What Are They Going To Do For Me?

When trying to decide on a candidate to support, the issues should be the number one thing that we focus our attention on. I am going to give some details about some of the major issues for both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama in this post. Simply for clarity, Hillary's views will be in red and Obama's will be in blue. The colors don't mean anything except to make it easier to understand.

Education

• Attract more teachers and pay them better
• Give new parents support to promote healthy development for children
• Increase access to quality early education and create Early Head Start Program
• Expand Pre-K programs to include all 4 year olds, not just at risk
• End No Child Left Behind Program
• Meet funding promises of IDEA to ensure special needs children receive the support they need
• Cut minority drop out rate by 50%
• Create green schools to reduce energy costs and eliminate environmental hazards
• Expand early intervention programs to help at risk youth and commit one billion dollars to identify early and give multiple pathways to graduation
• Double after school programs to ensure that 2 million young people have a safe place to go between 3pm and 6pm
• Invest $100 million in summer internship programs
• Create new $3500 college tax credit
• Increase the maximum allowed for Pell Grants
• Strengthen community colleges through $500 million investment
• Give $10000 college scholarships for those who participate in AmeriCorps full time for 1 year
• Get rid of financial aid red flags
• Challenge colleges to expand access for low income students

• Create "0 to 5 Plan" that provides critical support to young children and parents
• Expand Early Head Start and Head Start
• Expand affordable high-quality childcare
• Reform No Child Left Behind to support poor performing schools rather than punishing them
• Make math and science education a national priority
• Provide funding to schools to invest in intervention strategies to decrease dropouts
• Expand summer learning opportunities
• Support college outreach programs
• Support ESL students and ensure schools teach them English and complete school
• Recruit teachers by creating Teacher Service Scholarships that cover four years of undergraduate education in exchange for teaching four years in a high need field or location
• Prepare teachers by ensuring that all schools of education be accredited
• Retain teachers with experienced teacher mentoring programs and paid common planning time
• Create a new system of teacher rewards

Immigration

• Call for comprehensive immigration reform with strong border security
• Increase cooperation with border countries
• Strictly enforce laws
• Provide federal assistance for state and local government agencies in border states
• Enforce strict penalties for those who exploit undocumented workers and for those who employ them
• Create a path to earn legal status for those who are here working, paying taxes, and respecting the law.

• Create secure borders
• Remove incentives to enter illegally
• Revamp system
• Work with Mexico to promote economic development and to decrease illegal immigration
• Provide a way for current illegal immigrants to pay a fine and be listed at the back of the line for legal status

Health Care

• Create a tax credit to ensure that working families are not paying above a percentage of their income for health care
• Require that insurance companies provide coverage with no pre-existing exclusions
• Allow Americans to keep current insurance coverage or choose another plan
• Provide tax credits for small businesses who provide health insurance for employees
• Insurance companies will no longer be able to deny coverage unless you fail to pay premiums

• Create a National Health Plan and make available to all Americans
• Create a National Health Insurance Exchange which would serve as a watchdog for the insurance industry
• Employers that do not offer health insurance would be required to contribute to the National Plan
• All children would be required to have health insurance
• Fully fund and support disease management programs
• Require full transparency about quality and cost of medical services

Economy

• Extend middle class tax cuts including the child tax credit and marriage penalty relief
• Create new tax cuts for heath care, college, and retirement
• Expand the child care tax credit
• Provide quality affordable health care for all
• Make college accessible and affordable
• Solve the problems in the housing market
• Assist retirement by promoting savings and investments
• Return to fiscal responsibility by moving toward a balanced budget
• Create high-wage green jobs

