Manns Medium

According to an article written by Beth Fouhy, Associated Press titled Goodbye to federal funding for 2012 candidates “a cornerstone of U.S. politics since the 1970s, public funding of presidential campaigns may soon go the way of other relics of the era like long sideburns and lava lamps. Neither President Barack Obama nor any of the leading 2012 Republican contenders is expected to accept federal matching funds and the limits they impose.   Obama's record-breaking fundraising in the 2008 campaign allowed him to abandon the public system in both the Democratic primaries and the general election. With his success as a benchmark, top-tier Republican candidates now are planning to go it alone.   But the emergence of free-spending independent political groups — since the Supreme Court in 2009 cleared the way for unlimited corporate spending in campaigns — is expected to help close the imbalance between Obama and the GOP. Several of the Republicans also have immense personal we...

All of have heard lawmakers claim that judges on the bench should never be activist and when President Obama attempted to nominated now Justices Sotomayor and Kagan, that was the buzz word from those opposed.   Where are these lawmakers now and why are we not hearing them screaming at the top of their lungs.   Where are the legal watchdog groups or those who say that they care about the legal system?   I know where the media is, they are tied up with lottery winners, low unemployment numbers, Japan’s nuclear crisis, the CIA in Libya, the argument over spring versus Easter, the budget battle and the Tea Party Rally.   It’s especially sad when the news of this happening here in the United States in New Orleans, LA was brought to us by a newspaper in the UK.   If you have not already guessed about which I speak, I’m talking about the article written by David Usborne of the United Kingdom’s The Independent titled Years in jail for murder he didn't commit: 18. Compe...

It’s about time we started to hear some good news about the Affordable Care Act and the entire healthcare bill fought for so hard by so many.   So far all we have been able to hear is negativity and even though it may go quite far in helping with ratings, it does nothing for those who are actually affected by it.   It is a good thing but it is also a limited thing because only a small percentage of those affected may be ever able to explain it and those who we depend on to bring us the news may never find this. It’s an article by Mark Jewell, Associated Press Personal Finance Writer titled Retiree health cost estimate falls, for a change which reports “r ising health care costs are a given. But for the first time in 10 years, the outlook is improving for new retirees wondering whether they'll be able to pay their medical bills throughout their retirements.   A 65-year-old couple retiring this year will need $230,000, on average, to cover medical expenses in retirement, ...

David Schwartz of Reuters has alerted us to something that sticks to high heaven in his article titled Arizona enacts ban on abortions based on gender, race .   It reports that “ Arizona Governor Jan Brewer on Tuesday signed into law a controversial bill that makes the state the first in the nation to outlaw abortions performed on the basis of the race or gender of the fetus.   Under the new Arizona statute, doctors and other medical professionals would face felony charges if they could be shown to have performed abortions for the purposes of helping parents select their offspring on the basis of gender or race.”   If truth be told, I think that any parent who wishes to abort because the child is not the race or gender that they want should be held responsible for that ignorant decision but not by man.   She will be held responsible for that decision by a much higher and more just power than any which could be found in the state or federal government. I say Governor...

Lately I have found myself quite bothered by the cable news group and those who are depended on to give us the full story giving us only speculation or flat out lies.   Then this article crossed my path.   It was written by the CNN Wire Staff titled Source CIA operating in Libya, in consultation with opposition. In it they reported that “CIA operatives are providing intelligence from Libya, where opposition forces are on the run and the defiant government suffered the embarrassing defection of its foreign minister Wednesday.   According to the Reuters report, Obama signed the covert aid order, or "finding," within the past few weeks. Such findings are required for the CIA to conduct secret operations, the report said.”   My most trusted information source, MSNBC, made it sound like breaking news and even called it such.   For some who may read this, I am sure you question would be why this is not breaking news?   Simply, it is not breaking news because it ...

