Palin Unqualified to Be President,

Says Vast Majority of Americans

B4B NOTE:

We normally don't believe in polls but for some reason....

We Like This One !

HuffPo

The spotlight has been bright, not necessarily kind to former Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin.

According to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll, 71% of Americans do not feel that Palin is qualified to be President. That includes a sharp drop in Republican support, where 45% believe she is qualified compared to 66% who thought she was last fall.

Overall, 37% have a favorable view while 55% have an unfavorable view of the former Alaska Governor.

Palin has been able to count on support from the Tea Party, but the Washington Post indicates that the movement itself has split favorability and is poorly understood:

Nearly two-thirds of those polled say they know just some, very little or nothing about what the tea party movement stands for. About one in eight says they know "a great deal" about the positions of tea party groups, but the lack of information does not erase the appeal: About 45 percent of all Americans say they agree at least somewhat with tea partiers on issues, including majorities of Republicans and independents.

The movement's supporters were identified as, "overwhelmingly white, mostly conservative and generally disapproving of Obama."

If Palin intends to become a key player in Washington, she would share something in common with those already there. The poll also shows that two out of every three Americans are "dissatisfied" or "angry" at the federal government. That's the worst result for Washington in nearly 14 years.

In another revealing question, the poll found that taxpayers estimate 53% of their money is "wasted."

B4B NOTE: This also exemplifies that a vast majority of Americans are MUCH smarter than the media give us credit for which is why their constant desire to push the 'Paris Hilton of Politics' is absolutely sickening and actually an insult to the intelligence of The People.

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First Lady Calls for United Effort to
Fight Childhood Obesity

THE WHITE HOUSE

"It’s done, honey," President Obama said to The First Lady earlier today as he signed a Presidential Memorandum establishing a task force on childhood obesity to address the growing health epidemic. "Now we work," she responded.

The new task force is charged with developing an interagency action plan to solve the problem of obesity among our Nation's children as part of the First Lady’s Let’s Move campaign. The campaign will take a comprehensive approach to engage both public and private sectors to help children become more active and eat healthier within a generation, so that children born today will reach adulthood at a healthy weight.

Within 90 days, the task force will develop and submit to the President a comprehensive interagency plan that details a coordinated strategy, identifies key benchmarks, and outlines an action plan. The President applauded all those involved:

I am so proud of the work that the First Lady, along with the Cabinet Secretaries behind me, has done in trying to tackle one of the most urgent health issues that we face in this country, and that is the increase of childhood obesity. And because of the outstanding planning that they've done, they are going to be rolling out a terrific plan of action that involves the private sector as well as government agencies coordinating much more effectively a lot of public information out there to help parents make good decisions about allowing their children to be active and eating healthier.

Members of the task force include: the Secretary of the Interior; the Secretary of Agriculture; Secretary of Health and Human Services; Secretary of Education; Director of the Office of Management and Budget; Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff to the First Lady; Assistant to the President for Economic Policy; and heads of other executive departments, agencies, or offices as the Chair may designate.

Speaking at an event later, the First Lady explained what motivated her to take this on: "These words – 'overweight' and 'obese' – they don’t tell the full story. This isn’t just about inches and pounds or how our kids look. It’s about how our kids feel, and how they feel about themselves. It’s about the impact we’re seeing on every aspect of their lives."

You'll find lots more information, such as the introductory video below, at LetsMove.gov.

WATCH: First Lady Michelle Obama

We Are SO PROUD of Our First Lady !

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Sarah Caught CHEATING !

Closer inspection of a photo of Sarah Palin, during a speech in which she mocked President Obama for his use of a teleprompter, reveals several notes written on her left hand. The words "Energy", "Tax" and "Lift American Spirits" are clearly visible.

WATCH:
Sarah Reads from her 'Alaskan Palm Pilot '

B4B NOTE: No my friends this is not a joke. This is not only true, but if the media continues to even SLIGHTLY insinuate that Sarah Palin has the qualities to become President of Our Country, they will prove themselves to actually be AGAINST the Future of America. p.s. I've never seen someone have to cross words off their hand before cheating. And they have the nerve to complain about The President using a teleprompter while she's using a tele-PALM-ter. Ha !

And where's our great media....they should be all over this. PATHETIC !

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ACTION TIME !

We need 75 people to send this (or a similar) message TODAY
to The Meet The Press Show:

Dear MTP: THIS should be a headline on Meet The Press tomorrow:

President Obama YESTERDAY at DNC Winter Meeting:
" Let Me Be Clear. I am NOT going to walk away from Health Care Reform.
I am NOT going to walk away from The... American People "

Click to send message:http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6872152/

RELATED ARTICLE:

President's Address at DNC Winter Meeting

Thank You Warriors !

