Weekly Wrap-Up: Elections, Debates, Penn State, and Unions

In case you missed it, we had an election on Tuesday, but unfortunately, it will not end the onslaught of Republican Presidential debates. Democrats won the governorship in Kentucky, but Republicans won the governorship in Mississippi and took control of the legislature in Virginia. In Ohio, a controversial union law was voted down with 61% opposition, but voters approved an amendment to restrict the individual mandate of Obamacare with 66% support. The mixed results across the nation have both parties looking at positives and negatives.

On Wednesday, the world tuned in for another Republican debate, where Rick Perry forgot one of the three federal departments he wants to eliminate. Perry's camp did a great job with the "damage control," taking to TV and even having him read the Letterman top ten list with the reasons he messed up. Unfortunately, that moment spoiled what many thought was among his best debate performances to date (excluding the one minute).

As Perry was out making fun of himself on TV, news broke of a scandal at Penn State University. Lewd acts committed by an assistant coach were covered up and not reported by administrators. The scandal ended up with three arrests and the firing of the university's President and head coach.

Now, a round-up of some of the week's best:

Video of the Week:

Hank Williams, Jr., went on Glenn Beck's show and sang his new song. I'm not a fan of Hank or country music in general, but I do appreciate the fact that there is one segment of the entertainment industry that is still patriotic.

Best Tweets of the Week
(Tweets compiled by Politico)

Steve Martin: Trying to correct my Wiki bio: I am not allergic to Al Gore. Would everybody PLEASE stop yammering about this. Seriously.

Fred Thompson: B Clinton: we can't "continue this level of income inequality." I notice this wasn't immediately followed by "here, take mine." #tcot

Stephen Colbert: On Tonight's "Report": A Texas lawmaker makes a terrible gaffe. He pronounced the "G" at the end of "huntin'."

Harvey Araton: JoePa deciding to retire is like saying John McCain decided not to be president in 2008

Rick Perry: I'm joining @megynkelly live at 3pm ET on FOX News. I hope they don't lose the feed before the third question!

Rainn Wilson: I watch the Republican debates while standing at a podium in my living room, pretending I’m a candidate everyone ignores.

Cartoon of the Week:
Here's the truth about the union victory in Ohio.

Debt Watch:

This week, the government only spent an additional $5.17 of money that you don't have, bringing your total share of the national debt to $48,082.25.

The Final Five: November 11, 2011

The Final Five: Bedtime Stories for Conservatives

November 11, 2011

Tonight's Crazy Story

Man Arrested for Allegedly Threatening Store Over Sold-Out War Game

A 31-year-old Colorado man was arrested after threatening to blow up a Best Buy for running out of the video game Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. Now there's someone who doesn't need anymore time with violent video games!

Tonight's Final Five:

#5) The Free Market Secret of the Arab Revolutions

Hernando de Soto explains why the idea of free markets began the Arab Spring, and why those ideals might be forgotten as new governments take effect.

#4) Woman Up

Mary Rose Somarriba argues that the rise of feminism has led to a generation of child-men.

Taking a break...to laugh a little

"Wal-Mart is in the news. They announced plans to start selling healthcare in their stores. So now you can get your bucket of cake frosting and your diabetes medicine all in one place."

-Conan O'Brien, 11/9/11

Now Back to The Final Five

#3) The Ohio Warning

Ronald Brownstein explains the result of Ohio's SB5 referendum: this is the danger of one party attempting to institute reforms on its own. Republicans should be advised to heed this warning if they win in 2012.

#2) The Fallacy of Persistent Credit Creation

Jeffrey Snider looks at how the Federal Reserve has failed to respond to financial crises in the past as a way of explaining what happened in the 2008 housing collapse.

#1) What If Middle Class Jobs Disappear?

Arnold King argues that America could be in a transition in which middle class jobs disappear. What would that mean for the American economy?

Tomorrow in History: November 12

November 12, 1892 - William "Pudge" Heffelfinger is paid by the Allegheny Athletic Association for his participation in an American football game, becoming the first professional athlete in the sport.

Food For Thought - A Bedtime Snack

"A morsel of genuine history is a thing so rare as to be always valuable."

