Vocabulary in the News : The Wall Street Journal (Front Page from 3 November 2010)

Let’s look at some of the vocabulary found in the article titles. If you want to read each article on The Wall Street Journal webpage, click on the each title.

GOP Claims House in Huge Swing, Tea-Party Wave Creates New Dynamic in Washington and the States; Democrats to Retain Senate Despite Drubbing

• A swing is seat that hangs from ropes or chains and moves back and forth which is usually used by children. So you can imagine the illusion here of a swing. In politics, we this word to describe when one ruling party has been replaced by a new one. The term can be used to describe any change in emotion, idea, condition, etc, to another. For example, Spain was a very conservative and Catholic country but there was a swing away from traditional family values when the country allowed same-sex marriage. In Amsterdam, there is a swing in the government position on legalized marijuana which may cause coffee shops to close down in the future.

• A change in political parties in power at a national level can also be described as a wave or even a tidal wave. A wave of course is a raised line of water you find in the ocean or other body of water. Last night a Republican wave swept (past irregular form of ‘to sweep’ – balayer) across the country pushing Democrats out of power.
• The Majority Leader Harry Reid, despite the drubbing the Democrats received by the Republicans last night, surprisingly won his reelection in Nevada. If you received a drubbing, this means that you were severely beaten. This word is believed to have been possibly derived from the Arabic word darb which means a beating, particularly by a stick.

Unaligned Voters Tilt Rightward In Droves

• Voters who don’t identify themselves as Republicans or Democrats tilted rightward in this election. In other words, they favored the particular program or opinion of those running as Republicans. Literally, to tilt means to incline or to cause to slope to one side. For example, these slashes ‘///////’ all tilt to the right.  If these unaligned (or nonaligned) voters had favored the Democrats, we would have said that they tilted leftward. In any case, the election is over and the United States must now move forward and not backward.
• The headline also said that these independent voters favored the political right in droves. If people do something in droves, it means they do it in very large numbers.

How the Rout Was Won : Careful Plans, Timely Wave

• A rout is a term to describe the complete defeat of your opponent in a battle, competition or an election. The word is also a verb. For example, Spain won the FIFA World Cup after having routed the Netherlands.
• If something happens in a timely manner, it happens at the most suitable or proper time.
   

Cartoon : Prove It!

Political cartoon by Nate Beeler of The Washington Examiner published on 12 October 2010.

Americans love to see conspiracies and this political cartoon mocks that fact. There are those on the left side of the political spectrum who believe that President George W. Bush orchestrated the attacks of 11 September 2001. Those who believe he planned and organized the terrorist attacks are called ‘Truthers.’

On the right side of the political spectrum, there are those who believe that Obama wasn’t born on American soil and thus not constitutionally eligible to be President of the United States. They are called ‘Birthers.’ These ‘Birthers’ believe this because Obama’s birth certificate has been publically released.

The latest conspiracy was invented by Obama and others at the White House in an attempt to scare voters away from Republicans in the elections. The Chamber of Commerce has recently come under attack by the White House because they oppose Obama’s political agenda. They have now been accused, without any evidence or proof, of accepting foreign money and using that money to fund political ads for Republican candidates.

The White House has been accused, even by many on the left, of misleading the voters because they completely invented the accusation. If you mislead someone, you make them believe something that is incorrect or not true.

Note: You see two other caricatures next to that of Obama’s. The caricature with “Joe” represents Vice President Joseph Biden and the caricature with “Axe” represents David Axelrod, a top political advisor to President Obama. Both of these men participated in the misleading message.

Vocabulary In the News : US Midterm Elections

On 2 November, Americans will vote in national midterm elections to elect the entire House of Representatives and one-third of the Senate. National elections take place every two years in the United States. This year’s elections are called midterm elections because they fall fall in the middle of a president’s 4-year term in office. This Election Day, all 435 seats of the House of Representatives, whose members only have a 2-year term, are up for election. In the Senate, one-third of Senate seats out of 100 are up for election. Members of that body have 6-year terms.

