PBS: NewsHour- Lisa Dejardins: 'What Will Happen in the Next Senate'

Source:PBS NewsHour- political editor and reporter Lisa Dejardins.

Source:The New Democrat 

"The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and television program distributor.[6] It is a nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educational television programming to public television stations in the United States, distributing series such as American Experience, America's Test Kitchen, Antiques Roadshow, Arthur, Barney & Friends, Between the Lions, Cyberchase, Clifford the Big Red Dog, Downton Abbey, Wild Kratts, Finding Your Roots, Frontline, The Magic School Bus, The Kidsongs Television Show, Masterpiece Theater, Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, Nature, Nature Cat, Nova, the PBS NewsHour, Peg + Cat, Reading Rainbow, Sesame Street, Teletubbies, Keeping up Appearances and This Old House.[7]

PBS is funded by a combination of member station dues, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, National Datacast, pledge drives, and donations from both private foundations and individual citizens. All proposed funding for programming is subject to a set of standards to ensure the program is free of influence from the funding source.[8]

PBS has more than 350 member television stations, many owned by educational institutions, nonprofit groups both independent or affiliated with one particular local public school district or collegiate educational institution, or entities owned by or related to state government." 

From Wikipedia 

"NewsHour Political Editor and Reporter Lisa Desjardins says that if Republicans gain control of the Senate, we can look to see both the Keystone Pipeline and medical device tax factor strongly into their strategy. Alabama, Desjardins adds, will also benefit from senior Republicans potentially gaining high-profile seats in Senate leadership." 

From the PBS NewsHour 

What will happen in the next Congress, a united Republican Congress as far as Republicans controlling both the House of Representatives and Senate, will be based on what Speaker John Boehner and Leader Mitch McConnell actually want to get done and get passed out of Congress and signed into law. And what they want to try to pass by themselves with mostly if not all Republican votes in both the House and Senate and try to force Senate Democrats who will be brand new to the minority, to try to block, or force President Obama to veto partisan legislation.

President Obama is smart to invite Speaker Boehner and Leader McConnell down to the White House this week to try to see where they may be able to work together in the next Congress. But the fact is Republicans are in charge of Congress and Congressional Democrats and the President will be on the defensive at least in the early going of the next Congress. 

Democrats will react to Republicans based on what Republicans want to and try to do. The next Congress will be as effective and popular as Republicans are effective at running it.

PBS NewsHour: Judy Woodruff: 'Why Are We Still Fascinated by Richard Nixon?'

Source:PBS NewsHour- President Richard M. Nixon: 37th President of the United States.

Source:The New Democrat 

"Interest in the character and legacy of President Richard Nixon has endured 40 years since his resignation. Judy Woodruff joins Beverly Gage of Yale University, Timothy Naftali of New York University, Patrick Buchanan, author of "The Greatest Comeback" and Luke Nichter, author of "The Nixon Tapes," to discuss Nixon’s many facets and how his presidency changed American government." 

From PBS NewsHour

Is there a more fascinating politician than Richard Nixon, that is why we are still fascinated about this man. Because there is so much to him from both good and bad. And forty years later we are still trying to learn more about the man.

Every book that is written about him, or every movie that comes out about the man, or any new research and information that comes out about the man is seen by a lot of people and discussed everywhere. And not just in America, but around the world. Because of how consequential he was when it came to both American foreign and domestic policy and of course of the criminal operation inside of the White House and Watergate that along with the Nixon tapes brought down President Richard Nixon.

PBS NewsHour: Gwen Ifill Interviewing Marcia Coyle: U.S. Supreme Court Upholds Michigan Ban on Affirmative Action

Source:The New Democrat

Damn! A Supreme Court decision on which I agree with Chief Justice John Roberts. Well, to amend that, I would've voted with the Chief Justice on this affirmative action case but I would've sided with liberal Justice Stephen Breyer to this extent.  If you are going to have affirmative action laws, then you should at least have legislatures and executives who are accountable to the voters making the decisions, instead of leaving it up to colleges to draft their own affirmative action policies.

I'm against affirmative action and so is this blog.  I'm a Liberal, not a racist. I'm against affirmative action because I take the MLK dream about racial equality and tolerance seriously.  Americans should be judged by their character and not by the color of their skin.

