President Obama has a clear message for Congress: It’s time to put country ahead of politics and create one million new jobs.
President Obama proposed the American Jobs Act, but Republicans in Congress have refused to act on many of the common-sense ideas that would help our country continue to recover from the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.
For concrete steps that will put Americans back to work, read President Obama’s proposals below. Then let Republicans in Congress know: We can’t afford for them to continue playing politics. It’s time to act.
- PREVENT TEACHERS AND FIRST RESPONDERS FROM BEING LAID OFF
- PUT CONSTRUCTION WORKERS BACK ON THE JOB
- REWARD AMERICAN JOBS, NOT OUTSOURCING
- EXPAND REFINANCING FOR RESPONSIBLE HOMEOWNERS
- PROVIDE TAX CREDITS FOR SMALL BUSINESSES THAT HIRE NEW
- INVEST IN CLEAN ENERGY MANUFACTURING
- CREATE A VETERANS JOB CORPS
Contact your Congress person to TELL THEM TO START WORKING WITH PRESIDENT OBAMA!!
U.S. Senators
U.S. Representatives
Tweet a Message to Your Representatives
VOTE SMART & RE-ELECT PRESIDENT OBAMA 2012
Friday, June 8, 2012
All Times Eastern
7:00 AM
8:00 AM
9:00 AM
First Lady Michelle Obama visits a, Barnes & Noble bookstore to autograph copies of her new book American Grown: The Story of the White House Kitchen Garden and Gardens Across America
Washington, DC
10:00 AM
10:15 AM
President Obama makes a statement on the economy at the White House Brady Local Event Time: 10:15 AM EDT
Press Briefing Room
Open Press
11:00 AM
12:00 PM
12:30 PM
President Obama and Vice President Biden meet for lunch.
Private Dining Room
Closed Press
1:00 PM
2:00 PM
President Obama welcomes President Benigno Aquino of the Philippines to the White House
Oval Office
Pool Spray at the Bottom
2:50 PM
President Obama welcomes the four-time Super Bowl Champion New York Giants to the White House to honor the team for their Super Bowl XLVI victory
South Lawn
3:00 PM
4:00 PM
5:00 PM
5:10 PM
President Obama attends a campaign event.
The Jefferson Hotel, Washington, DC
Closed Press
6:00 PM
7:00 PM
8:00 PM
9:00 PM
10:00 PM
June 8, 2012
WhiteHouse.gov http://www.whitehouse.gov/live
10:15 AM ET
White House Press Secretary Jay Carney briefs the press.
2:50 PM ET
President Obama welcomes the four-time Super Bowl Champion New York Giants to the White House to honor the team for their Super Bowl XLVI victory.
—-
CNN http://live.cnn.com
5:20 AM ET
House Committee Judiciary
Justice Department Oversight
8:30 AM ET
Secretary Clinton highlights the 35th anniversary of the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor.
9:30 AM ET
House Ways and Means Committee on Tax Extenders Evaluation
9:45 AM ET
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton talks with former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan regarding the situation in Syria.
10:15 AM EDT
President Obama makes a statement on the economy at the White House Brady Press Briefing Room
The White House
2:50 PM ET
President Obama welcomes the four-time Super Bowl Champion New York Giants to the White House to honor the team for their Super Bowl XLVI victory.
—-
CSPAN http://www.cspan.org/
5:20 AM ET
House Committee Judiciary
Justice Department Oversight
8:30 AM ET
Secretary Clinton highlights the 35th anniversary of the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor. http://www.c-span.org/Events/State-Department-Marks-35-Years-of-Focus-on-Human-Rights/10737431372/
9:30 AM ET
House Ways and Means Committee on Tax Extenders Evaluation http://www.c-span.org/Events/House-Ways-Means-Subcmte-Hears-Testimony-on-Expiring-Tax-Provisions/10737431371/
9:45 AM ET
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton talks with former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan regarding the situation in Syria.
10:00 AM ET
Bankers Forecast the Course of U.S., Global Economy
Following a day of mixed economic news, the American Banking Association (ABA) predicts where the economy is headed for the remainder of 2012 and the beginning of 2013. http://www.c-span.org/Events/Bankers-Forecast-the-Course-of-US-Global-Economy/10737431373/
10:15 AM EDT
President Obama makes a statement on the economy at the White House Brady Press Briefing Room
The White House http://www.c-span.org/Events/Pres-Obama-to-Address-WH-Press-on-the-Economy/10737431380/
9:00 PM ET
Radio and Television Correspondents Association
2012 Radio and Television Congressional Correspondents Dinner http://www.c-span.org/Events/69th-Radio-Television-Congressional-Correspondents-Dinner/10737431344/
President Obama has a clear message for Congress: It’s time to put country ahead of politics and create one million new jobs.
President Obama proposed the American Jobs Act, but Republicans in Congress have refused to act on many of the common-sense ideas that would help our country continue to recover from the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.
For concrete steps that will put Americans back to work, read President Obama’s proposals below. Then let Republicans in Congress know: We can’t afford for them to continue playing politics. It’s time to act.
1. PREVENT TEACHERS AND FIRST RESPONDERS FROM BEING LAID OFF
Congress should pass President Obama’s proposals to prevent layoffs of teachers, firefighters, police, and other first responders, keeping hundreds of thousands of needed workers on the job.
2. PUT CONSTRUCTION WORKERS BACK ON THE JOB
Congress should pass President Obama’s proposal to put hundreds of thousands of construction workers back to work making needed repairs to our roads, bridges, airports, and schools.
3. REWARD AMERICAN JOBS, NOT OUTSOURCING
Congress should pass President Obama’s proposal to keep good jobs here at home, giving new tax breaks to companies that insource and taking away tax breaks from companies that ship jobs overseas.
4. EXPAND REFINANCING FOR RESPONSIBLE HOMEOWNERS
Congress should pass President Obama’s proposal to cut red tape and help responsible homeowners refinance their mortgages at today’s lower rates.
5. PROVIDE TAX CREDITS FOR SMALL BUSINESSES THAT HIRE NEW WORKERS
Congress should pass President Obama’s proposal to help small business owners who create jobs by hiring new workers and making new investments—including tax incentives that would benefit as many as 2 million small businesses.
6. INVEST IN CLEAN ENERGY MANUFACTURING
Congress should pass President Obama’s proposal to invest in the clean-energy manufacturers that are creating American jobs and reducing our dependence on foreign oil.
7.CREATE A VETERANS JOB CORPS
Congress should pass President Obama’s proposal to help our veterans find good jobs, and continue to serve in their communities.
“Tax reform should follow the Buffett Rule. If you make more than $1 million a year, you should not pay less than 30 percent in taxes. And my Republican friend Tom Coburn is right: Washington should stop subsidizing millionaires. In fact, if you’re earning a million dollars a year, you shouldn’t get special tax subsidies or deductions. On the other hand, if you make under $250,000 a year, like 98 percent of American families, your taxes shouldn’t go up. You’re the ones struggling with rising costs and stagnant wages. You’re the ones who need relief.”
President Obama- January 24, 2012 State of the Union Address
Buffett Rule Facts and Fictions
Gene Sperling September 21, 2011
On Monday, the President proposed the Buffett Rule as one of five principles for comprehensive tax reform. This is a rule of simple fairness—no household making over $1 million annually should pay less in federal taxes than middle-class families pay. Contrary to some misconceptions, the Buffett Rule is not designed as the sole or main source of raising new revenues, but one of five principles that should be achieved by tax reform:
* Cut rates
* Cut inefficient and unfair tax breaks
* Cut the deficit by $1.5 trillion over 10 years
* Increase investment and growth in the United States
Observe the “Buffett rule.”
Of these principles — all of which we believe are key to reform — the Buffett rule has received the most attention. It has been attacked with claims of “class warfare” that are completely without merit. How can it be class warfare to ensure that there is greater parity between the taxes paid by the most well-off and those paid by tens of millions of hardworking families?
For the entire article: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2011/09/21/buffett-rule-facts-and-fictions
Obama For America: “Jobs”
Published on Jun 7, 2012 by BarackObamadotcom
Tell Congress we can’t wait: http://www.barackobama.com/JobsNow
The President’s jobs plan would put teachers, firefighters, police officers, and construction workers back to work right now. And it’s paid for by asking the wealthiest Americans to pay a little more, but Congress refuses to act. Tell Congress we can’t wait: http://www.barackobama.com/JobsNow
Helping Americans Manage Student Loan Debt
Sabrina Siddiqui June 07, 2012 12:50 PM EDT
Today, President Obama heads to the University of Nevada Las Vegas to discuss student loans. The President believes in creating an economy built to last that gives every hard working student a fair shot at developing the skills they need to find a good job by attending college, university, community college, or job training programs. To help put the cost of higher education within reach for more Americans, the President has taken action to cap monthly payments on student loans for responsible graduates who make their payments on time. Continuing to act, he will issue a Presidential Memorandum to streamline the process and improve information available to responsible borrowers about student loan repayment options. Answering the President’s call, Treasury and IRS will begin working on improving the application process for responsible borrowers.
