Will Obama Budge on Taxes?

With the Bush tax "cuts" only about a month away for expiring, Congress and the President must act swiftly to preserve current tax rates. Congressional Republicans are advocating that all three current federal tax brackets see a continuation of their current rates. Democrats on the other hand are somewhat willing to maintain the rates of the lower two federal tax brackets, and let the decreased rates on the upper tax bracket expire.

Republicans and Democrats have been butting heads over the issue of the Bush tax cuts. As of today, there is still no word on any sort of a compromise. Republicans and Democrats are holding firm on their positions. With each side holding strong it looks like the tax rates will expire and all Americans paying a federal income tax will see an increase rates.

This is a situation that we cannot allow to happen. With one of the worst economic recessions in U.S. history, and a crippling federal debt, we simply cannot afford to raise taxes on the people who will be creating many much needed jobs. With an underemployment rate hinging towards twenty percent, not compromising is not an option Mr. President.

Senate Rejects Earmark Ban

This morning the democratically-controlled Senate took another step in the wrong direction by refusing to ban earmarks. In a 39-56 vote, the US Senate rejected a proposal by Senator Tom Coburn[R-OK] to put a temporary moratorium on earmarks.

How could Congress be so stupid? Are they trying to bankrupt our country? Putting a moratorium on earmarks in a critical first step to bring back fiscal responsibility. Each year thousands upon thousands of earmarks are passed that spend millions of dollars on pork and pet projects. If Congress is serious about controlling federal spending, then they will have to get serious about earmarks.

Obama Calls for Federal Pay Freeze

The Obama administration has set fourth on a campaign to expand the size and scope of government like never before. Obama has spearheaded a government takeover of almost every part of the private-sector economy one can think of. This is why this the announcement has come as such a shock to many Americans. Why is Obama all of a sudden trying to practice fiscal restraint after proposing the largest budget of all time and adding more debt to our debt than all presidents from Washington to Reagan combined?

Could this be an effect of the recent midterm election? Is Obama going to take the route followed by Clinton or is he going to be a rubber stamp for the agenda of the Lame-Duck Congress? Will he come towards the center or remain on the left, pushing legislation down our throats that we outwardly reject?

This proposal to cap the pay of approximately two million federal workers is a step in the right direction, but I would still not qualify this action as a good one. The federal work force is massive and being funded by money we don't have. One of the first things we must do to get our fiscal house in order is to balance the budget, and to do this civil servants must take part of the hit.

New Wikileaks Documents Dump Sparks Outrage

Over the past day or two, over 250,000 classified or secret official U.S. documents have been illegally released by Wikileaks and its founder Julian Assange. This extremely large amount of documents has proven to contain millions of state secrets and could possibly be devastating to the United States and our relationship with other nations across the globe.

There have been many specific instances where countries like North Korea, Iran, China, and Russia come into play when dealing with nuclear weapons and relations in general. One of the most shocking revelations that has come into the light is Saudi Arabia's backing of a plot to take out the leadership of Iran.

Without question, Iran is one of the most, if not the most imminent and violent threat to freedom and democracy around the world. Iran, led by its Dictator Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, seeks to conquer the planet earth and unite it under Sharia law. This Hitler of our time, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has referred to the United States as the "Great Satan" and champions the ideology that the United States should be wiped of the map. Iran is a constant threat to nations like the United States as well closer nations such as Israel and Great Britain.

The fact that a nation such as Saudi Arabia, being a solid Islamic state, wants to take down Ahmadinejad sends a strong and clear message. This man is not only bad for non-Muslims and peace-loving people across the globe, the fact is that he is bad for everyone. This comes an an utter shock to most Americans as the Obama administration has taken a less than hostile position on Iran.

For a nation such as Iran, with bold aspirations on acquiring nuclear weapons, we're surely not doing as much as we should thanks to the Appeaser-in-Chief. Are we going to wait until a bomb goes off on American soil or are we going to stand up on our feet and show the world that the United States is not a nation of cowards willing to be conquered? Hopefully our leaders represent our interests rather than those willing to kill us.

