Our Country, Our Responsibility: Working in Government

Best Places to Work in the Federal Government

2009-09-21T12:49:00.000-07:00

Today I stumbled across the Best Places to Work in the Federal Government in 2009. I can't say that I was suprised by the results. It is a wide known fact that the Government Accountability Office is always one of the best places to work- it ranked 2nd this year with an improvement of 6.9% since 2007. Below, I have listed this year's results.

2009 Overall Index Scores

1-Nuclear Regulatory Commission
2-Government Accountability Office
3-National Aeronautics and Space Administration
4-Intelligence Community
5-Department of State
6-Environmental Protection Agency
7-Department of Justice
8-General Services Administration
9-Social Security Administration
10-Department of Commerce

2009 represents the 4th time these ranking have come out. Other years are 2003, 2005, and 2007.

So perhaps, when looking for a job in the government, you should pay extra attention to these 10 agencies. And please take a few moments to visit the Web site as it breaks down these results even more. It labels them as Best in Class scores and breaks them down in demographic. This is a very interesting site that can be a great resource when looking for a job in the Federal Government.

Networking Groups

2009-08-31T06:27:00.000-07:00

OK, so I know everyone always stresses the importance of networking. And networking is a very, very good thing to do. However, if you have just moved to a new city and people aren't asking you to go to happy hours of Capitol Hill receptions with them after work, you probably are trying to figure out exactly how to network.

The best way to network is by joining an organization. If you are living in a more populous area (ex: Washington, D.C.) there are literally hundreds of organizations you can join. Here are some examples of organizations you can join:

A casual sports team: I know a LOT of people who play kickball on the national mall weeknights after work or on Sundays.

State Societies: Most states have a state society in Washington, D.C. These organizations are designed to link people with others from their home state, and people often find new jobs through these networks.

Alumni Associations: Most schools have some sort of alumni organization in most areas of the United States. It is always nice to get in touch with people you may or may not have known while in college.
Volunteer: There are all kinds of different things to volunteer for. You can volunteer to help with a walk for a cause, at an orphanage, or Habitat for Humanity.
Professional Organizations: It is also fairly simple to look online for an organization for people in your professional focus. Some examples are Young Nonprofit Professionals, Women's Information Network (which leads you to endless other organizations), and the Public Relations Society of America. Here is a list of professional associations to check out!

If you are nervous about joining one of these organizations on your own, see if one of your friends or colleagues will join with you! Chances are you will have a lot of fun doing it!

Washington, D.C.

2009-08-17T13:18:00.000-07:00

This weekend I travelled to New York City. And as I was taking my $10 bus ride back to D.C. I realized just how great the location is for our Capitol City.

It is technically considered to be a "southern city." So, basically that means it does not get too bad of winter weather and when it does snow, we get the day off work. Summer days do get hot, and we have "code red" heat days. And some days the humidy is pretty bad, but nothing too intense.

The location, as far as the eastern seaboard goes, is amazing. You are close to the beach, close to Maryland Crabs, a bus ride from New York City, and there are THREE airports to choose from when flying out on vacation (think $99 direct flights to the Bahamas).

But, also, Washington, D.C. has a lot to offer in the city itself. There are multiple monuments and museums (which are free to the public), great communities that are rich in culture and have great night life.

Working in Your Own Back Yard

2009-08-03T18:35:00.000-07:00

Working in the government doesn't mean moving to Washington, D.C. and becoming a polititian on the Federal level.

It doesn't even mean you need to leave the state, maybe not even the county.

There are plenty of jobs available on the local and state level. For example, if you are interested in a career in emerency preparedness, you might be interested in working for FEMA. But, did you know that each individual state, county, and city has it's own similar agency?

While searching online today, I came across this Web site geared to helping people find jobs in local government. It is a very easy to navigate Web site, and I encourage all of you to go and check it out.

Government Internships

2009-07-23T11:45:00.000-07:00

So I was online this morning, looking at the news and seeing waht was going on in the realm of government jobs, and I stumbled across this Web site: http://www.studentjobs.gov/.

Studentjobs.gov offers students the chance to look for jobs and internships for the Federal Government whether they are in high school, college or graduate school.

When you are a new member to the site, you are given the opportunity to create a resume and apply to any and all jobs that interest you. Currently, there are 13,956 student employment opportunities on the Web site. With a number that high, I'd say there is probably an opportunity for everyone who is looking for something.

Interning or working for the Federal Government while in school is a great opportunity if you want to get jump started on your career, make contacts, or maybe you don't know for sure what you want to do.

So take some time today and check out http://www.studentjobs.gov/!

Welcome back, everyone!

2009-07-06T19:33:00.000-07:00

Hello, everyone! It is summer in Washington. That means it is really hot and humid and Congress is rushing around so they can leave for summer recess.

After spending more than a year working closely in the government in Washington, D.C., I have come to realize that when Congress isn't in session, the whole city slows down. Restaurants have less people in them, the metro isn't as crowded (well, except when there is a large influx of tourists), and even if your job isn't in the government chances are it is still a little bit slower.

Now, I think part of this is because it is really hot, and really humid in D.C. (the city was built on a swamp, so it only makes sense). And I think the other part is because when Congress is in session, not only are the Members of Congress adding to the number of people here, they are also the reason most people visit Washington, D.C.

Moral of the story, most jobs in Washington, D.C. and the surrounding areas are at least in some way affected by Congress. And that is why working in the government is very important.

Can't find a job in government?

2009-05-18T08:15:00.000-07:00

It's graduation time!! If you are anything like me when I graduated, you probably went from being really excited to graduate one day, to unemployed the next.

With the economy falling and unemployment rates at an all-time high, more and more recent grads do not have jobs lined up when they graduate- even a lot of last year's graduates do not have jobs.

One of my roommates has been struggling to find a job and recently was introduced to PoliTemps.

According to their Web site, PoliTemps provides quality personnel who, in addition to administrative and computer skills, possess an understanding of the political, legislative, and public relations processes in this city. PoliTemps has the targeting and focus of a public relations firm, the goals and mission of a staffing service, and the enthusiasm of a political campaign.

This looks to me like a great way to try out working in government and gain experience while..... NETWORKING. And networking is what ultimately leads to jobs.

So if you are looking for a job and wanting to get into government, I recommend checking it out!

Get Linked In!

2009-04-27T19:00:00.000-07:00

I've talked many, many, many times about the importance of networking. It doesn't matter what industry you are in, networking is going to be part of the job description. But networking isn't just going to events and handing out your business card. There is a new kind of networking in town- social networking. OK, so maybe it isn't new. It has been around quite a few years now.

Social networking can be done a variety of different ways, through a variety of different Web sites. Some of the most-used sites are MySpace, Facebook and LinkedIn.

According to its entry on Wikipedia, LinkedIn is a business-oriented social networking site that is mainly used for professional networking. As of February 2009 it had more than 35 million registered users, spanning 170 industries.

LinkedIn is not place to post pictures of your friends and write notes about your recent vacation. It has a more professional feel to it and employers even have the opportunity to post jobs and search for interview candidates based on their profiles.

I encourage everyone out there who is looking for a job or internship to create a LinkedIn profile and start making connections!!

Spring is in the air!

2009-04-19T19:55:00.000-07:00

This weekend in Washington was sunny and warm. Tulips are in full bloom- and they are everywhere.

Along with spring comes the end of the semester. Once spring has sprung, it is time to go into panic mode if you don't have a summer job or internship lined up. At least that is how it always was for me. But, don't worry. It's not too late!

I suggest that everyone take a look at the job and internship board at Experience's Home Page. The Experience job board offers multiple different searches and lets you be very specific about what you are looking for in a job.

However, Experience isn't the only place out there to look for summer employment. One of your most important resources when looking for a job in the government is USAJobs.gov. USAJobs.gov is one of the only ways to apply for jobs in the government. It is a complicated process to apply for jobs through the Web site, and it is often very tedious. It is also a very rewarding process and will make you appreciate your interview once you land one (and yes, you will).

It is also important to remember that another very important process to looking for a job is networking. Let everyone you know (family members, professors, etc.) know that you are looking for a job and exactly what you are looking for in a job. You never know how well connected these people are!

In closing I just want to say, good luck, happy job hunting, and enjoy the nice weather!

Keeping Yourself Current

2009-04-05T17:09:00.000-07:00

So you have a degree in journalism... And you've recently discovered that you want to work in the government. Well, good news for you!

Anyone thinking about getting a job related to government, should probably be very well educated in current affairs. There are entire agencies devoted to media monitoring that put out reports every morning that outline the news on a specific topic to send to government agencies and other influencial people. One example of this type of agency is Bulletin News, based out of Herndon, Virginia- just minutes from DC.

The way I look at it, journalism is the universal degree. Now, I might just be saying that because my degree is in journalism, but I really think it is true! At least when it comes to government jobs.

For example, most jobs require you to be good at communicating and writing. Guess, what journalists have spent the past 4 years learning how to write and be good at communicating. They have spent many months learning about specific things to write good, informative news articles and along the way have learned many, valuable things! Now, I'm not saying having a journalism degree makes you any better or more marketable than people with other degrees, but I think it makes you more versatile, depending on your internship path or work experience of course.

Ok, so maybe I don't know what I am talking about when it comes to this. I could be totally wrong. But one thing I do know is that keeping up with the news, whether it by listening to NPR every morning, reading the front page of the paper or getting news on the internet, keeping up with what is happening around the world is very imporant. Especially when working for the government.

Spring is almost here!

2009-03-22T17:28:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I planted an herb garden (in a flower box of course, as living in Washington does not provide much in the way of back yards) and I noticed yesterday that the herbs were starting to emerge. That can only mean one thing! Spring is in the air. I noticed today when I was taking a walk that there are flowers popping up everywhere and people are out playing in the parks with their children and dogs. It was beautiful outside today.

Spring always means one thing, school is almost out for the summer! That means there is also a new batch of recent graduates with dreams of changing the world. And to these people I have a few words of advice. Now, everything I am going to tell you isn't scientific. And it hasn't been proven. And, I could be totally wrong. It's just what I've learned in the past year.

If 10 months from now you are still working an unpaid internship and waiting tables to pay rent, you're not alone. According to an article in the Chicago Tribune last November, entry-level hiring has dropped about 8%.
Don't be afraid to take an internship, even after you have your B.A. or B.S. Most people I graduated with in May were still working an internship until last fall- some still are. But it gives you invaluable experience, and will make you more marketable in the long run.
If you are graduating and really weren't sure if Grad school is right for you, don't go just yet. Wait until you know exactly what you want to do. Sometimes you need work experience to know you are (or in some cases are not) getting into the right field.
Learn how to make bread. It is relaxing and kneading the dough will help relieve stress. This is one of my favorite Web sites for finding bread recipes.
And, lastly, if you think of something you want to do. Like for instance work on an organic farm in Hawaii for one year- DO IT. You will regret it if you don't.

So, have a great spring, and enjoy graduating!

Preparing for your Future

2009-03-14T08:29:00.000-07:00

Today when I visited Experience's Homepage, I read a testimonial from a girl named Charity at Sacred Heart University that was:

"I applied and was accepted for a one year internship program in London, England. I found out about this opportunity through an email that Experience sent out and am very excited about the opportunity."

Then I started reminising about my study abroad experience. It was the best decision I have ever made. EVER. The study abroad progam I did was in Geneva, Switzerland and through Kent State University. However, I was amazed to find out that only on fifth of the students participating in the program were from Kent State. There were students from Boston College, University of Illinois, Mary Washington University, Tufts and many others. So when looking for a study abroad program or internship program don't just look as far as your school. The opportunities are endless.

I know a lot of people say they can't study abraod because they want to graduate on time. That is a legitimate concern, but there are hundreds of internship and study abroad opportunities that just last the summer months or are for a few weeks over winter break.

There are many different ways to go about studying/interning abroad. And I do understand that it isn't for everyone. But at least check it out. Go to experience.com and check it out!

Healthcare Government

2009-03-03T17:48:00.000-08:00

So today I was compiling a list of health reform opinion and thought leaders in the executive branch of the Federal Government, and I was shocked at the number of people who work in healthcare related fields of the government.

These days, all we are hearing about is the economy. But, surprisingly, or maybe not so surprisingly, healthcare and health reform keeps popping up in every stimulus conversation and economy mention.

In the President’s FY10 budget, he allots $630 billion over 10 years to go toward Health care reform. You know what that translates, right? Jobs. Public health professionals are needed to work on preventative health, the Health and Human Services Department, and even public policy organizations. Yet, sadly, only 20% of the nation’s almost 500,000 public health professionals have the proper training and education they need to do their jobs efficiently. People with a Masters Degree of Public Health are in high demand right now! Not just in Washington, but also in your home town.

Health professionals working in the government doesn’t jut stop with the Department of Health and Human Services.

The Department of Defense that offers healthcare to the military;
The Department of Veterans Affairs deals with veterans and their health needs;
The Department of Transportation deals with preventative measures to keep Americans safe on our sidewalks and roads and all sorts of other infrastructure;
The United States Environmental Protection Agency also works to keep Americans safe from chemicals;
United States Congress has at least one healthcare legislative assistant in every single Member of Congress’ office; and,
There are many, many others that could be added to the list!

My point is, health professionals are needed in every arm of the government. When you check out Experience’s job board next, just take a look at all the jobs that deal with healthcare. I bet you will be amazed!

Making Internships Count

2009-02-22T13:52:00.000-08:00

I just spent the last week on vacation. It was so great to get away from work for a few days and go a few places I've never been before.

But, anyway, I am back now. And I would like to talk a little bit about internships. On Experience's Homepage, there is an article titled "Milking Your Internship." The most important point the author makes is "You may feel like a student, but you are expected to act like a professional."

That is so true. The way you land jobs from internships, especially in an economic environment like the one we are currently experiencing, is to act more professional than your boss.

One of my classmates had an internship for a Member of Congress last year, and the internship coordinator didn't really put a lot of effort in to his job. So my friend, thought "oh that's just the way it is in this office, you don't have to work very hard." Well, after a couple of weeks, he realized his boss was just lazy and started working as hard as possible at his internship. Well, once summer hit, the intern coordinator got let go, and guess who was offered the job? Yep. My classmate.

You really need to show them you are willing to do work that isn't super gratifying, yet needs to be done. And you need to have a great attitude and show you are interested, not only in your job, but also the entire industry. It's what has helped my of my peers land a job, including myself.

Photo from Carleton.edu

Taxation with Representation

2009-02-04T20:18:00.000-08:00

I am sure you have all heard about the recent issues regarding our almost Secretary of Health and Human Services- Tom Daschle. Earlier this week, Daschle withdrew as nominee for HHS Secretary because of a controversy about his tax records and some activites he was involved in that some may consider lobbying. Wow.

This just goes to show you that even if you are a very important person, or maybe you aren't very important just yet, you still need to pay attention to your taxes, because, overall taxes are a good thing. If we didn't have taxes, many of the things we take for granted would disappear. An example I always like to use it street lights. If we didn't have taxes and people were in charge of just randomy contributing to building a street light in the neighborhood, noone would ever contribute or get around to it- they would just assume someone else would take care of it. And if you have any interest at all in working for the government, where do you think your paycheck is going to come from? That's right. Taxes.

It is necessary to pay attention to every little detail about taxes and not try to get away with anything that may be considered dishonest. You never know, many years from now it may cost you a nomination for a cabinet position- or maybe just a job.

**Photo from cnn.com**

Welcome Back!

2009-02-01T12:18:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone! Now we have ourselves in a new year, a new Congress and a new administration. There is going to be lots and lots of exciting topics for me to discuss with you in the coming months!

One thing is on everybody's mind these days though. Yep, you guessed it: The economy. Nothing I tell you here is going to ensure you find your dream job by the time you graduate. Much of my advice is not proven and has no scientific evidence. But it is, as least I think it is, good advice. Just things to ponder and things that may help you get a little further ahead in the job search, or the workplace.

In last week's The Washington Post there was an entire section devoted to "Jobs." And there was a "Job Chat" column on the front page that featured Derrick T. Dortch, president of the Diversa Group, who is a career counselor who specializes in government job searches. The main point of the article is that maybe people who apply to jobs, namely the CIA, get rejected the first time. And he suggests that if you have been working to prepare yourself for work in the CIA and got rejected the first time, like many do, you probably are qualified for a multitude of other jobs in the intelligence industry. So maybe try to work at a different, related agency for awhile to get some more relevant experience and then, who knows, maybe you will land that dream job with the CIA.

The main point- don't be discouraged and definately don't be afraid to expand the job search.

It takes a while to get your dream job

2008-12-10T19:03:00.000-08:00

So you just graduated. Obviously, you will start work a few weeks later changing the world. Not quite.

When you first start working for the government, you will probably do a lot of menial tasks. Meaning, you will more than likely be answering the phone, filing something or serving more of an administrative role that you probably think you should be.

That is okay. Your first few years on the job, you will be doing the tasks noone else wants to do- because you are the lowest level person working there. I repeat, that is okay. Everyone had to start at the bottom, either as an intern or as an administative assistant.

Just tough it out and eventually you will get that dream job :)

You don't have to move to Washington!

2008-12-01T18:21:00.001-08:00

So, most Americans are from small towns, and even more are from places that aren't Washington, D.C. So what if you want to stay in the same state or town you grew up in or went to school in when you begin your career? Well, I have news for you. You can't work in the government. Just kidding! The government has jobs all over the United States and even the world. You can stay right in your home state or town and still work for the government.

