Michelle and I want every kid in Chicago to grow up knowing even better opportunities than we had. We’re happy to h… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
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Barack Obama (@BarackObama) June 25, 2020Posts Tagged ‘internet
31
Mar
16
Progress
Here's how the @FCC is making broadband more affordable for all Americans → go.wh.gov/A8zFhW https://t.co/17PztcAipr
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The White House (@WhiteHouse) April 01, 2016JUST IN: FCC approves Internet subsidies for millions of poor Americans hill.cm/vpYxLSi https://t.co/PYx5XBBlrJ
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The Hill (@thehill) March 31, 201615
Jul
15
The President’s Day
President Barack Obama speaks during a press conference in the East Room of the White House in response to the Iran Nuclear Deal. The landmark deal will limit Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for relief from international sanctions. The agreement, which comes after almost two years of diplomacy, has also been praised by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani
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Someone had fun today 🙂
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President Barack Obama says goodbye to Vice President Joe Biden’s granddaughter Finnegan Biden before departing the White House. It’s so beautiful to see how close the Obamas and Bidens are
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President Barack Obama speaks on expanding economic opportunity for communities across the country during a visit to the Choctaw Nation in Durant, Oklahoma. The Choctaw Nation is the country’s third-largest Native American tribe
Choctaw Nation member Kelsey Janway wipes tears from her eyes as President Barack Obama tells her story about her efforts trying to get an internet signal as he visits with the Choctaw Nation in Durant, Oklahoma
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"When you can apply for a job...pay your bills...with a tap of your phone, the internet is not a luxury—it’s a necessity." —@POTUS
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The White House (@WhiteHouse) July 15, 2015“A child’s ability to succeed should not be based on where she lives [or] how much money her parents make.” —@POTUS http://t.co/xRnpti3F5Y
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The White House (@WhiteHouse) July 15, 2015****
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"We’re in this together. We’re bound by a shared commitment to leave a better world for our children" —@POTUS to Choctaw Nation #ConnectHome
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The White House (@WhiteHouse) July 15, 2015"The internet is not a luxury, it's a necessity." —@POTUS: go.wh.gov/ConnectHome #ConnectHome snpy.tv/1Lk4Xf6
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The White House (@WhiteHouse) July 15, 2015****
The @FCC just voted to keep the internet open & free. That's the power of millions making their voices heard. Thank you! #NetNeutrality -bo
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The White House (@WhiteHouse) February 26, 2015RT to share the news: The @FCC just voted to keep the internet open and free → wh.gov/net-neutrality #NetNeutrality http://t.co/n5Uec5mqLU
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The White House (@WhiteHouse) February 26, 2015****
Three years ago today, young Trayvon Martin was murdered.
May he forever Rest in Peace. http://t.co/xVxlL3nQ0H
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meta (@metaquest) February 26, 2015President Obama marks the third anniversary of Trayvon Martin's death: ow.ly/JHDi8 http://t.co/v1fU3egtTr
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The Hill (@thehill) February 27, 2015****
Trayvon. http://t.co/1arBRiS7w0
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deray mckesson (@deray) February 26, 2015big push to undo "Stand Your Ground laws" post-Trayvon Martin. As @alicesperi notes: laws survived in 22 states washingtonpost.com/news/post-nati…
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Wesley Lowery (@WesleyLowery) February 26, 2015****
Trayvon Martin was shot and killed 3 years ago today washingtonpost.com/news/post-nati… http://t.co/Tqd5ui2MPn
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Wesley Lowery (@WesleyLowery) February 26, 2015February 26, 2012. We haven't forgot about you, Trayvon. http://t.co/WgWg7jaL17
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Aristotle Jones (@Stotle_9) February 26, 2015****
If you saw Selma, (which you should. There are no excuses) this moment hit you like a punch to the gut. 47 years later, and another innocent life taken away. May both their souls rest in peace
Jimmie Lee Jackson died 50 years ago today at 26. First martyr of Selma struggle thenat.in/1EaHiub http://t.co/XPcMCttqaN
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Ari Berman (@AriBerman) February 26, 2015Tragic anniversaries today: Trayvon Martin died exactly 47 years after Jimmie Lee Jackson thenat.in/1EaHiub http://t.co/5nmyRZ0Byw
