Operation Reach B.L.A.C.K. - Political News

President to Congress: Get your act together and pass this jobs bill

2011-10-01T05:10:00.000-07:00

In his weekly address the President continued to pressure Congress to pass the American Jobs Act. Quite bluntly, President Obama addressed inaction by leaders in Washington saying, "It's time for Congress to get its act together and to pass this jobs bill so I can sign it into law."

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Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson's message supporting Democratic jobs bills

2011-09-30T20:58:00.000-07:00

One week after President Obama delivered his jobs speech to a joint session of Congress, Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) released the following message in support of the American Jobs Act. Representative Johnson also voiced full support of the Progressive Caucus' Rebuild the American Dream jobs framework.

Speaking of the American Jobs Act, Representative Johnson noted,

"As a senior member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, I am especially glad to see that the President has maintained his unwavering commitment to modernizing American infrastructure. The American Jobs Act will make an immediate investment of at least $2.5 billion for infrastructure modernization that will repair and modernize our existing highways, rail and transit in the state of Texas. This investment would support at least 33,000 local Texas jobs."

Turning her attention towards the Rebuild the American Dream jobs framework, Congresswoman said the following:

"This bold plan champions several job-creating bills that seek to encourage manufacturing in America: Investments in research and innovation so that America will lead the green industrial revolution; fair taxes; infrastructure investment; and preparation of our youth so that they will be prepared for the jobs of the future."

Representative Bernice Johnson is a co-sponsor of a bill to come from the jobs framework titled, "The Emergency Jobs to Restore the American Dream Act." You can read more about the framework, here.

The following message was released a little over two weeks ago on September 15, 2011:

Live White House Feed: President Obama speaks to Congressional Black Caucus

2011-09-24T17:23:00.000-07:00

Update I: The President's speech to the Congressional Black Caucus has concluded. The video will be posted when/if it becomes available.

Update II: The video of President Obama's speech to the CBC is posted below

Washington, D.C. - The President spoke at a gathering of the Congressional Black Caucus Saturday evening to address jobs and the need to "press on" despite the obstacles and adversaries that lay in the path to equality.

Tying the American Jobs Act to the needs of the Black community, President Obama was clear that there is much to be gained. In his speech to the Caucus the President claimed that 100,000 Black businesses and 20 million Black workers would be helped by passage of his jobs bill (presumably, these figures are estimates).

The President went further in highlighting his record on addressing Black concerns, pointing towards gains made with the help of members such as the CBC on issues ranging from education loans to health care reform.

But the President made it clear that he was not finished in his pursuit of a better, fairer society for the Black community. He challenged the CBC to continue working as well. "I don't know about you CBC," President Obama said, "but the future rewards those who press on."

President Obama takes American Jobs Act to Ohio on chants of "Pass this bill"

2011-09-14T05:11:00.000-07:00

Columbus, OH - First stop, Richmond, VA. Next stop, Columbus, OH. President Obama made his next move in the fight to get his American Jobs Act passed by stepping in Speaker Boehner's (R-OH) back yard on Wednesday. And it seems the crowd has picked up on the President's message. In a speech that targeted schools and infrastructure, the President paused several times to crowd chants of "Pass this bill."

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White House holds "Open for Questions" forum to address issues in Black and Urban America

2011-09-13T15:56:00.000-07:00

Washington, D.C. - "We'll need all hands on deck if this economy is going to succeed." Those were the words of White House Domestic Policy Advisor Melody Barnes as she addressed an audience at the Interactive One "Open for Questions" event on Tuesday. Included in the event were websites The Grio, Black Planet, HelloBeautiful, TheUrbanDaily, and NewsOne.

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"No games. No politics. No delays." President Obama presents jobs bill, demands passage

2011-09-12T14:09:00.000-07:00

Washington D.C. - Holding the actual bill in his hands, President Obama stood in front of a cross-section of Americans he says will benefit from the American Jobs Act he will submit to Congress. Continuing his challenge for Congressional action, the President restated a popular phrase from the weekend, "Pass this bill."

The President's message to Congress? Easy. "No games. No politics. No delays." Positioning himself as being on the side of the American people, President Obama repeated an approach used in last Thursday's address to a joint session of Congress by presenting the bill as a matter of priorities.

