It's not just interns, people. Muslims like myself plan to infiltrate every branch of the government through lawful means. We wish to be--brace yourselves--politically active. Rep. Paul Broun (GA) stated the following regarding CAIR (Council on Islamic-American Relations): "If an organization that is connected to or supports terrorists is running influence operations or planting spies in key national security-related congressional offices, I think this needs to be made known."
Funny that no one really cares that Muslims are denigrated in this manner. Should Muslims just accept the fact they are not only illegally wiretapped, but also subject to hate speech in Congress?
Let me speak on behalf of the 99.9% of all Muslims world-wide, when I say
Are you over-educated and unemployed? Please join my meetup.com group: http://www.meetup.com/Over-Educated-and-Unemployed
Let's embrace the President's message of cohesion, and be willing to share our collective knowledge and contacts to help one another avoid unemployment stress and apathy!Virtue is not left to stand alone. He who practices it will have neighbors.
-Confucius
Where does one begin the discussion?
I think the President has made bold moves in the following areas:
1. Capitalizing on his promise to assist the middle class, as demonstrated job creation initiatives in the FY 2009 budget
2. Reaching out to Iran. We can't afford enmity with this very influential nation. Acheiving some sort of stablization in both Iraq and Afghanistan requires Iranian participation in a constructive way. Iran can choose to be extremely destuctive by re-igniting Shiia and Sunni tensions in Iraq once our troops are redeployed.
3. Maintaining his composure despite inccessant Republican moves to delay the passage of the budget, constant attacks on his policy, and increasingly divisive (public) attacks on the President's policies.
4. Remaining patient in areas that he knows will cause exessive distraction from getting the US economy back on track
5. ENGAGING the American people and EXPLAINING the reasons behind many policy initiatives.
6. Managing a domestic and international financial collapse, two wars, increased extremism in Pakistan, and being able to maintain a 65% (+/- 3 points) approval rating.
It was a pleasure to greet those of you who came to discuss the Health Care Policy Options with Judy Pelham at Tom Haas Studio yesterday, in Phoenix, Arizona. The GOOD NEWS is that all of you (and your friends) can easily access her Primary Resource: www.randcompare.org
RAND Corporation’s COMPARE project (Comprehensive Assessment of Reform Efforts) is an online tool to synthesize what is known about the current healthcare system; provides information on proposals to modify the system; and provides insights into how potential policy changes are likely to affect health care delivery, insurance coverage, spending, consumer financial risk, health, and costs.
As many of you know, Judy Pelham has been a leader and recognized pioneer in developing programs to improve the health status of communities for 20 years, particularly for the poor and underserved. She championed the "intelligent network", designed to encourage partnerships and the development and sharing of best practices throughout the system. She was president and CEO of Mercy Health Services (1993-2000) and later served as leader of Trinity Health--the third largest Catholic health system in the United States. She's also served as the chairperson of the Washington, D.C.-based Coalition for Nonprofit Health Care.Judy was a volunteer consultant on the COMPARE project. I trust you’ll find its website interesting and helpful.
Vicki Haas, Learn Debate Advocate Event Host, artist@tom-haas.com
I plan to discuss some of the issues in my FIRST EVER webcast on under-reported human rights issues. I plan to host a live webcast 2-3 times per week at 9pm, EST. I believe that there is much work to be done to better address human rights violations. But as humans, I do believe that we have come a long way. And I believe that that the march of history will lead us to a world that treats one another more humanely. But in order for this to occur, the international community must be more aware of crimes against humanity that are occuring at this very moment. Please join me at 9pm, for the first webcast of "STRIKING THE ROOT." I will provide a link on this blog by 6pm tomorrow. The show will be archived, so if you miss it, not to worry!
Much of the news related to the conflicts in the past 15 years--from the Bosnian genocide to the recent atrocities by the janjaweed in the Sudan--have talked the number of people killed. But one never seems to hear or read about the mass rape these conflicts and several more. What does rape "accomplish" in the setting of conflict. Many aid workers who have participated in reconciliation efforts mention that rape serves several "symbolic" functions. What do you believe these are? And why is the press so hesitant to discuss rape in the context of being a terrible crime against humanity? Why are people afraid to examine the psychological effects of rape when it occurs elsewhere but quite quck to address the long-term impact of rape victims in the U.S.?
