President Bush has not ordered a single veto in office which is causing much disamay among conseravitive groups. "The Republican Congress is spending at twice the rate as under Bill Clinton, and President Bush has yet to issue a single veto," Paul M. Weyrich, national chairman of Coalitions for America.



137 billion dollars of the deficit can be attributed to lack of using the veto ability. The veto ability gives the president the power to cancel project proposals that the president feels wastes money. "The Constitution gives the president the power to veto legislation, and if Congress won't act in a fiscally responsible way, the president has to step in — but he hasn't done that." said Paul Beckner, president of Citizens for a Sound Economy.

Leaders of six national conseravtive orgranizations are angered by the irresponsibile spending. It is a stand I take with them as well. This is the one vulerability Bush has going into this election. When he is called fiscally irresponsible the arguement actually has grounds. The last president who didn't use a veto ability was in 1820.

Conseravtive groups warn that they may not even vote in the coming election if the omnibus bill passes and the president fails to veto it. It will be the third year of increased spending, which includes a 25 percent increase in two years.

I do understand the conservative arguement about over-spending. However one of there arguements speaking about the $400 billion dollar perscription drug benefit I am for and still support. It is a change that America's seinors needed and have deserved before. However some spending needs to be cut because of the increased deficit. The administration needs to look at ways to cut corners in spending to curb the growth. Furthermore these tactics need to start right away.

Political Short Talks

Braun Drops out of race


Carol Mosley Braun

Carol Mosley Braun dropped out of the primary race today because . She has extended her support to Howard Dean, in the feeling that he has the best chance of winning the primary nation wide. Although a tight race exists in Iowa with only one to two point differences. Gephardt, Kerry and, Dean exist as the top three in the state, according to current polls. Dean has lost significant points over the last month and he probably wishes the primaries were a month ago. Others have gained from his loss of gap of points showing a significant substance to the last onslaught on him.

Moon to Mars


President Bush annoncing Space propsal

President Bush outlined the new space program expected to establish a base on the moon and put people on mars. He stated that we will have a base on the moon by 2005 and we will have people on mars by 2030. Democrats complain about that this has an affect on the deficit. Bush outlined that most of the budget will come from reallocating 11 billion dollars from the 87 billion dollar a year budget that Nasa receives. The rest of the budget will come from a 1 billion dollar increase over a 5-year period. The last time we found ourselves in space the youth benefited by an increase in science and math studies. The intrigue the space program puts on the American mind is fuel for society.

Definant Deficit

Republicans complain about deficit concerns and Bush faces mutiny from his own party, some suggest. 90 house republicans plan to meet on Jan 22-23 to study ways to stop excessive government spending. Many of the concerns stem from Bushes lack of ability to use his veto ability, which has attributed to 137 billion dollar extra on to our deficit. The increase on spending has gone up 16% to 2.2 trillion in 2003. These concerns must be addressed and they start with him first using his veto ability. He also could address them by starting a campaign to end government waste. I have always dreamed of having a panel that investigates money used in programs that are not necessary. However this is a dream I probably won’t see sadly.

Conservatives question if, when and how to pass a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriages.  They aren't certain if the amendment will pass through congress during this legislative session.  Polls show the majority of Americans are against same-sex marriage.

Social conservatives question its ability to get the two-thirds support in the House and Senate to pass it this year.  Conservative groups however say that you shouldn't underestimate there lobbying ability on Capitol Hill.  They also say that voters take there beliefs with them to the ballot box.

"On the one hand, the far right has issued a threat saying that they want this to be the big issue in the upcoming election" but if "the Republicans were really united and ready for this to be the major '04 issue, it would be clear by now." said Cheryl Jacques, executive director of the pro-gay Human Rights Coalition.  I say the exact oppisite however, I believe that this issue will reappear when the election narrows to one democratic canidate. 

Bush spoke in december in support of a proposed amendment to the Constitution directly saying marriage and union is only between one man and one woman.  Most Republicans would like to see if the Defense of Marriage Act stands in court, before pursuing an amendment.  The Defense of Marriage act was signed into law in 1996 by the Clinton Administration.  The act states:

"No State, territory, or possession of the United States, or Indian tribe, shall be required to give effect to any public act, record, or judicial proceeding of any other State, territory, possession, or tribe respecting a relationship between persons of the same sex that is treated as a marriage under the laws of such other State, territory, possesion, or tribe, or a right or claim arising from such relationship."

Rep. Marilyn Musgrave, R-Colo., has gained the support of 100 bipartisan co-sponsors to the amendent.  It makes it clear that we will have some bi-partisan support which clears the air for such and act to pass.  "Most members [of Senate] do not want same-sex marriage imposed by the courts," said an unnamed Senate aide.

Passing this amendment will be the only way to stop same-sex marriages from being pursued through the courts.  There pursuit isn't readily happening through state legislatures because of a flakey but unified stand against it.

Some conservatives are afraid of amending the constitution all together.  "I don't believe that the framers saw the constitutional process as being the check and balance over a run-away court system," said Richard Lessener, exeuctive directer of the American Conservative Union.

Democratic leadership says that this amendment would have tread among conservative leaning democrats.  They however, like many, don't like opening up the constitutional process, and don't think it will pass this session.

I believe there is a great importance to this amendment being passed because of the ability of states to allow or not allow gay marriage.  Although DOWA laws stop there marriages from being protected in all states.  I believe that same-sex marriage is wrong and immoral because there is no scientific proof that people are born gay.  Therefore stating that we need an amendmant because of the radical court systems and there extreme beliefs about societys issues.

In December 2002 Paul O'niell was fired from the Bush economic team, part of a shake-up to make the team more efficent.  Unfortuantely he is now acting like the 'disgruntled employee' in this case.  He had taken a number of documents with him that held information about the Bush Administration. 

