President Barack Obama Weekly Address 04/25/09 PODCAST VIDEO TEXT

Remarks of President Barack Obama Weekly Address Saturday, April 25, 2009 Washington, DC PODCAST OF THIS ARTICLE Download MP3 4.0 mb

Good morning. Over the last three months, my Administration has taken aggressive action to confront an historic economic crisis. As we do everything that we can to create jobs and get our economy moving, we’re also building a new foundation for lasting prosperity – a foundation that invests in quality education, lowers health care costs, and develops new sources of energy powered by new jobs and industries.

One of the pillars of that foundation must be fiscal discipline. We came into office facing a budget deficit of $1.3 trillion for this year alone, and the cost of confronting our economic crisis is high. But we cannot settle for a future of rising deficits and debts that our children cannot pay.

All across America, families are tightening their belts and making hard choices. Now, Washington must show that same sense of responsibility. That is why we have identified two trillion dollars in deficit-reductions over the next decade, while taking on the special interest spending that doesn’t advance the peoples’ interests.

But we must also recognize that we cannot meet the challenges of today with old habits and stale thinking. So much of our government was built to deal with different challenges from a different era. Too often, the result is wasteful spending, bloated programs, and inefficient results.

It’s time to fundamentally change the way that we do business in Washington. To help build a new foundation for the 21st century, we need to reform our government so that it is more efficient, more transparent, and more creative. That will demand new thinking and a new sense of responsibility for every dollar that is spent.

Earlier this week, I held my first Cabinet meeting and sent a clear message: cut what doesn’t work. Already, we’ve identified substantial savings. And in the days and weeks ahead, we will continue going through the budget line by line, and we’ll identify more than 100 programs that will be cut or eliminated.

But we can’t stop there. We need to go further, and we need an all-hands-on-deck approach to reforming government. That’s why I’m announcing several steps that my Administration will take in the weeks ahead to restore fiscal discipline while making our government work better.

First, we need to adhere to the basic principle that new tax or entitlement policies should be paid for. This principle – known as PAYGO – helped transform large deficits into surpluses in the 1990s. Now, we must restore that sense of fiscal discipline. That’s why I’m calling on Congress to pass PAYGO legislation like a bill that will be introduced by Congressman Baron Hill, so that government acts the same way any responsible family does in setting its budget.

Second, we’ll create new incentives to reduce wasteful spending and to invest in what works. We don’t want agencies to protect bloated budgets – we want them to promote effective programs. So the idea is simple: agencies that identify savings will get to keep a portion of those savings to invest in programs that work. The result will be a smaller budget, and a more effective government.

Third, we’ll look for ideas from the bottom up. After all, Americans across the country know that the best ideas often come from workers – not just management. That’s why we’ll establish a process through which every government worker can submit their ideas for how their agency can save money and perform better. We’ll put the suggestions that work into practice. And later this year, I will meet with those who come up with the best ideas to hear firsthand about how they would make your government more efficient and effective.

And finally, we will reach beyond the halls of government. Many businesses have innovative ways of using technology to save money, and many experts have new ideas to make government work more efficiently. Government can – and must – learn from them. So later this year, we will host a forum on reforming government for the 21st century, so that we’re also guided by voices that come from outside of Washington.

We cannot sustain deficits that mortgage our children’s future, nor tolerate wasteful inefficiency. Government has a responsibility to spend the peoples’ money wisely, and to serve the people effectively. I will work every single day that I am President to live up to that responsibility, and to transform our government so that is held to a higher standard of performance on behalf of the American people.

Thank you.

Senator Lamar Alexander Weekly Republican Address 04/25/09 VIDEO PODCAST TEXT

PODCAST Senator Lamar Alexander Delivers Republican weekly radio address download MP3 4.8 mb running time 5:05 min.

Full Text Transcript:

Hello I'm Senator Lamar Alexander from Tennessee. Chairman or the Senate Republican Conference

Do you remember a few years ago when our Congress got mad at France and banned French fries in the House of Representatives cafeteria?

We Americans always have had a love-hate relationship with the French. Which was why it was so galling last month when the Democratic Congress passed a budget with such big deficits that it makes the United States literally ineligible to join France in the European Union.

Now of course we don’t want to be in the European Union. We’re the United States of America. But French deficits are lower than ours, and their president has been running around sounding like a Republican -- lecturing our president about spending so much.

Now the debate in Congress is shifting to the size of your electric and gasoline bills and to climate change. So guess who has one of the lowest electric rates in Western Europe and the second lowest carbon emissions in the entire European Union.

It’s France again.

And what’s more, they’re doing it with a technology we invented and have been reluctant to use: nuclear power.

Thirty years ago, the contrary French became reliant on nuclear power when others wouldn’t. Today, nuclear plants provide 80 percent of their electricity. They even sell electricity to Germany, whose politicians built windmills and solar panels and promised not to build nuclear plants.

Which was exactly the attitude in the United States between 1979 and 2008 – when not one new nuclear plant was built. Still, nuclear, which supplies just 20% of all U.S. electricity, provides 70% of our pollution-free electricity.

So you’d think that if Democrats want to talk about energy and climate change and clean air, they’d put American-made nuclear power front and center. Instead, their answer is billions in subsidies for renewable energy from the sun, the wind and the earth.

Well, we Republicans like renewable energy, too.

We proposed a new Manhattan Project – like the one in World War II – to find ways to make......solar power cost-competitive and to improve advanced biofuels. But today, renewable electricity from the sun, the wind and the earth provides only about 1 1/2% of America’s electricity. Double it or triple it, and we still don’t have very much.

