Why Romney won't campaign in Michigan
[url]http://www.mlive.com/opinion/muskegon/index.ssf/2012/10/election_viewpoint_why_a_son_o.html[/url]
[SIZE=6][B][COLOR="#FF0000"]Election viewpoint: Why a 'son of Detroit' won't campaign in Michigan[/COLOR][/B][/SIZE]
Published: Wednesday, October 31, 2012, 3:37 PM
By Roger Rapoport
Last week, as the nation was preparing for Hurricane Sandy, MBA Mitt Romney was in Toledo, Ohio, home of an expanding Chrysler Jeep factory.
The outsourcing pioneer at Bain Capital, head of a “turnaround” company who made tough decisions required to close plants, send jobs to China, lay off many thousands of workers and take businesses into bankruptcy had bad news.
The self-described “son of Detroit,” who likes to bank in the Caymans, warned that “one of the great manufacturers of this state, Jeep, now owned by the Italians, is thinking of moving all production to China.”
This falsehood was compounded by a television ad citing former Chrysler CEO Lee Iacocca’s opposition to the Bush/Obama move to bailout Chrysler and GM in 2008 and 2009.
The ad’s announcer declared that Obama “sold Jeep to the Italians who are going to build Jeeps in China” along with this flashing image: “Plans to return Jeep output to China.”
[COLOR="#0000FF"]Chrysler, which is [B]hiring 1,105 workers at its Toledo Jeep plant next fall as part of a $500 million expansion[/B], denied Romney’s claim. Chrysler Vice President Gualberto Ranieri said:
“[B]Let us set the record straight: Jeep has no intention of shifting production of its Jeep models out of North America. The Jeep assembly lines will stay in operation[/B]. It’s simply reviewing the opportunities to return Jeep output to China, for the world’s largest auto market.”
Chrysler also announced Oct. 29 that its third-quarter profit jumped 80 percent to $381 million. The company, which [B]has added over 7,000 jobs since the bailout[/B] had more good news for Detroit a few hours after Romney ‘s senior moment based on his misreading of a Bloomberg story. The [B]company announced it was adding 1,100 jobs and a third shift to its Jeep plant in Detroit[/B].[/COLOR]
As Bill Clinton explained correctly: “It turns out that Jeep is reopening in China because they made so much money here they can afford to do it, and they are going (ahead) with their plans here.
“They put out a statement today saying it's the biggest load of bull in the world that they would ever consider shutting down operations. They are roaring in America thanks to … the people of Ohio."
Romney is also on thin ice when he brings in Lee Iacocca off the bench to cast stones against the Chrysler/GM government bailout that saved more than 1 million jobs.
In 1979, Washington rescued Chrysler with a similar bailout. Iacocca received most of his deferred salary and an impressive $360,000 in supplemental payments after our government stepped in to rescue his company. Any time he wants to return this money to the American people we’ll take it with interest.
[COLOR="#0000FF"]The Obama administration’s decision to bailout GM and Chrysler in the midst of a fiscal crisis when banks weren’t even lending to one another underscores another important point. Chrysler’s prosperity and the company’s [B]addition of 7,000 jobs to the economy[/B] defeats Romney’s argument against the Bush/Obama bailout.[/COLOR]
Like a Halloween trick or treater, Romney is trying to frighten autoworkers with false claims about their job security. This helps explain why Romney is not campaigning in his native Michigan. It’s the same story in Massachusetts where polls show voters were not won over by his stint as governor and in California where he is also domiciled in [COLOR="#FF0000"]an $11 million home[/COLOR].
As a [COLOR="#FF0000"]bishop in the Mormon Church, Romney should hold himself to the same high standard he would expect from any parishioner[/COLOR]. Unlike George Washington the Republican candidate is comfortable telling a lie.
[I]Roger Rapoport lives in Muskegon.[/I]
Photo Op: Romney Campaign Bought Supplies That The Red Cross Does NOT Want
[url]http://thenewcivilrightsmovement.com/photo-op-romney-campaign-bought-supplies-to-give-to-red-cross-which-only-accepts-money/politics/2012/10/30/52659[/url]
[SIZE=6][COLOR="#FF0000"][B]Photo Op: Romney Campaign Bought Supplies To Give To Red Cross Which Only Accepts Money[/B][/COLOR][/SIZE]
by David Badash on October 30, 2012
in News,Politics
ith all due respect to the people personally impacted by Hurricane Sandy, allow me to explain why this event is the perfect symbol of what a Mitt Romney presidency would look like.
