Owner: The Mersman Political Blog URL:http://www.mersmanpolitical.blogspot.com/ Join Date: Mon, 29 Jan 2007 09:48:53 -0600 Rating:0 Site Description: Political News and commentary about the 2008 election, the genocide in Darfur, the war in Iraq, the environment, and any other blog worthy events. Mixed with spontaneous humor. Site statistics:Click here
Follow Up: Barack Stops in New Hampshire 1970-01-01 00:59:59 People crowed the aisles, sat on the floor, fought for parking spaces all for a chance to get a book signed or to hear him speak in front of sold out crowds. They greeted him more like a rock star than a politician or a presidential hopeful. According to the New York Times, 900 people showed up for the morning book signing in an unlikely place, a conference center. The day led up to a speech before the New Hampshire
Democrats. Some members of the sold out crowd waited two hours or more to see him. Signs were posted on doors turning people away because there was no more room for them.Many who have followed presidential politics do not remember there being this much excitement about a candidate this early before a race. With just more than a year before the New Hampshire
Primary, Barack
Obama has not even announced he is going to run but people are so excited about the possibility that they came in droves just to show their support. Obama said in his speech that he was "suspicious of hyp Read more:Stops
John Edwards Announces Presidential Bid 1970-01-01 00:59:59 John Edwards
made it official on Thursday, December 28th, making himself a candidate for president in 2008. He made his announcement without the normal banners, stage, supportive family at his side, balloons, and confetti. His outfit was also not "presidential", he was wearing jeans and a button down shirt instead of the standard suit and tie. It was not the ordinary setting either. He chose the 9th Ward of New Orleans to make his announcement that morning where he had been doing volunteer work to rebuild homes that were devastated by Hurricane Katrina.The message of his last campaign was the divide between wealthy and impoverished Americans. This campaign seems to be even more focused on that message. "Americans can make a huge difference in helping those who need it most." "New Orleans, in so many ways, shows the two Americas that I have talked about in the past, it also exemplifies something I've learned since the last election: It's great to see a problem and understand; it's mo Read more:Presidential
, John Edwards
Bush to Address New Iraq Strategy Wednesday Night 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) was sworn as the first ever female speaker of the House as the Democrats officially took over control of congress last Thursday, January 4. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) took over the reins as Majority Leader of the Senate and Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) took over as Majority Leader of the House. Talk about the Democrats domestic agenda has shifted to the war in Iraq
because of President Bush's upcoming announcement on his Iraq policy. Talk has focused around ignoring the Iraq Study Group's Advice to the President on Iraq that troops should begin leaving sometime around 2008. Bush's plan calls for an increase of 20,000 troops to "quell the violence" in Baghdad. That was according to the 30 Republican Senators who met with the President at the White House on Monday, as Bush urged them for his support.He told the Senators that this new plan would be successful with more troops because of a greater willingness on the part of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to commit his Read more:Address
, Strategy
, Night
, Wednesday
Barack Obama 2008? 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Will BarackObama
throw his name into what will surely be a heavy mix of Democrats running for President in 2008? A recent visit to New York to meet with major Democratic Party donors seems to show that he is testing the waters of a possible run. This will be an even more important test for him because this is Hilary Clinton's home state and a stop here will give him a chance to see if the money will be there from the large donors.This past week a Quinnipiac University Poll showed that Barack Obama
ranked second in a popularity poll asking people to rate their feelings about 20 politicians. Here's how they finished: 1. Rudolph Giuliani, former New York City mayor, 64.2 2. Barack Obama, Illinois senator, 58.8 3. John McCain, Arizona senator, 57.7 4. Condoleezza Rice, secretary of state, 56.1 5. Bill Clinton, former president, 55.8 6. Joseph Lieberman, Connecticut senator 52.7 7. Michael Bloomberg, New York City mayor, 51.1 8. John Edwards, former North Carolina senator, 49.9 9. H