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B4B
Photo of the Week !


A Particularly Beautiful Snow -- The White House is pictured in the morning after a night of snow, February 3, 2010.
(Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

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WATCH:
President Obama Discusses Budget

A Short History of Deficit Reductions

Peter R. Orszag, Director

It’s been a day since the 2011 Budget was released, and analysts and journalists have written about what it means for individual agencies, specific issues, and states. But let’s not lose sight of the big picture. The President’s Budget represents an important step towards fiscal sustainability: it put forward $1.2 trillion in deficit reduction over the next ten years, even excluding savings from the assumed ramp-down in war funding over time. Including these war savings, the deficit reduction proposed in the President’s Budget rises to $2.1 trillion.

How does this compare with recent efforts at deficit reduction? As a share of the economy, this represents more deficit reduction than proposed in a President’s budget in over a decade. In fact, the previous Administration never submitted a budget that reduced the deficit, and this is the most deficit reduction in a budget as a share of the economy since President Clinton’s budget for 1997.

Let’s be clear: even with the substantial—and historic—deficit reduction proposed in this year’s Budget, we will still face unsustainable medium- and long-term deficits. And the Administration knows that more will need to be done to restore the nation to a fiscally sustainable path.

That’s why the President has called for the creation of a bipartisan Fiscal Commission to identify policies to improve the fiscal situation in the medium term and to achieve fiscal sustainability over the long run. The only way to solve the remainder of our fiscal challenge is to solve it together, in a bipartisan fashion, and that’s what the Fiscal Commission will help to achieve. And over the long term, it’s imperative that we pass fiscally responsible health insurance reform that reduces the rate of health care cost growth over time.

All in all, this Budget spurs jobs creation, invests for future economic growth, and to support both goals over time, takes important steps toward fiscal sustainability.

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On This First Day of
BLACK HISTORY MONTH
We Salute

PRESIDENT
BARACK OBAMA

and thank everyone of all walks of life for working in Unity for America....The Beautiful.

Ray Charles says it best...watch/listen:

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WATCH:
President Obama Commentates
At Duke-Georgetown Basketball Game

President Obama attended today's college basketball matchup between No. 7 Georgetown and No. 8 Duke. Among his companions were Joe Biden, David Axelrod, Robert Gibbs and Reggie Love.

The president also offered commentary during part of the CBS broadcast of the game. He said that he typically does not have time to watch entire college basketball games, but stays up to date by watching SportsCenter. He'll make an exception for the Final Four and watch all of the games.


The home team prevailed, as Georgetown beat Duke, 89-77. Scroll down for video and photos. Love when The President is asked the basketball question "...does he go to his right ".

WATCH:
President Commentates Game

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WATCH: Incredible !

GOP Invites President to GOP
Meeting-aka Lion's Den.
President Surprisingly Attends.
President LITERALLY SCHOOLS GOP !!!

From WHITE HOUSE: Today the President did something unusual in American politics – initiated an open dialogue with members of the opposite party. Visiting the House Republican retreat, he took questions on anything they wanted to talk about. He heard them out, acknowledged where they were right, and gave a genuine explanation where he felt they were wrong.

MUST SEE !
COMPLETE HISTORIC
GOP Q&A SPANKING

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B4B NOTE: This was an incredible first ! NEVER before in modern day history has a President gone to the opposing party's 'den' for the purpose of addressing and discussing the issues of America (and getting them straight) on national TV. I get the feeling that the GOP did not expect The President to accept their invitation...and he gave them such a dissecting that I'm SURE they're sorry he came ! Sorry, but while watching this LIVE !, I couldn't help picturing Bush trying to do something like this. (or coming across half as intelligently)

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It's A NEW, New Day !
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B4B Photo of the Week !


President Barack Obama kisses First Lady Michelle Obama in a holding room at the Capitol after delivering his first State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress, Jan. 27, 2010.
(Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

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WATCH BELOW
State of the Nation Speech:

President Obama NAILS IT...Again !

READ HIGHLIGHTS

In his State of the Union Address, the President laid out an agenda attempting to attack one problem from every conceivable angle: the terrible squeeze felt by America’s middle class. Fundamentally, that means prying government away from special interests and dedicating it to measures that put Americans to work and lay the foundation for a stronger economy for our country – lowering health care and tuition costs, spurring creation of the next generation of clean energy jobs. It also means putting a cop on the beat on Wall Street, so major banks can no longer take advantage of families and taxpayers.

