White House (link includes text of the American Jobs Act)
29 Responses to “an open letter”
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The Obama Diary 
He has them In a box and now he is doing his greatest strength and that is talking directly to the American people!
YES HE IS. I’ve been on 3 of these calls already and he’s doing this stuff all day long. You also see where he’s doing stuff like surprising the crowd at the Interactive One meet-up. He’s been talking to mayors. He’s definitely shifting into a very aggressive push. We have to help him.
That was one of my favorite pushes – his most recent call to the Mayors.
Just finished listening to the President’s call. So uplifting.
“Remember that you have a president that is confident that we are going to get the job done”
He urged us to call Dems and Repubs and let them know we support the bill. Also encouraged us to talk to neighbors, co-workers and friends.
Works for me.
The switchboard is closed for the night, but tomorrow we start again.
I am going to write an email to my OFA volunteer coordinator and ask if we could do a table or phone banking for the bill.
Fired up – ready to go.
It’s really being stressed that we need to get into the game and put pressure on our reps. If you have a Dem rep or senator call them up and let them know this is the bill you support and the one you want done so they should get behind it. If you have a GOP representative call them up and let them know that the election is 14 months out and this needs to be passed now and that they bear responsibility for the economy since they have the control of the House and will be held accountable.
Yes PBHO was…
Tomorrow, on it, again!
Contactin’ Rep Gonzales, and Sens Cornyn, Bailey-Hutchinson, ‘The Weeper’ Boehner and ‘Offset’ Cantor (Grrr!), et al!
PBHO’s Jobs Plan: THE AMERICAN JOBS ACT… http://www.americanjobsact.com/?source=DNC_TW
YES.WE.CAN…DO.(Much)More, Together!
PRESS SECRETARY JAY CARNEY SCHOOLS THE WHITE HOUSE PRESS CORPS (9/12/11)
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OMB Director Jack Lew was the guest at the briefing today and a reporter asked the question below. Jack answered the question by explaining that it is difficult and dangerous to forecast unemployment numbers and that back in early 2009, no one knew exactly how bad things were until much later when the numbers were revised downward.
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Q Jack, when you talk about what the figure is and how many jobs are created, as Dan did in the previous question, one has to go back to January of ’09 when the stimulus package was unveiled, and Dr. Romer and Jared Bernstein said at the time it would bring unemployment levels down to 6.8 percent. And they have not gone down to that level now. How can there be confidence in any figures you offer on jobs created or what the unemployment will be, based on that record?
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Press Secretary Jay Carney was clearly not happy with the framing of the question and he proceeded to school the reporters about the difference between “talking points” and “THE REAL FACTS ON THE GROUND”. Jay has a very calm persona, but I detected real anger today. I think he is fed up with the nonsense that masquerades as journalism from the WH press corps. I was out of my seat when he made the following response after Jack Lew left.
MR. CARNEY: I’ll have to get that for you.
I’m going to — before I go straight to questions, I’m going to respond to a couple of things here. Tricia, on yours, the President believes the United States Congress should, upon receiving the American Jobs Act, pass it. He is submitting a bill that, by the estimate of any economist on the outside whose PhD is worth the value of the paper it’s printed on, would say creates jobs and grows the economy by incentivizing the private sector, by putting more money in Americans’ pockets, by putting teachers back to work, putting construction workers back to work, police and firefighters. And he believes the American Jobs Act should be passed by Congress.
Second, if I could, I think we’ll see the reference to Dr. Romer and Dr. Bernstein’s estimates many times in political advertisements coming forward, many times from candidates and political committees. I think it ought to be incumbent upon people who are journalists to at least acknowledge in their writing, if not in the phrasing of their question, what Jack Lew just talked about, which is that the forecasts made in early 2009 were based on the economic data available to any economist inside or outside the administration. And what we didn’t know — in fact, what we only learned this summer — is that in the fourth quarter of 2008, the American economy contracted 9 percent — before this President took office. The next month, when he took office, at the end of that month — by the end of that month, the American economy had shed in that month alone 770,000 jobs. Again, I certainly don’t think that you are suggesting that President Obama, regardless of his forecast of his economic team, is responsible for that.
