Monday, December 12, 2011

myTwitter Roundup - Part One

BACKGROUND: last week, each student created an academic Twitter account and began following a mix of political reporters, political commentators, political media outlets, political scientists, and elected officials. Students also connect with each other and with me through our class Twitter feed, @ParishGOV. (Click HERE for more details about the initial assignment.)

Our GOAL is to prepare students for responsible citizenship and life-long engagement in the political process. More specifically, we aim to create Twitter feeds as personalized, annotated search engines that connect students to current affairs and political analysis.

TODAY'S ASSIGNMENT (daily work grade):
  1. Choose one story from your academic Twitter feed that has captured your attention - re-tweet it.
  2. Write 2-3 sentences in summary. (Please share a link to the story with your summary.)
  3. Write 2-3 sentences that explain the story's connection(s) to our study of government.
  4. Post your writing as a comment to our blog (See comments section for Mr. O's example.)

101 comments:

Upper School Government and Economics said...

From @murphymike: 'Romney would have won the bet... Just saying' - link to fact-checking the ABC-Yahoo Iowa GOP debate (http://wapo.st/sS40kv).

"The bet" refers to one of the more controversial moments from the debate. In response to an attack line from Governor Perry, Mitt Romney offered his attacker a $10,000 bet... and Perry refused to take it.

Political analyst Mike Murphy suggests that it's a good thing Perry declined; fact-checkers from the Washington Post agree that Perry's attack was "a phony claim."

More broadly, some analysts have criticized Governor Romney for choosing to offer a $10,000 bet at all. They suggest it's elitist: the size of the bet reminds voters that Romney is uber-wealthy and out-of-touch with Iowa voters who could never afford to bet $10,000 on anything. Note: median income in Iowa is c. $50,000 a year (iowaworkforce.org).

Key question for follow-up: will Romney's decision to offer "the bet" - even though he would have won - hurt him with Iowa voters?

Larson McQuary said...

@kaybaileyhutch: "Glad Senate worked together to pass my bill that will expedite airport security screening for U.S. military @MilitaryOfficer"

Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison has been trying to get a bill passed so that our service men can go to the front of the line for airport security. The bill was passed earlier this morning. She believes that after all the armed forces do for us and our country, we can at least make it easier for them to travel and sacrifice our time for those who sacrifice their lives.

This relates to our study of government in multiple ways. It demonstrates how bills get passed, what Senators must to do see these bills through the Senate, and we also see how the American government treats our soldiers. Both Republicans and Democrats have a deep respect for our servicemen and women and did not fail to make their lives a bit easier.

Upper School Government and Economics said...

Thanks for your work, Larson! Wondering: what was the vote in the Senate this morning? Also, one point for clarification: Sen. Hutchison's bill is not a law... not yet. Any news about where this bill is in the process of becoming law? (Can you give us a link to read more about the story?)

Anonymous said...

@BarackObama: "Elizabeth, who owns a small IT company, talks about the ways President Obama is helping entrepreneurs like her: http://OFA.BO/quZLXz"

This story tells about a woman named Elizabeth who runs a small IT program and helps small businesses and schools run their internet servers. She says without the stimulus the President put in place, many of her clients wouldn't have been able to afford her service. With the new $1 billion grant that Obama has put in place to help small start up companies, her business can thrive.

This story relates to the study of our government because it relates to the stimulus plans that our President is putting in place. It also was linked to the President's twitter account. He has been tweeting a lot of success stories related to his policies lately to help himself get re-elected.

Stephen Renard said...

@NBCPolitics: Obama's crossover message, from kitchen to mansion http://on.msnbc.com/uAhPj3

This article talks about how President Obama is attracting funds and support from the wealthy class as well as the middle and working class. The President realizes that the majority of voters in America are middle to lower class citizens, and he plans to take advantage of the oppertunity of gaining their support. At the same time, he visits with the wealthy in order to raise the neccesary funds required to run for office for a second term.

This article is relevant to our studies because it demonstrates how the President must connect with all kinds of voters. In this article, he must sit with the rich and the poor in order to gain support. He has to please the poor with promises of jobs, etc. while pleasing the rich as well.

Anonymous said...

From: @pewresearch: Daily Number: 63% of the 10.2 million illegal #immigrants in the U.S. have lived in the country for at least 10 years http://pewrsr.ch/uLcslJ

According to a new study done by the Pew Hispanic Center, about two-thirds of the United States illegal population has lived in the States for at least ten years. The amount of illegal residents in the United States that have lived here for more than 15 years has more than doubled from 2000 to 2010 and during the same period the amount that have lived in the country for less than 5 years has fallen by half.

The United States has stepped up its border patrol over about the last 5 years which is reflected in the fact that only fifteen percent of illegal population have lived in the country for lest than 5 years. Also since the economy of the United States has had a major decline over the past few years, which has declined the interests of illegal’s to come to the United States.

Luke H said...

TRUMP WITHDRAWS FROM DEBATE

@NBCPolitics Trump withdraws as moderator of Iowa debate http://on.msnbc.com/tauJvR


Donald Trump recently withdrew himself from a debate that was to later be held in Iowa. He says his primary reason is that he still has interest in running for president as an independent candidate. Trump also states, “It is very important to me that the right Republican candidate be chosen to defeat the failed and very destructive Obama Administration…” This decision could have a change on the upcoming elections for the government party’s and the Newsmax debate. It also shows the competitive nature and importance of the upcoming election for president.

Anonymous said...

@NBCPolitics Close
Focus on Senate after House OKs payroll tax cut on.msnbc.com/tucEfZ

The House of Representatives passed a bill with a vote of 234-193 on payroll tax that will be $1,000 difference for families making $50,000. The Senate controlled by the Democrats will probably not pass the bill on account that the bill would cut government spending, start work to begin a 1,700 mile long Keystone Xl oil pipeline, and not force the upper-class Americans to pay as much money in taxes as the Democrats would like. In the end the bill is going to be changed to please both the Senate and the House because time is running out to get a bill passed so that the payroll tax boost does not happen on January 1st.

This story is relevant to what we are studying because the Congress as a whole needs to pass a bill for the greater good of American families. Otherwise, the payroll tax will take a good percentage of the families earnings. Both parties (Republicans and Democrats) need to make and pass the bill as close as to their constituents’ wishes so they can get reelected for Senate or the House in the next term.

Emily Leib said...

@PeteSessions: "President Obama's #KXL delay is costing Americans jobs. Here's an example from Arkansas: http://tiny.cc/ft55n"

According to fox16.com, in Little Rock Arkansas, the employees at Welspun Tubular Company are facing layoffs and a brief company shutdown. The company, which makes steel pipes for the oil industry,has been facing issues such as the KXL pipeline not being shipped out. Because the KXL pipeline has has not been shipped out and no work has been done one the site, roughly 200 hundred people will be left without income or will be laid off.

This tweet by Pete Sessions relates to our study of government. It relates, because the delay is costing American's their job and is adding up to the unemployment rate. This also relates because it is causing contraversy with Pete Sessions and President Obama. Pete Sessions is trying to urge President Obama to speed up the decision on the Keystone XL energy pipeling project.

Anonymous said...

@thecaucus NYTimes The Caucus
Gingrich Endorses 'Marriage Pledge' http://nyti.ms/u6peLw

Republican candidates are trying to gain the endorsement of the Family Leader, an influential evangelical group, and the first step in doing so seems to be endorsing and signing the ‘Marriage Pledge,’ a document binding them to support same-sex marriage only and pro-life legislation. Perry, Santorum, and Bachman have all signed this, but Gingrich recently chose to only give his word that he would endorse it.

Iowa holds 7 electoral votes and a quarter of the population consists of white evangelicals. They realize their pull and are choosing to take political action to protect their values. Because of this, gaining the support of Iowa evangelist could prove to be crucial to securing the Republican nomination for the upcoming presidential elections.

Key question for follow-up: Will Gingrich’s decision to endorse the ‘Marriage Pledge’ but to not sign it affect his support in Iowa?

Morgan K

shelley23 said...

"donnabrazile says that Another misleading statement from Williard Mitt Romney. Romney says only Obama has cut Medicare: FALSE!"from @donnabrazile http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2011/dec/12/mitt-romney/romney-says-only-obama-has-cut-medicare/.


Romney says Barack Obama has cut Medicare, yet this article proves him to be way off. It shows that the president of the United States did not cut Medicare. He came up with the 2010 health care reform law that, among other things, reduces future Medicare spending by $500 billion. Although it reduces spending, they aren’t actual cuts the 500 billion isn’t taken out of the current budget. Later on in the debate Romney meant to say that Barack cut Medicare "for seniors”, which means he really meant that the Medicare enhances benefits. John Rother, president and CEO of the National Coalition on Health Care, gave his perspective of the matter. He shares to us that in 1981, President Ronald Reagan signed an omnibus budget reconciliation act that raised Medicare deductibles for beneficiaries. Rother said he considers that a cut in benefits.


