Sundown: GQ votes for Cantor

by on January 25, 2012

• GQ Magazine named House Majority Leader Eric Cantor the most powerful person in Washington. Congrats, dude. [GQ]

• Tebowing.com founder (and Rocky Mountain Hebrew Academy alum!) Jared Kleinstein will have some free time now that Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos are out of the NFL playoffs. [Time]

• Gilad Shalit has joined Facebook. [JTA]

• Milwaukee Brewer Ryan Braun, currently appealing his 50-game suspension for violating drug rules, will accept the award for National League MVP this weekend. [NJ Jewish News]

• An op-ed highlights the close ties between the Center for American Progress, a Washington think tank, and the Obama administration. [NY Post]

• More thoughts on Matt Gross’ trip to Israel. [NJ Jewish News]

Project Podcast: Tim Gunn’s Podcast for the Iconic Statement challenge on Project Runway

by on January 25, 2012

Season three of Project Runway has brought about a new and exciting feature from Bravo.

If you are a Project Runway fan, go to Bravotv.com and check out Tim Gunn’s new podcast. Tim Gunn is the well-dressed and sophisticated Chair of Fashion Design at the New School of Parsons School of Fashion Design. having served as the mentor for three seasons of Bravo’s most popular television show, Gunn uses a gentle but firm manner to deliver his expertise to the designers who are competing to win the show. Project Runway viewers have given Tim an Idol status – revering him for his popular catch-phrases make it Work and Carry on. both of Tim’s expressions encourage the designers to keep working without becoming disabled from fatigue or crippling self-doubt.

Project Runway viewers are embracing Tim Gunn’s written blog and recorded podcast, both of which appear on BravoTV at the close of each episode. This extra serving of Gunn’s analysis of each designer’s work is delivered with wry-wit and genuine compassion for the designer. however, Gunn does not hold back from telling it like it is, and his podcasts are often filled with snarky remarks, verbal eye-rolling and occasionally blatant bitchslaps – another of Tim Gunn’s popular expressions.

For the August 9th, 2006 installment of Runway, Gunn speaks of the challenge called ‘Iconic Statement in which each designer was required to develop a modern look for a particular American fashion icon. Instead of the designers choosing their favorite icons, in true Project Runway style the models were given the rare opportunity to do the choosing for the designers. In the podcast, Tim describes the scene in which the models are jumping on the pictures of the icons (each icon was represented by a photo of themselves, and whoever was in possession of that icon got to design the new look) as a feeding frenzy but declares the selection process a success. In Gunn’s words the pairings between designer and icon were remarkable. how much better does it get than Kayne, the Southern pageant gown designer and lover of all things glitter, being able to design for a modern day Marilyn Monroe? Other fitting parings included Michael the African American hip hop designer from Atlanta taking on Pam Grier, and Laura the ever-polished and often snooty designer from NYC dressing Katherine Hepburn. Young and cute Allison was paired with Farrah Fawcett, another promising combination.

After sketching, shopping, pattern-making and cutting, each model walked the runway in the creation of each designer. Tim Gunn tells us in his podcast that he has a strong suspicion of who was going to be voted out as they were preparing to hit the runway. He predicted that the bottom spot would either go to Bradley, who was forced into designing for Cher. most of the designers would have been thrilled to take on that challenge. As Gunn said Cher is the ultimate chameleon so anything goes Incredulous, Gunn says that Bradley didn’t know who Cher was. In his usual flamboyant podcast style Gunn exclaims what self-respecting gay male doesn’t know who Cher is? In the end, however, Gunn tells us that he was thrilled when Michael won. In fact, he goes so far to say that he doesn’t have adequate words to express how fantastic Michael Knight is as a designer. He says that Michael’s design for a modern day Foxy Brown was truly electrifying and that Michael deserved to win the challenge. Michael Knight from Atlanta will have his design featured in a Tresemme Hair Products advertisement in Elle Magazine come Fall of 2006.

