First lady Michelle Obama delivers the commencement address to graduates of Martin Luther King, Jr. Academic Magnet High School on Saturday, May 18, 2013, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
NASHVILLE, Tennessee — First lady Michelle Obama has some advice for some Tennessee high school graduates: Strike your own path in college and life and work to overcome inevitable failures with determination and grit.
The first lady told the 170 graduates that she spent too much of her own time in college focusing on academic achievements. While her success in college and law school led to a high-profile job, she said, she ended up leaving to focus on public service.
“My message to all of you today is this: Do not waste a minute living someone else’s dream,” she said. “It takes a lot of real work to discover what brings you joy … and you won’t find what you love simply by checking boxes or padding your GPA.”
Mrs. Obama lauded the school — it’s on the site of one of the city’s first to educate African-Americans — for its graduation rate, spirit of volunteerism and healthy food programs. She noted that each graduate was going on to either higher education or the military.
She said MLK reminded her of her own high school experience in Chicago.
“My No. 1 goal was to go to a high school that would push me and challenge me,” she said. “I wanted to go somewhere that would celebrate achievement. A place where academic success wouldn’t make me a target of teasing or bullying, but instead would be a badge of honor.”
First lady Michelle Obama delivers the commencement address to graduates of Martin Luther King, Jr. Academic Magnet High School on Saturday, May 18, 2013, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
But Mrs. Obama lamented that not all students have the same opportunities.
“Unfortunately, schools like this don’t exist for every kid,” she said. “You are blessed.”
The first lady told graduates that failure may be a part of their college lives and careers, and that how they respond to any pitfalls will define them.
“That’s when you find out what you’re really made of in those hard times,” she said. “But you can only do that if you’re willing to put yourself in a position where you might fail.”
Overcoming adversity has been the hallmark of many great people, she said.
“Oprah was demoted from her first job as a news anchor, and now she doesn’t even need a last name,” she said of media giant Oprah Winfrey. “And then there’s this guy Barack Obama … he lost his first race for Congress, and now he gets to call himself my husband.”
Mrs. Obama later presented graduate diplomas on stage and posed for photos with graduates.
“We didn’t know we would get to hug her,” said graduate Natey Kinzounza, 18. “She’s got a great sense of humor. She’s like my mom, she’s just a very real person.”
First lady Michelle Obama jokes with a student as she hands out diplomas during the graduation ceremony for Martin Luther King, Jr. Academic Magnet High School on Saturday, May 18, 2013, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
First lady Michelle Obama hugs Jenika Headley-Greene as Obama hands out diplomas during the graduation ceremony for Martin Luther King Jr. Academic Magnet High School, Saturday, May 18, 2013, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
First lady Michelle Obama hugs a student as she hands out diplomas at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Academic Magnet High School graduation on Saturday, May 18, 2013, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
First lady Michelle Obama, second from right, hands out diplomas at the graduation ceremony for Martin Luther King, Jr. Academic Magnet High School on Saturday, May 18, 2013, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
First lady Michelle Obama, right, talks with Dr. Jesse Register, left, director of Nashville schools, and Schunn Turner, principal, center, on stage for the commencement ceremony of Martin Luther King, Jr. Academic Magnet High School on Saturday, May 18, 2013, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
First lady Michelle Obama, right, applauds as students enter the arena for the commencement ceremony of Martin Luther King, Jr. Academic Magnet High School on Saturday, May 18, 2013, in Nashville, Tenn. With her are Dr. Jesse Register, left, director of Nashville schools, and Schunn Turner, principal, center. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
First lady Michelle Obama is introduced to deliver the commencement address to graduates of Martin Luther King, Jr. Academic Magnet High School on Saturday, May 18, 2013, in Nashville, Tenn. At right is teacher Carmen Mullins. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
First lady Michelle Obama delivers the commencement address to graduates of Martin Luther King, Jr. Academic Magnet High School on Saturday, May 18, 2013, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
Today, President Obama is headed to Baltimore, Maryland to talk early childhood education, infrastructure and ensuring hard work leads to a decent living.
Watch the video below to learn more about what the President is doing in Baltimore, and check back on this post for updates from the trip – we’ll post them all here together. If you’re interested, tune in to wh.gov/live at 1:20 pm ET to watch the President’s remarks at Ellicot Dredges, which manufactures innovative dredges and dredge equipment being sold for infrastructure projects across the country and around the world.
