Cyber Security

There are so many things going on in the Whitehouse that you would think sooner or later they would get a break, but that is certainly not the case. Now they are on to cyber security. Although many people are applauding Obama for his actions on getting cyber security under control this early in his administration it makes me wonder what other Presidents did. Jim Langevin, co-chair of the House of Cyber Security Caucus, states that, “no single official oversees cyber security policy across the federal government.” President Obama is going to have to get someone to fill this position that has been vacant for a while now. This needs to be someone with cyber security credentials. This person will, I hope, work closely with all other Security advisors as well as the National Security Council. Also if there is for whatever reason a breach of any kind this appointed person will have the authority to shut down the internet.

President Obama asked for a 60-day review of structures for cyber security. The Cyberspace Policy Review stated this meant, “Cybersecurity policy includes strategy, policy, and standards regarding the security of and operations in cyberspace, and encompasses the full range of threat reduction, vulnerability reduction, deterrence, international engagement, incident response, resiliency, and recovery policies and activities, including computer network operations, information assurance, law enforcement, diplomacy, military, and intelligence missions as they relate to the security and stability of the global information and communications infrastructure.”

As we all know our nation’s security and prosperity depends on the stability and security of infrastructure that are largely privately-owned and globally operated. As long as we are willing to safeguard these infrastructures with balance for all parts of our government any cyber hacking will be easily stopped. Melissa Hathaway who conducted the review stated, “We now have a strong and common view of what is needed to achieve change. Ensuring that cyberspace is sufficiently resilient and trustworthy to support U.S. goals of economic growth, civil liberties and privacy protections, national security, and the continued advancement of democratic institutions requires making cybersecurity a national priority.” There are a few things, in my eyes, that will need to be done.

1. An official needs to be appointed to oversee all changes and help to review laws that will strengthen accountability.

2. Americans need to know that there is a threat or risk. Like people have said all along a well informed public is the key to a strong democracy.

Now once all key factors come together then Americans and our government can all have the satisfaction knowing that our world is safe to use and we can transfer all digital information without being scared.

No Cheating Democrats

This blog is written by Ann Coulter, who is the author of seven New York Times bestsellers. She is a litigator for the Center for Individual Rights in Washington D.C. dedicated to defense of individual rights with emphasis on freedom of speech, civil rights, and freedom of religion. Ann Coulter also has a blog that is widely known for her strong views about Democrats. Ann is a little ticked off by the “extra votes” found by a heavily Democratic town. She is directing this blog to everyone really. It seems she would like to get a rise out of Democrats and she would like for the Replublicans to know she is on their side. Throughout the whole blog she references different events that show how Democrats cheated their way in politics. Most people by the end of this article would be outraged by how many re-votes and different elections that were held in order to correct the mistakes.

To me the basic argument is that Democrats are willing to do anything to make sure that only Democrats win, even cheat. As you read the blog you can see tons of different instances where an election was won by a Republican and the Democrats are the ones who want a recount, or who want them to vote again. After reading this blog I kind of feel as if some Republicans have been taken advantage of. The government should step in and make sure that all voting is done correctly the first time and there should be a better way of checking to see if the counts are correct.

To me Ann does a good job in getting people to see that what is going on is wrong and that something should be done. I did not know that there was so much power on the Democratic side to make certain states re-vote. I also cannot believe after all that has happened the Government has not already out something in place to stop it all. As we all know being an elected official is a chore in its self. Having to have people vote for you is hard enough, but try having to get them to do it twice. I do not think any one wins here. People may think that the Democrats are winning, but really they are hindering the Government from working properly.

For complete story please go to: http://www.anncoulter.com/cgi-local/article.cgi?article=289

Economic Policy

Phil Kerpen an economic policy analysis wrote this article hoping it would reach all Americans. Phil is known for sayings things like, “Be afraid, be very afraid of the Obama Administration.” Mr. Kerpen works for Fox news that has been out since 1996. Fox news is shown in about one hundred and two million households with the slogan of “fair and balanced.” The argument that Kerpen is stressing is that another stimulus is not going to help our economy any more than any of the others have. In the 1930’s, the Government, had a spending package that some people say sent the U.S. into the “Great Depression.” The most recent stimulus package was sent out by President Bush hoping to get Americans to spend again. Bush thought that when people started to spend it would boost our economy. Phil Kerpen is expressing that if we have stimulus package two it is going to hurt Americans even more. Kerpen lets us see how unemployment will rise even with the stimulus package two. Also how taxes will rise and inflation will skyrocket.

When Kerpen wrote this article is stated that, “Unemployment was at 9.6% , and is 16.5 percent if you include people who have given up looking for work and part-time workers who wish they were full-time.” I myself searched the numbers on unemployment and found that the number most recent is 9.7% and will hit more than 10% by end of 2009. It is true that businesses are continuing to stash money, close facilities, and not invest as much as before.

This article was great in convincing me and I am sure others to understand how much the stimulus package can hurt us if we do it again. I did not realize where the money came from and where we would get the money back. I knew that we have a deficit that is way beyond most people imagination, but I do think that if we do not start pay off our debt now it is going to hurt our kids in the future. Now having kids of my own makes me look at how the government is spending all of this money and how is it going to affect people in the future. I do not want my kids paying for what craziness that we caused now.

Even now I am not excited about paying higher taxes, and I do not want the government denying my wish to save. This argument is whether or not the stimulus package would hurt Americans. I learned a little about how the government gets back the money that it spends.

I do not think that any one wins this political process. With a deficit of over a trillion dollars and the possibility of raising taxes no one would win.

Sonia Sotomayor ~ Could Be Supreme Court Judge

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/07/13/sotomayor.hearing/index.html

When I walk past the court house I look up and see Lady Justice and how she is blindfolded and her scales are equal it makes me happy to know that justice is equal. To me it is amazing how much controversy you see in the White House over who is going to be named Supreme Court Judge. I have been following this story since President Obama nominated Sonia Sotomayor for Supreme Court Judge. There are many people who think that Mrs. Sotomayor will not be a good judge because of her possible indication of bias on gender or race. She has been known for saying, “a wise Latina woman should be able to reach a better ruling than a white man,” and for the wide spread “white firefighter” case. The New Haven firefighter case is not simply an issue of preference for minorities -- it was an issue of whether New Haven would be sued for possibly having a test that was prejudicial to minorities. I have two things to say about that: one, no written test can completely determine someone's ability to lead other people. I could do brilliantly on the GEDs, for example, but that doesn't qualify me to be the head of an English department. Secondly, many legal scholars believe that the ruling (which wasn't just Sotomayor) was far more in keeping with the law -- whether you agree with that law and precedent than the one issued by the Supremes. It is hard to choose a side on whether or not Sonia Sotomayor should be a Supreme Court Judge. I do believe that as a Latino woman she should be proud of where she is and how much of a role model she is being for other women today. I also think that when she said,” her personal and professional experiences help her listen and understand, with the law always commanding the result in every case” says a lot about her work. I hope that I never have to go before the Supreme Court, but if I did I would be glad that there is a Judge that is rigorously committed to applying the law. I think it is important for citizens to know who is appointed to the highest court and who is upholding the law of our country.