Obama arrives in London to attend the G20 Summit in his first international trip to Europe as President. During the first few days after becoming President, Obama traveled to Canada in a historical visit on two fronts. Canada has been traditionally been the first stop for the American President, and everywhere he goes, he becomes the first U.S.black president to travel to the country. President Obama will be abroad for a week.
On European trip, rock-star Obama faces skeptical allies
While he is popular, American policies are not. He will be hard-pressed to win concessions on his plans for the economy or Afghanistan.
Washington - The new American president's debut on the world stage, beginning Tuesday in London in advance of the Group of 20 meeting, is sure to have its share of "Hello!" magazine moments and glamour. He will, after all, meet with Queen Elizabeth II, an established member of the thin upper crust of global personalities and an international rock star in her own right.
But President Obama may be speaking sotto voce and out of the spotlight while in the company of presidents and prime ministers. That's because he is expected to articulate positions and prescriptions that are out of step with leaders from Western Europe, China, Russia, India, and beyond – on issues ranging from the global economic crisis to the war in Afghanistan.
Indeed, Mr. Obama may well find himself in the inverse position from where George W. Bush stood by the end of his White House run. Whereas Mr. Bush enjoyed greater cooperation and like-mindedness with many key foreign leaders, though he remained unpopular with the international public, Obama is expected to encounter an adoring public but a deep skepticism – even resistance – among heads of state.
"By the end of his second term, Bush was much closer to the European governments than he had been, but he was still strongly disapproved of by a lot of the general public," says Reginald Dale, an expert in transatlantic affairs at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) here. "Obama is adored by the general public but still has to prove himself to the governments."
How well Mr. Obama can parlay his personal popularity into convincing leadership is a key question hanging over his global coming-out party. With many leaders blaming the United States for planting the seeds of the first global recession since World War II, America's ability to continue as the world's unrivaled power, whether in economic or other matters, is likely to be an undercurrent of meetings with the G-20 leaders, NATO, and in bilateral meetings with his counterparts.
"There is a certain paradox or irony to this trip, in that Obama remains wildly popular in Europe and elsewhere, with Europeans still giddy about Bush's replacement by a president who is much closer to European preferences and sensibilities," says Charles Kupchan, an international-affairs expert at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). "Yet when it comes to the big issues to be treated on this trip ... Obama seems unlikely to preside over any meeting of the minds or to succeed with either his popularity or power in winning foreign leaders over to America's positions."
Obama is the first American president to preside over an international system that is dramatically different from the one stitched together after World War II and the cold war, when America unquestionably sat in the driver's seat, Mr. Kupchan adds. "Now the Chinese and the Russians, the Indians and Indonesians and Turks, are much more willing to flex their muscles and demand their fair share of decision making in global councils," he says.
Besides the highlight of meeting the British sovereign, an event Obama is said to be anticipating with excitement, the new president will attend several meetings during his eight days abroad:
•A Group of 20 summit in London Thursday, where leaders of the world's largest economies will address the global financial crisis.
•A weekend NATO summit in France likely to be dominated by the alliance's faltering effort in Afghanistan.
•A US-European Union summit in the Czech Republic. The leader of the EU last week called Obama's proposal for larger global economic stimulus packages "the way to hell."
•Two days of meetings and events in Turkey, including an international conference on reducing tensions between the Muslim and Western worlds.
•A raft of bilateral meetings with figures ranging from Russian President Dimitry Medvedev and China's Hu Jintao to the leaders of India and Saudi Arabia.
The White House recently signaled it has all but given up hope that the leaders Obama meets this week will make major commitments along the lines the US would like to see – either in terms of big spending packages for the economy or of additional troops or resources for Afghanistan. Instead, US officials are offering a scenario in which Obama leads by listening – a departure from his predecessor, they say – and by example.
"The president and America are going to listen in London, as well as to lead," said White House spokesman Robert Gibbs in a pre-trip briefing. "Many of the things that we've done over the past couple of weeks ... demonstrate that America is leading by example."
That shift has caught the attention of diplomatic analysts, some of whom say the new tack is likely to win praise, if not a change of heart on concrete steps, especially from European leaders.
"The [administration's] goal is, I sense, to provide a balance of providing a strong sense of leadership, but ... that, also, we have a president now who's listening," says Stephen Flanagan, a former senior director for Central and Eastern Europe at the National Security Council and now at CSIS. "That was one of the big laments, I think, about the previous administration – that they seemed to be more in broadcast mode all the time."
The era of diffused global power has been emerging for much of the past decade – but it was something the Bush White House tried to resist, says CFR's Kupchan. "The Bush administration should have been the one to grapple with a re-balancing of global power," he says, "but that agenda was put off by the events of 9/11."
Not only is Obama "playing catch-up," he says, but he must also confront "a certain backlash against the American economic model."
Some European officials say too much is being made of transatlantic differences over stimulus packages and troops to Afghanistan. They sense, rather, a growing cooperation on a wide range of international issues – global warming is often cited as Exhibit A – based on increasingly like-minded thinking.
Scoffing at predictions of dissonance on Obama's trip, Klaus Scharioth, Germany's ambassador to Washington, predicts: "You will see a new era of revitalized cooperation between America and Europe."
Bill to OK travel to Cuba to be unveiled
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A group of senators and other supporters will unveil a bill Tuesday to lift the 47-year-old travel ban to Cuba.
Proponents of lifting the ban have been trying for years but lacked the votes in Congress or a president who supported the measure. Now, with Democrats holding majorities in both houses of Congress and controlling the White House, supporters said they believe their chance is at hand.
"Seems to me when you have a policy that has failed for five decades, you ought to take a look at it again and see if you should modify it," said Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-North Dakota, one of the bill's sponsors. "We allow Americans travel to Vietnam and China, both communist countries."
The United States broke diplomatic relations with Cuba in 1961, two years after Fidel Castro assumed power. In 1962, the United States established a trade embargo. Both policies remain in place.
In addition, the United States has imposed other restrictions over the years, most recently under President Bush.
Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Indiana, another sponsor of the bill, issued a draft report in February that said it's time to reconsider the U.S. economic sanctions. Lugar is the ranking Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Watch why some senators want to lift the ban »
"After 47 years ... the unilateral embargo on Cuba has failed to achieve its stated purpose of 'bringing democracy to the Cuban people,' " Lugar wrote in a letter accompanying the 21-page draft report.
"The current U.S. policy has many passionate defenders, and their criticism of the Castro regime is justified. Nevertheless, we must recognize the ineffectiveness of our current policy and deal with the Cuban regime in a way that enhances U.S. interests."
Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Connecticut, also supports lifting the travel ban.
He and others said they see an opportunity for improved relations because the ailing Castro ceded power last year to his younger brother, Raul, seen as more pragmatic and less idealistic and doctrinaire.
Cuban-Americans mostly have opposed any shift in policy, but that view may be changing. Many second- and third-generation Cuban-Americans have views that are more lenient than those of elder Cubans who came to the United States in the 1960s.
And some Cuban-Americans have a vested interest in lifting the travel ban. Tessie Aral, owner of a Miami, Florida, travel agency that specializes in trips to Cuba, is one of them.
"I think a lot of Americans are going to want to travel to Cuba because it's been the forbidden fruit for so long," Aral said. "For our country to tell us which country we can travel to, I think that's just archaic."
Daniel Erikson, author of "The Cuba Wars," said there's one problem with lifting the travel ban -- the trade embargo, which stops U.S. companies from doing business in Cuba.
"So you would have American tourists traveling to Cuba driving around on Chinese buses, staying at Spanish hotels, eating Canadian food," Erikson said, adding, "The only McDonald's I've ever seen in Cuba is at the military base at Guantanamo Bay."
President Obama has indicated he favors changes in U.S.-Cuba policy but has not offered details. Cracks in the policy have started to develop though.
The $410 billion budget Obama signed this month makes it easier for Cuban-Americans to travel to Cuba and to send money to family members on the island. It also could facilitate the sale of agricultural and pharmaceutical products to Cuba.
Three provisions attached to the omnibus spending bill loosened restrictions enacted by Bush after he came to office in 2001.
Analysts have said they saw the move as a way for the Obama administration to start thawing relations with Cuba before the Fifth Summit of the Americas brings together the U.S. president and 33 other leaders from the Western Hemisphere in mid-April in Trinidad and Tobago.
Other groups also are calling for a new direction.
The nonprofit Brookings Institution said in a recent report that the administration should lift travel restrictions and adopt other measures to start normalizing relations. A group of 19 academics, opinion leaders and diplomats met for 18 months to formulate 33 short-, medium- and long-term initiatives compiled in a report called "U.S. Policy Toward a Cuba in Transition."
But any changes would have to get past Cuban-Americans in Congress, such as Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey.
"The government is pure and simple a brutal dictatorship," Menendez said in a recent speech. "The average Cuban lives on an income of less than a dollar a day."
Senators who support lifting travel restrictions to Cuba say it will help improve U.S. relations with the country.
"Seems to me when you have a policy that has failed for five decades, you ought to take a look at it again and see if you should modify it," said Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-North Dakota, one of the bill's sponsors. "We allow Americans travel to Vietnam and China, both communist countries."The United States broke diplomatic relations with Cuba in 1961, two years after Fidel Castro assumed power. In 1962, the United States established a trade embargo. Both policies remain in place.
In addition, the United States has imposed other restrictions over the years, most recently under President Bush.
Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Indiana, another sponsor of the bill, issued a draft report in February that said it's time to reconsider the U.S. economic sanctions. Lugar is the ranking Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Watch why some senators want to lift the ban »"After 47 years ... the unilateral embargo on Cuba has failed to achieve its stated purpose of 'bringing democracy to the Cuban people,' " Lugar wrote in a letter accompanying the 21-page draft report.
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Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Connecticut, also supports lifting the travel ban.
He and others said they see an opportunity for improved relations because the ailing Castro ceded power last year to his younger brother, Raul, seen as more pragmatic and less idealistic and doctrinaire.
Cuban-Americans mostly have opposed any shift in policy, but that view may be changing. Many second- and third-generation Cuban-Americans have views that are more lenient than those of elder Cubans who came to the United States in the 1960s.
And some Cuban-Americans have a vested interest in lifting the travel ban. Tessie Aral, owner of a Miami, Florida, travel agency that specializes in trips to Cuba, is one of them.
"I think a lot of Americans are going to want to travel to Cuba because it's been the forbidden fruit for so long," Aral said. "For our country to tell us which country we can travel to, I think that's just archaic."
Daniel Erikson, author of "The Cuba Wars," said there's one problem with lifting the travel ban -- the trade embargo, which stops U.S. companies from doing business in Cuba.
"So you would have American tourists traveling to Cuba driving around on Chinese buses, staying at Spanish hotels, eating Canadian food," Erikson said, adding, "The only McDonald's I've ever seen in Cuba is at the military base at Guantanamo Bay."
