LA CKAMA sPfiflt
May 11, 2005
Commentari
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t
fail to please
Jenna Johnk
The Clackamas Print
Some might say that the
election of actor Arnold
Schwarzenegger as gover
nor of California was a
bad omen for the political
future of America.
The fact is this celeb
rity-turned-politician
phenomenon has exist
ed for years. This join
ing of Hollywood with
D.C. most famously
began with the election
of Ronald Reagan as
governor of California
in the 1960s, then as
president of the United
States in 1980.
Reagan was an actor,
starring in more than 50
films and was at one time
the president of the Screen
Actors Guild. Reagan was a
popular president (popular
enough to be shot) and had
a relatively prosperous two-
term presidency, except for
the economic recession, the
budget deficit and the normal
controversies — abortion, prayer
in schools, and women in gov
ernment (not that we’re famil
iar with any of these).
We can’t forget Shirley
Temple. The lovable child star
grew up to serve under four dif of a joke of America’s politics
ferent presidents: Nixon, Ford, than the rest of the government
Reagan and Bush, Sr. (aka “Big had already (i.e., Clinton).
But wait, it gets worse! In
Daddy Bush”).
Apparently, Temple was very 2003, California (no surprise
good at what she did. She was there) got a new governor.
the U.S. delegate to the United Welcome Governor Arnold
Nations, the first female chief of Schwarzenegger! What in
protocol, the U.S. ambassador to the hell is wrong with that
the Republic of Ghana, an offi state?
Granted, I may be
cer for the U.S. Foreign Affairs
Department, and later the U.S. jumping to conclusions
ambassador to the Czech and here, but honestly - why
did it have to be the
Slovak Federal Republics.
Hearing that Shirley Temple Terminator? What’s next
was so political shocked me, A Sylvester Stallone?
having known little about her. It (It should be. It’s not
seemed to prove that celebrities like you can understand
what either one of them
can rise above.
My blossoming respect for is saying.)
What has he accomplished?
the idea of celebrities-turning-
politicians is crushed in a look Let’s see: he guaranteed that
to some recent politics, such as the six-day euthanasia wait
ing period in animal shelters
Jesse “the Body” Ventura.
“The Body” was a Navy Seal will remain intact, proclaimed
who went wrestler. Apparently, September 11 “Patriot Day,”
he was a good wrestler. In 1998, opened California’s first retail
though, he delved into poli hydrogen fueling station* and a
tics, running for governor of bunch of other little things.
He’s created a lot of plans and
Minnesota .(at least it wasn’t
California this time) and win made a lot of promises. So far,
all he’s really been able to do
ning.
In his one-term run, he is piss off a lot of people, drop
showed off his manly attitude his ratings, wage a war against
in the political arena instead of immigrants, and made enemies
the wrestling arena. I couldn’t of the entire Democratic Party
tell you what he accomplished. by referring to them as “girlie
Frankly, I don’t think Minnesota men.”
This is all starting to sound
could either. He did manage,
however, to make even more like business as usual.
Filibuster needs to go ‘nuclear'
Shannon Armstead
11
Commentary Editor
There is a little war going on in the
Senate over the nomination of conser
vative judges to court and Democrats
are doing all they can to keep it going
for a long time.
The reason for the little war is a
fickle technicality called a “filibus
ter.”
First of all, let’s examine the fili
buster. The filibuster was born as
a clever manipulation of what may
be imperfect Senate rules. The rules
say that members can speak on the
Senate floor as long as they want,
about any topic they want, in an
attempt to allow debate. In 1841 a
group of Senators perverted the rule
into a weapon. Rather than lose their
battle, the lawmakers took the floor
with plans to keep speaking until the
majority became fed up enough to
give up. The lawmakers’ efforts failed
but the filibuster was created.
Over the years the minority has
spoken of the filibuster with deep
respect as if the framers had instated it
as a check on majority power. In real
ity the filibuster was created, by the
members of the Senate itself and is not
mentioned in the constitution.
Rules to limit the filibuster were
first created in 1917 at the urging
of President Wilson. The rule was
known as a “cloture” and said that if
two-thirds of the Senate voted to end
the repetitive argumentation, it would
end. In 1975 the Senate reduced the
limit to a 60-vote majority, which
is where it stands today, leaving the
55 Republican majority short by five
tftd,
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votes to end the current filibuster.
