Saturday, December 10, 2011

6th period: Current Event due 12/16

Welcome to the last blog post of 2011! How did that happen so quickly?

For your last current event assignment of the calendar year, please find an article that relates to the Executive Branch. This can cover President Obama, the GOP primary race, the Cabinet, Governor Perdue or any other executive topic. This should be a fun week to post and grade! :)

Make sure to get those current events in before the new deadline (thanks to some important Honors C&E legislation and an executive signature). 

Have a great week!

26 comments:

  1. Natalie Bulik-Sullivan, Pd. 6
    New Perry ad derides Obama’s ‘war on religion’
    Author – Paul Steinhauser
    CNN, 7 December 2011
    http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/12/07/new-perry-ad-derides-obamas-war-on-religion/


    Governor Rick Perry has embraced a new tactic to antagonize the American people against President Obama and gain support for himself in the preliminaries. He began this attack with an ad that first aired in Iowa and quickly went viral on the Internet. In it, Perry asserts that there is a problem with the United States, as “gays can serve openly in the military but our kids can’t openly celebrate Christmas or pray in school.” Perry promises that, if elected president, he will “fight against liberal attacks on our religious heritage.” He claims that Obama has been fighting a “war on religion” and is trying to keep people from openly practicing their religion. His accusations are based on several of Obama’s actions during his presidency, including the absence of the word “God” from his Thanksgiving speech and the end of his endorsement of the Defense of Marriage Act of 1996 (which defined marriage as a union of two people of opposite sex and was ruled unconstitutional in 2010, at which point Obama officially ended his support of it).
    I think that Perry’s new attack on Obama is simply a mark of his own desperation. This new tactic is twisting Obama’s attempts to be ‘politically correct’ to make them out to be some kind of anti-Christianity war. No matter what President Obama says (even if it is only vaguely related to religion) he is going to offend people. With a country as diverse as the United States, it is extremely difficult not to do so, and the best any politician can hope to achieve is to anger as few of their constituents as possible. I don’t believe that Obama is waging a war on religion, as (as mentioned in this article) he mentions his religion fairly often, and wished American citizens “Merry Christmas” rather than simply “Happy holidays” at a tree lighting ceremony in Washington D.C. several days ago. Even if Perry were correct and Obama has been fighting against the expression of religion, Perry’s stance would be no better than his adversary’s. Many of the comments that the Texan governor has made have suggested that Christianity is the only religion practiced by citizens of this country, which is extraordinarily far from the truth (although, as his ad is geared towards conservative Iowa voters, who are likely to be Christian, this angle is understandable). As for the actions Perry is basing his claims upon, I see no problem with them. There is no law that states that a president’s Thanksgiving speech must have religious references, and the Defense of Marriage Act is a ridiculous piece of legislature that deserves to be ripped up and all memory of it erased from history. I despise politicians who use their faith as a tool for gaining votes. I believe that religion should be completely separate from government, and people should not vote for a person simply because they believe in the same deities. Having faith in common with a politician in no way suggests that s/he will be a responsible representative of your desires. This relates to the executive branch because Rick Perry is running in the GOP primaries.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Mikko Rich-Voorhees, 6th
    Rick Santorum is knucklehead for views on food stamps, by star-ledger staff
    NJ.com, 12/11/11
    http://www.nj.com/njvoices/index.ssf/2011/12/rick_santorum_is_the_knucklehe.html
    Rick Santorum, an ex Pennsylvania governor in currently attempting to receive the republican nomination for president and this article explains why he should not be. At an Iowa campaign stop last Monday Santorum exclaimed, “[the] United States should cut funding for food stamps because obesity rates are high among who use them.” This is far from the truth and only tried to make an intelligent statement after other GOP candidate Newt Gingrich mentioned how Americans are “cashing in their food stamps and buying airline tickets to Hawaii.” This group of people along with homophobic Bachmann and the extremely religious Rick Perry are making for a weak pool of GOP candidates.
    Myself I don’t believe any of the republican choices for the 2012 election are above a 6th grade reading level and the only reason I seem fit to continue watching their campaigns is strictly the giggles. I would be disappointed to know that any of these people did as much as vacuum the carpets of the oval office, much less sit behind the desk of the most important position in the country. This relates to our class because we happen to be coming up on a presidential election (the leader of the executive branch). This election decides if the country will progress the way it has, or crumble in the hands of any of the Republican Party’s “best”.

