By Andrew Pooch
In early August, Minnesota held primaries for the gubernatorial race that will be decided on November 2. The three front runners are Republican Tom Emmer, State Representative; Democrat Mark Dayton, former U.S Senator; and Independent Tom Horner. Minnesota has a history of making unexpected decisions when it comes to elections. In 1998, an Independent candidate came in and unexpectedly won the election. His name was Jesse Ventura. This precedent for Minnesota informs us that three parties should be considered and not just the big two. As of August 13, 2010, The Rasmussen Reports is a polling website that has Dayton with 45%, Emmer 36% and Horner with 10% of the vote. These percentages show that once a toss-up state, Minnesota is now leaning Democrat.
This election may seem different for most Minnesotans. ABC news reported that since the U.S Supreme court erased the limits on corporate and union campaign spending, citizens should brace themselves for a new type of advertising this fall. The variety of the ads will increase with the "barrage of harsh attacks" back and forth between parties. Tom Diemer of Politics Daily reported Mark Dayton spending $3 million dollars on a campaign that helped him win the primary election.
The big issues on the table this fall includes: job creation, education, taxes and health care reform to name a few. The Candidate’s Websites supplied their stances on the issues. Emmer and Dayton both agree that changes need to be made in education. Dayton wants to increase teacher's salaries, lower class sizes and have all day kindergarten. Emmer wants funding for schools to increase, teachers to be rewarded for good work and higher standards for licensure. Both candidates believe the creation of jobs can be found in a state stimulus package that will provide government jobs to projects such as highway and mass transit.
Emmer and Dayton differ on the view of taxes. Dayton would like to see taxes raised for wealthier classes and spending to be reduced. Emmer has had an opinion about how hospitality workers should treat their tips. He recently decided that tips should be between the server and the customer. The state government shouldn’t be allowed to meddle with that money. He says on his Website that he does not want to reduce minimum wage, but other sources contradict his message.
Health care reform is another big issue for Minnesota. Emmer would like to see Minnesota take control of their health care. He believes we have some of the best care and that everyone should be able to have it. Dayton wants the health care to be more affordable and reach more Minnesotans. He wants better benefits for employees of the public school system.
Mark Dayton previously served Minnesota in the U.S Senate. He currently has endorsements from the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association, Mesabi Daily News, AFSCME and United Steel Workers.
Tom Emmer is in the Minnesota House of Representatives for the 19B district. Emmer has endorsements from twenty-seven elected officials, statewide leaders and congressional district leaders.
Tom Horner is a native Minnesotan who has worked in the Minnesota capitol. He has also owned his own business. He has endorsements from former senator David Durenberger and former congressman Tim Penny.
Websites used in the paper:
www.markdayton.org
www.emmerforgovernor.com
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/elections/election_2010/election_2010_governor_elections/minnesota/election_2010_minnesota_governor
http://theraabereview.com/2010/08/03/the-great-mn-governors-race-2010-pre-primary-roundup/
Friday, September 3, 2010
DEMOCRACY NOW!
By Aaron Critchley
News and the media in general are in flux right now. The internet has taken over for younger people at least. Network news caters to the politicians and corporations so things remain status quo. One news agency has gone against the grain to inform the public what goes on behind the scenes of politics.
Democracy Now! is a national, daily, independent, award-winning news program hosted by journalists Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez. Pioneering the largest public media collaboration in the U.S., Democracy Now! is broadcast on Pacifica, NPR, community, and college radio stations; on public access, PBS, satellite television (DISH network: Free Speech TV ch. 9415 and Link TV ch. 9410; DIRECTV: Free Speech TV ch. 348 and Link TV ch. 375); and on the internet. Democracy Now!’s podcast is one of the most popular on the web (About).
The last two decades have seen unprecedented corporate media consolidation. The U.S. media was already fairly homogeneous in the early 1980s: some fifty media conglomerates dominated all media outlets, including television, radio, newspapers, magazines, music, publishing and film. In the year 2000, just six corporations dominated the U.S. media (About). Corporate media outlets in the U.S. are legally responsible to their shareholders to maximize profits. Therefore these media outlets are told what to say by politicians and corporations.
Democracy Now! is funded entirely through contributions from listeners, viewers, and foundations. They do not accept advertisers, corporate underwriting, or government funding. This allows them to maintain their independence.
