[yes, I'm saying Lord's Prayer as I leave] 1/31/12 LEAVING TONIGHT SHOW w/ MICHELLE OBAMA, 1st LADY: I JUST LEFT the TONIGHT SHOW w/ special guest, 1st Lady Michelle Obama. ..got a ticket around 1130am ..gal at the ticket counter recognized me..nice gal. [If this message is cut off at bottom, go to http://hwblog.posterous.com/13112-leaving-tonight-show-w-michelle-obama-1]
Got in line around 2pm (the outer circle by the street) ...the line slowly moved..and we were ;by the wall" by 230..entering the gate, tim the ticket man fr seacliff ny, asked for id (altho they're not supposed to ask if u have a counter ticket as opposed to a paper ticket ordered online w/ names on them.) Got the big frisk fr sec service, ., ..he said "u got a lot of jackets"...ha ..I said "it gets cold in the studio" ..one of them was from kentucky, , decent fellows. Had #251..sat in line next to a nice african-american lady next to me fr chicago, ..she says michelle is fr hyde park (michelle's a chicago native?)...
A Few of the Jokes: 1) re gal who ate mcchickens her entire life ..finally saw doctor & they told her she had a chicken deficiency...2),(later) re "whitehouse honey",..that was a spur of the moment joke..michelle had some "whitehouse honey' go w a slice of apple (to encourage jay to eat fruit), & jay joked "that would have a diff meaning w/ a diff president...3) clip of obama singing a song ...then mitt singing "god bless america", then a fake newt singing 4) then HEADLINE HUMOR: ad for people who want to make some extra cash by using their swimming pool to raise catfish; ad trying to encourage people to become less illiterate, said "fight literacy"; recipe for chicken requires "beat w/ mallard,"
Jay introduces 1st Lady: Michelle arrives, beige top,lime bottom, Jay asked M. About how much tv the kids watch..& M said they get 1 hour on Friday, 2 hours on sat, &1 on sun only if they completed all homework,..& only the eldest daughters get to have a cellphone..jay asked how do u tell the younger daughter she can't have cell. Michelle says, "U say No". Then they discussed, of course, healthy foods..Jay said he hasn't had veggies in decades..so michelle chided him & pulled out a pizza w/ veggies on it, & Jay took a few bites and liked it. Then she gave him sweet potato fries (which r good, I had some myself a few weeks ago), t..then jay made M eat a bite of beets which she said earlier was one of the foods she didn't like....they talked abt working out..M says she runs 3 miles every day & is in better shape than Barack (Barack said the same when he was here a few months ago, ie that M is in better shape).
Jay asked abt Barack's graying hair..she said "Yes he's aging, but still gorgeous". Then jay asked abt politics..M says they don't pay attention to repub. Primaries..will "cross that bridge" when the repubs have a nominee (Romney won florida as they spoke).
By the way, I noticed that the black warmup guy was all dressed up in a 3-piece suit, which id never seen before,...was that b/c of Michelle? Also better dressed than usual was the short guy who is always whispering in Jay's ear & gives him lines to repeat at the end of the show. They didn't dress up for Bush . A little bias? & That was about it. Next guest was Mark Harmon. Haven't seen or heard from him in a while (I don't watch CSI. I remember him from something else, but can't name it).
Jay asked him if he met Michelle in back. He had. & said the only other presidential person he ever met was vice president Ford back in the day. He
also had a funny whitehouse story re a tour of the kitchen,(Just the kitchen). Harmon told a "battle of the network stars" story after vidclip showing him win a swimming event at pepperdine..Jay asked how much he got "just for showing up" & Harmon said "A lot." And Jay pressed him for a figure. Harmon said "$10,000."
Leno showed his financially out-of-touch with the real world self by responding, nonchalantly, "That's a lot?'..
Leno probably makes that much per minute. Harmon concluded the story by telling how he met howard cossell & sugar ray robinson at the event. Then there was the musical guest, Imelda May. Nice singing. Also, Mark harmon at the end refused to do a script read ("shout out") .Jay said "You wanna try?" Harmon steadfastly refused, so Jay said, "Mark can't read."
And that's as much as I can write for now.
As people, ie as human beings, I find both Barack & Michelle to be very personable & down-to-earth (I've seen them both in person now on the Tonight Show). However, liking them as people does NOT mean I agree with them politically. I still have a difficult time w/ Obama's position on abortion (pro-choice) & re gay marriage (he's in favor of it & has took active steps to make it legal & "open" (ie abolished "don't ask, don't tell). Furthermore, Obamacare requires religious organizations that hire non-religious employees to provide contraception alternatives in their healthcare plans. That's going too far. That's the main "stumbling block" for me re Obama & the traditional democratic party position. I continue to hope & pray that Obama may have a change of heart & help defend unborn babies & that he will also defend traditional marriage.
[by the way, while Michelle is pushing better nutrition, including more "whole wheats", I recently read an article that places in question the nutritional value of wheat products in America (see http://boingboing.net/2011/10/26/triticum-fever-by-dr-william-davis-author-of-wheat-belly.html#more-126282 )
INFREQUENTLY UPDATED (mostly for historical purposes): This is ALL about the CHRISTIAN FAITH, with daily news & other items mixed in ! We cannot ignore what's happening in the world around us:the good, the bad, & the ugly, but we CAN try to respond to it thru the LENS of FAITH ! I keep running the race of faith in the name of the Father-Son-&-Holy-Spirit ! Join me
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
1/31/12 LEAVING TONIGHT SHOW w/ MICHELLE OBAMA, 1st LADY
1/31/12 LEAVING TONIGHT SHOW w/ MICHELLE OBAMA, 1st LADY: I JUST LEFT the TONIGHT SHOW w/ special guest, 1st Lady Michelle Obama. ..got a ticket around 1130am ..gal at the ticket counter recognized me..nice gal. Got in line around 2pm (the outer circle by the street) ...the line slowly moved..and we were ;by the wall" by 230..entering the gate, tim the ticket man fr seacliff ny, asked for id (altho they're not supposed to ask if u have a counter ticket as opposed to a paper ticket ordered online w/ names on them.) Got the big frisk fr sec service, ., ..he said "u got a lot of jackets"...ha ..I said "it gets cold in the studio" ..one of them was from kentucky, , decent fellows. Had #251..sat in line next to a nice african-american lady next to me fr chicago, ..she says michelle is fr hyde park (michelle's a chicago native?)... A Few of the Jokes: 1) re gal who ate mcchickens her entire life ..finally saw doctor & they told her she had a chicken deficiency...2),(later) re "whitehouse honey",..that was a spur of the moment joke..michelle had some "whitehouse honey' go w a slice of apple (to encourage jay to eat fruit), & jay joked "that would have a diff meaning w/ a diff president...3) clip of obama singing a song ...then mitt singing "god bless america", then a fake newt singing 4) then HEADLINE HUMOR: ad for people who want to make some extra cash by using their swimming pool to raise catfish; ad trying to encourage people to become less illiterate, said "fight literacy"; recipe for chicken requires "beat w/ mallard," Jay introduces 1st Lady: Michelle arrives, beige top,lime bottom, Jay asked M. About how much tv the kids watch..& M said they get 1 hour on Friday, 2 hours on sat, &1 on sun only if they completed all homework,..& only the eldest daughters get to have a cellphone..jay asked how do u tell the younger daughter she can't have cell. Michelle says, "U say No". Then they discussed, of course, healthy foods..Jay said he hasn't had veggies in decades..so michelle chided him & pulled out a pizza w/ veggies on it, & Jay took a few bites and liked it. Then she gave him sweet potato fries (which r good, I had some myself a few weeks ago), t..then jay made M eat a bite of beets which she said earlier was one of the foods she didn't like....they talked abt working out..M says she runs 3 miles every day & is in better shape than Barack (Barack said the same when he was here a few months ago, ie that M is in better shape). Jay asked abt Barack's graying hair..she said "Yes he's aging, but still gorgeous". Then jay asked abt politics..M says they don't pay attention to repub. Primaries..will "cross that bridge" when the repubs have a nominee (Romney won florida as they spoke). By the way, I noticed that the black warmup guy was all dressed up in a 3-piece suit, which id never seen before,...was that b/c of Michelle? Also better dressed than usual was the short guy who is always whispering in Jay's ear & gives him lines to repeat at the end of the show. They didn't dress up for Bush . A little bias? & That was about it. Next guest was Mark Harmon. Haven't seen or heard from him in a while (I don't watch CSI. I remember him from something else, but can't name it). Jay asked him if he met Michelle in back. He had. & said the only other presidential person he ever met was vice president Ford back in the day. He also had a funny whitehouse story re a tour of the kitchen,(Just the kitchen). Harmon told a "battle of the network stars" story after vidclip showing him win a swimming event at pepperdine..Jay asked how much he got "just for showing up" & Harmon said "A lot." And Jay pressed him for a figure. Harmon said "$10,000." Leno showed his financially out-of-touch with the real world self by responding, nonchalantly, "That's a lot?'.. Leno probably makes that much per minute. Harmon concluded the story by telling how he met howard cossell & sugar ray robinson at the event. Then there was the musical guest, Imelda May. Nice singing. Also, Mark harmon at the end refused to do a script read ("shout out") .Jay said "You wanna try?" Harmon steadfastly refused, so Jay said, "Mark can't read." And that's as much as I can write for now. As people, ie as human beings, I find both Barack & Michelle to be very personable & down-to-earth (I've seen them both in person now on the Tonight Show). However, liking them as people does NOT mean I agree with them politically. I still have a difficult time w/ Obama's position on abortion (pro-choice) & re gay marriage (he's in favor of it & has took active steps to make it legal & "open" (ie abolished "don't ask, don't tell). Furthermore, Obamacare requires religious organizations that hire non-religious employees to provide contraception alternatives in their healthcare plans. That's going too far. That's the main "stumbling block" for me re Obama & the traditional democratic party position. I continue to hope & pray that Obama may have a change of heart & help defend unborn babies & that he will also defend traditional marriage.
