John McCain vs Barack Obama (draft)

Mendoza, Maria Racela R.

This coming November 2008, the American people will again decide on what their nation’s fate will be through the leaders they shall choose. The whole world is involved as we wait for the decision to be made, as we are all affected by what the outcomes will be.
 John McCain and Barack Obama both have qualities that make them good leaders. Jennifer Agiesta, in her article published in Washington Post, reported that the people are having a hard time choosing who to vote for.

The Two Candidates' Brief Historical Background

John McCain has been a senator in the United States Senate from 1987. Barack Obama, on the other hand, has been a senator in the United States Senate only since 2005. Prior to that, Obama was a senator in the Illinois State Senate from 1997 to 2004.
John McCain graduated from Episcopal High School in 1954. He then followed through with his studies in the United States Naval Academy where he graduated 894th of 899 class in 1958. As a teen, he was a free spirit that did not do so well under the strict rules of the Academy. After graduating, John McCain moved on to National War College and graduated in 1973.
Barack Obama’s educational history is quite different from McCain’s, as Obama’s childhood was made up of a diverse culture. He studied in the Franciscus Assisi Roman Catholic Primary School in Jakarta, Indonesia, from kindergarten through the third grade. Obama was registered on January 1, 1968, under the name Barry Soetoro, an Indonesian citizen whose religion was listed as Islam.
Senator Obama's kindergarten teacher, remembers him as an exceptionally tall and curly haired child who quickly picked up the local language and had sharp math skills. He wrote an essay titled, 'I Want To Become President'.
His third grade teacher, Fermina Katarina Sinaga asked her class to write an essay titled 'My dream: What I want to be in the future.' Senator Obama wrote again, 'I Want to Be A President,' according to the teacher.
In the fourth grade, Obama went to the Basuki School, also located in Jakarta. Then he went back to Hawaii and studied in the Punahou School from the fifth grade to the twelfth grade. After which he went to Occidental College in L.A. for two years; then he went to Columbia University in New York, BA in political science, 1983. He graduated magna cum laude from Harvard Law School in 1991.

Their Positions on Sensitive Issues

HEALTH CARE

John McCain opposes universal health care; although on the other hand, he supports imporitng prescription drugs to lower costs. He would offer a refundable $2,500 tax credit and $5,000 for families. He would open health care markets by allowing providers to practice nationwide, rather than restricting them regionally, allowing the purchase of health insurance across state lines.
However, Barack Obama claims that medical bills and health-related issues are the number one cause for personal bankruptcy. This is why it is one of his definite priorities to promote affordable, accessible, and high-quality health care. Also, he would mandate thatall children have health care coverage. He would create a national public insurance program that would allow individuals and small businesses to buy affordable health care similar to that available to federal employees. He supports universal health care, and believes that the government should buy prescription drugs in bulk to reduce costs. His plan would require all employers to contribute toward health coverage for their employees or toward the cost of the public plan. He wants hospitals to be graded on performance and switch to more cost-effective, comupterized record-keeping systems. Obama would create a national health insurance exchange to reform the private insurance market.

MINIMUM WAGE

McCain has voted both for and against minimum wage bills.
Obama would raise the minimum wage,index it to inflation and increase the Earned Income Tax Credit. He has voted for increases in the minimum wage.

NATIONAL SECURITY

Senator Obama wants Homeland Security money targeted more towards high-risk areas such as nuclear facilities, chemical plants, and ports. Also, he wants more quality tracking of nuclear technology and spent nuclear fuel so that it doesn't end up in terrorist hands.
Senator McCain wants intelligence officials to have all the tools they need to fight terrorism. He opposes enemy combatants without giving them legal rights.

REFERENCES:
http://johnmccain.com
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obama
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_mccain
http://washingtonpost.com

Economic Crisis of 2008

A week of wild gyrations on US stock markets, fueled by fears of an impending collapse of the Wall Street investment bank Lehman Brothers and the country’s largest savings and loan bank. It is the product of an economic system that has increasingly based itself on speculation and various forms of economic parasitism, while gutting the productive base of the country—at the cost of millions of jobs and the living standards of the American working class.

