Week #9, Blog #2

At 11:00 am on 10/31/08 Fox News is featuring a story that includes statements from Senator John McCain that we will be up late on Election Night. McCain is predicting a surge at the polls at the last minute and he is dismissing the fact that Democrats have cast more early votes through-out the country than has Republicans.

"We are going to win this election but I understand that it is still an uphill fight, and I have got to be the underdog right up until the polls open," McCain said. "And I am serious about that -- that's when we do best."

In a recent Fox News poll McCain is leading Obama by double digits when it comes to foreign policy issues and has almost a 50 point lead when it comes to who has the experience to be the Commander-in-Chief.

McCain knows that the undecided voters at this point are who is going to decide this election. He is traveling extensively through-out battleground states such as Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and others trying to make that last minute effort to get Republicans to the polls and convince undecided voters that he is not another term of Bush policies but instead a new direction for our country.

I think that if McCain stays on this issue of social the economic pie (wealth) then that will resonate with some voters. Just the fear of someone leading our country towards a Socialist agenda scares people into voting for the other candidate. He needs to keep stating his credentials that he has the experience necessary to lead our Armed Forces. There are several areas where McCain can help his cause but he needs to stick to those areas and back off tactics that aren't effective.

Campaign Ad

Week #9, Blog #1

As of 12:45pm on 10/28/08 Fox News is covering a statement that Senator John McCain made that Senator Ted Stevens should resign his Senate seat and scuttle his re-election campaign. Senator McCain made the following statement on the campaign trail, "It is clear that Senator Stevens has broken his trust with the people and that he should now step down. I hope that my colleagues in the Senate will be spurred by these events to redouble their efforts to end this kind of corruption once and for all."

Senator Stevens has been convicted of seven felony corruption charges by a grand jury in Washington D.C. Stevens now only has a week to go in his campaign which will be his eighth full six year term. He was previosuly appointed in 1966 following the death of Senator Bob Bartlett. Stevens is the longest serving Republican currently in the Senate. He has been in the Senate for forty-two years. He maintains that he is innocent and will appeal the decision. He has no plans to step down or recede his campaign.

I believe that the culture of corruption runs rampant in Washington and in other state legislative bodies through-out our country. Somehow some of these men and women feel that they are above the law which is fact they are not. If anything I believe that they should be held to a higher standard because they are in public office and are an icon through-out our country. Stevens should not step down or cancel his campaign for another term. We should let the judicial process function and then see where it goes from there. Even if he wins another term next week the Senate could expel him from the chamber with a 2/3 vote by the full Senate. I believe that this unlikely to happen but never say never...

Week #8, Blog #3

As of 11:20pm on 10/26/08, Fox News has reported the following as the top 5 news stories of the week:

1. 111th Congress = More Democrats

It has been widely reported by not only Fox News but other media sources that the next Congress will feature more Democrats in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. I think that there is growing concern especially if the Democrats can get a filibuster proof majority in the Senate. If this happens and we have a Democratic controlled Congress and a liberal Democrat in the White House such as Barack Obama then we will see a drastic change in our fiscal, tax, and social policies through-out our nation.

I have heard my parents talk about what life was like the last time that the Democrats were in charge of everything and that was in 1992. During the midterm elections of 1994, the American people decided that it was time for a change and the Democrats lost control of the Congress in a landslide to the Republicans who had not been in the majority for over fifty years in the House. That was remarkable. I think that as we enter the job market we have to be concerned about economic growth during the next four years and how favorable the tax environment is to small businesses that we most likely will work for since they are the economic engine of our national economy.

2. Republican Ticket pays more for a hairdresser than a foreign policy advisor.

Current Alaska Governor and Republican Vice-Presidential running-mate Sarah Palin's, hairdresser makes more than $10,000 more than McCain's foreign policy advisor. What priorities does this show the American people? Or what does this show about what Americans value?

I think that this is sad that they must feel that they have to do this in order to attract votes. I would hope that we value something higher than hair when trying to pick who are next President is. Others have said that this is a good reason to vote for Obama since they don't pay more for a hairdresser than a foreign policy advisor.

