Conservapedia - User contributions [en]

Terrorist

2007-03-17T22:39:37Z

Pwaynes:

{{stub}}

'''Terrorism''' is defined by the US Department of Defense as "the unlawful use of -- or threatened use of -- force or violence against individuals or property to coerce or intimidate governments or societies, often to achieve political, religious, or ideological objectives." Recently, there has been an outbreak of Islamic terrorism against Christian nations such as the [[United States of America]]. America has rightfully defended itself in Afghanistan and Iraq through the [[War on Terror]].

==See also==
*[[September 11, 2001 attacks]]
*[[Osama Bin Laden]]

War on Terror

2007-03-17T22:34:20Z

Pwaynes:

=='''The War on Terror'''==
The War on Terror (or War on Terrorism) refers to the campaign waged by the [[United States of America]] and a coalition of willing allies with the stated goal of ending international terrorism, which is typically understood to refer particularly to radical Islamist terrorism. The war was launched in response to the [[9/11]] [[al-Qaeda]] attacks on the United States.

==Overview==

==Campaigns==

===Afghanistan===

In immediate response to the 9/11 attacks, the United States invaded [[Afghanistan]] to overthrow the [[Taliban]] and deny [[al-Qaeda]] a base of operations.

===Iraq War===

The [[Iraq War]], also known as the Second Persian Gulf War, began in March 2003 when the United States and the coalition of the willing invaded [[Iraq ]]to overthrow [[Saddam Hussein]]'s Baathist regime of terror. The close links between Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein have been documented by CNN and many other authorities, despite liberal lies to the contrary.<ref>[http://edition.cnn.com/WORLD/meast/9902/13/afghan.binladen/ Bin Laden reportedly leaves Afghanistan, ''[[CNN]]''</ref>

Research using robust surveying techniques has estimated that over 650,000 Iraqis have died<ref>[http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v443/n7113/full/443728a.html Iraqi death toll withstands scrutiny], ''[[Nature]]''</ref> since the fall of the [[Ba'athist]] regime. Most of these deaths are due to illegal terrorist combatants.

==References==
<references/>

===Second Lebanon War===

The [[Second Lebanon War]] was fought between [[Israel]] and [[Hezbollah]], primarily in northern Israel and southern Lebanon, in the summer of 2006.

===Waziristan War===

The [[Waziristan War]] (2004-2006) was fought between [[Pakistan]] and [[al-Qaeda]], the [[Taliban]], and sympathetic tribal militias in the [[Waziristan]] province of Pakistan, bordering [[Afghanistan]].

United States of America

2007-03-17T22:32:02Z

Pwaynes:

The '''United States of America''' (commonly referred to as The United States) was founded in on July 4, 1776 with the signing of the [[Declaration of Independence]]. It is widely considered the greatest and most powerful nation in the world. [[George Washington]], [[Thomas Jefferson]], and other [[Founding Fathers]] formally established the United States by the ratification of the [[U.S. Constitution]] in 1788 A.D. Since the presidency of [[John Quincy Adams]] the United States has been governed by one of two [[political parties]] in a [[republic]] increasingly tending towards [[democracy]] as the [[franchise]] has expanded. The younger of the two existing major parties, the [[Republican Party]], was created in 1854. Between independence in 1776 and ratification of the [[Constitution]] in 1788, the United States' governing documents included the [[Articles of Confederation]] and the [[Declaration of Independence]] itself.

The Declaration of Independence acknowledges the existence of a [[God]] when it refers to "the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God" and says all men "are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights," though the latter statement was made by [[Thomas Jefferson]], whose religious beliefs are notoriously unclear. Some Christians argue that most of the Founding Fathers were Christians and that, explicitly or not, the United States was founded upon the principles and ideals of Christianity. However, the freedom of religion (stating that the government cannot interfere in the conduct of religious groups) is a fundamental aspect of the [[First Amendment]] to the Constitution, and therefore prayer in school is unconstitutional. This [[Free Exercise Clause]] of the Amendment began increasingly to be tested and interpreted by the [[judiciary]] in the late 19th century as a result of the increasing population of religious [[minorities]] in the United States. At that time, the most significant minorities were probably the [[Mormons]], the [[Roman Catholics]], and the [[Jews]].

==Geography==

In 1783, when the [[Peace of Paris]] concluded hostilities against [[Great Britain]], the former [[colonial power]], the United States' population totaled some three million [[citizens]] and [[slaves]] living on slightly less than one million square miles of land. An unknown number of [[Native Americans]] also lived in the western part of the United States, which was then bordered on the west by the [[Mississippi River]], on the north by [[Lake Superior]], [[Lake Huron]], [[Lake Erie]] and [[Lake Ontario]], on the east by the [[Atlantic Ocean]], and on the south by [[Florida]], then controlled by [[Spain]]. The land border with [[Canada]] was not clarified until the [[Rush-Bagot Agreement]] of 1816.

The majority of the taxable population lived in the thirteen original [[states]]. In alphabetical order they are [[Connecticut]], [[Delaware]], [[Georgia]], [[Maryland]], [[Massachusetts]], [[New Hampshire]], [[New Jersey]], [[New York]], [[North Carolina]], [[Pennsylvania]], [[Rhode Island]], [[South Carolina]] and [[Virginia]]. In 1790, an agreement between supporters of Jefferson and those of [[Alexander Hamilton]] resulted in the creation of the [[District of Columbia]] from part of [[Maryland]]; it has served as the national capital from 1800 on. The remainder of the 1783 territory was eventually organized as the states of [[Ohio]], [[Indiana]], [[Michigan]], [[Illinois]], [[Wisconsin]], [[Kentucky]], [[Tennessee]], [[Mississippi]] and [[Alabama]]. Two additional states were added during the first fifty years by [[secession]] from existing states: [[Vermont]] from New York, and [[Maine]] from Massachusetts. After that, the legality of [[secession]] became an issue.

In 1803, [[French]] emperor [[Napoleon Bonaparte]] took advantage of a lull in his war with Great Britain to sell the [[Louisiana Territory]] to the United States, more than doubling the nation's land area. This territory would later be organized as the states of [[Minnesota]], [[North Dakota]], [[South Dakota]], [[Montana]], [[Wyoming]], [[Nebraska]], [[Iowa]], [[Missouri]], [[Arkansas]], [[Kansas]], [[Oklahoma]], and [[Louisiana]] proper.

[[Florida]] and [[Texas]] joined the United States as a result of [[revolutions]] by settlers from the United States against their central governments. Florida's was fought in 1810, while the much better remembered [[Texas Revolution]] was fought in 1836. While Spain was willing to cut its losses in Florida and relinquished any claims on the state in the [[Adams-Oniz Agreement]] of 1819, one of the successors to its empire in the Americas, [[Mexico]], was considerably more attached to Texas and fought the [[Mexican War]] between 1846 and 1848 to reverse its annexation by the United States. Losing badly, Mexico was forced to cede the sparsely populated northern portion of itself under the [[Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo]]. This territory eventually became the states of [[California]], [[Nevada]], [[Utah]], [[Colorado]], [[New Mexico]] and [[Arizona]]. At approximately the same time, [[President]] [[James K. Polk]] had agreed with the British that the 49th Parallel (degree of latitude) would serve as the boundary between the U. S. and Canada from [[Lake of the Woods]] (partially in Minnesota) to the [[Pacific Ocean]]. This territory was later organized as the states of [[Washington]], [[Oregon]] and [[Idaho]].

In 1867, [[Secretary of State]] [[William Seward]] pulled off the only major success of the [[Andrew Johnson]] administration by purchasing [[Alaska]] from [[Russia]]. Alaska is the westernmost extremity of [[North America]] bounded on the east by Canada, on the south by the Pacific Ocean, on the west by the [[Bering Strait]] and on the north by the [[Arctic Ocean]]. At $7,000,000, Alaska cost the United States considerably less per acre than the [[Mexican Cession]] and slightly less than the Louisiana Territory. Of course, [[inflation]] was less of a factor at this time due to the world [[economy]] still being principally [[agrarian]]. Alaska would not be admitted as a state until 1959.

The 50th and so far final state, [[Hawaii]], was admitted in 1960, 67 years after other American settlers deposed the last [[queen]] of the archipelago and 62 years after annexation had become politically feasible as a result of the [[Spanish-American War]], in which the United States also annexed [[Puerto Rico]], [[Guam]] and [[Wake Island]]. The last three islands are not states, although [[Puerto Rico]] has occasionally held non-binding [[referenda]] to express its desired status within the United States.