The world's financial markets are in deep trouble, after many banks invested heavily in the US mortgage market. Since the housing bubble burst, banks do not know how many of these loans will be paid back. Banks no longer know what their investments are worth, making them difficult to sell. Banks are reluctant to lend to each other as they worry their rivals might get into trouble.

The US government plans to borrow the money from world financial markets.
The legislation gives the Treasury the authority to issue an additional $700bn worth of Treasury securities. The hope is that eventually the Treasury can sell the distressed assets back into financial markets once the housing market has stabilized, hopefully making a profit.

The bill is aimed at taking the bad debts off the books of the banks, thus freeing up credit markets.

On the other hand, according to Bruce Meng (October 2008), the UK Government will spend at least 50 billion pounds ($87.8 billion) buying stakes in UK banks to improve their capital strength. Banks will be able to draw on 25 billion pounds in the form of preference shares or permanent interest bearing shares (PIBS) by the end of the year. The government will also assist in raising ordinary equity if asked to and is ready to provide a minimum of 25 billion pounds of further support. Until markets stabilize, the bank will continue to conduct auctions to lend sterling for three months, and also dollars for one week, against extended collateral.

The Bank of England will make at least 200 billion pounds ($351 billion) in loans available to banks via auctions in order to ensure sufficient liquidity and stability in the banking system. Until markets stabilize, the bank will continue to conduct auctions to lend sterling for three months, and also dollars for one week, against extended collateral.

So that banks can refinance and meet refunding obligations the government will, for an interim period, guarantee what it expects to be about 250 billion pounds ($439 billion) worth of new short and medium-term debt issuance by the banks.

Of course, such economic crisis has a big impact on each and every one of us. Like in the case of US, with higher unemployment, the government would have to pay more benefits and would see its tax revenues reduced at the same time. Also, anyone with an open mortgage with floating interest rates will see rates increase. New mortgages and loans will be at higher rates. In addition, fewer home loans would be granted to mainly to the rich and reliable customers and at higher rates. House prices would collapse significantly. Similarly, UK is expected to lose a great number of jobs if the bailout package fails.


References:
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2008/sep2008/usec-s12.shtml
http://news.alibaba.com/article/detail/finance/100010889-1-uk-bank-bailout%253A-what-it%252C.html
http://news.alibaba.com/article/detail/finance/100011486-1-uk%2527s-brown-seeks-rally-support.html
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/09/23/business/23paulson.php

John McCain V.S Barack Obama - dhezz

John McCain V.S Barack Obama as likely US President

The presidential election proceeding as planned, the United States is as polarized as ever and, once again, many conservative Christians are under the false impression that it matters who is elected in November. This report is an effort to demonstrate in practical terms that, at this point, it makes no difference who wins the presidential election. Fears about a Bush-Clinton dynasty which could rule the United States for 28 years, or more, become even more unsettling with the discovery that all of the presidential candidates belong to the same dynasty. It is called the Merovingian dynasty and it claims to have a long history, being nearly has ancient as the human race.

Barack Hussein Obama II is a Christian whose religious views have evolved in his adult life. In The Audacity of Hope, Obama writes that he "was not raised in a religious household." He describes his mother, raised by non-religious parents (whom Obama has specified elsewhere as "non-practicing Methodists and Baptists") to be detached from religion, yet "in many ways the most spiritually awakened person that I have ever known." He describes his Kenyan father as "raised a Muslim," but a "confirmed atheist" by the time his parents met, and his Indonesian stepfather as "a man who saw religion as not particularly useful." In the book, Obama explains how, through working with black churches as a community organizer while in his twenties, he came to understand "the power of the African-American religious tradition to spur social change.”

Obama is the first African American to be nominated by a major political party for president. A graduate of Columbia University and Harvard Law School, where he served as president of the Harvard Law Review, Obama worked as a community organizer and practiced as a civil rights attorney before serving three terms in the Illinois Senate from 1997 to 2004. He taught constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School from 1992 to 2004. Following an unsuccessful bid for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2000, he announced his campaign for the U.S. Senate in January 2003. After a primary victory in March 2004, Obama delivered the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention in July 2004. He was elected to the Senate in November 2004 with 70% of the vote.

As a member of the Democratic minority in the 109th Congress, he helped create legislation to control conventional weapons and to promote greater public accountability in the use of federal funds. During the 110th Congress, he helped create legislation regarding lobbying and electoral fraud, climate change, nuclear terrorism, and care for returned U.S. military personnel.

