I was watching the Dali lama receive the Congressional Gold Medal in the rotunda earlier today and while I probably should had feeling toward what an amazing international achievement this is, I was feeling something else.
I noticed old Doubya was having a lot of fun.
Viewer could easily notice the overflow of jokes coming out of the president’s mouth. He would crack one with Pelosi and then throw a couple at the Lama. I mean does the Lama even speak English well, enough to understand a joke from the Texan.
It is great to see the President is having a good time and don’t get me wrong I love the enthusiasm, but this is a prime example of the lack of pressure facing this administration. The is not much left to lose for Bush, even the Republican Primary field doesn’t need their incumbent president. As a matter of fact they hate him.
If you listen to the debates you hear how they would distances themselves away from the White House. There is certainly an lure of “anti-Bush” floating around the capital
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Sunday, October 14, 2007
How about a little more for Darfur
It is kinda starting to piss me off that the presidential hopefuls are not even talking about Darfur.
Can you image if some ran for the Oval Office in the 1930’s and 1940’s without mentioning the Holocaust.
Both side try to distance themselves from the current President by saying Iraq was a bad idea. You wanna change the subject on Iraq send it to Darfur. Maybe it is because the Holocaust involved Jews and we had them in our country, but a genocide is a genocide.
I’m not saying it should be the biggest issue or the topic of a debate, but throw it a bone. If we are going to be the world’s policemen we should stop going after the shoplifters and go catch the murders.
Can you image if some ran for the Oval Office in the 1930’s and 1940’s without mentioning the Holocaust.
Both side try to distance themselves from the current President by saying Iraq was a bad idea. You wanna change the subject on Iraq send it to Darfur. Maybe it is because the Holocaust involved Jews and we had them in our country, but a genocide is a genocide.
I’m not saying it should be the biggest issue or the topic of a debate, but throw it a bone. If we are going to be the world’s policemen we should stop going after the shoplifters and go catch the murders.
Saturday, October 6, 2007
Afforable College: An Oxymoron
Does Congress care about the price of a college tuition?
The question seems easy if you boil it down to a simple set of facts: Legislators care about the votes needed to get them elected. The votes belong to the constituents. Their constituents care about the price of college. However, a recent act has people wondering where the line was broken.
Congress passed the "Make College Affordable Act," but we don't pay them to make cool names.
We focus on private lenders that utilize corrupt methods, but sometimes we tend to miss the true picture of those lenders who get away with murder because they have no competition.
There are few bad remarks that can be made about a bill that saves college students money; the legislators who passed it did so on our dollar, so the public has a right to question.
Opponents of the bill are claiming that it was somewhat of a conspiracy so that the liberal Congress could meet a conservative president halfway.
Some conservatives are saying that Bush sold out that portion of the party so that he will not have to listen to the Democrats complain about Iraq.
With liberals known to spend heavily on education reform and with such a troubled current administration, I would say that it is a little bit of both. The government had to throw someone a bone, and we are lucky they choose college students.
The main part of this bill is the increase in the Federal Pell Grant from $4,310 to $5,400.The Pell Grant is a scholarship given by the government. It is based on the level of financial aid needed by the individual student and, fortunately, does not need to be paid back. The increase can hardly keep up with inflation. Inflation will occur over a five-year period, so it will be at its highest when the current freshmen graduate.
The problem with the Pell Grant increase is that it does not fix the problem now. As noted, the grant will increase as the inflation also rises.
College will always cost more, and if you're really worried about the cost of your college experience, then you shouldn't even think about having to pay for your kids' college experience.
The best part of this bill is probably that the government cut interest loans in half from 6.8 percent to 3.4 percent. When current Fairfield students graduate, they will be paying a significantly lower rate. Cutting the interest rate on loans can become a huge help, but you have to wonder what the loan companies are going to do in response now the that government is the key player of the loan world. That's going to mean a lot of free trips down Amelia Island.
Who would logically have more money, a company dealing with college students or a government that is funding a war in Iraq? Naturally, loan companies' finances can't compete with those of the national government.In addition to that, the government has imposed a cut on interest rates from private lenders.
In a noble effort to try and help their constituents, dipping their hand into the lending business can have a negative effect if the lenders go out of business. Then you're paying the full load for your kids.
The question seems easy if you boil it down to a simple set of facts: Legislators care about the votes needed to get them elected. The votes belong to the constituents. Their constituents care about the price of college. However, a recent act has people wondering where the line was broken.
Congress passed the "Make College Affordable Act," but we don't pay them to make cool names.
We focus on private lenders that utilize corrupt methods, but sometimes we tend to miss the true picture of those lenders who get away with murder because they have no competition.
There are few bad remarks that can be made about a bill that saves college students money; the legislators who passed it did so on our dollar, so the public has a right to question.
Opponents of the bill are claiming that it was somewhat of a conspiracy so that the liberal Congress could meet a conservative president halfway.
Some conservatives are saying that Bush sold out that portion of the party so that he will not have to listen to the Democrats complain about Iraq.