So there is a potentially a dangerous energy gap between the renewable electricity we want and the reliable electricity we must have.

To close that gap, Republicans say start with conservation and efficiency. We have so much electricity at night, for example, we could electrify half our cars and trucks and plug them in while we sleep without building one new power plant.

On that, Republicans and Democrats agree.

But when it comes to producing more energy, we disagree.

When Republicans say, build 100 new nuclear power plants during the next twenty years, Democrats say, no place to put the used nuclear fuel.

We say, recycle the fuel -- the way France does. They say, no we can’t.

We say,how about another Manhattan Project to remove carbon from coal plant emissions? Imaginary, they say.

We say, for a bridge to a clean energy future, find more natural gas and oil offshore. Farmers, homeowners and factories must have the natural gas. And more of the oil we’ll still need should be ours, instead of sending billions overseas.

They can’t wait to put another ban on offshore drilling.

We say incentives. They say mandates.

We say, keep prices down. Democrats say, put a big new national sales tax on electric bills and gasoline.

We both want a clean energy future, but here’s the real difference: Republicans want to find more American energy, and use less.

Democrats want to use less – but they really don’t want to find much more.

They talk about President Kennedy sending a man to the moon. Their energy proposals wouldn’t get America halfway to the moon.

We Republicans didn’t like it when Democrats passed a budget that gave the French bragging rights on deficits. So we’re not about to let the French also outdo us on electric and gasoline bills, clean air and climate change.

We say find more American energy and use less. Energy that’s as clean as possible, as reliable as possible, and at as low a cost as possible. And one place to start is with 100 more nuclear plants.” ###

Right & Wrong 101 DHS mistakes our troops for possible terrorists VIDEO

This video series will help liberal democrats learn how to fake an understanding of right and wrong that resonates with the American people. Today's lesson will demonstrate how to avoid statements like the one by Obama's Department of Homeland Security that claims some of our returning veterans could be terrorists.

Paid for by the Republican National Committee Not Authorized By Any Candidate Or Candidate's Committee www.GOP.com. Republican National Committee | 310 First Street | Washington, D. C. 20003 p/202.863.8500 | f/202.863.8820 | e/info@gop.com

Michael Steele on the Napolitano DHS Statement about US Soldiers VIDEO

Statement by U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano on the Threat of Right-Wing Extremism.

The primary mission of this department is to prevent terrorist attacks on our nation. The document on right-wing extremism sent last week by this department’s Office of Intelligence and Analysis is one in an ongoing series of assessments to provide situational awareness to state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies on the phenomenon and trends of violent radicalization in the United States. I was briefed on the general topic, which is one that struck a nerve as someone personally involved in the Timothy McVeigh prosecution.

Let me be very clear: we monitor the risks of violent extremism taking root here in the United States. We don’t have the luxury of focusing our efforts on one group; we must protect the country from terrorism whether foreign or homegrown, and regardless of the ideology that motivates its violence.

We are on the lookout for criminal and terrorist activity but we do not – nor will we ever – monitor ideology or political beliefs. We take seriously our responsibility to protect the civil rights and liberties of the American people, including subjecting our activities to rigorous oversight from numerous internal and external sources.

I am aware of the letter from American Legion National Commander Rehbein, and my staff has already contacted him to set up a meeting next week once I return from travel. I will tell him face-to-face that we honor veterans at DHS and employ thousands across the department, up to and including the Deputy Secretary.

As the department responsible for protecting the homeland, DHS will continue to work with its state and local partners to prevent and protect against the potential threat to the United States associated with any rise in violent extremist activity. ###

For Immediate Release Office of the Press Secretary Contact: 202-282-8010

Jeffrey D. Zients - Chief Performance Officer Biography

Jeffrey D. Zients (Photos by Post and AP)

On April 18, 2009 during his weekly address President Obama announced his intention to nominate a new Deputy Director of Management and Chief Performance Officer, Jeffrey Zients. If confirmed, Zients will fill a position first offered to management consultant Nancy Killefer, who withdrew from consideration in early February amid revelations about her personal income taxes.

Jeff (born c. 1966) has 20 years of business experience as a CEO, management consultant, and entrepreneur with a understanding of business strategy, process reengineering, and financial management.

Zients began his career in management consulting at Bain & Company and Mercer Management Consulting, where he focused on developing strategies and improving operations of Fortune 1000 companies.

After management consulting, He served as the Chairman of the Board of The Advisory Board Company and Chairman of the Board of The Corporate Executive Board Company. These two firms are leading providers of performance benchmarking and best practices across a wide range of industries, assisting senior executives at over 5,000 businesses to improve the efficiency of their operations. From June 2001 to November 2004 and January 2000 to April 2001, respectively. From July 1998 to June 2001, he served as Chief Executive Officer and from 1996 to July 1998 he served as Chief Operating Officer of The Advisory Board Company.

Both companies were established by Washington business legend David Bradley and they made Zientz and Bradley multimillionaires. Zients also played a key role in luring Major League Baseball back to Washington and partnered with a group of investors that failed to win ownership of the Washington Nationals. Mr. Zients currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors for Revolution Health, a holding company investing in consumer-driven healthcare, Best Practices, a provider of emergency medicine outsourcing services, and Timbuk2 Designs, a messenger bag and apparel retailer.

The Honorable Jeffrey Zients CIGIE Executive Chair (Photo by CIGIE)

He was a member of the board of directors of XM Satellite Radio until its 2008 merger.

