A Slice of Pie

Town Meeting BUCD

2007-05-02T12:49:00.000-07:00

For those of you who helped elect fello BU Democrat Tommy Vitolo to Town Meeting,

With 311 votes, I was elected Town Meeting Member yesterday, joined by all four other Precinct 1 Coalition candidates: Ernest Cook, Sherry Downes, Lee Johnson, and Bob Schram.

Thank you for your vote, your help with the campaign, and your interest. I'm looking forward to working with the rest of them on representing all of our neighborhood, to ensure that we're all getting the public services we deserve.

Thank you once again for everything, and don't hesitate to contact me if there's a constituent service you'd like some help with.

Sincerely,
Tommy Vitolo

I just want to congratulate Tommy on his victory at the polls of Brookline! It is fantastic to see current BUCD members making gains in the community. Tommy proves that we don't need to wait to be the leaders of tomorrow when we can start today.

Chalk one up for progrssive politics and the BU College Democrats!

Wow... this is crazy!

2007-04-27T06:30:00.000-07:00

You all know how much I love Montana, what with its rugged individual nature and all. However, what's counting for politics in the state right now is nothing close.

The republican majority leader in the State House flipped out the other day, calling the governor an "S.O.B." and telling him to take his deals and "Stick it up your ass!," using language akin to drunks in the local biker bar at four in the afternoon. Oh yeah, and did I mention he plans to run for the U.S. Senate?

Check this video out!!!

The Campaign Begins....

2007-04-26T19:31:00.000-07:00

As the BU Dems gathered for the final meeting of the year, we watched the beginning of a new era, and possibly the rise of a Democratic President in 2008. While candidates combatted the draining clock with wordy answers, they resisted presenting clear plans for an Iraq exit strategy and energy alternatives. There was no dearth of praise for a woman's right to choose as each candidate cited Ruth Ginsberg as the 'ideal living Supreme Court Justice.' So early in the campaign, the candidates should be more focused on garnering key supporters by hooking the grassroots base with clear plans.

Obama never missed an opportunity to mention religion or defense. In a response to an abortion question, he eagerly noted that the procedure should be a legal but rare decision a woman makes with her family, doctor, and clergy--a clever insertion of faith. Yet when asked about energy alternatives, he jumped the time hurdle for an opportunity to finish his plan for defense. Obama's central stage position was key. He used the position to emphasize his posture and presidential look as he fluidly responded to the fielded questions.

Hillary, predictably, touted her experience in Congress with a Health Care plan.

Kucinich's "pocket Constitution" was simply amazing.

Watch the First Presidential Debate again! Post your thoughts the Alaskan Senator's "crazy grandfater" outbursts, Kucinich's politics of peace, and Biden's explanation of his position on civil unions. http://video.msn.com/v/us/msnbc.htm?f=00&g=&p=hotvideo_m_debate&t=c3628&rf=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18326264/page/2/&fg=

--KZ

Democratic Primary Debate Reaction

2007-04-26T19:52:00.000-07:00

Tonight, April 26, 2006 was the first debate among the Democratic candidates for President. Here's a run down of their performances in one writer's opinion:

Mike Gravel: The former Alaskan Senator who has been out of public office since 1981 (that's 8 years before I was even born) provided some of the wildest entertainment of the night. I felt he unfairly received very few questions, but he was a spectacle when he answered the questions he was offered. I felt Gravel offered observers something that most of the other candidates couldn't offer: candid opinions on current issues he hasn't had to campaign on for more than two decades. His outright belittling of the leading candidates drew laughter from everyone and offered an unexpected element of comedy to the event.

Hillary Clinton: The former First Lady did nothing to debunk the image of Mrs. Establishment that I have of her. Her long drawn responses were only trumped in length by her on-stage neighbor, Barack Obama. She routinely attacked the Bush administration and even referenced the "Clinton administration" (oddly, not "my husband's administration" or something a bit friendlier) a few times as a point of comparison. Ironically, when moderator Brian Williams asked her to react to the fact that she has been voted the most unlikable candidate, or some other unpleasant label like that, she did little to improve her image. As long as the funds keep flowing in, Hillary will be around for quite a while, despite what this writer thought (and thinks) of her.

