Labor Day: How it Came About; What it Means
Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.
Founder of Labor Day
More than 100 years after the first Labor Day observance, there is still some doubt as to who first proposed the holiday for workers.
Some records show that Peter J. McGuire, general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and a cofounder of the American Federation of Labor, was first in suggesting a day to honor those “who from rude nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold.”
But Peter McGuire’s place in Labor Day history has not gone unchallenged. Many believe that Matthew Maguire, a machinist, not Peter McGuire, founded the holiday. Recent research seems to support the contention that Matthew Maguire, later the secretary of Local 344 of the International Association of Machinists in Paterson, N.J., proposed the holiday in 1882 while serving as secretary of the Central Labor Union in New York. What is clear is that the Central Labor Union adopted a Labor Day proposal and appointed a committee to plan a demonstration and picnic.
The First Labor Day
The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City, in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union. The Central Labor Union held its second Labor Day holiday just a year later, on September 5, 1883.
Source: http://www.dol.gov/opa/aboutdol/laborday.htm
“We bet on American workers. We bet on American ingenuity. And tonight, the American auto industry is back.
We can’t bring every job back that’s left our shore. But right now, it’s getting more expensive to do business in places like China. Meanwhile, America is more productive.
So we have a huge opportunity, at this moment, to bring manufacturing back. But we have to seize it. Tonight, my message to business leaders is simple: Ask yourselves what you can do to bring jobs back to your country, and your country will do everything we can to help you succeed.
We should start with our tax code. Right now, companies get tax breaks for moving jobs and profits overseas. Meanwhile, companies that choose to stay in America get hit with one of the highest tax rates in the world. It makes no sense, and everyone knows it. So let’s change it.
First, if you’re a business that wants to outsource jobs, you shouldn’t get a tax deduction for doing it.
That money should be used to cover moving expenses for companies like Master Lock that decide to bring jobs home.
Second, no American company should be able to avoid paying its fair share of taxes by moving jobs and profits overseas.
From now on, every multinational company should have to pay a basic minimum tax. And every penny should go towards lowering taxes for companies that choose to stay here and hire here in America.
Third, if you’re an American manufacturer, you should get a bigger tax cut. If you’re a high-tech manufacturer, we should double the tax deduction you get for making your products here. And if you want to relocate in a community that was hit hard when a factory left town, you should get help financing a new plant, equipment, or training for new workers.
So my message is simple. It is time to stop rewarding businesses that ship jobs overseas, and start rewarding companies that create jobs right here in America. (Congress) Send me these tax reforms, and I will sign them right away.”
President Obama – January 24, 2012 State of the Union Address
The stakes are high and the race is close.
We need to step up and volunteer NOW.
In order for Pres Obama to get re-elected we need to help the swing state voters to vote for him. Organizing for America’s has instructed blue states to volunteer to canvass and to phone bank in swing states. Age or citizenship does not matter when volunteering; there are young people and people on work visas who are volunteering.
Each phone bank list is composed from data of people who have shown interest in Obama’s 2008 campaign by either having donated money or signed up to volunteer. The caller is given talking points and the call consists of a couple of questions like:
Do you know who you will be voting for president in this year’s election?
Do you know who you will be voting for in their local race for ______?
Have you received your mail-in voter ballot?
If the response is pro-Obama then you ask if they would like to volunteer.
The call is usually less then five minutes each. The whole event is only scheduled for a total of two hours.
To see when the next event in your area is: https://my.barackobama.com/page/event/search_simple?source=primary-nav
Sunday, September 2, 2012
All Times Eastern
President Obama receives the presidential daily briefing.
7:00 AM
8:00 AM
9:00 AM
10:00 AM
11:00 AM
11:30 AM
Vice President Biden attends campaign event
West York Area High School, York, PA
12:00 PM
1:00 PM
2:00 PM
3:00 PM
President Obama attends campaign event
The University of Colorado, Boulder, CO
4:00 PM
4:10 PM
Vice President Biden attends campaign event
National Railroad Museum, Green Bay, WI
5:00 PM
6:00 PM
7:00 PM
8:00 PM
9:00 PM
10:00 PM
September 2, 2012
WhiteHouse.gov http://www.whitehouse.gov/live
—-
CNN http://live.cnn.com
3:00 PM ET
President Obama attends campaign event
The University of Colorado, Boulder, CO
4:10 PM ET
Vice President Biden attends campaign event
National Railroad Museum, Green Bay, WI
—-
CSPAN http://www.cspan.org/
11:00 AM ET
Protesters Hold “March on Wall Street South” http://www.c-span.org/Events/Protesters-Hold-quotMarch-on-Wall-Street-Southquot/10737433751/
12:00 PM ET
The Charlotte Observer and the University of North Carolina will host a roundtable on Southern Politics, past and future, with Judy Woodruff of the PBS NewsHour. http://www.c-span.org/Events/Charlotte-Observer-Hosts-Roundtable-on-Southern-Politics/10737433752/
3:00 PM ET
President Obama attends campaign event
The University of Colorado, Boulder, CO http://www.c-span.org/Events/President-Obama-Returns-to-Colorado-for-a-Rally/10737433730/
4:10 PM ET
Vice President Biden attends campaign event
National Railroad Museum, Green Bay, WI http://www.c-span.org/Events/Vice-President-Biden-Speaks-to-Supporters-in-Wisconsin/10737433729/
Labor Day 2012
Labor Day History
In June, 1894, Congress passed an act declaring the first Monday in September Labor Day and a legal holiday in all states, territories and the District of Columbia. Created by the nation’s labor movement and dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers, Labor Day is an annual yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.
Pieces of History: A Different View of Labor Day and Labor Icons
* Read the Full History of Labor Day
* The Real Maguire – Who Actually Invented Labor Day?
* DOL’s Historian on the History of Labor Day
* Labor Daze — Pride, Chaos and Kegs on Labor’s First ‘Day’
* Rosie: By Any Other Name — The Riveting True Story of the Labor Icon
More: http://www.dol.gov/laborday/history.htm
2012 Labor Rights Week
Published on Aug 8, 2012 by USDepartmentofLabor
Secretary Solis talks about the efforts the Department of Labor is taking to ensure worker’s rights.