The Republicans’ only option to
end the filibuster is called the “nuclear
option.” The nuclear option would end
the filibuster for the judicial confirma
tion process so that the rules would go
back to the original “majority rules”
instituted by the constitution.
The proposal to end filibuster
ing wasn’t offered by Republicans;
it was introduced in 1995 by senior
Democrats, including Sens. Joe
Lieberman (D, Conn.) and Tom Harkin
(D, Iowa). When it came to a vote, 19
Democrats, including leading blue
state senators Ted Kennedy and John
Kerry, supported the measure. Unlike
the attempts by Democrats to end
all filibusters, the effort by Senate
Republicans is limited to the judicial
confirmation process.
Throughout our nation’s 229-year
history, the constitutional standard and
Senate tradition for confirming judges
has been majority rule. Senators should
have the right to re-establish that tra
dition. Republican efforts to restore
constitutional ideas using the “Byrd
Option”—named for Sen. Robert Byrd
(D, W. Va.), who pioneered the proce
dure when he served as Senate majority
leader—should not come as such as
a shock to Senate Democrats who so
stubbornly argued against filibusters
under previous presidents.
Filibusters to thwart President
Bush’s nominations will only result in
a long soliloquy that, if the Democrats
have it their way, will continue until
Republicans stop fighting. This pattern
of avoiding the constitutional rights of
the Senate majority to judge who will
take the federal bench is a needless
waste of time and energy and needs the
“nuclear option.”
E ditor - in -C hief : Isaiah Creel
C opy E ditor : James Tombe
N ews E ditor : Ben Maras
C ommentary E ditor : Shannon
Armstead
F eature E ditor : Karlin Johnson
S ports E ditor : Mike McCormack
A&E E ditor : Hilliary Ferguson
P hoto E ditor : Jeff Sorensen
A d M anager : Ber^Holm
Letters to the editor
“7—
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Article against ‘free-love" biased
I am writing in response to the “article” published in the May 4th edition of the
Clackamas Print entitled “Actions speak louder than ‘free love.’” I believe die god
of the Clackamas Print, as quoted from the Print, is to “report the news in an honest,
unbiased, and professional manner.”
When did someone ranting about their hatred of a stereotype become news? The
“hippies” you hate aren’t hippies, but hypocrites, if they “preach high ideals” and don’t
follow through. There are some that believe in these same "high ideals” and actually
try to practice them in their everyday lives. ‘Tree love,” as you call it, isn’t the rampant
promiscuity of the ’60s, but respect for every person regardless of race, creed, or color.
Using a campus-wide publication to display hatred towards another group of people
makes it hard for die newspaper to maintain even a shred of integrity. Would it be accept
able to rant about disliking another group of students here at Clackamas based on racial
stereotypes and biases? Who edits the Editor?
In closing, I would like to say that there are no more hippies, sir, just some dreamers,
some druggies, and those who think differently than you. Please rectify this with a writ
ten refraction of the article or an open forum for any student to express their opinion or
dislike of another student or group.
Emily Betts
CCC student
Editors note: The opinion piece in question appeared in the “commentary’’ section, wasnot
run as a news story, and contained no libelous information that would war ant a retraction.
Chief scores with article against hippies
Preach it, brother Isaiah! Nothing is worse that those dirty, hypocritical hippies!!! Free
love—nothing from them comes without some sort of cost? If you disagree on an opin
ion, I have noticed that these folks really jump down your throat and argue with you until
they start repeating themselves and then some. I mean, I am open-minded and all, but
there is a limit to my patience
Peter Morrow
CCC Student
I'..,:.--L
D esign E ditor : Michaele Cooper
S taff W riters : Frank Jordan,
Joe Piazzisi, Jadon Triplett, Katie
Wilson, Laura Cameron, Christa
Danielson, Mike Guidice, Kyle
Slate, Elizabeth Tobey, Norma
Martinez, ÇJ Ciaramella, Sam
Krause, Jimi McDonnell, Jenna
Johnk
P roduction A ssistants : Jesse
Arguello, Joanne Bergstrom,
Norma Martinez, Jadon Triplett,
Randy Thrall
P hotographers : Brie Daykin
D epartment A dvisor : Linda Vogt
D epartment A ssistant : Pat Lichen
3
G oals : The C lackamas Print aims
to report the news in an honest,
unbiased, professional manner.
The opinions expressed do not
necessarily reflect those of the stu
dent body college administration,
its faculty or The Print. E-mail
comments to chiefed@dackamas.
edu.