My mom is having some major health issues...so much so that I'm not going to be able to post here for another couple of days while we get it straightened out.
Note to all my readers: If you have high blood pressure, make damn sure you take your medication or 20 years later you'll have congestive heart failure and wham, bam goes your quality of life.
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Friday, January 27, 2012
Forget About Wallstreet Execs, What About Lawyers Pay?
How many people have had to declare bankruptcy, or seen their savings seriously depleted, because they had to pay a lawyer $300 an hour or more to do their divorce work?
How many defendants at trial have had to sell everything they own in order to pay their legal costs to defend themselves? I'm thinking of that Korean couple who owned two dry cleaning stores. Then they lost some loon's $200 pair of pants, and instead of just being reimbursed for $200, the guy sues them for $2 mil - and the case is accepted, and by the time the case is thrown out as specious six months later, the dry cleaners have had to sell one of their two stores to pay their legal bills. How sick is that?
I say cap lawyer's pay at $25 an hour.
How many defendants at trial have had to sell everything they own in order to pay their legal costs to defend themselves? I'm thinking of that Korean couple who owned two dry cleaning stores. Then they lost some loon's $200 pair of pants, and instead of just being reimbursed for $200, the guy sues them for $2 mil - and the case is accepted, and by the time the case is thrown out as specious six months later, the dry cleaners have had to sell one of their two stores to pay their legal bills. How sick is that?
I say cap lawyer's pay at $25 an hour.
Regime Approves Paydays for TARP Firm Execs
RUSH: Other items in the news, from the New York Daily News: "Treasury Department Approves Huge Paydays for Execs at Firms Who Received TARP Bailout Money." Folks, do you remember how Obama put a "cap" on CEO salaries of guys who took TARP money? He capped CEO salaries at TARP firms at 500 grand. If your company took TARP bailout money, then your CEO is limited to a salary of $500,000. You remember when he said that his compensation czar, his pay czar (a guy named Kenneth Feinberg) was gonna rein in all those crazy Wall Street salaries and that we had to get rid of all of these bonuses? Well, it turns out that during the height of the recession, the pay czar, Kenneth Feinberg, approved pay packages for the bailed out companies that gave 49 executives more than $5 million each.
In fact, AIG's CEO alone got $10.5 million for two years in a row. Now Obama tells this guy Feinberg, "You go out there and we're gonna cap these people's earnings at $500,000. If they're getting bailout money, their salaries are capped at $500,000," and everybody says, "Well, how can you do that?" "We can do it because we're keeping them afloat. We bailed them out, so we're telling them." But under the table while nobody's looking: "The Treasury Department approved pay packages worth $5 million or more for 49 executives at a handful of firms that received the biggest taxpayer bailouts between 2009 and 2011.
"A scathing new audit this week by the inspector general for the Troubled Asset Relief Program blasted those payments, all of which occurred despite a $500,000 salary cap that President Obama and Congress established in 2009 at firms receiving 'exceptional assistance' under TARP." Now, we know Obama never really meant to put a cap on the salary of his donors -- uh, friends. It was all a show! It turns out that wasn't true. Obama said, "You know what? Not only are these bonuses too high, and I'm the only one separating you from the peasants with the pitchforks, but from now on, you can't earn more than $500,000," and they're earning $5 million bonuses.
One of them is an AIG guy! Remember how you were told to hate AIG? Remember how you were told the SEIU goes to the AIG exec's front lawn up in Connecticut and protests? You were told these people are rotten to the core. You should hate 'em and you should despise 'em? And then you were told Obama's gonna get even with them by limiting their pay to 500 grand a year? They're getting ten million. They're getting $10 million, ladies and gentlemen, all under the table while nobody was noticing.
27 Jan 2011, Fri, Rush Limbaugh headlines
--Santorum Hammers Romney on Obamacare
--Was Elliott Abrams Deceived on Newt?
--These People Rip Drudge for Bias?
--Pressure Mounts for Limbaugh Endorsement
--Soros: Not Much Difference Between Romney and Obama
--The Free Market Works
--Sarah Palin vs. Brit Hume on Newt -- and Cucumber Sandwiches at Romney Rallies?
--The State of the Hoax: Obamaism Collapses Worldwide
--Doctor's Wife on Obama's Class Warfare
--Ron Paul and Medical Marijuana
Stack of Stuff
--Ron Paul Approved Racist Newsletters
--Pathetic 2011 GDP Growth
--Gallup: Obama Had Most Polarized Third Year of Any Presidency
--Buffett: Leave My Secretary Alone
--Regime Approves Paydays for TARP Firm Execs
--Demi Moore in Crisis After Losing Boy Toy
--Electric Car Firm That Received Biden Visit and $118M in Stimulus Funds Files for Bankruptcy
--Obama: Bush Is Food Stamp President, Not Me
--Was Elliott Abrams Deceived on Newt?
--These People Rip Drudge for Bias?
--Pressure Mounts for Limbaugh Endorsement
--Soros: Not Much Difference Between Romney and Obama
--The Free Market Works
--Sarah Palin vs. Brit Hume on Newt -- and Cucumber Sandwiches at Romney Rallies?
--The State of the Hoax: Obamaism Collapses Worldwide
--Doctor's Wife on Obama's Class Warfare
--Ron Paul and Medical Marijuana
Stack of Stuff
--Ron Paul Approved Racist Newsletters
--Pathetic 2011 GDP Growth
--Gallup: Obama Had Most Polarized Third Year of Any Presidency
--Buffett: Leave My Secretary Alone
--Regime Approves Paydays for TARP Firm Execs
--Demi Moore in Crisis After Losing Boy Toy
--Electric Car Firm That Received Biden Visit and $118M in Stimulus Funds Files for Bankruptcy
--Obama: Bush Is Food Stamp President, Not Me
Why Are We Paying Companies To Outsource Our Jobs?
As I wrote about a few weeks ago, I signed up to get email alerts from the Barack Obama camp, just to see what they have to say and their version of what they do, as opposed to what Rush and the conversavtive media say they do.
Today I got this email:
I don't have time to research it now, but I'd really like to know what bright bulb decided to give companies a tax break if they sent American jobs overseas!
I thought they did it simply because the wages they'd have to pay overseas were lower, I didn't think it was because they were actually encouraged - tax wise - to do it!
Today I got this email:
Under current law, American companies can actually get a tax deduction for outsourcing jobs.
That's the opposite of how it should work. President Obama is proposing to end tax deductions for outsourcing, create a new tax credit for bringing jobs home, and lower tax rates for companies that manufacture and create jobs in the United States.
I don't have time to research it now, but I'd really like to know what bright bulb decided to give companies a tax break if they sent American jobs overseas!
I thought they did it simply because the wages they'd have to pay overseas were lower, I didn't think it was because they were actually encouraged - tax wise - to do it!
Vetting Candidates for President
There is still a movement afoot to get President Obama thrown out of office - not because he's leading this country down the path of destruction but because he wasn't born in the US.
A couple of days ago in Atlanta, Georgia, he was supposed to show up at a court to provide proof that his birth certificate isn't a fake - and of course had a lawyer show up in his stead saying, "sorry, no.
For my part, the birth certificate thing doesn't matter now. It DID matter at the beginning of the campaign for President. That's when he should have released it, along with all school records, etc. That's when everyone running for President should have to present such material, and have it verified.
And if they try to bring lawyers to bear to say, "No, we don't want to show it" - that should automatically invalidate their candidacy.
Having said that... if the only way to get rid of Obama today is for "us" to show that his birth certificate is fake... that means that this country is in baaaad shape. After all he's done - some good things sure but mostly bad things that are leading us to economic ruin like Europe! - and people can still vote for him... well....it's just sad, that's all.
A couple of days ago in Atlanta, Georgia, he was supposed to show up at a court to provide proof that his birth certificate isn't a fake - and of course had a lawyer show up in his stead saying, "sorry, no.
For my part, the birth certificate thing doesn't matter now. It DID matter at the beginning of the campaign for President. That's when he should have released it, along with all school records, etc. That's when everyone running for President should have to present such material, and have it verified.
And if they try to bring lawyers to bear to say, "No, we don't want to show it" - that should automatically invalidate their candidacy.
Having said that... if the only way to get rid of Obama today is for "us" to show that his birth certificate is fake... that means that this country is in baaaad shape. After all he's done - some good things sure but mostly bad things that are leading us to economic ruin like Europe! - and people can still vote for him... well....it's just sad, that's all.
27 Jan 2011, Fri, SoS Clinton and Staff Schedule
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/appt/2012/01/182641.htm
SECRETARY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
9:30 a.m. Secretary Clinton meets with Ambassador to the UN Susan Rice, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
10:00 a.m. Secretary Clinton meets with President of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) Dinah Shelton and commissioners.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
3:30 p.m. Secretary Clinton meets with President Obama, at the White House.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY WHITE HOUSE)
DEPUTY SECRETARY BILL BURNS
Deputy Secretary Burns is on foreign travel to Ghana, Uganda, South Sudan and Ethiopia through January 30, leading a high-level U.S. Government delegation.
USAID ADMINISTRATOR RAJ SHAH
Administrator Shah is on foreign travel in Davos, Switzerland to attend the World Economic Forum annual meeting.
US FOR ECONOMIC, GROWTH, ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT ROBERT HORMATS
Under Secretary Hormats is on foreign travel in Davos, Switzerland through January 28 to attend the World Economic Forum annual meeting.
US FOR CIVILIAN SECURITY, DEMOCRACY, AND HUMAN RIGHTS MARIA OTERO
11:00 a.m. Under Secretary Otero chairs the Open Government Partnership Steering Committee meeting, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
1:00 p.m. Under Secretary Otero meets with Director of the Peace Corps Aaron Williams, in Washington, DC.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
3:00 p.m. Under Secretary Otero meets with USAID Deputy Administrator Don Steinberg, at USAID.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
US FOR ARMS CONTROL AND INTERNATIONAL SECURITY AFFAIRS ELLEN TAUSCHER
10:00 a.m. Under Secretary Tauscher meets with Sri Lankan Ambassador Jaliya Wickramasuriya, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
2:00 p.m. Under Secretary Tauscher attends a meeting at the White House.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY WHITE HOUSE)
4:15 p.m. Under Secretary Tauscher attends a meeting at the White House.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY WHITE HOUSE)
AS FOR SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIAN AFFAIRS ROBERT BLAKE
9:00 a.m. Assistant Secretary Blake meets with Ambassador Teresita Schaffer and Ambassador Howard Schaffer, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
10:30 a.m. Assistant Secretary Blake joins Under Secretary Kennedy’s meeting with Indian Ambassador Nirupama Rao, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
2:00 p.m. Assistant Secretary Blake meets with Turkmenistan Ambassador Meret Orazov, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
AS FOR AFRICAN AFFAIRS JOHNNIE CARSON
Assistant Secretary Carson accompanies Deputy Secretary Burns on foreign travel to Ghana, Uganda, South Sudan and Ethiopia through January 31. Please click here for more information.
AS FOR INTERNATIONAL SECURITY AND NONPROLIFERATION TOM COUNTRYMAN
8:00 a.m. Assistant Secretary Countryman attends a meeting at the White House.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY WHITE HOUSE)
11:00 a.m. Assistant Secretary Countryman meets with Chairman of Algerian Atomic Energy Commission Mohamed Derdour and Merzak Remki of the IAEA, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
3:00 p.m. Assistant Secretary Countryman meets with Turkish Deputy Director for Arms Control and Disarmament Omer Tuzel, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
AS FOR ECONOMIC AND BUSINESS AFFAIRS JOSE FERNANDEZ
12:30 p.m. Assistant Secretary Fernandez meets with Algerian Ambassador Abdallah Baali in Washington, DC.
(CLOSED MEDIA COVERAGE)
AS FOR ARMS CONTROL, VERIFICATION AND COMPLIANCE ROSE GOTTEMOELLER
Assistant Secretary Gottemoeller is on foreign travel to Geneva, Switzerland and Vienna, Austria through January 27.
AS FOR OCEANS AND INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL AND SCIENTIFIC AFFAIRS KERRI-ANN JONES
1:00 p.m. Assistant Secretary Jones meets with the Canadian Embassy’s Deputy Head of Mission Deborah Lyons and Alberta’s representative to the U.S. David Bronconnier, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
3:30 p.m. Assistant Secretary Jones meets with Office of Science and Technology (OSTP) and Department of Energy officials, at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, in Washington, DC.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
AS FOR POLITICAL-MILITARY AFFAIRS ANDREW SHAPIRO
2:00 p.m. Assistant Secretary Shapiro attends a meeting at the White House.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY WHITE HOUSE)
ASSISTANT SECRETARY ANN STOCK
10:00 a.m. Assistant Secretary Stock delivers opening remarks at the Youth Exchange and Study Program (YES) Malaysian student arrival orientation, in Alexandria, Virginia.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
12:30 p.m. Assistant Secretary Stock attends the Japan-U.S. Cherry Blossom Centennial Kick-off Gathering, at the Japanese Ambassador’s residence in Washington, DC.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY HOST)
2:00 p.m. Assistant Secretary Stock meets with Department of Education Under Secretary Martha Kanter, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
3:00 p.m. Assistant Secretary Stock meets with Ambassador to the Philippines Harry Thomas, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
GLOBAL AIDS COORDINATOR AMBASSADOR ERIC GOOSBY
Ambassador Goosby is on foreign travel in Davos, Switzerland to attend the World Economic Forum annual meeting.
10:00am LOCAL Ambassador Goosby will participate in the press conference and launch of the Business Leadership Council in Davos, Switzerland.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY HOST)
AMBASSADOR-AT-LARGE FOR GLOBAL WOMEN’S ISSUES MELANNE VERVEER
3:00 p.m. Ambassador Verveer meets with Sandy Thomas, Vice President for Global Girl Scouting Strategic Alliances, Girls Scouts of America, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
SR FOR GLOBAL INTERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS RETA JO LEWIS
2:00 p.m. LOCAL Special Representative Lewis meets with Ceará Governor Cid Gomes, Ceará Tourism Secretary Bismarck Maia and State Secretary for the FIFA World Cup Ferruccio Feitosa in Fortaleza, Brazil.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY HOST)
SPECIAL ENVOY TO MONITOR AND COMBAT ANTI-SEMITISM HANNAH ROSENTHAL
11:00 a.m Special Envoy Rosenthal participates in a candle-lighting ceremony to commemorate International Holocaust Remembrance Day, at the United States Holocaust Memorial and Museum, in Washington, DC.
PRESS BRIEFING SCHEDULE
10:30 a.m. Twitter Briefing with Spokesperson Victoria Nuland
12:30 p.m. Daily Press Briefing with Spokesperson Victoria Nuland
SECRETARY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
9:30 a.m. Secretary Clinton meets with Ambassador to the UN Susan Rice, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
10:00 a.m. Secretary Clinton meets with President of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) Dinah Shelton and commissioners.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
3:30 p.m. Secretary Clinton meets with President Obama, at the White House.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY WHITE HOUSE)
DEPUTY SECRETARY BILL BURNS
Deputy Secretary Burns is on foreign travel to Ghana, Uganda, South Sudan and Ethiopia through January 30, leading a high-level U.S. Government delegation.
USAID ADMINISTRATOR RAJ SHAH
Administrator Shah is on foreign travel in Davos, Switzerland to attend the World Economic Forum annual meeting.
US FOR ECONOMIC, GROWTH, ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT ROBERT HORMATS
Under Secretary Hormats is on foreign travel in Davos, Switzerland through January 28 to attend the World Economic Forum annual meeting.
US FOR CIVILIAN SECURITY, DEMOCRACY, AND HUMAN RIGHTS MARIA OTERO
11:00 a.m. Under Secretary Otero chairs the Open Government Partnership Steering Committee meeting, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
1:00 p.m. Under Secretary Otero meets with Director of the Peace Corps Aaron Williams, in Washington, DC.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
3:00 p.m. Under Secretary Otero meets with USAID Deputy Administrator Don Steinberg, at USAID.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
US FOR ARMS CONTROL AND INTERNATIONAL SECURITY AFFAIRS ELLEN TAUSCHER
10:00 a.m. Under Secretary Tauscher meets with Sri Lankan Ambassador Jaliya Wickramasuriya, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
2:00 p.m. Under Secretary Tauscher attends a meeting at the White House.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY WHITE HOUSE)
4:15 p.m. Under Secretary Tauscher attends a meeting at the White House.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY WHITE HOUSE)
AS FOR SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIAN AFFAIRS ROBERT BLAKE
9:00 a.m. Assistant Secretary Blake meets with Ambassador Teresita Schaffer and Ambassador Howard Schaffer, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
10:30 a.m. Assistant Secretary Blake joins Under Secretary Kennedy’s meeting with Indian Ambassador Nirupama Rao, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
2:00 p.m. Assistant Secretary Blake meets with Turkmenistan Ambassador Meret Orazov, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
AS FOR AFRICAN AFFAIRS JOHNNIE CARSON
Assistant Secretary Carson accompanies Deputy Secretary Burns on foreign travel to Ghana, Uganda, South Sudan and Ethiopia through January 31. Please click here for more information.
AS FOR INTERNATIONAL SECURITY AND NONPROLIFERATION TOM COUNTRYMAN
8:00 a.m. Assistant Secretary Countryman attends a meeting at the White House.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY WHITE HOUSE)
11:00 a.m. Assistant Secretary Countryman meets with Chairman of Algerian Atomic Energy Commission Mohamed Derdour and Merzak Remki of the IAEA, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
3:00 p.m. Assistant Secretary Countryman meets with Turkish Deputy Director for Arms Control and Disarmament Omer Tuzel, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
AS FOR ECONOMIC AND BUSINESS AFFAIRS JOSE FERNANDEZ
12:30 p.m. Assistant Secretary Fernandez meets with Algerian Ambassador Abdallah Baali in Washington, DC.
(CLOSED MEDIA COVERAGE)
AS FOR ARMS CONTROL, VERIFICATION AND COMPLIANCE ROSE GOTTEMOELLER
Assistant Secretary Gottemoeller is on foreign travel to Geneva, Switzerland and Vienna, Austria through January 27.
AS FOR OCEANS AND INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL AND SCIENTIFIC AFFAIRS KERRI-ANN JONES
1:00 p.m. Assistant Secretary Jones meets with the Canadian Embassy’s Deputy Head of Mission Deborah Lyons and Alberta’s representative to the U.S. David Bronconnier, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
3:30 p.m. Assistant Secretary Jones meets with Office of Science and Technology (OSTP) and Department of Energy officials, at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, in Washington, DC.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
AS FOR POLITICAL-MILITARY AFFAIRS ANDREW SHAPIRO
2:00 p.m. Assistant Secretary Shapiro attends a meeting at the White House.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY WHITE HOUSE)
ASSISTANT SECRETARY ANN STOCK
10:00 a.m. Assistant Secretary Stock delivers opening remarks at the Youth Exchange and Study Program (YES) Malaysian student arrival orientation, in Alexandria, Virginia.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
12:30 p.m. Assistant Secretary Stock attends the Japan-U.S. Cherry Blossom Centennial Kick-off Gathering, at the Japanese Ambassador’s residence in Washington, DC.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY HOST)
2:00 p.m. Assistant Secretary Stock meets with Department of Education Under Secretary Martha Kanter, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
3:00 p.m. Assistant Secretary Stock meets with Ambassador to the Philippines Harry Thomas, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
GLOBAL AIDS COORDINATOR AMBASSADOR ERIC GOOSBY
Ambassador Goosby is on foreign travel in Davos, Switzerland to attend the World Economic Forum annual meeting.
