Poverty Level by State per Census

 An out of work couple eats lunch at the Central Park United Methodist Church which has a soup kitchen and food pantry on October 20, 2011 in Reading, Pennsylvania. Per 2010 census data, 41.3 percent of people live below the poverty line in Reading.

Spencer Platt/Getty ImagesThis article lists persons living below the poverty level, by state, per the U.S. Census Bureau as of 2010.

This data should be quite relevant to national and state elections because those living on poverty-level wages should reasonably be expected to vote Democratic rather than Republican. The Democratic party is generally viewed as standing for those without political power or voice... low-income persons and families, labor unions, ethnic and racial minorities, immigrants, and others. In the 20th century and beyond, the Republican party is viewed as standing for the wealthiest Americans and for corporations.

The Mystery about Poverty-Level Voters
The mystery of U.S. poverty statistics is that of the top sixteen states (listed below) with very high or high level of persons living below poverty, twelve vote solidly Republican. And of those twelve Republican-red states, nine boast very high African-American populations.

This fact explains Democratic efforts to energize and mobilize African-Americans voters in these states, which include North and South Carolina, Michigan, Texas and six deep-south states.

Such Democratic efforts bore political fruit in the 2008 presidential race when North Carolina, plus New Mexico, voted for Barack Obama over John McCain. New Mexico, which has a very high poverty rate, boasts a population that is more than 46% Hispanic... the nation's highest. President Obama likely must win these two battleground states again, as well as Michigan, to be reelected in 2012.

Very High Level of Persons Below Poverty Level 1. Mississippi - 21.2% 2. Arkansas - 17.3% 2. Louisiana - 17.3% 2. Kentucky - 17.3% 5. New Mexico - 17.1% 6. West Virginia - 17.0%High Level of Persons Below Poverty Level 7. Oklahoma - 15.9% 8. Texas - 15.8% 9. South Carolina - 15.7% 9. Alabama - 15.7% 11. Tennessee - 15.5% 12. Montana - 14.8% 13. Arizona - 14.7% 13. Georgia - 14.7% 15. North Carolina - 14.6% 16. Michigan - 14.4%Median Level of Persons Below Poverty Level 17. Oregon - 13.6% 18. New York - 13.6% 19. Ohio - 13.4% 19. Missouri - 13.4% 21. California - 13.3% 22. Florida - 13.2% 23. Indiana - 13.1% 24. Idaho - 12.6% 25. South Dakota - 12.5% 26. Maine - 12.3% 27. Illinois - 12.2% 28. Pennsylvania - 12.1% 29. North Dakota - 12.0% 30. Rhode Island - 11.7% 31. Iowa - 11.5% 32. Colorado - 11.4% 33. Nevada - 11.3% 33. Kansas - 11.3% 33. Washington - 11.3% 36. Nebraska - 10.8% 37. Vermont - 10.6% 38. Wisconsin - 10.4% 39. Virginia - 10.2% 40. Massachusetts - 10.0% 40. Delaware - 10.0%Low Level of Persons Below Poverty Level 42. Minnesota - 9.6% 42. Utah - 9.6% 44. Wyoming - 9.4$ 45. Connecticut - 9.3% 46. Hawaii - 9.1% 47. New Jersey - 8.7% 48. Alaska - 8.4% 49. Maryland - 8.1% 50. New Hampshire - 7.6%Other demographic and economic factors that could powerfully influence the 2012 elections, particularly the presidential contest, include:

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Democrats on Prosperity

The Democratic Party agenda on economic prosperity and education includes creation of jobs that stay in America, raising the minimum wage and establishing fair trade agreements to restore economic opportunity for all Americans.

Democratic Party Agenda

"We will create jobs that stay in America and restore opportunity for all Americans, starting with raising the minimum wage, expanding Pell grants and making college tuition tax deductible. We also believe in budget discipline that reduces our deficit.

"Democrats believe that the most effective way to increase opportunity for our families is a high quality, good paying job.

"The Democratic Party supports fair trade agreements that raise standards for all workers here and abroad, while making American businesses more competitive, and we don’t believe in tax giveaways that reward companies for moving American jobs overseas.

"We also believe in balanced budgets and paying down our national debt, while Republicans continue to put huge burdens on future generations by borrowing hundreds of billions of dollars from foreign nations. We want to restore the budget discipline of the 1990s that helped eliminate deficits and spur record economic growth.

"Democrats know that the key to expanding opportunity is to provide every child with a strong foundation of education. We will also help expand educational opportunities for college by making college tuition tax deductible, expanding Pell Grants, and cut student loan interest rates."

ALSO SEE:
Liberalism 101: Democratic Party Agenda on National Security

Liberalism 101: Democratic Party Agenda on Honest & Open Government

Liberalism 101: Democratic Party Agenda on Health Care

Liberalism 101: Democratic Party Agenda on Retirement Security

Liberalism 101: Democratic Party Agenda on the Environment

Liberalism 101: Democratic Party Agenda on Education

Liberalism 101: Democratic Party Agenda on Energy Independence

Liberalism 101: Democratic Party Agenda on Electoral Reform

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Obama at 2011 Nat'l Prayer Brkfst

Over the past two years, the nature of these obligations, the proper role of government has obviously been the subject of enormous controversy. And the debates have been fierce as one side’s version of compassion and community may be interpreted by the other side as an oppressive and irresponsible expansion of the state or an unacceptable restriction on individual freedom.

That's why a second recurring theme in my prayers is a prayer for humility. Now, God answered this prayer for me early on by having me marry Michelle. Because whether it’s reminding me of a chore undone, or questioning the wisdom of watching my third football game in a row on Sunday, she keeps me humble.

Humility: "None of us has all the answers."

But in this life of politics when debates have become so bitterly polarized, and changes in the media lead so many of us just to listen to those who reinforce our existing biases, it’s useful to go back to Scripture to remind ourselves that none of us has all the answers -- none of us, no matter what our political party or our station in life.

The full breadth of human knowledge is like a grain of sand in God’s hands. And there are some mysteries in this world we cannot fully comprehend. As it’s written in Job, "God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways. He does great things beyond our understandings."

The challenge I find then is to balance this uncertainty, this humility, with the need to fight for deeply held convictions, to be open to other points of view but firm in our core principles. And I pray for this wisdom every day.

I pray that God will show me and all of us the limits of our understanding, and open our ears and our hearts to our brothers and sisters with different points of view; that such reminders of our shared hopes and our shared dreams and our shared limitations as children of God will reveal the way forward that we can travel together.

"My prayer... is that we seek His face... each and every day."

And the last recurring theme, one that binds all prayers together, is that I might walk closer with God and make that walk my first and most important task.

In our own lives it’s easy to be consumed by our daily worries and our daily concerns. And it is even easier at a time when everybody is busy, everybody is stressed, and everybody -- our culture is obsessed with wealth and power and celebrity. And often it takes a brush with hardship or tragedy to shake us out of that, to remind us of what matters most.

We see an aging parent wither under a long illness, or we lose a daughter or a husband in Afghanistan, we watch a gunman open fire in a supermarket -- and we remember how fleeting life can be.

And we ask ourselves how have we treated others, whether we’ve told our family and friends how much we love them. And it’s in these moments, when we feel most intensely our mortality and our own flaws and the sins of the world, that we most desperately seek to touch the face of God.

So my prayer this morning is that we might seek His face not only in those moments, but each and every day; that every day as we go through the hustle and bustle of our lives, whether it’s in Washington or Hollywood or anywhere in between, that we might every so often rise above the here and now, and kneel before the Eternal; that we might remember, Kaye, the fact that those who wait on the Lord will soar on wings like eagles, and they will run and not be weary, and they will walk and not faint.

"I ask Him to give me the strength to do right by our country and its people."

When I wake in the morning, I wait on the Lord, and I ask Him to give me the strength to do right by our country and its people. And when I go to bed at night I wait on the Lord, and I ask Him to forgive me my sins, and look after my family and the American people, and make me an instrument of His will.

I say these prayers hoping they will be answered, and I say these prayers knowing that I must work and must sacrifice and must serve to see them answered. But I also say these prayers knowing that the act of prayer itself is a source of strength.

It’s a reminder that our time on Earth is not just about us; that when we open ourselves to the possibility that God might have a larger purpose for our lives, there’s a chance that somehow, in ways that we may never fully know, God will use us well.

May the Lord bless you and keep you, and may He bless this country that we love.

SOURCE - White House Website

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Seniors by State per 2010 Census

 Senior citizens protest against cuts to federal safety net programs, including Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid on November 7, 2011 in Chicago, Illinois.

Scott Olson/Getty ImagesThis article lists the United States' senior citizen population (i.e. sixty-five years old and over) by state, as recorded in the 2010 Census.

This data is relevant to national and state elections because historically, more senior citizens vote Republican than vote Democratic. In the 2008 presidential election, senior citizens nationwide heavily favored Republican John McCain over Democrat Barack Obama by a margin of 53% to 45%.

Reported campaign strategists Democracy Corps about the 2008 election in comparison to 2004, "According to the exit polls, while Obama made gains with nearly all groups compared to John Kerry, this did not happen with seniors. They, along with gay and lesbian voters, were the big underperformers for Obama."

However, in the 2012 elections, voters sixty-five years old and over could be upset enough over Republican proposals to cut and/or change Social Security and Medicare benefits to opt to vote for Democratic candidates. States with high concentrations of senior citizens include 2012 battlegrounds Florida, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, and potential battleground states Missouri, Arizona, Montana and Iowa.

