Issue 3 Vol.

3 October 19, 2012

colby
IN SUPPORT OF
BOB DIAMOND
(pg 11)
OPPOSING VIEWS
ON ECONOMIC
POLICY (pg 6-7)
AN INSIDE LOOK AT
MAINES CANDIDATES
(pg 12-13, 15)
OUTSIDE
Editor-in-Chief
Yana Mayayeva
Assistant Editor-in-Chief
Rachel Jacobs
Layout Editors
Peter Hamblett
Lily Kramlich-Taylor
Barrie Tovar
Copy Editors
Andrew Flynn
Amara Weiss
Domestic Editor
Claudia Camerino
International Affairs Editors
Caroline Kiernan
Sarah Mann
2012 Election Editors
Danny Kossow
Erik Solli
Maine Editor
Carrick Gambell
Founder, Advising Editor
Ben Wexler-Waite
OUTSIDE colby
2 Outside Colby
A letter from
the Editors
Ask yourself, what issues matter most to you in this presi-
dential election? Is it job creation and deficit reduction,
education reform and the achievement gap, womens rights,
etc.? The vast majority of us know whom were voting for
this November 6. Were ready to feel that sense of pride as
we walk into the voting booth and cast a ballot for the path
wed like our nation to embark on. We vote because we
know how important it is for us to exercise our democratic
duties.
Those of us who are still weighing the issues should not feel
discouraged. In fact, this Election 2012 themed publica-
tion was created just as much for those who are steadfast
in their beliefs as it was for those who consider themselves
to be more variable. In typical Outside Colby fashion, wed
like to encourage you to engage with the matters at hand.
We are featuring articles with contrasting views on energy
and the environment, economic policy, education reform,
immigration policy, and Middle East policy. There are plenty
of other issues to discuss and debate, but wed like to think
that this is a start.
We are also very excited to feature bios from the Maine
State Senate and State House of Representatives candi-
dates, along with a spread on the national Senate race can-
didates. State politics is important, and we urge you to do
additional research on these candidates issue stances.
Its going to be an exciting remaining two weeks! In the
meantime, we cannot wait for the bicentennial celebrations
to begin this weekend. Talk about being a part of history!
Happy 200th birthday Colby College.
Yana Mayayeva 14
Editor-in-chief
TABLE OF CONTENTS
3-11 2012 Election
Deception in Presidential Cam-
paigns, Contrasting Views on
Economic, Education, and En-
ergy Policy; Campaign Humor,
Support for Bob Diamond
12-15 Maine Politics
A Closer Look at Maines Candi-
dates, Equality Maine
16-19 International Affairs
Immigration Reform, Middle
EastPolicy Overview, Obamas
Stance on Israel

Outside Colby is a non-partisan political publication dedicated
to informing students about different opinions on controversial
issues in the United States and around the world. Our goal is to
increase political discourse and debate at Colby, and serve as a
forum for different points of view to be heard.
By Danny Kossow 2012 Election Editor
P
oliticians lieweve all seen it before. They
manipulate facts and information to better their
chances of winning an election. What is disturb-
ing is that when Americans grant these politicians
two hours on every major network in the coun-
try to show what theyre made of, they continue to provide
unusted cums ubout ther ovn poces und those o ther
opponents. Presidential debates have turned into a public
forum for false accusations and the misrepresentation of facts.
Lnortunutev, the rst lresdentu debute o the 20l2 Lec-
tion on Domestic Affairs turned out to be no different. Here
are a few of the most egregious violations of our trust brought
forth by both President Barack Obama and Governor Mitt
Romney:
President Obama accused Governor Romney of planning to
impIcmcnt a vc triIIion doIIar tax cut."
President Obamas accusation that Governor Romney
vshes to mpement u ve tron dour tux cut s u cussc
exumpe o cherrv-pckng the ucest numbers rom u uvor-
able study, while omitting basic facts that refute the claim.
Covernor Romnev proposes u 20 percent sush o ederu
ncome tuxes ucross the bourd. ln uvmun's terms, someone
currentv puvng the muxmum 35 percent ederu ncome
tux voud huve ther rute cut to 28 percent (or 80 percent o
the current rute). Romnev uso hopes to extend the ush tux
cuts, emnute the estute tux entrev, us ve us get rd o unv
tuxes on cuptu guns und dvdends or unvone mukng over
S200,000 unnuuv. 1he non-purtsun 1ux locv Center (1lC)
released a study claiming that all of these cuts together would
creute u S480 bon revenue reducton or the scu veur
20l5. lt s ths number thut Cbumu extended out ten veurs
to creute hs ve tron dour tux cut comment. \hut the
1lC und Cbumu both u to menton s thut Romnev puns to
sgncuntv reduce tux preerences, thus broudenng the buse
o Amercun tux puvers, und to cut out munv (unnumed) oop-
holes across the board. These omissions would not necessar-
ily push the Romney plan back to an even revenue reduction,
but it would put a substantial dent into President Obamas
ve tron dour number.
Governor Romney claimed that Obamacare is going to tell
pcopIc, uItimatcIv, what kinds of trcatmcnt thcv can havc."
Romneys assertion is simply not true. What Romney is
referring to in this statement is a body created under the
Aordube Cure Act (ACA) cued the lndependent luvment
Advsorv ourd (llA). Romnev voud huve vou beeve
thut the llA's ob s to seect certun tvpes o procedures und
medcnes thut putents cun use. ln reutv, the llA does not
huve ths uuthortv ut u. lts ob s to provde expert unuvss
on how to reduce the cost of federal government spending on
healthcare through reductions of payments sent to health care
provders und hosptus vth excessvev hgh re-udmsson
rates. The board is encouraged to suggest a number of other
ways to reduce wasteful Medicare spending, but is strictly
prohbted rom rutonng heuth-cure. ln other vords, the
llA cunnot reduce costs bv teng doctors not to use certun
medcnes so thut the Aordube Cure Act cun cover more
people. So no, Obamacare cannot tell you what to do.
President Obama states, Its estimated that by repeal-
ing Obamacare, youre looking at 50 million people losing
hcaIth insurancc."
This statement from the President is misleading on a
number of levels. To begin, the study that President Obama
s reerrng to mukes no menton o these 50 mon peope
whatsoever. The President misleadingly referenced a study by
the Congressonu udget Cce (CC) und dd not uv esh
out ts resuts. Accordng to the CC, 60 mon Amercuns
voud be unnsured bv 2022 the ACA s repeued, but
onv 30 mon voud be unnsured bv thut tme the uv s
mpemented. 1hus, Congress repeus the ACA, 30 mon
people would lose potential health insurance by the year
2022. \he 30 mon s certunv u stuggerng number, t
s onv 60 percent o the number lresdent Cbumu brought
forth during the debate. Furthermore, the President made it
sound us 50 mon peope voud mmedutev ose ther
October 19, 2012 3
Debunking the Debate:
A Collection of Lies from Obama & Romney
DOMESTIC
Debunking the Debate, contnued puge 22
DOMESTIC
4 Outside Colby
N
o population has a greater stake in
this election than American children.
After all, a democracy cannot func-
tion without a well-educated popu-
lace, and the fact is that the American
education system is failing. Kids in
the United Statesboth rural and
urbanare not keeping up with their world peers. Four years
ugo, lresdent uruck Cbumu entered oce vth the bod
vision of providing every child access to a complete and
competitive education. Four years later, Obama has enacted
several policies that have spurred positive change in districts
across the country. Although the 2012 election debate has
largely focused on polarized issues such as the economy and
health care, voters should weigh each candidates stance
on education just as equally when they step into the voting
booth on November 6.
Let's ook ut the ucts. \thn duvs o enterng oce, lres-
dent Obama initiated the bold Race to the Top Program,
which drives states to pursue more rigorous standards and
better assessments, to create better data systems to more ac-
curately track student progress, to provide more support for
teachers and school leaders, and to increase resources and
interventions needed to turn around the nations lowest-per-
forming schools. So far, 46 states have submitted comprehen-
sive reform plans and 19 states have received a combined $4
billion to enact their new proposals. Race to the Top created
no new federal mandates; rather, states are allowed to submit
unque puns thut cuter to ther specc educutonu needs.
By partnering with states to raise standards, President Obama
has set American education on a progressive and successful
track.
