But that’s the last thing Republicans want.
By Jack E. Lohman
What’s done is done, and we can thank Massachusetts voters for sending the message. Obama has not been keeping his promises, but maybe now he will.
Campaign Finance Reform: Don’t even think about moving forward without getting the political bribes out of the system. If the [...]

Good or bad idea?
The Hiil-Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) outlined his vision for a new “Contract With America” after calling for a revival of the GOP’s 1994 campaign manifesto.
After having talked about releasing a new version of the contract, Gingrich took to the pages of the conservative Newsmax magazine to lay out his new [...]

The original Tea Party was not for profit! What would the original brave souls think of Palin charging a 100k to speak
NPR….The main mover behind the event, Nashville attorney Judson Phillips, has been the target of stinging critiques from Tea Party activists who complain about the $549 registration fee. What’s more, it’s a separate $349 [...]

What should be done?
NPR-A new study reports a sharp increase in the number of U.S. troops evacuated for psychiatric reasons in both Iraq and Afghanistan.
In fact, more troops were evacuated for mental health problems in 2007 than for combat injuries. That’s according to a Johns Hopkins study recently published in the Lancet.
The rise in [...]

Out of control!
TheHill-Senate Democrats will vote to increase the nation’s debt limit to a record $14.3 trillion Thursday, one day after President Barack Obama emphasizes fiscal responsibility in his State of the Union address.
The Senate will vote to push the federal debt ceiling up by $1.9 trillion. Without the hike, the government could [...]

Why not?
(AFP) – Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger suggested California could ease its crowded prison system by sending thousands of undocumented inmates to specially built jails in Mexico.
Speaking to reporters at the Sacramento Press Club, Schwarzenegger said California could ease its strained finances by a billion dollars if 20,000 illegal immigrants currently held in [...]

What would Jesus say? The sad part is Baurer does make some valid points.
McC-South Carolina Republican Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer said Saturday he could have chosen his words more carefully when he compared people who take public assistance to stray animals Friday.
But Bauer, in an interview with The State Saturday, said a [...]

Is Obama moving right?
Politico-Sen. Mike Crapo (Idaho) sees “potential for good common ground.” Rep. Jason Chaffetz (Utah) said there were policies that he would be “right there with.” Rep. Dave Camp (Mich.) praised some trade paths that would create jobs in the United States.
These are Republicans. And yes, they had some praise for President [...]

What does this say about the future?
MSN-Barack Obama prepares to deliver his first State of the Union address Wednesday night, he will be speaking to an American public that’s fed up with Congress, the country’s two main political parties, and the federal government, according to a new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll.
Only 28 percent [...]

UPDATE!
I would like to thank Maureen Downey for cross posting my article and posting about our a friendly debate on the issue at the AJC.
Friendly debate: A single academic track or multiple tracks?
READ MORE
Our high schools are facing skyrocketing drop out rates, declining test scores, and limited tax revenue (because of the recession). No [...]

Will Cheney will go nuts! NECONS do not do nuance!
FT-General Stanley McChrystal, the Nato commander in Afghanistan, has raised the prospect that his troop surge will lead to a negotiated peace with the Taliban.
Gen McChrystal will urge his allies to renew their commitment to his strategy at a conference in London this [...]

What do you think?
McC-For months, Jerry Brown has said he’s been in no hurry to declare his candidacy for California governor, even as his Republican rivals poured millions of dollars into their gubernatorial campaigns.
That low-key strategy is now sparking concern from some state Democrats, who fear Brown will suffer the same fate [...]

Why no real reform!
THEHILL-America’s largest insurance companies spent millions more on lobbying last year as lawmakers debated healthcare reform, lobbying disclosure records show.
Overall, the companies increased lobbying spending by an average of 24 percent from 2008 to 2009, according to an analysis by The Hill of disclosure reports released this week. The list includes insurance [...]

Who will win?
HP- After months of speculation that popular talk show host and former Rep. JD Hayworth might challenge Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) for his senate seat, Hayworth took the first concrete step by resigning from his talk radio show Friday night. Later, he told reporters that he is not ready to make a formal [...]

Sounds like Bart and SgtMac!
McC-Like Gov. Sean Parnell and a number of Republican legislators down in Juneau, I’m SUPER mad about the federal government and its “war with Alaska’s interests.”
Memo to the feds: Get out of our lives! We don’t need you and your socialist government programs! We’re Alaskans! We know how [...]