To do all that, though, we need to change the way Washington works. Already the President has taken unprecedented steps in this direction, from releasing the names of all visitors to the White House for the first time ever to clamping down on the revolving door between government and lobbying. But as much progress was made on this front in this first year, it was still only the first year, and the President will keep pushing forward, whether that’s shining sunlight on any contact between lobbyists and the White House, or pushing Congress to disclose all earmark requests in one place for Americans to see.

This was the vision that shaped the President's address, but this is not just a matter of rhetoric. The President made clear that there is tremendously busy agenda ahead for his second year – the policies and proposals below are just examples of the plans the President laid out in his address to put government to work for the middle class.

Here are a few initiatives you might have missed in the course of the speech:

• The President called on the Senate to pass a financial reform package. “A strong, healthy financial market makes it possible for businesses to access credit and create new jobs. It channels the savings of families into investments that raise incomes. And that can only happen if we guard against the same recklessness that nearly brought down our entire economy.” Essential reforms include measures to protect consumers and investors from financial abuse; close loopholes, raise standards, and create accountability for supervision of major financial firms; restrict the size and scope of financial institutions to reign in excesses and protect taxpayers and address the ‘too big to fail’ problem; and establish comprehensive supervision of financial markets.
• A vision for a clean energy economy. “…to create more of these clean energy jobs, we need more production, more efficiency, and more incentives.” We will build on the historic $80 billion investment made through the Recovery Act. The President’s vision includes investments in important technologies to diversity our energy sources and reduce our dependence on foreign oil, including: the renewal of our nation’s nuclear energy industry after a 30-year hiatus, cutting edge biofuel and clean coal technologies, and additional offshore oil and gas drilling. To fully transition to a clean energy economy and create millions of new American jobs, we must pass comprehensive energy and climate legislation to promote energy independence and address climate change.
• The President will continue his push to invest in the skills and education of our people. “This year, we have broken through the stalemate between left and right by launching a national competition to improve our schools. The idea here is simple: instead of rewarding failure, we only reward success. In this country, the success of our children cannot depend more on where they live than their potential.” The Obama Administration supports a new vision for increasing student achievement, delivering opportunity, and supporting excellence in America’s public schools. The President’s 2011 budget supports a new framework for the Elementary and Secondary Education Act that will foster innovation, reward excellence, and promote reform in our schools, as well as invests an additional $1.35 billion to continue the historic Race to the Top program to open it up to districts in order to spur innovation and additional progress. At the same time, the Administration is moving to consolidate ineffective policies and practices. The President’s Budget eliminates six programs and consolidates 38 others into 11 new programs that emphasize using competition to allocate funds, giving communities more choices around activities, and using rigorous evidence to fund what works.
• The President is committed to making college affordable for all Americans. “(I)n this economy, a high school diploma no longer guarantees a good job.” To increase college access and completion, the Administration will make student loans more affordable by limiting a borrower’s payments to 10 percent of his/her income and forgives remaining debt after 20 years – 10 years for public service works. We will also make permanent the American Opportunity Tax Credit. The President urges the Senate to pass the American Graduation Initiative, which invests more than $10 billion over the next decade in reforming our nation’s community colleges, promoting college completion, and moving toward the President’s goal of having the highest proportion of college graduates in the world by 2020. The President is also asking colleges and universities to do their share to make college affordable for all Americans cutting their own costs.
• The President is making investments to ensure that the middle class benefits from this economic recovery. “(T)he price of college tuition is just one of the burdens facing middle-class families. That’s why last year I asked Vice President Biden to chair a task force on Middle Class Families.” The President has outlined immediate steps to reduce the strain on family budgets and help middle class families manage their child and elder care responsibilities, save for retirement and pay for college. He will double the child tax credit this year, make it easier to save for retirement with automatic IRAs for workers without access to existing retirement plans, provide larger tax credits to match retirement savings for millions of additional workers, and provide new safeguards to protect retirement savings.
• Changing the way we do business. “To close that credibility gap, we must take action on both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue to end the outsized influence of lobbyists; to do our work more openly; and to give our people the government they deserve.” The President has called for additional new lobbyist reforms, including enhanced disclosure of lobbyist contacts, strict campaign contribution limits by lobbyists, and a single earmark database, so American taxpayers find out what earmarks are being requested, and where their money is going.
• Countering Citizens United. “I don’t think American elections should be bankrolled by America’s most powerful interests, or worse, by foreign entities.” Last week’s Supreme Court Citizen’s United decision opens the floodgates to special interests and foreign countries and companies bankrolling national campaigns. The President called for bipartisan support for legislation that will remedy the Supreme Court’s unprecedented and troubling decision.
• The President stands by military families. “Tonight, all of our men and women in uniform … must know that they have our respect, our gratitude, and our full support.” The President’s 2011 budget announces significant new investments, totaling more than $8 billion, and protections for our nation’s military families, including increased military pay and housing allowances, increased funding for family support programs, expanded availability of affordable, high-quality child care, the renovation or replacement of schools, and expanded and improved care for wounded, ill and injured service members.
• The President is establishing a National Equal Pay Enforcement Task Force. “We are going to crack down on violations of equal pay laws – so that women get equal pay for an equal day’s work.” To make sure we uphold our nation’s core commitment to equality of opportunity, the Obama Administration is implementing an Equal Pay initiative to improve compliance, public education, and enforcement of equal pay laws. The Task Force will ensure that the agencies with responsibility for equal pay enforcement are coordinating efforts and limiting potential gaps in enforcement. The Administration also continues to support the Paycheck Fairness Act, and is increasing funding for the agencies enforcing equal pay laws and other key civil rights statutes.
• Immigration reform. “And we should continue the work of fixing our broken immigration system – to secure our borders , enforce our laws so that everyone who plays by the rules can contribute to our economy and enrich our nation.” The President is pleased Congress is taking steps forward on immigration reform that includes effective border security measures with a path for legalization for those who are willing to pay taxes and abide by the law. He is committed to confronting this problem in practical, effective ways, using the current tools at our disposal while we work with Congress to enact comprehensive reform.

