Days 61-70
- Day 61: Obama’s Budget to put “this nation on the road to lasting prosperity”
- Day 62: President Obama Considers Options over Furor Caused by
AIG Executive Bonuses - Day 63: President Obama Says Clean Energy Takes the Commitment of a Country to Innovation
- Day 64: President Obama to Announce Review on the Long War in Afghanistan
- Day 65: Obama Drops Bush’s ‘global war on terror’ theme in favour of
'Global Contingency Operation' - Day 66: President Obama Makes Good Use of the First Ever On-line
Town Hall Meeting - Day 67: President Obama Announces “Comprehensive New Strategy” for Conflicts in Afghanistan and Pakistan
- Day 68: President Obama Continues to Strengthen Administration and Reaches out to Flood Victims
- Day 69: President Obama Balances Planned International Forum on Energy and Climate while Considering Plan for Iraq
- Day 70: President Obama Signs New Bill for Wilderness Protection Measures
- President Obama On the Side of Wilderness Protection
- President Obama says No to Early U.S. troop Withdrawal from Iraq
- Obama Plans for Forum on Energy and Climate in Washington Next Month
President Obama Says Not to Early Troop Withdrawal
Obama said today that an earlier troop pullout from Iraq is not likely saying: "I think the plan that we put forward in Iraq is the right one because it calls for a very gradual withdrawal through the national elections in Iraq.”
Security has improved and violence has decreased Obama acknowledged Iraq but is not entirely limited thereby still causing a threat to the U.S. Obama said there is still much to be done on the political front to end the violence of the sectarian groups. Iraq's own security forces also need to be trained, he added.
The President reminded the nation that the war in Iraq is waning but: "I'm confident that we're moving in the right direction. But Iraq is not yet completed. We still have a lot of work to do."
Last month, Obama announced withdrawal of combat troops by the end of August 2010. A large force of as many as 50,000 troops will stay behind in a non-combat capacity to train Iraqis to conduct anti-terror operations and to protect U.S.
Obama Plans for Forum on Energy and Climate in Washington Next Month
The White House announced over the weekend that President Barack Obama has extended invitations to the heads of 16 major economies to Washington for a forum on energy and climate next month. Obama has also included U.S. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to attend for talks on clean-energy research and development.
In a statement issued by the White House, the preliminary meeting is set for April 27th and 28th. The session is intended to "generate the political leadership necessary" to forge ahead with a collaborative outcome at the U.N. climate change negotiation to be held in Copenhagen, Denmark, in December.
In July, there is a scheduled Major Economies Forum Leaders' meeting to be held in La Maddalena, Italy, the statement said to also consider climate change and its effect on global economies. The 16 other major economies are Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, the European Union, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Russia, South Africa and the United Kingdom.
Last week President Obama stated: "We can allow climate change to wreak unnatural havoc or we can create jobs preventing its worse effects. "We can hand over the jobs of the 21st century to our competitors, or we can create those jobs right here in America."
- Obama Picks AIG Board Member to Join Task Force on Reform
- President Obama Uses his Weekly Address to Reassure Flood Victims
Obama Picks AIG Board Member to Join Task Force on Reform
The President announced this week that Martin Feldstein, a member of the AIG board of directors has been picked to join the new Task Force on Tax Reform.
Feldstein who is a professor of economics at Harvard University is eminently qualified for the job: he has over 20 years on the board of AIG; he was a prominent economic adviser to Presidents Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush. Feldstein also serves on Obama's Economic Recovery Advisory Board, which is headed by former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker.
The Task Force includes the who`s who of financial brass among the top minds on economics in the U.S. They include: Laura Tyson of the University of California at Berkeley and a former chairman of President Bill Clinton's Council of Economic Advisers; Roger Ferguson, CEO of TIAA-CREF; and Bill Donaldson, a former chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission.
The mandate of the Task Force is to find ways to simplify the tax code, to eliminate opportunities for tax evasion and to propose changes in corporate tax breaks. The Task Force has a deadline of December 4th to present the proposal to President Obama.
