It's Not Iran - It's Obama's Administration Here in America VIDEO

Television ad that highlights recent press accounts that sound more like they are out of Iran than the U.S. But truth be told they are actually accounts of Barack Obama's (and his administration's) failures and poor policy decisions. From: www.OurCountryPAC.org

Confirmation Hearings Judge Sonia Sotomayor LIVE VIDEO

Confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Judge Sonia Sotomayor begin with opening statements by members of the Senate Judiciary Cmte. and introductions of Judge Sotomayor by New York Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand.

Confirmation Hearings Judge Sonia Sotomayor LIVE VIDEO

President Barack Obama Weekly Address 07/11/09 PODCAST VIDEO TEXT

Remarks of President Barack Obama Weekly Address Saturday, July 11, 2009 Washington, DC PODCAST OF THIS ARTICLE Download MP3 7.6 mb

This week, we’ve made important progress toward the goal of bringing about change abroad and change at home. During my visit to Russia, we began the process of resetting relations so that we can address key national priorities like the threat of nuclear weapons and extremism. At the G8 summit, leaders from nearly thirty nations met to discuss how we will collectively confront the urgent challenges of our time, from managing the global recession to fighting global warming to addressing global hunger and poverty. And in Ghana, I laid out my agenda for supporting democracy and development in Africa and around the world.

But even as we make progress on these challenges abroad, my thoughts are on the state of our economy at home. And that’s what I want to talk to you about today.

We came into office facing the most severe economic downturn since the Great Depression. At the time, we were losing, on average 700,000 jobs a month. And many feared that our financial system was on the verge of collapse.

As a result of the swift and aggressive action we took in the first few months of this year, we’ve been able to pull our financial system and our economy back from the brink. We took steps to re-start lending to families and businesses, stabilize our major financial institutions, and help homeowners stay in their homes and pay their mortgages. We also passed the largest and most sweeping economic recovery plan in our nation’s history.

The Recovery Act wasn’t designed to restore the economy to full health on its own, but to provide the boost necessary to stop the free fall. It was designed to spur demand and get people spending again and cushion those who had borne the brunt of the crisis. And it was designed to save jobs and create new ones.

In a little over one hundred days, this Recovery Act has worked as intended. It has already extended unemployment insurance and health insurance to those who have lost their jobs in this recession. It has delivered $43 billion in tax relief to American working families and businesses. Without the help the Recovery Act has provided to struggling states, its estimated that state deficits would be nearly twice as large as they are now, resulting in tens of thousands of additional layoffs – layoffs that would affect police officers, teachers, and firefighters.

The Recovery Act has allowed small businesses and clean energy companies to hire new workers or scrap their plans for eliminating current jobs. And it’s led to new jobs building roads, bridges and other infrastructure projects, thousands of which are only beginning now. In the months to come, thousands more projects will begin, leading to additional jobs.

Now, I realize that when we passed this Recovery Act, there were those who felt that doing nothing was somehow an answer. Today, some of those same critics are already judging the effort a failure although they have yet to offer a plausible alternative. Others believed that the recovery plan should have been even larger, and are already calling for a second recovery plan.

But, as I made clear at the time it was passed, the Recovery Act was not designed to work in four months – it was designed to work over two years. We also knew that it would take some time for the money to get out the door, because we are committed to spending it in a way that is effective and transparent. Crucially, this is a plan that will also accelerate greatly throughout the summer and the fall. We must let it work the way it’s supposed to, with the understanding that in any recession, unemployment tends to recover more slowly than other measures of economic activity.

I am confident that the United States of America will weather this economic storm. But once we clear away the wreckage, the real question is what we will build in its place. Even as we rescue this economy from a full blown crisis, I have insisted that we must rebuild it better than before.

Without serious reforms, we are destined to either see more crises, or suffer stagnant growth rates for the foreseeable future, or a combination of the two. That’s a future I absolutely reject. And that’s why we’re laying a new foundation that’s not only strong enough to withstand the challenges of the 21st century, but one that will allow us to thrive and compete in a global economy. That means investing in the jobs of the future, training our workers to compete for those jobs, and controlling the health care costs that are driving us into debt.

Through the clean energy investments we’ve made in the Recovery Act, we’re already seeing start-ups and small businesses make plans to create thousands of new jobs. In California, 3000 people will be employed to build a new solar plant. In Michigan, investment in wind turbines and wind technology is expected to create over 2,600 jobs. And a few weeks ago, the House of Representatives passed historic legislation that would finally make clean energy the profitable kind of energy, leading to whole new industries and jobs that can’t be outsourced.

To give our workers the skills and education they need to compete for the high-tech, high-wage jobs of the future, we’re working on reforms that will close achievement gaps, ensure that our schools meet high standards, reward our teachers for performance and give them new pathways to advancement.

Finally, we have made important progress in the last few weeks on health care reform that will finally control the costs that are driving our families, our businesses, and our government into debt. Both the Senate and the House have now produced legislation that will bring down costs, provide better care for patients, and curb the worst practices of insurance companies, so that they can no longer deny Americans coverage based on a pre-existing medical condition. It’s a plan that would also allow Americans to keep their health insurance if they lose their job or if they change their job. And it would set up a health insurance exchange – a marketplace that will allow families and small businesses to access one-stop-shopping for quality, affordable coverage, and help them compare prices and choose the plan that best suits their needs. One such choice would be a public option that would make health care more affordable through competition that keeps the insurance companies honest.

One other point. Part of what makes our current economic situation so challenging is that we already had massive deficits as the recession gathered force. And although the Recovery Act represents just a small fraction of our long term debt, people have legitimate questions as to whether we can afford reform without making our deficits much worse.

So let me be clear; I have been firm in insisting that both health care reform and clean energy legislation cannot add to our deficit. And I intend to continue the work of reducing waste, eliminating programs that don’t work, and reforming our entitlement programs to ensure that our long term deficits are brought under control.

I said when I took office that it would take many months to move our economy from recession to recovery and ultimately to prosperity. We are not there yet, and I continue to believe that even one American out of work is one too many. But we are moving in the right direction. We are cleaning up the wreckage of this storm. And we are laying a firmer, stronger foundation so that we may better weather whatever future storms may come. This year has been and will continue to be a year of rescuing our economy from disaster.

But just as important will be the work of rebuilding a long term engine for economic growth. It won’t be easy, and there will continue to be those who argue that we have to put off hard decisions that we have already deferred for far too long. But earlier generations of Americans didn’t build this great country by fearing the future and shrinking our dreams.

This generation – our generation - has to show that same courage and determination. I believe we will.

Thanks for listening.

Congressman Eric Cantor Weekly Republican Address 07/11/09 VIDEO TEXT

Weekly Republican Address 07/11/09 FULL TEXT TRANSCRIPT

Hello. I’m House Republican Whip Eric Cantor and I have the great privilege of representing the hardworking people of Virginia’s 7th District.

American families and small businesses today are struggling.