[yes, I'm saying the Lord's Prayer as I leave the Tonight Show studio in Burbank] 1/31/12 LEAVING TONIGHT SHOW w/ MICHELLE OBAMA, 1st LADY: I JUST LEFT the TONIGHT SHOW w/ special guest, 1st Lady Michelle Obama. ..got a ticket around 1130am ..gal at the ticket counter recognized me..nice gal.
Got in line around 2pm (the outer circle by the street) ...the line slowly moved..and we were ;by the wall" by 230..entering the gate, tim the ticket man fr seacliff ny, asked for id (altho they're not supposed to ask if u have a counter ticket as opposed to a paper ticket ordered online w/ names on them.) Got the big frisk fr sec service, ., ..he said "u got a lot of jackets"...ha ..I said "it gets cold in the studio" ..one of them was from kentucky, , decent fellows. Had #251..sat in line next to a nice african-american lady next to me fr chicago, ..she says michelle is fr hyde park (michelle's a chicago native?)...
A Few of the Jokes: 1) re gal who ate mcchickens her entire life ..finally saw doctor & they told her she had a chicken deficiency...2),(later) re "whitehouse honey",..that was a spur of the moment joke..michelle had some "whitehouse honey' go w a slice of apple (to encourage jay to eat fruit), & jay joked "that would have a diff meaning w/ a diff president...3) clip of obama singing a song ...then mitt singing "god bless america", then a fake newt singing 4) then HEADLINE HUMOR: ad for people who want to make some extra cash by using their swimming pool to raise catfish; ad trying to encourage people to become less illiterate, said "fight literacy"; recipe for chicken requires "beat w/ mallard,"
Jay introduces 1st Lady: Michelle arrives, beige top,lime bottom, Jay asked M. About how much tv the kids watch..& M said they get 1 hour on Friday, 2 hours on sat, &1 on sun only if they completed all homework,..& only the eldest daughters get to have a cellphone..jay asked how do u tell the younger daughter she can't have cell. Michelle says, "U say No". Then they discussed, of course, healthy foods..Jay said he hasn't had veggies in decades..so michelle chided him & pulled out a pizza w/ veggies on it, & Jay took a few bites and liked it. Then she gave him sweet potato fries (which r good, I had some myself a few weeks ago), t..then jay made M eat a bite of beets which she said earlier was one of the foods she didn't like....they talked abt working out..M says she runs 3 miles every day & is in better shape than Barack (Barack said the same when he was here a few months ago, ie that M is in better shape).
Jay asked abt Barack's graying hair..she said "Yes he's aging, but still gorgeous". Then jay asked abt politics..M says they don't pay attention to repub. Primaries..will "cross that bridge" when the repubs have a nominee (Romney won florida as they spoke).
By the way, I noticed that the black warmup guy was all dressed up in a 3-piece suit, which id never seen before,...was that b/c of Michelle? Also better dressed than usual was the short guy who is always whispering in Jay's ear & gives him lines to repeat at the end of the show. They didn't dress up for Bush . A little bias? & That was about it. Next guest was Mark Harmon. Haven't seen or heard from him in a while (I don't watch CSI. I remember him from something else, but can't name it).
Jay asked him if he met Michelle in back. He had. & said the only other presidential person he ever met was vice president Ford back in the day. He
also had a funny whitehouse story re a tour of the kitchen,(Just the kitchen). Harmon told a "battle of the network stars" story after vidclip showing him win a swimming event at pepperdine..Jay asked how much he got "just for showing up" & Harmon said "A lot." And Jay pressed him for a figure. Harmon said "$10,000."
Leno showed his financially out-of-touch with the real world self by responding, nonchalantly, "That's a lot?'..
Leno probably makes that much per minute. Harmon concluded the story by telling how he met howard cossell & sugar ray robinson at the event. Then there was the musical guest, Imelda May. Nice singing. Also, Mark harmon at the end refused to do a script read ("shout out") .Jay said "You wanna try?" Harmon steadfastly refused, so Jay said, "Mark can't read."
And that's as much as I can write for now.
As people, ie as human beings, I find both Barack & Michelle to be very personable & down-to-earth (I've seen them both in person now on the Tonight Show). However, liking them as people does NOT mean I agree with them politically. I still have a difficult time w/ Obama's position on abortion (pro-choice) & re gay marriage (he's in favor of it & has took active steps to make it legal & "open" (ie abolished "don't ask, don't tell). Furthermore, Obamacare requires religious organizations that hire non-religious employees to provide contraception alternatives in their healthcare plans. That's going too far. That's the main "stumbling block" for me re Obama & the traditional democratic party position. I continue to hope & pray that Obama may have a change of heart & help defend unborn babies & that he will also defend traditional marriage.
[by the way, while Michelle is pushing better nutrition, including more "whole wheats", I recently read an article that places in question the nutritional value of wheat products in America (see http://boingboing.net/2011/10/26/triticum-fever-by-dr-william-davis-author-of-wheat-belly.html#more-126282 )
1/31/12 LEAVING TONIGHT SHOW w/ MICHELLE OBAMA, 1st LADY:
1/31/12 LEAVING TONIGHT SHOW w/ MICHELLE OBAMA, 1st LADY: I JUST LEFT the TONIGHT SHOW w/ special guest, 1st Lady Michelle Obama. ..got a ticket around 1130am ..gal at the ticket counter recognized me..nice gal.
Got in line around 2pm (the outer circle by the street) ...the line slowly moved..and we were ;by the wall" by 230..entering the gate, tim the ticket man fr seacliff ny, asked for id (altho they're not supposed to ask if u have a counter ticket as opposed to a paper ticket ordered online w/ names on them.) Got the big frisk fr sec service, ., ..he said "u got a lot of jackets"...ha ..I said "it gets cold in the studio" ..one of them was from kentucky, , decent fellows. Had #251..sat in line next to a nice african-american lady next to me fr chicago, ..she says michelle is fr hyde park (michelle's a chicago native?)...