President Obama has indicated he favors changes in U.S.-Cuba policy but has not offered details. Cracks in the policy have started to develop though.
The $410 billion budget Obama signed this month makes it easier for Cuban-Americans to travel to Cuba and to send money to family members on the island. It also could facilitate the sale of agricultural and pharmaceutical products to Cuba.
Three provisions attached to the omnibus spending bill loosened restrictions enacted by Bush after he came to office in 2001.
Analysts have said they saw the move as a way for the Obama administration to start thawing relations with Cuba before the Fifth Summit of the Americas brings together the U.S. president and 33 other leaders from the Western Hemisphere in mid-April in Trinidad and Tobago.
Other groups also are calling for a new direction.
The nonprofit Brookings Institution said in a recent report that the administration should lift travel restrictions and adopt other measures to start normalizing relations. A group of 19 academics, opinion leaders and diplomats met for 18 months to formulate 33 short-, medium- and long-term initiatives compiled in a report called "U.S. Policy Toward a Cuba in Transition."
But any changes would have to get past Cuban-Americans in Congress, such as Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey.
Nonetheless, supporters said they believe they can get the bill to the White House for Obama to sign.
CNN's Arthur Brice contributed to this report.
GM and Chrysler struggle to make Fuel Efficient Cars
If Detroit’s makeover depends on shifting to a lineup of smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles, then U.S. automakers are clearly failing. That’s the conclusion of the Obama administration’s automotive task force report on General Motors and Chrysler.
The continued reliance on trucks, SUVs, and bigger passenger shift in consumer preference to smaller vehicles. Additionally, while the Chevy Volt holds promise, it will likely be too expensive to be commercially successful in the short-term […]GM is at least one generation behind Toyota on advanced, “green” powertrain development. In an attempt to leapfrog Toyota, GM has devoted significant resources to the Chevy Volt. While the Volt holds promise, it is currently projected to be much more expensive than its gasoline-fueled peers and will likely need substantial reductions in manufacturing cost in order to become commercially viable.
In a way, Chrysler is even worse, since it doesn’t have a Volt up its sleeve, the report noted:
In a way, Chrysler is even worse, since it doesn’t have a Volt up its sleeve, the report noted:
On a standalone basis, Chrysler will struggle to comply with increasing fuel efficiency standards, and it may even have to restrict the sale of certain models to make sure it is in accordance with proposed standards.All of that squares with noises coming out of Washington since the Detroit bailout dance began—a big part of Detroit’s transformation has to include greater emphasis on fuel-efficient cars. And since the government sets national fuel-economy standards, including the just-announced targets for 2011, that much makes sense.
Full Post from ENVIRONMENTAL CAPITAL »
Obama’s Auto Plan Gets Mixed Reviews on Capitol Hill
Susan Davis reports on politics. From the Washington Wire.
Reactions are mixed to President Barack Obama’s announcement that General Motors and Chrysler were operating under tight deadlines to come up with viable restructuring plans in order to receive future government assistance. (For more, read this story.)
Democratic Rep. John Dingell of Michigan, who has been perhaps the industry’s strongest ally in Congress, said the president’s announcement will allow the auto industry to re-emerge as a leader of American industry.
“I share the President’s confidence in GM and Chrysler and will go even further and state that I steadfastly believe that both companies are on the verge of emerging from this dark period as industry leaders once again in sales, fuel economy, safety and customer satisfaction,” he said in a statement.
Dingell likewise praised GM chief Rick Wagoner, who was forced out of the top job, as a “decent man” and said his exit marks a fresh start for the ailing auto giant. Dingell reiterated the view that GM’s future is more discernibly viable than Chrysler, which is working on a deal with Italy’s Fiat SpA.
Tennessee Republican Sen. Bob Corker, who has played a key role on recent legislation aiding the auto industry, however, strongly criticized the ousting of Wagoner as a “sideshow” used as a distraction to deflect criticism of the White House. “The administration is hoping the media and the public will stay focused on Wagoner and fail to notice that negotiations have not progressed since December,” Corker said in a statement condemning the federal government’s intervention in the private sector.
“With sweeping new power the White House will be deciding which plants will survive and which won’t, so in essence, this administration has decided they know better than our courts and our free market process how to deal with these companies,” he continued. “It’s been a long time since Washington has seen the kind of kowtowing that’s about to occur among members of Congress” vying to keep their home state plants open, he said.
California Republican Rep. Darrell Issa, the ranking Republican on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, echoed Dingell in praising the plan and deeming it necessary to help the economy. “President Obama has struck the right chord in seeking balance between supporting the American auto industry and calling for a much-needed restructuring of GM and Chrysler,” he said. “It has become abundantly clear that in order to remain viable and competitive, these companies must re-organize, revamp and restructure.”
Reactions are mixed to President Barack Obama’s announcement that General Motors and Chrysler were operating under tight deadlines to come up with viable restructuring plans in order to receive future government assistance. (For more, read this story.)
Democratic Rep. John Dingell of Michigan, who has been perhaps the industry’s strongest ally in Congress, said the president’s announcement will allow the auto industry to re-emerge as a leader of American industry.
“I share the President’s confidence in GM and Chrysler and will go even further and state that I steadfastly believe that both companies are on the verge of emerging from this dark period as industry leaders once again in sales, fuel economy, safety and customer satisfaction,” he said in a statement.
Dingell likewise praised GM chief Rick Wagoner, who was forced out of the top job, as a “decent man” and said his exit marks a fresh start for the ailing auto giant. Dingell reiterated the view that GM’s future is more discernibly viable than Chrysler, which is working on a deal with Italy’s Fiat SpA.
Tennessee Republican Sen. Bob Corker, who has played a key role on recent legislation aiding the auto industry, however, strongly criticized the ousting of Wagoner as a “sideshow” used as a distraction to deflect criticism of the White House. “The administration is hoping the media and the public will stay focused on Wagoner and fail to notice that negotiations have not progressed since December,” Corker said in a statement condemning the federal government’s intervention in the private sector.
“With sweeping new power the White House will be deciding which plants will survive and which won’t, so in essence, this administration has decided they know better than our courts and our free market process how to deal with these companies,” he continued. “It’s been a long time since Washington has seen the kind of kowtowing that’s about to occur among members of Congress” vying to keep their home state plants open, he said.
California Republican Rep. Darrell Issa, the ranking Republican on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, echoed Dingell in praising the plan and deeming it necessary to help the economy. “President Obama has struck the right chord in seeking balance between supporting the American auto industry and calling for a much-needed restructuring of GM and Chrysler,” he said. “It has become abundantly clear that in order to remain viable and competitive, these companies must re-organize, revamp and restructure.”
Full Post from WASHINGTON WIRE »
Americans Split Over Geithner’s Job Performance
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March 30, 2009, 04:55 PM EST
Susan Davis reports on politics.
Americans are almost evenly split over their feelings towards Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, who’s had a rough start on the job at a time of economic turmoil.
According to Gallup polling, 42% of Americans approve of Geithner’s job performance while 40% disapprove. 18% have no opinion.
As Gallup notes, Geithner is one of the more high-profile Treasury secretaries in recent history, and the recent uproar over millions in bonuses doled out to executives at American International Group Inc., did damage to his early reputation.
Geithner’s approval ratings are significantly lower than his boss’s. President Barack Obama has a 64% approval rating and a 30% disapproval rating.
To no surprise, Geithner’s approval ratings fall on partisan lines. A majority of Republicans, 63%, disapprove of the secretary while 21% approve. His numbers among Democrats are almost the mirror opposite—61% approve while 19% disapprove.
Full Post from WASHINGTON WIRE »
Obama's half brother - George Hussein Onyango Obama - age 26
U.S. President Barack Obama’s lost brother has been tracked down in Kenya. George Hussein Onyango Obama, aged 26, was found by journalists from the Italian edition of Vanity Fair. He reportedly lives in poverty in a shack on the outskirts of Nairobi.
He has the same father as the U.S President Barack Hussein Obama, but a different mother. Her name has been given as Jael. The youngest of Obama’s half-brothers says he lives on less than a dollar per month in a 2m x 3m shack. Its walls are decorated with posters of famous footballers and a calendar featuring exotic beaches. The magazine also noted George has a newspaper picture of his brother. He has only met his famous brother twice. Once when he was five and then in 2006 when Senator Obama visited Nairobi. George admits their meeting was very brief and cool.
He has the same father as the U.S President Barack Hussein Obama, but a different mother. Her name has been given as Jael. The youngest of Obama’s half-brothers says he lives on less than a dollar per month in a 2m x 3m shack. Its walls are decorated with posters of famous footballers and a calendar featuring exotic beaches. The magazine also noted George has a newspaper picture of his brother. He has only met his famous brother twice. Once when he was five and then in 2006 when Senator Obama visited Nairobi. George admits their meeting was very brief and cool.
Obama takes hold of the U.S. Auto Industry to make them Profitable Again
President Obama took out the long time boss as he fired CEO Rick Wagoner of General Motors. President Obama says the time is now to fix the ailing auto industry. Beside GM, watch how Obama plans to let the auto makers like Chrysler decide their own fate, in order to receive government money.
Obama: Anti-terror plans focus on Pakistan, Afghanistan
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- More troops, new legislation, improved troop training and added civilian expertise highlight President Obama's strategy to fight terrorism in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Obama on Friday announced his plan to tackle what he called an "international security challenge of the highest order."
Stressing soberly that "the safety of people around the world is at stake," Obama said the "situation is increasingly perilous" in the region in and around Afghanistan, where the United States has been fighting al Qaeda and the Taliban for more than 7½ years after attacks in New York and at the Pentagon.
"The United States of America did not choose to fight a war in Afghanistan. Nearly 3,000 of our people were killed on September 11, 2001, for doing nothing more than going about their daily lives," said Obama, who has vowed to make Afghanistan the central front in the fight against terrorism.
"So let me be clear: Al Qaeda and its allies -- the terrorists who planned and supported the 9/11 attacks -- are in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Multiple intelligence estimates have warned that al Qaeda is actively planning attacks on the U.S. homeland from its safe haven in Pakistan.
Watch how the U.S. will target terrorist safe havens »
"And if the Afghan government falls to the Taliban -- or allows al Qaeda to go unchallenged -- that country will again be a base for terrorists who want to kill as many of our people as they possibly can."
Obama said it is key Americans understand that Pakistan "needs our help" against al Qaeda.
"Al Qaeda and other violent extremists have killed several thousand Pakistanis since 9/11. They have killed many Pakistani soldiers and police. They assassinated [former Pakistani Prime Minister] Benazir Bhutto. They have blown up buildings, derailed foreign investment and threatened the stability of the state. Make no mistake: Al Qaeda and its extremist allies are a cancer that risks killing Pakistan from within."
Watch Obama's speech on Afghanistan, Pakistan threats »
Flanked by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Obama called on Congress to pass a bipartisan bill co-sponsored by Sens. John Kerry, D-Massachusetts, and Richard Lugar, R-Indiana.
