Waterboarding

It has been reported in a New York Times article that C.I.A. interrogators used waterboarding much more than we previously were aware of. Waterboarding was used 83 times against Abu Zubaydah in August 2002. Former C.I.A. official John Kiriakou had previously reported that waterboarding had only been used for 35 seconds before Zubaydah agreed to tell everything. The C.I.A. used waterboarding 183 times in March 2003 against Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, the mastermind behind the September 11, 2001 attacks.

President Obama has said that he “opposes Congressional proposals for a truth commission to examine Bush administration counterterrorism programs, including interrogation.” The Senate Intelligence Committee is investigating the C.I.A. interrogation program.

I am disgusted at President Obama for not supporting what needs to be done to get information from terrorists. The terrorists have no compassion for Americans and would kill us all if they could. The government needs to continue to use the methods necessary to help prevent this from happening.

State Cuts Delay U.S. Benefits, Official Says

Due to layoffs and furloughs of state employees, tens of thousands of severely disabled American’s benefits are being delayed. This according to a New York Times article dated April 13, 2009. Commissioner of Social Security Michael J. Astrue made the statement on Sunday that governors are hurting their states by trying to help balance budgets. He also says that states don’t save money by lay offs or furlough, they just hurt disabled people who need their money.

Mr. Astrue said that the Social Security system is so backed up with disputed claims that people may wait years for hearings. President Obama’s stimulus bill gave $500 million to help “reduce the backlog of disability claims.” Congress could take action to have the federal government take over the work that is performed by the states.

I think this is disgraceful. States saving money at the expense of disabled Americans. The government is supposed to take care of disabled people, not hold their benefits just to “balance the budget.” Just when I think the government has reached their low, they go even lower.

Showdown Seen Between Banks and Regulators

In a New York Times article dated April 11, 2009, the Obama administration has the nation’s largest banks scared about the repayment of bailout money. On Friday, Obama announced that we are starting to see “glimmers of hope across the economy.” Banks in better shape want to get their dept repaid quickly. The new administration wants weaker banks to move quickly to get rid of bad assets. But these banks don’t want to take a big loss.

As the bailout money is dwindling, tensions are rising between banks and the Obama administration. Senator Charles E. Schumer of New York stated that “between now and Memorial Day we’re going to know a whole lot more about the degree of trouble the banks are in.”

I feel that the banks should be scared at this time. They were giving loans to people that they should not have been. Now is the time to pay the price. The banks that got bailout money should be getting ready to pay up.

New Senate Election in Alaska?

In a New York Times article dated April 3, 2009, Republicans in Alaska are outraged at the Justice Department due to apparent mishandling of the prosecution of former Senator Ted Stevens. Alaskans are claiming that they have been “robbed of 40 years of seniority in the U.S. Senate.” Randy Reudrich, the Republican Party chairman, is asking for a special election, as the Justice Department has dropped all charges against Stevens.

Stevens has been Senator since 1968 and was the longest-serving Republican in history. Stevens replacement, Mark Begich, is a Democrat that won by less than 4,000 votes against Stevens. Now that the charges are being dropped against Stevens, Begich has no intentions of stepping down. Begich’s election increased the Democrats’ majority in the Senate. Now, Democrats are two votes away from the 60 needed to overcome a filibuster.

I feel that Stevens has been done very wrong. No matter what happens now, his name will be associated with “corrupt politics”, even if he is innocent. He has also been wrongly replaced in the Senate.