President Barack Obama shakes hands and thanks Soldiers of 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division
Honoring Those Who Served in Operation Iraqi Freedom & Operation New Dawn
President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama will host a formal dinner at the White House to pay tribute to the service and sacrifice of the veterans of the war in Iraq and their families, the White House announced today. With the Theme “A Nation’s Gratitude: Honoring Those Who Served in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation New Dawn,” the event has been designed to replicate a State Dinner, according to Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs Doug Wilson. It will be held in the East Room on February 29, and include performances by high-profile entertainers.
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VOLUNTEER
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DONATE TO A CHARITY THAT HELPS OUR VETERANS AND OUR MILITARY
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Wednesday,February 29 , 2012
All Times Eastern
7:00 AM
8:00 AM
9:00 AM
10:00 AM
11:00 AM
President Obama and Vice President Biden receive the presidential daily briefing.
12:00 PM
President Obama and Vice President Biden meet for lunch with Congressional Leadership.
1:00 PM
1:30 PM
White House Press Secretary Jay Carney briefs the press.
2:00 PM
3:00 PM
4:00 PM
5:00 PM
6:00 PM
7:00 PM
8:00 PM
8:20 PM
President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama will host a formal dinner at the White House to pay tribute to the service and sacrifice of the veterans of the war in Iraq and their families. Vice President Biden and Dr. Jill Biden also attend.
9:00 PM
10:00 PM
February 29, 2012
WhiteHouse.gov http://www.whitehouse.gov/live
1:30 PM EST
White House Press Secretary Jay Carney briefs the press.
8:20 PM EST
President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama will host a formal dinner at the White House to pay tribute to the service and sacrifice of the veterans of the war in Iraq and their families
—-
CNN http://live.cnn.com
9:30 AM EST
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar testifies about Interior’s budget request in front of the Senate Appropriations Committee
10:00 AM EST
Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke testifies before the House Financial Services Committee
10:00 AM EST
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton testifies before the House Appropriations Committee about the State Department’s budget request
10:00 AM EST
Senators discuss Iran crisis
Four U.S. senators brief reporters on the current situation in Iran.
10:00 AM EST
Cruise ship safety hearing
The House Transportation Committee holds a hearing on cruise ship safety in the wake of the Costa Concordia accident.
12:00 PM EST
House Democrats on oil and gas prices
Reps. Ed Markey and Barney Frank speak with reporters on rising oil and gas prices.
1:30 PM EST
House Committee Foreign Affairs
State Department Fiscal Year 2013 Budget
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton testified on her department’s fiscal year 2013 budget request.
1:30 PM EST
White House Press Secretary Jay Carney briefs the press.
2:00 PM EST
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton testifies before the House Foreign Affairs Committee
2:00 PM EST
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey testify before the House Budget Committee
8:20 PM EST
President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama will host a formal dinner at the White House to pay tribute to the service and sacrifice of the veterans of the war in Iraq and their families
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CSPAN http://www.cspan.org/
9:30 AM EST
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar testifies about Interior’s budget request in front of the Senate Appropriations Committee
10:00 AM EST
Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke testifies before the House Financial Services Committee http://www.c-span.org/Events/Congress-Questions-Fed-Chairman-on-State-of-the-Economy/10737428609/
10:00 AM EST
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton testifies before the House Appropriations Committee about the State Department’s budget request http://www.c-span.org/Events/Sec-Clinton-Defends-516B-State-Dept-Budget-Plan/10737428608/
10:00 AM EST
VA Secretary to Testfy on FY2013 Budget
Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki will testify before the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee on the budget request http://www.c-span.org/Events/VA-Secretary-to-Testfy-on-FY2013-Budget/10737428652/
10:00 AM EST
Cruise ship safety hearing
The House Transportation Committee holds a hearing on cruise ship safety in the wake of the Costa Concordia accident. http://www.c-span.org/Events/Hearing-Examines-Cruise-Ship-Safety-Regulations/10737428648/
10:00 AM EST
Senators discuss Iran crisis
Four U.S. senators brief reporters on the current situation in Iran.
12:00 PM EST
House Democrats on oil and gas prices
Reps. Ed Markey and Barney Frank speak with reporters on rising oil and gas prices.
1:30 PM EST
House Committee Foreign Affairs
State Department Fiscal Year 2013 Budget
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton testified on her department’s fiscal year 2013 budget request.
1:30 PM EST
White House Press Secretary Jay Carney briefs the press.
2:00 PM EST
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton testifies before the House Foreign Affairs Committee
2:00 PM EST
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey testify before the House Budget Committee http://www.c-span.org/Events/House-Budget-Committee-Reviews-Defense-Budget/10737428643/
8:20 PM EST
President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama will host a formal dinner at the White House to pay tribute to the service and sacrifice of the veterans of the war in Iraq and their families
President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama and the nation’s top defense leaders are honoring 78 service members – active duty, National Guard and Reserve – for their service in Iraq with a White House dinner on Feb. 29, 2012. Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta, Joint Chiefs Chairman Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, and the joint chiefs will be on hand to express the nation’s gratitude to the men and women who served in Operations Iraqi Freedom and New Dawn.
To see where all the guests are from: http://www.defense.gov/home/features/2012/0312_gratitude/
President Obama Salutes the Troops, and Invites You to Join In
Uploaded by whitehouse on Aug 26, 2010
First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden Launch Joining Forces
Uploaded by whitehouse on Apr 12, 2011
First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden launch Joining Forces — a comprehensive national initiative to mobilize all sectors of society to give our service members and their families the opportunities and support they have earned. Hear from the First Lady and Dr. Biden, meet some of America’s military families and watch the First Lady and Dr. Biden surprise a meeting with military families, veterans and volunteers.
Visit http://www.joiningforces.gov to learn more about military families and to find opportunities to support military families in their own communities.
President Obama, First Lady Will Host Formal Dinner To Mark End Of Iraq War
FEBRUARY 06, 2012 obamafoodorama.blogspot
President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama will host a formal dinner at the White House to pay tribute to the service and sacrifice of the veterans of the war in Iraq and their families, the White House announced today. With the Theme “A Nation’s Gratitude: Honoring Those Who Served in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation New Dawn,” the event has been designed to replicate a State Dinner, according to Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs Doug Wilson. It will be held in the East Room on February 29, and include performances by high-profile entertainers.
“The template is a State Dinner, the highest honor that a President can give a visiting Head of State, because everyone involved felt this was appropriate to give thanks and to honor America’s men and women in uniform,” Wilson said.
The dinner comes two and a half months after the last US troops withdrew from Iraq in December. The President and Mrs. Obama will welcome about 200 guests, men and women who represent the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marines, Navy and the National Guard. Guests have been selected to represent each US state and the territories, and include family members and/or caregivers, members of Gold Star families, and wounded warriors.
“Mrs. Obama wanted to make sure that the room that night represented the America that served in Iraq,” Wilson said.
1.5 million Americans served in Iraq during the war that lasted from March of 2003 to December of 2011; close to 4,500 were killed, and more than 32,000 wounded. Dinner guests will be clad in black tie and dress uniforms, and whether or not there will be a red-carpet style entrance has yet to be determined, Wilsom said.
Senior military leaders will be invited, but most of the invitations, which have not yet been sent, “will go to enlisted NCOs and the common fighting man and woman,” according to Wilson. Guests were selected by a committee of senior enlisted representatives from each branch of service and the National Guard. The White House will send out formal invitations in the next 7-10 days, Wilson said.
“This dinner — an expression of the nation’s gratitude for the achievements and enormous sacrifices of the brave Americans who served in the Iraq War and of the families who supported them — will include men and women in uniform from all ranks, services, states and backgrounds, representative of the many thousands of Americans who served in Iraq,” read the White House announcement.
For the entire article: http://obamafoodorama.blogspot.com/2012/02/president-obama-first-lady-will-host_06.html
Young Americans For Obama
Young Americans are at the foundation of this campaign. In 2008, young people came together to organize and lead a movement for change that helped Barack Obama win a historic election. Now, three years later, even more is at stake. We need to grow faster and fight harder to protect the progress we’ve made and continue to work for more. Young activists will lead the grassroots effort across the country to build this campaign for 2012 from the ground up.
The 2012 election will depend on us, as a generation of young leaders, to get the word out about the kind of politics we want to see. We’re the ones we’ve been waiting for, and we’re greater together.
Young Americans:
Home
Our Movement
Issues
Organize
Gen44
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The Greater Together Student Summit Tour
The Greater Together Student Summit Tour will run February 2012 to March 2012. The tour will bring together senior campaign officials, community leaders, student representatives and celebrities to discuss key policy issues impacting young Americans. This tour is a chance for students like you to weigh in on the issues that matter to you, and find out how you can start organizing on your campus to ensure a victory in November 2012.
University of Florida, Gainesville, FL - February 29, 2012
For more information on The Greater Together Student Summit Tour: http://www.barackobama.com/young-americans/student-summit
StartUp America
STEPPING UP TO BUSINESS – Georgia
STEPPING UP TO BUSINESS is a conference targeting small business owners and entrepreneurs that brings together banking, finance, and accounting experts in one place to provide mentoring on how to fund your path to success.
This event will provide an unprecedented opportunity to learn how to better finance your enterprise. The day-long conference will feature seasoned practioners, workshops, resource materials, and panel discussions with financial professionals with many years’ experience working with small businesses.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012 – 8:00am – 5:30pm
STREET ADDRESS: Loudermilk Center, 40 Courtland Street
Atlanta. GA
For more information: http://www.SBFI.org/Stepping-Up
Hiring Our Heros
US Chamber of Commerce
March 1, 2012 – Dallas Opportunity Expo
March 2, 2012 – Colorado Springs, CO
March 2, 2012 – Philadelphia, PA
March 6, 2012 – Columbia, SC
March 7, 2012 – Springfield, VA
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Dallas Opportunity Expo
Date Event: March 01, 2012
This one-of-a-kind hiring event is being held in conjunction with RecruitMilitary and is made possible in part thanks to our lead sponsor Capital One. The event will provide employers an excellent opportunity to find, recruit, and hire hard-working and capable employees. The event is only open to employers looking to hire these high-caliber employees and military vets and spouses looking to be hired. The event will connect great employers with very capable employees.
March 1, 2012
11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Irving Convention Center
500 Las Colinas Boulevard
Irving, TX 75039
Feb. 29, 2012
U.S. Men vs. Italy Men
2:30 p.m. ET
Stadio Luigi Ferraris
Genoa, Italy
ESPN, Galavision
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Feb. 29, 2012
U.S. Women vs. Denmark Women
12 p.m. ET
Estadio Algarve
Faro, Portugal
Dempsey scores as US beats Italy for first time
2/29/12 By DANIELLA MATAR | Associated Press – 1 hr 7 mins ago
GENOA, Italy (AP) — American players applauded each other and their fans. Their supporters cheered loudly and proudly waved the right, white and blue.
Gaining a rare victory over a soccer power, the United States beat Italy 1-0 Wednesday night on Clint Dempsey’s goal in the 55th minute for the Americans’ first win over the Azzurri in 11 games over 78 years.
“It’s a work in progress,” Dempsey said. “I like to think that we’re closing the gap and hopefully one day we can do something special.”
A Texan who has become an increasingly important element of the American team, Dempsey put a right-footed shot from just inside the penalty area past an outstretched hand of goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon. Fabian Johnson had crossed to Jozy Altidore, who with his back to the goal against Italy’s Andrea Barzagli touched the ball back toward the top of the area.
“I think we look like a top team in the sense where we have one chance and we’re going to make it count,” Altidore said. “I think it’s a big step in the right direction.”
For the entire article: http://news.yahoo.com/dempsey-scores-us-beats-italy-first-time-223735326–soccer.html
US opens Algarve Cup with 5-0 win over Denmark
The U.S. women’s soccer team is undefeated on Leap Day.
Alex Morgan scored two goals, Abby Wambach, Carli Lloyd and Sydney Leroux had one apiece, and the United States opened defense of its Algarve Cup title with a 5-0 win over Denmark on Wednesday night at Lagos, Portugal.
“Pretty impressive,” Lloyd said. “We went through a rough spell a few years ago as far as getting the ball into the back of the net and now we’ve got players coming off the bench and new players in the lineup who score goals.”
The only other time the U.S. women played on Feb. 29 was in 2004, when Wambach scored in a 2-0 win against Mexico.
“It wasn’t easy, I really want to emphasize that,” U.S. coach Pia Sundhage said.
Morgan, a 22-year-old who was the youngest player on last year’s American World Cup roster, made her third straight start after 15 consecutive appearances in which she entered as a sub.