And here are still more initiatives the President spoke to:

• The President will fight to recover the money American taxpayers spent to bailout the banks. “To recover the rest, I have proposed a fee on the biggest banks. I know Wall Street isn’t keen on this idea, but if these firms can afford to hand out big bonuses again, they can afford a modest fee to pay back the taxpayers who rescued them in their time of need.” The President has proposed the Financial Crisis Responsibility Fee, which will require the largest and most highly leveraged Wall Street firms to pay back taxpayers and provide a deterrent against excessive leverage for the largest firms. The conservative estimate for the cost of TARP in the budget is $117 billion, but the Treasury Department expects it to be much less and the fee will be in place for a minimum of ten years or however long it takes to recoup every last penny to the American taxpayer.
• The President recognizes that Small Businesses will be key to our nation’s economic recovery. “I’m proposing that we take $30 billion of the money Wall Street banks have repaid and use it to help community banks give small businesses the credit they need to stay afloat. I am also proposing a new small business tax credit – one that will go to over one million small businesses who hire new workers or raise wages.” To get small businesses growing again, and growing our economy, the President has proposed a range of provisions that include tax incentives to spur investment; expanded access to capital and growth opportunities to create jobs; and increased support for entrepreneurship to foster innovation. He is proposing an employment tax credit for small businesses to encourage hiring, eliminating capital gains taxes on small business investments, extending enhanced small business expensing, and transferring $30 billion in resources from TARP to a new program to help community and smaller banks give small businesses the credit they need. The President and members of his Administration will announce additional details in the coming weeks.
• The President reiterates his support for continued investment in our nation’s infrastructure. “Tomorrow, I’ll visit Tampa, Florida, where workers will soon break ground on a new high-speed rail road funded by the Recovery Act. There are projects like that all across this country that will create jobs and help our nation move goods, services, and information.” Through the Recovery Act, we made the largest investment in our nation’s infrastructure since President Eisenhower called for the creation of our national highway system over half a century ago. In his speech, the President announced funding to make a down-payment on a new nationwide high-speed rail system being built in-part with ARRA dollars.
• Tax breaks to keep jobs at home. “(I)t’s time to finally slash the tax breaks for companies that ship our jobs overseas and give those tax breaks to companies that create jobs in the United States of America.” The President has called for an end for tax breaks for companies that ship our jobs overseas to help fund tax cuts – like making the R & E credit permanent – that reward companies for investing and creating jobs in the United States.
• The President also called on the Senate to pass a jobs bill that he can sign.“The House has passed a jobs bill…. As the first order of business this year, I urge the Senate to do the same. People are out of work. They are hurting. They need our help. And I want a jobs bill on my desk without delay.” The bold and difficult steps the President took to stabilize the financial system have reduced the cost of TARP by more than $200 billion, providing additional resources for job creation and for deficit reduction. In December, the President outlined a package of targeted measures to help further stimulate private sector hiring, including measures to facilitate small business growth, green jobs and infrastructure. The House has passed strong legislation - it is time for the Senate to do the same.
• We must invest in American ingenuity and innovation. “We need to encourage American innovation.” The Obama Innovation Agenda will get us closer to the President’s long-term goal of increasing combined private and public R&D investment to three percent of GDP. The Obama 2011 budget will move us closer to restoring America to first in the world in college completion; and invest in the next generation of scientists so we will not lag behind countries like China in science and engineering graduates. More details will be announced in the coming weeks.
• We need to export more of our goods around the world. “We will double our exports over the next five years, an increase that will support two million new jobs in America.” To meet this goal, we’re launching a National Export Initiative that will help farmers and small businesses increase their exports and expand their markets. Details will be announced in the coming weeks, but the NEI includes the creation of the President’s Export Promotion Cabinet and an enhancement of funding for key export promotion programs. We will work to shape a Doha trade agreement that opens markets and will continue to work with key allies like South Korea, Panama, and Colombia on trade agreements that provide real benefits to our workers. The President and members of his Administration will announce additional details in the coming week.
