Moving Forward
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Saturday, January 31, 2009
Friday, January 30, 2009
What is up with these cabinet nominees and TAXES? Now, Daschle.
Yep, Tom Daschle.
Former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, President Barack Obama’s nominee for the secretary of Health and Human Services, paid around $100,000 in back taxes after his nomination to pay for a car and driver he was supplied but didn’t report as income, according to documents being prepared by the Senate Finance Committee.
Daschle also took two vacation trips aboard a $30 million corporate jet belonging to nonprofit lender EduCap, which faces a separate probe by the Finance Committee into its tax status.
The issues will dominate a closed-door meeting of the committee called for Monday afternoon, according to committee aides. His confirmation has been held up for weeks as committee staff pours over tax records and business ties of the former Senate majority leader.
Now we know why he has not been confirmed, since he was the first one in the door for hearings. Sigh.
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AP
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Michael Steele, First African American, Elected to RNC Chair (Video)
After the Republicans lost minority voters horribly, the GOP elects Micheal Steels for their chairman. This needed to happen for the GOP because right now they can not contest for national leadership unless they expand beyond their white rural base. Steele and the GOP have a lot to do.
Washington Post
the field negro
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Claire McCaskill is SPOT ON about Wall Street and these Bankers (Video)
Lady Claire, tells it like it IS....
Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO) is asking all these financial institutions begging for OUR MONEY to be paid the same salary as the President of the United States. That salary is $400,000.
That salary is not outrageous, or beneath them, these bankers are asking for OUR MONEY for their f**k ups, period. These bankers hired lobbyists to take away all the regulations set in place prior, stood in the way of regulating that housing mess, jumped into the housing mess, got their money UP FRONT, and let their institutions fail. Why should we continue to pay these corrupt institutions? We have too many people out here with no jobs, and if something is not done soon, we will be seeing families out there on the streets. And we, the tax payer are suppose to let this just be OK? The behavior of the bankers on Wall Street?
One day after President Barack Obama ripped Wall Street executives for their "shameful" decision to hand out $18 billion in bonuses in 2008, Congress may finally have had enough.
An angry U.S. senator introduced legislation Friday to cap compensation for employees of any company that accepts federal bailout money. Under the terms of a bill introduced by Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Missouri, no employee would be allowed to make more than the president of the United States.
Obama's current annual salary is $400,000.
"We have a bunch of idiots on Wall Street that are kicking sand in the face of the American taxpayer," an enraged McCaskill said on the floor of the Senate. "They don't get it. These people are idiots. You can't use taxpayer money to pay out 18 billion dollars in bonuses."
Are you mad yet?
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OFF TOPIC: Mother of 8 new babies has 6 already at home, is this irresponsible?
Now, I am not against having families even large ones but this story just doesn't add up.
From this article, she has six other kids at home with her parents, where SHE LIVES. There is no mention of a husband, boyfriend, significant other plus she was taking fertility medication and had the embryos implanted.
The woman is very young and has kids at home who are 7, 6, 5, 3 and 2 year old twins. Now what is up with this picture?
Again, folks do what they want, but many people who have 7, 8 babies do expect the public to just shower them with freebies, sorry that has been the habit in the past. In this case, a very young, possibly unmarried mother with 6 kids already and then purposely have multiple more? There is just too much more to this story. Especially from the response of her father:
Within hours, media had camped out at the family's home in Whittier, where the babies' grandfather pulled up in a minivan in the evening and briefly spoke to The Associated Press. Beside him were two children — a 7-year-old and 6-year-old — who said they were excited to have eight new siblings.
But the grandfather warned that media may have a tougher time finding the family after the babies are released from the hospital.
"We have a huge house, not here," said the man, who would only identify himself as Ed. "You are never going to know where it is."
Again, everyone can make their own conclusions, but for me, MORE TO THE STORY.
Confirmed. Mother unmarried and obsessed with having children. All of her kids were through in-vitro.
Angela Suleman told The Associated Press she was not supportive when her daughter, Nadya Suleman, decided to have more embryos implanted last year.
"It can't go on any longer," she said in a phone interview Friday. "She's got six children and no husband. I was brought up the traditional way. I firmly believe in marriage. But she didn't want to get married."
Nadya Suleman, 33, gave birth Monday in nearby Bellflower. She was expected to remain in the hospital for at least a few more days, and her newborns for at least a month.
A spokeswoman at Kaiser Permanente Bellflower Medical Center said the babies were doing well and seven were breathing unassisted.
While her daughter recovers, Angela Suleman is taking care of the other six children, ages 2 through 7, at the family home in Whittier, about 15 miles east of downtown Los Angeles.
She said she warned her daughter that when she gets home from the hospital, "I'm going to be gone."
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OK, Now, Senator Judd Gregg is a candidate for Commerce Secretary
OK, this was the rumor last night, now out of the horse's mouth.
Senator Judd Gregg, Republican of New Hampshire, confirmed on Friday that he is, indeed, in the mix of prospective candidates to serve as Commerce Secretary in the Obama administration.
“I am aware that my name is one of those being considered by the White House for Secretary of Commerce, and am honored to be considered, along with others, for the position,” Mr. Gregg said in a statement. “Beyond that, there is nothing more I can say at this time.”
Put it this way, if Gregg was not interested in this job, he would have SAID THAT. Now typing this, I take it he is interested in this job.
I laid out last night why HE SHOULD take it. But what will Governor Lynch do?
One of several unresolved questions surrounding this story: Would New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch, a Democrat, consider replacing Mr. Gregg in the Senate with a Republican? That is the question being asked among Republicans in New Hampshire.