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Ari Berman (@AriBerman) February 26, 2015****
These 19 photos of Black activism through the years are so eerily similar, they'll stun you huff.to/17VGpK7 http://t.co/lb69nOCy12
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HuffPost BlackVoices (@blackvoices) February 18, 201534 Vintage Photos of Those Who Fought The American Civil War
#BlackHistoryMonth bzfd.it/1Ddby6S http://t.co/nfRAm0Z1ru
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(@BuzzFeed) February 09, 2015****
13 Famous Black Americans Whose Ancestors Endured Slavery #BlackHistoryMonth
bzfd.it/1AcLJOM http://t.co/gX70L4tBqf
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(@BuzzFeed) February 26, 2015110 Days: Loretta Lynch has waited longer for a confirmation vote than any AG in modern history. Time to #ConfirmLynch
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Marcia L. Fudge (@RepMarciaFudge) February 26, 2015****
13
Jan
15
A Tweet Or Two
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BREAKING: Watch President Obama announce new steps to help more Americans access #BetterBroadband → youtu.be/Nbol8oMNggs
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The White House (@WhiteHouse) January 13, 2015BREAKING: President Obama has a plan to make your Internet go much faster. #betterbroadband u.pw/1AcPSD5 http://t.co/KDRPsJ8G7Z
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(@Upworthy) January 13, 2015****
This is a #CharlieHebdo pic making fun of #BringBackOurGirls kidnapped by #BokoHaram and depicted as welfare queens. http://t.co/Y3hXyfL3XP
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Charles F Coleman Jr (@CFColemanJr) January 13, 2015Boko Haram massacres hundreds each week. @AsafRonel asks: Where is the West’s outrage? htz.li/1nO http://t.co/d9lxxHyY3o
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Haaretz.com (@haaretzcom) January 13, 2015****
Free speech cannot be used as a license to ridicule other cultures or as a shield for xenophobia. I am NOT Charlie. #CharlieHebdo
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Charles F Coleman Jr (@CFColemanJr) January 13, 2015I am not Charlie. I can never be Charlie. I don't have the complexion for protection to be Charlie. What I am, is Baga. #IAmNigeria
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Awesomely Luvvie (@Luvvie) January 13, 2015****
#CharlieHebdo depicting kidnapped Nigerian girls as welfare queens. I'm definitely not Charlie. (H/T @CFColemanJr) http://t.co/sY3Wbv7x3P
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Imani ABL (@AngryBlackLady) January 13, 2015they're not just addressing the terrorists. They're addressing a billion people who are members of a demonized religion. @dylanllyr
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Imani ABL (@AngryBlackLady) January 13, 2015****
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White House: Net Neutrality: President Obama’s Plan For A Free And Open Internet
An open Internet is essential to the American economy, and increasingly to our very way of life. By lowering the cost of launching a new idea, igniting new political movements, and bringing communities closer together, it has been one of the most significant democratizing influences the world has ever known. “Net neutrality” has been built into the fabric of the Internet since its creation — but it is also a principle that we cannot take for granted. We cannot allow Internet service providers (ISPs) to restrict the best access or to pick winners and losers in the online marketplace for services and ideas. That is why today, I am asking the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to answer the call of almost 4 million public comments, and implement the strongest possible rules to protect net neutrality.
I'm urging the @FCC to keep the internet open and free. Here's my plan to protect #NetNeutrality for everyone: go.wh.gov/net-neutrality –bo
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The White House (@WhiteHouse) November 10, 2014No blocking. If a consumer requests access to a website or service, and the content is legal, your ISP should not be permitted to block it. That way, every player — not just those commercially affiliated with an ISP — gets a fair shot at your business. No throttling. Nor should ISPs be able to intentionally slow down some content or speed up others — through a process often called “throttling” — based on the type of service or your ISP’s preferences. Increased transparency. The connection between consumers and ISPs — the so-called “last mile” — is not the only place some sites might get special treatment. So, I am also asking the FCC to make full use of the transparency authorities the court recently upheld, and if necessary to apply net neutrality rules to points of interconnection between the ISP and the rest of the Internet. No paid prioritization. Simply put: No service should be stuck in a “slow lane” because it does not pay a fee. That kind of gatekeeping would undermine the level playing field essential to the Internet’s growth. So, as I have before, I am asking for an explicit ban on paid prioritization and any other restriction that has a similar effect.
