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Wednesday, July 24, 2013
Monday, June 24, 2013
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Senwate Aide Michael Piwowar Is Nominated to SEC by Obama
Michael Piwowar, the chief Republican economist for the U.S. Senate Banking Committee, was nominated to the Securities and Exchange Commission by President Barack Obama.
His term would expire in 2018, Obama said today in a statement.
To contact the reporter on this story: Dan Reichl in San Francisco at dreichl@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Dan Kraut at dkraut2@bloomberg.net
His term would expire in 2018, Obama said today in a statement.
To contact the reporter on this story: Dan Reichl in San Francisco at dreichl@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Dan Kraut at dkraut2@bloomberg.net
Monday, May 13, 2013
Rutgers' two athletic director finalists each have one past issue to explain
Regardless of whether Rutgers introduces Sean Frazier or Julie Hermann as its next athletic director later this week – which the school appears bent on doing – the person who replaces Tim Pernetti likely faces further scrutiny for one red flag in his or her past.
Rutgers, which has accelerated the search for a new athletic director, has seen the original group of three finalists reduced to two after Fresno State athletic director Thomas Boeh withdrew from consideration Sunday night.
Barring an unforeseen changes, that leaves a bright light focused squarely on the professional histories of Frazier and Hermann -- particularly after it was revealed on Friday that new basketball coach Eddie Jordan never graduated from Rutgers even though he had been listed in official school releases and a bio on the Scarlet Knights' athletics website as having done so.
In the case of Hermann, the senior associate athletic director and senior woman administrator at the University of Louisville, a pregnancy discrimination lawsuit filed against the University of Tennessee when she was the head volleyball coach there is something Rutgers officials would have to reconcile if she is hired.
Assistant volleyball coach Ginger Hineline won her $150,000 suit against the school in 1997.
According to the Knoxville (Tenn.) News-Sentinel’s reporting on the suit, Hineline said she asked Hermann if she would lose her job if she became pregnant and that Hermann responded by saying “I hope it doesn’t come to that.”
“Julie and I had various conversations that discouraged me from becoming pregnant,” the paper quoted Hineline as saying.
For Frazier, the deputy athletic director at Wisconsin (making him the No. 2 athletic administrator at the school), there remains the issue of how much he knew about a 2012 Rose Bowl party in which there were allegations of sexual assault against athletic department administrator John Chadina, who allegedly made unwanted sexual advances to a student employee of the athletic department, according to the Wisconsin State Journal.
Neither athletic director Barry Alvarez nor Frazier attended the party, which had been a yearly bowl staple for the school. It prompted an internal investigation by the school, with the paper reporting that “issues about athletic department-sponsored underage drinking, a lack of oversight by athletic department officials and how long this behavior has been going on remain.”
Frazier was never linked to any of the wrongdoing, but he and Alvarez are ultimately responsible for the behavior of athletic department administrators.
Hermann may also have to explain why she is suddenly interested in becoming an athletic director for the first time after telling The Chronicle of Higher Education, in a 2011 story about female college administrators, that she enjoyed her role as “silent partner” to athletic director Tom Jurich.
The article said Hermann “relishes the responsibilities she has as the Cardinals’ No. 2.” She is in her 16th year at the school.
“I’ve never thrown my hat in the ring (to be an athletic director),” Hermann was quoted as saying. “I’m not interested in being a candidate.”
Now she is a finalist to assume command of athletic department awash in turmoil and red ink.
Hermann does supervise 20 of Louisville's 23 sports and oversees the school's marketing efforts and fundraising -- the latter two being essential as Rutgers prepares to join the Big Ten in 2014.
Frazier, who came to Wisconsin in 2007, has experience as an athletic director at Manhattanville College, Clarkson and Merrimack. He also deals with football, something Hermann would have to add to her responsibilities if she is hired by Rutgers.
Though Alvarez is listed as Wisconsin's athletic director, Frazier is largely responsible for the daily operation of the department.
Monday, April 29, 2013
Former Queensland Health Director General Michael Read claims senior bureaucrats said payroll system would work
THE man in charge of Queensland Health when the payroll system imploded says he was re-assured by his senior bureaucrats the system would work, an inquiry has been told.
Former Queensland Health Director General, Michael Read, took the stand at the Queensland Payroll Inquiry on Tuesday.
He told Counsel Assisting Peter Flanagan, SC, that he was told by Michael Kalimnios, the former deputy director
general of corporate services at Queensland Health, that glitches arising before the system went live in March of 2010 would be fixed.
Ms Kalimnios, who was dismissed from his job following the payroll debacle, is one of the few senior bureaucrats to accept any responsibility for the debacle.
Mr Read said Mr Kalimnios kept him briefed of difficulties implementing the system but did not ask him to take further action.
"I cannot recall him asking to take any other action other than what I did,'' Mr Read said.
Start of sidebar. Skip to end of sidebar.
End of sidebar. Return to start of sidebar.
"Progressively the problems were being dealt with.
"And that was right up to 'go-live'."
The inquiry before Richard Chesterman, QC, is examining all facets of the payroll contract which was part of a vast
outsourcing program won by IBM in 2007.
After under-paying and over-paying thousands of Queensland Health employees since implementation in 2010, the collapsed payroll system continues to be a drain on state finances and is predicted to cost the taxpayer $1.2 billion.
Mr Read told the inquiry on Tuesday he did not attend one meeting with IBM in 2009 over concerns with implementation of the new system because he did not think his presence was required.
Mr Flanagan said as a customer of IBM, Mr Read had every right to attend the meeting and suggested that, because of the problems being experienced, Mr Read had a duty to attend.
"That is the very occasion when a director general should involve himself,'' Mr Flanagan suggested.
Mr Read said the meeting was attended by former director of public works Mal Grierson, which was appropriate given the payroll contract was between IBM and the government in-house IT outfit CorpTech.
Mr Read said he believed he had broad responsibilities in relation to the contract but did not believe he was required to manage the issue in such a direct fashion.
Former Queensland Health Director General, Michael Read, took the stand at the Queensland Payroll Inquiry on Tuesday.
He told Counsel Assisting Peter Flanagan, SC, that he was told by Michael Kalimnios, the former deputy director
general of corporate services at Queensland Health, that glitches arising before the system went live in March of 2010 would be fixed.
Ms Kalimnios, who was dismissed from his job following the payroll debacle, is one of the few senior bureaucrats to accept any responsibility for the debacle.
Mr Read said Mr Kalimnios kept him briefed of difficulties implementing the system but did not ask him to take further action.
"I cannot recall him asking to take any other action other than what I did,'' Mr Read said.
Start of sidebar. Skip to end of sidebar.
End of sidebar. Return to start of sidebar.
"Progressively the problems were being dealt with.
"And that was right up to 'go-live'."
The inquiry before Richard Chesterman, QC, is examining all facets of the payroll contract which was part of a vast
outsourcing program won by IBM in 2007.
After under-paying and over-paying thousands of Queensland Health employees since implementation in 2010, the collapsed payroll system continues to be a drain on state finances and is predicted to cost the taxpayer $1.2 billion.
Mr Read told the inquiry on Tuesday he did not attend one meeting with IBM in 2009 over concerns with implementation of the new system because he did not think his presence was required.
Mr Flanagan said as a customer of IBM, Mr Read had every right to attend the meeting and suggested that, because of the problems being experienced, Mr Read had a duty to attend.
"That is the very occasion when a director general should involve himself,'' Mr Flanagan suggested.
Mr Read said the meeting was attended by former director of public works Mal Grierson, which was appropriate given the payroll contract was between IBM and the government in-house IT outfit CorpTech.
Mr Read said he believed he had broad responsibilities in relation to the contract but did not believe he was required to manage the issue in such a direct fashion.
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
McIlroy uses Texas Open to get 'sharp' for Augusta
Rory McIlroy's last-minute, last-ditch effort to right his game in time for the Masters next week has taken a trip to a usually out-of-the-way spot on the PGA Tour.
McIlroy and three other highly-ranked players in the Official World Golf Rankings start play in the Valero Texas Open on Thursday at TPC San Antonio.
"It obviously was a last-minute decision to come and play here in San Antonio," McIlroy said after his pro-am round Wednesday was washed out by rainstorms on his 13th hole. "But from what I see I like it. It should be a good week, a week where I can try to get my game sharp going to Augusta."
Big-name players don't often seek the Greg Norman-designed Oaks Course at TPC to sharpen their games.
Last year only two members of golf's top 50 (no one in the top 15) played on a course that ended with the highest overall scoring average on tour except the PGA Championship at Kiawah Island's Ocean Course. In addition to McIlroy, top-15 ranked players Matt Kuchar (ninth), Ian Poulter (12th) and Charl Schwartzel (15th) are teeing it up. Ben Curtis, 2003 British Open winner, is defending champ.
Yet McIlroy's play since he won the PGA Championship by a record eight-shot margin in August has dropped him a spot, from No. 1 to 2, while Tiger Woods went back to the top after three wins.