Many government jobs are for the state and local government. The mayor needs help running the town and the governor needs help running the state. Even your Senator or Congressman has at least one- if not several district offices that need to be staffed.

So if you aren't ready to leave the comfort of your own home and town, visit http://www.govtjobs.com/, and see if the government is iring near you. I'm sure it is!

Why not try the Peace Corps?

2008-11-24T17:40:00.001-08:00

So I've been out of school for awhile now, and I searched for a job for a little while, but I was one of the lucky ones who found a job less then a month after I graduated. Actually, I was hired a couple weeks after I graduated. But, unless you've been living under a rock, or just really don't pay attention to ANYTHING around you, you've probably heard about the economic crisis happening throughout our nation and the entire world actually. Basically, a lot of banks got in a lot of trouble for buying and selling bad debt and now everyone is paying for it.

The point is, it economy is not very good right now and many people I know are looking for jobs in the government because the government isn't going out of business anytime soon. So for the next few weeks I am going to outline some different jobs available in the government. Today it is the Peace Corps. There are multiple reasons people want to get involved in the peace corps... and multiple reasons people don't.

Some of the reasons people want to is the experience. You have to be a very smart, dedicated person to endure representing our country abroad while making a world of difference to the people you are helping. For information about joining, visit their Web site at www.peacecorps.gov.

According to their Web site, "Serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer means 27 months of hard work. It takes determination, flexibility, patience, and a sense of humor. And while applying to the Peace Corps is easier than being a Volunteer, the qualities that make a good Volunteer will also come in handy during the application process. Yes, applying to become a Volunteer takes some time, preparation, and effort. But as with volunteering, the rewards far outweigh the difficulties."

And if you are wondering if you are qualified, there is an easy calculator widget on the Web site that will tell you what you need to do to volunteer. It is definitely something to consider and work toward.

The Government is hiring!

2008-11-12T19:50:00.001-08:00

So we have ourselves a new POTUS. Sen. Barack Obama is the president-elect of the United States of America. And along with all the excitement here in Washington, D.C. about having a new president-elect and Change being on its way to our Nation and after a two-year long historic election, I have good news for everyone out there looking for a job......

THE GOVERNMENT IS HIRING! President-elect Obama has a big job ahead of him, and that is appointing an administration. Along with a new administration comes a new staff. In order to apply for a job in the new administration, all you have to do it go to Change.gov, the official online office of the President-elect and the transition team, and fill out the application process. It takes awhile to get through the entire process, but is worth it!

And more good news! If you aren't interested in working for the administration, and are thinking more about pursuing a career on Capitol Hill, there are plenty of incoming Members of Congress who need highly skilled, highly motivated people like yourself to work in their new offices on Capitol Hill. The best way to go about this is to visit the House of Representatives' Web site house.gov or the Senate's Web site at senate.gov.

I wish you all of the best in your search for a government job in the new administration!!!

VOTE

2008-11-04T01:41:00.001-08:00

Hi everyone, I just wanted to encourage all of you to go out and make a difference in the most historic election that has ever happened in the United States. Please go out and vote today. Whether you are voting democrat or republican, please go out and cast your ballot.

History in the Making!

2008-10-20T08:08:00.000-07:00

With the 2008 Presidential Election right around that corner, Washington, D.C., is a really exciting place to be. But you don’t have to be in Washington for it to be an exciting time. This truly is a historic election: voter turn-out will be higher than ever, and the next president will have to face a plethora of problems and will probably have to fight hard for reelection because in four years, the economy won’t be fixed, the housing market won’t be booming, the Ogallala Aquifer will still be running out of water, and healthcare will probably still be an issue.

There are many ways you can get involved to be a part of this history. You can become active on any of a variety of important issues, like those mentioned above, you can join a campaign (even if it is just volunteering to make phone calls or go door to door), or you can become an election officer and work the polls on election day to help you get involved in your community.

No matter how much or how little time you have, I urge you to, in some way, because involved in this upcoming election because it is history in the making!

The Value of Internships

2008-10-06T18:27:00.000-07:00

While a lot of my friends I graduated college with are still looking for jobs, I am reminded again how important it is to have at least one really, really good internship under your belt.

Where I am currently employed, I first interned for 4 months. Same with my boyfriend, and countless other friends. Actually, everyone I know who graduated with me and is living in Washington, D.C. working in politics and the government, is working where he or she interned. Some of the internships were paid and others were unpaid, but in the end it was a job based on who you know and what you know. If you are put up against someone who looks good on paper, but the company already knows the kind of work you do- even if you don't look as good on paper- you are still more likely to land the job you want.

And to all the recent grads out there who are still looking for a job, don't be afraid to take an 8 or 12 week internship. Just because you aren't in school anymore, doesn't mean you are "overqualified" to be an intern. It just might land you the perfect job you've been looking for all summer.

Welcome Back!

2008-09-22T15:14:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! I hope the new school year is going well! Some of you are probably going back to classes, while others have probably secured really cool internships, and there are probably a few of you who are recent graduates and have been looking for jobs for what seems like forever and just aren't getting calls back. Don't worry, it's not you. The job market isn't doing very well, and on average it takes three months to find a job. And it probably won't be your dream job.

Especially when working in the government, it is important to remember that who you know is almost as important as what you know. Countless friends of mine have found jobs through networks. And I just forwarded a friend's resume to a co-worker this afternoon. When I was getting advice on looking for jobs, I was talking to someone who hires for the Government Accountability Office. She said she doesn't hire anyone who she can't find someone who knows someone who knows that person.

Now, I don't mean that to be discouraging either. That just means you need to find ways to network. A few posts back I game some helpful hints about networking. But another way to meet people who will be helpful to your career is by interning somewhere. I know COUNTLESS people who have had internships and then been hired on full-time. What happens is you are basically "trained" in how to do your job as an intern. And the office would rather hire you for two reasons. You have already proved that you are a good worker, and you already know the company.

So don't be discouraged. Just keep looking and don't be afraid to take a post-graduation internship. It will pay off sometime!

The Government Needs Everyone!

2008-08-22T10:14:00.000-07:00

I found a very interesting article on the Experience government industry homepage called, "But I didn't major in Government!" I really liked this article, because I didn't major in government, or political science, or economics... or anything even that close to any of those things.

I majored in Public Relations, but that doesn't mean I don't have a strong background in government. I studied abroad in Geneva, Switzerland learning about Human Rights, International Business, European Politics and International Relations. I also spent a semester a semster in Washington, D.C. learning more than I evee thought I would with an internship at a government realations agency. Then I interned on Capitol Hill. As a PR major, you wonder what that has to do with government, not a lot really. But it is obvious I have a background in government and public policy. I think my resume and interest are very govenrment heavy and that is what helped me get a job working in public affairs.

There are also all kinds of jobs open in the government. NASA needs engineers and scientists; the Department of Justice needs people with a law enforcement background and lawyers; the Government Acountability Office needs people with degrees in fiance and communications and pretty much everything else.

Government Contracting

2008-08-13T08:27:00.000-07:00

I have been talking a lot about working directly with the government as well as for Members of Congress. But that's not the only way to get involved with working for the government.

Thousands of people work indirectly with the government as government contractors. That means the contractor is hired by the government to do work for them, but the employees doing the work are not directly employed by the government.

The largest contractor is Lockheed Martin, which is located in the Washington, D.C., metro area. In FY 2007, Lockheed Martin secured $12,679,523,202 worth of government contracts. Lockheed Martin is most noted for its work with the NASA space program.

So if you are interested in working for the government, but not directly for the government, check out contracting. You will get a wide array of tasks to do and not be bored!

Worried that you can't get into the government scene because you didn't major in Government??? Learn more about the options HERE.

Paying Your Dues

2008-07-31T20:36:00.000-07:00

I had lunch with a government employee today and she was telling me that everything she does at work has such a process to it. She went on to say she feels like she could be more productive if some of the "red tape" were eliminated. Her job at the moment is fact-checking reports that everyone else writes.

It will get better though! I was reminded that when starting out to work in the government, you have to be pateient. You are probably going to spend a few years getting low pay (great benefits though!!) and not doing the most rewarding work. It will change though!

For instance, when you start out working on Capitol Hill, you are most likely going to be a Staff Assistant or a Legislative Correspondent and making $27,000-$30,000. And you are probably going to be doing work that you think is pretty meaningless-- such as answering phones or writing letters. And you will be living in a house with far too many roommates. But ten years later, you will look back and realize it was all worth it for the experience.

And everyone has to do it--but it does get better!

Working with Legislation to make a difference!

2008-07-21T07:38:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone, and sorry about my week-long absence. I was doing a little bit of summer travel. I am again amazed at what a difference there is in airport traffic between summer and winter travel –not as many screaming children on winter flights. But that’s a different topic….

Working in the government. There isn’t anything that is much more rewarding than working in the government. I always hear people talking about how they want their job to mean something—want to feel good at the end of a long day. I think working in the government is where it is at. When you work for the government, you are directly working for things that will change the lives of millions of Americans.

I think that working as a Capitol Hill Staffer is especially rewarding. The Legislative Assistants and Legislative Directors all work to research issues and brief the Congressman or Congresswoman on how to vote and how his or her district will be affected by the legislation. So instead of calling your Member of Congress, why not work for him or her so you can influence legislation and make a difference for your district?

Tips for Networking

2008-07-08T13:54:00.000-07:00

In the business of the government, chances are you are going to get at least one job or internship based on who you know. Employers would much rather hire someone they know, rather than someone they aren’t sure will work out. The key here is to make sure you know the right people. The best way to meet people is by networking- if you are interested in working on Capitol Hill, start going to receptions on Capitol Hill. If you are looking for a job in journalism, start attending events at the National Press club. Go to the places you know important people in your field spend time.

Here are four helpful tips on how to get better at networking!

Four Tips on Networking:

1.) Get business cards. It doesn’t matter if you are just a student you should have business cards with your contact info to pass out at networking events. It is also important to get business cards from the people you talk to. You never know when you will want to get in contact with those people again.

2.) This goes along with number 1, but make sure that while you are collecting business cards you keep them in a file, there is nothing worse than wanting to contact someone and not knowing where you put his or her business card or not remembering where you met that person. WRITE ON THE BACK OF THE BUSINESS CARD WHERE YOU MET THAT PERSON. That way when you contact him or her you can say “I heard you speak at _________ and I had a couple of questions….”

3.) Don’t be shy! Make sure you introduce yourself to people. Strike up conversation with them, even if it isn’t about anything important. Make sure you show interest in their companies if you are at all interested in it.

4.) Don’t drink too much! Many of the networking events you will go to, especially in Washington, D.C., will have drinks at them—usually an open bar. Limit yourself to only one drink, and spend the entire night drinking it. You don’t want a potential employer seeing you intoxicated. It is embarrassing, not to mention unprofessional.

I hope these tips help you in preparing to look for your next job/internship!

Patience!

2008-06-30T19:50:00.000-07:00

Okay, so looking for a job is exhausting. I know, I've been there. I began my job search in February. I looked at job Web sites and sent my resume out. I didn't apply to many jobs, because I didn't want to start working somewhere that I only kind of wanted the job.

I was interning as a government relations intern at a public relations firm and I sent out a few e-mail resumes. After I secured my internship for the summer on Capitol Hill, I decided to stop applying for jobs. Well, I just got a response to one of the email resumes I sent out many, many months ago. After almost 4 months, they responded "Would you be interested in interviewing with us?" Now, I already have a job lined up for after I finish my internship, but this reminds me about how important patience really is.

You can't just assume you are going to get a job after just a couple weeks or months of looking. Jobs usually come around when you are least expecting them to, and make sure when you apply for a job it is one you really want. Nothing would be worse than starting a job you only care about a little, and then getting a call (or email) a few weeks or days later saying you have an interview or job at a place you really like.

So what I am saying is: take the time and have the patience to find the job that is right for you!

Back from Belize!

2008-06-19T17:53:00.000-07:00

Hello all! I just returned home from a 10-day stay in Belize. It was the most amazing 10 days of my life. I hope you enjoyed Aaron's comments on Cap and Trade. Thank you so much, Aaron, for being a guest blogger while I was away!

Anyway, I went to Belize with the organization Sustainable Harvest International. SHI is an organization that deals with helping local farmers in developing countries choose organic, sustainable ways of farming. It was amazing to travel around to all of the locals' homes and teach them how to crush certain leaves of plants and use them as a pesticide or fertilizer. I really wish there were more organizations like it in the United States.

One thing that really sticks out in my mind about politics in Belize is how much these people care about the politics of the USA. We were driving down a dirt road in the country and there was a hand-made sign outside of someone's house that had "Obama USA" scrawled across it. It just surprised me how much people in a small village outside of the US are concerned about the politics here, when there are so many people living in our own country who don't pay attention to things that go on.

With that said, I am really excited to be back blogging for the summer and to be living through such a historic election!!

Cap and Trade

2008-06-07T10:17:00.000-07:00

Christina is away for this week’s blog entry on a service trip and asked me if I could step in and write a few words. Naturally I said no.

Funny how that works.

Anyway, I was thinking about what I could possibly say about government that would make me sound like I knew what I was talking about. Sure I could write about the primaries, maybe make up some gossip about Hilary, McCain or Obama. But then again, haven't we heard enough about that subject? I'll be honest with you, I'm for Obama but what I'm really for is getting this country moving in a different direction, or moving at all for that matter. I think the magnitude of what is at stake in the upcoming election has been lost a bit in the craziness.

I promised I wouldn't go in that direction though so lets switch gears a bit and talk about something else that is going to be incredibly important in the upcoming years.

The environment. Or more specifically, global warming and how the country is going to address it.

Let me start by saying that If you don’t believe in global warming, you probably should stop reading now and go find something more productive to do with your time (maybe doing some research?). You aren’t going to find any arguments in this post that are going to change your mind and you probably aren’t going to change mine. However if you do accept the idea that the planets mean temperature is slowly rising and that this affect is being caused by the emissions of GHGs (greenhouse gases) then it’s important you understand the debate going on over how to deal with it.

The main Congressional legislation that is proposed to deal with the issue is a Cap and Trade system. I’ve got a feeling that most of America is lost somewhere between is and a in that sentence so I’m going to try to give a little bit of an overview of how it works and some of the criticisms of the system. Let me preface this by saying that the subject is really complicated, and it’s complicated for a reason. What people don’t want to say is that it’s really an energy tax. I’ve seen a lot of articles blasting Cap and Trade and calling for a carbon tax instead, in principle they are right on many points, but totally overlook the political realities of the situation. You simply are not going to pass any legislation that has the words ‘tax’ in it at a time when the economy is far from running smoothly. That doesn’t mean we don’t need action however, and it doesn’t mean a system that is effectively a tax can’t have a positive impact on both the economy and environment.

So what do you need to know about Cap and Trade? Well first of all the lets tackle the idea of a cap. These bills set up an arbitrary ceiling on the amount of greenhouse gases that can be emitted in each year (generally measured in tons). The bill under current focus (S 3036, the Lieberman – Warner Climate Security Act) says that in the year 2020 the amount of GHGs emitted for that year must be 19% below the level emitted in 2005. This is the cap. It is gradually tightened so in the year 2050 GHG emissions must be nearly 70% below 2005 levels. Everyone with me?

The question is then, if we put this cap in place, how do we decide who can emit what and how much? Well that’s were the trade part of the legislation comes in. To insure that each year the level of emissions are under the cap the legislation creates an ‘allowance’ for each ton of GHG that can be emitted. The number of ‘allowances’ created each year is equal to the goal for that year, so in 2020 the government would create allowances equal to 19% below the 2005 level of GHG emissions. I’ll be honest, I have no clue what the actual number of allowances would equal (could be anywhere between 100 thousand and 100 million), the point is, a company must hold these allowances in order to emit carbon, or be held in violation and face stiff penalties.

Ah, but how do we get these allowances to the polluters so they can continue to power homes and fuel our cars? Well, that’s were it gets tricky. There are two basic ways of distributing allowances. They are either given away, or sold at an auction. If they are given away the thinking goes that companies will pass on a lower share of higher energy costs (that WILL result from cutting emissions). If they are auctioned it is believed that more efficient companies will be rewarded and those proceeds can then be used to help cushion higher energy costs.

Of course, this is a debate that is extremely heated; most companies prefer that the majority of allowances be given away (this amounts basically to a transfer of wealth, since allowances will undoubtedly be worth a substantial amount of money) and most experts believe that auctioning makes more sense because it will be both more simple (how exactly do you decide WHO and HOW MUCH if you give allowances away) and more efficient (the whole free market thing).

So what exactly is going to happen? Well in the short term not much. Current debate has been shelved due to a fight over judicial nominations and even if it weren’t, the threat of a veto and disagreements between the two chambers would result in little action. However, there is little doubt (all presidential candidates have come out in favor of some sort of climate change legislation) that in the next few years legislation will be passed. And when it is it is VERY important that everyone can understand the basic language of these systems. While issues such as the war and the mortgage crisis dominate the headlines any Cap and Trade legislation has the potential to have a far greater impact on the everyday lives of Americans. There is no doubt that a cap on GHGs will have a drastic affect on energy prices (baring a miraculous breakthrough) and any auction system will raise Trillions of dollars for the federal government. Dollars that have to be spent, either given back to consumers or invested in technology or even used to solve the entitlement mess.

Do we need to take action? Yes, but we also need to do our best to make sure that Americans understand the impact that any action will have upon their lives. My advice is simple. It is imperative that we start thinking about conservation, that we start investing in smart solutions and we accept that the age of cheap energy is over.

