Wed. April 27--6th hour

View the following and comment--

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHGs4535W_o
What factors hurt Richard Nixon in the debate with JFK?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DtTTB-Njgk
How is social media being used in campaigns?

PAC /527 links for assignment

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Political_action_committee

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_action_committee


http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=527_committees

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/527_organization

Why you should love $5 gas??

More expensive gas could be a good thing? Appraently, there are some possible benefits. See the list below...What do you think?

Fewer people will die on the road. The less you drive, the more likely you will survive.

Shorter security lines. Soon, hardly anyone will be able to afford to fly willy-nilly around the country or globe. You will breeze through the maze of airport checkpoints.

Less pollution. Less driving means cleaner air.

High prices lead to lower prices. If gas prices rise enough, the government will open up areas now closed to oil production, and oil companies will be able to invest in more-expensive methods of extracting oil. Soon we will be drowning in the stuff, and prices will drop again.

More exercise. It can't hurt to walk the three blocks to the grocery or bike to school or work.

Local businesses may profit.If you can't afford to drive out to the Wal-Mart or The Home Depot, you may be buying instead at the local supermarket or neighborhood hardware store. In addition, as the cost of transporting, say, grapes from Chile, goes out of sight, you may turn to regional farmers for your produce.

What do you think? Do you love it? Is there anything you could like about it?

Georgia governor to sign law targeting illegal immigration

Gov. Nathan Deal of Georgia plans to sign into law what may be one of the nation's toughest anti-illegal immigration measures, his spokesman, Brian Robinson, said Friday.

Unmoved by threats of boycotts and lawsuits, the Republican-dominated Georgia Legislature passed the tough law Thursday night, during the final hours of this year's legislative session. Robinson did not say when the governor would sign the measure.

"The bill reflects well the priorities and principles on which the governor campaigned ... last year," he said. "We believe that it reinforces the law in Georgia."

Among other things, the bill allows law enforcement officers to ask about immigration status when questioning suspects in certain criminal investigations. It punishes people who transport illegal immigrants during the commission of a crime and imposes hefty prison sentences on those who use fake documents to get jobs.

After the vote, the bill's author, Republican state Rep. Matt Ramsey, declared, "We have done the job that we were sent to do." Ramsey said the bill addresses issues forced on the states because of the federal government's decades-long failure to secure the nation's borders.

What do you think aboiut this bill? It sounds like the states are starting to do what the national government has failed to do. What do you think about this?

Ariz. Legislature OKs presidential 'birther' bill

The Arizona Legislature gave final approval late Thursday night to a proposal that would require President Barack Obama and other presidential candidates to prove they are U.S. citizens before their names can appear on the state's ballot. Arizona would become the first state to require such proof if Gov. Jan Brewer signs the measure into law. Republican Rep. Carl Seel of Phoenix, the author of the bill, said the bill wasn't about opposition to Obama. "This bill is about the integrity of our elections," Seel said. Thirteen other states have considered similar proposals this year. The proposals were defeated in Arkansas, Connecticut, Maine and Montana. So-called "birthers" contend since the last presidential election that Obama is ineligible to hold the nation's highest elected office because, they argue, he was actually born in Kenya, his father's homeland. What do you think about this law? Is it needed? Could it affect the 2012 election?

Which PoLiTiCaL PaRTy are you??

Take the quiz to see what party you "belong" to. Tell us what you got and if you agree. Go to: http://www.gotoquiz.com/political_party_quiz_2

White House Replica for Sale

Want the presidential digs without the presidential headaches? There are two replicas of the White House for sale. One is in McLean, Va. It was built by a Vietnamese engineer who built it in the mid-'70s. The house is for sale for $4.65 million and has six bedrooms, seven bathrooms, a gym, a home theater, a wine cellar and even an oval office (with a piano instead of a desk). The White House for sale is in Atlanta, Georgia and listed at $10 million. This White House has an Oval Office, a Lincoln bedroom and a pool in the backyard.