McIlroy started the year swinging the same brand of clubs as Woods, but not the same game. He missed a cut at Abu Dhabi, walked off the course as defending champ at Honda and got beat in opening-round play at the World Match Play in Arizona.
"I don't care if I miss 10 cuts in a row -- if I win a major," McIlroy said. "I don't care. I mean, that's what it's all about, winning the big tournaments."
McIlroy comes to San Antonio for the first time, and he's off his second made cut of the year, a 45th-place finish at the Shell Houston Open. Though notables like Woods and Phil Mickelson aren't attracted to the TPC course as Masters preparation, other players who have come here share McIlroy's view of getting in one more competitive event and dismiss his recent skid.
"All Rory has to worry about is peaking the right weeks," said Padraig Harrington, also in the Texas field. "His game is plenty good enough that when he does peak, he can lap fields."
In addition to the hardscrabble layout Norman crafted in the beginnings of the Texas Hill Country, the weather plays havoc on the event. Last year, Matt Every shot an opening-round 63, a course record, in rather benign conditions. The next day he teed it up with a wind that suddenly howled at 30 mph in places and he shot 74.
Winds could reach 25 mph during Thursday's opening round.
McIlroy got in a full practice round on Tuesday before getting washed out on the back nine Wednesday.
Though Mickelson was critical of the tour last week for stopping at the TPC course the week before The Masters, Poulter recently decided it was a good move for him to play.
"Phil's mentioned that it's the wrong thing for him to do, to come to a course like this to play golf, but I disagree," Poulter said. "I'm happy to stand on that tee next Thursday (at Augusta National), and I've got to hit it 10 yards left of that bunker, I'm fine with that. I can pick up on that pretty quick."
The TPC course had four greens altered and two fairways widened before this year's event. Yet some places remain unchanged, like the tree-choked right side of the par-4 9th where Kevin Na drove his tee shot two years ago and finally emerged with a score of 16. He's not here this year.
"And you don't want to hit it in the greenside bunkers here because you're unlikely to get a decent stance and lie," Harrington said. "That's very unpopular among us professional golfers because we like to have nice lies and we like to have everything perfect."
Maybe it's not perfect. But it will have to do for players running out of time to hone their games — like McIlroy — with a green jacket waiting in Georgia.
McIlroy and three other highly-ranked players in the Official World Golf Rankings start play in the Valero Texas Open on Thursday at TPC San Antonio.
"It obviously was a last-minute decision to come and play here in San Antonio," McIlroy said after his pro-am round Wednesday was washed out by rainstorms on his 13th hole. "But from what I see I like it. It should be a good week, a week where I can try to get my game sharp going to Augusta."
Big-name players don't often seek the Greg Norman-designed Oaks Course at TPC to sharpen their games.
Last year only two members of golf's top 50 (no one in the top 15) played on a course that ended with the highest overall scoring average on tour except the PGA Championship at Kiawah Island's Ocean Course. In addition to McIlroy, top-15 ranked players Matt Kuchar (ninth), Ian Poulter (12th) and Charl Schwartzel (15th) are teeing it up. Ben Curtis, 2003 British Open winner, is defending champ.
Yet McIlroy's play since he won the PGA Championship by a record eight-shot margin in August has dropped him a spot, from No. 1 to 2, while Tiger Woods went back to the top after three wins.
McIlroy started the year swinging the same brand of clubs as Woods, but not the same game. He missed a cut at Abu Dhabi, walked off the course as defending champ at Honda and got beat in opening-round play at the World Match Play in Arizona.
"I don't care if I miss 10 cuts in a row -- if I win a major," McIlroy said. "I don't care. I mean, that's what it's all about, winning the big tournaments."
McIlroy comes to San Antonio for the first time, and he's off his second made cut of the year, a 45th-place finish at the Shell Houston Open. Though notables like Woods and Phil Mickelson aren't attracted to the TPC course as Masters preparation, other players who have come here share McIlroy's view of getting in one more competitive event and dismiss his recent skid.
"All Rory has to worry about is peaking the right weeks," said Padraig Harrington, also in the Texas field. "His game is plenty good enough that when he does peak, he can lap fields."
In addition to the hardscrabble layout Norman crafted in the beginnings of the Texas Hill Country, the weather plays havoc on the event. Last year, Matt Every shot an opening-round 63, a course record, in rather benign conditions. The next day he teed it up with a wind that suddenly howled at 30 mph in places and he shot 74.
Winds could reach 25 mph during Thursday's opening round.
McIlroy got in a full practice round on Tuesday before getting washed out on the back nine Wednesday.
Though Mickelson was critical of the tour last week for stopping at the TPC course the week before The Masters, Poulter recently decided it was a good move for him to play.
"Phil's mentioned that it's the wrong thing for him to do, to come to a course like this to play golf, but I disagree," Poulter said. "I'm happy to stand on that tee next Thursday (at Augusta National), and I've got to hit it 10 yards left of that bunker, I'm fine with that. I can pick up on that pretty quick."
The TPC course had four greens altered and two fairways widened before this year's event. Yet some places remain unchanged, like the tree-choked right side of the par-4 9th where Kevin Na drove his tee shot two years ago and finally emerged with a score of 16. He's not here this year.
"And you don't want to hit it in the greenside bunkers here because you're unlikely to get a decent stance and lie," Harrington said. "That's very unpopular among us professional golfers because we like to have nice lies and we like to have everything perfect."
Maybe it's not perfect. But it will have to do for players running out of time to hone their games — like McIlroy — with a green jacket waiting in Georgia.
Monday, March 18, 2013
Obama to tap Perez to head Labor Department Aamer Madhani11:29p.m. EDT March 17, 2013
President Obama will name the Justice Department's top civil rights enforcer Thomas Perez to be his next Labor secretary, according to a White House official.
Obama will make the formal announcement on Monday, according to the official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the announcement had not yet been officially made.
Perez has a long career in public service. Before he was appointed to run the civil rights division at Justice in October 2009, Perez was chosen by Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley to head the state's Department of Labor. He also served on the Montgomery County, Md., Council, and spent nearly 12 years in federal government. Most of that time was spent as an attorney in the civil rights division.
Obama is expected to trumpet that under Perez, the civil rights division settled the three largest fair lending cases for unfair mortgage lending practices and substantially increased enforcement of human trafficking laws.
But his nomination, which requires Senate confirmation, is expected to face tough scrutiny from Republicans following a Justice Department Inspector General report released last week that was sharply critical of Perez.
The report determined that Perez gave incomplete testimony to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights in 2010 when he testified Justice's political leadership was not involved in the decision to dismiss three of the four defendants in a lawsuit the George W. Bush administration brought against the New Black Panther Party,
"We found that Perez's testimony did not reflect the entire story regarding the involvement of political appointees," the report said. "We did not find that Perez intentionally misled the commission. Nevertheless, given he was testifying as a department witness before the commission, we believe that Perez should have sought more details."
Following the release of the report last week, Sen. Chuck Grassley, the top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, was sharply critical of Perez.
"The Attorney General should demand unbiased advice from department attorneys and the Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Civil Rights Division, Tom Perez, who appears to also have been woefully unprepared to answer questions in front of the Civil Rights Commission on a subject matter he told the Inspector General he expected questions on," Grassley said in a statement.
A few of Obama's second-term Cabinet and agency appointees have already faced tough confirmations. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel's nomination was grilled about past comments he made about Israel, and CIA Director John Brennan's confirmation was slowed over questions about the agency's drone program.
United Nations Ambassador Susan Rice, who Obama was considering to replace Hillary Rodham Clinton at the State Department, removed herself from consideration after facing blistering criticism from Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.
The senators blasted Rice for inaccurate comments she made in the days after the Sep. 11, 2012 terrorist attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi that left Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans dead.
If confirmed, Perez, 51, will replace Hilda Solis who announced her resignation from the post in January.
The pick could also ease pressure on Obama from Hispanic groups who have been urging the president to appoint a Latino to a Cabinet level position after the departures of Solis and Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, who also recently announced he was stepping down.
Perez is a Harvard educated lawyer and the son of immigrants from the Dominican Republic. His father died when he was 12.
"Thomas Perez is an eminently qualified public servant who has the professional experience and compelling personal story to serve at the highest levels of the administration," said Janet Murguía, president of the National Council of La Raza, a Hispanic civil rights group. "Mr. Perez's impeccable legal background in civil rights issues, particularly workers' rights, as well as his decades of service as an elected and appointed official make him uniquely prepared to address the policy complexities and management responsibilities at the Department of Labor."
Obama will make the formal announcement on Monday, according to the official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the announcement had not yet been officially made.
Perez has a long career in public service. Before he was appointed to run the civil rights division at Justice in October 2009, Perez was chosen by Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley to head the state's Department of Labor. He also served on the Montgomery County, Md., Council, and spent nearly 12 years in federal government. Most of that time was spent as an attorney in the civil rights division.