A Few of the Jokes: 1) re gal who ate mcchickens her entire life ..finally saw doctor & they told her she had a chicken deficiency...2),(later) re "whitehouse honey",..that was a spur of the moment joke..michelle had some "whitehouse honey' go w a slice of apple (to encourage jay to eat fruit), & jay joked "that would have a diff meaning w/ a diff president...3) clip of obama singing a song ...then mitt singing "god bless america", then a fake newt singing 4) then HEADLINE HUMOR: ad for people who want to make some extra cash by using their swimming pool to raise catfish; ad trying to encourage people to become less illiterate, said "fight literacy"; recipe for chicken requires "beat w/ mallard,"
Jay introduces 1st Lady: Michelle arrives, beige top,lime bottom, Jay asked M. About how much tv the kids watch..& M said they get 1 hour on Friday, 2 hours on sat, &1 on sun only if they completed all homework,..& only the eldest daughters get to have a cellphone..jay asked how do u tell the younger daughter she can't have cell. Michelle says, "U say No". Then they discussed, of course, healthy foods..Jay said he hasn't had veggies in decades..so michelle chided him & pulled out a pizza w/ veggies on it, & Jay took a few bites and liked it. Then she gave him sweet potato fries (which r good, I had some myself a few weeks ago), t..then jay made M eat a bite of beets which she said earlier was one of the foods she didn't like....they talked abt working out..M says she runs 3 miles every day & is in better shape than Barack (Barack said the same when he was here a few months ago, ie that M is in better shape).
Jay asked abt Barack's graying hair..she said "Yes he's aging, but still gorgeous". Then jay asked abt politics..M says they don't pay attention to repub. Primaries..will "cross that bridge" when the repubs have a nominee (Romney won florida as they spoke).
By the way, I noticed that the black warmup guy was all dressed up in a 3-piece suit, which id never seen before,...was that b/c of Michelle? Also better dressed than usual was the short guy who is always whispering in Jay's ear & gives him lines to repeat at the end of the show. They didn't dress up for Bush . A little bias? & That was about it. Next guest was Mark Harmon. Haven't seen or heard from him in a while (I don't watch CSI. I remember him from something else, but can't name it).
Jay asked him if he met Michelle in back. He had. & said the only other presidential person he ever met was vice president Ford back in the day. He
also had a funny whitehouse story re a tour of the kitchen,(Just the kitchen). Harmon told a "battle of the network stars" story after vidclip showing him win a swimming event at pepperdine..Jay asked how much he got "just for showing up" & Harmon said "A lot." And Jay pressed him for a figure. Harmon said "$10,000."
Leno showed his financially out-of-touch with the real world self by responding, nonchalantly, "That's a lot?'..
Leno probably makes that much per minute. Harmon concluded the story by telling how he met howard cossell & sugar ray robinson at the event. Then there was the musical guest, Imelda May. Nice singing. Also, Mark harmon at the end refused to do a script read ("shout out") .Jay said "You wanna try?" Harmon steadfastly refused, so Jay said, "Mark can't read."
And that's as much as I can write for now.
As people, ie as human beings, I find both Barack & Michelle to be very personable & down-to-earth (I've seen them both in person now on the Tonight Show). However, liking them as people does NOT mean I agree with them politically. I still have a difficult time w/ Obama's position on abortion (pro-choice) & re gay marriage (he's in favor of it & has took active steps to make it legal & "open" (ie abolished "don't ask, don't tell). Furthermore, Obamacare requires religious organizations that hire non-religious employees to provide contraception alternatives in their healthcare plans. That's going too far. That's the main "stumbling block" for me re Obama & the traditional democratic party position. I continue to hope & pray that Obama may have a change of heart & help defend unborn babies & that he will also defend traditional marriage.
[by the way, while Michelle is pushing better nutrition, including more "whole wheats", I recently read an article that places in question the nutritional value of wheat products in America (see http://boingboing.net/2011/10/26/triticum-fever-by-dr-william-davis-author-of-wheat-belly.html#more-126282 )
1/31/12 LAUSD TEACHER CHARGED w/ MOLESTATION OF 23 STUDENTS: "...year-long investigation, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has arrested and charged former Miramonte Elementary School the Florence Firestone unincorporated area of Los Angeles County, with molesting 23 children between the ages of 7 and 10. A photolab employee had turned n photographs belonging to Berndt of school children with their mouths covered in tape and eyes blindfolded, possibly inside a classroom. Over 300 similar photographs were discovered in Berndt’s home. The molestation apparently occurred over a three year period, although no child ever reported the abuse. The Los Angeles Unified School District is still looking for help identifying about ten..." http://www.scpr.org/programs/patt-morrison/2012/01/31/22343/former-la-teacher-charged-with-molesting-23-childr
1/31/12 LAUSD TEACHER CHARGED w/ MOLESTATION OF 23 STUDENTS: "...year-long investigation, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has arrested and charged former Miramonte Elementary School the Florence Firestone unincorporated area of Los Angeles County, with molesting 23 children between the ages of 7 and 10. A photolab employee had turned n photographs belonging to Berndt of school children with their mouths covered in tape and eyes blindfolded, possibly inside a classroom. Over 300 similar photographs were discovered in Berndt’s home. The molestation apparently occurred over a three year period, although no child ever reported the abuse. The Los Angeles Unified School District is still looking for help identifying about ten..."
http://www.scpr.org/programs/patt-morrison/2012/01/31/22343/former-la-teacher-charged-with-molesting-23-childr
1/31/12 1st LADY, MICHELLE OBAMA, Coming to TONIGHT SHOW, TODAY
no signs of extra security, maybe a few extra no parking areas, that's abt it ....what's she gonna talk abt ?eating healthy ? I heard she's pushing more veggies & whole grains for the schools..but then I read smthn abt the problem of "wheat diets" in contemp society...maybe not as healthy as people think..will try to find the linkto the story ..anyways when Barack, her husband, was here, he confessed that she likes pizza every now & then ..ha ha s
1/31/12 I MANAGED 2 GET TICKETS 4 TONIGHT SHOW w/ 1st LADY MICHELLE OBAMA
1/31/12 I MANAGED 2 GET TICKETS 4 TONIGHT SHOW w/ 1st LADY MICHELLE OBAMA
1/31/12 THIS IS IT ! SHOWDOWN, FLORIDA: MITT v NEWT
(cover,la times,, 1/30/12)
1/31/12 SANTA MARIA POLICE OFFICER KILLED WHILE RESISTING ARREST
cop suspected of having sex w/ a minor (17yo) resisted arrest, shot his gun, & was subseq. killed in response (la times)
1/30/12 PRAYING BASKETBALL, 120pm, BEVERLY HILLS
basketball zen, for me its like meditation,..add prayer & its divine
(p2) re PHILIP GLASS
(p3) ECHO MESSAGE: REALITY OF HELL
(p3) ECHO MESSAGE: REALITY OF HELL, Echoing the words of chuck swindoll
(p4) ECHO MESSAGE: REALITY OF HELL
(p4) ECHO MESSAGE: REALITY OF HELL, Echoing the words of chuck swindoll
(p1) ECHO MESSAGE: REALITY OF HELL
(p1) ECHO MESSAGE: REALITY OF HELL, Echoing the words of chuck swindoll
(p2) ECHO MESSAGE: REALITY OF HELL
(p2) ECHO MESSAGE: REALITY OF HELL, Echoing the words of chuck swindoll
1/31/12 BLAKE GRIFFIN's DUNK: AWESOME, YES, BUT BEST EVER ? NAW. Read more at http://www.suntimes.com/sports/basketball/10340875-419/video-blake-griffins-makes-monster-dunk-over-kendrik-perkins.html See slow-mo replay of dunk at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=beThNGoTRR4&feature=youtube_gdata_player ESPN: "Sports Radio ESPN 1420 - 29 minutes ago Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin delivered a jaw-dropping one-handed dunk over the Oklahoma City Thunder's Kendrick Perkins, in the 112-100 Clippers victory on Monday night. The dunk took place at the 8:53 mark of the fourth quart..."
