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Transcript of The Political Beat
THE MAGAZINE FOR POLIT ICAL NEWS
2 The Political Beat October/November 2010
8. PALIN WORNS GOP
10. NAPOLEON BRACY
12. DO ISSUES MATTER
18. HIT RESET
VOLUME 1 ISSUE 1
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2010
CONTENTPB
The President 6
The Editor of The Political Beat
Ron Wallace
3
15
The City of
Prichard will con-
tinue to move
ahead by provid-
ing essential mu-
nicipal services
and to operate for
the betterment of
you as citizens.
Mayor Davis
3 The Political Beat October/November 2010
Ron Wallace is an inspir ingEdi tor- In-Chief for The Po-l i t ical Beat . A Pol i t ical Pub-l ica t ion publ i shed d ig i ta l lyevery two months . Wal laceis a de tec t ive wi th the Mo-bi le Pol ice Depar tment ,where he i s ass igned to theCriminal Invest igat ion Divi-s ion . He i s a na t ive of Mo-bi le and a graduate of JohnLeFlore High School . Wal-lace served on ac t ive dutywith the U. S. Marine Corpsfor e ight years .
He has s tud ied a t the Uni -vers i ty of South Alabamaand Bishop State Universi ty.He’s a l so a cer t i f ied com-puter network engineer, anda graduate of Nor th I s landNaval Base wi th a cer t i f i -ca te as a computer sys temsadminis t ra tor.
In addi t ion , Wal lace i s agraduate of Avia t ion Main-tenance a t Naval BaseMeridian, Miss . , wi th a cer-t i f ica te in av ia t ion main te-nance adminis t ra t ion andaeronautical technical publi-ca t ion l ib rary management .He’s the previous owner andCEO of Netforce Computersand Al lgravy Networks .Wallace has received severalawards and ci ta t ions for his
outs tanding work wi th theMobi le Pol ice Depar tment .He’s a c ivic leader, mot iva-t ional speaker and mentor tolocal youth. Wallace ran forMobile City Council in 2009but came in third in his race.Af ter having a touch of thePol i t ical arena, Wallace hadthe idea of s tar t ing a Pol i t i -
cal Magazine. That is whenthe b i r th of The Pol i t ica lBeat came about . Throughhis magazine , Wal lace be-l ieves that i t wi l l be a publ i -ca t ion for ge t t ing pol i t ica lnews to the people of th i scountry.
Wal lace i s the son of thela te Mr. & Mrs . Per ry Wal-lace Jr.
ABOUT THE EDITORPB
CEO/EDITOR-IN-CHIEFRon Wallace is an inspiring Editor-In-Chief for The Political BeatA Political Publication published digitally every two months.
4 The Political Beat October/November 2010
PB
The Political Beat October/November 2010 5
WHO WILL HAVE THE MAJORITY
YOU DECIDE VOTE ON NOVEMBER 2
The President arrived facing an unprecedented
array of challenges, and is meeting them with a
bold, comprehensive plan. He passed the most am-
bitious recovery package in history to address the
economic crisis. He is reimagining government to
be more open, transparent, and accountable. And
he is restoring America's alliances abroad, as well
as our American values here at home.
by Political Beat Staff
A New Foundation
6 The Political Beat October/November 2010
THE PRESIDENTPB
President Obama’s low popularity
ratings and the notion that he has not
accomplished anything in his first two
years in office is incorrect. Yes the
unemployment figures could explain
the President’s unpopalarity. Obama
has pretty much completed his top-
items of his agenda.
Guiding Principles
President Obama’s central focus is
on stimulating economic recovery and
helping America emerge a stronger
and more prosperous nation. The cur-
rent economic crisis is the result of
many years of irresponsibility, both in
government and in the private sector.
As we look toward the future, we
must confront the many dimensions of
this crisis while laying the foundation
for a new era of responsibility and
transparency.
Health Care Reform:
The Patient Protection and Afford-
able Care Act was meant to expand
access to health insurance to millions
of Americans. The law mandates that
all Americans buy into an insurance
pool, and prevents insurers from re-
jecting patients with pre-existing con-
ditions.
A New Foundation
The Political Beat October/November 2010 7
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Lore IpLoreIpsum mod mod
THE PRESIDENT PB
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
The stimulus package allocated $113.5 billion for the development of alternative energy sources, new
forms of mass transit and the retrofitting of buildings to become more energy efficient. Perhaps more than
any other aspect of the $789 billion package, the focus on modernization signaled an attempt at nudging
the country to a new economic model. Iinvested heavily in education both as a way to provide jobs now
and lay the foundation for long-term prosperity.
The President signed Wall Street Reform
The most sweeping reforms since the Great Depression, to hold Wall Street accountable, put an end to
bailouts and "too big to fail," and enforce the strongest consumer protections in history.
