With support for the health care bill in shambles and unemployment still in double figures, President Obama is reportedly going to “pivot” to jobs.

Sound familiar?

That’s because every few weeks it seems President Obama and his team make the same empty promise that they are finally going to focus on creating jobs.

The most recent example comes in today’s Washington Post with a story entitled After Massachusetts loss, Democrats vow to focus on economy, jobs. CNN had a similar headline: Obama to focus hard on economy after Democratic loss.

Troublingly, the rhetoric doesn’t match the reality.

Two weeks ago, Politico had a similar headline: President Obama pivots to jobs as key theme.

And remember the much-hyped jobs summit in December? What ideas from the event ever came to fruition?

In November, the President said job creation was “my administration’s overriding focus.”

Oh really? Double digit unemployment and yet they still lack a jobs plan would say otherwise and green jobs is not going to do it..

Promises to focus on jobs aren’t a recent phenomenon either. When he was inaugurated one year ago, President Obama said that the “The state of our economy calls for action, bold and swift.”

If by bold and swift you mean a $787 billion big government stimulus that diverted money from taxpayers to a bureaucratic boondoggle with no real job growth to show for it, then yes, the President’s actions have been bold and swift.

But if you believe incentivizing small businesses and entrepreneurs would be a better course of action, then we have yet to see any real bold and swift plan for job creation from the Obama administration. Our Jobs First plan is aimed specifically at rewarding job creators, and if the President is serious about his latest “pivot” to jobs, he should take a look at it.

http://www.americansolutions.com/take-action/2010/01/obama-pelosi-reid-the-people-are-speaking—-are-you-listening.php

Booya– that was good and to you that say our health care sux go to Canada and live..
Century2…–some of what you say I agree with but it not just the GOP it is also the Democrat …We The People will have got to show them ppl in Washington we mean business..and Mass show us this can happen.

With his win in Iowa, Sen. John Kerry could be on his way to the White House. But most Americans are unaware of the real Kerry.
Here are facts and quotations that reveal the character of the new Democrat leader.

Denouncing America with ‘Hanoi Jane’: Although Wesley Clark and others have attacked former front-runner Howard Dean as a draft-dodging ski bum, Kerry is far more complex than the simple war hero he portrays himself as.
He became a celebrated organizer for one of America’s most extreme appeasement groups, Vietnam Veterans Against the War. He consorted with the likes of “Hanoi” Jane Fonda and Ramsey Clark, Lyndon Johnson’s radical former attorney general.

He attended a seminar bankrolled by Fonda in Detroit in February 1971. Watching 125 self-proclaimed Vietnam veterans testify at a Howard Johnson’s about atrocities allegedly committed by U.S. forces, the man who would be president later said he found the accounts shocking and irrefutable.

Dubbed “The Winter Soldier Investigation,” the protest attracted minimal media attention, according to the Los Angeles Times, because Fonda insisted it be held in the remote Michigan city rather than the less “authentic” Washington, D.C.

Still, the event gave Kerry an idea for a protest that was sure to be a media smash, and he immediately set out to organize one of the most confrontational protests of the war.

Operation Dewey Canyon III began on April 18, 1971, when nearly 1,000 Vietnam veterans and people claiming to be veterans gathered on Washington’s Mall for what they called “a limited incursion into the country of Congress.”

The group staged mock firefights on the steps of the Capitol and Supreme Court and defied U.S. Park Police after the Department of Justice issued an injunction barring it from camping on the Mall.

Those evil American soldiers: Testifying before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on April 23, 1971, Kerry claimed that U.S. soldiers had “raped, cut off ears, cut off heads, taped wires from portable telephones to human ******** and turned up the power, cut off limbs, blown up bodies, randomly shot at civilians, razed villages, shot cattle and dogs for fun, poisoned food stocks, and generally ravaged the countryside of South Vietnam.”

‘We are not the best’: In his testimony, Kerry claimed there was no communist threat and said: “In 1970 at West Point Vice President Agnew said ‘some glamorize the criminal misfits of society while our best men die in Asian rice paddies to preserve the freedom which most of those misfits abuse,’ and this was used as a rallying point for our effort in Vietnam. But for us, as boys in Asia whom the country was supposed to support, his statement is a terrible distortion from which we can only draw a very deep sense of revulsion, and hence the anger of some of the men who are here in Washington today. It is a distortion because we in no way consider ourselves the best men of this country ….”
U.S. Veteran Dispatch noted in 1996: “Kerry’s testimony, it should be noted, occurred while some of his fellow Vietnam veterans were known by the world to be enduring terrible suffering as prisoners of war in North Vietnamese prisons. Kerry was a supporter of the ‘People’s Peace Treaty,’” a supposed ‘people’s’ declaration to end the war, reportedly drawn up in communist East Germany. It included nine points, all of which were taken from Viet Cong peace proposals at the Paris peace talks as conditions for ending the war.”

Throw as I say, not as I do: On that same day he led members of VVAW in a protest during which they threw their medals and ribbons over a fence in front of the U.S. Capitol.
Kerry later admitted the medals he threw were not his. To this day they hang on the wall of his office.

Communist stooge: The communist Daily World delightedly published photos of him speaking to demonstrators and boasted that the marchers displayed a banner depicting a portrait of Communist Party leader Angela Davis, on record stating, “I am dedicated to the overthrow of your system of government and your society,” the New American recalled in May 2003.
“By frequently participating in VVAW’s demonstrations, Kerry found himself marching alongside what the Boston Herald Traveler identified as ‘revolutionary Communists.’ While noting that known Reds had openly organized these events, the December 12, 1971 Herald Traveler reported the presence of an ‘abundance of Vietcong flags, clenched fists raised in the air, and placards plainly bearing legends in support of China, Cuba, the USSR, North Korea and the Hanoi government.’”

Vietnam Veterans Against John Kerry says: “As a national leader of VVAW, Kerry campaigned against the effort of the United States to contain the spread of Communism. He used the blood of servicemen still in the field for his own political advancement by claiming that their blood was being shed unnecessarily or in vain.

“Under Kerry’s leadership, VVAW members mocked the uniform of United States soldiers by wearing tattered fatigues marked with pro-communist graffiti. They dishonored America by marching in demonstrations under the flag of the Viet Cong enemy.”

Sen. John McCain revealed that his North Vietnamese captors had used reports of Kerry-led protests to taunt him and his fellow prisoners. Retired General George S. Patton III angrily noted that Kerry’s actions had “given aid and comfort to the enemy.”

In recent years when Kerry has exploited the Vietnam Veterans Memorial for photo opportunities on Veterans Day, some veterans, still outraged by his betrayal, have turned their backs on him.