1/31/12 BLAKE GRIFFIN's DUNK: AWESOME, YES, BUT BEST EVER ? NAW. Read more at http://www.suntimes.com/sports/basketball/10340875-419/video-blake-griffins-makes-monster-dunk-over-kendrik-perkins.html
See slow-mo replay of dunk at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=beThNGoTRR4&feature=youtube_gdata_player
ESPN: "Sports Radio ESPN 1420 - 29 minutes ago Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin delivered a jaw-dropping one-handed dunk over the Oklahoma City Thunder's Kendrick Perkins, in the 112-100 Clippers victory on Monday night. The dunk took place at the 8:53 mark of the fourth quart..."
[pray4] 1/31/12 PASTOR, WIFE, & DAUGHTER DIE IN FLORIDA PILE-UP, CO-PASTOR SURVIVES: " 1 dies By MIKE SCHNEIDER, Associated Press – 57 minutes ago GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — A split decision between two pastors regarding when to return to the Atlanta area from Florida was the difference between life and death They'd just finished a religious conference in Florida on Saturday night and debated when they and their accompanying parishoners would return home. Senior pastor Arao Amazonas said he wanted to wait until the next morning to leave. But pastor Jose Carmo Jr. wanted to be back in time for the suburban Atlanta church's Sunday morning service and led two vans up Interstate 75 toward Georgia. A few hours later, Amazonas received an early-morning call: Both vans had crashed in the highway's fog- and smoke-shrouded darkness near Gainesville, Fla. Carmo, his wife and their daughter were among five church members killed in two deadly pileups along the ..." http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jJ_pyjbcliUw0SWwaW3INsVsKZlw?docId=e9a1fd2ba84244e4977b6711675e4652
PASTOR, WIFE, & DAUGHTER DIE IN FLORIDA PILE-UP, CO-PASTOR SURVIVES: " 1 dies By MIKE SCHNEIDER, Associated Press – 57 minutes ago GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — A split decision between two pastors regarding when to return to the Atlanta area from Florida was the difference between life and death They'd just finished a religious conference in Florida on Saturday night and debated when they and their accompanying parishoners would return home. Senior pastor Arao Amazonas said he wanted to wait until the next morning to leave. But pastor Jose Carmo Jr. wanted to be back in time for the suburban Atlanta church's Sunday morning service and led two vans up Interstate 75 toward Georgia. A few hours later, Amazonas received an early-morning call: Both vans had crashed in the highway's fog- and smoke-shrouded darkness near Gainesville, Fla. Carmo, his wife and their daughter were among five church members killed in two deadly pileups along the ..."
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jJ_pyjbcliUw0SWwaW3INsVsKZlw?docId=e9a1fd2ba84244e4977b6711675e4652
1/31/12 I ENCOURAGE U 2 BOYCOTT the NY TIMES FOR LACK OF JOURNALISTIC ETHICS & FAIRNESS: "Boycott The New York Times Petition; Whereas, The New York Times consistently and blatantly distorts the news to advance its leftist agenda. Whereas, The New York Times promotes an anti-family, pro-big government, anti-faith, anti-American, politically-correct, isolationist ethic – in the guise of news coverage. news coverage Whereas The New York Times has spent decades maligning conservatives, misreporting campaign news (to favor the more liberal candidate), sneering at patriotism, denigrating America and undermining Judeo-Christian morality Whereas many of The New York Times “news” stories contain hidden assumptions, among them – the rich aren’t paying enough taxes, we need more government, abortion is a right, same-sex marriage is a matter of fairness, conservatives are heartless, man-made Global warming is an incontrovertible reality, gun-control is the most effective way to combat crime, foreign terrorism suspects are entitled to all of the due-process rights of American citizens, and negotiations are the best way to confront terrorist states. Whereas the influence of The New York..." http://boycottnyt.com/boycott-the-new-york-times-petition/
BOYCOTT the NY TIMES FOR LACK OF JOURNALISTIC ETHICS & FAIRNESS: "Boycott The New York Times Petition; Whereas, The New York Times consistently and blatantly distorts the news to advance its leftist agenda. Whereas, The New York Times promotes an anti-family, pro-big government, anti-faith, anti-American, politically-correct, isolationist ethic – in the guise of news coverage. news coverage Whereas The New York Times has spent decades maligning conservatives, misreporting campaign news (to favor the more liberal candidate), sneering at patriotism, denigrating America and undermining Judeo-Christian morality Whereas many of The New York Times “news” stories contain hidden assumptions, among them – the rich aren’t paying enough taxes, we need more government, abortion is a right, same-sex marriage is a matter of fairness, conservatives are heartless, man-made Global warming is an incontrovertible reality, gun-control is the most effective way to combat crime, foreign terrorism suspects are entitled to all of the due-process rights of American citizens, and negotiations are the best way to confront terrorist states. Whereas the influence of The New York..."
http://boycottnyt.com/boycott-the-new-york-times-petition/
1/12 WASH POST & NY TIMES MISCHARACTERIZE & IGNORE MARCH 4 LIFE IN WASH DC: "...ts, praying at the pro-aborts, or clutching rosary beads or pictures of Mary near the pro-aborts. Mary near the pro-aborts The caption on one of the Post’s photo reads “Freezing rain Monday morning was said to have imited attendance for both groups.” In response to which Media Research Center writer Tim Graham quipped: “Yes, Post readers: the pro-lifers were limited to many thousands, and the abortion advocates were limited to about 11. The ratio could be a thousand to one, and the newspaper treats them like one versus one.” Click “like” if you want to end abortion! But I suppose we can at least give the Post credit for covering the event at all. The Media Research Center (MRC) reports that the New York Times completely ignored the event for the fifth year in a row Humorously, the Times even ran a “Happenings in Washington” blog post Monday that mentioned that the Boston Bruins were set to be honored by Obama, and that South Korea’s ambassador to the United States would be in town to sign an environmental agreement Oh yeah, and there will be hordes of people, most of them young, swarming the city peacefully demanding the end of the slaughter of millions of American babies in the womb. Would that qualify as a “happening” in Washington? Apparently not according to the New York Times Clay Waters of MRC points out: “Even the two references made about the march at nytimes.com were accidental, done to explain where Sen. Rand Paul was headed when he was stopped at airport security by TSA in Nashville.” The mainstream media bias surrounding the annual March for Life is so ubiquitous and so brazen that it has become shrug-worthy, and the ..." http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/new-york-times-ignores-march-for-life-for-fifth-year-in-a-row-wapo-focuses
1/12 WASH POST & NY TIMES MISCHARACTERIZE & IGNORE MARCH 4 LIFE IN WASH DC: "...ts, praying at the pro-aborts, or clutching rosary beads or pictures of Mary near the pro-aborts. Mary near the pro-aborts The caption on one of the Post’s photo reads “Freezing rain Monday morning was said to have imited attendance for both groups.” In response to which Media Research Center writer Tim Graham quipped: “Yes, Post readers: the pro-lifers were limited to many thousands, and the abortion advocates were limited to about 11. The ratio could be a thousand to one, and the newspaper treats them like one versus one.” Click “like” if you want to end abortion! But I suppose we can at least give the Post credit for covering the event at all. The Media Research Center (MRC) reports that the New York Times completely ignored the event for the fifth year in a row Humorously, the Times even ran a “Happenings in Washington” blog post Monday that mentioned that the Boston Bruins were set to be honored by Obama, and that South Korea’s ambassador to the United States would be in town to sign an environmental agreement Oh yeah, and there will be hordes of people, most of them young, swarming the city peacefully demanding the end of the slaughter of millions of American babies in the womb. Would that qualify as a “happening” in Washington? Apparently not according to the New York Times Clay Waters of MRC points out: “Even the two references made about the march at nytimes.com were accidental, done to explain where Sen. Rand Paul was headed when he was stopped at airport security by TSA in Nashville.” The mainstream media bias surrounding the annual March for Life is so ubiquitous and so brazen that it has become shrug-worthy, and the ..."
http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/new-york-times-ignores-march-for-life-for-fifth-year-in-a-row-wapo-focuses
Monday, January 30, 2012
1/30/12 TEN DEAD IN MULTI-VEHICLE FLORIDA PILE-UP: "... victims of a pileup on a Florida highway that killed 10 people describe the chaotic scene to dispatchers in 911 recordings released Monday. A stretch of Interstate 75 near Gainesville had been closed due to low visibility caused by smoke and haze. Just fifteen minutes after reopening, at least a dozen cars, six tractor-trailers and a motorhome collided on the roadway. One caller, who was on the smoke-filled scene as the cars began piling up, spoke to an operator about..." http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/01/30/cause-sought-for-deadly-fla-highway-pileup/?test=latestnews http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKxk_4UbBOE&feature=youtube_gdata_player
1/30/12 TEN DEAD IN MULTI-VEHICLE FLORIDA PILE-UP: "... victims of a pileup on a Florida highway that killed 10 people describe the chaotic scene to dispatchers in 911 recordings released Monday. A stretch of Interstate 75 near Gainesville had been closed due to low visibility caused by smoke and haze. Just fifteen minutes after reopening, at least a dozen cars, six tractor-trailers and a motorhome collided on the roadway. One caller, who was on the smoke-filled scene as the cars began piling up, spoke to an operator about..."