• The President remains committed to helping Americans stay in their homes and help their homes retain their value. “… we’re working to lift the value of a family’s single largest investment – their home.” Last year, we took steps allowing millions of Americans to take out new loans and save an average of $1,500 per family on mortgage payments. This year, we will step up programs that encourage re-financing so that homeowners can move into more affordable and sustainable mortgages. In addition to the changes proposed last week to ensure sound risk management, the FHA is continuing to evaluate its mortgage insurance underwriting standards and its measures to help distressed and underwater borrowers through other FHA initiatives going forward. In order to ensure American families receive the same consideration American corporations do, the Obama Administration remains supportive of efforts to allow bankruptcy proceedings to renegotiate all debts, including home mortgages.
• As Americans are getting their budgets in order, the President is getting the nation’s financial house in order. “Like any cash-strapped family, we will work within a budget to invest in what we need and sacrifice what we don’t.” The President has announced the three year, non-security discretionary spending freeze, and also called for a bipartisan Fiscal Commissionto identify policies to improve the fiscal situation in the medium term and to achieve fiscal sustainability over the long run. The President and members of his Administration will announce additional details in the coming weeks.
• The President’s focus on national security includes rooting out terrorists where they hide. “Since the day I took office, we have renewed our focus on the terrorists who threaten our nation.” In the last year, hundreds of Al Qaeda’s fighters and affiliates have been captured or killed – far more than in 2008.
• The President’s commitment to Non-Proliferation results. “Even as we prosecute two wars, we are also confronting the greatest danger to the American people – the threat of nuclear weapons.” The United States and Russia are completing negotiations on the farthest-reaching arms control treaty in nearly twenty years. He will also host a Nuclear Security Summit in April, which will bring forty-four nations together behind a clear goal: to secure all loose nuclear materials around the world in four years, so that they never fall into the hands of terrorists.
• The President is launching a bioterror and pandemic threat initiative. “We are launching a new initiative that will give us the capacity to respond faster and more effectively to bio-terrorism or an infectious disease – a plan that will counter threats at home, and strengthen public health abroad.” The President called to action key U.S. Government leaders to re-design our medical countermeasure enterprise to protect Americans from bioterror or infectious health threats. We will pursue a business model that leverages market forces and reduces risk to attract pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry collaboration with the U.S. Government.
• The President announced that he will work this year to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” “I will work with Congress and the military to finally repeal the law that denies gay Americans the right to serve the country they love because of who they are.”

Mona Sutphen is Deputy Chief of Staff

WATCH COMPLETE SPEECH

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THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

_______________________________________________________________________________________

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 27, 2010

EXCERPTS OF THE PRESIDENT’S STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS

We face big and difficult challenges. And what the American people hope – what they deserve – is for all of us, Democrats and Republicans, to work through our differences; to overcome the numbing weight of our politics. For while the people who sent us here have different backgrounds and different stories and different beliefs, the anxieties they face are the same. The aspirations they hold are shared. A job that pays the bill. A chance to get ahead. Most of all, the ability to give their children a better life.

You know what else they share? They share a stubborn resilience in the face of adversity. After one of the most difficult years in our history, they remain busy building cars and teaching kids; starting businesses and going back to school. They are coaching little league and helping their neighbors. As one woman wrote to me, “We are strained but hopeful, struggling but encouraged.”