The United States has occasionally relinquished territory. The most significant example of this was certainly the granting of independence in 1946 to the [[Phillipines]] as part of the general [[decolonization]] of [[Asia]] and [[Africa]] following [[World War II]]. Under both [[autocratic]] and [[democratic]] governments, the Phillipines have subsequently remained a strong American ally, and today contribute more troops to the U. S. [[military]] than some states. Other Pacific territories such as the [[Federated States of Micronesia]] and [[Palau]] have also become independent in the postwar era with little objection from opinion leaders on the mainland. More controversial was the 1977 agreement between President [[Jimmy Carter]] and [[General]] [[Omar Torrijos]] to return the [[Panama Canal Zone]], which had been part of the United States since 1914, to [[Panama]] in the year 2000. Ultimately the United States lived up to this agreement despite the worst fears of both [[liberals]] (who decried [[Operation Just Cause]], the 1989 invasion of Panama) and [[conservatives]] (who feared the management of the [[Panama Canal]] by [[Chinese]] interests).

[[Category:Countries]]
[[Category:United States History]]

Sweden

2007-03-17T22:30:39Z

Pwaynes:

Sweden is a liberal country in [[Scandinavia]]. The capital city is Stockholm, which is also the largest city. Sweden has got 9 million inhabitants. With an area of 450,000 square kilometers Sweden is the third largest country in Western Europe.

Sweden is a constitutional monarchy and a parliamentary democracy. The prime minister of Sweden is 41 year old Fredrik Reinfeldt, leader of the Moderates. The Swedish parliament has 349 seats.

80 % of the inhabitants belong to the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Sweden.

==References==
http://www.sweden.se

Patriot Act

2007-03-17T22:30:02Z

Pwaynes:

The '''Patriot Act''' (formally, the `Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism (USA PATRIOT ACT) Act of 2001') was an act passed by [[congress]] following the 2001 attacks on World Trade Center. It guarentees Americans safety at home and abroad and is a crucuial weapon in fighting the terrorists.

==Links==
*[http://www.epic.org/privacy/terrorism/hr3162.html Text of Patriot act]
*[http://www.aclu.org/safefree/resources/17343res20031114.html discussion of Patriot Act]
*[http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d107:h.r.03162: LIbrary of Congress info on Patriot Act]
*[http://www.ala.org/cfapps/archive.cfm?path=washoff/Patriotres.html view of American Library Association]
*[http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/forumy/2006/01/patriot-games-terrorism-law-and.php view of the Jurist]

[[Category:United States law]]

Pachactui

2007-03-17T22:27:39Z

Pwaynes:

Pachactui is a fictional Japanese Pokemon. He is a yellow, electric, mouse-like creature, and is known for shouting "Pachactui!"

NAFTA

2007-03-17T22:23:54Z

Pwaynes:

NAFTA, or the New America Free Trade Association, is a controversial trade pact signed by the U.S., Mexico and Canada in 1992. This pact came into effect in 1994, making it the world's biggest free-trade area. It required the elimination of every trade barrier between the signers for fifteen years. It also included agreements on the environment and labor. This gave Canadian and U.S. companies access to Mexican markets.

The pact was originally negotiated by President George Bush but was made into law by President Bill Clinton, despite opposition from his own party.

The acronym can also stand for New Aberdonian Final Trophy Award, a prize presented to the resident of Aberdeen deemed the greatest haggis killer for that calendar year. Past winners include Annie Lennox, Adam Smith, Jose Mourhino and Tam "Seven Fingers" McSporran.

Ronald Wilson Reagan

2007-03-17T22:21:48Z

Pwaynes:

[[Image:Gorbachev reagan bush.gif|right|250px|thumb]]
'''Ronald Wilson Reagan '''(February 6, 1911- June 5, 2004) was the fortieth [[President of the United States of America]] from 1981 to 1989, following [[Democrat]] [[Jimmy Carter]] and preceding [[Republican]] [[George H. W. Bush]]. Considered by many to be the greatest American President, Ronald Reagan is credited with leading America peacefully through the Cold War, lowering taxes (despite supporting tax increases in the Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act and the Highway Revenue Act)[http://www.nationalreview.com/nrof_bartlett/bartlett200310290853.asp], promoting a free economy, and staunchly opposing [[socialism]] and [[communism]]. He was known affectionately to Americans as "The Gipper", harking back to a film where he was cast as All-American George Gip.

In one of his most famous challenges to Soviet communism in Europe, Reagan gave a speech in front of the Brandenburg Gate in West Berlin in which he said, "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall." Reagan's economic policies became known as "Reaganomics" based the idea tax cuts will spur savings and investment. Reagan was strongly opposed to the concept of big government, advocating a reduction in the size and budget of the federal government. During his terms in office, he faced a divided government split between Republican and Democratic control for six of his eight years as President. Even then, when the Democrats gained control of the House and Senate, he was known for forging alliances with the Democratic Speaker, [[Tip O'Neill]], among others, to effectively pass legislation.

==Early Life==
Reagan was born and raised in Illinois and attended Eureka College, where he quickly developed a reputation as a "jack of all trades", excelling in the areas of athletics and theater. In his first year at Eureka, the president of the college tried to cut back the faculty. He graduated Eureka with a degree in economics. Reagan immediately helped organize a student strike. He became a radio sports announcer after graduation, and then a famous actor, leading the Screen Actors Guild. Ironically, Reagan was thus the only president to ever lead a [[labor union]], traditionally considered bastions of liberalism. (It should be noted that Reagan considered himself a liberal, and was a registered Democrat well into the 1950's. Reagan enlisted in the military during World War II, but his eyesight was not good enough for combat duty. He used his acting skills to make military training films and promote the sale of "War Bonds. <ref>http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/06/05/reagan.obit/index.html</ref>. Peggy Noonan, wrote: ''Even in his zeal to purge the communist influence from Hollywood, he fought those who engaged in witch hunts and defended those who had been falsely accused of involvement.'' Reagan met his second wife, actress Nancy Davis, when she ended up on the "Black List" and came to him for help. [http://www.townhall.com/columnists/DavidLimbaugh/2001/11/17/noonan_when_character_was_king]

==Governor of California==
In 1966, he was elected the 33rd Governor of California. In 1970, he was re-elected. But in 1974, he chose not to seek a third term. Achievements during his terms included:

*Fighting the People's Park protests, and restoring order to California's chaotic University campuses.

*Led a massive revision of California's massive public assistance programs, actually increasing benefits to the needy.

*Working well with the Democrats to forge consensus on a variety of issues.

*Opposing the Dos Rios Dam

==Presidency==
In 1968, Reagan ran for president in the Republican primaries. However, [[Richard Nixon]] easily beat him. In 1976, he briefly challenged Gerald Ford for the Republican nomination, before withdrawing his name from consideration. Reagan knew if he continued, he would take the nomination away from Ford, and forever be branded as a Party spoiler. This he did not want, so he signaled his wish to be removed from consideration, and gave a very effective speech at the convention in support of Ford. Then, in 1980, he beat [[George H. W. Bush]] in the Republican primaries, and went on to oppose [[Jimmy Carter]] (incumbent) in the general election with G.H.W. Bush as his running mate. A poor economy and the incumbents failing to deal with several international crisis's aided Reagan. As he put it, "I'm told I can't use the word depression. Well, I'll tell you the definition. A recession is when your neighbor loses his job; depression is when you lose your job. Recovery is when Jimmy Carter loses his." In the general election, he received 50.75% of the popular vote and 90.9% of the electoral.

Once in office, Reagan showed he was playing hardball. When the [[Federal Air Traffic Controllers]] struck illegally, Reagan gave them 48 hours before he fired all who hadn't gone back to work (11,359).

In 1984, Reagan won 49 out of 50 states' electoral votes, and the largest public vote in almost 100 years, 58.77%. During his second term, he helped end the [[Cold War]], with the help of [[Mikhail Gorbachev]], and [[Pope John Paul II]] by recognizing the weakness of the Soviet economy, and simply spending them out of existence.