Welcome and Introduction 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Welcome! This blog is a chance for me to post my opinions and provide some information about important events taking place. It will focus on important political and social issues and how they might affect us. Please feel free to comment and post whenever you agree or disagree. Read more:Welcome
, Introduction
Capital Hill Meets Iraq Plan with Bipartisan Opposition 1970-01-01 00:59:59 President Bush sent his top advisers to the Hill on Thursday to convince congress that his new strategy for Iraq
would work this time. They were met with strong bipartisan opposition as members of congress grilled Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates about the new strategy. Gates told lawmakers today that there was a new attitude among the Iraqi government and Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to cooperate and do their part in order to stop the violence in Iraq.Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Peter Pace and Secretary Gates both said it would soon be clear whether or not the Iraqi government was committed to meeting their end of the agreement. "I want you to know that the timetable for the introduction of additional U.S. forces will provide ample opportunity early on, and before many of the additional U.S. troops arrive in Iraq, to evaluate the progress of this endeavor and whether the Iraqis are fulfilling their commitments to us," Mr Read more:Opposition
, Bipartisan
President Bush Determined to Send More Troops 1970-01-01 00:59:59 President Bush made it clear over the weekend that he has the authority to send additional troops to Iraq without consent from congress. Faced with strong opposition from a Democratically controlled congress he has said that he has the power to go ahead with his plans anyway. "I fully understand they could try to stop me from doing it. But I've made my decision. And we're going forward."The president has called withdrawing "defeat" which the Democrats have supported. In an interview with "60 Minutes" last night Bush said that, "I began to think, well, if failure is not an option and we've got to succeed, how best to do so? And that's how I came up with the plan I did."Senator Carl Levin (D-Michigan) said on CNN's "Late Edition" that a nonbinding resolution saying that sending more troops will not be the best answer for Iraq "would be a strong message to the president to put pressure on the Iraqis to reach a political solution."Vice President Dick Cheney fired back at those who hav Read more:President
, President Bush
, Troops
President Bush Boosts Troop Level by 21,500 and Admits Mistakes 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Wednesday Night President
Bush spoke from the White House seeking support from the American people for a troop increase in order to curb the violence in Iraq so that a future withdrawal would be possible. Bush stated "If we increase our support at this crucial moment... we can hasten the day our troops begin coming home." Bush also admitted for the first time that he had not sent enough troops the previous year which allowed the capital to become entrenched in violence between Shiites and Sunnis. According to the Washington Post, a document released just before the speech by the White House said that the previous strategy was based on poor assumptions about the stability of the Iraqi government.Bush's plan also called for $5.6 billion dollars to be spent on the troop increases and more than $1 billion dollars in new economic aid for Iraq. The president warned of more bloodshed in Iraq and that it will take time to see improvements in the region. President Bush
also put pressure on Pri Read more:Troop
First Additional Troops Arrive in Iraq 1970-01-01 00:59:59 The first 4,000 additional troops have arrived in the Iraq
i capital of Baghdad according to the US commander in Iraq General George Casey. It is not clear when the troops will start taking place in security operations there.He commented on the apparent friction that has been taking place between Iraqi government officials and American officials over how the plans would be implemented saying, "Transitions generate friction. And we are in a period of transition."He said that they were working to make sure that there would be no misunderstandings between the two groups. "This is a plan that is Iraqi-conceived but we have been involved every step of the way. American forces will remain under American command ... Our forces will not be put at risk because of the command relationship."It will take time he said to see results from the increased security forces from the American troops. Casey said that, "It's not going to happen overnight" and said he hoped to see results in summer or autu Read more:First
, Troops
John Kerry Not Running in 08' 1970-01-01 00:59:59 REUTERS/Jim YoungJohn Kerry