"The bottom line is, when it comes to strengthening the economy and balancing our books, we've got to decide what our priorities are. Do we keep tax loopholes for oil companies -- or do we put teachers back to work? Do we keep tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires -- or should we invest in education and technology and infrastructure, all the things that are going to help us out-innovate and out-educate and out-build other countries in the future?"

Taking the political realities of Washington gridlock into consideration, the President warned of the desire of some to let politics trump policy.

"There are some in Washington who'd rather settle our differences through politics and the elections than try to resolve them now. In fact, Joe and I, as we were walking out here, we were looking at one of the Washington newspapers and it was quoting a Republican aide saying, 'I don't know why we'd want to cooperate with Obama right now. It's not good for our politics.'"

The answer, according to the President, is for the people to raise their vocies to be heard. Before leaving, President Obama urged supporters of the bill to call their representatives to help get it passed.

President in Richmond, VA: "You expect action"

2011-09-09T15:05:00.000-07:00

Richmond, VA - The President forcefully continued his pursuit of a comprehensive jobs bill with a stop in Richmond, VA on Friday. Waisting no time getting to his point, the President began his speech with a direct challenge for Congress to act. Listening to the President, it is clear he feels Congress could learn a thing or two from the American people:

"You make sacrifices to make ends meet. You work hard to meet your responsibilities. You expect the people you send to Washington to do the same thing - to meet their responsibilities. You expect, in a time of crisis, that everybody stops the political circus and actually do something to help people; to help the economy; to restore some security and opportunity; restore the American dream; restore those things that made America the envy of the world. In other words, you expect action and you deserve it right now."

President says partisanship stands in the way of action

2011-08-20T04:46:00.000-07:00

Repeating his message from the past several weeks, President Obama focused his weekly address on the need for Washington to get beyond partisan politics to "put country ahead of party." President Obama restated his policy goals of cutting the payroll tax, engaging international trade, investing in infrastructure, and creating initiatives for companies to hire US veterans returning from overseas. As for accomplishing these goals, the President maintained his position that Washington politics is the only threat to such action.

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President Obama begins bus tour with town halls in Minnesota and Iowa

2011-08-16T05:23:00.000-07:00

"There's nothing wrong with America that can't be fixed. What's broken is our politics." - President Obama, Town Hall in Cannon Falls, MN

"The problem is that we've got the kind of partisan brinksmanship that is willing to put party ahead of country - that's more interested in seeing their political opponents lose than seeing the country win." - President Obama, Town Hall in Decorah, IA

President urges the people to speak up, says Americans deserve better from their elected officials

2011-08-13T05:31:00.000-07:00

The President admonished political partisanship as he discussed Washington's need to put the American people first in this week's address. President Obama repeated last week's call to action on several policies aimed at creating jobs and strengthening the economy. As mentioned last week, that list consists of extending the payroll tax, investing in infrastructure, assisting entrepreneurs by cutting red tape, engaging international trade deals, and creating incentives for businesses to hire veterans coming home from overseas. The President said he plans to list more policies in the coming weeks and pledged his commitment to continue working to produce jobs for the American people.

However, refocusing his attention on partisan gridlock in Washington, President Obama gave his opinion on the state of American politics today. To put it bluntly, the President thinks the American people deserve better.

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President Obama announces deal on debt ceiling and spending cuts

2011-08-01T08:04:00.000-07:00

President talks debt ceiling negotiations: "We have a unique opportunity to do something big"

2011-07-16T04:22:00.000-07:00

President Obama takes to Twitter, hosts first ever Twitter Town Hall event

2011-07-09T05:26:00.000-07:00

White House Press Briefing (5/20/11): President meets with Prime Minister Netanyahu

2011-05-21T05:29:00.000-07:00

White House Press Briefing (5/17/11)

2011-05-17T18:22:00.000-07:00

White House Press Briefing (5/4/11): President decides he will not release bin Laden photo

2011-05-04T14:32:00.000-07:00

Washington, D.C. - The big news in today's White House Press Briefing was the revelation that President Obama has decided against releasing any death photos of Osama bin Laden. Citing national security interests and adhering to a sense of American values, the President stated the following in a recently taped 60 Minutes interview:

"It is important for us to make sure that very graphic photos of somebody who was shot in the head are not floating around as an incitement to additional violence or as a propaganda tool. That's not who we are. We don't trot out this stuff as trophies."