==Presidential Legacy==

Reagan's 1983 Strategic Defense Initiative became popularly known as "Star Wars," the name given to it by critics because they thought it was pure fantasy like the popular George Lucas films. This plan was never actually fully instituted. Although billions of dollars have been spent on development, no space-based missile defense was tested successfully until 2006. While supporters of Reagan claim SDI gave the United States a large amount of leverage in its standoff with the [[Soviet Union]], many political scientists and historians note that Star Wars played a secondary role in the calculus of Soviet policy-making, where internal structural problems were paramount, but it should be noted that the threat the Soviet Union felt from the initiative was instrumental in making them step-up negoiations, according to many involved with diplomacy at the time. [[Henry Kissinger]] wrote: ''I know it's an axiomatic view of the Left around the world that missile defense is sinful, and that it's desirable to keep each nation as vulnerable as possible. But that's a debatable premise. The U.S. must defend itself against whoever has missiles that would threaten the United States. And you don't have to be able to name an enemy.'' [http://www.doublestandards.org/dreifus1.html]

Upon his death, Margaret Thatcher commented: ''As Prime Minister, I worked closely with Ronald Reagan for eight of the most important years of all our lives. We talked regularly both before and after his presidency. And I have had time and cause to reflect on what made him a great president. Ronald Reagan knew his own mind. He had firm principles - and, I believe, right ones. He expounded them clearly, he acted upon them decisively. When the world threw problems at the White House, he was not baffled, or disorientated, or overwhelmed. He knew almost instinctively what to do. When his aides were preparing option papers for his decision, they were able to cut out entire rafts of proposals that they knew 'the Old Man' would never wear. When his allies came under Soviet or domestic pressure, they could look confidently to Washington for firm leadership. And when his enemies tested American resolve, they soon discovered that his resolve was firm and unyielding. Yet his ideas, though clear, were never simplistic. He saw the many sides of truth. Yes, he warned that the Soviet Union had an insatiable drive for military power and territorial expansion; but he also sensed it was being eaten away by systemic failures impossible to reform. Yes, he did not shrink from denouncing Moscow's 'evil empire'. But he realised that a man of goodwill might nonetheless emerge from within its dark corridors. So the President resisted Soviet expansion and pressed down on Soviet weakness at every point until the day came when communism began to collapse beneath the combined weight of these pressures and its own failures. And when a man of goodwill did emerge from the ruins, President Reagan stepped forward to shake his hand and to offer sincere cooperation. Nothing was more typical of Ronald Reagan than that large-hearted magnanimity - and nothing was more American.'' [http://reagan2020.us/eulogies/thatcher.asp]

===Economy===

Fueled by an over spending Congress that steadfastly refused Reagan's budget proposals, the national debt increased 160% during his two terms in office. The economic growth that resulted from tax cuts made deficits as a percentage of GDP lower than what they had been in during the previous decade of stagflation.

===Other events===

In 1985, after Reagan won reelection to his second term, the focus turned from reviviing the domestic economy to several foreign policy matters which had been lingering throughout the decade. One such matter involved Iran, a long time ally of the Western Allies since 1941 that had experienced an Islamic Revolution in 1979 after President Carter announced [[Human Rights]] had superseded [[Containment]] as the primary focus of American foreign policy. Since 1980 Iran had been enmeshed in a brutal trench war with neighboring Iraq which was emerging as a potent military threat in the region to other allies. Members of the National Securirty Council staff, along with CIA Director [[William Casey]], persuaded Reagan much could be gained and several problems could be addressed simulataneousluy with an overture to Iran to restore relations.

The objective of the plan was fourfold (1) takes step to restore good relations with the [[Islamic Republic of Iran]] which was becoming increasingly hostile to the West; (2) takes measures to convince Iran that Isreal could become a friend and ally; (3) insurance against Iraq becoming too strong which could become a threat to [[Kuwait]] and [[Saudi Arabia]]; (4) provide funding for other operations to continue the policy of containment in the Western Hemisphere, most notably Nicaragua, and the threat the Soviet/Cuban/Nicaragua connection was creating in [[El Salvador]] and [[Honduras]].

There were humanitarian aspects to the proposal as well; (1) the Iran-Iraq War had stalemated for nearly six years and Reagan was advised that he was in the unique position as President to help facilitate bringing a senseless war with much suffering to an end (2) the suffering of the people of the Central American Republics at the hands of Soviet inspired subversion which had finally in the decade of the 80s established a beachhead in North America; (3) Iran perhaps could be persuaded to use its good office to influence hostage takers in Lebanon who had held several Western prisoners, many of the Christian Missionaries, for several years.

===Cold War victory===
Reagan is credited for ending the Cold War in victory for the United States. Historian Tony Judt in ''Postwar'' credits Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, while the political scientist Jan Kubik presents a viewpoint that credits [[Pope John Paul II]][http://praguepost.com/articles/2007/02/28/letters-to-the-editor.php]. Other historians contend structural weaknesses within the Communist bloc meant Reagan's actions were inconsequential to the end of communism. This is the view adopted by Russians themselves, and many political historians, citing [''perestroika''] and [''glasnost''] as beginning an inevitable slow fading of central power, and a collapse by irreconcilable differences between the central Soviet [[Politburo]] and the constituent republics, especially the [[Ukraine]].<ref>David Remnick, "Lenin's Tomb</ref> In the end, the consensus seems to point to all of the above, that hastened the demise of the Soviet Union; Internal factors, religious pressure brought by the Pope, Gorbachev's "Perestrokia" and the united front of Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher, leading NATO and the West to imbed a missle defense system in Western Europe.

Political Commentator Cal Thomas wrote about it like this: ''He proved he was right about the big things. Faced with editorial denunciations at home and massive demonstrations in Europe against his plan to put missiles there to offset a Soviet threat, Reagan went ahead and did it anyway. The Soviets could not keep pace with the buildup or Reagan's proposed missile defense system (derided by critics as "Star Wars"). When those critics could not bring themselves to admit they were wrong, they unpersuasively claimed the Soviet Union fell under its own weight. More accurately, Reagan pushed it onto "the ash heap of history," with the able assistance of British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and Pope John Paul II. What Reagan did more than anything else - and it will be his lasting legacy - is replace despair with hope. Most people, even his detractors, felt a glow from being in his presence. He was the kindest, most gracious president I have met, and I have met them all since JFK. In his presence you felt he was interested in you and not himself. He was a good man.'' [http://www.townhall.com/columnists/CalThomas/2004/06/07/ronald_reagans_wonderful_life]

Brian Mulroney, the Canadian Prime Minister, said of Reagan: ''"Some in the West during the early 1980s believed communism and democracy were equally valid and viable. This was the school of "moral equivalence." In contrast Ronald Reagan saw Soviet communism as a menace to be confronted in the genuine belief that its squalid underpinning would fall swiftly to the gathering winds of freedom. Provided, as he said, that NATO and the industrialized democracies stood firm and united. They did. And we know now who was right."'' [http://reagan2020.us/eulogies/mulroney.asp]

==Miscellaneous Facts==

*The first, and so far only, divorced president.

*Reagan's 1994 announcement that he had Alzheimer's Disease brought large amounts of public attention to the disease.

*Reagan was a lifeguard for seven years growing up, and was said to have saved 77 people <ref>http://edition.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2004/reagan/stories/bio.part.one/index.html</ref>.

*The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum is located in Simi Valley, California <ref>http://www.reaganfoundation.org/visitorguide/hours_directions.asp</ref>.

*Was the first American President to have ever led a Labor Union, the AFL-CIO allied Screen Actors Guild.

*Reagan was the first president to break the "[[Curse of Tippecanoe]]"

*At 69, Reagan was the oldest man elected to the presidency.

*Reagan loved jelly beans <ref>http://www.jellybelly-uk.com/pages/q&a/trivia.shtml</ref>. The blueberry flavor was made in his honor. [[Jelly Belly]] even created a [http://www.jellybelly-uk.com/pages/q&a/bean_art_gallery.shtml Ronald Reagan portrait out of jelly beans].

==References==
<references/>

==External Links==
*[http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1101040614-646317,00.html Time Magazine Article on ''The All-American President'']
*[http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/rr40.html White House Official Page]
*[http://www.reagan.utexas.edu/ Reagan's Presidential Library]
*[http://imdb.com/name/nm0001654/ Actor Bio At IMDB]
*[http://www.ronaldreaganmemorial.com/ Official Memorial]

[[Category:Presidents of the United States]]

Cable News Network

2007-03-17T22:20:20Z

Pwaynes:

'''CNN''' (officially the '''Cable News Network''') is a liberal news network, and is the oldest 24 hour cable news channel in the [[United States]]. First started in 1980 by [[Ted Turner]] it is a division of the Turner Broadcasting System, which is owned by Time Warner.

From its origin as a cable-only service, CNN now broadcasts worldwide by satellite, with programs presented from studios in several countries in addition to their headquarters in Atlanta. Some regions receive locally produced opt-outs (under the name "CNN International"), and there are also broadcasts in [[Spanish]] and Turkish.

CNN is the most widely acknowledged contributor to [[liberal bias]] in the media.