This relates to our current government class in a numerous amounts of ways. One major way, being how important it is for the president to be confident in what he feels is right, because not everyone is going to agree with him. Another way being notified in this article that not all politicians are the same.

Anonymous said...

Before reading this article I was more against the plans President Obama has in store for health care. I thought he should have to force everyone to purchase health care. I still am not fully convinced. In this case it was for the better. She was a middle class woman who has had many troubles starting from her husband getting laid off his job, their family having to choose between paying for their mortgage or paying for health insurance, and then being diagnosed with cancer at 49. No one deserves to have a terrible sickness given to them especially someone who has to kids and works hard. She was saved by the federal government's Pre-existing Condition Insurance Plan part of President Obama's healthcare plan. The plan guarantees access to insurance for U.S. citizens with preexisting conditions who have been uninsured for at least six months. It’s not going to save everyone’s problems but it is a step and I do agree with President Obama that we should be doing at least something to help as many people as we can.
-Megan Reynolds

Colton U said...

http://robertreich.org/post/14188567153

Newt Gingrich has an outrageous tax plan. The White House and Congress's plan is to cut the debt deficit by 3-4 trillion dollars in 10 years. Instead Gingrich goes the complete opposite way and wants to increase it by $850 billion. His plan is to cut the marginal income tax rate to 15%. By doing this he is helping the richest of the richest by saving that .1% 2.3 million a year.

This article relates to Gov. because it gives us a perspective on how much the US is in debt and shows us a different view on the subject. It shows how some people are thinking about the debt we are in and different opinions on taxes.

Emily Sher said...

NBCPolitics NBC Politics
Republicans muscle tax cut bill through House http://on.msnbc.com/vNnlJ5

The “tax cut bill” that the Republicans “muscled through the House” according to Speaker of the House John Boehner what put into action “to stop a tax hike, protect Social Security, reform unemployment insurance and create jobs.” He claims, “the bill includes sensible, bipartisan measures to help the private sector create jobs." However, his claim that the bill is a bipartisan or a compromise between the two main political parties (Democrats and Republicans) is actually incorrect, it has instead become a huge controversy. The two political parties continue to “but-heads” over this bill. The house of Democrats accused the Republicans of protecting “millionaires and billionaires” while the House Majority Leader, Eric Cantor of Virginia mocked the Obama’s objections to their version of the bill by saying, "Mr. President, we can't wait.” This connects to our study of government because not only does it show how a bill is passed but it shows how difficult it is to get both sides of the political spectrum on the same page. This emphasizes the fact that we are desperately struggling to find a common ground between the parties and because of that it is putting our country at enormous peril.

Q said...

@WSJ Washington Wire says “GOP Debate’s Big Audience Missing One Big GOPer: Boehner” http://on.wsj.com/uprkrl

This past Saturday the Republican debate was the most watched debate fir this year’s upcoming election. The Speaker of the House, Mr. Boehner, seems to not have been one of the many that watched this debate. He was talking about how on Tuesday the House will vote on whether or not to extend a payroll tax break alongside the unemployment benefits. The reporters were asking if he would accept the bill some of the Democratic proposed ideas to tax millionaires, he responds with a dodge to the question “`If `ifs, ands and buts’ were candy and nuts, every day would be Christmas.” This connects to our government class because this is the Speaker of the House (who is republican), debating the ideas from both parties. It also is heavily influencing the future election for the GOP party.

Anonymous said...

Newt's outrageious tax plan, and why his polls rise the more outrageous he is. http://robertreich.org/14188567153

Newt Gringrich has a new tax plan that increases federal budget deficit by about $850 billion. While the congress is truing to reduce the ten-year deficit. Newt increases the deficit because he is lowering the marginal income tax rate to 10 percent. In his plan, the top .1 percent drops from 38 percent of their income to 10 percent.

This story relates to government because it shows how much deficit we are in. It shows how much the previous presidents cut in the marginal income tax with the effects. It helps people realize that Newts plan does more negative than positive.

Lauren B

Katherine T. said...

From @WSJWashington ‘Donald Trump Fires Himself as Debate Moderator’ (on.wsj.com/scqMol)

Mr. Trump announced that he will not be hosting the next Republican debate scheduled for December 27. He claims he wants to keep his options including the possibility of running as an independent candidate in May after this season of The Apprentice is over.

This exhibits Mr. Trump’s use of the election pathway to make a change in a government that he clearly has an issue with. Even though voting is an act under the election pathway, Mr. Trump will not settle for a candidate who he does not fully agree with or have faith in.

Anonymous said...

Alex.W

After WWII a child born in to poverty had a 50% chance of joining middle class as a grown citizen. The chance of being able to move up a class decreased over the years in 1980 the percent was down to 40, and for today has lowered to 33%. President Obama is simply trying to make a better life for lower-middle class by proposing to raise taxes for the more wealthy Americans (millionaires/billionaires), which is the same idea that former President Clinton put in place.
President Barack is doing what a lot of our politicians wouldn’t, he is helping the overall working class which is over 160,000,000 people whose taxes would be cut down to an average of $1,500.

http://www.barackobama.com/news/entry/friday-factsa-fair-shot-for-the-middle-class

Paxton S said...

@monkeycageblog: “Russia: Middle Class Rising.” - http://themonkeycage.org/blog/2011/12/13/russia-middle-class-rising/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheMonkeyCage+%28The+Monkey+Cage%29
The Russian middle class is rising, and is gaining political support as it goes. Vladislav Surkov, the Chief of Staff to the President of the Russian Federation, has championed this growth in support of shortening the gap between the extremely poor and the excessively wealthy. He calls the middle class the “silent heroes” and views their growth the key way to create a more stable United Russia.
The article also comments on the unfairness of elections in Russia. In a recent election, the author notes on the use of, “the widespread and well-documented use of ballot-stuffing, manipulation of absentee voting certificates, and after-hours revisions of local vote tallies” to skew the final results. With a more politically-active middle class being a part of the political system in Russia, these voting issues may be soothed.
Key Question for Followup: “Will Russia’s political problems be resolved in the future?”

Anonymous said...

http://www.samjohnson.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=263143

Congressman Sam Johnson supports the idea for a plan to “freeze and investigate” the effects that President Obama’s Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act might have on our country’s citizens and economy. His ideas contradict the belief of Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi who encourages the passing of the bill in order to see it’s full outcome, but if that happens then it might be too late to stop the economic distress that could come from it. Lastly, Congressman Johnson argues that this policy is not what the citizens wanted and shouldn’t be enforced upon the people. Only time will tell if the push for Johnson’s plan of “Freeze and Investigate” of Obamacare, will be successful.

This article has a strong connection to our study government because we have recently talked and debated the pro’s and con’s of Obamacare, and this article provides one government officials side to that topic. It is interesting to see the point of view of a Congressman and his proposition to fix the policy of all Americans being forced to have healthcare. Finally, the article gives a different outlook with credible statistics and data that can help us, as government students, comprehend the Congressman’s thought process and reasoning behind his “Freeze and Investigate” plan for Obamacare.

Lauren S

Brookie H said...

@pewresearch More #Republicans say #Gingrich than #Romney has best chance to beat #Obama in 2012 #GOP12pewrsr.ch/srJd9p

Newt Gingrich has taken the lead over Mitt Romney in the GOP primaries leading up to 2012 presidential election. Most Republican voters say that there is a chance they would vote for either Gingrich or Romney because none of the other Republican candidates draw nearly as much possible support. According to a bunch of statistics, Gingrich remains the more likely candidate to receive Republican voters votes.

In our government class we have studied the five pathways of action. We have learned that the elections pathway, the lobbying pathway, the court pathway, the grassroots mobilization pathway, and the cultural change pathway are five ways in which us U.S. citizens can get involved in the government. The elections pathway allows citizens to vote in elections so that they can influence who they want to run the country. Since Republican voters are voting in the primaries, they are helping to choose the best Republican candidate they want to run the country.

http://www.people-press.org/2011/12/13/gingrich-leads-but-likely-gop-primary-voters-have-not-ruled-out-romney/?src=prc-twitter

Anonymous said...

@NBCPolitics
GOP governors worry Obama might escape his woes on.msnbc.com/vdQBsp

The GOP governors think that that Obama doesn’t have a chance to win the next election, but they think that he will focus on tearing down the Republican Party. NBC talks about the issues of the taxing of the wealthy and the working class. The Republican Party is worried because if the election becomes a battle over the middle class, Frank Luntz says, “Democrats will win.”

This story connects to our government class because it discuses the upcoming election and main topics. Also it shows the heated election competition between the Republican and Democratic Party. It also says how important the election pathway is because they say if the election race becomes a battle of the middle and working class then the Democrats will win the election.

