George Wenschhof
Yesterday, President Obama put the spot light on Health Care Reform legislation - he spoke on the six month anniversary of the passing of the landmark legislation. he pointed out that children with pre-existing conditions were now covered. Also, no longer were term limits on insurance allowed and parents can now cover children up to age 26 on their insurance. First Read has more here.
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New Republican Pledge to be announced today - you can read the 21 page manuscript here. Hardly worth the wait and less than awe inspiring, it mainly highlights basic Republican themes of less taxes and less government. RollCall.com has a good read here.
Former President Bill Clinton says Democrats should announce their own pledge prior to the mid term elections. You can read more here.
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Obama to ask UN for support of Israel/Palestinian peace process - the president will address the UN meeting today in New York. TheHill.com has more here.
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Democrats push to pass renewable energy bill prior to mid terms - renewable electricity standard would reqire utilities to obtain 15% of their energy from renewable sources by 2021. A reasonable and essential goal. Politico.com has more here.
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Thursday, September 23, 2010
Daily Political Wire 9-23-2010
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Obama Weekly Address 8-15-2009
George Wenschhof
President Barack Obama continues to discuss the importance of health care reform. Today, he talks about the many constructive town hall meetings that are happening across the country as opposed to the few meetings that have been disrupted.
Americans are learning the benefits of reform and how it will help them with the problems they face with the current insurance system. Click the photo below to hear his speech.
download .mp3 download .mp4 (58.5 MB) read the transcript
Share/Bookmark Wednesday, July 29, 2009
It's Obama's Economy Now
George Wenschhof
Barack Obama moved with lightening fast speed to propose and have Congress pass the nearly 800 Billion Stimulus bill. The actual name of the bill is the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act. This followed closely after the passage of the 700 Billion Bailout bill approved at the end of the George W. Bush administration. That bill was entitled the Troubled Assets and Relief Plan (TARP).
Both were needed, according to bipartisan economic experts, or a financial meltdown of a magnitude never seen would follow. I will never forget the ash-white faces of the Senators standing behind then Secretary Henry Paulson when they announced the financial sector bailout bill following a private meeting. It was obvious they had been given the doomsday scenario if something was not done immediately.
Congress took the bait and approved the bailout bill in record time even though the details submitted by Treasury Secretary Paulson was less than three pages justifying the 700 Billion requested.
Many of the foremost economists knew the bailout bill would not be enough and Barack Obama, as the newly elected President listened. Ben Bernanke, the Federal Reserve guru and by happenstance, a scholar of the "American Great Depression", was one of many who urged action to put money into the economy. Thus, the creation of the 800 Billion Stimulus bill.
As President Obama would give his speeches on any subject including touting the importance of the Stimulus bill, he often would include the fact he had inherited this economic mess from the former Republican George W. Bush administration.
This statement, was of course, absolutely accurate. When George W. Bush took office, the U.S. national debt was 6.38 Trillion and the U.S. deficit was 159 Billion.
What followed was tax cuts for the rich, further deregulation of the financial markets, and an ill advised and unnecessary war with Iraq.
In eight short years, the Republican George W. Bush administration had increased the U.S. national debt to 10.6 Trillion and the U.S. budget deficit to 455 Billion (not including the 700 billion bailout bill).
Now, as health care reform is being debated in Congress, the Republicans and Blue Dog Democrats are questioning the Congressional Budget office estimated cost of one Trillion over the next ten years for health care reform.
The cost of the war in Iraq has been estimated to have been 3 Trillion over the past seven years.
The question I would ask those members in Congress questioning the need for health care reform to help the 47 million uninsured Americans is; "does the cost of a ill advised and unnecessary war in Iraq outweigh providing adequate health care for all Americans?".
Is it Obama's economy now? The answer is yes it is and it is economy we as Americans must now deal with as we move forward.
It is hypocritical for Republicans to now question the proposed spending by the Obama administration. A Stimulus plan and health care for Americans versus eight years of unregulated corporate greed and a misguided foreign policy that put the U.S. on a precipice should be an easy choice for members of Congress.
It's time to pass health care reform now.
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Saturday, July 25, 2009
Obama Weekly Address 7-25-2009
George Wenschhof
Today, President Barack Obama continues to discuss health care reform. He goes over the impact of reform on small business and asks you for your questions. You can watch his address by clicking on the picture below.
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Sunday, July 19, 2009
Daily Democratic Wire 7-19-2009
George Wenschhof
President Barack Obama will host the Apollo 11 Crew at the White House tomorrow - marking the 40th anniversary of the U.S. landing on the moon. All close to 80 now, Michael Collins, Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstong will all visit wit the president. You can read more here.
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Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is in New Dehli, India - as part of a overseas trip that will also include a visit to Thailand. She spoke yesterday of hope the U.S. and India can come to an agreement on climate control measures. Both India and China with emerging technology and industrialization are currently major polluters. You can read more here.