This is how the Senate math looks now: There are 58 Democrats in the Senate, (including two independents), with the number rising to 59 if Al Franken of Minnesota is seated after the court challenge to his race is completed. The replacement of Mr. Gregg with a Democrat would give the majority party exactly 60 seats, the number needed to control the legislative agenda without the threat of Republican filibusters.
Remember, New Hampshire is a very independent state. If Lynch replaced Gregg with a Republican, I would not be surprised but he will get hell from the Democratic Party. Keep in tune.
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The GOP a party of WEAKNESS
Weak? Yes, a party that for 8 years never thought for themselves. Due to lack of brain cells working and then finally the loss of power, America is in a crisis and due to the GOP's failed leadership the past 8 years, the GOP refuses to help.
The unanimous vote by House Republicans against President Obama's stimulus plan provided an early indication that the GOP hopes to regain power by becoming the champion of small government, a reputation many felt slipped away during the high-spending Bush years.
Did you read the above? Champion of small government? Government and spending GREW IN THE TRILLIONS under Republican leadership the past 8 years!! It is these same Republican leaders who did nothing to reign it in!! And if the Republicans hate government so much, why do they continue to want a job from the government? This same tune has been sung one too many times by the GOP, the "we hate government tune", but they sure can't stay away from trying to RUN GOVERNMENT or get at CHECK from the government. This point is moot, they blew it by following George W. Bush over the cliff.
"House Republicans said we would stand up for American taxpayers at this time of economic hardship for our nation. And last night, standing together, that's exactly what we did," House Minority Leader John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) wrote yesterday in a memo to his colleagues that was released to reporters. "I am proud of our team."
Proud of our team? Does Boehner have constituents who lost their jobs, can't afford COBRA healthcare after losing a job, pulled kids out of college due to lack of money, losing their home? Obviously not. Which makes the Republican Party look more regional by the day. Where are their moderates, independents? I guess they scared them all off or they all lost in the last election cycle.
While there will be conservative Democrats who may waiver in the senate, there will be moderates like Olympia Snowe from Maine, who will back the Obama Stimulus Package.
At the same time, several GOP senators, including Olympia J. Snowe (R-Maine), have signaled they will back the stimulus bill. And Republicans acknowledge they remain a party in trouble. In a speech to Republican National Committee members yesterday, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) warned that "the Republican Party seems to be slipping into a position of being more of a regional party than a national one."
"We need to recognize where we are," McConnell said. "Over the past two elections, we've lost 13 Senate seats and 51 House seats."
In the end, the Republicans can say what they want, this is the party that lost the good will from the public by their actions of the last 8 years. Opposing a bill that will help American Workers does not set right with many, who are looking at Washington, DC to do something. Obama has reached out to the Republicans, he made an unprecedented trip to Capitol Hill just to speak to them, in the end they decided to remain partisan.
To sum this up, I must quote the field negro, as follows:
Before I post tonight I want to comment on the political cat and mouse game going on in Washington. Rethugs lost the battle to block the O man's stimulus package yesterday, and now the spinners from both sides are out in full force. Folks, let me ask you a question: If you hired a builder to build your home and he fucked it up so bad that you had to bring in a new one to tear it down and build it up again; would you allow the builder who fucked it up to tell the new one what to do? Of course you wouldn't, that's my point.
Nuff said.
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Thursday, January 29, 2009
Michelle Obama's first function as First Lady
To honor Lilly Ledbetter after the signing of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, the First Lady held a reception for Ledbetter's honor in the White House State Dining Room.
Remarks from the First Lady:
"Thank you for joining us today for this important event and welcome to
the White House,'' Mrs. Obama said. "Feel free, walk around, touch some
stuff, just don't break anything.''
Mrs. Obama said she met Ms. Ledbetter during the presidential campaign
and praised her "commitment, her dedication, her focus.''
"She knew unfairness when she saw it and was willing to do something
about it because it was the right thing to do, plain and simple,'' Mrs.
Obama said.
"In traveling across the country over the past two years, Lilly's story
and the broader issue of equal pay was a concern voiced over and over
and over again,'' Mrs. Obama said. "It was a top and critical priority
for women of all racial and ethnic backgrounds, older women, younger
women, women with disabilities and their families.
"This legislation is an important step forward, particularly at a time
when so many families are facing economic insecurity and instability,''
Mrs. Obama continued. "It's also one cornerstone of a broader commitment
to address the needs of working women who are looking to us, to not only
ensure that they're treated fairly, but also to ensure that there are
policies in place that help women and men balance their work and family
obligations without putting their jobs or their economic security at
risk.''
Mrs. Obama then introduced Ms. Ledbetter, who she described as "an
inspiration to women and men all across the country.'' The crowd clapped
and cheered.
Ms. Ledbetter praised the Obamas and said " I just believe in them and
their work so very much.''
This was a monumental day for Ledbetter, but more importantly for women. Women who work very hard in the same capacity as a man, but are not paid the same as a man. Ledbetter is truly a trailblazer.
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Radio Ad: 'Are You With Obama or Limbaugh' (Audio)
h/t turneresq
Well, it seems that a 527 group, Americans United for Change is ready to air a radio ad taking it directly to Rush Limbaugh. This ad will air in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Nevada. Rush Limbaugh has been called out by Obama, for whatever it is worth, and has been under scrutiny for wishing Obama to fail.
Here is the link to the audio.
Transcript
NARRATOR: Listen to what Rush Limbaugh said about President Obama's Agenda and his Jobs Package.
LIMBAUGH: I HOPE HE FAILS!