• Cut income taxes by $1000 for working families and create "Making Work Pay" tax credit
• Fight for fair trade agreements that open foreign markets and support American jobs
• Amend NAFTA so that it works for American workers
• Provide retraining assistance for workers
• Support job creations with federal funding to research and develop high paying secure jobs
• Invest in US manufacturing and manufacturing workforce
• Provide assistance to US automakers to ensure new fuel efficient vehicles are made by US workers
• Increase federal workforce programs that incorporate green job training
• Create energy focused youth programs to invest in disconnected and disadvantaged youth
• Deploy next-generation broadband
• Protect the openness of the Internet
• Raise minimum wage to meet inflation
• Create Universal Mortgage credit that will provide an average of $500 per year tax credit for homeowners
• Require accountability in the sub prime mortgage industry
• Mandate accurate lone disclosure
• Create fund to help homeowners avoid foreclosure by helping people refinance mortgages
• Establish credit card bill of rights
• Reform corporate bankruptcy laws to protect workers and retirees
• Require full disclosure of company pension investments
• Eliminate income taxes for seniors who make less than 50K per year
• Create automatic workplace pensions
• Expand retirement savings incentives for working families by matching 50% of the first $1000 saved for families who earn less than $75000

War

• Require clear viable exit plan from Joint Chief Of Staff, Secretary of Defense and National Security Counsel with 60 days of taking office
• Support high level UN Representative with security in Iraq
• Convene stabilization group with allies, global powers, and all bordering states of Iraq

• End war in Iraq by removing 1-2 brigades per month and have all combat brigades back with in 16 months
• Continue to provide security for embassy and diplomats
• Press Iraq leaders to reconcile and gain regional diplomacy within the Middle East
• Provide $2 million to aid Iraqi refugees

The end! My choice is still about as clear as mud. I will walk in and vote on Tuesday after a few more days of thought and consideration. I'll let you know.....

Sorry To Keep You Waiting.....

I know that most of you have been on pins and needles awaiting my post of Hillary v. Barack views. I have finished looking at all the stuff and will be posting my findings tomorrow. Except for a few minor details they both have pretty much the same views, but I have found that Hillary Clinton's are more organized, more detailed, and really defend her "more experience" statements. I am still however pulled toward Obama's ability to join people together and make people feel like they can make a difference in their country. To be honest, I like them as a team. I think that Hillary's maturity and knowledge mixed with Obama's charisma and energy could be a dynamitic force to change our country for the better. I am going to post their views on Education, Health Care, Internation Affairs, and Immigration. Those are my main concerns, but if you are concerned about something else, leave me a comment.



On another note, I had a comment left yesterday expressing distain for the democratic party and stating a refusal to associate himself with them. I understand, I have stated many times that I have never voted democratic and really thought that I never would. My feelings however are moving beyond a party affliciation and looking at the whole picture. As a past "straight republician ticket voter" and huge supporter of the party (I have a republician elephant charm on my charm braclet), I am looking at the past 8 years and feeling kind of sick believing that my vote as a republician 4 years ago, might have contributed to the state of our nation today. In 8 years of republician leadership, our economy is crumbling, our heath care system is in ruin, men and women are coming back from war and meeting challenges trying to get even the basic benefits that were promised to them, we are 5 years into a war with not even a hint of a plan for its future, the US has been attacked on its own soil, we have realized that we do not have the ability to provide even basic assistance to disaster areas (Katria), the social security system is about to run out of money, and we have a swinging door on the border. I don't believe that our country is much more secure from terriost threats than it was on September 10, 2001 and our school system is much worse off than before Bush's renowned (scarcasm) No Child Left Behind plan. I find myself hoping that there will be a drastic change next year and I believe that a repbulician will not bring forth that change.



Yes, I am anti-abortion, anti-gay marriage, and pro the death penality and hold conservative views on a lot of other issues, but terroists and rising health care costs are more frightening to me than two gay men wanting to marry. I am now thinking about the future of my family and John McCain is not going to cut it for my family for the next four years.

Don't We Deserve Better?

If you know me, you know that I am one of those people who don't believe in "entitlement" as in we are entitled to something or we deserve something. I believe that people must work hard and earn their way in life. Nothing disturbs me more than able bodied people collecting government money for doing absolutely nothing but cheating the system. That said, I believe that the hard working American people, the one's who are pay the majority of the taxes (that's the middle class), the ones who pay the president's salary deserve better than the choices we have today.