More here
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Adam Clark Estes: Obama’s Plan To Save The Internet
Good news, America. Our president, Barack Obama, is finally standing up for the internet, and asking the FCC to classify it as a public utility. In other words, he’s asking the agency not to allow destructive things like fast lanes (a.k.a. paid prioritization) or throttling. It’s a great day! At least, today’s news is a great step in the right direction. So Obama’s asked the FCC to reclassify the internet as a public utility, like electricity or water. This means a lot of things. Suffice it to say that the internet gets a better square on the Monopoly board. Instead of just being a regular piece of real estate that can be bought or sold or modified or destroyed, the internet would enjoy a number of regulatory protections if it were classified under Title II of the Telecommunications Act. The White House points out in a blog post about Obama’s statement that the reclassification would represent a “basic acknowledgement of the services ISPs provide to American homes and businesses, and the straightforward obligations necessary to ensure the network works for everyone—not just one or two companies.” That sounds about right. The internet was designed to be a free and open tool for communications.
About an hour after the White House released the statement, Tim Wu tweeted:
BIG NEWS (for Net Neutrality) -- President Obama demands bright-line rules, endorses Title II reclassification whitehouse.gov/net-neutrality
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Tim Wu (@superwuster) November 10, 2014Tim Wu is the Columbia Law School professor who invented the term “net neutrality.” So if he likes Obama’s policy, today is a terrific day for the internet. And it actually sounds like he loves the policy. Keep this in mind when you wonder if it’ll work. Will the FCC actually write new rules that conform to the president’s wishes? We don’t know. We can’t know until they do or they don’t! Think of it this way, though. The FCC is not the American people’s favorite agency right now. More than one individual commissioner has even admitted that the existing rules are bad. Meanwhile, the experts who understand how the internet works better than the FCC does say that Obama’s plan is “100% on target.” It’s the FCC’s job to listen to experts and do what’s best for the American people. Now would be a good time for the FCC to do its job.
More here
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An open and free Internet is for everyone. President @BarackObama, thanks for supporting Net Neutrality etsy.me/1tyJOkj
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(@Etsy) November 10, 2014I applaud President Obama’s leadership on #NetNeutrality. We must ensure fair & equal access to the Internet! goo.gl/ynOCJ2
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Nancy Pelosi (@NancyPelosi) November 10, 2014****
This is huge! President @BarackObama is sticking up for a free and open Internet: whitehouse.gov/net-neutrality #NetNeutrality
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Kickstarter (@kickstarter) November 10, 2014Kudos to @WhiteHouse for continued support of #NetNeutrality.
Constituents overwhelmingly say NO #InternetFastlanes http://t.co/6wokIYqzqk
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Senator Ben Cardin (@SenatorCardin) November 10, 2014****
@WhiteHouse Thank you for this.
@FCC Do it.
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(@fd2190) November 10, 2014@WhiteHouse @FCC keep fighting Mr. President
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LLS (@powwowasu) November 10, 2014****
Continue reading ‘A Free And Open Internet. Thanks, President Obama’
04
Feb
14
Opportunity for All: Connect-ED
President Obama makes the thumbs up sign as he ends a speech about his ConnectED goal of connecting 99% of students to next generation broadband and wireless technology within five years, Tuesday, Feb. 4, at Buck Lodge Middle School in Adelphi, Md
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Text of the President’s remarks here
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WH.gov: Making Progress on ConnectED
Today, President Obama visited Buck Lodge Middle School in Adelphi, Maryland to announce major progress on the ConnectED initiative, designed to enrich K-12 education for every student in America. ConnectED empowers teachers with the best technology and the training to make the most of it, and empowers students through individualized learning and rich, digital content.
