A Marriage Made in Heaven?

While the Class of 2008 was preparing to walk across the graduation stage to their future, a couple of weeks ago the California Supreme Court ruled, 4-3, to legalize same sex marriages. Gay couples can begin the marriage application process next week.

This wedge issue in the culture wars gives us an opportunity to review some terms as we reflect on our values. Article IV of the Constitution states that "full faith and credit" must be given to the laws, records and court decisions of other states.

However, for more than a decade, conservative activists have erected a series of legal barriers to prevent one state's move toward recognizing gay marriages from setting in motion a national wave. In 1996 they won passage of the federal Defense of Marriage Act, which said that same-sex marriages performed in states that allow them do not have to be honored by the federal government or other states.

Bans on gay marriages are expected to face legal challenges

And they won laws in 42 states to limit marriage to a man and a woman. In 27 of them, these are constitutional amendments that cannot be overridden by judges or lawmakers.

Marriage is also a reserved power of the states (10th Amendment). Both by court decisions, now California and previously ruled Massachusetts, legalize same sex marriage. Massachusetts' ruling limited marriage rights to that state, California's ruling is more broad. That may make this a ruling a center piece in the 2008 presidential election.

Should we get fired up over this issue again? A new poll finds that for the first time in the state's history, a slim majority of voters supports same-sex marriage, which the state Supreme Court declared legal this month.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/state/20080528-9999-1n28field.html

In 2004, George W. Bush won 11 states that also passed "Protection of Marriage" referendums. It was one of karl Rove's winning strategies. One wonders whether if this change election will wind up being more of the same.

Opponents in California are pondering a constitutional amendment to counter the court’s decision. Gay and lesbian activists are now setting their sights onto a larger platform. Prepare yourself for an onslaught of talking heads, each with their own authoritative angle. Richard Kim, in The Nation, suggestions that rational thought will disarm culture war.

http://www.thenation.com/doc/20080609/kim

The 2 Regular Guys at CBS2School offer a primer on marriage here:

"Marriage as we know it in the United States is based on the model established by Protestant reformer John Calvin in Geneva in the year 1546. Geneva was to be the model city. This model would later be used by Puritans coming to the New World. In 1546 Geneva officials passed the Marriage Ordinance, a comprehensive policy explaining the purpose and affect of marriage on a civil society.

The Ordinance, written by Calvin, began by establishing “God as the founder” of marriage. Marriage was seen as a covenant, built not only upon the laws of God but the laws of nature. Therefore, marriage was to be between a man and a women. For our purposes the more interesting point is the fusion between church and state. In the Ordinance Calvin discussed “ . . . the dual requirements of state registration and church consecration to constitute marriage.” It is this point which snags our debate today.

Some would argue that a solution to our current debate may be found when we remember that a marriage is made in heaven and not inside a government building.

It would seem that we have resolved the issue over the distribution of rights as it relates to monogamous couples, gay or straight. The issue today is over the word “marriage.” Who is its protector?

History suggests this is a church - state issue. A consensus has been built separating these two important spheres. "

Graduates and seniors to be chime in, when you get married will marriage still be exclusively between a man and a women? Or is the institution about to change? Should it change?

McCain Passes, But GI-Bill Passes Senate

"The GI Bill gives emphatic notice to the men and women in our armed forces that the American people do not intend to let them down."

Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 1944

Yesterday, the Senate overwhelmingly, 75-22, passed the 2008 GI-Bill. The House has already passed a version of the bill. We could be headed to a veto fight between Congress and the President. And the debate over the bill also was highlighted by a War of Words from the two presumtive presidential candidates -- Barack Obama who voted for the Bill -- and John McCain -- who was absent, at a California fund-raiser. Obama criticized McCain's lack of support for the bill, McCain shot back that he was not going to take any lectures for someone who never served.

The Politico reports:

"The Senate approved a $194.1 billion wartime spending bill Thursday that as a rider promises a greatly expanded GI education benefit for veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan.

The pivotal 75-22 roll call triggered a late scramble of Republicans who switched their votes as the outcome became clearly in favor of the new education benefit as well as billions more in domestic spending for the jobless and Gulf Coast states.