Mitt Romney, desperate to maintain some form of relevance during a national disaster that killed dozens of people, put millions out of their homes, plunged millions more into darkness and plunged hundreds of towns under water, decided to rename his “victory rally” slated for today in Ohio, and dress it up as a World War II “relief effort,” complete with a canned goods drive.
[B][COLOR="#FF0000"]READ:[/COLOR][/B] [URL="http://thenewcivilrightsmovement.com/romney-donating-sandy-supplies-only-to-gop-swing-states-not-nj-or-ny/politics/2012/10/30/52648"]Romney Donating Sandy Supplies To GOP Swing States — Not NY[/URL]
Team Romney didn’t want to be caught making the same mistake they have made throughout his campaign — shoot first and don’t even bother to ask questions or correct the record later — as they did on September 11 this year when we were attacked in Egypt and Libya. As someone on Twitter today aptly wrote, this time, team Romney didn’t want to release a statement in the middle of the night attacking President Obama for ignoring and then apologizing to Mother Nature.
Anyone who has ever donated to the Red Cross, or any one of dozens of charities over the past decade’s worth of natural disasters, like the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, or the 2010 Haiti earthquake, know that it’s cash — or credit — charities ask for. (Or, in the case of the Red Cross, blood.)
[COLOR="#0000FF"]You cannot send the Red Cross blankets. Or canned goods. Or bottled water.
Why would you?
For what it would cost to go to the store, buy those items, and ship them to the Red Cross or drop them at a local office, and then have the Red Cross spend countless man hours (person hours!) sorting and packaging them, then sending them to victims would take days or weeks and cost a small fortune.
A $50 donation of supplies could easily cost $50 to process.[/COLOR]
Thanks. So. Much.
So, of course, that’s exactly what candidate Romney did.
[COLOR="#FF0000"]Romney personally asked people to bring blankets, bottled water, and canned goods — just like they did in World War II — to his victory rally, or, now, “relief effort.”
The Red Cross does [B]not [/B]accept supplies. They accept [B]cash (and blood.)[/B]
So the [B]Romney camp had to pressure the Red Cross to accept their supplies[/B], which they finally did, after the campaign had asked supporters to bring them to the rally-cum-relief effort, after the campaign made donors stand in line until candidate Romney came to be photographed, rolled up sleeves and all, behind a table, accepting bags of beans and blankets.[/COLOR]
But now news comes that Team Romney not only collected Poland Spring, they went out and bought it.
Yes.
And that’s the point.
[COLOR="#FF0000"]Team Romney [B]took campaign contributions and used them to buy supplies[/B] — water, canned goods, and blankets — to use as photo op props, then[B] forced the Red Cross to take them, rather than just taking that cash and giving it to the Red Cross[/B].[/COLOR]
Romney today “spoke while standing in front of a bank of tables where campaign volunteers had neatly lined up toothpaste, diapers, canned food and fleece blankets, among other goods,” an AP story at Salon.com reports:
[INDENT]A spokesman later confirmed that Romney’s campaign had purchased some of the supplies. Though it was billed as a “storm relief event,” the candidate’s trademark campaign video was broadcast on large screens set up for the supporters who gathered inside the arena before Romney arrived.
“I will devote every waking hour of my energy to getting America strong again. That’s what an American president has to do,” Romney says in the video.
After he spoke, he stood behind a table full of relief supplies and shook hands with attendees one at a time, taking bags full of relief supplies from many of them. Romney later loaded more relief supplies into a waiting truck as a handful of reporters watched. He loaded bottled water, boxes of diapers and pallets of canned food into the truck, and was joined by Ohio Sen. Rob Portman.[/INDENT]
Buying supplies, rather than providing the structure and support — rather than directing supporters to donate to the Red Cross — is what Team Romney chose to do to appear relevant.
[COLOR="#FF0000"][B]How would a President Romney, who has said it would be “immoral” to keep FEMA, handle our nation’s next natural disaster?[/B][/COLOR]
Sometimes, as the New York Times editors eloquently wrote yesterday, “[URL="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/30/opinion/a-big-storm-requires-big-government.html?_r=0"]A Big Storm Requires Big Government[/URL].”
FEMA, the Times notes, “was put back in working order by President Obama, but ideology still blinds Republicans to its value. Many don’t like the idea of free aid for poor people, or they think people should pay for their bad decisions, which this week includes living on the East Coast.”
The East Coast, especially the northern East Coast, isn’t “real America,” to the GOP.
And sometimes — despite what the mind and machinations of Mitt Romney would hope for — big business doesn’t trump big government.