When the 2008 economic crisis put thousands of teach-
ers jobs on the line, Obama stepped in to ensure that good
teachers were staying in the classroom. The American Recov-
ery Act of 2008 helped create or save 250,000 teachers jobs,
providing job security for one of Americas most important
workforces. If re-elected, Obama plans to add 100,000 new
teachers nationwide.
President Obama has enacted several other laws and initia-
tives that affect people of all ages and sectors of the educa-
tion system. From expanding and strengthening the Head
Start program, which provides comprehensive child develop-
ment services and early childhood education to nearly one
mon ov-ncome chdren under the uge o ve, to muk-
ing college more affordable by doubling investments in Pell
Grants, the President ensures that students of all ages will
receive the education that they deserve.
As coege students, ve huve beneted greutv rom
Obamas policies regarding higher education. The Pay as
You Earn program caps federal student loan repayments at
10 percent of income. This allows responsible students to
be able to make decisions about their future based on their
career goals, not the price of a college tuition. President
Obama successfully prevented student loan rates from dou-
bling for more than seven million students and has long-term
puns to sgncuntv reduce coege tuton rutes. ln uddton,
Obama has put a strong emphasis on the value of commu-
nity colleges by encouraging partnerships between them and
local businesses so that more workers can be trained for the
jobs that are available.
While Obama promotes availability, transparency, and op-
portunity in education, Mitt Romney has proposed just the
opposite. As governor of Massachusetts, Romney made deep
cuts to higher education. By the end of his term, college
costs had skyrocketed, with fees at state colleges and univer-
sities rising at a staggering 63 percent. Mitt Romneys plan
to cut middle-class investments could slash Pell Grants for
nearly 9.6 million students. His suggestion to students wor-
ried about paying for college? Shop around.
We cannot bend when it comes to our education and the
education of young Americans. President Obama has set
forth an ambitious and bold plan that has already had posi-
tive impacts. He promises to hold high standards for our
American education system and increase opportunities for
all in order to close the achievement gap, while Mitt Romney
wants to perpetuate the same policies that created the gap in
the rst puce. ln u tme ke the present, ve smpv cunnot
stand still.
By Cassady Roberts Chapter Leader of Students for Education Reform
OBAMA ON EDUCATION:
MOVING TOWARD A FUTURE OF HOPE
DOMESTIC
A
quality education is central to build-
ing a stronger America. In order to
restore Americas education system
to its full potential and provide the
next generation of Americans with
the superior education they deserve,
we need to overhaul Obamas failed
efforts and institute meaningful reforms that will bring about
necessary change.
Extravagant spending is not the answer to education re-
form. We cannot expect that excessive spending on inef-
fective programs and initiatives will bring about the change
needed to restore the American education system to its fullest
potential. Romney recognizes that money does not guaran-
tee quality and thus, the answer to high quality education is
giving states and parents more control over their childrens
education.
One important aspect of Romneys education platform is
to provide funding for individual students rather than indi-
vidual schools. Instead of awarding underachieving schools
with additional funding, Romney has proposed to transform
Title 1 and IDEA funding, federal funding for low income and
special needs children, into a voucher system. Through this
system of consumer choice, children and their parents will
be able to choose the school they wish to attend and would
be able to take their funding with them. This strategy gives
students and parents better control over educational options
and gives states more individual jurisdiction over their feder-
al education funds. Ultimately, this system empowers parents
to take charge of their childrens education and allows for a
wider range of options when considering schools.
Furthermore, parents need to be well-informed about the
performance of their childrens schools. Without easily acces-
sible, straightforward, and comprehensive data that provides
reliable information on whether a school is serving its edu-
cational purposes, parents cannot make effective decisions
about their childrens education. Integral to Romneys pro-
posal to reform No Child Left Behind is the requirement that
schools provide parents with transparent information about
school results in the form of a school and district report card.
These report cards would illuminate overall student achieve-
ment levels in both state and national testing, thus giving
parents a clear understanding of how well a school is per-
forming. In contrast to Obamas plans to reform No Child Left
Behind by including top-down instructions for interventions
for individual schools, Romney focuses on giving parents
and states control over education and increasing schools ac-
countability for its results.
Another key factor in improving Americas education sys-
tem s ndng vuvs to uttruct und revurd exceent teuchers.
ln puce o nexbe und unproductve tenure svstems, ve
must adopt a merit-based alternative that will reward hard-
working, successful teachers and will entice smart, talented
und motvuted peope to the ed. \e need to hod teuchers
accountable for their work in the classroom and likewise
recognize their accomplishments when appropriate. A school
is only as effective as its teachers and Romneys focus on
rewarding teachers for their results rather than their tenure
ensures the presence of high-quality teachers in schools
throughout the country.
In looking at the broader implications of Romneys edu-
cational platform, we can see his emphasis on the power of
a free-market approach to education. Romney understands
that ultimately, consumer choice will be the answer to re-
storing Americas education system to superior standards. In
contrast to top-down demands for reform, innovation and
competition will ultimately bring about real change. With the
nutonu dect ut u stuggerng l.l tron und the scu c
looming ahead of us, we can no longer afford to throw mon-
ev ut necent ederu progrums thut huve ued to mprove
our nations schools. Romneys plan to use consumer choice
to empower states and parents will ultimately be the way in
which Americas schools will provide the necessary founda-
tion for American leadership.
By Claudia Camerino Domestic Affairs Editor
CONSUMER COMPETITION AND THE FREE MARKET:
SOLUTIONS TO THE BROKEN EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM
October 19, 2012 5
The Real Face of Change:
By Nick Rimsa Contributing Writer
T
oday we face a
truly unfortunate
economic situa-
tion. Last year, 1.5
million college
graduates under 25
were unemployed
or underemployed.
1he nuncu crss o 2008 hus punged
our economy into the worst downturn
since the Great Depression. Thanks
in part to ignorant borrowers, schem-
ng nuncers, urrogunt gumbers, und
deregulating politicians, unemployment
stunds ut 7.8 percent. Lndoubtedv, the
elected candidate will face an anemic
economic climate. Governor Mitt Rom-
ney, however, is the better choice for
our country to move forward from this
economic malaise.
The president, of course, inherits the state of the econ-
omygood or badof the last president, and certainly is
susceptible to business cycles. In all fairness, President
Barack Obama inherited an economic mess. For four
years, however, we have endured a failure of economic
eudershp. 1he uster o hs rst cumpugn hus ong tur-
nished. Obamas message of change has come and gone.
The labor forces participation rate stood at 63.5 percent
(and men experienced the lowest participation rate ever,
last month). National debt currently exceeds $16 trillion,
and President Obama has yet to offer any legitimate
pun to uddress our countrv's ong-term scu heuth. v
naming Congressman Paul Ryan as his running mate (for
the suke o ths urgument, et's ust consder hs scu
opnons), Romnev hus soded hs stunce on reducng
the federal debt and cutting entitlement spending. Rom-
ney plans to cut taxes in every marginal bracket, while
smutuneousv reducng the dect. \he he hus nu-
mousv ued to outne n the rst presdentu debute
hov S5 tron cun be cut vthout uddng to the dect
durng the rst lresdentu debute, he hus usserted thut
his plan will come to fruition when he crosses party lines
und shupes hs pocv. v cuppng ederu spendng to 20
percent o the CDl bv 20l6, reducng murgnu tux rutes
bv 20 percent (und emnutng the oophoes thut the
superrich adeptly utilize), and putting our country on a
path to energy independence, Governor Romneys plan
will stimulate growth.
\hen Romnev ed un Cuptu, the compunv pro-
duced guns o 50 to 80 percent unnuuv (not bud vhen
DOMESTIC
6 Outside Colby
Romneys Economic Policy
Mitt Romneys experience leading Bain Capital may suggest that he is better
suitcd to addrcss Amcrica's issucs of job crcation and dccit rcduction.
The Businessman, contnued puge 20
DOMESTIC
Its All About Arithmetic:
By Andrew Pepper-Anderson Staff Writer
T
he American people will
be given a choice be-
tween two very different
economic philosophies
in the upcoming elec-
tion. On the one hand
is Republican presidential candidate
Governor Mitt Romney, who believes
that minimal regulation and taxation
v empover the prvute sector to x
the economy. On the other is President
Barack Obama, who rejects the trickle-
down economics advocated for by the
Governor. The President believes the
government should promote and protect
a basic quality of life for everyone, even
if that means raising taxes on those who
can afford to help others in hard times.
