Obama says 'Buffett Rule' makes United States more fair

President Barack Obama used his weekly address on Saturday to call on Congress to pass the "Buffett Rule." The rule would increase taxes on the wealthiest Americans as a way to help bring down the deficit. Republicans have repeatedly criticized the proposal as being class warfare but President Obama and Democrats have said it was only fair that while millions of Americans are struggling to get by and living paycheck to paycheck, the top 1 percent of Americans could afford to pay a little more.

Previous votes on increasing taxes on the wealthiest have failed because of Republican opposition. Another vote on the "Buffett Rule" is expected in the Senate on April 16 when they return from recess.

Shrimp tortellini

Mom received a Taste of Home Healthy Cooking cookbook in the mail the other day. We didn't know what we were going to have for dinner today until she showed me a recipe that she thought looked good. I said I could make that so the following recipe is what we decided to eat.

Review: This meal was quick and easy to make. If you buy the minced garlic in the can there is hardly any prep at all. If you use fresh garlic though, which I did, the only prep is however long it takes you to peel and slice the garlic. The recipe also calls for measuring the oil, salt, pepper and thyme but I just sprinkled them in without measuring. I also wouldn't worry so much about the amount of peas. Because I don't think I'm mentally and emotionally ready to kill live shrimp to use in my meals, I used frozen shrimp and thawed it. Next time I make this recipe I'll probably double the amount of shrimp but, like the peas, the amount you use is up to you. Overall the meal was quite tasty, light-tasting and one mom said was, "one of my favorites."

Recipe: Shrimp tortellini

• 1 pkg. (9 oz.) refrigerated cheese tortellini
• 1 cup frozen peas (I actually doubled this but you can use however much or however little peas you want)
• 1 lb. uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined 
• 3 Tbsp. olive oil, divided (I also didn't measure the olive oil I just poured)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. dried thyme
• 1/4 tsp. pepper

Cook the tortellini according to the package directions and add the peas during the last five minutes of cooking. In a large nonstick skillet, saute the shrimp in 2 Tbsp. of oil for roughly two minutes (again I just poured a little oil in the pan without measuring). Add the garlic and cook one to two minutes longer or until the shrimp turns pink. Drain the tortellini mixture and then add it to the skillet. Stir in the salt, thyme, pepper and remaining oil.

That's it! Like I said, quick and easy and as long as you have the ingredients the amount you use of them actually doesn't matter. The amounts mentioned, though, make about four servings.

Obama urges Congress to send him transportation bill

Congress has one week to act before funding for transportation projects throughout the country run dry and construction sites are forced to close. The Senate has passed a bipartisan, two-year $109 billion bill but the Republican-controlled House of Representatives has said they would not vote on that piece of legislation but instead would vote on a short-term funding bill. During his weekly radio address, President Barack Obama urged the House to pass the Senate version so construction projects would not have to stop.

Breaded pork chops, roast potatoes with garlic and rosemary, and glazed carrots

For Christmas I got The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook. The majority of the recipes in it are desserts but there are a few non-dessert recipes so tonight's meal consisted of three of them. Luckily for tonight's dinner I actually had the majority of the ingredients so I didn't have to spend a lot at the store. I'll put each recipe as they would correspond to their individual parts and in the order you should cook them based on how long it takes to cook.

Review: This meal was fairly quick to make. The potatoes were scrumptious and definitely added a little extra flavor to what would otherwise be just regular roast potatoes/french fries. The pork chops were delicious as the recipe calls for them but the flavor also could be more pronounced with a few extra spices added to the breading. Finally there isn't much that needs to be changed about the recipe but I increased the amount of potatoes a bit because we have three people in our family and the carrots can be whatever type you want. I had leftover shredded carrots from the previous night's dinner so I just used those. For the breading, you also could use about half of the flour, eggs and bread crumbs that the recipe calls for. I used what it said and had to throw most of it away when I was finished.

