Tag Archives: Economy

March 17, 2013 · 5:44 AM

West Wing Week 3-15-2013: “We Don’t Have a Moment to Waste”

The White House

International Courage Awards: Last Friday, the First Lady joined Secretary of State John Kerry at the State Department for the International Women of Courage Awards—where nine different women were honored. The event was a celebration of the strength and sacrifice of individuals who have worked tirelessly for the advancement of women’s rights for all.

Trade Export Council: On Tuesday, President Obama touched base with business and government leaders at a meeting of the President’s Export Council.

“The good news is we are well on our way to meeting a very ambitious goal that we set several years ago to double U.S. exports,” said the President. “And what we know is, is that a lot of the growth, a lot of the new jobs that we’ve seen during the course of this recovery, have been export-driven.”

To maintain and ignite growth, President Obama discussed finishing new trade deals with Europe and the Asia-Pacific. The Administration signed legislation in 2011 supporting free trade agreements with Korea, Colombia, and Panama which has kept America competitive in foreign trade, while creating jobs for Americans.

Sultan of Brunei: On Tuesday, President Obama welcomed His Majesty the Sultan of Brunei to the Oval Office for a bilateral meeting to share their desire for “a strong, peaceful, prosperous Asia-Pacific region.”

Brunei, a small country in the South China Sea, will be holding the ASEAN East Asia Summit meeting in October. The visit is a symbol of the President’s goal of working towards a peaceful and prosperous presence in the Asia-Pacific region.

#AskFLOTUS : On Monday, in celebration of Let’s Move’s third anniversary the First Ladyparticipated in a question and answer session through Twitter. The First Lady tweeted responses to questions such as how much exercise our kids need a day and her favorite healthy winter recipe. For the record, a minimum of 60 minutes a day is required and the First Lady’s favorite winter dish is turkey and veggie chili. Head over to Pinterest for MyPlate Recipes which haves hundreds of tasty recipes for a healthy diet.

Check out the Q & A on Storify and follow @FLOTUS and @LetsMove for the latest updates.

“Being Biden”: On Thursday, Vice President Biden introduced a new audio series called “Being Biden” to give Americans an opportunity to connect with the White House through the lens of Vice President Biden. In the series, the Vice President will discuss special photos and share why the moments matter to him. Check out the first installment atwhitehouse.gov/beingbiden.

Subscribe and receive an email update when new stories are posted, sign up here.

Ask Him Anything: On Wednesday, Gene Sperling, the Director of the National Economic Council and Assistant to President Obama for Economic Policy, fielded questions on the President’s plan to reduce the deficit. Through Reddit’s “Ask Me Anything” forum, Sperling answered economic policy questions from users, and even joked about the West Wing, a TV series on which he once worked.

You can read through the Q & A on Reddit here.

Hire Vets: On Wednesday, the First Lady addressed the Business Roundtable, an association of chief executive officers, and challenged them to hire our veterans and military spouses. Through Joining Forces, the First Lady and Dr. Jill Biden have made it a priority to support them:

“We’ve got to hold ourselves to the same standards of service and patriotism as they’ve held themselves,” said the First Lady. “And we’ve got to join forces so that we can truly serve our veterans and military families as well as they have served us.”

 

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January 14, 2012 · 12:04 AM

West Wing Week: 01/13/12 or “Insourcing: Bringing Jobs Back to America”

The White House

This week, the President visited the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, welcomed this year’s NBA Champs—the Dallas Mavericks—addressed the EPA, announced a new Chief of Staff, and introduced the White House’s Insourcing Initiative.

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December 4, 2011 · 12:05 AM

West Wing Week 12/2/11 or “Bo Meets Bo”

The White House

This week, as the President urged Republicans to join a Democratic effort to prevent a thousand dollar tax increase on the typical American family, the White House got spruced up for the holidays.

The President also hosted the EU Summit, the Dutch Prime Minister, and announced a new commitment to fighting AIDS in America and around the world. He also lit the National Christmas Tree. That’s November 25th to December 1st, or “Bo Meets Bo.”

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November 14, 2011 · 3:18 PM

Dear GOP – F#@K You!

Love it!  This song can apply to so many different political situations….

Veracity Stew

Warning: Contains explicit lyrics because we’re pissed! 
After promising to concentrate on jobs, jobs and jobs, the Republicans instead have concentrated on their culture war bills and further attacks on the working class by siding with their wealthy masters. For their treasonous acts, we send this love letter to all Teapublicans.

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November 4, 2011 · 12:05 AM

Mitt Romney Explains His Inconsistency as Being ‘Human’

Addicting Info

Macy’s store mannequin and Republican frontrunner (just don’t tell Republicans that), Mitt Romney,  is notorious for taking a position, tergiversating on that position, and then choosing a new position on which to tergiversate to reflect the latest poll or Republican talking point de jour.

