tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2422691472801414062024-02-20T00:36:52.499-08:00POTUS WatchReporting from the CenterEditorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06475026713228665094noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242269147280141406.post-68387594664716859862009-03-19T10:37:00.000-07:002009-03-19T23:42:22.130-07:00March 19, 2009: AIG's Bonus Scandal and St. Patty's Day at the O'Bama White House<h3>THE OBAMA PRESIDENCY:</h3> <p><!-- Summary --> <!-- The Content --></p> <div class="entry-content"> <div class="w480"><img src="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2009/03/17/us/politics/17whfountain.jpg" mce_src="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2009/03/17/us/politics/17whfountain.jpg" alt="" /><span class="credit">Stephen Crowley/The New York Times</span> <span class="caption">The waters of the fountains at the White House ran green to mark St. Patrick’s Day.</span></div> </div> <p><!-- Start Slide --> <!-- Start --></p> <div style="position: absolute; top: 0pt; left: 0pt; display: none; z-index: 4; opacity: 0;"><a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/03/18/March-Madness-At-the-White-House/" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/03/18/March-Madness-At-the-White-House/"><img style="border-style: none; width: 624px; height: 351px;" src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/brackets2009_hero.jpg" mce_src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/brackets2009_hero.jpg" alt="The President Picks His Winners for the NCAA Tournament" /></a> <div class="stgslidecredit">White House Photo, 3/17/09, Pete Souza</div> <div class="stgslideheading"> <h1 style="background-image: url(/assets//hero/hero_president_picks.jpg);" mce_style="background-image:url('/assets//hero/hero_president_picks.jpg');">President's Picks Bracket</h1> </div> <div class="stgslidecontent">The President picks his winners for the<br />NCAA Tournament. <p><a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/03/18/March-Madness-At-the-White-House/" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/03/18/March-Madness-At-the-White-House/"><img src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/buttons/btn_view_bracket.gif" mce_src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/buttons/btn_view_bracket.gif" alt="" align="middle" border="0" vspace="5" /></a></p></div> </div> <p><!-- End --> <!-- Start --></p> <div style="position: absolute; top: 0pt; left: 0pt; display: none; z-index: 3; opacity: 0;"><img style="border-style: none; width: 624px; height: 351px;" src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/budget_spratt_conrad_hero.jpg" mce_src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/budget_spratt_conrad_hero.jpg" alt="President Obama, with the Budget Committee Chairmen" /> <div class="stgslidecredit">Official White House Photo, 3/17/09, by Chuck Kennedy</div> <div class="stgslideheading"> <h1 style="background-image: url(/assets//hero/hero_sustained2.jpg);" mce_style="background-image:url('/assets//hero/hero_sustained2.jpg');">Budget Spratt Conrad</h1> </div> <div class="stgslidecontent">The President outlines the new priorities in his budget, and calls for his critics to come to the table with good ideas, not political tactics. <p><a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov//blog/09/03/17/Good-ideas-not-political-tactics/" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov//blog/09/03/17/Good-ideas-not-political-tactics/"><img src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/buttons/btn_more_readremarks.gif" mce_src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/buttons/btn_more_readremarks.gif" alt="Read the President's Remarks" align="middle" border="0" height="21" vspace="5" width="222" /></a></p></div> </div> <p><!-- End --> <!-- Start --></p> <div style="position: absolute; top: 0pt; left: 0pt; display: none; z-index: 2; opacity: 0;"><img style="border-style: none; width: 624px; height: 351px;" src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/aig_hero.jpg" mce_src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/aig_hero.jpg" alt="President Obama pledges help for small business, condemns AIG bonuses" /> <div class="stgslidecredit">White House Photo, 3/16/09, Chuck Kennedy</div> <div class="stgslideheading"> <h1 style="background-image: url(/assets//hero/hero_small_business.jpg);" mce_style="background-image:url('/assets//hero/hero_small_business.jpg');">AIG</h1> </div> <div class="stgslidecontent">President Obama pledges to help small businesses, fight AIG bonuses. <p><a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/03/16/Help-for-small-business-condemnation-for-AIG-bonuses/" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/03/16/Help-for-small-business-condemnation-for-AIG-bonuses/"><img style="border-style: none; margin-top: 8px;" mce_style="margin-top:8px;border-style:none;" src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/images/eop/stage/btn-watch-video.gif" mce_src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/images/eop/stage/btn-watch-video.gif" alt="Watch the video" /></a></p></div> </div> <p><!-- End --> <!-- Start --></p> <h3>IN FOCUS: STATS</h3> <div class="w480"><img src="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2009/03/18/us/nationalspecial3/06OBAMA_OC.jpg" mce_src="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2009/03/18/us/nationalspecial3/06OBAMA_OC.jpg" alt="" /><span class="credit">Monica Almeida/The New York Times</span> <span class="caption">President Barack Obama during a town hall meeting at the Orange County Fairground in Costa Mesa, Calif., on Wednesday. </span></div> <h3>In Focus: Stats</h3> <ul><li><b>Obama's Approval Equal To or Better Than Bush's, Clinton's: </b>President Barack Obama's job approval rating, at 61% in the latest three-day average of Gallup Poll Daily tracking, is slightly above where George W. Bush's and in particular Bill Clinton's were at this point in mid-March of the first years of their administrations.<br />Bush's disapproval rating in mid-March 2001 was about the same as Obama's is now (28%), while Clinton's disapproval rating was significantly higher. <a href="http://www.gallup.com/poll/116845/Obama-Approval-Equal-Better-Bush-Clinton.aspx" mce_href="http://www.gallup.com/poll/116845/Obama-Approval-Equal-Better-Bush-Clinton.aspx">Gallop.com, 3-16-09</a></li></ul> <h3>THE HEADLINES....</h3> <p><!-- Start Slide --> <!-- Start --></p> <div style="position: absolute; top: 0pt; left: 0pt; display: none; z-index: 4; opacity: 0;"><a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/03/18/March-Madness-At-the-White-House/" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/03/18/March-Madness-At-the-White-House/"><img style="border-style: none; width: 624px; height: 351px;" src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/brackets2009_hero.jpg" mce_src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/brackets2009_hero.jpg" alt="The President Picks His Winners for the NCAA Tournament" /></a> <div class="stgslidecredit">White House Photo, 3/17/09, Pete Souza</div> <div class="stgslideheading"> <h1 style="background-image: url(/assets//hero/hero_president_picks.jpg);" mce_style="background-image:url('/assets//hero/hero_president_picks.jpg');">President's Picks Bracket</h1> </div> <div class="stgslidecontent">The President picks his winners for the<br />NCAA Tournament. <p><a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/03/18/March-Madness-At-the-White-House/" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/03/18/March-Madness-At-the-White-House/"><img src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/buttons/btn_view_bracket.gif" mce_src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/buttons/btn_view_bracket.gif" alt="" align="middle" border="0" vspace="5" /></a></p></div> </div> <p><!-- End --> <!-- Start --></p> <div style="position: absolute; top: 0pt; left: 0pt; display: none; z-index: 3; opacity: 0;"><img style="border-style: none; width: 624px; height: 351px;" src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/budget_spratt_conrad_hero.jpg" mce_src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/budget_spratt_conrad_hero.jpg" alt="President Obama, with the Budget Committee Chairmen" /> <div class="stgslidecredit">Official White House Photo, 3/17/09, by Chuck Kennedy</div> <div class="stgslideheading"> <h1 style="background-image: url(/assets//hero/hero_sustained2.jpg);" mce_style="background-image:url('/assets//hero/hero_sustained2.jpg');">Budget Spratt Conrad</h1> </div> <div class="stgslidecontent">The President outlines the new priorities in his budget, and calls for his critics to come to the table with good ideas, not political tactics. <p><a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov//blog/09/03/17/Good-ideas-not-political-tactics/" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov//blog/09/03/17/Good-ideas-not-political-tactics/"><img src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/buttons/btn_more_readremarks.gif" mce_src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/buttons/btn_more_readremarks.gif" alt="Read the President's Remarks" align="middle" border="0" height="21" vspace="5" width="222" /></a></p></div> </div> <p><!-- End --> <!-- Start --><img style="border-style: none;" mce_style="border-style:none;" src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/aig_hero.jpg" mce_src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/aig_hero.jpg" alt="President Obama pledges help for small business, condemns AIG bonuses" height="281" width="501" /></p> <h3>The Headlines...</h3> <ul><li><b>President to pioneer chat on late-night TV: </b>President Obama hasn't been practicing one-liners, but he is going Thursday night where no sitting president has gone before: to a late-night comedy show. Obama plans to be a guest on NBC's The Tonight Show With Jay Leno at 11:35 p.m. ET. His press secretary says not to look for a comedy routine. "I anticipate that a large amount of the discussion will center around the president's economic plans, and the president's economic ideas," spokesman Robert Gibbs says. "And I think the president believes it's a unique audience with which to explain those challenges and the decisions that he's made." - <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/2009-03-18-leno_N.htm" mce_href="http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/2009-03-18-leno_N.htm">USA Today, 3-18-09</a></li><li><b>Obama schedules second prime time news conference: </b>President Obama will hold his second prime time news conference next Tuesday evening at 8 pm ET, the White House announced Wednesday. The president is expected to use the forum to promote his ambitious budget plan, which has come under fire from Republicans and conservative Democrats for its hefty price tag.... - <a href="http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/03/18/obama-schedules-second-prime-time-news-conference/?iref=werecommend" mce_href="http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/03/18/obama-schedules-second-prime-time-news-conference/?iref=werecommend">CNN, 3-18-09</a></li><li>Dodd: Administration pushed for language protecting bonuses: Senate Banking committee Chairman Christopher Dodd told CNN Wednesday that he was responsible for language added to the federal stimulus bill to make sure that already-existing contracts for bonuses at companies receiving federal bailout money were honored. <a href="http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/03/18/official-obama-aides-pushed-for-bonus-loophole/" mce_href="http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/03/18/official-obama-aides-pushed-for-bonus-loophole/">CNN, 3-18-09</a></li><li>Bush to deliver first U.S. post-presidency speech in May: Former President George W. Bush will make his first domestic post-presidency speech on May 28 in Benton Harbor, Michigan, his spokesman, Rob Saliterman, said Wednesday. Bush will be speaking to members of the Economic Club of Southwestern Michigan. The event will be closed to the media. Separately, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice also will address the economic club on April 30. - <a href="http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/03/18/bush-to-deliver-first-us-post-presidency-speech-in-may/" mce_href="http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/03/18/bush-to-deliver-first-us-post-presidency-speech-in-may/">CNN, 3-18-09</a></li><li><b>Obama nixes idea of billing vets' insurance: </b>President Barack Obama has decided to drop any consideration of billing veterans' private insurance companies for the treatment of combat-related injuries, the White House said Wednesday. - <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jqcMrxSMmf0NEuM7AUqiF7jd_mlQD970NKUO0" mce_href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jqcMrxSMmf0NEuM7AUqiF7jd_mlQD970NKUO0">AP, 3-18-09</a></li><li><b>Chaos in the White House - Obama's teleprompter blows up: </b>Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen liked President Obama's speech so much yesterday that he repeated it -- for 20 seconds. At that time he realized that Obama's speech was still on the teleprompter.... - <a href="http://features.csmonitor.com/politics/2009/03/18/chaos-in-the-white-house-obamas-teleprompter-blows-up/" mce_href="http://features.csmonitor.com/politics/2009/03/18/chaos-in-the-white-house-obamas-teleprompter-blows-up/">Christian Science Monitor, 3-17-09</a></li><li><b>Health care overhaul may cost about $1.5 trillion: </b>Guaranteeing health insurance for all Americans may cost about $1.5 trillion over the next decade, health experts say. That's more than double the $634 billion 'down payment' President Barack Obama set aside for health reform in his budget, raising the prospect of sticker shock at a time of record federal spending. Administration officials have pointedly avoided providing a ballpark estimate, saying it depends on details to be worked out with Congress. - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090317/ap_on_go_pr_wh/health_overhaul_cost;_ylt=Amrqu4tHFJOclU1HFIBIkB05bg8F;_ylu=X3oDMTJuNjlyZG4yBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMDkwMzE3L2hlYWx0aF9vdmVyaGF1bF9jb3N0BGNwb3MDMgRwb3MDMgRzZWMDeW5fdG9wX3N0b3JpZXMEc2xrA2hlYWx0aGNhcmVvdg--" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090317/ap_on_go_pr_wh/health_overhaul_cost;_ylt=Amrqu4tHFJOclU1HFIBIkB05bg8F;_ylu=X3oDMTJuNjlyZG4yBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMDkwMzE3L2hlYWx0aF9vdmVyaGF1bF9jb3N0BGNwb3MDMgRwb3MDMgRzZWMDeW5fdG9wX3N0b3JpZXMEc2xrA2hlYWx0aGNhcmVvdg--">AP, 3-17-09</a></li><li>The McCain 'Twitterview': has Twitter jumped the shark?: That "Twitterview" was a little weird. Watching questions from George Stephanopoulos (@GStephanopoulos) and answers from Sen. John McCain (@SenJohnMcCain) bounce back and forth felt like watching a tennis match on delay. But it took Twitter somewhere it hadn't been before, and brought users an instant interview with a major newsmaker in a format that only it could manage..... - <a href="http://features.csmonitor.com/innovation/2009/03/17/the-mccain-twitterview-has-twitter-jumped-the-shark/" mce_href="http://features.csmonitor.com/innovation/2009/03/17/the-mccain-twitterview-has-twitter-jumped-the-shark/">Christian Science Monitor, 3-17-09</a></li><li><b>Battle brews over Bush library: </b>Former President George W. Bush is preparing for one final struggle against the odds: raising $300 million for a presidential library, museum and policy institute at a time when dollars are tight and skepticism about his presidency runs high. - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/politico/20090314/pl_politico/19996;_ylt=AsfCnZFhqmtZrWUSVjvUl6qWwvIE;_ylu=X3oDMTE4dDk3M3I4BHBvcwMyBHNlYwN5bl9wcm9tb3NfdG9wX2JhcgRzbGsDcG9saXRpY28-" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/politico/20090314/pl_politico/19996;_ylt=AsfCnZFhqmtZrWUSVjvUl6qWwvIE;_ylu=X3oDMTE4dDk3M3I4BHBvcwMyBHNlYwN5bl9wcm9tb3NfdG9wX2JhcgRzbGsDcG9saXRpY28-">Politico, 3-16-09</a></li><li><b>Palin to headline GOP dinner in Washington: </b>Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin will deliver the keynote address at a dinner sponsored by the House and Senate Republican campaign committees.... - <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hLiDZZb9UcIMJ2R9_zicf1k9Y7IwD96V8T2G0" mce_href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hLiDZZb9UcIMJ2R9_zicf1k9Y7IwD96V8T2G0">AP, 3-16-09</a></li><li><b>8 Dems oppose quick debate on global warming bill: </b>Eight Senate Democrats are opposing speedy action on President Barack Obama's bill to combat global warming, complicating prospects for the legislation and creating problems for their party's leaders.... - <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gSu1RI33g5jZfU8YAz7ZFmoPbb7AD96VASIO0" mce_href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gSu1RI33g5jZfU8YAz7ZFmoPbb7AD96VASIO0">AP, 3-16-09</a></li><li><b>US says it shot down Iranian drone last month: </b>U.S. jets shot down an Iranian unmanned surveillance aircraft last month over Iraqi territory about 60 miles northeast of Baghdad, the U.S. military said Monday. A U.S. statement said the Ababil 3 was tracked for about 70 minutes before U.S. jets shot it down "well-inside Iraqi airspace" and that the aircraft's presence over Iraq "was not an accident."... - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090316/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_iraq" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090316/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_iraq">AP, 3-16-09</a></li><li><b>Obama tries to loosen credit for small businesses: </b>President Barack Obama freed billions of dollars to help the nation's small businesses on Monday, hoping to get credit flowing again to Main Street, not just Wall Street. He heaped praise on the little guys of American industry, often overshadowed in the blitz of government bailouts. The centerpiece of Obama's latest plan will allow the government to spend up to $15 billion to buy the small-business loans that are now choking community banks and lenders. That, in turn, could allow those banks to start lending money again to small companies to invest, pay bills and stay afloat.... - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090316/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_economy" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090316/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_economy">AP, 3-16-09</a></li><li><b>Obama berates AIG and vows to try to block bonuses: </b>Joining a wave of public anger, President Barack Obama blistered insurance giant AIG for "recklessness and greed" Monday and pledged to try to block it from handing its executives $165 million in bonuses after taking billions in federal bailout money. "How do they justify this outrage to the taxpayers who are keeping the company afloat?" Obama asked. "This isn't just a matter of dollars and cents. It's about our fundamental values." - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090316/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_aig" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090316/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_aig">AP, 3-16-09</a></li><li><b>Obama will try to block executive bonuses at AIG: </b>President Barack Obama declared Monday that insurance giant American International Group is in financial straits because of "recklessness and greed" and said he intends to stop it from paying out millions in executive bonuses. <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090316/ap_on_go_pr_wh/aig_outrage" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090316/ap_on_go_pr_wh/aig_outrage">AP, 3-16-09</a></li></ul> <h3>POLITICAL QUOTES</h3> <p><!-- Start Slide --> <!-- Start --></p> <div style="position: absolute; top: 0pt; left: 0pt; display: none; z-index: 4; opacity: 0;"><a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/03/18/March-Madness-At-the-White-House/" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/03/18/March-Madness-At-the-White-House/"><img style="border-style: none; width: 624px; height: 351px;" src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/brackets2009_hero.jpg" mce_src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/brackets2009_hero.jpg" alt="The President Picks His Winners for the NCAA Tournament" /></a> <div class="stgslidecredit">White House Photo, 3/17/09, Pete Souza</div> <div class="stgslideheading"> <h1 style="background-image: url(/assets//hero/hero_president_picks.jpg);" mce_style="background-image:url('/assets//hero/hero_president_picks.jpg');">President's Picks Bracket</h1> </div> <div class="stgslidecontent">The President picks his winners for the<br />NCAA Tournament. <p><a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/03/18/March-Madness-At-the-White-House/" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/03/18/March-Madness-At-the-White-House/"><img src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/buttons/btn_view_bracket.gif" mce_src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/buttons/btn_view_bracket.gif" alt="" align="middle" border="0" vspace="5" /></a></p></div> </div> <p><!-- End --> <!-- Start --><img style="border-style: none;" mce_style="border-style:none;" src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/budget_spratt_conrad_hero.jpg" mce_src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/budget_spratt_conrad_hero.jpg" alt="President Obama, with the Budget Committee Chairmen" height="282" width="500" /></p> <h3>Political Quotes</h3> <ul><li><b>Biden: Officials must 'get it right' on stimulus: </b>Vice President Joe Biden issued a stern warning to local officials Wednesday, urging them to "get it right" when it comes to spending money from the administration's $787 billion economic stimulus package.<br />"The work you are doing is being watched very closely, not just by me, but by everybody.... I'll show up in your city, and tell you it was a stupid idea... The Recovery Act will help ensure older Americans are not forced to choose between paying bills and buying food.... We will recover. The economy will grow." - <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iWlfSGuSO1C1a8fpjnM7x11RPpLgD970IR701" mce_href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iWlfSGuSO1C1a8fpjnM7x11RPpLgD970IR701">AP, 3-18-09</a></li><li><b>Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh: 'Moderate Dems Working Group' organized in Senate: </b>A group of 15 Senate Democrats have organized their own working group, the office of Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh announced Wednesday.<br />"Our group seeks to work collaboratively with the Obama administration and Senate leadership to make sure legislation is crafted in a practical way that will solve people's problems," Bayh said in a statement. "It's going to take all of us working together in the Senate to get the 60 votes necessary to deliver the change the American people deserve." - <a href="http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/03/18/moderate-dems-working-group-organized-in-senate/" mce_href="http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/03/18/moderate-dems-working-group-organized-in-senate/">CNN, 3-18-09</a></li><li><b>Florida Rep. Connie Mack "GOP Rep calls on Geithner to 'resign or be fired'": </b>"Well before Timothy Geithner became Secretary of the Treasury, he was working hand-in-hand with AIG and other financial institutions to provide them hundreds of billions of dollars of taxpayer money as one of the key architects of the financial sector bailout," Florida Rep. Connie Mack said in a statement released Wednesday. "I was outspoken against the bailouts then, and I'm even more outraged now."<br />"I've had serious concerns about Secretary Geithner from the moment he was nominated. In the months since, he has shown us time and again why he was the wrong choice for this critical post. This week's news on the AIG bonus scandal is but the latest fiasco under his watch and he has lost the confidence of the American people." "Quite simply, the Timothy Geithner experience has been a disaster." - <a href="http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/03/18/gop-rep-calls-on-geithner-to-resign-or-be-fired/" mce_href="http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/03/18/gop-rep-calls-on-geithner-to-resign-or-be-fired/">CNN, 3-18-09</a></li><li><b>GOP Rep calls on Geithner to 'resign or be fired': </b>Rep. Darrell Issa, ranking Republican on the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, also called on Geithner to step down.<br />"As one of the chief architects of the AIG bailout, Secretary Geithner was in a position to do what any lender of the last resort would do - negotiate concessions from AIG," he said in a statement released Wednesday afternoon.<br />"Secretary Geithner either didn't know about the bonuses, and was grossly negligent, or he did know and failed to bring this to the President's attention. Either way, the end result has been a significant waste of taxpayer dollars and he should take immediate responsibility and resign." <a href="http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/03/18/gop-rep-calls-on-geithner-to-resign-or-be-fired/" mce_href="http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/03/18/gop-rep-calls-on-geithner-to-resign-or-be-fired/">CNN, 3-18-09</a></li><li><b>Boehner says GOP budget alternative being drafted: </b>"Mr. President, with all due respect: your budget spends too much, taxes too much, and borrows too much, and that's going to do further harm to our economy at a time when it desperately needs our help," Boehner says in a video message posted on YouTube Wednesday. "We believe there's a better way - better solutions to restore some fiscal sanity here in Washington while encouraging more job creation and more investment."Our alternative, which is being drafted as we speak by Congressman Paul Ryan of Wisconsin and others, will reflect core principles that should guide us as our nation works to emerge from this crisis stronger than ever." - <a>CNN, 3-18-09</a></li><li><b>McCain: 'Too Early' to Tell If Obama Has Put Nation at Risk of Terror Attack: </b>GStephanopoulos@SenJohnMcCain AIG: Would a President McCain break bonus contracts? Obama teams says that would cause more harm than good<br />SenJohnMcCain@GStephanopoulos i would have never bailed out AIG, the real scandal is billions to foreign banks.<br />GStephanopoulos@SenJohnMcCain ok, but today: should bonus contracts be broken? Dodd wants a targeted tax on bonuses OK with that?<br />SenJohnMcCain@GStephanopoulos i haven't seen it but i would explore every option. i repeat, we wouldn't have this problem if we hadn't bailed them out..... - <a href="http://blogs.abcnews.com/george/2009/03/my-twitterview.html" mce_href="http://blogs.abcnews.com/george/2009/03/my-twitterview.html">ABC News, 3-17-09</a></li><li><b>Obama Defends Budget Proposal: </b>"If there are members of Congress who object to specific policies and proposals in this budget, then I ask them to be ready and willing to propose constructive, alternative solutions," Mr. Obama said. "'Just say no' is the right advice to give your teenagers about drugs. It is not an acceptable response to whatever economic policy is proposed by the other party." - <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/18/us/politics/18obama.html?_r=1&ref=us" mce_href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/18/us/politics/18obama.html?_r=1&ref=us">NYT, 3-17-09</a></li><li><b>Bush refuses to criticize Obama in Canada: </b>"I'm not going to spend my time criticizing him. There are plenty of critics in the arena. He deserves my silence. I love my country a lot more than I love politics. I think it is essential that he be helped in office....<br />I'm going to put people in my place, so when the history of this administration is written at least there's an authoritarian voice saying exactly what happened. I want people to understand what it was like to sit in the Oval Office and have them come in and say we have captured Khalid Sheik Mohammed, the mastermind of the Sept. 11 attacks, the alleged killer of a guy named Danny Pearl because he was simply Jewish, and we think we have information on further attacks on the United States....<br />I actually paid for a house last fall. I think I'm the only American to have bought a house in the fall of 2008. <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090317/ap_on_re_ca/canada_bush_first_speech" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090317/ap_on_re_ca/canada_bush_first_speech">AP, 3-17-09</a></li><li><b>Bush, Cheney strike different post-White House tones: </b>"I'm not going to spend my time criticizing him. There are plenty of critics in the arena," the former president told the audience, according to the Associated Press. "It's the risk-takers, not the government, that is going to pull us out of this recession," the former president said, according to the Calgary Herald. "My message to policy-makrs is don't substitute government for the marketplace. Don't become protectionist. I'm a free-trader to the core." But overall, the president's demeanor in front of a friendly crowd was described as jovial. "This is my maiden voyage," he said in his debut address on the speaking circuit. "I can't think of a better place to give it than Calgary, Canada." - <a href="http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/03/18/bush-cheney-strike-different-post-white-house/#more-44290" mce_href="http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/03/18/bush-cheney-strike-different-post-white-house/#more-44290">CNN, 3-17-09</a></li></ul> <p>[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyhJcSeuXXg&hl=en&fs=1]</p> <ul><li><b>The President, the Taoiseach, and the Shamrocks: </b>Now, before I turn it over to the Taoiseach, it turns out that we have something in common. He hails from County Offaly. And it was brought to my attention on the campaign that my great-great-great grandfather on my mother's side came to America from a small village in County Offaly, as well. We are still speculating on whether we are related. (Laughter.)<br />I do share, though, a deep appreciation for the remarkable ties between our nations. I am grateful to him for his leadership of Ireland. The bond between our countries could not be stronger. As somebody who comes from Chicago, I know a little bit about Ireland, and the warmth, the good humor, and the fierce passion and intelligence of the Irish people is something that has informed our own culture, as well. And so that's why this day and this celebration is so important. - <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/03/17/The-President-the-Taoiseach-and-the-Shamrocks/" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/03/17/The-President-the-Taoiseach-and-the-Shamrocks/">WH Blog, 3-17-09</a></li></ul> <p>[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOu05sbr3ls&hl=en&fs=1]</p> <ul><li><b>STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT ON THE BUDGET</b> But the one thing I will say is this: With the magnitude of the challenges we face right now, what we need in Washington are not more political tactics -- we need more good ideas. We don't need more point-scoring -- we need more problem-solving. So if there are members of Congress who object to specific policies and proposals in this budget, then I ask them to be ready and willing to propose constructive, alternative solutions. If certain aspects of this budget people don't think work, provide us some ideas in terms of what you do. "Just say no" is the right advice to give your teenagers about drugs. It is not an acceptable response to whatever economic policy is proposed by the other party.<br />The American people sent us here to get things done. And in this moment of enormous challenge, they are watching and waiting for us to lead. Let's show them that we're equal to this task before us. Let's pass a budget that puts this nation on the road to lasting prosperity. I know Kent Conrad is committed to doing that; John Spratt is committed to doing that; I'm committed to doing that. We're going to need everybody working together to get this thing done. - <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Statement-by-the-President-on-the-Budget/" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Statement-by-the-President-on-the-Budget/">WH Blog, 3-17-09</a></li></ul> <p>[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HI87Qyx4O6Q&hl=en&fs=1]</p> <ul><li><b>REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT TO SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS, COMMUNITY LENDERS AND MEMBERS OF CONGRESS - Help for small business, condemnation for AIG bonuses: </b>I've asked Secretary Geithner to use that leverage and pursue every single legal avenue to block these bonuses and make the American taxpayers whole. (Applause.) I want everybody to be clear that Secretary Geithner has been on the case. He's working to resolve this matter with the new CEO, Edward Liddy -- who, by the way, everybody needs to understand came on board after the contracts that led to these bonuses were agreed to last year.<br />But I think Mr. Liddy and certainly everybody involved needs to understand this is not just a matter of dollars and cents. It's about our fundamental values. All across the country, there are people who are working hard and meeting their responsibilities every day, without the benefit of government bailouts or multi-million dollar bonuses. You've got a bunch of small business people here who are struggling just to keep their credit line open -- that they are foregoing pay, as one of our entrepreneurs talked about, they are in some cases mortgaging their homes, and doing a whole host of things just in order to keep things afloat. All they ask is that everyone, from Main Street to Wall Street to Washington, play by the same rules. And that is an ethic that we have to demand.<br />And what this situation also underscores is the need for overall financial regulatory reform, so we don't find ourselves in this position again, and for some form of resolution mechanism in dealing with troubled financial institutions, so that we've got greater authority to protect American taxpayers and our financial system in cases such as this....<br />Well, I want to say to John and to every American running a small business or hoping to run a small business one day: You deserve a chance. America needs you to have that chance. - <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Remarks-by-the-President-to-small-business-owners-community-lenders-and-members-of-Congress/" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Remarks-by-the-President-to-small-business-owners-community-lenders-and-members-of-Congress/">WH Blog, 3-16-09</a></li><li><b>Obama will try to block executive bonuses at AIG: </b>"It's hard to understand how derivative traders at AIG warranted any bonuses, much less $165 million in extra pay. How do they justify this outrage to the taxpayers who are keeping the company afloat."<br />Noting that AIG has "received substantial sums" of federal aid from the federal government, Obama said he has asked Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner "to use that leverage and pursue every legal avenue to block these bonuses and make the American taxpayers whole."...<br />"All across the country, there are people who work hard and meet their responsibilities every day, without the benefit of government bailouts or multimillion-dollar bonuses. And all they ask is that everyone, from Main Street to Wall Street to Washington, play by the same rules. This isn't just a matter of dollars and cents. It's about our fundamental values." - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090316/ap_on_go_pr_wh/aig_outrage" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090316/ap_on_go_pr_wh/aig_outrage">AP, 3-16-09</a></li><li><b>Fed chief Bernanke: recession could end in '09: </b>"We've seen some progress in the financial markets, absolutely, But until we get that stabilized and working normally, we're not going to see recovery. But we do have a plan. We're working on it. And, I do think that we will get it stabilized, and we'll see the recession coming to an end probably this year."...<br /><a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gOAdANp17u2dAZW7aBVg3fW-r1qwD96UOLK00" mce_href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gOAdANp17u2dAZW7aBVg3fW-r1qwD96UOLK00">AP, 3-16-09</a></li></ul> <h3>HISTORIANS' COMMENTS</h3> <p><!-- Start Slide --> <!-- Start --><a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/03/18/March-Madness-At-the-White-House/" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/03/18/March-Madness-At-the-White-House/"><img style="border-style: none;" mce_style="border-style:none;" src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/brackets2009_hero.jpg" mce_src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/brackets2009_hero.jpg" alt="The President Picks His Winners for the NCAA Tournament" height="281" width="500" /></a></p> <h3>Historians' Comments</h3> <ul><li><b>Victor Davis Hanson "First, do no harm": </b>When it comes to our complex economy, President Barack Obama would do well to heed the physician's ancient commandment to first "do no harm."<br />Instead, Obama's administration has been prescribing all sorts of multibillion-dollar borrowing remedies without any consistent diagnosis of what is exactly wrong with the weak economy or even how bad things actually are.<br />Since becoming president, Obama has offered numerous bleak economic prognoses. He has told Americans: "The situation we face could not be more serious. We have inherited an economic crisis as deep and as dire as any since the Great Depression." He has also warned, "Recovery will likely be measured in years, not weeks or months" and "If nothing is done, this recession could linger for years."<br />But suddenly last week, physician Obama flipped and issued an entirely new prognosis: "I don't think things are ever as good as they say, or ever as bad as they say." He added. "(Things) are not as bad as we think they are now."...<br />Or did Obama's change in rhetoric reflect a sort of premeditated strategy: talk down the economy to scare everyone into supporting more government spending and borrowing; then, once the stimulus bill has passed, talk up the economy to reassure us that it will work?....<br />It is clear from the last two months that no one in this herky-jerky administration quite knows what is going on in the economy, which has its own self-correcting mechanisms that were already in play without vast new federal spending and borrowing.<br />So before we give more toxic-debt medicine to the recovering patient, let us take a timeout from the borrowing, let nature do its work - and at least do no more harm to generations not yet born. - <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/03/18/ED0316IQ4D.DTL" mce_href="http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/03/18/ED0316IQ4D.DTL">San Francisco Chronicle, 3-18-09</a></li><li><b>Julian Zelizer "White House, Congress Complicit in AIG Bonus Scandal": </b>Julian E. Zelizer, congressional expert at Princeton University, said the failure of policymakers to limit executive pay for bailed out banks was no accident. "Neither Congress nor the president wanted to look as if they were 'taking over' financial institutions," Zelizer wrote in an email, "nor did they want to anger business." The result, he added, was "predictable:" a bailout strategy with plenty of leeway for the companies receiving the money. - <a href="http://washingtonindependent.com/34551/white-house-congress-complicit-in-aig-bonus-scandal" mce_href="http://washingtonindependent.com/34551/white-house-congress-complicit-in-aig-bonus-scandal">Washington Independent, 3-18-09</a></li><li><b>Julian Zelizer "Obama Caught In The Eye Of AIG Storm": </b>Julian Zelizer, a political historian at Princeton University, agreed Obama had no easy way out. "He can come out and say it is bad and reprimand executives--it is another thing to formulate some kind of policy response." "There is some kind of communication problem here," said Zelizer. "In the campaign, the president was very good at responding to crises," he said, refering to Obama's elegant speech on race after a furore erupted over his fiery former pastor Jeremiah Wright. "But now he is running a government. It is not just him any more--some of Obama's (top aides) don't seem as skilled in the political arena as they are in the economic arena." - <a href="http://www.mysinchew.com/node/22296?tid=14" mce_href="http://www.mysinchew.com/node/22296?tid=14">mysinchew.com, 3-18-09</a></li><li><b>Julian Zelizer "Commentary: GOP's "small government" talk is hollow": </b>As the budget debate heats up, Republicans are warning of socialism in the White House and claiming that Democrats are rushing back to their dangerous tonic of big government. ...<br />After the past eight years in American politics, it is impossible to reconcile current promises by conservatives for small government with the historical record of President Bush's administration. Most experts on the left and right can find one issue upon which to agree: The federal government expanded significantly after 2001 when George W. Bush was in the White House....<br />Fifty years of American history have shown that even the party that traditionally advocates small government on the campaign trail opts for big government when it gets into power. The rhetoric of small government has helped Republicans attract some support in the past, but it is hard to take such rhetoric seriously given the historical record -- and it is a now a question whether this rhetoric is even appealing since many Americans want government to help them cope with the current crisis. - <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/03/18/zelizer.small.government/index.html?section=cnn_latest" mce_href="http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/03/18/zelizer.small.government/index.html?section=cnn_latest">CNN, 3-18-09</a></li><li><b>Julian Zelizer "Economy tops everyone's agenda as Congress returns": </b>"The economy is on everyone's mind, and they have to show they're thinking about what to do at this point. That's got to be issue No. 1," said Julian Zelizer, a Princeton University history professor. "But just as important is getting the groundwork ready to work with the new president. They're desperately trying to avoid another Jimmy Carter situation." - <a href="http://www.newsobserver.com/1573/story/1352813.html" mce_href="http://www.newsobserver.com/1573/story/1352813.html">News & Observer, 3-17-09</a></li></ul>Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06475026713228665094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242269147280141406.post-60526964268775289702009-03-15T23:23:00.000-07:002009-03-19T23:36:53.822-07:00March 15, 2009: Obama's First Fifty Days in Office & Ratings Slide<h3><span style="font-weight: bold;">Edited by Bonnie K. Goodman</span><br /></h3><h3>THE OBAMA PRESIDENCY:</h3> <p><img style="border-style: none;" mce_style="border-style:none;" src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/P031309PS-0359_wh.jpg" mce_src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/P031309PS-0359_wh.jpg" alt="Weekly Address: Food Safety" height="281" width="500" /></p> <h3>IN FOCUS: STATS</h3> <h3>In Focus: Stats</h3> <ul><li><b>FACTBOX: Main developments of Obama's first 50 days: </b>President Barack Obama marked his 50th day in office on Tuesday with a speech about overhauling the U.S. education system.... - <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/vcCandidateFeed1/idUSTRE52A02R20090311" mce_href="http://www.reuters.com/article/vcCandidateFeed1/idUSTRE52A02R20090311">Reuters, 3-11-09</a></li><li><b>Rasmussen Reports:</b> 56%-43% approval, with a third strongly disapproving of the president's performance. - <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123690358175013837.html?mod=googlenews_wsj" mce_href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123690358175013837.html?mod=googlenews_wsj">WSJ, 3-13-09</a></li><li><b>DOUGLAS E. SCHOEN and SCOTT RASMUSSEN: "Obama's Poll Numbers Are Falling to Earth": </b>It is simply wrong for commentators to continue to focus on President Barack Obama's high levels of popularity, and to conclude that these are indicative of high levels of public confidence in the work of his administration. Indeed, a detailed look at recent survey data shows that the opposite is most likely true. The American people are coming to express increasingly significant doubts about his initiatives, and most likely support a different agenda and different policies from those that the Obama administration has advanced. - <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123690358175013837.html?mod=googlenews_wsj" mce_href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123690358175013837.html?mod=googlenews_wsj">WSJ, 3-13-09</a></li></ul> <h3>THE HEADLINES....</h3> <p><a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/03/09/A-debt-of-gratitude-to-so-many-tireless-advocates/" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/03/09/A-debt-of-gratitude-to-so-many-tireless-advocates/"><img style="border-style: none;" mce_style="border-style:none;" src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/hero_stemcell_main2.jpg" mce_src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/hero_stemcell_main2.jpg" alt="President Obama Lifts Restrictions on Stem Cell Research" height="281" width="501" /></a></p> <p><!-- Start Slide --> <!-- Start --></p> <div style="position: absolute; top: 0pt; left: 0pt; display: none; z-index: 4; opacity: 0;"><a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/03/11/Opportunities-their-mothers-and-grandmothers-and-great-grandmothers-never-dreamed-of/" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/03/11/Opportunities-their-mothers-and-grandmothers-and-great-grandmothers-never-dreamed-of/"><img style="border-style: none; width: 624px; height: 351px;" src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/hero_womencouncil.jpg" mce_src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/hero_womencouncil.jpg" alt="The White House Council on Women and Girls" /></a> <div class="stgslidecredit">White House Photo 3/11/09 by Chuck Kennedy</div> <div class="stgslideheading"> <h1 style="background-image: url(/assets//hero/hero_background_women.jpg);" mce_style="background-image:url('/assets//hero/hero_background_women.jpg');">Council on Women</h1> </div> <div class="stgslidecontent">President Obama signs an Executive Order creating the White House Council on Women and Girls.<a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/03/11/Opportunities-their-mothers-and-grandmothers-and-great-grandmothers-never-dreamed-of/" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/03/11/Opportunities-their-mothers-and-grandmothers-and-great-grandmothers-never-dreamed-of/"><img style="border-style: none; margin-top: 8px;" mce_style="margin-top:8px;border-style:none;" src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/buttons/btn_learn_more.jpg" mce_src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/buttons/btn_learn_more.jpg" alt="Learn More" /></a></div> </div> <p><!-- Start Slide --><!-- Start --></p> <h3>The Headlines...</h3> <ul><li><b>Bracing for a Bailout Backlash: </b>The Obama administration is increasingly concerned about a populist backlash against banks and Wall Street, worried that anger at financial institutions could also end up being directed at Congress and the White House and could complicate President Obama's agenda. - <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/16/us/politics/16assess.html?hp" mce_href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/16/us/politics/16assess.html?hp">NYT, 3-15-09</a></li><li><b>President Obama's call for longer school days raises questions: </b>"That calendar may once have made sense," Obama said last week. "But today, it puts us at a competitive disadvantage." - <a href="http://www.kansas.com/690/story/734077.html" mce_href="http://www.kansas.com/690/story/734077.html">Wichita Eagle, 3-15-09</a></li><li><b>Obama says US economy sound, reassures investors: </b>President Barack Obama on Saturday downplayed divisions between the U.S. and Europe over how to tackle the world's financial crisis and said China should have "absolute confidence" that its sizable investments in the United States are safe.... - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090314/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_economy" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090314/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_economy">AP, 3-14-09</a></li><li><b>G-20 pledge sustained action on financial crisis: </b>Finance officials from rich and developing countries pledged Saturday to do "whatever is necessary" to fix the global economy, including supervision of freewheeling hedge funds and restoring bank lending by dealing with the shaky securities burdening their finances.... - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090314/ap_on_bi_ge/eu_britain_g20_finance_ministers" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090314/ap_on_bi_ge/eu_britain_g20_finance_ministers">AP, 3-14-09</a></li><li><b>Obama admin. to end use of term 'enemy combatant': </b>The Obama administration said Friday that it is abandoning one of President George W. Bush's key phrases in the war on terrorism: enemy combatant. But that won't change much for the detainees at the U.S. naval base in Cuba — Obama still asserts the military's authority to hold them. Human rights attorneys said they were disappointed that Obama didn't take a new stance.... - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090314/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/guantanamo_detainees" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090314/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/guantanamo_detainees">AP, 3-14-09</a></li><li><b>Investigator uses phony documents to get passports: </b>Using phony documents and the identities of a dead man and a 5-year-old boy, a government investigator obtained U.S. passports in a test of post-9/11 security. Despite efforts to boost passport security since the 2001 terror attacks, the investigator fooled passport and postal service employees four out of four times, according to a new report made public Friday. The report by the Government Accountability Office, Congress' investigative arm, details the ruses.... - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090314/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/fake_passports" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090314/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/fake_passports">AP, 3-14-09</a></li><li><b>The First Lady's First Trip: </b>Michelle Obama took her first trip as first lady on Thursday, visiting the military base at Fort Bragg where she offered thanks and support to military families. - <a href="http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/12/the-first-ladys-first-trip/" mce_href="http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/12/the-first-ladys-first-trip/">NYT, 3-12-09</a></li><li><b>Obama to tap Hamburg to run FDA: sources: </b>President Barack Obama is set to nominate former New York City health chief Margaret Hamburg as commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, people with knowledge of the matter said on Thursday. - <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSTRE52B7O720090312" mce_href="http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSTRE52B7O720090312">Reuters, 3-12-09</a></li><li><b>Feds spending millions on Kennedy legacy in Mass.: </b>More than one out of every five dollars of the $126 million Massachusetts is receiving in earmarks from a $410 billion federal spending package is going to help preserve the legacy of the Kennedys. The bill includes $5.8 million for the planning and design of a building to house a new Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the Senate. The funding may also help support an endowment for the institute.... - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090311/ap_on_re_us/spending_kennedy_legacy" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090311/ap_on_re_us/spending_kennedy_legacy">AP, 3-11-09</a></li><li><b>Obama defends pet projects and signs spending bill: </b>President Barack Obama, sounding weary of criticism over federal earmarks, defended Congress' pet projects Wednesday as he signed an "imperfect" $410 billion measure with thousands of examples. But he said the spending does need tighter restraint and listed guidelines to do it. Obama, accused of hypocrisy by Republicans for embracing billions of dollars of earmarks in the legislation, said they can be useful and noted that he has promised to curb, not eliminate them.... - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090311/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_spending" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090311/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_spending">AP, 3-11-09</a></li><li><b>Officials: Iran does not have key nuclear material: </b>Iran does not yet have any highly enriched uranium, the fuel needed to make a nuclear warhead, two top U.S. intelligence officials told Congress Tuesday, disputing a claim by an Israeli official.... - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090310/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/intelligence_threats" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090310/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/intelligence_threats">AP, 3-10-09</a></li><li><b>9/11 suspects: 'We are terrorists to the bone': </b>Puerto Rico – The self-professed mastermind and four other men charged in the Sept. 11 attacks declared they are "terrorists to the bone" in a statement that mocked the U.S. failure to prevent the killings and predicted America will fall like "the towers on the blessed 9/11 day."... - <a href="http://bonniekaryn.wordpress.com/wp-admin/kup%20in%20Cuba,%20include%20Khalid%20Sheik%20Mohammed,%20the%20professed%20architect" mce_href="kup in Cuba, include Khalid Sheik Mohammed, the professed architect ">AP, 3-10-09</a></li><li><b>Congress approves massive $410B spending bill: </b>Congress on Tuesday cleared for President Barack Obama's signature a $410 billion measure to fund the government, a measure denounced by most Republicans as an example of reckless spending. The Senate approved the measure by voice after it cleared a key procedural hurdle by a 62-35 vote. Sixty votes were required to shut down debate. - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090310/ap_on_go_co/congress_spending" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090310/ap_on_go_co/congress_spending">AP, 3-10-09</a></li><li><b>Recession on track to be longest in postwar period: </b>Factory jobs disappeared. Inflation soared. Unemployment climbed to alarming levels. The hungry lined up at soup kitchens. It wasn't the Great Depression. It was the 1981-82 recession, widely considered America's worst since the depression.... - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090308/ap_on_bi_ge/the_worst_recession" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090308/ap_on_bi_ge/the_worst_recession">AP, 3-8-09</a></li></ul> <h3>POLITICAL QUOTES</h3> <p><a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/03/10/Taking-on-Education/" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/03/10/Taking-on-Education/"><img style="border-style: none;" mce_style="border-style:none;" src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/education_hero.jpg" mce_src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/education_hero.jpg" alt="The President speaks on education." height="281" width="501" /></a></p> <h3>Political Quotes</h3> <ul><li><b>Cheney Says Obama Has Increased Risks: </b>"He is making some choices that, in my mind, will, in fact, raise the risk to the American people of another attack," Mr. Cheney said of Mr. Obama in an interview on the CNN program "State of the Union."....<br />"I think those programs were absolutely essential to the success we enjoyed of being able to collect the intelligence that let us defeat all further attempts to launch attacks against the United States since 9/11." "I think that's a great success story. It was done legally. It was done in accordance with our constitutional practices and principles."<br />"Up until 9/11, it was treated as a law enforcement problem. You go find the bad guy, put him on trial, put him in jail. Once you go into a wartime situation and it's a strategic threat, then you use all of your assets to go after the enemy. You go after the state sponsors of terror, places where they've got sanctuary. You use your intelligence resources, your military resources, your financial resources — everything you can — in order to shut down that terrorist threat against you. When you go back to the law enforcement mode, which I sense is what they're doing, closing Guantánamo and so forth, that they are very much giving up that center of attention and focus that's required, and that concept of military threat that is essential if you're going to successfully defend the nation against further attacks."<br />"We've accomplished nearly everything we set out to do," he said about Iraq. "Now, I don't hear much talk about that, but the fact is, the violence level is down 90 percent. The number of casualties and Iraqis and Americans is significantly diminished. There's been elections, a constitution. They're about to have another presidential election here in the near future. We have succeeded in creating in the heart of the Middle East a democratically governed Iraq, and that is a big deal," Mr. Cheney said. "And it is, in fact, what we set out to do." - <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/16/us/politics/16cheney.html?_r=1&hp" mce_href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/16/us/politics/16cheney.html?_r=1&hp">NYT, 3-15-09</a></li><li><b>Cheney going high-tech and driving a car: </b>Dick Cheney's going high-tech with a BlackBerry and a wireless device for reading books. And he's driving a car these days. <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jVZw0Wdihy0bPjRsWLmL-CYaH3FAD96UHISO1" mce_href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jVZw0Wdihy0bPjRsWLmL-CYaH3FAD96UHISO1">AP, 3-15-09</a></li></ul> <p>[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjX0iJU3vtY&hl=en&fs=1]</p> <ul><li><b>Remarks of President Barack Obama, Weekly Address, Saturday, March 14, 2009, Washington, DC, "Weekly Address: Reversing a Troubling Trend in Food Safety": </b>In this week's address, President Barack Obama makes key announcements regarding the safety of our nation's food.<br />"We are a nation built on the strength of individual initiative. But there are certain things that we can't do on our own. There are certain things that only a government can do. And one of those things is ensuring that the foods we eat, and the medicines we take, are safe and don't cause us harm." - <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/03/14/Food-Safety/" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/03/14/Food-Safety/">WH Blog, 3-14-09</a> - <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Weekly-Address-President-Barack-Obama-Announces-Key-FDA-Appointments-and-Tougher-Food-Safety-Measures/" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Weekly-Address-President-Barack-Obama-Announces-Key-FDA-Appointments-and-Tougher-Food-Safety-Measures/">Transcript</a></li><li><b>President Obama: "A wonderful meeting of the minds": </b>Is that directed at me? Well, look, I think Brazil has shown extraordinary leadership when it comes to biofuels. And I've been a great admirer of the steps that have been taken by President Lula's government in pursuing biofuels and developing them. And this is an investment that Brazil has made for a very long time.<br />My policies coming into this administration have been to redouble efforts here in the United States to pursue a similar path of clean energy development. And I think we have a lot to learn from Brazil.<br />As I mentioned to President Lula, I think we have the potential to exchange ideas, technology to build on the biodiesel cooperation structure that we've already established. I know that the issue of Brazilian ethanol coming into the United States has been a source of tension between the two countries. It's not going to change overnight, but I do think that as we continue to build exchanges of ideas, commerce, trade around the issue of biodiesel, that over time this source of tension can get resolved. - <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/03/14/president-obama-a-wonderful-meeting-of-the-minds/" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/03/14/president-obama-a-wonderful-meeting-of-the-minds/">WH Blog, 3-14-09</a></li><li><b>Speaker Nancy Pelosi "The Buzz About a Second Stimulus Package": </b>I really would like to focus on the first one. I know that people have made suggestions that we should be ready to do something, but I really would like to see this stimulus package play out.<br />I think it's important that the American people and the Congress of the United States have confidence in the recovery package that we have passed. We believe that it has the right components to take the country in a new direction in terms of job creation, tax cuts for the middle class, investments in the short term for job creation and longer term stabilization. So I've always been trying to be fiscally responsible about doing — getting the most for — I won't say a small amount of money because we're talking hundreds of billions of dollars.<br />As we go down that path as people make judgments, I would hope that we get the results that we need from this package. But that doesn’t mean that people won’t talk about it, as one of our economists suggested the other day. But not from my initiation. - <a>NYT, 3-12-09</a></li><li><b>President Obama declares turning point on earmark reform: </b>Now, yesterday Congress sent me the final part of last year's budget; a piece of legislation that rolls nine bills required to keep the government running into one, a piece of legislation that addresses the immediate concerns of the American people by making needed investments in line with our urgent national priorities.<br />That's what nearly 99 percent of this legislation does -- the nearly 99 percent that you probably haven't heard much about.<br />In my discussions with Congress, we have talked about the need for further reforms to ensure that the budget process inspires trust and confidence instead of cynicism. So I believe as we move forward, we can come together around principles that prevent the abuse of earmarks.<br />These principles begin with a simple concept: Earmarks must have a legitimate and worthy public purpose. Earmarks that members do seek must be aired on those members' websites in advance, so the public and the press can examine them and judge their merits for themselves. Each earmark must be open to scrutiny at public hearings, where members will have to justify their expense to the taxpayer....<br />And finally, if my administration evaluates an earmark and determines that it has no legitimate public purpose, then we will seek to eliminate it, and we'll work with Congress to do so. - <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/03/11/President-Obama-declares-turning-point-on-earmark-reform/" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/03/11/President-Obama-declares-turning-point-on-earmark-reform/">WH Blog, 3-11-09</a></li></ul> <p>[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HI87Qyx4O6Q&hl=en&fs=1]</p> <ul><li><b>REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT AT SIGNING OF EXECUTIVE ORDER CREATING THE WHITE HOUSE COUNCIL ON WOMEN AND GIRLS "Opportunities their mothers and grandmothers and great grandmothers never dreamed of": </b>I sign this order not just as a President, but as a son, a grandson, a husband, and a father, because growing up, I saw my mother put herself through school and follow her passion for helping others. But I also saw how she struggled to raise me and my sister on her own, worrying about how she'd pay the bills and educate herself and provide for us.<br />I saw my grandmother work her way up to become one of the first women bank vice presidents in the state of Hawaii, but I also saw how she hit a glass ceiling -- how men no more qualified than she was kept moving up the corporate ladder ahead of her.<br />I've seen Michelle, the rock of the Obama family -- (laughter) -- juggling work and parenting with more skill and grace than anybody that I know. But I also saw how it tore at her at times, how sometimes when she was with the girls she was worrying about work, and when she was at work she was worrying about the girls. It's a feeling that I share every day.....<br />So now it's up to us to carry that work forward, to ensure that our daughters and granddaughters have no limits on their dreams, no obstacles to their achievements -- and that they have opportunities their mothers and grandmothers and great grandmothers never dreamed of. That's the purpose of this Council. Those are the priorities of my presidency. And I look forward to working with all of you to fulfill them in the months and years to come.<br />All right, so I'm going to go sign this thing. Thank you very much. - <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/03/11/Opportunities-their-mothers-and-grandmothers-and-great-grandmothers-never-dreamed-of/" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/03/11/Opportunities-their-mothers-and-grandmothers-and-great-grandmothers-never-dreamed-of/">WH Blog, 3-11-09</a> - <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Remarks-by-the-President-at-Signing-of-Executive-Order-Creating-the-White-House-Council-on-Women-and-Girls/" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Remarks-by-the-President-at-Signing-of-Executive-Order-Creating-the-White-House-Council-on-Women-and-Girls/">Transcript</a></li><li><b>U.S. "in a deep mess" but we will fix it: Geithner: </b>"This president is going to do what is necessary to get us through this. ... We're a terrifically strong country with abundant resources, and we will get through this.".... You're going to see (President Obama) lead an ambitious agenda to try to get the world moving with us so that the global economy is firing on all cylinders. Getting the world to move with us (is) necessary and critical."