Jeff is the Founder and Managing Partner of Portfolio Logic, an investment firm focusing primarily in business and healthcare services companies, and an active member of several corporate boards in diverse industries including consumer products, communications and healthcare.

He also co-founded The Urban Alliance Foundation, a non-profit organization that partners with corporations to provide economically disadvantaged youth with year-round paid internships, adult mentors and job training.

Jeff is a native of Kensington, Maryland and graduated summa cum laude from Duke University with a degree in Political Science, he lives in Washington D.C. with his wife, Mary and their 4 kids.

The President decided to make the Deputy Director for Management the government’s first Chief Performance Officer.

SOURCES:

• OMB - Blog Post - Move Over R2, CPO is Here
• Jeffrey D. Zients Profile - Forbes.com
• Jeffrey D. Zients - Portfolio.com
• Who Are Jeffrey Zients and Aneesh Chopra? - Federal Eye
• There's More Than Baseball in Jeffrey Zients's Days - washingtonpost.com
• Zients Is at the Top of His Game (washingtonpost.com)
• Council of Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency
• Jeffrey Zients From Wikipedia

Congressman Kevin McCarthy Weekly Republican Address 04/18/09 VIDEO TEXT

PODCAST Congressman Kevin McCarthy Delivers Republican weekly radio address download MP3 4.8 mb running time 4:07 min.

Full Text Transcript:

“This is California Congressman Kevin McCarthy – the House Republicans’ Chief Deputy Whip.

“Earlier this week, President Obama said that we need to get serious about fiscal discipline by trimming waste in the federal budget. Republicans couldn’t agree more. We want to work with the President to get our financial house back in order.

“Unfortunately, the Washington Democratic establishment has pushed all year for policies that spend too much, tax too much, and borrow too much from our children and grandchildren.

“When I think of the future, I think of my 15 year old son Connor and my 12 year old daughter Meghan. I worry about their future because your kids are as important to you as mine are to me. And I am unwilling to leave our children with so much debt.

“It’s irresponsible to borrow more than all previous American Presidents combined. And it must stop if we want to get our economy moving again.

“The trillion-dollar ‘stimulus’ bill … the $410 billion dollar ‘omnibus’ spending bill… and the massive, fiscally-irresponsible Democratic budget that doubles the debt in just over five years, and triples the debt in just over ten years. All this money, but why are we funding a skateboard park in Rhode Island and new bike racks in Washington, D.C.? The Democratic governor of Ohio is planning to use $57 million dollars in ‘stimulus’ funds on studies instead of ‘shovel-ready’ projects that could create jobs now. And don’t forget that the same ‘stimulus’ bill authorized those outrageous AIG bonuses.

“When will all this spending and borrowing end?

“Hard working American families and small businesses are asking that same question. In fact, thousands of Americans turned out on Tax Filing Day to say they’ve had enough of the high taxes and borrowing to bankroll Washington’s spending spree.

“I attended one of these Tea Parties in my hometown of Bakersfield, California, and believe me, the message was heard loud and clear. Every day, America’s families, seniors, and small businesses are making tough choices. They’re worried about their jobs, their mortgages, and their savings. They’re sacrificing to pay the bills to make sure their children get a good education. But Washington isn’t willing to make the same difficult decisions.

“This is why Republicans are leading the way with solutions to provide a new direction. Rather than proposing more Washington spending, Republicans propose tax relief for American small businesses. We know America’s entrepreneurs and innovators create the jobs in our economy – over 70% of all American jobs come from small businesses.

“Republicans are also working to reduce taxes on hardworking American families, rebuild their savings, lower their energy costs, expand access to affordable health care, but most of all, curb Washington spending and borrowing. These are not Republican or Democratic ideas – these are common-sense American solutions that we have heard from millions of Americans.

“And we know that when the government spends our hard earned tax money, we should be guaranteed accountability. That’s why House Republicans are unveiling Washington Watch, a new website tracking misuse of taxpayer dollars and ‘stimulus’ waste. We invite you to visit that website at www.republicanwhip.house.gov. Together we can help stop wasteful Washington spending by shining a spotlight on the waste.

“In this time of economic crisis and financial instability, Republicans are reaching out to the President and Washington Democrats to find solutions to solve our country’s problems. We have incredible challenges before all of us, and we ask all Americans to join us in working together for better solutions. Because it’s not just our future… it’s all of our children’s future.

“Thank you for listening.”

President Obama Weekly Address 04/18/09 PODCAST VIDEO TEXT

Remarks of President Barack Obama Weekly Address Saturday, April 18, 2009 Washington, DC PODCAST OF THIS ARTICLE Download MP3 4.9 mb

It’s not news to say that we are living through challenging times: The worst economic downturn since the Great Depression. A credit crisis that has made that downturn worse. And a fiscal disaster that has accumulated over a period of years.

In the year 2000, we had projected budget surpluses in the trillions, and Washington appeared to be on the road to fiscal stability. Eight years later, when I walked in the door, the projected budget deficit for this year alone was $1.3 trillion. And in order to jumpstart our struggling economy, we were forced to make investments that added to that deficit through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

But as surely as our future depends on building a new energy economy, controlling health care costs and ensuring that our kids are once again the best educated in the world, it also depends on restoring a sense of responsibility and accountability to our federal budget. Without significant change to steer away from ever-expanding deficits and debt, we are on an unsustainable course.

So today, we simply cannot afford to perpetuate a system in Washington where politicians and bureaucrats make decisions behind closed doors, with little accountability for the consequences; where billions are squandered on programs that have outlived their usefulness, or exist solely because of the power of a lobbyist or interest group; and where outdated technology and information systems undermine efficiency, threaten our security, and fail to serve an engaged citizenry.

