Rough Start for the Democrats

Coming off a huge election win, both in the Presidential and Congressional elections, it looked as though the Democrats were riding on an unstoppable wave.  I'd think twice though, having seen their less-than-stellar start to 2009.

So everyone's aware of Blagojevich.  Old news, boring, washed up, we're sick of hearing about him.  So I'm not going to write on that, you know the story.  But I would like to point this situation out, just to help illustrate my point.

In Baltimore City, good ole Mayor Sheila Dixon was indicted on 12 counts.  Good luck getting yourself out from that one,  Mayor...especially with attorneys having been hard at work on this case for months.

Who else is under the radar?  Dood, Spitzer, Richardson,  etc.  It's been a rocky start for the Democratic party, who suddenly has found themselves knee-deep in cases that they really don't want to be handling.

So what does this mean for the Obama administration?  People have already cast a wary eye on the President-Elect, and the hype has significantly died down since the election ended.  Granted, we will see a rebirth of that come Inauguration Day, but for now we see a sense of uneasiness among the Democratic Party.  What would be the result of the emergence of an Obama scandal?  It's hard to tell, but his links throughout the corrupted party (Blago, Richardson, etc.) ive us reason to be wary.

The Illinois Senate Seat

Admittedly, I'm bad at this "I'll post again next year" thing.  I just feel like I should keep posting when I see interesting things now.

So obviously, story of the day today is Blagojevich naming a replacement to the Illinois Senate Seat.  Now, I'm not from Illinois, so I don't have a solid idea of the political climate there (I judge it based on my preconceptions...I'm pretty sure they're right), but it feels like this was a really ridiculous move on the Governor's part.

I think it's a long shot to say that the appointment will actually pass.  The chances of someone being seated by Hot Rod's recommendation seem slim to none, giving the current situation in which he finds himself.  I have to say though, I'm thoroughly surprised that he would come out and pull something like this, I can't imagine his logic -- how he thinks that this would be warmly embraced by the people of America (or, more importantly, Illinois).

I'm a fan of the idea that we should just have a special election...but I guess the issue is that there isn't really time for nominating, campaigning, electing, and determining the result.  I mean, that's an ideal situation...but unrealistic.  That aside, I think Illinois should just forfeit that Senate seat until the next mid-term election (radical?  Maybe.  Appropriate?  Absolutely).

Caroline Kennedy, You Know?

Maybe I did say "See you in 2009!" At the end of yesterday's post, but this was far too good to pass up.  I have admittedly been behind on my political news until today, but I finally got to see the interview with, you know, Caroline Kennedy about, you know, the New York Senate seat.

Now I don't dislike Caroline Kennedy (frankly, I don't know much more than that she's a Catholic, Democrat, and a Kennedy).  But she seems a little bit less liberal than a lot of politikers that come out of New York politics, and I'm not at all opposed to her filling Clinton's Senate seat (Anyone But Clinton, right?).  Just so long as I don't have to listen to her speak.  She's smart and all, sure, but I can't stand hearing "you know" in between every single phrase.  And it might seem like I'm just looking for flaws or whatever, but I'm not.  Like I said, I don't hate her.  Just hate having to listen to her speak.

It's my 2 cents.  I'm not really sure.  We'll see how that Senate seat falls.  

Side Note:  I'm having surgery Wednesday, so depending on how it goes I'll either be too exhausted to post, or too bed ridden to do anything but post.  So we'll see how it goes...wish me luck.

Double Post! Two-In-One! I Swear I'm Back Now!

I've really been behind.  I guess it's just disappointment with the lack of political scandal and mystery.  But anyway, I'm gonna get rolling on some things that I've been begging to talk about.

SO, Change is gonna come, right?  We've been hearing it from the Obama campaigns since primary season, and I'm frankly a little bit confused as to where all this change is gonna come from.  

-Joe Biden?  He's been in Washington since 1973.  He's been a part of the problem, what makes you think he can be the solution as ell, Mr. President?

-Hillary Clinton?  Don't even get me started.  She has been the posterchild of Political Error since she decided that "First Lady" roles weren't going to be enough back in 2001.  Frankly, I think she was best suited for the role of First Lady of Arkansas, but those days are long gone, I suppose.

-Robert Gates?  Don't get me wrong, I love Gates.  But is this change?  Not exactly.  Give me something, Barack.  I'm tired of recycled cabinet members.

I dunno, maybe there's something I don't know going on, but I don't really like the way the Cabinet is shaping up for the next four years.  I mean, I'd like to see change (it's why I voted for McCain), and I really don't car who brings it, as long as it comes.  Unfortunately, showing me the same people I've been seeing is Washington since I was a toddler isn't helping much.

I've decided not to even get started on Blago.  I'm so sick of hearing about him in the news, and frankly don't want to be part of the problem.  Just another example of the Illinois Political Machine, right?

Let Detroit Go Bankrupt!  Gosh, I'm angry with the Bailout ruling.  I think it's a failure across the board.  I don't care that they employ millions, I'm a firm believer in the free market, and it's not like those people will never work again.  Without the Big Three here, I'm sure we'll see either a)  The emergence of a new auto company, or b)  The expansion of European or Asian companies into America.  I mean, Detroit's just spilling over with warehouses and parts...it would be a shame to see all that go to waste.

Let the free market decide: it's what we do best, America.