The President signed the Small Business Jobs Act
Providing tax breaks and better access to credit for millions of small businesses.
These are just some of the things the Obama Administration has accomplished so far during
Obama’s first term as President. Will Obama see a second term as President and if so will the De-
mocrats have the majority of power?
Palin predicts GOP establishment will
embrace Tea Party's ideals
Their arrival could force the main-
stream Republican Party to pay at-
tention
by The Political Beat Staff
Friend or Foe
8 T h e P o l i t i c a l B e a t O c t o b e r / N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 0
CONGRESS PB
"I think the machine within the
GOP is going to understand and re-
alize that this 'We the People' mes-
sage is rising and is resonating
throughout with independents, with
hard-core conservatives, with mod-
erates, because it's so full of com-
mon sense and time-tested truths
that could put the economy back on
the right track," "Heaven forbid the
GOP machine strays from this mes-
sage. If so, the GOP is through."
"As long as we apply time-tested
truths and we prove that they work -
- and that's what we have to do in the
next two years: Send a new Con-
gress to D.C. to apply those solu-
tions that are based just on
free-market principles that really
can't be argued then by the inde-
pendents and by the moderates," she
said. "Then they start embracing
more of what the party's all about."
Palin Warns GOP
The Political Beat October/November 2010 10
The Tea-Party Movement are
they for real???
10 The Political Beat October/November 2010
STATEPB
“H a v e y o u e v e r b e e n t o t h e c i r c u s a n d
s e e n t h e e l e p h a n t s ? T h e y
a r e t r a i n e d t o s t a y i n p l a c e
w i t h j u s t a sma l l p e g i n t h e
g r o u n d . T h e y a r e j u s t l i k e
t h e p e o p l e i n D i s t r i c t 9 8 .
T h e e l e p h a n t s a r e t h e
l a rg e s t mo s t magn i f i c e n t o f
a l l t h e a n im a l s t h e r e . B u t
t h e y a r e t r a i n e d t o b e l i e v e
t h a t t h e y a r e w e a k . T h e y a r e t r a i n e d t o b e -
l i e v e t h e y a r e c a p t u r e d a n d c a n ’ t h a v e t h e
b e s t . T h e b e s t s c h o o l s , t h e b e s t j o b s a n d
c ommun i t i e s a r e w h a t m y p e o p l e d e s e r v e
i n D i s t r i c t 9 8 . I am w i l l i n g t o f i g h t f o r my
p e o p l e . I w a n t m y p e o p l e t o k n ow t h a t
t h e y a r e s t r o n g a n d p owe r f u l a n d mo s t im -
p o r t a n t l y t h a t t h e y a r e f r e e . ”
–N a p o l e o n B r a c y
“Ou r d e e p e s t f e a r i s n o t t h a t w e a r e i n -
a d e q u a t e . O u r d e e p e s t f e a r i s t h a t w e a r e
p owe r f u l b e y o n d me a s u r e . I t i s o u r l i g h t ,
n o t o u r d a r k n e s s t h a t m o s t f r i g h t e n s u s .
We a s k o u r s e l v e s , Wh o am I t o b e b r i l -
l i a n t , g o r g e o u s , t a l e n t e d , f a b u -
l o u s ? A c t u a l l y, w h o a r e y o u n o t
t o b e ? Yo u a r e a c h i l d o f G o d .
You r p l a y i n g sma l l d o e s n o t s e r v e
t h e w o r l d . T h e r e i s n o t h i n g e n -
l i g h t e n e d a b o u t s h r i n k i n g s o t h a t
o t h e r p e o p l e w o n ' t f e e l i n s e c u r e
a r o u n d y o u . We a r e a l l m e a n t t o
s h i n e , a s c h i l d r e n d o . We w e r e
b o r n t o m a k e m a n i f e s t t h e g l o r y o f G o d
t h a t i s w i t h i n u s . I t ' s n o t j u s t i n s ome o f
u s ; i t ' s i n e v e r y on e . And a s we l e t o u r own
l i g h t s h i n e , w e u n c o n s c i o u s l y g i v e o t h e r
p e o p l e p e rm i s s i o n t o d o t h e s am e . A s w e
a r e l i b e r a t e d f r om o u r own f e a r , o u r p r e s -
e n c e a u t oma t i c a l l y l i b e r a t e s o t h e r s . ”
“Have you ever been to the circus and seen the elephants? They are trained to stay in placewith just a small peg in the ground. They are just like the people in District 98. The elephantsare the largest most magnificent of all the animals there. But they are trained to believe thatthey are weak. They are trained to believe they are captured and can’t have the best. The
best schools, the best jobs and communities are what my people deserve in District 98. I amwilling to fight for my people. I want my people to know that they are strong and powerful
and most importantly that they are free.” –Napoleon Bracy
The Political Beat October/November 2010 11
FROM PRICHARD AL MAYOR RON DAVIS
The City of Prichard will continue to moveahead by providing essential municipalservices and to operate for the bettermentof you as citizens.
