Sunday, January 30, 2011

Align CenterWATCH:
President Obama on the
Situation in Egypt



President Barack Obama discusses the situation in Egypt with Vice President Joe Biden and the national security team during the Presidential Daily Briefing in the Oval Office, Jan. 28, 2011. Attending the briefing, clockwise from the President are: National Security Advisor Tom Donilon; Chief of Staff Bill Daley; Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communication Ben Rhodes; Tony Blinken, National Security Advisor to the Vice President; Deputy National Security Advisor Denis McDonough; John Brennan, Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism; and Robert Cardillo, Deputy Director of National Intelligence for Intelligence Integration. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)


WATCH:





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Wednesday, January 26, 2011

IT'S OFFICIAL !


(B4B) The Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission has declared that the economic collapse was the fault of the Bush Regime and the greedy banksters.....NOT President Obama....NOT overspending of (ignorantly) so-called 'entitlement programs'...therefore slashing of much needed social program funding (like Social Security, Medicare, etc.) is NOT the answer....ending corrupt banksters' dealings once and for all...IS. So anytime someone blames America's state of the economy on President Obama, hit them with Truth. Knowledge is Power !

Article from Reuters:
(By Dave Clarke)

The financial crisis could have been avoided and was the result of poor decision making both in Washington and at top financial firms that fostered a culture of excessive risk taking, according to a draft report written by Democrats on a panel that investigated the meltdown and obtained by Reuters.

The Democratic majority of the 10-member Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission spreads the blame widely to regulators, politicians, financial firms and credit rating agencies.

"We conclude this financial crisis was avoidable," the report said.
It said regulators failed to adequately police financial markets, that financial firms had poor risk management and corporate governance practices, and that government was ill-prepared to handle the fallout from excessive borrowing when loans soured.

"The crisis was the result of human action and inaction, not Mother Nature or computer models gone haywire," the draft report reads. "The captains of finance and the public stewards of our financial system ignored warnings and failed to question, understand, and manage evolving risks within a system essential to the well-being of the American public."

The report will be officially released on Thursday but it has been endorsed only by the congressionally appointed panel's six Democratic commissioners. Three Republican members will release a separate minority report and a fourth Republican plans to unveil a report of his own that will focus on government housing policies.

Reuters obtained a draft of the final report that was circulated in December before it was fully edited and sent to the printer. On Tuesday the New York Times first reported the contents of the majority's report on its website.


Tucker Warren, a spokesman for the panel, did not respond to a phone call or email seeking comment.

Among regulators the report singles out former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan and his successor Ben Bernanke. The report faults Greenspan and his allies for pushing the idea that financial institutions could "police themselves."

Bernanke and former Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson were criticized for not seeing the problems in the subprime mortgage markets earlier.

Clinton administration officials were rebuked for pushing to shield over-the-counter derivatives from regulation.

As for the corporate chieftains at the large financial firms that were either toppled or brought to their knees by the crisis, the panel says its examination found "stunning instances of governance breakdowns and irresponsibility."

Among those singled out are American International Group, mortgage giant Fannie Mae and Merrill Lynch.

The report faults investment banks Bear Stearns, Goldman Sachs, Lehman Brothers, Merrill Lynch and Morgan Stanley for "operating with extraordinarily thin capital" in 2007.
"Less than a 3 percent drop in asset values could wipe out a firm," according to the report.
(read rest of article)

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

State of the Union Address

President Obama calls on America
to unite to " win the future "


By Holly Bailey

Seeking to rally the nation to a new era of creative greatness, President Obama in his State of the Union address called on Americans to put aside partisan differences and unite around a common goal of global competitiveness.

"This is our generation's Sputnik moment," Obama said, likening the U.S.'s current economic situation to the days when the Soviets beat America into space in the 1950s. He called for new investments in education, medical research and technology in hopes of spurring a similar wave of U.S. innovation that the nation experienced in its space race with the Soviets.

"To win the future, we'll need to take on challenges that have been decades in the making," Obama said, adding "the world…and the rules have changed."