Previewing the President’s trip to Baltimore
Published on May 16, 2013
On Friday, May 17, the President will travel to Baltimore, Maryland in his second Middle Class Jobs and Opportunity Tour. While in Baltimore, the President will visit an elementary school that provides comprehensive early childhood services. Then, the President will visit Ellicott Dredges, which manufactures innovative dredges and dredge equipment being sold for infrastructure projects across the country and around the world. He will also be visiting a community center that helps families by ensuring parents have the skills they need to earn a decent living.
President Barack Obama left behind scandal-focused Washington on Friday to focus on the country’s slowly improving jobs picture. Obama stopped at an elementary school that provides early childhood education. (May 17)
In Case You Missed It
Here are some of the top stories from the White House blog:
David Simas: “A gesture that means something”
Deputy Senior Advisor David Simas sends a message to the White House email list, asking people to speak out in support of the Affordable Care Act.
On Friday, May 17th at 10:00am MT (12:00pm ET), Dr. Biden will give the commencement address to the 33rd graduating class of Navajo Technical College (NTC) — one of two tribal colleges serving the Navajo Nation.
Many of the programs at NTC are designed to help create new jobs and economic opportunities on or near the Navajo Nation, while equipping their students with the skills they need to succeed in those jobs.
President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden meet with Secretary of Defense Hagel, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dempsey and the service secretaries, service chiefs, and senior enlisted advisors to discuss sexual assault in the military.
President and First Lady to Host Concert Honoring Carole King in the East Room
Wednesday, May 22 * White House – As part of their “In Performance at the White House” series, the President and First Lady will host a concert in the East Room honoring singer-songwriter Carole King, who will be awarded the 2013 Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. President Obama will present the award as he did when the Library of Congress honored Stevie Wonder (2009), Sir Paul McCartney (2010), and the songwriting team of Burt Bacharach and Hal David (2012). The program will include performances by King, as well as Gloria Estefan, Billy Joel, Jesse McCartney, Emeli Sandé, James Taylor and Trisha Yearwood.
The President’s remarks will be pooled press and the entire event will be streamed live on www.whitehouse.gov/live starting at 7:00 PM ET. “Carole King: The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize In Performance at the White House” will be broadcast Tuesday, May 28 at 8:00 PM ET on PBS stations nationwide (check local listings). The program will also be broadcast at a later date via the American Forces Network to American service men and women and civilians at U.S. Department of Defense locations around the world.
This will be the first time the Gershwin Prize honor has been awarded to a woman. The Gershwin Prize commemorates George and Ira Gershwin, the legendary American songwriting team whose extensive manuscript collections reside in the Library of Congress. The prize is awarded to musicians whose lifetime contributions in the field of popular song exemplify the standard of excellence associated with the Gershwins.
The White House concert caps off two days of events celebrating the recipient of the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. On Tuesday, May 21st at 7:00 PM ET, the Library of Congress will host an invitation-only concert at their Coolidge Auditorium in honor of Carole King. The all-star tribute will include performances by Patti Austin, Colbie Caillat, Michael Feinstein, Siedah Garrett, Louise Goffin, Shelby Lynne, Gian Marco, Arturo Sandoval and a special performance by honoree Carole King. This event will be open to press, but space is limited. Members of the media who wish to cover this event must contact Sheryl Cannady at 202-707-6456 or scannady@loc.gov.
“Carole King: The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize In Performance at the White House” will be the eleventh “In Performance at the White House” program hosted by the President and Mrs. Obama. Starting in February 2009, these events have honored the musical genius of Stevie Wonder, Sir Paul McCartney, Burt Bacharach and Hal David; celebrated Hispanic musical heritage during Hispanic Heritage Month; marked Black History Month with events featuring music from the Civil Rights Movement, Motown, Memphis Soul and the Blues; spotlighted Broadway and the unique spirit of the American musical; and explored the rich roots and resiliency of Country Music.
A class of third graders from North Philadelphia recently wrote to Vice President Biden about reducing gun violence. This week, the Vice President sat down to share some of these children’s words with you — and an expression that belonged to his mom: “out of the mouths of babes come gems of wisdom.” Take a listen.