It is because of this spirit – this great decency and great strength – that I have never been more hopeful about America’s future than I am tonight. Despite our hardships, our union is strong. We do not give up. We do not quit. We don’t allow fear or division to break our spirit. In this new decade, it’s time the American people get a government that matches their decency; that embodies their strength. And tonight, I’d like to talk about how together, we can deliver on that promise.

…

By the time I’m finished speaking tonight, more Americans will have lost their health insurance. Millions will lose it this year. Our deficit will grow. Premiums will go up. Co-pays will go up. Patients will be denied the care they need. Small business owners will continue to drop coverage altogether. I will not walk away from these Americans. And neither should the people in this chamber.

…

Rather than fight the same tired battles that have dominated Washington for decades, it’s time for something new. Let’s try common sense. Let’s invest in our people without leaving them a mountain of debt. Let’s meet our responsibility to the people who sent us here.

To do that, we have to recognize that we face more than a deficit of dollars right now. We face a deficit of trust – deep and corrosive doubts about how Washington works that have been growing for years. To close that credibility gap we must take action on both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue to end the outsized influence of lobbyists; to do our work openly; and to give our people the government they deserve.

That’s what I came to Washington to do. That’s why – for the first time in history – my Administration posts our White House visitors online. And that’s why we’ve excluded lobbyists from policy-making jobs or seats on federal boards and commissions.

But we cannot stop there. It’s time to require lobbyists to disclose each contact they make on behalf of a client with my Administration or Congress. And it’s time to put strict limits on the contributions that lobbyists give to candidates for federal office. Last week, the Supreme Court reversed a century of law to open the floodgates for special interests – including foreign companies – to spend without limit in our elections. Well I don’t think American elections should be bankrolled by America’s most powerful interests, and worse, by foreign entities. They should be decided by the American people, and that’s why I’m urging Democrats and Republicans to pass a bill that helps to right this wrong.

I’m also calling on Congress to continue down the path of earmark reform. You have trimmed some of this spending and embraced some meaningful change. But restoring the public trust demands more. For example, some members of Congress post some earmark requests online. Tonight, I’m calling on Congress to publish all earmark requests on a single website before there’s a vote so that the American people can see how their money is being spent.

##

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B4B News SpotLight !

Teabagger 'Convention' Plans

on Verge of Collapse.
Baggers Upset that ticket price set at $549.
PLUS Also hate that Sarah Palin was paid $100,000 to attend.
They're falling apart ! I Love It !
Click to read

***

President Obama Rather Be Really Good One-Term President Than Mediocre Two-Term Pres

President Obama: "There's a tendency in Washington to think that our job description, of elected officials, is to get reelected. That's not our job description," Finally...a Servant of the People committed to DOING THE JOB...not just KEEPING the job ! Quite refreshing.
Click to read/Watch interview with ABC's Diane Sawyer

***


House and Senate Discussing Passing Health Care Through Reconciliation

We reported this yesterday on our Greg Jones Facebook page-looks like it is materializing: Reports are eeking out that the House will pass the Senate version of the health care reform bill AS IS under the agreement that the bill will be fine-tuned/tweeked after PASSAGE through Reconciliation-needing only 51 votes in the Senate to pass. To convince the House that the Senate will comply, 52 Senators have reportedly signed a pledge that they will vote yes for the Recon version.
Click to read

***

Fox News Hero,
Anti-ACORN, Fake Pimp Filmmaker

Arrested by FBI
Click to read

***
President To Urge Partial Spending Freeze'

This plan is designed to actually allow the President to boost spending in certain categories while 'freezing' or reducing spending in categories declared wasteful. Plan will save $250B over 10 years. We were part of a White House conference call with Chief Economist and Economic Policy Advisor to the Vice President Jared Bernstein Monday in which he discussed a number of programs to be initiated in the Feb. 1st budget which will be revealed in the State of the Union speech Wednesday...and they sound good. Now, watch the right-wing start complaining about how terrible it is that The President wants to CONTROL SPENDING !
Click to read

***
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President Recruits Former Campaign Manager
David Plouffe to Head White House ' Department of FIGHT '

David Plouffe To Democrats: Time to..
" FIGHT LIKE HELL...And Do What the American People
sent us to Washington to do ! "

From: OFA

In today's Washington Post, Obama for America campaign manager David Plouffe penned an op-ed in which he admits that the Democratic Party received a resounding "wake-up call" from the Massachusetts special election on Tuesday, but he argues that the way forward is to continue to fight, and to show American people that they are capable of doing the hard things that voters sent them to Washington to do.

