Clinton/Trump (1) -- Will Donald Trump Defend Ukraine Against Russia?

Is Donald Trump caving in to Russia on Ukraine? It sure looks like it. There are strong indications that Trump opposes President Obama's policy of steadfast resistance to Russia, and would prefer to downgrade NATO, abandon Ukraine, and forge an alliance with Vladimir Putin. Donald Trump has chosen Paul Manafort -- an apologist for the Russian puppet Viktor Yanukovych -- as his campaign manager. This is deeply troubling. It calls into question Trump's loyalty to western Europe, his commitment to democracy, and his willingness to stand up to Russian expansionism. Why is Trump doing this? Trump is not a leader who has the best interests of people at heart. Trump is an opportunist who wants to make money.

The Constitutionality of President Obama's Proposed Actions on Gun Control

On Tuesday, January 5, President Barack Obama delivered an inspiring address proposing a number of steps that his administration will take to protect Americans from gun violence. Because Congress has refused to enact new legislation -- for example, it failed to enact the Toomey-Manchin background check bill, summarized by Politifact here -- the President announced what his administration will do to improve the enforcement of existing law. Many have attacked the President's proposals on the ground that he lacks the authority under the Constitution to take these steps. I don't see any constitutional difficulties whatsoever with the President's proposals.

Will President Obama Contest Georgia?

Aaron Gould Sheinin and Marcus K. Garner of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution speculate that President Obama will not mount a large-scale effort to win the State of Georgia this year.  Should he?

Electoral Vote Maps for 2012

Here are links to three electoral maps for this year's presidential election: at NBC, Real Clear Politics, and 538 To Win.  NBC and RCP make predictions for 2012, while 538ToWin’s map is interactive and allows you to allocate states to Democrats, Republicans, and the “toss-up” category.