“During the World Cup she helped the team tremendously coming off the bench. She will help this team being on the field for 90 minutes for many games, I think,” Sundhage said. “For young players, there will be ups and downs, but her speed and her technique is better than a year ago, and she’s a goal scorer, that’s for sure.”
Morgan said starting makes a big difference for her.
“It’s a huge difference. I am able to feel a lot more comfortable on the ball, posting up as a forward, being a little more versatile rather than running in behind every time,” she said. “In the World Cup, getting in 20 minutes or less, my job was to get in behind and break down the defense that way, but now I am able to play both in front and behind the back line.”
For the entire article; http://www.ctpost.com/sports/article/US-opens-Algarve-Cup-with-5-0-win-over-Denmark-3371263.php
A special event to honor veterans that will have the quality of a State Dinner — I like it!
I like that too!
Hi CR and Kat. Just wanted to pop in and say hi. Got home from the hospital about 2 hours ago. I had surgery this morning for severe sinusitus.
((HUG)) Take care and get well soon Jackie! Sinus pain can be so debilitating!
Yes. I have been struggling for several years. There were about ten polyps that had to be removed, as well as tons of stuff inside my head. It was qute extensive and was pretty messy with a lot of drainage. I am so looking forward to having much more energy after not needing the many medications I have been on. I need to recover a bit and then get out on the volunteering wagon for our President.
Wow, Jackie, you are made of strong stuff. Get well soon!
Thanks Kat.
Arne Duncan`s Sweet Pass
Uploaded by NBA on Feb 24, 2012
U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan throws an amazing over the shoulder pass to J.Cole who can`t finish the reverse layup. Visit http://www.nba.com/video for more highlights.
Three-term GOP Sen. Olympia Snowe won’t run for reelection
2/28/12 By Cameron Joseph – TheHill
Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) will not run for reelection, she announced Tuesday evening, in a move that shocked Washington and boosted Democrats’ chances of maintaining control of the Senate.
“After an extraordinary amount of reflection and consideration, I am announcing today that I will not be a candidate for reelection to the United States Senate,” Snowe said in a statement. “It has been an indescribable honor and immeasurable privilege to serve the people of Maine.”
Her retirement means the Senate will lose one of its most centrist Republicans — one who often crossed party lines to work with Democrats, and acted as a bridge between the two parties.
It is also a huge boon for Democrats and their fight to maintain control of the upper chamber: They had little hope of beating Snowe, but become heavy favorites to win an open seat in the Democratic-leaning state. Democrats are defending 23 seats to the Republicans’ 10, and this gives them a prime pickup opportunity. The GOP needs a net gain of only four seats (if President Obama wins reelection) to lead the Senate.
Snowe’s decision, coupled with Monday’s news that former Sen. Bob Kerrey (D-Neb.) is reconsidering a run for Senate, has made it a good week for Democrats. If he decides to run for retiring Sen. Ben Nelson’s (D) seat, the race could turn from a Republican slam-dunk into a competitive contest.
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) crowed about Snowe’s retirement Tuesday night.
“As we said from day one, unexpected opportunities will emerge and the DSCC will be in a position to seize on these opportunities,” Executive Director Guy Cecil said in a statement. “Maine is now a top pickup opportunity for Senate Democrats.”
The announcement caught Republicans completely off guard: Snowe didn’t tell Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) or National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman John Cornyn (R-Texas) of her plans until Tuesday afternoon, just hours before she put out her statement, according to a GOP source.
For the entire article: http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/senate-races/213127-olympia-snowe-wont-run-for-reelection
Sen. Snowe cited frustration over the “atmosphere of polarization and ‘my-way-or-the-highway’ ideologies”.
http://www.kjonline.com/news/Snowe-not-running-for-re-election.html
I hope we can pick up this seat in November.
This is great news. I love that she was very honest in stating “my-way-or-the-highway ideology, clearly the Republican message was frustrating.
February 28, 2012
Statement by the President on the Retirement of Senator Olympia Snowe
For nearly four decades, Olympia Snowe has served the people of the great state of Maine. Elected to the state House in 1973, Olympia went on to be the first woman in American history to serve in both houses of a state legislature and both houses of Congress. From her unwavering support for our troops, to her efforts to reform Wall Street, to fighting for Maine’s small businesses, Senator Snowe’s career demonstrates how much can be accomplished when leaders from both parties come together to do the right thing for the American people. Michelle and I join Mainers in thanking Senator Snowe for her service, and we wish her and her family all the best in the future.
Consumer confidence up in February
2/28/12 By ANNE D’INNOCENZIO | Associated Press – 1 hr 17 mins ago
NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. consumer confidence in February rose dramatically from last month to the highest level since a year ago, a private research group said Tuesday. The index is closely watched because consumer confidence makes up the majority of U.S. economic activity, and the news reflects a better attitude about the economy — good news for President Barack Obama as he seeks re-election this year.’
The Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index now stands at 70.8, up from a revised 61.5 in January, helped by consumers’ improving assessment of the job market. Analysts had expected a reading of 63. The February reading marks the highest level since February 2011, when it was 72.0.
The news gave confidence to Wall Street, helping it to reclaim the last of the ground it held before plunging into the depths of the Great Recession. The Dow Jones industrial average closed above 13,000 on Tuesday for the first time since May 19, 2008, four months before the fall of Lehman Brothers investment bank and the worst of the financial crisis.
The confidence index is still far below the 90 that indicates a healthy economy. But it’s closer to levels that indicate a steady economy. The index has risen slowly since hitting an all-time low of 25.3 in February of 2009. And in the past 12 months, it’s jumped from the high 60s to the low 40s amid continued worries about the health of the U.S. economy.
“Consumers are considerably less pessimistic about current business and labor market conditions that they were in January,” said Lynn Franco, director of The Conference Board Consumer Research Center in a statement. “Despite further increases in gas prices, they are more optimistic about the short-term outlook for the economy, job prospects and their financial situation.”
According to the survey of consumers, conducted from Feb. 1 through Feb. 15, shoppers are optimistic about the job market. Those anticipating more jobs in the months ahead increased to 18.7 percent from 16.4 percent, while those anticipating fewer jobs declined to 16.9 percent from 19.1 percent.
There are reasons for optimism. The government says 243,000 jobs were added in January, pushing down the unemployment rate to 8.3 percent, the lowest in three years. Unemployment has fallen five months in a row for the first time since 1994. Job figures for February are due out next week.
But there also are reasons for caution. The European debt crisis threatens to hurt the U.S. economy. And rising gas prices could limit spending by middle- and lower-income shoppers. The average U.S. price of a gallon of gasoline rose 18 cents to $3.69 from two weeks earlier, according to the Lundberg Survey of fuel prices released Sunday.
The index dropped to an all-time low of 25.3 in February 2009. Over the past 12 months, it has been going back and forth from the high 60s to the low 40s on continued worries about the economy.
In fact, confidence fell last October to 40.9, the lowest since March 2009, during the thick of the recession.
Good Leap Day everyone! I HOPE that you have a good day!
Happy Leap Day to you too CR!
Fourth-quarter GDP revised up to 3 percent
2/29/12 – 4 minutes 0 seconds ago
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The economy grew a bit faster than initially thought in the fourth quarter on slightly firmer consumer and business spending, which could help to allay fears of a sharp slowdown in growth in early 2012.
Gross domestic product expanded at a 3 percent annual rate, the quickest pace since the second quarter of 2010, the Commerce Department said in its second estimate. That was a step up from the 2.8 percent pace it reported in January.
Economists polled by Reuters had expected fourth-quarter GDP would be unrevised at a 2.8 percent pace. The economy grew at a 1.8 percent pace in the third quarter.
While the build-up in business inventories still accounted for much of rise in output in the last quarter, the revisions to GDP unveiled an improved tone for the first-quarter growth outlook.
Businesses were not as aggressive in their restocking efforts, which should help to allay fears of a sharper slowdown in output this quarter.
In addition, consumer spending – which accounts for about 70 percent of U.S. economic activity – was a touch firmer than initially thought. Consumer spending rose at a 2.1 percent rate instead of 2 percent.
Even spending on home building was firmer than previously estimated and investment on nonresidential structures was modestly weak.
So far data ranging from employment to manufacturing have shown underlying strength in the economy, reducing the need for the Federal Reserve to ease monetary policy further by launching a third round of asset purchases or quantitative easing.
For the entire article: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/fouarth-quarter-gdp-revised-3-133310276.html
Stone marker installed in U.S. Capitol acknowledging contribution of slaves to building it
2/29/12 By ANI
Washington, Feb.29 (ANI): Slaves helped build the U.S. Capitol in Washington, an irony that was recognized Tuesday with the dedication of a stone marker calling attention to their role in constructing the Americans most cherished monument to freedom.
The sandstone marker that was once a part of the Capitol was dedicated in the Capitol Visitor Center’s Emancipation Hall, the Los Angeles Times reports.
“For too long, the sacrifice of men and women who built this temple of democracy were overlooked; their toil forgotten; their story ignored or denied, and their voices silenced in the pages of history,” House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco said at the ceremony.
She added: “Yet today, we join together to strive to right this wrong of our past, to honor the sacrifice of these laborers, to lay down a marker of gratitude and respect for those who built the walls of the Capitol.”
Legislation also has been introduced calling for the design and placement in the visitors center of an “unknown slave” statue, to further recognize the contributions of slaves in building the Capitol.
Rep. Gary Ackerman, the bill’s author, said the statue would be “an acknowledgment of truth and an important symbol showing that the United States does not hide from its history, but rather learns from it.”
A similar Ackerman bill, introduced in the last Congress, never made it to the House floor.
Ackerman also recently wrote President Obama urging him to display in the White House a recognition of the role of slaves in its building.
The block of sandstone dedicated Tuesday was part of the Capitol’s East Front portico, which was completed in 1826. It had been in storage since the late 1950s, according to the Architect of the Capitol. (ANI)
Mitt Romney’s 9 worst clueless-rich-man gaffes
Feb 28, 2012 By The Week’s Editorial Staff | The Week
The GOP presidential contender is among the nation’s wealthiest Americans — and he keeps reminding voters by sticking his well-heeled foot in his mouth
“For Mitt Romney, ad-libbing is becoming a liability,” says Reid Epstein at Politico. When the normally on-script Romney makes off-the-cuff remarks, the result is often one “YouTube-worthy moment” after another, readymade for attack ads from his GOP presidential rivals or President Obama’s campaign. And the super wealthy “Romney’s gaffes are almost always related to his economic status,” says David Weigel at Slate. Let’s call it “Romneying,” or making “unforced references to one’s own economic success.” Here, nine of the best (or worst) “ Romneyisms”:
1. He pals around with NASCAR team owners
NASCAR races tend to be fertile ground for Republican presidential candidates, so Romney went to the (rain-delayed) inaugural race of the NASCAR season, the Daytona 500, on Feb. 26. When an AP reporter asked Mitt if he follows NASCAR, Romney replied: “Not as closely as some of the most ardent fans. But I have some great friends that are NASCAR team owners.” Ooof, says Slate’s Weigel. “The reference to ‘ardent fans’ would have been enough; the reminder that he sups among the super-rich was totally gratuitous.”
2. His wife drives “a couple of Cadillacs”
Speaking to the Detroit Economic Club on Feb. 24, Romney went off-script to speak of his love for his home state, where the cars are made in Detroit and “ the trees are the right height .” Mitt was also quick to remind the crowd that he drives Michigan-made cars — a Ford Mustang and a Chevy pickup — and that his wife “ drives a couple of Cadillacs .” Considering the Motor City’s high poverty rate, bragging about owning two $35,000-plus Caddies is “rich, literally,” says Charles Blow in The New York Times .
3. He’s not concerned about the very poor
Elated over his campaign-saving victory in the Florida primary, Romney interrupted his victory lap on Feb. 1 to tell CNN’s Soledad O’Brien: “I’m not concerned about the very poor. We have a safety net there.” His consultants must have been “gnashing their teeth at this remark,” says Ed Kilgore at Washington Monthly. Regardless of the broader point he was trying to make, “it’s this tone-deafness that makes a lot of Republicans nervous about Mitt Romney as a general-election candidate.”
4. He thinks $374,000 is “not very much” money
On Jan. 17, after a week of hounding from his GOP rivals and the media, Romney agreed to release his tax returns. The former private-equity businessman continues to make most of his income from investments, but also noted that he gets “speakers’ fees from time to time, but not very much.” The problem is that “not very much” was $374,000 last year, says Michael Gerson in The Washington Post . It’s great the Romney’s wealthy, but if he wants to win, he has to stop talking about money “as though engaged in a discussion with his stockbroker.”
5. He likes “being able to fire people”
On Jan. 9, Romney talked up his prescription for health insurance reform, suggesting that insurance policies shouldn’t necessarily be tied to your employer. That means, he said, “if you don’t like what [insurers] do, you could fire them. I like being able to fire people who provide services to me.” The bit about firing people was immediately ripped out of context, says Jonathan Capehart in The Washington Post, but it doesn’t help that “the look on Romney’s face when he says this line is right out of evil-boss-man central casting.”
