The stimulus bill

Unemployment rates are at 7.9% or around there. The stock market is quickly circling the drain. People continue to lose their homes at incredible rates. Banks are failing. And yet, all the Senate and House republicans can talk about is how the new stimulus bill will fail and put America further under. No talks of what needs to be changed within the bill, no alternative plans or courses of actions. Just negativity, negativity, negativity on top of tax cuts. This shit was supposed to be finished, the age of power plays and trying to muscle your party back to the top. Of course no one likes the prospect of spending nearly a trillion dollars, BUT YOUR PARTY LEFT US IN THIS SITUATION!!! More specifically, Bush's administration left us here. And for all those republicans who sat on their asses the last eight years, what leg do you have to possibly stand on? You let Bush and the good ole' boy system run roughshod over regulations, let them exercise powers that clearly were unconstitutional (only CONGRESS can declare war, REMEMBER?), and did let bush spend BILLIONS UPON BILLIONS in Iraq, when we should have been in Afghanistan. I mean, come on! Any other year, fine, be the petty babies that you are and pout and stomp your feet at Dems spending and creating "Big Government". But this isn't any old year, this is the worse economic downturn since the GREAT DEPRESSION. It was called the Great Depression for a reason, people had NOTHING. People committed suicide because they lost everything. Families where torn apart, people lost their dignity as Americans. It's so hard to think that the people who touted themselves as America's party, the Party of the People, would drag their asses and not offer any help to the American People. The only thing I've heard is, "Oh it's wasteful spending" or "Government shouldn't intervene in these matters". If government shouldn't intervene when things are this bad, when should they? I mean come on, 7.9% of Americans don't have a job. And that number is going to grow, it's only February.

Both republicans and democrats are playing politics again. But the difference this time around is we have a President who won't stand for it. He tried to reach out to House and Senate GOP members, but they slapped his hand away. So I'm all for President Obama moving forward to get this done. You can't sit on your hands and do nothing. OUR BANKS ARE FAILING!!! Do the republicans understand this???? When a bank, the symbol of the American economy besides the actual American consumer, fails it should make everyone jump out of their freaking skin. We invest in banks, put our life savings there, we mortgage from them for our homes and cars. We get loans from them for our kids to go to college. Once they fail completely, what then? We're screwed.

The funny thing is, people said the same thing about FDR. The New Deal was going to be the end of America. All it did was pull America out of the worst economic depression in American history. I'm not going to say that this plan is the New New Deal. But it's the best we've got, and until republicans can come up with a new plan, which they can't, they need to shut it and help where they can. It's not about being right or wrong anymore. It's about AMERICA. America first, right GOP?? You guys complain that there are too many projects for infrastructure repair in the bill, well what happens when you skim on dams, bridges and roads??? You get Hurricane Katrina, you get that bridge that collapsed in Minnesota, you get people worried that the levees that can only sustain a level 2 Hurricane will break and wash away their homes and lives. LEVEL 2, ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!?! Hurricanes have 5 levels, why the hell would you build something that couldn't even take half that in an area where f*cking hurricanes happen every single year. Our bridges are old as hell, and the amount of havoc and destruction that would result if they began to fall is too terrifying to even think about.

On a brighter note, if the republicans don't want to cooperate, the dems and President Obama can move forward. They may try and charge Obama with backing of of his bipartisanship ideals, but you can't work with someone who is not willing to work with you. When they were the majority, the Republicans still pulled shit like this, they just had the muscle, and the president to follow through. Now that they are the minority, they still want everything their way. I heard on CNN that some republicans were angry that we were spending money on revamping our education system. That is the most idiotic statement ever made, and it shows exactly why we need to revamp. President Obama, I have your back because I know you care about America, not just how you look to your party.

Taking a step back to look towards the future...

First things first... Congratulations PRESIDENT OBAMA!!! Being a African-American, this is truly a momentous event. All I can say is... wow, I love being present for history being made. And this is some much more than watching Jordan hit that shot to win his sixth ring, with the flu, in game 6 of the finals, in Utah. This is more than watching the Colts beat the bears in the Superbowl in the rain. It's more than watching the ARIZONA CARDINALS get the freaking Superbowl! It might be slightly more important than the Cubs reaching and winning the world series. It was true history. This was Lincoln writing up the Emancipation Proclamation, The fore fathers meeting in a local tavern to talk of revolution, FDR claiming that we had nothing to fear but fear itself. It's AMERICAN history, not just white, not just black, asian, native american, etc. It's AMERICAN. And maybe we are finally starting to see that race shouldn't matter in the public sphere, because at the end of the day we are all AMERICANS and even more important we're all humans!!