We all want racial and ethnic minorities to be admitted to  colleges and do well in the American economy but you can't reward them because of their race,  ethnicity, or gender. We reward all people, regardless of race, ethnicity and gender, according to the skills they bring to the table, their personal and professional qualifications. 

If there are communities in the country which are struggling,  you have to  make sure that they are not being denied access in society because of their race, ethnicity or gender.  That requires a strong and effective civil rights enforcement system.  Beyond that, there must be mechanisms to ensure they have  educational and job training opportunities so that they can be successful on their own.

PBS NewsHour: Paul Solman Interviewing William Darity On a Government Jobs Program

Source:The New Democrat

Economist William Darity is saying that "since we could borrow over a trillion-dollars for the 2008 TARP bailouts and the auto bailouts that we could afford to borrow the same amount of money for a new Federal jobs guarantee". The problem is that we can't afford either and just because borrowing a trillion dollars is a bad policy for one reason doesn't mean it would be a good policy for another reason. You are still talking about putting an additional trillion-dollars on the national debt, that is all debt financed, and increasing the Federal budget by 37.5 percent .

It would be one thing if the economy was still in recession and you decided to do this as part of a short-term stimulus to put all of those people back to work.   But it sounds like Mr. Darity is talking about an indefinite Federal program,  all financed by the debt and adding an additional trillion dollars to the debt every year.

Ideas like this  are being put on the table now because the 2009 American Recovery Act simply didn't go far enough.  I agree with Progressive Economist Paul Krugman on this. The stimulus should've been 1.5 trillion dollars or more, a trillion  for infrastructure investment alone, the rest for middle class tax relief, business tax relief and public aide to state and local governments.

PBS NewsHour: Judy Woodruff: How Retired Justice John Stevens Would Change the Constitution

Source:The New Democrat

Justice Stevens has apparently been playing a lot of baseball lately, playing the position of left fielder in a ballpark with a very large left field.  He's talking about essentially doing away with the second amendment.  His has been opposed to the death penalty and held this position on campaign finance for a very long time.

I agree with Justice Stevens on gerrymandering.  I would set up a Federal Congressional Districting Commission, for a lack of a better term,  to review states' redistricting decisions.  States could still draw their own U.S. House districts but could no longer draw them for partisan advantage.

There will be a future post on this blog about campaign finance with more detail, perhaps this week.  Voters need, at the very least, to know where the money  that is going to candidates is coming front so that they can make informed decisions about their representation in Congress. Congress should pass full-disclosure of all political contributions.

As a Liberal Democrat that the Second Amendment embodies the right to self-defense and the right to life.  For that to mean anything, you have to have the right to protect your own life.  So,        I oppose any constitutional amendment that would empower the state, at any level, to prohibit gun ownership for adults

PBS NewsHour: Gwen Ifill: How the Civil Rights Act Opened a Door to the American Dream

Source:The New Democrat

The civil rights acts literally opened the public business domain to all citizens.  It said that if you are open for business to the public you are open for business to every member of the public who wants and can afford for your service.  It prohibited the denial of service and employment to people by business owners on the grounds of race.  I believe that the people who claim property rights on this issue do not understand the American constitution when they say that American business owners have the right to discriminate against anyone they choose for whatever reason.

If you don't want to serve the entire public, then don't be open to the public.  Run a private club at which only members can get services and perhaps, employment.  If you are open to the public, that is the entire American public, not the Caucasian public, the African public, the Asian public or any other  racial or ethnic group.   That the public is the entire public and subgroups of  Americans cannot be discriminated against.

PBS NewsHour: The Texas Monthly's Wayne Slater: Previewing The Texas Governor's Race

Source:The New Democrat

This is Texas Democrats' best opportunity to win the Texas governorship since 1990, when Anne Richards won this seat.  I'm not saying State Senator Wendy Davis is going to win this race, because she is definitely the underdog.  I am saying that she can win this race, and it could become competitive, somewhere around five points by election day in November either way because of the growing Latino population in Texas, especially female Mexican voters, both Democrats and Republicans, and perhaps because of Attorney General Gregg Abbott being too far to the right on social issues, even for Texas as a whole

PBS NewsHour: Senator Tim Scott on Expanding Educational Opportunities

Source:The New Democrat

If Senator Tim Scott is talking about expanding educational choice in the public school systems including charter schools, then I'm all for that as long as the Federal Government is not mandating this without the funds to pay for them. And I would also expand educational and job training opportunities for low-skilled workers and low-skilled adults who aren't currently working so they acquire the skills to find good jobs.