President Obama Uses his Weekly Address to Reassure Flood Victims
Today in his Weekly Address President Obama assured the people of the flooded areas of Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota that emergency funding has been ordered and Obama and has declared the area a major disaster. Obama did not forget the legion of volunteers that have turned out to help as the Red River has risen to unprecedented levels.
Excerpts from the President`s Address today:
Even as we face an economic crisis which demands our constant focus, forces of nature can also intervene in ways that create other crises to which we must respond - and respond urgently. For the people of North and South Dakota and Minnesota who live along rivers spilling over their banks, this is one such moment. For at moments like these, we are reminded of the power of nature to disrupt lives and endanger communities. But we are also reminded of the power of individuals to make a difference.
In the Fargo dome, thousands of people gathered not to watch a football game or a rodeo, but to fill sandbags. Volunteers filled 2.5 million of them in just five days, working against the clock, day and night, with tired arms and aching backs. Others braved freezing temperatures, gusting winds, and falling snow to build levees along the river's banks to help protect against waters that have exceeded record levels.
College students have traveled by the busload from nearby campuses to lend a hand during their spring breaks. Students from local high schools asked if they could take time to participate. Young people have turned social networks into community networks, coordinating with one another online to figure out how best to help.
In the face of an incredible challenge, the people of these communities have rallied in support of one another. And their service isn't just inspirational - it's integral to our response.
It's also a reminder of what we can achieve when Americans come together to serve their communities. All across the nation, there are men, women and young people who have answered that call, and millions of other who would like to. Whether it's helping to reduce the energy we use, cleaning up a neighborhood park, tutoring in a local school, or volunteering in countless other ways, individual citizens can make a big difference.
- Obama Says Afghanistan and Pakistan are “inextricably linked"
President Obama as expected today released the results of his administration’s Comprehensive New Strategy to root out terrorists in Afghanistan and Pakistan. "The situation is increasingly perilous," Obama said. "The safety of people around the world is at stake."
Obama asked Congress to approve $1.5 billion per year over five years in aid for Pakistan. Obama said he is sending another 4,000 troops to Afghanistan, along with hundreds of civilian specialists, such as agricultural experts, educators and engineers. The troops are in addition to the 17,000 announced earlier and are mandated with training and building the Afghan army and police force. The $1.5 billion is aimed at directly helping the Pakistani people to help build infrastructure, new schools and hospitals and ‘strengthen Pakistan’s democracy’.
Obama warned that the terrorists who plotted the Sept. 11 attacks still reside in both countries, and that intelligence estimates show Al Qaeda is "actively planning" new attacks on the U.S. from safe havens in Pakistan. Obama emphasized "So let me be clear: Al Qaeda and its allies -- the terrorists who planned and supported the 9/11 attacks -- are in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Multiple intelligence estimates have warned that al Qaeda is actively planning attacks on the U.S. homeland from its safe haven in Pakistan.”
The President also recognized the role that narcotics play in funding terrorist cells in Afghanistan and Pakistan. “Afghanistan's government has been undermined by corruption and has difficulty delivering basic services to its people" and its economy is undercut by "a booming narcotics trade that encourages criminality and funds the insurgency," he said.
Afghan President Harmid Karzai expressed his appreciation and according to Envoy Holbrooke, Karzai "is extremely grateful and will issue his statement of support.”
Obama said it is key Americans understand that Pakistan "needs our help" against al Qaeda in what the President called an "international security challenge of the highest order."
- President Obama On-line Real Time Meeting with the American Public
President Obama held the first ever on-line Town Hall meeting today from the White House. He used it as an opportunity to reach more people hoping to answer their questions about the economy and to allay concerns about his approach through the hugely expensive budget and how it is going to help stimulate the economy.
Obama said to his virtual audience: "This is an experiment that we're trying out.” The Town Hall on-line session was dubbed "Open for Questions". The American public responded with over 100,000 questions on the White House Web site. The President answered questions and talked about universal health care, education reform job creation and home owners’ relief.
