Tag Archives: Barack Obama

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Thrilled … a message from Michelle Obama


I am thrilled to make sure you are the first to hear some very exciting news. Charlotte, North Carolina, will host the 46th Democratic National Convention in 2012.

Charlotte is a city marked by its southern charm, warm hospitality, and an “up by the bootstraps” mentality that has propelled the city forward as one of the fastest-growing in the South. Vibrant, diverse, and full of opportunity, the Queen City is home to innovative, hardworking folks with big hearts and open minds. And of course, great barbecue.

Barack and I spent a lot of time in North Carolina during the campaign — from the Atlantic Coast to the Research Triangle to the Smoky Mountains and everywhere in between. Barack enjoyed Asheville so much when he spent several days preparing for the second Presidential debate that our family vacationed there in 2009.

And my very first trip outside of Washington as First Lady was to Fort Bragg, where I started my effort to do all we can to help our heroic military families.

All the contending cities were places that Barack and I have grown to know and love, so it was a hard choice. But we are thrilled to be bringing the convention to Charlotte.

We hope many of you can join us in Charlotte the week of September 3rd, 2012. But if you can’t, we intend to bring the spirit of the convention — as well as actual, related events to your community and even your own backyard.

More than anything else, we want this to be a grassroots convention for the people. We will finance this convention differently than it’s been done in the past, and we will make sure everyone feels closely tied in to what is happening in Charlotte. This will be a different convention, for a different time.

To help us make sure this is a grassroots convention — The People’s Convention — we need to hear from you. We want to know what you’d like to see at next year’s convention, how and where you plan on watching it — and the very best way we can engage your friends and neighbors.

http://my.barackobama.com/PeoplesConvention1?keycode=

I can’t believe it has been more than two years since my brother Craig introduced me at the 2008 Convention in Denver. It truly feels like it was yesterday.

As I looked out at a sea of thousands of supporters that night, I spoke about my husband — the man whom this country would go on to elect as the 44th President of the United States. I spoke about his fundamental belief — a conviction at the very core of his life’s work — that each of us has something to contribute to the spirit of our nation.

That’s also the belief at the core of The People’s Convention. That the table we sit at together ought to be big enough for everyone. That the thread that binds us — a belief in the promise of this country — is strong enough to sustain us through good times and bad.

Barack talked at the State of the Union of his vision for how America can win the future. That must be the focus now, and I know so many of you will help talk about our plans with your neighbors — that through innovation, education, reform, and responsibility we can make sure America realizes this vision.

But, conventions take time to plan, so please help us make sure that your thoughts and your ideas will ring all the way to Charlotte. Get started now:

http://my.barackobama.com/PeoplesConvention1?keycode=

Looking forward to sharing this together,

Michelle

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Breaking: House takes on gun checks …Michael Bloomberg


Yesterday on Capitol Hill, I joined members of Congress to announce the introduction of the Fix Gun Checks Act of 2011 in the House of Representatives. This marks another milestone in our mission to fix the national gun background check system.

I want to take this moment to thank you for your support – and to ask for your help in the work to come.

The Fix Gun Checks campaign has reached a critical stage. As we work to get this legislation passed and signed into law by President Obama, our representatives in Washington need to hear that communities across the country demand swift action to stop dangerous people like the Tucson shooter from getting their hands on guns.

Today, 34 Americans will be murdered by a killer with a gun. Tomorrow, it will be another 34. That is why we must call on Congress to pass the Fix Gun Checks Act

http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=stzaUHE5rkmlYhFcjTLOy6wOoElb5xGD

The bill we announced yesterday would take two critical steps to fix our background check system:

Get all the names of dangerous people who should be prohibited from buying guns into the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS).

Require a background check for every gun sale in America.

Earlier this week, President Obama signaled his support for fixing background checks, adding to our campaign’s growing momentum.

But now that legislation has been introduced, we need to work harder than ever to ensure that Washington hears our clear message: we will not stand idly by while 34 Americans are shot and killed each day.

www.FixGunChecks.org/CallCongress

Right now, we have a moment of opportunity to make real change. I hope you’ll join me in asking Congress to do its part to keep our communities safe.

http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=FvLaAasaD7qQSubEGl8mEhuMlkLr%2FtAS

Thanks for standing with us.

