The Commonwealth Comment

AHS student newspaper moves online | SouthCoastToday.com

2009-12-18T15:20:00.001-05:00

AHS student newspaper moves online | SouthCoastToday.com

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Afghanistan, Time to Finish the Job

2009-12-03T15:55:00.004-05:00

On Tuesday evening, President Obama set out on keeping one of his main promises, refocusing the United States' attention on Afghanistan.

In the face of vicious conservative critics who relentlessly screamed about the president taking his time on making a decision on the next move in Afghanistan, Mr. Obama kept his cool. At West Point, he laid out a plan for an additional 30,000 U.S. soldiers on the group in Afghanistan, in addition to several thousand more NATO ally troops. He also noted that depending on the situation like to handover control of the war torn country's security to Afghan forces, and begin withdrawal of troops in July 2011.

Here's my take:

The president has angered folks on either side of the aisle. Conservatives who have been praying for the president to fail, are actually willing to support him. But, they're shouting that he should not have set a date for a troop withdrawal...in other words don't have an exit strategy...like another country the U.S. is currently occupying. Scare tactics at their worst.

Liberals are upset with sending thousands of soldiers to Afghanistan to fight terrorist cells and the oppressive Taliban, both of which have reemerged in the country since the invasion of Iraq in 2003. They would rather focus on the domestic agenda.

In my mind, President Obama has made the right call. For the last six years, Afghanistan has been virtually ignored in the shadow of Iraq. Al-Qaeda and the Taliban have come back along the boarder or Pakistan, and pose a greater threat. The addition of 30,000 troops will help dismantle and destroy the terrorist group's operations and force the Taliban out again. In 2001, U.S. forces accomplished these goals in a matter of months, and practically had Osama bin Laden in their grasps. But, the Bush administration took their eye off the ball.

Setting a timetable for the transfer of power and the withdrawal of troops is necessary. It signals to the people of the United States that the government is committed to ending the conflict. But more importantly, it sends a strong message to the people of Afghanistan that the United States is not an occupying power, and to the Afghan government that the country and its security will soon be its own responsibility.

It may be hard to realize it in the midst of an economic recovery, becommitting the country to Afghanistan is extremely important if we as a nation are truly determined to defeat Al-Qaeda. In the 1980s, when the United States helped the Afghans defeat the occupying Soviet Union, we made a major mistake. We did not follow through and help the Afghan people establish infrastructure and build their country. It left Afghanistan's government, but more importantly, its people vulnerable to Islamic extremism and anti-American sentiment.

After 8 long years of this war, and 6 years of little or no progress, it is time to finish the job.

Obama's Nobel Shocker

2009-10-09T15:51:00.009-04:00

This morning, the president and the rest of the world woke up to some pretty surprising news. He had been selected as the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize.

President Obama joins only a select few U.S. Presidents in the category of Nobel Peace Prize winners. Only three other presidents have received the honor. The first was Theodore Roosevelt for the Portsmouth Treaty, which ended the Russo-Japanese War. Woodrow Wilson earned his prize for the Treaty of Versailles, ending World War I. In 2002, former President Jimmy Carter was awarded the Nobel Prize for his work through The Carter Center.

President Obama has been selected for creating, “a new climate in international politics. Multilateral diplomacy has regained a central position, with emphasis on the role that the United Nations and other international institutions can play. Dialogue and negotiations are preferred as instruments for resolving even the most difficult international conflicts.” The Nobel Committee went on to say, “Only very rarely has a person to the same extent as Obama captured the world's attention and given its people hope for a better future."

Already the question is being asked, “Does President Obama deserve this award?” After all, he’s been in office for less than a year and has accomplished very little thus far. Additionally, he’s in the middle of deciding a new strategy for the war in Afghanistan, which may involve a surge in troops to the region.

The president himself said this morning, “To be honest, I do not feel that I deserve to be in the company of so many of the transformative figures who've been honored by this prize — men and women who've inspired me and inspired the entire world through their courageous pursuit of peace.”

I’ve taken some time to think about the arguments for and against the president winning this award, and after thinking about it for the last several hours; I have to agree with the Nobel committee.

He has completely changed course in terms of international politics from his predecessor. There appears to no longer be a mentality of “you’re either with us or against us” when we think of our allies in the world. President Obama has reached out to people of all nations, creeds, and religions in hope of a more peaceful world. At home, he has inspired a new generation of young Americans to be involved in the political process.

So, while it may be true that the president has little accomplishments to hang his hat on just yet, he is absolutely correct when he says this award should be viewed as a call to action. The international community is behind the United States’ peace efforts and this honor to our president is one big “Yes We Can”.

And the dream shall never die

2009-08-28T12:50:00.005-04:00

My alarm clock buzzed at 6:00 this morning. I wanted to get to the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library early. The line waiting to pay respects to the late Senator Edward M. Kennedy stretched across the UMass Boston campus the night before and thousands of people waited long hours for only a few moments to say goodbye. I pinned a Kennedy campaign button to my shirt and headed out the door.

I met my friend, Nicolette, at the Park Street T station at 7:30 and we were on the red line to JFK/UMass in no time. Once we arrived in Dorchester, we were squished onto a shuttle with other Kennedy admirers to bring us to the JFK Library.

Our stint in the long line started at 8:00. It was a tremendous group of diverse people. Young, old, black, white, Asian, and even more. There was even a large Native American man dressed in full Pequot robes present to pay tribute to the senator. The Reverend Jesse Jackson even made his way along the line shaking hands before making his way into the library.

As Nicolette and I made it through the doors (after about 45 minutes in line), we were immediately greeted by large photos of Ted Kennedy as a boy with his brothers Jack and Bobby, and as an older senator. The flag draped casket was sitting in the Smith Room overlooking the ocean, Boston's skyline was silhouetted beyond the water. There is no better place for the senator to lie in repose.

The room was in complete silence as we circled around the casket. I said a short, silent prayer for the senator and his family. The whole tone was extremely respectful. I got to the far side of the room and was greeted by the outstretched hand of Kara Kennedy, Ted's daughter. She thanked me for coming, and I in return thanked her for sharing her father with all of us. She then notice my button, which reads "If I were 21, I'd vote for Kennedy". With a smile she jokingly asked if I was 21 yet. I laughed and told her yes, and that I voted for her father in his last campaign.

Once I was back outside, I walked over and placed a small thank you note to the senator among the flowers sitting against the building.

The Kennedys have so much money and influence. They could keep it all to themselves and live down on Cape Cod without a care in the world. But instead, they use it to advance the cause of all people and that those in need. They live by the bible verse Luke 12:48, "Of those to whom much is given, much is expected." So, he has championed civil rights, women's rights, higher minimum wage, education reform, universal healthcare, among countless other issues.

If we all do our best to live our lives in the service of others, we can assure that Senator Ted Kennedy's dream will never die.

God Bless you, Senator Kennedy, and thank you for your service.

Weapons at Obama Rallies

2009-08-17T23:44:00.003-04:00

Heathcare reform is a touchy subject in the United States these days. But outside of events where the President of the United States is speaking in favor of heathcare reform, some opponents are packing heat.

In Portsmouth, New Hampshire, an opponent of President Obama's proposal had a handgun strapped to his leg. Today outside of the president's speech at the VFW convention in Arizona, 2 protesters were carrying automatic assault rifles. One of them was in possession of an AR-15 assault rifle and shouted anti-Obama rhetoric.

Sounds illegal, right? Wrong. Arizona is called an open-carry state, which means people are allowed to carry firearms in public as long as they are visible. So, these folks are being defended as just exercising their Second Amendment rights...

The Second Amendment to the Constitution reads: "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."

Last time I checked, a couple of guys shouting about the president while holding assault rifles doesn't qualify as a militia, and it is far from being well regulated.

Guns and flaring tempers are a bad mix, especially when the first African-American president in the nation's history is the target of the outrage. NO ONE SHOULD BE ALLOWED NEAR THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES WITH A LOADED FIREARM!

How about instead of exercising Second Amendment rights, the people opposed to President Obama's healthcare reform proposal try exercising some common sense?

Baker Joins the Race

2009-07-08T22:50:00.004-04:00

Just days after Timothy Cahill announced he's leaving the Dems in the dust for a likely run at governor is 2010, another man has thrown his hat into the ring. Harvard Pilgrim CEO, Charlie Baker says he is the Republican for the job.

Baker served as an aide to former Governor Bill Weld. Baker says he will be stepping down from his position at Harvard Pilgrim. "I am either the CEO of Harvard Pilgrim -- or I'm building a campaign organization. I cannot do both," he said. His resignation is effective on July 17th.

He will be competing with former gubernatorial candidate, Christy Mihos, for the GOP's nomination. In 2006, Mihos ran as an independent against now Governor Deval Patrick and then Lt. Governor Kerry Healy. Mihos garnered only 7% of the vote.

Baker had originally planned to make his announcement after Labor Day, but Cahill's announcement pressured the health insurance CEO to move his announcement up.

Baker is not new to Beacon Hill, and may be the man to knock down a severely weakened Democratic governor and put a Republican back in the the executive office.

Independence Day

2009-07-07T12:09:00.004-04:00

Following the weekend marking the anniversary of the U.S.'s independence, another man has declared his own, Massachusetts Treasurer Timothy Cahill. He has announced he is leaving the Democratic party, and is currently un-enrolled. Many are considering this to be the first step toward a run for governor.

This is a strong move from the Commonwealth's treasurer. Not only does this separate himself from the more fiscally liberal Democrats on Beacon Hill, but it also means he won't have to take Deval Patrick one on one in a Democratic primary.

Yet, this potential candidacy could also spell disaster for the Dems' hopes of holding on to the governorship. Cahill would likely take Democratic voters away from Patrick, dividing the party and possibly allowing a Republican back into the corner office.

Governor Patrick certainly has his work cut out for him in his 2010 re-election campaign. He has failed to pass several key pieces of legislation, most importantly casino gambling, which he has been advocating for years now. He has also proposed an increase in the gas tax, taxes on soda, candy and alcohol, and has raised the state's sales tax from 5% to 6.25% (effectively 7 cents per dollar). All of these issues have left Patrick's approval ratings in shambles. Seems like a perfect moment for Cahill to strike.

It is a lot to swallow for Bay Staters, but they may forget all about their governor's short comings (much to Mr. Cahill's dismay) when he rolls out some of his close, popular friends from Washington. You know, like President Barack Obama.

Obama Gets It Right

2009-06-04T11:05:00.003-04:00

The president recently traveled to Cairo to address the United States' relationship with the Islamic world. I must say I think Mr. Obama's speech was outstanding. His address followed a careful strategy. It was inclusive to Muslims, pointed out that the main target of Islamic terrorists have been other Muslims, and he even quoted the Koran to drive his point of peace between the West and the Middle East home. But, he also was strong in his defense of the war in Afghanistan and the right of the United States to defend itself. He struck a careful balance, hopefully folks on both sides were listening.

New Bedford Harbor Cleanup

2009-04-15T09:26:00.002-04:00

The Boston Globe is reporting today that the cleanup effort for New Bedford Harbor will be receiving quite the chunk of change. The project could get up to $35 million is federal stimulus funds. That would give New Bedford Harbor the largest slice of the $600 million Superfund pie, which is for various sites around the country. EPA administrator, Lisa Jackson is expected to travel to the Whaling City to make a formal announcement.

The 18,000 acre harbor and surrounding contributaries are heavily polluted with suspected cancer causing agent PCBs and other heavy metals.

Senators Ted Kennedy and John Kerry have advocated the cleanup of the harbor for decades. So, it came at no surprise that the two wrote letters to Jackson requesting funding for the cleanup.

Congressman Barney Frank, who represents New Bedford also wrote a letter to Jackson requesting similar funding. In an interview I did with Rep. Frank the day after President Obama's Inauguration, he told me about projects he'd like to see in his district....funding to clean New Bedford's Harbor was among them.

Boston T Party

2009-04-14T08:24:00.008-04:00

The MBTA is the only reasonable mode of transportation for many people. It's convenient, fairly inexpensive, and good for the environment. But there's one overriding problem with the T. It is probably the most grossly mismanaged agency in the Commonwealth! Riders should not be punished with reduced service and increased fares for mistakes made by the T.

The T has seen an dramatic increase in ridership over the last year due to high gas prices. With such high ridership and fares ranging from $1.70 to $2.00, one would think the T would be sitting pretty. You'd be wrong. In fact, the MBTA is facing a $160,000,000 budget deficit. This gap may result in T officials cutting commuter rail service after 7pm, halting all commuter train service on the weekends, hacking away 6 stops along the Green Line. That's just the tip of the iceberg. Riders could even see a 25% increase in fares.

So, the question arises...how did the T get into this mess? It all comes back to management or lack thereof for MBTA projects.

New projects for the T are almost all over budget and way over schedule. WCVB reported on the issue back in February. Their investigation found several projects are months and even years behind their scheduled completion dates and all were more than 20% over budget. If the projects were within their budgets and completed on time, it would have saved the agency over $100 million, or more than half its current deficit.

What seems to be even more perplexing is that despite the proposed cuts and overrun budgets, the T still wants to move forward on proposed expansion projects! One of the most contentious proposals is an expansion for the Silver Line. The MBTA's record on such projects has won them more enemies than allies in their endeavor, including Emerson College.

If the MBTA ever wants to be credible in the eyes of its riders, they need to stop and look at themselves in the mirror before passing the burden along to the folks waiting (for what seems like forever) for the squeaky trolley to come around the corner at Boylston Street. The buck stops here MBTA. It's time to get a handle on the projects you have before starting anything new. That's how you got into this mess in the first place.

Socks the Cat: A Life of Politics and Chocolate Labs

2009-02-23T15:04:00.019-05:00

This isn't the most important political story to come out of the Washington, D.C. area this weekend. But, for me it was sad to hear. Socks, the official First Cat of the Clinton days in the White House died.

Socks was adopted by Chelsea Clinton back when her father was still governor of Arkansas. When the family moved to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, the black and white kitty became a rock star. He had his own stationary, had a muppet made in his likeness, and was supposed to have his own video game.

Barney Bush was no where near as popular. Maybe it was Socks' willingness to talk to reporters rather than bite them that set him apart...

In 1997 the Clintons introduced a chocolate lab named Buddy into the family. This did not bode well with Socks. According to Hillary Clinton, Socks"...despised Buddy from first sight, instantly and forever." Bill Clinton said, "I did better with ... the Palestinians and the Israelis than I've done with Socks and Buddy."

Upon their departure from Washington, Socks went to live with the president's secretary, Betty Currie. Socks, like most cats, grew ill as he grew older. On February 20th, 2009, cancer forced the Currie family to put Socks to sleep. He was about 20 years old.

This icon of 90's culture is at rest and will be missed. I just hope no one told him that all dogs go to heaven...that means Buddy too.

No More Monkey Business

2009-02-20T00:00:00.006-05:00

When I first saw the now famed money cartoon on the news I could not believe my eyes. My jaw quite literally dropped. It wasn't until later that I tried (unsuccessfully) to put it into the context of the recent chimpanzee attack in Connecticut.

This cartoon is so openly racist it is hard to understand how the editors at the New York Post failed to notice its blatant meaning. I know this tabloid isn't exactly the bed of journalistic integrity, but there must be at least some shred of journalistic judgment in that newsroom, right? It is comparing the first African-American President of the United States to a chimp! How can the racial meaning not come through almost immediately?!

The Post has since apologized for publishing the offensive piece. But in an editorial in the "newspaper" actually lashes out at media critics it says saw the cartoon as "an opportunity for payback." It goes on to refer to them as "opportunists" and flatly states that those people are due no apology.

It is sad to see that in a country that has broken down one of the largest racial barriers in its history with the election of President Obama can be reduced to such petty, childish, offensive, and disgustingly low levels.

Oui, nous pouvons!

2009-02-05T00:04:00.002-05:00

I recently spoke with a friend via Facebook who is living and studying in France for the semester. She's been away for close to a month now. I asked her what it was like to witness the inauguration of Barack Obama from another country.

She said she felt something she hasn't felt for a while...pride in her country.

"I think I felt more emotional about it because I was in France...I am so proud to call Obama my president, I kind of feel like an ambassador of our new Obamified nation," she said.

She said in the days leading up to January 20th that Obama's face was plastered on almost every newspaper and magazine cover, and that she's hopeful the new president can improve our strained foreign relations with with France and the world.

"I didn't watch the inauguration speech itself with many French people, except for a few of my professors, and they seemed really amused by us. A bunch of us were crammed into the only office in the building that had working speakers so we could watch the live feed on CNN.com. I think the French were more interested in OUR interest in the speech than they were in the actual inauguration, but there is definitely a huge air of excitement about Obama here."

Based on my friend's account, it looks like Obama has the whole world saying "Yes We Can!" in just about every lanuguage there is.

America, The Beautiful

2009-01-29T09:00:00.005-05:00

Last week I saw America.

The 6:40AM train took me from the luxury brownstones of Boston to the run down, boarded up duplexes of Baltimore. I must say I was surprised and even saddened to see people in the United States living in these conditions. Yet, after 4 days at my destination (Washington, DC) my hope and faith in my country was restored.

I traveled to the nation's capital with a group of Emerson journalism students to cover the Inauguration of Barack Obama. We all bonded through the long hours and freezing cold temperatures on the streets of DC with little food and even less sleep.

I stood on the National Mall on the frigid Inaugural morning by the Washington Monument with my 2 friends and colleagues Ryan and Valeria. We were joined by another 2 million people who had come from miles around and from all walks of life to witness history in person. Everyone shared in the same hopeful spirit of the day. We all knew things were going to be better, that change had indeed come to America.

The crowds were peaceful. Over 2 million people had flooded the city and there was not a single arrest! How remarkable to think that a nation focused on a common goal can achieve such a feat. This is what I see in America's future: I see cooperation between different people striving to help one another succeed. I see average citizens setting their political differences aside to help move America forward. I can only hope our political leaders can put aside childish things and see the renewed optimism and hope the American people still hold for their country.

On my way home to Boston on the 7:25AM train (which is another story in and of itself) I felt better knowing that I had truly seen America that week.

"Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions — who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage." - President Barack Obama

SO HELP ME GOD!

2009-01-14T20:55:00.002-05:00

I understand there is a separation of church and state, and I respect the choice of some people to not believe in any religion. But I do have an issue with one vocal atheist trying to dictate what President-elect Obama can or cannot say during his Inauguration.

Michael Newdow is an atheist from California who is suing Chief Justice John Roberts in federal court in an attempt to block Obama from saying "so help me God," after he takes the oath of office. Newdow is not new to this battle. He lost similar cases during President George W. Bush's inaugurations, and he also lost a Supreme Court case to ban the words "under God" from the Pledge of Allegiance.

