The Voters Have Spoken: Election Day Results

BY, EMMA FRANKLIN

Voters flocked to their local voting locations on Tuesday to elect various candidates to office. Three of the most heavily watched races were for governor of N.J., governor of Va., and mayor of New York City.

The candidates for N.J. governor included Republican incumbent Chris Christie and Democrat Barbara Buono. Christie won the election by a landslide with 60.4% of votes to Buono’s 38.1%. Although N.J. has been a historically Democratic state, Governor Christie won the support of voters through his moderate policies and quick response to last year’s Hurricane Sandy disaster. Governor Christie’s mounting bipartisan support would potentially strengthen his potential bid for the 2016 presidential election, if he chooses to run.

GW College Republicans Chairman Alexander Miller said he was, “Very proud of Chris Christie in his incredible victory in New Jersey. He received a record number of votes from women and minority groups and seems well positioned for 2016.”

The race for Va. governor included the state Attorney General, Republican Kenneth Cuccinelli, and former Democratic National Committee chairman, Democrat Terry McAuliffe. Although the race was very tight, McAuliffe came out on top with 48.0% of the vote compared to Cuccinelli’s 45.5%.

“I kept a watchful eye on Virginia. Cuccinelli was predicted to lose by 7-12 points. However, the closeness of the elections proves that Americans are upset with the failed Obamacare and refutes claims that the government shutdown was the fault of, and ultimately hurt the GOP,” said Miller.

Cuccinelli, a Tea Party supporter, was not predicted to receive as much of the vote as he did. However, due to negative public opinion surrounding the Republican Party following the government shut down, McAuliffe’s campaign received a bit of an energy boost and increased voter turnout. These results have prompted the Republican Party to reevaluate how it chooses nominees in an effort to lessen the number of extremely radical candidates.

The GW College Democrats were active in the campaign. “Mr. McAuliffe's victory is particularly heartening because we invested so much effort in helping him win. These results mean real, material improvement in people's lives because now Medicaid expansion appears more likely in Virginia,” said GW College Democrats president Omeed Firouzi.

The race for mayor of New York City, widely considered the second most powerful political position within the United States, included Democrat Bill de Blasio and Republican Joseph J. Lhota. De Blasio was the overwhelming winner with 73.3% of the vote compared to Lhota’s 24.3%. 

“I’m thrilled at the results in New York City,” said Firouzi. “Stop and frisk may come to a close now, so obviously that is a good thing because it means progressive policy outcomes.”

New York City consistently votes liberally and considering the not-so-popular term of current moderately conservative mayor Michael Bloomberg, de Blasio’s win was no big surprise.

The Great Debate: Two Professors Square Off

BY MICHAEL SCARBOROUGH

Two political science professors, Henry Nau and Vincent Stine, faced off Wednesday in a debate sponsored by the GW chapters of College Republicans and College Democrats. 

Stine, who has taught on topics ranging from religion’s influence on politics to the nature of political parties, represented the Democratic side. Nau, who has been a professor of international affairs since 1973 and was a senior staff member on President Reagan’s National Security Council, represented the Republicans. 

The debate featured very little back-and-forth banter reminiscent of last year’s presidential and Republican primary debates. Instead the professors answered questions from moderator and fellow GW professor Daniel Ericson, and once opinions were given, the discussion moved on to new topics. 

On the question of the country’s fiscal situation, both professors agreed that deals should revolve around reforming entitlements and closing tax loopholes, with Nau taking a stand against “agricultural and industrial subsidies.” 

The professors also agreed that the problematic implementation of The Affordable Care Act has reflected poorly on the Obama administration. 

“I think it is a big embarrassment for the administration,” said the left-leaning Stine, “but I don’t think (Secretary of Health and Human Services) Sebelius should resign.”

Nau expressed his belief that many provisions of the ACA could have been worked out in the private sector, and that government only makes healthcare reform less efficient. 

“Insurance companies easily could have solved the pre-existing condition problem on its own…don’t wait for government to solve your problem. Go out there and solve them.”

Ending the debate, Professor Ericson asked the participants to predict the Democratic and Republican presidential nominees in 2016. Nau and Stine were reluctant to give predictions, noting that there are no clear front runners. 

Both agreed that in every election cycle, it is impossible to predict circumstances and events that lead to candidate nominations.

Debating the Issues: Ann Coulter v. Lawrence O' Donnell

On Sunday night in Lisner Auditorium, conservative pundit Ann Coulter faced off against liberal MSNBC host Lawrence O'Donnell in a debate.