Eric Cantor

Republicans have put forth thoughtful, serious and comprehensive plans of action that put jobs first. We offered an economic recovery plan that would have revitalized struggling small businesses and helped middle-class families by putting Americans back to work. Yet, the president, in tandem with Democrats in Congress, have pushed through a $787-billion bill full of pork barrel spending, government waste and massive borrowing cleverly called ‘stimulus.’

There is no doubt that our nation faces many challenges, but the plain truth is that President Obama’s economic decisions have not produced jobs, have not produced prosperity and have not worked.

President Obama has already asked you to borrow trillions, and so far nearly 3 million jobs have been lost this year alone.

Remember the promises? They promised you if you paid for their stimulus, jobs would be created immediately. In fact, they said that unemployment would stay under 8%.

Yet just months later, they are telling us to brace for unemployment to climb over 10%. They promised jobs created. Now, they scramble to find a way to play games with government numbers by claiming jobs saved.

Simply put, this is now President Obama’s economy and the American people are beginning to question whether his policies are working.

But that doesn’t mean we are out of options. Together, we can bring about a strong and real recovery. We can create an environment that empowers small businesses and American workers to thrive. We must focus on job creation and restoring the financial and retirement security lost by millions.

And for the sake of our children and our long-term fiscal viability, Washington must stop spending money that it doesn’t have.

That’s why every day, my Republican colleagues are fighting to enact policies that will stabilize our economy, create jobs and ignite prosperity. You and your family deserve no less.

Since January, we have offered alternatives to the out-of-control, big government, Democrat agenda that unfortunately became law and has completely failed to create jobs. Our plan is simple and smart -- and its strength is that it doesn’t invest in Washington, it invests in the American people.

We believe Washington should stop its war on the middle class and reduce tax rates so every hardworking, taxpaying family in America will see an immediate increase in their income. A prosperous middle class is critical for our entire nation’s well-being.

We believe Washington must stop targeting America’s small businesses and instead should empower them by allowing employers to take a tax deduction to free up funds to retain and hire new employees.

Our history proves that it is the small businessmen and women who will reignite our economy by putting people back to work. Washington should get out of the way and encourage small-business employers to start or grow a business.

Lastly, we believe Washington must be responsible for every taxpayer dollar that it spends. Washington must live within its means. We will not support tax hikes to pay for even more so-called stimulus spending.

The overwhelming majority of Americans are working hard and are playing by the rules. They are providing for their families and doing their part to return America to the pinnacle of prosperity.

Their reward? Trillions more in debt.

For the "stimulus" alone, Washington borrowed nearly $10,000 from every American household. Let me ask you: Do you feel $10,000 richer today? Do you feel $10,000 better off? If you don’t, please know most people agree.

That is why we continue our fight because during these tough economic times, it often seems that Washington is offering you few choices except for spend and borrow. I’m here today to let you know there are alternatives: common-sense tax relief, smart and necessary reductions in spending, and intelligent policies that do not bankrupt our nation.

That is why I’m asking you to join our fight for accountability and common sense. We can do better and we will do better, but first we have to come together to change what is going on. The time is critical; the choice is yours. I’m Eric Cantor, and on behalf of my Republican colleagues, join with us to get Washington working for you once again. Thank you for listening. ###

2009 Young Republican National Convention VIDEO

Young GOP reflect and rebuild in Indy. WISH CBS 8 Indianapolis. Jul. 09, 2009. 06:14 PM EST. The 650 delegates, who come from 45 states are ages 40 and under gathered in Indianapolis for three days of meetings.

• 2009 Young Republican National Convention
• We have received 26 submitted amendments to the YRNF Constitution and Bylaws for consideration and adoption. All amendments submitted will be considered during the Convention Business Session on July 11, 2009. Amendments to the YRNF Constitution and Bylaws in PDF Format.

Republicans Want Health Care for All Americans VIDEO

Senate Republicans Want Health Care for All Americans. On Capitol Hill, Senate Republicans said they want health care reform that addresses rising costs. They want to take the time to find a solution that covers the uninsured but doesn't saddle future generations with trillions of dollars of debt.

Harry Reid Al Franken:VIDEO

Reid Statement Following Meeting With Senator-Elect Franken

Washington, DC— Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid made the following statement today after his meeting with Senator-elect Al Franken:

“I am pleased to welcome Senator-elect Al Franken to the United States Senate. Senator-elect Franken ran a hard-fought, issues-based campaign and I know he will work hard for the people of Minnesota. But don’t take my word for it. This is what former Republican Congressman Vin Weber had to say about our newest Senator: ‘…when people find out he's a smart guy who is serious about issues and a hard worker, they will be very pleasantly surprised.’

“Much has been made of the expectations of Al Franken joining the United States. I expect Al to work hard for the people of Minnesota, who have gone far too long without full representation. I expect him to help deliver the change this country demands as we work to strengthen our economy, ensure all Americans can access and afford quality health care, and make our country more energy independent. I am confident Senator-elect Franken will make a difference, but we will need more than just his presence to effectively address all of our nation’s challenges.

“The challenges we face are not Democratic or Republican in nature. They are America’s challenges and they are too great to be solved by partisanship. Moving America forward will still require the cooperation and collaboration of Democrats and Republicans alike. The last eight years have shown us that the American people want us to work together. Democrats aren’t looking at Senator Franken’s election as an opportunity to ram legislation through the Senate.

“In turn Senate Republicans must understand that Senator-elect Franken’s election does not abdicate them from the responsibility of governing. That is why we have and will continue to offer Senate Republicans a seat at the table. It is up to them to decide whether they will sit down and work for the common good or continue to be the Party of No.”

President Barack Obama Weekly Address 07/04/09 PODCAST VIDEO TEXT

Remarks of President Barack Obama Weekly Address Saturday, July 04, 2009 Washington, DC PODCAST OF THIS ARTICLE Download MP3 4.03 mb

Hello and Happy Fourth of July, everybody. This weekend is a time to get together with family and friends, kick back, and enjoy a little time off. And I hope that’s exactly what all of you do. But I also want to take a moment today to reflect on what I believe is the meaning of this distinctly American holiday.

Today, we are called to remember not only the day our country was born – we are also called to remember the indomitable spirit of the first American citizens who made that day possible.

We are called to remember how unlikely it was that our American experiment would succeed at all; that a small band of patriots would declare independence from a powerful empire; and that they would form, in the new world, what the old world had never known – a government of, by, and for the people.

That unyielding spirit is what defines us as Americans. It is what led generations of pioneers to blaze a westward trail.

It is what led my grandparents’ generation to persevere in the face of a Depression and triumph in the face of tyranny.

It is what led generations of American workers to build an industrial economy unrivalled around the world.

It is what has always led us, as a people, not to wilt or cower at a difficult moment, but to face down any trial and rise to any challenge, understanding that each of us has a hand in writing America’s destiny.

That is the spirit we are called to show once more. We are facing an array of challenges on a scale unseen in our time. We are waging two wars. We are battling a deep recession. And our economy – and our nation itself – are endangered by festering problems we have kicked down the road for far too long: spiraling health care costs; inadequate schools; and a dependence on foreign oil.