War on the Korean Peninsula

For decades, North and South Korea have been in a so called "armistice." While they have been relatively peaceful towards each other, fear and tension is still a daily problem between the two Korea's.

The dictator of North Korea, Kim Jong Il, has been on a rampage to obtain status as a nuclear superpower. He runs his country like Hitler ran Nazi Germany. There are forced labor camps, government propaganda news networks, mass media censorship, and they don't even have enough economic resources to leave the electricity on a night.

North Korea is clearly not a stable country. Only a few months ago did a North Korea submarine sink a South Korean warship that killed dozens of South Korean sailors. Today, North Korea engaged South Korea by firing multiple shells at a South Korean island. The attacks killed two members of the South Korean Army and dealt damage to nearby infrastructure.

When is North Korea going to learn? This genocidal regime is a threat to every peace-loving nation around the world. The coalition of free nations around the world must assemble and make this regime fall no matter what the cost. The U.S. must spearhead efforts to remove from power dictators like Kim Jong Il and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. When rogue nations threaten the peaceful way of life, they must be dealt with and noted as sad, bizarre chapters in human history as Reagan would have put it.

The U.S. must take a stand just as it did with Soviet Union and just as it did with Adolf Hitler. North Korea is a threat to every sovereign citizen of the world and it's brutal rejection of the natural rights of man cannot be tolerated. South Korea should take an assertive role and strike back at North Korea, and the rest of the world must convince China that they are supporting an unpopular, despotic, and totalitarian regime and that it cannot be allowed. This situation should not be allowed to escalate to the tipping point where North Korea really is a substantial nuclear threat.

Will South Korea follow the route of Ronald Reagan or will they follow the route of Neville Chamberlain? They are faced with an imminent and decisive choice. If South Korea decides to respond, then they must commit to another war. Is this war worth it? This is the million dollar question. If they do take up arms against North Korea, then all hell will break lose. However, if they don't, then they will only provoke the ego of North Korea. This will be the second recent attack in which they have remained quiet. Where is the breaking point for South Korea?

It is time for South Korea to take a stand and stop living in fear. With the aid of the United States, Russia, and NATO, I don't believe they will have a fighting chance. Nonetheless, if China get's involved it's a whole new story. Will China side with the rogue regime or will they stand for the values of every free nation on this planet?

Virgina Proposes "Don't Tread On Me" License Plate

See the full article here.

Ground Zero Mosque Builders Seek Grant From 9/11 Relief Fund

After most of the people following the issue of the mosque at Ground Zero thought the tension had subsided, they're in for a new treat. The builders of the mosque earlier this month applied for a $5 million dollar grant from a fund designated to help rebuild NYC after the attacks. Anyone familiar with the forces behind the mosque as well as it's potential Imam, Feisal Abdul Rauf, would view this as a complete disgrace.

This request is extremely surprising considering the tension surrounding the situation. Seventy percent of Americans are against the mosque at Ground Zero, and it is my assumption that even more would be against the use of public funds to build it. This is like the Japanese asking the United States for a grant to build an airport after they just bombed Pearl Harbor. For the sake of justice, this grant should never be granted.

College Republicans Fete Robitaille, Ottiano

See this article in the Portsmouth Patch.

House Democrats Refuse to Defund NPR

As many of you may have seen, the firing of Juan Williams from NPR was a media firestorm. Both liberals and conservatives were upset by the actions of NPR. The firing of Williams led to a battle on a whole new level. Only a day after he was fired, there were thousands of people crying out about the country to defund NPR.

National Public Radio, or NPR for short, is radio bought and paid for by the government. The main source of funding comes from you and me, the taxpayers. I should also note that the radio network takes private donations, of which much comes from leftist, Anti-American multi-billionaire George Soros. Soros contributed $1.8 million dollars to NPR recently, which makes everyone have a right to ponder the whole situation. NPR is a government-based media outlet, and its intention should be to remain politically neutral. However, this is clearly not the case. NPR by any review would be described having at the least a “slant to the left.”