This independence has created some of the best war coverage since we started the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Says host Amy Goodman, “I really do think that if for one week in the United States we saw the true face of war, we saw people's limbs sheared off, we saw kids blown apart, for one week, war would be eradicated. Instead, what we see in the U.S. media is the video war game. Our mission is to make dissent commonplace in America" (Amy). "War coverage should be more than a parade of retired generals and retired government flacks posing as reporters," Goodman says, why not invite some voices that are not Pentagon-approved" (Peace)?
War is not the only thing covered by Democracy Now! Extensive coverage of the BP Gulf oil spill has brought new questions about what these big corporations are actually doing. That is what the media should be doing to protect our democracy. If politicians and corporations have a free pass to do whatever they want our democracy is in serious trouble.
Media sources like Democracy Now! are a key to the future of freedom in the U.S. After accepting a prize recently, Goodman was asked to explain her approach. She replied: "Go where the silence is and say something" (Peace). With all the blabbing going on in the media nowadays there sure is a lot of silence about important issues.
Works Cited
About Democracy Now!. Democracy Now!, 2010. 1 September 2010
Amy Goodman. Americans Who Tell the Truth, 2010. 1 September 2010
News and the media in general are in flux right now. The internet has taken over for younger people at least. Network news caters to the politicians and corporations so things remain status quo. One news agency has gone against the grain to inform the public what goes on behind the scenes of politics.
Democracy Now! is a national, daily, independent, award-winning news program hosted by journalists Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez. Pioneering the largest public media collaboration in the U.S., Democracy Now! is broadcast on Pacifica, NPR, community, and college radio stations; on public access, PBS, satellite television (DISH network: Free Speech TV ch. 9415 and Link TV ch. 9410; DIRECTV: Free Speech TV ch. 348 and Link TV ch. 375); and on the internet. Democracy Now!’s podcast is one of the most popular on the web (About).
The last two decades have seen unprecedented corporate media consolidation. The U.S. media was already fairly homogeneous in the early 1980s: some fifty media conglomerates dominated all media outlets, including television, radio, newspapers, magazines, music, publishing and film. In the year 2000, just six corporations dominated the U.S. media (About). Corporate media outlets in the U.S. are legally responsible to their shareholders to maximize profits. Therefore these media outlets are told what to say by politicians and corporations.
Democracy Now! is funded entirely through contributions from listeners, viewers, and foundations. They do not accept advertisers, corporate underwriting, or government funding. This allows them to maintain their independence.
This independence has created some of the best war coverage since we started the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Says host Amy Goodman, “I really do think that if for one week in the United States we saw the true face of war, we saw people's limbs sheared off, we saw kids blown apart, for one week, war would be eradicated. Instead, what we see in the U.S. media is the video war game. Our mission is to make dissent commonplace in America" (Amy). "War coverage should be more than a parade of retired generals and retired government flacks posing as reporters," Goodman says, why not invite some voices that are not Pentagon-approved" (Peace)?
War is not the only thing covered by Democracy Now! Extensive coverage of the BP Gulf oil spill has brought new questions about what these big corporations are actually doing. That is what the media should be doing to protect our democracy. If politicians and corporations have a free pass to do whatever they want our democracy is in serious trouble.
Media sources like Democracy Now! are a key to the future of freedom in the U.S. After accepting a prize recently, Goodman was asked to explain her approach. She replied: "Go where the silence is and say something" (Peace). With all the blabbing going on in the media nowadays there sure is a lot of silence about important issues.
Works Cited
About Democracy Now!. Democracy Now!, 2010. 1 September 2010
Amy Goodman. Americans Who Tell the Truth, 2010. 1 September 2010
CLEMENTS STEROID USE: CONGRESSIONAL HEARINGS
BY Rachael Kurtz
If a baseball player gets caught using steroids, suddenly Congress puts the whole Government on hold to have hearings about it. The use of performance-enhancing drugs is becoming a big concern in Major League Baseball players which then creates investigations, scandals and media buzz. Going back to the ancient Olympics and Roman times, athletes used performance-enhancing herbs and mushrooms in order to improve their performance in competition by making them faster, stronger or braver (Osborne, Evan. Performance-Enhancing Drugs: An Economic Analysis.” Wright State University. June 2005. Web. 31 August 2010.) The rumors of steroid use among players finally began to explode with the announcement in 1998 that Mark McGwire was cheating with his use of Androstenedione.