Obama is expected to trumpet that under Perez, the civil rights division settled the three largest fair lending cases for unfair mortgage lending practices and substantially increased enforcement of human trafficking laws.
But his nomination, which requires Senate confirmation, is expected to face tough scrutiny from Republicans following a Justice Department Inspector General report released last week that was sharply critical of Perez.
The report determined that Perez gave incomplete testimony to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights in 2010 when he testified Justice's political leadership was not involved in the decision to dismiss three of the four defendants in a lawsuit the George W. Bush administration brought against the New Black Panther Party,
"We found that Perez's testimony did not reflect the entire story regarding the involvement of political appointees," the report said. "We did not find that Perez intentionally misled the commission. Nevertheless, given he was testifying as a department witness before the commission, we believe that Perez should have sought more details."
Following the release of the report last week, Sen. Chuck Grassley, the top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, was sharply critical of Perez.
"The Attorney General should demand unbiased advice from department attorneys and the Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Civil Rights Division, Tom Perez, who appears to also have been woefully unprepared to answer questions in front of the Civil Rights Commission on a subject matter he told the Inspector General he expected questions on," Grassley said in a statement.
A few of Obama's second-term Cabinet and agency appointees have already faced tough confirmations. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel's nomination was grilled about past comments he made about Israel, and CIA Director John Brennan's confirmation was slowed over questions about the agency's drone program.
United Nations Ambassador Susan Rice, who Obama was considering to replace Hillary Rodham Clinton at the State Department, removed herself from consideration after facing blistering criticism from Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.
The senators blasted Rice for inaccurate comments she made in the days after the Sep. 11, 2012 terrorist attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi that left Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans dead.
If confirmed, Perez, 51, will replace Hilda Solis who announced her resignation from the post in January.
The pick could also ease pressure on Obama from Hispanic groups who have been urging the president to appoint a Latino to a Cabinet level position after the departures of Solis and Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, who also recently announced he was stepping down.
Perez is a Harvard educated lawyer and the son of immigrants from the Dominican Republic. His father died when he was 12.
"Thomas Perez is an eminently qualified public servant who has the professional experience and compelling personal story to serve at the highest levels of the administration," said Janet Murguía, president of the National Council of La Raza, a Hispanic civil rights group. "Mr. Perez's impeccable legal background in civil rights issues, particularly workers' rights, as well as his decades of service as an elected and appointed official make him uniquely prepared to address the policy complexities and management responsibilities at the Department of Labor."
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Rubio casts Obama as hurting middle class
Sen. Marco Rubio cast President Obama on Tuesday night as a barrier to free enterprise with an "obsession" about raising taxes, as he outlined the Republican vision for helping the middle class.
Rubio, a Florida senator, delivered the official Republican response to Obama's State of the Union in both English and Spanish. The Tea Party favorite spoke in personal terms about the impact of government programs such as Medicare on his life and those of his neighbors.
MORE: Rubio's sip of water lights up Twitter
"Mr. President, I still live in the same working-class neighborhood where I grew up. My neighbors aren't millionaires," Rubio said. "The tax increases and the deficit spending you propose will hurt middle-class families. It will cost them their raises. It will cost them their benefits. It may even cost some of them their jobs."
He chastised Obama for offering proposals that represent big government, such as the nation's health care law. "More government isn't going to help you get ahead. It's going to hold you back," Rubio said, arguing that the Constitution put limits on government for a reason.
Rubio specifically called for a balanced-budget amendment to the Constitution and urged both parties to work together to solve the nation's economic woes.
"Despite our differences, I know that both Republicans and Democrats love America," Rubio will say. "If we can get our economic healthy again, our children will be the most prosperous Americans ever. And if we do not, we will forever be known as the generation for responsible for America's decline."
Rubio is the latest in a string of rising Republican stars to give the high-profile rebuttal to Obama on national television. The senator's speech came as Rubio plays a leadership role in bipartisan efforts to revamp the nation's immigration system, including a plan to give the 11 million illegal immigrants a pathway to citzenship.
"We need a responsible, permanent solution to the problem of those who are here illegally," he said. "But first, we must follow through on the broken promises of the past to secure our borders and enforce our laws."
After Rubio's speech, Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky delivered a response on behalf of the Tea Party and sounded themes popular with the small-government, anti-tax movement.
"It is time for a new bipartisan consensus," Paul said. "It is time Democrats admit that not every dollar spent on domestic programs is sacred. And it is time Republicans realize that military spending is not immune to waste and fraud."
Former White House speechwriters said before the speeches that Rubio needed to deliver sound bites and speak to GOP goals, without looking as though he was advancing his own political ambitions.
Yet the hype surrounding Rubio — hailed by Time magazine as a "savior" of the Republican Party and labeled by GOP strategist Karl Rove as the party's "best communicator since Ronald Reagan" — posed a challenge.
"Rubio has broadly the instinct for talking about the greatness of this country," said Clark Judge, a former Reagan speechwriter and managing director of the White House Writers Group, a communications firm. "We don't know yet if he has the depth in policy or philosophy."
Few responses to the State of the Union Address live on in history. Senate GOP leader Bob Dole in 1994 was memorable because he used an elaborate flow chart to counter President Clinton's pitch to revamp the nation's health care system. That chart came to symbolize what Republicans saw as the bureaucratic morass that would come from Clinton's health care proposal.
On the flip side, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal is remembered in a negative way for his 2009 response to Obama because he was stiff and his prose was described in news reports as "cheesy." It took awhile for Jindal, also heralded as a potential 2016 presidential candidate, to recover from his debut on a national stage.
"The odds are greater that you're going to disappoint people," said Jeff Shesol, who helped write Bill Clinton's 1999 and 2000 State of the Union speeches. "This is a dangerous speech for Rubio to give in terms of his personal political future and because he is seen as the principal Republican rebrander. "
Rubio, a Florida senator, delivered the official Republican response to Obama's State of the Union in both English and Spanish. The Tea Party favorite spoke in personal terms about the impact of government programs such as Medicare on his life and those of his neighbors.
MORE: Rubio's sip of water lights up Twitter
"Mr. President, I still live in the same working-class neighborhood where I grew up. My neighbors aren't millionaires," Rubio said. "The tax increases and the deficit spending you propose will hurt middle-class families. It will cost them their raises. It will cost them their benefits. It may even cost some of them their jobs."
He chastised Obama for offering proposals that represent big government, such as the nation's health care law. "More government isn't going to help you get ahead. It's going to hold you back," Rubio said, arguing that the Constitution put limits on government for a reason.
Rubio specifically called for a balanced-budget amendment to the Constitution and urged both parties to work together to solve the nation's economic woes.
"Despite our differences, I know that both Republicans and Democrats love America," Rubio will say. "If we can get our economic healthy again, our children will be the most prosperous Americans ever. And if we do not, we will forever be known as the generation for responsible for America's decline."
Rubio is the latest in a string of rising Republican stars to give the high-profile rebuttal to Obama on national television. The senator's speech came as Rubio plays a leadership role in bipartisan efforts to revamp the nation's immigration system, including a plan to give the 11 million illegal immigrants a pathway to citzenship.
"We need a responsible, permanent solution to the problem of those who are here illegally," he said. "But first, we must follow through on the broken promises of the past to secure our borders and enforce our laws."
After Rubio's speech, Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky delivered a response on behalf of the Tea Party and sounded themes popular with the small-government, anti-tax movement.
"It is time for a new bipartisan consensus," Paul said. "It is time Democrats admit that not every dollar spent on domestic programs is sacred. And it is time Republicans realize that military spending is not immune to waste and fraud."
Former White House speechwriters said before the speeches that Rubio needed to deliver sound bites and speak to GOP goals, without looking as though he was advancing his own political ambitions.
Yet the hype surrounding Rubio — hailed by Time magazine as a "savior" of the Republican Party and labeled by GOP strategist Karl Rove as the party's "best communicator since Ronald Reagan" — posed a challenge.
"Rubio has broadly the instinct for talking about the greatness of this country," said Clark Judge, a former Reagan speechwriter and managing director of the White House Writers Group, a communications firm. "We don't know yet if he has the depth in policy or philosophy."
Few responses to the State of the Union Address live on in history. Senate GOP leader Bob Dole in 1994 was memorable because he used an elaborate flow chart to counter President Clinton's pitch to revamp the nation's health care system. That chart came to symbolize what Republicans saw as the bureaucratic morass that would come from Clinton's health care proposal.
On the flip side, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal is remembered in a negative way for his 2009 response to Obama because he was stiff and his prose was described in news reports as "cheesy." It took awhile for Jindal, also heralded as a potential 2016 presidential candidate, to recover from his debut on a national stage.
