Category: Top Stories

Student Leaders at George Mason Disagree About Election

By Bridget Wagner, UPI

The newly elected members of George Mason University’s executive branch both agree that change is needed in the White House, but they disagree on what changes.

Student Body President Zack Golden of Virginia Beach, Va., and Vice President Claire Forman of Bowling Green, Ky., were elected in the spring of 2008 on the same ticket, yet they have very different opinions about the election. Both have made their decisions on who to vote for.

Golden will vote for Barack Obama because he is ready for change and he likes what the U.S. senator has to offer.

Forman is disappointed with the choices that were presented on both sides. She has decided to vote for Bob Barr, who is the Libertarian Party candidate.

Golden and Forman are among young voters who may have a large impact on the election. According to CNN exit polls, the number of voters ages 18 to 29 who voted in the 2008 presidential primaries and caucuses increased in every state. Altogether, turnout increased 109 percent compared with previous elections.

Golden, a senior at George Mason, is majoring in government and international affairs. “We will see more people our age voting,” he said. “It has been a while since we have seen two candidates in their 40s. We can relate to them better.”

Forman, also a senior who is majoring in global affairs and Latin studies, believes that the presidential nominees are lacking. “Individuals have come out of the woodwork to give better options. It is not enough to change the course the country is on. (It is) closer, but not quite there.”

Although Forman is unhappy with the candidates, Golden has an idea of what an ideal president should be. “Candidates have to be intellectual and have courage to ask questions (and) to challenge assumptions. They need to be able rely on their staff to have critical thinking abilities to make informed decisions,” he said.

The most critical issue of the upcoming election for Forman is American foreign policy. “The candidates consider foreign policy to be the situation in Iraq and nothing more,” Forman said. “Global opinion has been damaged in the last eight years. The next four years should be about damage control,” stated Forman. “The candidates are making considerable effort, but it is not enough.”

The most important issue for Golden is education. He says college should be more affordable, the loan process should be simplified, and more subsidized loans should be added. But these issues are not high on the priority list for candidates.

“The candidates do not discuss higher education, they discuss the bread-and-butter topics such as the war and gas prices,” Golden said.

With six weeks left until the election, there is sure to be more disagreement by the candidates as they try to gain control of the White House.

Bush’s Law: The Remaking of American Justice

By Noah Martin

As part of Fall for the Book, George Mason University hosted Eric Lichtblau, a journalist with the Washington bureau for The New York Times and the 2006 Pulitzer Prize winner for national reporting. Lichtblau spoke about his new book Bush’s Law: The Remaking of American Justice to students and attendees outside of the Johnson Center on Sept. 24.

Lichtblau began his address by drawing a parallel between the White House’s current proposal for a $700 billion bailout package to resuscitate major Wall Street firms and the White House’s passage of the Patriot Act and push for military funding prior to invading Afghanistan in 2001.

In both cases, Lichtblau claimed, President George W. Bush’s administration emphasized the urgency and necessity of the proposals. In the current financial situation, Lichtblau said, the Bush administration is pressuring Congress to pass the $700 billion bailout package without delay in order to avoid a total financial meltdown. The executive branch gained additions to its powers following Sept. 11 through the Patriot Act legislation that it demanded be passed for the sake of national security. The powers were requested so that the White House could act with greater speed and efficacy when making decisions in the nation’s best interest but has since been under criticism for infringement of civil liberties.

“The White House has used a ‘trust us’ mentality that has been dangerous over the past seven years,” Lichtblau said. “The go it alone mentality has been its Achilles’ heel… Where the White House really went too far, to its own detriment, was refusing to play ball with the other branches of government.”

Lichtblau’s book traces how the executive branch was able to extend its powers over the past seven years and how that led to the wire tapping program eventually uncovered by the investigative reporting of Lichtblau and fellow New York Times reporter James Risen.

The wire tapping program, initiated by the White House, was a massive data mining operation used to compile profiles of potential terrorists based on a suspect’s country of origin, ethnic and racial profiling, and financial transactions.

The New York Times began investigating when rumors spread that there was dissent in the Bush Administration about issues of surveillance on American citizens. Reporting revealed that there was a revolt in the Department of Justice over the wiretapping program. Many of the lawyers refused to sign off the program, feeling it may be a criminal act to approve the program. The lawyers in the Justice Department were not liberal either, claimed Lichtblau.

“It was a battle between conservatives and even more conservatives,” Lichtblau said.