When I read this article, I could help but think that there were much more to this than reported.   It appeared to me that this mother may have a janitor in her daily life but left this world as a hero.   The article was from the CNN Wire Staff titled Body of missing Ohio mother found in septic system.   In it is is reported that “t he mother-in-law of a 25-year-old woman found dead in a septic system provided investigators with details where the corpse was located, police said Wednesday.   The mother-in-law, Sandra Inman, along with the woman's estranged husband, William Inman Jr., and the woman's father-in-law, William Inman Sr., were arrested and face kidnapping charges.” My first thought was what could be the reason her estranged husband family would be involved in this incident but when I read that “the mother of three was working as part of a cleaning crew at a local bank on March 22, police said” I then began to wonder if his family had gotten together and tr...

When I came across this article by Matthew Perrone, Associated Press Health Writer titled Medicare to pay for $93,000 prostate cancer drug , I was overwhelmed by not only the cost of the drug but also by the inhumanity of those who make this drug.  They are not inhuman to make it but they are inhuman to charge so much as if trying to put a price tag on life. The article reported that “Medicare officials said Wednesday that the program will pay the $93,000 cost of prostate cancer drug Provenge, an innovative therapy that typically gives men suffering from an incurable stage of the disease an extra four months to live.  The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid said the biotech drug made by Dendreon Corp. is a "reasonable and necessary" medicine. The decision ensures that millions of men would be able to afford the drug through the government-backed health care coverage.”  Personally I think that is the best decision considering a life really does not have a price tag and no ...

Many years ago, Washington seemed to be this closed section of America where the public was only privy to the happenings via the news media but with the invent of social networking and the internet it can be more open and transparent but only if those in Washington learn to use it.   Partisan gridlock was constant then but can be easily removed by now.   The refusal of compromise by one party or another will soon be a thing of the past if the process is more opened to the public.   Issues dear to the public should never be so long and drawn out and should bring the best and the brightest to the table with solutions instead of sound bites.   Andy Sullivan of the Reuters pens an article titled Democrats offer deeper cuts in U.S. budget fight in which he reports that “ President Barack Obama's Democrats on Monday offered to cut another $20 billion from the U.S. budget in an attempt to reach a deal with congressional Republicans that would avert a government shutdown. ...

There are no simple solutions to bullying but there is a simple way to discuss this issue with children when it comes to school yard and cyber bullying.   It is a very short conversation and should be a conversation conducted by parents of those who are accused bullying. According to Dan Olweus, creator of the  Olweus Bullying Prevention Program book titled Bullying at School: What We Know and What We Can Do: "A person is bullied when he or she is exposed, repeatedly and over time, to negative actions on the part of one or more other persons, and he or she has difficulty defending himself or herself.   Bullying can take on many forms.   Students who intentionally bully others should be held accountable for their actions.”     Part of this article also reported that “statistics show that 23 percent of students in grades 4-6 had been bullied "several times" or more; 20 percent had bullied others, 17 percent of students in grades 6-10 reported having been bu...

In Zeina Karam’s article Syrian Cabinet resigns amid unrest for the Associated Press, it reports that “ Syria's Cabinet resigned Tuesday to help quell a wave of popular fury that erupted more than a week ago, threatening President Bashar Assad's 11-year rule in one of the most authoritarian nations in the Middle East.   Assad, whose family has controlled Syria for four decades, is trying to calm the growing dissent with a string of overtures. He is expected to address the nation in the next 24 hours to lift emergency laws in place since 1963 and moving to annul other harsh restrictions on civil liberties and political freedoms.”   These seem to be the same demands made of Mubarak in Egypt by the protestors there.   If Syria paid close attention to the events there, they must have some idea where the Obama Administration may come down on their issue with their citizens.   If this is the case and the president of Syria is already making concessions, it could be overwhe...