"The odds are greater that you're going to disappoint people," said Jeff Shesol, who helped write Bill Clinton's 1999 and 2000 State of the Union speeches. "This is a dangerous speech for Rubio to give in terms of his personal political future and because he is seen as the principal Republican rebrander. "
Monday, February 4, 2013
3 Lessons From Obama's Cliff Victories for Immigration Push
When President Obama delivers the first State of the Union address of his second term next Tuesday, he will be riding a wave of political victories into the coral lined shores of the United States Congress. A tumble into the rough waters of legislative gridlock in the months ahead could cause major damage to the president's second term legislative agenda. There are several lessons from Obama's political wins on the fiscal cliff that both sides should keep in mind when working on immigration legislation and other legislative initiatives.
1. Have a simple, effective pitch: After the knock down drag out fight over raising the debt ceiling in 2011, Obama's team realized they needed a more effective message for future fiscal fights. By characterizing the Republican reluctance to raise the debt limit as akin to refusing to pay for goods already placed on the credit card, Obama had a kitchen table explanation for a complex macroeconomic issue. A similar approach to a comprehensive immigration bill, which due to its size and scope will contain something unpalatable for both parties, will be essential to avoid a death by 1,000 cuts.
2. Seek the support of the opposition's traditional allies: Obama shrewdly courted corporate America, holding meetings with executives whose bottom lines would be adversely affected by another debt limit standoff. These traditional Republican supporters were able to convey the urgency of the issue to the GOP better than anyone else. It's always easier to take advice from a friend than a foe. The president should reach out to business leaders -- who would have much to gain from the certainty that an immigration deal could provide -- again to help sell a plan. Republicans should approach the immigration debate with as an opportunity to reach out to Asians and Hispanics that have trended heavily towards supporting Democrats.
3. Exploit unforced errors: Intransigent Republicans in the House derailed Speaker John Boehner's "Plan B" fiscal proposal, which substantially limited the leverage the party had in discussions over a final solution. That meant that the final deal went even further to the left and needed overwhelming Democratic support in the House to prevent an economic disaster. That served to weaken the strong fiscally responsible economic image Republicans had burnished in previous debates. Republicans need a deal, and Obama should try to work with them. While one side exploiting the other's fumble may again be decisive, a keen focus by both sides on minimizing mistakes and misstatements would allow each to bring their best to the effort of passing immigration reform.
Getting a deal on immigration will be tougher than the fiscal cliff (there is not a credit downgrade or economic meltdown at stake and thus less incentive to deal), but it is still possible if both President Obama and the Republicans learn from past successes, do not repeat missteps and seek to truly make this a win-win effort.
1. Have a simple, effective pitch: After the knock down drag out fight over raising the debt ceiling in 2011, Obama's team realized they needed a more effective message for future fiscal fights. By characterizing the Republican reluctance to raise the debt limit as akin to refusing to pay for goods already placed on the credit card, Obama had a kitchen table explanation for a complex macroeconomic issue. A similar approach to a comprehensive immigration bill, which due to its size and scope will contain something unpalatable for both parties, will be essential to avoid a death by 1,000 cuts.
2. Seek the support of the opposition's traditional allies: Obama shrewdly courted corporate America, holding meetings with executives whose bottom lines would be adversely affected by another debt limit standoff. These traditional Republican supporters were able to convey the urgency of the issue to the GOP better than anyone else. It's always easier to take advice from a friend than a foe. The president should reach out to business leaders -- who would have much to gain from the certainty that an immigration deal could provide -- again to help sell a plan. Republicans should approach the immigration debate with as an opportunity to reach out to Asians and Hispanics that have trended heavily towards supporting Democrats.
3. Exploit unforced errors: Intransigent Republicans in the House derailed Speaker John Boehner's "Plan B" fiscal proposal, which substantially limited the leverage the party had in discussions over a final solution. That meant that the final deal went even further to the left and needed overwhelming Democratic support in the House to prevent an economic disaster. That served to weaken the strong fiscally responsible economic image Republicans had burnished in previous debates. Republicans need a deal, and Obama should try to work with them. While one side exploiting the other's fumble may again be decisive, a keen focus by both sides on minimizing mistakes and misstatements would allow each to bring their best to the effort of passing immigration reform.
Getting a deal on immigration will be tougher than the fiscal cliff (there is not a credit downgrade or economic meltdown at stake and thus less incentive to deal), but it is still possible if both President Obama and the Republicans learn from past successes, do not repeat missteps and seek to truly make this a win-win effort.
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Republicans Bristle at Obama's New Roster
President Barack Obama's most recent nominations and appointments show that he is assembling a muscular senior team of trusted allies to carry out his second-term plans, without concern for Republican sensitivities, some GOP officials say.
With his second-term appointments largely complete, the president has built a cadre of officials and aides that some say is more for combat than consensus—to execute policies rooted in the Democratic ideals laid out in his inaugural speech last week.
By contrast, midway through his first term the president named William Daley as his chief of staff, choosing someone with ties to the corporate world in an overture to Republicans and business leaders.
On Friday, Mr. Obama announced he was naming someone of a different mold as his top aide: Denis McDonough, a longtime deputy with no independent political base, whose primary purpose will be to put in place the president's policies.
Mr. Obama wants to elevate his current chief of staff, Jack Lew, to Treasury secretary, though Republicans soured on Mr. Lew during the 2011 debt-ceiling negotiations. Some Republicans who worked with Mr. Lew said he spent hours in fruitless attempts to persuade Republicans that their position was the wrong one.
Earlier this month, Mr. Obama nominated as his defense secretary former Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel, whom critics describe as an ersatz Republican who broke party ranks and endorsed Mr. Obama in the 2008 presidential race. Mr. Hagel will appear before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday for his confirmation hearing.
Senate Republicans are expected to zero in on Mr. Hagel's vote in opposition to naming the Iranian Revolution Guard Corps as a terrorist organization and to question a comment he once made about the "Jewish lobby."
Appearing Sunday on ABC's "This Week," Sen. John McCain (R., Ariz.) was asked if, in a private meeting last week, Mr. Hagel had addressed his concerns.
"Not really," Mr. McCain said.
Another battle with Republicans may lie ahead: Mr. Obama will soon name a new head of the Environmental Protection Agency, and he is likely to choose someone in sync with the aggressive approach he hinted at in his inaugural speech. In that address, Mr. Obama gave an unusually prominent warning about the threat of climate change. His best option for rolling back greenhouse-gas emissions rests with the EPA, which won a string of recent court cases upholding its authority to regulate the pollutants.
"You've gone through a lot of legislative achievement in the first term, and execution is everything in a second term," said John Podesta, who has close ties to the White House and who served as chief of staff under Bill Clinton. "So he has a clear strategy. … And what he needs are people who can execute that strategy."
Ken Duberstein, who served as chief of staff in Ronald Reagan's second term, said Mr. Obama might rethink his approach and find ways to compromise. "He has to do it if he is to accomplish his broad agenda," he said. "You can't just do it by sticking your finger in people's eyes."
Mr. Obama has four more years in office. But in practical terms, he needs to move quickly to advance his domestic agenda. A re-elected president has finite political capital and a compressed period to act before Congress is diverted by the midterm elections and then the next presidential election.
Were Mr. Obama inclined to reach out to Republicans, he might not have renominated former Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray as head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. In making the Cordray announcement last week, the president renewed a fight with Senate Republicans who have said they want changes in the bureau's structure as the price of confirming a nominee.
Mr. Obama seems unmoved by that argument, which has angered Republicans.
Sen. Mike Johanns (R., Neb.), a member of the Senate committee that will conduct Mr. Cordray's confirmation hearing, called the renomination "a troublesome situation."
"We just wanted the opportunity to try to bring some common sense remedies to what we saw as a very flawed system," Mr. Johanns added. "I have misgivings about that nomination. It's very possible I won't be able to support him."
More insight into the president's second-term approach may come when he nominates an EPA administrator. Both environmentalists and oil-and-coal industry lobbyists have said they would approve of an internal choice, such as Bob Perciasepe, currently the No. 2 EPA official. Mr. Perciasepe helped negotiate vehicle fuel-economy rules during Mr. Obama's first term and is viewed by both sides as a person who seeks common ground.
But the president could make a more assertive statement by choosing an official who has waged climate battles, such as former Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire, who signed an emissions-cutting law.
With his second-term appointments largely complete, the president has built a cadre of officials and aides that some say is more for combat than consensus—to execute policies rooted in the Democratic ideals laid out in his inaugural speech last week.
By contrast, midway through his first term the president named William Daley as his chief of staff, choosing someone with ties to the corporate world in an overture to Republicans and business leaders.
On Friday, Mr. Obama announced he was naming someone of a different mold as his top aide: Denis McDonough, a longtime deputy with no independent political base, whose primary purpose will be to put in place the president's policies.
Mr. Obama wants to elevate his current chief of staff, Jack Lew, to Treasury secretary, though Republicans soured on Mr. Lew during the 2011 debt-ceiling negotiations. Some Republicans who worked with Mr. Lew said he spent hours in fruitless attempts to persuade Republicans that their position was the wrong one.
