- Despite an apparent wealth of grassroots and blog support in Virginia, Duncan Hunter has failed to make it onto the Virginia primary ballot. Unlike Tom Tancredo's withdrawal, this one surprised me a bit. I figured Hunter had the grassroots to make it on the ballot, and I would've signed a petition so he could at least make the ballot (of course, nobody contacted me), even though I'm a Fred Thompson supporter. I like Duncan, I think he's a decent politician and man, and I'm sorry he didn't make it onto the ballot.
- On the heels of his dropout from the GOP Presidential race, Tom Tancredo has endorsed Mitt Romney.
- No foul play suspected in the death of Dennis Kucinich's brother Perry, an autopsy will be done on Wednesday, Dec. 26th.
- From the Green Party ranks, former Democratic Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney has announced herself as a candidate for the Green Party's presidential nomination. McKinney has been elected, unelected, reelected, and re-unelected from the same Congressional seat (GA-04). Ironically, both times she was knocked out of her Congressional seat, it was in the Democratic primary (shows you her popularity).
McKinney joined the Green Party only two months ago, and is an extremely controversial (if nothing else) person. She has been accused of anti-Semitism, is a 9/11 conspiracy theorist who believes Bush was behind the 9/11 attacks, is an activist for the release of all documents related to the death of 2Pac (she introduced a bill to do this in Congress), attempted to bring about impeachment proceedings against President Bush, holds Fidel Castro and Hugo Chavez in the highest regard, wants Nancy Pelosi replaced with Cindy Sheehan...oh yeah, and she was the one who punched a United States Capitol Police Officer when she attempted to re-enter the Capitol without the proper lapel pin for identification.
Yet, I don't see anything that stands with the Green Party's stances on environmentalism and decentralization...as she hasn't done much of anything on the environment and praises socialist/communist leaders. Hmm...
- John McCain is in a fight with the New York Times over an unpublished-as-of-yet story about a key telecom legislation that is currently before the Senate Commerce Committee. The story would lay out charges that McCain may have been providing special treatment to a lobbyist. The NYT is supposedly investigating the validity of the claims, but are frustrated with McCain's strong efforts to halt any and all publication of this story, as well. The lobbyist in question states that McCain has not shown any special treatment towards her.
McCain has hired high-powered attorney Bob Bennett to "stop the smears".
- Barack Obama stated that he would consider putting Republicans in his cabinet if elected President. Some of the names he mentioned: Sen. Chuck Hagel, Sen. Dick Lugar, and...California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.
- Rudy Giuliani spent the night in a St. Louis hospital after suffering from flu-like symptoms. Feeling better after the overnight stay, Giuliani decided to go home for the holidays before heading back out on the campaign trail.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Lakota Tribe Renounces Treaties With U.S., Declare Independence
The Lakota Sioux, whose tribe is ingrained within American history due to Chiefs Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse, have announced formal independence from the United States and declared themselves a sovereign nation.
Native American rights activist Russell Means made the announcement at a Washington, D.C. church.
"We are no longer citizens of the United States of America and all those who live in the five-state area that encompasses our country are free to join us,"
Those 5 states are Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Wyoming.
A delegation of Lakota leaders have been visiting the embassies of Bolivia, South Africa, Venezuela, and Chile. Who wants to bet $10 that Hugo Chavez recognizes their sovereignty immediately?
Anyway, the Lakota have withdrawn from their various treaties with the United States, some of which are over 150 years old. This is apparently legal, per article six of the Constitution.
Phyllis Young, another long-time Lakota activist, tried to soothe relations by saying "We are not trying to embarrass the United States. We are here to continue the struggle for our children and grandchildren,"
Why am I skeptical of that statement?
Native American rights activist Russell Means made the announcement at a Washington, D.C. church.
"We are no longer citizens of the United States of America and all those who live in the five-state area that encompasses our country are free to join us,"
Those 5 states are Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Wyoming.
A delegation of Lakota leaders have been visiting the embassies of Bolivia, South Africa, Venezuela, and Chile. Who wants to bet $10 that Hugo Chavez recognizes their sovereignty immediately?
Anyway, the Lakota have withdrawn from their various treaties with the United States, some of which are over 150 years old. This is apparently legal, per article six of the Constitution.
Phyllis Young, another long-time Lakota activist, tried to soothe relations by saying "We are not trying to embarrass the United States. We are here to continue the struggle for our children and grandchildren,"
Why am I skeptical of that statement?
Tancredo To Drop Out of Presidential Bid
Not really surprising.
However, I would like to see Tancredo run for Senate in Colorado, and he could put his national campaign funds towards that. The Dems are putting a lot of money into winning the 2008 Senate contest in Colorado (currently held by the retiring Wayne Allard), so a figure with as much national recognition as Tancredo would be a big help for the GOP here.
While I am against illegal immigration, I always felt Tancredo was about two notches too far on the issue in the sense that he wanted to limit legal immigration, which I believe needs to be expanded and streamlined into a more efficient process.
