"McCain Calls for 'Common Sense Conservatism'"

Thursday, November 16, 2006
http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=politicsNews&storyID=2006-11-17T002429Z_01_N16567717_RTRUKOC_0_US-USA-POLITICS-MCCAIN.xml&pageNumber=0&imageid=&cap=&sz=13&WTModLoc=NewsArt-C1-ArticlePage2
Senator John McCain of Arizona offered his advice for the Republicans to regain control in 2008. He called for a return to “common sense conservatism.”

“We increased the size of government in the false hope that we could bribe the
public into keeping us in office,” McCain said, adding Americans “still prefer
common sense conservatism to the alternative.”

McCain stated that Republicans first have to reinstate their principles in order to regain the majority. These include things such as “strong defense, strong alliances, limited government, individual rights, low taxes, free trade, and open markets.” He calls for an era with principles like those of the conservative Ronald Reagan. Senator McCain mentioned in his speech that Republicans need to stop worrying so much about their incumbency and focus on more important things such as the war. Like President Bush, Senator McCain reassured the American people that there is still hope for Iraq. However, he backed his statement up with reasoning and a plan. Without more troops, we cannot win. I agree with Senator McCain’s statements and appreciate his comments on the situation in Iraq. He was truthful about the situation being dire, but he also had a plan of action.

"Key Democrats Oppose Creating New Military Draft"

Monday, November 20, 2006
http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=politicsNews&storyID=2006-11-21T025215Z_01_N20280714_RTRUKOC_0_US-DRAFT.xml&pageNumber=1&imageid=&cap=&sz=13&WTModLoc=NewsArt-C1-ArticlePage1

An incoming Democrat, Rangel, who has been appointed as the chair for the House Ways and Means Committee for 2007, has sparked up some dynamic conversation in Washington. He has mentioned his desire to reinstate the draft. Rangel stated that,

“If we’re going to challenge Iran and challenge North
Korea and then, as some people have asked, to send more troops to Iraq, we can’t
do that without a draft.”

Reaction from others, has not been so great. Incoming Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, proclaimed that the draft situation is not one of their priorities in this upcoming session. They will focus more on healthcare, minimum wage, and financial aid for college. Is she asleep? Our nation is currently at war with Afghanistan and Iraq with the possibility of fighting North Korea and Iran. The two present wars obviously require a lot of troops, not to mention adding the possibility of two more wars. Perhaps Pelosi is too concerned with pleasing the people by giving them more money instead of protection. Even though the U.S. has not declared war on North Korea or Iran yet, there is always the possibility, so we need to have a plan ready to go into effect. I believe that things will be most effective if the troops overseas actually have the desire to fight for their country, but if worse comes to worst and more troops are needed, the draft will have to reinstated.

"Lebanese Christian Politician Killed"

Tuesday, November 21, 2006
http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/11/21/lebanon.shooting/index.html

Lebanese Cabinet minister Pierre Gemayel -- a key member of the anti-Syrian
majority in the Lebanese parliament -- has been shot dead in an assassination
that raises tensions between opponents and allies of Syria.

Pierre Gemayal was killed in a Christian Lebanese neighborhood on Tuesday. Gemayal was an important member of the anti-Syrian majority in the Lebanese Parliament. While President Bush extends his condolences and concerns by denouncing the murder, he has not yet pointed his finger to blame Syria for this deadly act. He acknowledged “that Syria and Iran were trying to undermine the democratically elected government of Prime Minister Fuad Saniora.” Both Gemayal’s father (a former Lebanese President) and the current Lebanese Prime Minister, Fouad Siniora, referred to Gemayal as a martyr for freedom in Lebanon. Truly, Pierre Gemayal was a martyr for his country. He had to have known there were risks involved with the position he held on Syria. The Syrians do not want the government of Lebanon to approve a United Nations tribunal to prosecute those responsible for former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri’s assassination. If you are guilty, you obviously do not want to be tried. The Syrians are doing everything they can to gain more power and control, even if it means taking the life of someone else. This is never right. There have been too many innocent lives already taken by these Syrians who want more control and a solution needs to be created for this horrible problem.

"Bush Shows Support for Indonesia Amid Protests"

Sunday, November 19, 2006
http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2006-11-20T132607Z_01_JAK223731_RTRUKOC_0_US-INDONESIA-BUSH.xml&pageNumber=0&imageid=&cap=&sz=13&WTModLoc=NewsArt-C1-ArticlePage3

U.S. President George W. Bush showed support for a U.S. ally in the war against Islamic militants on Monday with a visit to Indonesia which generated angry protests in the world's most populous Muslim nation.