Republicans leaders, working in the well of the chamber, first tried to hold the line below 60 votes, then 67, a veto-proof margin. But when this also collapsed, individual senators were released to vote for the measure.

But unless adjustments are made, the entire wartime bill faces an almost certain veto fight with the president. The question is whether cooler heads will prevail and Congress and the White House will begin some negotiation to avoid another veto fight, which is not necessarily to the advantage of either side."

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0508/10561.html

The bill author, Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA) said recently on "Meet the Press" that if President Bush vetoes the measure, he would be the first president to reject benefits to those who have served in a time of war:

"No president in history has vetoed a benefits bill for those who served. … The Republican party is on the block here, to clearly demonstrate that they value military service or suffer the consequences of losing the support of people who’ve served. … The president has a choice here to show how much he values military service," Webb said.

Watch it here:

http://thinkprogress.org/2008/05/18/webb-gi-bill-veto/

More on the GI-Bill 2008 here:

http://www.gibill2008.org/about.html

More on the McCain-Obama War of Words here:

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/M/MCCAIN_GI_BILL?SITE=FLDAY&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

Our two senators voted for the bill. Our House Rep. Judy Biggert voted against.

The questions are: Will the President veto, even though there are apparently enough votes to override his rejection? Will my former student, Tim B. write me back a response letter to explain why my member of Congress is supporting the President and NOT the Troops? And, what does it really mean (besides putting a bumper sticker on your car or a flag pin in your lapel) TO SUPPORT the TROOPS?

Comic Relief for those with some Nigerian knowledge

On his blog, Ken Wedding found this clip from the Onion News Network. I'm posting it here for any of you who felt unsure about anything about Nigeria, know that you are not alone.

I hope you enjoy the humor, and understand that they are more knowledgeable than most Americans -- at least about one topic.

It's a satire of Sunday morning panel discussion shows where the panelists who have no idea what's going on in Nigeria, are expected to carry on a discussion anyway. One of the panelists quickly looks up Niger on his Blackberry and proceeds to describe Nigeria as a country whose economy is dependent on cattle exports. Later, panelists begin to argue about the merits of Nigerian leaders they've never heard of. (The moderator isn't always much more knowledgeable than the panelists.)

"Situation in Nigeria Seems Pretty Complex".

Recall Recap

Two weeks ago, the Illinois Senate rejected a proposal to add a recall amendment provision to the state constitution. The provision had passed overwhelmingly in the House, but while gettting a majority vote in the Senate (33 votes) it fell three votes short of the super-majority of 36 it needed to pass.

This is an interesting issue to consider. Should citizens have the power to recall their elected officials or could that have the effective of officials not be able to govern with hard decisions. Many argued that the integrity of Illinois government was at stake. How can you govern when at the whim of the people, your rightfully elected officers can be removed? With the help of the 2 Regular Guys at CBS2 School, here's a closer look:

Find out more.

A majority of state constitutions have recall provisions. More importantly, our founding fathers openly debated recall elections. A number of colonial governments had similar practices. Anti - Federalist 53 argued the merits of recall elections:

“For our own sakes we shall keep in power those persons whose conduct pleases us as long as we can, and shall perhaps sometimes wish (when we meet with a person of an extra worthy character and abilities) that we could keep him in power for life. On the other hand, we shall dismiss from our employ as soon as possible, such persons as do not consult our interest and will not follow our instructions.”

Though fearful of a tyranny of the majority, many founders understood that the best way to keep a democracy healthy is to infuse the system with more democracy. Many favored recall provisions as another means of holding elected officials accountable.Two hundred years later, the residents of Illinois will not even be given the chance to debate such an idea.

State Senator Bill Haine (D-Alton) who voted against the measure provided this rationale, “When an election is over, it’s time to govern.”And what if they don’t govern?

Frankly, in Illinois I can’t recall.

Stake Your Final Presentation Claim Here

In the comment section here, post your topic and group memembers for your final exam project. Your group will need to present a power point presenation to either 1) a Senate; or 2) a United Nations sub-committee to take action on some doemestic or international issue.