announced yesterday that he will not be running for President again in 2008 like some thought he might. Instead he will seek his 5th term in the US Senate where he says he can do more to change policy in Iraq than on the campaign trail."I've concluded this isn't the time for me to mount a presidential campaign. I intend to work here to change a policy in Iraq that threatens all that I have worked for and cared about since I came home from Vietnam."Polls showed him trailing to Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and John Edwards but he still had 13 million dollars in the bank which would have been a good start towards showing people why they should give him the nomination again.John Edwards said about Kerry that, "all Americans are fortunate to have John's experience, insight and conscience in the Senate."The spokes woman for John Kerry
's 2004 campaign said, "The reality is the 2008 race moved past him months ago, and catching up would have taken much more th
John Edwards Leading Iowa Presidential Polls 1970-01-01 00:59:59 John Edwards
at book signing in Des Moines, Iowa. Photo from johnedwards.com Iowa is the home to the first Democratic caucuses of the 2008 presidential campaign and John Edwards
is right now leading in the early polls. Edwards has been to the state 17 times since the beginning of 2005 and finished second there in the caucuses in 2004.Hillary Clinton will make her first campaign stop in Iowa this weekend and because she has been trailing there in the polls, she was urged by her staff to make a visit there as soon as possible after her announcement.She is facing a tough time in Iowa because of her opposition to subsidies for ethanol which for a corn producing state like Iowa is a bad position to be in politically. Her vote for the war in Iraq is also not winning her any more support among Democrats in Iowa.It will take time to see how they react to her visit and how her personal visits among voters sit with the people of Iowa.Senator Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) hosted an event in which Barack Ob Read more:Polls
, Presidential
, Leading
Senate Panel Passes Resolution Against Troop Increase 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Democratic party Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) (L) talks with Democrats Jim Webb (D-VA) and Ben Cardin (D-MD) at the Senate
Foreign Relations Committee meeting on Iraq resolution. REUTERS/Jason ReedIn a 12-9 vote the Senate Foreign Relations Committee passed a non-binding resolution opposing President Bush's plan to increase the troops in Iraq by 21,500.Chuck Hagel (R-Nebraska) was the only Republican to join the Democrats on the committee voting in favor of the resolution. He was also a co-sponsor of the resolution along with Senator Carl Levin (D-Michigan) and Joseph Biden (D-Delaware).The resolution could come to a vote by the full Senate as early as next Wednesday and it is expected that there will be other similar resolutions. Democrats even agreed to change some of the language to make it more agreeable to Republicans so that it will send a bipartisan message to President Bush.Joseph Biden who is now chair of the committee said, "This is not designed to say, "Mr. President, ah- Read more:Passes
, Panel
, Resolution
, Troop
Bush Faces Though Crowd for State of the Union and Pushes for Gas Consumption Reductions 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Do not expect as many applauses tonight at Bush's sixth State
of the Union
tonight as President Bush faces House and Senate members who are unhappy about some of the President's current policies, such as Iraq. Bush's approval ratings are at an all time low. According to CNN.com only 34% approve of the job he is doing while 64% disapprove. Only two Presidents in the past sixty years have gone into a State of the Union with lower approval ratings and that was Richard M. Nixon during Watergate in 1974 and Harry S. Truman during the Korean War in 1952. Only 17% of Americans strongly approve of the job he is doing while 51% strongly disapprove of the job he is doing. 65% of Americans now oppose a troop increase which is higher than before the President tried to convince the country it was the right decision (61% Jan. 10). It is clear from the numbers that Americans no longer trust President Bush at the moment and polls also show that they have more faith in the Democratic congress t Read more:Consumption
Barack Obama Video 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Here is a video from BarackObama
's website I received through his email updates. Pretty good if you ask me. Take a look. It is very well made and gives you a short biography about the man who has gained so much popularity in the Senate in two short years. Read more:Barack Obama
Barack Obama One Step Closer To Presidential Run 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Senator BarackObama