Secretary Solis’ Labor Day 2012 Message – Spanish
Published on Aug 30, 2012 by USDepartmentofLabor
On the first Monday of September, we honor the workers who built the world’s strongest economy. This Labor Day, as the U.S. Department of Labor approaches our centennial celebration, I take extra pride in the historic efforts of today’s workers to drive our recovery by learning new skills and adapting to new challenges.
For more than two centuries, the prospect of work has drawn people to our shores to pursue new opportunities and dreams of a better life. The demands on our workers have changed over the generations, but we’ve always risen to the occasion.
During the Industrial Age, factory workers saw their knowledge and paychecks grow as they mastered new processes to mass produce everything from automobiles to armaments. Following the Great Depression, more than 6 million women joined the workforce, clocking in at shipyards, lumber mills and foundries, and their production helped us win the Great War. And the Internet age carried the talents of our workers across the globe, as our ideas and products reached new markets and brought the world closer together.
As I mark my fourth Labor Day as the nation’s secretary of labor, I’m inspired by job seekers from all walks of life in this country going back to school and upgrading their skills to match the demands of a 21st century global economy. I’m impressed by communities coming together and new partnerships being formed among employers, labor unions and community colleges. And I’m reminded that for this federal agency and this administration, Labor Day has been, and will always be, every single day.
This Labor Day, we lift up American workers who are doing what it takes to reinvent themselves to ensure that our future is even brighter than our past.
“We bet on American workers. We bet on American ingenuity. And tonight, the American auto industry is back.
We can’t bring every job back that’s left our shore. But right now, it’s getting more expensive to do business in places like China. Meanwhile, America is more productive.
So we have a huge opportunity, at this moment, to bring manufacturing back. But we have to seize it. Tonight, my message to business leaders is simple: Ask yourselves what you can do to bring jobs back to your country, and your country will do everything we can to help you succeed.
We should start with our tax code. Right now, companies get tax breaks for moving jobs and profits overseas. Meanwhile, companies that choose to stay in America get hit with one of the highest tax rates in the world. It makes no sense, and everyone knows it. So let’s change it.
First, if you’re a business that wants to outsource jobs, you shouldn’t get a tax deduction for doing it.
That money should be used to cover moving expenses for companies like Master Lock that decide to bring jobs home.
Second, no American company should be able to avoid paying its fair share of taxes by moving jobs and profits overseas.
From now on, every multinational company should have to pay a basic minimum tax. And every penny should go towards lowering taxes for companies that choose to stay here and hire here in America.
Third, if you’re an American manufacturer, you should get a bigger tax cut. If you’re a high-tech manufacturer, we should double the tax deduction you get for making your products here. And if you want to relocate in a community that was hit hard when a factory left town, you should get help financing a new plant, equipment, or training for new workers.
So my message is simple. It is time to stop rewarding businesses that ship jobs overseas, and start rewarding companies that create jobs right here in America. (Congress) Send me these tax reforms, and I will sign them right away.”
President Obama – January 24, 2012 State of the Union Address
Importance of American Manufacturing, Highlight Insourcing and New Investments in Improving the Skills of American Workers
February 15, 2012
President Obama Travels to Master Lock Company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to Discuss the Importance of American Manufacturing, Highlight Insourcing and New Investments in Improving the Skills of American Workers
President Obama Will Highlight Insourcing Success Story, Call on Other Companies to Bring Jobs Back Home
Today, the President will travel to Master Lock Company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to discuss his Blueprint for an America Built to Last , which invests in American manufacturing by encouraging companies to create manufacturing jobs in the United States while removing deductions for shipping jobs overseas and encouraging insourcing. For a fact sheet on the President’s blueprint to support American manufacturing jobs, discourage outsourcing, and encourage insourcing, click HERE.
Master Lock Company, the world’s largest manufacturer of padlocks and related security products, is leading by example and bringing jobs back to the United States. Since mid-2010, Master Lock has returned approximately 100 jobs back to Milwaukee, Wisconsin that had previously been off-shored. Master Lock is improving productivity at their plant in Milwaukee by upgrading equipment and the company plans to continue bringing jobs back to Wisconsin.
The President has highlighted the emerging trend of insourcing – companies bringing jobs back and making additional investments in the United States. During the past two years, we have begun to see positive signs in American manufacturing, with the manufacturing sector adding more than 300,000 jobs since December 2009. A link to a recent White House report on the emerging trend can be found HERE.
For the entire article: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/02/15/president-obama-travels-master-lock-company-milwaukee-wisconsin-discuss-
President Obama to join UAW members at conference
2/24/12 uaw.org
UAW members were excited today to learn that President Obama will be joining them next week in Washington when they gather for the union’s National Community Action Program (CAP) Legislative Conference.
More than 1,600 members from across the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico will discuss the union’s legislative and political priorities for the coming year, meet with members of Congress to advocate on behalf of working families and prepare for the union’s 2012 electoral campaign.
UAW members will be focusing on the union’s jobs creation agenda that includes passing President Obama’s American Jobs Act and demanding policies to strengthen our economy by:
* Ending poverty and rebuilding the middle class by protecting every worker’s right to organize and collective bargaining.
* Extending aid for the unemployed.
* Investing in the nation’s deteriorating infrastructure to immediately create jobs.
* Providing aid for state and local governments that specifically targets layoff prevention and hiring.
* Creating industries for the future that use clean energy to spawn new industries manufacturing environmentally-sustainable materials, technologies and products.
“President Obama has been seriously focused on his jobs agenda since he took office, beginning with one of his first acts – saving the American auto industry,” said UAW President Bob King. “The President made a bold and, at the time, politically unpopular choice. He stood with workers and the American auto industry, and the communities whose economies depend on the industry and saved more than one million American jobs. We are grateful for his support of American workers and we are excited to have him join us next week as we gather in Washington.”
The President will address UAW members on Tuesday morning at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel at 2660 Woodley Road, N.W. UAW members will spend Feb. 29 making legislative visits to discuss the union’s fight for job creation with members of Congress.
