Charger Features
Popcorn and politics. . .Erin McMillan, Charger Staff As an election year, 2004 has been all about politics. The past month was particularly eventful. Here are some of the happenings in the world of Washington, D.C. First, New Jersey's governor, James Mcgreevy, is stepping down from his position after admitting to an a extramarital affair with a man. His public support remains high. Also, former president Bill Clinton underwent quadruple bypass surgury after checking himself into the New York Presbyterian Hospital because of chest pains. In Iraq news, the death toll of American soldiers hit one thousand after a series of strikes in Fallujah. Also, the Republican National Convention, despite mass protest, went off without a hitch in the staunchly Democratic city of New York. In other news. the ban on assault weapons expired. Break out the AK-47s. Now that the news is quasi-covered, on to the election. Nov. 2 is quickly approaching and before heading to the polls it would be helpful to know where each candidate stands on certain issues. Forget about abortion, gay marriage, and the like; the real top three issues of this election are the war in Iraq, the war on terrorism, and the economy. In the past four years, George W. Bush made many, many promises. Now, as the incumbent Republican candidate, he is making many, many more. For starters, he recently released his plan for economic renewal. It includes a reformation of America's High School with a bill of $250 million to "annually extend state assessment of student reading and math skills" according to his official website, www.georgewbush.com. He also says he plans to spend $500 million to train American workers in schools and community colleges for "21st Century" jobs. In addition to these, Bush says he will promote an "era of ownership" in which citizens are encouraged to buy homes. In the mean time, he will reform social security and help small businesses. Aside from the economy, another important issue for Bush is the war in Iraq. Despite the high number of deaths, Bush says he will “continue to lead a worldwide coalition to fight terrorists abroad so we do not have to face them here at home. ” On the matter of troops he promises to "restructure American forces overseas to use existing forces more effectively and to support servicemen, servicewomen, and their families more efficiently." Quite possibly the most pressing matter for the Bush administration is the one of national security, and because of this, he has many new policies he promises to put into effect as well as older ones he plans to continue. In order to make our nation safer, Bush initiated an intelligence reform. This will include the appointment of a national intelligence director to "improve the quality and quantity of our intelligence and our ability to disrupt and prevent terrorist attacks." Establishing a National Counterterrorism Center, Reforming Congressional Oversight, and Improving and Coordinating Intelligence Resources are, also, on his agenda. The President, despite immense controversy, does intend to keep and expand upon the Patriot Act, " so that law enforcement has the tools necessary to defend the country." In a nutshell, the strongest points Bush can make are that under his administration, America became safer and, also, that it would be unwise to switch leaders in wartime. On the down side, he is running a nasty campaign, spends too much money, and has had four years to accomplish all of the things he promised in his first campaign, but has done little. Senator John Kerry, the Democratic opponent, has been busy trying to slide his way into the Oval Office, and he, too, has an abundance of plans for improving America. In regards to America's economy, Kerry says it is all about the middleclass. To strengethen this league, he plans to cut taxes for businesses in order to stop outsourcing (the practice of doing labor and manufacturing overseas to save money at the cost of home jobs). He intends to “make Washington live with a budget" to cut the current deficit of 166.2 billion dollars in half during his first four years before it hits the projected 422 billion dollars. Kerry also promises a tax cut and a large investment in skilled labor. John Kerry makes the statement that he and running mate John Edwards "believe in a better, stronger America," and to become this America, his plans include the launch and leadership of “A New Era Of Alliances” to “utilize every available resource to get the terrorists before they can strike at us." He believes that no stronger power exists than the United States and their allies. He promises to modernize the military and break ties with Mideast oil, as well. Kerry, along with Edwards, promises to offer a new security strategy that addresses five major challenges: to track and stop terrorists before they can attack again, to protect our borders and shores, to increase security at vulnerable targets such as nuclear plants and public transportation stations, to ensure that America's security is prepared by training the manpower and providing equipment to our domestic securities, and to protect the constitutional rights of all citizens while it defends America. At best, Kerry is a fresh start for the nation, and has as a secret
weapon John Edwards with his perma-grin and newscaster hair. He
also won three purple hearts. At worst, however, he has been labeled
a flip-flopper, accused of changing his mind on policy, and mentions
his purple hearts at every turn. He also faces the challenge of
being the opponent of a president during war. |