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  3. Kaitlin Jones, 6th
    Keystone pipeline a tough decision for Obama
    By Tom Cohen, CNN
    December 13, 2011
    http://www.cnn.com/2011/12/13/politics/congress-pipeline-politics/index.html

    President Obama recently expressed his discontent with the Keystone Bill. This bill makes plans for an oil pipeline to run through the United States from Canada, down through Texas. The State Department recently announced that they were going to push the decision about this bill until November 2013. Many Republicans saw this as a way for Obama not to get into any political positions that may prevent him from winning the 2012 election, so they passed a bill saying that the president must make a decision within 60 days. The Senate is not expected to pass this bill. Many environmentalists are against this bill also, because they say that this pipeline would be hazardous to the health of the environment.

    I think that there are both good and bad things about this bill. It also said in the article that many businessmen supported this bill because it was expected to bring in as many as 20,000 construction jobs. This is obviously a good thing, because it would help improve our economy. However, I think that it is a bad thing that the environment would be at risk, and this could possibly affect those that live near the pipeline, also.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Catherine Romaine
    6th period
    War Nearly Over, Obama Says Iraq Won't Stand Alone
    Ben Feller
    12/12/11
    http://www.newsobserver.com/2011/12/12/1705853/obama-al-maliki-to-chart-next.html

    On Monday, Obama officially stated that the Iraq days are over since we are taking out all of the troops from there. However, he also said that we will stay committed to Iraq and their beginning government. There are currently 6,000 troops in Iraq which has diminished drastically since 2007 when there were 170,000. The last American troops will be out of Iraq by December 31, 2011. The Iraq War will end after 9 years of fighting with 4,500 Americans dead, 32,000 injured, and billions of dollars spent. Obama also talked about the future of Iraq. He says that Iraq has a huge potential because of its new, self-government. Obama called Iraq a “sovereign country” and an “equal partner.” Finally, Obama paid respect to the million soldiers that served in Iraq over the course of the war as well as their families.
    I chose this article because it has been a huge controversy ever since President Bush began the war. This war has cost many lives and has also been a huge part of our economy. I am glad that Obama is taking the troops out because I think them being there is unnecessary. The fighting is over there so there is no reason that we still need to be there. There are still thousands of troops in Afghanistan, however, which I hope will return home soon as well.

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  5. Arjun Raghavan
    Pd. 6
    Washington Post
    December 7, 2011
    http://tinyurl.com/civicsarjunraghavan
    Rod Blagojevich, the former governor has been sentenced to jail for 14 years due to corruption. The man who was once one of the most powerful in the state will now possibly scrubbing toilets and mopping floors for $0.12 per hour. Although he had to have two trials, the judges finally sentenced him on counts of bribery and other types of corruption. Blagojevich is the second consecutive Illinois governor to go jail, mainly for trying to sell Barack Obama’s Senate seat. Blagojevich reiterated on the stand that he had nobody to “blame” but himself.
    I feel that this is a case we can all learn from. Although I do not know enough about the case to even try to decide if the punishment was warranted, we can learn not to abuse our power. We have to always stay humble.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I say since I'm turnin this in early i should get like half points on my last current event. pleasseeeeee Ms. Logannn

    David Hicks
    6th Period
    Title: Gingrich Leads, But Likely GOP Primary Voters Have Not Ruled Out Romney
    Source: Pew Research Center
    Date: December 13, 2011
    URL: http://www.people-press.org/2011/12/13/gingrich-leads-but-likely-gop-primary-voters-have-not-ruled-out-romney/