The main concern of the participants was job creation. Obama admitted that it would take some time to stabilize the economy but as far as looking ahead, he commented that investment must be made in fields like clean energy technology, promoting more highly skilled and better paying jobs. In the meantime, Obama said that exported jobs will be slow to return to the U.S. while the business community begins to see positive evidence of economic reform.
The President also talked of job losses in the auto industry. The current business models used by the Big Three must be changed if the industry is going to survive and thrive again in the U.S. Obama conveyed that the auto industry must be reengineered – it is at the heart of American industry and supports thousands of associated suppliers. The auto makers must come up with a sustainable business model and Obama stressed he would not spend federal dollars on "a model that doesn't work."
Obama was amused at the number of questions asked online about legalizing marijuana. He did say that he did not think it was the best way to stimulate the economy. "I don't know what this says about the online audience," Obama joked.
Through the participants’ questions, President Obama talked about more money and more reform for the American education system. Greater investment in early childhood education and rewarding talented teachers would significantly improve the system and is considered a White House priority. The current system that allows for 3 months off in the middle of the school year made sense in the mainly agricultural past of more than 100 hundred years ago.
White House press secretary Robert Gibbs described the town hall meeting format as “a way for the President to do what he enjoys doing out on the road, but saves on gas."
- Obama Administration Coins ''Global Contingency Operation” for Afghan war
There has clearly been a change at the White house over the terms that have been used to describe on the on-going conflict in Afghanistan. In the past several weeks Obama’s rhetoric has included the phrase ‘Global Contingency Operation’ rather than the war on terror.
It was George Bush who used the term "Global War on Terror," after the September 11, 2001 attacks. While that may have seemed appropriate at the time, U.S. officials now say it no longer reflects the reality of the conflict in Afghanistan and neighboring cells of affiliate groups.
Earlier in the week, Pentagon personnel received a memo from the Defence Department that stated in part”...this administration prefers to avoid using the term 'Long War' or 'Global War on Terror' [GWOT.] Please use 'Overseas Contingency Operation.'"
Craig W. Duehring, an Air Force official also used the term last week. He said in his congressional testimony: "Key battlefield monetary incentives has (sic) allowed the Air Force to meet the demands of overseas contingency operations even as requirements continue to grow.”
There certainly seemed be confusion when a spokesman for the Office of Management and Budget has said the memo had not received White House approval and that it issued by a “career civil servant."
"Global Contingency Operation" is the phrase the President has been using for the past several weeks after urging from critics to change the name of the conflict against terrorism. The connotation of the phrase Global War on Terror critics have said misrepresents the complexities of the enemy and the kind of warfare carried out.
- President Obama says the U.S. will “stay on the offensive” in Afghanistan
President Obama said today that the United States will "stay on the offensive" to fight terrorism in war torn Afghanistan. At a meeting with reporters in the Oval Office the President announced that his administration had almost completed a war review that includes reassessing objectives to end the war.
Obama has already given the go ahead for an additional 17,000 U.S. troops to go to Afghanistan this year to join the current 33,000 troops. The Taliban's strengthening over the past few years in the volatile south of the country demands that the U.S. and coalition partners ensure that the Taliban presence is no longer a threat. President Obama said this is the most difficult decision of his presidency, just 64 days in office.
The President also met with Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd today and following the meeting Obama commented: "My expectations would be that over the next several years, you are going to see a much more comprehensive strategy, a more focused strategy, and a more disciplined strategy to achieve our common goals." The Prime Minister reiterated that the goal is to eliminate terrorist havens.
The war review will be announced perhaps later this week while the President and his advisors consider options such as lowering the bar for outcomes and revamped tactics. Obama’s high level advisors are recommending that the U.S. increase its military presence while promoting a larger role for civilian experts, say White house officials.
The war in Afghanistan was started after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks when intelligence discovered the winding road back to Afghanistan as the safe place for the perpetrators. Most military advisers and lawmakers know the war cannot be won entirely by military forces. The war review is expected to detail the administration’s plan.