Dennis Kucinich: This man has got a lot of good things to say, too bad he received near Gravelian (yep, I said it) amounts of questions thrown his way. This lack of questioning often lead him to resort to answering already asked questions despite the question currently being presented to him. Kucinich does not appear physically bold, but he's got a fightin' spirit. In response to "one mistake you have made" was "When I was Mayor of Cleveland, I fired the Police Chief live on the 6 o'clock news" (a nice change of pace from the rest of candidates answering "getting duped by the Bush Administration about Iraq). His other highlight had to be defending his calls to impeach VP Dick Cheney by pulling out a pocket Constitution, which he claims Cheney has no regard for, and holding it at eye level for the entirety of his answer.

Chris Dodd: The "Meh" award was easily captured by Chris Dodd at tonight's debate. The most intriguing thing Dodd presented was the vast color difference between his hair (snowy valley white) and his eyebrows (dark chocolately brown). He also didn't have too many questions to answer, but failed to have any moments that have stuck with me less than 4 hours after the debate ended.

Barack Obama: Recent BU visitor, Barack Obama, may have spoken the most of all candidates at the debate, not only because he received a lot of questions but because his responses often required an intermission because of their length (I will be attempting to watch Lawrence of Arabia [216 minutes] during his responses at the next debate). I felt Obama invoked too many of his accomplishments during responses rather than getting to the core of the questions he was supposed to be answering. I am still very interested in what Barack Obama has to offer but it'll take a little more campaign trail wear and tear before I can get a real feel for this candidate.

Joe Biden: Long ago, I was behind Joe Biden in '08. He hasn't done nearly enough as the other leading candidates to be a realistic possibility, not to mention him calling Obama "clean" and "articulate" as part of his own candidacy announcement. I like Biden's tough delivery on the issues and his air of defiance (displayed when talking about voting against the Roberts and Alito confirmations). But that approach doesn't work on the presidential level (as the Bush administration has demonstrated. I think Biden's best bet is to remain in the Senate as a top notch Senator from the glorious land of Delaware. He has to be given credit for writing his own comedy though, when he simply answered "Yes" to Brian Williams question along the lines of "Do you think your reputation as being boisterous and verbose in many circumstances is accurate?"

Bill Richardson: The Governor of New Mexico has a lot going for him in the credentials department. He is very much a western Democrat as well and expressed his moderation through many of his responses. I felt Richardson doesn't have the charisma it's going to take to win in this incredibly competitive election and his moderation probably won't get him through the primary stages. Brian Williams also pointed out that Richardson is the NRA's favorite candidate, in either party. Oh boy...

John Edwards: Alright, so I did save my favorite for last, despite my "in no particular order" label at the top of this post. I thought John Edwards did the best at answering the questions that were asked of him without being too long winded or bragging of his accomplishments that may or may not be tangentially related to the question content. Edwards offered real solutions for proposals like universal health care and climate change. His responses were not scripted and he was clearly thinking of the answers as he went along. Anyone with a soft spot has to give him credit for citing his wife as one of his three moral role models. Nice job Johnny.

-Michael O'Leary

Power of the Purse

2007-04-26T06:53:00.000-07:00

As my "American Founding" course draws to a close, I can't help but see a parallel between the Federalist arguments and the current bill the Senate is expected to pass on funding for the War in Iraq. Congress is exercising its "power of the purse" by tying war funding to a timetable for withdrawal. I can only imagine Madison and Hamilton waiting to see another test of their separation of powers argument. The timetable reflects the will of the people (who voted in a majority of democrats largely to end the war) while the funding reflects Congress's control of spending. The president has a veto to ensure that Congress does not become a 'vortex' of power. The House bill passed with a vote of 218-208, not even close to the number required for an overturn of Bush's promised veto. The public who voted for Congress to vote against the Iraq War may be outraged, but the checks and balances are imposed to subdue the passions of the supposed less knowledgable public. Is this organization of power still valid?

Energy Follow-Up

2007-04-06T06:19:00.000-07:00

Following his lecture to the Dems about energy, Professor Stephen Bird sent this NYT article to highlight the status quo of the problems and potential solutions. It emphasizes three key points for reducing carbon emissions:

1. Acknowledge the costs
2. Let the market work, and
3. Keep the solution simple

Check it out:

Economix
Earth's Climate Needs the Help of Incentives
By DAVID LEONHARDT

Washington

The politicians who deny that global warming is a problem used to be the
biggest obstacle to a solution. They're not anymore. They have lost the
argument.

When former Vice President Al Gore came back to Capitol Hill to testify
last week, a few of the global-warming holdouts in Congress confronted him
with their usual tactics. They took the actual uncertainties over climate
change - how fast seas and temperatures will rise, how serious the effects
will be - and tried to make them sound like uncertainty over whether human
beings were making the planet hotter. But the skeptics didn't get very far.
In the last few months, this debate has shifted incredibly quickly.