Recipe: Roast potatoes with garlic and rosemary

• 6 red potatoes (about 2 pounds), scrubbed and chopped into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Combine the potatoes with the oil, salt, rosemary, garlic and black pepper. Make sure to coat the potatoes thoroughly and evenly (I put everything in a bowl and used my hands to mix it all together). After everything is mixed, spread the potatoes in a large, shallow roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet. Roast the potatoes for about 45 minutes until they are slightly crisp around the edges and soft in the middle. Halfway through baking, remove the pan briefly to toss the potatoes again then put it back in the oven to finish cooking (I found the potatoes stuck to the baking sheet a little, which is no big deal, but I suppose you could spray the baking sheet with cooking spray so they do not stick).

Recipe: Breaded pork chops

• 4 6-ounce pork chops (I used boneless pork chops but you can use bone-in or even pork loins if you want)
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 large eggs, whisked
• 2 cups seasoned bread crumbs (I used Italian)
• vegetable oil as needed

While the recipe in the book mentions this part a little later in the cooking steps, I'm going to mention it first because it will take a little while for the oil to heat. Fill a heavy skillet with enough oil to reach a depth of about 1/4 inch and heat to 350 degrees. If you don't have a thermometer to check the temperature, watch for the oil to begin dancing in the pan. Once that happens, sprinkle a pinch of bread crumbs into the oil and if they sizzle the oil is ready. If the oil is smoking, it is too hot. If that happens, remove the pan from the heat and let it cook until the smoking stops then return the pan to the heat.

While the oil is heating, remove the pork chops from the package and pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Get three bowls: one for the flour, one for the eggs and one for the bread crumbs. First, place the pork chops in the bowl with the flour and coat evenly. Next put the pork chops in the bowl with the beaten eggs and make sure they, again, are coated evenly but make sure you let the excess egg drain back into the bowl. Finally, put the pork chops in the bowl with the bread crumbs and coat evenly.

Once the oil is hot enough (it took mine about 10 minutes or so) carefully add the breaded pork chops to the oil. Cook about four to five minutes on each side and use tongs to turn them. It might take a little more or less time to thoroughly cook the meat, but you also want to make sure the breading gets fried but not too burnt. When they are cooked to your liking, remove the chops to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain.

Recipe: glazed carrots

• 6 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch-thick slices on the bias (again I just used the shredded carrots I had left over and you could use baby carrots so it's whatever you want)
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons golden syrup, maple syrup or corn syrup (I used maple)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Combine the carrots, water, syrup, salt and cinnamon in a skillet and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. Reduce the heat and simmer the carrots, uncovered, for about 5 minutes until the carrots are somewhat softened but not yet tender. Increase the heat and boil until all the liquid evaporates. As the liquid starts to reduce, begin stirring more frequently. Keep cooking until the glaze starts to turn brown, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan. Turn off the heat and serve immediately. I actually didn't cook it until all the liquid evaporated that way it had a little "juice" to it.

Because these are three different recipes with three different cooking times you'll want to plan accordingly and cook them at a time that would let them finish around the same time. The potatoes take about 45 minutes so about the time you pull them out to toss halfway through you should probably start frying the pork chops (meaning you'll want to prep them not too long after you put the potatoes in the oven). The carrots should be started within a couple minutes of starting the pork chops. All these recipes make about four servings so you can use that as a gauge on if you want to increase the amount of ingredients for more people or meals.

Sesame-ginger pork patty with grilled pineapple

It's the second day of spring and it feels like summer. A perfect day to grill out and tonight's recipe was an excellent meal for such an occasion. I found the original recipe here.

Review: This was a really delicious meal that tasted light (aka healthy) and as if it should be made in the spring or summer. While the recipe calls for the pineapple and pork patty being put on a bed of lettuce, it also could be put on a sandwich and eaten like that (something I will try next time). As for the "lettuce," the recipe called for watercress, which is a lettuce-type product, but the grocery store I went to didn't have any so I just used romaine lettuce. You can use whatever you want though, and you might be able to find the watercress. It also called for using a certain amount of watercress and a certain amount of carrots but I just sprinkled it on the plate and didn't worry about the amounts.  Finally, the sauce you make would make a really good salad dressing or for use on any other oriental recipe you might make so I would almost double or triple the amounts (maybe not the scallions or the garlic but the rest sure), refrigerate it and then use it for later.