In one week, I will have to go to the polls with a decision made on who I want to lead my country the next four years. I know that it will not be either Republican candidate, nor will I decline to vote in the primaries, waiting to give my mark for Ralph Nader in the fall. I will be voting in the Democratic primary - a first for me - but I am still undecided on what to do.

As I am researching the views of the remaining democratic candidates for my loyal readers (thanks dad and Lindsay - I know that there are others, but those two actually tell me they are reading!), I am realizing that both Hillary and Obama are saying pretty much the same things. They really are unable to debate or criticize each other on the issues, because they agree with each other. That is why things are getting so ugly and why we deserve better.

I was really starting to believe that I would have to eat my words about Hillary bowing out gracefully during last week's debate. She actually sounded genuinely humbled at the fact that she had so many supporters and that she was running against such a great person. I was surprised at her gentle demeanor and actually surprised at the class she showed. Fast forward to the day after an Obama flyer went out basically saying that if Hillary wanted credit for the good things that happened during the Clinton administration, she needed to also understand that she could be held responsible for the negative things. Okay, now the Hillary we all know is back, fangs out ready for a fight. Very soon after telling Obama to "grow up", a picture taken of Obama in Muslim garb, showed up on the web. Wouldn't you know it - Hillary has no idea where it came from. Obama fought back saying that tactics like this were only counting on fear to sway the public vote.

I am very interested in what will happen in tonight's debate from Ohio. We know that the issues will not be debated too much because like I said, both Hillary and Obama agree on most of the issues. This is Hillary's last chance to pull out a must needed win, and I am sure that she will hold nothing back.

Don't we deserve better than a candidate who will stop at nothing to win? Don't we deserve better than an inexperienced candidate who creates excitement and momentum, but has little substance to offer? Unless you are willing to put our nation in the hands of a man who seems to hold his finger on the war trigger at all times, those are our choices. What should we do........?

Can Hillary Loose Gracefully?

As Barack Obama wrapped up his 11th straight win yesterday with the out of country votes, the buzz has started about a possible loss in the Clinton Camp. To catch up to Barack's momentum, Hillary would have to pull out big, huge wins on March 4. Many, including myself, don't think that she can pull it off.

Here is what I think. The Clinton's are in a dire, desperate, must win situation. If Hillary looses the nomination, this will be possibly the largest upset in political history. It is not just the fact that Barack came from a relatively unknown position, but he, an unknown, came out and defeated the Clinton Machine. I really think that at this point the Clinton's are completely stumped - they really thought that by this time, Hillary would have wrapped up the primaries and it would just be her. No one thought Obama would have such a showing.

From what I have seen both in public and in my life, the person who gets desperate is the one who makes the mistakes. You almost have to feel sorry for Hillary at this point (I said almost). Everything she has tried has come back to bite her. She started off with the experience card and the American public decided that it might be better to have a president who had not spent so much time in Washington, someone with new ways and new ideas. Clinton 0 Obama 1. Then she went on her "words don't me anything..." campaign which Obama responded with some of the most powerful words ever spoken. Clinton 0 Obama 2. The Clinton Camp claimed that Obama's latest speech was copied from other people, accusing him of plagiarism. This however backfired with Obama gaining more support than ever, which led Clinton to claim that it was the press, not her who pushed the story. Clinton 0 Obama 3. It seems that what ever Hillary tries to say to turn people from Obama only pushes them closer to him.

So our question is, can Hillary loose gracefully. My answer is no. Let me make a few predictions. She will not gracefully and professionally send her congratulations to Barack. She will not vow to stand by him to help unite the party. She will instead fight with every breath she has in her to turn it around. She will fight to gain the Florida delegates which were excluded due to the state breaking party rules, she will fight for the Super Delegates, who are expected to vote with the American public. She will pull out everything and lay it on the line. In the end, if she still looses, the Clinton's will be finished in politics. If this were a movie (a comedy), at the end, mental health nurses would drag her away from a stage in a straight jacket screaming something about more experience and what the American people want.

It is going to continue to get interesting......I am not going to miss a thing!