Each group will also have a fact sheet for every member of class, and an annotated bibliography for me. Schedules for presenations will be made on Wednesday, presenations will be given in class on Friday, Monday and Tuesday.

A Tale of Two Disasters: Are Governments Helping?

Two natural disasters have put national governments, NGOs, and international organizations under the political microscope, even as rescure missions continue in Myanmar and China following deadly and distructive tradgedies. Forbes.com reports that while nationalism may be hindering rescue efforts in Myanmar (formerly Bhurma), the Times Online reports that international Olympic-focused pressure may have resulted in a quicker, more transparent response from the Chinese government.

"China scrambled the jets. Myanmar turned back planes bringing food.

Two natural disasters 1,100 miles apart have put a spotlight on the responses of the governments concerned. China is saving lives. Myanmar is adding to its already horrific death toll.

On Monday afternoon, a massive earthquake--the worst in three decades--hit southwestern China, leaving nearly 10,000 people dead, according to Xinhua, China’s government news agency. The killer quake had a magnitude of 7.9, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, and triggered a number of powerful aftershocks. Houses swayed in Chengdu, the nearest big city, just 55 miles away, and buildings shook hundreds of miles away in Beijing and Shanghai. (Pictured at right is a primary school that collapsed, killing 4 childred.)

The Chinese government--criticized for its slow responses to the recent heavy snowstorms, epidemics and water pollution disasters--immediately rushed to help earthquake victims. Just hours after the quake, President Hu Jintao told members of the Politburo Standing Committee that rescuing earthquake victims was their top priority. Premier Wen Jiabao flew to the stricken region, and the Chinese press displayed photographs of him planning the relief effort with other officials on his plane on the way there. “If there is a gleam of hope, we will do all the best to save the people,” Wen vowed, according to China Daily. (Pictured at right, Reuters reports In the first hint that the death toll could be serious, Wen Jiabao, the Chinese Premier, immediately set of for Sichuan).

http://www.forbes.com/opinions/2008/05/13/china-myanmar-response-oped-cz_rm_0513china.html

www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article3920245.ece

Is Democratic nonimating race a done deal?

Barack Obama won a convincing victory over Hillary Clinton, 56% to 42% in North Carolina yesterday. She beat him in Indiana by just 2%, 51% to 49%, and that victory may be marred by the fact that the margin of victory may well be due to Republicans who voted for her at Rush Limbaugh's urging because he sees her as the weaker nominee against John McCain.



Given all the controversy over Rev. Jeremiah Wright the past weeks, Obama came out of May 6 in better shape than many had expected.



In the week where the Kentucky Derby had a tragic end of the horserace, is (or should) the Democratic Primary race be over. Pundits last night were projecting that, like a baseball team in September that is mathematically eliminated, there is no way Clinton can win. Obama got off the ropes last night, did he score a knockout blow? If so, who is going to the mound to get the ball from the Hill?



There are a million sports metaphors, take a shot at blogging your own here. Also, give your opinion on if this race should marathon on?

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Some other election tidbits:

Indiana nuns lacking ID denied at poll by fellow sister

(AP) About 12 Indiana nuns were turned away Tuesday from a polling place by a fellow bride of Christ because they didn't have state or federal identification bearing a photograph.
Sister Julie McGuire said she was forced to turn away her fellow sisters at Saint Mary's Convent in South Bend, across the street from the University of Notre Dame, because they had been told earlier that they would need such an ID to vote.

The nuns, all in their 80s or 90s, didn't get one but came to the precinct anyway.

"One came down this morning, and she was 98, and she said, 'I don't want to go do that,'" Sister McGuire said. Some showed up with outdated passports. None of them drives.
They weren't given provisional ballots because it would be impossible to get them to a motor vehicle branch and back in the 10-day time frame allotted by the law, Sister McGuire said. "You have to remember that some of these ladies don't walk well. They're in wheelchairs or on walkers or electric carts."

Nonetheless, she said, the convent will make a "very concerted effort" to get proper identification for the nuns in time for the general election. "We're going to take from now until November to get them out and get this done. You can't do this like school kids on a bus," she said. "I wish we could."

Elsewhere across the pivotal state, voting appeared to run smoothly, despite the fears of election experts that the Supreme Court's recent refusal to strike down Indian's controversial photo identification law could cause confusion at the polls.