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/01/30/cause-sought-for-deadly-fla-highway-pileup/?test=latestnews
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKxk_4UbBOE&feature=youtube_gdata_player
1/30/12 CONSEQUENCES of DENYING HUMAN EXCEPTIONALISM ....& WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE GIVE NATURE EQUALITY w. HUMANS?...so here u have frank pastore reviewing some of the ramifications of denying the "exceptionalism" of humans (based on belief in Imago Deo, being born in the image of God) ...as he is talking to J.Wesley Smith who has an excellent blog at http://www.firstthings.com/blogs/secondhandsmoke/ , its frightening when u start to ponder the consequences of making nature (be it plants or animals) equal to human in terms of rights & dignity, ..but its actually happening...they also discuss eugenics...and how the history of eugenics also defies the belief in Imago Deo....even before Hitler there were those who thought they could manipulate life to make a "stronger breed" of human beings by killing the "weak" & breeding the "strong" ..& that notion may be on the rise again in unrecognized ways...as frank & wesley point out
CONSEQUENCES of DENYING HUMAN EXCEPTIONALISM ....& WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE GIVE NATURE EQUALITY w. HUMANS?...so here u have frank pastore reviewing some of the ramifications of denying the "exceptionalism" of humans (based on belief in Imago Deo, being born in the image of God) ...as he is talking to J.Wesley Smith who has an excellent blog at http://www.firstthings.com/blogs/secondhandsmoke/ , its frightening when u start to ponder the consequences of making nature (be it plants or animals) equal to human in terms of rights & dignity, ..but its actually happening...they also discuss eugenics...and how the history of eugenics also defies the belief in Imago Deo....even before Hitler there were those who thought they could manipulate life to make a "stronger breed" of human beings by killing the "weak" & breeding the "strong" ..& that notion may be on the rise again in unrecognized ways...as frank & wesley point out
(cont) CONSEQUENCES of DENYING HUMAN EXCEPTIONALISM ....& WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE GIVE NATURE EQUALITY w. HUMANS?...so here u have frank pastore reviewing some of the ramifications of denying the "exceptionalism" of humans (based on belief in Imago Deo, being born in the image of God) ...as he is talking to J.Wesley Smith who has an excellent blog at http://www.firstthings.com/blogs/secondhandsmoke/ , its frightening when u start to ponder the consequences of making nature (be it plants or animals) equal to human in terms of rights & dignity, ..but its actually happening...they also discuss eugenics...and how the history of eugenics also defies the belief in Imago Deo....even before Hitler there were those who thought they could manipulate life to make a "stronger breed" of human beings by killing the "weak" & breeding the "strong" ..& that notion may be on the rise again in unrecognized ways...as frank & wesley point out
CONSEQUENCES of DENYING HUMAN EXCEPTIONALISM ....& WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE GIVE NATURE EQUALITY w. HUMANS?...so here u have frank pastore reviewing some of the ramifications of denying the "exceptionalism" of humans (based on belief in Imago Deo, being born in the image of God) ...as he is talking to J.Wesley Smith who has an excellent blog at http://www.firstthings.com/blogs/secondhandsmoke/ , its frightening when u start to ponder the consequences of making nature (be it plants or animals) equal to human in terms of rights & dignity, ..but its actually happening...they also discuss eugenics...and how the history of eugenics also defies the belief in Imago Deo....even before Hitler there were those who thought they could manipulate life to make a "stronger breed" of human beings by killing the "weak" & breeding the "strong" ..& that notion may be on the rise again in unrecognized ways...as frank & wesley point out
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE GIVE NATURE EQUALITY w. HUMANS?...so here u have frank pastore reviewing some of the ramifications of denying the "exceptionalism" of humans (based on belief in Imago Deo, being born in the image of God) ...as he is talking to J.Wesley Smith who has an excellent blog at http://www.firstthings.com/blogs/secondhandsmoke/ , its frightening when u start to ponder the consequences of making nature (be it plants or animals) equal to human in terms of rights & dignity, ..but its actually happening...they also discuss eugenics...and how the history of eugenics also defies the belief in Imago Deo...
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE GIVE NATURE EQUALITY w. HUMANS?...so here u have frank pastore reviewing some of the ramifications of denying the "exceptionalism" of humans (based on belief in Imago Deo, being born in the image of God) ...as he is talking to J.Wesley Smith who has an excellent blog at http://www.firstthings.com/blogs/secondhandsmoke/ , its frightening when u start to ponder the consequences of making nature (be it plants or animals) equal to human in terms of rights & dignity, ..but its actually happening...they also discuss eugenics...and how the history of eugenics also defies the belief in Imago Deo...
(p2) 1/30/12 re OBAMACARE & ATTACK ON RELIGION re LIBERTY OF CONSCIENCE...the announcement came this week that the whitehouse intends to require even religious-based schools & hospitals that employ non-religious persons to include contraceptions & abortion options in healtcare plans ...frank pastore discusses the ramifications w/ J. Wesley Smith..& the carefully chosen emphasis by the whitehouse to promote "freedom of worship" but not so much "freedom of religion"..a subtle distinction w/ large consequences these 2 talking contend...
1/30/12 re OBAMACARE & ATTACK ON RELIGION re LIBERTY OF CONSCIENCE...the announcement came this week that the whitehouse intends to require even religious-based schools & hospitals that employ non-religious persons to include contraceptions & abortion options in healtcare plans ...frank pastore discusses the ramifications w/ J. Wesley Smith..& the carefully chosen emphasis by the whitehouse to promote "freedom of worship" but not so much "freedom of religion"..a subtle distinction w/ large consequences these 2 talking contend...
1/30/12 re ROUSSEAU, LOCKE, VOLTAIRE & AMERICA
..frank pastore talking w/ a Jewish rabbi re how the concepts of these philosophers/authors impacted American culture even up to the ideology of our current president (ie socialism) .
1/30/12 TO CRAIGLIST re AIRPLANE TICKET SCAM
...they don't respond to email, nor on the phone..let's hope they r reputable enough to respond to written correspondence
1/30/12 re OBAMACARE & ATTACK ON RELIGION re LIBERTY OF CONSCIENCE
...the announcement came this week that the whitehouse intends to require even religious-based schools & hospitals that employ non-religious persons to include contraceptions & abortion options in healtcare plans ...frank pastore discusses the ramifications w/ J. Wesley Smith..& the carefully chosen emphasis by the whitehouse to promote "freedom of worship" but not so much "freedom of religion"..a subtle distinction w/ large consequences these 2 talking contend...
1/24/12 TRANSCRIPT of PRESIDENT OBAMA's STATE of the UNION SPEECH
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0112/71920.html
1/24/12 9:26 PM EST
Remarks of President Barack Obama – As Prepared for Delivery
State of the Union Address
“An America Built to Last”
President Obama: Mr. Speaker, Mr. Vice President, members of Congress, distinguished guests, and fellow Americans:
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Last month, I went to Andrews Air Force Base and welcomed home some of our last troops to serve in Iraq. Together, we offered a final, proud salute to the colors under which more than a million of our fellow citizens fought – and several thousand gave their lives.