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Meanwhile, no resolution has been reached in regard to the ouster of Honduran President Manuel Zelaya - the President of Costa Rica; Oscar Arias has been mediating talks between representatives of Manuel Zelaya and Roberto Micheletti, the interim President of Honduras. Talks centered around restoring Zelaya to power and creating a coalition government have not proved successful to date. The NY Times has more here.
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Taliban releases video of captured U.S. soldier in Afghanistan - in it, the captured soldier pleads for the people in the U.S. to pressure the government to end the war and to bring them home. These type of videos bring home the horrors of war as the captors coerce statements from prisoners to be used for propaganda purposes. MSNBC.com has the video here.
The U.S. military condemned the use of the video and said it violated international law, adding they were doing everything they could to bring the man home safely. Reuters.com has more here.
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Health Care Reform continues to move forward - in spite of the Republican Party of "No" and concerns about a rising budget deficit, the passage of universal health care is on a course for passage. President Obama has secured the support of the pharmaceutical association, the hospitals, nurses, and doctors as the push to insure the 47 uninsured Americans remains strong. Senator Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) who has fought for this all of his political career, has a good read in Newsweek. You can read it here.
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Friday, July 10, 2009
Daily Democratic Wire 7-10-2009
George Wenschhof
Today, President Barack Obama is in Rome - He will be meeting with Pope Benedict XVI. Yesterday, the G-8 agreed to contribute 20 Billion in farm aid to help feed needy nations. Reuters.com has more here.
The President then heads to Ghana where a huge crowd is expected. BBC has more here.
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Obama says health care reform will happen this year - he offered these comments from L'Aquila, Italy, prior to heading to Rome to meet with the Pope. the president is urging Congress to have a bill out by the end of August. Obama acknowledged reform was not easy due to intense lobbying by special interests who benefit from the current system. Politico.com has more here.
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Costa Rica President Oscar Arias begins mediation of Honduras situation -yesterday, he hosted separate meetings with ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya and interim President Roberto Micheletti. No agreement was reached. You can read more here.
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GM emerges from bankruptcy after only 40 days - CEO Fritz Henderson says the auto maker will focus on "customers cars, and culture". Makes you wonder, what were they focusing on previously? Let's see how they do now that their massive debt has been eliminated. MSNBC.com has more here.
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Senator John Ensign (R-Nev.) stays in spotlight as his parents admit they gave his mistress's family $96,000 - a benevolent gift, of course and not to be confused with the term "hush money". I guess the line "what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas" did not apply in this case. Republicans continue to receive the headlines they do not want. TheHill.com has more here.
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Illinois Senator Roland Burris (D) will not run for election in 2010 - Democrats had their share of wackiness as the entire former governor rod Blagojevich saga was being played out. Along the way, the Governor appointed Burris to fill the vacant U.S. Senate seat held previously by Barack Obama. Burris is set to announce today, he will not run for election next year. The Chicago Sun-Times has more here. One Democrat to watch in the coming primary, is businessman Chris Kennedy, the son of the late Robert F. Kennedy.
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Saturday, June 20, 2009
Daily Democratic Wire 6-20-2009
George Wenschhof
Unease continues in Iran - a day after the U.S. House and Senate passed resolutions condemning the violence in Iran following the election, police were out in force to block planned demonstrations. Rallies had been planned in both Freedom Square and Revolution Square in Tehran. CNN.com has more here.
The Iranian Guardian Council said they were prepared to hold a recount of 10% of the vote chosen randomly and in the presence of representatives from the three defeated candidates for president. Reuters.com has more here.
While some Republican leaders have been quick to attack President Obama for not speaking out in a more forceful manner in regard to the Iran election, I believe he is handling it correctly. Remember, the U.S. had an election in 2000 many felt was stolen from the people by the supreme court. However, no American would have wanted interference from other countries on our vote.
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80 Billion deal in the works to fund medicare drugs and help pay for health care reform - in a major agreement with the pharmaceutical industry, medicare beneficiaries would receive better drug coverage and part of President Obama's health care legislation would be paid for in the agreement being negotiated. You can read more here.
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Sotomayor resigns from all woman's club - after continued questioning from Republican leaders, supreme court justice nominee Sonia Sotomayor resigned from the organization. She sent a letter informing Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), the chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee of her decision and stating she did not feel it violated and judicial ethics. You can read more here.
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Last night, the President attended a Radio and TV Correspondents dinner - one of the requirements is a speech which includes a long list of hopefully funny one-liners for the crowd. In case you missed some of the television replays last evening, Politico.com has the video of Obama's speech and interviews with others who attended the dinner here.
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Hillary Clinton's Elbow surgery successful - she underwent the surgery yesterday at George Washington University hospital after suffering a fracture from a fall. Doctors say she is expected to recover fully without any lasting damage. MSNBC.com has more here.