3. Stevens case not going well...

Senator Ted Stevens (R-AK) has been with-standing trial for nearly four weeks now about if he lied on his Senate disclosure forms. I think that this is something that is a tactic of the left because they are taking away his time from campaigning in Alaska while he is engaged in a tough Senate race back home in Alaska, 3000 miles away.

I believe that they should have withheld the trial until after the election because this gave him a huge disadvantage during this Senate race.

Jurors have been dismissed now and they are calling in alternate jurors to decide his fate.

4. Kennedy already starting to stack agenda for 111th Congress

Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA) is recovering at home from his cancer treatment but he is already planning health-care legislation for the 111th Congress. If Obama wins the White House he will have a friend that will help him move through this legislation for universal health care.

I think that universal health care would undermine our capitalistic system and will turn this country towards Socialism. I have heard this echo through other people as you walk to news or even in the Debate Watch that we had a couple weeks ago.

With this idea you take away the incentive to get ahead in your career. Some people are motivated to get more education and succeed because they will get health care. With this I feel that we are giving people a reason not to better themselves with education or career advancement. Not a good idea.

5. Dodd says Bush should nominate next Treasury Secretary.

Senator Christopher Dodd (D-CT) has said that President Bush should nominate the President-Elects Treasury Secretary in order to facilitate a seamless transition between administrations. I think that this is a good idea considering the fact that some economists will tell you that we are in a recession and it might even go deeper to classify as a depression.

When you have a new team come in to power they have to get caught up to speed with what is going on through-out the country. If President Bush already has that person in place before he leaves office then they can learn from Secretary Paulson and the Bush economic team that is already in place.

If McCain wins the White House I can see that this idea would be embraced probably because they are with the same political policy and share a fundamental belief in their economic agendas. If Obama wins I think that he will be less receptive of this idea because Obama and Bush do not share the same ideas on the economy or any other issue for that matter.

Week #8, Blog #2

At 6:30pm on 10/24/08, Fox News is reporting that in October Sarah Palin's hairdresser was paid $22,800 compared to $12,500 which was paid to McCain's foreign policy advisor.

Of course this statistic has been touted several times during the campaign by Barack Obama and Joe Biden. When something like this is reported it will undoubtedly be used to the other party's advantage during the campaign rhetoric.

McCain did accept public financing for his campaign which amounted to $84 billion for the General Election. Obama did not accept public financing and has raised significantly more money than McCain. However it does appear that McCain has more than Obama when you included RNC funds. McCain and Obama both must be selective on how they spend their money since there are only 11 days until Election Day. It has been proven time and time again that when the race is close what you do in the remaining weeks or even days can change the outcome of the election.

As a Republican I feel that the money that is paid to Palin's hairdresser is just a product of the times that we live in. We are materialistic in nature and therefore the campaign feels that they have to make Palin presentable to the American public in order to have a chance of capturing their vote on Election day. I know that money can be better spent elsewhere on recruiting an advisor that has the most experience and the best record out there. If they have that kind of money that they don't know what to do with it, I need a good paying job...

Obama and Biden are smart to cash in on this opportunity. This is something that they can spend as, "Look at what the McCain-Palin ticket has listed their priorities as hair over foreign policy." Give it a day or two and that is the kind of message that we will be seeing out of the Obama-Biden campaign camp.

Week #8, Blog #1

At 11:25pm on 10/21/08 Fox News has as their top news story a claim that House and Senate Republicans are in big trouble come Election Day. Fox news is predicting that the Republicans in the House of Representatives will lose 18 seats from the 199 that they currently hold. This would be devastating to the Republican agenda because they will not be able to stop anything that Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is pushing even with the help of the Blue Dog Democrats because they will not have enough rank-and-file Republicans to defeat the liberal Democratic agenda.

