Obama on Global Warming

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcpGRO-j_Ik

Global Warming has been a very important issue in today’s society. Barack Obama says he has a plan to help reduce this and create a new market for it. At a speech, he was quoted saying, “scientists all across the world have said that over the long-term, global warming will have a significant damaging effect on the world and US economy. Also, it will cost us trillions of dollars.” He also talks about how it will affect the high ocean levels and the states surrounding the ocean. He provides a plan to help fix global warming. His plan is to put a price on the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere by power plants and everyone that damages the planet with it. The name of the plan is the cap and trade system. Obama says then we can make a market for this green technology. He also says that we can make jobs and it will make sense economically for the world. It also will create a new industry for the world and the government can get money from auctioning off some of the emission rights. Then the government can use this money to finance investment in alternative fuels. He sums up his plan by saying, “It can be a win, win, win situation all across the board.”
I agree with Barack Obama’s plan to help reduce global warming. This is a brilliant idea for not only the United States of America, but also the world. In America, there has been a need for jobs. By creating this market, it will create many jobs and produce a lot of money. Also, once we are making money from the companies that put carbon dioxide into the earth, we can search for new ways for an alternative fuel. I think this is one of Obama’s best plans because it seems so logical, yet I have not heard anyone talk about this idea. The only problem with this idea is that we would have to pass it by law and I can see many company owners not wanting to pay for the emission of carbon dioxide. Therefore, we would have to have some type of law enforcement that would make sure the companies were paying for the emissions of the carbon dioxide.

Econonmy

http://www.barackobama.com/issues/economy/#bankruptcy

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Obama on the Death Penalty

http://www.startribune.com/politics/national/president/11822461.html

Obama has made significant progress in helping to change the way people have looked at the death penalty. While Senator in Illinois Obama saved the lives of many innocent people. Through great legislation skills and a persistent work ethis he orced member of the Senate to take a very deep look into the rules o capital punishment. Along with making siginicant changes in the death penalty he thoroughly impressed the legislatures and lobbyiss he orked with. Often times they would call him personally engaged with a relentliss will to win. At the same time he was great at making compromises with lawmakers.
The changes that were formed in 2003 as a result of Obama's persistance turned out to be lifesaving or several inmates. Through Obama's encouragement lawmakers examined the cases of 13 prisoners on deathrow. Ater months of examining each inmaes cases, lawmakers were stunned by the mistakes they had made. These 13 inmates were later found innocent or wrongully accused of a higher crime than they actually committed. Police interrogations turned out to play a key role in these wrongfully accused cases. often times prisoner's were orced to give a faulty confession.

Obama on nuclear weapons

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/02/us/politics/02obama.html?_r=2&scp=1&sq=obama%20on%20nuclear%20weapons&st=cse&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

Barack Obama views on nuclear warfare are stern, to say the least. At a speech at DePaul University in Chicago, Obama laid his plan or the reduction of nuclear weapons not only o the the United States but worldwide. This plan is quite simple, the dismantiling o all nuclear weapons throughout the world. Obama believes that by getting rid of the great amounts of nuclear weapons he United States currently has the threat of nuclear terrorism will decrease dramatically. Currently, the rate of dismantling of nuclear weapons has dropped tremendously. Officials believe that the amount of nuclear weapons we posses may be as low since Dwight Eisenhower was President.

His plans for making sure countries and terrorist groups are not a risk contain zero military force. Obama believes that a combination of diplomacy and pressure will cause Iran to stop trying to creat nucear weapons and halt North Korea’s weapons program. He did not offer any solutions if these ideas did not work. Along with the threat of nuclear weapons Obama has pledged to end production of fissile material used to produce weapons and an end to weapons production in general. Along with the dismantling of nuclear weapons Obama has also said that he would immediately remove all nuclear missiles from “hair trigger” alert.

Obama and Global Warming

http://www.barackobama.com/issues/pdf/EnvironmentFactSheet.pdfWith the 2008 Elections approaching quickly, Barack Obama is doing everything he can to insure us that we will, one day, have a clean environment. He is working to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help turn global warming into a good thing, that could maybe create job opportunities. Global warming, in fact, is not a little problem; it continues to keep growing and will hopefully be able to be taken care of and Obama is making it one of his top priorities if he were to be president.
Obama is already creating different ways to help get rid of global warming and has a plan to reduce carbon emissions by at least 80 percent by 2050. He will strive to get this started right away by establishing strong annual reduction targets and hopes that our economy can have the same level of emissions that we had in 1990 by 2020.
I think the effort that Obama wants to put into helping our economy is great. He already knows specific plans and has goals set for what years he wants this to be done by. I think he needs to make sure to take a strong hand and find a way to keep families and people involved. All of the presidents are giving a hard fight to get their points across when it comes to global warming, but Obama is the one making a strong charge with his ideas and his planned activities.

Obama's stands on Global Warming

http://www.lcv.org/newsroom/press-releases/obama-draws-distinctions-between-his-global-warming-plan-and-mccain-s.html

All candidates take global warming very seriously. It is an issue that cannot be neglected anymore. Global warming had done enough damage for now. Obama thinks that Global Warming is going to have a significant effect over the long term. He states that oceans level is rising, and that can have an impact on the economy in coastal states. Obama brings out the example of the hurricane Catharina that had a major impact on the economy.

Obama’s plans on the issue are hopeful. He states that industries should pay for the carbon dioxide they put in the air. Each industry is allowed a certain amount of release of Carbon Dioxide; if they bypass the limit they have to purchase rights to do so, and if they are beneath the limit, they can sell their permit on the market. Obama believes by doing so, he is going to open opportunities for BRI technology.

Obama is ready to start remedying to issue from now. It would be a waste of time to wait until January 2008. Actions should be taken from now; the UN is ready to start “negotiations on a new pact to start Global Warming”. However, environmentalists think that real progress will only be made after the departure of George W. Busch.

Obama Proposes Capping Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Making Polluters Pay

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/09/us/politics/09obama.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=Obama+and+global+warming&st=nyt&oref=slogin

Senator Barack Obama from Illinois proposed a plan to fight global warming and to make the nation less dependent on foreign oil. To do this, he would make industries and power companies pay for their pollution. Obama said that if this plan worked, the pollution levels would reduce to the levels from the year 1990 by 2020. Under his plan, he would seek a better and safer environment.

He gave a speech in New Hampshire in which he “called for imposing a national cap on carbon emissions, investing $150 billion over 10 years to develop new energy sources and reducing dependence on foreign oil by 35 percent by 2030.” Obama would not let any businesses release any greenhouse gases in his plan. He states that the United States is too dependent on foreign oil. In Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Obama said that in order for businesses to stop polluting, the U.S. needs all pollution to have a price.

I feel that Obama has a well thought out and superior plan. His plan would benefit the environment enormously. It would allow the environment to have less carbon dioxide and other things that pollute which cause global warming. He would save future generations from living in a dangerous climate. Obama seems to care for everyone and wants a better environment for all.

I agree with his proposal to make industries and businesses pay for their pollution because it would significantly reduce the amount of pollution. Obama seems to have great ideas on limiting carbon emissions, investing money to make new energy sources, and reducing dependence on oil. However, his plan seems too exact to be achieved. For example, he plans on reducing the dependence on foreign oil by 35 percent by 2030. Reducing oil by exactly 35 percent seems unachievable. Overall, I think that Obama has good ideas in fighting global warming but needs to make his ideas more reasonable.

