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USA TODAY: The GOP Doesn’t Reflect America

Hanging out around the convention, I’ve encountered a number of the Republican faithful who aren’t delegates. They warm up to me when they don’t find horns or a tail. Talking to them, I discover they’re like many people who call themselves Republicans but aren’t really Republicans. At least not in the radical-right way that George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, John Ashcroft and Co. have defined Republicans.

Well, it’s about time I decided to update again. The past few weeks have been mad eventful.

George Bush’s approval rating continues to drop, which is wonderful. We’ll see how it goes through the RNC Convention.

Law school started. It’s going quite well so far - nearly everyone is friendly and good-natured, which is somehting I was a bit worried about. I’m glad it’s so nice like that. The work is a lot of work. I’m making an effort to stay ahead, so I’m trying to do my work at least two days ahead of schedule. I’m also studying about 10-12 hours a day, which I’ve been told it’s pretty much a good average time to study.

Law school is pretty much a lot of reading.

Susan linked me to a great site with inexpensive travel deals. It’s called 11th Hour Vacations. It’s pretty nice, provided that you find a location from which it is good to leave.

I can almost assure my few readers left that updates are going to become few and far between - possibly only on Sunday nights, if at all.

But I’ll be around. You can always e-mail or IM me!

This is pretty neat…if gothic natured.

OUR PLAN FOR AMERICA

The whole thing is pretty long, but here’s the overview:

Today, we face four great challenges above all others - First, to win the global war against terror; Second, to stop the spread of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons; Third, to promote democracy, freedom, and opportunity around the world, starting by winning the peace in Iraq; Fourth, end our dependence on Mideast oil. To meet these challenges, Kerry and Edwards will:

• Launch and Lead A New Era Of Alliances.
  The threat of terrorism demands alliances on a global scale - to utilize every available resource to get the terrorists before they can strike us. Kerry-Edwards will lead a coalition of the able - because no force on earth is more able than the United States and its Allies.

• Modernize The World’s Most Powerful Military To Meet New Threats.

  Kerry-Edwards will ensure that our forces are fully prepared for the dangerous and vital missions they may face, and that America’s military always remains second to none. We must extend our capabilities to better face new threats of terrorism, failed states and homeland defense.

• Deploy All That Is In America’s Arsenal.

  The war on terror cannot be won by military might alone. Kerry - Edwards will deploy all the forces in America’s arsenal - our diplomacy, our intelligence system, our economic power, and the appeal of our values and ideas - to make America more secure and prevent a new generation of terrorists from emerging.

• Free America From Its Dangerous Dependence On Mideast Oil.

  To secure our full independence and freedom, we must free America from its dangerous dependence on Mideast oil. By tapping American ingenuity, we can achieve that goal while growing our economy and protecting our environment. Kerry-Edwards will create a new energy and conservation trust fund to accelerate the development of innovative technologies, such as more efficient cars and trucks, the development of biofuels, and creating clean, secure, hydrogen-based energy. Kerry-Edwards will also expand the supply of natural gas, assure 20% of electricity comes from renewable sources by 2020, and make clean coal part of our energy solution.

• Reward Companies that Create Jobs in America.

  The Kerry-Edwards plan will end tax breaks for companies that move jobs overseas and use the savings to reduce the corporate tax rate by 5 percent, cutting taxes for 99 percent of corporations. The Kerry-Edwards plan also includes a New Jobs Tax Credit for new hiring in manufacturing, other businesses affected by outsourcing, and small businesses.

• Strengthen the Middle Class.

  As incomes decline and costs rise, families are having a hard time paying their bills, let alone saving for tomorrow. Health care costs are up by nearly 50 percent, college tuition has increased by 35 percent, and gas prices have skyrocketed. A Kerry-Edwards administration will provide relief to middle class families by cutting taxes and investing in health care and education.

• Invest in the Jobs of the Future.

  To keep America competitive for the future, a Kerry-Edwards administration will invest in research and technology and provide tax credits to unleash innovation in broadband, energy and small business. They will also provide a tax credit on up to $4,000 for each of four years of college tuition. And they will work for responsible immigration laws that honor America’s promise and strengthen America’s economy and security.

• Restore Fiscal Discipline to Washington.

  Kerry and Edwards have a record of fiscal discipline that is absent in this administration, and they have promised to live within the budget principles that helped lead this nation to balance the budget. Their plan will cut the deficit in half in four years, increasing economic confidence and keep interest rates from rising.

• Up to $1,000 of Health Care Premium Relief

  The Kerry-Edwards plan will provide relief for employers who offer their employees quality health coverage by helping out with certain high cost health cases - saving families up to $1,000 per year.

• A Health Plan for Every Child

  The Kerry-Edwards plan will pick up the full cost of the more than 20 million children enrolled in Medicaid. In exchange, states will expand eligibility for children’s health coverage and low-income adults and enroll every child automatically.

• Manage Skyrocketing Health Care Costs

  The Kerry-Edwards plan will improve health outcomes while reducing health care costs by cutting administrative costs, waste, fraud, and abuse; enhancing disease management efforts; and reforming malpractice insurance.

• World Class Education

  The Kerry-Edwards plan will support more resources and more reform in our schools. The plan will fully fund the No Child Left Behind Act so students have smaller classes and more textbooks. The plan will make reform work for our schools, supporting innovations in public schools like smaller schools, all-girls schools focused on math and science, and charter schools. And the plan will invest in afterschool programs so that 3.5 million children have a safe, quality place to go after school.

• Every Classroom Has a Great Teacher

  The Kerry-Edwards plan will raise teacher pay, especially in the schools and subjects where great teachers are in the shortest supply, and will improve teachers’ professional development and training opportunities. At the same time, the plan will create rigorous new tests for new teachers; provide higher pay for teachers who have extra skills and excel in helping children learn; and ensure fast, fair procedures for improving or removing teachers who do not perform well on the job, while preserving protections from arbitrary dismissal.

• Every Young Person Graduates

  Today 3 in 10 young people do not finish high school, and half of Hispanics, African Americans, Native Americans don’t graduate. Kerry-Edwards will keep better track of graduation rates to hold schools accountable for raising them; will offer more tutoring and mentoring to at-risk youth; will make big high schools smaller when they are not working for their students; and will strengthen the high school curriculum so all students can graduate with a meaningful diploma.