Chris Shays of Connecticut is in big trouble. Shays is the only Republican from the New England states currently serving in Congress. He has battled through 10 election cycles and this will be his 11th. Don Young of Alaska is the 3rd most senior Republican member of the House of Representatives and he is also in trouble this year. He has served in Congress since 1973 and has been the chairman of some powerful committees. He is currently under an ethical cloud that has plagued him in recent months.

In the Senate the odds don't look any better. The Senate Minority Leader, Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky is facing his toughest re-election contest yet. Some analysts say that this is payback for the defeat of then Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle in 2004. McConnell was once thought to be safe but the economic turmoil has the Republicans scrambling. Other Republicans once thought to be safe are now at risk for losing their seats including: Susan Collins of Maine, John Sununu of New Hampshire, Gordon Smith of Oregon, Elizabeth Dole of North Carolina, and Saxby Chamliss in Georgia.

I think that President Bush is part of the problem for Congressional Republicans. His low approval ratings reflect across the entire ballet. Some Americans might not realize that Democrats are now in control of the Do-Nothing Congress. If they did they might be voting against the Democrats in this election because this economic crisis happened while they were in control of the Congress.

Week #7, Blog #3

At 10:40pm on 10/19/08 Fox News has shown that the top five issues for teh week are:

1. Powell endorses Obama

This morning former Secretary of State under President Bush annouced that he was endorsing former Secretary of State Colin Powell to be the next President of the United States. I think that this was a possible blow to the McCain camp who might have been expecting his endorsement to help McCain with the African American community. I have not heard anyone yet who has said that this endorsement is going to change their vote in the November 4th General Election. This endorsement might have an impact on McCain if he wins the Presidency and his international relations abroad because Powell is highly respected through-out the world.

2. 111th Congress = More Democrats.

Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi this week has announced that she is expecting to increase her Democratic majority in the House by fifty members. This means that the House will hold 285 seats in the 111th Congress when it convenes in January. I agree with Fox News in casting a negative light on this idea. This invariably means more taxes, more government, and more of the same tax and spend policies that we have seen out of Democratic Congresses and administrations in the past.

In the House of Representatives the leadership can virtually ensure passage of legislation because they have the right to call a vote on any matter of their choosing. Typically rank and file members vote however the leadership of your respective party is pushing you to vote.

In the Senate the magic number is sixty. It is very unlikely that the Democrats will get sixty seats in this next Congress but at least 55-58 is possible by even conservative estimates. In the Senate, sixty votes are required to cut off debate and therefore more legislation forward. Without the sixty vote supermajority you are not guaranteed to get anything passed by the upper chamber.

Several comments have been made that a Democratic Congress and a Democratic President will not help our current economic situation at all.

3. Bush already in transition phase.

This week the Bush administration has announced that they are beginning to prepare a transition stage for either a McCain or Obama Presidency.

I believe that this is good idea considering that the race is still fairly close and we can not have a gap in coverage in January 2009. This is a positive move that demonstrates that President Bush is still looking out for our national security even though he is a lame-duck President for three more months.

4. 2nd Economic Stimulus Unlikely this Congress.

Leaders on both sides of the asile in Congress have signled that there will not be enough time to generate and pass a second economic stimulus package this Congress. This includes not only tax breaks, additional unemployment benefits, extension of government sponsored health insurance, and other governmentally funded assistance programs.

This will be hard for many families to do without this assistance espically as they are beginning a new career because they were laid-off from their previous jobns. The Low-Income Housing Energy Assistance Program is not going to have enough money this year to help pay for home heating oil for low-income Americans this winter. This includes senior citizens and children who will suffer. I believe that this is a sad state of affairs but the government can't do everything for you. You have to help yourself sometimes instead of always expecting help from others.

On the other hand, look at our federal budget deficit. We have to start somewhere and maybe this is the best place to start.

5. McCain says Election is being bought.

Senator John McCain has indictated that he feels that the $605 million that Senator Barack Obama has raised for this White House run just goes to show that the election is being bought.

Obama is the first post-Watergate President to decline the public financing option of $84 million. He has now raised more than seven times that amount and we still have three months left to go.