Obama and the Environment

http://www.barackobama.com/issues/pdf/EnvironmentFactSheet.pdf

To some, one of the single most important factors that is taken into consideration when going to the poles to vote is the candidate’s views on environmental issues. Think about it. How often are the issue of global warming, gas prices, conservation of energy, pollution, and the climate in general discussed on television, on the radio, in the newspapers? Yes. These are serious matters. Not only do we need to worry about these issues destroying our world in the future, we need to worry about these issues and how they are destroying our world now. It only takes one person to make a difference, and that person, when voted into the white house in 2008, is going to be Barack Obama. Climate change, clean air, clean water, and overall, a cleaner nation are the concerns, in Obama’s eyes, that take precedence over all others.
When it comes to the climate, there is only so much we, as a nation, can do to change it. We cannot tell the climate that we do not like the way it is behaving and we think it needs to change. However, what we can do is monitor our own actions and activities in order to cut back on the problem. Obama has set short term and long term goals pertaining to our climate status that require the participation of the entire nation. By the year of 2050, Obama wishes to have reduced carbon emissions by 80 percent. He plans to do this by implementing a market-based cap-and-trade system. The idea of a cap-and-trade system is to establish a national cap as to the use of emissions, which essentially is just a fancy way of saying that the amount of pollution allowed will be restricted. The key points Obama touches on when talking about climate change are: invest in a clean energy economy and create American jobs, invest in the fastest, cleanest way to reduce emissions: energy efficiency, and make the U.S. a leader in combating climate change around the world.
In the article, it is stated that numerous people have died and continue to die each year because of air pollution. If he wins the election, Obama plans to implement the Clean Air Act which will fight for the reduction of pollution such as smog and soot. Throughout his campaign process, Obama has already “helped block attempts to roll back environmental regulations on oil refineries.” Another key factor he plans to focus in on is to reduce health risks caused by mercury pollution by banning the export of elemental mercury.
No one likes dirty water. Neither does Obama. On the issue of clean water, Obama fully supports the Clean Water State Revolving Fund. This program funds “protection projects for wastewater treatment, nonpoint source pollution control, and watershed and estuary management.” Obama’s hope in his presidency is to further improve the quality of our nation’s lakes, rivers, and drinking water. He plans to do this by regulating CAFO’s (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations), restore the wetlands, restore the Great Lakes, and clean up the water in the west.
Our environmental situation is quickly plummeting in a downward spiral. Someone needs to take action and someone needs to take action now. This is exactly what Barack Obama plans to do if elected to be our nation’s next president. His ideas on how to better our environment are reachable and will result in a healthier environment for our entire nation. In Portsmouth, New Hampshire, on October 8, 2007, Obama said, “By 2050 famine could force more than 250 million from their homes…. The polar ice caps are now melting faster than science had ever predicted…. This is not the future I want for my daughters. It’s not the future any of us want for our children. And if we act now and we act boldly, it doesn’t have to be.”

Obama's view on today's economy

http://www.ontheissues.org/2008/Barack_Obama_Environment.htm
Economic and Scientific Issues also play big part of the presidential election. On February 2nd of 2008, Obama discussed the notion of Yucca Mountain Nuclear Storage. Obama brings an interesting opinion whether Yucca Mountain should maintain the nuclear storage or not. Obama clearly stated that if he becomes the next president, he will immediately end the notion of Yucca Mountain because it will be safer for the people. Billions of dollars are already spent on Yucca Mountain to keep it as a nuclear storage; however, Obama says that is a mistake. Since the Yucca Mountain project has begun, Obama predicted that this was a mistake. Obama wants to stop wasting money on something that can potentially harm people. Obama also strongly believes in inner city recycling and against environmental racism. Recycling should be considered all over U.S. In addition, Obama introduced a bill which would ask for more pollution controls all over places. Another bill that Obama introduced was building healthier communities. Obama is greatly concerned about lead poisoning in communities which will eventually become very dangerous in our environment. I personally love the Great Lakes because I think it is a fun place to visit with friends and families. It will be hard to do that when it is not taken care properly. So I agree with Mr. Obama how he is a strong supporter of Great Lakes Regional Collaboration and the Great Lakes Environmental Restoration Act. In addition, he knows that we need a special preservation policy for the national parks and forests which will ensure the cleanness and it will be properly managed.
Obama strongly believes that we need to cut down and reduce the consumption of energy. By making our lightings and appliances more efficient, he thinks reducing energy is definitely possible. I agree with him because there are many people I know and witness everyday that waste energy including electricity, gas, and energy. This will be a challenge for all Americans which will be interesting to watch because if this works, we are saving energy for our economy and our selves. Obama concluded that American automakers are hurting themselves today because they cannot keep up with foreign automakers because they use sales of hybrids. I believe that we should use more and encourage hybrids because it might be better for our economy. Obama asked for greater ethanol production because it will make E-85 pumps more available in the market. To conclude, I agree with Obama’s views and opinions on today’s economy.

Obama's plan to change the economy

http://www.salon.com/tech/htww/2008/03/27/obama_s_economic_plan/index.html

Barack Obama has many plans for changing the U.S economy. Obama’s speech at Cooper Union in New York was admired and appreciated by all those who attended. A good point that Obama made in his speech was, “From first principles that government has the right and responsibility to intervene in the economy to ensure that the few do not benefit at the expense of the many.” The government does need to intervene, our economy is not doing that well and we need to find alternatives to make sure that in the future it will.
However, Obama did not bring any of the other candidates into his speech. Leonard the author of the article, commented, “Obama's approach is less far-reaching than Clinton's, or, conversely, one could argue that Clinton's wilder promises are politically unrealistic, even with a congressional majority.” I agree with Leonard, Clintons promises about fixing the economy seem unrealistic.
One can see that Obama is looking for just profound change. The housing market was mentioned because it is becoming a very large issue. People need to be able to run their homes with gas and electricity. Obama is striving to have mortgages lowered so people do not lose their homes. Overall, Obama has a strong argument and plans to help the economy get better in the future.

Obama' Global Warming Plan

http://www.barackobama.com/2007/04/20/barack_obama_unveils_initiativ.php
Barack Obama has big plans to reduce global warning by creating a market for clean-burning fuels that can stop the changes and dangerous transformation of our climate. He has a plan for a National Low Carbon Fuel Standard that would establish low carbon fuel standard for transportation fuels sold in California and would like to create a program that is instated around the country which is based on the California plan. He believes it is our generation that has to save future generations from global catastrophe by creating the market previously spoken of. He believes the time is now that we made a national committment as states California and New Hampshire have, a committment to reduce our dependence on foreign oil and take the equivalent of 32 million cars' worth of pollution out of the atmosphere. The first step to succceeding is to transition towards fuels that emit less carbon dioxde. His porposal would require that all transportation fuels sold in the US contatin 5 percent less carbon by 2010 and 10 percent less carbon by the year 2020. The benefits involved would mean that the market would determine which fuels are used by fuel distrobutores and blenders to meet the NLCFS instead of the governement. Also, the NCLFA would create an incentive for the production of more flexible-fuel vehicles that can run on ethanol and more plug-in hybrid vehicles that run on electricity. The proposal includes a finanacial mechanism where it allows providers of cleaner burning fuel to trade allowances to other producers. This plan does require alot of this country, but it would also help save us and future generations from a climate that is dangerous to all.

A Green Economy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtucMChsok4&feature=related
Barack Obama has some very strong opinions when it comes to the way the current administration has handled the issue of global warming. At a town hall meeting in Portsmouth New Hampshire he shared these views with the residence. In one of his opening remarks he explained that while Vice President Cheney has been “working” on the issue, “Cheney [has] met with the environmental groups once he met with the renewable energy groups once he met with the oil and gas companies forty times.” It is based on these numbers that Obama believes all the attempts at progress have failed because they are too focused on the oil companies and not on the people. One of his strongest points was that changing political parties in the White House is not going to be enough, there needs to be a complete change of mindset in Washington, D.C., one that will allow for progress to be made.
If Obama is to be elected, he plans to place bigger taxes on companies when they go over their new limits of how many greenhouse gasses they are allowed to release. He plans to meet even more with car companies and change regulations on the cars. One comment he made said, “If we increase fuel efficiency standards on cars to 40miles per gallon we would save the equivalent of all the oil we import from the Persian Gulf.”
To help the troubled economy, Obama believes that working toward green energy will help greatly. It will create new jobs and lower gas bills allowing the consumer to have more money to spend in other ways as opposed to giving it to oil and gas companies.
All in all Obama’s plan seems to be the “golden ticket” the question then becomes, is it possible? For that answer we’re just going to have to wait a little over six short months.

Obama on the enviornment

http://www.barackobama.com/issues/pdf/EnvironmentFactSheet.pdf
Global Warming is not an issue that should be dealt with lightly. It is an issue that is happening today, and will not stop itself. It needs to be dealt with immediately, and it is important to hear what the candidates have to say about their plans on dealing with it when they come into office. Not only does the government have to take a stand, but they need to preach to the public how to deal with the issue as well.
The scientists say the answer is to reduce the carbon admission in the air by 80% by the year 2050. What Obama’s answer is to “implement a mandate of reducing emissions to 1990 levels by 2020.” He is taking what the scientists plan, and taking it to a new level. He plans on creating a nation low carbon fuel standard by the year 2010 as well as requiring 25 percent of electricity to come from renewable sources by the year 2025. He also plans on taking the information and preaching to the public about reducing energy consumption, which in turn will reduce the energy bills making everyone happy.

