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.”

Art on the Run: The Museum of Censored Art

Dedicated to restoring censored art, the aptly titled Museum of Censored Art is displaying a controversial video banned from the Smithsonian in December after its portrayal of Jesus Christ, on a crucifix, covered in ants.

Located in a trailer in front of the National Art Gallery, the compact exhibition continuously screens David Wojnarowicz's four-minute film, “Fire in My Belly.” Throughout the display, posters and wall signs explain that the video isn’t anti-Christian, instead “criticizing societies indifference toward AIDS.”

The total cost of the presentation, which will last a month, ending February 13, is $3,100, $2,600 for parking and a $1,500 fee for the trailer.

“We gathered up the money to put this together,” Adrian Parsons, a volunteer for the Museum explained. “We got through a fundraiser a lot of help.”

Almost a month after the controversy erupted, in which the Catholic League, a group independent of the Catholic Church, and Congressional Republicans demanded its removal from the National Portrait Gallery, the Museum of Modern Art in New York has decided to display the piece.

“Now that it’s hung in a museum, the forefront of contemporary art … a lot of people have seen this,” Parsons said.

Through January 20th, over 1,900 people have visited the Museum of Censored Art.

Moonlight Cleaning

Kind, Gentle Doris Harris Has Worked the Nightshift at Gelman for 31 Years

Lunchtime for Doris Harris is just like any midday break for a hardworking person: she sits down at her favorite table, eats her chicken salad, and relaxes by playing solitaire, keeping in mind that the second half of her day is fast approaching.

It’s 2:30 a.m. and Harris is at the midway point of her job; she works the night shift at Gelman Library.

“I really don’t eat breakfast,” she stated with a soft hum, referring to the meal most people eat when they wake up. “Since I wake up in the afternoon, by this point, I’m really hungry.”

Born Doris Brooks in 1960, she was raised in Raleigh, North Carolina, the daughter of a welder and a housewife, and the oldest among her two brothers and three sisters.

In 1974 she came to Forestville, Maryland “a few years after graduating high school” to find work.

Soon after, she found a job at a toy factory, Taka Toys, in Landover and in December 1975 married Joseph Harris, an employee for Giant Food.

After Taka Toys shuttered its doors, Harris quickly found work at Gelman Library as a nighttime custodian, or housekeeper, as she prefers to be called. She learned about the opportunity from a man in her apartment building who, at the time, was also employed in the library.

“I started here June 5, 1978 and I’ve been here since,” she said in her soft-spoken voice. “I’ve always done the night shift. I’ve been doing the same thing for 31 years. I dust, vacuum, pull trash, and that’s it. I don’t do no mopping.”

Harris, an ample, dark-skinned woman of medium height and short dark hair, attentively cleans the library from Sunday to Thursday while most of the campus sleeps. Everyday she dresses in her light blue smock, dark blue trousers, and chocolate brown crocs.

Though the shoes are technically out of regulation, “tennis shoes hurt my feet, especially with all the walking I do,” Harris stated.

She starts her shift at 11 p.m. with the seven other custodians, beginning with the seventh floor. She and the others slowly work their way down, each cleaning a particular section.

“Though we’re supposed to stay together, during the school year we divide up,” Harris explained. “I get the right side when exiting the elevators.”

Though the staff is required to move down, cleaning each floor in order, “oftentimes, though, we have to skip the sixth floor because it gets crowded,” she admits. “We just can’t clean with that many people.”

Normally, by the time she finishes cleaning the third floor, another popular area for students, it’s 2:30 a.m. and time for her hour-long “lunch break.”

At 7 a.m. her shift ends, and Harris gets in her car to drive home.

“Some mornings I’m really sleepy,” she said. “But usually I make it home just fine.”

Harris has had 31 years to adjust to her hours, and, as she explained, she’s become nocturnal.

“Lack of sleep bothered me at first, but then I got used to it,” she says.

The hours don’t really bother her anymore. Instead she has a whole new problem: arthritis.

“I feel it in my legs. I feel it in my knees,” she says softly. “I’ve had it for about four years. We just walk around a lot and it hurts.”

“After 31 years I want to retire,” Harris continued. “This is my last year, but don’t tell anyone. I don’t want everybody to know right now; they’d worry me to death. They’d be asking me a lot of questions. I want to leave peacefully. I also want to be able to change my mind.”

Her plans for retirement are simple, she stated.

“Oh lord. I want about a month’s rest. Then I want to travel and retire with my grandkids,” Harris asserts.

Doris Harris expects to move back to North Carolina, returning to her childhood home of Raleigh. She wants to live near her daughter, who is married and has three children.

“It’s a really nice place to live,” she says. “You can get lost now though-they built it up.”

Though Harris divorced her husband in 1991, “we still talk; we’re still friends. He got married again. I didn’t,” she explained.