-Thomas Jefferson

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A Salute to True Heroes

93 years ago today, Germany signed an armistice with the allied troops, effectively ending World War I. Since that point, Americans have paused on this day to honor those who have sacrificed in order to defend our great nation. To all those who have sacrificed in order to serve, and to all those who have gone without a mom, dad, husband, wife, brother, or sister so that our nation could remain free, we say,
Thank You!

WordBites: November 11, 2011

WordBites - November 9, 2011

"Soundbites, except with words!"

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No American Flags Allowed?
A federal judge has ruled that a California school was justified in prohibiting students from wearing American flag t-shirts to school. The judge stated that concern over violence from Hispanic students for wearing the shirts on Cinco de Mayo overruled the students' right to free speech.

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Have the Unions Overspent?
Following the successful repeal of Ohio's SB5, some are wondering if the unions will be able to have as much influence in the 2012 election. Following the unsuccessful bid to regain control of Wisconin's state senate and the campaign over SB5, the unions may have to scale back their fight in next year's presidential election.

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White House vs. Congress, Round 79
In another fight between the White House and Congress, the White House has refused to hand over subpoenaed documents relating to the Solyndra scandal until House Republicans narrow the scope of their request. Congress had requested the White House turn over "all documents", but the White House said the request was too broad.

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The Final Five: November 10, 2011

The Final Five: Bedtime Stories for Conservatives

November 9, 2011

Tonight's Crazy Story

Skills of 9-Year-Old Designated Driver Could Determine Dad's Fate

One dad's fate is coming down to how well his 9-year-old daughter could drive. If she could drive well, he might only receive a misdemeanor. Otherwise, he could be charged with a felony.

Tonight's Final Five:

#5) Italy on the Brink

As other European nations receive bailouts, one of the largest appears headed to collapse without an impossible bailout. Nita Ghei from The Washington Times explains why collapse is inevitable, and why it should serve as a warning to other countries.

#4) Forget the Wealth Gap, It's the Age/Income Gap

Diana Furchtgott-Roth explains why we should be more concerned with the income gap between the old and young than with the gap between the wealthy and the poor.

Taking a break...to laugh a little

"There's another Republican presidential debate tonight. This one is focused on why there were so many Republican presidential debates."

-Jimmy Kimmel, 11/9/11

Now Back to The Final Five

#3) Medicare's Failed Physician Payment Policy

Joseph Antos explains why Congress has caused the failure of the SGR formula for Medicare payments.

#2) Five Reasons Why Obama Will Bomb Iran

Greg Scoblete analyzes why it would be in the best interests of the United States and President Obama if we took out Iran's nuclear facilities. While I remain skeptical that Obama would order such a strike, Scoblete provides some very good points to ponder.

#1) Who Pays For Corporate Taxes?

Walter E. Williams explains who really pays for corporate taxes: the consumers.

Tomorrow in History: November 11

November 11, 1930 - Leó Szilárd and Albert Einstein are granted U.S. Patent Number US1781541 for the Einstein refrigerator.

Food For Thought - A Bedtime Snack

"Constitutions of civil government are not to be framed upon a calculation of existing exigencies, but upon a combination of these with the probable exigencies of ages, according to the natural and tried course of human affairs. Nothing, therefore, can be more fallacious than to infer the extent of any power, proper to be lodged in the national government, from an estimate of its immediate necessities."

-Alexander Hamilton

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Education: Too Much Control

I was a junior in high school when President Bush signed the No Child Left Behind Act into law. Toward the end of that school year, my father was transferred to another state. As my parents began to look for houses, they gave consideration to the school I would attend for my senior year. (In the end, my mother and I delayed our move until after I graduated.) I must admit that I ignored the politics of the No Child Left Behind Act while it made its way through Congress, but as my parents and I began to examine potential schools, I noticed something very strange about the "school report cards" we were examining. Each of these report cards contained a graph which showed the percentages the school needed to reach each year in order to meet Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) goals. Even as a 17-year-old soon-to-be-senior in high school, I realized that no school would ever reach their 2014 goal of 100% proficiency.