The book he doesn’t want you to see: When Kerry ran for election to the U.S. House of Representative in 1972, “he found it necessary to suppress reproduction of the cover picture appearing on his own book, The New Soldier. His political opponent pointed out that it depicted several unkempt youths crudely handling an American flag to mock the famous photo of the U.S. Marines at Iwo Jima,” according to Vietnam Veterans Against John Kerry.
“Suddenly, copies of the book became unavailable and even disappeared from libraries. But the Lowell (Mass.) Sun said of the type of person shown on its cover: ‘These people spit on the flag, they burn the flag, they carry the flag upside down, [and] they all but wipe their noses with it in their efforts to show their contempt for everything it still stands for,’” the New American reported.

Even today it is hard to find this infamous photo and book.

Friendly with the enemy: Kerry’s fondness for Vietnam’s communist dictatorship, one of the most oppressive in the world, continues.
As chairman of the Select Senate Committee on POW/MIA Affairs, created in 1991 to investigate reports that U.S. prisoners of war and soldiers designated missing in action were still alive in Vietnam, Kerry badgered the panel into voting that no American servicemen remained in Vietnam.

“[N]o one in the United States Senate pushed harder to bury the POW/MIA issue, the last obstacle preventing normalization of relations with Hanoi, than John Forbes Kerry,” noted U.S. Veteran Dispatch.

“But Kerry’s participation in the Committee became controversial in December 1992,” reported the nonpartisan Center for Public Integrity, “when Hanoi announced that it had awarded Colliers International, a Boston-based real estate company, an exclusive deal to develop its commercial real estate potentially worth billions. Stuart Forbes, the CEO of Colliers, is Kerry’s cousin.”

The “odd coincidence,” according to FrontPageMagazine.com, involved a deal worth $905 million.

Jeff Jacoby, the token conservative columnist at the Boston Globe, notes that Kerry continues his apologia for Vietnam’s never-ending atrocities. “Far from taking the lead on the Vietnam Human Rights Bill, he has prevented it from coming to a vote. He claims that making an issue of Hanoi’s repression would be counterproductive.”

Kerry is also a fan of China’s communist dictatorship. “On May 19, 1994, five years after Tiananmen Square, Kerry spoke on the Senate floor against linking China’s Most Favored Nation trade status to its human rights record,” Slate reported.

Kerry said: “China is the strongest military power in Asia. We need China’s cooperation. We cannot afford to adopt a cold-war kind of policy that merely excludes and pushes China away.”

Limiting China’s MFN status “would make us a bit player in a production of enormous proportions. We possess no stick, including MFN, which can force China to embrace internationally recognized human rights and freedoms.”

More extreme than Hillary and Kucinich: Among the White House wannabes, long-shot Rep. Dennis Kucinich has the reputation of holding the most left-wing congressional voting record. In fact, this “honor” goes to Kerry.
According to American Conservative Union, Kerry has a lifetime rating of 6 percent, compared to 13 for the demolished Rep. **** Gephardt, 14 for Sen. John Edwards, 15 for Kucinich and 19 for Sen. Joe Lieberman.

Sens. Hillary Clinton and Tom Daschle score 13 percent. Only the likes of Sens. Teddy Kennedy and Barbara Boxer have more left-wing records than Kerry. In contrast, Sen. John Breaux, one of the upper chamber’s few remaining moderate Democrats, has a 46.

Drive as I say, not as I do: Like Al Gore and other self-described environmentalists, Kerry has a radical agenda that would devastate the U.S. economy in favor of the likes of communist China, yet he enjoys the gas-guzzling modern conveniences that greens denounce. Kerry, a delegate to the environment-destroying Earth Summit in 1992 (where he met his future wife, left-wing activist Teresa Heinz, the multimillionaire widow of GOP Sen. John Heinz), the Kyoto climate talks in 1997 and the Hague Conference of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change in 2000, has attacked President Bush for withdrawing from the anti-U.S. Kyoto Protocol. This treaty, which then-President Bill Clinton had signed, would impose severe restrictions on the United States but not Third World polluters that already enjoy huge trade surpluses with the U.S.
However, although Kerry spouts the party line on anti-U.S. ecopolicy, he doesn’t like to practice what he preaches. Kerry was humiliated in April 2002 when photographed attending a rally against energy independence and then heading back to his SUV, the symbol of all that is evil to self-described greens.

Bone to pick: Bush-hating conspiracy theorists find it alarming that the president, like his father, was a member of the secretive Skull and Bones society at Yale University. Another alum of this club: John Kerry.

Get out your wallets: One reason Kerry and Edwards did well in Iowa: Losers Dean and Gephardt admitted they’d repeal all of the president’s tax relief. However, although Kerry has taken credit for middle-class tax cuts, child tax credit and relief of the marriage penalty, he voted against them, GOP.com disclosed.
“Kerry will have to expend an awful lot of time and money to convince people that he’s not the classic Massachusetts liberal,” Larry Sabato, a respected political analyst at the University of Virginia, told the Associated Press in December 2002. “And that’s going to be tough, because mainly he is.”

Waffling on Iraq: Kerry has the tough job of wooing Howard Dean’s anti-war Democrats despite his support of the war in Iraq. His favorite tactic, claiming the president outfoxed him, doesn’t hold up to scrutiny.
On “Meet the Press” in late August, Tim Russert played a tape of Kerry addressing the Senate in October 2002 with a hard-line speech declaring Iraq “capable of quickly producing weaponizing” of biological weapons that could be delivered against “the United States itself.”

Kerry insisted: “That is exactly the point I’m making. We were given this information by our intelligence community.”

However, as columnist Robert Novak noted, “as a senator, Kerry had access to the National Intelligence Estimate that was skeptical of Iraqi capability. Being tricky may no longer be as effective politically as it once was.”

No doubt Dean, Lieberman, Clark and other rivals will now use these and other details to do to Kerry what the Democrats did to Dean.

So, in massachusetts I’ve noticed lately that there are some new signs on the interstate highways. EVERY .2 miles there is a new sign, about 10 inches by 14 inches that marks the mileage of the highway in increments of .2 miles. That’s 5 signs PER Mile!!!

I don’t see the point!! Don’t we have multiple tachometers and trip computers in our cars now??!!! my car’s navigation tracks what mile I’m at on the highway!! WHY did they need to waste so much money and put up these stupid signs!!

And don’t even say creation of jobs…if we want to create jobs why don’t we hire more people to clean the trash on the streets, cure cancer or stop huge tucks that blow out black exhaust from polluting!!
No, it’s not because in case of emergency because all cell phones now have “location” services where they can tell emergency services the exact location of a cell phone calling. Even for old cell phones, you can triangulate the location of anyone using a cell phone using nearby cell towers. Locating a cell phone is automatic these days when they are used for emergency and it takes seconds.