These differences are apparent in the
two candidates plans and accomplish-
ments in the areas of taxation, regula-
tion, and job creation. These plans also
make it apparent that only one of these
approaches, President Obamas, is
feasible.
Should taxes be raised? When it
comes to taxation, President Obamas
signature proposal is the Buffett Rule,
named after billionaire Warren Buffett,
who currently pays a lower tax rate than
his secretary. President Obama believes
that people making over a million dol-
lars should not pay a lower tax rate than
those who make considerably less, and
therefore, would impose a minimum tax
rate of 30 percent on these top earners.
According to Forbes and the Joint Com-
mittee on Taxation, this would increase
federal revenue by anywhere from $47
billion to $162 billion. Governor Rom-
ney, on the other hand, believes that
taxes should be cut by 20 percent across
the board, which would be paid for by
closing loopholes. However, accord-
ing to the Joint Committee on Taxation,
closing loopholes can only account
for four percent of this tax cut at most,
meaning the other 16 percent cut will
onv ncreuse the dect. 1hese numbers
clearly dont add up.
On the issue of regulation, only one
presidential nominee will defend the
Dodd-Frank Act of 2010. This act, one
of President Obamas signature accom-
plishments, streamlines the regulatory
structure in the United States, making
it easier for regulators to do their jobs.
It also imposes new regulations on
Wall Street to ensure that the economic
collapse of 2008 cannot happen again.
Governor Romney believes that the
Dodd-Frank Act hurts businesses and
growth and he wants to repeal it. This
would leave the nation with the same
type of regulatory environment that
existed prior to the 2008 economic col-
lapse.
As for job creation, much of what
President Obama wants to accomplish
on this front was laid out in his pro-
posed American Jobs Act of 2011. Some
of the key aspects of this plan are tax
cuts for small businesses, investment in
schools and infrastructure, and incen-
October 19, 2012 7
Mathematics 101, continued page 20
President Obamas Comprehensive Plan
Key Aspects of Obamas Plan:
A) Tax cuts for small businesses
B) Investment in schools
and infrastructure
C) Incentives for employers to
hire the long-term unemployed
DOMESTIC
8 Outside Colby
A
mericans currently consume 19
million barrels of oil and 62 billion
cubic feet of natural gas every day.
Numbers like these raise questions
regarding our nations future energy
resource and environmental regula-
tion goals.
While Governor Mitt Romney pledges to undo many major
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) pollution and public
health rules, approve the northern portion of the Keystone
XL Pipeline into Alberta, and promote the extraction of oil
and gas from untouched reserves along the coast and in wil-
derness areas, President Barack Obama advocates a much
more progressive path. Obama campaigned in 2008 with an
aggressive approach to environmental issues, claiming that
he was going to instate a cap and trade program along with
other national policies to severely reduce our greenhouse gas
emissions. While many environmentalists criticize that these
promises have yet to be addressed or reiterated in his current
2012 campaign, Obama can still rightfully claim responsibil-
ity for numerous advancements made throughout his term.
Over the past four years, President Obama pushed hard for
an effective alternative energy agenda. He poured billions
from his stimulus package into solar, wind, and battery initia-
tives aimed at both job creation and reducing dependence
on foreign oil. These investments resulted in the doubling of
domestic wind and solar-powered energy production. His
udmnstruton ncreused ederu ue ecencv stundurds o
cars and small trucks, as well as began to set regulations for
hydraulic fracturing through conversations with the EPA and
major exploration companies. Obamas actions allow the
United States to start moving in the direction of the new, pro-
gressive, and growing clean energy economy of our time. As
President Obama said on a visit to the nations largest solar
energy installation in Nevada, Im not going to give up on
the new to cede our position to China or Germany or all the
other competitors out there who are making massive invest-
ments in clean energy technology.
Lust Cctober, Romnev dened the exstence o sucent
evidence to support global warming. Nearly a year later, he
By Meghan Harwood Staff Writer
A NEW GENERATION IN
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
Obamas Clean Energy Agenda, continued page 21
In the past 50 years, humans
have consumed more resources
than in all previous history.
Half of the worlds temperate
and tropical rainforests are now
gone.
More than 2 million people
globally die prematurely every
year due to outdoor and indoor
air pollution
October 19, 2012 9
G
overnor Mitt Romney envisions
an achievable reform to American
energy policy that will reduce
high-energy costs to consumers
without harming the environ-
ment. His plan is to achieve North
American energy independence by 2020 through the follow-
ing measures.
Governor Romneys goal is to streamline our regulatory
framework, largely by shifting the responsibility of regulat-
ing our energy industry from the federal government to state
governments. State governments are more capable of assess-
ing the local impact of drilling and fracking on their lands
und ure generuv more ecent n upprovng common sense
regulations than the lumbering behemoth that is our federal
government. The money saved from these increased regulato-
rv ecences cun be put tovurd reseurch und deveopment
n the ed o survevng, vhch v uov or more uccurute
estimates of reserves. Current surveying technology doesnt
account for shale deposits (the rocks that are used in frack-
ing) because it hasnt been updated since the 1980s. Not
only will this devolvement of technology allow for a better
understanding of how much oil and natural gas the nation
has, but it will also allow for permits and leases to be issued
faster and with greater transparency. Romney also wants to
streamline the slow and cumbersome process of cross-border
regulation, a reform that will help facilitate the faster con-
struction of projects such as the Keystone XL pipeline.
While fracking is an integral part of the Romney plan,
the real key to American energy independence is natural
gas. Due to the invention of a new type of drilling that al-
lows us to get small pockets of natural gas out of rocks that
are deep underground, the U.S. may now have the largest
natural gas reserves in the world. Natural gas is not only
much cheaper than oil, but it also produces far fewer carbon
emissions than gasoline when burned. While many critics
claim that fracking ruins water supplies and produces air
pollution (people often cite Josh Foxs movie Gasland), the
evidence to prove this is thin. While radioactive wastewater
may once have been dumped in local water supplies, over
98 percent of it is now either treated or stored in deep under-
ground facilities. Current EPA regulations make companies
By Henson Orser Staff Writer
A REALISTIC PROPOSAL FOR
ENERGY INDEPENDENCE
DOMESTIC
Romenys Path to Energy Independence, continued page 21
75 percent of marine sheries
are now overshed or shed to
capacity.
Behind China, the United States
consumes more energy than any
other nation.
Only a few hundred of the more
than 80,000 chemicals in use
in the United States have been
tested for safety.
Fan Favorites of the 2012 Election
DOMESTIC
10 Outside Colby
WITH ALL DUE RESPECT,
THATS A BUNCH OF
MALARKEY.-JOE BIDEN
By the end of my
second term, we
will have the first
permanent base
on the moon and
it will be
American.
-Newt Gingrich
THE BIRTHERS...
HOW DO YOU
SAY DELICIOUS IN
CUBAN?
-HERMAN CAIN
I THINK THE VICE
PRESIDENT VERY WELL
KNOWS THAT SOMETIMES
THE WORDS DONT COME
OUT OF YOUR MOUTH THE
RIGHT WAY. -PAUL RYAN
October 19, 2012 11
I
thought a little support for Bob Diamond was due
with the recent petition asking him to resign as Chair
of the Board of Trustees. This seems especially neces-
sary, since what Ive seen in the discussion thus far is
not only inaccurate, but also narrow-minded. Perhaps
a little background is due. Let's sturt vth the reu de-
nition of Libor.
First off, Libor is not essentially a prediction made by
lenders and borrowers on the future worth of invested
money, as Shelby F. ONeill stated in his Outside Colby
article calling for the resignation of Mr. Diamond. Lets walk
through how Libor is calculated. There is
a panel of the largest, most active banks
in the world that are asked to consider the
same question, every day: At what rate
could you borrow funds, were you to do so
by asking for and then accepting inter-bank
offers in a reasonable market size just prior
to 11 am? In short, this is an assessment
of what banks think their borrowing costs
are among one another. If one bank is par-
ticularly risky, it will report high borrowing
costs and other lending banks will charge a higher rate. If a
bank is extremely stable, its borrowing costs are lower. Let
us be clear that these are merely estimates of a banks bor-
rowing costs, not actual borrowing costs. Since the economic
crisis in 2008, many banks have stopped lending to each oth-
er and instead kept their money with central banks. As soon
as all banks on the panel submit their estimated borrowing
costs, the outliers are removed and the rest are averaged to
calculate Libor.