The legislation authorizes "$1.5 billion in direct support to the Pakistani people every year over the next five years -- resources that will build schools, roads and hospitals and strengthen Pakistan's democracy," he said.
He also urged Congress to pass legislation that would create opportunity zones in the border region. The goal is to develop the economy and bring hope to places plagued by violence. Obama said, "We will ask our friends and allies to do their part," including at a donors conference next month in Tokyo, Japan.
"After years of mixed results, we will not provide a blank check. Pakistan must demonstrate its commitment to rooting out al Qaeda and the violent extremists within its borders. And we will insist that action be taken -- one way or another -- when we have intelligence about high-level terrorist targets. "
Obama said the United States must work with the World Bank and International Monetary Fund and others to help Pakistan get through the economic crisis.
"To lessen tensions between two nuclear-armed nations that too often teeter on the edge of escalation and confrontation, we must pursue constructive diplomacy with both India and Pakistan."
Afghan President Harmid Karzai watched the speech on CNN from Kabul, said Richard Holbrooke, Obama's special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Karzai "is extremely grateful and will issue his statement of support," Holbrooke said.
Obama stressed that "Afghanistan has been denied the resources that it demands because of the war in Iraq" and now a commitment must be made.
Obama said he is sending another 4,000 troops to Afghanistan, along with hundreds of civilian specialists, such as agricultural experts, educators and engineers. The troops -- which are in addition to the 17,000 announced earlier -- will be charged with training and building the Afghan army and police force.
The stakes are high as al Qaeda and the Taliban have escalated the insurgency and the number of U.S. troops deaths spiked last year -- the highest yearly death toll for them in the war.
Obama said the soldiers and Marines "will take the fight to the Taliban in the south and east" and will work with Afghan troops along the border. He said such an effort will bolster "security in advance of the important presidential election in August."
Watch Obama tell terrorists U.S. will defeat them »
Obama said the coalition "will accelerate" efforts to "build an Afghan army of 134,000 and a police force of 82,000 so that we can meet these goals by 2011 -- and increases in Afghan forces may very well be needed as our plans to turn over security responsibility to the Afghans go forward."
He said Afghanistan's government has been "undermined by corruption and has difficulty delivering basic services to its people" and its economy is undercut by "a booming narcotics trade that encourages criminality and funds the insurgency."
Watch Obama's remarks on the Afghan situation »
Obama said the United States will set clear benchmarks for international assistance and won't ignore attention to corruption.
He said the United States will develop a new contact group for Afghanistan and Pakistan that would include not only NATO allies and other partners but also Central Asian states, Gulf nations and Iran, Russia, India and China.
Reacting to Obama's plan, Sen. Russell Feingold, D-Wisconsin, said he is pleased the president is focusing on al Qaeda and is addressing the role of Pakistan but expressed concern the strategy could remain "overly Afghan-centric."
Citing Friday's suicide attack on a mosque in the Pakistani tribal region near Afghanistan, Feingold said, "This new administration must ensure that we do what we must not only in Afghanistan but also in Pakistan."
He said, "As the bombing near the Khyber Pass this morning highlights, we need to fully address the inextricable links between the crisis in Afghanistan and the instability and terrorist threats in Pakistan."
The bombing killed at least 48 people and wounded 80 to 90 others.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell praised Obama's plan, saying it is "a significant pivot" away from the Democratic Party's left wing.
"So the president's decision to continue Secretary Gates, follow [U.S. Central Command chief] Gen. [David] Petraeus' advice -- which may be somewhat exasperating to his own political left -- I think is in the best interest of the country and I think he's going to enjoy pretty strong Republican support for the plan," the Kentucky Republican told reporters.
Stressing soberly that "the safety of people around the world is at stake," Obama said the "situation is increasingly perilous" in the region in and around Afghanistan, where the United States has been fighting al Qaeda and the Taliban for more than 7½ years after attacks in New York and at the Pentagon.
"The United States of America did not choose to fight a war in Afghanistan. Nearly 3,000 of our people were killed on September 11, 2001, for doing nothing more than going about their daily lives," said Obama, who has vowed to make Afghanistan the central front in the fight against terrorism.
"So let me be clear: Al Qaeda and its allies -- the terrorists who planned and supported the 9/11 attacks -- are in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Multiple intelligence estimates have warned that al Qaeda is actively planning attacks on the U.S. homeland from its safe haven in Pakistan.
Watch how the U.S. will target terrorist safe havens »"And if the Afghan government falls to the Taliban -- or allows al Qaeda to go unchallenged -- that country will again be a base for terrorists who want to kill as many of our people as they possibly can."
Obama said it is key Americans understand that Pakistan "needs our help" against al Qaeda.
"Al Qaeda and other violent extremists have killed several thousand Pakistanis since 9/11. They have killed many Pakistani soldiers and police. They assassinated [former Pakistani Prime Minister] Benazir Bhutto. They have blown up buildings, derailed foreign investment and threatened the stability of the state. Make no mistake: Al Qaeda and its extremist allies are a cancer that risks killing Pakistan from within."
Watch Obama's speech on Afghanistan, Pakistan threats »Flanked by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Obama called on Congress to pass a bipartisan bill co-sponsored by Sens. John Kerry, D-Massachusetts, and Richard Lugar, R-Indiana.
The legislation authorizes "$1.5 billion in direct support to the Pakistani people every year over the next five years -- resources that will build schools, roads and hospitals and strengthen Pakistan's democracy," he said.
He also urged Congress to pass legislation that would create opportunity zones in the border region. The goal is to develop the economy and bring hope to places plagued by violence. Obama said, "We will ask our friends and allies to do their part," including at a donors conference next month in Tokyo, Japan.
"After years of mixed results, we will not provide a blank check. Pakistan must demonstrate its commitment to rooting out al Qaeda and the violent extremists within its borders. And we will insist that action be taken -- one way or another -- when we have intelligence about high-level terrorist targets. "
Obama said the United States must work with the World Bank and International Monetary Fund and others to help Pakistan get through the economic crisis.
"To lessen tensions between two nuclear-armed nations that too often teeter on the edge of escalation and confrontation, we must pursue constructive diplomacy with both India and Pakistan."
Afghan President Harmid Karzai watched the speech on CNN from Kabul, said Richard Holbrooke, Obama's special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Karzai "is extremely grateful and will issue his statement of support," Holbrooke said.
Obama stressed that "Afghanistan has been denied the resources that it demands because of the war in Iraq" and now a commitment must be made.
Obama said he is sending another 4,000 troops to Afghanistan, along with hundreds of civilian specialists, such as agricultural experts, educators and engineers. The troops -- which are in addition to the 17,000 announced earlier -- will be charged with training and building the Afghan army and police force.
The stakes are high as al Qaeda and the Taliban have escalated the insurgency and the number of U.S. troops deaths spiked last year -- the highest yearly death toll for them in the war.
Obama said the soldiers and Marines "will take the fight to the Taliban in the south and east" and will work with Afghan troops along the border. He said such an effort will bolster "security in advance of the important presidential election in August."
Watch Obama tell terrorists U.S. will defeat them »Obama said the coalition "will accelerate" efforts to "build an Afghan army of 134,000 and a police force of 82,000 so that we can meet these goals by 2011 -- and increases in Afghan forces may very well be needed as our plans to turn over security responsibility to the Afghans go forward."
He said Afghanistan's government has been "undermined by corruption and has difficulty delivering basic services to its people" and its economy is undercut by "a booming narcotics trade that encourages criminality and funds the insurgency."
Watch Obama's remarks on the Afghan situation »Obama said the United States will set clear benchmarks for international assistance and won't ignore attention to corruption.
He said the United States will develop a new contact group for Afghanistan and Pakistan that would include not only NATO allies and other partners but also Central Asian states, Gulf nations and Iran, Russia, India and China.
Reacting to Obama's plan, Sen. Russell Feingold, D-Wisconsin, said he is pleased the president is focusing on al Qaeda and is addressing the role of Pakistan but expressed concern the strategy could remain "overly Afghan-centric."
Citing Friday's suicide attack on a mosque in the Pakistani tribal region near Afghanistan, Feingold said, "This new administration must ensure that we do what we must not only in Afghanistan but also in Pakistan."
He said, "As the bombing near the Khyber Pass this morning highlights, we need to fully address the inextricable links between the crisis in Afghanistan and the instability and terrorist threats in Pakistan."
The bombing killed at least 48 people and wounded 80 to 90 others.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell praised Obama's plan, saying it is "a significant pivot" away from the Democratic Party's left wing.
"So the president's decision to continue Secretary Gates, follow [U.S. Central Command chief] Gen. [David] Petraeus' advice -- which may be somewhat exasperating to his own political left -- I think is in the best interest of the country and I think he's going to enjoy pretty strong Republican support for the plan," the Kentucky Republican told reporters.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Obama Denies Bailout Funds For Automakers
The following report is from the Huffington Post
PHILIP ELLIOTT | March 30, 2009 12:43 AM EST |
WASHINGTON — The White House says neither General Motors nor Chrysler submitted acceptable plans to receive more bailout money, setting the stage for a crisis in Detroit and putting in motion what could be the final two months of two American auto giants.
President Barack Obama and his top advisers have determined that neither company is viable and that taxpayers will not spend untold billions more to keep the pair of automakers open forever. In a last-ditch effort, the administration gave each company a brief deadline to try one last time to convince Washington it is worth saving, said senior administration officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to more bluntly discuss the decision.
Obama was set to make the announcement at 11 a.m.
In an interview with CBS' "Face the Nation" broadcast Sunday, Obama said the companies must do more to receive additional financial aid from the government.
"We think we can have a successful U.S. auto industry. But it's got to be one that's realistically designed to weather this storm and to emerge _ at the other end _ much more lean, mean and competitive than it currently is," Obama said.
Frustrated administration officials said Chrysler cannot function as an independent company under its current plan. They have given Chrysler a 30-day window to complete a proposed partnership with Italian automaker Fiat SpA, and will offer up to $6 billion to the companies if they can negotiate a deal before time runs out.
If a Chrysler-Fiat union cannot be completed, Washington plans to walk away, leave Chrysler destined for a complete sell-off. No other money is available.
Shawn Morgan, a Chrysler spokeswoman, said the company wants to work with the Treasury Department and Obama's auto task force but declined to comment on the White House's plans.
"With the administration's announcement on the restructuring of the automotive industry imminent, it would be inappropriate to comment on speculation," Morgan said in a statement early Monday morning.
For GM, the administration offered 60 days of operating money to restructure. A frantic top-to-bottom effort began Sunday after CEO Rick Wagoner resigned under pressure from the White House.
Fritz Henderson, GM's president and chief operating officer, became the new CEO, a Treasury Department source said. Board member Kent Kresa, the former chairman and CEO of defense contractor Northrop Grumman Corp., will be interim chairman of the GM board.