After announcing his presidential campaign in February 2007, Obama emphasized withdrawing American troops from Iraq, energy independence, decreasing the influence of lobbyists, and promoting universal health care as top national priorities.

On February 10, 2007 Obama announced his candidacy for President of the United States in front of the Old State Capitol building in Springfield, Illinois. The choice of the announcement site was symbolic since it was also where Abraham Lincoln in 1858 delivered his historic "House Divided" speech. Throughout the campaign Obama has emphasized the issues of ending the Iraq War, increasing energy independence, and providing universal health care, at one point identifying these as his top three priorities.

Obama on stage with his wife and two daughters just before announcing his presidential campaign in Springfield, IllinoisObama's campaign raised $58 million during the first half of 2007, of which "small" donations of less than $200 accounted for $16.4 million. The $58 million set the record for fundraising by a presidential campaign in the first six months of the calendar year before the election. The magnitude of the small donation portion was outstanding from both the absolute and relative perspectives. In January 2008, his campaign set another fund raising record with $36.8 million, the most ever raised in one month by a presidential candidate in the Democratic primaries.

On August 23, 2008, Obama selected Delaware Sen. Joe Biden as his vice presidential running mate. At the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado, Obama's former rival Hillary Clinton gave a speech in strong support of Obama's candidacy and later was the person that called for Obama to be nominated as the Democratic presidential candidate by acclamation. On August 28, Obama delivered a speech in front of 84,000 supporters in Denver and viewed by over 38 million on television. During the speech he accepted his party's nomination and presented details of his policy goals .

Obama met his wife, Michelle Robinson, in June 1989 when he was employed as a summer associate at the Chicago law firm of Sidley Austin. Assigned for three months as Obama's adviser at the firm, Robinson joined him at group social functions, but declined his initial offers to date. They began dating later that summer, became engaged in 1991, and were married on October 3, 1992. The couple's first daughter, Malia Ann, was born in 1998, followed by a second daughter, Natasha ("Sasha"), in 2001.

Applying the proceeds of a book deal, the family moved in 2005 from a Hyde Park, Chicago condominium to their current $1.6 million house in neighboring Kenwood. The purchase of an adjacent lot and sale of part of it to Obama by the wife of developer and friend Tony Rezko attracted media attention because of Rezko's indictment and subsequent conviction on political corruption charges that were unrelated to Obama.

In December 2007, Money magazine estimated the Obama family's net worth at $1.3 million. Their 2007 tax return showed a household income of $4.2 million—up from about $1 million in 2006 and $1.6 million in 2005—mostly from sales of his books.

Obama plays basketball, a sport he participated in as a member of his high school's varsity team. Before announcing his presidential candidacy, he began a well-publicized effort to quit smoking. Obama told the Chicago Tribune. "I've quit periodically over the last several years. I've got an ironclad demand from my wife that in the stresses of the campaign I do not succumb.”

Obama was an early opponent of the Bush administration's policies on Iraq. On October 2, 2002, the day President Bush and Congress agreed on the joint resolution authorizing the Iraq War, Obama addressed the first high-profile Chicago anti-Iraq War rally in Federal Plaza, speaking out against the war. On March 16, 2003, the day President Bush issued his 48-hour ultimatum to Saddam Hussein to leave Iraq before the U.S. invasion of Iraq, Obama addressed an anti-Iraq War rally and told the crowd that "it's not too late" to stop the war.

Obama stated that if elected he would enact budget cuts in the range of tens of billions of dollars, stop investing in "unproven" missile defense systems, not "weaponize" space, "slow development of Future Combat Systems," and work towards eliminating all nuclear weapons. Obama favors ending development of new nuclear weapons, reducing the current U.S. nuclear stockpile, enacting a global ban on production of fissile material, and seeking negotiations with Russia in order to take ICBMs off high alert status.