Congressional Legislation

Stimulus Bill
Bill # S.1

Original Sponsor:
Harry Reid (D-NV)

Cosponsor Total: 17
(last sponsor added 01/07/2009)
16 Democrats
1 Independents

About This Legislation:

1/6/2009–Introduced. American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 – Calls for the enactment of legislation to create jobs, restore economic growth, and strengthen America’s middle class through measures that: (1) modernize the nation’s infrastructure; (2) enhance America’s energy independence; (3) expand educational opportunities; (4) preserve and improve affordable health care; (5) provide tax relief; and (6) protect those in greatest need.

Detailed, up-to-date bill status information on S.1.

Alabama
Richard Shelby (R) —
Jeff Sessions (R) —
Alaska
Mark Begich (D) 01/06/2009
Lisa Murkowski (R) —
Arizona
John McCain (R) —
Jon Kyl (R) —
Arkansas
Blanche Lincoln (D) —
Mark Pryor (D) —
California
Dianne Feinstein (D) —
Barbara Boxer (D) 01/06/2009
Colorado
Mark Udall (D) —
Michael Bennet (D) —
Connecticut
Christopher Dodd (D) —
Joseph Lieberman (I) 01/06/2009
Delaware
Thomas Carper (D) —
Ted Kaufman (D) —
Florida
Bill Nelson (D) —
Mel Martinez (R) —
Georgia
Saxby Chambliss (R) —
Johnny Isakson (R) —
Hawaii
Daniel Inouye (D) —
Daniel Akaka (D) —
Idaho
Mike Crapo (R) —
Jim Risch (R) —
Illinois
Richard Durbin (D) 01/06/2009
Roland Burris (D) —
Indiana
Evan Bayh (D) —
Richard Lugar (R) —
Iowa
Tom Harkin (D) —
Charles Grassley (R) —
Kansas
Sam Brownback (R) —
Pat Roberts (R) —
Kentucky
Mitch McConnell (R) —
Jim Bunning (R) —
Louisiana
Mary Landrieu (D) —
David Vitter (R) —
Maine
Olympia Snowe (R) —
Susan Collins (R) —
Maryland
Barbara Mikulski (D) —
Benjamin Cardin (D) —
Massachusetts
Edward Kennedy (D) 01/06/2009
John Kerry (D) 01/06/2009
Michigan
Carl Levin (D) 01/06/2009
Debbie Stabenow (D) 01/06/2009
Minnesota
Al Franken (D) —
Amy Klobuchar (D) 01/06/2009
Mississippi
Thad Cochran (R) —
Roger Wicker (R) —
Missouri
Claire McCaskill (D) 01/06/2009
Christopher Bond (R) —
Montana
Max Baucus (D) —
Jon Tester (D) —
Nebraska
Ben Nelson (D) —
Mike Johanns (R) —
Nevada
Harry Reid (D) 01/06/2009
John Ensign (R) —
New Hampshire
Jeanne Shaheen (D) —
Judd Gregg (R) —
New Jersey
Frank Lautenberg (D) 01/06/2009
Robert Menendez (D) 01/06/2009
New Mexico
Jeff Bingaman (D) 01/06/2009
Tom Udall (D) —
New York
Charles Schumer (D) 01/06/2009
Kirsten Gillibrand (D) —
North Carolina
Kay Hagan (D) —
Richard Burr (R) —
North Dakota
Kent Conrad (D) —
Byron Dorgan (D) —
Ohio
Sherrod Brown (D) 01/07/2009
George Voinovich (R) —
Oklahoma
James Inhofe (R) —
Tom Coburn (R) —
Oregon
Ron Wyden (D) —
Jeff Merkley (D) —
Pennsylvania
Arlen Specter (D) —
Robert Casey (D) 01/06/2009
Rhode Island
Jack Reed (D) —
Sheldon Whitehouse (D) —
South Carolina
Lindsey Graham (R) —
Jim DeMint (R) —
South Dakota
Tim Johnson (D) —
John Thune (R) —
Tennessee
Lamar Alexander (R) —
Bob Corker (R) —
Texas
Kay Bailey Hutchison (R) —
John Cornyn (R) —
Utah
Orrin Hatch (R) —
Robert Bennett (R) —
Vermont
Patrick Leahy (D) —
Bernard Sanders (I) —
Virginia
Mark Warner (D) —
Jim Webb (D) —
Washington
Patty Murray (D) —
Maria Cantwell (D) —
West Virginia
Robert Byrd (D) —
John Rockefeller (D) —
Wisconsin
Herbert Kohl (D) —
Russ Feingold (D) —
Wyoming
Michael Enzi (R) —
John Barrasso (R) —

Source Library of Congress

An unemployed mother of 6 children (age 15 and under) has been receiving food stamps and TAFDC in Massachusetts. Her teen daughter, a full-time high school student, worked a part-time job; 9 hours per week from May 1 to July 1 and then 20 hours per week from 7/1 to 8/1. Now DTA has cut off the family’s benefits. I thought that income from a teen who is a full-time student did not count toward “Family income” when calculating benefits. I want to write a letter supporting this mother’s dispute. What should I say?

