June 15, 2012
Remarks by the President on Immigration http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/06/15/remarks-president-immigration
En Español: http://www.barackobama.com/es/entry/el-presidente-obama-es-la-accion-correcta
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June 15, 2012
Department of Homeland Security announcement on Young People and Immigration
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Friday, May 4, 2012
All Times Eastern
7:00 AM
8:00 AM
9:00 AM
10:00 AM
10:30 AM
President Obama and Vice President Biden receive the presidential daily briefing.
11:00 AM
11:50 AM
President Obama discusses the importance of having a fair shot at an affordable higher education at a high school in Arlington, Virginia.
12:00 PM
1:00 PM
1:15 PM
Vice President Biden delivers remarks at the YWCA USA National Conference
Hyatt Regency Hotel, Washington, D.C.
2:00 PM
3:00 PM
Dr. Jill Biden to Deliver 2012 Commencement Address to Broward College
Broward College, Sunrise, FL
4:00 PM
4:55 PM
President Obama welcomes the University of Kentucky men’s basketball team to the White House
5:00 PM
6:00 PM
7:00 PM
8:00 PM
9:00 PM
10:00 PM
May 4, 2012
WhiteHouse.gov http://www.whitehouse.gov/live
11:50 AM EDT
President Obama discusses the importance of having a fair shot at an affordable higher education at a high school in Arlington, Virginia.
1:15 PM EDT
Vice President Biden delivers remarks at the YWCA USA National Conference in Support of the Violence Against Women Act
Hyatt Regency Hotel, Washington, D.C (Audio Only)
4:55 PM EDT
President Obama welcomes the University of Kentucky men’s basketball team to the White House
—-
CNN http://live.cnn.com
11:50 AM EDT
President Obama discusses the importance of having a fair shot at an affordable higher education at a high school in Arlington, Virginia.
1:00 PM EDT
State Department Briefing
1:15 PM EDT
Vice President Biden delivers remarks at the YWCA USA National Conference in Support of the Violence Against Women Act
Hyatt Regency Hotel, Washington, D.C
3:00 PM EDT
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta participates in a town hall-style meeting with members of the U.S. military in Fort Benning, Georgia.
4:55 PM EDT
President Obama welcomes the University of Kentucky men’s basketball team to the White House
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CSPAN http://www.cspan.org/
9:30 AM EDT
American Jewish Committee Global Forum http://www.c-span.org/Events/American-Jewish-Committee-Hosts-Foreign-Policy-Debate/10737430439/
10:59 AN EDT
Congressional-Executive Commission on China http://www.c-span.org/Events/Congressional-Executive-Commission-Examines-Chen-Guangcheng-Case/10737430405/
11:50 AM EDT
President Obama discusses the importance of having a fair shot at an affordable higher education at a high school in Arlington, Virginia. http://www.c-span.org/Events/President-Obama-Talks-With-High-Schoolers-About-College-Costs/10737430423/
1:15 PM EDT
Vice President Biden delivers remarks at the YWCA USA National Conference in Support of the Violence Against Women Act
Hyatt Regency Hotel, Washington, D.C http://www.c-span.org/Events/VP-Biden-Speaks-in-Support-of-the-Violence-Against-Women-Act/10737430440/
3:00 PM EDT
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta participates in a town hall-style meeting with members of the U.S. military in Fort Benning, Georgia.
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Department of Defense http://www.defense.gov/
3:00 PM EDT
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta participates in a town hall-style meeting with members of the U.S. military in Fort Benning, Georgia.
INMIGRACIÓN
* En múltiples ocasiones, el Presidente Obama ha reafirmado su compromiso con una reforma migratoria integral y con expandir las oportunidades disponibles para miembros de nuestras fuerzas armadas y empresarios.
* El Presidente Obama está comprometido con aprobar la Ley DREAM.
* El Presidente Obama implementó cambios de política basados en el sentido común para hacer nuestro sistema migratorio más justo, inteligente, y eficaz.
SEGURIDAD NACIONAL
* Cuando el Presidente Obama asumió la presidencia, nuestro país estaba involucrado en dos guerras, y enfrentaba amenazas terroristas domesticas y en el extranjero.
* El Presidente Obama está comprometido con fortalecer nuestro liderazgo mundial al mantener un ejército fuerte y aferrarse a nuestros valores e ideales.
* El Presidente Obama cumplió con su promesa de traer a casa a nuestros soldados de Irak de una manera segura y responsable.
TRABAJOS Y LA ECONOMÍA
* El Presidente está tomando medidas agresivas para crear más trabajos para estadounidenses, y para restaurar la seguridad de la clase trabajadora en las próximas décadas.
* Años antes de que estallara la crisis económica, la seguridad económica de la clase trabajadora se empezaba a deteriorar. Los sueldos se estancaban mientras el costo de cuidado médico se disparaba.
* Desde el principio de la presidencia hasta septiembre del 2011, hemos creado 2.6 millones de trabajos en el sector privado, pero aún nos falta mucho por hacer.
* Al asumir la presidencia, el Presidente Obama enfrentó de inmediato la crisis económica que nos amenazaba y empezó a sentar las bases para una economía que es más innovadora y construye más que el resto del mundo. .
CUIDADO DE SALUD
* El Presidente Obama impulsó y aprobó la Ley de Cuidado de Salud a Bajo Precio para restaurar el cuidado médico como la fundación de la seguridad de la clase trabajadora en los Estados Unidos.
* Al implementarse, la Ley de Cuidado de Salud a Bajo Precio acabará con las peores prácticas abusivas de las compañías de seguro – cómo negarle cobertura a individuos con condiciones pre-existentes o cancelar la cobertura de alguien cuando se enferma.
* La Ley de Cuidado de Salud a Bajo Precio hace el cuidado médico más asequible para familias y pequeños negocios, y promueve la responsabilidad, que es tan necesaria, en la industria de seguros.
* Gracias a esta nueva ley, más de 32 millones de estadounidenses podrán poder pagar por seguro médico por primera vez en sus vidas. El 95% de estadounidenses menores de 65 años tendrán seguro.
La Primera Dama Michelle Obama: Estamos Unidos
Published on Sep 4, 2012 by BarackObamadotcom
Únanse a Latinos for Obama: http://OFA.BO/j2H1cH
La historia de la comunidad Latina es la historia del sueño americano.
La Primera Dama Michelle Obama celebró un evento local en Miami, Florida dónde compartió las maneras en las que el Presidente Obama lucha por los latinos y las familias de la clase media. El Presidente y la Primera Dama están trabajando para asegurar que todos aquellos que trabajen duro—sin importar quienes sean o de dónde vienen–puedan construir una vida decente para su familia.
Después del evento, partidarios compartieron lo que están haciendo para participar en la re-elección del Presidente Obama en noviembre.
En las palabras de un partidario:
“Los valores del Presidente concuerdan con familias hispanas, porque él cree en un sistema económico que crece desde la clase media hacia fuera.”
May 03, 2012
Remarks By The President At Cinco De Mayo Reception
Rose Garden
5:12 P.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Hola, hola! (Applause.) Gracias y bienvenidos. I am honored to welcome you to Cinco de Mayo at the White House. (Applause.) Even though it’s only tres de Mayo. We just like to get the fiesta started early around here. (Laughter.)
It is a pleasure to be joined by so many Latinos and Latinas -– and those who wish they were Latino and Latina. (Laughter.) I knew you wouldn’t miss an opportunity for great music and dancing at the White House, especially with the outstanding Ballet Folklórico from Georgetown University. Give them a big round of applause. (Applause.)
Our great friend Ambassador Arturo Sarukhán and his lovely wife Veronica are here. I’m honored to welcome Hispanic Americans serving at every level of my administration, including Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis. (Applause.) I want to recognize Charlie Gonzalez, chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. As all of you know, Charlie’s birthday is on Cinco de Mayo, so don’t forget to wish him a feliz cumpleaños.
Finally, thank you to the White House Hispanic Summit steering committee for your hard work to engage thousands of Latino leaders across the country this year. Good job. Your work demonstrates that this celebration is all about pride in the heritage and contributions of Hispanics in all aspects of American life.
Cinco de Mayo marks a singular moment in Mexican history. Exactly 150 years ago, General Zaragoza and his ragtag band of patriots made a brave stand against the invading forces of a world-renowned European army. Sounds familiar. And the story goes that after these heroic citizens and soldiers beat the odds and turned back the invaders, General Zaragoza found time to sit down and write a brief note to the war minister. He celebrated the glory of the national army, noting that they never turned their backs. And today, we honor their valor.