Project Podcast: Tim Gunn’s Podcast for the Iconic Statement challenge on Project Runway

Barack Obama’s Acceptance Speech – Did He Deliver Or Disappoint?

by on January 25, 2012

America makes history again on this day, Thursday, August 28, 2008. Tonight Barack Obama, a man who embodies the melting-pot portrait of the United States, delivers his acceptance speech on the last day of the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado. He is the first black nominee of a major political party in the United States of America.

The expectation and hype that preceded Senator Obama’s big speech must have made his supporters nervous for fear that the political junkie might not have been able to step to the plate and clear the bar that was set so high. yes, he had made great speeches in the past, but everyone knew this was different, and no one seemed certain if he would deliver as hoped or hyped.

Well, as a habitual critique of Barack Obama throughout this election, I am forced to admit that not only did Mr. Obama meet those high expectations, he totally surpassed them.

Among the many words I could use to describe the historic speech, let me capture the essence of Obama’s rousing speech in three key words: prescriptive, combative, and inspirational.

The speech was prescriptive. the first part of the speech had the touch and style of President bill Clinton, taking and making simple the complex policy issues of the economy, taxes, national security, international affairs, and social programs. Obama finally was able to answer his critics on the charge of being big on rhetoric but slim on substance. Tonight there was more than enough meat on the plate. in the prescriptive part of the speech, Barack basically stated, ‘This is the issue or problem; here is how I will solve it; this is how we will pay for it; and here is the difference the solution will make.’ that is the style of speech making that Mr. Clinton has mastered; Obama has borrowed Clinton’s style well and yet made it uniquely his.

The speech was combative. At several points during the primary, it seemed like Mrs. Hillary Clinton had the fight and killer instinct that Obama supporters wished for their guy. Tonight, Barack showed a side to himself that we have not really seen: just like Mrs. Clinton, he has what it takes to take the fight to his opponent. His supporters need no longer worry about the three upcoming presidential debates between Obama and McCain. yes, Senator McCain holds the record as the soldier, but Senator Obama now seems and sounds ready for a real verbal combat, whether defensive or offensive. Die-hard Democrats got the red meat they’ve been craving for, and that should result in even more grassroots efforts aimed at getting out the vote on elections day.

The speech was inspirational. the home stretch of the speech connected the oratorical dot all the way back to none lesser than Dr. Martin Luther King himself. what a trick of history it was that Obama’s speech fell on the 45 th anniversary of Dr. King’s I Have a Dream speech this was the original Barack Obama, the master public speaker that stirred much of America during the early part of the primary elections. it was good to hear that Obama again. this means that Obama has finally ignored his opponents’ attempt to sever him from his rhetorical strength by calling him nothing more than a man of fluffy words. it would have been a huge mistake for Obama to dumb his inspirational charisma in an effort to prove that he can talk straight like McCain. Let Senator McCain keep his mantle as Mr. Straight Talk Express. Barack Obama does not have to apologize for being a charismatic orator.

Beyond this night, one can only hope that Obama will stick to this more complete version of his delivery, which mingles and mixes the prescriptive (Bill Clinton’s simplicity) with the combative (Hillary Clinton’s fighting spirit) and the inspirational (that lifts people’s spirits for something bigger and higher than routine politics).

One other thing was striking about the experience, even for those who were not physically at the stadium in Denver: more than a political event, the climax of the convention seemed to have become a religious encounter, with so many people shedding tears as they sought to take in and savor the moment.

What more can I say? Never in my lifetime have I heard such a political speech. Simply put, it more than got the job done. the speech was a blast, and whether Obama is elected president of the United States or not, history has already been made, in that he and our nation have proven that America can and will elect a non-Caucasian for the highest office in the land. Obama’s success proves America’s progress toward a more perfect union. We are getting there, and the destination is finally at hand.