    A recent poll reveals that Newt Gingrich has a significant lead over all other Republican GOP candidates - a whole 14%, in fact. With 35% support from republicans, Gingrich may be the next Republican GOP. The closest competitor to Gingrich is Mitt Romney, with a 21% support rating. Despite this, Gingrich and Romney are still relatively close in terms of support, with 70% and 61% of republicans in support of them, respectively. Women generally support Romney more than men, with 22% in support of Romney giving Gingrich a 7% lead with 29%. With men, Gingrich has a 21% advantage, with 40% and 19% support respectively. Unfortunately for the Republican party, no individual has a large amount of definite votes, with only 34% of those surveyed saying that they fully back their candidate.
    I find this article funny. It seems like everyone is unsure about who they will actually vote for, forming a cluster**** of confused individuals with no definite votes. It isn’t exactly the ideal situation for Republicans, considering you generally want a candidate that almost everyone is supportive of. These candidates, putting it modestly, kinda suck. I actually wouldn’t mind Gingrich being in office because he’s actually smart, which is a quality that many candidates seem to lack. Unfortunalty, his expertise is clouded by his past which has likely resulted in a large loss of votes. I’ve been saying this for a long time, but if the Republican party, or any party, wants to get anywhere they need to focus on politics and not personal lives. This relates to our class topic because it deals with the Executive branch (Presidential candidates).

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  7. Anna Zhang 6th
    Obama and the politics of disappointment
    By Tom Foreman, CNN
    Tue December 13, 2011
    http://www.cnn.com/2011/12/13/politics/obama-disappointment/index.html

    In 2008, 77% of voters polled thought Obama would unite the country and 74% thought he could improve the economy. Now, his approval rate has dwindled down to the mid-40s. This drastic change was caused by Obama’s failure to keep his promises to the people. His influential speeches led thousands of people to believe in him, but with no improvement in the economy and a few ignored pledges, many advocates have lost faith in the president. Currently Obama strategy to gain back voters is to criticize the Republicans for their uncooperativeness in forming a bipartisanship. Obama sums up the Republican’s behavior in a few words. “Anything Obama is for, we're against.” Yet if Obama wants to win this upcoming election, he’s going to have to make some radical improvements in this country’s economy.

    I knew that Obama’s approval rating wasn’t very good but I didn’t expect it to be that low. People are really frustrated with the economy and how it’s gotten worse rather than improving. I guess that’s what happens when you make promises you can’t keep. But I don’t think Obama’s leadership is the main cause of the problem. Trying to revive the country from its current state is a lot to put on a man. I think America needs to stop arguing and put its head together to think of some better ways to earn some money.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Paul Miller
    6
    Romney “out of touch” Perry says
    By Gabriella Schwarz
    CNN
    December 11, 2011
    http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/12/11/romneys-out-of-touch-perry-says/

    On Saturday night’s GOP debate in Iowa, Mitt Romney bet Rick Perry $10,000 that he had not removed a section of his book “No apologies” about the national health care mandate. Romney says that he does not want Obama care infused into the state by the national government and says he wants the states to create their own solutions. He thinks the federalism ideas of the national government putting their plan on the states are ridiculous. He also repeatedly defends his Massachusetts health care plan as a state experiment, not meant for the national government which is the heart of criticism. Romney’s strategist explains his bet as a one between typical friends that are intended to combat a false attack and point out your feeling on the subject with the amount of money bet.

    I think that it is stupid to openly bet the other candidate money when you know he is not going to take it and you just look like a fool. You could also just get your point across by stating your side of the story very firmly or moving on. Although it is bad to try ot make a bet on TV I can understand where he is coming from and trying to state his point with the amount of money he is willing to pay to prove it. This applies to class because we are learning about the GOP candidates.

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  9. Crescentia Cho/ 6th period
    Obama Marks End of Iraq War at Fort Bragg
    BBC
    December 14, 2011
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-16186136

    Obama gave a speech to the soldiers and their families in Fort Bragg in North Carolina. In his speech he welcomed the troops back home. In Iraq nearly 4,500 soldiers died and 30,000 had been wounded. Obama was ensuring to the veterans that he would be committed to find them the job and resources they need back home. They served for America and now it is America’s turn to do something nice for them. In the 2008 election, Obama barely won North Carolina. This speech also had political significance.
    I think that it is great that the soldiers are coming back home to their families. They have been there way too long. I agree with Obama when he says that America should do something nice for the veterans because we didn’t have to go fight a war in Iraq. We stayed home and went on with our lives. Going to war would not be a top priority on someone’s list and the veterans did the tough job. I do believe that the speech had political significance because the speech was given in North Carolina and he has been coming here a lot lately.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Nate Hebert-6th
    Ron Paul emerges as force in 2012 GOP race
    By Joel Achenbach
    The Washington Post
    December 15 2011
    http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/ron-paul-emerges-as-force-in-2012-gop-race/2011/12/15/gIQAzNQawO_story.html