When the news of the Mexican victory at Puebla reached this house, this country was in the midst of its own struggles. But soon after, the U.S. lent assistance to help Mexico definitively expel the French from their land. And ever since, the United States and Mexico have lived intersecting and overlapping histories. Our two countries share the ties of history and familia and values and commerce and culture. And today, we are more united than ever — in friendship and in common purpose.
Right now, there are more than 50 million Americans of Latino descent — one sixth of our population. You’re our neighbors, our coworkers, our family, our friends. You’re starting businesses. You’re teaching in classrooms. You’re defending this country. You’re driving America forward.
For the entire article: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/05/03/raemarks-president-cinco-de-mayo-reception
Department of Homeland Security announcement on Young People and Immigration
June 15, 2012
MEMORANDUM FOR:
David V. Aguilar
Acting Commissioner, U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Alejandro Mayorkas
Director, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
John Morton
Director, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
FROM:
Janet Napolitano
SUBJECT:
Secretary of Homeland Security
Exercising Prosetorial Discretion with Respect to Individuals Who Came to the United States as Children
By this memorandum, I am setting forth how, in the exercise of our prosecutorial discretion, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) should enforce the Nation’s immigration laws against certain young people who were brought to this country as children and know only this country as home. As a general matter, these individuals lacked the intent to violate the law and our ongoing review of pending removal cases is already offering administrative closure to many of them. However, additional measures are necessary to ensure that our enforcement resources are not expended on these low priority cases but are instead appropriately focused on people who meet our enforcement priorities.
The following criteria should be satisfied before an individual is considered for an exercise of prosecutorial discretion pursuant to this memorandum:
• came to the United States under the age of sixteen;
• has continuously resided in the United States for a least five years preceding the date of this memorandum and is present in the United States on the date of this memorandum;
• is currently in school, has graduated from high school, has obtained a general education development certificate, or is an honorably discharged veteran of the Coast Guard or Armed Forces ofthe United States;
• has not been convicted of a felony offense, a significant misdemeanor offense, multiple misdemeanor offenses, or otherwise poses a threat to national security or public safety;
and
• is not above the age of thirty.
http://www.dhs.gov
Our Nation’s immigration laws must be enforced in a strong and sensible manner. They are not designed to be blindly enforced without consideration given to the individual circumstances of each case. Nor are they designed to remove productive young people to countries where they may not have lived or even speak the language. Indeed, many of these young people have already contributed to our country in significant ways. Prosecutorial discretion, which is used in so many other areas, is especially justified here.
For more: http://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/s1-exercising-prosecutorial-discretion-individuals-who-came-to-us-as-children.pdf
Immigration
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June 15, 2012
Remarks by the President on Immigration
Rose Garden
2:09 P.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Good afternoon, everybody. This morning, Secretary Napolitano announced new actions my administration will take to mend our nation’s immigration policy, to make it more fair, more efficient, and more just — specifically for certain young people sometimes called “Dreamers.”
These are young people who study in our schools, they play in our neighborhoods, they’re friends with our kids, they pledge allegiance to our flag. They are Americans in their heart, in their minds, in every single way but one: on paper. They were brought to this country by their parents — sometimes even as infants — and often have no idea that they’re undocumented until they apply for a job or a driver’s license, or a college scholarship.
Put yourself in their shoes. Imagine you’ve done everything right your entire life — studied hard, worked hard, maybe even graduated at the top of your class — only to suddenly face the threat of deportation to a country that you know nothing about, with a language that you may not even speak.
That’s what gave rise to the DREAM Act. It says that if your parents brought you here as a child, if you’ve been here for five years, and you’re willing to go to college or serve in our military, you can one day earn your citizenship. And I have said time and time and time again to Congress that, send me the DREAM Act, put it on my desk, and I will sign it right away.
Now, both parties wrote this legislation. And a year and a half ago, Democrats passed the DREAM Act in the House, but Republicans walked away from it. It got 55 votes in the Senate, but Republicans blocked it. The bill hasn’t really changed. The need hasn’t changed. It’s still the right thing to do. The only thing that has changed, apparently, was the politics.
As I said in my speech on the economy yesterday, it makes no sense to expel talented young people, who, for all intents and purposes, are Americans — they’ve been raised as Americans; understand themselves to be part of this country — to expel these young people who want to staff our labs, or start new businesses, or defend our country simply because of the actions of their parents — or because of the inaction of politicians.
In the absence of any immigration action from Congress to fix our broken immigration system, what we’ve tried to do is focus our immigration enforcement resources in the right places. So we prioritized border security, putting more boots on the southern border than at any time in our history — today, there are fewer illegal crossings than at any time in the past 40 years. We focused and used discretion about whom to prosecute, focusing on criminals who endanger our communities rather than students who are earning their education. And today, deportation of criminals is up 80 percent. We’ve improved on that discretion carefully and thoughtfully. Well, today, we’re improving it again.
Effective immediately, the Department of Homeland Security is taking steps to lift the shadow of deportation from these young people. Over the next few months, eligible individuals who do not present a risk to national security or public safety will be able to request temporary relief from deportation proceedings and apply for work authorization.
Now, let’s be clear — this is not amnesty, this is not immunity. This is not a path to citizenship. It’s not a permanent fix. This is a temporary stopgap measure that lets us focus our resources wisely while giving a degree of relief and hope to talented, driven, patriotic young people. It is –
Q (Inaudible.)
THE PRESIDENT: — the right thing to do.
Q — foreigners over American workers.
THE PRESIDENT: Excuse me, sir. It’s not time for questions, sir.
Q No, you have to take questions.
THE PRESIDENT: Not while I’m speaking.
Precisely because this is temporary, Congress needs to act. There is still time for Congress to pass the DREAM Act this year, because these kids deserve to plan their lives in more than two-year increments. And we still need to pass comprehensive immigration reform that addresses our 21st century economic and security needs — reform that gives our farmers and ranchers certainty about the workers that they’ll have. Reform that gives our science and technology sectors certainty that the young people who come here to earn their PhDs won’t be forced to leave and start new businesses in other countries. Reform that continues to improve our border security, and lives up to our heritage as a nation of laws and a nation of immigrants.
Just six years ago, the unlikely trio of John McCain, Ted Kennedy and President Bush came together to champion this kind of reform. And I was proud to join 23 Republicans in voting for it. So there’s no reason that we can’t come together and get this done.
And as long as I’m President, I will not give up on this issue, not only because it’s the right thing to do for our economy — and CEOs agree with me — not just because it’s the right thing to do for our security, but because it’s the right thing to do, period. And I believe that, eventually, enough Republicans in Congress will come around to that view as well.
And I believe that it’s the right thing to do because I’ve been with groups of young people who work so hard and speak with so much heart about what’s best in America, even though I knew some of them must have lived under the fear of deportation. I know some have come forward, at great risks to themselves and their futures, in hopes it would spur the rest of us to live up to our own most cherished values. And I’ve seen the stories of Americans in schools and churches and communities across the country who stood up for them and rallied behind them, and pushed us to give them a better path and freedom from fear –because we are a better nation than one that expels innocent young kids.
For more: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/06/15/remarks-president-immigration
Religious Leaders Support President Obama’s Stance on Immigration Reform
Cecilia Muñoz June 26, 2012 02:03 PM EDT
From Pope Benedict to prominent Protestant pastors, clergy from a variety of faiths are raising their voices on behalf of immigrants and the need to fix the broken system. President Obama has consistently and forcefully called for a comprehensive solution to the immigration challenges we face. In an historic move demonstrating his Administration’s commitment to addressing the broken immigration system, the Department of Homeland Security announced a deferred action process for certain young people on June 15.
This move was universally praised by leaders in the faith community. From the Catholic Archbishop of Los Angeles, José Gomez, who “welcomed the announcement by President Obama… and renewed [the Bishop’s] call for bipartisan efforts to enact comprehensive and humane reform to our nation’s broken immigration system,” to Richard Land of the Southern Baptist Convention, who said we should “applaud the President for doing the right thing and encourage Congress to follow up by codifying it into law.”
Many faithshave a strong history of welcoming newcomers, a tradition that is embedded in the founding values of the United States. We define ourselves as a nation of immigrants – a place for people from all walks of life to come together to pursue common hopes, shared values, and the American Dream. From artists and business owners to faith and civic leaders: the stories of immigrants are woven into the fabric of American history.