Now that we have a better understanding of Libor, lets
talk about Barclays and its former CEO, Bob Diamond. It is
wrong that any bank should falsify its borrowing costs in or-
der to appear less risky, but as soon as some banks start do-
ing it (and Barclays was not necessarilv the rst), t puts oth-
ers n u vorse nuncu poston. ln order to compete, other
banks will also start to report lower borrowing costs. Bar-
clays, therefore, found itself in a tough situation when it was
informed of how high its borrowing coasts appeared. So it is
truethere were manipulative traders at Barclays who fabri-
cuted over borrovng costs n order to muke ther nuncu
position appear to be more stable. As soon as the scandal
erupted, sud truders vere red, urcuvs vus churged u S453
million settlement fee by United States and British regulators,
and Bob Diamond resigned as CEO. In my opinion, this is a
fair price to pay. Sure, he should have been watching more
closely what was going on, but if your competitors are re-
porting the same borrowing costs as you, there is not much
to suspect.
Does this mean Bob Diamond violates Colbys fundamen-
tal values? Diamond has been a huge supporter of Colby
throughout his career. He donated enough money to build
the beautiful Diamond building that many of us late-night
dwellers might even call home. Not only that, but Dia-
monds family foundation supported a fellowship in environ-
mental studies and a chair in sustainable energy, and pledged
money to the alumni fund. Diamond has gone well out of his
way to support our school, and as Chair of the Board of Trust-
ees, it seems to me that he does have Colbys best interests
and values in mind. It is important that we remember this
commtment us Ceneru Announcements spreud ke vdre
asking us to sign a petition for his resignation.
By Caitlin Vorlicek Contributing Writer
DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH
DOMESTIC
BOB DIAMOND HAS GONE WELL
OUT OF HIS WAY TO SUPPORT
OUR SCHOOL AND IT SEEMS TO ME
THAT HE DOES HAVE COLBYS BEST
INTEREST AND VALUES IN MIND.
Much Needed Support for Bob Diamond
October 19,, 2012 13
MAINE MAINE
12 Outside Colby
A CLOSER LOOK AT MAINES CANDIDATES
W
hat brought me into this race is simple: I work every day with families in the Central Maine area. Many of the
parents in these families worked in the past and lost their jobs in the recession. After losing their jobs, they end-
ed up on social programs they never wanted to be on, and were treated as scapegoats by this past legislature.
Hard-working people lost their jobs and suddenly became people in poverty that we blamed for our problems. Then, their
health insurance ran out; two of the people I worked with sadly passed away because they lacked health insurance. That
s vhen l nuv decded thut l'd hud enough. l beeve thut the personu s potcu, und mv reuson or beng n the ruce s
simple: no person should go without basic necessities in the richest country in the world.
I was raised with simple, traditional values: love my neighbor, feed the hungry. Really basic stuff. I believe that we need a
government thut protects the vunerube. l knov e sn't ur, und government shoudn't muke t thut vuv. ut l beeve thut
we have a moral obligation to at least make life bearable. No one should go without food, shelter, or vital health care.
l vou beeve ve need someone vho stunds or those vho cun't stund uone, then peuse regster to vote und support me on
November 6.
I
t is an honor to represent my hometown and my alma mater in the Maine House of Representatives. My education, friend-
ships, and service while at college shaped me tremendously. I have enjoyed hearing from Colby students on state laws
about the environment, equality, and public health policy.
I am proud of the record I have built since being elected during my senior year at Colby in 2008: I authored a bipartisan
b to hep smu busness, l voted or murruge equutv, to preserve u vomun's rght to choose, und stood ugunst extreme
chunges to the North Mune \oods. l voted to bun lA rom chdren's product, und ugunst veukenng pestcde rues. l
voted to protect the benets o vorkers severev nured on the ob, und ugunst ettng nsurunce compunes ruse premums
by as much as nine percent without public review. I have been endorsed by the League of Conservation Voters, Equality-
Maine, and the Sierra Club. I am a Democrat, but I know that no party has a monopoly on good ideas.
Cn promotng uternutve energv, there's u derence n ths cumpugn. l beeve ve must support tdu, hvdro, vnd, und
sour pover toduv. 1he cheupest energv s energv never consumed und the most expensve opton s dong nothng ubout
climate change. Even if viable, I would not support drilling for oil off the Maine coast.
Now, voters face a choice. I have cast balanced, informed votes for equality, for the environment, and for the families I
grev up vth n \uterve und Cukund. l v do the sume n the next egsutve sesson. Modern potcs s tumutuous und
unpredctube, but l beeve l um the best t or ths dstrct und these chuengng tmes. l usk or vour vote or Stute Represen-
tative.
By Colleen Lachowicz
COLLEEN LACHOWICZ: DEMOCRAT FOR MAINES 25TH SENATE DISTRICT
By Henry Beck 09
HENRY BECK: DEMOCRAT FOR THE 76TH HOUSE DISTRICT
M
unv o vou ut Cobv v be votng n Mune or the rst tme ths eecton. Regurdess o vhom vou v be votng
for in the national election this November, I hope you will keep an open mind when it comes to voting at the state
level. I am an independent-minded Maine Republican and my views can substantially differ from those of the na-
tonu Repubcun lurtv. l um u smu busness ovner vth 20 veurs experence n the churter shng und undscupe ndustres.
Mv ve Hov und l huve three chdren, uges 4 to ll. Mv experences n operutng u smu busness und rusng u specu
needs chd huve heped shupe mv potcu vevs, vhch l v brev summurze.
Social Issues: While it is a ballot issue to be decided by voters rather than your State Representative, I will tell you that
l um Yes on Cueston l. l support sume-sex murruge becuuse the government hus no rght to dene murruge. l u regous
nsttuton vunts to suncton sume-sex murruge, thev have the constitutional right of religious freedom to do so.
Lconomc lssues: 1mes ure tough here n \uterve und uround Mune. \hether vou vork or u vng, ve on u xed n-
come, or own a small business, the rising costs of energy and food prices have hurt us all. I have gone door-to-door through-
out Waterville and found people working longer hours und mutpe obs, onv to nd thut thev st cunnot uord the busc
necessities of life. This loss of discretionary income has hurt small businesses, most of which rely on discretionary consumer
purchuses or ther survvu. Loverng energv und ood costs s u prortv. 1ux pocv must uso be redrected to tux peope
vhen thev spend monev ruther thun or ovnershp. 1he overng o excse und propertv tuxes shoud be u prortv. Reguutorv
reform must also play a role in any economic recovery.
As a Maine Republican, my top priority will be to restore to the hard-working people of Maine the standards of living they
once enjoyed. I hope that I have peaked your curiosity enough that you will feel free to contact me at andreforhouse76@
yahoo.com or (207)873-2069 with further questions.
By Mark Andre
MARK ANDRE: REPUBLICAN FOR MAINES 76TH HOUSE DISTRICT
I
am running for re-election to the Maine Senate for you, and for others seeking the opportunity to pursue a rewarding career
here n Mune. lor the rst tme n our countrv's hstorv, there s reuson to queston vhether or not vou v enov the sume
stundurd o vng thut vour purents dd. \hen l run or oce n 20l0, Mune runked 50th n the Forbes analysis of best
places to operate a business.
To address this, I have worked hard with like-minded Democrats, Republicans, and Independents to put Maine on a more
prosperous puth. 1hs pust sesson, ve udopted reorms to our tux, veure, penson, heuth nsurunce, vorkers' compensu-
ton, und educuton svstems. 1o become better stevurds o scurce tux dours, ve huve uso emnuted ruud und vuste ut
tuxpuver-unded ugences ke the Mune 1urnpke und Stute Housng Authortes.