Even before either Coulter or O' Donnell took the stage, the people who were introducing them were jockeying for position such as mentioning that Coulter is "the New York Times bestselling author of eight different books" and that " O'Donnell is "donating his speaking fee to an organization that helps provide school desks for children in Guatemala."

The first hot button issue that was brought up was the current controversy surround Rush Limbaugh's criticism of Sandra Fluke in which he called her a slut and a prostitute. The moderator, Frank Sesno, couldn't even finish his sentence before being drowned out by the booing audience. The debate opening focused more on contraceptives than the controversy.

When asked for her opinion on the matter Coulter said "What I don't like about this and also what has annoyed me about a lot of the republican responses about the HHS mandate is that it is completely missing the point by making it a debate about contraception, which by the way why they really come to life when your talking about it. And about religious freedom, which isn't the issue here." She went on to say that it is not insurance.

“Insurance is to cover unexpected emergencies — fires, car crashes and dreaded diseases,” Coulter continued. “If we’re covering something that costs between $10 and at most $30 a month, well then what can’t be ruled on by the HHS secretary? This is them taking our freedom away — the government taking our freedom away. I think the next mandate if Obama is reelected is going to be that you will have to pay a higher insurance premium if you own a gun in your home.”

O' Donnell responded that "I wish that the government was not to require any insurance companies to do anything in the health care field area because I wish that the government would bypass the insurance companies completely."

When Coulter was further questioned about the Limbaugh controversy, she state that, “this red-herring, when liberals all get ginned up about some talk radio host who is very popular, I don’t know why Republicans, particularly elected Republicans are responding at all.” She further elaborated by questioning why other prominent individuals don't have to answer for their verbal gaffes.“Why doesn’t Obama have to respond to the things that his million-dollar donor Bill Maher has said, calling Sarah Palin the ‘c-word,’ for example. Why doesn’t my friend Lawrence have to respond his MSNBC colleague Ed Schultz calling Laura Ingraham a slut? Or Rachel Maddow accusing the good people of Kentucky of murders of the census worker?”

O'Donnell focused more on Rush saying that, "It is about contraception for Rush Limbaugh. That’s all he’s talking about. And Rush Limbaugh has decided a college student or in the case he was talking about a law school student — if that law school student wants and uses contraception and advocates for others, she is a prostitute. She is a slut. That is what the Limbaugh position is.”

O' Donnell truly won an advantage over Coulter when he brought up a quote from 2003 in which Coulter says "It’s true. It would be a much better country if women did not vote. That is simply a fact. In fact, in every presidential election since 1950 – except Goldwater in 64 –would have won, if only the men had voted." She was asked this by the British newspaper, The Guardian.

The fact that this followed Coulter mentioning that people shouldn't be able to vote until they can afford health insurance- at age 26- didn't go over that well with the audience-mostly college students under 26. She effectively said that the majority of people listening should not be able to vote in the next presidential election. These statements elicited the loudest boos of the night and many members of the audience seem genuinely stunned at her comments.

Ann Coulter and Lawrence O' Donnell put on quite the show for GW students and shortly after wrapped up the debate. Mr. O' Donnell took some time to answer some question posed by WRGW's own New Director, Joey Rabinowitz. The interview can be found on our blog. And both Coulter and O' Donnell took some time to meet with students from the College Democrats and Republicans afterwords and answer questions and pose for pictures.

MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell Talks Socialism, Marijuana and Obama

MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell - WRGW News Interview by Wrgw_News on Mixcloud

Student Keystone Pipeline Debate

On Tuesday, February 7, in the Marvin Center Grand Ballroom the College Democrats and the College Republicans hosted a student debate on the Obama Administration's stance on the Keystone pipeline debate.

It may have been a student debate, but the discussion almost immediately took on a tense air. On one side you had the College Democrats and the other the College Republicans. The room was divided with members of each party on opposites sides of the room. Moderators walk around the room offering each person a small piece of paper to write questions for the debaters upon.

The Democrats slightly outnumbered the Republicans, but from the intensity of the debate, you wouldn't know it otherwise. The Democrat debaters each read an opening statement about why they opposed the Keystone pipeline-among which dealt with environmental impact and the fact the the jobs that it would create would only two thousand temporary jobs. The Republicans quickly countered with an estimate that the jobs wouldn't be temporary and would be numbered as many quarter million. Each cited different reliable sources.

However, once the debate quickly began to ignite with the Republicans going on the offensive. They began a very cohesive offensive on Keystone Pipeline and criticized the Obama administration. With one of the debaters referring to the President as "Your President" towards the College Democrats, with which one of democrats "He is your president too." This elicited a round of cheers from the College Democrat members present.