Pope Benedict XVI recently stated, “The Catholic community in the United States continues, with great generosity, to welcome waves of new immigrants, to provide them with pastoral care and charitable assistance, and to support ways of regularizing their situation, especially with regard to the unification of families. A particular sign of this is the long-standing commitment of the American Bishops to immigration reform.”
Recently a broad cross section of Evangelical leaders endorsed a statement of principles on immigration that tracks closely with what President Obama has outlined in his comprehensive immigration reform blueprint. We welcome the vocal support of the National Association of Evangelicals, Southern Baptist Convention, Focus on the Family, National Latino Evangelical Coalition, National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, World Relief, Sojourners and others. Shortly after their announcement, leaders from these groups met with senior Administration officials at the White House. The week before, the Interfaith Forum on Immigration also held a meeting with White House officials.
We appreciate the support by the Pope, his fellow Catholic Bishops in the United States, and their Protestant, Jewish and other faith colleagues. We will continue to work with a broad spectrum of faith leaders around the country and the entire growing coalition of leaders urging Congress to pass comprehensive legislative reform.
“Protege el Sueño” – Anuncio de Television de Obama for America
Published on Aug 10, 2012 by BarackObamadotcom
Inscríbete: http://OFA.BO/7pj4d8
President Obama: “All they want is to go to college and give back to the country they love.”
Voiceover: “Son conocidos como “los Dreamers” vinieron aquí como niños obedecieron a sus padres estudian para superarse.”
President Obama: “In the face of a Congress that refuses to do anything on immigration. We announced that we’re lifting the shadow of deportation from deserving young people who were brought to this county as children.”
“It was the right thing to do.”
Voiceover: “Protege el sueño.”
President: “Soy Barack Obama, y apruebo este mensaje.”
An in-depth look at Obama’s immigration reprieve
7/9/12 mercurynews
* Who’s eligible? Anyone brought to the country illegally before they turned 16 and are 30 or younger; graduated from high school or are in school or in the military; lived here continuously for at least five years; and haven’t committed “significant” crimes.
* What’s a “significant” crime? Anyone convicted of a felony, three or more misdemeanors or any “significant” misdemeanor is likely to be barred from relief. But what’s a “significant” misdemeanor? No one is certain but many lawyers suspect it will include drug possession, driving under the influence, assault and theft. Also barred are people who present a “public safety threat,” which is not limited to criminal convictions and could include any arrest, gang activity or juvenile offenses. Decisions about who qualifies are under the government’s discretion.
* What do beneficiaries get? A work permit that can be renewed every two years, and “deferred action,” which means they won’t be deported.
* What they don’t get: Legal permanent residency or a path to citizenship; access to most federal public benefits.
* Could a new president reverse the initiative? Yes, but he probably won’t, most lawyers say. It is a “real but very remote risk,” said San Francisco immigration lawyer Mark Silverman. “No one knows the answer to this question, but I think that an incoming Republican administration would conclude that it would be a serious long-term political mistake” to deport young people applying for or granted relief under a previous administration.
Sources: National Lawyers Guild; U.S. Department of Homeland Security; Immigrant Legal Resource Center
Mitt Romney Vows to Veto Dream Act if President
Dec 31, 2011 9:14pm By Emily Friedman – abcnews
IOUX CITY, Iowa – Mitt Romney explicitly stated today that if he is elected president he would veto the Dream Act, legislation that would give permanent residency to some illegal immigrants who met certain criteria, such as having proof that they entered the country before age 16 or having a graduated from a U.S. high school.
“The answer is yes,” said Romney, when asked if he’d veto the proposed legislation during a campaign stop at The Family Table restaurant in Le Mars, Iowa, Saturday afternoon.
Romney, who has said before that he opposed the Dream Act, said tonight that he does not oppose at least one of the provisions in the Dream Act that would allow servicemen and woman to gain permanent residency.
“I am delighted with the idea that people who come to this country and wish to serve in the military can be given a path to become permanent residents in this country,” he explained. “Those who serve in our military and fulfill those requirements I respect and acknowledge that path.”
A Romney aide said that the former Massachusetts’ Governor opposes parts of the Dream Act that give a path to legalization to those who meet certain education achievements or portions of the legislation that would provide in-state tuition to illegal immigrants.
“For those that come here illegally the idea of giving them in state tuition credits or other special benefits I find to be the contrary to the idea of the nation of law,” Romney said during his remarks in Le Mars.
“If I’m the president of the United States I want to end illegal immigration so we can protect legal immigration. I like legal immigration,” he added.
Following Romney’s remarks, the Democratic National Committee’s Senior Adviser for Hispanic Affairs, Juan Sepulveda, said in a statement, “If there had been doubt in anyone’s mind-least of all, Hispanics in America, that Mitt Romney’s far-right views on immigration would make him the most extreme presidential nominee in recent memory, his statement today that he would veto the DREAM Act if he were president is appalling.”
David Axelrod, President Obama’s campaign adviser, followed up with a tweet calling Romney’s comments “wrong on principle & politics.”
Source; http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2011/12/mitt-romney-vows-to-veto-dream-act-if-president/
strong>”Protege el Sueño” – Anuncio de Television de Obama for America
Published on Aug 10, 2012 by BarackObamadotcom
Inscríbete: http://OFA.BO/7pj4d8
President Obama: “All they want is to go to college and give back to the country they love.”
Voiceover: “Son conocidos como “los Dreamers” vinieron aquí como niños obedecieron a sus padres estudian para superarse.”
President Obama: “In the face of a Congress that refuses to do anything on immigration. We announced that we’re lifting the shadow of deportation from deserving young people who were brought to this county as children.”
“It was the right thing to do.”
Voiceover: “Protege el sueño.”
President: “Soy Barack Obama, y apruebo este mensaje.”
Romney makes Pete Wilson his honorary California chairman
2/7/12 By Josh Richman – bayareanewsgroup
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney on Monday announced the endorsement of former California Gov. Pete Wilson, and named him the Romney campaign’s honorary California chairman — a choice that might not sit well with Latino voters.
“I’m honored to have Governor Pete Wilson‘s support, because he’s one of California’s most accomplished leaders. As governor of California from 1991 to 1999, he led California from the depths of recession to prosperous economic recovery,” Romney said in a news release.
“Taking office with an inherited revenue gap of over $14 million, he left his successor a surplus of over $12.5 million,” Romney continued. “Pete persuaded Democratic Legislative majorities to enact dramatic tax and regulatory relief especially helpful to small businesses.”
But some believe making Wilson the campaign’s honorary chair might alienate California Latino voters still embittered by Wilson’s support of Proposition 187 of 1994, which sought to create a state-run citizenship screening system and bar undocumented immigrants from using health care, public education and other social services.
Arturo Vargas, executive director of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials, said Romney “is getting really bad campaign advice.”
“Anybody on the ground in California who was hoping to peel away Latino voters in a general election wouldn’t put Pete Wilson front and center,” Vargas said. “To me it’s baffling.
Meg Whitman learned what a mistake that was for her to do the same in 2010 when she ran for governor — it certainly didn’t work for her.”
For the entire article: http://www.mercurynews.com/presidentelect/ci_19906056?IADID
Kris Kobach Attends Mitt Romney Fundraiser
5/11/2012 By Elise Foley – The Huffington Post
Immigration hawk and Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach attended a fundraising appearance by Mitt Romney Thursday, according to a pool report of the event from the Kansas City Star.
Kobach is the author of Arizona’s contested immigration law, S.B. 1070, and is considered a leader in the anti-unauthorized immigration movement. He also says he is an informal adviser to the Romney campaign on immigration — some of Romney’s statements mirror Kobach’s views — a phrase the campaign backed away from in April.
The campaign told Politico at the time that Kobach was a “supporter,” not an “adviser.” When the press continued to ask about his role, Kobach insisted nothing had changed and that he still gave advice to the Romney campaign.
It’s not clear what prompted the confusion over Kobach’s role, but it came at a time when Romney was beginning to shift toward campaigning for the general election, when far-right stances on immigration are less likely to sway voters in his direction.
Although the campaign says it has been consistent on immigration, Romney has noticeably de-emphasized his stance on the matter — he told a Colorado reporter this week that he wanted to talk about “issues of significance” when asked about immigration and social issues — as the general election approaches.
An official at the Republican National Committee said on Tuesday that Romney is still deciding his immigration stance for the general election. She later said that she had mispoken. The campaign and the RNC responded that Romney’s positions on immigration are clear.
