Rise and Shine

Three years ago today: President Obama, Vice President Biden and Solicitor General Elena Kagan wait in the Blue Room of the White House, May 10, 2010, prior to the President’s announcement of Kagan as his choice to replace retiring Justice John Paul Stevens in the Supreme Court (Photo by Pete Souza)

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Today:

12:30: Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jay Carney

2:40: The President delivers a statement on the Affordable Care Act

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USA Today: President Obama turns his attention back Friday to one of his signature issues, health care. A White House event this afternoon ties implementation of the massive 2010 health care law to Mother’s Day on Sunday.

Obama will discuss the benefits of the law for women, and also ask mothers to encourage young people to sign up when insurance exchanges go on line in October.

More here

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Sun Times: President Barack Obama returns to Berlin in June – the city where he staged a triumphic speech during the 2008 election – with First Lady Michelle, the White House announced on Friday.

The June 17-19 swing will start in Belfast and move to Lough Erne in Northern Ireland for the G-8 Summit. After that the First Couple head to Berlin.

More here

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Obama Pays Down Debt, Smashes Republican House of Cards nblo.gs/L2fGK

— The People’s View (@thepeoplesview) May 8, 2013

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The percentage of young adults without health insurance has declined from 31% to 21% thanks to Obamacare. twitter.com/keithboykin/st…

— Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) May 10, 2013

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Austin Bergstrom International Airport, Austin, May 9

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Norm Ornstein (National Journal): ….. Bob Woodward has pushed the idea that Obama has failed in his fundamental leadership task – not building relationships with key congressional leaders the way Bill Clinton did….

…. No one schmoozed more or better with legislators in both parties than Clinton. How many Republican votes did it get him on his signature initial priority, an economic plan? Zero in both houses. And it took eight months to get enough Democrats to limp over the finish line. How did things work out on his health care plan? How about his impeachment in the House?

…. For Obama, we knew from the get-go that he had no Republicans willing to work with him ….. schmoozing was not going to change that.

…. it is past time to abandon selective history and wishful thinking, and realize the inherent limits of presidential power, and the very different tribal politics that Obama faces compared with his predecessors.

Full article here

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Joe Biden: The Rolling Stone Interview

The vice president on guns, global warming and why he’s “the last guy in the room” on every decision Obama makes……

“Remember, I got criticized for saying I support gay marriage …. I just decided I couldn’t be quiet about it anymore, and everybody was stunned that that’s where the public is. And I’m not stunned; it’s where the public’s been for a while. Talk to any of your kids, for God’s sake.”

Did you get blowback from the president or people in general?

“I got blowback from everybody but the president. I walked in that Monday, he had a big grin on his face, he put his arms around me and said, “Well, Joe, God love you, you say what you think.” I knew he agreed with me. It wasn’t like he was in a different place…..”

Read the interview here

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Catching Up

Cagle

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ThinkProgress: The federal government’s ability to respond to natural disasters, like Hurricane Sandy currently bearing down on the East Coast, would be significantly hindered under a Romney-Ryan administration.

At least three times, Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan have publicly demanded that the federal government only disburse disaster relief funding if Congress agreed to offsetting budget cuts elsewhere. This would hold desperately-needed disaster relief funding hostage unless Congress agreed to cuts elsewhere in the budget, an extraordinarily difficult prospect even in normal circumstances.

More here

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Romney campaign heads explode:

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Rolling Stone (Thanks Collegekay)

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Michael Tomasky: F-You Dishonesty: Romney and Jeep

There’s basic dishonesty and then there’s f-you dishonesty – dishonesty so blatant, so consciously abusive of facts that everyone knows, that it deserves a category of its own. Kato Keilin: dishonesty. O.J.: f-you dishonesty.

Romney’s new ad about Jeeps and Italy is f-you dishonest….

Full post here

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Bill Keller (NYT): The No Agenda Myth…

…. With Obama, we can anticipate that the unfinished business of universal health care and the re-regulation of the Wall Street casino will be finished. We can expect investments in education, infrastructure and innovation, followed by a gradual, balanced attack on deficits that includes higher taxes on the wealthiest …. We can expect the Pentagon, after winding down two wars, to bank a peace dividend ….. The fact that these objectives represent a continuation of his first term does not mean he is aiming low. These are ambitious goals.

If Romney is elected…. we can fairly expect a rollback of universal health care in favor of the rough marketplace, and at least a partial dismantling of regulations on banks, extractive industries and whatever other industries squeal about job-killing red tape. We can expect a lowering of the safety net, especially a retrenchment of Medicaid and a marketization of Medicare. His deficit plan will rely on draconian spending cuts and on the supply-side superstition that tax cuts automatically produce growth …. You can expect another Scalia or two on the Supreme Court, the defunding of Planned Parenthood and a social agenda aimed at appeasing the evangelical base….

There’s more, but you get the idea. Two agendas; compare and contrast…..

Full article here

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Link

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Detroit News: Chrysler Group LLC reported a net profit of $381 million for the third quarter of 2012 on Monday, up 80 percent from the $212 million profit the company reported for the same period a year ago.

It was further proof that the Auburn Hills automaker’s recovery is continuing, and should help offset the losses that its Italian parent company, Fiat SpA, is expected to announce on Tuesday.

…. Monday’s results mark the third consecutive quarter of solid profitability for the company…

…. Since emerging from bankruptcy in 2009, Chrysler has not only returned to solid profitability, but also announced investments of more than $4.5 billion in the United States and Canada, repaid its government loans in full with interest six years ahead of schedule and launched 18 new or refreshed cars and trucks.

More here

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Orlando, October 28 (Scout Tufankjian for Obama for America)

reflecting pool

President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden talk with Chief of Staff Bill Daley, left, and Senior Advisor David Plouffe in the Oval Office, April 7, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

back at the office

President Barack Obama holds a meeting on the economy with his advisors in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Nov. 15, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

goooooooooaaaaaaaaaaal!

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South Africa’s Siphiwe Tshabalala scores the first goal of the World Cup against Mexico at Soccer City stadium in Johannesburg, June 11, 2010. The game finished 1-1.