In other news, I've had this weird sensation for while about my future. I know my last blog had a lot of this in there, but I feel like it's a little deeper than even I thought it was. I feel at times that my future is right in front of me, but I'm either scared that I can't possibly do that, or if it's even what I really want. That future is one in the dreaded arena of politics. (Que the creepy dramatic music!!) I like politics, a lot. I talk a lot about them, so much so that sometimes I bore people and even myself. But I just can't help it. I talk politics with friends, strangers, and even people i kinda don't like. I do it drunk more often than I realized and its even starting to creep into my dreams. There's something about being in the position to enact justice for all and depriving no man, woman, or child of his or her right to live the American dream, that makes me want to join the already crowded waiting room to a political career.

I'm wired for politics. I never tire of it, and no matter how mad I get I always want to hear more. But here's the problem with it all. I'm going to law school so that I can hopefully land a high end six figure job that can't be downsized or outsourced, like being part of a legal advisory board or committee for a fortune 500 company. Or acting as a liaison in the between U.S. based and international companies. Or working as legal counsel for a for an up and coming sports marketing firm. I always wonder if I'm going to have the energy to put up with petty politicians, slimy lobbyist, and constantly pissed off constituents. I have a plan to retire and teach at a local law school also, so I'm thinking that I might need another outlet for my political addiction because it's not going away anytime soon.

History in the making...

First thing is first, I'm almost sure that I didn't fail any of my finals, which is actually a huge accomplishment considering those two weeks where the most agonizing of my life. I've decided that even if I did fail a class, I still have 2/3rds of my G.P.A left to be determined this semester, so as long as I bust my ass I should be ok in terms of transferring and landing a sweet internship this summer. I'm doing ok for the most part. I realize now more so than ever, that this is what I wanted. I didn't to so hot on my Torts final, and for about 5 hours after I got my score, I was bummed. I felt like I wanted to leave, because I wasn't smart enough to do this. But then I realized that everyone has trouble, and the only way to combat hard times are to meet them head on and try harder. And I'm starting to understand that I really am a slow starter, it took me a while to get used to undergrad, and in reality that's what happened last semester. I can't afford to continue my slow start, but the rest of my grades have been encouraging so I think I'm where I need to be. I'm not very happy at this particular law school; it's way to conservative and the joke "Oh, something good happened today, I wonder if Obama did it!" is getting super old. However, I do like being in law school. I love it actually. It may suck to wake up at 6am to catch the bus for the 8am class, but it's worth it.



In other news, I'm exstatic about the inauguration! President Obama finally takes the office, and hopefully hits the ground sprinting. I encouraged that even though the situation is a lot worst then when he decided to run for office, he has kept his head and still makes sound well calculated decision. I mean, think about what has cropped up ever since he won the presidency: the housing market burned to the ground, the economy continued it's free fall, the Gaza Strip conflict has blown out into a full scale assualt, and jobs are being lost at a horrifying rate. He has a lot on his plate, but I think the cabinet he has in place and the team he has surrounding him (yes, even you Hillary!) will make his administration productive from day one. I was a bit worried that with all those strong personalities, egos would get in the way, but I don't think so anymore. It's going to be a challenge, but I think it's an opportunity for Obama to flex a little leadership muscle and get his guys (and gals) in line. And the best part is they come from all walks of life, from the republican party and the democrats, from white to black and everything in between. It's a microcosm of what our country has become, a collection of differing minds from differing backgrounds all working towards the same goal: improving on the promise that America has held since it was created all those years ago.

I understand that Obama doesn't hold all the answers, and people who believe that are a but delusional, he is only human after all. He doesn't need all the answers, he needs to be able to listen, something that the last administration sorely lacked. Listening to what other people think helps in everyday life, why should it stop being important in the highest position in America? I understand that he will really need to listen to himself more often than not, but when the time comes to listen up and learn something new, he needs to retain his ability to do so.

So, in all I'm going to wake up every morning (God willing) knowing that President Obama is not perfect, but being ok with that. 'Not perfect' doesn't mean idiot, and in that regard this administration is going to be a trillion times more efficient then the one that's on the way out the door.

God speed Mr. President and Mr. President Elect.