Texas May Get New Highways with 85 MPH

Legislation is working its way through the Texas statehouse that would allow future highways to have speed limits of up to 85 miles per hour. Texas already has about 500 miles of rural interstate that allow 80 miles per hour. None of those or any other existing roads would change. The 85 mile per hour limit would only apply to newly constructed roads that are engineered for that speed and only if the Texas transportation commission approves.

Backers say it’s just another tool in the toolbox. Representative Lois Kolkhorst is the lawmaker who introduced the bill. “We’re a big, big state, ” says Kolkhorst,”and so as we try to move goods and services and more importantly people from destination to destination, it could be an option for the future.”

But the discussion comes as highway deaths are down across the nation. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says from 2009 to 2010, traffic deaths fell three percent. In the region that includes Texas, deaths are down almost seven percent. It’s so low, the national traffic fatality rate will be at its lowest since 19-49.

That’s why some strongly oppose the plan. For example, insurance industry officials say any increase in speed whether it’s on an existing freeway or new one could cause more accidents leading to more injuries and fatalities. Says Jerry Johns, President of Southwestern Insurance Information Service, what’s worse is that people already tend to drive over any posted speed limit. “So does translate to people driving 90? 95?” asks Johns. “That certainly does pose a hazard to the other drivers.” Despite the concerns, house lawmakers unanimously passed the legislation this week. Now it heads to the Texas senate. Lawmakers there could vote on it in the next few weeks.

What do you think? Is 85 too dangerous?

Prison Gardens

A plan moving through the Minnesota Legislature would require some Minnesota prisons to plant gardens that would help feed prisoners.

Supporters say it would save the state money and give inmates a productive outlet while they serve their time. A bill sponsored by Rep. Glenn Gruenhagen, R-Glencoe, and discussed Tuesday in a House committee, would make eight of the state's prisons till up ground for agricultural use by inmates. "Hard, sweat equity work creates a strong back and a sound mind," he said. "It's especially needed for our young people, and also all ages actually, and especially people in a correctional institute."

Corrections Commissioner Tom Roy told lawmakers he thought it was a good idea. He's the former director of Arrowhead Regional Corrections, the workhouse for five northern Minnesota counties, just outside Duluth. "For years, that facility has had a pretty significant farming operation, including vegetables, hay and also raising livestock," Roy said. "They still have a slaughterhouse on grounds, and chickens and other things meet their demise in that slaughterhouse quite regularly." Roy said that some of the jail's potato and pumpkin crop even finds its way on to local food shelves.

Greengage cited programs in other states. They include an organic flower garden at California's famed San Quentin prison and a landscape horticulture program at New York's Rikers Island. Oklahoma officials said prison farms made nearly $1 million selling firewood, beef and pecans in 2009. Gruenhagen said the state's fiscal crisis is part of the reason he's pitching the idea.

What do you think about having prisoners grow food or sell things to support the prison?

Judge Rules on "boobies" Bracelets

Breast cancer fund raising bracelets that proclaim “I (heart) boobies!” are not lewd or vulgar and can’t be banned by public school officials who find them offensive, a federal judge in Pennsylvania said Tuesday in a preliminary ruling.

The ruling is a victory for two Easton girls suspended for defying a ban on their middle school’s Breast Cancer Awareness Day.

“The bracelets ... can reasonably be viewed as speech designed to raise awareness of breast cancer and to reduce stigma associated with openly discussing breast health,” U.S. Judge Mary McLaughlin wrote in a 40-page ruling issued Tuesday. She added that the school district had not shown the bracelets would be disruptive in school.

District solicitor John Freund said he was “very disappointed” with the ruling. He said no decision has been made on an appeal.

“We find it very difficult to believe that the judge could not find that there was a sexual double-entendre in the message,” Freund said. “If the ruling stands, certainly the educator’s job is going to be that much more difficult in deciding these issues with the court second-guessing them.”

