Yesterday, First Lady Michelle Obama launched "Let's Move," a campaign to combat the growing epidemic of childhood obesity. Over the past 30 years, obesity rates have tripled -- meaning that for the first time, American kids may face a shorter expected lifespan than their parents. In conjunction with the new campaign, the President signed an executive order to establish a task force to address the epidemic with partners ranging from nonprofits and private sector companies to sports teams and local governments.
The campaign focuses on four components: improving information parents need to make positive changes for their families, improving the quality of food in our schools, improving access and affordability of healthy foods in our communities, and increasing physical education to get kids moving.
Watch the campaign kickoff video here:
The Chicago Tribune reported:
First lady Michelle Obama on Tuesday launched "Let's Move," her biggest-ever campaign, one aimed at conquering childhood obesity within a generation.Its roll-out came with the news of some early successes, highlighted by the first lady and her aides. Some key developments:*The American Beverage Association has committed to putting clear, front-of-pack calorie labels on cans, bottles and vending machines within two years.*The American Academy of Pediatrics will call on its physician-members to regularly monitor the body mass index for children age two years and older.*Major suppliers of foods to school cafeterias have pledged to cut sugar, salt and fat and increase whole grains and produce.*Some 40 executives of major food producers and agribusinesses, some from the Chicago area, indicated in an open letter they will join the first lady in promoting healthy eating.
First lady Michelle Obama on Tuesday launched "Let's Move," her biggest-ever campaign, one aimed at conquering childhood obesity within a generation.
Its roll-out came with the news of some early successes, highlighted by the first lady and her aides. Some key developments:
*The American Beverage Association has committed to putting clear, front-of-pack calorie labels on cans, bottles and vending machines within two years.
*The American Academy of Pediatrics will call on its physician-members to regularly monitor the body mass index for children age two years and older.
*Major suppliers of foods to school cafeterias have pledged to cut sugar, salt and fat and increase whole grains and produce.
*Some 40 executives of major food producers and agribusinesses, some from the Chicago area, indicated in an open letter they will join the first lady in promoting healthy eating.
From OFA Director Mitch Stewart:
A few days ago, President Obama told a story about an OFA supporter in St. Louis who had volunteered during the campaign and organized her community for health reform, but recently succumbed to breast cancer. She didn't have quality insurance, so she put off crucial exams and didn't catch it early enough. And while she fought cancer, she also spent her final months fighting for a chance at health reform so others wouldn't go through the same thing. The President told this story to remind Congress, the nation, and us: We can't tell her family we're giving up on reform because it's too hard, or too risky. Congress is weighing options and hearing plenty of special interest voices telling them to give up. They need to understand that their constituents want them to keep fighting. So today, we're relaunching our Health Care Action Center to give you all the tools and information you need to fight for reform. At the Action Center, you can make calls, write letters, speak out in your community, and weigh in directly with Congress. There's information about what the President stands for, and personal stories that show why reform is so important. Check it out today. Many of our senators and representatives are working overtime to gather support for a final bill and pass reform, and they should know we're standing with them. And the rest need to understand their constituents still demand action. We're so close to real reform -- we can't stop now. Thanks for making it possible, Mitch Mitch Stewart Director Organizing for America
A few days ago, President Obama told a story about an OFA supporter in St. Louis who had volunteered during the campaign and organized her community for health reform, but recently succumbed to breast cancer. She didn't have quality insurance, so she put off crucial exams and didn't catch it early enough. And while she fought cancer, she also spent her final months fighting for a chance at health reform so others wouldn't go through the same thing. The President told this story to remind Congress, the nation, and us: We can't tell her family we're giving up on reform because it's too hard, or too risky. Congress is weighing options and hearing plenty of special interest voices telling them to give up. They need to understand that their constituents want them to keep fighting. So today, we're relaunching our Health Care Action Center to give you all the tools and information you need to fight for reform.