Note: dear reader, thanks in advance for your comments

Barack Obama’s Acceptance Speech – Did He Deliver Or Disappoint?

John Kerry sports black eyes, broken nose

by on January 25, 2012

Daily Mail John Kerry sports black eyes, broken nose New York Daily News John Kerry showed the results of a broken nose at Tuesday's State of the Union address. President Obama may have taken aim at Republicans during his State of the Union address, but it was former presidential candidate John Kerry who looked like he took … Senator John Kerry appears at speech with injuries from hockey game msnbc.com (blog) John Kerry black eyes: Senator shows off injuries after breaking…Source

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Severe storms stir up at least 3 tornadoes in Southeast Texas

by on January 25, 2012

HOUSTON – Severe weather rolled  through Southeast Texas Wednesday, spawning at least three tornadoes and prompting multiple watches and warnings from the National Weather Service.

Several Tornado Warnings were issued as the storm rumbled through the area, and as of 5 p.m., there were three confirmed tornadoes and a possible fourth in Pearland.

The Pearland Police Department said there was an unconfirmed report of a funnel cloud near the 1900 block of N. Main around noon, prompting a nearby Walmart to issue a shelter-in-place order.

The order was lifted around 12:15 p.m., but police said there were reports of extensive roof damage at businesses in the 2100 block of N. Main and multiple downed power lines. an employee at the Busy Bee Café, near Broadway and N. Main, said a tree fell through the roof there, but they were still open.

Click here for storm photos.

Earlier in the day, the National Weather Service confirmed a that tornado  touched down on the west side of Brenham. KHOU 11 News crews at the scene said they saw significant damage to homes and other strucures there. 

Lamar Cooksey, a Brenham resident, heard the tornado approaching and ran for cover.

"It sounded like a train coming through and I took my grandkids and my daughter and put them in the closet," he said. After the tornado passed, he saw what it left behind.

"My neighbor got a big old commercial barn, it tore half of it off. It took a big oak tree and twisted it off on top of this truck. And my next neighbor down, it pulled the whole back of his house up and laid it on top of the neighbor across the street’s car. a lot of tree damage, a lot of building damage, a lot of roof damage; shingles laying and big oak trees laying out on the south side of Brenham," Cooksey said.

The National Weather Service said a second tornado hit a tire shop about 90 miles northwest of Houston.

A third tornado was reported in Waller County.

"there have been several reports of possible tornadoes in the Home Depot area, which is right downtown near two of the prison units. we haven’t had a chance to get out and check those, but the crews are out tending to the power lines, in the trees, in the streets and on the county roads," Walker County Judge Danny Pierce said. "there has been a lot of blue blazes that I’ve seen personally – four or five of those – which means the power lines were either hit and come together at some point, and of course that causes outages all over town."

Several Houston-area school districts canceled all after-school activities because of the weather.

The storms also caused flight cancellations and delays at both Bush Intercontinental and Hobby airports. Click here for Hobby Airport updates.  Click here for Bush IAH. 

Obama Vows Fight to Restore Broad-Based U.S. Prosperity

by on January 25, 2012

January 24, 2012, 11:20 PM EST

By Kate Andersen Brower and Catherine Dodge

(Updates with Republican response by Daniels in 19th paragraph, Boehner’s guest in last paragraph.)

Jan. 24 (Bloomberg) — President Barack Obama vowed to restore the promise of broad-based U.S. prosperity and “fight obstruction with action” in dealing with Congress, as he runs for re-election with the economy still struggling to recover from the recession.

Obama’s State of the Union address tonight sets out both his policy priorities and his campaign themes. in excerpts released by the White House, he combines a call to rebuild the U.S. economy on a stronger foundation with a promise to confront critics who stand in the way.