Did her job strain her marriage?

“No,” Harris replied. “He sometimes had to work nights also.”

As for her remaining nights, Doris Harris remains focused on continuing her routine.

“I get home around 7:30 a.m., have breakfast and coffee, and relax for a couple hours,” she explained. “Between 10 and 11 I go to sleep until five p.m. when I wake up and head to work.”

It fits that she is retiring in June, Harris says, because that’s when the students will leave too.

“I see a lot of different faces, but sometimes the same faces,” she stated, smiling softly. “I enjoy seeing the students and when school is closed it gets lonely.”

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?”

Experts Discuss Israeli-Palestinian Solutions, Future Plans

Three senior international experts on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict visited the Elliott School Monday, discussing current issues between the two parties and solutions to resolve the situation.


Former Ambassador John McDonald, discussed his work with Israeli and Palestinian experts in resolving water conflicts, urging leaders to “listen and treat each other as equals.”

“The only way to resolve a conflict is to sit down face-to-face and talk about it,” the former ambassador explained.

Ghaith al-Omari, the advocacy director at the American Task Force on Palestine, urged pro-Palestinian voices to “play by the rules of the game” and “work within the system.”

He stated that both sides need to stop approaching the issue as if it’s a zero-sum game, “where a gain for one side, is the loss for another.”

Chris Tucker, a board member at Friends of the Arc, a development project aimed at enhancing the prospects for a future Palestinian state, emphasized the need for a sustainable state as population continues to grow.

His group plans to construct the infrastructure necessary to support a 21^st century economy in the West Bank and Gaza by erecting new train and bus routes, allowing greater mobility.

“There will be no peace until we lay down the plans for prosperity,” Tucker said.

The plan is estimated to cost approximately $9.4 billion and create 160 thousand jobs each year for the first five years.

The 5th Avenue Deli: ‘Clean,’ ‘High Quality’ Food from a Friendly Face

A Lifelong Businessman Faces the Challenge of his Career Operating a Kosher Deli
“I was a businessman in my retirement,” said owner Fred Boldaji, “but they called me up and offered me a challenge.”

Three years ago the George Washington University didn’t have a kosher restaurant on campus. Even today, many students still don’t know the 5th Avenue Deli exists.

“Jewish kids come by and say ‘we didn’t know you were here,’” Boldaji explained.

But things are changing for the solely certified kosher restaurant on campus.

“We started off slow, but we’re doing better and better each month,” the owner stated.

The strategy is simple: if one person has a good experience, Jewish or not, kosher or not, he or she will come back.

WRGW News Midterm Election Polls

On November 2^nd millions of Americans will go to the polls to cast their ballots in the 2010 Midterm Elections. For students here at the George Washington University, however, many have and will be mailing out absentee ballots. Over the course of the week beginning Sunday October 24^th, WRGW News conducted an unscientific poll of students here on campus, tabulating their opinions and how they will be voting in the upcoming election.

The surveys were dispersed among all undergraduate students, 169 in total, and of those students, 51 percent identified themselves as Democrats, 15 percent consider themselves Republicans, while 34 percent are independent, nonaligned, or none-of-the-above.

Much has been made recently about an enthusiasm gap among Democrats and Republicans. Our polling shows that 80 percent of Republicans will be voting, with the Democrats trail five points behind at 75 percent. Interestingly, only 60 percent of Independent voters will be casting ballots.

Party loyalty remains strong; 98 percent of Democrats will be casting a ballot for their party, while 95 percent of Republicans will remain loyal too.

The most telling results, however, comes from the Independent voters. While, Democrats have a modest lead, yielding 35 percent of Independent support to 27 percent for the Republican Party, 38 percent of support will go to a third party candidate.

Polling was conducted October 24-28. Of the 169 students polled, there were 51 freshman, 53 sophomores, 37 juniors, and 28 seniors. This poll was conducted by WRGW News associates Jeff Jacobson and Michael Fische, with assistance from WRGW News associate Ahna Olson, and GW Mitchell Hall resident Erika Grohoski.

Chairman Gray Talks to Ward 2, Emphasizes Education Reform, Praises Chancellor Rhee

Democratic Party nominee for Mayor, and current Chairman of the City Council, Vincent Gray, spoke at a Ward 2 town hall at the Foundry United Methodist Church Thursday night as part of a series of public meetings his campaign is conducting across the district.

Introduced by Ward 2 Councilman, and chairperson pro tempore of the council, Jack Evans, Mr. Gray focused his remarks on education, emphasizing the progress made by outgoing school’s chancellor Michelle Rhee, and laying out his plan for success in other areas.

“I am as fervently committed to education reform as anyone in the city,” Gray declared, adding that he thought Ms. Rhee would always “do the best things we could.”

He praised the completion of universal pre-kindergarten services four years ahead of schedule, and stated that he believes it’s important to start education at an earlier age, even as young as six months.