Indiana's photo ID law is the strictest in the country. The Republican-led effort was designed to combat ballot fraud, said supporters, who also have acknowledged that no case involving someone impersonating a voter at the polls has ever been prosecuted in Indiana.

The state's American Civil Liberties Union sued, calling the law a poll tax that disproportionately affected minorities and elderly voters, those most likely to lack such identification. On April 28, the Supreme Court ruled 6 to 3 that the law did not violate the Constitution.

___________________

The 1966 SC case of Harper v. Virgina Board of Elections overturned a Virgina $1.50 poll tax on the grounds that it violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.

In a 6-to-3 decision, the Court held that making voter affluence an electoral standard violated the Equal Protection Clause. The Court found that wealth or fee-paying had no relation to voting qualifications. The Court also noted that the Equal Protection Clause was not "shackled to the political theory of a particular era" and that notions of what constituted equal treatment under the Clause were subject to change.

http://www.oyez.org/cases/1960-1969/1965/1965_48/

See Voter Fraud or Poll Tax? blog of 4/30 for more. But case your voter here (at no cost) is the Indiana ID law a poll tax? It cost more than $1.50 to get a state ID card or driver's license.

AP Review Simulcast Here

From 9-11 pm the 2 Regular Guys will be broadcasting their "Cram For the Exam" Review Show on 560 AM WIND. I'll be listeningand simulcasting questions. Some other students are alreading posting answers and questions that you can join at CBS 2 School, or follow along here with me in the comments section.

http://560wind.townhall.com/

Judicial Review...by the Nigerian Senate

In the US, by stare decisis we have the constitutional principle of judicial review. In Nigeria, it is the Constitution that once again is being reviewed -- by the Senate.

There are many people in Nigeria who argue that the 1994 constitution was undemocratically imposed on the country by military and political leaders. Critics argue that it's illegitimate and flawed. The reasons for dissatisfaction vary widely, but the coalition of reformers has enough clout to "study the problem" nearly every year.

So far, efforts at constitutional reform have stalled because of political differences among the constitution's critics.The newspaper Leadership in Abuja reported on the latest review.

The billion Naria budget for the study would be about $120,000 US.

http://allafrica.com/stories/200805020399.html

Review the Nigerian Constitution here. Notice its Federal system, with provisions for Sharia State Court law.

http://www.nigeria-law.org/ConstitutionOfTheFederalRepublicOfNigeria.htm

Follow the Rules of the Road with these Test Mechanics

Here are some test tips from Political Warrior, CBS2 School & Studying Comparative.

Remember if you are taking both tests on Monday, they do have minor fomat differences. The US Government test is in the morning with a 15-minute break then the Comparative Exam.

The Format of the Exam: Let’s begin by looking at a breakdown of how the AP US Government Exam is structured:

Questions Time allowed Percentage of grade

60 multiple choice 45 minutes 50%

4 free response 100 minutes 50%

Strategies for Multiple-Choice Questions - Read carefully.

The multiple-choice section will test your reading, vocabulary and patience. Take as many practice exams as you have available. There are only so many ways to write a question about judicial review or cloture. Practice reading AP multiple-choice questions.

Get more test tips.

Strategies for Free-Response Questions:

Do’s

1. Write as neatly as possible (without wasting time). You’ll get a better score if the reader can understand what you’re writing. If you make a mistake, simply draw a line through it and write the correct information above it. And, don’t use arrows or asterisk because they can be confusing to the readers.

2. Read the question. And then read it again. Think about what you’re going to write. Outline your answer. Make sure you’re only answering what has been asked.

3. Reread your work and make sure you’ve answered each question fully and correctly. Have you appropriately LINKED your answer to the question?

4. Leave yourself a few minutes at the end to revise or proofread your answers.

5. There is NO PENALTY for wrong information, therefore, write as much as you can. If a question asks for two examples, brainstorm and write as many as you can think.

6. At the very least, use the EXACT VOCABULARY from the question in each component of your answer. Most rubrics ask for linkage back to the question. This is the sure fire way to move in that direction.