Still, associating with Kobach could be damaging to Romney politically as he attempts to attract Latino voters, a majority of whom oppose S.B. 1070.
Dr. Jill Biden to Deliver 2012 Commencement Addresses
April 2012 – broward.edu
On Friday, May 4, Dr. Biden will address the 77th graduating class at Broward College. Broward College is the first and largest institution of higher education in Broward County, offering certificate programs, two-year degrees, and baccalaureate degrees in selected programs. Broward College has the second-largest enrollment among the 28 members of the Florida College System, serving more than 66,000 students annually. Ranked in the top 10 percent of community colleges nationwide on student success indicators by the Washington D.C.-based Aspen Institute, Broward College boasts a student body representing more than 150 countries.
77th graduating class at Broward College Commencement
Program Precessional Time:
3 PM EDT
Location:
Bank Atlantic Center
1 Panther Pkwy
Sunrise, Florida 33323
Vice President Biden to Address Female Leaders on Friday, May 4, 2012
5/2/12 ywca.org
Washington, D.C. – Vice President Joe Biden will address 400 women leaders gathering in Washington, D.C., on Friday, May 4 at 1:15 p.m. ET during the national YWCA USA Annual Conference. He will discuss the historic Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), landmark legislation to prevent and end violence against women and girls.
Great job, Mr. President!
>^..^<
Obama to fete Kentucky at White House this Friday
May 1, 2012 Mike Miller – collegebasketballtalk.nbcsports
President Obama didn’t pick Kentucky to win the 2012 NCAA tournament. There are probably be a few friendly barbs tossed his way on Friday reminding him, too.
Obama will welcome Kentucky to the White House on Friday afternoon, continuing a tradition of NCAA champs being greeted by the president.
The visit normally doesn’t occur until late May or even June, but Wildcats coach John Calipari says he wanted to do it before all six of the players who declared for the NBA draft become too focused on that to make a trip to D.C.
Sounds like the Wildcats can’t wait to go, either.
“The amazing thing is the first thing that was said when the horn sounded in New Orleans was, ‘We’re going to the White House!’” UK coach John Calipari said Tuesday in a statement.
“It’s one of those moments for these players that they have probably thought about without us even knowing that it was important to them,” Calipari said. “So I’m excited about the opportunity for them to meet the president of the United States, the leader of the free world and someone who is trying to make a difference in their lives.”
Kentucky beat Kansas on April 2 for the school’s eighth NCAA title.
Good Friday morning everyone
U.S. economy creates 115,000 jobs in April
5/4/12 By Jeffry Bartash – MarketWatch
WASHINGTON – The U.S. economy added 115,000 jobs in April as hiring slacked off for the second straight month, the government reported Friday. Economists surveyed by MarketWatch expected a 163,000 increase. The unemployment rate, meanwhile, dipped to 8.1% from 8.2%, as nearly 350,000 people dropped out of the labor force. The average work week was unchanged at 34.5 hours, while average hourly earnings rose 1 cent to $23.38. The increase in employment in March was revised up to 154,000 from an initial reading of 120,000. The gain in February was revised up to 259,000 from 240,000
The Employment Situation in April
Posted by Alan Kreuger on May 04, 2012 at 09:30 AM EDT
Today’s employment report provides further evidence that the economy is continuing to heal from the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, but much more remains to be done to repair the damage caused by the financial crisis and the deep recession. It is critical that we continue the economic policies that are helping us dig our way out of the deep hole that was caused by the severe recession that began at the end of 2007. President Obama has said that prosperity in America has always come from a strong and growing middle class. He has made clear that getting back to where we were is not enough. We need to do more, which is why the President has laid out his blueprint for an American economy that is built to last and will continue to urge Congress to act to do more to grow the economy and create jobs.
Private employer payrolls increased by 130,000 jobs in April, and overall non-farm payroll employment rose by 115,000. The unemployment rate dipped from 8.2% in March to 8.1% in April, according to the household survey. Though labor force participation fell over the month according to the household survey, since August the unemployment rate has fallen by 1.0 percentage point, from 9.1% to 8.1%, and nearly three-quarters of that drop is attributable to increased employment.
Despite adverse shocks that have created headwinds for economic growth the economy has added private sector jobs for 26 straight months, for a total of 4.25 million payroll jobs over that period. With upward revisions of 65,000 jobs to the past two months’ employment reports, in the first quarter of 2012 private employment expanded by 697,000 jobs, the largest quarterly increase since the first quarter of 2006. So far this year, 827,000 private sector jobs have been added, on net.
Manufacturing continues to be a bright spot and added 16,000 jobs in April. After losing millions of good manufacturing jobs in the years before and during the recession, the economy has added 489,000 manufacturing jobs since January 2010. To continue the revival in manufacturing jobs and output, the President has proposed tax incentives for manufacturers, enhanced training for the workforce, and measures to create manufacturing hubs and encourage the growing trend of insourcing.
Other sectors with net job increases included wholesale and retail trade (+36,700), professional and business services (+62,000), and education and health services (+23,000). Transportation and warehousing lost 16,600 jobs, and construction lost 2,000 jobs. Local governments shed 12,000 jobs, mostly in education.
For the entire article: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2012/05/04/employment-situation-april
West Wing Week: 5/4/12 or “Out of Many, We are One.”
Published on May 3, 2012 by whitehouse
Welcome to the West Wing Week, your guide to everything that’s happening at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. This week, the President traveled to Afghanistan to sign a historic Strategic Partnership Agreement, visit with our troops and address the American people about responsibly ending the war. The President also traveled to Fort Stewart to sign an Executive Order to protect service members and their families from deceptive marketing practices, spoke at the annual White House Correspondents Dinner, welcomed the Prime Minister of Japan, and spoke at the Building and Construction Trades conference.
Now Streaming…
11:50 AM EDT
President Obama discusses the importance of having a fair shot at an affordable higher education at a high school in Arlington, Virginia.
WhiteHouse.gov http://www.whitehouse.gov/live
CNN http://live.cnn.com
CSPAN http://www.c-span.org/Events/President-Obama-Talks-With-High-Schoolers-About-College-Costs/10737430423/11:50 AM EDT
May 04, 2012
Remarks by the President on College Affordability
Washington-Lee High School
Arlington, Virginia
11:53 A.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Hello, Generals! (Applause.) Hello, Virginia! (Applause.) Well, let me first of all say, following Amirah is kind of tough. (Laughter.) She is really good. Give her a big round of applause for the great introduction. (Applause.) There are a couple of other people I want to introduce who are here today. First of all, my Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, is here. Give him a round of applause. (Applause.) Your Congressman, Jim Moran, is here. (Applause.)
And before we came out, I had a chance to meet with Amirah and her mom, but also a couple other of your classmates. Brendan Craig is here, and his dad. (Applause.) And also Rina Castaneda and her mom. (Applause.) Let me just say, they represented you really well. Those were three impressive seniors. Thanks for hanging out with me on a Friday. I know that you’re happy not because I’m here. There are seniors in the crowd — (applause) — and you’re excited about graduating. I know the juniors are excited to get the seniors — (applause) — they’re excited to get the seniors out so they’ll be at the top of the heap.
You’ve got prom coming up. (Applause.) I guess you’ve already got your dress all picked out, huh? (Laughter.) All right. You’ve got final exams.
AUDIENCE: Booo –
THE PRESIDENT: You’ve got a great summer coming up. (Applause.) And then, more than 90 percent of this year’s seniors from this school are going to some sort of post-secondary education, whether it is a 4-year college, community college, vocational. (Applause.) That makes us proud. That is a testament to your principal, who is doing a great job. So we’re very proud of him. Thank you. (Applause.)
Now, I know a lot of you — certainly a lot of your parents — are focused on how you’re going to pay for college. And that’s what I was talking to your classmates and some of your parents about. That’s why I’m here. But first, I want to say something about the economy that we’re going to be working to rebuild for you — because not only do we want you to have a good education, we want to make sure that you’re getting a job after you graduate. (Applause.)
Now, this morning, we learned that our economy created 130,000 private sector jobs in April. And the unemployment rate ticked down again. So after the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, our businesses have now created more than 4.2 million new jobs over the last 26 months — more than 1 million jobs in the last six months alone. (Applause.)