State Resident Population
65 Years Old and Over
According to the 2010 Census Very High Level of Senior Citizen Population
1. Florida - 17.3% 2. West Virginia - 16.0% 3. Maine - 15.9% 4. Pennsylvania - 15.4% 5. Iowa - 14.9% 6. Montana - 14.8% 7. Vermont - 14.6% 8. North Dakota - 14.5% 9. Arkansas - 14.4% 9. Rhode Island - 14.4% 9. Delaware - 14.4% 12. South Dakota - 14.3%High Level of Senior Citizen Population
13. Hawaii - 14.3% 14. Connecticut - 14.2% 15. Ohio - 14.1 % 16. Missouri - 14.0% 17. Oregon - 13.9% 18. Michigan - 13.8% 18. Arizona - 13.8% 18. Massachusetts - 13.8% 18. Alabama - 13.8% 22. Wisconsin - 13.7% 22. South Carolina - 13.7% 24. Nebraska - 13.5% 24. New York - 13.5% 24. Oklahoma - 13.5% 24. New Jersey - 13.5%Median Level of Senior Citizen Population
28. New Hampshire - 13.5% 29. Tennessee - 13.4% 30. Kentucky - 13.3% 31. New Mexico - 13.2% 31. Kansas - 13.2% 33. Indiana - 13.0% 34. North Carolina - 12.9% 34. Minnesota - 12.9% 36. Mississippi - 12.8% 37. Illinois - 12.5% 38. Wyoming - 12.4% 38. Idaho - 12.4% 40. Louisiana - 12.3% 40. Maryland - 12.3% 40. Washington - 12.3% 43. Virginia - 12.2% 44. Nevada - 12.0%Low Level of Senior Citizen Population
45. California - 11.4% 46. Colorado - 10.9% 47. Georgia - 10.7% 48. Texas - 10.3% 49. Utah - 9.0% 50. Alaska - 7.7%Other demographic and economic factors that will powerfully influence the 2012 elections, particularly the presidential contest, include: Source - U.S. Census Bureau, Table 16, State Resident Population by Age and State: 2010

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Government Phone Books

If you work in government, with government, or are trying to track down information on government programs and services in Canada, some of the most useful reference tools are government phone books. You can find out a lot more than just government employees and their phone numbers. You can often get a good handle on the organizational structure of different government departments, find out who is working on what and where they fit in the hierarchy.

We all have access to much of that information, and to those officials, now that most government phone directories are online. The federal government and all the provincial and territory governments in Canada, with the exception of Manitoba, Quebec and Nunavut, now have their government employee directories online. Manitoba and Nunavut have online directories with frequently called numbers.

The style, organization and scope of these telephone directories varies a great deal. Most make it very easy to find individual employees, their phone and fax numbers, and their office addresses. Gradually email addresses are being added. Many supply job titles and some form of link back to the relevant department or agency. PEI is a good example. Some, like Ontario, offer a method for browsing through the government organization structure. Others, like Saskatchewan, provide an list of frequently called numbers. These lists are especially useful if you're trying to find the department responsible for a particular service.

The best of the lot, however, is the Government of Newfoundland Telephone Directory. You can search using a number of different fields, browse through the government organization structure, get a quick list of frequently called numbers, find a list of Newfoundland government fax numbers and tie in to other related directories. It's updated monthly too.

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T5 Tax Slips

A Canadian T5 tax slip, or Statement of Investment Income, is prepared and issued by organizations which pay interest, dividends or royalties to tell you and the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) how much investment income you earned for a given tax year. Income included on T5 tax slips includes most dividends, royalties and interest from bank accounts, accounts with investment dealers or brokers, insurance policies, annuities and bonds.

Organizations do not usually issue T5 slips for interest and investment income of under $50, although you should still report that income when you file your Canadian income tax return.

T5 tax slips must be issued by the last day of February the year after the calendar year to which the T5 tax slips apply.

This is a sample T5 tax slip from the Canada Revenue Agency site. See the second page (the back of the T5 slip) for more information on what is included in each box on the T5 tax slip.

When you file a paper income tax return, include copies of each of the T5 tax slips you receive. If you file your income tax return using NETFILE, TELEFILE or EFILE, keep copies of your T5 tax slips with your records for six years in case the CRA asks to see them.

As mentioned above, organizations do not usually issue T5 slips for interest and investment income of under $50, although you should still report it when you file your income tax return.

You are required to ask for a copy of a missing T5 tax slip. If you haven't received a T5 slip, file your income tax return by the tax deadline anyway to avoid penalties for filing your income taxes late. Calculate the investment income and any related credits you can claim as closely as you can using any information you have. Include a note with the organization's name and address, the type and amount of investment income, and what you have done to get a copy of the missing T5 slip. Include copies of any statements you used in calculating the income for the missing T5 tax slip.

The Canada Revenue Agency will charge a penalty if you file an income tax return and forget to include a tax slip for the second time within a four-year period. They will also charge interest on the balance due, calculated from the tax deadline of the year to which the slip applied.

If you have filed your tax return and you receive a late or amended T5 slip, file an adjustment request (T1-ADJ) immediately reporting this additional income.

Other tax information slips include: T4 - Statement of Remuneration PaidT4A - Statement of Pension, Retirement, Annuity, and Other IncomeT4A(OAS) - Statement of Old Age SecurityT4A(P) - Statement of Canada Pension Plan BenefitsT4E - Statement of Employment Insurance and Other BenefitsT4RIF - Statement of Income From a Registered Retirement Income FundT4RSP - Statement of RRSP Income

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Mackenzie King Diaries

William Lyon Mackenzie King, the best-educated and longest-serving Prime Minister of Canada, left a legacy like no other - 30,000 pages of his personal diaries. Mackenzie King kept a daily journal from 1893, when he was an 18-year-old student at the University of Toronto, until just a few days before he died in 1950. For more than 20 of those years Mackenzie King was Prime Minister of Canada, and his diaries provide a valuable first-hand political and social history of Canada during those times.

Mackenzie King used his diaries as a course in self-improvement, as a record of events, and as a "real companion and friend" as he said in his diary in 1902.

In his will, Mackenzie King asked that his diaries be destroyed, except for the parts that he had indicated should be published or used. His literary executors found that he had never indicated which parts of the diaries he wanted made public. The diaries gradually went from private documents into public documents and by 1980 all of the diaries were open and they had been published on microfiche.

Public access to the diaries was still limited because they were massive, difficult to read on microfiche, and had no index. That has now changed. Library and Archives Canada has digitized the King diaries and put about 50,000 pages in a database on the Web at The Diaries of William Lyon Mackenzie King. You can browse through the diaries by date, or search by word, keyword and date.

An online exhibition called "A Real Companion and Friend: The Diary of William Lyon Mackenzie King, 1893-1950" provides an excellent companion piece to the database. The Web site introduces the life and politics of Mackenzie King, and provides background and context for readers new to the King diaries. A few of the topics explored are: Mackenzie King and the Liberal Party Mackenzie King and Spiritualism Mackenzie King and World War II

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proportional representation

Definition: Proportional representation or PR is a type of electoral system which attempts to match the proportion of seats won by a political party with the proportion of the total vote for that party.

The two main types of proportional representation electoral systems are:

Proportional representation can also be achieved using mixed member proportional (MMP) electoral systems.

All types of proportional representation electoral systems require electoral districts with more than one member in the legislative assembly or a single electoral district for the election of all members.

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First-Time Home Buyers Credit

The First-Time Home Buyers Tax Credit (HBTC) is a non-refundable tax credit for eligible home buyers who buy a qualifying home after January 27, 2009. If you have a disability or are buying a home for a relative with a disability, you do not have to be a first-time home buyer.

The value of the Home Buyers Tax Credit is based on $5000 multiplied by the lowest federal income tax rate for the year. In 2011 the lowest income tax rate is 15 percent, so the value of the HBTC would be $750.

You are eligible if you buy a qualifying home and neither you nor your spouse or common-law partner owned and lived in another home in the year of purchase or any of the four preceding years.

If you have a disability, or are buying a home for a related person with a disability, you do not have to be a first-time home buyer to qualify for the Home Buyers Tax Credit. However, the home must be bought to be more accessible or to provide a better environment for the needs and care of the person with the disability.

To qualify for the First-Time Home Buyers Tax Credit, a home must be a housing unit located in Canada, including mobile homes, condominiums and apartments. Shares in coop housing that provide an equity stake also qualify.

Also, you or the related person with a disability must intend to occupy the home as a principal place of residence no later than one year after buying it.

If you both qualify, you and your spouse or a friend can share the tax credit, but the total can not be more than the total allowable tax credit (e.g. $750 for 2011).

You claim the First-Time Home Buyers Tax Credit when you file your Canadian income tax return, beginning with the 2009 income tax year.

If you're considering becoming a first-time home buyer, you might also be interested in the Home Buyers Plan.

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responsible government

Definition: In Canada, the principle of responsible government means the prime minister and the cabinet are directly accountable to the elected House of Commons and, ultimately, to the people of Canada.

The prime minister and cabinet ministers have seats in the Canadian House of Commons, with occasional exceptions. The government must retain the confidence of the majority of the members of the House of Commons or either resign or ask the governor general to dissolve Parliament and call an election.

In other words, the legislative branch of the Canadian government has control over the executive branch.