Considering that bias from this media outlet, Republicans and conservatives have been calling out to defend NPR if taxpayer money is being used for a biased form of media. House Republicans recently introduced measures to defend NPR, and you can guess how that turned out. Still holding a majority in the House, Democrats found it was a wise idea to keep the gravy train rolling to NPR and reject any Republican measures to defund it.

I can see nothing here but utter hypocrisy. If NPR had even the slightest conservative tilt, the Democrats would be up in arms and out in the streets. It is a disgrace that our elected officials are playing politics rather than assuring that out money is not being spent on biased sources.

College Republicans Host 4th Annual Club Fundraiser

For the past three years, the College Republicans at Roger Williams University have held an annual fundraiser to help fund the club's events. This year, the fundraiser turned out the be the most successful fundraiser planned thus far, held at the local Elks in Bristol.

Alongside several of the CR members, members of the general public as well as a few famous faces showed up. Republican gubernatorial candidate John Robitaille as well as State Senator-Elect Chris Ottiano, State Representative-Elect Dan Gordon, and State Representative-Elect Dan Reilly all showed up during the course of the evening.

The fundraiser was successful to say the least and we thank all of our guests for attending as well as making donations to our club so we can continue to spread conservatism and take back a state in much need of fiscal restraint!

The Psycho in the Senate

After reading the title of the post, you're probably asking yourself "which psycho in the Senate?" Well, any politically-active person could named a few U.S. Senators who they feel have absurd views. However, in this specific case I am referring to Senator Jay Rockefeller[D-WV]. Rockefeller stated that he thought it would be a good idea for the government to just switch off FOXNEWS and MSNBC. What ever happened to freedom of speech and freedom of the press? Apparently, like many Democrats, has absolutely no respect for the United States Constitution.

"There's a little bug inside of me which wants to get the FCC to say to FOX and to MSNBC: 'Out. Off. End. Goodbye.' It would be a big favor to political discourse; our ability to do our work here in Congress, and to the American people, to be able to talk with each other and have some faith in their government and more importantly, in their future." - Sen. Jay Rockefeller [D-WV]

RealClearPolitics - Video - Sen. Rockefeller: FCC Should Take FOX News, MSNBC Off Airwaves

"I Could Beat Him"

For those who don't know, Sarah Palin recently sat down with Barbara Walters to shoot an interview with ABC News to be air in early December. Palin stated that she was seriously considering making a run for the White House, and felt confident that she could beat Obama in 2012.

In my opinion, this is a big mistake. While Palin could quite possibly have a good chance at beating Obama, it's not worth the risk. Palin is a newcomer to national politics and has a less than positive image already associated with her by a large majority of Americans. She has been portrayed as inexperienced, incompetent, unintelligent, and unfit to be the Commander-in-Chief. I don't necessarily agree with these portrayals of here in their entirety, but I do feel she is not the topic choice for the Republican Party in 2012.

We hear wide array names being floated around for potential Republican nominees for the 2012 Presidential election, but who should we back? Only time will tell. People from Mitt Romney, to Mike Pence, to Jim DeMint all have been mentioned as potential presidential candidates, and I believe people like this would make a far better opponent to the President in 2012 than Sarah Palin.

She's Back!

To the great surprise of many, Nancy Pelosi was elected by the House Democratic Caucus to be House Minority Leader. Looking at this issue objectively, the Democratic House caucus made a big mistake. They put back into the power the woman who was a major factor in the Republican upset in the 2010 midterm elections. The Democratic strategists were surely asleep at the wheel when the decisions were made.

Nancy Pelosi is one of the most disliked politicians today, with approval ratings from Independents and Republicans in the single digits. Large amounts of Democrats even wanted her gone, and even a few challengers arose to try and remove her from the tip of power in the House Democratic Caucus. All attempts to push Pelosi aside were unsuccessful, and she will remain as the top Democrat in the House.

The real effect of this is going to play out in 2012. I believe Nancy Pelosi will be one of the major death knells of the Democratic Party. She leads what is portrayed to be a center-left party as a U.S. Representative from San Francisco, one of the most liberal Congressional districts in the nation. She has lead the party from being center-left party to a rubber stamp party for Obama's radical leftist agenda. She has lead the assault on the middle class, preserving high unemployment rates and dumping trillions of dollars of debt upon the backs of the American citizen.

