The DNC: Day 1

Michelle Obama speaks at the DNC. (Olivier Douliery/MCT)

Well, the Democratic National Convention is under way, and it is all anyone can talk about. Day 1 kicked off with former presidential hopeful and chairman of the Democratic National Committee Howard Dean banging the gavel to start the ceremonies. Some noted speakers were Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, former President Jimmy Carter and Illinois Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr. Caroline Kennedy also took the stage to introduce her uncle, Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy, who is still recovering from surgery for a brain tumor. The DNC honored Kennedy for his service in the Senate, and afterwards he took the stage to give a speech himself.

The highlight of the night was Michelle Obama’s speech, which used anecdotes about her childhood and relationship with her husband to underscore the similarities among all Americans. She described some of the values she and her husband shared from day one, such as respect and hard work, and stated her belief that these are values shared by all Americans. Obama also highlighted the historical significance of this election season, as well as the challenges the candidates represent. She commended Senator Hillary Clinton’s fight to become the first female president, and touched on Senator Joe Biden’s dedication to the needs of the working class he was raised by. She closed by emphasizing the idea that her husband truly understands what average Americans need and will continue to work towards positive changes in the nation.

Was the first night of the convention a success? What did you think of Michelle Obama’s speech?

The Elephant in the Room: The Silenced Republicans of FCLC

“Elephant?  What elephant?”

 

         Between the anti-Bush greeting cards in the bookstore, the Obama flyers decorating the student plaza and the Bush-as-a-monkey printout taped up in the scene shop, it’s pretty clear where the political loyalties of most of our college’s population lie. But during this hotly contested Election 2008, we must not forget the Republicans in our midst – supporters of John McCain instead of Hillary or Barack. They’re the Few but Proud – the Republicans of Fordham College at Lincoln Center.             

      There is a longstanding College Democrats Club here on campus, but we’ve never had a College Republicans Club that lasted very long.  In fact, when FCLC conservatives, in preparation for this historic election year, tried to gather support for a College Republicans Club, their efforts failed. This was in part because they just couldn’t get the required sixty signatures on their petition – liberal students weren’t very interested in helping the conservative cause, and there weren’t enough conservative students who wanted to publicly express their Republican politics.                

      Artur Jagielski, FCLC ‘09, who helped spearhead the movement to form a College Republicans Club at FCLC, said that the process was difficult because of “some of the criticism I received from several people [Democrats]. I’m sure there are more Republicans on this campus who don’t voice their opinion, and if we could reach out to them, maybe we could form a club here on campus.”      

      But who is it that’s really making the Republicans feel unwelcome at Fordham? It’s got to be the students, right? Everyone knows how hot-headed and opinionated college students can be. Actually, conservative students say that it’s not their peers who are the problem.  It’s the people you’d expect to have a more reasoned approach: the professors.     

      While both the faculty and the student body are filled with Democratic supporters, Jagielski and Republican recent grad Howie Ray, FCLC ‘06, assert that while professors are very narrow-minded, fellow students seem open to debate. “I found a lot of the student body was open to intelligent political discourse,” pointed out Ray. Jagielski says that liberal politics aren’t even much discussed among students: “… I don’t hear much talk about it [liberal politics] outside of the classroom. All I see is pro-Obama posters here and there.”     

     But professors in many departments, say Ray and Jagielski, frequently lash out at the president, loudly lamenting the fact that we have a Republican administration in Washington D.C. And while most FCLC conservatives understand that liberal teachers have complaints about Bush (and are more than prepared for the Bush- related “litanies of woe” professors often launch into), they feel beleaguered nonetheless. Professors, claims Jagielski, “…continuously bash the president [and] conservative politicians without taking into account that there may be Republicans sitting in the classroom. They just assume that if you are a Republican, you must be a bad person.”  