In September 2007, he blamed special interests for distorting the U.S. tax code. His plan would eliminate taxes for senior citizens with incomes of less than $50,000 a year, repeal income tax cuts for those making over $250,000 as well as the capital gains and dividends tax cut, close corporate tax loopholes, lift the income cap on Social Security taxes, restrict offshore tax havens, and simplify filing of income tax returns by pre-filling wage and bank information already collected by the IRS. Announcing his presidential campaign's energy plan in October 2007, Obama proposed a cap and trade auction system to restrict carbon emissions and a ten year program of investments in new energy sources to reduce U.S. dependence on imported oil. Obama proposed that all pollution credits must be auctioned, with no grandfathering of credits for oil and gas companies, and the spending of the revenue obtained on energy development and economic transition costs.

A method that political scientists use for gauging ideology is to compare the annual ratings by the Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) with the ratings by the American Conservative Union (ACU). Based on his years in Congress, Obama has a lifetime average conservative rating of 7.67% from the ACU, and a lifetime average liberal rating of 90% from the ADA.

John Sidney McCain III McCain, having been born in the (Panama) Canal Zone, will if elected become the first president who was born outside the current 50 states. This raises a potential legal issue, since the United States Constitution requires the president to be a natural-born citizen of the United States. A bipartisan legal review and a unanimous Senate resolution both concluded that he is a natural-born citizen, but the matter is still a subject of some legal controversy. Also, if inaugurated in 2009 at age 72 years and 144 days, he would be the oldest U.S. president upon ascension to the presidency, and the second-oldest president to be inaugurated.

McCain graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1958. He became a naval aviator, flying ground-attack aircraft from aircraft carriers. During the Vietnam War, he nearly lost his life in the 1967 USS Forrestal fire. In October 1967 while on a bombing mission over Hanoi, he was shot down, badly injured, and captured by the North Vietnamese. He was a prisoner of war until 1973, experiencing episodes of torture and refusing an out-of-sequence early repatriation offer; his war wounds left him with lifelong physical limitations.

He retired from the Navy as a captain in 1981, moved to Arizona, and entered politics. Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1982, he served two terms, and was then elected to the U.S. Senate in 1986, winning re-election easily in 1992, 1998, and 2004. While generally adhering to conservative principles, McCain at times has had a media reputation as a "maverick" for having disagreed with his party. After being investigated and largely exonerated in a political influence scandal of the 1980s as a member of the "Keating Five," he made campaign finance reform one of his signature concerns, which eventually led to the passage of the McCain-Feingold Act in 2002. He is also known for his work towards restoring diplomatic relations with Vietnam in the 1990s, and for his belief that the war in Iraq should be fought to a successful conclusion in the 2000s. McCain has chaired the Senate Commerce Committee, has opposed pork barrel spending, and played a key role in alleviating a crisis over judicial nominations.

McCain lost his bid for the Republican nomination in the 2000 presidential election to George W. Bush. He ran again for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008, and gained enough delegates to become the party's presumptive nominee in March 2008. McCain was formally nominated at the 2008 Republican National Convention in September 2008, together with his chosen running mate from Alaska, Governor Sarah Palin.

John McCain formally announced his intention to run for President of the United States on April 25, 2007 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. He stated that: "I'm not running for President to be somebody, but to do something; to do the hard but necessary things not the easy and needless things." He also said that the United States should never fight a war without fully committing the necessary resources, unlike what initially occurred in Iraq.

McCain's oft-cited strengths as a presidential candidate for 2008 included national name recognition, sponsorship of major lobbying and campaign finance reform initiatives, his well-known military service and experience as a POW, his experience from the 2000 presidential campaign, and an expectation that he would capture Bush's top fundraisers. During the 2006 election cycle, McCain had attended 346 events and helped raise more than $10.5 million on behalf of Republican candidates. McCain also became more willing to ask business and industry for campaign contributions, while maintaining that such contributions would not affect any official decisions he would make. Despite being considered the front-runner for the nomination by pundits as 2007 began, McCain was in second place behind former Mayor of New York City Rudy Giuliani in national Republican polls as the year progressed.

Alaska Governor Sarah Palin was revealed as McCain's surprise choice for running mate on August 29, 2008. McCain was only the second U.S. major-party presidential nominee to select a woman for running mate and the first Republican to do so; Palin would become the first female Vice-President of the United States if elected. McCain and Palin became the Republican Party's Presidential and Vice Presidential nominees, respectively, at the 2008 Republican National Convention, on September 3, 2008 in Saint Paul, Minnesota. On September 24, McCain said he was suspending his campaign, called on Obama to join him, and proposed delaying the first of the general election debates with Obama, in order to work on the proposed U.S. financial system bailout before Congress, which was targeted at addressing the sub prime mortgage crisis and liquidity crisis.