Earlier this month, Mr. Obama nominated as his defense secretary former Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel, whom critics describe as an ersatz Republican who broke party ranks and endorsed Mr. Obama in the 2008 presidential race. Mr. Hagel will appear before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday for his confirmation hearing.
Senate Republicans are expected to zero in on Mr. Hagel's vote in opposition to naming the Iranian Revolution Guard Corps as a terrorist organization and to question a comment he once made about the "Jewish lobby."
Appearing Sunday on ABC's "This Week," Sen. John McCain (R., Ariz.) was asked if, in a private meeting last week, Mr. Hagel had addressed his concerns.
"Not really," Mr. McCain said.
Another battle with Republicans may lie ahead: Mr. Obama will soon name a new head of the Environmental Protection Agency, and he is likely to choose someone in sync with the aggressive approach he hinted at in his inaugural speech. In that address, Mr. Obama gave an unusually prominent warning about the threat of climate change. His best option for rolling back greenhouse-gas emissions rests with the EPA, which won a string of recent court cases upholding its authority to regulate the pollutants.
"You've gone through a lot of legislative achievement in the first term, and execution is everything in a second term," said John Podesta, who has close ties to the White House and who served as chief of staff under Bill Clinton. "So he has a clear strategy. … And what he needs are people who can execute that strategy."
Ken Duberstein, who served as chief of staff in Ronald Reagan's second term, said Mr. Obama might rethink his approach and find ways to compromise. "He has to do it if he is to accomplish his broad agenda," he said. "You can't just do it by sticking your finger in people's eyes."
Mr. Obama has four more years in office. But in practical terms, he needs to move quickly to advance his domestic agenda. A re-elected president has finite political capital and a compressed period to act before Congress is diverted by the midterm elections and then the next presidential election.
Were Mr. Obama inclined to reach out to Republicans, he might not have renominated former Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray as head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. In making the Cordray announcement last week, the president renewed a fight with Senate Republicans who have said they want changes in the bureau's structure as the price of confirming a nominee.
Mr. Obama seems unmoved by that argument, which has angered Republicans.
Sen. Mike Johanns (R., Neb.), a member of the Senate committee that will conduct Mr. Cordray's confirmation hearing, called the renomination "a troublesome situation."
"We just wanted the opportunity to try to bring some common sense remedies to what we saw as a very flawed system," Mr. Johanns added. "I have misgivings about that nomination. It's very possible I won't be able to support him."
More insight into the president's second-term approach may come when he nominates an EPA administrator. Both environmentalists and oil-and-coal industry lobbyists have said they would approve of an internal choice, such as Bob Perciasepe, currently the No. 2 EPA official. Mr. Perciasepe helped negotiate vehicle fuel-economy rules during Mr. Obama's first term and is viewed by both sides as a person who seeks common ground.
But the president could make a more assertive statement by choosing an official who has waged climate battles, such as former Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire, who signed an emissions-cutting law.
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Obama Defense Pick Faces Rough Going in Senate
President Barack Obama's pick of Chuck Hagel to helm the Pentagon faces rough going in the Senate as a handful of Republicans quickly announced their opposition to a former GOP colleague, and several skeptical Democrats reserved judgment until the nominee explains his views on Israel and Iran.
The concerns about Hagel complicate his path to Senate confirmation but are not necessarily calamitous as the White House pushes for the first Vietnam War veteran to oversee a military emerging from two wars and staring at deep budget cuts.
Obama also tapped White House counterterrorism adviser John Brennan to head the CIA. Brennan, a 25-year CIA veteran, faces no major obstacles, but he is expected to be hit with questions about torture and administration leaks of secret information.
Moments after Obama announced his selection of Hagel and called him "the leader that our troops deserve," some Senate Republicans voiced opposition to the former Nebraska lawmaker who spent 12 years in the Senate.
"Given Chuck Hagel's statements and actions on a nuclear Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah, I think his confirmation would send exactly the wrong message to our allies and enemies alike," Sen. David Vitter, R-La., said in a statement. "Israel, our strongest ally in the region, is dealing with a lot of threat and uncertainty right now; Hagel would make that even worse."
Other Senate Republicans, including the No. 2 GOP lawmaker, John Cornyn of Texas, new member Ted Cruz of Texas and Mississippi's Roger Wicker, signaled they would vote against the nomination.
Hagel has upset some Israel backers with his comment about the "Jewish lobby," his votes against unilateral sanctions against Iran while backing international penalties on the regime in Tehran and his criticism of talk of a military strike by either the U.S. or Israel against Iran.
He also upset gay rights groups over past comments, including his opposition in 1998 to President Bill Clinton's choice of James Hormel as ambassador to Luxembourg. He referred to Hormel as "openly, aggressively gay." Hagel recently apologized, saying his comments were "insensitive."
Those remarks and actions have created fierce opposition from some pro-Israel groups, criticism from some Republicans and unease among some congressional Democrats.
The Log Cabin Republicans took out a full-page ad in The Washington Post highlighting their opposition to Hagel, and Gregory T. Angelo, interim executive director of the gay rights group, said the gay and lesbian grassroots organization is considering other steps in a campaign against Hagel's nomination.
House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., who does not have a vote on the nomination, called Hagel the "wrong man" for the job and complained that "his inflammatory statements about Israel are well outside the mainstream."
In an interview with the Lincoln (Neb.) Journal Star, Hagel said his statements have been distorted and there is "not one shred of evidence that I'm anti-Israeli, not one (Senate) vote that matters that hurt Israel."
In a critical sign of support for Hagel's prospects, the 66-year-old moderate Republican attracted words of praise from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin, D-Mich., and Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., who heads the Intelligence panel.
The concerns about Hagel complicate his path to Senate confirmation but are not necessarily calamitous as the White House pushes for the first Vietnam War veteran to oversee a military emerging from two wars and staring at deep budget cuts.
Obama also tapped White House counterterrorism adviser John Brennan to head the CIA. Brennan, a 25-year CIA veteran, faces no major obstacles, but he is expected to be hit with questions about torture and administration leaks of secret information.
Moments after Obama announced his selection of Hagel and called him "the leader that our troops deserve," some Senate Republicans voiced opposition to the former Nebraska lawmaker who spent 12 years in the Senate.
"Given Chuck Hagel's statements and actions on a nuclear Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah, I think his confirmation would send exactly the wrong message to our allies and enemies alike," Sen. David Vitter, R-La., said in a statement. "Israel, our strongest ally in the region, is dealing with a lot of threat and uncertainty right now; Hagel would make that even worse."
Other Senate Republicans, including the No. 2 GOP lawmaker, John Cornyn of Texas, new member Ted Cruz of Texas and Mississippi's Roger Wicker, signaled they would vote against the nomination.
Hagel has upset some Israel backers with his comment about the "Jewish lobby," his votes against unilateral sanctions against Iran while backing international penalties on the regime in Tehran and his criticism of talk of a military strike by either the U.S. or Israel against Iran.
He also upset gay rights groups over past comments, including his opposition in 1998 to President Bill Clinton's choice of James Hormel as ambassador to Luxembourg. He referred to Hormel as "openly, aggressively gay." Hagel recently apologized, saying his comments were "insensitive."
Those remarks and actions have created fierce opposition from some pro-Israel groups, criticism from some Republicans and unease among some congressional Democrats.
The Log Cabin Republicans took out a full-page ad in The Washington Post highlighting their opposition to Hagel, and Gregory T. Angelo, interim executive director of the gay rights group, said the gay and lesbian grassroots organization is considering other steps in a campaign against Hagel's nomination.
House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., who does not have a vote on the nomination, called Hagel the "wrong man" for the job and complained that "his inflammatory statements about Israel are well outside the mainstream."
In an interview with the Lincoln (Neb.) Journal Star, Hagel said his statements have been distorted and there is "not one shred of evidence that I'm anti-Israeli, not one (Senate) vote that matters that hurt Israel."
In a critical sign of support for Hagel's prospects, the 66-year-old moderate Republican attracted words of praise from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin, D-Mich., and Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., who heads the Intelligence panel.
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
On the Left, Seeing Obama Giving Away Too Much, Again
For President Obama,
the fiscal deal passed by Congress on Tuesday finally ends four years
of debate with Republicans about raising tax rates on the wealthy. But
it seemed to reopen a debate within his party about the nature of his
leadership and his skills as a negotiator.
While Mr. Obama got most of what he sought in the agreement, he found
himself under withering criticism from some in his liberal base who
accused him of caving in to Republicans by not taxing the rich more.
Just as Speaker John A. Boehner has been under pressure from his right,
Mr. Obama faces a virtual Tea Party of the left that sees his compromise as capitulation.
The main difference is that in the Obama era, the Democratic
establishment has been less influenced, or intimidated, by the left than
the Republican establishment has been by the right. Liberals have not
mounted sustained primary challenges to take out wayward incumbents the
way conservatives have. All but three Democrats
voting in the Senate and 16 in the House supported the compromise on
Tuesday, even as most House Republicans balked, giving Mr. Obama more
room to operate than Mr. Boehner.