Currently there are 253 Democrat seats, 178 Republican seats and 6 empty seats in the House of Representatives. The Representative from California’s 8th congressional district, Nancy Pelosi is the current Speaker of the House. She is the 60th and first female to preside over the chamber. The Speaker of the House is probably the closest thing that the United States has to a prime minister. The Speaker is the second in line to the presidency after the Vice President and is in a leadership position of the majority party. He or she also works to set the political agenda for their party giving the Speaker a great deal of power. It is the second most powerful position in the US Government.

All polls in the US project a Republican sweep in the elections. This means that the party will pick up seats in a very large number retaking control of that chamber. The polls currently predict that the Republicans will win 212 seats with Democrats maintaining 183 seats. Forty seats are considered tossups. If pollsters say a seat is a tossup, they are indicating that they can’t predict which candidate will win because poll numbers are too close. If Republicans are swept into office in November, the current Minority Leader John Boehner will probably become the 61st Speaker of the House. Mr. Boehner represents Ohio’s 8th congressional district. To be a member of the House, the Constitution requires that the representative to be a minimum of 25 years of age when he is sworn into office.

In the Senate, one-third of that body’s seats are up for election. There are currently 57 Democrats, 41 Republicans and 2 Independents who caucus with the Democrats. If a member caucuses with a certain party, this means they meet with and vote with that party. In effect, this gives the Democrats 59 seats but one vote short of an absolute majority of 60 votes. Sixty votes are need to stop a filibuster by the minority party and to proceed to a vote. In the Senate, there are no time limits to how long a senator may speak on the floor. To stop or delay a proposal known as a bill, a senator can filibuster till the end of debate. In other words, he talks the bill to death. The only way to stop a filibuster, is to have 60 senators willing to vote for cloture.

The Vice President of the United States is also the President of the Senate as written in the US Constitution. Vice President Joseph Biden is the current President. Today, modern vice presidents rarely preside over the Senate except for the swearing in of new members, joint sessions of Congress and to cast a tie-breaking (or “casting”) vote if there is a 50/50 vote. Other than this exception, the President of the Senate cannot vote nor participate in debate. In the absence of the vice president, the Senate chooses a president pro tempore to preside who is usually the highest-ranking senator. The President pro tempore is also third in line to the presidency after the Speaker of the House.

If polls hold true, Republicans will also gain seats in the Senate. The current projection is 49 Democrats, 46 Republican and 5 tossups. If the Senate is divided 50/50, then the President of the Senate’s party retains control. In this case, the Democrats would still have control but with neither party having a 60-seat, filibuster-proof majority. According to the Constitution, a senator must be a minimum of 30 years old when he takes office.

In these elections, Americans are not only voting for Congress, they are also going to the polls to vote for over a million different offices at the state and local level including governors, lieutenant governors, members of state assemblies, local and state judges, local education boards, sheriffs, etc…. Most states will also have referendums and state constitutional amendments on the ballot. Republicans are expected to hold the majority of governorships. Of the 50 states, polls predict 14 Democrat governors, 26 Republican and 10 seats are still a tossup.

This election has been described as an anti-incumbent election because many Americans are tired of the same old politics by what has come to be called the political establishment or the ruling class. This negative term is used to describe that elite group of politicians that have power or authority. In many cases, they have held elected position for a long time. An incumbent is the term used for any outgoing politician who is running for reelection. The anti-incumbent movement has not only targeted Democrats but has also targeted establishment Republicans, many of whom lost in state primaries to a more conservative Republican. If an incumbent is not running for reelection, then the candidates are running for an open seat.

For further election news and to track election poll numbers as they change, go to http://www.realclearpolitics.com/

Cartoon : The Elephant In the Room

Political cartoon by Rich McKee of the The Augusta Chronicle in Augusta, Georgia published on 14 October 2010.