"I'm saying it's laying a predicate for the future that can be very dangerous," McCain said on "FOX News Sunday." "History shows us where unlimited amounts of money are in political campaigns, it leads to scandal.

I believe that many people here in West Virginia believe that this statement is true. We are not materialistic people as a whole and therefore the money and the glamour are not important to us. I think that Barack and McCain should have had the same amount of money to finance the General Election and therefore there would have been an equal playing field and the American public can decide who the next President should be instead of who has the most money in the bank account.

Week #7, Blog #2

At 10:45 on 10/17/08 Fox News is focusing a lot on Congress at this time. We have a Congressman from New York who has been convicted of DUI. At the same time we have a Congressman from Florida who has admitted extramatrial affairs but says that he has broken no laws. Speaker of the House has come out saying that she does not believe that a second economic stimulus package will not pass the Congress and be signed into law by the President before Bush leaves office.

I think that the ethical clout that has plagued Congress for many years now has to end. I know that people make mistakes because we are human but who are people looking up to for guidance. Are these the role models that we need in this country? I certainly don't think so.

I think that the "frame" that is surrounding the 2nd stimulus package is one of look at how the Democrats can't get anything done quickly when it is needed. To an extent this could be true but if Republicans were in control of the Congress would this be the same message that they are conveying? Most certainly not. When you think about how Congress moves legislatio it is no wonder why it takes forever. When you work in a partisan manner then you can't expect the other side to just follow your lead when you didn't consider any of there input or ideas.

The election year is certainly not helping the situation at all. Senators Obama and McCain have only hindered the progress that we could have made during this economic crisis. Hopefully the tide will turn and we can get this country back on course soon.

Week #7, Blog #1

At 10:35pm on 10/14/08 Fox News is reporting as its top article that the federal deficit is soaring. This year's deficit will hit $455 billion and next year could be as large as $700 billion if the current state of the economy continues.

In 2007 the federal deficit was $161.5 billion and this year figure is almost triple that amount. We have seen a decline in federal tax revenues because of the economy and certainly more federal spending including items such as an AMT patch, extension of unemployment benefits, the bailout package, and the list goes on. Congress and the President have to get together and promote some budget ideas that limits the growth in federal spending. The debt will eventually hit a point when it will no longer be manageable and we won't be able to find anyone to buy our bonds.

There are many reports in the news media today that says that there is every indication that we haven't hit the worst yet. Everyone is already freaking out so how much worse can it get without a mass panic? I believe that the federal government has begun to take steps to help stabilize the markets but why didn't we do this years ago? The answer to that question is because no one was taking real leadership on the issue. During this Congress the Democrats have been so worried about trying to put into place a timetable for withdrawal of United States forces in Iraq that they really ignored what was happening in the housing markets.

The deficit next year is projected to be $700 billion which is interestingly enough the price tag of the recently passed bailout plan by Congress which President Bush signed into law. Wait and see if we don't hear that in the debate tomorrow night and it other news ads and thirty-second sound bites by members of Congress who were opposed to the plan.

Less than three weeks left now until election day. Senator John McCain has some ground to make-up and Fox News is saying that this recent report certainly is not making that ground any easier to close up on Senator Barack Obama.

Week #6, Blog #3, Wrap-Up

As we move into less than a month until election day we have seen the campaigns really heat up with the rhetoric and the 2nd Presidential debate this past week which we all saw in the Debate Watch 2008. At 1pm on 10/12/08 we can see that the race is beginning to come together. The top five issues for the week are as follows:

1. Obama's leading in Fox News poll

After the American people saw the 2nd debate we saw that the polls have indicated at this point that our next President of the United States will be Barack Obama. The talk that I have heard around campus is generally that most students are supportive of this choice but as I talk to family members and even some professors they are not looking forward to an Obama administration. This is also my opinion because Obama will raise taxes, increase government, and begin a transformation our of free-market capitalistic democracy into a government dictated form of socialism. I heard one veteran on a talk show this week say that he fought in World War II so that we would be able to enjoy the freedoms that we are guaranteed as Americans to have and electing Barack Obama to be President will just go further to diminish those freedoms. What a great point...