Don'ts

1. Don’t give personal opinions (like your political affiliation or whether you like the president’s policies). The Exam is testing your knowledge and understanding of the political process. Don’t waste time stating an opinion, unless you’re asked to do so.

2. Don’t give long, unnecessary introductions. Get to the point.

3. Don’t give information you weren’t asked for. You won’t get any extra points if you do. So don’t waste your time writing it.

4. Don’t spend more than 25 minutes on any one free-response question.

5. Don’t fall asleep. Fight the fatigue. Time generally is not a factor. Wasted time is. Spend the time that is provided. This is a high stakes exam, do not look back and think about how you wasted it because you were tired, bored, or indifferent.

The Founders did not include in the U.S. Constitution an explicit statement of state powers but added it later in the :

A) Second Amendment.

B) Seventh Amendment.

C) Tenth Amendment.

D) Fourteenth Amendment.

E) None of the above.

The AP exam for Comparative Government and Politics

Monday afternoon, 5 May 2008

The exam begins with a 45-minute session for reading and answering 55 multiple-choice questions. (Remember, choose the best answer from among the 5 choices offered.) This is same format (just 5 less Qs) as the US Test .

The second session is 100 minutes long. During that time, you will write answers to 8 "Free Response Questions." (As oppossed to 4 FRQs in US)

• Five definitions and descriptions in the "Short-Answer Concepts" section


• One "Conceptual Analysis" question (which will ask about one of the course's "big ideas")


• Two "Country Context" questions, which are most likely to require comparisons

________________________

Follow these test mechanics to avoid the rough road that British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and his Labour Party suffered this week in the local (devolved) elections that took place on Thursday.



The Economist reports:


LOCAL elections in England and Wales, such as those that took place on Thursday May 1st, are generally such complicated affairs, with contradictory trends visible in different parts of the country, that they manage to offer both solace and chagrin to all the main political parties. Not this time. The Labour Party, and its leader, Gordon Brown, have been comprehensibly humbled. The prime minister's day grew even worse when it became clear that Labour had lost its biggest prize: the mayoralty of London.


Results from the 159 local authorities that held elections (local polls are staggered so that not everyone votes at the same time) show that Labour scored its worst performance in local elections for 40 years. Labour polled just 24% of the total, a full 20 points behind the opposition Conservatives and a point behind the Liberal Democrats. It did badly even in some regions where it has traditionally been invulnerable, such as industrial bits of Wales, losing more council seats than even the most pessimistic predictions envisaged. The Conservatives, meanwhile, made some symbolic gains in hitherto hostile territory in the north of England. David Cameron, the Tory leader, described the result as “a big moment”. A “bad” and “disappointing” night, said Mr Brown.

http://www.economist.com/world/britain/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11294983
________________



Last July, when he had more uplifting words, Brown gave a speech on civil liberties in the UK which helps to answer Ken Wedding's Q #45:

Since Madison, Americans have attributed the preservation of their liberties in large part to the separation of powers in the U.S. regime. What has preserved the liberties of British citizens in a system that lacks separation of powers?

Take your own shots at answering the sample FRQs, but for this one, I'll take a shot:

Mr. Wolak said:

With a system of government based on Common Law, British gradualism has grown to expand civil liberties of its citizens through laws like the UK's National Human Rights Act and its membership in the EU's Convention on Human Rights. All British law must be read against these instruments which preserve the liberties of citizens.

British PM Gordon Brown spoke (in a happier moment) about the British history of protecting citizen rights.

"From the starting point at the time of the Magna Carta, to the Civil Wars and the revolutions of the 17th Century, through the liberalism of Victorian Britain and the widening and deepening of democracy and fundamental rights throughout the last century, there has been a British tradition if liberty -- what one writer has called Britain's 'Gift to the World'."

Common Law tradition, national acts, modern EU membership and a history as the world's longest-lasting democracy have preserved civil liberties in the UK, despite the lack of a written constitution with a separation of powers.

Deomcratic Race continues in "Where America's Day Begins"

They are caucusing today in Democratic nominating contests in Guam today. Actually they began yesterday (our time) in the U.S. South Pacific Territory with the motto, "Where America's Day Begins."