Operation Iraqi Freedom

2007-03-17T22:18:22Z

Pwaynes:

'''2003 Iraq War''' (3/20/2003-) is presently the largest war operation in the world{{fact}}, started when the [[United States]] and allies including the [[United Kingdom]]<ref>http://edition.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/europe/11/20/prague.bush.nato/</ref> launched a combat operation against [[Iraq]], with the stated goal of deposing dictator [[Saddam Hussein]] and bring Iraq into compliance with United Nations resolutions regarding [[Weapons of Mass Destruction|Weapons of Mass Destruction programs]]. The war is currently ongoing, and there exists a large debate over topics such as withdrawal of American forces and the role of nations in the region. The war is is crucial to the larger U.S. led [[War on Terrorism]]. Democrats have critisized the administration for percieved blunders in the war on terror, even though most of them voted for the war. The American left has been criticized for its objections to the execution of the war.

===Iraqi Liberation===
Iraqis welcomed the American invasion and overthrow of Saddam Hussein, and in the proceeding months, were optimistic about their country's future. An 'American Enterprise'-'Wall Street Journal'-Zogby poll in September 2003 found that "Seven out of 10 say they expect their country and their personal lives will be better five years from now. On both fronts, 32% say things will become much better".<ref>http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110003991</ref> Furthermore, in a March 2004 poll of Iraqis, the BBC found that Iraqis have great hope in a stable, unified government for their country, with 80% of respondents favoring a centralized state ruled from Baghdad. <ref>http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3514504.stm</ref> Since 2004, the situation has deteriorated to the point where some people are referring to the incessant strife as a 'Civil War". <ref>[http://www.foreignaffairs.org/20070301faessay86201/james-d-fearon/iraq-s-civil-war.html] Foreign Affairs, March/April 2007</ref>

===Insurgency===
However, Iraqi opposition to the American presence, both politically and militarily, has gradually increased since 2003. A secret British Ministry of Defence poll conducted in late 2005 found that 82 percent of Iraqis were "strongly opposed" to the presence of Coalition soldiers in Iraq.<ref>http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/10/23/wirq23.xml</ref> The same poll found support for Iraqi rebels at 45%, rising to 65% in Maysan province, although a poll by the IRI in March 2006 found 78% of respondents answered that "violence is never acceptable"<ref>http://www.iri.org/mena/iraq/pdfs/2006-04-27-Iraq%20poll%20March%20March.ppt</ref>.

A poll commissioned by the University of Maryland's Program on International Policy Attitudes in the autumn of 2006 found that Iraqi support for anti-Coalition violence had risen to 61%.<ref>http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2006-09-27-iraqi-opinion_x.htm</ref> Similarly, a [[U.S. State Department]] poll conducted in 2006 found that "two-thirds of Iraqis in Baghdad favor an immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops". <ref>http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2006-09-27-iraqi-opinion_x.htm</ref> Hundreds of thousands of Iraqi civilians have fled to neighboring [[Jordan]] and [[Syria]] since the 2003 invasion.<ref>http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,,1966333,00.html</ref>

Since the removal of Saddam, the United States has been in the middle of Arab Sunni and Arab Shia. Among the Arab Shia majority, notably the [[Jaysh Al-Madhi]], have began to attack American and other coalition troops even while the coalition has been protecting the Shia from Sunni attacks. Other Shia groups that have not attacked coalition forces have pursued their own factional aims while relying on the US to ensure Shia majority rule. To many if not most Sunnis, the US is viewed as the enemy because it supports Shia majority rule. Under Muslim law, only Muslims may rule a Muslim state, and the Shia are considered heretics and thus not fit to lead the nation. Though a minority, the Sunni have traditionally ruled Iraq and view themselves entitled to continue the privilge of doing so.<ref> Testimony of Edward N. Luttwak, Committee on Foreign Relations, U.S. Senate , Hearings on [http://www.csis.org/media/csis/congress/ts070123luttwak.pdf Securing America's Interest in Iraq], 23 January 2007.</ref>

===Weapons of Mass Destruction===

The search for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq is not over, and it has yielded results so far. Persons associated with the programs have been detained and documents related to various programs have yet to be translated. Only about one-third of 36 million captured pages have been examined by a linguist and a summary gist of the document prepared.<ref>[https://www.cia.gov/cia/reports/iraq_wmd_2004/scope.html Comprehensive Report of the Special Advisor to the DCI on Iraq’s WMD], 30 September 2004.</ref> Some believe the physical WMDs that had been produced prior to the invasion were smuggled out of the country, possibly to [[Syria]], before the onset of the war. Critics of the Administration insist Saddam Hussein had the country's stockpiles destroyed after the [[Gulf War|First Gulf War]], and that Iraq was at least a decade away from producing more. These critics are not backed by the facts.

===Costs===

''(Needs more statistics)''
Since the war is not yet over, the total cost has yet to be tallied. However, the [[Congressional Budget Office]] estimates that the war has, as of 3/12/2007, cost less than $400 Billion.<ref>[http://www.newstatesman.com/200703120024 Iraq: the hidden cost of the war]</ref>

==References==
<references/>

==External links==
*[http://www.state.gov/p/nea/rls/rpt/iraqstatus/c20699.htm Iraq Weekly Status Report] U.S. Department of State.

Operation Iraqi Freedom

2007-03-17T22:17:57Z

Pwaynes:

'''2003 Iraq War''' (3/20/2003-) is presently the largest war operation in the world{{fact}}, started when the [[United States]] and allies including the [[United Kingdom]]<ref>http://edition.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/europe/11/20/prague.bush.nato/</ref> launched a combat operation against [[Iraq]], with the stated goal of deposing dictator [[Saddam Hussein]] and bring Iraq into compliance with United Nations resolutions regarding [[Weapons of Mass Destruction|Weapons of Mass Destruction programs]]. The war is currently ongoing, and there exists a large debate over topics such as withdrawal of American forces and the role of nations in the region. The war is is crucial to the larger U.S. led [[War on Terrorism]]. Democrats have critisized the administration for percieved blunders in the war on terror, even though most of them voted for the war. The American left has been criticized for its objections to the execution of the war.

===Iraqi Liberation===
Iraqis welcomed the American invasion and overthrow of Saddam Hussein, and in the proceeding months, were optimistic about their country's future. An 'American Enterprise'-'Wall Street Journal'-Zogby poll in September 2003 found that "Seven out of 10 say they expect their country and their personal lives will be better five years from now. On both fronts, 32% say things will become much better".<ref>http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110003991</ref> Furthermore, in a March 2004 poll of Iraqis, the BBC found that Iraqis have great hope in a stable, unified government for their country, with 80% of respondents favoring a centralized state ruled from Baghdad. <ref>http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3514504.stm</ref> Since 2004, the situation has deteriorated to the point where some people are referring to the incessant strife as a 'Civil War". <ref>[http://www.foreignaffairs.org/20070301faessay86201/james-d-fearon/iraq-s-civil-war.html] Foreign Affairs, March/April 2007</ref>

===Iraqi Resistance===
However, Iraqi opposition to the American presence, both politically and militarily, has gradually increased since 2003. A secret British Ministry of Defence poll conducted in late 2005 found that 82 percent of Iraqis were "strongly opposed" to the presence of Coalition soldiers in Iraq.<ref>http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/10/23/wirq23.xml</ref> The same poll found support for Iraqi rebels at 45%, rising to 65% in Maysan province, although a poll by the IRI in March 2006 found 78% of respondents answered that "violence is never acceptable"<ref>http://www.iri.org/mena/iraq/pdfs/2006-04-27-Iraq%20poll%20March%20March.ppt</ref>.

