On April 25th approximately 150 volunteers gathered in Indianapolis to discuss our vision for the OFA grassroots movement. Without question there was a sense of urgency and responsibility on behalf of the volunteers to build a new brand of government. Some of the themes included:
Educate.
Workplace FAQ's Concerning Pandemic Influenza
http://www.jacksonlewis.com/legalupdates/article.cfm?aid=1704
Posted: April 30, 2009
Employers are beginning to confront many thorny questions about how best to respond to concerns about the spread of swine influenza (H1N1 virus) in the workplace. For several years, federal, state and local governments have been working hard to prepare for a potential pandemic. As part of that effort, the federal government developed a series of Frequently Asked Questions, addressing workplace issues that may arise in a pandemic. We are providing links to these FAQ’s below which can be found if you click here.
As you will see, some questions do not have clear cut answers. Also, while some employer responses to workplace concerns may appear reasonable, given the threats to health and safety, they may raise concerns under existing federal laws. The U.S. Department of Labor and other federal agencies reportedly are currently reviewing federal statutes and regulations that may affect employers and employees during the unique circumstance where the U.S. experiences a severe influenza pandemic. Decisions have not yet been made as to whether any changes are needed and answers to questions, therefore, are based on current laws and regulations.
Finally, as noted in many FAQ answers, employers also should be guided in their relationship with their employees not only by federal employment law, but by their own employee handbooks, manuals, and contracts (including bargaining agreements), and any applicable state or local laws.
Blue Dog Coalition Endorses Fiscally Responsible Democratic Budget
Budget Resolution Includes Key Blue Dog Priorities
For Immediate Release
March 28, 2007
Washington, D.C. – The fiscally conservative Democratic Blue Dog Coalition voted at their Tuesday meeting to endorse the fiscally responsible Democratic Budget Resolution. Leaders of the Blue Dog Coalition announced their endorsement at a Capitol Hill press conference with Majority Leader Steny Hoyer and House Budget Committee Chairman John Spratt.
The Blue Dog Co-Chairs applauded Chairman Spratt for including key Blue Dog-advocated priorities in the Democratic Budget Resolution including: an adherence to pay-as-you-go (PAYGO) budget discipline; a commitment to the extension of statutory PAYGO requirements; a commitment to provide adequate funding for our national defense; holding the line on mandatory spending levels to put our country back on the path to fiscal responsibility; and putting an end to irresponsible deficit spending in order to reach balance by 2012.
“It is time that we put our country back on track towards fiscal responsibility and accountability to protect not only our children, but future generations of Americans,” said Rep. Mike Ross, Blue Dog Co-Chair for Communications. “This budget reflects the values of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog coalition and I believe it reflects the values of the American people. We did not need to offer a Blue Dog budget because Chairman Spratt heard our concerns and included our priorities in this budget. We can no longer sit by and watch President Bush’s attempts to mortgage away our country’s future, and it’s time that we put an end to the reckless budgeting practice we have experienced over the last six years. This budget is fiscally responsible and a step in the right direction.” “The Democratic budget resolution that the Blue Dogs are endorsing today does what no budget has done in the last six years—it enforces strong budgetary guidelines, such as PAYGO rules,” said Congressman Allen Boyd (D-FL), Blue Dog Co-Chair for Administration. “With the inclusion of key Blue Dog priorities in the budget resolution, it is clear that the Blue Dogs are enhancing the Democratic agenda. Correcting the fiscal course of our country cannot be achieved overnight, but the Democratic budget makes strong headway to restore our fiscal house and to ultimately get our budget on a glide path to balance.”
“This Congress has an opportunity to change the fiscal direction of our country,” said Rep. Dennis Moore (D-KS). “There’s no doubt there will be tough choices to make as we live within this budget, but Americans are not afforded the luxury of living beyond their means and our government should stop doing so at the expense of our children and grandchildren. I thank Leader Hoyer and Chairman Spratt for their dedication to this issue and for working with the Blue Dogs to ensure that our budget proposal starts us on the road back to fiscal responsibility.”
Rep. Stephanie Herseth (D-SD), Blue Dog Whip, said, “We simply cannot continue to mortgage our nation’s future and pass on trillions in debt to our grandchildren. This fiscally responsible budget clearly reflects Blue Dog principles and priorities, and puts us back on a track to fiscal health through long overdue and common sense pay-as-you-go spending rules.”