During President George W. Bush’s recent visit to Indonesia, he endured an excessive amount of protest. Indonesia is a key ally of the United States in the War on Terror and Bush had to keep that in mind as he visited there on Sunday. President Bush met with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of Indonesia to discuss various pertinent issues as well as receive advice about Iraq. Yudhoyono did not try to say what Bush wanted to hear. He was honest. His advice to Bush was to create a timetable for Iraq sometime in the very near future. I believe President Bush’s silent response to Yudhoyono’s advice did not completely express disappointment (as most of the media has said), but his concern for the right decision to be made in the Iraq situation. Bush has one of the biggest decisions in the world to make. I know I would be concerned about making the right one. However, I believe President Bush should follow the advice of Yudhoyono and create a timetable. It would certainly help calm the dissension of the American people about what to do in Iraq.

Short Writing Assignment #3

1.
The mainstream media source I used was CNN. I covered their political news from October 16, 2006 through October 20, 2006. www.cnn.com/2006/politics
The first blog I used was the Daily Kos: State of the Nation. http://www.dailykos.com/
The second blog I used was Power Line. http://www.powerlineblog.com/
2.
The types of stories the Daily Kos blog covered mainly dealt with the upcoming election. They covered polls and news on governor’s races all over the United States as well as Senatorial and Congressional races throughout the nation. However, there were also stories on the Daily Kos that are common even in the mainstream media, except the blog added some extra information the mainstream media kept to themselves. For example, some of the stories included on the Daily Kos include news about the Foley scandal, how to leave the War in Iraq, and death tolls in Iraq. All three sources have a common thread, though. They each cover the general story, but the blogs expand their viewpoint on each subject.
3. The coverage of these news items were very different. The Daily Kos clearly took a liberal viewpoint with post titles such as “Limbaugh Doesn’t Want Single Women to Vote” and “Rove Blows it On Iraq.” The Power Line takes a particularly conservative view with titles on their posts being lines such as “Did the Democrats Leak the NIE?” and “Why Aren’t More Republicans Doing This?” CNN was objective in their coverage, leaving room for your own interpretation. However, they do sometimes try to sneak in a little bit of opinion towards the end of their articles.
4.
The roles of the mainstream media and the blogs are certainly diverse. CNN, my mainstream media source, played more of a common carrier role than anything else. They effectively convey political information to the public. CNN also plays a signaler role by keeping the public informed about important events in a very timely manner. The mainstream media can sometimes serve as a public representative, however, in this case, CNN does not. The mainstream media definitely does not play the role of a watchdog as much as other forms of media. The blogs undoubtedly act as common carriers, signalers, public representatives, and watchdogs. They deliver political news to the public and keep them informed in a timely manner. They also promote political awareness and allow readers to comment their opinion on the posts, which in turn acts as a public representative because it gets people involved in their government and serves as a reminder for them to take action. Blogs also serve as watchdogs because they dig up the facts the mainstream media fails to and warns the public when officials are doing something wrong. I believe blogs act most effectively as watchdogs because they provide a lot of information you cannot find in mainstream media sources. I think Power Line did a better job than the Daily Kos of reporting stories with deeper details and thinking outside the box.

Short Writing Assignment #2

1. Source: The New York Times Date: September 8, 2006
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/08/washington/08defense.html

On September 7, 2006, the Senate passed a bill that will provide an additional $63 billion to the military forces involved in the War on Terror. This bill was passed unanimously with 98 of 98 in approval. With this additional $63 billion, the amount the bill provides now totals $469.7 billion, bringing the amount given to the War on Terror by Congress to over $500 billion since 2001. The funds allotted in this bill mainly go towards operations and military maintenance. However, it also covers the cost of new weapons, research, and development. In addition, $99 billion of this money goes to pay personnel. There are only three more budgeting bills waiting to be passed by Congress by the start of the new budget year (October 1). These include bills will allot money to enact the homeland security plan, provide money for veterans' programs, and review the budget of the Pentagon.

2. Source: Fox News Date: September 12, 2006
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,213540,00.html

Tuesday, Republican members of the House agreed that Congress should go to extensive measures to control illegal immigrants. They did not pay any attention to the issue concerning the undocumented workers already present in the United States. A border-security forum made up of only Republicans confirmed the rejection of the House to the Senate’s approval of the combination of enhanced border security, an addition of a guest worker program, and a way for illegal immigrants to successfully become legal.
At a meeting of committee chairmen and Republican leaders, Dennis Hastert, Speaker of the House, proclaimed that Americans desire “immediate, targeted legislation specifically designed to secure the border, protect our homeland and vigorously enforce our immigration laws.” This forum was created to convey the outcome of about 22 meetings held in 13 states all over the country to support border security.
Adam Putnam, a Republican Representative from Florida, is the chairman of the Republican Policy Committee. He has been chosen to create legislation over the next few weeks. It is still questionable whether or not the final legislation will be a “stand-alone bill,” receiving hostility from the Senate. However, House Majority Leader, John Boehner, promised that they “will send President Bush a series of border initiatives this year,” addressing the areas of stricter immigration enforcement, more border patrol agents, and increased fencing along the border. There were also several other suggestions by other Representatives, some of which might be included in the future legislation. Putnam told the forum, “While there must be a comprehensive approach to immigration, securing our borders is the first, and most pressing, problem demanding our attention and action.”

