Our Politics

Tag: Booker

  • OurWeek in Politics #3 (8/12-8/19/17)

    Here are the main events in Politics that occurred over the past week:

    1. NJ Congressional Members Lead Push for Legislative Changes After the Charlottesville Incident

    Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) is at the forefront of efforts to address the legacy of white supremacy in in the aftermath of the Charlottesville incident. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) is at the forefront of efforts to address the legacy of white supremacy in in the aftermath of the Charlottesville incident.

    Last weeks Charlottesville incident has encouraged renewed efforts at the Congressional level to address the legacy of white supremacy and to improve the Civil Rights situation within the US. One such effort is spearheaded by Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), who announced on August 16 that he will introduce legislation ordering the remove all Confederate statues from the Capitol building. Arguing that the “Capitol’s statuary hall should be a place of honor for Patriots — those who have served, sacrificed, or made tremendous contributions to our nation,” Booker feels that it is inappropriate to honor individuals who pursued actions contrary to American values and that memorializing Confederate leaders is a disgrace to the memory of the individuals who lost their lives during the Civil War and in fighting for equal rights for all Americans regardless of race. Despite the overwhelming public support for Senator Booker’s legislative proposal, the bill has little chance to pass due to strong opposition by President Donald Trump and the Congressional Republican leadership.

    In addition to Senator Booker’s legislative proposal, Congressman Leonard Lance (R-NJ’s 7th Congressional District) announced that he supports a new version of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The Supreme Court invalidated key sections of the Act in the 2013 case Shelby County v. Holder, with the majority reasoning that the Justice Department could no longer review and block changes to the voting procedures in several Southern states with a history of discrimination because the statistics and data on which the Voting Rights Act was premised were no longer up to date. The new version of the law would make all states and jurisdictions eligible for coverage formula based on voting violations in the last 15 years and would create more transparency in the event of any changes to polling times, dates, locations and protocols. Even though the updated Voting Rights Act is supported by members of both political parties, the Republican-controlled Congress is opposed to such legislation, arguing that voting policies are to be left to the states and that any federal efforts are in violation of the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution. As such, prospects for any changes in federal voting law remain low.

    2. Trump Approval Rating Falls to Record-Low Level

    President Donald Trump's approval rating has fallen to a record-low level over this past week. President Donald Trump’s approval rating has fallen to a record-low level over this past week.

    Over this past week, President Donald Trump’s overall approval rating fell to a new low in response to his poor response to the Charlottesville incident and continued allegations regarding his connections to Russian President Vladimir Putin. In recent polling by Gallup, President Trump’s approval rating has fallen to only 34%, the lowest ever recorded for a President who has been in office for less than one year. The polling also shows that Trump’s support amongst Republicans has fallen to only 79% and that a majority of Republicans believe that Trump has fallen short on the national stage and that he needs to correct his policies and rhetoric in order to get back on course. Moreover, President Trump’s approval in three key states that helped him win the Presidential Election (Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Michigan) has fallen to less than 40%. This news reveals that the Trump Administration is deeply unpopular with the vast majority of the American people and perhaps is an early sign pointing towards a strong victory by the Democratic Party in next years midterm election and ultimately, a victory in the 2020 Presidential Election.

    3. President Donald Trump Fires Chief Strategist Steve Bannon

    The ouster of chief strategist Steve Bannon may signal the fact that President Trump is looking to turn a new corner in his administration. The ouster of chief strategist Steve Bannon may signal the fact that President Trump is looking to turn a new corner in his administration.

    On August 18, President Donald Trump fired Steve Bannon, his chief strategist, during a shakeup of his cabinet and top advisors. Bannon was originally hired by Trump last June shortly after the Republican primaries and was a driving force behind the “nationalist” ideology promoted by President Trump both on the campaign trail and in office. The tensions between President Trump and Bannon began last week when Bannon was quoted in an interview contradicting Trump on North Korea and asserting that he was able to make personnel changes at the State Department. These actions angered the President and made Bannon’s ouster inevitable.

    Bannon’s exit means that one of the White House’s most controversial staffers would longer be at the center of the Trump Administration and may signal that President Trump is willing to modify his policies. Additionally, it is rumored that Bannon was fired based on the suggestion of Chief of Staff John Kelly who took over as chief of staff looking to instill order in a chaotic White House beset by internal divisions, staff infighting, and numerous controversies.