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McCain Loss: 5 Reasons

Reason #4 - McCain's Choice of Palin as Running Mate

John McCain's choice of ultra-conservative Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate energized the Republican religious right base and significantly increased McCain's campaign trail crowds and enthusiasm, a segment of voters already on-board the Republican ticket, albeit somewhat reluctantly.

The political problem is that, by early October 2008, more than 50% of independent voters had an unfavorable impression of Palin. And by all reports, Palin's unfavorable ratings have grown since then.

Further, per Times magazine, 45% of all women, including conservative women, view Palin "unfavorably," versus only 27% of all women voters who view Democratic vice-presidential candidate Joe Biden "unfavorably."

In its October 17, 2008 endorsement of Obama for President, the Washington Post wrote, "The choice is made easy in part by Mr. McCain's... irresponsible selection of a running mate who is not ready to be president.

"... we find no way to square his professed passion for America's national security with his choice of a running mate who, no matter what her other strengths, is not prepared to be commander in chief."

The obvious bottom-line is this: for many reasons, snarky, outspoken Sarah Palin was a disastrous running-mate choice by McCain if he intended to attract additional voters and supporters beyond the traditional Republican base.

For more, see McCain Campaign Hurt by Selecting Palin as Running Mate.

(Also read Five Reasons Why Obama Will Win the '08 Election.)

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Voting Age 16

Dateline: 02/03/2005

A move to lower the federal voting age in Canada to 16 got a boost on February 1, 2005, when more than 20 members of parliament from all federal political parties agreed to second a private members bill by Ontario Liberal MP Mark Holland. The bill would lower the voting age for federal elections in Canada to 16 from 18, but keep the minimum age of candidates at 18. Private members bills rarely pass, but new House of Commons rules and the broad support that appears to be behind this bill give it a chance.

In the 2004 Canadian federal election voter turnout was at an all-time low of 60.9 percent. While Elections Canada worked hard to attract young voters, the turnout rate remained considerably lower for 18 to 24 year olds. About 2.6 million Canadians, 12 per cent of the population, are aged 18-24.

The proponents of lowering the voting age argue that active voters continue to vote throughout life, and that encouraging young people to vote while they are still in school and taking civics classes will help them develop voting habits that will stay with them for the rest of their lives.

Vote16.ca, a Web site devoted to youth voting rights, spells out some of the responsibilities Canada already gives to 16 year olds: they can have drivers licences they can work, and pay taxes they can be tried in court as adults at 16, they can join the Canadian Forces Reserves, and at 17 join the Canadian Forces they can join a Canadian political party at age 14 and have voting rights in that party

In a speech on youth voter turnout in the 2004 election Jean-Pierre Kingsley, the Chief Electoral Officer of Canada, said major reasons for low turnout in the youth vote are

low levels of political knowledge apathy or lack of interest a declining sense that voting is a civic duty limited contact with political parties and candidates practical problems, such as getting registered to vote

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Landmark Al Gore Speech

The rule of law makes us stronger by ensuring that decisions will be tested, studied, reviewed and examined through the processes of government that are designed to improve policy. And the knowledge that they will be reviewed prevents over-reaching and checks the accretion of power.

A commitment to openness, truthfulness and accountability also helps our country avoid many serious mistakes....Following the rule of law makes us safer, not more vulnerable.

The President and I agree on one thing. The threat from terrorism is all too real. There is simply no question that we continue to face new challenges in the wake of the attack on September 11th and that we must be ever-vigilant in protecting our citizens from harm.

Where we disagree is that we have to break the law or sacrifice our system of government to protect Americans from terrorism. In fact, doing so makes us weaker and more vulnerable.

Once violated, the rule of law is in danger. Unless stopped, lawlessness grows. The greater the power of the executive grows, the more difficult it becomes for the other branches to perform their constitutional roles. As the executive acts outside its constitutionally prescribed role and is able to control access to information that would expose its actions, it becomes increasingly difficult for the other branches to police it. Once that ability is lost, democracy itself is threatened and we become a government of men and not laws....

Incredibly, the Administration claims instead that the surveillance was implicitly authorized when Congress voted to use force against those who attacked us on September 11th.

This argument just does not hold any water. Without getting into the legal intricacies, it faces a number of embarrassing facts....

When President Bush failed to convince Congress to give him all the power he wanted when they passed the AUMF, he secretly assumed that power anyway, as if congressional authorization was a useless bother. But as Justice Frankfurter once wrote: "To find authority so explicitly withheld is not merely to disregard in a particular instance the clear will of Congress. It is to disrespect the whole legislative process and the constitutional division of authority between President and Congress."

This is precisely the "disrespect" for the law that the Supreme Court struck down in the steel seizure case.

It is this same disrespect for America's Constitution which has now brought our republic to the brink of a dangerous breach in the fabric of the Constitution. And the disrespect embodied in these apparent mass violations of the law is part of a larger pattern of seeming indifference to the Constitution that is deeply troubling to millions of Americans in both political parties.

For example, the President has also declared that he has a heretofore unrecognized inherent power to seize and imprison any American citizen that he alone determines to be a threat to our nation, and that, notwithstanding his American citizenship, the person imprisoned has no right to talk with a lawyer-even to argue that the President or his appointees have made a mistake and imprisoned the wrong person.

The President claims that he can imprison American citizens indefinitely for the rest of their lives without an arrest warrant, without notifying them about what charges have been filed against them, and without informing their families that they have been imprisoned.

At the same time, the Executive Branch has claimed a previously unrecognized authority to mistreat prisoners in its custody in ways that plainly constitute torture in a pattern that has now been documented in U.S. facilities located in several countries around the world....

This shameful exercise of power overturns a set of principles that our nation has observed since General Washington first enunciated them during our Revolutionary War and has been observed by every president since then - until now. These practices violate the Geneva Conventions and the International Convention Against Torture, not to mention our own laws against torture.

The President has also claimed that he has the authority to kidnap individuals in foreign countries and deliver them for imprisonment and interrogation on our behalf by autocratic regimes in nations that are infamous for the cruelty of their techniques for torture....

Can it be true that any president really has such powers under our Constitution? If the answer is "yes" then under the theory by which these acts are committed, are there any acts that can on their face be prohibited? If the President has the inherent authority to eavesdrop, imprison citizens on his own declaration, kidnap and torture, then what can't he do?

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Wisconsin Voting Laws

The state of Wisconsin has implemented a number of controversial voting law changes in anticipation of 2012 elections and of threatened recalls of Tea Party Republicans elected to state office in 2010.

For many decades until 2010, Wisconsin was regarded as a solidly Democratic state. However, in November 2010, Wisconsin voters handed to Republicans control of the state legislature.

Wisconsin voters also elected to office several ultra-conservative Tea Party Republicans including Gov. Scott Walker, and to replace three-term progressive U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold, Libertarian businessman and Tea-Party candidate Ron Johnson.

Most of these voting law changes were included in state bill AB-7, the Voter ID bill, which was passed by Wisconsin's Republican-led legislature in May 2011. "Opponents claim the bill will actually disenfranchise thousands of potential voters with its onerous identification provisions, reduction in voting opportunities and confusing requirements," reported ThirdCoastDigest.com.

Other states with major voting law changes in 2011 include Florida, Ohio, Kansas and Texas.

Wisconsin Voting Law Changes in 2011

Increase of Residency Requirement
For state elections, the residency requirement for voter eligibility was extended from ten days to 28 days. The main impact of this change is expected to be exclusion of thousand of college students from voting.

The University of Wisconsin, one of many college and universities in the Badger State, currently boasts 182,000 enrolled students. College students generally tend to vote Democratic rather than Republicans.

Decrease of Period to Cast Absentee Ballots
Starting in 2012, AB-7 cuts the time period allowed for absentee ballots to be cast from 30 days before elections to 14 days. In Wisconsin, absentee ballots must be cast in person in front of the specified municipal clerk. Under AB-7, absentee ballots must also now be cast no later than Friday before any election.

A high percentage of absentee ballots are cast by working Americans... teachers, nurses, fire fighters, police officers... who find it difficult to vote on Tuesdays. In Wisconsin, a solid percentage of working Americans are represented by labor unions, whose members lean Democratic.

New Requirement for Photo ID
Starting in 2012, all Wisconsin voters must present a photo ID issued by a narrow list of issuers.

"...for those who are already registered, vote at the polls and have a license, there will be little change other than being required to show the card each time they vote. But for others -- such as students or others who don’t drive and those who vote absentee -- there will be obstacles. The photo ID is not generally required of nursing home residents or the homebound who have already been voting absentee," explains the Hudson Star-Observer.

Acceptable photo ID for voting eligibility in Wisconsin includes: an unexpired Wisconsin driver's license an unexpired photo ID issued by the Wisconsin Department of Motor Vehicles an unexpired U.S. passport an unexpired ID issued by a federally recognized Indian tribe an unexpired ID issued by an Wisconsin-accredited college or universityTo be acceptable, IDs must have a photo that "reasonably resembles" the voter and a name that conforms to voting rolls.

Photo IDs are issued free-of-charge by the Wisconsin DMV. However, "Sen. Kathleen Vinehout (D-Alma) said the requirement directing the DMV to issue the IDs hurts people of all economic and racial stripes.

"Not all counties have DMV service centers: Buffalo County has none, Pierce County’s is only open during typical working hours on Thursdays and Fridays and Price County only has hours on the first Wednesday of every other month and 2nd and 5th Thursdays monthly," per ThirdCoastDigest.com.

