Joe Biden Meets the Press

Senator Joe Biden, Vice Presidential nominee for the Democratic party, appeared on Meet the Press yesterday.  Moderator Tom Brokaw started the program off and showed his Republican colors immediately by talking about the Republican Vice Presidential nominee, Sarah Palin. 

 

Brokaw then questioned Senator Biden about the surge in Iraq and the full situation there and tried to get Senator Biden to admit the surge was working.  Biden proved to be an expert on foreign affairs and pointed out how Sen. Obama and his original position is turning out to have been the correct one concerning the Iraq War and the surge.  Senator Biden pointed out John McCain had no plan concerning Iraq on withdrawal or how to end the war there.  In short, Biden made Brokaw look like the ill informed reporter he has become.  As a matter of fact, Brokaw had a problem reading his own notes on the questions he wanted to ask --- Tim never had that problem. 

 

Mr. Brokaw then asked about the divisive issue Republicans turn to election after election: abortion.  Senator Biden was sharp as a tact on the issue.  He pointed out his belief and said religion is a private matter and would not try to influence other people belief's on the issue.  Biden also said he does not talk about his religion while campaigning.  The Senator from Delaware made the best response on the issue of abortion I have ever heard from a politician.  To people with common sense and those who wish to return to sanity, it should be the final word concerning abortion. 

 

This was a unfortunately a probable preview of what Tom Brokaw will be like when he moderates one of the Presidential debates.  He will more than likely show his Republican colors there, too.  Hopefully I'm wrong, but after being a journalist for many years, it's a sad fact that Brokaw can not bring himself to be objective.  

Ron Paul----My Take

Today, I continue the "My Take" series with a look at internet phenomenon, Ron Paul. Paul is a Texas Congressman and was the Libertarian candidate for President in 1988. Paul is currently running as a Republican, although a much different Republican from every other GOP contender in the field. Recently, Paul's campaign has been energized by raising $4.2 million in a single day (setting a new political record) as well as the fact that Paul is on the rise in New Hampshire polling (currently ahead of Fred Thompson and Mike Huckabee at around 8% support).

The truth is that I have very mixed feelings about Ron Paul. I love the fact that he is strongly opposed to the Iraq War and wants to bring our troops home. Paul is also 100% correct on issues such as domestic surveillance and the Patriotic Act. However, on most other issues, Paul is dead wrong.

For example, I completely disagree with Paul's position that the U.N. and NATO are evil and that we need to immediately withdraw from them. Also, while the abolition of the income tax is a grand idea in theory, when it comes right down to it, where is the government going to get the money to do the things that the government needs to do? We would be forced to borrow even more money from foreign countries which leads to a host of all other kinds of problems.

A huge issue I would question Paul on is the issue of abortion. His position seems directly contrary to his Libertarian and Constitutionalist values. Doesn't the Constitution guarantee an individual his/her right to privacy? Doesn't the government have no place to get involved in a individual's personal life according to the Libertarian platform? If Paul believes in the Constitution, why is he staunchly opposed to a woman's right to choose, which is protected under the right to privacy? I don't think anybody is personally in love with the idea of a woman having an abortion, but it is a fact that abortion is a necessary choice for a woman to have.

Another issue that Ron Paul is dead wrong on is the issue of universal healthcare. Paul has said that if the government just stays out of the healthcare world, then somehow more people would be able to afford healthcare. It is simply insane to think that the healthcare crisis will simply fix itself; it won't. As far as I'm concerned, healthcare should be a constitutional right guaranteed to every American. It is literally a life or death matter. To think that there are people who die because they do not have access to quality healthcare is something that everyone should be outraged at. I admit, sometimes the government gets involved where it shouldn't, but healthcare is one area where it is essential for the government to act and act quickly. Universal healthcare is long overdue in this country and I can only hope that in 2008 America elects a President who will bring about it.

