Health Care

Health care was passed a few weeks ago in the House and has now been taken to the Senate floor with the necessary 60 votes for open debate, eliminating the possibility of the use of a filibuster by Republicans. I believe that everyone needs to have health care, be it through the government's public option (which is included in the bill for both houses) or with a private insurance company. The cost to Americans is too great when those who simply cross the border into America to get an injury fixed or have a baby. Cheaters of the system cause problems to everyone, and this universal health care will help alleviate some of the pressure that already rests on Americans' shoulders with the depression, but in the future will ultimately help, recession or not.

1. Who drew the cartoon? Manny Francisco

2. Where was it published? 12/4/09, Manila, The Philippines

3. What issue does it deal with? The cartoon deals with the Tiger Woods scandal, his mistress and his wife.

4. What is the cartoon's message? The cartoon's message is that Tiger got himself caught up in a relationship with his mistress, which the cartoon somewhat blatantly describes with the multiple 'holes' Tiger is confused by.

5. Do you agree with the cartoon's message? I do agree, Tiger is without a doubt an idiot if he thought he could not only get away with this secret woman, but that even if his wife found out about it, the press wouldn't! His homely, all-American image is ruined by the scandal. He has many young fans, all of whom look up to Tiger with respect and admiration, that he has violated.

1. Who drew the cartoon? Taylor Jones

2. Where was it published? caglecartoons.com

3. What issue/event does the cartoon deal with? The cartoon deals with the accusations and allegations against President Obama and his ability to thus far keep his head above it.

4. What is the cartoon's message? The cartoon is making a point that although the President is under serious scrutiny by not only Americans but the entire world, he is managing to not, at least publicly, affect his policies or his composure.

5. Do you agree with the cartoon's message? I do agree with the cartoon.

Herndon's Principal

Herndon's most recent principal was very caught up in being "the principal" and did not actually end up meeting or supporting students on a personal level. Our stand in principal since October has been in Mr. Stroud's trailer more than a handful of times, beating every other principal in Stroud's history at the school, all in just a couple of months. That kind of direct connection to the teachers and the support given to all students showed what kind of a principal is necessary to carry out the true duties of that post. Mr. Bates, newly chosen principal for Herndon, has big shoes to fill, ironically enough from a stand in principal, hopefully he is up to the task.

Topic of Choice: Media and Politics

A huge amount of people in the United States rely solely on the news as their political informer. The problem is that there is no television station that is completely indifferent with no leanings. This means that the majority of information people receive has been twisted to some degree by the networks, and the majority of these are more liberal than conservative. FOX news is the one consistent major network that has a conservative slant. Republicans can watch FOX and get their political views equalled by the stories and analysis they see, and Democrats can watch NBC or CBS and have the same effect. For those "in-between-ers" however, there is no middle ground, and proper opinions can not be formed on a particular subject with these leanings.

Gubernatorial Handicap: Virginia

Handicap the Virginia Governors Race – Who will win and why?

Creigh Deeds and Bob McDonnell are in a tight race for the governorship of the Commonwealth of Virginia. I believe, with absolutely no bias of course, that Creigh Deeds, the Democratic candidate will win. In the presidential election last november, Obama carried Virginia, the first time a Democratic candidate has won thi state in many years. I believe that trend will carry through into this election, especially as it has only been a year since the history making presidential race. The present governor, Tim Kaine, is a Democrat, as are Virginia's current senators. Bob McDonnell has been ahead in most of the polls, but I think that with the Democratic vote, Creigh Deeds has the advantage in the real election.

Bush Handled Afghanistan Situation Poorly

Background: Obama always claimed that Afghanistan would be his foreign policy focus. He holds true on this front, but now he actually sits in the presidency, he isn't rushing to hasty actions.

Summary: One of Obama's top advisors, Rahm Emanuel, said in an interview that Obama feels the Bush Administration asked the wrong questions in Afghanistan, and Obama is having to start from scratch in his efforts there. He also said Obama feels it would be foolish to raise the troop levels now unless it is evident that there is an Afghani partner with which to work with.