White House Press Briefing (5/3/11)

2011-05-04T00:46:00.000-07:00

Doubting Donald: President Obama gets laughs at Trump's expense, mocks birtherism

2011-05-01T14:36:00.000-07:00

The President got a little payback last night at the White House Correspondents Dinner:

Seth Meyers pulled no punches as either:

President Obama reaches out to tornado victims, nominates Panetta for Defense and Petraeus for CIA

2011-05-01T14:21:00.000-07:00

The Social Commander in Chief: President Obama holds town hall meeting on Facebook

2011-04-23T06:11:00.000-07:00

Heading into the 2012 Presidential Election, President Obama continued his use of social media to get his message out in a major town hall event on Facebook. Here's what happened:

White House Press Briefing (4/14/11)

2011-04-15T12:30:00.000-07:00

President talks deficit, promises coninued investment, seeks to end tax cuts for the wealthy

2011-04-15T12:29:00.000-07:00

See Editor's response over at The B-Serious Blog.

White House Press Briefing (4/12/11)

2011-04-13T08:34:00.000-07:00

White House Press Briefing (4/11/11): "We cannot play chicken with the economy"

2011-04-12T07:10:00.000-07:00

Dominating the discussion Monday afternoon was talk of the looming debt ceiling debate on capitoal hill. Republican lawmakers have threatened they will refuse to raise the debt ceiling without substantial spending cuts. The White House sees raising the debt ceiling as imperative to sustaining the U.S. economic recovery.

Press Secretary, Jay Carney, made it clear that the White House strongly believes failure to raise the debt ceiling would be very dangerous for the U.S. economy. In other words, according to Carney, "We cannot play chicken with the economy."

Points of Interest:

- First Lady and Dr. Jill Biden to launch initiative to support military families on April 12, 2011

- White House glad to see Gbagbo arrested, has maintained he is not the legitimate president of Ivory Coast

- White House response to rejected Libyan cease fire: Action matters, not words. Implementation of UN Security Resolution 1973 will continue as long as necessary

- White House says Rep. Paul Ryan's budget plan fails balance test because it seeks dramatic reform to security programs for the poor, elderly and disabled, but gives enormous tax relief to wealthiest Americans

- National Security Advisor, Tom Donilon, will travel to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, will discuss UAE participation in UN Resolution 1973

- President will approach deficit reduction the same way he approached the continuing budget resolution, will focus on, and does not wish to jeopardize, economic growth and job creation

President Obama's Weekly Address (4/9/11)

2011-04-10T07:10:00.000-07:00

Leaders strike budget deal, avoid government shutdown

Late friday night, leaders in Washington avoided a government shutdown by reaching an agreement on the budget for the remainder of the 2011 fiscal year. In their reactions, Senate Leader Harry Reid and Speaker John Boehner stated that a temporary measure will avoid a government shutdown for the near future while longterm agreement is completed by next week. Here's a breakdown of the deal:

Read more >>

President Obama's Weekly Address (2/26/11)

2011-04-10T06:55:00.000-07:00

This week, President Obama outlined his goals for an evenhanded approach to cutting the deficit. In doing so, President Obama offered his attempts to get the ball rolling on domestic spending by highlighting his proposed five year budget freeze. President Obama also remained open to further cuts in areas such as defense, Medicare and Medicaid, and tax breaks and loopholes.

President Obama finished his address by cautioning against political stalemates in Washington, and stressing the need for both parties to work together on a short-term budget:

"Next week, Congress will focus on a short-term budget. For the sake of our people and our economy, we cannot allow gridlock to prevail.

Both Democratic and Republican leaders in the House and Senate have said they believe it's important to keep the government running while we work together on a plan to reduce our long-term deficit. Given that, I urge and expect them to find common ground so we can accelerate, and not impede, economic growth."

President Obama's Weekly Address:

SOTU Address: Winning the Future

2011-01-29T05:29:00.000-08:00

Competition was key, and innovation the vehicle through which President Obama constructed a path forward for the United States in his second State of the Union Address.

photo © 2007 Joe Crimmings | more info (via: Wylio)
Calling for investments in education, cuts in wasteful spending, and the need for increased innovation, the President struck a tone that many Americans agreed with regardless of party loyalties.