Republicans are so fond of attacking government, so keen on exposing how government “doesn’t work,” how government, to quote Reagan, “is the problem,” that they trip over themselves to ensure their thesis is correct. Republicans spend their time in government — or campaigning for the opportunity — making sure government doesn’t work so they can tell you how much government doesn’t work.
Like FEMA under George W. Bush, who put in charge of it Michael Brown, who today was caught berating President Obama for “jumping on” Hurricane Sandy “so quickly.” Michael Brown, the man who was forced to resign as the Judges and Stewards Commissioner for the International Arabian Horse Association — his job immediately before coming to head FEMA. Michael Brown, who, as Katrina beared down on New Orleans, told his staff he needed more time for dinner before he would respond. Michael Brown, who made sure the cameras caught him standing with the president, pretending everything was being taken care of as people, ultimately, at least 1833 people, were dying in Katrina’s wake. Michael Brown, who made FEMA into such a disgrace.
Mitt Romney would do the same.
Doubt it?
Look what he just did.
[I]You can [URL="http://www.redcross.org/charitable-donations"]donate to the American Red Cross at their website[/URL].[/I]
Red Cross had to divert staff to deal with Romney’s phony “relief effort”
[url]http://americablog.com/2012/10/red-cross-romney-hurricane-sand.html[/url]
[SIZE=6][COLOR="#FF0000"][B]Red Cross had to divert staff to deal with Romney’s phony “relief effort”[/B][/COLOR][/SIZE]
10/30/2012 10:18pm
by John Aravosis
[B]Please Ignore the Black Man on the T-shirts[/B]
As we warned earlier, because the Romney campaign preferred a political stunt to actually helping Hurricane Sandy victims, the Red Cross is now busy wasting valuable resources processing donations from the Romney campaign that its own Web site admits it does not want.
As you’ll recall, Mitt Romney, after promising not to campaign today, campaigned anyway. And to add insult to injury, he used the pretense of Hurricane Sandy to hold campaign events wrapped in a cloak of “storm relief.”
Not surprisingly, Romney then turned his “relief” events today into what the campaign called “victory rallies,” including a Romney campaign propaganda video and the distribution of t-shirts saying “Obama, You’re Fired!” Here is a tweet from CNN’s Jonathan Karl:
[INDENT][INDENT][IMG]http://americablog.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Screen-Shot-2012-10-30-at-12.10.08-PM.jpg[/IMG][/INDENT][/INDENT]
So it’s abundantly clear what kind of non-partisan event this was. In fact, Mitt Romney used the suffering of millions of Americans as a shield to fend off criticism that this was a political event. But it was a political event, as countless reporters attested. (And it was more than a shield. He used people. He used their suffering to advance his own ambition. And he got caught.)
[B]Here’s Something You Said You Don’t Want, Hope You Like It[/B]
The other way that Romney attempted to camouflage his campaign event as a “relief effort” was by, yet again, asking people to bring donations of supplies that the Red Cross has said repeatedly it does not want, and in fact, they’ve said it will impede hurricane relief efforts.
And I quote from the Red Cross Web site:
[INDENT]Unfortunately, [COLOR="#FF0000"]due to logistical constraints the Red Cross does [B]not[/B] accept or solicit individual donations or collections of items. Items such as collected food, used clothing and shoes must be sorted, cleaned, repackaged and transported[/COLOR] [COLOR="#0000FF"]which [B]impedes the valuable resources of money, time, and personnel.[/B][/COLOR][/INDENT]
And that’s what happened as a result of Mitt Romney’s little hurricane stunt earlier today. We learn via a tweet from CNN’s Jim Acosta that the Red Cross is now having to spend staff time dealing with the collected food and other items the Romney campaign gathered today:
[INDENT][INDENT][IMG]http://americablog.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Screen-Shot-2012-10-30-at-9.30.58-PM.jpg[/IMG][/INDENT][/INDENT]
Here’s the longer Red Cross statement. Read it, then let’s talk about the criticism of Romney buried between the lines:
[INDENT]“The American Red Cross appreciates the support from the Romney campaign and is working with the campaign to process this donation of supplies,” the statement read. “We are grateful that both the Obama and Romney campaigns have also encouraged the public to send financial donations to the Red Cross.We encourage individuals who want to help to consider making a [B][COLOR="#0000FF"]financial donation[/COLOR][/B] or making an appointment to [B][COLOR="#FF0000"]give blood[/COLOR][/B].”[/INDENT]
Note that last line: “We encourage individuals who want to help to consider making a financial donation or making an appointment to give blood.” That’s the equivalent of your grandma saying “thank you so much for the inflatable Elvis doll, honey, and I encourage anyone else wanting to get me a birthday gift next year to try something I can actually use.”