The Administration has helped make higher education more affordable by increasing Pell grants by over $900 and signing a tax credit worth up to $10,000 to help middle class families cover the cost of tuition. Additionally, over the past several years, the Administration has worked to improve repayment options available to responsible student loan borrowers. Since 2009, former students have been able to enroll in an “Income Based Repayment” (IBR) plan to cap their student loan payments at 15 percent of their current discretionary income if they make their payments on time and beginning in 2014 this cap will be lowered to 10 percent for borrowers. In October, the President announced a “We Can’t Wait” executive action to make that lower cap available to more borrowers by the end of 2012, which will reduce monthly student loan payments for more than 1.6 million responsible student borrowers.
For more: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2012/06/07/helping-americans-manage-student-loan-debt
June 06, 2012
FACT SHEET: Helping Americans Manage Student Loan Debt with Improvements to Repayment Options
WASHINGTON, DC – In today’s economy, higher education is not a luxury – it’s an imperative that leads to better jobs and a strong middle class. The President believes in creating an economy built to last that gives every hard working student a fair shot at developing the skills they need to find a good job by attending college, university, community college, or job training programs. To help put the cost of higher education within reach for more Americans, the President has taken action to cap monthly payments on student loans for responsible graduates who make their payments on time. Tomorrow, the President will act again by issuing a Presidential Memorandum to the Secretaries of Education and the Treasury to streamline the process and improve information available to responsible borrowers about student loan repayment options.
The President has helped make higher education more affordable by extending Pell Grants to 3 million more students and signing a tax credit worth up to $10,000 to help middle class families cover the cost of tuition. However, prospects of high debt may discourage some potential students from enrolling at all and gaining the skills they need to compete in the global economy. Additionally, some graduates may choose to put off starting a new job-creating business or entering a teaching or another public service career because they feel held back by debt.
Over the past several years, the Administration has worked to improve repayment options available to responsible student loan borrowers. Since 2007, former students have been able to enroll in an “Income Based Repayment” (IBR) plan to cap their student loan payments at 15 percent of their current discretionary income if they make their payments on time. Legislation signed by President Obama in 2009 lowered this cap to 10% for borrowers beginning in 2014. In October, the President announced a “We Can’t Wait” executive action to make that lower cap available to more borrowers by the end of 2012, which will reduce monthly student loan payments for more than 1.6 million responsible student borrowers.
For more: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/06/06/fact-sheet-helping-americans-manage-student-loan-debt-improvements-repay
President Obama: “This is a no-brainer”
By Melanie Garunay on June 7, 2012 barackobama
President Obama visited students at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, today to talk about why Congress needs to act now to keep student loan interest rates from rising:
Tell Congress that keeping college affordable matters to you: Use the hashtag #DontDoubleMyRate on Twitter.
THE PRESIDENT’S PROPOSAL TO EXTEND THE
MIDDLE CLASS TAX CUTS
July 2012

The President’s Proposal to Extend the Middle Class Tax Cuts
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA DELIVERS A STATEMENT ON THE NEED FOR CONGRESS TO ACT TO EXTEND TAX CUTS FOR MIDDLE CLASS FAMILIES, IN THE EAST ROOM OF THE WHITE HOUSE, JULY 9, 2012.
“I believe our prosperity has always come from an economy that’s built on a strong and growing middle class ‐‐ one that can afford to buy the products that our businesses sell; a middle class that can own homes, and send their kids to college, and save enough to retire on. That’s why I’ve cut middle class taxes every year that I’ve been President ‐ ‐ by $3,600 for the typical middle class family.”
‐ President Obama, July 9, 2011
Introduction
President Obama believes that to create jobs we need to grow our economy not from the top down, but based on a strong and secure middle class. Within weeks of taking office, President Obama took immediate action in the midst of the economic crisis to restore security for middle‐ class families by cutting their taxes in the Recovery Act. Since then, President Obama has continued to cut taxes for middle class families to make it easier for them to make ends meet. A typical family making $50,000 a year has received tax cuts totaling $3,600 over the past four years – more if they were putting a child through college.
Today, while Republicans and Democrats in Washington rarely see eye‐to‐eye, everyone agrees that extending middle class tax cuts will give working families and our economy a little more certainty at this make‐or‐break moment. So far, the only reason the middle class tax cuts have not been extended is that Republicans in Congress continue to insist on cutting taxes once again for the wealthiest few. That’s why the President called on Congress to break through the gridlock and pass a one year extension of the tax cuts for every family making under $250,000 a year—98 percent of all Americans. The highest income 2 percent will still benefit from current rates on their first $250,000 of income, but there is simply no reason for Congress to wait to keep taxes low for middle class families.
Congress faces a choice. On January 1, taxes are scheduled to go up for 114 million middle class families by an average of $1,600 as such tax cuts as the expanded Child Tax Credit, the 10 percent tax bracket, marriage penalty relief, and the American Opportunity Tax Credit all expire. A typical middle class family of four would see its taxes rise by $2,200.
The President and Congressional Democrats have proposed to extend all the income tax cuts that benefit families with income of less than $250,000 per year, while letting tax cuts expire for the 2 percent of households with the highest incomes. Over the next decade, the President’s proposal will save $850 billion relative to continuing the additional tax cuts that go exclusively to households making over $250,000, or almost $1 trillion taking into account the cost of cuts to the estate tax. Allowing these tax cuts to expire is an essential component of the President’s overall plan for balanced deficit reduction.
In contrast, while Republicans in Congress agree in principle on extending tax cuts for the middle class, they have yet to act. Moreover, Congressional Republicans have introduced a proposal that extends the high‐income tax cuts but raises taxes on 25 million families with incomes below $250,000 by an average of $1,000 apiece. These tax increases are a return to the exact same top‐down economic policies that led to the economic crisis and would result because Republicans would end a tax credit that helps make college affordable as well as roll back improvements to the Child Tax Credit and the Earned Income Tax Credit.
The President has called on Congress to act now on extending all income tax cuts for 98 percent of American families and not to hold the middle class and our economy hostage over a disagreement on tax cuts for households with incomes over $250,000 per year.
This report provides additional analysis and new Treasury data on the impact of the President’s proposal, including evidence of its importance for middle class families in every state.
I. Overview of the President’s Proposal
PRESIDENT OBAMA IS CALLING ON CONGRESS TO EXTEND THE MIDDLE CLASS TAX CUTS FOR ONE YEAR
The President has called on Congress to act now to extend the middle class tax cuts for one year through 2013.
The President’s proposal and legislation introduced by Congressional Democrats would provide certainty for the 114 million middle class families whose income taxes are scheduled to go up on January 1st.
Both sides agree that we cannot allow these middle class families’ taxes to increase next year by an average of $1,600 – or about $2,200 for a typical middle class family of four.
Over the next decade, the President’s proposal will save almost $1 trillion relative to continuing tax cuts for high‐income households that are worth $160,000 on average for households with incomes over $1 million and that will have little impact on job creation and economic growth.
Under the President’s proposal, the 98 percent of American families with incomes of less than $250,000 per year would continue to benefit in full from the income tax cuts expiring at the end of 2012, including:
The doubling of the Child Tax Credit to $1,000 per child, and the extension of the credit to millions of working families that previously could not benefit from it.
The 10 percent tax bracket, which will provide middle class couples with a tax cut of up to $890 next year.
Marriage penalty relief, which reduces or eliminates marriage penalties for nearly 38 million couples.
Lower tax rates on up to $250,000 of income ($200,000 for single filers).
In addition, the President’s proposal would reinstate the $7 million per‐couple estate
tax exemption, which exempts all but the wealthiest 3 in 1,000 decedents from tax.
The President’s proposal and legislation introduced by Congressional Democrats would provide certainty for the 114 million middle class families whose taxes will go up on January 1 if Congress does not act. Without Congressional action:

114 million middle class families will see their federal income taxes increase by an average of $1,600. (For state by state estimates, see page 15.)
A typical middle class family of four will see their taxes rise by about $2,200 as a result of losing the combination of the expanded child credit, marriage penalty relief, and the 10 percent bracket.
Over 35 million families will receive a smaller Child Tax Credit, and millions of low‐ and moderate‐income working families with children will lose access to the Child Tax Credit altogether. (For state by state estimates, see page 16.)