Vice President President Joe Biden reads letters from children about reducing gun violence, in his Ceremonial Office in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. May 15, 2013. (Official White House Photo by David Lienemann)
Secretary Ray LaHood and Sylvia Burwell
May 17, 2013
10:28 AM EDT
President Obama today signed a Presidential Memorandum that will shave months, and even years, off the time it takes to review and approve major infrastructure projects. This means that states, local governments, and private developers will be able to start construction sooner, create jobs earlier, and fix our nation’s infrastructure faster.
On March 22, 2012, the President issued an Executive Order launching a government-wide initiative to improve the efficiency of federal review and permitting of infrastructure projects. Since then, agencies have expedited the review and permitting of 50 major projects, including bridges, transit , railways, waterways, roads, and renewable energy projects.
Federal agencies have also identified a set of best practices for efficient review and permitting. Those range from expanding information technology (IT) tools to strategies – like simultaneous review – for improving collaboration. Today’s Presidential Memorandum directs all relevant agencies to put these best practices into effect.
Cutting red tape and streamlining the process for making permitting decisions will help us meet the President’s goal of cutting in half the timelines for major infrastructure projects, while creating better outcomes for our communities and for the environment.
We also recently expedited Federal approval for the Tappan Zee Bridge replacement project in New York. By speeding up the approval process, Federal agencies trimmed up to three years off the timeline for this multi-billion dollar project that will help put Americans back to work.
Issa is a self-made millionaire with a net worth estimated at as much as $450 million, making him the wealthiest currently-serving member of Congress.
Early life, education, and military service
Issa, the second of six children, was born in Cleveland, Ohio, to Martha (née Bielfelt) and William Issa, who sold trucks and grinded valves. His father was Eastern Orthodox and his mother was a Mormon. His paternal grandparents were Lebanese immigrants who both belonged to the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch known as the “Antiochian Orthodox” community and his mother is of German and Bohemian (Czech) descent. The family moved to the predominantly Jewish suburb of Cleveland Heights in the later years of his childhood. Many of his friends were Jewish, and Issa reportedly worked for a rabbi at one point. He became very familiar with Jewish culture.
Issa dropped out of high school, and on his 17th birthday he enlisted for three years in the Army. He became an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) technician, trained to defuse bombs.
He said his unit provided security for President Richard Nixon, sweeping stadiums for bombs prior to games in the 1971 World Series. A May 1998 investigation by Lance Williams of the San Francisco Examiner said Nixon had not attended any of that year’s World Series games. His unit did perform security sweeps for the World Series. The investigation said that Issa was transferred to a supply depot after Issa received poor ratings and after the World Series. According to Issa, the Examiner reporter misunderstood an anecdote he had related. A fellow soldier, Jay Bergey, said that Issa stole his Dodge Charger in 1971, and that “I confronted Issa…I got in his face and threatened to kill him, and magically my car reappeared the next day, abandoned on the turnpike.” No charges were ever filed. Issa has denied any theft.
Twice that year, he was arrested. In the first incident he was indicted by a grand jury for an alleged theft of a Maserati, but prosecutors dropped the charge. In the second incident, he was stopped for driving the wrong way on a one-way street, and a police officer noticed a firearm in his glove compartment. Issa was charged with carrying a concealed weapon. He pled guilty to a charge of possession of an unregistered firearm, and was sentenced to six months’ probation and a small fine. Issa has said he believes the record has since been expunged.
Issa attended Siena Heights University, a small Catholic college in Adrian, Michigan, followed by Kent State University at Stark, where he enrolled in the Reserve Officer Training Corps and was commissioned as a second lieutenant. Issa served in the Army Reserve from 1976 to 1980 and was promoted to the rank of captain. While serving on active duty for training with the 1/77th Armor Battalion as an Assistant S-1 from September 9 to September 26, 1980, he received an evaluation report by then-Lt. Col.Wesley Clark, who wrote “This officer’s performance far exceeded that of any other reserve officer who has worked in the battalion” and “Promote ahead of contemporaries. Unlimited potential.”
Shortly before his discharge, Issa was again indicted for grand theft auto, but Issa insisted he was innocent and by August, 1980, the prosecution dropped the case.