any one new anywebsite hit me up
?
INS Citizenship Test Questions
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) administers a test to all immigrants applying for citizenship. For years, these questions have been selected from among the following list of 100. How would you do? Many, you will find simple. Others are not so easy. In all cases, the answer USCIS wants to hear is given. (Study Materials and Guides)
NOTE: New Test Questions Coming Oct. 1, 2008
On Oct. 1, 2008 The USCIS will switch a new set of test questions. All applicants who file for naturalization on or after October 1, 2008 will be required to take the redesigned test. For those applicants who file prior to October 1, 2008 but are not interviewed until after October , 2008 (but before October 1, 2009), there will be an option of taking the new test or the current one.
________________________________________
Current USCIS Test Questions
(Click on the question to see the answer.)
1. What are the colors of our flag?
2. How many stars are there in our flag?
3. What color are the stars on our flag?
4. What do the stars on the flag mean?
5. How many stripes are there in the flag?
6. What color are the stripes?
7. What do the stripes on the flag mean?
8. How many states are there in the Union?
9. What is the 4th of July?
10. What is the date of Independence Day?
11. Independence from whom?
12. What country did we fight during the Revolutionary War?
13. Who was the first President of the United States?
14. Who is the President of the United States today?
15. Who is the vice-president of the United States today?
16. Who elects the President of the United States?
17. Who becomes President of the United States if the President should die?
18. For how long do we elect the President?
19. What is the Constitution?
20. Can the Constitution be changed?
21. What do we call a change to the Constitution?
22. How many changes or amendments are there to the Constitution?
23. How many branches are there in our government?
24. What are the three branches of our government?
25. What is the legislative branch of our government?
26. Who makes the laws in the United States?
27. What is the Congress?
28. What are the duties of Congress?
29. Who elects the Congress?
30. How many senators are there in Congress?
31. Can you name the two senators from your state?
32. For how long do we elect each senator?
33. How many representatives are there in Congress?
34. For how long do we elect the representatives?
35. What is the executive branch of our government?
36. What is the judiciary branch of our government?
37. What are the duties of the Supreme Court?
38. What is the supreme court law of the United States?
39. What is the Bill of Rights?
40. What is the capital of your state?
41. Who is the current governor of your state?
42. Who becomes President of the United States if the President and the vice-president should die?
43. Who is the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court?
44. Can you name thirteen original states?
45. Who said, “Give me liberty or give me death.”?
46. Which countries were our enemies during World War II?
47. What are the 49th and 50th states of the Union?
48. How many terms can the President serve?
49. Who was Martin Luther King, Jr.?
50. Who is the head of your local government?
51. According to the Constitution, a person must meet certain requirements in order to be eligible to become President. Name one of these requirements.
52. Why are there 100 Senators in the Senate?
53. Who selects the Supreme Court justice?
54. How many Supreme Court justice are there?
55. Why did the Pilgrims come to America?
56. What is the head executive of a state government called?
57. What is the head executive of a city government called?
58. What holiday was celebrated for the first time by the Americans colonists?
59. Who was the main writer of the Declaration of Independence?
60. When was the Declaration of Independence adopted?
61. What is the basic belief of the Declaration of Independence?
62. What is the national anthem of the United States?
63. Who wrote the Star-Spangled Banner?
64. Where does freedom of speech come from?
65. What is a minimum voting age in the United States?
66. Who signs bills into law?
67. What is the highest court in the United States?
68. Who was the President during the Civil War?
69. What did the Emancipation Declaration do?
70. What special group advises the President?
71. Which President is called the “Father of our country”?
72. What Immigration and Naturalization Service form is used to apply to become a naturalized citizen?
73. Who helped the Pilgrims in America?
74. What is the name of the ship that brought the Pilgrims to America?
75. What are the 13 original states of the U.S. called?
76. Name 3 rights of freedom guaranteed by the Bill of Rights.
77. Who has the power to declare the war?
78. What kind of government does the United States have?
79. Which President freed the slaves?
80. In what year was the Constitution written?
81. What are the first 10 amendments to the Constitution called?
82. Name one purpose of the United Nations?
83. Where does Congress meet?
84. Whose rights are guaranteed by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights?
85. What is the introduction to the Constitution called?
86. Name one benefit of being citizen of the United States.
87. What is the most important right granted to U.S. citizens?
88. What is the United States Capitol?
89. What is the White House?
90. Where is the White House located?
91. What is the name of the President’s official home?
92. Name the right guaranteed by the first amendment.
93. Who is the Commander in Chief of the U.S. military?
94. Which President was the first Commander in Chief of the U.S. military?
95. In what month do we vote for the President?
96. In what month is the new President inaugurated?
97. How many times may a Senator be re-elected?
98. How many times may a Congressman be re-elected?
99. What are the 2 major political parties in the U.S. today?
100. How many states are there in the United States today?
________________________________________
1. What are the colors of our flag?
Red, White, and Blue.
2. How many stars are there in our flag?
50
3. What color are the stars on our flag?
White.
4. What do the stars on the flag mean?
One for each state in the Union.
5. How many stripes are there in the flag?
13
6. What color are the stripes?
Red and White.
7. What do the stripes on the flag mean?
They represent the original 13 states.
8. How many states are there in the Union?
50
9. What is the 4th of July?
Independence Day.
10. What is the date of Independence Day?
July 4th
11. Independence from whom?
England
12. What country did we fight during the Revolutionary War?
England
13. Who was the first President of the United States?
George Washington
14. Who is the President of the United States today?
Currently George W. Bush
15. Who is the vice-president of the United States today?
Currently Richard B. (“Dick”) Cheney
16. Who elects the President of the United States?
The electoral college
17. Who becomes President of the United States if the President should die?
Vice – President
18. For how long do we elect the President?
Four years
19. What is the Constitution?
The supreme law of the land
20. Can the Constitution be changed?
Yes
21. What do we call a change to the Constitution?
An Amendment
22. How many changes or amendments are there to the Constitution?
27
23. How many branches are there in our government?
3
24. What are the three branches of our government?
Legislative, Executive, and Judiciary
25. What is the legislative branch of our government?
Congress
26. Who makes the laws in the United States?
Congress
27. What is the Congress?
The Senate and the House of Representatives
28. What are the duties of Congress?
To make laws
29. Who elects the Congress?
The people
30. How many senators are there in Congress?
100
31. Can you name the two senators from your state?
(insert local information)
32. For how long do we elect each senator?
6 years
33. How many representatives are there in Congress?
435
34. For how long do we elect the representatives?
2 years
35. What is the executive branch of our government?
The President, vice president, cabinet, and departments under the cabinet members
36. What is the judiciary branch of our government?
The Supreme Court
37. What are the duties of the Supreme Court?
To interpret laws
38. What is the supreme court law of the United States?
The Constitution
39. What is the Bill of Rights?
The first 10 amendments of the Constitution
40. What is the capital of your state?
(insert local information)
41. Who is the current governor of your state?
(insert local information)
42. Who becomes President of the United States if the President and the vice-president should die?
Speaker of the House of Representative
43. Who is the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court?
William Rehnquist (or whoever is next)
44. Can you name thirteen original states?
Connecticut, New Hampshire, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Rhode Island, and Maryland.
45. Who said, “Give me liberty or give me death.”?
Patrick Henry
46. Which countries were our enemies during World War II?
Germany, Italy, and Japan
47. What are the 49th and 50th states of the Union?
Hawaii and Alaska
48. How many terms can the President serve?
2
49. Who was Martin Luther King, Jr.?
A civil rights leader
50. Who is the head of your local government?
(insert local information)
51. According to the Constitution, a person must meet certain requirements in order to be eligible to become President. Name one of these requirements.
Must be a natural born citizen of the United States; must be at least 35 years old by the time he/she will serve; must have lived in the United States for at least 14 years.
52. Why are there 100 Senators in the Senate?
Two (2) from each state
53. Who selects the Supreme Court justice?
Appointed by the President
54. How many Supreme Court justice are there?
Nine (9)
55. Why did the Pilgrims come to America?
For religious freedom
56. What is the head executive of a state government called?
Governor
57. What is the head executive of a city government called?
Mayor
58. What holiday was celebrated for the first time by the Americans colonists?
Thanksgiving
59. Who was the main writer of the Declaration of Independence?
Thomas Jefferson
60. When was the Declaration of Independence adopted?
July 4, 1776
61. What is the basic belief of the Declaration of Independence?
That all men are created equal
62. What is the national anthem of the United States?
The Star-Spangled Banner
63. Who wrote the Star-Spangled Banner?
Francis Scott Key
64. Where does freedom of speech come from?
The Bill of Rights
65. What is a minimum voting age in the United States?
Eighteen (18)
66. Who signs bills into law?
The President
67. What is the highest court in the United States?
The Supreme Court
68. Who was the President during the Civil War?
Abraham Lincoln
69. What did the Emancipation Declaration do?
Freed many slaves
70. What special group advises the President?
The Cabinet
71. Which President is called the “Father of our country”?
George Washington
72. What Immigration and Naturalization Service form is used to apply to become a naturalized citizen?
Form N-400, Application to File Petition for Naturalization
73. Who helped the Pilgrims in America?
The American-Indians (Native Americans)
74. What is the name of the ship that brought the Pilgrims to America?
The Mayflower
75. What are the 13 original states of the U.S. called?
Colonies
76. Name 3 rights of freedom guaranteed by the Bill of Rights.
The right of freedom of speech, press, religion, peaceable assembly, and requesting change of government.
The right to bear arms (the right to have weapons or own a gun, though subject to certain regulations).
The government may not quarter, or house, soldiers in the people’s homes during peacetime without the people’s consent.
The government may not search or take a person’s property without a warrant.
A person may not be tried twice for the same crime and does not have to testify against him/herself.
A person charged with a crime still has some rights, such as the right to a trial and to have a lawyer.
The right to trial by jury in most cases.
Protects people against excessive or unreasonable fines or cruel and unusual punishment.
The people have rights other than those mentioned in the Constitution.
Any power not given to the federal government by the Constitution is a power of either the state or the people.
77. Who has the power to declare the war?
The Congress
78. What kind of government does the United States have?
Democracy
79. Which President freed the slaves?
Abraham Lincoln
80. In what year was the Constitution written?
1787
81. What are the first 10 amendments to the Constitution called?
The Bill of Rights
82. Name one purpose of the United Nations?
For countries to discuss and try to resolve world problems, to provide economic aid to many countries.
83. Where does Congress meet?
In the Capitol in Washington, D.C.
84. Whose rights are guaranteed by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights?
Everyone (citizens and non-citizens) living in U.S.
85. What is the introduction to the Constitution called?
The Preamble
86. Name one benefit of being citizen of the United States.
Obtain federal government jobs, travel with U.S. passport, petition for close relatives to come to the U.S. to live.
87. What is the most important right granted to U.S. citizens?
The right to vote
88. What is the United States Capitol?
The place where Congress meets
89. What is the White House?
The President’s official home
90. Where is the White House located?
Washington, D.C. (1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.)
91. What is the name of the President’s official home?
The White House
92. Name the right guaranteed by the first amendment.
Freedom of: speech, press, religion, peaceable assembly, and requesting change of the government.
93. Who is the Commander in Chief of the U.S. military?
The President
94. Which President was the first Commander in Chief of the U.S. military?
George Washington
95. In what month do we vote for the President?
November
96. In what month is the new President inaugurated?
January
97. How many times may a Senator be re-elected?
There is no limit
98. How many times may a Congressman be re-elected?
There is no limit
99. What are the 2 major political parties in the U.S. today?
Democratic and Republican
100. How many states are there in the United States today?
Fifty (50)