If Senator Scott is saying that we should do those things plus school vouchers and mandating them from the Federal Government and taking the decision away from States and localities about whether to use taxpayer funds that would normally go to public education to pay for private schools instead, then I'm not in favor of that on the Federal level, and if States and locals want to do that, then that is their business. But for the Feds to be involved in education at all it should be in public education as a helper and funder but not as a director.

PBS NewsHour: Marcia Coyle: U.S. Supreme Court Considers Definition of Recess Appointments

Source:The New Democrat

This is all about Senate Republicans ability to block President Obama’s recess appointments. Simply by having a large enough minority to prevent votes on legislation or executive appointments they do not like or agree with. Or do not believe that position should exist in the first place. Because of partisan ideological positions they have with Democrats. And I believe the Supreme Court will rule on the side of Senate Republicans on this simply because of the fact that Congress was technically in session when these supposed recess appointments were made. And technicalities tend to be very important in these close cases. Which tells me at least that Congress needs a better definition of what it means to be in recess. To prevent these partisan tactics from either the majority or minority from happening again. Especially the Senate that deals with executive appointments.

PBS NewsHour: Judy Woodruff: 'Ray LaHood & Ed Rendell Make Push to Revitalize U.S. Infrastructure'

Source:PBS NewsHour- anchor Judy Woodruff.

Source:The New Democrat 

"A bipartisan group of former lawmakers is making a push to revitalize America's roads and bridges. Judy Woodruff talks to the co-chairs of Building America's Future, former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell and former Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood, about the advantages of investing in the nation's infrastructure." 

From the PBS NewsHour

"The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial,[7][8][9] free-to-air television network[10][11][12][13] based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded[14] nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educational programming to public television stations in the United States, distributing shows such as Frontline, Nova, PBS NewsHour, Sesame Street, and This Old House.[15]

PBS is funded by a combination of member station dues, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, pledge drives, and donations from both private foundations and individual citizens. All proposed funding for programming is subject to a set of standards to ensure the program is free of influence from the funding source.[16] PBS has over 350 member television stations, many owned by educational institutions, nonprofit groups both independent or affiliated with one particular local public school district or collegiate educational institution, or entities owned by or related to state government.[6]

As of 2020, PBS has nearly 350 member stations around the United States." 

From Wikipedia

The National Infrastructure Bank is the best answer to solving our infrastructure deficit because it would be self-financed, because its funding would come exclusively from the private sector. Bringing in investors that would get their money back, plus profits on the projects they invest in that the NIB would also get back to pay its bills and even make profits, based on fees that people would be charged to use the projects like the roads, bridges, airports, etc. 

A NIB at best is around a hundred-billion dollars a year or more. Which would be great if we didn’t have a 1-2 trillion-dollar deficit in infrastructure. So we also need a new infrastructure bill passed by Congress that takes care of most of the infrastructure investment. With the NIB financing infrastructure in this country in the future.

PBS NewsHour: Hari Sreenivasan- Nathan Gonzalez: 'Would a Third Major Party Ease Congressional Gridlock?'

Source:PBS NewsHour- Nathan Gonzalez from the Rothenberg Political Report.

Source:The Daily Times 

"The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and television program distributor.[6] It is a nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educational television programming to public television stations in the United States, distributing series such as American Experience, America's Test Kitchen, Antiques Roadshow, Arthur, Barney & Friends, Between the Lions, Cyberchase, Clifford the Big Red Dog, Downton Abbey, Elinor Wonders Why, Finding Your Roots, Frontline, The Magic School Bus, Masterpiece Theater, Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, Nature, Nova, the PBS NewsHour, Reading Rainbow, Sesame Street, Teletubbies, Keeping up Appearances and This Old House." 