(D-Illinois) announced today that he was taking the first step towards a presidential run in 2008 by forming a presidential exploratory committee. He said in his announcement that he will make his final decision about whether or not to run on February 10. Many now expect that it will lead to an immediate all out campaign for the White House. Being such a young star in the Democratic Party many across the country have been hyping up such a run for president ever since he gave his speech at the Democratic National Convention in 2004. There was so much excitement around his visit to New Hampshire in early December, that his book signing was held in a hotel convention center and people had to be turned away to hear him speak that night. Obama told his supporters that "I certainly didn't expect to find myself in this position a year ago, but as I've spoken to many of you in my travels across the states these past months; as I've read your e-mails and read your lett Read more:Presidential
, Barack Obama
, One Step
Iraq Update: Maliki Calls on US to Arm Forces Faster 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki
told U.S. officials on Wednesday that the need for U.S. troops would go down if the process of arming and equipping the Iraq
i forces would be sped up. He said the need for U.S. forces would go down in a matter of three to six months and called on the United States to show faith in his ability to lead."If we succeed in implementing the agreement between us to speed up the equipping and providing weapons to our military forces, I think that within three to six months our need for the American troops will dramatically go down. That's on the condition that there are real strong efforts to support our military forces and equipping them and arming them," Maliki said.Maliki defended his governments constitutional right to the death penalty after President Bush said that the execution of Saddam Hussein "looked like it was kind of a revenge killing". Condoleezza Rice's statement to the Senate that the Maliki administration was on "borrowed time" also drew attack Read more:Update
, Forces
Hillary Clinton "I'm In" 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Senator HillaryClinton
(D-New York) didn't shock many people when she announced that she would be forming a presidential exploratory committee Saturday. Early polls have shown her leading all the other possible and declared Democratic candidates to date. The saturday Washington Post said that in a nationwide Washington Post-ABC News poll completed Friday night, she was the favorite of 41 percent of Democrats. That was more than twice as much as any other Democrat she could potentially come up against. Her website stated that, "I'm in and I'm in to win." The Hillary campaign believes that they are the Democrats best shot at the White House in 2008 and they are not afraid to be open about it. Mark Penn the chief strategist for the campaign even wrote a memo entitled "UPDATED: Hillary Is the Democrats' Best Shot". I hope she has more to offer America than how she can beat the Republicans. Her donor list, friends, supports, and connections are deep but if has nothing special or signif Read more:Hillary Clinton
Congressional Earmarks Finally Debated 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Randy "Duke" Cunningham's (R-California) acceptance of extravagant gifts in exchange for large defense contracts through earmarks and Ted Stevens' (R-Alaska) $233 million dollar bridge to no where has recently drawn a lot of attention to the issue of earmarks.Earmarks
, also known as "pork" or "pork barrel spending", is basically defined as a project that a member of congress adds to a bill, that project is never debated on, and there is never a hearing held on the merits of the project. This makes it easy for a member of congress to slip it into a bill without it being noticed. It also usually serves the interest of someone or a special interest.Earmarks have vastly increased in use over the past decade. They went from 4,126 in 1994, to 12,852 in 2006, according to the Congressional
Research Service. In 2006, the total value of earmarks to tax payers was $67.1 billion dollars. While there are some projects that are of course good and need to be done there is still a lot of waste and Read more:Finally
Barack Obama Proposes Troop Withdrawal Legislation 1970-01-01 00:59:59 US Senator Obama
talks to the media about Iraq on Capitol Hill in Washington. Photo by Reuters.Senator Barack
Obama (D-Illinois) offered the first legislation on the Senate floor last night that would set a date for troop withdrawals of all combat brigades by March 31, 2008. This date falls in the suggested timetable set by the Iraq Study Group which recommended that troops be removed by the first quarter of next year. The legislation is entitled the "Iraq War De-escalation Act of 2007".Obama is the first among the leading Democratic candidates to go forward with a specific timetable for a full troop withdrawal. Hillary Clinton would not commit to a troop withdrawal and is against the Bush increase asking to cap troop levels at the Jan. 1 numbers. John Edwards has proposed an immediate withdrawal of 40,000 to 50,000 troops but did not set a firm date for when troops would be sent home.Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico is another prominent Democrat to set a date for troop withdraw Read more:Legislation