One official said a majority of the GM board was expected to step down.
Obama advisers saw public outrage come to an ugly head in recent weeks, as populist anger escalated over bonuses paid to American International Group executives. They realized Americans are frustrated with the economy and its business leaders; they also said they would not invest one dollar more than was necessary to keep the companies alive and would walk away if it looked impossible.
Officials said GM had not made good on promises made in exchange for $13.4 billion in government loans, although there are no plans to call in those loans.
Administration officials still believe GM's chances are good, given its global brand and its research potential. Officials say they are confident GM can put together a plan that will keep production lines moving in the coming years. They planned to send a team to Detroit to help with that restructuring.
Chrysler, meanwhile, has survived on $4 billion in federal aid during this economic downturn and the worst decline in auto sales in 27 years.
In progress reports filed with the government in February, GM asked for $16.6 billion more and Chrysler wanted $5 billion more. The White House balked and instead started a countdown clock.
Administration officials acknowledged the short turnaround time was harsh; one described it as a nanosecond in a business cycle.
Two people familiar with the plan said officials will demand further sacrifices from the automakers and bankruptcy would still be possible if the automakers failed to restructure. Those officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to make details public.
Administration officials said they hoped large-scale bankruptcy could be avoided, especially if it might be
stretched over many years. Any efforts to use the bankruptcy courts would have to be targeted and aggressive and must not prolong a restructuring process, they said.
GM and Chrysler, which employ about 140,000 workers in the U.S., faced a Tuesday deadline to submit completed restructuring plans, but neither company was expected to finish its work. The White House's plan renders them, as well as a potential discussion about the companies' borrowed money, moot.
GM owes roughly $28 billion to bondholders. Chrysler owes about $7 billion in first- and second-term debt, mainly to banks. GM owes about $20 billion to its retiree health care trust, while Chrysler owes $10.6 billion.
An exasperated administration official noted that the companies had not done enough to reduce debt; in some cases, it actually increased during this restructuring and review process.
In February, GM said it intended to cut 47,000 jobs around the globe, or almost 20 percent of its work force, close hundreds of dealerships and focus on four core brands _ Chevrolet, Cadillac, GMC and Buick.
In an effort to bolster consumer confidence, Obama planned to announce government backing of warranties for GM and Chrysler vehicles. An administration official said there is no price tag yet associated with that promise.
Obama's aides, aware of the outrage the White House faces if thousands more Americans lose their jobs, appointed a former deputy labor secretary, Ed Montgomery, to lead assistance efforts to cities and towns that depend on the auto industry. The move signaled the White House already was looking to a time when assembly plants may need to operate with far smaller staffs or shut down completely.
Aides note that Obama inherited the auto mess from his predecessor, President George W. Bush.
Under the terms of a loan agreement reached during the last administration, GM and Chrysler are pushing the United Auto Workers to accept shares of stock in exchange for half of the payments into a union-run trust fund for retiree health care. They also want labor costs from the union to be competitive with Japanese automakers with U.S. operations.
Little progress has been made between the companies and the union.
___
AP Auto Writer Tom Krisher in Detroit and AP writer Ken Thomas in Washington contributed to this report.
PHILIP ELLIOTT | March 30, 2009 12:43 AM EST |
WASHINGTON — The White House says neither General Motors nor Chrysler submitted acceptable plans to receive more bailout money, setting the stage for a crisis in Detroit and putting in motion what could be the final two months of two American auto giants.
President Barack Obama and his top advisers have determined that neither company is viable and that taxpayers will not spend untold billions more to keep the pair of automakers open forever. In a last-ditch effort, the administration gave each company a brief deadline to try one last time to convince Washington it is worth saving, said senior administration officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to more bluntly discuss the decision.Obama was set to make the announcement at 11 a.m.
In this June 26, 2008 file photo, then Democratic presidential candidate, Sen. Barack Obama D-Ill., left, talks with General Motors Chairman Rick Wagoner during an economic discussion in Pittsburgh. Wagoner will step down immediately at the request of the White House, administration officials said Sunday. The news comes as President Obama prepares to unveil additional restructuring efforts designed to save the domestic auto industry. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic, File) Monday in the White House's foyer.
"We think we can have a successful U.S. auto industry. But it's got to be one that's realistically designed to weather this storm and to emerge _ at the other end _ much more lean, mean and competitive than it currently is," Obama said.
Frustrated administration officials said Chrysler cannot function as an independent company under its current plan. They have given Chrysler a 30-day window to complete a proposed partnership with Italian automaker Fiat SpA, and will offer up to $6 billion to the companies if they can negotiate a deal before time runs out.
If a Chrysler-Fiat union cannot be completed, Washington plans to walk away, leave Chrysler destined for a complete sell-off. No other money is available.
Shawn Morgan, a Chrysler spokeswoman, said the company wants to work with the Treasury Department and Obama's auto task force but declined to comment on the White House's plans.
Story continues below 
"With the administration's announcement on the restructuring of the automotive industry imminent, it would be inappropriate to comment on speculation," Morgan said in a statement early Monday morning.
For GM, the administration offered 60 days of operating money to restructure. A frantic top-to-bottom effort began Sunday after CEO Rick Wagoner resigned under pressure from the White House.
Fritz Henderson, GM's president and chief operating officer, became the new CEO, a Treasury Department source said. Board member Kent Kresa, the former chairman and CEO of defense contractor Northrop Grumman Corp., will be interim chairman of the GM board.
One official said a majority of the GM board was expected to step down.
Obama advisers saw public outrage come to an ugly head in recent weeks, as populist anger escalated over bonuses paid to American International Group executives. They realized Americans are frustrated with the economy and its business leaders; they also said they would not invest one dollar more than was necessary to keep the companies alive and would walk away if it looked impossible.
Officials said GM had not made good on promises made in exchange for $13.4 billion in government loans, although there are no plans to call in those loans.
Administration officials still believe GM's chances are good, given its global brand and its research potential. Officials say they are confident GM can put together a plan that will keep production lines moving in the coming years. They planned to send a team to Detroit to help with that restructuring.
Chrysler, meanwhile, has survived on $4 billion in federal aid during this economic downturn and the worst decline in auto sales in 27 years.
In progress reports filed with the government in February, GM asked for $16.6 billion more and Chrysler wanted $5 billion more. The White House balked and instead started a countdown clock.
Administration officials acknowledged the short turnaround time was harsh; one described it as a nanosecond in a business cycle.
Two people familiar with the plan said officials will demand further sacrifices from the automakers and bankruptcy would still be possible if the automakers failed to restructure. Those officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to make details public.
Administration officials said they hoped large-scale bankruptcy could be avoided, especially if it might be
stretched over many years. Any efforts to use the bankruptcy courts would have to be targeted and aggressive and must not prolong a restructuring process, they said.GM and Chrysler, which employ about 140,000 workers in the U.S., faced a Tuesday deadline to submit completed restructuring plans, but neither company was expected to finish its work. The White House's plan renders them, as well as a potential discussion about the companies' borrowed money, moot.
GM owes roughly $28 billion to bondholders. Chrysler owes about $7 billion in first- and second-term debt, mainly to banks. GM owes about $20 billion to its retiree health care trust, while Chrysler owes $10.6 billion.
An exasperated administration official noted that the companies had not done enough to reduce debt; in some cases, it actually increased during this restructuring and review process.
In February, GM said it intended to cut 47,000 jobs around the globe, or almost 20 percent of its work force, close hundreds of dealerships and focus on four core brands _ Chevrolet, Cadillac, GMC and Buick.
In an effort to bolster consumer confidence, Obama planned to announce government backing of warranties for GM and Chrysler vehicles. An administration official said there is no price tag yet associated with that promise.
Obama's aides, aware of the outrage the White House faces if thousands more Americans lose their jobs, appointed a former deputy labor secretary, Ed Montgomery, to lead assistance efforts to cities and towns that depend on the auto industry. The move signaled the White House already was looking to a time when assembly plants may need to operate with far smaller staffs or shut down completely.
Aides note that Obama inherited the auto mess from his predecessor, President George W. Bush.
Under the terms of a loan agreement reached during the last administration, GM and Chrysler are pushing the United Auto Workers to accept shares of stock in exchange for half of the payments into a union-run trust fund for retiree health care. They also want labor costs from the union to be competitive with Japanese automakers with U.S. operations.
Little progress has been made between the companies and the union.
___
AP Auto Writer Tom Krisher in Detroit and AP writer Ken Thomas in Washington contributed to this report.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
President Obama Weekly Address 3/28/2009
In his weekly address, President Obama sat in his chair and dedicated the address to the flooding victims of North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota. In this time of disaster, President Obama pledged that the government will be active in providing aid and relief to the victims of the disaster areas ravaged by flooding. He also stressed that especially in times of crisis like the flooding, these are reminders of a need for all Americans to keep the sincerity and dedication to service. This past week, as the Edward M. Kennedy National Service Act was passed by the Senate following similar prior action in the House, which seemed to help rejuvenate the sprirt of hope.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Obama Brings Flush Times for Black News Media
WASHINGTON — For the nation’s black magazines, newspapers, and television and radio stations, the arrival of the Obama administration has ushered in an era of unprecedented access to the White House.
Skip to next paragraph 
Doug Mills/The New York Times
Kevin Chappell, right, at the White House briefing on Friday. He broke ground at the Obama news conference this week.
President Obama gave Black Enterprise magazine his first print interview and gave a black talk show host one of his first radio interviews. This month, he invited 50 black newspaper publishers to meet with him at the White House. And at his news conference Tuesday, he skipped over several prominent newspapers and news magazines to call on Kevin Chappell, a senior editor at Ebony magazine.
It was the first time an Ebony reporter had been invited to question a president at a prime-time news conference.
“We have, at last, an equal seat at the table,” said Bryan Monroe, the vice president and editorial director of Ebony and Jet magazines. “We’re not going to get everything we need. But now we definitely can be heard.”
Mr. Obama is cultivating a new cast of media insiders in the nation’s capital, the correspondents and editors of the black media outlets that are devoting more staff members and resources to covering the first African-American president.
Outreach to these journalists allows Mr. Obama to get his message to black audiences through news organizations that typically celebrate rather than criticize this president. Officials say that the organizations reach people who are often missed by mainstream outlets and that their efforts reflect the president’s commitment to reach out to all Americans.
“We want people to know what we are doing and how the administration’s policies will impact their community,” said Corey A. Ealons, the president’s recently appointed director of African-American media.
In recent weeks, the administration has invited black media groups to listen in on conference calls with several senior Obama advisers, including Rahm Emanuel, his chief of staff; Valerie Jarrett, a senior adviser; and Shaun Donovan, the housing secretary. Officials also organized a meeting with Melody C. Barnes, who leads the president’s Domestic Policy Council. (The administration is also reaching to Spanish-language media and other minority media groups.)
In his meeting last week with the black publishers, Mr. Obama praised the role that black newspapers had played in supporting his candidacy and presidency.
