A lot of people have messaged me asking how to get more involved in politics, or specifically in Obama's campaign.

The best general tip I have is to get informed and talk to your friends. It's critical to follow the news and see what's going on in your state, in Congress, and in the world. If you read the news often enough, you'll definitely find some issues to care about that will help you decide which candidate to support. There are some websites like Who's Your Candidate that contain information on all Presidential candidates. Make sure you don't get distracted by rumors--check anything that sounds funny on snopes.com.

As you get to know the issues and the candidates, talk to your friends! Teach them about what you care about and who you support. You'd be surprised by how important your opinions can be.

If you want to get involved in Obama's 2008 campaign (and I hope you do!), everything you need is on his website.

- Obama's policy information is here.

- Fill out this form to volunteer.

- Sign up here to be a member of Obama's social networking site, where you can find fellow supporters in your area and sign up for events.

If you are in a swing state, try to see if you can volunteer at a local office. There are lots of things you can do, such as making phone calls, doing data entry, or designing posters. Working at the Kerry/Edwards office in Boston was one of the most fun and fulfilling things I've ever done and I recommend it to anyone!

Hope this gets you started...make sure to message me if you have any questions!

Last week I graduated from Harvard with a degree in government. My focus was on global health care policy, and I'd like to work in that field eventually.

For now, I'll be taking a short detour from my intended career in politics to pursue a new field. In the fall, I'll be moving to Tokyo to work in finance as a trader. I hope this job will give me an opportunity to work on my language skills and learn about international business.

I'm disappointed that I won't be in the United States for the election, but I'll be doing my best at overseas and internet activism!

Well, Clinton sent us to war where we won and did not lose a single soldier. Here are some Republican quotes from the time: "You can support the troops but not the president." --Rep Tom Delay (R-TX) "Well, I just think it's a bad idea. What's going to happen is they're going to be over there for 10, 15, maybe 20 years." --Joe Scarborough (R-FL) "Explain to the mothers and fathers of American servicemen that may come home in body bags why their son or daughter have to give up their life?" --Sean Hannity, Fox News, 4/6/99 "[The] President . . . is once again releasing American military might on a foreign country with an ill-defined objective and no exit strategy. He has yet to tell the Congress how much this operation will cost. And he has not informed our nation's armed forces about how long they will be away from home. These strikes do not make for a sound foreign policy." --Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA) "American foreign policy is now one huge big mystery. Simply put, the administration is trying to lead the world with a feel-good foreign policy." --Rep Tom Delay (R-TX) "If we are going to commit American troops, we must be certain they have a clear mission, an achievable goal and an exit strategy." --Karen Hughes, speaking on behalf of George W Bush "I had doubts about the bombing campaign from the beginning . I didn't think we had done enough in the diplomatic area." --Senator Trent Lott (R-MS) "I cannot support a failed foreign policy. History teaches us that it is often easier to make war than peace. This administration is just learning that lesson right now. The President began this mission with very vague objectives and lots of unanswered questions. A month later, these questions are still unanswered. There are no clarified rules of engagement. There is no timetable. There is no legitimate definition of victory. There is no contingency plan for mission creep. There is no clear funding program. There is no agenda to bolster our over-extended military. There is no explanation defining what vital national interests are at stake. There was no strategic plan for war when the President started this thing, and there still is no plan today" --Rep Tom Delay (R-TX) "Victory means exit strategy, and it's important for the President to explain to us what the exit strategy is." --Governor George W. Bush (R-TX)

I just sent this as a letter to the editor to a couple papers and thought I should post it here too: President Bush’s recent statement that a description of intelligent design should accompany instruction on evolution is misguided. The theory of evolution has substantial historical evidence in support and can be appropriately discussed in a biology class in terms of the scientific method. On the other hand, intelligent design is based on the actions of a “higher power” and thus can not be tested or explained by scientific principles. Furthermore, would those people who are clamoring to “Let the children decide” appreciate it if history class detailed the opinions of Holocaust deniers and those who think the moon landing was a hoax? Public education should stick to theories that have been supported by evidence. Edit: Yay it's gonna be in the online edition of the Chicago Tribune, and they're still deciding on the print edition.