New Naturalization Test Questions
Beginning on Oct. 1, 2008, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will replace the set of questions currently used as part of the citizenship test with the questions listed here. All applicants who file for naturalization on or after October 1, 2008 will be required to take the new test. For those applicants who file prior to October 1, 2008 but are not interviewed until after October , 2008 (but before October 1, 2009), there will be an option of taking the new test or the current one.
New Test Questions and Answers
Some questions have more than one correct answer. In those cases, all acceptable answers are shown. All answers are shown exactly as worded by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
* If you are 65 years old or older and have been a legal permanent resident of the United States for 20 or more years, you may study just the questions that have been marked with an asterisk.
AMERICAN GOVERNMENT
A. Principles of American Democracy
1. What is the supreme law of the land?
A: The Constitution
2. What does the Constitution do?
A: sets up the government
A: defines the government
A: protects basic rights of Americans
3. The idea of self-government is in the first three words of the Constitution. What are these words?
A: We the People
4. What is an amendment?
A: a change (to the Constitution)
A: an addition (to the Constitution)
5. What do we call the first ten amendments to the Constitution?
A: The Bill of Rights
6. What is one right or freedom from the First Amendment?*
A: speech
A: religion
A: assembly
A: press
A: petition the government
7. How many amendments does the Constitution have?
A: twenty-seven (27)
8. What did the Declaration of Independence do?
A: announced our independence (from Great Britain)
A: declared our independence (from Great Britain)
A: said that the United States is free (from Great Britain)
9. What are two rights in the Declaration of Independence?
A: life
A: liberty
A: pursuit of happiness
10. What is freedom of religion?
A: You can practice any religion, or not practice a religion.
11. What is the economic system in the United States?*
A: capitalist economy
A: market economy
12. What is the “rule of law”?
A: Everyone must follow the law.
A: Leaders must obey the law.
A: Government must obey the law.
A: No one is above the law.
B. System of Government
13. Name one branch or part of the government.*
A: Congress
A: legislative
A: President
A: executive
A: the courts
A: judicial
14. What stops one branch of government from becoming too powerful?
A: checks and balances
A: separation of powers
15. Who is in charge of the executive branch?
A: the President
16. Who makes federal laws?
A: Congress
A: Senate and House (of Representatives)
A: (U.S. or national) legislature
17. What are the two parts of the U.S. Congress?*
A: the Senate and House (of Representatives)
18. How many U.S. Senators are there?
A: one hundred (100)
19. We elect a U.S. Senator for how many years?
A: six (6)
20. Who is one of your state’s U.S. Senators?*
A: Answers will vary. [For District of Columbia residents and residents of U.S. territories, the answer is that D.C. (or the territory where the applicant lives) has no U.S. Senators.]
* If you are 65 years old or older and have been a legal permanent resident of the United States for 20 or more years, you may study just the questions that have been marked with an asterisk.
21. The House of Representatives has how many voting members?
A: four hundred thirty-five (435)
22. We elect a U.S. Representative for how many years?
A: two (2)
23. Name your U.S. Representative.
A: Answers will vary. [Residents of territories with nonvoting Delegates or resident Commissioners may provide the name of that Delegate or Commissioner. Also acceptable is any statement that the territory has no (voting) Representatives in Congress.]
24. Who does a U.S. Senator represent?
A: all people of the state
25. Why do some states have more Representatives than other states?
A: (because of) the state’s population
A: (because) they have more people
A: (because) some states have more people
26. We elect a President for how many years?
A: four (4)
27. In what month do we vote for President?*
A: November
28. What is the name of the President of the United States now?*
A: George W. Bush
A: George Bush
A: Bush
29. What is the name of the Vice President of the United States now?
A: Richard Cheney
A: **** Cheney
A: Cheney
30. If the President can no longer serve, who becomes President?
A: the Vice President
31. If both the President and the Vice President can no longer serve, who becomes President?
A: the Speaker of the House
32. Who is the Commander in Chief of the military?
A: the President
33. Who signs bills to become laws?
A: the President
34. Who vetoes bills?
A: the President
35. What does the President’s Cabinet do?
A: advises the President
36. What are two Cabinet-level positions?
A: Secretary of Agriculture
A: Secretary of Commerce
A: Secretary of Defense
A: Secretary of Education
A: Secretary of Energy
A: Secretary of Health and Human Services
A: Secretary of Homeland Security
A: Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
A: Secretary of Interior
A: Secretary of State
A: Secretary of Transportation
A: Secretary of Treasury
A: Secretary of Veterans’ Affairs
A: Secretary of Labor
A: Attorney General
37. does the judicial branch do?
A: reviews laws
A: explains laws
A: resolves disputes (disagreements)
A: decides if a law goes against the Constitution
38. What is the highest court in the United States?
A: the Supreme Court
39. How many justices are on the Supreme Court?
A: nine (9)
40. Who is the Chief Justice of the United States?
A: John Roberts (John G. Roberts, Jr.)
* If you are 65 years old or older and have been a legal permanent resident of the United States for 20 or more years, you may study just the questions that have been marked with an asterisk.
41. Under our Constitution, some powers belong to the federal government. What is one power of the federal government?
A: to print money
A: to declare war
A: to create an army
A: to make treaties
42. Under our Constitution, some powers belong to the states. What is one power of the states?
A: provide schooling and education
A: provide protection (police)
A: provide safety (fire departments)
A: give a driver’s license
A: approve zoning and land use
43. Who is the Governor of your state?
A: Answers will vary. [Residents of the District of Columbia and U.S. territories without a Governor should say "we don't have a Governor."]
44. What is the capital of your state?*
A: Answers will vary. [District of Columbia residents should answer that D.C. is not a state and does not have a capital. Residents of U.S. territories should name the capital of the territory.]
45. What are the two major political parties in the United States?*
A: Democratic and Republican
46. What is the political party of the President now?
A: Republican (Party)
47. What is the name of the Speaker of the House of Representatives now?
A: (Nancy) Pelosi
C: Rights and Responsibilities
48. There are four amendments to the Constitution about who can vote. Describe one of them.
A: Citizens eighteen (18) and older (can vote).
A: You don’t have to pay (a poll tax) to vote.
A: Any citizen can vote. (Women and men can vote.)
A: A male citizen of any race (can vote).