“The reason that I’ve been able and Michelle has been able to do what we’re doing is because of the extraordinary support and thoughtfulness with which you’ve covered our campaigns and our activities, and so I am very thankful to you,” Mr. Obama told members of the National Newspaper Publishers Association, which represents more than 200 black newspapers.
But if the new access to the White House has brought new relevance and respect to outlets long relegated to the sidelines here, it has also stoked the debate about whether the black media should regard Mr. Obama with a more critical eye.
In an interview this month on National Public Radio, Tavis Smiley, a well-known black radio and television host, urged journalists — black and white — to assess Mr. Obama’s performance critically.
“I think the ground is fertile for Barack Obama to be a great president,” Mr. Smiley said. “I think he can be, but only if we help make him a great president. Great presidents have to be pushed into their greatness.”
But Mr. Smiley warned that criticizing Mr. Obama was not for “the faint of heart.”
Mr. Smiley resigned last year as a regular commentator on “The Tom Joyner Morning Show” after receiving a hail of angry e-mail and phone calls for questioning Mr. Obama’s commitment to black issues.
Black media groups insist, however, that they will hold the president’s feet to the fire, and they say they have added resources to provide more coverage.
Black Entertainment Television has added a second White House correspondent to its team here, and the network broadcast live coverage of Mr. Obama’s first address to Congress and his two news conferences.
Essence, a magazine that is dedicated to black women, has hired its first Washington correspondent. Johnson Publishing Company, the media group based in Chicago that owns Ebony and Jet, has added a feature entitled “Inside Washington” to Jet, a weekly publication.
In addition to celebratory articles about the inauguration, Mr. Obama’s marriage, his family and his management style, some publications have examined the president’s economic plans and concerns that problems of blacks may be overlooked.
Black Enterprise recently ran an article in which several black economists dissected Mr. Obama’s economic stimulus plan, with some questioning the effectiveness of tax cuts and raising concerns about whether the plan addresses high levels of unemployment among blacks.
Hazel Trice Edney, editor in chief of the National Newspaper Publishers Association’s news service, notes that black reporters are still rarely called on in the daily White House briefings. And Ms. Edney noted that the administration refused to allow the black publishers who met with Mr. Obama to ask him any questions or to cover the event. (She defied the ban by recording the meeting and reporting on it.)
“Kevin was wonderful, and we’re glad he was called on,” Ms. Edney said of Mr. Chappell. “But that’s just one magazine.”
At the same time, however, some black journalists at black media organizations promise to continue their historic role of cheering on black achievements — the president’s included — because they say mainstream publications will not always do so.
Dorothy Leavell, the chairwoman of the National Newspaper Publishers Association Foundation, received warm applause last week when she told her fellow publishers that Mr. Obama’s election made her “feel so proud that someone so exceptional, someone so vibrant, could lead this country.”
During the meeting with Mr. Obama, Ms. Leavell presented the president with her organization’s newsmaker of the year award. “We’ve got your back,” she said.
More Articles in Business » A version of this article appeared in print on March 28, 2009, on page A8 of the New York edition.
Obama: Anti-terror plans focus on Pakistan, Afghanistan
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- More troops, new legislation, improved troop training and added civilian expertise highlight President Obama's strategy to fight terrorism in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
President Obama, here with Hillary Clinton on Friday, calls the situation in Afghanistan "increasingly perilous."
President Obama, here with Hillary Clinton on Friday, calls the situation in Afghanistan "increasingly perilous."
Obama on Friday announced his plan to tackle what he called an "international security challenge of the highest order."
Stressing soberly that "the safety of people around the world is at stake," Obama said the "situation is increasingly perilous" in the region in and around Afghanistan, where the United States has been fighting al Qaeda and the Taliban for more than 7½ years after attacks in New York and at the Pentagon.
"The United States of America did not choose to fight a war in Afghanistan. Nearly 3,000 of our people were killed on September 11, 2001, for doing nothing more than going about their daily lives," said Obama, who has vowed to make Afghanistan the central front in the fight against terrorism.
"So let me be clear: Al Qaeda and its allies -- the terrorists who planned and supported the 9/11 attacks -- are in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Multiple intelligence estimates have warned that al Qaeda is actively planning attacks on the U.S. homeland from its safe haven in Pakistan. Video Watch how the U.S. will target terrorist safe havens »
"And if the Afghan government falls to the Taliban -- or allows al Qaeda to go unchallenged -- that country will again be a base for terrorists who want to kill as many of our people as they possibly can."
Obama said it is key Americans understand that Pakistan "needs our help" against al Qaeda.
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* U.S. needs better intelligence in Afghanistan, director says
* Iran to send envoy to U.S.-backed Afghanistan summit
* NATO-led troops kill senior Afghan militant
"Al Qaeda and other violent extremists have killed several thousand Pakistanis since 9/11. They have killed many Pakistani soldiers and police. They assassinated [former Pakistani Prime Minister] Benazir Bhutto. They have blown up buildings, derailed foreign investment and threatened the stability of the state. Make no mistake: Al Qaeda and its extremist allies are a cancer that risks killing Pakistan from within." Video Watch Obama's speech on Afghanistan, Pakistan threats »
Flanked by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Obama called on Congress to pass a bipartisan bill co-sponsored by Sens. John Kerry, D-Massachusetts, and Richard Lugar, R-Indiana.
The legislation authorizes "$1.5 billion in direct support to the Pakistani people every year over the next five years -- resources that will build schools, roads and hospitals and strengthen Pakistan's democracy," he said.
He also urged Congress to pass legislation that would create opportunity zones in the border region. The goal is to develop the economy and bring hope to places plagued by violence. Obama said, "We will ask our friends and allies to do their part," including at a donors conference next month in Tokyo, Japan.
"After years of mixed results, we will not provide a blank check. Pakistan must demonstrate its commitment to rooting out al Qaeda and the violent extremists within its borders. And we will insist that action be taken -- one way or another -- when we have intelligence about high-level terrorist targets. "
Obama said the United States must work with the World Bank and International Monetary Fund and others to help Pakistan get through the economic crisis.
"To lessen tensions between two nuclear-armed nations that too often teeter on the edge of escalation and confrontation, we must pursue constructive diplomacy with both India and Pakistan."
Afghan President Harmid Karzai watched the speech on CNN from Kabul, said Richard Holbrooke, Obama's special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Karzai "is extremely grateful and will issue his statement of support," Holbrooke said.
Obama stressed that "Afghanistan has been denied the resources that it demands because of the war in Iraq" and now a commitment must be made.
Obama said he is sending another 4,000 troops to Afghanistan, along with hundreds of civilian specialists, such as agricultural experts, educators and engineers. The troops -- which are in addition to the 17,000 announced earlier -- will be charged with training and building the Afghan army and police force.
The stakes are high as al Qaeda and the Taliban have escalated the insurgency and the number of U.S. troops deaths spiked last year -- the highest yearly death toll for them in the war.
Obama said the soldiers and Marines "will take the fight to the Taliban in the south and east" and will work with Afghan troops along the border. He said such an effort will bolster "security in advance of the important presidential election in August." Video Watch Obama tell terrorists U.S. will defeat them »
Obama said the coalition "will accelerate" efforts to "build an Afghan army of 134,000 and a police force of 82,000 so that we can meet these goals by 2011 -- and increases in Afghan forces may very well be needed as our plans to turn over security responsibility to the Afghans go forward."
He said Afghanistan's government has been "undermined by corruption and has difficulty delivering basic services to its people" and its economy is undercut by "a booming narcotics trade that encourages criminality and funds the insurgency." Video Watch Obama's remarks on the Afghan situation »
Obama said the United States will set clear benchmarks for international assistance and won't ignore attention to corruption.
He said the United States will develop a new contact group for Afghanistan and Pakistan that would include not only NATO allies and other partners but also Central Asian states, Gulf nations and Iran, Russia, India and China.
Reacting to Obama's plan, Sen. Russell Feingold, D-Wisconsin, said he is pleased the president is focusing on al Qaeda and is addressing the role of Pakistan but expressed concern the strategy could remain "overly Afghan-centric."
Citing Friday's suicide attack on a mosque in the Pakistani tribal region near Afghanistan, Feingold said, "This new administration must ensure that we do what we must not only in Afghanistan but also in Pakistan."
He said, "As the bombing near the Khyber Pass this morning highlights, we need to fully address the inextricable links between the crisis in Afghanistan and the instability and terrorist threats in Pakistan."
The bombing killed at least 48 people and wounded 80 to 90 others.
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Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell praised Obama's plan, saying it is "a significant pivot" away from the Democratic Party's left wing.
"So the president's decision to continue Secretary Gates, follow [U.S. Central Command chief] Gen. [David] Petraeus' advice -- which may be somewhat exasperating to his own political left -- I think is in the best interest of the country and I think he's going to enjoy pretty strong Republican support for the plan," the Kentucky Republican told reporters.
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President Obama, here with Hillary Clinton on Friday, calls the situation in Afghanistan "increasingly perilous."
President Obama, here with Hillary Clinton on Friday, calls the situation in Afghanistan "increasingly perilous."
Obama on Friday announced his plan to tackle what he called an "international security challenge of the highest order."
Stressing soberly that "the safety of people around the world is at stake," Obama said the "situation is increasingly perilous" in the region in and around Afghanistan, where the United States has been fighting al Qaeda and the Taliban for more than 7½ years after attacks in New York and at the Pentagon.
"The United States of America did not choose to fight a war in Afghanistan. Nearly 3,000 of our people were killed on September 11, 2001, for doing nothing more than going about their daily lives," said Obama, who has vowed to make Afghanistan the central front in the fight against terrorism.
"So let me be clear: Al Qaeda and its allies -- the terrorists who planned and supported the 9/11 attacks -- are in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Multiple intelligence estimates have warned that al Qaeda is actively planning attacks on the U.S. homeland from its safe haven in Pakistan. Video Watch how the U.S. will target terrorist safe havens »
"And if the Afghan government falls to the Taliban -- or allows al Qaeda to go unchallenged -- that country will again be a base for terrorists who want to kill as many of our people as they possibly can."
Obama said it is key Americans understand that Pakistan "needs our help" against al Qaeda.
Don't Miss
* Afghan soldier kills 2 coalition troops, U.S. says
* U.S. needs better intelligence in Afghanistan, director says
* Iran to send envoy to U.S.-backed Afghanistan summit
* NATO-led troops kill senior Afghan militant
"Al Qaeda and other violent extremists have killed several thousand Pakistanis since 9/11. They have killed many Pakistani soldiers and police. They assassinated [former Pakistani Prime Minister] Benazir Bhutto. They have blown up buildings, derailed foreign investment and threatened the stability of the state. Make no mistake: Al Qaeda and its extremist allies are a cancer that risks killing Pakistan from within." Video Watch Obama's speech on Afghanistan, Pakistan threats »
Flanked by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Obama called on Congress to pass a bipartisan bill co-sponsored by Sens. John Kerry, D-Massachusetts, and Richard Lugar, R-Indiana.