[The 2010 midterms] will be a tough election for our party and for many Republican incumbents as well. Instead of fearing what may happen, let's prove that we have more than just the brains to govern -- that we have the guts to govern. Let's fight like hell, not because we want to preserve our status, but because we sincerely believe too many everyday Americans will continue to lose if Republicans and special interests win.

Plouffe also outlines a few key principles the Democrats can use to be successful in this November, the first of which is passing a meaningful health insurance reform package without delay. He also urges Democrats to focus on job creation, and to do a better job articulating the positive impact American Recovery and Reinvestment Act on the economy.

Finally, Plouffe urges Democratic candidates to "run great campaigns," citing many of the same core organizing principles that proved to be so effective during the Obama campaign:

Our campaigns can leave no stone unturned, from believing in the power of grass-roots volunteers and voter registration, to using technology and data innovatively, to raising money -- especially with big corporate interests now freed up to dump hundreds of millions of dollars to elect those who will do their bidding. Democratic candidates must do everything well. Each one must make sure that the first-time voters from 2008 living in your state or district -- more than 15 million nationwide -- are in their sights. Build a relationship with those voters, organize them and educate them. On Nov. 3, many races are sure to be decided by just a few thousand if not a few hundred votes. These voters can make the difference. We have to show them that their 2008 votes mattered, and passing health insurance reform is one way to start.

...If Democrats will show the country we can lead when it's hard, we may not have perfect election results, but November will be nothing like the nightmare that talking heads have forecast.

Read the full op-ed...

B4B NOTE: Despite right-wing/media spinning otherwise (actually bold face lies)...since day one President Obama has tried to keep a campaign promise to govern in a bi-partisan manner with what has been determined to be The Party of No. Many feel that The President tried for too long...but now...

It's A New Day...Again !

The Time Is NOW...

TO FIGHT !

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Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi Work Over Weekend

to Save HCR

Through RECONCILIATION !

By: Chris Frates

Politico

Struggling to salvage health reform, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi have begun considering a list of changes to the Senate bill in hopes of making it acceptable to liberal House members, according to sources familiar with the situation.

The changes could be included in separate legislation that, if passed, would pave the way for House approval of the Senate bill — a move that would preserve President Barack Obama's vision of a sweeping health reform plan.

But the move comes with political risk, because it would open Democrats up to charges that they pressed ahead with roughly the same health care bill that voters appeared to reject in the Massachusetts Senate race Tuesday. Republican Scott Brown won on a pledge to try to block Obama-style health reform.

The effort also puts Reid and Pelosi on the side of giving a sweeping reform bill one more try, instead of adopting a course being floated by some Democrats in Congress and at the White House of adopting a scaled-back bill including popular reform provisions.

The changes are being worked on this weekend with plans for Pelosi to present them to her caucus next week, according to sources familiar with the situation. But, sources stressed, neither Reid nor Pelosi know if this strategy can win the support of their members, but they are attempting it because it is the quickest path to passage.

Earlier this week, Pelosi said she did not have the votes to pass the Senate bill unchanged through the House. And Reid, who lost his 60-vote majority Tuesday, does not have the votes to make wholesale changes to legislation his chamber passed last month.

So, leaders are considering making limited changes that can be passed using a budget process called reconciliation, which only requires 51 votes in the Senate.

The changes being considered track closely with the agreements House and Senate leaders made in White House meetings last week, according to a source. They include the deal with labor unions to ease the tax on high-end insurance plans, additional Medicare cuts and taxes, the elimination of a special Medicaid funding deal for Nebraska and a move to help cover the gap in seniors' prescription-drug coverage. Pelosi is also working to change the Senate provision that sets up state insurance exchanges. The House prefers a single, national exchange.

Reid spokesman Jim Manley declined to comment on whether a list of changes was being drawn up.

"We have still not decided what we are going to do," Manley said. "We remain confident we will pass health reform this year. We are working with the White House and the House to identify our options for doing so. We anticipate further conversations with the administration, the House and our caucus."

Pelosi spokesman Nadeam Elshami said, "Discussions are ongoing, and options are being examined on the best way to move ahead on health insurance reform, but no final decisions have been made. It is premature to conclude anything except that staff is continuing to work on various options."

There is great uncertainty around both the politics and policy of the reconciliation strategy. Under the budget reconciliation process, the bill's changes would have to be germane to the budget, so there is a real question about how many of the proposed tweaks could be included.

