It's Match Point on the Supreme Court

"Why the Supreme Court should be the biggest issue of the 2016 campaign"
Current Event of November 28, 2014
From The Washington Post 

Left or Right?

          With the Supreme Court having five conservatives and four liberals, the next election could determine the makeup of the judicial branch of the federal government. Ruth Bader Ginsburg, one of the Democratic justices, is the oldest member of the Supreme Court, having had a heart surgery at the age of 81. She has no plans to step down from her position before President Obama's term is over. This means that she is not guaranteed a liberal replacement. If the next leader of the United States turns out to be Republican and one of the Democratic justices retires, the number of conservatives in the court will outnumber the liberals 6-3. In contrast, if a Democrat is elected in the 2016 Presidential election and a conservative justice retires, then the liberals will gain better traction. Regardless of what happens, both parties should be concerned about the outcome of the election because it relates directly to our justice system. There will be an upset either way. 
          When it comes to the federal government, every aspect is connected. One of the principles that America was founded on was the separation of government into distinct branches. Checks and balances prevent there from being any funny business. Nonetheless, no matter how hard they try, the judicial, legislative, and executive branches become dependent on one another. In the case of the Supreme Court, the president is only meant to have the power of appointing justices. It just so happens that the next person to be given the job could influence the entire branch by tipping the scale, making the courts either conservatively or liberally dominated. It does not seem like a big deal at first, but major court cases are brought to the Supreme Court and their decisions have a huge say in what happens in this country. By giving the President the power to choose, the courts are now in the hands of the executive branch. 

When Old is Not Old Enough

"Landmark state pension law struck down by Springfield judge"
Current Event of November 21, 2014
From Chicago Tribune

This is the life 

     In December of 2013, the state of Illinois passed a state pension law requiring workers to wait longer for retirement and, in turn, their pension. The intention behind it was to reduce the $104.6 billion retirement debt that brings major issues for Illinois. Recently, a judge, John Beltz, has decided to bring this law to the Illinois Supreme Court. He, along with labor unions, has seen the problems with the legislation and are actively protesting it. If the pension law is repealed by the state's Supreme Court, the government will have to pay almost a billion more to the pension fund. But, if the the law is upheld, it will benefit Illinois as a whole. The problem with the law is that none of the workers agree with it. Regardless, the state needs some way to solve its major debt problem. Hopefully, some alternative ideas will be suggested in the next few weeks. 
       When it comes to money, Americans will go to every measure to protect their right to what they deserve. That is one of the defining characteristics of the United States. Work is life to many people. Their lives are dedicated to working long enough to retire and live with enough funds to be happy. When that dream is taken away through something like the Illinois pension law, people begin to distrust their government. Unions are in direct disagreement with the state legislature and individual workers know that the government may not have their personal interests at heart. The state faces the glaring debt that has been accruing for the last years. Somehow Illinois has to figure out how to best represent the common people while still staying afloat financially. 

Best Friends Forever

Enzi Works Well With Others (if they are Republican)

 Mike Enzi and His Pal, The Republican Party 

          If one thing can be said about Mike Enzi, it's that he represents the Republican Party well. He is known for being one of the most conservative members of the Senate and his relationship with the Republican Party is strong, to say the least. Enzi can be trusted to vote the way his party wants him to, as his conservative viewpoints are quite predictable. Since other Republicans view Enzi with acceptance, he has a plethora of "friends" in Congress. He works the best with other conservatives. John Barrasso, Wyoming's other senator, and Mike Enzi have worked well together to try to influence the federal government in a positive way. Slowly but surely, they are trying to bring little bits of the Wyoming legislature to the national level. 
          When it comes to logrolling, Mike Enzi is most likely to cooperate with other Republicans in the Senate who share some of the same viewpoints as him. For example, Enzi may not know a lot about one topic in particular, so he will give one of his votes to a trusted Republican to get one in return. In general, Mike Enzi is well liked by the masses, considering that he has been in office since 1997. His incumbency is due to all of the alliances he has made over the years. Mike Enzi's "friendships" have paid off and he is consistently supported fully by the Republican Party.