So that’s the good news. But there are still a lot of folks out of work, which means that we’ve got to do more. If we’re going to recover all the jobs that were lost during the recession, and if we’re going to build a secure economy that strengthens the middle class, then we’re going to have to do more. And that’s why, next week, I’m going to urge Congress, as they start getting back to work, to take some actions on some common-sense ideas, right now, that can accelerate even more job growth. That’s what we need, and my message to Congress is going to be, just saying “no” to ideas that will create new jobs is not an option. There’s too much at stake for us not to all be rowing in the same direction. And that’s true for you and that’s true for your parents. (Applause.)
For the entire article: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/05/04/remarks-president-college-affordability
May 04, 2012
White House Continues Effort to Stop Student Interest Rate Increase
Today, the President will travel to Washington-Lee High School in Arlington, Virginia, to speak with students and their parents about the need to prevent interest rates on federal subsidized student loans from doubling on July 1. While at the school, the President and Secretary Duncan will hold a roundtable discussion with a small group of seniors and their parents before the President delivers remarks to members of the junior and senior classes and many of their parents about the importance of their having a fair shot at an affordable higher education and the skills they need to find a good job. The roundtable is pooled press and the students and parents noted below will be participating in the discussion.
On Monday, the President will hold a conference call with elected officials and student government leaders from across the country to discuss the need to prevent rates from doubling on July 1.
On Thursday, Vice President Biden will address a group of students and representatives from higher education and youth organizations who are meeting at the White House. His remarks will focus on the importance of keeping higher education affordable and accessible for more than 7 million students by preventing student loan interest rates from doubling on July 1st.
Members of the Cabinet and Senior Administration officials will be discussing the interest rate issue in events across the country next week: Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis will hold an event in Chicago, Illinois on Tuesday, in Columbus, Ohio on Wednesday, and in Phoenix, Arizona next Friday; Small Business Administrator Karen Mills will hold an event in Denver, Colorado on Tuesday; United States Trade Representative Ron Kirk will hold an event in Dallas, Texas on Thursday; and Senior Administration officials from the Departments of Education, Agriculture and Labor will hold events in Massachusetts, North Carolina, Colorado, Michigan, Minnesota and Texas throughout the week.
For the entire article: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/05/04/white-house-continues-effort-stop-student-interest-rate-increase
Chronicling Mitt’s Mendacity, Vol. XVI
May 4, 2012 By Steve Benen – maddowblog
After finally wrapping up his strange presidential campaign this week, Newt Gingrich talked to Wolf Blitzer about his support for his former rival, Mitt Romney. The CNN host asked, “Do you still believe Romney is a liar?”
Gingrich replied, in reference to the presidential candidate he now supports, “The governor said things at times that weren’t true.” Pressed further on whether that means Romney’s a liar, Gingrich changed the subject.
It’s generally not a good sign when high-profile supporters of a candidate hedge on whether the candidate is an honest person, but then again, the presumptive Republican nominee is not like most candidates. To appreciate the scope of Romney’s distortions, consider the 16th installment of my weekly series, chronicling Mitt’s mendacity.
1. In a speech in Ohio, Romney referred to the Bush/Cheney era as “before the recession.”
The recession began in late 2007, more than a year before President Obama’s inauguration. The economy crashed in September 2008, four months before Obama took office. Someone who claims an expertise in economic policy probably ought to know that.
2. In the same speech, Romney summarized his message to young people: “[I]t’s so critical, in my view, for you to consider what’s in the best interest of not just yourself, but of America, over the coming century, and it is to stop the excessive overspending.”
Annual domestic spending is already on track to become the smallest share of the economy since Dwight Eisenhower’s administration.
3. Romney acknowledged that President “inherited” the recession, but added that Obama “didn’t make it better.”
That’s plainly false.
4. In the same speech, Romney said once “Obamacare” is implemented, “government at all levels” will “consume” 50% of the American economy.
David Corn explains today that this is Romney’s arguably “biggest fib,” which falls “somewhere between ‘ridiculous’ and ‘stupid.’”
5. Also from that speech, Romney said Obama’s record includes “the first trillion deficit in history.”
That’s a blatant lie — the day Obama was inaugurated, there was a $1.3 trillion deficit Bush had left for him to clean up.
6. In the same remarks, Romney said, “We’re on track to become Greece.”
No, we’re not.
7. The Romney campaign again claimed “more than 92%” of the jobs lost since Obama took office are women.
This still is a ridiculous lie.
8. The Romney campaign added, “The fact is, what we have now is the U.S. economy is a hostile workplace for women under President Obama because it’s harder to get a job.”
That’s absurdly untrue, too.
9. In New Hampshire, Romney said Obama is “focused on taking away from those who have the least.”
That’s blatantly untrue in an ironic sort of way. Romney’s tax plan calls for higher taxes on those at the lowest end of the income scale. He also intends to cut food stamps, Medicaid, and educational spending, which benefit those who have the least.
10. Romney also vowed, “I want to help the poor.”
First, see #9. Second, he specifically said earlier this year, “I’m not very concerned about the poor.”
11. Romney told Charlie Rose that the president has launched an “attack on small businesses.”
In reality, Obama has cut taxes on small businesses (several times), eased the process that allows small businesses to be created, and streamlined the patent process.
12. The Romney campaign argued this week that the former governor’s position on the auto-industry rescue “was exactly what President Obama followed,” adding, “The only economic success that President Obama has had is because he followed Mitt Romney’s advice.”
Romney condemned Obama’s efforts on the industry rescue repeatedly, including throughout the GOP primaries. He can’t oppose the policy and take credit for the policy at the same time, at least not if he’s being honest.
13. Romney said regulations under Obama are duplicating “like proverbial rabbits.”
It’s a subjective question, I suppose, but at a minimum, this is deeply misleading. The truth is, Obama approved fewer regulations than George W. Bush did over a comparable period.
14. The Romney campaign this week claimed President Obama “delivered” the controversy over GSA over-spending at a Las Vegas conference.
The Obama administration launched the investigation that uncovered the wrongdoing, and GSA’s reckless conference spending began during the Bush era.
15. In a speech in Virginia yesterday, Romney blamed “card check” for making things “tougher” on businesses.
Card check didn’t pass, so it’s impossible for Romney’s argument to be true.
16. In the same speech, Romney said Obama has “added about 150,000 government workers.”
That’s the opposite of reality, and reflects an unnerving ignorance about job policy.
17. Romney, at the same event, said raising the top marginal income tax rate would force small businesses to “cut back” and not “hire more.”
This is one of those zombie lies that never goes away, but it’s still not true.
18. Romney went on to condemn Obama for “shutting down” a “wonderful” school voucher program in the District of Columbia.
Obama didn’t shut down the school voucher program in the District of Columbia. It still exists.
At one of his events this week, Romney, in apparent reference to the president’s eloquence on the stump, told voters, “[A]s you look at the campaign of 2012, you’re gonna hear a lot of words, but you’re going to have an opportunity to also look behind the words at the facts…. Words are easily malleable but facts, they’re stubborn.”
Yes, governor, they are.
Next Up…
1:15 PM EDT
Vice President Biden delivers remarks at the YWCA USA National Conference in Support of the Violence Against Women Act
Hyatt Regency Hotel, Washington, D.C
WhiteHouse.gov http://www.whitehouse.gov/live (Audio Only)
CNN http://live.cnn.com
CSPAN http://www.c-span.org/Events/VP-Biden-Speaks-in-Support-of-the-Violence-Against-Women-Act/10737430440/
Please join me in lighting a candle for President, the First Family and the Nation
http://www.gratefulness.org/candles/candles.cfm?l=eng&gi=PBO
3:00 PM EDT
Dr. Jill Biden to Deliver 2012 Commencement Address to Broward College
Broward College, Sunrise, FL
May 04, 2012
Remarks of Dr. Jill Biden at Broward College Commencement
Broward College Commencement
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
May 4, 2012
As Prepared for Delivery
Good afternoon, everyone!
It’s wonderful to be here in Fort Lauderdale to celebrate such an important day with all of you.
Thank you, President Armstrong, for that very kind introduction. To my colleagues – congratulations on your selection as Professors of the Year.
One of my very first community college visits as Second Lady was to nearby Miami Dade College with Education Secretary Arne Duncan. So it’s great to be back in the area.
Some of you know my story. I’ve been a teacher for more than 30 years, and I continue to teach full-time at a community college in Northern Virginia, just outside of Washington, DC.
In fact, just yesterday I finished up grading and have finished my semester. So I know how some of your teachers feel … and I know how you feel, to be graduating.
Proud. Relieved. And, yes – excited about the next challenge.