Another baseball celebrity is Roger Clemens who has had multiple awards and recognitions throughout his baseball career. In 1999, he established the 53 spot on ‘The Sporting News’ list of 100 Greatest Baseball Players. In 2005, Clemens was conveyed up to number fifteen on the list. At the end of his 2005 season, Roger Clemens had won seven Cy Young Awards. Those awards include the AL Award and the National League Award. Clemens was then named to Sports Illustrated’s “all-time” team. And on August 18th, 2007, Roger got his 1,000th strikeout as a Yankee player.
Like many other celebrity Major League Baseball players, William Roger Clemens, a MLB pitcher, has recently been under the spotlight with accusations of steroid use. This will not be the first time that Clemens has had encounters of allegations with steroid use. Humiliation, reports and affirmation with his use of performance-enhancing drugs extends back to 1998 when Brian McNamee, Yankees trainer, denied Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte of knowledge with any steroid use. (“Roger Clemens.” Wikipedia. 31 August 2010. Web. 1 Sept. 2010.) And on January 6, 2008, Roger Clemens appeared on 60 Minutes to address the allegations. Throughout 2008, Clemens was involved with many lawyers, committees, testimonies and investigations dealing with the statistics and evidence regarding his steroid use.
Roger Clemens’ most recent battle with the steroid allegations against him was brought to the public’s attention on August 19, 2010 when federal prosecutors indicted him on charges of making false statements to Congress about his use of performance-enhancing drugs. (Burleson, Duane. “Roger Clemens.” The New York Times. 19 Aug. 2010 Web. 30 Aug. 2010.) With his indictment, Clemens was charged with three counts of fallacious affirmations and two counts of perjury. Roger was sent to Washington D.C for his hearing on Monday August, 30th, just eleven days after a grand jury indicted Clemens on six felonies related to his testimony before Congress in February of 2008. (Thompson, Teri and Vinton, Nathaniel. “Roger Clemens will be arraigned Monday on six-count indictment in steroid probe.” Daily News. 26 Aug. 2010. Web. 1 Sept. 2010.) On Monday, Clemens was pleaded not guilty to his perjury charge in steroid use. He will be free to travel but only in the United States and must check in with the court every two weeks.
If a baseball player gets caught using steroids, suddenly Congress puts the whole Government on hold to have hearings about it. The use of performance-enhancing drugs is becoming a big concern in Major League Baseball players which then creates investigations, scandals and media buzz. Going back to the ancient Olympics and Roman times, athletes used performance-enhancing herbs and mushrooms in order to improve their performance in competition by making them faster, stronger or braver (Osborne, Evan. Performance-Enhancing Drugs: An Economic Analysis.” Wright State University. June 2005. Web. 31 August 2010.) The rumors of steroid use among players finally began to explode with the announcement in 1998 that Mark McGwire was cheating with his use of Androstenedione.
Another baseball celebrity is Roger Clemens who has had multiple awards and recognitions throughout his baseball career. In 1999, he established the 53 spot on ‘The Sporting News’ list of 100 Greatest Baseball Players. In 2005, Clemens was conveyed up to number fifteen on the list. At the end of his 2005 season, Roger Clemens had won seven Cy Young Awards. Those awards include the AL Award and the National League Award. Clemens was then named to Sports Illustrated’s “all-time” team. And on August 18th, 2007, Roger got his 1,000th strikeout as a Yankee player.
Like many other celebrity Major League Baseball players, William Roger Clemens, a MLB pitcher, has recently been under the spotlight with accusations of steroid use. This will not be the first time that Clemens has had encounters of allegations with steroid use. Humiliation, reports and affirmation with his use of performance-enhancing drugs extends back to 1998 when Brian McNamee, Yankees trainer, denied Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte of knowledge with any steroid use. (“Roger Clemens.” Wikipedia. 31 August 2010. Web. 1 Sept. 2010.) And on January 6, 2008, Roger Clemens appeared on 60 Minutes to address the allegations. Throughout 2008, Clemens was involved with many lawyers, committees, testimonies and investigations dealing with the statistics and evidence regarding his steroid use.