From Wikipedia 

"For the past 10 years, Gallup has asked: Do the Republican and Democratic parties do an adequate job representing the American people or do they do such a poor job that a third major party is needed? This week, respondents saying the two major parties did an adequate job hit an all-time low, and the percentage of people saying a third party is needed hit an all-time high. Nathan Gonzales, Deputy Editor of the Rothenberg Political Report joins Hari Sreenivasan from Washington." 

From the PBS NewsHour

I’ve probably said this before on this blog, but I’m a proud Liberal Democrat and expect to be a Democrat my entire life. Unless the Far-Left were to takeover the Democratic Party, which is not likely. More likely would be a socialist third-party emerging that could actually challenge Democrats. 

But the two-party-system simply does not work and even though I do blame the Republicans especially their Far-Right and their anti-government Libertarian-Right more on this, one strong political party in America which is the Democratic Party right now if you look at the power, that they have, but also where they are on the issues compared with Americans as a whole, where they are blowing Republicans away right now, is not enough for a large liberal democracy.

One strong political party even if that political party is my party the Democratic Party is simply not enough. The two-party system right now is not just broken, but it is broken and bankrupt and failing. American voters not just themselves with their gerrymandering and their primary systems that in many cases especially the Republican Party, tend to select the most fringe candidates and people who are least interested in governing. And more interested in building their movement and becoming popular. As we see right now in the House Tea Party Caucus.

The current Republican Party is designed to fail and will go out of business as even a potential governing party, probably within ten years. And if that does happen and a real Center-Right party does not emerge to replace the Republican Party, we will become of a one-party-state in a country that is supposed to be a liberal democracy. Not healthy, because that is how centralized dictatorships get created. And why we need short-term at least a new Center-Right party to replace what use to be a Center-Right party in the Republican Party.

Northeastern and Midwest Republicans and Blue Dog and Southern Democrats need to think about creating a new Center-Right party and getting together with Center-Right Independents who are not Republicans, because of either the Religious-Right or the partisanship and the Tea Party calling them rhinos and all of that, to save our political system. Long-term I would like to see a multiple-party system going from Socialists, or Communists on the Far-Left, to Christian-Nationalists on the Far-Right. Let everybody be heard and have their voice and let the voters decide who should be in power.

Progressives on the Center-Left and Classical-Liberals Conservatives on the Center-Right, for most likely always be governing America, at least at the Federal level. But short-term we need a strong Center-Right party in America to compete against the Center-Left Democratic Party for the good of our political system. So the Republican Party as it is currently set up doesn’t become a failed party. Without a strong party to replace it.

PBS: NewsHour- 'Five States Move to Restrict Access to Abortion Services'

Source:PBS NewsHour- Ilyse Hogue from National Pro-Choice America. 

Source:The Daily Times 

"The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and television program distributor.[6] It is a nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educational television programming to public television stations in the United States, distributing series such as American Experience, America's Test Kitchen, Antiques Roadshow, Arthur, Barney & Friends, Between the Lions, Cyberchase, Clifford the Big Red Dog, Downton Abbey, Elinor Wonders Why, Finding Your Roots, Frontline, The Magic School Bus, Masterpiece Theater, Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, Nature, Nova, the PBS NewsHour, Reading Rainbow, Sesame Street, Teletubbies, Keeping up Appearances and This Old House." 

From Wikipedia 

"Five states have moved to adopt tighter abortion regulations, including North Dakota, which has the nation's strictest abortion regulation, outlawing abortions as soon as a fetal heartbeat is detected. Jeffrey Brown gets perspectives from Charmaine Yoest of Americans United for Life and Ilyse Hogue of NARAL Pro-Choice America." 

From the PBS NewsHour

All of these abortion restriction laws are coming in red states that like to complain about big government and government interfering in our lives and so-forth and yet they write laws that do exactly that. And interfere with the most personal of decisions that Americans will ever make which get’s to our healthcare.

In this case women’s healthcare and who decides whether women give birth or not after being pregnant. Apparently big government in red states is government they do not like mainly as it relates to the economy. But big government that they do like as it has to do with our personal lives is okay, because: “It’s in our national interest to have government making these decisions for us. Rather than individuals have the freedom and responsibility to make these decisions for ourselves.”