Recipe: Sesame-ginger pork patty with grilled pineapple

• 3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 2 scallions, chopped (scallions are more commonly known as green onions in case you didn't know)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger (I cheated and used ginger spice. Three teaspoons is one tablespoon)
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil, divided
• 1 pound ground pork (I used two pounds so I could make more burgers)
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar (this will be found with the regular vinegar or in the international/oriental section of your grocery store)
• 4 pineapple rings, 1/4 inch thick
• 4 cups watercress (about 1 large bunch), tough stems removed (again, I used romaine because I couldn't find watercress)
• 1 cup shredded carrot

Combine the soy sauce, scallions (green onions), garlic, ginger and one teaspoon sesame oil in a small bowl. Place the pork in a medium bowl. Add half of the sauce mixture to the pork and gently combine without overmixing. Form into four patties (more if you get more pork), about 3/4 inch thick. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon of sesame oil and the vinegar to the remaining sauce mixture and set aside.

Preheat the grill to medium-high then oil the grill rack*. Grill the burgers and during the last few minutes of cooking add the pineapple rings to the grill and cook until dark grill marks appear.

Combine the watercress and carrot in a large bowl. Toss with 2 tablespoons of the remaining sauce (I just put the lettuce-carrot mix on the plate and drizzled the remaining sauce on it). Put a pineapple ring on the lettuce and then a burger on top of that. Drizzle any remaining sauce on top of the burger.

*TIP: To oil a grill rack, oil a folded paper towel, hold it with tongs and rub it over the rack. Do NOT use cooking spray on a hot grill.

STOVETOP VARIATION: If you do not want to grill, or do not know how to grill as some people do not, coat a nonstick pan, preferably cast-iron (or a grill pan), with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Add burgers, reduce heat to medium and cook. Add the pineapple in the pan after the burgers are finished until slightly brown.

President Obama continues push for energy policy

President Barack Obama tries to stay ahead of criticism on increasing gas prices by again calling for an all-of-the-above energy strategy and ending tax breaks for oil companies during his weekly address on Saturday.

'The Road We've Traveled'

Times might be tough but never forget where we were. President Obama has accomplished a lot and deserves another four years to help the country and the American people progress even more. He might not be perfect, nobody is, but considering everything he's faced both domestically and globally, he's sure as hell better than the Republicans who continually say they want to "take our country back" and literally would take it back to a time fiscally when the policies that were implemented put us in this mess and back to a time socially that predates the 1950s.

Also remember this: the economy IS getting better slowly but surely, Osama bin Laden is dead and General Motors is alive!

Bacon and chicken sausage fritatta

I've made the following recipe a few times because it's quick and easy to make. It's also very tasty. Basically it's an omelette so it can be made pretty much with whatever extra ingredients you want to add.

Review: As I mentioned above, this recipe is super easy to make and fairly cheap if you need to buy the ingredients because you don't already have them. I've made it a few times with different meats and this time I chose to make it with the leftover bacon and chicken sausage I had from the previous night's dinner; however, because it is basically like an omelette you can choose to add whatever meat you want, make it simply with cheese or add different vegetables to it. It takes about 45 minutes to cook and that includes prep. You can find the original recipe here from allrecipes.com.

Recipe: bacon and chicken sausage fritatta

• 1 1/2 cups smoked sausage, sliced (you actually can use however much you want)
• 1/4 cup diced onion
• 6 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, divided (you can use however much cheese you want as well)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cook the sausage (or whatever meat product you choose) and onion in an oven-proof skillet over medium heat until the sausage has browned. If you want to add vegetables such as peppers add those with the onion and meat. That will take about 10 minutes. Drain excess grease from the skillet if there is any. Whisk together the eggs, milk, sour cream, salt and pepper in a separate bowl. Sprinkle the sausage with 1 cup of Cheddar cheese then pour the egg mixture over it. Bake in the oven until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean, about 18 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and return to the oven until the cheese has melted, about one minute.