11 million middle class families will no longer get help paying for college from the American Opportunity Tax Credit.
Small businesses will be able to claim immediate tax deductions for only $25,000, rather than $250,000, of new investment.
For the entire article: http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/uploads/middleclassreport_7_24_2012.pdf
Romney on spending: Guns triumph over butter
4/23/12 By Andrew Taylor – Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Reducing government deficits Mitt Romney’s way would mean less money for health care for the poor and disabled and big cuts to nuts-and-bolts functions such as food inspection, border security and education.
Romney also promises budget increases for the Pentagon, above those sought by some GOP defense hawks, meaning that the rest of the government would have to shrink even more. Nonmilitary programs would incur still larger cuts than those called for in the tightfisted GOP budget that the House passed last month.
Differences over the government’s budget and spiraling deficits are among the starkest that separate Republican Romney and Democratic President Barack Obama. Obama’s budget generally avoids risk, with minimal cuts to rapidly growing health care programs such as Medicare and Medicaid while socking wealthier people with tax increases. It’s all part of an effort to close trillion-dollar-plus deficits.
Romney, by contrast, proposes broad cuts in government spending, possibly overpromising on reductions that even a Congress stuffed with conservatives might find hard to deliver.
Estimates by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office put current government spending at $3.6 trillion, or about 23.5 percent of the gross domestic product this year, slipping to 21.8 percent by 2016.
The math can get fuzzy. But the Romney campaign says it needs to come up with $500 billion in cuts in 2016, the target year. The GOP front-runner suggests raising the Social Security retirement age and reducing cost-of-living increases for better-off retirees.
He generally endorses a plan by House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wis., to gradually transform Medicare from a program that directly pays hospital and doctor bills into vouchers for subsidizing future beneficiaries in buying health insurance.
Because Romney promises to protect current Social Security and Medicare recipients from cuts, he cannot get much savings from those programs by 2016.
Combined, they are projected to make up about 44 percent of the budget that year. Interest costs, which cannot be touched, would make up an additional 9 percent of the budget, while Romney promises to add almost $100 billion to the Pentagon budget that year, based on his pledge that military spending reach 4 percent of GDP.
So what’s left to cut?
Medicaid: The program now provides health care for about 50 million mostly poor and disabled people, including nursing home care for 7 of 10 patients nationwide. Obama’s health care law sharply would sharply boost Medicaid enrollment to cover more people above the poverty line, a move that Romney promises to repeal.
Like House Republicans, Romney promises to transform Medicaid into block grants for states and shed federal supervision of it. He would cap the program’s annual growth to inflation plus a percentage point. His campaign says the approach would unshackle states to innovate and, by the end of a decade, cut costs by more than $200 billion a year.
Domestic agency budgets: If Social Security is mostly off the table and current Medicare beneficiaries are protected, domestic Cabinet agency budgets would take a major hit in ways that could fundamentally alter government. The future growth of those discretionary programs funded through annual appropriations bills was already cut greatly in last year’s deal to raise the government’s borrowing limit.
At issue are these programs, just to name a few: health research; NASA; transportation; homeland security; education; food inspection; housing and heating subsidies for the poor; food aid for pregnant women; the FBI; grants to local governments; national parks; and veterans’ health care.
Other benefit programs: Like Ryan’s budget, the Romney plan would also cut benefit programs other than Social Security and Medicare. They include food stamps, school lunches, crop subsidies, Supplemental Security Income for very poor seniors and disabled people, unemployment insurance, veterans’ pensions and refundable tax credits to the working poor.
‘They’re (GOP) rooting against the economy’
By Steve Benen – Fri Jun 15, 2012 9:19 AM EDT
After last month’s disappointing job numbers were released, and Republicans seemed a little too pleased, the Obama campaign argued that the GOP is, as Stephanie Cutter put it, is “rooting for failure.” David Axelrod accused Republicans of “high-fiving each other” when bad economic news comes out.
On Capitol Hill, GOP leaders denied the accusations, but yesterday, Travis Waldron highlighted a clip of a Republican who was willing to be surprisingly candid on the subject.
For those who can’t watch clips online, Rob Gray, a senior adviser on Romney’s gubernatorial campaign, was asked whether GOP lawmakers might be dragging their heels when it comes to improving the economy. Gray responded:
For more: http://maddowblog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/06/15/12238245-theyre-rooting-against-the-economy?lite
In new attack, Romney ‘just making stuff up’
By Steve Benen – Thu Jun 7, 2012 12:30 PM EDT
As a growing number of Democrats raise the “sabotage question” — the charge that Republicans might be deliberately hurting the American economy to advance an election agenda — Mitt Romney argued at a campaign event in Texas that it was actually President Obama who chose to slow the recovery.
In this case, Romney is citing a book from Noam Scheiber, “The Escape Artists,” on how Obama and his economic team confronted the Great Recession in 2009 and 2010.
As Romney sees it, “there was discussion about the fact that Obamacare would slow down the economic recovery in this country.” He added that the administration “knew” the health care reform package would hurt the economy, “but they concluded that we would all forget how long the recovery took once it had happened, so they decided to go ahead.”
We know precisely why Romney makes claims like these. With Democrats arguing that Republicans are perhaps holding back the economy on purpose, Romney suddenly sees value in arguing, in effect, “No, no, it’s Obama who slowed the recovery on purpose.” The public isn’t sure who to believe, and before long, the “sabotage” picture becomes muddled, with each side leveling similar claims. The accuracy (or lack thereof) gets lost.
But we also know that Romney’s lying.
For more: http://maddowblog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/06/07/12106344-in-new-attack-romney-just-making-stuff-up?lite
May 25, 2012
Statement by the Press Secretary on the visit of President Benigno Aquino of the Philippines
President Obama will welcome President Benigno Aquino of the Philippines to the White House on Friday, June 8, 2012. The Philippines is a long-standing friend and ally of the United States, and the President looks forward to discussing with President Aquino the close strategic, economic and people to people ties between our two countries, and our cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region. The two leaders will also discuss ways to deepen bilateral cooperation.
June 5, 2012
President Obama will welcome the four-time Super Bowl Champion New York Giants to the White House to honor the team for their Super Bowl XLVI victory. Continuing his tradition of recognizing sports teams for their work off the field, President Obama will highlight the Giants’ ongoing support to the men and women who serve in the military and their families.
Consumer Comfort In U.S. Increases For Third Consecutive Week
Jun 7, 2012 6:45 AM PT By Michelle Jamrisko – bloomberg
Consumer confidence in the U.S. rose for the third straight week as measures of personal finance and the buying climate improved.
The Bloomberg Consumer Comfort Index increased to minus 37.6 in the week ended June 3 from minus 39.3 in the prior period. While the reading was little changed from this year’s average of minus 38.8, it has climbed 6 points since reaching an almost four-month low in mid May.
A 9 percent drop in gasoline prices from the one-year high reached in early April may be overcoming disappointing news on the jobs front and a slump in stocks caused by concern over the outlook in Europe. The less money spent on filling up automobile fuel tanks, the more that can go to buying other goods and services, which will help underpin economic growth.
“Consumers are clearly a bit more optimistic following the sustained decline in gasoline prices over the past two months,” said Joseph Brusuelas, a senior economist at Bloomberg LP in New York. “For now, that is offsetting the economic slowdown and soft employment market, as well as the increasing probability of financial problems in Europe spilling over into the broader global economy.”
Fewer Americans applied for unemployment insurance payments last week, indicating limited progress in the labor market after a two-month slowdown in hiring, figures from the Labor Department showed today. Claims for jobless benefits fell by 12,000 to 377,000 in the week ended June 2 from a revised 389,000 the prior week that was higher than initially estimated.
Shares Climb
Stocks rose as China cut interest rates for the first time since 2008 to bolster growth in the world’s second-largest economy. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index climbed 1 percent to 1,328.62 at 9:40 a.m. in New York. It advanced 2.3 percent yesterday, the biggest gain of the year.
The Bloomberg measure of Americans’ views of their personal finances rose to minus 3.1 last week from minus 6.4, and a measure of whether consumers consider it a good time to buy climbed to minus 41.6 from minus 45.1.
The index on the current state of the economy declined to minus 68.1 from minus 66.5.
For more: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-06-07/consumer-comfort-in-u-s-increases-for-third-consecutive-week.html
Do I like this post?
Do I LIKE this post?
This post lights up my life with the warmth of 1,000 suns!
So yeah, I like it.
>^..^<
I like Pres Obama’s solutions toward helping the American worker!