————-
Obama administration supports workers http://www.uaw.org/page/obama-administration-supports-workers
Vice President Biden Fires Up Union Activists: Organized Labor Keeps ‘Barbarians From The Gate’
White House: Wis. vote ‘vilifies’ public workers
Carney: Wisconsin Gov. Walker’s Actions Violate Obama Principles
Obama Administration Raises Voice on Bargaining Rights
Obama, speaking out on Wisconsin labor standoff, says public employees should not lose rights
Obama has hardly been silent about Wisconsin protests
At the Table
Obama to Governors: Don’t Vilify Public Workers
Obama joins Wisconsin’s budget battle, opposing Republican anti-union bill
Obama to governors: Public employees must not be vilified or have their rights infringed upon
Biden defends unions against conservative ‘social agenda’
Wisconsin fight rallies Democrats
Arne Duncan voices support for Wisconsin teachers
Valerie Jarrett on MSNBC 2/22/11
Obama still opposed to targeting collective bargaining rights
Redoubling Efforts to Support American Manufacturing
Acting Secretary Rebecca Blank August 16, 2012 11:00 AM EDT
I just returned from the White House Business Council American Economic Competitiveness Forum on Manufacturing, where I had an opportunity to hear from a group of American manufacturers—representing businesses of all sizes from across the country—about how the Obama Administration can continue to support them as they build things here and sell them everywhere. As we have seen in recent months, manufacturing is one of the bright spots for our economy. Over the past two and a half years, more than half-a-million manufacturing jobs have been created in the U.S. – the strongest job growth in that sector since the 1990s. In fact, just last month, an additional 25,000 new manufacturing jobs were added.
In terms of production, manufacturing output is up 20 percent since 2009, and increased again in July. One manufacturing sector that has been consistently strong is the motor vehicles and parts industry, which has added 165,000 jobs since June 2009— a sector that might not even exist in the U.S. today if not for the assistance this Administration gave to the U.S. auto industry in 2009.
This matters because we know that manufacturing jobs are good jobs that pay more than average and provide greater benefits. They strengthen economic security for middle class families.
There is a powerful link between America’s ability to make things and America’s ability to innovate, compete, and create good jobs. We have come to realize that you can’t separate innovation and production—they have to sit near each other. Manufacturers perform 70 percent of all private sector R&D, investing in and producing technological advances that accounted for 90 percent of U.S. patents. Economic research indicates that innovation – in new products or new processes – was central to three-quarters of the nation’s economic growth since World War II and it is not an accident that the manufacturing sectors where America is most competitive are all advanced manufacturing, where new technologies, new products or new production processes are central to the success of specific firms.
And, of course, manufacturing doesn’t just support production jobs; it also supports non-manufacturing jobs up and down the supply chain.
That is why across the Administration, we are redoubling our efforts to promote a vibrant manufacturing sector. We are acting on the findings of a report that we released entitled, “ The Competitiveness and Innovative Capacity of the United States.” It outlined steps needed to support America’s innovators and entrepreneurs. The report outlines a number of investments this country needs to make to remain competitive over the next two decades.
For more: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2012/08/16/redoubling-efforts-support-american-manufacturing
Obama For America: “Jobs”
Published on Jun 7, 2012 by BarackObamadotcom
Tell Congress we can’t wait: http://www.barackobama.com/JobsNow
The President’s jobs plan would put teachers, firefighters, police officers, and construction workers back to work right now. And it’s paid for by asking the wealthiest Americans to pay a little more, but Congress refuses to act. Tell Congress we can’t wait: http://www.barackobama.com/JobsNow
Obama For America TV Ad – “Believes”
Uploaded by BarackObamadotcom on Jul 2, 2012
Learn More: http://OFA.BO/Vu7cxb
What a president believes matters.
Mitt Romney’s companies were pioneers in outsourcing US jobs to low-wage countries. He supports tax breaks for companies that ship jobs overseas.
President Obama believes in insourcing.
He fought to save the US auto industry, and favors tax cuts for companies that bring jobs home.
Outsourcing versus insourcing. It matters.
August 17, 2012
Obama Administration on Idle Earmark Projects: Use It or Lose It “We Can’t Wait” Action Helps States Put People to Work, Improve Infrastructure
WASHINGTON, DC – The Obama Administration today announced that it won’t allow infrastructure funds to sit idle as a result of stalled earmark projects at a time when hundreds of thousands of construction workers are looking for work. U.S Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood is making over $470 million in unspent earmarks immediately available to states for projects that will create jobs and help improve transportation across the country.
“My administration will continue to do everything we can to put Americans back to work,” said President Barack Obama. “We’re not going to let politics stand between construction workers and good jobs repairing our roads and bridges.”
“We are freeing up these funds so states can get down to the business of moving transportation projects forward and putting our friends and neighbors back to work,” said Secretary LaHood.
President Obama has vowed to veto any bill that comes to his desk with earmarks and would support legislation to permanently ban earmarks. But $473 million in highway earmarks from FY2003-2006 appropriations acts remain unspent years later. Those acts contain provisions that authorize the Secretary to make the unused funds available for eligible surface transportation projects. Effective today, state departments of transportation will have the ability to use their unspent earmarked highway funds, some of which are nearly 10 years old, on any eligible highway, transit, passenger rail, or port project.
States must identify the projects they plan to use the funds for by October 1, and must obligate them by December 31, 2012.
“Particularly in these difficult fiscal times, states will be able to put these dollars to good use,” said Federal Highway Administrator Victor Mendez. “These funds will create jobs in the short term and help bring about what President Obama called ‘an America built to last.’”
To ensure that this funding is quickly put to good use to improve our nation’s infrastructure, funds not obligated by the December 31 deadline will be proportionally redistributed in FY 2013 to states that met the deadline.
A list of available funds by state can be accessed: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/pressroom/redisfy0306earmarks.htm
Using Idle Earmarks to Improve Transportation and Put People to Work
Secretary Ray LaHood August 17, 2012 12:00 PM EDT
At DOT, we know that America’s transportation infrastructure is in need of attention, while construction workers across the country remain eager to get back on the job repairing, replacing, and modernizing our roads, rails, and runways.
Over the last decade, Congress has set aside $473 million in transportation funds that were never spent. These idle earmarks have sat on the shelf as our infrastructure continues to age and fall into disrepair, and hundreds of thousands of construction workers look for work. That ends today.
I’m excited to announce that this Administration is freeing up this unspent money and giving it right back to the states so that they can spend it on the infrastructure projects they need most.