The College Republicans continuously assailed the Democrats bringing up the the Alberta Clipper Pipeline. This is a oil-sands pipeline that Obama previously approved in 2009. They stated that it was similar and that the only reason that Obama refused Keystone Pipeline was because it was in key swing states. The way it came was if the College Democrats hadn't heard of the Pipeline, but it may have had something to do with the fact that they had such little response time.

The College Democrats were calm, cool, and collected. They had asked the other side for a moment to respond, but they weren't readily granted it. The result was that they barely were able to successfully defend their views, much less counter what the Republican debaters were bringing up. The Republicans dominated the speaking time- command a significant about more time than them democrats themselves received.

The arguments and statements began to get slightly out of hand during an attack on Obama's decision with one of he Republicans stating "Now I understand why Obama went to Disney world, he's in fantasy land." The Republican side all cheered, but you could feel the silent shock on the Democrats side that such a brazen attack. Members of the Democrat audience even got involved when one of their debaters tried to respond to a comment the Republicans had just made, just to be spoken over. They wanted the debater to be able to speak and the Republican who had just interrupted told the audience members to let him finish.

It continued to get out of hand when the moderator attempt to stop the debate in order to ask a question. One of the Republican's continued to speak and interrupted him multiple times. The moderator stated when he was able to speak "now just let me interrupt this crazy circus."

The Republican displayed a significant amount of passion and knowledge about the subject and thus made a lasting impression. However, sometimes the interruptions and the passionate comments began to hurt there argument. It hurt their credibility. You could tell that they are both incredible intelligent, but there is a certain point where the passion begins to be mistaken for emotion. And if you speak on emotion, rather than facts. The argument is already lost. They just need to reign it in a bit.

The College Democrats had almost the opposite problem- if it is possible they came across as almost to respectful. They let the republicans speak when they asked, but were not rewarded with the same privilege. The Democrats really earned a significant amount of credibility, just from how they acted. However, you could feel that they might not have been able to make their whole argument in the limited time they had to speak. This is one case where they should have spoken up a lot more. They made valid points, but if debate team has half the time, then they won't be able to make an effective argument.

Both sides made this debate feel like the real thing- meaning it felt like they are elected officials off of a CNN debate. And most importantly, both sides made good points and displayed the best of there respective organization. It was an impressive debate.

Youngest Congressman Shares His Story

Aaron Schock is the youngest serving Congressman.

Rep. Aaron Schock (R-IL) spoke to a group on GW students Tuesday at a College Republicans and Young America's Foundation cosponsored event. Schock, 30, told the Marvin Center crowd about his journey to becoming the youngest serving U.S. Congressmen.

"It's great to be back on a college campus," Schock said. "Most of the days I get to spend with people that are three times my age, so it's kind of fun to come back to a place, where people kind of look my age."

He then launched into a brief version of his impressive rise to Congress. Schock got off to an ambitious start at an incredibly young age working by forming his own company, working with DOS formatting software and doing database management, at a book store chain. The impressive part was, Schock was only in the fifth grade.

Many other impressive accomplishments followed, including working a ticket-brokering job that would net him nearly $18,000 annually when he reached seventh grade, and began investing the money that he earned with an online trading account. He was relatively successful until the tech bubble burst and his portfolio bottomed out. 

Schock got his first taste of politics when he attempted to graduate a year early from high school and was held back by the school board. Schock earned all of his high school credits by the end of his junior year and attempted to go off to college a year early. Shock said the school board prevented his early departure because of the state money the district would receive for his school attendance. 

When he realized it was about the money, Schock said he showed up at the next school board meeting with a personal check for $8,400 written out to the school system, the exact amount of the school's state aid. The board turned him down and forced Schock to take gym for his senior year for a single credit hour.

He wanted to change the rules. Schock decided to jump in the race against the previously unopposed Peoria school board president. He managed to collect the necessary number of petition signatures, but the school board member hired an attorney and challenged his petition. Some of the signees simply wrote ditto marks and not a full signature, and the court decided this invalidated Schock's petition. 

Determined to win, Schock still ran as a write-in candidate. He defeated the incumbent president, and three years later, Schock became the youngest Illinois school board president at the age of 23.

He later followed up his early election victory by successfully running for a position in the Illinois House of Representatives in 2005. He served for four years, quickly moving up the ranks in the Democratic state legislature. 

Schock joined Congress in 2009 at the age of 28. Two years later, he was reelected with nearly 70% of the votes.