6. He claims to have feared the pink slip
A day earlier, on Jan. 8, Romney commiserated with a group of New Hampshire voters, saying that he knows what it’s like to “worry whether you’re going to get fired,” and that when he first started working in finance, “there were a couple of times I wondered whether I was going to get a pink slip.” That set up Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s best line of his (now defunct) campaign: “Now I have no doubt that Mitt Romney was worried about pink slips — whether he was going to have enough of them to hand out.”
7. He casually bets $10,000
Perry and Romney had a pretty heated exchange at the Dec. 10 GOP debate in Des Moines, Iowa. Perry claimed that Romney was trying to bury his past support for health insurance mandates, and when he wouldn’t back down, Romney stuck out his hand and said: “Rick, I’ll tell you what. Ten thousand bucks? Ten thousand dollar bet?” That was a “huge unforced error” that played right to Romney’s greatest vulnerability: He “seems rich, elite, and out of touch,” says Mark McKinnon at The Daily Beast.
8. He believes corporations are people
About a month before Occupy Wall Street came into existence, Romney was challenged by hecklers at the Iowa State Fair on Aug. 11. When Romney said he opposed raising taxes to pay for entitlement programs, a man shouted out “Corporations!” Undaunted, Romney shot back: “Corporations are people, my friend…. Of course they are. Everything corporations earn also goes to people.” At least “‘Corporations are people, my friend’ makes a nice bumper sticker” for giggling progressives, says David Dayen at Firedoglake.
9. He jokes about being unemployed
Romney held a coffee chat with a group of Florida job-seekers last June, telling them , “I’m also unemployed.” The unemployed voters laughed good-naturedly, but not everybody found the quip funny. Romney has a “gift for odd, awkward, delusional gaffes,” says Tom Levenson at Balloon Juice. It’s this kind of joke that will keep the “ridiculously wealthy Romney” from ever persuading “the common clay that his is just like the least among us.” He shouldn’t even try.
Highlights: Bernanke’s prepared remarks to House panel
2/29/12 Reuters – 20 mins ago
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The following are highlights from Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke’s prepared testimony on Wednesday to the House of Representatives Financial Services Committee on the U.S. economy and monetary policy.
* BERNANKE ON THE ECONOMIC OUTLOOK
The recovery of the U.S. economy continues, but the pace of expansion has been uneven and modest by historical standards. After minimal gains in the first half of last year, real gross domestic product (GDP) increased at a 2-1/4 percent annual rate in the second half. The limited information available for 2012 is consistent with growth proceeding, in coming quarters, at a pace close to or somewhat above the pace that was registered during the second half of last year.
* BERNANKE ON THE RECENT IMPROVEMENT IN THE LABOR MARKET
* BERNANKE ON THE OUTLOOK FOR THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE
* BERNANKE ON DIFFERENT SIGNALS GIVEN BY LABOR MARKET AND FINAL DEMAND DATA
* BERNANKE ON DIFFERENT SIGNALS GIVEN BY LABOR MARKET AND FINAL DEMAND DATA
* BERNANKE ON INFLATION PRESSURES
* BERNANKE ON WHAT THE FOMC MEANS BY THE TARGET RANGE FOR THE FED FUNDS RATE
* BERNANKE ON THE FED’S BALANCE SHEET
* BERNANKE ON FEASIBILITY OF TARGETING EMPLOYMENT
* BERNANKE ON BALANCING VIEWS OF EMPLOYMENT WITH THOSE OF INFLATION
For the entire article: http://news.yahoo.com/highlights-bernankes-prepared-remarks-house-panel-150646008.html
Good morning CR and PPO Fam. HOPE you all have a great Wednesday.
Please join me in lighting a candle for our President, First Family and the Nation.
http://www.gratefulness.org/candles/candles.cfm?l=eng&gi=PBO
Good Wednesday morning and thank you Jackie!
Done! 21 now.
Hope you keep feeliing better, Jackie!
thanks Kat
Good and HOPEful Leap Day CR and all friends!
>^..^<
Good and HOPEful Leap Day Kat!
February 28, 2012
Statement by the Press Secretary on Dover Mortuary
We are deeply concerned about reports that in 2001, some unidentified portions of remains from the 9/11 attacks were disposed of in a landfill, and about the unacceptable handling of remains at Dover. The President has been briefed on the independent review of Dover Port Mortuary and strongly supports the Pentagon’s efforts to make needed systemic structural changes so that these types of incidents never happen again. The United States has a solemn obligation to compassionately and professionally care for fallen service members and their families, and those we tragically lost on 9/11.
USDA Offers More than Employment Opportunities for Veterans
David Dissinger February 29, 2012 11:56 AM EST
Today about 6.1 million of America’s veterans live in rural communities. About 38 percent of military recruits call rural America home, but these communities face real economic challenges. So over the past two years – at President Obama’s direction – USDA and the rest of the federal government have taken historic action to support rural economies.
At the same time, USDA has worked to increase our rate of hiring veterans and disabled veterans each year. At the end of Fiscal Year 2011, nearly a quarter of USDA’s permanent hires were veterans.
Veterans are leaders in their communities and we want to help them pursue their goals. So today, Secretary Vilsack signed a Memorandum of Understanding between USDA and The American Legion at The American Legion’s Washington Conference. The Legion is the Nation’s largest veterans service organization and has long been committed to helping transitioning military and America’s veterans find jobs.
We will work with the Legion to increase outreach, recruitment, hiring, and retention of veterans and to ensure that veterans across America – and especially in rural America – are well informed about USDA programs like our through Farm Service Agencyloans that can be used to purchase land, livestock, equipment, feed, seed and supplies. The agency provides direct and guaranteed loans to beginning farmers and ranchers. USDA also provides homeownership opportunities to low-and moderate-income rural Americans and business loans, grant and loan guarantees for rural communities under our Rural Development mission area.
For the entire article: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2012/02/29/usda-offers-more-employment-opportunities-veterans
Steve Benen writes:
Valerie Jarrett, a senior aide to President Obama, argued the other day that unemployment benefits “stimulate the economy.” The Romney campaign apparently didn’t care for the remark….
It’s unsettling how easily confused Team Romney gets on these issues….
The basic concept here is quite simple: unemployment benefits are good for the economy. People who receive the aid aren’t sticking it in a mattress or a money-market fund; they’re spending it and doing so immediately because it’s their main source of income. This injects demand and capital into the economy quickly, helping the beneficiaries and the rest of us.
In fact, when it comes to bang for the buck, jobless aid is the second most effective stimulus in the public-sector arsenal, right behind food stamps.
http://maddowblog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/02/29/10541347-stimulus-101
Deaniac does it again:
…. “What is it about working men and women they find so offensive?” – asked the president, quoting the Late liberal lion Ted Kennedy….
The GOP finds it offensive that workers could ever be owners. They find it offensive that workers can demand dignity, respect, and an honest wage. They find it offensive that working Americans are anything more than wage slaves for their corporate overlords. They find it offensive that there is a president who represents America’s workers in the White House.
They find it offensive that in the midst of a sea of political opposition, dried up private credit and relentless media skepticism, there would be one man with the courage to stake his presidency to assist, rebuilt, and retool the backbone of American manufacturing. Even more offensive they find the idea that he would place his bets in the American worker, and win.
http://www.thepeoplesview.net/2012/02/what-gop-really-finds-offensive-true.html
The GOP always seem to reach new levels of lowness
Economy expanding moderately: Fed Beige Book
2/29/12 Pedro da Costa – Reuters – 2 hrs 46 mins ago
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Federal Reserve said the U.S. economy expanded modestly in January through mid-February as hiring picked up a bit across several districts.
The U.S. central bank’s Beige Book released on Wednesday had much the same cautiously upbeat tone as the previous report, and pointed to some improvement even in the battered housing sector.
“Residential real estate market conditions improved somewhat in most districts,” the report, an anecdotal report on business activity, said. “Hiring increased slightly across several districts.”
Manufacturing appeared to be a bright spot, with many of the Fed’s 12 regional districts reporting rises in new orders, shipments or production, and several pointing to more robust investment spending.
In testimony on Wednesday, Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke expressed concern that the sharp recent drop in the unemployment rate may not be sustained. The jobless rate has fallen to 8.3 percent from around 9 percent last summer.
“The decline in the unemployment rate over the past year has been somewhat more rapid than might have been expected, given that the economy appears to have been growing during that time frame at or below its longer-term trend,” Bernanke told the U.S. House of Representatives Financial Services Committee.
U.S. economic growth for the fourth quarter was revised up to 3 percent on Wednesday, but forecasters see the first quarter’s rate coming in closer to 2 percent.
Fed officials have been debating another possible round of monetary stimulus through bond purchases, but some improvement in the outlook in recent weeks has dampened the prospect for such action.
The Beige Book report portrayed inflation as subdued, but it warned that some businesses were expecting to pass higher input costs – presumably linked to the recent spike in energy costs – along to consumers.
N. Korea, US agree on nuclear halt
2/29/12 By Simon Martin | AFP – 3 hrs ago
North Korea’s new leadership said Wednesday it would suspend nuclear and missile tests and its uranium enrichment programme as part of a deal that includes US food aid for the impoverished nation.
The agreement, confirmed simultaneously by Washington, represents a potential breakthrough in efforts to halt the North’s drive for atomic weapons following the death of longtime leader Kim Jong-Il last December.
The deal followed talks in Beijing last week between the two sides, the first dialogue since Kim’s young and untested son Kim Jong-Un took power.
A Pyongyang foreign ministry spokesman said Washington had promised 240,000 tonnes of “nutritional assistance”, with the prospect of additional food aid for the North, which has suffered severe food shortages since a famine in the 1990s.
The North said it would allow the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), to monitor the moratorium on uranium enrichment.
The enrichment programme, first disclosed in November 2010, could give the communist state a second way to make atomic weapons in addition to its longstanding plutonium programme.
This is believed to have produced enough material for six to eight atomic weapons.
The North said the US side offered to discuss the lifting of sanctions and provision of light-water reactors to generate electricity as a priority, once long-stalled six-party nuclear disarmament talks resume.
For the entire article: http://news.yahoo.com/n-korea-agrees-nuclear-halt-inspectors-us-144545314.html
Progress. Yet another reason why we need to keep PBO in office and give him a Democratic House and Senate to work with.
ObamaFoodorama reports that representing Washington state at tonight’s WH dinner is Chief Petty Officer Bradley A. VanHorn.
http://obamafoodorama.blogspot.com/2012/02/tonight-president-obama-honors-iraq.html#more
The U.S. Navy’s Seabee Magazine has a little profile:
….. “When I got the invitation in the mail addressed from the White House, with very fancy handwriting on it, I read what was inside and got on the phone to call everyone in my family,” VanHorn said.
VanHorn said he doesn’t think he did anything special to be selected, but it is a great honor.
“There have been thousands of veterans who have sacrificed and served just like I did; and I thank them and their families for their service as well,” he said. “All of them deserve a chance to tell a story about going to the White House for their sacrifices as well.” ….
http://seabeemagazine.navylive.dodlive.mil/2012/02/28/seabee-on-white-house-guest-list/
Thank you Chief Petty Officer VanHorn and all the brave men, women in our armed forces and their families.
Now Streaming…
8:20 PM EST
President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama will host a formal dinner at the White House to pay tribute to the service and sacrifice of the veterans of the war in Iraq and their families
WhiteHouse.gov http://www.whitehouse.gov/live
CNN http://live.cnn.com
CSPAN http://www.c-span.org/Events/President-Hosts-Dinner-Honoring-Iraq-War-Veterans/10737428610-1/
March 01, 2012
Remarks by the President, the Vice President, Secretary Panetta, and General Dempsey at Dinner in Honor of the Armed Forces who Served in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation New Dawn and their Families
East Room
February 29, 2012
8:07 P.M. EST
GENERAL DEMPSEY: You can go ahead and keep — you do whatever you got to do. I’ll do whatever I got to do. (Laughter.) That’s what the chain of command is all about.
This morning, my wife, Deanie, we woke up and she said, “You know today is a special day.” And I said, “Of course it is. We’ve been invited to the White House to celebrate the end of mission in Iraq.” And she said, “No, no.” I mean, she said, “That’s pretty cool, actually.” But she said, “It’s also Leap Year. It’s the 29th of February. It only comes around once every four years.” And then she said — and so, in thinking about that, she said, “Do not sing. Don’t even think about singing at this event tonight.” (Laughter.) “Because if you do, we are likely not to be invited back again for like the next four years.” (Laughter.) And she said –
AUDIENCE MEMBER: Sing!