At the Action Center, you can make calls, write letters, speak out in your community, and weigh in directly with Congress. There's information about what the President stands for, and personal stories that show why reform is so important. Check it out today. Many of our senators and representatives are working overtime to gather support for a final bill and pass reform, and they should know we're standing with them. And the rest need to understand their constituents still demand action. We're so close to real reform -- we can't stop now. Thanks for making it possible, Mitch Mitch Stewart Director Organizing for America
On Saturday, as Washington was blanketed with snow, President Obama spoke to members of the Democratic Party at the 2010 Winter Meeting. In a fiery speech, the President reiterated his fierce commitment to fighting for health insurance reform:
"The easiest thing to do right now would be to just say, oh, [passing health reform] is too hard, let's just re-group and lick our wounds, try to hang on. We've had a long and difficult debate on health care. And there are some, maybe even the majority in this town, who say perhaps it's time to walk away. But...if we walk away, we know what will happen. We know that premiums and out-of-pocket expenses will skyrocket this decade and the decade after that and decade after that, just as they did in the past decade. More small businesses will be priced out of coverage. More big businesses will be unable to compete internationally. More workers will take home less pay and fewer raises. We know that millions more Americans will lose their coverage. We know that our deficits will inexorably continue to grow because health care costs are the single biggest driver. So just in case there's any confusion out there, let me be clear: I am not going to walk away from health insurance reform. I'm not going to walk away from the American people. I'm not going to walk away on this challenge."
"The easiest thing to do right now would be to just say, oh, [passing health reform] is too hard, let's just re-group and lick our wounds, try to hang on. We've had a long and difficult debate on health care. And there are some, maybe even the majority in this town, who say perhaps it's time to walk away. But...if we walk away, we know what will happen. We know that premiums and out-of-pocket expenses will skyrocket this decade and the decade after that and decade after that, just as they did in the past decade. More small businesses will be priced out of coverage. More big businesses will be unable to compete internationally. More workers will take home less pay and fewer raises. We know that millions more Americans will lose their coverage. We know that our deficits will inexorably continue to grow because health care costs are the single biggest driver.
So just in case there's any confusion out there, let me be clear: I am not going to walk away from health insurance reform. I'm not going to walk away from the American people. I'm not going to walk away on this challenge."
He then spoke about the need to continue working to change the culture and politics of Washington, in order to address the challenges that the country faces:
"We knew this stuff was tough. But we stepped up because we decided we were going to take the responsibility of changing it. And it may not be easy, but change is coming. Look, I believe so strongly, I believe so strongly if we're going to deal with the great challenges of our time, if we're going to secure a better future, just as past generations did for us, then we're going to have to change the prevailing politics in this town, and it's not going to be easy. We're going to have to care less about scoring points and more about solving problems that are holding us back. At this defining moment, that's never been more important."
And he closed by talking about moving forward together:
"After all the promises we've made, this is our best chance to deliver the change that the American people need. And if we do that, if we speak to the hopes of the American people instead of their fears, if we inspire them instead of divide them, if we respond to their challenges with the same sense of urgency they feel in their own lives, we're not just going to win elections, elections will take care of themselves. We will once again be the party that turns around the economy and moves this country forward and secures the American dream for another generation."
You can watch the full video below:
Yesterday, President Obama invited Democratic and Republican leaders to a bipartisan, televised health reform summit to review the best ideas from both parties in order to move forward with passing reform. He challenged Republicans in particular to put their ideas on the table, in order to systematically examine the proposals and come up with a path forward.
The New York Times reported:
President Obama said Sunday that he would convene a half-day bipartisan health care session at the White House to be televised live this month, a high-profile gambit that will allow Americans to watch as Democrats and Republicans try to break their political impasse. Mr. Obama made the announcement in an interview on CBS during the Super Bowl pre-game show, capitalizing on a vast television audience. He set out a plan that would put Republicans on the spot to offer their own ideas on health care and show whether both sides are willing to work together.
During the interview, President Obama reiterated his commitment to passing reform and explained how this summit will help get there:
"I want to ask [Republicans] to put their ideas on the table, and then after the recess, which will be a few weeks away, I want to come back and have a large meeting, the Republicans and Democrats, to go through systematically all the best ideas that are out there and move it forward. ...I want to look at the Republican ideas that are out there, and I want to be very specific. How do you guys want to lower costs? How do you guys intend to reform the insurance markets so people with preexisting conditions, for example, can get health care? How do you want to make sure that the 30 million people who don't have health insurance can get it? What are your ideas specifically? If we can go step by step through a series of these issues and arrive at some agreements, then procedurally, there's no reason why we can't do it a lot faster than the process took last year."