Another obstacle to obtaining a Wisconsin DMV-issued photo ID is the onerous requirements, which include all of the following: a certified birth certificate or other acceptable proof of name and birth proof of identity, which is generally a signed document proof of Wisconsin residency proof of U.S. citizenship a Social Security cardState Democratic Sen. Robert Jauch commented to the press after passage of AB-7 that the bill was "only being passed to ensure the re-election of Republican politicians."

Sen. Jauch elaborated, "Jim Crow, move over, Wisconsin Republicans have taken your place. I’m not saying you’re racists. Intolerant, unsympathetic, restrictive; those are a few words. This bill perpetuates injustice and deprives people of their rights."

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Obama Nat'l Export Initiative

 U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke

David McNew/Getty ImagesAnd this effort will extend throughout my administration: Secretary Locke is issuing guidance to all senior government officials who have foreign counterparts on how they can best promote our exports. Secretary Clinton is mobilizing a commercial diplomacy strategy, directing every one of our embassies to create a senior visitors business liaison who will manage our export advocacy efforts locally, and when our ambassadors return stateside, we’ll ask them to travel the United States to discuss export opportunities in their countries of assignment.> We’re also announcing more than 40 trade and reverse trade missions that are scheduled for this year. The Department of Commerce, for example, has sent a trade mission to India this week; Secretary Vilsack is off to Japan on April 15th. So advocacy is going to be critical.

New opportunities, new markets for U.S. exporters

Third, we’ll unleash a battery of comprehensive and coordinated efforts to promote new markets and new opportunities for American exporters.

Many businesses want to export their products but just don’t have the resources required to identify new markets or set up shop overseas. And that’s where we can help.

We’ll bring together the Ex-Im Bank, the SBA, the Departments of Commerce and Agriculture, and the Trade Development Agency to set up one-stop shops across the country and in our 250 embassies and consulates abroad, to help American businesses gain a foothold in the fastest-growing markets with the most demand.

And we’ll provide a comprehensive toolkit of services –- from financing to counseling to promotion –- to help potential exporters grow and expand.

We’ll create public-private partnerships to help firms break into new markets with the help of those who have been there –- shipping and supply-chain companies, for example. And we’ll increase funding for existing promotion efforts. We’ll increase funding for the International Trade Administration at the Department of Commerce, and strengthen the USDA’s ability to connect farmers with new overseas markets.

So we’re going to increase financing, advocacy, and assistance for American businesses to locate, set up shop, and win new markets. Those are the first three aims of the National Export Initiative.

Trade agreements must be fair to U.S. businesses

The fourth focuses on making sure American companies have free and fair access to those markets. And that begins by enforcing trade agreements we already have on the books.

When I ran for President, I promised that when the United States of America puts its name to an agreement, that agreement will be as good for workers as it is for businesses, including strong labor and environmental protections that we’ll enforce. My administration is living up to that promise.

Ambassador Kirk has been doing an extraordinary job as our United States Trade Representative, and he’s been working to knock down barriers that unfairly keep American companies from markets we belong in, hold our trade partners to their labor and environmental obligations, and crack down on practices that blatantly harm our companies.

But keep in mind, the United States offers some of the world’s lowest barriers to trade. That’s why we can often get more out of a trade deal, because our borders are largely already open. And when we give other countries the privilege of that free and fair access, we can expect it in return.

Moving forward with trade agreement negotiations

That’s the spirit in which we’ll move forward: So we’re going to continue to work towards an ambitious and a balanced Doha agreement -– not just for the sake of any agreement, but for one that enhances market access for American agriculture and goods and services. We’re going to strengthen relations with key partners, specifically South Korea, Panama, Colombia, with the goal of moving forward with existing agreements in a way that upholds our values. And we will pursue negotiations in the Trans-Pacific Partnership that we launched last year with some of the most dynamic economies in Asia -– negotiations that I believe will result in a new standard for 21st century trade agreements that aren’t just good for workers, businesses, and farmers, but also consistent with our most cherished values.More aggressive protection of U.S. intellectual properties

What’s more, we’re going to aggressively protect our intellectual property. Our single greatest asset is the innovation and the ingenuity and creativity of the American people. It is essential to our prosperity and it will only become more so in this century.

But it’s only a competitive advantage if our companies know that someone else can’t just steal that idea and duplicate it with cheaper inputs and labor. There’s nothing wrong with other people using our technologies, we welcome it –- we just want to make sure that it’s licensed, and that American businesses are getting paid appropriately.

That’s why USTR is using the full arsenal of tools available to crack down on practices that blatantly harm our businesses, and that includes negotiating proper protections and enforcing our existing agreements, and moving forward on new agreements, including the proposed Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement.

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Obama Education Plan

NCLB Has Demoralized Teachers, Students
The fact is, No Child Left Behind has done more to stigmatize and demoralize our students and teachers in struggling schools than it has to marshal the talent and the determination and the resources to turn them around.

That's what's wrong with No Child Left Behind, and that's what we must change in a fundamental way.

I want to lead a new era of mutual responsibility in education - one where we all come together for the sake of our children's success; an era where each of us does our part to make that success a reality - parents and teachers; leaders in Washington and citizens all across America.

I won't pretend that this will be easy. We must fix the failures of No Child Left Behind. We must provide the funding we were promised, and give our states the resources they need, and finally meet our commitment to special education.

But that alone is not an education policy. It's just a starting point.

Commit "Full Resources of the Federal Government"
A truly historic commitment to education - a real commitment - will require new resources and new reforms. It will require a willingness to break free from the same debates that Washington has been engaged in for decades - Democrat versus Republican; vouchers versus the status quo; more money versus more accountability.

And most of all, it will take a President who is honest about the challenges we face - who doesn't just tell everyone what they want to hear, but what they need to hear.

I am running to be that President. And that's why I'm proposing a comprehensive plan to give every American child the chance to receive the best education America has to offer - from the moment they're born to the day they graduate college.

As President, I will put the full resources of the federal government behind this plan. But to make it a reality, I will also ask more of teachers and principals; parents and students; schools and communities.

A few weeks ago, I introduced my plan to make college affordable by creating a $4,000 per year refundable tax credit that will cover two-thirds of the tuition at the average public college or university. And yesterday, I unveiled my proposal to strengthen our community colleges by offering new degrees for emerging fields and rewarding schools that graduate more students.

Today, I want to talk about what we can do to prepare every student to succeed in college - preparation that begins at birth and continues with world-class schools, outstanding teachers, and transformative principals.

Part One: Affordable Early Childhood Education
The first part of my plan focuses on providing quality, affordable early childhood education to every American child.

We know what a difference early childhood programs make in the lives of our kids. Study after study proves that children in these programs - especially low-income children - are more likely to score higher in reading and math, more likely to graduate high school and attend college, more likely to hold a job and more likely to earn more on that job. And for every $1 we invest in these programs, we get $10 back in reduced welfare rolls, fewer health care costs, and less crime.

In recent years, states have been able to enroll nearly one million four year olds in pre-Kindergarten programs. That's a great success, but I believe we can do better.

We need to enroll more children and we need to start at an even earlier age. Because the fact is, studies show that from the time of conception to the first day of kindergarten, children's development progresses faster than at any other stage of life. By the age of three, 85% of the brain's core structure is already formed. Eighty-five percent.

So here's what we did in Illinois. As a state Senator, I helped create the Illinois Early Learning Council, which launched a program called Preschool for All. This has made us one of the first states to commit to a high quality early learning program that starts helping children from the day they're born.

It provides early care and education for new families as well as at-risk infants and toddlers, and offer at-risk three-year olds and all four-year-olds the chance to enroll in pre-Kindergarten programs.

There is no reason we can't and shouldn't replicate this all across America.

Children's First Agenda for Ages Zero to Five
As President, I will launch a Children's First Agenda that provides care, learning and support to families with children ages zero to five. We'll create Early Learning Grants to help states create a system of high-quality early care and education for all young children and their families.

We'll increase Head Start funding and quadruple Early Start to include a quarter of a million at-risk children.

I will create a Presidential Early Learning Council to coordinate this effort across all levels of government and ensure that we're providing these children and families with the highest quality programs.

And we'll help more working parents find a safe, affordable place to leave their children during the day by improving the educational quality of our child care programs and increasing the child care tax credit.

That's how we'll give our kids the best possible start in life, and that's the commitment America will make when I am President.

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Downing Street MemoGate

On May 1, 2005, a highly confidential memo of minutes of a July 23,2002 meeting was leaked to the Times of London. The memo recorded a meeting between British Prime Minister Tony Blair; Richard Dearlove, head of the British intelligence service; and other British intelligence and military chiefs. On June 12, 2005, additional, related British memos were leaked.

The memos are named after 10 Downing Street, official home of the British Prime Minister, where the July 23, 2002 meeting was held.

Neither George Bush nor Tony Blair, nor any of their representatives, have denied the authenticity of the minutes and memos known as the Downing Street Memos.

The US press hesitated to report the May 1, 2005 leaking of these documents due to authenticity concerns. Of course, Dan Rather, former CBS anchor, suffered great embarrassment in 2004 when he reported on documents later found to be fraudulent. In mid June 2005, the Downing Street Memo disclosures became US headlines.

In October 2002, Congress relied on Bush warnings of WMDs in Iraq when passing legislation granting him the authority to wage war on Iraq. Congress urged, but did not require, UN approval for war. Iraqi leader Hussein was portrayed as an imminent threat to US security.

