So this “GOP spending $150,000 on Palin family wardrobe” thing seems to be pretty good fodder. But it’s possible it’s more serious than that. In 2002, a Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act was passed that basically set some limits on how much parties could spend on campaigns. This reform also referred to unregulated contributions and “soft money,” being money that does not directly attribute to the election of a candidate or their campaign. The ironic thing to notice here is that this reform is the McCain-Feingold reform, as John McCain was one of its pioneers. So, it is arguable to say that McCain broke his own law. I’m no lawyer, so I can’t say whether that’s true, but check out the specifics of that reform here.
People like Edward N. Luttwak should not be allowed to talk, let alone morph policy. When talking about the obstacles John McCain faces, he notes:
But the particular Republican president in office happens to be very unpopular. At this point in history, all of George Bush’s achievements have been forgotten or discounted, including the defeat of Jihadism from Morocco to Indonesia and the de-nuclearization of Iraq, Libya and North Korea–while he is blamed for all that has gone wrong. His fiscal policy certainly caused excessive deficits, but it was under Bill Clinton that mortgage lenders were forced to lend to subprime borrowers.
Hmm… someone might want to tell Eddie Douchebag here that Iraq was not nuclear, or nukular, in the first place. What Bush did was essentially a war crime against a country that was not involved in the slightest bit in 9/11, did not have WMD.
In fact, McCain should be kept far away from the White House specifically because he was one of the lynch men who shouted “On to Baghdad” practically as the towers fell. Luttwak’s type hijacked the White House and anything he says should be discredited and loudly condemned.
Obama: Zero.
McCain: Zero?
Obama: Yes, zero.
Me: Priceless.
From Bloomberg:
Vladimir Putin came to power in 2000 vowing to destroy Russia’s oligarchs “as a class.” Within two years, he’d driven two into exile and imprisoned another.
Now, he may use the global markets meltdown to finish the job.
The $50 billion that the prime minister and President Dmitry Medvedev have pledged to lend cash-strapped companies will extend state control over business leaders. Billionaires seeking bailouts — including Oleg Deripaska, Russia’s richest man, and Mikhail Fridman — will have to give authorities veto power over their companies’ financing decisions.
How the US Government Works, from House.gov:
The US Government was structured in order to preserve a balance of power between the three respective branches of government. The three branches are known as the legislative, judicial and executive. Our forefathers, concerned that one branch of government would become too powerful created a system of separated powers and checks and balances to help stabilize the federal government.
Legislative Branch
The legislative branch of includes Congress and government agencies. Congress makes laws and has two parts: the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress is charged with the responsibility of creating making laws by writing what is known as a “bill.” If a bill is passed, it becomes a law if the President (Executive Branch) approves them.
Other powers delegated to Congress include, the power to declare war and control inter-state trade.
Senate
Two Senators are elected from every state in order to achieve equal representation among the states in the Senate. Each Senator is elected for a six-year term and no term limits are placed on a Senator’s seat.
The Senate is responsible for approving treaties, confirming presidential nominations, and conducting trials.
House of Representatives
There are four hundred and thirty five representatives in the House. The numbers vary greatly from state to state since representation corresponds to population. Each representative represents what is known as a congressional district. The amount of representatives a state has is based on the amount of congressional districts within that state. Bigger states have more representatives and smaller ones have less. Each representative serves for a two-year term.
Executive Branch
The executive branch includes the President, Vice President, Departments, and Independent Agencies. This branch is responsible for the enforcement of laws enacted by Congress.
President
The President is the head of the executive branch. The powers of the President are designated by Article II of the Constitution. Some of the President’s powers include: Commander-in-Chief, making treaties (with the approval of Congress), declaring war (with the approval of Congress), signing bills into law, suggesting bills, appointing judges, heads of departments, and other officials (with the approval of Congress), and pardoning. The President serves a four-year term, with a two-term maximum.
The President plays a crucial role in the law making process. He has the power to sign a bill into law. Once both the House of Representatives and Senate pass a bill, then that bill is presented to the President. If the President agrees with the bill, it is signed into law. If the President does not agree with it, then it can be vetoed.
Judicial Branch
Article III of the Constitution established the judicial branch of government and the creation of the Supreme Court. The duties of the Supreme Court include the power of judicial review. This means they interpret laws, decide the constitutionality of laws, and determine how laws should be applied.
Supreme Court
The Supreme Court is the highest court in the land. Its main function is to decide the constitutionality of laws. This is part of our system of checks and balances. In order to make sure that Congress and the President are acting with in the terms of the Constitution, the court has the power to review the law. If the law is unconstitutional, it can be stricken.
The Supreme Court also has the power to overturn laws and decisions made by lower courts. If a lower court has decided a case that is not is not considered principled, constitutional, or justifiable for a variety of reasons that law may be overturned.
There are nine members of this court and each is appointed for life. The Justices hold their positions until they resign, retire or are impeached.
Link to the Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution, and the National Archives and Records Administration to learn more about the United States Government.
From The Nation:
Myth 1. It’s a dangerous world. We face an array of serious national security threats that require an experienced Commander in Chief.
Myth 2. The surge has worked. To withdraw from Iraq now would snatch defeat from the jaws of victory and embolden Islamic extremists.
Myth 3. We cannot allow Afghanistan to become a safe haven for terrorists. We therefore must redouble our military efforts there or face another terrorist attack.
Myth 4. Iran is responsible for much of the violence against US forces in Iraq; by using its proxies in Lebanon and Gaza, it threatens to dominate the Middle East.
Myth 5. To talk to the leaders of “rogue” states like Iran and Cuba without conditions legitimizes their position and weakens American leverage.
Myth 6. Vladimir Putin’s Russia is an authoritarian state pursuing an anti-American agenda aimed at reconstituting the Soviet Union in the form of a new Russian empire.
Myth 7. Because the American military is stretched thin by the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, we must increase the size of our conventional armed forces.
Myth 8. A League of Democracies would create a global coalition for peace and freedom and would enable the United States and its democratic allies to intervene to solve humanitarian and other crises when the UN Security Council is paralyzed.
Myth 9. Globalization has strengthened the economy, and we cannot avoid it by hiding behind protectionist walls.
Myth 10. The world needs American leadership.
Interesting myths, no? To find out more about why they are myths, click and read The Nation:
Mickey Edwards, Princeton lecturer and former Republican congressman:
Oh, brother. What idiot came up with this stunt?
It ranks somewhere on the stupidity scale between plain silly and numbingly desperate. McCain and Obama are both members of the senate and they’re both able to help craft a solution if they wish to do so without putting the presidential campaign on hold; after all, I’m sure congressional leaders would be willing to accept their calls if they have some important insights to impart. And while one of them will eventually become president, neither one is president yet, nor is either one a member of the congressional leadership; I’m confident that somehow the administration and the other 533 members of congress will be able to muddle through without tapping into the superior wisdom and intellect of their nominees. Sorry, john; it really sounds like you’re afraid to debate. This sounds like the sort of ploy we used to use in junior high school elections.
Joseph S. Nye, Jr., Professor at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, Harvard:
Not smart. I agree with Mickey Edwards. It is not as if McCain has a reputation for being able to contribute to the solution of this economic problem, and it smacks of “you can run, but you can’t hide.” I think this is more likely to raise doubts rather than reassure independent voters.
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