A Holiday Riddle

A holiday riddle for your thinking pleasure:


I am a blanket that will cause a storm of emotion;

I am pure with a light spirit, but cold on the inside;

Each of my many parts is unique, and many people will see me differently, but I always look the same.

I am not Santa Claus and I am not religious. I don't discriminate, I touch everything in the same way.

What am I?


Answer in the comments section...

I would like to start this blog by apologizing for not having written for the past few days. I will try to do better after the New Year. I recently drove home and was welcomed by weather that was below zero and winds that were around 35 mph. I feel like I live on a tundra. This will be a very short post as I am pretty busy visiting friends from home and enjoying time with family. As most of you know I start my job in the Senate on January 5th and am pretty excited about that. Today I will leave you with a question, which you may answer in the comments section.

For 2009, what topics would you like to see me discuss on this blog, and why?

I will probably post again after Christmas, so check back often. I hope everyone has a happy holiday season!

A Team of Rivals

Barack Obama seems to be assembling his Cabinet in such a way as to encourage lively debate among the members of his administration. Does he hope that by doing so, he can pull from a variety of ideas and solutions for the country's many problems, or is there something else going on? As my friend Conartist pointed out, President-elect Obama is effectively knocking out any future competition he may have from the Democratic Party in 2012. Is this a brilliant move that will bring about the best in his administration, or is this a shrewd political calculation that will simply undercut the competition and make it a certainty for Obama's nomination in 2012? Let's look at some of his main appointments before we decide.

1. Hillary Clinton- Secretary of State. Let us begin by noting that during the primaries, Barack Obama said that Hillary's foreign policy experience amounted to not much more than "having tea" with visiting foreigners. I think it is safe to pass that off as just another primary attack, but if President Obama really thinks that then why would he appoint her to lead the nation's foreign service? Realistically, Ms. Clinton is the most likely challenger to the office of POTUS. By making her Sec. of State, he draws her into the the decisions and, more importantly the consequences of those decisions, of the Obama Administration, thereby making it nearly impossible for her to run again in 2012. Admittedly, Ms. Clinton does have more experience being around the office of the President than most any other person in America. Not to mention her experience as a Senator from New York, or her time spent as a high-powered attorney. The facts are that while she is probably not the person with the most foreign policy experience, she is a person who knows how to lead effectively, and that will serve her well in her new post. In my opinion, President Obama did quite well in appointing her.

2. Robert Gates- Secretary of Defense. Let me start by saying that I highly doubt President Obama is worried about Robert Gates running for his post in 2012, but it is still an interesting pick that deserves a closer look. Obama had always said that he would put Republicans in his cabinet, but after his vocal opposition to the war in Iraq, I don't think many people thought he would keep one on as Secretary of Defense. In all honesty I think they are right. It would make sense for Obama to keep him on during the early months of his presidency, to help smooth the transition from Bush's administration into his. I feel that after a few months the new president will ask for Mr. Gates' resignation and appoint someone who is more in line with his own policy views.

3. Secretary of Homeland Security- Janet Napolitano. As Governor of Arizona, Ms. Napolitano has made quite a name for herself across the United States for being both popular and strong in her position. This puts her far enough away from Washington politics for a run as an outsider, and yet close enough to get in with the right people, to make a run for the Presidency more than just a long-shot. She will now head up an agency that is relatively new, while making decisions that hold much sway over the popularity of the new president with the people. This puts her closer to the administration than most. Was she the best qualified for the job? Maybe not. Maybe a Michael Bloomberg or Richard Clarke would have been better suited for the position but, once again, few people in America have the executive experience necessary to run a department like DHS.

This is just a small sample of what President Obama's Cabinet will look like. Has he effectively erased all competition for the Democratic nomination in 2012? Not a chance. There are still many contenders out there with immense popularity that might consider a run if things don't go well, but he has certainly eliminated a few. Has he nominated all the best people for their particular jobs? From my removed point of view, probably not, but they might be the people with the most ability to work with him and his administration. Only time will tell if they are truly qualified enough to hold their positions.

War on Christmas!