10:00am LOCAL Ambassador Goosby will participate in the press conference and launch of the Business Leadership Council in Davos, Switzerland.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY HOST)
AMBASSADOR-AT-LARGE FOR GLOBAL WOMEN’S ISSUES MELANNE VERVEER
3:00 p.m. Ambassador Verveer meets with Sandy Thomas, Vice President for Global Girl Scouting Strategic Alliances, Girls Scouts of America, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
SR FOR GLOBAL INTERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS RETA JO LEWIS
2:00 p.m. LOCAL Special Representative Lewis meets with Ceará Governor Cid Gomes, Ceará Tourism Secretary Bismarck Maia and State Secretary for the FIFA World Cup Ferruccio Feitosa in Fortaleza, Brazil.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY HOST)
SPECIAL ENVOY TO MONITOR AND COMBAT ANTI-SEMITISM HANNAH ROSENTHAL
11:00 a.m Special Envoy Rosenthal participates in a candle-lighting ceremony to commemorate International Holocaust Remembrance Day, at the United States Holocaust Memorial and Museum, in Washington, DC.
PRESS BRIEFING SCHEDULE
10:30 a.m. Twitter Briefing with Spokesperson Victoria Nuland
12:30 p.m. Daily Press Briefing with Spokesperson Victoria Nuland
27 Jan 2012, Fri, Pres and VP Schedules
http://www.whitehouse.gov/schedule
9:45 am
The President delivers remarks at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor expanding on his State of the Union proposals to keep college affordable and within reach for all Americans
Ann Arbor, MI
Open Press
11:00 am
The President departs Michigan en route Joint Base Andrews
Detroit Metro Wayne County Airport
Open Press
12:25 pm
The President arrives Joint Base Andrews
Travel Pool Coverage
Out-of-Town Travel Pool Coverage
The President departs Joint Base Andrews en route Cambridge, Maryland
Press Information
1:20 pm
The President delivers remarks at the Democratic Issues Conference
Cambridge, Maryland
Travel Pool Coverage
3:00 pm
The President arrives at the White House
South Lawn
Open Press
3:30 pm
The President and the Vice President meets with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
Oval Office
Closed Press
4:30 pm
The President delivers remarks at a campaign event
Mandarin Oriental Hotel
Print Pool
http://www.whitehouse.gov/schedule/vice-president
10:30 am
The Vice President delivers remarks at the House Democratic Issues Conference
Cambridge, Maryland
Open Press
3:30 pm
The President and the Vice President meets with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
Oval Office
Closed Press
9:45 am
The President delivers remarks at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor expanding on his State of the Union proposals to keep college affordable and within reach for all Americans
Ann Arbor, MI
Open Press
11:00 am
The President departs Michigan en route Joint Base Andrews
Detroit Metro Wayne County Airport
Open Press
12:25 pm
The President arrives Joint Base Andrews
Travel Pool Coverage
Out-of-Town Travel Pool Coverage
The President departs Joint Base Andrews en route Cambridge, Maryland
Press Information
1:20 pm
The President delivers remarks at the Democratic Issues Conference
Cambridge, Maryland
Travel Pool Coverage
3:00 pm
The President arrives at the White House
South Lawn
Open Press
3:30 pm
The President and the Vice President meets with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
Oval Office
Closed Press
4:30 pm
The President delivers remarks at a campaign event
Mandarin Oriental Hotel
Print Pool
http://www.whitehouse.gov/schedule/vice-president
10:30 am
The Vice President delivers remarks at the House Democratic Issues Conference
Cambridge, Maryland
Open Press
3:30 pm
The President and the Vice President meets with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
Oval Office
Closed Press
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Brewer and Obama
This is funny and sad at the same time.
As always, it's like we're in the twilight zone. Border states trying to protect themselves from illegal immigrants (illegal - that means people who come here against our laws!) and the Federal government doesn't want to support them.
As always, it's like we're in the twilight zone. Border states trying to protect themselves from illegal immigrants (illegal - that means people who come here against our laws!) and the Federal government doesn't want to support them.
RUSH: Move on to Obama and Jan Brewer. Obama lands in Arizona and perfunctorily the governor shows up on the tarmac to greet Obama, and they went at it. She's pointing her finger at him. He walks away from her. They had a heated discussion, and everybody saying, "What happened here? What is this all about?" Apparently she has let Obama have it in a book. Don't forget, he is suing her and her state over their attempts to enforce, essentially, federal immigration laws. There is no love lost whatsoever. Obama doesn't bow to her. He gets off and he starts giving her the business. He starts trash-talking her, and she doesn't take it. She starts pointing her finger back.
I'll tell you what I think is going on. I'll repeat something to you that I've said previously. 'Cause I think this is a great illustration of how Obama sees himself, who he is, how he operates. My theory, which I have shared on many previous occasions, is this man has had the road paved for him. He has never been challenged by anyone, anywhere. If he needed an A, a professor found a way to get him an A when he deserved a C. I don't know that, that specific example, but I am totally confident that he has had, in terms of being challenged and opposed, he's had a charmed life. The 2008 campaign was a charmed campaign. There was no vetting. There was no challenge whatsoever in the media. Well, some perfunctory stuff like that David Ehrenstein piece in the LA Times, "Barack the 'Magic Negro,'" but that was perfunctory as well. He wasn't authentically black, 'cause he wasn't down for the struggle, didn't have slave blood. They had to say that stuff just to protect their own street cred.
But he's had a charmed life. Nobody challenges this guy. She has, and that just isn't done. (imitating Obama) "You don't challenge me. Who the hell do you think you are? You know who I am? I am this country. I am The One who made Warren Buffett's secretary a real human being. I. Who are you? You're human debris." He's this clean, articulate guy. People like Bite Me thought, "Wow, this is really cool." He's had his knee breakers quietly mow down anybody who opposed him at any election. So when a US governor offers up an example of his childlike behavior, he gets in her face. And he was all in Bobby Jindal's face. He was in Bobby Jindal's face over something that happened in Louisiana after the BP oil spill. He said to Jindal, (paraphrasing) "Nothing's good gonna come of what you did here, nothing good's gonna come of this."
Remember, he is suing Arizona. He's suing Brewer's state. The United States president is suing a state over a law the state voted on. So she's at that airplane to welcome him to the state, he's suing out of respect for the office. He gets off the plane, insults her over a passage in a book she wrote. You talk about holding a grudge, this guy's got countless grudges, countless chips on the shoulder. I don't think he can take it. This is why I have longed for somebody on our side just to treat the guy as your normal, average political opponent and go for it. This guy is so thin-skinned you can see through him. And he shows it. And his thin-skinnedness is what was on display on the tarmac out in Arizona. Same thing with Bobby Jindal.
Will Republicans Go After Obama The Way They're Going after Each Other?
This is the question Rush asked today and it is so valid.
The Republican in-fighting is just getting vicious... and frankly I dont' like it.
But they need to go after Obama with at least 10% of this viciousness - something they never did in 2008, that's for sure.
There's a crisis right now- Egypt is not allowing some American businesspeople - including the son of the Transportation Secretary - to leave their piddly little country.
What are we going to do about it:
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/01/26/state-department-urges-egypt-to-immediately-lift-travel-restrictions-on/
Anyway - what should they take Obama to task on?
1) Bowing low to foreign leaders, instead of standing up like a fellow leader
2) The Obama tsars
3) Keystone pipeline
4) His vacations
5) The food police in schools
6) The Somali pirates - yes we did one good thing, but these pirates are really operating with impunity and they all should be killed
7) The Mexico border
The Republican in-fighting is just getting vicious... and frankly I dont' like it.
But they need to go after Obama with at least 10% of this viciousness - something they never did in 2008, that's for sure.
There's a crisis right now- Egypt is not allowing some American businesspeople - including the son of the Transportation Secretary - to leave their piddly little country.
What are we going to do about it:
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/01/26/state-department-urges-egypt-to-immediately-lift-travel-restrictions-on/
Anyway - what should they take Obama to task on?
1) Bowing low to foreign leaders, instead of standing up like a fellow leader
2) The Obama tsars
3) Keystone pipeline
4) His vacations
5) The food police in schools
6) The Somali pirates - yes we did one good thing, but these pirates are really operating with impunity and they all should be killed
7) The Mexico border
26 Jan 2012, Thu, Rush LImbaugh Headlines
--Coordinated Avalanche Against Newt Doesn't Match My Memory of Reagan Years
--Will Republicans Go After Obama the Way They're Going After Each Other?
--The Real Barack Obama Shows Up on Tarmac in Arizona
--Caller Accuses Host of Backing "Socialist" Romney
--Where in the World is Rush Revere?
--Warren Buffett Runs a Sweatshop!
--Newt Supporters Aren't Swayed
--The Food Police Discuss El Rushbo
--Homeless Update: Republican Duo in Florida Wants Homeless Housed in Sports Stadiums
--Voters See Gingrich Fighting for an Ideal and Romney Fighting to Get Elected
--Photos: Obama Inspects New Tool for His Reelection Campaign in Arizona!
Stack of Stuff
--Frank to Tie Knot
--Media Matters: Rush is Anti-Reagan
--Media Spins Economic "Recovery" for Obama
--HARP 2 is Here: Is Romney for It?
--Obama Orders 12 Pizzas in Vegas
--GM CEO Says Volt a Punching Bag
--Reuters Hit Piece on Rubio
--Does Nagging Kill Marriages?
--Green Car Battery Company Goes Bust
--Fried Food Doesn't Kill You
--Will Republicans Go After Obama the Way They're Going After Each Other?
--The Real Barack Obama Shows Up on Tarmac in Arizona
--Caller Accuses Host of Backing "Socialist" Romney
--Where in the World is Rush Revere?
--Warren Buffett Runs a Sweatshop!
--Newt Supporters Aren't Swayed
--The Food Police Discuss El Rushbo
--Homeless Update: Republican Duo in Florida Wants Homeless Housed in Sports Stadiums
--Voters See Gingrich Fighting for an Ideal and Romney Fighting to Get Elected
--Photos: Obama Inspects New Tool for His Reelection Campaign in Arizona!
Stack of Stuff
--Frank to Tie Knot
--Media Matters: Rush is Anti-Reagan
--Media Spins Economic "Recovery" for Obama
--HARP 2 is Here: Is Romney for It?
--Obama Orders 12 Pizzas in Vegas
--GM CEO Says Volt a Punching Bag
--Reuters Hit Piece on Rubio
--Does Nagging Kill Marriages?
--Green Car Battery Company Goes Bust
--Fried Food Doesn't Kill You
26 Jan 2011, Thu, SoS Clinton and Staff Schedules
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/appt/2012/01/182517.htm
SECRETARY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
9:15 a.m. Secretary Clinton meets with assistant secretaries from the regional bureaus, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
10:15 a.m. Secretary Clinton holds a town hall meeting on the Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review (QDDR), at the Department of State.
(OPEN PRESS COVERAGE)
This event will be broadcast live on BNET.
11:45 a.m. Secretary Clinton meets with General James Mattis, Commander, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
12:40 p.m. Secretary Clinton meets with participants from the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) Washington Ambassadors Conference, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
12:50 p.m. Secretary Clinton meets with participants from the U.S.-Philippines Bilateral Strategic Dialogue, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
DEPUTY SECRETARY BILL BURNS
Deputy Secretary Burns is on foreign travel to Ghana, Uganda, South Sudan and Ethiopia through January 30, leading a high-level U.S. Government delegation. Please click here for more information.
USAID ADMINISTRATOR RAJ SHAH
Administrator Shah is on foreign travel in Davos, Switzerland to attend the World Economic Forum annual meeting.
US FOR POLITICAL AFFAIRS WENDY SHERMAN
3:30 p.m. Under Secretary Sherman meets with Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Cui Tiankai, at the Department of State
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
US FOR ECONOMIC, GROWTH, ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT ROBERT HORMATS
Under Secretary Hormats is on foreign travel in Davos, Switzerland through January 28 to attend the World Economic Forum annual meeting.
8:45 a.m. LOCAL Under Secretary Hormats participates in a panel “Sustainable Transportation: Architecting an Integrated Approach”, in Davos, Switzerland.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY HOST)
10:30 a.m. LOCAL Under Secretary Hormats meets with Klaus Kleinfeld of ALCOA, in Davos, Switzerland.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
11:30 a.m. LOCAL Under Secretary Hormats meets with European Commission Vice-President Viviane Reding, in Davos, Switzerland.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY HOST)
11:40 a.m. LOCAL Under Secretary Hormats meets with Douglas Flint of HSBC, in Davos, Switzerland.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
12:15 p.m. LOCAL Under Secretary Hormats attends a meeting on “Jobs and the Future of Work”, in Davos, Switzerland.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY HOST)
2:00 p.m. LOCAL Under Secretary Hormats attends a panel on “The Implications of the Arab Spring”, in Davos, Switzerland.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY HOST)
5:00 p.m. LOCAL Under Secretary Hormats meets with Cynthia Carroll of Anglo American, in Davos, Switzerland.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
6:00 p.m. LOCAL Under Secretary Hormats meets with Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Ali Babacan, in Davos, Switzerland.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
7:10 p.m. LOCAL Under Secretary Hormats meets with Mongolian Prime Minister Sukhbaatar Batbold, in Davos, Switzerland.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
US FOR CIVILIAN SECURITY, DEMOCRACY, AND HUMAN RIGHTS MARIA OTERO
9:00 a.m. Under Secretary Otero chairs the Open Government Partnership Steering Committee Meeting, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
10:15 a.m. Under Secretary Otero attends Secretary Clinton’s town hall meeting on the Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review (QDDR),at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
11:30 a.m. Under Secretary Otero meets with the Afghan Minister of Counter Narcotics Zarar Moqbel Osmani, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
US FOR ARMS CONTROL AND INTERNATIONAL SECURITY AFFAIRS ELLEN TAUSCHER
11:30 a.m. Under Secretary Tauscher delivers remarks at the Sixth Annual Strategic Weapons in the 21st Century Conference, in Washington, DC. Please click here for more information.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY HOST)
1:00 p.m. Under Secretary Tauscher attends a meeting at the Pentagon.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY DOD)
3:00 p.m. Under Secretary Tauscher meets with private industry nuclear executives, in Washington, DC.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
CHIEF OF PROTOCOL AMBASSADOR CAPRICIA PENAVIC MARSHALL
12:00 p.m. Ambassador Marshall hosts a reception in honor of recently accredited ambassadors to the U.S. and their spouses, at Blair House in Washington, DC.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
6:00 p.m. Ambassador Marshall attends a welcome reception in honor of UK Ambassador Sir Peter Westmacott and Lady Susan Westmacott, in Washington, DC.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
AS FOR SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIAN AFFAIRS ROBERT BLAKE
9:30 a.m. Assistant Secretary Blake participates in the EU-U.S. Dialogue on Asia, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
1:30 p.m. Assistant Secretary Blake attends the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) Washington Ambassadors Conference, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
6:30 p.m. Assistant Secretary Blake delivers remarks at the American Enterprise Institute, in Washington, DC.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY HOST)
AS FOR INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT AFFAIRS WILLIAM BROWNFIELD
9:00 a.m. Assistant Secretary Brownfield attends the opening session of the U.S.-UK Counternarcotics Bilateral meeting, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
AS OF STATE FOR EAST ASIAN AND PACIFIC AFFAIRS KURT CAMPBELL
9:15 a.m. Assistant Secretary Campbell and Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs Peter Lavoy welcome the Philippines delegation for the 2nd U.S.-Philippines Bilateral Strategic Dialogue, at the Department of State.
(CAMERA SPRAY AT THE C STREET ENTRANCE)
AS FOR AFRICAN AFFAIRS JOHNNIE CARSON
Assistant Secretary Carson accompanies Deputy Secretary Burns on foreign travel to Ghana, Uganda, South Sudan and Ethiopia through January 31.
AS FOR INTERNATIONAL SECURITY AND NONPROLIFERATION TOM COUNTRYMAN
10:00 a.m. Assistant Secretary Countryman hosts a meeting of the G8 Nonproliferation Directors Group, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
AS FOR ECONOMIC AND BUSINESS AFFAIRS JOSE FERNANDEZ
11:30 a.m. Assistant Secretary Fernandez delivers remarks on the interaction of tax and aid, at the World Bank in Washington, DC.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY HOST)
2:15 p.m. Assistant Secretary Fernandez meet with UAE Minister of Foreign Trade Sheikha Lubna, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
AS FOR ARMS CONTROL, VERIFICATION AND COMPLIANCE ROSE GOTTEMOELLER
Assistant Secretary Gottemoeller is on foreign travel to Geneva, Switzerland and Vienna, Austria through January 27. On Thursday, Assistant Secretary Gottemoeller participates in a Monterey Institute-PIR Center workshop on the future arms control agenda, in Vienna, Austria.
ACTING AS FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS MIKE HAMMER
2:00 p.m. Acting Assistant Secretary Hammer meets with Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
ACTING AS FOR WESTERN HEMISPHERE AFFAIRS ROBERTA JACOBSON
2:30 p.m. Acting Assistant Secretary Jacobson meets with Director of the Inter-American Defense College Rear Admiral Jeffrey Lemmons, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
AS FOR DEMOCRACY, HUMAN RIGHTS AND LABOR MICHAEL POSNER
Assistant Secretary Posner is on foreign travel in Egypt to meet with government officials and civil society representatives.
AS FOR POLITICAL-MILITARY AFFAIRS ANDREW SHAPIRO
Assistant Secretary Shapiro meets with representatives from U.S. Northern Command (NORTHCOM), in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY NORTHCOM)
ASSISTANT SECRETARY ANN STOCK
10:00 a.m. Assistant Secretary Stock meets with Moroccan Ambassador Rachad Bouhlal, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
12:00 p.m. Assistant Secretary Stock attends a reception hosted by Chief of Protocol Ambassador Marshall in honor of recently accredited ambassadors to the U.S. and their spouses, at Blair House in Washington, DC.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
6:00 p.m. Assistant Secretary Stocks attends a welcome reception in honor of UK Ambassador Sir Peter Westmacott and Lady Susan Westmacott, in Washington, DC.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
GLOBAL AIDS COORDINATOR AMBASSADOR ERIC GOOSBY
Ambassador Goosby is on foreign travel in Davos, Switzerland to attend the World Economic Forum annual meeting.