NARRATOR: The Obama Jobs bill overwhelmingly passed the House.... But not one Republican voted yes. Every Republican member of the House chose to take Rush Limbaugh's advice. Every Republican voted with Limbaugh....and against creating 4 million new American jobs.
We can understand why a extreme partisan like Rush Limbaugh wants President Obama's Jobs program to fail....but the Members of Congress elected to represent the citizens in their districts?... that's another matter.
Now the Obama plan goes to the Senate.... And the question is:
Will our Senator, _ ,side with Rush Limbaugh too...
LIMBAUGH: I HOPE HE FAILS!
NARRATOR: OR will he reject the partisanship and failed economic policies of the past,
and stand up for the people of _
This ad is targeting the Republican Senators of Pennsylvania, Ohio and Nevada.
Again, Rush Limbaugh has tried to back peddle what he has said about Obama failing, but it sure does not sound good when a president is trying to do something to help this country and the blowhard, Limbaugh wants failure to prove a point.
The problem is that failure is at American Workers expense, not 38M a year, Limbaugh who is paid to be a controversial political hack.
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Republican Senator Judd Gregg (R-NH) for Commerce Secretary?
Is this true? If so, what a smooth move by Obama. Why? It would give the Democrats 60 in the senate, since New Hampshire has a Democratic Governor who would appoint the replacement. Does Gregg have a comment on this rumor?
The sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said Gregg’s nomination was far from a done deal, but remains a serious possibility. Reached by phone, Gregg, the top Republican on the Senate Budget Committee, said he had no comment on whether he has been in talks with the White House about the post.
Will Senator Gregg take it? Well, let's look at the realities here. New England was just swept away from all its Republican representatives in the house. Judd's counterpart, Senator John Sununu just lost his seat to former Governor Jeanne Shaheen, now Senator Jeanne Shaheen. Besides Gregg, who is up for reelection in 2010 and his seat is going to be a blood bath, the only other Republican senators left standing in the senate are the ladies from Maine. The question is this, "What is it worth for Gregg to say yes, to Obama?"
I say, "A lot".
Gregg can work with a centrist Democratic President, who is popular and won his state. He can be in that fold, instead of the weeds in the Republican senate, which many are not moderate as Gregg.
Don’t think the Republican leadership is not breathing down Gregg’s neck, they are, and it is heavy. My thing is this, "What do they have to offer?" I mean, the reality is this, again, Gregg still has to raise massive money to defend his seat, his state fell to the Democrats, and he is not safe.
My take, if Gregg takes it, RELIEF. If he does not, WORRY.
If Gregg accepts, this is a brilliant move by Obama. Let's see what happens. Besides, does Gregg and his other moderate colleagues want to hear this for the next two years? An ad, targeting the ladies in Maine and will run in New Hampshire.
Source
Daily Kos
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Thank GOD, Governor Rod Blagojevich or Blago is gone....
See, I live in Illinois and in the end it is words like the ones below, that makes me sigh in relief that this scab has been removed.
Governor Rod R. Blagojevich has been removed from his office as Governor of Illinois. Abraham Lincoln is sighing in relief.
Lt. Governor Patrick Quinn was sworn in as the 41st Governor of Illinois.
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Obama calls Wall Street bonuses 'outrageous' (Video)
No surprise here. Remember, these are the same Wall Street folks who have their hands out for OUR MONEY, because they screwed their's UP!!
The New York comptroller reported this week that Wall Street firms paid out $18.4 billion in bonuses to employees, despite receiving multi-billion dollar payouts from the government to save them from collapse in the face of the worst financial crisis in decades.
Gibbs told a news conference that Obama had a one-word reply when he heard of the reports: "outrageous".
"We're not going to be able to do what is needed to be done to stabilize our financial situation if the American people read about this type of outrageous behavior," he said.
Again, why should we give them OUR TAX DOLLARS, when it is rich business as usual.
Despite crippling losses, multibillion-dollar bailouts and the passing of some of the most prominent names in the business, employees at financial companies in New York, the now-diminished world capital of capital, collected an estimated $18.4 billion in bonuses for the year.
[snip]
Some bankers took home millions last year even as their employers lost billions.
Where is the American public's bonus? Wow, you can hear a pin drop with that question!!
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NY Times
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A reality check for the Republicans, it is called UNEMPLOYED
As the jobless claims are mounting weekly, as pink slips are a daily habit in the thousands, the Republicans must justify voting AGAINST the stimulus package. So, they are creating, crafting their own stimulus package.
House Republicans have proposed an alternative that leaders say would create 6.2 million jobs for only $478 billion.
"What Member can't go back his or her District and explain: Rather than voting for a bloated bill, ... I voted for an alternative that would create twice the jobs at half the cost, and faster?" a House Republican leadership aide said. "That's why we didn't lose a single Republican and picked up 11 Democrats."
Again, as the Republicans continue with useless ideas and still harping on tax breaks to create jobs, this is what the Obama Administration will do.
Pushing back against the unanimous House Republican vote against President Obama’s stimulus plan, the White House plans to release state-by-state job figures “so we can put a number on what folks voted for an against,” an administration aide said.
“It’s clear the Republicans who voted against the stimulus represent constituents who will be stunned to learn their member of Congress voted against [saving or] creating 4 million jobs,” the aide said.
That's right state by state jobless numbers. Remember, some state's unemployment are larger than others, while some states as Oregon and California are deadly close to double digit unemployment.
Again, why block to create 4 million jobs for Americans? The Republican Party is turning out to be the party that does not want any jobs created. How can they go back to their districts, with many unemployed and justify not voting for creating new jobs?