GO! New Orleans meets Brangelina

Want another reason to get involved with Global Outreach? Well, if that fish-eye shot from GO! New Orleans participant Jenn Pelly is any indication, not only does the program allow you to do humanitarian work in poverty- or disaster-stricken areas, but it also gives you a chance to hobnob with similarly compassionate megastars.

Spitzer Resigns

photo courtesy SirKnight#4

Earlier today, and in the wake of accusations that he was involved in a prostitution ring, Governor Eliot Spitzer resigned from his post. On Monday, Spitzer’s resignation will go into effect and Lt. Governor David A. Paterson will be sworn in as the new governor.

At a press conference held at his Manhattan office, Spitzer had this to say:

“I have been given much: the love of my family, the faith and trust of the people of New York and the chance to lead this state. I am deeply sorry that I did not live up to what was expected of me.”

According to The New York Times, Spitzer’s decision comes after a Tuesday spent inside his Fifth Avenue apartment, deliberating with his wife, lawyers and close friends.

The legacy Spitzer leaves behind is one that differs greatly from the expectations placed upon him in recent years. In June 2005, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson called the then-New York Attorney General “the future of the Democratic party”.

But following today’s resignation, it seems as if it is Spitzer’s personal future that is in need of direction.

Gov. Spitzer Accused in Prostitution Ring

photo courtesy Lindsay Beyerstein

At a press conference earlier today, Governor Eliot Spitzer admitted his involvement as a client in a prostitution scandal. According to The New York Times, Spitzer’s office was notified last Friday that the governor had been named as the suspect in a federal wiretap investigation that intercepted a phone call arranging for a high-end prostitute to be sent from New York to Washington, D.C., where a person referred to as Client 9 had rented a hotel room. Client 9 was found to be Gov. Spitzer, who spoke briefly today, making no mention of any decisions regarding his political future. During the press conference, Spitzer’s wife, Silda, stood beside him.

Spitzer released a statement hours after the story broke, saying that he “acted in way that violates his obligation to his family.”

“I apologize first and most importantly to my family,” Spitzer said. “I apologize to the public, to whom I promised better… I am disappointed that I failed to live up to the standard I expected of myself.”

Spitzer has been deemed “a rising star” among the Democratic party, according to CNN, for his efforts to root out corruption, bust white-collar criminals and tackle organized crime.

Last October, Spitzer spoke to the students of Fordham College at Lincoln Center and addressed “morality and practicality.” He spoke about his platform to provide driver’s licenses to people without social security numbers, and health insurance to all children.

More updates to come.

Not Again! Ralph Nader Announces Another Presidential Run

photo courtesy of patia

Sunday on “Meet the Press,” consumer advocate Ralph Nader announced that he was entering the presidential race. . .again. Nader, a successful consumer advocate who pushed for everything from seatbelts in cars to eliminating misrepresentation in advertising, ran for president for the first time in 1996, but had no impact on a race in which Bill Clinton beat Bob Dole in a landslide.

Nader infamously ran again in 2000, earning over 90,000 votes in Florida (which Al Gore lost by less than 1,000 votes), tipping the balance in that critical state and, in the eyes of many, handing George Bush the White House. Though in an Obama-McCain race, Nader would likely attract barely any votes, in a Clinton-McCain scenario, he would likely be slightly more successful, and either way Nader’s candidacy is simply annoying to the Democratic Party. Nader seems to have learned nothing from the Florida disaster in the ridiculously close 2000 Election, but as Democrats cringe at the possibility that Nader could be a spoiler all over again, they are fervently hoping that the voters have learned their lesson and won’t let history repeat itself.

Primary Primer: Wiscowaii Edition

photo courtesy roblord

In Tuesday’s primaries, both Barack Obama and John McCain took steps toward the inevitable showdown that will see those two face off in November’s general election by winning in both Wisconsin and Hawaii. Obama, riding a swell of momentum, took his 10th straight victory, while McCain increased his seemingly insurmountable lead over Mike Huckabee.