Easton is one of several school districts around the country to ban the bracelets, which are distributed by the Keep A Breast Foundation of Carlsbad, Calif. The nonprofit has said it sells the bracelets to engage young people in breast cancer awareness.

What do you think? Do you agree with the federal court judge?

END OF QUARTER THREE BREAK

All posts prior to this post will be counted on quarter three. Posts after this on quarter four.

One quarter left! Where has the time gone? Let's make it a good one.

Outrageous Government Spending

Tom Coburn, MD, a senator from Oklahoma, complied a report called "Wastebook" about government spending and waste.

"As 2010 ends, millions of Americans are still struggling to find work. Even those lucky enough to have jobs have had to tighten their belts. Yet, Congress continues to find new and extravagant ways to waste tax dollars. Our national debt is the greatest threat to our national security according to our own military leaders. I hope this report will give taxpayers and concerned citizens the information they need to hold Washington accountable. As dysfunctional as our politics can seem, our system still works when ordinary citizens get informed and engaged," Dr. Coburn said.

Here is some of the wasteful spending he identified from 2010.

~taxpayers shelled out $615,000 so the University of California at Santa Cruz could digitize Grateful Dead photographs, tickets, backstage passes, fliers, shirts and other memorabilia

~ $175 million a year so the Department of Veterans Affairs can maintain buildings it doesn’t use, including a pink, octagonal monkey house in Dayton, Ohio

~$1 million to zoos to post bits of poetry to plaques on zoo premises

~The National Science Foundation provided more than to $200,000 to study of why political candidates make vague statements

~The National Science Foundation directed nearly a quarter million dollars to a Stanford University professor's study of how Americans use the Internet to find love

~The city of Las Vegas has received a $5.2 million federal grant to build the Neon Boneyard Park and Museum, including $1.8 million in 2010. For over the last decade, Museum supporters have gathered and displayed over 150 old Las Vegas neon signs, such as the Golden Nugget and Silver Slipper casinos

~Medicare paid out over $35 million to a vast network of 118 "phantom" medical clinics, allegedly established by members of a criminal gang to submit phony reimbursement claims

~The Internal Revenue Service paid out $112 million in undeserved tax refunds to prisoners who filed fraudulent returns, according to the Treasury Department's Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA)

~The National Institutes of Health (NIH) spent nearly $442,340 million to study the number of male prostitutes in Vietnam and their social setting

Your thoughts?

If you would like to email or send a letter to Dr. Coburn for Government in Action, you may do so. http://coburn.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contactsenatorcoburn?p=ContactForm

Gov in Action Idea

Write a letter/email to your Minnesota Congress people concerning this hot topic~

A bill that would ban abortions after 20 weeks of gestation is expected to find support in Minnesota's Republican-controlled Legislature despite opposition from Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton. The legislation was introduced Monday.

Dayton's position on the subject is clear. "I can assure you that nothing as extreme that violates that basic fundamental right — and it is a Constitutional right as established by the United States Supreme Court — will be enacted with my signature," he said then. "It will not happen here in Minnesota."

Lawmakers could attempt to override a Dayton veto if Democratic abortion rights opponents joined GOP majorities in both legislative chambers.

The bill's supporters say the 20-week threshold is the point when developing fetuses can feel pain. Studies are divided on that question.

The proposal would make an exception for women who would risk death or serious physical harm by carrying a pregnancy to term, but there would be no exceptions for victims of rape or incest or for psychological or emotional suffering.

State Health Department data shows that fewer than 2 percent of more than 12,000 abortions performed in Minnesota in 2009 involved fetuses older than 20 weeks. Abortion rights groups said those cases often involve fetuses with fatal medical conditions.

You may email the governor, your state representatives and senators with your thoughts about what they should do concerning this bill. WE WILL NOT DEBATE THE TOPIC HERE.

To find email addresses- click on the link below.
http://www.gis.leg.mn/OpenLayers/districts/

Government Shutdown

Much of the federal government could grind to a halt in the coming weeks because Republicans and Democrats in Congress can't agree on spending cuts.