Health
They discussed health care (Medicare), Social Security, Washington partisanship, taxes and education; drifting into other challenges and how to not leave problems for future generations.

McCain made the point that he knows who he has to work with and who he has got to work for in Washington. Underscores that he will be a President not for special interests, nor a President of a political party, but one for the people. Underscores that he has a record of bipartisan work to get things accomplished. Insists we have got to save Medicare, and Social Security by a bipartisan effort and not leave a broken system for another generation. On education parents need a choice to not have children in failing schools states parents will have a choice and children will have opportunity. While Obama made the point that he knows who he has to work with and who he has got to work for in Washington. Underscores that he will be a President not for special interests, nor a President of a political party, but one for the people. Underscores that he has a record of bipartisan work to get things accomplished. Insists we have got to save Medicare, and Social Security by a bipartisan effort and not leave a broken system for another generation. On education parents need a choice to not have children in failing schools states parents will have a choice and children will have opportunity.

Security

McCain acknowledges we are not going to privatize social security, suggests giving younger workers an option to put some of their money in an account they control. No present retiree Social Security will be affected. Explained how Ronald Reagan worked with people across the aisle 30 years ago to fix social security when it was going broke 30 years ago. McCain uses that example as his plan, and will reach out his hand across the aisle to fix it again today and Obama opposes If we secure Social Security, for people on fixed incomes, it is not enough to help people with rising prices. So we will eliminate taxes for retirees making less than $50,000, eliminating income taxes for 7 million senors. Obama will cut taxes for 95% of all working families in this country. Now is also the time to provide affordable health care for every American. If you like the health care you have, You will see lower premiums under the Obama plan. Now is the time to strengthen and preserve medicate, His reforms will do that. In addition the government will negotiate to get lower drug costs. Now is the time to help families with lower health costs. Now is the time to end CEOs cashing out while pensions disappear. encourage savings and wealth for younger workers. these are what he will pursue.

Terrorism

McCain advocates high tech solutions to increase military capabilities, such as missile defense and other advanced weapons systems, an increase in the size of the U.S. armed forces, and doctrinal change to confront 21st century warfare. Many of his ideas for reform echo those of former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, and others in the defense establishment who advocate a new mix of military forces, including civil affairs, special operations, and highly mobile forces."

In the early part of his campaign, Obama funneled many of his comments about the "war on terrorism" through his concerns with human and civil rights issues that it has raised. He also establishes both small weapons proliferation and potential nuclear terrorism as significant U.S. priorities.

TODAY's WORLD TWO BIGGEST BAILOUT (US $700B bailout vs UK $87,5B bailout)

The New York Times (September 21, 2008) speaks of the $700 billion bailout proposed by Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson as “bold” action to meet the current financial crisis. There are some sectors that disagree and criticize the planned bailout. In lieu of the bailout they propose a radical "freeze” of all the speculative paper, for purposes of auditing. On the other hand, UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown has called on the central bank in order to inject money into the financial system and provide 50billion-pouds in order to save a failing system. It is seen as an emergency action to stop the stock market fallout as the UK’s benchmark FTSE 100 Index closed 7.8% lower and follow the move of the US president with the US bailout to keep financial institution.

The collapse of Lehman Brothers, Merrill Lynch, AIG and HBOS (to name a few) is a simple indicator of the nearing collapse of the western financial system that now threatens the whole world. The biggest consideration is a bailout of the financial system that seems to disintegrate before our very eyes. In contrast, UK bailout has three-part package also makes available £200bn (€254bn) in short-term loans and the Government will issue £250bn (€317bn) to guarantee loans between banks. The deal does not guarantee the deposits of the banks, but provides them with liquidity.