Please join my Human Rights Meetup.com group! We are called the "Washington Global Human Rights Meetup Group." As I mentioned in the description for this forum, this isn't going to be just a blog. In light of the desire for those who are interested to meet one another and truly garner exposure for human rights issues that have been all but ignored, I am officially connecting this blog to a meetup.com group!! Our first event will be participating a rally to stop genocide and will feature survivors from recent genocidal campaigns (4/19) . Kindly sign up by directing your browser to http://www.meetup.com/DC-Global-Human-Rights-Meetup-Group.
Many thanks! Hope you can make it to our first event.
Obama transition officials said the visit was in keeping with the tradition of U.S. presidents meeting with their Mexican counterpart soon after winning election.
Calderon, who was elected president in 2006, has been critical of U.S. immigration policies, and has advocated for the rights of Mexicans living in the U.S.
In Mexico, Foreign Relations Secretary Patricia Espinosa said Calderon also would meet with congressional leaders during his visit.
"There isn't a defined agenda but we would like to talk about security, migration and the economy," Espinosa told reporters.
Obama's transition office said the two men would meet at the Mexican Cultural Institute in Washington. The meeting comes a week before Obama's inauguration.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President-elect Barack Obama has increased his employment goal with the nation's economic outlook worsening, seeking to create or save 3 million jobs in the next two years instead of the 2.5 million he proposed last month.
Obama set the more ambitious target earlier this week after meeting with top economic advisers who cautioned that the nation's unemployment rate could exceed 9 percent given the current pace of job losses, Obama transition officials said Saturday.
During the presidential campaign, Obama pledged to create or save 1 million jobs. He increased that goal to 2.5 million over two years just last month.
Obama and his family traveled Saturday to his home state of Hawaii for a two-week vacation. But advisers were using Obama's guidance as a roadmap for a draft stimulus package to have ready when he returns on Jan. 2, advisers said.
Obama met with Vice President-elect Joe Biden and his economic leadership team Tuesday in Chicago.
Transition officials said Christina Romer, an economics professor who Obama has chosen as chair of his Council of Economic Advisers, opened the meeting by arguing that historical data and wide-ranging expert opinions suggest that upcoming economic problems could be more severe than anything the country has faced over the past half century. She said the country is likely to lose another 3 million to 4 million jobs over the next year without significant action.
Biden and Obama responded by pushing for a more ambitious jobs plan, driven by federal investments in health care, education and energy that could have a stimulative effect and lay the ground work for long term reform and a more sustainable economy. Ideas included weatherizing 1 million homes, shifting to a paperless health system, investing in disease prevention and modernizing schools.
Obama's team and congressional staff over the last week have been scrambling to come up with details of a plan to pump up the droopy economy with $650 billion or more in government spending over the next few years.
The aides met in the basement of the Capitol on Friday to devise ways to pump public money into science, energy, education, health care and infrastructure programs, as well as to help the poor and unemployed.
They hope unleashing a torrent of spending in the near term will create jobs and lift the economy.
Obama and his Democratic allies in Congress want to enact the still-emerging plan as soon as possible after he takes office on Jan. 20.
The plan, which some Obama aides think could swell to about $850 billion after negotiations with Congress, would be the largest investment in public infrastructure since the federal highway system was established in the 1950s. It also would provide tens of billions in dollars of aid to financially strapped states.
Obama declined Friday to put a price tag on his plan, but said the economic problems require a bold approach.
"I'm not going to give you a number because we're still making these evaluations," he said in response to a question at a Chicago news conference where he named four new members of his administration. "But you are exactly right that what we've seen, in terms of the evaluation of economists from across the political spectrum, is that we're going to have to be bold when it comes to our economic recovery package."
Biden, speaking in an interview set to air Sunday, said he believed there will be another stimulus package of roughly $700 billion to keep the economy from "absolutely tanking."
"The economy is in much worse shape than we thought it was in," Biden told ABC's "This Week," according to excerpts released Friday.
Transition officials said Obama and Biden directed the team to incorporate several principles into their job-creation programs, including:
-No earmarks for any spending proposals.
-Requirements that states and local governments use federal funds quickly to ensure immediate job creation.