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  • OurWeek in Politics #1 (7/31-8/5/17)

    OurWeek in Politics #1 (7/31-8/5/17)

    Here are the major events in Politics that occurred over the past week:

    1. Court Revives Bridgegate Records Suit

    The Bridgegate scandal was back in the news this week over how the Christie Administration deliberately hid emails tieing the governor to the scandal. The Bridgegate scandal was back in the news this week over how the Christie Administration deliberately hid emails tieing the governor to the scandal.

    The Bridgegate scandal was back in the news on August 3 regarding how the Christie administration handled emails and records related to the plot to cause traffic problems in Fort Lee in retaliation for its mayor Dawn Zimmer (D) deciding not to endorse Governor Chris Christie for re-election in 2013.

    A state appellate panel reinstated two lawsuits by North Jersey Media Group that alleged the Christie Administration deliberately withheld documents in violation of NJ law. In 2013, the media company sought emails between Chris Christie’s staff members and Port Authority officials after access lanes on the George Washington Bridge were closed. But the administration didn’t provide the emails that were known to exist. The court’s decision means members of Christie’s administration could face additional legal penalties.

    2. Marijuana Legalization Bill Introduced at Federal Level

    Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) has recently put forward a bill that would legalize and decriminalize marijuana at the federal level. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) has recently put forward a bill that would legalize and decriminalize marijuana at the federal level.

    On August 2, Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) introduced a bill that would legalize Marijuana at the federal level and reverse the decades-long drug war. Booker has pointed out that marijuana laws disproportionately hurt minorities and the poor and that the War on Drugs has replaced slavery and Jim Crow laws as a tool to disenfranchise minorities. Booker hopes to attract support for his proposal from Democrats such as Bernie Sanders and Republicans including Rand Paul, Mike Lee, and Cory Gardner.

    Despite the fact that the bill has much potential and would positively impact American public policy, it stands little chance of coming for a vote due to the fact that the Republican Party controls Congress and because the Trump Administration has expanded the War on Drugs by increasing penalties for drug possession.

    3. Congressman John Delaney becomes the first candidate to challenge Donald Trump in 2020 presidential race

    John Delaney (D-MD) is the first serious candidate to announce that they are running for the Democratic Presidential nomination in 2020. John Delaney (D-MD) is the first serious candidate to announce that they are running for the Democratic Presidential nomination in 2020.

    Congressman John Delaney (D-MD) announced on July 28 that he would be seeking the Democratic Presidential nomination in 2020, becoming the first major candidate to have declared their candidacy. Running as a socially-liberal, yet pro-business candidate, John Delaney stated in a Washington Post interview that his politics was based on “celebrating the power of our free-market economy while insisting that the federal government has a key role in setting goals and standards and standing up and protecting the poor and vulnerable members of society. Additionally, Delaney supports increasing government investments in the technology sector as a way to address the ever-changing global economy and continue to allow the US to remain one of the world’s largest economies.

    Despite the early attention surrounding the candidacy of John Delaney, most political observers feel that he has little chance to win the Democratic nomination and will be quickly upstaged by other prospective Democratic candidates such as Cory Booker, Kamala Harris, Elizabeth Warren, and Bernie Sanders.

    4. The Trump Administration Signs into Law Increased Sanctions on Russia, Iran, and North Korea

    President Donald Trump signed legislation increasing sanction against Russia, North Korea, and Iran this week. President Donald Trump signed legislation increasing sanction against Russia, North Korea, and Iran this week.

    On August 2, President Trump signed into law the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, which places embargoes on and expands pre-existing sanctions on Russia, Iran, and North Korea for their supposed destabilizing actions and (in Russia’s case) interfering in the 2016 US Elections.

    President Trump applauded the imposition of increased sanctions on North Korea and Iran, saying that both countries are sponsors of terrorism and that “regime change” is necessary for both countries. On the other hand, Trump was critical of the sanctions against Russia, stating that the “legislation is significantly flawed” and that in its haste to pass the legislation, “Congress included a number of clearly unconstitutional provisions.” President Trump’s negative reaction to the sanctions on Russia has led to further questions regarding his involvement in Russian efforts to influence the 2016 Presidential Election. As expected, the leadership of all three of the countries impacted by the bill condemned its passage and have pledged to respond using international legal standards.