Each of today’s worldwide biggest bailout has their own purposes. As the US bailout purpose, the contingent shares will give taxpayers an equity stake in companies seeking help through the rescue program, potentially allowing the government not only to recoup much of the $700b it spends on bad debt, but also to profit should the financial firms prosper in years ahead. The legislation would require the value of the contingent shares to equal the value of the assets purchased by the government. While on the UK bailout, their banking system must stepped in and must act quickly as Edinburgh-based bank RBS had its credit rating cut by Standard and Poor’s for the first time in ten years. UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling added these steps to partially nationalize the industry and will provide the basic grounding for the provision of cash and investment and joins other European governments who have taken out guarantees.

These two world’s major bailout which is related to financial crisis may have a short term and the worst is the long term bad effect of it. On the side of US, Interest rates on unsecured loans like credit cards would go up, and there may even be a seizing of goods bought in some cases for the banks to get some of their money back. Moreover, new mortgages and loans will be at higher rates. Also, Companies would have to pay higher interest rates to borrow and will have to cut spending elsewhere to stay profitable. In relation with that, much more layoffs resulting in higher unemployment, and the with higher unemployment, the government would have to pay more benefits and would see its tax revenues reduced at the same time. Likewise, UK had estimated that 12,000 jobs will be lost and that the financial industry will continue to be hit hard by the current economic climate.

In conclusion, Philippines will also be affected by this financial crisis. Not only the US and the UK could feel this serious worldwide issue. If we would come to think of it, hundred of thousands or even millions of our OFW will be jobless. Meaning, there would be less national dollar income in our country, and as a result, our economy will surely decline.

Sources:
> New York Times(September 28, 2008)
> http://www.independent.ie/business/irish/banks-in-uk-bailout-still-seek-cover-under-irish-guarantee-1493156.html
> http://www.tsechu.com/blog/?p=16

McCain vs Obama- Lady Reyes

John McCain was born in 1936 at Coco Solo Naval Air Station in the Panama Canal Zone, Panama. His parents are naval officer John S. McCain, Jr. and Roberta (Wright) McCain . In 1958 he graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy. He became a naval aviator, flying ground-attack aircraft from aircraft carriers. His personal character has been a main feature of his public image. This image includes the military service of himself and his family, his one of a kind political persona, his temper, his admitted problem of occasional ill-considered comments, and his strong relationship to his children from both his marriages. He believes himself to be a up-front public servant, and sometimes being impatient. Other characters include a desire for lucky charms, hiking, and a sense of humor that once backfired hugely when he mentioned a joke in 1998 about the Clintons widely deemed not fit to print in newspapers: "Do you know why Chelsea Clinton is so ugly? - Because Janet Reno is her father." He subsequently made an apology generously, which the Clinton White House considered. He is also known for being spiky and hot-tempered with Senate colleagues, but his interactions with his own Senate staff has been more pleasant, and have stimulated loyalty to him

According to him, to remain the U.S wealthy, tough and improving they have to rethink reform and reinvent: the way they teach their children; guide their workers; bring health care services; support retirees; fuel their transportation network; stimulate research and development; and harness latest technologies.

On the other hand Barack Obama was born on August 4, 1961, in Honolulu, Hawaii. His parents are Barack Obama, Sr. and Ann Dunham, a White American from Wichita, Kansas. He is the first African American nominated by a major political party for president. He graduated from Columbia University and Harvard Law School, where he served as president of the Harvard Law Review. When he was a member of the Democratic minority in the 109th Congress, he helped create legislation to manage conventional arms and to endorse greater public accountability in the use of federal funds. He is an optimistic and lively person who generally has an energizing, inspiring, and stimulating effect on others. Boredom in old habits is not a problem for him because he has many interests. He can be exhausted by being involved in too many activities. He seems driven to be always in motion, as if he was afraid in missing anything. This 2008 election season, his experience has been a topic of argument. Both Democratic and Republican politicians were criticizing his experience whether he's ready to be President of the United States. Since his nomination the criticism was mostly from Republican politicians thus many Democratic politicians now believe that he is ready.

He, one of the leading Democratic candidates for the 2008 US Presidency, promises a new beginning to the American people. His platform rests upon tremendous change in the United States and upon the establishment of a new path for the American government.

Health

Both them want to provide affordable healthcare for all Americans. However, John McCain's plan aims to have this by shifting from employer based insurance coverage to open market system, by totally altering the tax treatment of healthcare benefits and making the private insurance market more reasonable and competitive. On the other hand, Barack Obama proposes to stay to an employer based system, but expand government involvement.