In November 2002, the UN passed a resolution on the matter, but did not specifically authorize a US strike on Iraq. Instead, the UN continued to inspect for WMDs.

The US and Britain first attacked Iraq in March 2003.

In May, Rep John Conyers (D-MI)submitted a letter to President Bush signed by 94 House members requesting answers to 5 questions about Downing Street Memo disclosures. (See questions below.)

White House press secretary Scott McClellan said that there is "no need" to respond to the letter.

On June 16, Conyers will hold an unofficial hearing into this matter. Unofficial because no Republicans will attend, and House Republicans refuse to schedule a formal hearing.

In addition to 94 US House members, 500,000 American citizens have signed Rep John Conyers, Jr's letter to President Bush. The 5 questions asked in the letter were.....

1. Do you or anyone in your administration dispute the accuracy of the leaked documents?

2. Were arrangements being made, including the recruitment of allies. before you sought Congressional authorization to go to war? Did you or anyone in your administration obtain Britian's commitment to invade prior to this time?

3. Was there an effort to create an ultimatum about weapons inspectors in order to help with the justification for the war, as the minutes indicate?

4. At what point in time did you and Prime Minister Blair first agree it was necessary to invade Iraq?

5. Was there a coordinated effort with the US intelligence community and/or British officials to "fix" the intelligence and facts around the policy as the leaked document states?

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Obama-Economic Reform

Below is the text of the well-received "red meat" speech on the failing U.S. financial markets by Barack Obama in Colorado on September 16, 2008 in which he compared his and McCain's records and set forth a six-point plan for reform of U.S. financial markets.

Also read:

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!

Over the last few days, we have seen clearly what's at stake in this election. The news from Wall Street has shaken the American people's faith in our economy. The situation with Lehman Brothers and other financial institutions is the latest in a wave of crises that have generated tremendous uncertainty about the future of our financial markets.

This is a major threat to our economy and its ability to create good-paying jobs and help working Americans pay their bills, save for their future, and make their mortgage payments.

Since this turmoil began over a year ago, the housing market has collapsed: Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac had to be effectively taken over by the government. Three of America's five largest investment banks failed or have been sold off in distress. Yesterday, Wall Street suffered its worst losses since just after 9/11.McCain: "Fundamentals of the economy are strong."
We are in the most serious financial crisis in generations. Yet Senator McCain stood up yesterday and said that the fundamentals of the economy are strong.

A few hours later, his campaign sent him back out to clean up his remarks, and he tried to explain himself again this morning by saying that what he meant was that American workers are strong.

But we know that Senator McCain meant what he said the first time, because he has said it over and over again throughout this campaign - no fewer than 16 times, according to one independent count.

Now I certainly don't fault Senator McCain for all of the problems we're facing, but I do fault the economic philosophy he subscribes to.

Because the truth is, what Senator McCain said yesterday fits with the same economic philosophy that he's had for 26 years: It's the philosophy that says we should give more and more to those with the most and hope that prosperity trickles down. It's the philosophy that says even common-sense regulations are unnecessary and unwise. It's a philosophy that lets Washington lobbyists shred consumer protections and distort our economy so it works for the special interests instead of working people.We've had this philosophy for eight years. We know the results. You feel it in your own lives. Jobs have disappeared, and peoples' life savings have been put at risk. Millions of families face foreclosure, and millions more have seen their home values plummet.

The cost of everything from gas to groceries to health care has gone up, while the dream of a college education for our kids and a secure and dignified retirement for our seniors is slipping away. These are the struggles that Americans are facing. This is the pain that has now trickled up.

A Failed Economic Philosophy
So let's be clear: what we've seen the last few days is nothing less than the final verdict on an economic philosophy that has completely failed.

And I am running for President of the United States because the dreams of the American people must not be endangered any more. It's time to put an end to a broken system in Washington that is breaking the American economy. It's time for change that makes a real difference in your lives.

If you want to understand the difference between how Senator McCain and I would govern as President, you can start by taking a look at how we've responded to this crisis. Senator McCain's approach was the same as the Bush Administration's: support ideological policies that made the crisis more likely; do nothing as the crisis hits; and then scramble as the whole thing collapses.My approach has been to try to prevent this turmoil.

In February of 2006, I introduced legislation to stop mortgage transactions that promoted fraud, risk or abuse.

A year later, before the crisis hit, I warned Secretary Paulson and Chairman Bernanke about the risks of mounting foreclosures and urged them to bring together all the stakeholders to find solutions to the subprime mortgage meltdown. Senator McCain did nothing.

Last September, I stood up at NASDAQ and said it's time to realize that we are in this together - that there is no dividing line between Wall Street and Main Street - and warned of a growing loss of trust in our capital markets.

Months later, Senator McCain told a newspaper that he'd love to give them a solution to the mortgage crisis, "but" - he said - "I don't know one."

In January, I outlined a plan to help revive our faltering economy, which formed the basis for a bipartisan stimulus package that passed the Congress.

Senator McCain used the crisis as an excuse to push a so-called stimulus plan that offered another huge and permanent corporate tax cut, including $4 billion for the big oil companies, but no immediate help for workers.

This March, in the wake of the Bear Stearns bailout, I called for a new, 21st century regulatory framework to restore accountability, transparency, and trust in our financial markets.

Just a few weeks earlier, Senator McCain made it clear where he stands: "I'm always for less regulation," he said, and referred to himself as "fundamentally a deregulator."

Free License for Special Interests
This is what happens when you confuse the free market with a free license to let special interests take whatever they can get, however they can get it.

This is what happens when you see seven years of incomes falling for the average worker while Wall Street is booming, and declare - as Senator McCain did earlier this year - that we've made great progress economically under George Bush. That is how you can reach the conclusion - as late as yesterday - that the fundamentals of the economy are strong.

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Liberal Profile - Michele Bachmann

On June 27, 2011 in her hometown of Waterloo, Iowa, Rep. Michele Bachmann declared her candidacy for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination, declaring "The liberals, and to be clear I'm NOT one of them, want you to think the Tea Party is the Right Wing of the Republican Party. But it's not. It's made up of disaffected Democrats, independents, people who've never been political a day in their life, libertarians, Republicans. We're people who simply want America back on the right track again."

Competitors - In mid-August 2011, Rep. Bachmann won the Ames, Iowa Straw Poll, the first 2012 Republican contest in the presidential race, anointing her as a top contender for the White House.

In polls since August, though, Rep. Bachmann has lagged behind competitors Texas Gov. Rick Perry, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, and media personality/businessman Herman Cain.

Through Liberal Eyes - Michele Bachmann, a devoted conservative evangelical Christian for 40 years, is absolutely determined to impose her extremist social, anti-science, and Tea Party economic values on all Americans. Her political career has been passionately backed for years by powerful conservative Christian lobbyist Dr. James Dobson.

Despite her college education and advanced degrees, Bachmann's speeches have included embarrassingly basic errors about U.S. history and betrayed an irrational anti-science proclivity. Rep. Bachmann is not a stupid person, but she's made curiously stupid, over-the-top statements on the campaign trail, likely revealing her desperation to win this race.

Husband Marcus heads a conservative Christian counseling service that is strongly rumored to specialize in converting gays to straight.

The bottom line: If the most extremist social conservatives decided the Republican presidential nominee, Michele Bachmann would likely be their 2012 nominee. Fortunately, they do not.

As a well-educated conservative woman with impeccable Tea Party credentials, Rep. Bachmann might well become part of a President Romney administration. Look for her to play an instrumental role in any 2012 presidential campaign.

Michele Bachmann on the Issues - Rep. Bachmann's political stances on issues are based firmly on her conservative evangelical Christian beliefs, including: 100% pro-life. She supports defunding Planned Parenthood, and believes that abortions should be strictly banned except in cases of rape or incest. 100% opposed to gay marriage and "the gay lifestyle" that is "part of Satan." In 2004, Bachmann told a 2004 educational conference about homosexuality, "It leads to the personal enslavement of individuals. Because if you’re involved in the gay and lesbian lifestyle, it's bondage. Personal bondage, personal despair, and personal enslavement. And that's why this is so dangerous." Religious-based intelligent design theory over the science of evolution. "I support intelligent design. What I support is putting all science on the table and then letting students decide. I don't think it's a good idea for government to come down on one side of scientific issue or another, when there is reasonable doubt on both sides," remarked Bachmann to a 2011 Republican conference.Michele Bachmann in Elected Office - January 2001 to January 2007 - Minnesota state senator January 2007 to present - U.S. House member from MinnesotaRep. Bachmann is the founder of the Congressional Tea Party Caucus.

From 1988 through 1993, Michele Bachmann was employed as a Federal Tax Litigation Attorney for the Internal Revenue Service. From 1993 through 2000, she retired to become a fulltime parent to their five children and to house 23 foster children, all of them teenage girls.

Michele Bachmann's Personal Background Birth - April 6, 1956 in Waterloo, Iowa to David Amble, an engineer, and wife Jean. In 1969, the family moved to Minnesota. Soon after, Bachmann's parents divorced, and her father took a job with Honeywell in California. Michele's mother was remarried three years later to widower Raymond J. LaFave. Education - Graduated from Anoka High School in 1974 where Michele was a cheerleader and "straight-A" student. BA in political science, 1978, Winona State University. JD, 1979, Oral Robert University Law School. Master of Law in taxation, 1988, William & Mary College School of Law.