And then you get to the constitutional and legal aspects of this where these laws will be ruled unconstitutional. Because of the rock solid pro-choice majority on it. And you have states defending laws in court with taxpayer funds that will be ruled unconstitutional. Money that would’ve been spent for other things that would not get thrown out.

PBS NewsHour: 'Paul Ryan Announces 2014 Budget Proposal and Calls for No New Taxes'

Source:PBS NewsHour- House Budget Committee Republicans talking about their 2014 budget proposal.

"The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and television program distributor.[6] It is a nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educational television programming to public television stations in the United States, distributing series such as American Experience, America's Test Kitchen, Antiques Roadshow, Arthur, Barney & Friends, Between the Lions, Clifford the Big Red Dog, Downton Abbey, Finding Your Roots, Frontline, The Magic School Bus, Masterpiece Theater, Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, Nature, Nova, the PBS NewsHour, Reading Rainbow, Sesame Street, Teletubbies, Keeping up Appearances and This Old House.[7]

PBS is funded by a combination of member station dues, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, National Datacast, pledge drives, and donations from both private foundations and individual citizens. All proposed funding for programming is subject to a set of standards to ensure the program is free of influence from the funding source." 

From Wikipedia 

"On Tuesday, March 12, 2013, Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan, chairman of the House Budget Committee, introduced House Republicans' fiscal year 2014 budget resolution called, "The Path to Prosperity: A Responsible, Balanced Budget." During a press conference at the U.S. Capitol Building, Ryan detailed how his proposal would balance the budget in 10 years by cutting spending and without any new taxes." 

From the PBS NewsHour

If the 2013 Ryan budget is anything like the 2012 and 2011 Ryan budget, we are not talking about a balanced budget. Which would be a budget that eliminates the budget deficit, or actually fixes our fiscal problems. Because once again except for Medicaid, it does nothing to bring down our budget costs. 

Repealing the Affordable Care Act won't do anything for the budget deficit either, because we'll see more people as a result without health insurance and getting free health care at the emergency room, well, free for them. But expensive for anyone with health insurance who has to pay for that health care. 

So again we are talking about a budget plan that goes after 15% of the Federal budget roughly and over a ten-year period thats only around 600B$. And thats assuming you eliminate all of that spending that goes to people who live in poverty. Which I believe not even Representative Ryan is interested in doing and does nothing for the big three. Which is so-called entitlements, defense and the tax code where most of the money on the Federal budget is.

PBS: NewsHour- Jeffrey Brown: 'Boy Scouts Delays Decision on Lifting Ban on Gay Members'

Source:PBS NewsHour- Richard Land: Southern Baptist Convention.

"The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and television program distributor.[6] It is a nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educational television programming to public television stations in the United States, distributing series such as American Experience, America's Test Kitchen, Antiques Roadshow, Arthur, Barney & Friends, Between the Lions, Clifford the Big Red Dog, Downton Abbey, Finding Your Roots, Frontline, The Magic School Bus, Masterpiece Theater, Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, Nature, Nova, the PBS NewsHour, Reading Rainbow, Sesame Street, Teletubbies, Keeping up Appearances and This Old House." 

From Wikipedia 

In January 2013, the Boy Scouts of America said it was considering lifting its ban on gay members, drawing strong reactions from both sides of the debate. The organization then delayed its decision until May. Jeffrey Brown gets views from Zach Wahls of Scouts for Equality and Richard Land of the Southern Baptist Convention."

From PBS NewsHour 

Just to go on the record as a Liberal: I'm against homophobia and homosexuals being denied access to things that they otherwise would have access to if they were heterosexual. But that doesn't mean that private organizations that require memberships to be involved with them don't have the right to do that. 

And of course there's the argument that employers, stores, places to eat and so-forth aren't allowed to discriminate against people for these reasons. Denying people service because of their race and so-forth, but the U.S. courts have ruled differently. They've separated from private organizations and privately run business's that are open to the public. You don't need membership (to eat at a diner to use as an example) or shop at a store, but you do need membership to join private clubs like the Boy Scouts. (To use as an example) And you could argue that they should have that right, but the fact is they do which the courts have ruled. 