As President Obama said today, “My administration will continue to do everything we can to put Americans back to work. We’re not going to let politics stand between construction workers and good jobs repairing our roads and bridges.” Forty-nine states, plus Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, will receive funds, giving them the flexibility to put this money toward infrastructure projects that will make a real difference in their communities.
In these tough economic times, it’s important we get the most out of our federal investments, and it’s about time we put these idle funds to good use.
Today’s announcement is a great example of what President Obama meant when he said, “We can’t wait,” to take action to put people back to work. This stalled money will be used this year–states must identify the projects that will receive the funds by October 1 and obligate it by December 31.
Together with the new transportation bill, MAP-21, this funding will put more people across the country back to work on our roads, bridges, railways, and runways–strengthening our economy as a result.
At a time when one in five construction workers is out of work, these are the jobs we need, and we need them right now.
It’s simple–when we put federal dollars toward our infrastructure, we create jobs today and strengthen our economic competitiveness for the long-term.
Together, let’s put people back to work building a transportation system that’s the envy of the world.
Obama better for world economy: poll
8/17/12 Andy Bruce – Reuters – 3 hrs ago
LONDON (Reuters) – Twice as many business executives around the world say the global economy will prosper better if incumbent President Barack Obama wins the next election than if his Republican challenger Mitt Romney does, a poll showed on Friday.
Democrat Obama was chosen by 42.7 percent in the 1,700 respondent poll, compared with 20.5 percent for Romney. The rest said “neither”.
The result was different among respondents in the United States, where a slim majority thought Romney would be better for their businesses than Obama.
Obama maintains a seven-point lead over Romney among registered voters in the race for the November 6 presidential election, despite the fact Americans are increasingly pessimistic about the future, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted last week.
The FT poll was conducted before Romney picked Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan as his vice presidential running mate at the weekend, a move that could dramatically shift the election debate between two sharply contrasting views of government spending and debt.
Romney’s choice for running mate gave him no immediate boost to his White House prospects, a Reuters/Ipsos poll suggested on Monday.
Rescue
Published on Aug 29, 2012 by ProtectOurJobs
In this ad from Protect Our Jobs, an auto worker discusses the importance of collective bargaining.
Romney calls for fewer cops, firefighters, and teachers
Jun 8, 2012 4:12 PM EDT By Steve Benen – maddowblog
The rules of the political discourse apparently dictate that the story that matters today is President Obama saying the private sector is “fine” relative to the public sector is The Scandal That Matters. It’s a dumb story, and reporters obsessing over seem to realize it’s a dumb story, but the train has apparently left the station.
If anyone’s looking for more meaningful quotes from presidential candidates, Mitt Romney’s line today on public-sector jobs is arguably one of the more important things the Republican has said in a very long time.
For those who can’t watch clips online, Romney said of Obama:
“[Obama] wants to hire more government workers. He says we need more fireman, more policeman, more teachers. Did he not get the message of Wisconsin? The American people did. It’s time for us to cut back on government and help the American people.”
Let’s be clear about this: Romney is rejecting the idea of saving the jobs of cops, firefighters, and teachers. He sees this as an applause line. The Republican nominee for president believes we can “help the American people” by laying off, not just public-sector workers in general, but specifically cops, firefighters, and teachers.
As Greg Sargent explained, Romney “has singlehandedly reframed the debate from one over despised government bureaucrats to one over whether we should hire more cops, firefighters and teachers to get the economy going.”
Here’s a radical idea I’ll just throw out there: maybe during the race for the White House, candidates and media professionals can spend a little time on this. I mean, honestly, isn’t this one of the more important positions Romney has taken all year?
For more: http://maddowblog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/06/08/12128010-romney-calls-for-fewer-cops-firefighters-and-teachers?lite
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Romney Economics: Fewer Teachers, Fewer Firefighters, Fewer Police Officers
Published on Jun 9, 2012 by BarackObamadotcom
Facebook it: https://my.barackobama.com/romneypolicefireteachvid
Tweet it: https://my.barackobama.com/romneypolicefireteachtwvid
Tumblr it: https://my.barackobama.com/romneypolicefireteachtbrvid
Yesterday Mitt Romney said of President Obama, “…he wants another stimulus, he wants to hire more government workers. He says we need more fireman, more policeman, more teachers. Did he not get the message of Wisconsin? The American people did. It’s time for us to cut back on government and help the American people.”
Romney camp doubles down on pro-layoffs agenda
Jun 11, 2012 2:05 PM EDT By Steve Benen – maddowblog
On Friday, Mitt Romney argued policymakers can “help the American people” by laying off, not just public-sector workers in general, but specifically school teachers, police officers, and firefighters. The call for more public-sector austerity was immediately welcomed by President Obama’s re-election team.
Any chance the Romney camp might walk this back? Apparently not — former New Hampshire Gov. John Sununu (R), a leading Romney surrogate, talked to MSNBC’s Chris Jansing this morning, doubling down on the pro-layoffs line. Sununu said “people ought to stop jumping on it as a gaffe” — he’s right; this was a policy position, not a gaffe — but added that Romney’s position is “wise.”
For more: http://maddowblog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/06/11/12168521-romney-camp-doubles-down-on-pro-layoffs-agenda?lite
Romney’s New Tax Incentive for Outsourcing U.S. Jobs
How Romney’s Plan Would Reward Foreign Outsourcing
By Seth Hanlon | July 16, 2012
The Washington Post recently reported that some of the companies Mitt Romney’s firm Bain Capital invested in were “pioneers in the practice of shipping work from the United States to overseas call centers and factories.” Even more troubling than his business record is his platform as Republican presidential candidate, which includes a policy that would encourage and further accelerate the outsourcing of American jobs to foreign countries.
The former Massachusetts governor would make U.S. corporations’ overseas profits exempt from U.S. taxes. These profits are already treated favorably under the tax code compared to corporate profits that are earned and reported domestically, creating an inefficient bias toward investment offshore. The favorable treatment of profits that are reported offshore also creates rewards for corporations that shift profits (on paper) out of the United States to foreign countries, including tax havens such as Bermuda and the Cayman Islands.
