redblueamerica.com

I saw a news report the other day that sparked my interest.  The report was about a bill making its way through congress to increase the mandatory roof strength for SUVs in order to better protect the occupants.  As a car lover with a degree in engineering this peeked my interest.

I know there are smart people out there in RBA land. 

What is the legal basis for impeaching Supreme Court Justices?

Well, this isn’t going to be a barn-burner.  But despite the academic nature and rather esoteric specifics, I believe the topic is an important one and that is why I am writing it.  It is rather long and somewhat (ok, a lot) dry; and for that I apologize in advance.  My desire, however is that you read it, even in installments because, even if you disagree with my pontific

John McCain’s campaign, distilled, is stay the course (because it worked so well over the last eight years?!?) and bi-partisan cooperation.

Barack Obama’s campaign, distilled, is change and bi-partisan cooperation (despite being the recently recognized as the most partisan Democrat Senator).

Really the only thing bi-partisan about the candidates, however, is that they are from both parties but normally vote the same way.  But in Washington, where Bill Clinton can re-define the word ‘it’ (or was it ‘is’?), I guess that can be considered bi-partisan.

Most thinking people are tired of neither party having realistic solutions.  On many issues they are the same – NAFTA, illegal immigration, global warming, mortgage bailout, campaign finance reform, etc.  On many other issues they are opposite to the point of not being realistic – Iraq, I guess they are more similar than I thought.  Basically, bi-partisanship has become is a catch phrase for the parties continuing to work together in order to accomplish more nothing.

Do I have a solution?  Yes, thank you for asking.

Senators and Representatives,

I hesitate to admit it but I registered to vote as a Republican in California on my 18th birthday. I have voted in every election since then but much has changed. I am now registered as an Unaffiliated voter in Alaska and will not register or in any other way support either political party without drastic changes.  I will tell you why.

WATCHING POLITICS:This year, for the first time in my life, I will not be “throwing my vote away”

 My first voting experience was probably similar to many “civically conscious” youths - I needed help from someone I looked up to.  It’s not because I couldn’t understand the ballot or found my “chads” hanging.  I needed help understanding “the system.”  You know what I am talking about; I needed to figure out how this whole democracy thing really works.