Short Writing Assignment #2

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=2428968
ABC News
September 13, 2006
State lawmaker Keith Ellison is campaigning to become the first Muslim in Congress. He gave a liberal message on Tuesday calling for peace, withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, and universal health care. Ellison told supporters at an Egyptian restaurant, “You’re not on your own. We are with you. We do these things together, y’all and we don’t let nobody break us apart.”
Ellsion is a 43-year-old criminal defense lawyer who converted to Islam as a college student. He compared himself to the late Sen. Paul Wellstone and many voters responded. It is clear Ellison will be a favorite in the November election when he will face Republican Alan Fine and Independent Tammy Lee.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/09/AR2006090900493.html
Washington Post
September 9, 2006
President Bush is hoping to revive his plan to overhaul the U.S. Social Security retirement program. He plans to do this if his Republican party can keep control of the Congress. Bush is pretty confident that this will happen and the there is not going to be a shift in power.
Bush thinks that next year would be a good time to reintroduce this issue because he could “drain the politics out of the issue.” He did not bring it up in 2005 because Republicans thought it would jeopardize their chances in this year’s elections.



http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/12/washington/12cong.html?_r=1&n=Top%2fReference%2fTimes%20Topics%2fOrganizations%2fC%2fCongress%20
The New York Times
September 12, 2006
In this article it talks about how even though September was a sad day to remember the attacks on the U.S. politics still seemed to emerge. Members of Congress stood on the steps of the Capitol on Monday in a ceremony. The tragedy of September 11th could only go so far in uniting the two parties eight weeks before Election Day.
Inside the Capitol, Republicans and Democrats began to argue over the wording of the September 11th resolution. They both acknowledged that it was a bid to gain political advantage. The Democrats and Republicans both had their side to bring to the table. Congress has passed a resolution every year and in non-election years it has simply noted the valor of rescue workers and extended sympathies to families. But in election years the House has included heralding accomplishments in the war on terror. This time it applauded the reauthorization of the USA Patriot Act as well as the immigration bill. The House voted on the resolution on Wednesday.