With liberals known to spend heavily on education reform and with such a troubled current administration, I would say that it is a little bit of both. The government had to throw someone a bone, and we are lucky they choose college students.
The main part of this bill is the increase in the Federal Pell Grant from $4,310 to $5,400.The Pell Grant is a scholarship given by the government. It is based on the level of financial aid needed by the individual student and, fortunately, does not need to be paid back. The increase can hardly keep up with inflation. Inflation will occur over a five-year period, so it will be at its highest when the current freshmen graduate.
The problem with the Pell Grant increase is that it does not fix the problem now. As noted, the grant will increase as the inflation also rises.
College will always cost more, and if you're really worried about the cost of your college experience, then you shouldn't even think about having to pay for your kids' college experience.
The best part of this bill is probably that the government cut interest loans in half from 6.8 percent to 3.4 percent. When current Fairfield students graduate, they will be paying a significantly lower rate. Cutting the interest rate on loans can become a huge help, but you have to wonder what the loan companies are going to do in response now the that government is the key player of the loan world. That's going to mean a lot of free trips down Amelia Island.
Who would logically have more money, a company dealing with college students or a government that is funding a war in Iraq? Naturally, loan companies' finances can't compete with those of the national government.In addition to that, the government has imposed a cut on interest rates from private lenders.
In a noble effort to try and help their constituents, dipping their hand into the lending business can have a negative effect if the lenders go out of business. Then you're paying the full load for your kids.
Thursday, October 4, 2007
A horse to put your money on
Fred Thompson.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Thompson
The name just sounds presidential. I’m not saying he is going to win cause I would lose some respect for that and I’m definitely not saying I will vote for him, although at this point I just might.
But, if you thought about thee positive and not the negatives of the Thompson campaign you would come up with a surprising view of the former Senator from Tennessee and investigator of the Clinton impeachment.
Some people I talked to even went as far as to say how can he be president he is an actor. You have got to be kidding me. I mean I know we didn’t live through the Reagan years, but if you have ever studied American history you can say (in a bipartisan voice) that the that actor did a pretty damn good job. (As a conservative I would give Clinton the same respect).
Anyone with the guts to announce on the tonight show, automatic gets my respect. But incase your not sold lets go to the facts.
Fact:
He smokes cigars
He is from the south.
He has a hot wife (35 years his junior).
I’m sold how about you?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Thompson
The name just sounds presidential. I’m not saying he is going to win cause I would lose some respect for that and I’m definitely not saying I will vote for him, although at this point I just might.
But, if you thought about thee positive and not the negatives of the Thompson campaign you would come up with a surprising view of the former Senator from Tennessee and investigator of the Clinton impeachment.
Some people I talked to even went as far as to say how can he be president he is an actor. You have got to be kidding me. I mean I know we didn’t live through the Reagan years, but if you have ever studied American history you can say (in a bipartisan voice) that the that actor did a pretty damn good job. (As a conservative I would give Clinton the same respect).
Anyone with the guts to announce on the tonight show, automatic gets my respect. But incase your not sold lets go to the facts.
Fact:
He smokes cigars
He is from the south.
He has a hot wife (35 years his junior).
I’m sold how about you?
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
More than GWB
While browsing online for works of some fellow journalist, an ad popped up on my screen. It read something like:
“Do you like George W. Bush, Yes (click here) No (click here)”
Now I’m not sure what the ad was for, and nor do I care; but I does resemble the common misconceptions of the general America collegiate public.
The common view of politics held by the average college student is probably their opinion of the President or some “ideological belief” that might sound like bullshit but makes perfect sense to them.
I’m not sure if people don’t realize the plethora of personalities that go into the construction of our government or they are just too apathetic to learn about Alberto Gonzales.
In seven grade social studies we learned about the Presidents cabinet. Now that we are in college can we name one of the 15 cabinet members?
As I dig through the Al Greenspan autobiography I have discovered just how important the positions of Fed Chair or Supreme Court Justice or Chair of the Joint Chiefs, really are.
It’s pretty clear that the Bush administration is going grab headlines for being funny, cause that’s what they are good at. But let’s not forget about the other couple thousand people who really run the government.
“Do you like George W. Bush, Yes (click here) No (click here)”
Now I’m not sure what the ad was for, and nor do I care; but I does resemble the common misconceptions of the general America collegiate public.
The common view of politics held by the average college student is probably their opinion of the President or some “ideological belief” that might sound like bullshit but makes perfect sense to them.
I’m not sure if people don’t realize the plethora of personalities that go into the construction of our government or they are just too apathetic to learn about Alberto Gonzales.
In seven grade social studies we learned about the Presidents cabinet. Now that we are in college can we name one of the 15 cabinet members?
As I dig through the Al Greenspan autobiography I have discovered just how important the positions of Fed Chair or Supreme Court Justice or Chair of the Joint Chiefs, really are.
It’s pretty clear that the Bush administration is going grab headlines for being funny, cause that’s what they are good at. But let’s not forget about the other couple thousand people who really run the government.
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