Same Sex Marrages in D.C.

Tuesday the Washington D.C. City Council voted 11-2 and approved a bill that would legalize same sex marrage and extend rights to same sex couples. After Mayor Adrian Fenty signs the Bill Congress will have 30 days to intervene before it will take effect. But I doubt that the Democratic majority on will block the bill. Washington will join Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire and Iowa in allowing legal same sex marrages. Yvette Alexander and Marion Barry voted aginst the bill because the majority of their constituents did not support the bill.

Peace Prize in a Time of War

President Obama accepted the Nobel Peace Prize Thursday. The Nobel committee's choice of Obama as this year's winner sparked controversy, because he is a president waging two wars abroad. But Obama siad there are many more deserving people, but he accepted his award with great "humility"

Recount for Atlanta

The race for mayor of Atlanta is was so close that its headed for a recount. Encumbant Senator Kasim Reed won then the runoff vote showed him beating city Councilwoman Mary Norwood by around 750 votes out of 83,000 cast. Mary Norwood said in a statement that she will ask for a recount under rules that permit one when less than 1 percent of votes cast separates the candidates. The recount will not and could not begin until Saturday. Norwood, who won the initial voting in November, would be Atlanta's first white mayor since 1974. But the victory of the Encumbant Reed showed Atlanta's demographics, with Reed running gained many votes from areas that are mainly black and include some of the city's poorest neighborhoods. Norwood's support base was in mainly white precincts, which include the city's richest neighborhoods. Although both played the race card, instead presenting themselves qualified to restore city finances and fight rising crime rates that are ravaging the city.

Climate-gate

Climate-gate is the newest scandal in Washington DC. Senator Barbara Boxer of California is calling the leaked e-mails from a climate scientists, at a British university research unit, a "theft" and "crime" that should be investigated. "You call it Climate-gate. I call it E-mail-theft-gate," Boxer said at a hearing Wednesday on the Committee on Environment and Public Works. the reason it is a consperacy is in thoese e-mails shows the scientists discussing the manipulation of their climate research. Matt Dempsey said Thursday that he belives, "Congress should be more focused on the scientific data than the conditions of the leak." The planned hearing dosen't have a date but according to both parties they just want to get this all cleared up.

Is Obama too focused on Afganistan?

Obama's new Afganistan supplement is estimated to cost $30 billion a year and will bring the total number of soilders in Afghanistan to about 100,000. The new strategy is designed to finally get rid of al Qaeda in Afghanistan and help the Afghan government with theTaliban insurgency. The Taliban said " The latest strategy will be a "fiasco" that will lead only to more dead Americans...Throughout the history of Afghanistan the Afghans have not been subject of deceit, ploys, material power, troop reinforcement and military might of the foreigners. Therefore, the reinforcement of the American troops and other tactics will not have impact on the status quo. But the reinforcement will provide better opportunity for the mujahedeen to launch offensives." This chilling quote released thurday makes many wonder if Obama is really doing the right thing by sending more men and women overseas. The Senate is wondering if Obama is focusing too much on Afganistan and not enough on more prevelent coutries like Packistan. Many also belive the 2011 pullout is a bad idea because that just gives the al Qaeda/ Taiban a set date to plan attacks. Feingold said "I do not support the decision to prolong and expand a risky and unsustainable strategy in the region," refering to the requested reienforcement of troups.
Mullen rebuffed by asserting it is "not arbitrary at all." By July of 2011, he pointed out, "and we will have a clear indication (by that point) which way this is going."