Preparing America’s students with the skills they need to get good jobs and compete with countries around the world relies increasingly on interactive, personalized learning experiences driven by new technology. Yet fewer than 30% of America’s schools have the broadband they need to connect to today’s technology. Under ConnectED, however, 99% of American students will have access to next-generation broadband by 2017. That connectivity will help transform the classroom experience for all students, regardless of income.
As the President announced today, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will invest $2 billion over the next two years to dramatically expand high-speed Internet connectivity for America’s schools and libraries — connecting more than 20 million students to next-generation broadband and wireless. He also announced that private-sector companies have committed more than $750 million to deliver cutting-edge technologies to classrooms, including:
Apple, which will donate $100 million in iPads, MacBooks, and other products, along with content and professional development tools to enrich learning in disadvantaged U.S. schools
AT&T, which pledged more than $100 million to give middle school students free Internet connectivity for educational devices over their wireless network for three years
Autodesk, which pledged to make their 3D design program “Design the Future” available for free in every secondary school in the U.S. — more than $250 million in value
Microsoft, which will launch a substantial affordability program open to all U.S. public schools by deeply discounting the price of its Windows operating system, which will decrease the price of Windows-based devices
O’Reilly Media, which is partnering with Safari Books Online to make more than $100 million in educational content and tools available for free to every school in the U.S.
Sprint, which will offer free wireless service for up to 50,000 low-income high school students over the next four years, valued at $100 million
Verizon, which announced a multi-year program to support ConnectED through up to $100 million in cash and in-kind commitments
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President Obama visits Buck Lodge Middle School
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Dotster: President Obama’s announcements today are so important in bringing opportunity and advantage to all. I know my Ct. grandkids’ school has provided ipads to all students for 2 or 3 years now. It’s a great neighborhood school with kids from all backgrounds due to participation in a successful bussing program from the inner city. I’m not sure of the details, but I know they have a real aggressive PTO which went after grants and donations from the business community for funding for the ipads and other innovative programs. Similar advantages at the very diverse h.s. where my daughter teaches in Indy which has state of the art everything. Eli Lilly there and other corporate donors have also figured out that an educated, successful community is good for them, good for all. A win-win. It is very encouraging that this kind of opportunity will now be more widely available——it will indeed make a huge difference. Good to see the corp. community stepping up, doing some good for a nice change.
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WH.gov: How ConnectED works
Upgrading connectivity
The ConnectED initiative will, within five years, connect 99 percent of America’s students to the digital age through next-generation broadband and high-speed wireless in their schools and libraries. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and companies like Apple, Microsoft, Sprint, and Verizon are already providing their support, collectively pledging to connect more than 15,000 schools and 20 million students by the end of 2015.
ConnectED will also provide better broadband access for students in rural areas, by expanding successful efforts to connect parts of the country that typically have trouble attracting investment in broadband infrastructure.
Training teachers
Our teachers are being asked to do more than ever, and they need to be equipped with better tools to help them succeed. Fortunately, technology can play a central role in this.
For example, new digital education tools that allow for real-time assessments of student learning, provide more immediate feedback to drive professional development, and enable the creation of interactive online lessons can empower teachers to understand each student’s strengths and weaknesses and design lessons and activities that better meet their needs.
The ConnectED initiative invests in improving the skills of teachers, ensuring that every educator in America receives support and training in using education technology tools that can improve student learning.
Additionally, ConnectED will lead to new resources for teachers from any school, at any time, to open their classrooms to interactive demonstrations, lessons from world-renowned experts, or the opportunity to build learning communities and to collaborate with other educators across the country or world.
Encouraging private-sector innovation
Educational devices supported by high-speed networks are the portal to the world of online learning and interactive content, to personalized education software that adapts to students’ needs, and to breakthrough advances in assessing understanding and mastery.
These devices give students access to more rigorous and engaging classes, new learning resources, rich visualizations of complex concepts, and instruction in any foreign language. They also give students more opportunities to work at their own speed and receive additional one-on-one help they need to develop their knowledge and skills.
Leading technology companies are capable of producing feature-rich educational devices that are price-competitive with basic textbooks. And a robust market in educational software can unlock the full educational potential of broadband investment, while creating American jobs and export opportunities in a global education marketplace of more than $1 trillion.