3:15 p.m. LOCAL Ambassador Goosby is interviewed by Randi Zuckerberg of R to Z Media, discussing the importance of social media in advancing the Global Plan to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV by 2015, in Davos, Switzerland.
7:00 p.m. LOCAL Ambassador Goosby meets with Rhonda Zygocki of Chevron to discuss Chevron’s role as a private sector partner in the global plan to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV by 2015, in Davos, Switzerland.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
7:30 p.m. LOCAL Ambassador Goosby participates in an event recognizing the 10th anniversary of the founding of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, in Davos, Switzerland.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY HOST)
COORDINATOR FOR THREAT REDUCTION PROGRAMS AMBASSADOR BONNIE JENKINS
8:30 a.m. Ambassador Jenkins chairs panel discussions on the Global Partnership Against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction (GP), in Washington, DC.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
AMBASSADOR-AT-LARGE FOR GLOBAL WOMEN’S ISSUES MELANNE VERVEER
1:30 p.m. Ambassador Verveer attends a meeting at the White House.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY WHITE HOUSE)
11:30 a.m. Ambassador Verveer attends an event in honor of UAE Minister of Foreign Trade Sheikha Lubna, in Washington, DC.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY HOST)
4:00 p.m. Ambassador Verveer meets with Estonian Director General for Security and Policy Miko Halja, and Estonian Director for NATO and Security Policy Eerik Marmei, to discuss UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
6:00 p.m. Ambassador Verveer attends a welcome reception in honor of UK Ambassador Sir Peter Westmacott and Lady Susan Westmacott, in Washington, DC.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
SR FOR GLOBAL INTERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS RETA JO LEWIS
Special Representative Lewis is on foreign travel in Brazil through February 1, to promote sub-national engagement between the U.S. and Brazil. Please click here for more information.
9:00 a.m. LOCAL Special Representative Lewis meets with Mayor of Natal Micarla de Sousa, in Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY HOST)
10:30 a.m. LOCAL Special Representative Lewis meets with Rio Grande do Norte Secretary of Education Betânia Ramalho, in Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY HOST)
2:00 p.m. LOCAL Special Representative Lewis meets with Rio Grande do Norte Secretary of Labor and Social Assistance Luiz Eduardo Carneiro Costa, in Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY HOST)
SPECIAL ENVOY TO MONITOR AND COMBAT ANTI-SEMITISM HANNAH ROSENTHAL
10:30 a.m. Special Envoy Rosenthal meets with UN Assistant Secretary-General of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights Ivan Simonovic, in New York City.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY UN)
5:00 p.m. Special Envoy Rosenthal meets with UN Officer for Culture Rochelle Roca-Hachem, in New York City.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY UN)
6:00 p.m. Special Envoy Rosenthal attends the opening of the exhibition, “A Monument of Good Deeds: Dreams and Hopes of Children During the Holocaust” and “The Holocaust: Keeping the Memory Alive”, commemorating UN International Holocaust Remembrance Day, in New York City. Please click here for more information.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY UN
DIRECTOR OF POLICY PLANNING SULLIVAN
11:45 a.m. Director of Policy Planning Sullivan attends U.S.-Philippines Strategic Dialogue meeting, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
PRESS BRIEFING SCHEDULE
12:30 p.m. Daily Press Briefing with Spokesperson Victoria Nuland
SECRETARY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
9:15 a.m. Secretary Clinton meets with assistant secretaries from the regional bureaus, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
10:15 a.m. Secretary Clinton holds a town hall meeting on the Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review (QDDR), at the Department of State.
(OPEN PRESS COVERAGE)
This event will be broadcast live on BNET.
11:45 a.m. Secretary Clinton meets with General James Mattis, Commander, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
12:40 p.m. Secretary Clinton meets with participants from the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) Washington Ambassadors Conference, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
12:50 p.m. Secretary Clinton meets with participants from the U.S.-Philippines Bilateral Strategic Dialogue, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
DEPUTY SECRETARY BILL BURNS
Deputy Secretary Burns is on foreign travel to Ghana, Uganda, South Sudan and Ethiopia through January 30, leading a high-level U.S. Government delegation. Please click here for more information.
USAID ADMINISTRATOR RAJ SHAH
Administrator Shah is on foreign travel in Davos, Switzerland to attend the World Economic Forum annual meeting.
US FOR POLITICAL AFFAIRS WENDY SHERMAN
3:30 p.m. Under Secretary Sherman meets with Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Cui Tiankai, at the Department of State
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
US FOR ECONOMIC, GROWTH, ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT ROBERT HORMATS
Under Secretary Hormats is on foreign travel in Davos, Switzerland through January 28 to attend the World Economic Forum annual meeting.
8:45 a.m. LOCAL Under Secretary Hormats participates in a panel “Sustainable Transportation: Architecting an Integrated Approach”, in Davos, Switzerland.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY HOST)
10:30 a.m. LOCAL Under Secretary Hormats meets with Klaus Kleinfeld of ALCOA, in Davos, Switzerland.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
11:30 a.m. LOCAL Under Secretary Hormats meets with European Commission Vice-President Viviane Reding, in Davos, Switzerland.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY HOST)
11:40 a.m. LOCAL Under Secretary Hormats meets with Douglas Flint of HSBC, in Davos, Switzerland.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
12:15 p.m. LOCAL Under Secretary Hormats attends a meeting on “Jobs and the Future of Work”, in Davos, Switzerland.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY HOST)
2:00 p.m. LOCAL Under Secretary Hormats attends a panel on “The Implications of the Arab Spring”, in Davos, Switzerland.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY HOST)
5:00 p.m. LOCAL Under Secretary Hormats meets with Cynthia Carroll of Anglo American, in Davos, Switzerland.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
6:00 p.m. LOCAL Under Secretary Hormats meets with Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Ali Babacan, in Davos, Switzerland.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
7:10 p.m. LOCAL Under Secretary Hormats meets with Mongolian Prime Minister Sukhbaatar Batbold, in Davos, Switzerland.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
US FOR CIVILIAN SECURITY, DEMOCRACY, AND HUMAN RIGHTS MARIA OTERO
9:00 a.m. Under Secretary Otero chairs the Open Government Partnership Steering Committee Meeting, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
10:15 a.m. Under Secretary Otero attends Secretary Clinton’s town hall meeting on the Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review (QDDR),at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
11:30 a.m. Under Secretary Otero meets with the Afghan Minister of Counter Narcotics Zarar Moqbel Osmani, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
US FOR ARMS CONTROL AND INTERNATIONAL SECURITY AFFAIRS ELLEN TAUSCHER
11:30 a.m. Under Secretary Tauscher delivers remarks at the Sixth Annual Strategic Weapons in the 21st Century Conference, in Washington, DC. Please click here for more information.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY HOST)
1:00 p.m. Under Secretary Tauscher attends a meeting at the Pentagon.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY DOD)
3:00 p.m. Under Secretary Tauscher meets with private industry nuclear executives, in Washington, DC.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
CHIEF OF PROTOCOL AMBASSADOR CAPRICIA PENAVIC MARSHALL
12:00 p.m. Ambassador Marshall hosts a reception in honor of recently accredited ambassadors to the U.S. and their spouses, at Blair House in Washington, DC.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
6:00 p.m. Ambassador Marshall attends a welcome reception in honor of UK Ambassador Sir Peter Westmacott and Lady Susan Westmacott, in Washington, DC.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
AS FOR SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIAN AFFAIRS ROBERT BLAKE
9:30 a.m. Assistant Secretary Blake participates in the EU-U.S. Dialogue on Asia, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
1:30 p.m. Assistant Secretary Blake attends the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) Washington Ambassadors Conference, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
6:30 p.m. Assistant Secretary Blake delivers remarks at the American Enterprise Institute, in Washington, DC.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY HOST)
AS FOR INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT AFFAIRS WILLIAM BROWNFIELD
9:00 a.m. Assistant Secretary Brownfield attends the opening session of the U.S.-UK Counternarcotics Bilateral meeting, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
AS OF STATE FOR EAST ASIAN AND PACIFIC AFFAIRS KURT CAMPBELL
9:15 a.m. Assistant Secretary Campbell and Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs Peter Lavoy welcome the Philippines delegation for the 2nd U.S.-Philippines Bilateral Strategic Dialogue, at the Department of State.
(CAMERA SPRAY AT THE C STREET ENTRANCE)
AS FOR AFRICAN AFFAIRS JOHNNIE CARSON
Assistant Secretary Carson accompanies Deputy Secretary Burns on foreign travel to Ghana, Uganda, South Sudan and Ethiopia through January 31.
AS FOR INTERNATIONAL SECURITY AND NONPROLIFERATION TOM COUNTRYMAN
10:00 a.m. Assistant Secretary Countryman hosts a meeting of the G8 Nonproliferation Directors Group, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
AS FOR ECONOMIC AND BUSINESS AFFAIRS JOSE FERNANDEZ
11:30 a.m. Assistant Secretary Fernandez delivers remarks on the interaction of tax and aid, at the World Bank in Washington, DC.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY HOST)
2:15 p.m. Assistant Secretary Fernandez meet with UAE Minister of Foreign Trade Sheikha Lubna, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
AS FOR ARMS CONTROL, VERIFICATION AND COMPLIANCE ROSE GOTTEMOELLER
Assistant Secretary Gottemoeller is on foreign travel to Geneva, Switzerland and Vienna, Austria through January 27. On Thursday, Assistant Secretary Gottemoeller participates in a Monterey Institute-PIR Center workshop on the future arms control agenda, in Vienna, Austria.
ACTING AS FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS MIKE HAMMER
2:00 p.m. Acting Assistant Secretary Hammer meets with Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
ACTING AS FOR WESTERN HEMISPHERE AFFAIRS ROBERTA JACOBSON
2:30 p.m. Acting Assistant Secretary Jacobson meets with Director of the Inter-American Defense College Rear Admiral Jeffrey Lemmons, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
AS FOR DEMOCRACY, HUMAN RIGHTS AND LABOR MICHAEL POSNER
Assistant Secretary Posner is on foreign travel in Egypt to meet with government officials and civil society representatives.
AS FOR POLITICAL-MILITARY AFFAIRS ANDREW SHAPIRO
Assistant Secretary Shapiro meets with representatives from U.S. Northern Command (NORTHCOM), in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY NORTHCOM)
ASSISTANT SECRETARY ANN STOCK
10:00 a.m. Assistant Secretary Stock meets with Moroccan Ambassador Rachad Bouhlal, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
12:00 p.m. Assistant Secretary Stock attends a reception hosted by Chief of Protocol Ambassador Marshall in honor of recently accredited ambassadors to the U.S. and their spouses, at Blair House in Washington, DC.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
6:00 p.m. Assistant Secretary Stocks attends a welcome reception in honor of UK Ambassador Sir Peter Westmacott and Lady Susan Westmacott, in Washington, DC.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
GLOBAL AIDS COORDINATOR AMBASSADOR ERIC GOOSBY
Ambassador Goosby is on foreign travel in Davos, Switzerland to attend the World Economic Forum annual meeting.
3:15 p.m. LOCAL Ambassador Goosby is interviewed by Randi Zuckerberg of R to Z Media, discussing the importance of social media in advancing the Global Plan to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV by 2015, in Davos, Switzerland.
7:00 p.m. LOCAL Ambassador Goosby meets with Rhonda Zygocki of Chevron to discuss Chevron’s role as a private sector partner in the global plan to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV by 2015, in Davos, Switzerland.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
7:30 p.m. LOCAL Ambassador Goosby participates in an event recognizing the 10th anniversary of the founding of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, in Davos, Switzerland.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY HOST)
COORDINATOR FOR THREAT REDUCTION PROGRAMS AMBASSADOR BONNIE JENKINS
8:30 a.m. Ambassador Jenkins chairs panel discussions on the Global Partnership Against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction (GP), in Washington, DC.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
AMBASSADOR-AT-LARGE FOR GLOBAL WOMEN’S ISSUES MELANNE VERVEER
1:30 p.m. Ambassador Verveer attends a meeting at the White House.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY WHITE HOUSE)
11:30 a.m. Ambassador Verveer attends an event in honor of UAE Minister of Foreign Trade Sheikha Lubna, in Washington, DC.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY HOST)
4:00 p.m. Ambassador Verveer meets with Estonian Director General for Security and Policy Miko Halja, and Estonian Director for NATO and Security Policy Eerik Marmei, to discuss UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
6:00 p.m. Ambassador Verveer attends a welcome reception in honor of UK Ambassador Sir Peter Westmacott and Lady Susan Westmacott, in Washington, DC.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
SR FOR GLOBAL INTERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS RETA JO LEWIS
Special Representative Lewis is on foreign travel in Brazil through February 1, to promote sub-national engagement between the U.S. and Brazil. Please click here for more information.
9:00 a.m. LOCAL Special Representative Lewis meets with Mayor of Natal Micarla de Sousa, in Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY HOST)
10:30 a.m. LOCAL Special Representative Lewis meets with Rio Grande do Norte Secretary of Education Betânia Ramalho, in Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY HOST)
2:00 p.m. LOCAL Special Representative Lewis meets with Rio Grande do Norte Secretary of Labor and Social Assistance Luiz Eduardo Carneiro Costa, in Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY HOST)
SPECIAL ENVOY TO MONITOR AND COMBAT ANTI-SEMITISM HANNAH ROSENTHAL
10:30 a.m. Special Envoy Rosenthal meets with UN Assistant Secretary-General of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights Ivan Simonovic, in New York City.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY UN)
5:00 p.m. Special Envoy Rosenthal meets with UN Officer for Culture Rochelle Roca-Hachem, in New York City.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY UN)
6:00 p.m. Special Envoy Rosenthal attends the opening of the exhibition, “A Monument of Good Deeds: Dreams and Hopes of Children During the Holocaust” and “The Holocaust: Keeping the Memory Alive”, commemorating UN International Holocaust Remembrance Day, in New York City. Please click here for more information.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY UN
DIRECTOR OF POLICY PLANNING SULLIVAN
11:45 a.m. Director of Policy Planning Sullivan attends U.S.-Philippines Strategic Dialogue meeting, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
PRESS BRIEFING SCHEDULE
12:30 p.m. Daily Press Briefing with Spokesperson Victoria Nuland
26 Jan 2011, Thur, Pres and VP Schedules
http://www.whitehouse.gov/schedule
1:00 pm
The President delivers remarks at UPS Las Vegas South about the importance of American workers developing American-made energy to an economy that’s built to last
Local Event Time:
10:00AM PST
Las Vegas, NV, UPS Las Vegas South
Open Press
3:05 pm
The President departs Las Vegas en route Buckley Air Force Base
Local Event Time:
12:05PM PST
Las Vegas McCarren International Airport
Open Press
4:35 pm
The President arrives Buckley Air Force Base
Local Event Time:
2:35 PM MST
Buckley Air Force Base
Open Press
5:30 pm
The President delivers remarks at Buckley Air Force Base on American energy and the steps the Administration is taking to promote energy security
Local Event Time:
3:30PM MST
Buckley Air Force Base
Open Press
6:15 pm
The President departs Buckley Air Force Base en route Detroit, MI
Local Event Time:
4:15PM MST
Buckley Air Force Base
Open Press
8:30 pm
The President arrives Detroit, MI
Detroit Metro Wayne County Airport
Open Press
http://www.whitehouse.gov/schedule/vice-president
No public schedule
1:00 pm
The President delivers remarks at UPS Las Vegas South about the importance of American workers developing American-made energy to an economy that’s built to last
Local Event Time:
10:00AM PST
Las Vegas, NV, UPS Las Vegas South
Open Press
3:05 pm
The President departs Las Vegas en route Buckley Air Force Base
Local Event Time:
12:05PM PST
Las Vegas McCarren International Airport
Open Press
4:35 pm
The President arrives Buckley Air Force Base
Local Event Time:
2:35 PM MST
Buckley Air Force Base
Open Press
5:30 pm
The President delivers remarks at Buckley Air Force Base on American energy and the steps the Administration is taking to promote energy security
Local Event Time:
3:30PM MST
Buckley Air Force Base
Open Press
6:15 pm
The President departs Buckley Air Force Base en route Detroit, MI
Local Event Time:
4:15PM MST
Buckley Air Force Base
Open Press
8:30 pm
The President arrives Detroit, MI
Detroit Metro Wayne County Airport
Open Press
http://www.whitehouse.gov/schedule/vice-president
No public schedule
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Romney offers tough review of Obama’s State of the Union speech
From Washington Post: Romney offers tough review of Obama’s State of the Union speech
ORLANDO — Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney offered a tough review Wednesday of President Obama’s State of the Union speech, accusing him of being “detached” from the realities of a still lagging economy.
“The detachment between reality and what he says is so extraordinary, I was just shaking my head at the TV last night,” Romney told about 150 supporters gathered on the concrete floor of a metal fabrication factory here as he campaigned ahead of Florida’s Jan. 31 GOP primary.
“This is a president who talks about deregulation, even as he regulates. Who talks about lowering taxes, even as he raises them. Who talks about expanding energy resources, even as he tries to shut them down,” Romney said.
The candidate for the Republican presidential nomination used the word “detached” repeatedly to describe the president’s attitude, picking up on a critique of Obama that he sometimes can appear aloof.
Romney, whose personal wealth has been on display this week after he released his tax records, did not address a central argument of Obama’s address — that economic fairness demands that wealthier Americans pay more to help stabilize the economy and reduce the debt. Instead, he argued that Obama’s policies are not doing enough to reverse the squeeze on the middle class.
“If you really think things are going well in this country and we’re on the right track, that his policies are working, you ought to vote for him,” he said. “But I think, on that basis, if we ask the American people if they think things are going well or not so well ... he’s not going to be president very long.”
One of Romney’s rivals for the nomination, former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum, tried to turn Obama’s theme to his own advantage as he campaigned in Florida.
Santorum, speaking to a crowd of about 250 people at First Baptist Church in Naples said that he was “very excited about the President’s speech last night.” His comment drew laughs from the conservative Christian crowd, leading Santorum to say that he “actually was” glad to hear Obama’s message, because it dovetails with his own.
“The president of the United States made the case for Rick Santorum for being the nominee of the Republican party,” he said as the audience applauded. “What did the president lead with? ... What was the first voter group he went after, the one he spent the most time on, the one he was going to do the most to try to help? Manufacturing, blue collar workers.
“Who’s been running their campaign for president here on the Republican side of the aisle, saying we need to focus on upward mobility? We need to focus on small town and blue collar America to create the ladder of success through manufacturing jobs to be able to rise is society again,” Santorum said. A few audience members shouted “Santorum!” and “Rick!”
Romney’s and Santorum’s responses to Obama’s State of the Union address Tuesday night were among an array of reactions from conservative critics, whose divergent responses mirrored the fractures on display this year in a bruising Republican presidential primary campaign.