I actually cooked the meat and onion in a skillet and then after it was finished transfered them to an 8 x 8 pan, poured the cheese over it in the pan and then the eggs over that. I also didn't worry about the amount of cheese and just sprinkled a layer of cheese over the meat and then after it cooked sprinkled another layer of cheese over the top. I've tried it with bacon, I've tried it with smoked sausage, I've tried it with crumbled sausage and I've tried it with a combination. All are good.

BBQ chicken with mac and cheese and collard greens

Because I like to cook I'm always looking for new recipes to try. Tonight's recipe came from one of my favorite shows on the Bravo channel, Top Chef (technically this particular recipe came from Top Chef Masters). Marcus Samuelsson created this dish so I absolutely want to give him credit where credit is due. The link to the original recipe can be found here.

Review: Overall it was a tasty meal that I would cook again. I might not cook the collard greens again but the recipe called for it and I've never had them so I wanted to try them. If you like Spinach you'd probably like them. They weren't awful, by any means, but I'd say they are an acquired taste. I would ABSOLUTELY cut the ingredients for the collard greens in half though if you do choose to make them. The collard greens and bok choy can be found near the lettuce and cabbage and those types of "greens." They are just supposed to be a garnish so there was A LOT left over that I ended up throwing away. Also, the coconut milk is found with the soy sauce and other chinese sauces. At least at my grocery stores it is there and not with the milk. Other than that the chicken is up to you on what type you want to use (breasts, thighs, legs etc.) and how you want to cook it (grill, bake, fry, etc.), and the macaroni and cheese could definitely be its own meal.

Recipe: BBQ chicken with mac and cheese and collard greens

Mac and Cheese:

• 1 lb half shell (medium) pasta
• 1 quart cream (I used half and half)
• 1 cup parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup cheddar cheese (I used mild but you could use sharp)
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 cup sliced chicken sausage (you can use any type of sausage though)

Slow Braised Greens:

• 2 lbs collard greens
• 1 lb bok choy
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1 cup orange juice
• 1 cup cream (half and half)
• 1/2 cup chopped bacon

Start with the slow braised greens because this takes the longest. Again if you are going to make these, which I recommend if you've never had it before just as something to try, cut all the ingredients at least in half. The bacon, however, can be kept the same if not even increased but the rest of them should be reduced. To do the slow braised greens you'll want to sear the bacon, add one of the four gloves of garlic and add the coconut milk. Then add the cream, rest of the garlic and orange juice. Cover and simmer for two hours with the greens and bok choy (I tore them apart/chopped them up as well) mixed in the liquid. You'll need a big pot for this but as the greens cook they will reduce in size dramatically because they shrivel as they cook.

After about 1 to 1 1/2 hours you can start the chicken and the mac and cheese. Grill the chicken for 3 minutes on each side then roast it in the oven for 10 minutes. Finally glaze with BBQ sauce. I decided to bake the chicken and after about 30 minutes I put on some BBQ sauce. I let it cook some more and then added more BBQ sauce on when it was time to serve. Make sure if you bake the chicken you cover it with aluminum foil.

For the macaroni and cheese you'll want to boil the pasta in water. In a separate pot bring the cream to a boil and then add the two cloves of garlic and sausage. The amount of sausage you use also is up to you. Let it simmer for about 20 minutes and then pour the cooked pasta into the cream and add the cheese. I used the 1 cup of parmesan the recipe calls for but used an entire packet of shredded cheddar cheese. You can use however much or however little cheese you want though. Even using the entire packet did not make it an orange cheese like a typical macaroni and cheese from the box, so don't expect that.

This recipe was pretty delicious. The best part was the mac and cheese and chicken but it's on my list of things to try again.