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President Obama greets a member of the audience during a visit to Buck Lodge Middle School
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James Richardson, principal of Buck Lodge Middle School, celebrates with his students and teachers after President Barack Obama spoke at their school
04
Feb
14
Rise and Shine
On This Day: Senator Ted Kennedy, speaking at a rally for the presidential campaign of Senator Barack Obama in Hartford, the day before the Connecticut Super Tuesday primary. Congressional Representatives Rosa DeLauro, Chris Murphy and John B. Larson are onstage behind Ted Kennedy, along with Caroline Kennedy and Barack Obama. February 4, 2008
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RIP Archie Hackney, the then 90-yr-old WWII Vet who showed his President the utmost respect http://t.co/KlkQrG9qFL pic.twitter.com/gdYLWKcjhy
— TheObamaDiary.com (@TheObamaDiary) February 4, 2014
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Today:
11:10: President Obama visits a Buck Lodge Middle School classroom, Adelphi, Maryland
11:30: Delivers remarks on ConnectED
1:0: Press Briefing by Jay Carney
3:0: The President and Vice President meet with Department of Defense leadership on Afghanistan
4:30: The President and Vice President meet with the House Democratic Caucus, The East Room
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AP: Obama Secures $750M in Pledges to Get Kids Online
Claiming progress in his campaign to get American schools wired for the future, President Barack Obama is announcing commitments from U.S. companies totaling about $750 million to connect more students to high-speed Internet.
Apple is pledging $100 million in iPads, computers and other tools. AT&T and Sprint are contributing free Internet service through their wireless networks. Verizon is pitching in up to $100 million in cash and in-kind contributions. And Microsoft is making Windows available at discounted prices and offering 12 million free copies of Microsoft Office software.
Obama was to announce the commitments Tuesday at a middle school in the Maryland suburbs near Washington. Also in the pipeline: an addition $2 billion that the Federal Communications Commission is setting aside from service fees over two years to connect another 20 million students to high-speed Internet.
More here
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Haaretz: Boycotting reality
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry’s statement at the Munich Security Conference, that Israel will face boycotts should negotiations with the Palestinians fail, is a level-headed view of reality that the Israeli government chooses to continually ignore.
…. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu beats them all: Instead of welcoming Kerry as an ally, he publicly quarrels with him and hints that the secretary of state is trying to pressure Israel to “give up essential interests.”
Netanyahu refuses to understand that Israel’s most essential interest is ending the conflict, and that Kerry is a fair, dedicated, mediator who needs the support of all parties in order to complete this complex process. Netanyahu refuses to understand that now is the time for big decisions, not small politics.
Full article here
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Congratulations Secretary @JohnKerry on one year at the helm! pic.twitter.com/eXPenhDDHI
— Department of State (@StateDept) February 4, 2014
It only took a year but @StateDept finally let me have my own @Twitter account. #JKTweetsAgain
— John Kerry (@JohnKerry) February 4, 2014
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National Journal: How Obama Won the War on Iran Sanctions
A month ago, the president was on the outs – even among Democrats. Today, he’s quelled critics and getting his chance to make negotiations work.
The push for new sanctions on Iran has stalled. The Democrats who bucked President Obama to back the sanctions bill are backpedaling mightily—no longer even pretending they’re pushing Harry Reid to hold a vote on the measure. And while there’s still plenty of chest-pounding and posturing, the debate’s end result seems clear: The Senate will wait, at least so long as the negotiations move in the right direction.
That’s a full flip from just more than a month ago. Before the December recess, the Senate’s pro-sanctions faction was surging. Senators—including Democrats who are typically Obama loyalists—were agreeing with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s claim that the nuclear negotiations with Iran bordered on capitulation.
So how did Obama — a supposedly feckless president when it comes to handling Congress — turn the tide? Obama’s in-person, all-hands-on-deck advocacy campaign with the Senate appears to have advanced his cause, but it’s not that simple.