GENERAL DEMPSEY: No. (Laughter.) And she said, “Besides, the President has a better voice.” (Laughter and applause.)
Now, sir, I’m your senior military advisor. I don’t agree with that assessment, personally. (Laughter.) But we’ll see.
I’m particularly honored tonight to be joined by the Joint Chiefs, who are scattered through the audience — with General George Casey, with General Rick Sanchez, and General Lloyd Austin, who, honestly, have done some incredible heavy lifting for our nation over the past decade. You all stand tall in an exceptionally long list of dedicated leaders who put their heart and soul into seeing our difficult mission in Iraq through to completion.
For more than two decades — that’s the thing to remember here — for more than two decades, Iraq was a dominant part of our lives. In a sense, it was a family affair. And what I mean by that is some of us sent our own sons and daughters into this conflict over the past 20 years. All of us left our families behind. And tour after tour, they served and supported every bit as much as we did.
The road we traveled together was very tough. Every day required us to balance conflict and compassion, context and consequence. Everywhere and at every level, we learned the power of relationships — relationships rooted in trust and respect within ourselves, but also with our Iraqi brothers and sisters.
And we saw just how profoundly impressive America’s fighting force, the Armed Forces of the United States — soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen — and family members like all of you here tonight, and those that I’ve known through the years, proudly represent. Because you, and those who didn’t come home with us, and those who returned forever changed, really made possible what we were able to accomplish in Iraq.
It was your courage, your resilience, and your sheer resolve to take care of each other, to defend our nation, and to provide the Iraqi people with a choice for their own future. Even in — and maybe even, I’d say, especially in — the toughest of times, your character and those you represent here tonight shine through. And it mattered.
Mr. President, Mrs. Obama, thank you for recognizing the service and sacrifice of the military family in this very special way. I really appreciate — we really appreciate — the support that you and the Vice President, and Dr. Biden and your wife, and those that they have bound together in the Joining Forces initiative, and the nation provide us, as men and women in uniform and the families that we represent. And I know that we all share a commitment to keep faith with them, and especially the thousands who have returned with wounds both seen and unseen.
There’s no one more strongly committed to their well-being than the person that I now have the opportunity and the privilege to introduce. Ladies and gentlemen, our Secretary of Defense, the Honorable Leon Panetta. (Applause.)
SECRETARY PANETTA: Thank you very much, General Dempsey. And he does have one hell of a voice. (Laughter.)
Thank you for your duty, for your dedication, for your service to this great nation that we all represent here this evening.
Tonight, we are truly in the company of heroes. The honor that we present to all of you is because we care about those who have fought and sacrificed in Iraq.
Mr. President, Mrs. Obama, we thank you deeply for honoring those heroes and welcoming them here into your home.
To all who fought in Iraq, we thank you for your service. You’ve earned our nation’s everlasting gratitude. We are indebted to you for your willingness to fight, your willingness to fight for your country. We are indebted to your families and to your loved ones for the sacrifices that they made so that their loved ones could help defend this nation.
Again and again and again, you left the comfort of family and friends, you left the comfort of this great country, and confronted brutal realities. Places like Baghdad, Ramadi, Fallujah, Sadr City, Najaf and elsewhere throughout Iraq. Your unflagging commitment and uncommon dedication helped the Iraqis realize a dream of building an independent and sovereign nation that could secure and defend itself.
It is not going to be easy, but the fact is you gave them the opportunity to be a democracy — because of you. You are part of a generation of Americans — the new, greatest generation of Americans — responding to the call of duty by your nation. Deployment after deployment, you’ve been willing to serve this nation. You’ve been willing to put your lives on the line and you’ve been willing to die in order to protect this country.
You have done everything this country asked you to do. You return to a grateful nation. And you can stand proud of all you’ve accomplished. We owe all of you the honor that your service is deserving. And we owe to you the assurance that we will never forget the sacrifices of those who are not with us this evening — those who gave their lives to this country. We pledge to their memory and we pledge to all of you that we will never forget and we will never retreat from what you’ve accomplished.
Last December in Baghdad, we cased the colors of the United States Forces Iraq. And I had the chance to be at that ceremony. And at the time I noted, this is not the end; this is truly the beginning.
For America tonight, this is not the end. It is the beginning of a long-lasting tribute to you and to all who served in Iraq. This country was built upon the service and sacrifice of men and women like you. Our very democracy depends on people like you, who are willing to step forward and defend this country, to salute and, yes, to fight to give each of us a chance to pursue the American Dream, giving our children a better life. And just as you have recognized and fulfilled your responsibility to this nation, we must do the same for you. It is now our responsibility, the responsibility of communities at every corner of this country, to embrace your return, to welcome you back, and to ensure that you and your families have the support you deserve.
For the entire article: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/03/01/remarks-president-vice-president-secretary-panetta-and-general-dempsey-d
Iraq Vets Share Experiences Before White House Dinner
Feb. 29, 2012 By Karen Parrish American Forces Press Service
ARLINGTON, Va. – Like the military branches they represent, the Iraq veterans who gathered here today are diverse. More than 60 troops and veterans of both sexes and a range of ages, backgrounds and experiences came together at a local hotel as they prepared to receive an honor they have all earned: the nation’s thanks for their service.
This evening, as guests of President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama at a White House dinner, they will represent the million-plus U.S. troops who served in Iraq and the families who supported their service.
The event is titled “A Nation’s Gratitude: Honoring the U.S. Troops of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation New Dawn,” but veterans who spoke to reporters today overwhelmingly expressed their own thanks for the honor.
“It’s kind of surreal, because in my heart, I just feel like little Heather Wunderlich, … a simple, plain girl who’s a wife and mother,” one National Guard sergeant said. “I’m very excited about it.”
Army Sgt. Heather N. Wunderlich, 28, a flight medic with the Nebraska National Guard, said in a telephone interview earlier this week she’s honored to represent her fellow Guard members, and particularly all the Iraq vets who didn’t return from combat there.
“All of us who are still alive, and came home alive, we owe those men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice the hugest debt of gratitude,” she said. The United States lost 4,409 service members in Iraq, according to Defense Department officials.
Some family members of fallen troops will be at tonight’s dinner, and Wunderlich said she wants them to know “that we know, and we will never forget them.”
Wunderlich deployed as a flight medic from 2006 to 2007 and from 2010 to 2011. She married her husband of just over one year, Sgt. Jeremie Wunderlich, 34, just before they both deployed in 2010, she added. He will attend tonight’s dinner as her guest.
During the first deployment, she was new to the military and to her job, Wunderlich noted.
For the entire article: http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=67381
Paraphrase of PBO:
You taught all of us a lesson about America… We draw strength from every color and creed… every day we succeed together as Americans… I am proud of you….
And a beautiful toast, too.
US Navy Seals motto ” The Only Easy Day Was Yesterday”
US Marines motto : “Semper Fidelis” – “Always faithful”
US Navy motto: “Honor, Courage, Commitment”
US Army Special Forces motto: “De oppresso liber” – “To Liberate the Oppressed”
US Airforce motto: “Aim High … Fly-Fight-Win”
US Army motto: “This We’ll Defend”
US Coast Guard motto: “Semper Paratus” – “Always Ready”
Thursday, March 1 , 2012
All Times Eastern
7:00 AM
8:00 AM
9:00 AM
10:00 AM
President Obama receives the presidential daily briefing.
Oval Office
Closed Press
10:30 AM
President Obama departs the White House en route Joint Base Andrews.
South Lawn
Open Press
10:45 AM
President Obama departs Joint Base Andrews en route Nashua, New Hampshire.
Travel Pool Coverage
11:00 AM
12:00 PM
12:05 PM
President Obama arrives Nashua, New Hampshire.
Manchester-Boston Regional Airport
Open Press
12:45 PM
President Obama tours Nashua Community College
Nashua, New Hampshire
Travel Pool Coverage
12:45 PM
Vice President Biden and Secretary Vilsack deliver remarks at Iowa State University
Local Event Time: 11:45AM CST
Iowa State University
Open Press
1:00 PM
1:30 PM
President Obama delivers remarks at Nashua Community College
Nashua, New Hampshire
Open Press
2:00 PM
3:00 PM
President Obama departs Nashua, New Hampshire en route New York City.
Manchester-Boston Regional Airport
Open Press
4:00 PM
President Obama arrives New York City.
John F. Kennedy International Airport
Open Press
Vice President Biden attends a campaign event with local supporters
Local Event Time: 3:00PM CST
4:55 PM
President Obama delivers remarks at a campaign event.
Private Residence
Print Pool
5:00 PM
6:00 PM
Vice President Biden attends a campaign event with local supporters in Ames, Iowa.
6:05 PM
President Obama delivers remarks at a campaign event.
ABC Kitchen
Travel Pool Coverage
7:00 PM
8:00 PM
8:20 PM
President Obama delivers remarks at a campaign event.
ABC Kitchen
Travel Pool Coverage
9:00 PM
9:25 PM
President Obama delivers remarks at a campaign event.
Private Residence
Print Pool
10:00 PM
11:00 PM
11:10 PM
President Obama departs New York City.
March 1, 2012
WhiteHouse.gov http://www.whitehouse.gov/live
10:00 AM EST
USAID Gender Policy Rollout
The White House, in conjunction with USAID, will launch USAID’s new Gender Policy regarding integrating gender equality and female empowerment throughout the Agency. USAID Administrator Dr. Rajiv Shah, Gayle Smith with the National Security Staff, and a representative from the White House Council on Women and Girls will participate in this event.
The White House
12:45 PM EST
Vice President Biden and Secretary Vilsack deliver remarks at Iowa State University (Audio Only)
1:30 PM EST
President Obama discusses the economy, with a focus on energy, in remarks on the campus of a community college in New Hampshire.
—-
CNN http://live.cnn.com
9:30 AM EST
U.S. Senate: Vote on Contraception Amdt. & Transportation Bill
9:30 AM EST
Energy Secretary Steven Chu testifies before the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee
9:30 AM EST
Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan testifies before the Senate Appropriations Committee about his department’s budget request
10:00 AM EST
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke testifies before the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee
10:00 AM EST
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius testifies before the House Energy and Commerce Committee
10:00 AM EST
Senate Foreign Relations Committee – Syria: The Ciris and its Implication
11:15 AM EST
Secretary of State Clinton meets with Blair
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair discuss Middle East issues in Washington.
12:45 PM EST
Vice President Biden and Secretary Vilsack deliver remarks at Iowa State University
1:30 PM EST
President Obama discusses the economy, with a focus on energy, in remarks on the campus of a community college in New Hampshire.
2:24 PM EST
Veterans Affairs Secretary Shinsek testifies before the Senate Committee Veterans Affairs on the
Veterans Affairs Fiscal Year 2013 budget requests
—-
CSPAN http://www.cspan.org/
9:30 AM EST
U.S. Senate: Vote on Contraception Amdt. & Transportation Bill http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/304679-1
9:30 AM EST
Energy Secretary Steven Chu testifies before the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee
9:30 AM EST
Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan testifies before the Senate Appropriations Committee about his department’s budget request http://www.c-span.org/Events/HUD-Secretary-Donovan-Details-FY2013-Budget/10737428688/
10:00 AM EST
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke testifies before the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee http://www.c-span.org/Events/Fed-Chairman-Returns-to-Capitol-Hill-for-Monetary-Policy-Report/10737428660/
10:00 AM EST
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius testifies before the House Energy and Commerce Committee http://www.c-span.org/Events/Secretary-Sebelius-Discusses-76B-Budget-Request/10737428679/
10:00 AM EST
Senate Foreign Relations Committee – Syria: The Ciris and its Implication http://www.c-span.org/Events/Senate-Foreign-Relations-Committee-Holds-Hearing-on-Syria/10737428613/
10:15 AM EST
The Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee will hold a hearing to discuss regulation and prevention of prescription drug diversion and abuse in the U.S. http://www.c-span.org/Events/Hearing-Discusses-Prescription-Drug-Diversion-and-Abuse/10737428689/
11:15 AM EST
Secretary of State Clinton meets with Blair
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair discuss Middle East issues in Washington.
12:45 PM EST
Vice President Biden and Secretary Vilsack deliver remarks at Iowa State University http://www.c-span.org/Events/Vice-President-Travels-to-Iowa-for-Speech-on-Manufacturing/10737428684/
1:30 PM EST
President Obama discusses the economy, with a focus on energy, in remarks on the campus of a community college in New Hampshire. http://www.c-span.org/Events/Pres-Obama-Visits-NH-to-Discuss-the-Economy/10737428672/
2:24 PM EST
Veterans Affairs Secretary Shinsek testifies before the Senate Committee Veterans Affairs on the
Veterans Affairs Fiscal Year 2013 budget requests
General public tickets available at 5:30 today for Obama’s Thursday Nashua Community College visit
February 28, 2012 nashuatelegraph
NASHUA – General public tickets for President Obama’s Thursday visit to Nashua Community College will be available at 5:30 p.m. today, according to college President Lucille Jordan.
