Post #4: "Rick Perry"

This article was written by David Sessions. David is talking about potential Republican nominee, Rick Perry and his eagerness to reignite the argument over federalism. Perry authored the book Fed Up! which is referenced several times in the article. Sessions mainly focuses on the fact that even though Perry is trying to claim federalism and "tries to pain himself the heir of federalists", Perry is actually making strong anti-federalist arguments.


1. Rick Perry thinks Washington has shamelessly abandoned any pretense of respecting the Constitution.
2. Perry is lumping together early constitutional debaters and quoting the people on the losing side. He leans heavily on the warnings of Thomas Jefferson, known for his vehemently anti-federalist pronouncements, about the encroachments of the federal government.
3. Perry would be so supportive of the 10th amendment because his arguments are mainly anti-federalist and the anti-federalists were all about states rights.
4. Because Perry is ignoring a crucial Constitution-bending  necessity in favor of trying to oppose slavery and minimize its transformational impact, it seems weird that Perry would Support Lincoln.

5. Perry's biggest problem with the government is the "tyrants" in the government.

6. The author believes, " Lawyers for George W. Bush’s administration argued that the executive branch has the authority to eavesdrop on American citizens without a warrant, to hold and torture prisoners of war without charge, and to hand captives over to unsavory foreign torturers. The Obama administration not only has shielded Bush officials from prosecution but also has asserted its own prerogative to launch wars without congressional approval, to assassinate American citizens without charge, and to persecute whistleblowers who have tried to reveal serious wrongdoings by their superiors.

7. Perry's top of the agenda is repealing the health care bill Obama passed.

8. According to the author, war is "a love like no other" for Perry. According to Perry, the US underspends for the military and that the Pentagon’s sprawling bureaucracy is both indispensable and infallible. 

9. Sessions believes Perry to be contradictory as well but he also believes that Perry is mocking political arguments.

10. I believe that Perry is a contradictory man who doesn't know what he is trying to say. I think he will do well in the race only because of his notoriety and few hardcore supporters that will vote for him because he is Rick Perry. 

Blog #6 "My Personal Political Ideology"

1. Taxes: Do you feel like people should pay more taxes to support more programs, or less taxes so that people keep more of their own money?
                 I feel that people should pay less taxes because they should be able to have the benefit of thier own money. Most people work hard to provide for their families and The taxes hurt the working poor/lower  middle class the most. The wealthy people have so much money that they give anyway, the taxes dont really bother them. When you raise taxes for programs that help only the "poor people", the working poor/lower middle class (who live paycheck to paycheck) become the people who need the most help but cannot get the financial help needed because they "make too much money". So really, with all of the social programs in place, the people getting the money are better off then those giving money.

2. Spending: Do you feel like the government should spend a lot of money on programs or that the government should cut its spending to pay off its debt.
                 I believe the government should pay off its debts. You cannot spend money you do not have. Being in debt to toher countries is a bad idea to begin with but even more so to countires who have conflicting beliefs that are not compatible. Those countries can have plenty of infuence over the U.S. because we owe them so much money.

3. Military: Do you believe that the US should spend lots of money on its military and maintain a large presence in other countries around the world or that they should stay out of foreign affairs and have a smaller military?
                 I believe that we do need to be involved in foreign affairs because when you don't involve yourself in that you have power-hungry dictators who rise up quietly and try to take over everything, ie. Hitler. No we shoulsn't be fighting everyone's battles for them but we do need to be wary of potential threats to our nation and our allies. As a nation, we need to help our allies and they need to help us, because that is why we are allies in the first place. On the other hand, if there is military just to have military, then we need to butt out.

4. Welfare: Do you think that the government should help those who are less fortunate by providing them with financial assistance or that those people should find a way to help themselves without using other people’s tax money.
                  If someone truely is working hard to get by and is just not making it, the government should help them by getting them what they need to help themselves. A good comparison is the fish saying. You give a hungry man a fish and he is fed for a day. If you teach a man to fish he is fed for a lifetime. Instead of just handing over taxpayer's money for the people to use how they feel necessary, give them the tools they need to help themselves. There are actually people who need the system to provide for themselves and their families, but they are a very small minority. Most people on these social programs are just being lazy and working the system so that the government pays for everything and they dont have to be responsible for themselves.