The address, Obama's first before the newly divided Congress, aimed to rise above the increasingly raw political fighting that marked his first two years in office. On Tuesday, Obama clearly sought to turn the page with a more centrist and conciliatory tone toward Republicans. Among other things, he embraced policies long championed by the GOP, including a ban on earmarks, a freeze in discretionary spending and additional corporate tax cuts.

The mood in the room was notably less divisive than in years past, as lawmakers, rather than sitting with fellow party members, sat with colleagues from across the aisle.

At the top of the speech, Obama reminded the audience of the recent tragedy in Tucson, pointing out a seat left empty in the chamber to mark the absence of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who was shot at a political event earlier this month.

"Amid all the noise and passions and rancor of our public debate, Tucson reminded us that no matter who we are or where we come from, each of us is a part of something greater--something more consequential than party or political preference," Obama declared.

Echoing a theme he ran on in 2008 and has revived repeatedly since his party took a "shellacking" in last year's midterm elections, Obama said the nation's future is more important than the rough and tumble

of politics.

"At stake right now is not who wins the next election รข€” after all, we just had an election," Obama said. "At stake is whether new jobs and industries take root in this country, or somewhere else. It's whether the hard work and industry of our people is rewarded. It's whether we sustain the leadership that has made America not just a place on a map, but a light to the world."

The speech, an unofficial kickoff to Obama's 2012 re-election, did not break dramatic new ground. The president had previously championed many of the proposals outlined in the speech—including efforts to curb spending, the earmarks ban and additional investments in high-speed rail and internet.

Indeed, Obama seemed to stay away from potentially contentious topics, including gun control—which some Democrats had hoped he would bring up in the wake of the Arizona tragedy.

The president acknowledged that the growing costs of Social Security and Medicare represent one of the biggest financial challenges the nation faces as it seeks to narrow the deficit. But Obama proposed no specific steps on how to fix the problem.

On immigration, another hot-button topic, Obama talked generally about his desire to work with both parties to "protect our borders." "I know that debate will be difficult and take time. But tonight, let's agree to make that effort," Obama said, as members of both parties applauded. "Let's stop expelling talented, responsible young people who can staff our research labs, start new businesses and further enrich this nation."

Obama made just passing mention to the political war over his health care bill, which House Republicans voted to repeal last week. Joking that he'd heard "rumors" that some lawmakers had "some concerns" about the bill, Obama said he'd be willing to discuss improvements--but he also warned he would veto attempts to derail the full bill. "Instead of re-fighting the battles of the last two years, let's fix what needs fixing and move on," Obama said.

The president spoke only briefly about the ongoing military efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan, saying the United States was successfully pushing back on al-Qaeda and was on track to begin removing troops from Afghanistan in July.

In another proposal sure to please Republicans, Obama also said the time is ripe for all colleges and universities to offer ROTC programs in the wake of the repeal of the "don't ask, don't tell" ban on gays serving openly in the military.

Throughout his remarks, Obama sought to present an optimistic, upbeat view of the nation, acknowledging the country's recent challenges but insisting the nation has began to pull itself out of economic recession and toward better days—even amid near record-unemployment numbers across the nation.

"We are poised for progress," Obama said. But, he added later in the speech, "We should have no illusions about the work ahead of us…All of it will take time. And it will be harder because we argue about everything."

Still, Obama added, it's that debate that makes America "strong." (read rest of article)

Another fine job Mr. President

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Excerpts from President Obama's

State of the Union Address


Here are excerpts of President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address, scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. ET:

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 25, 2011
Excerpts from President Obama’s State of the Union Address
As Prepared for Delivery

With their votes, the American people determined that governing will now be a shared responsibility between parties. New laws will only pass with support from Democrats and Republicans. We will move forward together, or not at all – for the challenges we face are bigger than party, and bigger than politics.

At stake right now is not who wins the next election – after all, we just had an election. At stake is whether new jobs and industries take root in this country, or somewhere else. It’s whether the hard work and industry of our people is rewarded. It’s whether we sustain the leadership that has made America not just a place on a map, but a light to the world. We are poised for progress. Two years after the worst recession most of us have ever known, the stock market has come roaring back. Corporate profits are up. The economy is growing again.