The bipartisan meeting is currently scheduled to take place on Thursday, February 25th.
An alarming new study shows that health care costs increased last year at the fastest rate in more than a half century. Health care spending rose to an estimated $2.5 trillion in 2009, or $8,047 per person -- and is now projected to nearly double by 2019. If we don't act, this growing burden will mean more lost jobs, more families pushed into bankruptcy, and more crushing debt for our nation. The conclusion is clear: This isn't a problem we can kick down the road for another decade -- or even another year. We need to pass health reform now. We're incredibly close. But too many in Washington are now saying that we should delay or give up on reform entirely. So we need to make it crystal clear that Americans understand the stakes for our economy and our lives, and that we want action. Can you write a letter to the editor of your local paper right now? In just five minutes of your time, you can tell thousands of readers about this new report on spiraling costs, and why abandoning reform is just not an option. You can also help by posting this note on Facebook, letting your friends know about the new costs study and asking them to join you in writing a letter to a local paper. President Obama and many allies in Congress are working hard to finish the job -- but we can't rest until it's done. Your note will help break through the Washington spin and show members of Congress and the media what local voters really believe. Click here to get started. It's clear that we're in the fight of our lives to pass real reform. But after a century of trying, the finish line is finally in sight. As President Obama reminded us all in his State of the Union address, we're fighting for our families and our country -- and we don't quit. Thanks for making it possible, Mitch Mitch Stewart Director Organizing for America
President Obama is scheduled to address the Democratic Party this morning at the Party's 2010 Winter Meeting in Washington, D.C. You can watch live online starting at 10:30 A.M. Eastern time.
You can also follow live updates from the meeting, and see highlights from yesterday's events, on the DemocratsDotOrg twitter feed.
Here's the full video of tonight's event with President Obama:
Today, at 5:45 p.m. Eastern Time, Organizing for America is hosting a "Conversation with the President" -- and you won't want to miss it. President Obama will talk about fighting for change in 2010, and then answer questions from grassroots supporters like you. You can watch a webcast of the event starting at 5:45 p.m. Eastern Time. President Obama will review our many accomplishments this past year and address the tough fights ahead of us -- including the 2010 elections, fighting to strengthen the middle class, and finishing the job on health reform. Then, I'll ask the President some of the questions that OFA supporters like you submitted online. I hope you can tune in at 5:45 Eastern. Thanks, Mitch Mitch Stewart Director Organizing for America
From the Associated Press:
... President Barack Obama on Wednesday implored Democratic leaders to swing big, be honest with an angry public and expose any obstructionism by Republicans. "We still have to lead," Obama told Democratic senators in a pep talk that unfolded on live TV. Let policy be our politics, Obama told the senators, and make sure everyone knows about petty acts by the opposition. Obama's mission is to stiffen the resolve of his own party as he pursues an agenda that is consistent -- creating jobs, overhauling health insurance, regulating Wall Street -- yet is also cast in more personal, real-life terms.
From Reuters:
... Senate Democrats will unveil tax credits and other proposals on Thursday that aim to bring down the nation's double-digit unemployment rate.The package will include tax credits to spur hiring and equipment purchases, along with incentives for states to ramp up construction projects, an aide said on Wednesday.It could also extend soon-to-expire programs that provide unemployment aid and healthcare subsidies for the jobless, the aide said on condition of anonymity.With Friday's jobs report expected to show a rise in the unemployment rate to 10.1 percent, Democrats in Congress say job creation is their top priority this year.
... Senate Democrats will unveil tax credits and other proposals on Thursday that aim to bring down the nation's double-digit unemployment rate.
The package will include tax credits to spur hiring and equipment purchases, along with incentives for states to ramp up construction projects, an aide said on Wednesday.
