You know you volunteered or worked for a political campaign if...

• Indy is not a form of music
• No one looks at you funny when you sleep at the office
• A perfect boyfriend/girlfriend is someone who can actually put up with your work hours
• You know that perfect person doesn’t exist
• You work insane hours for little money
• And you love it
• Your friends visit your office to make sure you’re still alive
• Therapy is something you wish you could get for free after the election
• Your track record, has nothing to do with sports
• Your best friend’s name is Blackberry
• You have thrown your best friend once or twice
• You have played some kind of sport in your office at least once (i.e. baseball, kickball, football, basketball, etc.)
• A reporter or your candidate has walked in on it at least once
• You have come to work when you look like you’re about to keel over and die
• And you did it by choice
• Your car doubles as a closet during campaign season because frankly, you’re not quite sure when you’ll get home
• You have gone 48 hours plus without sleep
• You live off of coffee and cigarettes
• Your desk kind of reminds you of the movie Twister, well after the tornado hit
• You watch either 24 or the West Wing compulsively
• When your power goes out or your telephone is disconnected you immediately blame it on the Democrats, or Republicans
• You have encountered at least 3 volunteers whom you are sure escaped from a Mental Institution
• All your friends say how “professional and cute” you look while you’re running around on your blackberry trying to prevent Armageddon

I did not write these myself, I just thought this was entertaining...and oh so true.
To see the complete list, visit the facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2252131917&ref=ts

Biden Visited Richmond Today!

Vice President Joe Biden spoke in downtown Richmond today, defending President Obama's new stimulus plan. The speech was given in Eric Cantor's territory. Cantor has already expressed his views on the stimulus, which he believes will worsen the unemployment rate and hurt small business owners. Biden never mentioned Cantor by name, but he did manage to counter the House Republican Whip's statements. According to Biden, the stimulus plan will protect countless public jobs. He also announced that the stimulus has allocated $1.6 million for Richmond's police department.

Punctuating his point, Biden shared the stage with Richmond's police chief, a Richmond school teacher, and the owner of DayStars dessert.

Wish I had known about this event...would have definitely tried to go!

What critics like Cantor need to realize is that the stimulus plan is not a band-aid that is going to automatically fix the economy. It will take time. There is no easy way out. Progress will be seen in time.

And that's the way it is,
Kayla

The Citizen Journalism Revolution: iReport

In 2006, Time Magazine elected the millions of bloggers and contributors of user-generated content on the internet as the Person of the Year, saying that we are the ones who control the communication and information worlds.

Today, there are over 70 million bloggers on the internet. Blogs, vlogs, and social networking sites have made it possible for anybody to spread their ideas and opinions with others in a simple, user-friendly way. You no longer have to be a professional to review movies, or gossip about celebrity couples, or report the news and have others read your material. I am particularly interested by the reporting the news part. Blogging has made it possible for people like you and me to be citizen journalists who can report and analyze the news.

Citizen journalism, also known as participatory journalism, is the contribution of the public in reporting and writing about the news. Websites such as CNN's iReport have galvanized this movement, proving the necessary tools and resources for people to become unofficial journalists. Members of iReport are able to publish stories that range from the news in their local town to breaking world news to their own personal experiences. Users can also upload images and videos to accompany their articles.

Supporting the concept of citizen journalism, the news found on iReport is completely unfiltered, unedited, and uncensored. Sure, this does mean that you have to use your discretion when determining the validity and truthfulness of anything you read, but it also makes for more interesting news. Users are able to comment on others' articles, so sometimes a heated, but entertaining debate will ensue. This just adds to the wealth of information provided by citizen journalism, because opinions from all sides of the political spectrum and from different perspectives arise.

As an added plus, some of the better and more interesting articles and videos on iReport are sometimes even snagged by CNN and featured on national television. With blogging, you sometimes do not get the visibility that you want, but if you manage to write a successful article for iReport and it is featured on CNN, you are suddenly on your way to becoming the next Anderson Cooper or Christiane Amanpour! OK, I might be exaggerating...but I can dream.

Visit http://www.ireport.com/ to start becoming a contributing member of the news community.

The WaPo Makes an Interesting Move...

Yes, for those of you who have not heard yet, the Washington Post published an article in yesterday's paper written by Alaska's very own Sarah Palin. The article, The 'Cap And Tax' Dead End, was featured in the op-ed section and served mainly as a rant against Obama's energy plan. She was not shy with her accusations and finger pointing either, even stating, "Soon, even the most ardent liberal will understand supply-side economics."

