Finding that he no longer had the support of his colleagues in the Philippine Senate, Senator Manuel B. Villar tendered his resignation today as President of the Philippine Senate. He will be succeeded by Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile, former cabinet member during the term of former President Ferdinand Marcos.

Before his resignation, Villar has declared his intention to run for president of the Philippines in the 2010 national elections. At the time of his public declaration, he was considered as one the most popular candidate for the presidency. Some opinion surveys disclosed that if elections were held at the time of his declaration, he would be a sure winner.

Realizing Villar's popularity as a potential presidential contender, some of his colleagues in the senate who are also eyeing the presidency have asked the senate blue ribbon committee to investigate Villar' possible involvement in graft and corruption for having used his influence in the release of public funds to benefit his vast property holdings. The subject funds were used to build right of way roads that would traverse his properties thereby converting them into instant prime lands. Villar is the nation's richest politician and owner of vast tracks of land located all over the country for future land development.

The issue of graft and corruption hurled mostly by some of his colleagues in the senate who are themselves eyeing the presidency, has greatly diminished Villar's popularity as president of the senate. Villar must have left the senate presidency with a heavy heart because he was never involved in any controversy involving misuse of government funds. He has managed to keep his hands clean even during his incumbency as congressman from Las Pinas and as Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Villar said that the tenure of the senate president depends on the numbers supporting him. In this case he thinks that he no longer has that support. “I've been informed this afternoon that I no longer have the support of the majority members. I now therefore tender my resignation” he said.

America had a cause. The cause was not necessarily relegated to one candidate. The cause this time was just to have a voice again. Americans by the thousands awoke from a political slumber and reinvested in their country by participating in the election.

Let's hope it doesn't stop there. Voting for a candidate, whether your choice wins or not, does not let you off the hook. You still have the responsibility to stay informed on what the president-elect, and later the president, intends to do. Who surrounds the president? What do other countries think of the president and his actions?

I'm closely following Barack Obama's choice of candidates and staff members. If he does not surround himself with an array of viewpoints and knowledge, we'll end up on a road that has no yield signs, or wastes our time and spirit with detours that we didn't ask for.

Obama has laid out a long list of promises. He is an inspirational speaker. He seems to understand that America wants different. But he's got a huge job ahead of him turning different into better in a majority's eyes.

I firmly believe if Barack Obama does not take the pulse of America after every action he takes for the first two years of his presidency, he won't get a second term.

On the other hand, if Americans don't speak up, write letters, discuss and debate the pros and cons of his actions, they've given him a free ticket to do as he pleases. Americans have to let him know he was elected to provide for the good of the country, not for the good of a political party, or lobbyists, or his memoirs. He was made president to lead, not to rule.

Our forefathers knew this, from experience. They had already experienced governments that dictated and answered only to small influential groups. They sat down over two hundred years ago and crafted documents and policies for a government of the people, by the people, and for the people.

Obama has to understand that Americans are the country. People create industry, People spend money. People travel. People fight the wars. This country is people first.

But we as Americans need to return to the thoughts and hopes of our forefathers as well. We have to demand a government that is of the people. This means a government where your integrity and your knowledge are valued by the people you lead. We have to continue to show passion for elections, even the smallest, or this will not be a government by the people. It will be a government by the influencers. And Americans have to hold the government, federal, state, and local, accountable or this will not be a country for the people. It will be a government influenced by some, heralded by enemies and laughed at by nations we once thought of as secondary.

We can't waste this opportunity. If we do, we deserve whoever and whatever takes up residence on Philadelphia Avenue.

When you fill out a provisional ballot, is your vote heard? Is your vote heard in an election? If you have to fill out something on paper how is it counted? Many people that I have spoken with over the years feel that the winner of the election is decided on too early on Election Day. Is that true? What is the point of voting if your vote isn't counted alongside everyone else's?

I have heard people say that they don't vote because they don't know which candidate is a better choice for that particular position. Is there enough information, factual information out there for people to be able to make an educated decision? There is a lot of false information that is passed along too. What about the mudslinging that goes on; I can't tolerate adults acting like little children. How can we trust either candidate, how can we believe that they will follow their own conscious and do what is right, not what is right for them but what is right for the people they effect.

What can you say to someone who is registering to vote for the first time? What information can you give them to be able to find out more about the candidates they decide to choose as President or other political position.

I want your opinions and thoughts to be heard...POST YOUR COMMENTS! What happened when you voted? Did you make your decision on the information given or did you search for the truth in what the candidate can truly offered and has offered if he/she has already held a political position. Your comments and thoughts are wanted. Tell me your thoughts on how things can be changed so we are heard loud and clear by our politicians. They need to know we mean business.

The death of his grandmother was particularly bitter for Obama as he lost his last link to the family. Madelyn Dunham was both a grandma and mother to Obama during his growing up years.