5. Gun Rights: Do you think that every person should have unrestricted rights to own guns and take them where they want to or do you think that the government should put more restrictions on people’s right to own a gun?
                  I believe that no one should reestrict you from owning a gun. That is a constitutional law, the right to bear arms. I do believe however, that the government should be able to restrict where you can or cannot take said weapon, especially at schools, bars, places of worship and other places similar. The restriction of where you can or cannot take a gun is a safety issue and not a "just because someone wants to repress your rights."

6. Homosexual Rights: Do you think that the government should make sure that homosexuals are not discriminated against, including the right to marry whoever they want to, or do you think that the government should stay out of this issue and people should be allowed to discriminate against homosexuals and even ban homosexual marriage?
                  I think that this particular question is touching two different issues; discrimination and gay marriage. When talking about discrimiantion you have to take everyone in consideration. Protection from discrimination should be allowed to all peoples of any race, gender, age, religion, disability or lack there of, and anything else I missed. Now, gay marriage is different. The actual definition of marriage is a union between a man and a woman. By definition and law gay marriage isn't legal but I do believe that the definition and law should change to allow homosexuals to marry because you cannot help who you fall inlove with.

7. Prayer in schools: Do you think that there should be prayer in schools at things like sporting events, assemblies, graduations, or over the intercom, or do you think there should be no prayer in schools at all so as not to make people with different religious beliefs uncomfortable?
                  I believe that there should be the option as to whether or not people can pray. Unless a person is athiest, almost everyone else prays to someone or something. Who is to say that people pray only to God or no one. Anyone can pray to whomever or whatever they want and believe in. That option should not be taken away from anyone because the people of the U.S. have a right to practice their religion where they want.

8. Abortions: Do you believe that a woman should have the right to choose to terminate a pregnancy if she does not want to have a baby, or that abortions should be illegal because an unborn baby’s rights should be protected?
                  I have a idealistic opinion about this topic. I believe in what pro-choice is supposed to be, not what it actually is. If women actually were given all of her options and told the consequenes of all her actions and still wanted an abortion, then that is her INFORMED choice. There is more you can do than just have an abortion. Women have other options.

9. War on Drugs: Do you believe that the government should do everything in its power to stop the trafficking of illegal drugs by severely punishing those who posses or sell them, or do you think that drug use is a “victimless crime” and that the government should focus on other types of crime?
                  There is no such thing as a "victimless crime". The possession, usage, and distribution of illegal drugs is a major factor in thefts, homicides, and other crimes.

10. Rights of the Accused: Do you think that accused criminals should be able to appeal their convictions and possibly go free if there were problems in their prosecution, or that the courts already do too much to let people off the hook on technicalities?
                  Everyone has the right to appeal their cases. The law is supposed to be completely unbiased and give everyone the same treatment regardless if they are the victim or the criminal.   
11. Rights of Accused Terrorists: Do you think that people accused of being terrorist have the same rights as US citizens and should be given fair trails and protected from things like torture, or do you think that the US should do all that it can to stop terrorism everywhere in the world?

                  First off, the question isn't clear as to wether or not the alleged terrorist is a U.S. citizen already or not. If they are not, then of course that shouldn't have the rights of a U.S. citizen because they are not one. If they are a U.S. citizen, then I should hope that the government is doing everything in its power to find out if said person is actually a terrorist or not. If the person is then that person needs to held accountable for his or her crimes. This does not mean that it is okay to be sadistic and torture people for absolutely no reason. Torture should be a very last resort and only if the only other option is death. There are other ways of making people talk. I believe that you have to have plausable evidence of a person actually being a terrorist before extreme extreme measures are taken.

12. Which of the two main ideologies do you think best describes your political beliefs?
                  Conservative

13. What is the main source of most of the political beliefs that you have described?
                   My faith in God and my family. The way i was raised influences how I perceive right and wrong and what common sense is. My beliefs are a reflection of what I believe is common sense.