Sincerely,

Michael Bloomberg

Mayor, New York City

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thirsty Thursday &some News

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Today  has an air of sadness in it because of the events in Japan as well as the uprisings in various parts of the Middle East these days. The impact on our family friends are both sad and rude realities of our lives today but as we all know life goes on so take some time to kiss , hug and love your family, tell them how you feel.

 – take time to reach up to the sky slowly while breathing in deeply through the nose and hold and while lowering your arms to your sides exhale through your mouth and roll slowly your head, neck, shoulders torso …. repeat when needed.  The weather on the other hand has gone from the upper 50’s back to the cold 30’s and that is maddening to me because spring officially starts this weekend but as we move into the last week of March college Basket Ball or March Madness is now in full effect and will play itself out to its final push toward the big dance in April.

My rant this week, well the last few weeks have been filled with crazy talk from some freshman tea party members and it definitely has driven many mad as the final push toward getting the budget for FY2011 finalized. We all have to wonder at what point do these amateurs of politics and governing understand the words negotiate and compromise. It is disturbing to watch folks from the right play with the rights and lives of Americans by offering up deep budget cuts in spurts let alone anything-long term. What we Americans have seen on the floor of the Republican led House is one after the other of many acts of calamity by Congress and includes DEFUNDING the following: BIG BIRD, Families, volcano and tsunami warning centers, Women ,Children oh and do not forget you old people or anyone else that is in need. The fact is Public Broadcasting only costs around $1.50 per person and as a parent watching Sesame Street with my child was just a great addition to learning … and it’s from home. Americans constantly need reminding that elections have consequences. The party of no plans, cohesiveness, and or experience is itching for a government shutdown, and seemingly wants to force Americans back into the 50’s living in my opinion.

Though both Political Parties support the “stopgap bill”, which is only a temporary solution ;who would have thought that keeping the Government in biz for 2-3 weeks at a time is acceptable let alone and I say that again, let alone have the Democratic Party be the ones who keep the absolutely unacceptable 2012 spending bill alive. This whole thing is offensive to Working Families. I will admit I was not happy that 85 left of centers voted with Republicans to make sure that the latest deal …a 3-week stopgap passed on the floor of Congress. It would have been great if our Democratic party could have said look you do not have the votes let’s negotiate a real CR a good compromise and permanent budget. I don’t know about you but the lack of leadership and or control Boehner has over his freshman tea members is hilarious. It should also be a warning and enlightenment to rightwing backers to see Speaker Boehner is an epic failure. The number of bills that the new members of Congress has blocked, stalled, or voted down by their members of the Tea Party is beyond funny; at least it is funny to this voter.

The great debate or debates among members of Congress, talking heads, so-called journalists and us civilians about WHO WILL VOTE NO on the floor of Congress on any given day and why or do Democrats really want to support the President’s agenda or save themselves has gotten way too much media play for my taste. It has changed my thoughts and opinions on how honest certain reporters and the cable stations they work for are. Most of us have to question just what side of the aisle they represent on any given day or hour in the day. There used to be a time when most maybe not all but most talking heads in “the media” actually did subscribe to “fair and balanced news”. Now, given the rhetoric no one should be representing a side whatsoever but then again we have FOX as an example, who has some sort of pass to all things considered compassion, equal rights, discrimination and just plain ole human being type behavior. Well, let’s remember it is FOX.

The President subjected himself to a FOX interview for the Super Bowl and though he was unable to respond to Fox host Bill O., who clearly was hostile toward the President, butted in, kept asking questions, and seemed to think that interview was all about him. The behavior by the host should have been quite an embarrassment for fox management; actually, for anyone who works for “the Media” and calls themselves a reporter and or journalist who intentionally acts with such bad manners but there were no reports suggesting he was held accountable, which is so typical and offensive.