Hoosier Hysteria

I just want to say that I got goosebumps watching former IU legends and the current 2008-09 teams stand at mind court and chant "Hoosiers, Hoosiers!!". IU basketball may be a while from being back to competitive on the court, but the feeling of tradition is already back. Not matter the record, I cannot wait for this season to begin. HOO-HOO-HOO HOOSIERS!!!!

Just a quick note

I just want to write about how much I love the Dave Matthews Band, especially their song "Crush". It's just so.... cool. And smooth. Everytime I hear it, it makes me feel better about everything. I feel like a cooler person just for listening to it. Corny yes, but very very true.

What I like the most about DMB is that, how can you not like them. They sing about everything, and I swear Dave could make a good song just by watching people in a park or something. Also, it's a band that most of my friends love also. I know Ej's favorite song is 41, Lauren's I think is "Grey Street"... Actually those are the only ones that I know. Lauren, Sara and Lindsay are the ones that got me hooked, so I feel that I should know them by heart, and I feel like I used to know Liz and Stepehns favorite DMB song. That's my next mission, to find and compile and playlist of all of my friends favorite DMB songs. And why stop there, I think I just got an idea for an awsome christmas presen!!!!

Tuesday nights debate

So, last night as I watched the portion of the debate I could stay awake for, I noticed that McCain loosened up a bite. I mean, it still looked like there was a McCain perceived invisible wall between himself and Obama, but for the most part the town hall format had a chance to really play to his strength of talking to "ordinary everyday folks". But something happened during the debate, because when I woke up this morning and checked CNN.com, I saw a huge link that read "McCain refers to Obama as 'That one'." The first thing that ran through my mind was, wow, how completely and utterly disrespectful. This comes after Gov. Palin tried to call Obama a terrorist (William Ayers and Sen. Obama worked on an a university board together seeking a multimillion educational grant), called him un-American and non-patriotic. To have the nerve to treat another person like this, especially considering how unwarranted this all is, is just flat out stupid. Either McCain thought "Oh man, this joke is going to kill" or he really is that mean and surly and disrespectful. I think what happened was, McCain understands that he greatly underestimated Obama. And not just politically, but as a person. I feel that some of the attacks, even those made by Hillary during the primaries, where aimed at making him look like a weak, naive person, not an unsuitable leader. Maybe McCain is finding out what Hillary found out, never underestimate your opponent. You see it so many times all over the world; the kid who comes from a poor background goes onto Harvard and upends the social elite with hard work and dedication, the war veteran who lost his legs serving this country is able to regain his dignity through grit, pain and never giving in, the single mother working 2 jobs to make ends meet finally getting her chance in the business world and succeeds with flying colors. And my favorite, the team no one believed in, the team that barely makes the playoff, goes into the championship game and rips the overwhelming favorite's heart right out of its chest. The Giants in last year superbowl, NC State over Phi Slama Jama, the Red Sox coming break from a 0-3 deficit to beat the Yankees, Indiana University stopping Duke in the sweet 16.

And in a way, that's happening here. Obama can into as the unknown, relatively green senator from a big state, but with little "Washington" leadership and experience. The GOP should have known what it was dealing with when the more "seasoned" democrat nominees started to fall by the way side. Edwards, Biden, Richardson, and last but not any less surprising, Hillary. He battled and beat all of these veterans even though he was new to the party. Truthfully speaking, I had him locked as my candidate of choice (only slightly ahead of Edwards and Hillary), but I thought this wasn't his year. He is politically young, the tone of the country had been so negative that I thought people would take his platform of hope and change cynically and dismiss him as an unrealistic optimist. But again, don't underestimate your opponent. After the battle with Hillary, the GOP thought "oh great, we'll rip him to shreds like we did with Kerry". They failed to make their attacks specific; he's weak (Kerry), he wants to raise taxes and destroy the economy (just name a democratic nominee), he's unpatriotic (Kerry, and everyone that has ever challenged the Bush doctrine). Once these didn't work they tried to attack his personal life; his wife's a radical, he's to liberal, he hangs out with terrorist, he can't be trusted, he's an elitist, he doesn't understand us.