I have serious issue with Mr. Newdow trying to prevent Barack Obama or any president from saying these words. It is a personal moment in their lives that should not be dictated by the public. Thankfully the Justice Department and attorney generals from all 50 states have asked for this lawsuit out.

The oath reads:

"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of president of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."

It is historical fact that George Washington added "so help me God," after he was sworn in, and it has been the choice of his successors to add the phrase. It is not written in the oath and therefore Mr. Newdow has no case...unless he wants to restrict the President-elect's freedom of speech.

Throw this lawsuit out, or so help me God!

Judging George

2009-01-13T21:16:00.004-05:00

When Barack Obama swears to uphold the Constitution at noon next Tuesday history will be made in more than one way. Obama will become the nation's first African American president, and George W. Bush, after 8 long years will no longer be Commander-in-Chief. But, it remains to be seen how history will judge the 43rd president.

In many ways George W. is the reason I decided upon a career in journalism. I saw the country's policies shifting and America changing as I'd never seen before.

In 2000, when I was on the 8th grade, Bush was elected President of the United States of America thanks to a 5-4 decision by the Supreme Court. The court's bizarre vote discounted hundreds of thousands of votes in Florida. In an even odder twist, the court stated their decision would apply on to Bush v. Gore and would not hold as precedent for any future cases.

Less than a year later, as I was just starting high school, the world stood still as the United States was attacked. I remember hearing about the World Trade Center at the end of my biology class, and then in my next period (choir) we all crowded around the television in room 104 and watched as the towers collapsed. The U.S. stood as one nation, and the War on Terror had officially started.

In 2003 I sat in my World History II class watching a statue of Saddam Hussein topple from its pedestal. Almost 6 years and 4,000 U.S. soldiers later, the war rages on as democracy struggles to take root in Iraq.

Shortly after my graduation in 2005 I watched in horror as a major city in the United States of America drowned under the waters of hurricane Katrina, and devastated the Gulf coast.

These are just some of the changes we have all witnessed in the last 8 years. As I watched these events unfold I found myself asking: "What are we doing? Where's the accountability?!"

That's why I chose journalism. To hold those who make the decisions accountable to those who elected them.

So, President Bush does not receive high marks in the history book of my personal recollection, and ultimately I think how ordinary Americans were affected by his presidency is a far more vital piece to judging his administration than any historian's research.

Going off of the election results from last November, it would seem as though the American people have made up their minds as well.

Joe the Foreign Correspondent

2009-01-12T14:19:00.003-05:00

So, it appears as though our friend Joe "The Plumber" Wurzelbacher is stretching his 15 minutes of fame a little longer than any of us thought possible. As we speak, Joe is reporting from Israel as a foreign war correspondent for the conservative media outlet, Pajamas Media.

But while Joe has taken up the Israeli cause to help combat slanted, elitist, and apparently anti-Israel journalism in the U.S. he reportedly told a group of journalists he believes they shouldn't be allowed to report on wars or on anything for that matter.

“I think media should be abolished from, you know, reporting,” he said. “You know, war is hell. And if you’re gonna sit there and say, ‘well, look at this atrocity,’ well you don’t know the whole story behind it half the time, so I think the media should have no business in it.”

For such a freedom loving American, Joe certainly has an un-American stance when it comes to freedom of the press. I guess he overlooked that amendment to the Constitution. What number was it? Oh, yea the first one!

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

Joe, if I may be so bold as to apply your own words to your new found career in "journalism"...

You don't know the whole story behind it and have no business in it.

The New New Deal?

2009-01-11T17:26:00.002-05:00

President-elect Barack Obama doesn't take the oath of office for another week, but he is already stressing the need for a strong economic stimulus plan. He says his proposal could create and save anywhere between 3 to 4 million jobs, but at a tremendous cost to the American taxpayers; almost $1,000,000,000,000.

History shows that the original New Deal, which was implemented by President Franklin Roosevelt helped turn the economy of the 1930's around, but it wasn't until World War II that the United States' economy was back to pre-depression levels. So, will Obama's plan to invest in the nation's infrastructure be enough?

Like most students graduating in May I am uncertain of what the job market will look like, especially in the journalism industry. We are all hoping that Obama's stimulus pays off and gets the economy back on track, so we don't wind up moving back into our high school bedrooms under our parents' roofs.

It is at this time that I'm reminded of words from the founder of the New Deal:

"It is common sense to take a method and try it. If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something." - FDR

One Week Left

2009-01-11T01:18:00.002-05:00

I've been selected to cover the 56th Presidential Inauguration in Washington, DC on January 20th with a group of other journalism students from Emerson. It should be the experience of a lifetime, especially for a political junkie like myself. We will be under the supervision of former ABC World News anchor Carole Simpson.

We will be on the rails next Sunday (6:40 am). We'll be scattered around the city and the surrounding neighborhoods through the 22nd. I'll be staying in Arlington, VA with the brother of one of the other students going.

Being an eyewitness to the historic swearing in of Barack Obama is going to be very exciting. I think it will stir a great deal of emotion, patriotism and hope in myself and in all of those crammed onto the National Mall. It will undoubtedly be one of those rare moments in history where people will remember exactly where they were and what they were doing. But unlike those earlier events, most of which were negative (Pearl Harbor, JFK's assassination, 9/11) this one day will mark a positive change in our society. A moment that will move us all closer to a more perfect Union.

One Step Forward...

2008-11-11T23:38:00.003-05:00

On November 4th we elected the nation's first African American president. While one civil rights barrier was demolished, another reared its ugly head. Anti-gay ballot initiatives were passed in Florida, Arizona, Arkansas, and surprisingly in California. Gay marriage was banned in Florida, Arizona and California. Arkansas banned the adoption of children by gay couples.

I've voiced my opinion on this subject several times. I think our friend Keith sums it up best...

"Change has come to America"

2008-11-07T23:45:00.004-05:00

Here is my most recent blog post on The Road to the White House.

Tuesday night I watched the world change before my eyes. I was standing in the
Massachusetts Democratic headquarters at 11:00pm preparing to interview Lieutenant Governor Tim Murray when the presidential race was called for Senator Barack Obama. The room erupted with cheering that was deafening. The emotion was simply overwhelming. People were hugging, smiling, and some even broke down crying. I had to hold back the tremendous emotion I felt as I was working as a member of the press; the historical significance of Obama's election was awesome. In the streets of Boston and around the globe thousands of the young and old, black and white, gay and straight celebrated as one people; one community; one nation. They celebrated not only a victory for the next president, but a victory for hope and optimism; a victory for America. I've never seen anything like it before.

President-elect Obama revolutionized campaigning through his utilization of the internet. The power of the web was outstanding during this election cycle. The Obama campaign organized thousands of volunteers to travel to swing states, make phone calls, knock on doors, and plead Barack Obama's case to regular people. His campaign was very well organized and worked like a well oiled machine; each cog, gear, nut and bolt doing its part to contribute to the larger goal. His website raised hundreds of millions of dollars from millions of donors; their small contributions of five, ten, or twenty dollars helped make the difference. His funds for the month of September were unprecedented and astounding; over $150 million! But, these are not the primary factors as to why he is the 44^th President of the United States.

Barack Obama is the president because he inspired a generation of new voters to go to the polls in record numbers, and has reengaged the public in the political process. He made us feel as though we were all a part of his journey to the White House, and in a way were all were. He did not just campaign in Blue America or Red America, Real America or Fake America; he was not concerned for the issues facing one America over the other. Instead, he brought his message of change and hope to all of the people in the United States of America.

He is the JFK, RFK, and MLK for the 21^st century. In his short time in politics, he has destroyed the ultimate racial blockade, and has finally ratified the foundation of our nation: that indeed all men are created equal. He is a man for all Americans, all creeds, and all nations. The faith he has instilled in Americans will change the culture in this nations of ours.

The road of course will not be easy. Democrats and Republicans are going to have to compromise and work together to move this country in a new direction. We all have to work together to show the world that America is in fact back, and ready to lead again.

Wednesday morning I was still marveling at the history I had witnessed the night before. People throughout the city of Boston walked down the streets with big smiles on their faces (you would have thought all four sports teams won every championship at the same time!).

It was then I reached the conclusion that over the course of this campaign we have all seen that nothing is impossible; that the American Dream still exists and really can come true. Our country is back on course. We're going to unite this nation. America will lead again. We're going to repair our world.

Yes, we can. Yes, we will.

Boston Rocks the Vote

2008-11-07T23:42:00.003-05:00

Here is a report I did on election day for EIV News' Election Special. I spoke with Senator John Kerry about Barack Obama's chances and saw those long lines at the polls up close and personal.

Boston Celebrates Obama's Victory!

2008-11-05T23:42:00.002-05:00

Bostonians took to the streets shortly after the presidential race was called for Senator Barack Obama. The Boston Police Department kept the revellers under control as they celebrated the election of Obama on the steps of the Boston Public Library. This is my video which was featured on CNN's iReport. I'll have more thoughts on the outcome of the election soon.

Choosing Obama

2008-10-23T17:34:00.002-04:00

On October 17th two friends and I went on Boston Common to get thoughts from voters and tourists on who they believe should be the next President of the United States. Everyone who spoke with us says Obama is their man. This montage was done for our Road to the White House class.

Obama Rallies News Hampshire Support

2008-10-20T23:16:00.003-04:00

On October 16th, I traveled to Londonderry, New Hampshire to cover a Barack Obama rally. Here is the final product! Enjoy!

Look Good...Feel Better

2008-10-14T17:02:00.004-04:00

Here is my most recent piece for WEBN-TV. It's about a program called Look Good...Feel Better, which donates makeup to women going through cancer treatment.

Comedic journalists justly call for a new media "update" - Opinion

2008-10-09T22:37:00.000-04:00

Comedic journalists justly call for a new media "update" - Opinion

Live From New York....

2008-09-28T13:03:00.002-04:00

Once again, Saturday Night Live has outdone itself. Amy Poehler and Tina Fey are comedic gold. Take a look at their reenactment of Governor Sarah Palin's recent interview with Katie Couric.

Debating the Debate

2008-09-27T14:01:00.003-04:00

Last night the nation got a its first look at the presidential candidates going head to head on the same stage. I watched the debate with Carole Simpson and the rest of my Road to the White House class from Emerson.

After enjoying some pizza and listening to the Bill from Capitol Hill lament about his hoping to someday be a law, we finally got to the action. The first debate between Senators John McCain (R-AZ) and Barack Obama (D-IL) took place at "Ole Miss" in Oxford, Mississippi and was moderated by PBS' Jim Lehrer.

Overall I was pleased with most of the substance both candidates presented. Each sought to draw sharp contrasts between their policies for the voters and succeeded. There was, in my view no real clear cut winner. That being said, if national security and foreign policy are supposed to be John McCain's strongest topics, a tie with Obama wasn't good enough to win this election.

McCain was clear and at times quite strong hitting Barack Obama on his stance on Russia's invasion of Georgia, the war in Iraq, and the possibility of raising taxes. McCain also came across as almost condescending toward his Democratic counterpart calling him "naive" and saying he simply "doesn't understand" some of the complex issues facing the country and the people. McCain's anecdotes in an attempt to connect with voters at times seemed scripted and ingenuine.

Besides his actual words, McCain's body language also stuck out dramatically. He looked at Barack Obama only twice throughout the entire evening, when they shook hands at the beginning and end of the debate. When Obama would be on offense McCain would stare straight ahead with an nervous, awkward smile, almost refusing to acknowledge the other senator's presence. He came off as smug and seemingly looking past Obama and toward the Oval Office. A strategy that may prove to be fatal for his White House bid.

Barack Obama started off the strongly giving a four point plan for the proposed bailout of Wall Street. At times he seemed very irritated with McCain and spoke directly to him calling him out on everything that has gone wrong with the War in Iraq including the complete lack of WMDs. It was during these heated times Obama was at his best. His expertise doesn't lie in the topic of national security and foreign policy, but the junior senator proved he could hold his own against the self-proclaimed maverick.

Overall I wasn't thrilled with the debate's setup or moderation. Formal style doesn't allow the candidates an opportunity to talk to and connect with voters. Mr. Lehrer had difficulty keeping the candidates both on topic and within his time restrictions, and his questions were unimaginative for the next president of the United States. It came across as poorly planned, stiff lectuirng.

The Vice Presidential candidates will meet for their only debate on October 2nd in St. Louis. It will be interesting to see the untested Sarah Palin go toe to toe with the experience Joe Biden, especially after she's been manhandled in sit down interviews with Charles Gibson and Katie Couric.

McCain and Obama will meet again on October 7th in Nashville for the second of three debates before the voters head to the polls on November 4th.

Back in Action!

2008-09-22T08:35:00.003-04:00

Hello everyone!

I decided to take the summer off from blogging, because I was simply swamped between my internship with the New England Patriots, and my rewarding work washing dishes at the local country club.

Now, with my senior year upon me it is going to busier than ever. Hopefully I hold up. It's going to be a big semester. The 2008 election is on its way, and my SPJ chapter will be fighting hard for Shield Law protection for all journalists.

So be prepared, I'm back in action and ready to blog!

Parking Pains

2008-05-07T17:03:00.004-04:00

Posted below is a report I did for my TV News Production class on April 9th. It concerns a proposal made by Boston Mayor Tom Menino to the Boston City Council that would double some parking fines across the city.

48 States?

2008-05-02T13:40:00.003-04:00

The Democratic race for the White House was supposed to be finished on February 5th of this year. The American people were supposed to know who would be they'd be choosing between this coming November. Yet, here we are at the beginning of May and we still have no Democratic nominee and the party is in a deadlock.

Neither Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton can clinch the 2,025 delegates needed to win the nomination in the remaining primaries. This leaves everyone involved in the process of electing the nominee in an interesting situation. Do the so called "Super delegates" vote for who is the leader in the elected delegates at the time, or do they cast their votes for the candidate they believe will do the best job against John McCain in the general election. Either way the Democratic party is taking a big risk. If you go one way, they run the risk of losing the general election with a weaker candidate. If they go the other way, they may get a major backlash from voters for not going along with their votes.

One major thing seems to have fallen from the minds of the Democratic party, except for Clinton. Michigan's and Florida's delegates are not being counted because they went against the DNC's rules and held their primaries earlier than they were supposed to. However, if those two states are counted as they voted, the junior senator from New York is suddenly leading the charismatic senator from Illinois in the popular vote! People will argue that Obama was not on the ballot in Michigan and didn't campaign in Florida because it was agreed upon that the states would not count. Then again, that decision was made with the mindset that they wouldn't count in the first place because Super Tuesday was going to wrap up the nomination!

So, here is what needs to be done in order to ensure a fair nomination. Both states need to hold new primaries. The DNC and the states split the cost and everyone gets to re-vote. Its a fair deal for everyone, especially the Democratic voters in those states.

If you choose to discount Michigan, you are ignoring the votes of 590,000+ Democrats and 157 delegates. Without Florida you're overlooking 1.6 million votes and 211 delegates.

These two states are too important to not count! We as a nation have witnessed the importance of these kinds of states; Florida in particular. Count all 50.

Count them or seriously consider the fact there will be a Republican living at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in January 2009.

We're Here! We're Queer!

2007-11-09T10:06:00.000-05:00

In a 235-184 vote, the US House of Representatives passed a bill that would make firing, hiring, promoting, or paying someone based on sexual orientation a crime.

The Employment Non-Discrimination Act faces an uphill battle in the narrowly divided Senate. Senator Kennedy is planning on introducing a similar plan. If the bill does pass a Senate vote, it is likely to be vetoed by President Bush.

CNN reports Bush and the White House have cited constitutional concerns and that this bill could infringe religious rights. Many Republicans share these concerns saying that the bill may undermine people who oppose the lifestyles based on religious reasons.

However, supporters of the bill call it a major step in civil rights for the homosexual community. House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-SC) said, "Bigotry and homophobia are sentiments that should never be allowed to permeate the American workplace."

Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) is one of only two openly gay members of Congress. He said this bill tells "...millions of Americans who are gay and lesbian that they are not bad people, that it is not legitimate to fire them simply because of who they are."

This bill did face some criticism from the GLBT community because it does not guarantee protection of transgender people. A measure for transgender rights was in the bill's original draft, but leaders felt it would cause many conservative and moderate Democrats to vote against the bill. Rep. Rick Boucher (D-Virginia) said, "It's better to take this one step at a time."

Federal law forbids job discrimination based on race, gender, and religion. Nineteen states have their own laws in place banning discrimination due to sexual orientation, and nine have laws banning discrimination of transgender people.

My Opinion: I am pro-gay rights in case you haven't figured it out by now.

What I don't understand is what the GOP means when it says the bill would trample religious rights. The bill doesn't apply to churches or the military, so its hard for me to see their logic. Maybe they mean the religious right?

The Republican party's argument is flawed, and in 2008 when the Democrats are running the show again, I think we will see major advances in Gay and Lesbian and possibly Transgender rights.

I believe this is a good bill. It is just a shame that it will be vetoed by the bigot in the White House, and the Democrats won't have the votes to override him this time. We'll see what Senator Kennedy's bill brings when he introduces it in the Senate. Sadly, I feel it will fall in a similar fashion.

A First Time For Everything

2007-11-06T22:11:00.000-05:00

For the first time in the "W. Era", The House of Representatives has voted to override a Presidential veto, and the Senate is expected to follow.

The battle is over a $23 billion water bill for projects to help the still devastated Gulf Coast, which is still trying to recover from Hurricane Katrina 2 years later. The bill has strong bipartisan support; 223 Democrats and 138 Republicans came together to vote to override Bush's veto. The 361-54 vote was more than the two-thirds needed to pass the override.

President Bush vetoed the bill saying that it was too expensive. This drew instant criticism from Democratic leaders. ""He doesn't pay for a single cent of that $196.4 billion [for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan]," said House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD). "But he says in order to develop the levees to save New Orleans that's cost us billions of dollars ... that's too much money."

"My administration has repeatedly urged the Congress to authorize only those projects and programs that provide a high return on investment and are within the three main missions of the Corps' civil works program: Facilitating commercial navigation, reducing the risk of damage from floods and storms and restoring aquatic ecosystems," Bush said. "This bill does not achieve that goal."

Some of the projects included in the rejected bill include reconstruction of levees around New Orleans and the closure of the Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet, a man-made channel blamed for bringing Katrina's storm surge into the Big Easy's Lower 9th Ward.

My Opinion: A high return on investment? Yup, hundred of billions spent in Iraq has given us plenty of return. Oh yea, did I mention 2007 has been the deadliest year for US soldiers in Iraq? I'm so glad the President is so concerned with the continued depletion and extended tours of our already fatigued armed forces. Wasting money on something as trivial as the impoverished Gulf Coast? What are the Democrats thinking?!