Mr. Gray also signaled his support for the charter school program in the city.

“We have the most robust charter school movement in the nation,” he said, explaining that the 57 schools “make the public schools better.”

There are vast problems, however, that Mr. Gray declared he would work toward solving.

Postseason Baseball Begins; Halladay Throws No Hitter

Major League Baseball’s postseason began Wednesday afternoon, as the first round, and best-out-of-five division series’, began.

In the afternoon game the Texas Rangers beat the Tampa Bay Rays, 5-1, as Cliff Lee hurled seven innings of one-run ball, striking out 10 Rays.

Roy Halladay, in his first career postseason start, threw only the second no-hitter in baseball history, the last, and only one, being during the 1956 world series when Don Larson pitched a perfect game for the Yankees, against the Dodgers. The Philadelphia Phillies beat the Cincinnati Reds 4-0.

In the night game, the New York Yankees overcame a three run deficit to defeat the Minnesota Twins 6-4.

SA Passes Student Org. Allocations Bill

GW’s Student Association unanimously approved its allocations bill for Academic Year 2010/2011 Tuesday night.

The bill, with a total cost of $501,995 out of the $930,456 allotted to SA, is the primary source of funding for organizations at the university.

President Jason Lifton described the bill in his opening remarks as “all encompassing.”

Big winners included the Student Bar Association, which received $92,985, the Panhellenic Association, which received $30,000, and the College Democrats and College Republicans, each receiving $15,000.

WRGW News’ parent organization, WRGW, received $3,000.

Sec. Clinton, Dr. Kissinger Talk Vietnam at State Dept. Conference

Dr. Henry Kissinger, seemly bitter about the defeat of South Vietnam in the Vietnam War 25 years ago, described the situation as a “tragedy” Wednesday morning during a State Department conference on the subject.

“I believe most of what went wrong in Vietnam we did to ourselves,” said Kissinger, speaking candidly about his Vietnam experience in front of a capacity audience, including the Vietnamese Embassy. Though he is pleased about the current state of relations between the socialist republic and the US, “I would have preferred another outcome,” he said.

Henry Kissinger, a special advisor to Presidents Kennedy and Johnson, and National Security Advisor, and eventually also Secretary of State, to Nixon and Ford, explained that during the Vietnam War “the faith of Americans in each other became destroyed in the process” of America reaching the limits of its foreign policy.

This lack of faith, Dr. Kissinger stated, “transmuted into a moral issue” about “the moral adequacy of politics and America.”

Kalb Report Starts New Season; Talks Presidential Debates

The Kalb Report kicked off its eighth season Tuesday night, focusing on the history of presidential debates and the role they play in electing the nation’s executive.

Discussing the epoch in U.S. presidential elections following the 1960 Kennedy-Nixon debate, host Marvin Kalb was joined by CBS News’ Bob Schieffer, 1960 debate questioner Sander Vanocur, and Janet Brown and Mike McCurry from the Commission on Presidential Debates.

“I honestly don’t think we knew what we were getting involved in,” Mr. Vanocur explained when examining his role in the first televised debate in U.S. history.

At the time, “no one understood the power of television,” Mr. Schieffer responded, but, ultimately, “Kennedy mastered television like Roosevelt mastered radio.“

Presidential debates eventually became institutionalized, the panel concluded, culminating in the creation of a formal, nonpartisan commission in 1987.

When the discussion shifted to media in an era where the Internet plays a key role in public life, Mr. Schieffer stated that he believes “journalists still perform a noble function,” and need to continue their role as gatekeepers.

“You can’t have a football game without a referee,” the longtime CBS correspondent explained. “You can’t have a baseball game without an umpire.”

Mayor Fenty Ousted in Primary

Washington, D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty (left) lost his bid for the Democratic Party nomination Tuesday evening, rejected by primary voters after only one term in office.
D.C. Council Chairman Vincent Gray (right) prevailed over the incumbent mayor, receiving approximately 53 percent of the vote to Mr. Fenty’s 47 percent, with 90 percent of the precincts reporting.
Education reform, perhaps the most contentious issue in the election, has had liberals and teachers unions upset with the mayor since he enacted the changes in 2007.
The changes, imposed by School Chancellor Michelle Rhee, included closing schools, firing teachers and principals, and restructuring teacher tenure, now based more on criteria such as student test scores, rather than overall years teaching.
With the District of Columbia decisively Democratic (President Obama received 93 percent of the vote in 2008), Mr. Gray is heavily favored to win this November.
Mr. Fenty does have one shot, however, at winning another term: with no one having declared their candidacy yet for the Republican Party, the mayor can switch his affiliation to the G.O.P. and challenge Mr. Gray.