The day after high school graduation, Michele traveled with Young Life, an evangelical Christian youth group, to work in Israel on a kibbutz.

Bachmann's first step into politics was in 1977 as an undergraduate when she successfully ran for Student Senate Vice-President at Winona State University. Per the LaCrosse Tribune "Jim Schuman, an Eyota, Minn., farmer who served as president while Bachmann was VP, said she was a 'cute, talkative and perky girl' with conservative tendencies."

Family - Married in 1978 to Marcus Bachmann, two years after they met as undergraduates. Marcus, who holds a PhD in clinical psychology and MS in counseling, runs Bachmann & Associates, a conservative Christian counseling service based in Lake Elmo, Minnesota.

Five children: Sons Lucas and Harrison, and daughters Elisa, Caroline and Sophia. During a eight-year period in the 1990s, the Bachmanns also housed 23 foster children, all teenage girls, for spans ranging from a few weeks to more than a year. Most of the teenagers were pregnant; a few suffered from eating disorders.

Faith - Evangelical Christian.

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Bush Moves to Privatize Amtrak

The Bush budgets for 2006 and 2007 proposed ending federal support of Amtrak, the only US national passenger rail service.In fiscal 2005, the federal subsidy to Amtrak was $1.2 billion, which is what Bush spends in six days in Iraq.

In late July 2006, the Senate Appropriations Committee included $1.4 billion for Amtrak in the 2006-07 federal budget, thus once gain saving Amtrak from the Bush Administration ax.

Eliminating federal support would force Amtrak into bankruptcy and cause it to shut operations.

Amtrak provides intercity and cross-country service to more than 500 US destinations in 46 states on a 22,000-mile route system. 24 million passengers rode Amtrak this past year, an all-time high and ridership has soared on all routes, from the northeast corridor, to the west, midwest and more.

Amtrak President David Gunn called Bush's 2006 proposal "irresponsible and a surprising disappointment."

"Bizarre" Budget Cuts

Republicans and Democrats object to this short-sighted budget cut, as seen on NBC's Meet the Press on February 27, 2005. Appearing were Senators Joe Biden (D-DE) and Rick Santorum (R-PA), a conservative Bush supporter.

MR. RUSSERT: Let me ask you about another tough issue for both of you: Amtrak. The president wants...

SEN. BIDEN: It's not tough for me.

MR. RUSSERT: You take Amtrak every day back and forth to work.

SEN. BIDEN: This is absolutely bizarre that we continue to subsidize highways beyond the gasoline tax, airlines, and we don't subsidize, we don't want to subsidize a national rail system that has environmental impact. Do you know what it would take? It would take us $71 billion to be able to go and take--if you took Amtrak out of the Northeast Corridor from Washington to Boston, to build enough highway on 95 to go up and back. This is the ultimate being penny-wise and a pound-foolish.

MR. RUSSERT: Senator Santorum, your Republican colleague from Pennsylvania, Arlen Specter, said the president's elimination of federal subsidies for Amtrak is unacceptable.

SEN. SANTORUM: Yeah.

MR. RUSSERT: Do you share that view?

SEN. SANTORUM: I would agree with--it's not...

MR. RUSSERT: So you're going to fight it?

SEN. SANTORUM: It's not acceptable to me, either.

Why would George Bush propose to shut down Amtrak?

A recent op-ed in Newsday claimed that the Bush administration has sold out the railroads to the oil interests, airlines interests and the automotives interests.

The Bush mantra is that Amtrak must become self-sufficient financially, just like the airlines and highways. Reality is that airlines and highways are supported by many billions annually of taxpayers dollars.

Another reality is no mass transportation system in the world survives without government subsidies. And why should it? Government is not business. Government supports its citizens with their own funds.

The White House openly predicts that without subsidies, “Amtrak would quickly enter bankruptcy, which would lead to elimination of inefficient (i.e. unprofitable) operations…."

The purpose of government is not to make a profit. It is to serve the people, not take and profit from the people.

Bush's message on this is atrocious. It doesn’t make any sense at all. It’s a fraud.” Said Dr. Vukan Vuchik, Professor of Transportation at University of Pennsylvania.

Why should Amtrak be saved? Cost-efficient - Subsidies for Amtrak since it began in 1971 are less than “loans” given to US airlines since 9/11. Energy-efficient – Amtrak uses just 54% of the energy per passenger mile that airlines consume. Loss of Amtrak would immobilize millions – Many smaller communities are poorly served, or not served at all, by other forms of public transportation. Many people…elderly, disabled, those with medical conditions…cannot fly, and need trains as a travel option. Amtrak is good for the environment – Trains create less pollution because they use less energy. Also, one rail line can carry the equivalent of 16 highway lanes, thus additionally reducing both gas usage and air pollutants. Amtrak has about 25,000 employees, and thousands of car builders and supply workers depend on their employers’ contracts with Amtrak. If the President has his way, all these workers will soon be unemployed.

What’s next?

President Bush wants to push Amtrak into bankruptcy, and end its rail services. He proposes to set aside funds for a new train system to someday run only in the country’s northeast corridor.

Bush wants to “privatize” the rest of Amtrak by selling its assets, and let corporations make profits as they see fit.

The leading House Democrat on transportation, Minnesota Rep. Jim Oberstar, predicts a “test of wills.” “This is serious” he said. “They really intend to eliminate Amtrak.”

Said Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-NJ),” They’re about to run Amtrak off a cliff…. We’re gonna fight it, and we’ll see who blinks first.”

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Obama Inaug Address

My fellow citizens: I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors.

I thank President Bush for his service to our nation as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.

Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath.

The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers, and true to our founding documents.

So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.

That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age.

Homes have been lost, jobs shed, businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly, our schools fail too many, and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.

These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable, but no less profound, is a sapping of confidence across our land; a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, that the next generation must lower its sights.

Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real, they are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this America: They will be met.

On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.

On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn-out dogmas that for far too long have strangled our politics.

We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.

In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of shortcuts or settling for less.

It has not been the path for the faint-hearted, for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame.

Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things -- some celebrated, but more often men and women obscure in their labor -- who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.

For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life. For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West, endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.

For us, they fought and died in places Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn.

Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.

This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions -- that time has surely passed.

Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.

For everywhere we look, there is work to be done.

The state of our economy calls for action: bold and swift. And we will act not only to create new jobs but to lay a new foundation for growth.

We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together.

We will restore science to its rightful place and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its costs.

We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age.

All this we can do. All this we will do.

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Pell Grants Updated for 2006

The Pell Grant Program is a need-based, undergraduate grant program funded by the federal government. Five million students, one-third of undergraduates, receive an average of $2,500 per year in Pell Grants to finance their education at accredited colleges or universities. Students do not pay back the grants. The maximum annual grant remains frozen at $4,050 for the 4th straight year. Among changes to the Pell Grant program, commencing for the 2005-2006 federal year are:

- Grants will now be available year-round, rather than just during specified date periods.

- Previously, students who had been convicted of a drug offense were ineligible for Pell Grants. This was changed to only exclude students convicted of drug offenses while students.

- For schools' students to be eligible for Pell Grants, colleges must provide intellectual climates that support a wide range of views, and not permit professors to punish students who don't see eye-to-eye with them.

- More colleges will now be eligible for their students to receive Pell Grants, as a provision was eliminated from the Higher Education Act that barred federal financial aid programs being extended to schools that offer more than half of their courses online or via distance education.

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Debbie Wasserman Schultz Profile

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz was elected Chair of the Democratic National Committee on May 4, 2011, becoming the third woman to lead the Democratic Party. At age 44, she's also one of the youngest DNC leaders.

Four-term Rep. Wasserman Schultz was nominated to DNC leadership by President Obama largely due to her spirited campaigning, hard work and success at fundraising. She also hails from a battleground state that Obama hopes to win in 2012.

She's proven to be an effective and popular advocate for her 400,000 constituents in south Florida. The Congresswoman is a breast cancer survivor.

Rep. Wasserman Schultz is proudly pro-choice and pro-gay rights. She avidly supports health care reform and public education initiatives. She's also pro-gun control, and spoke out forcefully for more stringent legislation after the shooting of friend Rep Gabrielle Gifford.

She's a tenacious fighter for issues affecting women, children and seniors, and was one of the prime movers behind naming each May as Jewish American Heritage Month.

Interestingly, Debbie Wasserman Schultz considers herself to be a fiscal moderate, and has been a member of the centrist Blue Dog Democrats since her 2004 election to Congress.

On Israel

"I am a staunch supporter of the State of Israel and her citizens’ right to live in peace and security. Since Israel’s independence in 1948, the United States and Israel have shared a special relationship based on our shared values of personal freedom, democracy, and the rule of law...

"These are challenging times for Israel, and it has pained me deeply to hear the unfair and unjust criticism of that nation as she strives to protect her citizens. While Israel faces intense international criticism for exercising its legitimate right to self-defense, its enemies in the form of Hamas or Hezbollah rockets, global anti-Semitism, biased United Nations resolutions, and the danger of a nuclear Iran continue to threaten its safe and secure existence."

On Middle East Peace

"I am cautiously optimistic that we can achieve peace in the Middle East... I welcome the renewal of peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority and commend the Obama administration for its outstanding efforts to bring everyone back to the negotiating table."

On Education

"We must make a national commitment to education by strengthening our public K-12 schools, fully funding special education, and modernizing our classrooms. At the same time, we must enhance the ability of students to afford and attain higher education, and make sure that we have the best trained, most qualified teachers in the world. I am proud that in (this) Congress, we are working with a President who shares this commitment."

