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I've seen enough to make up my mind about this shit. Alright, most of the people around GA have only mentioned news stories or circumstantial issues with the government shutdown, let me give you all a real life experience, but first let me lay down three points: 1. I have never been a fan of the Tea Party. The members of the GA Soapbox and GA Right Forum can attest to this fact. 2. I am actually applauding President Obama's no negotiation stance. He is showing courage and leadership. If I were in his shoes, I'd never negotiate under duress. The United States has a formal policy, "We Don't Negotiate with Terrorists". You cannot demand concessions by threats against the United States or its peoples; I consider this an act of terror (Democrats won't say it to that extent, but I will call this act terrorism as a conscious non-PC Republican) 3. I also weep for Representative Peter King and other Northern Republicans, who cannot seem to get our house in order, so to speak. He has a direct way of speaking the truth that is refreshing and even if I do not agree with all his stances; he is true to his words, so I can commend that. Now on to the the situation: Yesterday, I found out that my paternal grandmother, an 85 year old with decent mobility, was going to be evicted by her senior housing administrator due to late filing of income verification. It was a mistake not to check with her housing office and depend on her to give us documentation to fill out. She has been going more and more senile for the last few years, but she appeared to have a handle over her own affairs and my family tried not to take over too much of her life. Since, my grandmother cannot seem to remember her English (She was a British Citizen of Burma back when it was still a colony and was educated. A lot of well-off Ethnic Chinese people migrated to British territories for business during the 1900's), I act as her proxy for government documents and other issues. Well, first, I tried to present the senior housing administrator with bank statements, but the asshole said that those cannot be used to substantiate income. He told me that I must go to the SSA , Social Security Administration, and get a formal letter from them showing her income. I told the man that I was not sure if the Social Security Administration would be open or not, plus did not know if the Shutdown would limit their services for income verification. He told me as a matter of fact, "You must provide me with a "government issued" income verification form". I called the SSA and they said that they could not provide me with an income verification document as they are currently unable to process those types of documents. I told them our situation and they said, my grandmother must go in person to the main office in Boston, but warned that they have limited hours due to the shutdown. I knew I couldn't go with her, so I ask if they had Chinese translators or any other administrative personnel, who could help her once the transportation drops her off. They told me the translators were furloughed and did not know the current situation with staffing there. This is fucked up, my elderly grandmother may lose her apartment, because some guys in Washington are trying to "raise a voice for the people". Breaking down the system is supposed to be Patriotic. I will answer that with "F" "U"1 Fucking BS, who are "the people" anyway that you represent, the American who has nothing better to do than go to rallies and tell you guys to breakdown government with NO PLAN TO END IT. That's not Conservatism, it's reactionary and it's populism or Mob rule. I've got my own job and my own responsibilities to hundreds of employees across the country. I have to answer to a lot of major clients with huge stakes. I don't like Obamacare either, but I know why I hate it, because I actually live with it, what the Fuck has the "Average American" needed to do? Buy Insurance! Oh Shit, let's start a whole Revolution! I had to go through three IT Audits, HIPAA evaluations, and URAC credentialing to keep our medical firm operational and profitable. Compared to that, the "Average American" has it easy. I might hate it, but I can live with the crap and so can my industry. The "Average American" is up in arms, threatening grassroot campaigns and primary challenges. Maybe I am not the "Average American", but I am what represents the largest part of America. I don't need this type of BS in my life and I should not need to worry about my own grandmother losing her home. If anyone find my blog offensive to your political beliefs, I can only say "Get a F*cking Life!"