As Representative Ed Whitfield, a Kentucky Republican (lifetime rating from
the American Conservative Union: 90 out of 100), told Mr. Gore, "I think
everyone recognizes - as you have said and the scientific community agrees
- that there is global warming caused by human activity." On Monday, Gallup
released a new poll conducted before the hearings. In it, 86 percent of
respondents said they favored new action to deal with environmental
problems.

No wonder, then, that the political debate now revolves around what that
action should be. In the current Congress, there are six bills to deal with
climate change, and more are on the way. Senator John McCain, a Republican
presidential candidate, helped write one bill, and Senators Hillary Rodham
Clinton and Barack Obama, the leading Democratic hopefuls, are co-sponsors
of it.

This attention certainly qualifies as progress. But it is also creating the
newest big obstacle to a climate solution, an obstacle that's far less
obvious than the efforts to deny scientific reality. The would-be reformers
may be saying all the right things; every last one of them may even be
pursuing the solution she or he honestly believes to be the best one.

But the truth is that some of the ideas now on the table would do very
little to change the situation. And a feckless new law would be worse than
nothing at all right now.

The discussion about climate change can be mind-numbingly complex, filled
as it often is with economic and scientific jargon. But I think there are
three broad principles that help sort out the substantive attempts at
change from the others.

The place to start - the first thing that distinguishes the most serious
reformers - is an acknowledgment that a cooler planet will cost money. It's
extremely tempting to focus instead on the dazzling economic opportunities
that come with alternative energies. President Bush did so during this
year's State of the Union address when he said, "The way forward is through
technology."

Likewise, Mrs. Clinton, when laying out her solution to climate and energy
problems last year, asked: "How will we get there? Two words: innovation
and efficiency." She then recited a list of nifty technologies - wind
power, solar cells, cellulosic ethanol, hybrid plug-ins, clean coal, clean
diesel - that Mr. Bush also likes.

Some of these probably will become major energy sources in the decades
ahead. But in most places they're not yet nearly as cheap as oil, coal or
the other fossil fuels that make the planet hotter by emitting carbon.
Government subsidies cannot make up the gap, and, more to the point, nobody
can accurately predict which alternative energies are the most promising
and most deserving of subsidy. So a hodgepodge of new
research-and-development tax credits just isn't the answer.

The only reliable way to reduce carbon emissions is to make them more
expensive. When you hear somebody talk first about doing this and only then
about the wonderful innovations that will follow - and they will follow -
you know that person is serious.

This is essence of the second principle: the market created this problem,
and the market is going to have to solve it. The issue, says David H.
Festa, director for the oceans program at the advocacy group Environmental
Defense is 'how do we make sure people are given the right economic signals
to do what we need them to do.' "

Later today, Mr. Festa is going to release a fascinating study about the
fishing business that on its face has nothing to do with global warming,
and yet has everything to do with a solution. At dozens of the nation's
fisheries, the fish population is in danger because fishermen have no
incentive not to take everything out of the water that they can. But 10
fisheries, stretching from the halibut fishery off Alaska to the surf clam
industry in New England, have tried a different route.

They have capped their annual catch and then granted fishermen the right to
a certain share of that catch. The fishermen can buy and sell these rights
among themselves, creating a market that rewards the most efficient
companies. The fishermen also have a stake in the long-term health of the
fishery, as it will dictate the value of their fishing rights when they
retire.

The new study is important because it shows that the benefits aren't just
hypothetical. At the 10 fisheries, there are fewer fatal accidents than
elsewhere and the fish populations are healthier. The fact that halibut has
returned to restaurant menus in the last decade is a direct result of these
cap-and-trade programs.

All of the climate bills in Congress revolve around a similar idea. The
government would cap greenhouse-gas emissions and issue tradable permits,
each giving power plants the right to pump out a set amount. The plants
that did the best job of reducing their emissions could then profit by
selling unused permits to inefficient plants. A similar system put in place
during George H. W. Bush's presidency reduced acid rain much more quickly
than economists had predicted.

The successes of the acid rain and fishing programs point to the third
principle: the solution should be clear and straightforward. It should
cover the entire economy, and it shouldn't have escape hatches that
undermine the market mechanisms. Mrs. Clinton, whatever her rhetorical
weaknesses, has signed onto a bill that passes this test.