If you made it through all of that, thank you for reading and I hope that I inspired you to read a little bit more about what’s going on with the climate and energy issue.

Environmental Protection Agency

2008-05-09T10:22:00.000-07:00

Earlier in the week I attended a hearing on Capitol Hill about the recent problems in the EPA. According to a GAO report, the EPA has been injecting politics into science. What does that mean? Well, it means that instead of passing legislation based on what scientists recommend, they are making policy based on advice from special interest groups.

That's the jest of the story, but please check it out at the Center for American Progress' Progress Report to learn more about what has been going on.

I really hate to think that some of these things are true. I would like to think that people are better than to let special interest groups tell them what I do. I would like to think that people who hold these jobs in government would think about the people of the United States and make decisions based on what is best for the country as a whole.

OUR Country, OUR Responsibility.

Summer is almost here!

2008-04-30T14:29:00.000-07:00

This post is going to be short because I am spending this week visiting my parents in Pennsylvania and moving back to Washington, D.C. to start my summer internship in a Press Office on Capitol Hill. I am going to highlight a few things I have been doing to prepare for working.

First off, I subscribed to my Member's eNewsletter. I have been reading the updates and trying to get familiar with his viewpoints and the people in his office.
Since I secured the internship, I have been stopping by his office every time I am on The Hill to say hi to the other people working in the office. I have found this is a great way to get familiar with the office.
Lots of Research. I have been researching my Member. I want to go in on my first day and impress my coworkers with my knowledge on the office. I think it is important to know what is going on.
Lastly, I spent a good portion of a Sunday afternoon making a budget for the summer. Many internships in Public Service offer little or no pay. At first it looked like it was going to be impossible, given the rent prices in the Washington Metro Area. But, I found a second job to work on weekends and it IS only for 3 months. Hopefully the contacts I have made while living in the city, and my education and experience will be sufficient to find a job to start immediately after my internship is ending.

I am very excited for the beginning of my internship, and will keep you posted on all the exciting things I am doing on Capitol Hill this summer!

Preparing to Work in the Government

2008-04-22T10:44:00.000-07:00

So I've done a lot of talking about how to look for jobs in government. I would like to take a little bit of time to talk about how to prepare yourself while in college for working for government.

I think the number one way to prepare yourself is by studying abroad. I spent a semester in Geneva, Switzerland through the Kent State Geneva Semester. It was perhaps the best thing that ever happened to me. While in Geneva we had briefings at important places with important people such as the UN. UNHCR, International Red Cross, ambassadors to the UN from countries such as Iran, Palestine, Russia, China and Israel. I also participated in a week-long trip to Berlin and Dresden where we studied the reunification of Germany after the fall of the Berlin Wall. It was stuff I would not have gotten to do, had I not studied in Switzerland. I could have read all the books about the reunification of Germany, but until I went and saw how Berlin was devastated and Dresden destroyed, I would not have fully understood.

If you're not sure about studying abroad (and it is a BIG decision) I would recommend at least spending a semester in Washington, D.C. interning for some branch of the government or an NGO. And if you're not really sure about leaving your home state, try for an internship with your state's Governor or a district office for youe Member of Congress. You might love it, or decide it's not for you. At least after trying it out you know!

Off peak season internships

2008-04-19T13:41:00.000-07:00

I don't presume to be telling you anything you don't know when I say that getting a good internship in government (particularly the House and Senate) is not an easy task. There are a great deal of very competitive internships and there are no sure bets. However, the competition is at the highest during the Summer when colleges are out of session. These jobs still need interns when school is in session, but they have far fewer applicants. If there is a dream internship you really have your eye on, you might want to give some thought to applying for that internship during the Fall or Spring and taking a semester off if you get it. Not only is there far less competition, but since many of these offices are already understaffed, the workload is far more substantial than when they have a great deal of internships during the summer.
At my school, many students are ready to graduate a semester early, or they take a semester off and go abroad. If it fits your schedule, it might be a good idea to give some thought to applying for an internship. It would be a great way to take your semester off and it would be significantly less competitive.

Student Loan Forgiveness...

2008-04-11T07:01:00.001-07:00

While looking at numerous government jobs, I have come to the conclusion that government jobs just don't pay a lot. But that's okay. One of the reasons is because of this new student loan forgiveness plan that was just signed into law. All the details have no been ironed out yet because the forgiveness doesn't start until 10 years after you graduate. And you have to have to have started paying on your loans after October 2007, so there won't be any forgiveness until 2017... But, anyway, Here is some information on it:

"On September 7, both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives
overwhelmingly approved a college tuition assistance bill that
establishes a student loan forgiveness program for public service employees,
including people who work at nonprofits for 10 years. The votes came two days
after a Congressional conference committee, which included Sen. Richard Burr and
Rep. Virginia Foxx of N.C., met to work out differences in the House and Senate
versions of a college tuition assistance bill. President Bush signed the
legislation into law on September 27.
This legislation is an important
victory for the nonprofit sector, because it will make nonprofit jobs a more
attractive option for talented young college graduates! It also may provide a
measure of loan forgiveness to some current nonprofit employees.

The N.C. Center for Nonprofits strongly supports the student loan
forgiveness program that the conference committee approved. This summer, the
Center sent letters to Sen. Burr, Rep. Foxx, and Massachusetts Sen. Edward
Kennedy, the sponsor of the Senate student aid bill, explaining how the loan
forgiveness program will benefit the nonprofit sector.

Effective Date

The loan forgiveness program is effective for student loan payments
made after October 1, 2007. Nonprofit employees will be eligible for loan
forgiveness after making 120 monthly payments after this date, while employed by
nonprofits or in other public sector jobs. This means that the nonprofit
employees will be eligible for loan forgiveness beginning in October 2017.

Eligible Student Loans

Eligible student loans include Federal Direct Stafford Loans,
Federal Direct PLUS Loans, Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loans, and
Federal Direct Consolidation Loans. In addition to Section 501(c)(3) nonprofits,
public service jobs eligible for loan forgiveness including positions in
government, the military, public education, emergency management, law
enforcement, public health, social work, and public library service.

How Loan Forgiveness Works

Loan forgiveness means that the the federal government will cancel all
student loan debt that remains after 10 years of public service. Loan
forgiveness does not include reimbursement for any loan payments that have
already been made, including payments made during the 10 years of public
service. Borrowers eligible for loan forgiveness do not receive a check from the
federal government for the outstanding loan balance, but rather this debt is
cancelled.

Applicability to Existing Student Loans

Current nonprofit employees who are making student loan payments may be
eligible for forgiveness of their existing student loans. To be eligible, these
employees would need to make 120 payments on their students loans after October
1, 2007 while they are employed by a nonprofit or in another public service job.
Here's an example of how this can work:
Sally Student graduated from college
in 2002 with a 30-year federal student loan, meaning she is scheduled to make
360 monthly payments between 2002 and 2032.

Sally began working for a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 2002 and has continued
to work there for the last five years. Sally has been making monthly
payments on her student loan over the past five years and is not in default on
this loan. Beginning October 1, 2007, Sally's monthly student loan payments may
count toward the 120 payments needed as a prerequisite for loan forgiveness.
Consequently, if Sally continues working for a nonprofit – or in another
public service job – for the next 10 years, while continuing to make her monthly
student loan payments, her outstanding student loan balance would be cancelled
effective October 2017. "

Chugging along

2008-04-05T16:23:00.001-07:00

This week was a pretty active week for me on the job application front. I've applied to a couple of jobs, doing lots of cover letter writing. It's a pretty uncertain process for me. I haven't even gotten any confirmation that they received my materials. But I'm sure they did. Campaigns are busy, and I wonder when they're going to get around to actually reviewing my resume and cover letter.
So now, I just wait. Basically, I've been just going to campaign websites and contacting them, asking them about how to apply to jobs. They eventually get back, and let me know where to send my information too. Hopefully I'll have more to tell next week!

Don't Give Up!

2008-04-03T20:11:00.000-07:00

Hi again, everyone. Well, first of all, I had an interview yesterday for an interview on Capitol Hill. I am really excited about this job and I've heard from others in the office that it went well. So I will just have to wait and see. I am reminded again about the importance of networking.

This is how the process goes:
I applied for the job.
I told my internship supervisor that I applied.
He e-mailed the Cheif of Staff in the office.
I told my friend who works in the office.
He told others in his office I had applied.
I got called for an interview.
Someone from another office, e-mailed my interviewer to put in a good word.
My friend in the office e-mailed me and said he heard from my interviewer that it went well...
Now I am waiting.

The waiting part is the part that sucks. But, I'd say it was a good interview. It was with the Press Secretary AND with the Congressman himself. The congressman is so busy that he usually isn't brought in to the interview process until the final stages and even then it isn't unless the position is for a higher up position in the office.

About a week ago, I was ready to give up. I had applied to numerous different places and hadn't heard anything back. And so far this week, I have had a great interview and was asked for an interview someplace else next week! Never give up looking for a job!

Job Search Update

2008-03-29T10:56:00.001-07:00

Well, my job search has been going pretty well. I've made contact with my two main contacts, which is always good. Of course, for one job I am trying to apply to, I need three references, and I am having the hardest time getting a reply from two of them! I want to submit my information to this job, and it is so frustrating to have to wait for my contacts to come back. One of them I know I'll be able to get a hold of just fine. But the other, all I have is her facebook profile, where she does not list ANYTHING. No e-mail, no phone number no nothing. My only hope has been to message her and post on her wall. Yet no reply. God, all I have left now is to poke her...
I suppose I learned my lesson though. In the future, I am going to make sure that for anybody I might want to list as a reference that I get their contact information! Anyway, I still have a month and a half left before graduation, and I've submitted a few applications. I suppose if I'm still at the same point in two weeks I'll officially enter panic mode. But right now, I feel just fine.

New City, New Job.... Don't go homeless!

2008-03-25T10:50:00.000-07:00

Now that Spring Break 2008 is over, I am getting ready to post a new message. So I started thinking about which enthralling topic I was going to dazzle readers with this week and I started thinking about other aspects of getting a job in government and specifically Washington, D.C. So I decided that since I just spent the past month looking for a place to live after I graduate, I would touch on the topic of relocating to a new city for a job.

I just found a great place to live with three friends. I really lucked out because three of my friends were also looking for a job and place to live in the city. It is scary trying to find someplace that makes sense (close to a metro or your job)and that feels safe. So I'm just going to tell you what I did and why it worked to me.

I started looking at housing and apartment Web sites right away. But I soon found that it is impossible to find a four bedroom apartment, so that put me at a disadvantage right away. We moved on to looking at rowhouses in the city and houses outside of the District.

We looked at Craigslist.org every single day. It was wonderful. But you have to look every single day, early in the morning if you are going to have any success. If you get the postings as soon as they are put up, you have a better chance of finding somewhere that isn't already rented.

The main thing to be cautious about is location, location, location. Before even looking for a place I suggest going online and looking at crime reports to find out which neighborhoods are safe. And before you agree to anything make sure you go in the daytime and walk around the neighborhood to make sure you feel safe there. There were a few places I looked at last week that I felt unsafe in the neighborhood. You have to be willing to spend a few extra dollars to be comfortable in your surroundings.

I am very happy to say that after a month of searching, I now have a place that I will be moving into at the end of April in an amazing location. I also have a new understanding of how Washington, D.C. is set up geographically- thanks to the 200+ google maps I looked at. Not bad at all.

The Unpredictability of Politics

2008-03-19T12:03:00.000-07:00

Hey everybody! So I took a little Spring Break from updating this blog, so I'm going to do a few extra posts this week to make up for it. Anyway, last time I updated, I was pretty sure that Barack Obama would be the next Democratic nominee. Three Clinton primary victories later, and its up in the air again! But it does provide a lesson in the unpredictable nature of political work. You never know what is going to happen, and there is rarely stability.
In politics, things can change in a blink of an eye (ask Eliot Spitzer) and those changes don't just affect individual politicians, but their entire staff. Especially in Congress, with elections every two years for House members and six years for Senate members, you might find yourself out of a job! One funny story I heard was when I was an intern for a Republican (I was an office intern, so it was largely non-partisan work). One of the staff members there used to work for former Virginia Senator George Allen. She said she left that office because she wanted a stable job and she was worried that she'd lose her job when he ran for President. Well, she was right about losing her job. But unlike what she predicted, she would've lost it because he lost his re-election bid for Senate in a stunning upset!
My point is, if you're getting into politics, you have to be prepared to live a relatively transient lifestyle. You may be moving from job to job, depending on the conditions. If you want stability, I suggest you work in a non-partisan job. There are plenty of career bureaucrats who don't have to worry about which way the political wind is blowing.

Perfect Image

2008-03-12T10:08:00.000-07:00

In light of the recent sex scandal involving New York Governor, Eliot Spitzer, I am reminded just how careful people working in politics need to be. Today, Spitzer resigned of his position as governor.

Earlier in the week, Spitzer apologized to the State of New York and his family. "I have disappointed and failed to live up to the standard I expected of myself, must now dedicate some time to regain the trust of my family," he said.

At that point he had not announced his resignation from office, but it was certain it was going to happen. Now, I don't think Spitzer paying large sums of money for a few hours with a call-girl really makes him any less qualified to be a governor. He still has the same experience and the same qualifications. So what's the big deal, anyway? Well, it's all about character. What does it say for the people of New York if they have someone representing them who keeps company with prostitutes? Hmm, probably not a good thing.

Civil Service Officers

2008-03-04T06:16:00.000-08:00

So I talked in my last post about becoming a Foreign Service Officer at the Department of State. But if you don't want to go overseas to work, you can still work as a Civil Service Officer. And the best part? You work right here in Washington, D.C.

According to the Web site of the US Department of State,"To meet the challenges of the 21st century — and beyond — we need intelligent, creative, strategic-thinking, adventurous individuals who can bring their academic knowledge, professional and personal experiences, cultural awareness and appreciation, and dedication to improving the world in which we live."

So who qualifies?

Pretty much anyone, they need a lot of different people with a multitude of different skills. Check it out, I bet there is something that is just right for you.

I say, if you have a few minutes and are at all interested, check it out. I know I will- looking for a job is hard work, every little tip helps!

This is some more info from the State Department's Web site about the civil service officer's evaluation process:

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated on the quality and extent of your experience,
education, and training relevant to the duties of this position. The evaluation
will be based on information you provide in your on-line resume, your answers to
the vacancy specific questions for the announcement, and a review of the
documents that are requested as part of the announcement.

Interview for the Job
The names and applications of the highest-ranking candidates are referred to the supervisor or selecting official. Selection procedures are subject to Federal Civil Service laws, which ensure that all applicants receive fair and equal treatment in the hiring process.
Undergo a Background Investigation
All Civil Service positions in the U.S. Department of State require at least a secret security clearance. The clearance process considers such factors as registration for the Selective Service; failure to repay a U.S. government-guaranteed student loan; past problems with credit or bankruptcy; failure to meet tax obligations;
unsatisfactory employment records; violations of the law, drug or alcohol abuse;
or less-than-honorable discharge from the armed forces. Investigations, which
usually take two to four months, include interviews with current and previous
neighbors, supervisors and coworkers. Depending on the nature of the job, you
may begin work on a provisional basis, pending completion of the clearance
process.

Taking a year off

2008-03-02T11:17:00.000-08:00

OK, so I bet a lot of people who are interested in a political career or government career may also plan on going to law school in the future. I say this because, well, I'm following that path! Up until my senior year, I was always just planning on going straight to law school after college. But I went to this program my school offered for upcoming seniors about what we are doing after college, and it was highly recommended that future law students take the year off. In fact, one of my friends applied to a law school where it actually works to your detriment if you haven't taken a year off and had real employment experience.
So, anybody who is thinking about going to law school should definitely consider taking a year off. For me, I am planning to take this year off to pursue jobs in politics because obviously that is my passion. Plus, it is a good chance for you to really make some political experience and make some connections that can come in handy later in your life when you decide to pursue your political career.
Also, for me, this semester especially I have been suffering from a great deal of malaise. Even as I write this, I have a test that I should be studying for. But I'm just soooo sick and tired of studying. I feel like if I went right to law school after this without taking some time off, my studies would definitely suffer. I'm feeling a little burnt out on academics and I'm looking forward to having some time off so that when I do go to law school I am refreshed and ready.

Foreign Service Exam

2008-02-26T10:51:00.000-08:00

So there is more than one way to work in the government. It doesn't always mean working in Washington, D.C. and sitting in an office doing mysterious government things. There are thousands of Americans working overseas right now as diplomats.

I know many Americans are angry about the current foreign relations of the United States and are upset about the way Americans are viewed by other cultures. Well, don't just sit there! do something about it. The first step to becoming a government employee overseas is by taking the Foreign Service Exam.

Registering for the Foreign Service Exam is the first step of the process. The registration process is relatively simple. You can do it online and it takes about two hours to complete. The hardest part is choosing which track is right for you. Your choices are Consular Affairs, Economic Affairs, Management Affairs, Political Affairs or Public Diplomacy. Make sure you fully understand what each of these do, because once you choose one you can't switch to another track.

After you register and pass the exam, (don't freak out if you fail the first time or two- most people do!) The last step of the testing process is an oral assessment to make sure you have teh knowledge, skills and ability to perform well in the Foreign Service.

After you get through the oral assessment and are accepted into the Foreign Service, you get medical clearences and security clearences and you're ready to serve the United States overseas.