Anonymous said...

From @cnnbrk: 'CDC: Heath Reform extends coverage to young Ameri cans.' (http://www.cnn.com/2011/12/14/health/health-insurance/index.html)

According to the National Center for Health Statistics, 2.5 million more people between the ages of 19 to 25 have health insurance because of the provision that requires young adults to remain on their parents' insurance through the age of 26. This is an increase from 64% to 73%. President Barack Obama signed the health care reform into law in March 2010. Also, according to the Department of Health and Human Services, young adults were usually the age group least likely to have health insurance.

The healthcare reform has been a huge debate recently among Republicans, who typically oppose the bill, and Democrats, who typically favor the bill.

chris cole said...

http://nbcpolitics.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/12/9389268-high-court-to-look-at-state-immigration-laws?ocid=twitter





In this article, the state of Arizona has recently passed an immigration law in which enforces rules, protection, and stricter border enforcement in the state. This new law was created in efforts to reduce the effects of illegal immigration, seeking to reduce jobs taken by illegals and allow police to enforce their suspicions. "One of those requires that police, while enforcing other laws, question a person's immigration status if officers suspect he is in the country illegally."



This relates to our government studies because it has to do with the supreme court and how they review different laws that are waiting to be passed and review certain local laws and implement them into a more universal law in the country. The Supreme Court, along with reviewing these immigration laws, are currently reviewing Obama's health care plan, along with other laws and plans.

woodyleonard said...

From: @PEJPew PEJ
Time Magazine Names the Protester Its Person of the Year, more in the daily briefing http://pewrsr.ch/9Gf3W8

Time Magazine choose a picture of an Arabic person labeled as ‘The Protester ‘ to put on the cover of their addition of Person Of the Year. The magazine chooses this because of the amount of protests and unrest throughout the world in this year. The comments on this are also interesting to read because there is much controversy over their choice. Time magazine is comparing the rioters and rebels who have successfully overthrown their dictators to the Occupy Wall street movement. The view of the majority of the comments is that this is degrading to the brave rebels who risked their lives for bettering their countries because they are being compared to the Occupy Wall Street movement which has yet to accomplish anything.

This relates to our study of government because all of these protests have the goal of changing the form of government and/or to change government policies. It also relates to how some News companies can be bias towards a certain party.

Anonymous said...

From @jesseclee44 "What change looks like: 2,500,000 young adults get health coverage, up from 1M earlier this year" wapo.st/sRb3tQ

According to an analysis by the Obama administration, the number of young adults, ranging from 19 to 25, that have previously lacked health care has decreased by 2.5 million in the past year. The new heatlh care overhaul law has tremendously affected these young adults'decision to act quickly to obtain medical coverage.

Health coverage is a controversial topic that is constantly being debated, and is especially a point of concern right now considering the upcoming presidential election. The results from this study help support the idea that Obama's heatlh coverage plan has a beneficial effect, and could eventually help him win more votes in the 2012 election.

-Natalie Johnston

Anonymous said...

President Barak Obama is planning to end the War on Terror today in Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He is going to release the news to the families of the service men and women’s families that died during this war. All troops should be out of the Middle East and home by December 31st.

This relates to our Government class primarily because the head of the execute office is making use of his position and acting on it. We are learning about how government works and the different positions in government and what each position do. This is a perfect example of how one of these positions works in the real world.

http://nbcpolitics.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/14/9440996-obama-visiting-fort-bragg-to-mark-end-of-iraq-war?ocid=twitter

Anonymous said...

@NBCPolitics Obama visiting Fort Bragg to mark end of Iraq war http://on.msnbc.com/t6PrA0

President Obama is ending the war in Iraq just as he promised during his presidential election, and hopes to bring all the troops home by Demember 31, 2011. He is visiting Fort Bragg in North Carolina to make a speech concerning those who served in the war. Although he is ending the Iraq war, the United States will still help Iraq when needed.

This connects to our study of government because one of the reasons Obama is ending this war is to help him in the upcoming presidential election. He promised he would put an end to the war in Iraq in his presidential campaign in 2008, and in attempt to win the 2012 presidential election, he is upholding his promise he made to the American people. If he upholds his promises and gives the people what they want, he has a better chance of getting reelected and winning the votes of many Americans. Citizens will use the elections pathway to vote for the candidate who best represents their views and opinions.

Christina B.

Anonymous said...

From @donnabrazile: Please read and share. In U.S., right to vote still threatened http://www.cnn.com/2011/12/13/opinion/brazile-voting-rights/index.html #cnn

Coming of the biggest and most diverse voting for the presidential election ever, 40 states have introduced legislation that makes it harder for Americans to vote, especially those of color and young in age. South Carolina and Texas are two states that passed requirements that would make voters present restrictive forms of government-issued photo ID at polling places.

This relates to government because these states are affecting how many voters will turnout for the 2012 presidential election. All American citizens, at least 18 years of age, are guaranteed the right to vote. However, these new legislations are making it much harder for citizens to vote.

Sydney D said...

@NBCPolitics "Holder criticizes states' restrictive voting laws http://on.msnbc.com/ve9A8u"

U.s. Attorney General Eric Holder criticizes voting laws which are becoming very restrictive to certain groups of voters. Holder points out that the new redistricting in Texas is "precisely the kind of discrimination" he is fighting.With over four million new residents, Texas can gain four seats in the U.S. House of Representatives but TX is proposing to add none leaving out seats in which hispanics would have electoral opportunity.

The definition of democracy relates this post to our government class. In a democracy all citizens are supposed to have have a roll in shaping government. These new laws are making it hard for some residents to participate in the election pathway.

Lauren Edmond said...

From @PEJPew: "Time Magazine Names the Protester Its Person of the Year, more in the daily briefing http://pewrsr.ch/9Gf3W8"

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2011/12/14/143699593/the-protester-is-time-magazines-person-of-the-year?ft=1&f=1001&sc=tw&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Time magazine has taken a step in the direction of the people by naming "The Protester" its Person of the Year. Political activists around the world are being honored for their service to stand against what they beleve to be unjustices of their government and Time magazine has decided that all of their work can't be boiled down to celebrating only one of these activists but rather need to thank them for their advancement as a whole. Editor Richard Stengel from Time magazine noted on the Today show that ""These are folks who are changing history already and will change the future."

These acts by ordinary people is the change that can and will occur if people take action in voicing their opinion in government. These activists all around the world have decided to take a step in advancing the common good for every person to have the rights that they so greatly deserve as being human. These demonstrations prove what can happen when individuals do let their ideas of advancement shine.

Cooper said...

@NBCPolitics
http://nbcpolitics.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/14/9440996-obama-visiting-fort-bragg-to-mark-end-of-iraq-war?ocid=twitter

President Barack Obama and his first lady Michelle Obama travled to Fort Bragg in North Carolina to pay a tribute to all those who died in the war that he was opposed from the start. Fort Bragg has seen more than 200 deaths seen over the 9 year period of the war. While there Obama was there to provide a sense of closer and reflected on the bravery of the U.S. forces through-out the war.


This story is relavent to what were are currently studying because we have currently disscused the importance of our democracy. The democracy is government for the people, recently many of the American citizens have asked for the war in Iraq to come to a close and Obama answered those pleads.

DillonS said...

@pollster
Does Organization Still Matter In Iowa? http://huff.to/v3MnG5

This article is stating that the republican frontrunner as of now, Newt Gingrich,could win the Iowa caucuses without a strong grassroots mobilization campaign. The article argues that what is truly needed in the Republican caucuses are are energized voters and momentum going into the day. With these two things organization means less.

This article connects to the study of government because winning the Iowa caucuses is an early indication of which candidates could win the nomination for their party. This article talks of grassroots mobilization which is a pathway that involves highly motivated people behind one cause.

Ian Marks said...

From @HuffPostPol: Iran says Obama should apologize for sending drone http://huff.to/vecgDS

I'm seeing multiple connections between the Iranian Drone incident and the U-2 Incident of 1960. On May 1960, Soviets shot down a high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft and took the pilot prisoner. The U-2 Incident led to a failed peace conference that would have limited the Cold War's arms race.

The Iran incident is a similar case where an aircraft was flying over another country's airspace and captured the intelligence gathered from the aircraft. The drone's (the Lockheed Martin RQ-170 Sentinel) capture is a major embarrassment to the US because the drone is stealth along with violating Iran's airspace. There have been talks about Iran perhaps selling the drone to US's greatest rival, China . The United States recently sent a letter to Iran asking for the return of the drone to the US mainland without any apology included for this violation of Iranian airspace.

Personally, I would at least send an apology to Iran about the drone. The purpose of sending the drone over a point-of-interest, such as Iran, seems logical if there was a war occurring. The next couple weeks will determine the actions taken by Iran and the United States. There are some possible scenarios: America goes to war with Iran to capture/destroy the drone (this could occur if Iran keeps the drone or plans to sell it to China).