PART 2!  2008, A Year in Review!

I'm going to sum up the entire political season of 2008 in two paragraphs or less.  it will be rapid fire.

New President!  America seems pretty happy, I'm not.  Mitt goes down early (all skies darken across the nation).  McCain wins early, Democrats can't make up their mind.  Obama wins, bitter Hillary supporters defect (but come bak when they realize they don't want to be Republicans).  Vice Presidential picks are surprising...Joe Biden hooks onto the Obama train, Sarah Palin comes out of nowhere to become the Republican party's postergirl (I'm excited, are you?).  Obama wins in November, McCain gives an amazing concession speech.  The cabinet doesn't live up to expectations.  Blagojevich tries to sell the Illinois Senate Seat, and will Coleman and Franken make up their minds?  Good grief.

See y'all in 2009!  (Or, if something big happens early this week).

Long Time No See

Yea, it's been forever since I've posted here.  Things have gotten pretty hectic with end-of-semester work and finals week.  I'm down to one final to go, though, so I expect I'll have a whole lot more free time on my hands soon.

There's a lot that needs to be talked about:  The bailout, Blago, the cabinet, etc.  I promise I'll try to get my head back into the game.

Post with ya soon!

So What's Next For The Republican Party?

The election has come and gone, and our nation has selected Barack Obama for our next President.  I was strongly behind McCain, but I extend my sincerest congratulations to Senator Obama, he ran a heck of a campaign, one of the most monumental campaigns in a long time.  It was a hard fought fight, and I'm glad to finally see it resolved.

I could write for hours, days, weeks, months, etc. about what Obama did right, what McCain did wrong, what worked, what didn't, etc., but that seems to be the topic off too many blogs today, I'm sure you can find some pretty good answers to those questions.

So the next step for the Republicans?  They're definitely in a "rebuilding" phase.  With the Democrats in control of the House, Senate, and Presidency, the GOP has nothing to do but look to the future.  So what exactly is the Republicans' future?

First and foremost, the party needs a strong leader.  Unification needs to be number one on the GOP's priorities list.  Very few people have stood out as being outstanding leaders for the Republican party, and although I'm sure some people will present themselves as viable candidates for the presidency over the next four years, there are four people now that I think the GOP may be looking towards.

1.  Number one on a lot of people's minds, despite unpopularity, is Sarah Palin.  Although she has been targeted constantly by the Democrats, she has brought an energy to the Republicans that they have not seen in a long time.  Clearly, the key issue surrounding Palin is experience, and over the next couple years, she'll need to start to develop that experience if she wants to have any shot at the 2012 election.  She has already proved herself a great speaker, as well as a strong campaigner.  I think, with a firm grasp on the issues, she could be a great administrator.

2.  Rudy Giuliani.  Another controversial figure, but another Republican ignitor.  Despite his pro-choice leanings, Giuliani has always been one of the foremost figures in Republican politics.  He has a way of inspiring an audience, and also possesses the leadership abilities/credentials that could lead him to the White House.  He may have shown poorly in the primaries this year, but I wouldn't count him out for the future.  He's certainly still in the pool for 2012.

3.  My third choice is someone a little less known in federal politics, but not someone that I think the GOP has ever really ruled out of their mix.  My third option for the Republican party is former Lieutenant Governor of Maryland Michael Steele.  Although he has not shown campaigning strength, he has shown excellent leaderhsip in his political experience.  His controversy?  He's young, he hasn't had a lot of experience, and he ran a failed Senatorial campaign in Maryland in 2006.  His pro's?  He's young (funny how that works both ways), he's black, he's Catholic, and he knows how to be an administrator.  Look for Michael Steele on the scene for Republicans in the upcoming years.

4.  My final potential leader for the GOP is former presidential candidate Mitt Romney.  I was a big fan of Mitt, I think he has exactly what we need in charge of this country.  Obviously his religion has been the subject of a lot of speculation, but hopefully America has moved past religious discrimination (although I doubt that, especially with the Muslim rumors still circling Obama).  If Mormonism is not a stigma to Romney, he's a strong, charismatic candidate that we definitely have not seen the last of yet.

Honorable Mention:  Jeb Bush, John Boehner, Mike Duncan, Carly Fiorina, Mike Huckabee, and Bob Ehrlich.

What Constitutes The Upper Class?

So we've all been hearing a lot about the Obama tax plan, the "break" for "95%" of Americans.  We all know that the upper class is going to see a tax increase under this plan, but what constitutes the upper class?

--When he initially released the tax plan, Senator Obama said that everyone making less than $250,000 a year would receive a tax credit.  Upper class was considered to be everyone making $250,000 or more.

--During his infomercial last night, the number was stated as $200,000 a year.  The bar for "upper class" dropped a solid $50k a year.

--Earlier this week, Joe Biden said "tax cuts for everyone making less than $150,000 a year".  Lower than either of the Obama numbers.  (Note, some pundits call this a slip-up, I don't have the authority to make that decision, but Biden hasn't called it a mistake yet).

So what do we believe?  That's a $100,000 window where we may or may not be getting a tax break.  To the undecided voter, this is a little unsettling.  Say, for example, an Undecided voter is making $175,000 a year.  Under Biden's number, this guy's gonna see his taxes go up, but he would get a tax break under either of the Obama numbers.

We need this number set straight now.  We need to be informed to vote, not confused.