But we have never measured progress by these yardsticks alone. We measure progress by the success of our people. By the jobs they can find and the quality of life those jobs offer. By the prospects of a small business owner who dreams of turning a good idea into a thriving enterprise. By the opportunities for a better life that we pass on to our children. That’s the project the American people want us to work on. Together.


Half a century ago, when the Soviets beat us into space with the launch of a satellite called Sputnik¸ we had no idea how we’d beat them to the moon. The science wasn’t there yet. NASA didn’t even exist.

But after investing in better research and education, we didn’t just surpass the Soviets; we unleashed a wave of innovation that created new industries and millions of new jobs.

This is our generation’s Sputnik moment.

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Saturday, January 22, 2011

WATCH:
President's Weekly Address

" We Can Out-Compete
Any Other Nation "

President Obama discusses the steps he is taking to make America competitive in the short and long terms, and why he chose GE CEO Jeff Immelt to head up the new Council on Jobs and Competitiveness.



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Friday, January 21, 2011


Sasha Obama Practices Her Chinese

On China's President

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Talk about a high level language exchange.

President Barack Obama's nine-year-old daughter, Sasha, wanted to test her developing Chinese skills this week while Hu Jintao was in town.

Just whom did she want to practice them with?

The Chinese president himself, according to a White House official who recounted the story on Thursday after a formal state dinner the previous night.

"The president pointed out last night at the state dinner that his daughter, Sasha, is a very young girl but her class is studying Chinese," Ben Rhodes, a White House deputy national security adviser, told a video conference with Chinese bloggers.

"She's under 10 years old and they're studying Chinese, and she wanted to have the chance to practice her Chinese with President Hu."

Sasha attended Hu's welcoming ceremony on the White House lawn on Wednesday morning with friends and could be seen waving a Chinese flag excitedly as her father and Hu walked around the grounds.

The two presidents paused to visit when they reached the nine-year-old and her friends behind the rope line.

"Not every (child) has the opportunity to try out their first phrases of Chinese with the president of China, but she had that chance," Rhodes said.

He said the anecdote illustrated Americans' desire to get to know China better with more people studying the country and doing business there.

(Reporting by Jeff Mason; Editing by Vicki Allen)

So Proud of Our 1st Daughters !

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Wednesday, January 19, 2011

B4B Photos of the Week


President and 1st Lady host state dinner
for Chinese President Hu Jintao

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This stunt simply exemplifies how anti-American and PATHETIC the GOP
actually is. What kind of people would have a GOAL..an AGENDA..to see millions of Americans be forced to struggle
without life-sustaining access to quality health care.
Just PATHETIC !

House repeals healthcare law



By Russell Berman
THE HILL

The House voted on Wednesday to repeal the sweeping healthcare law enacted last year, as Republicans made good on a central campaign pledge and laid down the first major policy marker of their new majority.

The party-line vote was 245-189, as three Democrats joined all 242 Republicans in supporting repeal. Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) said the healthcare law on the books would increase spending, raise taxes and eliminate jobs.

“Repeal means paving the way for better solutions that will lower the costs without destroying jobs or bankrupting our government," Boehner said in remarks on the floor before the vote.

“Let’s stop payment on this check before it can destroy more jobs or put us into a deeper hole.”

The vote to roll back the president’s signature domestic achievement of the 111th Congress just 10 months after its passage underscores the deep divisions that still surround the new law. But whether House action will signal the beginning of a rapid dismantling of the healthcare overhaul or serve merely as a historical footnote remains to be seen.

Democratic leaders in the Senate have vowed to shelve the repeal bill, and President Obama has said he would veto repeal if it ever reached his desk.

With those threats in mind, GOP leaders dared the Senate to take up the measure, and they promised to fight the healthcare law in other ways if repeal failed.

“The American people deserve to see a vote in the Senate, and it ought not to be a place where legislation goes into a dead end,” House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) said.

Cantor noted that Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) had said the debate over repeal of healthcare would be a “political win” for Democrats.

“If so, let’s see the votes,” Cantor said.

Absent action in the Senate, Republicans defended their move to hold a repeal vote as upholding a key tenet of the “Pledge to America” unveiled during the midterm election campaign.