However, I would like to see Tancredo run for Senate in Colorado, and he could put his national campaign funds towards that. The Dems are putting a lot of money into winning the 2008 Senate contest in Colorado (currently held by the retiring Wayne Allard), so a figure with as much national recognition as Tancredo would be a big help for the GOP here.
While I am against illegal immigration, I always felt Tancredo was about two notches too far on the issue in the sense that he wanted to limit legal immigration, which I believe needs to be expanded and streamlined into a more efficient process.
An Upcoming Series, Inspired By Vivian J. Paige
Lately, I've seen that Norfolk blogger Vivian J. Paige has done a series of posts about her personal Legislative Agenda. Vivian has always been a bit of an inspiration to me as how I should go about blogging and presenting myself on my blog, even though she and I pretty much disagree ideologically.
Anyway, I figure that I should put my own positions out there in a clear, concise manner such as this. This feature will be called "Podium Positions".
Now, if a position needs to be updated or changed, I will go back and do so if necessary. Ideas, like people, sometimes change in their approach or way of thinking.
Maybe this way, I can give people a better sense of what I believe in, as it seems like I'm constantly repeating myself all over the blogosphere. Who knows, maybe I'll start up a conversation and someone can change, refine, or support my position.
A big thanks to Vivian for the inspiration.
Anyway, I figure that I should put my own positions out there in a clear, concise manner such as this. This feature will be called "Podium Positions".
Now, if a position needs to be updated or changed, I will go back and do so if necessary. Ideas, like people, sometimes change in their approach or way of thinking.
Maybe this way, I can give people a better sense of what I believe in, as it seems like I'm constantly repeating myself all over the blogosphere. Who knows, maybe I'll start up a conversation and someone can change, refine, or support my position.
A big thanks to Vivian for the inspiration.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
BREAKING: Brother of Dennis Kucinich Found Dead
Perry Kucinich, brother of Ohio Congressman and Democratic Party Presidential Candidate Dennis Kucinich, was found dead in his home today by a third Kucinich brother, Larry.
Kucinich was on the campaign trail, but is now currenty en route to Cleveland to be with his family at this time.
The Podium offers it's condolences to the Kucinich family as they suffer through this ordeal.
More will come as it happens...
Kucinich was on the campaign trail, but is now currenty en route to Cleveland to be with his family at this time.
The Podium offers it's condolences to the Kucinich family as they suffer through this ordeal.
More will come as it happens...
Rudy Giuliani Ads
It's nice to see the lighter side of candidates, as Rudy is doing in these two holiday-themed campaign ads.
"Holiday Wishes"
"Same Gift"
"Holiday Wishes"
"Same Gift"
Fred Thompson on "Hannity and Colmes", Campaigns in Iowa
Talk about renewed confidence...
Alan Colmes: "I want to give you a chance to do a hand show, are you in the mood for that today, or not?"
Fred Thompson: "Alan, I'm not raising my hand until Chief Justice John Roberts swears me in."
That's what I want to hear. Here's some more stuff on Fred...
Fred as quoted in The Des Moines Register: "I'm not sure where some of these other guys are. When I read that Mr. Huckabee believes that if we played nice with other people they'd like us, (that) causes me to consider whether he understands the world that we live in."
From CNN: "His red meat speeches are redder. His arguments for why he should be president are sharper."
As I said, almost makes you think this whole situation with Thompson was planned a long time ago, as to keep Fred from being targeted as the frontrunner the way Giuliani, Romney, and now Huckabee have been bullseyed. If that's the case, that's smart campaign strategy. This quote from a separate Des Moines Register article speaks volumes about the endorsement from Rep. Steve King.
"On Monday, he picked up the surprise endorsement of Congressman Steve King. Of all the endorsements flying around these days, that one could move the most numbers. It sends a powerful signal from one of Iowa's most conservative leaders to others on the right around the state: We've now got a horse we can ride..."
Thompson's emerging surge should change up the Iowa caucus quite a bit.
Alan Colmes: "I want to give you a chance to do a hand show, are you in the mood for that today, or not?"
Fred Thompson: "Alan, I'm not raising my hand until Chief Justice John Roberts swears me in."
That's what I want to hear. Here's some more stuff on Fred...
Fred as quoted in The Des Moines Register: "I'm not sure where some of these other guys are. When I read that Mr. Huckabee believes that if we played nice with other people they'd like us, (that) causes me to consider whether he understands the world that we live in."
From CNN: "His red meat speeches are redder. His arguments for why he should be president are sharper."
As I said, almost makes you think this whole situation with Thompson was planned a long time ago, as to keep Fred from being targeted as the frontrunner the way Giuliani, Romney, and now Huckabee have been bullseyed. If that's the case, that's smart campaign strategy. This quote from a separate Des Moines Register article speaks volumes about the endorsement from Rep. Steve King.
"On Monday, he picked up the surprise endorsement of Congressman Steve King. Of all the endorsements flying around these days, that one could move the most numbers. It sends a powerful signal from one of Iowa's most conservative leaders to others on the right around the state: We've now got a horse we can ride..."