As president, I believe Obama will hold his promise of keeping the world from self destruction, as well as making our world a cleaner and healthier place to live. He creates high standards and discusses the ideas of the scientists to ensure the plans will effectively work in the amount of time he has given himself.

Obama and the Economy

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/09/17/364700.aspx

With the presidential election is fast approaching, and the democratic primary still in process, the candidates have been participating in an ongoing debate on what to do with the American economy. Barack Obama first tackled the subject of the American failing economy last November when he spoke down to the brokers on Wall Street addressing that “[They] needs to be more transparent in order public interest.” Obama wants those who are employed by Wall Street to make the economy more understandable to the average citizen to get more people more involved and aware. I believe that is what the United States economy needs to get more interest from the American people to become more successful because right now the economy is lacking.

Like for Iraq, Obama created a list of steps that he believes will hopefully prevent future problems. The first one is to “Create more disclosure and accountability in the housing market by updating the current mortgage rules to prevent fraud and enact tough penalties against lenders who knowingly act in bad faith.” The second step is to “restore trust in the rating agencies by investigating the relationship and business practices of rating agencies and their clients.” The third step is to “fix a lack of transparency problem in other areas in the market by teaching consumers about the risk involved with credit cards.” Finally, the final step is to “ask mortgage institutions to help people who are trying to sell or refinance their homes.” With guidance from the economic philosophy of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Obama promises that this plan and these steps are what America needs to do in order to mend the American economy.

I am becoming a broken record, but Barack Obama is what the United States needs for domestic issues. He has an exact plan for the economy and all of the steps can be completed within his term as President. The problem with the candidates for the Democratic ticket is the foreign policy issue and as the democratic primary continues, Obama lacks networking. He does not try to get the support the leaders of the states in the primary as the other candidates do. Obama has the right ideas for this country but I believe that he needs a few years to mature politically because the position of president is not only an honor but also an opportunity to save the country from turmoil.

Obama view on Global Warming

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwH9DWT3AzY


Obama feels very strongly about the needs to fix the global warming problem. He is doing many things to try to fix this huge problem that we have in the world today. The first that he has already done for the American people are getting the miles per gallon changed so that by 2020 all cars must have 35 miles to the gallon. He also thinks that we should be getting more to the gallon then that and says he will fight to get it lower than that. If you ask me that is really good but if he can get it better then that more power to him.
Another thing that he is going to do is try to make it so car fuel burns and use 10% clean burning fuel. If you think of all the cars that we have in the world if we could get it to ten percent it we make a huge difference in the long run and even a day by day difference. The most recent thing that he is trying to do is to get the power plants on track to keep up with the rest of the world. Obama thinks that by the year 2050 all power plants should reduce their use of greenhouse gas by 80%. And if they use more than they are aloud then they must for it in fines and taxes. I think that getting the power plants on board would be a very good thing because they use the most of the harmful chemicals that are causing global warming.
The really cool thing that I thought he was doing is giving tax breaks on thing that promote green living. For example electric car are going to have less taxes than a normal car. He also says that in government building they are switching over light bulbs to use more efficient ones to save energy. He thinks that going green is really going to help with global warming and that everyone should try to go green and help out where even they can.
Obama say that he is not going to be able to do this alone and that every person in the world needs to step up and do their part for the cause. He believes that were can solve this problem a lot faster than most people think we can and that all we have to do is give a little effort. Obama thinks that we cannot leave this world a mess when we leave because our parent did a good job making sure it was clean for us and we should do the same for our kids. The real problem is getting everyone to believe that we can fix the problem and once we do that cleaning up the world and stopping global warming will be easy.

Obama and oil/environment

http://www.barackobama.com/issues/energy/

“Well, I don’t believe that climate change is just another issue that’s convenient to bring up during a campaign. I believe it’s one of the greatest moral challenges of our generation. That’s why I reached across the aisle to come up with a plan to raise our fuel standards.” One of America’s current issues includes that fact that we spend $1.4 billion per day. Along with this problem, there are issues with climate change. Due to this trees are blooming earlier, glaciers are melting quicker and eventually several species will become extinct.
Obama’s future plans include reducing carbon emissions by 80 percent by the year 2050. In order for this to happen, Obama is supporting a market based cap and trade system that requires all pollution credits to be auctioned. The revenue that is made by auctioning allowances will then be used to support the development of clean energy. Obama will invest $150 billion over a ten year period of time to advance with the next generation of biofuels and fuel transportation.
Obama’s plan for oil independence includes reducing oil consumption to at least 10 million barrels a day as opposed to our current 20 million by the year of 2030. His plan will make it so auto plants and parts manufacturers build new fuel-efficient cars rather than overseas companies.
Obama seems to have a lot of great ideas for America’s environment. I feel confident that if he will be able to carry out a lot of his plans. They seem very possible and will make a drastic difference for the economy and for the environment.

Obama and Global Warming

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcpGRO-j_Ik

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwH9DWT3AzY

When considering the issue of Global Warming there is only one faux pas for candidates to commit this election year: deny the existence of global warming. On this issue there seems to be very little room for debate. Given the army of experts producing daily updates and piles of analysts predicting the end of the world it would seem that its existence in undeniable, but the real issue is what will be done.

On this front Obama has suggested a plan in which a control is put in place using caps on green house gas emissions that will reduce the emissions of industries by 80% by 2050. This is done through a gradual reduction over time in which industries are forced to keep up. In addition to this he suggested that fuel emission and MPG be upped in the auto industry. He has already fought for a more severe MPG requirement and helped to get a compromised 35 MPG standard passed. Also, alternative fuels are big talking points with him. Finally, he has pledged to give incentives to consumers of green technology in the form of tax breaks. For instance hybrid cars would have a tax break as well as car with flexible fuel capabilities. He seems to show commitment to this issue and the urgency with which he approaches the issue seems to be one of the most ambitious in the current political realm.

The real question on this issue is how much does it really matter to Americans. It would seem that most only care that candidates recognize it, and after this point most do not really care to understand their plan to fix it. No one is being “grilled” on this issue, that’s for sure. It would seem that an issue of how to prevent millions of people from being displaced by drastically rising oceans, and severe ecological effects would be more of an “in your face” issue, but instead it seems as though people are willing to leave the issue until it spirals out of control. If I have one complaint about the plan Obama has outlined is that I believe that it is not severe enough. It still allows for corporations to bite the bullet and just pay to destroy the world, and while it may provide incentive to develop green technology and clean up our act, it may be too little too late if these new technologies are slow to come. This is especially true if the exponential growth and the effects of the gases continues. Even Obama’s plan for 2050 maybe too late to stop the cycle. I would say take drastic action and really prove a point that abuse of our environment will not be tolerated. Mandate limitations on greenhouse gas emissions immediately. It will save much more in the long run than initial costs to corporations. I realize that I am no economist and that I lean toward a very liberal perspective on this issue, but I personally do not feel that enough can be done to prevent hardship to future generations and the potential for humans to join the mass extinction that our world is currently experiencing. I would love to see a viable candidate take a stand on this issue and make it a non issue immediately, but unfortunately I am forced to look to the next best thing: Obama.

Barack Obama and the Economy

http://www.barackobama.com/issues/economy/

Barack Obama believes that two major factors are at the basis of our economy's problems. First, he believes that since the price of living has increased over the past several years, workers need to be payed more. Wages have remained steady as the costs of health care and other essential needs have increased. This has caused Americans to have very low personal savings rates. Secondly, Obama believes that Bush's tax cuts only benefit the wealthy, and therefore plans to make more tax cuts that benefit working families and middle class Americans because he believes "we are all in this together" because "the more Americans prosper, the more America prospers."

Obama plans on fixing the taxes by cutting the income tax rate by $1000 dollars for working families. He also hopes to set up a "Making the Work Pay" tax credit system which will completely eliminate taxes for some Americans. Obama also hopes to simplify the tax process by getting the IRS to come up with pre- filled tax forms that would only have to be initialed and signed.

To fix the problem of low wages that do not allow for workers to save money while still affording health care and other essential needs, Obama plans on raising the minimum wage. He plans to increase the Earned Income Tax Credit so that people that work full time have enough money to support their families.