I Didn't Major In Math Either, But I Understand These Numbers

Oh, sweet, innocent, Preach Boy Mike, told crowds recently that he "didn't major in math, he majored in miracles." I think what he means is that he doesn't really understand the delegate numbers and that it will take a miracle for him to win (or maybe for him to give up). Well, Mike, I didn't major in math either, but when I was in college learning how to teach children math (Thanks Dr. Williams) we learned how to use manipulatives to help children understand. So here's an activity that might help with the math issue: put 825 M&M's on a plate (for McCain) and 240 M&M's on a plate (for Huckabee) and see who has more M&M's. I know a group of toddlers who would understand if Mike is interested in extra help. To win a GOP nomination, a candidate must have 1191 delegates. There are 795 delegates left in the remaining 18 states who have not had primary elections. 240 (the number of delegates that Huckabee has) added with the remaining 795 delegates only equals 1035 delegates. That (to all you non math majors) is 156 less than the required 1191. That number (1035) is taking into account the miracle factor, that Huckabee will win all remaining 795 delegates. I will throw a question out to my preacher friend Pete - could a "major in miracles" make delegates appear (156 delegates to be exact) where the did not exist before? I know the Lord can do anything, but I'm not sure it is the Lord who is running this election. I am thinking farther south, much warmer, lots of fire........



It is only going to get more embarrassing Mike. Leave with the small amount of dignity that you have left. And hurry, because Romney is expected to endorse McCain later this afternoon. Mitt, you are breaking my heart. Could you be holding out for VP? As if this election could not get any more complex than it already is. I really like you Mitt, but not even an endorcement from you will get a check mark for McCain on March 4 from me. I am going to be stubborn and not "go head and vote for McCain" as I heard conservative republicians are being encouraged to do.



On the other side of evil, the Obama Pheonomenon is still sweeping the nation with three more wins in Virginia, Maryland, and Washington DC. I think fear is starting to flood the Clinton camp as they prepare for a possible loss. I say possible very strongly, there is no clear cut winner with the democrats. Either Obama or Clinton could pull this out there are 1071 delegates left and Obama is only leading by 43 delegates. He does have a winning streak going and the more losses you have (Hillary), the harder it is to get the ball rolling again. Although a winning streak does not ensure future wins - just ask the SA Spurs or Tom Brady, it does help to rally the troops. Since March 4 is quickly upon us, I am going to do some research and post in the next couple of days, just exactly what Obama and Clinton are supporting along with their action plans. I need the information as much as anybody. My husband is claiming that I am getting excited about the Obama Change Message and that is dulling my willingness to listen to the issues. I say he is spending too much time with Laura Ingram on "America Right" talk radio. So in the next couple of days, we will look at the issues together.

Barack Sweeps Past Hill

This weekend was an amazing one for Obama as he won all five states who were holding democratic primaries on Saturday. Most of them, like his last wins held a margin of 10 - 30 percentage points. As if the race could not be any closer, current delegate count is separated by an amazing 28 delegates. Hillary is still holding the lead with 1136 and Obama has 1108.

On the GOP ticket, which saw three primaries this weekend, McCain took one state with Huckabee winning in two. McCain holds a huge delegate lead with 719 to Huckabee's 234. I want to know if it is even possible for Huckabee to win the 1191 delegates needed to advance. I don't know off hand how many delegates are up for grabs in the next few months, but I will let you know.

No question, I'll put my money on McCain being on the ballet next November, but I have not found any source yet that is willing to declare a winner in the democratic camp. The race continues with the next set of states voting on the 19th.