Lichtblau asserts that when The New York Times went to publish the story about the wire tapping program, members of the White house went to the editors and told them to stop. They said U.S. citizens would die if the Times ran the story and that the program was vital to national security and the pursuit of terrorists.

“I, as a lowly reporter, thought that the story should run,” Lichtblau said. “The administration was doing it without going through the courts, that mechanism had been completely circumvented.”

The story finally ran, on Dec. 16, 2005, 13 months after the presidential election in 2004.

“Journalism regained its footing after a period of complacency following 9/11,” Lichtblau said.

Preview: Lake of Fire

The film “Lake of Fire” will be shown at Wed, Oct 1, from 1:30pm – 3:30pm at Harris Theater on George Mason University’s Fairfax campus. The film is a 2006 documentary about the issue of abortion, “exploring the issue, the divides the world.” “Lake of Fire” is directed by Tony Kaye, best known for his film “American History X.”

According to The New York Times:

The first thing you should know about the documentary “Lake of Fire” — an unblinking look at the violent fight over abortion in the United States, including those homegrown religious fundamentalists who kill in the name of God — is that it was made in black and white. This is critical. Because the other thing you should know about this fascinating, discomfiting, at times unpleasant, confused and confusing film is that it sets off extremely graphic images of actual abortions against a notorious photograph of a woman who died after an illegal motel room abortion, visuals that are inflammatory if, for the most part, also germane.

From: http://movies.nytimes.com/2007/10/03/movies/03fire.html

Obama Rally at University of Mary Washington Draws Thousands

By Rachael Dickson

Fredericksburg, Virginia-Thousands of Sen. Barack Obama’s supporters cheered him on tonight as he spoke through the pouring rain at University of Mary Washington.

According to UMW student Peter Ceo, a College Democrats member, people started arriving at the event at 10 a.m., nine hours before the Democratic presidential nominee and his vice presidential running mate, Sen. Joseph Biden, arrived.

“The line was well over half a mile long this morning,” Ceo said.

According to The Washington Post, Jay Snipes, chief of the University of Mary Washington police force, estimated that 12,000 people were at the rally and another 14,000 were unable to get in after the United States Secret Service stopped allowing people in around 5 p.m.

The large, diverse and fiercely loyal crowd withstood the afternoon’s high heat and humidity, which left many dehydrated. Though event volunteers passed out water bottles to the densely packed crowd, at least two attendees were observed taken away by emergency medical staff.

Later, when the sky opened up and it began to pour, the audience shielded itself with trash bags, jackets, Obama/Biden signs, blankets and whatever came to hand. Much of the press members took shelter, wrapping expensive cameras in ponchos as they retreated to a tent reserved for the traveling press or ducked under the risers.

Obama’s supporters took the opportunity to dance and sing in the rain to the music pumping out over the loud speakers, a mix of classics such as Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell’s “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” and newer songs such as “Move Along” by the All-American Rejects.

The sun came out and dried out the crowd in time for a few preliminary speakers to give abbreviated speeches before Biden and Obama arrived. Fredericksburg’s state Sen. Edward Houck jazzed up the audience by leading cheers commenting on last night’s first presidential debate.

“Who won the debate last night?” Houck said, smiling at the crowd’s roaring answer of “Obama.” “The difference between Obama and McCain could not have been more obvious.”

He also commented on the importance of registering to vote, saying, “All across America we have the opportunity to reach out and touch the future.”

Raucous cheers greeted Biden and Obama as they walked out on the stage. Biden began the program to cheers of “Joe! Joe!” by talking about the differences between Obama and McCain at the debate.

“Last night McCain’s silence was definite,” Biden said. “You did not hear him say the words middle-class or working class once.”

Biden also criticized McCain’s foreign policy positions in Afghanistan and Iraq.

“We need more than a brave soldier,” Biden said. “We need a wise leader. And that’s Barack Obama.”

Obama cracked a joke to begin his speech.

“I know some of you got a little damp, and I’m deeply sorry,” he said. “Those of you wearing that special outfit, I would like to cover everyone’s dry cleaning bills tonight, but I can’t cause I got to use it on the campaign. So consider it one more modest effort to help the campaign.”

Later on in his speech, as another deluge of rain began, Obama took off his jacket after joking about his own dry-cleaning bills and then proceeded to continue speaking to the crowd for another ten minutes, without cover.

Obama also spoke on the debate, calling McCain “out-of-touch” and saying ““On issue after issue, you heard John McCain make the case for more of the same.”