Meeting these extraordinary challenges will require an extraordinary effort on the part of every American. And that is an effort we cannot defer any longer.

Now is the time to lay a new foundation for growth and prosperity. Now is the time to revamp our education system, demand more from teachers, parents, and students alike, and build schools that prepare every child in America to outcompete any worker in the world.

Now is the time to reform an unsustainable health care system that is imposing crushing costs on families, businesses, large and small, and state and federal budgets. We need to protect what works, fix what’s broken, and bring down costs for all Americans. No more talk. No more delay. Health care reform must happen this year.

And now is the time to meet our energy challenge – one of the greatest challenges we have ever confronted as a people or as a planet. For the sake of our economy and our children, we must build on the historic bill passed by the House of Representatives, and make clean energy the profitable kind of energy so that we can end our dependence on foreign oil and reclaim America’s future.

These are some of the challenges that our generation has been called to meet. And yet, there are those who would have us try what has already failed; who would defend the status quo. They argue that our health care system is fine the way it is and that a clean energy economy can wait. They say we are trying to do too much, that we are moving too quickly, and that we all ought to just take a deep breath and scale back our goals.

These naysayers have short memories. They forget that we, as a people, did not get here by standing pat in a time of change. We did not get here by doing what was easy. That is not how a cluster of 13 colonies became the United States of America.

We are not a people who fear the future. We are a people who make it. And on this July 4th, we need to summon that spirit once more. We need to summon the same spirit that inhabited Independence Hall two hundred and thirty-three years ago today.

That is how this generation of Americans will make its mark on history. That is how we will make the most of this extraordinary moment. And that is how we will write the next chapter in the great American story. Thank you, and Happy Fourth of July. ###

Senator John McCain Weekly Republican Address 07/04/09 VIDEO TEXT

Weekly Republican Address 07/04/09 FULL TEXT TRANSCRIPT

Hi, I’m Senator John McCain.

Today, we celebrate our independence, declared 233 years ago, achieved through the trial of a long and difficult war, and preserved through the years with the blood and sacrifice of millions. It’s an occasion for Americans to reunite with family and enjoy a mid-summer holiday with picnics and barbeques, ballgames and golf, and other recreation.

Our appreciation for what happened on a hot summer day in Philadelphia all these years ago is often limited to a fleeting, warm feeling about an ancient generation of Americans who against great odds, stood up to a powerful oppressor, and claimed their natural right to liberty.

This is an accurate but incomplete understanding of the revolution begun that day. For written on that piece of yellowed parchment is not only the bold assertion that thirteen former British colonies were and forever would remain free and independent states,

but also the once radical idea that history has a right side and a wrong side, and that Americans stood and would always stand on the right side.

The signers put their names and ransomed their lives to a universal, not just a national ideal; that all human beings everywhere, not just Americans, not just the mostly well-off white men gathered in Philadelphia for the occasion, ‘are created equal, and endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.’

We’ve not always been true to that ideal, and the rights guaranteed by our Constitution. Slavery, Jim Crow, the disenfranchisement of women were betrayals of the principles enshrined in our founding documents, and had to be conquered before we could claim without qualification to be firmly on the right side of history.

But we overcame our faults, corrected our mistakes and in the unfinished story of our Republic, we continue our progress toward ‘a more perfect union.’ And, in the struggle to do so, we have achieved greatness.

Our wealth and power, unequaled by any nation before or since, are not the cause of our greatness. Our ideals have made us great. We are strong and prosperous because we are free, not the other way around. We have marched, in fits and starts, toward the right side of history and have ascended to a most exalted station in the affairs of mankind – ‘leader of the free world.’ It’s a great tribute to us, but also a great responsibility.

We share a kinship of ideals with every man and woman on earth who struggles for their God-given rights. The world must never doubt where we stand in the liberation struggles of our time. We stand with those who risk the anger of tyrants and their lives for the proposition that just government is derived from the consent of the governed; that all people are entitled to equal justice under the law.

Today, we stand with the millions of Iranians who brave batons, imprisonment and gunfire to have their voices heard and their votes counted. They do not ask us to arm them or come to their assistance with anything other than public declarations of solidarity, and public denunciations of the tyrants who oppress them.

We have a moral obligation to do so.

There are those among us who warn that a strong and unequivocal declaration of moral support for Iranians would be used by the cruel regime in power there to convince their subject people that the United States is behind the civil unrest they have attempted to hide from the world. But the regime will make that claim no matter what we say or do.

Do they really believe Iranians don’t know why they’re protesting and who is oppressing them? Do they think Iranians whose votes were discarded, whose voices have been ignored, whose lives have been threatened by the regime they wish to be rid of will think America has put them in that position; that the CIA caused a brave and idealistic young woman to step out of her car to join their protest, only to be instantly murdered by the henchmen of the regime?

Iranians know the truth. They know who is oppressing them and why. It’s a government that governs without their consent, which beats them, imprisons them and threatens their lives to preserve its own hold on power, and not to resist some imagined foreign enemy.

They are not fools, these brave and determined Iranians. They are on the right side of history, and the cynics among us, who think them fools, are on the wrong side. Liberty and justice will someday be theirs. Let us hope they will have reason to remember then, who their friends were in their struggle for freedom.

This is John McCain, wishing you a happy and meaningful Fourth of July. ###

Colin Powell concerned about President Obama's spending VIDEO

Former Secretary of State Colin Powell tells CNN's John King that he's concerned about President Obama's spending.

Governor Sarah Palin's resignation announcement VIDEO TEXT

FULL TEXT TRANSCRIPT FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 09-167, GOVERNOR PALIN ANNOUNCES NO SECOND TERM, NO LAME DUCK SESSION EITHER

July 3, 2009, Anchorage, Alaska – Governor Sarah Palin announced today that she will not seek a second term as Governor of the State of Alaska and will relegate the power of governor to Lieutenant Governor Sean Parnell in order to serve Alaska’s best interests. Lieutenant General Craig Campbell will move into Parnell’s current role.

“People who know me know that besides faith and family, nothing's more important to me than our beloved Alaska,” said Governor Palin. “Serving her people is the greatest honor I could imagine.”

Standing outside her home in Wasilla, Alaska, Governor Palin reflected upon some of the administration’s accomplishments for Alaska as she approaches her final year in office.

“I am determined to take the right path for Alaska even though it is not the easiest path,” said Governor Palin after the announcement. “Once I decided not to run for re-election, I also felt that to embrace the conventional ‘Lame Duck’ status in this particular climate would just be another dose of ‘politics as usual,’ something I campaigned against and will always oppose. It is my duty to always protect our great state. With that in mind, my family and I determined that it is best to make a difference this summer, and I am willing to change things, so that this administration, with its positive agenda, its accomplishments, and its successful road to an incredible future, can continue without interruption and with great administrative and legislative success. I look forward to helping others – to fight for our state and our country, and campaign for those who believe in smaller government, free enterprise, strong national security, support for our troops, and energy independence.”