2. McCain is compared to George Wallace.

Congressman John Lewis (D-GA) compared Senator John McCain to former Governor of Alabama George Wallace who was a segregationist. Not only was this the only incorrect statement but he also said that the McCain campaign has run ads that only fuel the hatred and discontent that is in American culture today. I think that these statements were very inaccurate and Barack Obama has distanced himself from them because he knows that they are incorrect and not appropriate. On Meet the Press this morning former Congressman and current Office of Management and Budget Director Robert Portman said that the Obama campaign has run some of the most negative ads ever seem in a Presidential election. This is just another example of the kind of politics that we need to get away from. Let's talk about the facts and issues and eliminate the character assassinations.

3. Debate #2

John McCain and Barack Obama faced off for the 2nd time in a town-hall style debate this past Tuesday night. The debate was focused on the economy for about 2/3 of the night and foreign policy for the remaining 1/3 of the evening. This was McCain's chance to really close the gap in the polls and he failed to do so. The economy is not John McCain's top issue and this debate was focused on that issue for the majority of the duration. This hurt Senator McCain. When he can talk about working together across the aisle, being against wasted taxpayer dollars being used for unnecessary earmarks, national defense, and terrorism then he can win over Barack Obama. This debate did not focus on that and I think that truly hurt him and I don't know if there is enough time for him to recover before Election Day.

4. Palin abused Power.

A big headline this week was that Sarah Palin abused her power as Governor of Alaska by trying to lean on a state official to fire her ex-brother-in-law as a State Trooper. This certainly does not look good for the McCain campaign. I've heard different people say things such as if she can't be trusted as Governor of Alaska then why should we give her more power and trust as Vice-President of the United States. This is a good point but at some point in time everyone does something or makes a comment that they later regret. Bill Clinton is a great example when he lied to the American people in 1998 about having sexual relations with quote "that woman". Once again this issue is not something that is going to change my vote away from the McCain-Palin ticket because I believe that they can tackle the issues in a more meaningful way then the Obama-Biden ticket.

5. Clintons stop whining.

Bill and Hillary Clinton are going to start making joint appearances for the Obama-Biden ticket. Now that Bill and Hillary are done whining and complaining about losing the election they are going to go out there and do what they do best. They want to change the tone of what they have said about Obama and even Biden through-out the primary and now support him over the McCain-Palin ticket. It seems that they think that after 18 months of bashing they can fit in 1 month of supporting in order to get on Obama's good side in case he would win the White House. Please... This is pathetic... Don't say something if you don't mean it and don't change your mind just so you don't look like a failure... Hillary - Stay on the back row of the Senate chamber and earn that big salary for missing over 50% of the roll-call votes in the 110th Congress.

It's been an exciting week. Only about three weeks to go.

Week #6, Blog #2

At 8pm on 10/10/08 Fox News has published a poll on the election and claims that Senator Barack Obama is leading 46% to 39% over Senator John McCain. A previous poll that was conducted two weeks ago shows almost the same results. Obama has increased his lead among his own party as well as woman, black voters, young voters with a college degree, and unmarried voters.

The three debates that have been held so far including the two Presidential debates and the single Vice-Presidential debate seems to have helped Senator Obama more so than Senator McCain. The economy is another factor why Obama's lead has increased because we have had virtually eight years of Republican policies and as long as things are going well then people usually want to return the same party into power but when things are looking down the people want a change. This is exactly the same thing that happened in 1992 when President George H.W. Bush was soundly defeated by an Arkansas Governor named Bill Clinton, who was new on the national scene.