Another Christmas season has started and, already, Atheists Christians Jews and every other religion are at each other's throats about which types of Holiday displays are appropriate to put up in front of public buildings. Fox News will probably declare another War on Christmas and church groups will be up in arms at the sight of any non-religious display, any menorahs, or anything they deem to not celebrate the birth of Jesus. After all, this country was founded on religious principles with the notion that all men were to be Christian, all legislation should glorify god, and the American people will just have to tolerate all the heathens that we reluctantly let in. Just kidding. I actually just read the First Amendment and realize that America should be nothing like that.

Have you heard about the controversy in the Illinois (Go Figure) State Capitol Building over allowing a nativity scene, a menorah, and a winter solstice message? The message reads:

"There are no gods, no devils, no angels, no heaven or hell. There is only our natural world. Religion is but myth and superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds."
The same three displays have been put up in the Washington State Capitol building. Bill O'Reilly is pretty upset about all this saying, "This is political correctness gone mad!" For once, I agree with him.

This controversy boils down to different interest groups acting in a combative manner. Christians put up a nativity scene and the Jews want a menorah. The Atheists then feel that their free speech rights are being violated and put up the aforementioned inscription. This will only get worse. The solution is for these governors to understand that the end of December is a time of celebration and holiday for many different groups of people; not just Christians. So throw up a tree, throw up some lights and encourage people to spend time with their families. I think that is an issue that all groups can agree on.

Is the Legacy of Torture Coming to an End?

In January, President Obama will have to act on several important issues that pertain to President Bush's illegal torture program. First of all he will have to decide whether it is in the interest of the country to prosecute those in the Bush administration who advocated and attempted to create a legal blanket for this most immoral of practices. He will have to decide what to do with bases like Guantanamo Bay and many of the CIA black sites where these interrogations took place. And most importantly he will have to mandate, through executive order, the extent to which interrogators can go in their questioning of subjects at home and abroad.

Noticeably I left out the question of whether or not the Bush administration has committed crimes in torturing these individuals in "The War on Terror", because it is obvious that they have. According to Maj. Gen. Antonio Taguba, who was charged with investigating the abuses at Abu Ghraib, "there is no longer any doubt as to whether the current administration has committed war crimes. The only question that remains to be answered is whether those who ordered the use of torture will be held to account.” Many in Congress and the Administration have called on President Bush to grant a blanket pardon that would apply retroactively, to shield those responsible for torture from prosecution. Thankfully he has dismissed these calls. Others, most notably in Congress along with Harvard Professor Alan Dershowitz, have called for truth and reconciliation panels to be set up similar to those created in South Africa after the Apartheid. I disagree that these would work. We need to hold people accountable for the wrongs they committed and to show future generations that our leaders could not act with impunity.

I think Obama is right in calling for the closure of Guantanamo. It is a stain on the reputation of America and all it claims to be, and is a rallying point for those that would wish to bring us harm. Thankfully, the Supreme Court ruled that the Detainees have the right to Habeas Corpus, so that now they can challenge their detentions in a real court- not the phony military commissions set up by Bush. I think the US should open up our detention sites to inspection by the International Red Cross, to prove to the world that we will never let this happen again.

Interrogators, from now on, should follow the lead of the FBI in their methods. The FBI was responsible for interrogating Saddam after his capture and has experience getting vital information out of people in such a way that it can be used in their future prosecution. They have been doing it right for years, so why not use it? The CIA on the other hand has little to no experience with interrogations. Most of it is contracted out to private companies. Or, in extreme cases, the suspect is transferred to another country where they will most certainly be tortured, in a practice called extraordinary rendition. It is simply a despicable practice.

I am ashamed of what my country has done in the name of promoting democracy. I am ashamed that several leaders don't want the administration to be held accountable, and I am ashamed that the outcry from regular Americans has been not much more than a silent whisper.

I got offered the job today. I am so happy! This has really taken a load off my shoulders. I promise to write more tomorrow.

Today is a pretty big day for me. I have an interview this afternoon, during which I will meet the Senior U.S. Senator from my home state. I am interviewing to be his Personal Assistant in Washington. The job isn't glamorous, but it does put me closer to where I want to be in life. Basically the Personal Assistant is responsible for making sure the Senator is where he needs to be and sees the papers and people he needs to see, in an organized fashion. I'm rather excited about it because I have great respect for the man.