The main concern of John McCain's healthcare policy is to give affordable healthcare for every American. However, he believes that every individual must have the freedom to prefer their own healthcare. While his opponent, Barack Obama obliges everyone to obtain health insurance. McCain aims to provide $2,500 tax credits for individuals and $5,000 for families to purchase their own insurance. He believes that affordable and universal healthcare does not require increasing the taxes. However, under his plan, employers would not be able to take away healthcare costs from their taxes. McCain plans to offer federal assistance for states to create funds for high-risk consumers.
Meanwhile, Barack Obama aims for affordable and universal healthcare too. His policy entails that all children have health insurance and require employers to present health insurance or pay a percentage of their payrolls into federal fund. His proposal also provides financial support to individuals who cannot have enough money to purchase health insurance. To make healthcare affordable, he will rely mostly on the heavy hand of the government and will impose caps on health care premiums and price controls on drug corporations. He also wants the government to establish national training principles for health providers and doctors. He plans to start The National Health Insurance Exchange, to make shopping more convenient for Americans.

Terrorisms

This is John McCain’s proposal regarding terrorism. In a dangerous world, protecting America's national security requires an effective military. Today, America has the most proficient, best-trained and best-led military force in the world. But there are other things to be done to preserve the military leadership, retain our technological advantage, and make sure that America has a new, alert military force able to meet the various security challenges of the 21st century. As President, he will ensure that America has the excellent intelligence needed to discover plots before they take root, the resources for protection and borders against attack, and the ability to survive and get better from a terrorist incident quickly. Effective missile protections are also essential to allow American military forces to work overseas without being afraid by the danger of missile attack from an enemy. The most significant arms in the U.S. arsenal are the people behind the armed forces. He believes they must expand the size of the armed forces to experience new test to their security. Modernizing American armed forces entail obtaining highly developed weapons systems that will help hastily and determinedly overcome any foe. It also means adapting the policy, training, and strategies for the kind of conflicts they will encounter

Barack Obama’s view on the other hand regarding terrorism is first rebuild the military tasks. He believes that they must make up the special operations forces, civil affairs, information operations, and other units and capabilities that remain in constant short supply. Second, he also proposes to invest in foreign language training, cultural wakefulness and human intelligence. Same ad McCain, he also wants to increase the size of the military by 65,000 soldiers and 27,000 marine troops. Fourth is to protect the U.S in cyberspace. He, together with his members will work in cooperation with their allies and the private division to protect against emerging cyber-threats. Fifth is he will provide the National Guard with the apparatus it needs for foreign and domestic tragedies. He will appoint the head of the National Guard a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to guarantee concerns of their citizen soldiers reach the level they authorize. He will also ensure that reservists and Guard members are treated equally when it comes to employment, health, and education benefits.

Jobs et al

John McCain believes that parents must be involved in the lives of their children. He is proud to support the Family Medical Leave Act in 1993 that ensured men and women are allowed leave their job to care for a newborn child, adopt a child or care for an immediate family member with a serious health situation and go back to their position that has an equal in pay, benefits, and responsibility. He is calling for National Commission on workplace flexibility and choice. The commission will make recommendations to the President on how modernizing their nation’s labor rules and training activities can help workers better balance the demands of their job with family life and to allow workers to more easily shift between jobs.

I believe that Barack Obama has better plans regarding job because as I was observing his and McCain’s plans, I see Obama’s plans clearer and more beneficial. First he will invest $1 billion over five years in transitional jobs and career pathway programs that execute proven methods of helping low-income Americans do well in the workforce. He will also improve transportation access to jobs. He will work to ensure that low-income Americans have transportation access to their work. He will double funding for the federal Jobs Access and Reverse Commute program to ensure that additional federal public transportation dollars run to the most need areas. The next one that I will tell is my most favorite and it is the raise of the minimum wage to $9.50 an Hour by 2011. He also wants to have an increase in the Earned Income Tax Credit to make sure that full-time laborers can earn a living wage that allows them to raise their families and pay for their basic needs.

