What democrats are against, Republicans will always support

Democrats block keystone pipeline
What Keystone creates for Republicans

Vocabulary :

• Caucus- a meeting of the members of a legislative body who are members of a particular political party, to select candidates or decide policy.
• Senatorial limbo - a senate being stuck between two things
• Energy-minded voters - voters,who care about where and how we get our energy
• Infrastructure-the basic physical and organizational structures and facilities
• Emissions- the production and discharge of something, specifically gas or radiation 
• Prolong- extend the duration 

Key Players:

• Senator Mary Landrieu (D)- supports the pipeline 
• President Obama (D)- has approved nearly 1,700 - mile  
• Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R) - all for it 
• Senate Kay Hagan (D)- stands to Mary  
• House Speaker John A. Boehner (R)- supports it 
• Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D)- agreed to hold a vote for the bill

Questions:

1. Will McConnell be ready to fight for this issue and will he win?

2. Are Republicans only supporting the pipeline to look good for the public? 

3. Will any Democrats end up supporting the pipeline ?

Takeaways:

• The fact that the Democrats leaders all agreed to hold the vote just to impress the energy- minded voters, which we suppose to allow the Republicans to party about the inflated claims about the pipeline before the country.
• This particular topic is not going to just die off so easily. In January, this pipeline will be voted for McConnell is not giving up without a fight or in this case a debate. I just hope the Democrats are prepared fro this fight. Unless, Obama is going to be like "we will support you on this issue if you help us out with one of ours."
• As for Mary Landrieu, the one who got noticed supporting the pipeline as a democrat. Truth is, Washington Post says she took the Keystone as her last gasp attempt to show the voters back in her home state that she still has an influence on topics in Washington D.C. Landrieu just wanted to show her voters that she still has good leadership within her, is what I think.

In my opinion, honestly this is a trending issue I can't wait to see how far McConnell will go for this pipeline. I am also looking forward to see whether or not Obama will try to exchange something to allow the pipeline happen. Hurry up January !

Obama: 0 to 100

The new Senate hasn't even went into Congress yet and we already are seeing some gridlock. Recently, President Obama has used his executive power to push his plan for immigration. But it is not sitting pretty with Republicans or some of his fellow Democrats.


Vocabulary:

• Advisers
• Executive Action
• Capitol Hill
• Impeachment 
• Roosevelt Room
• Reform
• Opposition
• 114th Congress
• Incumbent
• Implement

Key Players:

• President Obama (Democrat): As the president who used his executive action which cause this conflict, he is the head person in this topic. Immigration has been a big goal for him to tackle for a very long time, so he has maneuvered through the system of Congress to get things done on his terms. Democrats tend to be more towards change and giving people equal opportunities. They believe that our country was built on diversity of cultures so it wouldn't be fair to turn people away who just want a better life.
• Undocumented People (Majority Democrat): This whole plan is for them. This plan will allow them to be seen as a citizen temporarily in the country and be able to work. But they will have to do their fair share in the country such as taxes and it doesn't apply to everyone. They have to have been in America for 5 years or have children who are citizens. The reason this is so important is because the Hispanic vote is crucial in helping Democrats win races, which will play a big part in the 2016 election. If Democrats don't try to appeal to them, it will hurt them i the long run. 
• GOPers (Republican): These are Republicans who don't agree with Obama's decision in allowing undocumented people to reside in the country. They have already discussed taking actions against the President such as suing and have even considered impeachment. Republicans don't like the idea of Republicans being in our country and getting access to things like schools that they don't pay for. 