The way I even got to this point is a testament to the powers of networking. I was at a work party, off by myself in the back room watching the Buckeyes game. There was a man about my age who kept ducking in and out, so I asked him if he wanted to stay and join. We got to talking and he told me that he was the Personal Assistant to the aforementioned Senator. He also said that he would be leaving his job within the next month to take another position, back in his home city. That got me thinking that if he was leaving there would be a spot opening up on the staff, so I asked him for a business card and talked myself up a bit so that he would remember me when I was sober enough to email him. That next Monday I polished up my resume and sent it to him. I can never thank him enough for passing it on to the Chief of Staff, and two days later I had begun the interview process.

For all of you who are reading, I urge you to not get out of control at parties or in public, because as you can see you never know who you might meet. I will be sure to let everyone know how the interview goes.

What happened to Immigration?

The issue of immigration was one that was largely ignored during the Presidential race only months ago. This is probably because of McCain's stance on the issue, which was highly unpopular with his party. It is strange because only last year immigration had become a very hot-button issue, to which it seemed there was no solution. My question is: Where has this issue gone? Illegal immigrants are surely still coming onto America by the thousands, and yet the issue is being ignored. My prediction is that with the ever-worsening economy being the way it is, soon immigration will once again be at the forefront of debate.

Right now the concern for many in America is fixing the economy, but soon people will look for scapegoats as they always do. I have a sneaking suspicion that 2009's most popular scapegoat will be the many illegal immigrants that live in our country. Consider the circumstances. As I pointed out in my last post, unemployment is rising. When the newly unemployed go to look for new jobs, they will be very difficult to find, especially in this terrible economic environment, and so they will probably blame those that are easiest upon which to place blame: illegal immigrants. The result will be for many politicians to call for the removal of millions of contributing members of society, and many variations of the South Park style complaint, "They took errr jobbs!". Unfortunately, all of this criticism will be unfairly placed on the illegal Mexican and Latin American immigrants; not on (and I hate to say this) white, skilled, legal immigrants who actually do take jobs.

Now, I am not calling for the removal of the white immigrants as well, I think all immigrants should be given the chance to make a new life for themselves in our country. What is the American dream, if not that? Mexican and Latin Americans are not coming into America and taking up the skilled positions that regular citizens flock to anyways. They are coming in for a change of lifestyle and the chance to provide a better future for their children. Who can blame them for that? The same concept applies to immigrants of all other origins. They are simply trying to create a better life for themselves and their families. Many citizens resent this influx of cheap labor because they feel as if their jobs will soon be replaced by an illegal immigrant who will work twice as many hours for half the pay. These fears are unwarranted. Only in the smallest number of cases does that actually happen. To those who fear immigration I must ask, where did your family come from and what were the conditions for them when they arrived? Most all American families have a similar history of coming to the United States to find a better life. And those same families were resented in the same way by the Americans that were already here. It is a vicious and never-ending cycle. So how do we solve this problem?

We really can't. The only way to lessen the complaints of those who fear immigration is to take away their only ammunition. We must make it so that it is easier to come into this country legally. Instead of putting up a large fence across the southern border (which begs the question of why there isn't then one on the northern border), we need to make it easier for people to become fully-functioning members of society.

In the coming months there will probably be much more discussion on this topic, and I'll try and speak more to what I would do when that arises. Until then I will leave you with a mostly forgotten quote that rings true even more so today than it did when it was first inscribed:

"Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed, to me:

I lift my lamp beside the golden door."

Bailout?

The big question facing lawmakers next week will be whether or not to bail out the "Big Three" Automakers. GM, Chrysler and Ford are responsible for several thousand jobs in the northern Midwest, as well as millions more that depend on the auto maker's being in business. Right now, their CEO's are in front of Congress asking for nearly $40 billion in loans simply to stay afloat. To evaluate whether or not it is a good idea we need to look at the pros and con's of either granting the bailout money or letting the automakers file for bankruptcy. ( I am aware there are other options, but I don't feel like writing that much, so I will limit myself to the two most likely to happen.)