Of great importance to your future is the actions we took to invest in educational opportunities. Unlike other states that
huve experenced severe budget probems durng these economc condtons, Mune dd not reduce undng to hgher educu-
tion. Job creation and strong education and training systems go hand in hand.
ecuuse smu busnesses uccount or over 80 percent o u nev obs, ve huve streumned our busness reguutorv svs-
tems, and made it the mission of all state agencies to assist businesses seeking to add new employees. Our historic reforms
will take time to be fully implemented, but I am pleased with the results so far. A summary of some of the notable actions we
took on your behalf can be found at mainepromiseskept.com.
By Tom Martin
TOM MARTIN: REPUBLICAN FOR MAINES 25TH SENATE DISTRICT
M
aine voters face tough decisions this November
that will largely determine the course of Maines
future. Whoever is chosen to represent Maine and
in the Senate will certainly have a large impact statewide,
but also has enormous potential to upset the gridlock in
Washington. Three strong candidates have emerged, but only
one has the experience and leadership to challenge the status
quo in Washington D.C.: independent candidate Angus King.
As Governor of Maine, King spearheaded the Maine
Learning Technology Initiative, a program that gives Maine
students equal access to technology by providing laptops to
mdde schoo cussrooms. l suv rsthund lng's progrum und
mv schoo beneted mmensev. Mv communtv, ke munv
across the state of Maine, was economically marginalized
and many of my classmates did not have access to computers
or lnternet ut home. Leveng the puvng ed ucross the stute
ensures that all Maine students have the same opportunities.
lng's putorm reects hs vuues und the vuues o
Maine people. He is pro-choice, supports marriage equality,
and believes in fair and transparent elections. He supports
progressive environmental policies and has experience both
as Governor and in the private sector working with alterna-
tive energy. He supports efforts to reduce our impact on the
environment. As an independent, King has the power to
choose based on Maines values. I am certain that he will
work tirelessly to represent the Great State of Maine!
By Kaitlyn Bernard, Contributing Writer
ANGUS KING: INDEPENDENT FOR SENATE SEAT
C
ynthia Dill is not only running her U.S. Senate cam-
paign based on the solid, concrete principles of social
justice, economic equality, and grassroots support,
but she is also running her campaign based on ideas and
convictions, which is something that Angus Kings campaign
lacks. Though it would be easy to target the vagueness of
Kings platform, it is his dearth of ideas that is truly startling.
For example, only after Dills campaign contacted Kings,
days after the Supreme Court ruling on the Affordable Care
Act, dd lng chunge hs vebste to shov hs urmuton or
purts o the b. 1hs hestuton reects u uure to embruce
progress and an out-of-touch air that permeates his cam-
paign. On many issues, Dill and King share similar views.
With regards to implementation, I worry that King will spend
too much of his time forfeiting his values rather than present-
ing his own laws. King, like Dill, supports gay marriage, but,
as governor, King did nothing to support the LGBTQ commu-
nity. Dill has worked tirelessly to promote LGBTQ equality,
drafting laws and voting with conscience.
As u eong Muner mvse und u rst generuton coege
student from a working-class Maine family, I am voting for
Cynthia Dill because her dedication and advocacy for bring-
ing the privilege of opportunity to all of Maines citizens is
something that I admire.
C
harlie Summers, Maines Secretary of State, is the
Repubcun cunddute or the Senute to the vucunt
seat of Olympia Snowe. He served as Snowes in-
state director from 1995 to 2004, helping Mainers navigate
through federal bureaucracy. Summers has promised to vote
for reigning in excessive federal spending, vote to repeal the
Affordable Care Act, and against more bailouts for compa-
nies. His platform is that of job creation; Summers has prom-
ised to support bills that will invest in small businesses and
create economic growth. Summers has also promised to not
raise taxes, signing Grover Norquists No-Tax Pledge.
As Secretary of State for the last few years, he knows in-
timately of the states economic troubles and more so than
either of his two rival candidates, Democrat Cynthia Dill
and Independent Angus King. He has had lifelong success
in creating and running small businesses, as shown by his
time serving as the New England Regional Administrator of
the U.S. Small Business Association. Charlie Summers has
the experience needed to represent the hard-working people
of the State of Maine in the Senate, and the people of Maine
recognize that. Angus Kings lead in the polls from 25 per-
cent in June to just eight in September is still shrinking. Char-
lie Summers is the type of hard-working, smart leadership
Maine needs in Washington.
By Tom LeTourneau, Contributing Writer
CYNTHIA DILL: DEMOCRAT FOR SENATE SEAT
By Lucas Woodward, Contributing Writer
CHARLIE SUMMERS: REPUBLICAN FOR SENATE SEAT
14 Colby College
MAINE
I
am in love with a man. Someday I might want to
marry him. This November, voters in Maine and
three other states will decide whether I have the right
to do so.
1hs sn't the rst tme the queston o murruge
rghts hus been put up or u vote. Sx stutes und the
Dstrct o Coumbu currentv ssue murruge censes to
sume-sex coupes, but huve onv gotten there through egs-
utures or the courts. Never beore hus u buot meusure put-
tng the ssue up or popuur vote gone n uvor o murruge
equutv. 1hrtv-one tmes voters huve reected murruge or
sume-sex coupes ut the buot box. Some huve expctv
prohbted sume-sex murruge, us s vhut huppened n North
Curonu eurer ths veur. Cther stutes huve repeued bv re-
erendum uvs thut eguzed sume-sex murruge, uss vhut
huppened n Cuornu n 2008 und Mune n 2009.
ln 2009, Muners veghed n on the murruge equutv uv
pussed through the stute egsuture. 1he reerendum reected
the uv 53 percent to 47 percent. Attuck uds unded bv the
Nutonu Crgunzuton or Murruge und other nutonu unt-
guv groups gnored the expct exemptons or regous nst-
tutons thut vere ncuded n the uv. 1hev cumed churches
voud be orced, ugunst ther v, to ocute murruge
ceremones. 1hut smpv vus not und s not true. ut the
cucophonv generuted bv the medu btz n the duvs runnng
up to the eecton vus enough to svuv cose po numbers to
a decisive victory.
Some mportunt uctors muke ths eecton derent. Re-
murkube socu und potcu shts huve occurred snce
2009. Cuv churucters n shovs ke Cee und Modern lum-
v huve mude conversutons ubout guv reutonshps u tte
euser or peope n ther vng rooms. And n the potcu
sphere, Don't Ask Don't 1e vus repeued und sume-sex
marriage became legal in New York. Having the president
on vour sde dentev heps too. lresdent uruck Cbumu's
unnouncement o hs personu support or murruge equu-
tv ust Muv vus ooved bv the Democrutc purtv udoptng
support or murruge equutv n ts putorm.
Lquuv mportunt hus been the ght on the ground here
n Mune. Muners Lnted or Murruge s the umbreu or-
gunzuton orchestrutng the cumpugn to vn the reedom
to murrv or u ovng, commtted coupes n Mune. \he
the 2009 cumpugn n Mune spoke o equu rghts, the 20l2
cumpugn speuks o ove und umv, unguuge opponents
dominated in the past. Since then, advocates have had over
200,000 one-on-one conversutons vth Muners ubout vhv
murruge mutters. 1he evouton the presdent spoke o s
real.
Murruge s certunv not the end o the roud or LC1
peope n ths countrv. lt doesn't sove buvng o guv teens,
t doesn't protect LC1 peope rom beng red, und munv
vthn the LC1 communtv don't even vunt to get mur-
red. ut l thnk murruge s somethng most peope under-
stund, und t's u vuv to bud common ground. As recent
sensuton Muckemore suvs n hs song supportng guv mur-
ruge n \ushngton, t's u dumn good puce to sturt.
No mutter vho vou ove or vho vou vunt to see n the
\hte House, Cueston Cne shoud brng us together. 1hs
s u queston o pubc pocv, but the vuv to vn s through
peope's heurts. Ater u, ove s ove.
MAINERS UNITED:
MARRIAGE FOR EVERYONE
By Pat Adams Contributing Writer
October 19, 2012 15
MAINE
Politics Should Not Outweigh Policy:
By Alex Ojerholm Staff Writer
B
arack Obama promised many chang-
es. It is hard enough to keep track
of them all, never mind to properly
execute them. Durng hs rst pres-
dential campaign, Obama grandly
assured the American electorate that
he voud x the mmgruton svstem vthn hs rst
veur n oce. lx s certunv u vugue vord und
leaves much room for interpretation, but three and
a half years later, it is safe so say that America and
its immigrants are still waiting.