On Health Care Reform

"For the first time in history, we have passed a comprehensive health care reform bill that will ensure that all Americans have access to quality, affordable health care, while having the added benefit of significantly reducing long-term health care costs.

"When the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (“Affordable Care Act”) is fully implemented, we will leave behind a U.S. health care system that spends more per capita than any nation on earth, yet is ranked dead last among industrial nations for quality, access and efficiency."

On U.S. Reliance on Oil from Foreign Sources

"Reliance on foreign-imported fossil fuels leaves us vulnerable to economic disruption by foreign nations wishing to influence U.S. foreign policy. We can no longer afford to ignore the fact that we import the majority of our petroleum, often from countries that do not share our democratic principles."

SOURCE - Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz's Congressional website

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DLC's American Dream Plan

In July 2006, the Democratic Leadership Council released its radical new initiative report, "Saving the American Dream: Bold Ideas for America's Future," which was chaired and authored by Senator Hillary Clinton, and co-chaired by Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack and Senator Tom Carper of Delaware.

The DLC: Centrist Wing of the Democratic Party

Founded in 1985 after President Ronald Reagan's reelection, the Democratic Leadership Council (DLC) is a non-profit group that represents centrist and conservative Democratic party leaders.

Liberal critics contend that the DLC is a corporate mouthpiece which doesn't fight for the interests of everyday and downtrodden Americans, the traditional base of the Democratic party.

President Bill Clinton was elected in 1991 largely due to support from the DLC. And the DLC views President Clinton as proof of the viability of "third way politicians" and as a DLC success story.

New DLC Agenda Is Radical Change

The new DLC agenda is a radical change and smart political strategy for this centrist group because it espouses help for middle-class Americans in five specific areas:
1. college education
2. health insurance
3. retirement security
4. job security through training
5. home ownership

While the liberal wing of the Democratic party focuses on the Iraq War and foreign policy as its centerpice issues for 2006 and 2008, the DLC, and Senator Hillary Clinton, believe that focus on the needs of individual Americans will resonate more strongly when voters cast their ballots.

The following is the quick-reading digest of Saving the American Dream, published by the DLC.

SAVING THE AMERICAN DREAM

By Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton,
Sen. Tom Carper, and
Gov. Tom Vilsack
For 230 years, Americans have been united by a simple, common dream that tomorrow will be better than today. The promise of American life, handed on through a dozen generations, rests on this basic bargain: All of us should have the opportunity to live up to our God-given potential, and the responsibility to make the most of it.

In the 20th century, that basic bargain built the greatest middle class the world has ever known. The expansion of opportunity in return for hard work and sacrifice made us the richest, safest, strongest nation on earth, and enabled us to defeat fascism and communism. We ended the last century with America's economic might at its zenith, with Americans at their most optimistic, and with nearly all who endeavored to make the most of their opportunities and talents getting ahead in life.

US Has Failed Middle Class in Last Five Years

Over the last five years we've taken a different direction -- one that offered the greatest help to those with the most wealth, under the mistaken belief that when the wealthy do even better, the middle class will eventually get their share. But this economic philosophy has shortchanged America and failed the middle class, too.

For the first time ever, we've had four straight years of rising productivity and falling incomes. Americans are earning less, while the costs of a middle-class life have soared: In the past five years, college costs are up 50 percent, health care 73 percent, and gasoline more than 100 percent.

U.S. companies and workers face new challenges because they have to compete against companies and workers from other countries that have made education the top national priority, take energy efficiency seriously, and spend half as much on health care as we do.

These trends aren't just a burden for middle-class families. They undermine our way of life, because middle-class strength and growth have been the backbone of America.

Making the American Dream Once Again Strong & Alive

Together we can face that challenge. Throughout our history, America has responded to new challenges with a new faith in our basic bargain. The world has changed over the past 50 years, and the terms of our basic bargain must keep pace.

The chance for every American to get ahead, regardless of background, is the engine of America's economic growth and social progress. A growing economy and a growing middle class go hand in hand.

To remain strong in the world, the American Dream must be strong and alive here at home. And as we continue to navigate through these changing economic times, restoring the promise of the American Dream is the central economic issue of our time.

That's why the three of us have spent the past year developing the American Dream Initiative, an opportunity agenda for the middle class and all who aspire to join it. With the help of leading thinkers from across the Democratic Party, we developed a set of new ideas for the Democratic Leadership Council's National Conversation in Denver in July.

Our vision is straightforward and clear -- to leave our children a richer, safer, smarter, and stronger nation than the one we inherited.

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Dem Debate Gone Bad

 Photo of former Sen. Mike Gravel: Mark Wilson/Getty Images

WORST MOMENT #3 - No-Hope Candidates

Since former Sen. Mike Gravel declared his presidential candidacy on April 17, 2007, Mr. Gravel has garnered "no discernible public support," in the words of ABC News commentator George Stephanopoulos at the Iowa debate.

And yet, the former senator was accorded an equal place at the podium with Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and other candidates with an actual shot at securing the Democratic nomination.

Here's my question: what nutty form of liberal political correctness is causing the Democratic party to waste voters' valuable time on candidates who, after five to ten months of campaigning, can't muster even 3% support in any national or battleground primary state polls?

Liberal Political Correctness Run Amok

This is not an elementary school pageant, where each child is included so no feelings get hurt. This is not T-ball for five year olds, where each child gets a chance to play infield so they feel good about themselves.

The race for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination is a competition, and certain candidates will clearly not win the race. They have already lost.

The 2008 presidential is desperately important for the future of our country. And many of us feel passionately that it's urgent for a Democrat to be elected to the White House in 2008.

Democratic voters need the time and information to make the best decision possible between the viable candidates, which are Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, Bill Richardson and possibly Joe Biden.

The Democratic party is simply foolish, less than four months before the primaries, to fritter valuable debate time away on the attention-getting shenanigans of candidates with absolutely zero chance of garnering the party nomination.

And really, must primary voters continue to have their time wasted by the loony behavior of once-great legislator Mike Gravel, such as this stunning exchange:

"MR. RUSSERT: In 2004 you filed for personal bankruptcy... leaving $85,000 in credit bills unpaid. How can someone who did not take care of his business, could not manage his own personal finances, say that he's capable of managing the country?

MR. GRAVEL: ... Now, you say the condo business. I'll tell you, Donald Trump has been bankrupt a hundred times. So I went bankrupt once in business.

And the other -- who did I bankrupt? I stuck the credit card companies with $90,000 worth of bills. And they deserved it, because I used the money. (Laughter.) They deserved it, and I used the money to finance the empowerment of the American people with the National Initiative, so you can make the laws."

For complete debate coverage, see:

Rating Hillary Clinton - Cumulative Scoreboard for the Debates
Rating Barack Obama - Cumulative Scoreboard for the Debates
Rating John Edwards - Cumulative Scoreboard for the Debates
Rating Bill Richardson - Cumulative Scoreboard for the Debates

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Richard Trumka Profile

Richard Trumka is the outspoken, energetic President of the AFL-CIO, the largest U.S. federation of labor unions, representing more than 11 million workers.

Trumka was elected AFL-CIO President in 2009 after serving since 1995 as secretary-treasurer. Trumka spent 1982 to 1995 as President of the United Mine Workers of America union, an AFL-CIO member.

Richard Trumka hails from an immigrant family of Pennsylvania coal miners. He labored in mines while working his way through college and law school. Trumka has proven to be a bold, intelligent, hands-on leader and activist visionary who supports nonviolent change methods.

Starting at age 19, Richard Trumka worked in Pennsylvania coal mines while pursuing a B.S. at Pennsylvania State University and earning a law degree at Villanova University.

Trumka worked for four years on the United Mine Workers' legal staff, leaving in 1979 to return to mine work and pro bono legal services for coal mining families.

In 1982, Trumka was elected President of the United Mine Workers of America, a member of the AFL-CIO. As the youngest UMWA President at age 33, Trumka was sworn into office by his proud father.

In 1995, Trumka was elected AFL-CIO secretary-treasurer, and was elected president in 2009.

Richard Trumka's paternal grandfather immigrated from Poland, settling in Nemacolin in southwest Pennsylvania where he labored as a coal miner. Trumka's father, Frank (1916-1999), worked in coal mines for 44 years and passed away of black lung disease. Both grandfather and father were union activists who embraced a strong work ethic.

Richard Trumka's mother, Eola Bertugli (1921-2009), was born in Italy and immigrated to the U.S. when she was a child. Eola married Polish-American Frank Trumka in 1941.

Like most coal miner families, the Trumka family struggled for generations with poverty and mine-related health issues.

On Greed-Driven Economic Policies

"We built our middle class in the 20th century through hard work, struggle and visionary political leadership. But a generation of destructive, greed-driven economic policies has eroded that progress and now threatens our very identity as a nation."

----- On January 11, 2010

Wrong to Raise Social Security Retirement Age

"My dad worked 44 years in a coal mine. Retired the day he turned 62 because he couldn’t go another day. If you had told him you have to go to 68, my dad would have died. It would have killed him.

"There are millions of people like that. When we work in an air-conditioned office, it’s a whole lot different than people who work on a construction site, in a hospital, teaching in an inner city school, in a coal mine, in a steel mill."