Politically, Democrats, shell-shocked from Tuesday's election, may be wary of using procedural maneuvers to pass the bill in place before Brown's election, which cost Democrats their 60-seat majority.

Some Democrats have viewed the election results as a sign that their party should change direction and scale back its ambitions, not move ahead on the same course.

But progressive groups and leading labor unions are pushing their Democratic allies not to shy from the fight, but to push ahead with the bill that was just days from possible passage before Brown's election. These groups have rejected the idea of passing a scaled-back bill.

Also, a Democratic source defended reconciliation as a legitimate legislative tool used in the past by both Democrats and Republicans. For instance, President George W. Bush's 2003 tax cuts were passed with 51 votes.

Carrie Budoff Brown and Patrick O'Connor contributed to this report.

B4B NOTE: Great to hear that Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid are in meetings right now (this weekend) working on a Plan to pass HCR through RECONCILIATION (which we have been screaming for for months) ! Also encouraging to hear that Pelosi is pushing for a single, NATIONAL EXCHANGE (that's a strong Public Option !!!) Things to keep in mind: First of all...The "We Need 60-Votes" was ALWAYS A LIE !!!! Also, keep in mind that the insurance cartel wants/needs some kind of health care plan PASSED...they WANT THE MANDATE !!! Stocks had SERIOUS drop this past week. Now they'll be lobbying (bribing) FOR HCR to PASS ! WE MUST FIGHT and steer for a good, strong, affordable, accessible Plan. Get ready for a good, productive FIGHT !

Be Inspired...Be Informed...
Be Involved...BE STRONG !!!

51 Votes...Get It Done !

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WATCH:
President Obama's Weekly Address

President SLAMS Supreme Court Decision
Legalizing Corporate Take-Over of U.S. Politics

(Excerpt from Address) " This ruling opens the floodgates for an unlimited amount of special interest money into our democracy. It gives the special interest lobbyists new leverage to spend millions on advertising to persuade elected officials to vote their way – or to punish those who don’t. That means that any public servant who has the courage to stand up to the special interests and stand up for the American people can find himself or herself under assault come election time. Even foreign corporations may now get into the act.

I can’t think of anything more devastating to the public interest. The last thing we need to do is hand more influence to the lobbyists in Washington, or more power to the special interests to tip the outcome of elections.

All of us, regardless of party, should be worried that it will be that much harder to get fair, common-sense financial reforms, or close unwarranted tax loopholes that reward corporations from sheltering their income or shipping American jobs off-shore.

It will make it more difficult to pass commonsense laws to promote energy independence because even foreign entities would be allowed to mix in our elections.

It would give the health insurance industry even more leverage to fend off reforms that would protect patients.

We don’t need to give any more voice to the powerful interests that already drown out the voices of everyday Americans.

And we don’t intend to. When this ruling came down, I instructed my administration to get to work immediately with Members of Congress willing to fight for the American people to develop a forceful, bipartisan response to this decision. We have begun that work, and it will be a priority for us until we repair the damage that has been done.

A hundred years ago, one of the great Republican Presidents, Teddy Roosevelt, fought to limit special interest spending and influence over American political campaigns and warned of the impact of unbridled, corporate spending. His message rings as true as ever today, in this age of mass communications, when the decks are too often stacked against ordinary Americans. And as long as I’m your President, I’ll never stop fighting to make sure that the most powerful voice in Washington belongs to you."

WATCH WEEKLY ADDRESS:

B4B NOTE: If ever there was a time for ALL Americans, Democrats, Republicans and Independents to rise up in Unity to FIGHT for that which is right for Democracy,
THIS IS THE TIME !

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NEWSFLASH:

Supreme Court Removes Limits on

Corporate Campaign Spending !

PATHETIC ! Supreme Court just overturned a 100-year law by handing down a 5-4 decision to remove limits on corporate political spending. NOW a corporation can literally spend millions for ads either for or against a politician(s) starting with the 2010 midterm elections. The corporations have just LITERALLY taken control over our entire political system ! If we thought lobbying has been bad up until now...we haven't seen anything yet ! The Supreme Court has basically approved the buying of elections !

"Unlimited corporate spending on campaigns means that the government is up for sale to the highest bidder, and that the law itself will be bought and sold. It would be political bribery on the largest scale imaginable." -Rep. Alan Grayson

ABSOLUTELY

PATHETIC !!!

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B4B Special:
Historic Quote of the Week !

“If the Democrats run for cover, if we become pale carbon copies of the opposition, we will lose — and deserve to lose.
The last thing this country needs is two Republican parties.”
Teddy Kennedy, 1980

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