Case closed: the stimulus worked
Jun 7, 2012 10:43 AM EDT By Steve Benen – maddowblog
Among Republicans, it’s taken as a given that President Obama’s Recovery Act — a.k.a., the “stimulus” — was a failed Keynesian experiment. Among many voters, it’s also widely assumed that the effort to get the economy back on track simply did not work.
Among those who know what they’re talking about, however, there is no real doubt that the stimulus was a success. Douglas Elmendorf, the director of the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, reminded Congress of this inconvenient truth yesterday.
The truth matters, not simply as a political exercise in which partisan players point fingers and thump their chests, but for entirely practical reasons.
For more: http://maddowblog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/06/07/12104923-case-closed-the-stimulus-worked?lite
U.S. crackdown on child predators nabs 190 in May
6/7/12 Richard Cowan -Reuters – 2 hrs 48 mins ago
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Federal agents targeting child predators arrested 190 suspects in an operation during the month of May that reached across the United States and into four foreign countries, government officials said on Thursday.
Those arrested possessed, distributed or produced photographs or videos of child pornography. Some of the suspects had sexually assaulted minors or engaged in “illegal sexual enticement,” according to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which conducted “Operation Orion.”
ICE Director John Morton said many of the cases began with a child or teenager “chatting with someone he or she met online.”
The agency was publicizing the operation as children across the United States were near the start of long summer vacations when they “have more time and access to the Internet, making this a good time to talk to them about online dangers,” Morton said.
Besides the arrests in the United States, suspects were apprehended in Spain, the Philippines, Argentina and the United Kingdom, the agency said.
Operation Orion, named for a hunter in Greek mythology, was conducted by an ICE investigations unit that probes large-scale production and distribution of images of child abuse, as well as individuals who travel abroad to engage in sex with minors.
ICE said that 18 minors were rescued by agents as part of the month-long intensive effort to crack down on child predators.
Lorraine Concha, a special agent in charge in San Diego, said one case involved a child being videotaped with a hidden camera in her own home. She did not provide other details because the case was still under investigation.
But she said that most child predators “will share their treasures – they consider these treasures – with other predators over the Internet. That’s the typical case.”
An ICE spokeswoman said that the agency in recent years had been making about 1,000 arrests annually of suspected child predators, although that number spiked last year to 1,455.
West Wing Week: 06/08/12 or “Roll Up Our Sleeves and Never Quit”
Published on Jun 8, 2012 by whitehouse
This week, the President traveled to Honeywell International in Minnesota, to highlight efforts to help veterans find good paying jobs, urged Congress to support the Paycheck Fairness Act and to not let interest rates double on student loans on July 1st. That’s June 1st to June 7th or “Roll up our sleeves and never quit.
June 8, 2012
U.S. Men vs. Antigua & Barbuda
7 p.m. ET
Raymond James Stadium
Tampa, Fla.
ESPN
U.S. downs Antigua and Barbuda in WC qualifying
11:54 p.m. CDT, June 8, 2012 chicagotribune
TAMPA — Carlos Bocanegra and Clint Dempsey scored in the first half and the U.S. men’s national team defeated Antigua and Barbuda, 3-1, on Friday night to open CONCACAF qualifying for the 2014 World Cup.
Bocanegra scored in the eighth minute and Dempsey converted a penalty kick in the 44th, as the Americans began the semifinal round of qualifying in Group A.
Peter Byers pulled Antigua and Barbuda within a goal after half, but Herculez Gomez scored in the 72nd as the United States secured a win in the first match between the countries.
The United States opened the scoring inside 10 minutes off a corner kick from Landon Donovan. Gomez met the pass inside the penalty area and headed on goal, but Antigua and Barbuda goalie Molvin James made the initial save.
Bocanegra was in the right place near the right post to pick up the rebound as he slotted home from a few feet off the line for his 13th career goal.
Donovan won the penalty just before halftime as he ran onto a return pass from Dempsey and was fouled just inside the left side of the area. Dempsey sent the penalty down the middle for his 26th career goal.
For more: http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/soccer/chi-us-downs-antigua-and-barbuda-in-wc-qualifying-20120608,0,2818829.story
Scientists to Hold Bake Sale for NASA Saturday
6/8/12 By Clara Moskowitz | SPACE.com – 38 mins ago
Scientists are trading telescopes for aprons this week to sell Milky Way cupcakes, Saturn cake, and chocolate chip Opportunity cookies in an effort to salvage U.S. planetary science projects.
The 2013 budget proposal submitted by the Obama administration earlier this year would cut funding for NASA’s planetary science projects by about $300 million. While Congress is still deliberating over the federal budget, groups of scientists are planning a series of demonstrations — in the form of bake sales, car washes and other events — for Saturday (June 9) to plead their case.
Though planet-studying spacecraft usually cost millions, or even billions, of dollars, every penny helps. That’s the reasoning behind the Planetary Exploration Car Wash and Bake Sale to be held by University of Central Florida students and professors who hope to sway lawmakers into providing more money for studying the solar system. It is one of nearly 20 planned demonstrations for Saturday at sites across the country, organizers said.
For more: http://news.yahoo.com/scientists-hold-bake-sale-nasa-saturday-221048232.html
9:00 AM ET
First Lady Michelle Obama visits a, Barnes & Noble bookstore to autograph copies of her new book American Grown: The Story of the White House Kitchen Garden and Gardens Across America
Washington, DC
Book TV: Michelle Obama, “American Grown”
Published on Jun 18, 2012 by BookTV
First Lady Michelle Obama signs her book, American Grown: The Story of the White House Kitchen Garden and Gardens Across America at Barnes & Noble in Washington, D.C.
Good Friday morning everyone! I HOPE that you have a good day!
Next Up…
10:15 AM EDT
President Obama makes a statement on the economy at the White House Brady Press Briefing Room
The White House
WhiteHouse.gov http://www.whitehouse.gov/live
CNN http://live.cnn.com
CSPAN http://www.c-span.org/Events/Pres-Obama-to-Address-WH-Press-on-the-Economy/10737431380/
June 08, 2012
Remarks by the President
James S. Brady Press Briefing Room
10:40 A.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. I just want to say a few words about the economy, and then I will take some of your questions.
Today, we’re fighting back from the deepest economic crisis since the Great Depression. After losing jobs for 25 months in a row, our businesses have now created jobs for 27 months in a row — 4.3 million new jobs in all. The fact is job growth in this recovery has been stronger than in the one following the last recession a decade ago. But the hole we have to fill is much deeper and the global aftershocks are much greater. That’s why we’ve got to keep on pressing with actions that further strengthen the economy.
Right now, one concern is Europe, which faces a threat of renewed recession as countries deal with a financial crisis. Obviously this matters to us because Europe is our largest economic trading partner. If there’s less demand for our products in places like Paris or Madrid it could mean less businesses — or less business for manufacturers in places like Pittsburgh or Milwaukee.
The good news is there is a path out of this challenge. These decisions are fundamentally in the hands of Europe’s leaders, and fortunately, they understand the seriousness of the situation and the urgent need to act. I’ve been in frequent contact with them over the past several weeks, and we know that there are specific steps they can take right now to prevent the situation there from getting worse.
In the short term, they’ve got to stabilize their financial system. And part of that is taking clear action as soon as possible to inject capital into weak banks. Just as important, leaders can lay out a framework and a vision for a stronger eurozone, including deeper collaboration on budgets and banking policy. Getting there is going to take some time, but showing the political commitment to share the benefits and responsibilities of a integrated Europe will be a strong step.
With respect to Greece, which has important elections next weekend, we’ve said that it is in everybody’s interest for Greece to remain in the eurozone while respecting its commitments to reform. We recognize the sacrifices that the Greek people have made, and European leaders understand the need to provide support if the Greek people choose to remain in the eurozone. But the Greek people also need to recognize that their hardships will likely be worse if they choose to exit from the eurozone.
Over the longer term, even as European countries with large debt burdens carry out necessary fiscal reforms, they’ve also got to promote economic growth and job creation. As some countries have discovered, it’s a lot harder to rein in deficits and debt if your economy isn’t growing. So it’s a positive thing that the conversation has moved in that direction, and leaders like Angela Merkel and Francois Hollande are working to put in place a growth agenda alongside responsible fiscal plans.
The bottom line is the solutions to these problems are hard, but there are solutions. The decisions required are tough, but Europe has the capacity to make them. And they have America’s support. Their success is good for us. And the sooner that they act, and the more decisive and concrete their actions, the sooner people and markets will regain some confidence and the cheaper the costs of cleanup will be down the road.
For more: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/06/08/remarks-president
I was able to watch the President speak this morning because he came on early enough. What a terrific President we have. He explained our problems and how to fix them beautifully.
