The conflict ridden country which has seen continued clashes and civilian as well as military deaths since March last year, hasn’t seen much change rather things on the ground seem gloomier for the people of Syria who are battling not just the agitations within the country but conflicting opinions about the reality of the situation around the world making the end seem farther that they had imagined. While talks and discussions in the west and the middle east after Kofi Annan’s peace plan proposal for Syria was introduced, have gained renewed pace the extent of their impact is essentially a function of the receptiveness of the Assad administration in Syria which is facing increasing international pressure and internal security failure making the entire situation turn against the government which claims to have no part in the blood bath and civil disruptions which were a collective result of masked militia and hysteria created by the opposition as a means of turning the populace against the pro-Iranian government to facilitate American-Israeli interests in the region.

The Senate Republicans on Thursday blocked a bill that would cut tax breaks worth billions of dollars for the big oil companies (Exxon Mobil Corp, BP Plc, ConocoPhillips, Chevron Corp and Royal Dutch Shell Plc.) in the U.S. The Democratic proponents of the bill feel that these tax breaks which are worth about $24 billion over a 10 year period are unnecessary for an industry that is raking in record profits.

Oil firms have been hugely profitable over the past decade and while consumers do feel the pinch of rising gas prices, the decrease in supply has not seemed to have affected the bottom line of big oil companies. Robert Menendez the Democrat who has sponsored this bill to cut the tax breaks explained his stance on the floor of the Senate by saying that “They took your money and they didn’t produce a drop more of oil,” about the fact that these companies produced less oil in 2011 than they did in 2010.

It’s plain to see that violence is running rampant in various countries causing suffering and human trauma.  It is engrained in the human psyche to sometimes explode on your fellow man.  The use of guns as a means to destroy another individual is a subject that has been debated countless times.  It is written in the constitution that we have a right to bear arms, but do we really?  Self-defense is important but at what lengths must we go to feel protected and not in danger.

Tragedies have been occurring with witless, angry, monsters buying guns at stores and than going on killing sprees.  Imagine a world where guns didn’t exist and men would have to fight instead of shoot.  Only cowards that know they are the weaker man subscribe to the utilization of weapons to face their opponents.  What are we teaching to the next generation of people that yearn for peace and compassion? That it is better to hate and let loose on someone than demonstrate self-control, awareness of demons, and composure.

The recent hike in gas prices has been one of the major issues in the 2012 presidential campaign. More than two-thirds of Americans are not happy with the way President Obama is handling the gas crisis, although they do not blame him for the hike. According to the Reuters/Ipsos online poll released on Tuesday, 68% disapprove and 24% approve of Obama response to the gasoline issue.

The U.S fuel prices have gone up from $0.03 per gallon to $3.90 in the past month and the Republicans have seized this opportunity to attack Obama’s energy policies. The disapproval has spread across party lines which might impact the upcoming election. Although the survey shows that the voters hold oil companies and foreign countries more accountable than politicians for the price hike. According to the online poll of 606 Americans conducted on March 26-27 with a credibility interval of plus or minus 4.6% points for all respondents, 89% Republicans said they disapproved along with 52% democrats and 73% independents.

Obama’s much debated healthcare plan has been embroiled in controversies and objection by a majority of people, both government officials as well as informed citizens. The bill that mandates that everyone avails a health insurance by 2014 or pay penalty before claiming a refund hasn’t gone down well with a many. With 26 out of 50 states challenging the bill which is being proposed to be turned into a law by Republican Obama has faced opposition in all quarters including that of certain Republicans as well.

The law according to those Republican who have sought to steer clear of the current administration’s policies regarding health care have argued that the bill if turned into  law will financially burden not just individuals but also companies and businesses which have recently managed to find their own two feet and are stabilizing the tumultuous economy. Others who have been denoted as the challengers to Obama’s plan have vehemently argued against and opposed this plan. They argue that while financial burdening is one aspect of the health care bill, the repercussions it may have will impact not just the kind of food you prefer to eat but also various other lifestyle choices. The challengers are of the opinion that government should not dictate what product a citizen should buy and a citizen’s choices should not be, either directly or indirectly, be influenced or scrutinized by a government policy unless that drives a larger good for the entire country.

President Obama was caught off-guard candidly talking with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev by live microphones while they were waiting for members of the Press to be led into the room on the eve of a global nuclear security summit in Soul, the South Korean Capital. President Obama was overheard assuring the Russian President that he would have “more flexibility” with regards to controversial issues like missile defense after the U.S. Presidential elections in November.