More here
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South Carolina’s battle over Medicaid expansion: After the Supreme Court ruled that states were not obligated to expand their Medicaid programs under the Affordable Care Act, South Carolina was one of the first to opt out. PBS NewsHour’s Mary Jo Brooks reports on the effects for residents who are still uninsured, plus a small alternative program designed to reach some of them.
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John built his construction company from the ground up. He #GotCovered and saves $500 a month: http://t.co/E4SRQOomYa pic.twitter.com/cTC8NbRyEk
— OFA MA (@OFA_MA) February 4, 2014
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Bill Hammond (NY Daily News): Anti-Obamacare, facts be damned
House Speaker John Boehner lobbed a social media stink bomb this weekend that distilled Republican attacks on the Affordable Care Act to their cynical, knee-jerk essence.
“Sick kids denied specialty care due to #Obamacare,” his Twitter feed proclaimed on Saturday, linking to a conservative blog post based on a TV news report out of Seattle. His Facebook page weighed in on the same story, calling it “heartbreaking” and vowing that House Republicans “will continue working to scrap this broken law.”
There’s just one problem: The shocking claim — that the President’s health reforms resulted in sick children being denied care — was flat-out false. Which Boehner’s staff must have known, assuming they actually read the material they were helping to spread across the Internet.
In fact, all of the children in question did get care, as was perfectly clear in the Jan. 30 press release from Seattle Children’s Hospital that got this snowball started.
More here
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And the #Fermi Award goes to… http://t.co/6VUAzluBIx #EnergyEfficiency #Solar #ActOnClimate #ScienceRules, pic.twitter.com/XEklYLIAFO
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) February 3, 2014
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USA Today: Obama to visit Saudi Arabia in March
President Obama will visit Saudi Arabia next month amid reports of a strained American-Saudi relationship over Iran and Syria.
White House press secretary Jay Carney announced that Obama would meet with Saudi King Abdullah in late March, calling it “part of regular consultations” between the two countries.
“The president looks forward to discussing with King Abdullah the enduring and strategic ties between the United States and Saudi Arabia as well as ongoing cooperation to advance a range of common interests related to Gulf and regional security, peace in the Middle East, countering violent extremism, and other issues of prosperity and security,” Carney said.
The Saudi stop will be added to a late March trip that includes the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy and Vatican City.
More here
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I like this @BilldeBlasio guy. Because of quotes like this. pic.twitter.com/jxZ4zuealA
— Steve Marmel (@Marmel) February 4, 2014
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Brian Beutler: Angry right’s secret revulsion: Why they really dodge minimum wage questions
Obama’s decision to increase the minimum wage for a small number of federal contractors has drawn out the crazies
It’s no great secret that Republicans oppose increasing the minimum wage. They don’t pretend it’s something they want to do under any circumstances. They don’t even really bother disguising their opposition. They cloak their view in dated and oversimplified economic arguments about labor demand and economic growth when the real impediment is ideological, and so it’s a somewhat better kept secret that many Republicans oppose the minimum wage altogether.
Opposing the minimum wage isn’t a politically seemly thing to do, though, and thus the great political consequence of President Obama’s decision, announced during his State of the Union address, to institute a $10.10 minimum wage for future federal contracts, will be to draw the extent of this opposition out into the open.
More here
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#Maryland is 1 step closer to making #NoKidHungry a reality. Join us in thanking @GovernorOMalley for his leadership! pic.twitter.com/BZJO4sW1kM
— No Kid Hungry (@nokidhungry) February 3, 2014
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Missed this yesterday:
Jonathan Capehart: O’Reilly outFoxed by Obama
The pre-Super Bowl interview with President Obama conducted by Bill O’Reilly was not only notable for the Fox News anchor’s constant interruptions, but also for his harping on old news. The travails of HealthCare.gov, the murderous attacks in Benghazi and the actions taken by the IRS against conservative groups chewed up 9 minutes and 45 seconds of the 10-minute sitdown.
We all know that those topics are nothing but chum for O’Reilly’s anti-Obama audience. But the president successfully avoided the rhetorical traps set by the ambassador from “fair and balanced.” And he respectfully stood up to the disrespect demanded by said audience by giving as good as he got.