“We can either settle for a country where a shrinking number of people do really well, while a growing number of Americans barely get by,” Obama will say, according to the excerpts. “or we can restore an economy where everyone gets a fair shot, everyone does their fair share, and everyone plays by the same set of rules.”

in the speech, scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. Washington time before a joint session of Congress, the president will lay out what he calls a “blueprint” for revitalizing the economy, emphasizing a rebirth for U.S. manufacturing, bolstering domestic energy production and training workers. He also will call for the wealthiest Americans to pay more taxes.

“What’s at stake are not Democratic values or Republican values, but American values,” Obama will say.

Obama is unlikely to get major legislative initiatives enacted before the November election, which will also decide control of the House and the Senate. He also is constrained by efforts to reduce the nation’s long-term debt. last year’s deficit of $1.3 trillion was third-highest as a share of the economy since 1945.

Obama said over the weekend that tonight’s address will serve as a “bookend” to one he delivered Dec. 6 in Osawatomie, Kansas, that invoked the populism of President Theodore Roosevelt. Economic inequality has left millions of Americans feeling that “the basic bargain that made this country great has eroded,” he said.

as he did then, Obama tonight says renewing the promise of the U.S. as a place where hard work is rewarded is “the defining issue of our time.”

Obama will “lay out some specifics” on the so-called Buffett rule — named for billionaire investor Warren Buffett — which would require people with incomes of more than $1 million a year to pay at least the same percentage rate in taxes as middle-class households, White House senior adviser David Plouffe said on NBC’s “Today” program. in a new York Times op- ed essay in August, Buffett said that in 2010 he paid a lower tax rate — 17.4 percent — than “any of the other 20 people in our office.”

When Obama announced the proposal in September, he said that “Warren Buffett’s secretary shouldn’t pay a higher tax rate than Warren Buffett.” the secretary, Debbie Bosanek, will be a guest at the speech tonight.

House Speaker John Boehner, an Ohio Republican, told reporters today that he expects the speech will be a “rerun of what we’ve heard over the last three years: more spending, higher taxes and more regulation.”

Romney’s Returns

the administration today used the release of tax returns by Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney to underscore the points Obama will make on taxes and fairness.

Romney’s returns showed he earned $21.6 million in 2010 and paid 13.9 percent of that in income taxes, using the preferential rate on investment income and charitable deductions to pay a smaller share of his earnings than top wage earners typically do.

Plouffe said that the preferential rate on investment income, which is not available to typical wage-earners, was “a good example of the tax reform we need.”

Obama and his wife, Michelle, reported $1.7 million in adjusted gross income in 2010 and paid the top marginal tax rate of 35 percent on most of their earnings, according to tax returns released by the White House last year.

Romney delivered what his campaign called a “pre-buttal” to Obama’s speech while campaigning today in Florida.

With a large sign behind him saying “Obama Isn’t Working,” Romney kept his focus on the incumbent president as he spoke in Tampa at what he said was a gypsum-manufacturing plant that was closed in 2008 because of the economic downturn.

“do we want a president who will try to explain again why his policies haven’t worked?” Romney asked. “do we want a president who will keep promising that this time he will get it right? do we want a president who will keep telling us why he’s right and why we’re all wrong? or do we want the sense of excitement that comes with a new leader?”

the Republican response to the State of the Union is being delivered by Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels, who will say that Democratic “extremism” has stifled domestic energy development and private sector job growth. He also said the U.S. needs a “dramatically simpler tax system” and fewer regulations.

“It’s not fair and it’s not true for the president to attack Republicans in Congress as obstacles on these questions,” Daniels says in excerpts released by Republican congressional leaders.

To spur manufacturing jobs, Obama has promised to seek new tax proposals that reward companies for bringing jobs home and investing in America. He also pledged to end tax breaks for companies that move jobs overseas. Details are likely to come in the budget he’ll submit to Congress on Feb. 13.

Obama also will devote a section of his speech to U.S. energy production. in a video to supporters over the weekend, he said economic growth can be “fueled by homegrown and alternative energy sources.”