I think Obama's ideas are very innovative. However I do have my doubts about his radical plans. Each of his programs seem very simple, but each cut down the cost Americans pay so dramatically, that it is a wonder how the government will be able to sustain itself. All doubts aside, I would love to see his plans come into action because they will surely help a lot of struggling working Americans and their families.

Obama on Economy

http://www.barackobama.com/issues/economy/

In this article, Obama states his views on economy and his plans to improve it. He states what the problems are with today’s society, and what he plans to do to fix the economic problems.

Senator Obama states that the problem with today’s society is that wages are staying the same as prices are increasing. For example, the cost of in-state college tuition has increased thirty five percent over the past five years, and over the past six years health care costs have risen four times faster than wages. Another cause of the problems in the economy are tax cuts for the wealthy instead of the middle and lower classes. President George W. Bush put in place a tax cut for people who earn more than one million dollars that is 160 times more than the middle class receives.

Obama believes that these are the major causes of the poor economy, and has created a plan to fix it. His plan consists of providing tax cuts for working families and to make an easy and efficient way to file taxes. He has created “Making Work Pay”, which is a tax credit up to five hundred dollars per person. “Making Work Pay” can help the economy because it will eliminate taxes for 10 million Americans, which is a break that many Americans need. The other part of Obama’s plan is to help Americans by creating an easier way to file taxes. His plan is to have the IRS use information from banks and employers to allow taxpayers to use pre-filled tax forms that they can just sign. This plan can save Americans both time and money because they will not have to pay accountants to file their taxes.

I believe that Obama’s plans to fix the American economy will work because both ideas will help Americans where help is needed the most. Unlike George W. Bush, Obama’s plan will benefit Americans and the American economy because in order to improve the economy Americans must have money and an opportunity to succeed. Bush’s tax cut did not help the economy because only the wealthy save money, and they are not the ones who need to save money because they already have money. The only way to improve the economy is to give money to Americans so they can spend the money. If Americans do not have money to spend, the economy will not improve.

Obama on the Economy

http://www.ontheissues.org/2008/Barack_Obama_Budget_+_Economy.htm

Barack Obama sees a need for change when it comes to our nation’s economic status. We all know that he is strongly against the War in Iraq and because we are engaged overseas he feels that there is no way to correct our problem until we exit Iraq. He is quoted with saying, “we're spending $12 billion every month in Iraq which means that we can't engage in the kind of infrastructure improvements that are going to make us more competitive.” One of Obama’s plans for fixing the economy has to deal with creating a credit card Bill of Rights. His plan includes banning unilateral changes, applying interest rate increases only to future debt, prohibit interest on fees, prohibit “universal defaults”, and require prompt and fair crediting of cardholder payments. Obama also supports extending a 36% interest cap to all Americans. Obama’s next problem area that needs attention has to deal with mortgages for homeowners. Obama, if voted to the presidency, will look to create a 10% universal mortgage credit to provide tax relief to homeowners who do not itemize. This plan will help those who specifically earn less than $50,000 and year and those who struggle financially. Finally, Obama sees the need to fix all the loopholes certain corporations are using to save money off of taxes. If Obama can cut out the loopholes and provide tax relief to those who truly need it, then those less fortunate will be better able to live a better life. “If we close some of those loopholes, we’ve put forward tax relief plans, that will not only restore fairness to our tax code, but it also puts money into the pockets of hard-working Americans who need it.”

Obama is on the right track with his ideas trying to help improve those less fortunate who are in America rather than spending meaningful dollars trying to fix oversea problems first. His ideas seem like a good start to helping fix our economic downfall; however, will he be able to put his ideas into action to help relieve some of this debt our nation is currently facing? Will Obama be able to save our economy or will he push us into even further debt just as the current president has? Only time will tell whether or not Obama can right this ship we call the economy.

Global Warming

http://www.barackobama.com/issues/pdf/EnvironmentFactSheet.pdf

Barack Obama stated on November 8, 2007 that,“We cannot afford more of the same timid politics when the future of our planet is at stake. Global warming is not a someday problem, it is now. We are already breaking records with the intensity of our storms, the number of forest fires, the periods of drought. By 2050 famine could force more than 250 million from their homes. The polar ice caps are now melting faster than science had ever predicted. This is not the future I want for my daughters. It's not the future any of us want for our children. And if we act now and we act boldly, it doesn't have to be.” Obama has a point when he said that it is not a someday problem. Global warming is happening all around us every day. Government needs to take action now before it gets worse. There is a lot of proof that global warming is happening by all the natural disasters that have happened in the last couple years. If the government does not step in and do something soon, who knows what is going to happen in 2050.
Barack Obama wants to reduce carbon emissions by eighty percent by 2050. He plans on doing this by supporting the implementation of a market-based cap-and-trade system. If Obama is elected president he will immediately start reducing the emissions by establishing annual reduction targets and enforce a mandate of reducing emission levels. Another way Obama is trying to save the world from global warming is by investing $150 billion in a ten year span. He will use this money to invest in research on clean energy projects. He will also invest in a skilled clean technologies workforce. This program will help workers and industries adjust to the new clean technology production. Obama is also setting up a fine that every company must pay for every ton of emission they release. This money will set up a fund for more investment in research.

Obama's Stands on Death Penalty

http://www.huliq.com/41519/barack-obama-to-change-death-penalty-law
Obama is taking the death penalty very seriously. He agrees that the capital punishment shouldn’t be abolished, but he also totally disagrees that innocent people would have to deal with it. Obama states that the death penalty does “deter crime” but prison can work just as well. Is a life of an innocent person is worth taking to punish other real criminals, while we can punish them with imprisonments? The answer is no, there will always be that small percentage of error in making death penalty decisions, and it is not worth taking.

Following Obama’s reasoning, if a criminal is not sentenced the death penalty, what would you tell the victim’s parents? That their son’s death is not horrible enough for the criminal to deserve the death penalty? The capital punishment should be unacceptable regardless of the type of crime committed.

Obama’s idea of videotaping police interrogations might work. However, it won’t be enough to avoid making mistakes, and sending innocent people to death. The only way to stop killing guiltless people is to abolish the death penalty. It is true that videotaping interrogation will probably decrease injustice but it won’t remove it at all.

Obama’s did his best arguing the issue of death penalty, and he came up with great ideas. For instance, it is said in the article: “He (Obama) was the one who kept people at the table." He took the death penalty seriously, and tried to compromise between the two sides: the one that are for the death penalty, and the ones that are completely against.

Obama and the dealth penalty

http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/11/12/obama.death.penalty.ap/ While Obama has been the Illinois Senator he is making changes regarding life and death. He created changes that took place in 2003 and with 13 people being sent to death row, they all have been released because they have been found innocent or were convicted illegally. Members of the state commissioner have been applauding Obama for his success with changing the laws and really see a difference, a beneficial one.
Illinois has suffered many cases regarding capital punishment so everyone is looking at his changes and him as a huge accomplishment. When he was working on the debate said it was clear that you could see Obama was personally involved. He was said to be the one who kept people at the table and kept them interested with his ideas because it was an issue that Obama has been truly interested in. Obama continues to agree that they should not be putting away innocent people for crimes they didn’t commit.
Within the article, it was brought up that capital punishment is a very severe and emotional issue in Illinois. The parents of the victims who were killed were devastated when they men who killed their daughter or son, whatever it was, were releases. With Obama doing this, he would lose and gain support from his followers. Some might love the idea of what he is doing but some might also disagree like the families. Obama should continue to still be open to compromise with those who disagree with him.

Obama on Gun Control

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/04/15/candidates.guns/index.html?iref=newssearch

In this article, Barrack Obama had made a statement about how small-town Pennsylvanians are “bitter” because they “cling to guns and religion”. This statement happened to bring up the issue of Gun Control and The Second Amendment.

When Barrack Obama was asked about his views on The Second Amendment and Gun control he showed his support. Obama’s views on the issues of guns are similar to Clintons. He would restrict the purchases of guns to one per month. He also wants to renew the assault weapons ban, which is prohibition on selling certain semi-automatic assault weapons to civilians. Another thing that senator Obama supports is “the national law against carrying a concealed weapon, with the exceptions for retired police and military personnel”. Senator Obama promises that he will protect the Second Amendment. The National Rifle Association gave a letter grade to all of the candidates on their gun policies. They gave Clinton and Obama an F, and McCain a C+.