Congress itself wouldn't really shut down. As things stand, lawmakers would still get their paychecks and many of their aides would still come to work.

During the shutdowns in 1995 and 1996, debates raged over which people were considered "essential." Lawmakers kept nearly all of their aides working, whether they were involved in budget negotiations or just answering phones. (The latter employees stayed busy -- Congress was deluged with angry calls during the shutdown.) The huge number of "essential" employees on the Hill reportedly irked officials at the White House, which had to work with a skeleton crew. Not everything for Congress members went on as normal though. Senate eateries closed. Senators even had to (gasp!) operate the elevators themselves. But the House gym stayed open.

If the government does shut down in the next few weeks, many government workers will not be able to work and will not get paid. Congress will need to work to pass a budget, should they get paid and get to keep their staff? A bill passed the Senate last week unanimously that approved a measure that would prohibit members of Congress and President Obama from being paid during a shutdown. The bill has yet to come up in the House.

Young Mayors

How common is it for an 18-19 year old to become mayor? Not as uncommon as you would think. Here are some young mayors elected in the past few years.

In Rice Lake, Wisconsin 19 year old Romaine Robert Quinn defeated the incumbent mayor 53% to 47%. His main goals were the balancing the budget and working on the sidewalk project.

John Tyler Hammons, 19, was elected to be mayor of Muskogee, OK. The city has a population of 38,000 people and Hammons won 70% of the vote.










Kyle Corbin became the mayor of Union, Oregon when he was just 18. He beat out two other candidates, City Councilor Scott Morrison, 59 and a former city councilor, Dick Middleton, 64. Corbin had to run a write in campaign because as a 17-year-old, when he announced his intent to run, he was too young to be a registered voter and qualify for a spot on the ballot.







Colton Morman is a high school senior and barely eligible to vote, but he was elected mayor of Dawson, Iowa. Morman's grandfather stepped down as Dawson's mayor. Morman said he figured that being the next mayor might be good experience for a future career in law. Mostly, he said, he just wants to help people.





Michael Sessions ran as a write-in candidate because he was too young to get on the ballot. The young politician used $700 from a summer job to fund his door-to-door campaign in Hillsdale, Mich., a town of about 9,000. Sessions, 18, beat former Mayor Doug Ingles, 51, 732 votes to 668 votes.





What do you think about these young mayors?

Minnesota Lightbulb Bill

By 2012, incandescent lightbulbs(regular old fashioned) will be no more. As part of the 2007 Federal Energy Act, these bulbs would no longer be manufactured, in favor of a more energy-effcient fluorescent bulb. Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann has introduced a bill entitled the, " Light Bulb Freedom of Choice Act." The bill seeks to repeal the nationwide phase-out of conventional light bulbs.

Bachmann believes that people should have a choice of what kind of lightbulb they want to use. She believes that energy-efficient compact fluorescent lightbulbs are harmful due to mercury content and that human created global warming is "voodoo, nonsense, hokum, a hoax."

Electrical and manufacturing companies disagree with Bachmann and say that the mercury content is small and a nonissue. They say the bulbs use so much less energy that mercury emissions are actually reduced.

What do you think? Do you want a choice of lightbulbs? Or should everyone use the fluorescent lightbulb?

Supreme Court Allows Protest at Military Funerals

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court ruled that the First Amendment protects the rights of groups to protest at military funerals.

Members of Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, KA. regularly protest military funerals.

The Court decided the protesters has a right to be where they were. Protesters were 1000 feet fromt he funeral, and protested quietly and without violence.

Chief Justice, John Roberts, said that the protesters' speech "cannot be restriced simply because it is upsetting or arouses contempt."

Roberts wrote that "Debate on public issues should be robust, uninhibited, and wide-open because speech on public issues occupies the highest rung of the hierarchy of First Amendment values."

What do you think?