    Representative Ron Paul has spent most of his career in Congress but has recently emerged as a powerful force in the GOP race. Ron paul opposes some things that have happened awhile ago. He opposes the creation of Medicare, Social Security, and the federal income tax. He is also against national banks. Ron Paul has passionate followers from all areas on the political spectrum. Ron Paul has been known to not be a flip-flopper. He has said the same things for 35 years. Chris Cillizza says the Paul could possibly be the only one to beat out Newt Gingrich in Iowa. Newt Gingrich should be watching out for Paul, he has a strong willingness to win. Ron Paul does not have the looks of your typical president, he is 76 and stooped. He does not have an image like Romney, Perry, or Gingrich but he has energy to burn to make up for it.
    I believe that Ron Paul is a good candidate and a force to be reckoned with. The one thing against him is his image which could deliver a psychological factor to people when they are voting for a candidate. I also believe that Ron Paul is the only candidate that has a chance to beat Obama. I think he can do this because he can make democrats “jump ship”. He used to be in the libertarian party so he has some views that are less conservative than his fellow GOP candidates. This relates to what we are talking about because Ron Paul has the chance to be a part of the executive branch. Ron Paul 2012.

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  11. Colin Bergey - Period 6
    Paul's serious challenge in Iowa could rock the GOP race
    by Shannon Travis
    December 25, 2011
    http://www.cnn.com/2011/12/15/politics/ron-paul-iowa/index.html

    Ron Paul is one of the underdogs in the GOP race. No one thought he had any chance to win a year ago. Several polls show Gingrich ahead in Iowa and Romney and Paul Battling for second. These polls may not be entirely accurate because there is more support for Gingrich and Romney. If Paul could win it would give him momentum heading into other states and contests. Political analyst Rich Galen said that Paul's chances are possible and trending towards probable. Also, unlike Romney and Gingrich, Paul has served 11 terms in the House and ran for President in 2008.
    I think Ron Paul has a real cause and may indeed win in Iowa. Paul wants to end all foreign wars and stop outrageous government spending. There is still a while to go in the race, I am interested to see what happens.

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  12. Natalie Ragazzo 6th period
    New Perry ad derides Obama's 'war on religion'
    by; Paul Steinhauser
    published December 7th, 2011
    CNN.com
    http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/12/07/new-perry-ad-derides-obamas-war-on-religion/

    Rick Perry is fighting against what he calls Obama's "war on religion'. Perry has released an ad that is scheduled to air on television in "heavy rotation" starting January 3rd, the official kick off to the presidential primary. Perry says things in his commercial such as '...there's something wrong in this country when gays can serve openly in the military but our kids can't openly celebrate Christmas or pray in school.'. Perry says that he has no shame in his commercial and he will fight against liberal attacks on his religion.
    In my opinion Perry is going about all of this in the wrong way. I believe that Obama is just trying to not single out any certain religion or act as if one deserves more attention than others. In the US we have many different types of religions and people and he's just trying not to offend anyone. I also think that Perry was very wrong in what he says. '....there's something wrong when gays can serve openly in the military....', that is a terrible thing to say. There is no problem with gay people serving in the military. There are the same as anyone else. Perry is also acting as if Christianity is the only religion there is, so what does that mean he would do if he got elected? Forget about all other religions? It sounds as if he may have his own "war on religion" of he were elected. Obama is taking many religions into consideration while Perry is taking only one, his own.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Ashley Powell, 6th
    Romney adviser blasts Gingrich’s ‘arrogance’
    By Peter Hamby
    12/16/11
    CNN
    http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/12/16/romney-adviser-blasts-gingrichs-arrogance/