I think that whatever leadership the Republicans have, they are thinking inside the box and look dumber than a box of rocks, if you ask me.
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Rep. David Obey on the GOP, "There are an awful lot of people in this chamber who think like Herbert Hoover" (Video)
Again, the GOP banding together in the sheer HOPE that this stimulus package FAILS and that Obama FAILS.
"Another week that we delay is another 100,000 or more people unemployed. I don't think we want that on our consciences," said Rep. David Obey, D-Wis., chairman of the House Appropriations Committee and one of the leading architects of the legislation. "There are an awful lot of people in this chamber who think like Herbert Hoover," he said, referring to the president whose term is forever linked in history with the Great Depression.
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Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Michelle Obama's Inaugural Jewels to be donated to the Smithsonian
h/t Mrs. O
Seems like the beautiful diamond jewelry to compliment Michelle Obama's Inaugural Gown, will also go into the Smithsonian.
As Ms. Rodkin told Heard on the Runway, the jewelry was loaned to Mrs. O by the designer, arranged through Ikram Goldman, owner of Ikram in Chicago. Rodkin will donate the jewelry Mrs. O wore to the Inaugural Ball to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American history. Along with Mrs. O’s inaugural fashions, they will join the museum’s ”First Ladies” collection.
We all know that Michelle looked beautiful that night, her jewelry was not overwhelming but suttle, a compliment to her.
See all the pieces, here.
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White House Announcements
Today, President Barack Obama announced more key members of the Office of the White House Counsel, including Deputy Counsels and Special Counsel, Associate Counsels, Deputy Associate Counsels, Research Director, and Staff Assistants and Administrative Assistants. The full list of appointees named today is below.
President Barack Obama said, “The White House Counsel’s office is tasked with making sure that we are operating under the highest standard of ethics and transparency for the American people. Ensuring that we have an open and honest government is one of our top priorities, and this team brings together people of exceptional experience and dedication to public service. I trust they will serve the American people well.”
Bios, here
Today, President Barack Obama announced that Diana Farrell and Jason Furman will serve as Deputy Directors of the National Economic Council (NEC).
President Obama said, “In this time of great economic crisis, the American people deserve urgent action. Diana and Jason, along with Larry Summers, will work day and night with me to advance an American Recovery and Reinvestment plan that not only aims to jumpstart economic growth, but also promotes the long-term investments in our economy necessary to save and create jobs, rebuild our infrastructure, and assure energy independence. This won’t happen overnight, but I have faith that this team has the knowledge and deep commitment needed to help me tackle the challenge of achieving the long-term economic stability that the American people deserve.”
Bios
The Republicans want Obama to fail, oh yes, they really do
Surprised?
Not.
This is a party that voted against the stimulus package in the House. Not one voted for this package. They are betting their party on the long shot, that the stimulus package will fail and this means Obama will fail.
The vote was 244-188, with Republicans unanimous in opposition despite Obama's pleas for bipartisan support. Eleven Democrats voted against the measure, while no Republicans supported it.
"We don't have a moment to spare," Obama declared at the White House as congressional allies hastened to do his bidding in the face of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.
Did this party not get the memo that more huge jobs were lost today? More American Workers going home with a pink slip? Boeing gave out 10,000 pink slips. Starbucks gave out 6,700 pink slips, closing 300 stores. And of course, over 70,000 jobs lost yesterday. I guess everyone in their districts is A-OKAY with their jobs. Just sayin'.
What is the problem with the Republicans? This is a party of no ideas, but they are betting on the failure of Barack Obama. This is a party who followed George W. Bush off a cliff, because they had no courage to just say NO. So, they hope when they are ready to run in 2010 and the stimulus package is not kicking in as we hope, they will have a talking point to argue.
In other words, the Republicans like Rush Limbaugh wants Obama to fail. Simple as that.
And Obama?
Keep doing what you are doing. Show the public that you are working and willing to walk across the aisle. Show the public that this petty bickering is done, because finally an adult is in charge.
And Republicans?
Keep listening to Rush Limbaugh. Let him run your party, because the past two cycles he surely has not helped you much. Just look at what happened on November 4th, a 7 point Obama victory, a mandate for change. So, just continue what you are doing, we can surely use more seats in 2010 for Congress.
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Dick Armey's sexist comment to Joan Walsh on Hardball (Video)
This gasbag should apologize or never come on Hardball again. Chris Matthews? What are you going to do? It is your show. Dick Armey's comments are midway through the clip and Bob Herbert from the NY Times, on the same show in the next segment said Armey owes Walsh an apology for his sexist comments.
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Cocktails at Obama's Place
Even though the Republicans won't vote for his stimulus package, at least they can have drinks at the White House.....
Invitations are out: A presidential cocktail reception – for Congressional leaders only – is taking place on Wednesday evening at the White House.
One day after President Obama visited Capitol Hill, he is returning the favor by being host to about two dozen Democrats and Republicans on his turf. The event, scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m., is the first-of-a-kind gathering in the new administration and the latest sign that Mr. Obama is attempting to build relationships with Congress.
The bipartisan affair is set to come shortly after the House considers the president’s economic stimulus bill. The roll call vote could make for some interesting conversation, particularly if the bulk of Republicans oppose the proposal as planned.
The reception will take place in the Red, Blue and Green rooms of the executive mansion.
So who’s on the guest list?
There are six House Democrats, including Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California and Representative Steny Hoyer of Maryland, the majority leader; and six House Republicans, including Representative John A. Boehner of Ohio, the minority leader and Representative Eric Cantor of Virginia, the whip.