Takeaways:

• Before President Obama announced what he would plan to do for immigrants, him and Jeh C. Johnson spent months going over all of the President's executive actions. This whole ordeal has been planned for a while, but it took time so the President and his team could make sure they were doing things that were in their power. 
• In November 2013, a poll showed that over 44% of Republicans said undocumented people should be allowed to stay in America with citizenship, 15% said stay with no citizenship, and 38% said they should be made to leave. In November 2014, a poll showed that 27% of Republicans said undocumented people should be allowed to stay with citizenship, 15% said stay with no citizenship, and 54% said they should be made to leave. 
• President Obama was constantly asking Speaker of the House, John A. Boehner, to do something about immigration. He was always contacting him and every time Obama saw Boehner he would ask him if he could do something or work with him to make something happen.

I'm honestly really surprised to find out a few things. One, that President Obama has been planning this for a long time. Two, he was talking to a few Republicans trying to get them to do something and they didn't. So my questions are, what else does President Obama have in the works that he might pull an executive action and why are Republicans so upset when they had an opportunity to do something?

Two Midterm Elections have hollowed out the Democratic party !

Sources used:
2014 Election turnout lowest in 70 years
Midterm turnout 2014
Lowest Voter turnout since WWII
Democrats could not escape unpopularity

In the first article, it talks about how the voter rate went down tremendously. If you click on the link, there are charts and actual numbers based to the voting rate this year. It actually compares the data from 70 years ago to the rate of voting this past week. I was looking at a chart that gave me the option to see how low the voter turnout actually was in every state.

In the second link, the article refers to the voter rate as a constant issue in the U.S. Also, that in average the most populated areas are less likely to vote and those areas are usually filled of democrats voters. this website also provides charts and a map of the U.S. I found out that some states lost more than ten percent of their voting rate compared to midterms in 2010; those states were Washington, Delaware, Missouri, South Dakota, California, and Indiana. As an example, California in 2010 was at 45.80% and now in 2014 was at 34.80%. On the bright side, some states had a higher voter rate compared to the 2010 midterm; such as Maine. Maine in 2010 was at 55.90%, then in 2014 went up to 59.30%.

In the third link I used, the voter rate is being compared to the rate back during the time of World War 2. Numbers that support this statement is the percentage this year was 36.4 of eligible voters voted. we were so close to the percentage of 1942 which was 33.9. On this website there is a video explaining how the republicans won control in both houses. the reason for the republicans victory is because more whites voted this year than Asian, Hispanics, and blacks.

the last link once again lets us the public know why the democrats lost and it was due to president Obama being a Democrat. president Obama was like a heavy weight on the democrats scale, it brought them to the ground. everyone wanted a change in the government, which doesn't match up because the issues the public cares about, are issues republicans are against!

Takeaways:
1. The voting needs to improve everywhere. It doesn't matter whether or not a state went up, each citizen should be more informed on the government and the importance of their vote.
2. its crazy how low the voter turnout has been these past midterm elections ! I cant believe the turnout is being compared to the turnouts of 70 years ago.

Question?
Will the president voter rate be higher than the midterm elections due to lack of knowledge of midterms ?
Will the midterm election  rate go up the next time ?

Obama's Recent Executive Order on Immigration

What does Obama hope this Executive Order will accomplish?

Article 1
Article 2

Political-related Vocab:

Washington Post: Obama's Evolution on Immigration:

1. Political Pressure- political action which relies upon use of mass media and communication to persuade politicians that the public wants or demands a certain action
2. Political Legacy- Something that happened in the past or that comes from someone in the past, that occurred in politics i.e. Locke's Natural Rights: Life, Liberty, and Pursuit of Happiness
3. Executive Authority- Powers of the presidential cabinet
4. Key line of Attack- a strategy or main line of defense
5. Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee- the official party group working towards electing Democrats to the U.S. Senate

New York Times: Obama's Immigration Action Has Precedents, but May Set a New One:

1. Imperial Overreach- also know as Imperial Overstretch, it's a hypothesis that suggests an empire can extend itself beyond it's ability to maintain or expand it's military and economic commitments
2. Prosecutorial discretion- Power that Immigration and the Customs Enforcement Agency have to influence a deportation case 
3. Legislative Fiat- Legislative's authoritative decree, sanction, or order
4. Deporter-in-Chief- a nickname that has recently been bestowed on Obama due to his rising number of deportations
5. Bipartisan consensus- two conflicting parties that normally don't agree on much but come to a consensus