ORLANDO — Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney offered a tough review Wednesday of President Obama’s State of the Union speech, accusing him of being “detached” from the realities of a still lagging economy.
“The detachment between reality and what he says is so extraordinary, I was just shaking my head at the TV last night,” Romney told about 150 supporters gathered on the concrete floor of a metal fabrication factory here as he campaigned ahead of Florida’s Jan. 31 GOP primary.
“This is a president who talks about deregulation, even as he regulates. Who talks about lowering taxes, even as he raises them. Who talks about expanding energy resources, even as he tries to shut them down,” Romney said.
The candidate for the Republican presidential nomination used the word “detached” repeatedly to describe the president’s attitude, picking up on a critique of Obama that he sometimes can appear aloof.
Romney, whose personal wealth has been on display this week after he released his tax records, did not address a central argument of Obama’s address — that economic fairness demands that wealthier Americans pay more to help stabilize the economy and reduce the debt. Instead, he argued that Obama’s policies are not doing enough to reverse the squeeze on the middle class.
“If you really think things are going well in this country and we’re on the right track, that his policies are working, you ought to vote for him,” he said. “But I think, on that basis, if we ask the American people if they think things are going well or not so well ... he’s not going to be president very long.”
One of Romney’s rivals for the nomination, former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum, tried to turn Obama’s theme to his own advantage as he campaigned in Florida.
Santorum, speaking to a crowd of about 250 people at First Baptist Church in Naples said that he was “very excited about the President’s speech last night.” His comment drew laughs from the conservative Christian crowd, leading Santorum to say that he “actually was” glad to hear Obama’s message, because it dovetails with his own.
“The president of the United States made the case for Rick Santorum for being the nominee of the Republican party,” he said as the audience applauded. “What did the president lead with? ... What was the first voter group he went after, the one he spent the most time on, the one he was going to do the most to try to help? Manufacturing, blue collar workers.
“Who’s been running their campaign for president here on the Republican side of the aisle, saying we need to focus on upward mobility? We need to focus on small town and blue collar America to create the ladder of success through manufacturing jobs to be able to rise is society again,” Santorum said. A few audience members shouted “Santorum!” and “Rick!”
Romney’s and Santorum’s responses to Obama’s State of the Union address Tuesday night were among an array of reactions from conservative critics, whose divergent responses mirrored the fractures on display this year in a bruising Republican presidential primary campaign.
Rush on Obama's Speech
Rush had a lot to say about Obama's speech last night.
He says it better than I could, of course!
He says it better than I could, of course!
USH: Folks, I have to tell you, I was telling Snerdley today that speech, yeah, it was a campaign speech, and yeah, it was this and that, it was a repeat and so forth. It was chock-full of lies. It was fantasyland. No, it didn't soar. It was boring. It was an hour-and-a-half long. There was nothing to set it apart, nothing about it that's going to be memorable in a positive way. General Motors, the number one car company in the world again? It just isn't true. None of the economic news is true. He did two things. He lied. He tried to paint the economy as back. We are back, except where we're not back, and that's Bush's fault. But we are back.
He also used the usual trick of speaking about events in America as though he's running for office for the first time. He's running against things that are happening that are his policies that he is pretending he's had nothing to do with. He knows full well he's not gonna be called on that by the media. There was one offhand less-than-casual reference to Obamacare, which you would think in a State of the Union with a socialist doing the remarks, making the remarks, that he would be singing the praises of that piece of legislation and talking about what a game-changer it is and how it's the best thing that happened to the country. Not a word of substance about it.
In fact, there are a lot of facts that were omitted in the State of the Union speech. He didn't talk about the 13.1 million unemployed Americans. He didn't talk about the 5.6 million unemployed Americans who have been on unemployment longer than 27 weeks. He didn't talk about 8.1 million involuntary part-time workers. He didn't talk about the falling civilian labor force participation rate was 64%. The number of jobs, the universe of jobs shrinking, didn't bring that up. Didn't talk about the national debt, $15.2 trillion, five trillion of which is his! Do you realize one-third of our entire national debt as a nation over 200 years, one-third of it is his, his alone. Of course he didn't bring it up. He didn't talk about the Keystone pipeline.
This speech was so filled with contradictions. He talked about teamwork is what made America great? Teamwork? Do you know, ladies and gentlemen, how wrong that is? Do you know what our founding documents are about? The rights and freedom of the individual versus government. There's nothing about teamwork. There's nothing about compromise, getting along and working together. The whole point of this government, the whole point of this country, the whole point of this founding was to champion the power and the rights and the civil rights and the freedoms and the liberty of the individual over government. I'm gonna tell you, if anybody on our side running for office anywhere -- Senate, House, president -- is on their game, this is an immediate, I mean they have just, Obama unwittingly has tossed a softball with the bases loaded.
This is worth two grand slams, this whole concept of teamwork, when this country was premised on the power, the rights of the individual, on the uniqueness of all of us, that we are different, that we all bring different things. Then there was this, whatever we do, we gotta have fairness. There must be fairness. That's a code word for class warfare. Fairness is in the liberal dictionary, and it gives them the opportunity, the right, the power to redistribute wealth. That's what fairness is.
And another example of hypocrisy. Obama starts off his State of the Union address by thanking the military while at the same time he is slashing the Pentagon budget by about a trillion dollars and firing 80,000 soldiers. Opens up by praising an element of government that he is slashing to shreds. He closed it, too. You know, I'll tell you what's also obvious here. This speech, it was a lie from front to back, and it was an attempt -- it was Obama's attempt -- to align himself with America's greatness. And, folks, it didn't work.
Now, for those of us who know Obama. It mighta worked for some of you who don't. For those of us who know Obama, it was pitiful. We know he didn't mean it. He's talking about American greatness all night? He doesn't believe that. He doesn't believe what he said. What we learned last night is how much trouble he's in. We learned what he thinks he has to say in order to win reelection. We had it confirmed: He cannot run on his record. He cannot run on the current condition for most Americans in this country. He can't run on life as it is in America.
He has to join the platitudes of this country. He has to make it appear as though he is one of us and has the same love for the traditions and institutions that made this country great, but it came off as phony. It came off as empty. And then there was this. "On the day I took office, our auto industry was on the verge of collapse. Some even said (sic) we should let it die. With a million jobs at stake, I refused to let that happen. In exchange for help we demanded responsibility. We got workers and automakers to settle their differences. We got the industry to retool and restructure. Today General Motors is back on top as the world's number one automaker"?
When did I miss that? Yeah, okay, in China! That's who's buying the cars. Okay, cool. "Chrysler has grown faster in the US..." By the way, I'm not gonna believe any set of such numbers this regime puts out this year. I'm not gonna believe the unemployment number; I don't believe this General Motors number. What an absolute crock. Anyway, after talking about all the wonderful, great, miraculous things he did with General Motors, then what did he say? "It's time to apply the same rules from top to bottom: No bailouts, no handouts, and no cop-outs. An America built to lasts, insists on responsibility from everybody." Now, maybe I'm a bitter clinger, but the car companies appear to have received a bailout to me. The UAW got a bailout to me, and the UAW was handed General Motors and Chrysler, if you ask me. Now, I don't know what that is if it's not a bailout. So he spends a whole speech talking about, "No more bailouts. We're not gonna do that! No handouts, no cop-outs," and then he gives as his greatest example of American prosperity a company he bailed out! Who wrote this? This speech was an embarrassment.
What's Worse - Fat Kids or Poor Kids?
Rush brought this up today, and its so true.
As he pointed out, Barack Obama and his wife Michele are married, and they've got two kids. They are the "nuclear family" - the role models for all the black community out there where 75% of kids are born out of wedlock - and thus 75% are born into poverty and never get out of it. (And while white kids aren't at that percentage yet, they are the fastest rising percentage of illegitimacy.) And why not? Have sex, no need to get married or even know who you're having sex with. The government will put you on welfare and let you continue to have as many kids as you want.
Instead of focusing on fat kids, Mrs. Obama should focus on the much more dire problem of the disintegration of the black family.
As he pointed out, Barack Obama and his wife Michele are married, and they've got two kids. They are the "nuclear family" - the role models for all the black community out there where 75% of kids are born out of wedlock - and thus 75% are born into poverty and never get out of it. (And while white kids aren't at that percentage yet, they are the fastest rising percentage of illegitimacy.) And why not? Have sex, no need to get married or even know who you're having sex with. The government will put you on welfare and let you continue to have as many kids as you want.
Instead of focusing on fat kids, Mrs. Obama should focus on the much more dire problem of the disintegration of the black family.
RUSH: I want to go back to Mitch Daniels here for just a second and make a comment, because he ended his opening by praising the Obamas for setting a great family values example. And he's right, they do that well. Mom and dad and the two kids. It's a good-looking family. And here's a point about that, though. Just today the First Nutritionist, Moochelle Obama, unveiled tougher nutrition standards that school meals will have to meet starting this year. There's a story, I've got it in the Stack of Stuff from earlier this week. Junk food in the schools did not contribute to any negative characteristics or aspects of the kids. When they tried to get the junk food out of the schools a black market sprung up. The kids didn't eat the tasteless tofu rot that was put in there under the guise of health. They wanted no part of it.
That's not the kind of teamwork, you see, that the people of this country want. They don't want their government telling them what they cannot eat. They don't want the government telling them what they must eat. Even little leftist robot kids don't. They'll find a way around it. They have found a way around it, and they are not harming themselves in the process. Now, here's Michelle Obama unveiling tougher nutrition standards that school meals are gonna have to meet starting this year, the new standards required by the 2010 school nutrition bill that increased funding for school meals. So, yeah, I'll give you more money for school meals, but you've gotta do X, Y, and Z in order to qualify and get and keep it.
Now, she ought to just broom that stuff. She ought to get rid of that. You know, the best thing Michelle Obama could do -- and I'm not joking here -- the best thing Michelle Obama could do for people in poverty is to simply highlight the solid nuclear family that she has with her husband, Barack, and the two kids.
That's the ticket out. In fact, Santorum made that point brilliantly in a recent Republican debate, talking about the three tickets out of poverty, just the three simple things you can do. One is to graduate high school. The other is not have babies until you are married. And that may be at the top of the list. Now, the president of the United States and his wife and family can be and are role models for the people of this country. There is no greater thing Michelle Obama could do than to simply do what Mitch Daniels credited her and her husband for doing last night, and that is setting a wonderful standard for family values and so forth.
25 Jan 2012, Wed, Rush Limbaugh headlines
--Obama's Pitiful Speech Full of Lies
--Newt: I Wasn't Knocking Lewinsky Sex
--Mitt Adviser: GOP Won't Repeal Obamacare
--Moochelle Shows Up at Class Warfare Rally Wearing $2,400 Cocktail Dress
--Mitch Daniels Delivers Terrific Speech
--How the First Lady Could Help the Poor
--Obama's Disgusting Use of Warren Buffett's Secretary as a Prop
--Caller Chastises Host Over Newt
--Two If By Tea: The Way Tea Ought to Be
--Liberals and the "Fairness" Schtick
--Our Favorite Daniels Supporter Calls Back
--Why Congress Mobs the President Like Groupies
Stack of Stuff
--What Could We Buy with Bill Clinton's $76 Million Income?
--RNC Video on Obama's Recycled Speech
--Pelosi Says She Has Dirt on Newt, Then Her Office Walks It Back
--Green Window Melts Green Car?
--Bernanke Undercuts Obama's Entire Speech...
--Newt: I Wasn't Knocking Lewinsky Sex
--Mitt Adviser: GOP Won't Repeal Obamacare
--Moochelle Shows Up at Class Warfare Rally Wearing $2,400 Cocktail Dress
--Mitch Daniels Delivers Terrific Speech
--How the First Lady Could Help the Poor
--Obama's Disgusting Use of Warren Buffett's Secretary as a Prop
--Caller Chastises Host Over Newt
--Two If By Tea: The Way Tea Ought to Be
--Liberals and the "Fairness" Schtick
--Our Favorite Daniels Supporter Calls Back
--Why Congress Mobs the President Like Groupies
Stack of Stuff
--What Could We Buy with Bill Clinton's $76 Million Income?
--RNC Video on Obama's Recycled Speech
--Pelosi Says She Has Dirt on Newt, Then Her Office Walks It Back
--Green Window Melts Green Car?
--Bernanke Undercuts Obama's Entire Speech...
25 Jan 2012: SoS Clinton and Staff Schedule
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/appt/2012/01/182445.htm
SECRETARY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
9:30 a.m. Secretary Clinton meets with the senior management team, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
10:00 a.m. Secretary Clinton meets with Brazilian youth participating in the Youth Ambassadors program, at the Department of State.
(OPEN PRESS)
10:15 a.m. Secretary Clinton meets with Indian Ambassador Nirupama Rao, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
2:45 p.m. Secretary Clinton delivers remarks and participates in a question and answer session at the Inaugural Steering Committee Meeting with the Center for Strategic Counterterrorism, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
DEPUTY SECRETARY BILL BURNS
9:30 a.m. Deputy Secretary Burns meets with Ambassador to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Ivo Daalder, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
DEPUTY SECRETARY TOM NIDES
Deputy Secretary Nides joins Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Neal Wolin on foreign travel to Israel, the West Bank and Tunisia through January 26 to meet with senior government officials and discuss recent developments in the region.
8:00 a.m. Deputy Secretary Nides meets with the President and Members of the Tunisian American Chamber of Commerce, in Tunis, Tunisia.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY THE TUNISIAN AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE)
10:00 a.m. Deputy Secretary Nides meets with President Moncef Marzouki, in Tunis, Tunisia.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY THE TUNISIAN GOVERNMENT)
11:00 a.m. Deputy Secretary Nides meets with Finance Minister Houcine Dimassi, in Tunis, Tunisia.
(MEDIA DETERMINDED BY THE TUNISIAN GOVERNMENT)
1:00 p.m. Deputy Secretary Nides meets with Deputy Foreign Minister Hedi Ben Abbes, in Tunis, Tunisia.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY THE TUNISIAN GOVERNMENT)
3:00 p.m. Deputy Secretary Nides meets with Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali, in Tunis, Tunisia.
(MEDIA DETERMINDED BY THE TUNISIAN GOVERNMENT)
7:30 p.m. Deputy Secretary Nides meets with the Civil Society Businessmen, in Tunis, Tunisia.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
USAID ADMINISTRATOR RAJ SHAH
Administrator Shah is on foreign travel in Davos, Switzerland to attend the World Economic Forum annual meeting.
US FOR ECONOMIC, GROWTH, ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT ROBERT HORMATS
Under Secretary Hormats is on foreign travel in Davos, Switzerland through January 28 to attend the World Economic Forum annual meeting.
10:00 a.m. Under Secretary Hormats participates in a panel discussion on “Exploring the Political and Economic Implications of Resources Scarcity”, in Davos, Switzerland.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
12:30 p.m. Under Secretary Hormats participates in a meeting on the “Food-Energy-Water-Climate Change Nexus,” in Davos, Switzerland.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
4:00 p.m. Under Secretary Hormats meets with Tanzania President Kikwete, in Davos, Switzerland.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
6:05 p.m. Under Secretary Hormats meets with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, in Davos, Switzerland.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
7:30 p.m. Under Secretary Hormats meets with European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) President Thomas Mirow, in Davos, Switzerland.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
8:00 p.m. Under Secretary Hormats attends a meeting hosted by GE Vice Chairman John Rice on “Innovation and Trade”, in Davos, Switzerland.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
US FOR CIVILIAN SECURITY, DEMOCRACY, AND HUMAN RIGHTS MARIA OTERO
8:45 a.m. Under Secretary Otero hosts the global issues principals meeting, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
11:30 a.m. Under Secretary Otero delivers remarks at the Ambassadorial Seminar, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
2:30 p.m. Under Secretary Otero meets with the Peruvian Ambassador Harold Forsyth, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
US FOR ARMS CONTROL AND INTERNATIONAL SECURITY AFFAIRS ELLEN TAUSCHER
10:00 a.m. Under Secretary Tauscher meets with French Director For Strategic Affairs, Patrick Maisonnave, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
11:00 a.m. Under Secretary Tauscher meets with Director of the Institute of US and Canadian Studies of the Russian Academy of Science, Sergey Rogov, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
6:30 p.m. Under Secretary Tauscher attends the sixth annual Strategic Weapons in the 21st Century Conference Dinner jointly sponsored by Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), in Washington, DC. (CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
AS FOR SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIAN AFFAIRS ROBERT BLAKE
8:00 a.m. Assistant Secretary Blake meets with Permanent Representative to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development Ambassador Karen Kornbluh, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
10:15 a.m. Assistant Secretary Blake attends Secretary Clinton’s meeting with Indian Ambassador Nirupama Rao, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
1:00 p.m. Assistant Secretary Blake meets with John Mroz of the EastWest Institute, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
2:00 p.m. Assistant Secretary Blake meets with U.S. Executive Director to the Asian Development Bank Ambassador Robert Orr, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
5:30 p.m. Assistant Secretary Blake delivers remarks at a Central Asia Caucasus Institute forum, in Washington, DC. Please click here for more information.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY HOST)
For more information on attending please contact the SAIS Communications Office at (202)663-5626 or fklubes@jhu.edu.
AS FOR INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT AFFAIRS WILLIAM BROWNFIELD
3:00 p.m. Assistant Secretary Brownfield meets with Ambassador to Paraguay James Thessin, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
AS FOR AFRICAN AFFAIRS JOHNNIE CARSON
Assistant Secretary Carson is on foreign travel to Ghana, Uganda, South Sudan and Ethiopia from January 25 – 30.
AS FOR INTERNATIONAL SECURITY AND NONPROLIFERATION TOM COUNTRYMAN
Assistant Secretary Countryman holds bilateral consultations on international security and nonproliferation issues in Burma through January 24.
AS FOR ECONOMIC AND BUSINESS AFFAIRS JOSE FERNANDEZ
12:30 p.m. Assistant Secretary Fernandez meets with Colombian Ambassador Silva, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
2:00 p.m. Assistant Secretary Fernandez participates in a meeting on the Telecommunications Supply Chain, at the White House.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY WHITE HOUSE)
AS FOR ARMS CONTROL, VERIFICATION AND COMPLIANCE ROSE GOTTEMOELLER
Assistant Secretary Gottemoeller is on foreign travel to Geneva, Switzerland and Vienna, Austria through January 27. On Wednesday, Assistant Secretary Gottemoeller participates in meetings relating to conventional forces in Europe, in Vienna, Austria.
ACTING AS FOR WESTERN HEMISPHERE AFFAIRS ROBERTA JACOBSON
10:00 a.m. Acting Assistant Secretary Jacobson attends Secretary Clinton’s meeting with Brazilian youth participating in the Youth Ambassadors program, at the Department of State.
(OPEN PRESS COVERAGE)
11:00 a.m. Acting Assistant Secretary Jacobson meets with Martha Smith, President and CEO of the U.S.-Mexico Foundation, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
AS FOR OCEANS AND INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL AND SCIENTIFIC AFFAIRS KERRI-ANN JONES
8:00 a.m. Assistant Secretary Jones appears before the House Subcommittee on Energy and Power at the Rayburn House Office Building, in Washington, DC.