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The fiscally conservative Democratic Blue Dog Coalition was formed in 1995 with the goal of representing the center of the House of Representatives and appealing to the mainstream values of the American public. The Blue Dogs are dedicated to a core set of beliefs that transcend partisan politics, including a deep commitment to the financial stability and national security of the United States. Currently there are 43 members of the Blue Dog Coalition. For more information, visit the Blue Dog website at http://www.house.gov/ross/BlueDogs/.
Just watched the Preident's Weekly Address
http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/blog/amyhamblin
I want to commend the President and his Administration for their approach to the flu outbreak...Cautious, but not Alarmed.
The media organizations should follow the example of the President...just report the news, not try to create the news.
Really, it's an example where you see the character of President Obama and how he deals with problems. It's an appealing trait that contributed to my voting decision; Calm and Deliberate. There's been some wayward tendencies, but hopefully the ole 'No Drama, Obama' philosophy will continue to show more in his Administartion.
From Govloop: Social Network for Government 2.0
HEADLINE: "Source: Liberal-leaning Justice Souter to Retire"
AP – FILE - In this Dec. 5, 2003 file photo, U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice David Souter By MARK SHERMAN and JENNIFER LOVEN, Associated Press Writers Mark Sherman And Jennifer Loven, Associated Press Writers
WASHINGTON – Justice David Souter is planning to retire after nearly two decades on the Supreme Court, but his departure is unlikely to change its conservative-liberal split.
President Barack Obama's first pick for the high court is likely to be a liberal-leaning nominee, much like Souter.
The White House has been told that Souter will retire in June, when the court finishes its work for the summer, a source familiar with his plans said Thursday night. The retirement is likely to take effect only once a successor is confirmed.
The source spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak for Souter.
Souter had no comment Thursday night, a Supreme Court spokeswoman said.
The vacancy could lead to another woman on the bench to join Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, currently the court's only female justice.
At 69, Souter is much younger than either Ginsburg, 76, or Justice John Paul Stevens, 89, the other two liberal justices whose names have been mentioned as possible retirees. Yet those justices have given no indication they intend to retire soon and Ginsburg said she plans to serve into her 80s, despite her recent surgery for pancreatic cancer.
Souter, a regular jogger, is thought to be in excellent health.
Interest groups immediately began gearing up.
"We're looking for President Obama to choose an eminently qualified candidate who is committed to the core constitutional values, who is committed to justice for all and not just a few," said Nan Aron, president of the liberal Alliance for Justice.
Some of the names that have been circulating include recently confirmed Solicitor General Elena Kagan; U.S. Appeals Court Judges Sonya Sotomayor, Kim McLane Wardlaw, Sandra Lea Lynch and Diane Pamela Wood; and Leah Ward Sears, chief justice of the Georgia Supreme Court. Men who have been mentioned as potential nominees include Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, Harvard Law professor Cass Sunstein and U.S. District Judge Ruben Castillo of Chicago.
The Obama White House began from almost its first days in office preparing for the possibility of a retirement by thinking about and vetting potential high court nominees. Those efforts only accelerated with Ginsburg's cancer surgery.
The timing may have been unexpected, but Souter has long yearned for a life outside Washington.
He has never made any secret of his dislike for the capital, once telling acquaintances he had "the world's best job in the world's worst city." When the court finishes its work for the summer, he quickly departs for his beloved New Hampshire.
He has been on the court since 1990, when he was an obscure federal appeals court judge until President George H.W. Bush tapped him for the Supreme Court.
Bush White House aide John Sununu, the former conservative governor of New Hampshire, hailed his choice as a "home run." And early in his time in Washington, Souter was called a moderate conservative.
But he soon joined in a ruling reaffirming woman's right to an abortion, a decision from 1992 that remains still perhaps his most noted work on the court.
Souter became a reliable liberal vote on the court and was one of the four dissenters in the 2000 decision in Bush v. Gore that sealed the presidential election for George W. Bush.
Yet as Souter biographer Tinsley Yarbrough noted, "he doesn't take extreme positions." Indeed, in June, Souter sided with Exxon Mobil Corp. and broke with his liberal colleagues in slashing the punitive damages the company owed Alaskan victims of the Exxon Valdez oil spill.