Key Political Players, their role, and ideology/beliefs on the issue:

• Barack Obama- President, Democrat

His ideology/beliefs on immigration at this time is that he is in favor of taking action on this issue. But what I'm questioning is, will his sudden take charge action be enough? On Obama's decision to tackle immigration it seems, he's trying to take a stand and negotiate at the same time. He is in favor of taking action on immigration, but not enough action it would seem. As it stands Obama's action will still leave millions of undocumented immigrants to go after and will barely make a dent in the remaining population.

• Shannen W. Cofffin- Chief Executive

Her ideology/beliefs on the matter are it could possibly unconstitutional what Barack Obama has done. Is he trying to change the game? Is he choosing not to exercise his discretion? Coffin, surely feels that his actions on the immigration issue are more towards he's changing the rules of the game. She seems to think because it's such a big issue and decision, it could in fact be more damaging than what was intended.

• Janet Murguia, president of the National Council of La Raza

Her ideology/beliefs on the matter are that Obama is a  deporter-in-chief, Obama's numbers of deportations are quite high, in fact one of the highest. Is she right? Could Obama in fact be a deporter-in-chief?

Three Takeaways:

1. Their are mixed views (surprising!) on the issue of immigration. It would seem that as much as these actions for immigration could help, they could also be very damaging.
2. This stand that Obama is taking, will still leave millions undocumented and barely make a dent in the remaining population.
3. Obama is set on this issue, even if he has to quote, "move ahead on his own,"

Question:

1. What does Obama hope this Executive Order will accomplish?

In Politics Today: Obama uses DEFEND!

Shawn Luzzi

A.P. Government and Politics

11/24/14

Links to articles:

New York Times

ABC News

PBS News

Vocab:

Deportation: The expulsion of a person or group from a place or country.

Unilaterally: performed by or affecting only one person, group, or country involved in a particular situation, without the agreement of another or the others.

Amnesty: A pardon extended by the government to a group or class of persons, usually for a political offense

Counterfeit: to Imitate something

Prosecutorial: of or pertaining to a prosecutor or prosecution


Takeaways:

1. Republicans display great shame for not passing their own immigration policy by stating, "Shame on us as Republicans for having a body that cannot generate a solution to an issue that is national security, its cultural and its economic."
2. Angry Republicans called out Obama's immigration policy, calling his overreach, "even imperial..."
3. Defending his policy, Obama stated, "Why would we prefer a system in which they're in the shadows, potentially taking advantage of living here but not contributing." 

Questions:

1. With the angry Republican response, would this be the same if these were instead Democrats instead?
2. Why exactly would Repubicans be calling Obama's "overreach" on immigration "Imperial?" 

Obama's Executive Action: Was it a Good Idea, Really?

Hey guys! This post is probably going to be a little bit long, so if you're willing to read all of it and comment, kudos to you! Grab a hot cocoa (or cold cocoa, your choice), take a seat, relax, and read to your heart's content!

Key Terms

NPR "Obama...Immigration":

• Constitutional authority: The power that the President has to make executive decisions in regards to the Constitution.
• Prosecutorial discretion: The power that the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency has to influence a deportation case.
• Bipartisan legislative process: A possible process by which both parties in Congress agree on a bill and pass it with majority votes from both party.
• Lame-duck session: The period in Congress in-between a midterm election and the beginning of the newly-elected Congressmen’s terms.
• Government assistance: Federal program, activity, or aid that supports an organization or individuals in terms of health, education, welfare, and similar attributes.