Romney’s proposed exemption for foreign profits would exacerbate the worst features of our current tax system. It would:
* Enhance the tax code’s rewards for moving jobs and investments overseas
* Provide a gratuitous windfall to some of the very companies that have already shifted jobs and profits overseas
* Further invite the offshore tax haven abuse that deprives the U.S. Treasury of tens of billions of dollars in revenue every year
For more: http://www.americanprogressaction.org/issues/2012/07/hanlon_outsourcing.html/print.html
Paul Ryan’s Economic Policies Are Stuck in the 1980s: Mark Dow
8/14/12 By Aaron Task | Daily Ticker – 5 hours ago
“Game changer” is a fitting description of Mitt Romney’s selection of Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) as his running mate. Saturday’s announcement has been widely hailed as a bold political choice that’s reinvigorated Romney’s campaign and shown him to be an effective executive who shrewdly oversaw the decision and kept the process a secret — no small feat in the era of the 24/7 news cycle.
But good politics does not necessarily make for good policy. While Rep. Ryan gets credit for proposing solutions to the federal budget deficit — rather than just criticizing President Obama’s handling of the nation’s finances — he’s offering the wrong prescription for what ails America, according to Mark Dow, a former policy economist at the IMF and Treasury Department and author of the Behavioral Macro blog.
“Just because rich guys will believe any economic theory that ends up in a tax cut doesn’t make it the right policy for the time — even if it will get you their vote,” he quips.
In a nutshell, Dow says supply-side economics — the basis of Ryan’s budget proposals — will not work in today’s economy.
For more: http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/daily-ticker/paul-ryan-economic-policies-stuck-1980s-mark-dow-130401012.html
Romney’s sports analogy “It’s time to get a new coach”
SO ROMNEY THINKS THAT THE WORLD WIDE ECONOMIC DOWNTURN IS A GAME??!!
I think he does.
Also, can you imagine a guy running for Commander In Chief and not mention Afghanistan or the soldiers not one time in his speech? What a turd. He simply is not ready to lead the free world. I saw a photo today of Miss Ann passing out Wale cakes on their campaign plane. It is going to take mofre than that to win.
Oops meant “more”.
Unbelievable he said not one word about the troops or Afghanistan!!! But he did promise 12 million jobs. Through magic, I guess.
Happy and HOPEful September, CR and all friends! Happy Labor Day weekend!
>^..^<
Happy Labor Day weekend to CR, Kat and friends. Looking forward to our convention. This is a great thread CR.
Happy Labor Day weekend COS!
Happy and HOPEful September Kat!
Good Sunday morning everyone. I HOPE that you have a good day.
11:30 AM ET
Vice President Biden attends campaign event
West York Area High School, York, PA
https://it.twitter.com/Kat4Obama/status/242302866486882304
Frances Perkins: FDR Labor Secretary, 1st woman in cabinet, #SocialSecurity spearhead, Episcopal saint: http://1.usa.gov/OEtZqX
https://it.twitter.com/Kat4Obama/status/242305240840409089
Tweets not showing up well. Let’s try this again:
Frances Perkins: FDR Labor Secretary, 1st woman in cabinet, Social Security spearhead, Episcopal saint: http://1.usa.gov/OEtZqX
Rocky Mountain Rumble! Kal Penn, John Cho & the great CO university voter registration competition! http://bit.ly/R9Pz4Q
Rocky Mountain Rumble: Kal Penn and John Cho Pick Their Sides – OFA Colorado
Published on Aug 29, 2012 by BarackObamadotcom
Get involved in Colorado—choose your side: http://OFA.BO/wTX4DP
On Friday, August 24th, OFA Colorado launched the Rocky Mountain Rumble, a special competition between CSU and CU students to see who can register more voters and get young people involved in this campaign.
Get involved in Colorado and choose your side here: http://OFA.BO/wTX4DP
Good work CR!
Sunday talk show tip sheet
9/2/12 9:47 AM EDT By LEIGH MUNSIL – POLITICO
Democrats take center stage on this Sunday’s television talk shows leading up to the Democratic National Convention next week in Charlotte, N.C.
The convention chairman, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, has a full slate of appearances, stopping by ” “Fox News Sunday,” CNN’s “State of the Union,” Univision’s “Al Punto” and C-SPAN’s “Newsmakers,” where he’ll be interviewed by Major Garrett of the National Journal and Peter Nicholas of The Wall Street Journal.
Fox also has David Axelrod, a top strategist for President Barack Obama’s reelection campaign.
CNN has as well Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, chairman of the Democratic Governors Association; the vice chair, North Carolina Gov. Bev Perdue; senior Obama campaign adviser Robert Gibbs, the former White House press secretary; and Eric Fehrnstrom, a senior adviser to Republican rival Mitt Romney.
CBS’s “Face the Nation” also has O’Malley, former Democratic New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and Obama Deputy Campaign Manager Stephanie Cutter.
“Al Punto” has Richardson as well, along with the convention’s keynote speaker, San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro. Univision is also airing interviews with Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.); Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney’s wife, Ann, and son, Craig; and former Republican Florida Gov. Jeb Bush.
NBC’s “Meet the Press” hosts Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, the former Democratic congressman who was Obama’s first White House chief of staff — and has a political roundtable featuring former Republican presidential contender Newt Gingrich and former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, vice chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee.
ABC’s “This Week” has senior White House adviser David Plouffe, pro-Obama super PAC Priorities USA co-founder Bill Burton and Romney campaign senior adviser Kerry Healey, the former lieutenant governor of Massachusetts.
And Bloomberg TV’s “Political Capital” has Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx.
Please join me in lighting a candle for our President, First Family and the Nation.
http://www.gratefulness.org/candles/candles.cfm?l=eng&gi=PBO
Romney’s Vow To Balance Budget Contradicts Key Promises
SEPTEMBER 2, 2012, 11:30 AM 3436 SAHIL KAPUR – tpm
After his acceptance speech in Tampa, Fla., Mitt Romney repeated his pledge to slash the deficit and balance the budget, vowing to lead where Republicans have failed in the past.
“We’re going to finally have to do something that Republicans have spoken about for a long time, and for a while we didn’t do it,” he told a crowd in Cincinnati, Ohio on Saturday. “When we had the lead we let people down. We need to make sure we don’t lead them down this time — I will cut the deficit and get us on track to a balanced budget.”
The remark received a roaring applause. But it’s difficult to square with many of Romney’s other promises, which involve raising federal spending or reducing revenues, that are core to his case against President Obama.