On the Senate side, there are five leading Democrats, including Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the majority leader, and Senator Richard J. Durbin of Illinois. On the Republican side, five senators also are invited, including: Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the minority leader, along with Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, Jon Kyl of Arizona, John Thune of South Dakota and John Cornyn of Texas.
And yes, mingling is encouraged between Republicans and Democrats, as well as senators and representatives. They will, of course, have plenty to discuss, considering the economic stimulus plan has several hurdles to cross before the president can sign the bill.
At least the olive branch is out firmly.....
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Obama , "Hold my administration accountable" (Video)
President Barack Obama says businesses and workers are counting on Washington for "bold and swift" action to steady the struggling economy.
After a meeting with a group of business executives, Obama publicly acknowledged skepticism about "the size and scale" of the $825 billion economic recovery plan that will be put before the House for a vote later Wednesday.
He said earlier he was confident that the measure would make it through the House. And in his appearance at the White House before reporters and business leaders, Obama said national leaders must "create a favoriable climate in which workers can prosper, businesses can thrive and our economy can grow."
Republicans get off your high horse and help the American Worker who is losing their job in the thousands, daily.
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Obama's stimulus package hitting local government
Why? In the package is money for states and local government, they need it to support schools, healthcare, etc. So, they are sending the message to their congressional delegation to SUPPORT the stimulus package.
Santa Clara County supervisors are pushing the local congressional delegation to support President Barack Obama's economic stimulus package, joining a growing number of cities and counties lining up for a federal bailout.
Prompted by Supervisor Liz Kniss, the county has readied a preliminary list of 32 "shovel-ready" capital projects totaling $174 million that could use an infusion of cash from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 now being debated in Congress.
The list includes retrofits, paving and electrical projects, park improvements and sewer system improvements.
See, that list above? That is local government and that is money needed to keep cities, villages, towns going. That includes hiring folks to fix, upgrade.
Republicans, get on board.
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Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Obama, why bother?
Why bother going to Capitol Hill and speaking with the Republicans? They already made their minds up on this stimulus package and you. They decided to vote it down, in spite of Obama showing good faith to listen to them.
Look, the Republicans need to do whatever they can to take down Mr. 68% Approval Rating and this will be hard. The public obviously expects and wants action on the economy and not the same old shyte of tax cuts. My God, do the Republicans have anything else to offer in their arsenal than that!!
The Republican answer to this turmoil?
Tax cuts.
They need to go into rehab.
Ah, I could not have written this better. Rehab, indeed. When folks don't have jobs, when this country is losing jobs at 50K-100K a clip a day, when people are worried about holding onto their jobs, what they expect and need is FAR MORE THAN TAX CUTS. They need and must have the perception and confidence that jobs are being created, folks are being hired and that the American Dream is there for them, too. Tax cuts, Republicans, are not sexy enough. Sorry, it is not. No one is listening, but I think Republicans need to get out of Washington, DC and get out here to see what is really going on, because if they did tax cuts would be far on the bottom of their totem pole.
So, Obama continue the high road, show you are willing to listen, offer the olive branch of bi-partisanship, and set the tone while the Republicans continue to grind themselves deeper in the weeds.
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Dr. Jill Biden is back in the classroom
After all the negative news, it is nice to see that Jill Biden has not abandoned the community college.
Dr. Biden, who holds a doctorate in education from the University of Delaware, went quietly to work on Tuesday in a new job as an adjunct professor at Northern Virginia Community College. She has a part-time arrangement with the college and will teach two English courses for a total of 10 credit hours this semester, according to her spokeswoman, Courtney O’Donnell.
“I am thrilled to return to the classroom to continue working with community college students, whom I greatly admire and enjoy teaching,’’ Dr. Biden said in a statement, adding, “I am pleased that I can make a difference by doing what I love to do, teaching people who are excited to learn.’’
Dr. Biden, who has been a teacher for 28 years, is one of the few vice-presidential spouses to hold a job outside the White House. Lynne Cheney, wife of former Vice President Dick Cheney, worked as a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative research institution, and wrote several books during her husband’s tenure. Lady Bird Johnson supervised her Texas broadcasting company while her husband was vice president.
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Bank of America don't give a DAMN about workers
Call it the way it is.
This is another welfare bank, Bank of America, that took bailout money but surely don't give a DAMN about workers.
If you have not listened to what CEOs really think from Huffington Post, please do. Then question, again, why we should give dollars to these welfare banks, especially the 'big wigs' that could care LESS about their own workers. Yes, they have the nerve to complain and shudder or run scurred at the thought, the thought of the Employment Free Choice Act, coming to a bank and retailer near you, SOON.
This conference call was October 17th and these participants were ALL ABOUT the Republican Party winning. But again, these 'big wigs' have no problem trouncing up to Capitol Hill with their welfare hands out. Talk about hypocrisy. It takes Trapper John over at Daily Kos to put the reality of these welfare banks on the table.
So Bank of America, fresh with taxpayer bailout boodle courtesy of American workers, is spending its time and money trying to screw those same American workers. Not surprising, I guess, for a companywhose CEO, Ken Lewis, which absorbed Merrill Lynch, whose CEO spent $1.2 million renovating his office -- while BofA pays its tellers around $24,000 per year.
Do you feel me? Are you mad, yet?
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Home prices dropping like a hot rock (with video)
Again, I never bought into the "existing equity", or the "I bought this home and already have 50K in equity!!" I guess my skepticism comes from my mother in law being an independent mortgage broker, who always has said this, "your house is only worth what someone wants to pay for it." Meaning, all these folks with these mortgages are in free fall, many now own a home that is not worth what they paid for it. It also means, that if homes continue in the downward spiral of foreclosure or short sell, the home a responsible owner has is not worth the value they think it is.