As Governor of a liberal blue-state, Mitt Romney was pro-choice (or multiple choice as Ted Kennedy once derided during a debate). He was also one of the lone moderate Republicans to actually heed the advice of celebrated climatologists (instead of the janitor at Exxon) regarding climate change, only to repudiate his belief in man-made activities contributing to climate change. And, most notorious, Romney has devoted most of his time on the stump –and debates– meticulously renouncing his mandate health plan he created in Massachusetts, which served as a template for Obama’sAffordable Care Act.

Regarding his abrupt change in philosophy, Romney said “‘What works in one state may not be the answer for another.”  It looks like the Gordon Gekko candidate is more like Gordon Chameleon, carefully changing and saying anything and everything that teabagger republicans want to hear in order to get elected. The Obama relection campaign has publicly cited plans to devote a portion of its campaign strategy on this very phenomenon.

Realizing his flip-flopping is an Achilles heel, Romney finally addressed this problem earlier today.

When pressed by a New Hampshire editorial board about his  famous vacillations on kep political issues over the last decade, Romney  this to say:

 ”I’ve been as consistent as human beings can be.”

Are you serious, Mittens? That’s the type of verbal gymnastics and philosophical expostulating one would expect from former president Bill Clinton when confronted with the meaning of blow jobs.

Romney has formally said that “corporations are people,” and since humans are prone to err, is he saying that he is about as consistent as a corporation. Or, is he making a commentary on human beings’ inability to be consistent.

I don’t think Lao Zsu himself could wax philosophical on the intrinsic meaning behind Romney’s justification for lying and changing his position on everything under the sun, including the sun. Then again, Romney can pretty  much say anything with the pizza perv receiving so much media scrutiny over his past sexual shenanigans.

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July 18, 2011 · 6:46 PM

Is Goldman Sachs predicting Obama’s defeat?

It sure looks like Goldman Sachs, The Chamber of Commerce, the Koch Brothers and the GOP are making a strong effort to make sure Obama is not re-elected in 2012, thus furthering their own agenda of more corporate tax cuts as well as many states turning to private companies to run schools, prisons, municipalities, etc.

The Week                                                                      

Goldman Sachs, which just six months ago forecast a stronger-than-expected recovery, hasdowngraded its prediction, saying economic growth will slow to a snail-like 1.5 percent in the second quarter of 2011, and 2.5 percent in the third. The investment banking firm also crystal-balled that unemployment will still hover near 9 percent at the end of 2012, and that the U.S. is running a real risk of slipping into another recession. With voters increasingly focused on the economy, is Goldman essentially predicting disaster for President Obama and his fellow Democrats in next year’s election?

Yes. If this prediction comes true, Obama is doomed: ”Alarms bells must be ringing all over Obamaland,” says James Pethokoukis atReuters. The Obama administration, in an “astoundingly optimistic forecast,” promised that the economy would be “off to the races” this year, thanks to its $800 billion stimulus. Now, as per Goldman, we’re looking at unemployment on Election Day 2012 that’s about where it is now. Slashing tax rates and scrapping regulation “may be the only way Obama can win another term,” but don’t hold your breath.
“Panic at the White House? Gloomy Goldman Sachs sees high unemployment, possible recession”

And Republicans would rather blame Obama than help: ”If you have an ounce of actual humanity, you see this as an unmitigated catastrophe,” says David Dayen at Firedoglake. But Republicans, who can “use a crappy economy to take down a president,” are cheering. Instead of pushing policies to put people back to work, the GOP is defying all economic theory and pushing Obama to focus on cutting spending to close the deficit — a move that will only pull money out of the economy and worsen matters for everyone except the GOP’s presidential candidates.
“Goldman Sachs: Jobs crisis will continue for foreseeable future”

This is nothing for the GOP to celebrate: History confirms that a poor economy is likely to hurt any president, says Nate Silver at The New York Times. But it also shows that Obama’s “situation is by no means completely hopeless.” If he can pass along the blame to the legislative branch, as Harry Truman did in 1948, he can hang on, and even help Democrats pick up seats in Congress. Perhaps it’s House Republicans who should be panicking.
“A bad economy can hurt House Republicans”

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July 7, 2011 · 10:25 AM

Obama’s Twitter Town Hall On Jobs Crashed By House Republicans

House Republicans were childish and classless in their feeble attempt to embarrass the President…

Huffington Post

Posted: 7-6-2011 -  Updated: 7-7-2011

House Republicans are crashing President Barack Obama’s Twitter Town Hallon Wednesday by flooding the event with questions of their own about what they’re calling his “failed” economic policies.