Early in his administration Obama announced a target of reducing oil imports by a third by 2025. Since he took office, U.S. natural gas production averaged 1.89 trillion cubic feet a month through October. That’s 13 percent higher than the average during President George W. Bush’s two terms, according to Energy Department data. Crude oil production is 2 percent higher, the department said.

last March, he called for new incentives to boost production of oil, natural gas and biofuels, tougher fuel- efficiency standards for vehicles and greater reliance on cleaner sources of energy, including nuclear power.

in talking about the economy, Obama may point to signs of a rebound.

the unemployment rate in December dropped to 8.5 percent, a three-year low, and employers expanded payrolls by 200,000, an indication that the job market is gaining momentum. Employers added 853,000 jobs in the second half of 2011, compared with 782,000 in the first six months. Manufacturing output climbed 0.9 percent, the biggest gain since December 2010, according to Federal Reserve data.

Gross domestic product, the value of all goods and services produced, rose at a 3 percent annual rate in the final three months of 2011 after advancing 1.8 percent in the previous quarter, according to the median forecast of 64 economists surveyed by Bloomberg News before the Commerce Department’s Jan. 27 release.

Obama will leave tomorrow morning for a three-day trip to Iowa, Arizona, Nevada, Colorado and Michigan, all battlegrounds in the election. He’ll use the stops to highlight the main points of his address on manufacturing, energy and education.

Obama’s Guests

the administration has invited more than 20 guests to sit with first lady Michelle Obama at the Capitol. the list includes people representing topics Obama may touch on in his speech, including a teacher, college student, a General Motors co. plant manager, and a veteran of the war in Iraq.

also among the guests is Admiral William McRaven, the commander of U.S. special operations, which includes the Navy SEALs who conducted the raid last May that killed Osama bin Laden.

To counter the president, Boehner invited representatives of businesses affected by Obama’s denial of a permit for TransCanada Corp.’s Keystone XL pipeline.

Obama’s campaign plans to use social media to spread the messages in his speech. the president plans an online video chat Jan. 30 on the White House page on Google Plus and the whitehouse.gov website.

–With assistance from Julianna Goldman and Eric Martin in Washington and John McCormick in Chicago. Editors: Joe Sobczyk, Bob Drummond

To contact the reporters on this story: Kate Andersen Brower in Washington at kandersen7@bloomberg.net; Catherine Dodge in Washington at cdodge1@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Mark Silva at msilva34@bloomberg.net

Obama’s Speech Last Week

by on January 25, 2012

If one thing is for certain, the speech last week evoked strong responses from both parties. While I always do my best to avoid the topic of politics, I do believe that one point that both parties and individuals alike agree upon is that until we clean up the toxic assets that were manufactured over the past 5-7 years, we will not be able to emerge and move forward with rebuilding this economy. the depth and breadth of toxic assets that has touched every economic class, individuals and corporations alike, is literally crippling our ability to function as a society. it is accelerating the erosion of the middle class as we know it and wreaking havoc throughout our entire economy.

We have seen the dramatic fall of the stock market, the bankruptcy filings of majors corporations, fortune companies being traded as if they were no better than junk, massive home devaluation, unprecedented job losses, a looming credit card crisis and a commercial real estate market that could just be the icing on the cake for a completely broken and broke economy.

Dealing with those who are to blame is a critical issue and must be dealt with, but more importantly, providing direct relief to the removal of bad or toxic assets and they are known, should be this administrations primary focus so that individuals and companies alike can slowly begin to see a ray of hope in what has become a feeling of hopelessness by so many Americans and countries throughout the world.

As a real estate auctioneer and a member of the National Association of Auctioneers, I believe that we should play a critical role in right sizing the housing crisis by facilitating the sales of property across this country to qualified buyers for the price that this market will offer. This is only one of many complex solutions that will assist in the correction needed, especially in real estate, to help this economy get back on its feet.

I am making no judgment as to which party or administration enabled this build up of what is now known as the perfect storm to occur. I can only hope and work toward offering my opinion and make efforts to do what I think is best to fix a broken economy.

