My good buddy President W. came out with his new budget plan today.  Here are the programs he wants to cut money from.  I hate that bastard. 

Spending on poison control centers would be cut 62 percent, to $10 million. Rural health programs, a favorite of many senators, would be reduced 87 percent, to $16.9 million.

A special health program for rescue workers and volunteers who responded to the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in 2001 would be cut by 77 percent, to $25 million, even though the administration has said that many workers were exposed to "unprecedented levels of risk" for lung disease and other illnesses.

Mr. Bush's budget would end the Community Services Block Grant, a $654 million program that provides housing, nutrition, education and job services to low-income people.

The budget would also end special programs to care for people with Alzheimer's disease and to treat people with traumatic brain injury. Mr. Bush would eliminate federal money for a new "patient navigator" program, which coordinates care for people with cancer and other serious illnesses. The administration contends that these programs are ineffective or duplicate other government initiatives.

Mr. Bush proposes a 22 percent cut in the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, which provides $2.6 billion to help people pay heating bills. Many lawmakers want to expand the program at a time when oil costs are soaring.

Mr. Bush wants to end the Hope VI housing program, which upgrades severely dilapidated public housing. The House voted two weeks ago to renew the program for eight years.

The White House wants to eliminate spending for more than a dozen education programs, including Even Start, which promotes family literacy; grants to the states for classroom technology; Supplemental Education Opportunity Grants, for needy undergraduates; and a scholarship program named for the chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Robert C. Byrd, Democrat of West Virginia.

This was copy/pasted from the NY times.  I encourage all of you who read this to call/email your Senators/congressmen and let them know how you feel about it.

According to the issues (and the NY times), here is where they stand.....

Iraq.......

Clinton- out by 2013 (she just lost my vote, even in the general election)

Biden-  Partition Iraq and out by summer 2008  (I'm pretty sure he wont be the President until '09, not a fan of partioning, not on my favorites list)

Dodd-   Leave Iraq by April 2008  (He won't be President until '09)

Edwards-   Out of Iraq within 10 months of election.

Kucinich-   Out of Iraq NOW!

Obama-     Leave Iraq within 16 months of election.

Richardson-   Withdraw all troops by 2010 (BEST, most believable answer). 

Health Care.......

Clinton-  Mandate that everyone get health care, subsidized by the government and employers, roll back tax breaks for people making over 250 grand a year. 

Biden-    All under 21 will be insured, pay for it by ending the Iraq war and tax cut roll backs (not insuring everyone?  Bad answer).

Edwards-  Has the same plan as Clinton.

Dodd-  Has the same plan as Clinton.

Kucinich-     Establish Medicare for all; pay for it by removing costs related to private insurers and implementing taxes for the highest earners and a payroll tax (BEST ANSWER!).

Obama-  Make Health Insurance affordable and require that all children have health care.  (Bad answer, definetly not on my favorites list). 

Richardson-  Requires that everyone have insurance, subsidized by the government and employers.

Iran......

Clinton-  Declared Iran's military a terrorist group, military option on the table, would not meet with Irans President (WRONG ANSWER).

Biden-  Engage in direct diplomacy; tighten economic sanctions with international cooperation; believes there is no military option.

Dodd-   Engage in direct diplomacy; use economic pressure; would not meet with the Iranian president; military option not off the table (WRONG ANSWER).

Edwards-  Engage in low level diplomacy; use economic pressure; military option not off the table (WRONG ANSWER).

Kucinich-   Would engage in direct diplomacy; says U.S. must disarm as well; opposes military strike (GREAT ANSWER).

Obama-     Engage in direct diplomacy; tighten economic sanctions with international cooperation; would meet with the Iranian president with no preconditions; military option not off the table.

Richardson-  Direct diplomacy without preconditions; work with international community to place sanctions; would not meet with the Iranian president; may allow civilian nuclear capability; opposes military strike (GOOD ANSWER).

All of the candidates are very close on Abortion, Climate Change and I still don't care about Immigration.  I don't know about you, faithful readers, but I'm still stuck between Kucinich and Richardson. 

This article can be found at http://politics.nytimes.com/election-guide/2008/issues/index.html#/context=index/issue=immigration

     I've been toying with the idea of voting for a Republican in the upcoming primary elections.  As a West Virginia Independent, I am given the opportunity to vote in either the Democratic or Republican primary as described here (http://www.wvsos.com/elections/voters/partyregistration.htm).  I've never voted for a Republican before and thought this might be the best time to do so.  I don't like Hillary Clinton (voted for the Iraq war and declared Irans military as a terrorist group http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/14/weekinreview/14cooper.html?_r=1&oref=slogin) and Barack Obama seems to have the John Kerry flu (never can give a straight answer.).  I like Kucinich, but he did claim to see a UFO (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSRWRbuMqyc) which seems a little crazy to me.  Biden wants to partition Iraq into three countries based on religion (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/23/opinion/23galbraith.html?_r=1&oref=slogin), now tell me, how has that worked out for India/Pakistan and Israel/Palestine?  Edwards just seems ingenuine to me, I don't have a link for that, he just seems like a phony.  Bill Richardson is by far my favorite but I even have ticky tack problems with him, and it doesn't look like he'll win anyway.  However, even with the problems I have with the Democrats I truly believe that any one of them would make a capable President (well, maybe not Edwards).  So, by the time West Virginia rolls around to its primary on May 13th, We will probably be down to two candidates, Clinton and Obama.  Between the two I don't care who wins, I might flip a coin, heads its Obama! 

       Now, as far as the Republicans go, theres only one I could even dream of voting for, and he may be able to get me out of voting for one of two Democrats I don't particularly like.  Ron Paul.  I am now going to break down this candidate by the issue according to his website and tell you what I think...

On the environment...

     Congressman Paul states that the key to sound environmental policy is the respect for private property and that to punish polluters we as Americans should sue the polluter.  In that case, I should sue Masey for blowing up my mountains here in Kanawha county WV.  Tell me, who's going to have the better lawyers?  What Ron Paul forgets (and its the downfall of all Libertarians) is that the government IS the people.  I shouldn't have to sue a company.  Thats why we have the WV EPA.  The government is there to protect us, not hurt us.  Sometimes they do screw up, but its better than not helping at all.  Minus one for Ron Paul.

The war in Iraq.....   

     He wants out of Iraq in a big way.  Plus one to Ron Paul.

Universal Health Care......

     Against UHC.  Minus one to Ron Paul.

Public education....

     Against federal funding of schools.  For giving tax breaks to parents who want to send children to religious schools so they can learn all about creationism.  Minus one to Ron Paul.

Roe VS Wade....

      Against.  As President would do his utmost to overturn.  Minus one to Ron Paul.

Second amendment.....

       Against any restriction of fire arms.  Plus one to Ron Paul.

Right to Privacy.....

       Against the National ID and wants a repeal of the USA PATRIOT ACT.  Plus one to Ron Paul.

Those are the issues that he lists on his website that I care about (notice immigration is not one of them).  His total score is -1.  Alas, with a score of negative one, I cannot vote for a Republican in '08.  The search continues...........