    This article is talking about the verbal battle between Romney and Gingrich. Romney’s adviser is saying that Gingrich is exactly like what the Republican Party does not need right now. He is the fixating on the problems of the 90’s and not the solutions. His adviser says that Gingrich thinks that he is the greatest person ever and that he is just part of the problem. He thinks Gingrich is going to lose the race because people are trying to move past all of the recent problems but Gingrich reminds everybody of those times.
    I think right now there are no great people in the GOP race. If one of them stops talking about the others and just steps up and says how they plan to fix the problem then they can take the lead. I’m tired of everyone talking about how they are better than the other. They seem fixated more on destroying each other than helping themselves.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Camden Van Ord, 6th Period
    Truth Squad: Part of the CNN Republican debate fact-checking series
    The CNN Wire
    December 16th, 2011
    CNN
    http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2011/12/16/truth-squad-part-of-the-cnn-republican-debate-fact-checking-series/

    This article is essentially straightening out the facts of last night's GOP debate in Sioux City, Iowa. Many times facts were being spewed out that were later crititicized by other GOP candidates. Michelle Bachman stated many facts that actually turned out to be false. When discussing relations with Iran, Bachman said that the IAEA stated that Iran was to receive nuclear weapons in the next few months. She used this in part of her argument, but was then accused of false facts by Ron Paul. CNN found out that this was indeed false. Things like this were a common occurrence in last night's debate.

    I chose this article because when I was watching the debate last night, I noticed many times that candidates were calling each other out on facts they had previously stated. It was definitely more common than usual. At one point, representative Bachman and Newt Gingrich got into a heated argument over the accusation of false information. I thought this was very amusing, and it was funny to see which facts were actually not true.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Tim Bogan – 6th Period
    U.S. Transfers Enemy Combatant To Iraqi Government
    By Eyder Peralta
    NPR News – December 16, 2011
    http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2011/12/16/143857344/u-s-transfers-enemy-combatant-to-iraqi-government?ft=1&f=1001

    As part of the withdrawal of the United States from Iraq, the US has turned over the last Iraqi prisoner to the Iraqi government. The prisoner, Ali Musa Daqduq, was held for his ties to Hezbollah, a militant group from Lebanon. Reports from the White House assure that he will be tried for his crimes by the Iraqi government. The US said that Daqduq was part of a raid in which four American soldiers were killed but due to not having any ties with al-Qaida, the United States could not hold him indefinitely. The administration’s decision to turn Daqduq over is reported to be a “move likely to unleash a political backlash inside the United States. David Lucas, the brother of Pvt. Shawn Falter, one of the men killed in the 2007 raid, said that turning Daqduq over to the Iraqi government was “as good as letting him go free.” Lucas also said that because of the United State’s decision he feels that his brother’s death was in vain.

    I think that although it may be hard for family members and friends of those killed, the United States did the right thing turning Daqduq over to the Iraqi government. The United States is out of Iraq and has no business keeping prisoners without a validated reason. The article says that a Unites States senator told Attorney General Eric Holder that the only solution he saw was to send Daqduq to Guantanamo, but due to the Obama administration’s attempts to close the prison, it was not an option. Therefore, the only option they had was to return Daqduq to the Iraqi government. This article relates to your activities in class because it involves war, and the President is the Commander in Chief of the Unites States Armed Forces.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Katie Mimmack pd 6
    At Debate, Bachmann Does Some Damage by Todd Graham
    CNN.com on December 16, 2011
    http://www.cnn.com/2011/12/16/opinion/graham-iowa-gop-debate/index.html

    On Thursday evening in Sioux City, Iowa, Republican candidates faced off in a heated debate. Newt Gingrich has recently been leading in the polls, with Mitt Romney a far second. The candidates were expected to be more competitive than usual, trying to knock down Gingrich and boost their own standing. Michelle Bachmann, from Minnesota, did better than she had in the past and took Gingrich and Ron Paul down in debates over Iran and Gingrich’s work with Freddie Mac. Mitt Romney is expected to pull ahead in the polls because he did very well during the debate and let the other candidates take down Gingrich instead of attacking him himself. The other candidates did well too: Rick Perry had his best debate so far; John Huntsman was statesman-like; and Rick Santorum and Michelle Bachmann stressed their conservative values.