A limited number of free general public tickets, with only one person, will be distributed at Room 118 at the Amherst Street college, Jordan said.
Tickets for NCC students will be distributed at 3 this afternoon. Students who want to obtain a ticket should come to Room 150 with their student identification card at 3 p.m., according to the college.
All students attending the president’s speech will be excused from classes on Thursday, according to the college.
Obama is scheduled to speak at about noon Thursday. Doors will open at 10:30 that morning.
Obama will talk about his “blueprint for an economy built to last, with a focus on American energy,” according to the White House.
Obama calls states hit by storms
3/1/12 4:12 PM EST POLITICO44.
Before boarding Air Force One in New Hampshire, President Barack Obama called the governors of six states hit by storms (Missouri, Illinois, Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana and Kansas), according to a pool report.
“The president expressed condolences and assured them that FEMA is ready in position to assist as necessary,” Press Secretary Jay Carney told reporters, according to the report. “The president said his thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims.”
Biden to Iowa on Thursday
2/27/12 4:08 PM EST POLITICO44
From the White House: “On Thursday, March 1, Vice President Biden will visit Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa to discuss the Administration’s proposals to reward businesses that bring manufacturing jobs back to America and the importance of our skilled workers, scientists, and engineers to America’s economic leadership.”
2012 White House Easter Egg Roll Lottery
Thursday March 1st at 10:00 AM EST
nps.gov
The 2012 White House Easter Egg Roll will be held on Monday, April 9. As in past years, an online lottery will be conducted to choose the lucky winners of tickets. Signing up for the lottery is free of charge and tickets for the winners are free of charge. You can sign up for the lottery starting Thursday March 1st at 10:00 AM (EST) by visiting the 2012 White House Easter Egg Roll Lottery page.
For more information on the history of the White House Easter Egg Roll, visit our page on the history of the Easter Egg Roll . To view information on last year’s event, visit the 2011 Easter Egg Roll page .
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2012 Easter Egg Roll Poster Contest
The White House invites all elementary and middle school students to submit poster designs for the 2012 Easter Egg Roll. This year’s theme, “Let’s Go, Let’s Play, Let’s Move”, promotes health and wellness following the First Lady’s Let’s Move! initiative, a national campaign to combat childhood obesity. The First Lady will select the winning design, which will be used as part of the White House 2012 Easter Egg Roll program.
The deadline for submissions is Wednesday, March 7th, 2012 at 11:59p.m. EST. Submissions should relate to this year’s theme, “Let’s Go, Let’s Play, Let’s Move”, and may not exceed 2 megabytes (high-quality scans measuring either 8.5”x11” at 600 dpi or 20×16” at 300 dpi must be available upon request). Please note, submissions may be made public during the selection process.
For more information: http://www.whitehouse.gov/webform/2012-easter-egg-roll-poster-contest
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2012 White House Souvenir Easter Eggs
Rolling Easter eggs on the White House South Lawn is one of the most eagerly anticipated spring events in our Nation’s Capital. Celebrate the tradition with your very own White House Easter Egg.
The official 2012 White House Easter Egg, which is crafted from FSC-certified U.S. hardwood, comes in four unique colors and includes the stamped signatures of the President and First Lady. The souvenir eggs arrive in a festive gift box made from SFI-certified paperboard.
SPECIAL OFFER: A special edition Bo Egg is included when you buy a set of 2012 souvenir eggs! The Bo Egg is only available with the set.
For the 2012 White House Souvenir Easter Eggs: http://easter.nationalparks.org/index.php?app=ecom&ns=catshow&ref=2012
Important Shipping Note: The souvenir eggs will begin shipping on Monday, March 19. If you order before March 19, please note that your order will not ship until on or around this date.
The National Park Foundation produces and sells the official White House Easter Egg to help support the annual White House Easter Egg Roll on the White House South Lawn, which is one of our country’s nearly 400 national parks.
i always love the WH Easter eggs.
And this video is seriously cute. I am a Bo fan.
CONGRATULATIONS!
US Men’s National Soccer Team 1 – Italy 0
US Women’s National Soccer Team 5 – Denmark 0
See articles at the begining of the thread
*honk!*
Pelosi: Limbaugh’s ‘vicious attacks’ on student uncivilized
2/29/12 By Mike Lillis – TheHill
House Democrats went after Rush Limbaugh Wednesday for his attacks on a university student who recently testified before Congress on women’s reproductive health.
Limbaugh on Wednesday called Georgetown Law Center student Sandra Fluke a “slut” and a “prostitute” for her support of the Obama administration’s new birth-control mandate.
Behind House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), the Democrats said Limbaugh’s remarks were uncivilized and misogynistic. They’re asking Republican leaders to denounce the popular conservative radio host.
Limbaugh’s attacks, the Democrats said, “are outside the circle of civilized discussion and … unmask the strong disrespect for women held by some in this country.”
“We call upon the Republican leaders in the House to condemn these vicious attacks on Ms. Fluke, which are in response to her testimony to the Congress,” they added.
Fluke: Here are the women
Aside from Pelosi, Democratic Reps. Louise Slaughter (N.Y.), Rosa DeLauro (Conn.), Carolyn Maloney (N.Y.), Elijah Cummings (Md.) and Diana DeGette (Col.) – as well as Del. Eleanor Holmes-Norton (D.C.) – endorsed the message.
Fluke has become something of an unwitting celebrity on Capitol Hill this month after Republicans on the Oversight and Government Reform Committee denied the Democrats’ request to have her testify on Obama’s new birth control mandate. Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) argued that the policy concerns religious freedom, not reproductive health.
Democrats pounced, hoping to portray the Republicans as out-of-touch with women’s healthcare needs. To highlight the saga, Democratic leaders had Fluke discuss the issue last week before the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee.
That testimony led Limbaugh to claim Wednesday that Fluke “wants to be paid to have sex.”
“What does it say about the college co-ed Susan [sic] Fluke who goes before a congressional committee and essentially says that she must be paid to have sex? What does that make her?” Limbaugh asked. “It makes her a slut, right? It makes her a prostitute.
“She wants to be paid to have sex,” he added. “She’s having so much sex she can’t afford the contraception. She wants you and me and the taxpayers to pay her to have sex.”
Pelosi and the Democrats are hoping such statements from conservatives will help them with Independent voters – particularly women – in November.
“Democrats will always stand up for women’s health and women’s voices,” their statement concludes.
Obama phones woman called ‘slut’ by Limbaugh
3/2/12 1:21 PM EST By JENNIFER EPSTEIN – POLITICO44
The young woman who was called a “slut” by Rush Limbaugh got a call Friday from President Obama who voiced support for her pro-birth control advocacy.
“He encouraged me and supported me and thanked me for speaking out about the concerns of American women,” Georgetown law student Sandra Fluke said on MSNBC’s “Andrea Mitchell Reports.” She got the call from Obama while in a green room waiting to appear on the show.
“What was really personal for me was that he said to tell my parents that they should be proud and that meant a lot because Rush Limbaugh questioned whether or not my family would be proud of me,” Fluke said. “So I just appreciated that very much.”
Soon after she appeared on TV, Fluke also thanked Obama on her Twitter account. “Thank you @BARACKOBAMA for your call and words of support. It means so much to me and millions of women! #WeWillNotBeSilenced,” she wrote.
Fluke testified in support of the Obama administration’s rules on contraceptives in an unofficial hearing chaired by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) after Republicans kept her off what turned out to be an all-male panel testifying against the rules
White House press secretary Jay Carney said that the president called Fluke because “he wanted to express his disappointment that she has been the subject of inappropriate personal attacks.”
Carney said it was “a very good conversation” that lasted several minutes. The president “like a lot of people feels the kinds of personal attacks that have been directed her way are inappropriate, the fact that our political discourse has become debased is bad enough.”
Limbaugh mentioned Fluke on his show Wednesday. “What does it say about the college co-ed Susan [sic] Fluke, who goes before a congressional committee and essentially says that she must be paid to have sex? What does that make her?” the conservative talker said.“It makes her a slut, right? It makes her a prostitute. She wants to be paid to have sex. She’s having so much sex she can’t afford the contraception. She wants you and me and the taxpayers to pay her to have sex. What does that make us? We’re the pimps.”
Carney said Obama was aware of Limbaugh’s comments, which the press secretary called “reprehensible.”
He added: “It is disappointing that those kinds of personal and crude attacks could be leveled against someone like this young law school student who was simply expressing her opinion on a matter of public policy and doing so with a great deal of poise.”
Limbaugh said on his show Friday that Obama was “so compassionate” to call Fluke. “Obama just called Sandra Fluke to make sure that she was alright, aw,” the host said. “What a great guy. The president called her to make sure she’s OK. What is she, 30 years old? Thirty years old, student at Georgetown Law who admits to having so much sex she can’t afford it.”
Store chains see February sales gains
3/1/12 By Phil Wahba | Reuters – 18 mins ago
(Reuters) – Victoria’s Secret parent Limited Brands Inc reported a large sales gain for February, leading a charge of retailers that benefited from rising consumer confidence to beat Wall Street forecasts.
Limited, which also owns Bath & Body Works, said on Thursday that sales at stores open at least a year rose 8 percent last month, above the analysts’ average forecast of 6.2 percent compiled by Thomson Reuters.
So far six retailers, including Stage Stores , and teen-oriented The Buckle Inc and Zumiez Inc have reported February sales that have come in above Wall Street forecasts.
Improving consumer confidence is one reason analysts expect February same-store sales to be up 3.4 percent for the 21 companies tracked in Thomson Reuters’ same-store sales index.
Other chains, including Macy’s Inc , Kohl’s Corp and Target Corp , will report later on Thursday morning.
The housing market appears to be stabilizing, and the unemployment rate fell to 8.3 percent in January from 9.1 percent in August. The University of Michigan’s consumer confidence survey rose for the sixth straight month in February.
And the surging stock market, which this week hit its highest levels since May 2008 financial meltdown, has been a boon for upscale chains like Saks Inc and Nordstrom Inc in recent months.
But the rising price of gasoline is casting a pall on consumer spending. As of Thursday, a gallon of gas in the United States cost $3.74, up 35 cents from a year earlier, according to the American Automobile Association.
On Wednesday, Costco Wholesale Corp said its same-store sales had risen 8 percent in February, outpacing the 7.6 percent rise that analysts expected, according to Thomson Reuters data. Much of the warehouse club chain’s gains in the past year have come from shoppers seeking cheaper gasoline.
Wet Seal was one of the few chains to report a decline in sales, but the fall of 5.8 percent was less steep than expected.
Home decoration and furniture chain Pier 1 Imports Inc said its same-store sales for the full holiday quarter rose 10.3 percent.
Unemployment applications dip to a 4-year low
3/1/12 By DEREK KRAVITZ | Associated Press – 9 mins ago
WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of people seeking unemployment benefits fell slightly last week to the lowest point in four years, a further sign that the U.S. job market is steadily improving.
A seasonally adjusted 351,000 people sought unemployment aid, down from 353,000 the previous week, the Labor Department said Thursday. That matches the four-year low reached three weeks ago. It’s the fewest since March 2008.
A four-week average of claims, which smooths out weekly fluctuations in the data, also fell last week, to 354,000. That’s also the lowest figure in four years.
Applications have fallen steadily since October. The average has declined 14.6 percent since then. When applications drop consistently below 375,000, it usually signals that hiring is strong enough to lower the unemployment rate.
Economists expect the government to report another strong month of hiring for February, similar to the average net gain of about 200,000 in the previous three months.
Hiring has picked up in recent months. The economy added 243,000 net jobs in January, the most in nine months. The unemployment rate dropped for the fifth straight month, to 8.3 percent — the lowest in nearly three years.
Healthier economic growth is spurring greater job growth. The economy expanded at an annual rate of 3 percent in the final three months of last year.
Most economists expect growth will slow in the current quarter, because companies won’t need to rebuild their stockpiles of goods as much as they did last winter. That means less production of goods.
For the entire article: http://news.yahoo.com/unemployment-applications-dip-4-low-134006641.html
Good Thursday morning everyone! I HOPE that you have a good March!
Another sign of improving economy
3/1/12 By ANNE D’INNOCENZIO | Associated Press – 31 mins ago
NEW YORK (AP) — Many retailers reported strong sales gains for February in the latest sign that Americans are feeling more confident in the economy.
As merchants reported their monthly sales figures Thursday, a diverse group of retailers including Target Corp., Macy’s Inc. and Limited Brands Inc., reported sales gains that exceeded Wall Street estimates.