The economy did warrant immediate attention
and Obamacare took a lot of time and effort, but
promises are promises, and so his lack of attention
is duly noted. However, this is not to say that President
Cbumu hus steered ceur o the mmgruton urenu.
In fact, he has an extremely checkered history when it
comes to the issue.
After delighting pro-immigration groups with his 2008
campaign promises, Obama promptly tallied a record
number o deportutons vthn hs rst term n oce. As
he stands now, he has over 1.1 million deportations un-
der his belt (the most of any president since the 1950s).
Last year alone, the U.S. Immigration and Customs
Enforcement totaled 396,906 deportations, an agency
record. All this coming from the man who wanted illegal
immigrants to come out of the shadows and embrace the
American way of life. This from the man who was sorely
disappointed when his DREAM Act failed to become a
REAL Act. Hypocrisy much?
And vet, the pot thckens. luced vth ungrv Lutnos
und un mportunt eecton n November, Cbumu nuv
decided to reform immigration laws this past June.
Laughing in the face of the democratic processes that
denied him his DREAM Act, Obama simply passed the
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA)
through an executive order. His action is the political
equvuent o ppng the brd ut Congress. DACA permts
people aged 30 and under who arrived in the United
States before age 16 and who pose no criminal or secu-
rity threat and were successful students or who served in
the military to get a two-year deferral from deportation,
during which time they can apply for work permits and
citizenship as well as obtain other legal documents. Its
a temporary measure set to expire in 2013, but it still got
the immigrant community extremely excited.
Politics and democracy aside, DACA could be a good
addition to Americas immigration policy repertoire.
Amercu hus u dect o sked uborers und ths demo-
gruphc seems to t thut b, und the proe o student
or military enlistee seems to suggest that these people
would become upstanding citizens.
But taking politics and American democratic processes
into account, DACA does not look so good. Put simply,
Obama put politics over leadership, and misused his
executive power to gain an edge in the election. He did
away with traditional representational due process to
INTERNATIONAL
16 Outside Colby
Obamas Problematic Passage of DACA
AFTER DELIGHTING PRO-
IMMIGRATION GROUPS WITH
HIS 2008 CAMPAIGN PROM-
ISES, OBAMA PROMPTLY TAL-
LIED A RECORD NUMBER OF
DEPORTATIONS WITHIN HIS
FIRST TERM OF OFFICE.
Problematic DACA Program, continued page 23
By Chloe Gilroy Staff Writer
P
resident Barack Obamas current immigration
plan is the only viable option for this country. It
is a plan that is not based on fear and the deg-
radation of human life. The central difference
between Obamas and Governor Mitt Romneys
puns to x mmgruton pocv essentuv es
in how they will go about introducing reforms. Both candi-
dates support measures to give out more visas for high skilled
foreign workers, respect the importance of a strong border
security force equipped with advanced technology, and have
stood behind measures to crack down on illegal labor. But
what sets Obama apart from Romney is his belief that attri-
tion by enforcement is not the way to go about ensuring a
more ecent mmgruton svstem.
Obama, through prosecutorial discretion, has allowed for
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). DACA mir-
rors the DREAM Act very closely, and is meant to act as a
way to give students living in this country the opportunity to
pursue higher education. To qualify for deferred action, you
must have entered the U.S. before the age of 16, be under
the age of 31, have been in the U.S. continually since 2007,
have been present in the country on the day the proclama-
tion was made, and have no criminal record. If you qualify
for deferred action, you technically do not hold legal status,
but v be exempt rom deportuton or the tvo veurs uter
you apply. At the same time, this would allow border patrol
and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) the ability to
focus on higher priority cases. This would lessen the burden
that both of these enforcement agencies face, and would help
lessen the load that immigration courts bear, many of which
huve ther dockets ed up unt 20l6. Cbumu hus contnuu-
ly stood in support of efforts, such as the DREAM Act, that let
young immigrants who are by and large not responsible for
their immigration status and who have been in the country for
most of their lives get a college degree and begin their path to
citizenship. These efforts will, in turn, allow ICE to focus on
only the most pressing immigration cases, and would free up
border patrol, enabling them to guard the natural land barri-
ers at the border through which most people cross.
In contrast, Mitt Romney stands in opposition to all mag-
nets that draw immigrants into the country illegally or en-
courage them to stay. According to a Hu||ng|on Ios| October
3 article, Romney has stated that if elected he would veto the
DREAM Act and would eliminate deferred action. In doing
so, he is purporting a system that would not only eliminate
all efforts to give undocumented children who have continu-
ally resided in this country the opportunity to pursue higher
education without fear of deportation, but would also attempt
to make undocumented immigrants leave by their own voli-
ton bv mukng ther ves us dcut und unbeurube us pos-
sible. It is this same enforcement by attrition policy that led to
October 19, 2012 17
An Appeal for Deferred
Action Over Self-Deportation
INTERNATIONAL
Immigrant Rights, continued page 23
The DREAM Act proposes to grant undocumented
residents who are students in this country the
opportunity to pursue higher education.
18 Outside Colby
L
ast spring, President Barack Obama endured ex-
tensive criticism for not demonstrating adequate
support for Israel when he suggested that Israeli-
Palestinian negotiations should begin at the 1967
borders. These borders refer to what is colloquial-
ly known as The Green Line, a territory Israel captured dur-
ing the Six Day War in June of 1967. Conservative, pro-Israel
constituents argued that a Palestinian State marked by the
Green Line would render Israel indefensible and that Israeli
security was not a high enough priority in the Presidents
foreign policy. However, Obamas statement did not assert a
Palestinian State should be created in strict accordance with
pre-1967 borders. Rather, he recognized the reality that Pal-
estinian-Israeli negotiations are both unfeasible and impracti-
cal if they do not at least begin at the pre-1967 lines. There
exists no other basis from which to start negotiations.
The president acknowledged the need for some degree
of land swaps to accommodate the ever-growing settle-
ment enterprse und unvuverngv conrmed thut eectve
negotiations are contingent on ensuring Israels security. In
fact, Israeli defense minister Ehud Barak commented in early
August that he could hardly remember a time in Israels his-
tory when American support, cooperation, and backing had
been stronger than it was under the Obama administration.
Even during the last year, when tensions between Obama
and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have ap-
peured struned, lsrue ocus huve prused Cbumu's ubtv
to maintain Israeli security as a foreign policy priority. Israels
former intelligence directorate Amos Yadlin commented that
what is unique in the Obama administration is [that] in spite
of the disagreements on the political lev-
el, the military and intelligence relation-
shp vhch benets both sdes v not
be spoiled by the political tension.
Rather than claiming Obama hasnt
placed a high enough premium on Is-
raeli security, a more realistic critique
of the Presidents policies might be that
he hasat timesbeen too supportive
of Israel and its endeavors in the occu-
pied territories. Although the American
administration has continually opposed
the expansion of Israels settlement enter-
prise, the United States employed its United Nations Security
Council veto last February against a bill that would interna-
tionally condemn Israeli settlements and demand a halt to
their construction. These settlementsJewish communities
established east of the Green Line following the 1967 War
directly threaten the peace process. On a political level, the
Palestinian Authority will not resume negotiations until Israel
halts settlement construction. On a legal level, Jewish settle-
ments violate United Nations Resolutions 242 and 338. On
a humanitarian level, settlements infringe on Palestinians
freedom of movement, right to education, and freedom of
religion. Israeli security is not contingent on expanding Jew-
ish settlements in the West Bank, and failing to condemn
By Lauren Fischer Contributing Writer
INTERNATIONAL
A Better Friend To Israel:
Exploring the Policies, Criticisms, and Implications
of Obamas Relationship with Israel
An Ally to Israel, continued page 22
EVEN WHEN TENSIONS BETWEEN
OBAMA AND ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU HAVE APPEARED
STRAINED, ISRAELI OFFICIALS
HAVE PRAISED OBAMAS ABILITY TO
MAINTAIN ISRAELI SECURITY AS A
FOREIGN POLICY PRIORITY.