    I think that it's really interesting that there are so many Republican candidates for the 2012 election. No one person has a good percentage of supporters, meaning that the primaries will be very unpredictable. All of the candidates vary in the extremity of their beliefs, some being much more right wing than others, but none of them are willing to let any of the others gain ground. When Gingrich pulled ahead, the other candidates attacked him like feral dogs. I had an experience in sixth grade when half of my homeroom volunteered to be a studenent council representative. The children went after eachother without relent, and by the end none of the original vollunteers had left the room without a few insults and a deep hatred for the person who had won. This article relates to what we've been studying in class because it is about the presidential election, which relates to the executive branch. This article made me wonder what exactly Rick Perry did that made him come out strong, because he never can seem to come out of these debates without looking like an uninformed idiot.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Carly Narotsky - Period 6
    Candidates go for last words in final debate before Iowa caucuses
    By Peter Hamby, CNN
    12/16/11
    http://www.cnn.com/2011/12/15/politics/iowa-debate/index.html

    The Republican debate on Thursday was very important because it was the last one of 2011 before primary season kicks off in January with the Iowa caucuses. The candidates are now trying to project themselves in a positive light by not attacking each other as they have in the past. Romney and Hunstman had both previously attacked front runner Newt Gingrich, accusing him of siding with liberals on specific issues in the past. In this debate, however, they both turned their criticisms to the current administration under Barack Obama. Rick Perry chose to refrain from kicking other candidates down and instead bring himself up by comparing himself to Tim Tebow. There was of course some arguing in the debate, though, including Bachmann challenging Gingrich about the mortgage financial meltdown, Paul and Bachmann disagreeing about diplomacy with Iran, and Santorum accusing Romney of supporting gay marriage as governor of Massachusetts.

    This article puzzled me a little bit at first because it started off by saying that the candidates were nicer to each other this debate, which is uncharacteristic of this race. After I finished reading the article, it had outlined several examples of the candidates attacking each other on different points. This is leading me to believe that it’s probably impossible for any party to have a debate in which the candidates don't attack each other’s opinions. Otherwise it wouldn’t be a debate, it would just be a conversation.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Ryan Castellano 6th period
    War Nearly Over, Obama Says Iraq Won't Stand Alone
    Ben Feller
    12/12/11
    http://www.newsobserver.com/2011/12/12/1705853/obama-al-maliki-to-chart-next.html

    On Monday, Obama officially stated that the Iraq days are over and most of the troops are officially out of Iraq. He also said that we will stay committed to Iraq and their government which is just starting off. There are currently 6,000 troops in Iraq which has reduced considerably since 2007 when there were 170,000 troops inside the Iraq border. The final American troops will be out of Iraq by December 31 of this year. The Iraq War will end after 9 years of fighting with 4,500 Americans dead, 32,000 wounded, and billions of dollars used up. Obama also talked about the future of Iraq and their government. He says that Iraq has great potential because of its new, self-government. Obama called Iraq a “sovereign country” and an “equal partner”. Obama didn’t forget to recognize the millions of soldiers that served in Iraq over the progression of the war as well as their families and loved ones.


    I chose this article because it has been a huge controversy over the occupation of Iraq ever since George Bush began the war. This war has cost many lives and has also been a huge part of our economy. I am happy that Obama is taking the troops out because I think them being there is unnecessary. The fighting is well passed and there is no reason to still be there. There are still thousands of troops in Afghanistan, however, which I hope will return home soon as well.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Alex Walker, 6th Period
    With Iowa Vote Looming, Gingrich Struggles to Stay Atop the GOP Field
    Author: Liz Halloran
    Source: NPR
    Publishing Date: December 16, 2011
    http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2011/12/16/143823146/with-iowa-vote-looming-gingrich-struggles-to-stay-atop-gop-field

    The final GOP debate before the Iowa caucus occurred this Thursday on December 15, 2011, and it marked a last chance for candidates to gain or lose potential voters. Newt Gingrich, the frontrunner at the moment, endured several attacks from his opponents, in particular Michelle Bachman, all night long. She accused him of lobbying for Freddie Mac and earning $1.6 million illegally through that process. Meanwhile, Mitt Romney made a surge in the debate with his attacks on President Obama. Ron Paul is on Gingrich’s heels as well with his anti-war viewpoint. Overall, Gingrich still has the advantage going into the Iowa caucus, but his competitors are beginning to close the gap between distancing him from them.