John Kerry Actually Had a Lower Tax Rate Than Romney

by on January 25, 2012

in a bit of Democratic comeuppance for dinging Mitt Romney for how little he pays in taxes, Wonkblog published this chart of presidential candidates' tax rates. and wouldn't you know, John Kerry had a (slightly) lower tax rate than Romney does. in 2003, a year before running for president, Kerry's tax rate was 13.1 percent, versus Romney's at 13.9 percent in 2010. As Brad Plumer, who culled together tax returns to make his chart, explains, "John Kerry’s overall rate is so low — lower than Romney’s, in fact — because his return is getting lumped together with that of his (wealthy) wife, Teresa Heinz, who had a lot of investment income." (On his own, Kerry's tax rate is 22.9 percent.)

That's that very same sort of lowly-taxed "investment income" that Romney's been criticized for during the 2012 campaign. and it's an income stream that the rich tend to earn a high proportion of their income from. So like Romney, Kerry has been knocked for having a rich guy's low tax rate because of investment income, as this 2006 ad shows. and there's the whole business of Kerry docking the ultimate rich-person thing (his yacht) in Rhode Island instead of Massachusetts to avoid taxes. What Romney's and Kerry's stories show: any time the wealthy run for high office, they'll inevitably be reprimanded for the low taxes they (more likely than not) pay.

Want to add to this story? let us know in comments or send an email to the author at dgrandoni at theatlantic dot com. you can share ideas for stories on the Open Wire.

John Kerry Actually Had a Lower Tax Rate Than Romney

Campus reacts to upcoming visit from president

by on January 25, 2012

Following yesterday’s announcement that President Barack Obama will be speaking at the University this Friday, campus leaders and students on both sides of the aisle expressed excitement for the upcoming visit from the nation’s leader.

Though Obama is expected to discuss college affordability in his speech, students said they hope he also discusses ongoing issues pertaining to job growth and rebuilding the economy in Michigan — topics particularly important to students getting ready to enter the workforce.

Anton Dirnberger, chair of the University’s chapter of College Republicans, said though he disagrees with Obama’s views on several issues, he respects the “office of the presidency.”

“I think as a Wolverine, that’s great to have the President — no matter what party he is a part of — come to campus,” Dirnberger said.

However, Dirnberger expressed frustration that Obama is attempting to garner electoral support amid economic difficulties that continue to afflict the nation, adding that he anticipates that the president will be more focused on campaigning in his speech than discussing impactful policy.

“It’s pretty much a campaign speech — we all know that,” Dirnberger said. “I wish, and I think a lot of people do, that he would spend more time trying to work out some ideal situations to get some Americans back to work.”

Dirnberger said though he would be somewhat interested in hearing Obama’s views on higher education, he would rather hear him speak about his decision to reject plans for the Keystone XL oil pipeline — a transnational project that would install an oil pipeline stretching from Canada to Texas.

“I know he definitely won’t be talking about that, but that’s what I would like to hear,” Dirnberger said.

Dirnberger said he hopes that Obama won’t suggest raising taxes to make college more affordable.

Though about 50 students protested at House Majority Leader Eric Cantor’s (R-Va) speech at the Michigan League in October, Dirnberger said the group does not plan to protest against Obama’s speech, adding that he was particularly upset with the protests staged during Cantor’s speech.

“As a Wolverine, I think we should hold ourselves to higher standards,” Dirnberger said.

Amanda Caldwell, chair of the University’s chapter of College Democrats, said she has received various e-mails from members requesting information about the upcoming speech, including students not involved with the organization inquiring about obtaining tickets.

“We are all very excited for him to visit,” Caldwell said.

Caldwell said she expects that the president will discuss financial strains on students and highlight research being done at the University, adding that his speech will likely be related to his State of the Union address tonight.

