Blog Post # 3: "The Constitution Today"

                 This article discusses many different topics. Strengel brings up current political topics and how we use the Constitution to argue for and against them. We use the constitution to debate the validity of being in Libya, the debt ceiling, Obamacare, and immigration. The article goes in depth of the topics and how we relate them to the Constitution.

INTRO:

1. Stengel claims the Tea Party has turned America's attention back toward the Constitution.
2. Those who believe the Constitution should be interpreted only as the drafters understood it are called "constitutional originalists".

3. Texas Congressman Ron Paul says the intent of the Constitution is to restrain the federal government. Stengel disagrees and says in turn said the framers strengthened the federal government and weakened the states.
LIBYA:

4. The War Powers Resolution requires the president to remove U.S. troops from armed hostilities if Congress has not given its approval within sixty days.
5. Obama thinks the situation in Libya does not meet the threshold of hostilities in the Legislation so the resolution does not apply.

6. Stengel explains that the War powers resolution is supposed to counter what Johnson and Nixon did in Vietnam. Congress felt manipulated and wanted to affrim its power as the war-declaring body.
7. Congress is trying to have it both ways. On the one hand, Congress wants to reassert its primacy. On the other hand, It does not really know if it wants the action in Libya to stop or not. Constitutionally, Congress cannot commit troops anywhere so the question of whether or not Congress wants to is a moot point.
DEBT CEILING:

8. Defaulting on our debt would be unconstitutional because it faces one of the few absolute proscriptions in the Constitution. Section 4 of the 14th amendment says "The validity of public debt of the United States, authorized by law including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned."
9. The party in power is always against raising the debt limit and the party in power is always for it. This causes the party in power to usually win the argument over the debt limit.
OBAMACARE:

10. Obama's Health Care plan has been said to be unconstitutional because of the arguement "the government cannot compel citizens to do things or buys things simply because we are here."

11. The government requires us to purchase things because they can require us to pay taxes, serve on juries, and register for the draft.
12. Stengel believes that not buying insurence is a private decision to do nothing and that impacts the rest of the nation by basically taxing people who have insurence because it raises the cost of hospital care and insurance premiums.
IMMIGRATION:

13. Jus soli means that if you're born within the borders of a country, you're automatically a citizen.
14. The 14th amendment makes the U.S. a jus soli nation.
15. SInce the 14th amendment is a reconstruction amendment, its original intent was to establish that former slaves were indeed citizens and entitled to all the rights of citizenship, including voting.

16. A code of laws differs from a constitution because a code of laws says you have to stop at the red light; a constitution has broad principles that are unchanging but that must accommodate each new generation and circumstance.

Post #2: "Cornel West and Barack Obama"

       This is a column about Cornell West and his intense critisims against Obama. West was a huge advocater of Obama during thw 2008 elections, but West has become increasingly more irate with our president. The column explains what West's accusations have done to the African American population in their views and how Obama's supporters have recently been fighting back against West. Many people disagree with West's actions and believe his critisims are not what is best for this country because they "will not inpact the reelection of Barack Obama. That is simply not an option." says the Ogletree for Obama and West.

1. African Americans

2. The percentages. 17% unemployment for African Americans and 11% immenient forclosure.

3. An organization representing the African American members of the US Congress

4. The poor people of the US.

5. He is placing apathy in the hearts of African Americans and causing them to lose heart in the political system.

6. They do not think Obama has helped the economy at all.

7. They may be doing it for the publicity and to their own ends instead of for the poor people

8. Cornell West is criticizing Obama about everything he is doing. West is influencing a lot of people and that's isn't good for reelections.

9. Someone who is very vocal and persuasive about certain topics or issues and influences a vast number of people to have the same opinions as he/she

10. I think he could be a little less destructive and a lot more constructive in his criticisms. He could also accept an invitation from the president and talk all of this over.

Post #1 Obama and the Debt Ceiling

     Krugman begins the article with a comment about the deal about the federal debt ceiling.  He says the deal will depress the economy further and will make America's long tern deficit problem even worse. He then goes on to talk about how the spending cuts without added revenue is depressing the economy further.  Krugman goes back to discuss the actual terms of the deal which brings up his opinion on why the president surrendered. He begins to talk about how the Republican party continues to threaten the president in order to dictate the policies they want to get across. He maintains that we are witnessing a catastrophe on many levels. He ends with saying the Democratic party wont be the only losers and questions the validity of America's democracy if the Republicans can get away with basically blackmailing the president.

1. The federal debt celing is the total limit applied to nearly all federal debt.

2. According to the New Republic magazine, America doesn't have a long term deficit problem. http://www.tnr.com/article/politics/93365/no-long-term-deficit-problem

3. Krugman believes the worst thing you can do during a bad economy is slash government spending.

4. Krugman says the president surrendered to the Republicans because he gave into their demands when they made their threats.

5. Defense spending is the same thing as military spending. Military spending is how much money America spends on "beefing up" the military and what percent of the GDP (gross domestic product) it is.

6. The G.O.P is a short for the Grand Old Party, or the Republican party.

7. It is my understanding that Krugman is most upset over how quickly the president is to give in to the demands and threats of the Republicans.

8. Medicare is medical insurance for people over 65 and young people with certain disabilities and any age with permanent kidney failure (called “End-Stage Renal Disease”)

9. Krugman concludes by questioning America's democracy and if it truly works since the Republicans have gotten away with such blackmail just to dictate policies. 

10. I believe his political opinions are those of the Democratic party. He isn't afraid to call out our president on what he believes isn't right.