As more schools continue to fail in their efforts to reach their increasing AYP goals, schools have contacted the Department of Education requesting that the goals be modified to something more realistic. This led to the creation of the "Race to the Top" program. Tennessee was one of two states to receive a grant under the new program, but according to a New York Times article, educators in the state are less than thrilled. The new program has left administrators drowning in paperwork, and it has left teachers wondering exactly how they are going to be evaluated.

According to the article, teacher evaluations will be conducted by a mix of test scores and observations by an administrator. However, teachers who have no state test in their discipline (such as physical education, music, or home economics teachers) will be evaluated by subjects in which there is a state test. As one teacher put it, "How stupid is that? My job can be at risk, and I’m not even being evaluated by my own work."

If one state's policies can create such ridiculous situations, then this is an example of why the federal government should have no involvement in education. Despite the creation of the Department of Education, America has continued to show a downward trend in its educational standards. Education can be loosely overseen at the state level, but it will work best when the majority of the control is placed in the hands of local administrators.

Our current education system has major problems that must be fixed before our quality of education will improve. However, time and experience have shown that creating national standards will not reverse the downward trend. In order to reverse this downward trend, more power--not less--must be given to the administrators with direct control over education.

WordBites: November 10, 2011

WordBites - November 9, 2011

"Soundbites, except with words!"

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Will you soon be paying a visit to Dr. Wal-Mart?
Wal-Mart has reportedly sent a request to its business partners regarding building a primary healthcare system. This will challenge the Walgreeens Take Care Clinic and the CVS Minute Clinic. Wal-Mart currently has a number of these clinics open, but it has yet to figure out a model that can be adopted nationally.

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Talk about a quick flip-flop!
After Tuesday's announcement of a 15 cent Christmas tree tax, the White House reversed course yesterday and postponed implementation of the new tax. The fee would have supported the new Christmas Tree Promotion Board, a new federal program which would have promoted the use of fresh Christmas trees.

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Lady Gaga=Emergency?
At 2 pm yesterday, television and radio signals were supposed to have been interrupted for a test of the new Emergency Alert System. While the test went well in some areas, there were problems in other areas. Some DirecTV users reported hearing a Lady Gaga song instead of the emergency tones, and some northern Virginia viewers reported that their televisions were switched to QVC (perhaps that was the newest part of Obama's jobs plan). Overall, the FCC is reporting that the test went well with broadcast networks, but that the system had more difficulty with cable and satellite users.

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The Final Five: November 9, 2011

The Final Five: Bedtime Stories for Conservatives

November 9, 2011

Tonight's Crazy Story

Pelosi's Having Trouble with her iPhone

Nancy Pelosi is having a unique problem with her iPhone: she keeps calling Republican Senator Jon Kyl when she wants to call her press secretary. Maybe Siri just thinks she needs to talk to Republicans a little more.

Tonight's Final Five:

#5) No, TSA, I Will Not Lift My Skirt For You

Tabitha Hale describes her recent TSA experience. Is this another person who just wants to complain about new TSA regulations, or did the TSA overstep its bounds? Decided after reading her story.

#4) The Crisis of Young Men Is A Crisis For Us All

Walter Russel Mead contends that America is failing at getting its boys through adolescence and to adulthood. "Without new generations of upright, God fearing, disciplined, hard working and community minded men, American society will be a poor and violent place. We are already well on the way."

Taking a break...to laugh a little

"I don't know about you but for the five hours Lindsay Lohan was off the street and in prison, I felt much safer."

-David Letterman, 11/7/11

Now Back to The Final Five

#3) For The Good Of Capitalism, Don't End Occupy Wall Street

Forbes contributor Kyle Smith explains why Occupy Wall Street is teaching people positive lessons about capitalism: importance of the rule of law, welfare breeds freeloading, and profit-seeking businesses provide a social good. Is it possible that someone might someday say, "I stand before you as a capitalist because of my experience at Occupy Wall Street?"

#2) Should Israel Have Faith in Obama?

Commentary Magazine's Jonathan Tobin questions whether Israel should trust Obama to solve the Iranian situation. While Obama has expressed a desire for a nuclear free world, his policies of appeasement make one question if he would ever authorize a strike against Iran's nuclear capabilities and what he would do if Israel launched an attack.