Business career
Quantum/Steal Stopper
After leaving the military, Issa and his second wife, Kathy Stanton, moved back to the Cleveland area. They pooled their savings, sold their cars, and borrowed $50,000 from his family to invest in Quantum Enterprises, an electronics manufacturer run by a friend from Cleveland Heights that assembled bug zappers, CB radio parts and other consumer products for other companies. One of those clients, car alarm manufacturer Steal Stopper, would become the path to Issa’s fortune. It was struggling badly, and he took control of it by foreclosing a $60,000 loan he had made to it when its founder, Joey Adkins, missed a payment. Adkins remained as an employee.
Issa soon turned Steal Stopper around, to the point that it was supplying Ford with thousands of car alarms and negotiating a similar deal with Toyota.
But early in the morning of September 7, 1982, the offices and factory of Quantum and Steal Stopper in the Cleveland suburb of Maple Heights, caught fire. The fire took three hours to put out. The buildings and almost all inventory within were destroyed. An investigation of the cause of the fire noted “suspicious burn patterns” with fires starting in two places aided by an accelerator such as gasoline. Adkins said that Issa appeared to prepare for a fire by increasing the fire insurance policy 462% three weeks previously, and by removing computer equipment holding accounting and customer information. Adkins said that he thinks Issa set the fire on purpose. The insurance company was suspicious of arson and paid only about one-tenth the insured amount.
Reporter Ryan Lizza writes that the fire insurance was increased by Issa from $100,000 to $462,000 but that only about $45,000 was paid out: $25,000 at first and then an out-of-court settlement of about $20,000.
Ethics complaint
In September 2011, the liberal advocacy group American Family Voices filed a complaint with the Office of Congressional Ethics against Issa, alleging he had repeatedly used his public office for personal financial gain. Issa’s office rejected the allegations.
However, the year before that the Project on Government Oversight, a government watchdog group, awarded Issa with its Good Government Award for his contributions to government oversight and transparency. These included publicizing documents produced by the New York Federal Reserve Bank in response to a congressional subpoena, publicly exposing the New York Federal Reserve’s secret “back-door bailout” of AIG‘s counterparties, and cofounding a Transparency Caucus dedicated to “promoting a more open and accountable government through education, legislation, and oversight.”
Oversight committee Chair
After becoming Chairman of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Issa has become a vocal advocate for investigations into the Obama administration, including the Troubled Assets Relief Program, the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission, corruption in Afghanistan, WikiLeaks, and the Food and Drug Administration, among other issues. In 2010 he told the press that he wanted the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform to hold investigative hearings “seven hearings a week, times 40 weeks.”
On February 16, 2012, the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform held a hearing on the Department of Health and Human Services’s regulation requiring insurance plans to cover birth control, which Issa believed was a violation of the religious freedom of people who oppose the use of birth control. Sandra Fluke was submitted as a witness by Democratic members, but Issa did not permit her to testify, saying that her name was submitted too late, a claim Democrats challenged.
In February 2011, the Watchdog Institute, an independent nonprofit reporting center based at San Diego State University, published an investigation alleging that as leader of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Issa built a team that included staff members with close connections to industries that could benefit from his investigations. The Huffington Post also published the Institute’s investigation.
Papantonio and Ed Schultz Discuss Darrell Issa’s Criminal Record
Uploaded on Jan 5, 2011
Congressman Darrell Issa, the man with the nerve to call the Obama Administration “corrupt,” knows a thing or two about corruption. After all, the man has been arrested at least 3 times over the years for things like possessing an illegal weapon and stealing cars. That’s right – the man in charge of investigations for the House is a former car thief. Watch as Mike Papantonio and Ed Schultz uncover Issa’s criminal past.
REPORT: Media Ignore Rep. Issa’s Alleged Criminal Past
By MATT GERTZ & ROB SAVILLO
Rep. Darrell Issa’s past includes arrests for weapons charges and auto theft, suspicions of arson, and accusations of intimidation with a gun, but you’d hardly know it from the media’s recent coverage of the new chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. While Issa was substantially mentioned in 15 articles in the nation’s largest newspapers since the last election — including several major profiles — only one of those articles mentioned any of these allegations. Likewise, interviewers did not ask Issa about his alleged criminal past in any of the cable or network interviews he sat for during that period.
Network and Cable Interviewers Won’t Ask Issa About Criminal Allegations
In 11 Interviews Since Election Day, No Network Or Cable Anchor Has Asked Issa About The Allegations Against Him.