So I just think that we need to — and I will simply go on and — those 770,000 jobs we talked about losing in January of 2009 were part of a total that reached 8 million as a result of the recession that was in full bloom, as we know now, when he took office.
So, at least as a reporter, acknowledge that there’s a separation between a talking point and the facts on the ground at the time.
http://www.youtube.com/whitehouse#p/u/0/16nCM2IUlAc
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/09/12/press-briefing-press-secretary-jay-carney-and-omb-director-jack-lew-9122
It’s being reported that Bobby Jindal will endorse Rick Perry tonight, and is in Florida as Perry’s guest at the debate. I’d guess this is to counteract the Pawlenty endorsement of Romney made earlier today. Looks like things are gearing up and the Big Two are digging in.
Hmmm … The Ponz meets Bobby Brady. That oughta work.
From what I can see, not surprising in the least from these criminals, the talking points will be: It’s another stimulus, the first one create ZERO jobs and cost the American people a gazillion dollars, bla bla bla
And the corrupt media will go with it.
Even if they are in a corner now, they have no shame whatsoever.
I’m pretty sure it’s going to be a topic tonight at the Tbaggers debate.
They’re going to say the same crap over and over. This time though they can’t say that the President has no job bill.
This time, we the people will NOT let them get away with it. This is not 2009. It’s time the Republicans paid a huge political price for fooling around with people’s livelihoods while they engage in BS politics.
I agree with you, hopefruit, and I’m the glass half empty type. It is just logical that your prediction will play out. I know a lot of us will worry, but my gut feeling is that people “get” it now. I scanned DK last night to see if in fact it was deserted, and caught some FPer’s post. Do not remember the details, but some Repub won some open seat in a blue district. The Koshead’s take: this iunderlines Obama’s massive unpopularity. I don’t “know the district” as My Stephen would say, but the poster’s opinion was a lie. Lies will not stand this time around.
Yes, I saw the DK FP article you’re referring to. The GOP hasn’t won yet – it’s tomorrow special election. The vote is for Anthony Weiner’s old congress seat in district NY-09. From what I have read, that particular district comprises some Pro-Israel conservative Russian Jewish voters who have been duped by the likes of Donald Trump and Ed Koch into voting against their interests because they think that President Obama is pushing “anti-Israel” policies and is for same sex marriage.
I called out the poster’s lies as well and told him instead of pushing the “Obama unpopular” narrative, why aren’t you addressing the real issue which is the bigotry of the voters and the fact that this bigotry is allowing them to vote against their own interests.
Thank you so much! For the info and the pushback there. I was banned about a year ago. The irony of his diary juxtaposed with the boycott – mind blowing.
The GOP Press Corps already had their marching orders today. At the press briefing a reporter started the meme about the ARRA and the unemployment numbers not working. Jay was ready for it and he basically called out the reporter for being dishonest. I am sure we will hear more of this tonight. Because we all know that facts to the Republican Party is like garlic to a vampire.
Ladyhawke that last line was perfect, so funny. You guys are hilarious. Haha!
This one is paid for – no new debt will be taken on. It is a tax cut to working men and women. And the first stimulus did save and create millions of jobs. The economy was steadily growing until the GOP took over the House and sabotaged things on purpose.
What would the unemployment rate be if states were not cutting tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands each in some cases?
StR said: The economy was steadily growing until the GOP took over the House and sabotaged things on purpose.
That just about sums it up. The Republican Party has done nothing for job creation since taking the majority. Not one jobs bill.
I’ll sign, Mr. President! Please hand me one of your pens!
This President is a juggernaut and a force like no other. He is hitting the ground, the sky, the airwaves, the twitterverse, emailverse, phoneverse. He is selling, selling, selling and I am loving it. Hey guys when calling your congressmembers, I would also advice that you call democrats also and tell them politely but forcefully that we need them out 24/7 in the media, newspapers, twitter, youtube; everywhere selling the American Jobs Act. I watched Morning Joe this morning and Rep. Jim Clyburn and Rep. Chris Van Hollen were great. They’re already taking the message and pushing forward. DWS and Rep. Barbara Lee were great too on hardball. So lets keep reminding them as well as the GOp to get behind President Obama, pass the bill, and put Americans from all walks of life to work.