President Obama's State of the Union Address:

"This is done." President Obama signs DADT repeal

2010-12-22T17:22:00.000-08:00

Fulfilling a major campaign promise to both his base and the LGBT community at large, President Obama signed the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell this morning before an appreciative audience.

The President had faced numerous attacks and skepticism for his deliberate approach to the ban on openly gay service men and women. Though many pushed for the President to simply sign an executive order, the White House stuck with its plan for a legislative repeal of the discriminatory law.

Skepticism grew even more as the Department of Justice recently appealed a federal court ruling, which declared the ban unconstitutional. However, the White House insisted that a court ruling, while welcomed among many DADT opponents, would not be the wisest approach. A court order demanding an immediate appeal could cause instability of process for a military that had already begun the process of studying the best manner in which to undue the ban.

Supporters were asked to trust that the President would hold true to his word and that he would stay focused on the repeal. Some were patient, however other, more vocal, critics of the President's approach openly questioned his motives and character. In time, some critics went so far as to accuse President Obama of being homophobic and routinely mocked his self-identified stance as a "fierce-advocate" for gay rights.

But, with an impressive 65-31 vote in the Senate over the weekend, the repeal and campaign promise finally made it's way to the President's desk for signature on Wednesday morning. At the ceremony, President Obama made it clear that repealing Don't Ask Don't Tell was one of the very first issues he took up with military leadership:

"Ending Don't Ask Don't Tell was a topic in my first meeting with Secretary Gates, Admiral Mullen, and the Joint Chiefs. We talked about how to end this policy. We talked about how success in both passing and implementing this change depended on working with the Pentagon. And that's what we did."

The President also answered critics who worry about a long and drawn out implementation process:

"Now, the old policy remains in effect until Secretary Gates, Admiral Mullen, and I certify the military's readiness to implement the repeal. And this is especially important for service members to remember that. But, I've spoken to every one of the service chiefs and they are all committed to implementing this change swiftly and efficiently. We are not going to be dragging our feet to get this done."

The repeal now takes its place along with other historic civil rights achievements. Like other civil rights victories before it, the President presumes there will be a time where people look back at this issue and wonder why things took as long as they did.

However, with the legislative repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, the President finds vindication in the methodical approach that he began roughly two years ago.

Before putting pen to paper, President Obama gave one final proclamation on the repeal and what it means for the United States as a country:

"For we are not a nation that says 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell,' we are a nation that says 'Out of many, we are one.' We are a nation that welcomes the service of every patriot. We are a nation that believes that all men and women are created equal. Those are the ideals that generations have fought for; those are the ideals that we uphold today. And now it is my honor to sign this bill into law."

President pushes CBC to garner enthusiasm ahead of midterm elections

2010-09-19T05:41:00.000-07:00

President Obama addressed the Congressional Black Caucus Saturday in a pre-election push to raise voter enthusiasm among the base. The media has focused on a perceived enthusiasm gap between the Democratic and Republican bases that could usher in a change in Congressional leadership come November.

As the following article notes, President Obama urged his audience to distinguish the goals of the 2008 and 2010 elections. In 2008 voters pushed for change. However, the goal of 2010 is to guard the change that has already taken place.

Reuters:

by Alister Bull

Republicans could make big gains in November as high unemployment and slowing growth turns voters away from Obama's Democrats, potentially costing them control of Congress.

A Gallup survey in early September found only 25 percent of blacks had given 'quite a lot' or 'some' thought to the November 2 congressional ballot, compared to 42 percent of whites.

This represents a much larger gap than during the presidential election in 2008, when the two groups were about equal in their intention to cast a ballot.

Read the rest of the article here.

President Obama's Weekly Address (9/11/10)

2010-09-11T16:31:00.000-07:00

On this ninth anniversary, the President pays tribute to the victims of 9/11.

"We mourn with the husbands and wives, the children and parents, friends and loved ones. We think about the milestones that have passed over the course of nine years - births and christenings, weddings and graduations - all with an empty chair.