... "Our markets are still the most liquid markets in the world. And frankly, there is a lot of confidence still in our capacity to manage this and get through it. Everything we do in moving aggressively to fix this crisis is guided by that basic obligation, of not just to American investors but around the world, to do what is necessary to get this economy back on track.... There are a lot of people who want us to come in and pay an inflated price for these assets, and have the government absorb a bunch of those losses directly to socialize that risk. We want to pursue a market mechanism that leaves the taxpayer with less risk and better overall benefit in trying to fix this system." - <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE52976R20090310" mce_href="http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE52976R20090310">Reuters, 3-10-09</a></li></ul> <p>[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1lLH4g1vSg&hl=en&fs=1]</p> <ul><li><b>President Obama "Taking on Education": </b>Every so often, throughout our history, a generation of Americans bears the responsibility of seeing this country through difficult times and protecting the dream of its founding for posterity. This is a responsibility that has fallen to our generation. Meeting it will require steering our nation’s economy through a crisis unlike any we have seen in our time. In the short-term, that means jumpstarting job creation, re-starting lending, and restoring confidence in our markets and our financial system. But it also means taking steps that not only advance our recovery, but lay the foundation for lasting, shared prosperity.<br />I know there are some who believe we can only handle one challenge at a time. They forget that Lincoln helped lay down the transcontinental railroad, passed the Homestead Act, and created the National Academy of Sciences in the midst of Civil War. Likewise, President Roosevelt didn’t have the luxury of choosing between ending a depression and fighting a war. President Kennedy didn’t have the luxury of choosing between civil rights and sending us to the moon. And we don't have the luxury of choosing between getting our economy moving now and rebuilding it over the long term.<br />Of course, no matter how innovative our schools or how effective our teachers, America cannot succeed unless our students take responsibility for their own education. That means showing up for school on time, paying attention in class, seeking out extra tutoring if it's needed, and staying out of trouble. And to any student who's watching, I say this: don't even think about dropping out of school. As I said a couple of weeks ago, dropping out is quitting on yourself, it's quitting on your country, and it is not an option – not anymore. Not when our high school dropout rate has tripled in the past thirty years. Not when high school dropouts earn about half as much as college graduates. And not when Latino students are dropping out faster than just about anyone else. It is time for all of us, no matter what our backgrounds, to come together and solve this epidemic. - <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/03/10/Taking-on-Education/" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/03/10/Taking-on-Education/">WH Blog, 3-10-09</a></li><li><b>Sen. Joe Lieberman now sings Obama's praises: </b>"He's shown real leadership," Lieberman told The Associated Press in an interview. "Bottom line: I think Barack Obama, president of the United States, is off to a very good start." - <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jkzn7-yBluqSOGbGs2o2T2Ve1-pQD96QFPA80" mce_href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jkzn7-yBluqSOGbGs2o2T2Ve1-pQD96QFPA80">AP, 3-9-09</a></li></ul> <ul><li><b>Remarks of President Barack Obama – As Prepared for Delivery Signing of Stem Cell Executive Order and Scientific Integrity Presidential Memorandum, Washington, DC, March 9, 2009 - "A debt of gratitude to so many tireless advocates": </b>Today, with the Executive Order I am about to sign, we will bring the change that so many scientists and researchers; doctors and innovators; patients and loved ones have hoped for, and fought for, these past eight years: we will lift the ban on federal funding for promising embryonic stem cell research. We will vigorously support scientists who pursue this research. And we will aim for America to lead the world in the discoveries it one day may yield....<br />That is why today, I am also signing a Presidential Memorandum directing the head of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy to develop a strategy for restoring scientific integrity to government decision making. To ensure that in this new Administration, we base our public policies on the soundest science; that we appoint scientific advisors based on their credentials and experience, not their politics or ideology; and that we are open and honest with the American people about the science behind our decisions. That is how we will harness the power of science to achieve our goals – to preserve our environment and protect our national security; to create the jobs of the future, and live longer, healthier lives....<br />That is why today, I am also signing a Presidential Memorandum directing the head of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy to develop a strategy for restoring scientific integrity to government decision making. To ensure that in this new Administration, we base our public policies on the soundest science; that we appoint scientific advisors based on their credentials and experience, not their politics or ideology; and that we are open and honest with the American people about the science behind our decisions. That is how we will harness the power of science to achieve our goals – to preserve our environment and protect our national security; to create the jobs of the future, and live longer, healthier lives. - <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/03/09/A-debt-of-gratitude-to-so-many-tireless-advocates/" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/03/09/A-debt-of-gratitude-to-so-many-tireless-advocates/">WH Blog, 3-9-09</a> - <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Remarks-of-the-President-As-Prepared-for-Delivery-Signing-of-Stem-Cell-Executive-Order-and-Scientific-Integrity-Presidential-Memorandum/" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Remarks-of-the-President-As-Prepared-for-Delivery-Signing-of-Stem-Cell-Executive-Order-and-Scientific-Integrity-Presidential-Memorandum/">Transcript</a></li></ul> <h3>HISTORIANS' COMMENTS</h3> <p><a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/03/11/Opportunities-their-mothers-and-grandmothers-and-great-grandmothers-never-dreamed-of/" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/03/11/Opportunities-their-mothers-and-grandmothers-and-great-grandmothers-never-dreamed-of/"><img style="border-style: none;" mce_style="border-style:none;" src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/hero_womencouncil.jpg" mce_src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/hero_womencouncil.jpg" alt="The White House Council on Women and Girls" height="280" width="499" /></a></p> <h3>Historians' Comments</h3> <ul><li><b>Michael Kazin "Bracing for a Bailout Backlash": </b>"The change now is you have a free-floating economic anxiety that has expressed itself in a kind of lashing out at those being bailed out and people who are bailing out," Michael Kazin, a professor at Georgetown University who has written extensively on populism. "There's not really a sense of what the solution is." "I do think there's a potential for a 'damn everybody in power' kind of sentiment," Mr. Kazin said. - <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/16/us/politics/16assess.html?hp" mce_href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/16/us/politics/16assess.html?hp">NYT, 3-15-09</a></li><li><b>Robert Dallek "How Not to End Another President’s War (L.B.J. Edition)": </b>Now that President Obama has inherited not one war but two, does he face a similar hurdle? With the country's economy in such poor shape and his eagerness to enact bold health insurance, education and environmental reforms, he will need to recall that wars are the enemy of far reaching change. World War I stopped Progressivism; in the 1940’s "Dr. Win the War replaced Dr. New Deal," as Franklin D. Roosevelt said; the Korean War sidetracked Harry Truman's Fair Deal; and Vietnam frustrated Johnson's hopes of additional Great Society measures.<br />Mr. Obama's commitment to maintain perhaps 50,000 troops in Iraq after the drawdown of combat forces over the next 19 months, combined with his decision to send an additional 17,000 troops (for starters) to Afghanistan, could be the beginning of an unwanted debate about commitments abroad. If the country begins to see mounting costs in lives and money from the administration's war policies, it risks distractions from the more urgent designs the president described in his campaign and recent messages to the Congress and the country.<br />History is never a precise guide for current political actions. But the consistent negative impact of earlier foreign conflicts on grand projects at home is a cautionary tale that should command President Obama's close attention. Guns and butter rarely mix. - <a href="http://100days.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/12/how-not-to-end-another-presidents-war-lbj-edition/?ref=opinion" mce_href="http://100days.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/12/how-not-to-end-another-presidents-war-lbj-edition/?ref=opinion">NYT, 3-12-09</a></li><li><b>Julian Zelizer "Omnibus bill's hidden item: a Democratic rift On Tuesday, Congress passed the spending bill to keep the government running - 160 days late, and not without some unusual friction between House and Senate leaders":</b> The moment marked a sharp break with tradition. "It's hard to think of a comparable moment like this," says Julian Zelizer, a congressional historian at Princeton University in New Jersey. "The tension between the two chambers is becoming very strong, especially the Pelosi-Reid rivalry." - <a href="http://features.csmonitor.com/politics/2009/03/11/omnibus-bills-hidden-item-a-democratic-rift/" mce_href="http://features.csmonitor.com/politics/2009/03/11/omnibus-bills-hidden-item-a-democratic-rift/">Christian Science Monitor, 3-11-09</a></li><li><b>Julian Zelizer "Commentary: Is it Obama's economy yet?": </b>President Obama currently has the polls on his side. In numerous surveys, Americans have said they are pleased with Obama's performance thus far and confident the president can fix the economy, acknowledging this will take some time.<br />The political question for the White House is how long those poll numbers will last. At some point, the "Bush Economy" is going to become the "Obama Economy."<br />When that happens, Obama will be in serious political trouble unless the economy has turned around. Republicans will be able to argue that the administration's plans are not working and this perception will greatly diminish public support for the White House....<br />The clock is ticking for Obama. There will likely be a tipping point when the approval ratings start to slide and a majority of Americans start to associate the recession with this White House.<br />Arguments about how the crisis started earlier will sound more like a defeated leader, trying to explain his failures, than a reasoned leader trying to explain the situation we face. That's how politics works.<br />It will be politically essential that Obama's early policies, particularly the economic stimulus bill and financial bailout, stop the downward slide of the economy and create some kind of stability. Otherwise, the president will find himself in rough waters. - <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/03/09/zelizer.obama.economy/" mce_href="http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/03/09/zelizer.obama.economy/">CNN, 3-9-09</a></li></ul>Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06475026713228665094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242269147280141406.post-20765368630883834572009-03-08T23:15:00.000-07:002009-03-19T23:19:46.816-07:00March 8, 2009: Obama Focuses on the Economy, Budget Debate Dominates, but Afghanistan Looms<span style="font-weight: bold;">Edited by Bonnie K. Goodman</span><br /><br /><h3>THE OBAMA PRESIDENCY:</h3> <p><a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/03/06/Rebuilding-America-town-by-town/" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/03/06/Rebuilding-America-town-by-town/"><img style="border-style: none;" mce_style="border-style:none;" src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/obama_cops2_hero.jpg" mce_src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/obama_cops2_hero.jpg" alt="President Obama at the Graduation of the Columbus Police Division’s 114th Class" height="281" width="500" /></a></p> <p><!-- Start Slide --> <!-- Start --></p> <div style="position: absolute; top: 0pt; left: 0pt; display: none; z-index: 4; opacity: 0;"><a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/03/06/Rebuilding-America-town-by-town/" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/03/06/Rebuilding-America-town-by-town/"><img style="border-style: none; width: 624px; height: 351px;" src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/obama_cops2_hero.jpg" mce_src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/obama_cops2_hero.jpg" alt="President Obama at the Graduation of the Columbus Police Division’s 114th Class" /></a> <div class="stgslidecredit">White House photo 3/6/09 by Pete Souza</div> <div class="stgslideheading"> <h1 style="background-image: url(/assets//hero/hero_background_ohio.jpg);" mce_style="background-image:url('/assets//hero/hero_background_ohio.jpg');">Jobs in Ohio</h1> </div> <div class="stgslidecontent">Today the President went to Ohio for the Graduation of the Columbus Police Division’s 114th Class. The bad economic numbers are more than statistics there, but the recovery act did bring some good news. <p><a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/03/06/Rebuilding-America-town-by-town/" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/03/06/Rebuilding-America-town-by-town/"><img style="border-style: none; margin-top: 8px; width: 157px; height: 21px;" src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/buttons/btn_learn_more.jpg" mce_src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/buttons/btn_learn_more.jpg" alt="Learn More" /></a></p></div> </div> <h3>IN FOCUS: STATS</h3> <h3>In Focus: Stats</h3> <ul><li><b>Poll: Obama's rating at all-time high NBC/WSJ poll shows gap between popularity of president and his policies: </b>68 percent have a favorable opinion of the president, including 47 percent whose opinion is "very positive" — both all-time highs for Obama in the poll.<br />67 percent say they feel more hopeful about his leadership and 60 percent approve of his job in the White House.<br />Yet the percentage of Americans who are confident that Obama has the right goals and policies for the country — 54 percent — is slightly smaller, suggesting that the president is more popular than his policies are. An example: 57 percent tend to support the stimulus, compared with 34 percent who tend to oppose it. - <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29493021/" mce_href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29493021/">MSNBC, 3-7-09</a></li><li><b>FOX News Poll: Obama Believes in Bigger Government: </b>Despite the president's claim that he doesn't believe in bigger government, a new poll shows there is widespread belief among Americans that he does.<br />President Obama's job approval rating stands at 63 percent, with 26 percent saying they disapprove.<br />92 percent of Democrats say they approve -- more than three times as many as the 30 percent of Republicans who give Obama the thumbs up. Among independents, 61 percent approve.<br />Just over half of Americans -- 52 percent -- think so far Obama is meeting expectations and 14 percent say he is actually exceeding expectations. - <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/03/05/fox-news-poll-obama-believes-bigger-government/" mce_href="http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/03/05/fox-news-poll-obama-believes-bigger-government/">Fox News, 3-5-09</a></li><li><b>FACT CHECK: Obama 'tax hikes' a matter of words: </b>President Barack Obama says he would lower taxes on 95 percent of Americans now and raise them on the rich in 2011. Republicans say he will increase taxes for all and in the midst of a recession to boot. So who's right? Yes, all Americans would pay more under the president's policies. His own aides concede that. But no, Obama would not raise taxes in the midst of a recession, as long as his economic assumptions bear out. - <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hZRL86q2rkBSw_2usQlo6UoGItZwD96O097O0" mce_href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hZRL86q2rkBSw_2usQlo6UoGItZwD96O097O0">AP, 3-7-09</a></li></ul> <p><a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/03/05/Live-blogging-the-White-House-Forum-on-Health-Reform/" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/03/05/Live-blogging-the-White-House-Forum-on-Health-Reform/"><img style="border-style: none;" mce_style="border-style:none;" src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/travis_hero.jpg" mce_src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/travis_hero.jpg" alt="President Barack Obama and White House Domestic Advisor Melody Barnes listen as firefighter Travis Ulerick of Dublin, Ind., addresses the White House Forum on Health Reform, Thursday, March 5, 2009, in the East Room at the White House." height="280" width="500" /></a></p> <h3>THE HEADLINES....</h3> <h3>The Headlines...</h3> <ul><li><b>Obama Ponders Outreach to Elements of the Taliban: </b>President Obama declared in an interview that the United States was not winning the war in Afghanistan and opened the door to a reconciliation process in which the American military would reach out to moderate elements of the Taliban, much as it did with Sunni militias in Iraq. - <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/08/us/politics/08obama.html?_r=1" mce_href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/08/us/politics/08obama.html?_r=1">NYT, 3-8-09</a></li><li><b>Analysis: Obama's ambitious plans raise questions: </b>President Barack Obama offered his domestic-policy proposals as a "break from a troubled past." But the economic outlook now is more troubled than it was even in January, despite Obama's bold rhetoric and commitment of more trillions of dollars. - <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hzxMIm4EJQJddvV_ZHPkN1pw8nJwD96PIQBO0" mce_href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hzxMIm4EJQJddvV_ZHPkN1pw8nJwD96PIQBO0">AP, 3-7-09</a></li><li><b>When economy bottoms out, how will we know?: </b>When will this wretched economy bottom out? The recession is already in its 15th month, making it longer than all but two downturns since World War II. For now, everything seems to be getting worse: The Dow is in free fall, jobs are vanishing every day, and one in eight American homeowners is in foreclosure or behind on payments. But the economy always recovers. It runs in cycles, and economists are watching an array of statistics, some of them buried deep beneath the headlines, to spot the turning point. The Associated Press examined three markets — housing, jobs and stocks — and asked experts where things stand and how to know when they've hit bottom. None of them expects it to come anytime soon. - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090307/ap_on_bi_ge/economy_where_s_the_bottom" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090307/ap_on_bi_ge/economy_where_s_the_bottom">AP, 3-7-09</a></li><li><b>Obama Turkey visit to focus on Iraq, Afghanistan: </b>For one of his first foreign visits, President Barack Obama will call on NATO ally Turkey, an overwhelmingly Muslim country viewed as critical to aiding the U.S. pullout from Iraq, turning around the Afghanistan war and blocking Iran's nuclear ambitions. - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090307/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/eu_clinton_turkey" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090307/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/eu_clinton_turkey">AP, 3-7-09</a></li><li><b>Obama on stimulus: 'I know we did the right thing': </b>While aknowledging an "astounding" number of job losses in February, President Barack Obama told critics of his $787 billion economic recovery plan Friday that it is saving jobs and said, "I know we did the right thing." He suggested that critics talk to 25 police recruits in Ohio's capital city who owe their jobs to stimulus spending and "talk to the teachers who are still able to teach our children because we passed this plan." - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090307/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_stimulus" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090307/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_stimulus">AP, 3-6-09</a></li><li><b>Source: Obama to reverse limits on stem cell work: </b>Reversing an eight-year-old limit on potentially life-saving science, President Barack Obama plans to lift restrictions Monday on taxpayer-funded research using embryonic stem cells. The long-promised move will allow a rush of research aimed at one day better treating, if not curing, ailments from diabetes to paralysis — research that crosses partisan lines, backed by such notables as Nancy Reagan and the late Christopher Reeve. But it stirs intense controversy over whether government crosses a moral line with such research. - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090307/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_stem_cells" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090307/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_stem_cells">AP, 3-6-09</a></li><li><b>Government-run plan could trip up health overhaul: </b>Giving Americans the option of buying medical coverage through the government — an idea put forth by President Barack Obama — is a potential deal breaker for some Republicans and insurance companies whose support would ease the way for a health care overhaul. The proposal, which Obama advocated in his presidential campaign, would for the first time offer government-sponsored coverage to middle class families, as an alternative to private health plans. By some estimates, it could reduce premiums by 20 percent or more — making it much more affordable to cover the estimated 48 million people who don't have health coverage.... - <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hNKpRlDbRV_-CUGJzJxHBOhGmmSQD96OOCP00" mce_href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hNKpRlDbRV_-CUGJzJxHBOhGmmSQD96OOCP00">AP, 3-6-09</a></li><li><b>Fight Brewing Within GOP Over Soul, Future of Party: </b>This week's dustup between GOP chief Michael Steele and influential radio host Rush Limbaugh underscored the struggle for the heart and soul of the Republican Party. - <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/03/06/steele-seeks-footing-dustup-limbaugh/" mce_href="http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/03/06/steele-seeks-footing-dustup-limbaugh/">Fox News, 3-6-09</a></li><li><b>Dean under consideration for surgeon general: report: </b>Former Vermont governor Howard Dean was under consideration by the Obama administration for U.S. surgeon general, CNN reported on Friday, but a source said he was not interested in the post. - <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSTRE5256RL20090307" mce_href="http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSTRE5256RL20090307">Reuters, 3-6-09</a></li><li><b>Congressman Labels Obama 'Abortion President' Ahead of Stem Cell Reversal:</b> Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., accused Obama of launching two attacks on pro-life measures. - <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/politics/first100days/2009/03/06/congressman-labels-obama-abortion-president-ahead-stem-cell-reversal/" mce_href="http://www.foxnews.com/politics/first100days/2009/03/06/congressman-labels-obama-abortion-president-ahead-stem-cell-reversal/">Fox News, 3-6-09</a></li><li><b>Democrats blast Limbaugh for comment on Kennedy: </b>A Democratic official rebuked conservative commentator Rush Limbaugh on Friday for suggesting a health care proposal will be named in memory of Sen. Edward Kennedy, who is battling brain cancer. On his radio show, Limbaugh said President Barack Obama's proposed health care revisions will be championed by "the liberal lion Teddy Kennedy." - <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gQFn1eKoExk6_U835xpCAfT--FswD96OQ8Q00" mce_href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gQFn1eKoExk6_U835xpCAfT--FswD96OQ8Q00">AP, 3-6-09</a></li><li><b>Top Dems adjust to life in Obama's shadow Pelosi and Reid balance executive priorities with legislative powers: </b>As the party's highest-ranking elected officials, they used their congressional majorities to thwart key elements of Bush's agenda. Now with Obama the Democrats' unquestioned leader, Reid and Pelosi play less visible and more intermediary parts.... - <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29546409/" mce_href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29546409/">MSNBC, 3-6-09</a></li><li><b>CIA destroyed 12 harsh interrogation tapes: </b>The CIA destroyed a dozen videotapes of harsh interrogations of terror suspects, according to documents filed Friday in a lawsuit over the government's treatment of detainees. The 12 tapes were part of a larger collection of 92 videotapes of terror suspects that the CIA destroyed. The extent of the tape destruction was disclosed through a suit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union against the government. - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090307/ap_on_go_ot/cia_interrogations" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090307/ap_on_go_ot/cia_interrogations">AP, 3-6-09</a></li><li><b>Gupta withdraws from surgeon general search: </b>CNN medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta won't be the next surgeon general, the Obama administration confirmed Thursday. Gupta, 39, a neurosurgeon with star appeal, was seen as President Barack Obama's first pick for the job. He would have brought instant recognition to the office of surgeon general, a post that has lacked visibility since the days of C. Everett Koop during Ronald Reagan's presidency. - <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iK-HcHUUvd-qrIKL6P_w8NTb2LdAD96O6TJO0" mce_href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iK-HcHUUvd-qrIKL6P_w8NTb2LdAD96O6TJO0">AP, 3-5-09</a></li><li><b>Obama: Every voice must be heard on health reform: </b>President Barack Obama pumped health care allies and skeptics alike for ways to overhaul the nation's costly and frustrating system Thursday and heard only applause and agreement when he told them there's "a clear consensus that the need for health care reform is here and now." - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090306/ap_on_go_pr_wh/health_care_overhaul" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090306/ap_on_go_pr_wh/health_care_overhaul">AP, 3-5-09</a></li><li><b>Congress passes stopgap bill to avoid shutdown: </b>With a $410 billion catchall spending bill stalled in the Senate and a midnight deadline looming, Congress rushed through stopgap legislation Friday to keep the government running for another five days. The House passed the bill by a 328-50 vote; the Senate acted by unanimous voice vote. President Barack Obama will sign the measure later Friday. The stopgap measure was needed because on Thursday night, Senate Republicans unexpectedly put the brakes on the sweeping measure. The so-called omnibus bill would award domestic agencies with big spending increases and it also contains about 8,000 pet projects sought by lawmakers. - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090306/ap_on_go_co/congress_spending" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090306/ap_on_go_co/congress_spending">AP, 3-5-09</a></li><li><b>Treasury secretary's choice for deputy withdraws: </b>Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner is two steps further away from filling the ranks of his senior staff. As markets quake and Treasury confronts the worst economic crisis in decades, Geithner has seen two people he had hoped to name to key posts withdraw from consideration. - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090306/ap_on_bi_ge/geithner_choice_withdraws" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090306/ap_on_bi_ge/geithner_choice_withdraws">AP, 3-5-09</a></li><li><b>Senate preparing huge spending bill for Obama: </b>Senate leaders hoped Thursday to clear for President Barack Obama a huge spending bill that awards big increases to domestic programs and is stuffed with pet projects sought by lawmakers in both parties. The $410 billion spending bill, spanning 1,122 pages, has an extraordinary reach, wrapping nine spending bills together to fund the annual operating budgets of every Cabinet department except for Defense, Homeland Security and Veterans Affairs. - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090305/ap_on_go_co/congress_spending" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090305/ap_on_go_co/congress_spending">AP, 3-5-09</a></li><li><b>White House Health Care Summit:</b> The wrap up session: President Obama entered the room with Senator Edward M. Kennedy, who said said he looked forward to being a "foot soldier" in the push for health care reform and "this time we will not fail." - <a href="http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/05/white-house-health-care-summit/" mce_href="http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/05/white-house-health-care-summit/">NYT, 3-5-09</a></li><li><b>Clinton accuses Iran of seeking to intimidate: </b>U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton swiped hard at Iran on Wednesday, accusing its hardline leaders of fomenting divisions in the Arab world, promoting terrorism, posing threats to Israel and Europe, and seeking to "intimidate as far as they think their voice can reach." - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090305/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/eu_clinton_iran" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090305/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/eu_clinton_iran">AP, 3-4-09</a></li><li><b>Key Democrats oppose Obama's tax deduction plan: </b>President Barack Obama's proposal to limit itemized tax deductions for high earners is running into opposition from key Democrats in Congress who worry that charities and the housing market would be hurt. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus questioned Wednesday whether the proposal was viable, a day after his House counterpart also expressed reservations. - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090305/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/obama_taxes" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090305/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/obama_taxes">AP, 3-4-09</a></li><li><b>Obama takes aim at costly defense contracts: </b>President Barack Obama said on Wednesday the U.S. government was paying too much for things it did not need and ordered a crackdown on spending "plagued by massive cost overruns and outright fraud." - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090304/pl_nm/us_obama_budget;_ylt=AtX.qKGPBdKfFT5Z2D3plXJ34T0D" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090304/pl_nm/us_obama_budget;_ylt=AtX.qKGPBdKfFT5Z2D3plXJ34T0D">AP, 3-4-09</a></li><li>Senate votes to preserve earmarks in spending bill: The Senate has approved 13 pet spending projects sought by a lobbying firm accused of funneling illegal campaign contributions to lawmakers. Senators voted 52-43 to preserve the so-called earmarks in a 1,000-page- plus catchall spending bill even though they were sought by the PMA Group, a lobbying firm that closed up shop after being raided by the FBI last year. They included money for high-tech firms and colleges in Pennsylvania. - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090304/ap_on_go_co/congress_spending" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090304/ap_on_go_co/congress_spending">AP, 3-4-09</a></li><li><b>Obama's plan to hike taxes meets fierce opposition: </b>President Barack Obama's call to raise taxes on high earners and greenhouse gas polluters met fierce opposition Tuesday from congressional Republicans and also a few Democrats. "I would never want to adversely affect anything that is charitable or good," Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., chairman of the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee, said of Obama's call to limit high-income taxpayers' itemized deductions for charitable donations and mortgage interest. - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090304/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_taxes" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090304/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_taxes">AP, 3-3-09</a></li><li><b>Trade nominee is 4th Obama pick to owe back taxes: </b>Another Obama administration nominee has tax troubles. This time, it's Ron Kirk, the president's choice to be U.S. trade representative. Kirk owes an estimated $10,000 in back taxes from earlier in the decade and has agreed to pay them, the Senate Finance Committee said Monday. <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090303/ap_on_go_pr_wh/kirk_taxes;_ylt=Asn6zpjkGsUgjxcpRiYK7Ul34T0D" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090303/ap_on_go_pr_wh/kirk_taxes;_ylt=Asn6zpjkGsUgjxcpRiYK7Ul34T0D">AP, 3-3-09</a></li><li>Obama pushes centers as one focus of health reform: President Barack Obama has been vague about details of his healthcare reform efforts, but he provided a hint on Monday of one direction he could take -- community health centers. - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090303/ts_nm/us_obama_healthcare_centers;_ylt=AlUT16gItqH7.b0CahxidUd34T0D" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090303/ts_nm/us_obama_healthcare_centers;_ylt=AlUT16gItqH7.b0CahxidUd34T0D">Reuters, 3-3-09</a></li><li><b>Economic gloom shrouds Obama talks with Brown: </b>A pall of economic gloom Tuesday hung over President Barack Obama's talks with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who came armed with a plan for huge reforms of the reeling global finance system. - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090303/pl_afp/britainusdiplomacyg20;_ylt=AggsyCYdx9CWdJco.9ps0cp34T0D" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090303/pl_afp/britainusdiplomacyg20;_ylt=AggsyCYdx9CWdJco.9ps0cp34T0D">AFP, 3-3-09</a></li><li><b>Clinton vows to work for creation of Palestinian state: </b>US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton pressed her "aggressive" Middle East diplomacy on Tuesday, saying she was sending two envoys to Syria and vowing to work towards a Palestinian state. - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090303/pl_afp/mideastdiplomacyus;_ylt=AkHQhV47L59Pt17f8hcl7Kd34T0D" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090303/pl_afp/mideastdiplomacyus;_ylt=AkHQhV47L59Pt17f8hcl7Kd34T0D">AFP, 3-3-09</a></li><li><b>US: 'Inescapable' movement to Palestinian state: </b>U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton promised Tuesday to work with the incoming Israeli government, but delivered a clear message that could put her at odds with the country's next leader: Movement toward the establishment of a Palestinian state is "inescapable." - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090303/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_mideast_clinton" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090303/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_mideast_clinton">AP, 3-2-09</a></li><li><b>Obama lifts veil on Bush-era terror methods: </b>President Barack Obama's administration lifted the veil further Monday on past "war on terror" tactics, releasing Bush-era legal memos and revealing the CIA destroyed 92 controversial interrogation videos. Hours after Attorney General Eric Holder ruled out the use of waterboarding as an interrogation technique -- because it amounted to torture -- his Justice Department released nine internal documents from the previous administration, which had given legal grounding to the controversial policies..... - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090303/pl_afp/usattacksjusticetorture;_ylt=ArKV8RCrDp2XDzorXpVOq3134T0D" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090303/pl_afp/usattacksjusticetorture;_ylt=ArKV8RCrDp2XDzorXpVOq3134T0D">AP, 3-2-09</a></li><li><b>Extraordinary Measures A new memo shows just how far the Bush administration considered going in fighting the war on terror: </b>In the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, the Justice Department secretly gave the green light for the U.S. military to attack apartment buildings and office complexes inside the United States, deploy high-tech surveillance against U.S. citizens and potentially suspend First Amendment freedom-of-the-press rights in order to combat the terror threat, according to a memo released Monday. Many of the actions discussed in the Oct. 23, 2001, memo to then White House counsel Alberto Gonzales and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld's chief lawyer, William Haynes, were never actually taken. - <a href="http://www.newsweek.com/id/187342" mce_href="http://www.newsweek.com/id/187342">Newsweek, 3-2-09</a></li><li><b>Web-Savvy Obama Team Hits Unexpected Bumps Washington Post: Issues Of Technology, Security And Privacy Slow The Administration's Effort To Foster Instant Communication: </b>The team that ran the most technologically advanced presidential campaign in modern history is finding it difficult to adapt that model to government. WhiteHouse.gov, envisioned as the primary vehicle for President Obama to communicate with the online masses, has been overwhelmed by challenges that staffers did not foresee and technological problems they have yet to solve. - <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/03/02/politics/washingtonpost/main4838234.shtml" mce_href="http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/03/02/politics/washingtonpost/main4838234.shtml">CBS News, 3-2-09</a></li></ul> <h3>POLITICAL QUOTES</h3> <p><!-- Summary --> <!-- The Content --></p> <div class="entry-content"> <div class="w480"><img src="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2009/03/05/us/politics/obamahealthcare480-mills.jpg" mce_src="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2009/03/05/us/politics/obamahealthcare480-mills.jpg" alt="" /><span class="credit">Doug Mills/The New York Times</span> <span class="caption">President Obama spoke at a White House conference on health care. </span></div> </div> <h3>Political Quotes</h3> <ul><li><b>Sen. Richard Shelby "Some banks should be allowed to fail, say two top Republicans": </b>"Close them down, get them out of business. If they're dead, they ought to be buried," Sen. Richard Shelby, the Ranking Republican on the banking committee, told ABC's This Week. "We bury the small banks — we've got to bury some big ones, and send a strong message to the market." He did not mention any banks by name, although he responded to a question about Citigroup by noting that "Citi's always been a problem child." - <a href="http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/03/08/some-banks-should-be-allowed-to-fail-say-two-top-republicans/" mce_href="http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/03/08/some-banks-should-be-allowed-to-fail-say-two-top-republicans/">CNN, 3-8-09</a></li><li><b>Sen. John McCain "Some banks should be allowed to fail, say two top Republicans": </b>Former GOP presidential candidate John McCain told Fox News Sunday that he did not think President Obama "made the hard decision, and that is to let these banks fail." He did not call for nationalization of troubled financial institutions, which many Republicans oppose, but said their assets should be sold. "Unfortunately, the shareholders and others will take a beating," he said. - <a href="http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/03/08/some-banks-should-be-allowed-to-fail-say-two-top-republicans/" mce_href="http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/03/08/some-banks-should-be-allowed-to-fail-say-two-top-republicans/">CNN, 3-8-09</a></li><li><b>Eric Cantor: White House spending stance has 'no credibility': </b>The Virginia Republican said on State of the Union Sunday that the White House's contention that the legislative process was too far along to change course was completely inaccurate. "Let's call it how it is. First of all, if you make a promise, people expect that you live up to it. And that's why this administration's refusal to go in and change this bill is, I think, is a false position.<br />"There is no way anyone could take what Mr. Orszag has said with any credibility. Of course they're negotiating on this bill in the Senate right now. To say that we would have drawn it differently, but leave $430 billion plus on the table like this? No way. People are expecting this administration to live up to the promises made."<br />"There is no question that we’ve got to change this entire process, it is a system gone bad," he said.<br />"Listen, the future of the Republican Party is tied to the future of this country. People right now are desperate for leadership, are desperate for us in this party as well as the other to begin talking about ideas that deal with the relevant challenges that they're facing every single day," he said.<br />"And it is not about individuals, it's not about Rush, it's not about Rahm Emanuel, it's not about any particular individual... if we do not begin to start acting more like adults in this town and produce so that people can get back to work, all of us are very concerned with where this country will end up." - <a href="http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/03/08/cantor-white-house-spending-stance-has-no-credibility/" mce_href="http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/03/08/cantor-white-house-spending-stance-has-no-credibility/">CNN, 3-8-09</a></li><li><b>Remarks of President Barack Obama</b>, Weekly Address, Saturday, March 7, 2009, Washington, DC - <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/WEEKLY-ADDRESS-President-Obama-Presses-the-Case-for-Bold-Action-to-Address-the-Economic-Crisis/" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/WEEKLY-ADDRESS-President-Obama-Presses-the-Case-for-Bold-Action-to-Address-the-Economic-Crisis/">WH Blog, 3-7-09</a>, <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/WeeklyAddress/Audio/2009/03/20090307-GJLXUE/20090307_Weekly_Address.mp3" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/WeeklyAddress/Audio/2009/03/20090307-GJLXUE/20090307_Weekly_Address.mp3">Mp3</a></li><li><b>Obama: Time of crisis can be 'great opportunity': </b>"We will get through this," Obama said in his weekly radio and video address, taped Friday after another week of downbeat news. "We've experienced great trials before, And with every test, each generation has found the capacity to not only endure, but to prosper — to discover great opportunity in the midst of great crisis. That is what we can and must do today. And I am absolutely confident that is what we will do."....<br />"What I don't think people should do is suddenly stuff money in their mattresses and pull back completely from spending," Obama told the newspaper in an interview posted on its Web site Saturday. "I don't think that people should be fearful about our future. I don't think that people should suddenly mistrust all of our financial institutions because the overwhelming majority of them actually have managed things reasonably well."....<br />"From the day I took office, I knew that solving this crisis would not be easy, nor would it happen overnight," Obama said in the weekly address. "And we will continue to face difficult days in the months ahead. But I also believe that we will get through this — that if we act swiftly and boldly and responsibly, the United States of America will emerge stronger and more prosperous than it was before." - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090307/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090307/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama">AP, 3-7-09</a></li></ul> <p>[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kV_D6avFtdo&hl=en&fs=1]</p> <ul><li><b>Obama: US should reach out to Taliban moderates: </b>"But you've seen conditions deteriorate over the last couple of years. The Taliban is bolder than it was. I think ... in the southern regions of the country, you're seeing them attack in ways that we have not seen previously."... "The national government still has not gained the confidence of the Afghan people. And so it's going to be critical for us to not only, get through these national elections to stabilize the security situation, but we've got to recast our policy so that our military, diplomatic and development goals are all aligned to ensure that al-Qaida and extremists that would do us harm don't have the kinds of safe havens that allow them to operate."... "If you talk to Gen. Petraeus, I think he would argue that part of the success in Iraq involved reaching out to people that we would consider to be Islamic fundamentalists, but who were willing to work with us.".... "There could be situations — and I emphasize 'could be' because we haven't made a determination yet — where, let's say that we have a well-known al-Qaida operative that doesn't surface very often, appears in a third country with whom we don't have an extradition relationship or would not be willing to prosecute, but we think is a very dangerous person." - <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5h7xQIgNZhmzdB9vNcZ7IChFY2j_AD96PIHIO0" mce_href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5h7xQIgNZhmzdB9vNcZ7IChFY2j_AD96PIHIO0">AP, 3-7-09</a></li><li><b>Sen. McCain: 'Generational Theft' Being Committed With Big Government Spending: </b>Well, it is impossible for anyone to predict the market, but I think two things. One, America will come out of this. We will. There is no doubt about it. There have been worse times, not many, and this is a terrible time, but we will come out of it, but I think the market might be reacting because they have not confidence yet that the Obama administration is taking the necessary steps to cure the housing market and to bring about an economic recovery. They do not have confidence that the government is taking sufficient steps early enough that they are sort of playing catch-up.<br />I think two things. One is that these steps have not been taken early enough. They always seem to be reacting to circumstances rather than anticipating. The second thing is that we are laying a debt on future generations of Americans, which is unconscionable. We are committing generational theft when we just keep spending hundreds of billions and even trillions of dollars at a time.<br />We will continue to fight. There are 9,000 earmarks in it. Incredibly, the president and his chief of staff and director of his budget of OMD have both said this is last year's business. It is this year's business. It is this is this year's spending, this year's debt and this year's pork barrel projects which breeds corruption, and we have former members of Congress convicted, in prison, and it is all because to a large degree -- because of this earmark, pork barrel spending, which is - just, I cannot describe to you have a terrible it is, and the American people are tightening their belts and having to make tough decisions. Meanwhile, it is business as usual here in the Congress. $2 million for astronomy awareness in Hawaii.<br />I think a lot of them are, but there are appropriators, Republicans, a number of them, who are on the Appropriations Committee, who consistently vote against our efforts to curtail this outrageous spending, and again I want to point out the reason we did not have a bill last year is that the Democrats would not pass these bills last year. They wanted to wait until this year so they could get a better deal, and this bill is eight percent more spending than we did last year in the toughest of times, and there are 9,000 pork barrel projects on it. It is as bad as anything as I have seen around here, given the economy of the country....<br />Well, the president said he wants to work on reform. It is long overdue. We need to work on reform, and he will face some of the greatest resistance from his own party, who have said, majority leader and Congressman Steny Hoyer's said, "We are not going to change. It is our prerogative."....<br />Forty percent Republican earmarks. Republicans let's spending get completely out of control. We paid a very heavy penalty for it in the last election because we did not stick to our principles.<br />I think you are going to see a real revolt out there on the part of the voters. We are seeing an increase in the independent voter registration. Americans are very fed up. Look at new low approval ratings for Congress. We either act or they are going to elect people who will act responsibly. <p>If we keep this up, two things, I think, are going to happen. At some point the Chinese may stop buying our debt. The second thing that's going to happen, if we keep printing money, trillions of dollars worth that we don't have, then it is going to cause hyperinflation. And that inflation is the greatest enemy of the middle-income Americans, because they are on a fixed income. And it has happened in the past. It would not be the first time that governments got into such deep debt that they printed more money, and the currency was debased. I worry a great deal about it when we are laying these multi- trillion dollar debts on future generations of Americans. - <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,505927,00.html" mce_href="http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,505927,00.html">Fox News, 3-5-09</a> </p></li><li><b>Karl Rove: Obama, not Bush, is to blame for the financial crisis: </b>"It makes them look small and churlish. And hastens the moment in which people say, you know what, it is your problem. And frankly, it is their problem in many respects.... he president and every Democrat worth his or her salt were out today saying the old guy's numbers, the old guy's job losses, the old guy's recession. When will it be their recession?" - <a href="http://trailblazersblog.dallasnews.com/" mce_href="http://trailblazersblog.dallasnews.com/">Dallas Morning News, 3-6-09</a></li><li><b>Barack Obama "Rebuilding America, town by town": </b>This city of Columbus needs the courage and the commitment of this graduating class to keep it safe, to make sure that people have the protection that they need. This economy needs your employment to keep it running. Just this morning we learned that we lost another 651,000 jobs throughout the country in the month of February alone, which brings the total number of jobs lost in this recession to an astounding 4.4 million.<br />Four point four million jobs. I don't need to tell the people of this state what statistics like this mean, because so many of you have been watching jobs disappear long before this recession hit....<br />In Savannah, Georgia, the police department would use this funding to hire more crime and intelligence analysts and put more cops on the beat protecting our schools. In Long Beach, California, it will be able to help fund 17,000 hours of overtime for law enforcement officials who are needed in high-crime areas. West Haven, Connecticut will be able to restore crime prevention programs that were cut, even though they improved the quality of life in the city's most troubled neighborhoods. And the state of Iowa will be able to rehire drug enforcement....<br />So for those who still doubt the wisdom of our recovery plan, I ask them to talk to the teachers who are still able to teach our children because we passed this plan. I ask them to talk to the nurses who are still able to care for our sick, and the firefighters and first responders who will still be able to keep our communities safe. I ask them to come to Ohio and meet the 25 men and women who will soon be protecting the streets of Columbus because we passed this plan. (Applause.) I look at these young men and women, I look into their eyes and I see their badges today and I know we did the right thing. - <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/03/06/Rebuilding-America-town-by-town/" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/03/06/Rebuilding-America-town-by-town/">WH Blog, 3-7-09</a></li><li><b>Obama orders overhaul of 'broken' US contracting: </b>"Far too often, the spending is plagued by massive cost overruns, outright fraud, and the absence of oversight and accountability.... It starts with reforming our broken system of government contracting. There is a fundamental public trust that we must uphold. The American people's money must be spent to advance their priorities, not to line the pockets of contractors or to maintain projects that don't work." - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090304/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_waste" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090304/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_waste">AP, 3-4-09</a></li><li><b>Britain PM Gordon Brown: US must lead on economy, climate change: </b>"We should seize this moment because never before have I seen a world willing to come together so much, never before has that been more needed."... Brown pushed lawmakers to embrace his "global New Deal" plan for overhauling the rules of international finance and share the wealth of a world economy he promised would double over the next 20 years. President Barack Obama's historic election has given "the whole world renewed hope in itself," he said, adding that "now more than ever the rest of the world wants to work with you" including "your friend Europe."... "Should we succumb to a race to the bottom and to a protectionism that history tells us that in the end protects no one? No."... "I believe you, the nation that had the vision to put a man on the moon, are also the nation with a vision to protect and preserve our planet Earth."... "Our shared message to Iran, it is simple: We are ready for you to rejoin the international community, but first you must cease your threats and suspend your nuclear programs."... <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090305/pl_afp/usbritaindiplomacyg20;_ylt=AgpXsRizPKyfTJ6btXSduQ934T0D" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090305/pl_afp/usbritaindiplomacyg20;_ylt=AgpXsRizPKyfTJ6btXSduQ934T0D">AFP, 3-4-09</a></li><li><b>REMARKS BY PRESIDENT OBAMA AND BRITISH PRIME MINISTER GORDON BROWN AFTER MEETING: </b>"Where are the Brits? They're over there," President Obama said, playfully, during a press Q&A following a meeting with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown.<br />"In fact, they're everywhere," Prime Minister Brown replied. And in that spirit of Anglo-American equity, the President and Prime Minister took questions from reporters from both sides of the pond.<br />"I think that there are a set of shared values and shared assumptions between us," President Obama said said during a meeting with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. "That we believe in the free market, we believe in a government that is not overbearing and allows entrepreneurs and businesses to thrive, but we also share a common belief that there have to be sufficient regulatory structures in place so that the market doesn't spin out of control." - <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Remarks-by-President-Obama-and-Prime-Minister-Brown-after-Meeting/" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Remarks-by-President-Obama-and-Prime-Minister-Brown-after-Meeting/">WH Blog, 3-3-09</a></li><li><b>President Obama to PBS' "The NewsHour With Jim Lehrer" in an interview "Analysis: Obama embracing crisis as opportunity": </b>"I think that we are at an extraordinary moment that is full of peril but full of possibility, and I think that's the time you want to be president," Obama told PBS' "The NewsHour With Jim Lehrer" in an interview Friday. "I think there's a sense that right now we are having to make some very big decisions that will help determine the direction of this country, and in ways large and small the direction of the world for the next generation. "And I won't lie to you. I wish that they weren't all having to be made at once. It would nice to be able to stage them on one another," Obama added. - <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hrcg5odCQg41jOthn4O7KKIARksgD96LVEJG2" mce_href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hrcg5odCQg41jOthn4O7KKIARksgD96LVEJG2">AP, 3-2-09</a></li></ul> <h3>HISTORIANS' COMMENTS</h3> <p><!-- Start Slide --> <!-- Start --></p> <div style="position: absolute; top: 0pt; left: 0pt; display: none; z-index: 4; opacity: 0;"><a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/03/06/Rebuilding-America-town-by-town/" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/03/06/Rebuilding-America-town-by-town/"><img style="border-style: none; width: 624px; height: 351px;" src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/obama_cops2_hero.jpg" mce_src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/obama_cops2_hero.jpg" alt="President Obama at the Graduation of the Columbus Police Division’s 114th Class" /></a> <div class="stgslidecredit">White House photo 3/6/09 by Pete Souza</div> <div class="stgslideheading"> <h1 style="background-image: url(/assets//hero/hero_background_ohio.jpg);" mce_style="background-image:url('/assets//hero/hero_background_ohio.jpg');">Jobs in Ohio</h1> </div> <div class="stgslidecontent">Today the President went to Ohio for the Graduation of the Columbus Police Division’s 114th Class. The bad economic numbers are more than statistics there, but the recovery act did bring some good news. <p><a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/03/06/Rebuilding-America-town-by-town/" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/03/06/Rebuilding-America-town-by-town/"><img style="border-style: none; margin-top: 8px; width: 157px; height: 21px;" src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/buttons/btn_learn_more.jpg" mce_src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/buttons/btn_learn_more.jpg" alt="Learn More" /></a></p></div> </div> <p><!-- End --> <!-- Start --></p> <div style="position: absolute; top: 0pt; left: 0pt; display: none; z-index: 3; opacity: 0;"><a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/03/05/Live-blogging-the-White-House-Forum-on-Health-Reform/" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/03/05/Live-blogging-the-White-House-Forum-on-Health-Reform/"><img style="border-style: none; width: 624px; height: 351px;" src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/travis_hero.jpg" mce_src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/travis_hero.jpg" alt="President Barack Obama and White House Domestic Advisor Melody Barnes listen as firefighter Travis Ulerick of Dublin, Ind., addresses the White House Forum on Health Reform, Thursday, March 5, 2009, in the East Room at the White House." /></a> <div class="stgslidecredit">White House photo 3/5/09 by Pete Souza</div> <div class="stgslideheading"> <h1 style="background-image: url(/assets//hero/hero_forum.jpg);" mce_style="background-image:url('/assets//hero/hero_forum.jpg');">White House Forum on Health Reform</h1> </div> <div class="stgslidecontent">The forum was a major step in the monumental, transparent, imperative process to reform America's health care system. <p><a class="thickbox external" href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/#TB_inline?height=220&width=370&inlineId=tb_external" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/#TB_inline?height=220&width=370&inlineId=tb_external"><img src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/buttons/btn_health_reform.jpg" mce_src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/buttons/btn_health_reform.jpg" alt="HealthReform.gov" align="middle" border="0" vspace="5" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/03/05/Live-blogging-the-White-House-Forum-on-Health-Reform/" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/03/05/Live-blogging-the-White-House-Forum-on-Health-Reform/"><img src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/buttons/btn_follow_liveblog.jpg" mce_src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/buttons/btn_follow_liveblog.jpg" alt="Follow the live-blog" align="middle" border="0" vspace="5" /></a></p></div> </div> <p><!-- End --> <!-- Start --><a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/03/04/priorities_not-lining-the-Pockets-of-Contractors/" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/03/04/priorities_not-lining-the-Pockets-of-Contractors/"><img style="border-style: none;" mce_style="border-style:none;" src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/POTUS_McCain_Hero1.jpg" mce_src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/POTUS_McCain_Hero1.jpg" alt="Contracting Reform" height="281" width="500" /></a></p> <h3>Historians' Comments</h3> <ul><li><b>Bruce Buchanan "Obama taking big political risk with budget":</b> "What you've got is a context that makes a very ambitious budget strategy possible in a way that wouldn't be possible in times we would call normal," said Bruce Buchanan, a presidential scholar at the University of Texas. "This is a rare moment." - <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/03/07/MNEE16AJT5.DTL" mce_href="http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/03/07/MNEE16AJT5.DTL">San Francisco Chronicle, 3-8-09</a></li><li><b>Julian Zelizer "Obama taking big political risk with budget":</b> As it is, taking on health care, global warming and a major increase in spending on education and social programs all at once is "a huge political risk," said Julian Zelizer, a political historian at Princeton University. "In 2004, we forget, Bush looked as strong as any president," Zelizer said, until he took on just one issue, Social Security, and failed. - <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/03/07/MNEE16AJT5.DTL" mce_href="http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/03/07/MNEE16AJT5.DTL">San Francisco Chronicle, 3-8-09</a></li><li><b>Bruce Schulman "Obama taking big political risk with budget":</b> By reaching so high, Obama's fortunes rest on the economy. "If the economy recovers and there's prosperity in 2011, he'll beat any Republican," said Boston University historian Bruce Schulman. "If not, many, many Republicans could beat him." - <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/03/07/MNEE16AJT5.DTL" mce_href="http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/03/07/MNEE16AJT5.DTL">San Francisco Chronicle, 3-8-09</a></li><li><b>David Frum "Why Rush is Wrong": </b>The party of Buckley and Reagan is now bereft and dominated by the politics of Limbaugh. A conservative's lament. - <a href="http://www.newsweek.com/id/188279" mce_href="http://www.newsweek.com/id/188279">Newsweek, 3-7-09</a></li><li><b>Robert Dallek "Will Obama Be a President Defined by War?": </b>It's the unfinished agendas of domestic reformers that have lately been on the minds of presidential historians like Robert Dallek. Dallek has in recent months become a Cassandra about Obama's plans for reform, prophesying the potential undoing of Obama's domestic agenda by affairs abroad. He tends to reference the foreboding historical adage, "war kills reform."... "If Obama gets drawn too deeply into Afghanistan it can be very destructive to his reform agenda," Dallek said. - <a href="http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2009/03/will_obama_be_a_president_defi.html" mce_href="http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2009/03/will_obama_be_a_president_defi.html">Real Clear Politics, 3-2-09</a></li><li><b>Allan Lichtman "Will Obama Be a President Defined by War?": </b>"American history teaches us that the world has a way of unexpectedly catching a president's attention and priority," said Allan Lichtman, a presidential historian at American University. "Not only do presidents have limited power to control the economy but limited power to predict the economy," Lichtman said. - <a href="http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2009/03/will_obama_be_a_president_defi.html" mce_href="http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2009/03/will_obama_be_a_president_defi.html">Real Clear Politics, 3-2-09</a></li><li><b>Julian Zelizer "Will Obama use 'Facebook politics'?": </b>The battle over the federal budget is about to begin. President Obama has laid out an ambitious agenda.... As the president pushes for Congress to enact his budget, he is unlikely to receive much Republican support. The vote over the first economic stimulus bill revealed that partisanship is alive and well in Washington. In addition, the budget proposal will open the president up to the familiar Republican attack of being a tax-and- spend liberal. Obama should not underestimate how effective such criticism can be. He can just ask Bill Clinton, who saw Republicans take over Congress in 1994 following the defeat of his health care proposal....<br />Using what might be called "Facebook politics," the netroots could raise money to campaign against opponents of Obama's budget proposals. They might also encourage volunteers to explain and promote Obama's policies to their neighbors. They could also provide a forum to counteract Republican attacks, and remind senators of the kind of voter turnout they might encounter in the midterm elections if they decide to stand in the way of Obama's program. Of course, Republicans could counter with their own Web-based politics, but so far they have lagged behind the Democrats. When Obama proposed the economic stimulus legislation in January, he didn't really use Facebook politics and instead relied on an inside-the-beltway approach. He let legislators hammer out the details without heavy-handed presidential intervention....