"Elephant in the room" is an English idiom for an obvious truth that is being ignored or goes unaddressed. The idiomatic expression also applies to an obvious problem or risk no one wants to discuss.

It is based on the idea that an elephant in a room would be impossible to overlook; thus, people in the room who pretend the elephant is not there have made a choice. They are choosing to concern themselves with tangential or small and irrelevant issues rather than deal with the looming big one. (Wikipedia)

Read more at : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elephant_in_the_room

This political cartoon concerns the upcoming midterm elections in November in which the Dems (short for Democrats) are in trouble. According to all the polls, the GOP (Grand Old Party..aka the Republicans) will retake control of the House of Representatives and possibly the Senate. The Republicans are represented in the cartoon by their official symbol, the elephant, thus the “elephant outside the room.” The Dems are represented by theirs, the donkey.

Cartoon : Democrat vs. Republican Debate

Political cartoon by Chuck Assay of The Colorado Springs Gazette published on 08 October 2010.

Updated: If you place your cursor over some of the words, the French translation will appear in a popup window. Not all the words with a translation are in bold so you’ll have to explore the text.

In this conservative cartoon by Chuck Assay, you see the two major political parties represented by the donkey and the elephant.

The Democratic donkey was first associated with President Andrew Jackson back in 1828 when his opponents called him a jackass. Jackson later decided to officially adopt the image for his presidential campaign because it represented a strong-willed animal. If you are strong-willed, you are determined to do something you want to do, even if others don’t want to do it. The donkey was made famous by political cartoonist Thomas Nast who used the donkey in his cartoons to represent the Democratic Party. If you ask a Democrat today why the donkey is their official symbol, they will say it represents intelligence and bravery.

The Republican elephant was also created by Nash when in one cartoon drawn in 1874, he drew an elephant running away from a donkey dressed in a lion’s skin. On the side of the elephant there was written “The Republican Vote.” Ever since, the elephant has become the symbol of the Republican party. If you ask a Republican today why the elephant is their official symbol, they will say it represents strength and dignity.

The above cartoon was drawn to represent the debate between the two warring parties in this election season. The Democratic donkey candidate states with pride that he voted for Obama-Care and the stimulus bill. The term Obama-Care refers to the healthcare reform that was voted on by the Congress and signed into law by Obama this year. It is very common in American politics to invent new words for the political reforms or agendas of presidents such as in the economic reforms of President Reagan which have ever since been called Reaganomics.

The Democratic donkey calls the Republican elephant a wacko which is what you call someone you think is crazy or very strange. It comes from the adjective wacky which is synonymous for funny or silly. He continues by accusing him of wanting to take away Social Security and Medicare. In the United States, Social Security has nothing to do with healthcare but with retirement and disability. To read more, go to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_Security_(United_States). Medicare is a social insurance program providing healthcare to people 65 years or older. To read more, go to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medicare_(United_States).

He then accuses of him liking polluters and greedy businessmen. If you are greedy, you want more money, things, or power for yourself.

After that he calls him a heartless, skirt-chasing, money-grubbing warmonger who will do great harm to the planet. Someone is heartless, they don’t feel or show sympathy or kindness. In politics you have a lot of famous skirt-chasing politicians such as Bill Clinton. You’ll also find a lot of money-grubbing politicians who constantly want money and try to get as much as possible. President Bush was accused of being a warmonger which is a name given to someone who encourages or advocates aggression or warfare towards other nations. Whenever you cause injury, damage or other problems to something or someone, we say that you do them harm.

In the end, the moderator ask the Republican for his response who simply says, “I’m not him.” The Republican is then carried away in great support by the voters. This political cartoon describes the current political mood in the United States where Republicans are expected to retake control of the House of Representatives and possibly the Senate when Americans vote in national elections on 2 November. It’s not very popular to be a Democrat right now.