CONFIRMED: The President's National Security Advisor stole, and then destroyed, an unknown number of classified documents destined for the 9/11 commission BEFORE the commission had a chance to examine them in it's 9/11 investigation. Shocked? You should be. But, hold off on the Bush Bashing for a minute, becuase the aforementioned President is Former President Clinton. The National Security Advisor is Sandy Berger. Berger was given sole access for "vetting" top secret Clinton-era documents at the specific formal request of former president Clinton. Berger repeatedly stole and destroyed documents. Berger's excuse? It was an accident! An oversight! He said he didn't understand the Security Procedures! That is utter garbage: Berger was Clinton's National Security Advisor: . If anyone should understand security, I'd think it would be the National Security Advisor. Berger has plead guilty, not just to taking the documents, but to destroying quite a few. Berger, at the time of his crimes, was part of John Kerry's campaign, and was Kerry's probable choice for Secretary of State. Much has been made of "media Bias", but this is clearly a case of it: Consider, for a minute, if a Bush official had been caught red-handed stealing and destroying documents that the 9/11 commission needed for its investigation. All hell would have broken loose, and rightfully so. Where is the outrage over this crime? Was Clinton involved, or was Berger just acting on his own hook? There is no hard evidence that I am aware of. Yet, given the fact that Clinton, AFTER Berger was caught, tried to defend his motives (the ridiculous "accident" excuse) there is plenty of room for suspicion. The most bizarre thing here is the sentence Berger received; a $10,000 fine and a three year suspension of his security clearance. Could someone PLEASE explain to me why this sentence fits the crime? Under no circumstances whatsoever should Berger be allowed access, ever, to classified documents. As for the fine, given the number of classified documents he stole and destroyed, he'd have received a bigger fine if he had, instead of destroying them, tossed them from his car window separately and received fines for littering. There is one possible ray of hope here; part of his plea deal was to fully co-operate with investigators. I have a feeling that they plan on having the Rat finger bigger rats. However, I can't see any excuse whatsoever for allowing this thief to ever have a security clearance again. Remember, this was the investigation into 9/11 that he tampered with. The biggest question (of many) is just what, exactly, he was trying (and has apparently succeeded in doing) to cover up. Take a look for yourself: The PDF file of the OIG CRIMINAL report. Read the whole thing. It seems Berger had a particular interest in documents from the Millennium after-action review (referring to the Millennium plot, the failed Al Qaeda attack on the US in Dec 1999). It gets REALLY interesting around page seven, when describing Berger's antics during the thefts. I especially loved this little gem "Mr. Berger said he did not want to take the risk of bringing the documents back into the building and the possibility that <redacted> might notice something unusual. Mr. Berger said he placed the (Classified) documents under a trailer in an acceptable construction area outside of the Archives." The above, incidentally, is a classic espionage technique called a "dead drop". There are glaring holes in this investigation. For one thing, there is no indication that Berger's cell records were checked to verify that, indeed, he made the phone calls that were so often an excuse to be left alone with the documents. The entire tone of the investigation is reminiscent of the Keystone Cops. I hope this is not the last we hear of this case. It deserves far more coverage and investigation.

Carlos -- Thank you. Last night, I congratulated Donald Trump and offered to work with him on behalf of our country. I hope that he will be a successful president for all Americans. This is not the outcome we wanted or we worked so hard for, and I’m sorry we did not win this election for the values we share and the vision we hold for our country. But I feel pride and gratitude for this wonderful campaign that we built together –- this vast, diverse, creative, unruly, energized campaign. You represent the best of America, and being your candidate has been one of the greatest honors of my life. I know how disappointed you feel, because I feel it too. And so do tens of millions of Americans who invested their hopes and dreams in this effort. This is painful, and it will be for a long time. But I want you to remember this: Our campaign was never about one person or even one election. It was about the country we love -- and about building an America that’s hopeful, inclusive, and big-hearted. We have seen that our nation is more deeply divided than we thought. But I still believe in America –- and I always will. And if you do, too, then we must accept this result -– and then look to the future. Donald Trump is going to be our president. We owe him an open mind and the chance to lead. Our constitutional democracy enshrines the peaceful transfer of power, and we don’t just respect that, we cherish it. It also enshrines other things –- the rule of law, the principle that we’re all equal in rights and dignity, and the freedom of worship and expression. We respect and cherish these things too -- and we must defend them. And let me add: Our constitutional democracy demands our participation, not just every four years, but all the time. So let’s do all we can to keep advancing the causes and values we all hold dear: making our economy work for everyone, not just those at the top; protecting our country and protecting our planet; and breaking down all the barriers that hold anyone back from achieving their dreams. We’ve spent a year and a half bringing together millions of people from every corner of our country to say with one voice that we believe that the American Dream is big enough for everyone -- for people of all races and religions, for men and women, for immigrants, for LGBT people, and people with disabilities. Our responsibility as citizens is to keep doing our part to build that better, stronger, fairer America we seek. And I know you will. I am so grateful to stand with all of you. I want to thank Tim Kaine and Anne Holton for being our partners on this journey. It