U.S. April Wholesale Inventories Rise 0.6%, Sales Climb 1.1%
Jun 8, 2012 7:00 AM PT
By Lorraine Woellert – bloomberg
Inventories at U.S. wholesalers rose in April at a faster pace than the prior month as companies strove to keep unsold goods in line with demand.
The 0.6 percent gain in stockpiles followed a 0.3 percent increase in March, the Commerce Department reported today in Washington. Sales climbed 1.1 percent in April after rising 0.4 percent a month earlier.
Moderating economic growth combined with a global slowdown may encourage companies to refrain from building up inventories in anticipation of a pickup in sales. Wholesalers had goods on hand to last 1.17 months at the current sales pace, unchanged from the prior month.
“We’re in an uncertain situation with everything going on in Europe,” Jay Bryson, senior global economist at Wells Fargo Securities LLC in Charlotte, North Carolina, said before the report. “You don’t want to be building a lot of inventory. If things don’t turn out really badly and we continue to grow, businesses will wake up.”
The median estimate in a Bloomberg survey of 28 economists called for a 0.4 percent gain. Forecasts ranged from no change to an increase of 1.1 percent.
For more: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-06-08/u-s-april-wholesale-inventories-rise-0-6-sales-climb-1-1-.html
House rejects effort to ban Styrofoam containers in House cafeterias
06/08/12 11:30 AM ET By Pete Kasperowicz – TheHill
The House rejected a Democratic proposal on Friday that would have prevented the House from spending appropriated money on Styrofoam food and beverage containers in its cafeterias.
Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.) offered this proposal as an amendment to the 2013 Legislative Branch appropriations bill, but Republican opposition led to its defeat in a 178-229 vote. Only 10 Republicans joined Democrats in supporting it.
Moran’s amendment is the latest of several Democratic attempts to bring cardboard or other more environmentally friendly containers back to House dining areas. Several times last year, House Democrats complained that Republican control of the House also brought back Styrofoam containers, a point Moran reiterated during Friday morning’s debate.
“We should be using recyclable and biodegradable products and avoiding polystyrene foam packaging,” Moran said. “The House of Representatives is the only place within the Capitol complex to revert back to Styrofoam products.”
Moran also repeated the Democratic charge that Styrofoam — Dow Chemical’s trademarked name for polystyrene — is unhealthy for consumers.
“Toxic chemicals leak out of these Styrofoam containers into the food and drinks they contain, and thus endanger human health and reproductive system,” he said.
But Republicans rejected all of these charges, and argued against the idea that polystyrene is more environmentally sound, since alternative packaging costs more and is more resource-intensive to produce.
For more: http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/231743-house-rejects-effort-to-ban-styrofoam-containers-in-house-cafeterias
UN: Austerity measures threaten global economy
June 8, 2012 guardian
UNITED NATIONS—Austerity measures implemented by European countries to contain a roiling debt crisis will likely drag them deeper into recession, unsettling global financial markets and presenting the biggest current threat to the world economy, according to UN report issued yesterday. The UN World Economic Situation and Prospects 2012 midyear update said most developed countries have yet to recover from the 2008-2009 global financial crisis and the fiscal austerity measures deployed in response have been backfiring. “The severe fiscal austerity programmes implemented in many European countries, combined with mildly contractionary policies in others, such as Germany and France, carry the risk of creating a vicious downward spiral with enormous economic and social costs,” the report states.
The report calls for a shift in focus from short-term consolidation to medium- to long-term fiscal sustainability. It also says fiscal policies should be internationally coordinated and should support job creation. It warns that Italy and Spain currently pose the biggest danger to Europe, as the size of their debts would likely strain the region’s rescue funds. “The main fear is that Spain will slide deeper into recession, driving up its borrowing costs, leading to increased market turmoil and eventually requiring a bailout,” the report states. “This would leave insufficient funds available for Italy and renew speculation on a break-up of the euro area, further unsettling financial markets and triggering a downturn in global economic activity.” The report states that the world gross product increased 2.7 per cent in 2011 and is projected to grow by 2.5 per cent in 2012 and 3.1 per cent in 2013. Those figures represent a downward revision from January’s update. (AP)
Austerity pushes Europe back into recession
Nov 15, 2012 12:35 PM EST By Steve Benen – maddowblog
It’s starting to look as if austerity undermines economic growth and leads to recessions.
The European economy shrank for a second quarter in a row, according to official data released Thursday, fulfilling a common definition of recession and signaling that the region still faces a long road to recovery.
Gross domestic product in the euro zone fell 0.1 percent in the three months through September compared to the previous quarter, according to Eurostat, the European Union statistics agency. The euro zone economy improved slightly from the second quarter, when it contracted by 0.2 percent. But it was the fourth quarter in a row of zero growth or worse.
The AP’s report added that continental fears are growing that “at a time of high unemployment in many countries, there are fears that the recession will deepen, and make the debt crisis even more difficult to handle.”
Domestically, the right looks at these developments and says, “See? Europe has debt crises, which is keeping Eurozone in a recession, and if we want to avoid the same fate, we need to reduce our own debt.”
But the repetition of this conservative message doesn’t make it less misguided. The United States doesn’t have a debt crisis — we have low inflation, low interest rates, and investors around the globe desperate to loan us money. Indeed, if there’s a lesson to be learned about the Eurozone recession it’s that austerity is exactly the wrong course of action given the current circumstances.
For more: http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2012/11/15/15192676-austerity-pushes-europe-back-into-recession
Good morning CR and everyone. HOPE you have a terrific Friday.
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 Friday morning and thank you Jackie!
2:00 PM ET
President Obama welcomes President Benigno Aquino of the Philippines to the White House
June 08, 2012
Remarks by President Obama and President Aquino of the Philippines after Bilateral Meeting
Oval Office
2:48 P.M. EDT
PRESIDENT OBAMA: It is a great pleasure to welcome President Aquino to the Oval Office and to the White House.
I had the opportunity to spend a lot of time with him, most recently during my Asia trip, when we met most recently in Bali. And at that time, we discussed how important the U.S.-Philippine relationship was, the historic ties, the 60 years of a mutual defense treaty, the extraordinary links between Filipino-Americans that have brought our two countries so closely together. And we pledged to work on a whole host of issues that would continue to strengthen and deepen the relationship for the 21st century.
We talked about how we could work on security issues, on economic issues, on people-to-people exchanges, and on a whole host of regional issues. And I just want to thank President Aquino for his excellent cooperation, because we’ve made a great deal of progress since that time.
On economic issues, the Philippines is the recipient of a Millennium Challenge grant that is helping to foster greater development and opportunity within the Philippines. We have a partnership for growth that is working on how we can make sure that we are structuring a relationship of expanding trade and commerce between our two countries.
I want to congratulate President Aquino for the work that he’s done on the Open Government Partnership that is consistent with his campaign to root out corruption that can facilitate greater economic development within the Philippines.
And on security and military issues, we had discussions about how we can continue to consult closely together, to engage in training together, work on a range of regional issues together — all of which is consistent with the announced pivot by the United States back to Asia, and reminding everybody that, in fact, the United States considers itself, and is, a Pacific power.
For more: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/06/08/remarks-president-obama-and-president-aquino-philippines-after-bilateral
New LD Poll Finds Latinos Favor Obama over Romney, Oppose Rubio DREAM
JUNE 8, 2012 by Matt Barreto- latinodecisions
A new Latino Decisions national poll released June 8, 2012 finds Democrat President Barack Obama with a 43-point margin over Republican Mitt Romney among Latino voters heading in the 2012 Presidential election. Overall, 66% of Latino registered voters were certain or leaning towards Obama, while 23% were certain or leaning towards Romney. Since Latino Decisions began asking about an Obama-Romney match-up in November 2011, Romney has been unable to close the sizable gap. In November 2011, a Latino Decisions/Univision News poll put Obama at 67% to 24% for Romney among Latinos. Now, seven months later our June 2012 poll finds virtually the exact same margin.
For more: http://www.latinodecisions.com/blog/2012/06/08/new-ld-poll-finds-latinos-favor-obama-over-romney-oppose-rubio-dream/
Next Up..
2:50 PM ET
President Obama welcomes the four-time Super Bowl Champion New York Giants to the White House to honor the team for their Super Bowl XLVI victory
WhiteHouse.gov http://www.whitehouse.gov/live
CNN http://live.cnn.com
June 08, 2012
Remarks by the President Congratulating the Super Bowl XLVI Champion New York Giants
South Lawn
3:09 P.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Hello, everybody! (Applause.) Everybody, please have a seat. Welcome to the White House, and congratulations to the Super Bowl Champion New York Giants. (Applause.)