He also joked about McCain’s use of “change” in recent political advertising by saying “Change is more than a slogan.”

Obama referred to McCain’s lack of mention of the words “middle-class” or “working-class” by saying “In 90 minutes, John McCain had a lot to say about me, but he had nothing to say to you…We need a president who will change the economy so it finally works for your family.”

Obama spoke of the American dream to succeed as well, saying, “In America, our destiny isn’t written for us, it’s written by us.”

After talking for almost half an hour, Obama said good night to the crowd, leaving the stage with Biden. The crowd dispersed quickly, eager to get to their dry cars and dry-cleaning bills.

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You can see Rachael Dickson’s photos of the event on the Mason Votes Flickr stream.

Debate Watch Party a Success

By David L Pierce

Over a hundred George Mason University students watched the first televised presidential debate Friday night at a Debate Watch Party in the Johnson Center.

Although the debate was focused on foreign policy, the economy took center stage in the beginning.

Sen. Barack Obama felt optimistic about the governmental bailout plan, but questioned America’s position in the situation. “How did we get into this situation in the first place?” Obama asked.

Sen. John McCain said that corporate greed and lack of responsibility has led the country into the current financial crisis. “We’ve got to start also holding people accountable, and reward people who succeed,” McCain said.

The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were also major points of discussion in the debate.

Obama said that McCain was wrong in regards to the Iraq war. “You pretend like the war started in 2007,” Obama told McCain “the war started in 2003, and [when it started], you said it was going to be quick and easy.”

McCain said that Obama refused to acknowledge that we are winning in Iraq. He also noted that the former leader of all U.S. troops in Iraq, General David Petraeus, among other officials, believed that Obama’s withdrawal plan was dangerous for America’s national security.

The two presidential candidates disagreed on how to handle threats such as Iran and North Korea.

“[We have a] fundamental difference of opinion,” McCain said in regards to having preconditions before meetings with rulers of threatening countries.

He also said that Obama’s viewpoint of not having preconditions when meeting with officials of countries like Iran was dangerous.

“There’s a difference between preconditions and preparation,” said Obama in response. “Of course we’ve got to do preparations, starting with low-level diplomatic talks.”

Students held mixed opinions about the debate at its conclusion.

Junior James Greenan thought that McCain did a better job in the debate, but missed a few opportunities with his opponent. “[McCain] could’ve pointed out more instances where Obama’s judgment was wrong,” said Greenan.

Freshman Samantha Markey said that both candidates were pretty even in regards to their performance. Junior Kaitlyn Burroughs thought Obama did better than McCain, but expressed concern for the level of discussion. “Both candidates have lots of room to work on,” Burroughs said.

The Debate Watch Party was sponsored by Mason Votes, Cox Communications, C-SPAN and the New Century College.

Read Mason Votes’ live blog of the debate.

Debate Watch Party Organizers React

Back in Business: McCain Agrees to Debate

By Christian Yingling

Caving to public and media pressure, Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain has agreed to participate in tonight’s debate at the University of Mississippi.

This announcement comes over 48 hours after his controversial campaign suspension and request for the debate to be postponed until after the economic crisis has been fixed. Democratic presidential nominee Senator Barack Obama made an announcement Tuesday in response to McCain’s request stating that he would be at the debate even if McCain was not.

The two campaigns have agreed to move the debate to 9 p.m. and George Mason University’s pre-debate discussion will now begin at 8 p.m. Join Mason Votes, CSPAN, Cox Cable and Rock the Vote in the Johnson Center Atrium tonight for a pre and post debate discussion and a watch party of the debate itself. Free food will be provided.

Biography: Joseph Oddo

Obama: Debate to Continue, Will Not Suspend Campaign

Democratic Presidential Nominee Barack Obama just finished a press conference responding to Republican Presidential Nominee John McCain’s campaign suspension and request for Friday’s debate to be postponed. In his statements, he rejected the idea that either a campaign suspension or debate postponement is necessary.

“It will be part of the president’s job to deal with more than one thing at once,” said Obama. “It’s more important than ever for us to present ourselves to the country.”

He did however offer his support and assistance to fellow legislators.

“If I can be helpful, then I am prepared to be anywhere anytime.” He does not, however want to “infuse Capitol Hill with presidential politics.”

It is not presently clear what McCain will do now that Obama plans to continue with the debate. Go to Twitter for Mason Vote’s live coverage of Obama’s press conference.