For instance, Romney has vowed to restore the $716 billion in cuts to Medicare provider reimbursements under Obama. His plan to make Medicare solvent by converting it into a voucher system would not take effect for a decade, and without Obama’s cuts the program is projected to go bankrupt by 2016.
The Republican nominee has also pledged to roll back the president’s $489 billion in 10-year military cuts as well as the half a trillion dollars in 10-year automatic Pentagon cuts, known as sequestration, established in last year’s debt limit law.
In addition to that, Romney’s plan to cut taxes across the board would diminish revenues by $5 trillion, according to the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center. That doesn’t include the hit to the treasury if the Bush tax cuts on high incomes are extended. He maintains that he’ll recover the revenues by closing tax loopholes, but he and his campaign have steadfastly refused to identify a credit or deduction he’d unwind.
The candidate has also steered clear of offering a plan to shore up Social Security, which is projected to exhaust its trust fund in 2033.
The cuts Romney says he’ll make during his presidency come largely from non-military, non-entitlement spending, which accounts for about one-fifth of the federal budget. Those savings would come from slashing Medicaid and other programs for low-income people, although the campaign has been light on details.
Parsing his domestic cuts with his deficit-raising policies on health care, taxes and the military — all of which are central to his case against a second term for Obama — it’s unclear that Romney would be able to make strides toward a balanced budget during his presidency. If the Republican nominee enacts the budget policies he has specified, the federal deficit is likely to surge, not diminish, while he’s in office.
A Romney spokesperson did not immediately return a request for comment.
For more: http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/09/mitt-romney-balance-budget.php?ref=fpa
Next Up….
3:00 PM ET
President Obama attends campaign event
The University of Colorado, Boulder, CO
CNN http://live.cnn.com
CSPAN http://www.c-span.org/Events/President-Obama-Returns-to-Colorado-for-a-Rally/10737433730/
September 02, 2012
Remarks by the President at a Campaign Event — Boulder, CO
University of Colorado-Boulder, Boulder, Colorado
1:44 P.M. MDT
THE PRESIDENT: Hello, Colorado! (Applause.) Go Buffs! (Applause.)
Can everybody please give Ryan a huge round of applause for that beautiful introduction? (Applause.) Americans like Ryan are why I ran for this office in the first place and why I am running for it again.
It’s great to see your outstanding Governor, John Hickenlooper. (Applause.) One of the finest senators that we’ve got in the country, Michael Bennet. (Applause.) Outstanding Congressman, Jared Polis. (Applause.) And it is good to be back in Boulder, Colorado! (Applause.)
Now, the last time I was here, I stopped by The Sink for some pizza. I signed my name on the ceiling. I hope it’s still there. I hope nobody vandalized it. (Laughter.) And a girl I met there was so surprised that she spilled her frozen yogurt on my pants. (Laughter.) But it was worth it because I’ve been told that The Sink renamed one of their pizzas after me. (Applause.) I’m deeply moved by this. (Laughter.) So the next time you go there, just ask for “The POTUS.” It’s got pepperoni, sausage, green pepper, black olives, and onion. We put the olives and the onion on there for Michelle so you can say that you had some vegetables on your pizza. (Laughter.)
Now, I’ve got to address a sensitive subject. I know you guys are a little bummed out about the game yesterday. I know the “Rocky Mountain Showdown” did not go down the way you wanted. So I’ll tell you what, we are going to give you a chance to get even. We are giving the Buffs and the Rams a second chance to go at it this fall. We’ve set up a “Rocky Mountain Rumble” to see which school can register more voters, CU or Colorado State. (Applause.)
Now, I was at Colorado State last week, and because we had volunteers in the crowd to help, they got a little bit of a head start. So they are up by just 41 votes. But today, we are in Boulder, so let’s get it done. There are volunteers throughout the audience; they can help you register today.
When you go home, you can register your classmates, your friends. You go online to something called GottaRegister.com. I apologize in advance to English teachers, but this is not “Got To Register” this is gotta — G-o-t-t-a-register.com. And this is important because just over two months from now, for the first time in many of your lives, you will get a chance to pick a President. And by doing so, you will get to a chance to choose the path that we take from here.
Now, last week, the other party gave their pitch at their convention down in Florida.
For more: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/09/02/remarks-president-campaign-event-boulder-co
4:10 PM ET
Vice President Biden attends campaign event
National Railroad Museum, Green Bay, WI
CNN http://live.cnn.com
CSPAN http://www.c-span.org/Events/Vice-President-Biden-Speaks-to-Supporters-in-Wisconsin/10737433729/
2012 Democratic National Convention Celebration
Uploaded by NCDemParty on Sep 7, 2011
One year from the start of the 2012 Democratic National Convention, Democrats from across North Carolina gathered in Charlotte to celebrate the city’s year-long preparation for the spotlight.
Chris Evans Interview for CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER
Uploaded by jakethemovieguy on Jul 17, 2011
Jake Hamilton interviews Chris Evans about his new film, Captain America: The First Avenger.
Jake Hamilton asks Chris Evans “For today and everything that we are going through now who do you think is that person [who America needs at this time for all we are going through now, who everybody is looking up to, that everyone needs]?”
Chris Evans replies “Barack Obama! I am a huge Obama fan not to get political, or on a soap box or anything on a Captain America press junket. But it is not even about, again not to go down this road too far, but it’s not even about his political stance, it is about his approach to political discussions. He has a demeanor and a way of speaking that is patient, calculated. He listens. It is about compromise. I think that he has his opinions and views but he has a way of making you feel heard and [his] finding a middle ground. I respect his approach to problem solving so massively and for these times when everyone has an opinion and all the lines are blurred to what is right and wrong, you need someone who can come to the table with patience, a rational approach and find a compromise, And to this day I have not seen a politician bring that to the table more then he has.”
Napolitano tours damaged areas on Gulf Coast
September 02, 2012 By: Hilary Golston | Alabama’s 13
BAY ST. LOUIS, Miss. (AP) – The damage from Hurricane Isaac became clearer on Sunday as Mississippi officials told the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano that more than 1,500 homes were flooded by swollen rivers and that hundreds of people had to be rescued from raging flood waters.
Napolitano visited Mississippi one day before President Barack Obama was scheduled to see first-hand Isaac’s destruction in Louisiana.
