Wednesday, February 24, 2010


MUST WATCH:

This Is GREAT ! Don't upset Rep. Anthony Weiner. Watch: They make him change his health care statement...and he does alright ! Luv at the end when he says ' deal with it !' and slams the mic down.





The Time Is NOW...
TO FIGHT

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Tuesday, February 23, 2010

President Obama has invited the Republicans to have their HCR Plan posted on The White House website for all to see prior to the bi-partisan HC Summit this Thursday.
Only one problem !


Will the Republicans Post Their Health Plan… and When?

The President believes strongly that Thursday’s bipartisan meeting on health insurance reform will be most productive if both sides come to the table with a unified plan to start discussion – and if the public has the opportunity to inspect those proposals up close before the meeting happens.

That’s why yesterday the White House posted online the President’s proposal for bridging the differences between the Senate- and House-passed health insurance reform bills. The proposal puts American families and small business owners in control of their own health care. It makes insurance more affordable by providing the largest middle-class tax cuts for health care in history, it ends discrimination based on pre-existing conditions, holds insurance companies accountable, and reduces our deficit by $100 billion over the next 10 years.

But you don’t have to take our word for it: the proposal is posted right here at WhiteHouse.gov for everyone to examine. You can read through the plan’s bipartisan ideas section by section, or you can select your health care status and find out what the proposal would mean for you. You can even submit a question for our policy staff to answer.

What you can’t do just yet is read about the Republicans’ consensus plan – because so far they haven’t announced what proposal they’ll be bringing to the table. To be sure, there are many Republicans who share the President’s conviction that we need to act on reform, and there are several pieces of Republican health care legislation out there. Previously we were told this was the House Republican bill. Is it still? We look forward to hearing whether this the proposal they'll bring. The Senate Republicans have yet to post any kind of plan, so we continue to await word from them. As of right now, the American people still don’t know which one Congressional Republicans support and which one they want to present to the public on Thursday.

President Obama has been clear that his proposal isn’t the final say on legislation, and that’s what Thursday’s meeting is all about. But after a year of historic national dialogue about reform, it’s time for both sides to be clear about what their plan is to lower costs, hold insurance companies accountable, make health insurance affordable for those without it, and reduce the deficit. A collection of piecemeal and sometimes conflicting ideas won’t do.

As we said today, we’ll be happy to post the Republican plan on our website once they indicate to us which one we should post. We hope they won’t pass up this opportunity to make their case to the American people.

Dan Pfeiffer is White House Communications Director

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Monday, February 22, 2010


NEWSFLASH:

President Obama will be posting his new

Health Care Reform Plan
(to be passed through Reconciliation)

on the White House website TODAY...
Monday morning 10:00 am (est)

Visit: WHITE HOUSE Site after 10am

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Saturday, February 20, 2010


WATCH:
President Obama's Weekly Address

President Says The Time Is NOW
To Move on Health Care Reform


" Next week is our chance to finally reform our health insurance system so it works for families and small businesses. It’s our chance to finally give Americans the peace of mind of knowing that they’ll be able to have affordable coverage when they need it most. "(President Obama)
P.S. NEVER count him down or out.

WATCH: Weekly Address




HCR with Public Option Through RECONCILIATION !

Get Geared Up Warriors...
Yes We WILL !



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Friday, February 19, 2010


JUST IN: BREAKTHROUGH !

Harry Reid To Push For

Public Option Through

RECONCILIATION

Sam Stein (HuffPo)

Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) announced on Friday afternoon that he would work with other Democrats and the White House to pass a public option through reconciliation if that's the legislative path the party chooses.

"Senator Reid has always and continues to support the public option as a way to drive down costs and create competition," said Reid aide Rodell Mollineau in a statement provided to the Huffington Post. "That is why he included the measure in his original health care proposal. If a decision is made to use reconciliation to advance health care, Senator Reid will work with the White House, the House, and members of his caucus in an effort to craft a public option that can overcome procedural obstacles and secure enough votes."

This represents a major breakthrough for those Senators and activists who are pushing to get a public option considered via an up or down vote.

Reid has always been a proponent of the provision. But he has deflected questions about using reconciliation to get it into law citing a potential lack of votes needed for passage.

His promise to work with others to include it in reconciliation hardly means the public option is a done deal. The House, in all likelihood, will still have to vote on the Senate's health care bill with the promises of changes to come via reconciliation. Whether that obstacle can be overcome isn't entirely clear. Nor is it certain that the 51 votes are there to get the public option passed using reconciliation or, for that matter, what that public option will look like.

B4B NOTE: Don't know when they're going to learn that you can NEVER count President Obama down or out. Since the launch of his historic campaign in February of 2007, he has been one step ahead of the obstructionists, haters, anti-Americans, racists, media, attackers, liars and more. The time is NOW for ALL to stand firm in full support-working in Unity for the Recovery of America.