Roger Clemens’ most recent battle with the steroid allegations against him was brought to the public’s attention on August 19, 2010 when federal prosecutors indicted him on charges of making false statements to Congress about his use of performance-enhancing drugs. (Burleson, Duane. “Roger Clemens.” The New York Times. 19 Aug. 2010 Web. 30 Aug. 2010.) With his indictment, Clemens was charged with three counts of fallacious affirmations and two counts of perjury. Roger was sent to Washington D.C for his hearing on Monday August, 30th, just eleven days after a grand jury indicted Clemens on six felonies related to his testimony before Congress in February of 2008. (Thompson, Teri and Vinton, Nathaniel. “Roger Clemens will be arraigned Monday on six-count indictment in steroid probe.” Daily News. 26 Aug. 2010. Web. 1 Sept. 2010.) On Monday, Clemens was pleaded not guilty to his perjury charge in steroid use. He will be free to travel but only in the United States and must check in with the court every two weeks.
POLITICO.COM
By Josh Swanson
Politico is a political news organization that distributes news through a series of different mediums. They publish five newspaper issues a week while congress is in session. They also distribute their content through television, radio, and the internet. Politco.com is their official website, and is updated daily. Politco.com carries political content ranging from news in congress to lobbying, to media and the president. Politico launched in 2007, and has become a well-respected source for political news throughout the nation.
The website has specific sections dedicated solely to Obama’s Presidency titled “Politico 44,” which shows day-to-day, hour-to-hour activity of President Obama. That has been dubbed as “a living diary of the Obama Presidency.” Politico also has sections devoted to congress, lobbying, a debate arena, forums, and a section dedicated to policy. Politico has a full staff of advertisers, editors, executives, and they also employ over 25 staff writers.
This week on Politico.com, the headlines have been dominated by President Obama’s second address to the nation, which happened on Tuesday night. President Obama spoke about the impending departure of American troops from the war in Iraq. There has been plenty of news coverage of this event, and well deserving, it is a major moment in his Presidency as he is acting on his promise that he would end the war in Iraq. Not only is there summary articles about Obama’s speech, but there is analysis pieces, as well as a piece on how viewership was down from Obama’s speech about the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. Viewership was also down from his first Presidential address.
Glenn Thrush wrote a column on politico.com Wednesday morning entitled, “President Barack Obama: ‘Turn the Page.’” Thrush summarized the speech and gave some of his thoughts about it one of them being, he thought it was strange the way Obama made a quick shift from talking about ending the war in Iraq, and turning attention to the war in Afghanistan, to quickly speaking about the economy on the home front. Thrush said, “Obama then pivoted from guns to butter, a somewhat awkward shift to address growing public anxiety about the economy compared with the war’s diminishing importance on the national agenda.” Thrush also said about Republicans’ reaction to Obama’s speech, “Republicans spent much of Tuesday portraying the president as a hypocrite, arguing that he was assuming credit despite opposing the war and voting against the Bush troop surge.” The end of his article focused on the Obama opposition of the troop surge with quotes from Gen. David Petraeus, a pivotal figure in the troop surge.
Wednesday had a lot of focus on President Obama meeting with Israeli and Palestinian leaders, which he had done throughout the day, as well as having dinner with them, and addressing the press with each of the Israeli and Palestinian leaders, Benjamin Netanyahu and Mahmoud Abbas, Respectively. He also met with King Abdullah II of Jordan and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.
Speaking of Palestinian and Israeli relations, he said that the two sides should focus on getting a peace agreement done soon, because the chance may not arise again soon, “don’t let peace slip away,” he said.
Politico is a political news organization that distributes news through a series of different mediums. They publish five newspaper issues a week while congress is in session. They also distribute their content through television, radio, and the internet. Politco.com is their official website, and is updated daily. Politco.com carries political content ranging from news in congress to lobbying, to media and the president. Politico launched in 2007, and has become a well-respected source for political news throughout the nation.
The website has specific sections dedicated solely to Obama’s Presidency titled “Politico 44,” which shows day-to-day, hour-to-hour activity of President Obama. That has been dubbed as “a living diary of the Obama Presidency.” Politico also has sections devoted to congress, lobbying, a debate arena, forums, and a section dedicated to policy. Politico has a full staff of advertisers, editors, executives, and they also employ over 25 staff writers.
This week on Politico.com, the headlines have been dominated by President Obama’s second address to the nation, which happened on Tuesday night. President Obama spoke about the impending departure of American troops from the war in Iraq. There has been plenty of news coverage of this event, and well deserving, it is a major moment in his Presidency as he is acting on his promise that he would end the war in Iraq. Not only is there summary articles about Obama’s speech, but there is analysis pieces, as well as a piece on how viewership was down from Obama’s speech about the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. Viewership was also down from his first Presidential address.
