Finish in a 'Grreat' way

So right here, following Chris Matthews' 'Let Me Finish' segment, give me your closing thoughts......comments, critiques, advice for future AP Government & Politics students. What did you like? Dislike? I will use your feedback, and it will be your final 5 points of the semester.


BTW, Justices, 5-4, Tell California to Cut Prisoner Population

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/24/us/24scotus.html?hp

Would have been 'Super' to see before the test

From the AP Government list-serv as teachers break down the test:

"Question #3 might have tripped up some of my students; in trying to squeeze as much as in as we could for the 2nd semester kids, we didn't focus on superdelegates or the specific differences between Republican and Democratic primaries. But as luck would have it, just two days before the exam, we had covered the details of open primary v. closed primary v. caucus, so hopefully they'll at least dominate part (a)!"


"My students felt the same way but they mentioned that super-delegates were in the FRQ and if I addressed this on the class it was brief if at all."

"I think that FRQ on caucuses/primaries, superdelegates was an important one. And yes, some books are out-of-date, but the FRQ was trying to show how the system has changed over time. I would recommend folks share the Ari Berman article on Superdelegates, and there was a good quick video clip I showed to my students about superdelegates from Katie Couric's show. I found it on Youtube, and it was a fairly humorous way of showing how the system works."

Take a look at the above video, and blog if you thought you nailed the question on Superdelegates, or got nailed.

An uneasy peace

President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tried on Friday to put the best face on evident tensions created by Obama’s remarks a day earlier, when the president outlined his vision for an eventual peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians.

“Obviously, there are some differences between us in the precise forumlations and language, and that’s going to happen between friends,” Obama said after a 96-minute-long, one-on-one meeting with Netanyahu in the Oval Office. “But what we are in complete accord about is a true peace can only occur if the ultimate resolution allows Israel to defend itself against threats.”


Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0511/55362.html#ixzz1MvuSQXyR

Read the President's full text of his Middle East speech here (he seems to support our class group's proposal):

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0511/55305.html

The F-word Senate: Stop the Vote, Continue the Oil Subsidies

When you fill up your car this weekend, think of the additional fuel Big Oil profits will continue to get through Congressional subsidies, thanks to......you guessed it, the Filibuster.

(From Credoaction.com)

On Tuesday night, 48 Senators, including three Democrats and all but two Republicans, put Big Oil before the American people and helped defeat a bill that would have ended tax breaks for the five biggest oil companies.

How could anyone vote against a bill that would have kept $21 billion of American taxpayers' money out of the pockets of cash-rich oil companies?

One big reason is oil money in our political process. A lot of it. Oil and gas companies spent $39.5 million lobbying congress in just the first quarter of this year, and have donated nearly $18 million to the 48 Senators who voted to protect oil subsidies - five times more than to Senators who supported ending them.

Senators Opposing End of Oil Subsidies Received Five Times More in Big Oil Campaign Cash," Oil Change International, May 17, 2011

Senate rejects bill to cut oil tax breaks," The Hill, May 17, 2011

Here are the 48 Senators who voted against ending Big Oil subsidies:

Alexander (R-TN), Ayotte (R-NH), Barrasso (R-WY), Begich (D-AK), Blunt (R-MO), Boozman (R-AR), Brown (R-MA), Burr (R-NC), Chambliss (R-GA), Coats (R-IN), Coburn (R-OK), Cochran (R-MS), Corker (R-TN), Cornyn (R-TX), Crapo (R-ID), DeMint (R-SC), Enzi (R-WY), Graham (R-SC), Grassley (R-IA), Hatch (R-UT), Heller (R-NV), Hoeven (R-ND), Hutchison (R-TX), Inhofe (R-OK), Isakson (R-GA), Johanns (R-NE), Johnson (R-WI), Kirk (R-IL), Kyl (R-AZ), Landrieu (D-LA), Lee (R-UT), Lugar (R-IN), McCain (R-AZ), McConnell (R-KY), Moran (R-KS), Murkowski (R-AK), Nelson (D-NE), Paul (R-KY), Portman (R-OH), Risch (R-ID), Roberts (R-KS), Rubio (R-FL), Sessions (R-AL), Shelby (R-AL), Thune (R-SD), Toomey (R-PA), Vitter (R-LA), Wicker (R-MS)

The War Powers Act Libya deadline

Tomorrow, May 20, marks the 60th day since the US joined NATO allies in bombing Libya. This NY Times story deals with the War Powers Resolution and the US involvement in Libya.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/13/world/africa/13powers.html?_r=1

