Archive for March, 2009:
Organizing for America TV Ad: “Door to Door”
This first Organizing for America television ad:
Open for Questions: President’s Online Town Hall Begins at 11:30 AM EST
Over 92,000 people submitted over 100,000 questions, and 3,606,819 votes determined which ones President Obama will answer. The very first Presidential "Open for Questions" online town hall is set to begin shortly. You can watch it live at whitehouse.gov/openforquestions.
UPDATED: The online town hall is underway . . .
Last Chance to Vote on Questions for President Obama
A reminder from Mitch Stewart that there's still time to vote on questions for tomorrow's online town hall with President Obama:
Here's how it works -- President Obama is inviting everyone to ask a question about the economy and to rate other questions up or down.
On Thursday morning, the President will conduct an online town hall on the economy and answer some of the most popular questions live.
Watch a video of the President explaining this new feature and be a part of it now.
"Open for Questions" is an opportunity to open up the White House to all Americans.
It's an experiment designed to encourage transparency and accountability by giving you a direct line to the White House.
This first round will deal with the economy. Americans deserve to know what their government is doing to get our economy back on track. But it's up to you to participate and make this experiment a success.
Join the discussion now.
Thanks, and remember to check back Thursday to watch the President answer some of your questions live.
Mitch
Mitch Stewart
Director
Organizing for America
Tomorrow's online town hall is scheduled to begin Wednesday morning at 11:30 AM Eastern, and will be webcast live at WhiteHouse.gov.
Open Thread: Head-On
In case you missed it, here's the full video of last night's primetime press conference:
Message from Mitch Stewart: Your Call
From Organizing for America Director Mitch Stewart:
Members of Congress will begin debating President Obama's budget tomorrow, with a vote likely set for next week.
What you do now will decide what kind of debate they have -- one that's dominated by special interests and partisan voices intent on keeping the status quo, or one that reflects the priorities of ordinary citizens like you.
Call your elected representatives now to let them know where you stand.
Your representatives need to know you support:
• Renewable energy to reduce our dependence on foreign sources of oil
• Making health care more affordable for every American by cutting costs
• Improving education so our children are prepared for the jobs of the 21st Century
We can't afford to ignore the long-term threats to our prosperity. Now is the time to build a foundation for a recovery that lasts.
Get your representatives' contact information now and make your voice heard.Thanks,
MitchMitch Stewart
Director
Organizing for America
Open for Questions: President Obama to Answer Your Questions on Thursday
Tonight's press conference has ended, but earlier today President Obama announced that the popular "Open for Questions" feature from Change.gov has been brought to WhiteHouse.gov. This Thursday, President Obama will conduct a special online town hall, in which he'll answer your questions.
From WhiteHouse.gov:
"Open for Questions" is a new experiment for WhiteHouse.gov, the President’s latest effort to open up the White House and give Americans from around the country a direct line to the Administration.
This first round will deal with a chief concern for all of us: the economy. We’ve created a few categories to better organize the questions, and encourage you to search for a specific question before you submit your own in case it already exists
To get started, head over to http://WhiteHouse.gov/OpenForQuestions and set up your account. Then follow the simple instructions to start voting on questions or submit your own (we encourage you to include a link to a published video of the question being asked, although this is not required).
This experiment is about encouraging transparency and accountability, so ask the President exactly what it is you want to know – but let others do the same. It is a community-moderated system, but remember that even though you may not like the viewpoint behind someone’s question, everyone has a right to their opinion. Also remember that Americans of all ages will be participating in this event, so be thoughtful about the words you choose. Participants are asked to follow some basic guidelines for submitting their own questions and flagging other questions as inappropriate.
So be part of history in the making and ask away. The team here at the White House can’t wait to see America’s response!
President Obama to Hold National Press Conference Tonight at 8:01 ET
President Obama will hold his second primetime press conference tonight starting at 8:01 PM Eastern. The press conference will be carried live on all major networks and news stations. You can also watch the press conference online at WhiteHouse.gov/live.
UPDATED: The press conference has ended, but here are excerpt from the President's opening remarks:
We’ve put in place a comprehensive strategy designed to attack this [economic] crisis on all fronts. It’s a strategy to create jobs, to help responsible homeowners, to re-start lending, and to grow our economy over the long-term. And we are beginning to see signs of progress.