Really? See my comment below. I was disappointed in the mealy mouthedness of DWS & Barbara lee.
WHAT IS WRONG WITH DEMOCRATS?
You would think that democratic congresscritters, think tankers, “strategists”, “progressives”, and labor bigwigs would be crawling all over the toobz to talk up the President’s jobs Bill? But no. They sit back and chuckle smugly about whether the President “really” means to fight for this bill? Are the Repugs gonna allow it to pass? This is DOA. The Pres. is gonna have a hard time getting this through. WTF!!!
Is this not what Crabis Smiley & Corny WEst, The CBC & Maxine “unleash us” Troubled Waters have been bus-touring and screaming for? Why are they not unleashing RIGHT NOW on Repugs to “PASS THE DAMN JOBS BILL”? Yeah they talk a good game bashing Pres. Obama but they get lily-livered when it comes time to face REpugs. And Smiley is still whining in an interview with Grio.com that he hasn’t gotten an invitation to the White House. Sheesh!!.
On the site that shall not be named (I know there’s a boycott but I wanted to satisfy my curiosity whether they’d sing mea culpas), they breathlessly wrote about the Prez. unveiling his bill, gave him “attaboys” for finally “listening to them”, then promptly began speculating about whether he’d fight for it. Even before Jack Lew could come to the podium to reveal how the bill would be paid for, the Kosfox demolition crew had already raised the specter of “gutting SS & Medicare’ to 1000 decibels level.
I have said this over and over again, Democrats face a persuasion and institutional deficit and if we don’t tackle this soon we’ll find ourselves with winning policy and messages but zero traction with the public.
Great that at least there was some coordination in the roll out. Even more impressive that the plan came so quickly on the heels of the speech. But of liberals and Democrats do not take up our end of the bargain, Pres. Obama will forever be fighting a lonely war. Then we turn around and say “Gee why is he not getting through?” Duh!!!
I was totally disappointed in Debbie Wasserman Schulz & Barbara Lee this evening on Tweety’s show. They sounded resigned merely parroting the Repugs’ desire to defeat the Prez. WTF!!! What are they GONNA DO ABOUT IT? Why have they not mobilized labor and many unemployed people to stage sit-ins at the capitol? Why have they not flooded the media zone to amplify the Prez.’s message? We are our own worst enemies.
All that these Democratic congresscritters and pundit peanut gallery want to do is to watch Pres. Obama’s road-show as carping spectators. That’s all. Pres. Obama takes his job seriously, so he will do whatever is within his power to drive his initiative. But shame on his party for failing him and us all!!!
thank you zizi
Bravo, Bravo, Zizi! May be we need to take matters in our own hands. It’s clear that many Democrats in Congress are brave when attacking the President but are not so brave when it comes to fighting the Republicans. I thank god for my Senator, Barbara Boxer, who is aggressively taking the fight to the Republicans by strongly endorsing, and campaigning for, the President’s jobs plan.
Here’s a handy dandy little helper at the bottom of this page to allow you to contact your Senators and Reps and tell them to pass the American Jobs Act. No fuss…and you can email and I think I even saw Tweet on there:)
http://propresobama.org/2011/09/11/apec-women-and-the-economy-summit/ As I looked at Ben Quayle’s site, I wanted to puke….the same old song and dance one would expect from the party with no ideas and protecting the wealthy at the expense of everyone else….how nice to know that he doesn’t give a rat’s behind about me or others like me. Very obvious. Need to compose an email that doesn’t mince words. What a waste of a congressional seat.
Anyone following the Teahardist Debate should use #TeaNN when tweeting.
I thought the official hastag was #cnnteaparty. That’s what CNN is using.
I am so proud of our President. Here is the “American Jobs Act” in pdf format if anyone want to download a copy of the official bill. http://1.usa.gov/ncA2RR
I’m praying the Dems don’t blow this. Trying to let President Obama try and get this passed on his own. Every Dem should be at a TV or Radio mic talking about and promoting this bill. Right now President Obama got info on blast, I hope he can keep it up until it passes.
Can’t wait for all the Repubs to vote no so we can’t use it against them. Too easy I tell ya!