But the wave of grievance from liberal activists, labor leaders and
economists suggested that the uneasy truce between Mr. Obama and his
base that held through the campaign season had expired now that there
was no longer a threat of a Mitt Romney victory. It also offered a
harbinger of the president’s next four years.
The criticism has irritated the White House, which argued that Mr. Obama held true to principle by forcing Republicans to raise income
tax rates on the wealthy and extend unemployment benefits and targeted
tax credits. Mr. Obama also quashed Republican demands to trim the
growth of entitlement benefits. Aides dismissed armchair criticism from
those who have never had to negotiate with intractable opposition.
“There’s some frustration that over time you would think everybody would
have a better understanding of the parameters of this,” said Robert
Gibbs, a longtime adviser to Mr. Obama who once called such critics “the
professional left.” “But he understands now probably better than at any
other point in his presidency what it means to be a leader, what it
means to have to do things that are good not just for one party but good
for the country.”
The criticism from the left mirrors past complaints when Mr. Obama included tax cuts in his stimulus package, gave up on a government-run option in health care negotiations and temporarily extended Bush-era tax cuts
for the wealthy two years ago. Liberals said Mr. Obama should have
capitalized on his re-election victory and the expiration on New Year’s
Day of all of the Bush tax cuts to force Republicans to accept his
terms.
“The president remains clueless about how to use leverage in a
negotiation,” said Adam Green, a co-founder of the Progressive Change
Campaign Committee, a liberal advocacy organization. “Republicans
publicly admitted they lost the tax debate and would be forced to cave,
yet the president just kept giving stuff away.”
Robert B. Reich, the former labor secretary, said that Mr. Obama “has
stiffened his tactical resolve” but that “he’s still the same President
Obama who wants a deal above all else and seems willing to compromise on
even the most basic principle.”
Richard L. Trumka, the president of the A.F.L.-C.I.O., said in a Twitter message
on Monday that the agreement was “not a good fiscal cliff deal if it
gives more tax cuts to 2 percent.” Senator Tom Harkin, Democrat of Iowa,
said on the floor on Monday that “this looks like a very bad deal.”
Still, most Democratic lawmakers accepted it, however reluctantly,
concluding that voting against it could cause greater economic
disruption. Many liberals grew more comfortable once they learned more
about the deal, and the revolt on Tuesday by House Republicans seemed to
rally them behind the plan and against a common adversary. Mr. Trumka
released a new statement hailing elements of the deal, while blaming
“Republican hostage taking” for its flaws.
Mr. Obama succeeded in forcing Senate Republicans to raise the top
income tax rate to 39.6 percent from 35 percent despite their adamant
opposition, although he agreed to apply that to household income above
$450,000, instead of $250,000. He also won an increase in taxes on
wealthy estates to 40 percent from 35 percent, though it was not as high
as liberals wanted.
The bill will extend unemployment benefits for two million Americans;
renew tax credits for child care, college tuition and renewable energy
production; raise capital gains taxes; and phase out deductions for the
wealthy. Mr. Obama also insisted that a two-month postponement of
automatic spending cuts be financed by $1 in tax revenue for every $1 in
spending reductions.
“When the dust settles, there will be a lot of important elements in
this for progressives,” Mr. Gibbs said. The deal can be evaluated only
in combination with the result of the next fiscal talks, to be concluded
by the end of February, he said, adding, “We won’t know the final score
on that until you look at both of those negotiations together.”
Defenders of the White House said it was ludicrous to expect that the
president would not have to compromise, given that Republicans control
the House and have enough votes in the Senate to filibuster a bill. Without an agreement, economists warned that the country would have been pushed back into recession.
Representative Elijah E. Cummings, Democrat of Maryland, said Mr. Obama
had secured important victories like the one on unemployment benefits
and stood firm against paring entitlement benefits. “The president was
strong there,” he told CNN. “And I think he’ll continue to be strong. I
think, you know, I notice a different president since he won this
election.”
Jared Bernstein, a former economics adviser to Vice President Joseph R.
Biden Jr., said Mr. Obama had done what he thought he had to, but he
expressed concern that the president might have squandered leverage
unless he holds firm in the debate over the debt ceiling.
Republicans want to use a vote to raise the ceiling to force Mr. Obama
to accept deeper spending cuts, but the president has vowed not to
negotiate over the borrowing limit.
“While some appear to think his team folded in the cliff debate, I don’t
see it that way,” Mr. Bernstein said. “They saw a plausible path
forward, and they took it. My point is it’s only plausible if they
really don’t get derailed on the debt ceiling debate.”
Monday, December 24, 2012
Obama attends Inouye memorial in Hawaii
President Obama came to a veterans cemetery here on Sunday to
honor the late Sen. Daniel K. Inouye, less as the nation’s top
politician and more as a native son of Hawaii paying tribute to his
roots.
The president had already formally memorialized Inouye
(D-Hawaii), who died last week at age 88 after 50 years in the Senate,
on Friday at the National Cathedral in Washington.
Yet the moment at the cemetery had enormous emotional resonance for the president, who spent many formative years living with his grandparents in Hawaii. In the space of 90 minutes, he would attend the memorial service of a man who from afar had shaped his political thinking and remember another man who directly shaped his life choices.
Moments after the ceremony honoring Inouye ended, Obama traveled a half-mile southeast within the same cemetery, to Site 44, Row 400, of Columbarium No. 1 — the grave site of his maternal grandfather, Stanley A. Dunham.
Like Inouye, Dunham was a World War II veteran. Obama has said that Dunham and his wife, Madelyn, taught him the “idea of America.” He has recounted how his grandfather, “Gramps,” gave him dog tags “from his time in Patton’s Army,” and the future president came to understand that “his defense of this country marked one of his greatest sources of pride.”
Dunham died 20 years ago. The ashes of his wife and daughter, Stanley Anne, Obama’s mother, were scattered over the Pacific Ocean in Hawaii.
And while Obama has said that his grandparents influenced how he lived his life, Inouye had a profound effect on his politics. Last week, Obama said Inouye was “perhaps my earliest political inspiration.”
As part of the Japanese American 442nd Regimental Combat Team in World War II, Inouye lost his right arm protecting his unit from a grenade. In the memorial last week, Obama said he remembered watching Inouye ask questions during the Watergate hearings in the 1970s.
“The person who fascinated me most was this man of Japanese descent with one arm, speaking in this courtly baritone, full of dignity and grace,” Obama said. “This was a man who, as a teenager, stepped up to serve his country even after his fellow Japanese Americans were declared enemy aliens; a man who believed in America even when its government didn’t necessarily believe in him. That meant something to me. It gave me a powerful sense — one that I couldn’t put into words — a powerful sense of hope.”
On Sunday, surviving members of the 442nd Regiment and their families surrounded the ceremony. The formal eulogies were left to Inouye’s colleagues and staffers.
Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) said Inouye would only talk about the war in private, never in public. Reid had had an hour-long conversation with him just before Inouye, who was experiencing respiratory problems, went to the hospital, a little more than a week before he died.
“We talked as though there would be many tomorrows, but there wouldn’t be any,” Reid said.
In remarks by Reid and others, it was hard not to miss the nostalgia for an era of bipartisanship that Inouye reflected and one that seems to be disappearing with his generation.
Reid recalled how he had received a call last week from former Senate majority leader Bob Dole (R-Kan.), expressing his desire to pay his respects to Inouye in the Capitol Rotunda. Dole, who normally uses a wheelchair, insisted on walking and viewing Inouye’s casket directly.
“As a result of that war, both had lost the use of their right arms,” Reid recalled, and could work together despite their political differences.
Inouye “was a Democrat who would never hesitate to cooperate with a Republican for the good of the country,” Reid said. “Danny was the best senator among us all,” he said.
Inouye’s family has not decided on an exact burial spot. One option is Section D, near the center of the cemetery, where many of his comrades from the 442nd Combat Team are buried. His first wife, Margaret Shinobu Awamura, who died in 1996, is also buried there.
Near the end of the ceremony, Sen. Daniel K. Akaka (D-Hawaii) said he was saying goodbye to a brother who had paved the way for future generations.
“He made it possible for minorities like me, and later on, President Obama, to serve at the highest levels,” he said.
Then Inouye received full military honors — including a four-jet flyover — and a military officer delivered folded American flags that had been draped over Inouye’s casket to his wife and son Ken.
As the officer presented the flags, Obama remained attentive and silent.
Monday, December 17, 2012
President Obama’s enough-is-enough Newtown speech
President Obama’s speech Sunday night at a memorial service for the victims
— mostly children — of a mass shooting in Newtown, Connecticut was a
forceful assertion that the politics surrounding guns (and gun control)
must change.
“We can’t tolerate this anymore,” Obama said. “We are not doing enough and we will have to change.” (Full transcript of speech here.)