I cannot wait for the Senate to override this veto and kick George W. Bush square in the pants. Congratulations to the Congress for standing up to the guru of responsible spending and doing what is right for the Gulf Coast and the United States. No more will important domestic issues be overshadowed by the politics of fear...I hope.

All Wet

2007-11-04T10:18:00.000-05:00

President Bush has tapped Michael Mukasey to replace Alberto Gonzales Attorney General of the United States. Mukasey has served 18 years as a judge in New York's Southern District Court. 6 of those years were as Chief Judge. However, the man George W. Bush hoped would have breezed through Senate confirmation has hit a snag.

Some members of the Senate are disturbed by Mukasey's vague opinion on the government's use of water-boarding. Water-boarding is when a suspect is brought to the brink of drowning in order to get information.

Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) has announced the committee will likely put the nomination to vote on November 6th. Leahy also announced he would vote against Mukasey's nomination based on his answers on torture. "I am eager to restore strong leadership and independence to the Department of Justice. I like Michael Mukasey. I wish that I could support his nomination. But I cannot. America needs to be certain and confident of the bedrock principle -- deeply embedded in our laws and our values -- that no one, not even the president, is above the law," he said.

Hours later two key Democratic members of the Judiciary Committee, Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Charles Schumer (D-NY) proclaimed their support of the President's candidate. If all of the committee's Republican members vote in favor of Mukasey, which they are expected to, he would move on to a full Senate vote. With such small majority of Democrats in the Senate, and at least two of them voting in favor of Mukasey, it is likely he will be confirmed by the Senate and become the next Attorney General. If the vote comes to a 50-50 tie, Vice President Dick Cheney would cast the deciding vote. In either scenario Mukasey is confirmed.

As of November 1st, 5 Senators (not counting Leahy) have come out in opposition to Mukasey's confirmation. Sens. Edward Kennedy and John Kerry (D-MA), Chris Dodd (D-CT), Joseph Biden (D-DE), and Bernie Sanders (D-VT) all plan to vote against the nomination because of the controversial stance on torture.

My Opinion: This man should not be confirmed as Attorney General. With Mukasey I feel we will simply see more of the same; looking the other way or interpreting the law and Constitution differently (as the President sees/breaks it). Water-boarding is a terrible form of torture and it should not be used on any human being. It is both inhumane and ineffective. Prisoners will say anything to get the torture to stop. This is not the way the United States should go about collecting intelligence. The United States is better than this, and the Justice Department is better than Micahel Mukasey. Shame on any Senators that vote in favor of this nominee and this medieval form of torture.

Green Gore wins Peace Prize

2007-10-12T13:19:00.001-04:00

Al Gore's trophy case is getting smaller and smaller everyday. The former Vice President of the United States turned environmental activist has already won an Emmy for for his CurrentTV cable news station, and an Academy Award for his global warming documentary An Inconvenient Truth. Now he can add another to the already impressive résumé. Nobel Peace Prize.

Gore and the U.N.'s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change won the award on Friday for their efforts of spreading awareness of global warming.

Gore said in a statement "I am deeply honored to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.. We face a true planetary emergency. The climate crisis is not a political issue, it is a moral and spiritual challenge to all of humanity."

The Nobel citation red in part, "His strong commitment, reflected in political activity, lectures, films and books, has strengthened the struggle against climate change... He is probably the single individual who has done most to create greater worldwide understanding of the measures that need to be adopted."

Peace Prize committee Chairman Ole Danbolt Mjoes said "I want this prize to have everyone ... every human being, asking what they should do."

Gore said that he planned to donate his share of the $1.5 million prize money to the Alliance for Climate Protection. The ACP is a nonprofit bipartisan group in the US dedicated to conveying global climate change's urgency in the national agenda.

Gore is under intense pressure to enter the race for President in 2008. He maintains he has no plans to run.

FUN FACTS!

The last American to win the Nobel Peace Prize was former President Jimmy Carter in 2002.

President Teddy Roosevelt was the first US President to win the Peace Prize.

TOO MUCH NEWS!

2007-09-09T10:07:00.000-04:00

So, there has been a lot of news stories in the past 2 weeks. It's hard to know where to begin. I'll just dive in. I am pleased to present my video happy post!

Michael Vick entered a guilty plea after agreeing to a plea bargain with federal prosecutors. He funded a dog fighting ring out of his Virginia estate. He is now a convicted felon and will be sentenced on December 10th. He faces up to 5 years in prison.

Senator Larry Craig (R-Idaho) was arrested in an airport bathroom after allegedly soliciting an undercover police office for sex. Craig plead guilty to lewd conduct and was fined. He is now fighting the charges. He resigned his Senate seat after intense pressure from GOP colleagues.

Alberto Gonzales has resigned his post of Attorney General. He had been under fire from both Democrats and Republicans over the firings of 8 US prosecutors for apparent political reasons.

The parents of Madeleine McCann, the little girl from the UK who went missing on a family vacation Portugal, have officially been named as suspects in their daughter's disappearance. The parents, who have been on a mission to find their daughter have been interrogated by investigators as evidence is mounting against them. The couple and their 2 other children recently returned to the UK for the first time since Madeleine's mysterious disappearance.

Legendary tenor Luciano Pavarotti passed away this week at the age of 71 after battling cancer.

Actor and former Senator Fred Thompson officially entered the race for the Republican nomination for the presidency. He made his announcement on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

A new study says that 2/3 of polar bears will be dead by the year 2050 due to the melting ice caps.

Days before the 6th anniversary of September 11, 2001, Osama bin Laden has released a new video tape.

My opinion: Michael Vick should go to jail for a long time.
-I'm a little confused about Larry Craig, I think Larry Craig is also a little confused about Larry Craig.
-Alberto is gone. Too bad President Bush is still here!
-Despite the DNA evidence, I cannot bring myself to believe that the McCanns would remain so public if they were the ones responsible for their daughter's apparent death. It just doesn't make sense to me.
-The world has lost one of the great musicians in the world; Heaven has gained a new tenor in the choir.
-I don't understand why people are swooning over Fred Thompson. Everyone is calling him the next Reagan. I didn't think Reagan was the great, then again I was only an infant when he was President.
-Can we put swimmies on the polar bears so they don't drown? How about inner tubes? How about reducing green house gas emissions? One of these things will not lead to us being mauled to death by bears. Guess which one!
-It has been 6 years since the murders of 3,000 Americans. Their killer is still on the loose. Where is the justice we were promised Mr. Bush? I'm willing to bet its not in Iraq.

Rats Fleeing A Sinking Ship

2007-08-23T15:48:00.000-04:00

In recent weeks there have been announcements about some of President Bush's most loyal aides resigning from their offices.

Political mastermind and Deputy Chief of Staff, Karl Rove announced his resignation to take effect on August 31st.

Press Secretary and former Fox news reporter Tony Snow will be stepping down from his post in September.

Rove is best known for his political maneuvering during Bush's 2000 and 2004 presidential campaigns. Critics call his tactics slimy and unethical. Others call him a genius. It is unclear why Rove is leaving the Administration. He claims that he wishes to spend more time teaching and writing. Many others believe that Rove saw the President failing and losing favor in the country at a rapid pace. Rove was also on the verge of being investigated numerous times for his involvement in the firings of several US attorneys and the White House E-Mail Scandal. 2008 presidential candidate John Edwards was pleased to see Rove go. In a released statement on August 13th (when the Wall Street Journal reported Rove's resignation), Edwards simply said "Goodbye, good riddance."

As for Snow, the only reason he is leaving is because of his poor health. He took a brief leave of absence to undergo chemotherapy after being diagnosed with cancer earlier this year. He was a controversial choice for Press Secretary because of his work for the conservatively bias Fox News.

Many political editors believe that the resignation of these figures marks the end of the Bush presidency, and that he (the President) has fallen into lame duck status.

My Opinion: Goodbye, good riddance.

Mr. Rove I hope you go to jail for what you have done to your country for political gain and greed. Alas, I don’t believe that day will come as long as George is still around to pardon you.

Mr. Snow you were supposed to be a journalist. Yet, with Fox News there is no such thing. Instead, you fed the nation and your colleagues a series of lies handed down by the president. I pray you recover from your battle with cancer quickly.

The sooner George W. Bush is a lame duck, the sooner this country can move forward.

Middleboro Joins The Tribe

2007-08-03T19:23:00.000-04:00

A bit of local news!

In a 2,387 to 1,335 the town of Middleboro, MA has recently approved a deal between the Mashpee Wampanoag Indian Tribe and the town to build the state's first casino. The deal promises the town $7 million each year.

The proposal deeply divided the town. Opponents of the casino claim on their website, Casino Facts, "One of the most comprehensive studies on casinos and crime reported that casinos increased crime in the categories of rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny and auto theft. The increased crime starts about three years after casino introduction. This pattern is consistent with the theories that problem and pathological gamblers commit crime as they deplete their resources."

Proponents of the casino are looking at the town's current fiscal crisis, which includes a suffering school budget. With the casino in town they see a bright future with an increase in tourism, which will boost the local economy, and more jobs in the area.

"In exchange for its support, the casino developers are promising the town $7 million a year in cash payments, plus revenues from a 4 percent lodging assessment when a planned 1,500 room hotel opens on the site. The tribe has also promised to make improvements in town roads and other infrastructure for the benefit of the casino, and to make a onetime $2 million payment for police and ambulance services." (Boston Globe)

The casino still requires state and federal approval, which it is likely to receive.

Glenn Marshall, the tribal chairman called the state's largest town meeting in history "...an exciting day for everyone. Now, it's time to sit down and negotiate with the governor."

My Opinion: I am personally in favor of the proposes casino in Middleboro. The area and state needs a major source of revenue, and a casino is a good way to achieve such goals. I hope that this casino will put the spot light on Southeastern Massachusetts, and the area will no longer be treated as the armpit of the state.

I understand the concerns of traffic troubles, especially with the Middleboro rotary at Rts. 44 and 18. However, I feel that the long term benefits for Middleboro and the surrounding communities outweigh the negatives, especially considering that the tribe has agreed to pay for road upgrades to deal with the increased traffic.

One such opposition was an increase in gambling addiction. My major argument with this idea is that people are addicted to cigarettes, alcohol, and food. Why not stop selling those?!

The thing that completely turned me off about Casino Facts was when I was watching an NECN report on the casino. A spokesperson for the group said that a casino would lead to an increase in child molestation. WTF?! I want to see the direct correlation between casinos and pedophilia. A straw man argument if I ever heard one.

Congratulations to the voters of Middleboro, who have taken a huge step in preserving their town's financial security for years to come.

In the Dog House

2007-07-20T16:34:00.000-04:00

A choke chain has been placed around Atlanta Falcons quarterback, Michael Vick's neck and everyone seems to want a chance to pull. The NFL superstar has been indicted by a federal grand jury on multiple charges of dog fighting. The allegations have sparked outrage among animal rights advocates, football fans, and politicians.

Federal investigators have found sheds stained with blood and several live and dead dogs on Vick's property at his Virginia estate; evidence enough for a trial. Vick and 3 others are due in court on July 26th. If convicted Vick could face up to 6 years in prison and a $350,000 fine.

Nike has suspended the release of a new Michael Vick sneaker. This is not the only suspension Vick is likely to face.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is under tremendous pressure to suspend Vick from the league. On the floor of the Senate, Senator Robert Byrd (D-WV) denounced animal cruelty in all its forms. "Hundreds of thousands -- if not millions -- of dollars are often at stake in the breeding, the training and the selling of fighting dogs. How inhuman, how dastardly! The training of these poor creatures to turn themselves into fighting machines is simply barbaric."

Senator John Kerry (D-MA) sent a letter to Goodell asking for Vick's immediate suspension. Kerry's letter pointed out that professional athletes are role models. "As the most popular team sport in America, professional football has a responsibility to showcase the highest levels of behavior and sportsmanship," he wrote.

Investigators believe that if a dog was too weak to fight, or lost that they were killed in very disturbing manners. It has been said that dogs were drowned, shot, and even electrocuted.

My Opinion:

Michael Vick, you are accused of being a poor role model, awful human being, and terrible quarterback. I hereby find you guilty of all charges. As punishment, you are sentenced to fight the very dogs you neglected and abused. When you lose, you will then be drowned, shot, electrocuted, and then shot again. We'll see how you like it, sicko.

Scooting Around Justice

2007-07-07T22:31:00.000-04:00

Former White House aide, Lewis "Scooter" Libby was sentenced to 30 months in prison for his role in the CIA leak scandal that revealed the identity of an undercover agent named Valerie Plame. He was convicted of lying and obstructing justice. Tonight he is not behind bars, and will not be serving any time for his crime.

On July 2nd, President Bush commuted the 30 month prison get away from Libby's sentence. He is required to serve 2 years probation and pay a $250,000 fine. This isn't quite a full pardon. A full pardon would have completely eliminated Libby's criminal record.

Bush said in a statement " I respect the jury's verdict, but I have concluded that the prison sentence given to Mr. Libby is excessive. Therefore, I am commuting the portion of Mr. Libby's sentence that required him to spend thirty months in prison."

His decision has outraged Democrats. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said "Libby's conviction was the one faint glimmer of accountability for White House efforts to manipulate intelligence and silence critics of the Iraq war. Now, even that small bit of justice has been undone."

Speaker Nancy Pelosi asserted that the president "condones criminal actions."

Special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald says the president was wrong to commute Libby's sentence; claiming that Libby was sentenced under the same laws other citizens are subject to.

It is fundamental to the rule of law that all citizens stand before the bar of justice as equals," Fitzgerald said.

My Opinion: Can George W. Bush be any bolder? He is blatantly smacking the judicial system in the face. He just doesn't care! It disgusts me that he would let Libby walk away from jail time. If this were the common man, he'd be sitting in a federal penitentiary. But, he's the Vice President's former Chief of Staff, so he gets special treatment from the executive branch. While he was subject to the same laws as you or me, he has his buddies at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue to back him up and get him out of any jam he may get into.

The president should've let Libby serve out his sentence in its entirety. Instead he decided to interfere and further tarnish his reputation. Hell, when you're already at 28% approval, why not shoot for 0%? Moron.

Long Time No See!

2007-06-29T22:16:00.000-04:00

I'm sorry about not posting anything in almost a month! I've been really lazy. My sincerest apologies. So, let's catch up on all of the news that has happened in June! I've thrown in my opinion just for fun!

Paris is out of jail after being released and thrown back in. Who cares? Not me.

An immigration bill that would've granted over 12 million illegal immigrants citizenship failed to pass in the Senate this week. The bipartisan bill was supported by President Bush.

Professional Wrestler Chris Benoit was found dead in his Georgia home this week with his family. It is believed that Benoit strangled his wife Nancy, smothered his 7 year old son Daniel the next day, and finally hung himself using wire from a weight lifting machine.

Gay marriage will not be put on the 2008 ballot in Massachusetts after it failed to pass a consecutive vote in the legislature. Score one for Deval Patrick!

The United States Supreme Court has made a whole bunch of decisions. Here's the opinions of the Justices on the recent cases: CLICK ME!!!

Senator John Kerry said that he is in favor of bringing back the Fairness Doctrine. It requires that radio and TV talk show hosts give equal air time to the other side of a story. The doctrine was repealed in 1986 and conservatives have dominated the airwaves ever since. Now that the "liberals" are trying to clean up the airwaves and make talk radio progressive, they are being accused of attacking free speech and trying to eliminate talk radio all together. Disgusting.

The White House is being subpoenaed for the firings of prosecutors. The White House is citing "executive privilege" and refusing to turn over any requested documents. My question is, if the White House has done nothing wrong, what is there to hide?

The space shuttle returned safely after a mission to the International Space Station.

Tony Blair has officially stepped down as Prime Minister of Britain after serving for 10 years. Gordon Brown is the newest Prime Minister.

That's all I can really think of right now. Let me know if I missed anything. I will do my best to keep up with the blog.

Potter Pooper

2007-05-31T10:02:00.000-04:00

On July 21st, the seventh and final book in the Harry Potter series will hit the shelves. However, Harry has more than Lord Voldemort to worry about. A Georgia mother is trying to have Potter and his adventures banned from public school libraries.

Laura Mallory believes that the Harry Potter series promotes witchcraft, and since some people practice witchcraft, the books violate the Constitution's separation of church and state. She has been trying to ban the books since 2005. In May 2006, the county denied Mallory's demands and the decision was upheld by the Georgia Board of Education later that year.

The county cited that Harry Potter books "are good tools to encourage children to read and to spark creativity and imagination."

Mallory may be taking her case to Federal Court. She believes that she will have more weight if she hires an attorney, rather than representing herself.

She remains worried about the welfare of children who read the popular stories. "They don't want the Easter Bunny's power. The children in our generation want Harry's power, and they're getting it." She also said "I have a dream that God will be welcomed back in our schools again. I think we need Him."

My Opinion: OK, so let's recap. Mallory wants Harry Potter out because witchcraft is a religion and therefore is in violation of church and state. But then she dreams of a day that God will be back in the schools. Pretty sure that would violate church and state too.

So, she has completely contradicted herself. Basically she should be saying "I'm an evangelical Christian that is overreacting about a children's book. I like my own religion, but nothing else." What a poor picture to paint for the evangelical community, and all Christians.

I enjoy the fact that children don't want to be a giant rabbit. I think that if your child wants to be a large furry mammal that delivers colored eggs around the world, you have bigger problem on your hands than them reading a book.

She also said "The children in our generation want Harry's power, and they're getting it". I don't know of any child with a working magic wand, a flying broom, and goes out hanging around ancient castles fighting evil.

Sounds cool, but this person needs to realize that it is, sadly, a world of make believe. When children get to the age where they can read Harry Potter, they should be able to draw the line between reality and imaginary.

Harry Potter is was sparked my interest in reading back in 8th grade. I'm happy to report that I am still a Christian that hasn't been sucked into a cult of witchcraft via reading. I have reserved my copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows and cannot wait for July 21st.

Maybe Mallory should try reading the book for herself before she passes judgement on them. Nah, that would be too Christ-like.

Why Can't We Be Friends?

2007-05-30T10:07:00.000-04:00

Violence in Iraq is on the rise and President Bush's approval rating is on a steady decline. After 4 years fighting in Iraq, the administration has decided to use diplomacy with Iraq's neighbors.

It has been 27 years since the United States held talks with Iran. On May 29th, Memorial Day, the silence was broken. Ambassadors from the US, Iran, and Iraq met in Baghdad to discuss the future of security in the region.