The transfer of power will occur following the Governor’s picnic in Fairbanks on July 26. At that point in time, Lieutenant Governor Sean Parnell will be sworn in and Lieutenant General Craig Campbell will assume his role as Lieutenant Governor.
Governor Palin will spend July 4th in Juneau. ###

Selected Accomplishments of the Palin Administration
General
· Transferred more control of public issues to the local level
Natural Resources
· Created the Petroleum Systems Integrity Office to oversee responsible development
· Held the line for Alaskans on Point Thomson that encouraged drilling
· Restructured the state’s oil taxes to create a clear and equitable valuation formula for our oil and gas
· Initiated and implemented the largest energy project in the world through the Alaska Gasline Inducement Act
· Removed government from the dairy business and put it back into private-sector hands
Ethics
· Ushered in ethics reform
· Cleaned up previously accepted unethical actions affecting development
Fiscal Notes
· Slowed the rate of government growth
· Worked with the Legislature to place billions of dollars in savings
· Vetoed hundreds of millions of dollars in capital budget line items
· Reduced Alaska’s dependence on federal earmarks by nearly 85%
· Eliminated state-funded personal luxuries like the jet, the chef, and junkets
· Refused a pay raise, along with the Lieutenant Governor
Education
· Provided unprecedented support for education initiatives
Public Safety
· Filled long-vacant public safety positions over the last year
Corrections
· Broke ground on the new state prison
Fish and Game
· Maintained biologically-sound wildlife management for abundance
Environment
· Established first sub-Cabinet on climate change
Legal
· State’s rights protected in two recent victories handed down by the U.S. Supreme Court. ###

RELATED SOURCES:

• GOVERNOR PALIN ANNOUNCES NO SECOND TERM PDF
• Lt. Gov. Parnell press release
• Transcript of Palin's speech

Norm Coleman concedes Minnesota Senate race VIDEO

Norm Coleman concedes the Minnesota U.S. Senate race to Senator Elect Al Franken following a unanimous Minnesota Supreme Court ruling in favor of Franken. The seat gives Democrats a 60-vote majority in the Senate. MN Supreme Court Opinion PDF

Nixon White House Tapes: January 1973 PODCAST MP3

The Nixon Presidential Library has opened approximately 154 hours of tape recordings from the Nixon White House recorded in January and February 1973 and consisting of approximately 994 conversations. The conversations cover topics such as the conclusion of a peace settlement between the United States and the Democratic Republic of Vietnam and the return of American POWs, President Nixon’s second inauguration, the U.S. and Europe, the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision, energy policy, the reorganization of the executive branch, the creation of a “New Majority” for a reinvigorated Republican Party, and the first Watergate trial.

Candid photo of President Nixon at his desk in the Oval Office. Date: June 23, 1972, Roll-Frame number: WHPO C9461(18)

This release comprises conversations involving the President and a variety of participants primarily in January 1973. The most frequent participants are White House staff members H. R. Haldeman, Henry A. Kissinger, Charles W. Colson, Ronald L. Ziegler, John D. Ehrlichman, Alexander M. Haig, Jr., Stephen B. Bull, and Richard T. Kennedy.

Others include members of the Cabinet, foreign dignitaries, members of Congress, the President’s friends and family, journalists, celebrities, and members of the White House staff and federal agencies.

While the conversations document the entire scope of issues in which the Nixon White House engaged in early 1973, these conversations particularly concern the peace settlement ending United States involvement in the Vietnam War and the return of American prisoners of war from Southeast Asia. Other major topics include visits from foreign dignitaries for former President Harry S. Truman’s memorial services, maintaining US access to oil produced in the Middle East in the face of tighter controls by the Organization for Oil Producing Countries (OPEC), and the Supreme Court’s decision on abortion rights in Roe v. Wade.

Tape Number	Location	Tape Subject Log	Conversations
36	White House Telephone	PDF	Conversation List/Audio
43	White House Telephone	PDF	Conversation List/Audio
112	Cabinet Room	PDF	not yet online
113	Cabinet Room	PDF	not yet online
160	Camp David Study Table	PDF	Conversation List/Audio
239	Camp David Hard Wire	PDF	Conversation List/Audio
240	Camp David Hard Wire	PDF	Conversation List/Audio
393	Old Executive Office Building	PDF	Conversation List/Audio
394	Old Executive Office Building	PDF	Conversation List/Audio
395	Old Executive Office Building	PDF	Conversation List/Audio
396	Old Executive Office Building	PDF	Conversation List/Audio
397	Old Executive Office Building	PDF	Conversation List/Audio
398	Old Executive Office Building	PDF	Conversation List/Audio
399	Old Executive Office Building	PDF	Conversation List/Audio
400	Old Executive Office Building	PDF	Conversation List/Audio
401	Old Executive Office Building	PDF	Conversation List/Audio
402	Old Executive Office Building	PDF	Conversation List/Audio
403	Old Executive Office Building	PDF	Conversation List/Audio
404	Old Executive Office Building	PDF	Conversation List/Audio
405	Old Executive Office Building	PDF	Conversation List/Audio
406	Old Executive Office Building	PDF	Conversation List/Audio
407	Old Executive Office Building	PDF	Conversation List/Audio
829	Oval Office	PDF	Conversation List/Audio
830	Oval Office	PDF	Conversation List/Audio
831	Oval Office	PDF	Conversation List/Audio
832	Oval Office	PDF	Conversation List/Audio
833	Oval Office	PDF	Conversation List/Audio
834	Oval Office	PDF	Conversation List/Audio
835	Oval Office	PDF	Conversation List/Audio
836	Oval Office	PDF	Conversation List/Audio
837	Oval Office	PDF	Conversation List/Audio
838	Oval Office	PDF	Conversation List/Audio
839	Oval Office	PDF	Conversation List/Audio
841	Oval Office	PDF	Conversation List/Audio
842	Oval Office	PDF	Conversation List/Audio
843	Oval Office	PDF	Conversation List/Audio
844	Oval Office	PDF	Conversation List/Audio
845	Oval Office	PDF	Conversation List/Audio

The opening also consists of approximately 10.5 cubic feet of previously restricted materials from the White House Special Files, Staff Member and Office Files; the National Security Files; and the Henry A. Kissinger Files, and 12,000 newly released pages from the White House Central Files, Staff Member and Office Files of Kenneth Cole.

The Nixon Library has scanned and posted 41 documents that represent the variety of subjects and wealth of historical information included in the new textual release.The release includes significant material on the formulation of the Nixon administration’s foreign and domestic policy, covering subjects such as the environment, Title IX, Detente, US-Israeli relations, the standoff at Wounded Knee, the invasion of Cambodia, the so-called Plumbers unit, the Saturday Night Massacre, the geo-political consequences of the opening to China, and the investigation of the Bureau of Labor Statistics. View representative documents from the textual collections.

President Barack Obama Weekly Address 06/27/09 PODCAST VIDEO TEXT

Remarks of President Barack Obama Weekly Address Saturday, June 27, 2009 Washington, DC PODCAST OF THIS ARTICLE Download MP3 4.25 mb

Yesterday, the House of Representatives passed a historic piece of legislation that will open the door to a clean energy economy and a better future for America.