On this day, we also honor those who died so that others might live: the firefighters and first responders who climbed the stairs of two burning towers; the passengers who stormed a cockpit; and the men and women who have, in the years since, borne the uniform of this country and given their lives so that our children could grow up in a safer world. In acts of courage and decency, they defended a simple precept: I am my brother's keeper; I am my sister's keeper."

President Obama's Weekly Address:

President Obama's Weekly Address (9/4/10)

2010-09-11T16:24:00.000-07:00

Economy, jobs drive message this Labor Day Weekend

As Labor Day approaches, President Obama focused on the economy, more importantly, jobs:

"So this Labor Day, we should recommit ourselves to our time-honored values and to this fundamental truth: to heal our economy, we need more than a healthy stock market; we need bustling main streets and a growing, thriving middle class."

The President pledged to continue working for opportunity and economic security. In doing so, President Obama outlined some of the steps that have already been taken, as well as those goals that lay ahead:

"The steps we've taken to date have stopped the bleeding: investments in roads and bridges and high-speed railroads that will lead to hundreds of thousands of jobs in the private sector; emergency steps to prevent the layoffs of hundreds of thousands of teachers and firefighters and police officers; and tax cuts and loans for small business owners who create most of the jobs in this country.

We also ended a tax loophole that encouraged companies to create jobs overseas. Instead, I'm fighting to pass a law to provide tax breaks to the folks who create jobs right here in America."

President Obama's Weekly Address:

Rep. Sestak, Lt. Gov. Halter make waves in Tuesday's Democratic Primaries

2010-05-19T08:03:00.000-07:00

Image by Colin Purrington via Flickr

Democratic Congressman Joe Sestak defeated incumbent Senator Arlen Specter to win the Democratic Nomination for November's Pennsylvania U.S. Senate race.

Last night's results, which included wins by Tea Party endorsed Rand Paul in Kentucky's Senate race and a forced run-off by the impressive performance of Arkansas Lt. Governor Bill Halter, is being seen by some political pundits as a warning sign of voters' anger at incumbents regardless of party. However, others suspect the results have more to do with local displeasure for the incumbent candidates than any national trend.

Democrats held retained the late John Murtha's seat in the House of Representatives as Mark Critz beat Republican Tim Burns in a special election.

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Health reconciliation, higher education reform signed into law

2010-03-31T01:36:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, President Obama finalized the contentious health care legislative process that had taken over a year to accomplish. Last week, Congress finalized reconciliation, a process that has been touted as eradicating several unpopular provisions of the original bill and improving upon others provisions that are aimed at assisting the middle class.

The bill also marks a major step in higher education reform. Targeting affordability, the President has highlighted that this legislation doubles Pell Grant funding and increases support for HBCUs. President Obama praised the new law, characterizing it as, ". . . one of the most significant investments in higher education since the G.I. Bill."

Tuesday's signing also eliminates private lending companies as the "middlemen" between students and government loans. "By cutting out the middleman," President Obama said, "we'll save American taxpayers $68 billion in the coming years . . . real savings that we'll reinvest to help improve the quality of higher education and make it more affordable."

President Obama hits campaign trail to push for health care reform

2010-03-08T11:23:00.000-08:00

President Obama went into full campaign mode on Monday as he visited Glenside, PA to sell pending health care reform legislation. Focusing on the immediate benefits of health reform, the President tried to refocus the debate away from political gamesmanship and onto the real-life concerns of the American people.

Today's event is not the first time the President has campaigned for health reform and it probably won't be the last. With another series of votes expected in the coming weeks, the President is expected to continue the push for public support of the reform bill.

via CNN:

The administration is ramping up its health care push in the coming weeks. The White House has called for legislation to be on the president's desk at the end of March before the congressional Easter vacation.

Two Democratic leadership aides told CNN last week that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California, is aiming to have the House of Representatives pass the Senate's health care bill by March 17.

A separate package of changes designed in part to make the overall measure more palatable to House liberals then would be approved by both chambers through a legislative maneuver known as reconciliation. Bills passed under reconciliation require a Senate majority of 51 votes. Democrats lost their filibuster-proof, 60-seat Senate supermajority with the January election of Sen. Scott Brown, R-Massachusetts.

You can read the rest of the CNN article here.

