Susan Jewell

National
SUMMARY
Republican Senator Fred Thompson has decided to join in the presidential campaign. He is coming into the race late but his values may be able to convince people that he is the man they want to represent them. The first voting is only four months away and the current candidates have already spoken in several large and important states. "Thompson is angling for a conservative base that hasn't coalesced around one candidate. He's promising his commitment to outlaw abortion is more than lip service during his speeches this summer."
"On Iraq, he's in no rush to talk about bringing troops home. 'Right now we need to make every effort to make sure that we don't get run out of there with our tails between our legs,' Thompson said."

OPINION
I like how he sounds. I think he should have decided sooner to join the campaign but I believe that if he campaigns smart he will be able to become well known enough to win for the republican party. I like how he sounds but then again most people vying for presidency sound good and responsible. obviously from other presidents that the US has had presidents are not always what they claim.

International:
SUMMARY
An "openly bisexual" sophomore boy, William Sleaster, asks Senator McCain if he "supports civil marriage or gay marriage". When McCain responded with the fact that he does not support gay marriage and said "it [gay marriage] hinges on the sanctity of marriage". The boy responded negatively when McCain responded. Sleaster thought that McCain wants to take away a person's civil rights because he (the senator)thinks gay marriage is wrong. McCain asked William Sleaster if he wanted another question to which Sleaster responded by saying "I came here looking to see a good leader. I don't."

OPINION
I personally am opposed to gay marriage and I feel as though the boy was being just as discriminating as he claimed McCain was being. There is absolutely no need to publicly humiliate anyone just because you do not agree. McCain was just being honest and straight forward which is more than many other candidates are willing to do. Sleaster did not even seem to know anything else about any of the candidates. How can he be so sure McCain would not be a good leader? One question is not a base for how a person can lead. Leaders do not always have to be agreed with all of the time. Having said what I just said I am not entirely biased for McCain. I am a republican but he is not the man I would personally choose as my president as of this moment.