It could also extend soon-to-expire programs that provide unemployment aid and healthcare subsidies for the jobless, the aide said on condition of anonymity.
With Friday's jobs report expected to show a rise in the unemployment rate to 10.1 percent, Democrats in Congress say job creation is their top priority this year.
From the Wall Street Journal:
Republicans are stepping up their campaign to win donations from Wall Street, trying to capitalize on an increasing sense of regret among executives at big financial institutions for backing Democrats in 2008.In discussions with Wall Street executives, Republicans are striving to make the case that they are banks' best hope of preventing President Barack Obama and congressional Democrats from cracking down on Wall Street.
Republicans are stepping up their campaign to win donations from Wall Street, trying to capitalize on an increasing sense of regret among executives at big financial institutions for backing Democrats in 2008.
In discussions with Wall Street executives, Republicans are striving to make the case that they are banks' best hope of preventing President Barack Obama and congressional Democrats from cracking down on Wall Street.
From the Los Angeles Times:
In a stark reminder of growing costs, the government has released a new estimate that healthcare spending grew to a record 17.3% of the U.S. economy last year, marking the largest one-year jump in its share of the economy since the government started keeping such records half a century ago.The almost $2.5 trillion spent in 2009 was $134 billion more than the previous year, when healthcare consumed 16.2% of the gross domestic product, according to an annual report by independent actuaries at the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS, scheduled for release Thursday.
In a stark reminder of growing costs, the government has released a new estimate that healthcare spending grew to a record 17.3% of the U.S. economy last year, marking the largest one-year jump in its share of the economy since the government started keeping such records half a century ago.
The almost $2.5 trillion spent in 2009 was $134 billion more than the previous year, when healthcare consumed 16.2% of the gross domestic product, according to an annual report by independent actuaries at the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS, scheduled for release Thursday.
Following last week's question and answer session with House Republicans, this morning President Obama took questions from Democratic senators at their issues conference. Here are a few of the highlights:
President Obama on health reform:
You look at an issue right now like health care. So many of us campaigned on the idea that we were going to change this health care system. So many of us looked people in the eye who had been denied because of a preexisting condition, or just didn't have health insurance at all, or small business owners in our communities who told us that their premiums had gone up 25 percent or 30 percent. And we said we were going to change it.Well, here we are with a chance to change it. And all of you put extraordinary work last year into making serious changes that would not only reform the insurance industry, not only cover 30 million Americans, but would also bend the cost curve, and save a trillion dollars on our deficits, according to the Congressional Budget Office. There's a direct link between the work that you guys did on that and the reason that you got into public office in the first place.And so as we think about moving forward, I hope we don't lose sight of why we're here. We've got to finish the job on health care.
You look at an issue right now like health care. So many of us campaigned on the idea that we were going to change this health care system. So many of us looked people in the eye who had been denied because of a preexisting condition, or just didn't have health insurance at all, or small business owners in our communities who told us that their premiums had gone up 25 percent or 30 percent. And we said we were going to change it.
Well, here we are with a chance to change it. And all of you put extraordinary work last year into making serious changes that would not only reform the insurance industry, not only cover 30 million Americans, but would also bend the cost curve, and save a trillion dollars on our deficits, according to the Congressional Budget Office. There's a direct link between the work that you guys did on that and the reason that you got into public office in the first place.
And so as we think about moving forward, I hope we don't lose sight of why we're here. We've got to finish the job on health care.
In response to a question from Senator Michael Bennett on what Democratic and Republican senators need to do differently to meet the challenges the country faces now:
The problem here you've got is an institution that increasingly is not adapted to the demands of a hugely competitive 21st century economy. I think the Senate in particular, the challenge that I gave to Republicans and I will continue to issue to Republicans is if you want to govern then you can't just say no. It can't just be about scoring points. There are multiple examples during the course of this year in which that's been the case.Look, I mentioned the filibuster record. We've had scores of pieces of legislation in which there was a filibuster, cloture had to be invoked, and then ended up passing 90 to 10, or 80 to 15. And what that indicates is a degree to which we're just trying to gum up the works instead of getting business done.That is an institutional problem. In the Senate, the filibuster only works if there is a genuine spirit of compromise and trying to solve problems, as opposed to just shutting the place down. If it's just shutting the place down, then it's not going to work.