Small businesses and young adults were of particular interest at today's event. President Obama told an enthusiastic crowd that rising health care costs will ultimately damage the type of job market college-age adults will enter into if small businesses are forced to choose between hiring new employees and paying for health care.

Still, the overall theme of President Obama's campaign stop was to keep attention squarely on why he feels reform is necessary.

"[T]he insurance companies continue to ration health care based on who's sick and who's healthy; on who can pay and who can't pay. That's the status quo in America and it is a status quo that is unsustainable for this country. We can't have a system that works better for the insurance companies than it does for the American people."

White House prepared for up-or-down vote on health reform

2010-03-01T04:11:00.000-08:00

Director of White House Office on Health Reform says President is ready to support reconciliation if necessary

If necessary, the White House is prepared to support a reconciliation vote in the Senate to pass health care reform. "Reconciliation" has been the buzz-word for some time now, and White House support for an up-or-down vote might push the Senate closer to using the 50+1 rule to enact changes to the bill it passed in December.

Such changes through reconciliation might be necessary in order to get House Democrats to agree to vote for the Senate health care bill. One idea has suggested that House Democrats agree to pass the Senate bill as is on the condition that changes are later made through reconciliation.

via USA Today:

by David Jackson

Nancy-Ann DeParle, director of the White House Office on Health Reform, said Obama is ready, if necessary, to move his $950 billion health care bill using a legislative tactic in the Senate that would require only 51 votes for passage.

"All the president is talking about is do we need to address this problem and does it make sense to have a simple up or down vote on whether or not we want to fix these problems," DeParle said on NBC'sMeet the Press.

Read the rest of the article here.

Second-guessing health care? Dems ponder viability of health reform.

2010-01-24T04:19:00.000-08:00

Senator-elect Scott Brown's win in MA has some Democrats rethinking health care legislation

The Democrats are questioning the strength and viability of current health care legislation in the wake of Tuesday's defeat in the Massachusetts Senate race. Some ideas being kicked around? Scaling back the current legislation to its core elements or, once again, looking for measures that are more likely to gain bi-partisan support from Republicans.

However, most troubling (or pleasing given one's stance on the issue) for proponents of health reform may be Speaker Pelosi's (D-Ca) declaration that there don't seem to be enough votes to pass the current Senate health bill through the House of Representatives. Such a move appears to be the only option at the moment which would avoid sending the legislation back through the Senate, thus rendering it vulnerable to yet another filibuster if the Republicans choose to leverage their 41 votes.

via USA Today

by John Fritze

Days after Republicans scored an upset victory in the Massachusetts Senate election that has since stalled progress on health care, Democrats remained uncertain on how and when to advance those priorities.

"We have to step back, take a deep breath and realize that … these bills as they stand now are dead," said Rep. Bill Pascrell of New Jersey, among the Democrats pushing for a more incremental approach.

Breaking up President Obama's health care legislation — which would have expanded health coverage to 30 million Americans— or shifting to a scaled-down bill that might win bipartisan support are among two options Democrats are considering, Pascrell and others said.

You can read the rest of the article here.

CBC Chair accepts Reid's apology

2010-01-16T04:13:00.000-08:00

Chairwoman Lee defends Reid's record, calls media focus a distraction

Head of the Congressional Black Caucus, Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Ca.), accepted Senator Harry Reid's (D-Nv.) apology for racial comments made about President Obama's light skin complexion and alleged lack of a "Negro dialect."

In a press release, the CBC chairwoman defended Reid's record of accomplishment saying, "Senator Reid’s record provides a stark contrast to actions of Republicans to block legislation that would benefit poor and minority communities. . ."

Chairwoman Lee also called the media uproar surrounding the comments a distraction from more important issues,

"There are too many issues like the economy, job creation and energy for these regrettable comments to distract us from the work that must be done on behalf of the American people."

Read the rest of Chairwoman Lee's press release here.