As Obama broke the news to the media in the presence of thousands of his followers, he may not know it but he could generate more sympathy votes with the timely announcement. Because of his closeness to his grandma, people could figure out and imagine the kind of feeling that he would endure at this time, a mixed feeling of defeat because of the loss of a loved one, and feeling of victory, all because of the possibility that he will become the next president of the United States of America and the world's most powerful person.

This unique situation could generate more sympathy votes from the undecided voters and even from the McCain camp. A few days ago, a similar situation took place when Colin Powell unexpectedly endorsed Obama and assured him of his support. The Powell switch was considered by many as the key to Obama's victory because the votes that it will generate will be considered as an add-on to Obama's small lead at the time Powell gave is unconditional support.

The untimely demise of his grandmother at the crucial moment of his campaign may just work in his favor because of the sympathy votes that the situation will generate to assure him of landslide victory.

With the unexpected twists that marked the long drawn campaign, all in Obama's favor, we can now safely say that Obama is really destined to become the first black president of the USA.

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The time has come to vote yet again in another election, it was a bumpy ride and sometimes clouded with unneeded distractions.  We have danced around the economy and healthcare and we have even played on our shallowness with Race, Gender line was crossed and redrawn. Now we have come to this point were our future is in the balance not just for us but those to come. I know that this election is different from all the others this is the time in history we have come this close to a African American President and I'm for one excited, but not because of his race but for the change he will bring that we need and crave. A fresh start a new beginning for all of us. Yeah sure it means doing things we haven't done and changing things were use too but if it's for the better so be it.

I'm ready for change and I'm ready to get out of the mess were in, and I'm ready to end this economic crisis were in. All Americans are hurting for money and questioning the value it will be worth, and The market crashing I don't know about you but  investing is a bigger risk then what it use to be. If you loose money now it might be more devastating then you think, will taxes be raised or not to be raised is the million dollar question that all are asking. We will find out November 4, 2008. We will see if America has really had enough and really wants to bring our troops home, and if we really want more money in our pockets, and if we want healthcare for all. I think that  if you don't vote your apart of the problem because your the one vote that could have changed the way we live. People say well I'm not well informed about the issues so I don't vote. Okay well you weren't informed so you didn't vote and now social security is no longer around, the war won't end and now there are coming for you, and you can't afford your home anymore or the land it's on. But you can't get a loan from the banks because there is no money the economy is a bust. See what being uneducated can do to us all. One vote effects millions and changes everything so think on Nov. 4th and don't let America down.

                Firstly, those polled are not always a completely random sample. People in certain locations or of certain races, sexes, or religions may have similar opinions that may skew the resulting data. The wording or order of questions may cause confusion and “loaded questions” suggest at a specific or “right” answer which also contributes to the inaccuracy of polling. An example of a document containing is one that when it asks “Do you vote? (in political elections),” fails to specify what elections or the frequency of said voting. This poll was also taken via a website, a means that brings with it a myriad of problems; a sampling can hardly be completely random if taken from the internet as the people involved must volunteer to take the poll and must also be in possession of a computer. People who participate in online polls also often have the chance to vote multiple times, again distorting public opinion.

                People also have certain attitudes concerning polls that may affect the results. The same document’s question pertains to voting, a certain civic duty that the participation in tends to be valued by Americans, according to Wilson in American Government. Because of this value of voting, some people may be more likely to claim that they voted in order to appear in a better light even if they did not vote, hence the discrepancy between general the number of people who claim to have voted and who actually voted.

                Reflecting again upon the public’s attitude towards polling, the public also tends to trivialize polling, as illustrated in several political cartoons, which suggests such in that they are cartoons, things to be taken light-heartedly, used for amusement amusement. This comical exemplification of one of the flaws in polling reflects public opinion on polling itself. In a way it becomes a sort of circular paradox: polls may often be inaccurate or skewed so people take them lightly and because people take them lightly the results of polls may be skewed or inaccurate. Considering the intrinsic problems of polls as well as the public’s attitude towards polling and one may consider this method a poor means of attempting to measure the many-faceted and ever-changing public opinion.

I also wish the News wouldn't keep reminding their viewers on how the economy isn't doing so well.. and let their views in on job search findings.  Put a list on their new on jobs that are hiring.  Encourage their readers.  Issue freebies for their viewers.  Instant cash wins.. what do you think.

               During the campaign the issues of age and race were widely lower key than expected, and once the nominees named their running mates, sexism was added to the mix. The regular routine of running negative ads against the other party ran free, and America has been at odds more than ever before. With so much to talk about, it is no wonder this years election has brought out more voters than any previous presidential race. But the final question will be answered this tuesday; Who will be running the country for the next four years? 

               With so much tension about the projected winner, election news is everywhere. Polls most of us have never heard of give us updated projections on the hour and the final hours of the race have not yet begun. The press coverage is expected to be through the roof, and even those not planning on giving Tuesday's race much attention will have a difficult time ignoring the media frenzy.  With two days of media madness in the countries future, Wednesday's forecast might be prettiest thing to see since the end of summer.