Anonymous said...

@NBCPolitics
http://nbcpolitics.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/14/9440996-obama-visiting-fort-bragg-to-mark-end-of-iraq-war?ocid=twitter
Obama visiting Fort Bragg to mark end of Iraq war
This article is saying that Barak Obama is going to pull the troops out of Iraq by December 31 this year. The reason Obama wants to pull out is to focus on the economy back in the United States.
This relates to our government class because we are learning about positions and power. As the president Obama is using his power to pull out all of the troops in Iraq
ZEEV F

Anonymous said...

The troops come home from #Iraq: See our round-up of Pew's surveys and reports on the conflict #veterans http://pewrsr.ch/uAHxIg

http://pewresearch.org/pubs/2145/iraq-backgrounder-the-troops-come-home?src=prc-twitter

As troops are returning home, veteran's feedback is recorded by the pew research team. Questions have been asked to the political parties on whether they believe the war in Iraq has improved America's security. While opinions differ about the effectiveness of the war "75% of the public is overwhelmingly supportive of President Barack Obama's decision to withdraw all U.S. combat troops from Iraq by the end of the year."

This article clearly demonstrates the political parties differences about the war in Iraq. The public followed government more closely when President George W. Bush was in office. With the 2012 election coming up, it seems that President Obama strategically decided to withdraw the troops to leave a good impression among the majority of the population.

Anonymous said...

This artcle is talking about mainly Obama raising the taxes for the more wealthy yet him trying to reach out to them and win their vote for the upcoming 2012 election. Most of his intimate moments aren’t usually caught on camera. "We don't just ask for sacrifices from seniors, we don't just ask for sacrifices from union members, we don't just ask for sacrifices from teachers, we ask for sacrifices from the people who are in the best position to sacrifice," he told donors recently.
The government relation to this is the president’s decision about taxes. He plans on raising them for the wealthier citizens, create jobs and payroll tax cuts

Jacob Burdett said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

@NBCPolitics NBC Politics: Republican dilemma: Electability or ideology? http://on.msnbc.com/sEukYL

Republicans recently pushed legislation to keep the Social Security payroll tax cuts at President Obama’s request. Not only would this affect some 160 million Americans, but it would require construction of a Canada-to-Texas oil pipeline. Republicans believe that the follow up of these tax cuts could also greatly affect the unemployment rate. Unlike the Keystone XL pipeline dilemma, this bill is meant to create jobs and improve the private sector. The only problem is that wealthy Americans do not want to pay any more than the average person does on taxes. The main issue is who is going to pay the extra buck to ensure the growth and expansion of the economy.
The debate on these tax cuts relates to our government class because it identifies the lack of progress between the Republicans and Democratic parties. Nobody can make a viable decision that would have a positive effect on the private sector while resisting negative feedback from the working middle class Americans. It also demonstrates the heated court pathway that is being utilized to solve this incredibly difficult problem. Untimely, working compromises and sacrifices must be made to help end high unemployment rates and taxes.

patrick said...

http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/285443/it-s-not-economically-savvy-bein-green-peter-robinson

This article is very interesting. These days people are so concerned about their "carbon footprint" that they totally disregard how uneconomical being green is. Peole spend thousands of extra dollars a year buying things that are "green" and the economy is the worst it's been since the Great Depression. Although more spending is good for the country's economy it is not good for the individual person. People are finally starting to realize that "being green" might not be worth it.

Jacob Burdett said...

A Gallup Poll was taken this November that asked Americans the question, “In your opinion, which of the following will be the biggest threat to the country in the future – big business, big labor, or big government?” An almost record high 64% of Americans, consisting of 82% Republicans and 48% Democrats, said that the biggest threat was big government. This increase is led by the Democrats, surprisingly, who only made up 32% in 2009.

This story relates to our study of government because it has to do with democracy and the ability of people to be politically free in their beliefs. In a democracy power is invested in the people and the people are given certain civil liberties; however this poll shows that people are beginning to doubt the government is as trustworthy as they thought it was. Government recently has shown that it has a growing disrespect for civil rights, the power to continuously borrow money to the point of bankruptcy and the power to go to war with anyone it wants to. Our government has way too much power to go unchecked and Americans are starting to notice.


http://bit.ly/scRadd

Anonymous said...

http://on.msnbc.com/uAhPj3

Anonymous said...

http://nbcpolitics.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/14/9438090-what-mattersmost-in-2012?ocid=twitter

This is asking what people think will be the most important issue in 2012. My responce was social issues for two major reasons. The first reason is the fact that this will be a year with presidential elections and due to that, many people will be thinking about which sociall issues they uphold. There is a Mormon running, someone who is very very Republican minded, and finally a black man all running for president. The other reason is because many new peopel, young people will be voting and these people will be thinking very differently with each social issue, making it the most important issue of 2012.

Anonymous said...

WSJ/NBC Poll Finds Obama’s Biggest Success: Killing Bin Laden http://on.wsj.com/uRivAh

The results to this poll about Obama's greatest achievements and failures so far is very surprising. Over half of Americans say that his greatest achievement is killing Osama bin Laden or bringing the troops home from Iraq. To contrast that, citizens say Obama's inability to improve economoc conditions is his worst failure, while other things that people seemed to be so up in arms about like passing the new health care law, were only voted his worst failure by thirteen percent of people.

This relates to our government studies because so far we have learned about how citizens are involed in the government and how they can voice their oppinions freely. It's very interesting to see how some things that people strongly protested ended up halfway down the list of Obama's greatest failures. It's also very relevant to our studies to see what citizens really care about and how they really feel about the man running our country.

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...

@NBCPolitics: "Republican dilemma: Electability or ideology? http://on.msnbc.com/sEukYL"

One of the articles from this link is about the frontrunners of the Republican party and how they match up against Obama. Gingrich is ahead of the Republican party and 11 points behind Obama among registered voters, but Romney is only 2 points behind Obama and behind Gingrich in the Republican side of things. This is because Gingrich has favorability among Republicans, conservatives, and Tea Party Supporters, but he lacks favorability with women, independents, and suburbam residents. 50% of registered voters said they would not vote for Gingrich, 45% said that about Obama and 44% about Romney.

This connects to our class because it talks about who is favored to win the presidency. It also shows how they get all these numbers about who is "supposed" to win. I never knew how they figured that out, and then I didn't know who they surveyed. This article made that very easy to understand. It also showed an easy example of how all citizens are represented in this process. We discussed in class, a lot of people choose to not participate in our democracy, and this proves that, though, people don't participate, most everyone is represented.

JonathanW said...

@TomBevanRCP Obama Beseeches Supporters to Stick With Him http://bit.ly/utdyi7

Obama is asking his supporters to stick by him through tough times and he will continue to strive for his original goals in 2008. Obama believes that if a Republican nominee for the GDP would drift more central, he would gain a large advantage in the polls. On the other side of the political spectrum, the Republicans are saying that Obama's "vision" is not supplying the results this country needs.

In our study of government, we have learned that the right side of the spectrum are conservatives and the left side are liberals. When President Obama said a candidate needs to shift his views more centrally, he means that a candidate might look better to the public if their views shifted to a broader audience. However, the only reason President Obama is saying this is because he is on the left side of the spectrum and would like the public to view his ideals more favorably.

hunter said...

The U.S. Senate is trying to pass the National Defence Authorisation Act. This act states that the U.S. can pick up and detain any citizen or non citizen anywhere in the world suspected of treson or giving out information of the U.S. Also if you are a U.S. citizen and you are suspected of aiding terrorist they will be jailed and given no trial until after the "war time." The way I feel about this is that it isn't fair to the individual at all. All individuals are entitled to a trial and if they are not given a trial it is violating there rights. I also don't think it is fair because if they are convicted and they did nothing wrong then they may have to wait in jail till the end of the "war time" even if they were convivted wrongly. I feel that this act is not fair at all.
http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2011/12/201112773810926474.html?utm_content=automateplus&utm_campaign=Trial6&utm_source=SocialFlow&utm_medium=MasterAccount&utm_term=tweets

Miranda M said...

This story is about President Obama and his progress in attempting to end the war against Iraq. Economically, this is potentially a huge step in trying to stop going further into debt than we already are. Also, he has succeeded in bring all our army troops home. Although this could put our country in danger if Iraq disagrees, this could also be Obama's biggest achievement as president so far.