gives me great hope and comfort to know that Tim will remain on the front-lines of our democracy, representing Virginia in the Senate. To Barack and Michelle Obama: Our country owes you an enormous debt of gratitude for your graceful, determined leadership, and so do I. To Bill, Chelsea, Marc, Charlotte, Aidan, our brothers, and our entire family, my love for you means more than I can ever express. You crisscrossed this country on my behalf and lifted me up when I needed it most –- even four-month old Aidan traveling with his mom. I will always be grateful to the creative, talented, dedicated men and women at our headquarters in Brooklyn and across our country who poured their hearts into this campaign. For you veterans, this was a campaign after a campaign -- for some of you, this was your first campaign ever. I want each of you to know that you were the best campaign anyone has had. To all the volunteers, community leaders, activists, and union organizers who knocked on doors, talked to neighbors, posted on Facebook - even in secret or in private: Thank you. To everyone who sent in contributions as small as $5 and kept us going, thank you. And to all the young people in particular, I want you to hear this. I’ve spent my entire adult life fighting for what I believe in. I’ve had successes and I’ve had setbacks -– sometimes really painful ones. Many of you are at the beginning of your careers. You will have successes and setbacks, too. This loss hurts. But please, please never stop believing that fighting for what’s right is worth it. It’s always worth it. And we need you keep up these fights now and for the rest of your lives. To all the women, and especially the young women, who put their faith in this campaign and in me, I want you to know that nothing has made me prouder than to be your champion. I know that we still have not shattered that highest glass ceiling. But some day someone will -– hopefully sooner than we might think right now. And to all the little girls watching right now, never doubt that you are valuable and powerful and deserving of every chance and opportunity in the world. Finally, I am grateful to our country for all it has given me. I count my blessings every day that I am an American. And I still believe, as deeply as I ever have, that if we stand together and work together, with respect for our differences, strength in our convictions, and love for this nation -– our best days are still ahead of us. You know I believe we are stronger together and will go forward together. And you should never be sorry that you fought for that. Scripture tells us: “Let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due season, we shall reap, if we do not lose heart.” My friends, let us have faith in each other. Let us not grow weary. Let us not lose heart. For there are more seasons to come and there is more work to do. I am incredibly honored and grateful to have had this chance to represent all of you in this consequential election. May God bless you and god bless the United States of America. Hillary

The current state of our political system is dire. When you look at the two parties, you see little belief in working towards the common good of this country. This is far removed from the vision of our forefathers. There is lack of pragmatism. Yes, I said the p word. When creating a bill that is for the greater good for this country, our legislators tend to nit pick. Instead of thinking about what is best for the people, they decide that it's not worth while to compromise. Take for example the recent bill to solve the economic crisis that threatens our markets today. There was a plan, but the Republicans decided to vote against it simply because of some disagreement with Nancy Pelosi. Now, I may be a Democrat, but I do not believe that she was the best choice for Speaker of the House. She is, in my estimation, too extreme for the job. I believe the Speaker of the House needs to be somewhere closer to the center. Still, the Republicans' move has seriously jeopardized this country. There was also a minority of Democrats who voted against the bill simply because of a few items they did not like. Had they voted in favor, the bill would have passed with a decent majority. Instead, they made a similar move. What good does this do for our country? The fact is that it only hurts the American people. Our elected officials are supposed to have our best interests at heart, yet they do not. Gay marriage is another important issue to me. It is foreseeable that I will someday find I man I intend to spend the rest of my life is. There was a struggle within me for years where I wanted to be able to marry a woman, but it turned out that it would only be a sham. If not for that fact, I would still be in favor, mostly because of my belief in equality. Neither party seems to be working towards this goals. Republicans tend to be of the belief that there should not be any form of legal recognition at all while the majority of Democrats seems to favor civil unions, a "separate but equal" stance. While the latter is much better than the former, it's still not what we deserve. The death penalty is one of the most controversial political issues in the world. The Democrats tend to believe that it should be abolished while Republicans most likely think it is not used enough. This is one issue where I actually tend to agree with Republicans more than Democrats. While I do not see the death penalty is a deterrent, I believe that some crimes are so heinous that the perpetrators should no longer be allowed to live. These crimes include the most gruesome of murders, ones in which the level of violence is so extreme that even the police are likely to become queezy or deeply disturbed upon viewing the bodies. Also, I believe that ritualistic cannibalism and necrophilia are grounds for capital punishment. Along with brutal murders there are rapes and instances of child molestation. These individuals are just as bad if not worse. I am of the belief that they are also deserving of capital punishment. The cases should also be slam dunk. In other words, the burden of proof must be to a point where no one else could have committed the crime. If there is any doubt whatsoever, there should be life imprisonment instead. Another problem is the number of appeals in capital cases. There should only be one appeal, and the punishment should be carried out within a month after the appeal is denied.