But at least two of the current Senate bills fail it. The one proposed by
Dianne Feinstein, a California Democrat, covers only the electricity
business, among other problems. The one being prepared by Jeff Bingaman, a
New Mexico Democrat, sets a maximum price on the carbon permits, which
undermines their whole point. It's like asking people to invest in the
stock market and then forbidding them from making more than a 5 percent
return.

These three principles - acknowledge the costs; let the market work; and
keep the solution simple - won't cover everything. But they will go a long
way toward reducing carbon emissions here, in the country that produces
more of them than any other, and then letting us turn to another big
problem: persuading China and India to follow suit.

Seinfeld Strategy in Iraq...

2007-04-02T10:06:00.000-07:00

Remember the episode about George's affinity with "The Opposite"? Well, it seems that George W. is pursuing the same strategy as George Costanza in the Iraq War:

The Iraq policy pursued by the Bush administration satisfies the Costanza criterion: it is the opposite of every foreign policy the world has ever met.

Check it out.

Downfall of the GOP

2007-04-02T06:25:00.000-07:00

On the annual trip to DC, I found one of the best articles ever in Politico that has me looking ahead to a new period of Democratic dominance. The fog is lifting, and the blue visibility stretches to at least 2014. Here are some highlights (but read the whole article!):

Looks like GOP recruitement and fundraising is down:

Some of the party's top recruits in key races from Colorado to Florida are refusing to run for Congress. Business executives -- the financial backbone of the GOP -- are sending more and more money to Democrats. Overall Republican fundraising is down sharply from the same time frame during the past two presidential elections.

And what about the people of this great country...

Polling data released this month confirm what GOP officials are picking up anecdotally: Swing voters are swinging away from Republicans at high velocity. Most alarming to GOP strategists is a new survey by the nonpartisan Pew Research Center that found 50 percent of those interviewed consider themselves a Democrat or leaning that way; only 35 percent tilt Republican.

So, America's coming to its senses, and Republicans have written off the 2008 race. What ever will their consultants do?

To underscore how tough things are for the GOP, Bill Pascoe, a Chicago-based Republican consultant with Urquhart Media, said "there are Republican consultants scouting state legislators for 2014. That's how far the long-range planning is going."

Why 2014? Because that would be the second midterm of a Democratic president.

THAT'S RIGHT... 2014 is when they think they can hop back on the train. Life feels so much better now than a few years ago when we watched the Kerry-Edwards campaign derail! So is there any saving grace for the Grand Old Party? How about this strategy penned by former Republican chair Ken Mehlman:

"We have to win back the confidence we lost in '06 from swing voters and ticket splitters," said Mehlman. "The way you do that, in part, is by being a party that is less reliant on white guys and expands its support among Hispanics, among African-Americans."

Hmmmm... I think we know how that's going to work for the Republican Party. My response to this is two-fold:
1. Why didn't Mehlman reach out to minorities when he was chairman? And,
2. Maybe they should try an alternative approach: give up and encourage Americans to vote for Democrats.

I'm looking out over the horizon, and the Big Skies are BLUE. To 2014!

All Politics is Local

2007-03-25T15:00:00.000-07:00

One criticism of college students is that they only treat their university address as a temporary location to study and do not form roots in their campus's town. The student who forms roots at college and works to make a difference in his or her new community is the exception.

This spring, Boston's District 2 is holding a special election to replace a vacant seat. The former counciler, Jimmy Kelly, catered to the traditionalist South Bostonian. His views, however, have been outdated in the quickly gentrifying region the seat represents. Susan Passoni, who wrote her Harvard Kennedy School of Government doctoral thesis on what she would do as a Boston City Councilor, rose as a progressive candidate looking to fill the position.

Students living in the city of Boston should pay attention. Even if their school is not under District 2 jurisdiction, the decisions this Councilor makes will have implications for Bostonian life, including taxes, education, rent, and transportation. Just as Massachusetts citizens celebrated Democratic wins in the 2006 midterms, Bostonians should recognize that a city councilor follows their stand on city issues will also affect their lives. Getting involved and paying attention is not just for political junkies.

--kz

A Slice of Pie

2007-03-22T14:20:00.000-07:00

College Dems and Web Surfers! Welcome to our blog--"A Slice of Pie."
If you have posted to the blog before and don't see your name, it could be because blogger recently reconfigured, so you just need to switch your account. If you have not yet posted, e-mail me at kzal@bu.edu.

-kz

Obama is coming!

2007-03-22T13:44:00.000-07:00

After only a week since word hit Comm Ave. that Obama is coming to Agganis, the $23 tickets are projected to sell out. It takes a special candidate to convince students to sacrifice their Friday night to attend a political fundraiser nearly a year and a half before the election. Students whom I would barely expect to display a political inclination perk up at the announcement of the Senator's visit.