The problem here you've got is an institution that increasingly is not adapted to the demands of a hugely competitive 21st century economy. I think the Senate in particular, the challenge that I gave to Republicans and I will continue to issue to Republicans is if you want to govern then you can't just say no. It can't just be about scoring points. There are multiple examples during the course of this year in which that's been the case.
Look, I mentioned the filibuster record. We've had scores of pieces of legislation in which there was a filibuster, cloture had to be invoked, and then ended up passing 90 to 10, or 80 to 15. And what that indicates is a degree to which we're just trying to gum up the works instead of getting business done.
That is an institutional problem. In the Senate, the filibuster only works if there is a genuine spirit of compromise and trying to solve problems, as opposed to just shutting the place down. If it's just shutting the place down, then it's not going to work.
And in response to a question from Senator Blanche Lincoln on whether or not Democrats should moderate their positions to find common ground with Republicans:
I noticed yesterday ... there was some hearing about our proposal to provide additional financing to small businesses and tax credits to small businesses. Some of our friends on the other side of the aisle said, "This won't help at all. What you have to do is to make sure that we continue the tax breaks for wealthiest Americans. That's really what's going to make a difference."Well, if the agenda -- if the price of certainty is essentially for us to adopt the exact same proposals that were in place for eight years leading up to the biggest economic crisis since the Great Depression -- we don't tinker with health care, let the insurance companies do what they want, we don't put in place any insurance reforms, we don't mess with the banks, let them keep on doing what they're doing now because we don't want to stir up Wall Street -- the result is going to be the same....Sometimes we get ideologically bogged down. I just want to find out what works, and I know you do, too, and I know the people in Arkansas do, too. But when you're talking to the folks in Arkansas you also have to remind them what works is not just going back and doing the same things that we were doing before. And, yes, there's going to be some transition time. If we have a serious financial regulatory reform package, will the banks squawk? Yes. Will they say this is the reason we're not lending? Yes. The problem is we know right now they're not lending, and paying out big bonuses. And we know that the existing regulatory system doesn't work.So we shouldn't be spooked by this notion that, well, is now the time to take seriously in an intelligent way, not in a knee-jerk way, the challenge of financial regulatory reform so that you don't have banks that are too big to fail and you're not putting taxpayers at risk and you're not putting the economy at risk -- now is the time to do it.
I noticed yesterday ... there was some hearing about our proposal to provide additional financing to small businesses and tax credits to small businesses. Some of our friends on the other side of the aisle said, "This won't help at all. What you have to do is to make sure that we continue the tax breaks for wealthiest Americans. That's really what's going to make a difference."
Well, if the agenda -- if the price of certainty is essentially for us to adopt the exact same proposals that were in place for eight years leading up to the biggest economic crisis since the Great Depression -- we don't tinker with health care, let the insurance companies do what they want, we don't put in place any insurance reforms, we don't mess with the banks, let them keep on doing what they're doing now because we don't want to stir up Wall Street -- the result is going to be the same.
...Sometimes we get ideologically bogged down. I just want to find out what works, and I know you do, too, and I know the people in Arkansas do, too. But when you're talking to the folks in Arkansas you also have to remind them what works is not just going back and doing the same things that we were doing before. And, yes, there's going to be some transition time. If we have a serious financial regulatory reform package, will the banks squawk? Yes. Will they say this is the reason we're not lending? Yes. The problem is we know right now they're not lending, and paying out big bonuses. And we know that the existing regulatory system doesn't work.
So we shouldn't be spooked by this notion that, well, is now the time to take seriously in an intelligent way, not in a knee-jerk way, the challenge of financial regulatory reform so that you don't have banks that are too big to fail and you're not putting taxpayers at risk and you're not putting the economy at risk -- now is the time to do it.
On new lending to help small businesses:
From the Boston Globe:
The president yesterday detailed a plan to help expand lending to small businesses through tax cuts and assistance to community banks. Under the program, $30 billion in returned cash for the Troubled Asset Relief Program would be made available to help smaller banks lend to local businesses.“We’re going to start where most new jobs do - with small businesses,’’ he said. “These are the companies that begin in basements and garages when an entrepreneur takes a chance on his dream or a worker decides it’s time she became her own boss.’’