Souter is the court's 105th justice, only its sixth bachelor. He works seven days a week through most of the court's October-to-July terms, a pace that he says leaves time for little else. He told an audience this year that he undergoes "an annual intellectual lobotomy" each fall.
Souter earned his bachelor's and law degrees from Harvard sandwiched around a stay at Oxford University as a Rhodes scholar.
He became New Hampshire's attorney general in 1976 and a state court judge two years later. By 1990, he was on the federal appeals court in Boston for only a few months when Bush picked him to replace Justice William Brennan on the Supreme Court.
National Public Radio first reported Souter's plans Thursday night.
In the past I considered him to be a principled politician. His advocacy, along with Sen. Kennedy, for the Comprehensive Immigration Bill caught my attention and earned my support. Unlike Lieberman, it seems as though Specter's party-switch is not principled, but political and personal. The Democrats in general and President Obama in particular shouldn't boast too loudly.
Remember....
President Obama:
Beware of short-term thinking, mere tactical planning. Thus far, the problems your Adminstration have encountered have been the result of hyper-partisans in the Democrat party seeking short-term results. The short term results often were to debase the Republicans. Caveat: "The difference between a rut and a grave is the depth." In other words, the ditch that is dug for others may become the grave in which may bury oneself.
Thus far, I have not agreed with all your decisions (and didn't expect to) nor am I willing to rubber-stamp your ideas. ( I will not be part of the demagogue-like hysteria that characterized some media outlets & grassroots individuals/organizations) This was not the reason you receive my vote.
The 'Proverbial Report Card' (Overall: B+)
Message Discipline: C+ --- At times tend to be reactive, disjointed, and unclear/confusing.
Grassroots Network (Organizing for America): D --- Increase presence of spam on site, vitriol language as well. Corruption of your concept in community organizing and its purpose. Some people may be discouraged to even visit the site. already it has been expressed that emails from Democrat Party are not welcome specifically when soliciting donations due to increased spam. It shows lack of leadership of the site administrators. It undermines grassroot effectiveness.
Accessibility/Exposure: C- --- Need to guard against 'over-exposure'. The words and appearance of the President should command attention, not be 'too familar' or mundane. Need to guard against the appearance of campaigning instead of governing.
Style: C --- Need to balance between being 'natural', conversational and formal, authoritative. For the most part, the problem arises situationally. Introducing novelty while maintaining dignity of office has been good; should continue to exercise balance in this regard. See <Accessibility/Exposure>
Politics: C --- Need to guard against shift towards far-left idealogy/trying to please those who ascribed to the far-left idealogy. Danger of being tagged as knee-jerk liberal as well as encouraging a more polarizing political environment. (This is mistake of your predecessor) Remember: Balance and Process Matters.
Policy Formulation: A+ --- Great comprehensive approach to Nation's issues and concerns. See <Message Discipline>
Personnel: B --- Highly qualified individuals; Execution of their duties adequate --- often with lingering perception of incompetance.
Promises: B --- Given the complexity of the issues, this isn't so bad.
Transparency: A- --- Given the complexity of the issues, this isn't so bad.
Just recently received....
GovLoop - Social Network for Government 2.0
GovLoop
Check out the blog post 'White House to Host Dialogue Solutions for Recovery.gov
'Go to Recovery.gov NOW to submit your ideas; comment, tag, & vote on others' ideas. The IT Dialogue just opened. Check back all week.I just submitted two ideas myself......Blog post added by GovLoop:I got this email yesterday and I'm excited to see how this turns out. Definitely a good idea and I like the fact it is time-limited. What...Blog post link:White House to Host Dialogue Solutions for Recovery.gov
About GovLoop - Social Network for Government 2.0GovLoop is the Premier Social Network for Government 2.0. Connecting over 9,000 Federal, State, Local, Academics, and Good Contractors.
Check out the USA.gov Home Page on USA.gov ( http://www.usa.gov ).
This page has been updated with a new link to National Dialogue on Recovery.gov. Join a week-long online discussion to engage leading information technology vendors, thinkers, and consumers in answering the question:
What ideas, tools, and approaches can make Recovery.gov a place where all citizens can transparently monitor the expenditure and use of recovery funds?
This national dialogue--open from April 27 through May 3--is being offered by the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board and the Office of Management and Budget in partnership with the National Academy of Public Administration.
Look for the link in the "Features" box on the right side of the USA.gov Home Page.