    I believe that the position of President is one of extreme authority, and you have to be careful who you choose for it. When electing the President, you are choosing who will be the most powerful man in the country, as well as a symbol for the nation. Right now, I wouldn’t feel comfortable with any of these people in that sort of position, and I’m anxious to see how events end up unfolding. This article is related to what we’re studying because it revolves around candidates trying to become president and leader of the executive branch.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Gabe Foster 6th Period
    Perry 'taken aback' by Paul's comments on Iran
    Ashley Killough
    CNN 12/16/11
    http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/12/16/perry-taken-aback-by-pauls-comments-on-iran/


    On Thursday night, during a GOP debate Ron Paul said he thought the US should back off of Iran and use diplomats to sort out the controversy over their nuclear development programs. He went on to say the United States’ sanctions against Iran were an act of war. During the debate Michelle Bachmann was first to say she disagreed with Paul and was later followed by Rick Perry. Rick Perry made it clear he disagrees. He said he thought this was crazy and dangerous. He even went so far as to call the current Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a “madman”.
    I think this shows how wide spread the Republican candidates are on lots of issues. They don’t seem to agree on a whole lot to me. They’re all conservative and I think they all seem to be a bit extreme. I think all of this debate will help President Obama once the GOP has picked their candidate. This primary will weaken who ever does win and give the Obama campaign more time to prepare. The more the republican candidates go at each other the better chance Obama has of winning re-election.

    ReplyDelete
  21. John Morales, Period 6
    Congressional Republicans Want to Hogtie Obama Agencies
    By Jennifer Mueller
    Source: care2
    Date Published: 12-11-11
    http://www.care2.com/causes/congressional-republicans-want-to-hogtie-obama-agencies.html

    On December 7 the U.S. House Of Representatives passed a bill that would
    shut down President Obama's executive branch agencies concerning new rules
    or regulations. The Regulations From the Executive in Need of Scrutiny
    (REINS) Act requires that both houses of congress shall vote on any
    executive branch decision that may cost more than $100 million dollars. If
    any rule or regulation is not voted within the limit of 70 days it will
    not be counted upon.
    The regulations could cause many restrictions and is highly commented on. The Executive Agencies may not like the intereference of the Congress however its said that if the bill is passed they must obey at all times.
    I think that Congress should have some interference but I don't completely agree with the bill. I would propose that Congress should only have few interference but Executive Agencies should decide what they do with their money at all times. In my opinion the Executive Agencies should consider the help that Congress can give . In conclusion, as of me, the bill should be reworded so both Congress and Executive branches can come to an agreement that's equal for both.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Emma Beck Per 6
    New Poll Suggests Latino Voters See "Hostile" GOP
    By Corey Dade
    npr.com
    http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2011/12/12/143601214/new-poll-suggests-latino-voters-see-hostile-gop

    Many Latinos say that having a Latino Vice President won’t change how they vote. Republicans generally have tried to pass tougher immigration laws. This makes most Latinos vote for the Democrats. Some people had thought that if the Hispanic Senator Marco Rubio were to be nominated as Vice Presidents then they might be able to get more votes. Most Latinos though said that having Rubio as the vice president would have no effect on their voting. Other people say that Rubio has not had enough experience to be suitable for the position.

    I think that it is interesting that some Latinos think that way. I would have thought that more people would have been affected by having a Hispanic as the Vice President. I also think that it racist. People have different opinions and the opinions generally don't have anything to do with your race. For example when President Obama was running I am sure that plenty of African American's did not vote for him. Also there were many people that voted for Obama that were white even though there was a white person running.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Laura Sullivan
    Period 6th
    Title: 'Welcome home,' Obama tells troops from Iraq
    Author: Tom Cohen
    Source: CNN
    Date: 12-14-11
    http://edition.cnn.com/2011/12/14/politics/obama-iraq-troops/?hpt=wo_c1


    This article is about Obama welcoming home the soldiers form Iraq. It has been nearly nine years that soldiers have been in Iraq. In the last three years 150,000 American soldiers have left Iraq and in the next few days the rest of the American soldiers will be making that final march out of Iraq. Most of them will be going to Fort Bragg. Obama congratulates all of the soldiers and honor them for doing something profound with their life. Obama said "The war in Iraq will soon belong to history. Your service belongs to the ages.
    This article has to do with what were talking about in class because it is about Obama who is in the executive branch. I think it is really good that Obama is honoring the soldiers because they definitely deserve it. I am really glad to hear that all the U.S. troops in Iraq are going to be making the final march.