What is it about Obama that makes people excited? Obama is the only one out of three leading Democratic candidates who can bring a dramatic change to the Presidential Office. Clinton is tied to the image of her husband while Edwards recycles the messages from his 2004 campaign. Although the year to the primaries could prove a political lifetime, Obama is the only candidate promising the dramatic change for which college students, across the country, thirst.

If you have not yet gotten your ticket for the Obama event on April 20 at Agganis, see Dave Sokolove or John Marker with your $23 contribution or contribute online at http://my.barackobama.com/
page/event/detail/fundrais
ing/wq9

-kz

Western Democrats: Are They For Real?

2007-03-02T06:28:00.000-08:00

Let's find out from the Governor of Montana, Brian Schweitzer:

“We are changing our economy in the mountain West and it is good for business in the mountain West,” he said.

He lauded wind power and biofuels. But he said oil, gas and coal production will continue and increase “on our own terms,” meaning cleaner technologies can be used, the land can be reclaimed and communities can continue to prosper after production ends.

Upon hearing that Schweitzer has worked to attract oil and coal companies to Montana, Rep. Chris Cannon, R-Utah, invited him to become a Republican.

“I understand the Republicans have older whiskey and faster horses, but other than that, I think I'll just stay with the Democrats,” Schweitzer responded.

Yep... looks like they are. Here here!

Get Stuff...

2007-02-08T17:52:00.000-08:00

Click here for awesome political stuff (AKA chum).

It's Hard Work!

2007-02-07T18:19:00.000-08:00

It seems a lot of Republicans are belly-aching over all the hard work (read: 5-day work weeks) that the new Democratic leadership has imposed on our legislative bodies. It's just not fair!

But wait a minute...

"That's what I signed up for," said Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont. "We shouldn't complain about a little inconvenience. I got a lot of people in my state working two five-day weeks," he added, referring to constituents with two or more jobs.

Useful News Site...

2007-01-28T18:27:00.000-08:00

I picked this up from one of Jake's Facebook notes:

Visit this site if you would like "different" daily political news. Everyday, the creator writes a paragraph of various political news that occured within the 24 hours prior to reporting--these are usually facts you cannot find on the news.

Best part about it is that it takes about one minute to read the whole paragraph, and you have unique political news to share and converse about instead of the everyday flashes that appear on CNN.com or the news channels.

If any of that made sense (I'm running on five hours of sleep and 18 hours of work) here is the link:

http://politics1.com/index.htm

Oh-Eight Indeed!

2006-12-29T09:44:00.000-08:00

Mike said it about a month ago, and I'll say it again: I am still up in the air as to who I will be supporting for president in 2008.

A few years ago I created BU for Biden. Then I really thought about it, and I wasn't so sure. But the great thing about this race is that there is no lack of good candidates to support, but rather a plethora of amazing ones!

John Edwards is now officially in the race and claims to have an edge of experience. I like him and admire the fact that he's been working on poverty for the past few years -- an issue that won't win him any votes, but is a testament to his ideals in public service. Beyond that, he is set up nicely to win in the early primaries (particularly Iowa, Nevada, and South Carolina).

Then I think about Barack Obama, and all I can say is "Wow"! He is a visionary and is in politics to create a better world. Plus, he speaks to people in ways we haven't seen since the days of our Camelot (JFK). And as one commentator said on Meet the Press, "When you're hot, you're hot. Barack Obama is hot."

Then I think back to my days of premature Biden support. Sure, he proobably couldn't win the election because he's a bit old and talks way too much. But he is still a fantastic candidate and is one of the only people in the country with the guts to develop a real Iraq plan. He'd make a helluva Secretary of State.

Then there's everyone else in the field. Bill Richardson, Al Gore, Tom Vilsack, and more, as well as those who have dropped out already (Evan Bayh, Mark Warner, Russ Feingold). And of course, Hillary Clinton. I have varying degrees of enthusiasm for these candidates, but I am not opposed to any of them.

Our victory in the '06 midterms was incredible, but the fact that so many good candidates exist for our next major run is comforting. It makes me know that I'm on the right side! Whoever you decide to get behind in the primaries, know that at the end of the day, our nominee will work to make America better. What more can you ask for?

Dodging the Draft?