Ryan Crocker is the US ambassador to Iraq. "I laid out before the Iranians a number of our direct specific concerns about their behavior in Iraq," Crocker said. "Their support for militias that are fighting both the Iraqi security forces and coalition forces; the fact that a lot of the explosives and ammunition that are used by these groups are coming in from Iran; that such activities led by the [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps] Quds Force needed to cease and that we would be looking for results," he said at a press conference. Crocker went on to say the that there isn't much to argue about.

The Iranian Ambassador to Iraq is Hassan Kazemi Qomi. He said that Iran is ready and willing to help train and equip Iraqi police and the Iraqi Army. Qomi told the AP the three nations will meet again next month.

My Opinion: President Bush may have come to the realization that things in Iraq aren't going to get better without diplomacy. I'm surprised, but pleased he decided to approve these talks. He has called Iran a part of the "Axis of Evil" and refused to talk to this nation.

Its about time the US has decided to use diplomacy. If it were used a little more in 2003, I wonder if we'd be in this mess at all. Sadly, I think we probably would be.

One thing I find interesting is that the two nations appear to be on the same page regarding Iraq. But neither seem to trust the other. We think they're building nuclear weapons, and they think we're going to blow them off the map at any moment.

The US and Iran need to put their differences aside for stability in the Middle East and security in Iraq.

Why can't we be friends?

Stay for Paris Slashed

2007-05-21T14:26:00.000-04:00

This is an opinion piece.

I was outraged to read that Paris Hilton's 45 day jail sentence was cut in half for good behavior. She is not even in jail yet!!! She had her sentence cut to 23 days for showing up to court for her hearing.

This is disgusting. Any other person shows up to their hearing and they don't have their stays in the big house reduced. Paris Hilton and every celebrity should be treated as equals in the eyes of the law.

It is the law to show up to court when you're supposed to. It is not good behavior.

Shame on the judge that handed down this decision. I hope he enjoys his stay at any Hilton hotel.

Black and White Stripes are Hot

2007-05-15T17:47:00.000-04:00

Paris Hilton's life is about to become a little simpler. She will be spending the next 45 days in jail; a big change from her top of the line hotel rooms.

Hilton is going to jail for driving with a suspended license. She claimed that her agent told her she could drive for work related business. Prosecutors and a judge decided that ignorance of the law was no excuse for breaking it, and her celebrity wasn't going to rescue her.

Her psychiatrist described Hilton as "emotionally distraught and traumatized" over the sentence.

She will be kept out of the general inmate population for her own safety.

Her agent has since been fired.

My Opinion: This story makes me smile. I'm so glad that Paris Hilton is going to jail. It proves famous people are not above the law.

:-D Hooray for celebrities going to jail!

Tony Blair Says Goodbye

2007-05-14T22:33:00.000-04:00

The Prime Minister of Great Britain will step down in June. Tony Blair has served his country for 10 years. Over the last four years he has lost both popularity and respect among the people he represents. Why? Iraq.

I recently read an article in Time about why we will miss Blair and why he deserves better than leaving office with a tarnished reputation.

The post for today is simply the link to the article. Let me know what you think.

Why You'll Miss Tony Blair by Michael Elliott

Bye Bye Boris

2007-04-23T12:55:00.000-04:00

Russia has become a little darker today. Former Russian President Boris Yeltsin died at the age of 76.

Yeltsin is credited with restoring democracy in Russia after decades of communism. He came to power in 1991, but after eight years and unsuccessful attempts at reform he resigned in 1999. Russia during the 90's was much more Pro-America and Pro-West. While, social and political corruption in Russia was running rampant, relations between the two largest super powers had improved greatly since the end of the Cold War.

One of Yeltsin's greatest accomplishments was the establishment of a free press. When he turned over power to current President Vladimir Putin, many of his accomplishments were reversed, including a free press. Russia is once again become a growing threat to the Western way of life.

Yeltsin was good friends with former President Bill Clinton. Click here for more on Boris Yeltsin.

My Opinion: From what I have read about Boris Yeltsin, it seems as though he really believed in the idea, hopes, and goals of democracy (despite blowing Parliament up with tanks).

He got Russia started on the right path, but the corruption inside the government was too much to overcome; he couldn't rebuild the country after the crumbling of the USSR. It's sad to see what little he did accomplish undone by Putin.

I have to be careful about what I say regarding Putin. Isn't it odd that all of his critics wind up with some kind of radioactive poisoning, or are mysteriously murdered?

Vermont Calls for Impeachment

2007-04-21T09:46:00.000-04:00

The Vermont Senate is fed up with the Bush administration. The state Senate voted 16-9 to call for the impeachment of President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney.

The vote was taken without any formal debate by the Democratically controlled legislative body. The nonbinding resolution asks for US Representative Peter Welch to introduce the legislation into the House of Representatives, which would begin the process of impeachment. They say the actions of the administration raise "serious questions of constitutionality."

Welch and the Vermont delegation immediately rejected the resolution. While, the acknowledge and share in the anger of many Vermont residents with the president, they say that now is not the time. Congress is currently in the process of investigating several of Bush's decisions including justification for war in Iraq.

"Before we talk about impeachment, it is imperative that these investigations be allowed to run their course, and we should then follow wherever the facts lead," the delegation said in a statement.

In March, 40 towns approved a measure to impeach the president.

My Opinion: I would like nothing more than to see President Bush and the Penguin, I mean Dick Cheney be impeached. I honestly believe that the mistakes this administration has constantly made is far worse than the reasoning for impeachment for President Clinton. No President in history deserves to be impeached more than this one. Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton didn't lie about threats to bring the United States into a war, which has cost thousands of lives of American troops and innocent civilians.

That being said, I agree with the US Representatives from Vermont. Allow Congress to finish its investigations of Bush, let them build a case.

Impeachment may very well pass in the House, but with a narrow margin in the Senate it is unlikely that Bush would be found guilty without overwhelming evidence of misconduct.

If anything did lead to impeachment, I would find it interesting to see how Chief Justice Roberts would handle the proceedings of the impeachment of the president that appointed him to the Supreme Court.

I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

Gun Control: A Constitutional Debate

2007-04-19T09:33:00.000-04:00

Another Opinion Piece!

In the wake of the Virginia Tech tragedy, a debate has sprung up over gun control in the United States. Does the 2nd Amendment really mean that every American has the right to carry a weapon?

Let's take a look at the wording of the amendment in question. "A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the People to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed."

Now, this is tricky. It clearly says that the right of the "People to bear arms shall not be infringed." People who are pro gun control tend to believe that the term "regulated militia" doesn't mean every citizen.

These are no longer the days of Massachusetts Minutemen and the American Revolution. The US doesn't rely on militias anymore. Now there are the Armed Forces, as well as federal, state, and local law enforcement. These are now the militias that ensure the security of our "free state".

Republican Senator and presidential candidate John McCain said in response to gun control after the VT shootings

"I strongly support the Second Amendment and I believe the Second Amendment ought to be preserved - which means no gun control."

While this may be music to the ears of NRA members, it is nails on a chalkboard to those who are affected by massacres in offices, campuses, and on the streets.

We need stricter gun laws in the United States. We let this supposed Constitutional right run rampant. According to the Gun Control Network, "In 1999, there were 28,874 gun-related deaths in the United States - over 80 deaths every day."

Some people will argue that countries in Europe are smaller and can't compare to the US in size and population, therefore naturally have a lesser rate of gun related deaths. The fact is that gun control has resulted in fewer gun related deaths in European countries like England. The outside world associated the United States with guns! What a reputation to have, and unfortunately live up to.

It's sad that it takes a mass killing for some people to wake up and realize that guns are dangerous weapons that shouldn't be in the hands of some people

Sorry Jim Bob, but you don't need an AK-47 to go hunting or to protect yourself from robbers.

Virginia Tech Shooting

2007-04-18T13:02:00.000-04:00

This is an opinion piece.

April 16, 2007 started off like any Patriots Day for me here in Massachusetts. No classes, so I woke up around 11am and turned on the Red Sox game. They were on a rain delay. It was a soggy Marathon Monday, but more importantly Free Quart Day at Cold Stone Creamery. So, I set off with my friends braving the elements for free ice cream, and high fiving runners on their way to the finish line as they passed.

It wasn't until when I returned to my apartment around 4 that afternoon that I had any idea of the carnage that had unfolded at Virginia Tech that morning.

CNN was reporting that at total of 32 people were killed. A student has shot and killed 2 students around 7:30am and then went on a shooting spree a couple hours later. Its difficult to imagine the horror that faced the students and faculty of this college.

It wasn't until later that night while I was reading the New Bedford Standard Times online did I realize that I had a friend at Virgina Tech. Catherine Lawton is the sister of my friend Hallisey. Kate is a graduate student at VT, and she is thankfully alright.

Even more frightening is the notion that this could have happened anywhere. It happened in Virginia, but what means it couldn't have been in Boston? This will serve as a wake up call to colleges across the nation that this is a real threat. Campus security needs to be stepped up on every campus. Boston colleges have taken this to heart as they have agreed to a summer training program with the Boston Police Dept.

News stations and papers came to Emerson yesterday during the campus' moment of silence. Virginia Tech shooting comes home The pictures and video on this site are from my broadcast journalism class.

Life was senselessly cut down in its prime. My thoughts and prayers are with all the families affected by this tragedy.

Imus Gets Canned

2007-04-14T17:08:00.000-04:00

After days of controversy, CBS has fired radio talk show host Don Imus.

It all started when Imus called the players of the Rutger's women's basketball team "nappy headed hos". The comment sparked outrage among African American leaders and feminists. They called for Imus' immediate dismissal.

Imus apologized profusely for his insensitive comments. He met with the Reverend Al Sharpton, on Sharpton's radio program. Sharpton said that Imus' apology wasn't enough, and wanted him removed from the airwaves.

Imus met privately with the Rutger's basketball team and their coach, Vivian Stringer hours after being fired. The team decided to accept Imus' apology.

"...he came [to the meeting] in spite of the fact that he lost his job. So let's give him credit for that," Stringer said.

The future of Don Imus in the world of broadcasting remains unclear.

My Opinion: Don Imus should not have been fired. I realize that his comments were racist, sexist, and inexcusable. However, they do fall under the protection of the First Amendment.

If Don Imus is going to be fired for spouting off on the radio, then all shock jocks should be removed from their posts. Howard Stern is just as offensive as any radio personality, and he still has a job. He makes millions of dollars making lude comments and exploiting women on air.

Don Imus should not have been removed by CBS. A suspension, fine by CBS and the FCC, and a public apology would have been enough. What he said was wrong, but nothing you say is illegal. That's #1 on the Bill of Rights for a reason.

The courage of Elizabeth Edwards - Opinion

2007-03-30T13:42:00.000-04:00

The courage of Elizabeth Edwards - Opinion

Here's my latest opinion piece that was published in The Berkeley Beacon.

An Inconvenient Truth on Capitol Hill

2007-03-21T12:54:00.000-04:00

For the first time since the inauguration of President George W. Bush in January of 2001, former Vice President Al Gore was at the Capitol Building in Washington today. However, this time he was not there as President of the Senate, but to testify before two House committees and a Senate committee on the issue of Global Warming.

Gore's documentary on global warming, An Inconvenient Truth, won the Academy Award for Best Documentary last month. Over twenty years ago, as a Senator, Gore called the first hearings on the threat of global warming.

Today, before the House and Senate committees Gore suggested the United States take a leading role in the fight against climate change.

"There is a sense of hope in this country that this United States Congress will rise to the occasion and present meaningful solutions to this crisis. Our world faces a true planetary emergency. I know the phrase sounds shrill, and I know it's a challenge to the moral imagination," he said.

He advised the legislature to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 90% by the year 2050 to avoid catastrophic changes to the Earth's climate.

Former Speaker of the House, Dennis Hastert believes the debate on global warming is over, it's happening and it needs to be taken care of. However, Hastert was hesitant over some of Gore's suggestions. "A lot of those recommendations are more regulations and more taxation," Hastert said.

The former Vice President rejected the idea that the U.S. should only agree to carbon emission restrictions if other large countries such as China and India agree to follow suit. Gore claims the only way to get other countries to go along with this is if the United States works as a world leader. It must use it's power of influence and resources to change the world for the better.

My opinion: I am currently on the fence as to whom I want to support for President of the United States of America in 2008. It will be the Democratic candidate. But, which one? I like Hillary, she's got experience, but is "heartland" going to elect a female president? Obama is good too, but I think he needs more time in the Senate. Edwards is also another good candidate, but will the memory of the 2004 loss be on the minds of voters? I want a candidate I'm sure will have no trouble winning the White House. If Al Gore decides to run again, he has my support. As of right now he says he has no plans of running, but the timing couldn't be better. The GOP is weak, and he has had tons of exposure lately because of his movie. He was elected in 2000, why not again in 2008?

I agree that the country needs to take a leadership role in the fight against global warming. Gas guzzling SUV's pollute our airways and warm out atmosphere. The planet is a mess, and we have the power to fix it, some of us just need to find the will to fix it. I highly recommend seeing An Inconvenient Truth. It's not a bunch of liberal trash, it's fact.

In the words of one of my childhood heroes, Captain Planet, "THE POWER IS YOURS!"

The shame of the religious right - Opinion

2007-03-10T11:18:00.000-05:00

Sorry. I have once again become a slacker when it comes to blogging. To make up for my lack of posts here is a link to my recent opinion piece in Emerson College's The Berkeley Beacon. Enjoy!

The shame of the religious right - Opinion

"The Departed" Leaves A Winner

2007-02-26T12:24:00.000-05:00

The Boston mob hit The Departed cleaned house last night at the 79th Annual Academy Awards. It took home the most awards of the evening with four, including Best Picture and Best Director.

When Martin Scorsese was announced the winner of the Best Director category he kiddingly asked the presenters: "Could you double-check the envelope?" This was Scorsese's sixth nomination for director and his first win.

Minutes after Scorsese left the stage it was announced by Jack Nicholson that The Departed had been named Best Picture. Nicholson starred in the film as the Boston Irish mob boss. The Departed also won Best Adapted Screenplay and Film Editing.

Many other categories had winners that were expected to win. Helen Mirren was regal in her victory for Best Actress for The Queen. Forest Whitaker was also royal with his award for Best Actor for The Last King of Scotland.

Of course it was a dream come true for Jennifer Hudson who won Best Supporting Actress for her outstanding performance in the movie musical Dreamgirls.

Yet, surprisingly Little Miss Sunshine star Alan Arkin beat out Dreamgirls' Eddie Murphy for Best Supporting Actor. Also nominated was Boston's own Mark Wahlberg for his work in The Departed.

Another upset came in the category for Best Song. Dreamgirls was nominated for 3 songs, all of which were performed in a Dreamgirls medley just prior to the announcement. While Knowles, Hudson, and the cast brought the house down with their powerful voices they were no match for the hurricane strength of "I Need to Wake Up" from An Inconvenient Truth, which ended the dream and knocked Cars' "This is Our Town" right off the road.

Former Vice President Al Gore's film, An Inconvenient Truth also won Best Documentary. Gore joked with Leo DiCaprio about the possibility of running for President in 2008. Gore was about to make an important announcement that began with "My fellow Americans..." but he was out of time and drowned out by the orchestra.

Here is the full list of the Oscar Nominees and Winners

Of course Ellen was a very funny host. She played on the fact that this was the most international Oscars ever. She also mingled with the nominees. She just so happen to have a screen play for Martin Scorsese to read, she vacuumed the front row, and took a picture with Clint Eastwood for her MySpace page. She mentioned Jennifer Hudson who America didn't vote for on American Idol and how great it was that she was nominated for an Oscar. Followed by a friendly jab at Al Gore who she said "America did vote for."

My Opinion: I enjoyed this year's Oscars. I was surprised by Best Song and Best Supporting Actor. Overall I believe I went 3-3 in the 6 major categories. I predicted Hudson, Scorsese, and The Departed.

Ellen was a great host. I really hope she is invited back for next year, she kept me laughing the whole time.

Congrats to all the winners and nominees! I'm going to go re-watch The Departed now. When you live in Boston and watch that movie you find yourself looking over your shoulder as you walk down the street a little more than usual. It's fun, exciting, and terrifying all at the same time.

Deval's New Duds

2007-02-22T09:12:00.000-05:00

Deval Patrick has spent $27,000 refurnishing his new State House office. Expensive new drapes, a new desk, and new chair and other furniture. He also ditched Mitt Romney's old Crown Victoria and leased a new $46,000 Cadillac DTS.

Initially these things were being paid for with tax money. But, after intense criticism from the Republican minority and the local media, Patrick has announced that he will be paying for all of the changes to the corner office. He will be paying the difference between the Cadillac and the Crown Victoria which come out to about $540 each month.

Patrick defended his spending on the office pointing out that the furniture that was in the office had belonged to Mitt Romney and had since been removed. The new car was leased because State Police suggested that Patrick have a car with more power rather than a hybrid model he had originally said he would purchase during his campaign. Aides told the press that the new models of the Crown Victoria did not meet State Police security standards for the governor.

One local political editor sarcastically suggested that the governor visit IKEA.

My Opinion: Patrick has done the right thing by paying back the cost for his office and car. I really don't see what the huge deal was in the first place. Mitt Romney used the State Police to escort a Red Sox catcher from the airport, through traffic, and to Fenway Park just minutes before the game was set to start. Talk about a waste of tax payer money. So, if you're going to point a finger at one politician, point at every politician. The governor's office is not a dorm room, IKEA just won't cut it.

As for the car I am reminded of a scene from Men In Black II. When reading this quote think of Deval Patrick as Will Smith the slick, smooth talkin' black guy, and Mitt Romney as Tommy Lee Jones, the old white guy.

Smith: What are you doing?

Jones: I always do the driving.

Smith: Oh, no.

Jones: I remember that.

Smith: No, you drive that old busted joint. I drive... the new hotness.

[pointing at Jones]

Smith: Old and busted.

[pointing at himself]

Smith: New hotness.

So let Deval enjoy his new hotness in peace. He's apologized and admitted his mistake publicly and he's paying for the makeovers with his own money. Now can we deal with real issues and not how the governor decorates?

Foul on Hardaway

2007-02-16T14:08:00.000-05:00

On Valentine's day, a day of love, hate reared its ugly head. Another celebrity has opened his mouth and in turn inserted his foot. This time it's former NBA star Tim Hardaway.

Hardaway was a guest on a Miami radio's "790 the Ticket" show. He was questioned about how he would deal with a gay teammate. This question because earlier this month retired NBA player, John Amaechi came out. Hardaway's response was less than tactful.