, Barack Obama
, Troop
Joseph Biden Campaign Off to Terrible Start 1970-01-01 00:59:59 US Senator Biden
speaks at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee Meeting. Photo by Reuters.Joseph
Biden (D-Delaware) skipped the standard formality of an exploratory committee and jumped right in on Wednesday making himself a Democratic candidate for president in 2008.With more than three decades in the Senate and now becoming the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee he spent most of the day discussing the comments he made about Senator Barack Obama (D-Illinois) rather than his campaign message.Biden described Obama as the "first mainstream African American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice looking guy." His comments were published in The New York Observer and Biden said that he regretted the misunderstanding over the use of the word "clean"."I really regret that some have taken totally out of context my use of the word "clean," Biden told reporters later that afternoon."Barack Obama is probably the most exciting candidate that the Democratic or Republic Read more:Start
, Campaign
John Edwards YouTube Video 1970-01-01 00:59:59 I found this on johnedwards.com and I thought it was very interesting. You get to see the former Senator and candidate for president working on someones home to make it more energy efficient. He is showing people what he has been talking about by not waiting until the next election and showing people that there are small things you can do that can make a big difference as far as energy is concerned. Check it out: Read more:YouTube
, Edwards
, John Edwards
Facebook a Powerful Force for Obama 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Yesterday Barack Obama
spoke to a gathering of students at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. Several thousand students gathered to hear him speak. The event was organized by students through Facebook
.com, a site where students can create profiles, organize events online and many other things. The Facebook group Barack Obama for President in 2008, was created last summer and allows students from anywhere to join. The group now has over 50,000 members and the students that created the group founded an offline presidential draft committee, Students for Barack Obama.Another group started on January 17, 2007 called "Barack Obama (One Million Strong for Barack)" now has 204,072 members as of February 3, 2007. "This is a remarkable achievement, a remarkable event that speaks to what young people can do when they put their minds together," Obama said about the movement. Obama is mindful of the amazing power that young people in America have. "You guys don't have much of a m Read more:Force
Senators Sharply Disagree on Iraq Within Own Parties 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Joseph Biden, Chuck Hagel, and Carl Levin at a press conference about Iraq
troop increase. Photo by: Reuters.Republicans are disagreeing with other Republican Senators and Democrats are disagreeing with other Democrats on Iraq policy. Senator Chuck Hagel (R-Nebraska) said that "it essentially isn't going to make any difference how many more troops" we sent to Iraq. This estimate was based on a new intelligence report that shows the outlook for curbing the violence in Iraq as bleak.Senator John McCain (R-Arizona) who has been campaigning for a troop increase for several weeks now, said that even though we may not know the outcome the risk of failure is too great to give up. McCain went on to say that "a bloodletting in Baghdad that makes Srebrenica look like a Sunday-school picnic" McCain was referring to the massacre of the Bosnian Muslims by the Serbian forces. Debate will begin Monday on a nonbinding resolution by Senator John Warner (R-Virginia) that will oppose any tr Read more:Disagree
$2.90 Trillion Dollar Budget Sent to Congress 1970-01-01 00:59:59 President Bush holds a copy of the budget before his cabinet. Photo by: REUTERS/Jason Reed.Monday, President Bush sent his 2008 fiscal year spending budget to congress. In the budget Bush has proposed vast increases in military spending, along with enough money to pay for the war in Iraq and the troop increases, making his tax cuts permanent, eliminating the deficit in five years, and meanwhile still trying to pinch the rest of the governments spending into the budget.Making the tax cuts permanent will add a cost of $1.6 trillion dollars over the next 10 years and adds $700 billion dollars in new military spending. Kent Conrad (D-North Dakota) who is now the Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee said, "the president's budget is filled with debt and deception, disconnected from reality and continues to move America in the wrong direction"Conrad also added, "this administration has the worst fiscal record in history and this budget does nothing to change that."The savings to cut do Read more:Trillion