Thompson's emerging surge should change up the Iowa caucus quite a bit.
TIME's "Person Of The Year" is...Vladimir Putin
Actually, I found this to be a bit of a surprise. I expected Putin to be 1st, 2nd, or 3rd Runner-up...but the actual "Person Of The Year", quite a surprise. The Russian President is, however, a very noteworthy individual on the world stage, even though he does butt heads with the American government on several issues.
TIME did explain their reasoning for choosing Putin rather well, especially in these two paragraphs.
When this intense and brooding KGB agent took over as President of Russia in 2000, he found a country on the verge of becoming a failed state. With dauntless persistence, a sharp vision of what Russia should become and a sense that he embodied the spirit of Mother Russia, Putin has put his country back on the map. And he intends to redraw it himself. Though he will step down as Russia's President in March, he will continue to lead his country as its Prime Minister and attempt to transform it into a new kind of nation, beholden to neither East nor West.
TIME's Person of the Year is not and never has been an honor. It is not an endorsement. It is not a popularity contest. At its best, it is a clear-eyed recognition of the world as it is and of the most powerful individuals and forces shaping that world—for better or for worse. It is ultimately about leadership—bold, earth-changing leadership. Putin is not a boy scout. He is not a democrat in any way that the West would define it. He is not a paragon of free speech. He stands, above all, for stability—stability before freedom, stability before choice, stability in a country that has hardly seen it for a hundred years. Whether he becomes more like the man for whom his grandfather prepared blinis—who himself was twice TIME's Person of the Year—or like Peter the Great, the historical figure he most admires; whether he proves to be a reformer or an autocrat who takes Russia back to an era of repression—this we will know only over the next decade. At significant cost to the principles and ideas that free nations prize, he has performed an extraordinary feat of leadership in imposing stability on a nation that has rarely known it and brought Russia back to the table of world power. For that reason, Vladimir Putin is TIME's 2007 Person of the Year.
The runner-ups were interesting, if not slightly predictable.
1st Runner-Up - An Inconvenient Former VP, Al Gore (if anyone saw this as a surprise, they should be smacked for false ignorance, I'm just glad he didn't win).
2nd Runner-Up - Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling, whose fame is pretty much up now that the Potter series is over and done with.
3rd Runner-Up - Chinese President Hu Jintao
4th Runner-Up - General David Petraeus, who should honestly be flipped with Gore, because Petraeus managed to forge success when the new Congressional majority (Democrats) tried to give him every conceivable path to failure.
UPDATE: Henry Ryto brings up an EXCELLENT point in the comments below...where is Nicolas Sarkozy on this list??? That man may single-handedly change European-American relations, and actually has been a catalyst for the rapid improvement of Franco-American relations. Good call, Henry.
TIME did explain their reasoning for choosing Putin rather well, especially in these two paragraphs.
When this intense and brooding KGB agent took over as President of Russia in 2000, he found a country on the verge of becoming a failed state. With dauntless persistence, a sharp vision of what Russia should become and a sense that he embodied the spirit of Mother Russia, Putin has put his country back on the map. And he intends to redraw it himself. Though he will step down as Russia's President in March, he will continue to lead his country as its Prime Minister and attempt to transform it into a new kind of nation, beholden to neither East nor West.
TIME's Person of the Year is not and never has been an honor. It is not an endorsement. It is not a popularity contest. At its best, it is a clear-eyed recognition of the world as it is and of the most powerful individuals and forces shaping that world—for better or for worse. It is ultimately about leadership—bold, earth-changing leadership. Putin is not a boy scout. He is not a democrat in any way that the West would define it. He is not a paragon of free speech. He stands, above all, for stability—stability before freedom, stability before choice, stability in a country that has hardly seen it for a hundred years. Whether he becomes more like the man for whom his grandfather prepared blinis—who himself was twice TIME's Person of the Year—or like Peter the Great, the historical figure he most admires; whether he proves to be a reformer or an autocrat who takes Russia back to an era of repression—this we will know only over the next decade. At significant cost to the principles and ideas that free nations prize, he has performed an extraordinary feat of leadership in imposing stability on a nation that has rarely known it and brought Russia back to the table of world power. For that reason, Vladimir Putin is TIME's 2007 Person of the Year.
The runner-ups were interesting, if not slightly predictable.
1st Runner-Up - An Inconvenient Former VP, Al Gore (if anyone saw this as a surprise, they should be smacked for false ignorance, I'm just glad he didn't win).
2nd Runner-Up - Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling, whose fame is pretty much up now that the Potter series is over and done with.
3rd Runner-Up - Chinese President Hu Jintao
4th Runner-Up - General David Petraeus, who should honestly be flipped with Gore, because Petraeus managed to forge success when the new Congressional majority (Democrats) tried to give him every conceivable path to failure.
UPDATE: Henry Ryto brings up an EXCELLENT point in the comments below...where is Nicolas Sarkozy on this list??? That man may single-handedly change European-American relations, and actually has been a catalyst for the rapid improvement of Franco-American relations. Good call, Henry.
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