Hours ahead of Obama’s first-ever Twitter event, during which he will answer questions from people around the country on jobs and the economy, House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) launched a live stream feed of GOP questions for the president.

“With 9.1% unemployment & ‘shovel ready’ jobs a bust, will you admit the ‘stimulus’ was a mistake? http://bit.ly/oTK17f #askobama,” Boehner tweeted.

Several high-level House Republicans piled their questions into the feed throughout the morning and will continue to do so throughout Obama’s event, which starts at 2 p.m EST. The White House has been publicizing the event for more than a week and telling people to reference “#askobama” when pitching their Twitter questions to the president. Republicans are now pouncing on that hashtag.

“Reducing spending, creating jobs and reinvigorating our economy are what #HouseGOP are focused on, what about the administration? #askobama,” tweeted Ways and Means Chairman Dave Camp (R-Mich.).

“#AskObama Senate hasn’t passed a budget in 798 days. House passed plan 2 lift debt&spur job creation–what is your jobs plan?” Budget Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) tweeted.

Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) joined in, writing, “#AskObama: how are your job-crushing #regulations helping #smallbiz owners like Neil? VIDEO: http://bit.ly/kSU6UI #4jobs.”

The House GOP Conference is recruiting others in the Twittersphere to ask Obama tough questions about jobs and to retweet messages that reflect their frustrations with his policies.

“Want to #AskObama about his failed economic policies, #stimulus and what he’s doing #4jobs? We do too! Help us here: gop.gov/uY3e0lf9,” the GOP Conference tweeted.

Republicans are also using the event to direct Twitter followers to their own GOP jobs plan, at jobs.GOP.gov.

“We’re excited the President is taking questions on jobs and the economy,” Boehner spokesman Brendan Buck told The Huffington Post. “He’s got a lot of questions to answer — starting with, ‘Where are the jobs?’” 

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June 25, 2011 · 8:48 PM

West Wing Week 06/23/11 or “The Receding Tide”

The White House

Welcome to the West Wing Week, your guide to everything that’s happening at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

This week, President Obama addressed the nation on his plan to withdraw American troops from Afghanistan, delivering on a promise he made to the American people in December of 2009. 

He also traveled to Fort Drum in New York to meet with soldiers and their families, welcomed young elected officials to the White House, and talked to mayors from across the country about job creation and economic growth.

Find out more about the topics covered in this edition of West Wing Week:

Friday, June 17th:

Saturday, June 18th:

Sunday, June 19th:

Wednesday, June 22nd:

Thursday, June 23rd:

Thanks for checking out your West Wing Week.

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June 24, 2011 · 12:05 AM

Republicans pushing the Ryan tax cuts for billionaires are pushing for the destruction of the USA

“…pushing for the destruction of USA.” 

No surprise there.  I wrote a post on June 12th regarding an article that appeared in Winning Progressive about ALEC, American Legislative Exchange Council which literally writes bills for state legislators on behalf of ALEC’s clients which are big corporations. 

These corporations do not want a democracy.  They want an oligarchy or better yet a plutocracy.  The fact of the matter is that based on very similar legislation that is popping up around the country, thanks to ALEC writing state  legislation on behalf of their corporate clients, democracy as we know it appears to be fading fast, mainly because of the money and power that big corporations wield.  All in the name of free market principles, less government, less regulations, individual liberties and federalism.

The Conservative Lie

The Congressional Budget Office reported Wednesday that the nation probably will owe outside creditors more than the size of the entire economy in 10 years.

The forecast — a public debt equal to 101% of the economy in 2021, and rising to 187% by 2035 unless dramatic changes are made — should be a warning to President Obama, Congress and Vice President Biden’s band of bipartisan negotiators meeting daily to devise just a short-term fix.

By comparison, last year’s long-term budget outlook from CBO forecast a public debt equal to 87% of the economy by 2020. The difference — 14% — would be about $2 trillion based on today’s economy, even more as it grows.
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/theoval/post/20…

Republicans spurred on by their anti American wing, the Tea Party Terrorists want to raise taxes on those on lower income brackets, wipe out benefits and services and effectively scrap social security all to cut taxes for the very richest 0.1% to 25%. This would be one of the lowest top rate taxes in the World.

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June 4, 2011 · 9:21 AM

West Wing Week: “One Step at a Time”

The White House

This week, President Obama traveled to Joplin, Missouri in the wake of historic and deadly tornadoes to see the devastation first hand. The President finished his week-long trip to Europe in Poland and visited Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day.

Find out more about the topics covered in this edition of West Wing Week:

Friday, May 27, 2011

Sunday, May 29, 2011

Monday, May 30, 2011

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

 

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