[B]Forget About You, What About Me?[/B]
The Red Cross outright told anyone else doing what Romney did today, to collect financial donations or blood – not supplies. It was a [COLOR="#0000FF"]subtle rebuke to the Romney campaign, and an effort by the Red Cross to undo the damage Romney has already done in sending the message to the American people that the Red Cross needs us to donate food, when they don’t, and it will actually [COLOR="#FF0000"]hurt their relief efforts by diverting necessary manpower[/COLOR].[/COLOR]
[COLOR="#FF0000"]And that is exactly what happened today, now that the Red Cross is having to “work with the Romney campaign to process this donation of supplies,” [COLOR="#0000FF"]instead of focusing on the actual victims of Hurricane Sandy who need their help[/COLOR] in the eastern United States.[/COLOR]
Like the catfish that Mitt Romney flip-flopped on earlier this year, Mitt Romney will jump on whatever he can get, not matter how distasteful.
Here Are 206 Obama First Term Accomplishments, With Citations!
[url]http://politicalresearchdatabase.tumblr.com/post/34920860326[/url]
[[SIZE=6]COLOR="#0000FF"][B]The President Has Done A Lot! Here Are 206 Obama First Term Accomplishments, With Citations! [/B][/COLOR][/SIZE]
November 3, 2012
If you’re one of those who thinks President Obama is a “disappointment,” my condolences that you didn’t get your unicorn. But it’s time to grow up and get over it. You can either work for Obama and every other Democrat (yes, including Blue Dogs), or you can sit back and watch Willard Romney complete the job of taking apart the social fabric of the country that was first undertaken by Ronald Reagan 32 years ago. That is your choice.
What makes the “disappointment” argument so irritating is that it’s simply not true. He’s done nearly everything we elect a president to do, and he did it all with little support from the left, and massive obstruction from the right.
Is he perfect? No, he’s human. Does he deserve some criticism? Of course, but at this point, it really doesn’t matter.
What does matter is that this president has compiled a STELLAR record given the circumstances under which he took office. If you can look at this list of the president’s accomplishments and not be excited, you have a serious problem with perspective.
Pass this list around to everyone you know. And don’t be afraid; unlike many such lists, every item includes a link to a citation supporting it.
[B]He Returned The Executive Branch To Fiscal Responsibility After the Bush Debacle[/B]
1. Within his first week, he signed an Executive Order ordering an audit of government contracts, and combating waste and abuse. [url]http://1.usa.gov/dUvbu5[/url]
2. Created the post of Chief Performance Officer, whose job it is to make operations more efficient to save the federal government money. [url]http://n.pr/hcgBn1[/url]
3. On his first full day, he froze White House salaries. [url]http://on.msnbc.com/ewJUIx[/url]
4. He appointed the first Federal Chief Information Officer to oversee federal IT spending. [url]http://www.cio.gov[/url]
5. He committed to phasing out unnecessary and outdated weapons systems. To that end, he also signed the Democratic-sponsored Weapons Systems Acquisition Reform Act, which attemptedto put a stop to waste, fraud and abuse in the defense procurement and contracting system. [url]http://bit.ly/hOw1t1[/url] [url]http://bit.ly/fz8GAd[/url]
6. Through an executive order, he created the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform. [url]http://bit.ly/hwKhKa[/url]
[B]He Improved the Economy, Preventing a Bush Depression[/B]
7. Pushed through and signed the Democratic-sponsored American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, otherwise known as “the stimulus package.” The bill passed, even though only three Republicans voted for it. In a major departure from the previous administration, he launched recovery.gov, a website that allows taxpayers to track spending from the Act. [url]http://1.usa.gov/ibiFSs[/url] [url]http://1.usa.gov/e3BJMk[/url]
8. The Bush-led Great Recession was costing the economy nearly 800,000 jobs per month by the time President Obama took office. But by the end of his first year, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act created and sustained 2.1 million jobs and stimulated the economyby 3.5%. [url]http://reut.rs/i46CEE[/url]
9. Not only did he completed the massive TARP financial and banking rescue plan, he also leaned on the banks and others, and recovered virtually all of the bail-out money. [url]http://1.usa.gov/eA5jVS[/url] [url]http://bit.ly/eCNrD6[/url]