It's a little difficult to relate this article back to our study of government, my only argument could be seen as extremely controversial or not. As I'm sure everyone is proud of the U.S. Troops for the hard-work, and dedication they have had put in the efforts to protect our country and maybe it's time to come home to their families, some members of the political party might see this as a huge threat for the United States.

http://nbcpolitics.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/14/9440996-obama-harder-to-end-a-war-than-to-begin-one?ocid=twitter

Anonymous said...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2073562/Torture-school-Children-basement-police-raid-Islamic-Taliban-training-centre.html

On the night of December 13, police led a raid in a Pakistani Islamic school, discovering 45 students ranging in ages 12-50 years old, chained in the basement. The school is thought to be a Taliban training center, many of the students saying that members of the Taliban would visit saying, "Prepare for battle." Students were tortured by being hung upside down and simultaneously beaten with bats. Many students reported that Taliban leaders would visit to lead prayers, as well as to tell student that they must prepare for battle and war.

This relates to our study of government, because it is discoveries concerning the Taliban such as this that will be issues in the upcoming election. Hearing that Taliban officials are training young men to "prepare for battle" is not comforting most American citizens. Although President Obama has taken action himself in the war on terror, stance on the war on terror and solutions to it will be a large factor in deciding which candidate to vote for come November.

Daniel K. said...

After the House of Representatives reaffirmed “In God we trust” as the United States motto, there was much debate over Obama’s response, "I trust in God, but God wants to see us help ourselves by putting people back to work." The debate was over the correct biblical phrase and that said phrase is to be the most dangerous belief in America. In the end, it was concluded that the phrase itself didn’t even come from the bible, but from Algernon Sydney in 1698. In the article, Jim Denison says, “We believe we can do anything if we get up earlier, stay up later, work longer and try harder. We baptize our self-reliance in the belief that the more we do, the more God will bless us.” And this is what should be the belief and to not be confused with certain interpretations of the bible.

The article relates to our study of government in the way of proving that America is a democracy and also provides insight that we still follow free speech and freedom of religious choice or affiliation. At the end of the article, national renewal is mentioned, which shows that there is still work being done to rebirth citizenship.

http://www.denisonforum.org/cultural-commentary/179-the-most-dangerous-belief-in-america-today

Anonymous said...

@NBCPolitics: Obama visits Fort Bragg to mark end of Iraq war http://on.msnbc.com/t6PrA0

Obama has ended the war in Iraq finally, and has decided to bring the troops home. After almost 10+ years of war he has decided that it's time for us to end the war and have the troops return home and be home for the holiday season. December 31st should be the date all our troops come home and join their families. Though some republicans think that he's leaving Iraq in a very unstable and dangerous position to turn on us, Obama is not afraid and says he'll have people their to help stabilize the country again. This is important to our government because for almost over half of my life this war in Iraq has been going on. I remember being in kindergarten coming home to my family crying. It was a difficult time, but it's time we ended this war. This is a big step in our government because 10+ years of war is a bit much, and the fact that it has ended and we have the troops returning home is a great accomplishment. I feel as if Obama has done our government and our country a huge favor by ending this war.

Cameron said...

http://blog.heritage.org/2011/12/14/morning-bell-the-truth-about-the-balanced-budget-amendment/ The post on this blog talks about a new amandement which was actually recently denied today at the Senate. The amemdment called for a ballance budget to bllance out our 15 trillion dollar debt. The plan said that the budget of the us for the coming years would would ballance out the gdp of the U.S. A Healthy BBA, should be focused on driving down government taxing, spending, and borrowing; with no loopholes. Where in this bill, there are loopholes which looks to try to increase these things. In realtion to our studies, If the people of the united states are having their taxes raised to increase government spending, then the goverment would be doing the opposite in what they intended the bill to do; ballance out the gdp. this was decrease gdp and lower our 15 trillion dollas debt even more so.

Anonymous said...

AJEnglish Al Jazeera English
Feature: #US risks losing "land of the free" status as indefinite detention becomes a possibility aje.me/scyLwY @Dparvaz

Senate is attempting to pass a bill that states that anywhere in the world as a war zone, and that anyone can be detained from anywhere in the world because everywhere in the world is now known as a part of "the war on terror."

This connects to our study of government because we are studying pathways, within this article there is cultural change in a way because of the nature of the decision to maybe pass a bill that would change the U.S. idea of land of the free.

Ryan said...

http://tinyurl.com/cjdxb4l

Recently there have been protests in Moscow, Russia against election fraud, focusing on the voice of Russia's "middle class". This is somewhat like the Occupy protests in the U.S. These protests are occuring because these people believe that their voices aren't being heard.

This relates to our course because of the 5 pathways of political action that we studied. As this post says, there has been a growing number of self-organized movements of civic activism. This is just another one of those examples and it's in another country evne.

Anonymous said...

http://nbcpolitics.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/14/9440996-obama-visiting-fort-bragg-to-mark-end-of-iraq-war?ocid=twitter


Recently president Obama travelled to Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He went there to pay tribute to those who had fought and died in the war. While he was there, he adressed service members and their families as he told them the war was over. President Obamam announced that all U.S. troops will be out of Iraq by December 21.

This relates to our government class because it deals with what the citizens and people want. This shows an example of democracy in the way that the people wanted the soldiers out of Iraq and now they will officially be out of Iraq on December 31.

-Cole B

Anonymous said...

Republicans aren’t very fond of the current President, Barrack Obama. However, when asked the biggest accomplishments of Obama, they reply with the Killing of Bin Laden. Meanwhile, Democratics, think differently. Only 14% of democratics agree with the Republicans. Through many polls, they showed the predictable dividing line between republicans and democraitcs. Nearly 25% of Deomcratics believe that President Obama’s decision to stem the financial crisis was a top success. However, only 4% of the Republicans agreed with this statement. Another big disagreement between both political parties would be that 17% of Democrats think that keeping troops in Iraq was a great decision, while only 4% of Republicans share the same idea. Also, some Republicans, only one in five, see the health-care law as the top failure. Meanwhile, one in ten of the Democratic Party agrees with this. These disagreements and rare agreements connect back to our studies of the government, by distinguishing how the Republicans differ so much from the Democratics. The Republicans share hardly any of the same ideas as the Democratics.


http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2011/12/14/wsjnbc-poll-finds-obamas-biggest-success-killing-bin-laden/?mod=WSJBlog&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Anonymous said...

http://robertreich.org/post/14188567153

The article I have chosen to write about is Newt Gingrich's tax plan. Newt's new ridiculous tax plan has risen his polls the more insane it gets. Newt's tax plan is predicted to add 850 billion dollars of debt in a single year. The ultimate plan of the new tax plan is two gain 3 to 4 trillion dollars in a span of 10 years. Newt's plan is too ridiculous to actual be taken into consideration. It benefits only certain members of the social class and leaves the rest out to suffer. Newt's slashing on corporal taxes is outrageous and clearly won't happen.

In our study of government, this new plan is too ridiculous to actually be taken as an option to recover from the nations debt. It benefits the very rich, but rides on the middle class to pay most of the tax. He chooses to lower the marginal tax from 35 to 15 percent. The top .1 percent will get an average tax cut of 2.3 million instead of 1.9. In our study of government this cannot happen because it will bring rise to a revolution.

Marcy Applebaum said...

NYTimes The Caucus @thecaucus 4h
Reply RetweetedRetweet At Least for Reid, Gingrich is the 2012 Republican Pick http://nyti.ms/vrXhs4

Jennifer Steinhauer writes about Harry Reid’s (Senator of Nevada) decision of who will be the Republican candidate in the presidential election of 2012. Reid believes Newt Gingrich will be chosen because he has experience in trying to add specific laws such as a bill to pay for a payroll tax holiday extension or something else to fund the government. Also on the Republican side Romney is not doing well, and in Reid’s opinion, Gingrich is doing better. Senator Reid also expresses his beliefs about wanting to vote on a short-term measure to extend a payroll tax holiday. Senator Reid does not want to vote on a large-scale appropriations bill to fund the government until the payroll tax measure can be decided because he wants the government to stay open while the Senate works out its problems.
This article relates to our study in government because Reid’s beliefs persuade others to choose Gingrich as the Republican candidate, which is using the elections pathway. Reid persuades others that having Gingrich as President will help fund the government.

Emily K said...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/federal-eye/post/government-shutdown-preparations-begin-as-funding-talks-stall/2011/12/14/gIQATZyNuO_blog.html?tid=sm_twitter_postlocal

This article discusses the potential government shutdown that may occur if the midnight Friday deadline to either pass a short-term or final fund decision is not met. Cabinet heads sent emails to workers to warn them of the potential shutdown due to the fact that a long-term spending plan has not been established to keep the government functional through September, the remainder of the fiscal term. Republican leaders declared that the White House and Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid have directed lawmakers who made the original pact to withhold their signatures in agreement with a new funding decision until votes are held on an extension of the payroll tax. Kenneth Baer, Office of Management and Budget spokesman, declared, "We need to be prepared for any contingency."