Being raised in the south I was always exposed to old wise tales or adages to help guide me through life.   When I repeat these to my children they tend to look at me as if I have lost my mind.   As they mature, they soon recognize that many of these adages still hold true today.   Some but not all. One of the many which has been proven wrong time after time is the old adage that “good guys always finish last”.   This one is no longer true and probably wasn’t when it was first introduced because good guys are typically more content and seldom has to fear any regulators of rules because they are seldom if ever broken.   We honor those “bad boys and girls” with hit TV Shows or block-busting movies but in the end they all will finally pay the ultimate price for their actions.   Ever wonder why a bank robber who gets away clean will finally keeps trying until they get caught?   It’s not because of the thrill, contrary to popular belief, it’s because they ...

An article written by Doug Mataconis for Outside the Beltway.com titled Wisconsin Defies Court Order, Publishes Collective Bargaining Law reports that “w hen a Wisconsin trial court judge struck down Wisconsin’s new collective bargaining law, she   issued an injunction   forbidding the state from both enforcing the law, and from publishing it as part of the official Code of Wisconsin. Despite the fact that the order is still in effect,   the state has gone ahead and published the law” and some reporters and journalist are scrambling to explain how and why this happened.   I think that I might have the answer. Because democrats stayed home in the midterm elections, they door was opened quite wide for the Tea Party and the Republican Party to come on in.   Thinking that they had showed their democratic lawmakers a thing or two, those who stayed home really had no idea what was going to happen.   They all assumed that nothing this drastic would ever come to...

When I first heard about State of Ohio’s H.B. 159, I was truly upset at the possible implications as to a possibly covert way of suppression opposition voters.   Because of that.   I felt the need to comment on it but before I did, want to get a look at the law myself.   Below you will find the law as introduced which means it may or may not be the one enacted either way I found it at www.legislature.state.oh.us/analysis.cfm?ID=129_HB_159&ACT .    I was led to believe that it was an attack on minorities, seniors and the poor to keep them from voting in the 2012 election and beyond.    While it does not appear to be that drastic, there is a portion of it every one of us should be aware of. H.B. 159 * 129th General Assembly (As Introduced) Reps.     Mecklenborg and Blessing BILL SUMMARY ·           Generally requires a person who appears to vote on the day of an election or to vote an...

It was reported several weeks ago that Gadhafi’s days would be numbered if the following things happened.   The first was the defection of fully trained military personnel to provide rebels with some kind of guidance when it comes to military strategies.   The second was when morale began to wan on the pro-Gadhafi side of the equation.   Pam Benson a CNN Senior National Security Producer proves the evidence of this in her article titled   U.S. intelligence sees doubts among Gadhafi's advisers, official says which reports that “ U.S. intelligence sees signs that some of those who are "relatively close to the Libyan leader are questioning whether he has staying power," a U.S. official says.   Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said it best "One should not underestimate the possibility of the regime itself cracking." Another obvious truth to this assertion can be found in Ryan Lucas of the Associated Press article titled Libyan rebels bear down on Gadhafi's ho...

I wondered how my city of Rockford could increase revenue without raising taxes and cutting services, then I ran into this article from Corina Curry of the Rockford Register Star titled Sunday liquor hours extension heads to Rockford City Council.   I picked this article for the title only because it did not prove any real connection to what my article is about.   It did however; allow me to show the city searching for alternatives instead of doing nothing. It has been reported that in Ohio one of its revenue streams came from the state owned liquor stores.   The revenue was reported at $288 million dollars a year which could go a long way in closing state budget gaps.   Now we are looking at the $288 million being the income for the entire State of Ohio and it will not be the amount that comes into Rockford, but just imagine the amount of revenue it could bring in.   It may also help curb some types of crime if those who attempt to rob these stores are acutely...