I feel that senator Obama’s views on Gun Control and the Second Amendment are very supportive and strong. I believe that senator Obama has the correct ideas and plans to reduce the crime and murder rate in the United States. The fact that he wants to reduce the sale of guns to one a month could have a huge impact because it will reduce the number of guns on the streets. Also extending the assault weapons ban will keep high powered weapons off of the streets and out of the hands of criminals. Although the National Rifle Association gave senator Obama an F on his policies, I disagree because I feel that he has the right ideas to clean up the problems we have with guns in the United States.

Obama on Death Penalty

http://ontheissues.org/2008/Barack_Obama_Crime.htm


Okay well I first just want to state what Obama’s view of the death penalty is and what he thinks, and then I will discuss my opinion about it. First Obama states “While the evidence tells me that the death penalty does little to deter crime, I believe there are some crimes--mass murder, the rape and murder of a child--so heinous that the community is justified in expressing the full measure of its outrage by meting out the ultimate punishment.” He passed a bill in Illinois that required videotaping of interrogations and confessions in capital cases. While discussing the bill he said “I talked about the common value that I believed everyone shared--that no innocent person should end up on death row, and that no person guilty of a capital offense should go free.” His most significant contribution has been his legislative battles against the death penalty, and against in the criminal justice system. Obama’s three main ideas about how to address crime are to implement penalties other than incarceration for certain non-violent offenders, increase state funds for programs which rehabilitate and educate inmates during and after their prison sentences, and provide funding for military-style "boot camps" for first-time juvenile felons.

Well I think that his ideas on how to address crime are absolutely great! I think that is exactly what we should do, and I think that we have A LOT of things to fix in our criminal justice system. I believe that our criminal justice system is not good right now and that we NEED to make some changes. However, I definitely disagree with Obama’s stance on the death penalty. I know that the death penalty is against my religion and no one in my family supports it, but I am so strong on the idea that we should keep it. The only reason that the death penalty isn’t deterring crime is because it’s not carried out swiftly!! On average, death row inmates spend about 10 years on death row appealing their convictions and sentences! I think the death penalty is definitely needed but we have to make A LOT of changes going about it. While I disagree with his stance on the issue, I think that we do need a big change in our criminal justice system and I think that the death penalty should be used only in cases where this is absolutely no doubt that the person did it, by either them confessing, or by someone seen them do it. I think it would be stupid to get rid of the death penalty because that will not deter crime either, and PLUS our prisons are SO overcrowded it’s ridiculous. We need some MAJOR changes in our prison systems and we need to fix this problem, and if that means enforcing the death penalty, then I think that’s what should happen. Don’t let inmates sit on death rows for 10-20 years, we need to carry it out faster and show that we are serious about it! KEEP the death penalty and start making changes in our criminal justice and prison systems!!

http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/11/12/obama.death.penalty.ap/

Obama takes the death penalty very seriously. As a senator in Illinois, he had the death penalty laws changed. He said, “We brought police officers and civil rights advocates together to reform a death penalty system that had sent 13 innocent men to death row.” Obama believed that this was a huge political achievement for the state and that the law could help save innocent men put on death row.

Obama cannot stand to see people sent on death row that may not have committed the crime. Obama said, “At minimum, we should agree that innocent people should not be put to death by the state.” Obama does not want to the old routine of interrogation, where the suspect can be beaten off of camera. He said, “Allow law departments to make audio recordings if they couldn't afford video equipment and training, and for a judge to allow an unrecorded statement in some cases.” However, I do not agree with Obama’s stance on the death penalty.

People who are guilty for crimes they have committed should be given the death penalty. If your relative or someone close to you was murdered, wouldn’t you want the person who committed the crime to suffer the death penalty? People would feel betrayed not to see the person who murdered their relative or friend not getting the maximum punishment. In the end of the column someone commented, “I don't know if that will get you many votes for president, but he was an excellent negotiator.” In running for presidency this year, Obama could end up losing some votes for his decisions made about the death penalty.

Obama Cites Role in Death Penalty Reform

http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/11/12/obama.death.penalty.ap/

Barack Obama, an Illinois senator, is strongly against the death penalty and wants to reform it. He had a huge role in changing the death penalty laws. These laws were changed in 2003 which saved the lived of 13 people sentenced to death row. Scott Turow who is a member of the state commission claimed, “Without Barack's energy, imagination and commitment I do not believe the very substantial and meaningful reforms that became law in Illinois would have taken place.” This quote shows Barack is a hard working, smart, and dedicated who is willing to reform things he believes in such as the death penalty.

Obama strongly enforced needed changes and claimed he wanted law enforcement and death penalty critics to make compromises. He made a proposal to make police record interrogations of murder suspects. Police, prosecutors, and the governor opposed his proposal. But, in the end, the Senate passed this proposal unanimously after the police organizations were in favor of the recording mandate. After this, there was much controversy. Murder victims’ families felt betrayed, police organizations felt they were constantly criticized, and lawmakers were concerned about people judging them as “soft on crime.” Despite the concerns, I agree with Obama that police should be required to record interrogations of murder suspects. This shows that he wants to save innocent victims from being killed and wants to raise awareness about crime. He is humane because he shows that he cares about every person in the world even those who commit crime.

I agree with Obama’s stance on the death penalty and feel it should be changed. It seems like it is the easy way out because it is a quick death. I feel people who committed a bad crime such as murder should have to spend their lives in prison for punishment of their crime. It is unfair for murderers to be put to death right away rather than spend time in prison, paying for their sins. I admire Obama’s enthusiasm and commitment to fight for what he believes in. He is a good leader who shows remarkable dedication to reforming the death penalty.

Barack and immigration

http://www.barackobama.com/issues/immigration/

“The time to fix our broken immigration system is now… We need stronger enforcement on the border and at the workplace… But for reform to work, we also must respond to what pulls people to America… Where we can reunite families, we should. Where we can bring in more foreign-born workers with the skills our economy needs, we should”

 Barack Obama, Statement on U.S. Senate Floor, May 23, 2007ce

Obama makes several points on how he feels about immigration in this article. He takes into consideration both sides and points of view. He stresses the fact that the upper positions in the work world have to stop hiring illegal immigrants allowing immigrants to believe it will be okay to come over illegally. By making the process of coming over to the united states easier, Obama believes more people will go through the process after passing certain tasks such as, learning english, paying a fine and a few other personal questionnaires . This plan seems to lay out a good start as to an approach to clean up the systems in charge of immigration. Obama also brings in the fact, which is included in the quote, that he believes all people should be welcomed in America; however, he also knows that we cannot continue to allow everyone to stay here. In order to fix this issue, we, as America, can take on the role of helping other countries become financially stable. If people in other countries could find promising jobs and be granted more freedoms, perhaps they would have more motive to stay in their homeland. Although it seems farfetched, Obama has begun placing together bills, creating laws for the immigration systems and is looking into deeper relationships with countries. such as Mexico, who need our help.

Obama strongly recognizes the importance on a family staying together. He does not believe that even though someone in a family is here illegally that they should not be able to be reunited with the other members of their family. This is another reason, Obama claims, that we should make the immigration system smoother which would encourage all immigrants to move into our country legally when they want to. 

Many people have a problem with immigration because they fear terrorists or other "dangerous" people will enter our country and try to attempt to do something that would harm us all. To lower the fear of this, Obama has also worked with the FBI on the background checks, promising that they will be more intent, resulting in a much lower possibility of someone harmful towards the US from coming in.

Overall, it seems as if Obama has fully thought out his point of view, and a law thats for the good of all the people and combined them to his best ability. I think all the attempts are excellent ideas and not matter what the US has a long path before we come to a complete solution but Obama is heading the right way and hopefully in not too many years to come we can see a change where all people are able to live and work where they please.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/11/12/obama.death.penalty.ap/

The fact that Barack Obama’s name has rarely, if ever, been included when discussing the corruption in Illinois government is astonishing, but what sets him farther apart is the way he gracefully handled the death penalty debacle in 2003. After former Governor George Ryan had quickly removed thirteen death row inmates from their sentence and placed most of them in prison for life, he was able to calm the rocky waters around the subject with amazing grace. The thirteen inmates that were taken off death row were found to have been involved in trials in which they were either innocent or the protocol for trial was not followed.

Through the article we are able to see that Barack strongly opposes capital punishment. However despite his strong feelings, this article showed that he is very capable of looking at both sides of an argument and make an impartial judgment. This will in fact make him a wonderful person to be center stage when the issue comes up again on a larger platform. The article is full of people like Illinois State Senator John Cullerton, D-Chicago saying, "He is just really a good legislator.” Barack Obama’s actions during this ordeal proved not only that he is not soft on crime but that he is also a firm believer in listening to all sides of the argument.