Rep. Lee defends Reid's record, calls controversy a distraction to bigger issues

Reid's race problem? Republicans call for resignation after racial comments

2010-01-11T00:45:00.000-08:00

Republicans seized upon Senator Harry Reid's (D-Nv) description of Barack Obama as a light-skinned African-American with no "Negro" dialect by calling for the majority leader's resignation and comparing his statement's to those made by former Senator Trent Lott (R-Ms).

via The Los Angeles Times:

by Ashley Powers

Republican National Committee Chairman Michael S. Steele, who is black, led the charge.
"There is this standard where the Democrats feel that they can say these things and they can apologize when it comes from the mouths of their own," Steele said on "Fox News Sunday." "But if it comes from anyone else, it's racism. It's either racist or it's not. And it's inappropriate, absolutely."

Steele, along with GOP Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and Jon Kyl of Arizona, said Reid's remarks justified the same outrage once directed at former Sen. Trent Lott. In 2002, the Mississippi Republican stepped down as majority leader after implying that the country might have been better off if Strom Thurmond of South Carolina had been elected president in 1948, when he ran as a segregationist.

"There's a huge difference" between Reid and Lott, Reid spokesman Jon Summers said. "Sen. Reid was one of the first people to encourage Obama to run for president and worked hard to help him win. . . . His point was that he believed the country was ready to elect an African American president, and he was right."

You can read the rest of the article here.

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Mr. Steele's comparison of Harry Reid to Trent Lott is a serious charge. Mr. Lott, resigned from the Senate after praising Strom Thurmond's presidential run as a third-party Dixiecrat. It was during this failed presidential run that Strom Thurmond said the following:

"There's not enough troops in the Army to force the Southern people to break down segregation and admit the Nigger race into our theaters, into our swimming pools, into our schools and into our homes..." (Strom Thurmond, 1948)

Senator Reid apologizes for racial remarks

2010-01-11T00:09:00.000-08:00

A new book recounting the 2008 presidential campaign makes note of a comment Senator Harry Reid (D-Nv) made about why Senator Barack Obama would make an impressive presidential candidate.

The book "Game Change" reports that the Senator from Nevada said Obama would make a good candidate because of his light-skinned complexion and apparent lack of any Negro (yes, he used the word "Negro") dialect unless he choose to use one.

Mr. Reid extended an apology to the African-American community as well as the President. President Obama accepted Reid's apology.

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Gallup Poll: Obama is most admired man of 2009

2009-12-29T23:47:00.000-08:00

When asked to choose, Americans overwhelmingly chose President Obama as the most admirable man of 2009. At 30% the President beat out such notables as former President George W. Bush, Nelson Mandela, and Pope Benedict XVI.

And in a bit of poetic justice, the people's admiration for President Obama even eclipsed that of . . . drum roll . . . Fox News commentator, Glenn Beck.

Too bad. Maybe next year, Glenn.

You can read a break down of the Gallup poll here.

Senate passes health care bill 60-39

2009-12-26T00:12:00.001-08:00

After months of baby steps, the Senate cast a historic vote to pass its health bill 60-39:

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Nelson is in. . .Dems get 60 for cloture

2009-12-19T13:47:00.001-08:00

The Democrats crossed a major hurdle today as Senator Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) agreed to vote for cloture and the health care reform bill.

Details are gradually coming forwards as to the give and take of negotiations between Nelson and Democratic leadership. And, despite today's progress, Senator Nelson certainly gave himself an escape clause to vote against the bill in the future should things change. However, Senator Nelson's vote takes the country one step forward to reform.

Read more

Weekly Presidential Address (12/19/09)

2009-12-19T13:46:00.001-08:00

President Obama calls for "Up or Down" vote on health care insurance reform

Facing opposition from the political right and the left, President Obama pushed back, decrying parliamentary stall tactics and reminding the American people that the current bill promises to enact principles Democrats fought for a decade ago.

Read more

President Obama's Weekly Address (12/12/09)

2009-12-12T02:35:00.000-08:00

In this week's Address, President Obama focused his attention on the need to pass financial regulations in the wake of political and business shortcomings from Washington and Wall Street. Urging swift legislative action, the President decried Republican opposition and congressional enablers who pose a threat to financial reform:

"Just this week, Republican leaders in the House summoned more than a hundred key lobbyists for the financial industry to a pep rally and urged them to redouble their efforts to block meaningful financial reform."

President Obama's Weekly Address (12/05/09)

2009-12-05T05:26:00.000-08:00

On the heels of surprisingly positive economic news, the President stressed his dedication towards accelerating job growth and rebuilding the middle class in his weekly video address.

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