We gather tonight knowing that this generation of heroes has made the United States safer and more respected around the world. For the first time in nine years, there are no Americans fighting in Iraq. For the first time in two decades, Osama bin Laden is not a threat to this country. Most of al Qaeda’s top lieutenants have been defeated. The Taliban’s momentum has been broken, and some troops in Afghanistan have begun to come home.
These achievements are a testament to the courage, selflessness, and teamwork of America’s Armed Forces. At a time when too many of our institutions have let us down, they exceed all expectations. They’re not consumed with personal ambition. They don’t obsess over their differences. They focus on the mission at hand. They work together.
Imagine what we could accomplish if we followed their example. Think about the America within our reach: A country that leads the world in educating its people. An America that attracts a new generation of high-tech manufacturing and high-paying jobs. A future where we’re in control of our own energy, and our security and prosperity aren’t so tied to unstable parts of the world. An economy built to last, where hard work pays off, and responsibility is rewarded.
We can do this. I know we can, because we’ve done it before. At the end of World War II, when another generation of heroes returned home from combat, they built the strongest economy and middle class the world has ever known. My grandfather, a veteran of Patton’s Army, got the chance to go to college on the GI Bill. My grandmother, who worked on a bomber assembly line, was part of a workforce that turned out the best products on Earth.
The two of them shared the optimism of a Nation that had triumphed over a depression and fascism. They understood they were part of something larger; that they were contributing to a story of success that every American had a chance to share – the basic American promise that if you worked hard, you could do well enough to raise a family, own a home, send your kids to college, and put a little away for retirement.
The defining issue of our time is how to keep that promise alive. No challenge is more urgent. No debate is more important. We can either settle for a country where a shrinking number of people do really well, while a growing number of Americans barely get by. Or we can restore an economy where everyone gets a fair shot, everyone does their fair share, and everyone plays by the same set of rules. What’s at stake are not Democratic values or Republican values, but American values. We have to reclaim them.
Let’s remember how we got here. Long before the recession, jobs and manufacturing began leaving our shores. Technology made businesses more efficient, but also made some jobs obsolete. Folks at the top saw their incomes rise like never before, but most hardworking Americans struggled with costs that were growing, paychecks that weren’t, and personal debt that kept piling up.
In 2008, the house of cards collapsed. We learned that mortgages had been sold to people who couldn’t afford or understand them. Banks had made huge bets and bonuses with other people’s money. Regulators had looked the other way, or didn’t have the authority to stop the bad behavior.
It was wrong. It was irresponsible. And it plunged our economy into a crisis that put millions out of work, saddled us with more debt, and left innocent, hard-working Americans holding the bag. In the six months before I took office, we lost nearly four million jobs. And we lost another four million before our policies were in full effect.
Those are the facts. But so are these. In the last 22 months, businesses have created more than three million jobs. Last year, they created the most jobs since 2005. American manufacturers are hiring again, creating jobs for the first time since the late 1990s. Together, we’ve agreed to cut the deficit by more than $2 trillion. And we’ve put in place new rules to hold Wall Street accountable, so a crisis like that never happens again.
The state of our Union is getting stronger. And we’ve come too far to turn back now. As long as I’m President, I will work with anyone in this chamber to build on this momentum. But I intend to fight obstruction with action, and I will oppose any effort to return to the very same policies that brought on this economic crisis in the first place.
No, we will not go back to an economy weakened by outsourcing, bad debt, and phony financial profits. Tonight, I want to speak about how we move forward, and lay out a blueprint for an economy that’s built to last – an economy built on American manufacturing, American energy, skills for American workers, and a renewal of American values.
This blueprint begins with American manufacturing.
On the day I took office, our auto industry was on the verge of collapse. Some even said we should let it die. With a million jobs at stake, I refused to let that happen. In exchange for help, we demanded responsibility. We got workers and automakers to settle their differences. We got the industry to retool and restructure. Today, General Motors is back on top as the world’s number one automaker. Chrysler has grown faster in the U.S. than any major car company. Ford is investing billions in U.S. plants and factories. And together, the entire industry added nearly 160,000 jobs.
We bet on American workers. We bet on American ingenuity. And tonight, the American auto industry is back.
What’s happening in Detroit can happen in other industries. It can happen in Cleveland and Pittsburgh and Raleigh. We can’t bring back every job that’s left our shores. But right now, it’s getting more expensive to do business in places like China. Meanwhile, America is more productive. A few weeks ago, the CEO of Master Lock told me that it now makes business sense for him to bring jobs back home. Today, for the first time in fifteen years, Master Lock’s unionized plant in Milwaukee is running at full capacity.
So we have a huge opportunity, at this moment, to bring manufacturing back. But we have to seize it. Tonight, my message to business leaders is simple: Ask yourselves what you can do to bring jobs back to your country, and your country will do everything we can to help you succeed.
We should start with our tax code. Right now, companies get tax breaks for moving jobs and profits overseas. Meanwhile, companies that choose to stay in America get hit with one of the highest tax rates in the world. It makes no sense, and everyone knows it.
So let’s change it. First, if you’re a business that wants to outsource jobs, you shouldn’t get a tax deduction for doing it. That money should be used to cover moving expenses for companies like Master Lock that decide to bring jobs home.
Second, no American company should be able to avoid paying its fair share of taxes by moving jobs and profits overseas. From now on, every multinational company should have to pay a basic minimum tax. And every penny should go towards lowering taxes for companies that choose to stay here and hire here.
Third, if you’re an American manufacturer, you should get a bigger tax cut. If you’re a high-tech manufacturer, we should double the tax deduction you get for making products here. And if you want to relocate in a community that was hit hard when a factory left town, you should get help financing a new plant, equipment, or training for new workers.
My message is simple. It’s time to stop rewarding businesses that ship jobs overseas, and start rewarding companies that create jobs right here in America. Send me these tax reforms, and I’ll sign them right away.
We’re also making it easier for American businesses to sell products all over the world. Two years ago, I set a goal of doubling U.S. exports over five years. With the bipartisan trade agreements I signed into law, we are on track to meet that goal – ahead of schedule. Soon, there will be millions of new customers for American goods in Panama, Colombia, and South Korea. Soon, there will be new cars on the streets of Seoul imported from Detroit, and Toledo, and Chicago.
I will go anywhere in the world to open new markets for American products. And I will not stand by when our competitors don’t play by the rules. We’ve brought trade cases against China at nearly twice the rate as the last administration – and it’s made a difference. Over a thousand Americans are working today because we stopped a surge in Chinese tires. But we need to do more. It’s not right when another country lets our movies, music, and software be pirated. It’s not fair when foreign manufacturers have a leg up on ours only because they’re heavily subsidized.
Tonight, I’m announcing the creation of a Trade Enforcement Unit that will be charged with investigating unfair trade practices in countries like China. There will be more inspections to prevent counterfeit or unsafe goods from crossing our borders. And this Congress should make sure that no foreign company has an advantage over American manufacturing when it comes to accessing finance or new markets like Russia. Our workers are the most productive on Earth, and if the playing field is level, I promise you – America will always win.
I also hear from many business leaders who want to hire in the United States but can’t find workers with the right skills. Growing industries in science and technology have twice as many openings as we have workers who can do the job. Think about that – openings at a time when millions of Americans are looking for work.
That’s inexcusable. And we know how to fix it.
Jackie Bray is a single mom from North Carolina who was laid off from her job as a mechanic. Then Siemens opened a gas turbine factory in Charlotte, and formed a partnership with Central Piedmont Community College. The company helped the college design courses in laser and robotics training. It paid Jackie’s tuition, then hired her to help operate their plant.
I want every American looking for work to have the same opportunity as Jackie did. Join me in a national commitment to train two million Americans with skills that will lead directly to a job. My Administration has already lined up more companies that want to help. Model partnerships between businesses like Siemens and community colleges in places like Charlotte, Orlando, and Louisville are up and running. Now you need to give more community colleges the resources they need to become community career centers – places that teach people skills that local businesses are looking for right now, from data management to high-tech manufacturing.