2006-12-02T06:08:00.000-08:00

With a few elected officials talking about increasing our level of troops in Iraq, Charles Rangel believes conscription exists as the only logical solution to dealing with a status quo military stretched too thin. Still, he admits that he has no political chance off succeeding as chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee.

Perhaps it is the best thing to do in order to raise passionate public outrage against the war and demand our troops come home immediately, which is Rangel's real goal. It's true that most people are not being asked to sacrifice for this war -- the first time in history that this has occurred -- and some responsibility would wake up the populace.

However, I agree with the majority of mainstream Democrats that the draft is not a good idea, and I think that Rangel is pushing this issue as a political stunt rather than a genuine solution to Iraq. Moreover, I think that only a president can rally the kind of public support needed, and that any attempt from within Congress to bring back the draft would only backfire and result in huge losses at the polls next election day. What do you think?

Oh-Eight

2006-12-01T10:04:00.000-08:00

Thirteen months. Seven Hundred Four Days. Sixteen-thousand, eight hundred eighty-nine hours. No matter how you break it down, we've still got a ways to go before election day 2008. It seems like all anyone wants to talk about however, is who will be the two candidates appearing on the ballot that day. Yesterday, only 3 weeks and 2 days after the midterm election, Tom Vilsack
kicked off his campaign with a quick speech in Iowa and then headed to New Hampshire, South Carolina and other key primary states. John McCain and Mitt Romney
fought over attendees of the Republican Governors Association. Meanwhile, at our meeting last night, we set out to talk about congress, and kept turning back to who should/would run in '08. So I thought it would be interesting to open the internet floor to hear who everyone's candidate is. I personally haven't decided who "my guy" (or gal!) is yet. I know I don't like Kerry (he's had his chance) . I also don't like Hillary. It has nothing to do with her sex or her potential "Winnability". For one I think her continued support for the war puts her out of sync with me and most other Democrats. I also don't think she's proven herself. Let's be honest, she's a smart and saavy woman, no doubt, but she was able to jump into the Seante race in 2000 and win mostly because of Bill, and she didn't exactly face the toughest re-election this year. Other than being against those two, I'm still up in the air as to who I'll be supporting. What about everyone else? Who do you want to see as the Democratic Nominee? Leave some comments or write your own post to let us know. Anyone can comment. If you want to write your own posts and you aren't currently a member of our blog on blogger.com, e-mail me and I'll get you set up!

Oh, Come On!

2006-04-03T20:31:00.000-07:00

As you may recall from previous months, our good 'ole friend Tom Delay ran in the Republican primary in Texas. He won that race despite the fact that he is being indicted on serious abuses of power and infractions on federal law. Today, Democrats can take a slight sigh of releif, Tom Delay has dropped out of the race. He was making a mockery of the electoral process by running, he did things wrong and he still was going to run for a national office, though the obviously ill-informed people of Texas have some explaining to do as well.
In other news and rants, John McCain recently went on Meet the Press with Tim Russert. He completely reversed his views on many of the issues that have come up recently. McCain, obviously giving to GOP pressure, removed much of the respect I had for him. Any chance he had for my vote previously (actually a very good chance) for president has been lost. He moved farther to the right at a time when the Republicans have some airing skeletons. Great move John! Way to alienate the populace, and those who believed in moderate Republicans. I think I can speak for many of us when I say, Look somewhere else for support Sen. McCain.

PMQs...

2006-03-27T23:46:00.000-08:00

Last Wednesday was a shining moment for my political career. Background: Wednesday was Budget Day in Britain. Once a year, the Chancellor goes before Parliament and announces all the details of the Government's budget, and then the leader of the opposition has to respond immediately without having seen the budget ahead of time. Millions tune in to tv sets and radios, not just around the UK, but around a lot of former imperial states as well.

Randomly in the lottery, my backbench Labour MP, Celia Barlow, got selected to ask the first question to Tony Blair during Prime Minister's Questions. It was her first time asking a question at PMQs, and she was pumped. So the other night, we were in a pub in the House of Commons celebrating the other intern getting a job as a researcher with bottles of champagne and pints of beer (the pub is called Strangers, and there's a cartoon picture on the wall of the "regulars" in 1995... 80% of them are dead now... liver problems I guess), and we had put a few away when Celia was thinking about the question. So I jokingly commented, "Don't worry, I'll take care of it tomorrow."