Huntsman Brings Campaign to GW

John Huntsman, Jr. discussed his economic and foreign policy with students.

Republican presidential hopeful Jon Huntsman spoke before a packed Jack Morton Auditorium Tuesday night, marking the first visit by a 2012 presidential candidate to the GW campus since President Obama's in April.

The former Utah governor and ambassador to China spoke on fixing an ailing economy, reducing the "heroin-like addiction to foreign oil" and strengthening diplomatic ties with allies like Israel and India.

"All I want... is a foreign policy that says we're going to lead with economics," Huntsman said.

His plan for economic recovery would include the repeal of the Dodd-Frank Act and "Obamacare," a focus on domestic natural gas production for transportation and the adoption of a flat tax like the one his "good friend Rick Perry" talked about earlier in the day. He criticized President Obama's handling of the economy, including bailing out businesses seen as too big to fail.

"Capitalism without failure is not capitalism," Huntsman said.

Huntsman vocalized his support for continued counter-terrorism initiatives, claiming, "We must remain vigilant." But he also announced that he would bring home the 100,000 troops currently serving in Afghanistan.

Looking towards the general election, Huntsman attacked President Obama's "hope" campaign as a message of style over substance.

"You can win on a mantra, that don't mean you can lead," he said.

Though critical of the current president, Huntsman made no apologies for leaving his job as Utah governor to accept President Obama's nomination for ambassador to China.

"I worked for President Reagan, I worked for President Bush, I worked for President Bush," he said. "I'm of the firm belief that when your president asks you to step up and serve in a time of war, during a time of economic hardship, you stand up and put your country first."

Jack Morton quickly reached its 260 person capacity for the College Republicans-sponsored event. CR members could RSVP for priority seating prior to the event, while coordinators granted non dues-paying members entry on a first-come, first-served basis.

Huntsman spokesman and GW alumnus Tim Miller said his candidate does well with youth voters because of the sense that he includes them in the debate on topics such as the national debt.

"He's doing a lot of college visits," Miller said. "He has a positive message that resonates with young people."

Following the speech, students swarmed to the front of the auditorium, clamoring for a picture with the presidential candidate.

"I liked how moderate he was," GW senior Veronica Brown said. "He really spoke to me as a less right-wing Republican."

Despite polling below 2 percent in most national Republican primary studies, Huntsman maintains a focus on youth voters. He appeared on the popular Colbert Report Monday and jokingly requested that Stephen Colbert join him as his vice presidential running mate.

Huntsman is the second 2012 presidential candidate to campaign at GW this year. President Obama revealed his budget deficit reduction plan in the Jack Morton Auditorium shortly after announcing his candidacy in April. Republican candidates Herman Cain and Newt Gingrich both came to campus in February, several months prior to officially announcing their runs for the Republican presidential nomination.

"I don't think this is his year," GW sophomore Daniel Ceisler said, "but I don't think this is the last we'll see of Jon Huntsman."

- Joseph Rabinowitz

Allen Blasts Dems and GOP for Broken Government

George Allen speaking at the CRs kickoff event

Former Governor of Virginia and U.S. Senator George Allen spoke to approximately forty students at the GW College Republicans kickoff. 

“Is America on the track to greatness? No,” Allen told students at the Grand Ballroom of the Marvin Center. “It’s time for an American comeback.”

Allen, a Republican seeking the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate in 2012, emphasized the need for America to reinvigorate its international business prospects. 

“No more time for boon doggling, no more time for delay. Let’s send a message to the world that America is open for business again,” he said.

 Allen hopes to achieve this by reducing the corporate tax rate to 20 percent, less than the 35 percent corporate profits are taxed today.

“The government does not create jobs. Jobs are created by the private sector,” Allen said to applause.

Allen praised states for being able to achieve objectives that the federal government cannot perform efficiently. 

“States are the laboratories of democracy,” he said. 

If elected, Allen promises to introduce a bill withholding congressional paychecks if appropriation bills and requests are not submitted on time.

Addressing the discontent of the American people, Allen says the people want solutions. 

“Folks are disgusted by Washington,” Allen said. 

In addition to reforming America’s corporate tax code, Allen says he hopes to bring about energy reform and rein in government spending. 

“I’ll be like a dog on a bone for energy [reform].”

Early this week, leaders in the United States Senate came to an agreement to fund the government for six weeks until November 18. This is the third short-term continuing resolution regarding government spending to come before Congress this year. Allen said the short-term solutions are worse now than they were several years ago when he served as a United States senator. Calling these short-term continuing resolutions a dilatory process, Allen blasted both Republicans and Democrats for the state of government. 