Option 1: Bailout. Congress grants the money to the automakers. They pay off some debt and continue operating for at least the next six months. The problem is that there is no guarantee that in six months the economy will be any better, or that the big three won't need even more money. Are we willing to socialize the automotive industry? Because that is likely what it's going to come down to. Other possible outcomes include millions of people keeping their jobs and providing for their families. The automakers could probably keep their heads above water, and retool their factories to build smaller more fuel-efficient cars, once the economy has bounced back. In a perfect world this would be the case, but as I said before there are no guarantees. Before I decide if this is a good idea, let's look at option 2.

Option 2: Bankruptcy. Congress denies the automakers their bailout money and effectively tells them that it is their own fault for sticking to outdated business plans for far too long. Advantages include the re-working of those pesky union contracts that cost the businesses billions of dollars a year. Those contracts were negotiated during strong economic times so they are probably outdated anyways. Also, the automakers could shed their debts and then invest in re-tooling their plants to make more competitive cars for the 21st century. The obvious disadvantage to this is that possibly millions of people would lose their jobs. According to economists this kind of shift in the focus of a national economy is a necessary occurrence, but tell that to "Joe the car builder" (sorry I had to) who now can't afford his house, health-care, car, gas, or basically anything. Oh, and also, he sure as hell won't be able to find another job in this kind of climate, so he will just have to wait out the impending shift, of which I spoke earlier. Another point that not many have looked at, is that it probably isn't in the public interest for the government to bail out the "Big three" while providing no assistance to Honda and Toyota, who provide thousands of direct jobs and millions of indirect ones to many of the same areas. Why should we spend our tax dollars to bailout major corporations who stuck to an irresponsible business plan?

To solve this problem we must look at the proposed bailout through the lens of the current crisis we are in. The economy is tanking. As of today, unemployment is at 6.7%, which is the highest it has been since the recession of the early 90's. More jobs were shed last month than had been shed since 1974 amid crisis of the Arab oil embargo. Would consumer confidence continue to exist if we saw the backbone of American industry file for bankruptcy? Sadly, I think not. Recessions are fueled by fear as much as anything else and I think that this would serve only to make things much worse. (It should be noted that since I am from an area where many of these jobs would be lost, I am a bit biased).

In lieu of all of the facts and possible scenarios that urge me to do otherwise, I begrudgingly call on Congress to bail out the "Big Three". Normally I wouldn't support such action, mainly for the reason that I don't consider myself to be a socialist, but we are in a crisis and therefore a response that is indicative of such crisis is required. Let us hope that such a show of strength by our elected representatives will raise consumer confidence and help us out of this mess.

The Need for Change

Every four years the American people are forced to endure yet another round of each political party nominating its new "savior" and only hope for the future of the country. Each of these nominees travels across the country touting their accomplishments and rationalizing away their failures. Each of them talks about how, if given the chance, they will change Washington so that it is more open to the "regular folks" just like you and I. And then every four years we elect the lesser of two evils and grit our teeth while this country's problems keep getting worse and nothing changes.

I have had enough. The politicians are purposefully misleading the American people by making the election about who is going to bring about the most change, or who has stood up to the establishment more. Who F*$%ing cares. If you haven't noticed we are in some pretty serious trouble. The problem is that no elected officials are willing to do anything about the problems we face, because it might mean not getting re-elected during the next cycle. It is much easier to treat the symptoms than to tackle the problem itself. Meanwhile we the people are left with the choices of Bad and Worse instead of the choices that might actually fix the problems.

So let's be more specific. Social Security is running out of money. According to the Washington Post today, Social Security is expected to run a $6.7 trillion deficit over the next 75 years. My generation (I'm 23) will be forced to pay overwhelming taxes in order to fund the retirement monies that have been promised to our parents and grandparents. I'm not pretending to know the solution- It's a complex issue and I'm rather tired at the moment. But I do know the solution isn't to sit back and say that Social Security won't run out of money for at least ten years so we don't need to fix it yet (see US Congress). Ridiculous. I would gladly pay a little extra in taxes now to ensure that the country won't be bankrupt in 20 years.

