moments and use top notch equipment to extinguish the flames, thus saving you, your family, and your belongings.

K.. Or if, while at home watching one of your many flat screen TVs, a burglar or prowler intrudes, an officer equipped with a gun and a bullet-proof vest will come to defend you and your family against attack or loss .

L.. This all in the backdrop of a neighborhood free of bombs or militias raping and pillaging the residents. Neighborhoods where 90% of teenagers own cell phones and computers.

M.. How about the complete religious, social and political freedoms we enjoy that are the envy of everyone in the world?

Maybe that is what has 67% of you folks unhappy.

Fact is, we are the largest group of ungrateful, spoiled brats the world has ever seen. No wonder the world loves the U.S. , yet has a great disdain for its citizens. They see us for what we are. The most blessed people in the world who do nothing but complain about what we don't have, and what we hate about the country instead of thanking the good Lord we live here.

I know, I know. What about the president who took us into war and has no plan to get us out? The president who has a measly 31 percent approval rating? Is this the same president who guided the nation in the dark days after 9/11? The president that cut taxes to bring an economy out of recession? Could this be the same guy who has been called every name in the book for succeeding in keeping all the spoiled ungrateful brats safe from terrorist attacks? The commander in chief of an all-volunteer army that is out there defending you and me?

Did you hear how bad the President is on the news or talk show? Did this news affect you so much, make you so unhappy you couldn't take a look around for yourself and see all the good things and be glad? Think about it.....are you upset at the President because he actually caused you personal pain OR is it because the 'Media' told you he was failing to kiss your sorry ungrateful behind every day.

Make no mistake about it. The troops in Iraq and Afghanistan have volunteered to serve, and in many cases may have died for your freedom. There is currently no draft in this country. They didn't have to go. They are able to refuse to go and end up with either a ''general'' discharge, an 'other than honorable'' discharge or, worst case scenario, a
''dishonorable' ' discharge after a few days in the brig.

So why then the flat-out discontentment in the minds of 69 percent of Americans?

Say what you want but I blame it on the media. If it bleeds it leads and they specialize in bad news. Everybody will watch a car crash with blood and guts How many will watch kids selling lemonade at the corner? The media knows this and media outlets are for-profit corporations. They offer what sells, and when criticized, try to defend their actions by 'justifying' them in one way or another Just ask why they tried to allow a murderer like O.J. Simpson to write a book about how he didn't kill his wife, but if he did he would have done it this way......Insane!

Turn off the TV, burn Newsweek, and use the New York Times for the bottom of your bird cage. Then start being grateful for all we have as country. There is exponentially more good than bad. We are among the most blessed people on Earth and should thank God several times a day, or at least be thankful and appreciative.' 'With hurricanes, tornados, fires out of control, mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up the country from one end to another, and with the threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks, 'Are we sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?'

Twas the Night Before the Elections (from an email fwd)

The other day I was reading Newsweek magazine and came across some Poll data I found rather hard to believe. It must be true given the source, right?

The Newsweek poll alleges that 67 percent of Americans are unhappy with the direction the country is headed and 69 percent of the country is unhappy with the performance of the President. In essence 2/3 of the citizenry just ain't happy and want a change. So being the knuckle dragger I am, I started thinking, 'What are we so unhappy about?''

A.. Is it that we have electricity and running water 24 hours a day, 7 Days a week?

B.. Is our unhappiness the result of having air conditioning in the summer and heating in the winter?

C.. Could it be that 95.4 percent of these unhappy folks have a job?

D.. Maybe it is the ability to walk into a grocery store at any time and see more food in moments than Darfur has seen in the last year?

E.. Maybe it is the ability to drive our cars and trucks from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean without having to present identification papers as we move through each state?

F.. Or possibly the hundreds of clean and safe motels we would find along the way that can provide temporary shelter?

G.. I guess having thousands of restaurants with varying cuisine from around the world is just not good enough either.

H.. Or could it be that when we wreck our car, emergency workers show up and provide services to help all and even send a helicopter to take you to the hospital.

I.. Perhaps you are one of the 70 percent of Americans who own a home.

J.. You may be upset with knowing that in the unfortunate case of a fire, a group of trained firefighters will appear in moments and use top notch equipment to extinguish the flames, thus saving you, your family, and your belongings.