Government can't deny people access to education, because they don't like someone's race, ethnicity, color, gender, religion, sexuality, etc and neither can private organizations that are open to the public. But private clubs can, because they're not open to the public, I believe have the constitutional right to do that.

PBS: NewsHour- Gwen Ifill- 'Cuba Loosens Restrictions on Travel Abroad For Its Citizens'

Source:PBS NewsHour - President Fidel Castro and his brother General Raul Castro (Communist Republic of Cuba)

"The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and television program distributor.[6] It is a nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educational television programming to public television stations in the United States, distributing series such as American Experience, America's Test Kitchen, Antiques Roadshow, Arthur, Barney & Friends, Between the Lions, Clifford the Big Red Dog, Downton Abbey, Finding Your Roots, Frontline, The Magic School Bus, Masterpiece Theater, Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, Nature, Nova, the PBS NewsHour, Reading Rainbow, Sesame Street, Teletubbies, Keeping up Appearances and This Old House." 

From Wikipedia 

"Ray Suarez reports on Cuba's move to make foreign travel easier for its citizens. Starting in January, most Cubans will only need a passport and a visa from their destination country, though limitations will remain on professionals like doctors. While Cubans celebrated, officials in Washington regarded the news cautiously."

From PBS NewsHour

We may see more Cubans feeling as a result as well as Cubans seeing what democracy looks like, hopefully falling in love with it and taking back to Cuba to fight for it there. 

But if you really want Cuba to feel what democracy and freedom looks like, you need to end the Cuban embargo in America that prohibits America and Cuba from having a real relationship. Not just between the two government's, but the people themselves. 

Cubans coming to America and Americans coming to Cuba. Cubans seeing what freedom and a free press looks like and the ability to live their own lives and be able to speak out even against the government without fear of being thrown in jail for that. 

And Americans being able to experience another beautiful people, culture, eat good food in an another beautiful Caribbean country like Cuba. 

There is so much potential for Cuba if their government simply gets out-of-the-way of their own people. And one way to make that happen is for Cuba and America to have an open relationship. 

PBS: NewsHour- Spencer Michaels- 'California Law Aspires to Improve Mental Health'

Source:PBS NewsHour- interviewing Eduardo Vega, for this piece.

"The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and television program distributor.[6] It is a nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educational television programming to public television stations in the United States, distributing series such as American Experience, America's Test Kitchen, Antiques Roadshow, Arthur, Barney & Friends, Clifford the Big Red Dog, Downton Abbey, Finding Your Roots, Frontline, The Magic School Bus, Masterpiece Theater, Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, Nature, Nova, the PBS NewsHour, Reading Rainbow, Sesame Street, Teletubbies, Keeping up Appearances and This Old House." 

From Wikipedia 

"In the wake of several recent shootings, politicians and commentators have called for improved mental health screening and treatment. Spencer Michels reports on a program in California called "Laura's Law," an unfunded mandate that has proven difficult to implement and has drawn concern about involuntary treatment for patients."

From the PBS: NewsHour

It's a good thing that California is taking a lead on something positive (for a change) as it relates to their government by funding mental health care. 

It's not as if we can't fund mental health care in this country, but it's that we've decided as a country that funding mental health care should not be a priority, or that it's too expensive. Which is not true! It should be a priority, because of the people we've lost in these shootings and we can afford it through things like health insurance and public assistance for people who can't afford it on their own. 

We're paying a bigger price in human life and I would argue financially as well when it comes to our law enforcement and corrections system and having to put mentally handicapped people in prison instead of hospitals. That if those people who committed these horrible crimes wouldn't have happened in the first place, if these people were just in mental institutions, or at the very least getting outpatient therapy and on medication. We wouldn't have seen the shootings in Aurora and Connecticut, that we've seen this year. 

PBS: NewsHour- Jeffrey Brown- 'As Kurds Fight for Freedom in Syria, Fears Rise in Turkey'

Source:PBS NewsHour- a Syrian man being interviewed for this piece.