(OPEN PRESS COVERAGE)
AS FOR DEMOCRACY, HUMAN RIGHTS AND LABOR MICHAEL POSNER
Assistant Secretary Posner is on foreign travel in Egypt to meet with government officials and civil society representatives.
AS FOR POLITICAL-MILITARY AFFAIRS ANDREW SHAPIRO
Assistant Secretary Shapiro travels to Illinois to visit U.S. Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM).
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
ASSISTANT SECRETARY ANN STOCK
10:00 a.m. Assistant Secretary Stock delivers remarks at a reception for Secretary Clinton’s meeting with Brazilian youth participating in the Youth Ambassadors program, at the Department of State.
(OPEN PRESS COVERAGE)
2:00 p.m. Assistant Secretary Stock chairs the inaugural steering committee meeting for the Center for Strategic Counterterrorism Communications (CSCC), at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
AMBASSADOR-AT-LARGE FOR GLOBAL WOMEN’S ISSUES MELANNE VERVEER
10:00 a.m. Ambassador Verveer gives a presentation at the Foreign Service Institute’s Ambassadorial Seminar, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
2:00 p.m. Ambassador Verveer attends a meeting at the White House.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY WHITE HOUSE)
SR FOR GLOBAL INTERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS RETA JO LEWIS
Special Representative Lewis meets with elected officials and private sector leaders in Brasilia and Recife, Brazil through January 25.
9:00 a.m. Special Representative Lewis meets with Pernambuco Secretary of Labor and Social Inclusion Antonio Carlos Maranhao, in Recife, Brazil.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY HOST)
10:30 a.m. Special Representative Lewis meets with Pernambuco Arena Director Marcos Lessa, Recife, Brazil.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
12:00 p.m. Special Representative Lewis meets with Mayor Of Recife Joao da Costa, in Recife, Brazil.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY HOST)
5:00 p.m. Special Representative Lewis meets with Rio Grande do Norte Governor Rosalba Ciarlini and World Cup Secretary Demetrio Torres, in Natal, Brazil.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY HOST)
SR TO MUSLIM COMMUNITIES FARAH PANDITH
Special Representative Pandith travels to New York to meet with representatives from TED.
SPECIAL ENVOY TO MONITOR AND COMBAT ANTI-SEMITISM HANNAH ROSENTHAL
5:30 p.m. Special Envoy Rosenthal attends a film screening of “The Last Flight of Petr Ginz” to commemorate International Holocaust Remembrance Day, in New York City. Please click here for more information.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY HOST)
Please contact Holocaustremembrance@un.org for more information on attending.
PRESS BRIEFING SCHEDULE
12:30 p.m. Daily Press Briefing with Spokesperson Victoria Nuland
SECRETARY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
9:30 a.m. Secretary Clinton meets with the senior management team, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
10:00 a.m. Secretary Clinton meets with Brazilian youth participating in the Youth Ambassadors program, at the Department of State.
(OPEN PRESS)
10:15 a.m. Secretary Clinton meets with Indian Ambassador Nirupama Rao, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
2:45 p.m. Secretary Clinton delivers remarks and participates in a question and answer session at the Inaugural Steering Committee Meeting with the Center for Strategic Counterterrorism, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
DEPUTY SECRETARY BILL BURNS
9:30 a.m. Deputy Secretary Burns meets with Ambassador to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Ivo Daalder, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
DEPUTY SECRETARY TOM NIDES
Deputy Secretary Nides joins Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Neal Wolin on foreign travel to Israel, the West Bank and Tunisia through January 26 to meet with senior government officials and discuss recent developments in the region.
8:00 a.m. Deputy Secretary Nides meets with the President and Members of the Tunisian American Chamber of Commerce, in Tunis, Tunisia.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY THE TUNISIAN AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE)
10:00 a.m. Deputy Secretary Nides meets with President Moncef Marzouki, in Tunis, Tunisia.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY THE TUNISIAN GOVERNMENT)
11:00 a.m. Deputy Secretary Nides meets with Finance Minister Houcine Dimassi, in Tunis, Tunisia.
(MEDIA DETERMINDED BY THE TUNISIAN GOVERNMENT)
1:00 p.m. Deputy Secretary Nides meets with Deputy Foreign Minister Hedi Ben Abbes, in Tunis, Tunisia.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY THE TUNISIAN GOVERNMENT)
3:00 p.m. Deputy Secretary Nides meets with Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali, in Tunis, Tunisia.
(MEDIA DETERMINDED BY THE TUNISIAN GOVERNMENT)
7:30 p.m. Deputy Secretary Nides meets with the Civil Society Businessmen, in Tunis, Tunisia.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
USAID ADMINISTRATOR RAJ SHAH
Administrator Shah is on foreign travel in Davos, Switzerland to attend the World Economic Forum annual meeting.
US FOR ECONOMIC, GROWTH, ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT ROBERT HORMATS
Under Secretary Hormats is on foreign travel in Davos, Switzerland through January 28 to attend the World Economic Forum annual meeting.
10:00 a.m. Under Secretary Hormats participates in a panel discussion on “Exploring the Political and Economic Implications of Resources Scarcity”, in Davos, Switzerland.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
12:30 p.m. Under Secretary Hormats participates in a meeting on the “Food-Energy-Water-Climate Change Nexus,” in Davos, Switzerland.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
4:00 p.m. Under Secretary Hormats meets with Tanzania President Kikwete, in Davos, Switzerland.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
6:05 p.m. Under Secretary Hormats meets with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, in Davos, Switzerland.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
7:30 p.m. Under Secretary Hormats meets with European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) President Thomas Mirow, in Davos, Switzerland.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
8:00 p.m. Under Secretary Hormats attends a meeting hosted by GE Vice Chairman John Rice on “Innovation and Trade”, in Davos, Switzerland.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
US FOR CIVILIAN SECURITY, DEMOCRACY, AND HUMAN RIGHTS MARIA OTERO
8:45 a.m. Under Secretary Otero hosts the global issues principals meeting, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
11:30 a.m. Under Secretary Otero delivers remarks at the Ambassadorial Seminar, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
2:30 p.m. Under Secretary Otero meets with the Peruvian Ambassador Harold Forsyth, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
US FOR ARMS CONTROL AND INTERNATIONAL SECURITY AFFAIRS ELLEN TAUSCHER
10:00 a.m. Under Secretary Tauscher meets with French Director For Strategic Affairs, Patrick Maisonnave, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
11:00 a.m. Under Secretary Tauscher meets with Director of the Institute of US and Canadian Studies of the Russian Academy of Science, Sergey Rogov, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
6:30 p.m. Under Secretary Tauscher attends the sixth annual Strategic Weapons in the 21st Century Conference Dinner jointly sponsored by Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), in Washington, DC. (CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
AS FOR SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIAN AFFAIRS ROBERT BLAKE
8:00 a.m. Assistant Secretary Blake meets with Permanent Representative to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development Ambassador Karen Kornbluh, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
10:15 a.m. Assistant Secretary Blake attends Secretary Clinton’s meeting with Indian Ambassador Nirupama Rao, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
1:00 p.m. Assistant Secretary Blake meets with John Mroz of the EastWest Institute, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
2:00 p.m. Assistant Secretary Blake meets with U.S. Executive Director to the Asian Development Bank Ambassador Robert Orr, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
5:30 p.m. Assistant Secretary Blake delivers remarks at a Central Asia Caucasus Institute forum, in Washington, DC. Please click here for more information.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY HOST)
For more information on attending please contact the SAIS Communications Office at (202)663-5626 or fklubes@jhu.edu.
AS FOR INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT AFFAIRS WILLIAM BROWNFIELD
3:00 p.m. Assistant Secretary Brownfield meets with Ambassador to Paraguay James Thessin, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
AS FOR AFRICAN AFFAIRS JOHNNIE CARSON
Assistant Secretary Carson is on foreign travel to Ghana, Uganda, South Sudan and Ethiopia from January 25 – 30.
AS FOR INTERNATIONAL SECURITY AND NONPROLIFERATION TOM COUNTRYMAN
Assistant Secretary Countryman holds bilateral consultations on international security and nonproliferation issues in Burma through January 24.
AS FOR ECONOMIC AND BUSINESS AFFAIRS JOSE FERNANDEZ
12:30 p.m. Assistant Secretary Fernandez meets with Colombian Ambassador Silva, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
2:00 p.m. Assistant Secretary Fernandez participates in a meeting on the Telecommunications Supply Chain, at the White House.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY WHITE HOUSE)
AS FOR ARMS CONTROL, VERIFICATION AND COMPLIANCE ROSE GOTTEMOELLER
Assistant Secretary Gottemoeller is on foreign travel to Geneva, Switzerland and Vienna, Austria through January 27. On Wednesday, Assistant Secretary Gottemoeller participates in meetings relating to conventional forces in Europe, in Vienna, Austria.
ACTING AS FOR WESTERN HEMISPHERE AFFAIRS ROBERTA JACOBSON
10:00 a.m. Acting Assistant Secretary Jacobson attends Secretary Clinton’s meeting with Brazilian youth participating in the Youth Ambassadors program, at the Department of State.
(OPEN PRESS COVERAGE)
11:00 a.m. Acting Assistant Secretary Jacobson meets with Martha Smith, President and CEO of the U.S.-Mexico Foundation, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
AS FOR OCEANS AND INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL AND SCIENTIFIC AFFAIRS KERRI-ANN JONES
8:00 a.m. Assistant Secretary Jones appears before the House Subcommittee on Energy and Power at the Rayburn House Office Building, in Washington, DC.
(OPEN PRESS COVERAGE)
AS FOR DEMOCRACY, HUMAN RIGHTS AND LABOR MICHAEL POSNER
Assistant Secretary Posner is on foreign travel in Egypt to meet with government officials and civil society representatives.
AS FOR POLITICAL-MILITARY AFFAIRS ANDREW SHAPIRO
Assistant Secretary Shapiro travels to Illinois to visit U.S. Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM).
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
ASSISTANT SECRETARY ANN STOCK
10:00 a.m. Assistant Secretary Stock delivers remarks at a reception for Secretary Clinton’s meeting with Brazilian youth participating in the Youth Ambassadors program, at the Department of State.
(OPEN PRESS COVERAGE)
2:00 p.m. Assistant Secretary Stock chairs the inaugural steering committee meeting for the Center for Strategic Counterterrorism Communications (CSCC), at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
AMBASSADOR-AT-LARGE FOR GLOBAL WOMEN’S ISSUES MELANNE VERVEER
10:00 a.m. Ambassador Verveer gives a presentation at the Foreign Service Institute’s Ambassadorial Seminar, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
2:00 p.m. Ambassador Verveer attends a meeting at the White House.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY WHITE HOUSE)
SR FOR GLOBAL INTERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS RETA JO LEWIS
Special Representative Lewis meets with elected officials and private sector leaders in Brasilia and Recife, Brazil through January 25.
9:00 a.m. Special Representative Lewis meets with Pernambuco Secretary of Labor and Social Inclusion Antonio Carlos Maranhao, in Recife, Brazil.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY HOST)
10:30 a.m. Special Representative Lewis meets with Pernambuco Arena Director Marcos Lessa, Recife, Brazil.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
12:00 p.m. Special Representative Lewis meets with Mayor Of Recife Joao da Costa, in Recife, Brazil.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY HOST)
5:00 p.m. Special Representative Lewis meets with Rio Grande do Norte Governor Rosalba Ciarlini and World Cup Secretary Demetrio Torres, in Natal, Brazil.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY HOST)
SR TO MUSLIM COMMUNITIES FARAH PANDITH
Special Representative Pandith travels to New York to meet with representatives from TED.
SPECIAL ENVOY TO MONITOR AND COMBAT ANTI-SEMITISM HANNAH ROSENTHAL
5:30 p.m. Special Envoy Rosenthal attends a film screening of “The Last Flight of Petr Ginz” to commemorate International Holocaust Remembrance Day, in New York City. Please click here for more information.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY HOST)
Please contact Holocaustremembrance@un.org for more information on attending.
PRESS BRIEFING SCHEDULE
12:30 p.m. Daily Press Briefing with Spokesperson Victoria Nuland
25 Jan 2012, Wed, Pres and VP Schedules
http://www.whitehouse.gov/schedule
9:50 am
The President departs the White House en route Joint Base Andrews
South Lawn
Open Press
10:05 am
The President departs Joint Base Andrews en route Cedar Rapids, IA
Travel Pool Coverage
Out of Town Travel Pool Coverage (Gather 8:45AM—Virginia Gate, Joint Base Andrews)
12:20 pm
The President arrives Cedar Rapids, IA
Local Event Time:
11:20 AM CST
Eastern Iowa Airport
Open Press
12:40 pm
The President tours Conveyor Engineering & Manufacturing
Local Event Time:
11:40AM CST
Cedar Rapids, Conveyor Engineering & Manufacturing, IA
Travel Pool Coverage
12:55 pm
The President delivers remarks at Conveyor Engineering & Manufacturing
Local Event Time:
11:55AM CST
Cedar Rapids, Conveyor Engineering & Manufacturing, IA
Open Press
2:30 pm
The President departs Cedar Rapids, IA en route Phoenix, AZ
Local Event Time:
1:30 PM CST
Eastern Iowa Airport
Open Press
5:35 pm
The President arrives Phoenix, AZ
Local Event Time:
3:35PM MST
Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport
Open Press
6:30 pm
The President delivers remarks at Intel Ocotillo Campus
Local Event Time:
4:30PM MST
Intel Ocotillo Campus
Open Press
8:35 pm
The President departs Phoenix, AZ en route Las Vegas, NV
Local Event Time:
6:35 MST
Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport
Open Press
9:30 pm
The President arrives Las Vegas, NV
Local Event Time:
6:30 PM PST
Las Vegas McCarren International Airport
Open Press
http://www.whitehouse.gov/schedule/vice-president
No public schedule
9:50 am
The President departs the White House en route Joint Base Andrews
South Lawn
Open Press
10:05 am
The President departs Joint Base Andrews en route Cedar Rapids, IA
Travel Pool Coverage
Out of Town Travel Pool Coverage (Gather 8:45AM—Virginia Gate, Joint Base Andrews)
12:20 pm
The President arrives Cedar Rapids, IA
Local Event Time:
11:20 AM CST
Eastern Iowa Airport
Open Press
12:40 pm
The President tours Conveyor Engineering & Manufacturing
Local Event Time:
11:40AM CST
Cedar Rapids, Conveyor Engineering & Manufacturing, IA
Travel Pool Coverage
12:55 pm
The President delivers remarks at Conveyor Engineering & Manufacturing
Local Event Time:
11:55AM CST
Cedar Rapids, Conveyor Engineering & Manufacturing, IA
Open Press
2:30 pm
The President departs Cedar Rapids, IA en route Phoenix, AZ
Local Event Time:
1:30 PM CST
Eastern Iowa Airport
Open Press
5:35 pm
The President arrives Phoenix, AZ
Local Event Time:
3:35PM MST
Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport
Open Press
6:30 pm
The President delivers remarks at Intel Ocotillo Campus
Local Event Time:
4:30PM MST
Intel Ocotillo Campus
Open Press
8:35 pm
The President departs Phoenix, AZ en route Las Vegas, NV
Local Event Time:
6:35 MST
Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport
Open Press
9:30 pm
The President arrives Las Vegas, NV
Local Event Time:
6:30 PM PST
Las Vegas McCarren International Airport
Open Press
http://www.whitehouse.gov/schedule/vice-president
No public schedule
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Mark Steyn In For Rush Today
I only listened to a few minutes of his monologue.
He was ripping the "debate" that took place last night, and the ridiculous questions that Brian Williams asked, like "If China were Cuba, how would you react to them?) and crap like that.
I didn't watch the debate last night, but I saw a few seconds of it, where Romney must have asked Newt some question and Newt was really pissed off and said, "I'm appalled you would ask a question like that."
I must say these guys are doing themselves more harm than good with these attack tactics. Focus on Obama and on what *you* would do to get the country back on track.
For example, would either of these guys have signed the Keystone Pipeline into business?
Apparently they were also asked a question about Terry Schiavo, the brain-dead woman who was the subject of a lawsuit. Husband wanted to let her die, parents wanted to keep her alive. Rush of course and lots of people, for relgious reasons, wanted her left alife.
I'm afraid I don't understand that. Even if she wasn't brain dead....what kind of life was she living? Could not move. Could not speak. Could not communicate. Could do nothing but lie in bed all day with other people feeding her, cleaning her, etc? What is that but a kind of hell on earth, and what Christian person would consign her to that? Or anyone in such a state? It's one thing to be a vegetable and not know that you're still alive, it's another thing to still be able to think, trapped in your own mind. How could that be anything but hell?
He was ripping the "debate" that took place last night, and the ridiculous questions that Brian Williams asked, like "If China were Cuba, how would you react to them?) and crap like that.
I didn't watch the debate last night, but I saw a few seconds of it, where Romney must have asked Newt some question and Newt was really pissed off and said, "I'm appalled you would ask a question like that."
I must say these guys are doing themselves more harm than good with these attack tactics. Focus on Obama and on what *you* would do to get the country back on track.
For example, would either of these guys have signed the Keystone Pipeline into business?
Apparently they were also asked a question about Terry Schiavo, the brain-dead woman who was the subject of a lawsuit. Husband wanted to let her die, parents wanted to keep her alive. Rush of course and lots of people, for relgious reasons, wanted her left alife.
I'm afraid I don't understand that. Even if she wasn't brain dead....what kind of life was she living? Could not move. Could not speak. Could not communicate. Could do nothing but lie in bed all day with other people feeding her, cleaning her, etc? What is that but a kind of hell on earth, and what Christian person would consign her to that? Or anyone in such a state? It's one thing to be a vegetable and not know that you're still alive, it's another thing to still be able to think, trapped in your own mind. How could that be anything but hell?
24 Jan 2012, Tues, SoS Clinton and Staff Schedule
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/appt/2012/01/182374.htm
SECRETARY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
9:15 a.m. Secretary Clinton hosts the inaugural meeting of the International Council on Women's Business Leadership, at the Department of State.
(OPEN PRESS FOR REMARKS)
12:00 p.m. Secretary Clinton meets with Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and National Security Advisor Tom Donilon, at the White House.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY WHITE HOUSE)
5:15 p.m. Secretary Clinton attends a meeting at the White House.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY WHITE HOUSE)
8:30 p.m. Secretary Clinton attends the State of the Union address, at the U.S. Capitol Building.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY CONGRESS)
DEPUTY SECRETARY BURNS
10:00 a.m. Deputy Secretary Burns meets with Brazilian Ambassador Mauro Vieira, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
12:30 p.m. Deputy Secretary Burns attends a meeting at the White House.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY WHITE HOUSE)
5:15 p.m. Deputy Secretary Burns attends a meeting at the White House.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY WHITE HOUSE)
DEPUTY SECRETARY TOM NIDES
Deputy Secretary Nides joins Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Neal Wolin on foreign travel to Israel, the West Bank and Tunisia through January 26 to meet with senior government officials and discuss recent developments in the region. Click here for more information.