K.. Or if, while at home watching one of your many flat screen TVs, a burglar or prowler intrudes, an officer equipped with a gun and a bullet-proof vest will come to defend you and your family against attack or loss .

L.. This all in the backdrop of a neighborhood free of bombs or militias raping and pillaging the residents. Neighborhoods where 90% of teenagers own cell phones and computers.

M.. How about the complete religious, social and political freedoms we enjoy that are the envy of everyone in the world?

Maybe that is what has 67% of you folks unhappy.

Fact is, we are the largest group of ungrateful, spoiled brats the world has ever seen. No wonder the world loves the U.S. , yet has a great disdain for its citizens. They see us for what we are. The most blessed people in the world who do nothing but complain about what we don't have, and what we hate about the country instead of thanking the good Lord we live here.

I know, I know. What about the president who took us into war and has no plan to get us out? The president who has a measly 31 percent approval rating? Is this the same president who guided the nation in the dark days after 9/11? The president that cut taxes to bring an economy out of recession? Could this be the same guy who has been called every name in the book for succeeding in keeping all the spoiled ungrateful brats safe from terrorist attacks? The commander in chief of an all-volunteer army that is out there defending you and me?

Did you hear how bad the President is on the news or talk show? Did this news affect you so much, make you so unhappy you couldn't take a look around for yourself and see all the good things and be glad? Think about it.....are you upset at the President because he actually caused you personal pain OR is it because the 'Media' told you he was failing to kiss your sorry ungrateful behind every day.

Make no mistake about it. The troops in Iraq and Afghanistan have volunteered to serve, and in many cases may have died for your freedom. There is currently no draft in this country. They didn't have to go. They are able to refuse to go and end up with either a ''general'' discharge, an 'other than honorable'' discharge or, worst case scenario, a
''dishonorable' ' discharge after a few days in the brig.

So why then the flat-out discontentment in the minds of 69 percent of Americans?

Say what you want but I blame it on the media. If it bleeds it leads and they specialize in bad news. Everybody will watch a car crash with blood and guts How many will watch kids selling lemonade at the corner? The media knows this and media outlets are for-profit corporations. They offer what sells, and when criticized, try to defend their actions by 'justifying' them in one way or another Just ask why they tried to allow a murderer like O.J. Simpson to write a book about how he didn't kill his wife, but if he did he would have done it this way......Insane!

Turn off the TV, burn Newsweek, and use the New York Times for the bottom of your bird cage. Then start being grateful for all we have as country. There is exponentially more good than bad. We are among the most blessed people on Earth and should thank God several times a day, or at least be thankful and appreciative.' 'With hurricanes, tornados, fires out of control, mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up the country from one end to another, and with the threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks, 'Are we sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?'

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Proof Media really does have Liberal Bias

http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/10...rage-negative/

Study Shows McCain Media Coverage Mostly Negative

The Project for Excellence in Journalism's report shows John McCain's media coverage has been 57 percent negative, while Barack Obama's has been 29 percent negative.