For more than three decades, we have talked about our dependence on foreign oil. And for more than three decades, we have seen that dependence grow. We have seen our reliance on fossil fuels jeopardize our national security. We have seen it pollute the air we breathe and endanger our planet. And most of all, we have seen other countries realize a critical truth: the nation that leads in the creation of a clean energy economy will be the nation that leads the 21st century global economy.

Now is the time for the United States of America to realize this too. Now is the time for us to lead.

The energy bill that passed the House will finally create a set of incentives that will spark a clean energy transformation in our economy. It will spur the development of low carbon sources of energy – everything from wind, solar, and geothermal power to safer nuclear energy and cleaner coal. It will spur new energy savings, like the efficient windows and other materials that reduce heating costs in the winter and cooling costs in the summer. And most importantly, it will make possible the creation of millions of new jobs.

Make no mistake: this is a jobs bill. We’re already seeing why this is true in the clean energy investments we’re making through the Recovery Act. In California, 3000 people will be employed to build a new solar plant that will create 1000 permanent jobs. In Michigan, investment in wind turbines and wind technology is expected to create over 2,600 jobs. In Florida, three new solar projects are expected to employ 1400 people.

The list goes on and on, but the point is this: this legislation will finally make clean energy the profitable kind of energy. That will lead to the creation of new businesses and entire new industries. And that will lead to American jobs that pay well and cannot be outsourced. I have often talked about the need to build a new foundation for economic growth so that we do not return to the endless cycle of bubble and bust that led us to this recession. Clean energy and the jobs it creates will be absolutely critical to this new foundation.

This legislation has also been written carefully to address the concerns that many have expressed in the past. Instead of increasing the deficit, it is paid for by the polluters who currently emit dangerous carbon emissions. It provides assistance to businesses and families as they make the gradual transition to clean energy technologies. It gives rural communities and farmers the opportunity to participate in climate solutions and generate new income. And above all, it will protect consumers from the costs of this transition, so that in a decade, the price to the average American will be just about a postage stamp a day.

Because this legislation is so balanced and sensible, it has already attracted a remarkable coalition of consumer and environmental groups; labor and business leaders; Democrats and Republicans. And I want to thank every Member of Congress who put politics aside to support this bill on Friday.

Now my call to every Senator, as well as to every American, is this: We cannot be afraid of the future. And we must not be prisoners of the past. Don’t believe the misinformation out there that suggests there is somehow a contradiction between investing in clean energy and economic growth. It’s just not true.

We have been talking about energy for decades. But there is no longer a disagreement over whether our dependence on foreign oil is endangering our security. It is. There is no longer a debate about whether carbon pollution is placing our planet in jeopardy. It’s happening. And there is no longer a question about whether the jobs and industries of the 21st century will be centered around clean, renewable energy. The question is, which country will create these jobs and these industries? I want that answer to be the United States of America. And I believe that the American people and the men and women they sent to Congress share that view. So I want to congratulate the House for passing this bill, and I want to urge the Senate to take this opportunity to come together and meet our obligations – to our constituents, to our children, to God’s creation, and to future generations.

Thanks for listening.

Representative John Boehner Weekly Republican Address 06/27/09 VIDEO TEXT

Representative John Boehner Weekly Republican Address 06/27/09 TEXT TRANSCRIPT

“I’m John Boehner, House Republican Leader. When I’m home in Ohio, I get an earful about the crushing debt Washington Democrats are running up. The President and Democrats in Congress claim this spending binge is necessary to put Americans back to work. They promised unemployment would not rise above eight percent if their trillion-dollar ‘stimulus’ was passed. But our nation has lost nearly three million jobs this year. Unemployment has soared above nine percent. And now the President admits that unemployment will soon reach double-digits. After all of this spending, after all of this borrowing from China, the Middle East, our children, and our grandchildren, where are the jobs?

“It’s about to get worse for middle-class families and small businesses. Democrats are pushing a government takeover of our health care system that will cost at least a trillion dollars. The President has repeatedly claimed that Americans will be able to keep their doctors under the Democrats’ plan, but the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office reports that at least 23 million Americans would lose their current health coverage and their doctors. Another independent report projects that nearly 100 million Americans may be forced onto government rolls.

“Our nation could lose an additional 4.7 million jobs under the Democrats’ health care proposal, based on analysis developed by White House chief economic advisor, Dr. Christina Romer. And one million small business jobs would be lost because of the Democrats’ costly mandates.

“Small businesses are the engine of our economy. We should help them weather the storm and create jobs. This would be a real stimulus, but Washington hasn’t tried it yet. Republicans have offered a plan that encourages investment and allows families and small businesses to keep more of what they earn to help get our economy moving again – a real stimulus plan.

“On health care, we’ve put forward a better alternative that will reduce costs, expand access, and increase the quality of care in a way Americans can afford – without new taxes, costly mandates, or a government takeover that puts bureaucrats in charge of medical decisions that should be made by doctors and patients.

“This week, the President and Democrats on Capitol Hill continued their push for Speaker Pelosi’s national energy tax. By imposing a tax on every American who drives a car or flips on a light switch, this plan will drive up the prices for food, gasoline, and electricity. Even President Obama has said that energy prices will – quote – ‘skyrocket,’ and its consequences will be especially severe in rural communities across our country. The Democrats’ bill will also ship millions of jobs to competitors like China and India. A recent study estimated it will cost us between 2.3 and 2.7 million jobs every year.

“We should be creating American jobs – not destroying them. That’s why House Republicans have proposed a better way: an ‘all-of-the-above’ strategy to clean up the environment, lower energy costs, and create more jobs. Our plan will increase environmentally-safe energy production; promote the use of alternative fuels, such as nuclear, clean-coal, and renewable energy technologies; and encourage increased efficiency.

“Republicans are offering common-sense solutions that will make a real difference in creating jobs, making health care more affordable, and promoting a cleaner, healthier environment, and reducing energy costs. We hope our Democrat colleagues will abandon their failed go-it-alone approach and work with us to make these reforms a reality. Thanks for listening.”

Senator Mitch McConnell announced Sen. John Thune as Chairman of the Republican Policy Committee VIDEO

Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced Sen. John Thune (R-SD) as Chairman of the Republican Policy Committee and Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) as Vice Chairman of the Republican Conference. Sen Thune takes the chairman's position recently vacated by Sen. John Ensign (R-NV).

Dr. Paul Broun Republican Health Care VIDEO

Dr. Paul Broun Responds to the Obamacare Infomercial and Offers His Vision for Health Care

Congressman Paul Broun, M.D. (GA-10) today released his rebuttal to President Barack Obama’s health care infomercial on the Administration’s Biggest Champion Network:

Republican Leadership Stakeout Health Care and Energy 6/24/09 VIDEO

House Republican Leaders are joined by Gov. Jim Douglas (R-VT) and Gov. Mike Rounds (R-SD) as they discuss health care and energy.