And I want to cut through the maze of confusing training programs, so that from now on, people like Jackie have one program, one website, and one place to go for all the information and help they need. It’s time to turn our unemployment system into a reemployment system that puts people to work.
These reforms will help people get jobs that are open today. But to prepare for the jobs of tomorrow, our commitment to skills and education has to start earlier.
For less than one percent of what our Nation spends on education each year, we’ve convinced nearly every State in the country to raise their standards for teaching and learning – the first time that’s happened in a generation.
But challenges remain. And we know how to solve them.
At a time when other countries are doubling down on education, tight budgets have forced States to lay off thousands of teachers. We know a good teacher can increase the lifetime income of a classroom by over $250,000. A great teacher can offer an escape from poverty to the child who dreams beyond his circumstance. Every person in this chamber can point to a teacher who changed the trajectory of their lives. Most teachers work tirelessly, with modest pay, sometimes digging into their own pocket for school supplies – just to make a difference.
Teachers matter. So instead of bashing them, or defending the status quo, let’s offer schools a deal. Give them the resources to keep good teachers on the job, and reward the best ones. In return, grant schools flexibility: To teach with creativity and passion; to stop teaching to the test; and to replace teachers who just aren’t helping kids learn.
We also know that when students aren’t allowed to walk away from their education, more of them walk the stage to get their diploma. So tonight, I call on every State to require that all students stay in high school until they graduate or turn eighteen.
When kids do graduate, the most daunting challenge can be the cost of college. At a time when Americans owe more in tuition debt than credit card debt, this Congress needs to stop the interest rates on student loans from doubling in July. Extend the tuition tax credit we started that saves middle-class families thousands of dollars. And give more young people the chance to earn their way through college by doubling the number of work-study jobs in the next five years.
Of course, it’s not enough for us to increase student aid. We can’t just keep subsidizing skyrocketing tuition; we’ll run out of money. States also need to do their part, by making higher education a higher priority in their budgets. And colleges and universities have to do their part by working to keep costs down. Recently, I spoke with a group of college presidents who’ve done just that. Some schools re-design courses to help students finish more quickly. Some use better technology. The point is, it’s possible. So let me put colleges and universities on notice: If you can’t stop tuition from going up, the funding you get from taxpayers will go down. Higher education can’t be a luxury – it’s an economic imperative that every family in America should be able to afford.
Let’s also remember that hundreds of thousands of talented, hardworking students in this country face another challenge: The fact that they aren’t yet American citizens. Many were brought here as small children, are American through and through, yet they live every day with the threat of deportation. Others came more recently, to study business and science and engineering, but as soon as they get their degree, we send them home to invent new products and create new jobs somewhere else.
That doesn’t make sense.
I believe as strongly as ever that we should take on illegal immigration. That’s why my Administration has put more boots on the border than ever before. That’s why there are fewer illegal crossings than when I took office.
The opponents of action are out of excuses. We should be working on comprehensive immigration reform right now. But if election-year politics keeps Congress from acting on a comprehensive plan, let’s at least agree to stop expelling responsible young people who want to staff our labs, start new businesses, and defend this country. Send me a law that gives them the chance to earn their citizenship. I will sign it right away.
You see, an economy built to last is one where we encourage the talent and ingenuity of every person in this country. That means women should earn equal pay for equal work. It means we should support everyone who’s willing to work; and every risk-taker and entrepreneur who aspires to become the next Steve Jobs.
After all, innovation is what America has always been about. Most new jobs are created in start-ups and small businesses. So let’s pass an agenda that helps them succeed. Tear down regulations that prevent aspiring entrepreneurs from getting the financing to grow. Expand tax relief to small businesses that are raising wages and creating good jobs. Both parties agree on these ideas. So put them in a bill, and get it on my desk this year.
Innovation also demands basic research. Today, the discoveries taking place in our federally-financed labs and universities could lead to new treatments that kill cancer cells but leave healthy ones untouched. New lightweight vests for cops and soldiers that can stop any bullet. Don’t gut these investments in our budget. Don’t let other countries win the race for the future. Support the same kind of research and innovation that led to the computer chip and the Internet; to new American jobs and new American industries.
Nowhere is the promise of innovation greater than in American-made energy. Over the last three years, we’ve opened millions of new acres for oil and gas exploration, and tonight, I’m directing my Administration to open more than 75 percent of our potential offshore oil and gas resources. Right now, American oil production is the highest that it’s been in eight years. That’s right – eight years. Not only that – last year, we relied less on foreign oil than in any of the past sixteen years.
But with only 2 percent of the world’s oil reserves, oil isn’t enough. This country needs an all-out, all-of-the-above strategy that develops every available source of American energy – a strategy that’s cleaner, cheaper, and full of new jobs.
We have a supply of natural gas that can last America nearly one hundred years, and my Administration will take every possible action to safely develop this energy. Experts believe this will support more than 600,000 jobs by the end of the decade. And I’m requiring all companies that drill for gas on public lands to disclose the chemicals they use. America will develop this resource without putting the health and safety of our citizens at risk.
The development of natural gas will create jobs and power trucks and factories that are cleaner and cheaper, proving that we don’t have to choose between our environment and our economy. And by the way, it was public research dollars, over the course of thirty years, that helped develop the technologies to extract all this natural gas out of shale rock – reminding us that Government support is critical in helping businesses get new energy ideas off the ground.
What’s true for natural gas is true for clean energy. In three years, our partnership with the private sector has already positioned America to be the world’s leading manufacturer of high-tech batteries. Because of federal investments, renewable energy use has nearly doubled. And thousands of Americans have jobs because of it.
When Bryan Ritterby was laid off from his job making furniture, he said he worried that at 55, no one would give him a second chance. But he found work at Energetx, a wind turbine manufacturer in Michigan. Before the recession, the factory only made luxury yachts. Today, it’s hiring workers like Bryan, who said, “I’m proud to be working in the industry of the future.”
Our experience with shale gas shows us that the payoffs on these public investments don’t always come right away. Some technologies don’t pan out; some companies fail. But I will not walk away from the promise of clean energy. I will not walk away from workers like Bryan. I will not cede the wind or solar or battery industry to China or Germany because we refuse to make the same commitment here. We have subsidized oil companies for a century. That’s long enough. It’s time to end the taxpayer giveaways to an industry that’s rarely been more profitable, and double-down on a clean energy industry that’s never been more promising. Pass clean energy tax credits and create these jobs.
We can also spur energy innovation with new incentives. The differences in this chamber may be too deep right now to pass a comprehensive plan to fight climate change. But there’s no reason why Congress shouldn’t at least set a clean energy standard that creates a market for innovation. So far, you haven’t acted. Well tonight, I will. I’m directing my Administration to allow the development of clean energy on enough public land to power three million homes. And I’m proud to announce that the Department of Defense, the world’s largest consumer of energy, will make one of the largest commitments to clean energy in history – with the Navy purchasing enough capacity to power a quarter of a million homes a year.
Of course, the easiest way to save money is to waste less energy. So here’s another proposal: Help manufacturers eliminate energy waste in their factories and give businesses incentives to upgrade their buildings. Their energy bills will be $100 billion lower over the next decade, and America will have less pollution, more manufacturing, and more jobs for construction workers who need them. Send me a bill that creates these jobs.
Building this new energy future should be just one part of a broader agenda to repair America’s infrastructure. So much of America needs to be rebuilt. We’ve got crumbling roads and bridges. A power grid that wastes too much energy. An incomplete high-speed broadband network that prevents a small business owner in rural America from selling her products all over the world.
During the Great Depression, America built the Hoover Dam and the Golden Gate Bridge. After World War II, we connected our States with a system of highways. Democratic and Republican administrations invested in great projects that benefited everybody, from the workers who built them to the businesses that still use them today.
In the next few weeks, I will sign an Executive Order clearing away the red tape that slows down too many construction projects. But you need to fund these projects. Take the money we’re no longer spending at war, use half of it to pay down our debt, and use the rest to do some nation-building right here at home.