For McCain, the victories seem to cement his place as the Republican candidate, a fact that has been widely accepted by most pundits in the past few weeks. For Obama, though, Tuesday may have marked the first point in the Democratic contest in which he could be considered, nearly across the board, as the clear front-runner of the race. This has close to everything to do with the brilliant work of his campaign staffers in recent weeks. Somehow, a feeling has crept up on America. The momentum swing is one that, of course, is marked by a string of successful primaries. The absolute confidence that seems to be surrounding the campaign at this moment, though, goes beyond the delegate count (which Obama is now currently winning 1,302 to 1,235) and ventures into the territory of image. While Hillary Clinton’s campaign has faced shake-ups and has engaged in increased criticism, Obama has been enjoying the fruits of a campaign strategy that may be remembered as one of the most well-planned ever, seemingly designed to maintain a close race before pulling away with amazing performances in the post-Super Tuesday states, having never given him the chance to experience a Dean-like implosion. Case in point: after Tuesday’s results, Obama gave a speech that talked about the future in very foreseeable terms;  Clinton did not mention Wisconsin.

Seven Dead in Another Campus Shooting

A gunman opened fire on a geology class at Northern Illinois University on Thursday, instantly killing four, including himself. At least 15 others were wounded in the shooting. Three have been reported to have died in the hospital, bringing the death toll to seven.

According to various news reports, at about 3 p.m., the gunman appeared from behind the stage curtain of a 200-seat auditorium where the class was being held. Armed with a shotgun and two handguns, he then began firing at the students.

The gunman’s name was not released, but was identified as a former graduate student who was no longer enrolled at the university, and who had no previous police record. He was described as a thin white man wearing a black trench coat. There is no known motive at this time.

This shooting comes just days after a nursing student in Baton Rouge, La., shot and killed two women and then herself, and it comes 10 months after the Virginia Tech Massacre that killed 32.

Primary Primer: Potomac Edition

photo courtesy troblog

Last night, both Barack Obama and John McCain built on their already powerful momentum by each sweeping the primary contests in Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C.  For Obama, the victories marked his string of eight primary victories in a row. He now leads Hillary Clinton in the overall delegate count, with his 1,147 delegates comparing to Clinton’s 1,124. It should be noted, though, that Clinton still has an advantage in the superdelegate race–and with a contest this close, it may only take one superdelegate changing his or her mind to shift things entirely. That being said, Obama deserves to be thrilled with his Tuesday victories. He has an unbelievable head of steam going into the March 4 primaries that include powerhouse states Ohio and Texas, cemented by the about-to-be-announced endorsement from Bill Clinton’s former national manager, David Wilhelm, who is also a superdelegate.

For McCain, the victories mark a continuation of his front-runner status in a contest that appears increasingly to be his to lose. He currently has 790 delegates out of the 1,191 needed for a Republican victory.

College Student Opens Fire In Classroom, Killing Two Others and Herself

BATON ROUGE, LA.– A female nursing student at Louisiana Technical College barged into a classroom early Friday morning and fired a number of gunshots, killing two other female students before turning the gun upon herself. 

According to U.S. News, the motive of the assailant is unknown, and details regarding her name and age have not yet been released.

The New York Times reported that Baton Rouge police responded to a number of 911 calls dialed from cell phones at the college at approximately 8:30 am.  Police arrived to the second-floor classroom to find all three victims dead, the smell of gunpowder still lingering. 

About 18 other students were in the classroom at the time of the shooting.  According to Baton Rouge police as cited in The New York Times, some students “described diving for cover under their desks, then, when they realized the carnage had ended, running for the door, screaming and sobbing.”

According to The New York Times, students in both the attacked classroom and other classrooms were kept in lockdown for approximately two hours after the incident, during which police interviewed students in order to “make contact with potential witnesses and keep the scene under control,” they said.

Baton Rouge Mayor Kip Holden said, “This is a tragic day for Baton Rouge, when you come to a learning institution and become the victim of a violent crime,” The New York Times reported.