Other News …

**Dozens of nuke plant workers injured,exposed

**ok, yes low radioactivity heads for N.America

**Senate sends 3wk funding bill to President Obama

**Four NYT journalists reported missing in Libya

**Gahadfi pounds “rebel” his own people -US hints at air strikes

**House is set to vote on defunding BIG BIRD

*Another Earth Quake rocks Japan 6.0

**  DEA takes lethat drum from GA dept of Corrections

**Republican led republicans want to cut tsunami warning centers .. odd

**RNC will sell tv rights of republican presidential primary debates

**Diplomats discussing “range of options” beyond no-fly zone

**Mexico confirms presence of the US drones

**The NRA will not talk gun control with Obama ..ask yourself why

**

CSPAN …

 Capitol Hill

Is U.S. Prepared for Next Big Disaster

Also a look at earthquake monitoring

http://c-span.com/Events/Is-US-Prepared-for-Next-Big-Disaster/10737420262/

House To Vote To Defund NPR

http://c-span.com/Events/House-To-Vote-To-Defund-NPR/10737420260/

Republicans Push Drilling to Offset Rising Gasoline Prices

http://c-span.com/Events/Republicans-Push-Drilling-to-Offset-Rising-Gasoline-Prices/10737420263/

Senate Hearing on Winding Down of TARP

http://c-span.com/Events/Senate-Hearing-on-Winding-Down-of-TARP/10737420261/

Press Secretary Jay Carney conducts a daily briefing at the White House. Questions were mostly about the safety of Japan’s nuclear plants, in the aftermath of the recent earthquake and tsunami. Mr. Carney also responded to questions about the unrest in the Arab world.

http://c-span.com/Events/White-House-Briefing-with-Press-Secretary-Jay-Carney/10737420233/

Elizabeth Warren, Assistant to President Obama & Special Adviser to the Treasury Secretary on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) said she thinks the President will nominate a director for this new agency soon and added that if it was operational years ago “we won’t be in the mess we’re currently in.” She also said she’s only been offering advice to the Obama Administration involved in a formal settlement with mortgage servicers, but may participate in these discussions when the CFPB becomes operational in July.

http://c-span.com/Events/Warren-Defends-Consumer-Financial-Protection-Bureau/10737420228/

Representatives from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), joined by health and security experts, responded to concerns raised by the use of body imaging technology and other airport security measures at a House Oversight & Government Reform Subcommittee hearing.

http://c-span.com/Events/Congress-Hears-Publics-Concern-with-Full-Body-Scans/10737420257/

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The latest on the budget fight & a link -find out what reckless Republican cuts will do to your state!


The stand-off on the budget continues.

While it looks like the deadline could be extended, the President has said from the beginning that we simply can’t do business a few weeks at a time.

At OFA, we’ve been working hard at the local level. I can tell you the Republican plan isn’t getting any prettier. It costs nearly a million American jobs — including 15,100 in Washington — and it makes drastic, politically motivated cuts to education and innovation. Click here to learn more about how the Republican plan hurts people you know.

http://my.barackobama.com/State-Consequences2?state=WA

Let’s be real — this plan is not how we’re going to win the future. President Obama has offered a budget that would reduce the deficit by more than $1 trillion, but he’s said he’s not willing to go along with any plan that would hurt our economic recovery.

So, we’re keeping the pressure on Republicans to come to the table to pass a responsible budget.

You’ve already taken the first step by adding your name to the President’s call for a commonsense budget — but here’s what you can do now before we deliver each and every name to Congress: Spread the word to friends and family in Washington about exactly what the Republican plan would do.

Please pass along the email below, and ask folks to join you in making their voices heard.

Mitch and I will keep you posted as we learn more.

Thanks,

Yohannes

Yohannes Abraham

Political Director

Organizing for America

————–

Subject: Stand up for 15,100 Washington jobs

Dear friends,

I’m writing because 15,100 Washington jobs are at risk — along with key investments in education, innovation, and infrastructure.

The President is committed to finding common ground on a budget that reduces the deficit and cuts wasteful spending, but he’s made it clear that he can’t go along with any plan that could derail our economic growth.

The current spending plan proposed by Republicans would be devastating — and you can see exactly what the Republican budget would mean for Washington: eliminating 8,000 community health center jobs, cutting Washington homeland security investments for local law enforcement by $2.2 million, and dropping 2,989 Washington children from Head Start.

Even with a deadline extension in the works, if Republicans refuse to come to the table to find a long-term solution, the government will be forced to shut down.