We’ve got some members of Congress and members of my administration who are here today and rabid Giants fans. I want to also recognize the Maras and the Tischs, as well as, of course, head coach Tom Coughlin and general manager Jerry Reese. They have built this team into one of the NFL’s most outstanding franchises. So we are very proud of them. (Applause.)
Now, I know for some of you, this is just “welcome back.” (Laughter). You guys have been through this drill before. The last time the Giants were here was in 2008. A lot of folks thought that team didn’t have a chance to win a Super Bowl. They ended up winning with a circus catch in the fourth quarter, MVP performance by Eli Manning — (applause) — a come-from-behind win over the Patriots. So this is all starting to sound kind of like déjà vu all over again.
But every season is different, and last year’s Giants were obviously a special bunch, not just because of where they ended up, but because of how they got there. Every team has to deal with injuries to the players. Not many teams have to deal with a late hit on the head coach. (Laughter.) You saw that Jets game.
Now, Coach Coughlin reminds everybody, he did not go down. That’s a tough guy. And you can see that toughness reflected in everybody else on this team. The Giants took a whole bunch of hits this season, but they never went down. From day one, they followed a simple motto: Finish. Finish the play. Finish the game. Finish the season.
And after week 15, sitting at 7-7, they knew that every game was a playoff game. But the players, the coaches, the staff, the owners — they didn’t quit. They believed in each other. And they kept winning, all the way to Indianapolis.
The night before the Super Bowl, they watched a highlight reel set to Justin Tuck’s good-luck song, “In the Air Tonight.” I don’t know about a little Phil Collins before a big game. (Laughter.) I may try that before a big meeting with Congress.
For more: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/06/08/remarks-president-congratulating-super-bowl-xlvi-champion-new-york-giant
5:10 PM ET
President Obama attends a campaign event.
The Jefferson Hotel, Washington, DC
Remarks to follow.
Romney calls for fewer cops, firefighters, and teachers
Jun 8, 2012 4:12 PM EDT By Steve Benen – maddowblog
The rules of the political discourse apparently dictate that the story that matters today is President Obama saying the private sector is “fine” relative to the public sector is The Scandal That Matters. It’s a dumb story, and reporters obsessing over seem to realize it’s a dumb story, but the train has apparently left the station.
If anyone’s looking for more meaningful quotes from presidential candidates, Mitt Romney’s line today on public-sector jobs is arguably one of the more important things the Republican has said in a very long time.
For those who can’t watch clips online, Romney said of Obama:
“[Obama] wants to hire more government workers. He says we need more fireman, more policeman, more teachers. Did he not get the message of Wisconsin? The American people did. It’s time for us to cut back on government and help the American people.”
Let’s be clear about this: Romney is rejecting the idea of saving the jobs of cops, firefighters, and teachers. He sees this as an applause line. The Republican nominee for president believes we can “help the American people” by laying off, not just public-sector workers in general, but specifically cops, firefighters, and teachers.
As Greg Sargent explained, Romney “has singlehandedly reframed the debate from one over despised government bureaucrats to one over whether we should hire more cops, firefighters and teachers to get the economy going.”
Here’s a radical idea I’ll just throw out there: maybe during the race for the White House, candidates and media professionals can spend a little time on this. I mean, honestly, isn’t this one of the more important positions Romney has taken all year?
For more: http://maddowblog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/06/08/12128010-romney-calls-for-fewer-cops-firefighters-and-teachers?lite
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Romney Economics: Fewer Teachers, Fewer Firefighters, Fewer Police Officers
Published on Jun 9, 2012 by BarackObamadotcom
Facebook it: https://my.barackobama.com/romneypolicefireteachvid
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Yesterday Mitt Romney said of President Obama, “…he wants another stimulus, he wants to hire more government workers. He says we need more fireman, more policeman, more teachers. Did he not get the message of Wisconsin? The American people did. It’s time for us to cut back on government and help the American people.”
IAFF Endorses Obama/Biden for Re-Election
June 8, 2012 IAFF
This week, the IAFF Executive Board considered the records and positions of the candidates competing for the most powerful elected position in the world and unanimously concluded that the choice of the next president of the United States is clear because of the stark contrasts between the candidates. The IAFF has endorsed President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden.
On one hand, the current, sitting president and vice president have consistently shown their commitment with critical and increasing funding for programs that have kept thousands of fire fighters and paramedics on the job, and provided the equipment they need to protect their communities during some of the toughest economic times our country and jurisdictions across the United States have ever experienced.
On the other hand, Mitt Romney, as governor of Massachusetts, repeatedly attempted to cut local aid to communities, jeopardizing public safety. He also attempted to strip away the collective bargaining rights of fire fighters in the state and has repeatedly stated that he opposes and would zero-out the federal grant programs that provide critical funding to communities to keep fire fighters working and for life-saving equipment and apparatus.
“The simple fact is, over the past two years IAFF members have been literally assaulted – their rights attacked, their standard of living attacked, their retirement after a career serving their community attacked – and those assaults have been launched at every level by people who say the same things, promote the same policies and have similar records in public office as Mitt Romney,” says IAFF General President Harold Schaitberger.
In March, the IAFF joined with the Associated Fire Fighters of Illinois (AFFI) to produce and broadcast an ad highlighting Mitt Romney’s opposition to critical public safety programs, which ran during the Illinois primary.
Over the coming weeks, the IAFF will be providing affiliates with information on the positions of the candidates on public safety and issues supporting people who work for a living.
NEA delegates vote to support President Barack Obama in re-election bid
CHICAGO – July 04, 2011 – nea
The National Education Association’s highest governing body has voted to approve the recommendation of President Barack Obama for re-election in 2012.
“President Barack Obama shares our vision for a stronger America,” said Dennis Van Roekel, president of NEA. “He has never wavered from talking about the importance of education or his dedication to a vibrant middle class.”
During NEA’s Annual Meeting and Representative Assembly (RA) delegates voted on a recommendation from NEA’s Political Action Committee to support President Obama. The recommendation and vote are early for the 3.2 million-member NEA. The Association’s presidential recommendation process typically takes place the summer before the general election. NEA initiated this timetable in order to provide early and strong support to help ensure the election of a candidate who is on the side of students and working families.
“The last two years of state legislatures and the mid-term elections were eye-opening…demonstrating what can happen when education legislation and decisions are left in the hands of politicians who do not support public schools,” Van Roekel added. “We as a nation have to get our priorities right. We cannot sacrifice our students’ futures by shortchanging them now.”
For more: http://www.nea.org/home/46078.htm
American Federation of Teachers Endorses President Obama
For Re-election
Obama Is Only Candidate Who Will Fight to Preserve and Expand the Middle Class,
Fight for Economic Opportunity for All Americans
February 7, 2012 .aft.
Los Angeles—Declaring that President Obama is the only candidate who will fight to preserve and expand the middle class, close the inequality gap and ensure everyone has a “fair shot” at success, the 1.5 million strong American Federation of Teachers announced today its endorsement of President Obama and Vice President Biden for re-election.
Biden spoke to the AFT Executive Council by telephone following the unanimous endorsement vote. While speaking to the Council, Biden reaffirmed the Obama administration’s commitment to building a strong economy and a strong public school system.
“This election is a choice, not a referendum,” said AFT President Randi Weingarten. “It’s a choice between very different economic visions for our country, and at stake is the simple yet powerful notion that everyone deserves a fair chance to achieve the American dream.”
Today’s announcement kicks off an aggressive grass-roots effort by AFT members to engage their fellow members and their families in broad-based efforts aimed at re-electing Obama. AFT President Weingarten will travel to Colorado on February 9 to meet with members and kick off the AFT’s election efforts in the state.
“AFT members work hard every single day to make a difference in our communities and in the lives of the people and children we serve,” said Weingarten. “While we have not agreed with every decision President Obama has made, he shares our deep commitment to rebuilding the middle class and ensuring everyone has an opportunity to achieve the American dream.”
For more: http://www.aft.org/newspubs/press/2012/020712.cfm
Romney camp doubles down on pro-layoffs agenda
Jun 11, 2012 2:05 PM EDT By Steve Benen – maddowblog
On Friday, Mitt Romney argued policymakers can “help the American people” by laying off, not just public-sector workers in general, but specifically school teachers, police officers, and firefighters. The call for more public-sector austerity was immediately welcomed by President Obama’s re-election team.
Any chance the Romney camp might walk this back? Apparently not — former New Hampshire Gov. John Sununu (R), a leading Romney surrogate, talked to MSNBC’s Chris Jansing this morning, doubling down on the pro-layoffs line. Sununu said “people ought to stop jumping on it as a gaffe” — he’s right; this was a policy position, not a gaffe — but added that Romney’s position is “wise.”