On Tuesday, I was told that I was in charge of preparing the question. So I spent an hour or so on the phone with a detective from her constituency talking about a program combining police enforcement and drug treatment that has lowered crime substantially. We also talked about the meth problem in Montana. Then I wrote the question with some political points in it. We started out by "cheer[ing]" up Blair as he has been caught in a scandal this last week ... giving out spots in the House of Lords in exchange for millions of pounds to the Labour Party. Then we acknowledged the Chancellor on Budget Day, as well as the Blair Government's committment to funding crime prevenetion.

For a full view of Celia's performance, watch the video (lower right hand side of the screen). Watch it for a little while longer to see the Tory leader (David Cameron) antigonize Tony Blair as to when he is going to step down from power.

I love the House of Commons... but where are all the Dems?

Why are you a Democrat?

2006-03-03T03:56:00.000-08:00

I ran across this speech by former Governor Mark Warner. He's got some pretty inspiring motives for being a Dem:

Now as you might guess, a lot of Republicans and Independents supported us. And since then, a lot of them have asked me, Mark - Why exactly are you a Democrat?

And I just smile. Because if you have to ask, you wouldn't understand.

I am a Democrat because since Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence - and since Jackson spoke for the common man - our party has never been the party of the status quo.

Instead, we have been the ones to see a challenge - and do something about it. Let's be honest - it hasn't always worked perfectly. Sometimes it has gotten us in trouble. Sometimes it has split us apart. But sometimes, those are the wages of progress.

And yet, I am a Democrat because the greatest and most noble political experiments of our time had their birth in our party.

I am a Democrat because the New Deal literally saved the lives of hundreds of thousands of Americans.

I am a Democrat because a generation after a Democratic president started the Peace Corps, you can still find faded photographs of John F. Kennedy on the walls of homes from South Africa to South America.

I am a Democrat because fighting for working men and women is always the right fight.

I am a Democrat because our party led the struggle for civil rights and because we recognize that discrimination and bigotry are not dead - and that we must continue to seek equal opportunity for all.

I am a Democrat because despite our failures, our missteps, and our excesses - we know that waging a war on poverty does not mean fighting the individuals who are poor.

I am a Democrat because we know that today's battle is about the future versus the past - and it's time to put aside yesterday's battles of us versus them.

I am a Democrat because we know that criticizing success won't create a single job.

And most of all, I am a Democrat because when my three daughters go out into the world to make their lives, I want them to find a world where there's less hopelessness - less selfishness - and less violence.

I want them to find a world where there is more opportunity - more understanding - and more hope.

That is the mission of this party.

That is what we work for.

That is why we get up every morning.

Will there ever be an end?

2006-02-25T19:45:00.000-08:00

As you may have heard South Dakota recently passed legislation to remove a woman's right to choose. The showdown between the different sides of this issue will take place in the US Supreme Court. Given the new make-up of the court, this situation could become a bit heated. Those on both sides of the issue are claiming the upper hand in this battle, but it is unclear how this all will play out. Most Democrats are hoping that Alito and Roberts will hold more loyalty to precedent than they will towards their own conservative feelings. I, the usual optimist, am actually concerned about how this will end. I hope for the best but millions have been gunning for Roe v. Wade since the decision was handed down. For many abortions are a very touchy issue, I don't think anyone approves of the actual procedure, but privacy must be protected. Opponents must realize that there are more important things in this country than what a woman chooses or does not choose to do with her body. Constitutionally, its a privacy issue.
Such other important things include the recent destabilizing activity going on in Iraq. Groups have their heart set on de-railing the democratization of their own country. This is what the country sghould focus on as well as social security and other civil issues, not an issue that was decided 35 years ago. Whoever is president when Bush leaves office is gonna have a royal mess and I hope if it's a Democrat then, he or she will be able to pull through it.
Also as a small note, there is still a debate about Katrina and the handling of it. Apparently some loans have not come through yet and the blame game continues. The Dept. of Homeland Security will now be a part of any disaster relief in the future... great more red tape.

We face some troubling times ahead and hopefully, to use a sports reference, the right people will step up to the plate.

"The Fire in Africa"

2006-02-18T13:47:00.000-08:00

At the recent National Prayer Breakfast Bono (yes thats right, like from U2) spoke to President Bush about thw work that still needs to be done in Africa. After a year of The One Campaign putting pressure on the government and the people to pay attention to the needs of Africa, especially when it comes to poverty and HIV/AIDS, i wish to add a little personal antidote. I've spent the past 6 months in Africa, the first 4 in South Africa, a month of travel throughout Southern Africa and I am one month into a spring semster in Ghana. Sub-Saharan Africa is plagued with many problems, malaria (a preventable and treatable disease) continues to claim millions of lives a year, especially pregnant women and young children. HIV/AIDS has already killed 25 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa and nearly 26 million are currently HIV positive, with that number rising every day.
Bono spoke about the three most important things of OUR generation will be remember for in the history books
1. The response to the war on terror
2. The digital revolution
3. What we DID or DID NOT do to help put out the FIRE ragging in AFRICA

Well clearly, if your reading a blog, you are well-versed on the second topic, and media coverage bombards us with minute by minute updates on the middle-east (and I know I will never forget where I was on September 11) But how much does the third influence your daily life?