Cartoon : The Tea Party vs. RINOs

Political cartoon by Henry Payne of The Detroit News in Michigan published on 17 September 2010.

RINO – This is an acronym for “Republican In Name Only.” This term is appearing a lot in the media in the United States and is being used by conservatives critical of Republicans who often support and vote for Democrat agenda. Many conservatives across the country believe it is time to throw out these RINOs and replace them with conservative Republicans. This movement is being led by the Tea Party.

Tea Party – The Tea Party, named after the famous Boston Tea Party of 1773, is a conservative grassroots movement that has become a major force in the current, political landscape in the United States. A grassroots movement is best described as movement by common, ordinary people who become politically involved at a local level in order to support a political idea or a politician. Usually, such a movement does not have a national political structure or leader. In this case, the Tea Party is a coalition of local and state Tea Parties united around a common cause: limited federal government. These activists believe that the federal government is violating the limits of its power and size as defined by the US Constitution. They are protesting out-of-control spending, high taxes and healthcare reform. They want a return to the founding principals as defined by the Founding Fathers.

Tea Party anger is not only aimed at President Obama and the Democrats in Congress, but it is also aimed at RINOs, also referred to as establishment Republicans because they have become part of the “ruling class.” In the primaries leading up to the national elections in November, many RINOs are loosing to more conservative Republicans who are endorsed by Tea Party activists.

An example of this can be found in Delaware, where in last week’s primary, Tea Party candidate Christine O’Donnell beat RINO Mike Castle to be her state's Republican nominee for Senate in November’s national elections. Ms. O’Donnell is the woman represented in the above cartoon.

Cartoon : Saying a Lot Without Saying Anything At All!

By Rick McKee from the Augusta Chronicle in Augusta, Georgia on 02 July 2010.

It is a sheer pleasure teaching English to someone who really wants to learn it! This adjective is used to give emphasis to a noun to give it a greater amount of degree. It has the meaning of ‘extreme.’

Later on, the caricature of Kagan asks Larry King, the interviewer, to grant her a point of personal privilege. If you grant something, like a request, you accord or allow them something.

‘A point of personal privilege’ is a very formal, parliamentary expression usually asked for when a member what to speak out to defend his personal rights, reputation or conduct.

Vocabulary In the News : 03 March 2010 – The Garden Island (Lihu’e, Hawaii)

The main headline tells the story of fire that started in a work shed partially attached to a home. The fire spread and scorched the home. If something is scorched by fire, it isn’t completely destroyed; it is burned enough to change the color and damage the surface. Full story >>

In another article, the state of Hawaii isn’t satisfied with a federal law that was designed to protect the state’s endangered species stating that the penalties aren’t serious enough. Hawaii’s state senate passed a bill that would make the intentional killing of a Hawaiian monk seal a felony with a penalty of 5 years in prison and a fine of up to $50,000. Under federal law, it is only a misdemeanor with a one-year prison term and a fine of up to $2,500. Under English common law on which the American legal system is based, a felony is a serious crime such as a murder or robbery, a misdemeanor is simply a less serious crime. Full story >>

Members of the Democratic Party on the Hawaiian island of Kaua’i caucused to choose delegates that would represent them in state and county conventions in April. “To caucus” is a political term simply meaning to meet in group to discuss plans. For example, in the US Senate, the two main political parties are Democrats and Republicans but there is one senator who is socialist and another who is independent. Because these two senators’ political beliefs lean to the left and they often vote with the Democrats, they caucus with the Democrats which gives the left control of 59 seats out of 100 in the Senate. The noun is the same as the verb. A caucus is a closed meeting of a group of persons from the same political party or faction that is designed to either select candidates or to decide policy. Full story >>

Cartoon : Fall Colors

Cartoon by Joe Heller of the The Green Bay Press-Gazette (Wisconsin) published 16 October 2009.

- If you say that you are tickled pink, you are very pleased or entertained. I was tickled pink to have you visit us. We were tickled pink when your flowers arrived.