On education, both of them have a No Child Left Behind (NCLB) policy. From John McCain’s side, there should be focus on standards and accountability. However, their objective cannot be group averages. Instead, their motivation is to inspire every child to strive to reach his or her potential. From Barack Obama’s side, he believes that teachers must not be forced to use the academic year preparing students to fill in basic ideas. He will improve the evaluations used to pursue student progress to measure readiness for college and improve student education in a timely, individualized style.

Both of them have obvious stylistic, ideological, and generational differences; both are anti-politicians whose primary issue is that their system is shattered in ways that only they can fix. When they proclaim the need for "change" in the U.S, it is neither pointless expression nor a fancy way of saying eliminate the bums out. They are both focused on dealing with errors in the government—the power of own interests and fruitless hyper partisanship. These were just a glimpse of the concerns that each campaign used to label them. A visit to their websites will give much of information into each issue. In the end, the decision is up to the individual voter.

US $700B bailout vs UK 87.5B bailout

United States President George W. Bush proposed a staggering $700 Billion bailout package to rescue distressed financial institutions in the U.S. after Lehman Brothers, Inc. declared bankruptcy early last month. Despite rejection of the members of the Lower House of the said financial aid, the Bush Administration still believes that the approval of bailout plan is crucial to save their drifting economy.

Heated arguments centered on the use of tax payer’s money only to save and absorb losses of private financial institutions and believed to be more beneficial to the Wall Street rather of the Main Street of America became the deciding point for the No vote of the majority. At a glance, the proposed plan seemed unfair and inappropriate. However, looking at the entirety of the whole economic situation not only in the United States but around the world, without the support of the financial institution, the world’s economy will come to a halt. Credits granted by these financial institutions funds businesses and private loans as well. It is the blood that runs through the veins of every country’s economy and the gauge that tempers the stock market. Fear and uncertainty dominates the air on the trading floor and it is the nod of approval of the US Senate that can redirect the economic flow back to the years of recession and depression.

A deeper consultation was made and finally an acceptable term settled the issue. Rather than to dole out funds, the government will take control of the financial institutions, fund them and keep it running. On the long run, it will not only keep the US economy alive and kicking but it will also sustain the struggling economy of the nations with business alliances with them.

John McCain vs. Barack Obama

This coming USA presidential election, there are two hot nominees, one from the Democratic Party and one from the Republican Party, these two people that I’m talking about are Barack Obama and John McCain.

John McCain is a lot older than Barack Obama. McCain was born at a military installation in Panama Canal Zone where his mother and father, navy officers were stationed. On the other hand, Obama was born in Honolulu, Hawaii. Oabama finished his pre-law course in Columbia University and finished his law course in Harvard Law School Magna cum laude. Compared to Obama, McCain graduated 894^th of 899 students. Therefore Obama is a lot wiser than McCain. Obama served as president of the Harvard Law Review, also worked as a community organizer, and practiced as a civil rights attorney.

Barack Obama, who’s in the Democratic Party, would provide a “middle class tax cut” of $500 to $1000, while ending most of the Bush tax cuts, including the one on capital gains taxes. Obama opposes new free trade initiates in Latin America and promises to reopen negotiations on NAFTA. He promises a variety of new spending initiatives, including investments in technology, education, and basic science. Obama would provide relief for home owners caught in the housing credit crunch, crack down predatory credit card practices, and expand the family leave act. He would also like to withdraw forcer from Iraq and promised to increase foreign aid program, particularly for Africa.

John McCain, who’s in the Republican Party, proposes to retain the Bush tax cuts, repeal the Alternate Minimum Tax, double the personal exemption for dependents, cut the corporate tax rate from 35% to 25%, and institute a new R&D tax credit. McCain would require raising taxes and bad taxes on the Internet and cell phones. He would institute an alternative flat tax that tax payers could decide to. He would also eliminate earmark spending, impose a one year freeze on domestic, discretionary spending, remove dysfunctional spending programs, and reform entitlement spending including Medicare and Social Security. McCain is in favor of personal accounts within Social Security. McCain supports free trade agreements and reforming the unemployment insurance system.

I think they both deserve to be the new president of the United States of America. Both have good proposals. But if I were to choose, I would choose Obama in terms of brains. You see that McCain is the 894^th student among 899 students if you read their biography. But in terms of experience though Obama has good experience too, McCain has more experience than Obama because McCain is already a pioneer in politics.

I salute them. May the best man wins.