As Mayo r , I h a v e a lw a y s
r e c o g n i z e d P r i c h a r d ’s p o -
t e n t i a l t o o n c e a g a i n b e -
c ome a t h r i v i n g C i t y
wh e r e p e o p l e c a n l i v e ,
wo r k a n d p l a y. T h e C i t y
o f P r i c h a r d w i l l c o n t i n u e
t o mov e a h e a d b y p r o v i d -
i n g e s s e n t i a l mun i c i p a l
s e r v i c e s a n d t o o p e r a t e
f o r t h e b e t t e rmen t o f y o u
a s c i t i z e n s .
I l o o k f o rw a r d t o o u r f i -
n a n c i a l s i t u a t i o n c h a n g i n g
wh e n t h e e c o n omy im -
p r o v e s . P r i c h a r d h a s a
l a r g e l a n d b a s e i n t h e
E i g h t M i l e a r e a o f i t s u n -
i n c o r p o r a t e d l im i t s t h a t
c a n b e u s e d f o r r e t a i l ,
t o u r i sm a n d mo r e h o u s i n g .
We a r e l o o k i n g f o rw a r d t o
p o s i t i o n i n g o u r s e l v e s f o r
g r ow t h b y b u i l d i n g h o u s e s
a n d r e f u r b i s h i n g s ome f o r
c i t i z e n s t o b e c ome n ew
homeowne r s . C i t y l e a d e r s
w i l l a l s o c o n t i n u e t o l o o k
f o r e c o n om i c d e v e l o pmen t
o p p o r t u n i t i e s a n d w a y s t o
b r i n g i n mo r e b u s i n e s s e s
a n d j o b s . I l o o k f o rw a r d
t o mak i n g s u r e t h e s e a n d
o t h e r o p p o r t u n i t i e s c ome
t o t h e c i t y f o r o u r e n j o y -
men t . T h e P r i c h a r d c om -
mun i t y h a s a l o t o f p r i d e
a n d I a s k t h a t y o u c o n -
t i n u e t o s u p p o r t y o u r c i t y
a n d e l e c t e d o f f i c i a l s . We
h a v e g o n e t h r o u g h many
ob s t a c l e s i n t h e p a s t a n d
we h a v e p r o v e n b e f o r e ,
t h a t t o g e t h e r , w e w i l l
m a k e i t t h r o u g h t h e
t o u g h e s t c h a l l e n g e s .
Mayo r Ron D a v i s
C i t y o f P r i c h a r d
STATE PB
12 T h e P o l i t i c a l B e a t O c t o b e r / N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 0
The power of the internet has enchanted
the electoral process. We are offered the
chance to learn about a candidate in the same
manner in which we receive up to minute
news, apply for jobs and buy warehoused de-
signer labels. The candidate is physically re-
moved from us; however, their platform is
boxed and condensed for us. In a society
where attending a local debate, or calling the
morning talk show to question the candidate
has become obsolete, candidates are forced
to choose the “hot button issue” of their party
to relate to voters. We no longer have to feel
a sense of familiarity with the person repre-
senting our values and beliefs. Yet, potential
voters still get flooded with high glossy mail-
ings, automated calls from candidates, and
propaganda filled television commercials. We
expect this. However, the battle has moved to
new ground: the internet. The thick traffic and
hectic information highway has left voters
searching for the real men and women behind
the advertisements. According to the article,
“Agenda Setting in Congressional Elections:
The Impact of Issues and Campaigns on Vot-
ing Behavior “(2003), voters are “likely” to
choose the candidate whose party has chosen
to create a reputable platform for certain is-
sues important to the voter. This notion leaves
us to forget about other issues that we find of
very little interest. Sometimes, allowing a
candidate to receive votes based on the best
commercial ads, catchiest slogan, and even
the “anti-“of the incumbent candidate. The in-
ternet has created an even larger advertising
base for candidates. Dedicated party support-
ers regularly receive emails with volunteer
and giving opportunities. A candidate can
quickly add to their campaign coffers with
multiple mini- donations. The internet can be
seen as responsible for increasing President
Obama’s voter base in the 2008 election, and
the strengthening of the latest political party,
the Tea Party Movement. The Tea
Party Movement promotes it’s
events on blogs, Twitter, and Face-
book, and has grown dramatically
by reaching a generation of
voters who are technologically
savvy as seen with the numbers of
its September 2010, Washington,
DC Rally.