Obama noted that this was the fourth time in his presidency that he
has had to grieve with a community after an incident of mass murder with
a gun. But, his speech in Connecticut Sunday was a significant
departure from the other addresses he had given to communities torn
apart by shooting sprees.
Speaking in Aurora, Colorado
just days after a gunman opened fire in a movie theater this summer,
Obama was somber, subdued — and decidedly apolitical. The closest Obama
got to making a statement (of any sort) came in the speech’s last line
in which he said: “I hope that over the next several days, next several
weeks, and next several months, we all reflect on how we can do
something about some of the senseless violence that ends up marring this
country, but also reflect on all the wonderful people who make this the
greatest country on Earth.”
It was a very different Obama who took the stage at the Newtown
memorial Sunday, a president not just saddened by the tragedy but fed up
with the lack of forward movement in hopes of preventing the next one.
One sentence in Obama’s speech sums up his state of mind. “I’ll use
whatever power this office holds…in an effort aimed at preventing more
tragedies like this,” he said — a line the incumbent never came close to
uttering in Aurora or, before that, in Tucson in 2011.
What Obama’s speech seemed to signal is that, at least in his mind, a
tipping point has been reached — that the slaughter of 20 first graders
should not be soon forgotten, that it should mean something.
His critics will note that he offered no specifics as to where he
would hope to change laws on guns and that his speech in Newtown, unlike
the address in Aurora, came after his second term was assured and he
knew he would never need to stand for election again.
Both facts are true. But neither subtract from the fact that Obama
could have very easily delivered a speech heavy on empathy and light on
anything in the way of a call to action. That he chose to go in a very
different direction is a telling indication of his commitment to try to
make something happen on gun laws.
Obama’s speech Sunday night could be summed up in three words: Enough
is enough. Now, can he lead a divided nation to see things his way?
Monday, December 3, 2012
Obama Plans for Climate Deal as Fiscal Cliff Negotiations Rage
As leaders in Washington obsess about
the fiscal cliff, President Barack Obama is putting in place the
building blocks for a climate treaty requiring the first fossil-
fuel emissions cuts from both the U.S. and China.
State Department envoy Todd Stern is in Doha this week
working to clear the path for an international agreement by
2015. While Obama failed to deliver on his promise to start
a cap-and-trade program in his first term, he’s working on
policies that may help cut greenhouse gases 17 percent in
2020 in the U.S., historically the world’s biggest polluter.
Obama has moved forward with greenhouse-gas rules for
vehicles and new power plants, appliance standards and
investment in low-emitting energy sources. He’s also called for
80 percent of U.S. electricity to come from clean energy
sources, including nuclear and natural gas, by 2035.
“The president is laying the foundations for real action
on climate change,” Jake Schmidt, who follows international
climate policy for the Washington-based Natural Resources
Defense Council, said in an interview in Doha. “Whether or not
he decides to jump feet first into the international arena,
we’ll see.”
Envoys from more than 190 nations are entering their second
week of talks today at the United Nations conference working
toward a global warming treaty. Their ambition is to agree to a
pact in 2015 that would take force in 2020. It would supersede
limits on emissions for industrial nations under the Kyoto
Protocol, which the U.S. never ratified.
Quiet Effort
Obama’s push is being pursued without fanfare as the
administration and Congress grapple to avert a budget crisis and
$607 billion in automatic spending cuts. Unlike 2009, when Obama
failed to prevent the collapse of climate talks in Copenhagen,
the U.S. can point to more concrete actions it’s taking in the
fight global warming.
He has more ammunition at hand. The Environmental
Protection Agency is required under the Clean Air Act to move
ahead with regulations on emissions from existing power plants.
Those are responsible for about a third of U.S. emissions, the
largest chunk.
Measures such as those, along with continued low natural
gas prices and state actions, can cut emissions 16.3 percent by
2020, Resources for the Future, a research firm, estimates.
Emissions already are down 8.8 percent from 2005 levels,
according to Jonathan Pershing, a State Department negotiator
in Doha.
`Stronger Position'
“The U.S. is in a much stronger position going into the
Doha talks despite failure of Congress to pass comprehensive
climate legislation,” said Trevor Houser, a former U.S. climate
negotiator who served during the Copenhagen meeting. “For
countries like China that were able to hide behind a perception
of U.S. inaction, the fact that U.S. emissions are falling helps
increase pressure. It takes away the excuse that action is
stalled because of the U.S.”
A summer of extreme weather also is supporting the U.S.
delegation in the talks by raising public awareness and concern
about the risks of climate change, Pershing said last week in
Doha. So far this year, superstorm Sandy devastated the East
Coast while wildfires raged in the west and a record drought
wrecked crops in the Midwest.
“The combination of those events is certainly changing the
minds of Americans and making clear to people at home the
consequences of the increased growth in emissions,” he said at
a Nov. 26 news conference in Doha.
Increasing Concern
The portion of Americans who say climate change will affect
them a “great deal” or by a “moderate” amount rose by 13
points to 42 percent from March to September, and 68 percent
said global warming will hurt future generations, up from 59
percent in May 2011, according to a poll by Yale University and
George Mason University.
“That number barely budged for four years, then suddenly
jumps,” Andrew Light, coordinator of climate policy at the
Center for American Progress, a Washington-based research group
with ties to the Obama administration. “If you did same survey
today, after Sandy, the number would be even higher.”
Light notes that the number of Americans who believe
climate change is real climbed to 70 percent in September from
57 percent in 2010. The number of people who say global warming
isn’t happening has fallen almost by half, to 12 percent today
from 20 percent over the same period.
Quiet Effort
To date, few of the administration’s programs get attention
away from Washington and the environmental groups following
them.
An EPA rule targeting mercury emissions, for example, would
further boost the cost of burning coal, making cleaner-burning
natural gas more attractive. California, the world’s ninth-
largest economy, has started its cap-and-trade program, covering
85 percent of emissions in the state.
Such policies “are just the beginning,” said Robert Stavins,
director of Harvard University’s Environmental Economics Program
in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He expects the U.S. to meet its goal
of cutting emissions 17 percent. While that’s less than the 40
percent scientists say is needed. European Union’s pledge to
reduce pollutants 20 percent by 2020 and says it will go to 30
percent if others follow.
“The interesting thing is that for the past three UN
climate conferences, the U.S. delegation has never talked about
this,” Stavins said in an interview. “They haven’t been
interested in taking credit internationally for what’s already
in place. When I mention this to other parts of the world,
people are shocked.”
The silence, he said, is understandable in part because the
“last thing” the Obama administration wants is for State
Department officials overseas making it appear as if the White
House was trying to “take an end run around the Congress” on
climate policy.
“It would have been very bad for the president’s re-
election,” he said.
Monday, November 19, 2012
Agency’s tips on avoiding winter sickness bug
HEALTH bosses are advising people in Bolton on how to avoid a “winter vomiting” illness.
The Health Protection Agency (HPA) North West issued a warning about
the highly-infectious illness, known as “norovirus”, that becomes more
common in the winter months.
The norovirus infection is the most common cause of vomiting and diarrhoea in the UK.
In January, an outbreak of the virus forced bosses at the Royal Bolton
Hospital to close two wards to new admissions. Nursing and residential homes were also affected.
It is generally a short-lived illness, from which the majority of people recover in 12 to 60 hours.
The HPA says people with the infection should stay at home and ensure
they stick to a strict personal hygiene routine, such as handwashing.
They should also avoid contact with others where possible and stay away
from school, work or social gatherings.
Relatives of children and the elderly who have the illness are advised
to call their GP or NHS Direct on 0845-4647 if they become dehydrated.
Patients are not advised to visit their GP surgery or A&E unit.
According to the HPA, patients will recover without treatment. They
should rest and take plenty of drinks to replace lost fluids.
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
7 tips to save on your 2013 health insurance
In choosing health insurance, Cariann Moore used an online
spreadsheet tool provided by her employer to compare insurance plans.
She found that a high-deductible plan with a lower pricetag would save
her money.
"For me, it makes it so much easier and demystifies
what can be a little overwhelming when you have all these options," said
Moore, who works for C3 customer-service firm in Plantation.
With
health insurance premiums up an average 7 percent for 2013, employees
are finding they need to be savvier consumers. To deal with rising
costs, employers are putting the onus on workers "to take control over
what their health expenses are," said Terri Byers, national benefits
enrollment manager for West Palm Beach-based Oasis Outsourcing, which
handles payroll and benefits for companies.
Here are seven tips on choosing health insurance and reducing costs:
• Make sure you enroll.
If you don't re-enroll in your benefits or are given new plan options,
you could end up without coverage for 2013. Check your enrollment dates,
often in early November or in the spring, and make sure you sign up.
Most
people who are offered employer-sponsored health insurance should take
it, said Keith Mendonsa, consumer insurance specialist for
eHealthInsurance.com, which provides insurance quotes online. And people
with pre-existing conditions should definitely take it, since they
could be declined on their own, he said.