Gas prices and energy

I think this infographic the White House released shows exactly why increasing oil production and domestic drilling does not directly correlate to lowering gas prices. It also shows that under the Obama administration dependency on foreign oil has decreased while domestic production has increased. While some of that might not be strictly based on the policies of President Obama and have a little to do with policies of previous administrations, this administration has done a lot to increase production of all forms of energy including wind, solar, natural gas and oil.

It also shows what everybody should always keep in mind: we live in a global economy now so situations around the world, not just in our country, contribute to increased gas prices. Unfortunately the graphic does not show how Wall Street speculators drive up the prices as well, but that is probably because right now there is not significant movement on cracking down on those speculators. Overall, increasing prices happen every year and if any politician tells you they can instantly decrease prices, they are lying because there are too many factors that play a role.

Always keep that in mind and always remember: it's not the president's fault regardless of party!

Obama talks jobs, clean energy in weekly address

President Barack Obama touted Friday's jobs numbers during his weekly address on Saturday. The report showed the economy has added private-sector jobs for 24 consecutive months. The president also continued to address the need for investing in a clean energy future, which is especially relevant now as gas prices continue hitting record highs for this time of year. Increased gas prices could be a hinderance on the economy, but the president said during his address that companies were working to develop new technologies. Those technologies would help reduce our dependence on foreign oil even more, which ultimately would save families money at the pump.

Job growth continues

Hey righties! Do you still think President Obama's "job-killing" policies aren't working? I think this chart of the end of President Bush's presidency when we were losing more than 700,000 jobs a month compared to now under President Obama when we are at two years of job growth would say differently. This really should be all anyone shows when talking about President Obama and his efforts to fix the economy. Sure it's not fast enough, even he admits it, but it's a lot better than we were doing under a Republican president and with Republican policies.

Another assault on gay rights

My cousin posted something on his Facebook wall about how parts of an amendment that is being considered in a committee in the Indiana state legislature would strip away IYG and 21 other non-profits' license plates. These are speciality plates that people have to pay extra for to have and the proceeds go toward the organizations the plate represents. IYG is for Indiana Youth Group, a gay, lesbian and transgender group for people aged 12 to 21. The plate is currently available but this amendment would get rid of it. Click here to learn a little more about the plate.

Anyway, I wrote my state representative and senator urging them to vote against any legislation that contained the language to strip away these plates. After writing this e-mail, and thinking about the political climate of today and everything that Republicans are attacking and trying to roll back to the 1950s and sooner these days, I feel like it is my civic duty to start writing and even calling my representatives and senators more often. I'm surprised and a little disheartened I haven't done more already, but it is time for a change and it is time for me to speak up even more than what I do through social media and to friends and family.

The following is what I wrote:

Rep. Brown, Sen. Alting:


I am one of your constituents and I am against an amendment that would be added to SB0257 that would strip away IYG and 21 other non-profits' license plates. A vote in conference committee is expected tomorrow (Thursday) on the amendment and I strongly urge you to vote against any legislation that would attach this language. (I realize this is a Senate bill but eventually it will make its way to the House and at that time I implore you to vote against it.)

The money from the IYG plate and the other non-profit plates is a way to help a community and group of Hoosiers who might not have any other funding. While profits might not be high, who are you and other legislators to decide what I, or other voters, might want to support. Don't deny me my right to support these groups through the purchase of a license plate just because you don't agree.

By voting in favor of getting rid of these plates you essentially are voting in favor of discriminating against these causes, or these people. Just because the IYG plates' proceeds might go to a group of Hoosiers that might not make up the majority and might not even get a majority of the state population's approval, doesn't mean you should single them out and say they don't matter.

As a legislator you should be accepting of all types of people and causes. You might not personally agree with them, but you shouldn't discriminate against them and say they are less important than someone else just because they aren't as well-liked.

These plates are just one more method that these organizations can get proceeds to help with educational tools, learning opportunities, community events, etc. Imagine if the plates were for breast cancer or veterans. We wouldn't be having this conversation. It's only because these groups are easily politicized that they are attacked. That is wrong!!! These are people who have feelings and need help in various ways and for various reasons just as those with breast cancer or those who have served fighting for the rights and freedoms that those who would benefit from the IYG plate, for example, are hoping to one day achieve do.