<br />If Obama can show that Facebook politics is as organizationally strong as the party politics of yesteryear, then he would on to something big. Not only would the president be able to tap into a powerful political army that could pressure legislators into supporting his agenda, but he very well could introduce a new paradigm for governance, one that would remain a model for future presidents. On the other hand, when he calls on the netroots to support him against those pesky senators, he might learn that many of his virtual supporters have already clicked onto another page. - <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/03/02/zelizer.facebook.politics/" mce_href="http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/03/02/zelizer.facebook.politics/">CNN, 3-2-09</a></li><li><b>Leo Ribuffo "Analysis: Obama embracing crisis as opportunity": </b>"Whenever there's a crisis in American life, whoever is in charge has used it for a backlogged agenda," said Leo Ribuffo, a history professor at George Washington University. "This is what leaders are supposed to do: take advantage of the situation to do what they think is good for the country." - <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hrcg5odCQg41jOthn4O7KKIARksgD96LVEJG2" mce_href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hrcg5odCQg41jOthn4O7KKIARksgD96LVEJG2">AP, 3-2-09</a></li><li><b>Robert Dallek "The First 100 Days: Lyndon Johnson Fulfilled Kennedy's Legacy Johnson wanted to assure the country that he would carryout the policies of his predecessor": </b>"By contrast with Mr. Obama, Johnson had no mandate to govern except for being vice president. No one expected a Southern politician to suddenly replace the youngest man ever elected to the White House. . . . Johnson understood that his greatest initial challenge was to provide reassurance—to convince not just Americans but people around the world, who looked to the United States for leadership in the cold war, that he could measure up to the standard JFK had set as an effective president at home and abroad." - <a href="http://www.usnews.com/articles/news/history/2009/03/05/the-first-100-days-lyndon-johnson-fulfilled-kennedys-legacy.html" mce_href="http://www.usnews.com/articles/news/history/2009/03/05/the-first-100-days-lyndon-johnson-fulfilled-kennedys-legacy.html">US News & World Report, 3-5-09</a></li></ul>Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06475026713228665094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242269147280141406.post-57126086443303476662009-03-01T20:17:00.000-08:002009-03-19T23:09:40.693-07:00March 1, 2009: Obama Presents the Budget, Announces Iraq Troops Pull Out Date & CPAC Meets<h3>THE OBAMA PRESIDENCY:</h3> <p><!-- Start Slide --> <!-- Start --></p> <div style="position: absolute; top: 0pt; left: 0pt; display: none; z-index: 4; opacity: 0;"><a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/02/28/Keeping-Promises/" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/02/28/Keeping-Promises/"><img style="border-style: none; width: 624px; height: 351px;" src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/228ywa.jpg" mce_src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/228ywa.jpg" alt="Your Weekly Address" /></a> <div class="stgslidecredit">White House Photo 2/28/2009</div> <div class="stgslideheading"> <h1 style="background-image: url(/assets//hero/hero_display_313x351_weekly.jpg);" mce_style="background-image:url('/assets//hero/hero_display_313x351_weekly.jpg');">Your Weekly Address</h1> </div> <div class="stgslidecontent">President Obama explains how the budget he sent to Congress will fulfill the promises he made as a candidate, and assures special interests that he is ready for the fight. <p><a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/02/28/Keeping-Promises/" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/02/28/Keeping-Promises/"><img style="border-style: none; margin-top: 8px; width: 157px; height: 21px;" src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/images/eop/stage/btn-watch-video.gif" mce_src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/images/eop/stage/btn-watch-video.gif" alt="Watch the Video" /></a></p></div> </div> <p><!-- End --> <!-- Start --></p> <div style="position: absolute; top: 0pt; left: 0pt; display: none; z-index: 3; opacity: 0;"><a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/02/26/The-budget/" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/02/26/The-budget/"><img style="border-style: none; width: 624px; height: 351px;" src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/_MG_0698-hero.jpg" mce_src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/_MG_0698-hero.jpg" alt="President Obama announces outlines for the FY2010 Budget" /></a> <div class="stgslidecredit">White House photo 2/26/09 by Pete Souza</div> <div class="stgslideheading"> <h1 style="background-image: url(/assets//hero/hero_sustained.jpg);" mce_style="background-image:url('/assets//hero/hero_sustained.jpg');">The Budget</h1> </div> <div class="stgslidecontent">Read the outlines of the President's FY2010 budget -- then view a slideshow of behind-the-scenes images. <p><a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/02/26/The-budget/" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/02/26/The-budget/"><img src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/buttons/btn_more_readremarks.gif" mce_src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/buttons/btn_more_readremarks.gif" alt="Read the President's Remarks" align="middle" border="0" height="21" vspace="5" width="222" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/photogallery/Sustained-growth-shared-prosperity/" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/photogallery/Sustained-growth-shared-prosperity/"><img src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/buttons/btn_see_slideshow.jpg" mce_src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/buttons/btn_see_slideshow.jpg" alt="See the Slideshow" align="middle" border="0" height="21" vspace="5" width="157" /></a></p></div> </div> <p><!-- End --> <!-- Start --><a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/02/27/Responsibly-Ending-the-War-in-Iraq/" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/02/27/Responsibly-Ending-the-War-in-Iraq/"><img style="border-style: none;" mce_style="border-style:none;" src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/lejeune04-hero.jpg" mce_src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/lejeune04-hero.jpg" alt="President Obama" height="282" width="501" /></a></p> <h3>IN FOCUS: STATS</h3> <h3>The President Addresses Joint Session of Congress</h3> <p>[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y65ZgehoCDQ&hl=en&fs=1]</p> <h3>In Focus: Stats</h3> <ul><li><b>In Conservatives' Straw Poll, Romney Still Tops: </b>Mr. Romney won the support of 30 percent of those who took the poll at the Conservative Political Action Conference.<br />Gov. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana trailed in second place with 14 percent.<br />Followed by Representative Ron Paul of Texas and Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska, who both received 13 percent of the vote.<br />Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich rounded out the top five.<br />Organizers said it was the third time that Mr. Romney had won the poll. <a href="http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/28/romney-cpac/" mce_href="http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/28/romney-cpac/">NYT, 2-28-09</a></li><li><b>CNN Poll: Palin GOP favorite in 2012 - but pollster says poll has no value:</b><br />The CNN survey showed the Alaska governor to be the preference of 29 percent of those polled. Mike Huckabee scored a close second with 26 percent opting for him.<br />Mitt Romney was the favorite for 21 percent of the respondents.<br />Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal received nine percent of the poll <a href="http://features.csmonitor.com/politics/2009/02/27/poll-palin-gop-favorite-in-2012-but-pollster-says-poll-has-no-value/" mce_href="http://features.csmonitor.com/politics/2009/02/27/poll-palin-gop-favorite-in-2012-but-pollster-says-poll-has-no-value/">CS Monitor, 2-27-09</a></li><li><b>Obama's Speech: 52 Million-Plus TV Viewers: </b>More than 52 million people watched President Obama's first address to a joint session of Congress in prime time on Tuesday, according to Nielsen Media Research. - <a href="http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/25/obamas-speech-52-million-plus-tv-viewers/" mce_href="http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/25/obamas-speech-52-million-plus-tv-viewers/">NYT, 2-25-09</a></li><li><b>Fact Check on President Obama's Speech: </b><a href="http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,500505,00.html" mce_href="http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,500505,00.html">Fox News, 2-25-09</a></li></ul> <h3>THE HEADLINES....</h3> <p><!-- Start Slide --> <!-- Start --> <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/02/28/Keeping-Promises/" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/02/28/Keeping-Promises/"><img style="border-style: none;" mce_style="border-style:none;" src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/228ywa.jpg" mce_src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/228ywa.jpg" alt="Your Weekly Address" height="281" width="500" /></a></p> <h3>The Headlines...</h3> <ul><li><b>Among the Young Conservatives Notes from CPAC, the national conservative conference, where this week youth has been served: </b>With the Republicans soundly defeated in both Congress and the White House last November and Obama approval ratings maintaining impressive heights, the party has appeared weak and divided. However, the conservative coalition at CPAC is both boisterous and united, and none are more enthusiastic about the party's future than its youngest members. - <a href="http://www.newsweek.com/id/187113?GT1=43002" mce_href="http://www.newsweek.com/id/187113?GT1=43002">Newsweek, 2-28-09</a></li><li><b>Problems face Sebelius if she is next health chief: </b>A health care system overhaul, weak finances in Medicare, lapses in food safety. Those challenges and more await Kathleen Sebelius as President Barack Obama's health secretary. - <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5h702UpSGq2AIfQKoN_karkJtZ5hQD96LF4G80" mce_href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5h702UpSGq2AIfQKoN_karkJtZ5hQD96LF4G80">AP, 3-1-09</a></li><li><b>Leaving Iraq: Shift to south, exit through desert: </b>The U.S. military map in Iraq in early 2010: Marines are leaving the western desert, Army units are in the former British zone in the south and the overall mission is coalescing around air and logistics hubs in central and northern Iraq. Meanwhile, commanders will be shifting their attention to helping Iraqi forces take full control of their own security. - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090301/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_iraq_america_s_exit" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090301/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_iraq_america_s_exit">AP, 3-1-09</a></li><li><b>Mideast peace, Russian ties next up for Clinton: </b>Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is using her second overseas trip to assess Mideast peace prospects, reconnect with European allies and remind her Russian counterpart that U.S. efforts to rebuild relations with Moscow have their limits. - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090301/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/clinton_mideast" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090301/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/clinton_mideast">AP, 3-1-09</a></li><li><b>Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius tapped to lead HHS: </b>Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius is President Barack Obama's choice for secretary of health and human services, a White House source said Saturday. The source, who was not authorized to speak on the record, said Obama will formally announce the nomination on Monday. - <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5h702UpSGq2AIfQKoN_karkJtZ5hQD96KU3L00" mce_href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5h702UpSGq2AIfQKoN_karkJtZ5hQD96KU3L00">AP, 2-28-09</a></li><li><b>The Ghost of John McCain at CPAC: </b>Had Senator John McCain been walking the halls of the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington this week, he might have winced to hear his name taken in vain — over and over again. - <a href="http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/27/the-ghost-of-john-mccain-at-cpac/" mce_href="http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/27/the-ghost-of-john-mccain-at-cpac/">NYT, 2-28-09</a></li><li><b>Obama challenges lobbyists to legislative duel: </b>President Barack Obama challenged the nation's vested interests to a legislative duel Saturday, saying he will fight to change health care, energy and education in dramatic ways that will upset the status quo.<br />"The system we have now might work for the powerful and well-connected interests that have run Washington for far too long. But I don't. I work for the American people.... I know these steps won't sit well with the special interests and lobbyists who are invested in the old way of doing business, and I know they're gearing up for a fight. My message to them is this: So am I." - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090228/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_lobbyists" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090228/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_lobbyists">AP, 2-28-09</a></li><li><b>Obama sets firm withdrawal timetable for Iraq: </b>President Barack Obama consigned the Iraq war to history Friday, declaring he will end combat operations within 18 months and open a new era of diplomacy in the Middle East. "Let me say this as plainly as I can: By August 31, 2010, our combat mission in Iraq will end," Obama told Marines who are about to deploy by the thousands to the other war front, Afghanistan. - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090227/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_iraq" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090227/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_iraq">AP, 2-27-09</a></li><li><b>Guard to pull out of New Orleans after 3 1/2 years: </b>Three and a half years after Hurricane Katrina, the National Guard is pulling the last of its troops out of New Orleans this weekend, leaving behind a city still desperate and dangerous. Residents long distrustful of the city's police force are worried they will have to fend for themselves. - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090227/ap_on_re_us/katrina_national_guard" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090227/ap_on_re_us/katrina_national_guard">AP, 2-27-09</a></li><li><b>AP Source: Obama to rescind Bush abortion rule: </b>President Barack Obama plans to repeal a Bush administration rule that has become a flash point in the debate over a doctor's right not to participate in abortions. The regulation, instituted in the last days of the Bush administration, strengthened job protections for doctors and nurses who refuse to provide a medical service because of moral qualms. - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090227/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/abortion_rule" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090227/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/abortion_rule">AP, 2-27-09</a></li><li><b>Obama budget gives Dems a roadmap, GOP a target: </b>With ambitious plans to change health care, energy, farm payments, taxes and more, President Barack Obama's budget gives congressional Democrats goals to reach for. And highlights political targets for Republicans to aim at. "Our work is well cut out for us," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said as she praised a "wonderful blueprint" from the administration that looks beyond reviving a weak economy and restoring order to the credit markets. - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090227/ap_on_go_co/obama_congress" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090227/ap_on_go_co/obama_congress">AP, 2-27-09</a></li><li>House OKs $410B spending, reverses Bush policies: The Democratic-controlled House pushed through a $410 billion measure Wednesday that boosted domestic programs, bristled with earmarks and chipped away at policies left behind by the Bush administration. The vote was 245-178, largely along party lines. - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090226/ap_on_go_co/congress_spending" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090226/ap_on_go_co/congress_spending">AP, 2-26-09</a></li><li><b>Obama: Financial sector needs stronger regulations: </b>After devoting money and time in search of a rescue for the ailing banking sector, President Barack Obama on Wednesday demanded tough new regulations to keep financial institutions in check and avoid future Wall Street meltdowns. - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090226/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_banks" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090226/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_banks">AP, 2-26-09</a></li><li><b>Examine the Budget Document Yourself: </b>President Obama presented his budget outline for fiscal year 2010 Thursday. The $3.55 trillion spending plan Mr. Obama is undertaking signals a radical change of course that Congress has yet to endorse. - <a href="http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/26/examine-the-budget-document/" mce_href="http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/26/examine-the-budget-document/">NYT, 2-26-09</a></li></ul> <p><!-- Start Slide --> <!-- Start --></p> <div style="position: absolute; top: 0pt; left: 0pt; display: none; z-index: 4; opacity: 0;"><a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/02/28/Keeping-Promises/" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/02/28/Keeping-Promises/"><img style="border-style: none; width: 624px; height: 351px;" src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/228ywa.jpg" mce_src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/228ywa.jpg" alt="Your Weekly Address" /></a> <div class="stgslidecredit">White House Photo 2/28/2009</div> <div class="stgslideheading"> <h1 style="background-image: url(/assets//hero/hero_display_313x351_weekly.jpg);" mce_style="background-image:url('/assets//hero/hero_display_313x351_weekly.jpg');">Your Weekly Address</h1> </div> <div class="stgslidecontent">President Obama explains how the budget he sent to Congress will fulfill the promises he made as a candidate, and assures special interests that he is ready for the fight. <p><a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/02/28/Keeping-Promises/" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/02/28/Keeping-Promises/"><img style="border-style: none; margin-top: 8px; width: 157px; height: 21px;" src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/images/eop/stage/btn-watch-video.gif" mce_src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/images/eop/stage/btn-watch-video.gif" alt="Watch the Video" /></a></p></div> </div> <p><!-- End --> <!-- Start --><a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/02/26/The-budget/" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/02/26/The-budget/"><img style="border-style: none;" mce_style="border-style:none;" src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/_MG_0698-hero.jpg" mce_src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/_MG_0698-hero.jpg" alt="President Obama announces outlines for the FY2010 Budget" height="281" width="500" /></a></p> <ul><li><b>The Early Word: Budget Blueprint: </b>This morning, President Obama presented the broad outlines of his first budget, which projects a huge deficit number — $1.75 trillion — as well as a combination of cuts in government spending as well as tax increases.... - <a href="http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/26/the-early-word-budget-blueprint/" mce_href="http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/26/the-early-word-budget-blueprint/">NYT, 2-26-09</a></li><li><b>Obama budget: Mammoth deficits but headed lower: </b>President Barack Obama charted a dramatic new course for the nation Thursday with a bold but contentious budget proposing higher taxes for the wealthy and the first steps toward guaranteed health care for all — accompanied by an astonishing $1.75 trillion federal deficit that would be nearly four times the highest in history. - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090227/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_budget" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090227/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_budget">AP, 2-26-09</a></li><li><b>The Budget as Political Statement: </b>The word "passion" is not always associated with "budget," but to read the language in President Obama's spending plan is to be reminded that a president's budget is as much a political statement as it is a compilation of charts and graphs. - <a href="http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/26/language-and-obamas-budget/" mce_href="http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/26/language-and-obamas-budget/">NYT, 2-26-09</a></li><li><b>Gates: Family would have to OK photos of war dead: </b>The Obama administration is reversing an 18-year ban on news coverage of the return of war dead, allowing photographs of flag-covered caskets when families of the fallen troops agree, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Thursday. - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090227/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/pentagon_war_dead" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090227/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/pentagon_war_dead">AP, 2-26-09</a></li><li>Top lawmakers skeptical of Obama's Iraq plan: Congressional leaders were skeptical as they awaited details on President Barack Obama's plan to begin withdrawing troops from Iraq while leaving tens of thousands behind. Senior administration officials were expected to outline a plan that would bring most of the 142,000 forces home by August 2010. As many as 50,000 troops could remain for cleanup and protection operations. - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090226/ap_on_go_co/us_iraq" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090226/ap_on_go_co/us_iraq">AP, 2-26-09</a></li><li><b>Some US forces will face combat after Iraq pullout: </b>Some of the U.S. forces likely to remain in Iraq after President Barack Obama fulfills his pledge to withdraw combat troops would still have a combat role fighting suspected terrorists, the Pentagon said Wednesday. - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090226/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_iraq_residual_force" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090226/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_iraq_residual_force">AP, 2-26-09</a></li><li><b>Senate Passes D.C. Voting Rights Bill, 61-37: </b>By a vote of 61-37, the Senate passed a bill providing full voting representation for the nation's capital in the House of Representatives, nearly ensuring that the measure will become law this time around. While advocates were declaring victory already, a court fight almost definitely looms over the constitutionality of giving the District of Columbia voting privileges in the House that are akin to those of the 50 states. - <a href="http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/26/senate-passes-dc-voting-rights-bill-61-37/" mce_href="http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/26/senate-passes-dc-voting-rights-bill-61-37/">NYT, 2-26-09</a></li><li><b>Governor Jindal, Rising G.O.P. Star, Plummets After Speech: </b>Gov. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana has been a rising star in the Republican Party, but his stock took a hit as he was roundly panned for his televised response to President Obama's first speech to Congress on Tuesday night. Conservative commentators were among the harshest critics, calling Mr. Jindal's delivery animatronic, his prose "cheesy" and his message — that federal spending is not the answer to the nation’s economic problems — uninspired. - <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/26/us/politics/26jindal.html?_r=1&ref=politics" mce_href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/26/us/politics/26jindal.html?_r=1&ref=politics">NYT, 2-25-09</a></li></ul> <p><!-- Start Slide --> <!-- Start --></p> <div style="position: absolute; top: 0pt; left: 0pt; display: none; z-index: 4; opacity: 0;"><a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/02/28/Keeping-Promises/" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/02/28/Keeping-Promises/"><img style="border-style: none; width: 624px; height: 351px;" src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/228ywa.jpg" mce_src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/228ywa.jpg" alt="Your Weekly Address" /></a> <div class="stgslidecredit">White House Photo 2/28/2009</div> <div class="stgslideheading"> <h1 style="background-image: url(/assets//hero/hero_display_313x351_weekly.jpg);" mce_style="background-image:url('/assets//hero/hero_display_313x351_weekly.jpg');">Your Weekly Address</h1> </div> <div class="stgslidecontent">President Obama explains how the budget he sent to Congress will fulfill the promises he made as a candidate, and assures special interests that he is ready for the fight. <p><a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/02/28/Keeping-Promises/" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/02/28/Keeping-Promises/"><img style="border-style: none; margin-top: 8px; width: 157px; height: 21px;" src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/images/eop/stage/btn-watch-video.gif" mce_src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/images/eop/stage/btn-watch-video.gif" alt="Watch the Video" /></a></p></div> </div> <p><!-- End --> <!-- Start --></p> <div style="position: absolute; top: 0pt; left: 0pt; display: none; z-index: 3; opacity: 0;"><a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/02/26/The-budget/" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/02/26/The-budget/"><img style="border-style: none; width: 624px; height: 351px;" src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/_MG_0698-hero.jpg" mce_src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/_MG_0698-hero.jpg" alt="President Obama announces outlines for the FY2010 Budget" /></a> <div class="stgslidecredit">White House photo 2/26/09 by Pete Souza</div> <div class="stgslideheading"> <h1 style="background-image: url(/assets//hero/hero_sustained.jpg);" mce_style="background-image:url('/assets//hero/hero_sustained.jpg');">The Budget</h1> </div> <div class="stgslidecontent">Read the outlines of the President's FY2010 budget -- then view a slideshow of behind-the-scenes images. <p><a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/02/26/The-budget/" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/02/26/The-budget/"><img src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/buttons/btn_more_readremarks.gif" mce_src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/buttons/btn_more_readremarks.gif" alt="Read the President's Remarks" align="middle" border="0" height="21" vspace="5" width="222" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/photogallery/Sustained-growth-shared-prosperity/" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/photogallery/Sustained-growth-shared-prosperity/"><img src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/buttons/btn_see_slideshow.jpg" mce_src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/buttons/btn_see_slideshow.jpg" alt="See the Slideshow" align="middle" border="0" height="21" vspace="5" width="157" /></a></p></div> </div> <p><!-- End --> <!-- Start --></p> <div style="position: absolute; top: 0pt; left: 0pt; display: none; z-index: 2; opacity: 0;"><a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/02/27/Responsibly-Ending-the-War-in-Iraq/" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/02/27/Responsibly-Ending-the-War-in-Iraq/"><img style="border-style: none; width: 624px; height: 351px;" src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/lejeune04-hero.jpg" mce_src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/lejeune04-hero.jpg" alt="President Obama" /></a> <div class="stgslidecredit">White House photo 2/27/09 by Pete Souza</div> <div class="stgslideheading"> <h1 style="background-image: url(/assets//hero/hero_war_iraq.jpg);" mce_style="background-image:url('/assets//hero/hero_war_iraq.jpg');">Responsibly Ending the War in Iraq</h1> </div> <div class="stgslidecontent">In a speech at Camp LeJeune in North Carolina, President Obama laid out his plan for responsibly ending the war in Iraq, which will end the combat mission by August 2010. <p><a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/02/27/Responsibly-Ending-the-War-in-Iraq/" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/02/27/Responsibly-Ending-the-War-in-Iraq/"><img src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/buttons/btn_more_readremarks.gif" mce_src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/buttons/btn_more_readremarks.gif" alt="Read the President's remarks" align="middle" border="0" height="21" vspace="5" width="222" /></a></p></div> </div> <p><!-- End --> <!-- Start --><a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/02/25/Locke-at-Commerce/" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/02/25/Locke-at-Commerce/"><img style="border-style: none;" mce_style="border-style:none;" src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/_MG_0574-hero.jpg" mce_src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/_MG_0574-hero.jpg" alt="Commerce Secretary-designate Gary Locke" height="281" width="501" /></a></p> <ul><li><b>Commerce Pick Carries Lengthy China Résumé: </b>Top slots in the Obama administration were filling up fast when Gary Locke was asked by a friend several weeks ago whether he expected to get a job offer from the new president. - <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/25/us/politics/25locke.html" mce_href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/25/us/politics/25locke.html">NYT, 2-25-09</a></li><li><b>Senate Confirms Solis as Labor Secretary: </b>The Senate official confirmed Representative Hilda L. Solis to be the Secretary of Labor in the Obama administration, after several weeks of delays prompted largely by Republican concerns over her nomination. - <a href="http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/24/senate-confirms-solis-as-labor-secretary/" mce_href="http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/24/senate-confirms-solis-as-labor-secretary/">NYT, 2-24-09</a></li><li><b>Health care costs to top $8,000 per person: </b>A new government report on medical costs paints a stark picture for President Barack Obama, who is expected to call for a health care overhaul in a speech Tuesday night to a joint session of Congress. - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090224/ap_on_go_ot/health_costs" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090224/ap_on_go_ot/health_costs">AP, 2-24-09</a></li><li><b>Obama nixes plan to tax motorists on mileage: </b>President Barack Obama on Friday rejected his transportation secretary's suggestion that the administration consider taxing motorists based on how many miles they drive instead of how much gasoline they buy. - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090221/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/lahood_vehicle_mileage_tax" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090221/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/lahood_vehicle_mileage_tax">AP, 2-21-09</a></li><li><b>Clinton in China pushes environment, finance: </b>U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Chinese officials agreed Saturday to focus their governments' efforts on stabilizing the battered global economy and combating climate change, putting aside long-standing concerns about human rights. - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090221/ap_on_re_as/as_clinton_china" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090221/ap_on_re_as/as_clinton_china">AP, 2-21-09</a></li></ul> <h3>POLITICAL QUOTES</h3> <div style="text-align: center;" mce_style="text-align:center;"><img src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/blog/lejeune01-red.jpg" mce_src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/blog/lejeune01-red.jpg" alt="President Obama at Camp LeJeune" height="319" width="500" /></div> <h3>Political Quotes</h3> <p>[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTbT3LzNmDA&hl=en&fs=1]</p> <ul><li><b>Remarks of President Barack Obama Weekly Address, Saturday, February 28th, 2009, Washington, DC: </b>"I realize that passing this budget won't be easy. Because it represents real and dramatic change, it also represents a threat to the status quo in Washington. I know that the insurance industry won’t like the idea that they’ll have to bid competitively to continue offering Medicare coverage, but that’s how we’ll help preserve and protect Medicare and lower health care costs for American families. I know that banks and big student lenders won’t like the idea that we’re ending their huge taxpayer subsidies, but that’s how we’ll save taxpayers nearly $50 billion and make college more affordable. I know that oil and gas companies won’t like us ending nearly $30 billion in tax breaks, but that’s how we’ll help fund a renewable energy economy that will create new jobs and new industries. I know these steps won’t sit well with the special interests and lobbyists who are invested in the old way of doing business, and I know they’re gearing up for a fight as we speak. My message to them is this: "So am I." - <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/02/28/Keeping-Promises/" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/02/28/Keeping-Promises/">WH Blog, 2-28-09</a></li><li><b>Transcript of Rush Limbaugh's Address at CPAC On conservative conference's final day, talk radio host delivers impassioned address, drawing immense ovation: </b>....When we look out over the United States of America, when we are anywhere, when we see a group of people, such as this or anywhere, we see Americans. We see human beings. We don't see groups. We don't see victims. We don't see people we want to exploit. What we see -- what we see is potential. We do not look out across the country and see the average American, the person that makes this country work. We do not see that person with contempt. We don't think that person doesn't have what it takes. We believe that person can be the best he or she wants to be if certain things are just removed from their path like onerous taxes, regulations and too much government. [Applause]<br />We want every American to be the best he or she chooses to be. We recognize that we are all individuals. We love and revere our founding documents, the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. [Applause] We believe that the preamble to the Constitution contains an inarguable truth that we are all endowed by our creator with certain inalienable rights, among them life. [Applause] Liberty, Freedom. [Applause] And the pursuit of happiness. [Applause] Those of you watching at home may wonder why this is being applauded. We conservatives think all three are under assault. [Applause] Thank you. Thank you.....<br />Now, let me speak about President Obama for just a second. President Obama is one of the most gifted politicians, one of the most gifted men that I have ever witnessed. He has extraordinary talents. He has communication skills that hardly anyone can surpass. No, seriously. No, no, I'm being very serious about this. It just breaks my heart that he does not use these extraordinary talents and gifts to motivate and inspire the American people to be the best they can be. He's doing just the opposite. And it's a shame. [Applause]....<br />President Obama is so busy trying to foment and create anger in a created atmosphere of crisis, he is so busy fueling the emotions of class envy that he's forgotten it's not his money that he's spending. [Applause] In fact, the money he's spending is not ours. He's spending wealth that has yet to be created. And that is not sustainable. It will not work. This has been tried around the world. And every time it's been tried, it's a failed disaster. What's the longest war in American history? Did somebody say the war on poverty? Smart group. War on poverty. The war on poverty essentially started in the '30s as part of the New Deal, but it really ramped up in the '60s with Lyndon Johnson, part of the Great Society war on poverty. We have transferred something like 10 trillion, maybe close to 11 trillion, from producers and earners to nonproducers and nonearners since 1965. Yet, as I listen to the Democratic Party campaign, why, America is still a soup kitchen, the poor is still poor and they have no hope and they're poor for what reason? They're poor because of us, because we don't care, and because we've gotten rich by taking from them, that's what kids in school are taught today. That's what others have said to the media. You know why they're poor, you know why they remain poor? Because their lives have been destroyed by the never- ending government hay that's designed to help them, but it destroys ambition. It destroys the education they might get to learn to be self-fulfilling. [Applause]....<br />President Obama, and take your pick of any Democrat, love to say we've tried it your way. Meaning Reaganism. We've tried it your way. We tried it your way in the '80s and it didn't work. We tried it your way eight years, the last eight years and it didn't work. Excuse me. Excuse me. Have you ever noticed those of you watching around the world in my first international address to the world, Fox is on some international satellites. They're watching this in the UK right now going (cringing). When Obama talks about past economies, he somehow always leaves out the recession of the '80s as worse than this one. Why does he leave it out? Because you know why he leaves it out, America? He leaves it out because we got out of that recession with tax cuts. [Applause] For those of you watching at home, I'm not nervous it's just really hot in here. These people are wired. We got out of the 1980s recession with tax cuts. Do you know that President Obama, in six weeks of his administration, has proposed more spending than from the founding of the country to his inauguration? Now, this is not prosperity. It is not going to engender prosperity. It's not going to create prosperity and it's also not going to advance or promote freedom. It's going to be just the opposite. There are going to be more controls over what you can and can't do, how you can and can't do it, what you can and can't drive, what you can and can't say, where you can and can't say it. All of these things are coming down the pike, because it's not about revenue generation to them, it's about control. They do believe that they have compassion. They do believe they care. But, see, we never are allowed to look at the results of their plans, we are told we must only look at their good intentions, their big hearts. The fact that they have destroyed poor families by breaking up those families by offering welfare checks to women to keep having babies no more father needed, he's out doing something, the government's the father, they destroy the family. We're not supposed to analyze that. We're not supposed to talk about that. We're supposed to talk about their good intentions. They destroy people's futures. The future is not Big Government. Self-serving politicians. Powerful bureaucrats. This has been tried, tested throughout history. The result has always been disaster. President Obama, your agenda is not new. It's not change, and it's not hope. [Applause] ..... - <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/03/01/transcript-rush-limbaughs-address-cpac/" mce_href="http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/03/01/transcript-rush-limbaughs-address-cpac/">Fox News, 3-1-09</a></li><li><b>Obama challenges lobbyists to legislative duel: </b>"The system we have now might work for the powerful and well-connected interests that have run Washington for far too long. But I don't. I work for the American people.... I know these steps won't sit well with the special interests and lobbyists who are invested in the old way of doing business, and I know they're gearing up for a fight. My message to them is this: So am I." - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090228/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_lobbyists" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090228/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_lobbyists">AP, 2-28-09</a></li><li><b>Rep. John Boehner of Ohio "Obama budget gives Dems a roadmap, GOP a target": </b>"The era of big government is back and Democrats are asking you to pay for it," said Rep. John Boehner of Ohio, the House GOP leader. "The administration's plan I think is a job killer, plain and simple. And it raises taxes on all Americans while we're in the middle of a recession." - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090227/ap_on_go_co/obama_congress" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090227/ap_on_go_co/obama_congress">AP, 2-27-09</a></li><li>President Obama said at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina about "Responsibly Ending the War in Iraq": "Let me say this as plainly as I can: by August 31, 2010, our combat mission in Iraq will end. I want to be very clear," the President said. "We sent our troops to Iraq to do away with Saddam Hussein's regime – and you got the job done. We kept our troops in Iraq to help establish a sovereign government – and you got the job done. And we will leave the Iraqi people with a hard-earned opportunity to live a better life – that is your achievement; that is the prospect that you have made possible." - <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/02/27/Responsibly-Ending-the-War-in-Iraq/" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/02/27/Responsibly-Ending-the-War-in-Iraq/">WH Blog, 2-27-09</a></li><li><b>Obama: Financial sector needs stronger regulations: </b>"We can no longer sustain 21st century markets with 20th century regulation.... Wall Street wrongly presumed the markets would continuously rise and traded in complex financial products without fully evaluating their risks.... Let me be clear: The choice we face is not between some oppressive government-run economy or a chaotic and unforgiving capitalism. Rather, strong financial markets require clear rules of the road, not to hinder financial institutions, but to protect consumers and investors, and ultimately to keep those financial institutions strong." - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090226/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_banks" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090226/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_banks">AP, 2-26-09</a></li><li><b>Senator Robert C. Byrd: Longest-Serving Senator Gives Obama a History Lesson: </b>"I am concerned about the relationship between these new White House positions and their executive branch counterparts. Too often, I have seen these lines of authority and responsibility become tangled and blurred, sometimes purposely, to shield information and to obscure the decision-making process.... At the worst, White House staff have taken direction and control of programmatic areas that are the statutory responsibility of Senate-confirmed officials. In too many instances, White House staff have been allowed to inhibit openness and transparency, and reduce accountability." - <a href="http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/25/longest-serving-senator-gives-obama-a-history-lesson/" mce_href="http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/25/longest-serving-senator-gives-obama-a-history-lesson/">NYT, 2-25-09</a></li></ul> <ul><li><b>President Obama said in announcing former Washington governor Gary Locke as his choice to lead the Commerce Department: </b>"Gary knows the American Dream. He's lived it. And that's why he shares my commitment to do whatever it takes to keep it alive in our time. It is the task of the Department of Commerce to help create conditions in which our workers can prosper, our businesses can thrive, and our economy can grow. That's what Gary did in Washington state, convincing businesses to set up shop and create the jobs of the 21st century -- jobs in science and technology; agriculture and energy -- jobs that pay well and can't be shipped overseas. That's what he did by establishing favorable markets abroad where Washington state's businesses could sell their products. That's what he did by unleashing powerful partnerships between state and local governments, between labor and business -- all with an eye toward prosperity and progress for all those in his state who had dreams of their own." - <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/02/25/Locke-at-Commerce/" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/02/25/Locke-at-Commerce/">WH Blog, 2-25-09</a></li><li><b>McCain, at the White House, Questions Obama About Helicopter: </b>"I want to see if, John, you've got some thoughts," Mr. Obama said.<br />Mr. McCain stood and thanked him for holding the summit. "I think it was a fruitful discussion," he said.<br />"Your helicopter is now going to cost as much as Air Force One," Mr. McCain told him. "I don't think there is any more graphic demonstration of how good ideas have cost taxpayers enormous amounts of money."<br />Mr. Obama agreed. "The helicopter I have now seems perfectly adequate to me," he said. "Of course, I've never had a helicopter before. Maybe I've been deprived and I didn't know it. But I think it is in example of the procurement process gone amok. And we're going to have to fix it." - <a href="http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/23/mccain-at-the-white-house-questions-obama-about-helicopter/" mce_href="http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/23/mccain-at-the-white-house-questions-obama-about-helicopter/">NYT, 2-23-09</a></li><li><b>Hillary Clinton urges China's continued investment in US: </b>"I certainly do think that the Chinese government and central bank are making a smart decision by continuing to invest in Treasury bonds," she said during an interview with the popular talk show "One on One." "It's a safe investment. The United States has a well-deserved financial reputation."... "It would not be in China's interest if we were unable to get our economy moving," Clinton said. "So by continuing to support American Treasury instruments, the Chinese are recognizing our interconnection. We are truly going to rise or fall together. We are in the same boat and, thankfully, we are rowing in the same direction." "Our economies are so intertwined, the Chinese know that to start exporting again to their biggest market, namely the United States the United States has to take some very drastic measures with this stimulus package, which means we have to incur more debt." - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090222/ap_on_go_pr_wh/as_clinton_china" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090222/ap_on_go_pr_wh/as_clinton_china">AP, 2-22-09</a></li></ul> <p><a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/02/23/Help-is-on-the-way/" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/02/23/Help-is-on-the-way/"><img style="border-style: none;" mce_style="border-style:none;" src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/624x351/P022309PS-0106-red.jpg" mce_src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/624x351/P022309PS-0106-red.jpg" alt="President Obama addresses the nation's governors" height="281" width="501" /></a></p> <ul><li><b>WEEKLY ADDRESS BY THE PRESIDENT TO THE NATION, SATURDAY, February 21, 2009: </b>"Because of what we did, 95% of all working families will get a tax cut -- in keeping with a promise I made on the campaign. And I’m pleased to announce that this morning, the Treasury Department began directing employers to reduce the amount of taxes withheld from paychecks -- meaning that by April 1st, a typical family will begin taking home at least $65 more every month. Never before in our history has a tax cut taken effect faster or gone to so many hardworking Americans.... That work begins on Monday, when I will convene a fiscal summit of independent experts and unions, advocacy groups and members of Congress to discuss how we can cut the trillion-dollar deficit that we've inherited. On Tuesday, I will speak to the nation about our urgent national priorities, and on Thursday, I'll release a budget that’s sober in its assessments, honest in its accounting, and that lays out in detail my strategy for investing in what we need, cutting what we don't, and restoring fiscal discipline." - <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/02/20/The-quickest-and-broadest-tax-cut-ever/" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/02/20/The-quickest-and-broadest-tax-cut-ever/">WH Blog, 2-21-09</a></li></ul> <p>[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIWSi9ds9Zs&hl=en&fs=1]</p> <p><a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/WeeklyAddress/Video/2009/02/20090221-MHFDGL/20090221_Weekly_Address.mp4" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/WeeklyAddress/Video/2009/02/20090221-MHFDGL/20090221_Weekly_Address.mp4">download .mp4</a></p> <ul><li><b>Obama warns mayors not to waste stimulus money: </b>"The American people are watching," Obama told a gathering of mayors at the White House. "They need this plan to work. They expect to see the money that they've earned — they've worked so hard to earn — spent in its intended purposes without waste, without inefficiency, without fraud.".... "If a federal agency proposes a project that will waste that money, I will not hesitate to call them out on it, and put a stop to it," he said. "I want everyone here to be on notice that if a local government does the same, I will call them out on it, and use the full power of my office and our administration to stop it." - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090221/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_mayors" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090221/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_mayors">AP, 2-20-09</a></li></ul> <p><a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/02/23/Owning-up-to-what-we-owe/" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/02/23/Owning-up-to-what-we-owe/"><img style="border-style: none;" mce_style="border-style:none;" src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/624x351/_MG_0156-hero.jpg" mce_src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/624x351/_MG_0156-hero.jpg" alt="President Obama at the Fiscal Responsibility Summit" height="281" width="500" /></a></p> <h3>HISTORIANS' COMMENTS</h3> <h3>Historians' Comments</h3> <ul><li><b>Niall Ferguson "U.S. Recession May Continue Beyond Next Year, Economists Say": </b>"I find it quite easy to imagine two consecutive years of contraction," Niall Ferguson, a financial historian at Harvard University, said in one of 11 assessments by economists. "I don't rule out two more lean years after that," he said. - <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=agsg69muiHWY&refer=home" mce_href="http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=agsg69muiHWY&refer=home">Bloomberg, 3-1-09</a></li><li><b>Robert Dallek "'Great Society' Plan for the Middle Class ": </b>"There are striking similarities to Johnson and Great Society," said Robert Dallek, the presidential historian who has written extensively about Johnson’s promise of an end to poverty, a commitment made in a State of the Union address 45 years ago, and one that he was only able to deliver on in part. "Obama's rhetoric is not as grandiose," Mr. Dallek said. But he sees risks as well — the risk that Mr. Obama could reinvent Johnson's mistake. "Vietnam proved, in a few years, that you really can't do guns and butter. And I worry that Afghanistan could be the parallel for Obama." - <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/28/us/politics/28assess.html?ref=business" mce_href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/28/us/politics/28assess.html?ref=business">NYT, 2-28-09</a></li><li><b>Julian Zelizer "Obama at the Podium": </b>President Obama tried to reassure a shaken nation in his first address to Congress last night. Did it work for you? Was the president specific enough? What did he leave out? We'll have excerpts from the speech, expert commentary and we'll hear from you. Commentators have likened Obama's style to conservative Ronald Reagan, and liberal Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Is Obama transcending ideology? - <a href="http://www.kuow.org/mp3high/m3u/Conversation/Conversation20090225.m3u" mce_href="http://www.kuow.org/mp3high/m3u/Conversation/Conversation20090225.m3u">KUOW, Mp3 Download</a></li><li><b>Deborah Meier and Diane Ravitch: Is Arne Duncan Really Margaret Spellings in Drag?: </b>I have been watching and listening to our new secretary of education, trying to understand his views on the most important issues facing our schools and the nation's children. I wanted to believe candidate Barack Obama when he said that he would introduce real change and restore hope. Surely, I thought, he understood that the deadening influence of No Child Left Behind has produced an era of number-crunching that has very little to do with improving education or raising academic standards.<br />We truly need change and hope. I thought he understood. He chose to keep his own children far from NCLB. He decided to send them to a private school in Washington, D.C., that shuns the principles and practices of NCLB.<br />However, based on what I have seen to date, I conclude that Obama has given President George W. Bush a third term in education policy and that Arne Duncan is the male version of Margaret Spellings. Maybe he really is Margaret Spellings without the glasses and wearing very high heels. We all know that Secretary Spellings greeted Duncan's appointment with glee. She wrote him an open letter in which she praised him as "a fellow reformer" who supports NCLB and anticipated that he would continue the work of the Bush administration. (Recall, Deborah, that the media today defines an education reformer as someone who endorses Republican principles of choice and accountability.) - <a href="http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/Bridging-Differences/2009/02/is_arne_duncan_really_margaret.html" mce_href="http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/Bridging-Differences/2009/02/is_arne_duncan_really_margaret.html">Education Week, 2-24-09</a></li><li><b>Carl Sferrazza Anthony "Is Michelle Obama really in the kitchen?": </b>"No question about it, Michelle Obama will launch something significant," said Carl Sferrazza Anthony, a historian at the National First Ladies' Library and author of several books on presidential spouses. In fact, he said, Obama may be in a position to do exactly what Clinton couldn't -- sell the idea of healthcare reform. After all, if her husband doesn't bring it about, many supporters will perceive it as a major failure to deliver on a promise. She is well versed on the issue. Before the campaign shifted into high gear, Obama was an executive at the urban hospital network of the University of Chicago. "She has a very practical, hands-on understanding of the reality of the healthcare crisis," Anthony said. "She could be a very powerful spokesperson for healthcare reform." - <a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-michelle-obama23-2009feb23,0,1548777.story" mce_href="http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-michelle-obama23-2009feb23,0,1548777.story">LAT, 2-23-09</a><br /><h3>FIRST LADY</h3> </li></ul> <p><!-- Summary --> <!-- The Content --></p> <div class="entry-content"> <div class="w480"><img src="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2009/02/24/us/25obamablog2.jpg" mce_src="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2009/02/24/us/25obamablog2.jpg" alt="Michelle Obama" /><span class="credit">Doug Mills/The New York Times</span> <span class="caption">First Lady Michelle Obama applauded during the president’s speech to Congress.</span></div> </div> <h3>First Lady</h3> <ul><li><b>The First Lady’s Official Portrait: </b>The White House posted its formal portrait of First Lady Michelle Obama on its Web site on Friday. - <a href="http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/27/the-first-ladys-official-portrait/" mce_href="http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/27/the-first-ladys-official-portrait/">2-27-09</a></li><li><b>Stevie Wonder Honored at the White House: </b>Mr. Obama presented Mr. Wonder with the Second Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. The prize honors artists whose work transcends distinctions between musical styles and idioms, brings diverse listeners together and fosters mutual understanding and appreciation. Paul Simon was the first recipient.<br /><b>President Obama:</b> "I think it's fair to say that had I not been a Stevie Wonder fan, Michelle might not have dated me. We might not have married. The fact that we agreed on Stevie was part of the essence of our courtship.... When I was first discovering music, just like Michelle, it was Stevie’s albums that I found and his songs became the soundtrack of my youth. Through them I found peace and inspiration, especially in difficult times. I'm not alone. Millions of people around the world have found similar comfort and joy in Stevie's music, and his unique capacity to find hope in struggle, and humanity in our common hardships. This gift that music affords us, transporting us from the here and now, relieving us of our burdens, even if it's just for the length of a song."<br /><b>Michelle Obama:</b> "“He'd blast music throughout the house. And that's where he and I would sit and listen to Stevie’s music together. Songs about life, love, romance, heartache, despair. He would let me listen to these songs over and over and over and over again. Years later, I discovered what Stevie meant when he sang about love, Barack and I chose the song, 'You and I' as our wedding song." - <a href="http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/26/wonder-honored-at-the-white-house/" mce_href="http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/26/wonder-honored-at-the-white-house/">NYT, 2-26-09</a></li><li><b>First Lady Talks About Pollution and Climate Change at the E.P.A.: </b>"You ensure that the water we drink is safe, that the air we breathe is clean, and that the polluted fields and abandoned factories in our neighborhoods all over this nation are cleaned up and restored.... Your work will not only save our planet and clean up our environment; it's going to transform our economy and create millions of well paying jobs. - <a href="http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/26/first-lady-talks-about-pollution-and-climate-change-at-the-epa/" mce_href="http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/26/first-lady-talks-about-pollution-and-climate-change-at-the-epa/">NYT, 2-29-09</a></li><li><b>Michelle Obama Goes Sleeveless, Again: </b>It is February and Washington is freezing, but in appearance after appearance, the first lady displays her long, muscular arms. She is sleeveless on the cover of the new Vogue, she was sleeveless when she discussed menus on Sunday in the White House kitchen, and last night she was sleeveless again, in the House chamber for her husband’s first address to Congress. (All of the other women in the room seemed to be wearing long sleeves; a few even wore turtlenecks). If she keeps going at this rate, Mrs. Obama may do to dresses with sleeves what President John F. Kennedy did to men's hats..... <a href="http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/25/michelle-obama-goes-sleeveless-again/" mce_href="http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/25/michelle-obama-goes-sleeveless-again/">NYT, 2-25-09</a></li></ul> <div id="CollectionsDiv" style="display: none;" mce_style="display:none;"> <table class="mceItemTable" bgcolor="#e9e9e7" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tbody> <tr> <td width="100%"><img src="http://cachens.corbis.com/pro/1clearpx.gif" mce_src="http://cachens.corbis.com/pro/1clearpx.gif" alt="" border="0" height="5" width="100%" /><br /></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table class="mceItemTable" id="Table1" bgcolor="#e9e9e7" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tbody> <tr> <td> <table class="mceItemTable" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tbody> <tr valign="top"> <td style="padding-left: 15px; width: 150px; white-space: nowrap;"><span class="checkbox" style="white-space: 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C.: Mrs. John F. Kennedy along with sister Princess Lee Radziwill, Pamela Tur, Joan Kennedy, and Janet A., during President Kennedy's State of the Union address., © Bettmann/CORBIS, RM, Government, Human relationships, Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis, Janet A., Mid-Atlantic, North America, Pamela Tur, People, Prominent persons, Support, USA, Virginia Joan Kennedy, Washington, DC" height="334" width="500" /></div> <p><b><span>U1361979</span>| <span>Standard RM</span>| <span>© Bettmann/CORBIS</span></b></p>Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06475026713228665094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242269147280141406.post-43086940184309607302009-02-25T00:38:00.000-08:002009-02-25T00:44:49.200-08:00Aaron Zelinsky: Obama's Rhetorical Inspirations: Presidents, Poets, and Hobbits<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/aaron-zelinsky/obamas-rhetorical-inspira_b_169727.html">Huffington Post</a>, 2-25-09<br /><p><br /></p><p>President Obama's speech to Congress stood on the shoulders of prophets, playwrights, and hobbits. From J.F.K. to an Australian Pop Band, here are the ten sources behind the most memorable lines of Obama's recent address: </p> <p><em>1) "Madame Speaker, Mr. Vice President, Members of Congress, and the First Lady of the United States: I've come here tonight not only to address the distinguished men and women in this great chamber, but to speak frankly and directly to the men and women who sent us here."</em></p> <p>This rhythmic lead in echoes the one the most famous openers of all time: Mark Antony's monologue in Shakespeare's <em>Julius Caesar</em>: "Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears; I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him." After mimicking Antony's direct address (a rhetorical device called apostrophe), Obama inverts the Shakespearean phrasing, placing the negation ("I've come here not") at the beginning of the sentence.</p> <p><em>2) "Well that day of reckoning has arrived, and the time to take charge of our future is here." </em></p> <p>While Obama's inaugural invoked the Sermon on the Mount, this speech draws to a darker and more foreboding biblical image. This phrase comes from the Book of Isaiah, 2:12: "For the Lord of hosts will have a day of reckoning." The ancient Hebrew does not contain a reference to "reckoning" but speaks only of a "Day to God." No matter what text your use, it's clear what this signals: Serious crunch time.</p> <p><em>3) "As we stand at this crossroads of history, the eyes of all people in all nations are once again upon us - watching to see what we do with this moment; waiting for us to lead."<br /></em><br />This line quotes John F. Kennedy. If Obama's inaugural address focused on Washington, this speech channels Kennedy, looking forward, cautiously, hopefully, and optimistically, with firm resolve in the character of America. Kennedy is referenced three times in the speech. This line echoes Kennedy's 1960 speech to the Los Angeles NAACP, when he declared "the eyes of that world are upon us." In 1961, he echoed these lines again at the Massachusetts State House: "Today the eyes of all people are truly upon us." Kennedy himself owed the line to the seventeenth century American preacher John Winthrop, who famously declared "We shall be as a city upon a hill. The eyes of all people are upon us."</p> <p><em>4) "The weight of this crisis will not determine the destiny of this nation. The answers to our problems don't lie beyond our reach."<br /></em><br />Here, the antecedent exceeds its progeny. William Jennings Bryan put it more succinctly in his 1900 Baltimore speech: "The nation's destiny is what the nation makes it."<br /><em><br />5) "And a twilight struggle for freedom led to a nation of highways, an American on the moon, and an explosion of technology that still shapes our world."<br /></em><br />This is the second Kennedy reference of the speech, echoing a term Kennedy coined in his inaugural address: "Now the trumpet summons us again--not as a call to bear arms, though arms we need; not as a call to battle, though embattled we are--but a call to bear the burden of a long twilight struggle, year in and year out, rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation." An ambitious crash program for sustainable and independent fuel sources has already been dubbed the "energy moon shot" by some in the administration and press.<br /><em><br />6) "But in my life, I have also learned that hope is found in unlikely places; that inspiration often comes not from those with the most power or celebrity, but from the dreams and aspirations of Americans who are anything but ordinary."</em></p> <p>Fear not, Hobbit-fans. You have not been left out of the speech! J. R. R. Tolkien is this phrase's progenitor. In The Fellowship of the Ring, Gildor Inglorion declares that, "Courage is found in unlikely places."<br /><em><br />7) "And to encourage a renewed spirit of national service for this and future generations, I ask this Congress to send me the bipartisan legislation that bears the name of Senator Orrin Hatch as well as an American who has never stopped asking what he can do for his country - Senator Edward Kennedy."</em></p> The third Kennedy reference of the night, this one a double. Obama again alludes to John F. Kennedy's famous inaugural "[A]sk not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country" to describe Senator Kennedy.<br /><em><br />8) "The only way this century will be another American century is if we confront at last the price of our dependence on oil and the high cost of health care; the schools that aren't preparing our children and the mountain of debt they stand to inherit."<br /></em><br />Time founder Henry Luce 1941 coined the term "American Century" in a February 1941 editorial in Life Magazine (which he also founded). Notably, the article <a href="http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ho/time/wwii/100929.htm">called</a> for the United States to take its place as the world leader and transform the international system by spreading "American principles."