The legislation authorizes "$1.5 billion in direct support to the Pakistani people every year over the next five years -- resources that will build schools, roads and hospitals and strengthen Pakistan's democracy," he said.
He also urged Congress to pass legislation that would create opportunity zones in the border region. The goal is to develop the economy and bring hope to places plagued by violence. Obama said, "We will ask our friends and allies to do their part," including at a donors conference next month in Tokyo, Japan.
"After years of mixed results, we will not provide a blank check. Pakistan must demonstrate its commitment to rooting out al Qaeda and the violent extremists within its borders. And we will insist that action be taken -- one way or another -- when we have intelligence about high-level terrorist targets. "
Obama said the United States must work with the World Bank and International Monetary Fund and others to help Pakistan get through the economic crisis.
"To lessen tensions between two nuclear-armed nations that too often teeter on the edge of escalation and confrontation, we must pursue constructive diplomacy with both India and Pakistan."
Afghan President Harmid Karzai watched the speech on CNN from Kabul, said Richard Holbrooke, Obama's special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Karzai "is extremely grateful and will issue his statement of support," Holbrooke said.
Obama stressed that "Afghanistan has been denied the resources that it demands because of the war in Iraq" and now a commitment must be made.
Obama said he is sending another 4,000 troops to Afghanistan, along with hundreds of civilian specialists, such as agricultural experts, educators and engineers. The troops -- which are in addition to the 17,000 announced earlier -- will be charged with training and building the Afghan army and police force.
The stakes are high as al Qaeda and the Taliban have escalated the insurgency and the number of U.S. troops deaths spiked last year -- the highest yearly death toll for them in the war.
Obama said the soldiers and Marines "will take the fight to the Taliban in the south and east" and will work with Afghan troops along the border. He said such an effort will bolster "security in advance of the important presidential election in August." Video Watch Obama tell terrorists U.S. will defeat them »
Obama said the coalition "will accelerate" efforts to "build an Afghan army of 134,000 and a police force of 82,000 so that we can meet these goals by 2011 -- and increases in Afghan forces may very well be needed as our plans to turn over security responsibility to the Afghans go forward."
He said Afghanistan's government has been "undermined by corruption and has difficulty delivering basic services to its people" and its economy is undercut by "a booming narcotics trade that encourages criminality and funds the insurgency." Video Watch Obama's remarks on the Afghan situation »
Obama said the United States will set clear benchmarks for international assistance and won't ignore attention to corruption.
He said the United States will develop a new contact group for Afghanistan and Pakistan that would include not only NATO allies and other partners but also Central Asian states, Gulf nations and Iran, Russia, India and China.
Reacting to Obama's plan, Sen. Russell Feingold, D-Wisconsin, said he is pleased the president is focusing on al Qaeda and is addressing the role of Pakistan but expressed concern the strategy could remain "overly Afghan-centric."
Citing Friday's suicide attack on a mosque in the Pakistani tribal region near Afghanistan, Feingold said, "This new administration must ensure that we do what we must not only in Afghanistan but also in Pakistan."
He said, "As the bombing near the Khyber Pass this morning highlights, we need to fully address the inextricable links between the crisis in Afghanistan and the instability and terrorist threats in Pakistan."
The bombing killed at least 48 people and wounded 80 to 90 others.
advertisement
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell praised Obama's plan, saying it is "a significant pivot" away from the Democratic Party's left wing.
"So the president's decision to continue Secretary Gates, follow [U.S. Central Command chief] Gen. [David] Petraeus' advice -- which may be somewhat exasperating to his own political left -- I think is in the best interest of the country and I think he's going to enjoy pretty strong Republican support for the plan," the Kentucky Republican told reporters.
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Thursday, March 26, 2009
Obama to send Troops to Afghanistan and Pakistan - to be Announced this Week
In a CNN report, Obama is now expected to announce new strategies for Afghanistan and Pakistan on Friday. The plan will be for additional troops to Afghanistan along with civilian specialists, which will target what he considers "the central challenge facing (that) country."
Besides sending troops to Afghanistan, he will ask Congress to provide at least triple aid to Pakistan, during a five year period. He announced sending 4,000 more troops, adding this amount to 17,000 President Obama wants to send to Afghanistan. The main goal would be to train and build the Afghan army along with their police force. Eventual plans to increase the army's ranks to 135,000 and the police force to 80,000 by the year 2011.
President Obama is shifting the troops because he has intelligence that al Qaeda has moved their leadership from Kandahar, Afghanistan to somewhere in Pakistan. This is where he feels that al Qaeda is plotting against the U.S.
The only thing not really setup in the plan is an exit strategy. Until President Obama would know how and when his success will go forward in those occupied countries, that would determine when the troops may come home.
Durin the next week, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton plans to visit the Hague in the U.S. backed international conference on Afghanistan.
Besides sending troops to Afghanistan, he will ask Congress to provide at least triple aid to Pakistan, during a five year period. He announced sending 4,000 more troops, adding this amount to 17,000 President Obama wants to send to Afghanistan. The main goal would be to train and build the Afghan army along with their police force. Eventual plans to increase the army's ranks to 135,000 and the police force to 80,000 by the year 2011.
President Obama is shifting the troops because he has intelligence that al Qaeda has moved their leadership from Kandahar, Afghanistan to somewhere in Pakistan. This is where he feels that al Qaeda is plotting against the U.S.
The only thing not really setup in the plan is an exit strategy. Until President Obama would know how and when his success will go forward in those occupied countries, that would determine when the troops may come home.
Durin the next week, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton plans to visit the Hague in the U.S. backed international conference on Afghanistan.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
President Obama pushes Hard in Attempts to sell his Policies, Budget, and his Economy Package
President Obama had a very busy week. He started a blitz, with an appearance on "The Tonight Show" with Jay Leno, then an appearance on 60 minutes, and then capping the week with the 2nd Presidential prime time news conference of his presidency. Below is a video that highlights what happened during his busy week.
Officials apoligize for the Inauguration Shutout
A few months ago, I reported on a crowd problem that affected thousands of people who had tickets to witness the inauguration. The following report is from MSNBC blog.
Thousands of ticket holders waited in a tunnel below the National Mall
 | Purple ticket holders waited inside the 3rd Street tunnel hoping to enter the Capitol grounds to watch the inauguration of Barack Obama in Washington on Jan. 20. |
Jacquelyn Martin / AP |
In an incident dubbed the "Purple Tunnel of Doom," thousands of people with prized tickets to the Jan. 20 swearing-in ceremony were left waiting in a tunnel below the National Mall. Others complained of chaotic lines outside security gates that moved too slowly.
At a hearing on Capitol Hill, Secret Service Director Mark Sullivan and Capitol Police Chief Phillip Morse apologized to those with tickets to the purple and blue sections and pledged that such problems would not happen again.
"While we expected and planned for almost 2 million people to descend on the core area of the city, we had no benchmark or historical perspective to forecast the cascading effect this size crowd would have," Morse said.Largest gathering in Washington
The National Park Service has said about 1.8 million people attended the inauguration, making it the largest gathering ever held in Washington. While anyone could watch the ceremony on large screens set up on the Mall, a limited number of tickets were provided near the Capitol.
The National Park Service has said about 1.8 million people attended the inauguration, making it the largest gathering ever held in Washington. While anyone could watch the ceremony on large screens set up on the Mall, a limited number of tickets were provided near the Capitol.
The apologies were not enough for some lawmakers.
"These were constituents from each of our districts, who traveled often at great expense and personal sacrifice to witness this historic day," said Rep. David Price, D-N.C. "We must review what happened so we don't make the same mistakes in the future."
The hearing came the same week a report released by the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies found that "flaws and shortcomings in the planning process" contributed to the problems at the Capitol.
The report was prepared for the committee by law enforcement agencies involved with the inauguration. It blamed the chaos on an overwhelming crush of people, many of whom without tickets to the area, who overwhelmed screening gates.
The report called for creating a special committee for future inaugurations charged with planning pedestrian routes and better signs to direct guests. It also recommended opening the gates to the ceremony earlier.
Poor communication made problem worse
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., said the report did not address why a crowd of people were directed into the Third Street Tunnel below the Mall and why they were stuck there for hours.
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., said the report did not address why a crowd of people were directed into the Third Street Tunnel below the Mall and why they were stuck there for hours.
"There's no defending it," Sullivan said. He explained that the tunnel was supposed to be blocked off to pedestrians and reserved for emergency vehicles, but barricades never arrived. He said poor communication between officers made the problem worse.
"It was basically a case of out of sight, out of mind," said David Meyer, who helped create the Facebook site "Survivors of the Purple Tunnel of Doom." Meyer said some of the explanations make sense, but that more explanation was needed.
In January, inaugural planners said after the inauguration that ticket holders who never made it to the ceremony would receive copies of the swearing-in invitation and program, photos of Obama and Vice President Joe Biden, and a color print of the ceremony.
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
2nd News Conference in Two Months... Not A Walk in the Park This Time....
President Obama gave his second Presidental news conference that lasted 50 minutes since becoming the President in January. But this time, he didn't have a walk in the park by the reporters attending the session. Instead, it most likely would be considered his toughest news conference. He most likely gained a few grey hairs from this news conference. He presented a very sober assessment of the state of the economy, but the President feels that he has the proper plan to attack the the issues from all fronts. He repeated the idea that the resssion did not start when he became president, instead he blamed the 'other party', as he put the blame fully on the past two President Bush's policies. He mentioned that there would be no quick fix, and that he has safeguards in place so that the economy will recover. He believes that his Stimulus package is the proper tool to accomplish this recovery, because it focuses on health care, energy, education, and "the kinds of things that can build a foundation for long-term economic growth, as opposed to the fleeting prosperity that we've seen over the last several years."
One of the reporters claimed that the scope of the stimulus may not be good for the country, but President Obama responded by saying "We haven't seen an alternative budget out of them," referring to the conservatives who have been so critical of his policy. He is still waiting for Congress to propose a future budget that will contain health care, energy, education and ways to reduce the budget deficit. Earlier today, Treasury Secretary unveiled the departments new bank rescue plan. Surely, there had to be a question posed to the President about the AIG insurance giant, and the president said " Keep in mind that it is precisely because of the lack of this authority that the AIG situation has gotten worse," Obama said, referring to the troubled insurance giant. He stood by his stance regarding stem cell research. He reiterated his vow to find ways to secure the 2100 mile Mexican border from drug smuggles, murderers and illegals that enter the country.