For more: http://maddowblog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/06/11/12168521-romney-camp-doubles-down-on-pro-layoffs-agenda?lite
June 08, 2012
Readout of the President’s Phone Calls with President Hollande
President Obama spoke today with French President Hollande to discuss economic conditions in Europe. This continues the President’s close consultations with European colleagues following their Camp David discussions. The President and President Hollande agreed on the importance of steps to strengthen the resilience of the Eurozone and growth in Europe and globally, and agreed to remain in contact as they prepare for the June 18-19 G-20 Summit in Los Cabos, Mexico. The President welcomed France’s decision to host the next meeting of the Friends of Syria on July 6, noting the need to quickly bring about a political transition in Syria.
A Presidential Farewell Cake Aboard AF1
JUNE 08, 2012 obamafoodorama.blogspot
Reporter leaving the White House press corps gets special treat from President Obama…
The White House pooler traveling with President Obama on Thursday night has just added a party note to the report about the return flight from Las Vegas, Nevada to Washington, DC. Shortly before landing at Andrews Air Force Base, President Obama “popped into the press cabin unannounced” at 8:20 PM Eastern time, to mark the final flight of Reuters White House correspondent Caren Bohan aboard Air Force One. The President carried a tray with a bowl of strawberry shortcake, topped with a single lit candle plunked into the whipped cream.
The President congratulated Bohan on taking a new job, asked when she starts, said she had done a wonderful job as a reporter and as president of the White House Correspondents Association. He also asked her to blow out the candle and make a wish–preferably one that had something to do with the number 270, pool reported.
The President then autographed Bohan’s Reuters/AF1 seat card with the message “We’re proud of you! All the best.”
For more: http://obamafoodorama.blogspot.com/2012/06/presidential-farewell-cake-aboard-af1.html
Saturday, June 9, 2012
All Times Eastern
President Obama receives the presidential daily briefing
7:00 AM
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
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10:00 PM
June 9, 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/
Startup CA Launch: San Diego
Saturday, June 9, 2012 – 9:00am to 1:00pm
Surf’s Up…and so is the growth of entrepreneurs and startups in San Diego! Startup California in association with The Startup America Partnership is announcing its San Diego Launch Event!
Open to anyone in the startup/entrepreneurial ecosystem (such as Entrepreneurs, Startups, Students, Industry, Incubators, Accelerators, Support Organizations, Investors, etc.)
The details of the event are being ironed out, but will include super-star speakers from across California and the Entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Admission is FREE!
Date: Saturday, June 9, 2012
Time: 9am – 1pm
Place: UCSD Rady School of Management (directions below)
For more: http://www.eventbrite.com/event/3512777813
June 09, 2012
WEEKLY ADDRESS: Congress Must Act to Keep our Teachers on the Job
WASHINGTON, DC— In this week’s address, President Obama urged Congress to take action now to put our teachers back to work in classrooms, because the best predictor of individual and American success in this economy is a good education. In 2009 and 2010, we helped keep hundreds of thousands of teachers on the job, but we must do more, which is why the President sent Congress his jobs bill in September that helps states prevent more layoffs and rehire more teachers. It’s time for our elected leaders to come together and take action on the President’s bill to help our students and economy, and put our teachers back to work.
Remarks of President Barack Obama
Weekly Address
The White House
June 9, 2012
This week, I spent some time talking with college students about how we can make higher education more affordable. And one of the things I told them was how proud I was that they were making that investment in themselves – because in today’s economy, the best predictor of success is a good education.
That’s not just true for our individual success; it’s also true for America’s success. New jobs and new businesses will take root wherever they can find the most highly-educated, highly-skilled workers. And I want those workers to be American workers. I want those good-paying, middle-class jobs to take root right here.
So it should concern everyone that right now – all across America – tens of thousands of teachers are getting laid off. In Pennsylvania alone, there are 9,000 fewer educators in our schools today than just a year ago. In Ohio, the number is close to 7,000. And nationwide, over the past three years, school districts have lost over 250,000 educators. Think about what that means for our country. When there are fewer teachers in our schools, class sizes start climbing up. Our students start falling behind. And our economy takes a hit.
The point is: teachers matter. One study found that a good teacher can increase the lifetime income of a classroom by over $250,000. A great teacher can change the course of a child’s life. So the last thing our country needs is to have fewer teachers in our schools.
Now, I know states are still going through some tough times. I realize that every Governor is dealing with limited resources and many face stark choices when it comes to their budgets.
But that doesn’t mean we should just stand by and do nothing. When states struggle, it’s up to Congress to step in and help out. In 2009 and in 2010, we provided aid to states to help keep hundreds of thousands of teachers in the classroom. But we need to do more. That’s why a critical part of the jobs bill that I sent to Congress back in September was to help states prevent even more layoffs and rehire even more teachers who had lost their jobs.
But months later, we’re still waiting on Congress to act.
For more: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/06/09/weekly-address-congress-must-act-keep-our-teachers-job
Good Saturday morning everyone. I HOPE that you have a good day.
Good morning CR and everyone. HOPE you all enjoy your Saturday.
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 and thank you Jackie!
THANK YOU CR!
And thank you Jackie!
Biden’s beach bash soaking
6/9/12 4:29 PM EDT By DONOVAN SLACK – POLITICO44
Joe Biden got a soaking Saturday as Washington’s media stars mingled at the vice president’s beach bash here at the Naval Observatory.
Biden took up a Super Soaker water gun toward the end of the soiree and joined in the fun with many of the reporters’ children. When one soaked him from behind, he exclaimed: “What are you doing? You’re on my team!” From the look on his face, and his dripping polo shirt and shorts, he had even more fun than they did.
The guests — including CNN’s Wolf Blitzer and Candy Crowley, New York Times reporters Helene Cooper and Mark Landler, and ABC’s Ann Compton – chowed down on hot dogs, hamburgers, Caesar salad, brownies and cookies. Lemonade and white wine were served at an open bar in a backyard tent.
White House Chef Sam Kass Plays Not My Job
June 9, 2012 NPR – “Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me!” Show
Sam Kass was working as a private chef in Chicago when one of his clients got a new job, so he moved with that client to Washington, D.C., where he now cooks in large building with an Oval Office, a rose garden … and a tiny kitchen. He’s the first family’s personal chef and an important player in Michelle Obama’s healthful food initiative.
Since Kass is so good at doing things that are really good for you, we’ve invited him to play a game called, “You’ll put an eye out!” Three questions about things that are really, really bad for you.
For the audio segment: http://www.npr.org/2012/06/09/154610395/white-house-chef-sam-kass-plays-not-my-job
A “State Dinner” Just For Kids
Posted by on May 21, 2012 lets move
Calling all kid chefs: The Healthy Lunchtime Challenge invites parents of kids ages 8-12 to submit an original recipe for a lunch that is nutritious and delicious. All entrants have the chance to win a trip to Washington D.C. and the opportunity to be invited to attend a Kids’ “State Dinner” at the White House in August, where a selection of the winning healthy recipes will be served.
Let’s Move! is teaming up with Epicurious, the Department of Education and USDA to find great lunch ideas that are healthy, affordable, and — of course — tasty.
“We all want to ensure that our kids are eating nutritious, delicious food at every meal, and as a mom I know that parents are always looking for new ideas to make that happen,” said First Lady Michelle Obama. “With parents and kids all across the country getting creative in the kitchen, I know we’ll find healthy meals that every family will enjoy. And I can’t wait to try the kids’ creations myself.”
The rules are simple: All entrants are encouraged to reference the MyPlate nutritional guidelines to ensure recipes meet the primary criterion of being healthier. Entries should represent each of the food groups, either in one dish or as parts of a lunch meal, including fruit, veggies, whole grains, protein and low-fat dairy foods.
Recipes can be submitted May 21 through June 17, either online at http://recipechallenge.epicurious.com or via mail. Winners will be notified on July 16. The White House Kids “State Dinner” is currently scheduled to take place in August 2012.
Sunday, June 10, 2012
All Times Eastern
President Obama receives the presidential daily briefing
7:00 AM
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June 10, 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
By LEIGH MUNSIL | 6/8/12 5:45 PM EDT POLITICO
(Democratic excerpts only)
….CBS also has AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka; Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, chairman of the Democratic Governors Association – and the chairs of the House and Senate Intelligence Committees, Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) and Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.).
And Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein stop by to mark the 40th anniversary of the Watergate scandal that led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon.
“Fox News Sunday” has Republican Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels and National Education Association President Dennis Van Roekel.