This topic and article is very relative to our current course due to its direct governmental effects. Established budgets and a group decision process is crucial to the productivity and functionality of the government and as we learned, there can be flaws in a democratic government. This article presents one of the potential flaws, indecisiveness, that can cause harm to our government as a whole.

Molly Aaron said...

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18563_162-57343259/romney-gingrich-an-unreliable-conservative/?tag=cbsContent;cbsCarousel

Throughout the campaign, Mitt Romney has notably kept his focus on President Obama. Now, he has taken a turn and feasted his eyes upon his fellow Republican nominee, Newt Gingrich. In a recent interview, Romney stated that Gingrich was an unreliable leader and would be no help to our country. Basically, he is trying to bring Gingrich's campaign down, and hopefully bringing his own to the top as the true conservative who no one questions.
As the article speaks of electoral campaigns, it directly relates to our conversation in government class about the pathways, specifically the election pathway. Romney is trying to persuade people away from voting for Gingrich as he is the "less suitable" option.

kellyem said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Maddi Mailliard said...

#NBCPolitics: Defense Bill nears passage in Congress, http://nbcpolitics.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/15/9466920-defense-bill-nears-passage-in-congress?ocid=twitter
“A massive defense bill is on the brink of final passage after the Obama administration and Congress resolved a fierce struggle over the president's ability to prosecute terrorist suspects in the civilian justice system.” Basically, this bill would impose new consequences on Iran. It would target all foreign financial establishments that do business with the country's central bank. The president could waive those penalties if he notifies Congress that it's in the interest of national security.

This is article relates to our study of government on several levels. First this article demonstrates how bills are passed in Congress. Secondly, this article discusses how the House and Senate work together to get laws passed. “The Senate was expected to clear the bill Thursday and send it to President Barack Obama. The House vote came just hours after the administration abandoned a veto threat over provisions dealing with the handling of terrorism suspects.” Lastly this article is imperative to our study of government because it discusses our current standings with Iran and how our government is dealing with Iran directly.

kellyem said...

#WSJWashington: Romney Retains Double-Digit New Hampshire Lead
Link to the article: http://t.co/mabjmNBJ
Patrick O’Connor, from the Wall Street Journal, wrote an article depicting the Republican Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney and his competitors. Romney is the former Governor of Massachusetts and has had a 27% lead in past polls, but his lead has dropped to 18% above the others as his competitors, John Huntsman Jr. and Ron Paul, have caught up a bit. He is still said to be one of the favorites because people believe he would be the best manager of the economy.
The article states, “We’ve seen that the economy has been the most important issue for the better part of two years, and New Hampshire voters clearly see Romney as the one to fix it. The favorable view of Romney’s personality and ability to bring America together was seen even among Gingrich voters.” Romney’s supposed ability to unite the citizens of America is vital to the polls. People are becoming segregated and set apart from one another and need a driving force to bring them together again. This will lead to more engagement by people in the government process and happier citizens. Also, the economy has been suffering for some time now, and Romney is the favored to start to improve the economy and ultimately ways of life for many people.

Anthony Escobar said...

http://www.barackobama.com/news/entry/middle-class-families-cant-wait

This very short article is over The Republican party blocking a vote to extend President Obama's payroll tax cut. Therefore, making the millions of middle-class Americans pay even more in taxes.

This relates to our study of government because the people don't want a tax cut, Obama was elected president of the U.S. because people agreed with what he said he was going to do with our country, for the most part. I chose this article mainly because of the question it ask at the end, appealing to the middle class americans that are not in favor of their taxes getting raised if this vote remains blocked.
"What could you do with an extra $1,500?"

Brooke Bode said...

http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/insidestoryamericas/2011/12/2011121491313251229.html?utm_content=automateplus&utm_campaign=Trial6&utm_source=SocialFlow&utm_medium=MasterAccount&utm_term=tweets
The new US anti-terrorism bill that is predicted to pass in the US Congress legalizes the indefinite detention of anyone deemed a terrorist by the government. However the bill jeopardizes the American ideals of liberty and freedom while trying to keep American citizens safe. The bill would then give the military more power even though many critics think that the government should have the American citizen’s as their priority rather than “roaming their streets” and that this bill is the start of the decay of civil liberties. Many citizens would feel violated by this new bill if the government did not give accurate reasons as to why they accused someone of terrorism.

This bill challenges the constitution because Constitution states that the government needs to protect the people as well as maintain their civil liberties. The bill could be crossing that fine line because the government has power over who the suspect terrorists are and anyone could be accused within reason. Even though the bill’s goal is to protect the US citizens from outside terrorist attacks, no one is ruled-put for terrorism, regardless if they are a citizen or not. According to the article, seventy one percent of people said that “the government should prevent attacks without affecting civil liberties.” Benjamin Franklin said that “anyone willing to give up civil liberty for the sake of security deserves neither.” The constitution stands for maintaining civil liberties, and any bill violating one’s liberty is declared unconstitutional.
-Brooke Bode

Andrew Boyd said...

@NBCPolitics: Trump withdraws as moderator of Iowa debate http://on.msnbc.com/tauJvR
Donald Trump has officially withdrawn from moderating the presidential debate in Iowa on December 27, 2011. Only two candidates confirmed participation in the debate (Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum) all the others not participating because of the believe Trump will run for president. After withdrawing, Trump expressed interest on running for president as an independent. Trump is not willing to say he will not be running because he feels if he doesn’t believe there is a sufficient Republican candidate, than he might choose to run as an independent. This provides and interesting effect to the republican side of the presidential campaign. Will Trump enter the race? Well many believe that question will be answered after May 20 when the final episode of Trumps show, The Apprentice, is finished. This relates to government by showing us the ability for suspense and strategies in presidential elections. Also, it brings something new into our study that I have never heard of, someone running as an independent.

Eric M said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Morgan C. said...

The House of Representatives has passed a payroll tax bill gives Obama the potential power to win the 2012 election in November, should he choose to approve it. The bill would reduce the duration of unemployment benefits, significantly lowering the unemployment rate in 2012. The provision would also maintain the current tax rate of 4.2% on the first $110,000 earnings, rather than increase it to the permanent rate of 6.2%. This extension would ultimately increase household spending, therefore increasing utility as well. This story relates to our study of government because the decision Obama makes concerning whether or not to pass this bill may affect our future government in 2012. If he passes the bill, Obama’s chances of winning and keeping power in the hands of Democrats increases greatly. If he rejects the bill, his chances may be less than he would desire.
-Morgan C.

Eric M said...

"Federal Government Faces 3rd Shutdown Threat" http://n.pr/s2pJKC

David Welna from NPR Morning Edition says reports that tomorrow, Friday 16, 2011, the Federal Government budget runs out to continue all agencies running in full-force. Once again, our Federal Government is threatened with a shutdown decision. A trillion dollar omnibus, “for everything,” spending bill has been proposed to keep the agencies open for another 9 months. This proposal is being held up due to Republicans and Democrats in disagreement over extending a payroll tax break.

This connects with our study of government because it reveals the legal process guarded by checks and balances. In our very polarized political scene in Washington, D.C. the trillion dollar bill to keep the government going is even having trouble passing.

Daniel said...

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2011/12/obama-administration-prepares-for-government-shutdown/
The article Obama Administration Prepares for Government Shutdown tells of the possibility of the government running out funding on Friday at midnight. It’s been decided that a compromise on the Omnibus spending bill needs to be made in order for government to continue to operate. The Omnibus spending bill sets up the budget of many of the departments of the US government and the Omnibus Appropriations Act was passed in 2009 by President Obama, but issues arose due to $8 billion in earmarks. Government won’t have to shut down if an acceptable omnibus spending bill is passed.

This relates to our study of government because this issue has the potential to impact every aspect of the US government. The inability to decide on a proper bill fast and efficiently shows the flaws in the government and demonstrates that politicians should focus more on the benefit of all Americans and should not dispute about the things that would only benefit them.

Morgan C. said...

The House of Representatives has passed a payroll tax bill gives Obama the potential power to win the 2012 election in November, should he choose to approve it. The bill would reduce the duration of unemployment benefits, significantly lowering the unemployment rate in 2012. The provision would also maintain the current tax rate of 4.2% on the first $110,000 earnings, rather than increase it to the permanent rate of 6.2%. This extension would ultimately increase household spending, therefore increasing utility as well. This story relates to our study of government because the decision Obama makes concerning whether or not to pass this bill may affect our future government in 2012. If he passes the bill, Obama’s chances of winning and keeping power in the hands of Democrats increases greatly. If he rejects the bill, his chances may be less than he would desire.

http://www.realclearmarkets.com/articles/2011/12/15/payroll_tax_gop_hands_obama_potential_victory_99421.html

Nick izzard said...