49. What is one responsibility that is only for United States citizens?*
A: serve on a jury
A: vote
50. What are two rights only for United States citizens?
A: apply for a federal job
A: vote
A: run for office
A: carry a U.S. passport
51. What are two rights of everyone living in the United States?
A: freedom of expression
A: freedom of speech
A: freedom of assembly
A: freedom to petition the government
A: freedom of worship
A: the right to bear arms
52. What do we show loyalty to when we say the Pledge of Allegiance?
A: the United States
A: the flag
53. What is one promise you make when you become a United States citizen?
A: give up loyalty to other countries
A: defend the Constitution and laws of the United States
A: obey the laws of the United States
A: serve in the U.S. military (if needed)
A: serve (do important work for) the nation (if needed)
A: be loyal to the United States
54. How old do citizens have to be to vote for President?*
A: eighteen (18) and older
55. What are two ways that Americans can participate in their democracy?
A: vote
A: join a political party
A: help with a campaign
A: join a civic group
A: join a community group
A: give an elected official your opinion on an issue
A: call Senators and Representatives
A: publicly support or oppose an issue or policy
A: run for office
A: write to a newspaper
56. When is the last day you can send in federal income tax forms?*
A: April 15
57. When must all men register for the Selective Service?
A: at age eighteen (18)
A: between eighteen (18) and twenty-six (26)
AMERICAN HISTORY
A: Colonial Period and Independence
58. What is one reason colonists came to America?
A: freedom
A: political liberty
A: religious freedom
A: economic opportunity
A: practice their religion
A: escape persecution
59. Who lived in America before the Europeans arrived?
A: Native Americans
A: American Indians
60. What group of people was taken to America and sold as slaves?
A: Africans
A: people from Africa
* If you are 65 years old or older and have been a legal permanent resident of the United States for 20 or more years, you may study just the questions that have been marked with an asterisk.
61. Why did the colonists fight the British?
A: because of high taxes (taxation without representation)
A: because the British army stayed in their houses (boarding, quartering)
A: because they didn’t have self-government
62. Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?
A: (Thomas) Jefferson
63. When was the Declaration of Independence adopted?
A: July 4, 1776
64. There were 13 original states. Name three.
A: New Hampshire
A: Massachusetts
A: Rhode Island
A: Connecticut
A: New York
A: New Jersey
A: Pennsylvania
A: Delaware
A: Maryland
A: Virginia
A: North Carolina
A: South Carolina
A: Georgia
65. What happened at the Constitutional Convention?
A: The Constitution was written.
A: The Founding Fathers wrote the Constitution.
66. When was the Constitution written?
A: 1787
67. The Federalist Papers supported the passage of the U.S. Constitution. Name one of the writers.
A: (James) Madison
A: (Alexander) Hamilton
A: (John) Jay
A: Publius
68. What is one thing Benjamin Franklin is famous for?
A: U.S. diplomat
A: oldest member of the Constitutional Convention
A: first Postmaster General of the United States
A: writer of “Poor Richard’s Almanac”
A: started the first free libraries
69. Who is the “Father of Our Country”?
A: (George) Washington
70. Who was the first President?*
A: (George) Washington
B: 1800s
71. What territory did the United States buy from France in 1803?
A: the Louisiana Territory
A: Louisiana
72. Name one war fought by the United States in the 1800s.
A: War of 1812
A: Mexican-American War
A: Civil War
A: Spanish-American War
73. Name the U.S. war between the North and the South.
A: the Civil War
A: the War between the States
74. Name one problem that led to the Civil War.
A: slavery
A: economic reasons
A: states’ rights
75. What was one important thing that Abraham Lincoln did?*
A: freed the slaves (Emancipation Proclamation)
A: saved (or preserved) the Union
A: led the United States during the Civil War
76. What did the Emancipation Proclamation do?
A: freed the slaves
A: freed slaves in the Confederacy
A: freed slaves in the Confederate states
A: freed slaves in most Southern states
77. What did Susan B. Anthony do?
A: fought for women’s rights
A: fought for civil rights
C: Recent American History and Other Important Historical Information
78. Name one war fought by the United States in the 1900s.*
A: World War I
A: World War II
A: Korean War
A: Vietnam War
A: (Persian) Gulf War
79. Who was President during World War I?
A: (Woodrow) Wilson
80. Who was President during the Great Depression and World War II?
A: (Franklin) Roosevelt
* If you are 65 years old or older and have been a legal permanent resident of the United States for 20 or more years, you may study just the questions that have been marked with an asterisk.
81. Who did the United States fight in World War II?
A: Japan, Germany and Italy
82. Before he was President, Eisenhower was a general. What war was he in?
A: World War II
83. During the Cold War, what was the main concern of the United States?
A: Communism
84. What movement tried to end racial discrimination?
A: civil rights (movement)
85. What did Martin Luther King, Jr. do?*
A: fought for civil rights
A: worked for equality for all Americans
86. What major event happened on September 11, 2001 in the United States?
A: Terrorists attacked the United States.
87. Name one American Indian tribe in the United States.
[Adjudicators will be supplied with a complete list.]
A: Cherokee
A: Navajo
A: Sioux
A: Chippewa
A: Choctaw
A: Pueblo
A: Apache
A: Iroquois
A: Creek
A: Blackfeet
A: Seminole
A: Cheyenne
A: Arawak
A: Shawnee
A: Mohegan
A: Huron
A: Oneida
A: Lakota
A: Crow
A: Teton
A: Hopi
A: Inuit
INTEGRATED CIVICS
A: Geography
88. Name one of the two longest rivers in the United States.
A: Missouri (River)
A: Mississippi (River)
89. What ocean is on the West Coast of the United States?
A: Pacific (Ocean)
90. What ocean is on the East Coast of the United States?
A: Atlantic (Ocean)
91. Name one U.S. territory.
A: Puerto Rico
A: U.S. Virgin Islands
A: American Samoa
A: Northern Mariana Islands
A: Guam
92. Name one state that borders Canada.
A: Maine
A: New Hampshire
A: Vermont
A: New York
A: Pennsylvania
A: Ohio
A: Michigan
A: Minnesota
A: North Dakota
A: Montana
A: Idaho
A: Washington
A: Alaska
93. Name one state that borders Mexico.
A: California
A: Arizona
A: New Mexico
A: Texas
94. What is the capital of the United States?*
A: Washington, D.C.
95. Where is the Statue of Liberty?*
A: New York (Harbor)
A: Liberty Island
[Also acceptable are New Jersey, near New York City, and on the Hudson (River).]
B. Symbols
96. Why does the flag have 13 stripes?
A: because there were 13 original colonies
A: because the stripes represent the original colonies
97. Why does the flag have 50 stars?*
A: because there is one star for each state
A: because each star represents a state
A: because there are 50 states
98. What is the name of the national anthem?
A: The Star-Spangled Banner
C: Holidays
99. When do we celebrate Independence Day?*
A: July 4
100. Name two national U.S. holidays.
A: New Year’s Day
A: Martin Luther King, Jr., Day
A: Presidents’ Day
A: Memorial Day
A: Independence Day
A: Labor Day
A: Columbus Day
A: Veterans Day
A: Thanksgiving
A: Christmas