10. He created the Making Home Affordable home refinancing plan. [url]http://1.usa.gov/goy6zl[/url]
11. Oversaw the creation of more jobs in 2010 alone than Bush did in eight years. [url]http://bit.ly/hrrnjY[/url]
12. Along with Democrats, and almost no Republicans, implemented an auto industry rescue plan, and saved as many as 1 million jobs. [url]http://bit.ly/ibhpxr[/url] Many are of the opinion that he saved the entire auto industry, and even the economy of the entire Midwest. [url]http://bit.ly/gj7mt5[/url] This resulted in GM returning to its place as the top car company in the world. [url]http://lat.ms/zIJuQx[/url] Willard Romney, on the other hand, advocated for the entire industry to go belly-up. [url]http://nyti.ms/k0zp[/url]
13. Doubled funding for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership, which is designed to improve manufacturing efficiency. [url]http://bit.ly/eYD4nf[/url]
14. Signed the Democratic-sponsored Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act giving the federal government more tools to investigate and prosecute fraud in every corner of the financial system, and create a bipartisan Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission to investigate the financial fraud that led to the economic meltdown. [url]http://abcn.ws/g18Fe7[/url]
15. Signed the Democratic-sponsored Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure (CARD) Act, which was designed to to protect consumers from unfair and deceptive credit card practices. [url]http://1.usa.gov/gIaNcS[/url]
16. Increased infrastructure spending after years of neglect. [url]http://bit.ly/f77aOw[/url]
17. Signed the Democratic-sponsored and passed Helping Families Save Their Homes Act, expanding on the Making Home Affordable Program to help millions of Americans avoid preventable foreclosures. The bill also provided $2.2 billion to help combat homelessness, and to stabilize the housing market. [url]http://bit.ly/eEpLFn[/url]
18. Through the Worker, Homeownership, and Business Assistance Act of 2009, he and Congressional Democrats provided tax credits to first-time home buyers, which helped the U.S. housing market recovery. [url]http://bit.ly/dZgXXw[/url] [url]http://bit.ly/gORYfL[/url]
19. Initiated a $15 billion plan designed to encourage increased lending to small businesses.
[url]http://1.usa.gov/eu0u0b[/url]
20. Created business.gov, which allows for online collaboration between small businesses and experts re managing a business. (The program has since merged with SBA.gov.) [url]http://www.business.gov[/url]
21. Played a lead role in getting the G-20 Summit to commit to a $1.1 trillion deal to combat the global financial crisis. [url]http://nyti.ms/gHlgp5[/url]
22. Took steps to improve minority access to capital. [url]http://bit.ly/f9xVE7[/url]
23. Signed an Executive Order instructing federal agencies to review all federal regulations and remove any unnecessary and/or burdensome regulations from the books. [url]http://1.usa.gov/Lpo5bd[/url]
24. Through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, saved at least 300,000 education jobs, such as teachers, principals, librarians, and counselors that would have otherwise been lost. [url]http://1.usa.gov/ez30Dc[/url]
25. Dismantled the Minerals Management Service, thereby cutting ties between energy companies and the government. [url]http://nyti.ms/bw1MLu[/url]
26. Along with Congressional Democrats, provided funding to states and the Department of Homeland Security to save thousands of police and firefighter jobs from being cut during the recession. [url]http://bit.ly/g0IKWR[/url]
27. Used recovered TARP money to fund programs at local housing finance agencies in California, Florida, Nevada, Arizona and Michigan. [url]http://on.msnbc.com/i1i8eV[/url]
28. Crafted an Executive order establishing the President’s Advisory Council on Financial Capability to assist in financial education for all Americans. [url]http://bit.ly/eyqsNE[/url]
[B]He Fostered Greater Transparency and Better Government, After the Excesses of the Bush Years[/B]
29. Signed an order banning gifts from lobbyists to anyone in the Executive Branch. [url]http://bit.ly/fsBACN[/url]
30. Signed an order banning anyone from working in an agency they had lobbied in previous years, and put strict limits on lobbyists’ access to the White House. [url]http://nyti.ms/gOrznV[/url]
31. Held the first-ever first online town hall from the White House, and took questions from the public. [url]http://bit.ly/gVNSgX[/url]
32. Became the first to stream every White House event, live. [url]http://1.usa.gov/kAgOP5[/url]