Nonetheless, she's the winner! Comments such as "The reality is that she is politically toxic" by Rep. Mike Quigley seemed to have no effect in today's vote. This can only be a good sign for Republican prospects in 2012.

Civil War Brewing Over Airport Security

If you've been to the airport recently, you'll have noticed many new changes to the system of security. The Transportation Security Administration along with the Department of Homeland Security has really "stepped up" their efforts to search passengers.

The use of intensive "pat downs" and naked body-scanners is become the norm in the realm of airport security. Many Americans, myself being one of them, feel that this type of excessive force used to search passengers is unreasonable and violates our right to privacy. Is it really a necessary step for the government to use expensive radiation-based machinery and grotesque pat downs of children by adults to add to our levels of security? Many lawmakers and media pundits are voicing their opinion loud and clear. What do you think?

"They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety." -Ben Franklin

Lame-Duck Congress Poised to Introduce DREAM Act

A little over two weeks after the November 2nd midterm elections, Congress is now coming back into session. With Democratic majorities in the House, Senate, and a clear liberal ally in the White House, almost anything is possible. One of the first actions of the lame-duck Congress being tossed around is the introduction of the DREAM Act. The DREAM Act is essentially a pass for the illegal immigrants that have been felons since their feet touched our soil.

Moreover, the DREAM Act does not just give aliens citizenship, but makes them meet a certain level of requirements to obtain it. While any intelligent person can see that this is clearly better than just handing out citizenship, it is intrinsically wrong in its nature. After millions of illegal aliens illegally crossed our borders, held illegal jobs, and have avoided taxes, are we really planning on giving them a pass? These are same people who are taking work from Americans who are picking cans out of the trash right now just to get by. With an unemployment rate hitting the double digits, this is not what America needs.

America being a Constitutional Republic, we run on a system of laws. We can't be advocate that certain people get a pass for breaking certain laws and lock people up for years for breaking other laws. Also, a nation is defined by its borders and when dismantle our system of borders, then are we still a country? Anyone can walk in, and this is happening right now. Thousands of drug smugglers, human traffickers, criminals, and terrorists are crossing our southern border on a daily or weekly basis. Instead of securing our border, we're trying to legalize the criminals that are already here. We have come to a sad point in American history.

To me, this only shows the complete arrogance of the liberal. Only a little more than two weeks ago did Republicans take control of over sixty previously controlled democratic seats in the United States House of Representatives. After the American people have clearly spoken, what do the Democrats go and do? They introduce left-wing legislation that the American people clearly do not want and have rejected at the polls.

Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, and Barack Obama think it's a good idea to give these aliens citizenship. Are they crazy? Illegal immigrants contribute to the imminent degradation of society. Just their presence in this country makes them criminals, let alone the acts the commit while here. Twenty-nine percent of our current prisoners in our federal prison system are illegal aliens. Why are we paying for these people, why are we letting them take our jobs? Not only is the DREAM Act stupid, it's insane.

See more here.

Regulate This!

How many times can college students obtain alcohol poisoning before their beverage of choice is banned? So what if that drink of choice comes in a wide variety of flavors that packs a caffeine punch that rivals a vente Starbucks coffee, and did I mention that is has 12% abv! Seriously folks, what does not sound fun about this beverage? Campuses across the United States have come to love 4 Loko, but legislators are rallying against this fine beverage in order to get it banned. Why must the government always interfere with our fun?

Government, especially big and intrusive governments, love to tell people what is bad for them as opposed to allowing a citizen to reach a rational conclusion about their own well being. State legislators are pointing to a large quantity of college parties that in recent weeks have yielded an increasing number of college students riding in an ambulance because of 4 Loko. The argument is that the energy the beverage provides consumers, along with the high alcohol content, create a perfect storm that often leads to binge drinking and ultimately alcohol poisoning. So the government has witnessed our expressed desire to get annihilated on weekends (or weekdays if you are into that sort thing) and claim that we don’t know well enough to drink 4 Loko.