An iron, revolving door

"People should be outraged about this kind of blatant revolving-door activity, where one day you're supposed to be a public servant, and the next day you simply go to work advocating for these big companies. "

- Craig Aaron, president of the media advocacy group Free Press

This story on NPR about an FCC Commissioner leaving to lobby for Comcast, after she approved the merger of NBC and Comcast is a Good (or Bad) revolving door or Iron Triangle story.

http://www.npr.org/2011/05/12/136250400/for-government-employees-revolving-door-continues

Live chat review simulcast

From Dan Larsen, one of the "2 Teachers" and along with former WVHS teacher Andrew Conneen, did the C-SPAN CRAM for the EXAM show on Saturday (it is linked at the side of the Political Warrior blog, under CITIZENU):

"We will also be running a real-time review ONLINE @ ustream.com Monday night May 9 from 6-11 PM EST. On the ustream.com website search for the channel CITIZENU and/or the program name "Cram for the Exam 2011."

Both review sessions are guided by student-generated questions. Encourage your students to CRAM for the EXAM this weekend."

I will be here on-line tonight simulcasting the discussion. Hopefully I will not be talking to myself in the comment section.

Remember, US test is at 7:25 AM tomorrow (Rm 156 by the pool; 6:30 breakfast review in Rm 250).

-- 60 MC questions, 45 minutes
-- 4 Free Response Questions (more than enough time) 100 minutes

(About a 1/2 break for lunch)

Comparative test is at 11 AM

-- 55 MC questions, 45 minutes
-- 8 FRQs, 100 minutes

Presidential Approval Rating Bump

Following the presidential announcement of the killing of Osama bin Laden, the slumping Obama approval ratings recieved a bump, around 11 percent on average. Will it last? Why/Not?


http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700132502/President-Obamas-approval-ratings-up-11-percent.html

Or will approval fall, after the White House decided, "We don't need to spike the football?" President Obama says he decided not to release photos of Osama bin Laden’s corpse because they could put national security at risk and serve “as a propaganda tool” for extremists.


http://www.politico.com/politico44/perm/0511/denouement_7743118c-9268-4719-9213-4bf19f61b19a.html


An MSNBC internet poll showed 66% saying, YES, releasing the photos would silence conspiracy thorists.

Finally, the debate over the legitimacy of targeted killing ordered by a liberal democracy is laid out in the Economist:

http://www.economist.com/blogs/democracyinamerica/2011/05/targeted_killing&fsrc=nwl

Non-public oppression

(From ken Wedding's Teaching Comparative Blog)

Freedom House says Mexico does not have a free press. But the government is only indirectly responsible because the government lacks the capacity to guarantee the freedom.

Mexican press tagged 'not free' amid drug war violence, self-censorship

In March, major media outlets signed a pact that, among other things, promises to de-glorify drug trafficking by refusing to print or air grisly photos and menacing messages.

In a culture where children role-play as Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, Mexico's most-wanted fugitive, and where telenovelas, folk songs called narcocorridos, video games, and even a new opera are based on drug exploits, some call the move a noble one. But it also raises questions about censorship as press freedom has declined sharply in Mexico.

Freedom House, in its annual report released today, says that Mexico is facing one of the world’s most radical declines in press freedom, as journalists are killed and intimidated and newspapers are forced to publish press releases from criminal groups as if they were pure news. Navigating the drug conflict in Mexico has dogged every institution, from the presidency to the local police, and it is proving no less complicated for journalists and media outlets across the nation…

Press Freedom Index: The top 10 worst countries

Correspondents Dinner 2011

(From AP Gov.org)


This dinner occurs yearly and is a roast of politicians and the media. See how many of these jokes you get. The more you get...the better attention you pay to current events.


BTW, Trump gets BLASTED.

Obama's Speech



Seth Meyer's Keynote Address

Gracias!

(Katy B. found this interesting photo and the very comprehensive AP Comparative Review site. I can't imagine needing more review materials, but just in case, I will give you more this week. Remember Mexico packet quiz on Monday. Thanks, Katy and Mr. Cartwright for his great review site!)


(From Stumbleupon.com)
A small fence separates densely populated Tijuana, Mexico, right, from the United States in the Border Patrol’s San Diego Sector. Construction is underway to extend a secondary fence over the top of this hill and eventually to the Pacific Ocean.


(From Brad Cartwright's AP Comparative Review site. Mr. Cartwright is at the American Nicaraguan School)

https://sites.google.com/a/ans.edu.ni/ap-comparative-government-politics/ap-exam-review-material