The figures, based on revenue at stores opened at least a year, are considered an indicator of a retailer’s health. Only a small group of retailers report monthly sales figures. But industry watchers say those merchants that do post monthly numbers offer a snapshot of consumer spending, which accounts for more than 70 percent of all economic activity.
“No one is declaring victory yet. But there’s general optimism in the air,” said Arnold Aronson, managing director of retail strategies at consulting firm Kurt Salmon.
An unusually mild winter helped get people into stores to shop for clothes and shoes in February. But what had a bigger impact is the improving economy, which boosted shoppers’ moods during the month to the highest level in a year, according to a widely-watched barometer of consumer confidence released yesterday by private research group the Conference Board.
Americans particularly are encouraged by the improving job market. The government reported that the unemployment rate fell to 8.3 percent, the lowest in three years and the first time since 1994 that unemployment has dropped five months in a row.
Meanwhile, the four-week average of people seeking unemployment aid fell to the lowest point in four years. Economists expect employers to add another 210,000 jobs when job figures for February are out next Friday.
Meanwhile, Wall Street hit two milestones. The Nasdaq composite index briefly touched 3,000 on Wednesday for the first time since the collapse in dot-com stocks more than a decade ago. Stocks ended lower, but it was still the best February on Wall Street in 14 years. That came a day after the Dow Jones industrial average closed above 13,000 for the first time since May 2008.
For the entire article: http://news.yahoo.com/another-sign-improving-economy-135838411.html
Consumers spend more after incomes rise again
3/1/12 By CHRISTOPHER S. RUGABER | Associated Press – 17 mins ago
WASHINGTON (AP) — Consumers earned a little more in January and spent most of the extra money.
The modest gains should keep the economy growing slowly. But they disappointed economists, who were expecting bigger increases after two months of strong hiring.
The Commerce Department said Thursday that consumer spending increased 0.2 percent in January. That’s better than December’s reading of no change.
Americans’ income rose 0.3 percent, the second straight monthly increase.
A separate report from the Labor Department suggested February was another strong month for hiring. Weekly applications for unemployment benefits dipped last week to 351,000.
The figure matched a four-year low set three weeks ago, leading many economists to predict employers added more than 200,000 net jobs in February for the third straight month.
For the entire article: http://news.yahoo.com/consumers-spend-more-incomes-rise-again-134116106.html
Next Up…
10:00 AM EST
USAID Gender Policy Rollout
The White House, in conjunction with USAID, will launch USAID’s new Gender Policy regarding integrating gender equality and female empowerment throughout the Agency. USAID Administrator Dr. Rajiv Shah, Gayle Smith with the National Security Staff, and a representative from the White House Council on Women and Girls will participate in this event.
The White House
WhiteHouse.gov http://www.whitehouse.gov/live
USAID Gender Policy Rollout
Uploaded by whitehouse on Mar 1, 2012
The White House, in conjunction with USAID, launched USAID’s new Gender Policy regarding integrating gender equality and female empowerment throughout the Agency. March 1, 2012.
What Romney will take away from women
March 01, 2012 Posted by Elizabeth Chan – democrats.org
After yet another flip-flop—this one in record time—Mitt Romney definitively went on the record to say that “of course” he supports one of the most controversial, extreme pieces of legislation we’ve seen in generations: the amendment proposed by Republican Senators Marco Rubio and Roy Blunt to place the decision over access to contraception and preventive care squarely in the hands of a woman’s employer.
To put it simply: Romney officially signed on to the GOP’s latest attack against women’s health.
What’s at stake here?
It’s not just birth control. More than 20 million American women could lose access to mammograms, pre-natal screenings, cervical cancer screenings, vaccines, domestic violence counseling, and a host of preventive services that shouldn’t be up for debate in 2012.
The President’s Affordable Care Act gives millions of women control over their own health care. By endorsing the extreme Blunt-Rubio amendment, Romney would take it away.
Good morning CR ansd PPO Family. HOPE you all have a terrific Thursday.
Please join me in lighting a candle for our President. First Family and the Nation.
http://www.gratefulness.org/candles/candles.cfm?l=eng&gi=PBO
Good Thursday morning and thank you Jackie!
Not bad, 25 lit now! Number’s going up again.
U.S. Consumer Confidence Holds Near Four-Year High, Bloomberg Index Shows
Mar 1, 2012 6:45 AM PT By Ian Katz – bloomberg.com
Consumer confidence in the U.S. held close to an almost four-year high last week as pessimism about the performance of the economy eased.
The Bloomberg Consumer Comfort (COMFCOMF) Index was minus 38.8 in the period ended Feb. 26 after reaching minus 38.4, the highest level since April 2008, in the previous period. It marked the third straight week above minus 40, which is the level associated with recessions and their aftermath. The margin of error for the headline reading is 3 percentage points.
For the fourth consecutive week, at least half the respondents viewed their personal finances as positive, a run that has been matched once since 2008. While job growth and higher stock values are underpinning sentiment, higher fuel costs pose a threat to further gains in confidence and may discourage households from spending more.
“Right now it does appear that stabilization in the labor market and rising share prices of equities are partially offsetting rising gasoline prices,” said Joe Brusuelas, a senior economist at Bloomberg LP in New York. “Should prices continue to rise at the pump, the Bloomberg Consumer Confidence Index, which has a strong inverse correlation with gasoline prices, will likely deteriorate.”
The price of a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline climbed to $3.73 as of Feb. 28 from a 10-month low of $3.21 in December, according to AAA, the nation’s largest automobile association. Last year, gasoline costs rose to $3.99 a gallon in early May, from $3.10 at the end of January. At the same time, confidence waned.
For the entire article: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-03-01/u-s-consumer-confidence-holds-near-four-year-high-bloomberg-index-shows.html
Manufacturing grows at slower pace in February
3/1/12 By DANIEL WAGNER | Associated Press – 13 mins ago
WASHINGTON (AP) — Manufacturing activity grew more slowly in February as factories received fewer new orders and paid higher prices for raw materials.
The Institute for Supply management, a trade group of purchasing managers, says its manufacturing index fell last month to 52.4 from 54.1 in January. It was the lowest reading since November. Any reading above 50 indicates expansion.
New orders increased, but at a far slower pace than the month before. Production and employment also grew more slowly.
Exports increased sharply, a sign that Europe’s debt crisis has not yet dampened overseas sales by U.S. factories as many had feared.
The sector has expanded for 31 straight months, according to the index.
Our Dependence on Foreign Oil Is Declining
Megan Slack March 01, 2012 09:30 AM EST
America’s dependence on foreign oil has gone down every single year since President Obama took office. In 2010, we imported less than 50 percent of the oil our nation consumed—the first time that’s happened in 13 years—and the trend continued in 2011.
We’re relying less on imported oil for a number of reasons, not least that production is up here in the United States. In fact, America is producing more oil today than at any time in the last eight years. As part of his strategy to increase safe, responsible oil production in the United States, President Obama has opened millions of new acres for oil and gas exploration and we now have more working oil and gas rigs than the rest of the world—combined.
Despite all this, Americans are still paying more at the pump when we fill up. That’s because drilling for more oil here at home won’t affect the price of gas on its own. Oil is bought and sold on a world market. In the short term, it’s subject to price spikes when there’s instability or uncertainty along the global supply chain. And growing demand in countries like India, Brazil, and China, which tripled the number of cars on the road in the last five years, will drive prices even higher over the long term.
So we have to do more than drill now to bring down prices for the future. Relying on the fossil fuels of the last century won’t be enough, especially as demand keeps increasing. We need an all-out, all-of-the-above strategy that develops every available source of American energy. This includes everything from tapping our offshore oil supplies and vast natural gas reserves, to doubling down on clean energy resources like wind and solar power, and developing new technologies that help us use less energy altogether.
This is the strategy President Obama has been pursuing since he took office, but there’s still more to be done. We need to put in place the right incentives to encourage a clean energy future, and repeal the $4 billion in annual taxpayer subsidies paid to oil and gas companies. Today in New Hampshire, the President will reiterate his call on Congress to do just that.
Want to learn more about President Obama’s Blueprint for American-made energy? Here’s everything you need to know.
President Obama is leading us in the right direction. I support his “all of the above” approach to developing as many sources of energy as possible and increasing investment in clean energy and energy-conserving technology.
Good and HOPEful March 1st, CR and all friends!
>^..^<
Good and HOPEful March 1st Kat!
Md. Gov. to sign gay marriage legislation Thursday
3/1/12 By SARAH BREITENBACH | Associated Press – 6 hrs ago
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Gov. Martin O’Malley will make Maryland the eighth state to legalize gay marriage when he signs a bill passed by the General Assembly.
O’Malley is expected to sign the legislation, which he sponsored, Thursday, though same-sex ceremonies cannot be performed until January 2013.
Gay marriage supporters assume they’ll have another hurdle to jump as the law is expected to be petitioned to referendum in November.
Gay marriage opponents are prepared to collect the nearly 56,000 signatures needed to put the measure on the ballot and are expected to rely heavily on churchgoers who oppose same-sex marriage as a matter of faith, to reach that goal.
Organizers say they hope to collect nearly double the required number of signatures to ensure enough are validated by the state elections board.
Anothe step to an Equal America
Good news.
12:45 PM EST
President Obama tours Nashua Community College.
Next Up…
12:45 PM EST
Vice President Biden and Secretary Vilsack deliver remarks at Iowa State University
WhiteHouse.gov http://www.whitehouse.gov/live (Audio Only)
CNN http://live.cnn.com
CSPAN http://www.c-span.org/Events/Vice-President-Travels-to-Iowa-for-Speech-on-Manufacturing/10737428684/
Remarks and video to follow.
USDA Unveils New Digital Project On Wednesday: “Know Your Farmer Know Your Food Compass”
FEBRUARY 28, 2012 obamafoodorama.blogspot.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Deputy Agriculture Secretary Kathleen Merrigan will take to the internet on Wednesday afternoon to celebrate the debut of USDA’s new Know Your Farmer Know Your Food Compass. They’ll be chatting with the public during a live webinar about USDA’s huge digital project, an interactive web-based tool/document that includes maps, studies, data sets, and stories from farmers, ranchers, food producers and communities that highlight USDA’s support for local and regional food projects.
The Compass is the “10,000-foot view” of USDA’s many programs, components, and business opportunities across the 17 agencies and additional offices that make up the Department, according to Merrigan (l), who described the still-embargoed project as “dense, rich, visually appealing, with lots of embedded videos.” It’s also doing double duty as a report to Congress about the Know Your Farmer Know Your Food initiative, launched in September, 2009.
For the entire article: http://obamafoodorama.blogspot.com/2012/02/usda-unveils-new-digital-project-on.html
Americans freed to leave Egypt
3/1/12 11:02 AM EST POLITICO44
The US has paid bail and American democracy workers are clear to leave, Egyptian officials say, according to the Associated Press.
Next Up…
1:30 PM EST
President Obama discusses the economy, with a focus on energy, in remarks on the campus of a community college in New Hampshire.
WhiteHouse.gov http://www.whitehouse.gov/live
CNN http://live.cnn.com
CSPAN http://www.c-span.org/Events/Pres-Obama-Visits-NH-to-Discuss-the-Economy/10737428672/
March 01, 2012
Remarks by the President on American Energy
Nashua Community College
Nashua, New Hampshire
1:28 P.M. EST
THE PRESIDENT: Hello, Nashua! (Applause.) It is good to be back in New Hampshire! (Applause.)
Thank you, Mike, for that wonderful introduction and for your service to our country. I want to thank the president of Nashua Community College, Lucille Jordan, for hosting us here today. Give Lucille a big round of applause. (Applause.) We’ve got Professor Paul Wunderlich, who gave me a great tour. Where’s Paul? Where is he? He’s got a beard — you can see him. (Laughter.) There he is. And I want to thank your Mayor, Donnalee Lozeau, for joining us here today. (Applause.) Where’s Donnalee? Right over there — there. Right in there.
AUDIENCE MEMBER: We love you!
THE PRESIDENT: I love you back. It is good to be back in New Hampshire.
AUDIENCE MEMBER: (Inaudible) 911! 911! Somebody’s down!
THE PRESIDENT: Okay, we’ll be all right. They probably were just standing too long. Just give them a little space. Where’s our EMS folks? They’ll be okay. Just give him a little space. This happens sometimes. You guys been here a while after the magging?
AUDIENCE: Yes.
THE PRESIDENT: Well, no, you have to eat ahead of time. (Laughter.) Keep your blood sugar high. We got somebody over there? Jordan, right in the middle. There we go. Here’s our guy. Make a little room, everybody. All right, let’s make sure everybody is okay. You all right? All good? Okay. I think you’re going to be all right. Okay. (Applause.) So remember, eat before you come to a presidential event. (Laughter.)