What's more, the state of our nation's health care system should be a threat to our national security. Also in the Post, the costs and payouts for Medicare will exceed the dedicated money by $34.1 trillion over the next 75 years. This is unacceptable. Furthermore, there can be no explanation for the fact that in the world's most prosperous and powerful nation the least fortunate among us, especially children, have to make a choice between food and health care. Surely we can cut spending from other programs (i.e. $12 million a day in Iraq) to feed our sick and poor. But staying out of Middle Eastern countries would mean higher gas prices; and well-to-do Americans can't have that. Cuts from any of the entitlement programs would surely mean the ousting of the elected official who finally stood up for what was necessary, and that is why we see no action.

Breaking news: The national deficit is threatening to climb above $1 trillion. Need I say more?

Obviously the Government cannot keep spending on the level that it is. Cuts need to be made. Taxes will almost certainly have to be raised. The American people need elected representatives who will stand up and give them the facts as they are. The national debate needs to swing from which classes of people get tax cuts, to which Federal Programs need to get cut.
Conveniently enough, I have some suggestions. Farm subsidies, welfare payments, most forms of unemployment, THE DEFENSE DEPARTMENT BUDGET, Ethanol payments, American auto-maker subsidies and pork-barrel legislation. I'm sure I can think of more, but that should be a good start.

The fact of the matter is that soon Americans are going to have to make some tough choices. We will have to sacrifice in order to ensure a decent quality of life for our children and children's children. We need politicians who understand this and aren't afraid to confront the tough issues. Unfortunately I've seen very few of those...

"The question I ask is, what sacrifice are we making? Anyone in the know who is watching us has to wonder about our character, our intellectual honesty, our concern about our national security, our nation's competitiveness in the global marketplace now and in the future, and, last but not least, our don't-give-a-darn attitude about the standard of living and quality of life of our children and grandchildren."
-Senator George Voinovich

Responsibility is a term and a concept we have been taught to understand and embrace ever since we were old enough to do chores around the house, or take care of our first pet. As we grow older we are held responsible for the consequences of our actions, for our performance in school, and for planning our lives so that we can one day become responsible adults and citizens. So shouldn’t the Federal Government, who is responsible for taking care of all of us responsible citizens, be acting in a responsible manner? Apparently the answer is no. So we, therefore, as responsible citizens, have the responsibility to vote for candidates who can responsibly provide us with a bright future.
Several issues in government need to be addressed soon, before they turn into real problems that require drastic and difficult changes that could have been and should have been avoided. By taking a proactive approach to these looming problems, we can avoid future crises and make the world a better place for future generations. Several issues need to be addressed.
First of all, national security through a strong foreign policy is an issue that should be on everyone’s mind. Past and present foreign policies have done nothing but isolate our country on the international stage, and set America apart as an imperialistic, imposing, self-interest serving empire. These kinds of policies have done nothing but make America a source of resentment for those who have the capability and the willpower to bring harm upon us. The United States used to pride itself on being morally superior to every other country that exerted influence on the world stage. It seems nowadays though, that protecting American interests abroad at the expense of the freedom and dignity of other people has become the status quo. Our leaders preach democracy, freedom, and equal rights to other nations while supporting and funding regimes that restrict and persecute their citizens. Consistency in our words and actions will serve us better in making friends across the world than will having convenient allies who espouse the same actions and lack of values that we preach against. Having true friends and allies across the world will serve to strengthen our national security more than any spending bill Congress can ever pass.
Global warming is another issue that needs to be tackled and taken care of very soon. Many people still deny that it is a threat to the world and that climate changes are a natural world occurrence, but anyone who has ever seen the amount of smog that lies over cities such as Los Angeles, Mexico City, or Beijing on a daily basis, knows that it is real and it is happening now. According to biologists, earth is in the middle of one of the greatest plant and animal extinctions of all time because of human interference with the ecosystem. As of now we can only speculate what the physical effects of our actions will be, but if we care about the future of children and out planet, shouldn’t we do what we can now to avoid any possible negative effects?
Finally, it is time to fix government. Candidates and politicians always say that government is broke and they are there to fix it, but usually they are just blowing smoke. This time government really is broke and the politicians should be held accountable for their words and made to fix it. Social Security and our enormous budget deficit threaten to drive our country into a downhill slide faster than any other foreseeable event if they are not addressed soon. The irresponsible spending practices of the Bush administration have driven the national debt up to levels that will now take years to dig out of. This lack of money, added to the upcoming cost of retiring baby boomers will place an unneeded and massive financial burden on people of our generation. Taxes will go up to levels never before seen, and Government spending on other important projects like healthcare and military spending will have to take a backseat to the amount of money needed to sustain the retirement funds of the baby boomers, and payments on the national debt.
These, among many other issues will need to be addressed soon by those who have the power to do so. If not, we threaten to drive our nation right out of the “world’s only remaining superpower” position we hold so dear because of our unwillingness to do what is right when we have the chance. I only hope President Obama follows through on the promises he made during the campaign about doing just that.