<br /><em><br />9) "As we meet here tonight, our men and women in uniform stand watch abroad and more are readying to deploy. To each and every one of them, and to the families who bear the quiet burden of their absence, Americans are united in sending one message: we honor your service, we are inspired by your sacrifice, and you have our unyielding support."<br /></em><br />In the most oddball of the contribution of the speech, this line originates from the Australian pop band The Guild League on their album, Inner North: "The shirtless sky, the burning bricks. The quiet burden of your absence." I'll put down money that this song is on the Ipod of Obama's twenty-seven year old speechwriter, John Favreau.<br /><em><br />10) "And if we do - if we come together and lift this nation from the depths of this crisis; if we put our people back to work and restart the engine of our prosperity; if we confront without fear the challenges of our time and summon that enduring spirit of an America that does not quit, then someday years from now our children can tell their children that this was the time when we performed, in the words that are carved into this very chamber, 'something worthy to be remembered.'"<br /></em><br />This line quotes Daniel Webster's Bunker Hill Monument speech of 1825: "Let us develop the resources of our land, call forth its powers, build up its institutions, promote all its great interests, and see whether we also, in our day and generation, may not perform something worthy to be remembered."Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06475026713228665094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242269147280141406.post-60351625728011402182009-02-24T23:46:00.002-08:002009-02-25T00:01:32.669-08:00February 24, 2009: President Barack Obama's Address to the Joint Session of Congress<h3>THE OBAMA PRESIDENCY:</h3> <p><!-- Start Slide --> <!-- Start --><a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/02/24/The-Presidents-address-Excerpt/"> <!-- Start Slide --> <!-- Start --> </a><a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/02/24/The-Presidents-address-Excerpt/"><img style="border-style: none; width: 519px; height: 291px;" src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/624x351/_MG_0474-hero.jpg" alt="The U.S. Capitol building" /></a></p> <h3>IN FOCUS: STATS</h3> <h3>In Focus: Stats</h3> <ul><li><strong>Borger: Have we seen too much Obama?: </strong>President Obama has made his priorities very clear: health care, energy and education. The speech is more like a standard State of the Union address — with an added element of extreme urgency, given the fiscal crisis. If it somehow seems that we have heard this before from Obama, it’s because we have. Which raises the question: have we been seeing him too much? - <a href="http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/02/24/borger-have-we-seen-too-much-obama/">CNN, 2-24-09</a></li><li><strong>Poll: Positive Reception For Obama Address: </strong>Seventy-nine percent of speech watchers approve of President Obama’s plans for dealing with the economic crisis. Before the speech, 62 percent approved. - <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/02/24/politics/politicalhotsheet/entry4826615.shtml">CBS News, 2-24-09</a></li><li><strong>Obama’s poll numbers after first month? Eh. He’s average: </strong><strong>Washington Post/ABC News poll:</strong> President Barack Obama scores a 68 percent approval rating. At this stage in his presidency, that number is about average.<br /><strong>Partisan breakdown: </strong>How is Obama doing in this age of post-partisanship? Some 90 percent of Democrats approve of Obama’s first month, compared to 37 percent of Republicans.<br /><strong>Uniter, not a divider: </strong>A full 73 percent of Americans believe Obama is trying to work with Republicans. Only 34 percent believe the GOP is working with Obama.<br /><strong>Gallup Poll: </strong>Job approval numbers are similar to the Wash Post/ABC poll. But they note Obama’s disapproval rating has doubled from from 12 percent to 24 percent. - <a href="http://features.csmonitor.com/politics/2009/02/24/obamas-poll-numbers-after-first-month-eh-hes-average/">CS Monitor, 2-24-09</a></li><li>Obama tops Jesus in new poll. Reagan 4th, God 11th: America’s Top Heroes. Rounding out the top ten is Martin Luther King, Jr., Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush, Abraham Lincoln, John McCain, John F. Kennedy, U.S. Airways pilot Chesley Sullenberger, and Mother Teresa. Other notables include God (11), Hillary Clinton (12), Gandhi (15), and Sarah Palin (21). - <a href="http://features.csmonitor.com/politics/2009/02/22/obama-tops-jesus-in-new-poll-reagan-4th-god-11th/">CS Monitor, 2-22-09</a></li><li><strong>Times/CBS News Poll: Michelle Obama’s Appeal: </strong>Overall, 49 percent of Americans have a favorable opinion of the first lady, just 5 percent view her unfavorably and 44 percent don’t yet have an opinion. - <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/24/us/politics/24poll.html">NYT, 2-24-09</a></li></ul> <h3>THE HEADLINES….</h3> <p><!-- Summary --> <!-- The Content --></p> <div class="entry-content"> <div class="w533"><img src="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2009/02/24/us/politics/obama-crowley1.jpg" alt="" /><span class="credit"><br />Stephen Crowley/The New York Times</span> <span class="caption">President Barack Obama addressed a joint session of Congress.</span></div> </div> <h3>The Headlines…</h3> <ul><li><strong>A message of help and hope: </strong>President Obama reassured a nervous nation Tuesday night that his administration will continue to respond aggressively to the economic crisis and still pursue broad reforms in areas such as health care, energy and education. In his first address to Congress, the new president balanced candor about the deep recession with optimism for a long-term agenda that would be ambitious even in good times. It was an impressive performance and a powerful reminder that America’s challenges stretch beyond the daily stock market swings and grim reports of job losses, home foreclosures and bankruptcies. - <a href="http://www.tampabay.com/opinion/editorials/article978988.ece">St. Petersberg Times, 2-24-09</a></li><li><strong>Obama says US will survive ‘day of reckoning’: </strong>Standing before a nation on an economic precipice, President Barack Obama told worried Americans Tuesday night the U.S. has reached a dire “day of reckoning” that will require boldness and long-term vision to create lasting revival and prosperity. - <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5g73KwMAlgqNLD2PBbLE8bBou3IXwD96I9GRG0">AP, 2-25-09</a></li><li><strong>Analysis: Obama address renews audacity to hope: </strong>President Barack Obama gave America the audacity to hope again. After describing the U.S. economy in nearly apocalyptic terms for weeks, pushing his $787 billion stimulus plan through Congress, the president used his address to Congress on Tuesday night to tap the deep well of American optimism — the never-say-die spirit that every president tries to capture in words. And great presidents embody.<br />“We will rebuild. We will recover, and the United States of America will emerge stronger than before,” Obama said, echoing Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan. “The answers to our problems don’t lie beyond our reach,” Obama said. “What is required now is for this country is to pull together, confront boldly the challenges we face, and take responsibility for our future once more.” - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/obama_analysis;_ylt=Aq3bIElXd8LTAUU8tfNjkjAGw_IE;_ylu=X3oDMTE5ZXNtY2xlBHBvcwMyBHNlYwN5bl90b3Bfc3RvcmllcwRzbGsDYW5hbHlzaXNvYmFt">AP, 2-24-09</a></li><li><strong>Obama Assures Nation: ‘We Will Rebuild’: </strong>President Obama urged the nation on Tuesday to see the economic crisis as reason to raise its ambitions, calling for expensive new efforts to address energy, health care and education programs even as he warned that more money might be needed to bail out banks. - <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/25/us/politics/25obama.html?hp">NYT, 2-24-09</a></li><li><strong>Obama: High School Education Not Enough: </strong>President Obama calls on all Americans to commit to at least one year of higher education or career training.<br />“So tonight I ask every American to commit to at least one year or more of higher education or career training,” Obama said. “This can be a community college or a four-year school, vocational training or an apprenticeship. But whatever the training may be, every American will need to get more than a high school diploma.” - <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/politics/first100days/2009/02/24/obama-high-school-education/">Fox News, 2-24-09</a></li><li><strong>Live Blog: Obama’s Address to Congress</strong> - <a href="http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/24/live-blog-obamas-address-to-congress/">NYT, 2-24-09</a></li><li><strong>Obama insight: Being realistic on economy maintains credibility: </strong>The new president was keeping with a longstanding tradition on days when the commander in chief delivers an address to a joint session of Congress: Around the table Tuesday sat television anchors and the Sunday morning interview program hosts and two senior aides. The location was the dining room in the White House residence… - <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/02/24/sotn.king.lunch/">CNN, 2-24-09</a></li><li>Confident Obama does just one practice session: President Obama apparently buys into that old slogan about never letting ‘em see you sweat. Despite the pressure of his first speech to a joint session of Congress at a time of national crisis, two senior aides tell me the President quietly had only one full dress rehearsal with a teleprompter at about 6pm ET in the White House’s historic map room. - <a href="http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/02/24/confident-obama-does-just-one-practice-session/">CNN, 2-24-09</a></li><li><strong>First Lady’s Guests Reflect Themes of the Speech: </strong>Seated in Michelle Obama’s box on Tuesday night were living symbols of the ideas in President Obama’s first speech to a joint session of Congress, including a bank executive, Leonard Abess, who shared a vast fortune with his employees, and an eighth-grade student from South Carolina, Ty’Sheoma Bethea, who in a letter had urged Congress not to neglect education financing. <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/25/us/politics/25guests.html?hp">NYT, 2-24-09</a></li><li><strong>White House reveals first lady’s guests: </strong>The White House has announced the names of the more than two dozen guests who will join first lady Michelle Obama at the president’s address to a joint session of Congress Tuesday night. The list includes a range of political supporters, good Samaritans, members of the military, students, and citizens adversely affected by the nations flailing economy… - <a href="http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/02/24/white-house-reveals-first-lady%e2%80%99s-guests/">CNN, 2-24-09</a></li><li><strong>Lunch offers insight into Obama’s thinking: </strong>When the waiter reached for the plate, President Obama shook his head and smiled as he asked for a few more minutes. He had been talking to his guests, and had barely taken a bite of his lunch. The new president was keeping with a longstanding tradition on days when the commander in chief delivers an address to a joint session of Congress: Around the table Tuesday sat television anchors and the Sunday morning interview program hosts and two senior aides. The location was the dining room in the White House residence…. - <a href="http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/02/24/lunch-offers-insight-into-obamas-thinking/">CNN, 2-24-09</a></li><li><strong>Obama address: Hearing from the opposing party: </strong>Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal will give the Republican response to Pres. Obama’s speech Tuesday night. The first official “response” to the State of the Union by the opposing party was delivered by Republicans Sen. Everett Dirksen and Rep. Gerald Ford in 1966. Each television network offered a half-hour slot for response time, although the slots were not “roadblocked” (i.e. did not air at the same time on all networks), and did not air immediately after the President’s address - <a href="http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/02/24/obama-address-hearing-from-the-opposing-party/">CNN, 2-24-09</a></li><li><strong>Obama address: Obama to make history with speech: </strong>President Obama will become the first African American in history to address a joint session of Congress Tuesday night. Although a number of prominent black officials from around the globe, including Nelson Mandela in 1990 and 1994 and Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in 2006, have addressed Congress in the past, no African American has ever been tapped to address both houses of Congress from the chamber of the House of Representatives, as Obama will do Tuesday. - <a href="http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/02/24/obama-address-obama-to-make-history-with-speech/">CNN, 2-24-09</a></li><li><strong>Decision Near on 2010 Withdrawal From Iraq: </strong><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/25/washington/25troops.html?_r=1&hp">NYT, 2-24-09</a></li><li><strong>Officials: Most troops out of Iraq in 18 months: </strong>President Barack Obama plans to remove all U.S. combat troops from Iraq by August of next year, administration officials said Tuesday, ending the war that helped define his upstart presidential campaign — although a little more slowly than he promised…. - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090225/ap_on_go_pr_wh/iraq_withdrawal">AP, 2-24-09</a></li></ul> <h3>POLITICAL QUOTES</h3> <div class="w480"><img src="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2009/02/24/us/politics/24obama480-mills6.jpg" alt="" /><span class="credit"><br />Doug Mills/The New York Times</span> <span class="caption">President Obama addressed Congress Tuesday night. </span></div> <h3>Political Quotes</h3> <ul><li><strong>Transcript President Obama’s Address to Congress: </strong><em>Following is a transcript of President Obama’s address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday, as recorded by CQ Transcriptions….</em> <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/24/us/politics/24obama-text.html?ref=politics&pagewanted=all">NYT, 2-24-09</a><br /><a href="http://www-tc.pbs.org/newshour/rss/media/2009/02/24/20090224_obamaspeech.mp3">Download Mp3</a></li><li><strong>Text President Obama’s Address to Congress: </strong><em>Following is the prepared text of President Obama’s address to the joint session of Congress tonight, as provided by the White House….</em> <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/24/us/politics/24obama-text.html?pagewanted=all">NYT, 2-24-09</a></li><li><strong>Transcript: The Republican Response by Gov. Bobby Jindal: </strong><em>Following is a transcript of Gov. Bobby Jindal’s remarks on behalf of the Republican Party on Tuesday night, responding to President Obama’s address, as recorded by CQ Transcriptions….</em> - <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/24/us/politics/24jindal-text.html?pagewanted=all">NYT, 2-24-09</a><br /><a href="http://www-tc.pbs.org/newshour/rss/media/2009/02/24/20090224_jindalspeech.mp3">Download Mp3</a></li><li><strong>Obama: ‘We are not quitters’: </strong>The White House has released the full text of President Obama’s address to Congress this evening - <a href="http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/02/24/obama-we-are-not-quitters/">CNN, 2-24-09</a></li></ul> <div id="wideImage" class="image"><img src="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2009/02/24/us/25obama6_600.JPG" alt="" border="0" height="275" width="500" /></div> <div id="wideImage" class="image"> <div class="credit">Doug Mills/The New York Times</div> <p class="caption">President Obama told Congress, “Now is the time to act boldly.”</p> </div> <ul><li><strong>The President’s first address to a joint session of Congress, Excerpts:<br /><a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Remarks-of-President-Barack-Obama-Address-to-Joint-Session-of-Congress/">Read the President’s full remarks</a></strong><br />While our economy may be weakened and our confidence shaken; though we are living through difficult and uncertain times, tonight I want every American to know this: We will rebuild, we will recover, and the United States of America will emerge stronger than before.<br />The weight of this crisis will not determine the destiny of this nation. The answers to our problems don’t lie beyond our reach. They exist in our laboratories and universities; in our fields and our factories; in the imaginations of our entrepreneurs and the pride of the hardest-working people on Earth. Those qualities that have made America the greatest force of progress and prosperity in human history we still possess in ample measure. What is required now is for this country to pull together, confront boldly the challenges we face, and take responsibility for our future once more….<br />We have lived through an era where too often, short-term gains were prized over long-term prosperity; where we failed to look beyond the next payment, the next quarter, or the next election. A surplus became an excuse to transfer wealth to the wealthy instead of an opportunity to invest in our future. Regulations were gutted for the sake of a quick profit at the expense of a healthy market. People bought homes they knew they couldn’t afford from banks and lenders who pushed those bad loans anyway. And all the while, critical debates and difficult decisions were put off for some other time on some other day.<br />Well that day of reckoning has arrived, and the time to take charge of our future is here.<br />Now is the time to act boldly and wisely – to not only revive this economy, but to build a new foundation for lasting prosperity. Now is the time to jumpstart job creation, re-start lending, and invest in areas like energy, health care, and education that will grow our economy, even as we make hard choices to bring our deficit down. That is what my economic agenda is designed to do, and that’s what I’d like to talk to you about tonight….<br />The recovery plan and the financial stability plan are the immediate steps we’re taking to revive our economy in the short-term. But the only way to fully restore America’s economic strength is to make the long-term investments that will lead to new jobs, new industries, and a renewed ability to compete with the rest of the world. The only way this century will be another American century is if we confront at last the price of our dependence on oil and the high cost of health care; the schools that aren’t preparing our children and the mountain of debt they stand to inherit. That is our responsibility.<br />In the next few days, I will submit a budget to Congress. So often, we have come to view these documents as simply numbers on a page or laundry lists of programs. I see this document differently. I see it as a vision for America – as a blueprint for our future.<br />My budget does not attempt to solve every problem or address every issue. It reflects the stark reality of what we’ve inherited – a trillion dollar deficit, a financial crisis, and a costly recession.<br />Given these realities, everyone in this chamber – Democrats and Republicans – will have to sacrifice some worthy priorities for which there are no dollars. And that includes me.<br />But that does not mean we can afford to ignore our long-term challenges. I reject the view that says our problems will simply take care of themselves; that says government has no role in laying the foundation for our common prosperity…..<br />Yesterday, I held a fiscal summit where I pledged to cut the deficit in half by the end of my first term in office. My administration has also begun to go line by line through the federal budget in order to eliminate wasteful and ineffective programs. As you can imagine, this is a process that will take some time. But we’re starting with the biggest lines. We have already identified two trillion dollars in savings over the next decade.<br />In this budget, we will end education programs that don’t work and end direct payments to large agribusinesses that don’t need them. We’ll eliminate the no-bid contracts that have wasted billions in Iraq, and reform our defense budget so that we’re not paying for Cold War-era weapons systems we don’t use. We will root out the waste, fraud, and abuse in our Medicare program that doesn’t make our seniors any healthier, and we will restore a sense of fairness and balance to our tax code by finally ending the tax breaks for corporations that ship our jobs overseas. ….<br />I know that we haven’t agreed on every issue thus far, and there are surely times in the future when we will part ways. But I also know that every American who is sitting here tonight loves this country and wants it to succeed. That must be the starting point for every debate we have in the coming months, and where we return after those debates are done. That is the foundation on which the American people expect us to build common ground. ….<br />But in my life, I have also learned that hope is found in unlikely places; that inspiration often comes not from those with the most power or celebrity, but from the dreams and aspirations of Americans who are anything but ordinary.<br />I think about Leonard Abess, the bank president from Miami who reportedly cashed out of his company, took a $60 million bonus, and gave it out to all 399 people who worked for him, plus another 72 who used to work for him. He didn’t tell anyone, but when the local newspaper found out, he simply said, ”I knew some of these people since I was 7 years old. I didn’t feel right getting the money myself.”<br />I think about Greensburg, Kansas, a town that was completely destroyed by a tornado, but is being rebuilt by its residents as a global example of how clean energy can power an entire community – how it can bring jobs and businesses to a place where piles of bricks and rubble once lay. “The tragedy was terrible,” said one of the men who helped them rebuild. “But the folks here know that it also provided an incredible opportunity.”<br />And I think about Ty’Sheoma Bethea, the young girl from that school I visited in Dillon, South Carolina – a place where the ceilings leak, the paint peels off the walls, and they have to stop teaching six times a day because the train barrels by their classroom. She has been told that her school is hopeless, but the other day after class she went to the public library and typed up a letter to the people sitting in this room. She even asked her principal for the money to buy a stamp. The letter asks us for help, and says, “We are just students trying to become lawyers, doctors, congressmen like yourself and one day president, so we can make a change to not just the state of South Carolina but also the world. We are not quitters….<br />I know that we haven’t agreed on every issue thus far, and there are surely times in the future when we will part ways. But I also know that every American who is sitting here tonight loves this country and wants it to succeed. That must be the starting point for every debate we have in the coming months, and where we return after those debates are done. That is the foundation on which the American people expect us to build common ground.<br />And if we do – if we come together and lift this nation from the depths of this crisis; if we put our people back to work and restart the engine of our prosperity; if we confront without fear the challenges of our time and summon that enduring spirit of an America that does not quit, then someday years from now our children can tell their children that this was the time when we performed, in the words that are carved into this very chamber, “something worthy to be remembered.” - <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/02/24/The-Presidents-address-Excerpt/">WH Blog, 2-24-09</a></li><li><strong>Obama: Economy is a ‘reckoning’ for past poor decisions in his first speech to a joint session of Congress: </strong>“A surplus became an excuse to transfer wealth to the wealthy instead of an opportunity to invest in our future. Regulations were gutted for the sake of a quick profit at the expense of a healthy market. People bought homes they knew they couldn’t afford from banks and lenders who pushed those bad loans anyway. And all the while, critical debates and difficult decisions were put off for some other time on some other day…. Now is the time to act boldly and wisely — to not only revive this economy, but to build a new foundation for lasting prosperity.” - <a href="http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/02/24/obama-economy-is-a-reckoning-for-past-poor-decisions/">CNN, 2-24-09</a></li><li><strong>Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal this evening delivered the Republican response to President Obama’s address to Congress: </strong>“Tonight, we witnessed a great moment in the history of our Republic. In the very chamber where Congress once voted to abolish slavery, our first African-American president stepped forward to address the state of our union. With his speech tonight, the president completed a redemptive journey that took our nation from Independence Hall … to Gettysburg … to the lunch counter … and now, finally, the Oval Office….<br />Republicans are ready to work with the new president. Here in my state of Louisiana, we don’t care what party you belong to if you have good ideas to make life better for our people. We need more of that attitude from both Democrats and Republicans in our nation’s capital. All of us want our economy to recover and our nation to prosper. So where we agree, Republicans must be the president’s strongest partners. And where we disagree, Republicans have a responsibility to be candid and offer better ideas for a path forward.<br />Today in Washington, some are promising that government will rescue us from the economic storms raging all around us.<br />Those of us who lived through Hurricane Katrina, we have our doubts….<br />To solve our current problems, Washington must lead. But the way to lead is not to raise taxes and put more money and power in hands of Washington politicians. The way to lead is by empowering you — the American people. Because we believe that Americans can do anything.<br />Democrats passed the largest government spending bill in history — with a price tag of more than $1 trillion with interest. While some of the projects in the bill make sense, their legislation is larded with wasteful spending….<br />Republicans want “your trust.” Republicans want to work with President Obama. We appreciate his message of hope — but sometimes it seems we look for hope in different places. Democratic leaders in Washington place their hope in the federal government.<br />We place our hope in you — the American people. In the end, it comes down to an honest and fundamental disagreement about the proper role of government. We oppose the national Democrats’ view that says — the way to strengthen our country is to increase dependence on government. We believe the way to strengthen our country is to restrain spending in Washington, and empower individuals and small businesses to grow our economy and create jobs.<br />In recent years, these distinctions in philosophy became less clear — because our party got away from its principles. You elected Republicans to champion limited government, fiscal discipline, and personal responsibility. Instead, Republicans went along with earmarks and big government spending in Washington. Republicans lost your trust — and rightly so.<br />Tonight, on behalf of our leaders in Congress and my fellow Republican governors, I say: Our party is determined to regain your trust. We will do so by standing up for the principles that we share… the principles you elected us to fight for … the principles that built this into the greatest, most prosperous country on earth.” - <a href="http://content.usatoday.com/communities/theoval/post/2009/02/63311083/1">USA Today, 2-24-09</a></li><li><strong>Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, who gave the Republican Party’s official response “GOP leaders say Obama’s plan is irresponsible”: </strong>“The way to lead is not to raise taxes and put more money and power in hands of Washington politicians. It’s irresponsible….<br />You elected Republicans to champion limited government, fiscal discipline, and personal responsibility. Instead, Republicans went along with earmarks and big government spending in Washington. Our party is determined to regain your trust….” - <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iwL5o6MABMskkwjQ2LM3QBA3vNwgD96IBOE80">AP, 2-24-09</a></li><li><strong>House Republican Whip Eric Cantor of Virginia “GOP leaders say Obama’s plan is irresponsible”: </strong>“Washington shouldn’t be spending money that we don’t have,” House Republican Whip Eric Cantor of Virginia said in his response to Obama’s speech. He said Republicans will work with Obama, but they will not betray core principles. - <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iwL5o6MABMskkwjQ2LM3QBA3vNwgD96IBOE80">AP, 2-24-09</a></li><li><strong>Jindal to criticize stimulus, say GOP ‘lost trust’: </strong>“Democratic leaders say their legislation will grow the economy. What it will do is grow the government, increase our taxes down the line, and saddle future generations with debt…<br />Republicans are ready to work with the new president to provide those solutions. Here in my state of Louisiana, we don’t care what party you belong to if you have good ideas to make life better for our people. We need more of that attitude from both Democrats and Republicans in our nation’s capital….<br />In recent years, these distinctions in philosophy became less clear - because our party got away from its principles. You elected Republicans to champion limited government, fiscal discipline, and personal responsibility. Instead, Republicans went along with earmarks and big government spending in Washington. Republicans lost your trust - and rightly so…..<br />As I grew up, my mom and dad taught me the values that attracted them to this country - and they instilled in me an immigrant’s wonder at the greatness of America. As a child, I remember going to the grocery store with my dad. Growing up in India, he had seen extreme poverty. And as we walked through the aisles, looking at the endless variety on the shelves, he would tell me: ‘Bobby, Americans can do anything.’ I still believe that to this day….<br />Republicans are ready to work with the new President to provide those solutions. Here in my state of Louisiana, we don’t care what party you belong to if you have good ideas to make life better for our people. We need more of that attitude from both Democrats and Republicans in our nation’s capital. All of us want our economy to recover and our nation to prosper. So where we agree, Republicans must be the President’s strongest partners. And where we disagree, Republicans have a responsibility to be candid and offer better ideas for a path forward….<br />The strength of America is not found in our government. It is found in the compassionate hearts and enterprising spirit of our citizens….<br />To solve our current problems, Washington must lead. But the way to lead is not to raise taxes and put more money and power in hands of Washington politicians. The way to lead is by empowering you - the American people. Because we believe that Americans can do anything…. Democratic leaders say their legislation will grow the economy. What it will do is grow the government, increase our taxes down the line, and saddle future generations with debt. Who among us would ask our children for a loan, so we could spend money we do not have, on things we do not need? That is precisely what the Democrats in Congress just did. It’s irresponsible. And it’s no way to strengthen our economy, create jobs, or build a prosperous future for our children….<br />In recent years, these distinctions in philosophy became less clear - because our party got away from its principles. You elected Republicans to champion limited government, fiscal discipline, and personal responsibility. Instead, Republicans went along with earmarks and big government spending in Washington. Republicans lost your trust - and rightly so….<br />A few weeks ago, the President warned that our nation is facing a crisis that he said ‘we may not be able to reverse.’ Our troubles are real, to be sure. But don’t let anyone tell you that we cannot recover - or that America’s best days are behind her.”… - <a>CNN, 2-24-09</a></li></ul> <h3>HISTORIANS’ COMMENTS</h3> <div class="w480"><img src="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2009/02/24/us/politics/clinton-obama-mills.jpg" alt="" /><span class="credit"><br />Doug Mills/The New York Times</span> <span class="caption">President Obama greeted Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.</span></div> <h3>Historians’ Comments</h3> <ul><li><strong>Julian Zelizer “Analysis: Clinton’s mockery of Obama proves true”: </strong>“Clinton’s earlier critique of change has quickly become very valid,” said Julian Zelizer, a professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University. “The Washington of George Bush is the same Washington of Barack Obama. The promise of bipartisanship and hope in Washington is difficult to actually achieve.” - <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/02/22/obama.so.far/">CNN, 2-24-09</a></li><li><strong>Robert V. Remini “Presidents’ First Speeches to Congress Focus on Parts of the State of the Union”:</strong> The major difference between a State of the Union address and a first-year report is the scope of the speech, said House historian Robert V. Remini. A State of the Union is expected to cover both domestic and foreign matters. Remini said Obama could, for example, skip a discussion about Afghanistan on Tuesday night. “In a State of the Union he would be obliged to do it,” he said. - <a href="http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?docID=news-000003058615">CQ Politics, 2-24-09</a></li></ul><object width="640" height="392"><param name="movie" value="http://www.whitehouse.gov/flash/MediaPlayer.swf?datasrc=http://www.whitehouse.gov/flash/video_playlist.aspx?VideoId=48&captions=http://www.whitehouse.gov/flash/captions.aspx?VideoId=48&captions_spanish=http://www.whitehouse.gov/flash/captions_spanish.aspx?VideoId=48"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/flash/MediaPlayer.swf?datasrc=http://www.whitehouse.gov/flash/video_playlist.aspx?VideoId=48&captions=http://www.whitehouse.gov/flash/captions.aspx?VideoId=48&captions_spanish=http://www.whitehouse.gov/flash/captions_spanish.aspx?VideoId=48" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="392"></embed></object>Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06475026713228665094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242269147280141406.post-61999239234179744902009-02-20T01:20:00.000-08:002009-02-20T01:40:38.320-08:00February 19, 2009: Obama Signs the Economic Stimulus Bill into Law and his Canada Visit<h3>THE OBAMA PRESIDENCY:</h3> <br /><br /><div style="display: none;" class="ssInfoPane gallery_info"> <p>On Thursday, Feb. 19, 2009, President Obama made his first foreign trip -- to Canada, the United States top trading partner.</p> </div> <div class="galleria_wrapper"><img style="cursor: pointer; display: inline; margin-left: 1px; margin-top: 0pt; width: 572px; height: 321px;" class="replaced" src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/slideshows/896x504/canada07--SS_size.jpg"></div> <h3 align="center">IN FOCUS: STATS</h3> <h3>In Focus: Stats</h3> <ul><p> </p><li><b>Rasmussen's daily polling: </b>Job approval of Barack Obama continues to be high: most recently 60 percent approve and 39 percent disapprove.<br />His disapproval numbers have risen, from 29 percent on January 22 and 23, up to a range of 37 percent-39 percent starting February 7. - <a href="http://www.usnews.com/blogs/barone/2009/02/19/obama-is-high-in-polls-but-issues-like-mortgage-and-auto-crises-help-republicans.html">US News & World Report, 2-19-09</a></li></ul> <h3 align="center">THE HEADLINES....</h3> <h3>The Headlines...</h3> <!-- Start Slide --><!-- Start --><p> <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/02/19/Liveblog-canada-trip/"><img style="border-style: none;" src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/624x351/Canaca_-_Arrival_8936.jpg" alt="President Obama arrives in Canada" height="313" width="557" /></a></p> <ul><p> </p><li><b>Obama Makes Overtures to Canada's Leader: </b>President Obama charted a delicate course with Canada on Thursday, using the first foreign trip of his presidency to ease tensions over trade policy, climate change and the war in Afghanistan — all the while basking in his celebrity status in a nation where his approval ratings are so high that a local bakery named a pastry after him. - <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/20/world/americas/20prexy.html?_r=1&hp">NYT, 2-19-09</a> </li><li><b>APNewsBreak: Black pastors to ask Burris to resign: </b>A group of black ministers who previously supported U.S. Sen. Roland Burris now plan to ask for his resignation, one of the ministers told The Associated Press on Thursday. Many of the city's influential black pastors supported Burris because of his scandal-free reputation — even though he was appointed by then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich after the governor was arrested. - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090219/ap_on_re_us/burris_blagojevich">AP, 2-19-09</a> </li><li><b>Cheered in Canada, Obama treads lightly: </b>President Barack Obama courted warmer relations with America's snowy northern neighbor Thursday, declining to ask war-weary Canada to do more in Afghanistan, promising he won't allow a protectionist creep into U.S. trade policy and talking reassuringly around thorny energy issues. - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090219/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_canada">AP, 2-19-09</a> </li><li><b>Obama's Bipartisanship Is One Sappy Dream: Margaret Carlson: </b>In his long and sometimes snarky campaign, John McCain took to ridiculing Barack Obama and his supporters for imputing messianic qualities to the upstart candidate, mockingly referring to the Democrat as "The One." New evidence suggests McCain was on to something. In less than a month, Obama has breathed life back into a Republican Party the whole world took for dead.... - <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601039&sid=aZdXr65lO_kk&refer=home">Bloomberg, 2-19-09</a> </li><li><b>U.S. tells N. Korea to end insults, return to talks: </b>U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Friday told North Korea to stop being provocative and return to talks on ending efforts to build a nuclear arsenal. - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090220/ts_nm/us_korea_north;_ylt=AqIfJDkh8LrlnT3koKM0g2kGw_IE;_ylu=X3oDMTE5ODM1bnZoBHBvcwM1BHNlYwN5bl90b3Bfc3RvcmllcwRzbGsDcG9zc2libGVua29y">AP, 2-19-09</a> </li><li><b>Calif. lawmakers send Schwarzenegger budget bills: </b>The California Legislature on Thursday approved a plan to close a $42 billion budget deficit after an epic impasse that involved several all-night sessions, sending Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger a package of bills that raises taxes and cuts spending. It was not immediately clear when Schwarzenegger would sign the bills. - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090219/ap_on_re_us/california_budget">AP, 2-19-09</a> </li><li><b>Clinton looks to boost US image in Asia: </b>Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton moved Wednesday to boost U.S. ties with the world's most populous Muslim nation and its neighbors, pledging a new American willingness to work with and listen to Indonesia and the rest of Southeast Asia. - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090218/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/as_clinton_indonesia">AP, 2-18-09</a> </li><li><b>Stimulus Tour Takes Obama to New Blue States: </b>A trend is emerging in President Obama's out-of-the-gate travel itinerary: Top billing has been given to states that turned from red to blue in the fall. So far this year, Mr. Obama has visited Ohio, Indiana, Florida, Virginia and Colorado, states that usually voted Republican in presidential elections but that went Democratic in November. - <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/19/us/politics/19memo.html?_r=1">NYT, 2-18-09</a> </li><li><b>US commander: Troops 'stalemated' in Afghanistan: </b>The top U.S. commander in Afghanistan offered a grim view Wednesday of military efforts in southern Afghanistan, warning that 17,000 new troops will take on emboldened Taliban insurgents who have "stalemated" U.S. and allied forces. - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090218/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_afghanistan">AP, 2-18-09</a> </li><li><b>Obama throws $75 billion lifeline to homeowners: </b>President Barack Obama threw a $75 billion lifeline to millions of Americans on the brink of foreclosure Wednesday, declaring an urgent need for drastic action — not only to save their homes but to keep the housing crisis "from wreaking even greater havoc" on the broader national economy. - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090219/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_home_foreclosures">AP, 2-17-09</a> </li><li><b>Obama signs stimulus bill, readies homeowner plan: </b>Racing to reverse the country's economic spiral, President Barack Obama signed the mammoth stimulus package into law Tuesday and readied a new $50 billion foreclosure rescue for legions of Americans who are in danger of losing their homes. - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090218/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_stimulus">AP, 2-17-09</a> </li><li><b>Signing Stimulus, Obama Doesn't Rule Out More: </b>President Obama has not ruled out a second stimulus package, his press secretary, Robert Gibbs, said on Tuesday, just before Mr. Obama signed his $787 billion recovery package into law with a statement that it would "set our economy on a firmer foundation." - <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/18/us/politics/18web-stim.html?_r=1&hp">NYT, 2-17-09 </a> </li><li><b>GOP governors consider turning down stimulus money: </b>A handful of Republican governors are considering turning down some money from the federal stimulus package, a move opponents say puts conservative ideology ahead of the needs of constituents struggling with record foreclosures and soaring unemployment. - </li><li>How the heck could the census be controversial?: Still more analysts were certain it was a result of the 2010 census and who would have ultimate management responsiblities for it's conduct. Normally the census is under the auspices of the Commerce Department, but the Obama Administration had signaled the upcoming census would be getting some added attention and oversight from the White House. Mr. Gregg denied the census was any big deal, though it didn't discourage some from insisting the census was the raison d'etre for Gregg's withdrawal. <a href="http://www.examiner.com/x-243-Progressive-Politics-Examiner%7Ey2009m2d17-census">Examiner, 2-17-09</a> </li></ul> <p><!-- Start Slide --> <!-- Start --></p> <div style="position: absolute; top: 0pt; left: 0pt; display: none; z-index: 4; opacity: 0;"><a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/02/18/9-million-plus/" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/02/18/9-million-plus/"><img style="border-style: none; width: 624px; height: 351px;" src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/624x351/housing02.JPG" mce_src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/624x351/housing02.JPG" alt="President Obama" /></a> <div class="stgslidecredit">White House photo 2/18/09 by Pete Souza</div> <div class="stgslideheading"> <h1 style="background-image: url(/assets//hero/hero_homeowners.jpg);" mce_style="background-image:url('/assets//hero/hero_homeowners.jpg');">Housing plan</h1> </div> <div class="stgslidecontent">On Feb. 18, 2009, President Obama announced his plan to help homeowners and stabilize the housing market. Learn more about how the plan might affect you. <p><a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/02/18/9-million-plus/" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/02/18/9-million-plus/"><img src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/buttons/btn_learn_more.jpg" mce_src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/buttons/btn_learn_more.jpg" alt="Learn more" align="middle" border="0" height="21" vspace="5" width="157" /></a></p></div> </div> <p><!-- End --> <!-- Start --></p> <div style="position: absolute; top: 0pt; left: 0pt; display: none; z-index: 3; opacity: 0;"><a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/02/17/Signed-sealed-delivered-ARRA/" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/02/17/Signed-sealed-delivered-ARRA/"><img style="border-style: none; width: 624px; height: 351px;" src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/624x351/signing01.jpg" mce_src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/624x351/signing01.jpg" alt="President Obama signs the economic recovery bill into law" /></a> <div class="stgslidecredit">White House photo 2/17/09 by Pete Souza</div> <div class="stgslideheading"> <h1 style="background-image: url(/assets//hero/hero_strongstart1.jpg);" mce_style="background-image:url('/assets//hero/hero_strongstart1.jpg');">A Strong Start</h1> </div> <div class="stgslidecontent">In Denver, CO, President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act into law -- a major milestone on the long road back to a sustainable economic future. <p><a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/02/17/Signed-sealed-delivered-ARRA/" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/02/17/Signed-sealed-delivered-ARRA/"><img src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/buttons/btn_more_readremarks.gif" mce_src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/buttons/btn_more_readremarks.gif" alt="Read the President's remarks" align="middle" border="0" height="21" vspace="5" width="222" /></a></p></div> </div> <p><!-- End --> <!-- Start --><a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/02/16/The-story-of-the-economic-recovery-package-photos/" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/02/16/The-story-of-the-economic-recovery-package-photos/"><img style="border-style: none;" src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/624x351/ARRA11-hero.jpg" mce_src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/624x351/ARRA11-hero.jpg" alt="President Obama and Sen. Kent Conrad in the Oval Office" height="315" width="560" /></a></p> <h3 align="center">POLITICAL QUOTES</h3> <h3>Political Quotes</h3> <ul><p> </p><li><b>Hillary Clinton to reporters at a news conference with South Korean Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan: </b>"North Korea is not going to get a different relationship with the United States while insulting and refusing dialogue with (South Korea). We are calling on the government of North Korea to refrain from being provocative and unhelpful in a war of words that it has been engaged in because that is not very fruitful. She said that was "in stark contrast to the tyranny and poverty across the border to the North" and commended the "people of South Korea and your leaders for your calm, resolve and determination in the face of provocative and unhelpful statements and actions by the North.".... "The North should refrain from violating this resolution and also from any and all provocative actions that could harm the six-party talks and aggravate the tensions in the region." - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090220/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/as_clinton_koreas;_ylt=AlPR0AqO9SBvBklGungwvSyWwvIE;_ylu=X3oDMTE5NTdoNW5jBHBvcwMyBHNlYwN5bl90b3Bfc3RvcmllcwRzbGsDY2xpbnRvbm5hbWVz">AP, 2-20-09</a> </li><li><b>Bill Clinton "Honoring an old friend given the Lindy Boggs Award, which highlights the year's Southern woman in politics":</b> "I want to bring you greetings from my favorite woman in politics who, as you all know, is secretary of state [and] is now in Japan doing the world's work for America over there. I had a little bite of that apple last year, trying to convince people that women should be in higher executive positions. I learned something very interesting one more time about the process of social change and how the wheels of history grind slow or, as Martin Luther King said, the arc of history bends slowly, but it bends toward justice. Psychologically, we're sometimes not even aware of how we feel about letting women make decisions that used to be made by men until we actually have to come up against it. I'll tell you a very interesting thing in the state where Hillary ran best—next to Arkansas: West Virginia. She won the [state primary] election by 40 points, but in the exit polls, people were asked about Hillary and President Obama. 'Does it bother you to have an African-American president?' 'Do you have any reservations about having a female president?' Fifteen percent of West Virginians admitted that they had some qualms about having an African-American president; 21 percent said they had some qualms about having a female president. That's in a state where she won by 40 points." - <a href="http://www.usnews.com/blogs/washington-whispers/2009/02/17/bill-clinton-loves-women-in-politics.html">US News & World Report, 2-19-09</a> </li><li><b>Eric Holder U.S. a 'nation of cowards' on race, 1st black attorney general says Holder's speech signals more active Justice Department on civil rights issues: </b>"Though this nation has proudly thought of itself as an ethnic melting pot, in things racial we have always been and continue to be, in too many ways, essentially a nation of cowards," Holder said in a Black History Month speech to hundreds of Justice Department employees. "It is an issue we have never been at ease with, and given our nation's history this is in some ways understandable," Holder said. "And yet, if we are to make progress in this area, we must feel comfortable enough with one another, and tolerant enough of each other, to have frank conversations about the racial matters that continue to divide us." - <a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-holder_for_thufeb19,0,3517585.story">Chicago Tribune, 2-19-09</a></li></ul> <p><a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/02/17/Signed-sealed-delivered-ARRA/" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/02/17/Signed-sealed-delivered-ARRA/"><img style="border-style: none;" src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/624x351/signing01.jpg" mce_src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/624x351/signing01.jpg" alt="President Obama signs the economic recovery bill into law" height="288" width="515" /></a></p> <ul><li><b>Barack Obama: Remarks by the President at Signing of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act: </b>"What I am signing is a balanced plan with a mix of tax cuts and investments. It is a plan that's been put together without earmarks or the usual pork barrel spending. And it is a plan that will be implemented with an unprecedented level of transparency and accountability.... And we expect you, the American people, to hold us accountable for the results. That is why we have created Recovery.gov – so every American can go online and see how their money is being spent.... Our American story is not -- and has never been -- about things coming easy. It's about rising to the moment when the moment is hard, converting crisis into opportunity, and seeing to it that we emerge from whatever trials we face stronger than we were before." - <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Remarks-by-the-President-and-Vice-President-at-Signing-of-the-American-Recovery-and-Reinvestment-Act/">WH Blog, 2-17-09</a> </li><li><b>Joe Biden: Remarks by the Vice President at Signing of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act: </b>Last year -- last year our economy lost 3 million jobs; 600,000 more just this last month. There are an awful lot of mothers and father who had to walk up those stairs to the bedroom of their children and tell them that, "I'm out of work, honey. We may not be able to stay here. You may not be able to stay in this school. It's a tough, tough conversation. And many -- too many times it's already occurred in this country. We're here today -- we're here today to start to turn that around.... Starting today, our administration will be working day and night to provide more aid for the unemployed, create immediate jobs, building our roads and our bridges, make long-term investments in a smarter energy grid, and so much more. And as we turn the economy around, we've got to make sure of one more thing. Last time an economic recovery occurred after a deep recession, the middle class got left behind -- the middle class got left behind. And that's why the President has set up a White House Council on the Task Force on the Middle Class, which he's asking me to chair. - <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Remarks-by-the-President-and-Vice-President-at-Signing-of-the-American-Recovery-and-Reinvestment-Act/">WH Blog, 2-17-09</a> </li></ul> <p><!-- Start Slide --> <!-- Start --><a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/02/18/9-million-plus/" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/02/18/9-million-plus/"><img style="border-style: none;" src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/624x351/housing02.JPG" mce_src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/624x351/housing02.JPG" alt="President Obama" height="299" width="532" /></a></p> <h3 align="center">HISTORIANS' AND ANALYSTS' COMMENTS</h3> <h3>Historians' and Analysts Comments</h3> <ul><p> </p><li><b>Gil Troy "It's Time to Mobilize Obama's Army for a Values Revolution": </b>The story of Barack Obama’s brilliant grassroots organizing as a candidate is now campaigning legend. But since Election Day, the "what do we do now" question has vexed Obama’s Army. Two million activists and an email list of thirteen million "slacktivists" constitute a potent political force. If Obama only uses these idealists as an amen corner, he will miss a chance to deliver the change he promised and millions seek. President Obama should mobilize his army of supporters to launch a mass movement fostering collective and individual responsibility....<br />"Organizing for America" must be slicker and more profound, better identified as a force calling on Americans to serve their community while transforming all the good will Obama has generated – even after his rough week – into a transformational conversation about how we live our lives and do politics. The times demand more than the brass bands and blue eagles of the 1930s or the house meetings and mass emailings we have seen so far. If President Obama can get millions investing their time, energy and money into fulfilling his vision, with the same enthusiasm they invested into his campaign, his presidency will be monumental, with the occasional hiring lapses and concessions to Congressional pork upstaged by the renewed citizenship covenant he has so far romanticized but not yet designed. - <a href="http://giltroy.wordpress.com/2009/02/19/gil-troy-its-time-to-mobilize-obamas-army-for-a-values-revolution/">HNN, 2-19-09</a> </li><li><b>Julian Zelizer: "Obama places big bets in first month": </b>"The level of government intervention that we are seeing or at least is proposed is pretty significant and it is taking place in multiple parts of the economy," said Princeton University historian Julian Zelizer. "The problem is if it doesn't work, if the economy is worse (and not) better, this could be a big liability. That is the gamble."... "It took (president George W.) Bush a little while to look like a president, until 9/11. He did not have that gravity until that famous speech with the firefighters," said Zelizer. - <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jeyQXc9dRq_jqEmkY7-LSloiqeyg">AFP, 2-19-09</a> </li><li><b>Gil Troy "The First 100 Days: George Washington Set the Standard for All Future Presidents": </b>Adds historian Gil Troy in Leading From the Center: "Washington was a muscular moderate, far shrewder than many acknowledged. Emotionally disciplined, philosophically faithful to an enlightened, democratic 'empire' of reason, Washington passionately advocated political moderation. Acknowledging his own shortcomings as a human being, he tolerated and welcomed others' views. He realized that others might reasonably reach different conclusions about important issues. Washington's idea of democratic politics was to seek common ground and blaze a centrist trail." - <a href="http://www.usnews.com/articles/news/history/2009/02/19/the-first-100-days-george-washington-set-the-standard-for-all-future-presidents.html">U.S. News & World Report, 2-19-09</a> </li><li><b>Donald A. Ritchie "Senate not likely to oust Sen. Roland Burris anytime soon": </b>"It's a collegial body that doesn't like to police its members," said Donald A. Ritchie, the Senate's associate historian. "It prefers to leave that to the voters and to the courts." - <a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/politics/scotus/la-na-ethics19-2009feb19,0,1439579.story">LAT, 2-19-09</a> </li><li><b>Gil Troy "Canada's best Presidents Relations with the U.S. still depend on how our leaders get along": </b>The interaction between Pierre Trudeau and Ronald Reagan makes an intriguing case study. At first glance, they seemed bound to clash. "There's a great picture," says Gil Troy, a history professor at McGill University and author of Leading from the Center: Why Moderates Make the Best Presidents, "of Trudeau in an ascot, looking very European, and Reagan in a brown suit, looking sort of midwestern." Yet he points out that Reagan writes favourably in his memoirs about his first meeting with Trudeau, recalling how they agreed on the need for a closer North American alliance, planting the seeds of the free trade deal Reagan eventually signed with Brian Mulroney.<br />When there's a clash between American and international interests, or course, presidents tend, like politicians everywhere, to play to the home crowd. In Obama's case, that might eventually spell disappointment for his legions of admirers abroad, including Canadians. "At a certain point it is more important for him to be popular in Peoria than in Ottawa, let alone than in Europe," says Troy. <a href="http://blog.macleans.ca/2009/02/18/canada%e2%80%99s-best-presidents/">Macleans, 2-18-09</a> </li><li><b>Douglas Brinkley "The President's Tone": </b>"You see Obama sputtering a lot in January and February 2009," historian Douglas Brinkley told ABC for Good Morning America today. "It"s his rhetoric that keeps saving him." "It's a kind of new federalism going on," Brinkley says, "a new belief in government. But I do think it needs to be packaged a little bit better so it's not just an argument of 'what company should we bail out?'" - <a href="http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2009/02/the-presidents.html">ABC News, 2-17-09</a> </li><li><b>Allan Lichtman "Obama's Economic Stimulus Bill Most Ambitious Since Roosevelt": </b>"No one's going to have 100 days like Franklin Roosevelt again, with 15 major pieces of legislation," said Allan Lichtman, a political history professor at American University in Washington. "But leaving aside that impossible comparison, Obama’s accomplishments stack up very well." - - <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=ajHfW4awsaho&refer=us">Bloomberg, 2-17-09</a> </li><li><b>John Thompson "Obama's Trip to Canada Could Yield Lessons in Banking, Health, Duke Professor Says": </b>"Canada's banking system is doing really, really well," said John Thompson, a professor of history and in Duke's Center for Canadian Studies. "Canada hasn't had a single bank failure, and the World Economic Forum ranks their banking system as the healthiest in the world. America's is number 40. Canadians save at much higher rates than people in the U.S., and because they're not allowed to deduct mortgage payments, they aren't seeing overheated real estate markets," said Thompson, author of "Canada and the United States: Ambivalent Allies. Canadians spend nine percent of their GDP on health care -- compared to the U.S.'s 16 percent -- and still get better results overall," he said. "And because the system is national, you don't have this problem of businesses losing their competitiveness due to huge health insurance costs. In foreign policy, Canada has been pretty wise, too. They've fought alongside the U.S. in every major modern war -- except Iraq and Vietnam. That looks like pretty good judgment in hindsight. Of course, there's not really a trend of U.S. presidents taking advice from Canadians. There's a pretty good chance this visit will be no more than a photo op for a rock-star president before his adoring Canadian fans." - <a href="http://newswire.ascribe.org/cgi-bin/behold.pl?ascribeid=20090217.055640&time=08%2002%20PST&year=2009&public=0">AScribe (press release), 2-17-09</a> </li><li><b>Julian Zelizer "Too much space: Romney selling Utah home": </b>Julian Zelizer, a professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University, says it's hard to believe that Romney, as wealthy as he is, needed to downgrade. "If it's not financial, it's not inconceivable the memories of the McCain issue may be on his mind," Zelizer says. He may be downsizing, "so when he runs next time he doesn't have four to five homes for his opponent or President Obama to talk about." - <a href="http://www.sltrib.com/realestate/ci_11717137">Salt Lake Tribune, 2-16-09</a> </li><li><b>James K. Glassman "Stimulus: A History of Folly": </b>Before he was sworn in as President, Barack Obama began to lay out his plans for reviving an American economy that, it would later be discovered, had declined 3.8 percent in the fourth quarter of 2008, its worst performance in 26 years.... He anointed the stimulus proposal with a convenient and vivid metaphor. "We're going to have to jump start this economy with my economic recovery plan," he said on January 3. According to the image, one can jolt a dormant economy into action just as one can hook up polarized cables to a car battery, clamp a defibrillator to the chest, or breathe into the ear of a reluctant lover. Suddenly, the object of our attention will be back in action, aroused. Alas, the questions raised by a proposed stimulus—whether to apply it, what sort it should be, how much it should cost, and when it should begin and end—are far trickier to answer than problems involving dead batteries.... - <a href="http://www.commentarymagazine.com/viewarticle.cfm/stimulus--a-history-of-folly-14953">Commentary, 3-09</a> </li><li>Julian Zelizer "Commentary: Stakes are huge for Obama and nation": Last week, Obama told an audience in Florida that if his economic recovery plan does not work, "then you'll have a new president." Regardless of whether Obama meant that he would not run again or that he would be defeated, he referred to how much is at stake with the federal programs that were debated over the past two weeks. But Obama severely understated what is really at stake. Far more than his presidency is at risk. The $787 billion economic recovery legislation, combined with financial bailout likely to cost more than a trillion dollars, has opened up a huge debate in American politics over the role of the federal government in an economic crisis....<br />The stimulus package and financial bailout will become the symbol to show why government intervention does not work in times of economic crisis. This, according to liberal economists, is the danger posed by the compromises that were made by the administration -- both in asking for less than most economists think is necessary and then settling for an even lower figure in the negotiations. The effects of new policies on politics can be enormous. When Americans enjoyed economic growth in the 1950s and 1960s, liberals were able to point to the New Deal and subsequent federal programs as powerful evidence that government intervention can benefit the nation. When Americans enjoyed renewed economic growth during the middle of the 1980s and much of the 1990s, conservatives looked back toward Reagan's 1981 tax cut as proof that lowering the tax burden had boosted the economy. Regardless of Obama's future, it is likely that Americans will be talking about this economic recovery and financial bailout programs years from now as they reach conclusions about whether the government can lift this country out of an economic crisis. - <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/02/16/zelizer.stakes/">CNN, 2-16-09</a> </li></ul> <div style="display: none;" class="ssInfoPane gallery_info"> <p>On Thursday, Feb. 19, 2009, President Obama made his first foreign trip -- to Canada, the United States top trading partner.</p> </div> <div class="galleria_wrapper"><img style="cursor: pointer; display: inline; margin-left: 1px; margin-top: 0pt;" class="replaced" src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/slideshows/896x504/canada02--SS_size.jpg" height="302" width="538"></div>Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06475026713228665094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242269147280141406.post-75315826590207437972009-02-20T00:50:00.000-08:002009-02-20T00:53:40.069-08:00Gil Troy: It's Time to Mobilize Obama's Army for a Values Revolution<div class="post hentry category-hnn-blog category-obama-1st-100-days category-obama-administration tag-organizing-for-america tag-activists tag-barack-obama tag-economic-stimulus" id="post-401"> <div class="entry"> <div class="snap_preview"><h3 class="posttitle">By Gil Troy, <a name="63039" href="http://hnn.us/blogs/entries/63039.html">HNN, 2-19-09</a></h3> <p>The story of Barack Obama’s brilliant grassroots organizing as a candidate is now campaigning legend. But since Election Day, the “what do we do now” question has vexed Obama’s Army. Two million activists and an <a href="http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/02/19/meghan-mccain-tells-gop-to-get-tech-savvy/">email list</a> of thirteen million “slacktivists” constitute a potent political force. If Obama only uses these idealists as an amen corner, he will miss a chance to deliver the change he promised and millions seek. President Obama should mobilize his army of supporters to launch a mass movement fostering collective and individual responsibility.