Secret Service investigating Facebook poll on Obama

Facebook, a social networking site, recently pulled an application that allowed users to create polls after a site member made a poll asking if President Obama should be killed or not. Facebook users are allowed to create polls and quizzes and the creators of these polls and quizzes may choose to make them available to the whole public of Facebook or just to their friends on Facebook. Over the weekend, a user made a poll asking whether Obama should be killed and made it available to the general public. The US Secret Service has launched an investigation. Facebook spokesman, Barry Schnitt, said the application "was immediately suspended while the inappropriate content could be removed by the developer and until such time as the developer institutes better procedures to monitor their user-generated content."

It's obvious that if you make a poll asking if someone should be killed over the internet, you're going to get in some kind of trouble. It doesn't matter if it's Obama or anybody else, there's going to be consequences. Having the privilege to be on the internet and on Facebook also includes responsibilty. As Thomas Jefferson said, "There is no freedom without responsibility." If you can't be responsible on the internet, then that freedom should be taken away. I can also see the other side of it, that some kid was just messing around and posted a poll without thinking. But in my opinion, asking if someone should die or not, is crossing the line. It is a big deal, and I think there should be consequences, but I don't think the USSS needs to get involved over a Facebook poll.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/09/28/facebook.poll/index.html?eref=rss_politics

Edwards mistress Rielle Hunter changes names, images

Rielle Hunter has been known as a spiritual seeker, an aspiring actress, a party girl and a political operative. Last year, Edwards admitted to having an affair with Hunter in 2006 while he was compaigning for the Democatic presidential nomination. Hunter was part of Edwards campaign by making a series of short webisode videos about his campaign. She traveled with the candidate's entourage and in February 2008, she gave birth to a baby girl. Edwards denies that he is the father of the baby; saying that the affair was over before she became pregnant. Andrew Young claimed the baby to be his, but now is saying that Edwards is indeed the father of the baby. Hunter has not said who the father is. She says that she met Edwards in 2006, at a business meeting in New York. It was first reported in 2007 of the affair between Edwards and Hunter, but Edwards didn't admit to it until August 2008. He has hung low since the affair became public and stayed in various expensive homes in North Carolina and Santa Barbara, California.

I think this affair was not only very low on Edwards part, but also very dumb. If he can't make the right decisions for himself, how is anyone going to trust him to make decisions for our country? How is he expected to keep promises to the people of our country if he can't keep promises to his own wife? From the sound of this article, it seemed to be more on Hunter's part than Edwards'. But if he can’t control his own actions, it’s not likely that he would be able to control a whole country’s actions. Also, the fact that he denied the affair at first, makes me wonder what he would lie to us about. From this article, he seems dishonest and irresponsible. I also think he needs to take a paternity test to see if the baby is his. It made it sound like Edwards bribed Andrew Young to claim the baby as his. He needs to take responsiblity for his actions.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/09/22/rielle.hunter.profile/index.html?eref=rss_politics

Significant fear remains over economy, jobs

Even though there are fresh signs that the worst is over for the U.S. economy, many people fear the future and what could lay ahead for their families. They are concerned that there is not enough being done to avoid another meltdown. Just about six out of 10 people are concerned about their jobs in the coming months, according to a new Washington Post-ABC news poll. This has little change since February. There is little confidence in President Obama, who pitched his administration's plans to overhaul the nation's financial regulations Wall Street on Monday, getting a 51% approval rating on dealing with the economy.

I think that Obama is taking a progressive approach in his stimulous package. Job growth is usually one of the last things to recover from. We are seeing other signs of recovery, like in the stock market and consumer spending. Housing, which was also a drag on the economy, appears to be turning around. I just think Obama needs to try to make it clear and reassure the Americans that the U.S. economy is, in fact, turning around. When six out of 10 people are worried about their jobs in the coming months, as the new Washington Post-ABC new poll shows, I think it's the presidents job to make sure they know exactly what's going on. Our economy is complicated and many people may not understand what's happening. They should know that after a steep downfall, there is usually steep progression to follow. Just because job growth has not made any progress, doesn't mean we aren't recovering at all. I think people need to be aware of that, and their fears of the future may go away.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32852607/ns/politics-washington_post/