- If your anger or other emotion is white-hot, this means it is marked by very exceedingly strong feelings and enthusiasm. a fierce, white-hot loyalty to the king. See other examples HERE

- A scarlet woman is an expression that comes from the novel A Scarlet Letter by Nathanial Hawthorne, where a woman in 17th century Puritan Massachusetts who had committed adultery was forced to wear a scarlet-colored letter “A” on her clothes to mark her sin. A scarlet woman is an archaic term for a woman who is unfaithful or has a lot of sex with men; it also refers to a prostitute. Here the cartoonist is making fun of how Republicans view Senator Olympia Snowe of Maine because she was the only Republican to vote in favor of the Democrat health care bill that came out of the Senate Finance Committee and is therefore considered to be unfaithful to the Republican Party.

- A blue dog is an American political name given to moderate-to-conservative Democrats committed to financial and national security, favoring compromise and bipartisanship over ideology and party discipline. In 2006, many Blue Dog Democrats were elected in conservative-leaning districts ending the Republican majority in the House of Representatives.

- A red herring is a piece of information or suggestion introduced to draw attention away from the real facts of a situation. (A red herring is a type of strong-smelling smoked fish that was once drawn across the trail of a scent to mislead hunting dogs and put them off the scent.) The detectives were following a red herring, but they're on the right track now. The mystery novel has a couple of red herrings that keep readers off guard.

- If you are black and blue, this means you are covered in bruises caused by being hit. In the cartoon, the cartoonist wants to say that the health care fight is living the consumer black and blue. He’d been beaten black and blue by a street gang.

Vocabulary In the News: 17 September – The Globe and Mail (Canada)

Click on the front page to have a larger image.  To visit The Globe and Mail homepage, go to: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/

- Bono and his company raised the roof and took Toronto by storm with a dazzling spectacle. If you raise the roof you make a lot of noise or you’re complaining very noisily. U2 also took the city by storm. In other words, they were a huge success! The reason was that U2 gave a dazzling or extremely impressive spectacle. It’s very close to the French meaning and means an exciting and impressive public event. Depending on how you use the term, a spectacle can also refer to an embarrassing event. Last week for example, rapper Kayne West made a spectacle of himself when he went on stage during the MTV Video Music Awards completely drunk.

 http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/u2-raises-the-roof/article1290767/

- Canadian Prime Minister of the Conservative Party is finding unlikely support from the center-left party, New Democratic Party (NDP), and from the independence party, Bloc québécois! The Liberals in Parliament are calling for a censure which could lead to new elections; however the two parties that previously scorned Harper are now keeping his government afloat, possibly avoiding elections. If you scorn someone, you treat that person as if they don’t deserve approval or respect. If you keep a boat afloat, you prevent it from sinking. Here, the unexpected support will keep Harper’s government in charge. Prime Minister Harper is in a difficult situation because he has warned the nation against socialist economic policies and now two parties that support such policies have promised to support him in a confidence vote. Nonetheless, the Conservative Party is ahead in the polls.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/harpers-reluctant-coalition/article1290594/

- A fiery (fougueux/enflammé) debate is raging in the United States due to the media and more importantly due to comments made by Democratic stalwart, former President Jimmy Carter. If an argument or debate rages, it is causing a lot of anger. In the first sentence, we have the debate pictured like a fire that is burning out of control. In the headline, Carter is described as a Democrat stalwart which means he is in a position to speak with strong authority for his party. He claims that what lies beneath the backlash to President Obama’s healthcare reform is racism! In other words, Carter asserts that racism is the real ‘hidden’ reason for the angry and negative reaction to Obama’s policies. He claims this racism is bubbling to the surface.  He is picturing racism, in this common expression, as being like a bubble at the bottom of a hot liquid that rises to the surface when the temperature gets hot enough.      

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/jimmy-carter-outburst-based-on-racism/article1289496/