Glenn Thrush wrote a column on politico.com Wednesday morning entitled, “President Barack Obama: ‘Turn the Page.’” Thrush summarized the speech and gave some of his thoughts about it one of them being, he thought it was strange the way Obama made a quick shift from talking about ending the war in Iraq, and turning attention to the war in Afghanistan, to quickly speaking about the economy on the home front. Thrush said, “Obama then pivoted from guns to butter, a somewhat awkward shift to address growing public anxiety about the economy compared with the war’s diminishing importance on the national agenda.” Thrush also said about Republicans’ reaction to Obama’s speech, “Republicans spent much of Tuesday portraying the president as a hypocrite, arguing that he was assuming credit despite opposing the war and voting against the Bush troop surge.” The end of his article focused on the Obama opposition of the troop surge with quotes from Gen. David Petraeus, a pivotal figure in the troop surge.
Wednesday had a lot of focus on President Obama meeting with Israeli and Palestinian leaders, which he had done throughout the day, as well as having dinner with them, and addressing the press with each of the Israeli and Palestinian leaders, Benjamin Netanyahu and Mahmoud Abbas, Respectively. He also met with King Abdullah II of Jordan and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.
Speaking of Palestinian and Israeli relations, he said that the two sides should focus on getting a peace agreement done soon, because the chance may not arise again soon, “don’t let peace slip away,” he said.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
By Joe Moubry
This past week, the Associated Press reported on Secretary of State Clinton’s first direct peace talk that Israel and the Palestinians have had in about two years.
The Associated Press also took a look at how the Tea Party is starting to look like a new Republican party. Mainly with the grass roots efforts have paid off with what the Associated Press calls: “fed-up conservative-libertarian voters displayed its power in its biggest triumph of the election year.”
The leader of the Pakistan Taliban has been charged with bombing that took the life seven CIA agents, according to the Associated Press.
A brief report from a Marine general has stated that the Taliban is losing money due to lthe decline of drug trade in southern Afghanistan.
According to the top US military commander in Afghanistan, the relationship between the US and the Afghan President Hamid Karzai is pretty strong.
Palestinians and Israelis both agree that they need to reach peace, according to the Associated Press.
Chilean President Sebastian Pinera stated that he hopes that 33 miners that are trapped a half a mile underground will be rescued by Christmas.
Congress is not in favor of increasing taxes on anyone, including the wealthy Americans.
The amount of illegal immigrants in the United States has decrease 8% since 2007.
A top leader in Hamas on the Gaza Strip has declined to have any talks with Israel.
Obama is viewing an improvement in Iraq and is pulling out the armed forces because he stated “It's time to turn the page.”
The main thing that the Associated Press seems to have posted over the past week is the peace talks between that Israel and the Palestinians.
The Federal Government has failed to use land in Roach Dry Lake, Nav to provide more solar power sources as they planned to do five years ago.
Obama held Mideast talks earlier this week in Washington.
The Associated Press covers a wide verity of political events inside of the United States, as well as outside of the United States. The Associated Press’s reports do not allow themselves to show any bias at all.
Stories Taken From http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/fronts/POLITICS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/external/search.hosted.ap.org/wireCoreTool/Search?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&query=Politics
This past week, the Associated Press reported on Secretary of State Clinton’s first direct peace talk that Israel and the Palestinians have had in about two years.
The Associated Press also took a look at how the Tea Party is starting to look like a new Republican party. Mainly with the grass roots efforts have paid off with what the Associated Press calls: “fed-up conservative-libertarian voters displayed its power in its biggest triumph of the election year.”
The leader of the Pakistan Taliban has been charged with bombing that took the life seven CIA agents, according to the Associated Press.
A brief report from a Marine general has stated that the Taliban is losing money due to lthe decline of drug trade in southern Afghanistan.
According to the top US military commander in Afghanistan, the relationship between the US and the Afghan President Hamid Karzai is pretty strong.
Palestinians and Israelis both agree that they need to reach peace, according to the Associated Press.
Chilean President Sebastian Pinera stated that he hopes that 33 miners that are trapped a half a mile underground will be rescued by Christmas.
Congress is not in favor of increasing taxes on anyone, including the wealthy Americans.
The amount of illegal immigrants in the United States has decrease 8% since 2007.