Analysis: Obama has his work cut out for him in almost every aspect of his presidency, but he needs to pull through in Afghanistan almost as much as he needs health care to be successful. His reasons for waiting until a clear leader in Afghanistan is chosen are sound, and he is taking the necessary precautionary steps before raising the troop levels there.

Editorial: I think Obama is going about Afghanistan situation well at this point. He isn't being hasty like he was with the stimulus package, he is taking what time he can in order to make his actions, be it raising the troop level or not, the right actions and the ones that will benefit both Afghanis and Americans alike.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/10/18/emanuel.afghanistan/index.html

Biggest Issue Facing Virginia: The Economy

The economy has hit most places very hard. Unemployment rates are still getting higher, people do not have the kind of money they used to. Small businesses can't hold up and the terrible housing market is causing tens of thousands of people to lose their homes. Obviously relief won't come in just one place, but in the nation as a whole. Us Virginians must continue to suffer through like everyone else and wait for the rough cycle to start to shift to the positive, which hopefully will be soon! The DOW closed above 10,000 for the first time in about a year, and is just below tonight.

Final Health Care Will Have Public Option

Background: The health care debate has been in part about whether the final bill will have a public option or not. The public option is the government owned health care plan that will compete and be an option for those who choose it.

Summary: Senator Tom Harkin has confirmed that the final legislation will include a public option, and that all but five of his party have agreed to voting for this. He claims that his committee will be on Obama's desk by Christmas, and he believes that the five who have not agreed to vote pro yet should, as shown by the clear majority of Democrats who want the plan to pass.

Analysis: The fact that there will be a public option for health care is the most debated topic between Republicans and Democrats. The fact that all but 5 Democrats have agreed to vote makes that debate even more important. If those 5 are swayed by their party then the Democrats have a much easier path to getting this bill passed.

Editorial: First off, I think the public option is a good idea, and everyone should have health care. Second off, I believe those 5 Democrats should vote with their party, as that is clearly what Democrats want.

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/10/16/harkin-final-health-care-bill-will-have-public-option/

Obama Report Card

Health Care- B

President Obama's Health Care reform plan is, in my opinion, actually very good. His issue is battling those against his plan. This is where he loses the coveted 'A.' There is far too much opposition for the health care plan to go through anytime soon as it is. There are obviously going to have to be alterations made to the plan before the House passes it.

Economic Downturn- D

Obama came into the presidency at a very bad point in time. The economy was on its way down and has only recently leveled off and gotten somewhat better. His stimulus package that pushed the deficit well over 1 trillion dollars. That's money we literally can't spend and thus far has hurt much more than helped.

War on Terror- C

Average. That's pretty much all I have to say about Obama's results in the War on Terror. He is definitely focusing more on Afghanistan, which is what he promised, but not much is getting accomplished.

Afghanistan Dilemma

Background: When Obama was campaigning for President, he vowed to withdraw from Iraq and make Afghanistan the main front for the War on Terror. Thus far, he's relocated and added 20,000 troops to Afghanistan, bringing the total amount of U.S. troops there to 68,000.

Summary: Obama's top general in Afghanistan is claiming the need for an additional 40,000 troops to keep the fight going well for the United States. Vice President Joe Biden is urging Obama to bring troops home, not send more away. The "Biden Plan" is to make the fight about 'counter-terrorism' instead of 'counter-insurgency.' Biden wants to concentrate the fight on al-Qaeda over the Taliban. Statistics show that 58% of people openly oppose the war, and only 39% are in favor. Republicans, such as John McCain, have stated that that they hope Obama sticks to his promise and keeps the war going.

Analysis: Obama should follow through with what he promised, because that is what the American people based their valuable vote on. There is evident pressure on President Obama even from his Vice President, along with other high-profile advisors in his Cabinet, to pull out troops, not extend the war indefinitely. His decision on this is unfortunately at the same time as his push for Healthcare, so he is drawing negative views from two vastly different pools.