-New public-private partnerships to support innovation. Transition officials said Obama expressed frustration with Washington's failure to jump-start "smart grid" power lines to increase electricity savings and said more partnerships with the private sector could help that idea get under way.
-Full transparency to ensure citizen oversight of fund allocation.
-Investments in ideas that work over ideology.
-A focus on reducing waste in the federal budget.
-Steps to protect workers from future recessions by enacting measures like the existing unemployment insurance program that automatically expand stimulus in tough times.
All said and done, today is like no any other day in the history of this country and behold I am happy to be part of the generation that forever shall be remembered for rescuing the country and help reclaimed its values of freedom and as the abode of humanity.
God bless USA
God bless Obama & Biden
Only a few more days until we cross the finish line! I just donated $25 that I really don't have because I believe that the next 3 days are paramount to our nation.
Please go to my donation page and join me in giving Barack the final push his campaign needs to achieve a victory for us all!
Our HIV/AIDS Epidemic is not over; it is far from over and will need a commitment from our new President and the Administration, recognizing that a country in distress is definitely a homeland security issue. We often do not recognize our own health care as our biggest threat to homeland security but let's not forget!
To kick off the 2008 USCA, twelve AIDS quilt panels were on display at Miami International Airport to greet this year's participants. The AIDS Memorial Quilt is a poignant memorial, a powerful tool for use in preventing new HIV infections, and the largest ongoing community arts project in the world. This World AIDS Day, December 1, 2008, you are invited to host a display to bring the Quilt and its message to your community.
Sen. Obama evidently and irrespective of his humanistic and intellectual composition represents the simple idealism of this great country that over the years have become too complex for the ordinary man to ellucidate as a result of the egocentrism and selfishness of some of our leaders who are bent on the perpetuation of the campaign of division, distortions and deception for pure political gain.
Without an iota of doubt, we all recognizes the fact that Obama is a highly intelligent and brilliant person and nevertheless has continued to humble himself for our sake. No wonder many of us are willing to continue to contribute out of our widow's might in order for him to have the necessary amunition to fight against the orchestration of the campaign of discrimination and hatred in the country.
I am inspired by Obama and my aspiration is no longer as clouded as it was yesterday, simply because in Obama I can see the kind of leader we have been longing for; one who will encourage our unity, the country's idealism of being the pinacle of hope for the hopeless and of faith for those who doubt. Yes indeed, Obama is the bridge between the Moses Generations ( Baby Boomers and the 60's) and our Generation, which may be called the Joshua's!
Obama has become the emblem of steadiness, articulate analysis, thoughtful approach to the various complex situations that we have been exposed to and above all a focal point for the wise and experts to converge for the good of the nation. He has surrounded himself with technocrats that understand what it is going to take to bring about the kind of change we are hoping for.
As we look forward to the transition from the politics of division and hatred to that of unity and love, let us remember that this could not have been possible if Obama has not explored his deepest conviction that what is right with America is more than the wrongs that have been out there and furthermore, the fact that he deliberately chose to pursue a healthy, humane and factual campaign rather than the usual hate filled, denigrating, inimical and detrimental style that unfortunately has become the hallmark of some of our leaders campaign ideology.
America will be great again and this country shall very soon fulfill its obligation to mankind by once again leading the way to freedom; yes freedom from hatred and the perpetuation of the dogma of unnecessary racial and hegemony conflicts, divisions, sensationalism, sentimentalism and worst still defamation of character and distortions of the reality of patriotism and nationalism in every one of us. As we may soon realize we all love our country and it is not the degree that matters but the elements and desirability of that feeling that yes this is our land, here is our country and it is worth fighting for its people and the idealism that governs it!
God bless America
I was among those who believe that no matter the excruciating Democratic Party primaries, we shall all come back and share our commonality rather than difference for the sake of the country; and it is indeed a wonderful news that finally the emergence of this news about Bill and Obama conclusively solidified my inclinations and convictions on better days ahead.
The Democratic Party has gone through so many challenges and nevertheless found the way of looking forward, remaining positive and objective and to me this is essentially the hallmark of the kind of party and leaders you will advocate for as necesary to lead the country.
Bill and Obama!
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/25/campaign.wrap/index.html
Click on the links below to find out more about the National Response to the reported increase in HIV incidence in the United States:Elected Officials' Commitment to the HIV Crisis Local and National Organizations Respond Media Coverage