The Washington Post reports:

The race for the Democratic presidential nomination that has stretched across 15 months and 45 states and territories transfers to Guam, the westernmost U.S. territory, "where America's day begins." And because of that time difference, the Saturday Democratic Party caucuses in Guamanian towns and villages began at 8 p.m. Friday EST, and will continue overnight.

At stake in the contest, which more closely resembles a day-long primary than a true caucus, are four convention delegate votes.

Both Democratic contenders have reached out to the island to an extent unprecedented in previous campaigns. Obama's campaign opened the first-ever presidential primary campaign office in Guam, hired paid staff, and pursued all the usual highly networked touches for which the campaign has become known.

... Obama himself pens Guamanians a letter thanking them for their support. "You have challenged conventional thinking and built a grassroots network in Guam, and your work will have a lasting impact on the island for a long time to come," he writes. He emphasizes his growing up in Hawaii, and on his website blog campaign callers report: some call Barack, "The Island Boy." And from the Guam Pacific Daily News:

"Residents began lining up in large numbers this morning at 10 a.m. to cast their vote for the Guam Democratic Party's chairman and vice chairman -- who will act as superdelegates with a full vote in the ongoing Democratic presidential nomination....

Yona resident Tommy Shimizu said he was voting for Obama. He had been at the Yona Mayor's office all day, passing out information about the presidential hopeful.

"It's the fact that he grew up in Hawaii, and I think he can make change," he said. "I think it's time for that."Shimizu added that today's opportunity to have a voice in the party nomination for presidential candidate was "a big step for Guam."

Clinton, not to be outdone, released a Web video this morning, "Hillary's Message to Guam." Clinton's campaign did not open an office, preferring to rely on a network of volunteers, but it did offer her husband, the former president, for interviews with local TV stations over the past week. And, unlike Obama, the Clintons have previously traveled to Guam -- a fact her supporters have repeatedly cited as proof that she gets the island. "She's been here. She loves Guam and she has historical ties to our island," Clinton backer Taling Taitano told Marianas Variety.

Turnout is expected to be high, especially compared to the 1,000 people who turned out for the 2004 primary caucuses, and one local Democratic official told Marianas Variety that 5,000 ballots had been printed.
_______________

This unprecedented Guam Game gives us an opportunity to breifly review some more quick hitting ideas you might need for Monday's AP Test.

• Remember political parties are linkage institutions. There is nothing in the Constitution about political parties. That's a reason why the Democratic Party has decided to give the residents of Guam -- a U.S. territory a say in their nominating contest. Guam, Puerto Rico and other U.S. territories are not represented in the Electoral College (Washington DC is represented in the EC but does not have Congressional Representation).
• In the past, state party officials would meet in caucus to endorse the party candidate prior to presidential primaries. That led to sometimes brokered conventions. Abuses of that caucus system led to many states abandoning its use, but Iowa (noticed more because of its first status) and 14 other states and territories use caucuses t nominate presidential candidates. Today, however, they are open to all members of the party.
• Most states use the primary election system we see continuing to play out (Indiana and North Carolina on Tuesday). There are several types of primaries:
• Closed Primary -- Only voters who are registered in the party may vote to choose a candidate. Separate primaries are held by each partyand voteres must select a primary in advance. Recently, however, many states have adopted same day registration.
• Open primary -- Voters may choose the candidates of either party, whether they belong to the party or not. Voters make the decision of which party to support in th voting booth.
• Blanket primaries -- Previously used in California, Washington and Alaska, are when voters may vote for candidates of either party (Republican for one office, Democrat for another). Ruled unconstitutional by US Supreme Court in 2003.
• Runoff primary -- When no candidate from a party receives a majority of the votes, the top two candidates face each other in a runoff.
• Special elections -- Whenever an issue must be decided by voters before a primary or general election is held. (ie: Bill Foster vs. Jim Oberweiss House Race to fill Dennis Hassert' vacated seat).

_______________

Remember, a complete American Government Review guide is linked on the April 21 post. Check it out. Find under the review for test here post, the link to Sunday night's radio review (9-11 pm on Sunday) and follow my "simulcast" under the comments section of that post.