“These [resolutions] are symptomatic of a broken government,” Allen said.

Blake Gober, an attendee, recalled Allen’s 2006 loss to now Senator Jim Webb and reflects on it as a humbling experience for Allen. 

“[Allen] has grown and learned from that experience," Gober said. "I believe that he is a much stronger candidate. His policy on withholding paychecks is spot-on and exactly what we need done in Washington.”

Google Donates to GOP, Enters Bipartisan Phase

Google, the perennial left-leaning search engine, has begun to recruit Republican operatives and donating funds to various GOP groups, reported the Huffington Post. 

The traditionally liberal-minded corporation is entering a bipartisan phase with the aim of supporting the causes of both the Republican and Democratic parties. 


Google's executives donated money to the D.C.-based Republican Attorneys General Association. The conglomerate also helped co-sponsor last Thursday's GOP presidential debate with Fox News. 

Among other GOP-linked organizations, Google also pledged monetary support to the Heritage Foundation, web development firm Crossroad Strategies and the Republican State Leadership Committee. Additionally, Google has hired 18 lobbying firms in the last nine months, a figure that includes consultants who are not mandated to register as lobbyists.

Google leadership also provided support to conservative think thanks like the American Enterprise Institute and the Competitive Enterprise Institute, both based in the nation's capital.

Naturally, the megacorporation's fiscal support of GOP organizations has found approval among Republican members of Congress. 

"Bipartisanship is a positive thing," said Senator John Cornyn of Texas, head of the Senate's Republican fundraising committee.  "I understand why people feel like they need to have people they can talk to on both sides." 

Google's fiscal support of the GOP is coming at a time when the company's executives are facing a major antitrust lawsuit on Capitol Hill. Eric Schmidt, Google's former chief executive, stood before the Senate Judiciary antitrust subcommittee last Wednesday. 

Schmidt defended Google against allegations that the company is violating American antitrust legislation, which prohibits the formation of monopolies. The investigation into Google's breach of antitrust laws is ongoing.

Ever since Microsoft began funneling donations to both major parties, Google has sought to gain political interest in the same manner. As of mid-2011, Google and Microsoft are at a dead tie in terms of political donations, both corporations citing $3.5-million in lobbying expenditures.

Some GW students believe the megacorporation's donations to the GOP reflect a strategic move with regards to the policy of Net neutrality. Net neutrality, also known as Internet neutrality, is a principle that calls for all Internet content to be treated equally. 

Net neutrality proponents also advocate for no restriction by Internet Service Providers or the government on what type of sites consumers view, what kind of content they see or what modes of communication they employ.


"It seems to me that [Google] is just doing this because the GOP is against Net neutrality," noted freshman Eric Breese. "This kind of stance is better for Google."


Currently, Google handles nine out of ten global searches. 

Andrew Breitbart Entertains CRs

Conservative media mogul Andrew Breitbart spoke to GW’s College Republicans Tuesday night, detailing his transformation from a “brainwashed” liberal and his career goal to “take down the institutional left.”

Speaking in the City View Room at the Elliott School of International Affairs, Breitbart gave a charismatic and entertaining speech detailing his political journey and the current struggles of the right.

He explained that as an adolescent he considered himself liberal and pursued an American Studies degree at Tulane University, which he now describes as “anti-American studies.”

“I didn’t know any better,” he stated. “I was a liberal.”

CDs, CRs Host Dean & Gingrich Debate

GW’s College Democrats and Republicans jointly hosted a debate between two prominent partisans last night, former Republican Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich, and Democratic Chairman and Vermont Governor, Howard Dean, in front of a sold out Lisner Auditorium.

The event, moderated by Professor Derek Malone-France, covered a range of topics currently circulating through the media. Unlike many politicos, however, both debaters were civil and respectful.

“Newt and I like each other,” Dean pointed out before the debate, adding, “this is a transition point for the country.” Gingrich responded politely, praising President Obama’s campaign as “brilliant,” describing the candidate as “remarkable,” before stating the country, however, needs a “fundamental change.”

CDs Praise, CRs Condemn Obama's Address

President Obama focused on jobs, innovation, and education last night in his second State of the Union Address to Congress, highlighting bipartisanship and cooperation as the keys to success.

“Government will now be a shared responsibility,” exhorted the president. “We will move forward together or not at all.”

Obama stated that jobs are a priority and explained that if we fail to innovate, other countries in our globalizing world will overtake us, pointing to examples of China and India.