When I’m not in the classroom teaching, I’m often on the road visiting community colleges. Earlier this year, Labor Secretary Hilda Solis and I toured five states to see some of the incredible industry partnerships that are taking place all over the country.
I’ve continued that tour with several other stops this Spring – and what I’ve seen at every community college along the way is the story of hope.
Hope for workers, who have gone as far as they can go in their jobs … and are getting the skills they need to go to the next level.
Hope for moms, juggling kids and a job, learning new skills for a new career.
Hope for recent high school graduates, taking a critical step toward a four-year degree.
Hope for people in their forties, fifties and even sixties – who have been out of work so long they’ve nearly given up – getting the second chance they deserve.
Some of these descriptions might sound familiar to you.
College is a place that changes lives, for the better. I’ve seen it firsthand.
For the entire artcle: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/05/04/remarks-dr-jill-biden-broward-college-commencement
3:00 PM EDT
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta participates in a town hall-style meeting with members of the U.S. military in Fort Benning, Georgia.
CNN http://live.cnn.com
Department of Defense http://www.defense.gov/live/
4:55 PM EDT
President Obama welcomes the University of Kentucky men’s basketball team to the White House
WhiteHouse.gov http://www.whitehouse.gov/live
CNN http://live.cnn.com
President Obama Welcomes the Kentucky Wildcats
Published on May 4, 2012 by whitehouse
The President honors the 2012 NCAA Men’s Basketball champion Kentucky Wildcats in a ceremony in the East Room of the White House. May 4, 2012.
May 01, 2012
Presidential Proclamation — National Day of Prayer, 2012
NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER, 2012
- – - – - – -
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION
Prayer has always been a part of the American story, and today countless Americans rely on prayer for comfort, direction, and strength, praying not only for themselves, but for their communities, their country, and the world.
On this National Day of Prayer, we give thanks for our democracy that respects the beliefs and protects the religious freedom of all people to pray, worship, or abstain according to the dictates of their conscience. Let us pray for all the citizens of our great Nation, particularly those who are sick, mourning, or without hope, and ask God for the sustenance to meet the challenges we face as a Nation. May we embrace the responsibility we have to each other, and rely on the better angels of our nature in service to one another. Let us be humble in our convictions, and courageous in our virtue. Let us pray for those who are suffering around the world, and let us be open to opportunities to ease that suffering.
Let us also pay tribute to the men and women of our Armed Forces who have answered our country’s call to serve with honor in the pursuit of peace. Our grateful Nation is humbled by the sacrifices made to protect and defend our security and freedom. Let us pray for the continued strength and safety of our service members and their families. While we pause to honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice defending liberty, let us remember and lend our voices to the principles for which they fought — unity, human dignity, and the pursuit of justice.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim May 3, 2012, as a National Day of Prayer. I invite all citizens of our Nation, as their own faith directs them, to join me in giving thanks for the many blessings we enjoy, and I call upon individuals of all faiths to pray for guidance, grace, and protection for our great Nation as we address the challenges of our time.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand twelve, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-sixth.
BARACK OBAMA
May 04, 2012
Remarks by the President and Secretary Duncan in Student/Parent Discussion on College Loans
Washington Lee High School, Arlington, Virginia
11:35 A.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: What I’m going to be talking about today is obviously financing college educations. And I tell a story about how both Michelle and I, we had to rely on student loans and grants and scholarships to get through college and law school, and we still had a huge amount of debt after we graduated. It paid off, it’s a great investment, but obviously we’re pretty sympathetic to the challenges that families go through in terms of financing.
And so I just wanted to get a sense — all of you are going to be taking out Stafford loans. And two things I wanted to get a sense of — number one, I’m assuming that a doubling of the interest rates is not helpful to you, but feel free to talk about that. I also wanted to get a sense of how it was to apply for one, because one of the things Arne and I and others in the administration have talked about is how do you simplify the process just to make it a little bit easier for people. Because I know that — and based on your chuckle, it sounds like that’s something that we need to do.
Anybody want to start?
SECRETARY DUNCAN: How was the financial aid form itself? Was that scary? Was it easy? Was it hard?
STUDENT: Pretty easy. It was kind of like filling out a college application, so that made it really easy — did it all for you.
THE PRESIDENT: Oh, good.
SECRETARY DUNCAN: That’s what I like to hear. What about other folks?
STUDENT: It was pretty easy.
SECRETARY DUNCAN: It used to be really, really tough, and we worked with the IRS to simplify that. I was scared to partner with the IRS — (laughter) — but they did a great, great job. The form itself used to be a barrier to going on. So what was your sense on it?
STUDENT: I did it in my college summit class and my teacher helped me with it.
SECRETARY DUNCAN: How was it?
STUDENT: It was easy.
THE PRESIDENT: Good. Parents, how are you feeling about this whole college cost thing?
PARENT: Well, Brendan is my third one in school now and I have one more that will be coming up –
THE PRESIDENT: So you’re a pro. (Laughter.)
PARENT: Yes. (Laughter.)
THE PRESIDENT: And how about you? Do you have other kids who are — you’ve got to be thinking about?
PARENT: Yes, I have one — two that are in community college now, and so they’re going to go on to a four-year university. But for Amirah, she is going straight to a four-year university, and the cost is a lot more than community college. So we’re looking at all our options — grants, scholarships, definitely the Stafford loans.
THE PRESIDENT: Just to be able to afford it. So it’s a big chunk to handle.
For the entire article: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/05/04/remarks-president-and-secretary-duncan-studentparent-discussion-college-
Saturday, May 5, 2012
All Times Eastern
7:00 AM
President Obama receives the presidential daily briefing.
8:00 AM
9:00 AM
10:00 AM
10:35 AM
President Obama and First Lady Michelle depart the White House en route Joint Base Andrews.
11:00 AM
12:00 PM
President Obama and First Lady Michelle arrive in Columbus, Ohio.
1:00 PM
1:20 PM
President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama speak at a campaign rally
Columbus, OH
2:00 PM
2:55 PM
President Obama and First Lady Michelle depart Columbus, Ohio en route Richmond, Virginia.
3:00 PM
4:00 PM
4:35 PM
President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama speak at a campaign rally
Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
5:00 PM
5:55 PM
President Obama and First Lady Michelle depart Richmond, Virginia, en route Joint Base Andrews.
6:00 PM
6:35 PM
President Obama and First Lady Michelle arrive at the Joint Base Andrews.
6:50 PM
President Obama and First Lady Michelle arrive at the White House.
7:00 PM
8:00 PM
9:00 PM
10:00 PM
10:50 PM
President Obama and First Lady Michelle depart Joint Base Andrews en route Columbus, Ohio
May 5, 2012
WhiteHouse.gov http://www.whitehouse.gov/live
—-
CNN http://live.cnn.com
1:20 PM EDT
President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama speak at a campaign rally
Columbus, OH
4:35 PM EDT
President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama speak at a campaign rally
Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
—-
CSPAN http://www.cspan.org/
4:35 PM EDT
President Obama; Michelle Obama
President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama speak at a campaign rally
Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA http://www.c-span.org/Events/President-Obama-Launches-Official-Campaign-in-OH-VA/10737430425/
Obamas to kick off campaign together at Ohio, Virginia Rallies
5/3/12 By Devin Dwyer | ABC OTUS News
With the general election match-up now in focus, President Obama’s campaign is kicking into a higher gear, announcing the first two public rallies of year that will feature both the president and first lady Michelle Obama.
The presidential couple will appear in Columbus, Ohio, and Richmond, Va., on Saturday, May 5, when they will “outline the choice the American people will make in November,” campaign officials said tonight.
“The choice won’t just be between two people or two parties, it’s a choice between two distinct records and two distinct visions for the country,” Obama campaign manager Jim Messina told reporters on a conference call.
“Mitt Romney wants to go back to the future,” he said. “He thinks our economy will grow by returning to the same policies that made it shrink.”
Senior Obama strategist David Axelrod said the election debate has reached an “inflection point” and that Democrats will ramp up attacks on Romney’s record as governor of Massachusetts and as a businessman and co-founder of Bain Capital.
“When you look at his career in business,” Axelrod said, “it was not about job creation, it was about wealth creation.”
“This is not going to be a one-way discussion,” he added. “We are proud of the president’s record and what he’s done.”
The aides said Obama’s public rallies – in two “critical states” – mark a gradual step forward in their 2012 battle plan while allowing the president a chance to directly respond to what they described as Romney’s “dishonest, negative campaign.”