NPR "Obama...Reagan Policy":

• Immigration Reform and Control Act (Simpson-Mazzoli Act): Bill enacted during the Reagan Administration in 1986 that: required employers to provide information about their employees’ immigration status; made it illegal to hire illegal immigrants knowingly; legalized the employment of illegal immigrants in regards to seasonal agricultural business; and legalized other illegal immigrants with certain specifications.
• Deportation: The expulsion of immigrants from the United States for illegal entry.
• Bipartisan support: Support on a bill, topic, or side of an issue from both the Democrats and Republicans.
• Amnesty: Granting legal status to immigrants who were in the United States illegally.
• Balanced comprehensive bill: A hypothetical Congressional bill that President Bush wanted to pass in 2007 regarding immigration.

WashPost:

• Edict: Another term for “executive action.”
• Provision: Part of a legal document, action, etc. that covers a certain topic.
• Reprieve: To postpone an action.
• Middle-ground: Area of compromise between two political sides.
• Direct contravention of law: The direct opposition of a certain law, in this case the Constitution.

Economist:

• Think-tank: Organization, institute, or group of people who complete and present research to the public, many of which are political.
• Fiscal year: A 12-month period used to calculate how much money the government has earned, spent, and saved.
• Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency: A government agency that enforces federal laws governing border control, customs, trade, and immigration to promote homeland security and safety.
• Visa: Affirmation that the owner of a passport is allowed to enter, leave, and or stay for a period of time in the United States.
• Constitutional orthodoxy: The close following of the Constitution.

Key Political Players

• President Barack Obama: Current president, whose term began in 2009 and ends in 2017. Recently announced an executive action regarding immigration, which stated: illegal immigrants who have been in the U.S. for 5 years or have legal children, and have no criminal records, are offered immediate legality.
• Representative Raul Labrador: A Republican Congressman who considers Obama’s executive action unconstitutional.
• President Ronald Reagan: Past president, whose term began in 1981 and ended in 1989. He signed the Immigration Reform and Control Act in 1986, the effects of which created “amnesty” for many illegal immigrants; however, it did not balance out the legalization of immigrants with the illegals still entering the U.S. unlawfully.
• President H.W. Bush; Past president, whose term began in 1989 and ended in 1983. He amended the Immigration Reform and Control Act passed by Reagan to grant amnesty to more illegal immigrants than it did originally.
• Senator Mitch McConnell: The soon-to-be-appointed Senate Majority Leader and a Republican, who said that Obama’s executive action is akin to “waving a red flag in front of a bull,” before the executive action’s announcement. To get Congress’s support, Obama has to ally with McConnell and other Republicans.

Significant Takeaways

NPR "Obama...Immigration":

1. President Obama’s executive action may very well not be constitutional, which concerns many Republicans in Congress.
2. The reason for this action is that President Obama has tried to reach out to Republicans in Congress in the past to pass a bill on this issue, and that hasn’t worked.
3. Republicans aren’t against the content of the executive action, but rather the means used to enforce that content.

• Question: What is the Supreme Court’s stance on President Obama’s executive action’s constitutionality, considering that it is the Court’s job to decide so?

NPR "Obama...Reagan Policy":

1. Former President Ronald Reagan enacted the Immigration Reform and Control Act in 1986, which was a jumpstart to granting amnesty to illegal immigrants, and which President Obama is trying to build off of with his executive action.
2. The amount of illegal immigrants in this country has increased significantly over the past 25 years, which means that the Immigration Reform and Control Act wasn’t effective over long periods of time. President Obama is trying to replicate said Act with his executive action.
3. One reason Democrats support Obama’s action is the 1986 bill’s effect regarding the breakup of families, allowing illegal families with certain conditions to stay together, and that Obama’s action expands on this idea.

• Question: Why haven’t Republicans helped to pass an immigration bill in Congress when they clearly are in support of immigration reform?