If you decide foreign service isn't for you, there's always civil service. But more about that later.

Some Advice

2008-02-23T11:51:00.000-08:00

Hello all, currently there's been no new updates in my job search. I've been trying to make contact with my connections, but busy people with jobs are always so hard to contact. Of course, as my mom never forgets to tell me "the squeaky wheel gets the grease." She has a point (I hope she never reads this post or I won't hear the end of it). You got to keep calling and e-mailing to show your determination. I always struggle with this aspect, because I always feel like I'm being a bother. But in the end, you might be a pain in that person's rear, but you're showing them how determined you are, and that usually reflects pretty well on yourself. However, always remember to be TACTFUL and RESPECTFUL. Recently, I have had trouble with various people not getting back to my first e-mail so I'll just keep sending the same e-mail over and over again until I finally get a response. Be persistent and don't give up.
Another word of advice for my readers who aren't quite ready to search for full time employment but may potentially be interested in politics or government. I would strongly recommend, especially for would-be politicians, to get some kind of internship in it before hand. Get exposure. Politics especially can be a rough and tumble world, and sometimes things get ugly. You should do some sort of internship or volunteer work to get acquainted with it before you dedicate your life to it. I have seen some interns I have worked with who are just completely alienated by the whole process. Its better to learn that before you decide to dedicate your entire college career to it. No matter what you think as a third person observer, you might find that after you actually have participated in the process and seen it up close that you hate it. Find out as soon as possible. It would be awful to graduate, work in politics and/or government and discover that you are miserable.
Of course, you might be a real sicko like me and find it absolutely amazing and thrilling. I have loved every minute of my experiences in the wonderful world of politics. I've seen the glamorous side of politics and I've seen the hidden, deceptive, manipulative side up close and I love it for both of them. But you may not. Find out!

The Democratic Primary Muddle

2008-02-16T14:04:00.001-08:00

To my dismay, I'm starting to think that this Democratic race may not be settled until the convention. I discussed this in my last post and how it is really screwing up my plans after I graduate. I've decided that the momentum is with Senator Barack Obama, and I think he has the better chance of being the nominee, so I've decided I'm going to start looking for jobs with his campaign. It is a risk, because certainly Senator Hillary Clinton cannot be counted out yet. However, things certainly are not looking good for her.
So as I begin my job search, this first thing I've done is to reconnect with my contacts and look for new ones. I am not too picky about where I end up, I just want to end up somewhere where I am getting paid, preferably close to an urban area because I am definitely a city person. What is nice for me is that the Obama campaign website has a lot of easily accessible information about jobs right there. When I looked at the Clinton website, I could not for the life of me find any information for those looking for employment. Its really nice that the Obama campaign puts all of that information right up front, and they even give me an e-mail address where I can send my resume to.
Anyway, I'll be back next week to talk more about my job search. I've just gone through a real tough spot as far as school work goes. I had so many papers and things due, so now I've got some time to really buckle down and focus on my job search.

Looking for a Job in Government

2008-02-16T08:35:00.000-08:00

President George W. Bush released the budget earlier this month. And although it isn't the perfect budget, it calls for the creation of more than 2,000 new jobs in government. Now, this is pretty exciting for me. I will be graduating in May and I will be looking for a job, actually I already am looking. I would like that job to be in the government, but more specifically on Capitol Hill.

I help in my quest to find a job, I have joined many job search mailing lists and Web sites. Here are a few that I find especially helpful.

JobFox- This Web site allows you to create a personal profile and be matched to jobs that best fit you.

DCjobs- This Web site is very similar to JobFox.

The number one way to look for a job in government (or anywhere else) is through networking. If your employer can connect you to someone he or she knows, then you are more likely to land an interview, and possibly a job. Moral of the story, never miss an opportunity to network in Washington, D.C. I know I don't!

Living in the city...

2008-02-09T22:21:00.000-08:00

And so the semester begins. This is my last semeter at Kent State University, but I am spending it interning in the city. Yes, Washington, D.C. Let me just say, I love this city. It is amazing.

Last Tuesday was "Fat Tuesday," but it was also "Super Tuesday." Super Tuesday is the most important day of the presidential primary season. This year 22 states cast votes. Usually after Super Tuesday, a front-runner emerges. Many states want to be part of super Tuesday because they feel that their voice gets heard more with an early voting date. Well, not this year. The democratic vote is split almost 50/50 between Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. Hillary Clinton. It looks like those states voting later are going to be the ones that matter most. It makes me pretty excited to cast my vote in Ohio on March 4.

Back again

2008-02-08T12:15:00.000-08:00

Hello all, I'm back for my final semester blogging for Experience. I'm a Senior in my last semester and while I plan to go to Law School, I made the decision to take some time off before going to law school. Therefore, I am going to be looking for a job after I graduate. Since this blog is about working in government, I thought a great theme for my final semester is to blog about my job search and how its going. So each week, I'll be writing about my experiences on the government/political job market.
Its kind of terrifying not having a job yet as graduation inches closer. I know a few friends who have already landed big time jobs after their graduation. However, I comfort myself with the fact that I know an even greater number of friends who haven't got the slightest idea what they're doing after graduation. I am luckily in that I know exactly what I want to do. My problem is that I don't WHO to apply to!
Let me explain. What I want to do after graduation is to work for the Democratic nominee for the President. I feel like I will be a fantastic candidate. I have internship experience with two campaigns, one Presidential campaign and one U.S. Senate campaign. Plus, I have a few connections who I think could definitely help me land a paying job on the campaign. So, I've pretty much put all my eggs in that basket. The problem is, and if you've been following the race for the nomination you already know this, I don't know who the hell to apply for! The race for the Democratic nomination is nearly deadlocked! It could happen that there will be no clear winner and the nominee will have to be decided at the Democratic National Convention. When is this convention? AUGUST! I graduate in May! So if there is no nominee, who do I apply to? I love both of them, and I have trouble on settling on a favorite. So if this scenario comes to fruition, then I suppose I will just have to pick one and hope that they win the nomination. Of course, once there is a nominee, there is no reason to suspect that he or she won't snatch up all the employees of the other contender. However, it would just be nice if I knew exactly who I was applying for.
As it is now, I am just waiting and hoping that this situation will resolve itself soon, so I can get to work finding a job! Not only would such a deadlock hurt my job situation, but more importantly I would not be good for the Democratic Party at all. So, I'll be waiting, and hopefully I'll have some readers following my journey on this blog. If you're a Republican, hopefully you can still enjoy this blog. This blog will be more about my job search, and it won't get too partisan so hopefully you can enjoy this blog whether you're a Democrat, Republican, Independent or Third Party.

The Erratic Hours of Working in Government

2007-11-30T16:18:00.000-08:00

One thing I've observed in my various political and government related internships is that the hours are very erratic. Sure, for me as an intern I worked a pretty standard nine to five days, but I'm not talking about interns. They get off easy. No, I'm talking about paid staff. They are worked like dogs and often times they're still hard at work long after the interns have packed up and gone home for the night. Depending on where you're working, a government job can be grueling and demanding. Some nights you may stay at work until after midnight! One night when I was interning with the Biden for President campaign, we had to stuff envelopes and send them out by the next morning. All the interns and the staff stayed stuffing and sealing those envelopes several hours after quitting time! So, if you don't think you can handle the demanding schedule of that kind of job, make sure you know the office procedure before making a commitment.
So then, if you as a staffer work a lot and get paid a little (and you do), then why the hell would anyone want that kind of job? Well, if you're someone who is just thrilled by the prospect of working in government, then while you might not be crazy about the hours, you truly appreciate the opportunity. But that's the thing about government jobs. They're demanding, make sure you really have a passion for what the job is, because if you don't, you could very well be miserable.

Great Website to Find Jobs

2007-11-17T21:24:00.000-08:00

Hill Zoo

I can't believe it took so long for me to post this link. I learned about it while I was interning this past summer, but I guess it just slipped my mind as to share here. I know, big oversight right? Well better late than never. It's dubbed as the "Home Page of Capitol Hill" and I know a lot people who are interested in working on Capitol Hill have relied heavily on this site. It's pretty terrific, it keeps an up to date listing of offices in the Capitol who are looking for employees, so you can be aware of all the latest job openings that you're interested in. You can find info here about internships, paid careers, etc. I highly recommend using it as a major source in your search for a political job!

Non-partisan Government Jobs

2007-11-02T16:13:00.001-07:00

I feel as if up until this point, I've talked primarily about political jobs which contain a partisan element. Senate, House, White House, campaign (especially) internships all are inherently partisan. Even Senate and House internships are ostensibly constituent services, but many offices will disqualify you if they find out you are no a member of their Party. But what if you want to serve your country but hate the shrill and petty nature of partisan politics. Well have no fear, there still is a place for you.
The best place to start looking for a non-partisan internship is with people/offices which do not have a (D) or (R) after their names. Depending on the state, it could be with your mayor, or with a local judge. With these internships there is much more focus on the real issues that matter to you rather than political posturing. You can feel like you're helping your community without feeling like you're also helping a particular political Party.
However if you want to be involved in the federal government, there are still plenty of non-partisan jobs available to you. It might surprise you to learn that many offices within the Executive Branch do not require any particular partisan affiliation. Remember, the Executive is in charge of the day-to-day operations of the entire Country. These jobs really get down to the nuts and bolts of how the government works, and thus are not (or perhaps I should say should not in light of recent scandals) partisan. Thus, even if you are a Democrat, you could still obtain a job in any of the Executive Departments. Certainly, there are some posts that are partisan, but the vast majority of positions are filled with career bureaucrats and do not require any political work. These are great opportunities to learn about GOVERNMENT rather than politics.

Government and the Environment

2007-10-15T13:49:00.000-07:00

If you are someone who is environmentally conscious, then hopefully you're aware that the government is the most powerful force in saving the earth. Individually we can, and must do our own part in saving the earth by recycling, saving energy, water, driving a hybrid, etc. However, you can affect greater change as an environmental activist by getting involved in our government. It is the government who sets environmental standards, and can coerce businesses and individuals into being more environmentally friendly. On the other hand, there are powerful forces in the government who are ardently opposed to any environmental policy that has a negative impact on their interests.
Currently, serving in all kinds of offices in the United States government are men and women work to thwart any environmental gain the government hopes to achieve. Did you know that until the Democrats took back Congress in 2006, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works was a strident opponent of global warning? In his position of great power, he made sure that advances in limiting the effects of global warning never went anywhere.
The best way to assure that our country becomes more and more environmentally friendly is getting involved yourself. As more and more environmentally conscious people become involved in government, the easier it will be to make sure that the United States is a good steward of our environment. So if you care about the environment, GET INVOLVED!

Dealing With a Bad Boss

2007-10-08T16:58:00.000-07:00

Over the course of any internship or job you might encounter, you're bound to encounter a boss who is just horrible. I know when I was an intern in Congress, the intern coordinator was one of the most insufferable women I have ever met. You're best bet if you've got a boss from hell is to just take it on the chin. Don't give them attitude or lose your temper, cause that's not going to do you one bit of good.
One of my horror stories with that intern coordinator was when she told me to go clean the office kitchen. I was absolutely furious. I didn't sign up to be a maid, I signed up to be an intern. I expected to stuff envelopes, run errands, all sorts of mundane stuff, but when I'm wearing an expensive suit, I'm not going to be doing the dishes and cleaning up. So what I did in this case is I just said OK. I went to the kitchen and did a half assed job. What was she going to do? Fire me, I was there for free, plus the Chief of Staff liked me, so I wasn't going anywhere.
The point is, find away to keep your cool because if you lash out you're going to regret it.

Campaign Internships

2007-09-25T18:43:00.000-07:00

I noticed a comment (I'm not used to receiving them!) so I figured I would take some time to answer it.
"Hey Sean, I'm curious--where did you intern? whose campaign? when gaining experience in politics/government, is it ever okay to intern on a campaign for someone whose politics you DON'T fully agree with?"
For the record, I interned in Washington DC for Senator Joe Biden's Presidential Campaign. But the more important question is the last one. I for one interned for Senator Biden because I admire the man and his politics. I felt and still feel very strongly that he is the right man to be our next President. When it comes to agreeing with their politics, I think the concept of NOT agreeing with them has to be more fully elaborated. In general, I would say that if you're a Democrat, you should campaign for Democratic candidates, and if you're a Republican, Republican candidates. This is a matter of putting someone into public office, so volunteering your time (as most internships are unpaid) for someone of the opposite party could be suicide for your career within your own party.
However, if your political differences are confined within the party, i.e. you're a moderate Democrat thinking of interning for a Liberal Democrat, then you should be OK. What's most important is BELIEVING in who you are working for. You'll do much better work if you're committed to your candidate. Either way, your doing campaign work is a terrific learning experience. However, all that learning would be for naught if your goals are within the Democratic Party and you're working on a Republican campaign.
On the other hand, if it's government work your after, then political differences are less of a factor. It actually is a terrific learning experience to work for someone you DON'T agree with after he's already there. It makes you more well-rounded to hear different points of view. That being said, most of the paid employees WILL be of like mind, and as I experienced myself, being a liberal in a conservative office can often times be an uncomfortable situation. Moreover, if you do decide to go this route, I wouldn't advertise it when you're applying to an openly partisan job. At the very least you should be vague on your resume so that you can explain it away in a later interview.

Resume Writing

2007-09-25T18:29:00.000-07:00

If you think resume writing that does not warrant me blogging about, take a look at some of the resumes I saw this past summer and you'll think differently. I was helping out the intern coordinator at the office where I was working sort through some resumes of perspective interns for the Fall and I saw some resumes which were truly appalling. Clearly these individuals never took the time to even do a simple Google search on "How to write a resume." A standard resume that any organization or company will look at is concise in all ways. You want to convey the most information about yourself in just a very few words. First off, resumes should not be longer than one page. If you go over by a few lines, it's probably just fine. However, I saw resumes which took up 2, 3, even 4+ pages. NO!
Again, think concise. That means, you don't want to explain yourself in full paragraphs. Use bullets. For each listing on your resume you should include "Job Title" and then 3-5 bullet points containing one sentence descriptions of what you did at that job. Under no circumstances should you list your job and then write a paragraph explaining your duties. Whoever is looking at your resume probably has 20+ other resumes to look at, and they will not read an essay. Instead they will throw away your resume without even taking a second glance.
Going off that theme, make your resume easy to read. Whoever is reading it should be able to easily see your past experiences (therefore bold your job titles). I like a basic list form. Don't get too fancy with it, but you do want your resume to catch the eye. What you must remember about your resume is that whoever is reading it should be able to get a good idea about you in less than 30 seconds (maybe even 15).
Hopefully this advice has proved helpful. I know writing a resume sounds like a simple concept, but there is a specific form and style a winning resume should have. If you write an essay or a novel in place of a resume, you will be jobless. Guaranteed!

Back Again!

2007-09-16T16:21:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the delay, but I am once again picking up my blogging responsibilities. I'll be updating only once a week these days and I will try to be keeping it more relevant to careers, internships, etc.
So with that, my first blog entry will be a piece of advice I can give based on my experiences this past summer. So I did manage to get one internship with a Presidential campaign, and it was a great experience. However, I made the mistake of being overconfident when I was applying. I had expected to be a shoe in for 2 internships I applied for and a quality candidate for 1 other. Yet my summer plans were shaken up when it turns out I only got one of the three internships I applied for.
The lesson here, you may have a great resume, but don't be overconfident! You never know what criteria these places are applying for. I was actually turned down for one internship in the Senate because I had previously worked there! There are no sure-fire bets when you're applying for internships, so make sure you cast a wide net. In retrospect, I should have applied for at least 2 more internships this past summer.

Ames Straw Poll Results

2007-08-13T20:35:00.000-07:00

Romney Wins Ames Straw Poll in Iowa, Huckabee Comes in Second

So, if you're unfamiliar with the Ames straw poll, it is a vote taken amongst Republicans in Iowa which has absolutely no official effect on who becomes the Republican nominee. Yet at the same time, the poll gives the winners momentum that they can maybe turn into some money. Mike Huckabee is keeping his fingers crossed on that one. However, this year, three of the top contenders for the Republican nomination (McCain, Thompson and Giuliani) did not compete. That does not mean their names were not on the ballot, just that they did not take part in bribing, errrr, campaigning for votes in this straw poll.
So the winner for total votes was Mitt Romney. At the same time, he only received around 31% of the votes. Given that his main competition was not even competing, I feel like he seriously underperformed. Mike Huckabee, on the other hand, spent very little, but still managed to come in second place. I touted Huckabee in an earlier article as the perfect candidate for Republicans given their dissatisfaction with their current front-runners. It looks like at least the Ames voters took notice. However, Huckabee has done pathetic in the fundraising race, so he has to be able to turn this little poll into money.
However, I do have to brag given that I called the order perfectly. Well, up to the top six, and then I stopped caring. The biggest loser was of course Tommy Thompson, who dropped out of the running for the GOP nod after his sixth place finish. For some reason, he really thought he could do well at this straw poll, and staked his entire campaign on it. The thing about Thompson was that he had great credentials, a lot of experience, but not much in the way of charisma, or anything to generate excitement amongst the voters. He just was never able to distinguish himself during this race. I actually kind of feel bad for him, but then again, he is a former four-term governor and Cabinet member, so it's not like his entire career has been a bust. Far from it.
Anyway, there's been lots of news coming out of DC lately, so I'll be sure to keep updating for the rest of the week. After that, my summer blogging session comes to a close.