Now, I am from Chicago, so you know a little snow was not going to keep me away — (applause) — which is why I can relate to New Hampshireites, because this is just like a dusting. (Laughter.) What’s the big deal? There’s no big deal. When Air Force One landed there were like 50 people waiting to shake my hand — they got icicles on their eyebrows. (Laughter.) I was like, hey, great weather. (Laughter.) So I want to thank all of you for making the trek out here. I really appreciate it.
I just had a chance to look at some of the cutting-edge work that’s being done here at the auto shop. Earlier this week, I gave a speech to American autoworkers where I said that one reason this country has an auto industry today is because we’re not just building cars again — (applause) — we’re building cars that use less oil, cars that go further on a gallon of gas. And in part, that’s because of what’s happening in places like this community college. It’s because of so many of you.
I don’t need to tell you why fuel efficiency is so important, especially right now. Most of you filled up your gas tanks in the last week or two, am I right?
AUDIENCE: Yes.
THE PRESIDENT: It hasn’t been a happy experience. You’ve see the prices go up almost every day and you’ve already felt the pinch, whether you own a car or maybe you own a small business that uses energy. Some of you have no choice but to drive a long way to work. And higher gas prices are like a tax straight out of your paycheck. And in the winter, the rising price of oil is also making it more expensive to heat your homes.
Now, I know this is hard to believe, but some politicians are seeing higher gas prices as a political opportunity. You’re shocked, I know. (Laughter.) But it’s true — right in the middle of an election year. Who would have thought? (Laughter.) So recently, the lead in one news story said — and I’m quoting here — “Gasoline prices are on the rise and Republicans are licking their chops.” Licking their chops. Now, let me tell you, only in politics do people respond to bad news with such enthusiasm. (Laughter.) That doesn’t happen anywhere else.
And so, as a consequence, you can anticipate we’re going to be hearing a lot about how people have these magic 3-point plans to make sure that you’re only paying $2-a-gallon gas. Just like we heard about it in the last election, just like we’ve heard about it for the last 30 years. And you know what the essence of their plan is going to be, which is: Step one, drill. Step two, drill. Step three, keep drilling. And by the way, we’ll drill in your backyard. Wherever it is, we’re just going to put up more rigs.
Now, if there’s one thing I know about New Hampshire, it’s that your political bull detector is pretty keen. It’s pretty sharp. (Applause.) You know that we can’t just drill our way to lower gas prices. There are no quick fixes or silver bullets. If somebody tells you there are, they’re not telling you the truth.
If we’re going to take control of our energy future — which we have to do — if we’re going to avoid high gas prices every single year, with a lot of politicians talking every single year but nothing happening — if we’re going to avoid that, then we’ve got to have an all-of-the-above strategy that develops every single source of American energy. Not just oil and gas, but also wind and solar and biofuels. (Applause.) We’ve got to keep developing the technology that allows us to use less oil in our cars and trucks, less oil in our buildings and our factories. And that’s the strategy we’ve been pursuing for the last three years, and it’s the only real solution to this challenge.
For the entire article: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/03/01/remarks-president-american-energy
President Obama on Gas Prices and Oil Subsidies
Matt Compton March 01, 2012 05:47 PM EST
Today in New Hampshire, President Obama renewed his call to repeal the $4 billion in subsidies that taxpayers provide the oil industry each year and said there’s only one real path forward for America’s future — an all of the above approach that develops every source of energy available to us.
He also addressed the idea that we’ll be able to drill our way to lower gas prices and energy independence:
The President is directing the federal government to address a range of issues that are having a real impact on what each of us pays at the pump. For starters, he’s working to prevent speculators from taking advantage of uncertainties in the commodities market and trying to reduce bottlenecks in the supply chain.
And the President is making a real push to eliminate the tax breaks that we provide to one of the most profitable industries in the world:
U.S. Senators
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Tweet a Message to Your Representatives
Average rate on 30-year mortgage down to 3.90 pct.
3/1/12 By DEREK KRAVITZ | Associated Press – 2 hrs 25 mins ago
WASHINGTON (AP) — The average rate on the 30-year mortgage edged down this week to hover again above record lows. Cheaper rates have spurred modest improvements in the battered housing market, but not enough to signal a recovery.
Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday that the rate on the 30-year home loan fell to 3.90 percent from 3.95 percent the previous week.
That’s slightly above the 3.87 percent average rate hit two weeks ago, which was the lowest since long-term mortgages began in the 1950s.
The average on the 15-year fixed mortgage fell to 3.17 percent from 3.19 percent a week ago. It hit a record 3.14 percent four weeks ago.
Mortgage rates have been below 4 percent for more than three months. That has made home-buying and refinancing more attractive for those who can qualify.
Home sales have improved and the four-week average of home purchase applications was up a smidge last week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. Refinancing now makes nearly 78 percent of mortgage activity.
But government programs have been propping up the relatively low level of mortgage applications. The Obama administration’s revamped refinancing program, the Home Affordable Refinance Program, or HARP, now accounts for more than 20 percent of refinancing nationwide.
Elsewhere, the housing market is displaying signs of health ahead of the traditionally busy spring-buying season.
Builders are more optimistic and construction has picked up. The supply of homes fell last month to its lowest point in nearly seven years, which could send home prices higher.
Nationwide, home prices have fallen by 33 percent since hitting their peak in late 2006.
Single-family homes are considered “undervalued assets” when looking at both rents and incomes, according to Capital Economics.
The job market is also improving, which is critical to a housing rebound. In January, employers added 243,000 net jobs — the most in nine months — and the unemployment rate fell to 8.3 percent, the lowest level in nearly three years.
For the entire article: http://news.yahoo.com/average-rate-30-mortgage-down-3-90-pct-152443237.html
From TPM:
Democrats Narrowly Block Blunt Amendment
by Sahil Kapur
…. The close vote masks the GOP concerns about this issue. It was Democrats who forced Republicans to vote on the measure — Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) filed the motion to table it himself — and GOP leaders responded by vigorously whipping members for it….
After the vote, Blunt vowed to continue the battle, while Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) decried the GOP push as “shameful, but not surprising.”
“Women and families across America can breathe a sigh of relief that this radical amendment was blocked by Senate Democrats today,” she said.
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/03/dems-roll-blunt-as-senate-republicans-cast-tough-birth-control-vote.php?ref=fpa
We need to keep the Senate Democratic in 2012 and restore the House Democratic majority!
I agree!
4:00 PM EST
Vice President Biden attends a campaign event with local supporters
Local Event Time: 3:00PM CST
4:55 PM EST
President Obama delivers remarks at a campaign event.
Private Residence
March 01, 2012
Remarks by the President at a Campaign Event
Private Residence
New York, New York
5:00 P.M. EST
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. Thank you, everybody. (Applause.) Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you. Wow, you are making me blush. (Laughter.)
It is just wonderful to be here. And I want to thank Victor and Sarah for opening up their extraordinary home. Although, I will say they have some pictures of me before I had gray hair — (laughter) — which is a little troubling. They should have put the photo down. (Laughter.) But it’s a testimony to how long the two of them have been friends and supporters. And those of you who know them know the passion and the extraordinary energy that they bring to issues of social justice and democratic politics.
I’m grateful for all you being here. I’m going to keep my remarks at the top relatively brief, so that we can have more of an exchange of ideas, and I can answer questions and you guys can give me good advice.
But I’ll tell you — obviously we’ve gone through three of the toughest years that America has gone through in our lifetimes. And when I think back to those early months — at a time when we were losing 800,000 jobs a month, and the banking sector had completely locked up, and the auto industry was on the verge of liquidation here in the United States, and, globally, no one was sure whether the center would hold — the thing that gave me confidence was the incredible resilience and energy and hopefulness that I had seen during my travels as a presidential candidate. And so as scary as those moments were, I had confidence that America could bounce back.
Now, we’re not all the way back. There is still a lot of hardship out there. There are a lot of folks who still are looking for a job, or if they’re employed, are still just barely getting by. There are millions of Americans who have seen their homes decline in value and they’re underwater, and they’re wondering whether they’re going to be able to retire as they had planned, or send their kid to college.
We still have an enormous amount of work to do. But the good news is that here in the United States, the trend lines are good. Last month, we saw 250,000 jobs created. We’ve created 3.7 million jobs over the last two years. We’ve seen the highest growth in manufacturing jobs since the 1990s. Unemployment is still high, but it’s been moving in the right direction.
And across the country what you’re seeing are businesses — small and large — saying to themselves, you know what, investing in America makes sense, because for all of our challenges, there’s still no country that other folks would rather be because they understand that there is something about this place; that there’s a set of values that are core to who we are, that are woven into our DNA, that allow you to make it if you try.
Now, the challenge is that for a lot of folks that essential American Dream that brought a lot of our forebears here to the United States has been slipping away. And so even as we’ve tried to right the ship of the economy, even as we saved the auto industry, even as we stayed focused on putting people back to work, we were also looking at what are the fundamentals that ensure that everybody is going to get a fair shot, everybody is going to do their fair share, everybody is going to play by the same set of rules.
And that’s why, over the last three years, we’ve focused on making sure that you don’t go bankrupt if you get sick, and that 30 million people will have health insurance that didn’t have it before, and insurance companies can’t deny you coverage at a time when you need it most. (Applause.)
It’s the reason we’ve put such an emphasis on education — not just through reform of the K-12 system, so every kid, no matter what their circumstances, can move ahead, but also, that once they graduate from high school, they can actually afford to go to college. And we’ve made a bigger commitment at the federal level to education than any administration in recent history. And our basic argument has been, not only are we going to put more money in, but we’re also going to reform the system, and raise standards and infuse school districts with the kind of creativity and passion that’s required to make sure that kids can learn.
It’s the reason why, on the environmental front, we’ve doubled fuel-efficiency standards on cars, so that we know that a decade from now your average vehicle will get 55 miles a gallon — which is part of the reason why we’re starting to see our dependence on foreign oil decline — and having an energy policy that is not just drill, drill, drill, but is also investing in clean energy and advanced battery technologies and making sure that we’re using energy more efficiently. That’s going to be one of the foundations for making sure that we can succeed over the long term.
So, in addition to just saving the economy, what we’ve been trying to do is make sure that we provide a better foundation for long-term economic growth. And we’re poised to make that happen.
For the entire article: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/03/01/remarks-president-campaign-event
February auto sales rise; GM posts surprise gain
3/1/12 By Deepa Seetharaman and Ben Klayman – Reuters – 1 hr 39 mins ago
DETROIT (Reuters) – A surprising sales gain by General Motors Co and strong performances by Ford Motor Co and others helped put U.S. February auto sales on track for their highest annual sales rate in nearly four years.
U.S. auto sales in February are expected to rise 15.8 percent from the year-ago month, spurred by improving consumer confidence and the growing need for drivers to replace their aging cars and trucks. The gains came even as fuel prices shot up last month.
The annual sales rate, a closely watched industry yardstick, was projected to reach 14.7 million vehicles, JP Morgan said. That would be the best monthly showing since March 2008, before the financial crisis that sent Detroit into a tailspin.
“There are a number of factors that are helping release this pent-up demand,” GM’s U.S. sales chief, Don Johnson, told analysts on a conference call. “Perhaps the most encouraging sign is that home builders are becoming more optimistic.”
Some analysts and industry executives have said that the U.S. auto sector will not recover significantly until U.S. home prices pick up and consumers feel more prosperous.
While U.S. economic data so far this year has been relatively upbeat, some of the gains reflect unseasonably warm weather. Analysts are watching gasoline prices, which early last year contributed to a softening in the economy that nearly pushed it back into recession.
GM, the largest U.S. automaker by sales, said the February sales rate could be as high as 14.9 million vehicles, topping the high end of analyst estimates.
GM’s sales were helped in February by a strengthening economy and compact car sales, according to analysts and the company. The same factors helped other carmakers as well.
Chrysler posted a February U.S. sales increase of 40 percent compared with the year-ago period. Ford saw a 14 percent rise, Volkswagen AG was up 42.5 percent, Kia Motors Corp gained 37.3 percent and Nissan Motor Co Ltd was up 15.5 percent.
The auto industry is three years into a recovery after a severe slump that led to the bankruptcies of GM and Chrysler in 2009. The U.S. industry was selling nearly 17 million vehicles a year on average in the 10-year period ending in 2007.
Last year, the industry sold 12.8 million vehicles.
Short-term fluctuations in fuel prices will not hurt demand for new vehicles this year, but they could influence consumer preferences on what types of cars to buy, analysts said. Sales of Ford’s Focus small car more than doubled in February.
For the entire article: http://news.yahoo.com/chrysler-group-reports-auto-sales-40-percent-135600189.html
6:00 PM EST
Vice President Biden attends a campaign event with local supporters in Ames, Iowa.