Audit the Fed
Posted: 21 Apr 2009 08:25 AM PDT
Year after year in Congress, Rep. Ron Paul [R, TX-14] has introduced a bill to abolish the Fed (H.R. 833). Though the bill has a dedicated network of citizen supporters – see the End the Fed network – it has never made any legislative progress or gained a single co-sponsor.
This year, however, Paul has introduced a toned-down version, along with the original, that is gaining co-sponsors quickly and could actually get a vote this session — the Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2009. The co-sponsor list, currently at 58, is strongly bipartisan. It includes progressive Democrats like Rep. Alan Grayson [D, FL-8] and Rep. Henry Waxman [D, CA-30], Blue Dogs like Rep. Gene Taylor [D, MS-4] and Rep. Collin Peterson [D, MN-7], and conservatives like Rep. Michele Bachmann [R, MN-6] and Rep. Scott Garrett [R, NJ-5].
Far from ending the Fed, the bill calls for a full Government Accountability Office (GAO) audit of the central bank to be completed before the end of 2010 and submitted to Congress for review.
Current U.S. Code protects the Fed’s secrecy in several important areas (31 USC 714 – Sec. 714):
Audits of the Federal Reserve Board and Federal reserve banks may not include – (1) transactions for or with a foreign central bank, government of a foreign country, or nonprivate international financing organization; (2) deliberations, decisions, or actions on monetary policy matters, including discount window operations, reserves of member banks, securities credit, interest on deposits, and open market operations; (3) transactions made under the direction of the Federal Open Market Committee; or (4) a part of a discussion or communication among or between members of the Board of Governors and officers and employees of the Federal Reserve System related to clauses (1)-(3) of this subsection.
All of these barriers to access would be eliminated by Rep. Paul’s bill.
In the past year or so, the Federal Reserve has given banks more than $2 trillion in loan guarantees in an attempt to forestall the economic crisis. But information on where all this money has gone and what kind of securities the Fed has accepted in exchange is unavailable. Since the Fed is a quasi-public institution, they aren’t obliged to tell us, even though they are pushing around public money. “The contrast is pretty clear,” says Sen. Bernard Sanders [I, VT], who is sponsoring the Senate version (S.604), “if you want to know who received the money under TARP, go to the website, it’s there. If you want to know who received the money from the Fed, it ain’t there.”
In the Politico, Ron Paul writes, “if this audit reveals what I suspect and Congress has finally had enough, it can also pass my legislation to abolish the Federal Reserve.” Whether you support ending the Fed, like Ron Paul, or fixing the Fed in order to restore the health of our financial system, finding out what the Fed is up to – and where they have been failing – is essential to moving forward. It may sound trite, but transparency is crucial for solving our economic crisis.
One more thing: OpenCongress user emarble left a comment on the bill text suggesting a simple improvement:
In addition to increased congressional oversight, it would be nice if this provision included “all citizens who request it.” I propose the report on the audit be made available to the general public in electronic form, thereby making the Federal Reserve completely transparent.
(pictured above is Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke, center, surrounded by Fed board members.)
President Obama should make sure that the controversy involving the CIA memos do not cast a shadow over his own Adminstration...and become a distraction to fulfilling adminstration's agenda.
The entire situation has the potential to strengthened political partisanship on both sides, cause un-necessary political gridlock or resistance as Obama moves forward and deals w/ Healthcare Reform and Energy Investment Plan.
See also: http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/invisibilityblanket/gGxW4P
I want to emphasize the cautious approach that President Obama is taking towards the infamous 'Torture Memos' It's commedable.
Shame on those individuals who are choking on the bile of revenge and want to use this situation as an opportunity for political tit-for-tat. This is a very serious situation.
When the news was reported about inappropriate treatment of prisoners at Gitmo Bay, televised discussions/hearings were held by the U.S. Congress, justified by the concept of the Public's Right to Know/Freedom of Information Act. What was the result? The Islamic extremists started targeting civilians (abductions, beheadings) Remember, we were/are at war!
We must be cognizant of the culture of other countries and its affect on behavior. Many cultures have a strong ethos regarding 'saving face'. To publicly debase them in any manner is to increase tensions and invite retaliation.
Yes, torture is wrong, but how we respond may improve or excerbate the situation. We live in a time where technology has advanced to allow instanteous global communication in realtime.