Editorial: I think that President Obama should send more troops to Afghanistan, and accomplish what he set out to do when I campaigned for the presidency. He should hold to his promises. This will obviously garner some negative feedback and criticism, but Obama has three years to prove what he is doing will work out, so public feedback right at the moment is not as important as what it will be if his decision fails.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/10/02/mann.obama.afghanistan/index.html

Political Issue: The Olympics

The Olympics isn't traditionally viewed as a political issue. In more recent years though, the heads of state, not just a random ambassador, of the main countries vying for the Olympics to be held in one of their cities have made their case to the International Olympics Committee. President Obama at first claimed he would not leave and worry about the Olympics when more important things like Healthcare were being hotly debated on home soil. In the end, President Obama did travel to Copenhagen, Denmark, made his argument, and left within four hours, stating that it is "always a worthwhile endeavor to promote and boost the United States," as a reason for going back on his early assertion to deal with what's going on at home.

This issue greatly interests me, because I would really love to get to see the Olympics, or have them be in a reachable distance (Chicago for instance). Obviously I am ecstatic that the 2012 Olympics are being held in London, because that's my home town! But that doesn't mean its cheap to go and watch. I was lucky enough to get to attend the Atlanta Olympics in 1996, and even though I don't remember a lot, I do remember it being one of the most exciting feelings being in the crowd. I had no idea what was going on as I was four, but the blur from the stadium is still in my head, and it would be really cool to experience that again, from a conscious perspective. I'm sure that the Brazilian Government will do a great job with the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, but they can't bring it closer to me. Maybe 2020 then...

Insurance Tax Being Considered to Cut Cost of Healthcare

Background: President Obama's healthcare plan is estimated to cost about $1.1 trillion over ten years, but Obama wants this number to be dropped to $900 billion. Obviously that drop has to come from somewhere, and taxes are seeming to be the 'somewhere' of choice.

Summary: On Friday, September 25th, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi announced that an excise tax on insurance plans is "under consideration" in order to lower the cost of the healthcare plan. Originally a tax on families making over $350,000 a year, with the graduated rate increasing as the level of income rises. However, some Democrats in the House argued that small businesses would be unfairly affected by this tax, so the tax will now apply to those making $1 million or more annually.

Analysis: I think that the drop in the cost of healthcare is not going to happen unless taxes are raised. Obviously higher taxes are associated with Democrat ideals, but this tax may hit hard on middle-class families if enough money is not found to cover the healthcare plan's costs. No one enjoys higher taxes, and Obama's plan has already drawn much resistance for its fairly 'socialistic' government provided healthcare. Overall, I do not expect this tax to make the majority of the public happy, but do the benefits of healthcare for all outweigh the costs along the way?

Editorial: I don't see this tax affecting me personally, but I know it will my parents. I think a lot of people are in the same boat right now with kids going to college, mortgages to pay, etc, and the additional burden of this tax might topple some families over. I think the healthcare is potentially a fantastic idea, but at this moment in time, with the economic depression almost everyone is feeling, more taxes equals an extra kick in the backside.

Political Party Alignment

To be honest, I've never taken much interest in politics or taking sides with political factions. Back in my younger years (I think this was for the 2000 election) I wanted George Bush to be elected because I really, really liked his last name. It beat out Al Gore any day. With the latest presidential election, I somewhat followed what was going on, kind of watched the series of debates between Obama and McCain, Biden and Palin, and I felt much more strongly towards the Democratic side of the scale than the Republican. In terms of abortion, I think it comes down to the choice of the mother. Everyone makes mistakes, and women shouldn't be judged for choosing to have a baby aborted. I won't pretend to have much of an idea of what I am, but throw some choices at me and I believe I would fall under the Democrat platform 9 times out of 10. I'm hoping that the great teachings of Mr. Stroud (see left) will be bestowed upon my clasmates and I, so that I may make more aware decisions and know what I stand for.