Full Text Transcript:

Republican Leader Boehner:

We’re joined today by Governor Jim Douglas from Vermont and Governor Mike Rounds from South Dakota. They, like the American people, know that if the government gets involved in our health care we’re going to see nothing but rationed care, higher taxes and less quality in our health care delivery. So, it’s really important that we allow governors to have the flexibility to deal with this issue in their home states, and I think the governors will talk about that.

But at 852 pages, the Democrat health care plan will do just the opposite. It is a complete government takeover of our health care system, which is going to lead to higher taxes, rationing and a lower quality in our health care system. House Republicans have a proposal we’ve put on the table that will provide affordable access to high quality health insurance for every American. I believe that the Democrats ought to be working with us to do our best to help deliver health insurance to more Americans. Yet, at this point they’ve not reached out to us. We continue to reach our hands out and say “Listen, work with us.” If we’re going to have true health care reform, it needs to be bipartisan and it needs to keep the interests of Americans at the beginning of this process.

Governor Jim Douglas:

Well thank you; I’m Jim Douglas from Vermont.

I want to echo the Leader’s sentiments about the importance of a bipartisan approach to health care reform. This is an increasingly large percentage of our gross domestic product. It’s an increasingly large percentage of state budgets all across the nation. We need to get these costs under control. We need to change the way we deliver health care. To pay for quality rather quantity. To focus on prevention and chronic disease management, on ensuring that the American taxpayer and ratepayer gets the best bang for his or her buck. So, Governor Rounds and I are here for some meetings with Democrat leaders, as well as the Republican Caucus. I want to make sure that all the good ideas from the Republicans are considered in this process. The American people need a bipartisan solution.

We’ve done it in Vermont. We have a program called Green Mountain Care that is based on prevention and chronic disease management. We’ve saved hundreds of millions of dollars through the flexibility that we’ve received through our Medicaid waivers. So the message that the Leader articulated is an important one. No unfunded mandates to the states, flexibility so that states can experiment and do it their own way and a focus on quality and outcome so that we can control costs for the American people.

Governor Mike Rounds:

Mike Rounds from South Dakota.

Ninety-one percent of our people have a plan for taking care of their health care. Nine percent don’t. We can do better. The reason that we’re here today is to participate and we’d love to see it be a bipartisan effort - one in which we can improve health care. But at the same time, we have to be able to pay for it. Concerns that we’re expressing are that as states, we know that we share part of that burden. Today, we’re really struggling. We know the federal government is struggling. Anything that we do in health care, we have to have a long-term plan to pay the bills. If we don’t have that, it would not be sustainable and it would not be an improvement.

In South Dakota, we think that there are more reforms that could be done. In 2003, we had three insurance companies left offering individual health care products. Today we have 18, because we’ve opened up the market. We’ve made it competitive. We’ve laid the ground rules out but we did it in such a fashion that it worked for South Dakota. We don’t want to have the states lose the ability to be that laboratory where we can make things better. That’s the reason why we’re here today. We look forward to a very good discussion and coming up with a good plan that Republicans and Democrats alike can look at and say “we did something good for the rest of America.”

Republican Whip Cantor:

Good morning.

As we now are in the week of cap and trade in the House. I think it is becoming ever more apparent of how the Democratic agenda for the people of this country is disconnected with the reality that American families face every day. Plain and simple it’s about jobs and it’s about this failing economy. And the cap and trade bill is at best counterproductive toward trying to address those challenges.

When we look at the impact of this bill on American families, what we see is a job killer. There are studies out there that have indicated - on the one hand the MIT study says it’s $3,000 cost to a family of four as a result of this cap and trade bill. There are others, the CBO study that was out as recently as last week, which said that there is a $1,600 plus impact cost on a family of four. Today, now we are reading the reports that have come out this week that CBO has now reduced its cost estimate to say that it is only $160 that families will be impacted by the cap and trade bill. I think that now CBO has now entered the realm of losing its credibility. There is no question that the cap and trade bill will cost millions of jobs and it is pretty evident, I think now, given the word that we are hearing that the other side has 190 votes at this point, far short of that which are needed to pass this bill. And I think it reflects wariness on the part of the American people of the cost and consequences of the Democratic agenda. And that’s why Republicans will stay focused on jobs, the economy and on families’ financial security.

Rep. Mary Fallin:

I’m Mary Fallin, I come from Oklahoma and in my state, of course, we have a rich energy industry, and oil and gas and alternative energy with wind and solar, and people in Oklahoma are very concerned about the discussions here about energy. We do want in Oklahoma to have a cleaner environment. We do want cleaner air, cleaner water and cleaner land, but we don’t want it at the expense of losing jobs.

And in a state that has an abundance of oil and gas jobs in our economy, we are already seeing jobs that are being cut in our state just because of the discussion here in Washington, D.C. We have a plan here in our Republican caucus to develop all forms of energy whether it is wind, solar, nuclear, alternative fuels, biodiesel fuels, clean natural gas, clean coal technology, there are other alternatives besides the national energy tax which is said to increase our utility costs anywhere from 30-50 percent, and when you have families that are back home in our states that are suffering from a recession, that are worried about their jobs, worrying about making their mortgage payments.

To talk about increasing utility rates by 30-50 percent would be a huge burden upon our families not even to mention our businesses and manufacturing and how it could affect our job markets. We’re already seeing gasoline prices rise because we’re in the summertime. It’s estimated it will increase gasoline costs too.

So we need to sit back and be careful and thoughtful about what we’re doing to produce American-made energy to encourage innovation, research and development into American-made products while also working on the clean energy. And let me just say something about the health care debate. I appreciate the governors coming in today to visit with us about what they’re doing in innovation in their states.

In Oklahoma, we’ve created our own plan called Insure Oklahoma to take care of those who are uninsured, to work with the private sector and the government to where they can partner together to find reasonable cost supported health care that allows patient-doctor choice and that allows access to care. So I appreciate the governors coming today to help us here on health care because there are some great innovative ways that we can cover the uninsured, that we can lower our costs and create better access in preventative care.

Rep. Thad McCotter:

Earlier this year we saw the administration set an arbitrary deadline for a trillion dollar stimulus bill. One of the promises it made was that unemployment would not go beyond 8 percent in the United States if the bill was passed. Painfully, those promises and predictions have been disproven.

Just yesterday in Michigan, we saw within our manufacturing base General Motors announcing 4,000 white-collar layoffs by the end of the year. The response of this Democratic Congress is what? To pass cap-and-tax legislation that will adversely affect not only all American jobs, all American working families, but manufacturing in particular. The very same arbitrary deadline which we saw in the past has been repeated, and I believe that the promises and predictions they made will also be disproven.

One of the things we are supposed to do representing our constituents in Washington is to step back from the insanity and try to inject reality into the legislative process. I want you to think about what this bill means. The fundamental rationale behind this cap and tax legislation is this: Government will control the weather by raising your taxes, taking your job and dictating your life. That sounds very unappealing to those of us in the Republican Party and we think it’s unappealing to the Americans who right now are suffering under a recession. We think the president should get this economy moving and stop taking steps that will further hinder it and further harm working families. Thank you.