CNN’s “State of the Union” hosts David Axelrod, a senior strategist for President Barack Obama’s reelection campaign, then switches focus to the series of intelligence leaks that have plagued the Obama administration, with Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), House Homeland Security Chairman Peter King (R-N.Y.) and Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-Calif.).
ABC’s “This Week” has a special political roundtable discussion with former Democratic Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell and former Republican Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, along with conservative commentator Ann Coulter and former Obama White House environmental adviser Van Jones.
NBC’s “Meet the Press” is preempted this Sunday for coverage of the French Open tennis tournament.
On C-SPAN, “Newsmakers” has Sens. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) and Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), interviewed by Jerry Hagstrom of National Journal and Jim Abrams of The Associated Press…
And Univision’s “Al Punto” has former Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez, just named co-chairman of presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney’s Hispanic Steering Committee.
Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0612/77225.html
I heard that Rahm, Axelrod, and Gov. O’Mally were great. I have my doubts about Rendell. He seem to have his own agenda.
Happy Birthday Sasha Obama!
An 11th Birthday Party For Sasha Obama
JUNE 09, 2012 obamafoodorama.blogspot
The youngest child to live in the White House since the Carter Administration, Sasha Obama celebrates her 11th birthday on Sunday, June 10. First Lady Michelle Obama treated her daughter to an early birthday party last week at Red Robin Gourmet Burgers in Dulles, Virginia. Sasha celebrated with sister Malia, 13, and a gang of ten friends. Busy on the campaign trail, papa President Obama was not part of the party.
The Obama gals and their pals “dined on a variety of items, including chicken sandwiches, cheeseburgers with avocado and milkshakes,” reported Us magazine. Red Robin boasts “innovative and trendy new food items, and “out-of-this-world” beverages from an in-house “Mad Mixologist,” according to its website. The eatery is located about 30 miles from DC.
“Before leaving the restaurant, the First Lady left a generous tip for the server and tapped management on the shoulder to let them know ‘everything was wonderful and the girls had a great time,’” a source at the party said.
For more: http://obamafoodorama.blogspot.com/2012/06/11th-birthday-party-for-sasha-obama.html
Out on the digital campaign trail…
6/9/12 10:34 AM EDT By DONOVAN SLACK – POLITICO44
Over on the home page POLITICO’s Lois Romano takes an in-depth look at the Obama campaign’s digital operation, arguably the most extensive in presidential campaign history, and finds Mitt Romney’s campaign trying to catch up:
Romney campaign officials acknowledge that they have had neither the time, nor the resources to build a complex digital operation as they were fighting their way through the prolonged primary season. “It wasn’t something we were going to put resources into if he wasn’t the nominee,” said one adviser.
Over in Chicago, campaign manager Jim Messina gives Romano a glimpse of overall strategy:
“Last time, we had two campaigns,” Messina said. “We had the on-the-ground, door-knocking, person-to-person campaign, and then we had the digital campaign…”…“The goal is to burst through the wall of those two things.”
And the story outlines some interesting stats:
…Today, Obama has 16 million Twitter followers to Romney’s 500,000, and Michelle Obama has nearly 1 million to Ann Romney’s 45,000. On Facebook, Obama has nearly 27 million followers to Romney’s 1.8 million. (It’s hard to know how many of either man’s followers are non-American.)
Michelle Obama started her Twitter account in January.
Love, love this CR. I am sure Romney will try to copy our campaign. They have no original ideas of their own. I am sure they have read Plouffe’s book through and through I am sure he has upated his book and is ready to write another one.
New front expected in fight over Arizona law
6/9/12 By JACQUES BILLEAUD | Associated Press – 4 hrs ago
PHOENIX (AP) — A forthcoming U.S. Supreme Court decision on Arizona’s controversial immigration law — which some experts believe could uphold the most controversial aspects of the measure — won’t end legal disputes on the matter and instead is likely to ignite renewed assaults by the law’s opponents.
The court is evaluating the 2010 law on only the question of whether Arizona’s attempt to fix its border problems is trumped by federal law. That means that opponents could still ask the courts to block enforcement of the law on other legal grounds.
For example, the high court isn’t considering the possibility that racial profiling may arise from the law — because the Obama administration’s lawsuit didn’t challenge it on those grounds. The administration focused instead on whether federal law supersedes the state law, an issue known as “pre-emption.”
“All the court is going to decide is the pre-emption issue,” said Linton Joaquin, general counsel for the National Immigration Law Center, an advocacy group for low-income immigrants that’s part of a coalition of opponents that filed a separate challenge. “But we think this law basically requires racial profiling by mandating that officers detain and investigate people that they have reasonable suspicions of being unauthorized.”
The case was argued before the high court in April, and a ruling is expected by the end of June. Based partly on skeptical questions posed by justices during the hearing, legal experts expect that the court likely will uphold Arizona’s requirement that police check the immigration status of people they stop for other reasons; that provision was put on hold by a judge in July 2010 and hasn’t yet been enforced. Less controversial parts of the law were allowed to take effect.
A decision in favor of Arizona could clear the way for other states to enforce immigration-check requirements and create an opening for states to take a larger role in immigration enforcement after mostly staying out of it for decades and letting the federal government handle it alone.
Five others states — Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, South Carolina and Utah — have enacted similar laws.
If Arizona wins at the Supreme Court, opponents say they likely would go back to lower courts to seek injunctions on other grounds before any provisions that win approval from the Supreme Court take effect. They also may ask the courts to block enforcement of the law’s most controversial parts by arguing that the law requires police to extend the length of time of traffic stops beyond the permitted time.
“We are preparing for the next step in case of a bad decision,” said Andre Segura, an attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union, which also is fighting the law in court.
Segura said it’s unlikely that a Supreme Court decision that upholds the Arizona law would go into effect immediately. Instead, the case would probably be given back to lower courts to decide when it takes effect, though it’s unclear how long it would take for the courts to decide when police can start enforcing the provision.
It’s also unclear when similar laws in other states would take effect if the court rules in Arizona’s favor. Those states will likely have to take up the issue in their respective courts to see how their laws — which have different provisions on the questioning of people’s immigration status — square up with the Supreme Court’s ruling, Segura said.
Lawyers who are fighting the law aren’t the only opponents preparing themselves for a ruling that upholds the law.
Immigrant rights advocates plan to launch a public relations campaign in hopes of quelling fears about the law and hold public meetings across the state to explain the law. They also are planning protests and a bus tour across the country to protest Arizona-style immigration laws. And hotline run by a civil rights group will take questions about the law and document reports of abuses by police.
For more: http://news.yahoo.com/front-expected-fight-over-arizona-law-165433319.html
Good Sunday morning everyone. I HOPE that you have a good day.
Good Sunday to you CR and everyone.
Good Sunday COS!
Why Foreigners are Still Attracted to Detroit
JUNE 8, 2012 BY JAKE WARGA ⋅ TheWorld
The Frenchman Alexis de Tocqueville arrived in Detroit in 1831 to the “utmost limits of European civilization.” He wrote ‘Democracy in America,’ which helped Americans for the first time to see their country from an outsider’s perspective.
Foreigners are still attracted to Detroit. Jake Warga visited recently to see who’s coming from overseas.
Nora, a French documentary maker, is spending a year in Detroit working on a documentary about it. She said she quickly fell in love with the city, as is evident by the name of her blog “Detroit je t’aime.” The French might have a particular fondness for Detroit, as the city was founded by a French explorer. The name of the city is derived from le détroit, which means ‘strait’ in French.
“In French we say Detroit, and it actually comes from where you have two rivers meet,” Nora said. “In French, we call it Detois. It was founded by a French guy you know, Cadillac.”
Nora said though Detroit is a metaphor for a lot of things, she would say it’s a metaphor for hope because the people, more than anything, believe in their city. Another reason foreigners come to Detroit is education. Murielle Roddier, a native of Nice, France, came to Detroit and teaches at the Tubman College of Architecture and Urban Design at the University of Michigan.
As a European, she said, she wanted to come to the United States to see what didn’t exist in Europe. “Some people say this is its own thing, that it does not exist anywhere else. Some other people say that it’s exactly what the future looks like everywhere,” Murielle said.
I’ve come to see Detroit as a working metaphor of the 20th century, of the American dream. Its growth was phenomenal, as was its decline. Abandoned buildings are now playgrounds for urban explorers, ravers, artists and tourists.
“It’s interesting to see those who hold onto the American dream and come here and say this is what’s left. It is the American dream in terms of the original American dream,” Murielle said.
I asked Murielle if she thinks Detroit is America. The answer: Detroit is as American as it gets.
For more and the audio interview: http://www.theworld.org/2012/06/foreigners-attracted-to-detroit/
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
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titled: “ Arizona 8th Congressional District Special Election 2012 ”
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