Napolitano was told about 1,600 or more homes were flooded by overflowing rivers and two people reportedly died in Mississippi. Most of the damage was in Pearl River and Jackson counties.
The secretary praised emergency officials and said Obama was calling her frequently for updates.
“The president has been on top of it,” she said. “We are here, we have been here, we will remain here.”
Sunday, September 3, 2012
All Times Eastern
President Obama receives the presidential daily briefing.
7:00 AM
8:00 AM
9:00 AM
10:00 AM
11:00 AM
12:00 PM
Vice President Joe Biden takes part in the 2012 Metro Detroit AFL-CIO Labor Day Parade
Detroit, MI
1:30 PM
President Obama attends UAW Labor Day Campaign Rally
Scott High School , Toledo, OH
1:00 PM
2:00 PM
3:00 PM
4:00 PM
4:10 PM
President Obama departs Toledo, Ohio, en route New Orleans, LA
5:00 PM
5:25 PM
President Obama arrives in New Orleans, LA
6:00 PM
President Obama receives a briefing at Emergency Operations Center, Saint John the Baptist Parish, LA on the response and recovery efforts to Hurricane Isaac
6:50 PM
President Obama tours damage caused by Hurricane Isaac.
7:00 PM
7:20 PM
President Obama delivers a statement at Saint John the Baptist Parish, LA
8:00 PM
8:15 PM
President Obama departs New Orleans, LA
9:00 PM
10:00 PM
10:30 PM
President Obama arrives at Joint Base Andrews.
10:45 PM
President Obama arrives at the White House.
September 3, 2012
WhiteHouse.gov http://www.whitehouse.gov/live
7:20 PM ET
President Obama delivers a statement at Saint John the Baptist Parish, LA
—-
CNN http://live.cnn.com
9:00 AM ET
Vice President Joe Biden takes part in the 2012 Metro Detroit AFL-CIO Labor Day Parade
Detroit, MI
12:30 PM ET
President Obama attends UAW Labor Day Campaign Rally
Scott High School , Toledo, OH
7:20 PM ET
President Obama delivers a statement at Saint John the Baptist Parish, LA
—-
CSPAN http://www.cspan.org/
8:30 AM ET
DNC Convention Chairman Talks with Mike Allen
L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D) appears on Politico’s Playbook Breakfast with Mike Allen. He speaks with Politico from the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina. http://www.c-span.org/Events/DNC-Convention-Chairman-Talks-with-Mike-Allen/10737433694/
9:00 AM ET
Vice President Joe Biden takes part in the 2012 Metro Detroit AFL-CIO Labor Day Parade
Detroit, MI
10:00 AM ET
CONVENTION DELEGATES ARRIVE IN CHARLOTTE
C-SPAN cameras are at the Charlotte Airport to watch the arrival of convention delegates and other guests attending the DNC convention which begins on Tuesday. http://www.c-span.org/DNC/Events/Convention-Delegates-Arrive-in-Charlotte/10737433756/
10:00 AM ET
DNC Leaders Discuss Convention Activities
Members of the Democratic Party heading up the convention will discuss convention highlights, themes, speakers and schedule at their opening news conference in Charlotte. The convention is scheduled to convene on Tuesday afternoon. http://www.c-span.org/Events/DNC-Leaders-Discuss-Convention-Activities/10737433767/
12:30 PM ET
President Obama attends UAW Labor Day Campaign Rally
Scott High School , Toledo, OH http://www.c-span.org/DNC/Events/President-Obama-Holds-Labor-Day-Rally/10737433754/
6:00 PM ET
POLITICO LOOKS AT UPCOMING DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION
Jim Vandehei and Mike Allen of Politico take a look at the upcoming DNC convention with reporters from Politico and leaders from the Democratic Party. This event is taking place from their studios at the convention in Charlotte. http://www.c-span.org/DNC/Events/Politico-Looks-at-Upcoming-Democratic-Convention/10737433766/
7:20 PM ET
President Obama delivers a statement at Saint John the Baptist Parish, LA
President Obama to speak at Scott High Monday
8/29/12 Toledo News Now
President Barack Obama will attend Labor Day events in Toledo on Monday. After his visit to the Glass City, he will head to Louisiana to meet with local officials and view ongoing response and recovery efforts to Hurricane Isaac.
Air Force One is scheduled to land at Toledo Express Airport at 6:50 p.m. Sunday.
President Obama will speak at the UAW Labor Day Celebration at Scott High School on Collingwood Boulevard Monday. The event is scheduled to begin at 12:30 p.m. with doors opening at 10:30 a.m.
Tickets are available to attend the event for free and can be picked up at UAW Local 12 on Ashland Avenue in central Toledo and UAW Local 14 on Jackman Road in west Toledo Friday from noon to 6 p.m. They are distributed on a first-come-first-served basis and are limited per person. UAW Local 14 is limiting distribution to UAW members only at this time.
For more: http://www.toledonewsnow.com/story/19410448/president-obama-to-hold-rally-at-scott-high-monday
Obama to Visit Louisiana in Isaac’s Wake
Aug 31, 2012 By Mary Bruce | ABC OTUS News
President Obama will visit Louisiana on Monday to assess the damage in the wake of Hurricane Isaac, the White House announced Friday.
“Our hearts are obviously with all the folks who are down in Louisiana and the Gulf Coast who are dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Isaac. Our prayers are with those who’ve lost loved ones. And I’ve directed the federal government to keep doing everything that it can to help our partners at the state and local level. As a country, we stand united with our fellow Americans in their hour of need,” the president told troops at Fort Bliss today.
The White House announced the upcoming trip just hours before newly-minted GOP nominee Mitt Romney visited New Orleans to survey the aftermath of the storm.
According to White House spokesman Jay Carney, the decision for the president to travel to Louisiana was made prior to Romney’s announcement about his trip today.
Asked about Romney’s visit, Carney said, “I think that it’s always important to draw attention to the fact that individuals and families and business owners are profoundly affected by storms like Isaac, and that’s an important thing to do.”
Biden plans stop in Detroit for Labor Day parade, rally
August 28, 2012 at 12:42 pm By David Shepardson – Detroit News Washington Bureau
Washington — Vice President Joe Biden plans to make his third trip to Detroit since late July, taking part in the annual Labor Day celebration that draws tens of thousands of union members.