“In America, innovation doesn’t just change our lives, it’s how we make a living,” he stated. “This is our generation’s Sputnik moment.”

Rep. Steven King Speaks to CRs

Iowa Republican Rep. Steven King spoke to the College Republicans Thursday night, answering questions from students and discussing the future of the political party.

As part of the Congressional Dinner Series, the five-term Congressman spoke to the CRs at Meiwah Restaurant, a Chinese restaurant on 21^st and M Street.

“We’ve been in the trenches a long time,” the Rep. stated about the recent minority status of his party. “We did our business. We were pretty responsible.”

Rep. King praised his audience and their benefit to the Republican Party, commending them for their efforts during the recent election cycle.

“You’re new blood and new ideas. So is this class of 2010 that’s come in here,” he asserted.

Rep. King also spent time, however, criticizing his political opponents.

His party suffered massive losses in 2006 and 2008 because, as Rep. King explained, “Democrats beat up on George W. Bush. The Democrats went to the media and beat us up.”

Things have changed now, “Nancy Pelosi is seeing her office get cleaned out,” he added to a round of applause. “It’s because we came together as a nation.”

Rep. King also described President Obama as “a pretty gimpy first term president. He’s a one term Democrat.”

Expounding upon a common criticism, he also claimed that Obama “took his playbook off the socialist website” and explained that the president’s agenda is “an assault on our liberty.”

When asked about the middle class tax cut proposal that passed the House on Thursday, Rep. King stated, “We just needed to vote no.”

Failing to cut taxes for the upper class, King explained, sends the wrong message.

“If you’re going to produce and achieve, we’re going to punish you greater,” he stated.

He sounded a similar note when asked about the estate tax and its effect on millionaire’s inheritance, calling it “outrageous,” and stating that it must end.

Responding to a question about the expiring unemployment benefits, Rep. King stated that he was opposed to extending the measure.

Stating that “99 weeks provides no incentive to get to work,” he was prodded further about what unemployed Americans should do.

“They should start a business or get a job,” Rep. King declared. “I mean, how long do we have to pay these guys?”

Rove Speaks At CR Event

Karl Rove, Senior Advisor and Deputy Chief of Staff under former President George W. Bush, told the College Republicans on Friday that this year's elections were a referendum from independent voters on current president Barack Obama's policies.

Rove spoke to the College Republicans at a private event held at the Jack Morton Auditorium about the results of Tuesday's midterm elections, and what they showed about the college-age demographic.

Rove explained the results of Tuesday’s elections by providing statistics about the voting electorate, by ideology, age, and issues. Rove claimed that in the 2008 elections, the turnout among young voters aged 18 to 24 years old was 12 percent, while this past Tuesday, turnout for the same demographic was 11 percent. He also stated that more individuals from the 18-to-24-year-old age demographic voted Republican on Tuesday than in 2008.

A VIP meet-and-greet reception with Rove was held before the event for members of the College Republicans who had campaigned for local Republican candidates and volunteered with College Republicans' events throughout the last few months.

In a question and answer session moderated by the College Republicans Vice Chairman Will Frey, Rove reminisced on his years as a College Republican. He said it was a memorable experience where he traveled the country, meeting future legislators such as Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama. Rove campaigned throughout the South to become National Chairman of the College Republicans.

Rove promoted his book, Courage and Consequence, at the event by signing copies and often alluding to a few chapters during his speaking engagement.

Politics with James Reed: Republicans Weigh In on Obama Town Halls and O’Donnell

Disclaimer: Opinions stated herein belong to the individuals, and do not reflect the opinions of WRGW News or WRGW.

On Thursday, I had the pleasure of interviewing Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) at the Fourth Estate Dinner, hosted by the National Press Club. On Saturday morning, I briefly interviewed Ken Buck, the Republican Senatorial nominee for Colorado at a luncheon hosted by the GW College Republicans.

Regarding President Obama's recent town hall held at GW and its effect on the November general election:

“Obviously, it is an effort by the President to energize the youth vote,” Graham said. Graham attributed the youth vote to Obama’s victory in 2008. He also said that the youth have become “disillusioned” by the agenda of the Democratic Party, the “Obama spending machine,” and the expansion of government. As a result, Graham said, the youth are having “second thoughts” on the Democratic agenda pushed by the President.

On the other hand, Buck spoke positively on Obama’s town halls, saying, “Anytime President Obama opens his mouth, Republicans gain votes.” Buck welcomed Obama to Colorado in hopes of lowering his credibility and approval rating.