As of last Wednesday, the House of Representatives passed the bill, voting 283-136, to allow $662 billion worth of spending on national defense. This spending will cover the hiring of employees for the military as well as the development of weapons systems and the jobs of producing these systems. It is expected that this bill will pass the Senate and be sent to President Obama today. The significance of this bill lies in its ease in passing. Especially as democrats and republicans begin preparing for the up coming election, the two parties are agreeing less and less. The fact that this bill passed with such ease instead of the stubbornness that we have seen in agreeing on previous bills shows the importance of this bill.

Tre Vance said...

The number of young Americans ages 19-25 lacking health insurance has shrunk by 2.5 million since President Barack Obama's health care overhaul took effect. But the uninsured rate stayed basically stuck for those a little older, ages 26-35. http://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/apnewsbreak-25m-young-adults-gain-coverage-15151249?page=2
This article epitomizes how we are a democracy. We as a people vote for who we think would make the best decisions that pertain to our lives. Obama was elected president with the majority of his supporters excited about his thoughts on health care. This article shows data that he is a man true to his words. Now many young adults have health care.

Daniela Ramirez said...

Texting and talking while driving seems to have an effect in society that it has come to the point that the National Transportation Safety Board are deciding to ban driving and texting. Studies show that 27% adults text while driving and 61% talk and drive. Related to government, this shows a matter of making a law to ban an action which is the government taking action. However, if it is banned then there will be people taking a pathway of action to refute the law and keep texting and talking on the phone.
http://pewresearch.org/databank/dailynumber/?NumberID=1385&src=prc-twitter

Taylor Epperson said...

From @NBCPolitics: Republican dilemma: Electability or ideology? http://on.msnbc.com/sEukYL

As the Republican Presidential horserace has turned into a two-man contest, Republican primary voters face a dilemma of electability vs. ideology. Newt Gingrich has electability issues, while Mitt Romney isn’t viewed as a true conservative. With 70% of GOP primary voters describing themselves as conservative, Romney will have a tough time getting the Republican votes. It looks like the Republicans will have to “settle” with a candidate this year.

Compromising is a huge part of government, especially when dealing with proposed laws in congress, however the Republican voters will be compromising with a Presidential candidate this year as a clear cut, perfect candidate won’t be available this year. In the study of government, the elections pathway is present along with the issue of voting. Voting turnout is expected to reach new heights this year but will Republicans vote for the other republican candidate that wins the primary?

Cassidy H said...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/08/ron-paul-gop-twitter_n_1135001.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000008

Ron Paul’s popularity on twitter has been considerably higher than his coverage on the media. Recent studies show that according to the 20 million election-related tweets from May through November, Paul “far bettered” any other Republican candidate. Paul was successfully referred to in 55% of the 1.1 million tweets about him on twitter. Though the media wasn’t portraying any news about Paul, He was getting the right amount of support on twitter.

This article thoroughly explains the importance of Political figures interaction with not only the media, but the social media as well. Clearly, Paul was more favored in the Social media area than the News. In my opinion, this was a great way to attract young voters and start a completely different campaign process.

Anonymous said...
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Cassidy H said...
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Anonymous said...

Perry Launches New Attack on Gingrich, Romney http://on.wsj.com/ud22gZ

This article talks about how Gov. Rick Perry (R, TX) has put out another derogatory ad about the two GOP frontrunners for the upcoming elections. He questions their past political decisions and calls Gingrich and Romney too liberal to receive Republican backing for the elections. Yet Perry declines to add the fact that although the two men raised taxes in the last few years, Perry has decided to start a 48 stop bus tour of Iowa.

This story is relevant to our studies in Government because it helps reinforce the fact that all sources are suspect; you have to do your own research to make sure you get the facts about the matter. Secondly it reminds us to not create a republican or democratic filter bubble around us.

Anonymous said...

@cnnbrk CNN Breaking News
“Ceremony marks end of #Iraq war. http://on.cnn.com/vYQJxQ”

This Thursday, December 15th, 2011 a quiet ceremony was held in Baghdad by American soldiers to mark the end of the Iraq War. Nine years, 4,500 killed soldiers, and $800 billion later, soldiers are finally coming home from the war. While the war may not be over for those who live in dangerous parts of Iraq, this is a huge step. This is a great opportunity for Iraq to move forward and improve.
The Iraq War is connected to our study of government because of its controversy. Everyone in America has different views on the war ranging from good to bad, from extreme to passive. Thousands even have family members serving in the Army overseas. Everyone is connected to the war and everyone seems to be doing something about it by using different pathways of action. Whether it’s lobbying or grassroots mobilization, every American has something to say about it. This is a great example of the pathways of action in effect in our world today.

Anonymous said...

http://nbcpolitics.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/15/9468631-special-report-tea-party-grassroots-army-readies-for-battle?ocid=twitter

In “Tea Party grassroots army readies for battle”, the article provides very important and enlightening information on one of the most recently criticized political groups in America. This article is discussing the future of the Tea Party and their plans for the upcoming 2012 election. The article talks about how many people believe the Tea Party is dying out, when in reality they are simply reorganizing into a more sophisticated group.

This story is important to our study of government because it is a current, real world example of a large group of people taking the Grassroots Movement as their method of political action. With most people taking the voting pathway as their main choice of action, this article is a refreshing bit of insight into the real world of politics. This article would also interest many students who are “Republicans” as the Tea Party claims that many conservatives share their beliefs, thus allowing for a greater look into the different political options.

Kianna said...

www.people-press.org/2011/12/15/frustration-with-congress-could-hurt-republican-incumbents/src=prc-twitter

66% of voters believe that most members of Congress should be voted out of office in 2012. 50% of voters also say that the current Congress has accomplished less than other Congresses. Many voters are blaming the Republican Party for not taking action. However, both parties are not viewed in a positive manner.

This connects to our current study of government because the are not satisfied with the current Congress. Citizens may have to take a pathway (or many pathways) in order to become satisfied with the congress. It is important if the people are content with how Congress is run, because of “for the people, by the people”. If they are not happy, then is it really for the people?

Blake Ransom said...

http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2011/12/13/donald-trump-fires-himself-as-debate-moderator/?mod=WSJBlog&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
Donald Trump decided to withdraw his debate which he was holding. The main reason why he decides to do that is because he still might run as an independent. He wanted there to be the best possible person in Washington so he has to keep his options opened he said.
This is related to government because it shows that the people need to know about their candidates. Donald is trying to get information for the American people by using the lobbying pathway. The other republican candidates are scared that he is using the debate to lobby himself and make him look better for the upcoming election. That is the main reason he didn’t want to hurt his image.

Sterling said...

From @Donna Brazile: ‘What's on your menu? Waking up to this article: Holder issues challenge to Texas on voter rights http://zite.to/tzlFG8’
The article describes Attorney General Eric Holder’s criticism of recent restricting election laws, passed in Texas and other states. He spoke against the strict voter ID laws and the redrawing of political maps, stating that the latter will prevent minorities from obtaining seats in Congress.
The article relates to our studies in relation to our recent talks about our civil duty to vote and take interest in government affairs. These prevent many citizens from exercising their voting rights, something every citizen should be able to do.

Anonymous said...

@NBCPolitics Defense bill nears passage in Congress: http://on.msnbc.com/vyVw8G
A highly important defense bill is currently making its way through Congress and will hopefully land on the President’s desk with in the next week, after already being vetoed and re-edited. The bill is concerned with the president’s ability to be able to prosecute terrorist suspects in our justice system. The House came out with a vote of 283-136, which was a rare bipartisan (or two-partied) vote that strongly supported the authorization of money for the military soldiers, as well as distributing money to weapons systems and the vast amount of jobs that they create. The Senate is expecting to clear the bill today, and then send it to President Barack Obama.
Press Secretary Jay Carney said, “the new bill does not challenge the president’s ability to collect intelligence, incapacitate dangerous terrorists and protect the American people.” What this means for the military is that they would take custody of a suspect accused of being a member of al-Qaida who is involved in plotting/committing attacks on the U.S. (This exempts United States’ citizens)
This relates to our study of Government, because this bill gives the President additional choices in determining how the law will be implemented, like Jay Carney said, “which are at the heart of our country’s strength.” This shows that indeed, like our discussion/debate of the Fugitive Slave Law in 1850, that laws are changed every day in order to maintain citizens’ safety. Each law is made for a reason, whether we see it or not.

Anonymous said...

@NBCPolitics tweeted "Republican dilemma: Electability or ideology?" This upcoming election is very unfavoring to the Republicans. As the link in the tweet says, only 29% of the GOP primary voters view him as conservative. This portrays that the Republican voters are having a tough election this year, especially in finding an ideal, well-fit presidential candidate. It will be difficult for the candidates to win the votes of the Republican party, when they're not even viewed as a full Republican.
According to our study of government, we are a democracy and our government implies by the people. This means that the people have to right to vote who they feel will best run our country, but if not one candidate is ideal for President, then less people could be engaged.

Michael Mann said...