33. Established a central portal for Americans to find service opportunities. [url]http://www.serve.gov[/url]
34. Provided the first voluntary disclosure of the White House Visitors Log in history. [url]http://1.usa.gov/hQ7ttV[/url]
35. Issued an Executive Order on Presidential Records, which restored the 30-day time frame for former presidents to review records, and eliminated the right for the vice president or family members of former presidents to do the reviews. Provides the public with greater access to historic White House documents, and severely curtails the ability to use executive privilege to shield them. [url]http://1.usa.gov/gUetLb[/url]
36. Improved aspects of the Freedom of Information Act, and issued new guidelines to make FOIA more open and transparent when processing FOIA requests. [url]http://1.usa.gov/gjrnp2[/url]
[B]Wall Street Reforms and Consumer Protection[/B]
37. Ordered 65 executives who took bailout money to cut their own pay until they paid back all bailout money. [url]http://huff.to/eAi9Qq[/url]
38. Along with Congressional Democrats, pushed through and got passed Dodd-Frank, one of the largest and most comprehensive Wall Street reforms since the Great Depression. [url]http://bit.ly/hWCPg0[/url] [url]http://bit.ly/geHpcD[/url]
39. Through Dodd-Frank legislation, created the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau [url]http://1.usa.gov/j5onG[/url]
40. Through Dodd-Frank, the Executive Branch fashioned rules that reduce the influence of speculators in the oil market. [url]http://bit.ly/MDnA1t[/url]
41. Fashioned rules so that banks can no longer use YOUR money to invest in high-risk financial instruments that work against their own customers’ interests. [url]http://bit.ly/fnTayj[/url]
42. Supported the concept of allowing stockholders to vote on executive compensation. [url]http://bit.ly/fnTayj[/url]
43. Endorsed and supported the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act of 2009 that would close offshore tax avoidance loopholes. [url]http://bit.ly/esOdfB[/url] [url]http://bit.ly/eG4DPM[/url]
44. Negotiated a deal with Swiss banks that now permits the US government to gain access to the records of criminals and tax evaders. [url]http://bit.ly/htfDgw[/url]
45. Signed the American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act, which closed many of the loopholes that allowed companies to send jobs overseas, and avoid paying US taxes by moving money offshore. [url]http://1.usa.gov/bd1RTq[/url]
46. Established a Consumer Protection Financial Bureau designed to protect consumers from financial sector excesses. [url]http://bit.ly/fnTayj[/url]
47. Oversaw and then signed a Democratic bill constituting the most sweeping food safety legislation since the Great Depression. [url]http://thedc.com/gxkCtP[/url]
48. Through the Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act, extended the False Claims Act to combat fraud by companies and individuals usingmoney from the TARP and Stimulus programs. [url]http://bit.ly/SLTcSa[/url]
[B]He Ushered Through Many Changes That Enhanced Civil Rights and Anti-Discrimination[/B]
49. Along with Congressional Democrats, advocated for and signed theMatthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which made it a federal crime to assault anyone based on his or her sexual orientation or gender identity. [url]http://bit.ly/gsMSJ7[/url]
50. Pushed through, signed and demanded the Pentagon enact a repeal of the discriminatory “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” policy that forced soldiers to lie in order to be eligible to fight for their country, and put our troops at risk by disqualifying many qualified soldiers from helping. [url]http://bit.ly/fdahuH[/url] [url]http://bit.ly/mZV4Pz[/url]
51. Extended benefits to same-sex partners of federal employees. [url]http://1.usa.gov/g2RLCj[/url]
52. Appointed more openly gay officials than anyone in history. [url]http://bit.ly/g1lA7D[/url]
53. Appointed first openly transgender Cabinet Official in History. [url]http://bit.ly/58zUp7[/url]
54. Changed HUD rules to prohibit gender and sexual orientation-based discrimination in housing bit.ly/9RxEnP
55. Changed his mind and publicly expressed support for the right to enter into a same-sex marriage. [url]http://bit.ly/JsiFKp[/url]
56. Issued a Presidential Memorandum reaffirming the rights of gay couples to make medical decisions for each other. [url]http://1.usa.gov/aUueGT[/url]
57. Wrote and signed an Executive Order establishing a White House Council on Women and Girls to ensure that all Cabinet and Cabinet-level agencies evaluate the effect of their policies and programs on women and families. [url]http://bit.ly/e1puTk[/url] [url]http://1.usa.gov/rFfqMM[/url]