If we’re to going to rebuild our economy on a solid foundation, we need to change the way we do business in Washington. We need to restore the American people’s confidence in their government – that it is on their side, spending their money wisely, to meet their families’ needs.

That starts with the painstaking work of examining every program, every entitlement, every dollar of government spending and asking ourselves: Is this program really essential? Are taxpayers getting their money’s worth? Can we accomplish our goals more efficiently or effectively some other way?

It’s a process we have already begun, scouring our budget line by line for programs that don’t work so we can cut them to make room for ones that do. That means ending tax breaks for companies shipping jobs overseas; stopping the fraud and abuse in our Medicare program; and reforming our health care system to cut costs for families and businesses. It means strengthening whisteblower protections for government employees who step forward to report wasteful spending. And it means reinstating the pay-as-you-go rule that we followed during the 1990s – so if we want to spend, we’ll need to find somewhere else to cut.

And this Monday, at my first, full Cabinet meeting, I will ask all of my department and agency heads for specific proposals for cutting their budgets. Already, members of my Cabinet have begun to trim back unnecessary expenditures. Secretary Napolitano, for example, is ending consulting contracts to create new seals and logos that have cost the Department of Homeland Security $3 million since 2003. In the largest Department, Secretary Gates has launched an historic project to reform defense contracting procedures and eliminate hundreds of billions of dollars in wasteful spending and cost overruns. And I commend Senators McCain and Levin – a Republican and a Democrat – who have teamed up to lead this effort in Congress.

Finally, in the coming weeks, I will be announcing the elimination of dozens of government programs shown to be wasteful or ineffective. In this effort, there will be no sacred cows, and no pet projects. All across America, families are making hard choices, and it’s time their government did the same.

That is why I have assembled a team of management, technology, and budget experts to guide us in this work – leaders who will help us revamp government operations from top to bottom and ensure that the federal government is truly working for the American people.

I have named Jeffrey Zients, a leading CEO, management consultant and entrepreneur, to serve as Deputy Director for Management of the Office of Management and Budget and as the first ever Chief Performance Officer. Jeffrey will work to streamline processes, cut costs, and find best practices throughout our government.

Aneesh Chopra, who is currently the Secretary of Technology for Governor Kaine of Virginia, has agreed to serve as America’s Chief Technology Officer. In this role, Aneesh will promote technological innovation to help achieve our most urgent priorities – from creating jobs and reducing health care costs to keeping our nation secure.

Aneesh and Jeffrey will work closely with our Chief Information Officer, Vivek Kundra, who is responsible for setting technology policy across the government, and using technology to improve security, ensure transparency, and lower costs. The goal is to give all Americans a voice in their government and ensure that they know exactly how we’re spending their money – and can hold us accountable for the results.

None of this will be easy. Big change never is. But with the leadership of these individuals, I am confident that we can break our bad habits, put an end to the mismanagement that has plagued our government, and start living within our means again. That is how we will get our deficits under control and move from recovery to prosperity. And that is how we will give the American people the kind of government they expect and deserve – one that is efficient, accountable and fully worthy of their trust.

Thank you.

Vice President Biden Tax Returns (FULL COPIES)

THE WHITE HOUSE Office of the Vice President. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 15, 2009

The Vice President and Dr. Jill Biden Release 2008 Income Tax Returns.

Today, the Vice President and Dr. Jill Biden released their 2008 federal and state income tax returns. He and Dr. Biden filed their income tax returns jointly and reported an adjusted gross income of $269,256 and an after-tax income of $183,315. The family’s primary sources of income were salaries from the United States Senate, Widener University, Delaware Technical & Community College, as well as royalties from the audio rights to the Vice President’s book. The Bidens paid $46,952 in federal income taxes; $11,164 in Delaware state income taxes; and donated $1,885 to charity. The charitable donations claimed by the Bidens on their tax returns are not the sum of their annual contributions to charity. They donate to their church, and they contribute to their favorite causes with their time, as well as their checkbooks.

Copies of the returns are available below:

• Download the Vice President’s Federal 1040 form (pdf)
• Download the Vice President’s Delaware tax return (pdf)

President Obama Tax Returns (FULL COPIES)

THE WHITE HOUSE Office of the Press Secretary. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 15, 2009

President and First Lady Release 2008 Income Tax Returns

Today, the President released his 2008 federal income tax returns. He and the First Lady filed their income tax returns jointly and reported an adjusted gross income of $2,656,902. The vast majority of the family’s 2008 income is the proceeds from the sale of the President’s books. The Obamas paid $855,323 in federal income tax.

The President and First Lady also reported donating $172,050 – or about 6.5% of their adjusted gross income – to 37 different charities. The largest reported gifts to charity were $25,000 contributions to CARE and the United Negro College Fund.

The President and First Lady also released their Illinois income tax return and reported paying $77,883 in state income taxes.

Copies of the returns are available below:

• Download the President’s Federal 1040 form (pdf)
• Download the President’s Federal 709 form (pdf).
• Download the President’s Illinois State income tax return (pdf)

Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) 2009 Pig Book VIDEO

Earmarks Rise to $19.6 Billion in CAGW’s 2009 Pig Book

(Washington, D.C.) - Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) today released the 2009 Congressional Pig Book, the latest installment in the group’s 19-year exposé of pork-barrel spending. The Pig Book revealed 10,160 earmarks worth $19.6 billion.