"First of all I wouldn’t want him on my team. Second of all, if he was on my team I would really distance myself from him because I don’t think that’s right and I don’t think he should be in the locker room when we’re in the locker room. Something has to give, If you have 12 other ballplayers in your locker room that's upset and can't concentrate and always worried about him in the locker room or on the court or whatever, it's going to be hard for your teammates to win and accept him as a teammate."

Radio host Dan LeBard told Hardaway that his remarks we bigoted and homophobic, to which Hardaway gladly agreed.

He went on to say that he hates gay people and that homosexuality shouldn't be in the world, or in the United States.

Audio of Hardaway's Comments

As a result of this the NBA has banned Hardaway from participating in the upcoming All Star weekend and other future appearances associated with the NBA. Commissioner David Stern released a brief statement against Hardaway's comments. "It is inappropriate for him to be representing us given the disparity between his views and ours."

Trinity Sports CEO Demetrius Ford, Hardaway's employer stated "Effective immediately, Mr. Hardaway is removed from the position of Trinity Sports’ Chief Basketball Operations Advisor, as well as all other duties associated with the Company, its affiliates and subsidiaries."

John Amaechi said in an interview with the Miami Herald that while Hardaway's comments were honest, they only hurt society. "His words pollute the atmosphere. It creates an atmosphere that allows young gays and lesbians to be harassed in school, creates an atmosphere where in 33 states you can lose your job, and where anti-gay and lesbian issues are used for political gain. It's an atmosphere that hurts all of us, not just gay people."

My Opinion: Hardaway deserves what he gets. It goes to prove that not all athletes are ideal role models for children.

Maybe Hardaway is gay. Let's analyze that. He plays a game were big sweaty men play with balls. Basketball players are always bumping one another. AND he played for a team whose logo is flames. Maybe Hardaway is just a self hater?

If we are ever going to be an all inclusive society we have to include homosexuals in all activities, including athletics. Amaechi has shown a great deal of courage by coming out, and even more by standing up to bullies like Hardaway.

Flip Flop Mitt in 2008

2007-02-13T10:05:00.000-05:00

Mitt Romney kicked off his 2008 Presidential bid today in his home state of Michigan. The former governor of Massachusetts is just one in a crowded field of Republican candidates for the nation's highest office. "Innovation and transformation have been at the heart of America's success," he said. "If there ever was a time when innovation and transformation were needed in government, it is now."

Romney is known for his conservative stances on many issues, and has even been compared to the likes of Ronald Reagan (just look at that hair!). He is also a Mormon, an obstacle that may sway voters against him in his run for office. Romney would be the nation's first Mormon president.

Mitt has indeed left his mark on Massachusetts. There is a new universal health care system going into place, and gay marriage rights hang in the balance. But, if you ask the people of the Commonwealth what they think of Romney, you're likely to get a less than enthusiastic response. He was out of state in 2006 for over 200 days!

Romney has also been criticized for his stances on many issues now as compare to when he ran for the United States' Senate in 1994 against Ted Kennedy. His views then were drastically different than they appear to be now; especially in the realm of gay rights.

Take a look at Romney's debate with Kennedy from 1994.

My opinion: Everyone has been all over the Democratic politicians running for president based on their stance on the war in Iraq, and how they voted. I'm glad to see this apparent shift toward calling of the conservative candidates as well. Mitt has flip flopped just as much as any political figure in the last decade or so. I'll call the GOP nomination now. It won't be Mitt. He has too much working against him. Unfortunately a part of that is his religion, and it shouldn't even begin to be a factor. The rest is his neglect of Massachusetts; the punch line for his jokes, his flip floppiness. Is that even a word? And his extreme conservatism. If the GOP hopes to win the White House in 2008, the had best find a moderate candidate.

A Recap of Recent News

2007-02-12T22:49:00.000-05:00

I'm sorry, I've been slacking off. So, let's do a quick rundown of what I missed out on. This will
be an opinion piece.

January 31, 2007; a day which will live in Boston infamy. We learned that light brites are enough to paralyze a city's highways, water ways, and subways. While some people have scoffed at Boston's reaction to the Turner Broadcasting marketing campaign for Aqua Teen Hunger Force. I, however, feel that the city's response was very appropriate. In a post 9/11 world it is irresponsible to perform such a stunt in a major city without informing local officials ahead of

time.

As for the two people that put up the light up signs, I was compassionate for them at first. They were just these two people hired to do Turner's bidding. Then they acted like morons. So, I've concluded that they are terrorists and they should be locked up for good.

In the end, no one was hurt. Boston got $2 million.

Moving on.....

It has snowed in up state New York. In many towns over 100 inches has fallen. According to Stephen Colbert "New York got so much snow that some of the snowflakes are the same."

I want to know why Boston has had less than 2 inches this winter. I'm looking forward to a possible half a foot of snow on Wednesday.

Next!

"Astronaut Lisa Marie Nowak was arrested this week and charged with attempted murder after driving 900 miles from Houston to Orlando, Fla., allegedly carrying a knife, a BB gun, pepper spray, latex gloves and rubber tubing--wearing a diaper all the while so she wouldn't have to stop en route--and assaulting a romantic rival in a parking lot." - TIME

Wow...

I think NASA seriously needs to examine is psychological reviews for it's astronauts.

Finally....

Anna Nicole Smith died on February 8th at the age of 39. No one seems to know what caused the former Playmate's sudden death. There is now a battle over who the father of Smith's infant daughter is. It is becoming more comical by the day. A lawyer, a photographer, and Zsa Zsa's husband have claimed to be the father. Now there's speculation that Smith's husband had frozen his sperm before he died and that he may actually be the child's father.

I'm going to let you all in on a little secret. I'm the father. I'd also like to take this time to announce my candidacy for President of the United States of America.

So.....

That is what was in the news while I was busy slacking off. I apologize.....for the news, not my slacking.

Cash for Massachusetts College Grads

2007-01-31T12:45:00.000-05:00

When people think of Massachusetts they usually think of a high cost to live here. The name "Taxachusetts" has often come up. As a result the state's population has been getting smaller over the past few years. Another thing people think of when they think Massachusetts is college. Boston alone has dozens; Harvard, Boston University, Emerson College, Boston College, Northeastern, Emmanuel College, Simmons, and the list goes on and on. One state senator is looking to stop Massachusetts' loss of residents by turning to the mass of students that call the state thier home during the school year.

Democratic Senator Brian Joyce, of Milton has proposed a bill that would give any graduate of a Massachusetts college $10,000. The catch? They are required to live in the state for at least 5 years and must use the money for a downpayment on a home. Also, their annual salary cannot exceed 135% of the community's median income. If they leave, they'll have to pay the money back to the state with interest.

Joyce has suggested that the state put aside $25 million for this project initially, and see how many students sign up for the program. Some people have criticized the idea saying that $10,000 isn't nearly enough to help buy a home in Massachusetts. They say that in order to make Massachusetts a more attractive place for young people to live is to have the legislature help create jobs, affordable housing, and lower tax rates.

Students have had a mixed reaction to the proposal. Yet, most seem to agree that the amount the state is offering simply isn't enough.

My Opinion: I think that this is a great idea that has some real potential. With this project in place Massachusetts will retain some of the knowledge and professionals that were taught here and have called Massachusetts their home for the past 4+ years.

BUT, I must say that $10,000 isn't going to get me five years in. Most college grads start off with good starting salary, but nothing spectacular. Then there is the cost of property in Massachusetts; hundreds of thousands of dollars for land, let alone the building itself. My rent on the tiny little 10x15 studio apartment in the Back Bay costs $895 per month, that doesn't include electricity, cable, and internet. So, $895 x 12 months = $10,740. That's for one year before utilities. So, yea, Massachusetts is gonna have to do better than $10,000. It simply costs too much to live here. Something that they're going to have to examine if they want to keep the graduates of the area colleges.

Oscar Noms Out Today

2007-01-23T10:12:00.000-05:00

The prestigious list of films, actors, and actresses nominated for Academy Awards came out early this morning. Leading the pack for the 79th annual event is Dreamgirls, the movie based on the Broadway musical of the same name, earned a total of 8 nominations. Yet, it was shut out of the Best Picture category.

And the nominees are...

Best Picture

The Departed

Babel

Letters from Iwo Jima

The Queen

Little Miss Sunshine

Best Actor

Forest Whitaker, The Last King of Scotland

Ryan Gosling, Half Nelson

Peter O'Toole, Venus

Leonardo DiCaprio, Blood Diamond

Will Smith, The Pursuit of Happyness

Best Actress

Penélope Cruz, Volver

Judi Dench, Notes On A Scandal

Helen Mirren, The Queen

Meryl Streep, The Devil Wears Prada

Kate Winslet, Little Children

Best Supporting Actor

Alan Arkin, Little Miss Sunshine

Jackie Earle Haley, Little children

Djimon Hounsou, Blood Diamond

Eddie Murphy, Dreamgirls

Mark Wahlberg, The Departed

Best Supporting Actress
Adriana Barraza, Babel
Cate Blanchett, Notes On A Scandal
Abigail Breslin, Little Miss Sunshine
Jennifer Hudson, Dreamgirls
Rinko Kikuchi, Babel

Best Director

Clint Eastwood, Letters From Iwo Jima

Stephen Fears, The Queen

Paul Greengrass, United 93

Alejandro González Iñárritu, Babel

Martin Scorsese, The Departed

It is most certainly going to be an entertaining show come February 25th. This year's host is the ever popular and funny Ellen DeGeneres.

Complete List of Nominations

Fun fact of the day: This Meryl Streep's 14th Academy Award Nomination, a new record.

My Opinion: Some real surprises this year. Dreamgirls didn't get a Best Picture nomination?! I'm very happy that Little Miss Sunshine did get a nom over the musical. I'm excited for 10 year old Abigail Breslin being nominated for her heart warming role as the nerdy beauty queen wannabe, also in Little Miss Sunshine.

Here are my picks:

Best Picture goes to The Departed (though I am pulling for Little Miss Sunshine).

Best Actor is DiCaprio. He's been waiting for a long time, and even though it's not for The Departed, he deserves it for a year of hard work and excellent acting.

Best Actress goes to the Devil herself, Meryl Streep.

Best Supporting Actor...I'm going out on a limb and saying Eddie Murphy. He was given a great opportunity to shine in Dreamgirls, and that is just what he did.

Best Supporting Actress will be Jennifer Hudson. The American Idol runner up will silence Simon forever. Her powerful voice and emotional performance in Dreamgirls has won her this category. I am pulling for little Abigail though!

Director will be Martin Scorsese. His Boston mob movie was an extremely entertaining work, with outstanding acting and plot.

Congress Looks to Shake Their "Do Nothing" Title

2007-01-19T13:29:00.000-05:00

Americans have long been angry with the U.S. Congress. They have been labeled as the "Do Nothing" Congress in the past few years. However, in November the American people had had enough of their lack luster legislators. They elected a new Democratic majority to the House of Representatives and the Senate. The Democrats in the House implemented their "First 100 Hours", which finished up today. In which they were going to pass several measures. After 12 years of Republican rule, the Dems completed their "100 Hours" of legislative power with great success.

Here's a recap of what was passed:

In the world of spending the House passed a measure that would restrict any spending that would add to the nation's growing deficit. One such restriction would be tax breaks. This measure states that tax breaks cannot occur unless there are corresponding cuts in government spending to make up the difference, or increased taxes in other areas to make up the difference.

Democrats have long been referred to as the party that would let the terrorists win. They went on to show that that wasn't the case by passing a measure that would implement the 9/11 Commissions' recommendations. This passed by a vote of 299-128. It will require full inspections of cargo entering the United States and will give more funding to cities considered "high-risk" targets of terrorism.

The Dems also seem to like the idea of cleaning up the political scene. With several members of congress arrested in the past year or so, it has become apparent that lobbying restrictions had to be put into place. By a vote of 430-1 the House passed a measure that bans any lawmaker from accepting gifts from lobbyists.

The House finally passed measure to raise in the federal minimum wage. The current minimum wage sits at $5.15 an hour. If passed by the Senate and signed by President Bush, the new wage would be $7.25.

The House passed a measure approving more federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. A measure that would require the government to negotiate lower prescription drug prices passed the following day by a vote of 255-170. President Bush opposes this legislation, and has said he will veto it if it passes through the Senate.

Students across the nations will rejoice to the news of less debt after college. On January 17, the House passed a measure by a vote of 356-71 to reduce student loan interest rates from 6.8% to 3.4% over the next 5 years.

The final piece of the "100 Hour" agenda was a environmentally friendly move. The measure, which was passed by a margin of 264-163, would drastically reduce the tax subsidies given to major oil companies. With this legislation the companies would be required to pay more taxes and fees to the government. The money generated from this will go towards the advancement of renewable fuel sources.

The Democrats finished their legislative blitz in 87 hours.

My opinion: Its about time! 12 years is way too long for a Republican majority, and the past 6 years have been even worse with Dubbya in office. The measure passed by the House, if signed into law will go a long way in making sure that the important issues facing the United States. No flag burning bans, or gay marriage bans. Those aren't pressing issues that will have an impact on every American. Healthcare, education, alternative energy, security, minimum wage; these things should hold value to every person living in the United States of America, because they will be affected by each of those things at one time or another during their lives. I'm glad to see that the voters finally woke up and realized that something had to be done, and a Democratic majority and a balance of power between the legislative and executive branches was crucial.

An Apple A Day

2007-01-17T11:33:00.000-05:00

Apple, Inc. announced last week the newest addition to the line of iPod family. It's called the iPhone. It combines all the features of an Internet ready cell phone, and iPod into one handy little gizmo.

Apple, Inc. co-founder and CEO Steve Jobs unveilved the new iPhone. Jobs is a gazillionaire at this point in his life. According to Forbes.com his net worth is approximately $4.9 billion. But, who's counting?

What has made this man so wealthy? Let's take a look. A computer animation company that Jobs bought in the mid 1980's for $5 million was purchased last year by Disney for $7.4 billion. You may know it as Pixar, the company responsible for Toy Story, Finding Nemo, and Cars. Then there's Apple. If there's technology in the world, it seems as though Steve Jobs can put and "i" in front of it and it will sell. iMac, iBook, iPod.

But what about the newest iPhone? With a heavy price tag of $500 for the 4GB or $600 for the 8GB, is it worth having a combo iPod/cell phone? Jobs has been pushing the notion that the cost of an iPhone would be less than if an individual purchased a "smart phone" and and iPod separately. But, it may prove difficult to convince some consumers.

Some states have already been denied iPhones simply because of their location. The Boston Globe reported today that Apple, Inc. has an exclusive iPhone deal with AT&T Cingular Wireless. "The iPhone service won't be available in all or large portions of Alaska, Colorado, the Dakotas, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, upstate New York, Oregon, Utah and Wyoming, among other places."

My Opinion: Is this really necessary? Am I gonna have to go on another gadget rant like I did with the PS3? *sigh* I suppose so. Why does anyone need to spend $500+ on an iPhone? I have an iPod, and I love it. I just got a new cell phone for Christmas. They're both great. But I can guarantee you they didn't cost $500 combined. It just seems so superfluous to me. I know of many more things I could use $500 dollars on; textbooks, rent, tuition, bills. Who is this thing supposed to be geared towards? Several older people don't use technology as often as young people, and a majority of young people; college students can't afford it.

Now, Bill Gates is frantically trying to get people to buy Microsoft's "Zune" and Steve Jobs sleeps on a bed of money.

In the meantime, I'll sleep better at night with my iPod, cell phone on the desk and an extra $500 in my checking account.

No PATS Allowed?!

2007-01-11T11:51:00.000-05:00

Remaining tickets for this Sunday's AFC Divisional Playoff game between the San Diego Chargers and the New England Patriots went on sale Monday. They sold out in minutes. Why wouldn't they? The 14-2 Chargers and MVP LT vs. the 3x Super Bowl Champion Patriots and Tom "Terrific" Brady; it's going to be a great game.

But, the fact that tickets are sold out isn't what has Pats fans angry. It's who was allowed to get the tickets for the playoff game in California. When Patriots fans wanting to travel to San Diego for the game went online to purchase tickets on Monday morning they were met with a warning. "The San Diego Chargers have restricted sales to the Divisional Playoff game to residents of Southern California and the surrounding area only. Residency will be based on your credit card billing address. Orders by residents outside of Southern California will be canceled without notice and refunds given," read the Ticketmaster website.

Bill Johnston, a spokesman for the Chargers said "Our goal has always been to fill our stadium with Charger fans and supporters of the team. This also helps give our team the best home-field advantage possible." Filling the stadium with Charger fans has left the Pats fan steamed. Many of them are insulted; they feel as though they're being told their money is no good.

Johnston went on to say that IF the Chargers beat the Patriots the same ticket policy will be enforced for the AFC Championship Game. The Patriots organization was quick to point out that they have never restricted ticket sales.

Apparently, the Chargers aren't the only team doing this for the playoffs. The Chicago Bears have blocked sales to Seattle Seahawk fans by restricting sales to residents of Illinois and Northwest Indiana.

Yet, Pats fans won't be turned down. Representatives for online ticket vendors StubHub.com and AceTicket said they they've been receiving calls and orders for tickets all week. Jim Holzman, president of AceTicket said "Tickets are available. We have been getting lots of calls, and it seems to be a fair amount of Patriots fans are going to the game."

The Patriots have an outstanding record of 7-1 this season while traveling on the road. While their reasoning for ticket restrictions is logical, it has raised a serious question that the NFL will have to address before the start of the 2007 season.

My Opinion: The Chargers are the best team in the NFL this season. They have a record of 14-2. LT is the NFL's MVP, and has broken the rushing touchdown record for a single season. They're sending 9 players to the Pro-Bowl. Yet, apparently they don't have enough confidence in their ability as a team. So, they need to block any Patriot fans from getting into the stadium in San Diego. This move by the Chargers organization only gives the New England Patriots motivation. The team of the 21st century, my New England Patriots, will find a way to win the way they have done in recent history.

In Bill We Trust.

With Liberty, Justice, and Healthcare for all

2007-01-10T12:07:00.000-05:00

Massachusetts' Senior Senator Ted Kennedy is promoting a Universal Healthcare program for the United States. He would like to see the program in place by 2010.

Kennedy has used Massachusetts for his model. In 2006 the state became the first to require all residents to have health insurance. "Patients and health professionals, business leaders and community advocates, members of the Democratic State legislature and Republican Governor Romney all rolled up their sleeves and worked together to enact a state health plan that put aside ideology and partisan divisions for the greater common good; affordable, accessible health care coverage for all the citizens of our Commonwealth," he said in a recent address. He put emphasis on the bipartisan effeort between the Democratic legislature and Republican governor.

California's Republican governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger has set a goal for universal healthcare in his state. It would become the second state to have such a program.