</p> <p>Earlier this month, “Organizing for America,” Obama’s organization reincarnated, arranged 3200 Economic Recovery House Meetings to support Obama’s stimulus package. With Republicans attacking the bill as overloaded with pork, even Obama’s supporters needed reassurance. President Obama recorded a forceful, inspiring, four-minute video, followed by a thirteen minute video with the new Democratic National Chairman. Governor Tim Kaine answered a half dozen questions culled from an impressive 30,000 queries supporters sent about the package.</p> <p>Mobilizing to support the stimulus was a logical first step. If Obama had failed or even lost too much political capital passing the stimulus, his presidency would have suffered. But becoming the stimulus bill’s public lobby risks making “Organizing for America,” part of the “politics as usual” Obama repudiated. What America really needs is a deeper, more transformational conversation about individual and communal values, using home meetings and social action as platforms to achieve real change. Without being rooted in a renewed American nationalism, bipartisanship will remain a slogan.</p> <p>“Organizing for America” should learn from the initial success – and eventual failure — of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s “Blue Eagle” campaign promoting the NRA, the National Recovery Administration. This early New Deal program began flamboyantly. The president invited Americans who followed the NRA’s business, labor or consumer codes to display an iconic blue eagle with the slogan “We Do Our Part.” Suddenly, in the summer and fall of 1933, the image appeared everywhere, on store fronts and front windows, in shops and factories.</p> <p>The hoopla engaged millions otherwise paralyzed by despair. It confirmed Americans’ impression that Roosevelt was providing a “New Deal.” Alas, all that good will, communal energy, and national vision dissipated quickly. The codes for fixing prices and limiting competition soon had many mocking the NRA as the National Run Around. When the Supreme Court declared the NRA unconstitutional, even Roosevelt was relieved.</p> <p>The day before Inauguration Day, an estimated one million Americans joined Obama’s national day of service, volunteering for more than 13,000 service projects. At Washington’s Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium thousands assembled 80,000 care packages for American troops. This impressive outpouring, along with the grassroots power of Obama’s Army during the campaign, reflected Team Obama’s talent in tapping Americans’ idealism and nationalism. Millions agree with Obama that President George W. Bush should have mobilized Americans after 9/11, rather than sending us shopping.<br />Yet the day of service lacked the branding of Roosevelt’s Blue Eagle. Moreover, like the NRA and the Economic Recovery House Meetings, the occasional burst of voluntarism is not enough. One of America’s most famous community organizers used to challenge neighborhood leaders by asking them “where they put their time, energy and money.” Those are “the true tests of what we value,” Barack Obama insisted in Chicago during the 1980s.</p> <p>“Organizing for America” must be slicker and more profound, better identified as a force calling on Americans to serve their community while transforming all the good will Obama has generated – even after his rough week – into a transformational conversation about how we live our lives and do politics. The times demand more than the brass bands and blue eagles of the 1930s or the house meetings and mass emailings we have seen so far. If President Obama can get millions investing their time, energy and money into fulfilling his vision, with the same enthusiasm they invested into his campaign, his presidency will be monumental, with the occasional hiring lapses and concessions to Congressional pork upstaged by the renewed citizenship covenant he has so far romanticized but not yet designed.</p> </div> </div></div>Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06475026713228665094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242269147280141406.post-58981788568137850822009-02-16T00:59:00.000-08:002009-02-17T01:26:27.704-08:00February 15, 2009: The Congress and Senate Pass the Economic Stimulus Bill, Obama Signs it into Law on Tuesday<h3>THE OBAMA PRESIDENCY:</h3> <p><a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/02/14/A-major-milestone/" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/02/14/A-major-milestone/"><img style="border-style: none;" mce_style="border-style:none;" src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/624x351/20090214_WeeklyAddress.jpg" mce_src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/624x351/20090214_WeeklyAddress.jpg" alt="President Obama Delivers Your Weekly Address" height="281" width="500" /></a></p> <h3>IN FOCUS: STATS</h3> <h3>In Focus: Stats</h3> <ul><li>The Senate cast the final vote, 60-38, hours after the House of Representatives passed an identical bill, 246-183.</li><li><b>House Roll Call: House passes economic stimulus: </b>The 246-183 roll call Friday by which the House passed a $787 billion economic stimulus bill.<br />Voting yes were 246 Democrats and no Republicans.<br />Voting no were seven Democrats and 176 Republicans. - <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5h5tbX8Cz_49-BqO_UafvdTOx67ngD96AT5VG2" mce_href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5h5tbX8Cz_49-BqO_UafvdTOx67ngD96AT5VG2">AP, 2-13-09</a></li></ul> <h3>THE HEADLINES....</h3> <h3>The Headlines...</h3> <ul><li><b>NYT Op-Classic: Presidents' Day Edition: </b>Over the years, presidents past, present and future have written for Op-Ed. In honor of the holiday, here are selections from the dozens of their essays that have appeared on the page. - <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/15/opinion/15opclassicpackage.html" mce_href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/15/opinion/15opclassicpackage.html">NYT, 2-15-09</a></li><li><b>To Fix Detroit, Obama Is Said to Drop Plan for 'Car Czar': </b>President Obama has dropped the idea of appointing a single, powerful "car czar" to oversee the revamping of General Motors and Chrysler and will instead keep the politically delicate task in the hands of his most senior economic advisers, a top administration official said Sunday night. - <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/16/business/economy/16auto.html?_r=1&hp" mce_href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/16/business/economy/16auto.html?_r=1&hp">NYT, 2-15-09</a></li><li><b>White House Says Stimulus Won't Be a Quick Fix: </b>As President Obama prepares to sign the $787 billion stimulus bill, administration officials sought to temper expectations, warning that the economy has not yet reached bottom and that increased economic activity as a result of the legislation would "take time to show up in the statistics." - <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/16/us/politics/16talkshows.html?_r=1&hp" mce_href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/16/us/politics/16talkshows.html?_r=1&hp">NYT, 2-15-09</a></li><li><b>Illinois GOP leader calls on Sen. Burris to resign: </b>Just as Illinois was moving past the agony and embarrassment of former Gov. Rod Blagojevich's ousting, the fellow Democrat whom Blagojevich appointed to the U.S. Senate was hearing calls for his own resignation Sunday amid allegations he lied to legislators. - <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hDyZBbTZQHmAx-X4cEJ7cd07HpfgD96CCAUO0" mce_href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hDyZBbTZQHmAx-X4cEJ7cd07HpfgD96CCAUO0">AP, 2-15-09</a></li><li><b>McCain cites bad bipartisan start with Obama: </b>Sen. John McCain says President Barack Obama failed to include Republicans in writing the big economic stimulus bill. - <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5glI7UtjQLctRJGUYNpAuFHulunKgD96C2MKG0" mce_href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5glI7UtjQLctRJGUYNpAuFHulunKgD96C2MKG0">AP, 2-15-09</a></li><li><b>Obama's big victory comes at a cost: </b>President Barack Obama's crucial victory in getting a $787 billion economic stimulus plan through Congress was achieved quickly, but his hopes of gaining a bipartisan consensus died an early death. The bitter Washington debate over the stimulus plan, which the majority Democrats muscled through both chambers despite nearly unified Republican opposition, has political consequences that boil down to one question: Will it work? - <a href="http://uk.reuters.com/article/reutersComService_2_MOLT/idUKTRE51E1VP20090215" mce_href="http://uk.reuters.com/article/reutersComService_2_MOLT/idUKTRE51E1VP20090215">Reuters, 2-15-09</a></li><li><b>For Obama, governing isn't campaigning For the most part, your can chalk up his shaky debut to the difference between campaigning and governing: </b>Barack Obama made running for president look easy. As a candidate, he was famously steady and cool, and his campaign team was a marvel of internal harmony. "No drama Obama," they called him. Fixing a broken economy is turning out to require some drama. To win his stimulus plan, Obama had to turn white-hot and warn that the alternative was "catastrophe." Backstage at the White House, there has been confusion and even discord, evidence that Team Obama might be populated by mortals after all. - <a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/washingtondc/la-oe-mcmanus15-2009feb15,0,6323836.story" mce_href="http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/washingtondc/la-oe-mcmanus15-2009feb15,0,6323836.story">LAT, 2-15-09</a></li><li><b>Stimulus bill, foreclosure aid tops Obama agenda: </b>Keeping the economy front and center, President Barack Obama heads west this week to sign the $787 billion stimulus bill and tackle the home mortgage foreclosure crisis. The direct appeals for public support follow scant GOP backing in Congress for his agenda and increasing partisan bickering. - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090215/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090215/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama">AP, 2-15-09</a></li><li><b>Obama to sign $787 billion stimulus bill Tuesday:</b> Savoring his first big victory in Congress, President Barack Obama on Saturday celebrated the newly passed $787 billion economic stimulus bill as a "major milestone on our road to recovery." - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090215/ap_on_go_pr_wh/congress_stimulus" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090215/ap_on_go_pr_wh/congress_stimulus">AP, 2-14-09</a></li><li><b>Democrats muscle huge stimulus through Congress: </b>In a major victory for President Barack Obama, Democrats muscled a huge, $787 billion stimulus bill through Congress late Friday night in hopes of combating the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. Republican opposition was nearly unanimous. - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090214/ap_on_go_co/congress_stimulus;_ylt=AoMy9lMfvr5uDScI65Y9vip34T0D" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090214/ap_on_go_co/congress_stimulus;_ylt=AoMy9lMfvr5uDScI65Y9vip34T0D">AP, 2-14-09</a></li><li><b>A Smaller, Faster Stimulus Plan, but Still With a Lot of Money: </b>On its way to becoming law, two crucial things happened to President Obama’s economic recovery plan: It got smaller and faster. Smaller in that it was cut to $787 billion from more than $800 billion in early versions in the House and Senate. And faster in that the Congressional Budget Office now projects that 74 percent of the money will be spent by Sept. 30, 2010, compared with 64 percent in the original House bill. - <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/14/us/politics/14stimintro.ready.html?_r=1" mce_href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/14/us/politics/14stimintro.ready.html?_r=1">NYT, 2-14-09</a></li><li><b>U.S. Congress sends stimulus bill to Obama: </b>Congress hands President Obama a major legislative victory, approving a $787 billion stimulus bill that aims to rush emergency spending and tax cuts to a nation in the grip of a severe recession. - <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSTRE51A61L20090214" mce_href="http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSTRE51A61L20090214">Reuters, 2-14-09</a></li><li><b>Obama back in Chicago for Valentine's Day weekend President Barack Obama flies back to Chicago for a Chicago weekend retreat: </b>President Barack Obama returned to Chicago Friday, making his first trip home since his inauguration and ending a turbulent week in which he dealt with partisan bickering over his massive economic stimulus package. - <a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-obama-back-in-chicago-090213,0,6859568.story" mce_href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-obama-back-in-chicago-090213,0,6859568.story">Chicago Tribune, 2-13-09</a></li><li><b>White House provides plane to senator for key stimulus vote: </b>The White House has provided the use of a government airplane to a key Democratic senator Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, in order to ensure the availability of what may prove to be the deciding 60th vote in favor of the $787 billion economic stimulus package. - <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/02/13/brown.stimulus.vote.flight/" mce_href="http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/02/13/brown.stimulus.vote.flight/">CNN, 2-13-09</a></li><li><b>DeFazio joins Republicans in saying 'no' on stimulus Economy - The bill is too full of tax cuts, says the Democrat, one of a handful to break ranks: </b>With the nation's economy hanging in the balance, Oregon's delegation broke along party lines, with one major exception, Friday as Congress approved a $787 billion spending and tax plan. Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., voted against the package, saying it had too many tax cuts and not enough direct spending. - <a href="http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/123458910816120.xml&coll=7" mce_href="http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/123458910816120.xml&coll=7">Oregan Live, 2-14-09</a></li><li><b>Specter, a Fulcrum of the Stimulus Bill, Pulls Off a Coup for Health Money: </b>Even lobbyists are stunned by the coup Mr. Specter pulled off this week. In return for providing one of only three Republican votes in the Senate for the Obama administration’s $787 billion economic stimulus package, he was able to secure a 34 percent increase in the health agency's budget — to $39 billion from $29 billion. - <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/14/health/policy/14specter.html?ref=science" mce_href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/14/health/policy/14specter.html?ref=science">NYT, 2-13-09</a></li><li><b>Obama to unveil foreclosure plan, big lenders wait: </b>U.S. President Barack Obama will unveil a plan to stem home foreclosures on Wednesday, a spokesman said, and major U.S. lenders said they had stopped foreclosing until details of the program have been firmed up. - <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE51C4P920090214" mce_href="http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE51C4P920090214">Reusters, 2-13-09</a></li><li><b>Clinton urges NKorea against 'provocative' actions: </b>Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, making her first major policy speech, urged North Korea Friday not to take any "provocative" actions that could undermine peace efforts. Amid press reports that North Korea might be preparing a long-range missile test, Clinton pledged to hold the communist regime to its commitments to give up its nuclear programs in return for international aid and political concessions. - <a href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&ct=:ePkh8BM9E0Kzg02IKTXHgA1uVyrcwnxMC40EVIumLd74f5f7nBkW51sVpp76xQbUDgAnpRND/3-0&fp=4996079a618ae5ea&ei=QH6WSeDMMZLKMvaCxKUK&url=http%3A//blogs.jta.org/politics/article/2009/01/26/1002538/that-obama-minyan-e-mail&cid=0&sig2=3dBwQFSLpmCVsOvHcabxfg&usg=AFQjCNFpv9AK9p-k6tnjNLrH69ECaGLx5w" mce_href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&ct=:ePkh8BM9E0Kzg02IKTXHgA1uVyrcwnxMC40EVIumLd74f5f7nBkW51sVpp76xQbUDgAnpRND/3-0&fp=4996079a618ae5ea&ei=QH6WSeDMMZLKMvaCxKUK&url=http%3A//blogs.jta.org/politics/article/2009/01/26/1002538/that-obama-minyan-e-mail&cid=0&sig2=3dBwQFSLpmCVsOvHcabxfg&usg=AFQjCNFpv9AK9p-k6tnjNLrH69ECaGLx5w">AP, 2-13-09</a></li><li><b>Gregg's Withdrawal Stirs Speculation Over Obama's Census Plan: </b>New Hampshire Sen. Judd Gregg cited differences with the Obama administration over the economic stimulus bill and the census for ending his bid as commerce secretary, raising questions about which factor played a bigger role in his decision. - <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/politics/first100days/2009/02/13/greggs-withdrawal-stirs-speculation-obamas-census-plan/" mce_href="http://www.foxnews.com/politics/first100days/2009/02/13/greggs-withdrawal-stirs-speculation-obamas-census-plan/">Fox News, 2-13-09</a></li><li><b>Did President Obama Get Crossed Up by Head of Company He Visited?: </b>President Obama said during an appearance at the Caterpillar tractor factory in East Peoria, Illinois, that the company CEO had promised in the Peoria Journal Star: "If Congress passes our (stimulus) plan, this company will be able to rehire some of the folks who were just laid off."<br />But after the president left, Caterpillar chief Jim Owens said there actually would be more layoffs coming — in addition to the 22,000 already expected: "We'll probably have more layoffs before we start hiring again. We don't want false expectations. If we sign a stimulus bill, that doesn't mean we'll start hiring right away."<br />Owens back-tracked today, saying the passage of stimulus packages could — over time — lead to the recall of some employees laid off during this downturn. - <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,492804,00.html" mce_href="http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,492804,00.html">Fox News, 2-13-09</a></li></ul> <h3>POLITICAL QUOTES</h3> <h3>Political Quotes</h3> <p><a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/WeeklyAddress/Video/2009/02/20090214-LCVHYC/20090214_Weekly_Address.mp4" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/WeeklyAddress/Video/2009/02/20090214-LCVHYC/20090214_Weekly_Address.mp4">download .mp4</a> | <a class="thickbox external" href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/02/14/A-major-milestone/#TB_inline?height=220&width=370&inlineId=tb_external" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/02/14/A-major-milestone/#TB_inline?height=220&width=370&inlineId=tb_external">also available here</a>| <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/WeeklyAddress/Audio/2009/02/20090214-CVBMLP/20090214_Weekly_Address.mp3" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/WeeklyAddress/Audio/2009/02/20090214-CVBMLP/20090214_Weekly_Address.mp3">audio</a></p> <p><object width="480" height="295"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/RhpBqETZyOE&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/RhpBqETZyOE&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="295"></embed></object></p> <ul><li><b>WEEKLY ADDRESS OF THE PRESIDENT TO THE NATION, February 14, 2009: </b>This week, I spent some time with Americans across the country who are hurting because of our economic crisis. People closing the businesses they scrimped and saved to start. Families losing the homes that were their stake in the American Dream. Folks who have given up trying to get ahead, and given in to the stark reality of just trying to get by.<br />They've been looking to those they sent to Washington for some hope at a time when they need it most.<br />This morning, I'm pleased to say that after a lively debate full of healthy difference of opinion, we have delivered real and tangible progress for the American people.<br />Congress has passed my economic recovery plan – an ambitious plan at a time we badly need it. It will save or create more than 3.5 million jobs over the next two years, ignite spending by business and consumers alike, and lay a new foundation for our lasting economic growth and prosperity.<br />This is a major milestone on our road to recovery, and I want to thank the Members of Congress who came together in common purpose to make it happen. Because they did, I will sign this legislation into law shortly, and we’ll begin making the immediate investments necessary to put people back to work doing the work America needs done....<br />Now, some fear we won’t be able to effectively implement a plan of this size and scope, and I understand their skepticism. Washington hasn’t set a very good example in recent years. And with so much on the line, it’s time to begin doing things differently.<br />That’s why our goal must be to spend these precious dollars with unprecedented accountability, responsibility, and transparency. I've tasked my cabinet and staff to set up the kind of management, oversight, and disclosure that will help ensure that, and I will challenge state and local governments to do the same.... <p>And in the weeks ahead, I will submit a proposal for the federal budget that will begin to restore the discipline these challenging times demand. Our debt has doubled over the past eight years, and we've inherited a trillion- dollar deficit – which we must add to in the short term in order to jumpstart our sick economy. But our long- term economic growth demands that we tame our burgeoning federal deficit; that we invest in the things we need, and dispense with the things we don’t. This is a challenging agenda, but one we can and will achieve.<br />This morning, I'm reminded of words President Kennedy spoke in another time of uncertainty. "Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men. Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers. Pray for powers equal to your tasks."<br />America, we will prove equal to this task. It will take time, and it will take effort, but working together, we will turn this crisis into opportunity and emerge from our painful present into a brighter future. After a week spent with the fundamentally decent men and women of this nation, I have never been more certain of that. - <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/02/14/A-major-milestone/" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/02/14/A-major-milestone/">WH Blog, 2-14-09</a> </p></li><li><b>Clinton urges NKorea against 'provocative' actions: </b>"We will need to work together to address the most acute challenge to stability in northeast Asia: North Korea's nuclear program.... I will assure our allies in Japan that we have not forgotten the families of Japanese citizens abducted by North Korea and I will meet with some of those families in Tokyo next week.... Climate change is not just an environmental nor an energy issue, but also has implications for our health, our economies and our security.... We believe we have an opportunity to move these discussions forward. But it is incumbent on North Korea to avoid any provocative action and unhelpful rhetoric toward South Korea.... If North Korea is genuinely prepared to completely and verifiably eliminate their nuclear weapons program, the Obama administration will be willing to normalize bilateral relations, replace the peninsula's long-standing armistice agreements with a permanent peace treaty, and assist in meeting the energy and other economic needs of the North Korean people. - <a href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&ct=:ePkh8BM9E0Kzg02IKTXHgA1uVyrcwnxMC40EVIumLd74f5f7nBkW51sVpp76xQbUDgAnpRND/3-0&fp=4996079a618ae5ea&ei=QH6WSeDMMZLKMvaCxKUK&url=http%3A//blogs.jta.org/politics/article/2009/01/26/1002538/that-obama-minyan-e-mail&cid=0&sig2=3dBwQFSLpmCVsOvHcabxfg&usg=AFQjCNFpv9AK9p-k6tnjNLrH69ECaGLx5w" mce_href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&ct=:ePkh8BM9E0Kzg02IKTXHgA1uVyrcwnxMC40EVIumLd74f5f7nBkW51sVpp76xQbUDgAnpRND/3-0&fp=4996079a618ae5ea&ei=QH6WSeDMMZLKMvaCxKUK&url=http%3A//blogs.jta.org/politics/article/2009/01/26/1002538/that-obama-minyan-e-mail&cid=0&sig2=3dBwQFSLpmCVsOvHcabxfg&usg=AFQjCNFpv9AK9p-k6tnjNLrH69ECaGLx5w">AP, 2-13-09</a></li><li><b>McCain says Obama needs to work on bipartisanship: </b>"I think that the majority of people understand that this was generational theft. I hope they've learned a lesson. I hope that they will reverse course, and sit down, negotiate from the beginning, so you're in on the takeoff, so you can be in on the landing." - <a href="http://uk.reuters.com/article/usPoliticsNews/idUKTRE51C65H20090213" mce_href="http://uk.reuters.com/article/usPoliticsNews/idUKTRE51C65H20090213">Reuters, 2-13-09</a></li><li><b>Gregg says he couldn't support Obama 100 percent: </b>Republican Sen. Judd Gregg said Friday that he pulled out of the job of commerce secretary after realizing that "I'm just going to be a little too conservative" for President Barack Obama's administration.<br />If you're going to be on a football team, "you've got to pull out and block on every play, you can't do it on every other play," the senator said.<br />"I didn't feel comfortable going forward because of my individuality, for lack of a better term," Gregg said during an appearance Friday morning on CNBC. - <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hNTd8ISoqJUC1_ZNUlhd3I4TXOeAD96ANKFO7" mce_href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hNTd8ISoqJUC1_ZNUlhd3I4TXOeAD96ANKFO7">AP, 2-13-09</a></li></ul> <h3>HISTORIANS' COMMENTS</h3> <h3>Historians' Comments</h3> <ul><li><b>Julian Zelizer "The recovery plan: A national jolt to economy": </b>"The stakes are so high now, this is such a big bill, average Americans are following it," says Princeton historian Julian Zelizer. "It's become a bill that is an argument about what government can or can't do. "If there is no effect and in six months we are talking about the same economy or a worse economy, I think it would be a devastating blow to the president, Democrats, and to liberal claims about what government can do."....<br />"There are seeds in this bill for long-term change," says Zelizer. "There are things that can develop out of the research that can change our lives." - <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iKedPcs05I4tUDAAd-amkDouSDgAD96BKUPG0" mce_href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iKedPcs05I4tUDAAd-amkDouSDgAD96BKUPG0">AP, 2-14-09</a></li><li><b>Kenneth C. Davis "The recovery plan: A national jolt to economy": </b>"We're not reinventing government," said historian Kenneth C. Davis, author of the best-selling "Don't Know Much About" series. "We're modifying things that exist."<br />"It was a transformation of society in a way that hadn't been done since the end of the Civil War and the end of slavery," Davis said. <a>AP, 2-14-09</a></li><li><b>Larry Sabato "Despite Obama's successes, some promises go unmet": </b>"Clearly, the White House has not been firing on all cylinders but it's only been three weeks," said Larry Sabato, a political science professor at the University of Virginia. "A new engine needs a test period." - <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/GCA-BarackObama/idUSTRE51C5XA20090213" mce_href="http://www.reuters.com/article/GCA-BarackObama/idUSTRE51C5XA20090213">Reuters, 2-14-09</a></li><li><b>Gil Troy "Is Obamania Stopping Us From Questioning Obama's Competence?": </b>Wow, the descent from "Yes We Can" to "I screwed up" has been rapid – and unnerving. It hurts me to write this post. Like the millions who were in Washington on Inauguration Day, and the billions who watched around the world, I want Barack Obama to succeed, America needs Obama to succeed. But as American patriots – and as historians – we cannot be so blinded by our hopes and his charms that we overlook the truth. Obama's Keystone Kops Cabinet farce would be funny if it were not so tragic. His utter failure to put together an effective team without getting so much egg on his face plays to one of my greatest fears about Obama. As an academic who has never been an administrator (beyond one year as department chair), I wondered how he, with only minimally more administrative experience, could take on one of the most complicated executive jobs in history. So far, the results are depressing....<br />Careful analyses of the 2008 presidential campaign will discover a systematic bias in favor of Obama. His story was fresher, more compelling, and thus less scrutinized than Hillary Clinton's, John McCain's, or the other also-rans. Even some journalists have admitted in retrospect that many reporters liked Obama, loved the idea of Obama, and frequently gave him a free pass.<br />Still, there may also be a more benign explanation. The financial meltdown has sobered Americans – and reporters. Barack Obama's call for a new, more constructive politics have resonated. This really is not the time for the kind of partisan, "gotcha" bickering that has marred our politics for so long.<br />All this makes Obama's repeated missteps so disturbing. The stakes are too high for amateur hour. Obama needs to explain why his personnel process has been so spectacularly incompetent, what he is going to do to fix it, and what he has learned from this experience. There is a lot of goodwill and desperation out there, both of which Obama has been able to tap effectively. But rather than just talking beautifully, he must start governing competently. - <a href="http://hnn.us/blogs/entries/62106.html" mce_href="http://hnn.us/blogs/entries/62106.html">HNN, 2-13-09</a></li><li><b>Tevi Troy "What Was Judd Gregg Thinking?": </b>The real question about Judd Gregg is not why he pulled out, but why President Obama picked him in the first place, and why Gregg accepted the offer.<br />Cabinet members from the non-governing party serving in the Cabinet often cause problems for themselves, as well as for the presidents they serve. In this case, it was unclear why Obama needed a third Republican in his Cabinet, in addition to Gates at Defense and LaHood at Transportation.<br />And of these three Departments, Commerce probably is the most directly involved in the key issues on which the Democrats and Republicans diverge — especially the economy, immigration, and trade.<br />In a short time, it became clear that there were going to be significant policy differences between Gregg and the administration: on the stimulus package, on who would run the Census, and to what extent Gregg would have a role in economic policy-making. Down the road, Gregg’s position as a staunch free trader would likely have caused even more problems, with both the administration and the Democratic Congress.<br />Gregg is also a partisan Republican — he served as the debate foil for President Bush in the 2004 re-election campaign. Once he insisted on a Republican replacement in the Senate, he took away the administration’s main reason for having him. When the administration made noises about taking away the Census, Gregg must have seen that he would have been far more of a figurehead than a policy shaper. - <a href="http://foxforum.blogs.foxnews.com/2009/02/13/troy_gregg_obama/" mce_href="http://foxforum.blogs.foxnews.com/2009/02/13/troy_gregg_obama/">Fox Forum, 2-13-09</a></li></ul> <div id="wideImage" class="image"><img src="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2009/02/15/opinion/fivepresspan.jpg" mce_src="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2009/02/15/opinion/fivepresspan.jpg" alt="" border="0" height="331" width="500" /> <div class="credit">Jim Wilson/The New York Times</div> <p class="caption">At the dedication of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, Calif., in 1991, Mr. Reagan was joined by President Bush and former Presidents Richard M. Nixon, Gerald R. Ford and Jimmy Carter.</p> </div>Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06475026713228665094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242269147280141406.post-45329973478445285692009-02-13T00:31:00.000-08:002009-02-14T18:16:18.248-08:00February 12, 2009: Sen. Judd Gregg Withdraws his Nomination for Commerce Secretary & the Final Push for the Economic Stimulus Bill<h3 style="text-align: left;">THE OBAMA PRESIDENCY:</h3> <p><!-- Summary --> <!-- The Content --></p> <div class="entry-content"> <div class="w480"><img src="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2009/02/12/us/12gregg-480.jpg" alt="Judd Gregg" /><span class="credit"><br />Doug Mills/The New York Times</span> <span class="caption">Senator Judd Gregg with President Obama and Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr.</span></div> </div> <h3 style="text-align: center;">IN FOCUS: STATS</h3> <h3>In Focus: Stats</h3> <ul><li>CNN-Opinion Research Corporation poll out this week shows an American public looking very favorably on the new president, with an approval rating of 76%. That includes a whopping 97% of Democrats and 50% of Republicans. However, only 54% support the Senate bill. - <a href="http://caffertyfile.blogs.cnn.com/2009/02/12/how-stimulating-is-13-a-week/">CNN, 2-12-09</a></li></ul> <h3 style="text-align: center;">THE HEADLINES….</h3> <h3>The Headlines…</h3> <ul><li><strong>Obama makes 11th hour push for stimulus package: </strong>Taking no chances, President Barack Obama is exerting last-minute pressure on Congress to approve his stimulus plan by highlighting stories of people affected by the economic downturn. - <a href="http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/02/13/obama-makes-11th-hour-push-for-stimulus-package/">CNN, 2-12-09</a></li><li><strong>Even After the Deal, Tinkering Goes On: </strong>Congressional leaders moved swiftly on Thursday to schedule votes in the House and Senate on the $789 billion economic stimulus plan, while lawmakers spent much of the day hammering out the final details of the legislation. - <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/13/us/politics/13stimulus.html?ref=politics">NYT, 2-12-09</a></li><li><strong>Global Economy Top Threat to U.S., Spy Chief Says: </strong>The new director of national intelligence told Congress on Thursday that global economic turmoil and the instability it could ignite had outpaced terrorism as the most urgent threat facing the United States. - <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/13/washington/13intel.html?hp">NYT, 2-12-09</a></li><li><strong>Gregg withdraws as commerce secretary nominee: </strong>Saying “I made a mistake,” Republican Sen. Judd Gregg of New Hampshire abruptly withdrew as commerce secretary nominee on Thursday and left the fledgling White House suddenly coping with Barack Obama’s third Cabinet withdrawal. - <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hwu7ZlKE7WeLk16elRjtCJD26tKgD96ACJVO0">AP, 2-12-09</a></li><li><strong>Obama honors Lincoln’s vision of strong union: </strong>Summoning the pride of a nation, President Barack Obama paid fond tribute Thursday to Abraham Lincoln by challenging people to embrace his vision of a collective union and reject a “knee-jerk disdain for government.” - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090213/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_lincoln">AP, 2-12-09</a></li><li><strong>George W. Bush to give talk in Calgary: </strong>A Calgary audience might be the first group to hear George W. Bush’s take on the state of the world since he stepped down as U.S. president earlier this year. - <a href="http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20090212/Bush_Calgary_090212/20090212?hub=Canada">CTV, 2-12-09</a></li><li><strong>Gregg Withdrawal Embarrasses White House: </strong>His decision to withdraw as Obama’s nominee for commerce secretary was especially surprising since the courtship between the president and Gregg went on for several weeks. They had even spoken together several times about their ideological differences on economic policy…. - <a href="http://blogs.abcnews.com/george/2009/02/gregg-withdrawa.html">ABC News, 2-12-09</a></li><li><strong>Analysis: Obscure post gives Obama big headache: </strong>Quick, who headed the Commerce Department under President George W. Bush? No disrespect to Carlos M. Gutierrez, but commerce secretary is not one of Washington’s more glamorous jobs. It’s overshadowed by first-tier Cabinet posts at Justice, State, Defense and Treasury. Scores of senators, House members, Supreme Court justices and White House aides would draw more attention at a Georgetown cocktail party or DuPont Circle restaurant. - <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gm5XMVt9ddHhN90KoiseBYTlZbegD96ABSIO1">AP, 2-12-09</a></li><li><strong>US Senate to vote Friday on $789 bln stimulus plan: </strong>The U.S. Senate will vote on Friday on the $789 billion economic stimulus package that President Barack Obama wants quickly to boost the struggling economy, said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. - <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/americasRegulatoryNews/idUSN1249082320090213">Reuters, 2-12-09</a></li><li><strong>Reid Looking for GOP Votes: </strong>Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is calling other Republican centrists trying to persuade more of them to vote for the measure. He’s looking for additional votes out of an abundance of caution, an aide explained, after learning that ailing Sen. Ted Kennedy, who returned to Capitol Hill for votes earlier this week, has now gone back to Florida to continue his recovery from brain cancer and won’t be here for a final vote on the stimulus bill in the coming days. - <a href="http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/02/12/reid-looking-for-gop-votes/">CNN, 2-12-09</a></li><li><strong>Obama eyes home loan subsidies in rescue plan: </strong>The Obama administration is hammering out a program to subsidize mortgages in a new front to fight the credit crisis, sources familiar with the plan told Reuters on Thursday, boosting financial markets. - <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSTRE51B6B620090213">Reuters, 2-12-09</a></li><li><strong>Senate Democrats optimistic about 2010, targeting nine states: </strong>Nearly two years before Election Day 2010, the Senate Democrat charged with expanding the party’s already-strong majority sounded a bullish tone Thursday, suggesting the national mood and political environment make it nearly impossible for the GOP to pick up seats. - <a href="http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/02/12/senate-democrats-optimistic-about-2010-targeting-nine-states/">CNN, 2-12-09</a></li><li><strong>GOP Targets Stimulus Supporters In New Ad: </strong>The National Republican Congressional Committee today began running radio ads targeting 30 House Democrats who supported the stimulus package – or, as the NRCC puts it, “a trillion-dollar spending bill chock full of wasteful Washington spending.” - <a href="http://video.nationaljournal.com/nrcc.mp3">Listen, Mp3</a> <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/02/12/politics/politicalhotsheet/entry4797968.shtml">CBS News, 2-12-09</a></li><li><strong>Smacking Specter, When His Vote Matters: </strong>At a news briefing, Senator Robert Menendez, the chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, said Mr. Specter’s seat was one of the Democrats’ targets for the 2010 midterm elections. Mr. Menendez cited the increased enrollment of Democrats in the state and his poll ratings in contending that Mr. Specter would face a very tough re-election tide. - <a href="http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/12/smacking-specter-when-his-vote-matters/">NYT, 2-12-09</a></li><li><strong>Jack Cafferty: “How stimulating is $13 a week?”:</strong> While the federal government is passing an $800 billion stimulus bill — which works out to about $2,700 for every man woman and child in the country — the average worker can look forward to seeing about an extra $13 a week in his/her paycheck after taxes. This is on top of the $700 billion financial bailout package that was passed last fall and given to Wall Street. - <a href="http://caffertyfile.blogs.cnn.com/2009/02/12/how-stimulating-is-13-a-week/">CNN, 2-12-09</a></li><li><strong>Food stamps, tax breaks for poor in stimulus bill: </strong>More than 37 million Americans live in poverty, and the vast majority of them are in line for extra help under the giant stimulus package coming out of Congress. Millions more could be kept from slipping into poverty by the economic lifeline. People who get food stamps — 30 million and growing — will get more. People drawing unemployment checks — 4.8 million and growing — would get an extra $25, and keep those checks coming longer. People who get Supplemental Security Income — 7 million poor Americans who are elderly, blind or disabled — would get one-time extra payments of $250. - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090212/ap_on_go_co/stimulus_poor">AP, 2-12-09</a></li><li><strong>Analysis: Obama faces double dilemmas in Mideast: </strong>Israel’s shift to the right could throw a monkey wrench into President Barack Obama’s conciliatory overtures to Iran and his budding drive to promote Arab-Israeli peacemaking. - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090212/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_israel_analysis">AP, 2-12-09</a></li></ul> <h3 style="text-align: center;">POLITICAL QUOTES</h3> <h3>Political Quotes</h3> <ul><li><strong>“Gregg Withdraws as Commerce Secretary Nominee”: </strong>“He was very clear throughout the interviewing process that despite past disagreements about policies, he would support, embrace, and move forward with the President’s agenda. Once it became clear after his nomination that Senator Gregg was not going to be supporting some of President Obama’s key economic priorities, it became necessary for Senator Gregg and the Obama administration to part ways.” - <a href="http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/12/gregg-withdraws-his-name-from-commerce-secretary-nominee/">NYT, 2-12-09</a></li><li><strong>Republican Sen. Judd Gregg of New Hampshire in statement Thursday withdrawing from consideration to be President Obama’s Commerce Secretary: </strong>I want to thank the President for nominating me to serve in his Cabinet as Secretary of Commerce. This was a great honor, and I had felt that I could bring some views and ideas that would assist him in governing during this difficult time. I especially admire his willingness to reach across the aisle.However, it has become apparent during this process that this will not work for me as I have found that on issues such as the stimulus package and the Census there are irresolvable conflicts for me. Prior to accepting this post, we had discussed these and other potential differences, but unfortunately we did not adequately focus on these concerns. We are functioning from a different set of views on many critical items of policy.Obviously the President requires a team that is fully supportive of all his initiatives.I greatly admire President Obama and know our country will benefit from his leadership, but at this time I must withdraw my name from consideration for this position. <p>As we move forward, I expect there will be many issues and initiatives where I can and will work to assure the success of the President’s proposals. This will certainly be a goal of mine.</p> <p>Kathy and I also want to specifically thank Governor Lynch and Bonnie Newman for their friendship and assistance during this period. In addition we wish to thank all the people, especially in New Hampshire, who have been so kind and generous in their supportive comments.</p> <p>As a further matter of clarification, nothing about the vetting process played any role in this decision. I will continue to represent the people of New Hampshire in the United States Senate. - <a href="http://bonniekaryn.wordpress.com/wp-admin/">CNN, 2-12-09</a> </p></li><li><strong>Barack Obama “Obama Takes His Lobbying for Stimulus to Illinois Caterpillar plant”: </strong>I also want to thank Jim Owens, who I’ve gotten to know and is one of the top CEOs that we have in the country. You know, Jim is obviously confronted with some tough choices, like every CEO is right now, but what I’m absolutely confident in is he’s thinking about the company’s long-term growth and he cares about his workers; he cares about the long term and not just the short term. And I appreciate him agreeing to serve as one of our economic advisers during this process, and I think this company is going to be in good hands with him at the helm. So thank you very much, Jim, for being a part of this event today.It’s been reconciled and now it’s going back to those two chambers so it can get on my desk. It is time for Congress to act, and I hope they act in a bipartisan fashion. But no matter how they act, when they do, when they finally pass our plan, I believe it will be a major step forward on our path to economic recovery.And I’m not the only one who thinks so. Yesterday, Jim, the head of Caterpillar, said that if Congress passes our plan, this company will be able to rehire some of the folks who were just laid off. And that’s a story I’m confident will be repeated at companies across the country — companies that are currently struggling to borrow money selling their products, struggling to make payroll, but could find themselves in a different position when we start implementing the plan. Rather than downsizing, they may be able to start growing again. Rather than cutting jobs, they may be able to create them again.That’s the goal at the heart of this plan: to create jobs. <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/13/us/politics/13obama.html?_r=1&ref=politics">NYT, 2-12-09</a></li><li><strong>Democratic Senator Byron Dorgan “Is stimulus plan “theft”?”: </strong>Democratic Senator Byron Dorgan points out this is more money than has “ever been contemplated in the history of our country.” He’s proposing that the government come up with a system to show how every penny is spent, adding the real scandal is not knowing how the money is being managed. Said Dorgan, “Letting the banks be run like casinos on their own account, is that theft? You’re damn right it is.” - <a href="http://caffertyfile.blogs.cnn.com/2009/02/11/is-stimulus-plan-%E2%80%9Ctheft%E2%80%9D/">CNN, 2-12-09</a></li><li><strong>Republican Senator John McCain “Is stimulus plan “theft”?”: </strong>Republican Senator John McCain is calling the bailout “generational theft.” He says we’re robbing future generations by laying such astronomical debt on their shoulders. - <a href="http://caffertyfile.blogs.cnn.com/2009/02/11/is-stimulus-plan-%E2%80%9Ctheft%E2%80%9D/">CNN, 2-12-09</a></li></ul> <p><!-- Start Slide --> <!-- Start --><a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog_post/happy_birthday_abe/"><img style="border-style: none;" src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/624x351/FordsTheater1-hero.jpg" alt="President and Mrs. Obama at the re-opening of Ford's Theatre" height="297" width="529" /></a></p> <ul><li><strong>President Obama Speaks at Lincoln Bicentennial Celebration: </strong>It is an honor to be here - a place where Lincoln served, was inaugurated, and where the nation he saved bid him a last farewell. As we mark the bicentennial of our 16th President’s birth, I cannot claim to know as much about his life and works as many of those who are also speaking today, but I can say that I feel a special gratitude to this singular figure who in so many ways made by own story possible - and who in so many ways made America’s story possible.It is fitting that we are holding this celebration here at the Capitol. For the life of this building is bound ever so closely to the times of this immortal President. Built by artisans and craftsmen, immigrants and slaves - it was here, in the rotunda, that union soldiers received help from a makeshift hospital; it was downstairs, in the basement, that they were baked bread to give them strength; and it was in the Senate and House chambers, where they slept at night, and spent some of their days.What those soldiers saw when they looked on this building was a very different sight than the one we see today. For it remained unfinished until the end of the war. The laborers who built the dome came to work wondering whether each day would be their last; whether the metal they were using for its frame would be requisitioned for the war and melted down into bullets. But each day went by without any orders to halt construction, and so they kept on working and kept on building.When President Lincoln was finally told of all the metal being used here, his response was short and clear: that is as it should be. The American people needed to be reminded, he believed, that even in a time of war, the work would go on; that even when the nation itself was in doubt, its future was being secured; and that on that distant day, when the guns fell silent, a national capitol would stand, with a statue of freedom at its peak, as a symbol of unity in a land still mending its divisions. <p>It is this sense of unity, this ability to plan for a shared future even at a moment our nation was torn apart, that I reflect on today. And while there are any number of moments that reveal that particular side of this extraordinary man - that particular aspect of his leadership - there is one I’d like to share with you today.</p> <p>In the war’s final weeks, aboard Grant’s flagship, The River Queen, President Lincoln was asked what was to be done with the rebel armies once General Lee surrendered. With victory at hand, Lincoln could have sought revenge. He could have forced the South to pay a steep price for their rebellion. But despite all the bloodshed and all the misery that each side had exacted upon the other, no Confederate soldier was to be punished, Lincoln ordered. They were to be treated, as he put it, “liberally all round.” All Lincoln wanted was for Confederate troops to go back home and return to work on their farms and in their shops. He was even willing, he said, to “let them have their horses to plow with and…their guns to shoot crows with.”</p> <p>That was the only way, Lincoln knew, to repair the rifts that had torn this country apart. It was the only way to begin the healing that our nation so desperately needed. For what Lincoln never forgot, not even in the midst of civil war, was that despite all that divided us - north and south, black and white - we were, at heart, one nation and one people, sharing a bond as Americans that could not break. And so even as we meet here today, at a moment when we are far less divided than in Lincoln’s day, but when we are once again debating the critical issues of our time - and debating them fiercely - let us remember that we are doing so as servants to the same flag, as representatives of the same people, and as stakeholders in a common future. That is the most fitting tribute we can pay - and the most lasting monument we can build - to that most remarkable of men, Abraham Lincoln. Thank you. - <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/12/AR2009021201732.html">WaPo, 2-12-09</a> </p></li><li><strong>CEO Contradicts Obama on Rehiring Employees Caterpillar Head Says More Layoffs Likely, Even With Stimulus Funding: </strong>“Yesterday, Jim, the head of Caterpillar, said that if Congress passes our plan, this company will be able to rehire some of the folks who were just laid off,” Obama said today in Peoria.But when asked today if the stimulus could do that, Owens said, “I think, realistically, no. The honest reality is we’re probably going to have more layoffs before we start hiring again.” <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=6866995&page=1">ABC News, 2-12-09</a></li><li><strong>Barack Obama “Obama Campaign to Lend Partisanship Draws Few Republican Allies”: </strong>“They were designed to try to build up some trust over time. As I continue to make these overtures, over time, hopefully that will be reciprocated.” - <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=a2KBa59.cjfw&refer=home">Bloomberg, 2-12-09</a></li><li><strong>Republican Florida Governor Charlie Crist “Obama Campaign to Lend Partisanship Draws Few Republican Allies”: </strong>“It’s getting harder every day and we know that it’s important that we pass a stimulus package. We need to do it in a bipartisan way.” - <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=a2KBa59.cjfw&refer=home">Bloomberg, 2-12-09</a></li><li><strong>Barney Frank “New bank bailout grants will be protected” on CBS’s “The Early Show”: </strong>We didn’t give them the second half ($350 billion) with no strings attached. The Treasury Department has agreed to impose very strict rules, and I think it would be a very big mistake to assume that the Obama administration is going to be as lax as the Bush administration…. The error is to assume that because the Bush administration resisted compensation restrictions … that the Obama administration is going to do the same. In fact, the Obama administration is behaving very differently. The fact is, these funds are being conditioned by the Obama administration. If they get the money, they are legally bound to follow certain rules.” - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090212/ap_on_go_co/bailout_banks">AP, 2-12-09</a></li></ul> <h3>HISTORIANS’ COMMENTS</h3> <h3>Historians’ Comments</h3> <ul><li><strong>Julian Zelizer “Obama’s stimulus gamble” video: </strong>Should the economic recovery plan work, the goal of saving or creating 4 million jobs will have been met and President Obama can take full credit. - <a href="http://www.reuters.com/news/video?videoId=98677&videoChannel=1">Reuter, 2-12-09</a></li><li><strong>Burton Folsom Jr. “That Buy American Provision”": </strong>“Slap a tariff on China and save American jobs,” the protectionists say. This tempting line of reasoning is flawed for two reasons. First, if Americans pay more for, say, American-made shoes or shirts, then they have less to spend for other things they might need — they are simply subsidizing inefficient local producers. And those American manufacturers, who are protected from foreign competitors, have little incentive to innovate and cut prices…. Free trade benefits buyers and sellers. Tariffs benefit certain sellers at the expense of all buyers. - <a href="http://roomfordebate.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/11/that-buy-american-provision/">NYT, 2-12-09</a></li><li><strong>Julian Zelizer “Republican governors at odds on U.S. stimulus cash”: </strong>“When Republicans say they’re against big government, it’ll be easy to point to all these states where Republican governors embraced the funding.” - <a href="http://uk.reuters.com/article/economyNews/idUKTRE51B5K420090212">Reusters, 2-12-09</a></li><li><strong>Julian Zelizer “Obama walks line between politics, economy”:</strong> “It’s clear there are divisions in the administration about where the financial bailout should be targeted as well as how much authority the government should gain over financial institutions….The best bet is that Geithner was vague on the detail because the administration has not settled what that detail should be.” - <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/reutersEdge/idUSTRE51B6U520090212?sp=true">Reuters, 2-12-09</a></li></ul> <p><!-- Summary --> <!-- The Content --></p> <div class="entry-content"> <div class="w480"><img src="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2009/02/12/us/12lincoln2-480.jpg" alt="Mark Wilson/Getty Images)" /><span class="caption"><br />President Barack Obama with, from left, Rep. Jesse Jackson, House Minority Leader John Boehner and Speaker Nancy Pelosi, at a ceremony to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln on Thursday at the Capitol building in Washington. (Photo: Stephen Crowley/The New York Times)</span></div> </div>Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06475026713228665094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242269147280141406.post-9627976096570470712009-02-13T00:20:00.000-08:002009-02-14T21:20:22.509-08:00Gil Troy: Is Obamania Stopping Us From Questioning Obama's Competence?<h3 class="posttitle">By Gil Troy, <a class="mceItemAnchor" name="62106" href="http://hnn.us/blogs/entries/62106.html" mce_href="http://hnn.us/blogs/entries/62106.html">HNN, 2-13-09</a></h3> <p>Wow, the descent from “Yes We Can” to “I screwed up” has been rapid – and unnerving. It hurts me to write this post. Like the millions who were in Washington on Inauguration Day, and the billions who watched around the world, I want <a href="http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/02/14/obama-to-sign-stimulus-bill-in-denver-on-tuesday/" mce_href="http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/02/14/obama-to-sign-stimulus-bill-in-denver-on-tuesday/">Barack Obama</a> to succeed, America needs Obama to succeed. But as American patriots – and as historians – we cannot be so blinded by our hopes and his charms that we overlook the truth. Obama’s Keystone Kops Cabinet farce would be funny if it were not so tragic. His utter failure to put together an effective team without getting so much egg on his face plays to one of my greatest fears about Obama. As an academic who has never been an administrator (beyond one year as department chair), I wondered how he, with only minimally more administrative experience, could take on one of the most complicated executive jobs in history. So far, the results are depressing.</p> <p>Let’s imagine what would have happened had George W. Bush entered the White House, with one nominee for Commerce Secretary already withdrawn because of an investigation the most basic background check should have uncovered. All we would have heard about was Republicans’ corruption and Team Bush’s incompetence. Imagine it was followed by a trio of tax slobs, topped by a new Commerce Secretary from across the aisle who realized a week after his nomination that he and the administration were incompatible. (One wonders, did it take that long for Judd Gregg to realize that he was a conservative Republican and that the Republicans lost, he was being hired by a Democratic president?) And then, to top it all off, imagine if one of the tax slackers, who, by the way, was now in charge of the Internal Revenue Service, whose services were so in need his careless paperwork was overlooked, launched a critical financial program in such a nervous, vague, hamhanded way, the stock market plummeted after his presentation. This personnel trainwreck would have created a Tsunami of contemptuous laughter, particularly among reporters, pundits, and comedians.</p> <p>This narrative suggests political bias, that the so-called “liberal media” was tough on George W. Bush, the Republican, and soft on Barack Obama the great liberal democratic hope. But former President Bill Clinton – and any of the many Clinton retreads still getting used to their return to power – could remind us all that Bill Clinton was pummeled mercilessly when his Attorney General nominee, Zoe Baird, had to withdraw because of her nanny problems, and the next leading candidate, Judge Kimba Wood, was caught in a similar embarrassment.</p> <p>These – by contrast, relatively minor errors – saddled Clinton’s administration with a reputation for buffoonery. Clinton had a terrible time trying to shift the broader narrative and prove that he was indeed ready for prime time. To achieve that, he ended up having to reassign one of his young superstars, George Stephanopoulos, and hire an older Washington hand, David Gergen, within six months.</p> <p>Careful analyses of the 2008 presidential campaign will discover a systematic bias in favor of Obama. His story was fresher, more compelling, and thus less scrutinized than Hillary Clinton’s, John McCain’s, or the other also-rans. Even some journalists have admitted in retrospect that many reporters liked Obama, loved the idea of Obama, and frequently gave him a free pass.</p> <p>Still, there may also be a more benign explanation. The financial meltdown has sobered Americans – and reporters. Barack Obama’s call for a new, more constructive politics have resonated. This really is not the time for the kind of partisan, “gotcha” bickering that has marred our politics for so long.</p> <p>All this makes Obama’s repeated missteps so disturbing. The stakes are too high for amateur hour. Obama needs to explain why his personnel process has been so spectacularly incompetent, what he is going to do to fix it, and what he has learned from this experience. There is a lot of goodwill and desperation out there, both of which Obama has been able to tap effectively. But rather than just talking beautifully, he must start governing competently.</p> <h3>See Also:</h3> <b><a title="What Was Judd Gregg Thinking?" rel="bookmark" href="http://foxforum.blogs.foxnews.com/2009/02/13/troy_gregg_obama/" mce_href="http://foxforum.blogs.foxnews.com/2009/02/13/troy_gregg_obama/">What Was Judd Gregg Thinking?</a></b><b>, Fox Forum, 2-13-09</b><i><b><a title="What Was Judd Gregg Thinking?" rel="bookmark" href="http://foxforum.blogs.foxnews.com/2009/02/13/troy_gregg_obama/" mce_href="http://foxforum.blogs.foxnews.com/2009/02/13/troy_gregg_obama/"><br /></a></b></i>Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06475026713228665094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242269147280141406.post-80095127500284029932009-02-12T00:20:00.000-08:002009-02-14T18:01:32.164-08:00February 11, 2009: The Senate and Congress agree on an Economic Stimulus Bill<h3>THE OBAMA PRESIDENCY:</h3> <div id="wideImage" class="image"><img src="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2009/02/12/us/12assess_span.jpg" alt="" border="0" height="271" width="493" /> <div class="credit">Stephen Crowley/The New York Times</div> <p class="caption">Members of the House and the Senate working on the final version of the stimulus on Wednesday. The fragile consensus, and the president’s agenda, face many tests in coming months.</p> </div> <h3>IN FOCUS: STATS</h3> <h3>In Focus: Stats</h3> <ul><li>President Obama’s first prime time press conference attracted 49.5 million viewers on Monday night.<br /><h3>The Headlines…</h3> </li><li><strong>Congress, White House agree on $790B stimulus bill: </strong>Moving with lightning speed, the Democratic-controlled Congress and White House agreed Wednesday on a compromise $790 billion economic stimulus bill designed to create millions of jobs in a nation reeling from recession. President Barack Obama could sign the measure within days. - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090212/ap_on_go_co/congress_stimulus">AP, 2-11-09</a></li><li><strong>Obama’s Battle on Stimulus Shows Threats to His Agenda: </strong>It is a quick, sweet victory for the new president, and potentially a historic one. The question now is whether the $789 billion economic stimulus plan agreed to by Congressional leaders on Wednesday is the opening act for a more ambitious domestic agenda from President Obama or a harbinger of reduced expectations. - <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/12/us/politics/12assess.html?ref=business">NYT, 2-11-09</a></li><li><strong>Stimulus fight gives Obama lessons early: </strong>When the first big priority of his presidency was at risk of unraveling last week, Barack Obama went back to the fundamentals that enabled him to win a historic victory in the presidential election…. - <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2009-02-11-obamalessons_N.htm">USA Today, 2-11-09</a></li><li><strong>Louisiana governor to give high-profile GOP response to Obama: </strong>Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal is set to deliver the Republican response to President Obama’s upcoming joint address to Congress, a high-profile slot the party often gives to one of its rising stars. “Gov. Jindal embodies what I have long said: The Republican Party must not be simply the party of ‘opposition,’ but the party of better solutions,” House Minority Leader John Boehner said in a Wednesday statement. - <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/02/11/jindal.response/">CNN, 2-11-09</a></li><li>McCain announces another run - proves you can campaign forever: No, he hasn’t announced plans for the presidential race in 2012. McCain loves campaigning so much, he’s running earlier. 2010. He wants a fifth term in the US Senate. - <a href="http://features.csmonitor.com/politics/2009/02/11/mccain-announces-another-run-proves-you-can-campaign-forever/">Christian Sciene Monitor, 2-11-09</a></li><li><strong>Despite Post-Partisan Pledges, Obama Enters ‘Campaign Mode’ to Sell Stimulus: </strong>In going over the heads of lawmakers to sell his economic recovery plan to the public, political scholars say the president showed a fierce practical streak. Despite a pledge to bridge the partisan divide in Washington, President Obama left the capital this week to deploy a battle-tested strategy of bypassing Congress and taking his policy proposals to the people. The result was a political scene that more resembled the hard-knuckle presidential campaign than the diplomatic transition period. - <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/politics/first100days/2009/02/11/despite-post-partisan-pledges-obama-enters-campaign-mode-sell-stimulus/">Fox news, 2-11-09</a></li><li><strong>The Big Winners In Stimulus Compromise: The Upper-Middle Class: </strong>Amid all the cutting, however, one group emerged unscathed: the upper-middle class, the not-quite-super-rich, but certainly not on the ropes. Most of these folks, in terms of income and employment, are what could be called the un-needy, a group clearly distinct from those Obama identified as the core target of the legislation. The “compromise” legislation includes $70 billion, or just under 10 percent of the whole package, to be used expressly to take care of these affluent people. -</li><li><strong>Instead of stimulus, do nothing – seriously: </strong>Stimulus is unconstitutional. And history shows that the economy can recover strongly on its own, if politicians stay out of the way. - <a href="http://www.csmonitor.com/2009/0209/p09s01-coop.html">Christian Science Monitor, 2-9-09</a></li></ul> <h3>POLITICAL QUOTES</h3> <p><img src="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/02/11/gall.biden.gi.jpg" alt="ALT TEXT" border="0" height="297" hspace="0" vspace="0" width="456" /></p> <p><span style="color: rgb(136, 136, 136);">Biden is set to push the stimulus bill in Pennsylvania (Getty Images)</span></p> <h3>Political Quotes</h3> <ul><li><strong>Obama praises news of stimulus deal “Statement on Recovery and Reinvestment Act Agreement”: </strong>“I want to thank the Democrats and Republicans in Congress who came together around a hard-fought compromise that will save or create more than 3.5 million jobs and get our economy back on track. Just today, the CEO of Caterpillar said that if this American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan is passed, his company would be able to rehire some of the employees they’ve been forced to lay off. It’s also a plan ] that will provide immediate tax relief to families and businesses, while investing in priorities like health care, education, energy, and infrastructure that will grow our economy once more. I’m grateful to the House Democrats for starting this process, and for members in the House and Senate for moving it along with the urgency that this moment demands.” - <a href="http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/02/11/obama-praises-news-of-stimulus-deal/">CNN, 2-11-09</a></li><li><strong>Biden heads back to Pennsylvania to push stimulus: </strong>I doubt whether anything this massive, this consequential, this significant, has passed this quickly in any other administration. We’re talking about 100 days, we haven’t even hit 25 days yet.” - <a href="http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/02/11/biden-heads-back-to-pennsylvania-to-push-stimulus/">CNN, 2-11-09 </a></li><li><strong>John McCain in an e-mail announcing his intentions for re-election:</strong> Being the Republican nominee for President was one of the great honors of my life and an experience I will never forget. Some have wondered, after my hard fought presidential campaign, if I plan to run for re-election to the United States Senate.