Latest Update: Mr. Fenty conceded the election Wednesday morning, stating that he will not seek the Republican nomination or a write in campaign, and pledged to work with Mr. Gray to ease the transition between mayors. "I feel I've had my turn," the mayor said.

AK Sen. Visits GW; Criticizes Palin, Beck

Alaska’s junior senator, Mark Begich, visited campus Thursday night, speaking to crowd of about 70 College Democrats and interested observers.
Begich, who defeated longtime Republican Ted Stevens in 2008 by a razor thin margin, addressed a series of issues, ranging from policy, to politics, to Sarah Palin and the Tea Partiers.
He explained that though he agrees with President Obama’s $50 billion infrastructure initiative, more needs to be done, because “infrastructure in this country is in desperate need of renovation.”
In terms of the critics who claim that Congress and the White House are spending too much, Sen. Begich retorted “no one talked about it (spending) for 10 years,” while “millionaires and companies that shipped jobs overseas received tax breaks.”
He expressed concern that, to “the obstructionist Republicans, it’s not about policy, it’s about politics.”
When asked about the Tea Party, Sen. Begich explained that there are currently two groups propelling the movement, “a very, very hard right extremist group and those who are just mad” because of economic problems.
He went on to state that it’s important not to paint them all as radicals, as well as reminding the audience, “we (Democrats) had that group two years ago who were mad at Bush.”
Describing Glen Beck as an entertainer, Sen. Begich stated, Mr. Beck is “tapping into this anger and reaching out, trying to deliver his message.” He went further, labeling Mr. Beck dangerous because he was riling people up.
In perhaps the most comical portion of the evening, Sen. Begich, sarcastically referring to Sarah Palin as “our favorite governor,” commented on Ms. Palin’s role in the economy. “Sarah Palin is just another constituent who quit her job,” Mr. Begich stated, a quote that received a round of applause from the audience.

GW Prof.: China’s Soft Power Limited And Declining

An ongoing series of speakers kicked off its schedule Wednesday night with distinguished GW Prof. David Shambaugh speaking to interested students, faculty, and members of the community about China’s declining soft power and global strategies of international influence.
Speaking to an audience of about 90 people in the Elliott School, China’s soft power, their ability to shape the preferences of international audiences by co-option rather than coercion, Prof. Shambaugh explained, is weak and in decline.
“China has a mixed global perception in polls,” with human rights violations, such as Tibet and the treatment of ethnic Uyghurs, dragging down many polls, Mr. Shambaugh stated.
He explained that both governmental campaigns, such as the distribution of carefully phrased slogans relating to peace (“China’s Peaceful Rise”) and nongovernmental ventures, such as increased tourism and more Chinese students studying abroad, have failed to stem the decline in the perception of China.
Recognized as a leader in his field, Mr. Shambaugh’s experiences of the last year in China as a Fulbright Scholar, his past position as editor of The China Quarterly, his Senior Fellowship with The Brookings Institution, and the Director of the China Policy Program here at GW, were on clear display Wednesday night.
When discussing how to resolve China’s declining influence problem, Mr. Shambaugh stated that though they possess “enormous resources,” China has “no real strategy.” They need to “get out of the way of society” and get rid of their “inept public diplomacy.” “China’s soft power,” he concluded, “is much more fiction than fact.”

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.”

GW Students React To Makeup Classes

For students here at The George Washington University, this past week has been very unusual. Instead of the normal “Reading Week,” where students are supposed to catch up on their reading and prepare for finals, many have had class. As part of the makeup schedule for time missed because of the “Snow Week” in February, some students even have class on Saturday!
“It’s terrible… I wish I could have a whole week to get prepared for papers and final exams,” Peng Fan, a disappointed freshman stated. He emphasized the fact that the teachers didn’t do much teaching, but rather reviewed instead.
Erika Grohoski concurs with Peng. “It’s been hell,” she stated. “Ridiculously crazy.” She explained that she has had two papers due this week and has four finals next week, but not enough time to study for them.
Vignyanand Penumatcha feels differently though. “It hasn’t affected me much actually,” he explained. “I’ve been regularly keeping up [with my work].”
Neither has Sara Saab felt any effects; she didn’t have any makeup classes this week.
Other students, like Tanuj Joshi, Brenna Markle, and Mike Searway, however, are more ambivalent.
“It sucks,” Tanuj explained. “But you get to learn new things, so you have a reason to party.”
For Brenna Markle “it hasn’t been too bad” because she has “no makeup classes on Saturday,” but she admits that this makeup week was “not the best plan.” Though she is “a little upset,” she’s “accepted it” already and has moved on. She is going to do all her studying this weekend.
For Mike Searway the only problem has been “a lot of reading” and having “the same class three days in a row,” though he too admits it hasn’t affected him much.
Though there are mixed feelings about the makeup week, it’s clear that this week is much less popular among students than the Snowmaggedon.

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.