A poll commissioned by the University of Maryland's Program on International Policy Attitudes in the autumn of 2006 found that Iraqi support for anti-Coalition violence had risen to 61%.<ref>http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2006-09-27-iraqi-opinion_x.htm</ref> Similarly, a [[U.S. State Department]] poll conducted in 2006 found that "two-thirds of Iraqis in Baghdad favor an immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops". <ref>http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2006-09-27-iraqi-opinion_x.htm</ref> Hundreds of thousands of Iraqi civilians have fled to neighboring [[Jordan]] and [[Syria]] since the 2003 invasion.<ref>http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,,1966333,00.html</ref>

Since the removal of Saddam, the United States has been in the middle of Arab Sunni and Arab Shia. Among the Arab Shia majority, notably the [[Jaysh Al-Madhi]], have began to attack American and other coalition troops even while the coalition has been protecting the Shia from Sunni attacks. Other Shia groups that have not attacked coalition forces have pursued their own factional aims while relying on the US to ensure Shia majority rule. To many if not most Sunnis, the US is viewed as the enemy because it supports Shia majority rule. Under Muslim law, only Muslims may rule a Muslim state, and the Shia are considered heretics and thus not fit to lead the nation. Though a minority, the Sunni have traditionally ruled Iraq and view themselves entitled to continue the privilge of doing so.<ref> Testimony of Edward N. Luttwak, Committee on Foreign Relations, U.S. Senate , Hearings on [http://www.csis.org/media/csis/congress/ts070123luttwak.pdf Securing America's Interest in Iraq], 23 January 2007.</ref>

===Weapons of Mass Destruction===

The search for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq is not over, and it has yielded results so far. Persons associated with the programs have been detained and documents related to various programs have yet to be translated. Only about one-third of 36 million captured pages have been examined by a linguist and a summary gist of the document prepared.<ref>[https://www.cia.gov/cia/reports/iraq_wmd_2004/scope.html Comprehensive Report of the Special Advisor to the DCI on Iraq’s WMD], 30 September 2004.</ref> Some believe the physical WMDs that had been produced prior to the invasion were smuggled out of the country, possibly to [[Syria]], before the onset of the war. Critics of the Administration insist Saddam Hussein had the country's stockpiles destroyed after the [[Gulf War|First Gulf War]], and that Iraq was at least a decade away from producing more. These critics are not backed by the facts.

===Costs===

''(Needs more statistics)''
Since the war is not yet over, the total cost has yet to be tallied. However, the [[Congressional Budget Office]] estimates that the war has, as of 3/12/2007, cost less than $400 Billion.<ref>[http://www.newstatesman.com/200703120024 Iraq: the hidden cost of the war]</ref>

==References==
<references/>

==External links==
*[http://www.state.gov/p/nea/rls/rpt/iraqstatus/c20699.htm Iraq Weekly Status Report] U.S. Department of State.

Mark Foley

2007-03-17T22:05:25Z

Pwaynes:

Mark Foley (born on September 8, 1954 AD) is a [[Republican]] who served as a member of the [[House of Representatives]] from 1995 AD to 2006 AD. Before serving in the House, Foley was a member of of the [[Lake Worth City Council]], [[Florida House of Representatives]], and [[Floride State Senate]]. As a Congressman, Foley served on the [[House Ways and Means Committee]]. He also played a role in the recount of the Florida ballots in the 2000 presidential election, challenging that the media's work would only "undermine the legitimacy of the presidency." [http://archive.democrats.com/view.cfm?id=838]

Foley resigned from the House of Representatives on September 26, 2006 AD after allegations that he had made sexual advances towards several teenage boys came to light. These allegations were never proven. After Foley's resignation, his lawyer alleged that Foley had been abused by a priest as a boy, and that his client was entering a rehabiliation center for [[alcoholism]]. [http://www.harpers.org/sb-republicans-1160492797.html]

== Trivia ==
----
* The Church of Scientology listed Foley as one of their members up until the scandal [http://www.radaronline.com/exclusives/2006/10/scientologists-scrub-foley-fete-from-site.php]
* Foley was the first [[Republican]] to quote [[Al Gore]] as having said that he had "invented" the internet. [[www.dailyhowler.com/dh100606.shtml]]
* During the Foley scandal, [[Fox News]] showed a a picture of the congressman with a graphic identifying him as "Mark Foley, D-Fl" [http://youtube.com/watch?v=N_vtC98IFoA].

Mark Foley

2007-03-17T22:04:59Z

Pwaynes:

Mark Foley (born on September 8, 1954 AD) is a [[Republican]] who served as a member of the [[House of Representatives]] from 1995 AD to 2006 AD. Before serving in the House, Foley was a member of of the [[Lake Worth City Council]], [[Florida House of Representatives]], and [[Floride State Senate]]. As a Congressman, Foley served on the [[House Ways and Means Committee]]. He also played a role in the recount of the Florida ballots in the 2000 presidential election, challenging that the media's work would only "undermine the legitimacy of the presidency." [http://archive.democrats.com/view.cfm?id=838]

Foley resigned from the House of Representatives on September 26, 2006 AD after allegations that he had made sexual advances towards several teenage boys came to light. These allegations were never proven. After Foley's resignation, his lawyer alleged that Foley had been abused by a priest as a boy, and that his client was entering a rehabiliation center for [[alcoholism]]. [http://www.harpers.org/sb-republicans-1160492797.html]

== Trivia ==
----
* The Church of Scientology listed Foley as one of their members up until the scandal [http://www.radaronline.com/exclusives/2006/10/scientologists-scrub-foley-fete-from-site.php]
* Foley was the first [[Republican]] to misquote [[Al Gore]] as having said that he had "invented" the internet. [[www.dailyhowler.com/dh100606.shtml]]
* During the Foley scandal, [[Fox News]] showed a a picture of the congressman with a graphic identifying him as "Mark Foley, D-Fl" [http://youtube.com/watch?v=N_vtC98IFoA].

Bill O'Reilly

2007-03-17T22:03:41Z

Pwaynes:

Bill O'Reilly is a popular commentator and host of the show ''[[The O'Reilly Factor]]'' on the [[Fox News Channel]], which he calls the "No Spin Zone." His interviewing style is aggressive, and he never lets guests spin the facts. O'Reilly often remarks that his personal political viewpoint is not captured by the modern [[Democratic Party|Democrat]] and [[Republican Party|Republican]] archetypes and would rather call himself a ''Traditionalist''. In this vein, he has expressed support for some positions not traditionally associated with his political supporters including anthropogenic climate change and civil unions for both heterosexual and homosexual couples. On Comedy Central's ''The Colbert Report'', Stephen Colbert plays an over-the-top parody of the pundits archetyped by O'Reilly.

Infidel

2007-03-17T21:55:35Z

Pwaynes:

The term "infidels" is a term used by some muslims to refer to good christians, and they use the term as justification to wage Jihad, or holy war, on them through terrorist attacks.

[[Category:Religion]]

George H. W. Bush

2007-03-17T21:52:35Z

Pwaynes:

''George H. W. (Herbert Walker) Bush'', [[Republican]], was the 41st President of the United States, serving from 1989 to 1993. Before his presidency, Bush was the 43rd Vice President of the United States in the administration of Ronald Reagan. He has also served as the member of the United States House of Representatives for the 7th district of Texas (1967–1971), the United States Ambassador to the United Nations (1971–1973), Chairman of the Republican National Committee (1973–1974), Chief of the United States Liaison Office in the People's Republic of China (1974–1976), and Director of Central Intelligence (1976–1977). His spawn is [[George W. Bush]].

Perhaps more importantly than his tenure as president, Bush served in World War II as a fighter pilot, where he earned three Silver Stars and the Congressional Medal of Honor. Immediately after the end of the war, Gen. [[Dwight Eisenbower]] delivered a famous speech in which he mentioned Bush by name and called him "unquestionably the finest example of a young man that America has today."

His presidency was defined primarily with the 1990 [[Gulf War]] He faced a strong challenge from [[Pat Robertson]] in 1988 primary due to charges that he was too liberal, and some claim that he lost the presidency in 1992 due to many Republicans defecting to the [[Ross Perot]] camp. He is considered by many to be one of the greatest presidents, and in fact was named the best president of the second half of the 20th century in a 1998 poll of major historians.

== Family ==

Upon his return from the war, George Bush married Barbara Pierce. Their marriage later produced six children: George Walker Bush, Pauline Robinson Bush, John Ellis "Jeb" Bush, Neil Mallon Bush, Marvin Bush, and Dorothy Bush Koch.

On Dec. 5, 2006 President George H. W. Bush, addressing Florida lawmakers and others, broke down in tears as he cited his son, Gov. Jeb Bush, as an example of leadership.[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16053170/]

The Bush dynasty is generally considered to be one of the greatest american political families, along with the Adams. This is in contrast to the irresponsible and wreckless Kennedy family.

[[Category:Biographies]]
[[Category:Presidents of the United States]]

George H. W. Bush

2007-03-17T21:52:19Z

Pwaynes:

''George H. W. (Herbert Walker) Bush'', [[Republican]], was the 41st President of the United States, serving from 1989 to 1993. Before his presidency, Bush was the 43rd Vice President of the United States in the administration of Ronald Reagan. He has also served as the member of the United States House of Representatives for the 7th district of Texas (1967–1971), the United States Ambassador to the United Nations (1971–1973), Chairman of the Republican National Committee (1973–1974), Chief of the United States Liaison Office in the People's Republic of China (1974–1976), and Director of Central Intelligence (1976–1977). His spawn is [[George W. Bush]].