Monday -- Cinco de Mayo Test day -- breakfast review in 302 6:30 am. American Test begins at 7:25 in Room 156. There will be a 15-minute break between exams. Good Luck! Study and post any questions you have on Thursday's "review here" post.

__________________

UPDATE Don't think every vote counts? Well each and every one did in the Gaum.

CNN Reports:

(CNN) -- Sen. Barack Obama won Guam's Democratic presidential caucuses Saturday by just seven votes, according to a Guam election official.

With all 21 precincts reporting, Obama finished with 2,264 votes, or 50.1 percent. Sen. Hillary Clinton got 2,257 votes, or 49.9 percent.

The presidential candidates were battling for Guam's four pledged delegate votes. Eight delegates will be elected, each with half a vote at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado, this summer.

According to CNN's latest estimate, Obama has a total of 1,734 delegates (1,491 pledged delegates, 243 superdelegates). Clinton has a total of 1,597 delegates (1,332 pledged delegates, 265 superdelegates).

Although called "caucuses," Saturday's event in Guam functions more like a party-run primary.

Watch more on Guam and the 2008 election »

Voters cast secret ballots in polling places as opposed to publicly aligning themselves in presidential candidate preference groups, as in more traditional caucuses, such as in Iowa and Nevada.

EU's growing pains

A reminder that studying comparative politics without considering international and transnational and supranational organizations makes the study incomplete.

As Euro Nears 10, Cracks Emerge in Fiscal Union

"The euro turns 10 next January, a milestone that will be marked with celebratory speeches, inch-thick scholarly papers and a commemorative 2-euro coin..."

By most yardsticks, Europe’s common currency has been a success, emerging as an alternative to the fading dollar for bond dealers, central bankers, [and] Chinese exporters..."

Yet fissures are forming in the European monetary union that threaten to widen in coming months."Greece, Portugal, Italy and Spain... are struggling with eroding competitiveness, rising prices and bloated debts. Meanwhile, Germany, the sick man of Europe for most of the euro era, is suddenly vigorous again..."

When leaders and laggards use the same money but have opposite problems, tensions are bound to surface."

Take Italy, perhaps Europe’s shakiest economy. Facing high labor costs, slumping exports and a gaping public debt, its old remedy for hard times would have been to devalue the lira. Now, chained to the mighty euro, it cannot do that. Instead, it will probably have to endure a recession and rising unemployment, something no politician — but especially not one just elected, like Silvio Berlusconi — wants to face..."

In some sense, the political honeymoon for the euro ended in May 2005, when voters in France and the Netherlands rejected the proposed constitution for the European Union. While that document had little direct bearing on the currency, it symbolized Europe’s steady march from economic to political integration, a process that, for now at least, has stalled..."

Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and other Eastern European countries once hoped to adopt the currency fairly soon after joining the European Union. Now, with a deeper awareness of its cost, most will wait until after 2012..."
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Some other examples of organizations (international, transnational, supernational) : United Nations; International Monetary Fund (IMF); World Bank. Also, multi-national coorporations
and non-governmental linkage organizations (DATA, The ONE Campaign, INICEF).

Review for Your A.P. American Government and Politics Exam Here

(Thanks, again, to the 2 Regular Guys; On sunday night, Political Warrior will be simulcasting the cramming conversation right here)

BIG ANNOUNCEMENT: THE 2 REGULAR GUYS WILL BE BRINGING THEIR REVIEW TO THE RADIO SUNDAY NIGHT, MAY 4TH, 9-11 PM. CALL IN WITH YOUR QUESTIONS. “CRAM FOR THE EXAM” THIS SUNDAY NIGHT ON WIND, 560 AM [Streamed at

http://www.560wind.townhall.com].

Today the 2 Regular Guys want to focus on those persnickety words which plague students while taking high stakes government exams. Often times, exams are cluttered with exclusive vocabulary. These tests become, in essence, exercises in jargon.Talking government is like speaking another language.

Learn more about government jargon and what words you need to know.

Today we are listing a series of difficult words. We encourage you to define them as a “comment.” Your fellow students can help you. Provide specific examples.