2nd Amendment Issues

Gun control and second amendment freedoms is an on going issue in the US. Find a current article about gun control and tell us abut it. Both Washington DC and Chicago had court cases over gun bans in recent years, that is one area you could look at.

ReAl Or FaKe?

New government quiz...

Post something you learned and how you did on the quiz

http://www.constitutionfacts.com/?page=quiz.cfm

Are Video Games a Freedom Speech Issue? The Supreme Court is Set to Decide.

The Supreme Court will decide whether a California law that bans the sale or rental of violent videogames to minors will stand. The law was passed in 2005, but has never been enforced due to the questioning of its constitutionality.

Nearly a dozen states have expressed support for the CA law or have tried to pass similar legislation.

Those who support the law say that violent video games have been shown to cause violent thoughts and agression in children. Suporters say that parents should be able to decide if their children should be exposed to such games, not game makers or retailers. They believe that making it illegal to sell or rent the games to minors will help keep games out of the hands of children.

Opponents of the law point out that games already have ratings on them which allow parents to make decisions about games. They say that the rating system is highly recognized and well enforced, making this law unnecessary.

Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) said," Videogames are fully protected speech ...and that the government can't regulate speech content if there are reasonably effective private rating systems and parental control tools that don't interfere with our First Amendment rights." They have urged the Supreme Court to protect the free speech rights of videogame creators and users.

This case is being touted as "the single most iomportant moment for games, and the pivotal issue for gamers, in the sectors history." Your thoughts?

Shame Kids into Better Grades?

Florida mom Rhonda Holder forced her 15 year old son to stand on a stret corner with a sign around his neck that said:

"I did 4 questions on my F-CAT and said I wasn't going to do it. GPA 1.22..Honk if I need an education"

The mom said she wanted to embarrass her son into taking his education more seriously. She said she has trioed taking things away, like hi phone, and nothing has worked. The 15 year old does not like to be embarrassed, so she decided to use embarrassment to try and get him to change.

She plans to make him stand on the corner everyday until his grades improve. What do you think? Will this work?

'I won't pay' movement spreads across Greece

They blockade highway toll booths to give drivers free passage. They cover subway ticket machines with plastic bags so commuters can't pay. Even doctors are joining in, preventing patients from paying fees at state hospitals.

Some call it civil disobedience. Others a freeloading spirit. Either way, Greece's "I Won't Pay" movement has sparked heated debate in a nation reeling from a debt crisis that's forced the government to take drastic measures - including higher taxes, wage and pension cuts, and price spikes in public services.

"The people have paid already through their taxes, so they should be able to travel for free," said Konstantinos Thimianos, 36, an activist standing at the metro picket line in central Syntagma Square.

In one of their frequent occupations of the toll booths on the northern outskirts of Athens recently, protesters wore brightly colored vests with "total disobedience" emblazoned across their backs, and chanted: "We won't pay for their crisis!"

A rash of political scandals in recent years, including a dubious land swap deal with a rich monastery and alleged bribes in state contracts - has fueled the rebellious mood.

"I don't think it's part of the Greek character. Greeks, when they see that the law is being applied fairly and to all, they will follow it too," said Nikos Louvros, the 55-year-old chain-smoking owner of an Athens bar that openly disobeys the smoking ban. "But when the law isn't being applied to some, such as when there are ministers who have been stealing, ... Well, if the laws aren't followed at the top, others won't follow them."

Mid-quarter Break

Any posts BEFORE this one will be counted toward the SEVEN that need to be done for quarter 3 midquarter. After midquarter, I will not count any posts made on these entries.

Government in Action --addresses

You may write a letter orsend an email to an elected offical concerning an issue that concerns you or a bill that is being voted on. TO EARN CREDIT....PRINT OFF A COPY OF YOUR EMAIL

Use this link to determine who YOUR state senators and representatives are.

http://www.gis.leg.mn/OpenLayers/districts/

Minnesota Cheeseburger Bill??