The missile issue under discussion is an anti ballistic missile shield program proposed by the U.S. and NATO including participation by Romania, Poland, Turkey and Spain. Russia has been offered a role as well but is hesitant to join this project as they feel that the system could gain the ability to shoot down the nuclear missiles that Russia uses as a deterrent and this would weaken its defense. They would like a legally binding pledge from the U.S. that their missiles would not be targeted by this system and also want joint control of its usage.

As expected the Republicans on their campaign trail have immediately caught the bit between their teeth claiming that President Obama has been treating Russia with kid gloves; with Mitt Romney calling the comment “alarming and troubling”, and stating that he felt this was a bad time for the President to be “ pulling his punches” with the American public.

Mitt Romney is shoring up support from the Republican establishment to further consolidate his position as the front runner in the bid to represent the GOP as their candidate for the Presidential elections in November this year. He has faced a surprisingly stiff completion from Rick Santorum as well as Newt Gingrich, but at this point in the race it looks like Mr. Romney will emerge victorious.

Mr. Romney is viewed with much skepticism by the conservative base of the Republican Party who have voted for a unabashedly catholic, pro-life, Rick Santorum resulting in quite a few wins in the more conservative parts of the country. Mr. Romney is now working behind the scenes in Washington to gain the confidence and support of the more conservative factions within the Party who are skeptical of his previously held moderate views on abortion; and his healthcare reforms as the Governor of Massachusetts which are the basis of the Presidents’ universal healthcare reforms that the Republicans are trying to repeal. Mr. Romney is focusing on his economic credentials as a fiscal conservative who will lower taxes and government regulation and reduce debt.

Mr. Romney met with South Carolina’s Jim DeMint, a prominent conservative senator who had supported him in his bid in 2008 but has yet to endorse him this time round; and Paul Ryan the conservative chairman of the House Budget Committee. He also held a fund raiser which was attended by several senators and members of the U.S. House of Representatives. Mr. DeMint has spoken warmly about Mr. Romney as has Senator John McCain of Arizona and Jeb Bush of Florida who has endorsed Mr. Romney. Senator McCain warned the party that the longer they spent squabbling over the candidacy the more difficult it would be for their eventual nominee to defeat President Obama when the time came.

As results of the Illinois primary trickled in, many believed it was the end of the road for Rick Santorum and the Republican Primary nomination contest.     In another jolt to an already sagging campaign came the endorsement of former Florida Governor Jeb Bush to Romney. So it looks like Santorum needs to turnaround his campaign with some quick fire wins, which looks highly unlikely, but never says never in Politics.

Romney’s win in Illinois almost doubled the lead in delegates over Santorum. The battleground shifts to Louisiana on Saturday and then to Wisconsin in April, Santorum needs to win big in both these states to stay alive in the contest. If he fails to do so, he will have buckle under the pressure and harbor his support to get behind Romney in the run up to the November 6 Presidential election.

Another wild theory doing the rounds is Santorum hoping to win enough to make sure that Romney does not win the nomination by the end of June, when state contests end. He believes he can then go to the August convention in Tampa, Florida, where a lot of conservatives are expected to turn up and tip Romney to the post.

Republican Mitt Romney cruised to an easy victory over top rival Rick Santorum in Illinois on Tuesday. With this victory he moved one step closer to be nominated as the Republican presidential candidate.

Romney told cheering supporters in Schaumburg, Illinois, that elections are about choices, and hundreds of thousands of people in Illinois have joined millions across the country to join their cause. He said he had the vision and experience to get the nation out of the crisis it is in now.

Of the 62 percent votes counted, Romney had 47 percent, Santorum; a former U.S. senator had 35 percent, with Ron Paul and Newt Gingrich lagging in third and place fourth place respectively. The diverse electorate in Illinois paid off for Romney, who has been unable to translate his substantial financial and organizational advantages into broad support in many states. Though many conservatives were not convinced, Romney has more than twice as many delegates to the nominating convention as Santorum, and Romney’s campaign has argued that his rivals cannot catch him in the contest to pick a challenger to Obama in the Nov. 6 election.

Conservative Republicans controlling the House unveiled a budget blueprint on Tuesday that combines slashing cuts to safety net programs for the poor with sharply lower tax rates in an election-year manifesto painting clear campaign differences with President Barack Obama.

The plan, authored by congressman Paul Ryan, seeks to draw a sharp contrast between Republicans’ vision of a smaller, less-intrusive federal government with that of President Barack Obama, who stresses the importance of social safety nets and emphasizes the positive role government plays in the economy.

The Ryan plan would shrink deficits to $3.13 trillion over 10 years, which is half the size of Barak Obama’s plan. It would make deep cuts to federal employee pensions and to social programs such as food stamps and the Medicaid health care program for the poor and dismantle Obama’s 2010 healthcare reform law.