AP
Wednesday, October 22, 2008


NEW YORK -- John McCain may long for the days when Barack Obama got the lion's share of the media attention: Coverage of the Republican candidate has been overwhelmingly negative since the conventions ended, a study released Wednesday found.
The Project for Excellence in Journalism's report illustrates how the media echo chamber can send things spiraling out of control for a candidate. It's likely to give ammunition to people who say the press has been biased against McCain, but the organization said its findings on this were inconclusive.
"It's quite possible for there to be elements of enthusiasm for one candidate or another," said Tom Rosenstiel, director of the Washington-based think tank. "That's a failure of professionalism if it's there. But this report can't suss it out."
McCain and Obama have received an equal amount of media attention since the conventions.
The project judged 57 percent of the stories about McCain as negative, with 14 percent positive. The rest were neutral.
Obama's coverage was mixed: 36 percent positive, 29 percent negative, 35 percent neutral, the study found.
"I guess it's inevitable, but it does reflect the relentless degree to which winning begets winning," Rosenstiel said. "The polls are so ubiquitous that it is difficult for them not to be the picture frame through which the press views everything."
McCain's poll numbers have been sinking. As a result, many of the stories about him are about why his poll numbers are sinking -- and how whatever he says or does is an attempt to stop his poll numbers from sinking, he said.
The economic crisis, and McCain's response to it, also played poorly for him in the press. His attempt to deflect attention with attacks on Obama and his ties to 1960s radical William Ayers did even worse, the study found. During this time, news organizations also did critical fact-checks on some McCain ads, including one on Obama and sex education.
Changes in the media have also heightened the sense of piling on, Rosenstiel said. There are more polls to report on, hence more stories to say McCain is doing poorly in them. The 24-hour news networks are paying a great deal of attention to the campaign because it gets ratings, making for more repeating of stories done elsewhere, he said.
The cable networks have been showing off new iPhone-like technology that allows them to pull up maps of the country and data, and the electoral maps haven't been good for McCain.
Financial cutbacks also mean less time for news organizations to do enterprise reporting, again making for more repetition.
Rosenstiel noted that Obama's coverage was negative during the week after the GOP convention, when the surging McCain had the Democrat on his heels and talking about lipstick and pigs. McCain's negative coverage closely tracks the tone of Democrat Al Gore's during the 2000 campaign, he said.
A similar thing happened during the latter stages of Hillary Clinton's campaign against Obama, said David Gregory, host of MSNBC's "Race to the White House."
"There's a lot of focus on the campaign that is in decline to explain why that is happening, and then it becomes in the eye of the beholder whether that is fair or unfair treatment," Gregory said. "The best we can do is challenge both sides substantively."
The McCain campaign did not immediately return messages seeking comment.
Sarah Palin has received three times the press attention as the Democratic vice presidential candidate, Joe Biden, the study found. Her stories were judged 39 percent negative, 33 percent mixed and 28 percent positive.
Palin's coverage started out positive but turned when reporters went to Alaska to check on her record as governor. The study found only 5 percent of the stories were about Palin's family, most of them in the days after it was revealed her daughter was pregnant.
The Project for Excellence in Journalism studied some 2,412 stories from 48 news outlets for its study, including newspapers, Web sites and broadcast and cable news. A smaller sample, 857 stories, was used to judge the tone of the coverage.

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Obama & Ayers

http://www.gop.com/News/NewsRead.aspx?Guid=768aa784-72f3-4b43-acb6-c5fe81d901cd'


A couple quotes from here-
During The Time Obama And Ayers Served Together On The Woods Fund, Ayers Was Quoted Saying "I Don't Regret Setting Bombs ... I Feel We Didn't Do Enough." "'I don't regret setting bombs,' Bill Ayers said. 'I feel we didn't do enough.' Mr. Ayers, who spent the 1970's as a fugitive in the Weather Underground, was sitting in the kitchen of his big turn-of-the-19th-century stone house in the Hyde Park district of Chicago." (Dinitia Smith, "No Regrets For A Love Of Explosives," The New York Times, 9/11/01)

While Obama And Ayers Were Serving On The Woods Fund Together, Ayers Posed Standing On An American Flag For An Article In Chicago Magazine Entitled "No Regrets." (Marcia Froelke Coburn, "No Regrets," Chicago Magazine, 8/01)

Neighbors Have Said "It's Only Natural" That Obama Would Know Ayers, Who Often Opens His Home For Gatherings, As Obama And His Wife "Are A Part Of Our Neighborhood And Part Of Our Social Circle." "Since coming out of hiding in 1980, the couple have raised three boys in Chicago and become part of the fabric of their liberal South Side neighborhood. Neighbors said it's only natural that Obama would know Ayers and Dohrn, who often open their homes for gatherings filled with lively discussions about politics, arts and social issues. Obama and his wife 'are part of our neighborhood and part of our social circle,' said Elizabeth Chandler, a neighbor of Ayers'." (Trevor Jensen, Robert Mitchum and Mary Owen, "Bill Ayers' Turbulent Past Contrasts With Quiet Academ ic Life," Chicago Tribune, 4/17/08)

Sunday, March 16, 2008

Political differences between Obama and Clinton


Message difference -http://www.theithacajournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080223/OPINION03/802230307/-1/ELECTION


More differences-http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/01/28/080128fa_fact_packer




http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2008/01...y3775451.shtml

http://nj.nationaljournal.com/voteratings/issues.pdf

http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/01...nator-in-2007/

VoteMatch














Explore The Results
How It Works | Quiz Comments














PoliticsMatch

Your Political Philosophy
The below is a way of thinking about your political philosophy by dividing your PoliticsMatch answers into "personal" and "economic" questions. It is only a theory - please take it with a grain of salt!