Americans love a good underdog story. There must be something that really gets us fired up about the story of a group that was not supposed to be able to make it, defying all the odds and winning. It’s that story, (standing up and triumphing in the face of adversity) that really embodies the American spirit and I think that is why we always cheer for the team that is down. We don’t like the top spot to be unattainable; we don’t like there to be a team or a group that always wins. We like change, we like surprises, and we love competition.
This leads me to wonder why McCain considers himself an underdog, and why more people aren’t flocking to Obama. Many say that in this election, race shouldn’t be an issue, but how can it not be? For the first time in history we have a black Presidential candidate with a legitimate shot of winning. That should get people excited. It should get people energized that the greatest underdogs in our history have a chance to rise up and put an African American into the highest office in the land. Let’s take a walk through history for a moment so that we can understand exactly what these African Americans had to endure to even get near achieving this goal.
African Americans were brought to this country, as we all know, to be slaves and work in the fields and kitchens of the landowners. They were treated as subhuman and, during the first census, were only to be counted as 3/5 of a person. No one thought they were capable of being civil and living without the close guidance of white men. Then came the Civil War. Those same African Americans who were incapable of living on their own were now free citizens of the United States of America. But they were still not treated like everyone else. Segregation was rampant and the white establishment viewed blacks as inferior and second-rate. Surely they could not be trusted to vote responsibly, so they were hindered from practicing that uniquely American Right. Then in 1870 Congress passed the 15th Amendment to ensure that African American men could in fact vote. Yet, after all of this struggle, there still existed “Jim Crowe Laws” in the south, which were arbitrary laws designed with a racist intent to keep blacks from the polls. Finally, after years of having equal rights but unequal enforcement of those rights, African Americans spoke with one voice in what came to be known as the Civil Rights Movement. Segregation of schools, buses, and even entire towns was going to go on no longer. African Americans decided that they were not second-class citizens, and demanded to be treated as such. Many took to the streets of their hometowns and cities across this country to demand their rights and because of this achieved great victories. Jim Crowe Laws were repealed, schools finally became open to people of all races, lunch counters could be frequented by anyone, and it didn’t matter where on the bus or train you sat. Finally there was equal treatment under the law. Many of the leaders of the Civil Rights movement used their fame to represent their States in the House and Senate. Some saw injustices elsewhere in the black community and decided to use their talents to help correct them. The most important fact, though, was that African Americans had spoken with one voice. Because of that they saw their dreams realized. Never again would they be considered as being worth any less than a person of another race. But there was one place where no African American could get close to obtaining. Even after all of the triumphs and successes of the mid-nineteenth century, the office of the President of the United States still belonged to white men only. Then came Barack Obama, offering a hope to help African Americans realize that dream, far sooner than they ever thought they’d be able to.
That is the true American underdog story. The group of people who were told they couldn’t make it, they weren’t smart enough to succeed, and they certainly couldn’t propel one of their own to the highest office in the land. Well they have just about done it. The biggest underdogs in our nation’s history are about to cross the finish line. There is no doubt that there is still much work to be done, and that this race is by no means a certainty, but coming even this far speaks volumes.
No matter what your political affiliation, African Americans are an underdog we can all agree deserves to be the victor.