Republican Representative Dean Urdahl of Grove City, Mn introduced a bill that has been called the "cheeseburger bill." The formal name for the bill is "Personal Responsibility in Food Consumption Act." If passed, it would prohibit people who gain weight from suing food sellers and makers. It means you can't sue McDonalds if you get fat from eating their food.

There is debate about the need for such a bill. Minnesota has never had a lawsuit against a company over weight gain. Some think it is not an issue. Others say current law already prohibits such lawsuits.

Those in favor of the law say that other states have had such lawsuits and Minnesota could in the future. Others say the bill is needed to stop frivolous lawsuits which cost taxpayers and raises the prices of goods.

This bill has passed the Mn House of Representatives. It is moving through the Mn Senate and it is unclear whether or not it will pass or whether the governor will sign it.

What do you think?

Protesters rally for 6th day at Wisconsin Capitol

On Saturday, 68,000 protestors gathered in Madison ,Wisconsin at the capitol to protest new Wi. governor Scott Walker's plan to eliminate most public employees right to collectively bargain.

The Republican controlled state legislature seemed ready to easily pass this legislation, until Democratic legislators fled the state and went into hiding making a vote impossible because there was no longer a quorum.

Walker says he wants to eliminate some collective bargaining rights to help balance the budget of Wisconsin. Other governors in Ohio, Iowa, Indiana, Florida and New Jersey are considering similar legialation, Minnesota is also proposing legislation that would limit collective bargaining rights.

Public schools in Madison, and many other districts throughout the state, were closed due to teachers who had taken time off to protest at the capital. Many union supporters from Minnesota and surrounding states have also joined the protests.

Which Founding Father are YOU?

Take the quiz and tell us your results. :)

http://www.constitutionfacts.com/?page=foundingFatherShort.cfm

Egypt Revolution...what was life like?

Yesterday we watched a 60 Minutes special on the revolution in Egypt. We did not really learn that much about what life was like under the autocrat Mubarak.

Research this and post something for us to read! What was life like for the people? Why did they revolt? How much control did the dictator have over their lives?

Freedom of Speech?

This is an interesting story....the 1st Amendment gives us freedom of speech, but we know that there are limitations on our individual rights. What do you think about this story? Are freedoms violated?

A high school English teacher in suburban Philadelphia who was suspended for a profanity-laced blog in which she called her students "disengaged, lazy whiners."

As she fights to keep her job at Central Bucks East High School, 30-year-old Natalie Munroe says she had no interest in becoming any sort of educational icon. The blog has been taken down, but its contents can still be found easily online.

Her comments and her suspension by the middle-class school district have clearly touched a nerve, with scores of online commenters applauding her for taking a tough love approach or excoriating her for verbal abuse. Media attention has rained down, and backers have started a Facebook group.

'Noisy, crazy, sloppy, lazy LOAFERS'
"My students are out of control," Munroe, who has taught 10th, 11th and 12th grades, wrote in one post. "They are rude, disengaged, lazy whiners. They curse, discuss drugs, talk back, argue for grades, complain about everything, fancy themselves entitled to whatever they desire, and are just generally annoying."

And in another post, Munroe writes: "Kids! They are disobedient, disrespectful oafs. Noisy, crazy, sloppy, lazy LOAFERS." She also comes up with a colorful list of comments that she felt should be available on student report cards.

Munroe points out that she also said positive things, but she acknowledges that she did write some things out of frustration.

Munroe did not use her full name or identify her students or school in the blog, which she started in August 2009 for friends and family. Last week, she said, students brought it to the attention of the school, which suspended her with pay.

Munroe has hired an attorney, who said that she had the right to post her thoughts on the blog and that it's a free speech issue. The attorney, Steven Rovner, said the district has led Munroe to believe that she will eventually lose her job.

Thoughts?

You fix the Minnesota deficit

Go to this website and see what the options are for fixing the deficit...

http://www.minnpost.com/fix_minnesota_deficit/

What did you choose? Was it hard to make cuts? Describe what you did and you can earn GOVERNMENT IN ACTION credit.