Again, as one of your constituents I strongly urge you to vote against any legislation that would strip way IYG and 21 other non-profits' plates and I urge you to recommend to your colleagues that they do the same.

Spicy sausages and linguine

I've been wanting smoked sausage for a while and we didn't have plans for dinner tonight so after I got off work I went to the store to get the ingredients for a delicious spicy sausages and linguine recipe I have made a couple times.

Review: If you like spicy foods this is the meal for you! If you use regular smoked sausage it might not be super spicy so if you can handle the heat I recommend getting Hillshire Farms Beef Hot Links to add to it. Using both regular smoked sausage and the hot links also gives you a little more meat. The hot links come in a package of six and the more you use the hotter it will be. I used all six for this meal but you could use three hot links and save the other three for a separate meal (as I've done before). You also don't have to use sausage. I have made this recipe three times now and I made it with chicken once and I made it with chicken and sausage before. You also could put shrimp in it if you like shrimp, or it's a nice meal if you don't want any meat. You might add a few different kinds of vegetables if you want to make it vegetarian.

As for the sauce, I used Picante medium chunky salsa. Picante makes salsa and sauce and I have used both. Whichever one you use is up to you. If you like more runny spaghetti sauce, for example, you might go with the Picante sauce. If you like yours a little more chunky you might go with the salsa. The Picante also comes in varying heats. I usually get the medium but I believe they also sell mild and hot. Finally, the recipe calls for red or green peppers. I tend to get the green to add more color to the meal but it's up to you on if you even want to add peppers. It also called for mushrooms but I don't like them so I left that out but you could add it if you want. The amount of ingredients the recipe calls for says it will make four servings, but I think it's actually enough for six to eight (I used the whole box of linguine though so that's partly why), so if it's just going to be you and one other person you might cut the ingredients in half.

Recipe:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 clove garlic, minced (you can just buy a jar of minced garlic if you want)
• 10 small pork sausage links, cut up (use however much sausage or meat product you want and I sliced the sausages into bite-sized pieces)
• 1/4 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning, crushed
• 1 jar (24 ounces) Pace Picante Sauce or Pace Chunky Salsa
• 3 medium green or red pepper, cut into 1/4-inch rings (about 24 rings) (I actually diced the peppers)
• 1 medium onion, sliced (about 1/2 cup) (again, I diced the onion) 
• 8 fresh mushrooms, sliced (about 3 cups)
• 1/2 of a 16-ounce package linguine, cooked and drained (about 4 cups)
• grated Parmesan cheese

Heat the oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, sausages and Italian seasoning. Cook until the sausages are well browned and cooked through. Stir the Picante sauce, peppers, onion and mushrooms in the skillet. Heat to a boil. Cover the skillet. Reduce the heat to low. Cook for 25 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Serve over the linguine and sprinkle with the cheese.

Obviously you'll want to follow the directions on the box to make the pasta. For the garlic bread I made with it I just buttered some bread, sprinkled some garlic powder on the bread and then stuck it in the oven at 325 degrees for 5-10 minutes.

This is a fairly quick, easy, yet spicy meal that can be modified based on ingredients you like or dislike. Following the additional directions I gave by adding the hot links and the medium chunky salsa I'd say makes it a 3.5, maybe 4, out of 5 stars on the spicy scale but if you left those out and just used the regular smoked sausage and maybe the mild sauce it would probably be around 2 out of 5 stars. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

I found the recipe online at kitchendaily.com but the direct link to the recipe can be found here in case you want to look at the original source.

Zach Wahls speaks about family

Bravo young sir! One of the best speeches I've heard that completely destroys any reasoning against gay marriage and the effects it has on children.

Obama: 'No silver bullet' to reduce gas prices

During his weekly address on Saturday, President Barack Obama touted the revival of the American auto industry. He also talked about energy and how he understood gas prices were increasing and that it could affect the economy; however, he also said there were "no silver bullets" to stop annual gas price increases. President Obama said the auto manufacturers were working to increase fuel efficiency standards for their vehicles, which over time, would help American families save money at the pump.