Print Media Largely Overlooks Issa’s Alleged Criminal Past
Only One Of 15 Articles Substantially Mentioning Issa Referenced Any Of The Allegations.
The Real Issa: Suspected Arson
1982: Issa Suspected, But Never Charged, In Arson Incident At Manufacturing Plant. According to the Los Angeles Times: “A suspected arson fire ripped through [Issa's Ohio] manufacturing plant in 1982. No one was ever charged in the fire, but authorities were troubled by a dramatic escalation in the facility’s fire insurance just weeks earlier. Even before the blaze was put out, investigators began peppering Issa and his partner with ‘crazy questions’ regarding their whereabouts before the fire, Issa recalled.” [Los Angeles Times, 5/23/98, via Nexis, emphasis added]
Prior To Fire, Issa “Boosted” Fire Insurance And Removed A Computer From The Premises. According to the Los Angeles Times: “Weeks before the fire, Issa and [business partner Miles] Hunsinger boosted their fire insurance from $ 100,000 to $ 462,000 on property stored for other companies…At the same time, a separate company that contracted with Quantum to outfit bug zappers increased its insurance to $ 400,000, and, according to an insurance report, one investigator was ‘concerned about the coincidence.’ Fire investigators also noted that a computer was taken off the site eight days before the fire, ‘allegedly to be reprogrammed’ by Issa’s lawyer, and that business blueprints were put away in a safe — which was ‘not previously done before.’” [Los Angeles Times, 5/23/98, via Nexis]
“Suspicious Burn Patterns” And “Out Of Normal Practice” Behavior Alerted Investigators. The Washington Post reported: “Investigators reported ‘suspicious burn patterns’ and said the fire may have been set. A company bookkeeper, Karen Brasdovich, also told them that computers and records had been removed from the site days before the fire for no clear reason. ‘It was totally out of normal practice,’ she said in a telephone interview last week.” [Washington Post via FTLComm.com, 7/8/03]
AC Custom Fire: Flammable Liquid Had “Been Poured On The Only Area Not Covered By Fire Sprinklers.” The Los Angeles Times reported that “seven months after Issa took control,” a fire broke out at the “Quantum manufacturing plant.” “Case files from Maple Heights, the Ohio fire marshal and insurers pointed repeatedly to the likelihood of arson in the blaze, which officials estimated caused $ 800,000 in damage. Although an accident could not be ruled out, the uneven and unnatural burn patterns made the blaze ‘suspicious in nature,’ the state concluded two months later. Flammable liquid appeared to have been poured on the only area not covered by fire sprinklers, investigators found.” [Los Angeles Times, 5/23/98, via Nexis, emphasis added]
The Real Issa: Intimidation With A Weapon
Former AC Custom Executive Claimed Issa Intimidated Him With A Gun.According to the Los Angeles Times: “One of Issa’s first tasks as the new boss [of AC Custom] was to remove an executive named Jack Frantz. According to Frantz, Issa came into his office, placed a small box on the desk and opened it. Inside, he said, was a gun.” [Los Angeles Times, 5/23/98, via Nexis]
Issa Allegedly Used Intimidation To Fire Executive Frantz. According to the Los Angeles Times, Frantz claimed, “‘He just showed [the gun] to me and said ‘You know what this is?’ Issa invited Frantz to hold the gun at one point and told him he had learned about guns and explosives during his military days, Frantz said. Because he was about to be fired, Frantz said he saw it as ‘pure intimidation.’” [Los Angeles Times, 5/23/98, via Nexis]
Former AC Custom Bookkeeper: “It Was Pretty Terrifying.” According to the Los Angeles Times: “The bookkeeper, [Karen] Brasdovich, also recalled Issa having a gun at the company that day. ‘It was pretty terrifying,’ she said.” [Los Angeles Times, 5/23/98, via Nexis]
Issa On The Incident: “Shots Were Never Fired.” The Los Angeles Timesreported: “Issa said, ‘Shots were never fired. If I asked Jack to leave, then I think I had every right to ask Jack to leave…I don’t recall having a gun. I really don’t. I don’t think I ever pulled a gun on anyone in my life.’” [Los Angeles Times, 5/23/98, via Nexis, emphasis added]
The Real Issa: Auto Theft & Weapons Charges
Issa “Twice Arrested In 1972 On Weapons Charges.” According to the San Francisco Chronicle: “Issa was twice arrested in 1972 on weapons charges — once in Ohio, once in Michigan.” [San Francisco Chronicle, 7/2/03]