Obama and Death Penalty

http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/11/12/obama.death.penalty.ap/
Being an Illinois state senator, Barack Obama played a significant role in changing the state’s death penalty. "Without Barack's energy, imagination and commitment I do not believe the very substantial and meaningful reforms that became law in Illinois would have taken place,”. In 2003, the changes that were made were able to save the lives of 13 people who were sentenced to death row. They were released because it was determined later on that they were either innocent or were convicted using improper methods.
An instance like this one shows how much Obama cares and how he is committed to resolving issues like these. I agree with Obama’s position on the death penalty. He was able to save the lives of 13 innocent men. Without his enthusiasm, these men would probably be dead. Obama refuses to neglect needed changes, but he has also demanded certain compromises from both law enforcement and death penalty critics. This would include a proposal to require that police record interrogations of murder suspects.
As a result of prior murder victims, the families of them felt betrayed while lawmakers were worried that they would be criticized of being “soft on crime”. All of this shows how much Obama cares as he expresses his anger towards the fact that it was possible that innocent victims were being wrongfully accused and as a result, killed. He expresses that he has compassion even towards possible murderers. He is not making it so that capital punishment is lenient, he is just ensuring that it is fair and does not make any mistakes that can cost an innocent persons life. Obama seems to be on the right track with having a plan to solve current issues and provide a better nation.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/11/12/obama.death.penalty.ap/
Barack Obama not only disbelieves in the death penalty, but because of his change in policy in Illinois, he has saved 13 lives from the death penalty. His accomplishments in restructuring the laws in the state of Illinois can be considered one of his biggest thus far. Since he is against the death penalty he made it mandatory that in capital crimes they must be recorded. While most of the people involved, especially the police didn’t want to record each capital crime, they were overruled by the unanimous vote by the senate, and the rule was put in place.
In the article, republican George Ryan was commended for halting all the executions and giving most of the people on death row life in prison. Becasuse of his actions, he created a controversy because the victims’ families were upset, and felt that this was not the correct punishment for what had happened to loved ones. Although most people on death row were supposed to be there, there are some who are innocent, and not given a chance to prove otherwise. Obama is helping those who deserve a second chance because the law had not worked correctly, and they ended up with the short straw.
Obama does not believe in the death penalty, and neither do I. I commend him on the persistence he had when changing the laws, and giving innocent people another chance at life.

Obama and Capital Punishment

http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/11/12/obama.death.penalty.ap/

Capital punishment is a thorny subject in American politics that many feel strongly about. In the debate of the death penalty the question as to whether life is a precious thing that must be valued grows stronger. As a candidate for the democratic ticket in this crucial presidential election, Barack Obama, plays a major role in death penalty reform in the state of Illinois while he was senator. Included in the reform was a requirement that involved all capital crimes must be reported when a person is put on death row. These reforms were brought about as an answer to the releasing of thirteen inmates who were determined innocent while they were incarcerated. Obama saw this reform as proof that he can bring about change through the tactics of compromise and understanding. Although he did change the policy of reform in Illinois, Barack Obama is not against the death penalty nor for it; he just believes that there should be more guidelines in place to make sure we do not put innocent citizens to death.

Barack Obama has shown that he is a determined individual and that he wants to make this country the best country for its citizens. He showed in many ways as a Senator that he is capable of making reforms in constitutional issues such as capital punishment. Scott Turow, a member of Illinois’s state commission, stated, “Without Barack’s energy, imagination, and commitment I do not believe that very substantial and meaningful reforms that became law in Illinois would have taken place.” Obama has the integrity for change and he wants to make a difference within the United States especially with the impoverished members of our society.

Obama, once again, is a saint with domestic issues. He pinpoints the problems and uses his energy to see that changes are made. Obama affirmed during the debate of death penalty reform, “At minimum, we should agree that innocent people should not be put to death by the state. At minimum.” Obama does not declare his disapproval of capital punishment, but intelligently states that there should be regulation in place to make sure that the person in question is actually innocent. The Democratic darling has a way of swooning the public, and not only a certain group of civilians, but many middle class people. He once again is a master at domestic issues, but all he needs is lessons in foreign and global issues.

What Obama thinks about Economy

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/03/27/obamas-speech-on-the-economy/index.html?ex=1364270400&en=70adbc23c584a5c2&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
In regards to the economy, Obama feels that we need to confront the housing crisis. This is that we need to make sure that everyone has a place to live and lift our economy out of recession. Obama proposed relief for homeowners and an additional 30 billion dollars package to acknowledge the nation’s economic anguish. Obama further states six principles and says they should guide the legal reforms needed to ‘establish 21st century regulatory system.’ Obama is also cautious that our change we need DOES go past laws and regulations because we need to shift in the culture of our financial institutions. I agree on Obama when he says that we need to take care of the families and children who do not have a place to live. This is something that our country has always looked down on and now there needs to be some type of stance on this specific issue. Obama then feels that global warming could happen but there is no definite time zone of when it could occur. He further says there is no reason why anyone should be too worried about it now because if it has not affected us quite yet, there is no need to get peope worried about something that could happen in a hundred years from now. He says though, that people should still be cautious about what they use every day and try to go green and slowly ease into this. Obama then feels that people proclaim this to be occurring very rapidly but we should focus on the bigger issues in the world at this moment. I agree with Obama on this position too. There have always been a number of threats to our economy, but global warming is not going to affect it too bad right now. Obama says that gas prices and overall prices of items are going to continue to increase over the next few years. To try to get these back down, the economy needs to focus on one thing at a time and get that fixed before ‘they’ start to change everything all at once. Furthermore, Obama supports embryonic stem cell research and was a co-sponsor of the 2005 Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act. This act passed by both houses of Congress but was vetoed by President Bush. Even though many people do not agree with this act, he is in favor of trying new things and feels that this could be a positive asset to many people in America.

Obama and the Death Penalty

http://www.ontheissues.org/Domestic/Barack_Obama_Crime.htm
Barack Obama is highly against the death penalty because he believes that it does little to solve the problem of crime. However, in cases that are so heinous that the community is justified in expressing the full measure of its outrage, Obama supports the death penalty. To Obama, an example of these crimes include mass murder, and rape or murder of a child. He believed the way that capital crimes were tried in Illinois, there was too much error and as a result 13 people were executed and that is way too many. In order to get this number down, Obama sponsored a bill in which all interrogations and confessions in capital cases were required to be videotaped. In negotiating the bill, Obama stressed that no innocent person should up on death row and that no person guilty of a capital offense should be able to be released without punishment. Throughout the years, Obama has had significant contributions to battle the death penalty. He was been very disturbed by the number of innocent people whom received the death penalty that have actually been innocent in Illinois. In order to fix that, Obama has been very involved in the legislation of the videotaping and also a co-sponsor of his comprehensive reform or the death penalty system in Illinois. For alternate sentencing and rehabilitation, Obama suggests that we implement penalties other than incarceration for certain non-violent offenders, increase state funds for programs which rehabilitate and educate inmates during and after their prison sentences, and provide funding for military-style "boot camps" for the first-time juvenile felons.

Obama's veiw on the Death Penalty

http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/11/12/obama.death.penalty.ap/
Obama is against the death penalty. He is not only against it but he is trying to reform the whole thing. Obama is a state senator and as the Illinois state senator he was a key part of the change in the state law on the death penalty. Before he came along the death penalty was aloud and many man that were later found some men were killed but then it was found that the men were not guilty. Obama helped a lot of people on death row in 2003. The changes enacted in 2003 reformed a system that had sent 13 people to death row, only to have them released because they were later determine to be innocent or had been convicted using improper methods. Obama Is in the right here I also think that there should not be a death penalty. There is no reason to kill someone half of the time the men that would have be let go because the law system messed up so where is now dead and the is no way to bring them back and say “o my bad you are really didn’t do it.”
They had sent 13 innocent men to death row but because he had the law changed around he was able to save them and let them go free and live their lives. He became really personally involved and he refused to abandon some needed changes but also demanded compromises from the death penalty critics and the police. He would keep them there as long as he could Obama was going to make sure that if they were going to put someone to death that he really deserved it and it was not a mistake. I really like the fact the he care about what happens to every person that could be put to death. It is a true sign of leader ship and compassion because he will never leave a man behind.
Obama is a good man that cares about the small people and that is the kind of person that we need in the white house. He does believe that there should be some kind of Capital punishment. But he says that we must be sure that we have the right person and that we are not making any mistakes when are going to kill a person. I really like the way that Obama take care of himself and his state. He has some great idea and beliefs that some day may give this country the help that we desperately need.