This Seals The Deal For Me

Well, I know for sure now that I will not be voting in the Republican Primary in March. It sounds dramatic (actually this whole post will probably sound dramatic), but I felt like I was punched in the gut a few minutes ago when I read that Mitt Romney has bowed out of the Presidental race, leaving John McCain and Mike Huckabee on the ballet. Mitt Romney, I believe, was the republician's last hope for a conservative candidate for the white house race. I agree with conservative talk show hosts who said that "a vote for Mike Huckabee is a vote for John McCain." Mike Huckabee cannot win the election, it was obvious last week that he could not win the election, so his reluctance to leave the race gracefully, divided the conservative vote, eliminating Mitt Romney's chance to catch John McCain. Huckabee's actions were selfish and have virtually guaranteed a liberal win in November. John McCain's best bet to gain the conservative voters would be to pick up Mike Huckabee as a running mate (which has been predicted in the media), but I believe that the damage has already been done in reguard to the conservative. John McCain, pure and simple is not a conservative candidate. He believes in liberal ideas and has liberal values that will destroy the GOP as we know it. It is a mixed blessing that he cannot win against either Obama or Clinton.

Conservative talk radio host Ann Colter (she is a little to "right winged" for me) said that if McCain is named the republician nominee, she will campaign for Hillary Clinton. I predict more conservative's will follow dividing between Clinton and Obama camps. On his show yesterday, Dave Ramsey made a prediction that is sad but true. He said that if another candidate was added to the ballet, that candidate would win by a landslide. That candidate's name? "Mr. None of the Above." I have said it before, but I don't understand in a country as large as ours, why this is the best we can come up with for president.

I will not vote for either John McCain or Mike Huckabee. I really feel uncomfortable about Hillary Clinton. Barack Obama - here is your chance to win me over - you better spend some of that money in Texas or Mr. None of the Above may get my write in vote.......

Okay Kim, How Do We Read That....?

My fancy spacing did not turn out right in the next blog, so here are the instructions (as if you are not smart enough to figure it out!) For the democrats - the first state in each line belongs to Hillary and the second belongs to Obama. For the republicians - the first state is McCain's, the second Romney's and the third Huckabee's.

Closer Than Ever

I stayed up pretty late last night, watching the numbers come in from the Super Tuesday primarires and it was so exciting that it felt almost like the presidental election does - waiting for numbers and people predicting the outcomes. In case you are not as crazy about politics as I am here are the candidates and the states that they won.

Hillary Clinton Barack Obama
Arkansas North Dakota
New Jersey Utah
New York Alabama
Oklahoma Conn.
Tennessee Georgia
Mass. Illinois
Arizona Kansas
California Minn.
Delaware
Alaska
Idaho
Colorado
Missouri

Hillary earned 728 delegates while Obama is less than 100 behind with 633. One interesting thing that I noticed last night that in the races where Hillary won the state, the voting numbers were very close, with just 7%-15% separating the two, but when Obama won, he won big. He won by 30% or more in several states. I predict that this will be a race to the end. I know that the Clinton's were not expecting this good of a showing and that has to be eating at them. John Edwards has been very quitet since removing himself from the race. You can only think that the vice presidency is on his mind and he would run with either candidate.

On the Republician side:

McCain Romney Huckabee
New Jersey Mass. Arkansas
New York Utah Alabama
Oklahoma North Dakota West Virginia
Conn. Minn, Georgia
Illin. Alaska Tennessee
Arizona Colorado
California Montana
Delaware
Missouri

Not suprisingly, Pastor Mike took home some of the southern states where there is a larger consertative Christian population. Several days before Tuesday, right wing talk radio hosts were proclaming that a vote for Huckabee was a vote for McCain, in essence saying that they were taking away votes that could help Romney. I really think at this point both Huckabee and Romney are out and McCain will gain the nomination. He cannot beat Clinton or Obama though. Delegates on this side have a much farther spread: McCain has 547, Romney has 223, and Huckabee has 145.

Both teams are a long way from having a declared winner. On the democratic side a candidate must win 2025 delegates and the republician must have 1191. The next chance to gain more delegates will be on Feb. 9, where Lousisana, Washington, and Kansas(Rep.) will cast their ballots.

Spelling, speling, spellin'

Spelling has never been one of my stronger atributes. Spell check was invented for me. Unfortunally, the spell check has not been working on Blogger the past couple of days. So, for any of you who did not notice spelling mistakes, don't look too closely now, but for my teacher friends (especially my English teacher friend) please don't think that I was lying to you when I said I have my master's degree. It is true, I have the student loans to prove it, but I found out while working on that degree that my spell check is worth it's weight in gold! Forgive the mistakes and pray that the spell check starts working again!