The president yesterday detailed a plan to help expand lending to small businesses through tax cuts and assistance to community banks. Under the program, $30 billion in returned cash for the Troubled Asset Relief Program would be made available to help smaller banks lend to local businesses.
“We’re going to start where most new jobs do - with small businesses,’’ he said. “These are the companies that begin in basements and garages when an entrepreneur takes a chance on his dream or a worker decides it’s time she became her own boss.’’
From Market Watch:
Taking his job creation pitch on the road a day after submitting his latest budget to Congress, President Barack Obama on Tuesday rolled out a new lending fund for small businesses and emphasized his plans for cutting the record U.S. budget deficit. Obama used a town hall meeting in Nashua, N.H. to highlight the fund, which would take $30 billion from the Troubled Asset Relief Program and encourage banks with less than $10 billion in assets to lend to small businesses. The plan, which would need to be approved by Congress, is already drawing fire from Republicans but Obama said on Tuesday it'll help lift the economy from the recession. "Small businesses...have created roughly 65% of all new jobs over the past decade and a half," Obama said.
Taking his job creation pitch on the road a day after submitting his latest budget to Congress, President Barack Obama on Tuesday rolled out a new lending fund for small businesses and emphasized his plans for cutting the record U.S. budget deficit.
Obama used a town hall meeting in Nashua, N.H. to highlight the fund, which would take $30 billion from the Troubled Asset Relief Program and encourage banks with less than $10 billion in assets to lend to small businesses.
The plan, which would need to be approved by Congress, is already drawing fire from Republicans but Obama said on Tuesday it'll help lift the economy from the recession.
"Small businesses...have created roughly 65% of all new jobs over the past decade and a half," Obama said.
On “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”:
Adm. Mike Mullen, the nation's top uniformed officer, made a strong appeal for allowing gays to serve openly in the military, a shift that highlighted the Pentagon's growing support for lifting the "don't ask, don't tell" law. Adm. Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the Senate Armed Services Committee he believed the "don't ask" restrictions—which require gay troops to keep their sexual orientation a secret—could be eliminated without harming military morale, recruitment or readiness. With the comments, Adm. Mullen became the highest-ranking military officer to ever endorse repealing the restrictions, a source of controversy within the Pentagon since they were put in place by the Clinton administration in 1993.
From David Plouffe:
Want to know what Organizing for America supporters like you think we should do in 2010?Watch a short video I recorded detailing the results of our "What's Next in 2010" survey.In 2009, you channeled the energy from the Presidential campaign -- building local organizations in all 50 states -- to help bring about the change President Obama's election victory gave us the opportunity to seek. Now, you've given us some great guidance that will help set OFA's course in 2010. Tens of thousands of you returned surveys -- providing us ideas, feedback, and a clear sense of your commitment to help the President. Thanks, David Plouffe P.S. -- This Thursday, at 5:45 p.m. Eastern Time, OFA will host "A Conversation with the President" -- a strategy update and Q&A broadcast live on BarackObama.com. Click here to RSVP.
Want to know what Organizing for America supporters like you think we should do in 2010?Watch a short video I recorded detailing the results of our "What's Next in 2010" survey.
In 2009, you channeled the energy from the Presidential campaign -- building local organizations in all 50 states -- to help bring about the change President Obama's election victory gave us the opportunity to seek. Now, you've given us some great guidance that will help set OFA's course in 2010. Tens of thousands of you returned surveys -- providing us ideas, feedback, and a clear sense of your commitment to help the President. Thanks, David Plouffe P.S. -- This Thursday, at 5:45 p.m. Eastern Time, OFA will host "A Conversation with the President" -- a strategy update and Q&A broadcast live on BarackObama.com. Click here to RSVP.
This Thursday at 5:45 p.m. Eastern, President Obama will hold a special live conversation with OFA supporters to answer questions and give a strategy update about our plans going forward.