There's Much Work Ahead !

Visit B4B Site

NEWSFLASH:

President Obama Rewriting Health Care Bill

To Pass Through RECONCILIATION !

New HC Bill To Be Posted on Internet As Soon as Early Next Week


NEW YORK TIMES

WASHINGTON — President Obama will put forward comprehensive health care legislation intended to bridge differences between Senate and House Democrats ahead of a summit meeting with Republicans next week, senior administration officials and Congressional aides said Thursday. Democratic officials said the president’s proposal was being written so that it could be attached to a budget bill as a way of averting a Republican filibuster in the Senate. The procedure, known as budget reconciliation, would let Democrats advance the bill with a simple majority rather than a 60-vote supermajority.

Congressional Democrats, however, have not yet seen the proposal or signed on.

The House and the Senate each adopted a version of sweeping health care legislation late last year. But efforts to combine the measures stalled after a Republican, Scott Brown, won a special Senate election in Massachusetts on Jan. 19, effectively stripping the Democrats of the 60th vote they needed to overcome Republican filibusters.

“It will be a reconciliation bill,” one Democratic aide said. “If Republicans don’t come with any substantial offers, this is what we would do.”

Officials said that the White House would post the president’s plan on the Internet by Monday morning. But even as Mr. Obama tries to unite his party behind a single plan, it is unclear that Democrats can muster the needed votes in the House and the Senate given the tense political climate of a midterm election year.

During a conference call on Wednesday night, the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, told the White House chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, and the Senate majority leader, Harry Reid, that she could not agree to a proposal until rank-and-file lawmakers returned from a weeklong recess. A House Democratic caucus meeting is set for Monday evening.

And a senior Senate Democratic aide expressed doubts.

“It has been three weeks since the Massachusetts election, and we have not received a path forward from the White House on health care substance and process that can clear the House and Senate,” the aide said.

Democratic officials said the president’s proposal, like the House and Senate bills, would insure more than 30 million Americans by 2019, at a cost of about $900 billion.

Kathleen Sebelius, the secretary of health and human services, said the president would “take some of the best ideas” from the House and the Senate and “put them into a framework.”

“There will be one proposal,” Ms. Sebelius said.

The president’s plan would require most Americans to obtain health insurance or face financial penalties; it would bar insurers from denying coverage based on pre-existing medical conditions, and it would give tax subsidies to help moderate-income people buy private insurance.

Officials said the president’s bill was expected to include a version of the Senate’s proposed tax on high-cost, employer-sponsored insurance policies. It would reflect a deal reached with labor union leaders to limit the impact of the tax on workers.

More recently, some labor officials have expressed dissatisfaction with that deal, and many House Democrats remain opposed to the excise tax.

Democrats said it was still unclear how the president would deal with other disagreements, including the issue of insurance coverage for abortions.

Abortion remains “a wild card,” said a Democrat on Capitol Hill.

In laying out his vision for next week’s meeting, Mr. Obama has said that he will present a unified Democratic proposal and invite Republicans to offer alternatives. But Republicans have warned Democrats not to finalize their plan, which they said reflected an effort to predetermine the outcome of the meeting.

Congressional Republicans have not said they will attend the summit. House Republicans on Thursday repeated their demand that Democrats discard the existing proposals and start over.

“We have this event to discuss areas of agreement, and then what?” asked Michael Steel, a spokesman for the Republican leader, Representative John A. Boehner of Ohio. “How will they incorporate our ideas? Will they abandon their plans to jam through their latest backroom deal? Or is this just an infomercial for the same government takeover of health care that the American people have rejected again and again?”

Mr. Obama has rejected the calls to start over, but aides have said that he is open to adopting Republican ideas.

In recent days, White House officials have consulted with Ms. Pelosi and Mr. Reid, but have not reviewed Mr. Obama’s plan with other Democratic lawmakers.

“There has not been a collaborative process,” said a Congressional Democrat with decades of health care experience. “We have not been consulted. This is very much a White House proposal.”

President Obama: ' I Don't Quit ! '

B4B NOTE: The push for Health Care Reform is alive and well despite President Obama's nearly yearlong attempt at bi-partisanship. But due to the Party of No, The President is using his Plan B, Reconciliation; (which we here at B4B had been pushing for for many months) a plan he ALWAYS knew he could use if and when necessary. Also, there is a new push for the Public Option in the Senate. CLICK HERE to read HuffPo article Public Option Support Surging In Senate. The time is NOW to Unite and FIGHT for Health Care For ALL !