Rudy Giuliani's Daughter Supports... Barack!

2007-08-06T16:54:00.001-07:00

Rudy Giuliani's Daughter Supports Barack Obama, not Her Father

I must admit, when I first saw the headline this morning I had to laugh. But after giving it some thought, Rudy Giuliani's familial troubles are more tragic than they are humorous. At the same time, it really is quite extraordinary for a candidate to not have the support of one of his or her own siblings. It also probably reflects very poorly upon Giuliani amongst the "family values" voters which comprise a large portion of the GOP base. Although it was a well-known fact that Giuliani's relations with his siblings was strained, and that his children would not actively campaign for them, it probably comes as a shock that they are not even planning on voting for their own father.
I've always kind of wondered what it would be like if one of my parents were running for office as my ideological opposite. Granted this is only hypothetical since my own parents political views mirror my own. But in any case, would I be able to support and campaign for that parent even if I disagreed with him/her on all the positions? I honestly could not tell you which way I would go. On one hand, they're my parents, and I love them. On the other hand, my politics are very important to me, and would I want to help someone get elected whose own politics were completely opposite of mine? One Congressman who I interned for actually had a brother who was a former Congressman from the other party, and I asked him the same question. Which was more important, blood, or party? He said while he disagreed with his brother heavily on most issues, in the end blood won out. I thought that was very interesting.
Of course, in this case, the disagreements are more than just politics. While I generally think that a candidate's family matters should stay private, he is running for the Republican nomination after all. A sizable portion of the base does want to know if their candidate is a family man or woman before voting for them. I would say that this would make Giuliani a tougher sell, but his power as the hero of 9/11 seems to, for the moment, come out over his shortcomings on the "family and moral values" the GOP holds so dear.

Short Update

2007-08-04T15:27:00.000-07:00

Waitress Confronts Mitt Romney on Health Care

I enjoyed this video, so I thought I'd share. It's always nice to see candidates get surprised a little bit and be forced to go off the script. Maybe that's why Romney is avoiding the YouTube debate. He gave a decent answer, but he really showed no sympathy or empathy with this woman and seemed out of touch about how health care problems affect the common people's lives.

Recess!

2007-08-02T17:18:00.000-07:00

Evaluating the First Seven Months of a Democratic Congress

Lately the Republicans have taken to calling the new Democratic Congress the "post office Congress," because the only significant accomplishments they've achieved is renaming 20 so post offices. Well first of all, I just gotta take issue with their pejorative title. If you have to explain it, it's probably not good. That's the beauty of the "Do-Nothing Congress." It says everything you need to know right up front. It's a Congress where people are doing nothing. If the Republicans want to smear the Democratic Congress, they should just go back to the "Do-Nothing" title, cause this post office thing will never work.
However, their essential claim is not completely without its merits. The new Democratic majority hasn't brought about rapid, fast paced change that many expected. Of course, I think people in general have a patience problem. Especially the vehement anti-war liberals. It's unrealistic for them to think that the Democrats are going to take power with very slim majorities in both Houses and end the war in 7 months despite the presence of a stubborn as a mule President. However, as far as passing legislation to end this War, these majorities have done what they needed to do. They've passed a time table for withdrawal, but the President vetoed it. But what of the 6 for '06 they promised. Well, the House delivered quickly, but then things got slowed down in the Senate. That's kind of what the Senate does. It's a giant speed bump to slow down the legislation emanating from the House and make sure that only the best laws are passed.
But just in time for recess, Congress has pumped out a few pretty good laws. Expanding health coverage for children (sadly it'll be vetoed), ethics reform and a bill enacting the reforms recommended by the 9/11 commission. Of course, I can't help but wish that the Congress always acted with the same urgency that they do when recess is approaching. The difference between this Congress and it's Republican led predecessor is that now Democrats must content with a divided government. It was especially inexcusable for the Republican led Congress to do nothing because they had a sympathetic President who not resist the laws. However, the Democrats have to deal with a President who has finally discovered that he has a veto pen. Hopefully these recent laws passed have gotten the ball rolling, but people shouldn't expect miracles.

Clinton vs. Obama

2007-07-31T15:47:00.000-07:00

Clinton and Obama Spar After Debate Question

Long after the Democratic CNN YouTube debate, front runners Clinton and Obama began a week long snipe fest over one particular question: Would you promise to meet with hostile foreign leaders during the first year of your administration? Barack Obama said yes, Clinton gave a more nuanced answer. The responses pitted experience vs. freshness. However, the sniping just got plain ugly. As a result the rivalry between Obama and Clinton is on the verge of turning into an all out battle royale.
What both camps need to remember is that in a general election, going negative is probably a safer bet. Because, there are only two (real) candidates, and no matter how nasty it gets, the voter must choose between the lesser of two evils or stay at home period. But negative campaigning in the primary is a far riskier bet. In the case of Clinton and Obama, they have to remember that if they get too nasty, there are four other well-qualified candidates competing for the nomination that are ready to come in and steal the nomination if the two front runners tear each other apart.
See the 2004 Democratic primary. Before the Iowa caucuses, the conventional wisdom said that the caucuses were going to come down to Dean v. Gephardt. Therefore Dean and Gephardt went after each other and things got downright ugly. The Iowa caucus goers were so alienated from the two of them, they turned to John Kerry and John Edwards who were running a positive, issue-based campaign. Flash forward to 2008, if Obama and Clinton are all ugly all the time, then Edwards, Biden or Richardson could end up the big winners. In primary elections with more than two contenders, negative advertisements taint not only the attacked, but the attacker as well. They can backfire in a major way, so the two Democratic front runners better not get carried away, or they'll be playing right into the second tiers hands.

YouTube Part DeuxTube

2007-07-29T11:16:00.000-07:00

Romney and Giuliani May Skip Out on the CNN/YouTube Debate in September

To me, if Romney and Giuliani do follow on their promises to skip this debate (as well as any other GOP contender), they're basically giving a giant middle finger to quite a lot of people. Sure the YouTube was with its flaws, and I even agree with Romney that its a little absurd to answer questions from a melting snowman. However, by and large, the questions were very good and had a pointed honesty that you just cannot get from journalists. Moreover, the format was largely praised by the mainstream media. In short, there really is no credible reason to skip it. If they do indeed skip the debate, they will be showing a tremendous amount of disrespect to the common people as well as younger voters. It is disrespectful to the common people, because these candidates are telling all of us that we're not good enough to dare ask them a question. It is disrespectful to the younger voters because this is the audience that these debates are largely aimed at. Disrespecting the youth vote is especially dangerous for Republicans, because recent polls seem to indicate that 18-24 range voters are running away in droves from the Grand Old Party.
In addition, it just seems to reaffirm the perception that the Republican Party is technotarded. It's bad enough they're getting their rear end handed to them by liberal/Democratic groups in effectively utilizing the internet to mobilize cash and support. Then comes this little gem from Mitt Romney (who don't forget is skipping the YouTube Debate): "YouTube is a website that allows kids to network with one another and make friends and contact each other," Romney explained. "YouTube looked to see if they had any convicted sex offenders on their web site. They had 29,000."
C'mon! You have a freakin MySpace Page, it gets a lot of hits! So don't sound like a complete nincompoop by making such an egregious error like that. Clearly Mitt Romney must think he's skipping the CNN/MySpace debates?
The nominees from the Republican Party need to man up (especially since the GOP so values masculinity) and participate in the debate. Ironic that the Party who derides Liberal Democrats as "elitists" can't handle a little quizzing from the common folk, huh? Who cares if you might get some hostile questions. Impress us with your ability to handle them. You think Hillary and Barack didn't get some hostile questions (i.e.: are you black enough? are you feminine enough?) and they handled them impressively, with poise and grace. The Democratic YouTube debate proved to be an incredible opportunity both for us voters AND the candidates. The Republicans should not pass on such a mutually beneficial opportunity. If Giuliani and Romney continue to hold out, I think they show a tremendous amount of disrespect to US.
However, before I end, I must give kudos to John McCain, Tommy Thompson and Ron Paul, who early indications show that they have the courage to face the YouTubers in a debate. Thank you!

Things Go From Bad to Worse

2007-07-26T17:53:00.000-07:00

Senate Dems Pursue Perjury Charges Over Alberto Gonzales' Contradictory Statements in Testimony

Alberto Gonzales is just incredible. The arrogance of this man to go to Congress, take an oath, and tell bold-faced lies in his testimony, knowing full well there has been ample sworn testimony to the contrary, and expect to emerge unscathed is nothing short of astounding. He took a beating from the Senators, and it was well deserved. Today, the head of the FBI issued further testimony which contradicts Gonzales. It seems inevitable that Congress will try and hit the Attorney General with perjury charges. Ironic isn't it? The very man sworn to uphold the law, so actively trying to undermine it himself. That's Alberto for you... Of course, with every inch of the Bush administration seemingly inexorably politicized, the fact that the Justice Department itself is tasked with investigating Gonzales? Well let's just say there's a good possibility these charges will go nowhere. Let's hope that there are a few civil servants who still have some fealty to the rule of law.
His obfuscation justifiably angered the Democratic Senators, but perhaps more surprisingly, the most enraged seemed to be the ranking Republican in the Senate Judiciary Committee, Arlen Specter. His lying is just so obvious, and he has the arrogance to sit there with a straight face. During the hearing, he told a Senator that he had two options, either resign, or stay and try and fix the problems plaguing the Justice Department. Yet, not even Gonzales must be so dense not to realize that HE IS the problem! The only way to fix the Justice Department is to rid it of his toxic presence. I apologize if I seem angry and overly critical, but it is just such an outrage to see this man stubbornly remain in one of he most important positions in the country while completely aware of his corrosive influence inside.
If the Democrats do indeed file perjury charges against Gonzales, it appears they have ample evidence to make a case. I would suggest that they make a trade off, so as to drop not only the perjury charges against Gonzales but also the contempt charges against key White House aides in exchange for his letter of resignation. This country and the law will be far better off if we can put this mess, as well as this contemptible, incompetent Attorney General behind us.

Debate Reactions

2007-07-24T15:54:00.000-07:00

YouTube Users Question Democrats in Debate

I gotta say, going into last nights debate, I was very dubious of the prospect of the questions being delivered via YouTube users. However, I found myself pleasantly surprised. The questioners were far more direct and pointed in their questions. Because they did not have to worry about a reputation, they were able to ask questions in a way that no journalist could ever get away with and it was refreshing. Its a really great way to throw the candidates off their typical script and ask them the tough questions. For the most part, CNN did a good job of assembling a diverse array of questions from all the submissions. That being said, there were some questionable inclusions, particularly the question on reparations which was utterly useless and a sheer waste of time. I can't wait for the Republicans to get the YouTube treatment. Moreover, I would really love to see this format used in at least one of the general election debates.
As for the debaters, I actually think most of the serious candidates turned in solid performances. That is not to say that there weren't some serious stand outs. In particular, I think Hillary Clinton and Senator Joe Biden were the two top performers. Hillary does not cease to impress me during her campaign. In this debate she hit all the right notes. She was very knowledgeable and really demonstrated that she has the experience to do the job. Her answers were measured and reasonable. In particular, on the question of whether she would establish a dialog with hostile dictators within her first year, she avoided the temptation to say yes (which Obama did not) and gave a smart, reasonable answer. Moreover, she was warm when she needed to be, and even got in a few good zingers. While in the previous debates she was fine, this is her first debate where I think she really stood out from the pack.
Senator Biden once again had a great debate. His answers demonstrated the wealth of knowledge and experience he has accumulated in his 35 years in the Senate. Moreover, he delivered them with such genuine passion and emotion, that is often missing in the other candidates answers. He was not afforded much time during the debate (I think I saw somewhere he placed sixth), however he made sure he stood out when he did get some time. Moreover, he had the best one liners of night. His comedic highlight was his answer to this question:

I mean seriously...
As for the other candidates, they certainly weren't losers of the night. I think John Edwards showed a lot of emotion on the stage without losing control. Obama also continues to improve as he appears to be getting used to the concept of giving responses in under sixty seconds. However his answer to the question of dialogs with foreign dictators showed his inexperience, and the Clinton campaign has been jumping all over it today. Looks like things might start getting ugly between Hillary and Barack. Chris Dodd performed well tonight, often answering much more forcefully than before, but he still is having trouble demonstrating what exactly makes him better than the other 7 guys on stage.
I think Bill Richardson's performances last night was not atrocious, but it still wasn't good. He often rambled, listing his ideas and employing no transitions to link them all together. If his answers were an English paper he'd fail. He's got great credentials to be President, but his debate performances, I believe, undermine that resume. Dennis Kucinich remained a pointless presence on stage last night. He got all the more grating when he inexplicably started repeatedly imploring the audience to Text Peace. And what? Get a free ring tone? Oh, and lest I forget about everybody's favorite kooky uncle Mike Gravel. Well, the pundits might say that he sucked last night, and that might be true, but I love him. He keeps things entertaining.

Alberto Staying Put

2007-07-23T15:23:00.000-07:00

Gonzales Vows to Stay at the Justice Department, Repair Its Image

All the revelations of politicization at the Justice Department has seriously damaged its reputation and its credibility. Moreover the morale in the department is at an all time low. Therefore, it is supremely selfish of the man responsible for these negative developments to insist on staying in his job despite the widespread lack of confidence in the man's ability and integrity. If he truly was looking out for the best interests of the Country and our legal system, he would realized that his past actions have rendered himself incapable of effectively leading the Department of Justice. However, the Attorney General is only looking out for the best interests of one man: Alberto Gonzales. I suppose it makes sense. After a tenure both as a White House aide to the President and the Attorney General, Gonzales has earned a reputation as a dishonest, incompetent, crony of an extraordinarily unpopular president. In other words, this is it for Alberto. He hasn't got a political career left after this, so as long as the President foolishly continues to support him, he might as well go along for the ride because come January 2009 his political career is caput.
Yet, if he indeed does ride it out till the end of the President's term, Gonzales will earn a legacy as the worst Attorney General in the country's history, who did not even have the courtesy to resign when his mere presence in the Justice Department severely undermined its effectiveness. Even the most devious, corrupt and/or incompetent cabinet members of yore have had the good sense to realize that once their reputation and thus ability to do their job was compromised their only option was to resign. Of course, they were serving under President's who certainly gave them a little nudge out the door when they realized their man couldn't get anything done. Yet, instead of giving Gonzales this nudge, this President seems to be viewing an alternate form of reality and is essentially telling the Attorney General: "Heckuva job Gonzo!" I suppose it is too much to ask of this President to do what's best for America, not himself.

Dear Senator Clinton...

2007-07-21T10:47:00.001-07:00

Pentagon Accuses Hillary Clinton of "Reinforcing Enemy Propaganda"

I'm not completely sure what Undersecretary of Defense Edelman was thinking when he wrote this letter, but the whole thing is absolutely absurd...
At some point, the United States is going to have to withdraw its troops from Iraq. If we maintain a permanent military presence there, that more than anything would be "reinforcing" enemy propaganda. After Middle Eastern Countries have had to contend with the European Colonialism of the 19th and 20th centuries, how are they supposed to feel when one of their countries is attacked and occupied by another Western force. I'm not saying they're right, but based on their past history, they're going to view us as foreign occupiers equivalent to their past occupiers.

Senate's Sleepover

2007-07-19T17:37:00.000-07:00

Senators Pull an All-Nighter Debating Iraq, but Republicans Successfully Filibustered

So yeah, this was pure political theater, although I thought the cots were kind of a cute idea. Apparently a few Senators used them too. But alas, despite debating through the night, Republicans continued to refuse to allow a vote. This made Democrats angry. I know this because a few Democratic Senators employed a very useful prop, a poster which read: Let Us Vote! On a sidebar here, these props that both Senators and House members use are so ridiculously stupid. More often than not, they really just make the Congressman or Senator using them look silly. It kinda annoys me that our tax payer dollars are being used for these idiotic props. Because saying "Let Us Vote" isn't enough. Apparently we need a sign.
But back to the Iraq War debate, I was certainly not surprised that the Republican minority continued to block the Democrats from voting on a bill which would mandate a withdrawal after 120 days. The votes simply were not there (60 are needed to cut off debate and proceed to a vote). Yet, what bothers me is that, while 4 Republicans split from their Party to vote for cloture, there were at least 8 other Republican Senators (enough for cloture) who have in public expressed their disagreement with the War. Yet, while they want to get out of Iraq, they refuse to step up and allow Congress to vote on withdrawal. These Republicans are saying one thing in public, but when it comes time to vote, they refuse to depart from their Party.
To me, it is so disingenuous of them. They know the War is going in the wrong direction and we need to get out of Iraq, yet they are too political to actually do something about it. Instead they continue to vote with their Party even though they disagree with the policy. Talk about playing politics with the troops. If these Senators are going to continue to vote to maintain the status quo in Iraq, I wish they would at least pretend like they support the war. But when they come out in opposition to the War, yet continue to vote in its favor, it is so disingenuous. Have some courage, break with your Party and do the right thing!