"...I think the American people also recognize that in order for us to keep our homeland safe, and in order to maintain our way of life and ensure order in the international scene, we can't allow vicious killers to have their way. We're going to do what's required to make sure that does not happen," he said.
- President Obama’s Investment in Clean Energy
Today, the President addressed an assembly of renewable-energy company owners and investors to promote his energy plan and pledged government assistance for research and development of new sources of energy. Obama outlined an expanded investment plan that he says is required in order to stabilize the economy for long-term economic growth, cut dependence on foreign oil and slow global warming.
The President is being criticized by both Democrats and Republicans for moving too fast on too many issues. But Obama told the group that energy innovation cannot wait: “Progress itself can take years”.
The economic stimulus plan includes $59 billion in new clean-energy tax breaks. Obama called it "the largest investment in basic research funding in American history". According to Obama’s financial advisors the tax breaks will help create 300,000 new jobs and double the supply of renewable energy.
In addition, President Obama announced that in his budget proposal for 2010 he had set aside $150 billion over 10 years in new clean-energy funding. The President also told the group about a proposed ten year extension of the research and development tax credit. According to Obama the tax credit is designed to give 100% return for the economy.
Energy resources were a hotly debated issue during the 2008 presidential campaign. Republican Senator John McCain promoted more oil drilling in the United States. Obama stressed the need for renewable energy development.
- President Obama Urged to Reconsider 90% Tax Rate on Bailout Bonuses
President Obama’s top economic advisors today said that the House bill that would see a tax rate of 90% on executive bonuses “may be a dangerous way to go" according to a White House insider. On Thursday the House passed the new tax bill fully intending to go after the executives at AIG for their bonus money when the mega-corporation had been bailed out more than once by the federal government.
It was very clear that House Representatives are infuriated over more than $165 million in bonuses paid out the by the huge insurer. The bill is an obvious punishment for AIG; the vote was 328 to 93.
White House advisers said today that President Obama will not "govern out of anger" although many politicians and citizens do want revenge of a sort for the greed that was shown by the heads of AIG executives who received bonuses. The legality of the House bill is under some scrutiny by attorneys and constitutional experts. The White House has suggested a federal ‘resolution authority’ to more closely regulate banks that got rescue money; more importantly it would enable a judge to nullify controversial contracts that allowed AIG to pay out the bonuses.
There is almost no doubt that the 90% tax rate bill will be revised in the Senate.
President Obama believes the rules can be different when the companies involved have taken federal funds. A White House official said that the President would not act out of haste to recover the funds but would consider the options carefully.
Austan Goolsbee, a member of the Council of Economic Advisers said during a TV interview: “The President has been pretty forthright in his anger with what happened with AIG, and the simplest thing is for these guys to give the money back."
- President Obama will Focus on Budget this Week in the Oval Office
In his weekly radio and internet address today, President Obama commented that he knows his critics think his budget overly ambitious in some areas and not strong enough in others. The budget he presented to Congress outlines how he will cut the federal deficit in half by the end of his first term. Included in Obama’s budget for fiscal year 2010 are significant investments in health care reform, renewable energy and education.
The President said: “With the magnitude of the challenges we face, I don’t just view this budget as numbers on a page or a laundry list of programs. It’s an economic blueprint for our future – a vision of America where growth is not based on real estate bubbles or overleveraged banks, but on a firm foundation of investments in energy, education, and health care that will lead to a real and lasting prosperity.
The American people sent us here to get things done, and at this moment of great challenge, they are watching and waiting for us to lead. Let’s show them that we are equal to the task before us, and let’s pass a budget that puts this nation on the road to lasting prosperity.
I will be discussing each of these principles next week, as Congress takes up the important work of debating this budget. I realize there are those who say these plans are too ambitious to enact. To that I say that the challenges we face are too large to ignore. I didn’t come here to pass on our problems to the next President or the next generation – I came here to solve them.
The American people sent us here to get things done, and at this moment of great challenge, they are watching and waiting for us to lead. Let’s show them that we are equal to the task before us, and let’s pass a budget that puts this nation on the road to lasting prosperity.”