Obama Discusses Iraq From Oval Office; CRs Praise Bush, Blast Obama

For the second time this summer, President Obama addressed the nation Tuesday evening from the Oval Office. Declaring “the American combat mission in Iraq has ended,” while highlighting the current troop drawdown, the president said “it is time to turn the page.”

Although the United States will continue to have a presence in Iraq until next summer, the relationship between the two countries would be one of partners, “based upon mutual interests, and mutual respect,” Mr. Obama said.

In reference to his predecessor, President Obama explained that earlier in the day he had spoken to former-President George W. Bush, the original architect of the war.

“It's well known that he and I disagreed about the war from its outset,” the president explained.

“Yet no one can doubt President Bush's support for our troops or his love of country and commitment to our security. ”

Though the U.S. is exiting Iraq, Mr. Obama also used his address to reaffirm America’s commitment to winning the war in Afghanistan, explaining though “Al Qaeda continues to plot against us…we will disrupt, dismantle, and defeat Al Qaeda, while preventing Afghanistan from again serving as a base for terrorists.”

The president used the final few minutes of his speech to emphasize the responsibility we all have in honoring our veterans. Whether through healthcare, educational benefits, or job opportunities, “part of ending a war responsibly is standing by those who have fought it,” Mr. Obama explained.

In a press release released Wednesday, the GW College Republicans praised Mr. Bush “for his courageous decision-making,” while criticizing Mr. Obama for his failure to mention the 2007 troop surge, which, at the time, the current president and vice-president both opposed.

Opining about the overall mission of the war, the release stated that, “A tyrant has been silenced and a nation given a new destiny. Operation Iraqi Freedom was the right thing to do in March 2003 and eight years later it remains the right decision.”

The CRs also lambasted the president for his mention of the economy, a brief aside Mr. Obama made, when emphasizing, what he described as “our most urgent task.”

CDs, CRs React To Financial Reform, Immigration

In response to two pieces of legislation, one making its way through Congress and the other recently signed into law in Arizona, the G.W. College Republicans and College Democrats produced an official reaction on Friday.

Both the financial regulatory reform bill, backed by Congressional Democrats, and the illegal immigration bill signed into law by Republican Governor Jan Brewer of Arizona, have proved to be hot button issues in terms of the national political attention, dividing public opinion.

Michael Garber, the CD communications director, explained that it is a “universally accepted necessity” that this country needs financial regulation, stating that it’s important for the federal government to reign in bad practices such as derivatives trading.

“The actions of Wall Street, hurt main street,” Garber said, noting the CDs full support for Sen. Dodd’s bill.

Sinead Casey, the CRs' director of public relations, disagrees. While her organization does advocate for reform, “the problem is-we need smart regulation, not necessarily more regulation,” citing the fact that expanding government would do little to prevent another collapse.

Specifically, she disagrees with “the $50 billion ‘bailout’ fund,” and emphasized the idea that businesses need to possess “the freedom to fail.”

In terms of the Arizona immigration bill, which expands police power to question anyone believed to be an illegal immigrant, Garber explained, “it seems like it basically legalizes discrimination.”

Though illegal immigration is a serious policy that needs to be addressed, the CDs feel it needs to be resolved in a responsible manner, and that targeting people based on how they look is not an acceptable method.

“[Since] not all illegals are from Mexico [or are Hispanic], why are they only targeted?" Garber asked.

Though the College Republicans have not taken an official position on the new law, Casey said that “in accordance with Republican core principles, we support the state of Arizona when there is a lack of leadership on Capital Hill regarding illegal immigration.”

She emphasized the fact that the Democratic Congress needs to address the issue, instead “of only dealing with one issue at a time,” such as healthcare reform or financial regulation.

College Republicans Elect Leadership

Monday night the College Republicans here at The George Washington University gathered at 1957 E Street to select their leadership for the 2010-2011 school year. Candidates gave two-minute speeches before answering a series of questions raised by members of the audience.

Jake Wolf, the winning candidate for chairman, the highest position in the organization, emphasized his experience, previously serving as treasurer for two years. He also was active in organizing trips and coordinating events. Wolf’s goals include reaching out to conservative students and increasing the number of speakers for the College Republicans.

His opponent, Cynthia Meyer, attempted to “set herself apart” from Wolf during her campaign. She stressed the importance of the array of contacts she possesses, while discussing her plans for various new programs, such as a military outreach program.

Will Frey, the winner in the vice chairman election, effectively second in command of the College Republicans, discussed transparency and reform. He emphasized making the group more accountable while simultaneously expanding the organization.