The GOP Finally has a Front-Runner... Sorta

2007-07-17T15:16:00.000-07:00

None of the Above Most Popular Choice in GOP Presidential Nomination Poll

This has to be one of the more grim assessments of the GOP's current state at the moment. In a poll, when asked to choose between McCain, Giuliani, Fred Thompson and Romney, none of the above option topped them all with more than a quarter of the votes. Even as four diverse candidates have emerged at the top of the Republican heap, none of them has a broad enough appeal to establish himself as a front-runner. With such broad dissatisfaction with the field, the eventual nominee may not have support from perhaps a quarter of the Republican electorate. Some may even vote Democratic, although it is far more likely that most will just stay home.
The fluidity of the field leads me to think two things. First of all, despite John McCain's troubles, there still remains an ample enough population among GOP voters who could possibly coalesce around him as a compromise candidate. It means he still has a shot. However, what may be more likely at this point is that once Fred Thompson enters the race, he'll garner the support of the remaining undecideds and emerge as the eventual nominee. Republicans are so desperate to rally around Thompson that they conveniently are ignoring the fact that Fred Thompson may have lobbied for a pro-abortion rights group in the past. At this point, if Fred can't save them, then nobody will, and they'll have to just pretend they don't hear anything that indicates he may be more liberal than he presents himself currently.

Ways to get involved

2007-07-14T20:12:00.001-07:00

College Senior is Foremost YouTube Campaign Video Critic

This article was submitted to me by a friend, and it's a great example about how in the ultra connected age of the internet, Youtube, etc. that we live in today anybody can make a difference. James Kotecki is a college student (although probably former college student by now) who also acted as a critic for the presidential candidates Youtube videos. He has a blog as well. I'll be honest, I never really understood the rise in videos which feature just some person talking into their webcam, which is what the majority of Kotecki's blog entries are. For me it's a bit tedious and draws out the process of absorbing the information being conveyed because I feel like I could read much faster than he talks. But nonetheless, he seems popular, so obviously I'm in the minority.
But my point is, there are such ample opportunities out there to make a difference and let your voice be heard. This is just one example, you should check it out. Its good to see younger people getting politically involved, and with our new technology, they are actually feeling like they are making a difference. The candidates intense focus on Youtube videos is particular evidence of the extra devotion being shown to our generation.

From Bad to Worse to Worser

2007-07-13T18:17:00.000-07:00

John McCain drops Manager and Strategist From Campaign

John McCain's campaign is an absolute disaster. It's the train wreck that all of Washington can't take their eyes off. Maybe they can't take their eyes off because they're enjoying it? I could be wrong, but the media actually seems to be reveling in McCain's misfortunes. I have a theory for why this could be. Back in 2000 McCain was a media darling because he was the outspoken maverick. But over the past seven years, McCain has tried to recreate himself as a more rank and file conservative, Republican. I think this transformation has made the media feel betrayed by the loss of their darling. This week though, they've got their sweet revenge.
Not only is McCain's campaign hemorrhaging staff, but it is also in $2 million debt. Oh, and Iraq, the issue McCain has attached himself too is not going too well either. These pressures on him likely caused his outburst against a fellow Republican Senator who had the nerve to say that the War was not going well. It's nothing short of incredible how John McCain has gone from the heir apparent to the Republican nomination to the brink of oblivion in just six months. Some pundits have already thrown in the towel for McCain saying there is no chance, while others expect him to withdraw from the race in the near future.
Of course, as many have pointed out, if John McCain can survive years in the Hanoi Hilton, then he can handle his campaign crises. They may well be right, I'm certainly not counting him yet. At the same time, there have been two issues that have wreaked havoc on his campaign. First, as previously mentioned, is Iraq. Yet, even as the country goes to hell in a hand basket, McCain still stands steadfastly behind it. In the GOP field, this isn't necessarily a disastrous strategy. Certainly Giuliani hasn't done much in the way of opposing Iraq. But surprisingly, if the McCain campaign never recovers, we'll remember his support for the Senate immigration bill as the nail in his coffin. It was an emotional issue for the GOP base on which McCain not only was on the wrong side, he was their leader.
I won't count McCain out yet, but to say things are grim is an understatement. Sure, at this point in 2004, John Kerry's campaign was in trouble. However, Kerry's campaign was hurt by the fact that nobody really cared about him that much. He wasn't exciting people, but they didn't have any real negative opinion on him. For McCain however, nearly every GOP voter knows who he is and he has built up some very strong negatives with many of them.
Right now, McCain is just being buried under this avalanche of bad news. He is once again restructuring his campaign. What he needs to do more than anything is keep a low profile until the August Senate recess. Then he just needs to take a week or two off from the campaign. Take a vacation with his family, no politics. He needs a timeout, because as evidenced by his row with Voinovich, the campaign is taking its toll on him. He needs time to think and get his bearings again. When he comes back to the campaign, he needs a clear head and new energy. But at this point, he's got to stop the bleeding before he's lost too much blood to survive.

Oh boy! A juicy sex scandal

2007-07-11T18:14:00.000-07:00

Pro-Family Republican Senator Likes Prostitutes

Add Louisiana Senator David Vitter to the Ted Haggard Social Conservative Hypocrisy Hall of Fame. The Louisiana Senator who has been one of the most Conservative members of Congress and a strong advocate of a Constitutional amendment banning gay marriage has been outed as a customer of the now infamous "DC Madame" who allegedly ran a high-class prostitution company in Washington DC. It appears that he was outed by Larry Flynt of Hustler fame, who a few months set out to expose hypocritical lawmakers (particularly of the Republican variety) in DC. It's another strong blow for the social Conservative movement, as another one of its prominent voices has apparently had trouble practicing what he preaches. Since the news came out on Monday night, Vitter has been nowhere to be seen. Not that I feel all that bad about him. This is a man who has achieved political success by painting himself as a protector of traditional marriage is not only cheating on his wife, he's doing it with HOOKERS! Excuse me--- escorts.
It also is further evidence for the destructive impact of the social Conservative message has in its adherents lives. It is sexually repressive, and by denying its adherents one iota of sexual freedom it leads to pent up sexual aggression being let out in inappropriate manners. See: Ted Haggard and his meth fueled sex with a male hooker, Congressman Mark Foley's explicit internet exchanges with teenage boys or Bill O'Reilly's sexual harassment of a female co-worker for starters. The movement must stop demonizing the free expression of human sexuality, or more of its followers will follow the path of Vitter.
As for the political implications of this scandal, there are many. Interestingly enough, it would seem that the man at the center of the scandal, Senator Vitter himself will probably suffer the least. Sure he'll be embarrassed for a good long time, and probably be known as Senator Hooker Lover for the foreseeable future, I don't see his political career as being imperiled. He certainly won't resign from his seat because this would allow the Democratic governor of Louisiana to appoint a Democratic successor (thus making Joe Lieberman the biggest loser from this scandal when you think about it). His next election is not until 2010 by which time I would expect this incident to be long forgotten. Therefore, I think Vitter is safe. The two who are most hurt by this revelation are the Republican Party and Rudy Giuliani. The social Conservative movement will view Vitter as another example of a Republican leader betraying the principals of the cause. It may further weaken the movements loyalty to the GOP. They won't start voting for Democrats, but they may stop voting period.
Lastly, Rudy Giuliani is hurt by the revelation because Vitter was one of his biggest supporters and the Southern chair for his campaign. This incident further solidifies Giuliani's reputation for surrounding himself with ethically questionable characters like Thomas Ravanele, his South Carolina chair who was recently arrested on cocaine charges and Bernie Kerik who is too crooked for me to know where to start. However, in Rudy's defense, he really had no way of knowing that two of most prominent supporters enjoyed prostitutes and cocaine. Yet, he is damaged by mere association.
This story is probably not even close to done, and personally I'm going to enjoy it while it lasts. I can't help but wonder what other numbers are on the DC Madame's list. Should be interesting...

Executive Privilege

2007-07-09T18:26:00.000-07:00

Bush Asserts Executive Privilege, Refuses to Allow Aides to Testify in Front of Congress

Basically, two key aides involved in the White House attorney scandal were subpoenaed by Congress, but in an effort to prevent damaging information from being revealed in testimony the White House is asserting executive privilege in denying these subpoenas. No big surprise here. What will be interesting is how this whole saga plays out in Court. If it were to make it all the way up to the Supreme Court, I would expect the Court to side with the President. But the interesting thing about executive privilege is that it has never been tested, and thus never has had its legality affirmed by the Supreme Court. This is because the Court generally tries to stay out of Congressional and Presidential disputes. Seeing how we'll be hearing about executive privilege quite a bit in the coming months, you should check out this article which explains a little about what executive privilege is and its history.

Personally I'm not sure how I feel about executive privilege. On one hand, I don't think secrecy is good for the Country, and its most often asserted when the White House has something to hide. On the other hand, the constitutionality of it has never been ruled on. It certainly never actually appears in the text of the Constitution, and its been around for a while and asserted by all Presidents, so maybe its not a good thing to mess with something that has been around so long. However, I'm not sure how we're worse off knowing MORE about what is going on in the executive branch rather than less.

Republican Fundraising

2007-07-07T19:59:00.001-07:00

Giuliani Tops All Republicans in Fundraising, Romney, McCain Trail

Coinciding with Giuliani's surge to frontrunner status among Republicans, he has raised the most money for the second quarter of all the Republicans running for the nomination. However, with just around 17 million, he has barely raised more than half of what Obama has raised. The news is also grim for Mitt Romney who came $6 Million dollars short of his first quarter haul, and had to loan his campaign money. John McCain had a fairly lousy showing as well at $11 Million, but considering all the bad buzz coming from McCain's camp, he raised more than what I expected. The Republicans have been slow to release solid numbers for their fundraising, perhaps they are a little embarrassed about being so badly outperformed by Democrats Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.
I would be interested to see how the second/third tier candidates did in fundraising. In particular, I wonder if Mike Huckabee's fundraising has increased any given the minor buzz that he has generated from his debate performances. The numbers of these candidates may indicate to us which, if any, are coming closer to given the big three (and Thompson) a run for their money. With Fred Thompson's entry into the race imminent, I think he'll begin to get all the big Republican contributions.

Marketing and Politics

2007-07-05T12:04:00.000-07:00

Data Crunching the Electorate

I wrote a while back about how having some knowledge in marketing would be potentially helpful in a political career. This article exemplifies just that. It is about a pollster who uses advanced marketing techniques for finding and locating attractive customers for a particular product and devising a marketing plan to encourage them to consume the product or service. In this case, the pollster identifies voters by the political issues that encourage them most. The technology can pinpoint individual voters and then send them the proper campaign materials via mail or telephone call. It's really fascinating stuff. Some might find it potentially intrusive, but if you read the article the results speak for themselves and I think microtargeting is the future of political campaigns.
It makes sense that something that works so effectively in marketing would translate well to politics. Because, in essence, politics is just a form of marketing. Instead of consumers, you have voters. Instead of marketing a product to those voters, you are marketing a person. The benefits the politician is offering the voter are the issue positions that he will advocate for. Any campaign that ignores these advanced marketing techniques does so at its own peril. By keeping up on the latest marketing advances, campaigns can get a critical step on their opponents.

No Prison For Scooter

2007-07-03T15:48:00.000-07:00

Bush Commutes Lewis "Scooter" Libby's Prison Sentence; Not a Full Pardon

I'll be honest, I'm not surprised in the least bit by President Bush's decision to spare Libby jail time. What I am surprised with is that he decided to forgo a full pardon for a commutation. Meaning Libby's felony conviction will still stand. I'm not sure why the President didn't just go all the way with a full pardon. I mean, he was going to, and now has, enraged most of the public with this commutation. However, the segment of the public who is enraged by his decision already don't approve of Bush. His remaining supporters ardently supported a full pardon for Libby. Therefore the President didn't even manage to satisfy his base with this move. If he had given Libby a pardon, his detractors would only be slightly more angry but he would have delighted his supporters. Nobody, with the exception of Libby, seems to be thrilled about this middle ground.
While the political press are going to be buzzing about this decision for a little while to come, and the Republican Presidential candidates may suffer in the short term, I don't see this commutation as all that big a deal. It certainly won't wound Bush in the way that Ford's pardon of Nixon hurt Ford. Why? Because, first of all, Nixon was the President, the most visible public figure in America. Moreover, Watergate was far more salacious and criminal than Plamegate. I'm not sure many people are all too familiar with Scooter Libby and they are probably even less familiar with what exactly he was convicted of. Therefore, I don't see it resonating all that strongly with the general public.
It may further damage the President's credibility, but there's not much left to damage. Personally, I vehemently disagree with the commutation. I think the outing of a covert CIA agent is an egregious crime. Moreover, those that defended Libby's perjury were those that were far too eager to punish President Clinton for his perjury about a far less serious subject. Unfortunately, I have been anticipating this from the moment Libby was sentenced to jail. However, the Republican's fortunes are already too low at the moment for this to do any further damage.

Second Quarter Numbers Trickle In

2007-07-02T11:22:00.001-07:00

Obama Raises $31 Million During Second Quarter, Hillary Trails with $27 Mil

Once again, Barack Obama has raised more money than front-runner Hillary Clinton. Moreover, he raised money from more individual contributors than Hillary. I'm not so much surprised by Senator Obama's fundraising prowess as much as I am with the sizable margin he trails Senator Clinton in the polls in spite of his fundraising ability. What the numbers say to me is that Barack Obama is the more popular candidate with the everyday people; he energizes people more than Hillary. In addition, he's incredibly popular with the younger demographic. On the other hand, Hillary is more popular with a lot of the Washington insider types, and those with connections. Of course, since everybody votes and their vote counts just the same, you'd think that Barack's widespread popularity would show up in the polls, but it doesn't. Once again, I am having difficulty understanding that.
However, Barack Obama has raised well over $50 Million dollars thus far, and he hasn't even begun to spend it. As the primaries begin approaching, he's going to have a whole lot of money to spend on television advertisements. If I were Hillary, I'd be worried about that. Because once he starts campaigning full steam ahead, her lead could begin to dwindle. However, I have to hand it to Clinton, she's done a remarkable job thus far. She's got an incredible team running her campaign, and in my opinion, her little Sopranos spoof was absolutely brilliant. I think she's done a great job at changing her image, and if she keeps showing this fun, looser version of herself, I definitely expect to see the percentage of people who would never vote for Hillary under any circumstances to decline.
As for John Edwards, he's probably got to be a little dismayed by his showing at $9 Million. I know that is what he set as his goal, but still, when the two front-runners actually improved on their first quarter showing, he's got to feel like he's falling behind. Bill Richardson is actually close on Edwards' heels this quarter, raising somewhere around $7 Million. This is a little bit surprising to me just because he's performed so abysmally in all the debates and is really under-performing given his copious experience in public service.
I have yet to see the Republican numbers come in, but I'll be sure to have a post on them once I start hearing some real solid numbers. But, from the early reports I have heard, Romney did good but not great and things might get even uglier for McCain (if that's possible).

Bush's Bad Week

2007-06-30T10:22:00.000-07:00

Bush's Political Capital is About Spent...

This week has not treated the President well. First and foremost was the defeat of the Immigration bill he lobbied heavily for. But perhaps even more consequential were the key defections of formerly loyal Republicans Richard Lugar and George Voinovich over the Iraq War. Lastly were the subpoenas issued to the Executive Branch over domestic wiretapping.
So how will the last year and a half of Bush's Presidency treat him? I would have to agree with the assessment that he is not so much of a lame duck as he is a dead duck. This second term has been a complete disaster for President Bush, and the Democratic Congress is intent on making sure that things only get worse for him. It's a remarkable turnaround from just two and a half years ago when a jubilant President was declaring that he had "political capital" and he intended to spend. Seems as if he invested far too much of it in social security privatization. Then Hurricane Katrina came and took away a lot of that from him as well. With the Iraq War increasingly looking like a failure, he's about bankrupt in that department. Looks like it will be an ugly rest of the term for the President without it.

Immigration Reform's Failure

2007-06-28T10:51:00.001-07:00

Immigration Reform Bill Killed by Senate, Unlikely to be Taken Up Again Until After '08 Elections

Well I did my part, as promised, sending my opinion to my Senators and Congressperson. I do believe that the Silent Majority in this country which does not feel passionately enough to actually take a vocal stand on this issue are the real losers. Because of petty politics, our broken immigration system is being allowed to stay in a state of disrepair for what may be two more years. What I think the biggest obstacle in the way of any real reform was the obstinacy of a far-right Conservative minority which insisted on crafting a reform bill that would be impractical and unrealistic as opposed to settling for a compromise which would at least begin fixing the problem.
If I sound peeved about the issue, it's because I am. I'm not sure what this far-right bloc of Senators expects us to do with our illegals. Are we really supposed to uproot 12 million people from their homes and send them back to Mexico (and we're primarily talking Mexicans, let's be realistic), where they no longer maintain a home. Not only would it be impractical and expensive to round up all these illegals which span our entire country, from California, to Nebraska, to Florida and everywhere in between, how inhumane would it be to drop these people back at a country where they no longer have a home or roots? I understand the argument that illegal immigration is, well, illegal, but let's have a common sense, realistic solution that respects the sanctity of these lives. These folks need to be punished, I agree. How about a fine, and maybe impose a few obstacles to their actual citizenship? But deportation is NOT AN OPTION. It would be MORE expensive for us to take such action, whereas with fines, we can recoup some of the money we lost.
Moreover, here's a plan that I have come up with (although I'm sure others did too). Our military forces are stretched about as far as they can go. How about we offer illegal aliens the OPTION to serve in our armed forces for a certain period of time in exchange for complete amnesty for them and their immediate family. This is the kind of practical, mutually beneficial solution we MUST come up with. If these folks are willing to fight and put their lives on the line for America, then I think they've earned citizenship.
Whether you like my idea or not, we need some ACTUAL IDEAS coming out of this debate. Not non-starters like immediate deportation.
____________________________________________________________________

The Washington Post's Series on Vice President Dick Cheney

It's a little bit long, but it's a compelling read and I strongly, strongly recommend it. I linked to Part I on an earlier post, this will give you access to all Four Parts.