“Today we are keeping that pledge, and it is a start,” GOP Whip Kevin McCarthy (Calif.) said.

If repeal were ultimately unsuccessful, Cantor has said, Republicans would “do everything we can to delay and defund the provisions of the bill.”

The seven hours of floor debate on repeal served as something of an extension of the nearly yearlong debate that preceded the law’s initial passage, as lawmakers argued over the merits of a measure that has yet to be implemented fully. Republicans said scrapping the law would allow Congress to start over on healthcare, while Democrats said repeal would increase costs and remove access to healthcare for millions of needy Americans.

The three Democrats who voted for repeal were Reps. Dan Boren (Okla.), Mike McIntyre (N.C.), and Mike Ross (Ark.), all of whom opposed the law last year. Seven other Democrats who opposed the original law also opposed its repeal. Only the hospitalized Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) missed the vote.

No amendments were allowed on the bill, and Republicans fought back a Democratic motion that would have required a majority of members of both the House and Senate to forgo federal health benefits for repeal to take effect. The motion was aimed at highlighting what Democrats argue is the hypocrisy of Republican members opposing expanded health insurance for ordinary Americans while they accept the benefits themselves.

The second-ranking House Democrat, Rep. Steny Hoyer (Md.), was one of only five Democrats to oppose his party on the motion.

The Obama administration and congressional Democrats mounted a full-throated campaign to defend the healthcare law, using the repeal effort to increase support for a measure that, overall, never gained popularity with the public.

Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), who as Speaker shepherded the reform law to passage last year, staged a hearing on Tuesday featuring testimony from citizens who said they’d be negatively affected by repeal. (Read rest of article)

Monday, January 17, 2011

Happy MLK Day !

**********
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
to
Our Lovely Fir
st Day !


CLICK HERE
For 1st Lady:
Fashion Photo Gallery


Turns 47 today Monday, Jan. 17.
SO Proud of Our 1st Lady !

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Sunday, January 16, 2011


THANK YOU ! Just a B4B note to thank all of The Warriors who have worked tirelessly, some for years now, for The Future of America. As you all know, although much has been accomplished, some even historic...there is yet Much Work Ahead. We are to always remember, as we've shown repeatedly....People Power though Unity....WORKS !
Thanks Again...Stay FIRED UP !

Saturday, January 15, 2011

WATCH:
President Obama's Weekly Address

"Before We are Democrats or Republicans,

We are Americans"

As Congress returns to work, the President calls on them -- and all of us -- to debate our differences vigorously but to live up to the spirit of common cause we felt following the tragedy in Arizona.




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Thursday, January 13, 2011

WATCH:
President Obama Consoles Nation
at Arizona Memorial

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Our Prayers go out to all of the victims and their Families

President Calls for Moment of Silence

President Obama is asking Americans to observe a moment of silence at 11 a.m. Monday in recognition of those who were killed in the Tucson, Ariz., shooting. "It will be a time for us to come together as a nation in prayer or reflection, keeping the victims and their families closely at heart," President Obama said in a statement.
##########


B4B Q.O.D: Should Beck, Palin & Limbaugh be held accountable for their hate-filled, fertilization of violence, Call To (harmful) Action, dangerous rhetoric ? It is of my opinion that Now Is The Time to DEMAND, in mass, for Media Reform which will make it illegal for anyone to spew violence generating rhetoric via any forms of the media, particularly by way of the airwaves which are the property of We The People. (Greg Jones)

ACTION TIME !

Friday, January 7, 2011

READ:

The President's Official Response to the GOP's (sic)

Attempt to Repeal Health Care Reform




EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20503

January 6, 2011

(House Rules)

STATEMENT OF ADMINISTRATION POLICY

H. R. 2 – Repealing the Affordable Care Act

(Rep. Cantor, R–VA, and 162 cosponsors)

The Administration strongly opposes House passage of H.R. 2 because it would explode the deficit, raise costs for the American people and businesses, deny an estimated 32 million people health insurance, and take us back to the days when insurers could deny, limit or drop coverage for any American.