<br />I want you to know that I do intend to seek re-election. The magnitude of the financial crisis that many American families are facing makes it clear to me that I want to continue to serve our country in the Senate.<br />The economic challenges currently confronting our nation are immense and unfortunately, the Democrats in Congress propose addressing these challenges through increased spending that wastes billions of taxpayers dollars and saddles our children and grandchildren with a staggering debt. Their proposals will not stimulate economic growth or create jobs. While the leader of the Democratic Party, President Obama, has pledged to change business as usual in Washington and spoken of bipartisanship, I have been saddened to watch as Congressional Democrats try to use their majority to advocate more of the same failed policies and wasteful spending of the past. With so much at stake, now is not the time to step away from my work in the Senate.<br />As always, I anticipate a tough re-election challenge. But with your help, we will counter those efforts and put forth an aggressive campaign by registering new voters, reaching out to Democrats, Independents and Republicans, and again earning the support of Hispanic and Native American voters in Arizona.<br />I am honored to serve the people of Arizona as their United States Senator. I would be most appreciative of your support of my re-election efforts.</li></ul> <h3>HISTORIANS’ COMMENTS</h3> <h3>Historians’ Comments</h3> <ul><li><strong>Julian Zelizer “Bipartisanship is not always good”: </strong>This week, some politicians and pundits will boast of the bipartisan coalition that — under the leadership of Sens. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.), Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) — cut the economic recovery legislation by more than $100 billion and moved the bill through the chamber. The legislation might be the first concrete evidence that an influential bipartisan coalition has emerged.<br />It is not clear the bill we have will work. Many prominent economists, including Paul Krugman, have argued that the House version of the bill is not big enough to stabilize economic conditions. Instead of relying on this bipartisan coalition, President Barack Obama could have rallied his campaign troops and mounted pressure on wavering senators to support a bolder bill.</li><li> If the Senate coalition went too far with its cuts, the damage could be twofold. The bill might not stop the economic meltdown Americans are facing. In six months, we could find ourselves with even worse conditions and more government debt. At the same time, Americans would have little tolerance for new proposals for federal intervention. After all, future opponents would say, the financial bailout and the economic recovery bills did not work. The administration and congressional Democrats could find themselves in a political straitjacket just as America is desperate for help. - <a href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0209/18671.html">Politico, 2-11-09</a></li><li><strong>Timothy Roberts “Obama’s Challenge: What Would Lincoln Do?”: </strong>Their crises were different, but the responses of Presidents Abraham Lincoln and Barack Obama bear striking parallels, historians say.<br />“Both Lincoln and Obama advocated big government and actively believed it could do good,” said Timothy Roberts, professor of American history at Western Illinois University in Moline, Ill. “The size and complexity of the situation facing Obama would have baffled Lincoln, but he would have embraced Obama’s attempt to balance tax cuts — intended to encourage individual initiative and entrepreneurship — and government spending,” Roberts said…. “Critics of Obama, like critics of Lincoln, claim these policies smack of European style socialism,” Roberts said…. “Lincoln was elected by the smallest percentage support of any U.S. president. And at the beginning he was criticized and lampooned unmercifully by foreigners who assumed he was a buffoon,” Roberts said. - <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/02/11/lincoln/">Fox News, 2-11-09</a></li><li><strong>Alan Kraut “Obama’s Challenge: What Would Lincoln Do?”: </strong>Their crises were different, but the responses of Presidents Abraham Lincoln and Barack Obama bear striking parallels, historians say.<br />“The Whig Party — which later became the Republican Party — was very much interested in the government having input into the economy,” said Alan Kraut, professor of American history at American University in Washington, D.C. “Lincoln expanded the government’s role enormously during his presidency,” Kraut said…. “While Lincoln was willing to take a lot of this bold action himself, Obama is trying very hard to work in a spirit of [bipartisanship] and to work cooperatively with the Congress,” said Kraut. - <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/02/11/lincoln/">Fox News, 2-11-09</a></li><li><strong>Richard Brookhiser “Obama’s Challenge: What Would Lincoln Do?”: </strong>Their crises were different, but the responses of Presidents Abraham Lincoln and Barack Obama bear striking parallels, historians say.<br />“Lincoln came into his crises very well-prepared. He had spent six years contending with Stephen Douglas about the expansion of slavery into the territories — which was the major issue at the time. Obama hadn’t been challenged in the same way prior to his election,” said American historian Richard Brookhiser. <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/02/11/lincoln/">Fox News, 2-11-09</a></li></ul> <p><!-- Start Slide --> <!-- Start --><a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog_post/with_the_stroke_of_a_pen/"><img style="border-style: none;" src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/624x351/P021109PS-0201w_Va_Infrastructure-hero.jpg" alt="President Obama at a Virgina construction site with Gov. Tim Kaine" height="285" width="508" /></a></p>Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06475026713228665094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242269147280141406.post-68339525337538292372009-02-11T01:30:00.000-08:002009-02-11T01:32:22.380-08:00February 10, 2009: Reactions to Obama First Press Conference and the Economic Stimulus Plan<h3>Also: <a title="President Obama’s First Press Conference" rel="bookmark" href="http://bonniekaryn.wordpress.com/2009/02/10/february-9-2009-president-obamas-first-press-conference/" mce_href="../2009/02/10/february-9-2009-president-obamas-first-press-conference/">February 9, 2009: President Obama’s First Press Conference</a></h3> <h3>THE OBAMA PRESIDENCY:</h3> <p><!-- Start Slide --> <!-- Start --></p> <div style="position: absolute; top: 0pt; left: 0pt; display: none; z-index: 4; opacity: 0;"><a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog_post/do_the_right_thing/" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog_post/do_the_right_thing/"><img style="border-style: none; width: 624px; height: 351px;" src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/624x351/P021009JB-0163_TalkingAnimals-hero.jpg" mce_src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/624x351/P021009JB-0163_TalkingAnimals-hero.jpg" alt="The First Lady read to children at Mary's Center in Washington, D.C." /></a> <div class="stgslidecredit">White House photo 2/10/09 by Joyce N. Boghosian</div> <div class="stgslideheading"> <h1 style="background-image: url(/assets//hero/hero_display_313x351_template.jpg);" mce_style="background-image:url('/assets//hero/hero_display_313x351_template.jpg');">FLOTUS at Mary's Center</h1> </div> <div class="stgslidecontent">That was Mrs. Obama's message to a group of young people at a non-profit community organization in Washington, D.C. -- where she spoke about her own humble beginnings. <p><a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog_post/do_the_right_thing/" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog_post/do_the_right_thing/"><img src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/buttons/btn_see_slideshow.jpg" mce_src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/buttons/btn_see_slideshow.jpg" alt="Watch the video" align="middle" border="0" height="21" vspace="5" width="157" /></a></p></div> </div> <p><!-- End --> <!-- Start --></p> <div style="position: absolute; top: 0pt; left: 0pt; display: none; z-index: 3; opacity: 0;"><a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog_post/LiveblogFtMyersFLtownhall/" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog_post/LiveblogFtMyersFLtownhall/"><img style="border-style: none; width: 624px; height: 351px;" src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/624x351/_MG_7232-hero.jpg" mce_src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/624x351/_MG_7232-hero.jpg" alt="President Obama at a town hall in Ft. Myers, FL" /></a> <div class="stgslidecredit">White House photo 2/10/09 by Pete Souza</div> <div class="stgslideheading"> <h1 style="background-image: url(/assets//hero/hero_taking_fl.jpg);" mce_style="background-image:url('/assets//hero/hero_taking_fl.jpg');">POTUS in Ft. Myers, FL</h1> </div> <div class="stgslidecontent">On Tuesday, February 10, 2009, President Obama held a town hall in Ft. Myers, FL -- one of the towns hardest hit by the foreclosure crisis. <p><a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog_post/LiveblogFtMyersFLtownhall/" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog_post/LiveblogFtMyersFLtownhall/"><img src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/buttons/btn_see_slideshow.jpg" mce_src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/buttons/btn_see_slideshow.jpg" alt="See the slideshow" align="middle" border="0" height="21" vspace="5" width="157" /></a></p></div> </div> <p><!-- End --> <!-- Start --></p> <div style="position: absolute; top: 0pt; left: 0pt; display: none; z-index: 2; opacity: 0;"><a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog_post/stewards/" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog_post/stewards/"><img style="border-style: none; width: 624px; height: 351px;" src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/624x351/P020909JB-0260_PodiumAndOfficers.jpg" mce_src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/624x351/P020909JB-0260_PodiumAndOfficers.jpg" alt="Mrs. Obama visits the Department of the Interior" /></a> <div class="stgslidecredit">White House photo 2/9/09 by Joyce N. Boghosian</div> <div class="stgslideheading"> <h1 style="background-image: url(/assets//hero/hero_stewards.jpg);" mce_style="background-image:url('/assets//hero/hero_stewards.jpg');">FLOTUS at Interior</h1> </div> <div class="stgslidecontent">In a visit the Department of the Interior, Mrs. Obama spoke about how important it is to protect our natural resources and move towards a clean, sustainable energy future. <p><a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog_post/stewards/" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog_post/stewards/"><img src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/buttons/btn_firstlady_readremarks.jpg" mce_src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/buttons/btn_firstlady_readremarks.jpg" alt="Read the First Lady's remarks" align="middle" border="0" height="21" vspace="5" width="222" /></a></p></div> </div> <p><!-- End --> <!-- Start --><a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog_post/Indiana/" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog_post/Indiana/"><img style="border-style: none;" mce_style="border-style:none;" src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/624x351/_MG_3463-hero.jpg" mce_src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/624x351/_MG_3463-hero.jpg" alt="President Obama addresses town hall in Elkhart, Indiana" height="299" width="519" /></a></p> <h3>IN FOCUS: STATS</h3> <h3>In Focus: Stats</h3> <ul><li><b>Gallop Poll: </b>Feb. 6-7 Gallup poll released yesterday that shows 67 percent of the public approves of the way the president is handling the stimulus debate and only 31 percent approve of Republican efforts on the legislation, 48 percent approve of how Democrats are handling it. -- <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aWj4UbDNGwJ8&refer=home" mce_href="http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aWj4UbDNGwJ8&refer=home">Bloomberg, 2-10-09</a></li><li><b>FACTBOX:</b> How Obama plan ranks against New Deal, other programs - <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE5195XR20090210?sp=true" mce_href="http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE5195XR20090210?sp=true">Reuters, 2-10-09</a></li><li>Treasury Department Fact Sheet on the Rescue Plan Overhaul [PDF] - <a href="http://www.financialstability.gov/docs/fact-sheet.pdf" mce_href="http://www.financialstability.gov/docs/fact-sheet.pdf">Download PDF</a></li></ul> <h3>THE HEADLINES....</h3> <h3>The Headlines...</h3> <ul><li><b>$3 trillion! — Senate, Fed, Treasury attack crisis: </b>On a single day filled with staggering sums, the Obama administration, Federal Reserve and Senate attacked the deepening economic crisis Tuesday with actions that could throw as much as $3 trillion more in government and private funds into the fight against frozen credit markets and rising joblessness.<br />"It's gone deep. It's gotten worse," President Barack Obama said of the recession at a campaign-style appearance in Fort Myers, Fla., where unemployment has reached double digits. "The situation we face could not be more serious." - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090211/ap_on_go_pr_wh/economy_rdp" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090211/ap_on_go_pr_wh/economy_rdp">AP, 2-11-09</a></li><li><b>Bailout Plan: $2.5 Trillion and a Strong U.S. Hand: </b>The White House plan to rescue the nation’s financial system, announced on Tuesday by Timothy F. Geithner, the Treasury secretary, is far bigger than anyone predicted and envisions a far greater government role in markets and banks than at any time since the 1930s. - <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/11/business/economy/11bailout.html?hp" mce_href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/11/business/economy/11bailout.html?hp">NYT, 2-11-09</a></li><li><b>GOP group gets tough against Republicans who support stimulus: </b>An influential conservative political action committee is pledging to support primary challengers to any Republican senator who supports President Obama's stimulus package — the latest public show of dissatisfaction from the right over the massive measure before Congress. - <a href="http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/02/10/gop-group-gets-tough-against-republicans-who-support-stimulus/" mce_href="http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/02/10/gop-group-gets-tough-against-republicans-who-support-stimulus/">CNN, 2-10-09</a></li><li><b>Deal on stimulus bills mired in details: </b>The Senate approves its version of the economic stimulus package, but reconciling it with the smaller House bill will be no easy task. Obama stumps for his plan in Florida. - <a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-stimulus-vote11-2009feb11,0,6093883.story" mce_href="http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-stimulus-vote11-2009feb11,0,6093883.story">LAT, 2-10-09</a></li><li><b>Geithner's bear of a day: </b>The Obama administration's revamped program to fix the nation's ailing financial markets was met with harsh criticism Tuesday, as the stock market tumbled and lawmakers complained that it lacked details and missed essential targets. - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/politico/20090211/pl_politico/18692;_ylt=AqRIxLu6IlFK45EjEYvdhugGw_IE;_ylu=X3oDMTFhbDdoODhvBHBvcwMyBHNlYwN5bl9wcm9tb3NfdG9wX2JhcgRzbGsDYmVhcm9mYWRheQ--" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/politico/20090211/pl_politico/18692;_ylt=AqRIxLu6IlFK45EjEYvdhugGw_IE;_ylu=X3oDMTFhbDdoODhvBHBvcwMyBHNlYwN5bl9wcm9tb3NfdG9wX2JhcgRzbGsDYmVhcm9mYWRheQ--">AP, 2-10-09</a></li><li><b>For Geithner's Debut, a Lukewarm Reception: </b>For Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner as much as for the troubled government program to bail out the financial system, Tuesday amounted to a do-over. - <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/11/business/economy/11geithner.html?_r=1" mce_href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/11/business/economy/11geithner.html?_r=1">NYT, 2-10-09</a></li><li><b>Angered by stimulus plan vote, Republican vows to oust Specter:</b> U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter's vote for the Senate stimulus bill is stimulating long-festering Republican opposition to his re-election. Mr. Specter, whose term expires next year, was one of three GOP senators who voted for the Senate version of the economic recovery measure. The vote prompted Glen Meakem, the CEO of the former Internet firm FreeMarkets, to declare his determination to play a still unspecified role in ousting the veteran Republican in the 2010 GOP primary. - <a href="http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09042/948258-84.stm" mce_href="http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09042/948258-84.stm">Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 2-10-09</a></li><li><b>Stimulus, Partisanship Mean Obama Faces a Harsh New Reality Although the bill passed the Senate, only three Republicans signed on: </b>It took only two weeks from Inauguration Day for harsh reality to overtake Barack Obama. But he is now facing a burgeoning list of challenges that have plagued his predecessors for at least a generation, starting with the intense partisanship of Washington and the difficulty of finding compromise on critical issues—coupled with a unique economic crisis that seems to worsen by the day. A massive economic stimulus package passed the Senate Tuesday after winning House approval earlier, but major compromises will be needed to reconcile the two versions of the plan, which Obama says is vital to economic recovery. "The realization hits pretty quickly. He is beginning to confront the enormity of the challenges of governing," says Rutgers political scientist Ross Baker. - <a href="http://www.usnews.com/articles/news/2009/02/10/stimulus-partisanship-mean-obama-faces-a-harsh-new-reality.html" mce_href="http://www.usnews.com/articles/news/2009/02/10/stimulus-partisanship-mean-obama-faces-a-harsh-new-reality.html">US News & World Report, 2-10-09</a></li></ul> <h3>POLITICAL QUOTES</h3> <p><!-- Start Slide --> <!-- Start --></p> <div style="position: absolute; top: 0pt; left: 0pt; display: none; z-index: 4; opacity: 0;"><a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog_post/do_the_right_thing/" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog_post/do_the_right_thing/"><img style="border-style: none; width: 624px; height: 351px;" src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/624x351/P021009JB-0163_TalkingAnimals-hero.jpg" mce_src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/624x351/P021009JB-0163_TalkingAnimals-hero.jpg" alt="The First Lady read to children at Mary's Center in Washington, D.C." /></a> <div class="stgslidecredit">White House photo 2/10/09 by Joyce N. Boghosian</div> <div class="stgslideheading"> <h1 style="background-image: url(/assets//hero/hero_display_313x351_template.jpg);" mce_style="background-image:url('/assets//hero/hero_display_313x351_template.jpg');">FLOTUS at Mary's Center</h1> </div> <div class="stgslidecontent">That was Mrs. Obama's message to a group of young people at a non-profit community organization in Washington, D.C. -- where she spoke about her own humble beginnings. <p><a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog_post/do_the_right_thing/" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog_post/do_the_right_thing/"><img src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/buttons/btn_see_slideshow.jpg" mce_src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/buttons/btn_see_slideshow.jpg" alt="Watch the video" align="middle" border="0" height="21" vspace="5" width="157" /></a></p></div> </div> <p><!-- End --> <!-- Start --><a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog_post/LiveblogFtMyersFLtownhall/" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog_post/LiveblogFtMyersFLtownhall/"><img style="border-style: none;" mce_style="border-style:none;" src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/624x351/_MG_7232-hero.jpg" mce_src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/624x351/_MG_7232-hero.jpg" alt="President Obama at a town hall in Ft. Myers, FL" height="287" width="511" /></a></p> <h3>Political Quotes</h3> <ul><li><b>Treasury Secretary Geithner speaking about the new Financial Stability Plan: </b>"Our plan will help restart the flow of credit, clean up and strengthen our banks, and provide critical aid for homeowners and for small businesses. As we do each of these things, we will impose new, higher standards for transparency and accountability." - <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog_post/Stability/" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog_post/Stability/">WH Blog, 2-10-09</a></li><li><b>Liveblog: Ft. Myers, FL townhall</b> - <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog_post/LiveblogFtMyersFLtownhall/" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog_post/LiveblogFtMyersFLtownhall/">WH Blog, 2-10-09</a></li><li><b>Obama: 'There Is No Easy Out' for Wall Street: </b>In Exclusive Interview, President Warns of 'a Perfect Storm of Financial Problems' - <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/Business/story?id=6844314&page=1" mce_href="http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/Business/story?id=6844314&page=1">ABC News, 2-10-09</a></li><li><b>Obama: No 'Easy Out' for Wall Street Transcript Excerpts: Terry Moran Interviews President Obama: </b><br />Well, you know, Wall Street, I think, is hoping for an easy out on this thing and there is no easy out. Essentially, what you've got are a set a banks that have not been as transparent as we need to be in terms of what their books look like.<br />And we're going to have to hold out the Band-Aid a little bit and go ahead and just be clear about some of the losses that have been made because until we do that, we're not going to be able to attract private capital into the marketplace..... <p>Well, because ultimately, what happens is going to depend on how the markets respond over the long term, not today or the next day but a month from now or two months from now. How effective we are in actually cleaning out some of these bad assets out of these banks.<br />If we're doing a good job and we've got a template that creates transparency and accountability, clarity and consistency in terms of how we're applying this program, then what we'll end up seeing is private capital coming back into the marketplace.<br />If we do a poor job, then private capital will continue to stay out and frankly, at, at a certain point, the government can't replace all that private capital, so you know, our job is to get this right, get the model right....</p> <p>Well, you know, I'm constantly trying to thread the needle between sounding alarmist but also letting the American people know the circumstances that we're in. And the fact of the matter is that we are in not just an ordinary recession, we are in a perfect storm of financial problems and now, a decline in worldwide demand that is resulting in huge numbers of jobs being shed, the lowest consumer confidence we've seen, credit locked up.<br />And so this was a big difficult situation. Now, I think we've got to keep perspective. We're not going through the Great Depression. I know there have been some analogies there but when FDR took over, unemployment at that time was 30 percent, as opposed to 7.5 or 7.6.<br />And so, you know, I think it's important to recognize we've still got enormous assets, we've got the same workforce that we did that's as productive as it's ever been, we've still got some of the best universities in the country and, you know, a wonderful infrastructure and some great companies.<br />You know, I spoke with the CEO of International yesterday, who's investing billions of dollars in opening up new plants in the face of this recession. And so some of what we need is just a restoration of confidence and people's belief that in fact, we can harness all these resources to continue to be the most dynamic economy on earth.<br />But we're not going to get there by pretending that we don't have some very big problems and I think the American people understand that.</p> <p>Let me, first of all, point out, I -- I think there are a number of different arguments that have been leveled at, at this recovery package. There are a set of folks who just don't believe in government intervening in the marketplace, period. I mean, they're still fighting FDR and the New Deal and you have -- these are the same folks who think we should be privatizing Social Security and you know, we -- there's no room for government to help people get health care and on and on and on.<br />So there's a big ideological battle that they want to fight. Frankly, I think that fight's already been won, the American people certainly think so. That's not the argument that makes much sense to them. There are then people who I think are making a sincere argument that if you look at the stimulus package, that maybe some things are more stimulative and some things are not....</p> <p>I think that they made a decision that they want to continue the same fights that we've been having over the last decade. The American people, on the other hand, realize that we want something different; hence, the results of the election.<br />And, you know, I think if you look at how people are doing right now and how the Republicans have responded to a great deal of overtures by me, I think it's pretty clear that the American people would like to see a different way of doing business. But old habits break hard and, and you know, I, I understand that and so we're going to keep on reaching out and eventually, I have confidence that it's going to pay off.</p> <p>I think there are going to be other areas where we can potentially work together and I'm still hopeful that some Republicans take their cues from Republican governors and Republican mayors like Charlie Christ down here in Florida who recognize that not doing anything is simply not an option.... - <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/Business/story?id=6844330&page=1" mce_href="http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/Business/story?id=6844330&page=1">ABC News, 2-10-09</a> </p></li></ul> <h3>HISTORIANS' COMMENTS</h3> <h3>Historians' Comments</h3> <ul><li><b>Martha Kumar "Obama Press Conference": </b>According to Towson University presidential historian Martha Kumar, Obama held a prime time press conference earlier than any president in history, beating Richard Nixon by almost a month. Now, he needs to hold 31 more to pass Ronald Reagan for total number of East Room get togethers with the White House press corps. - <a href="http://www.realclearpolitics.com/politics_nation/2009/02/strategy_memo_stimulus_vote_ta.html" mce_href="http://www.realclearpolitics.com/politics_nation/2009/02/strategy_memo_stimulus_vote_ta.html">Real Clear Politics, 2-9-09</a></li><li><b>Douglas Brinkley "Obama Adopts Elkhart as Everytown in Pitch for Stimulus Plan": </b>That’s what he should have done in the first place, rather than getting bogged down in negotiations with Congress, Douglas Brinkley, a presidential historian at Rice University in Houston, said. "Obama needs to show that he's a leader of a movement, that a change isn't just having a black man in the White House, that we really are in an era of clean government and progressive reform," Brinkley said. - <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aWj4UbDNGwJ8&refer=home" mce_href="http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aWj4UbDNGwJ8&refer=home">Bloomberg, 2-10-09</a></li><li><b>Allan Lichtman "Obama Adopts Elkhart as Everytown in Pitch for Stimulus Plan": </b>Obama's news conference, broadcast live on major broadcast and cable news channels, was "highly forceful and successful and should help the president with the American people and the Congress," said Allan Lichtman, a political history professor at American University in Washington. "He did not shrink from the magnitude of the crisis, but like FDR expressed confidence that the problem could be solved with decisive action." - <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aWj4UbDNGwJ8&refer=home" mce_href="http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aWj4UbDNGwJ8&refer=home">Bloomberg, 2-10-09</a></li><li><b>Charles Calomiris "What's Missing in Geithner's Bank Plan The Obama Administration's Financial Stability Plan isn't a clean break with the past, because it doesn't spell out clearly who will lose ": </b>Charles Calomiris, a Columbia University economic historian who has studied banking crises, says the key mistake of the Obama Administration is trying to come up with a plan that emphasizes political palatability over economic reality. To buy support, Calomiris says, the plan emphasizes "very careful investments over a period of time with a lot of upside potential for taxpayers, and with all sorts of limits on what bankers can do." The problem with that approach, Calomiris says, is that it doesn't do enough to make the banks truly healthy, and just prolongs the crisis. He favors taking strong action to improve banks' health dramatically and quickly by guaranteeing them a floor price on their real estate assets, even though such action would be criticized as a giveaway. Says Calomiris: "What makes sense economically doesn't make sense politically, so I'm not very optimistic." - <a href="http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/content/feb2009/db20090210_833896.htm?chan=top+news_top+news+index+-+temp_top+story" mce_href="http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/content/feb2009/db20090210_833896.htm?chan=top+news_top+news+index+-+temp_top+story">Business Week, 2-10-09</a></li><li><b>Charles Geisst "Vague rescue plan disappoints Dow plunges 380 points as Geithner rolls out stimulus package; investors say lack of detail sparked mass sell-off": </b>Charles Geisst, a financial historian and professor of finance at Manhattan College, said he doesn't believe the public-private partnership will work, and suggested Mr. Obama's team may be stalling with yesterday's announcement. "It's too vague, it's not firm enough, and it's just more of the same," said Prof. Geisst, author of a forthcoming book called Collateral Damage. "I think they're trying to buy time ... I think what they're trying to do is tread water until they can figure it out." - <a href="http://business.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090211.wrcrisis11/BNStory/Business/home" mce_href="http://business.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090211.wrcrisis11/BNStory/Business/home">Globe and Mail, 2-10-09</a></li><li><b>Richard Skinner: "Political Partisanship Deeply Rooted, Says Professor": </b>"If Obama thinks it will be easy to overcome these divisions, he'll end up being disappointed," notes Bowdoin Visiting Professor of History Richard Skinner. "Partisanship is an underlying part of our political system now and a lot of Republicans just don't like the direction he's taking the country."<br />"We need to move beyond outdated notions of presidents above party politics," he writes, "and instead understand presidents who are passionately engaged in them and seek to use their parties as tools of governance." - <a href="http://www.bowdoin.edu/news/archives/1academicnews/005871.shtml" mce_href="http://www.bowdoin.edu/news/archives/1academicnews/005871.shtml">Bowdoin News, 2-10-09</a></li></ul>Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06475026713228665094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242269147280141406.post-12502819734930884592009-02-10T00:33:00.000-08:002009-02-10T00:34:37.408-08:00February 9, 2009: President Obama's First Press Conference<h3>THE OBAMA PRESIDENCY:</h3> <div id="wideImage" class="image"><img src="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2009/02/10/us/10assess.600.jpg" mce_src="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2009/02/10/us/10assess.600.jpg" alt="" border="0" height="272" width="496" /> <div class="credit">Ruth Fremson/The New York Times</div> <p class="caption">President Obama, at his White House news conference on Monday night, where he discussed the Democratic stimulus plan and opposition to it by Republicans.</p> </div> <h3>IN FOCUS: STATS</h3> <h3>In Focus: Stats</h3> <ul><li><b>FACT CHECK: Obama has it both ways on pork: </b>Obama's sales pitch on the enormous package he wants Congress to make law has sizzle as well as steak. He's projecting job creation numbers that may be impossible to verify and glossing over some ethical problems that bedeviled his team. - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090210/ap_on_go_pr_wh/fact_check_obama" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090210/ap_on_go_pr_wh/fact_check_obama">AP, 2-9-09</a></li><li><b>Obama's Ratings: </b>The Gallup Organization released a poll Monday showing Obama's approval rating holding steady at 67 percent, with Congress much less popular. Republicans in Congress drew only 31 percent approval, and Democrats had 48 percent. The poll also showed that 80 percent think it's either important or critically important that a stimulus plan be approved. - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/obama;_ylt=ApCDF0hWIpF0Z5ksU4CbNsiWwvIE;_ylu=X3oDMTE5Y2lnZmwzBHBvcwMxBHNlYwN5bl90b3Bfc3RvcmllcwRzbGsDb2JhbWFzYXlzc3Rp" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/obama;_ylt=ApCDF0hWIpF0Z5ksU4CbNsiWwvIE;_ylu=X3oDMTE5Y2lnZmwzBHBvcwMxBHNlYwN5bl90b3Bfc3RvcmllcwRzbGsDb2JhbWFzYXlzc3Rp">AP, 2-9-09</a></li><li><b>Senate Vote 61-36 in Favor: </b>The Senate on Monday voted 61-36 to end debate on an $838 billion economic stimulus bill, one more vote than needed to avoid a potential filibuster on the measure when it goes to a final vote as early as Tuesday. - <a href="http://www.pbs.org/newshour/indepth_coverage/white_house/obama100/" mce_href="http://www.pbs.org/newshour/indepth_coverage/white_house/obama100/">PBS Newshour, 2-9-09</a></li></ul> <h3>THE HEADLINES....</h3> <div id="wideImage" class="image"><img src="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2009/02/10/us/10obama2_600.JPG" mce_src="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2009/02/10/us/10obama2_600.JPG" alt="" border="0" height="274" width="498" /> <div class="credit">Stephen Crowley/The New York Times</div> <p class="caption">Though conceding that "the plan is not perfect," President Obama asserted that "a failure to act will only deepen this crisis." <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2009/02/09/us/20090209-STIMULUS_index.html" mce_href="http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2009/02/09/us/20090209-STIMULUS_index.html">More Photos ></a></p> </div> <h3>The Headlines...</h3> <ul><li><b>Analysis: Obama makes serious case for stimulus: </b>No drama with Obama. No joking with Obama. In his first prime-time news conference, Americans saw a determined, deadly serious President Barack Obama make his case for a historically huge economic recovery plan — pledging to push it through Congress in record time, even if he and fellow Democrats must steamroll Republicans to do it. No more blind bipartisanship with Obama, either.... - <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hJPQ7HSsUjq0VNpIHObZAdD6tJLwD968EK9O1" mce_href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hJPQ7HSsUjq0VNpIHObZAdD6tJLwD968EK9O1">AP, 2-9-09</a></li><li><b>Analysis: Obama learning to deal with Washington's partisan ways: </b>In his first three weeks in the bully pulpit, President Barack Obama has offered a post-partisan vision while resorting to old-school pressure tactics. So far he has managed to draw three Republican votes – learning, as presidents inevitably do, that Washington will not bend easily to his will. - <a href="http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/politics/national/stories/021009natbipartisan.3f3cd77.html" mce_href="http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/politics/national/stories/021009natbipartisan.3f3cd77.html">Dallas Morning News, 2-9-09</a></li><li><b>Obama: 'Only Government' Can Break Cycle of Job Loss, Economic Downturn: </b>President Obama, in his first prime-time press conference, warns that a failure to pass his economic recovery plan could "turn a crisis into a catastrophe." - <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/politics/first100days/2009/02/09/obama-takes-stimulus-case-nation-prime-time-press-conference/" mce_href="http://www.foxnews.com/politics/first100days/2009/02/09/obama-takes-stimulus-case-nation-prime-time-press-conference/">Fox News, 29-09</a></li><li><b>Obama presses case for stimulus: </b>President Obama took his case for more than $800 billion in economic stimulus directly to the American people Monday, accusing Republicans of playing politics with a plan that's "exactly what this country needs." - <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2009-02-09-obama_N.htm" mce_href="http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2009-02-09-obama_N.htm">USA Today, 2-9-09</a></li><li><b>It Seemed Familiar, and Yet So Different: </b>President Obama insisted that he was nothing like his predecessor. "What I won’t do is return to the failed theories of the last eight years that got us into this fix in the first place," he said Monday night, "because those theories have been tested, and they have failed." Yet Mr. Obama's first prime-time presidential news conference had an eerie similarity to the first one held by George W. Bush, in 2001. - <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/10/us/politics/10watch.html?hp" mce_href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/10/us/politics/10watch.html?hp">NYT, 2-10-09</a></li><li><b>Taking on Critics, Obama Puts Aside Talk of Unity: </b>President Obama has made a show of reaching across the aisle since taking office, inviting three Republicans into his cabinet and wining and dining other opposition leaders. But by Monday, he sounded like a candidate back on the trail, railing against the status quo and dismissing critics as apostles of a failed philosophy. - <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/10/us/politics/10assess.html?hp" mce_href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/10/us/politics/10assess.html?hp">NYT, 2-10-09</a></li><li><b>Live Blogging the Obama News Conference</b> - <a href="http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/09/live-blogging-the-obama-news-conference/" mce_href="http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/09/live-blogging-the-obama-news-conference/">NYT, 2-9-09</a></li><li><b>Obama to Congress: Pass stimulus, don't play games: </b>President Barack Obama, urgently pressuring lawmakers to approve a massive economic recovery bill, turned his first news conference Monday night into a determined defense of his emergency plan and an offensive against Republicans who try to "play the usual political games." - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/obama;_ylt=ApCDF0hWIpF0Z5ksU4CbNsiWwvIE;_ylu=X3oDMTE5Y2lnZmwzBHBvcwMxBHNlYwN5bl90b3Bfc3RvcmllcwRzbGsDb2JhbWFzYXlzc3Rp" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/obama;_ylt=ApCDF0hWIpF0Z5ksU4CbNsiWwvIE;_ylu=X3oDMTE5Y2lnZmwzBHBvcwMxBHNlYwN5bl90b3Bfc3RvcmllcwRzbGsDb2JhbWFzYXlzc3Rp">AP, 2-9-09</a></li><li><b>Obama Says Failing to Act Could Lead to a 'Catastrophe': </b>President Obama took his case for his $800 billion economic recovery package to the American people on Monday, as the Senate cleared the way for passage of the bill and the White House prepared for its next major hurdle: selling Congress and the public on a fresh plan to bail out the nation's banks. - <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/10/us/politics/10obama.html" mce_href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/10/us/politics/10obama.html">NYT, 2-9-09</a></li><li><b>Stimulus bill draws Kennedy back to Senate: </b>Sen. Edward M. Kennedy returned to the Senate in the midst of his battle with brain cancer Monday to vote for President Barack Obama's massive economic stimulus package. "We are obviously very concerned" about the recession, Kennedy said as he donned a coat and stepped into an elevator to leave following a key test vote. He was expected to return Tuesday for the vote to approve or reject the measure. - <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gvHFOXxjsunQEF9sBOwlqZtBn7EAD968BNIO0" mce_href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gvHFOXxjsunQEF9sBOwlqZtBn7EAD968BNIO0">AP, 2-9-09</a></li><li><b>Stimulus bill narrowly survives Senate test vote: </b>An $838 billion economic stimulus bill backed by the White House survived a key test vote in the Senate on Monday despite strong Republican opposition, and Democratic leaders vowed to deliver legislation for President Barack Obama's signature within a few days. - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090210/ap_on_go_co/congress_stimulus" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090210/ap_on_go_co/congress_stimulus">AP, 2-9-09</a></li></ul> <h3>POLITICAL QUOTES</h3> <div class="w480"><img src="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/promos/politics/blog/09blog-obama-presser1.jpg" mce_src="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/promos/politics/blog/09blog-obama-presser1.jpg" alt="" /><span class="caption"><br />President Obama in the East Room of the White House. (Photo: Stephen Crowley/The New York Times)</span></div> <h3>Political Quotes</h3> <ul><li><b>Press Conference Transcript: Obama takes questions on economy: <a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/02/09/obama.conference.transcript/" mce_href="http://edition.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/02/09/obama.conference.transcript/">CNN, 2-9-09</a> <a href="http://www-tc.pbs.org/newshour/rss/media/2009/02/09/20090209_stim.mp3" mce_href="http://www-tc.pbs.org/newshour/rss/media/2009/02/09/20090209_stim.mp3">Download Mp3</a>: </b> <p>...As we speak, similar scenes are playing out in cities and towns across America. Last Monday, more than 1,000 men and women stood in line for 35 firefighter jobs in Miami [Florida]. Last month, our economy lost 598,000 jobs, which is nearly the equivalent of losing every single job in the state of Maine.<br />And if there's anyone out there who still doesn't believe this constitutes a full-blown crisis, I suggest speaking to one of the millions of Americans whose lives have been turned upside-down because they don't know where their next paycheck is coming from.<br />And that is why the single most important part of this economic recovery and reinvestment plan is the fact that it will save or create up to 4 million jobs, because that's what America needs most right now.<br />It is absolutely true that we can't depend on government alone to create jobs or economic growth. That is and must be the role of the private sector. But at this particular moment, with the private sector so weakened by this recession, the federal government is the only entity left with the resources to jolt our economy back into life.<br />It is only government that can break the vicious cycle, where lost jobs lead to people spending less money, which leads to even more layoffs. And breaking that cycle is exactly what the plan that's moving through Congress is designed to do.<br />When passed, this plan will ensure that Americans who've lost their jobs through no fault of their own can receive greater unemployment benefits and continue their health care coverage.....<br />But as we've learned very clearly and conclusively over the last eight years, tax cuts alone can't solve all of our economic problems, especially tax cuts that are targeted to the wealthiest few Americans. We have tried that strategy time and time again, and it's only helped lead us to the crisis we face right now.<br />And that's why we have come together around a plan that combines hundreds of billions in tax cuts for the middle class with direct investment in areas like health care, energy, education, and infrastructure, investments that will save jobs, create new jobs and new businesses, and help our economy grow again, now and in the future....<br />Now, after many weeks of debate and discussion, the plan that ultimately emerges from Congress must be big enough and bold enough to meet the size of the economic challenges that we face right now.<br />It's a plan that is already supported by businesses representing almost every industry in America, by both the Chamber of Commerce and the AFL-CIO. It contains input, ideas and compromises from both Democrats and Republicans.<br />It also contains an unprecedented level of transparency and accountability so that every American will be able to go online and see where and how we're spending every dime. What it does not contain, however, is a single pet project, not a single earmark, and it has been stripped of the projects members of both parties found most objectionable.<br />Now, despite all of this, the plan's not perfect. No plan is. I can't tell you for sure that everything in this plan will work exactly as we hoped, but I can tell you with complete confidence that a failure to act will only deepen this crisis, as well as the pain felt by millions of Americans.<br />Now, my administration inherited a deficit of over $1 trillion, but because we also inherited the most profound economic emergency since the Great Depression, doing little or nothing at all will result in even greater deficits, even greater job loss, even greater loss of income, and even greater loss of confidence.<br />Those are deficits that could turn a crisis into a catastrophe, and I refuse to let that happen. As long as I hold this office, I will do whatever it takes to put this economy back on track and put this country back to work.<br />I want to thank the members of Congress who've worked so hard to move this plan forward, but I also want to urge all members of Congress to act without delay in the coming week to resolve their differences and pass this plan.<br />We find ourselves in a rare moment where the citizens of our country and all countries are watching and waiting for us to lead. It's a responsibility that this generation did not ask for, but one that we must accept for the future of our children and our grandchildren.<br />The strongest democracies flourish from frequent and lively debate, but they endure when people of every background and belief find a way to set aside smaller differences in service of a greater purpose. That's the test facing the United States of America in this winter of our hardship, and it is our duty as leaders and citizens to stay true to that purpose in the weeks and months ahead.<br />After a day of speaking with and listening to the fundamentally decent men and women who call this nation home, I have full faith and confidence that we can do it, but we're going to have to work together. That's what I intend to promote in the weeks and days ahead. </p></li><li><b>President Obama, Indiana Town Hall on Economic Recovery, 2/9/09, REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT AT TOWN HALL, Concord Community High School, Elkhart, Indiana, February 9, 2009: </b><br />I don't know if you guys have been noticing, but we've had a little debate in Washington -- (laughter) -- over the last week or two about the economy. You know, we tend to take the measure of the economic crisis we face in numbers and statistics. But when we say that we've lost 3.6 million jobs since this recession began, nearly 600,000 in the past month alone; when we say that this area has lost jobs faster than anywhere else in the United States of America, with an unemployment rate of over 15 percent, when it was 4.7 percent just last year; when we talk about layoffs at companies like Monaco Coach, and Keystone RV, and Pilgrim International -- companies that have sustained this community for years -- we're not just talking numbers, we're talking about Ed. We're talking about people in the audience here today. People not just in Elkhart, but all across this country. We're talking about people who have lost their livelihood and don't know what will take its place.<br />We're talking about parents who've lost their health care and lie away at night, praying their kids don't get sick. We're talking about families who've lost the home that was the corner -- their foundation for their American Dream. Young people who put that college acceptance letter back in the envelope because they just can't afford it. That's what those numbers and statistics mean. That is the true measure of this economic crisis.... - <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog_post/Indiana/" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog_post/Indiana/">WH Blog, 2-9-09</a></li></ul> <h3>HISTORIANS' COMMENTS</h3> <p><img src="http://bonniekaryn.wordpress.com/wp-includes/js/tinymce/plugins/wordpress/img/trans.gif" mce_src="http://bonniekaryn.wordpress.com/wp-includes/js/tinymce/plugins/wordpress/img/trans.gif" alt="" class="mceWPmore mceItemNoResize" title="More..." /></p> <div class="w480"><img src="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2009/02/09/us/politics/09presser-crowley.jpg" mce_src="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2009/02/09/us/politics/09presser-crowley.jpg" alt="" /><span class="caption"><br />White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs and Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel. (Photo: Stephen Crowley/The New York Times)</span></div> <h3>Historians' Comments</h3> <ul><li><b>ELLEN FITZPATRICK, University of New Hampshire "Obama Courts Public Support for Economic Stimulus Plan President Obama traveled to Indiana Monday and planned a primetime news conference to build support for the stimulus bill that is nearing a final Senate vote. Reporters examine the next steps for the stimulus plan.": </b><br />Absolutely. I think it was essential. Barack Obama is in the position of undertaking one of the largest attempts to stimulate the economy in modern American history, and he's doing it after four decades of a political culture that has turned around a bashing of the federal government.<br />We've had very strong anti-federal government, anti-tax language and mobilization of extreme views on all sides and even in the middle around that message. And he is attempting to do something that flies in the face of that and to try to educate, re-educate the public that the federal government can actually do good on behalf of all the citizens. - <a href="http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/politics/jan-june09/stimulus_02-09.html" mce_href="http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/politics/jan-june09/stimulus_02-09.html">PBS Newshour, 2-9-09</a></li><li><b>ROGAN KERSH, NYU's Wagner School of Public Service "Obama Courts Public Support for Economic Stimulus Plan President Obama traveled to Indiana Monday and planned a primetime news conference to build support for the stimulus bill that is nearing a final Senate vote. Reporters examine the next steps for the stimulus plan.": </b><br />Every president -- every modern president has tried it. Ronald Reagan was the most successful. He came into office facing a hostile Democratic Congress, promised a program of tax cuts. Congress fiddled, didn't move much on it. He went directly to the people, called going public, and got an overwhelming number of folks writing and calling their members of Congress.<br />These are elected officials. They listen to their constituents. And that helped Reagan get his tax cut through. It was known as the velvet steamroller plan after that, so successful was he.<br />Other presidents haven't had as much luck. Jimmy Carter tried to go to the people complaining about the malaise of a sort of slowed down presidency around economic and other issues, didn't have as much luck. So one has to use this carefully.<br />At the same time, Obama we know is a master of mobilization. He's the chief -- he's playing mobilizer-in-chief now. And I think he's going to have success, judging from the pictures today of making members of Congress listen, as your previous guests have been saying. - <a href="http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/politics/jan-june09/stimulus_02-09.html" mce_href="http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/politics/jan-june09/stimulus_02-09.html">PBS Newshour, 2-9-09</a></li><li><b>Julian Zelizer: Commentary: Obama's 100 days of problems?: </b>Tomorrow marks the end of the third week of President Barack Obama's Hundred Days. After what can only be described as a euphoric inauguration, Obama has encountered some trouble. Despite his effort to court Republicans in the House, he failed to obtain a single GOP vote for the economic recovery package....<br />It is still too early to know what the economic recovery bill will mean for Obama's Hundred Days. His response to the negotiations in conference committee over the next two weeks could be a defining moment for his presidency. The huge size of this legislation raises the stakes beyond what many presidents confronted in their Hundred Days.<br />On the one hand, Obama might have found a compromise, moving through Congress one of the most ambitious uses of government to strengthen the economy in several decades. If this is the case, the rough patches from the first weeks will quickly be forgotten.<br />On the other hand, if the legislation turns out to be misguided -- or if it is weakened too much in the congressional negotiations -- and fails to stimulate the economy or provide substantial relief to struggling states and unemployed workers, then this bill could become an albatross for Obama and Democrats.<br />The failure of the financial bailout legislation of September, 2008 diminished the confidence of many Americans in government intervention, leaving the impression that a lot of money was thrown into a sinkhole. This could happen again. If Obama makes the wrong decisions in the negotiations, he might find himself in rougher waters as the midterm elections approach. - <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/02/09/zelizer.hundred.problems/index.html?eref=rss_politics&iref=polticker" mce_href="http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/02/09/zelizer.hundred.problems/index.html?eref=rss_politics&iref=polticker">CNN, 2-9-09</a></li></ul> <div class="w480"><img src="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2009/02/09/us/politics/presser-mills.jpg" mce_src="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2009/02/09/us/politics/presser-mills.jpg" alt="" /><span class="caption"><br />President Obama’s news conference in the East Room of the White House. (Photo: Doug Mills/ The New York Times)</span></div>Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06475026713228665094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242269147280141406.post-31066959230708850462009-02-09T01:35:00.001-08:002009-02-11T01:45:38.570-08:00February 8, 2009: Obama Heading into his Third Week as President, Economic Stimulus Bill Debate & Daschle Drops His HHS Bid<h3>THE OBAMA PRESIDENCY:</h3> <div class="w480"><img src="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2009/02/06/us/politics/05obama-dems.jpg" mce_src="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2009/02/06/us/politics/05obama-dems.jpg" alt="" /><span class="caption"><br />President Barack Obama addresses the House Democrats Conference in Williamsburg,Va. (Photo: Jim Watson/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images)</span></div> <h3>IN FOCUS: STATS</h3> <h3>In Focus: Stats</h3> <ul><li><b>Rate media coverage of Pres. Obama?: </b> A new Gallup poll shows 38% of those surveyed don't think the press has been tough enough in its coverage of the new president. 11% say "too tough", while almost half — 48% — say "about right." - <a href="http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/02/09/caffertyrate-media-coverage-of-pres-obama/" mce_href="http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/02/09/caffertyrate-media-coverage-of-pres-obama/"> CNN, 2-9-09</a></li><li><b>Senate confirms Holder as first black AG: </b> The vote was 75-21, with all the opposition coming from Republicans. - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090203/ap_on_go_co/holder_confirmation" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090203/ap_on_go_co/holder_confirmation"> AP, 2-2-09</a></li></ul> <h3>THE HEADLINES....</h3> <h3>The Headlines...</h3> <ul><li><b>Obama faces tough week; stimulus, bailout on tap: </b> President Barack Obama plunges into a difficult test of his leadership this week, struggling to get a divided Congress to agree on his economic recovery package while pitching a new plan to ease loans to consumers and businesses. - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090208/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_economy" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090208/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_economy"> AP, 2-8-09</a></li><li><b>First Lady Michelle Obama's rollout; first FLOTUS visit to Interior Dept. since Eleanor Roosevelt: </b> -First Lady Michelle Obama is stepping up her "rollout tour," on Monday visiting the Interior Department, probably the first First Lady to stop by the agency since Eleanor Roosevelt. - <a href="http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2009/02/first_lady_michelle_obamas_rol.html" mce_href="http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2009/02/first_lady_michelle_obamas_rol.html"> Chicago Sun-Times, 2-9-09</a></li><li><b>Biden in First Policy Address about Iran: US will talk, but is ready to act: </b> Vice President Joe Biden warned Saturday that the U.S. stands ready to take pre-emptive action against Iran if it does not abandon nuclear ambitions and its support for terrorism.<br />"We will draw upon all the elements of our power — military and diplomatic, intelligence and law enforcement, economic and cultural — to stop crises from occurring before they are in front of us."...<br />- <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090207/ap_on_go_pr_wh/biden_europe" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090207/ap_on_go_pr_wh/biden_europe"> AP, 2-7-09</a></li><li><b>Obama and Senate Republicans bicker over stimulus: </b> President Barack Obama and Senate Republicans bickered Saturday over his historically huge economic recovery plan after states and schools lost tens of billions of dollars in a late-night bargain to save it. - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090207/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_economy" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090207/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_economy"> AP, 2-7-09</a></li><li><b>Senators debate stimulus in rare Saturday session: </b> Republicans and Democrats offered starkly different assessments of President Barack Obama's newly renegotiated economic recovery plan Saturday, as the Senate held a rare weekend debate in advance of a key vote on Monday. - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090207/ap_on_bi_ge/congress_stimulus" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090207/ap_on_bi_ge/congress_stimulus"> AP, 2-7-09</a></li><li><b>Labor unions press for vote on Solis: </b> Labor unions accused Republicans of seizing on questions about unpaid taxes to stall the confirmation of Labor Secretary nominee Hilda Solis because they dislike her policies. - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090206/ap_on_go_pr_wh/labor_solis;_ylt=AgEr2AxNnMVw5eI2zoVz74SyFz4D" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090206/ap_on_go_pr_wh/labor_solis;_ylt=AgEr2AxNnMVw5eI2zoVz74SyFz4D"> AP, 2-6-09</a></li><li><b>Obama considering at least 2 Iraq withdrawal plans: </b> The White House is considering at least two troop withdrawal options as it weighs a new Iraq strategy — one that would preserve President Barack Obama's campaign pledge to get all combat brigades out within 16 months and a second that would stretch it to 23 months, two officials said Friday. - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090207/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_iraq" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090207/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_iraq"> AP, 2-6-09</a></li><li><b>Obama asks Democrats to quickly pass stimulus plan: </b> Pushing Congress to pass his economic plan by next week, President Barack Obama implored House Democrats on Thursday to reject delaying tactics and political gamesmanship that often stymies legislation and keep a promise to voters who booted Republicans from power. - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090206/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_congress;_ylt=Al4j_zDUW.pcKrQC_DHkjaGyFz4D" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090206/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_congress;_ylt=Al4j_zDUW.pcKrQC_DHkjaGyFz4D"> AP, 2-6-09</a></li><li><b>Obama admin. seeks treaty to cut US, Russia nukes: </b> The Obama administration, reversing the Bush administration's limited interest in nuclear disarmament, is gearing up for early negotiations with Russia on a new treaty that would sharply reduce stockpiles of nuclear warheads. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has notified Congress and her staff that she intends to get started quickly on talks with the Russians, who have voiced interest in recent weeks in settling on a new treaty calling for cutbacks in arsenals on both sides. - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090206/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_warheads" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090206/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_warheads"> AP, 2-6-09</a></li><li><b>Senators Reach Accord on Stimulus Plan as Jobs Vanish: </b> Senate Democrats reached an agreement with Republican moderates on Friday to pare a huge economic recovery measure, clearing the way for approval of a package that President Obama said was urgently needed in light of mounting job losses. - <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/07/us/politics/07stimulus.html?_r=1&hp" mce_href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/07/us/politics/07stimulus.html?_r=1&hp"> NYT, 2-6-09</a></li><li><b>Officials say tentative stimulus deal reached: </b> Amid stunning new job losses and yet another bank failure, key senators and the White House reached tentative agreement Friday night on an economic stimulus measure at the heart of President Barack Obama's recovery plan. Two officials said the emerging agreement was for a bill with a $780 billion price tag, but there was no immediate confirmation. The tentative agreement capped a tense day of back room negotiations in which Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, joined by White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel, sought to attract the support of enough Republicans to give the measure the needed 60-vote majority. - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090206/ap_on_go_co/congress_stimulus" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090206/ap_on_go_co/congress_stimulus"> AP, 2-6-09</a></li><li><b>With Stimulus, Partisanship Proves a Worthy Foe: </b> With the Senate on track to pass its version of the economic stimulus legislation, President Obama is widely expected to win final Congressional approval of the plan soon, and thus make good on an assortment of his campaign promises. But in the process, he is confronting the impediments to his most ambitious pledge: to end the capital's partisan warfare. - <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/07/us/politics/07assess.html?_r=1&hp" mce_href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/07/us/politics/07assess.html?_r=1&hp"> NYT, 2-6-09</a></li><li><b>Obama lifts restrictions on kids' health coverage: </b> The Obama administration on Thursday lifted a Bush-era directive to states that restricted some middle-class families from getting government health insurance.