“Everyone in Washington has promised a new era of transparency and restraint in earmarks, from President Obama to the leaders of both parties in Congress,” said CAGW President Tom Schatz. “Sadly, the hard numbers from the 2009 appropriations bills tell a different story. The current Democratic congressional majority is following the same trajectory as their Republican predecessors. They came into power promising to cut earmarks, and made a big show of it during their first two years. However, as the 2009 Pig Book amply illustrates, pork-barrel spending is growing fast.”

While the number of specific projects declined by 12.5 percent, from 11,610 in fiscal year 2008 to 10,160 in fiscal year 2009, the total tax dollars spent to fund them increased by 14 percent, from $17.2 billion to $19.6 billion.

Much has been made of reforms that require members of Congress to identify earmarks they request and the intended recipients of earmarked funds, but CAGW uncovered 221 earmarks worth $7.8 billion that were funded in circumvention of Congress’s own transparency rules. These stealth earmarks were particularly prevalent in the 2009 Defense Appropriations Act, which included 142 anonymous earmarks worth $6.4 billion, a staggering 57 percent of the earmarked tax dollars.

The Pig Book Summary profiles the most egregious examples, breaks down pork per capita by state, and presents the annual "Oinker" Awards. All 10,160 projects are listed in a searchable database on CAGW’s website www.cagw.org. Examples of pork in the 2009 Pig Book include

• $3.8 million for the Old Tiger Stadium Conservancy in Detroit;
• $1.9 million for the Pleasure Beach water taxi service in Connecticut;
• $1.8 million for swine odor and manure management research in Ames, Iowa;
• $380,000 for a recreation and fairgrounds area in Kotzebue, Alaska;
• $143,000 for the Greater New Haven Labor History Association in Connecticut;
• $95,000 for the Canton Symphony Orchestra Association in Ohio; and
• $71,000 for Dance Theater Etcetera in Brooklyn for its Tolerance through Arts initiative.

Citizens Against Government Waste is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement in government. -###-

Coming of age on the Internet

Patti Valkenburg

In the mid-90s, the Internet seemed like a dark place. Indeed, scientific studies from that time were documenting some real risks for teenagers, including fewer close friendships and more tenuous connections with family. It appeared that teens were sacrificing real relationships for superficial cyber-relationships with total strangers.

Is this still true? Social scientists are revisiting those early concerns, and some are coming to believe that the psychological benefits may now outweigh the detrimental effects. In a new report in Current Directions in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science,

Jochen Peter

psychologists Patti Valkenburg and Jochen Peter of the University of Amsterdam took a look at a decade of research on these questions, and they believe two important historical changes have altered the psychological landscape.

First, the sheer number of teenagers now using the Internet has transformed the technology into a true social networking tool. Even in the late 90s, only about one in ten adolescents were online, which meant that kids actually had to choose between online relationships and real relationships. There was very little overlap, so it was very difficult to maintain flesh-and-blood relations while exploring cyberspace. Today, Valkenburg and Peter say, the vast majority of teenagers in Western countries have access to the Internet, and most appear to use the technology to nurture their existing relationships rather than to forge new ones.

Second, the newer communication tools also encourage building on existing relationships rather than isolating. In the 90s, the few teens who did spend time on the Internet tended to hang out with strangers in public chat rooms and so-called MUDS, multi-user dungeons. The appearance of instant messaging and social networks like Facebook has changed all that, according to the psychologists. Today, more than eight in ten teenagers use IM to connect with the same friends they see at school and work.

Recent studies document the positive effects of these technological changes. But what exactly is going on in the minds of the teenagers to produce this greater sense of well-being? Valkenburg and Peter believe that the 21st century Internet encourages honest talking about very personal issues - feelings, worries, vulnerabilities - that are difficult for many self-conscious teens to talk about. When they communicate through the Internet, they have fewer sounds and sights and social cues to distract them, so they become less concerned with how others perceive them. This in turn reduces inhibition, leading to unusually intimate talk.

The psychologists have also shown that "hyperpersonal" Internet talk leads to higher quality friendships, and that these quality friendships buffer teenagers against stress and lead to greater happiness. However, solitary "surfing" of the Internet has no positive effects on connectedness or well-being, and hanging around public chat rooms - though much rarer - still appears psychologically risky. ###

For more information about this study, please contact: Patti M. Valkenburg (p.m.valkenburg@uva.nl)

Wray Herbert discusses this study in his blog, "We're Only Human..." (www.psychologicalscience.org/onlyhuman/)

Current Directions in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, publishes concise reviews spanning all of scientific psychology and its applications. For a copy of the article "Social Consequences of the Internet for Adolescents" and access to other Current Directions in Psychological Science research findings, please contact Barbara Isanski at 202-293-9300 or bisanski@psychologicalscience.org

Contact: Barbara Isanski bisanski@psychologicalscience.org WEB: Association for Psychological Science

Governor Tim Pawlenty Weekly Republican Address 04/11/09 VIDEO TEXT

PODCAST Governor Tim Pawlenty Delivers Republican weekly radio address download MP3 2.8 mb running time 3:18 min.

Full Text Transcript:

"Hi, I'm Tim Pawlenty, Governor of Minnesota.

"This weekend, my wife Mary and I are finishing up our tax returns - just like I'm sure many of you are.

"It's a time when a lot of us look at our family's finances and ask some pretty tough questions, like are we saving enough for our kids' college? Will we be able to retire at a normal age? And what might happen if the recession gets worse, like it has over the last 2 months, when over 1 million Americans lost their jobs?