Check out all the consequences of the Republican plan for people in Washington — and join me in standing with President Obama for a commonsense approach to the budget:

http://my.barackobama.com/State-Consequences2?state=WA

Thanks

~ my 2cents ...

wicked weathered Wednesday &some News


Beware the weather is churning March Madness is heating up and the nonsense in Politics and the behavior by Politicians is getting even worse.

After then Senator Barack Obama became President, someone said the sky was falling, that Marxism and or Socialism was coming to America and we will lose our freedom … oh and that certain Muslims are not to be trusted unless they become FBI informants and or give up their rights – freedom of religion

I thought this was the 21st Century people! I find it amusing yet it brings me to tears to see how easy folks seem to throw out labels to describe President Obama’s actions in a time when the jig is up so to speak. We all see and hear the rhetoric out there in I guess a desperate move to try and make Americans feel that “other” thing relevant again. I am hoping folks have had enough of it and can see through the Republican Tea Party for what they are and refuse to drink the Kool-Aid. If you need to get a blast from the past, engage in movements to make the tea party base scared see what the McCarthyism days were like just tune into the Peter King hearings and see what a racist who holds public office looks like. It is as if these people holding public office not only forgot the oath they took, they decided to use their positions of power to do whatever they can to alienate working American families by separating them from jobs, social services and education to name just a few things jumping around on the chopping block of the Republican Tea Party. Republicans have made a choice and it ain’t for the Middle Class.

I would like to remind anyone thinking of voting right of center in 2012 because they are not happy about the status of your own life at this very moment. After years of so-called creative accounting, procedures from Wall Street finally reared its ugly head. Life for middle America changed as we all know it and again like I keep saying the show House of cards by David Faber on CNBC was a cruel reminder and rude awaking at how greed affects the mind … a truthful documentation of the nasty journey our economy took … by who, for who and how it brought us all down …

I am definitely a part of the Democratic Party but if we have to subscribe to labels … call me a Marxist who believes in Socialism at this time. We need someone who cares, who is socially responsible and who believes the gap between the haves and have none needs to shrink. If that is wrong, school me. Even though my question is rhetorical, think about it. What could be wrong with caring for your fellow man no matter what race, sex, creed, and or religion not just the 2% who got their bonus dollars after holding the Middle Class hostage for what about two years but still not satisfied until they destroy what America use to be about. The fact is that 2% has been and continues to wheel and deal with folks like the Koch brothers and the US Chamber of Commerce beginning or ending at the house of bush is not clear. However, it is obvious they intended to make money at the expense of all investors and the crap trickled down to Main Street.

“We the People” need to admit. It’s time for a change and if you believe in equality, it you believe in Working Families, Working Class American Workers instead of Corporate American or the Rich we all need to make sure that the Democratic Party regains control and correct the blatant BS and or mess that Republicans have made of our country.

Other News …

 **Peter King defends his hearings and will bring in other Muslims to prove it

**Libyan rebels might be losing the fight

**clashes in Tahrir square – 11 killed senselessly

**NPR CEO resigns amid tea party flap

**7.2 earthquake off coast of Japan

**41 in the Italian crime grp are being looked for

**Ben affleck talks about the horrors in Congo

**Mortgage Apps uptick to 16%, highest since June

**Suicide bombings in Pakistan killing dozens 

**hey Glee with Gwenth Paltrow was great

CSPAN …

Senate to Vote on Competing Spending Bills

http://c-span.com/Events/Senate-to-Vote-on-Competing-Spending-Bills/10737420087/

Sec. Duncan Defends FY2012 Education Budget

http://c-span.com/Events/Sec-Duncan-Defends-FY2012-Education-Budget/10737420052/

Capitol Hill

Hearing to Ask if Federal Workers are Underpaid

pay-for-performance system evaluated

http://c-span.com/Events/Hearing-to-Ask-if-Federal-Workers-are-Underpaid/10737420051/

Committee Starts to Deal with Housing Finance Reform

first in series of hearings

http://c-span.com/Events/Committee-Starts-to-Deal-with-Housing-Finance-Reform/10737420082/

First Lady Michelle Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton hosted the annual International Women of Courage Awards ceremony at the State Department. Afterwards, two award winners, a prosecutor from Afghanistan and a journalist from the East African nation of Cameroon, spoke with reporters. http://c-span.com/Events/State-Department-Press-Briefings/10737420056/