<br />"The way I see it, providing coverage to 11 million children through CHIP is a down payment on my commitment to cover every single American," Obama said Wednesday at a White House bill-signing ceremony. - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090205/ap_on_go_pr_wh/children_s_health" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090205/ap_on_go_pr_wh/children_s_health"> AP, 2-5-09</a></li><li><b>Obama Rallies Democrats on Stimulus Package: </b> President Obama urged House Democrats tonight to set aside their differences with the Senate and Republicans in order to push forward quickly with the stimulus package. At times, he sounded irritated with critics who contended the bill was too big or its purpose wrong-headed. - <a href="http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/05/obama-rallies-democrats-on-stimulus-package/" mce_href="http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/05/obama-rallies-democrats-on-stimulus-package/"> NYT, 2-5-09</a></li><li><b>Obama seeks action as parties try to pare stimulus: </b> Senate moderates worked to cut tens of bililons of dollars from economic stimulus legislation Thursday in hopes of clearing the way for passage as the government spit out grim new jobless figures and President Barack Obama warned of more bad news ahead. - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090205/ap_on_go_co/congress_stimulus" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090205/ap_on_go_co/congress_stimulus"> AP, 2-5-09</a></li><li><b>Obama caps executive pay tied to bailout money: </b> President Barack Obama on Wednesday imposed a $500,000 cap on senior executive pay for the most distressed financial institutions receiving taxpayer bailout money and promised new steps to end a system of "executives being rewarded for failure." - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090204/ap_on_bi_ge/bailout_executive_pay" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090204/ap_on_bi_ge/bailout_executive_pay"> 2-4-09</a></li><li><b>Senate OKs $15,000 tax break for homebuyers: </b> The Senate voted Wednesday night to give a tax break of up to $15,000 to homebuyers in hopes of revitalizing the housing industry, a victory for Republicans eager to leave their mark on a mammoth economic stimulus bill at the heart of President Barack Obama's recovery plan. - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090204/ap_on_go_co/congress_stimulus" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090204/ap_on_go_co/congress_stimulus"> AP, 2-4-09</a></li><li><b>Senate votes to give a tax break to new car buyers: </b> The Senate voted Tuesday to give a tax break to new car buyers, setting aside bipartisan concerns over the size of an economic stimulus bill with a price tag approaching $900 billion. The vote was 71-26 to allow many car buyers to claim an income tax deduction for the cost of automobile sales taxes and interest payments on car loans. - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090203/ap_on_go_co/congress_stimulus" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090203/ap_on_go_co/congress_stimulus"> AP, 2-3-09</a></li><li><b>Obama wants to move ahead after Daschle withdraws: </b> Tom Daschle withdrew Tuesday as President Barack Obama's nominee to be health and human services secretary, dealing potential blows to both speedy health care reform and Obama's hopes for a smooth start in the White House. "Now we must move forward," Obama said in a written statement accepting "with sadness and regret" Daschle's request to be removed from consideration. A day earlier, Obama had said he "absolutely" stood by Daschle in the face of problems over back taxes and potential conflicts of interest. - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090203/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/daschle_taxes" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090203/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/daschle_taxes"> AP, 2-3-09</a></li><li><b>Daschle apologizes, fights to salvage nomination: </b> Fighting to salvage his Cabinet nomination, Tom Daschle pleaded his case Monday evening in a closed meeting with former Senate colleagues after publicly apologizing for failing to pay more than $120,000 in taxes. President Barack Obama said he was "absolutely" sticking with his nominee for health secretary, and a key senator added an important endorsement. - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090202/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/daschle_taxes" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090202/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/daschle_taxes"> AP, 2-2-09</a></li><li><b>Gregg seeks GOP successor to join Obama's Cabinet: </b> President Barack Obama moved closer to nominating his secretary of commerce on Monday as his top choice, GOP Sen. Judd Gregg, revealed an apparent deal that would keep his seat out of Democratic hands. "I have made it clear to the Senate leadership on both sides of the aisle and to the governor that I would not leave the Senate if I felt my departure would cause a change in the makeup of the Senate," Gregg said in a statement. - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090202/ap_on_go_co/gregg_commerce" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090202/ap_on_go_co/gregg_commerce"> AP, 2-2-09</a></li><li><b>GOP circulates plan to cut the cost of mortgages: </b> Senate Republicans circulated a sweeping plan to drive down the cost of mortgages by expanding the federal government's role in the industry, officials said Monday night as debate opened on an economic stimulus bill at the top of President Barack Obama's agenda. - <a href="http://channels.isp.netscape.com/news/story.jsp?flok=FF-APO-1153&idq=/ff/story/0001%2F20090202%2F2146234846.htm&sc=1153&floc=NI-nelead" mce_href="http://channels.isp.netscape.com/news/story.jsp?flok=FF-APO-1153&idq=/ff/story/0001%2F20090202%2F2146234846.htm&sc=1153&floc=NI-nelead"> AP, 2-2-09</a></li><li>Sources: Sen. Judd Gregg accepts commerce secretary post: Republican Sen. Judd Gregg of New Hampshire has accepted President Barack Obama's offer to be commerce secretary, two administration officials said Monday. - <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/02/02/judd.gregg.commerce/" mce_href="http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/02/02/judd.gregg.commerce/"> CNN, 2-2-09</a></li><li><b>Holder Is Confirmed as Attorney General: </b> The Senate voted overwhelmingly Monday evening to confirm Eric H. Holder Jr. to be the new attorney general of the United States. The vote was 75 to 21, with all the votes against the nomination coming from Republicans. <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/03/us/politics/03holder.html?hp" mce_href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/03/us/politics/03holder.html?hp"> NYT, 2-2-09</a></li><li><b>Clinton Sets First High-Level Talks and Travel as Secretary of State: </b> U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is scheduled to meet with her British and German counterparts on Tuesday in her first meetings with senior foreign officials in her new post. Plans are also being made for her first overseas trip as Secretary - to Japan, South Korea and China. - <a href="http://www.voanews.com/english/2009-02-03-voa4.cfm" mce_href="http://www.voanews.com/english/2009-02-03-voa4.cfm"> VOA, 2-2-09</a></li><li><b>Ironies pile up as Clinton sworn in to new U.S. post: </b> The ironies and memories piled up fast on Monday when U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, with husband Bill Clinton at her side, was publicly sworn-in to her new post by Vice President Joe Biden. - <a href="http://uk.reuters.com/article/UKNews1/idUKTRE5116BD20090202?sp=true" mce_href="http://uk.reuters.com/article/UKNews1/idUKTRE5116BD20090202?sp=true"> Reuters, 2-2-09</a></li><li><b>GOP wants mortgage relief, tax cuts in stimulus: </b> Senate Republicans pressed for mortgage relief as well as larger tax cuts Monday as debate opened on the emergency economic stimulus measure atop President Barack Obama's agenda. Democrats came under pressure to reduce spending in the bill. <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090202/ap_on_go_co/congress_stimulus" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090202/ap_on_go_co/congress_stimulus"> AP, 2-2-09</a></li><li><b>Obama says Iraq's peaceful elections aid pullout: </b> President Barack Obama said Sunday that the peaceful elections in Iraq are "good news" for U.S. troops and their families, and he agreed with the suggestion that a substantial number of those troops could be home within a year. - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090202/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_troops" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090202/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_troops"> AP, 2-2-09</a></li><li><b>GOP governors press Congress to pass stimulus bill: </b> Most Republican governors have broken with their GOP colleagues in Congress and are pushing for passage of President Barack Obama's economic aid plan that would send billions to states for education, public works and health care. - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090201/ap_on_re_us/stimulus_gop_governors" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090201/ap_on_re_us/stimulus_gop_governors"> AP, 2-1-09</a></li><li><b>Obama readies road map for new bailout spending: </b> President Barack Obama on Saturday promised to lower mortgage costs, offer job-creating loans for small businesses, get credit flowing and rein in free-spending executives as he readies a new road map for spending billions from the second installment of the financial rescue plan. - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090131/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_economy" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090131/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_economy"> AP, 1-31-09</a></li></ul> <h3>POLITICAL QUOTES</h3> <div class="w480"><img src="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2009/02/06/us/politics/06obamadinner480.jpg" mce_src="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2009/02/06/us/politics/06obamadinner480.jpg" alt="" /><span class="caption"><br />President Obama talked with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Representative Steny Hoyer at the House Democratic Issues Conference on Thursday. (Photo: Evan Vucci/Associated Press)</span></div> <h3>Political Quotes</h3> <ul><li><b>Obama asks Democrats to quickly pass stimulus plan: </b> "They didn't vote for the status quo; they sent us here to bring change. We owe it to them to deliver. This is not a game. This is not a contest for who's in power and who's up and who's down....<br />We are not going to get relief by turning back to the very same policies that for the last eight years doubled the national debt and threw our economy into a tailspin....<br />I found this deficit when I showed up. I found this national debt doubled, wrapped in a big bow waiting for me when I stepped into the Oval Office....<br />This package is not going to be absolutely perfect. All of us are going to have to make some sacrifices. And we have to accommodate the interests of a range of people. Understand, the scale and the scope of this plan is right." - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090206/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_congress;_ylt=Al4j_zDUW.pcKrQC_DHkjaGyFz4D" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090206/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_congress;_ylt=Al4j_zDUW.pcKrQC_DHkjaGyFz4D"> AP, 2-6-09</a></li><li><b>Vice President Biden: "Quite simply, we cannot wait.": </b> "Quite simply, we cannot wait. We cannot wait another two weeks, three weeks, four weeks. We cannot wait. Our economic recovery package is now before the Senate. It will put us back on track to create and save 3 to 4 million jobs." - <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog_post/cannot_wait/" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog_post/cannot_wait/"> WH Blog, 2-5-09</a></li><li><b>Remarks of President Barack Obama National Prayer Breakfast: </b> ..."In this way, the particular faith that motivates each of us can promote a greater good for all of us. Instead of driving us apart, our varied beliefs can bring us together to feed the hungry and comfort the afflicted; to make peace where there is strife and rebuild what has broken; to lift up those who have fallen on hard times. This is not only our call as people of faith, but our duty as citizens of America, and it will be the purpose of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships that I'm announcing later today."... - <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog_post/this_is_my_prayer/" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog_post/this_is_my_prayer/"> WH Blog, 2-5-09</a></li><li><b>REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT AT SIGNING OF CHILDREN'S HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM LEGISLATION:</b><br />Now, this is not who we are. We're not a nation that leaves struggling families to fend for themselves, especially when they've done everything right. No child in America should be receiving his or her primary care in the emergency room in the middle of the night. No child should be falling behind at school because he can't hear the teacher or see the blackboard. I refuse to accept that millions of our children fail to reach their full potential because we fail to meet their basic needs. In a decent society, there are certain obligations that are not subject to tradeoffs or negotiations, and health care for our children is one of those obligations.<br />That is why we have passed this legislation. These legislators have passed this legislation on a bipartisan basis to continue coverage for 7 million children, cover an additional 4 million children in need, and finally lift the ban on states providing insurance to legal immigrant children if they choose to do so.<br />Since it was created more than 10 years ago, the Children's Health Insurance Program has been a lifeline for millions of children whose parents work full time and don't qualify for Medicaid, but through no fault of their own don't have -- and can't afford -- private insurance. For millions of children who fall into that gap, CHIP has provided care when they're sick and preventive services to help them stay well. This legislation will allow us to continue and build on these successes. - <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog_post/covering_kids/" mce_href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog_post/covering_kids/"> WH Blog, 2-4-09</a></li><li><b>Obama takes blame in Daschle, Killefer controversy on NBC's "Nightly News with Brian Williams.": </b> "I screwed up.... It's important for this administration to send a message that there aren't two sets of rules — you know, one for prominent people and one for ordinary folks who have to pay their taxes."<br />"I'm frustrated with myself, with our team. ... I'm here on television saying I screwed up." - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090204/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_failed_nominees" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090204/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_failed_nominees"> AP, 2-4-09</a></li><li><b>Governor John Lynch of New Hampshire: Cabinet deal is set for Gregg N.H. senator to get nod today; Likely successor is a Republican: </b> "It is important that President Obama be able to select the advisers he feels are necessary to help him address the challenges facing our nation," Lynch said in a statement. "If President Obama does nominate Senator Gregg to serve as commerce secretary, I will name a replacement who will put the people of New Hampshire first and represent New Hampshire effectively in the US Senate." - <a href="http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2009/02/03/cabinet_deal_is_set_for_gregg/" mce_href="http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2009/02/03/cabinet_deal_is_set_for_gregg/"> Boston Globe, 2-3-09</a></li><li><b>Clinton Sets First High-Level Talks and Travel as Secretary of State: </b> "That sense of enthusiasm as you walk in and through this building - it is contagious," said Vice President Biden. "And that's a statement about your ability to inspire, Madame Secretary, as well as to lead."<br />"We have in the leadership of President Obama someone who wants us to reach out to the world, to do so without illusions - understanding the difficulties we face will not be wished away, but meeting them forthrightly and smartly, and that we want to seize the opportunities that exist as well," said Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. - <a href="http://www.voanews.com/english/2009-02-03-voa4.cfm" mce_href="http://www.voanews.com/english/2009-02-03-voa4.cfm"> VOA, 2-2-09</a></li><li><b>Ironies pile up as Clinton sworn in to new U.S. post: </b> "Never did I think, Madame secretary, that I would swear you in as secretary of state. Never did I think I'd be sworn in as vice president," he said to laughter at a State Department ceremony attended by several hundred of Clinton's friends and colleagues as well as four former secretaries of state. - <a href="http://uk.reuters.com/article/UKNews1/idUKTRE5116BD20090202?sp=true" mce_href="http://uk.reuters.com/article/UKNews1/idUKTRE5116BD20090202?sp=true"> Reuters, 2-2-09</a></li><li><b>Ironies pile up as Clinton sworn in to new U.S. post: </b> "For me this has been an amazing personal journey. As Joe laughingly referenced, neither one of us thought we would be standing here together doing what we are now doing. Life has that funny way of unfolding and politics is even stranger."...<br />Clinton singled out Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, "who after all presided over my confirmation hearing." "I look forward to working with all of you -- particularly the appropriators," she said, alluding to the powerful members of Congress who dole out money for the State Department and other government agencies. - <a href="http://uk.reuters.com/article/UKNews1/idUKTRE5116BD20090202?sp=true" mce_href="http://uk.reuters.com/article/UKNews1/idUKTRE5116BD20090202?sp=true"> Reuters, 2-2-09</a></li><li><b>Obama says Iraq's peaceful elections aid pullout in an interview with NBC's Matt Lauer before the Super Bowl: </b> "I think that you have a sense now that the Iraqis just had a very significant election with no significant violence that we are in a position to start putting more responsibility on the Iraqis and that's good news not only for the troops on the ground but for the families who are carrying an enormous burden."<br />Lauer asked Obama if he could assure the troops "that a substantial number of them will be home" a year from now. Obama said: "Yes."<br />"We're going to roll out in a very formal fashion what our intentions are in Iraq as well as Afghanistan." - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090202/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_troops" mce_href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090202/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_troops"> AP, 2-2-09</a></li><li><b>Obama pokes fun at Emanuel at Alfalfa Club dinner: </b> "Now this hasn't been reported yet, but it was actually Rahm's idea to do the swearing-in ceremony again. Of course, for Rahm, every day is a swearing-in ceremony."...<br />"Every week the guy takes a little time away to give back to the community. Just last week he was at a local school, teaching profanity to poor children."...<br />If Lee "were here with us tonight, the general would be 202 years old," Obama joked. "And very confused."<br />The president patted himself on the back for the "toughest diplomacy of my life" — being able to keep his Blackberry. "I finally agreed to limit the number of people who could e-mail me. It's a very exclusive list. How exclusive?" "Everyone look at the person sitting on your left," Obama said. "Now look at the person sitting on your right. None of you have my e-mail address." - <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gOd9ur2pqXI4GxHHbfsxubqJ1OsQD962J7800" mce_href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gOd9ur2pqXI4GxHHbfsxubqJ1OsQD962J7800"> AP, 1-31-09</a></li><li><b>Al Gore: The former U.S. vice president to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee at its first hearing in the new Congress "Gore urges passing stimulus deal to aid climate": </b> "For years our efforts to address the growing climate crisis have been undermined by the idea that we must choose between our planet and our way of life. In fact, the solutions to the climate crisis are the very same solutions that will address our economic and national security crises as well. - <a href="http://uk.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUKTRE50R79D20090128" mce_href="http://uk.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUKTRE50R79D20090128"> Reuters, 1-29-09</a></li></ul> <h3>HISTORIANS' COMMENTS</h3> <h3>Historians' Comments</h3> <ul><li><b>Doris Kearns Goodwin "Presidential rivals can make excellent Cabinet members":</b> Goodwin noted that political rivals for the presidency, once they have been defeated through the election process, often remain among the strongest and most able people on the national stage.<br />It is a truism apparently not lost on Obama, since he appointed his fiercest opponent for the Democratic presidential nomination, Hillary Clinton, to his Cabinet. "Hillary Clinton was his biggest rival," said Goodwin. "I think she’ll be a very good secretary of state."<br />Goodwin also noted that Obama has appointed Republicans to his Cabinet, mentioning that while advice from those who may categorically disagree with you is important, a confident president then has no trouble making his own decisions. "Obama will have to decide what he'll have to do," about the welter of sticky problems he faces," the Pulitzer Prize-winning scholar and author said. - <a href="http://www.bradenton.com/news/breaking_news/story/1215016.html" mce_href="http://www.bradenton.com/news/breaking_news/story/1215016.html"> Bradenton Herald, 29-09</a></li><li><b>Robert Dallek "Bush aides quick to criticize the Obama administration": </b> The tenor of the comments is remarkable so soon after the start of a new administration. Presidential historian Robert Dallek said the wave of criticism "speaks to their defensiveness," noting that Bush spent much of his last two months in office defending his rocky White House tenure. "This was an administration that left so much under a cloud," Dallek said. "They're just continuing a pattern of aggression in defending their failed record, which is what the current judgment is among most Americans." - <a href="http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/1234085468316780.xml&coll=2" mce_href="http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/1234085468316780.xml&coll=2"> Cleveland Plain Dealer, 2-8-09</a></li><li><b>David Greenberg "Will "war on terror" survive without Bush?": </b> "It may be only symbolic but it signals that Obama is serious about avoiding the kind of Bush-style foreign policy that proved so divisive," said historian David Greenberg, an expert on presidential communication at Rutgers University in New Jersey. - <a href="http://bonniekaryn.wordpress.com/Documents%20and%20Settings/Compaq_Administrator/Desktop/HNN%20Features/HNN%20-%20Presidential%20Campaign/Feb809.htm" mce_href="/Documents%20and%20Settings/Compaq_Administrator/Desktop/HNN%20Features/HNN%20-%20Presidential%20Campaign/Feb809.htm"> Reuters, 2-6-09</a></li><li><b>Doug Wead "Obama's Tardiness Sets Him Apart From Bush Unlike his predecessor, President Obama has struggled to arrive on time to events and news conferences": </b> "To me, being tardy, it's got to be one of two things," said presidential historian Doug Wead, who advised both Bush and his father, George H.W. Bush. "Bad organization that can be corrected, or it's arrogance. It sounds to me like this is arrogance."...<br />Wead warned that habitual tardiness can be misinterpreted, citing the Cingular dropped-call ads that show how communication breakdown can lead to awkward moments in a New York minute. And he said being late could cost Obama politically. "When Obama's popularity slips, some people on Capitol Hill will not wait for him, and that will result in diminished political power," he said. - <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/politics/first100days/2009/02/05/obamas-tardiness-sets-apart-predecessor/" mce_href="http://www.foxnews.com/politics/first100days/2009/02/05/obamas-tardiness-sets-apart-predecessor/"> Fox News, 2-6-09</a></li><li><b>Allan Lichtman "Obama's Tardiness Sets Him Apart From Bush Unlike his predecessor, President Obama has struggled to arrive on time to events and news conferences": </b> Allan Lichtman, a political history professor at American University, had a different explanation for Clinton's tardiness. "President Clinton was always late because he wasn't very disciplined in general," he said. "This was a man who marched to the beat of his own drummer, who liked to talk, liked intellectual discussions, had his finger in every pie." There are two kinds of presidents, Lichtman said: "Foxes and hedgehogs." "Foxes know a little about everything. They have their fingers in every pie. ... Hedgehogs only know a few things and know it well and leave the details to others. Clinton was a classic fox. Bush was a classic hedgehog." And Obama? He appears to be a fox, too, Lichtman said. - <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/politics/first100days/2009/02/05/obamas-tardiness-sets-apart-predecessor/" mce_href="http://www.foxnews.com/politics/first100days/2009/02/05/obamas-tardiness-sets-apart-predecessor/"> Fox News, 2-6-09</a></li><li><b>Joseph McCartin "Executive Pay: Obama's PATCO moment": </b> Of course, the diminution in union power had multiple causes, including globalization and a decline in U.S. manufacturing. But the attack on PATCO "had great impact," says Joseph McCartin, a Georgetown University historian who has written extensively on the PATCO strike. "Reagan made strike-breaking more patriotic and striking less patriotic." - <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29055651/" mce_href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29055651/"> MSNBC, 2-6-09</a></li><li><b>Donald A. Ritchie "Cabinet deal is set for Gregg N.H. senator to get nod today; Likely successor is a Republican": </b> Donald A. Ritchie, associate historian for the US Senate Historical Office, said governors have rarely reached across the political aisle to fill a Senate vacancy and usually only when state law has required it. Arizona is one of those states; if John McCain had won the presidential race, Governor Janet Napolitano, a Democrat would have had to appoint a Republican. Ritchie said the last time a governor freely chose a member of the other party to replace an outgoing senator was in 1960, when Governor Mark Hatfield of Oregon, a Republican, chose a Democratic judge to replace a Democratic senator who died. - <a href="http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2009/02/03/cabinet_deal_is_set_for_gregg/" mce_href="http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2009/02/03/cabinet_deal_is_set_for_gregg/"> Boston Globe, 2-3-09</a></li><li><b>Julian Zelizer "With Daschle's withdrawal, can Obama repair image as 'change' agent?": </b> "Obama has work to do to restore his image as an agent of change," says Julian Zelizer, a congressional historian at Princeton University in New Jersey. - <a href="http://features.csmonitor.com/politics/2009/02/03/daschle-withdrawal-hurts-obama%E2%80%99s-image-as-an-agent-of-%E2%80%98change%E2%80%99/" mce_href="http://features.csmonitor.com/politics/2009/02/03/daschle-withdrawal-hurts-obama%E2%80%99s-image-as-an-agent-of-%E2%80%98change%E2%80%99/"> LAT, 2-3-09</a></li><li><b>Stephen Tanner "Afghanistan: Can Obama succeed in the 'land of the unruly?'": </b> "Controlling the Afghan people is a losing proposition," says Stephen Tanner, author of "Afghanistan: A Military History from Alexander the Great to the Fall of the Taliban." "No one has ever been able to control the country." Afghan President Hamid Karzai is struggling to control the country now, Tanner says. The landlocked nation, which is roughly the size of Texas, has no strong national police, he says; its citizens are averse to taxes and a strong central government. Afghans seem to unite only when a foreign army occupies their country, Tanner says. "The people are so disunited within that they can't resist an invader at the border," Tanner says. "But once you're in, you're surrounded by them." The resurgence of the Taliban will complicate Obama's plans as well, Tanner says. - <a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/02/02/Obama.afghan/" mce_href="http://edition.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/02/02/Obama.afghan/"> CNN, 2-2-09</a></li></ul> <p><img src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/P020509PS-0098w2.jpg" mce_src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/P020509PS-0098w2.jpg" alt="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/P020509PS-0098w2.jpg" height="275" width="483" /></p>Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06475026713228665094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242269147280141406.post-64434555436823206732009-02-02T22:43:00.000-08:002009-02-02T22:48:01.451-08:00Week 1: Obama Administration on the Political Spectrum<div class="entry"> <div class="snap_preview"><h3>By Bonnie K. Goodman</h3> <p>Where does President Obama stand on the political spectrum during his first week in office? Is he keeping up his promise promoting bi-partisanship and governing from a purple centrist position, or is an Obama Administration veering towards a big government Democratic-Liberal leadership?</p> <p><strong>Abortion-Funds Policy: Towards the Left, Liberal policy</strong></p> <p>When Obama reversed the policy about providing funds internationally for abortions, he was siding with Liberals and Democrats. Liberals and Conservatives have strictly drawn lines over the policy since 1984 when Ronald Reagan banned funding. As soon as Democrat Bill Clinton entered office he reversed the policy allowing funding, which was promptly overturned eight years later when Republican George W. Bush entered office.</p> <p><strong>Closing Guantanamo Bay prison camp: Towards the Left </strong></p> <p>On Obama’s first full day as President, he signed an executive order that would close the controversial prison camp that both houses and tries in a military tribunal suspected terrorists. The camp would be closed within a year and would suspend trials for 120 days pending review. Democrats lauded the order, but Republicans had serious reservations about it, fearing detainees would be released into the United States. In response, House Republicans including House Minority Leader John Boehner filed a bill that would bar federal courts from releasing detainees into the country.</p> <p><strong>Economic Stimulus Bill: Towards the Left, as introduced, it emphasized big government, government spending and intervention in the economy. </strong></p> <p>President Obama hoped to have bi-partisan support for his big economic stimulus bill, however, the bill has faced fierce opposition by Republicans. Not a single Republican in Congress voted for the bill, but it was passed with unanimous Democratic support. Senate Republicans however, are more willing to pass a stimulus bill, but want it to focus less on government spending and more on mortgage relief, and tax cuts for Americans in the lowest tax brackets. With these provisions the bill would swing more towards the center as tax cuts have predominantly been more Conservative and Republican initiatives. Still the bill includes too much government intervention in the economy, and gives the government more control over healthcare, paving the way towards Obama’s hallmark health care reform, government run universal medical coverage, a clearly Liberal policy.</p> <p><strong>Equal-Pay Legislation: Towards the Left </strong></p> <p>First introduced during the Bush Administration, Congress was willing to pass the legislation, but it received opposition from the White House.</p> <p><strong>Barack Obama’s imminent nomination of Sen. Judd Gregg as commerce secretary: Towards the Left </strong></p> <p>Although it would appear that including a third Republican in the cabinet would be a bi-partisan move, it is far from it. There is a possibility that a Republican would not fill Gregg’s New Hampshire seat, this would give the Democrats a clear majority of 60 in the Senate, and would prevent filibusters in opposition to legislation from Republicans, and allow the Democratic Senate to pass measures without needing Republican support.</p> </div> </div>Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06475026713228665094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242269147280141406.post-38452895113985793612009-01-30T00:19:00.002-08:002009-01-30T00:46:40.954-08:00January 30, 2009: President Obama's First Week in Office<h3>THE OBAMA PRESIDENCY:</h3> <h3 align="center">IN FOCUS: STATS</h3> <h1><nyt_headline version="1.0" type=" "></nyt_headline> </h1> <div class="image" id="wideImage"> <img src="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2009/01/21/us/21obama5-600.jpg" alt="" border="0" height="278" width="505" /> <div class="credit">Pete Souza/The White House</div> <p class="caption"><br /></p><p class="caption"> President Obama in the Oval Office on Wednesday. <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2009/01/21/us/0121-DAYONE_index.html" onclick="javascript:s_code_linktrack('Article-MorePhotos');">More Photos ></a></p></div> <h3>In Focus: Stats</h3> <ul><p> </p><li><b>The Gallup Organization survey: </b>68 percent of Americans approve of Obama's performance as the nation's chief executive. - <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gXRwwkUeaxe6tBxAfFQoivdmAZSAD95TMPFG0">AP, 1-25-09</a> </li><li><b>What History Foretells for Obama’s First Job Approval Rating: </b>Barack Obama can expect to receive a rating above 50% when Gallup reports his first job approval rating this weekend. All elected presidents since Dwight Eisenhower began their terms in office with approval ratings above 50%, generally low disapproval ratings, and high "no opinion" levels. - <a href="http://www.gallup.com/poll/113923/History-Foretells-Obama-First-Job-Approval-Rating.aspx">Gallop.com, 1-22-09</a> </li></ul> <h3 align="center">THE HEADLINES....</h3> <!-- Start Slide --> <!-- Start --><p> <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog_post/AWonderfulDay/"><img style="border-style: none; width: 515px; height: 289px;" src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/624x351/P012909JB-0048w--resized.jpg" alt="President Obama signing the Lilly Ledbetter Act" /></a></p> <h3>The Headlines...</h3> <ul><p> </p><li><b>After Jabs at Cheney, Biden Pursues an Activist Role:</b> Vice President Follows Initial Gaffes by Diving Into Wide Range of Issues; Drawing Contrasts With Predecessor Vice President Joe Biden, in a bid to become an influential second-in-command, is striving to carve out meaty roles for himself quickly. - <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123327771946131519.html?mod=googlenews_wsj">WSJ, 1-30-09</a> </li><li><b>Obama Signs Equal-Pay Legislation: </b>President Obama signed his first bill into law on Thursday, approving equal-pay legislation that he said would "send a clear message that making our economy work means making sure it works for everybody." - <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/30/us/politics/30ledbetter-web.html?em">NYT, 1-29-09</a></li></ul><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/UtKAKlurRAY&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/UtKAKlurRAY&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object><br /><ul><li><b>Obama's busy, bold first 10 days in office could rival Roosevelt's pace: </b>Ever since Franklin D. Roosevelt passed 15 major bills in three months during his first term as president in the early 1930s, American presidents have been judged by their first 100 days in the Oval Office. - <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5iVgFBfezwv19emAyTdi9JCDFSTGg">Canadian Press, 1-29-09</a> </li><li><b>Republicans take a back seat: </b>Lacking strong leadership and the political capital to oppose a popular president, the fractured GOP can only agree on one thing: This really isn't their moment. As Republicans fight President Obama's gargantuan economic plan, they have plenty of ideas. What they don't have is a party-wide consensus: They can't agree among themselves on the best alternative, or on whether government action is even needed to pull the economy from its nose dive. - <a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/washingtondc/la-na-gop30-2009jan30,0,4107081.story">LAT, 1-29-09</a> </li><li><b>House OKs $819B stimulus bill with GOP opposition: </b>In a swift victory for President Barack Obama, the Democratic-controlled House approved a historically huge $819 billion stimulus bill Wednesday night with spending increases and tax cuts at the heart of the young administration's plan to revive a badly ailing economy. The vote was 244-188, with Republicans unanimous in opposition despite Obama's frequent pleas for bipartisan support. - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090129/ap_on_go_co/obama_economy">AP, 1-28-09</a></li></ul> <!-- Start Slide --><!-- Start --> <div style="position: absolute; top: 0pt; left: 0pt; display: none; z-index: 4; opacity: 0;"> <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog_post/AWonderfulDay/"><img style="border-style: none; width: 624px; height: 351px;" src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/624x351/P012909JB-0048w--resized.jpg" alt="President Obama signing the Lilly Ledbetter Act" /></a> <div class="stgslideheading"><h1 style="background-image: url(/assets//hero/hero_day_final.jpg);">Lilly Ledbetter hero</h1></div> <div class="stgslidecontent"> <p>With the new law's namesake, Lilly Ledbetter,<br />at his side, President Obama signed his first<br />piece of legislation -- a powerful tool to fight<br />discrimination.<br /></p> <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog_post/a_wonderful_day/"><img src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/buttons/btn_learn_more.jpg" alt="Learn more" align="middle" border="0" height="21" vspace="5" width="157" /></a> </div> </div> <!-- End --> <!-- Start --><p> <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/ceos_at_the_white_house/"><img style="border-style: none;" src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/624x351/P012809JB-01542.jpg" alt="President Obama with business leaders" height="286" width="509" /></a></p> <ul><li><b>White House Unbuttons Formal Dress Code: </b>The capital flew into a bit of a tizzy when, on his first full day in the White House, President Obama was photographed in the Oval Office without his suit jacket. There was, however, a logical explanation: Mr. Obama, who hates the cold, had cranked up the thermostat. - <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/29/us/politics/29whitehouse.html?em">NYT, 1-28-09</a> </li><li><b>Obama open to compromise on $825B stimulus bill: </b>On the eve of a key vote, President Barack Obama privately promised Republicans he stands ready to accept changes in the $825 billion economic stimulus legislation, invoked Ronald Reagan to rebut conservative critics and urged lawmakers to "put politics aside" in the interest of creating jobs. - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090127/ap_on_go_co/obama_economy">AP, 1-27-09</a> </li><li><b>Geithner is sworn in as treasury secretary: </b>The nation has a new treasury secretary, and his name is Timothy Geithner. Geithner was quickly sworn in to office Monday night, becoming the nation's 75th treasury secretary and one of the point men President Barack Obama will be counting on to help pull the country out of its economic slide. - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090127/ap_on_go_pr_wh/geithner_sworn_in">AP, 1-26-09</a> </li><li><b>Some global adversaries ready to give Obama chance: </b>Already, there are signs that some of those foes were listening, sensing an opening for improved relations after eight combative years under President George W. Bush. Fidel Castro is said to like the new American leader, and North Korea and Iran both sounded open to new ideas to defuse nuclear-tinged tensions. - <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2009/01/25/2009-01-25_some_global_adversaries_ready_to_give_ob.html">NY Daily News, 1-25-09</a> </li><li><b>Democrats: Stimulus plan no quick fix for economy: </b>The White House warned Sunday that the country could face a long and painful financial recovery, even with major government intervention to stimulate the economy and save financial institutions. "We're off and running, but it's going to get worse before it gets better," said Vice President Joe Biden. - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090125/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_economy;_ylt=AoyVxBIyLBNs6HXlSpOQUzAGw_IE">AP, 1-25-09</a> </li><li><b>Obama breaks from Bush, avoids divisive stands: </b>Barack Obama opened his presidency by breaking sharply from George W. Bush's unpopular administration, but he mostly avoided divisive partisan and ideological stands. He focused instead on fixing the economy, repairing a battered world image and cleaning up government. - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090125/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_first_week">AP, 1-25-09</a> </li><li><b>Pro-gun US Senate pick makes some NY pols unhappy: </b>...Even before the governor took the podium Friday to introduce little-known upstate Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand as his pick, a Long Island congresswoman elected on a pledge to stem gun violence was telling reporters she would either challenge Gillibrand in the Democratic primary next year or find someone who would. - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090124/ap_on_re_us/ny_senate_seat">AP, 1-24-09</a> </li><li><b>Obama reverses Bush abortion-funds policy: </b>President Barack Obama on Friday struck down the Bush administration's ban on giving federal money to international groups that perform abortions or provide abortion information — an inflammatory policy that has bounced in and out of law for the past quarter-century. - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090124/ap_on_re_us/ny_senate_seat">AP, 1-24-09</a> </li><li><b>In Selection Mess, Paterson Dug Hole Deeper: </b>When Gov. David A. Paterson began consulting with his aides about picking a replacement for Hillary Rodham Clinton, they had one overriding message: First do no harm to yourself.... <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/24/nyregion/24assess.html?_r=1&hp">NYT, 1-23-09</a> </li><li><b>Senate OKs several Obama nominees, waits on others: </b>It's nine down, six to go to fill President Barack Obama's Cabinet. Yet, for all of the progress, his picks for attorney general and deputy defense secretary remain mired in questions over interrogation methods and ethics. - <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5htmbA-N0-tuOFQCDv3KgSKywY_BgD95SU3PO0">AP, 1-23-09</a> </li><li><b>Clinton promises to bolster foreign aid programs: </b>Secretary of State Hillary Clinton promised on Friday to strengthen U.S. foreign aid and development programs and told workers at the agency supervising those efforts they would be an equal partner in diplomacy. - <a href="http://uk.reuters.com/article/usPoliticsNews/idUKTRE50M6RK20090123">Reuters, 1-23-09</a> </li><li><b>Republicans agree stimulus to pass in February: </b>U.S. congressional Republicans predicted on Friday that legislation to boost the sagging economy would pass by mid-February, but pressed President Barack Obama to support more tax cuts in the plan. - <a href="http://uk.reuters.com/article/companyNewsMolt/idUKTRE50M5EA20090123">Reuters, 1-23-09</a> </li><li><b>President Obama swiftly sets course on Day One: </b>President Obama signed his first executive order today, concerning ethics within the executive office, accompanied by Vice President Biden. - <a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/washingtondc/la-na-obama22-2009jan22%2C0%2C3272357.story">Los Angeles Times, 1-22-09</a> </li><li><b>On Day One, Obama Sets a New Tone: </b>President Obama moved swiftly on Wednesday to impose new rules on government transparency and ethics, using his first full day in office to freeze the salaries of his senior aides, mandate new limits on lobbyists and demand that the government disclose more information. - <a href="http://bonniekaryn.wordpress.com/wp-admin/www.nytimes.com/2009/01/22/us/politics/22obama.html">NYT, 1-22-09</a> </li><li><b>Senate panel approves Geithner for treasury post: </b>The Senate Finance Committee has cleared the nomination of Timothy Geithner as treasury secretary despite unhappiness over his mistakes in paying his taxes. The committee approved the nomination on an 18-5 vote, sending it to the full Senate. President Barack Obama is hoping for quick approval so that the point man for the administration's economic rescue effort can begin work. - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090122/ap_on_go_co/treasury_geithner">AP, 1-22-09</a> </li><li><b>Caroline Kennedy Drops Bid for Open Senate Seat: </b>Caroline Kennedy, the daughter of a former president who whipped up excitement and controversy during her campaign for the New York Senate seat, withdrew from consideration Wednesday night... - <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123259683959605333.html">WSJ, 1-22-09</a> </li><li><b>Kennedy associate says decision was personal issue: </b>Caroline Kennedy withdrew her Senate bid because of a personal matter unrelated to her ill uncle, rejecting the governor's attempt to get her to reconsider, a person who worked closely with her said Thursday. Kennedy discussed withdrawing from the race with Gov. David Paterson on Wednesday, and Paterson asked her to reconsider for 24 hours, the person said. - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090122/ap_on_el_se/caroline_kennedy">AP, 1-22-09</a> </li><li><b>Secretary of State Clinton Arrives at Foggy Bottom: </b>Hillary Rodham Clinton arrived for her first day of work at the State Department Thursday, assuming the mantle of the nation’s chief diplomat and preparing to name a pair of renowned diplomats to serve as special emissaries to the Middle East and South Asia. - <a href="http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/22/secretary-of-state-clinton-arrives-at-foggy-bottom/">NYT, 1-22-09</a> </li><li><b>President Obama retakes oath of office: </b>In an effort to keep things on the up-and-up and ensure there was no debate, President Obama retook the oath Wednesday night, after he and Chief Justice John Roberts flubbed it earlier.... And that's exactly what happened at 7:35 p.m. Wednesday night in the White House's Map Room. When Roberts asked if Obama - who took this second oath sans Bible - was ready, the President reportedly replied: "I am, and we're going to do it very slowly."... - <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2009/01/21/2009-01-21_president_obama_retakes_oath_of_office.html">NY Daily News, 1-21-09</a> </li><li><b>Obama moves to reshape US policy by closing Gitmo: </b>President Barack Obama moved quickly Thursday to reshape U.S. national-security policy, ordering the Guantanamo Bay prison camp closed within a year, forbidding the harshest treatment of terror suspects and naming new envoys to the Middle East and Afghanistan-Pakistan. "We have no time to lose," he said at the State Department as he welcomed newly confirmed Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton to help him forge what he called "a new era of American leadership" in the world. - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090122/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_rdp">AP, 1-22-09</a> </li><li><b>Obama to order Guantanamo closed: </b>President Barack Obama will begin overhauling U.S. national security policy Thursday with orders to close the Guantanamo Bay detention center, review military trials of terror suspects and end harsh interrogations, two government officials said. - <b>From A Draft of Obama's Executive Order to Close Guantanamo:</b> "in view of significant concerns raised by these detentions, both within the United States and internationally, prompt and appropriate disposition of the individuals currently detained at Guantanamo and closure of the facility would further the national security and foreign policy interests of the United States and the interests of justice." - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090122/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_guantanamo">AP, 1-22-09</a> </li><li><b>Obama's whirlwind first day: economy, war and more: </b>In a first-day whirlwind, President Barack Obama showcased efforts to revive the economy on Wednesday, summoned top military officials to the White House to chart a new course in Iraq and eased into the daunting thicket of Middle East diplomacy. - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090122/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_day_one">AP, 1-22-09</a> </li><li><b>Senate confirms Clinton as secretary of state: </b>The Senate confirmed Hillary Rodham Clinton as secretary of state Wednesday as President Barack Obama moved to make his imprint on U.S. foreign policy, mobilizing a fresh team of veteran advisers and reaching out to world leaders. The Senate voted 94-2, with Republican Sens. David Vitter of Louisiana and Jim DeMint of South Carolina opposing. - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090122/ap_on_go_co/clinton_confirmation">AP, 1-22-09</a> </li><li><b>President Obama's First Day: </b>President Obama reported to work at 8:35 a.m. on Wednesday, walking into the Oval Office for the first time as the nation's chief executive. He read the note left behind by George W. Bush, which was sitting in a folder on top of the desk, with a note marked "44." Mr. Obama was in the office alone for a brief time, aides said, starting his day after a late night celebrating and dancing at inaugural balls across Washington. So the new White House is officially opened for business, but it feels more like a start-up than the seat of government. - <a href="http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/21/reporting-for-duty/">NYT, 1-21-09</a> </li></ul> <h3 align="center">POLITICAL QUOTES</h3> <!-- Start Slide --><!-- Start --> <div style="position: absolute; top: 0pt; left: 0pt; display: none; z-index: 4; opacity: 0;"> <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog_post/AWonderfulDay/"><img style="border-style: none; width: 624px; height: 351px;" src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/624x351/P012909JB-0048w--resized.jpg" alt="President Obama signing the Lilly Ledbetter Act" /></a> <div class="stgslideheading"><h1 style="background-image: url(/assets//hero/hero_day_final.jpg);">Lilly Ledbetter hero</h1></div> <div class="stgslidecontent"> <p>With the new law's namesake, Lilly Ledbetter,<br />at his side, President Obama signed his first<br />piece of legislation -- a powerful tool to fight<br />discrimination.<br /></p> <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog_post/a_wonderful_day/"><img src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/buttons/btn_learn_more.jpg" alt="Learn more" align="middle" border="0" height="21" vspace="5" width="157" /></a> </div> </div> <!-- End --><!-- Start --> <div style="position: absolute; top: 0pt; left: 0pt; display: none; z-index: 3; opacity: 0;"> <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/ceos_at_the_white_house/"><img style="border-style: none; width: 624px; height: 351px;" src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/624x351/P012809JB-01542.jpg" alt="President Obama with business leaders" /></a> <div class="stgslideheading"><h1 style="background-image: url(/assets//hero/hero_economy.jpg);">Meeting with business leaders</h1></div> <div class="stgslidecontent"> President Obama met with top business<br />leaders, and emphasized that most of the<br />funds in the Recovery Package will go to<br />create jobs in the private sector.<br /><a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/ceos_at_the_white_house/"><img src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/buttons/btn_more_readremarks.gif" alt="read the president's remarks" align="middle" border="0" height="21" vspace="5" width="222" /></a> </div> </div> <!-- End --><!-- Start --> <div style="position: absolute; top: 0pt; left: 0pt; display: none; z-index: 2; opacity: 0;"> <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog_post/Fromperiltoprogress/"><img style="border-style: none; width: 624px; height: 351px;" src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/624x351/signing_01-26-09.jpg" alt="President Obama signs a Presidential Memorandum" /></a> <div class="stgslideheading"><h1 style="background-image: url(/assets//hero/hero_display_313x351_template2.jpg);">From peril to progress</h1></div> <div class="stgslidecontent"> <br /><br />In his first two Presidential Memoranda,<br />President Obama took two bold steps on<br />the journey towards energy independence.<br /><a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog_post/Fromperiltoprogress/"><img alt="read the president's remarks" src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/buttons/btn_more_readremarks.gif" align="middle" border="0" height="21" vspace="5" width="222" /></a><br /><br /> </div> </div> <!-- End --> <!-- Start --><p> <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/president-obama-delivers-your-weekly-address/"><img style="border-style: none;" src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/624x351/20090123_WeeklyAddress.jpg" alt="Weekly Address" height="268" width="477" /></a></p> <h3>Political Quotes</h3> <ul><p> </p><li><b>On Wednesday morning Obama went off script from the important business of the day and poked fun at local officials for canceling school because of icy conditions, saying: </b>"My 7-year-old pointed out that you'd go outside for recess. You wouldn't even stay indoors. So, I don't know. We're going to have to apply some flinty Chicago toughness to this town." Later at the Pentagon he kept it up: "Aren't you a little surprised that they canceled school for my kids?" - <a href="http://voices.washingtonpost.com/reliable-source/2009/01/obamas_go_to_school.html?hpid=news-col-blog">WaPo, 1-29-09</a> </li><li><b>President Obama told Al Arabiya in his Interview as President: </b>"My job is to communicate to the American people that the Muslim world is filled with extraordinary people who simply want to live their lives and see their children live better lives. My job to the Muslim world is to communicate that the Americans are not your enemy....<br />Sending George Mitchell to the Middle East is fulfilling my campaign promise that we're not going to wait until the end of my administration to deal with Palestinian and Israeli peace, we're going to start now. It may take a long time to do, but we're going to do it now." - <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog_post/PresidenttoMuslimWorldAmericansarenotyourenemy/">WH Blog, 1-27-09</a> </li><li><b>REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT AFTER MEETING WITH HOUSE REPUBLICAN CAUCUS Ohio Clock Corridor, U.S. Capitol: </b>Hello, everybody. We had a very constructive meeting with the House members, members of the Republican Caucus. I'm a little bit late for my Senate colleagues -- former Senate colleagues.<br />And the main message I have is that the statistics every day underscore the urgency of the economic situation. The American people expect action. They want us to put together a recovery package that puts people back to work, that creates investments that assure our long-term energy independence, an effective health care system, an education system that works; they want our infrastructure rebuilt, and they want it done wisely, so that we're not wasting taxpayer money.<br />As I explained to the Republican House Caucus, and I'll explain to my former Senate colleagues, the recovery package that we have proposed and is moving its way through Congress is just one leg in a multi-legged stool. We're still going to have to have much better financial regulation, we've got to get credit flowing again, we're going to have to deal with the troubled assets that many banks are still carrying and that make the -- that have locked up the credit system.<br />We're going to have to coordinate with other countries, because we now have a global problem. I am absolutely confident that we can deal with these issues, but the key right now is to make sure that we keep politics to a minimum. There are some legitimate philosophical differences with parts of my plan that the Republicans have, and I respect that. In some cases they may just not be as familiar with what's in the package as I would like. I don't expect a hundred percent agreement from my Republican colleagues, but I do hope that we can all put politics aside and do the American people's business right now. All right. - <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/on_the_hill/">WH Blog, 1-27-09</a> </li><li><b>Biden: We've Inherited A Real Mess: </b>Face The Nation: VP Says Stimulus Plan Is Off and Running, But U.S. Faces Challenges On Pak-Afghan Front, Closing Gitmo: It is worse, quite frankly, than everyone thought it was, and it's getting worse every day. There's been no good news, and there's no good news on the immediate horizon. The only good news is the president acted swiftly; he's put together an economic stimulus package that we believe, and outsiders believe, will create 3 million to 4 million new jobs and set a new framework for the economy to develop on, a new foundation. And so we're off and running, but it's going to get worse before it gets better.<br /><br />"I don't see myself as the 'deputy president. I see myself as the president's confidant. Hopefully I can help shape policy with him. ... Hopefully I'm the last person in the room with every important decision he makes. Thus far, that's how it's worked. The agreement he and I have is that I would be available for every single major decision that he makes, in the room; I'd have all the paper, all the material, all the meetings - and, again, not for me to make decisions [but] for me to give the best advice that I can give. So that's what I view my role to be: A confidant, an adviser, essentially the last guy in the room when he makes these critical decisions. It is harder now. I'm really happy to be part of a team. But what I have to think about now is, everything I say ... reflects directly on the administration. And so I may have strongly-held views that the president may not have. But, yes, the bottom line, it's harder! - <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/01/25/ftn/main4752148.shtml">CBS News, Transcript, 1-25-09</a> </li><li><b>President Obama delivers Your Weekly Address: </b>In his first weekly address since being sworn in as the 44th president of the United States, President Barack Obama discusses how the American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan will jump-start the economy. "This is not just a short-term program to boost employment. It's one that will invest in our most important priorities like energy and education; health care and a new infrastructure that are necessary to keep us strong and competitive in the 21st century." - <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/president-obama-delivers-your-weekly-address/">WH Blog, 1-24-09</a></li></ul> <p><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/RDfpd8GV9dI&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/RDfpd8GV9dI&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object></p> <ul><li><b>Clinton vows robust diplomacy as State Dept chief: </b>"I believe with all of my heart that this is a new era for America.... This is going to be a challenging time and it will require 21st century tools and solutions to meet our problems and seize our opportunities. I'm going to be asking a lot of you. I want you to think outside the proverbial box. I want you to give me the best advice you can. I want you to understand there is nothing that I welcome more than a good debate and the kind of dialogue that will make us better. We cannot be our best if we don't demand that from ourselves and each other.... We are responsible for two of the three legs. And we will make clear as we go forward that diplomacy and development are essential tools in achieving the long-term objectives of the United States.... At the heart of smart power are smart people, and you are those people. And you are the ones that we will count on and turn to for the advice and counsel, the expertise and experience to make good on the promises of this new administration." - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090122/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/clinton">AP, 1-22-09</a></li></ul> <!-- Start Slide --><!-- Start --> <div style="position: absolute; top: 0pt; left: 0pt; display: none; z-index: 4; opacity: 0;"> <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog_post/AWonderfulDay/"><img style="border-style: none; width: 624px; height: 351px;" src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/624x351/P012909JB-0048w--resized.jpg" alt="President Obama signing the Lilly Ledbetter Act" /></a> <div class="stgslideheading"><h1 style="background-image: url(/assets//hero/hero_day_final.jpg);">Lilly Ledbetter hero</h1></div> <div class="stgslidecontent"> <p>With the new law's namesake, Lilly Ledbetter,<br />at his side, President Obama signed his first<br />piece of legislation -- a powerful tool to fight<br />discrimination.<br /></p> <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog_post/a_wonderful_day/"><img src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/buttons/btn_learn_more.jpg" alt="Learn more" align="middle" border="0" height="21" vspace="5" width="157" /></a> </div> </div> <!-- End --><!-- Start --> <div style="position: absolute; top: 0pt; left: 0pt; display: none; z-index: 3; opacity: 0;"> <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/ceos_at_the_white_house/"><img style="border-style: none; width: 624px; height: 351px;" src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/624x351/P012809JB-01542.jpg" alt="President Obama with business leaders" /></a> <div class="stgslideheading"><h1 style="background-image: url(/assets//hero/hero_economy.jpg);">Meeting with business leaders</h1></div> <div class="stgslidecontent"> President Obama met with top business<br />leaders, and emphasized that most of the<br />funds in the Recovery Package will go to<br />create jobs in the private sector.<br /><a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/ceos_at_the_white_house/"><img src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/buttons/btn_more_readremarks.gif" alt="read the president's remarks" align="middle" border="0" height="21" vspace="5" width="222" /></a> </div> </div> <!-- End --> <!-- Start --><p> <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog_post/Fromperiltoprogress/"><img style="border-style: none;" src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/624x351/signing_01-26-09.jpg" alt="President Obama signs a Presidential Memorandum" height="278" width="495" /></a></p> <h3 align="center">HISTORIANS' COMMENTS</h3> <h3>Historians' Comments</h3> <ul><p> </p><li><b>Allan Lichtman "Analysis: Obama tries to keep political tone civil": </b>"I cannot remember any president coming in so determined to do all the little things to change the tone in Washington," American University political scientist Allan Lichtman says. <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2009-01-29-tone_N.htm">USA Today, 1-29-09</a> </li><li><b>Bruce Buchanan "Analysis: Obama tries to keep political tone civil": </b>"Every one of them tries to set a tone that's friendlier, more open, more inviting," says University of Texas presidential historian Bruce Buchanan. "But people get past the kumbaya moments and they start arguing policy. And then the question is whether you can do it civilly." - <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2009-01-29-tone_N.htm">USA Today, 1-29-09</a> </li><li><b>Julian Zelizer: "Obama's busy, bold first 10 days in office could rival Roosevelt's pace": </b>"It is a bold, aggressive start," said Julian Zelizer, a professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School. "Obviously if you pass a bill of this size really within the first month of your presidency, along with five or six others ahead and a number of executive orders, it's a good start in terms of matching Roosevelt's pace," Zelizer said... Zelizer says that Obama's first days in office are likely setting the tone for his presidency. "Almost every indication suggests this is going to be a very energized and active president," he said. <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5iVgFBfezwv19emAyTdi9JCDFSTGg">Canadian Press, 1-29-09</a> </li><li><b>Fred Greenstein: "Obama breaks from Bush, avoids divisive stands": </b>"It's as if Superman stepped out of a phone booth and became Clark Kent," said Fred Greenstein, a Princeton University professor emeritus of politics. "He's beginning to put aside the rhetoric in favor of listing the policies and doing the checklist. He's not going out of his way to show a lot of flash. It's much more lets-get-down-to-work." That said, there's a limit to what he can immediately accomplish, Greenstein said, and "the really big things can't be done on Day One, particularly if they are going to be done well." - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090125/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_first_week">AP, 1-25-09</a> </li><li><b>Peniel Joseph "Week of Symbolism, History in Washington": </b>"This is an enormous weight that has been lifted from the nation's psyche. And it does not mean that racism is over, but the notion that there were still barriers for a black person or a person of color to ascend to the nation's highest political post is now left behind us," said Peniel Joseph, a professor of Afro-American studies at Brandeis University in Massachusetts and a guest on VOA's Press Conference USA program.<br />But Brandeis Professor Peneil Joseph said Mr. Obama's success depends on his ability to turn around the weakened U.S. economy. "If the economy starts to show real promise in terms of new jobs being created that are connected to the president's stimulus package, then he will be able to do a lot of what he wants to do in terms of health care, the environment, education and other aspects," said Joseph. - <a href="http://www.voanews.com/english/2009-01-23-voa57.cfm">VOA, 1-23-09</a> </li><li><b>Gil Troy "President Obama the Liberal Nationalist": </b>Shrewdly, pragmatically, constructively, Obama wants to channel this energy into a badly needed sense of communal renewal. His campaign slogan was "Yes We Can," not "Yes I Can." He is continuing the initiative he began with his lyrical, extraordinary 2004 Democratic National Convention speech, trying to articulate a vision of liberal American nationalism that works for the 21st century. Obama’s repudiation in 2004 of the "red America" versus "blue America" division, his inaugural celebration of "our patchwork heritage" as a "strength not a weakness," seeks to forge a new nationalist center that heals America’s wounds, and revives a sense of community.....