Eroding Support

2007-06-26T12:13:00.001-07:00

Key GOP Senator Calls for a New Iraq Strategy

Earlier today, Richard Lugar took to the floor of the Senate to deliver an address saying that he did not believe the US Troop Surge in Iraq was working. Big deal, one measly Senator joined the rest of the cut and runners in cutting and running. Well, not quite. Senator Lugar isn't your typical back bench GOP Senator. He is one of the most respected members of the chamber from either Party. As the ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and it's former Chairman, the Senator is an intellectual powerhouse who works well with both Republicans and Democrats. That is not to say that he is some kind of moderate. Quite the opposite, he has been a loyal Bush backer up until now, and has a solidly Conservative voting record. Unlike other GOPers who have come out against the war, he does not have an upcoming election to worry about. Indeed, he recently won in 2006 unopposed.
Early reports on the troop surge have shown little signs of positive progress. A progress report is supposed to be delivered to the government in September, where, if the news is not positive, the Democrats will once again force a showdown on whether or not this War will continue. For Senator Lugar to speak out before this progress report and say that the surge is not working, well, it's a big deal. The Senator --because he is not viewed as posturing for reelection and has been a loyal Conservative-- may have the most credibility of any other GOPer speaking out against the War. It will be interesting if his recent address will have a domino effect on other GOP Senators, allowing them to come out against the War. If this happens, than President Bush is in serious trouble, and it might be a sign that he'll have to acquiesce to the demands of an anti-War Congress.
Or the Republican attack dogs will come out in full force and sully the hard-earned reputation of Senator Lugar, like they did to Chuck Hagel. But when someone like Lugar speaks out against his own Party, it's never a good sign.

More on Dick Cheney

2007-06-24T14:24:00.000-07:00

Cheney Unprecedented Role in the Bush Administration

The Office of Vice President, largely an undefined position in the Constitution and an afterthought by those who drafted it, has long been a position of very little power and importance in the workings of the American government. Most Presidential candidates have used it to their electoral advantage with little regard to their actual working relationship. For example, the Reagan Administration had very little regard for George H.W. Bush. Sure, there have been strong working President-VP relationships like Clinton and Gore, but still, the Vice President wielded very little influence over the policies of the President.
This is exactly why the role Cheney has played as Vice President has been nothing short of extraordinary. This Washington Post article is quite long, but it is also fascinating and troubling. Vice President Cheney seems to operate in his role, almost as a co-President. In areas such as intelligence and foreign policy, often he makes hugely important decisions affecting the nation and the world in lieu of the President himself, who has so much trust in Cheney he immediately signs off on them.
First of all, this brings into question the actual competence of our President, but in addition, the fact that the Vice President exercises his influence completely out of the public view (which I talked about in my previous post) is very troubling given his tremendous role. It would appear that he uses the Office of the Vice President in order to bypass the transparency that constrains the President. This seems akin to cheating to me, and depriving the public of information that they would otherwise be privy to. I think the article is a must read, because the public NEEDS to know just the amount of power their Vice President wields. It's not like in the past when the VPs were close to irrelevant.

You Gotta Be Kidding Me...

2007-06-23T15:12:00.001-07:00

Dick Cheney Claims Vice-President Isn't Part of the Executive Branch

When I saw this headline, my initial reaction: "WHAT?!" Followed shortly by "c'mon..." Seriously, this has to be one of the most ludicrous statements I've heard in a long time. The fact that Cheney's office can say it with a straight face makes it all the more surprising. This assertion is justified by the fact that the Vice President is President of the Senate, but at the same time, he is neither part of the Executive, nor the Legislative Branch. I suppose he is part of what a Time Magazine article calls "The Cheney Branch of Government."
Of course, this whole tortured logic behind this absurd notion is all because Cheney has the greatest desire to operate under complete secrecy. Which to me of course indicates that he clearly has not just something, but many somethings, he does not want the public to see. Like the Time article said, his penchant for secrecy would make Richard Nixon proud. At the same time, he shouldn't be surprised that he is viewed as a villainous figure akin to the disgraced former President.
But of course, the Bush Administration is steadfastly backing their man. They do so at their own peril. They really lack the political capitol to expend defending such insanity, but when has lack of political capitol stopped them?

Supreme Court II

2007-06-22T14:28:00.000-07:00

Roberts Court Already Has Struck 2 Precedents

This is an interesting addition to what I previously wrote about. Despite both John Roberts and Samuel Alito declaring their respect for precedent during their confirmation hearings, the Roberts Court has already struck 2 precedents. The most prominent of course being the partial birth abortion decision. What is especially striking is that this precedent was set only 7 years ago, when the Court struck down a state law banning partial birth abortions. The more recent case was a federal law, but addressed an identical precedent. But whereas the initial ruling had a 5 Justice majority, courtesy of Sandra Day O'Connor, her replacement Alito joined with his four other Conservative colleagues in upholding the federal partial birth abortion ban, and showing a great deal of disrespect for precedent in doing so.
As I said earlier, Supreme Court Justices are inherently political actors. Especially in hot-button cases like this, precedent only constrains when the precedent is in line with a Justices political, ideological and/or legal beliefs. Which means other precedents, most notably Roe v. Wade, won't do much to constrain the new Conservative majority from taking their preferred course of action...

New Candidates

2007-06-19T09:43:00.000-07:00

With Fred Thompson pretty much saying he's going to run for President, he has begun to poll very strongly. Despite the lack of an organized campaign team, Thompson is able to poll second, sometimes surpassing John McCain who has arguably been campaigning for the last eight years. Now that one former Tennessee Senator has entered in the race, many are asking if another, former Vice-President Al Gore will get in on the other side. My prediction is that he probably will not.
The reason that alternative Republican candidates like Fred Thompson, Newt Gingrich and Chuck Hagel have been generating so much buzz is because the Party lacks a consensus candidate for the nomination. Their top three all have some negative which hurts them with a substantial portion of the base. Now that Fred Thompson is in, the Republicans would appear to have their candidate who is acceptable to social and fiscal Conservatives alike. Except maybe they don't... Now that Thompson has kinda declared, all sorts of information has been coming out that could harm him within the Party base. For example, he used to be somewhat, kinda Pro-Choice, and he backed campaign finance reform.
The fact that the Republicans can't field a consensus candidate to rally around very likely could hurt the Party. Any particular nominee might demoralize and/or alienate some part of the base, causing them to stay home on Election day. What is haunting the Republican Party is the pure lack of energy. This stems from the fact that the party, in wake of its 2006 slaughtering have completely lost their brand identity. Their loss of Congressional majorities combined with an unpopular President has weakened the bond that kept all their disparate interests together into one neat whole. The Party is a mess, and it is still trying to figure out what it stands for. But that same weakness in the GOP identity is the exact reason why no consensus candidate has emerged.
On the other hand, the Democrats are more unified and more energized than they ever have been before. They know exactly who they are and what they stand for, and the candidates running for the nomination benefit from this coherence. Because there is a broad level of satisfaction within the Democratic Party with its current candidates vying for the nomination, there is no room for Al Gore to enter in this race. The only issue with Democrats right now is not a question of ideology, but which candidate is most electable. Many say that Al Gore should come in to rescue the Party from a doomed Clinton campaign. Yet, if the people really wanted an alternative to Hillary, there are 5 other (viable) candidate in the race already that they can choose from.
This cohesion within the Democratic Party is what is contributing to their success. The similar divisions within the Republican Party is why they will have a whole lot of trouble finding a candidate the whole Party can rally around.

Supreme Court Politics

2007-06-18T10:48:00.000-07:00

Justices Roberts and Alito Swing Court Further Right

Many people have this idea of the Supreme Court and the US Courts in general as being "neutral, arbitrators" of the law, with no set policy preferences. Of course, one of the first thing I learned in my class on the Supreme Court, and what any academic will tell you about the Court is that it is indeed a very political branch. As such, the Justices have policy preferences. Moreover, those who appoint those Justices have preferences about how their appointee will behave. So when Bush has said he wants to appoint "strict constructionists" to the Court, what he really means is "very Conservative, pro-lifers." Should he be blamed for it? No. It's his prerogative to appoint such Justices. What people must remember when considering the Supreme Court is that Justices are in fact political, and they will rule according to their policy preferences. The notion of judicial activism is a myth, intended to incite Conservative outrage against a non-compliant Court or Justices.
When a Justice says, as John Roberts did during his confirmation hearings, that he sees his job as similar to an umpire, whose job is to call "balls and strikes" he's not being completely truthful. A Justice sees the law through the prism of his own personal ideology, and decides cases as such. That is not to say that he or she does not take the Constitution, precedent, common law, etc. into consideration. However, their ideology causes them to view these in alternative ways.
So, then, people must realize that, because Justices have different ideologies, Court nominations matter. Following that logic then, the person, the President, who makes these nominations matter. Which brings me to my point, in a likelihood, the Court will maintain it's present makeup of 4 Conservatives, 4 Liberals and 1 Conservative-leaning Swing voter until 2008. However, our next President more than likely will have an opportunity to fill one, possibly more Court Vacancies. Two of the oldest Justices sitting now are both part of the solidly Liberal block. That means, if a Republican were elected, he would have the opportunity to solidify Conservative dominance of the Court. This, in my opinion, would mean that Roe v. Wade would not survive. Of course, Giuliani is a wild-card as far as what he will do with nominations. But he has been saying he would appoint "strict constructionists."
On the other hand, if a Democrat were elected in '08 he/she would have the opportunity to replace the outgoing Liberal Justices with Liberals, and if Kennedy (who is rather old) were to retire, have the opportunity to swing the Court back to the Liberals once again.
The 2008 Election is shaping up to be one of the most important in our history. However, people lose sight of the fact that perhaps one of the most important outcomes of this election will be who gets to fill any Court vacancies. The Court is at a critical juncture, and whether it goes to he far right, or turns back to the lift will more likely than not, be decided at 2008. This is one of the most, if not THE MOST, important aspects of this Election, but it won't have the starring role in the campaign.

Took him long enough

2007-06-16T10:48:00.001-07:00

Bush vows to veto any bills with excessive spending

Six years later, Bush hopes to return the Republican Party to fiscal conservatism. This move just reeks of politics as the GOP as of late has become the cut tax and spend Party. If you want to cut taxes, you have to also cut spending if you want a balanced budget. Now that the Party in power are the opposition, Bush can finally become a fiscal Conservative. How convenient!
That being said, I think the excess Congressional spending needs to be curtailed. Most importantly is cutting down the pork barrel spending projects. The real pain with these pork barrel spending is a basic problem in political science, your "Prisoners Dilemma." Essentially, as a legislator, the greater good is to not insert earmarks into bills which direct federal funds to your district. However, if all the other legislators or doing this, you have a negative payoff for taking such action, whereas you have a positive payoff from earmarking. Therefore, when as a Congressman, when you think that most of your other colleagues are going to insert pork, you will too. However, if all Congressmen DID NOT do so, the collective payoff for the nation is high. I hope I was able to explain that well.
On the other hand, if you ask most voters, they abhor the idea of this excess pork barrel spending. HOWEVER, when it is their district that is getting pork, they love it. So, they hate the pork, but they love the rewards. Everyone benefits on an individual level (except for those poor districts with an anti-pork Representative and/or Senator), but the nation as a collective is not. That is our political science lesson for today.
Our overall point, is that while pork barrel spending is most likely not a good thing, it is probably next to impossible to completely eliminate it. Because those legislators that do battle earmarking, do it at the risk of punishment by their constituents who naturally expect pork.

Internal Divisions

2007-06-14T08:56:00.000-07:00

Will Schisms within Each Party Hurt them in 2008?

For a long time, the Republicans have forged an alliance between fiscal and social Conservatives. While it seemed to get along just fine with the legislators in Washington, I think everywhere else, the alliance has always been a little uneasy. Social Conservatives question the dedication of fiscal Conservatives to their cause, and the Fiscal Conservatives basically just use the Social Conservatives as a means to accomplish their goal. A good example of this is House Minority Leader John Boehner. I went to one of his speeches when I was a DC Intern. He was talking about the Federal Marriage Amendment which was about to be voted on in the House. Clearly, this was not an issue he cared about. In fact, from what I gathered, he thought it was silly and frivolous. Judging from his tone, I actually thought he would vote "No" on the Amendment, but when I went back and checked the roll call votes for the amendment he had actually voted yes.
However, his apathy to the causes of the social Conservatives was apparent. I believed then as I believe today that he voted "Yes" only because, as then Republican Majority Leader, he pretty much had to. This alliance has worked out brilliantly for fiscal Conservatives, and has finally paid dividends for Social Conservatives with the appointments of John Roberts and Samuel Alito the US Supreme Court. In order for the Republican machine to work effectively, both sides had to support the candidate. Yet, there is great dissatisfaction amongst Social Conservatives these days over all three (plus Fred Thompson makes four) of the front runners. If someone like Rudy Giuliani were to gain the nomination, there may be a risk that many social Conservatives who can not accept his views on abortion may stay home. If that were to happen, it's hard to see how Republicans could win the general. Moreover, social Conservatives may be alienated from the Republican Party for elections to come if they do not believe they are being paid enough attention to. This could perhaps do great long term damage to the Republican coalition.
On the other side of the aisle, Democrats have their own schisms. In 2006 Elections many of the Democratic pickups were the moderate "Blue Dog" Democrats. They are often called the "Majority Makers." But because of their importance, the Democrats were not able to pursue uniformly liberal policies. They had to moderate themselves, because if these moderate Democrats had such a huge role. If the House Democrats followed a solidly liberal path, the Freshmen moderates would be at risk to lose their elections in 2008. So far, I think Speaker Nancy Pelosi has done extremely well at keeping the Democrats unified between these two sides.
However, the more imminent internal threat for the Dems comes from the virulently anti-war activists. Even though the Democrats are almost uniformly against the Iraq War, many incumbents are being targeted because they voted to continue funding the War through September. As a result, many of these anti-war activists are threatening to challenge Democratic incumbents, and perhaps unseat them. Yet, I think the practical reality of the matter is that most Democrats realize there has to be some compromises, and in the end it is more important to have Democrats in office than risk unseating an incumbent and losing the general election.

Iraq

2007-06-13T12:39:00.000-07:00

With Progress Report Deadline Three Months Away, Iraqi Government Fails to Meet Most Benchmarks...

Sadly this comes as no surprise. I see no way for the country in its current state to be able to form an effective government. The reason for this is because within this one country, are three nationalities: the Sunnis, Shia and the Kurds. Iraq as we know it was drawn haphazardly by European colonialists with no concern about the differences between these groups. As cynical as it may sound, the only thing holding the country together for this long was the repressive regime of their malevolent dictator, Saddam Hussein.
Not that I am suggesting we install a tyrannical madman as dictator. However, this unified central government will never be able to achieve any significant accomplishments because the Sunni, Shia and Kurds will likely never be able to agree on much and govern effectively. To make things worse, their leader, Nouri al-Maliki has proved to be completely incompetent. Back when America was but a fledging democracy, our country was kept stable by an awe inspiring leader who valued nothing above his country. The leadership of our Founding Fathers was an incredibly crucial aspect in our ability to get off the ground and eventually develop into the great nation that we are today. Needless to say, Nouri al-Maliki is no George Washington. Moreover, Iraq seems to lack a leader with complete devotion to his/her (OK, his) country. Instead the loyalties of most Iraqi leaders lie with their religion, or worse, their financial interests.
Therefore, it appears that our best hope (and it's no surefire winner) for a stable Iraq is the Joe Biden plan, which has bipartisan support in the Congress. Under this plan, Iraq is divided into three largely autonomous regions, divided along ethnic lines. The central government would be very week, giving the ethnic regions their own self-governance. Its primary purpose would be to divide up oil revenues. I wish we didn't have to wait until September for our President to realize that the current Iraqi government is not, and never will work. This plan is probably our last, best hope.