USAID ADMINISTRATOR RAJ SHAH
11:30 a.m. Administrator Shah meets with Qatari Ambassador Ali Bin Fahad Al-Hajri, at USAID.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
US FOR ECONOMIC, GROWTH, ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT ROBERT HORMATS
Under Secretary Hormats is on foreign travel in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland through January 28 to attend the World Economic Forum annual meeting.
US FOR CIVILIAN SECURITY, DEMOCRACY, AND HUMAN RIGHTS MARIA OTERO
12:30 p.m. Under Secretary Otero meets with Costa Rican Ambassador Muni Figueres at the Metropolitan Club in Washington, DC.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
US FOR ARMS CONTROL AND INTERNATIONAL SECURITY AFFAIRS ELLEN TAUSCHER
11:00 a.m. Under Secretary Tauscher meets with Director of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Dr. Parney Albright, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
CHIEF OF PROTOCOL AMBASSADOR CAPRICIA PENAVIC MARSHALL
6:00 p.m. Ambassador Marshall hosts a reception for Chiefs of Mission, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
9:00 p.m. Ambassador Marshall accompanies the Diplomatic Corps to President Obama’s State of the Union address, at the U.S. Capitol Building.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY CONGRESS)
AS FOR SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIAN AFFAIRS ROBERT BLAKE
10:00 a.m. Assistant Secretary Blake meets with Fatema Sumar, Senate Foreign Relations Committee staff, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
6:00 p.m. Assistant Secretary Blake attends a reception for Chiefs of Mission, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
AS FOR INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT AFFAIRS WILLIAM BROWNFIELD
2:00 p.m. Assistant Secretary Brownfield meets with the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR), Stuart Bowen, in Arlington, VA.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
4:00 p.m. Assistant Secretary Brownfield meets with British Deputy Ambassador Catherine Royle, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
AS FOR INTERNATIONAL SECURITY AND NONPROLIFERATION TOM COUNTRYMAN
Assistant Secretary Countryman holds bilateral consultations on international security and nonproliferation issues in Burma through January 24.
AS FOR ECONOMIC AND BUSINESS AFFAIRS JOSE FERNANDEZ
10:00 a.m. Assistant Secretary Fernandez participates in a roundtable discussion with leaders from the water technologies industry, at the Department of Commerce.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY HOST)
2:00 p.m. Assistant Secretary Fernandez delivers remarks at the Ambassadorial Seminar, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
3:00 p.m. Assistant Secretary Fernandez participates in interviews with Radio Sawa and Al-Hurra on his recently completed trip to the Maghreb region, at the Department of State.
AS FOR ARMS CONTROL, VERIFICATION AND COMPLIANCE ROSE GOTTEMOELLER
Assistant Secretary Gottemoeller is on foreign travel to Geneva, Switzerland and Vienna, Austria through January 27.
10:00a.m. Assistant Secretary Gottemoeller delivers remarks on behalf of the United States to the opening session of the Conference on Disarmament.
Click here for more information.
ACTING AS FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS MICHAEL HAMMER
2:00 p.m. Acting Assistant Secretary Hammer participates in a Twitter Q&A on the State Department’s Spanish-language Twitter feed @USAenEspanol, at the Department of State.
5:30 p.m. Acting Assistant Secretary Hammer attends a reception to commemorate 70 years of diplomatic relations between Iceland and the United States at the residence of the Icelandic Ambassador.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
AS FOR OCEANS AND INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL AND SCIENTIFIC AFFAIRS KERRI-ANN JONES
6:00 p.m. Assistant Secretary Jones attends an event in connection with the Neureiter Symposium on Science Diplomacy at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), in Washington, DC.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
AS FOR DEMOCRACY, HUMAN RIGHTS AND LABOR MICHAEL POSNER
Assistant Secretary Posner is on foreign travel in Egypt to meet with government officials and civil society representatives.
ACTING AS FOR POPULATION, REFUGEES AND MIGRATION DAVID ROBINSON
12:00 p.m. Acting Assistant Secretary Robinson holds a Facebook chat on how the United States provides aid and sustainable solutions for refugees, victims of conflict and stateless people around the world.
2:00 p.m. Acting Assistant Secretary Robinson participates in a press call on updates in the Horn of Africa with USAID Assistant Administrator Nancy Lindborg and Bureau of African Affairs Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Diplomacy, Bruce Wharton.
AS ANN STOCK
11:30 a.m. Assistant Secretary Stock meets with U.S. Ambassador-designate to India Ambassador Nancy Powell, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
1:00 p.m. Assistant Secretary Stock addresses the Ambassadorial Seminar, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
5:00 p.m. Assistant Secretary Stock hosts a reception for the new public diplomacy coned foreign service officers from the 165th A-100 class, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
6:00 p.m. Assistant Secretary Stock attends a reception for Chiefs of Mission, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
GLOBAL AIDS COORDINATOR AMBASSADOR ERIC GOOSBY
9:00 a.m. Ambassador Goosby addresses the Haiti Earthquake 2-Year Public Commemoration Events Briefing on Health and Cholera, at the Rayburn Building in Washington, DC.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY HOST)
AMBASSADOR-AT-LARGE FOR GLOBAL WOMEN’S ISSUES MELANNE VERVEER
9:15 a.m. Ambassador Verveer participates in the inaugural meeting of the Secretary’s International Council on Women’s Business Leadership (ICWBL), at the Department of State.
(OPEN PRESS COVERAGE)
4:00 p.m. Ambassador Verveer meets with former Swedish Foreign Minister and International Council on Women’s Business Leadership participant Maud Olofsson, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
3:00 p.m. Ambassador Verveer meets with a delegation of local and provincial Pakistani female parliamentarians participating in an International Visitors Leadership Program (IVLP) on “Women as Political Leaders,” at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
SR FOR GLOBAL INTERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS RETA JO LEWIS
Special Representative Lewis meets with elected officials and private sector leaders in Brasilia and Recife, Brazil through January 25.
DIRECTOR OF POLICY PLANNING JAKE SULLIVAN
9:00 a.m. Director Sullivan is interviewed on LiveAtState, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
4:00 p.m. Director Sullivan attends a meeting at the White House.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY WHITE HOUSE)
PRESS BRIEFING SCHEDULE
12:30 p.m. Daily Press Briefing with Spokesperson Victoria Nuland
SECRETARY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
9:15 a.m. Secretary Clinton hosts the inaugural meeting of the International Council on Women's Business Leadership, at the Department of State.
(OPEN PRESS FOR REMARKS)
12:00 p.m. Secretary Clinton meets with Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and National Security Advisor Tom Donilon, at the White House.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY WHITE HOUSE)
5:15 p.m. Secretary Clinton attends a meeting at the White House.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY WHITE HOUSE)
8:30 p.m. Secretary Clinton attends the State of the Union address, at the U.S. Capitol Building.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY CONGRESS)
DEPUTY SECRETARY BURNS
10:00 a.m. Deputy Secretary Burns meets with Brazilian Ambassador Mauro Vieira, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
12:30 p.m. Deputy Secretary Burns attends a meeting at the White House.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY WHITE HOUSE)
5:15 p.m. Deputy Secretary Burns attends a meeting at the White House.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY WHITE HOUSE)
DEPUTY SECRETARY TOM NIDES
Deputy Secretary Nides joins Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Neal Wolin on foreign travel to Israel, the West Bank and Tunisia through January 26 to meet with senior government officials and discuss recent developments in the region. Click here for more information.
USAID ADMINISTRATOR RAJ SHAH
11:30 a.m. Administrator Shah meets with Qatari Ambassador Ali Bin Fahad Al-Hajri, at USAID.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
US FOR ECONOMIC, GROWTH, ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT ROBERT HORMATS
Under Secretary Hormats is on foreign travel in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland through January 28 to attend the World Economic Forum annual meeting.
US FOR CIVILIAN SECURITY, DEMOCRACY, AND HUMAN RIGHTS MARIA OTERO
12:30 p.m. Under Secretary Otero meets with Costa Rican Ambassador Muni Figueres at the Metropolitan Club in Washington, DC.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
US FOR ARMS CONTROL AND INTERNATIONAL SECURITY AFFAIRS ELLEN TAUSCHER
11:00 a.m. Under Secretary Tauscher meets with Director of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Dr. Parney Albright, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
CHIEF OF PROTOCOL AMBASSADOR CAPRICIA PENAVIC MARSHALL
6:00 p.m. Ambassador Marshall hosts a reception for Chiefs of Mission, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
9:00 p.m. Ambassador Marshall accompanies the Diplomatic Corps to President Obama’s State of the Union address, at the U.S. Capitol Building.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY CONGRESS)
AS FOR SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIAN AFFAIRS ROBERT BLAKE
10:00 a.m. Assistant Secretary Blake meets with Fatema Sumar, Senate Foreign Relations Committee staff, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
6:00 p.m. Assistant Secretary Blake attends a reception for Chiefs of Mission, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
AS FOR INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT AFFAIRS WILLIAM BROWNFIELD
2:00 p.m. Assistant Secretary Brownfield meets with the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR), Stuart Bowen, in Arlington, VA.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
4:00 p.m. Assistant Secretary Brownfield meets with British Deputy Ambassador Catherine Royle, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
AS FOR INTERNATIONAL SECURITY AND NONPROLIFERATION TOM COUNTRYMAN
Assistant Secretary Countryman holds bilateral consultations on international security and nonproliferation issues in Burma through January 24.
AS FOR ECONOMIC AND BUSINESS AFFAIRS JOSE FERNANDEZ
10:00 a.m. Assistant Secretary Fernandez participates in a roundtable discussion with leaders from the water technologies industry, at the Department of Commerce.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY HOST)
2:00 p.m. Assistant Secretary Fernandez delivers remarks at the Ambassadorial Seminar, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
3:00 p.m. Assistant Secretary Fernandez participates in interviews with Radio Sawa and Al-Hurra on his recently completed trip to the Maghreb region, at the Department of State.
AS FOR ARMS CONTROL, VERIFICATION AND COMPLIANCE ROSE GOTTEMOELLER
Assistant Secretary Gottemoeller is on foreign travel to Geneva, Switzerland and Vienna, Austria through January 27.
10:00a.m. Assistant Secretary Gottemoeller delivers remarks on behalf of the United States to the opening session of the Conference on Disarmament.
Click here for more information.
ACTING AS FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS MICHAEL HAMMER
2:00 p.m. Acting Assistant Secretary Hammer participates in a Twitter Q&A on the State Department’s Spanish-language Twitter feed @USAenEspanol, at the Department of State.
5:30 p.m. Acting Assistant Secretary Hammer attends a reception to commemorate 70 years of diplomatic relations between Iceland and the United States at the residence of the Icelandic Ambassador.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
AS FOR OCEANS AND INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL AND SCIENTIFIC AFFAIRS KERRI-ANN JONES
6:00 p.m. Assistant Secretary Jones attends an event in connection with the Neureiter Symposium on Science Diplomacy at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), in Washington, DC.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
AS FOR DEMOCRACY, HUMAN RIGHTS AND LABOR MICHAEL POSNER
Assistant Secretary Posner is on foreign travel in Egypt to meet with government officials and civil society representatives.
ACTING AS FOR POPULATION, REFUGEES AND MIGRATION DAVID ROBINSON
12:00 p.m. Acting Assistant Secretary Robinson holds a Facebook chat on how the United States provides aid and sustainable solutions for refugees, victims of conflict and stateless people around the world.
2:00 p.m. Acting Assistant Secretary Robinson participates in a press call on updates in the Horn of Africa with USAID Assistant Administrator Nancy Lindborg and Bureau of African Affairs Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Diplomacy, Bruce Wharton.
AS ANN STOCK
11:30 a.m. Assistant Secretary Stock meets with U.S. Ambassador-designate to India Ambassador Nancy Powell, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
1:00 p.m. Assistant Secretary Stock addresses the Ambassadorial Seminar, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
5:00 p.m. Assistant Secretary Stock hosts a reception for the new public diplomacy coned foreign service officers from the 165th A-100 class, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
6:00 p.m. Assistant Secretary Stock attends a reception for Chiefs of Mission, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
GLOBAL AIDS COORDINATOR AMBASSADOR ERIC GOOSBY
9:00 a.m. Ambassador Goosby addresses the Haiti Earthquake 2-Year Public Commemoration Events Briefing on Health and Cholera, at the Rayburn Building in Washington, DC.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY HOST)
AMBASSADOR-AT-LARGE FOR GLOBAL WOMEN’S ISSUES MELANNE VERVEER
9:15 a.m. Ambassador Verveer participates in the inaugural meeting of the Secretary’s International Council on Women’s Business Leadership (ICWBL), at the Department of State.
(OPEN PRESS COVERAGE)
4:00 p.m. Ambassador Verveer meets with former Swedish Foreign Minister and International Council on Women’s Business Leadership participant Maud Olofsson, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
3:00 p.m. Ambassador Verveer meets with a delegation of local and provincial Pakistani female parliamentarians participating in an International Visitors Leadership Program (IVLP) on “Women as Political Leaders,” at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
SR FOR GLOBAL INTERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS RETA JO LEWIS
Special Representative Lewis meets with elected officials and private sector leaders in Brasilia and Recife, Brazil through January 25.
DIRECTOR OF POLICY PLANNING JAKE SULLIVAN
9:00 a.m. Director Sullivan is interviewed on LiveAtState, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
4:00 p.m. Director Sullivan attends a meeting at the White House.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY WHITE HOUSE)
PRESS BRIEFING SCHEDULE
12:30 p.m. Daily Press Briefing with Spokesperson Victoria Nuland
24 Jan 2012, Tue, Pres and VP Schedules
http://www.whitehouse.gov/schedule
9:00 pm
The President delivers the State of the Union Address; the First Lady attends
United States Capitol
Travel Pool Coverage
The Vice President has no public schedule.
Tomorrow, the President is hitting the campaign trail.
9:00 pm
The President delivers the State of the Union Address; the First Lady attends
United States Capitol
Travel Pool Coverage
The Vice President has no public schedule.
Tomorrow, the President is hitting the campaign trail.
Monday, January 23, 2012
Solyndra Destroying Their Product????
Talk about ineptness. Whoever gave these folks a loan should be kicked to the curb.
Solyndra Throws Stuff Away
RUSH: There's a story I have here on Solyndra. I wanted to make a point about private entrepreneurism, capitalism, and so forth. The Solyndra story is from CBS San Francisco. "After filing for bankruptcy last year, Fremont solar company Solyndra still owes American taxpayers half a billion dollars. But CBS 5 caught them destroying millions of dollars worth of parts. At Solyndra’s sprawling complex in Fremont, workers in white jumpsuits were unwrapping brand new glass tubes used in solar panels last week. They are the latest, most cutting-edge solar technology, and they are being thrown into dumpsters.
"Forklifts brought one pallet after another piled high with the carefully packaged glass. Slowly but surely it all ended up shattered. And it’s not a few loads. Hundreds of thousands of tubes on shrink-wrapped pallets will meet a similar demise. Solyndra paid at least $2 million for the specialized glass. A CBS 5 crew found one piece lying in the parking lot. Solyndra still owes the German company that made the tubes close to another $8 million," and they're throwing the stuff away, with the imprimatur of Obama, with the approval of Obama.
Just throw it away. Doesn't matter, even though they owe the money. They're in bankruptcy. They've gotta pay things back. They're throwing the stuff away. Nothing like that could happen in the private sector. Nothing at all like that could happen. It's just striking out there.
Solyndra Throws Stuff Away
RUSH: There's a story I have here on Solyndra. I wanted to make a point about private entrepreneurism, capitalism, and so forth. The Solyndra story is from CBS San Francisco. "After filing for bankruptcy last year, Fremont solar company Solyndra still owes American taxpayers half a billion dollars. But CBS 5 caught them destroying millions of dollars worth of parts. At Solyndra’s sprawling complex in Fremont, workers in white jumpsuits were unwrapping brand new glass tubes used in solar panels last week. They are the latest, most cutting-edge solar technology, and they are being thrown into dumpsters.
"Forklifts brought one pallet after another piled high with the carefully packaged glass. Slowly but surely it all ended up shattered. And it’s not a few loads. Hundreds of thousands of tubes on shrink-wrapped pallets will meet a similar demise. Solyndra paid at least $2 million for the specialized glass. A CBS 5 crew found one piece lying in the parking lot. Solyndra still owes the German company that made the tubes close to another $8 million," and they're throwing the stuff away, with the imprimatur of Obama, with the approval of Obama.
Just throw it away. Doesn't matter, even though they owe the money. They're in bankruptcy. They've gotta pay things back. They're throwing the stuff away. Nothing like that could happen in the private sector. Nothing at all like that could happen. It's just striking out there.
How much does the media influence who we'll vote for?
I didn't hear this on Rush today - although he's talked about it a bit too - but rather on the Glenn Beck show.
Right now, if you just read the papers, it's a 2-man race. Romney and Gingrich. But there are other people in the primaries....Santorum, etc.
Now, I have to vote for Romney, I'm afraid. I'm not going to vote for someone who will try to force women to have babies regardless of whether they've been raped or may die if they're forced to bear the child.
On the other hand I don't like Romney's name-calling campaign against Newt. That annoys me.
Right now, if you just read the papers, it's a 2-man race. Romney and Gingrich. But there are other people in the primaries....Santorum, etc.
Now, I have to vote for Romney, I'm afraid. I'm not going to vote for someone who will try to force women to have babies regardless of whether they've been raped or may die if they're forced to bear the child.
On the other hand I don't like Romney's name-calling campaign against Newt. That annoys me.
23 Jan 2012, Mon, Rush Limbaugh headlines
--DC Elites Tell You in Their Own Words What I've Been Telling You Since November 10th
--The GOP Establishment in Abject Panic: They Don't Understand Their Own Base
--Newt is a Vessel: He Won South Carolina Because He Articulated Conservatism
--David Brooks' Tortured Path to Blaming the Ruination of America on Rush Limbaugh
--Electability Results from Getting Elected
--Why Apple Can't Make iPhones in America
--Obama Voter Changes His Mind After Keystone Pipeline Decision
--Reluctantly... My Advice for Rick Santorum
Stack of Stuff
--TSA Detains Rand Paul
--Zero Hedge on Minimum Wage Households and Disposable Income.
--TIME Compares Newt to Nixon
--Tyler Screeches National Anthem
-- NFL Championship Games Pull Big Ratings
--Why Two If By Tea Doesn't Go Retail
--Solyndra Throws Stuff Away
--Tall Men Have Less Heart Attacks
--Crist Advisors Working for Mitt?