Obama on the Issues of The Death Penalty, Abortion, and Gun Control

http://www.ontheissues.org/2008/Barack_Obama_Gun_Control.htm
http://youtube.com/watch?v=pyOL8TxtexM

In Barack Obama’s debate against U.S. Senate Candidate, Alan Keyes, he touches briefly on the subject of the death penalty and abortion. In my opinion, Obama uses two separate statements that seem to be contradictory of each other when he is discussing the subject of the Death Penalty. When Obama was first given the chance to rebut the comments given by Alan Keyes, he said, “The death penalty is appropriate in certain circumstances. There are extraordinary heinous crimes; terrorism, the harm of children, in which it may be appropriate.” Later on in that same section of the debate, Obama said, “But I also think that it’s [the death penalty] got to be fair and uniformly applied.” My only question here is how can the death penalty be “fair and uniformly applied” if the punishment is only given on a case-by-case basis? I understand the point that Obama is attempting to make here. He has valid reasoning for his beliefs when it comes to these extremely controversial topics. Whether one may think it or not, there are obviously no right or wrong answers as to the legalization of topics such as abortion and the death penalty. Overall, the only thing that matters in the end is the moral stature of the candidate. I think it is pretty apparent that Barack Obama is a moral person. However, if his morals served him right then why does he believe that the death penalty is “ok” in some situations? In a discussion board on youtube, someone made a very good point about the death penalty and why it should not be legalized. Say a person shoots and kills someone. They are now in their car being chased by the cops. Suppose the killer comes to a school zone where there are small children crossing the street. In the case that the death penalty is legal, this person knows that he or she is going to receive capital punishment anyways; therefore he or she will not be fazed by running over the small children, in order to flee the police. Now, suppose the death penalty was not legalized. This person comes to the school zone, sees the small children, and will now think twice about running them over. Perhaps this is a bit overdramatized, but it still gets the point across.
As for the topic of gun control, I think Obama has a legit idea on how to monitor who has guns, what guns they have, and how they plan on using their guns. He brings up a good point when he is questioned about gun control. He says that there are still people who own guns for traditional reasons such as hunting, sportsmanship, and to protect their families. Obama reasons that there is no point in taking the guns away from the people who are simply trying to carry out some traditions. We all know that there are people who own guns who are not dangerous and who do not, in any way, shape, or form, plan to harm any other human being with their guns. Obama is not trying to piss these people off. He is an understanding man, in my opinion, and he knows what he is doing. Of course, then there are always those other people who have guns for the sole purpose of killing or harming other human beings. Obama makes it evident that these are the people he wants to take guns away from. It makes perfect sense that Obama wants to take the guns away from criminals and killers. The main principles that Obama supports on the topic of gun control are: “ban the sale or transfer of all forms of semi-automatic weapons, increase state restrictions on the purchase and possession of firearms, and require manufacturers to provide child-safety locks with firearms.” I believe that if Obama is able to implement these principles in his hopeful future presidency, then the level of crime will certainly go down.

Barack Obama and the Death Penalty

http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/11/12/obama.death.penalty.ap/

Barack Obama believes that the death penalty is in serious need of reform. He states simply that "Who gets a sentence of life and who gets death is often a matter of random luck, of politics, of geography, even a matter of racism. Mistakes can occur at every level of the process." There are too many wrongful convictions in America for whatever reason, he says, and there is just no way to look at a situation of someone's wrongful death in a good way. He has taken stands in many states saying that the death penalty is not only wrong and possibly faulty, but cruel and unusual punishment as well.
However, Obama does believe that there is some need for capital punishment in our legal system, and is therefore leading reforms. He proposed that all interrogations for capital punishment be video monitored because in recent years it has been discovered that many people who were on death row were there because their interrogations were being handled improperly by the police including 13 inmates in Illinois n 2003.
I believe that the death penalty is something that our country can do without. I do not think this because i believe that it is too harsh of a punishment, but because i believe it is too easy of one. I think that if someone did something as unspeakable as something they would be put on death row for, then they should have to live their whole lives living the consequence. I do not believe they should be offered the easy way out which at that point would only be death. Abolishing the death penalty would also get rid of the problems we are faced with as mentioned earlier with people being executed only to find out later that they were innocent.

Obama Favors Death Penalty

http://www.ontheissues.org/Domestic/Barack_Obama_Crime.htm

Barack Obama does not shy away from any issue, especially when it comes to the death penalty. Obama has a very strong opinion when it comes to his stance on the criminal justice system and the way in which it is currently being run. Obama sees a lack of enforcement being instituted which will only lead to more and more hate crimes. Obama states that he will strengthen the enforcement of hate crimes as president, but he writes “I will prioritize as president but I don’t want to have to wait until I am.” Obama feels that the lack of effort and laziness in response to hate crimes is the reason we as a society are so out of control with hate.

The next thing Obama would like to change is the equality of justice for both blacks and whites. Obama writes that he has tried to pass several laws; unfortunately, he has come up short every time. He believes he sees a change coming in the near future, especially if he is able to become president.

Most people have mixed feelings on whether it is right and justifiable to execute a man to death or to not execute him at all. The fact that someone is executed is truly saddening; however, the men that get executed by the death penalty usually have a convincing case to execute him. Barack feels that the death penalty both deters kids from trying stuff and it getting into trouble. He gives three examples where he feels that the death penalty is justified, mass murder, rape, and murder of a child. Obama sees these three crimes as being so heinous that it is justifiable to keep the death penalty around for these instances.

Barack’s stance towards the death penalty and crime match up fairly close with how I would handle crime if I had the opportunity of becoming president, I would line up exactly how Obama has lined up when asked about the issue. I feel the death penalty is absolutely needed to defer away those criminals that feel they can go and do whatever they want to another human being without being justly punished for it. Obama strongly agrees on this overall issue and he knows exactly what needs to get corrected when he undertakes the presidency. Obama is headed in the right direction when it comes to his handling of the death penalty and the importance of crime currently in our world.

Obama's view on gun control

http://www.ontheissues.org/2008/Barack_Obama_Gun_Control.htm

Legal and Constitutional issues are not the easiest topics to be discussed by the president candidates. However, Mr. Obama did a solid job on his part to state his views on legal and constitutional issues such as gun control. The second amendment states “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed” according to U.S. Constitution. Obama respects the second amendment; however, he says the local gun bans are not a problem for him. Obama does not mind guns used for hunting because it is a type of sport. I agree with him and if gun is completely banned, all the hunters can compete anymore and I do not think that is fair. In addition, Obama emphasizes how guns can be used to protect families. If a thief gets in the house, it is good to have a gun to protect one’s family. I completely second Obama’s opinion because I have a friend who has lost a family member when a thief entered the house and that could have been different if they had a gun. So keeping a law that would ensure a family member who has a license to have a gun is not a bad idea in case of those incidents. Obama is just concerned about usage of guns on the streets which can be dangerous in public.
When Obama was in the state senate, he emphasized a lot on licensing and registering gun owners. If he gets elected as a president, he stated that he will still work hard and try his best on common-sense enforcement on gun licensing. I think that is very crucial because it make sure no crazy people carry guns around public and it could be dangerous. At the same time, Americans can still hunt, fish, and go target shooting with friends.
Obama believes that retired police should be able to carry concealed weapons if they would like. I do not disagree with him because I believe that they were trained at one point. In addition, I think the citizens can trust the retired police men and they can help in a situation where someone is in danger.
To conclude Obama’s views on gun control, reviewing the Virginia Shooting incident and Chicago Public School incident, Obama believes that the White House need to do something to prevent them happening in future. I think gun control issue is a very important topic because many people have witnessed and were affected by many incidents that happened within last twenty years. I like Obama’s views on gun control and I think he can enforce the gun control laws if he becomes our future president.