You can RSVP to watch online or submit a question for President Obama here. You can also ask a question by text message -- to do so, just send a text to 62262 with ASK, your NAME, STATE, and your question.
On the President’s proposed 2011 budget:
President Obama's budget, formally unveiled Monday to set federal spending priorities, also bolsters a goal of his party for the 2010 elections: Show voters that the president is trying to persuade Republicans to share responsibility for governing the country, but that Republicans are turning him away.The budget plan invites Republicans to join him on a bipartisan commission to cut the deficit -- a concept that the GOP has backed in prior years. It includes tax cuts for small businesses long-championed by the GOP.
From Inside Higher Education:
By and large, most programs that serve colleges and students would fare well under the administration's budget for the year that begins in October, with the White House proposing another massive infusion of funds into the Pell Grant Program (covering a million additional students and ensuring a permanent and growing flow of money into it), recommending significant increases for several key scientific research agencies for job creation purposes, and even proposing a 31 percent increase in financial support for the AmeriCorps national service program."At a time when most government spending is being frozen, President Obama is investing in education -- a clear reflection of the president's deep commitment to education," Education Secretary Arne Duncan said in a telephone news conference Monday.
On yesterday’s YouTube interview with President Obama:
From the Washington Post:
President Obama continued efforts to open himself to direct scrutiny from his critics on Monday, sitting for a half-hour of questions submitted to YouTube during his State of the Union address last week. The online news conference of sorts follows the president's 90-minute Q&A with Republican House members at their retreat last week, which was broadcast live on cable outlets. Both were examples of the White House attempting to demonstrate Obama's willingness to listen to voices outside his party after last month's Democratic loss in the Massachusetts Senate race.
From Politico:
Overall, the [President's YouTube] interview session felt like a town hall, except that the president was sitting in the White House taking questions from people via computer. Lee Rainie, the director of the Pew Internet & American Life Project, said that while such interviews and interactions may seem underwhelming, they actually mark an important benchmark."In its actual application the gee-whiz factor isn’t as great as the expectations, but the fact that it’s on YouTube and the atmospherics is only part of the story,” he said. “These are important changes in the political media culture and the way people think about interacting with public officials. It speaks to the larger issue of the process of being in the public commons when everyone can be a broadcaster or reporter or commentator.”
Overall, the [President's YouTube] interview session felt like a town hall, except that the president was sitting in the White House taking questions from people via computer.
Lee Rainie, the director of the Pew Internet & American Life Project, said that while such interviews and interactions may seem underwhelming, they actually mark an important benchmark.
"In its actual application the gee-whiz factor isn’t as great as the expectations, but the fact that it’s on YouTube and the atmospherics is only part of the story,” he said. “These are important changes in the political media culture and the way people think about interacting with public officials. It speaks to the larger issue of the process of being in the public commons when everyone can be a broadcaster or reporter or commentator.”
"We simply cannot continue to spend as if deficits don't have consequences; as if waste doesn't matter; as if the hard-earned tax dollars of the American people can be treated like Monopoly money; as if we can ignore this challenge for another generation. We can't." -- President Obama
Today, President Obama unveiled his proposed 2011 Budget, which works to move the country from recession to recovery by spurring investments in job creation and building a foundation for long-term economic growth. It also reins in spending by ending programs that don't work and bringing new accountability to how taxpayer dollars are spent.
As a result of years of irresponsibility in Washington, President Obama inherited a staggering projected deficit of $8 trillion over 10 years on his first day as President. Faced with an economy on the verge of collapse and a financial system in crisis, the Administration took steps to prevent a recession. Now that the economy is showing signs of growth, the President is making sure we get the nation's finances in order by focusing on essentials and making tough decisions about our priorities. As the New York Times writes, "Mr. Obama's budget projects a slightly lower deficit of $1.3 trillion - about the level he inherited when he took office."
Budget Director Peter Orszag described the deficit reduction policy as "a three-legged stool" that includes a bipartisan fiscal commission to come up with a path to balance the budget, projections of renewed economic growth, and a mix of spending cuts and tax increases that would save an estimated $1.2 trillion.