A top leader in Hamas on the Gaza Strip has declined to have any talks with Israel.
Obama is viewing an improvement in Iraq and is pulling out the armed forces because he stated “It's time to turn the page.”
The main thing that the Associated Press seems to have posted over the past week is the peace talks between that Israel and the Palestinians.
The Federal Government has failed to use land in Roach Dry Lake, Nav to provide more solar power sources as they planned to do five years ago.
Obama held Mideast talks earlier this week in Washington.
The Associated Press covers a wide verity of political events inside of the United States, as well as outside of the United States. The Associated Press’s reports do not allow themselves to show any bias at all.
Stories Taken From http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/fronts/POLITICS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/external/search.hosted.ap.org/wireCoreTool/Search?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&query=Politics
THE HUFFINGTON POST
By Jesse Quick
The Huffington Post is a liberal/progressive American news website and blog featuring various news sources and columnists. The site offers a variety of coverage including politics, media, business, entertainment, living, style, the green movement, world news, sports, art, religion, and comedy. The site also has a blog where people can express their ideas and beliefs. The Huffington Post was launched on May 9, 2005.
I will be writing about an article that I found in the Huffington Post that is titled “Lisa Murkowski’s Defeat In Alaska Primary Marks Major Tea Party Win”. The article was written by Associated Press writer Dan Joling. Associated Press writers Becky Bohrer, Rachel D’Oro, and Mark Thiessen also contributed to the article. (facts and figures in the following report are from said article, written by Dan Joling)
In one of the biggest political upsets of the year, a conservative Alaskan lawyer by the name of Joe Miller, defeated incumbent GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski, when she conceded Tuesday, giving the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate to Miller. Miller’s win was a major victory for the tea party movement, and is the first time it had defeated a sitting senator in a primary.
Murkowski trailed Miller by 1,668 votes after the August 24th primary. After counting 15,000 absentee and outstanding ballots on Tuesday, however, she was still down 1,630 votes. After she became aware of those results, she made the decision to concede. She said that while there were still outstanding votes, “I don’t see a scenario where the primary will turn out in my favor, and that is a reality that is before me at this point in time. And for that reason, and for the good of the state of Alaska, I am now conceding the race of the Republican nomination.” (Dan Joling, AP).
Miller, who is backed by the Tea Party Express, and Sarah Palin, is the favorite in November to defeat Democrat Scott McAdams, in a strongly Republican Alaska. As of a few weeks ago, McAdams, who is the mayor of Sitka, Alaska, only had a few thousand dollars and a volunteer treasurer to help him claim the Democratic nomination. But after the surprising upset by Miller, volunteers and money have been flowing his way. He expects his campaign to collect $100,000 by the end of the week. In order to be competitive in this race, McAdams needs to gain the support of independents, and disappointed Murkowski supporters, who are worried that Miller’s call for cuts in government spending will hurt Alaska, a state that has benefited from federal funding for a long period of time.
Before taking on Murkowski in the Republican Senate race, Miller had no experience running in political races, other than a failed legislative bid in 2004. Miller’s victory over Murkowski just goes to show what can happen when you are friends with a well known political figure like Sarah Palin. In the final days of the campaign, Palin called Miller “a man of the people” on her facebook page. (Dan Joling, AP). It also doesn’t hurt that Miller received nearly $600,000 from the California-based Tea Party Express to help in the campaign, most of it coming in the final weeks of the race.
The Huffington Post is a liberal/progressive American news website and blog featuring various news sources and columnists. The site offers a variety of coverage including politics, media, business, entertainment, living, style, the green movement, world news, sports, art, religion, and comedy. The site also has a blog where people can express their ideas and beliefs. The Huffington Post was launched on May 9, 2005.
I will be writing about an article that I found in the Huffington Post that is titled “Lisa Murkowski’s Defeat In Alaska Primary Marks Major Tea Party Win”. The article was written by Associated Press writer Dan Joling. Associated Press writers Becky Bohrer, Rachel D’Oro, and Mark Thiessen also contributed to the article. (facts and figures in the following report are from said article, written by Dan Joling)
In one of the biggest political upsets of the year, a conservative Alaskan lawyer by the name of Joe Miller, defeated incumbent GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski, when she conceded Tuesday, giving the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate to Miller. Miller’s win was a major victory for the tea party movement, and is the first time it had defeated a sitting senator in a primary.