#1) Can the U.S. Drill Its Way Out of Its Energy Crisis? Yes, It Can

Yadullah Hussain aruges on the Financial Post that America can drill its way out of the energy crisis, despite what the President believes.

Tomorrow in History: November 10

November 10, 1775 - The United States Marine Corps is founded in Philadelphia.

Food For Thought - A Bedtime Snack

"I am for doing good to the poor, but I differ in opinion of the means. I think the best way of doing good to the poor, is not making them easy in poverty, but leading or driving them out of it. In my youth I traveled much, and I observed in different countries, that the more public provisions were made for the poor, the less they provided for themselves, and of course became poorer. And, on the contrary, the less was done for them, the more they did for themselves, and became richer."

-Benjamin Franklin

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Mid-Week Media: Grinding America Down, Cain's Accuser, and Right to Work

It's the middle of the week, so let's take a look at some of the best media put out so far.

This excellent video describes how the Communists planned to take over America. It certainly is scary how accurate it is.

If you're about to accuse a Presidential candidate of sexual harassment (or sexual assault, depending on how you look at it), laughing right before your press conference might not be the way to lend credibility to your argument.

Sometimes, the subject of your thankfulness depends on your perspective.

Finally, the unions seem to have a different definition of the phrase "right to work."

The President's Truth Problem

In an interview with a CBS affiliate last week, the President seemed to accept responsibility for the poor economy he has presided over.

However, this quote from the President leaves more questions than it answers:

"It's always my responsibility..."
First, if it is always your responsibility, why have you spent so much time claiming that you inherited a mess? Second, even though you did inherit a mess, what have you done to make it better?

I'm less interested in allocating blame than just making sure that we're taking every step we need to do to move the economy forward.
Despite claims of a "recovery," the economy does not appear to be moving forward. However, the President has been very clear that he inherited a mess, and it would have been much worse (though he can never explain exactly how much worse) without his policies in place.

Obama goes on to quote some jobs figures, but claims that he has seen two million jobs created in the private sector, when the truth is that 1.6 million jobs have been lost since he took office.

While it is a rare turn for the President to actually admit that he is the one responsible for our economy, he seems to have a truth problem here. If he wants to admit that he is responsible, then he has to explain why he has spent so much time blaming his predecessor for the economy that he "inherited." If he wants to claim that he's more interested in fixing the problem than in assigning blame, he will have to own up to the fact that the economy is not growing like it should during a recovery. Finally, the President and those around him (such as Harry Reid) need to learn to do the math from the BLS statistics and figure out how many jobs have actually been created or lost.

WordBites: November 9, 2011

WordBites - November 9, 2011

"Soundbites, except with words!"

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The Supreme Court heard arguments today in a case which questioned whether police could use GPS tracking to follow your movements without a warrant. The government argued that there is no expectation of privacy when travelling on a public highway, but the defense argued that this violated the fourth amendment's provision against unwarranted searches. The court's opinion should be released before the end of the current court session in June 2012.

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Moving to the Middle East, a UN report says that Iran is suspected of pursuing a nuclear weapons program. This report has led to calls for additional sanctions against the country, and Israel's Defense Minister has stated that "all options are on the table."

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In the latest on foreign affairs, the White House has no comment regarding reports that he and French President Nicolas Sarkozy held a discussion critical of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Reports say that the conversation was held while Obama and Sarkozy were off-stage with live mics.

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Voters in several states went to the polls to elect state officials or vote on issues. Kentucky and Mississippi were voting on state officials, while Ohio has received attention for two important ballot issues over public-sector unions and healthcare. Meanwhile, in one Ohio county, a poll worker was arrested after biting a voter's nose during a dispute over a sign posted near the polls.

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The Final Five: November 8, 2011

The Final Five: Bedtime Stories for Conservatives

November 8, 2011

Tonight's Crazy Story

Angry Birds Comes to Life on MIT Quad

Students at MIT recreated the video game Angry Birds late last week. Aren't you glad to see that the students are learning something at MIT?

Tonight's Final Five:

#5) Obama's Biggest Opponent: Voters

Ronald Brownstein, political director for Atlantic Media, argues that Obama will have a difficult time convincing those who voted for him in 2008 to come back out in 2012. Given current circumstances, voters may be a bigger problem than any Republican nominee.