Here are a few highlights from the 2011 Budget:
Job Growth:
-Providing access to credit for small businesses and entrepreneurs so these firms can grown and hire
-Opening markets abroad to American-made goods and services, creating new jobs for American workers
-Making investments in the infrastructure, science, technology, and research needed to nurture the industries and jobs of the future
-Building a clean energy economy that will create new jobs at good wages
Controlling Costs:
-Identifying more than $20 billion in savings by going line by line through the budget looking for programs that work and those that do not
-Saving $250 billion by putting in place a three-year freeze on non-security discretionary spending
-Cutting $678 billion by ending the Bush tax cuts for those making more than $250,000, making sure wealthy investment managers pay the same income tax rates as everyone else
-Collecting $90 billion by instituting a fee on the biggest banks so that American taxpayers are paid back for the extraordinary help they provided them this past year, and raising $40 billion by ending tax breaks for oil, gas and coal companies
Other Highlights:
-Making historic investments in our schools, including billions of dollars in financial aid to help more students go to college
-Establishing a bipartisan fiscal commission to look at the range of proposals and come up with a path for us to put the budget in balance excluding interest payments on the debt
-Restoring pay-as-you-go budgeting -- a rule that says Congress can't spend a dime without cutting a dime elsewhere, this is a critical step to restoring fiscal discipline in Washington
And as Budget Director Peter Orszag writes, reining in rising health care costs is an essential part of cutting the deficit. Orszag calls on Congress to deliver on health reform for the country's fiscal well-being:
"As I have said many times before and will again (since it's still true!), the key to our long-term fiscal future is fiscally-responsible health insurance reform. All our steps to rein in the deficit will be for naught if we do not reduce the rate of health care cost growth over time. The legislation passed by both the House and Senate will reduce the deficit over the next decade and put in place the key pieces that will help to bring down health care costs over time. Congress must now deliver on this promise of fiscally responsible health reform - the stakes are high, both for the millions of Americans who lack a stable source of health insurance coverage and for the fiscal well-being of the Nation itself."
To learn more about the 2011 Budget, check out Budget.gov.
At 1:45 p.m. Eastern this afternoon, President Obama will hold a live interview with YouTube -- where every question asked will be submitted by ordinary Americans.
Since YouTube began soliciting questions following last week's State of the Union address, more than 11,000 questions have been submitted, and more than 630,000 votes have been cast on which questions the President should be asked. You can watch the live interview today on the White House website or on YouTube's CitizenTube.
Steve Grove, YouTube Head of News and Politics, writes:
"Neither the President nor his staff will know which questions will asked ahead of time. But what's clear from looking at the submissions is that they represent a broad cross-section of topics and concerns. When people are asked to weigh in on what matters most to them in an open forum, the result is a fascinating and informative look at the pulse of the country. It's this kind of transparency and direct access to information that we believe represents the promise of platforms like YouTube to improve our politics."
You can preview some of the thousands of questions submitted for the President here.
From Mitch Stewart:
Yesterday, the President stood in front of a gathering of House Republicans and took questions for more than an hour, urging them to put aside partisanship and work together for the good of the country. MSNBC described it as going straight into "the lion's den." He was inspiring. We've highlighted some of the key moments and trust me, it's worth checking out. Once you do, please pass this along to everyone you know. This is the sort of honest dialogue and political courage that we all need to move our country forward. Let's do it together, Mitch Mitch Stewart Director Organizing for America P.S. -- There's our own Q&A session for OFA supporters with President Obama coming up on Thursday, February 4th. Click here to submit a question now.
Yesterday, the President stood in front of a gathering of House Republicans and took questions for more than an hour, urging them to put aside partisanship and work together for the good of the country. MSNBC described it as going straight into "the lion's den." He was inspiring. We've highlighted some of the key moments and trust me, it's worth checking out.
Once you do, please pass this along to everyone you know. This is the sort of honest dialogue and political courage that we all need to move our country forward. Let's do it together, Mitch Mitch Stewart Director Organizing for America P.S. -- There's our own Q&A session for OFA supporters with President Obama coming up on Thursday, February 4th. Click here to submit a question now.