Murkowski trailed Miller by 1,668 votes after the August 24th primary. After counting 15,000 absentee and outstanding ballots on Tuesday, however, she was still down 1,630 votes. After she became aware of those results, she made the decision to concede. She said that while there were still outstanding votes, “I don’t see a scenario where the primary will turn out in my favor, and that is a reality that is before me at this point in time. And for that reason, and for the good of the state of Alaska, I am now conceding the race of the Republican nomination.” (Dan Joling, AP).
Miller, who is backed by the Tea Party Express, and Sarah Palin, is the favorite in November to defeat Democrat Scott McAdams, in a strongly Republican Alaska. As of a few weeks ago, McAdams, who is the mayor of Sitka, Alaska, only had a few thousand dollars and a volunteer treasurer to help him claim the Democratic nomination. But after the surprising upset by Miller, volunteers and money have been flowing his way. He expects his campaign to collect $100,000 by the end of the week. In order to be competitive in this race, McAdams needs to gain the support of independents, and disappointed Murkowski supporters, who are worried that Miller’s call for cuts in government spending will hurt Alaska, a state that has benefited from federal funding for a long period of time.
Before taking on Murkowski in the Republican Senate race, Miller had no experience running in political races, other than a failed legislative bid in 2004. Miller’s victory over Murkowski just goes to show what can happen when you are friends with a well known political figure like Sarah Palin. In the final days of the campaign, Palin called Miller “a man of the people” on her facebook page. (Dan Joling, AP). It also doesn’t hurt that Miller received nearly $600,000 from the California-based Tea Party Express to help in the campaign, most of it coming in the final weeks of the race.
PROPOSITION 19 (CA)
By Jae Seifert
In 1996 California was the first state in the United States and the first province outside of the Netherlands to legalize Marijuana for adult consumption. The piece of legislation, Proposition 215, stated the following purpose;
“To ensure that seriously ill Californians have the right to obtain and use marijuana for medical purposes where the medical use is deemed appropriate and has been recommended by a physician who has determined that the person's health would benefit from the use of marijuana in the treatment of cancer, anorexia, AIDS, chronic pain, spasticity, glaucoma, arthritis, migraine, or any other illness for which marijuana provides relief. “ – Compassionate Use Act of 1996 (1)
After California passed their legislation, other states followed but none were quite like California’s system with state regulated dispensaries operating as legitimate businesses paying taxes and obeying city and county rules governing their operations. Federal raids however continued because while legal under state legislation, federal law still holds Cannabis as a Schedule I substance under the Controlled Substances Act of 1970 classifying it according to these criteria,
“(1) Schedule I. -
(A) The drug or other substance has a high potential for abuse.
(B) The drug or other substance has no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States.
(C) There is a lack of accepted safety for use of the drug or other substance under medical supervision.”
(2) Medical Marijuana failed to be the societal pariah its opponents hailed it as, becoming the national model for how Marijuana legalization could work, and work well in addition to showing that Cannabis is safe and effective medicine for a wide variety of illnesses and conditions. The process for obtaining this medicine however could still begin and end within the pages of an issue of “High Times” magazine, which regularly lists physicians that specialize in issuing recommendations for Cannabis use, and there’s even an iPhone app to find Dispensaries.
Given the liberal attitude and incredible popularity of the medicinal marijuana program it isn’t necessarily surprising that this November voter initiative proposition 19 was voted onto the ballot. Proposition 19 aims to legalize and decriminalize the recreational consumption of Cannabis by adults 21 and over. The bill is being met with both likely and unlikely opponents however, including the NAACP whose official stance is pro-prop 19, NORML or the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws as well, but while many large organizations are being lending their influence in support many dispensaries and the farmers who in a legal grey area, supply them with their pharmaceuticals.
Dispensaries are concerned about the impending flood of competition from both individuals deciding to grow their own instead of relying on the existing system of recommendations, dispensaries, and growers all of whom already face growing pressure by both county and local governments to either relocate away from schools, churches, and parks or revoking their licenses to operate entirely. Growers along with Physicians have also expressed concern; one grower Mike Boutin posted to his facebook page,
“Mike Boutin again wants to remind everyone: Look around your residence" how many other smokers do you see? Okay, now ask yourself if a 5x5 is gonna solve your problems. p19 is a trojan horse designed to drive you to your new dealer, weedmart. If this thing passes, you better start doing some stretches, so when asked to "bend over" you won't pull anything.”
