Obama's falling approval rating

Timothy Blocker

Meda 295

WASHINGTON-Ever since becoming President Barack Obama’s job performance had been being tracked by polls. On January 21^st the polls have been tracking his performance as president since January 21^st. This poll states that on January 21^st less than 60% of Americans do approve of the job that Obama is doing. In the polling for February 21^st-23^rd 59% of Americans had given Obama a positive review, while 25% say they disapprove, and 16% have no opinion. From what the polls indicate President Obama was not able to keep his rating up. Most people believe that the president is taking on a wide variety of issues because there are so many problems that is going on. I spoke to a few neighbors where I live at Grand Avenue and 176^th street to get their reaction to the poll numbers. Diana Colon a longtime democrat seen the fall as the reality of our country’s situation and the war in Iraq are having are starting to set in.” I think that people are starting to realize that it is going to take a lot of time to fix our economic problems and the war that is going on in Iraq” said Diana Colon. A few other democratic voters have said that they were surprised by the falling poll numbers. Patricia Smith-Blocker, 58, a lifelong democrat says that she is “very surprised by the drop in the numbers”. Some people figured that since he had high ratings at the beginning of his presidency that he would be able to carry those high numbers of approval through out his term in office.

With the situation in Iran dealing with the presidential election on June 12^th, President Barack Obama has taken a stance on the matter. His reaction to the results of the election and the aftermath is “We in the United States do not want to make any decisions for the people or Iran, but at the same time we do believe that the Iranian people, and their voices, should be heard and respected.” At the same time critics have said that President Obama has put on a fresh coat of paint on Iran’s fake democracy. Another stance that the president has taken on was with the automobile industry and renewable energies. The president has spoke spoken about doubling the nation’s supply of renewable energy with the need to make renewable energy profitable as well as the need to rapidly develop technologies to build more efficient cars. Even though President Obama says that he wants to avoid meddling in the Iran election. A few people say he has already gotten in the conflict. He has spoken about the conflict when he was in Cairo, Egypt “about expanding dialogue between the U.S. and the Muslim world—including Iran—and that was the right time to do it.” A few of the people I spoke to say that the United States needs to stay out of this conflict and to let Iran deal with this them selves. As for the automobile industry President Obama believes that with the cars being more energy efficient that these cars will help the environment.

Ethics complaints still dog Palin

When the governor of Alaska Sarah Palin resigned she thought that the ethics accusations against her would be clear. She found out that she was wrong. Just days after her surprise resignation was announced a new ethics complaint was filed with state authorities arguing saying she should not be able to claim per day funds when she is staying at her home in Wasilla, Alaska instead of in Anchorage or Jeaneau where she has offices. This complaint says that she was charging the state when she stayed in Wasilla and traveled to her offices. The soon to be e-governor claims that she is the target of politcal destruction. Sarah Palin told cnn "It doesn't cost the critics anything to file frivolous lawsuits or ethics violation charges. She also says that It costs our state such a great deal -- thousands of staff hours, millions of dollars in public resources that aren't going to things that it should be going to." Many of the complaints that was filed have been dismissed. Sarah Palin last month had reimbursed the state more than $8,000 for travel expenses for nine trips, accompanied by her children, after the state paid for them. Another inquiry led to some new ethics training for a staff member. Of all of the complaints and inquiries the one that cost the most and drew the most attention was was centered on whether Palin wrongly fired the state's director of public safety. This complaint had been filed weeks before Palin's run for vice president. An independent counsel found she had a right to fire him, but in doing so she had violated a state ethics law. This independent counsel found she had abused the powers of her office by pressuring employees to get the trooper fired. I feel that she probable did do some wrong but what she did was nothing compared to some of the things that other politicians has done. True what she did was not right but at the same time it was not illegal and at least she reimbursed the state for the travel expenses that was used for that came from taxpayers money.