“The monologue is over,” Messina said of the presumptive GOP nominee and his attacks on the president during the primary. “Now he has to put his record and agenda up against the president’s, and we look forward to the debate.”
“We think it’s the right time for us. We’ve been planning on this for awhile and feel like it’s the right time to engage,” he said.
Axelrod said the president’s message at the campaign events would not differ significantly from the pitch for economic fairness and equal opportunity that he has been talking about at official events around the country. Obama’s strength is “consistency,” he said.
“We’re not the candidate who reinvents himself from week to week. This is a candidate who has a mission and is going to see it through – and that is to rebuild an economy in which the middle class is thriving,” said Axelrod.
Messina said the first lady’s role would be to “speak to the president’s character and steady hand in times of crisis. And she can tell stories about what his accomplishments have meant to millions of Americans.”
As for whether the May 5 events mean Obama is flipping the switch on campaign mode, Messina said it would continue to be a gradual transition that balances the demands of the presidency.
“This will be a ramp up, not a zero-to-60 moment,” he said. “So, we won’t start doing a bunch of these rallies. These will be the first two, and we’ll have more to come.”
For the entire article: http://news.yahoo.com/obamas-kick-off-campaign-together-ohio-virginia-rallies-021750381–abc-news-politics.html
VCU coach to introduce Obama
5/3/12 5:18 PM EDT POLITICO44
‘The most popular man in Richmond’ will introduce President Obama at his Saturday campaign rally, NBC12 reports:
Virginia Commonwealth University’s head basketball coach, Shaka Smart will introduce President Barack Obama at the president’s kickoff rally at the Seigel Center in Saturday. Smart is one of the most well-known figures in Central Virginia and arguably may be the most popular man Richmond.
Smart has become a beloved Richmond figure, first for guiding the improbable run of the VCU Rams to the Final Four in 2010 and then by twice spurning offers from much bigger programs to remain the head coach at VCU.
The president’s love for college basketball is well-known. He often will attend college basketball games, has a brother-in-law who is a head coach and each year reveals his picks for the NCAA tournament on ESPN.
Obama star power shines on businesses
5/4/12 By STACY A. ANDERSON, Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — Call it the Obama effect: A presidential visit can be good advertising for restaurants and businesses.
Vermilion in Alexandria, Va., is one of the most recent establishments in the spotlight after President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, dined there on Valentine’s Day.
“That kind of exposure has helped drive business without a doubt,” general manager David Hammond said. “A lot of our regular diners have been congratulatory. There’s a real positive buzz.”
While the contemporary American restaurant — which changes its menu weekly based on local and seasonal availability — would not reveal what the Obamas ate, the special four-course menu for the holiday included grass-fed beef “tartar,” Chesapeake rockfish and chocolate truffle tart.
It’s not just restaurants that experience the Obama effect.
After the first family visited the Corcoran Gallery of Art in January, “we definitely saw a spike in all areas including Web traffic, press interest and foot traffic,” museum spokesperson Rachel Cothran said.
The Obamas viewed “30 Americans,” which featured artwork by African-Americans, and a collection of Civil War photographs.
Interest in where and what Obama and his family do can be explained with one word: authenticity, according to George Washington University Professor Larry Parnell, who directs the school’s strategic public relations program and formerly advised politicians and corporate chief executives.
Parnell said Americans can relate to Obama stopping at a burger joint, filling out sports brackets and shopping at Petco with his dog. It also helps that he has heralded the White House as the “people’s house” and talked of bringing the community to the Executive Mansion since the beginning of his presidency, Parnell said.
“It’s a sense of him being authentic and real,” Parnell said. “It’s who he is as a person, and Clinton, to the same extent as well, had the ‘everyman’ element as well. They can relate to the average person.”
Parnell said Obama, like Bill Clinton, may appeal to Americans because of his humble background and upbringing with close community roots. He said Republican president hopeful Mitt Romney may struggle with this.
For the entire article: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gOgipskvFBK2-l04DRxSY4oowusQ?docId=11125444fac849efb25a25a633b8b686
Good morning CR. Loved reading this article.
May 05, 2012
WEEKLY ADDRESS: A New Chapter in Afghanistan
WASHINGTON, DC— In this week’s address, President Obama spoke about his recent trip to Afghanistan, where he met with our brave troops and signed an historic agreement that will help put an end to the war. The goal of defeating al Qaeda is within sight, we have killed Osama Bin Laden, and the President has now signed an agreement with Afghanistan that details a new relationship in which the Afghans will soon be responsible for the security of their nation. As we look towards that future, we must also focus on the type of nation our troops return to. This is why the President called on Congress to take the money we are no longer spending at war, use half of it to pay down our debt, and use the other half to rebuild America. It’s time for America to make the choices that ensure a strong middle class where everyone a fair shot, everyone does their fair share, and everyone plays by the same rules.
The audio of the address and video of the address will be available online at http://www.whitehouse.govat 6:00 a.m. ET, Saturday, May 5, 2012.
Remarks of President Barack Obama
Weekly Address
The White House
May 5, 2012
This week, I traveled to Afghanistan—to thank our troops serving far from home, and to sign an historic agreement that will help us complete our mission and end the war.
As Commander-in-Chief, nothing is more humbling or inspiring than the chance to spend some time with our troops. At Bagram Air Base, I visited with some of our outstanding men and women in uniform. I thanked them for their extraordinary service. And I let them know that America honors their sacrifice.
Because of their bravery and dedication, the tide of war has turned in Afghanistan. We have broken the Taliban’s momentum. We’ve built strong Afghan Security Forces. We have devastated al Qaeda’s leadership. And one year ago, our troops launched the operation that killed Osama bin Laden. The goal that I set – to defeat al Qaeda, and deny it a chance to rebuild – is within reach.
Because of the progress we have made, I was able to sign an historic agreement between the United States and Afghanistan that defines a new kind of relationship between our countries – a future in which Afghans are responsible for the security of their nation, and we build an equal partnership between two sovereign states; a future in which the war ends, and a new chapter begins.
The enormous sacrifices of our men and women in uniform are not over. But many of our troops are already coming home. Last year, we removed 10,000 U.S. troops from Afghanistan. Another 23,000 will leave by the end of the summer. As our coalition agreed, by the end of 2014, the Afghans will be fully responsible for the security of their country
And this is as it should be. Because after more than a decade of war, it is time to focus on nation building here at home.
For the entire article: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/05/05/weekly-address-new-chapter-afghanistan
Happy Cinco De Mayo
Happy Children’s Day (子供の日 kodomo no hi)
Happy cinco De Mayo to you CR. I am fired up, ready to go and excited about the rallies today.
Happy Cinco De Mayo COS! FIRED UP & READY TO GO!
Happy Cinco COS!
Thx Kat.
Happy Cinco and a good and HOPEful Saturday, CR and all friends!
>^..^<
Happy and HOPEful Saturday Kat!
FLOTUS is wearing a beautiful blue dress today. I also love her cute little white purse and blue shoes.
http://www.daylife.com/photo/0fKY4545zwa7l?__site=daylife&q=BARACK+OBAMA
Thanks COS! We are lucky to have such a wonderful FLOTUS!
Good morning CR, Kat, COS and PPO Family. HOPE you all have a great day. Sorry I have been MIA, was under the weather for a couple of days.
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 Saturday morning Jackie. Hope that you feel well again soon.
It’s a popular spot lately — 39 lit now. Get well soon Jackie!
Now Streaming…
1:20 PM EDT
President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama speak at a campaign rally
Columbus, OH
CNN http://live.cnn.com
May 05, 2012
REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT AND FIRST LADY AT A CAMPAIGN EVENT
Value-City Schottenstein Center Columbus, Ohio
1:05 P.M. EDT
MRS. OBAMA: Oh, wow. (Applause.) Wow. It sounds like you all are already fired up and ready to go. (Applause.) This is amazing. It is truly amazing. And you know what, being here with all of you today, let me tell you, I’m feeling pretty fired up and ready to go myself. I really am. (Applause.)
But there’s a reason why we’re here today –
AUDIENCE: I love you! (Applause.)
MRS. OBAMA: And we love you, too. And it’s not just because we support one extraordinary man — although, I’ll admit, I’m a little biased because I think our President is awesome. (Laughter and applause.)
And it’s not just because we want to win an election. We are here because of the values we believe in. We’re here because of the vision for this country that we all share. We’re here because we want all our children to have a good education, right? (Applause.) Schools that push them and inspire them, prepare them for good jobs. We want our parents and our grandparents to retire with dignity — (applause) — because we believe that after a lifetime of hard work, they should enjoy their golden years.