6:05 PM EST
President Obama delivers remarks at a campaign event.
ABC Kitchen
March 01, 2012
Remarks by the President at a Campaign Event
ABC Kitchen
New York, New York
6:04 P.M. EST
THE PRESIDENT: (In progress.) First of all, your outstanding congresswoman of this district, Carolyn Maloney, is here, and we want to give her a big round of applause. (Applause.) And my understanding is we also have the chairman of our convention effort in Charlotte, North Carolina, Jim Rogers. Where’s Jim? (Applause.) Where is he? Jim Rogers, right here. (Applause.) Thank you, Jim. Here is working hard to make sure that is a good event and we’re going to make sure that North Carolina is blue again. (Applause.)
So I’m not going to be long at the top. I’m just going to make a few brief remarks, and then what I want to do is save as much time as possible for us to have a conversation and to take questions.
Four years ago, we were losing 800,000 jobs a month; last month, we gained 250,000 jobs. (Applause.) Three years ago, the banking system had frozen up completely; today, credit is flowing again. Three years ago, the auto industry was on the verge of liquidation; today, GM not only is the number-one automaker in the world again, but also saw the highest profits in its entire history. Over the last two years, we’ve created 3.7 million jobs in the private sector. Manufacturing is the strongest it’s been since the 1990s.
None of this argues that we’re out of the woods. Many of you are in business and you know better than I do that there are a lot of folks out there who are still having a tough time. There are a lot of small businesses that still have trouble getting credit. The unemployment rate remains too high. We still have enormous challenges to make sure that we are the most competitive, most productive economy in the world in the 21st century. But the trend lines are good. The economy is stronger, we are more productive, and we are poised to be able to take advantage of a moment where all the things that we’re good at — innovation, dynamism, entrepreneurship — all those things are going to be at a greater premium than ever before.
And the question then becomes, do we continue down the path that allows us to compete and create good jobs with good wages, and ensures that the essence of the American Dream — which is everybody gets a fair shot, no matter where you come from, no matter what you look like; if you work hard and you’ve got a good idea, you’re able to succeed; that everybody does their fair share so that, in addition to this incredible individualism and enterprise that we rightly are proud of, we also are looking out for one another; and everybody is playing by the same set of rules, that the notion of fair play exists in all sectors of our economy — the question is, is that going to be the vision that guides us over the next 10, 20, 50 years? Or are we going to pursue a vision that says it’s okay for a few of us to do really well while the rest of America is struggling?
And this election is going to give us a starker choice than we have had in my lifetime. Now, if you agree with me that it’s good for all of us to ensure everybody has a fair shot, everybody is doing their fair share and fair play reigns, then that has to translate into some concrete policy. It means that we continue to make investments in education, and we follow the path that we’ve been following over the last three years, which is, yes, we put more money into education, but we also demand more reform.
It means we continue to make investments in American-made energy. But that doesn’t just include oil production and gas production — as much as we’re promoting that. It also includes us preparing for the future by investing in clean energy.
It means we’re investing in science and technology, recognizing that that’s how we got here — was we invented more stuff, and operationalized it and commercialized it better than anybody else in the world. And the federal government, historically, has had a role in that. It means we rebuild our infrastructure so that we can compete and move goods and services around the world better than anybody else can.
And it means that even as we are getting our fiscal house in order, that we’re doing so in a way that doesn’t just put the burden on the senior citizen on Medicare, or the student who is trying to finance their way through college, but those of us that have been incredibly blessed by this society, that we’re doing our part as well.
Now, the proposals that I’ve put forward in terms of balancing our budget, making our government more efficient but making sure that it’s still creating ladders of opportunity, making sure that we’re still investing in those things that help us succeed economically, that made us an engine of economic growth and created this incredible middle class, that we have — all those things that we’ve done are ideas that, traditionally, received Democratic and Republican support.
For the entire article: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/03/01/remarks-president-campaign-event-0
8:20 PM EST
President Obama delivers remarks at a campaign event.
ABC Kitchen
March 01, 2012
Remarks by the President at a Campaign Event
ABC Home and Carpet
New York, New York
8:45 P.M. EST
THE PRESIDENT: Hello, New York! (Applause.) Oh, it is good to be back in New York City. (Applause.)
We’ve got some folks here that I want to acknowledge. First of all, the event co-chairs Deepak Chopra, thank you. Paulette Cole, thank you. (Applause.) Reshma Saujani thank you. (Applause.) Russell Simmons, thank you. (Applause.)
Got a couple of elected officials who are here — Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney is here, and public advocate Bill de Blasio is here. (Applause.) I want to thank all the talent who participated — Ben Folds, Ingrid Michaelson. The Roots are always in the house. (Applause.) And Aziz Ansari. (Applause.)
Now, this is big because Malia is a big Parks and Recreation fan. (Applause.) So having Aziz here is like the only thing she thinks is worth me doing. (Laughter.) I want to thank him for what he said earlier. I know he’s backstage, but I just want to remind him I’ve got more Twitter followers than you, man. (Laughter.) I just want to keep him humble and hungry. (Laughter.) We all need somebody who does that. Fortunately, I have Michelle. (Laughter and applause.)
Now, this is an incredible tapestry of what New York is all about. But I also want to thank all the Asian American and Pacific Islanders who helped get this program off the ground. It is an incredible reminder of my roots back in Hawaii — (applause) — and the incredible visit that we made to India just over a year ago. Although it was a little discouraging because the day after our first visit, I opened up the papers — there were two headlines: President Obama Visits India, and then there was: Michelle Obama Rocks India. (Laughter.) So this is kind of my life. Keeps me humble.
I am here today not just because I need your help, although I do. But I’m here because your country needs your help. (Applause.) There was a reason why so many of you worked your hearts out in 2008 — and I see some friends out here who were active in that campaign. And you got involved not because you thought it was going to be easy. I mean, think about it. You supported a candidate named Barack Hussein Obama — (laughter and applause) — for President of the United States. (Applause.) You did not need a poll to know that was not going to be a sure thing. (Laughter.)
And besides, you didn’t join the campaign because of me. It was not about one person. It was because of a shared vision that we had for America. It was because of your commitments to each other. It’s not a vision of America where everybody is left to fend for themselves. It’s a vision of America where everybody works together and everybody who works hard has a chance to get ahead, not just those at the very top.
That’s the vision we share. That’s the change we believed in, that no matter who you are, no matter where you come from, no matter what you look like, no matter what your name is, that in this country you can make it if you try. (Applause.) That was the change we believed in.
And we knew it wasn’t going to come easy. We knew it wouldn’t come quickly. But I want you to think about what we have done in just three years because of what you did in 2008. Think about it. Think about what change looks like. Change is the first bill I signed into law, a pretty simple law. It says women deserve an equal day’s pay for an equal day’s work — (applause) — because we want — because I want my daughters to have the same opportunity as someone’s sons. That happened because of you.
Change is the decision we made to rescue the American auto industry from collapse, even when there were some politicians who were saying let’s let Detroit go bankrupt. And with one million jobs on the line, we weren’t going to let that happen. And today, GM is back on top as the world’s number-one automaker, just reported the highest profits in 100 years. (Applause.) With 200,000 new jobs created in the last two and a half years, the American auto industry is back. That happened because of you.
Change is the decision we made to stop just waiting for Congress to do something about our addiction to oil and finally raise our fuel-efficiency standards. And by the next decade, we will be driving American-made cars that get almost 55 miles to the gallon. And that will save the typical family $8,000 at the pump and reduce our dependence on foreign oil, and start actually giving us some independence from these gas prices that have been going up. That’s what change is. That’s what you did. (Applause.)
For the entire article: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/03/01/remarks-president-campaign-event-2
9:25 PM EST
President Obama delivers remarks at a campaign event.
Private Residence
March 01, 2012
Remarks by the President at a Campaign Event
Private Residence
New York, New York
9:49 P.M. EST
THE PRESIDENT: Hello, New York? Hello, New York! (Applause.)
So let me start off by thanking Michael and James. They could not be better friends. And for them to open up their home to us just means so much.
It is a special treat for me, because, as some of you know, Michael has been redesigning the White House. (Laughter.) And he has some strong opinions. (Laughter.) And sometimes doesn’t always agree with my taste. And so it is good to come to his house and critique it. (Laughter.) I don’t know about this whole thing right here. (Laughter.) Actually, he has done a remarkable job, despite me. So I’m grateful to him.
I see a lot of friends here, people who’ve supported me for a long time, and I just want to begin by saying thank you. I also want to announce because John Legend is here, I will not sing tonight. (Laughter.)
JOHN LEGEND: Don’t steal my job. (Laughter.)
THE PRESIDENT: Three years ago — a little over three years ago now, when I took office, America was in a place that I think some of us don’t fully appreciate. We had lost 800,000 jobs the month I was sworn in. The banking system was locked up. There was worldwide panic — the stock market was about half what it is right now. And when I reflect back over the last three years, all the battles, all the challenges, what is remarkably encouraging is just how resilient America has proven to be.
That instead of losing 800,000 jobs, last month we gained 250,000. Over the last two years, we’ve created over 3.5 million jobs, just in the private sector. Manufacturing is stronger than it’s been since the 1990s. We’ve now had 10 consecutive quarters of growth. Slowly, businesses are recovering. Slowly, families are recovering. And the auto industry is back. GM is once again the number-one automaker in the world.
The trend lines are moving in the right direction. But there are still a lot of folks out there who are hurting. A lot of people who are still looking for jobs; lot of people whose homes are still underwater; a lot of small businesses that shuttered and haven’t reopened.
And so when I think about why I ran in 2008, it wasn’t simply to rescue the country from a Great Depression, because at that — at the time I announced, didn’t know we were going into a Great Depression. It wasn’t to save an auto industry. It wasn’t to just get back to the status quo. The reason I ran was because there were challenges that had been building up for decades that were preventing America from being the America we dream about and we believe in — an America where everybody gets a fair shot and everybody does their fair share and everybody is playing by the same set of rules. An America where everybody, no matter what you look like, no matter where you come from, no matter what you believe, no matter who you love, you’ve got a chance to make it in this country.
And that’s why I ran. And so as much satisfaction as I take from what we’ve accomplished over the last three years, we’ve got so much more to do.
It’s part of the reason why, even as we restored the economy, even as we focused on making sure that we didn’t spill into a depression, we also focused on the things that were going to matter in fulfilling that original vision: Making sure that people don’t go bankrupt when they get sick. Making sure that we’re investing in education so that young people can afford to go to college, and that young people have the skills to go to college. Making sure that we get rid of things like “don’t ask, don’t tell,” that prevent people who love this country from serving this country just because of who they love, or having to hide who they are. Making sure that we end things like torture, and that we project an image around the world that is based on our values and what we care about, and rejecting this notion that somehow we have to choose between our security and our values.
Making sure that, in a country like America, that we are investing in not just now but the future, and we’re rebuilding our roads and our bridges, and we’re investing in science and basic research; that we’re thinking about how to not only reduce gas prices here and now, but also, how are we transitioning to a new economy that’s not dependent on foreign oil, and doubling fuel-efficiency standards on cars, and investing in clean energy and creating whole new industries in advanced battery manufacturing so that the cars of the future can get 100 or 200 miles a gallon — or maybe at some point not have to use any oil.
So what we’ve tried to do is deal with immediate crises, but also make sure that we’re keeping our eye on that long-term vision that got me into this campaign in 2008, and got many of you to support that campaign in 2008.
Now, the good news is, we’ve made incredible progress. The bad news is, is that we haven’t had much cooperation from the other side. And I won’t make this too sharply political. If you’re wondering what I’m talking about, I recommend you watch the recent debates. We’re thinking about just running those as advertisements — (laughter) — little snippets, without commentary. We’ll just sort of — here you go, this is what they said a while back. (Laughter.)
But I think what you’re seeing now in the Republican primary underscores what’s at stake in this election. There is a fundamental choice here about who we are. Do we have a vision of America that is big and bold and generous and inclusive, and is built on hope? Or do we prefer a vision for America that is narrow and cramped, and says there’s an “us” and a “they,” and is satisfied if a few people are doing very, very well at the very top and everybody else is struggling?
And that’s going to apply to every issue that comes up — everything that we’ve done in the past, but also things that are not yet finished. For example, I believe that we’ve got to reform our immigration system, because it’s not right if we’ve got 10 million people in this country who are living in the shadows, working for us, looking after our children in some cases, whose kids are U.S. citizens, playing with our kids, and somehow we can’t figure out a way to give them some pathway to be a full part of this community — or somehow we’re afraid of attracting a talent from around the world. I mean, this is a nation of immigrants. When did we lose that sense that we welcome the “huddled masses”? Because it enriches us, it makes us who we are.
For the entire article: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/03/01/remarks-president-campaign-event-1
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