On his mind since his election he said the American people are judging himas they should: "Are we taking the steps to imrove liquidity in the financial markets, create jobs, get businesses to reopen, keep America safe? And that's what I've been spendin my time thinking about." What was interesting with this news confernce, no questions were posed to the President regarding the Iraq war or Osama Bin Laden, and not a word mentioned about terrorism. Along with the President, it was evident, at least at this news conference that the reporters wanted answers about things that affected the American people at home. President Obama had to originally mention Iraq in one of his responses regarding the global economy, and he mentioned that we are the leader to solve a worldly problem that affects every country. News outlets not normally heard from were Univision, Ebony Magazine and Stars and Stripes. The news conference was one of a few TV appearences for the week, as he made a historical appearence on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," then an interview on CBS's "60 minutes". It will be interesting in hearing the conservative responses from the likes of Rush Limbaugh. I will be listening intently regarding his responses, and will report on the response in a future article. With only 63 days since his election, I believe that President Obama may be ready for a vacation. What he has had to do in his first 63 days have been like he has been running a marathon. He is running hard, in an attempt to secure the economy to help people go back to work.
One of the reporters claimed that the scope of the stimulus may not be good for the country, but President Obama responded by saying "We haven't seen an alternative budget out of them," referring to the conservatives who have been so critical of his policy. He is still waiting for Congress to propose a future budget that will contain health care, energy, education and ways to reduce the budget deficit. Earlier today, Treasury Secretary unveiled the departments new bank rescue plan. Surely, there had to be a question posed to the President about the AIG insurance giant, and the president said " Keep in mind that it is precisely because of the lack of this authority that the AIG situation has gotten worse," Obama said, referring to the troubled insurance giant. He stood by his stance regarding stem cell research. He reiterated his vow to find ways to secure the 2100 mile Mexican border from drug smuggles, murderers and illegals that enter the country.
On his mind since his election he said the American people are judging himas they should: "Are we taking the steps to imrove liquidity in the financial markets, create jobs, get businesses to reopen, keep America safe? And that's what I've been spendin my time thinking about." What was interesting with this news confernce, no questions were posed to the President regarding the Iraq war or Osama Bin Laden, and not a word mentioned about terrorism. Along with the President, it was evident, at least at this news conference that the reporters wanted answers about things that affected the American people at home. President Obama had to originally mention Iraq in one of his responses regarding the global economy, and he mentioned that we are the leader to solve a worldly problem that affects every country. News outlets not normally heard from were Univision, Ebony Magazine and Stars and Stripes. The news conference was one of a few TV appearences for the week, as he made a historical appearence on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," then an interview on CBS's "60 minutes". It will be interesting in hearing the conservative responses from the likes of Rush Limbaugh. I will be listening intently regarding his responses, and will report on the response in a future article. With only 63 days since his election, I believe that President Obama may be ready for a vacation. What he has had to do in his first 63 days have been like he has been running a marathon. He is running hard, in an attempt to secure the economy to help people go back to work.
Monday, March 23, 2009
In '60 Minutes' interview, Obama weighs in on economy, Afghan war
WASHINGTON – In a lengthy interview broadcast Sunday on CBS' 60 Minutes, President Barack Obama talked about the ongoing financial crisis, the situation in Afghanistan and his frustrations. • The president said the most difficult decision he's had to make in his 2-month-old presidency was to send more troops to Afghanistan, which he decided before completion of a strategic review on the region.
• The financial system could still implode if a large bank fails, and "big problems" could result if the government does not try to lessen the risk, he said.
• He had not expected to see such a sharp economic decline, particularly in job losses, when he took office.
• Legislation that slaps a punitive 90 percent tax on bonuses to big earners at financial institutions already deeply in hock to taxpayers would be unconstitutional, and he will not "govern out of anger," he said.
• A comprehensive strategy in Afghanistan – including an exit plan – is key to America's "No. 1 mission" of preventing an attack on the U.S., its interests or its allies, he said.
• When asked about the most frustrating part of his job, Obama took a jab at President George W. Bush. "You are often confronted with bad choices that flow from less than optimal decisions made a year ago, two years ago, five years ago, when you weren't here," Obama said. "A lot of times, when things land at my desk, it's a choice between bad and worse."
• He again took issue with Vice President Dick Cheney, who criticized the administration for shutting down the Guantánamo Bay detention center. Cheney said such steps are making America weaker and more vulnerable to attack.
"The facts don't bear him out," Obama said. "Let's assume we didn't change these practices. Are we going to just keep on going until ... the entire Muslim world and Arab world despises us? Do we think that's really going to make us safer? I don't know a lot of thoughtful thinkers, liberal or conservative, who think that that was the right approach."
From wire reports
A lesson for all... Learn To Accept Criticism - But Take Your Stand
On 60 minutes, Obama stated in his interview that one of the hardest decisions that he had to make was to send more troops to Afghanistan. The world knew during his campaign for election that he intended to swing troops from Iraq to Afghanistan.
President Obama these days gets criticized for just about everything he does. I guess it comes with the job. The other night, a slight slip of the tongue on the Tonight show with Jay Leno, and he was severely criticized for saying something off of the cuff about Special Olympics. Before the program had aired, he already gave a formal apology to a Special Olympics chairman.
Now the criticizm is from our former vice President, Dick Cheney. People would tell you that Obama would not be able to make critical decisions, but over and over again, he has displayed making the correct choices for this country. President Obama announced the closing of Guantanamo Bay prison to happen shortly,and then he was critized by Ex-Vice President Dick Cheney. But in defense of himself, Obama stated, "I fundamentally disagree with Dick Cheney — not surprisingly," Obama said. "I think that Vice President Cheney has been at the head of a movement whose notion is somehow that we can't reconcile our core values, our Constitution, our belief that we don't torture, with our national security interests. I think he's drawing the wrong lesson from history." With those remarks about Vice President Cheney he boldy challenges Mr. Cheney with his response.
President Obama these days gets criticized for just about everything he does. I guess it comes with the job. The other night, a slight slip of the tongue on the Tonight show with Jay Leno, and he was severely criticized for saying something off of the cuff about Special Olympics. Before the program had aired, he already gave a formal apology to a Special Olympics chairman.
Now the criticizm is from our former vice President, Dick Cheney. People would tell you that Obama would not be able to make critical decisions, but over and over again, he has displayed making the correct choices for this country. President Obama announced the closing of Guantanamo Bay prison to happen shortly,and then he was critized by Ex-Vice President Dick Cheney. But in defense of himself, Obama stated, "I fundamentally disagree with Dick Cheney — not surprisingly," Obama said. "I think that Vice President Cheney has been at the head of a movement whose notion is somehow that we can't reconcile our core values, our Constitution, our belief that we don't torture, with our national security interests. I think he's drawing the wrong lesson from history." With those remarks about Vice President Cheney he boldy challenges Mr. Cheney with his response.
Obama, Geithner reveal bank rescue plan
Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner unveiled the Obama administration's plan to fix the banking crisis estimating it could cost up to $1 trillion in public and private funds.
Geithner's plan depends much on private investors, including hedge funds and private-equity firms, to purchase $500 billion to $1 trillion of toxic assets with government incentives such as low interest loans and risk-profit sharing.
"The point of the program is to save the taxpayers money by attracting private capital," a senior administration official said.
About $350 billion still remains from the old financial bailout money passed during the Bush administration.
The Public-Private Investment Program will use between $75 billion-$100 billion of Treasury funds to leverage $500 billion and potentially expand to $1 trillion of private assets aided with financing from the Federal Reserve System and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.
Some analysts though believe it will take much more money just to stabilize the banking system. Nouriel Roubini, for example, thinks it will take $3.5 trillion more to deleverage and unfreeze the credit markets.
Geithner's plan depends much on private investors, including hedge funds and private-equity firms, to purchase $500 billion to $1 trillion of toxic assets with government incentives such as low interest loans and risk-profit sharing.
"The point of the program is to save the taxpayers money by attracting private capital," a senior administration official said.
About $350 billion still remains from the old financial bailout money passed during the Bush administration.
The Public-Private Investment Program will use between $75 billion-$100 billion of Treasury funds to leverage $500 billion and potentially expand to $1 trillion of private assets aided with financing from the Federal Reserve System and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.
Some analysts though believe it will take much more money just to stabilize the banking system. Nouriel Roubini, for example, thinks it will take $3.5 trillion more to deleverage and unfreeze the credit markets.
Economic Stimulus Money Used for the Wrong Reasons
As expected, most of the American public believe that bonuses are wrong in this time of the economy. But companies continue to make the argument that for them to keep their best employees, they must provide the bonuses.
Now, am I missing something here? People are trying to receive bonuses while others have to live under bridges and in the fields and try and survive the hard way. People are loosing their homes with no place to go. I thought that the economic bailout money was supposed the help bring jobs back to the people, that would in turn trickle down and help the economy and help bring it back to work. It was not designed to provide bonuses to people who have secure jobs. It is the opinion of this editor that these people need to return their bonuses or the companies should be held responsible. One of the recent violators of the bailout money is AIG. They appear to be able to hold the United States hostage, and do it legally, thanks to a few bad decisions made by lawmakers during the creation of the Omnibus bill. Now, only when people get to work will our economy take a turn for the better. But, is the money going to help the people who need the money? Millions of dollars are being uses to wine and dine the few people now a days that still have a job. Billions of dollars have been sent overseas to support a country that used to be run by a dictator. So now, the U.S. is footing the bill supporting these countries, while more people go hungry every day, with no place to live. Now is that crazy or what?!!! People that take the stimulus money like the employees of AIG have the complete audacity to take it, and think that they are better than everyone else.
There is a saying. 'What goes around comes around.' People who take advantage of money that should be better spent on the welfare of this country will find themselves in the future in the same boat as others. The downward spiral of the economic condition of this country is still progressing and more and more people most likely will loose their jobs.
As hard as President Obama is trying to save companies like AIG, these companies may still fail, and these people will be in the same boat, wishing and hoping that the government would provide them more help and funds so that they can continue to live. But because of their greed and jealosy by taking the money when they didn't need it to survive, I believe that some of these people will get their just reward in their future. All bonuses derived from the economic stimulus money need not happen. The government should change the law so that companies that take advantage of the system will be put on notice and they would never attempt such a stunt again. After all, it's because of the internal issues of such a company like AIG that caused this economic mess in the first place. Banks like AIG gave out bad loans that they could not collect.It will be interesting to see if President Obama finds a way so that AIG must pay back the money, and maybe be told no more funds could be available unless you return the money that was used for the wrong purpose.
Now, am I missing something here? People are trying to receive bonuses while others have to live under bridges and in the fields and try and survive the hard way. People are loosing their homes with no place to go. I thought that the economic bailout money was supposed the help bring jobs back to the people, that would in turn trickle down and help the economy and help bring it back to work. It was not designed to provide bonuses to people who have secure jobs. It is the opinion of this editor that these people need to return their bonuses or the companies should be held responsible. One of the recent violators of the bailout money is AIG. They appear to be able to hold the United States hostage, and do it legally, thanks to a few bad decisions made by lawmakers during the creation of the Omnibus bill. Now, only when people get to work will our economy take a turn for the better. But, is the money going to help the people who need the money? Millions of dollars are being uses to wine and dine the few people now a days that still have a job. Billions of dollars have been sent overseas to support a country that used to be run by a dictator. So now, the U.S. is footing the bill supporting these countries, while more people go hungry every day, with no place to live. Now is that crazy or what?!!! People that take the stimulus money like the employees of AIG have the complete audacity to take it, and think that they are better than everyone else.