American cynicism negates having third party candidates

With Congress at its lowest approval rating in "poll-taking history," a president whose approval rating has not been consistently above 50 percent for at least a year and a Republican party that seems to be in a meltdown trying to figure out what direction it wants to take for the years to come, there has been a lot of talk lately about a third party candidate. "Is this the year of the third party?" people seem to be asking. Yes, people have been asking that question for years now but this year seems to be getting more attention.

What do I have to say about that you might ask? I think it's absolutely absurd and it is because of that question and thinking, in my opinion, that government "seems to be broken."

The cynicism toward government appears to be growing and while there are some merits to Americans' thinking about politicians, the idea that having a third party would somehow make things better doesn't make sense. If politicians are corrupt and stop listening to the people once they get there then what makes them think a "third party" or "independent" candidate would make things any different. If you think about it, those running for office campaign on changing Washington, going against the party grain, voting for what they think is right regardless of how the majority of the party might feel. Some say they will not be swayed by lobbyists or serve more than a certain amount of terms. But, as we've found since President Obama has been in office and since the Tea Party Republicans have taken control of the House of Representatives, those concepts are easier said than done.

I also don't get the reasoning behind people being upset with President Obama. They say he hasn't changed Washington and some say he hasn't done much if any at all, but what do they expect him to do when there is a party that is hell bent on opposing him even if it means going against principles they have championed for years if not decades just because he supports their idea. This is not an authoritarian government or a dictatorship, it is a democracy. The Constitution limits the president in what he can do and it is actually Congress that has more pull in what gets done. Government makes the law, the president just signs it into law. That means the president can request whatever he wants and lay out a vision and path for the country but if Congress wants something different they can ultimately sway the president into going along with it. 

So that gets back to my theory that having a third party candidate will solve nothing. A third party candidate in the Senate actually has to caucus with one of the two major parties. There already are two independent senators, both of whom caucus with the Democrats. They also vote with Democrats the majority of the time. The Tea Party Republicans went to Washington in 2010 not only vowing to stop the policies of President Obama but also to get the establishment Republicans back to more conservative principles. They said they would vote against their party if they did not think deals were in the best interest of conservatism. What happened though? They ended up voting party line probably 95 percent of the time. They would rail against a bill not having enough savings or being done behind closed doors when Democrats controlled Congress, but then they voted in favor of bills that they criticized for not having enough savings and that were done at the last minute once they got into power all because their establishment Republican leadership told them to.

People's cynicism toward government and their constant "changing of the guard" so-to-speak is part of the problem of why nothing gets done. Americans are hell bent on having a high-speed, always-on-the-go, need-results-now mentality that if change doesn't occur instantaneously then they say it's not working and they kick the bums out. They expect change from that group but when it doesn't happen they go back to the other party. Over time, they say well I'm just not going to vote because nobody listens. Politicians listen, the American people just aren't willing to pay attention.

For example, the majority of Americans support increasing taxes on the wealthiest Americans. Republicans don't support that, Democrats do. The majority of Americans now favor legalizing same-sex marriage. Republicans don't support that, Democrats do. The majority of Americans support using an "all-of-the-above" energy strategy. Republicans don't support that, Democrats do. The majority of Americans support Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Republicans don't support those things, Democrats do.

So it seems to me like Americans actually do have a party that listens to them and attempts to protect them but the American people, again in my opinion, are so afraid of sticking to a label, that they call themselves independent and say they are disgusted with both parties. Yet polling seems to indicate they are actually more liberal than they might want to admit. Sure there is room for compromise on both sides, but at the root of the issues Americans' opinions now seem to favor one party over the other.

I really could go on and in a future blog I will talk about this more because it really aggravates me when people talk about third parties. There are a few other angles to take when talking about this but I kind of wanted to focus on the "Americans just aren't willing to listen" part first. The American people certainly aren't the only reason why third party candidates actually won't work, but they are a good place to start.