3. Source: Los Angeles Times Date: September 14, 2006
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/politics/wire/sns-ap-bush-congress,1,959452.story?coll=sns-ap-politics-headlines&ctrack=1&cset=true

The morning of Thursday, September 14, 2006, President George W. Bush, along with Vice President Dick Cheney and White House adviser Karl Rove, went to Capitol Hill to meet with Republican members of the House of Representatives. The President was trying to gain the support of GOP House members to pass legislation allowing more tenacious questioning, spying, and imprisonment for terrorism suspects.
However, the former Secretary of State for the Bush administration and former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Colin Powell, supported three Republicans in opposition to Bush’s plan. These three rebellious lawmakers include Sen. John Warner, Sen. John McCain, and Sen. Lindsey Graham. Colin Powell stated, “The world is beginning to doubt the moral basis of our fight against terrorism. To redefine Common Article Three (of the Geneva Convention) would add to those doubts.” Sen. Warner believes that Bush’s plan would “lower the standard for the treatment of prisoners, potentially putting U.S. troops at risk should other countries retaliate.” Warner, who is also the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, urged his small panel to complete their alternate plan.
The White House issued a press release on Thursday to announce that the Warner’s alternate plan was unsatisfactory because, if approved, it would cause the CIA to have to put an end to using aggressive questioning tactics with suspected terrorists. This statement was supported and upheld by National Intelligence Director John Negroponte.
As he was leaving Capitol Hill, the President said he would “continue to work with members of the Congress to get good legislation.” He also told reporters that he “reminded them that the most important job of government is to protect the homeland.”

Short Writing Assignment #1

1. President: George W. Bush, Republican
Vice-President: Richard B. Cheney, Republican
Cabinet Members:
Department of Agriculture: Secretary Mike Johanns
Department of Commerce: Secretary Carlos Gutierrez
Department of Defense: Secretary Donald Rumsfeld
Department of Education: Secretary Margaret Spelling
Department of Energy: Secretary Samuel W. Bodman
Department of Health and Human Services: Secretary Michael O. Leavitt
Department of Homeland Security: Secretary Michael Chertoff
Department of Housing & Urban
Development: Secretary Alphonso Jackson
Department of the Interior: Secretary Dirk Kempthorne
Department of Justice: Attorney General Alberto Gonzales
Department of Labor: Secretary Elaine Chao
Department of State: Secretary Condoleezza Rice
Department of Transportation: Deputy Secretary Maria Cino
Department of the Treasury: Secretary Henry M. Paulson, Jr.
Department of Veteran's Affairs: Secretary Jim Nicholson

2. U.S. Supreme Court Members:
John G. Roberts, Jr., Chief Justice
John Paul Stevens, Associate Justice
Antonin Scalia, Associate Justice
Anthony M. Kennedy, Associate Justice
David Hackett Souter, Associate Justice
Clarence Thomas, Associate Justice
Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Associate Justice
Stephen G. Breyer, Associate Justice
Samuel Anthony Alito, Jr., Associate Justice
Sandra Day O'Conner, Retired Associate Justice

3. U.S. House Leadership
Speaker: J. Dennis Hastert, Republican
Majority Leader: John Boehner, Republican
Minority Leader: Nancy Pelosi, Democrat
Majority Whip: Roy Blunt, Republican
Minority Whip: Steny Hoyer, Democrat

U.S. Senate Leadership
Majority Leader: Bill Frist, Republican
Minority Leader: Harry Reid, Democrat
Majority Whip: Mitch McConnell, Republican
Minority Whip: Dick Durbin, Democrat

4. Kentucky's Two U.S. Senators:
Jim Bunning, Republican
Mitch McConnell, Republican

Kentucky's Six Congresspersons:
Ben Chandler, Democrat
Geoff Davis, Republican
Ron Lewis, Republican
Anne Northup, Republican
Harold Rogers, Republican
Ed Whitfield, Republican

5. Mayors:
New York City: Michael Bloomberg, Republican
Chicago: Richard M. Daley, Democrat
Los Angeles: Antonio Villaraigosa, Democrat
Lexington: Teresa Isaac, Democrat
Louisville: Jerry E. Abramson, Democrat

6. Kentucky's...
Governor: Ernie Fletcher, Republican
Senate President: David L. Williams, Republican
Majority Floor Leader: Dan Kelly, Republican
Minority Floor Leader: Ed Worley, Democrat
House Speaker: Jody Richards, Democrat
Majority Floor Leader: Rocky Adkins, Democrat
Minority Floor Leader: Jeffrey Hoover, Democrat