Do I think that the housing market will turn around quick? No. The homes many are in are not going to spiral back up for some time. Some folks have been in their homes a while, others wanted to flip it and are stuck, others just wanted a first home and can't afford it.
The mortgage industry and banks made big money of those fishy loans, made big money off of no regulation, and in the end stuck the bill with the taxpayer, us. We are the ones who now have to help homeowners, banks, etc., keep their homes. Banks don't want these homes, they are not going to get nothing for it, but you can't suck blood from a turnip when it is bone dry. That is the reality here.
My husband is totally against helping anyone with mortgage problems, me I am more sympathetic because things happen in one's life like losing a job, medical emergency, wages cut, etc. That is another reality that is happening around this country, but I do understand my husband's rage of bailing out homeowners who signed for these homes.
Everyone is hoping that the housing market will rebound to what it was 5 years ago, I say, no it will not happen. The housing market needs to come to reality of what their actual property is worth. It was overpriced in the beginning, now it is time for reality readjustment. Until this happens, homes are going to continue to plunge and those with money will make a killing out here in this market. Oh, that is another problem; many don't have the money to make a killing. Sigh.
Home prices plunged a record 18.2 percent in November from a year earlier as the country’s housing market remains in the throes of a deep recession, according to an index from Standard & Poor’s.
[snip]
Prices in 11 metro areas fell at record rates from a year earlier. Prices in 14 cities fell more than 10 percent from November 2007.
[snip]
Phoenix and Las Vegas were hardest hit in November, with prices down 3.4 percent and 3.3 percent, respectively. The two cities also have the worst returns over the one-year period, with prices falling 32.9 percent and 31.6 percent, respectively.
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Obama Tells Citigroup, "Get Rid of the 50M Private Jet!!"
As it should be.
These banks, financial institutions are just a TRIP!!! They don't get it. Here it is, we, the public, paying to save their A$$ES and their mindset is "financial 'rich' business as usual."
The high-flying execs at Citigroup caved under pressure from President Obama and decided today to abandon plans for a luxurious new $50 million corporate jet from France...
You think these rich, bigwigs wanted to get rid of the jet? Of course not, they don't give a mickey-fickey how the public feels about them. They are wayyyy up there and we are wayyyy down here. But when you are coming to Capitol Hill, with your hand out for TAXPAYERS MONEY, you bet your sweet A$$ES it matters how that money is spent.
ABC News has learned that Monday officials of the Obama administration called Citigroup about the company's new $50 million corporate jet and told execs to "fix it."
That is right, they fixed it by announcing they are not purchasing any jet.
Citigroup Inc , which received a massive taxpayer-funded rescue last year, canceled plans to buy a $50 million executive jet after news of the new plane drew rebukes from politicians.
The bank is under heavy pressure from regulators and elected officials after receiving $45 billion of capital from the U.S. government last year, including a $20 billion emergency infusion in November.
This goes back to why we should even bail these greedy businesses out. They are not loaning out money. They are giving each other huge bonuses in the millions. They are keeping in the same rich frame as 'rich business' as usual. If these institutions are doing all this, why give them any more money? Yes, I understand the rationale, but these institutions don't get it. They are not worried about losing a job, home, unable to pay bills, send kids to college, heathcare, food costs, etc. They don't get it because they are in the highest percentile in this country who will never have to worry about finances.
Uggggh....I can continue to rant, but why? Who is listening? More importantly, who cares!!!
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Obama Schedule, January 27, 2009
8:30am Pool call time
11:45am Obama leaves white house for capitol (pool gathers at 11:25am)
12:00pm: Obama arrives capitol
12:15pm: Obama meets with House Republican conference (closed press
1:25pm: Obama meets with Senate Republican conference (closed press)
2:30pm: Obama leaves capitol
2:45pm: Obama back at white house
3:45pm: Gibbs briefing
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Obama speaks to Arab Media, Al-Arabiya TV (Video and Transcript)
Obama had a full sit down with Al-Arabiya TV. Full interview in links, below. Clip from AC360.
Part One
Part Two
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NYT Article
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Monday, January 26, 2009
More than 40K Lost Jobs Today (Video)
A damn shame. More pink slips, layoffs, wages frozen, wages cut, hours reduced, that is the reality out there. The American Worker needs help and they need it now.
The recession is killing jobs at an alarming pace, with tens of thousands of new layoffs announced Monday by some of the biggest names in American business _ Pfizer, Caterpillar and Home Depot.
More pink slips, pay freezes and other hits are expected to slam workers in the months ahead as companies desperately look for ways to survive.
"We're just seeing the tip of the iceberg _ the big firms," said Rebecca Braeu, economist at John Hancock Financial Services. "There's certainly other firms beneath them that will lay off workers as quickly or even quicker."
Tip of the iceberg, indeed.
What about families that can't pay their mortgage, insurance, as jobs evaporate, so does health insurance, in fact it is times like this that depression, sickness, worry, stress are running rampant on the American Worker. And the unemployment rate?
The unemployment rate, now at a 16-year high of 7.2 percent, could hit 10 percent or higher later this year or early next year, under some analysts' projections.
Expect that double digit this year, if things don't turn around.
Folks getting pink slips from Home Depot, General Motors, Sprint Nextel, Pfizer, Caterpillar, Texas Instruments, IBM, Brooks Automation, Microsoft (a shocker here), Intel, United Airlines and even Halliburton. But you can bet your sweet paycheck (if there is one) that Dick Cheney got all his millions out of Halliburton.