President Obama's objective in this situation is to balance (there goes that word again) National Security, Effective Foreign Policy, Human Rights Advocacy, and Government Transparency.
Since President Obama launched his stimulus plan here in February, Elkhart has become a proving ground for his promise of economic recovery. But two months later, the unemployment rate remains at 20 percent, having tripled in less than a year. The first infrastructure project has yet to begin. And many residents doubt the stimulus will help. Signs of the crisis are everywhere. The line to file unemployment claims at the library stands 50 deep before it opens. The grocery store advertises Manwich on sale, 10 cans for $10. A new church has a Web site for the times: www.myspiritualstimulus.com. Read the full story at ProPublica. (Help ProPublica track the stimulus in your state. Making sense of our new - and ever changing - landscape requires piecing together your stories and observations neighborhood-by-neighborhood and state-by-state. Sign up, and we'll notify you of timely ways to contribute to our coverage.
Note: This blog entry is a response to the letter written by President Obama and published in the local newspaper, Indianapolis Star Sunday, April 5, 2009.
Generally speaking, I was pleasantly surprised to read the letter that appeared in the newspaper Sunday morning. Allow me to say 'thanks'. After reading the letter, I was a little disappointed because it seem to have missed the mark if the purpose was reassurance in light of recent events surrounding GM Motors.
It didn't seem to connect with the real concerns that is confronting individuals who are watching the saga involving GM Motors. Listening to the concerns of current employees and retirees of GM Motors, there is a consensus of practical concern about not only continuation of employment, but continuation of health benefits and safeguarding their hard-earned pensions (especially if GM pursues any type of bankruptcy).
In defense of GM Motors: The company has been known for providing reasonable wages for their employees as well as comprehensive health benefits for employees and their families. Health benefits that include prescription drugs, vision, and dental. GM provides scholarships to employees' family members, and car purchase discounts are available for not only employees but their employees' families.
By no means is GM is a perfect company. Ineptitude of leadership and management contributed to the current state of affairs. The ineptitude is not only at the company level but at the governmental level. Inconsistent and incoherent trade policies contributed to the current state of affairs as well.
There's hope. President Obama is taking a comprehensive approach to our nation's problems while the media and other distractors want to continue in the same simple-minded manner of dealing with nation's problems.
Not cynical, but hopeful. Many people are living the words "old men shall dream dreams, young men shall see visions". In light of recent events there a tinge of fear that attempts quash the optimism.
When I visit friends and family, there's often the prominently displayed AARP magazine in the home. Senior citizens seem to have 'cautious optimism' i.e. hope and enthusiam tempered with knowledge, understanding, and wisdom.
Balance. Whenever I see the AARP magazine or hear senior citizens reference the organization, I believe President Obama and all legislators need to make sure that the increased youth enthusiam and participation in civic affairs do not lead to ignoring senior citizens' concerns. AARP is probably the only organization whose membership exceeds the membership of President Obama's grassroots apparatus/Organizing For America.
Generation of Balance. President Obama is part of the generation that has often performed as a bridge; A bridge between races, cultures, and ages. Notice the phrase "sandwich generation" was not used. The generation in which President Obama belongs functions as a bridge of understanding between the time-tested values and wisdom of the elders and the enthusiam and innovativeness of the youths.
Morning Cup: Data for Dollars
Posted: 02 Apr 2009 07:57 AM PDT
This is the latest roundup from our stimulus blog.
New this morning: Stimulus watchdog Earl Devaney is laying out his oversight strategy at a hearing of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. Catch the action live here.
Education Secretary Arne Duncan announced yesterday that the first $44 billion in stimulus money for schools is now available and will be released within two weeks after applications are approved. But school districts will have to exchange data for dollars if they want a second helping. Meanwhile, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack released a state breakdown of rural housing loans that he says will create or save 42,500 jobs. And Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano discussed some details of the $400 million in stimulus money for the Southwest border.
Tomorrow is decision day for South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford on whether to take or turn down $700 million in stimulus money. He tells the Wall Street Journal that he’s no longer on a “philosophical jihad” against the stimulus but doesn’t want to be an accomplice to what he deems wasteful spending.
Project of the day: $755 million to demolish the remaining uranium enrichment plants and other buildings left over from the Manhattan Project at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee.