Perhaps more importantly than his tenure as president, Bush served in World War II as a fighter pilot, where he earned three Silver Stars and the Congressional Medal of Honor. Immediately after the end of the war, Gen. [[Dwight Eisenbower]] delivered a famous speech in which he mentioned Bush by name and called him "unquestionably the finest example of a young man that America has today."

His presidency was defined primarily with the 1990 [[Gulf War]] He faced a strong challenge from [[Pat Robertson]] in 1988 primary due to charges that he was too liberal, and some claim that he lost the presidency in 1992 due to many Republicans defecting to the [[Ross Perot]] camp. He is considered by many to be one of the greatest presidents, and in fact was named the best president of the second half of the 20th century in a 1998 poll of major historians.

== Family ==

Upon his return from the war, George Bush married Barbara Pierce. Their marriage later produced six children: George Walker Bush, Pauline Robinson Bush, John Ellis "Jeb" Bush, Neil Mallon Bush, Marvin Bush, and Dorothy Bush Koch.

On Dec. 5, 2006 President George H. W. Bush, addressing Florida lawmakers and others, broke down in tears as he cited his son, Gov. Jeb Bush, as an example of leadership.[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16053170/]

The Bush dynasty is generally considered to be one of the greatest american political families, along with the Adams. This is in contrast to the irresponsible and wreckless Kennedy family.{{fact}}

[[Category:Biographies]]
[[Category:Presidents of the United States]]

Censorship

2007-03-17T21:49:12Z

Pwaynes:

'''Censorship''' is the act of withholding information from a larger audience by a group of people or a single person who has the power to do so. Oftentimes it is done for the protection of the ''people'', and is often justified as the material in question is usual obscene, pornographic, satanic, or otherwise harmful.

Economics

2007-03-17T21:47:28Z

Pwaynes:

Economics is a social science concerned with how society allocates its limited resources. Economists normally take a [[utilitarian]] view of the world, being more concerned with the most efficient systems than with social equity, or societal values.

It is generally accepted that economics was created as a science by [[Adam Smith]], in his book [[An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations]].

Economics generally divides into two broad areas of study [[Macroeconomics]], which is concerned with the study of a given economy as a while, and [[Microeconomics]], which is concerned with a particular market, or firm within that economy.

Examples of systems in [[macroeconomics]] are [[capitalism]], [[socialism]], and [[communism]].

Abortion rates by US state

2007-03-17T21:43:32Z

Pwaynes:

Here is a ranking of states from the lowest to the highest [[abortion]] rates per 100 pregnancies. Notice how the ranking correlates closely with the [[George W. Bush|Bush]] v. [[John Kerry|Kerry]] outcomes in the [[2004 presidential election]]. Notable exceptions are indicated in bold, with the first two exceptions ([[Wisconsin]] and [[Minnesota]]) only narrowly going for Kerry, and the last exception ([[Nevada]]) only narrowly going for Bush.<ref>http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/2006/09/12/USTPstats.pdf</ref>

 1. Utah (Bush)
 2. South Dakota (Bush)
 3. North Dakota (Bush)
 4. Kentucky (Bush)
 5. West Virginia (Bush)
 6. Idaho (Bush)
 7. Louisiana (Bush)
 8. Wisconsin ('''Kerry''')
 9. Iowa (Bush)
 10. Arkansas (Bush)
 11. Nebraska (Bush)
 12. Kansas (Bush)
 13. Indiana (Bush)
 14. Oklahoma (Bush)
 15. Minnesota ('''Kerry''')
 16. Alaska (Bush)
 17. Missouri (Bush)
 18. Vermont ('''Kerry''')
 19. Montana (Bush)
 20. Maine ('''Kerry''')
 21. Alabama (Alabama)
 22. Tennessee (Bush)
 23. Mississippi (Bush)
 24. Ohio (Bush)
 25. Texas (Bush)
 26. New Hampshire ('''Kerry''')
 27. South Carolina (Bush)
 28. Pennsylvania ('''Kerry''')
 29. Georgia (Bush)
 30. Colorado (Bush)
 31. Virginia (Bush)
 32. Arizona (Bush)
 33. New Mexico (Bush)
 34. North Carolina (Bush)
 35. Rhode Island (Kerry)
 36. Michigan (Kerry)
 37. Wyoming ('''Bush''')
 38. Oregon (Kerry)
 39. Washington (Kerry)
 40. Massachusetts (Kerry)
 41. Illinois (Kerry)
 42. Connecticut (Kerry)
 43. Delaware (Kerry)
 44. Florida ('''Bush''')
 45. Hawaii (Kerry)
 46. California (Kerry)
 47. Nevada ('''Bush''')
 48. Maryland (Kerry)
 49. New York (Kerry)
 50. New Jersey (Bush)

----

'''Sources:''' <references/>

Bill Clinton

2007-03-17T21:41:16Z

Pwaynes:

[[Image:billclinton.jpg|thumb|right|150px|United States President Bill Clinton]]
'''William''' "Bill" '''Jefferson Clinton''' served as the 42nd [[President of the United States of America]] from 1993-2001, following [[George H. W. Bush]] and preceding [[George W. Bush]].

== Early Life ==
----

Clinton was born William Jefferson Blythe III on August 19, 1946 AD in Hope, Arkansas. His father, William Jefferson Blythe Jr. died in a car accident while his mother was pregnant with him. Clinton's mother later married Roger Clinton, and the four year-old William was given his stepfather's name.[http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/bc42.html]

Clinton was active in high school, participating in various student government organizations as well as playing the saxophone. Roger Clinton, however, made Bill's family life unpleasant by repeatedly abusing Clinton's mother and her children.'''(sources needed)''' Bill Clinton would eventually stand up to his stepfather in high school, forcing him to stop beating his mother and kicking him out of the house. '''(sources needed)''' After Roger Clinton underwent alcohol rehabiliation, he would eventually rejoin the family.

Clinton attended [[Georgetown University]], then [[Oxford University]] after winning a [[Rhodes Scholarship]], and finally earned a Juris Doctorate from [[Yale University]] in 1973 ADE. At Yale he met [[Hillary Rodham]], whom he would later marry [http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/bc42.html].

== Early Political Career and Whitewater Scandal ==
----

After returning to live in Arkansas, Clinton was elected [[Attorney General]] of Arkansas in 1976 AD. Two years later, he was elected Governor of Arkansas, becoming the youngest governor in the country as a 32 year-old. Though defeated in 1980 AD, Clinton won back the governorship in 1982 AD and held it until becoming President in 1992 AD. Some business transactions he while made were extensively investigated for years (the [[Whitewater]] scandal).

== Presidency and Impeachment==
----
Clinton's presidency is notable as he never won a majority of the popular vote. Clinton won in 1992 with 43% of the popular vote versus President [[George H. W. Bush's]] 37%, capitalizing on public discontent with a weak economy and public displeasure with Bush's proposed tax increases, and Ross Perot, a popular third candidate. In his first two years in office, 1993 through 1994, Clinton was unable to "reform" health-care in the United States by some sort of government-backed universal health-care insurance, which many conservatives felt would result in effective government control of the health care system. '''(sources needed)''' His approach consisted of appointing a planning committee with secret members to reshape this important sector of the economy. '''(sources needed)''' The [[Association of American Physicians and Surgeons]] successfully sued to force disclosure of the committee members, and Clinton ultimately failed to pass the program.'''(sources needed)'''

In 1994, voters expressed their high disapproval of Clinton by giving a victory to Republicans in Congress, where Republicans won 49.9% of the popular vote (compared to the Democrat's 44%). This event was tagged the "Republican Revolution," and began a series of showdowns with the Republican-led Congress.'''(sources needed)''' These showdowns were epitomized by the budget conflict with then-Speaker of the House [[Newt Gingrich]] in 1995. Gingrich refused to pass Clinton's budget proposal, and the latter threatened to shut down the government if he did not have his way. '''(sources needed)'''When Clinton called his bluff, Gingrich caused the federal government to shut down for several days.'''(sources needed)''' Clinton did not cave, however, and eventually had his budget passed [http://www.nationalreview.com/comment/commentprint082800d.html]. This showdown backfired for the Republicans, as it reinvigorated Clinton's flagging approval ratings, which would remain above 60% for most of his presidency[http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/92/Clinton_approval_rating.JPG].