"The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and television program distributor.[6] It is a nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educational television programming to public television stations in the United States, distributing series such as American Experience, America's Test Kitchen, Antiques Roadshow, Arthur, Barney & Friends, Clifford the Big Red Dog, Downton Abbey, Finding Your Roots, Frontline, The Magic School Bus, Masterpiece Theater, Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, Nature, Nova, the PBS NewsHour, Reading Rainbow, Sesame Street, Teletubbies, Keeping up Appearances and This Old House." 

From Wikipedia 

"In Syria's civil war, a third party fights for autonomy against Syrian rebels and Assad's government troops: Syria's Kurds. Turkey's own Kurd population watches on, increasing tensions, especially for those sympathetic to the PKK, who have waged insurgencies for freedom. Margaret Warner reports."

From the PBS NewsHour

There may be some type of Independent State of Kurdistan that could be emerging from the revolution against the Assad Regime in Syria, where Syrian Kurdistan would merge with Iraqi Kurdistan and Turkish Kurdistan. Similar to what happen to the Jews in the Middle East after World War II, where they were rewarded with the Jewish State of Israel as a result of the ethnic discrimination they received in Europe and Arabia. 

A United Kurdistan that would also include Kurdish Iran might be the only way to end the ethnic violence that the Kurds have been receiving from Arabs, Turks and Persians. And independent Kurdistan that has a responsible government with checks and balances where the people have the freedom over their own lives and are not held down by their own government. Which is what has developed in Israel for the Jews, as well as Kurdistan in Iraq which operates as an independent province of Iraq. Even when Saddam Hussein was President of Iraq and had dictatorial rule over the rest of the country. 

This would never be easy because Turkey, Syria, Iraq and Iran, would fight hard to hold onto their part of Kurdistan. 

PBS NewsHour: Judy Woodruff- 'Supreme Court Hears Cases on Drug-Sniffing Dogs and Privacy'

Source:PBS NewsHour- Marcia Coyle, from the National Law Journal.

"The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and television program distributor.[6] It is a nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educational television programming to public television stations in the United States, distributing series such as American Experience, America's Test Kitchen, Antiques Roadshow, Arthur, Barney & Friends, Clifford the Big Red Dog, Downton Abbey, Finding Your Roots, Frontline, The Magic School Bus, Masterpiece Theater, Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, Nature, Nova, the PBS NewsHour, Reading Rainbow, Sesame Street, Teletubbies, Keeping up Appearances and This Old House." 

From Wikipedia 

"The Supreme Court heard two cases on police use of drug-sniffing dogs for criminal searches. At the heart of the debate is if officers can search a car or house without a warrant if a dog detects alleged drugs. Judy Woodruff talks to The National Law Journal's Marcia Coyle for a breakdown of the Supreme Court's recent session." 

From the PBS NewsHour

Looks like the War on Drugs could take a big hit as it relates to privacy.

PBS: NewsHour- Ray Suarez: 'President Hugo Chavez- Faces Serious Challenger in Venezuelan Elections'

Source:PBS NewsHour- Venezuelan democracy in acton.

"The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and television program distributor.[6] It is a nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educational television programming to public television stations in the United States, distributing series such as American Experience, America's Test Kitchen, Antiques Roadshow, Arthur, Barney & Friends, Clifford the Big Red Dog, Downton Abbey, Finding Your Roots, Frontline, The Magic School Bus, Masterpiece Theater, Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, Nature, Nova, the PBS NewsHour, Reading Rainbow, Sesame Street, Teletubbies, Keeping up Appearances and This Old House... 

From Wikipedia 

"For 14 years, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez maintained power battling military coups, presidential term limit amendments, even cancer. But for the upcoming elections, a typically fractured opposition is united behind challenger Henrique Capriles Radonski, threatening Chavez's stronghold over the presidency. Ray Suarez reports. PBS News" 

From the PBS NewsHour

If President Hugo Chavez was a Democratic Socialist, he wouldn't have any real issues with a free independent private media. Doesn't mean there wouldn't be any state-run media, but by en-large the media would be privately controlled to hold public officials accountable. 