#4) Big Labor’s Backlash

New York Post writer Michael A. Walsh explains why labor unions have taken to opposing collective bargaining bills in Ohio and Wisconsin. It matters to the unions, but it matters even more for the residents of these states.

Taking a break...to laugh a little

"Conrad Murray was found guilty of giving Michael Jackson an overdose of a prescription sleeping aid. Pretty reckless on the part of the doctor. They said the sedative he prescribed was five times more powerful than a Joe Biden speech."

-Jay Leno, 11/7/11

Now Back to The Final Five

#3) Conservatives Shouldn't Play the Race Card, Either

Timothy P. Carney, columnist for the Washington Examiner, explains why Herman Cain's use of the "race card" is wrong.

#2) The Double Standard of the Press When it Comes to OWS vs. the Tea Party

Commentary Magazine's Peter Wehner explains the press's double standard in their coverage of the Occupy Wall Street protests and the tea party protests. While the press is consumed with sexual harassment allegations against Herman Cain, sexual assaults are rampant at the Occupy protests without media coverage.

#1) Who Will Revive the Middle Class?

Weekly Standard blogger Jeffrey Anderson asks "Who will revive the middle class?" With continually high unemployment and falling salaries, the middle class is failing to see any "recovery."

Tomorrow in History: November 9

November 9, 1906 - Theodore Roosevelt visits the Panama Canal, becoming the first sitting American President to make an official trip outside of the country.

Food For Thought - A Bedtime Snack

"Can it be, that Providence has not connected the permanent felicity of a Nation with its virtue? The experiment, at least, is recommended by every sentiment which ennobles human Nature."

-George Washington

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Congressional Update: November 8, 2011

This update is taken from the e-mail newsletter of Congressman Geoff Davis (R-KY). If you would like to receive his e-mail updates, you may sign up here.

Last Week on the House Floor
Last week, the House was in session Tuesday through Friday, during which the following bills passed the House:

• H.Con.Res. 13, Reaffirming In God We Trust as the official motto of the United States and supporting and encouraging the public display of the national motto in all public buildings, public schools, and other government institutions
• S. 1280, Kate Puzey Peace Corps Volunteer Protection Act of 2011
• H.R. 2061, Civilian Service Recognition Act
• H.R. 1965, To amend the securities laws to establish certain thresholds for shareholder registration, and for other purposes
• H.R. 1070, Small Company Capital Formation Act
• H.R. 2930, Entrepreneur Access to Capital Act
• H.R. 2940, Access to Capital for Job Creators Act
• H.R. 3321, America’s Cup Act of 2011

Anticipated Action on the House Floor This Week
This week, the House will be in recess for a Constituent Work Week. The House will reconvene on Monday, November 14th.

You can read bills, summaries by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service and keep up-to-date on their progress as they move through the legislative process by visiting http://thomas.gov and typing in the bill number.

A Test of Control

Tomorrow, the federal government will take control of the airwaves for over three minutes in the first ever nationwide test of the emergency broadcast system. At 2 PM EST, the government will seize control of the airwaves in order to conduct this unprecedented test. Despite the FCC's ability to do this, tests have previously always been conducted locally and the emergency system has been used mainly for local weather alerts.

There are several things that should concern Americans. First, why does the executive branch need to have the power to take control of the airwaves? An emergency necessitating activation of this system is more likely to be local than national. Even on September 11, when we did not know whether there were additional targets across the country, the media and word of mouth made the public aware of the latest news without activation of the EAS. To me, a national alert system seems unnecessary. Second, why does the government need 210 seconds for this test? Most local tests last for only a few seconds, not several minutes. While I can understand the need for a slightly longer test when doing a nationwide test, I cannot understand the need for over three minutes. Finally, this test takes control of the airwaves from the broadcasters and gives it to the government. Previous tests kept the broadcaster in control, but this test will take control of the airwaves from the broadcaster and give that control to the government.