How bad is Minnesota's budget deficit? Mega-bad

Minnesota is headed toward a historic budget deficit that could rock state government -- and the people who depend on it -- down to its core.

State budget officials put our deficit at $6.2 billion.

Unlike the federal government, the state is constitutionally required to balance its budget, a constraint that will force elected officials to consider options they've never looked at before.

"We can't tax our way out of this problem," said Senate Taxes Chairman Tom Bakk, DFL-Cook. "You cannot raise taxes by that much. You can't cut the state budget by that much, either. I would argue that everything -- every spending program, every tax -- has to be on the table. This will require a major re prioritization of programs."

What do you think about the state having to balance its budget every year? We can not carry a debt. Is this good or bad? Why?

Arizona Sues Federal Government

Arizona filed a lawsuit Thursday against the federal government for failure to achieve or maintain operational control of its border with Mexico and for allowing an "invasion" of illegal immigrants into the state that "cannot bear the staggering cost of protecting itself."

Arizona's complaint against the federal government echoes concerns expressed by many Republicans on Capitol Hill - that the administration isn't doing enough to curb illegal immigration. "The [Homeland Security Department] Secretary has not built at least 700 miles of fence along the border as required" by a law that was approved in 2006, the complaint said. "The Secretary has failed to provide for the installation of additional physical barriers, roads, lighting, cameras, and sensors to achieve and maintain 'operational control.'

Arizona Republican Gov. Jan Brewer said the government should use its resources to protect Arizona from drug cartels that are using Arizona's borders for their operations.

What do you think? Should the federal government give more help to Arizona with this problem?

How much do elected officials know about their government?

For five years now, the Intercollegiate Studies Institute has been conducting a national survey to gauge the quality of civic education in the country. Elected officials who took the test scored an average 5 percentage points lower than the national average (49 percent vs. 54 percent), with ordinary citizens outscoring these elected officials on each constitutional question. Examples:

•Only 49 percent of elected officials could name all three branches of government, compared with 50 percent of the general public.
•Only 46 percent knew that Congress, not the president, has the power to declare war -- 54 percent of the general public knows that.
•Just 15 percent answered correctly that the phrase "wall of separation" appears in Thomas Jefferson's letters -- not in the U.S. Constitution -- compared with 19 percent of the general public.
•And only 57 percent of those who've held elective office know what the Electoral College does, while 66 percent of the public got that answer right. (Of elected officials, 20 percent thought the Electoral College was a school for "training those aspiring for higher political office.")

Overall, our sample of elected officials averaged a failing 44 percent on the entire 33-question test, 5 percentage points lower than the national average of 49 percent.

What do you think about this? Should our elected officals know more about our government?

Constitution Quiz

Use the link to take a quiz on the Constitution. How did you do? What did you learn that you did not know?

http://www.constitutionfacts.com/?page=quiz.cfm

BiZzaRe LaWsUiTs

A Washington state sheriff's deputy sued Burger King and one of its franchises for $75,000 over something he definitely didn't order with his Whopper. That could end up being one expensive lunch. Let's take a look at some other bizarre lawsuits that have made the docket.

- An L.A. cop sued Victoria's Secret (for an undisclosed amount) over injuries inflicted when she tried on a thong.

- Nebraska's longest-serving state senator filed an unusual lawsuit against a higher power.

- A Washington, D.C., judge sued his dry cleaners for $65 million over a lost item. What became his nickname?

- In Cleveland, a part-time paralegal sued NBC for $2.5 million because a sequence from one of its shows (now defunct) made him physically ill.

- A Wisconsin man sued his cable company for providing four years of free service that had unwelcome effects on his family.

- A woman sued Universal Studios in Florida for $15,000 because one of its featured attractions was too scary for her.

- A Michigan man sued Anheuser-Busch for false advertising when what the ads depicted didn't actually happen after he drank the beer. Pick a case and find out the details...post them in a response for us all to read.