Obama on the death penalty

http://deathpenaltyusa.blogspot.com/2007/02/barack-obama-and-death-penalty.html

The 2008 election is upon us and the citizens want to know about many issues. One of the many issues that are being considered by voters is the death penalty. Obama wrote that he thinks the death penalty does little to deter crime, but it should be used when a crime is so heinous that the community wants to take the most lethal action upon that individual. I agree 100% with this statement made my Barack Obama for two reasons. First, just because someone thinks they could receive the death penalty, it probably does not make them think twice about the crime they are about to commit. Once they have gotten to the point where they are going to commit a crime, there is no turning back for the criminal. Second, if the action that the particular individual commits is so bad that the only thing that should be done to them is death, then so be it. Some people do things that are just unforgivable and deserve to die for it whether or not they believe what they did was wrong.

Another thing Obama wanted to do with the death penalty is require all interrogations and confessions to be taped. This was known as his signature effort because it is what he pushed for the most when talking about the death penalty. Even though it was opposed by prosecutors and police organizations, this is another great idea that Obama has come up with. Requiring the confessions and interrogations to be taped is smart because it will help the defense out when they jury sees what the accused person was acting like or thinking after the crime happened. Obama’s main point to get this bill passed was that no innocent man should be put on death row and no guilty man should be let free. I agree with him because it is not fair to the victim’s family and friends if the person who hurt their loved one got off free with no punishment.

In a way, Barack Obama is pro-death penalty but also he does not want to execute the wrong guy, according to the Washington Post. I think this is a good stance because only some people should get the death penalty and only in rare cases. There is no way to get away from the death penalty because in some peoples case, it is the only thing that can be done. Obama also said that it should only be used in some cases. I agree strongly with him and think he is headed in the right direction with the death penalty.

Gun Control

http://www.ontheissues.org/2008/Barack_Obama_Gun_Control.htm


Recently On the Issues, Barack Obama was questioned on his policy on gun control. Obama stated, “I have no intention of taking away folk’s guns.” But he supported the D.C handgun ban, and said that it is constitutional. It seems that he contradicted himself by saying he is okay with letting people keep their guns, but he also is for handgun bans. He states that America has conflicting traditions in this country. There is one tradition of handgun ownership and gun ownership. There are also law-abiding citizens who use them for recreational hobbies and to protect their families, but there are also citizens who use guns for violence. Obama wants to get illegal guns off the street and crack down on the loopholes that exist in terms of background checks for children. Obama states that there can be reasonable, thoughtful gun control.
Obama said that if he becomes president he would like to regulate gun license and register gun owners. Even though Obama would like to license and register gun owners, he does not think that is going to be possible. Obama states, “What we can do is to provide just some common-sense enforcement.” Obama is going to make sure the efforts by the law enforcement to obtain the information to trace guns that were used in crimes to gun dealers without license. He also wants to start cracking down on the abuses of firearms that happen on the streets.
Barack Obama has great intentions on how to control firearms on the streets. It will be interesting to see if he can actually enforce what he wants to make happen. His policy on how to regulate the guns and firearms in our country needs to happen. There needs to be less illegal guns on the streets which would lower the crime rate in America.

Obama/Democratic Candidates on Gun Control

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ua9tNU0o4Lo

On the issue of gun control the democratic candidates in their Nevada debate seemed to be in uniformly against the complete ban of guns and seemed to emphasize a desire to protect the rights of those who lawfully obtain and use their weapons. While the Hillary in this debate took the lead and took the hit on the almost impossible plan to establish a national registry, Obama also admitted to the enormous challenge that such an undertaking would entail. Honestly, I cannot blame Obama for backing down from this stance just as Hillary did. Such an undertaking would be almost impossible to get passed given the NRA lobbyists and great opposition to such a system. I do feel however that this is a travesty of the highest order. This would seem to be the best solution to keeping guns out of the wrong people’s hands and making America safer, but I guess if Americans can’t wait for a background check for the safety of other Americans, I shouldn’t be too hopeful for their enthusiasm to get rid of assault weapons either. Obama seems to be a realist on this issue. He realizes the political climate and the American public enough to concede this point, but at the same time he takes a good stance in defending the right to bare arms (when properly regulated). His stat about 34 Chicago public school students gunned down is exactly the point that must be recognized. We must reconcile the two worlds of gun owners through a respectful use of guns in this country and a general crackdown on the accessibility of guns to those who do not deserve them and should not have them.

As for the comments by users concerning this video I found them to be somewhat irrational. While several of the reactions were without a doubt meant to be over the top and several were clearly making a commonly held belief that gun control only hurts law abiding citizens. This is outrageous to me considering the points presented in the debate by Obama and all the democratic candidates for the lawful possession of guns. What? Are people who are just trying to protect themselves going to be sporting their new AK47s all around town? Honestly? And as for protection, lawful possession of guns would still be allowed through the proper channels for those who obey the law. The real problem with the black market is escalation. As average people come to possess more deadly weapons, criminals have to escalate to remain intimidating and dangerous! It is a matter of preventing the most deadly weapons from being necessary; not fueling the escalation until it becomes an all out war in the American streets. This is all Obama and the other candidates are trying to say. They are not trying to take guns out of law-abiding citizens’ hands. They are trying to keep guns out of the hands of every would-be gunman, who would not normally have any access to weapons but now has access to assault weapons and an unlimited amount of bullets per clip. To me hunting and protection can be handled without unlimited clips and assault weapons… but maybe that’s just me.

Obama's to and fro position

http://www.extremewisdom.com/?p=1112
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/06/AR2008040601652.html?referrer=emailarticle

Barack Obama's actual position on gun control is an issue he (Obama) has jingled around since he was a senator. At first Obama was for the second amendment (when he was senator) but when he started his campaign for president, he had to dance around that issue and he changed his position to be against gun control. As author Robert Novak puts it; many democrats have lost thier votes just because of this critical issue to which a candidate's position is considered so seriously.

Author Novak, in the Washington post newpaper article, also states that; Obama doesn’t give his position concerning gun control. At first, he says that Obama is for the fact that people shouldn’t possess arms, but during his campaign, he supports the opposite idea. We can agree with the author in his statement .

Novak says that Obama, for his campaigns, supports that individuals must have the right to keep arms which is against the D.C government and the gun control advocates. He asserts that it is not only the militia who should have guns, but also the civilians. The author tells us that all democrats do the same thing not to lose the elections because they know that people would vote for candidates who are for the freedom of people to have arms. That “gun dance” is a strategy that every candidate might do because they must convince people in promising them what they want.

Obama on Legal Issues

http://www.thinkyouth.org/2008/02/01/obamas-whacky-death-penalty-policy/
Obama wrote in his recent document that he thinks that the death penalty “does little to deter crime.” I do not agree on this stance to the idea that if others who are committing crimes hear about the death penalty it may affect them to not hurt anyone or commit a crime. Obama further said that he was opposed to adding murders that were part of “gang activity” to the death-eligible crime list. Furthermore, Obama said that the death penalty should only be for serial killers or high end crime. He then believes it is not giving the murderer a fair trial if his “punishment is based on emotions and public pressure put on the judge instead of the acts he has committed”. Also, it will cause the death penalty to be used even more inconsistently as public opinion is fickle, while a judge hopefully is not. I think that Obama’s view on the death penalty is too dangerous to go unnoticed and it can eventually be harmful to the justice system. This way of thinking is going to threaten every person’s right to a fair trial and to be free of cruel and unusual punishment.
On the issue of gun control, Obama thinks there are two realities to gun culture throughout the country. Gun control can be a type of self protection to the individual and is a reality in our society today. I agree with Obama that gun control is something that has been around for so long and we must respect that and the traditions in our society. Furthermore, Obama says there is a right to bear arms and this is also constrained by the interest of making sure all the children are safe when they go to school. He also says that he understands why people want guns at their homes because sometimes calling 911 takes a while and this is time that most people do not have. I think that on the issue of gun control Obama is being fair. He is seeing all aspects to the situation and taking those into consideration.
Obama recently voted yes on reinstating 1.15 billion dollar funding for the COPS program. This program is functioning to reduce the crime rate and protect those who are in danger. I believe that is the smart way to go in the sense that many people go unnoticed and Obama is trying to protect those in need of help. Since crime is rising right now, it would be a good idea to connect the links between crime rate and those who are committing the crimes. Obama says there needs to be something done about this and voting YES on this program is the first step. This was a good move to make by Obama because now he can see just where everyone stands and how he is able to reach out to a variety of people.
Habeas-corpus is that the government is required to bring a prisoner—the body—before a judge and provide a legal rationale for his continued imprisonment. Obama feels this is necessary in order to have a fair trial. This is appropriate because everyone needs to be there while the person is being on trial. This is being fair to the person being on trial and they are able to hear everything that is going on.