The Violence We Don't See

I added this article to this blog because I thought it is of utmost importance that  people around the world think about their behavior towards people who think or believe differently than themselves. I think Mr. Beibart hits the nail on its head when he describes how Americans have become less tolerant towards other religions and how their fears have been heightened  since 9 11.

 Americans need to wake up attacks on U.S.Muslims

BY PETER BEINART

Published in Newsweek August 27,2012

When Muslim extremists attacked their third Ameri­can church in three days, the cable networks cut away from regular programming to cover the news. When militants vandalized a Christian school in Illinois two days later, both presidential candidates issued state­ments denouncing the wave of jihadist violence. When terrorists shot up another church the day after that, President Obama flew to comfort the parishioners. By the sixth attack, Rush Limbaugh was demanding that the Obama administration ditch its politically correct pussyfooting and acknowledge the Muslim fifth column in our midst. After the seventh attack, lawmakers intro­duced legislation giving the feds additional powers to detain American citizens suspected of extremist views. After the attack, a group of congressmen suggested that the U.S. halt immigration from Muslim countries.

None of this happened. But in recent weeks, here's what has. On Aug. 4, teenagers pelted a mosque in Hay-ward, Calif., with fruit. On Aug. 5, Wade Michael Page murdered six congregants and wounded a police of­ficer at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin, quite possibly because he thought the Sikhs were Muslim. That same day, a man vandalized a mosque in North Smithfleld, R.I. On Aug. 6, a mosque in Joplin, Mo., was burned to the ground. On Aug. 7, two women threw pieces of pork at the site of a proposed Islamic center in Ontario, Calif. On Aug. 10, a man allegedly shot a pellet rifle at a mosque near Chicago while people prayed inside. On Aug. 12, attackers fired paintball guns at a mosque in Oklahoma City, and a homemade bomb filled with acid was thrown at an Islamic school in Lombard, 111. On Aug. IS, assailants threw a Molotov cocktail at the home of a Muslim family in Panama City, Fla.

Except for the Sikh temple attack, little of this has made the national press (other than Salon.com, which has chronicled it well), in part because it doesn't fit the prevailing media narrative. At least since 9/11, "terror" and "homeland security" have been terms that connote the danger that Muslims pose to non-Muslims, not the other way around. But this very fear of Muslim violence may be sparking anti-Muslim violence, and hysteria-peddling politicians bear some of the blame.

During the Republican presidential primaries, Her­man Cain said he would not appoint a Muslim to his cabinet. Newt Gingrich warned incessantly about Sharia being imposed upon the United States. In July, Michele Bachmann and several other members of Congress insinu­ated that Huma Abedin, one of the few American Muslims in a high-level government job, was an agent of Egypt's Mus­lim Brotherhood. John McCain, Marco Rubio, and John Boehner criticized Bachmann's smear campaign, but Gingrich, Rush Limbaugh, Eric Cantor, and Romney adviser John Bolton defended it. Romney, predictably, tried to have it both ways, saying that Bachmann's at­tacks "are not things that are part of my campaign," but that "I'm not going to tell other people what things to talk about." In other words, I won't defame American Muslims myself, but if other prominent Republicans want to, go ahead. After receiving threats, Abedin now receives FBI security protection.

Obviously, jihadist terrorism still exists. (As does anti-Christian violence by the secular left, as evi­denced by last week's shooting at the offices of the Family Research Council.) But more than a decade after 9/11, the over­whelming evidence suggests that the jihadist threat has diminished dramatically. Yes, Islamists are gain­ing power in parts of the Middle East, but "Islamism" has become the same kind of catchall phrase that "communism" was in the 1950s, which means it ranges from people who want to kill Americans to people who just hold a different vision of society. The Muslim Brotherhood may be bad news for Egypt, and perhaps Israel, but it's hardly planning attacks on U.S. soil.