Kennedy has been a longtime advocate for the "little guy". He has been trying for years to increase the nation's minimum wage, and it is finally going to become a reality with the new Democratic congress. Now it is time for all those without health insurance to have it. "Members of the House and Senate have a guaranteed health plan for ourselves and our families. It's time to provide the same guarantee for every man, woman and child in the nation," he said. Rising healthcare costs have been a burden on low income families across the U.S.

The estimated number of citizens living without insurance is staggering. "America’s failure to assure the basic human right to health care to all its citizens was one of the great public policy failures of the 20th century. Recent data emphasizes the urgency of redressing this failure. Forty-six million Americans are uninsured, and the most recent Census Bureau figures show that the number of uninsured increased by nearly one million Americans in 2005 alone," Kennedy said.

The United States is the last First World country not to implement a universal healthcare system.

Text of Kennedy's Address

My Opinion: 46,000,000 Americans are living without health insurance. That is simply disgusting and unacceptable. The preamble of the Constitution states "promote the general welfare". I understand that to mean that the government is supposed to ensure the welfare of it's citizens. Universal healthcare will do just that. The United States should've been one of the first nation's to have such a system. However, it is embarassingly, the last of the world's leading countries.

Hopefully, the newly elected Democratic congress can work with their Republican counterparts and get this important legislation passed in the not to distant future. It should not be a state by state matter, the federal government needs to take the lead.

"Ideal of Equality"

2007-01-05T17:30:00.000-05:00

It has become apparent that the 2006 Elections have been elections ushering in change. Along with that change has come a series of political firsts. Massachusetts elected it's first African-American governor, and Minnesota elected the first Muslim to the U.S. Congress. However, the one first that stands out is that of Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) becoming the first woman elected Speaker of the House. She beat out John Boehner 233-202 to win the prestigious seat.

As Speaker of the House, Pelosi, 66, is second in line to the presidency. She is the highest ranking woman in the history of the American federal government.

Pelosi's address to the House emphasized the importance of cooperation between the two parties, as well as acknowledging the historical aspects of her election. "I accept this gavel in the spirit of partnership, not partisanship, and I look forward to working with you, Mr. Boehner, and the Republicans in the Congress for the good of the American people", she said.

"And today I thank my colleagues. By electing me speaker you have brought us closer to the ideal of equality that is America's heritage and America's hope... For our daughters and our granddaughters today we have broken the marble ceiling. For our daughters and our granddaughters now the sky is the limit. Anything is possible for them," she said of her being the fist female speaker.

She went on to ask for a new direction in Iraq and for the United States.

She ended with a call for bipartisanship. "Let us stand together to move our country forward, seeking common ground for the common good."

My opinion: After 12 years of Republican control of the United States' legislative branch, I'm glad to see Democratic control and a balance of power with an overbearing executive branch. Hopefully 2007 will prove to be a year of change in the United States, and in Iraq.

I'm pleased to see that a woman has the chance to hold such an influential office in government. I trust that Nancy Pelosi will do her best to create a workable atmosphere in the House of Representatives to accomplish a great deal within the first "100 hours".

The Improbable Dream Come True

2007-01-04T14:51:00.000-05:00

Today, on the steps of the Massachusetts State House history was made in front of a crowd of citizens. Deval L. Patrick was sworn in at the Commonwealth's 71st governor. He became the first African-American governor in Massachusetts history and only the second in United States history. It was also the first inauguration of a governor held outside in Massachusetts history.

History proved to be a common theme with in today's ceremony. Patrick was sworn in on a special Bible held by his wife. The Bible belonged to former President, and Massachusetts native John Quincy Adams. It was sent to Adams by captives from the slave ship, Amistad. Adams successfully defended the slaves in the 1840's before the nation's Supreme Court. "As a gesture of thanks and respect, the Africans gave Adams a Bible, called the Mendi Bible, after their tribal homeland," explained Patrick.

Patrick began his inaugural address by thanking all the people that have helped him throughout his life. "My journey here has been an improbable one. From a place where hope withers, through great schools and challenging opportunities, to this solemn occasion, I have been supported and loved and lifted up. And I thank the family, the mentors, the teachers – every one of whom is here today in body or in spirit – just as I thank the tens of thousands of campaign volunteers and millions of voters across the Commonwealth who shared this improbable journey with me."

Deval Patrick closed his address echoing a common theme used throughout his campaign; Togetherness. "To the earliest settlers of this Commonwealth, as we have been reminded on a couple of occasions today, this Commonwealth was their shining “City on a Hill.” To this kid from the South Side of Chicago, Massachusetts is my shining city on a hill. For every mother living month to month; for every student struggling to get through school; for every dad working two jobs and wondering which one is going to be shipped overseas; for every fisherman wondering whether this year’s catch will do; for every immigrant wondering whether the American Dream is a myth; for every teacher, every bus driver, every government clerk, every firefighter, every small business owner doing your best and wondering whether anyone appreciates you; for every one of God’s children who calls Massachusetts home – let’s rebuild our “city on a hill,” and make it shine again."

Deval Patrick's Full Inaugural Address

My Opinion: I'm looking forward to Deval's time in office. He is a refreshing change from the cold and closed Romney-Healey administration. He seems open to all points of view and wants everyone in the state to participate in his administration. When was the last time any politician encouraged such an idea? The way he speaks is extremely inspiring. I'm proud to live in Massachusetts, because as Deval pointed, Massachusetts invented America. This history rich Commonwealth has always been on the forefront of innovation and civil rights. I hope to be a part in the rebuilding of our shining "city on a hill", and I urge everyone in the state to do the same, because together we can, and together we will!

Congratulations Governor Patrick and good luck!

God save the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Hangin' Around

2006-12-30T13:39:00.000-05:00

Saddam Hussein, the former dictator of Iraq was executed yesterday at approximately 10:00pm Eastern Standard Time on December 29, 2006. He was hanged

In March of 2003 the United States formed a coalition of the willing to fight Iraq and bring down Saddam Hussein's reign. In December of 2003, United States forces found Hussein hiding in a "Spider Hole" near his hometown of Tikrit. It has been considered one of the few highlights for the military fighting in Iraq.

Saddam was charged with crimes against humanity in the summer of 2005. A long, controversial trial ensued, in which several lawyers, and judges were replaced, and Saddam removed from the courtroom on numerous occasions. He was found guilty on November 5, 2006 of crimes against humanity and sentenced to death by hanging. He was convicted of ordering the murders of 148 Shi'ite villagers in 1982 after an attempted assassination.

On December 26, 2006 the Iraqi Court of Appeals upheld Saddam's conviction and sentence. They said that the execution would take place within 30 days. It would be only 4 days later.

President Bush warned that Saddam's execution is not a solve all problems solution. "Bringing Saddam Hussein to justice will not end the violence in Iraq, but it is an important milestone on Iraq's course to becoming a democracy that can govern, sustain, and defend itself, and be an ally in the war on terror."

Many Iraqi-Americans are thrilled with the results. According to the AP approximately 200 Iraqi-Americans gathered outside a mosque and chanted "Now there's peace, Saddam is dead!", in both English and Arabic.

My Opinion: A true victory for the Iraqi people. Whether or not Saddam got a fair trial no one knows for sure. But, does that really matter? Did he give anyone a trial at all in Iraq? I'm happy for all those families that finally know justice after 24 years of waiting.

But, as good as his execution is symbolically and psychologically, it is equally bad in reality. I fear that his death will spark new outrage and determination in the insurgents. I fear that there will be more attacks on Shi'ites and American troops in Iraq. While Saddam is gone, justice and innocence are still at risk.

Supreme Court Makes Mitt Cry

2006-12-28T10:16:00.000-05:00

Ok, so he didn't cry. But, the court did refuse both his proposals to the court regarding the Massachusetts legislature's refusal to vote on a proposed amendment to the state constitution that would ban same-sex marriages in the only state that currently allows them.

In November the legislature ended it's constitutional convention without taking a vote on that controversial issue. This sparked anger from several anti-gay marriage groups and Governor Mitt Romney.

He went before the court and asked that they force the legislature to vote on the issue, and if they refuse to that they should go over the senate and house's heads and put it on the 2008 ballot. The court, which decided in 2003 that same-sex couples have equal marriage rights, declined both of Romney's requests.

In an 11 page report the court says, "Beyond resorting to aspirational language that relies on the presumptive good faith of elected representatives, there is no presently articulated judicial remedy for the Legislature's indifference to, or defiance of, its constitutional duties." So, basically there's no power for the court to take any such action. The report went on to say that "Those members who now seek to avoid their lawful obligations, by a vote to recess without a roll call vote ... ultimately will have to answer to the people who elected them." The court did say that the legislature should vote on the matter.

The legislature meets again on January 2 for its last day of session. If the amendment is not voted on that day then it dies. If that happens, then the earliest the issue could be on a ballot is 2010.

My Opinion: This story made my day, because I do not like Mitt Romney. In 1994 when he ran for Senate against King Ted Kennedy he was for the expansion of gay rights. Today he stands on the steps of the State House as governor chanting "Let the people vote!" And people attack poor John Kerry for flip-flopping.

Romney said that the legislature is violating the people's right to petition the government by not voting. That's not true. They petitioned, the government saw it, they don't care to vote on it. I also love the fact that no one mentions the fact that thousands of signatures were collected outside supermarkets all over Massachusetts. People asked to sign a petition for wine sales in supermarkets, and then asked to sign a second copy, the anti-gay marriage petition. That makes this whole process seem real legitimate, only not so much. Wine Petition?

Can someone explain to me again about the sacredness of marriage in the United States? You know the country with the 50% divorce rate. Oh yea, then there's that part about equal protection under the law, and all men are created equal. Geez that Constitution can be a real downer!

I apologize. I don't mean to ramble on and on, but is this really an issue here anymore? It has been 4 years and we still go about our daily lives as always. 8,500 gay couples have been married in Massachusetts and the sky hasn't fallen and the Charles River isn't flowing with the blood of the innocent.

No discrimination in the Constitution of Massachusetts. The legislature doesn't have to and should not vote on this matter. Let it die on January 2nd. When the anti-gay movement collects signatures of the majority of Massachusetts residents then it should be considered the "will of the people". 150,000 signatures? That's just a the whiney kid that doesn't like to share, in this case equal rights.

You know what the real problem with Massachusetts is?! Mitt Romney is still Governor until January 4th. But, its ok. He's not around enough (212+ days out of state in 2006) for the people of Massachusetts or himself to realize it.

Oldest President Dies

2006-12-27T23:07:00.000-05:00

Earlier this year Gerald Ford became the oldest living President of the United States. On Tuesday, December 26 he passed away at the age of 93.

Ford became president in 1974 after the resignation of president Richard Nixon. Ford is the only non-elected president in the history of the nation. He is remembered for his controversial pardon of Nixon, whom was never convicted of a crime. The United States pulled out of Vietnam, and celebrated its 200th Anniversary. Many people consider him to be the man that helped guide the nation through one of its most trying times with the Watergate coverup.

Two would be assassins attacked Gerald Ford within 17 days of one another. Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme tried to shoot him, but her gun didn't go off. Later, Sarah Jane Moore also tried to shoot him, but she proved to have poor aim.

In a statement his wife, Betty said "His life was filled with love of God, his family and his country."

George W. Bush called him a "great man" and a "true gentleman".

Ford is currently the oldest president, followed by Reagan, Hoover, and John Adams.

My Opinion: Whenever a president dies a nation must stop a pay its respects. For his politics do not matter in the end. He was a great man despite his policies, or anyone's opinion of him. He is a special man because he was a brave person who chose to serve the people of his country. He has taken an oath to uphold the Constitution and make the United States stronger than it is. This simple fact that this person has volunteered their time and effort into their country is an admirable characteristic. With the passing of Gerald Ford there will be as there should be national recognition of his contribution to the United States.

"Does anyone know what Christmas is all about?"

2006-12-25T23:04:00.001-05:00

I apologize for a lack of posting in the last few weeks. I've been busy with final exams. Yet, during the busy holiday season I did find some time to reflect on what the Christmas season is all about. I did this while watching "A Charlie Brown Christmas", it is in fact quite insightful.

My good friend, Linus answers the question of poor Charlie Brown, who has become concerned without the commercialization of Christmas.

In the film Charlie Brown shouts "Does anyone know what Christmas is all about?!"

The lights fade and a spot comes up on the young man with a red shirt and light blue blanket, Linus. He responds with a quote from the King James Bible.

"And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them; and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. That's what Christmas is all about Charlie Brown."

While I don't mean to force religion down people's throats, I do want people of all faiths to realize that Christmas is more than decorations, elves, and presents. It is about the birth of Jesus. While all the other stuff is a part of the Christian tradition, it is not all commercial, although it may seem that way at times.

So, I ask that today you (if you celebrate) take a page from Linus and the gang and reflect on the true meaning of Christmas.

Report Released on Iraq

2006-12-06T16:49:00.000-05:00

The Iraq Study Group released their highly anticipated report today. They presented the report to President Bush this morning. The Iraq Study Group is an independent bipartisan committee made up of 5 Democrats and 5 Republicans. The chairs of the group are former Secretary of State James Baker and former Representative Lee Hamilton.

The group had a total of 79 recommendations for the Bush administration and congress. They have labeled the situation in Iraq as "grave and deteriorating". The report calls for a "diplomatic offensive", which includes direct talks with Syria and Iran. "If we don't talk to them, we don't see much progress being made. You can't look at this part of the world and pick and choose which countries you're going to deal with," said Hamilton. President Bush has refused talks with the two nations in the past, he has also called Iran a member of the "Axis of Evil".

Another controversial and debated recommendation is the withdrawal of U.S. troops by early 2008. The report did not lay out a specific timetable for a withdrawal from Iraq. However, it did say that the United States cannot "make an open-ended commitment to keep large numbers of American troops deployed in Iraq." The group also suggests that the military be used for training the Iraqi police and military, rather than combat in the country.

"We no longer can afford to stay the course," Baker said. "If we do what we recommend in this report, it will certainly improve our chances for success."

President Bush said, "We will take every proposal seriously, and we will act in a timely fashion."

Full Text: Iraq Study Group Report

On a side note...President Bush's nominee for Secretary of Defense, Bob Gates was approved by the Senate today as well. He is replacing Donald Rumsfeld, who resigned on November 8th.

My opinion: I like what I've heard about the report thus far. I hope that the newly elected Democratic congress will pressure Bush to act on the group's recommendations. I'm interested to hear Mr. Gates' take on the report and the course of action he will be taking based on it.

This Means War!

2006-12-04T10:11:00.000-05:00

This is an opinion piece.

It has been noted by conservative groups that there is a secret conspiracy in the world. A secret threat to our very existence. A threat so deadly and frightening that people break out into hysterics at the mention of it. I am speaking of course, about the War on Christmas.

You read it right. I said the War on Christmas. Can you believe that? To think that there are people out there who actually believe that there is a conspiracy against Christmas and Christianity...

Cut to Fox News (where else?). We see the usual "Fair and Balanced" stories followed up by the usual grumpy, irretable, angry, sad, sad, man Bill O'Reilly. O'Reilly believes in his heart (if he had one) that there is an attack on Christmas.

Here is part of the transcript from The O'Reilly Factor from November 2005. Bill is interviewing John Gibson, a Fox News host and now author of The War on Christmas: How the Liberal Plot to Ban the Sacred Christian Holiday Is Worse Than You Thought Yeah, I know the title needs some work.

Here's where I got the transcript: Media Matters
GIBSON: -- by refusing to say the word "Christmas." And what I've noticed is the way this appears in schools, for instance, is we now don't call it the Christmas break. It's the winter break, as if people worship winter. And there wouldn't be a winter break if there wasn't Christmas at that time of year. So once you call it -- change the name. You won't use the word "Christmas," then you go to "winter," you can sort of push the Christmas thing out of public view.

O'REILLY: See, I think it's all part of the secular progressive agenda --

GIBSON: Absolutely.

O'REILLY: -- to get Christianity and spirituality and Judaism out of the public square. Because if you look at what happened in Western Europe and Canada, if you can get religion out, then you can pass secular progressive programs like legalization of narcotics, euthanasia, abortion at will, gay marriage, because the objection to those things is religious- based, usually.

GIBSON: You have France or you have -- or you have Holland, you have legalized prostitution, you have drugs. All those things come in which religious organizations tend to oppose. Once you start taking out even the secular symbols of religious holidays -- Christmas trees, Santas, so forth -- refuse to use the word "Christmas," you can shove this religious stuff indoors, out of sight.

O'REILLY: Yeah, because no kid is going to come home and ask Mom what winter break is.

GIBSON: No.

O'REILLY: But a kid might come home and say, "Hey, what's this Christmas thing all about? Who is this baby Jesus guy?" You know?

GIBSON: Right.

O'REILLY: So look, that's on a very intellectual level, and it's behind the scenes. But these retailers are killing -- they're shooting themselves. I mean, they're killing themselves, because millions of people are just not going to shop in these places.

Wow....who let them on TV? Who let John Gibson publish this book? Who really believes this stuff?! Do they really think that any child living in the cutlure of the United States of America will grow up and not know the name of Jesus Christ...especially if that child celebrates Christmas?!!? What the hell are they thinking?!

Let's take a look at the facts:

The American Family Association called for a boycott on Wal-Mart last year. Usually I would be thrilled with a Wal-Mart boycott, but it was over the retailer's decision to say "Happy Holidays". Wal-Mart still gained money last holiday season, and is still the largest, most profitable retailer in the world.

Type "Christmas" into a Traget.com product search and you'll find over 19,000 matches. They say "Happy Holidays" too!

Hundreds of radio stations nationwide have been playing Christmas music since Thanksgiving or earlier!

According to Adherents.com, over 76% of the United States' population is identified as Christian.

I'm amazed to hear about these poor persucuted Christians. God forbid they be forced to recognize the other 24% of the population that don't celebrate Christmas. Maybe someday, somewhere in the world there will be a Christian president...or maybe even 43 Christian presidents in a row. Give me a break! These people don't live in Rome, they're not being fed to lions. I can't walk down the streets of Boston without passing a church at least every other block! They just have to accept everyone for who they are and they don't wanna. So, they blame the Democrats and the liberals and cry about how their way of life is disappearing. Only its not.

I want to reveal now that I am on the "War on Christmas" Intelligence Committee. I've found something remarkable while spying on the conservatives. Those of them that believe that there really is a "War on Christmas" have no intelligence.

LNG Not for Me!

2006-11-29T10:07:00.000-05:00

Yesterday a federal appeals court rejected an attempted block of the proposed Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) facility in Fall River, Massachusetts' Weaver's Cove along the banks of the Taunton River. The lawsuit was filed by Massachusetts Attorney General Tom Riley and Rhode Island Attorney General Patrick Lynch.