--The GOP Establishment in Abject Panic: They Don't Understand Their Own Base
--Newt is a Vessel: He Won South Carolina Because He Articulated Conservatism
--David Brooks' Tortured Path to Blaming the Ruination of America on Rush Limbaugh
--Electability Results from Getting Elected
--Why Apple Can't Make iPhones in America
--Obama Voter Changes His Mind After Keystone Pipeline Decision
--Reluctantly... My Advice for Rick Santorum
Stack of Stuff
--TSA Detains Rand Paul
--Zero Hedge on Minimum Wage Households and Disposable Income.
--TIME Compares Newt to Nixon
--Tyler Screeches National Anthem
-- NFL Championship Games Pull Big Ratings
--Why Two If By Tea Doesn't Go Retail
--Solyndra Throws Stuff Away
--Tall Men Have Less Heart Attacks
--Crist Advisors Working for Mitt?
23 Jan 2012, Mon, SoS Clinton and Staff Schedule
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/appt/2012/01/182339.htm
SECRETARY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
9:15 a.m. Secretary Clinton meets with the assistant secretaries, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
*****
DEPUTY SECRETARY BURNS
10:15 a.m. Deputy Secretary Burns meets with Israeli Vice Prime Minister and Minister for Strategic Affairs Moshe Ya’alon, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE )
1:00 p.m. Deputy Secretary Burns delivers remarks to the Ambassadorial Seminar, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
1:45 p.m. Deputy Secretary Burns meets with Japanese Ambassador Ichiro Fujisaki, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
3:15 p.m. Deputy Secretary Burns attends a meeting at the White House.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY WHITE HOUSE)
DEPUTY SECRETARY TOM NIDES
Deputy Secretary Nides joins Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Neal Wolin on foreign travel to Israel, the West Bank and Tunisia through January 26 to meet with senior government officials and discuss recent developments in the region.
USAID ADMINISTRATOR RAJ SHAH
11:15 a.m. Administrator Shah meets with Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, at the Department of Agriculture.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
2:15 p.m. Administrator Shah meets with the Advisory Committee On Voluntary Foreign Aid (ACVFA), at USAID.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
US FOR ECONOMIC, GROWTH, ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT ROBERT HORMATS
11:05 a.m. Under Secretary Hormats participates in the signing of the U.S.-Korea Environmental Cooperation Agreement, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
12:30 p.m. Under Secretary Hormats delivers remarks at the Arab Uprisings: A U.S. Perspective on the Economic Challenges One Year After the Egyptian Revolution, at the Stimson Center in Washington, DC.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
US FOR CIVILIAN SECURITY, DEMOCRACY, AND HUMAN RIGHTS MARIA OTERO
3:00 p.m. Under Secretary Otero meets with Afghan Minister of Counter Narcotics Zarar Moqbel Osmani, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
US FOR POLITICAL AFFAIRS WENDY SHERMAN
11:00 a.m. Under Secretary Sherman delivers remarks to the Ambassadorial Seminar, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
US FOR ARMS CONTROL AND INTERNATIONAL SECURITY AFFAIRS ELLEN TAUSCHER
10:15 a.m. Under Secretary Tauscher meets with Coordinator for Iran and North Korea Sanctions Robert Einhorn, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
AS FOR SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIAN AFFAIRS ROBERT BLAKE
8:00 a.m. Assistant Secretary Blake speaks with Maldivian Foreign Minister Naseem, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
AS FOR INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT AFFAIRS WILLIAM BROWNFIELD
11:00 a.m. Assistant Secretary Brownfield meets with Afghan Minister of Counter Narcotics Zarar Moqbel Osmani, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
AS FOR INTERNATIONAL SECURITY AND NONPROLIFERATION TOM COUNTRYMAN
Assistant Secretary Countryman holds bilateral consultations on international security and nonproliferation issues in Burma through January 24.
AS FOR ARMS CONTROL, VERIFICATION AND COMPLIANCE ROSE GOTTEMOELLER
Assistant Secretary Gottemoeller is on foreign travel to Geneva, Switzerland and Vienna, Austria through January 27.
ACTING AS FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS MICHAEL HAMMER
Acting Assistant Secretary Hammer meets with the Chinese Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs Ma Zhaoxu at the Department of State.
ACTING AS FOR WESTERN HEMISPHERE AFFAIRS ROBERTA JACOBSON
Acting Assistant Secretary Jacobson consults with various leaders of human rights NGOs regarding the annual Colombia human rights certification process, at the Department of State.
AS FOR OCEANS AND INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL AND SCIENTIFIC AFFAIRS KERRI-ANN JONES
11:00 a.m. Assistant Secretary Jones participates in a ceremony for the signing of a bilateral Environmental Cooperation Agreement by Under Secretary Hormats and Republic of Korea Ambassador Han Duk-soo, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
AS FOR DEMOCRACY, HUMAN RIGHTS AND LABOR MICHAEL POSNER
Assistant Secretary Posner is on foreign travel in Egypt to meet with government officials and civil society representatives.
AMBASSADOR-AT-LARGE STEPHEN RAPP, OFFICE OF GLOBAL CRIMINAL JUSTICE
Ambassador Rapp meets with former Chilean President Richardo Lagos, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
AMBASSADOR-AT-LARGE FOR GLOBAL WOMEN’S ISSUES MELANNE VERVEER
10:30 a.m. Ambassador Verveer meets with representatives from Limited Brands, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
12:30 p.m. Ambassador Verveer attends a meeting at the White House.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY WHITE HOUSE)
2:00 p.m. Ambassador Verveer meets with Afghan Minister of Counter Narcotics Ahmad Moqbel Zarar Osmani, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
4:00 p.m. Ambassador Verveer meets with Alexander Boehmer and Carolyn Irvin of the MENA-OECD Investment Programme, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
SR FOR GLOBAL INTERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS RETA JO LEWIS
Special Representative Lewis meets with elected officials and business leaders in Brasilia, Brazil.
DIRECTOR OF POLICY PLANNING JAKE SULLIVAN
2:00 p.m. Director Sullivan meets with Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
SECRETARY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
9:15 a.m. Secretary Clinton meets with the assistant secretaries, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
*****
DEPUTY SECRETARY BURNS
10:15 a.m. Deputy Secretary Burns meets with Israeli Vice Prime Minister and Minister for Strategic Affairs Moshe Ya’alon, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE )
1:00 p.m. Deputy Secretary Burns delivers remarks to the Ambassadorial Seminar, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
1:45 p.m. Deputy Secretary Burns meets with Japanese Ambassador Ichiro Fujisaki, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
3:15 p.m. Deputy Secretary Burns attends a meeting at the White House.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY WHITE HOUSE)
DEPUTY SECRETARY TOM NIDES
Deputy Secretary Nides joins Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Neal Wolin on foreign travel to Israel, the West Bank and Tunisia through January 26 to meet with senior government officials and discuss recent developments in the region.
USAID ADMINISTRATOR RAJ SHAH
11:15 a.m. Administrator Shah meets with Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, at the Department of Agriculture.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
2:15 p.m. Administrator Shah meets with the Advisory Committee On Voluntary Foreign Aid (ACVFA), at USAID.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
US FOR ECONOMIC, GROWTH, ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT ROBERT HORMATS
11:05 a.m. Under Secretary Hormats participates in the signing of the U.S.-Korea Environmental Cooperation Agreement, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
12:30 p.m. Under Secretary Hormats delivers remarks at the Arab Uprisings: A U.S. Perspective on the Economic Challenges One Year After the Egyptian Revolution, at the Stimson Center in Washington, DC.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
US FOR CIVILIAN SECURITY, DEMOCRACY, AND HUMAN RIGHTS MARIA OTERO
3:00 p.m. Under Secretary Otero meets with Afghan Minister of Counter Narcotics Zarar Moqbel Osmani, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
US FOR POLITICAL AFFAIRS WENDY SHERMAN
11:00 a.m. Under Secretary Sherman delivers remarks to the Ambassadorial Seminar, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
US FOR ARMS CONTROL AND INTERNATIONAL SECURITY AFFAIRS ELLEN TAUSCHER
10:15 a.m. Under Secretary Tauscher meets with Coordinator for Iran and North Korea Sanctions Robert Einhorn, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
AS FOR SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIAN AFFAIRS ROBERT BLAKE
8:00 a.m. Assistant Secretary Blake speaks with Maldivian Foreign Minister Naseem, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
AS FOR INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT AFFAIRS WILLIAM BROWNFIELD
11:00 a.m. Assistant Secretary Brownfield meets with Afghan Minister of Counter Narcotics Zarar Moqbel Osmani, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
AS FOR INTERNATIONAL SECURITY AND NONPROLIFERATION TOM COUNTRYMAN
Assistant Secretary Countryman holds bilateral consultations on international security and nonproliferation issues in Burma through January 24.
AS FOR ARMS CONTROL, VERIFICATION AND COMPLIANCE ROSE GOTTEMOELLER
Assistant Secretary Gottemoeller is on foreign travel to Geneva, Switzerland and Vienna, Austria through January 27.
ACTING AS FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS MICHAEL HAMMER
Acting Assistant Secretary Hammer meets with the Chinese Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs Ma Zhaoxu at the Department of State.
ACTING AS FOR WESTERN HEMISPHERE AFFAIRS ROBERTA JACOBSON
Acting Assistant Secretary Jacobson consults with various leaders of human rights NGOs regarding the annual Colombia human rights certification process, at the Department of State.
AS FOR OCEANS AND INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL AND SCIENTIFIC AFFAIRS KERRI-ANN JONES
11:00 a.m. Assistant Secretary Jones participates in a ceremony for the signing of a bilateral Environmental Cooperation Agreement by Under Secretary Hormats and Republic of Korea Ambassador Han Duk-soo, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
AS FOR DEMOCRACY, HUMAN RIGHTS AND LABOR MICHAEL POSNER
Assistant Secretary Posner is on foreign travel in Egypt to meet with government officials and civil society representatives.
AMBASSADOR-AT-LARGE STEPHEN RAPP, OFFICE OF GLOBAL CRIMINAL JUSTICE
Ambassador Rapp meets with former Chilean President Richardo Lagos, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
AMBASSADOR-AT-LARGE FOR GLOBAL WOMEN’S ISSUES MELANNE VERVEER
10:30 a.m. Ambassador Verveer meets with representatives from Limited Brands, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
12:30 p.m. Ambassador Verveer attends a meeting at the White House.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY WHITE HOUSE)
2:00 p.m. Ambassador Verveer meets with Afghan Minister of Counter Narcotics Ahmad Moqbel Zarar Osmani, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
4:00 p.m. Ambassador Verveer meets with Alexander Boehmer and Carolyn Irvin of the MENA-OECD Investment Programme, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
SR FOR GLOBAL INTERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS RETA JO LEWIS
Special Representative Lewis meets with elected officials and business leaders in Brasilia, Brazil.
DIRECTOR OF POLICY PLANNING JAKE SULLIVAN
2:00 p.m. Director Sullivan meets with Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
23 Jan 2012, Monday, Pres and VP Schedules
Neither the President nor the VP have much on tap today....
http://www.whitehouse.gov/schedule
10:30 am
The President and the Vice President receive the Presidential Daily Briefing
Oval Office
Closed Press
1:40 pm
The President welcomes the six-time Stanley Cup Champion Boston Bruins to the White House to honor the team and their 2011 Stanley Cup victory
http://www.whitehouse.gov/schedule
10:30 am
The President and the Vice President receive the Presidential Daily Briefing
Oval Office
Closed Press
1:40 pm
The President welcomes the six-time Stanley Cup Champion Boston Bruins to the White House to honor the team and their 2011 Stanley Cup victory
Friday, January 20, 2012
19 Jan 2011: Rush Limbaugh headlines
I missed posting last night. Apologies. Here are the headlines from yesterday's show.
--Drudge Screwed Up ABC's Plans for the Marianne Gingrich Interview
--Santorum Supporter on Gingrich Story
--Barack Obama is the Problem
--Chatter Begins for New Candidate
--Rick Perry is a patriot
--Brian Ross Brings Us the Salacious Details
--Keep the campaign in perspective
--Newt Plays America's Grandfather
--Occupy Guy on Romney's Wealth
--Translating Bob Beckel
--The Do-Nothing President
--Damned If You Do, Damned If You Don't
Stack of Stuff
--Rasmussen in SC: Gingrich 33, Romney 31, Paul 15
--Daniel Henninger Defends Romney Better Than Romney Does
--Biden Has Another "Stand Up, Chuck" Moment
--Poll: 64% of Americans Believe Candidates Attack Each Other
--Romney Concedes Iowa to Rick Santorum ...
--Drudge Screwed Up ABC's Plans for the Marianne Gingrich Interview
--Santorum Supporter on Gingrich Story
--Barack Obama is the Problem
--Chatter Begins for New Candidate
--Rick Perry is a patriot
--Brian Ross Brings Us the Salacious Details
--Keep the campaign in perspective
--Newt Plays America's Grandfather
--Occupy Guy on Romney's Wealth
--Translating Bob Beckel
--The Do-Nothing President
--Damned If You Do, Damned If You Don't
Stack of Stuff
--Rasmussen in SC: Gingrich 33, Romney 31, Paul 15
--Daniel Henninger Defends Romney Better Than Romney Does
--Biden Has Another "Stand Up, Chuck" Moment
--Poll: 64% of Americans Believe Candidates Attack Each Other
--Romney Concedes Iowa to Rick Santorum ...
Connecticut: Senator Richard Blumenthal (D) (Private profession - lawyer)
From Wikipedia:
Richard Blumenthal (born February 13, 1946) is the junior United States Senator from Connecticut and a member of the Democratic Party. Previously, he served as Attorney General of Connecticut.
Born in Brooklyn, New York, Blumenthal is a graduate of Harvard College, where he was editorial chairman of The Harvard Crimson. He studied for a year at Cambridge University in England before attending Yale Law School, where he was editor-in-chief of the Yale Law Journal. While at Yale, he was a classmate of future President Bill Clinton and future Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. From 1970 to 1976 Blumenthal served in the United States Marine Corps Reserve, where he earned the rank of sergeant.
After college Blumenthal served as administrative assistant and law clerk for several Washington figures. From 1977 to 1981 he was United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut. In the early 1980s he worked in private law, including volunteer counsel for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. He served in the Connecticut House of Representatives from 1984 to 1987, when he was elected to the Connecticut Senate. He was elected state Attorney General in 1990, and served for twenty years. During this period he was frequently speculated as a contender for Governor of Connecticut, but he never pursued the office.
Blumenthal announced his 2010 run for U.S. Senate after Democratic incumbent Chris Dodd announced his retirement. He faced professional wrestling magnate Linda McMahon in the general election, winning by a 12-point margin with 55 percent of the vote. On January 5, 2011 he was sworn in and took seats on the Senate Armed Services; Judiciary; Aging; and Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committees.
Early life and education
Blumenthal was born in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Jane M. (née Rosenstock) and Martin A. Blumenthal, who was the president of a commodities trading firm. His mother was born in Omaha, Nebraska to a Jewish family that originated in Prussia, and his father was a Jewish immigrant from Frankfurt, Germany.
Blumenthal graduated from Harvard College with an A.B. magna cum laude and was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. As an undergraduate, he was editorial chairman of The Harvard Crimson. Blumenthal was a summer intern reporter for The Washington Post in the London Bureau. He was also selected for a Fiske Fellowship that allowed him to study at Cambridge University, Cambridge England for one year after graduation from Harvard College.
He received his J.D. from Yale Law School, where he was editor-in-chief of the Yale Law Journal. While at Yale, he was classmates with future President Bill Clinton and future Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. One of his co-editors on the Yale Law Journal was future United States Secretary of Labor Robert Reich. His brother, David Blumenthal, is a recognized health policy expert and is Chairman of the Commonwealth Fund Commission on a High Performance Health System.
Military service
Blumenthal served in the United States Marine Corps Reserve. He studied administration. He was discharged honorably six years later, with the rank of sergeant.
Early political career
Blumenthal served as administrative assistant to United States Senator Abraham A. Ribicoff, as aide to Daniel P. Moynihan when Moynihan was Assistant to President Richard Nixon, and as a law clerk to Supreme Court Justice Harry A. Blackmun. At age 31, he became United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, serving from 1977 to 1981, and as the chief federal prosecutor of that state successfully prosecuted many major cases involving drug traffickers, organized crime, white collar criminals, civil rights violators, consumer fraud, and environmental pollution. From 1981 to 1986, he was a volunteer counsel for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.
Before he became Attorney General, Blumenthal was a partner in the law firm of Cummings & Lockwood, and subsequently in the law firm of Silver, Golub & Sandak. In December 1982, while still at Cummings & Lockwood, he created and chaired the Citizens Crime Commission of Connecticut, a private, non-profit organization. In 1984, when he was 38, Blumenthal was elected to the Connecticut House of Representatives, representing the 145th district. In 1987, he won a special election to fill a vacancy in the 27th District of the Connecticut Senate, at the age of 41. Blumenthal resided in Stamford, Connecticut.
In the 1980s, Blumenthal testified in the State Legislature in favor of abolishing Connecticut’s death penalty statute. He did so after representing Florida death row inmate Joseph Green Brown, who had been wrongly convicted. Blumenthal succeeded in staving off the Brown’s execution just 15 hours before it was scheduled to take place.
Attorney General career
Blumenthal was first elected as the 23rd Attorney General in 1990 and was re-elected in 1994, 1998, 2002, and 2006. On October 10, 2002 he was awarded the Raymond E. Baldwin Award for Public Service by the Quinnipiac University School of Law.
Pequot land annexation bid
In May 1995, Blumenthal and the state of Connecticut filed lawsuits challenging a decision by the Department of the Interior to approve a bid by the Mashantucket Pequots for the annexation of 165 acres of land in the towns of Ledyard, North Stonington and Preston. The Pequots' bid sought to have the land placed in a Federal trust, a legal designation that would have given the tribe sovereign control. Blumenthal argued that The Department of the Interior's decision was “fatally, legally flawed, and unfair," and that "it would unfairly remove land from the tax rolls of the surrounding towns and bar local control over how the land is used, while imposing tremendous burden.” The tribe announced the withdrawal of the land annexation petition in February 2002.
Interstate air pollution
In 1997, both Blumenthal and Governor John G. Rowland petitioned the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to address interstate air pollution problems created from Midwest and southeastern sources. The petition was filed in accordance with Section 126 of the Clean Air Act, which allows a United States state to request pollution reductions from out-of-state sources that contribute significantly to its air quality problems.
In 2003, Blumenthal and the Attorneys General of 8 other states (New York, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Vermont) filed a federal lawsuit against the Bush Administration for "endangering air quality by gutting a critical component of the federal Clean Air Act". The suit alleged that changes in the Act would have exempted thousands of industrial air pollution sources from the Act’s New Source Review provision and that the new rules and regulations would lead to an increase in air pollution.
