YPRuck:  YP’s this time last year everyone was more involved in the political process more than ever during the presidential election and this year there are some important governor races in the key states of New Jersey and Virginia and election day is tomorrow YP’s.  I’m not sure if you guys have had your political hats on and following these races but if you live in one of these states I would advise you to google the candidates to inform yourself and then go out and be heard by voting.  I am not here to advise you on who to vote for but just to vote and be heard because if you don’t vote you really don’t have much room to complain.  Anyway, here’s an article from CNN that I ran across highlighting the important governor races in NJ, and VA so check it out and vote.  The polls are indicating that the Republican candidates are the front runners in both states so if your a democrat you may want to get the word out to your fellow democrats to get out and vote and if your Republican I would do the same.  Stand up YP’s and be heard! 

New Jersey Candidates: Jon Corzine (Dem.), Chris Christie (Rep.)

Virginia Candidates: Creigh Deeds (Dem.), Bob McDonnell (Rep.)

***In addition, if you live in the following major cities, these mayoral elections are tomorrow: Atlanta, Boston, Houston, Jersey City, Los Angelos, New York City, Pittsburgh, Rochester, San Antonio, Seattle, and Syracuse.***

More mayoral elections: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_mayoral_elections,_2009

Washington (CNN) — Even though President Obama is not on the ballot this November, he and the Democrats who control Congress have a lot on the line.Among the many contests being voted on in a little more than week, two statewide battles for governor are grabbing a lot of national attention.

The president heads back on the campaign trail in Virginia on Tuesday, not for himself but for fellow Democrat gubernatorial candidate Creigh Deeds. Recent polls suggest Deeds, a state senator from the rural western part of Virginia, trails his Republican opponent, former Virginia attorney general Bob McDonnell.

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YPRuck: We are all aware of the ridiculously high-unemployment across the nation and I found this article on CNNMoney.com about the unemployment benefits being extended.  I am all in favor for the government extending unemployment benefits but in the same token I couldn’t help but to think about the individuals that are taking advantage of the system and just settling for their unemployment benefits and not looking for jobs until their benefits run out.  I read some interesting comments that made me think about that issue and I pray that people are doing the right thing and seeking a job while using their unemployment benefits to get them by until employment is obtained.  As I stated, I’m all for extending the unemployment benefits for individuals and families that need it because we all know someone that has been a casualty of this recession.  Check out this article and share your thoughts YP’s.   

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — Jobless Americans in high-unemployment states would see their benefits extended for another 13 weeks under legislation to be considered by Congress next Wednesday.

The House measure would lengthen benefits for the more than 300,000 people who live in states with unemployment rates greater than 8.5% and who are set to run out of compensation by the end of this month, a Democratic aide said. The legislation would also help another 1 million people who are scheduled to lose benefits by the end of the year.

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Coverage Denied: How the Current Health Insurance System Leaves Millions Behind

“Pre-Existing Conditions” Affect Millions of Americans

A large proportion of Americans have health conditions that insurance companies can qualify as “pre-existing conditions.”

A pre-existing condition is a medical condition that existed before someone applies for or enrolls in a new health insurance policy. It can be something as prevalent as heart disease – which affects one in three adults¹ – or something as life-changing as cancer, which affects 11 million Americans.²

But a pre-existing condition does not have to be a serious disease like cancer or heart disease. Even relatively minor conditions like hay fever, asthma, or previous sports injuries can trigger high premiums or denials of coverage.³

Unattainable Health Coverage

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Aside from the damage done to his standing as a social conservative, South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford’s recent admission of an extramarital affair may end up tarnishing another of his political credentials — his carefully honed reputation as a tightfisted steward of taxpayer money.

A POLITICO analysis of hundreds of pages of state travel records requested to explore the circumstances of his affair found that in his 6 1/2 years as governor, Sanford traveled frequently and in a style markedly at odds with his political persona.

The records detail more than $468,000 worth of state-funded travel for Sanford and show that he routinely billed taxpayers for high-end airline seats, racking up more than $44,000 on business- and first-class tickets. He often stayed in pricey hotels that far exceeded the rates he imposed on other state employees.
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John Lennon once described the scene inside the Beatles during the heyday of the fan frenzy of Beatlemania in the 1960s as similar to being inside the eye of a hurricane. “We always called it the eye of the hurricane – it was calmer right in the middle,” Lennon said.

This might be the case inside the White House these days as President Barrack Obama sends the country into a tizzy with weekly announcements of new domestic and foreign policy initiatives that are drastically changing the political landscape.

These policies are so different that critics are arguing he’s ruining the country while the President’s supporters say his programs are just the right ones to get the country back on track.

With so many pundits and politicians commenting on President Obama’s every move, it’s reminiscent of the crazy chaos that surrounded the Fab Four in the early days of the British invasion. “Everybody got into the mania,” Beatle George Harrison once said.

As an example, in the brief five months since President Obama has taken office, the country has digested an $800 billion economic stimulus package – with little or no debate; the bailing out of our national banks and two major automobile companies; an increased military effort in Afghanistan; potential trouble in Pakistan; nuclear weapons issues in North Korea and Iran; a soaring unemployment rate at home; a worldwide swine flu medical emergency; a Supreme Court appointment featuring the first Hispanic woman; enhanced interrogation issues involving both the former administration and the current Speaker of the House; massive spending deficits; the appointments of several new “czars,” including an executive compensation czar; and now imminent – the launching of a national health insurance program.

This is but a partial list of the issues and activities the new administration has thrust upon the country. So it’s little wonder that national opinion polls are mixed on the President’s personal approval ratings versus those for his programs. No doubt there is a simmering anxiety about his policies, and this can be summed up in one word: spending. The economy is not out of the woods, and there is a justifiable fear that the massive deficit spending as proposed by the President will thwart the economic recovery.

Republicans are almost gleeful over the prospects that the Democrats have overreached on spending – asking the country to borrow upwards of $9 trillion over the next 10 years. The GOP is already anticipating big gains in 2010 congressional elections. The single biggest worry among some is inflation – the inevitable result of the vast amount of money that is now being printed in Washington – but a return to the Jimmy Carter years of stagflation is also a dreaded possibility.

Stagflation is defined as a period of slow economic growth and high unemployment (stagflation) with rising prices (inflation) and the result is a knockout punch that will set the economy back for years. The current economic calamity has brought one thing into focus for the American people – they cannot be addicted to the free spending and vast consumption mentality of the past. Surveys are showing that consumers are reining in their spending and starting to save more in the process -a pattern that might continue for years to come.

Republicans further argue that the Obama plan cannot work because federal spending can only create jobs temporary in nature and add to the growth of the government – not the growth of the economy. Democrats are countering that something different had to be done and jump starting the economy required more federal investment, taxes, and spending.

It will be another year or so before we have the answers to whether the Obama plan has worked. But one thing can be said – President Obama has remained calm and convinced that his ideas will get the country back on track. As the political whirlwind continues, President Obama can take refuge in how four boys from Liverpool handled a mania of a different sort some 45 years ago – as Lennon said, “It was calmer right in the middle.”

Let’s hope the country has the same success as the Beatles once did.

Robb Austin is a former newspaper reporter and elected Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and has successfully run numerous Congressional campaigns. Learn more at http://robbaustin.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Robb_Austin