"I know for a lot of folks, the answer to these questions are pretty grim these days. Nationwide, unemployment is at a 25-year high as companies lay off employees or go out of business altogether. It's at times like this when families - and businesses - feel a need to hold on to every dollar they can.

"But think about this: according to the non-partisan Tax Foundation, the average American has to work from January 1st until this Monday, April 13th just to earn enough money to pay all their taxes for the year - that's just two days before taxes are actually due, on April 15th.

"And then consider this: If the Democrat majority in Washington gets its way, most family's tax burdens will be even higher.

"Now this isn't a Republican versus Democrat debate. I thought President Obama's proposal to eliminate capital gains taxes for small businesses was a pretty good idea. And his pledge to lower taxes for middle class Americans was something Republicans whole heartedly supported.

"But the budget that Congress is considering doesn't provide that tax relief. And rather than eliminate capital gains taxes for small businesses immediately so they can create jobs right now, their budget keeps those taxes high until after President Obama's term in office. And most concerning, this budget creates mountains of new debt that will ultimately will require higher taxes on all of us and our children.

"I think that's wrong. Families are hurting now and small businesses can't create new jobs soon enough.
"Isn't it time we stopped working for the government and that government started working for us?

"Here's a novel idea for the federal government: instead of collecting more taxes and then redistributing them through more federal programs, why don't you just let us keep more of our money in the first place?

"The federal government should keep a lid on taxes, control government spending, and borrow less - rather than increase the size and scope of the federal government so much that Washington is guaranteeing future tax increases. And while they're at it, they should also focus on making government work better, not making it bigger.

"It's time to prioritize spending, cut taxes to help families pay their bills and stimulate job creation. And let's get control of our national debt, so future generations aren't burdened with unbearable taxes.

"I urge President Obama and the Democrat-led Congress to let hardworking American families keep more of what they earn by cutting taxes and reining in spending. It's just common sense.

"I'm sure you will agree, especially on April 15th when your taxes are due.

"Thank you for listening and have a blessed Passover and Easter."

President Obama Weekly Address 04/11/09 PODCAST VIDEO TEXT

Remarks of President Barack Obama Weekly Address Saturday, April 11, 2009 Washington, DC PODCAST OF THIS ARTICLE Download MP3 3.8 mb

I speak to you today during a time that is holy and filled with meaning for believers around the world. Earlier this week, Jewish people gathered with family and friends to recite the stories of their ancestors’ struggle and ultimate liberation. Tomorrow, Christians of all denominations will come together to rejoice and remember the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

These are two very different holidays with their own very different traditions. But it seems fitting that we mark them both during the same week. For in a larger sense, they are both moments of reflection and renewal. They are both occasions to think more deeply about the obligations we have to ourselves and the obligations we have to one another, no matter who we are, where we come from, or what faith we practice.

This idea – that we are all bound up, as Martin Luther King once said, in "a single garment of destiny"– is a lesson of all the world’s great religions. And never has it been more important for us to reaffirm that lesson than it is today – at a time when we face tests and trials unlike any we have seen in our time. An economic crisis that recognizes no borders. Violent extremism that’s claimed the lives of innocent men, women, and children from Manhattan to Mumbai. An unsustainable dependence on foreign oil and other sources of energy that pollute our air and water and threaten our planet. The proliferation of the world’s most dangerous weapons, the persistence of deadly disease, and the recurrence of age-old conflicts.

These are challenges that no single nation, no matter how powerful, can confront alone. The United States must lead the way. But our best chance to solve these unprecedented problems comes from acting in concert with other nations. That is why I met with leaders of the G-20 nations to ensure that the world’s largest economies take strong and unified action in the face of the global economic crisis. Together, we’ve taken steps to stimulate growth, restore the flow of credit, open markets, and dramatically reform our financial regulatory system to prevent such crises from occurring again – steps that will lead to job creation at home.

It is only by working together that we will finally defeat 21st century security threats like al Qaeda. So it was heartening that our NATO allies united in Strasbourg behind our strategy in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and contributed important resources to support our effort there.

It is only by coordinating with countries around the world that we will stop the spread of the world’s most dangerous weapons. That is why I laid out a strategy in Prague for us to work with Russia and other nations to stop the proliferation of nuclear weapons; to secure nuclear materials from terrorists; and, ultimately, to free the world from the menace of a nuclear nightmare.

And it is only by building a new foundation of mutual trust that we will tackle some of our most entrenched problems. That is why, in Turkey, I spoke to members of Parliament and university students about rising above the barriers of race, region, and religion that too often divide us.

With all that is at stake today, we cannot afford to talk past one another. We can’t afford to allow old differences to prevent us from making progress in areas of common concern. We can’t afford to let walls of mistrust stand. Instead, we have to find – and build on – our mutual interests. For it is only when people come together, and seek common ground, that some of that mistrust can begin to fade. And that is where progress begins.

Make no mistake: we live in a dangerous world, and we must be strong and vigilant in the face of these threats. But let us not allow whatever differences we have with other nations to stop us from coming together around those solutions that are essential to our survival and success.

As we celebrate Passover, Easter, and this time of renewal, let’s find strength in our shared resolve and purpose in our common aspirations. And if we can do that, then not only will we fulfill the sacred meaning of these holy days, but we will fulfill the promise of our country as a leader around the world.

Sarah Palin Against Missile Defense Budget Cuts

Alaska Governor Sarah Palin and members of her senior staff discuss budget issues with legislators on April 9, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 09-80. Governor Palin Argues Against Cuts to Missile Defense Budget April 9, 2009, Juneau, Alaska – Governor Sarah Palin has urged the Secretary of Defense not to reduce the Missile Defense Agency’s budget. In a letter to Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Governor Palin outlined her concerns about the proposed $1.4 billion in budget cuts to the agency.