In 694 words, Sarah Palin managed to criticize Obama's plan but somehow did not manage to include any facts, proof, or logic reasoning.

"We have an important choice to make. Do we want to control our energy supply and its environmental impact? Or, do we want to outsource it to China, Russia and Saudi Arabia? Make no mistake: President Obama's plan will result in the latter."

The reasoning? There isn't any in her article. I guess it's just true because she says so.

To top it all off, the Washington Post included a one line bio typical of op-ed articles posted at the end of the column:
The writer, a Republican, is governor of Alaska.

Well...they got one out of three right.

To read the full article, visit: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/13/AR2009071302852_2.html?sid=ST2009071302882

Until we meet again,
Kayla

A Political Junkie Must Read

All the recent talks of former Vice President Dick Cheney and his efforts to coverup an entire CIA counterterror project have reminded me of a book that I highly recommend to those interested in the counterterrorism efforts taken since 9-11. The Dark Side: The Inside Story of How The War on Terror Turned into a War on American Ideals, by the esteemed investigative journalist Jane Mayer, explores the secretive worlds of the CIA and its undercover operations just before and after 9-11. Mayer pays particular attention to the issues of torture and waterboarding, questioning the authority of the government to emply such tactics.

Well researched and quite compelling, The Dark Side features quotes from former CIA operatives and government officials. I found each piece of information presented in the book fascinating, rarely putting the book down. Mayer takes some definite risks, even providing information that indicates that 9-11 could possibly have been avoided all together. According to Mayer, the director of the CIA and a few other intelligence officials had warned former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice of an impending attack against the US prior to the 9-11 attacks, but they had been unable to convince her.

Mayer also brings to attention the fact that basic ideals that this country was founded upon have gone down the drain since the war on terror began. The CIA has crossed some definite lines. But you can be the judge. Read The Dark Side and decide how you feel. Even if you disagree, the book is an excellent and intelligent read.

So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, adieu,
Kayla

And Now for a Bit of Local Politics...

After the heated gubernatorial Democratic primary that took place in Virginia this past June, one would think that the new Democratic nominee Creigh Deeds would be in full force, striving to build a campaign strong enough to go head to head with Bob McDonnell, the Republican candidate. Unfortunately, in Richmond at least, the Deeds campaign seems almost nonexistant. At the 4th of July parade in my local community, an unprecendented amount of people marched for McDonnell, passing out stickers and literature along the parade route. Where were the Deeds representatives?

I know what you're thinking. Why haven't I, the young political junkie, attempted to boost the campaign's visibility by volunteering at my local field office? That would be because every time I try to contact my local field office, I get very vague answers and little attempt on their part to get me in the office to volunteer. Come on Deeds campaign, what's going on? Since when does a campaign turn away free labor? To be honest, this has been quite frustrating. I still support Deeds as a candidate, but this is starting to get ridiculous. If you are also trying to volunteer for the Deeds campaign with little success, all I can say is keep trying. Pretty soon, they will be begging for us.

Glad we could get together,
Kayla

Obama and Pope Benedict XVI

President Obama had his first in person meeting with Pope Benedict XVI in Italy this Friday. The meeting in Vatican City was Obama's last stop in his trip to Italy. The first family's next destination is Accra, Ghana. It will be President Obama's first appearance in sub-Saharan Africa since he was elected in 2008.

Obama recognized that he and Pope Benedict would not necessarily see eye to eye on everything, saying, "There are going to be some areas where we've got deep agreements; there are going to be some areas where we've got some disagreements." The Vatican lost the common ground that they had shared with the Bush administration on the issues of stem cell research and abortion, but the Vatican has also taken interest in the views of President Obama. While they may not see eye to eye on issues such as abortion and stem cell research, Pope Benedict and Obama have similar views on the war in Iraq, which the Vatican had openly opposed previous to its start under the Bush administration.

While many American Catholic activists have spoken out against Obama, this recent meeting with the Pope further shows the lack of aversion between the Vatican and Obama and his administration. An article written shortly after election day by Julia Duin of the Washington Times outlined the an analysis that proved that Catholic voters strongly favored Obama. According to Druin:

"Large numbers of Catholics and religiously unaffiliated voters heavily contributed to President-elect Barack Obama's huge margin of victory over Republican Sen. John McCain, according to an analysis of exit poll surveys by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life."