(3) Their concerns pertaining to both the commercialization of the somewhat cottage industry at this point, and from a physicians standpoint the worry that with legalization will also come corporations who copyright or modify a proven medicine, akin to two medicines “Sativex” and “Marinol” both relying on Deltaninetetrahydrocannibinbol to medicate their patients, as well as opening the prescription or recommendation of such medicine to any physician, not just those who specifically target the minority market currently present.
Come November it will be interesting to see what will become of voter initiative Proposition 19; will it become the evolution of the people’s will expressed in Proposition 215 in 1996 which legalized Medicinal Marijuana, or will it be brought down by it’s critics and opponents?
Sources:
(1) http://www.canorml.org/prop/patientsguide.htm#prop
(2) http://uscode.house.gov/download/pls/21C13.txt
(3) http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=1170687711
In 1996 California was the first state in the United States and the first province outside of the Netherlands to legalize Marijuana for adult consumption. The piece of legislation, Proposition 215, stated the following purpose;
“To ensure that seriously ill Californians have the right to obtain and use marijuana for medical purposes where the medical use is deemed appropriate and has been recommended by a physician who has determined that the person's health would benefit from the use of marijuana in the treatment of cancer, anorexia, AIDS, chronic pain, spasticity, glaucoma, arthritis, migraine, or any other illness for which marijuana provides relief. “ – Compassionate Use Act of 1996 (1)
After California passed their legislation, other states followed but none were quite like California’s system with state regulated dispensaries operating as legitimate businesses paying taxes and obeying city and county rules governing their operations. Federal raids however continued because while legal under state legislation, federal law still holds Cannabis as a Schedule I substance under the Controlled Substances Act of 1970 classifying it according to these criteria,
“(1) Schedule I. -
(A) The drug or other substance has a high potential for abuse.
(B) The drug or other substance has no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States.
(C) There is a lack of accepted safety for use of the drug or other substance under medical supervision.”
(2) Medical Marijuana failed to be the societal pariah its opponents hailed it as, becoming the national model for how Marijuana legalization could work, and work well in addition to showing that Cannabis is safe and effective medicine for a wide variety of illnesses and conditions. The process for obtaining this medicine however could still begin and end within the pages of an issue of “High Times” magazine, which regularly lists physicians that specialize in issuing recommendations for Cannabis use, and there’s even an iPhone app to find Dispensaries.
Given the liberal attitude and incredible popularity of the medicinal marijuana program it isn’t necessarily surprising that this November voter initiative proposition 19 was voted onto the ballot. Proposition 19 aims to legalize and decriminalize the recreational consumption of Cannabis by adults 21 and over. The bill is being met with both likely and unlikely opponents however, including the NAACP whose official stance is pro-prop 19, NORML or the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws as well, but while many large organizations are being lending their influence in support many dispensaries and the farmers who in a legal grey area, supply them with their pharmaceuticals.
Dispensaries are concerned about the impending flood of competition from both individuals deciding to grow their own instead of relying on the existing system of recommendations, dispensaries, and growers all of whom already face growing pressure by both county and local governments to either relocate away from schools, churches, and parks or revoking their licenses to operate entirely. Growers along with Physicians have also expressed concern; one grower Mike Boutin posted to his facebook page,
“Mike Boutin again wants to remind everyone: Look around your residence" how many other smokers do you see? Okay, now ask yourself if a 5x5 is gonna solve your problems. p19 is a trojan horse designed to drive you to your new dealer, weedmart. If this thing passes, you better start doing some stretches, so when asked to "bend over" you won't pull anything.”
(3) Their concerns pertaining to both the commercialization of the somewhat cottage industry at this point, and from a physicians standpoint the worry that with legalization will also come corporations who copyright or modify a proven medicine, akin to two medicines “Sativex” and “Marinol” both relying on Deltaninetetrahydrocannibinbol to medicate their patients, as well as opening the prescription or recommendation of such medicine to any physician, not just those who specifically target the minority market currently present.
Come November it will be interesting to see what will become of voter initiative Proposition 19; will it become the evolution of the people’s will expressed in Proposition 215 in 1996 which legalized Medicinal Marijuana, or will it be brought down by it’s critics and opponents?
Sources:
(1) http://www.canorml.org/prop/patientsguide.htm#prop
(2) http://uscode.house.gov/download/pls/21C13.txt
(3) http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=1170687711
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