Of course, I am passionate about the third topic. I spent much of my time in South Africa researching the effects of HIV/AIDS on developing (and therefore fragile) democracies and I am now doing education in the Ghanaian community about HIV/AIDS.
The Tsunami last year killed approximentally 150,000 people, it was a global tragedy no doubt. Each month, HIV/AIDS kills as many people, and malaria more. Perhaps this will help put the depth of the problem to all of you.
Why am I telling you this?

We, as educated Americans, and as compassionate democrats (for I have very little faith in the compassion of most republicans) . Most Americans, democrats in particular, would pride themselves on being non-racist, but would they sit idly by as 6500 Europeans died every day of preventable diseases? I do not think so. Americans would be instantly mobilized to provide the life-saving medication and supplies to slow the spread of any such disease. That is what malaria is doing in countries like my beloved Ghana.
Perhaps to say it is racism is to harsh...perhaps it is ignorance. I am a firm believer that ignorance is dangerous. Educate yourself, and help make sure that the people around you are educated.

It may be cliche to say, and we have all heard it a million times, but we ARE the future. The eminant social, economic, political COLLAPSE of Africa is a realitiy that WE are going to have to deal with as the next wave of politicians, businessmen and woman and as citizens of the most powerful and influential nation in the world.

Educate yourself about Africa, please. And help Africa to educate itself...support the work of NGO's in DC and around the world that help educate. Great work has already been done, but there is so much more to do. In places like South Africa, where racial divisions have scarred generations there are so many things to overcome.

Thabo Mbeki, the current president of South Africa, has publically called into question the scientific basis of anti-retroviral drugs that help prevent Mother to Child transmission. He had to be brought to court and forced to provide these drugs to his people. International pressure is KEY to make sure that people are getting ACCURATE information from KNOWLEDGABLE sources. We were all lucky enough to have HIV/AIDS education in school. We are certainly more knowledgable as a generation then our parents are. (Ask an "average" 50 year old about HIV transmission and they may very well have wrong information, many I have spoken to do)

So I pleed with you. This is a fight that I will be fighting for decades to come, but please do your part as citizens of the global community.
1. educate yourself about Africa
2. understand the complexities of problems
3. Donate however you can to organizations doing work on the ground
4. put pressure on our government to do ANYTHING and EVERYTHING it can to help

Remember, we can move mountains

Biden '08?

2006-02-15T18:40:00.000-08:00

Yeah, that's right... I liked what Chris had to say in the last blog post.

Joe Biden is still my favorite Democratic candidate for the next election. Why? Because he tells it like it is. Plain and simple. But I also like Mark Warner too... we'll see how things play out.

If you want to know more about Senator Biden, I can tell you that he isn't afraid to limit himself or the country. In the past week, Biden has discussed two things that no other Democrat, or for that matter no other politician, has done. He has presented a real five-point terrorism plan, and he has advocated fighting against genocide in Sudan. He has also grilled the Attorney General on the illegal executive wiretapping that has occured under Bush's watch.

These statements are gutsy in the political world, but they are also the right things to do, and that's why Biden deserves to lead.

If you like the idea of Biden '08, join the BU for Biden facebook group. For that matter, if you like America, join the apple pie group.

Dick Cheney: Oh the Things You Do

2006-02-12T17:45:00.000-08:00

Well, we have had an interesting time on the national front this month. First, as you probably know, the Senate has passed Bush's tax cuts, and made them permanent. The USA Patriot Act also was extended. Secondly, Dick Cheney shot a guy, yes you heard me right; Cheney shot a guy in the face/neck region with a shotgun. All kidding aside, hopefully the injured man will be ok, but more importantly, everybody’s fun happy corrupt buddy, Mr. Libby has stated that he was told by superiors to release the name of the CIA agent married to a government official. This will most likely be yet another exciting week for the Bush Administration’s damage control team. The Good news on the national front is that Joe Biden is further pushing his political feelers out into the national realm. Biden ’08? It’s a possibility, after all the republicans are making our job much easier.