“Your announcement of a proposed $1.4 billion reduction of the Missile Defense Agency’s budget is not the best decision for today’s threat environment. Alaska is committed to supporting continued missile defense implementation at Fort Greely and the development of future technology through our Kodiak Launch Complex, which has access to the Gulf of Alaska Maritime Exercise Area. This unique training space offers a safe and secure location to further develop and test future missile intercept technologies in conjunction with the latest sea-based and land-based radar.

“I am deeply concerned with North Korea’s development and testing program. It has the clear potential of impacting Alaska, Hawaii, and possibly the West Coast, with a nuclear-armed warhead. I can’t emphasize enough how important it is that we continue to develop and perfect our global missile defense shield.”

A copy of the letter can be found at: www.gov.state.ak.us/pdf/Letter-MissileDefense_Apr08-2009.pdf ###

Republican Budget Agenda VIDEO

Product ID: 284910-1, Format: Roundtable, Last Airing: 03/29/2009, Event Date: 03/26/2009, Length: 31 minutes, Location: Washington, District of Columbia.

House Budget Committee Ranking Member Paul Ryan talked about developing the fiscal year 2010 budget. Topics included the differences between President Obama's proposals and the budget blueprints of Democrats in Congress and the Republican proposals. After he left, the reporters discussed his responses with the host.

United Nations Zhang Yesui China VIDEO

Informal comments to the Media by the Permanent Representative of the China, H.E. Mr. Zhang Yesui, on Non-proliferation, Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Media Stakeout VIDEO

United Nations Susan E. Rice North Korea VIDEO

Informal comments to the Media by the Permanent Representative of the United States of America, H.E. Ms. Susan E. Rice, on Non-proliferation, Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Media Stakeout VIDEO

President Obama Weekly Address 04/04/09 PODCAST VIDEO TEXT

Remarks of President Barack Obama Weekly Address Saturday, April 4, 2009 Washington, DC PODCAST OF THIS ARTICLE Download MP3 4.2 mb

In this new century, we live in a world that has grown smaller and more interconnected than at any time in history. Threats to our nation’s security and economy can no longer be kept at bay by oceans or by borders drawn on maps. The terrorists who struck our country on 9/11 plotted in Hamburg, trained in Kandahar and Karachi, and threaten countries across the globe. Cars in Boston and Beijing are melting ice caps in the Arctic that disrupt weather patterns everywhere. The theft of nuclear material from the former Soviet Union could lead to the extermination of any city on earth. And reckless speculation by bankers in New York and London has fueled a global recession that is inflicting pain on workers and families around the world and across America.

The challenges of our time threaten the peace and prosperity of every single nation, and no one nation can meet them alone. That is why it is sometimes necessary for a President to travel abroad in order to protect and strengthen our nation here at home. That is what I have done this week.

I began my trip by attending a summit of the G20 – the countries that represent the world’s largest economies – because we know that the success of America’s economy is inextricably linked to that of the global economy. If people in other countries cannot spend, that means they cannot buy the goods we produce here in America, which means more lost jobs and more families hurting. Just yesterday, we learned that we lost hundreds of thousands more jobs last month, adding to the millions we’ve lost since this recession began. And if we continue to let banks and other financial institutions around the world act recklessly and irresponsibly, that affects institutions here at home as credit dries up, and people can’t get loans to buy a home or car, to run a small business or pay for college.

Ultimately, the only way out of a recession that is global in scope is with a response that is global in coordination. That is why I’m pleased that after two days of careful negotiation, the G20 nations have agreed on a series of unprecedented steps that I believe will be a turning point in our pursuit of a global economic recovery. All of us are now moving aggressively to get our banks lending again. All of us are working to spur growth and create jobs. And all of us have agreed on the most sweeping reform of our financial regulatory framework in a generation – reform that will help end the risky speculation and market abuses that have cost so many people so much.

I also met this past week with the leaders of China and Russia, working to forge constructive relationships to address issues of common concern, while being frank with each other about where we disagree. President Hu and I agreed that the link between China’s economy and ours is of great mutual benefit, and we established a new Strategic and Economic Dialogue between the U.S. and China. President Medvedev and I discussed our shared commitment to a world without nuclear weapons, and we signed a declaration putting America and Russia on the path to a new treaty to further reduce our nuclear arsenals. Tomorrow, I will lay out additional steps we must take to secure the world’s loose nuclear materials and stop the spread of these deadly weapons.

Finally, I met yesterday with our NATO allies and asked them for additional civilian support and assistance for our efforts in Afghanistan. That is where al Qaeda trains, plots, and threatens to launch their next attack. And that attack could occur in any nation, which means that every nation has a stake in ensuring that our mission in Afghanistan succeeds.

As we have worked this week to find common ground and strengthen our alliances, we have not solved all of our problems. And we have not agreed on every point or every issue in every meeting. But we have made real and unprecedented progress – and will continue to do so in the weeks and months ahead.

Because in the end, we recognize that no corner of the globe can wall itself off from the threats of the twenty-first century, or from the needs and concerns of fellow nations. The only way forward is through shared and persistent efforts to combat fear and want wherever they exist. That is the challenge of our time. And if we move forward with courage and resolve, I am confident that we will meet this challenge.

Thank you.