<br />In launching his administration, Obama has demonstrated that he just might govern as he speechifies, creating a "Yes We Can" muscular moderation that advances a substantive agenda in ways millions of Americans in the big, broad, pragmatic center can applaud. And during this hopeful moment, when the Obama presidency has only happy tomorrows ahead and no embarrassing yesterdays – yet – we should all join in hoping that this extraordinary politician can live up to the best of his rhetoric and the heady aspirations people are projecting on him, in the streets of Washington, and throughout the world. - <a href="http://hnn.us/blogs/entries/60253.html">HNN, 1-21-09</a> </li></ul> <h1><nyt_headline version="1.0" type=" "></nyt_headline> </h1> <div class="image" id="wideImage"> <img src="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2009/01/29/us/29whitehouse_600.jpg" alt="" border="0" height="299" width="531" /> <div class="credit">Pete Souza/White House, via Bloomberg News</div> <p class="caption"> President Obama in a meeting last week in the Oval Office, where his predecessor required a coat and tie at all times. </p> </div>Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06475026713228665094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242269147280141406.post-55000060866092150342009-01-22T00:20:00.000-08:002009-01-30T00:36:13.560-08:00Gil Troy "President Obama the Liberal Nationalist"<h2 class="posttitle"><span style="font-size:100%;">By Gil Troy, </span><a href="http://hnn.us/blogs/entries/60253.html" name="60253"><span style="font-size:100%;">HNN, 1-21-09</span><br /></a></h2><br />Inauguration Day, 2009 in Washington, DC was grueling but inspiring. The minus 8 degree cold was bone-chilling. The crowd of two million plus was frequently suffocating. The 20,000-officer security cordon was smothering. Yet people endured the discomfort good-naturedly. Neither cold nor crowds nor mile-long detours from blocks of blocked off streets would deter Obama’s faithful from celebrating his historic ascent.<br /><br />Fueled particularly by Washington, DC’s African-Americans, who came out in droves, Obamania gripped America’s grand but all too frequently cynical capital city. The outer lane of “K” Street, infamous for its slick lobbyists, became a bazaar with hawkers selling cheap knickknacks emblazoned with messianic sentiments: “Yes We Did” on a bumper sticker; “Never Give Up on Your Dreams,” on a commemorative booklet”; “The Healing Process Has Begun” on a banner; “A Legacy of Hope” featuring beatific images of Barack Obama and Martin Luther King on a poster; and “Thank You Jesus, We Never Would Have Made It Without You” on a T-shirt. One Moroccan immigrant kept saying, “Only in America, only in America,” as he watched the self-described skinny kid with a funny name become president amid such a worshipful crowd.<br /><br />At the inauguration, Obama seemed sobered by America’s unrealistic expectations despite such crushing challenges. While Obama’s inauguration was moving, his address was muted. Now, Obama is such a master speechmaker that, as with Babe Ruth swinging a bat, anything less than a game-winning homer disappoints. Still, Obama seemed determined to manage Americans’ expectations, warning that America’s problems could not be solved simply by sloganeering.<br /><br />Obama understands that the growing cult of personality surrounding him is a great asset, giving him a mandate to succeed. But he also knows that hope is like a balloon, if properly inflated it soars into the sky, dazzling, delighting, and elevating; but if overblown, it pops. The frenzied hopes his election triggered could sour.<br /><br />Shrewdly, pragmatically, constructively, Obama wants to channel this energy into a badly needed sense of communal renewal. His campaign slogan was “Yes We Can,” not “Yes I Can.” He is continuing the initiative he began with his lyrical, extraordinary 2004 Democratic National Convention speech, trying to articulate a vision of liberal American nationalism that works for the 21st century. Obama’s repudiation in 2004 of the “red America” versus “blue America” division, his inaugural celebration of “our patchwork heritage” as a “strength not a weakness,” seeks to forge a new nationalist center that heals America’s wounds, and revives a sense of community.<br /><br />Barack Obama is a great nationalist. He understands that while nationalism can be ugly and destructive, it can also be a force for good. Nationalism is community writ large; it can pull individuals out of their selfish orbits, launching them into a universe of good works and great achievements. In his inaugural address, trying to solve the decades-long debate about the size of government, Obama reframed the question, saying, “The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works.” He then articulated an activist nationalist vision that empowered the people, saying “For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.”<br /><br />Similarly, regarding foreign policy, Obama tried to resolve the fight between realists emphasizing America’s needs and idealists hoping to spread democracy and other American ideals worldwide. Thanks to the backlash against George W. Bush’s overselling of democratic hopes in Iraq and elsewhere, the realist school is ascendant – frequently displaying a strong isolationist streak. Obama’s initial campaign focus on just getting out of Iraq played to Americans’ historic isolationism. But minutes into the job, Obama already acknowledged that the world looks very different when viewed from the Oval Office’s big, bullet-proof, picture window. Moreover, the surge’s success in Iraq stabilized the situation, precluding a quick withdrawal. And while Obama relies on some realist advisers, he is imprisoned by his own soaring rhetoric and aspirations. Obama does not just want his administration focusing on what is right for his country; he wants what is right for his country to be right for the world. Just as true isolationism is impossible for the world’s only superpower; neither can any American, let alone Obama the hope-generator, avoid the idealistic impulses in the country Obama’s hero Abraham Lincoln deemed “the last best hope of earth.” For all those reasons, Obama declared when inaugurated: “As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals.”<br /><br />In launching his administration, Obama has demonstrated that he just might govern as he speechifies, creating a “Yes We Can” muscular moderation that advances a substantive agenda in ways millions of Americans in the big, broad, pragmatic center can applaud. And during this hopeful moment, when the Obama presidency has only happy tomorrows ahead and no embarrassing yesterdays – yet – we should all join in hoping that this extraordinary politician can live up to the best of his rhetoric and the heady aspirations people are projecting on him, in the streets of Washington, and throughout the world.Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06475026713228665094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242269147280141406.post-55395217546060623852009-01-21T12:32:00.000-08:002009-01-30T00:47:51.180-08:00Aaron Zelinsky: "What We Will Remember from Obama's 2009 Inaugural Address"<!-- Entry --><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"> By Aaron Zelinsky, </span><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/aaron-zelinsky/what-we-will-remember-of_b_159452.html">Huffington Post, 1-20-09</a></span><div class="entry blogger" id="159452"><div class="col entry_right full"><br /><div class="entry_body_text"> <p>President Barack Obama's inaugural address was good, but not truly canonical. At 2,396 words, Obama's full speech was too cumbersome for the front row of history (for reference, Lincoln's Second Inaugural was 698 words; the Gettysburg Address was 278). Nevertheless, the inaugural address contained many passages that will enter into the mystic chords of memory. </p> <p>Here are the ten lines we will remember:</p> <p>1. <em>"Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forebears, and true to our founding documents."</em></p> <p>These opening lines signal the key structural component of the inaugural which the pundits (myself included) failed to predict: This speech looks not to Lincoln, but to Washington. The key theme is not unity in a time of discord but triumph in a time of adversity. The Founding, not the Civil War, is the touchstone for this inaugural address.</p> <p>2. <em>"We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things."<br /></em></p> <p>Obama quotes 1 Corinthians 13:11, "When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things." These lines address both the country and the man speaking them: Obama is no longer campaigning, but governing, and with the Presidency come all the obligations and responsibilities of leadership. Interestingly, Obama also deviates from the traditional King James text, using "set aside" instead of "put aside."</p> <p>3. <em>"For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life. For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth. For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn."</em></p> <p>This exhibits Obama (and Lincoln's) <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/aaron-zelinsky/what-we-will-remember-oba_b_141397.html">favorite rhetorical device</a>, the tricolon, three clearly definable clauses building to a strong finish. This tricolon combines with anaphora, the repetition of words at the beginning of specific clauses. The addition of Khe Sahn, a Vietnam War battle fought in 1968, is notable; in the annals of history Khe Sahn does not usually stand alongside Concord, Gettysburg, or Normandy. This is, perhaps, an oblique reference to the Iraq War: Soldiers' service in the name of their country is no less honorable because the war was a mistake. </p> <p>4. <em>"Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control -- and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our Gross Domestic Product, but on the reach of our prosperity."</em></p> <p>Obama reaffirms his faith in the American free market system, while noting the need for change. The final line is an example of the rhetorical device polyptoton, the use of the same word in varied forms. There are two prior famous uses of polyptoton in inaugural addresses: "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself" (FDR, 1933), and "Not as a call to battle, though embattled we are" (JFK, 1961).</p> <p>5. <em>"As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals."</em></p> <p>This elegant phrase symbolizes a break with the Bush administration, and conveys the hope that America can remain true to its core beliefs while maintaining safety. </p> <p>6. <em>" [O]ur power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint."<br /></em></p> <p>Here, Obama outlines a fundamental aspect of his vision for the source of American power: underlying commitments to fairness and justness supported by military strength. This idea of strength through prudence, example, and restraint echoes themes Professor <a href="http://www.thomasmadden.org/">Thomas Madden</a> ascribes to the golden age of the Roman Empire.</p> <p>7. <em>"We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus -- and nonbelievers."<br /></em></p> <p>Although not rhetorically notable, this line is impressive in its inclusiveness. Previous paeans to America's diversity generally focus on the multitude of different God-fearing religions; rarely do they cast so inclusive a net.</p> <p>8. <em>"To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West -- know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy."</em></p> <p>Again, Obama signals a break from the past combined with a strong sense of purpose and resolve. There are two rhetorical devices employed here: First, apostrophe, the direct address of an individual, often one who is not present ("Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!"). Second, Antithesis, the use of contrasting ideas in a parallel construction ("One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind").</p> <p>9. <em>"'Let it be told to the future world ... that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive...that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet (it).' America, in the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words."</em></p> <p>Here, Obama quotes Thomas Paine's <em>The Crisis</em>, which George Washington ordered read to his men at Valley Forge. Obama uses Paine as a springboard for the most memorable phrase of the speech, "this winter of our hardship." This construction too had a noble history: Shakespeare's Richard III opens with a similar line, "Now is the winter of our discontent."</p> <p>10. <em>"With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come."</em></p> <p>This is the peroration of the speech, the emotional close at the conclusion. Here, the ship of state sails on into the future, with an eye toward the challenges which await. These lines also recall the end of the Sermon on the Mount, as recounted in Matthew, where houses built on the firm foundations will survive the coming storms. Abraham Lincoln also referenced the Sermon in his second inaugural, exhorting the country "let us judge not, that we be not judged." The reference to storms ahead also links the final words of the speech back to the opening mention of "gathering clouds and raging storms."</p> </div><br /></div> </div>Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06475026713228665094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242269147280141406.post-517001765295095722009-01-21T00:30:00.000-08:002009-01-30T00:49:27.131-08:00Barack Obama Inauguration 2009: The Address & Festivities<div class="entry"> <div class="snap_preview"><p><!-- end breadcrumb--> <!-- end sub header --> <!-- start grid 996--></p> <div class="gridwrpr" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255) url(/images/eop/bg-int-col.gif) repeat-y scroll left top; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;"><a name="maincontent"></a> <div class="grdspan8"> <div class="mod-story664top"> <div class="mod-flr-n166"> <div> <h2 class="mod-story664">President Barack Obama’s Inaugural Address</h2><br /><br /><br /></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <p><span style="text-align: center; display: block;"><object height="350" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/3PuHGKnboNY&rel=1&fs=1&showsearch=0"> <param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"> <param name="wmode" value="transparent"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/3PuHGKnboNY&rel=1&fs=1&showsearch=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="transparent" height="350" width="425"></embed> </object></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"> </p><p style="text-align: right;">(<em><a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/videos/2009/January/20090120_inauguration.mp4">download as high-quality .mp4</a></em>)</p> <p style="text-align: center;">Inaugural Address</p> <div style="text-align: center;">By President Barack Hussein Obama</div> <p>My fellow citizens: I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you’ve bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors.</p> <p>I thank President Bush for his service to our nation — (applause) — as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.</p> <p>Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often, the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because we, the people, have remained faithful to the ideals of our forebears and true to our founding documents.</p> <p>So it has been; so it must be with this generation of Americans.</p> <p>That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost, jobs shed, businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly, our schools fail too many — and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.</p> <p>These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable, but no less profound, is a sapping of confidence across our land; a nagging fear that America’s decline is inevitable, that the next generation must lower its sights.</p> <p>Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this America: They will be met. (Applause.)</p> <p>On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord. On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn-out dogmas that for far too long have strangled our politics. We remain a young nation. But in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness. (Applause.)</p> <p>In reaffirming the greatness of our nation we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted, for those that prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things — some celebrated, but more often men and women obscure in their labor — who have carried us up the long rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.</p> <p>For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life. For us, they toiled in sweatshops, and settled the West, endured the lash of the whip, and plowed the hard earth. For us, they fought and died in places like Concord and Gettysburg, Normandy and Khe Sahn.</p> <p>Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions, greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.</p> <p>This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week, or last month, or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions — that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America. (Applause.)</p> <p>For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of our economy calls for action, bold and swift. And we will act, not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We’ll restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology’s wonders to raise health care’s quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. All this we will do.</p> <p>Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions, who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short, for they have forgotten what this country has already done, what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage. What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them, that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply.</p> <p>The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works — whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public’s dollars will be held to account, to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day, because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.</p> <p>Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched. But this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control. The nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our gross domestic product, but on the reach of our prosperity, on the ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart — not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good. (Applause.)</p> <p>As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers — (applause) — our Founding Fathers, faced with perils that we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man — a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience sake. (Applause.)</p> <p>And so, to all the other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born, know that America is a friend of each nation, and every man, woman and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity. And we are ready to lead once more. (Applause.)</p> <p>Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with the sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.</p> <p>We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort, even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we’ll work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet.</p> <p>We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense. And for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken — you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you. (Applause.)</p> <p>For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus, and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.</p> <p>To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society’s ills on the West, know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. (Applause.)</p> <p>To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history, but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist. (Applause.)</p> <p>To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to the suffering outside our borders, nor can we consume the world’s resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.</p> <p>As we consider the role that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who at this very hour patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages.</p> <p>We honor them not only because they are the guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service — a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves.</p> <p>And yet at this moment, a moment that will define a generation, it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all. For as much as government can do, and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter’s courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent’s willingness to nurture a child that finally decides our fate.</p> <p>Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends — honesty and hard work, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism — these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history.</p> <p>What is demanded, then, is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility — a recognition on the part of every American that we have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world; duties that we do not grudgingly accept, but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character than giving our all to a difficult task.</p> <p>This is the price and the promise of citizenship. This is the source of our confidence — the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny. This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed, why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall; and why a man whose father less than 60 years ago might not have been served in a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath. (Applause.)</p> <p>So let us mark this day with remembrance of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America’s birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At the moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words to be read to the people:</p> <p>“Let it be told to the future world…that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive… that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it].”</p> <p>America: In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children’s children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God’s grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.</p> <p>Thank you. God bless you. And God bless the United States of America. (Applause.)</p> <h1>President Obama at the Lincoln Memorial Concert</h1> <p><span class="description">On January 19, 2009, then President-elect Obama joined a huge crowd at the Lincoln Memorial for a national free broadcast concert featuring some of music’s biggest stars.</span></p><br /><p><span style="text-align: center; display: block;"><object height="350" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/V_e0K2gyHAg&rel=1&fs=1&showsearch=0"> <param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"> <param name="wmode" value="transparent"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/V_e0K2gyHAg&rel=1&fs=1&showsearch=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="transparent" height="350" width="425"></embed> </object></span></p> <h1>The Whistle Stop Train Tour</h1> <div id="subscribeLoginInvite" style="border: 1px solid rgb(153, 153, 153); margin: 8px 5px 0pt; padding: 5px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); display: none;"> <div style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 4px; background: rgb(238, 238, 238) none repeat scroll 0pt 50%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; text-align: center;"><strong>Want to Subscribe?</strong><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/login?next=/watch%3Fv%3DOMdcBkJnnIY%26feature%3Dchannel"><strong>Sign in to YouTube now!</strong></a> <span class="grayText smallText"> <a href="https://www.google.com/accounts/ServiceLogin?service=youtube&hl=en_US&passive=true&skipll=true&continue=http%3A//www.youtube.com/signup%3Fhl%3Den_US%26warned%3D%26nomobiletemp%3D1&">Sign in with your Google Account!</a> </span> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMdcBkJnnIY&feature=channel#"><img style="background: transparent url(http://s.ytimg.com/yt/img/help-vfl69806.png) no-repeat scroll 0pt 50%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; width: 16px; height: 16px; vertical-align: middle;" src="http://s.ytimg.com/yt/img/pixel-vfl73.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a></div> </div> <p><span class="description">Inaugural Weekend kicked-off with President Obama’s whistle stop train tour from Philadelphia to Washington, DC.</span></p><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/OMdcBkJnnIY&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/OMdcBkJnnIY&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object></div></div>Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06475026713228665094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242269147280141406.post-48511498709057722872009-01-20T23:56:00.000-08:002009-01-30T00:53:49.646-08:00January 20, 2009: The Barack Obama Inauguration<h3 class="post-title entry-title"> </h3> <div class="post-body entry-content"> <div class="entry"> <div class="snap_preview"><h3>THE OBAMA PRESIDENCY: THE INAUGURATION</h3> <p><!-- Start Slide --> <!-- Start --><a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/default.aspx#"><img style="border-style: none;" src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/624x351/inauguration-01-20-2009.jpg" alt="The Inauguration of President Barack Obama" height="280" width="500" /></a></p> <h3>IN FOCUS: INAUGURATION DAY STATS</h3> <div class="w480"><img src="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2009/01/20/us/politics/20obama-oath-mills.jpg" alt="Oath" /><span class="caption"><br />Doug Mills/The New York Times</span></div> <h3>In Focus: Stats</h3> <ul><li><strong>Americans flooded D.C. for historic presidential inauguration: </strong> They came from across America, a buoyant and determined crowd of well over 1 million people, confronting numbing cold and logistical disarray to witness a profound moment in history. - <a href="http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/01/americans_descend_on_washingto.html"> NJ.com, 1-20-09</a></li><li><strong>Crowds of 1 million or more test US capital: </strong> More than 1 million people crammed onto the National Mall and along the inauguration parade route Tuesday to celebrate the swearing-in of the nation’s first black president in what was one of the largest-ever gatherings in the nation’s capital. The Associated Press based its estimate on crowd photographs and comparisons with past events. - <a href="http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2009/01/21/america/NA-US-Inauguration-Turnout.php"> IHT, 1-20-09</a></li><li><strong>INAUGURATION JOLTS INTERNET: </strong> President Obama’s inauguration sparked significant traffic jams - not only on Washington’s streets but in cyberspace as well, according to Web performance monitors. They reported slowdowns at the Web sites run by the White House and the U.S. Senate as well as at several online news outlets. - <a href="http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2009/01/20/1753240.aspx"> MSNBC, 1-20-09</a></li><li><strong>Barack Obama inauguration: his worst speech: </strong> QUITE a day, but not much of speech unfortunately. Obama got where he is by speechifying, but this effort would not have won him many votes. It was his worst on a grand stage, though still better than most politicians could muster. The delivery, as ever, was first class, but the message was wasn’t clear enough and the language not insufficiently inspiring. - <a href="http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/alex_spillius/blog/2009/01/20/barack_obama_inauguration_his_worst_speech"> Telegraph UK, 1-20-09</a></li></ul> <h3>THE HEADLINES….</h3> <div class="w480"><img src="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2009/01/20/us/20caucus-480.jpg" alt="Walking" /><span class="caption"><br />President Obama and the First Lady walking on Pennsylvania Avenue during his inaugural parade. (Jae Hong/Associated Press)</span></div> <h3>The Headlines…</h3> <ul><strong>President Barack Obama: <a href="http://whitehouse.gov/"> New White House website</a> </strong><li>Obama Is Sworn In as the 44th President: Barack Hussein Obama became the 44th president of the United States on Tuesday before a massive crowd reveling in a moment of historical significance, and called on Americans to confront together an economic crisis that he said was caused by “our collective failure to make hard choices.” - <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/21/us/politics/20web-inaug2.html?_r=1&hp=&pagewanted=all"> NYT, 1-20-09</a></li><li><strong>Having a Ball: </strong> The Obamas have been zooming through their 10 official balls and are now running more than an hour ahead of schedule. The whole ball tour was supposed to end at 2:55 a.m., but they’re wrapping it up before 12:45. And who can blame them? By the fifth and sixth of these things, the First Couple was clearly operating on fumes. - <a href="http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/20/having-a-ball/"> NYT, 1-20-09</a></li><li><strong>Obamas dance to ‘At Last’ at Neighborhood Ball: </strong> “At Last” may have been just what President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle were thinking Tuesday night as they glided through their first inaugural dance to the Etta James classic. - <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jqGP67v93dvh-HcnqOBR63zWbMDAD95R8A000"> AP, 1-20-09</a></li><li><strong>Obama takes power, urges unity vs. ‘raging storms’: </strong> Before a jubilant crowd of more than a million, Barack Hussein Obama claimed his place in history as America’s first black president, summoning a dispirited nation to unite in hope against the “gathering clouds and raging storms” of war and economic woe. - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090121/ap_on_go_pr_wh/inauguration_rdp"> AP, 1-20-09</a></li><li><strong>Sen. Kennedy OK after seizure at Obama’s luncheon: </strong> Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, ill with a brain tumor, was hospitalized Tuesday but quickly reported feeling well after suffering a seizure at a post-inauguration luncheon for President Barack Obama. - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090121/ap_on_go_co/inauguration_kennedy"> AP, 1-20-09</a></li><li><strong>Relationship gets official for Roberts and Obama: </strong> Chief Justice John Roberts swore in Barack Obama as president Tuesday in the first of what could be many important interactions for the two men of differing politics who rose quickly to power. The encounter was briefly awkward after Obama stepped on Roberts’ opening lines from the 35-word constitutionally prescribed oath of office. The chief justice then wandered into a verbal detour of his own. <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090121/ap_on_go_pr_wh/inauguration_chief_justice"> AP, 1-20-09</a></li><li><strong>Thousands welcome the Bushes back to Texas: </strong> A large crowd in Waco greets former President George W. Bush and his wife, Laura, on Tuesday. George W. Bush basked in the warmth of an enthusiastic Texas crowd on Tuesday as thousands came from all across the state to welcome him home after eight years in the White House. - <a href="http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/6220968.html">AP, 1-20-09</a></li><li><strong>Gone to Texas: Bush returns to state he loves: </strong> Leaving the White House for the last time on Tuesday, President George W. Bush blew a kiss out the window of his presidential limousine, a gesture that capped an eight-year administration marked by two wars, recession and the biggest terrorist attack on U.S. soil. - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090121/ap_on_go_pr_wh/inauguration_bush"> AP, 1-20-09</a></li><li>Bush exits White House, goes home to Texas: After eight years in office, Bush flew home to Texas, where he was welcomed at a rally in Midland, before ending the day at his Crawford ranch. - <a href="http://uk.reuters.com/article/businessCompany/idUKTRE50J6TO20090121?sp=true"> Reuters, 1-20-09</a></li><li><strong>Staff emotional as President George W. Bush passes reins to Barack Obama: </strong> President Bush took a final solo stroll on the South Lawn and later blew a departing kiss to the White House on Tuesday to end two terms marked by crisis at home and abroad. - <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2009/01/20/2009-01-20_staff_emotional_as_president_george_w_bu.html"> NY Daily News, 1-20-09</a></li><li><strong>Obama Renovates WhiteHouse.gov: </strong> Before Barack Obama even finished taking the oath of office, the White House site switched over to the Obama administration’s version. Macon Phillips, who identified himself as the director of new media for the White House, wrote a post describing the features of the new site. <a href="http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/20/obama-renovates-whitehousegov/?hp"> NYT, 1-20-09</a></li><li><strong>A Day of New Beginnings for Michelle Obama and Her Daughters: </strong> On Inauguration Day, President Obama, his wife, Michelle, and their daughters, Malia and Sasha, became the first black family to move into the White House. - <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/21/us/politics/21michelle.html"> NYT, 1-20-09</a></li><li><strong>Inaugural prayers aim for a more diverse America: </strong> Evangelical pastor Rick Warren, whose participation drew criticism from liberals and gay rights groups, directly invoked Jesus as expected in his invocation, but did so personally. “I humbly ask this in the name of the one who changed my life,” he prayed. He also quoted from the most important prayer in Judaism, the Sh’ma, when he said, “Hear O Israel, the Lord is our God. The Lord is One,” and he called God “the compassionate and merciful one,” a phrase from Muslim devotion. “His was as inclusive a prayer as an evangelical can give,” said Richard Mouw, president of Fuller Theological Seminary, a leading evangelical school in Pasadena, Calif. - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090121/ap_on_go_pr_wh/inauguration_religion"> AP, 1-20-09</a></li><li><strong>Obama inauguration: George Bush - the man who was no longer president</strong>: 43rd president leaves note in the Resolute desk for successor — Bushes head to Midland, Texas after ceremony - <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jan/20/obama-inauguration-george-bush"> Guardian, UK, 1-20-09</a></li><li><strong>In Bipartisan Appeal, Obama Praises McCain and Powell: </strong> In a major bipartisan appeal on the eve of his inauguration, Barack Obama held dinners Monday evening for Republicans Colin Powell and John McCain, praising both to the skies and perhaps making a down payment on future political success. - <a href="http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/19/in-bipartisan-appeal-obama-praises-mccain/"> NYT, Caucus Blog, 1-19-09</a></li></ul> <h3>IN FOCUS: OBAMA’S INAUGURAL ADDRESS</h3> <div class="w480"><img src="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2009/01/20/us/20caucus_liveblog_8_480.jpg" alt="Inaugural speech" /><span class="caption"><br />“Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America,” President Obama said. (Chang W. Lee/The New York Times)</span></div> <h3>Barack Obama’s Inaugural Address</h3> <ul><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/20/us/politics/20text-obama.html?em=&pagewanted=all">Transcript</a><br /><a href="http://www-tc.pbs.org/newshour/rss/media/2009/01/20/20090120_obamaspeech.mp3">MP3 Download</a><li>My fellow citizens: I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors.<br />I thank President Bush for his service to our nation…… as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.<br />Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath.<br />The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers, and true to our founding documents.<br />So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.<br />That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age….<br />Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real, they are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this America: They will be met.<br />On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.<br />On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn-out dogmas that for far too long have strangled our politics.<br />We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.<br />In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of shortcuts or settling for less.<br />It has not been the path for the faint-hearted, for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame.<br />Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things — some celebrated, but more often men and women obscure in their labor — who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom….<br />This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions — that time has surely passed.<br />Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.<br />For everywhere we look, there is work to be done.<br />All this we can do. All this we will do….<br />The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works, hether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified.<br />Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end….<br />And so, to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and we are ready to lead once more.<br />We are the keepers of this legacy, guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort, even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We’ll begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people and forge a hard- earned peace in Afghanistan….<br />And for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that, “Our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken. You cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.”<br />For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus, and nonbelievers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth.<br />And because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace….<br />As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages.<br />We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service: a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves.<br />And yet, at this moment, a moment that will define a generation, it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.<br />For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies….<br />Our challenges may be new, the instruments with which we meet them may be new, but those values upon which our success depends, honesty and hard work, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism — these things are old.<br />These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history.<br />What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility — a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character than giving our all to a difficult task.<br />This is the price and the promise of citizenship.<br />This is the source of our confidence: the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.<br />This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed, why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall. And why a man whose father less than 60 years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.<br />So let us mark this day in remembrance of who we are and how far we have traveled.<br />In the year of America’s birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by nine campfires on the shores of an icy river.<br />The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood.<br />At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:<br />“Let it be told to the future world that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive, that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet it.”<br />America, in the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words; with hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come; let it be said by our children’s children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God’s grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.<br />Thank you. God bless you.<br />And God bless the United States of America.</li></ul> <h3>QUOTES</h3> <div id="wrapper_500"><img src="http://www.latimes.com/media/photo/2009-01/44619631.jpg" alt="Wave, President Bush" height="300" width="459" /></div> <h3>Quotes</h3> <ul><li><strong>President Obama Inaugural Balls Comments: </strong> Today was your day. Today was a day that represented all your efforts, all your faith, all your confidence in what’s possible in America. They said it couldn’t be done. And you did it….<br />There is something in the spirit of the American people that insists on recreating this country when we get a little bit off course. That’s what powered this election, it’s what’s given our team the kind of energy that has allowed us to overcome extraordinary obstacles and given me so much confidence that our better days are ahead…. That this is not the end, this is the beginning….<br />When you look at the history of this campaign, what started out as an improbable journey, where nobody gave us a chance, was carried forward by, was inspired by, was driven by, was energized by young people all across America….<br />I can’t tell you how many people have come up to Michelle and myself and said, ‘You know, I was kind of skeptical, but then my daughter, she wouldn’t budge, she just told me I needed to vote for Obama.’ Or, ‘Suddenly I saw my son, he was out volunteering and knocking on doors and traveling and getting involved like never before.’ And so new generations inspired previous generations, and that’s how change happens in America. And as this is broadcast all around the world. We know that young people everywhere are in the process of imagining something different than what has come before. Where there is war, they imagine peace. Where there is hunger, they imagine people being able to feed themselves. Where there is disease, they imagine a public health system that works for everybody. Where there is bigotry, they imagine togetherness. The future will be in your hands if you are able to sustain the kind of energy and focus that you showed on this campaign. I promise you that America will get stronger and more united, more prosperous, more secure — you are going to make it happen, and Michelle and I thank you from the bottom of our hearts….<br />Every day that I’m in the White House, I’ll try to serve you as well as you serve America. We will write the next great chapter in America’s story. - <a href="http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/20/having-a-ball/"> NYT, 1-20-09</a></li></ul> <div id="slide_loading_spinner" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); opacity: 0.7; position: absolute; width: 550px; height: 400px; display: none;"><img style="margin: 184px 0pt 0pt; width: 32px; height: 32px; z-index: 100;" src="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/images/slides/loading.gif" alt="" /></div> <div class="slideshow_img_cont"><img src="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/gadgets/slideshows/864/slide_864_15124_large.jpg" alt="" height="381" width="524" /></div> <ul><li><strong>George W. Bush Homecoming Speech in Midland, TX: </strong> “I always felt it was important to tackle the tough issues today and not try to them on to future presidents, and future generations. I never took an opinion poll to tell me what to think. And I’m coming home with my head held high and a sense of accomplishment.<br />There were some good days and there were some tough days but every day was an honor to be your president. I gave it my all. Listen. Sometimes what I did wasn’t popular, but that’s okay, I always did what I thought was right….<br />Popularity is as fleeting as the Texas wind; character and conscious are as sturdy as our oaks.<br />History will be the judge of my decisions, but when I walked out of the Oval Office this morning, I left with the same values that I took to Washington eight years ago. And when I get home tonight and look in the mirror, I’m not going to regret what I see — except maybe some gray hair….<br />My dad is America’s only sky-diving former president and that’s a title he’s going to keep.”<br />In the morning, he said, he would make his wife coffee, “skim” the newspaper, call some friends, read a book, feed the dogs, go fishing, take a walk and by that time it will be 8 in the morning. “That’s what happens when you’re a type A personality. I told Laura I was excited about her cooking again — kinda. She told me she was excited about me mowing the lawn and taking out the trash –- it’s my new domestic agenda.<br />I’m the first former president to be able to share the post-presidency with both my parents.<br />I want people to be able to understand what it was like in the Oval Office when I had to make some of the tough decisions that I was called upon to make. History tends to take a little time for people to remember what happened and to have an objective accounting of what took place and I’d like to be a part of making a real history of this administration come to life.” <a href="http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/20/live-blog-the-inauguration-of-barack-obama/"> NYT, 1-20-09</a></li></ul> <div class="w480"><img src="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2009/01/20/us/20caucus_liveblog_2_480.jpg" alt="Bushes and Obamas" /><span class="caption"><br />In an inaugural tradition, the Bushes welcomed the Obamas to the White House for tea. Michelle Obama’s outfit was designed by Isabel Toledo. (Pablo Martinez Monsivais/Associated Press)</span></div> <ul><li><strong>Bush Says Decisions in Office Kept America Safe From Attack: </strong> President Bush says in his farewell address that he is “filled with gratitude,” and that the inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama represents a “moment of hope and pride” for the country.<br />Fellow citizens, for eight years, it has been my honor to serve as your president. The first decade of this new century has been a period of consequence, a time set apart.<br />Tonight, with a thankful heart, I have asked for a final opportunity to share some thoughts on the journey we have traveled together and the future of our nation….<br />Tonight, I am filled with gratitude to Vice President Cheney and members of the administration; to Laura, who brought joy to this house and love to my life; to our wonderful daughters, Barbara and Jenna; to my parents, whose examples have provided strength for a lifetime.<br />And above all, I thank the American people for the trust you have given me. I thank you for the prayers that have lifted my spirits. And I thank you for the countless acts of courage, generosity and grace that I have witnessed these past eight years.<br />This evening, my thoughts return to the first night I addressed you from this house, September 11, 2001. That morning, terrorists took nearly 3,000 lives in the worst attack on America since Pearl Harbor….<br />As the years passed, most Americans were able to return to life much as it had been before 9/11. But I never did. Every morning, I received a briefing on the threats to our nation. And I vowed to do everything in my power to keep us safe.<br />Over the past seven years, a new Department of Homeland Security has been created. The military, the intelligence community, and the FBI have been transformed. Our nation is equipped with new tools to monitor the terrorists’ movements, freeze their finances, and break up their plots….<br />There is legitimate debate about many of these decisions. But there can be little debate about the results. America has gone more than seven years without another terrorist attack on our soil. This is a tribute to those who toil night and day to keep us safe — law enforcement officers, intelligence analysts, homeland security and diplomatic personnel, and the men and women of the United States Armed Forces.<br />Our nation is blessed to have citizens who volunteer to defend us in this time of danger. I have cherished meeting these selfless patriots and their families. And America owes you a debt of gratitude. And to all our men and women in uniform listening tonight: There has been no higher honor than serving as your Commander-in-Chief….<br />Like all who have held this office before me, I have experienced setbacks. There are things I would do differently if given the chance. Yet I’ve always acted with the best interests of our country in mind. I have followed my conscience and done what I thought was right. You may not agree with some of the tough decisions I have made. But I hope you can agree that I was willing to make the tough decisions.<br />The decades ahead will bring more hard choices for our country, and there are some guiding principles that should shape our course.<br />While our nation is safer than it was seven years ago, the gravest threat to our people remains another terrorist attack. Our enemies are patient, and determined to strike again. America did nothing to seek or deserve this conflict. But we have been given solemn responsibilities, and we must meet them. We must resist complacency. We must keep our resolve. And we must never let down our guard.<br />….In the 21st century, security and prosperity at home depend on the expansion of liberty abroad. If America does not lead the cause of freedom, that cause will not be led.<br />As we address these challenges — and others we cannot foresee tonight — America must maintain our moral clarity. I’ve often spoken to you about good and evil, and this has made some uncomfortable. But good and evil are present in this world, and between the two of them there can be no compromise. Murdering the innocent to advance an ideology is wrong every time, everywhere. Freeing people from oppression and despair is eternally right. This nation must continue to speak out for justice and truth. We must always be willing to act in their defense — and to advance the cause of peace.<br />President Thomas Jefferson once wrote, “I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past.” As I leave the house he occupied two centuries ago, I share that optimism. America is a young country, full of vitality, constantly growing and renewing itself. And even in the toughest times, we lift our eyes to the broad horizon ahead.<br />I have confidence in the promise of America because I know the character of our people. This is a nation that inspires immigrants to risk everything for the dream of freedom. This is a nation where citizens show calm in times of danger, and compassion in the face of suffering. We see examples of America’s character all around us….<br />In citizens like these, we see the best of our country – resilient and hopeful, caring and strong. These virtues give me an unshakable faith in America. We have faced danger and trial, and there’s more ahead. But with the courage of our people and confidence in our ideals, this great nation will never tire, never falter, and never fail.<br />It has been the privilege of a lifetime to serve as your President. There have been good days and tough days. But every day I have been inspired by the greatness of our country, and uplifted by the goodness of our people. I have been blessed to represent this nation we love. And I will always be honored to carry a title that means more to me than any other – citizen of the United States of America.<br />And so, my fellow Americans, for the final time: Good night. May God bless this house and our next President. And may God bless you and our wonderful country. Thank you. - <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/01/15/transcript-president-bushs-farewell-speech/"> Fox News, 1-15-09</a></li><li><strong>Cheney Mocks Biden, Defends Rumsfeld in ‘FOX News Sunday’ Interview: </strong> In one of his last interviews before leaving Washington, D.C., Vice President Cheney, a 40-year veteran of Washington politics, tried to straighten out a few misconceptions about his tenure and the way the executive and legislative branches are supposed to work.<br />He also said that all the powers and responsibilities of the executive branch are laid out in Article I of the Constitution. Well, they’re not. Article I of the Constitution is the one on the legislative branch. Joe’s been chairman of the Judiciary Committee, a member of the Judiciary Committee in the Senate for 36 years, teaches constitutional law back in Delaware, and can’t keep straight which article of the Constitution provides for the legislature and which provides for the executive. So I think I’d write that off as campaign rhetoric. I don’t take it seriously.<br />If he wants to diminish the office of the vice president, that’s obviously his cal. President-elect Obama will decide what he wants in a vice president and apparently, from the way they’re talking about it, he does not expect him to have as consequential a role as I have had during my time….<br />The president of the United States now for 50 years is followed at all times, 24 hours a day, by a military aide carrying a football that contains the nuclear codes that he would use and be authorized to use in the event of a nuclear attack on the United States. He could launch the kind of devastating attack the world has never seen.<br />He doesn’t have to check with anybody. He doesn’t have to call the Congress. He doesn’t have to check with the courts. He has that authority because of the nature of the world we live in.<br />I did disagree with the decision. The president doesn’t always take my advice.<br />We’ve been here for eight years now, eventually you wear out your welcome in this business but I’m very comfortable with where we are and what we’ve achieved substantively. And frankly I would not want to be one of those guys who spends all his times reading the polls. I think people like that shouldn’t serve in these jobs. - <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2008/12/21/cheney-mocks-biden-defends-rumsfeld-fox-news-sunday-interview/"> Fox News, 1-21-09</a></li></ul> <h3>HISTORIANS’ COMMENTS</h3> <div class="w480"><img src="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2009/01/20/us/20caucus_liveblog_5_480.jpg" alt="" /><span class="caption"><br />(Photo: Doug Mills/The New York Times)</span></div> <h3>Historians’ Comments</h3> <ul><li><strong>Julian Zelizer “Obama speech draws on past inaugurations”: </strong> “I think the message he wanted to convey was to give a sober, serious, laundry-list, speech. The point was the campaign is over and it’s time to work,” Princeton University presidential historian Julian Zelizer said.<br />“He spoke about trying to find which government programs worked and which didn’t, to overcome old divisions,” he said, noting Obama’s use of a biblical line from Corinthians to urge the nation “to set aside childish things”.<br />“If this turns into an FDR-like Hundred Days, I think the overall tenor of the address will be what we discuss rather than one line or another,” Zelizer added. - <a href="http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-world/obama-speech-draws-on-past-inaugurations-20090121-7m42.html"> The Age, Australia, 1-20-09</a></li><li><strong>Timothy Garton Ash “Obama Promises the World a Renewed America “: </strong> “We have entered a period of historical transition in which the United States will become first among equals, rather than simply top dog, hyperpower and unquestioned hegemon,” said Timothy Garton Ash, a professor of European studies at Oxford. “But for Europeans, it may be a case of being careful what you wish for, because the Obama administration is likely to say, ‘Good, then put your money where your mouth is, and in the first place, put more troops in Afghanistan.’” - <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/21/us/politics/21abroad.html?ref=world&pagewanted=all"> NYT, 1-20-09</a></li><li><strong>Julian Zelizer “A fitting speech for a time of a crisis”: </strong> And for Princeton professor Julian Zelizer, one line particularly stood out: “One of the most important lines was ‘What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them.’ If any of our recent presidents had said this, the line would quickly be forgotten, more false promises by the new kid in town,” Zelizer says. “But this time it seems different. Never has there been a leader whose presidency in itself is a sign that the possibility of change is real in American politics.” - <a href="http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/uselection,0,a-fitting-speech-for-a-time-of-a-crisis,71971"> First Post, UK, 1-20-09</a></li><li><strong>Historians Offer Post-Speech Analysis: </strong> Video Online - <a href="http://www.pbs.org/newshour/video/module.html?mod=0&pkg=analysis0120&seg=1"> PBS Newshour, 1-20-09</a></li><li><strong>ELLEN FITZPATRICK, University of New Hampshire “Obama Claims Presidency, Cites Challenges Ahead”: </strong> The suddenness of it I think is striking in one sense, and yet one could argue that it took our entire history to get us to the place that we are today, that is, we crossed the threshold of American history today. This was truly a historic moment in electing and inaugurating our first African-American president. And I think the day was very rich in history. And the people on the mall came because they were conscious of that and moved by it. You could feel it and see it in the crowd.<br />I think it’s actually — I dissent a little bit, I think, from the sentiment that’s shaping up and to say that I think it was an extraordinarily powerful speech. And the pageantry and that element that Richard just mentioned was surely there, but embedded in it was a critique that we have strayed far from our founding. He asked us to choose our better history, and it was an unvarnished view of American history that he offered. There was that phrase, “We have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, but we’ve triumphed over these tragedies and the hatred of our past.” And so, in that sense, he was seizing the historic occasion of his inauguration and using it as a way to call Americans back to their origins. And there was a critique here of where we’ve been. He said, “We don’t have to choose between our safety and our ideals.” That, to me, was a reference to the abrogation, or so he would argue, I would say, from those ideals through the war on terror. So it was a very powerful cry to remake America by drawing on our fundamental historical values.<br />Well, I think in some ways that it was somber in the way these speeches tend to be. I think that, in a sense, as an African-American, he writes in his biography about remaking himself, by going back to the well of the past, that he’s called America back to the well of its own past. And I think in evoking segregation, the civil war and the tragedies of America’s racial history, in a sense, as an African-American, he is singularly well-placed to be mindful that history is full of tragedy. He’ll be the least surprised, I suspect, of any president about the tragedies that may unfold under his watch. - <a href="http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/politics/jan-june09/inauganalysis_01-20.html"> PBS Newshour, 1-20-09</a></li><li><strong>PENIEL JOSEPH, Brandeis University “Obama Claims Presidency, Cites Challenges Ahead”: </strong> Well, in terms of historically, there’s very few days that actually transform the aesthetics of our democracy. The memory that this day invokes the most is probably the march on Washington, August 28, 1963. Forty-five years and five months ago, Martin Luther King, Jr., came to the Lincoln Memorial with really an expansive vision of American democracy. In that speech, King talked about the previous 100 years, especially the civil war, slavery. In this speech, the president-elect really — or the president really elegantly evoked race. He didn’t make race the central point of his speech, but he acknowledged the notion of slavery, the notion of Jim Crow segregation, and the notion that his father actually couldn’t have been seated at a restaurant 45 years ago.<br />Well, three speeches come to mind. One, FDR’s first inauguration in 1933, where he really had an expansive critique of capitalism sort of run amok. In 1941, FDR has a speech where he talks about democracy and uses the word democracy about two dozen times in his inaugural address and basically makes the argument that democracy will not die because the spirit and faith of American people won’t let it die. And the final one is John F. Kennedy, Kennedy’s speech about a new generation of Americans and a new generation taking the leadership. Obama’s speech really evokes all of that, but the twist is really the iconography. I think one of the reasons why some of the commentators are saying that the speech was only good and not great is because the pageantry, like Richard talked about and Ellen talked about, is really overwhelming all of us. But when you really read the speech — and I’m not sure this crowd got the substantive nature of this speech — the speech substantively matches the overwhelming symbolism of the day.<br />Well, I agree. I concur. I think that this speech really links the notion of race in a democracy in an expansive way. Historically, race has been a paradoxical part of American democracy. In this speech, we crossed the Rubicon, so to speak, as a nation, not turning the page on racism, but turning the page on really a tragic racial past. And it makes an argument that race actually is a strength of the democracy, rather than a weakness. - <a href="http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/politics/jan-june09/inauganalysis_01-20.html"> PBS Newshour, 1-20-09</a></li><li><strong>RICHARD BROOKHISER, National Review “Obama Claims Presidency, Cites Challenges Ahead”: </strong> Well, no, you can’t, but I was struck today by the kind of pageant of confirmation that this whole day was. And there have been some of those in the American past, where people sort of collectively get together and say, “Yes, we like this. This is good.” Washington’s First Inaugural was like that. The government was new. The Constitution was new. The great war hero was coming back to lead it. You know, he went from Mount Vernon to New York. It was like a six-day triumphal progress. And then the numbers were much smaller, but in terms of percentage of population, it was maybe equal or even greater to the turnout we had today. But it was just like a collective embracing of the moment and saying, “We’re happy to be here.” And I got a feeling of that watching this day as it unfolded.<br />Well, it was, but, you know, history always gives people surprises. Now, eight years ago, George W. Bush was coming in, and he did not imagine he was going to be fighting two wars. I mean, no one would have. And there was a foreign policy component of this speech. He did mention that. He made the points that you touched on. He also addressed our enemies and said, “We will defeat you.” But, you know, the enemies will have the freedom of action, also. And they will try and pick and choose their battles. And now all those phone calls are coming to our new president, many of which we will never hear about, but, you know, the killers are out there. They’re still after us. Now there’s a new commander- in-chief who will have to deal with them.<br />Well, you know, we have a sense of where he would like to go, and now the work begins. And it was a very, I think, kind of an ambitious, if open-ended sort of a vision, but, you know, now there’s — now the follow-up will come. - <a href="http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/politics/jan-june09/inauganalysis_01-20.html"> PBS Newshour, 1-20-09</a></li><li><strong>Gil Troy “Religious Figures, Kennedy, Oprah Nab Hot Inauguration Seats Obama Families Seen Alongside Politicians, Celebs at the Hotly Anticipated Event “:</strong> “The simple fact that they give a ticket to one person and not others … becomes tremendously important,” said Gil Troy, professor of history at McGill University in Montreal, and a visiting scholar at the Bipartisan Policy Center in Washington, D.C. “You are setting up a historic tableau. … Each one of them [the guests] is carrying a different part of the narrative, not just your personal narrative but being weaved into the political narrative of United States history.”…<br />“It needs to be used carefully and effectively so that you can turn all this symbolic hour into real political opportunity and power,” Troy said. “The inauguration has to be an opportunity of looking forward to starting the presidency.” - <a href="http://hnn.us/blogs/75.html"> ABC News, 1-20-09</a></li><li><strong>Nikki Brown “A Day of New Beginnings for Michelle Obama and Her Daughters”: </strong> “A part of what this family is going to do is to show that families of color are not so different,” said Nikki Brown, an assistant professor of history at the University of New Orleans. “That’s what I see, when I see them on TV: a working father, a working mother, a grandmother that cares for the babies, children that are doing well in school,” Ms. Brown said. “That’s a narrative that the country is still trying to create a language for, normal families of color.” - <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/21/us/politics/21michelle.html"> NYT, 1-20-09</a></li></ul> <div class="w480"><img src="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2009/01/20/us/politics/20winter-dress3.jpg" alt="" /><span class="caption"><br />Barack and Michelle Obama danced to Beyoncé Knowles singing “At Last.” (Photo: Damon Winter/The New York Times)</span></div> <p><span class="inline inline-center"><img class="image image-_original" title="President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama dance at the Commander in Chief Inaugural Ball at the National Building Museum in Washington, Tuesday. AP/Charles Dharapak" src="http://www.thejakartapost.com/files/images/1obama2_2.jpg" alt="President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama dance at the Commander in Chief Inaugural Ball at the National Building Museum in Washington, Tuesday. AP/Charles Dharapak" height="341" width="512" /><span class="caption"><strong><br /></strong></span></span></p><p><span class="inline inline-center"><span class="caption"><strong>Dancing queen: </strong>President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama dance at the Commander in Chief Inaugural Ball at the National Building Museum in Washington, Tuesday. <em>AP/Charles Dharapak</em></span></span></p> </div> </div></div>Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06475026713228665094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242269147280141406.post-49422769720585114912009-01-20T23:50:00.000-08:002009-01-30T00:53:33.541-08:00Welcome!Obama POTUS Watch will analyze and report on the Barack Obama's Presidency from the center of the political spectrum. Reporting the events through a neutral and unbiased perspective.Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06475026713228665094noreply@blogger.com0