In addition to college affordability, Rackham student Hakeem Jefferson said he anticipates Obama to speak about job growth or educational initiatives — topics he said he thinks are important to improve the state’s economy.

“I’m excited that the president’s coming to town,” Jefferson said. “I think it’s important for him to come to town not only because he’s looking to get elected in November, but because Michigan probably needs to hear more about his jobs plan and … know more about what he’s going to do to help the economy improve.”

Nursing freshman Monica Sehgal said she’s happy that the president is returning to campus following his 2010 Spring Commencement address. But, because this is Obama’s second trip to the University in the past two years, Sehgal said the president should also make an effort to visit other colleges in Michigan.

“I feel like he’s coming to the University of Michigan because it’s a liberal school,” Sehgal said.

Is America Ready For Real Change In 2012?

by on January 25, 2012

The voters will decide who will govern them in the near future. the American electorate will be voting to determine who the next President and the Congress will be in 2013. the Democrats hold a slight margin in the Senate while the Republicans maintain a very slim lead in the House of Representatives. Both of the major political parties have a right to be excited about the 2012 elections. Nancy Pelosi is the current minority leader in the House of Representatives and she recently stated that she believes due to the shape of the overall economy that the Democrats have an excellent opportunity to retake the leadership role in the House. the Republicans can be excited about their chances to regain the Senate. the Democrats currently maintain a three seat lead in the Senate but about two-thirds of the seats that will be up for election in 2012 will be Democratic seats.

President Barack Obama will certainly represent the Democrats in the upcoming Presidential election race. the Republicans have several candidates that are in the mix to be their party’s nominee for President. Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney are two of the most well-known candidates. Some of the other candidates are Rick Perry, Rick Santorum, and Jon Huntsman.

Three of the candidates are really interesting prospects. Herman Cain is a Republican who has campaigned on the 999 tax-rate plan. he suggests a nine percent income tax for business, a nine percent tax-rate for individuals and a nine percent sales tax to replace the current federal income tax. Critics of the 999 tax plan suggest that the plan would help the upper classes while doing harm to the lower-income people. the most amazing thing that would occur should Herman Cain get the nomination would be having both of the major political party’s candidates running for the presidency being Afro-Americans. This would show the world how much America has changed over the last hundred years. Michele Bachmann, a favorite candidate of the Tea Party, would make history if she is the Republican candidate for the 2012 Presidential race. She would be the first woman to be the official representative by either of the two major parties for the top spot on ticket.

Ron Paul has run for President before. Ron appears to have a viable opportunity to being the nominee. he presents an intriguing option from the other major candidates. Paul suggests that the President should follow the Constitution rather than acting as a power merchant. the Constitution states that Congress shall make the laws and the President carries out the laws that Congress passed. American Presidents have unlawfully grabbed powers that were the rights of the Congress. Ron Paul states that as President he would dismiss many of the Cabinet officials and return to Congress the responsibilities that the Constitution granted the Congress. Paul would also restrict the use of the American military unless the Congress formally declared war against another nation. Ron Paul suggests that America should follow Switzerland’s example of remaining neutral when other nations go to war. No one refers to Switzerland as being an isolationist country. Some people call Paul an isolationist because of his neutrality stance. Ron Paul needs to ask his critics why they don’t also call Switzerland isolationist. What is the difference between Ron Paul’s views and Switzerland concerning nonintervention.

America will soon have to decide who will lead this nation in the coming years. President Obama would commit us to the same the course. most of the Republican candidates would suggest making small changes in America’s political path. Ron Paul is the only major political candidate that would create real change in America’s economic and foreign policies.

The leaders of our country have steadily held three disgusting views. First, it is better to deceive than to tell the truth. Second, it is better for the people to be ignorant than to know. Lastly, it is better to have the people be slaves to government policies than to have the people be free of government intervention. it will be interesting to see what direction the American voters choose for us in the 2012 elections. What do you think America?

It’s something for you to ponder over.

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