Obama meets with House Republicans
Video Blog
www.whitehouse.gov
President Barack Obama takes questions from members of the House Republican caucus at the GOP House Issues Conference in Baltimore, Md., on Friday, Jan. 29, 2010.
The video is courtesy the White House channel on YouTube. Continue reading “Obama meets with House Republicans” »
State of the Union: A Virginia perspective
Edited by Chris Graham
freepress2@ntelos.net
Everything you wanted to know about the State of the Union, but were afraid to ask.
We have the full texts and videos of President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address and Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell’s Republican response. We also have reactions from Sens. Jim Webb and Mark Warner, congressmen Tom Perriello and Bob Goodlatte and Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine.
Enjoy.
President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address
Madame Speaker, Vice President Biden, Members of Congress, distinguished guests, and fellow Americans:
Our Constitution declares that from time to time, the President shall give to Congress information about the state of our union. For two hundred and twenty years, our leaders have fulfilled this duty. They have done so during periods of prosperity and tranquility. And they have done so in the midst of war and depression; at moments of great strife and great struggle. Continue reading “State of the Union: A Virginia perspective” »
Democrats: Where do you go from here?
Story by Chris Graham
freepress2@ntelos.net
You talk to one Democrat, and the party definitely, no question, needs to restrategize toward the middle. The blowback from voters in Massachusetts is an obvious clear signal. The nation isn’t comfortable with the direction things had been headed on health care and the stimulus. Time to pull things back in for a while.
Talk to another Democrat, and that first Democrat is either an idiot or worse, a sellout. Exit polls in Massachusetts indicate that a strong majority of voters there like their state-level version of universal health care. The blowback was local, aimed at a poorly-run campaign on the part of the Democratic nominee, Martha Coakley.
Changing the course now will bring about a repeat of 1994, when Democrats threw in the towel on health-care reform and suffered at the polls in a historic GOP takeover of the House that November.
“There’s no profit in moving to the center,” said Robert Borosage, the co-director of the Washington, D.C.,-based Campaign for America’s Future, which bills itself as the “strategy center for the progressive movement.” Continue reading “Democrats: Where do you go from here?” »
Marrow: Obama, Dems no better than GOP
Story by Chris Graham
freepress2@ntelos.net
See if you can guess who updated their Facebook status this way over the weekend.
“A year later is has become abundantly clear that Obama and the dems are no better than bush and his republican sleaze. They are all corporate wh@#es, liars and thieves. The only difference is that Obama actually has a brain (most medical experts agree that bush did not), but no spine, at least bush had a spine ..even if was cheney’s…”
No, though I have a number of hardcore Republican friends, it wasn’t one of them.
And no, it wasn’t me, centrist critic of the Obama administration that I am.
Would you believe, Greg Marrow, the Democratic Party House of Delegates nominee in the 25th District from last fall? Continue reading “Marrow: Obama, Dems no better than GOP” »
Wolf: Let’s re-evaluate terrorism efforts
Staff Report
News Tips: freepress2@ntelos.net
10th District Congressman Frank Wolf, author of the 1998 legislation creating the National Terrorism Commission, today called on President Obama to bring back the co-chairmen of the 9/11 Commission to evaluate which of the panel’s recommendations have been implemented and which ones have not.
Wolf also called for the creation of a “Team B” made up of experts who could provide the president with other perspectives on dealing with the issue.
In addition, Wolf announced that he plans to introduce legislation to provide that the administrator of the Transportation Security Administration be appointed for a 10-year term like the director of the FBI. Continue reading “Wolf: Let’s re-evaluate terrorism efforts” »
Wolf to Obama: ‘Please stop these releases’
Congressman also calls for public release of info on detainees
Staff Report
Rep. Wolf online: www.wolf.house.gov
10th District Congressman Frank Wolf is again calling on the Obama administration to halt the release of Guantanamo Bay detainees to countries like Yemen in the wake of an attempt by a man with ties to extremist groups in Yemen to detonate an explosive device in a passenger jet over Detroit on Christmas Day.
“I implore you again to immediately halt these releases and answer the questions of the American people about your policies and who you are releasing. They deserve to know,” Wolf wrote in a letter dated today to President Obama.
“It is inconceivable that you would release terrorist detainees to Yemen and Afghanistan at the same time you are launching missiles at terrorist targets. Please stop these releases.” Continue reading “Wolf to Obama: ‘Please stop these releases’” »
President Obama remarks on the economy
Speech by President Barack Obama
www.whitehouse.gov
I’ve just finished a candid and productive meeting with the CEOs of 12 of our nation’s largest financial institutions. I asked them to come to Washington today – at the end of this difficult year for their industry, but also for the economy – to discuss where we’ve been, what we expect of them going forward, and how we can work together to accelerate economic recovery.
Our nation’s banks play, and have always played, a crucial role in our national economy – from providing loans for homes and cars and colleges; to supplying the capital that allows entrepreneurs to turn ideas into products and businesses to grow; to helping people save for a rainy day and a secure retirement. So it’s clear that each of us has a stake in ensuring the strength and the vitality of the financial system. Continue reading “President Obama remarks on the economy” »
Obama: Statement on jobs
Staff Report
White House news: www.whitehouse.gov
I have just concluded an informative and constructive discussion with Republican and Democratic leaders about job creation and our economic future. We spoke about the challenges facing our families, our businesses, and our country as a whole, and what we can do to overcome them. Today’s meeting built on some of the ideas that I offered in the economic speech that I gave yesterday and on some of the ideas discussed at the Job Forum that we held at the White House last week. Continue reading “Obama: Statement on jobs” »
Transcript: President Obama on job creation
Speech at The Brookings Institution
www.whitehouse.gov
Almost exactly one year ago, on a frigid winter’s day, I met with my new economic team at the headquarters of my presidential transition offices in Chicago. And over the course of four hours, my advisors presented an analysis of where the economy at that time stood, accompanied by a chilling set of charts and graphs, predicting where we might end up. It was an unforgettable series of presentations. Continue reading “Transcript: President Obama on job creation” »
The Rant | Party crash this
Video Essay by Chris Graham
freepress2@ntelos.net
What about those White House party crashers? We haven’t had something this salacious to talk about since, well, the balloon boy.
With unemployment at 10 percent, with the health-care system in bad need of reform, with wars in Afghanistan and Iraq seemingly at no end, does it really matter that two socialites talked their way into the White House?
Chris Graham muses in today’s Rant.
AFP Video. Length: 1:49.
Continue reading “The Rant | Party crash this” »
Dinner with the First Family
Story by Chris Graham
newdominion@ntelos.net
Mike Lund found himself a few feet away from the First Couple at the November state dinner held at the White House in honor of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his wife, Gursharan Kaur.
President Barack Obama broke away from small talk with First Lady Michelle Obama to talk with the people in charge of preparing the dinner, and Lund, the executive chef at Zynodoa in Downtown Staunton, had to take the lead after a fellow chef had trouble finding words. Continue reading “Dinner with the First Family” »
What workers want: Paid sick days
Posted by afp on January 6, 2010 · Leave a Comment
Column by Linda Meric
Submit guest columns: freepress2@ntelos.net
It wasn’t the first time that federal legislation guaranteeing workers a minimum number of paid sick days had been introduced. Previous efforts were unsuccessful. But now, the Healthy Families Act has 145 congressional co-sponsors and has been endorsed by the Obama administration.
So health professionals, civil rights groups, labor unions, educators, faith organizations, elected officials and women’s groups like 9to5 are optimistic about its passage. Continue reading “What workers want: Paid sick days” »
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