…. It’s always difficult to tell whether the tail is wagging the dog over there at Fox, but I would argue that the IRS conspiracy theories and others are in large part due to O’Reilly and Fox. Neither the station nor its anchor has shown Obama or his office the respect both deserve. And that 10-minute interview was a perfect illustration of it.
Full article here
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If they don’t want us playing the “race card,” they need to stop being so BLATANTLY racist. pic.twitter.com/VeHIAdLfvV
— BlueTexas (@JudiU883) February 4, 2014
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Steve Benen: A narrow path for ‘common ground’
Every Saturday morning, President Obama delivers a weekly address, which is immediately followed by a Republican response, but this week’s GOP address was a little different: it was delivered by four Republicans instead of one. The message: there may be some room for a little “bipartisan common ground.”
…. Before getting into the particulars, it’s striking to realize just how small the “common ground” is. There are all kinds of popular ideas that enjoy broad public support – on job creation, aid to struggling families, immigration, public safety, etc. – but none of them made the cut in the official Republican statement.
Instead, progress is now possible in just four areas – four narrow areas.
More here
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Steve Benen: NRCC crafts new fundraising gambit
Florida’s 13th congressional district will host a special election next month and by all appearances, it should be a close contest. Democrats have nominated former state CFO Alex Sink, who very nearly won the 2010 gubernatorial race, and have high hopes about her chances.
The National Republican Congressional Committee is also taking the race very seriously – so seriously, in fact, that the NRCC has come up with an unusual fundraising gambit.
Folks can go to a website that looks legitimate – contribute.sinkforcongress2014.com – and find a nice photo of the Democratic candidate alongside a graphic that reads, “Alex Sink – Congress.” If you’re not reading carefully, you might assume this is a page for Sink supporters to make a campaign contribution to their preferred candidate. But it’s not – this is a page set up by Republicans.
More here
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On This Day:
Hartford, February 4, 2008
Senator Obama shakes hands with supporters at the end of a rally at the XL Center in Hartford
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President Obama greets attendees after making remarks in Washington, D.C., Feb. 4, 2010 (Photo by Lawrence Jackson)
President Obama signs pictures and other items in a holding room before making remarks in Washington, D.C., Feb. 4, 2010 (Photo by Lawrence Jackson)
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Minneapolis St. Paul International Airport, Feb 4, 2013
The Minneapolis Police Department Special Operations Center, Feb 4, 2013
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MoooOOOooorning!
14
Aug
13
Rise and Shine
On this Day: President Obama and daughter Sasha swim at Alligator Point in Panama City Beach, Fla., Saturday, Aug. 14, 2010 (Photo by Pete Souza)
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Daily Beast: Treasury Monthly Statement Shows the U.S. Deficit Is Melting Away
Still complaining about the deficit? The latest monthly statement from the U.S. Treasury shows that even without destroying the social safety net or striking a grand bargain, it’s being erased.
…. So as you listen to people complaining about the annual deficit, remember that it is melting away. The miracle cure for deficits, it turns out, isn’t ripping up the social safety net, or a grand bargain. It’s growth, combined with some fiscal restraint, and higher taxes. Compared with a year ago, there are about 2.2 million more people working today, at slightly higher wages, paying slightly higher taxes. The combination of those forces pushes collections higher. Meanwhile, spending on anti-poverty programs like unemployment benefits falls as unemployment claims decline. Winding down the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan has reduced the Pentagon budget. And the sequester has taken a bite out of the budget of many agencies. The combination of those forces pushes spending lower. The latest update on this year’s fiscal situation confirms that each of these trends is fully intact.
Full post here
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Washington Post: Obama pushes ambitious Internet access plan for schools
President Obama liked the idea laid out in a memo from his staff: an ambitious plan to expand high-speed Internet access in schools that would allow students to use digital notebooks and teachers to customize lessons like never before. Better yet, the president would not need Congress to approve it.
White House senior advisers have described the little-known proposal, announced earlier this summer under the name ConnectEd, as one of the biggest potential achievements of Obama’s second term.
More here
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Bob Cesca: Cory Booker Wins Senate Primary. The Far-Left Wins Nothing. Again.