Petition to revoke the independence of the United States of America
Type: Just for Fun – Outlandish Statements
Description: To the citizens of the United States of America, in the light of your failure to elect a competent President of the USA and thus to govern yourselves, we hereby give notice of the revocation of your independence, effective today.

Her Sovereign Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will resume monarchical duties over all states, commonwealths and other territories.

Except Utah, which she does not fancy.

Your new Prime Minister (The Right Honourable Tony Blair MP, for the 97.85% of you who have until now been unaware that there is a world outside your borders) will appoint a Minister for America without the need for further elections.

The House of Representatives and the Senate will be disbanded.

A questionnaire will be circulated next year to determine whether any of you noticed. To aid in the transition to a British Crown Dependency, the following rules are introduced with immediate effect:

1. You should look up “revocation” in the Oxford English Dictionary. Then look up “aluminium.” Check the pronunciation guide. You will be amazed at just how wrongly you have been pronouncing it.

The letter ‘U’ will be reinstated in words such as ‘favour’ and ‘neighbour’; skipping the letter ‘U’ is nothing more than laziness on your part. Likewise, you will learn to spell ‘doughnut’ without skipping half the letters.

You will end your love affair with the letter ‘Z’ (pronounced ‘zed’ not ‘zee’) and the suffix “ize” will be replaced by the suffix “ise.”

You will learn that the suffix ‘burgh’ is pronounced ‘burra’ e.g. Edinburgh. You are welcome to re-spell Pittsburgh as ‘Pittsberg’ if you can’t cope with correct pronunciation.

Generally, you should raise your vocabulary to acceptable levels. Look up “vocabulary.” Using the same thirty seven words interspersed with filler noises such as “uhh”, “like”, and “you know” is an unacceptable and inefficient form of communication.

Look up “interspersed.”

There will be no more ‘bleeps’ in the Jerry Springer show. If you’re not old enough to cope with bad language then you shouldn’t have chat shows. When you learn to develop your vocabulary, then you won’t have to use bad language as often.

2. There is no such thing as “US English.” We will let Microsoft know on your behalf. The Microsoft spell-checker will be adjusted to take account of the reinstated letter ‘u’ and the elimination of “-ize.”

3. You should learn to distinguish the English and Australian accents. It really isn’t that hard. English accents are not limited to cockney, upper-class twit or Mancunian (Daphne in Frasier).

You will also have to learn how to understand regional accents — Scottish dramas such as “Taggart” will no longer be broadcast with subtitles.

While we’re talking about regions, you must learn that there is no such place as Devonshire in England. The name of the county is “Devon.” If you persist in calling it Devonshire, all American States will become “shires” e.g. Texasshire, Floridashire, Louisianashire.

4. Hollywood will be required occasionally to cast English actors as the good guys. Hollywood will be required to cast English actors to play English characters.

British sit-coms such as “Men Behaving Badly” or “Red Dwarf” will not be re-cast and watered down for a wishy-washy American audience who can’t cope with the humour of occasional political incorrectness. Popular British films such as the Italian Job and the Wicker Man should never be remade.

5. You should relearn your original national anthem, “God Save The Queen”, but only after fully carrying out task 1. We would not want you to get confused and give up half way through.

6. You should stop playing American “football.” There are other types of football such as Rugby, Aussie Rules & Gaelic football. However proper football – which will no longer be known as soccer, is the best known, most loved and most popular. What you refer to as American “football” is not a very good game.

The 2.15% of you who are aware that there is a world outside your borders may have noticed that no one else plays “American” football. You will no longer be allowed to play it, and should instead play proper football.

Initially, it would be best if you played with the girls. It is a difficult game. Those of you brave enough will, in time, be allowed to play rugby (which is similar to American “football”, but does not involve stopping for a rest every twenty seconds or wearing full kevlar body armour like nancies).

We are hoping to get together at least a US Rugby sevens side by 2008.