When Nature Strikes Back

"A US-China Breakthrough for the Planet--and the New Economic Growth"
Current Event of November 14, 2014
From Huffington Post

We're All in this Together

     Scientists have predicted for a long time that the earth will not last much longer because of the choices the human race has made regarding the environment. The earth is suffering and something needs to be done as soon as possible to reduce the negative effects people are having on the planet. Luckily, two of the most economically dominant countries have decided to stand up to combat the growing environmental disaster. President Obama, representing America, and President Xi Jinping, the leader of China, have made statements regarding how their respective countries plan to move forward. China wants to transition into using renewable sources for almost 20 percent of their energy. This change should happen by 2030. America plans to reduce its carbon emissions by about 27 percent by 2025. This is just the first step. In order to make a legitimate impact, the rest of the countries have to step up and take responsibility. Each country has an important part to play if the planet is to be saved. 
      The strength of relationships between foreign nations has always been debatable when it comes to American politics. While some believe that the United States should have no engagement with other countries, others see value in the union. In the case of this new development between America and China, it seems to be beneficial for both parties. Not only is there a shared incentive to save the planet, but also, by reducing the carbon footprint, economies will improve. By investing in clean energy, cities will become more desirable with a lack of air pollution. Also, the job market will expand to compensate for the new industry. America can't save the world on its own. It will need the assistance of the most prominent nations to make goals regarding the environment. Foreign relations are a necessity if this is going to work. 

America's Bright Future

"Obama to nominate Brooklyn federal prosecutor Loretta Lynch for U.S. attorney general"
Current Event of November 7, 2014
From Chicago Tribune

Looking Forward

          As the midterm elections were this week, President Obama has been busy making the changes he needs. For the office of U.S. Attorney General, he had to pick some one the country could trust. Loretta Lynch will be the first black woman ever to hold this position. She is extremely qualified and has been working in law her entire life. She is also known for having an even temperament in the face of pressure, meaning that she will be able to hold her own without causing too much controversy. Of course, Obama's decision has to be approved by the Senate for anything to come to fruition. Lynch will be replacing the current U.S. Attorney General, Eric Holder, if she is approved. Over the past 6 years, he has had a history of disagreements with the Republican members of the federal government. Hopefully when she is instated, Lynch will do a better job than Holder. 
        Obama is trying to impact as many aspects of the country as possible before his term ends. One of his contributions is picking a person for the job of U.S. Attorney General. As the Senate is going to be dominated by the Republican Party, he has to be careful in the the coming times. The government will soon be divided by a Democratic President and a Republican Senate. Another important piece of information about this current event is that Loretta Lynch is not only African American, but a female. It just shows how much progress has been made in the last years. There is hope that change is possible even in a place as corrupt as Washington D.C. President Obama has made the right decision by nominating Loretta Lynch. 
         

Mike Enzi Reigns Supreme (again)

The Elephant Takes the Cake

                                                        When the Game Stands Tall

As the polls came to a close on November 4th, the predictions made about Mike Enzi’s reelection became truth. Enzi, the incumbent, will remain in office until at least the next election cycle. With just around 150,000 voters, 72% of them voted for Enzi. Four candidates were up for the position, but the only person that came even close to overturning  Enzi’s rule was Charlie Hardy with 18% of the votes. Even then, Enzi was a shoe in. Of course, he had the benefit of incumbency. First of all, he has more publicity from simply being in office. Also, because there are no real scandals associated with Enzi, there is no reason that he should be removed. Wyoming is satisfied with his performance and didn’t want to rock the boat if they didn’t have to. The Senate continues to be dominated by Republicans. Wyoming has remained consistent in their beliefs as Mike Enzi, the House member, and the governor are all Republican. In this way, Wyoming’s views of the success of the Republican Party may have created a coattail effect, where the voters prefer the Republican candidates purely based on their party affiliation.  

To win the election, Mike Enzi and his campaign used various methods of campaign financing to gain money for his reelection. For his campaign, Enzi raised a little over $3 million from a combined effort of individuals and PACs. However, Charlie Hardy raised only $70,000 in total. It just shows how persuasive money can be in gaining support. A majority of the state of Wyoming would be considered supporters of Enzi's policy as he was successfully reelected. He has done a great job in the past and more time in office will give him the extra experience that will make him an even better representative for Wyoming.