The Michigan AFL-CIO posted a notice of the event on its Facebook page and a campaign advisor confirmed Biden plans to attend. A Biden spokeswoman didn’t immediately return a message seeking comment.
The parade will begin a 9 a.m. with a noon Biden rally, according to the union announcement.
The Sept. 3 speech will be Biden’s 10th trip to Michigan since taking office and will come on the eve of the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, N.C.
Biden spent the night in Detroit last Tuesday before speaking at Detroit Renaissance High School and attending fundraisers.
Biden has focused on getting blue-collar Democrats fired up before the November election. Recent polls have shown a tight race between President Barack Obama and presumptive GOP nominee Mitt Romney, who will accept his party’s nomination Thursday night at the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla.
Biden spoke to 2,500 delegates of the American Federation of Teachers, an affiliate of the AFL-CIO, at Cobo Center on July 29.
Michigan isn’t in the top tier of swing states — Iowa, Ohio, Colorado, Nevada, Virginia — so the state hasn’t been getting as many high-powered visits. A Detroit News/WDIV Local 4 poll last week by Glengariff Group Inc. showed Obama up in Michigan by 5.5 percentage points, with a margin of error of plus or minus four percentage points. No Republican presidential candidate has won Michigan since 1988.
Obama last visited Michigan on April 18, when he made a quick trip to Metro Detroit for a pair of fundraisers. He’s visited the state 11 times since taking office.
Obama attended the Labor Day rally in Detroit last year. The Detroit event has traditionally been a place where Democratic presidential candidates kicked off the fall campaign.
Obama used his Labor Day speech last year to tout job creation ideas that the Republican Congress failed to approve.
For more: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20120828/POLITICS01/208280411#ixzz24smSnOxH
I noticed a Guardian science columnist’s tweet that “neither presidential campaign is expected to pay much attention to america’s homeless youth” citing a NYT article. So i did a little digging and found that in fact the National Center on Family Homelessness in Needham MA, “the leading organization focused solely on ending homelessness for children and families,” has issued a statement:
President Obama’s Fiscal Year 2013 Budget Proposal: Programs Serving Homeless Children and Families
…. The budget proposal reflects the Administration’s priorities and sets the tone for the budget and appropriations process moving forward…
The budget generally protects funding for programs serving homeless children and families. We applaud the President for continuing his commitment to implementing the Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness, which was released in June 2010. The budget provides over $2.2 billion for McKinney Vento Homeless Assistance Grants, which will maintain existing units and expand prevention, rapid re-housing, and permanent supportive housing. This is a 17 percent increase over the final FY 2012 appropriation level. The President also requested $1 billion to capitalize the National Housing Trust Fund (NHTF) to build, preserve, and rehabilitate rental housing for those with the lowest incomes. The President has requested funding for NHTF in each of his budget proposals, but Congress has yet to appropriate the funding….
…. The President’s budget proposal has not received a warm reception from all on Capitol Hill. Republicans have already dismissed it and are pounding the President for not taking stricter measures to lower the federal deficit. The budget is guaranteed be a major topic for debate throughout the 2012 election season. It is unlikely to be resolved until after the November elections….
http://www.homelesschildrenamerica.org/media/211.pdf
I have tweeted this so more people can be aware of it.
“Although it is true that only about 20 percent of American workers are in unions, that 20 percent sets the standards across the board in salaries, benefits and working conditions. If you are making a decent salary in a non-union company, you owe that to the unions. One thing that corporations do not do is give out money out of the goodness of their hearts.”
~Molly Ivins
“Only a fool would try to deprive working men and working women of their right to join the union of their choice.”
~Dwight D. Eisenhower
http://www.addictinginfo.org/2012/09/02/15-quotes-in-support-of-labor/
20 Reasons to Thank Labor Unions
1. Minimum Wage: Without federally mandated minimum wage, we’d still be working for pennies.
2. Child Labor Laws: Without these laws, children would be hired as cheap labor.
…
6. Safety Conditions: Do you work at a potentially hazardous job but have safety regulations in place to protect you? If so, unions are responsible for your continued safety.
…
11. 8 Hour Work Day: Without unions, we’d all be working non-stop 24/7. Because of unions you’re able to go home and spend some time at home with family and friends before you catch 6-8 hours of sleep.
12. 40 Hour Work Week: Just like number 11, without unions, we’d never have a day off and work would encompass our entire life.
…
14. Wrongful Termination Laws: Because of unions, you can’t be fired for stupid reasons, like the color of your skin or because you make too much money.
15. Pay Raises: Unions are responsible for your ability to ask for and receive pay raises.
16. Holiday Pay: Do you at least get some holidays off? If so, thank a union.
…
20. Laws Ending Sweatshops: Because of unions, sweatshops, which employ cheap labor with harsh conditions, are illegal.
http://www.addictinginfo.org/2012/09/02/20-reasons-to-thank-labor-unions/
Great post Kat! YEAH FOR UNIONS!
Happy Labor Day CR, Kat and friends. Totally agree about unions. I can’t imagine what kind of working conditions we would have in this country if we did not have labor unions.
Happy Labor Day COS!
‘Go home and call 211′
Sep 3, 2012 8:00 AM EDT By Steve Benen – maddowblog
For years, pundits have routinely argued that President Obama doesn’t “feel your pain” as well as Bill Clinton and George W. Bush did. I’ve never fully understood the criticism, but pundits have said Obama has a “professorial” demeanor that makes emotional connections more difficult. It’s a style that’s launched a thousand “Mr. Spock” columns.
But if Obama’s cerebral qualities are evidence of emotional distance, I wonder what those same pundits will say about Mitt Romney, who was in Louisiana over the weekend, visiting communities flooded by Hurricane Isaac.
Of course, if someone has lost their home, telling them to “go home and call 211″ isn’t exactly a compelling suggestion since most of us don’t have multiple homes. Then again, given Romney’s general worldview, what Chiarello should have done is pick wealthier parents.
But there was something else that seemed relevant about Romney’s New Orleans visit. Jindal told reporters late last week that he’s hoping for federal aid to bolster the state’s levee system. Are those investments a Romney administration is prepared to make?
Continue reading this entry …http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2012/09/03/13635312-go-home-and-call-211?lite