...The budget I submitted to Congress will build our economic recovery on a stronger foundation, so that we do not face another crisis like this ten or twenty years from now. We invest in the renewable sources of energy that will lead to new jobs, new businesses, and less dependence on foreign oil. We invest in our schools and our teachers so that our children have the skills they need to compete with any workers in the world. We invest in reform that will bring down the cost of health care for families, businesses, and our government. And in this budget, we have made the tough choices necessary to cut our deficit in half by the end of my first term – even under the most pessimistic estimates.
At the end of the day, the best way to bring our deficit down in the long run is not with a budget that continues the very same policies that have led to a narrow prosperity and massive debt. It’s with a budget that leads to broad economic growth by moving from an era of borrow and spend to one where we save and invest.
That’s what clean energy jobs and businesses will do. That’s what a highly-skilled workforce will do. That’s what an efficient health care system that controls costs and entitlements like Medicare and Medicaid will do. That’s why this budget is inseparable from this recovery – because it is what lays the foundation for a secure and lasting prosperity.
… We will recover from this recession. But it will take time, it will take patience, and it will take an understanding that when we all work together; when each of us looks beyond our own short-term interests to the wider set of obligations we have to each other – that’s when we succeed. That’s when we prosper. And that’s what is needed right now. So let us look toward the future with a renewed sense of common purpose, a renewed determination, and most importantly, a renewed confidence that a better day will come.
Barack Obama Speech on Race - Part 1 of 4
Barack Obama confronted the nation's racial divide head-on Tuesday, tackling both black grievance and white resentment in a bold effort to quiet a campaign uproar over race and his former pastor's incendiary statements. …
President Obama’s Global Op-Ed: “A time for global action”
More than 30 papers around the world ran an op-ed today by President Obama today, in which he outlined the urgent need for arguing global economic cooperation:
We are living through a time of global economic challenges that cannot be met by half measures or the isolated efforts of any nation. Now, the leaders of the Group of 20 have a responsibility to take bold, comprehensive and coordinated action that not only jump-starts recovery, but also launches a new era of economic engagement to prevent a crisis like this from ever happening again.
No one can deny the urgency of action. A crisis in credit and confidence has swept across borders, with consequences for every corner of the world. For the first time in a generation, the global economy is contracting and trade is shrinking.
Trillions of dollars have been lost, banks have stopped lending, and tens of millions will lose their jobs across the globe. The prosperity of every nation has been endangered, along with the stability of governments and the survival of people in the most vulnerable parts of the world.
Once and for all, we have learned that the success of the American economy is inextricably linked to the global economy. There is no line between action that restores growth within our borders and action that supports it beyond.
If people in other countries cannot spend, markets dry up — already we've seen the biggest drop in American exports in nearly four decades, which has led directly to American job losses. And if we continue to let financial institutions around the world act recklessly and irresponsibly, we will remain trapped in a cycle of bubble and bust. That is why the upcoming London Summit is directly relevant to our recovery at home.
My message is clear: The United States is ready to lead, and we call upon our partners to join us with a sense of urgency and common purpose. Much good work has been done, but much more remains.
Our leadership is grounded in a simple premise: We will act boldly to lift the American economy out of crisis and reform our regulatory structure, and these actions will be strengthened by complementary action abroad. Through our example, the United States can promote a global recovery and build confidence around the world; and if the London Summit helps galvanize collective action, we can forge a secure recovery, and future crises can be averted.
Our efforts must begin with swift action to stimulate growth. Already, the United States has passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act — the most dramatic effort to jump-start job creation and lay a foundation for growth in a generation.
Other members of the G-20 have pursued fiscal stimulus as well, and these efforts should be robust and sustained until demand is restored. As we go forward, we should embrace a collective commitment to encourage open trade and investment, while resisting the protectionism that would deepen this crisis.
Second, we must restore the credit that businesses and consumers depend upon. At home, we are working aggressively to stabilize our financial system. This includes an honest assessment of the balance sheets of our major banks, and will lead directly to lending that can help Americans purchase goods, stay in their homes and grow their businesses.
This must continue to be amplified by the actions of our G-20 partners. Together, we can embrace a common framework that insists upon transparency, accountability and a focus on restoring the flow of credit that is the lifeblood of a growing global economy. And the G-20, together with multilateral institutions, can provide trade finance to help lift up exports and create jobs.
Third, we have an economic, security and moral obligation to extend a hand to countries and people who face the greatest risk. If we turn our backs on them, the suffering caused by this crisis will be enlarged, and our own recovery will be delayed because markets for our goods will shrink further and more American jobs will be lost.