58. Signed the Democratic-sponsored Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which restored basic protections against pay discrimination for women and other workers. This was after the GOP blocked the bill in 2007. Only 5 Republican Senators voted for the bill. [url]http://bit.ly/fT3Cxg[/url]
59. Expanded funding for the Violence Against Women Act. [url]http://1.usa.gov/dSbI0x[/url]
60. Under his guidance, National Labor Relations Board issued final rules that require all employers to prominently post employees’ rights where all employees or prospective employees can see it, including websites and intranets, beginning November 2011. [url]http://1.usa.gov/qu2EhQ[/url]
61. Advocated that United Nations adopt a policy supporting gay rights worldwide. [url]http://lat.ms/pQe1RS[/url]
62. Issued an order requiring hospitals to allow visitation by same-sex couples. reut.rs/llNJek
63. Appointed Kareem Dale as the first ever Special Assistant to the President for Disability Policy. [url]http://1.usa.gov/fi5IY0[/url]
64. Helped Democrats in Congress pass and signed the Civil Rights History Act. [url]http://bit.ly/th0JC8[/url]
[B]He Made Major Improvements in Foreign Relations and American Status Around the World[/B]
65. Visited more countries and met with more world leaders than any previous president during his first six months in office. [url]http://bit.ly/hZycda[/url]
66. As he promised, he gave a speech at a major Islamic forum in Cairo early in his administration. [url]http://nyti.ms/dKvY4g[/url]
67. Helped to restore America’s reputation around the world as a global leader that does the “right thing” in world affairs, at least according to the rest of the world. [url]http://bit.ly/h743y7[/url] [url]http://bit.ly/ho4TCr[/url]
68. Re-established and reinforced our partnership with NATO and other allies on strategic international issues. [url]http://1.usa.gov/e7QuDj[/url]
69. Closed a number of secret detention facilities. [url]http://nyti.ms/rpUc9l[/url]
70. Improved relations with Middle East countries by appointing special envoys. [url]http://1.usa.gov/tiGAGe[/url]
71. Pushed for military to emphasize devlopment of foreign language skills. [url]http://bit.ly/AxUCLV[/url]
72. Offered $400 million to the people living in Gaza, called on both Israel and the Palestinians to stop inciting violence. [url]http://bit.ly/9axfWh[/url]
73. Refused to give Israel the green light to attack Iran over their possible nuclear program, and thus avoid another war that Republicans wanted. [url]http://bit.ly/xVmSZK[/url]
74. Worked with Democratic Congress to make donations to Haiti tax deductible in 2009. [url]http://huff.to/6YkAVY[/url]
75. Established a new U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue. [url]http://1.usa.gov/eX28DP[/url]
76. Issued Executive Order blocking interference and helping to stabilize Somalia. [url]http://1.usa.gov/hxdf8U[/url]
77. Established new, more reasonable policies in our relations with Cuba, such as allowing Cuban-Americans to visit their families and send money to support them. [url]http://n.pr/hY3Kwa[/url] [url]http://nyti.ms/emQBde[/url]
78. Ordered the closure of the prison at Guantanamo Bay. It was Republicans (and, unfortunately, progressive Democrats) who prevented follow through. [url]http://bit.ly/eW6CVF[/url]
79. Ordered a review of our detention and interrogation policy, and prohibited the use of torture, or what Bush called “enhanced interrogation.” He ordered interrogators to limit their actions to the Army Field manual. [url]http://bit.ly/g6MTuC[/url]
80. Ordered all secret detention facilities in Eastern Europe and elsewhere to be closed. [url]http://bbc.in/h6N9ax[/url]
81. Released the Bush torture memos. [url]http://bit.ly/hWJ5z0[/url]
82. On his second day in office, he signed a detailed Executive Order that banned torture, reversed all Bush torture policies, and put the United States in compliance with the Geneva Convention. [url]http://1.usa.gov/dL6Zve[/url] [url]http://nyti.ms/hzWWys[/url]
83. In response to the emerging “Arab Spring,” he created a Rapid Response fund, to assist emerging democracies with foreign aid, debt relief, technical assistance and investment packages in order to show that the United States stands with them. [url]http://bit.ly/zfmGv9[/url]
84. Ended the F-22 program, saving $4 billion. Though the single-seat, twin-engine, fighter aircraft cost $358 million each, and the military had 187 built, the F-22 never flew a combat mission. [url]http://slate.me/PYzmzT[/url] (The “fiscally conservative GOP fought to keep it.)