Bush was like a "blind man in a room full of deaf people," he said during a CBS interview to promote his new book.  The book is being coauthored by former Wall Street Journal reporter Ron Suskind.  That book is going to be titled 'The price of Loyalty.'

Former Treasury Secretary Paul O'Niell

He stated that ousting Saddam was of high priority when they had there first national security meeting in January 2001.  "From the very beginning, there was a conviction that Saddam Hussein was a bad person and that he needed to go," and that "For me, the notion of preemption, that the US has the unilateral right to do whatever we decide to do, is a really huge leap."

Well just to make a few statements on his arguements regime change in Iraq has been U.S. policy since 1998 which was enacted by the Clinton Administration.  Also the pre-emptive strike policy was put into place for terrorist protection.  Basically saying if we have intelligence on something specific we will be able to act before the attack happens. Seeing as regime change was a policy of the U.S. the pre-emptive policy does not apply to the war in Iraq.

His comments are very surprising but it seems that he just did not agree with Bush policys on issues and was angry.  He was fired because of his great differences between the rest of the administration on a wide variety of issues.

The White House reacted by saying "The president exhausted all possible means to resolve the situation in Iraq peacefully,"  and that "Saddam Hussein has been a dangerous man for a long time." said White House spokesman Scott McClellan.  The White House says that it seems to be O'Niell trying to justify personal views and opinions. 

Like I said in the beginning he seems like a disgruntled employee thats all.  He has the right to his opinion and I respect that however he should not use classified documents in attacks.  His view points only add fodder to the mounting democratic campaign in 2004.  I will wait and see how the investigation into the classified documents plays out and comment later.

First of all some of the players directly involved with the new immigration plan are:

Secretary of State, Colin Powell
Attorney General, John Ashcroft
Secretary of Commerce, Don Evans
Secretary of the Deparment of Homeland Security, Tom Ridge
El Embajador of Mexico, Tony Garza
Senator Larry Craig (R)
Congressman Chris Cannon (R)
Congressman Jeff Flake (R)

Now some of the things included with the plan are:

-Foreign workers could obtain a special visa to take jobs Americans leave unfilled

-Temporary legal status to undocumented immigrants

-Temporary status would last 3 years

-Temporary legal status would be renewable for an unspecified period

-U.S. Citizenship would not be immediately given nor permanent residency

With all that stated now lets talk about some of the complications of this legislation getting passed. There hasn't been a draft legislation created for it yet. Many Republicans and Democrats are opposed to the legislation. The conservative republicans state that the bill gives amnesty toward illegals. The liberal democrats say that it doesn't do enough to help the immigrants.

"I would anticipate some very interesting hearings on the issue and some important preliminary action, but no action on the House and Senate floors until 2005" said Randel Johnson, a vice president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Seeing at immigration bills are complex legislation and politcally sensitive it will take some time and debate to see it pass. It will also require some political capital on Bushies part to make the bill truly move through the House and the Senate. "It's something we're going to try to do, but it's going to be tough," said an aide to GOP leaders in the Senate.

"Democrats are not going to want to give Bush a victory in an election year, and there is some significant opposition from conservative Republicans," a seinor House Republican leadership aid also said. "This makes it very difficult to do in an election year." Estimates indicate as many as 50 House Republicans could vote againt the proposal, the Washington Post reports.

I personally feel that it does give amnesty to the illegal immigrants in this country. However atleast he decided to do something about the problem. In his defense though, no one has proposed a better plan since the Reagan administration. I give him the benefit of the doubt considering that he decided to anwser the problem. Unfortunately those opposed may give this bill a rocky road to success. We will have to wait till next year to actually find out it's future.

The Carniegie report was done by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.  The group took information from declassified U.S. Intelligence documents about Iraq.  The intelligence came from U.N. Weapons Inspectors and the International Atomic Energy Agency.  The IAEA is the nuclear watchdog from the U.N.

                            President of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
                                                         Jessica T. Matthews

The GOP is taking its chances at using former Rep. John Thune to take on Senate Miniority Leader Tom Daschle.  This is a key election spot because Tom Daschle is a power spot for democrats in the senate, as well as someone highly critical of the president.  Basically what I'm saying is, most democrats in senate follow his lead, and he holds the trenches well. 

           

                      Former Rep. John Thune (R)            Senate Miniority Leader Tom Daschle (D)

However, John Thune is "the Republicans' best and maybe only chance of beating Daschle in 2004.  He was the challenger the White House wanted from the beginning and they finally got him," stated Nathan Gonzales, political editor of the Rothenburg Political Report.

Iranian Mullahs decided to turn away international aid workers.  Only a portion of those aid workers were allowd to stay.  Iranians however reacted in great amounts of anger towards the mullahs for turnning them away.  One of such nations that were turned away was Israel. 

"What nerve these mullahs have to turn away aid offered by the Israelis...those poor people over there constantly dealing with suicide bombers, who are probably financed by the clerics of the Islamic republic of Iran, and yet they are kind enough to offer us their aid and these audacious zealots over here threaten to attack them!" - Iranian Cab Driver

The democrats popular belief is that Bush lied about Iraq have weapons of mass destruction.  The funny thing about it is the amount of Democrats who felt he did have them.  Words twist when things aren't found instantly.  It shows the failure of the democratic party in it's broadest form and sets a horrible tone for democrats.  Here are the quotes:

Democrats are entrenched against eachother trying to play king of the hill with Dean.  They are much of the election 2004 talk.  They attack eachother on a day to day basis, which is very good for Bush 2004.  They are pulling all the dirt out pre-election therefore the Bush team will not have it's hands tied to win this campaign.