While there may be benefits to having a national alert system, the way this test is being conducted seems to look more like it is an attempt to show the public and the broadcasters who is actually in control of the airwaves. The need for this alert system is small and unlikely, the length of this test seems excessive, and the method for this test is unprecedented. Giving the government the power to control all communications in an emergency is a recipe for more governmental control, not more safety and security.

WordBites: November 8, 2011

WordBites - November 7, 2011

"Soundbites, except with words!"

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Starting in Massachusetts, the Cambridge school system is creating quite a controversy over its decision to give all student a day off for a Muslim holiday. The district's Superintendent told the media that the day off was approved due to the sizable Muslim population and the district's values of "inclusion and respect."

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On Monday, a judge blocked a law which would require cigarette makers to place new graphic warnings on their packaging. Several cigarette manufacturers claimed that the law violated their free speech right, and the judge concurred that the manufacturers had a legitimate chance of success in court. The new law would have required the images to cover at least 20 percent of the packaging and the plaintiffs argued that this would likely hinder brand identity.

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Moving to Greece, Greek leaders have reached an agreement on a new coalition government, which paves the way for a fresh rescue package to be passed by the legislature. This agreement will allow passage of the new rescue bill which will cancel up to 50 percent of the country's debt. The new prime minister will serve until the next election, scheduled to occur on February 19, 2012.

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The Final Five: November 7, 2011

The Final Five: Bedtime Stories for Conservatives

November 7, 2011

Tonight's Crazy Story

Moldy Dorms Force Students Onto Cruise Ship

A dream come true for these college students. Mold in the dorms at St. Mary's College of Maryland has forced students to move onto a cruise ship for the remainder of the semester.

Tonight's Final Five:

#5) Obama’s Diplomatic Epitaph

The Wall Street Journal summed up Obama's trip to the G-20 summit with the statement, "He left empty-handed." Peter Wehner explains why this statement might just sum up Obama's entire work on foreign relations.

#4) Who Would Jesus Protest?

Jimmie Bise explains why the protesters and liberals who claim Jesus supports their cause are wrong: Jesus's goal was to fix the spiritual problems in society, not to correct any political problems.

Taking a break...to laugh a little

"President Obama joined other world leaders in trying to convince Greece to cut back in spending and reduce their debt. This is part of their “do as we say not as we do” summit, apparently."

"If they're serious about cutting back on spending, how about not holding these summits in the world's most expensive places like the South of France? What's wrong with the function room at Denny’s or the Waffle House?"

-Jay Leno, 11/4/11

Now Back to The Final Five

#3) Was ‘Cash for Clunkers’ a Clunker?

Brad Plumer explains why the 'Cash for Clunkers' program was a clunker: despite costing $3 billion, it boosted vehicle sales by a mere 360,000 and increased fuel economy by 0.65 mpg. It sounds like the results of a typical government program.

#2) Numbers May Stay Ugly for a While

Terry Keenan looks at the latest jobs report and explains why the numbers my not improve for some time.

#1) Our Reckless Meritocracy

Ross Douthat explains why a meritocracy--a system where the intelligent are supposed to rise to the top--can produce people who become too smart for their own good. "We still need the best and brightest, but we need them to have somehow learned humility along the way."

Tomorrow in History: November 8

November 8, 1923 - Adolf Hitler and the Nazis attempt an overthrow of the German government known as the Beer Hall Putsch. The attempt would be unsuccessful. However, in 1939, while celebrating the 16th anniversary of the Beer Hall Putsch, Hitler would become the target of an assassination attempt.

Food For Thought - A Bedtime Snack

"Society in every state is a blessing, but government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one; for when we suffer or are exposed to the same miseries by a government, which we might expect in a country without government, our calamity is heightened by reflecting that we furnish the means by which we suffer."

-Thomas Paine

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Taking Our Elections Back

In a recent Huffington Post op-ed, Al Sharpton argues that voter ID laws will "disenfranchise" minority and poor voters, bringing America back to the days of Jim Crow laws. While Sharpton argues that it is time we "take our country back," I say it is time that we take our elections back.