In the 1950s, Joseph McCarthy-believing that it was too difficult to fight communism abroad-declared that the real threat came from communists at home. In so doing, he fueled a hysteria that ruined the lives of countless Americans who had dabbled in leftist poli­tics but never remotely posed a threat to their fellow citizens. Today, with the Bush era's epic "war on ter­ror" ending with a whimper, a new generation of anti-Muslim McCarthyites is doing something similar. The more American politicians insist that Islam is inher­ently hateful and violent, the more hate and violence they foment against Muslims in the U.S. Maybe if the media covered the attacks American Muslims endure as vigorously as they cover the attacks American Muslims commit, more people would realize that. nw

President Barack Obama Weekly Address August 25, 2012 (Video/Transcript)

Remarks of President Barack Obama
Weekly Address
The White House
August 25, 2012

Hi, everybody. Over the last few weeks, there’s been a lot of talk about Medicare, with a lot of accusations and misinformation flying around. So today I want to step back for a minute and share with you some actual facts and news about the program.
This week, we found out that, thanks to the health care law we passed, nearly 5.4 million seniors with Medicare have saved over $4.1 billion on prescription drugs. That’s an average of more than $700 per person. And this year alone, 18 million seniors with Medicare have taken advantage of preventive care benefits like mammograms or other cancer screenings that now come at no extra cost.
That’s progress. It means that seniors everywhere are getting the care they need for less. And if you have questions about what benefits you’re entitled to, you can go to www.medicare.gov to find out.
This news is also a reminder of what’s really at stake when we talk about the future of Medicare. It’s not about overheated rhetoric at election time. It’s about a promise this country made to our seniors that says if you put in a lifetime of hard work, you shouldn’t lose your home or your life savings just because you get sick.
Over the last 47 years, millions of Americans have worked for that promise. They’ve earned it. And for many seniors, the care they’ve gotten through Medicare has made all the difference in the world.
Growing up as the son of a single mother, I was raised with the help of my grandparents. I saw how important things like Medicare and Social Security were in their lives. And I saw the peace of mind it gave them.
That’s why, as President, my goal has been to strengthen these programs now, and preserve them for future generations. Because today’s seniors deserve that same peace of mind. And the millions of Americans who are working hard right now deserve to know that the care they need will be available when they need it.
That’s why, as part of the Affordable Care Act, we gave seniors deeper discounts on prescription drugs, and made sure preventive care like mammograms are free without a co-pay. We’ve extended the life of Medicare by almost a decade. And I’ve proposed reforms that will save Medicare money by getting rid of wasteful spending in the health care system and reining in insurance companies – reforms that won’t touch your guaranteed Medicare benefits. Not by a single dime.
Republicans in Congress have put forward a very different plan. They want to turn Medicare into a voucher program. That means that instead of being guaranteed Medicare, seniors would get a voucher to buy insurance, but it wouldn’t keep up with costs. As a result, one plan would force seniors to pay an extra $6,400 a year for the same benefits they get now. And it would effectively end Medicare as we know it.
I think our seniors deserve better. I’m willing to work with anyone to keep improving the current system, but I refuse to do anything that undermines the basic idea of Medicare as a guarantee for seniors who get sick.
Here in America, we believe in keeping our promises – especially to our seniors who have put in a lifetime of hard work and deserve to enjoy their golden years. That’s what Medicare is all about. That’s why we need to strengthen and preserve it for future generations. And as long as I have the honor of serving as your President, that’s exactly what I’ll do.
Thanks, and have a great weekend.

President Obama Engages with Youth with Disabilities

Niall Ferguson attacks President Obama

Niall Ferguson: "Obama’s Gotta Go”

 is what Ferguson wrote in the news issue of The Newsweek.

One must take into account that Niall Ferguson had been an adviser to John McCain which points out his own ideology which might have clouded his view when writing his article.

Furthermore Niall Ferguson wrote, “Why does Paul Ryan scare the president so much? Because Obama has broken his promises, and it’s clear that the GOP ticket’s path to prosperity is our only hope.”

In in article he uses detailed numbers to validate his argument but he does not consider the question why Obama could not keep his promises. 

President Obama took office during the worst financial crises since the Great Depression after the passage of the United States' Smoot-Hawley Tariff in the 1930s. 

President Obama took office during a time when the income tax for the wealthiest in the United States was and still is at a historical low.

President Obama took office during a time when bankers got reworded for causing this financial crisis.