Wonder What It Is Like In The Schwarzenegger House?

As most of you probably know by now, my morning routine starts by turing on the Today Show to see what happened in the world overnight. I really like that show because instead of either just news or just entertainment news (there is a huge difference) they do a pretty good balance of each in the first half hour or so. I do have my real news hour later in the day with WOAI and Nightly News in the evening, but I start my day with Meredith, Matt, and Al. ANYWAY........this morning I was greeted with four smiling women at an Obama rally over the weekend. Those women included Michelle Obama, Caroline Kennedy, Oprah (what is Oprah's last name???) and Maria Shriver. Yes, the first lady of California has chosen to endorce Barack Obama! This is after her husband, the
Gover-nator, endorced Republician canidate John McCain late last week.

To be a fly on the wall at the California Governor's Mansion (although I have heard that they don't live in the governors mansion, but you know what I mean)! This endorcement is a great boost for Obama as it will probably bring him more of the "powerful" female votes that Hillary has been trying to capture.

I am very blessed to have a spouse who shares most of the same views, political and otherwise, as I do. I know that is not the case in many homes, but we agree for the most part. We both are really interested in politics and government. As you might recall from my first post, I started college as a political science/history major and my husband is hopelessly addicted to XM talk radio. We do talk a lot about politics and current events and hope to instill at least a small interest in those to our daughter. We, or I, don't want to force our ideas on our child, I just want to make sure that she cares about the world around her and that she knows as she grows up that the world is much bigger than the United States. There is nothing that saddens me more than the attitude of so many people who could care less about the world around them. My husband, unlike me, probably will require our child to embrace his views. Our child was born in November 2004 (election year) and my husband, her daddy, wore his "Texan's For Bush" shirt to the delievery. He and my doctor compared conservative views in between contractions and I know he was secretly pleased that one of our daughter's first sights was his shirt.

I think that I get my love for history and current event from my dad who knows more about everything than anyone I know. He loves to read and reads everything he can, newspapers, business magazines, books (we have a really great book exchange going). My dad is a great person to talk to about politics or current events, primarly because you can learn so much from him, but also because even if he doesn't agree with you, he listens to your point and allows you to have your own opinion without trying to change you. My husband and I both talk about how much we learn from him and I own my thirst for knowlege to him (and my mom - but she gave me the crafty, sewing, scrapbooking, cooking side, which my friends and husband are eternally grateful for, not the political interest side!!!) I truly hope to show my daughter how important events outside of her small world are to us.

It is so important for everyone to take at least a small interest in our country and our world. We should know that things that happen in the US effect every corner of the world and our decisions make things happen. That is what makes me so sad when people don't care about what happens in the country or when people choose not to vote. Our future depends on the decisions that we make at the polls. Many, many people will vote tomorrow and will tell the canidates what they think by their vote. It is still anyone's game (except maybe for Mike Huckabee, he has a lot of ground to make up if he wants to have a chance), it will be exciting!

Will Super Tuesday Hold The Answers?

Tuesday promises to be an eventful day with 1681 democratic delegates and 1023 republician delegates up for grab when 21 states head to the polls. Current delegate holdings are as follows:

Democrats
Clinton 256 delegates
Obama 181 delegates

Republicians
McCain 93 delegates
Romney 59 delegates
Huckabee 40 delegates

The democratic canidates need 2025 delegates to win and the republicians need 1191. The official winners will be decided during the 2008 national conventions. The republicians will hold their convention September 1-4 in St.Paul Minnesota while the democrats hold their's a few days earlier on August 25-28 in Denver, Colorado. There is no clear winner yet but many predict that there will be after "Super Tuesday." With as many twists and turns that this campaign has taken, I would not be so sure that we could count on Tuesday's numbers. Primaries take place through the end of May and you know what they say about the fat lady singing. There should be plenty more exciting months ahead.