The G-20 should quickly deploy resources to stabilize emerging markets, substantially boost the emergency capacity of the International Monetary Fund and help regional development banks accelerate lending. Meanwhile, America will support new and meaningful investments in food security that can help the poorest weather the difficult days that will come.
While these actions can help get us out of crisis, we cannot settle for a return to the status quo. We must put an end to the reckless speculation and spending beyond our means; to the bad credit, over-leveraged banks and absence of oversight that condemns us to bubbles that inevitably bust.
Only coordinated international action can prevent the irresponsible risk-taking that caused this crisis. That is why I am committed to seizing this opportunity to advance comprehensive reforms of our regulatory and supervisory framework.
All of our financial institutions — on Wall Street and around the globe — need strong oversight and common sense rules of the road. All markets should have standards for stability and a mechanism for disclosure. A strong framework of capital requirements should protect against future crises. We must crack down on offshore tax havens and money laundering.
Rigorous transparency and accountability must check abuse, and the days of out-of-control compensation must end. Instead of patchwork efforts that enable a race to the bottom, we must provide the clear incentives for good behavior that foster a race to the top.
I know that America bears our share of responsibility for the mess that we all face. But I also know that we need not choose between a chaotic and unforgiving capitalism and an oppressive government-run economy. That is a false choice that will not serve our people or any people.
This G-20 meeting provides a forum for a new kind of global economic cooperation. Now is the time to work together to restore the sustained growth that can only come from open and stable markets that harness innovation, support entrepreneurship and advance opportunity.
The nations of the world have a stake in one another. The United States is ready to join a global effort on behalf of new jobs and sustainable growth. Together, we can learn the lessons of this crisis, and forge a prosperity that is enduring and secure for the 21st century.
See the full list of papers that carried the President's message today . . .
“It’s an important time for people to pay attention.”
From Axcess News in Guilford, Connecticut:
With the sun shining overhead and the crocuses poking through the grass, Diva and Lois Kenkare walked up Fair Street determined to bring President Obama's budget battle home to their neighbors.
"Hopefully, we can make an impact," said Ms. Kenkare, as she approached a house armed with a stack of pledges and the aim of helping Mr. Obama win the votes he needs to pass his record $3.6 trillion budget.
In what's shaping up to be a different kind of permanent campaign than is usually waged by Washington's political consultants, thousands of volunteers across the country took to the streets over the weekend at Obama's behest. They knocked on doors, stood in front of stores to collect signatures, and urged their neighbors to call their congressman.
With this canvassing operation, the Obama administration is taking traditional presidential strategies for building public support to a whole new level.
President Franklin Roosevelt had his fireside chats and Ronald Reagan urged his supporters to call their congressmen, but Obama is asking people to give up their time and engage their neighbors in policy battles usually waged within Washington's Beltway.
"What the Obama team is trying to do is far beyond what any president has tried to do before. Take the enthusiasm and activism that helped him win the presidency to help him win his political agenda," says Stephen Farnsworth, a professor of communication at George Mason University...
From KCBA in Santa Cruz, California:
People on the Central Coast were pledging to support President Obama's plan for renewing America's economy by focusing on energy, affordable health care and education through his Organizing for America project.
Volunteers did not let the rain discourage them from spreading President Obama's message. In the first fifteen minutes volunteer Shoshana Spielman of Santa Cruz received two pledges to support the president crusade to restore the nation's economy.
"I think local people on the central coast really are still in the momentum and really want to see change and willing to do their part."
Assemblyman Bill Monning says that President Obama was the first to say that he couldn't do it alone. Calling upon all Americans to come together and join the movement for change.
"Staying engaged whether that is through direct work with Democratic Party or working with community volunteer organization. It creates a synergy among all everyone, that volunteerism energy."
And from WCCO TV in Minneapolis, Minnesota:
"It's important to continue the support that we had and the energy that we had at the end of the campaign and make that transition, much like the administration did into actually getting support for the stimulus package but the budget," Chris [Kramer] said.
The 17-year-old says the face-to-face approach seems to be working.
"Almost all of the contacts we've had have been positive. People have signed," he said.
...The bad economy had a lot of folks opening their doors and listening.
"I think it's incredibly important. I'm in education and I think that if we don't do something about education really soon, we're going to be having many, many more problems," said Nancy Dana of St. Paul.
While Dana added that the door knocking can be annoying, she thought it was worth taking the time to get involved.
"It's just really critical. This is a critical time. It's an important time for people to pay attention. It's an important time for people to step up and be involved, to get involved."