The following statement from the article that includes the poll illustrates the prior point, "There is no doubt the economy remains the single most important issue to voters this election. It is picked by 49 percent, which is more than all the other issues combined. " The economy is currently on shaky ground with the Dow Industrial Average sinking below $8000 for the first time since 2003. The economy seems to be a very big and important election predicting tool. As Ronald Reagan said in 1980, "Are you better off than you were four years ago?" If the answer was no to that question then he felt that you should have voted for him to be President instead of the incumbent President Jimmy Carter (D-GA) because he already had four years and was unable to improve our economic situation so not it was time for a change. The American people agreed with that idea and President Reagan easily won the 1980 and 1984 Presidential elections.

At the end of the article it is interesting to note that Fox News has tied Congress and the Presidents low approval ratings as a factor as to why John McCain is not winning in the polls at this time.

Week #6, Blog #1

Shortly before midnight on 10/7/08 the 2nd Presidential debate was completed. Fox News is framing that both candidates tried to make some headway in the polls but neither got very far. The debate was 2/3 related to the economy. The other third mostly dealt in foreign relations. Obama now looks to be ahead in the polls by 7% before the debate and McCain is trailing in key battleground states. Fox News learned that before the debate Obama called upon his economic advisors to draft an updated economic agenda that looks upon the middle class and those who are unemployed.

The question was proposed as to who they would want to be there Treasury Secretary which is now considered to be the most powerful cabinet position. No candidate claimed an exact person who they would nominate and be subject to Senate confirmation which is a broken process in itself. "Asked whom they would appoint as their treasury secretary, neither McCain nor Obama definitively named a candidate. McCain mentioned supporter and former eBay CEO Meg Whitman as a possibility, while Obama mentioned supporter and billionaire Warren Buffet."

I think that it was a mistake for both candidates to not mention education or propose a real energy policy. The American people care about energy particularly at a time when energy costs have gone nowhere but up in recent years. Americans also care about their children's education and their increased standard of living. I also did not really see a clear winner of the debate following the 2008 Debate Watch. I think that both candidates said things that were helpful to voters and then again we heard some of the same tired rhetoric that we have heard many times before.

We will see who jumps ahead in the polls following this debate because chances are whoever is in the lead at that point will most likely capture the White House in November. That wonderful piece of information was provided by Dr. Robert Rupp at the 2008 Debate Watch. Less than four weeks left...

Week #5, Blog #3, Wrap-Up

This has certainly been an interesting week in the political world. Top 5 issues for the week are:

1. Bail-out Passes

This week Congress has approved and the President has signed the Economic Stabilization package which includes $700 billion for financial institutions among numerous other items. I think that this was the right move to make and the $700 billion price tag is a major turn-off initially but people do not understand that we will be getting the bulk of that money back when we re-sell the mortgages that we as a government purchase. I have heard older people (senior citizens) say that government is just looking out for the rich people again and are not doing anything to raise the amount of social security that they receive each month. This was the basic account of my grandmother who does live on a fixed income. I am not concerned because if you focus on the discussion and get past the tired rhetoric anyone can see that this bill will be helpful to our economy. As a college student I am worried about the debt that we accumulate as a nation because someone has to pay it back but this is a step in re-building our troublesome economy.

2. Vice-Presidential Debate

Sarah Palin and Joe Biden squared off for the 1st and only Vice-Presidential debate this year. I have heard many people say that it was a virtual tie. For Sarah Palin, who was quite the junior in the arena of politics compared to Joe Biden, to come out of this looking as a "tie" was what she needed. The McCain camp certainly did prep her well so that any question that popped up she had a response to. I have heard discussion among several students in my political science class that the questions were favored for Senator Biden compared to her because they dealt mostly with Congressional issues that she does not know about as much as Senator Biden because she has not severed in the Senate for 36 years. I have also heard from members of my family that they would like to see another debate between these two Vice-Presidential candidates. Fox News did call Palin the winner of the debate. (FYI, she did do very well)