1. Replace the Electoral College with direct election of the president and vice-president.
2. Set up a nonpartisan institution in each state to draw up Congressional districts and to redraw them every ten years based on the census, population distribution and geography.
3. Set up a nonpartisan Presidential Debate Commission which will set the ground rules for all debates and include every candidate that is on the ballot in all 50 states.
4. Outlaw the use of commercial advertising spots for political purposes. These lead inevitably to the distortion of the truth and the demeaning of the political process.
5. Limit campaign and other political contributions to donations from individuals. Totally outlaw contributions to campaigns for office (and for or against propositions and ballot measures) from corporations, unions, committees, nonprofit organizations and other groups.
6. Place a cap on the amount of money any individual can donate to a candidate, party or political cause in a year. This would be set by law and could be changed in the future if required by inflation. I suggest starting at $100.  This would assure that wealthy people have no more influence on their representatives or on ballot measures than other individuals.
7. Reduce the tremendous costs of campaigns by providing for free and equal air time on television and radio for all candidates for office, allowing for various formats including interview programs, speeches, town hall meetings, documentaries and debates. Simultaneous prime-time broadcasts on commercial and public stations would be scheduled for this purpose. Public television and radio stations across the country would be provided with the responsibility and means to produce these programs. It is outrageous that commercial stations, which are licensed to use the public airwaves, charge candidates for public office to use the public’s own airwaves.
8. Limit these campaign radio and television programs to broadcast within eight weeks prior to the election, thereby encouraging shortened campaign periods. This would be greatly appreciated by the candidates themselves as well as by the public. And candidates already holding public office will be able to do the work they were elected to do rather than campaigning all year long.
9. Give each U.S. Senator one vote for every million or less legal residents of his or her state. That way states with higher populations would have more votes in the Senate, just as they do in the House of Representatives, while maintaining the traditional two senators per state and the benefits of a bicameral legislative system.
10. Abolish the president’s dictatorial right to veto legislation passed by Congress. The Supreme Court would continue to have the authority to override a law it deemed to be unconstitutional.
11. Require that each piece of legislation considered and acted on by Congress address a single issue. This would eliminate the “earmarks” as well as measures sneaking through that are hidden in large omnibus bills. 
12. Outlaw the use of paid signature gatherers to qualify candidates, political parties, propositions or measures for the ballot. This would greatly reduce the number of such measures to those which are sincerely desired by significant numbers of individuals, as well as eliminating the influence of corporations and interest groups in promoting such propositions.

Constitutional amendments with these provisions seem to me to be the best way of assuring Abraham Lincoln’s hope for the United States: “that government of the people, by the people and for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”

John McCain was oversold to the American people as the best choice for President based upon his status as hero during the Vietnam War.  Who would want to disparage that?  Indeed, virtually no one would.  On the other hand, voters have been looking away from entitlements and towards earned status, the type of earned status that develops apart from images and life stories without updates.  They have been asking for change to ideas not personality and for persons in politics who aren’t there just because daddy got there first, so the name is recognizable or a leg was lost in war, so government service is now guaranteed.

We must look at McCain as the tragic hero of old.  His campaign got stuck on the edge of entitlements in slogans that asked people to appreciate military victory and heroism by voting for an individual for President whose sacrifices earned that office.  The office of President, however, according to the American movement now, has to do with crisis management, charitable attitude and strength in the midst of personal and public attack.  John McCain has shown himself unable to get beyond personal ambition to examine the case for America, its need to get past the war and to manage the needs of the people, their healthcare and their economic needs.

McCain’s sense of entitlement was clearly visible on the world stage, in front of cameras, as he rolled his eyes and grimaced when his opponent, Barack Obama spoke.  He baited the extremes in America, those who suspected Barack Obama of associating with terrorists or of even being one himself.  He reached back as far as he could, to the 1960’s, to drag the names of people that have nothing to do with today’s events, names like Bill Ayers.  And he condoned the epithets and name-calling that went out over the airwaves from right-wing commentators and citizens alike, in decibels loud enough for him to hear above the adoring crowds.  How could he deny the hate he heard and allowed for the most part along the way to the final vote.  So he has been responsible for his own place in history, however that place turns out.

Entitlements was something Republicans fought against, yet during the 2008 election it was this sense of entitlement that seemed to drive McCain’s election vehicle.  Americans, however, have moved on.  People no longer believe in entitlement in quite the same way they did prior to America’s economic downturn.  They see the country in the midst of problems where everyone will have a share of the burden, just as everyone has a share of the blame.

John McCain’s candidacy came at a time when America had changed and was embracing it, and he was unaware, as were his close advisors, at how far in fact it had moved, from the days when name-calling and shrillness counted.  Voters have seen how divisions have caused government inertia and want no part of it anymore.  The person who seems centered, calm, and kind becomes the model.  The country has undergone change, even through its convulsion, a change that is unique to its history, and one that will likely make a difference in how it manages its problems, and its elections, from now on.