WashPost:

1. A major issue regarding Obama’s executive action is how it will be carried out; specifically, figuring out exactly when illegal immigrants entered the country.
2. Obama is negating the concept of checks and balances with this executive action, thinking that because Congress disagrees with his ideas, he is allowed to enforce whatever he wants on his own.
3. This situation is far different from what any other president had done, and comparing this with similar situations doesn’t work because it is an potentially-unconstitutional executive action.

• Question: How does the government plan to solve the problem stated in my first takeaway?

Economist:

1. The executive action may either be a disastrous mistake, possibly the cause of future government problems as extreme as another government shutdown or Obama’s impeachment because of the soon-to-be Republican Congress, or a clever political move, since it may inspire the soon-to-be Republican Congress to say things that will be detrimental to the party’s popularity.
2. A positive effect of this action is that the money saved from not deporting as many people could be used in other ways, such as increasing border security, expanding the number of work visas, or making it more difficult for immigrants to overstay their visas.
3. This action is seriously regressive in terms of the relationship between President Obama and Congress. With the overtaking of the majority by the Republican Party, it seemed that relations would be at an all-time low, but this executive action may really create problems between the two government branches.

• Question: As asked in the article, which is more important: following the Constitution by-the-book, or doing what’s ethically right and not separating families for the sake of constitutionality?

Final Takeaway

After reading all four articles (two from a liberal news source, one from a conservative news source, and one from a moderate news source), I have many more questions that I do answers, and many more worries regarding not only the conflict in our nation’s government, but also the fates of the people affected by this executive action. Is Obama’s action constitutional, and can it really be carried out? What response will it generate from the Republican Congress in the future, conflict or compromise? Will it work over time? I agree that this action is like none other and that it appears very, very risky. In reality, President Obama should’ve tried reasoning with Republicans in Congress more, before it was too late. Now it’s too late. Then again, maybe Republicans in Congress should have reaches out to the President more. In the end, the blame game doesn’t matter. Hopefully, if this action is successful, it will be a precedent for a possible future bill that will more formally (and more legally) fix this issue, for good. If this action is unsuccessful, perhaps it serves to teach future presidents: always connect with your Congress, no matter what party you’re on. It will make all the difference.

Thanks for reading! I hope you finished your hot (or cold) cocoa and your heart is fully content!

Obama Makes Pledge for Undocumented Immigrants

Undocumented Immigrants Watch and Wait as Obama Makes Long-Awaited Pledge (NY Times)

http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/20/politics/obama-immigration-bush/ (CNN)

Obama Makes Pledge for Undocumented Immigrants

Vocab

Deport - Verb - Expel (a foreigner) from a country, typically on the grounds of illegal status or for

having committed a crime. (NY Times)

CASA de Maryland - a faction that is  immigrant advocacy group (NY Times)

Reprieves - cancel or postpone the punishment (NY Times)

Capitol Hill - the U.S. Congress (CNN)

Bipartisan - cooperation of two political parties that usually oppose each other's policies. (CNN)

Executive Order - a rule or order issued by the president to an executive branch of the government and having the force of law. (CNN)

Subverting - undermine the power and authority of (an established system or institution). (CNN)

Comprehensive - Complete; including all or nearly all elements or aspects of something (CNN)

Key Players

President Obama - his role was pretty much to protect over half of undocumented immigrants in this country by granting temporary residency He took such executive action because he believes that nothing is getting done in congress and the house of senate.

Republican Party - Overall, the Republican party is losing it as they believe the president over stepped his boundary by taking such Executive Action. They are trying at their very best to take him down from his throne and saying he is acting more as a kind.

Takeaways

• President took an executive action in order to grant protection to undocumented immigrants (without the consent of congress)
• Republicans are saying he went too far and he is more of a king that a respectful leader by doing such action
• Come January, Republicans will have a lot of control in the federal government. So he took such action in order to avoid a bigger fuss later on and keep his promise.

Question: What is the limit of executive power in this case? Did he go over by taking this action or did he do the right thing by drastically passing a bill on his own?