Let's Go International, September 2010

Revelations and Relevance

The international world has been set on fire this past month with announcements of leadership changes, attempted coups, and bizarre acknowledgments by world leaders. In North Korea, Kim Jong Il promotes his heir apparent; in Ecuador the President is attacked during a coup; and Fidel Castro admits communism has failed. Let's dig deeper into these game changing and bizarre developments.

To Cut or Not to Cut, That is the Question

He's Found his way back Again

It seems that Republicans and Democrats alike may not agree with President Obama's plan to cut the Bush Tax Cuts. In the past months, former advisers, and current members of his administration have spoken out and asked the President to leave the ta cuts alone. Even more recent, The Heritage Foundation has released the results of a study they conducted that implemented all of Obama's planned tax increases and their effect on the economy. This report is truly astounding and truly terrifying.

Lower and Lower

A Downward Spiral

As if things couldn't get worse for the one of the most popularly elected presidents in recent memory. His Chief-of-Staff is leaving, he's losing his party's majority in the House, and possibly in the senate. Unemployment filings have risen once again and the unemployment rate continues to stubbornly hover near ten percent. Except that now, a recent POLITICO George Washington University Battleground poll indicates that forty-four percent of the nation currently will vote to replace Obama while thirteen percent are considering voting for someone else. Only thirty-eight percent of those questioned said that he deserves to be reelected. With his own approval ratings tumbling and his own party distancing themselves from him, what is a president to do.

Castle Throws open the Gates

A Possibility No More

Rumors had been swirling that Representative Mike Castle (R-DE) might follow in the foot steps of another Republican and launch a write-in campaign after his upset loss to now Republican Senatorial Candidate Christine O'Donnell. Publicly his spokes people admitted that he had convened a group to run a poll to figure out if the option was even viable. Results are in but with mixed results. However, shortly afterward, Castle announced that he would not seek the senate seat once held by Vice President Joe Biden and he also remained firm in his decision not to endorse O'Donnell.

I Like This Guy

A New Hope?

November 2009 marked a year since Barack Obama had descended upon the country with Republicans in full retreat, tails tucked between their legs. It was Obama's world now, the second coming of the Democrats, and the Pelosi-Reid Agenda was in full throttle. Then like a  shot in the dark, the illusion of the all powerful Democrats was shattered like a shot in the dark when an attorney from New Jersey captured the New Jersey Governor's Mansion. Chris Christie (R-NJ) became the first Republican to win a state wide election in New Jersey in twelve years. This was the shot heard around the world and all around the nation Republicans awoke from their slumber and depression; a new day had dawned. Following Christie's example Republicans began making gains the with the capstone being Scott Brown's (R-MA) victory in his race to take the late Senator Ted Kennedy's seat. Now Chris Christie is at it again, making waves, and fighting the good fight to once again awaken the Republican Party as well as the nation to the power of derisive and divisive language.

Invasion of the Mama Grizzlies

The Rise of Women in the GOP

Sarah Palin (R-AK) is a political powerhouse whose every word is devoured by both sides of the political spectrum and the national media. Her personal charisma and sheer will power allowed her to reenergize the 2008 Presidential Election as well as redefine an entire political movement. However her largest impact may have been on the ascendancy of women to prominent positions within the Republican Party. Palin and her Political Action Committee (SarahPac) have helpe fund and campaign for Republican women across the country, and helped to propel many, such as: Nikki Haley (R-SC), Christine O'Donnel (R-DE), Carly Fiorina (R-CA), and Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) to victory in hotly contested primaries. In the two years since America asked 'Who is Sarah Palin', the role of the Republican woman has been reshaped and empowered to a new level.

Michele Bachmann's Silent Coup d'etat

It's Always the Quiet Ones

Its hard to realistically call Representative Michele Bachmann (R-MN) a quiet politician. After her much aired debate with Senator Arlen Specter where she screamed him down on the airwaves (D-PA) or as  her presence continues to balloon within the conservative movement, it seems laughable to consider anything she does as 'silent'. Yet that is the exact word one has to use to describe the magnificent power plays Bachmann has recently employed to secure her place as a prominent figure within the Republican Party. After starting the election cycle by being designated as a vulnerable member of the House, Bachmann's master moves have her winning reelection by a margin of 55% to 37% against her Democratic challenger Tarryl Clark (D-MN). The fact that the media has not reported her brilliant moves nor has the Republican establishment heralded her victories, just shows the true cunning behind her brilliance. 

The Death Throes

Is she Dead? No, not Quite. She's Still Kickin'.

This is the story that never ends, and it goes on and on my friends. Seriously. A month has come and gone since Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) suffered a devastating loss in her bid to seek reelection as a United States Senator from Alaska. Her opponent was the no name attorney from Fairbanks, Joe Miller (R-AK) who won the bitterly contested primary by just 2,002 votes (about 1.8% of the vote). His sudden success and momentum have been attributed to the last minute flood of support and money from the Tea Party Express as well as an endorsement from former Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin (R-AK). Yet it now seems that Lisa Murkowski is unwilling to accept the fact that she lost and has announced her bid to run as a write-in candidate as a last ditch effort to reclaim her Senate seat. Are he actions an act of unprecedented courage or an unwillingness to admit defeat? Let's examine the facts!

Making Waves

What Started as a Ripple

On Monday September 13th, 2010 Christine O'Donnell (R-DE) didn't have a chance to win the Republican primary for the Delaware Senate seat vacated by Vice President Joe Biden. But on Tuesday September 14th, Christine O'Donnell stood the world of American politics on its head. In a stunning upset O'Donnell beat her opponent, Representative Mike Castle (R-DE), by a 53% to 46% margin. Suddenly politics just didn't make sense, how could a far right, ex-television commentator beat a former Governor for the chance to run as the Republican nominee for a seat in the United States Senate? Overnight Christine O'Donnell became a national sensation with pundits from both sides of the aisle calling her victory an overall loss for the Republican Party. Yet these same people previously counted her out during the primary election, so the question becomes: Does Christine O'Donnell have enough magic left for just one more upset?

Never Forget

Courtesy of the Associated Press

Tuesday September 11th, 2001 

 As I sat on the living room couch eating cereal and watching Pokemon, all I could think about was how badly I didn't want to go to school that day. Why couldn't I be like the kids in this show who went on wild adventures and never had to go to school? They were ten and I was ten, to me the world just didn't seem fair. Eventually Ash caught his Pokemon and beat Team Rocket which meant the bus would be coming any minute. I got up and changed the channel knowing that my mom would want to watch the weather before she left for work. Little did I know that the scene that would unfold before me would change the entire world forever.