But these aren't working either, and I think the GOP is kinda freaking out about it. Which would lead you to believe that maybe they really don't have any answers. Maybe they are the ones hoping for a little on the job training, something they accuse Obama of all the time. Tuesday night just proved to me that McCain and the GOP are absolutely blindsided and flabbergasted at how Obama hasn't broken down. Everytime they attack him, he comes right back at them, and HARD. I think that's why some many people think his campaign has taken a negative turn, because they are not used to seeing a democrat fight back like this. I'll admit I was one of the people who thought Obama should stick to the "all positive all the time" routine that he had with Hillary, but now I'm starting to see that the GOP is a different animal. He's doing what he needs to do, and that's not just being a taking non-sh*t presidential nominee, it's showing America that "Hey, I'm here to stay and I want to help this country, no matter what the other side of the aisle may think of me".

The more and more I listen to Obama and McCain speak, the more I realize how much is at stake. Before the first debate, Obama was behind in the polls, not by a lot, but by enough of a margin that you think they would at least lean on the proverbial panic button. But he stayed calm, upped his message and tenor, and fought his way back into the fold and eventually took the lead. However, as soon as the lead started to slip away from McCain, his campaign became erratic, it was almost like he lost track of what his "Straight Talk Express" was all about.

But, that's the nature of politics, just like it's the nature of life. If you willfully, purposely, and angrily undermine and underestimate someone, don't be surprised you bite off more than you can chew and you choke on your own egotism, it's happened before....

The Bailout

Ok, so as we all know, the bailout bill for Wall-Street failed yesterday in uber-dramatic fashion. And of course, blame has been flying around from both sides of the aisle. Republicans blame democrats for bringing partisan bitterness into the fold, and Dems blame the republicans for not going through with there words and failing to secure the votes needed to pass the bill. Personally, I didn't like the bill, to many weird stipulations and not enough regulation of the party that would be in control of dealing with over 700 billion dollars. That's how we got into to this mess. No regulation, nor foresight into how badly things can go, no control. BUT the economy is literally bleeding to death, and something needed to be down. It's like getting your arm caught in a bear trap, would you rather bleed to death and die in excruciating pain, or have someone cut your arm off and live for another day? The fact of the matter is, both sides screwed up, and I was very pleased to hear Obama blasting both Dems and Repubs for the petty partisanship bickering. It's like two kids on a playground who would rather die than get along, if only for a few hours. Pelosi should have waited before she laid into the Bush administration, and republicans should have kept their word and supported the bill that their president proposed. But, and it didn't really come as a suprise to me, McCain found a way to back track on comments he made before the bill was shot that he went to Washington and saved the day while Obama sat on the sidelines. After the bill died, he actually BLAMED Obama for not showing leadership in the democratic party. Accused him of not doing enough to ensure that the bill passed.

Well, first of all, it was not the democrats fault that the bill failed, that rest at the feet of the republicans. They promised to get the votes. McCain made a big deal about how he was able to persuade many who where against to vote for it. They didn't get the votes. McCain didn't persuade as many as he thought, and once again the republicans showed they can dish it blows without conscience, but they cannot take it. Yes, Pelosi's words where polarizing, but what did they expect, BUSH HAS RUN THIS COUNTRY INTO THE GROUND! And you cannot place the blame on congress, they may be a "do-nothing" congress, but that isn't why we're going to be trillions in debts and thousands of jobs leave our shores on a daily basis. That sits directly in the Bush administrations lap. Ill conceived war, massive deregulation, completely dissing the middle and lower classes, tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans (umm Regan-nomics? Didn't work the first time). So, even though Pelosi ripped Bush a couple of new ones, the message behind her words where true.

Second, how can McCain talk about how he helped make this bailout possible, and then when it fails blames Obama for it. Absolutely ridiculous. Take the blame and tell the truth for once McCain, you couldn't rally your party, and instead of taking the high road and admonishing both sides for playing politics, you blame your opponent for something your party didn't do! How is it possible to lie this much during an election? Isn't there a rule against that or something??? And Obama has just come out with a plan to help ensure that those who voted against the bill will have incentive this time aroundt to vote for it. Calm, cool and collected. Sees a situation, gathers ALL of the facts before acting and when he does he makes sure that every avenue, every pittfall is examed. Now that's country first.

I hate the bailout, it's a lifeline for people who screw around with other peoples money in the stupidest ways. But we needed action, if only for a band-aid effect. We needed both canidates to come out and say "Enough bickering kids, we need to work TOGETHER. Country first RIGHT?" One of them did, but the other turned back to the big bully on the palyground, and he's eating crow right now. But if we don't come to a UNIFIED conclusion, we're all going down, and hard....