I was watching C-Span Today

And both C-Span 1 and 2 had great things going on.

On the House, they were discussing the College Cost Reduction Act of 2007.

As a college student, I was very interested in this. I find it is so unacceptable that so many people are unable to go to college because they simple can't afford it. My one friend had a 3.95 GPA and was an Astrophysics major and had to stop attending college because she couldn't afford it. I think that is disgusting, especially since her major is something that will add so much to our country.

I listened to some of the debate and this particular Congresswoman from North Carolina, Virginia Foxx pissed me off. I know this is a Minnesota blog but when such Republicans say things so irrational and disgusting, I'm allowed to branch out. She equated this bill, a bill to help people go to college, with welfare. Disgusting, especially since she meant welfare in a negative way. Not being able to afford to go to college and asking for help is not welfare. The U costs $20,000 a year, times that by 4 and voila, you owe the bank $80,000. You give me a college student who can afford that. Most people are lucky to have parents that will cosign loans and help them pay for them but some, like my friend, she can't get loans because she is too young for the bank to trust her.

Welfare is a program for people who are in quite the pickle and can't afford to live and need help. The program has its flaws of course, people abuse it but I really feel nearly everyone who hates welfare doesn't know enough about it. I can't wait to do this program next semester where I get to learn about being poor in the Twin Cities. I get to see firsthand these welfare programs and see that they do indeed help millions of people. All the Republicans ever focus on are the negatives and the people who abuse it while dismissing the millions of people who desperately need it. People make mistakes in their lives and need government help, Republicans are just downright heartless and greedy jerks who would rather have the poor dying in the street then have their tax dollars go to help them. (That is quite an overstatement but that is how it seems sometimes, especially with Congresswoman Foxx).

If people actually tried living on Welfare and Food Stamps, they would really have such a higher respect for the people who use these programs. Basically, the people who hate these programs are people who have probably never even conversed with a person on Welfare, have never tried to understand these people, they are people who are ignorant and don't care to educate themselves about what it is actually like to not be able to live off your own salary.

This act is not welfare. We expect people to go to college. We need people to go college and for us to say only the rich can go is so un-American. The act has some welfare like aspects but the connotation of welfare is that someone made a mistake in their life and now need assistance, helping people who are 18 go to college, people whose financial situation sits solely on their parents, is necessary if we are to ever move forward as a country.

Ramstad voted for this act as did all the Democrats, while Bachmann and Kline clearly don't like college students. I really hope Bachmann comes back to my university next year like she did this past year so I can grill her on this vote. Dispicable, she has no business ever showing her face at a college or university. The act passed 273-149 with all Democrats plus 47 Republicans voting for it. It really is votes like that make me despise Republican philosophy. It is such a heartless, selfish, rich person only philosophy. It makes me wonder why anyone who doesn't make over $100,000 a year would ever vote for them.

On C-Span 2, they were debating Iraq. They had just taken a vote on Sen. Webb's amendment saying that soldiers get to be at home for as long as their last tour of duty before going back to Iraq (ie, real breaks before being redeployed). It was filibustered 56-41 and Coleman was one of the few Republicans to vote to bring the amendment to a vote.

If he continues voting this way, he may be able to pull off a win in 2008. It will be a close squeaker of an election most likely, Minnesotans have Republican fatigue like no other but I dunno, the man is a fantastic politican and I mean politician in the bad connotation, slimy, lying, conniving, smiling. I am personally very skepticle about our abilities to win this seat, I don't care how much money Franken wins, he has a big mouth still. It's not that he said things in the past, its that he still says things he shouldn't, such as that we need to defund the troops. That is a fantastic Republican attack ad in the making.