Immigration Reform and the Silent Majority

2007-06-11T13:52:00.000-07:00

Immigration Reform Bill Pronounced Dead...
...Bush Pledges to Help Revive It

I mention in the title the "silent majority." It is a term you may have heard of before. If I may paraphrase, basically, the silent majority occurs when a population as a whole favors some action, issue, or position, but for whatever reason is less worked up over it than the opposition. Therefore, the galvanized opposition is able to exert more influence over deliberations concerning this issue than is the often overwhelming silent majority.
This brings me to the topic of immigration reform. Recent polling shows that a wide majority of Americans support providing illegal immigrants a path to gaining legal status in the country. Moreover, they support the provisions included in the latest Comprehensive Immigration Reform Bill. How, then, is it possible that the broad support of the American public has become overwhelmed by the minority which insistently asserts that any such path to citizenship is in fact amnesty? Well, let me answer that with a personal example. I think that illegal immigration is a problem because, well, it is ILLEGAL. Therefore, the illegal immigrants in our country should not be given amnesty-- that is, immediate citizenship. As law-breakers, they deserve to be punished. This bill does just that. While it allows them to undertake a process to become citizens, illegals are fined $5000 dollars and must work for their citizenship.
I will be honest. I sympathize somewhat with the aims of the anti-illegal forces when they say that all illegals should be deported. However, given that this country has over 12 million illegal immigrants, it is readily apparent that deportation would cost our government far more money, time, energy and resources which would in turn outweigh the benefits of such an action. In addition, imagine the image of our country busing out millions of illegal immigrants. How would that reflect upon our nation's already Iraq-sullied reputation? The country which once invited the world to "give us your tired, pour, and huddled masses," now issuing a message for these same people to get the hell out. Thus an alternative must be come up with, and the comprehensive immigration reform bill recently killed by a minority of Senators presented us with a reasonable alternative.
Was it perfect? No. It was, however, what the uncompromising, hardliner, anti-illegal immigration forces refuse to accept, a compromise. Interestingly enough, it was this issue which had the power to finally lower the esteem Conservatives held President Bush in. Yes, after the Iraq War, the Katrina debacle and Harriet Meiers, it was an instance where the President was absolutely, 100% correct and competent in which his base lost faith in him. God forbid he would provide illegal immigrants, who may I point out are not exactly living the life of luxury in our country, with a path to citizenship and equality. This time, when President Bush was thwarted, it was the far-right who was the victor. Yet, I must applaud the President and his Republican allies in Congress for standing up to the forces within his party who demanded he do otherwise, and advocating for a humane, moral solution.
And yet, despite the support of the Executive and a majority of the Legislative Branch, this bill was killed by the minority in the Senate. Which brings me back to my point of the "silent majority." In this instance, because the majority of people who supported this common sense, compromise were less exercised than the rabid, anti-illegal forces who were dead-set against it, the galvanized majority was able to overcome the popular sentiment and kill the bill (Volume 1... corny, my apologies). It is a lesson in just the power that a loud, vociferous minority can have. Often times, it is enough to overcome the majority of people who may support the issue, but have less passion than their opposition. Personally, I support both this bill, and its previous incarnation which never advanced out of the 109th Congress for Presidential approval. However, because it does not energize me in the manner that it does to its opponents, the opponents then are able to overcome popular approval and prevent it from advancing.
Let me qualify this statement by saying that I am a strong proponent of the filibuster (60 Senators to end debate). It protects minority rights, and this instance, it has protected this vocal minority and allowed them to prevent the bill from passing. However, it is the duty of the silent majority who support the legislation to speak up and cease their silence. This in turn will allow them to prevail over the minority by letting their legislators now where their constituents stand and getting this legislation passed. Therefore, I am going to publish this post, and send an e-mail to my Congressman and Senators in support of Immigration Reform. If the silent majority hopes to have its preferences enacted into law, it must stop being silent!

Corruption: Now a Bipartisan Issue!

2007-06-08T09:34:00.001-07:00

Democratic Representative William Jefferson Pleads Not Guilty to Various Charges

The Bill Jefferson issue has been dogging Democrats since before the midterms, because the story threatened to undermine one of their main campaign issues, the "culture of corruption" in the Republican Congress. However now that he's been indicted, it finally has erupted into a full on headache for Democrats. The impact of this whole scandal may well be minimal, after all, this is just one indictment versus several Republican convictions and indictment, but still, it goes to show you that Republicans (to their relief) don't own corruption. Jefferson has been accused of taking bribes, and funneling money through dummy corporations owned by his family. Basically it has been one massive embarrassment for the Congress in general, and he needs to resign immediately.
Given that Jefferson represents a New Orleans constituency struggling with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, you'd think I'd feel bad for them. But I don't, because the fact that Jefferson was under investigation had been known long before the midterms. Normal people do not store $90,000 in their freezer. With this information widely available, his district had the opportunity to elect someone else. He had a strong competitor who would have fit well with the district. Of course, what to do when in trouble but trot out old faithful. Jefferson accused his opponent of being pro-gay (the horror!) and just like that, he wins his reelection. If the district would rather have had a criminal over a pro-gay legislator, then they got precisely what they voted for. Now they have an ineffective representative who has been stripped of all his committee assignments and rendered impotent by the indictment. Just goes to show you how important elections can be and how important it is to vote for someone you can trust.

GOP Debate Reactions

2007-06-06T09:46:00.000-07:00

Third Debate Held in New Hampshire

Last night's Republican debate held no moments that absolutely turned this race upside down. The results at the end were much as they were at the beginning. Rudy Giuliani is still the front-runner while Mitt Romney and John McCain seem oblivious to this fact as they attack each other. Once again nobody from the second tier broke through, although Mike Huckabee is starting to generate some noise (perhaps for a Vice Presidential bid) and once again nobody has a clue why Jim Gilmore is even trying.
Although the pundits don't seem to agree with me, I thought last night's clear winner was John McCain. He showed a lot of heart when he stood up and thanked the woman whose brother died in Iraq for his service, and he passionately and skillfully defended his unpopular position on the immigration bill. I thought Mitt Romney was fairly unimpressive. Mark another flip flop down for Mitt on the absurd "Don't ask, don't tell policy" though. Whereas he used to think gays should be allowed to serve openly and honestly in the military, now he says the policy is working just find. Nevermind the fact that over 50 Arabic, Farsi, etc. translators have been discharged because of their sexual orientation. But of course, Mitt can't afford to offend the anti-gay base he has been pandering to since he decided to run for President.
Meanwhile, front-runner Rudy Giuliani did just fine, and for the third debate in a row, scared the audience shitless with his doomsday predictions of terrorism. He, however, seemed to lack the heart that John McCain showed that night. But as the front-runner, I guess you can go down as a winner for every debate that you don't do something to hurt yourself.
As for the second tier, Mike Huckabee once again brought the funny. During the second half when candidates stood up to answer questions, at one point he seriously seemed a little like a stand-up comic. He'll be here all night! It looks like Huckabee is using humor to get attention, but what is troubling him is that nobody seems to take him seriously as a prospective nominee for the Party. The other candidate who has perfect Conservative credentials, but is not taken seriously is Sam Brownback. Last night, he did nothing to even get attention. He was just there.
As for the no-way in hell tier, they were as abysmal tonight as they have been in the past. Seriously, why the hell are Tommy Thompson and Jim Gilmore running? Tom Tancredo started to display the craziness that makes him such an "entertaining" figure. Meanwhile, Ron Paul kept making sense and the Republicans kept ignoring him. I reckon that if Democrats had to pick a nominee for the Republicans though, they would pick Paul. He's running third on the Facebook poll. Unfortunately for him and his supporters, he's hopelessly out of place in this field.

The Second Democratic Debate

2007-06-04T13:34:00.000-07:00

Democrats vying for their Party's nomination debate in New Hampshire

Last night, things got a little less polite in the Democrat's second debate. This time around John Edwards was aggressive, on the attack against the two other first tier candidates, Senators Clinton and Obama. His main point of attack was on their votes against funding the war, saying that they were not assuming enough of a leadership role in ending the war. Instead, they merely just voted that way to score political points with the anti-war Democratic base. Edwards was aggressive and made great strides in distinguishing himself from his other top tier competitors. Of course, I'm sure many Democrats were asking themselves why Edwards wasn't this aggressive in 2004 against Dick Cheney.
However, Clinton and Obama both had strong nights as well. They defended themselves well against Edwards' attacks. For me, I think Clinton really did a terrific job tonight. She was loose, debating with passion, and not seeming too robotic. Her answers were always spot on and she never fell for any of the traps the moderator, Wolf Blitzer attempted to set. On the other hand, Obama was much improved from his lackluster performance during the first debate. This time he exuded much more confidence in his answers. There were less "uhs" and stammering. He was calm, cool, and dare I say articulate?
As for the rest of the candidates, Joe Biden gave an even stronger performance this time than he did last time. He is really nailing these debates so far. His answers displayed a tremendous amount of knowledge, and were delivered with a genuine heartfelt passion. Unfortunately for Biden and really all the rest of the candidates, Blitzer seemed to focus primarily on the top three of Edwards, Clinton and Obama. Therefore candidates like Biden, Dodd, and Richardson had far fewer opportunities to shine. However in both of these debates, Biden has made the most of his time. On the other hand, Richardson gave a very wooden performance tonight, and many of his answers were just plain confusing. Combined with his horrid (although I did not get to see it) performance on Meet the Press, Richardson has had a tough week. He may have officially ceded his position as best of the second tier now to Biden. But poor Chris Dodd. He's a good Senator, smart man, very qualified, but there truly is just not much special about him. Both of his debate performances have been just fine, but given his position at the back of the pack, he cannot afford just fine.
As for the third tier, Mike Gravel was much less grouchy tonight, but still willing to stir the pot. Of course, Wolf Blitzer rarely let him do so, often completely ignoring him. During the second half of the debate when the candidates were sitting, I swear Gravel was nearly off the stage his chair was so far away from the other candidates. At points during the debate I nearly forgot Dennis Kucinich was there. He got very very little time to speak.
Tomorrow, the Republicans will have their turn to take the stage in New Hampshire. 7 PM on CNN, I'll have a wrap up of course the next day.

More secrecy in the Bush White House

2007-06-03T14:23:00.000-07:00

White House Fights to Keep Vice-Presidential Visitor Logs Private

I think the old saying is absolutely right: "Why not turn it over if you have nothing to hide?" I think the actions of this administration make it painfully apparent that there IS something in those records that they want to hide. Secrecy in a Presidential administration should be very troubling to the entire nation. The last time a White House was so secretive and so protective of their privacy was during the Nixon administration. Of course history vindicated them -- obviously they had nothing to hide. Oh wait...
When the executive branch, as well as legislative and judicial branches lack the appropriate transparency, there runs a serious risk for the abuse of power. That is precisely why we have over the years struggled to bring transparency to the government. The government after all works for all the citizens of the country and therefore should be beholden to their constituency. We deserve to know that our government is acting honestly and ethically.
The big fuss the Bush administration is making over whether or not the Center for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington can access the Vice President's visitor logs is depriving the citizens of this country of their right to know the types of people who are exerting a tremendous amount of influence on one of the most powerful men in the country. "The drive to keep the logs secret, the administration says, is essential to assuring that the president and vice president receive candid advice to carry out their duties," but don't you think we have the right to know from whom this candid advice is coming from. Their actions seem to indicate that this candid advice is coming from some rather suspicious characters.
I think that all the citizens of our country should be much more concerned about the privacy and secrecy going on the executive branch. The problem with privacy and secrecy is that too often unconstitutional actions and abuse of power follows.

Mea culpa

2007-06-01T14:48:00.000-07:00

If you've been following my blog (which I hope you have been), you might know that earlier I adamantly insisted that there was no way that Rudy Giuliani would be able to win the Republican Presidential nomination. But, I'm not afraid to say that I was wrong. Over the past few months, as Giuliani has campaigned more and more for the position, and as his liberal social views gradually emerged, contrary to what I expected, he still polled ahead of all other candidates running. Even after he waffled on the abortion issue in the first Republican debate and was forced to come out in favor of a woman's right to choose, Rudy still remained at the top. Even in the ultra-Conservative South Carolina, Rudy polls ahead of all other nominees. Therefore, I must retract my earlier statements that Giuliani can't win the nomination.
His strength in polls has been surprising to me. But at the same time, terrorism has emerged as the main priority to the Republican base, and Giuliani's perceived strength in this area so far has trumped their concerns about his social views. Moreover, Giuliani at this point appears to be the Republican candidate who appears to have the best chance of winning in the general election at this point. Now, I'm not saying that Giuliani WILL win the nomination. Indeed, I'm still convinced he probably won't. All I am saying is that, contrary to what I had written previously, it is not impossible.
However, the main risk in nominating Giuliani would be the alienation of the religious right, which has proven crucial to recent Republican successes. While they wouldn't switch to the Democrats, a pro-choice, pro-gay rights (?) candidate might keep a good deal of religious Conservatives home on election day. For while some value a candidate who can keep the nation safe over any other issues, for many, no issue is more important than abortion and anti-gay rights. Of course, the primary elections are still months away, and who knows how Fred Thompson could shake up this race. However, from this point forward, I officially acknowledge that Rudy Giuliani has a legitimate chance to be the Republican nominee.

11 Candidates? You gotta be kidding me...

2007-05-31T13:37:00.000-07:00

Fred Thompson will run...

That makes eleven white men and... uhhh... well zero minorities. Seriously, can Alan Keyes just get in this race so we can have just a little bit of racial diversity? Anyway... As many commentators have pointed out, I think Fred Thompson is the Wes Clarke of the '08 race. Meaning, he builds excitement about a possible run, is hailed by many as the savior of the Party's chances in the general followed by a giant letdown. Seriously, this man's biggest accomplishment is his acting career. As I said earlier, he has an unimpressive resume from his eight years in the Senate and there are questions about his work ethic. If not for his acting career, the idea that a man with this thin of a resume would run would be laughable. So yes, I fully expect to see the prospect of his candidacy to fizzle.
Many have been speculating that what Fred Thompson really wants is to be the Vice Presidential nominee for the Republican Party. Hmmm... a man of minimal accomplishment and questionable work ethic? It would be a nice change from the Dick Cheney Vice Presidency.
But seriously, the excitement about Thompson's candidacy just goes to show you what dire straits the GOP is in. All the varying factions of the Party need to stop fighting and just settle on someone who pleases no one. Sure it didn't work out well for John Kerry, but really it's their only hope.

My Return!

2007-05-30T14:35:00.000-07:00

Well, after some technical difficulties, I'm back blogging for this summer. Seeing as how many of you probably have landed some choice DC Internships, I figured I'd share this article with you. This is a really good article about interning on Capitol Hill. I totally agree with all of her points, so if you're interning there this summer, you'd be well advised to heed her advise.

In addition, here are a few tips from my own experiences.
- Know your duties, but more importantly, know what ARE NOT your duties. I hope that the intern coordinator in your office is nice and wants to make your experience fun and special. However, I wouldn't expect it. In my House internship, my intern coordinator seemed to resent our presence and did not take us seriously or treat us with respect. There's nothing you can do about this, but don't let it get to you, just keep doing your job and doing it well. But when the intern coordinator told me to clean up the office kitchen, well, that plain just crossed the line. I was an intern, NOT a janitor. Do NOT let yourself get taken advantage of.
- Expanding on this notion, if you are being taken advantage of or being disrespected, you can stand up for yourself without making a fuss. For example, I did a half-assed job cleaning up the kitchen. In retrospect, I shouldn't have done it at all. If the intern coordinator confronted me, I would simply inform her that I did not believe this was one of my duties. Basically, don't start a fight, just take it to a higher up if the situation deteriorates.
- Take advantage of all the opportunities on the Hill. Go to hearings, go to speeches, go to the visitors galleries in both the House and Senate. These are priceless opportunities for the political junkie, and your badge allows you tremendous (although not total) access!

If you are one of the lucky ones who get to intern on Capitol Hill HAVE FUN! It's a really great experience if you love politics.

Update

2007-05-09T14:35:00.000-07:00

Hey, I just wanted to tell everyone that this blog is going to continue over the summer, and I've been taking a break a) because the Spring semester of blogging for Experience Inc. is through and b) FINALS! But I should be back soon, so keep checking! This summer expect FOUR updates a week from me! Thanks for reading and I hope you'll continue to visit throughout the summer.

First Debate

2007-04-27T14:24:00.000-07:00

Democrats Hold Their First Debate for the Nomination

The debate last night was a little sloppy, and not all too informative, but it's exciting (for me at least) that the debates have officially kicked off. However, while there was little animosity (yet) amongst the candidates on stage, I bet that the GOP debate being held next Thursday will not be quiet the same. I'm anticipating on there being plenty of attacks, and it should make for a fun time. Not to say that the debate last night was completely boring. First of all, my pick for the winner was Senator Joe Biden. He easily had the best line of the night, when moderator Brian Williams asked Biden if he could assure the country that if President, his gaffes wouldn't get him into trouble Biden replied with one word "yes." Williams waited a few seconds for a response, while Biden just smiled. It was really funny, and a great moment for Biden. I anticipate that this debate will give him a little bit of momentum. If he keeps turning in performances of this caliber, he might just start climbing.
As for the front-runners, Hillary and Edwards did fine. I didn't think any of them were all too impressive, but they weren't disappointing either. Edwards in particular had a particularly poignant moment, when, after an awkward pose when asked who his moral leader was, he gave a touching and genuine response, citing the Lord, his wife and his father too I believe. Hillary gave a good performance, she wasn't wooden, although she didn't really set the stage afire either.
However, I do believe that Barack Obama gave a disappointing performance. The thing is, people expect magic from him every time he speaks after his terrific speech at the Democratic National Convention. Unfortunately, Obama is quite human, and cannot always be electrifying. One thing he really needs to work on is the "uhs" and the "ahs." I sympathize with his problem, as I certainly confess to sharing it. He needs to work on that before the next debate, because it made him sound less confident, and less "presidential."
Of course, I can't mention this debate without mentioning Mike Gravel. If you haven't heard of him, you're among many. Going into the debate, I don't even think his family knew he was running for President. I did, and I always kinda felt bad for him cause nobody noticed or cared. The beautiful part of his performance last night was that people know who he is now. I heard someone describe him as "the cranky uncle" of the Democratic field, and I think that's a pretty good description. He was unrestrained, radical, and perhaps a little bit crazy. He also made the debate fun to watch. The candidates who have nothing to lose and also nothing to gain are the most fun. Opposite of the well-rehearsed and polished candidates on the stage, Gravel was raw and uninhibited, and his antics kept the rest of the field on their toes. I hope he is a part of many more debates, cause they would be less interesting without him. Of course, I think some debates won't let him participate, but don't be surprised if he starts to gain traction with the radical left of the Party.