In a preliminary analysis of H.R. 2, the Congressional Budget Office found that repealing the law would increase the deficit by $230 billion in the first decade and roughly one-half of one percent of GDP, or over a trillion dollars, in the second decade; increase the number of uninsured Americans by 32 million; impose higher premiums on large firms; and cause consumers who buy coverage in the individual market to pay more out of pocket for fewer benefits. Medicare’s insolvency would be accelerated by repeal – the Medicare actuaries previously stated that the Affordable Care Act extended solvency by 12 years. Repealing the Affordable Care Act would not only increase deficits in the coming decade, but would also significantly worsen the long-term fiscal burdens on American businesses and families.

When the Affordable Care Act provisions are fully in effect, insurance companies will no longer be able to discriminate against any American with a preexisting condition, charge women higher rates, or charge drastically higher premiums for older Americans. H.R. 2 would eliminate the important patient protections, coverage expansions, affordability provisions, and fiscal savings in the Affordable Care Act. If the President were presented with H.R. 2, he would veto it.

* * * * * * *
B4B NOTE: Anticipate this ignorant bill to pass in the House with their strong majority thanks to Dems not voting in November.Then, for the next 2 years the Pubs (with constant corporate media assistance) will try to use this passing to energize support claiming ' help us regain the Senate and Presidency in 2012 too and we'll complete the repeal !'. Where some are claiming this tactic to be 'a waste of time'....it is, in fact, a well orchestrated strategy/plot.

BE PREPARED FOR THE
BATTLE(S) AHEAD !


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Wednesday, January 5, 2011


THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

_______________________________________________________________

For Immediate Release January 5, 2011

Statement by the President on the Departure of Press Secretary Robert Gibbs

“For the last six years, Robert has been a close friend, one of my closest advisers and an effective advocate from the podium for what this administration has been doing to move America forward. I think it’s natural for him to want to step back, reflect and retool. That brings up some challenges and opportunities for the White House – but it doesn’t change the important role that Robert will continue to play on our team.”

###


NEW SESSION BEGINS

The 112th session of Congress gavels in at noon today. In the House of Representatives (which controls America's purse strings) there will be 242 Republicans to 193 Democrats. In the Senate will be 51 Democrats (some of whom are still Blue Dogs and may side with the Pubs)-47 Republicans and 2 Independents. As he has stated from the start The President can NOT do it all on his own....He will need OUR help. So GET READY WARRIORS ! There's MUCH Work Ahead !
Yes We CAN !

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Monday, January 3, 2011


Be Inspired...Be Informed...
Be INVOLVED !!!

And Warriors...
Be Ready for a Busy Year Ahead !

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Sunday, January 2, 2011


WARNING:
Rough Year (2011) Ahead !

Greg Jones
Blacks4Barack
National Director

BE PREPARED ! 2011 is expected to be a very trying year packed with massive lies and corporate media manipulation; frivolous witch hunts directed toward The President; state and local governments in dire straits due to anticipated blocking of much needed federal aid by the GOP leading to massive layoffs; continuous attempts to de-energize Dem support by popular Lefty, so-called Progressive (should be called Re-gressive) media; strategically orchestrated GOP attacks against union agreements and pension plans with the goal being their 'dissolvement'; continuous attempts to diminish and label as mediocre all accomplishments of The President; constant use of the midterm election results to create false claims of what 'Americans want'; increased attacks/attempts to dismantle health care reform through lawsuits and defunding-stripping the basic right to access life-sustaining quality health care; blame for America's economic and unemployment situation continuously being placed on The President aided by corporate media with no mention/reminder that the collapse actually occurred during the Bush regime; redistricting to omit powerful Dem seats; and MORE....will all occur...
if we are not in Unity to
Be Inspired...Be Informed...
BE INVOLVED !!!


GET FIRED UP...
America Needs YOU !


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Saturday, January 1, 2011


WATCH:
The President's New Year Message


WATCH:
Align Center

Wishing a joy-filled, productive, safe and prosperous
HAPPY NEW YEAR of 2011 to ALL ! VERY SPECIAL THANKS to all The Warriors who worked diligently throughout the past year proving that People Power through UNITY ....WORKS ! Rest up...Get Fired Up and energized....as you know...there's STILL Much Work Ahead ! Together......Yes We WILL (again and again).


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