The Orlando Report - Politics, Policy and News

The Obama Administration - Change has finally arrived in Washington. Follow the Obama administration with daily updates on North Coast Blog!

Insane Drug War - Jay Tierney's column highlight's another sad case involving minimum sentences and the War on Drugs. It's another example of prosecutorial discretion getting out of control.

Freedom to play poker! - Many Americans are upset that the Congress snuck restrictions on online wagering into law in 2006 before the elections. Now there is an effort to legalize some forms of online gambling, particularly games of skill such as poker.

Politics

A Republican quits his party.

Issues

The voters have a clear choice in this election between Obama and McCain, as they couldn't be more different on most issues. Hopefully we can rise about all the negative politics to have a real debate about policy.

Energy Independence
Obama and most Americans believe we need to free ourselves from our addition to foreign oil. Many conservatives agree as well.

Cool Stuff

Check out Jon Stewart as he mocks Bill O'Reilly for being a hypocrite. Sure, it's not a tough thing to do, but Stewart does it so well.

News & Notes

Vancouver – It’s Not Just A Great Place For Olympiads
If you’re like me, you will have to admit that up until February, you hadn’t thought of visiting Vancouver as a vacation destination. Now, however, the idea seems pretty appealing.

Bingo Busted
Ever since bingo came out in the electronic medium, it has always proved controversial. Will it be legalized in Alabama?

Protect your credit score with debt consolidation
If you think you might be in trouble, consider consolidating your debt to protect your credit score.

Taking business advantage of the foreclosure wave by obtaining a franchise for home improvement services
If you're looking to start a franchise, it might be a great time to think about home restoration.

New Credit Card Laws
President Obama signed a new set credit card bill into law last May, which, this February 22, has introduced a number of sweeping changes into how credit card issuers can treat their debtors.

"Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it..." - Mark Twain

"Mr. Bush's central problem is not that he was lying about Iraq, but that he was overzealous and self-deluded. He surrounded himself with like-minded ideologues, and they all told one another that Saddam was a mortal threat to us. They deceived themselves along with the public — a more common problem in government than flat-out lying."
- Nicholas Kristof

"From foreign to economic to social policy, Bush's record is a lesson in the limits and perils of conviction. He's too confident to consult a map. He's too strong to heed warnings and too steady to turn the wheel when the road bends. He's too certain to admit error, even after plowing through ditches and telephone poles. He's too preoccupied with principle to understand that principle isn't enough. Watching the stars instead of the road, he has wrecked the budget and the war on terror. Now he's heading for the Constitution. It's time to pull him over and take away the keys." - William Saletan (3/4/04)