Lawmakers $320 billion short for health care plan

After huddling and speaking with democrats on the senate Finance Committee, Chairman Max Baucus had told reporters that lawmakers need $320 billion over the coming decade in order to pay for the health care plan. The remaining balance or cost would be paid for through savings in Medicare, Medicaid and other programs. There are other options including raising taxes. This include including taxing employer-provided health benefits. A senator from North Carolina (Kent Conrad) said that senators are talking about raising the tax exemption on those benefits to $25,000 for a family.Doing this and other things would raise $90 billion over 10 years, Conrad said, leaving negotiators $230 billion to raise through other taxes. Overall this sounds like a good idea because everyone would be sort of chipping in but the problem is the real cost of this funding. Another problem is WHO is going to be paying for this?

Biden cheers deal with hospitals on health care reform!!!

Today the vice president Joe Biden announced today that he has struck a deal with hospitals to help fund the health care reform. The VP has said that hospitals have pledged to contribute $155 billion in medicaid and medicare savings in the next decade. Biden said that hospitals have acknowledged that significant health care savings can be achieved by improving efficiencies. Biden was also joined by the Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and representatives of the hospital industry. This hospital deal follows Obama's announcement last month with agreement that was reached with the nation's pharmaceutical industry to cut drug costs for elderly Americans, saying it is an example of the kind of compromise required for successful national health care reform. I think that this a good idea because this will help people who have little to no health care. This will help people that have a hard time paying for medicine and their medical supplies some help. There are too many people in this country that have either no coverage or too little coverage.

Testers smuggle bomb parts into buildings

Today in Washington D.C. a head of the Federal Protective Service took the blame Wednesday for a series of security lapses that allowed investigators to sneak components of bombs into 10 federal buildings. Investigators in plainclothes tested the effectiveness of private contract guards at federal buildings was able to smuggle bomb components in all 10 attempts. One investigator was stopped and questioned but was eventually let through with the bomb components. Once the investigators got inside the buildings they went to the bathrooms and put the bombs together, then put them in briefcases and walked freely into government offices. When the director was asked why the security guards had failed he said that it was a lack of oversight. The investigators bought all of the components over the internet for less than $150. When these investigators was trying to get into the buildings at the checkpoint clearly the guards was not looking at the screen that clearly shows the materials passing through. I feel that this is a serious problem because if they was able to get past security at these buildings that means they can get into any building in Washington D.C or anywhere in the country. Clearly these guards are not doing their job.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/07/07/federal.buildings.security/index.html

D.C.'s Marion Barry arrested once again

The great mayor of Washington D.C. Marion Barry was arrested again but this time it was for misdemeanor stalking. A lady had flagged down an officer and pointed to Barry who was in another car. Marion Barry was arrrested and processed but was released. He has a later court appearance for the charge. This is not his first run in with the law. He was arrested in a sting operation in 1990 and had a few other run-ins. He was arrested in 2002 after marijuana and cocaine traces was found in his car when he was stopped. Also last year he failed to file a tax return again. His probation was extended to May 2011. I feel that Marion Baily needs alot of help because this man has been in so much trouble and it is not very funny. He is the only mayor that i know of in this country that has beenin trouble constantly. He makes Washington D.C. look very bad and he also makes its citizens look like fools for electing an idiot.

News you should know

On Friday July 3, 2009 the governor of Alaska Sarah Palin announced that she is stepping down as the governor at the end of the month. She will not be seeking a second term in 2010. As the vice presidential nominee in 2008 she is considered one of the front runners for the republican nomination in 2012. She transferred power to the LT Governor for the rest of the term. She also stated that she took the right path for alaska even if it is not the easiest path. A source close to her team says that it was a calculated move on her part to move on. This source also believes that she is mapping out a path for 2012. This also came as a surprise to a few people in her party. After her announcement the Democratic National Committee blasted her behavior. Aspokesperson for the DNC said that she is leaving the peoplel of Alaska high and dry to pursue her political ambitions or she cannot handle the job of governor.

I feel that this is a plan by Palin for the White House. This move can be a good move or a bad move by her. I do not know. I find that this move is somewhat confusing because she feels that she has a better shot for the white house now.