I decided to make it official. I was already planning to register as I had not yet registered to vote in Kansas. Since Kansas is way too conservative and needs more Democrats, I registered to vote and officially joined the Democratic Party. Before, I was not affiliated with a political party at all. If someone would have told me even two years ago that I would now be a Democrat, I would have said, "No way, not ever!" However, my views have changed over time, and I am now more liberal than ever. While I'm not 100% liberal, I am definitely more liberal than conservative. However, there are elements of my party that I find downright shameful. For example, there are some who seem to shun the military. Now folks, this is not a majority view of the Democratic Party, but the element is there nonetheless. I am not what you would call a pacifist. I believe that military action is justified if diplomatic means have been exhausting and the nation in question poses a threat to the United States and its allies. While I believe that Iraq was not the right war, I believe we need to withdraw in a manner that will both protect our own interests and assure that Iraq is a peaceful nation at last. Those in my party who oppose all war need to stop burying their heads in the sand. While I do not like war, I recognize the need to combat evil in the world. It's the economy, stupid! Yes, I tend to have disagreement with both parties on this particular issue. One problem I have with my own party is the fact that so many want to raise taxes. While raising taxes is sometimes a necessity, our current economic situation calls for taxes to remain or current rates or even to be lowered. I also reject the view that corporations are evil. While many corporations have harmed the environment and have had dubious practices, I believe most obey the law and are an important part of the economy. Health care is an important issue. Barack Obama wants to make health insurance more affordable for Americans, and I believe this is the best route for the United States. While socialized medicine seems to work well in France, it is a colossal failure in nations like Canada, the United Kingdom, and especially Cuba. Speaking of which, Michael Moore should shut his f**king overstuffed mouth. He does Moore harm than Moore good for the Democratic Party. His so-called documentary about Cuba is beyond dishonest. Yes, rich people in Cuba get to go to nice hospitals, but the peasants are subject to filthy conditions and sub-standard health care. Considering the size of the United States, socialized medicine is unlikely to work well. Doctors and nurses would have to take a major pay cut, and they are unlikely to want to take that risk. Also, many hospitals would probably need to be closed, because there are too many for the US government to manage. Abortion is a hot button issue, mostly because of religious zealots like Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell (may that rotten bastard burn in hell). While I personally believe that adoption is a much better choice, I believe in a woman's right to choose. One of the biggest concerns I have with anti-choice advocates is that they cannot argue in favor of their position without talking about God. In a country where people are deigned to have religious freedom, that is absolutely unacceptable. If you want to prove your own point of view, do so without invoking the name of Jesus. As for "partial-birth abortion" as they like to call it, I am actually against it. Once a fetus is viable, it should be protected by law unless the mother's life is in danger or there are specific birth defects in which it may be more humane to abort the fetus. Parental notification is not something I support. While I urge young women to tell their parents about their decisions. there are many cases in which that is not possible. Parental permission is unacceptable. Young ladies should have the right to say what shall happen to their bodies. Parents should not be allowed to force their daughters to have babies. I think that about covers it for now. There are many other topics and opinions I would love to share in the future. I love expressing my opinion and sharing my political philosophy with others. I have always been a strongly political person even before I came to the conclusion that I should join the Democratic Party. With that said, I have only one more thing to say. I am excited to be voting for the next president of the United States of America, Barack Obama! Even if you are not voting for Barack Obama, I urge you all to vote!