The job loss number is staggering and this is not going to get better, it will be worse. And a reminder of how this job loss across the country really is, look at this video from 60 Minutes, last night, just heart wrenching. That is the reality of what is going on. Congress get off your asses and do something, the American Worker is hurting and pretty soon we are going to be seeing families in the streets if the economy is not re-energized and I mean soon. Instead of your mug in front of the camera, DO SOMETHING.
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Timothy Geithner, Sworn in as Treasury Secretary (Video)
President Obama made some remarks and Vice President Biden swore Geithner in at Treasury.
Remarks by Obama
Geithner sworn in by Biden
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Get Michelle Obama's Inauguration Ball Gown on Line
Well, it is not being recreated, nor sold by Jason Wu because the dress is going to the Smithsonian, but you can find it here for $320.00.
Now if you expect all the intricate detailing, like the Swarovski crystals, think again, it is a KNOCK OFF. But this is a dressmaker and like all dressmakers, I am sure if you call them, they can accommodate you.
The website has created a knockoff of the Wu gown. It is the same floor-length silhouette, with embellishment at the shoulder and texture throughout the skirt. But the knockoff is a strikingly brighter shade of white, rather than the soft ivory the first lady danced in.
The edressme.com version is available for pre-order now and will ship starting March 15. It’s $320 and would actually make a sweet wedding dress for brides on a budget.
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The Blago Media Show Begins.....Good Morning America.....And Oprah for the Senate? (UPDATE) (Video)
Man oh man, this was political viagra, IL Governor Rod Blagojevich......he was on the Today Show (clip here), will be on The View (today) with his wife, Patti, and on Larry King tonight.....
Illinois Senate Response to Blago
[UPDATE]
Oprah Winfrey's response to Rod Blagojevich's statement on considering her for the "then" vacant Barack Obama senate seat.
Oprah Winfrey said she was surprised to learn Wednesday from her best friend Gayle King that Governor Blagojevich was considering her for Barack Obama's vacant Senate seat.
Blagojevich confirmed on Good Morning America that he was considering Winfrey. She said she was meditating when she got the news.
"If I had been watching from the treadmill I probably would have fallen off the treadmill," Winfrey told King on King' Sirius satellite radio program.
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Sunday, January 25, 2009
The Winter of Our Hardship from 60 Minutes, Wilmington, Ohio (Video)
The town of Wilmington, Ohio has been devastated by the economic crisis and, as Scott Pelley reports, DHL, the town's largest employer, is shutting its domestic operation.
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Obama setting new automobile emissions regulations
He is moving quick, environmentalists should be happy about this. And about time.
President Obama will direct federal regulators on Monday to move swiftly on an application by California and 13 other states to set strict automobile emission and fuel efficiency standards, two administration officials said Sunday evening.
The directive makes good on an Obama campaign pledge and signifies a sharp reversal of Bush administration policy. Granting California and the other states the right to regulate tailpipe emissions would be one of the most emphatic actions Mr. Obama could take to quickly put his stamp on environmental policy.
Mr. Obama’s presidential memorandum will order the Environmental Protection Agency to reconsider the Bush administration’s past rejection of the California application. While it stops short of flatly ordering the Bush decision reversed, the agency’s regulators are now widely expected to do so after completing a formal review process.
Once they act, automobile manufacturers will quickly have to retool to begin producing and selling cars and trucks that get higher mileage than the national standard, and on a faster phase-in schedule. The auto companies have lobbied hard against the regulations and challenged them in court.
Isn't the above in bold (my emphasis) the reason Detroit is in Washington, DC asking for a bailout? With high gas prices all those trucks, SUVs cost an arm and a leg for the average person, and I mean high gas prices when they deem necessary to jack it up. Too many gas guzzlers, plus this industry failing to be innovative. Again, the car industry has been in bed with oil and gas far too long. It is way over due to demand fuel efficient cars.
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Meet the Press, January 25, 2009 (Video and Transcript)
ON MEET THE PRESS: National Economic Council Director Lawrence Summers joins us to discuss the nation's economic crisis. Then, the GOP response to House Democrats' $825 billion economic stimulus plan and Pres. Obama's order to close the Guantanamo prison camp from Republican Leader Rep. John Boehner (R-OH). Plus, how has the Obama administration fared in its first few days? Our roundtable weighs in: The New York Times' Tom Friedman, The Weekly Standard's Stephen Hayes, and NPR's Michele Norris.
Take Two, Web Only, Inaugural Impressions
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Face The Nation, CBS, Vice-President Joe Biden, January 25, 2009 (Video)
In a CBS exclusive interview with Vice President Joe Biden, Bob Schieffer discusses President Obama's economic plan, the closing of Guantanamo Bay and continued violence in the Middle East.
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Michelle Obama, Another Princess Diana, Without the Unhappiness?
Well, the UK is falling in love with Michelle Obama. As her husband, she is now being watched closely, but more so for her fashion style and sense.
Michelle Obama’s flair for fashion has captivated Washington and set the hearts of glossy magazine editors aflutter. She has already eclipsed Carla Bruni, the super-model chanteuse and wife of Nicolas Sarkozy, the hyperactive French president. Not since Diana, Princess of Wales, has there been such a glamorous role model at the apex of society.
I always liked Carla Bruni, she definitely has that flair being a former model, but I state that her rollout as France's First Lady does not measure a candle's wick to Michelle Obama's.
In her white, one-shouldered chiffon gown, she boogied to Stevie Wonder’s Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours and slow-danced with her husband at a succession of inaugural balls. Barack Obama held her lovingly around the waist, clasping two fingers around her back, and nuzzled her. Women’s Wear Daily, the influential American fashion magazine, said her ball gown made the Obamas look like newlyweds.