O
n November 6, Americans will choose
between two candidates who will
most likely struggle to improve the
United States relations with the Mid-
dle East. The regions current volatility
will prevent most diplomatic progress,
und urmed nterventon v eud to ong-term concts und
further destabilization. President Barack Obamas Middle
East policies are better than Rebulican Candidate Mitt Rom-
neys policies on almost every issue due to Obamas relative
carefulness and reluctance to use force.
The escalating Syrian civil war between the brutal Assad
regime and an underfunded group of
rebels is one of the most pressing is-
sues in the Middle East. Daily cross-
border exchanges with Turkeyonce
pro-Assad, and currently a member of
NATOthreaten to transform the civil
war into a global crisis. Obama pledges
that he will not arm belligerents, while
Romney not only promises to aid the
rebels, but also says he will employ
Amercu's ur orce to creute u no-v
zone. Romneys interventionist approach in Syria will result
n u druvn out, escuutng conct thut Amercu cunnot u-
ord, scuv or potcuv.
Mitt Romney voices strong support for Israel, saying that
he will place no daylight between the United States and
the Jewish state, criticizing Obama for supposedly not sup-
porting the country. Obama retained President George W.
Bushs $3 billion per year in aid to Israel, and approved an
uddtonu unnuu S275 mon to nunce lsrue's ron dome
missile defense system. Yet, conservatives continue to assert
that the President is no friend of Israel. President Obama
has consistently supported a two-state solution to resolve the
lsrue-luestnun conct. Romnev, hovever, hus shted
around the ideological spectrum. His platform includes a
two-state solution, but at a private donor event this summer
he said theres just no way that the Palestinians will ever
agree to peace with Israel. Romney also attests that Israeli
settlements in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, which are
obvious roadblocks to peace, should be discussed in private.
President Obama has referred to these settlements as illegiti-
mate.
The Islamic Republic of Irans ongoing nuclear program
was one of most discussed issues at the United Nations
Ceneru Assembv's sxtv-rst sesson n eurv Cctober. 1he
Romney campaign continues to claim that President Obama
is not tough enough on Iran. Yet, there is no need for a more
direct approach on Iran because the harsh sanctions the
United States and the European Union have placed on Iran
are working: the Iranian rial lost forty percent of its value
against the dollar in October. President Mahmoud Ahma-
dinejad and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei con-
tinue to deny that the sanctions are affecting Iranian popular
opinion, but recent protests in Tehran suggest otherwise.
The idealistic directness of Romneys Middle East policies
reects the one-term governor's severe uck o experence
in foreign affairs. He assumes that arming Syrian rebels will
By Ben Carlin Staff Writer
October 19, 2012 19
INTERNATIONAL
Obama, Romney, and the Middle East:
Why Obama trumps Romney, but neither
candidate is likely to succeed in the volatile region
Middle East Policy Overview, continued page 22
THE IDEALISTIC DIRECTNESS OF
ROMNEYS MIDDLE EAST POLICIES
REFLECTS THE ONE-TERM
GOVERNORS SEVERE LACK OF
EXPERIENCE IN FOREIGN AFFAIRS.
THE BUSINESSMAN: ROMNEY UNDERSTANDS THE
TOOLS NECESSARY FOR BUSINESSES TO SUCCEED
considering that half of small businesses
u vthn ve veurs). Nuturuv, though,
somebodv ese vus responsbe or hs
success, rght: Suv vhut vou vunt ubout
the guv, or prvute equtv even, but
Romnev conceptuuv understunds vhut
busnesses need to succeed. Covern-
ment cun, o course, encouruge ndvd-
uus to endeuvor vth entrepreneuru
sprt, but governmenttheoretcuv
hus compete contro over tuxuton.
Cuttng corporute tuxes to 25 percent
rom the current rute o 35 percent
will allow for businesses to become
more compettve und to potentuv
ncreuse vuges. ln uddton, Romnev
puns to repeu the corporute Aternutve
Mnmum 1ux, us ve us the Aordube
Cure Act. 1o ncreuse humun cuptu,
Romnev puns to trunser the respons-
btv o vorkorce trunng to the stutes.
Attuckng teuchers' unons, mpement-
ng perormunce puv, und uovng or
students to huve more schoo choce
v go ur n creutng ndvduus better
equpped or e's endeuvors. Romnev
understunds the toos necessurv or
busnesses to succeed, und v uov
these enterprses to prosper shoud he
be gven the opportuntv.
A deumukeror u potcun, o
coursedeuv under-promses und
over-devers. lresdent Cbumu, unor-
tunutev, hus done the exuct opposte.
1he guuruntees o Cbumu's rst pres-
dentu cumpugn, speccuv pushng
unempovment numbers dovn und
cuttng the dect n hu, huve vet to
muteruze. Hs nubtv to cross purtv
nes hus contnuuv restrcted hs ub-
tv to enuct eectve economc pocv.
Chunge s necessurv. l eected, Cover-
nor Romnev v eud our countrv vth
ntegence, pusson, und success.
(Continued from page 6)
NEWS
tves or empovers to hre the ong-
term unempoved. lresdent Cbumu
proposed thut u monev gong nto ths
progrum be oset bv equu umounts n
spendng cuts, mukng t dect-neutru.
Compure ths vth Covernor Rom-
nev's pun: cut tuxes und dereguute.
Covernor Romnev beeves thut ve
do ths thun the ob probem v sove
tse. 1here s some evdence thut ths
method cun creute obs. 1uke or ex-
umpe 1exus, u heuvv Repubcun stute
thut, uccordng to the Annenberg lubc
locv Center, creuted 40 percent o
nev obs nutonuv snce lune o 2009.
Hovever, ths stutstc musks the uct
that most of these jobs were low wage
und ov benet obs. 1exus s ted vth
Msssspp or the hghest percent-
uge o hourv vorkers ut or beov the
mnmum vuge ut 9.5 percent, und
leads the nation in those without health
nsurunce ut 26 percent. Repubcun
economcs eud to more ov-puvng
obs und cheup ubor or corporutons,
vhe lresdent Cbumu's poces seek
to gve ndvduus hgher-puvng obs
und u better quutv o e.
1he kev vord to remember vhe
consderng these competng puns s
urthmetc. Anvone vho tuned n to
ormer lresdent Cnton's speech
ut the Democrutc Nutonu Conventon
s ureudv umur vth the sgncunce
o ths vord to lresdent Cbumu's
cumpugn. lor those vho dd not, l usk
vou to consder these ucts. 1he nu-
tonu debt s rsng und unempovment
remuns hgh. As u nuton, ve must do
somethng ubout these pressng ssues.
1he Democrutc pun v tuke u bu-
unced upprouch, muke heudvuv on the
dect, protect the socu suetv net, und
provde good puvng obs. 1he Repub-
cun pun v rev on spendng cuts und
re-treud the deus o the ush udmn-
struton thut contrbuted to the 2008
economc recesson. 1hese Repubcun
deus huve been tred, und ther muth
smpv husn't udded up.
MATHEMATICS 101: WHY ROMNEYS
NUMBERS JUST DONT ADD UP
(Continued from page 7)
20 Outside Colby
NEWS
October 19, 2012 21
st cums there remuns u uck o scentc consensus on
the ssue on the extent o the vurmng, the extent o the hu-
mun contrbuton und the severtv o the rsk. Despte the
steps orvurd our countrv hus tuken n envronmentu uvure-
ness und reguuton over the pust 40 veurs or so, Romnev
contnues to cumpugn on u putorm o gnorunce tovurd the
truv uurmng envronmentu ssues o our generuton.
Cbumu promses to promote the heuth o our commun-
tes bv estubshng nutonu sueguurds to cut toxc ur ems-
sons rom pover punts, bv pushng or strcter ue economv
stundurds or curs und smu trucks, und bv contnung the
grovth o the vnd und sour energv sector thut creuted neur-
v 250,000 obs.
1here s no doubt thut munv ure crtcu und dubous o
the Cbumu udmnstruton's ceun energv ugendu. Hovever,
our generuton must not gnore cmute chunge und must n-
tegrute the ssue nto ts economc punnng und grovth. \e
cunnot smpv oov the Repubcun motto o, Dr, bubv
dr. Creen obs und uternutve sources o energv must be
the uture o our countrv, und lresdent Cbumu hus shovn u
steudust dedcuton to ths deoogv.
