Political Party Alignment

I am most closely aligned with the Republican party. I am mostly concerned with social issues, such as abortion and gay marriage, both of which i am strongly against. I also support the War on Terror, which has kept us safe from attack for the past eight years. I am more moderate, however, on the death penalty. While I don't think parole or early release should be available for many of the crimes that they currently are available for, I do think that the death penalty is too extreme of a punishment.

Obama Resumes Health Care Push/Current Event 1

Background: President Obama's biggest agenda throughout his campaign and time in office has been health care reform.  He has encountered difficulty pushing through legislation that would allow for this in Congress, as well as open protest of this health care plan at town hall meetings across the country.

Summary: Despite spending the last week on the global stage at the U.N. General Assembly and the G-20 Summit in Pittsburgh, President Obama appears to be remaining focused on the issue that he has made most important to his presidency: health care reform.  He spoke on the topic at a dinner Saturday night, expressing his intentions to "get [legislation] done this year".  Obama even spoke candidly with foreign leaders at the U.N. General Assembly about his struggle to push through universal health care, which is common in most European countries.

Analysis: President Obama seems to be using every opportunity he has to rally support for his health care plan.  It is a smart move on his part, for his presidency will be judged mainly on this very issue.  Obama speaks very confidently and passionately about the issue, which only aids his goals.

Editorial: Despite President Obama's confidence, i do not believe his health care plan will succeed.  There is deep-seated opposition to this "socialized" health care in our country; enough that some moderate Democrats can be persuaded to vote against the policy.  Personally, I think universal health care is a mistake; it should not be up to the government to provide for its citizens.  We all need to take on more responsibility to provide for ourselves. When we cannot, we should appeal to service organizations, not the government, for aid.

Source: http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/09/26/obama.health/index.html