His opponent, Rob Noel, discussed his previous service and membership. His goals, he explained, were to reach out to the College Republican alumni, the Student Association, and the general student body. 

All candidates discussed, albeit briefly, their criticisms of the Obama administration and the Democratic controlled Congress, while highlighting their hopes for a conservative future.

Other winners included Kevin Dore as secretary, Brandon Neuman as treasurer, Chris Oman as political affairs Director, Eva Hanson as membership director, Kaitlyn Martin as publications director, and Sinead Casey as public relations director.

Meghan McCain Redefines Republicanism with No Labels, No Boxes and No Stereotypes

Meghan McCain walked onto the Jack Morton Auditorium stage wearing a black studded blazer, stilettos that displayed a tattoo on her foot and neon painted nails. McCain began Thursday's speech by addressing that she is a controversial figure in modern-day politics. “I say provocative things because I believe them,” said McCain. “I want to start a dialogue, not a controversy.”

Michael Komo, president of GW's LGBT group Allied in Pride (and one of the evening's sponsors) introduced McCain, calling her "a powerful role model" for young people.

GW Young American’s Foundation was outside protesting the highly-anticipated speech. The organization’s blog described it as “a demonstration against efforts to redefine marriage as well as Meghan McCain’s flawed view of conservatism.” McCain commented on the GWYAF protest during her talk, “... you guys had cake and lemonade at your protest. That’s not bad ass,” joked McCain.

McCain calls herself a "progressive Republican." McCain, who was previously registered as an independent to rebel against her father, explained her view on the political party that she fell in love with during her father’s two-year campaign tour. She believes that the Republican Party needs to eradicate the stereotypes. “Unless we unite as one. We are going to continue losing elections,” said McCain.

The 25-year old columnist and blogger wanted to be the next Betsey Johnson when she graduated from high school, but after attending Columbia University and joining her father on the political circuit she has become very passionate and protective of the Republican Party and now dedicates her time to advocating gay marriage and redefining the Republican Party’s values. “I am not saying let’s abandon all the core values that Republicanism was founded on… but we need to evolve with the times and embrace others with open arms,” said McCain.

McCain also emphasized the importance of civility in politics, insisting that she and women in the political spotlight shouldn’t be criticized for their body, hair or make-up. Conservative radio host Laura Ingraham made negative comments about McCain’s weight during a political discussion. “Too fat to be a Republican, that makes me feel really good,” said McCain. ”I am too fat to be an elephant.”

After the program, Komo called McCain's rapport and quick wit "amazing." "Her energy was second to none," he said.

In her remarks, McCain also managed to touch on the recently passed health care reform law and other critical issues, stating that she is "scared shitless" of the new plan, that the media needs to start asking the tough questions, and that gay marriage isn’t a political issue but a civil rights issue.

“Move over GOP," she said. "Because I’m not going anywhere."

Meghan McCain’s latest book, "Dirty Sexy Politics: A True Story," will be released in August. You can follow her on Twitter and read her columns on The Daily Beast.

College Democrats, Republicans Clash on Abortion Rights

A pro-life protest in Kogan Plaza Monday brought abortion rights back to the forefront of many GW students’ minds that had been more recently occupied by economic and health care issues.

The protest, according to College Republicans Communications Director Rob Noel, was hosted by outside organizations unaffiliated with GW. Featured prominently was a set of bagpipes, the music of which was so loud that several GW students complained that their midterm studying was being interrupted. Eventually the protesters were chased off campus by pro-choice individuals.

“It is hard to say exactly what the motives of the protesters were since I have no doubt that they knew the environment they were entering,” said Greta Twombly, vice president of the College Democrats, referring to the fact that GW is typically a liberal university. “Undoubtedly though, they wanted to stir up emotions and certainly achieved this objective.”

Twombly said that Monday’s protest was a reminder that “the fight for woman's rights and the pro-choice movement is never over and should never be taken for granted.”

“The College Democrats strongly support a woman's right to a safe and legal abortion and we oppose any efforts to weaken this right,” she said.

But Noel said that the abortion debate is not about women’s rights so much as it is about the rights of the unborn child.

“Every life has the inalienable right to a chance at growth and liberty,” Noel said. “For a woman or man to decide that the timing is not right for them is to make a decision that directly infringes on the constitutional and intrinsic right of the child. Most medical and scientific professionals recognize that life begins at conception.”

Noel said there are alternatives to abortion, such as adoption, that are preferable because they are “far more conducive to protecting the human rights of everyone involved.”

Twombly agreed that the need for abortions should be addressed, citing family planning and improved sex-education as alternatives to the procedure.