We want to restore that basic middle-class security for our families because we believe that folks shouldn’t go bankrupt because they get sick. (Applause.) They shouldn’t lose their home because someone loses a job. We believe that responsibility should be rewarded and hard work should pay off.
And truly, these are basic American values. They’re the same values that so many of us were raised with, including myself. You see, my father was a blue-collar city worker at the city water plant. And my family lived in a little bitty apartment on the South Side of Chicago. And neither of my parents had the chance to go to college. But let me tell you what my parents did do: They saved. They sacrificed. I mean, they poured everything they had into me and my brother. They wanted us to have the kind of education they could only dream of. And while pretty much all of my college tuition came from student loans and grants, my dad still paid a little bitty portion of that tuition himself. And let me tell you, every semester, my dad was determined to pay that bill right on time because he was so proud to be sending his kids to college. (Applause.)
And he couldn’t bear the thought of me or my brother missing that registration deadline because his check was late. Like so many people in this country, my father took great pride in being able to earn a living that allowed him to handle his responsibility to his family, to pay all of his bills and to pay them on time.
And truly, more than anything else, that is what’s at stake. It’s that fundamental promise that no matter who you are or how you started out, if you work hard, you can build a decent life for yourself and yes, an even better life for your kids. (Applause.)
And it is that promise that binds us together as Americans. It’s what makes us who we are. And whether it’s equal pay for women, or health care for our kids; whether it’s tax cuts for middle-class families or student loans for our young people — (applause) — that is what my husband has been fighting for every single day as President. Every single day. (Applause.)
And let me tell you something — as First Lady, I have had the chance to see up close and personal what being President looks like, right? I have seen how the issues that come across the President’s desk are always the hard ones.
For the entire article: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/05/05/remarks-president-and-first-lady-campaign-event
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President Obama – 2012-05-05 Rally in Ohio
Published on May 5, 2012 by SolelyByRequest
President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, at a rally in Ohio, to kick off the campaign season.
Pres Obama: “Gov. Romney is a patriotic American who has raised a wonderful family. And he has much to be proud of. He has run a large financial firm and he has run a state. But I think he has drawn the wrong lessons from those experiences.”
Pres Obama says Romney believes in trickle-down.
More: “The problem with our economy isn’t that the American people aren’t productive enough… The challenge we face right now… the challenge we faced for over a decade is that harder worker hasn’t led to higher incomes. It’s that bigger profits haven’t led to ” more jobs. “Gov. Romney doesn’t seem to get that.”
Pres Obama: “Somehow, he and his friends in Congress think the same bad ideas will lead to a different result.”
More: “Ohio, I’m here to say… we were there… we remember. …We are moving this country forward.”
Pres Obama: “Look, we want businesses to succeed. We want entrepreneurs and investors rewarded when they take risks. … But the true measure of our prosperity is more than just a running balance sheet …”
More: “Corporations aren’t people. People are people.”
Pres Obama says people succeed when they have a chance.
Next Up…
4:35 PM EDT
President Obama; Michelle Obama
President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama speak at a campaign rally
Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
CNN http://live.cnn.com
CSPAN http://www.c-span.org/Events/President-Obama-Launches-Official-Campaign-in-OH-VA/10737430425/
May 05, 2012
REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT AND FIRST LADY AT A CAMPAIGN EVENT
Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia
5:05 P.M. EDT
MRS. OBAMA: Hello, Virginia! (Applause.) It sounds like you all are already fired up. It sounds like you all are ready to go. (Applause.) And let me tell you something. Being here with all of you today, I am feeling pretty fired up and ready to go myself. (Applause.) Now, there is a reason why we’re all here today, in addition to being fired up and ready to go. And it’s not just because we all support an extraordinary man. (Applause.) And I am biased. I think our President is magnificent. (Applause.)
And it’s not just because we want to win an election — which we do. (Applause.) We are here because of the values we believe in. We’re here because of the vision for this country that we all share. We’re here because we want our children to have good schools, the kind of schools that push them, the kind of schools that inspire them and prepare them for good jobs. (Applause.) That’s why we’re here. We want our parents and our grandparents to retire with dignity, because we believe that after a lifetime of hard work, they should enjoy their golden years. (Applause.)
We’re here because we want to restore that basic middle-class security for our families because we believe that folks in this country shouldn’t go bankrupt because they get sick. (Applause.) We believe they shouldn’t lose their home because someone loses a job. We believe that responsibility should be rewarded and hard work should pay off.
And the thing that we all know is that these are basic American values. They’re the values that so many of us were raised with, including myself. (Applause.) I told this story earlier, but my father was a blue-collar worker at the city water plant. And my family lived in a very little apartment on the South Side of Chicago — South Side! (Applause.) And neither of my parents had the chance to attend college, but let me tell you what my parents did do, which was just as important: They saved. And they sacrificed. And they poured everything they had into me and my brother because they wanted us to have the kind of education they could only dream of.
And while pretty much of all my college tuition came from student loans and grants — (applause) — you can relate to that — my dad still paid a small portion of that tuition himself. And every semester, my father was determined to pay that bill on time — because like so many parents, he was so proud to be sending his kids to college. And he couldn’t bear the thought of me or my brother missing that registration deadline because his check was late.
Like so many people in this country, my father took great pride in being able to earn a living that allowed him to handle his responsibilities to his family, and to pay all of his bills and to pay them on time.
And truly, more than anything else, that is what’s at stake in this election. It’s that fundamental promise that no matter who you are or how you started out, if you work hard, you can build a decent life for yourself and yes, an even better life for your kids, right? (Applause.)
And it is that promise that binds us together as Americans. It’s what makes us who we are. And whether it’s equal pay for women, or health care for our kids; whether it’s tax cuts for middle-class families, or student loans for our young people –that is what my President, my husband, your President has been fighting for every single day. (Applause.)
And let me tell you — as First Lady, I have had the chance to see up close and personal what being President looks like. I have seen how the issues that come across a President’s desk are always the hard ones — the problems with no clear solutions, the judgment calls where the stakes are so high and there is no margin for error. And as President, you can get all kinds of advice from all kinds of people. But at the end of the day, when it comes time to make that decision, all you have to guide you are your life experiences, your values, and your vision for this country. (Applause.) In the end, when you’re making those impossible choices, it all boils down to who you are and what you stand for.
For the entire article: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/05/05/remarks-president-and-first-lady-campaign-event-0
Sunday, May 5, 2012
All Times Eastern
7:00 AM
President Obama receives the presidential daily briefing.
8:00 AM
9:00 AM
10:00 AM
11:00 AM
12:00 PM
1:00 PM
2:00 PM
3:00 PM
4:00 PM
5:00 PM
6:00 PM
7:00 PM
8:00 PM
9:00 PM
10:00 PM
May 6, 2012
WhiteHouse.gov http://www.whitehouse.gov/live
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CNN http://live.cnn.com
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CSPAN http://www.cspan.org/
Sunday talk show tip sheet
5/4/12 By LEIGH MUNSIL – POLITICO
(Democratic Excerpts Only)
With President Barack Obama formally launching his reelection campaign this weekend, Vice President Joe Biden headlines this Sunday’s television talk shows with an appearance NBC’s “Meet the Press.”…
CBS also has Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.), who’s now backing Romney after abandoning her own presidential campaign; Sen. Chuck Schumer, (D-N.Y.); and former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean.
And CNN has as well the heads of the congressional intelligence committees – Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) for a look at the war in Afghanistan a year after the death of Osama bin Laden.
Additionally, former Ohio Gov. Ted Stickland, a Democrat, and former Rep. Tom Davis (R-Va), stop by to assess the presidential prospects in two key battleground states the president is visiting on Saturday to kick off his reelection bid.
ABC’s “This Week” has senior Obama campaign adviser David Axelrod and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz), another key Romney supporter….
TV One’s “Washington Watch” has Labor Secretary Hilda Solis, Reps. Pete Olson (R-Texas) and Hank Johnson (D-Ga.).
Bloomberg TV’s “Political Capital” has NBA Commissioner David Stern (contributes to Democrat party candidates) .
And C-SPAN’s “Newsmakers” has AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, interviewed by Peter Wallsten of The Washington Post and Melanie Trottman of The Wall Street Journal.
For the entire article: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0512/75936.html
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THIS POST IS NOW CLOSED
NBLB Come on over to my newest post
titled: “GOP Extremists – Master OF Romney”
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