Issa Was Convicted Of “Possession Of An Unregistered Handgun,” Paid Fine, And Served Probation. According to the San Francisco Chronicle: “[W]hen Issa was attending college in Michigan, was fined $100 and put on three months’ probation after being arrested for possession of an unregistered handgun, Michigan court records show.” [San Francisco Chronicle, 7/2/03]
1972: Issa Was Arrested For Auto Theft. According to the New York Times: “In 1972, [Darrell Issa] and his brother William were arrested in the theft of a Maserati from a Cleveland car dealership.” [New York Times, 7/23/03]
1972: Issa Also Charged With “Carrying A Concealed Weapon.” According to the San Francisco Chronicle: “Court records…show that in March 1972, one month after getting out of the Army, Issa was arrested on charges of carrying a concealed weapon and auto theft. The court file doesn’t indicate the type of weapon involved.” [San Francisco Chronicle, 7/2/03]
Auto Theft, Concealed Weapons Charges Were Ultimately Dropped.According to the San Francisco Chronicle: “In May 1972, a grand jury indicted Issa on a larceny charge in connection with the car theft but dropped the weapons charge. Two weeks later, a prosecutor dropped the car theft charge as well.” [San Francisco Chronicle, 7/2/03]
Charges Were Dropped Despite Witness Reports. According to the Los Angeles Times, “a witness reported seeing [Darrell and William Issa] pushing the sports car down the street just before midnight, records and interviews show. But the charges were dismissed — months before the older brother, [William], was convicted of stealing another car amid a string of offenses.” [Los Angeles Times, 5/23/98, via Nexis]
Methodology
Media Matters for America searched the Factiva database for news articles fromThe Wall Street Journal and the Nexis database for news articles from the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, USA Today, and The Washington Postand all network and cable news programming* from ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox Broadcasting Co., Fox News, MSNBC, and NBC between November 2, 2010 and January 10, 2011 for mentions of Darrell Issa. From cable, only interviews were included — news packages and short clips were excluded. From print, any article substantially mentioning Issa — beyond merely reporting his new position in Congress or other brief mentions — was included.
*ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox Broadcasting, and NBC transcripts include all news programming; Fox News and MSNBC transcripts include prime-time and select daytime interviews.
You want a real scandal: No vote in 2 years on The American Jobs Bill, that would put millions of Americans to work.
You want a real scandal: No vote or solution on the Sequestration, which was created by Congress.
You want a real scandal: No vote on the Universal Background Checks bill…..that ends in a result that 91% of Americans want.
You want a real scandal: Lets all celebrate The 5 Month Anniversary Of 28 Deaths In Newtown, Connecticut By Doing Exactly What Congress Has Accomplished Since The Sandy Hook Elementary Massacre…… N.O.T.H.I.N.G. Jack Shit. Oh Wait…..My Bad…..Congress HAS Taken 4 Breaks in 151 Days Since 12/14/12.
You want a real scandal: Today, the 16th of May, 2013, A TeaTardedRepubliCANT House voted For The 37th Time To Repeal ObamaCares…229 to 195, at a cost of $55 Million to American taxpayers.
I’m sick and disgusted with Darrell Issa AND his muthafuckin ilk.
This afternoon, David Simas sent the message below to the White House email list, asking people to speak out in favor of the health care law. If you didn’t get the email, be sure to sign up.
Today, Republicans in the House of Representatives are going to come together, cast a vote, and try to repeal the Affordable Care Act just as they’ve done nearly 40 times before.
Don’t expect much to come of it.
The health care law was passed by Congress, signed by the President, and upheld by the Supreme Court. It’s been the law of the land for more than three years. It’s not going anywhere. We know that, and so do the lawmakers on Capitol Hill. But instead of creating jobs and growing the economy, some of them want to make yet another gesture of protest — even if it’s meaningless.
So we’re responding with a little gesture of our own, and we need your help.
We’re asking people like you to speak out, to let us know if you’re one of the 85 percent of Americans who’ve already benefitted from the health care law, and make a public stand in support of Obamacare.