OBAMAS CLEAN ENERGY AGENDA:
Green Jobs, Alternative Energy Sources Future of Our Country
(Continued from page 8)
cupture methune ut the drng ste,
endng un od pructce o reeusng gus-
es nto the ur ut the drng ste. Cums
such us the urtett Shue breust cuncer
spke n 1exus huve been debunked
bv the 1exus Cuncer Regstrv und the
breust cuncer udvocucv group Susun C.
lomen or the Cure. Crtcs oten cte
vdeos o drnkng vuter beng t on
re neur drng stes, but u to reu-
ze thut even beore ruckng exsted,
vuter neur nuturu gus reserves coud
eusv be t on re. \he one coud
muke the urgument thut more reseurch
s needed to uv understund these en-
vronmentu eects, the benets o ths
domestc energv bonunzu ure dcut
to overstute. A trunston to nuturu gus
v both suppement eectrctv pro-
ducton und ue curs, us ve us reduce
energv prces und curbon emssons.
\e need u smurter und more trunspur-
ent reguutorv rumevork to unshucke
our domestc energv sources.
No one cun reute thut renevube en-
ergv technooges ure currentv prohb-
tvev expensve. 1he probem s thut
three o the seven renevube energv
rms thut receved guurunteed ouns
rom the Cbumu udmnstruton n 2009
und 20l0 ure nov bunkrupt, vth u
ourth neur bunkruptcv. Moreover, the
Obumu udmnstruton ued to n-
creuse drng on ederu unds, vth u
grovth n domestc drng n the pust
our veurs huppenng on prvute unds,
und hus ued to tuke the ntutve on
ruckng. Hs proposed cup und trude
progrums, us ve us hs support or
the removu o domestc drng subs-
des, threuten to ruse energv prces or
consumers ut u tme vhen househod
income is fung. \hen presented vth
the facts the choce shoud be obvous.
1uke u responsbe upprouch to L.S.
energv pocv und vote or Mtt Romnev
ths November.
ROMNEYS PATH TO ENERGY INDEPENDENCE:
Unshackling Our Domestic Energy Sources
(Continued from page 9)
NEWS
October 19, 2012 22
not entangle America in a lengthy war and subsequent peace-
keeping duties. He claims that he will be more successful than
President Obama in the pursuit of Israeli-Palestinian peace, but
does not even have faith in his own proposed two-state solu-
tion. Finally, he wrongly asserts that Obama is easy on Iran, and
vaguely argues for a more direct approach, despite the Obama
administrations success in hampering the Iranian economy.
Obamas Middle East policies are more favorable than Rom-
neys, but the Presidents record is far from perfect. Following
the Arab Spring, President Obamas administration misjudged
the strength of American relations and interests in the Arab
world. For instance, Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi was
slow to condemn the recent terrorist attacks on American em-
bassies and consulates throughout the Arab world, suggesting
that a democratic Egypt is not the ally that Obama assumed it
voud be. 1he lresdent's rst term hus seen some mprove-
ment in Israeli-Palestinian relations, but Iran, while suffering,
continues to seek nuclear arms. The Middle East is currently in
such a precarious political state that neither candidates policies
are likely to have profoundly positive results, but at least Obama
treats the region with some prudence.
MIDDLE EAST POLICY OVERVIEW:
The Presidents record is far from perfect.
(Continued from page 19)
them surpasses Americas commitment to protect our greatest
ally in the region. Obamas policies show that his allegiance
to lsrue hus not utered throughout hs rst term. l unvthng,
he should be careful to maintain a realist understanding of the
regonu envronment to uvod conutng lsrue securtv vth
support for Israeli policy.
Republican candidate Mitt Romney has arguably focused his
Israel agenda on the latter rather than the former. During his
summer trip to Israel, he basked in a round of applause from his
rightwing audience after calling Jerusalem the capital of Israel
and agreeing to consider moving the American Embassy from
Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Such a move would question American
credibility to negotiate the peace process, as both Israel and
Palestine claim Jerusalem as their capitals. Pragmatically, being
a better friend to Israel in Romneys terms could compromise
rather than protect Israeli security. While Obamas support of
the UN veto in February is questionable, his framework for
beginning negotiations at the pre-1967 borders demonstrates
a necessary ability to consider multidimensional, geo-politics
from both Israeli and Palestinian paradigms in a way that works
toward Israeli security, even if it questions Israeli policy.
AN ALLY TO ISRAEL: The Presidents allegiance to
/s|ae| |as not fa|te|ed t||og|ot ||s h|st te|m."
(Continued from page 18)
health insurance if the ACA were to be repealed, but as previ-
ously stated, the study the President referred to projected its
numbers over ten years.
Governor Romney blames the President for doubling the

lresdent Cbumu dd not doube the dect. He dd not

doube the ederu dect, und he most certunv dd not doube
the unnuu scu dect, vhch vus the number reerred to bv
Governor Romney. This claim is simply false. Governor Rom-
nev noted thut vhen lresdent Cbumu took oce n 2008 the
unnuu scu dect vus S458.6 bon, und thut t nov resdes
ut Sl.09 tron. Here's the probem vth Covernor Romnev's
usserton: the dect or the scu veur 2008 vus cucuuted n
June, four months before President Obama was even elected,
und sx months beore he took oce. lurthermore, the 2008
dect s un extremev ov number due to the rupd economc
descent this country went through in the same year. Accord-
ng to the non-purtsun Congressonu udget Cce, vhen the
lresdent took oce n lunuurv o 2009 the dect vus recorded
to be Sl.l9 tron. 1hus, the unnuu scu dect hus been
slightly reduced during President Obamas term.
DEBUNKING THE DEBATE: A Collection of Misrepresentations
(Continued from page 3)
IMMIGRANT RIGHTS: ROMNEYS VISION IS
TO MAKE IMMIGRANTS LIVES UNBEARABLE
Arizonas attempt to pass a bill that
made principals check the immigration
status of all their students and that al-
oved poce ocers the rght to use
their discretion to pull over anyone and
ask for their citizenship papers. This is
an immoral and unethical policy, which
relies upon the diminishment of the
human condition instead of substantial
structural reform within the immigration
system itself.
This countrys recourse to reforming
the immigration system should not be
in punishing undocumented immigrants
who seek to escape economic and po-
litical hardship in their own countries,
but nsteud shoud seek to x u svstem
that is overburdened and ill-equipped.
The county needs to focus on prevent-
ing high-risk persons from entering the
countrv, us ve us vorkng vth Mex-
co to eliminate drug related violence at
the border, which propels many to enter
the countrv eguv n the rst puce.
Romney has shown that his vision for
immigration reform does not include
these two things. He seeks to make
the plight of the immigrant in America
even harder while building more walls
betveen the Lnted Stutes und Mexco.
Seemingly all his efforts aim at prevent-
ng the ov o peope nto the Lnted
States without making any new com-
prehensive reforms that would propel
the immigration system forward.
October 19, 2012 23
(Continued from page 17)
NEWS
pass a policy and disrupted the three-
tiered balance of power. And not to
some noble end, but for his own better-
ment und or u second term n oce.
Latinos represent the fastest-growing
ethnic group in the United States, mak-
ing them a crucial voting bloc in the
2012 election. Over 1.4 million people
may be affected by DACA, with many
of the students living in states pivotal to
Obamas re-election, according to Pew
Hispanic Center research. Right now,
Obama is leading Romney 2 to 1 with
Latino votes, making it clear that DACA
did what Obama needed it to do.
When it comes to political policy,
Romney and Obama are alike in that
they agree changes are needed but
are vague in specifying the timing and
nature of these changes. And so I would
argue that the most compelling point
of differentiating the candidates based
on immigration policy would be to
look at DACA, not for its content, but
or ts exstence. Cbumu sets u dunger-
ous precedent. He essentially baited
DACA benecures vth the prospect
of becoming citizens (remember, DACA
only guarantees no deportation for two
years), using his power of incumbency
to impose a program that would win
him votes. America does not need a
president who can get himself elected.
America needs a president who can act
on behalf of the nation, for the better-
ment of the nation: Mitt Romney.
DACA PROGRAM: OBAMA SETS A
DANGEROUS PRECEDENT
(Continued from page 16)
OUTSIDE colby
Want to voice your political
opinion?
CONTRIBUTE TO
OUTSIDE COLBY!
contact us at
outsidecolby@gmail.com