How often have you asked a friend to help you with a major problem and welcomed them standing by your side through major issues that you faced?   I would say that the number of times is more than anyone may be able to count.   What do you do then when that friend asks you for your help in a situation that they are facing?   Do you say no and ignore their plea for help even after you are reminded of how they stood with you.   If you say that you would step in to help them then you have your answer on what kind of America you want to be. Ben Feller White House Correspondent  for the Associated Press wrote an article titled Obama strongly defends US military action in Libya in which only one quote is necessary.   That quote is ‘ "To brush aside America's responsibility as a leader and — more profoundly — our responsibilities to our fellow human beings under such circumstances would have been a betrayal of who we are," Obama said. "Some nations may be able to...

If you knew that AT&T was more pro-business and less customer relations and opposed things that you favored would you sell out to them?   May be because the Huffington Post was seen as a prominent force in support of President Obama.   I wonder now how Huffington Post will change now that they owe this publication. I asked this question because of the recent email I received from Michael Kieschnick, President of Credo Mobile titled HOW   VERIZON   AND   AT&T   HAVE SUPPORTED THE   RIGHT WING   — AND WHY YOU SHOULD   SWITCH TO CREDO MOBILE in this email what I think was important to see was “d oes your company support politicians   directly   opposed to your values?   Both   AT&T   and  Verizon Wireless  supported politicians who are out to deregulate corporations and scuttle climate change regulation. In 2009-2010, AT&T gave   $426,000   to House and Senate  Tea Party Caucus ...

Believe it or not, I was walking from the kitchen to my small office space when it suddenly occurred to me what that lady meant when she was seen crying on camera yelling “I want my country back”.  It was during the “grassroots” protest of healthcare at town halls all over and it soon became the rally cry for all those signs and some major politicians. I came up with this thought because since that time I had been trying to understand what she and the others meant.  I volunteered to serve this country in the United States Marines as well as knew of others who saw this healthcare debate differently had and were still serving in the military, yet this cry for getting back my or our country did not sound as if it included me or anyone who disagreed with them.  I really wanted to believe that it was only a difference in which party they thought would bring America out of this recession and back stronger than it ever was.  I think now the evidence shows otherwise. It wa...

Since the beginning of this Libyan conflict, I have heard nothing but negativity coming from those in front of the cameras.   Channel to channel finds many of them saying either this president moved too slow or moved too fast, this president is doing too much or is not doing enough.   I was able to convince myself that it was mainly just politics but after reading this article from the CNN Wire Staff titled NATO gets key support as it readies to lead Libya mission , it seems possible that it may be much more than that. Obama promised that the US would take a back seat in the running of this conflict and even though it is clear that he was legit in the way this started, it is rarely, if ever, reported that way.   After 6 days the above referenced article acknowledges what Obama promised “NATO prepared to assume command over the Libya mission Friday as coalition airstrikes pounded targets for a sixth consecutive night.”   I can remember another president promising thi...

While I am certainly for holding responsible those who are supposed to be responsible, there is something about this case that I must disagree with.   According to Jesse Solomon of CNN and his article titled New York child welfare workers charged in historic case , “t wo former child services case workers have been charged in the death of a 4-year-old girl they were supposed to be monitoring. It is the first indictment of child services employees in New York City's history.   Damon Adams and his former supervisor, Chereece Bell, who at the time of the child's death in September were with the city's Administration for Child Services, were charged Wednesday with criminally negligent homicide, official misconduct and endangering the welfare of a child in the death of Marchella Brett-Pierce, Brooklyn District Attorney Charles J. Hynes said in a news release.” The article also reported that “the child's grandmother, Loretta Brett, also was charged. She faces counts of secon...

Religion has always been a subject too many of us disagree on and many use to declare war or dismiss those who oppose their way of thinking.   It was also a subject that many felt needed to be separated from politics, the government, out of school and other private places.   Few ever broach the subject unless you have the title of Reverent, Pastor, Father, Padre and Rabbi along with others that may exist.   For me I think it is sad that we can not have an intelligent conversation about religion without someone trying to force their views on another often by violence.   We are now presented with an opportunity to try and have this conversation again since Tom Breen of the Associated Press penned an article titled Who's in hell? Pastor's book sparks eternal debate which detailed the following.   “ When Chad Holtz lost his old belief in hell, he also lost his job.   The pastor of a rural United Methodist church in North Carolina wrote a note on his Facebook ...