To read the entire article, visit: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/nov/07/catholic-voters-heavily-favored-obama-analysis-sho/

Topics discussed between Obama and Pope Benedict included abortion, immigration, and foreign relations in the Middle East. The two men also discussed the role that developed countries should play in aiding developing countries.

While the meeting has been described as positive and constructive, the Pope still urged the Vatican's pro-life stance, presenting Obama with a copy of "Dignitatis Personae," a Vatican document on the subject of bioethics in terms of stem cell research and cloning. Obama accepted the gift with gratitude, promising the pope that he would read it on the way to Ghana.

Raw footage of President Obama and Pope Benedict can be seen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cg19VRWX_i0
Their actual discussion was not filmed.

And so it goes,
Kayla

Obama and the G8 Summit in Italy

From Left to Right: Japanese PM Taro Aso, Canadian PM Stephen Harper, President Obama, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, Russian President Dmitri Medvedev

President Obama and his fellow G8 members met in Italy today to discuss the pressing issue of climate change. P.O.T.U.S on Sirius-XM radio broadcasted Obama's address after the summit, followed by commentary from Wall Street Journal's Stephen Power and Press Pool's Joe Mathieu. Unfortunately, I was listening to this broadcast while waiting in a parking lot and I suffered from a severe lack of a proper notebook, so I was forced to jot down my notes on an old receipt and a scrap piece of paper...so bear with me; this might not be the most organized post ever.

President Obama described the G8 Summit as a "candid and open discussion about the growing threat of climate change and what our nations must do, both individually and collectively, to address it." He went on to describe the threat of climate change as both real and dire. "Every nation on this planet is at risk. And just as no one nation is responsible for climate change, no one nation can address it alone," Obama stated, reiterating the point of the summit.

According to Obama, The G8 concluded that "by 2050, developed nations will reduce their emissions by 80 percent." Additionally, the group decided that they would help all other nations to cut global emissions in half. The leaders also agreed that global warming should not exceed an increase of two degrees Celsius. Obama and the other world leaders agree that these actions will greatly improve the state of the environment for the world. But are they doing everything they can? Stephen Power and Joe Mathieu do not seem to think so.

Stephen Powers' main concern is that all of the goals set by the recent G8 Summit are long term. Powers believes that short term goals are also necessary. The G8 members did not make goals that included concrete actions that can be taken immediately. Moreover, Powers expressed concern over the fact that the developing countries of the world were not really addressed in this summit. Developing countries such as China and India are responsible for a huge portion of global emissions. Economically, developing countries can not afford to cut back in their emissions by large percentages. Powers believes that the developed countries, such as those represented by the G8, should agree to help these developing countries in their efforts to cut emissions.

Joe Mathieu poked fun at the summit's goal to keep atmospheric temperature from exceeding two degrees Celsius. "What are we going to do, put a giant thermometer in the sky?" He asked jokingly. He is right though. While the goal is certainly measurable, it is not exactly enforceable. And how did they even come up with two degrees Celsius? Why is that the magic number?

All in all, the G8 Summit on climate change served as a progressive step towards cleaner energy and fewer carbon emissions on a position. Will this magically solve everything? Far from it. As Obama stated, "...we don't expect to solve this problem in one meeting or one summit, [but] I believe we've made some important strides forward..."

Good night and have a pleasant tomorrow,
Kayla

Let the Games Begin!

As an avid blogger and a true political junkie, I am surprised that it has never crossed my mind to start an entire blog dedicated to my obsession with political related news...until now. As a true Young Political Junkie, I intend to post my analyses, commentaries, insights, and reviews on the latest news in United States politics. I also intend to occasionally deviate from this main goal and share personal stories of my experiences volunteering for campaigns and my politics-related interactions with others. I also hope to relay information on local politics right here in blue Virginia. Mayhap some world politics will slip in. I wish I had been able to start this blog during the political madness of this past year, but I suppose I'll just have to dive in now. Oh and I would be telling a lie if I said this blog was completely unbiased, mainly because ALL relayed information in the world of journalism has bias...it is unavoidable. I do try to keep and open mind, so please feel free to challenge anything I say. In fact, I encourage it. Brace yourself for my retaliation to your retaliation though.

My personal goal is to publish at least one post per day for the rest of the summer. Your personal goal should be to read at least one of my posts per day for the rest of the summer. Hey, it's only fair.

Good day and good news,
Kayla