The Presidential debate that was originally scheduled for December 27 has been canceled. The reason for the cancelation is because only two of the candidates running for president were scheduled to show up. The reason that not all of the candidates were willing to show up to this debate is because many believe that the person hosting it, Donald Trump, is bias against some of the candidates. The reason that this is relevant to our discussion of government is because it is about the current presidential election. It is also important because it talks about Donald Trump may end up running as an independent candidate which would probably give Obama a better chance of being reelected because it would split the votes against Obama between whoever wins the republican nomination and Donald Trump. http://www.rove.com/articles/355

Chris M. said...

Congress passed a defense bill allowing the president’s ability to prosecute terrorist suspects with more ease within the judicial system. Many republicans were worried that the president would use the power granted by the bill and use the military to round up American citizens. The fight over whether to treat suspects as prisoners or criminals has caused much dispute between the Right and Left.
I chose this current event particularly because I have often wondered the military’s procedure on dealing with terrorists in custody. I agree that negotiators or interrogators should have a little more leeway while dealing with suspected terrorists. This relates to our study of Government because it shows how each bill has to be pass through House of Representatives, Senate, and the President before it becomes a law.

Sara MacDowell said...

From @NBCPolitics: High Court to Look at State Immigration Laws
http://nbcpolitics.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/12/9389268-high-court-to-look-at-state-immigration-laws?ocid=twitter

According to NBC News, the Supreme Court has agreed to rule on and reconsider certain aspects of Arizona's controversial immigration law. The Obama administration continues to speak out against Arizona's immigration regulation because they believe that is the role of the federal government, not the states. Administration continues to file lawsuits that detest immigration laws in Arizona, Alabama, South Carolina, and many other states throughout the United States. States argue that federal government isn't doing enough to address illegal immigration, but the federal government argues that the States are doing far too much, and that it is not their job to regulate illegal immigration. Administration and citizens continue to speak out against the unjust immigration laws, and now they have taken this controversey to the Supreme Court. They hope that by using the elections pathway, they will be able to influence the Supreme Court to repeal the illegal immigration laws. For example, in October, the Federal Appeals Court blocked part of the Alabama law that forced public schools to check the immigration status of students and allowed police to file criminal charges against people who are unable to prove their citizenship. Slowly but surely, citizens are affecting and influencing the decisions made by the Supreme Court, in order to eventually repeal unjust immigration laws.

Anonymous said...

@FoxNews http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/2011/12/15/authorities-mistakenly-arrest-four-us-citizens-for-being-undocumented/
Last Wednesday four United States citizens living in Southern California were wrongly arrested for being illegal immigrants by the Secure Communities federal immigration enforcement program. This arrest created even more tension between the immigration groups that fight for rights and Homeland Security. This is not the first time citizens have been mistaken for illegal immigrants, and the article suggests that it will not be the last. One example of these mistakes is Antonio Montejano. Montejano was originally arrested because he forgot to pay for a candy bar his child was eating while shopping a Sears. The judge sentenced his release; however he was not released because of the holding charge. This article relates to our study of government because it demonstrates how our rights as American citizens can be determined by the government. It also illustrates how everyone has a right to a fair trial, no matter the crime they are charged for.

Dakota said...

The Tweet that I have selected has to do with the debt that the economy is in today. The 15$ trillion dollar debt to be exact. I think that this is a ridiculous amount for our country to be in. This is hurting many of American citizens that are having a hard enough time as it is. Something needs to be done. If we do not do something about this where will we be in ten or fifteen years from now? What kind of economy will we leave our kids and grandkids in? I chose this because me and my family are struggling enough as it is and I don’t want to leave my kids in the world or the kind of that I had to grow up and live with.https://twitter.com/#!/kaybaileyhutch

Anonymous said...

This article by NBC news is looking at state immigration laws. This article is about how the Supreme Court agreed to rule on Arizona’s controversial law intended to curb illegal immigration. It also states that this ruling will affect tougher enforcement plans in other states. The Obama administration challenged the Arizona law by arguing that regulating immigration is the job of the federal government and not the states, and it also says there are similar laws in Alabama, South Carolina and Utah that are also facing administration lawsuits. These states are making these laws because they say that the federal government isn’t doing enough to address illegal immigration.
This article is important to our study in government because it shows a real life situation on how the state and federal government can sometimes disagree on laws. It gives us an in-depth look on the case and how even Obama administration gets involved. Lastly it is important because we as Texans are a border state and may, as a state, have to make more laws against illegal immigrants.
http://nbcpolitics.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/12/9389268-high-court-to-look-at-state-immigration-laws?ocid=twitter

Dakota said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Michael Murph said...

From @NBCPolitics: Obama visits Fort Bragg to mark end of Iraq war
http://on.msnbc.com/t6PrA0

This article talks about President Barack Obama’s recent visit to Fort Bragg in North Carolina. In this recent visit, President Obama greeted the troops and paid tribute to the American troops that had fought and died. Marking the end on the war in Iraq, President Obama stated, “One of the most extraordinary chapters in the history of the American military will come to an end.”

This story has a connection to our studies in government because this visit by President Obama is an important current event that stops the end to a major war that has been going on for years. This war has had a great impact on many people’s lives and has played a vital role in previous government elections.

Jeff D said...

This tweet that I picked to write about is about our homeland security and military style arrests on terrorists. But it mainly has to do with their “rights” and how that infringes with Americas constitutional rights. Originally the white house was going to veto the request but dropped it last minute by saying they no longer questioned the presidents ability to combat terrorism. One thing that the bill would do is freeze $700 million in funding for Pakistan until they can all agree on terms.
The way this has to do with government is because republicans and democrats never can agree on much but this is actually something that they can agree on. Because if they find a terrorist they can immediately arrest him and then take him into custody.

http://nbcpolitics.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/15/9466920-defense-bill-nears-passage-in-congress?ocid=twitter
Jeff D.

Anonymous said...

@kaybaileyhutch: "VIDEO RELEASE: Release: Sen. Hutchison Speaks on the #Senate Floor About #KeystoneXL Pipeline http://1.usa.gov/rK5ft1 #KXL4jobs"

In this article, Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson discusses the recent much debated topic, the Keystone XL Pipeline. After being reviewed for three years by state and federal agencies, the administration delayed this pipeline until after the 2012 election but it seems like a no-brainer to approve this pipeline because it would create jobs, lower the cost of energy, and also raise government revenue. It doesn’t make sense that we are still continuing to debate this topic in the face of an economy in such a bad state and this pipeline has not one taxpayer dollar in it.

This discussion of the pipeline directly relates to our study of government in the sense that while being faced with our disintegrating economy and the fact that thousands of jobs are needed, Obama is still delaying this project. In order to get ourselves out of this recession, we must take a turn in the right direction and passing this bill would begin this extensive project that wouldl heed to 20,000 immediate jobs and 118,000 spin-off jobs.

Anonymous said...

Tweets CBS News @CBSNews 9h
Details Iowa caucus results: Mitt Romney beats Rick Santorum by 8 votes http://bit.ly/AhTn31 (via @CBSNewsHotsheet)

According to the polls in last night’s Iowa Caucus, the results revealed an incredibly tight race for the election of a single Republican candidate. Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum made the night interesting with neck and neck results until Romney proved to be the stronger candidate, winning by merely eight votes. However, Santorum established himself as a candidate in the race whereas before, in opinion polls, he was not expected to finish in the top three. Although Santorum did well last night, Romney has an edge in the upcoming New Hampshire Primary seeing as he owns a vacation house there.

The results of the Iowa Caucus were undoubtedly interesting and certainly give way for a suspenseful night on January 10 when the New Hampshire Primary will take place. Perhaps Santorum’s turnout was so shocking due to his lackluster preparation compared to Romney’s, which displayed organization and time dedicated. The Iowa Caucus is something that our government class should certainly be knowledgeable about considering it is one step in determining the Republican candidate for the 2012 presidential election.

Natalie J

Cameron said...

Mitt Romney beat out Rick Santorum in the Iowa Caucus yesterday, and in the article the author wondered or asked the question why there was no recount. The author goes on to explain that caucus’ are just to see how each state is going to vote and which candidates are doing well and vice versa; it serves as a guide. If this is true then there should be no reason for any of the candidates to drop-out, in fact if they are falling behind in the race at this time I would believe that it would give them more motivation and to try to work harder to gain the republican nomination. Yet, Michelle Bauchmann dropped out of the race losing in the Iowa Caucus. But for what reason? Senator John McCain, after placing 4th in the Iowa caucus, made a comeback and won the Republican nomination back in 2008. Our representatives running for Republican nomination should use this only as a tool and to judge where they are so they can become stronger from it. And if candidates do dropout after just a guideline vote, then how can we expect them to run a country? When it gets to hard will they quit?

Cameron said...

posted here by accident!