Clinton was reelected in 1996 with 49.2% of the popular vote against Republican candidate ([[Robert Dole | Bob Dole]]), who won 41%, and "populist" candidate, [[H. Ross Perot]], who won 8%. Clinton spent a lot of the remainder of his presidency combating scandals. '''(sources needed)''' A special prosecutor was named to investigate Clinton for allegations of impropriety in the Whitewater real-estate scandal, an investment of Clinton's in a failed real estate venture. '''(sources needed)''' Although no charges against Clinton came out of this investigation, and it turned out that Clinton actually lost money on his investment, one of the results of the investigation was that the special prosecutor turned to investigating other Clinton activities, one of which (the [[Monica Lewinsky]] scandal) resulted in his impeachment and eventual loss of his license to practice law for a period of 5 years.'''(sources needed)''' The main charge was that he lied about a sexual relationship with an employee in an attempt to avoid paying damages to another employee for sexual harassment. After a brief trial, the Senate acquitted Clinton of all charges.<ref>http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/stories/1999/02/12/impeachment/</ref>

Clinton became just the second sitting president to be impeached by the US House of Representatives during his second term for lying in grand jury testimony connected to the Paula Jones lawsuit.'''(sources needed)''' However, the US Senate voted not to remove him from office, although he later lost his law license in Arkansas. His term also saw an increase in terrorism directed at the United States. '''(sources needed)''' These incidents included the first bombing of the World Trade Center in 1993, the Alfred P. Murrah building bombing in Oklahoma City in 1995, the bombings of the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998 and the attack on the USS Cole in 2000. '''(sources needed)''' Clinton responded by striking back at [[al Qaeda]], the organization responsible for the attacks. '''(sources needed)''' He launched cruise missile strikes aimed to kill al Qaeda's leader [[Osama bin Laden]] [http://www.cnn.com/US/9808/20/us.strikes.01/], and began planning to invade [[Afghanistan]] in order to capture bin Laden and overthrow the [[Taliban]] government[http://www.wsws.org/articles/2001/nov2001/afgh-n20.shtml].

Clinton also signed into law the [[Violence Against Women Act]], which opened the federal courts to claims of domestic disputes between men and women, which had always been handled under state rather than federal law. '''(sources needed)''' A key provision of this law was later ruled unconstitutional in [[United States v. Morrison]].<ref>http://supct.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/99-5.ZS.html</ref>

Clinton devoted much time during his two terms to the peace process in Northern Ireland. '''(sources needed)''' He made interventions including 3 trips to Ireland during periods of stagnation in negotiations which coincided in major breakthroughs which ensured the province didn't slide back to the violence of the 70's and 80's. '''(sources needed)'''

== After the Presidency ==
----

Clinton has spent much of time since leaving office working for charitable causes such as support and fundraising for the victims of AIDS and the Asian tsunami.

Bill Clinton's wife, [[Hillary_Rodham_Clinton|Hillary Clinton]], was elected Senator to New York in 2000. Reelected in 2006, she is now running for president in 2008.

Bill Clinton's Chief of Staff was John Podesta between 1998-2001.

----

'''Sources:''' <references/>

[[Category:Biographies]]
[[Category:Presidents of the United States]]

Bill Clinton

2007-03-17T21:39:50Z

Pwaynes:

[[Image:billclinton.jpg|thumb|right|150px|United States President Bill Clinton]]
'''William''' "Bill" '''Jefferson Clinton''' served as the 42nd [[President of the United States of America]] from 1993-2001, following [[George H. W. Bush]] and preceding [[George W. Bush]].

== Early Life ==
----

Clinton was born William Jefferson Blythe III on August 19, 1946 AD in Hope, Arkansas. His father, William Jefferson Blythe Jr. died in a car accident while his mother was pregnant with him. Clinton's mother later married Roger Clinton, and the four year-old William was given his stepfather's name.[http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/bc42.html]

Clinton was active in high school, participating in various student government organizations as well as playing the saxophone. Roger Clinton, however, made Bill's family life unpleasant by repeatedly abusing Clinton's mother and her children.'''(sources needed)''' Bill Clinton would eventually stand up to his stepfather in high school, forcing him to stop beating his mother and kicking him out of the house. '''(sources needed)''' After Roger Clinton underwent alcohol rehabiliation, he would eventually rejoin the family.

Clinton attended [[Georgetown University]], then [[Oxford University]] after winning a [[Rhodes Scholarship]], and finally earned a Juris Doctorate from [[Yale University]] in 1973 ADE. At Yale he met [[Hillary Rodham]], whom he would later marry [http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/bc42.html].

== Early Political Career ==
----

After returning to live in Arkansas, Clinton was elected [[Attorney General]] of Arkansas in 1976 AD. Two years later, he was elected Governor of Arkansas, becoming the youngest governor in the country as a 32 year-old. Though defeated in 1980 AD, Clinton won back the governorship in 1982 AD and held it until becoming President in 1992 AD. Some business transactions he while made were extensively investigated for years (the [[Whitewater]] scandal).

== Presidency ==
----
Clinton's presidency is notable as he never won a majority of the popular vote. Clinton won in 1992 with 43% of the popular vote versus President [[George H. W. Bush's]] 37%, capitalizing on public discontent with a weak economy and public displeasure with Bush's proposed tax increases, and Ross Perot, a popular third candidate. In his first two years in office, 1993 through 1994, Clinton was unable to "reform" health-care in the United States by some sort of government-backed universal health-care insurance, which many conservatives felt would result in effective government control of the health care system. '''(sources needed)''' His approach consisted of appointing a planning committee with secret members to reshape this important sector of the economy. '''(sources needed)''' The [[Association of American Physicians and Surgeons]] successfully sued to force disclosure of the committee members, and Clinton ultimately failed to pass the program.'''(sources needed)'''

In 1994, voters expressed their high disapproval of Clinton by giving a victory to Republicans in Congress, where Republicans won 49.9% of the popular vote (compared to the Democrat's 44%). This event was tagged the "Republican Revolution," and began a series of showdowns with the Republican-led Congress.'''(sources needed)''' These showdowns were epitomized by the budget conflict with then-Speaker of the House [[Newt Gingrich]] in 1995. Gingrich refused to pass Clinton's budget proposal, and the latter threatened to shut down the government if he did not have his way. '''(sources needed)'''When Clinton called his bluff, Gingrich caused the federal government to shut down for several days.'''(sources needed)''' Clinton did not cave, however, and eventually had his budget passed [http://www.nationalreview.com/comment/commentprint082800d.html]. This showdown backfired for the Republicans, as it reinvigorated Clinton's flagging approval ratings, which would remain above 60% for most of his presidency[http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/92/Clinton_approval_rating.JPG].

Clinton was reelected in 1996 with 49.2% of the popular vote against Republican candidate ([[Robert Dole | Bob Dole]]), who won 41%, and "populist" candidate, [[H. Ross Perot]], who won 8%. Clinton spent a lot of the remainder of his presidency combating scandals. '''(sources needed)''' A special prosecutor was named to investigate Clinton for allegations of impropriety in the Whitewater real-estate scandal, an investment of Clinton's in a failed real estate venture. '''(sources needed)''' Although no charges against Clinton came out of this investigation, and it turned out that Clinton actually lost money on his investment, one of the results of the investigation was that the special prosecutor turned to investigating other Clinton activities, one of which (the [[Monica Lewinsky]] scandal) resulted in his impeachment and eventual loss of his license to practice law for a period of 5 years.'''(sources needed)''' The main charge was that he lied about a sexual relationship with an employee in an attempt to avoid paying damages to another employee for sexual harassment. After a brief trial, the Senate acquitted Clinton of all charges.<ref>http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/stories/1999/02/12/impeachment/</ref>

Clinton became just the second sitting president to be impeached by the US House of Representatives during his second term for lying in grand jury testimony connected to the Paula Jones lawsuit.'''(sources needed)''' However, the US Senate voted not to remove him from office, although he later lost his law license in Arkansas. His term also saw an increase in terrorism directed at the United States. '''(sources needed)''' These incidents included the first bombing of the World Trade Center in 1993, the Alfred P. Murrah building bombing in Oklahoma City in 1995, the bombings of the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998 and the attack on the USS Cole in 2000. '''(sources needed)''' Clinton responded by striking back at [[al Qaeda]], the organization responsible for the attacks. '''(sources needed)''' He launched cruise missile strikes aimed to kill al Qaeda's leader [[Osama bin Laden]] [http://www.cnn.com/US/9808/20/us.strikes.01/], and began planning to invade [[Afghanistan]] in order to capture bin Laden and overthrow the [[Taliban]] government[http://www.wsws.org/articles/2001/nov2001/afgh-n20.shtml].