Repealing the Affordable Care Act would mean that 6.6 million young adults would lose the option of staying on their parent’s health insurance. It would mean that 34.1 million seniors would pay more for preventive care like mammograms and colonoscopies, and 18 million middle-class families lose the opportunity to save money on their monthly premiums starting in 2014. But this isn’t about numbers; this is about our families’s lives.
And we’re not just asking you to share your stories for the sake of speaking out. We’re building a network of people to help make sure that everyone has the information they need as we implement the law. We’ll keep you in the loop as we reach important milestones. We’ll make sure you have all the key facts so that you can share them in your communities.
If you lend your name, we’ll make sure you’re part of that network. This is a chance to do more than send a message about your support for the Affordable Care Act. It’s an opportunity to be part of making the law a success.
President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Turkey hold a bilateral meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House, May 16, 2013. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
Following their bilateral meeting this morning, President Obama and Prime Minister Erdogan of Turkey held a press conference in the Rose Garden this afternoon.
The President highlighted three areas of focus the two leaders discussed: expanding trade and investment between the U.S. and Turkey, mutual security, and the issue of Syria.
Editor’s Note: This is a cross post from the Administration for Children & Families blog of theDepartment of Health & Human Services. You can find the original post here.
Shannon Rudisill is Director of the Office of Child Care, where she has focused on raising the bar on quality in child care across the country, particularly for low-income children.
President Barack Obama hugs students during a visit to a pre-kindergarten classroom at the College Heights Early Childhood Learning Center in Decatur, Ga., Feb. 14, 2013. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
As a working mom, I know how hard it is to find good child care so that I can have some peace of mind when I come to work. At ACF, we’ve been working hard to strengthen the nation’s child care system so that moms and dads, especially moms and dads with the fewest resources, can have better child care choices while they work to support their families.
In his 2013 State of the Union address, President Obama made a historic commitment to young children, making it a priority to ensure that “none of our children start the race of life already behind.” Improving child care is an important part of this effort and a key component of the President’s Plan for Early Education for All Americans.
Today, HHS announces a big new step in this direction – new proposed regulations for the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF), which is administered here at the Office of Child Care. CCDF supports 1.6 million children in child care each month and invests over $1 billion each year in quality improvements like teacher training and grants to child care programs. All over the country, child care providers are dedicated to preparing children for school success. Despite the terrific efforts of public and private organizations around the country, there are some critical gaps in our child care programs. Some children are in child care settings that don’t meet basic health and safety standards. Often, there is a lack of useful comparative information for parents choosing child care. The new regulations are intended to close some of those gaps.
First, the proposed regulations will require all states to set a basic floor of minimum health and safety standards for child care providers that participate in CCDF – reaching potentially up to 500,000 child care providers who serve millions of children. New requirements include comprehensive background checks and training in first aid, CPR, safe sleep for babies, and other critical safeguards. States will need to make unannounced monitoring visits to check for compliance with health and safety standards.
The new regulations will also provide parents with information to make informed choices about child care. When I was looking for care, my state’s licensing website was a valuable resource to look up the health and safety track record of providers I was considering. Thirty states currently have this information on the web, but under the proposed rules, all 50 States would post child care providers health and safety records on the web.
Parents want to know about more than just health and safety, though. They want to have some key information about the teachers, learning activities, and other characteristics of programs that they are considering. In one of my child care searches, the local government provided an alphabetical list of 80 providers in my area which was not very useful in narrowing down my choices, since I would have to take off work to visit every one. The new rule builds on what over half the states are doing already – identifying indicators of quality so that parents can easily compare providers and narrow their search when they are ready to make interviews and visits.
We are excited to share these changes with you and strongly encourage you to read the entire Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM). We believe that these proposed regulations will better support providers, parents, and states as they work together to make sure that children are safe, healthy, and prepared to succeed.
Insiders with ties to the Obama administration tell The Cable that U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Susan Ricehas become the heir apparent to National Security Advisor Tom Donilon – a post at the epicenter of foreign-policy decision making and arguably more influential than secretary of state, a job for which she withdrew her candidacy last fall amid severe political pressure.
The report quotes a pair of sources who said that Rice will inevitably succeed current National Security Advisor Tom Donilon whenever he leaves the post.
“It’s definitely happening,” one source said.