Newark, New Jersey mayor Cory Booker is one step closer to being the next senator from the Garden State. He won the Democratic primary on Tuesday by a significant margin over his rivals, Rep. Frank Pallone, Assembly Speaker Shiela Oliver and Rep. Rush Holt.
Historically speaking, if he wins on October 16, Booker will also be the only elected African American member of the United States Senate, and the ninth member in history. (Yeah, there’s still something very, very wrong with American voters.)
There’s another dimension to this election, meanwhile, that only appeared briefly on the blogs and via social media. Were it not for the divisiveness on the left created by the Edward Snowden NSA drama, with far-left activists supporting Snowden’s leaks and with pragmatic center-left liberals expressing disdain for the hyperbolic, outraged sensationalism of the story, the New Jersey special election would’ve surely been a huge battleground between those two factions.
More here
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BTW, the lead example in the NBC Obamacare “investigation” is a Romney donor and publicity-seeking anti-tax activist http://t.co/cviMhC2zcs
— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) August 14, 2013
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97% of scientists agree #climate change is happening. Watch @OFA‘s new video calling out deniers in Congress: http://t.co/exBAm2SRS4
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) August 13, 2013
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Voter Suppression:
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ThinkProgress: Arizona Republicans Already Working On 2020 Gerrymander Plan
Unhappy that an independent redistricting commission devised maps it deemed too independent for the 2012 elections, Arizona Republicans are already scheming to rig the redistricting process after the 2020 elections to be more favorable to their party.
More here
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Steve Benen: Congress Isn’t ‘Exempt’ From ObamaCare
If you’ve been following the health care debate lately, you’ve probably heard quite a bit of talk about Congress being “exempt” from the Affordable Care Act. It’s a talking point the right has pushed quite aggressively, but is it true? Republicans certainly want us to think so. Senate Minority Whip John Cornyn (R-Texas)complained about an “outrageous exemption for Congress.” The far-right editorial page of the Wall Street Journal and Heritage Foundation president Jim DeMint touted a similar line last week. Over the weekend, Republican media figures, including Bill Kristol and Ana Navaro, repeated the talking point on the Sunday shows, and no one thought to correct them. This morning, in an unusually hysterical piece, a Washington Times columnist suggested the policy might constitute “treason.” (No, seriously, that’s what it said.)
The policy certainly sounds awful, doesn’t it? If “Obamacare” is so great, why are members of Congress eager to exempt themselves from the new federal system? No wonder Fox is soworked up over this. The problem, as you might have guessed, is that the argument is so wildly misleading, it bears no meaningful connection to reality.
More here
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USA Today: President Obama is going retro when it comes to honoring sports champions.
Next week, Obama will host a White House ceremony honoring the 40th anniversary of the 1972-73 Miami Dolphins, the last National Football League team to go undefeated in the regular season and playoffs.
That Dolphins team famously went 17-0, beating the Washington Redskins in the Super Bowl on Jan. 14, 1973.
More here
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Finally updated my site! Images from the 2012 @BarackObama campaign- including some never-before-seen. http://t.co/Jj81fqd51U #BarackObama
— Scout Tufankjian (@stufankjian) August 13, 2013
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On This Day:
Aug. 14, 2009: President Obama casts his line while fishing for trout on the East Gallatin River near Belgrade, Mont. (Photo by Pete Souza)
Aug. 14, 2010: President Obama greets members of the U.S. Coast Guard after making a statement at the U.S. Coast Guard Panama City District Office, Panama City, Fla (Photo by Pete Souza)
Aug. 14, 2012: The President waves from his campaign bus to people lining the motorcade route in Iowa (Photo by Pete Souza)
Aug. 14, 2012: President Obama has a beer with patrons at the Pump Haus Pub and Grill in Waterloo, Iowa (Photo by Pete Souza)
Aug. 14, 2012: Pete Souza: “How about a White House beer? The President was greeting patrons at Coffee Connection in Knoxville, Iowa, when this customer asked him about the White House beer. The President said he thought he might have some on his campaign bus and asked an aide to check. A few minutes later, the President delivered a bottle and the customer reacted in celebration.”
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