ver the past decade a flag-burning amendment has passed the House of Representatives at least six times. The proposal has consistently stalled in the Senate, where a clear two-thirds majority was unavailable to approve a constitutional amendment. With the current Republican majority the likelihood of passage becomes more possible. If it eventually passes Congress it would then go to be approved by the legislatures of 38 states. If it clears Congress that would be the first time in some 30 years that Congress agreed to amend the Constitution. The measure ignores so many more pressing issues facing the nation and they appear to be aimed at scoring political points.
How about you? I oppose flag-burning, but I can't fathom the need to support a Constitutional amendment aimed at prohibiting it.
It will almost assuredly become a significant campaign issue, with the Republicans giving much aid and comfort to their conservative base.
Is it time for a third-party race for the presidency? There are already third party candidates considering the prospects of taking on the choice of both the major parties. We've had them before; back in 1968, when George Wallace enthused working class anger. In 1992 it was the fiscal "pragmatist", Ross Perot, who garnered much support. There was the anti-establishment race that may well have influenced the outcome of the race for the White House. Then came Ralph Nader's anti establishment campaign.
I'll wager whoever the third party candidate turns out to be he or she will be part of an electronic - convention on the Internet.
It's my conviction that fully 70% of voters are sick of partisanship and want real leaders ... wherever they can find them.
Be prepared for an abundance of negative campaign ads this coming fall. There's almost certainly going to be countless misleading ads blasting incumbents for a failed war and for "voting against the troops." Six words might run the Republican election; "stay the course" and/or "Cut and run". What 'IS' the course; to what end, where and when? And getting out of Iraq with plans and a timetable is hardly a case of "cut and run" - but it will paint the minority Democrats as undemocratic, irresponsible and without courage. Inaccurate assessments, but they still might prove to be effective accusations come November.
The Stalinist dictatorship of North Korea is under the (mis)leadership of Kim Jong Il who appears, time and again, as an irrational lunatic, but if you think about his current nuclear exploits he may well not be acting in as irrational a way as we usually depict him. He is trying to bargain with his only bargaining chip that U.S. policy has left him. North Korea has long aimed to swap its nuclear program, the eventual goal is to force the major powers of the world to deal with him. He wants to exchange his nuclear and missile programs for United States security guarantees.