Clinton also signed into law the [[Violence Against Women Act]], which opened the federal courts to claims of domestic disputes between men and women, which had always been handled under state rather than federal law. '''(sources needed)''' A key provision of this law was later ruled unconstitutional in [[United States v. Morrison]].<ref>http://supct.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/99-5.ZS.html</ref>

Under Clinton's presidency, the economy boomed, creating the largest ever budget surplus. <ref>http://archives.cnn.com/2000/ALLPOLITICS/stories/09/27/clinton.surplus/</ref>

Clinton devoted much time during his two terms to the peace process in Northern Ireland. '''(sources needed)''' He made interventions including 3 trips to Ireland during periods of stagnation in negotiations which coincided in major breakthroughs which ensured the province didn't slide back to the violence of the 70's and 80's. '''(sources needed)'''

== After the Presidency ==
----

Clinton has spent much of time since leaving office working for charitable causes such as support and fundraising for the victims of AIDS and the Asian tsunami.

Bill Clinton's wife, [[Hillary_Rodham_Clinton|Hillary Clinton]], was elected Senator to New York in 2000. Reelected in 2006, she is now running for president in 2008.

Bill Clinton's Chief of Staff was John Podesta between 1998-2001.

----

'''Sources:''' <references/>

[[Category:Biographies]]
[[Category:Presidents of the United States]]

Barack Hussein Obama

2007-03-17T21:36:32Z

Pwaynes:

Barack Obama is a liberal Democratic Senator from Illinois, elected to the United States Senate in 2004 after serving as a state Senator. He is a liberal candidate and Democratic front-runner for the 2008 United States Presidential election. Commentators have noted that he has many strikes against him in the eyes of the American people. He is black, and no black person has ever held such responsibility. Also, his first name sounds like Osama, and his middle name is Hussein, calling to mind the two most evil terrorists of modern times.

== Personal Life ==
Obama was born in [[Hawaii]] on August 4, 1961. His father was a [[Kenya|Kenyan]] former farmer, and his mother a US citizen from [[Kansas]]. His parents divorced when he was two, and Obama's mother remarried to an [[Indonesia|Indonesian]] man and relocated the family to [[Jakarta]]. From age ten he lived in Hawaii with his maternal grandparents, where he completed high school in 1979. Obama has a law degree from [[Harvard University]] and a BA from [[Columbia University]]. Until he entered politics in the 1990s, he was a senior lecturer in [[Constitution|constitutional]] law at the [[University of Chicago]].

Feminism

2007-03-17T21:28:58Z

Pwaynes:

Feminism is the philosophy that [[women]] deserve to have rights equal to those of men. This directly contradicts the bible. Most feminist writing today concerns issues like [[abortion]], [[domestic violence]], [[rape]], [[maternity leave]], [[gay rights|lesbian rights]], [[child custody]], and [[comparable worth]].

The University of Oklahoma offers "There are many definitions of what a feminist is--the simplest and probably the best is what is listed in most dictionaries—'a person who believes in the full equality of women and men.' This means anyone--male or female--who supports this idea can be a feminist. The goal of feminism is equality--and that means both that women do what men have done (be fire fighters and corporate executives) and that men do what women have done (be stay-at-home fathers and secretaries)." [http://www.ou.edu/womensoc/feminismwomanism.htm]

God's intention for the role of women is demonstrated in these quotes from the [[Bible]]: "In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works.

"Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression. Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety." -- I Tim. 2:9-15.

Not all women are feminists. Several examples are [[Phyllis Schlafly]], who opposed the [[Equal Rights Amendment]] in the [[1960s]], and [[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]], who says that her purpose is “to deal in truths and values about life, love, death, responsibilities, character, religion and general, everyday behavior.”. <ref><a href="http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=33866">WorldNetDaily</a></ref>

"The [[feminist]] agenda is not about equal rights for women. It is about a [[socialist]], anti-family political movement that encourages women to leave their husbands, kill their children, practice witchcraft, destroy capitalism and become lesbians." - 1992 Iowa fundraising letter opposing a state equal-rights amendment ("Equal Rights Initiative in Iowa Attacked", Washington Post, 23 August 1992); it is sometimes claimed that this statement appeared in Robertson's 1992 [[w:Republican Party (United States)|GOP]] convention speech,according to people like pat robinson this is the case(see also [http://www.patrobertson.com/Speeches/1992GOPConvention.asp]

Feminism

2007-03-17T21:28:34Z

Pwaynes:

Feminism is the philosophy that [[women]] deserve to have rights equal to those of men. This directly contradicts the bible. Most feminist writing today concerns issues like [[abortion]], [[domestic violence]], [[rape]], [[maternity leave]], [[gay rights|lesbian rights]], [[child custody]], and [[comparable worth]].

The University of Oklahoma offers "There are many definitions of what a feminist is--the simplest and probably the best is what is listed in most dictionaries—'a person who believes in the full equality of women and men.' This means anyone--male or female--who supports this idea can be a feminist. The goal of feminism is equality--and that means both that women do what men have done (be fire fighters and corporate executives) and that men do what women have done (be stay-at-home fathers and secretaries)." [http://www.ou.edu/womensoc/feminismwomanism.htm]

God's intentions for the role of women is demonstrated in these quotes from the [[Bible]]: "In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works.

"Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression. Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety." -- I Tim. 2:9-15.

Not all women are feminists. Several examples are [[Phyllis Schlafly]], who opposed the [[Equal Rights Amendment]] in the [[1960s]], and [[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]], who says that her purpose is “to deal in truths and values about life, love, death, responsibilities, character, religion and general, everyday behavior.”. <ref><a href="http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=33866">WorldNetDaily</a></ref>

"The [[feminist]] agenda is not about equal rights for women. It is about a [[socialist]], anti-family political movement that encourages women to leave their husbands, kill their children, practice witchcraft, destroy capitalism and become lesbians." - 1992 Iowa fundraising letter opposing a state equal-rights amendment ("Equal Rights Initiative in Iowa Attacked", Washington Post, 23 August 1992); it is sometimes claimed that this statement appeared in Robertson's 1992 [[w:Republican Party (United States)|GOP]] convention speech,according to people like pat robinson this is the case(see also [http://www.patrobertson.com/Speeches/1992GOPConvention.asp]

Women

2007-03-17T21:26:01Z

Pwaynes:

Women, like Men, were created by God on the 6th day of [[Creation]], as told in The Book of [[Genesis]]. [[Genesis]] further elaborates that [[God]] took a rib from [[Adam]], the first Man, and from it created [[Eve]], the first woman, as a subservient companion for [[Adam]]. Also not explicitly stated in the [[Bible]], it is obvious that, due to the manner in which Eve was created, she was Adam's wife, as God does not intend for two humans in such a union to be any other way.{{fact}} Eve caused sin and suffering to come into the world when she tricked Adam into eating from The Tree of Knowledge, an act directly forbidden by God Himself. As punishment for this, God declared that women shall experience great pain in childbirth and shall always be ruled over by their husbands. <ref>Genesis 3:16</ref> Saint Paul also has much to say on the status of women in society, most memorably that women should submit to their husbands just as the church submits to God.
<ref>[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=ephesians%205:22-24&version=9 Ephesians 5:22-24 ]</ref>
<ref>[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=I%20Corinthians%2011:8-9;&version=9; I Corinthians 11:8-9]</ref>
<ref>[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=I%20Corinthians%2011:4-7;&version=9; I Corinthians 11:4-7]</ref>
<ref>[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=I%20Corinthians%2014:34-35;&version=9; I Corinthians 14:34-35]</ref>
The Bible also states that if a man sells his daughter into slavery she must consent and "not go out as the menservants do." (Exodus 21:7)

The New Testament contains many instructions regarding the role of women:
Women are to dress modestly<ref>1 Timothy 2:9</ref><ref>Peter 3:2-6</ref>.
Women may learn in silence, but may not be permitted to teach<ref>1 Timothy 2:11-12</ref>. Some interpreations limit this rule to the teaching of doctrine.
Women are not permitted to speak in church<ref>1 Corinthians 14:34-35 (Spoken by Paul></ref>.
Women are to be subservient to their husbands<ref>Ephesians 5:22-24</ref><ref>Colossians 3:18</ref><ref>Titus 2:4-5</ref><ref>1 Peter 3:1-7</ref>.

Some women's organizations like the National Organization of Women disagree with the Bible and argue that they should not have to submit to their husbands, but instead should have "equal" rights.[http://womensvoicesraised.org/bakerLetter.html] Some "Christian" churches support this idea.

==References==
<references />

Chris Matthews

2007-03-17T08:21:57Z

Pwaynes:

Christopher John Matthews is the liberal host of the talk show Hardball with Chris Matthews. He has worked for four democrat politicians, and no republicans. He was a speechwriter for [[Jimmy Carter]]. He is an example of [[liberal bias]] in the media, because he, like many other liberal figures in the media, does not mention that he is liberal and trys to portray himself as a moderate.