I remember reading that someone's child was watching Michelle and Barack dancing at the Inaugural Balls said that, "Michelle looks like a princess." And in recalling that night's events, I agree, she did.
In reading the Times piece, there are similarities between Michelle and the late Princess Diana, both are/were staunch supporters for family, both have/had made their children central to their life, and both care/d about the less fortunate. After that, that is it.
Unlike Princess Diana, Michelle Obama clearly is in love with her husband as he is with her. After watching them on Inaugural Night every woman in America questioned when was the last time my husband looked at ME like that? And as Keith Olbermann was mocking the song that was repetitious throughout the night, "At Last", his female producer had to remind him that the public WANT to see them dancing together, loves watching how they look at each other, knows that they love one another, and why does he (Keith) not get it. We got all that from a couple (Barack and Michelle) who has been married for 16 years. We did not get that from Princess Diana and Prince Charles.
Michelle Obama is a fashion icon, now, whether she wanted this challenge or not. Everything she wears is under a microscope. How she mixes high end with the J. Crew style will be watched and debated. Every bag, shoes, accessories flaunted with women rushing to purchase it, just as her girls coats on Inaugural Day crashed the J. Crew website, everyone will watch Michelle Obama.
Finally, is she Princess Diana? No. But she is the face of many working American women, one's who have to balance family, work and responsibility without the Royal House budget for clothing. That is something that Princess Diana never had to worry about.
Read the article, here.
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al-Qaeda, what next?
There is no doubt that for the United States of America to elect a man by the name of Barack Hussein Obama for President of the United States and then a man of color rings and says VOLUMES to the international community, it states not only change, but NO MORE OF THE SAME.
So, for al-Queda the step, issue for them is how to deal with Barack Obama? A man who spoke directly to the Muslim world on his inaugural day:
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. To those...(APPLAUSE)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.
What is al-Qaeda's argument? Oh, we fully understand that they have a serious beef with the United States and its involvement in the Middle East, but the most powerful weapon they owned was public perception, the media in that part of the world. How do you recruit in Africa, which is a hotbed of recruiting, when they view, see one of their own from Kenya become President of the United States? Again, public perception. When the new president puts out a stern olive branch to work with you if you put your terror techniques down to make peace, again public perception. So, this is what al-Qaeda says:
Soon after the November election, al-Qaeda's No. 2 leader took stock of America's new president-elect and dismissed him with an insulting epithet. "A house Negro," Ayman al-Zawahiri said.
That was just a warm-up. In the weeks since, the terrorist group has unleashed a stream of verbal tirades against Barack Obama, each more venomous than the last. Obama has been called a "hypocrite," a "killer" of innocents, an "enemy of Muslims." He was even blamed for the Israeli military assault on Gaza, which began and ended before he took office.
"He kills your brothers and sisters in Gaza mercilessly and without affection," an al-Qaeda spokesman declared in a grainy Internet video this month.
The torrent of hateful words is part of what terrorism experts now believe is a deliberate, even desperate, propaganda campaign against a president who appears to have gotten under al-Qaeda's skin. The departure of George W. Bush deprived al-Qaeda of a polarizing American leader who reliably drove recruits and donations to the terrorist group.
What is going on with al-Qaeda now? Are those who funded them simply by the "we versus them" mentality of George W. Bush, now stepping back and taking a "wait and see attitude" with Barack Obama? Maybe this is, what is happening with al-Qaeda.
We also are observing an avalanche of tapes, audio denouncing Barack Obama, while in the same breath still making the argument that al-Qaeda is still relevant. Don't get me wrong, al-Qaeda is relevant but the election of Barack Obama is making many in the Muslim world take pause to see what he will do or attempt to do with diplomacy and it starts with the Israelis and the Palestinians. If we can make serious progress in diplomacy, what is the new argument for al-Qaeda? The Palestinian, Gaza Strip has been the center of their argument going back to 9/11, if we make progress this is ammunition that is stripped from their argument.
Friday, a new al-Qaeda salvo attempted to embarrass Obama, a day after the new president announced his plans for closing the prison at Guantanamo Bay. Appearing on the videotaped message were two men who enlisted in al-Qaeda after being freed from that detention center.
"By Allah, imprisonment only increased our persistence in our principles for which we went out, did jihad for and were imprisoned for," said Abu Sufyan al-Azdi al-Shahri, who described himself as a deputy commander for al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. The translation was also provided by the Site group.
Site founder Rita Katz said the messages show "just how much al-Qaeda is intimidated by Obama."
"The leadership of al-Qaeda is very concerned about the wide support that Obama has been receiving from Arab and Muslim countries," Katz said. "To combat this threat, al-Qaeda has embarked on a propaganda campaign against Obama, not only by linking him to the policies of the Bush administration, including the occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan, but also by accusing him of actions in which he had no part."
Barack Obama is garnering support in the Muslim world, they too, as we want peace. al-Qaeda's argument is weak attempting to link Obama to Bush, when his actions are clearly the reverse from Bush.
The Muslim world is watching Obama closely, they already applaud him for closing Guantanamo Bay, they are waiting for the US to be removed from Iraq and watching how he will handle Afghanistan, but seeing if peace and fairness can emerge between the Israelis and the Palestinians.
If all goes well, if we can succeed, what is the next argument for al-Qaeda? America, again, we made the right choice for a President to lead us out of the mess that George W. Bush's polices have left us all over the globe. In the end, we too, want peace and our military men and women home, hopefully for good.
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