85. Passed the Iran Sanctions Act, to prevent war, and to encourage Iran to give up their nuclear program. [url]http://1.usa.gov/wLtNjb[/url]
86. Ended the Iraq War. [url]http://tgr.ph/ru0tyS[/url]
87. Authorized and oversaw a secret mission by SEAL Team Six to rescue two hostages held by Somali pirates. [url]http://bit.ly/y8c9Fz[/url]
88. Through United Nations Ambassador Susan Rice, helped negotiate a peaceful split of Sudan into two countries, this allowing for the creation of an independent South Sudan. [url]http://reut.rs/qzE0Tj[/url]
[B]He Took a More Realistic Approach to “Defense”[/B]
89. Created a comprehensive new strategy for dealing with the international nuclear threat. [url]http://1.usa.gov/gDX1nE[/url]
90. Authorized a $1.4 billion reduction in Star Wars program in 2010.[url]http://1.usa.gov/gLFZl2[/url]
91. Restarted nuclear nonproliferation talks and built up the nuclear inspection infrastructure/protocols to where they had been before Bush. [url]http://lat.ms/gkcl3i[/url]
92. Signed and pushed through ratification a new SALT Treaty. [url]http://bit.ly/f3JVtw[/url]
93. Negotiated and signed a new START Treaty that will lst until at least 2021. [url]http://1.usa.gov/cI1bC4[/url]
94. Through the Defense Authorization Act, reversed the Bush Administration and committed to no permanent military bases in Iraq. [url]http://bit.ly/hk73OJ[/url]
95. Developed first comprehensive strategy with regard to Afghanistan and Pakistan designed to facilitate the defeat of al Qaeda and the withdrawal of most troops, as well as the rebuilding of Afghanistan. [url]http://wapo.st/ee4Xcs[/url]
96. Returned our focus to Afghanistan, stabilized the country, and began the process of withdrawing our troops from the country. [url]http://bit.ly/lNXUna[/url]
97. Negotiated a deal with Afghan govenment, to withdraw troops and military support, while assisting in rebuilding and modernizing of the country. [url]http://bit.ly/K362an[/url]
98. Took steps to severely weaken al Qaeda and limited their ability to terrorize the world. [url]http://yhoo.it/n5lXs6[/url]
99. Negotiated and signed a nuclear nonproliferation treaty with India. [url]http://1.usa.gov/aHp0Cn[/url]
100. Took decisive action to use NATO to limit the slaughter of innocents in Libya, so that the Libyan people could topple the despotic Khadaffy government and determine their own fate. [url]http://aje.me/qAh4Sj[/url]
101. Got Egyptian President/dictator Mubarak to leave the Egyptian government to the people, to determine their own fate. [url]http://f24.my/efvgNZ[/url]
102. In 2011, reoriented American focus from the Middle East to the Asian-Pacific region by simultaneouly engaging China and crafting new alliances with Asian countries uncomfortable with Chinese behavior. [url]http://bit.ly/RGlMDi[/url]
[B]His Administration Treated Soldiers and Veterans with Respect That Was Missing Previously[/B]
103. Along with Congressional Democrats, not only reauthorized families of fallen soldiers to be able to visit when the body arrives at Dover AFB, but also provided funding for it. Ended the media blackout on coverage of the return of fallen soldiers. [url]http://nyti.ms/glqN66[/url] [url]http://bbc.in/gWSSkA[/url]
104. Funded Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) with an extra $1.4 billion to improve veterans’ services. [url]http://1.usa.gov/huhqfo[/url]
105. Provided active combat troops with better body armor. [url]http://bit.ly/hzSv2h[/url]
106. Created Joint Virtual Lifetime Electronic Record program for military personnel, in order to improve the quality of their medical care. [url]http://1.usa.gov/f4yaxW[/url]
107. Put an end to the Bush-era stop-loss policy that kept soldiers in Iraq/Afghanistan beyond their enlistment date. (personal note: my son will be in harm’s way for six fewer months with Obama as president, so you know I love this one.) [url]http://nyti.ms/e2YQ7Q[/url]
108. Along with Congressional Democrats, supported and signed Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and Transparency Act, which made more money available to enable better medical care for veterans. [url]http://1.usa.gov/fN4ur1[/url]
109. Along with Congressional Democrats, ushered through largest spending increase in 30 years for Department of Veterans Affairs, with money to go to improved medical facilities, and to assist states in acquiring or constructing state nursing homes and extended care facilities. [url]http://1.usa.gov/gY8O3x[/url]
110. Created the Green Vet Initiative, which provided special funding to the Labor Department to provide veterans with training in green jobs. [url]http://bit.ly/epwUQY[/url]
111. Initiated and signed a recruitment and employment plan to get more veterans into government jobs. [url]http://bit.ly/b48coi[/url]
112. Oversaw a $4.6 billion expansion of the Veterans Administration budget to pay for more mental health professionals. [url]http://bit.ly/gjzTxX[/url]
113. Signed the Military Spouses Residency Relief Act, which ensures that spouses of military personnel who are forced to move because their spouse is posted for military duty will be able to avoid state taxes in their temporary residence. [url]http://bit.ly/1Gh0NX[/url]
( to be continued )