Conference Chairman Pence:

Thank you all for being here. Mike Pence, Conference Chairman. I was home in Indiana earlier this week. At town hall meetings in places like Connersville and Richmond, Indiana I saw confirmation, not only in the statistics of those communities but in the faces of the citizens, that this economy is hurting. The American people are struggling. People of Indiana are struggling under the weight of extraordinary unemployment. Remarkably, House Democrats are planning this Friday to bring a national energy tax to the floor of the House of Representatives at precisely the time when Americans and American businesses in the city and on the farm can least afford it.

As Mr. Cantor suggested there are competing estimates about the cost of this national energy tax. But interestingly there is no debate that the energy cost to average American households and businesses will rise. And this national energy tax will cost millions of American jobs. A recent study by the Charles River Associates suggested that, even including the green jobs that would be created under the cap and trade legislation, that our GDP could be reduced by as much as two millions lost jobs per year. The President himself said that utility rates would “necessarily skyrocket.” Even though the President said yesterday that the cost of his legislation would be “paid for by polluters,” in January of 2008 then-candidate Obama said that as utility rates rose that those would be passed along to consumers, and I believe he was right a year ago.

Well, Republicans have a better solution. Republicans have developed an “all of the above” strategy that sends us decisively in the direction of energy independence, more jobs and a cleaner environment. It is called the American Energy Act and it has gotten a great reception across the country and in districts of our members. We believe that the choice between energy independence and more jobs and a cleaner environment of the Republican alternative and the national energy tax, we know which one the American people will choose in a free and open debate.

Senator Barbara Boxer to Brigadier General Michael Walsh "Call Me Senator" VIDEO

BIOGRAPHY: Brigadier General Michael J. Walsh

Brigadier General Michael Walsh assumed command of the Mississippi Valley Division, Vicksburg, Miss., February 20, 2008. He also serves as President-designee of the Mississippi River Commission. General Walsh came to MVD from Baghdad, Iraq, where he was the Commander for the Corps’ Gulf Region Division.

As MVD Commander, Walsh is responsible for a $7.5 billion civil works program. In addition, he plays a vital role in managing the Corps water resources program in the Mississippi River Valley. The boundaries of the Mississippi Valley Division extend from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico, include portions of 12 states, and encompass 370,000 square miles.

The programs and activities overseen by the MVD and MRC are conducted by six district offices located in St. Paul, Minn., Rock Island, Ill., St. Louis, Mo., Memphis, Tenn., Vicksburg, Miss., and New Orleans, La. He also serves as Commander of Task Force Hope. TF Hope is the designation given to the Corps’ effort in support of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s national response plan to Hurricane Katrina. Engaging more than 3,800 personnel at its peak, TF Hope was among the largest disaster recovery operations in the history of the Corps of Engineers.

Previous assignments include: Commander of the Corps’ South Atlantic Division, Atlanta, Ga., from June 2004 to September 2006, Chief of Staff at Corps headquarters, Washington, D.C., from May 2003 to June 2004, Executive Director of Civil Works at Corps headquarters, Washington, D.C., from August 2001 to May 2003, District Commander of the Corps’ Sacramento District, Sacramento, Calif., from 1998 to 2001, and District Commander of the Corps’ San Francisco District, San Francisco, Calif., from 1994 to 1996.

Brig. Gen. Walsh has held a wide variety of Army command and staff assignments, to include: project management officer for Engineer Branch, Supreme Headquarters, Allied Powers, Europe (SHAPE); Environmental Task Force Leader, Fort Stewart, Ga.; Executive Officer, 92nd Engineer Battalion, Fort Stewart, Ga., and Saudi Arabia; Project Engineer and Assistant Area Engineer, Baltimore District; Construction Officer, 18th Engineer Brigade, Darmstadt, Germany; and Commander, Company B, 94th Engineer Battalion, Darmstadt, Germany.

Brig. Gen. Walsh graduated from Polytechnic Institute of New York in 1977 with a bachelor's degree in civil engineering. He also earned a master's degree in construction management from the University of Florida. His military education includes the Engineer Officers Basic and Advanced Courses, U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, and the U.S. Army War College. He was born in Brooklyn, NY, and is married with two children.

President Barack Obama Weekly Address 06/20/09 PODCAST VIDEO TEXT

Remarks of President Barack Obama Weekly Address Saturday, June 20, 2009 Washington, DC PODCAST OF THIS ARTICLE Download MP3 4.16 mb

As we continue to recover from an historic economic crisis, it is clear to everyone that one of its major causes was a breakdown in oversight that led to widespread abuses in the financial system. An epidemic of irresponsibility took hold from Wall Street to Washington to Main Street. And the consequences have been disastrous. Millions of Americans have seen their life savings erode; families have been devastated by job losses; businesses large and small have closed their doors.

In response, this week, my administration proposed a set of major reforms to the rules that govern our financial system; to attack the causes of this crisis and to prevent future crises from taking place; to ensure that our markets can work fairly and freely for businesses and consumers alike.

We are going to promote markets that work for those who play by the rules. We’re going to stand up for a system in which fair dealing and honest competition are the only way to win. We’re going to level the playing field for consumers. And we’re going to have the kinds of rules that encourage innovations that make our economy stronger – not those that allow insiders to exploit its weaknesses for their own gain.

And one of the most important proposals is a new oversight agency called the Consumer Financial Protection Agency. It’s charged with just one job: looking out for the interests of ordinary Americans in the financial system. This is essential, for this crisis may have started on Wall Street. But its impacts have been felt by ordinary Americans who rely on credit cards, home loans, and other financial instruments.

It is true that this crisis was caused in part by Americans who took on too much debt and took out loans they simply could not afford. But there are also millions of Americans who signed contracts they did not always understand offered by lenders who did not always tell the truth. Today, folks signing up for a mortgage, student loan, or credit card face a bewildering array of incomprehensible options. Companies compete not by offering better products, but more complicated ones – with more fine print and hidden terms. It’s no coincidence that the lack of strong consumer protections led to abuses against consumers; the lack of rules to stop deceptive lending practices led to abuses against borrowers.

This new agency will have the responsibility to change that. It will have the power to set tough new rules so that companies compete by offering innovative products that consumers actually want – and actually understand. Those ridiculous contracts – pages of fine print that no one can figure out – will be a thing of the past. You’ll be able to compare products – with descriptions in plain language – to see what is best for you. The most unfair practices will be banned. The rules will be enforced.

Some argue that these changes – and the many others we’ve called for – go too far. And I welcome a debate about how we can make sure our regulations work for businesses and consumers. But what I will not accept – what I will vigorously oppose – are those who do not argue in good faith. Those who would defend the status quo at any cost. Those who put their narrow interests ahead of the interests of ordinary Americans. We’ve already begun to see special interests mobilizing against change.

That’s not surprising. That’s Washington.

For these are interests that have benefited from a system which allowed ordinary Americans to be exploited. These interests argue against reform even as millions of people are facing the consequences of this crisis in their own lives. These interests defend business-as-usual even though we know that it was business-as-usual that allowed this crisis to take place.