I'll close by saying something else positive about Ron Paul besides his opposition to the Iraq war and domestic surveillance. Paul, unlike most of the GOP candidates, is someone who I feel is being true to himself. Paul's positions have been consistent and he's not afraid to speak his mind and speak it forcefully. Although I may disagree with him on many issues, I truly have a lot of respect for his honesty and boldness. America needs a leader who is not afraid to stand up for what he/she believes in and, love him or hate him, Paul does just that. In fact, Paul may be the only Republican in years to do that. Thats why I feel it really is a shame that Paul doesn't have a chance to do better in the nomination process. For once I would like to see the Republicans nominate someone who at least tries to work for the good of the American people. The last thing I'll say though is that I don't think Paul is just going to go away. As I've said before, I could see him running as a third party candidate in the general election, which would be interesting to say the least.

Are democrats better at lowering abortions than the GOP?

While watching a CNN special last night, titled, "God's Warriors: Christians", I was a actually taken aback when an evangelist preacher suggested that its democrats who would be better at lowering abortions than the republicans who use it as a major issue in their campaigns. As I said, I never thought I would hear those words, especially from a preacher, but after reflecting on it I began to realize, that indeed, he had a good point.

Conservative Republicans have been running for years on the abortion issue, claiming they are pro-life and will end abortion. Yet strict conservatives have held the presidency the last 19 out of 27 years and nothing has been done yet. People need to come to the realization that abortion is a woman's right protected by our Constitution. While the courts could overturn Roe v. Wade, its highly unlikely that they ever would. Its been a key precedent for over 3 decades, and conservatives have had control of the Supreme Court for most of that time. What I'm getting at is that I would be willing to bet, like it or not, that abortion, as a right for every woman, will never be made illegal. So what is the next best thing?

Well one has to look at the statistics for that answer. It is a proven fact, that most women who commit abortions are below the poverty line, unable to pay for medical bills for the child, or simply unable to support a child period. There are other reasons, such as a women's life, that are also causes for abortion, but poverty is an issue that no one can dismiss. And who is better at helping the poor? The democrats. The democrats fight for healthcare for all, payed for by the government. They support (and recently have been successful at) raising the minimum wage significantly. They support taking away the Bush tax cuts for those who make over $200,000 and use that money back to assist people who make under $40,000. They support reduced college and other education costs. Just think if all those things were to happen, and they look like they will if a democrat is elected in 2008, what a difference it could make in the number of abortions. Those that think abortion is something a woman would enjoy or want to do is beyond me. I can only imagine that it would be the most difficult thing a woman would ever have to go through, and the same from the position of the father. Lets treat the source of the problem, and not try to make completely un-reasonable and untruthful promises. Maybe those who call themselves "pro-life" should think again before they vote for those who say they will end abortion, but never have, and likely, never will.

Define Pro-Life

This is a topic which is obviously very sensitive, but after something that happened to me today personally, I feel I need to address it. I was confronted today by someone who blatantly asked me whether if I was pro-life, it was an out of the blue question and an awful way to start a conversation, but I answered nonetheless. I told this person, I am pro-choice. He immediately jumped on me and called me "anti-life". After being taken a little back by his response, I quickly said, no I'm not anti-life, I'm just not what people like to define as "pro-life".

These same people who will try to force into your head about being pro-life, are mostly hypocrites. I say this because it is those same "holier-than-thou" people who support this War, which leads to unnecessary American deaths. These same people will eat you alive if you mention gun-control, which would reduce shootings, and hence lead to less deaths. And what about when a mother faces death if an abortion does not occur? I am anti-war, I am pro-gun control, and when it comes to abortion, I firmly believe in a woman's right to choose. The Government has no right to tell a woman how to live with her on body.

At the same time, please don't get me wrong, I'm not saying everyone should just go get an abortion to solve all their problems. Prevention is the best policy, but for reasons, mainly health, abortion needs to remain legal. I ask those who use "pro-life" to look more carefully at their beliefs, because then I think they would find the true people who stand up for life, are those who are "pro-choice".