What to do about Afghanistan?

It's been over 8 years since the tragic events of 9-11 took place.

Very quickly we targeted the terrorists(Al-Qaeda) and their sponsors(Taliban) and launched an invasion of Afghanistan. At the time I'm sure most thought it would be a one-sided battle.

But 8 years later, Bin Laden is still hiding in caves sending out his messages. And the Taliban is still in control of large portions of Afghanistan .

In addition to those blackeyes, we now have reports that military leaders are asking for even more troops to be sent, otherwise failure is a real possibility. It seems that not only are we dealing with the dangerous insurgency but also a corrupt government.

Which leads to the all too familiar question of "stay the course" or "cut and run"?

What do you think?

Is this a conflict that is worth fighting for, or should we get out while we can?

P.S. If you can hardly find Afghanistan on a map and think that you don't know much about it, Don't despair. Instead, GO TO THE MOVIES!

Here are my favorite Afghan films:

Charlie Wilson's War - Shows how one congressman helped fund a secret war with Russia.

The Kite Runner - Tells the story of two friends and their war torn country.

After you watch these films, not only will you not be able to say you don't know anything about Afghanistan, you will also be entertained.

Economic Recovery - Then & Now

September 15th marked the 1 year anniversary of the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers which was a key point in the financial meltdown of 2008-09. Like an episode of Ripley's Believe it or Not, in the last year we've seen:

• Millions of jobs lost, doubling the unemployment rate to 10%
• Thanks to the TARP program, the Government bailed out/tookover many powerful financial (AIG) & auto firms (GM & Chrysler)
• Huge dip in stock market - gobbling up retirement accounts in no time

It was the start of what has been called the worst recession since the Great Depression.

Ouch!

President Obama wasted no time in asking congress to pass an almost $800 million recovery act. Since it became law in Feb, the government has doled out plenty of stimulus money. Here is a nifty chart showing where it has gone:

And if this chart doesn't do it for you, maybe you like to have some good clean You Tube fun!

Here is an oddly edited message from President Obama on his economic recovery plan (I guess they didn't want any network anchors to feel left out).

Here is a message from FDR talking about the progress of his recovery plan.

So you can see we've been down this road before. Hopefully this time it doesn't take WWIII to recover.

What are your thoughts on our economy and government's role in the recovery? If you were President, what would your recovery plan look like?

"You Lie!"

It's been quite the week for presidential speeches. On Tuesday President Obama gave a controversial speech to school kids, where he told them to stay in school and study hard.

Then last night he delivered a rare address to both houses of congress. The topic, as I'm sure you know by now...Health Care Reform.

If you missed it, click here to check out the speech for yourself (But bring some popcorn, because it runs around 50 min).

One of the most talked about parts of the speech wasn't the details that the President gave, but instead was when Rep Wilson (R-SC) yelled out "You Lie!"

While not entirely impartial, here is a nice little summery of the debate:

What did you think of the speech? Do you think health care reform will be passed? Do you think we need it?

Summer is over

Congress is on recess, the President just got back from vacation, and NSU has started classes.

It must be SEPTEMBER!

Before we delve into any of the important topics that face our nation, let's take a second to pay tribute to Ted Kennedy.

Senator Kennedy was able out live his more famous brothers and end up earning the title "The Lion of the Senate." The Kennedy clan has been to referred to as "Camelot" or "America's royal family". They've no doubt played a major role in shaping modern America.

What is your favorite Kennedy moment/sphere of influence?