The court was not pleased with the two officials and reprimanded them saying that they should have approached the U.S. Department of Transportation asking them to set minimum standards of safety before coming to the court. "One might expect, for example, that the petitioners could ask the agency to adopt site safety standards, arguing that the present standards are inadequate, and then seek judicial review if and when the agency denied this request," the court wrote in its decision. Riley has since filed an appeal with the Department of Transportation contesting the LNG terminal standards.

Beth Stone, Tom Reily's spokeswoman, defended the official's suit against the LNG site. "We brought this action to urge the Department of Transportation to set safety standards that encourage citing LNG terminals far away from population centers. Weaver's Cove is not the place for an LNG terminal."

Approximately 64,000 residents of Fall River and the surrounding communities of Somerset and Freetown live along the river and could be harmed if any accidents at or attacks on the proposed facility should occur.

For More Information on LNG here are two opposing websites:

Coalition for Responsible Siting of LNG Facilities

Weaver's Cover Energy

My Opinion: It seems like common sense to me not to build a potential terrorist target and accident waiting to happen in the middle of one of the state's larger cities. Maybe I'm crazy. But, when several politicians from both parties come together to oppose this project you know its a serious issue. 64,000 lives are in danger with this terminal on the Taunton River. Is building this facility in the middle of the city really that crucial? Why not offshore away from residents? This has the potential to be very bad, and it is unfortunate that the courts don't seem to care about public safety and hand the problem off to the Department of Transportation.

LNG NOT FOR ME!

Peace on Earth?

2006-11-28T18:05:00.000-05:00

After intense criticism, the Loma Lynda Homeowners Association of a subdivision in a suburb of Denver has withdrawn a threat to fine a woman $25 dollars a day for a Christmas wreath she hung on the side of her house. A wreath is no big deal, but this wreath was in the shape of a peace sign, and has the community split over it.

Lisa Jensen was informed in a letter from the Association that she would have to remove her Christmas wreath from her house, because it was a violation of the rules. The letter read: "Loma Lynda residents are offended by the peace sign displayed on the front of your house. ... This Board will not allow any signs, flags etc. that can be considered divisive."

The president of the Association, Bob Kearns, said that he had received complaints about the apparent anti-war wreath, and that some residents saw it as a Satanic symbol. Kearns asked the association's architectural control committee to require Jensen to remove the wreath. The committee refused saying that the wreath sported a season message and nothing more. Kearns then fired all five members of the committee.

"I honestly wasn't thinking of the Iraq war. Peace is way bigger than not being at war. This is a spiritual thing. I am not going to take it down until after Christmas. Now that it has come to this, I feel I can't get bullied. What if they don't like my Santa Claus?" Jensen said.

My Opinion: Wow. Has it really come to this? Are people really this stupid?
Christmas = Peace. "Peace on Earth and mercy mild..." "Sleep in Heavenly peace..." Any of these songs ringing bells?! To begin to see the peace sign as a Satanic symbol is disgusting. It has a bright red bow on it! How evil is that? If anything it's Santa-nic I bet no one knew that the Christmas Tree has pagan origins. Check it out: Origins of the Christmas Tree

Damn these peace loving people for waging their War on Christmas! I bet this Hippie says "Happy Holidays" too! Damn her tolerance! What does she think Christmas is all about? Peace? Love? Charity? Acceptance of fellow human beings?

Oh yea...I guess it is.

Crazy for Kazakhstan

2006-11-24T18:44:00.000-05:00

Sacha Baron Cohen has caused quite the controversy with his character Borat. He has been loved by movie goers and critics with his mock-umentary style movie which has grossed over $90 million in the United States. The movie follows Borat, a journalist from Kazakhstan on a cross country journey through the United States.

Despite this success he has been slapped with a series of lawsuits. One of the major suits its coming from frat students from the University of South Carolina. They claimed that the producers of the movie got them drunk in order to get them to sign release forms. In the film they appear drunk with Borat making both sexist and racist comments. The lawsuit claims that the film "made the plaintiffs the object of ridicule, humiliation, mental anguish and emotional and physical distress, loss of reputation, goodwill and standing in the community."

20th Century Fox is also being sued by a Romanian village for $30 millions dollars. "Even if there is only a very small chance of getting justice, I want to go to court, because a wrong has been done to me and our whole community," said one of the villagers.

Yet, even though there are people in the world that hated "Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit of Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan" there are a great deal more that have enjoyed Borat the character and the movie's satire of American culture. A prominent Kazakh writer enjoyed the film so much that he ha nominated Cohen for a national Kazakh award. Sapabek Asip-uly justifies his controversial nomination claiming that "[Borat] has managed to spark an immense interest of the whole world in Kazakhstan -- something our authorities could not do during the years of independence."

Officials in Kazakhstan are less than amused by Cohen's portrayal of their nation in the film.

It doesn't appear as though Borat will be making any apologies for his "movie film" and that his popularity will continue to grow.

My Opinion: A VERY FUNNY MOVIE! This movie is a superb satire of American culture or lack there of. These frat boys got what they deserved. Give me a break! They had no good reputation, or good standing in the community. Maybe after their humiliation on the big screen they'll think twice before drinking in excess or speaking to Kazakh journalists. Hopefully seeing and hearing themselves say such awful things has taught them a lesson.

I honestly believe that people are deciding to sue 20th Century Fox over this movie because they are seeing it becoming a success. If this movie had flopped, would it have caused such mental anguish on these poor "victims"? I doubt it. Even without trying Borat has shown another ugly side of the the American landscape, its greed.

Reaching for the Sky

2006-11-19T17:56:00.000-05:00

This past week there was a proposal submitted to the city of Boston to build a new 75-story, 1,000 foot tall glass tower in downtown Boston, replacing the Winthrop Square city parking garage. Businessman Steven Belkin submitted the design by renowned Italian architect Renzo Piano.

"I called for world-class architects to come up with a building that reflects all the greatness and potential of Boston," said Boston Mayor Tom Menino. "Today's proposal . . . promises everything we asked for." Menino had hoped that his challenge would produce dozens of proposals. It only produced one, Belkin's.

The so called "Piano Tower" would be the city's tallest building. Boston's current tallest building title belongs to the John Hancock Tower. The Hancock is 60 stories, 790 feet tall. The new tower would be 15 stories, over 200 feet taller than the Hancock.

The new building would add approximately 1.3 million square feet in office space. There would be a series of shops and restaurants located on the lower levels. There are also plans for a one acre park to be on the ground level, and another on the roof.

There is no set time table for the city to review the project, or for it to be built if approved. "We are an old city that is not that tall, so we take a look at each project and make sure it is appropriate," said a spokeswoman for the Boston Redevelopment Authority, which will be reviewing the proposal.

My Opinion: This appears to be a pretty interesting project. At first I didn't like the design or idea. However, the more I read about the building and how it will be environmentally friendly has really changed my mind. The only thing that I am weary of is its size. I fear that this tower, being so large, will make Boston a target for terrorism.

I like the Hancock Tower better based on projections of what the "Piano Tower" will look like on the skyline. But, maybe it'll change my mind if/when its built.

PS3 Insanity

2006-11-17T13:11:00.000-05:00

The newest edition to the Sony PlayStation family was released today. PlayStation 3 now joins its now seemingly ancient brothers PlayStation 1 & 2 as well as PSP in what is now one of the most popular gaming consoles.

The newest system is selling for $500-$600. Sony is justifying the high price by asserting that PS3 is an entertainment system, not just a video game console. It allows its owners to hook up to the internet, watch DVDs, listen to CD's and play video games. The new PS3 is able to hook up to HiDef televisions, so now you can play video games with even scarier detail. It comes with either a 20GB or 60GB removable hard disk drive, your choice of which size. It also allows its owner to play older PS 1 & 2 video games on it, however, there is a bug in the system that may interrupt that feature. It costs anywhere from $50-$60 per video game.

Intense video game fanatics have been camping out all week in front of local electronic stores such as Best Buy and Circuit City in order to be the first ones in line for the new PS3. Of course people sitting outside with credit cards or $500 or more in cash are going to attract less than welcome visitors. Such was the case for one unlucky Webster, Massachusetts man camping outside a Wal-Mart in Putnam, Connecticut. Two armed robbers confronted a group of people and demanded their money. Michael Penkala of Webster resisted and was shot twice, once in the chest and once in the shoulder. Penkala is reported to be hospitalized at UMass Medical Center with non life threatening injuries. According to the Daily News " A Best Buy in Boston, aware it had only 140 of the consoles, got smart. Its employees gave out tickets to the first 140 people in line so everyone could go home."

There are currently bids on eBay for PS3 consoles going for $3,000 or more. There is one PlayStation3 on sale on eBay for $10,000.

Here's a link to Time Magazine's take on PlayStation 3 PS3: Don't Waste Your Money

My Opinion: GET A LIFE!!! Move out of your mom's basement and get a life, a job, a girlfriend, something! If all you have to do in life is camp outside a store for a week to get a video game, you seriously need help. Don't get me wrong, I love video games! I own a Game Cube, a GameBoy, and when I was younger a N64 and Sega Genesis, but they're not my life. They're fun, but they're not worth $500-$600 dollars just for the console. Then you have to buy extra controllers and games. It can all add up to well over $1,000 dollars. I'm sorry, but that's too much money for video games. Once again, I apologize but I'm not gonna get shot over a stupid PS3 either. Is it really worth it? I'm sure the graphics are cool and the games are fun, but that money is my rent, my tuition, my books, my groceries, my T pass, the list goes on. How can anyone justify spending this much money on a video game? Someone PLEASE tell me!!!

OJ: "If I did it..."

2006-11-15T10:05:00.001-05:00

It was announced recently that OJ Simpson, who in October of 1995 was found not guilty of murdering his wife and friend, will be having a TV special entitled "O.J. Simpson: If I Did It, Here's How It Happened." The special will feature Simpson talking about the murder and IF he had done it, how he would've done it. "OJ Simpson, in his own words, tells for the first time how he would have committed the murders if he were the one responsible for the crimes. In the two-part event, Simpson describes how he would have carried out the murders he has vehemently denied committing for over a decade," said Fox in a released statement.

The special, which is set to air on November 27 & 29th is coming just before the release of his book "If I Did It" on November 30th. He will be interviewed by the publisher of his book, Judith Reagan, who is the founder of ReaganBooks. ReganBooks is an imprint of HarperCollins,which is owned by News Corp., parent of Fox. It has been rumored that Simpson was paid $3.5 million for this book.

Nicole Brown's family is not surprised by Simpson's actions. Her father, Lou Brown said "I gave up on him many years ago." He went on to say that he has "absolutely no doubt" that OJ Simpson is responsible for the murder of his daughter. Nicole's sister, Denise Brown said in a statement "We hope Ms. Reagan takes full accountability for promoting the wrong doing of criminals and leveraging this forum and the actions of 'Simpson' to commercialize abuse."

My Opinion: If he did it? IF?! IF?!?! He did do it! If OJ had nothing to hide then why did he lead the police on a chase in that white Bronco? Why did OJ try on leather gloves with latex gloves on already? Why did he try on leather gloves that had shrunk because they were soaked in blood? Why was he forced to pay for Nicole's death in civil court if he wasn't guilty? The OJ Simpson trial was one of the most watched televised events of the 1990's and everyone knows he is guilty. Now he's in need of some cash, so he flaunts the hypothetical idea that If he had done it, he'd do it this way. That's disgusting. It's disgusting for anyone to make money off of someone's death, especially when you're the one responsible for the death.

That's not even the sad part. The sad part is people will tune in on those nights. Fox's ratings will be through the roof, and people will buy this book. I think the special will reveal just enough to get people to watch, but not too much so they'll have to buy the book to hear the rest of the story. What a sick marketing ploy.

Breaking Ground On A Dream

2006-11-13T21:46:00.000-05:00

The ground breaking ceremony for the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial took place today on the National Mall in Washington D.C. today. The new memorial will be built on the remaining free land on the Mall; in between the Thomas Jefferson memorial and the Lincoln memorial. It is going to be dedicated to King's infamous "I have a dream" speech.

The event drew approximately 5,000 people out into Washington's cool, cloudy weather. The ceremony was also attended by President George W. Bush, President Bill Clinton, Oprah Winfrey, Jesse Jackson, and many more. In 1996 President Clinton signed a law that would protect the land, reserving it for the memorial. "The monument, however beautiful it turns out to be, will be but a physical manifestation of the monument constructed in the minds and hearts of millions of Americans, who are more just, more decent, more successful, more perfect because he lived," reflected Clinton.

President Bush found it fitting that the MLK memorial will be located between Jefferson and Lincoln, "By its presence in this place, it will unite the men who declared the promise of America and defended the promise of America with the man who redeemed the promise of America." King is the first civilian and first African American to have a memorial on the Mall.

According to the Associated Press, $65 million has already been raised for the estimated $100 million project. The memorial is set to be finished in 2008; forty years after King's assassination.

My Opinion: 40 years too late. I'm glad to finally see a memorial for the face of the civil rights movement of the 1960's. The people that worked with him are now one step closer to seeing their dream of a MLK memorial come true. Visit http://www.mlkmemorial.org for more info.

This Old Man...

2006-11-12T21:38:00.000-05:00

Former President Gerald Ford hit a milestone in U.S. history. At age 93 years and 121 days old he is the nation's oldest living president. The former oldest president was Ronald Reagan, who passed away in June of 2004.

Ford was born on July 14, 1913. For a little perspective here's a list of events that happened in the early 1900's.
The Titanic sank on April 15, 1912
William Howard Taft was president in 1913
Woodrow Wilson elected president 1914
Stainless steel was invented in 1913
Babe Ruth made his major league debut with the Boston Red Sox in 1914
World War I begins in 1914
The Mexican Revolution 1910-1917

Gerald Ford served as the nation's 40th Vice President and 38th President. Many critics question why Ford pardoned President Nixon when he was never convicted of a crime.

Ford is famous for his mis-steps. He was even spoofed in Stephen Sondheim's musical Assassins, in which attempted assassins Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme and Sarah Jane Moore attempt to shoot him before he trips and falls. In reality he faced two assassination attempts in 17 days. In the 1976 presidential elections he was narrowly defeated by Democratic challenger Jimmy Carter.

Perhaps it was all the bumps on the head and the cheating death that has kept Ford around for his 93 years and 121 days. He now holds the title of longest living president and is facing seemingly constant trips to the hospital. Hopefully he'll be around a little longer to defend his title. The top 4 oldest presidents are: Gerald Ford (93 years 121 days), Ronald Reagan (93 years 119 days), John Adams(90 years 253 days), and Herbert Hoover (90 years 71 days).

In a statement Ford said "The length of one's days matters less than the love of one's family and friends."

My Opinion: I really don't have an opinion. Congrats to Gerry! That is an amazing milestone.

I want to take a mini poll. What living president will make a run at Ford's record? George W., Bill Clinton, George I, Jimmy Carter, or will Gerry retain his title?? Let me know what you think!

Thank You

2006-11-11T10:46:00.000-05:00

Disclaimer: This post is all opinion.

Thank you. It is a a simple phrase that takes only a second to say, but to someone who has served or is serving in the U.S. Armed Forces it means a lot. So on this Veterans Day I ask you all to thank a service member either retired or active. A simple "Thank you" will make their day.

The bravery of our service men and women is something to admire. They volunteer to stand on the front lines defending the United States. Their courage and service is extremely admirable, and something every citizen should be grateful for.

Here’s a little background on Veterans Day. It marks the end of World War I in 1918. It is known as Armistice Day in Great Britain.

My family's military history is pretty extensive and interesting. The most recent member of the military is my cousin, Megan's husband Jeff Hassel, a member of the Marine Corps who has served in Iraq. My great uncle, Commander John Morris, served the U.S. Navy in World War II. My grandfather, Chief Petty Officer Charles O'Leary, served the U.S. Navy in World Was II. On my mother's side of the family I have an ancestor that served in the War of 1812, his name escapes me now. Also on the Macomber side of the family is Colonel John Hathaway, an officer in the American Revolution.

Each of these people lived decades, some centuries apart, but they all had the common desire and bravery of serving in the United States Military.

Thank you.

Journalism Loses a Dear Friend

2006-11-10T15:00:00.000-05:00

Yesterday Ed Bradley, long time CBS "60 Minutes" journalist lost his private battle with leukemia. He was 65 years old.

Bradley broke down racial barriers in broadcast journalism by serving as CBS's first African-American White House and "60 Minutes" correspondent. The 2005-2006 season of "60 Minutes" marked his 25th years with the popular, long running news magazine program. He joined the show in 1981 when Dan Rather left to replace Walter Cronkite on the CBS Evening News.

Over the years on "60 Minutes" he interviewed a great variety of people including: singer Liza Minnelli to Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh. He took his work very seriously and received several awards for his journalism. He owns 20 Emmy Awards, and 4 Peabody Awards among many others.

"One of the great talents he had, both as a journalist and a TV personality, was that he was able to do a serious journalistic job . . . while insisting on being just who he was," said said Alex S. Jones, director of the Joan Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics, and Public Policy at Harvard University (The Boston Globe). Bradley even pierced his left ear in 1986 and wore his gold earring ever since.

devastated, his colleagues fondly remember their fellow journalist, but more importantly their friend. "When you think of the overall body of work he did, it's hard to imagine anybody could ever duplicate that. You don't replace a man like Ed Bradley at any news organization. He is a legend, and we're going to miss his work. But, I think just as important, we're going to miss Ed Bradley the man," said the President of CBS News, Sean McManus.

"When he laughed, he laughed whole-heartedly from down deep. He was just an absolutely delightful man," Mike Wallace described.

"Ed was a great person to be a around who never forgot where he came from. He was a great helper to African-American journalists. He was also the softest touch in town. He wasn't into the celebrity charity thing, but he helped a whole lot of people over the years who really needed it," remembered Bob Shieffer, host of "Face the Nation".

My Opinion: I'll let Ed's work and legacy speak for itself.

A Clean Sweep

2006-11-10T11:25:00.000-05:00

The Democratic Party has officially taken control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate. The Dems are the majority for the first time since 1994 after the so called Republican Revolution. It was the first time in history that the Dems gained seats without any incumbents losing their seats.

The news came yesterday when incumbent George Allen (R) of Virginia conceded to Democratic challenger Jim Webb after an extremely close race. Approximately 7,000 votes separated the two candidates. The announcement tips the balance in the Senate to 51 seats for the Democrats to the Republicans' 49. The House still has 6 undecided seats, but the current count is 229 seats for the Dems and 196 for the GOP.