Big Tobacco
While Attorney General, Blumenthal was one of the leaders of a 46-state lawsuit against the tobacco industry, which alleged that the companies involved had deceived the public about the dangers of smoking. Blumenthal argued that the state of Connecticut should be reimbursed for Medicaid expenses related to smoking. In 1998, the tobacco companies reached a $246 billion national settlement, giving the 46 states involved 25 years of reimbursement payments. Connecticut's share of the settlement was estimated at about $3.6 billion.
In December 2007, Blumenthal filed suit against RJ Reynolds alleging that a 2007 Camel advertising spread in Rolling Stone magazine used cartoons in violation of the master tobacco settlement, which prohibited the use of cartoons in cigarette advertising because they entice children and teenagers to smoke. The company paid the state of Connecticut $150,000 to settle the lawsuit and agreed to end the advertising campaign in question.
In April 2011, Blumenthal expressed support for the Food and Drug Administration’s pledge to follow up on a report from the Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee, which recommended that menthol cigarettes be removed from the marketplace to protect public health. Blumenthal stated that tobacco companies were using menthol cigarettes to target children and teen consumers and encourage them to smoke.
Microsoft lawsuit
In May 1998, Blumenthal, along with attorneys general from 19 other states and the District of Columbia, filed an anti-trust lawsuit against Microsoft accusing the company of abusing its monopoly power to stifle competition. The suit, which centered on Microsoft's Windows 98 operating system and the company's contractual restrictions imposed on personal computer manufacturers to tie the operating system to its Internet Explorer browser, was eventually merged with a federal case brought by the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) under Attorney General Janet Reno. A 2000 landmark federal court decision ruled that Microsoft had violated antitrust laws, and the court ordered that the company be broken up.
In 2001, the federal appeals court agreed, but rather than breakup the company, sent the case to a new judge to hold hearings and determine appropriate remedies. Remedies were later proposed by Blumenthal and eight other attorneys general; these included requiring that Microsoft license an unbundled version of Windows in which middleware and operating system code were not commingled.
In 2001, the Bush Administration's DOJ settled with Microsoft in an agreement criticized by many states and other industry experts as insufficient. In November 2002, a federal court ruling imposed those same remedies. In August 2007, Blumenthal, along with five other states and the District of Columbia, filed a report alleging that the federal settlement with Microsoft, and court-imposed Microsoft remedies, had failed to adequately reduce Microsoft's monopoly.
Stanley Works
On May 10, 2002 then Attorney General Blumenthal and Connecticut State Treasurer Denise L. Nappier helped to stop the hostile takeover of New Britain-based Stanley Works, a major Connecticut employer, by filing a lawsuit alleging that the move to reincorporate in Bermuda based on a shareholder's vote of May 9 was "rife with voting irregularities." The agreement to temporarily halt the move was signed by New Britain Superior Court Judge Marshall Berger.
On June 3 Blumenthal referred the matter to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for further investigation and on June 25 he testified before the U.S. House Committee on Ways and Means that "Long-time American corporations with operations in other countries can dodge tens of millions of dollars in federal taxes by the device of reincorporating in another country" by "simply [filing] incorporation papers in a country with friendly tax laws, open a post-office box and hold an annual meeting there" and that Stanley Works, along with "Cooper Industries, Seagate Technologies, Ingersoll-Rand and PricewaterhouseCoopers Consulting, to name but a few, have also become pseudo-foreign corporations for the sole purpose of saving tax dollars."
Blumenthal stated that "Corporations proposing to reincorporate to Bermuda, such as Stanley, often tell shareholders that there is no material difference in the law" but said that this was not the case and was misleading to their shareholders. In order to rectify this situation he championed the Corporate Patriot Enforcement Act to close tax loopholes.
Charter schools lawsuit
In September 1999, Blumenthal announced a lawsuit against Robin Barnes, the president and treasurer of New Haven-based charter school the Village Academy, for serious financial mismanagement of the state-subsidized charitable organization. Citing common law, Blumenthal’s suit sought to recover money misspent and serious damages resulting from Barnes’s alleged breach of duty.
In a Connecticut Supreme Court decision, Blumenthal v. Barnes (2002), a unanimous court determined that the state’s Attorney General could act using only the powers specifically authorized by the state legislature, and that since the Attorney General’s jurisdiction is defined by statute rather than common law, Blumenthal lacked the authority to cite common law as the basis for filing suit against Barnes. Despite this ruling, Blumenthal announced that he intended to pursue a separate 2000 lawsuit against the school's trustees filed on behalf of the State Department of Education.
Regional transmission organization
In 2003 Blumenthal, along with former Massachusetts Attorney General Tom Reilly, Rhode Island Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch, and consumer advocates from Connecticut, Maine, and New Hampshire, opposed "the formation of a regional transmission organization (RTO) that would merge three Northeast and mid-Atlantic power operators, called Independent Service Operators (ISOs), into a single super-regional RTO."
In a press release he is quoted as saying "This fatally flawed RTO proposal will raise rates, reduce accountability and reward market manipulation. It will increase the power and profits of transmission operators with an immediate $40 million price tag for consumers." The opposition was due to a report authored by Synapse Energy Economics, Inc., a Cambridge-based energy consulting firm, which alleged that consumers would be worse off under the merger.
Gina Kolb lawsuit
In 2004, Blumenthal sued Computer Plus Center of East Hartford and its owner, Gina Kolb, on behalf of the state. It was alleged that CPC overcharged $50 per computer, $500,000 in total, on a three-year, $17.2 million contract to supply computers to the state. Blumenthal sued for $1.75 million. Kolb was arrested in 2004 and charged with first degree larceny. Under a plea deal, she was admitted to a rehabilitation program. Kolb later countersued, claiming the state had grossly abused its power. Kolb was initially awarded $18.3 million in damages; however, the Attorney General appealed the decision and the damages initially awarded were slashed by 90 percent to $1.83 million. In ruling, Superior Court judge Barry Stevens described the jury's initial award of $18.3 million as a "shocking injustice" and said it was "influenced by partiality or mistake."
Big East and ACC
Attorney General Blumenthal played a pivotal role in one of the biggest college athletics stories of the decade; expansion of the Atlantic Coast Conference and the departures of Boston College, Miami, and Virginia Tech from the Big East. He led efforts by the Big East football schools (Virginia Tech, Rutgers, Pittsburgh, and West Virginia) in legal proceedings against the Atlantic Coast Conference, the University of Miami and Boston College, accusing them of improper disclosure of confidential information and of conspiring to dismantle the Big East. According to Blumenthal, the case was pursued because "the future of the Big East Conference was at risk -- the stakes huge for both state taxpayers and the university's good name."
The suits cost the schools involved $2.2 million in the first four months of litigation. The lawsuit against the ACC was initially dismissed on jurisdictional grounds but was subsequently refiled.[51] A declaratory judgment by the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts exonerated Boston College in the matter. Virginia Tech accepted an invitation from the ACC and withdrew from the suit to remove themselves from the awkward position of suing their new conference. An out-of-court settlement in the amount of $5 million was eventually reached, which included a $1 million exit fee that Boston College was required to pay the Big East under the league's constitution.
Interstate 84
In October 2, 2006, Blumenthal launched an investigation concerning a botched reconstruction project of the Interstate 84 in Waterbury and Cheshire. The original contractor for the job, L.G. DeFelice, went out of business and it was later revealed that hundreds of storm drains has been improperly installed.
Blumenthal subsequently announced lawsuits against L.G. DeFelice and the Maguire Group, the engineering firm that inspected the project. United States Fidelity & Guaranty, the insurer behind the performance bond for the Interstate-84 construction, agreed to pay $17.5 million to settle the claims. Under the terms of the agreement, the state of Connecticut retained the right to sue L.G. DeFelice for additional funds. In 2009, the bonding company agreed to pay an additional $4.6 million settlement, bringing the total award to $22.1 million ($30,000 more than the repair costs).
Lyme disease guidelines lawsuit
In November 2006, Blumenthal launched an antitrust investigation into the Infectious Diseases Society of America's (IDSA's) 2006 guidelines regarding the treatment of Lyme diseas Responding to concerns from chronic Lyme disease advocacy groups, Blumenthal claimed the IDSA guidelines would "severely constrict choices and legitimate diagnosis and treatment options for patients."
In 2008, Blumenthal ended the investigation after the IDSA agreed to conduct a review of the guidelines. In 2010, an eight-member independent review panel unanimously agreed that the original 2006 gudeline recommendations were "medically and scientifically justified" in the light of the evidence. The committee did not change any of the earlier recommendations but did alter some of the language in an executive summary of the findings. Blumenthal said he would review the final report.
Internet pornography, prostitution, and sexual predators
MySpace/Facebook
In March 2006, Blumenthal noted that more than seven incidents of sexual assault in Connecticut had been linked directly to MySpace contacts. Earlier that year, Blumenthal and attorneys general in at least five other states were involved in discussions with MySpace that resulted in the implementation of technological changes aimed at protecting children from pornography and child predators on the company’s website. At Blumenthal's urging, MySpace installed a link to free blocking software (“K9 Web Protection”); however, in May 2006, Blumenthal announced that the site had failed to make the program easy to find and that it was not clearly labeled. Blumenthal also urged MySpace to take further steps to safeguard children, including purging deep links to pornography and inappropriate material, tougher age verification, and banning users under 16.
Blumenthal was co-chair, along with North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper, of the State Attorney General Task Force on Social Networking. In 2008, the attorneys general commissioned the Internet Safety Technical Task Force report, which researched "ways to help squash the onslaught of sexual predators targeting younger social-networking clients".
Blumenthal's office subpoenaed MySpace for information about the number of registered sex offenders on its site. In 2009, MySpace revealed that over a 2-year span it had roughly 90,000 members who were registered sex offenders (nearly double what MySpace officials had originally estimated one year prior). Blumenthal accused MySpace of having "monstrously inadequate counter-measures" to prevent sex offenders from creating MySpace profiles.
Blumenthal and Cooper secured agreements from MySpace and Facebook to push toward making their companies’ sites safer. Both sites implemented dozens of safeguards, including finding better ways to verify users' ages, banning convicted sex offenders from using the sites, and limiting the ability of older users to search members under 18.
Craigslist
In March 2008, Blumenthal issued a letter to Craigslist attorneys demanding that the website cease allowing postings for erotic services, which he claimed promoted prostitution, and he accused the site of "turning a blind eye" to the problem. Blumenthal worked with Craigslist and a group of 40 attorneys general to create new measures on the site designed to thwart ads for prostitution and other illegal sexual activities. In April 2009, Craigslist came under the scrutiny of law enforcement agencies following the arrest of Philip H. Markoff (aka the "Craigslist Killer"), suspected of killing a 25-year-old masseuse he met through Craigslist at a Boston hotel.
Blumenthal subsequently called for a series of specific measures to fight prostitution and pornography on Craigslist—including steep financial penalties for rule breaking, and incentives for reporting wrongdoing. Blumenthal claimed that "Craigslist has the means -- and moral obligation -- to stop the pimping and prostituting in plain sight."
Blumenthal, leading a coalition of 39 states, subpoenaed Craigslist in May 2010 as part of an investigation into whether the site was taking sufficient action to curb prostitution ads and whether it was profiting from them. Blumenthal stated that prostitution ads had remained on the site despite previous assurances that they would be removed.
The subpoena sought documents related to the company's processes for reviewing potentially objectionable ads, as well as documents detailing the revenue gained from ads sold to the company's erotic services and adult services categories. In August 2010, Blumenthal called on the website to shut down the section permanently and take steps to eradicate prostitution ads from other parts of the site. Blumenthal also called on Congress to alter a landmark communications law (Communications Decency Act) that Craigslist has cited in defense of the ads.
Following continued pressure, Craigslist removed the adult services sections from its U.S. sites in September 2010 and from its international sites in December 2010. Blumenthal called the company's decision a victory against sexual exploitation of women and children, and against human trafficking connected to prostitution.
Blumenthal and other state attorneys general reached a settlement with Craigslist on the issue; the settlement called for the company to charge people via credit card for any ads that were suggestive in nature so the person could be tracked down if they were determined to in fact be offering prostitution. However, Blumenthal remarked that subsequent to the settlement, the ads had continued to flourish using veiled code words.
Terrorist surveillance program
In October 2007, Blumenthal and the attorneys general of 4 other states lobbied Congress for the rejection of proposals to provide immunity from litigation to telecommunications firms that cooperated with the federal government's terrorist surveillance program following the September 11 attacks in 2001. In 2008 the Congress passed and President George W. Bush signed into law a new terrorist surveillance bill including the telecom immunity provisions opposed by Blumenthal.
Countrywide Financial
In August 2008 Blumenthal announced that Connecticut had joined California, Illinois and Florida in suing subprime mortgage lender Countrywide Financial (now owned by Bank of America) for fraudulent business practices. The suit alleged that Countrywide pushed consumers into "deceptive, unaffordable loans and workouts, and charged homeowners in default unjustified and excessive legal fees." According to Blumenthal, "Countrywide conned customers into loans that were clearly unaffordable and unsustainable, turning the American Dream of homeownership into a nightmare" and when consumers defaulted, "the company bullied them into workouts doomed to fail."
Blumenthal also claimed that Countrywide "crammed unconscionable legal fees into renegotiated loans, digging consumers deeper into debt" and that the company "broke promises that homeowners could refinance, condemning them to hopelessly unaffordable loans." The lawsuit demanded that Countrywide make restitution to affected borrowers, give up improper gains and rescind, reform or modify all mortgages that broke state laws. It is also sought civil fines of up to $100,000 per violation of state banking laws, and up to $5,000 per violation of state consumer protection laws.
In October 2008 Bank of America initially agreed to settle the states' suits for $8.4 billion, and in February 2010, Countrywide mailed payments of $3,452.54 to 370 Connecticut residents. The settlement forced Bank of America to establish a $150 million fund to help repay borrowers whose homes had been foreclosed upon, $1.3 million of which went to Connecticut.
Blumenthal commented in defense of U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Banking Committee Christopher Dodd, who had been harshly criticized for accepting a VIP loan from Countrywide, stating that "there's no evidence of wrongdoing on [Mr. Dodd's] part any more than victims who were misled or deceived by Countrywide." In August 2010, Dodd was cleared by the Senate Ethics Committee, which found "no credible evidence" that he knowingly tried to use his status as a U.S. senator to receive loan terms not available to the public.
Global warming
Blumenthal has been a vocal advocate of the position that human activity is responsible for rising global temperatures and that prompt action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions must be taken. He has urged the Environmental Protection Agency to declare carbon dioxide as a dangerous air pollutant. "I urge the new Obama EPA to declare carbon dioxide a danger to human health and welfare so we can at last begin addressing the potentially disastrous threat global warming poses to health, the environment and our economy. We must make up for lost time before it's too late to curb dangerous warming threatening to devastate the planet and human society."
He has brought suit against a number of electric utilities in the Midwest, arguing that coal-burning power plants are generating excess CO2 emissions. The Second Circuit Court of Appeals recently agreed to allow Blumenthal's lawsuit to proceed. Blumenthal personally has stated "no reputable climate scientist disputes the reality of global warming. It is fact, plain and simple. Dithering will be disastrous."
Prospect of gubernatorial candidacy
Blumenthal was frequently considered a top prospect as the Democratic candidate for Governor of Connecticut but he did not run against Republican governors John G. Rowland or M. Jodi Rell in the elections of 1998, 2002, and 2006.
On March 18, 2007, Hartford Courant columnist Kevin Rennie reported Blumenthal had become seriously interested in running for Governor in 2010.[86] On February 2, 2009, Blumenthal announced he would forgo a gubernatorial run and seek re-election that year as Attorney General.
U.S. Senate
2010 election
After Sen. Chris Dodd announced on January 6, 2010 that he would retire at the end of his term, Blumenthal told the Associated Press that he would run in the election for Dodd's seat in November 2010.[88] Later that day, President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden called Blumenthal to express their best wishes.
The same day, Public Policy Polling released a poll they took on the two preceding evenings, including races where Blumenthal was paired against each of the three most mentioned Republicans contending for their party's nomination for the seat. He led by at least 30% in each hypothetical race: against Rob Simmons 59–28, against Linda McMahon 60–28, and against Peter Schiff 63–23, with a ±4.3% margin of error cited. Rasmussen Reports also polled after Blumenthal announced his candidacy and found a somewhat more competitive race, but with Blumenthal holding a strong lead.
A February poll by Rasmussen found that Blumenthal held leads of 19 (against Simmons) and 20 (against McMahon), and that Republicans had made up little ground since the initial Rasmussen poll after Blumenthal announced. On May 21, Blumenthal received the Democratic nomination by acclamation for Senator of Connecticut, after opposing candidate Alpert was not allowed to speak at the convention by the committee, except to withdraw his name for nomination after preparing a speech.
Days after the nomination, Quinnipiac University polling indicated that Blumenthal held a 25-point lead over McMahon. The Cook Political Report changed its prediction on the race to Leans Democratic, making Blumenthal the favored candidate over McMahon.
On the November 2nd election, Blumenthal was elected to the U.S. senate, defeating former WWE CEO Linda McMahon, 55% to 43%.
Allegations about military service
On May 17, 2010, prior to the election, The New York Times published an article citing a speech delivered by Blumenthal in Norwalk, Connecticut in which he he seemed to have mistakenly implied that he had served in Vietnam.
Blumenthal's opponent, Republican Senate candidate Linda McMahon, announced that her campaign research team had found video footage of the speech and provided the story to The New York Times. After the Times story was published, Rasmussen Reports indicated that Blumenthal's lead over McMahon had shrunk to three percentage points. Politico contested the Times article's claims, noting that Blumenthal, a member of the Marine Corps Reserve, had in fact accurately described his military service record at the outset in his Norwalk speech.
Connecticut's The Day newspaper, meanwhile, stated that its staff could find no articles in its archives with any suggestion by Blumenthal that he had served in Vietnam. Blumenthal defended his representation of his military service, commenting "On a few occasions, I have misspoken about my service and I regret that. I take full responsibility, but I will not allow anyone to take a few misplaced words and impugn my record of military service."
Blumenthal's executive officer, Larry Baldino, responded to the Times story with a letter to the editor of the New Haven Register, in which he acknowledged the statements were 'misleading' but dismissed the outcry as 'petty.' Baldino further defended Blumenthal as 'good natured' and described him as 'one of the best Marines with whom I ever worked.'
Tenure
Blumenthal was sworn into the 112th United States Congress on January 5, 2011. He also planned on returning to Connecticut every weekend and joining a "listening tour" of his home state. On January 20, Blumenthal visited small businesses in eastern Connecticut. The next day, he visited Danbury, Connecticut.
Committee assignments
* Committee on Armed Services
o Subcommittee on Airland
o Subcommittee on Personnel
o Subcommittee on Seapower
* Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions
o Subcommittee on Children and Families
o Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety
* Committee on the Judiciary
o Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights
o Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Human Rights
o Subcommittee on Immigration, Refugees and Border Security
o Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology and the Law
* Special Committee on Aging
Caucus memberships
* Senate Oceans Caucus
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