Treasury’s Hazy Bailout Accounting
Posted: 01 Apr 2009 01:39 PM PDT
It’s not easy figuring out just how much remains uncommitted of the $700 billion bailout, and Treasury’s new Web site isn’t much help. After Dow Jones reported last weekend that Treasury was refusing to say how much was left in the bailout coffers, Treasury finally gave an answer: $134.5 billion. It was a number higher than expected, or rather, higher than one would get by simply adding up the commitments Treasury officials had made for various programs.
We got a Treasury spokesman to walk us through their addition, and here’s how it goes. Keep in mind these numbers show how much money Treasury has set aside for these purposes, not how much is actually out the door. (Our ongoing tally of that shows $303.3 billion actually spent.)
Read More...
Thank you to all of you who participated in the Indianapolis OFA Chapter Pledge Project event on March 21st. Indianapolis, we are living the change we voted for and doing our part to rebuild America!
If Indianapolis is a barometer for the nation, we will mobilize the grass roots movement during the Obama presidency. Our neighborhood team gained over 700 pledges of support for President Obama's plan to restore our economy through investing in health care, energy and education.
One of the goals of the Indianapolis OFA Chapter is to promote a much stronger relationship between citizens and government. I wanted to share the vision of one of our team members, Julia, on this idea. Julia brings a fresh and open view into what is possible. We learned last night after our canvass event that Julia has a progressive cancer that is not treatable. In this moment I am startled and deeply saddened to by this news. Julia continues to make such an impact in our group and in the lives of so many.
Indy OFA will soon be publishing a video on the relationship between people and government. Below are some of Julia's thoughts which have helped shape our message.
The following is from www.opencongress.org/blog
OpenCongress and the Fifty States
Posted: 27 Feb 2009 02:27 AM PST
A few months after the initial launch of OpenCongress, a crafty web developed, totally independent of PPF and Sunlight, made use our open source code to build a parallel site for the Massachusetts State Legislature. OpenMass, which was built by James Caralis, gave us hope that more sites like that would start popping up to help bring transparency to state governments across the country. But alas, none have been created since then, and a big reason is that, in most states, it is just too difficult to get legislative data that in accessible, machine processable formats from the legislatures.
Today, Sunlight Labs is launching the Fifty State Project, a crowd-sourcing initiative to create accessible databases of legislative information in every state. From the Sunlight Labs blog:
While no single developer has the time to volunteer writing a custom scraper for each state, the goal of having data for all fifty states is entirely attainable if we come together and share the workload. This is where you come in. We need your help databasing state legislation. To coordinate, we’ve set up project pages on the Sunlight Labs Wiki and github to share scraping utilities, data, and ideas. We also will be promoting the Fifty State Project at a series of “hackathons” that we’re hosting at various events around the country. The hope is that soon, we’ll have a standardized database and APIs to work from, putting the goal of “an Open Congress for all fifty states” within reach.
In late December Secretary-designate Tom Daschle requested input from Americans citizens on health care reform in preparation for a set of recommendations for President Obama. On 12/28 Silvia Spence and John Lilienkamp hosted a house party in Indianapolis on health care reform to get input from Indianapolis thought leaders in the health care industry. Group recommendations to the Obama administration
Radio coverage from the meeting on WFYI's Sound Medicine. Click here for MP3 and REAL files:
America witnessed something extraordinary this week --- presidential leadership at its best. If there were any doubts concerning who is the chief executive of the country, they should have been dispelled this week. President Obama was authoritative, yet respectful; accomodating, but resolute and principled.
President Obama took a stand with Congress --- BOTH Republicans and Democrats, encouraging them to work in a bipartisan manner. He took a stand against 'distractors' who may be inclined to nit-pick at every item in pursuit of the perfect legislation by reminding us, "Let's not make the perfect the enemy of the essential" He took a stand with Wall Street executives by reminding them that everyone will bear their share of responsibility. Most importantly, he showed us that REAL leadership requires that a person be willing to do himself what s/he requires of others, in this case, accept responsibility. It was refreshing (and I admit surprising) to hear President Obama acknowledged that he 'screwed up' and accepted responsibility for it.
Yes, America we have witnessed a defining moment in our history. It was probably inevitable if not essential that this moment occurred during these perilous times. On January 20, the U.S. Constitution officially declared Barack Obama the President of the United States. This week Barack Obama showed us he is the President of the United States.