Rice was thought to be the favorite to succeed Hillary Clinton at the State Department, but her would-be nomination never got off the ground ostensibly due to Republican criticism over her appearances on Sunday talk shows following the attack in Benghazi, Libya.
“It’s definitely happening,” a source who recently spoke with Rice told The Cable. “She is sure she is coming and so too her husband and closest friends.”
“Susan is a very likely candidate to replace him whenever he would choose to leave,” agreed Dennis Ross, a former special assistant to President Obama and counselor at the Washington Institute. “She is close to the president, has the credentials, and has a breadth of experience.”
Both sources said the timing of succession was uncertain. “I don’t believe Tom Donilon is about to leave but would be surprised if he were to remain for the whole second term,” Ross said. “But in answer to your question, [Rice's appointment] is very logical.”
Rice’s candidacy for secretary of state imploded in November after she recited talking points about the Sept. 11 attack in Benghazi on five Sunday talk shows that turned out to be erroneous.
The question now is whether Benghazi’s return to the spotlight will affect her potential appointment at a time when the White House is reeling from revelations about the IRS’s scrutiny of conservative groups and the Justice Department’s subpoena of the calling records of AP journalists.
For now, prominent Republicans don’t seem inclined to make a fuss.
In November, Arizona Sen. John McCain pledged to “do everything in my power to block her from becoming secretary of state”; South Carolina Sen.Lindsey Grahamsaid, “I don’t think she deserves to be promoted”; and Tennessee Sen. Bob Corkersaid she’d make a better DNC chair: “I think most of us want someone who is more independent minded.”
But now — even as Benghazi fever reaches a crescendo following last week’s dramatic “whistleblower” hearing and Wednesday’s release of 100 pages of Benghazi emails — the GOP’s desire to check her rise has seemingly evaporated, and Republicans have few tools to prevent her appointment, which would not require Senate confirmation.
When asked if he was concerned about a future National Security Adviser Susan Rice, Corker, the ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told The Cable he was sitting this one out.
“In the case of national security advisor,” he said, “whomever serves in that position serves at the pleasure of the president. So it’s totally his prerogative.” When The Cable asked Graham and McCain the same question, their spokesmen declined to comment.
In some ways, the deflated interest in Rice is only natural. Though the testimony of State Department witnesses last week served to highlight the inaccuracy of Rice’s talk-show appearances, new details of the editing process of her talking points show her nowhere near the drafting process — just as the administration has long maintained.
Meanwhile, a more tantalizing GOP target has emerged in the form of Hillary Clinton, the overwhelming favorite to assume the Democratic presidential nomination in 2016. Democrats, Republicans and witnesses fixated on Clinton 32 times during discussions in last week’s hearing.
Rice spokeswoman Erin Pelton declined to comment for this article. White House National Security Council Spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden said, “We don’t have any personnel announcements to make at this time, and Mr. Donilon has no plans to depart at this point.” She added that Donilon is “fully engaged in managing our national security agenda, from his recent trip to Moscow and major address on global energy, to planning for a trip to China in late May and more upcoming speaking events.”
The administration hasn’t shied away from heaping praise on Rice. Last week, at a gala for the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, Vice President Joe Bidentold the audience that the U.N. ambassador has “the absolute, total, complete confidence of the president,” and that when she speaks on issues of foreign policy, nobody doubts she’s speaking for Obama.
Back in March, when colleague Colum Lynch first reported whispers of Rice’s comeback, Ben Rhodes, deputy national security adviser for strategic communications, spoke glowingly of Rice’s relationship with the president. “Susan always maintains close relations with the president and his national security team, and that continues to be the case,” he said. “If anything, the way she handled the Benghazi situation — and then the withdrawal — only enhanced her relations here, because she did so with grace and good humor.”
The president himself has gone out of his way to wink at an expanded role for Rice within his administration. “I have every confidence that Susan has limitless capability to serve our country now and in the years to come, and know that I will continue to rely on her as an advisor and friend,” Obama said in a December statement.
Vice President President Joe Biden reads letters from children about reducing gun violence, in his Ceremonial Office in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. May 15, 2013. (Official White House Photo by David Lienemann)
President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Turkey hold a bilateral meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House, May 16, 2013. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
President Barack Obama hugs students during a visit to a pre-kindergarten classroom at the College Heights Early Childhood Learning Center in Decatur, Ga., Feb. 14, 2013. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
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