The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill
What may possibly be the worst oil spill in United States history began on April 20th, 2010 when a ball of methane gas escaped from an exploratory well and exploded inside the oil column causing a tempest of fire. The explosion has been described as a sudden explosion that gave them left than 5 minutes to evacuate. Rescuers on the scene described the burning as being so hot that it was melting the paint of the rescue boats. On April 22nd, the coast guard received confirmation that the rig had sunk, but that same day an even worse nightmare was realized, and oil slick was found spewing from the collapsed rig. What would occur in the next 40 days was nightmarish and tragic to the extreme, bring back memories of Exxon-Valdez, only hovering in the background is always the possibility that this time could be worse.
The International Icon
In an attempt to nourish a more, international palette, I turned to looking for a book about a man (or woman) who was so important to the America we know today as well as to his or her home country. I wanted someone as American, and well placed into the annals of American history as possible, yet still retain an outstanding foreign background ( Only by reading the book did I learn that my pick was actually half American). The person I was looking for was summed up for me in a book by Paul Johnson, aptly titled: Winston Churchill. This book highlights the birth, childhood, and star struck career of one of the most multifaceted and enthusiastic world leaders to ever grace the international stage. Mr. Churchill, as he preferred to be called, filled many positions in his political career, which spanned over half a century; with his charisma, charm, and dedication allowing him to surmount feats obstacles that admittedly, no one else of his generation could have faced.
Ducked then Dumped
The longest serving senator from Pennsylvania, Democrat Arlen Specter (D-PA) was defeated Tuesday May 18th, in his primary election for the Democratic nomination for Senator. His opponent was US House Representative Joe Sestak who defied Bill Clinton and the Obama Administration and won 53% of the vote, while Specter picked up 47%. This election was seen by many as a referendum on Specter's actions last year in which he switched from a long time and high-ranking Republican to become a Democrat in order to avoid a bruising primary fight from an opponent who was all but guaranteed to beat him. In a last ditch effort to get Arlen Specter to switch parties, in order to secure an even greater majority in the Senate, the Obama Administration basically ensured a smooth primary and vast support during the general election. Yet, Specter learned that the voters are tired of partisanship and petty politics and that if the administration won't give them change; they will just change Washington themselves, one senator at a time.
And the Nominee is...
On May 10th, 2010 President Barrack Obama announced his second nomination to the United States Supreme Court in the form of US Solicitor General Elena Kagan. An immediate frenzy of web browsers stormed the Internet, the world had to know; just who is Elena Kagan. Luckily I had previously written a short biography of Miss Kagan in my salute to retiring Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens. Here is another short, tho longer than my previous one, biography about Elena Kagan, who, barring some huge blunder or prior misdeed, will be the next Associate US Supreme Court Justice and the fourth woman to ever serve on our nations highest bench.
Spoken from the Heart
Laura Bush has once again proven her elegance and eloquence in her masterpiece of a memoir: Spoken from the Heart. the book lighted upon book shelves everywhere May 4th and I had the honor of purchasing this spectacular book on that very day and then reading it during my twenty- hour dive to Orlando, Florida. The 432 page tome covers the family history, early life, and career of Laura Bush while also allowing the reader and unprecedented glimpse into the life of one of our most private and anti-political first ladies, who has for so long captivated the collective conscience of the American nation.
Here We Go Again
Two years ago to the day, and once again Indiana was heading back to the election booths, this time not to elect a President, but to elect a plethora of National and State level politicians. The race might not have been as important as high profile as the last one, but that doesn't mean it wasn't as divisive. The entire list of candidates and elections is simply too big to be covered in this one blog post so I will narrow my review down to three races that touch closest to home: the US Senate race to fill the seat left empty by the retiring Senator Evan Bayh (D-IN), the US House of Representatives Seat for District 1, as well as the State Senate Seat in District 6. For more election results, or to find out who is running in your district, click here.
Sandra's Court
In 2007, Jeffery Toobin released his intriguing and mesmerizing look at the current Supreme Court. The book, entitled The Nine, offers a keen and fresh (though significantly left) view our nations most honored and mysterious institutions. The medieval robes, strict ritual, and complete secrecy of the Court has captured the attention of the American public for so long, precisely because we know so little about it. If this book accomplishes anything, it illustrates the fine tuned working of this time honored institution and highlights some of the largest personalities to assemble from behind the red curtain. Jeffrey Toobin, while ignoring his obvious bias, provides an in depth look at the Rehnquist Court, and its dominate figure, Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, while providing insight into the future of this esteemed establishment.
The Real Comeback Kid
A year into the Obama presidency and new polls and worldly events point in a surprising direction. Barack Obama may not be the same comeback kid the nation thought the elected in 2008, no the real winner seems to be Former President George W. Bush. An April Gallup poll predicted that in the hypothetical election between the current and former presidents would be statistically tied. The poll showed that Obama would garner 48% of the vote while Bush would get a respectable 46% (Obama's lead was within the 2 percent margin of error of the poll). There has to be a reason for this change, seeing as how Bush left office with a record low approval rating of 27%. And sure enough, certain unpopular Bush policies seem to be vindicating the once beleaguered leader. The peaceful elections and troop pullout in Iraq, lower 8 year deficit than Obama's 1 year deficit, and other factors seem to point in the direction of a reputation rebound.
Fallout
Just under two weeks ago Arizona signed into law a controversial immigration law that allows police and civil authorities to detain and question suspected illegal immigrants on the grounds of "reasonable suspicion." This is the same level of operation that school systems use to search and seize lockers and students personal affects without any real facts. Yet, as written previously, this bill is a response to the fear and insecurity felt by the people of Arizona who continuously battle things that most other states can't even fathom. Now, two weeks later, the battle lines are drawn. President Obama, Grammy Award Winner Shakira, and the ACLU contend that this bill will lead to racial profiling; while Arizona lawmakers and even legal immigrants see this as needed change. Today, Arizona once again made headlines by signing into effect changes to the immigration bill, even before the bill itself took effect.
The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill
