Once Again to Afghanistan

Huffington Post: According to the Associated Press, Obama's planning to send 30,000 troops to Afghanistan. This deployment, which is scheduled to take place over the next six months, has the intention of being able to bring some of the troops home quickly. This action sounds completely contradictory, but Obama's hoping to convince Congress of these major actions with the idea of an exit strategy.

Just for Fun

PWire: Google released the most searched U.S. Senators. Political Wire lists the top 10.

Holiday Gift Idea

Acumen Fund Blog: Acumen Fund is a charitable giving organization providing goods such as water and housing to those in need. In light of the holiday season, the Acumen Fund is attempting to promote the gift of giving for holiday gift ideas, showing that the best gift can be to give to the poor and enrich the lives of others.

Talk about Progressive...

Green Environment News: Capstone Turbine recently released the concept for "a prototype hybrid supercar propelled by an electric powertrain...and an ultra-clean and quiet jet engine." Although Capstone doesn't want to manufacture the actual cars, they hope to provoke interest in the sleek design and capabilities to outside parties.

They let who go?

Hullabaloo: David Shuster and Tamron Hall become agitated on their show when Congressman Maurice Hinchey makes allegation that bin Laden was essentially released by the Bush administration to justify the Iraq invasion. This seems extremely bizarre and unrealistic, but Digby suggests looking at the Tora Bora report released last week.

Global Warming Fraud?

Media Matters: Climate scientist Laura Ingraham on Fox News claims the phenomenon of global warming is a lie. In her words, "this is one of the most shocking scientific frauds we've ever seen." I thought we were over this. Anyone have any thoughts?

Bobby Andres: Student and Political Hopeful

In elementary school, Bobby Andres dreamed of being the next Indiana Jones, world traveler and archeologist. After soon realizing that archeology was not Hollywood’s depiction of raiding tombs and searching for the Holy Grail, Andres decided that the field of work did not lie in his career path. The one great thing about archeology, Andres said, is that it inspired his deep love of history.

In high school, Andres’s favorite classes were his history classes, especially his European history class, and his Advanced Placement (AP) Government class. These courses prompted his initial interest in the United States government. Now a fourth-year honors student at the University of Georgia, Andres is majoring in political science, hoping to work in the governmental arena.

“Like any person in politics, my dream job is to be President, but I’ll be satisfied as long as the job is challenging and I’m happy doing it,” said Andres.

In order to pursue his dream career, Andres is attempting to impact the political community in Athens, Ga. through his work as the president of the Young Democrats of the University of Georgia and Athens-Clarke County. This organization strives to promote interest in the government, recruit members of the Democratic Party, and inform voters of the issues of the candidates. Although Andres does work with other organizations, his participation with them predominately stems from his major involvement in the Young Democrats, a position which he considers a full-time job.

The time and effort Andres has spent toward the organization has not been without its rewards. Last year, the Young Democrats of UGA/ACC registered 7,000 new voters, which Andres considers to be his greatest achievement in the organization thus far. Their work helped secure the election of Barack Obama as the next president of the United States. Andres was on the executive board of Young Democrats in 2008 during the election season, so he played a key role registering voters, making phone calls, holding debates and discussions, and making signs for the historic Obama election.

“He closed most of his campaign offices, so we did a lot of volunteer work to contribute to the campaign. It was mostly doing grunt work, but it was work that had to get done,” said Andres.

Despite the fact that the voter registration was his greatest achievement to date, he believes this feat could be transcended by a project for the upcoming spring semester—a state-wide convention for the Young Democrats. The University of Georgia will host this year’s event, which will include a gubernatorial debate moderated by political insider Jim Galloway from the Atlanta Journal Constitution. In addition, the attendees will be members of the Young Democrats organizations throughout Georgia, so there will be an opportunity for democratic students to meet and discuss the Democratic Party in depth. They will also exchange innovative ideas and news about each of the various organizations from across the state of Georgia.

Other than his profound love and dedication for politics, Andres is simply working to make the most of his senior year in college and planning his next move. Andres hopes to attend law school, but he is also debating teaching in the Teach for America program, a program employing college graduates to work in low-income rural and urban public schools throughout America. There is also always the possibility of leaving Georgia to work on a political campaign “depending on how the primaries turn out in the spring.” However, regardless of the next step he takes after graduation, Andres has no doubt he will be doing political work.

“Nothing is quite on the same level as politics,” Andres said. “Once you catch the political bug, it’s hard to get it out of your system.”

World AIDS Day

The Gavel: In honor of World AIDS Day, Nancy Pelosi says its time that we unite together in order to end HIV/AIDS. The theme this year is Universal Access and Human Rights. Pelosi says there is both a moral and a political case that should cause Americans to act on the prevention of AIDS in our society.

Is Truth Disappearing in Government?

Liberal Oasis: In a time where Democrats and Republicans are clashing on most major issues, is the public getting the truth? There are disagreements over the most basic facts of issues such as health care, the war, same-sex marriage, and more.

Oil, Oil, Oil

Even though oil is the primary product in U.S. energy consumption, discoveries of alleged new oil fields causes me great worry. I understand that nations around the world will not easily come off this major energy source, but with the discovery of each new field (Argentina believes it has found several) is a lesser chance of creating new, viable energy sources to ween countries off our dirty habit.

Right now, the concern is for the economy and the hesitation of spending money. This concern is completely justified, but creation of new power sources could actually create jobs for American citizens, and would most likely save finances in the long-run. A greater sacrifice early on could produce greater results in the future.

Not to mention, there are tremendous environmental rewards that will come out of cleaner energy. Our nation has already seen that global warming is a problem, which is evident by the large number of states that will attend the Copenhagen Conference in December. In the case of Argentina, they would have to drill 200 miles out into the Atlantic Ocean and drill more than four miles down. This drilling holds environmental consequences for the wildlife that could potentially be affected by this drilling.

As I previously stated, the use of oil in this nation (and others) is justified, but what do we do in order to change our ways? What will it take for the U.S. to seriously attempt cleaner energy sources and how far off is that time?

Same-Sex Marriage Stopped in Argentina

Huffington Post: Just like the United States, it seems that Argentina is also struggling with the issue of gay marriage. It seemed that the movement was making progress when another court decided to allow the same-sex marriage, but the national judge of Argentina halted the marriage, and said the decision needed to be presented in front of the Supreme Court.

Party Losing Enthusiasm? Why?

Daily Kos: It seems that the democratic party is losing some enthusiasm for participation in major national elections. A tracking poll from Daily Kos shows the unlikeliness of democratic voters when it's time to hit the polls.

Corder's Rights Not Violated

Huffington Post: When Erica Corder gave her commencement speech at graduation three years ago in Colorado, Lewis-Palmer High School was not expecting an endorsement for the Christian faith, but Corder decided to include it in her speech. Following the speech, the principal asked her to write a letter stating the views were Corder's own. Without writing this letter, she was unable to receive her diploma. Corder sued the high school, but the Supreme Court did not hear the case. Why? The school wasn't violating the First Amendment since she was at a school-sponsored event.

PETA Protesters go to the Extreme

HuffingtonPost: Animal activist group PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) protested the killing of animals for their fur. The protest took place in Madrid, Spain, which was a chilly 42 degrees! A worthy cause, but extremely cold conditions for the animal-rights activists who layed on the ground, naked and covered in fake blood.

Reid's Opinion on Actions of Senators

PWire: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says that the actions of U.S. Senators in the next few weeks regarding the health care reform bill will demonstrate whether they are trying to solve or create problems. Is this the case? If senators' actions don't appeal to a certain audience, does that mean they are actually creating problems or is the bill truly a vital solution to the current health care system in America?

Huckabee's Uncertainty

TPM: Mike Huckabee is still debating taking another shot at a presidential run in 2012. Huckabee says his decision will depend on several factors including how the elections turn out next year. Until then, he won't make a decisive choice.

In politics, what should we be thankful for?

Think Progress: Although Thanksgiving has passed, here are 27 reasons to be thankful. Some are a little more "out there" than others, but nonetheless, they all make for an amusing read.

Leftist Party Takes Uruguay

José Mujica was recently announced as the new president of small South American country Uruguay. Mujica secured the election with 80 percent of the people's vote. A member of the Broad Front Coalition, Mujica is expected to carry on the legacy of previous president Tabaré Vázquez.

This election is just one example of democratic policies and procedures filtering through the world's smaller nations. Mujica's running mate, Lacalle, supports processes such as privatizing state firms and removing the income tax from the country. Opposing these policies, Mujica is in favor of the leftist movement and hopes to continue what Vázquez began in his presidency.

Public Option Trigger?

DailyKos: There is still much debate about the particular public option that should be placed in the Senate's health care bill. Igor Volsky believes that a trigger of a strong public option is a better addition than the provisions that are currently in the bill.

Republicans Ideological Purists?

PoliticalWire: According to a recent poll conducted by CNN, Democrats seem to be a party of pragmatism, placing a higher priority on electoral victory whereas republicans are predominately looking for harmony with candidates on all the major issues. True?

Speaking of Climate...

AMERICAblog: Carbon dioxide emissions have risen 29 percent in the last decade, according to scientists. It is predicted that by the end of the century, the temperature will rise an additional 6 degrees celcius.

COP15 Copenhagen

After the Kyoto Conference of 1997, many were disappointed in the results after several of the world's major powers did not participate and agree to the terms and conditions of the Kyoto Protocol, an effort to limit greenhouse gas emissions worldwide.

However, in 19 days countries from all over the world will attend the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark and unlike the Kyoto Conference, there is strong optimism about the future results of this conference. Denmark's Minister for Climate and Energy, Connie Hedegaard, says she is encouraged by the spirit and initiative of the ministers to get the work done. In addition, she says that the conference is still aiming at its complete set of goals for the future of climate change. To Hedegaard, "half an agreement is no agreement," so the COP15 team is working hard to ensure that the ambitions are met.

President Barack Obama has also encouraged the optimistic spirit of the conference after meeting with Chinese President Hu Jintao. The United States and China were two of the major powers needed for ultimate effectiveness of the Kyoto Protocol, so cooperation and collaboration between these two countries is vital for the success of this conference. Obama stated after the meetings with President Jintao that the final agreement needs "immediate operational effect." Minister Hedegaard was enthusiastic about this statement by President Obama.

The question now is will the United States and China be able to compromise on certain issues so that COP15 will have full agreement among all participating countries. However, the positive spirit surrounding the conference in addition to the seemingly strong effort being made by countries such as the U.S. and China is extremely encouraging for the preservation of our environment.

Abortion in the Health Care Bill...is it Really "Neutral?"

According to a recent NPR article, I found that the Obama health care bill has been stirring up criticism due to the abortion language found in the bill. Although Congress has tried to word the bill in such a way that the abortion issue would be addressed in an impartial manner, many still believe that though the federal government doesn't often pay for abortion procedures, several private insurance companies do.

Is "abortion-neutral" language the best alternative for the bill? On one side, the abortion activists wish the procedure would be covered in the heatlh care bill because it's merely a part of women's health service. On the other hand, members of the Catholic Church are opposed to this language because they in no way want to provide funding or health-care for those who kill children. Regardless of which side one falls on, opposition seems to arise.

Despite the alleged neutrality of the bill, abortion is continuing to cause objection from different parties. Due to the nature and sensitivity of issues like that of abortion, I must ask, in a world with such controversial, polarizing issues, does the concept of neutrality still exist in government?

Joe Wilson's Remark

And while on the subject of this ELECTED official, I have no choice but to wonder what our great nation is coming to. There was a time in American history when the President of the United States was seen as a well-respected, deeply deserving and esteemed person regardless of party affiliation. Now, however, it seems that there are Americans that have transcended the lines of decency in the political arena, disregarding appropriateness and courtesy for a man that America voted into office.

Have we come so far and strayed so far from the norms upon which our nation was founded that a public official, a man chosen by his people, would have the audacity to yell "You lie," at the president? Although the incident seems to have lost some heat in recent weeks, I am still confounded that a member of Congress felt so arrogant in his position on a bill that in a televised, national address to the American citizens, he would yell out at the president.

As I said earlier, regardless of party affiliation or a position on a particular issue, there is a time and place for everything. The people of our nation need to realize the values with which we pride ourselves as a nation and to remember that respect is still something to be cherished.

Daily Kos: Joe Wilson is at it again, saying that the Obama administration is responsible for putting American lives at risk by not doing more to alleviate the short supply of the H1N1 vaccine. It is believed that this so-called lack of an alleviation effort could be yet another attack on the Obama administration by Republicans.

HuffingtonPost: Rev. Eric Lee speaks on marriage equality. In order to "reframe" this issue, Lee said we must engage voters at a religious reference point. A "Christian conscience" often gets in the way, Lee said, but this conscience contradicts Christian ideals of anti-discrimination, pesecution, etc.

Ben Smith: Creigh Deeds, running for Governor of Virginia, has put out a defensive ad toward the "cap and trade" climate bill which has resulted in negative feedback from LCV. LCV believes that Deeds handled the issue in the wrong manner, though he could have promoted energy's positive benefits.

Correlation Between Letterman and Class Discussion

How does one find a correlation between a class discussion and the David Letterman show?
Watch the David Letterman show when the night's special guest is the President of the United States.

Tonight, as I was watching President Barack Obama on late-night TV with David Letterman, I became reminiscent of a certain hearing I attended in Washington, D.C. this summer. Although this hearing focused on the United States and its current foreign policy strategies and objectives in regard to the Afghanistan war, I didn't expect to hear about the new strategy other than on the news. I certainly didn't imagine that the issue would present itself again to me in such full force: twice on the same day and, not to mention, in drastically different situations.

As an international relations major, I should have assumed that this issue of the war in Afghanistan would arise in at least one of my classes. However, in my International Decision Making class, I was taken by surprise when the U.S. strategy in Afghanistan was our primary study area of the day. Granted, we approached this topic from a variety of different angles, but nonetheless, the information was highly beneficial when using it to expound on points made by Obama in his conversation with Letterman.

Through our class assesment of government data and reports on the war in Afghanistan, we found that the goal of the Bush administration in regard to the war was simply to win and, in doing so, killing as many members of the opposition as possible. However, with an unconventional war, should conventional war methodology necessarily be used? Is killing off the enemy the most rational objective in this particular scenario? The vision of the United States' presence in Afghanistan put forward by the new administration is to protect the Afghan citizens and civilians. Although, I must wonder that through stating that the objective is the ultimate protection of Afghan citizens, can it instead be implied that the United States is looking to gain stability and legitimacy in the region? Achieving stability through the act of civilian protection is a noble ambition, but I cannot help but make such an observation when the government has been so adamantly striving to rid the region of radical extremists. We see ourselves as a having a "moral obligation" (Bush) to spread democratic values to other nations, so is U.S. protection of the citizens of Afghanistan following this moral doctrine or subtly fulfilling our own agenda?

Tonight, though Letterman spoke with the President on a vast range of issues, he ultimately landed on the subject of the war in Afghanistan. Obama made it clear that after eight years of fighting this war, the people of this country still do not have an accurate view of what the U.S. is trying to accomplish. It is, therefore, the goal of the new administration to revamp and shift our foreign policy objectives in regard to Afghanistan. Obama made it clear that until we can determine our goal and the strategies needed to achieve it, and, furthermore, accurately justify these steps, the government will refuse to employ more troops abroad. However, if this shift does take place, the president says, we will have the ultimate reward of knowing that what our troops are fighting for is actually worthy of their sacrifice.

I know that there are several frustrated American citizens that struggle with the matters of our past that were addressed again by President Obama tonight on the Letterman show. We all know Obama believes that we transfered our focus from the fight in Afghanistan much too quickly. In other words, we "took our eye off the ball" in the past, and now that ball could be coming at us faster than we realize. Fortunately, in democratic societies, we have the opportunity to change our country's political direction through new leadership, which was another point made in class today. But since one administration "took their eye off the ball," so to speak, will the victory of its successor be dependent on placing more troops back onto the Afghanistan scene? And is our leadership more effective now that the decision-makers aren't working in the immediate wake of the 9/11 attacks?