• Pay attention to your insurance costs. Look at three things: your premium cost
contributions this year compared to last; your maximum "out-of-pocket,"
which is your financial obligation for a catastrophic health issue; and
your deductible.
"If my deductible is $2,500 and my out-of-pocket
max is $5,000, I know I'm going to have to pay $2,500 if I go into the
hospital. Can I afford that?" Byers said, as an example. But if the
deductible and out of pocket are both $2,500, then all your healthcare
expenses will be covered by your insurance after the deductible is met.
Consumers
make the mistake of picking what they think is the "richer" plan, Byers
said. But check whether your doctors are on the less expensive HMO
plan, as well as the pricier PPO insurance.
"It's really understanding your plan," she said.
• Compare traditional with high-deductible plan options. More employers are offering a high-deductible plan, which generally offers a lower premium.
But be prepared to pay the amount of the deductible in the coming year if you have serious health care issues, said Mendonsa.
Moore, 34, chose a high deductible plan because she's relatively healthy and doesn't have to buy many prescription drugs. "It made more sense for me," she said. "Knock on wood; I haven't been in an emergency room for a very long time."
But
a family that has frequent visits for the children to the pediatrician
or even an emergency room may prefer the co-pays and lower deductible of
an HMO, Byers said.
Ask your employer if there's a "gap" plan
available, which is combined with high-deductible insurance to offset
the cost if an employee lands in the hospital. Under a high-deductible
plan, the employee has to pay the deductible, which can be $5,000 or
more, before surgery or other major health care expenses are covered.
• Use incentives to reduce costs.
"Employees should think about how they can be better consumers with the
services a carrier offers," said Heather Leck, president of Corporate
Benefit Advisors in Delray Beach.
Some plans offer a hotline to a nurse or doctor, price checks on tests
ordered by a doctor, such as an MRI, or where to find the best deal on a
prescription.
At NCCI in Boca Raton,
employees will find incentives including an extra $75 in their paycheck
if they participate in a program that encourages them to know their blood pressure, cholesterol levels and other health measures, said Gail Nichols, compensation director for the data firm.
• Set pre-tax dollars aside.
Use a flexible spending account either from your employer or a third
party, such as a bank, to deposit money to cover health costs not
covered by insurance. Find the list of IRS-approved expenses on your
health insurer's website.
Note that contributions in 2013 for
flexible spending accounts have been lowered to $2,500 in 2013, but
Byers said she doesn't think it will affect most people. "I don't see
many people using the full $5,000," she said.
Employers that offer
high-deductible plans also may have the option of a health savings
account, where pre-tax dollars also can be socked away. The difference
between a flexible spending account is money must be used by year-end,
while a health savings account rolls over to the next year. If you have a
number of healthy years where you don't use what you deposit, you could
rack up extra retirement savings.
"Take advantage of the services that can help you save money," she said.
• Mix and match coverage. Your
spouse or domestic partner may have less expensive coverage. Or, it may
be less expensive for certain family members to be insured on an
individually-purchased health plan. Note that employer-based plans are
more likely to cover pregnancy, according to eHealthInsurance.
Mendosa
said some employees may find their employer's health plan no longer
meets their needs – perhaps they need a brand-name prescription and the
plan only covers generics. Or, the monthly cost for premiums is more
than the employee can afford. If you have no pre-existing conditions,
look at options to purchase insurance on your own.
But don't cancel or disenroll from existing coverage until approved for a new one, he said.
•Review coverage options for adult children.
Since 2010, the health care law has allowed adult children to retain
coverage under a parent's health insurance policy until age 26. But make
sure adult children who live in another state have access to your
in-network health care providers.
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
5 tips for marathon runners
Sean Croon will be a marathon veteran in this weekend’s Scotiabank
Toronto Waterfront Marathon. The New Zealand Native has run eight of the
42 kilometre runs, in addition to completing several triathlons and two
Ironman competitions.
He shares his knowledge by coaching
marathon newbies at the Commerce Course Running Room. With the weekend
race coming up, we asked him for his top tips for participants.
1. Start slow.
“Keep to the pace that you have
trained for. Lots of people go way too fast and break. When you’re at
the starting gates and you’ve got thousands of people pouring out around
you, it’s hard to go the pace that you should be going. Then you get to
about 20 km and you run out of putt.”
2. Don’t forget to hydrate.
How much should you be drinking? “Its
different for different people. You should be looking at 500 to 700 mL
per hour. It depends how much you sweat, how hot the day is and how big
you are.”
3. Wear familiar clothes.
“Don’t go out and buy that fantastic
shirt that you saw and wear it for the first time on race day. You don’t
know if it’s going to rub on you or chafe or you’re going to sweat and
it will be uncomfortable.”
4. Eat the right stuff, often.
“If you are having gels, you probably
want to have one every 30 to 45 minutes. When you’re doing a marathon
your body actually uses up all of the fuel quite quickly. You can’t
store enough in your body to do a (full) marathon.”
5. Wash your face at your last stop.
“When you do your first marathon,
you’ve got all your friends and family waiting. You’ve been out there
for four or five hours there’s a lot of things on your face you might
not want to be showing off to everybody. So your last drink stop, splash
water on your face. You’ll look good as you cross the finish line.”
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Obama: I'm 'eye candy' for women of 'The View'
President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama bantered
playfully and held hands Monday during a taping of the female-oriented
talk show, "The View," giving no indication of second thoughts about the
appearance despite criticism that the president was blowing off
international diplomacy in order to take part in the often-fluffy
daytime gabfest.
"I told folks I'm just supposed to be eye candy here for you guys,"
President Obama said during a back-and-forth about him being the only
man on the program. The show's five co-hosts are women.
The first lady played along by letting the audience in—just a tad—on their relationship and even some of their marital spats.
"He's very loving, he's very giving. He's very open. He's funny; I'm
funnier," Mrs. Obama said when asked to describe her husband's
personality.
Asked whether her husband ever gets angry, she replied: "Yeah, yeah, he does. I can make him mad -- any number of ways."
"By being thoroughly unreasonable," the president jumped in, smiling, according to a pool report.
The Obamas also talked about their 20th
wedding anniversary falling on Oct. 3—the night of the first
presidential debate. President Obama said the couple will celebrate the
following Saturday.
"I like lavishing her with all kinds of attention when she deserves it, and she always deserves it," the president said.
President Obama also said the couple's daughters, Malia and Sasha,
are becoming more independent and no longer seem eager to hang out with
their father.
"They're now at the point where, they still love their daddy, but
they come in [to visit him] strategically. They're not being surly or
anything," Obama said, while adding that the children now pay about a
five-minute visit and then take off.
"The View" program the Obamas taped Monday is set to air Tuesday,
taking the first couple in front of a politically-coveted heavily-female
audience six weeks before the November election.
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Tuning health info to Indian audience
We are no strangers to receiving health tips on mobile phones, but mDhil takes a different approach to the service.
“Most of the information sent out as SMS tips or on the Internet are
geared towards western audiences,” says the online service’s founder,
Nandu Madhava. “With mDhil, we are trying to help the Indian audiences
manage their health better.”
The idea for the company, which was launched in 2009, struck Madhava
while he was working as a Peace Corps volunteer in Latin America. “I was
a translator for the U.S. doctors working there. One common complaint
was the lack of simple health information for people in the developing
world that could be easily accessed and understood. Often issues like
reproductive health and women’s health are taboo, so there is little
discussion and information available.”
The website, mDhil.com,
is easy to navigate. Information is easy to find with topics neatly
classified under headings such as ‘Diet and Nutrition’ and ‘Emotional
Health.’
“We have very minimal advertising,” Madhava says. “We are adamant that
the user experience should be priced above all short-term revenue
generators.” mDhil does sell some of the content to mobile carriers.
Recently, it tied up with Airtel for the telecom firm’s subscribers to
receive health information on their mobile phones.
Madhava credits his creative team with ensuring the quality of content.
The company has doctors on its staff as well as a specialist team. Most
of the content is in English, and work on translating them in different
Indian languages is under way. “We have already started translating some
of our videos into Hindi. We plan to launch in Tamil and Kannada
shortly.” This he hopes will make the information more accessible to
populations that do not know either English or Hindi. Mobile videos in
more regional languages is expected to drive the company’s future
growth.
Trying to find investors and teams that shared his vision wasn’t easy,
but Madhava persisted. “Video and health SMS content in India is very
generic. Most of it is either news, about Bollywood or astrology. That
convinced me that health was an unexplored niche with potential.”
A lot of the information on the site deals with reproductive health
diseases and safe sex choices but the site isn’t aimed at just young
audiences. “Since we are mobile and web-based, we knew a lot of young
people would be among our earliest users. We want our information to
serve them well but our sections have something for all age groups.” The
topics discussed are diverse. So there are videos on the cervical
cancer vaccine as well as articles aimed at keeping teachers healthy.
“There are seven people watching an mDhil video every minute,” adds
Madhava. The service’s Facebook page has been liked by more than two
lakh persons.
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