It is ridiculous to pretend that voter fraud does not exist. For his book, Stealing Elections, John Fund interviewed former law enforcement officials in Palm Beach County who claim that votes for Bush were invalidated by pushing a thin object through the Gore chad. In support of these claims, the county reported over 19,000 ballots which contained votes for more than one candidate, an amount ten times more than the rate across the rest of the state. Apparently, we are supposed to believe that the county that had trouble following arrows also suffered from many people wanting to be like John Kerry and "vote for Gore, before they voted against him."

In 1993, Congress passed what is commonly called the "Motor Voter" law, which requires government agencies to provide voter registration forms. This law has been very convenient for me to register to vote when I moved from one state to another, and I support requiring government agencies to offer voter registration forms. However, the law also prohibits requiring identification to register. A CATO Institute report showed that in St. Louis, the Democratic-sponsored Operation Big Vote resulted in 3600 fraudulent registrations. While the report does point out the difference between registration fraud and vote fraud, it also questions the point of committing registration fraud if there was no intent to later commit vote fraud.

More recently, eight people were arrested in an attempt to influence a local election in Madison County, Florida. The people obtained absentee ballot requests from voters and had all the ballots mailed to one location. In some cases, the ballots were brought to the voters, but in other cases, they were only brought the signature form and the voter never actually saw the ballot.

Sharpton makes a ridiculous arguments in presenting his opposition to voter ID laws. Sharpton's only argument for this reads:

Imagine you're a hard-working American who holds two or three jobs just to put food on the table, and now you're required to take a day (or more) off in order to obtain an ID. Not only does this person accrue lost work wages, but he/she also has to factor in the cost of traveling to obtain the ID, as well as fees associated with getting copies of documents like passports or birth certificates.

If this were actually possible, it might qualify as a legitimate argument. However, the ID required to obtain those two or three jobs would be more than sufficient for voter registration. I had to bring three forms of identification when I was hired at my current job, but I only needed one of those to go and vote. If federal law requires ID for a job, why should states be prohibited from requiring ID in order to vote?

Sharpton concludes by asking, "If Republican officials and those who support them are so upset by the direction of the country and so insistent on the fact that we are a center-right nation, why don't they prove it with fair elections?" This is precisely why we need voter ID laws. In a nation with rampant voter fraud, working to bring about "fair elections" only brings charges of racism and election-fixing from a party that wants to pretend vote fraud does not exist. If the Democrats are really concerned about these groups rather than just trying to ignore fraud, then they need to provide an alternate solution to eliminate fraud. In the absence of such a plan, then I must assume that they have no desire to actually have "fair elections."

Voter ID laws are not an attempt to disenfranchise voters; they are an attempt to provide for the fair elections. In a world where an ID is necessary to purchase cigarettes or alcohol, write a check or use a credit card at some stores, get on a plane, apply for a loan, open a new bank account, get a job, or even purchase some cough syrups, why should we not need an ID to vote? While Sharpton may argue that we need to "take our country back", the truth is that we need to take our elections back by doing everything possible to prevent fraud.

WordBites: November 7, 2011

WordBites - November 7, 2011

"Soundbites, except with words!"

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The Herman Cain campaign has responded to the allegations of sexual harassment by giving journalists copies of the Society of Professional Journalist Code of Ethics. The Cain campaign is highlighting the provisions on the use of anonymous sources and evaluating their truthfulness. However, this has not stopped journalists from asking Cain questions about the allegations, even though Cain has refused to make any further comments.

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The latest unemployment data says that the majority of unemployed Americans are no longer eligible for unemployment benefits, meaning they have been unemployed for over 99 weeks. According to Department of Labor statistics, only 48 percent of the 14 million unemployed Americans are now receiving unemployment benefits.

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A group of lawmakers are urging the debt supercommittee to "go big" and propose $4 trillion in deficit reduction instead of the mandated $1.2 trillion. Reps. Mike Simpson (R-ID) and Heath Shuler (D-NC) are leading the group, which says that $1.2 trillion in cuts will only "kick the can down the road" when we are "out of road," according to Simpson.

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While some of the so-called 99% are on record desiring the end of capitalism, some people are using capitalism to benefit from the Occupy Wall Street protests. Clothing designers and merchandise vendors are preparing coffee mugs, t-shirts, and a variety of other merchandise with Occupy slogans. Meanwhile, some protesters are upset, saying that this stands against everything the protests stand for.

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