----- On November 11,2010

U.S.: A Beacon of Hope in Divided World

"Government in the interests of the majority of Americans has produced our greatest achievements. The New Deal. The Great Society and the Civil Rights movement -- Social Security, Medicare, the minimum wage and the forty-hour work week, the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act. This is what made the United States a beacon of hope in a confused and divided world.

"But too many people now take for granted government’s role as protector of Wall Street and the privileged. They see middle-class Americans as overpaid and underworked. They see Social Security as a problem rather than the only piece of our retirement system that actually works. They feel sorry for homeless people, but fail to see the connections between downsizing, outsourcing, inequality and homelessness."

----- On January 11, 2010

On the Need to "Create Good Jobs that Support Families"

"While millions go without work, some people are talking about 'recovery'--as though numbers on Wall Street or profits at the big banks are the same as the real economy for working families. Wrong. We're still in crisis--and if we don't create jobs now, we will slide even further.

"We have to put America to work--at good jobs that support families. We've tried out the everything-must-go, trickle-down, bubble economy for the past decade, and it's been a disaster. If we're really going to have a recovery--not just a recovery on Wall Street or for the big banks, but for real people--we absolutely must create new jobs."

----- On November 17, 2009

View the original article here

Alcohol Into Canada - Settlers

If you are moving to Canada permanently or if you are coming to Canada to work for more than three years, you are allowed to bring a small quantity of alcohol (wine, liquor, beer or coolers) into the country without having to pay duty or taxes as long as: the alcohol accompanies you you meet the minimum legal drinking age for the province or territory in which you enter Canada

You may bring in one of 1.5 litres (50.7 US ounces) of wine, including wine coolers over 0.5 percent alcohol, or 1.14 litres (38.5 US ounces) of liquor, or a total of 1.14 litres (38.5 US ounces) of wine and liquor, or 24 x 355 millilitre (12 ounce) cans or bottles of beer or ale, including beer coolers over 0.5 percent alcohol (a maximum of 8.5 litres or 287.4 US ounces).

Except in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, if you are moving to Canada to settle you may bring in more than the personal allowances of liquor listed above as long as you pay customs and province / territory assessments. The amounts you are allowed to bring into Canada are also limited by the province or territory in which you enter Canada. For details on specific amounts and rates, contact the liquor control authority for the apporpriate province or territory before you come to Canada.

If you are moving to Canada to take up permanent residence or temporary employment for more than three years, and you want to ship alcohol to Canada (the contents of your wine cellar, for example), contact the liquor control authority for the appropriate province or territory to pay the provincial or territory fees and assessments in advance. To have your shipment released when you get to Canada, you will need to show the receipt for the provincial or territory fees and assessments and you will also need to pay the applicable federal customs assessments.

If you have questions or require more information on bringing alcohol into Canada, please contact the Canada Borders Services Agency.

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Obama Veterans Policies

Logan M. Bunting/Getty ImagesThe following article sets forth President Obama's basic goals and underlying principles for veterans policies and plans under his administration.

The White House
Veterans - Guiding Principles

A 21st Century VA

"The President’s message to those who serve is this: when you come home to America, America will be there for you.

"This Administration will ensure that DoD and VA coordinate to provide a seamless transition from active duty to civilian life and help fix the benefit bureaucracy. This Administration will work towards modernizing the way health care is delivered and benefits are administered for our nation's veterans.

VA Healthcare

"With Secretary Shinseki, the President will make sure the VA provides veterans the best care possible. This means improved care for poly-trauma, vision impairment, prosthetics, spinal cord injury, aging, and women's health.

"Because the nightmares of war don't always end when our loved ones return home, this Administration will work to meet the mental health needs of our veterans. Untold thousands of servicemen and women and veterans suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or other serious psychological injury. This Administration is determined to address the challenges of caring for those affected by PTSD when they return home.

"Because thousands of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans have suffered from Traumatic Brain Injury, one of the signature injuries of these wars, this Administration will continue to improve services for cognitive injuries and ensure our veterans receive the on-going care they need.

"The President supports advance appropriations for the VA budget so that healthcare for veterans is not hindered by budget delays.

VA Services

"We all share the shame of well over one hundred thousand veterans going homeless on any given night. This Administration will work on pilot programs with not-for-profit organizations to make sure that veterans at risk of losing their homes have a roof over their heads.

"Finally, this Administration recognizes that our veterans deserve something more -- an equal chance to reach for the very dream they defend.

"This Administration is committed to providing the resources to effectively implement the Post-9/11 GI Bill – providing every returning service member with a real chance to afford a college education.

Source - The White House website, April 2010

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Study Permits for Canada

A study permit is an official document allowing someone who is not a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada to study in Canada. Most international students need a study permit to study in Canada. Some international students also need a temporary resident visa. You do not need to make a separate application for a temporary resident visa - it will be issued at the same time as the documentation necessary for you to enter Canada as an international student.

Before you apply for a study permit for Canada you must be accepted to study at a recognized school, university or college in Canada, and receive a letter from that educational institution confirming your acceptance.

Education is a responsibility of the provincial and territory governments in Canada, and educational standards are set by the individual provinces and territories. For more information on education in Canada and to find provincial departments of education, elementary and high schools, school boards, and universities and colleges in Canada, check

Citizenship and Immigration Canada advises that it takes at least six months to gather the information and documents required to apply for a study permit for Canada, and to plan and prepare for a move to Canada as an international student.

The process and documents required to study in the province of Quebec are different, so check the Ministère de l’Immigration et des Communautés culturelles for details.

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LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa

With his election as Mayor of Los Angeles, Antonio Villaraigosa firmly catapulted onto the national stage as a leading Latino Democratic politician.

Mir. Villaraigosa is a virtual unknown outside his home state of California. He's a dynamic speaker, tireless campaigner and shrewd politician, with an optimistic spirit and restless energy. He's a consummate coalition and consensus builder.

His story is one of a hardscrabble and troubled youth, then redemption and education followed by leadership, achievement and occasional stumbles.

Here are 25 facts to acquaint you with colorful life of Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

1. Born on January 23, 1953 in East Los Angeles to a Mexican immigrant father and a California-born mother of Mexican descent. His birth name was Antonio Villar.

2. His alcoholic father beat his mother, and abandoned the family when Antonio was in kindergarten. He remains estranged from his father.

3. His mother raised her 4 children in a 2-bedroom apartment, She never owned a home and took the bus to work. She loved books and read classic literature and poetry to her children. His mother died in 1991.

4. At age 15, Antonio volunteered for the first grape boycott initiated by civil rights leader Cesar Chavez.

5. Also at 15, he developed a benign tumor in his spinal column that required surgery, and left him in constant pain which persists today. The tumor regrew in 2001, requiring a second surgery.

6. Kicked out of a Catholic high school for brawling after a football game. In tune with the era, he was a campus agitator for civil rights.

7. Completed high school at night in response to a pleading letter from his mother. “I realized that kind of anger was only hurting me and that I should take responsibility for my own life” said Antonio.

8. At night school, Antonio caught the eye of teacher Herman Katz. Mr. Katz encouraged the young Latino to consider college, and paid for his SAT exams. Said Katz, “He was bright, inquisitive. He just needed some direction.”

9. Spent a year at junior college, then entered UCLA. He led campus protests over the Vietnam War, Chicano rights and farm worker protections. He earned a degree in history from UCLA.

10. More bumps in the road: he had two daughters out of wedlock in his 20s. (He obtained shared custody.) And he was charged with assault after slugging a man who racially slurred his mother.

11. After toiling in LA activist and labor circles, Antonio earned his first political prominence as a gifted organizer for United Teachers of Los Angeles.

12. Earned a JD at the People’s College of Law in 1985. He never passed the bar.

13. Married Corina Raigosa, an LA school teacher, in 1987. They combined their last names to create Villaraigosa. They have 2 children, now teenagers.

14. Appointed to LA’s Metropolitan Transportation Board, 1990-94. His support of public transportation harkens back to his mother's experiences.

15. Won his race for California State Assembly, where he served from 1994-2000, and as Assembly Speaker from 1997-2000. He left due to term limits.

16. In the Assembly, he was a charismatic leader and brilliant deal-maker with little concern for the details of policy-making. He championed the causes of education, health care, civil rights and protection for the downtrodden. He was unafraid to ruffle political feathers.

17. Returned to LA and ran for Mayor in 2001. He was the front-runner, but lost in the last days when his rival revealed that Villaraigosa wrote a letter to President Clinton asking for clemency for a convicted drug dealer.

18. Embittered, Villaraigosa sat out politics for almost 2 years. It propelled him back to the Catholic Church.

19. Ran and won the 2003 race for LA City Council from the 14th district, in east/northeast Los Angeles.

20. In 2004, he was asked to be a National Chairman of the John Kerry for President campaign. Once home from the Democratic Convention, he declared his candidacy for the 2005 LA Mayoral race.

21. On May 17,2005, Antonio Villaraigosa won the run-off race for Mayor by a margin of 59% to 41%. He’s hailed as a Latino who appeals to more than Latino voters. The press proclaimed him a rising Democratic superstar.

22. In his victory speech, he promised, “I will never forget where I came from.”

23. He’s an avid non-fiction reader. His favorite book as a youth was Herman Melville’s “Billy Bud,” about a young sailor who’s a fierce fighter and loyal friend.

24. He's a sharp dresser, owing to the days when he had holes in his clothes and cardboard holding together his shoes.

25. His campaign slogan was “Si, se puede,” which means “Yes, we can” or “It can be done.” It’s the same mantra used for decades by Cesar Chavez.

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