Congressman Paul Ryan Weekly Republican Address 04/04/09 VIDEO TEXT

Fuu Text Transcript:

Hello I’m Paul Ryan of Wisconsin the lead Republican on the House Budget Committee. America is in the midst of an economic crisis. Families and small businesses are hurting and too many Americans have lost their jobs. There is no doubt that President Obama inherited -- fiscal crisis. But the question is busy fixing it or is he making it worse. The president’s budget which passed the House and Senate this week we’ll make the crisis much much worse. Rather than getting spending under control it -- spending out of control. Rather than keeping taxes low to create jobs it chases ever higher spending with ever higher taxes and results in ever higher debt. An unprecedented. Unsustainable. Increase in -- It doubles our national debt in five years in triples our debt in ten years. Put simply. The Democrats’ budget spends too much tax is too much and borrows too much from our kids in their kids.

They’re budget puts all the sacrifice on future generations it makes no tough choices it’s only tough on our children and grandchildren. But it’s not enough for us to just criticize we must also proposed a better way forward and Republicans path. The budget house Republicans offered gives Americans a real choice it curb spending creates jobs in controls with debt. The Republican budget has lower deficits than the democratic plan every year in my -- nineteen has half the deficit proposed by the president. Under our plan the public debt would be three point six trillion dollars lower than president Obama’s plan.

Our budget gives priority to national defense and veterans health care. We freeze all other discretionary spending for five years we enact a spending cap backed up by tough budget enforcement. American families are making sacrifices and tightening their belts Washington should do the same. Our budget also takes steps toward health care reform and retirement security. Our goal is to make quality affordable health care accessible to all Americans.

By strengthening the relationship between patients and their doctors not with a big government takeover. We will preserve and improve the existing Medicare program as well. We have offered a concrete plan a path to prosperity. To tackle our nation’s problems with innovative in principled solutions. America’s not the greatest nation on earth by chance. We earned this greatness by rewarding individual achievement. By advancing and protecting natural rights and by embracing freedom. Our budget reflects those principles and we offer the American people a better way forward thank you for listening.

Harold Hongju Koh Biograhy VIDEO

Harold Hongju Koh is the 15th Dean of Yale Law School and Gerard C. and Bernice Latrobe Smith Professor of International Law. On March 23, 2009, President Barack Obama nominated Dean Koh to be Legal Adviser to the United States Department of State.

Upon confirmation by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Koh said in an e-mail message to the Law School community that he will resign from his deanship and take a public service leave. As legal adviser, Koh will serve as principal counselor on all legal matters to Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton LAW ’73.

“There is no institution I love more than the Yale Law School. I have had the privilege of teaching here since 1985, and serving as your Dean since 2004,” Koh said in the e-mail message.

Contact Information: Yale Law School, P.O. Box 208215. New Haven, CT 06520. Contact Via Email

A Korean-American native of Boston, he holds a B.A. degree from Harvard College and B.A. and M.A. degrees from Oxford University, where he was a Marshall Scholar. He earned his J.D. from Harvard Law School, where he was Developments Editor of the Harvard Law Review, and served as a law clerk for Justice Harry A. Blackmun of the United States Supreme Court and Judge Malcolm Richard Wilkey of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.

He and has held a variety of positions in private practice, government service, and academia, including at the Hague Academy of International Law. He is the brother of former Massachusetts Public Health Commissioner and United States Assistant Secretary for Health Nominee Howard Kyongju Koh.

In the 1980's Koh worked as an adviser to the Office of Legal Counsel in the Reagan Justice Department.

He began teaching at Yale Law School in 1985 and has served since 2004 as its fifteenth Dean. From 1998 to 2001, he served as U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, and previously had served on the Secretary of State's Advisory Committee on Public International Law. Before joining Yale, he practiced law at Covington and Burling from 1982-83 and at the Office of Legal Counsel at the Department of Justice from 1983-85.

He was nominated by President Clinton to become Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor on September 10, 1998 and confirmed by the Senate on October 21, 1998.

Dean Koh is a expert on public and private international law, national security law, and human rights. He has argued before the United States Supreme Court and he has testified before the U.S. Congress more than twenty times. He has been awarded eleven honorary doctorates and three law school medals and has received more than thirty awards for his human rights work. He is recipient of the 2005 Louis B. Sohn Award from the American Bar Association International Law Section and the 2003 Wolfgang Friedmann Award from Columbia Law School for his lifetime achievements in International Law.

He is author or co-author of eight books, including Transnational Litigation in United States Courts, Foundations of International Law and Politics (with O. Hathaway); Transnational Legal Problems (with H. Steiner and D. Vagts), Transnational Business Problems (with D. Vagts and W. Dodge), and The National Security Constitution, which won the American Political Science Association's award in 1991 as the best book on the American Presidency. He was also the editor of The Justice Harry A. Blackmun Oral History Project (1994-95).

He has published more than 150 articles on international human rights, international business transactions, national security and foreign affairs law, international trade, international organizations, international law and political science, and procedure.

He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Philosophical Society, an Honorary Fellow of Magdalen College, Oxford, a former Visiting Fellow at All Souls College, Oxford, and a member of the Council of the American Law Institute. He has held fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation and the Century Foundation.

He has sat on the Board of Overseers of Harvard University and sits on the Boards of Directors of the Brookings Institution, Human Rights First, the American Arbitration Association, and the National Democratic Institute. He has been named one of America's “45 Leading Public Sector Lawyers Under The Age of 45” by American Lawyer magazine and one of the “100 Most Influential Asian-Americans of the 1990s” by A magazine.

SOURCES:

• Yale Law School | Faculty | Harold Hongju Koh
• Harold Hongju Koh From Wikipedia
• Koh named for State post
• Curriculum Vitae