Well, the American people did not send me to Washington to give in to the special interests; the American people sent me to Washington to stand up for their interests. And while I’m not spoiling for a fight, I’m ready for one. The most important thing we can do to put this era of irresponsibility in the past is to take responsibility now. That is why my administration will accept no less than real and lasting change to the way business is done – on Wall Street and in Washington. We will do what is necessary to end this crisis – and we will do what it takes to prevent this kind of crisis from ever happening again.

Thank you.

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell Weekly Republican Address 06/20/09 VIDEO TEXT

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell Weekly Republican Address 06/20/09 FULL TEXT TRANSCRIPT

Hello. I’m Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, of Kentucky.

Republicans and Democrats agree that health care is in serious need of reform. Americans are frustrated with the high cost of even basic treatments and procedures; millions are without coverage; and millions are worried about losing the care they have. That’s why many of us are calling for reforms that would bring down the cost of care and ensure that those who need coverage can afford and obtain it.

Republicans have put forward common sense solutions like reforming our medical liability laws to discourage junk lawsuits that make health care more expensive for everyone; strengthening wellness and prevention programs that encourage people to make healthy choices, such as quitting smoking and fighting obesity; and addressing the needs of small business without imposing new taxes that kill jobs.

Unfortunately, some in Washington are insistent on a different set of proposals that could make our current problems even worse — driving costs higher than they already are and forcing even those who are happy with their current coverage into a government-run system that could lead to the same denial, delay, and rationing of care that we’ve seen in other countries.

Now I give them credit for trying to address the problem. But their proposals just aren’t the kind of reforms Americans are looking for. And this morning, I’d like to focus on just one area where their proposals fall seriously short: cost.

Throughout this debate, the administration’s central argument has been that America needs health care reform for the sake of the economy. Yet according to independent estimates, every health care proposal Democrats on Capitol Hill have offered would only hurt the economy.

This week, the independent Congressional Budget Office priced just a portion of these proposals at well over a trillion dollars. The total cost would be much higher, burying us in deeper and deeper debt. And yet Democrats still want to rush the process. When it comes to health care reform, the Democratic motto is clear: rush and spend, rush and spend.

If all this sounds familiar, it should.

Remember that the economic stimulus bill from earlier this year was sold along the same lines. The administration said the stimulus was necessary to jump-start the economy, even though....

...it would plunge the country deeper into debt. They even predicted that if we passed it quickly, unemployment wouldn’t go higher than eight percent.

Well, here we are just a few months later and the unemployment rate is approaching 10 percent.

You might remember that the administration also promised it would keep an eye on every dollar spent. Well, now we’re learning about projects so ridiculous only the government could make them up:

A $578,000 grant that a town in New York didn’t even request for a homeless problem it says it doesn’t even have. $3.4 million to build a 13-foot long turtle tunnel at a lake in Florida — that’s more than a quarter of a million dollars per foot for turtles. And this one takes the cake: in North Carolina, more than $40,000 in stimulus funds will go to pay the salary of someone whose job is to apply for more stimulus funds.

Now faced with rising unemployment and reports of stimulus waste, the administration concedes it made a mistake on its predictions about the stimulus. But that hasn’t kept it from pushing a government takeover of health care that America’s doctors oppose.

Before, the administration said that government spending would keep unemployment low. Now they say a new government health plan will keep costs low. Well, expecting a government-run system to help the economy is like praying for rain in the middle of a flood. The thing you’re asking for is the last thing you need. And so far, that’s pretty much been the message of every independent analyst who’s looked at the Democratic plans for health care.

If the stimulus bill taught us anything, it’s that we should be wary anytime someone in Washington says the sky’s going to fall unless Congress approves trillions of dollars immediately. Yet once again in the health care debate, it’s rush and spend, rush and spend. Americans want health care reform, but they want the right health care reform. And that means taking the time and the care necessary to get it right.

Against Republican advice, they rushed the stimulus. We shouldn’t rush again on something as important, and costly, as health care. ###

Senator John Ensign Resigns Party Leadership Post After Admitting Affair VIDEO

Nevada Senator John Ensign resigned as chairman of the Republican Policy Committee, the Senate's fourth-ranking party leadership position a day after admitting he had an extramarital affair with a campaign aide.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said in a statement.

“He’s accepted responsibility for his actions and apologized to his family and constituents, He offered, and I accepted, his resignation as chairman of the policy committee.”

Senator Ensign’s spokeswoman, Jennifer Cooper, confirmed his resignation and said there was no further statement.

Ron Paul on Government Regulation Of Tobacco VIDEO

Congressman Ron Paul - Moving Towards Tobacco Prohibition - Texas Straight Talk:

Last week, another bill was passed and signed into law that takes more of our freedoms and violates the Constitution of the United States. It was, of course, done for the sake of the children, and in the name of the health of the citizenry. It’s always the case that when your liberty is seized, it is seized for your own good. Such is the condescension of Washington.

The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act will give sweeping new powers over tobacco to the FDA. It will require everyone engaged in manufacturing, preparing, compounding, or processing tobacco to register with the FDA and be subjected to FDA inspections, which is yet another violation of the Fourth Amendment. It violates the First Amendment by allowing the FDA to restrict tobacco advertising in multiple ways, as well as an outright ban on advertising any cigarettes as light, mild or low-tar. The FDA will have the power of pre-market reviews of all new tobacco products, and will impose new user fees, meaning taxes, on manufacturers and importers of tobacco products. It will even regulate the amount of nicotine in cigarettes.

My objections to the bill are not an endorsement of tobacco. As a physician I understand the adverse health effects of this bad habit. And that is exactly how smoking should be treated – as a bad habit and a personal choice. The way to combat poor choices is through education and information. Other than ensuring that tobacco companies do not engage in force or fraud to market their products, the federal government needs to stay out of the health habits of free people. Regulations for children should be at the state level. Unfortunately, government is using its already overly intrusive financial and regulatory roles in healthcare to establish a justifiable interest in intervening in your personal lifestyle choices as well. We all need to anticipate the level of health freedom that will remain once government manages all health care in this country.

Actions in Congress such as this tobacco bill are especially disconcerting after we thought we were beginning to see some progress in drawing down the wrong-headed and failed war on drugs. A majority of Americans now think marijuana should be legal, taxed and regulated, according to a recent Zogby poll and over 70 percent are in favor of allowing medicinal use of marijuana. Bills like this take us down exactly the wrong path. Instead of gaining more freedom with marijuana, we are moving closer to prohibiting tobacco. Our prisons are already bursting with non-violent drug offenders. How long will it be before a black market in tobacco fills the prisons with non-violent cigarette smokers?

Hemp and tobacco were staple crops for our founding fathers when our country was new. It is baffling to see how far removed from real freedom this country has become since then. Hemp, even for industrial uses, of which there are many, is illegal to grow at all. Now tobacco will have more layers of bureaucracy and interference piled on top of it. In this economy it is extremely upsetting to see this additional squeeze put on an entire industry. One has to wonder how many smaller farmers will be forced out of business because of this bill.

Posted by Ron Paul (06-15-2009, 01:32 PM) filed under Civil Liberties, Healthcare