President Bush invited Speaker to be Nancy Pelosi to the White House yesterday for lunch and to discuss politics. They both pledge to work through party differences to work on the issues of Iraq, minimum wage, and Dafur. "We have our differences and we will debate them, and that is what our founders intended. But we will do so in a way that gets results for the American people," Pelosi said. Nancy Pelosi is set to become the nation's first female Speaker of the House and will become third in line for the presidency.

The new Democratic congress has a lot on its plate including a possible confirmation of Secretary of Defense nominee Bob Gates, and a decision on the fate of United Nations ambassador John Bolton.

My Opinion: I'm glad to see that there is now a system of checks and balances in Washington D.C. It appears as though George W. is humbled with a Democratic congress and that's a very good thing. It means that he has heard what the people want. I think that he didn't really think that all these polls showing his approval rating at 35% were accurate. Now he realizes they are. Congrats to the Democrats! Now its time to get to work with your Republican counterparts to change the United States.

Rumsfeld Packs

2006-11-08T19:17:00.000-05:00

Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld announced his resignation today, just one day after the Democrats took control of the United States House of Representatives and are a mere one seat away from taking over the Senate as well. Democrats have been calling for Rumsfeld' resignation for several months now because of the current situation in Iraq.

President Bush and Donald Rumsfeld began discussing the possibility of him stepping down in the days leading up to the mid-term elections. Rumsfeld took over the position of Secretary of Defense since Bush took office in 2001. He is Bush's longest serving cabinet member. According to CNN, he also served as defense secretary under President Ford from 1975-1977.

President Bush has aknowleged the public's anger with the GOP. "I recognize that many Americans voted last night to register their displeasure with the lack of progress being made," Bush said in reference to Iraq. "Don Rumsfeld has been a superb leader during a time of change. Yet he also appreciates the value of bringing in a fresh perspective during a critical period in this war."

President Bush today introduced his nominee to replace Rumsfeld. Robert Gates is the current president of Texas A&M and former CIA Chief. He has served under six presidents of both parties. Serving under George W. Bush will make it seven. Gates said he accepted Bush's nomination because "...The United States is at war." Upon his introduction he stated that "I believe the outcome of these conflicts will shape our world for decades to come." He will await confirmation from the Senate.

My Opinion: I feel as though my feeling would be expressed in song.

"There's a sad sort of clanging From the clock in the hall, and the bells in the steeple too. And up in the nurs'ry an absurd little bird's popping out to say "coocoo". Regretfully they tell us,But firmly they compel us To say goodbye to you. So long, farewell, Auf wiedersehn, good night,I hate to go and leave this pretty sight. So long, farewell, Auf wiedersehn, adieu, Adieu, adieu, to yieu and yieu and yieu. So long, farewell, Au'voir, auf wiedersehn, I'd like to stay and taste my first champagne So long, farewell, Auf wiedersehn, goodbye,I leave and heave a sigh and say goodbye, Goodbye! I'm glad to go,I cannot tell a lie. I flit, I float, I fleetly flee, I fly. The sun has gone to bed and so must I So long, farewell, auf wiedersehn, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, Goodbye! "

Massachusetts Elects First African-American Governor

2006-11-08T11:07:00.000-05:00

Last night in the crowed Hynes Convention Center the Democratic Party was celebrating victories in the House of Representatives, a gain in the Senate, and Deval Patrick winning the governorship of Massachusetts. The blue and white confetti was flying in a sea of signs that read "Together We Can".

Deval Patrick became Massachusetts' first African-American governor by beating out Lt. Governor Kerry Healey, Independent Christy Mihos, and Green Rainbow candidate Grace Ross. Patrick is only the second black governor in U.S. history.

Standing before an enormous American flag Patrick was introduced by Massachusetts Senators John Kerry and Ted Kennedy. "The main event," as Kennedy called him made humbly made his way to the podium. "Thank you. Thank you all," he greeted his supporters before being interrupted by a loud chant of "Yes we can! Yes we can! Yes we can!" To which he quickly responded "You better believe we can!"

"The people of Massachusetts are so proud, so optimistic, so practical, so hopeful. A people of ingenuity and drive and grit and determination. A people of fundamental civility and warmth. A people from a tradition of high standards and high expectations. This is the character of the people of Massachusetts. This is the character you reflected in this campaign. And these are the people I am honored to serve come January as your Governor," he said while thanking the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for electing him.

He ended the evening by quoting his grandmother who used to say "Hope for the best, and work for it," he said with a smile. "Well, we have succeeded in raising each others hopes, and I can't wait to get to work."

For the transcript of Deval Patrick's speech visit the Boston Globe's web site.

My opinion: Good for Deval, and even better for the people of Massachusetts. Deval's campaign is the example of how politics should be run; clean and on a message of hope, not fear. I'm so happy that he was elected. I am optimistic that Massachusetts will move forward as a progressive state for change and equality. Congratulations to Deval Patrick on his fantastic campaign and his election!

Vote Early and Often!

2006-11-07T13:42:00.000-05:00

Disclaimer: THIS IS ALL OPINION!

Go out and vote today. I don't care if you vote Republican or Democrat, Independent or Green Rainbow, or even a write in. Just vote! If you are of legal age and are registered to vote go and do it. Voting is what makes the United States a great country and I find it disheartening that voter turn out in this country is so low. You may think your vote doesn't count, but it really does. In Freetown, Massachusetts' selectman elections this past March, the two candidates who ran for the open seat were separated by a total of 4 votes. 4 VOTES!!! You cannot tell me that your vote doesn't matter in these elections. If you don't vote, you have no right to complain about the policy of the United States.

Your vote keeps democracy alive and well. If you are able to vote, you have no excuse not to. Think of the founding fathers signing the Declaration of Independence 230 years ago. They committed treason to earn the United States' liberty and the right to vote. Think of the soldiers fighting overseas. If you don't vote and do your part to preserve democracy, then why are they there?

Please do what is right and be an informed participant in making the government of the United States of America the best that it can be.

Saddam Sentenced to Death

2006-11-06T09:11:00.000-05:00

I sincerely apologize for my lack of posting on Sunday. It was a long day capped off by me yelling about a New England Patriots loss.

More than two years after his capture, former president of Iraq, Saddam Hussein was convicted of crimes against humanity on November 5th by Special Iraqi Tribunal. He has been sentenced to death by hanging. "You can't decide. You are slaves. God is great. Life is for us and death for our enemies. Life for the nation, death for the enemies of our nation," snapped Saddam upon hearing the judgmentent.

The New York Times reported that Saddam Hussein's verdict and sentence will "come under review by the nine-judge appellate chamber of the trial court. There is no time limit for the appeal court's review, but Iraqi and American officials who work with the court said that the earliest realistic date for Mr. Hussein's execution, assuming it stood up to review, would be next spring." According to Iraqi law executions must take place within 30 days of the end of the appeal process. The law also forbids the executions of people over the age of 70. Saddam Hussein reaches that checkpoint on April 28, 2007.

The sentence has received a mixed reaction from the people of Iraq and it is unclear exactly what will happen in Iraq if Saddam's sentence is indeed carried out as planned. Many people are please withverdictaying that justice is served. Others fear further deterioration of the nation and perhaps even civil war because it. Still others are angry over the verdict.

Here are some of the reactions are reported on Reuters.co.uk I found it interesting to see what the everyday people thought rather than the Political analysists.

"The verdict issued against Saddam today was fair for crimes he committed against the Iraqi people of all sects. But what about crimes committed after Saddam was toppled, such as the sectarian killing which is much worse than the crimes which Saddam committed?": Kana'an Shaker, an official of the Turkman Party.

"The sentence against President Saddam will make the situation deteriorate more. Saddam will remain a symbol for all Iraqis because he refused to concede to the Americans. Everyone collaborated against Saddam (in the trial).": Mohammad al-Dulaimi, 55, tribal leader.

"(These) are happy tidings for us families of the victims and mothers who had children and sons killed. This is the least that Saddam deserved. He should be hanged 10 times and not only once.": Ahmed Ajail.

"If Saddam is executed this country will indulge in civil war. The Iranians and the Americans are pushing us towards disaster.": Halima Jabar, 50, housewife, who was weeping.

"Like every oppressed Iraqi, I feel happy, although to execute Saddam once is not enough as Saddam destroyed a whole country. And the real joy will be the occupation forces leaving Iraq.": Hazim Messabih, 35.

My Opinion: While this is without a doubt exactly what Saddam deserves, I cannot help but share in the fear of the Iraqi citizens over what will happen to Iraq when Saddam is executed. If civil war breaks out, how much longer will U.S. forces have to stay? Will they stay? How much more violence will there be against U.S. forces and Iraqi civilians? What will Bush do?

Also, hanging? C'mon, really? The Special Tribunal couldn't come up with anything a little more original? Hanging is so 1600's. The man that is responsible for the deaths of hundreds of Iraqi citizens is subject to one quick snap and that's it? I would've come up with something a little more prolonged and perhaps painful. He should experience exactly what he put his own people through. While I am not an advocate of the death penalty, I will make an exception in Saddam's case. I only pray that it does not result in increased violence against U.S. soldiers and innocent Iraqis.

Bob Ney Officially Resigns

2006-11-04T21:57:00.000-05:00

Republican House member Bob Ney of Ohio officially resigned from congress on Friday. Ney agreed to plead guilty on September 15 and did so on October 13 on charges of conspiracy and making false statements. He may face upwards of 2 years in prison and $60,000 in fines.

Ney has been linked to the now infamous lobbyist Jack Abramoff. According to CNN, Ney helped Abramoff clients by advancing an application of one of their clients for a license to install a wireless telephone infrastructure in the House and placing statements in the Congressional Record regarding a Florida casino deal. In exchange, he and his staff received items including a golf trip to Scotland, meals at restaurants, tickets to sporting events and campaign contributions.

In his resignation letter Ney stated "I am proud of the many accomplishments that have helped improve the lives of people in the 18th Congressional District of Ohio during my tenure of public service. Having completed all outstanding work in my congressional office, I now hereby resign."He made no mention

House Minority Leader, Nancy Pelosi scolded GOP leader for allowing Ney to collect pay and benefits for several weeks following his admission to guilt. "It is an embarrassment to this institution and an insult to the American taxpayer," she said.

Ney is the fourth Republican to resign from the 109th Congress. The others include: Randal "Duke" Cunningham (CA), former majority leader Tom DeLay (TX), and of course Mark Foley (FL).

My Opinion: Good riddance to bad rubbish. Shame on the GOP for allowing Ney to collect pay and benefits for so long after admitting to corruption. Ney is a disgrace to the House of Representatives, the GOP, and the people of Ohio. I look forward to Tuesday's elections and a Democratic take over of at least the House.

Evangelical Leader Resigns

2006-11-03T09:29:00.000-05:00

The reverend Ted Haggard, President of the National Association of Evangelicals resigned on Thursday after accusations of paying a male prostitute for sex for 3 years and using Meth. He has also temporarily stepped down as pastor of the 14,000 member New Life Church in Colorado.

The allegations were made by former prostitute Mike Jones on a Denver radio talk show on Tuesday and Wednesday. The story surfaced after Jones discovered who Haggard was by watching TV and that he was in favor of a same-sex marriage ban in Colorado. Colorado and 7 other states will vote on constitutional amendments banning gay marriage on November 7th.

Jones claims that about 3 years ago a man came to him seeking his services and identifying himself as a married man named "Art". The two got together about once a month for no more than an hour each time costing $200 each time. "It was not emotional. It was physical, just strictly physical," said Jones. He is offering up as evidence to support his claims saved voicemails from Haggard as well as two $100 bills given to Jones from Haggard.

Rev. Ted Haggard has denied the accusations. "I've never had a gay relationship with anybody. I'm steady with my wife. I'm faithful to my wife," he told a local TV station. In regards to his resignation and stepping aside from his church Haggard explained "I am voluntarily stepping aside from leadership so that the overseer process can be allowed to proceed with integrity. I hope to be able to discuss this matter in more detail at a later date. In the interim, I will seek both spiritual advice and guidance."

After his initial denial Haggard made a partial admission to the allegations. "There has been some admission of indiscretion, not an admission to all of the material that has been discussed, but there is an admission of some guilt," said Rev. Ross Parsley, the New Life Church associate senior pastor

Mike Jones voluntarily took a polygraph test, which he failed. Jones said that he was disappointed in the results, but that he refuses to back down from his statements. He said that he cannot let someone "...preach one thing and do another."

My Opinion: I haven't made up my mind on this story. It really could go either way. It could be Mike Jones is trying to poke a hole in the reasoning for a gay marriage ban less than a week before the vote on the amendment. On the other hand, Haggard has partially admitted to the some of the allegations and has stepped down from his positions as pastor and President of the NAE. Overall I don't think Haggard or Jones are completely reliable. I think one has a motive and the other has something to hide, but neither are entirely truthful.

Sprint for Beacon Hill

2006-11-02T12:15:00.000-05:00

The four candidates for governor of Massachusetts squared off against one another in the final televised debate last night at the New England Conservatory of Music. The debate was moderated by Cokie Roberts and featured Democratic candidate Deval Patrick, the current Lt. Governor and Republican candidate Kerry Healey, Independent Christy Mihos, and Grace Ross who represents the Green/rainbow party.

The debate started off with a discussion on gay marriage and whether or no the people of Massachusetts have the right to vote on the matter. Healey and Mihos agreed in allowing the people to vote on the matter. On the other hand Patrick and Ross believe that the voters should not be allowed to vote on the matter of same sex marriage. Healey and Mihos believe that since the voters have collected thousands of signatures (some through illegal means, which they failed to mention) that they should represent and follow the will of the people. Patrick and Ross argue that it was the court's decision and that it grants people equal protection before the state, and that the people should not have a say in whether or not those rights are allowed.

The night was full of accusations of lying coming primarily from the two main party candidates, Patrick and Healey. Healey focused in on Deval's involvement in the now infamous Benjamin LaGuer rape case, his work as a federal prosecutor, and his proposed spending. "Its about telling the truth, and that is something a governor must do. A governor must be able to look the people of the Commonwealth in the eye and tell the truth, even when it isn't convenient...You need to start telling the truth."

An angry Patrick countered by pointing out the Romney-Healey administration's policy failures and Healey's negative, insulting television ads. "You are better than the campaign you have run," Patrick explained. "But I will tell you that you spend all this time trying to distract us all from the record of failed leadership on the economy, on education, and healthcare, and then you stand over there and talk to me - preach to me - about telling the truth."

A visibly frustrated Grace Ross felt as though the two third party candidates weren't being totally engaged in this debate. "Since these two don't believe in democracy, Christy, I'll ask you a question," a comment which brought quite a few chuckles from the crowded hall. Later she asked the Lt. Governor a question, "...even though it seems as though she doesn't know I am here." As a peace offering, Deval Patrick's next question was directed to Ross, with an apology for making him and Healey the focus of the debate. She focused on

And of course, who can forget about the lovable comedic stylings of Christy Mihos. Mihos criticized Healey's ratio of 13:1 in schools across Massachusetts, claiming that that figure is inaccurate because she included all the school district's administrators, and staff into that figure. Mihos at one point asked Kerry Healey to drop out of the race and support him since she clearly had no chance at victory. To which she responded with a smile, "Christy, I've got 50 good ideas to move this Commonwealth forward."

"And I've got one, for you to leave right now, and I'll move it forward," laughed Mihos. To which Kerry replied, "You've got one idea, and Deval has none." A comment which had mixed reactions from the crowd.

Deval seemed to get the last word in regarding the threat of one party rule in Kerry Healey's ads. "I don't think the people are excited about one party rule in Massachusetts. I that that what people are excited about is leadership, and we haven't had that in some while here, and it shows." He went on in his closing statement about how he is a candidate running on hope, and that he hasn't gotten this far by "tearing anybody down. That's not who I am. I'm not trying to scare anyone into voting for me."

Healey closed out by asking the voters to think about "...what it would mean to have Deval Patrick in office instead of me. And I want to let you to know that I will always tell the truth, I will be a strong leader, and I will make sure the people of this Commonwealth are protected."

MY OPINION: Vote Deval Patrick for governor of Massachusetts. Kerry Healey's negative attack ads have completely sickened me. They are false and meant to frighten voters. "Look out! Deval Patrick helped uphold the justice system by defending rapists in court!" Please, don't let Kerry Healey's fear campaign influence your vote. I commend Deval Patrick for not stooping to the level of his opponent by throwing the mud back. Together we can, and together we will make Massachusetts a leader in education, industry, and equality again!

The Commonwealth Comment hereby officially endorses Democrat Deval Patrick for governor.

John Kerry vs. The White House

2006-11-01T12:48:00.000-05:00

While speaking to a group of students in California, Senator John Kerry (MA-Dem.) Told students to keep their grades up and do well in school or they'll end up getting stuck in Iraq. This statement has sparked outrage across the country tagging Kerry, a Vietnam veteran, as a "Troop Basher".

Kerry claims that it was a "botched" joke intended for George W. Bush. The punch line he unintentionally dropped was "Just ask President Bush." In the mean time the floundering GOP has taken Kerry's comments as the chance to strike the Democrats one week before the mid-term elections. Senator John McCain (AZ-Rep.) has openly demanded an apology from Kerry. The President at a rally in Georgia said "...our troops are plenty smart and plenty brave, and the Senator from Massachusetts owes them an apology."

After an initial hard line stance against apologizing for his criticism of President Bush, Kerry released this statement:

"As a combat veteran, I want to make it clear to anyone in uniform and to their loved ones: my poorly stated joke at a rally was not about, and never intended to refer to any troop.
I sincerely regret that my words were misinterpreted to wrongly imply anything negative about those in uniform, and I personally apologize to any service member, family member, or American who was offended.
It is clear the Republican Party would rather talk about anything but their failed security policy. I don’t want my verbal slip to be a diversion from the real issues. I will continue to fight for a change of course to provide real security for our country, and a winning strategy for our troops."

My Opinion: Bravo to John Kerry for initially refusing to apologize for his criticism of the President. The "botched" joke was intended for Bush, not for the troops. The idea that a Vietnam veteran would openly attack the troops' intelligence is outrageous. Shame on the GOP for knowingly twisting Kerry's words and shame on the media for their coverage which did not clearly explain what really happened.

In the beginning...

2006-11-01T11:16:00.000-05:00

Welcome to The Commonwealth Comment. An online news blog based in Boston, Massachusetts. The purpose of this blog is to help reduce media consolidation and offer news and opinion on the world's current political and social events. All views are welcome here at Commonwealth and I encourage you to comment on what you read here.

My name is James O'Leary, a broadcast journalism major at Boston's Emerson College and now editor of The Commonwealth Comment. Enjoy!

Sincerely,
James O'Leary