In addition, we encourage you to list words that continue to trip you up. Write these words as a “comment” below and check back later. As we “Cram for the Exam,” let’s help each other out and study together, 21st century style. . . just in time.

Big words:1. Formal vs. Informal Powers
2. Selective Incorporation
3. Divided Government
4. Commerce Clause
5. 14th Amendment
6. Cloture
7. ?

What Court cases should we know?
1. Marbury v. Madison (1803) - THEORY - Judicial Review
2. McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) - FEDERALISM - National Supremacy
3. New York Times v. United States (1971) - MEDIA - Free Press
4. Bush v. Gore (2000) - CAMPAIGNS - State sovereignty over elections
5. Baker v. Carr (1962) - PARTICIPATION - “One man, one vote”
6. McConnell v. FEC (2003) - POLITICAL PARTIES - Campaign finance
7. Roe v. Wade (1973) - INTEREST GROUPS - Right to privacy, abortions
8. Nixon v. U.S. (1974) - PRESIDENT - Limited executive privilege
9. Clinton, et al. v. New York City, et al. (1998) - CONGRESS - Line/item veto rejected
10. Gitlow v. New York (1925) - COURTS - Selective incorporation

Judicial Review Facts since Marbury (1803):
1.156 Acts of Congress held unconstitutional
2.1,150 state laws voided.
3.Of the Acts of Congress ruled unconstitutional, 26 occurred in the 19th century and 37 since Rehnquist was sworn in as Chief Justice in 1986.

See: Noonan, John T. “Foreward: A Silk Purse,” Michigan Law Review, August 2003.“The Constitution is what the justices say it is.”

Former Chief Justice Charles Evans Hughes

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Disraeli said, "With words we govern men." Which words? Here is a start-up list of the Big Ten words in American Government and Politics. CitizenU calls it The Primer. Enjoy . . . it is only the beginning. Download to your I-Pod!

Preface to the CitizenU Primer.

Theory: Separation of Powers.

Federalism: Federalism.

Media: 4th Estate.

Campaigns: Handlers.

Participation: Suffrage.

Political Parties: Big Tent.

Interest Groups: Mother's Milk of Politics.

President: Bully Pulpit.

Congress: Cup and Saucer.

Courts: Rule of Law.

Nigerian Election drags on

The 2007 Nigerian vote was marred by irregularities and observers deemed the results not credible.

Some people in the US are expressing campaign fatigue. What if the election lasted as long?

The headline in Al Jazeera was a bit misleading (the "Nigerian leaders" are actually former Nigerian leaders), but the article does describe an aspect of Nigeria's regime. Nine gubernatorial races have been overturned and elections rerun since last year's elections. Losers in previous fourth republic presidential elections have challenged the results in court. Why should last year's losers be any different?In my mind, the significant thing is that the challenges are taking place in the courts -- within the regime.

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/89C4FBFD-C58B-43DD-9E4A-9B0454C312AC.htm

Nigeria's supreme court has begun hearing an appeal by opposition leaders against the victory of Umaru Yar'Adua, the country's president, in last year's elections."

Atiku Abubakar and Mohammadu Buhari [at right], two opposition candidates, have asked the court to overturn a lower court ruling that upheld Yar'Adua's victory in the April 2007 vote..."

The hearing, which started on Tuesday in the capital, Abuja, has been adjourned indefinitely to allow for more legal briefs to be filed..."The opposition wants the final tally to be disregarded and another election to be held..."

The case is likely to drag on for several months because once Yar'Adua has made his case, Buhari and Abubakar have a further three weeks in which to reply..."

The seven-judge bench of the supreme court hearing Buhari and Abubakar's petition goes into recess in July and only resumes in September, lawyers said..."

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Leadership, a newspaper in Abuja, described the situation this way:

Supreme Court Decides Yar'Adua's Fate July

"Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Idris Legbo Kutigi, yesterday indicated that the nation's apex court may shift its yearly vacation from July to August to enable it enter judgement in the two appeals filed before it by General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar..."

Buhari and Atiku [at left] want the court to review the tribunal's verdict which dismissed their two consolidated petitions and affirmed the election of President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua in the April 21, 2007 presidential poll..."