Personal Questions: Liberals and libertarians agree in choosing the less-government answers, while conservatives and populists agree in choosing the more-restrictions answers.

Economic Questions: Conservatives and libertarians agree in choosing the less-government answers, while liberals and populists agree in choosing the more-restrictions answers.

Your Score

You scored the following on the PoliticsMatch questions:







Personal Score 0%






Economic Score 66%

Where You Fit In

Where your Personal score meets your Economic score on the grid below is your political philosophy. Based on the above score, you are a Populist-Leaning Conservative .

Political Map


Personal Score

This measures how much you believe government should intervene in people's personal lives. Personal issues include health, love, recreation, prayer and other activities that are not measured in dollars.

  • A high score (above 60%) means you believe in tolerance for different people and lifestyles.
  • A low score (below 40%) means you believe that your standards of morality & safety should be enforced by government.

Economic Score

This measures how much you believe government should intervene in people's economic lives. Economic issues include retirement funding, budget allocations, and taxes.

  • A high score (above 60%) means you believe in personal responsibility for your financial matters, and that free-market competition is better for people than central planning by the government.
  • A low score (below 40%) means you believe that a good society is best achieved by the government redistributing wealth. You believe that government's purpose is to decide which programs are good for society, and how much should be spent on each program.
Examples

The chart below indicates how four "hard-core" political philosophers would answer the questions. From this example, you can see how you fit in with each philosophy. Your answers are on the left.

  • A "hard-core liberal" would answer personal questions to minimize government involvement, but would answer economic questions to include government intervention.
  • A "hard-core libertarian" would answer both personal and economic questions to minimize government involvement.
  • A "hard-core conservative" would answer personal questions to include government intervention, but would answer economic questions to minimize government involvement.
  • A "hard-core populist" would answer both personal and economic questions with proposals that include government intervention.


= Strongly Support = Support = No Opinion = Oppose = Strongly Oppose


Personal Issues You Hard-core Liberal Hard-core Libertarian Hard-Core Conservative Hard-Core Populist

Abortion Is a Woman's Right

Sexual Orientation Protected By Civil Rights Law

Teach Family Values in Public Schools

Death Penalty

Mandatory "Three Strikes" Sentencing Laws

Drug Use Is Immoral: Enforce Laws Against It

Allow Churches To Provide Welfare Services

The Patriot Act harms civil liberties



= Strongly Support = Support = No Opinion = Oppose = Strongly Oppose


Economic Issues You Hard-core Liberal Hard-core Libertarian Hard-Core Conservative Hard-Core Populist

Require Companies To Hire More Women/Minorities

More Federal Funding For Health Coverage

Privatize Social Security

Replace coal and oil with alternatives

Decrease overall taxation of the wealthy

Illegal immigrants earn citizenship

Support and Expand Free Trade

Replace US troops with UN in Iraq


You Hard-core Liberal Hard-core Libertarian Hard-Core Conservative Hard-Core Populist



= Strongly Support = Support = No Opinion = Oppose = Strongly Oppose


Issues Not Counted In Philosophy You Hard-core Liberal Hard-core Libertarian Hard-Core Conservative Hard-Core Populist

Absolute Right To Gun Ownership

Parents Choose Schools Via Vouchers

More Spending On Armed Forces

Stricter limits on political campaign funds


You Hard-core Liberal Hard-core Libertarian Hard-Core Conservative Hard-Core Populist

= Strongly Support = Support = No Opinion = Oppose = Strongly Oppose




Final Notes

To ensure balance among political viewpoints, we arranged the wording of the questions so that half the time, the answer involving more government is answered by "support", and half the time by "oppose." Hence, each of the "hard core" philosophers would choose "support" for 3 or 4 of the Personal questions and for 3 or 4 of the Economic questions.

There are four questions which are not counted in your political philosophy. Those questions do not fit this theory -- for example, Democrats typically oppose unrestricted gun ownership, while a 'hard core liberal' would support it on grounds of the government not intervening in a personal issue. These omissions ensure that the theoretical definitions match with current-day politics.

Many of these statements cross over the line between personal issues and economic issues. And many people might answer what we call a "Personal" issue based on economic reasoning. But we have tried to arrange a series of questions which separates the way you think about government activities in these two broad scales.

Political Map and some content from Advocates for Self-Government.


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