3. 111th Congress could be filibuster free

Fox News is saying that there are 10 vulnerable GOP seats in this year's midterm election. If the Democrats can hit that magic number of 60 seats in the Senate then they will not have to go through all the procedural hurdles which have presented themselves during this session of Congress. With a 60 vote threshold the Democrats can virtually move through any piece of legislation that they desire without have to compromise with the Republicans who will not be able to stop them. Dr. Leonard and I were speaking the other day about this issue and we decided that this is not what the founding fathers envisioned when they created two legislative bodies for our federal branch of government. The House is governed by majority rule and the Senate was the cooling chamber where matters will receive more debate and discussion and the leadership can not force a vote down the members' throats. Compromise and extended debates would be the hallmarks of the Senate but with a super-majority of 60 Senate seats the majority leader and his team runs the entire body. This is not what the Senate was designed to be so it is my hope that this does not happen and the election climate will improve for Republican candidates.

4. Attacks are getting personal

The attacks coming out of the campaign are getting very personal. A McCain ad has tried to link Obama with terrorists and linking him with some of Illinois most corrupt public officials. The Obama team is relating this to the Swift Boat Veterans campaign ads that surfaced just months before the election in 2004 against Senator John Kerry. I have heard many people say that they are tired of hearing all this stuff that does not matter. If John McCain received war injuries in Vietnam that prevents him from being able to sit and use a computer then who cares. If the President can make cool, calm, and collected decisions without using a computer then that is fine with me. Another paraphrase from my grandma, let's get back to the issues that matter and move away from all this pointless talk. (Good idea)

5. Economy

With the stock market still in decline and jobless claims still rising many people are wondering "Have we hit the recession yet?" This is a valid argument and one that we as average American citizens are not sure of. I have not seen the media come out and say that it is official that we are in a recession but I think that it is obvious with the status of what is happening around us that something has to give at some point. An economy can not prosper forever and maybe we dug ourselves into this whole because we were trying to live up "the American dream" of everyone owning their own home. Fox News' economic team says the beginning of this whole mess was with the bust of sub prime mortgages. Someone got too greedy and now we are all feeling the squeeze. I have heard discussion that it is never going to get better as prices continue to rise for everything from food to health care to energy to utilities. I actually heard one lady at a gas station complaining because the price of her cigarettes went up. Well the easiest thing to do in this situation is to quit and that will save you a ton of money plus health care costs because your lungs will be clear and you might be able to avert cancer. Not a complicated thought process for this Republican.

With less than a month till the election the attacks, the ads, and the rhetoric is just going to increase. Hang in there guys, it's almost over.

Week #5, Blog #2

Around midnight on 10/3/08 Fox News is reporting that the House of Representatives passed the bailout measure overwhelmingly. Sixty house members changed their "nay" vote from Monday to an "aye" during today's session. The Senate had amended the bill to include extending expiring tax cuts, mental health parity legislation, earmarks, raising FDIC coverage limits, and small business tax breaks.

This media source is framing this event as a plus for the American people and our economy. Fox News is saying that if we pump the $700 billion into our economy then the markets will recover, jobs will cease to be lost, and small businesses will be able to meet their payroll and maintain a line of credit. They are proposing that since Congress and the President have acted the struggling that is currently present in our economy and financial institutions will diminish. It is not often that the President signs a piece of legislation just hours after it is sent to him. This shows that President Bush also agrees with how important and how needed this action was by Congress on behalf of Wall-Street and Main Street.

I applaud this action by our federal government. I have heard the remarks from some that this is a source of socialism. I don't approve of government intervention in the long hall but I think that at times it is something that is needed so that the free market system can reign supreme again. The market does fix itself in most cases but how many jobs would have been lost, how many banks would have closed their doors, and how many small businesses would be out of business if Congress and the President did not act quickly to this crisis. This was a bi-partisan effort in Congress to shepherd this legislation through to enactment. We get the best result when Democrats and Republicans work together. This was the case with this bill and I believe that the overwhelming vote on the House of Representatives floor today and the Senate floor on Wednesday was a rare occurrence of working together for the good of our country. I applaud both Presidential candidates for supporting this legislation because no matter who wins the White House in November, this is an important issue that they will have the address in the opening days, weeks, and months of their administration.