There’s never been a better time to build, especially since the construction industry was one of the hardest-hit when the housing bubble burst. Of course, construction workers weren’t the only ones hurt. So were millions of innocent Americans who’ve seen their home values decline. And while Government can’t fix the problem on its own, responsible homeowners shouldn’t have to sit and wait for the housing market to hit bottom to get some relief.
That’s why I’m sending this Congress a plan that gives every responsible homeowner the chance to save about $3,000 a year on their mortgage, by refinancing at historically low interest rates. No more red tape. No more runaround from the banks. A small fee on the largest financial institutions will ensure that it won’t add to the deficit, and will give banks that were rescued by taxpayers a chance to repay a deficit of trust.
Let’s never forget: Millions of Americans who work hard and play by the rules every day deserve a Government and a financial system that do the same. It’s time to apply the same rules from top to bottom: No bailouts, no handouts, and no copouts. An America built to last insists on responsibility from everybody.
We’ve all paid the price for lenders who sold mortgages to people who couldn’t afford them, and buyers who knew they couldn’t afford them. That’s why we need smart regulations to prevent irresponsible behavior. Rules to prevent financial fraud, or toxic dumping, or faulty medical devices, don’t destroy the free market. They make the free market work better.
There is no question that some regulations are outdated, unnecessary, or too costly. In fact, I’ve approved fewer regulations in the first three years of my presidency than my Republican predecessor did in his. I’ve ordered every federal agency to eliminate rules that don’t make sense. We’ve already announced over 500 reforms, and just a fraction of them will save business and citizens more than $10 billion over the next five years. We got rid of one rule from 40 years ago that could have forced some dairy farmers to spend $10,000 a year proving that they could contain a spill – because milk was somehow classified as an oil. With a rule like that, I guess it was worth crying over spilled milk.
I’m confident a farmer can contain a milk spill without a federal agency looking over his shoulder. But I will not back down from making sure an oil company can contain the kind of oil spill we saw in the Gulf two years ago. I will not back down from protecting our kids from mercury pollution, or making sure that our food is safe and our water is clean. I will not go back to the days when health insurance companies had unchecked power to cancel your policy, deny you coverage, or charge women differently from men.
And I will not go back to the days when Wall Street was allowed to play by its own set of rules. The new rules we passed restore what should be any financial system’s core purpose: Getting funding to entrepreneurs with the best ideas, and getting loans to responsible families who want to buy a home, start a business, or send a kid to college.
So if you’re a big bank or financial institution, you are no longer allowed to make risky bets with your customers’ deposits. You’re required to write out a “living will” that details exactly how you’ll pay the bills if you fail – because the rest of us aren’t bailing you out ever again. And if you’re a mortgage lender or a payday lender or a credit card company, the days of signing people up for products they can’t afford with confusing forms and deceptive practices are over. Today, American consumers finally have a watchdog in Richard Cordray with one job: To look out for them.
We will also establish a Financial Crimes Unit of highly trained investigators to crack down on large-scale fraud and protect people’s investments. Some financial firms violate major anti-fraud laws because there’s no real penalty for being a repeat offender. That’s bad for consumers, and it’s bad for the vast majority of bankers and financial service professionals who do the right thing. So pass legislation that makes the penalties for fraud count.
And tonight, I am asking my Attorney General to create a special unit of federal prosecutors and leading state attorneys general to expand our investigations into the abusive lending and packaging of risky mortgages that led to the housing crisis. This new unit will hold accountable those who broke the law, speed assistance to homeowners, and help turn the page on an era of recklessness that hurt so many Americans.
A return to the American values of fair play and shared responsibility will help us protect our people and our economy. But it should also guide us as we look to pay down our debt and invest in our future.
Right now, our most immediate priority is stopping a tax hike on 160 million working Americans while the recovery is still fragile. People cannot afford losing $40 out of each paycheck this year. There are plenty of ways to get this done. So let’s agree right here, right now: No side issues. No drama. Pass the payroll tax cut without delay.
When it comes to the deficit, we’ve already agreed to more than $2 trillion in cuts and savings. But we need to do more, and that means making choices. Right now, we’re poised to spend nearly $1 trillion more on what was supposed to be a temporary tax break for the wealthiest 2 percent of Americans. Right now, because of loopholes and shelters in the tax code, a quarter of all millionaires pay lower tax rates than millions of middle-class households. Right now, Warren Buffett pays a lower tax rate than his secretary.
Do we want to keep these tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans? Or do we want to keep our investments in everything else – like education and medical research; a strong military and care for our veterans? Because if we’re serious about paying down our debt, we can’t do both.
The American people know what the right choice is. So do I. As I told the Speaker this summer, I’m prepared to make more reforms that rein in the long term costs of Medicare and Medicaid, and strengthen Social Security, so long as those programs remain a guarantee of security for seniors.
But in return, we need to change our tax code so that people like me, and an awful lot of Members of Congress, pay our fair share of taxes. Tax reform should follow the Buffett rule: If you make more than $1 million a year, you should not pay less than 30 percent in taxes. And my Republican friend Tom Coburn is right: Washington should stop subsidizing millionaires. In fact, if you’re earning a million dollars a year, you shouldn’t get special tax subsidies or deductions. On the other hand, if you make under $250,000 a year, like 98 percent of American families, your taxes shouldn’t go up. You’re the ones struggling with rising costs and stagnant wages. You’re the ones who need relief.
Now, you can call this class warfare all you want. But asking a billionaire to pay at least as much as his secretary in taxes? Most Americans would call that common sense.
We don’t begrudge financial success in this country. We admire it. When Americans talk about folks like me paying my fair share of taxes, it’s not because they envy the rich. It’s because they understand that when I get tax breaks I don’t need and the country can’t afford, it either adds to the deficit, or somebody else has to make up the difference – like a senior on a fixed income; or a student trying to get through school; or a family trying to make ends meet. That’s not right. Americans know it’s not right. They know that this generation’s success is only possible because past generations felt a responsibility to each other, and to their country’s future, and they know our way of life will only endure if we feel that same sense of shared responsibility. That’s how we’ll reduce our deficit. That’s an America built to last.
I recognize that people watching tonight have differing views about taxes and debt; energy and health care. But no matter what party they belong to, I bet most Americans are thinking the same thing right now: Nothing will get done this year, or next year, or maybe even the year after that, because Washington is broken.
Can you blame them for feeling a little cynical?
The greatest blow to confidence in our economy last year didn’t come from events beyond our control. It came from a debate in Washington over whether the United States would pay its bills or not. Who benefited from that fiasco?
I’ve talked tonight about the deficit of trust between Main Street and Wall Street. But the divide between this city and the rest of the country is at least as bad – and it seems to get worse every year.
Some of this has to do with the corrosive influence of money in politics. So together, let’s take some steps to fix that. Send me a bill that bans insider trading by Members of Congress, and I will sign it tomorrow. Let’s limit any elected official from owning stocks in industries they impact. Let’s make sure people who bundle campaign contributions for Congress can’t lobby Congress, and vice versa – an idea that has bipartisan support, at least outside of Washington.
Some of what’s broken has to do with the way Congress does its business these days. A simple majority is no longer enough to get anything – even routine business – passed through the Senate. Neither party has been blameless in these tactics. Now both parties should put an end to it. For starters, I ask the Senate to pass a rule that all judicial and public service nominations receive a simple up or down vote within 90 days.
The executive branch also needs to change. Too often, it’s inefficient, outdated and remote. That’s why I’ve asked this Congress to grant me the authority to consolidate the federal bureaucracy so that our Government is leaner, quicker, and more responsive to the needs of the American people.
Finally, none of these reforms can happen unless we also lower the temperature in this town. We need to end the notion that the two parties must be locked in a perpetual campaign of mutual destruction; that politics is about clinging to rigid ideologies instead of building consensus around common sense ideas.
I’m a Democrat. But I believe what Republican Abraham Lincoln believed: That Government should do for people only what they cannot do better by themselves, and no more. That’s why my education reform offers more competition, and more control for schools and States. That’s why we’re getting rid o