Blog Post 2.4 "Pork Barrel Legislation!"

This article was written by Daniel Stone. It is talking about the Tea Party and why they are upset about the budget. It also talks about the pork projects being requested by House leaders and other Representatives. It also shows how some of the GOP candidates are using pork barrel and trying to cut the bdget at the same time. Basically, the whole thing is abut how on the outside, most of the Tea Party congressmen want to cut the spending but privately want more spending in their constituency.

1. He is supposed to help the Speaker of the House and lead his party in the House of representatives.

2. Because his constituency is in Virginia and not in Nevada.

3. Because the members of the House have to simultaneously help thier constituents and do work in Washington, the budget isn't really getting cut and the Tea Party members are upset that the budget isnt being cut.

4. Both John Boehner (The Speaker of the House) and Darrell Issa (The Oversight and Government Reform Committee chairman) both asked for pork projects.

5. Because pork projects have nothing to do with the party as a whole. Pork projects are for a Congressman's constituency.

6. because he is a very far right person, he believes that all spending should be cut and asking for pork projects is a direct contradiction of that belief.

7. Republicans are outwardly opposed to the stimulus package but are orivately happy about it because they can can put it in their constituency.

8. It's kind of a "does this out weigh that?" thing. They are not acting on their beliefs but they are benefiting from it.

Blog Post 2.3 "Congress and Potential Policies"

The article is written by Chris Good. Good talks about the GOP candidates and why their plans wouldn't work or only have a slight chance of working. It also talks about the discord in Congress and how unwilling all parties are to work together to pass laws that would actually do the country some good instead of run it into the ground. Especially in the Senate where the Democrats have the mojority. At the end of the article there is a slideshow of the GOP candidates's plans and why they would never work or only have a slight chance of working.

1. They believe that if the Republicans win the Senate Democrats will be very unwilling to cooperate and won't repeal Obamacare and the Dodd-Frank financial reform bill.

2. The president can't make or even really introduce laws. Thats is Congress's job.
3. 33 Senate seats will be up for the 2012 election.

4. 11 seats could actually change hands.

5. In order to get anything done in the Senate, you have to have atleast 60 guarenteed votes.
6. By allowing younger citizens to not have Social Security it would lessen the ammount of people on it and therefore more money would be avaliable.

7. Because Perry and Cain havent said anything about repealing Obamacare, their plans are more aggreable than Romney's plan.

8. Obamacare can only be repealed if the Republicans can get more than 60 Senate seats and keep their House majoity. Even then it will still be tricky because people refuse to acknowledge that Obamacare is socialist medicine.

9. Republicans don't like it because Grover Norquist doesn't approve and everyone else doesn't like it because it actually raises taxes for certain people. It hurts poor people.

10. Mitt Romney because I know him the best (other than Rick Perry but seriously, who has land named that??) and because he wants to repeal Obamacare.