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Obama names Ertharin Cousin as US Representative to UN Agencies for Food and Agriculture - she was a senior adviser during the campaign and is currently president of the Polk Street Group. Her past includes a stint as White House liaison to the state department and as a national leader in domestic hunger relief. Swamppolitics.com has more here.
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Friday, June 19, 2009
Daily Democratic Wire 6-19-2009
George Wenschhof
Today, President Barack Obama will be busy attending many events across D.C. - beginning with a speech to the Esperanza National Conference during breakfast at the JW Marriot hotel. You can read more here. He is also promoting the importance of being a Father with Father's Day approaching. After visiting a non-profit which helps prepare young adults for their future, he will host males from local high schools at the White House. Tonight, he will attend the annual Radio and Television Correspondents Association Dinner.
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Iran Supreme Leader says vote was not rigged - Ayatollah Ali Khamenei spoke at a morning prayer service in Tehran this morning. He went on to call for peace and tranquility while praising the reported high (85%) turnout of voters. Time.com has more here.
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Senator Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) threatens to demand a delay of the confirmation hearing of Sonia Sotomayor - in what has become a tired Republican refrain, he says they are lacking documents they had requested from the supreme court justice nominee, including 50 speeches. TheHill.com has more here.
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Health care reform continues to receive strong opposition - one could easily say that if health care reform measures are not implemented when a Democrat is president and Democrats have a majority in the House and Senate, then reform will never happen in America. The reported cost of 1 Trillion over ten years put out by the CBO has moderate Democrats questioning the health care proposals being circulated. Politico.com has a good read here.
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Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner begins pitch to Congress of Obama's plan for Financial Regulatory Reform - like health care reform, expect this to receive plenty of criticism. However, it was due to years of deregulation that led to the financial collapse facing America today. The president's plan calls for more authority for the federal reserve, the creation of a consumer protection agency, and to also bring currently unregulated financial markets under government oversight. MSNBC.com has more here.
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Will U.S. - Cuba Talks resume? - the overblown discussion on this tends to be somewhat ridiculous. Why would you not want discussions is the better question. Twice a year discussions between the two countries have been going on for years until suspended by the George W. Bush administration in 2004. McClatchydc.com has more here.
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Monday, June 15, 2009
Daily Democratic Wire 6-15-2009
George Wenschhof
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei orders probe of Iran election - in an interesting move, the investigation was ordered after a meeting yesterday between Mir Hossein Mousavi and Khamenei. Mousavi lost the election to incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad 63% to 32% according to state reported results. However, those results also showed the other two candidates as only receiving less than 5% of the vote and Mousavi losing in hos own home town. Stay Tuned.... Time.com has more here.
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Palestinians not happy with Netanyahu's speech - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas expressed frustration with the peace terms presented and said the world should shun the Israeli proposal. In particular, their need to recognize first Israel as a Jewish state and the failure of Israel to halt settlements in the West Bank. Reuters.com has more here.
President Obama issued a statement saying he felt Israel Prime Minister's Benjamine Netanyahu's speech an important first step. You can read Obama's statement here. In his speech, Netanyahu said for the first time Israel would recognize a Palestinian state but it would need to be demilitarized and Israel's safety guaranteed.
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Today, President Barack Obama is in Chicago to speak to the American Medical Association (AMA) on his health care plans - The AMA has never been a fan for universal health care. However, they do want limits on malpractice suits so perhaps some compromise can be reached. The NY Times has more here.
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Government run health care option is tough sell on Capitol Hill - Senator Kent Conrad (D-ND) said yesterday on CNN "State of The Union" he did not feel there were enough votes to pass this version. The President has been pushing the publicly run option as a way to offer competition to private run health care plans. Conrad has floated a proposal that would create private non-profit co-ops who would provide an alternative to private run health care plans. TheHill.com has more here.
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Specter and Hillibrand to receive Democratic 2010 opposition in spite of appeals from Obama and Democratic leaders - Representative Joe Sestak intends to challenge Arlen Specter for the U.S. Senate next year in spite of assurances Specter received he would have a clear playing field after he switched over to become a Democrat. In New York, representative Carolyn Maloney is set to challenge Kirsten Gillibrand who was appointed to fill Hillary Clinton's Senate seat. Joe Trippy will be Maloney's campaign manager so watch this one. Politico.com has more here.
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NOW to elect new President this weekend in Indianapolis - Kim Gandy is stepping down as the president of the National Organization for Women after serving 8 years. The three day conference in Indianapolis, Indiana will determine the new president for the organization. It appears the vote will be close between Terry O'Neill who is from Montgomery County, Maryland and Latifa Lyles, and African-American who has been one of three Vice Presidents under Gandy. Both candidates have received high ranking endorsements with Lyles securing the endorsement from Gandy. MSNBC.com has more here.
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