There is a saying. 'What goes around comes around.' People who take advantage of money that should be better spent on the welfare of this country will find themselves in the future in the same boat as others. The downward spiral of the economic condition of this country is still progressing and more and more people most likely will loose their jobs.
As hard as President Obama is trying to save companies like AIG, these companies may still fail, and these people will be in the same boat, wishing and hoping that the government would provide them more help and funds so that they can continue to live. But because of their greed and jealosy by taking the money when they didn't need it to survive, I believe that some of these people will get their just reward in their future. All bonuses derived from the economic stimulus money need not happen. The government should change the law so that companies that take advantage of the system will be put on notice and they would never attempt such a stunt again. After all, it's because of the internal issues of such a company like AIG that caused this economic mess in the first place. Banks like AIG gave out bad loans that they could not collect.It will be interesting to see if President Obama finds a way so that AIG must pay back the money, and maybe be told no more funds could be available unless you return the money that was used for the wrong purpose.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Your request is being processed... Suze Orman To Bush: "You Owe The American People Every Penny Of Your Fortune And Your Family's Fortune"
Sitting in a green room after her TV interviews, she lambasts everyone from Alan Greenspan to Larry Summers to the former president of the United States, who holds an especially dark place in her heart. "Commander in Chief?" she says of George W. Bush, with a mix of disbelief and scorn. "You blew up every single financial vessel we had and if you think you aren't personally responsible, well, the blame starts at the top. There is no higher top than you, SIR! If I were you, I would feel so absolutely horrific that I would take every penny I had and distribute it to anybody and everybody to help them in whatever way I could. You owe the American people every penny of your fortune and your family's fortune."Orman also calls being impersonated by SNL's Kristen Wiig the “greatest honor of my career" and that often during her show she is forced to stop and think, "Ugh. I’m playing Kristen Wiig."
Obama extends his hand to Iran in An Effort to Restore Diplomatic Relations with the Country
President Obama, in a gesture of openly recognizing the Iranian government, offered "a new beginning "of engagement with Tehran in an unprecedented direct video message to the Iranian people. In stark contrast of President Bush, where the prior president received a thumbs down during a Bush speech by the Iranian President, denounced Tehran as a sponsor of global terrorism in his farewell address to the U.N.
"My administration is now committed to diplomacy that addresses the full range of issues before us," Mr Obama said.
Iran, lately involved in nuclear activities, became George Bush's latest target of global terrorism. He believed that Iran's uranium enrichment program is a cover to build atomic weapons, a charge Iran officials deny. Is it possible it could be a conclusion derived from the same intelligence Bush had when he claimed that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. It was never proven that Iraq had these weapons, which was the main reason for the attack on that country. You can bet that Obama also wants Iran to abandon its uranium enrichment program, but wants to be able to get on common ground to be able to talk to Iran before confronting Iran.
So how did he do it? He picked a specific day to outwardly extend his hand on a day that coincides with the festival of Nowruz, when Iranians mark the arrival of spring. This day in Iran is a happy day, as people are out shopping, and having fun in celebration. Now on this day, they will remember a message of hope extended by the new president.
He said his administration was committed "to pursuing constructive ties among the United States, Iran and the international community".
"With the coming of a new season, we're reminded of this precious humanity that we all share. And we can once again call upon this spirit as we seek the promise of a new beginning," the message said.
But Mr Obama warned: "This process will not be advanced by threats. We seek instead engagement that is honest and grounded in mutual respect."
"The United States wants the Islamic Republic of Iran to take its rightful place in the community of nations. You have that right - but it comes with real responsibilities."
Mr Obama's message was distributed to news outlets in Iran with subtitles in Farsi, and posted on the White House's official website.
The message is a dramatic departure from the policies of the George W Bush's administration, which described Iran as part of the "axis of evil", the BBC's Jonathan Beale in Washington says.
"My administration is now committed to diplomacy that addresses the full range of issues before us," Mr Obama said.
Iran, lately involved in nuclear activities, became George Bush's latest target of global terrorism. He believed that Iran's uranium enrichment program is a cover to build atomic weapons, a charge Iran officials deny. Is it possible it could be a conclusion derived from the same intelligence Bush had when he claimed that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. It was never proven that Iraq had these weapons, which was the main reason for the attack on that country. You can bet that Obama also wants Iran to abandon its uranium enrichment program, but wants to be able to get on common ground to be able to talk to Iran before confronting Iran.
So how did he do it? He picked a specific day to outwardly extend his hand on a day that coincides with the festival of Nowruz, when Iranians mark the arrival of spring. This day in Iran is a happy day, as people are out shopping, and having fun in celebration. Now on this day, they will remember a message of hope extended by the new president.
He said his administration was committed "to pursuing constructive ties among the United States, Iran and the international community".
"With the coming of a new season, we're reminded of this precious humanity that we all share. And we can once again call upon this spirit as we seek the promise of a new beginning," the message said.
But Mr Obama warned: "This process will not be advanced by threats. We seek instead engagement that is honest and grounded in mutual respect."
"The United States wants the Islamic Republic of Iran to take its rightful place in the community of nations. You have that right - but it comes with real responsibilities."
Mr Obama's message was distributed to news outlets in Iran with subtitles in Farsi, and posted on the White House's official website.
The message is a dramatic departure from the policies of the George W Bush's administration, which described Iran as part of the "axis of evil", the BBC's Jonathan Beale in Washington says.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
President Obama appears on the Jay Leno Show
http://www.nbc.com/The_Tonight_Show_with_Jay_Leno/video/clips/president-obama-319/1067421/
Complete Transcript
The president joked that it was mere coincidence that his Final Four picks were all from swing states, and revealed he has been working on his bowling in the White House, recently rolling a 129. But most of the discussion was devoted – perhaps for the first time in the show’s history – to in-depth discussions of tax policy, as well as macroeconomics and finance. And there was a reassurance from the president that the American people “should have complete confidence in the banks,” and should not be putting their money “in their mattresses.“
President Obama came on about 20 minutes into the 60-minute show. He was wearing a blue suit, red tie, white shirt, with a flag pin on left lapel (that was a minor issue in his campaign.) He walked across the stage to the seat next to Mr. Leno’s desk, waved to the crowd, many of whom were standing as they applauded. He then sat with right leg crossed over left leg.
Asked by Mr. Leno if it was fair to judge him based on just 59 days in office, President Obama said Washington “is a bit like ‘American idol’ except everybody’s Simon Cowell. Everybody’s got an opinion.”
But, he said, the American people are in a place where “they understand that it took us a while to get into this mess, and it will take us a while to get out of it.”
“I think they are going to give us some time,” he added.
The president and Mr. Leno spent several minutes discussing the bonuses for executives of American International Group, with the host noting that Mr. Obama looked genuinely angry when talking about them recently. “Stunned is the word,” the President said.
“The question is who in their right mind when the company is going bust decides we’re going to be paying a whole bunch of bonuses to people,” Mr. Obama said. “That I think speaks to a broader culture that existed on Wall Street, where I think people just had this general attitude of entitlement where we must be the best and the brightest, we deserve $10 million or $50 million or $100 million payouts.
“And the immediate bonuses that went to A.I.G. are a problem, but the larger problem is we’ve got to get back to an attitude where people know enough is enough and people have a sense of responsibility, and they understand that their actions are going have an effect on everybody,” he said. “And if we can get back to those values that built America, then I think we’re going to be okay.”
Mr. Leno also asked about the Congressional vote to levy a 90 percent tax on bonuses awarded to executives at companies that received bailout funds.
“I understand Congress’s frustration,” Mr. Obama said. “But the best way to handle this is to make sure you close the door before the horse gets out of the barn. What happened here was that the money’s already gone out and people are scrambling to try to find ways to get back at them.”
Mr. Obama said that he would like to see a change in tax policy “going back to the 1990s, where you and I, who are doing fairly well, pay a little bit more to pay for health care, to pay for energy, to make sure the kids can go to college who aren’t as fortunate as my kids might be. Those are the kinds of measured steps we can take.”
Mr. Leno asked whether somebody should go to jail for the financial misdeeds that are the source of so many headlines today.
“Here’s the dirty little secret,” Mr. Obama said. “Most of the stuff that got us into trouble was perfectly legal. And that is a sign of how much we’ve got to change our laws.”
“The answer is to deal with those laws in a way that gives the average consumer a break,” he said. “When you buy a toaster, if it explodes in your face, there’s a law that says your toasters need to be safe. But when you get a credit card or a mortgage, there’s no law on the books that says if that explodes in your face financially, somehow you’re going to be protected. So this is the need for getting back to some common sense regulation.
Mr. Obama seemed at a momentary loss for words only once during the session, which lasted 35 minutes (although some of it might be edited for the final show). That was when Mr. Leno, after asking about how Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner is holding up, said that “I love that it’s all his problem.”
Mr. Obama recovered and said, “Look, I’m the president. So ultimately all this stuff is stuff is my responsibility. If I’m not giving him the tools that he needs to move things forward, then people need to look at me.”
He added: “One of the things I’m trying to break is a pattern in Washington where everybody is always looking for someone else to blame. And I think Geithner is doing an outstanding job.”
Before the president’s appearance, Mr. Leno opened with the traditional “Tonight Show” monologue, and noted that people were wondering why President Obama would come to NBC. “You would think by this time he would be tired of big companies on the brink of disaster with a bunch of overpaid executives.”
Security was tight, Mr. Leno said, and President Obama had a huge entourage. “It’s still less people than when we have Mariah Carey on,” he said. And the show had intended “to have Vice President Joe Biden come out and say a few words. But it is only an hour show.”
The fact that President Obama decided to get out of the White House and travel all the way across the country is not that unusual, he said. “It happens to a lot of guys when their mother-in-law moves in with them,” Mr. Leno said.
NBC executives said the “Tonight” show had been in regular, almost weekly contact with the White House seeking to book the President on the show. When Mr. Obama made plans to stage a town hall meeting in Orange County, Calif., near Los Angeles, the show’s bookers stepped up their contact with the White House’s office of broadcast media, which is headed by Dag Vega. The booking was the result of what one NBC executive called “just this routine contact.”
Despite the fact that no previous sitting president has appeared on one of the late-night entertainment shows, bookers for most of them have been aggressively pursuing the President, a producer for one of the shows said.
“He did all the shows as a candidate, so everyone has stayed in touch,” said the producer, who spoke on condition of anonymity so as to avoid any potential bad reaction from the White House which might interfere with landing Mr. Obama in the future.