The leaders of Hamas should know by now that they will receive no real outside help in securing a Palestinian state through violence but seem to be still stuck in the past.   According to an article written by Aaron Heller of the Associated Press titled Gaza militants fire rockets deep into Israel “ Hamas, which violently wrested control of Gaza from Abbas loyalists in June 2007, sees the diplomatic standstill as proof that only an armed struggle will win the Palestinians a state.” Apparently they have not learned anything from the people of Egypt and others who used peaceful protests to achieve their goals.   The only reason Egypt turned slightly violent was when they were fired and assaulted first.   Hamas wish to be the first to push violence and wonders why they have not been taken seriously.   They forget that even though Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is their rival, he has been trying to peacefully secure that same goal.   “Abbas, who rules on in t...

For those strategist who can bend others to their will and are looked to as the one person with all of the answers is a calling much unlike those who claim to be have called by God Almighty.   In the arena of people with that kind of clout, I would have to guess Mr. Lutz has achieved that status. It has been reported that many of those now facing recall elections in Wisconsin and some Republicans Governors who have realized they have gone a little too far are calling upon Mr. Lutz to try and help them salvage their political careers.   It will be fun to see if it is possible.   These politicians have been clouded by the money and convinced that with the title of governor or in complete charge of federal and state government houses, they can do whatever they wish and follow the will of those who helped them get elected.   What they missed is the money may have helped them present themselves to more voters but it was simply the voters who put them into office.   ...

So many reports of the conflict in Libya focus on the untrained ragtag group of rebels’ inability to sustain advances and take advantage of the breathing room received from airstrikes.   All of these reports mentioned serious doubt about this conflict ending soon and has become even more increasingly talking about a stalemate between the rebels and the pro-Gadhafi fighters.   I believe that the answer and end game lies in the Associated Press’ Ryan Lucas and Maggie Michael article titled Airstrikes force Gadhafi retreat from key city. The first thing that needs to be understood is how these airstrikes have saved so many lives as evidenced by those who live it every day and by this paragraph where a doctor was quoted.   “A doctor in Misrata said the tanks fled after the airstrikes began around midnight, giving a much-needed reprieve to the city, which is inaccessible to human rights monitors or journalists. He said the airstrikes struck the aviation academy and a vacant l...

As a single father, I am truly upset at some of the reported actions of parents who act long before they think.   It makes those like me who work hard at raising my children to respect another and only using violence to protect themselves feel as though I may be the only one teaching this.   I know that is not the case but rarely do we ever hear or see anything about the decent parents who know that raising children is the most frustrating and yet rewarding job in the world.   This is just one of the indirect damage caused by thoughtless parents. I rail against ignorant when it comes to parenting and choices some make especially stories like this one reported by CNN Wire Staff titled California mother arrested for encouraging son to fight where this lady promoted violence as a solution in her own front yard and was the primary cheerleader while children were hurt and injured.   Her callous actions project a message that it’s okay to settle thing with your fists and...

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In this nation of haves, the want to have and have nots, those in the class of the haves define themselves with having the best that life has to offer but what they don’t realize is the best life has to offer does not come in the form of money or power.   It comes in the form of feeling good about yourself and knowing that you were able to help another person without sacrificing all that you worked so hard to obtain. Your fellow military member jumps on a protect you from a blast of a grenade by shielding you with his/her body and everyone calls him or her a hero.   At the time the choice was made to do that, they were not thinking about being labeled at all.   They were thinking about helping someone that they perceived unable to help themselves and that is the best that life has to offer.   Of course later on the fame and possible fortune will not be turned down but realize that was not the reason it was done.   A firefighter rushes into a collapsing building...