, Dollar
, Congress
DNC Winter Meeting YouTube Videos, All Candidates 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Here are some YouTube
clips from the February 2, 2007, Democratic National Committee's Winter Meeting. All but Mike Gravel and Chris Dodd have the full speech from the meeting. They range from about 10-17 minutes long. If you want to get an idea of who is in the running and what their messages are I would suggest watching them alllll!!. Have fun! (Or just watch the candidates you are curious about).Barack Obama:Hillary Clinton:John Edwards:Dennis Kucinich:Wesley Clark:Tom Vilsack:Joseph Biden:Bill Richardson:Chris Dodd (2:43 min., Full YouTube Clip Not Available): Mike Gravel (1:10 min., Full YouTube Clip Not Available): Read more:Candidates
House Passes Biofuels Bill 1970-01-01 00:59:59 In a 400-3 vote on Thursday the U.S. House
of Representatives passed a bill that would promote the development of alternative fuels. The bill also helps create the infrastructure in order to supply the fuels to consumers.The bill would require the government to carry out research on how to find ways to make it possible to bring the biofuels to the consumers without causing damage to existing delivery systems, pipes, and storage tanks.Another aspect of the bill is that it directs the government to find a way to test the sulfur levels in fuels along with cleaner-burning diesel fuels. The research would be done by the Environmental Protection Agency which would be given $10 million dollars to do so. It is obviously very important that we have the means in place to store and deliver the new biofuels. According to those that support the the bill, that is what they are trying to accomplish. "We can have all the biofuels to supply every car in our nation, but, if the infrastructure is n Read more:Passes
, Biofuels
New Name Suggestions 1970-01-01 00:59:59 The Mersman Political Blog is going .com soon and the name might also be changed. Please leave your comments about name suggestions, possible titles, .com names, or if you want it to just be mersmanblog.com.The name should be something catchy, easy to remember, and describe the content of the blog. There are websites like godaddy.com that will let you check to see if the domain is taken or not if you want to check first. Thank-you for your feedback!!Here are some examples I came up with: (some of them are probably pretty lame so that is why I am looking for your feedback)rollingpolitical .com politicalblocparty.com politicalroundhouse.com mersmanblog.com dragonpolitical.com congressnewsblog.com capitalhillnewsblog.com I will likely have a voting poll on the top names that are generated to see which one people like best. Thanks!
Barack Obama Announcment Preview for Tomorrow Morning 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Barack Obama
will be announcing tomorrow morning at 10:55 a.m., live, in front of the old state capital in Springfield, Illinois that he is officially running for president.It is the city where he began his political career just 10 years ago and it has now launched him into a run for the presidency after 2 years of his term in the U.S. Senate. Here is a video preview from BarackObama.com. Take a look:Here is the information from an email sent to people on his email list about his live video online:"You can watch a live video feed of the event on BarackObama.com, which will be a brand new site in the morning. Here are the details: Live Video Feed from Springfield, Illinois 10:55 AM Eastern / 9:55 AM Central / 8:55 AM Mountain / 7:55 AM Pacific" Read more:Barack
, Preview
, Morning
, Barack Obama
Barack Obama Makes it Official 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Barack Obama
stands before packed crowd to announce his candidacy for president in 2008. February 10, 2007. Picture by: REUTERS/Jason ReedSaturday morning in front of the old state capital in Springfield, Illinois, Barack Obama
made his candidacy for president official.Barack made his speech in front of packed supporters braving the cold winter air from the same location that Abraham Lincoln made his famous "House Divided" speech."I recognize there is a certain presumptuousness -- a certain audacity -- to this announcement. I know I haven't spent a lot of time learning the ways of Washington. But I've been there long enough to know that the ways of Washington must change," he said. The thousands of packed supporters gave one of their loudest applauds following Obama's statement about how the ways of Washington must change."Each and every time, a new generation has risen up and done what's needed to be done. Today we are called once more -- and it is time for our generation to an Read more:Barack
, Official
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