You should stop playing baseball. It is not reasonable to host an event called the ‘World Series’ for a game which is not played outside of North America. Since only 2.15% of you are aware that there is a world beyond your borders, your error is understandable. Instead of baseball, you will be allowed to play a girls’ game called “rounders,” which is baseball without fancy team strip, oversized gloves, collector cards or hotdogs.

7. You will no longer be allowed to own or carry guns. You will no longer be allowed to own or carry anything more dangerous in public than a vegetable peeler. Because we don’t believe you are sensible enough to handle potentially dangerous items, you will require a permit if you wish to carry a vegetable peeler in public.

8. The 4th of July is no longer a public holiday. The 2nd of November will be a new national holiday, but only in Britain. It will be called “Indecisive Day.”

9. All American cars are hereby banned. They are crap, and it is for your own good. When we show you German cars, you will understand what we mean.

All road intersections will be replaced with roundabouts. You will start driving on the left with immediate effect. At the same time, you will go metric with immediate effect and without the benefit of conversion tables. Roundabouts and metrication will help you understand the British sense of humour.

10. You will learn to make real chips. Those things you call ‘French fries’ are not real chips. Fries aren’t even French, they are Belgian though 97.85% of you (including the guy who discovered fries while in Europe) are not aware of a country called Belgium. Those things you insist on calling potato chips are properly called “crisps.” Real chips are thick cut and fried in animal fat. The traditional accompaniment to chips is beer which should be served warm and flat.

Waitresses will be trained to be more aggressive with customers.

11. As a sign of penance 5 grams of sea salt per cup will be added to all tea made within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, this quantity to be doubled for tea made within the city of Boston itself.

12. The cold tasteless stuff you insist on calling “beer” is not actually beer at all, it is lager . From November 1st only proper British Bitter will be referred to as “beer,” and European brews of known and accepted provenance will be referred to as “Lager.” The substances formerly known as “American Beer” will henceforth be referred to as “Near-Frozen Gnat’s Urine,” with the exception of the product of the American Budweiser company whose product will be referred to as “Weak Near-Frozen Gnat’s Urine.” This will allow true Budweiser (as manufactured for the last 1000 years in the Czech Republic) to be sold without risk of confusion.

13. From the 10th of November the UK will harmonise petrol (or “gasoline,” as you will be permitted to keep calling it until the 1st of April) prices with the former USA. The UK will harmonise its prices to those of the former USA and the Former USA will, in return, adopt UK petrol prices (roughly $6/US gallon — get used to it).

14. You will learn to resolve personal issues without using guns, lawyers or therapists. The fact that you need so many lawyers and therapists shows that you’re not adult enough to be independent. Guns should only be handled by adults. If you’re not adult enough to sort things out without suing someone or speaking to a therapist, then you’re not grown up enough to handle a gun.

15. Please tell us who killed JFK. It’s been driving us crazy.

16. Tax collectors from Her Majesty’s Government will be with you shortly to ensure the acquisition of all revenues due (backdated to 1776).

Thank you for your co-operation.
Contact Info Website: www.fco.gov.uk
Office: Foreign & Commonwealth Office
Street: King James Street
City: London, England
haha i like it. and u never beat us in 1812 i dont know where u learned history but did we not burn down the white house and did the usa take canada now haha. it was a joke remember that dont get on ur high horses. t
yep u can say ya’ll i love that and fixing haha its cute esp when southern girls say it.
thanks to all you americans that can take a joke i really liked some of ur answers. remember this was a joke.
t

Vermont legalizes *** marriage with veto override

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090407/ap_on_re_us/gay_marriage_vermont

By DAVE GRAM, Associated Press Writer Dave Gram, Associated Press Writer – 2 hrs 1 min ago

MONTPELIER, Vt. – Vermont on Tuesday became the fourth state to legalize *** marriage — and the first to do so with a legislature’s vote.

The House recorded a dramatic 100-49 vote, the minimum needed, to override Gov. Jim Douglas’ veto. Its vote followed a much easier override vote in the Senate, which rebuffed the Republican governor with a vote of 23-5.

Vermont was the first state to legalize civil unions for same-sex couples and joins Connecticut, Massachusetts and Iowa in giving gays the right to marry. Their approval of *** marriage came from the courts.

Tuesday morning’s legislative action came less than a day after Douglas issued a veto message saying the bill would not improve the lot of *** and ******* couples because it still would not provide them rights under federal and other states’ laws.

Douglas called override “not unexpected.” He had called the issue of *** marriage a distraction during a time when economic and budget issues were more important.

“What really disappoints me is that we have spent some time on an issue during which another thousand Vermonters have lost their jobs,” the governor said Tuesday. “We need to turn out attention to balancing a budget without raising taxes, growing the economy, putting more people to work.”

House Speaker Shap Smith’s announcement of the vote brought an outburst of jubilation from some of the hundreds packed into the gallery and the lobby outside the House chamber, despite the speaker’s admonishment against such displays.

Among the celebrants in the lobby were former Rep. Robert Dostis, D-Waterbury, and his longtime partner, Chuck Kletecka. Dostis recalled efforts to expand *** rights dating to an anti-discrimination law passed in 1992.

“It’s been a very long battle. It’s been almost 20 years to get to this point,” Dostis said. “I think finally, most people in Vermont understand that we’re a couple like any other couple. We’re as good and as bad as any other group of people. And now I think we have a chance to prove ourselves here on forward that we’re good members of our community.”

Dostis said he and Kletecka will celebrate their 25th year together in September.

“Is that a proposal?” Kletecka asked.

“Yeah,” Dostis replied. “Twenty-five years together, I think it’s time we finally got married.”

Craig Bensen, a *** marriage opponent who had lobbied unsuccessfully for a nonbinding referendum on the question, said he was disappointed but believed *** marriage opponents were outspent by supporters by a 20-1 margin.

“The other side had a highly funded, extremely well-oiled machine with all the political leadership except the governor pushing to make this happen,” he said. “The fact that it came down to this tight a vote is really astounding.”

Also in the crowd was Michael Feiner, a farmer from Roxbury and *** marriage supporter, who took a break from collecting sap for maple syrup-making to come to the Statehouse.

“I’m taking a break to come and basically make sure that I was here to witness history,” he said.

The House had initially approved the bill last week with a 95-52 vote. Smith and his leadership team worked through the weekend to try to persuade some legislators to change their minds.

One who did was first-term Rep. Jeff Young, D-St. Albans. He said he continued to be philosophically opposed to *** marriage, but decided that voting with his fellow Democrats would help him be an effective legislator in the future.

“You realize that, you know, it’s a poker game in some ways,” Young said. “Chips on the table. I’m a freshman. I have no chips. If I … had 20 years of chips, I probably could play any card I want. I don’t have that option.”

He added, “It’s the way the political game is played.”

Has *** marriage been seen by the citizenry of Massachusetts as good or bad?