Local politicians are spending
campaign funding on maintaining
websites and social networking ac-
counts to reach voters by being a
part of their daily lives. Certified
internet marketers are building a
niche by offering marketing serv-
ices to the politicians seeking to
use cyberspace as a means to at-
tract voters. This provides an av-
enue for voters that candidates
may miss by using the traditional
means of political campaigning.
And, allows lower campaign
spending for candidates. So, where
does this leave the traditional
voter who seeks contact with their
issue, in front of the computer, en-
gaged in discourse with their
Facebook friends and reading re-
Tweets from followers of another
follower.
COMENTARYPB
Do Issues MatterBy Janeen Morris
T h e P o l i t i c a l B e a t O c t o b e r / N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 0 13
Voting for a candidate then
becomes a choice made on what
they read on a post or a catchy
quote. The consequences leave
voters disgruntled with the
dream they supported because
they may have missed the
views behind all of the technol-
ogy. The issues matter and vot-
ers should not only seek the
information given to them, but
candidates must put their plat-
forms out in multi-media for-
mats and in person, making
themselves available to the
common person. The internet
has opened the field for play,
forcing voters, to seek out the
right information to make a
good choice, and holding can-
didates more responsible for
seeking votes.
COMENTARY PB
Hit Reset
The nation is gripped with fear. The economy is stagnant at best, business is paralyzed, and government
is ineffective or incompetent (you pick). As the Great Depression hit its stride, President Franklin D.
Roosevelt in his first inaugural address admonished Americans that the “only thing we have to fear is
fear itself.” He went on to say that fear was “nameless, unreasoning, and unjustified terror.”
In other words, the folks were being irrational, so just lend your support to Washington and the govern-
ment will fix it. President Obama echoes that call for blind allegiance, but he adds the only thing we
have to fear are the Republicans.
There is no doubt Americans are genuinely afraid and it’s the conventional fear of the unknown. Every-
thing we ever believed about our country has been damaged and destabilized. What happened to the
Constitution? When will government power stop growing? Who gave infinite authority?
In every aspect of society and politics, uncertainty reigns supreme. A rudderless nation is adrift in a sea
of relativism buffeted by waves of expedience. Working Americans are bailing to exhaustion, but sink-
ing despair persists. While the administration claims we are on the right course and ostensibly brilliant
economist, Paul Krugman, assures us debt matters not and we can spend ourselves into prosperity. The
unknown is firmly established and fear well founded. American foreign policy lacks convictions about
anything. We are combating terrorists, but we are no longer fighting a war on terror. We are leaving
Iraq except for 50,000 troops. We support the Afghan government, but we are probably leaving.
The federal government is spending billions of dollars to grow the economy, but a few months after
every quarter the GDP growth numbers are revised down. Billions were spent, but we didn’t have the
money. We borrowed it. No, we printed it. Or, maybe we have mortgaged the future to China. No one
really knows how much we spent, where it came from, or where it went.
We bailed out the banks and financial institutions, but the banks are still not lending money. They are
sitting on trillions of cash while nursing their toxic assets. One minute we hear, the banks are paying
back the stimulus and the next
By Pete Riehm Mobile Free Press
1 8 T h e P o l i t i c a l B e a t O c t o b e r / N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 0
COMENTARY
unaccounted billions went to foreign banks. Again, the only thing we know is that we do not know
when business credit will be available.
We are told the nation continues to lose jobs, but somehow unemployment is improving. The govern-
ment says 9.6% and others declare unemployment is really about 17%. Who do we believe? The gov-
ernment insists it’s helping working Americans, but instead of jobs we see record numbers on food
stamps. Is that the kind of help government intends - to make more Americans dependent?
Everyone hopes for economic revival, but business has hunkered down and either continues to cut back
or to postpone any expansions. This is understandable considering the administration has waged all out
war on free enterprise for almost two years. None of us know what our tax liabilities are next year. It is
anyone’s guess what government health care will cost?
Despite the epic health care vote, is everyone going to get health care? Apparently not, a few dozen
large companies have obtained waivers. Is that the nation we want? Those with the most lawyers and
lobbyists get the best deal?
FDR and President Obama are wrong. The comic strip character, Pogo, was much closer to the truth
with “We have met the enemy and he is us.” The uncertainty pervading American life is very real and
almost wholly a product of the government.
Americans yearn for leadership firm in their convictions. We need direction and stability; the govern-
ment can only help by eliminating the unknown. Make the Bush tax cuts permanent, repeal all the non-
sensical legislation of this grossly misguided Congress, and either win our wars or bring our troops
home!
The last 2 years have wrought nothing but uncertainty that perpetuates the current economic malaise.
Our government has become so complex, convoluted, and corrupt; no one could hope to sort it out.
The best action is to hit the reset button. And that is exactly what is brewing for Election Day.
T h e P o l i t i c a l B e a t O c t o b e r / N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 0 1 9
COMENTARY