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  24. TJ TJ TJ TJ TJ TJ TJ TJ TJ TJ TJ TJ TJ TJ TJ TJ TJ TJ TJ TJ TJ TJ TJ TJ TJ TJ

    Grant DeSelm, 6th

    Republican Iowa debate: Romney offers $10,000 bet

    BBC.com, 12/15/11

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-16129039



    In the opening few minutes of the Iowa debate this past week, Republican GOP candidate Romney set out why he could bring the US economy back up. Then a discussion came up about health care, to which Rick Perry started to argue about healthcare policies. Romney offered a $10,000 bet over healthcare. Because Romney made this bet with Perry, some people say that Romney might be out of the running. Meanwhile, Gingrich defended his recent statement that the Palestine’s were an invented people, calling the Palestinian people terrorists.

    This GOP is really getting to the point where there is no one that can challenge Obama. He is the only person that gets our country. None of the republicans get our country and the direction it needs to go. Obama has lifted this country and guided it in the right direction. Our economy is getting better and the unemployment rate is going down. The fact that the republicans are betting money of some things they said is just observed. We need a strong leader for our country in 2012 and right now, it looks like Obama is the clear front runner.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Maddie McNeal – Per. 6
    Ghost of a chance? Herman Cain haunts Iowa caucuses
    Author Paul West
    LA Times; December 13, 2011
    http://articles.latimes.com/2011/dec/13/news/la-pn-herman-cain-haunts-iowa-caucuses-20111213

    Earlier in the race, candidate Herman Cain left the Republican campaign for the presidency. However, Herman Cain’s name still remains on the Iowa ballot. This is because he dropped out after his name was finalized on the GOP list. This may seem strange but it has happened before. It actually happened to Duncan Hunter in 2008. Also on the ballot in Iowa is former Governor John Huntsman who claimed to be skipping caucuses. This brings the total number of names on the ballot to eight. On the caucus in Iowa the presidential preference poll is the main order of business.
    Herman Cain still being on the ballot is really funny to me. He experienced many scandals throughout his campaign and didn’t necessarily leave on good terms. It would be interesting to see if his name still being on the ballot will have an effect on the remaining candidates. The GOP need to start narrowing down their candidates! They have so many! It seems like anyone can run for president if they want to.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Julian Wilson

    6th Period

    ‘Welcome Home,’ Obama tells troops from Iraq by Tom Cohen

    CNN.com

    December 14, 2011

    http://www.cnn.com/2011/12/14/politics/obama-iraq-troops/index.html?hpt=hp_c1#0_undefined,0_

    This article is about Obama welcoming home troops from Iraq and removing all US military
    presence in Iraq. It includes quotes and gives the main points of the speech Obama gave to the
    returning troops in Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The mission in Iraq began in 2003, and has finally ended
    now in 2011. Throughout the entire process, almost 4,500 soldiers were killed and over 30,000 were
    injured. During his election Obama made the promise in 2008 to pull all US troops from Iraq, which he
    has now succeeded in doing. This is significant because it has created a lot of controversy and has been
    met with some resistance and distain, primarily from Obama’s former presidential opponent, John
    McCain. This also means that there will be less money spent on the military, which should help with the
    overall budget crisis. The article also mentioned the sequestration trigger, and opposition to Obama’s
    plan to veto anything trying to repeal it.

    I thought this was a very interesting article, and I was very happy to hear that all of the troops
    had finally been pulled from Iraq. I personally feel that the war in Iraq lasted far too long, and am very
    glad that Obama stayed true to his campaign promise and ended it. I am also glad that Obama is
    ignoring the Senator Lindsey Graham’s request to repeal his threat to veto the sequestration bill, which
    would drastically cut the military budget. I feel that since the committee didn’t come to a conclusion on
    the budget in the time given, they should have to deal with the consequences of that which had
    previously been set. This relates to what we’ve been studying in class because it deals with the Executive
    Branch of the US government, specifically the President. Even more specifically, it deals with President
    Obama’s title as Commander in Chief of the armed forces and his place as the leader of the military. My
    only concerns about this article are how it might possibly affect Obama’s chances of getting reelected
    for a second term.

    ReplyDelete