But you have to know that one of President Chavez's biggest political hero's is former President Fidel Chavez of the Communist Republic of Cuba. So we're not talking about a Social Democrat or Democratic Socialist, but someone with Far-Left authoritarian leanings like Fidel. Perhaps not a hard-core Communist, since Venezuela still somewhat has democratic multi-party elections there and there is a Center-Right liberal democratic opposition there. 

Any Communist in their right mind would have outlawed any political opposition and certainly any private media. But what looks like is going on in Venezuela is that they don't like what the Chavez Administration under the Socialist Party there and what they're doing even if they're not pure Communists and that they want a change there. And to have more freedom and ability to live their own lives. 

PBS: NewsHour- Dan Balz- Newt Gingrich: Surging in The Polls

Source:PBS NewsHour- "PBS is an American Public Broadcast Service. Wikipedia Washington Post political reporter Dan Balz.

“The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and television program distributor.[6] It is a nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educational television programming to public television stations in the United States, distributing series such as American Experience, America’s Test Kitchen, Antiques Roadshow, Arthur, Barney & Friends, Clifford the Big Red Dog, Downton Abbey, Finding Your Roots, Frontline, The Magic School Bus, Masterpiece Theater, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, Nature, Nova, the PBS NewsHour, Reading Rainbow, Sesame Street, Teletubbies, Keeping up Appearances and This Old House.” 

From Wikipedia

"A month away from the Iowa caucuses, two new polls show that the race for the Republican presidential nomination has a new frontrunner: Newt Gingrich. Judy Woodruff takes a look at the latest poll results with The Washington Post\'s Dan Balz and J. Ann Selzer, president of Selzer & Company, which conducted one of the Iowa polls." 

From the PBS NewsHour

I'm not a Newt Gingrich fan in the sense that I would ever vote for him. I'm a Liberal Democrat in the real sense of the term. And Newt is a Progressive-Republican (not what you probably think Progressive is) on most things, but has neoconservative leanings on the War on Terror that I don't like. But on the economic policy issues, the War on Poverty and other social welfare issues, I tend to respect Newt and even agree with him from time to time. 

He's got a lot of baggage that will probably prevent him from being President of the United States and even the Republican nominee. Unless there's a new Newt like there was a new Nixon in 1968. There's some positive aspect about him we don't know about yet. Like he's grown up as a campaigner and a manager and can avoid making cheap mistakes that could ruin his presidential campaign. But the reasons for his success right now, are what people like about him. He loves to speak to people individually, he speaks his mind.

Newt loves and is very good about retail politics. He's very provocative, his positions and answers are not poll driven. He probably doesn't have much of a budget for polls right now to begin with. Which could change quickly if Newt were to win Iowa, but we are still four weeks away from that. But Newt is doing what really works for him, which is speak to the people. 

Newt simply can't afford to make mistakes right now because of his tight budget, which I believe has benefited him, because it's disciplined his campaign because of the fact that he can't afford to make mistakes right now. So his tight budget is actually paying off for Newt right now.

Newt's path to the Republican nomination in 2012, knockout a heavy favorite and heavy financed frontrunner in Mitt Romney. Which is something a lot if not of a consensus of the Republican Party would like to see and a lot of Democrats would like to see, is to first avoid any further big mistakes. Don't take any positions that you have to change later, don't run away or try to cover up things from the past. When facts about his past come up, especially bad ones, acknowledge them and say you were wrong. Don't try to cover them up. No more ethics violations, dig deep to get all of those out in the public. Obviously don't commit any new ones. Newt is leading right now because of the debates and his retail politicking.

And Newt has done well in his press conferences. He should put his new and provocative policy positions on the table. Newt does well when his campaign is about his ideas not his past, because then he's on the defensive. He's been in politics for over thirty years in one capacity or another. As far as the Republican primary's, 

Newt's Path to the Republican nomination, is win Iowa or New Hampshire. Both is preferable and puts him in excellent shape in South Carolina and with fundraising. If Newt wins Iowa or New Hampshire and finishes a strong second in the other primary and someone other than Mitt Romney wins the other primary, like Ron Paul, Newt is still in good shape going into South Carolina. So would the other Republican primary winner, because then Mitt Romney has to go full-out in South Carolina to save his campaign, taking on two strong contenders that he trails. Thats Newt Gingrich's path to the Republican nomination for President. 

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