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Wednesday, February 17, 2010


WATCH:
President Obama Discusses
STIMULUS BILL: One Year Later


While the media wants to do this review (which they should have reviewed Bush like this...would have saved a lot of LIVES and money) we should all be THANKFUL that President Obama took the necessary steps to HALT the TOTAL collapse of America caused by The Bush Regime. Thanks Mr. President. Below is President Obama as he discusses the multiple successes of stimulus bill. And ANYONE who speaks negatively about this absolute 'rescue' is simply aiding the hate brigade. p.s. Ask yourselves...how would America be today if McPalin had won ?

WATCH:

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


There's Much Work Ahead...
Together, We WILL Make The Difference !

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Tuesday, February 16, 2010


FACT CHECK:

Media Hiding Truth That MORE Republicans
NOT Seeking Re-election Than Dems !

With the recent announcement by Senator Evan Bayh of Indiana that he will retire we are being bombarded by the liberal media (yea right) of how this spells disaster for The President because now the Republicans are ' sure bets ' to take control over the Senate and the House since the Dems are dropping like flies. Only one problem. THAT IS A LIE ! The FACT is more Republicans are retiring or not seeking re-election this November than Democrats. Including Bayh, there are 5 Dem senators who will not seek re-election. They are Chris Dodd (Conn.), Byron Dorgan (N. Dak.), and the appointees which include Kaufman who replaced V.P. Biden (Del) and Burris who replaced President Obama (Ill.). Then there are 12 Democrat congresspersons who have declared not seeking re-election.

On the Republican side there are 6 (that's more than 5) Republican senators not seeking re-election and 18 congresspersons. Uhhhh....HELLO MEDIA....do the math ! It is absolutely manipulative and conniving on the media's part to constantly imply that the Dems are 'jumping ship' when the fact is more Repubs have 'jumped ship' than Dems. But we NEVER hear that fact. Simply PATHETIC ! Here's the Republican list.
Retiring Republican Senators (6):

George LeMieux of Florida

Sam Brownback of Kansas

Jim Bunning of Kentucky

Kit Bond of Missouri

Judd Gregg of New Hampshire

George Voinovich of Ohio

Retiring Republican Representatives (18):

Arkansas's 3rd congressional district: John Boozman
Arizona's 3rd congressional district: John Shadegg
California's 19th congressional district: George Radanovich
Delaware's At-large congressional district: Michael Castle
Florida's 12th congressional district: Adam Putnam
Florida's 21st congressional district: Lincoln Diaz-Balart
Georgia's 9th congressional district: Nathan Deal
Indiana's 4th congressional district: Steve Buyer
Illinois's 10th congressional district: Mark Kirk
Kansas's 1st congressional district: Jerry Moran
Kansas's 4th congressional district: Todd Tiahrt
Michigan's 2nd congressional district: Peter Hoekstra
Michigan's 3rd congressional district: Vern Ehlers
Missouri's 7th congressional district: Roy Blunt
Oklahoma's 5th congressional district: Mary Fallin
South Carolina's 1st congressional district: Henry E. Brown, Jr.
South Carolina's 3rd congressional district: J. Gresham Barrett
Tennessee's 3rd congressional district: Zach Wamp

Share The Facts...Dispel The Media LIES !
(again !)

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Saturday, February 13, 2010

WATCH:
Hot Off The Press !

We Are The World 25 for Haiti-2010


Recorded on February 1st, 2010, in the same studio as the original 25 years earlier (Henson Recording Studios, formerly A&M Recording Studios) "We Are The World 25 For Haiti", in which Jones and Richie serve as executive producers and producers, was cre
ated in collaboration with executive producers Wyclef Jean, Randy Phillips and Peter Tortorici; producers Humberto Gattica and RedOne; and co-producers Rickey Minor, Mervyn Warren and Patti Austin to benefit the Haitian earthquake relief efforts and the rebuilding of Haiti.

Academy Award-winning writer-director Paul Haggis (Crash, Million Dollar Baby), whose own personal efforts as well as those of Artists for Peace and Justice have already saved countless lives in Haiti, filmed the private recording session to create the accompanying video and behind-the-scenes production, and serves as Film Director and as an Executive Producer with Jones, Richie, Jean, Phillips and Tortorici.

The 25th Anniversary recording features over 80 artists and performers. The recording of We Are The World 25 For Haiti embodied the same enthusiasm, sense of purpose and generosity as the original recording 25 years ago. Every one of the artists who participated, regardless of genre or generation, walked into the room with their hearts and souls completely open to coming together to help the people of Haiti.

Watch: New !
We Are The World
To Benefit Haiti 2010





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Thursday, February 11, 2010


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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Tuesday, February 9, 2010


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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Sunday, February 7, 2010

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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Saturday, February 6, 2010

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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Wednesday, February 3, 2010

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.


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



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Monday, February 1, 2010

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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Sunday, January 31, 2010

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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Friday, January 29, 2010

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

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


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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To visit B4B Site if video did not appear through email server

It's A NEW, New Day !
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Thursday, January 28, 2010

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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Wednesday, January 27, 2010

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

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