Ladies and gentleman, the intoxicated masses, 4 Loko is not evil! 4 Loko is not out on some evil scheme to destroy our livers and cause our nights of debauchery to end in the ER. We are! Consumers are rational beings who are able to make intelligent decisions based on their wants and needs. Any intelligent human being who purchases 4 Loko realizes what they are getting themselves into, and as such should approach this amazing beverage with a bit of caution. Just because you have a few 4 Loko because that Econometrics test was ridiculously hard doesn’t mean you should continue drinking after you are already drunk. People drink for a wide variety of reasons, people get blackout and violent drunk because of some slightly more specific reasons. Consumers are the ones at the helm of their evenings, we make decisions (some of them dumb) because we want to and somehow in our reasoning we occasionally decide that cracking out the Jose Cuervo after a few 4 Loko is a good idea. 4 Loko can, in fact, be consumed responsibly and still lead to an amazing night of partying.

Who is the government to tell us what we can or cannot drink? We know smoking cigarettes and cigars can lead to lung cancer, yet we may choose to smoke still. We know that eating rare meat may increase chances of obtaining colon cancer, yet we still eat medium rare burgers. We know that 4 Loko is a potent alcoholic beverage that might lead to a less than fun trip to the ER, but we drink it anyway! The point is that we are rational beings and are capable of reaching our own conclusions, we do not need the government telling us what drinks are appropriate for consumption or not. 4 Loko is a revolutionary product, it contains positive and negatives for consumers, and as long as we, as intelligent members of society, are aware of these factors I see no reason to ban it.

Andrew Plocica

Tension Builds in the Terminals

Pelosi Out, Boehner In

Ding dong! The witch is no longer House Majority Leader. Which old witch? Nancy Pelosi! The conclusion of the 2010 mid-term election has brought with it much debate about the relevance and origins of this amazing Republican victory. Winning 239 seats in the House of Representatives and 46 within the Senate is a very good turn around for the Republican party, but what does this mean? What can we, as studious and driven college kid, expect over the course of the next two years? Also, how did our generation vote and in what sort of force?

The overwhelming victories that the Republicans achieved speak volumes as to the national frustration with “hope” and “change”. Nationwide, the number of voters under the age of 30 decreased from nearly a quarter to just 20.4%, which is a substantial drop. In 2008, the under 30 demographic supported Democrats by nearly thirty points which is down to only twenty points in 2010. So what does this mean about us? We are a woefully apathetic generation, for the group with the most to lose to be so uninvolved is rather perplexing. These statistics also indicate that a larger portion of the under 30 voters supported Republican candidates, or perhaps it just means that more of the Republicans who are under 30 got out and voted. Now that the government is more evenly distributed between the Democrats and the Republicans, what will the next two years be like?

House Majority Leader is arguably one of the most powerful positions within the U.S. government, and under the Obama-Pelosi government we as a nation bore witness to a relatively single-party dominant system. The Democrats had no problem taking the seven billion dollar deficit that was created under President Bush and making it nearly two billion all in the name of saving our economy. The health care bill, contrary to the belief that the Republicans stood in its way, took longer than expected to pass because the Democrats themselves were having an inner-party war over the bills contents. Now, after two years of the Obama-nation we have a thirteen trillion dollar debt and yet the economy and the health insurance industry are none the better.

The new House Majority Leader will be John Boehner (R-OH), and the Obama-Boehner government will be a much slower moving government then we have witnessed over the course of the last two years. With a majority in the House of Representatives, and enough seats in the Senate to filibuster, the Republican party will be able to prevent the egregious spending that the Democrats have become so fond of. Expect much more debate out of government that will no longer be dominated by a single political party, and expect some bipartisanship as well. The Republicans have an amazing opportunity right now, and will hopefully make the most of it. The stage has been set for the election of 2012, will the Stimulus bills and the Health care bill have as big of a positive impact as the Democrats hoped? Might the Obama administration and Congressional Democrats be undone by the failure of their policies? Only time will tell.

-Andrew Plocica