Nonetheless President Obama took on the challenge to tackle Healthcare despite overwhelming opposition from the right (GOP) as well as interest groups who feared a loss in their revenue, like insurance companies who otherwise could charge whatever they want. Surely what President Obama got was not perfect but only a compromise.  It would have been better if  the U.S. would have gotten a single payer system like the Europeans or in Asians have. However, to call President Obama's compromise a failure shows where Niall Ferguson interests are situated.  

Moreover  Niall Ferguson complains about President Obama's diplomacy. He calls him weak because President Obama is not like J.W. Bush and probably also Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan a war president. Do we really want to go back to the time of J.W. Bush and start a war again just because we want to look tough? Being cautious is not a sign of weakness but wisdom. 

And now Niall Ferguson’s solution is, to elect a man to become president who is a millionaire but who is clearly  not interested in the struggling American middle-class but in the ones who supported him with billions during this election cycle. In addition Niall Ferguson argues for a vice-president who wants to make the American people suffer in the same way as those in Greece, Spain, Portugal etc.  So the Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan pact can continue to give more money to the banks which have caused this misery in the first place.

Niall Ferguson suggest to have valued added tax like in Germany which would be even unfairer as the current tax giveaway to the super-wealthy. It would make life for the poor as well as the middle-class even more difficult.

Writers like Niall Ferguson are out to protect their wealth regardless of the suffering of the common man around the world. I often wonder about this kind of journalism. I wonder about the ones who have their own private agenda, the ones who protect their own interests as Niall Ferguson does and see in the GOP ticket as a path to more prosperity for themselves and the ones who have more than they ever need.

First Lady Michelle Obama Speaks at a Joining Forces Hiring Event

Mayport Naval Station
Mayport, Florida

1:35 P.M. EDT

MRS. OBAMA:  Thank you all so much.  Please be seated.  Forgot you all take orders really well.  (Laughter.)  I am beyond thrilled to be here with all of you today at Naval Station Mayport.  And I want to start by thanking Paul for that very kind and, for me, moving introduction.  And I also want to thank Vice Admiral Van Buskirk for his remarks as well today and for his strong leadership in America’s Navy.

And I also want to recognize a couple of people who are here -- Representative Brown for her service.  I understand the Mayor is here as well.  But I also want to thank Rear Admiral Sinclair Harris and his wife, Cora; Captain Douglas Cochrane and his wife, Anne; as well as Command Master Chief Robert White and his wife, Lesley.  Thank you for hosting us here today.

But most of all, I want to thank all of you, our extraordinary men and women in uniform and veterans, and your extraordinary families. 

I know that we’re being broadcast live into every U.S. military base –- here in America and around the world –- and we’ve got folks tuning in from as close by as Tampa and Pensacola, and as far away as Kabul and Seoul.  And on behalf of myself and my husband, I want to start off by saying that we are so proud of your service and so grateful for your sacrifice. 

You all -- and I say this time and time again, and I mean it every time I say it -- you all are the very best of America.  You all have given so much to this country.  And I’m here today because I want to talk with you about what this country is doing to give back to all of you. 

As you all may know, last August -- I think you saw a video -- my husband issued a challenge to American businesses.  He challenged them to hire or train 100,000 veterans and military spouses by the end of 2013.  And since Jill Biden and I launched Joining Forces, he asked the two of us to take the lead on working with companies to fulfill this challenge.  And I have to admit, when you get an order from the President, it’s a little daunting, even if he is your husband.  (Laughter.) 

So I was a little nervous, and I thought this challenge was pretty ambitious.  And when we first started out, we only had two companies as our partners, and I wondered to myself how we were going to get from there to 100,000 new jobs in two years.

But, fortunately, I didn’t have much time to sit around and worry, because before long, companies across this country started stepping up -- big companies like Siemens and Sears; small businesses like tech startups and restaurants and transportation providers.  And soon, those two companies became 20, and then 200, and then 2,000.

And by mid-March, these companies had already hired 50,000 veterans and military spouses.  By mid-April, it was 60,000.  By May, we had 80,000.  And today, I am so proud to announce that these 2,000 companies have not just met our challenge -- they’ve exceeded it. 

As of today, they have hired or trained 125,000 veterans and military spouses –- 125,000.  (Applause.)  And they’ve done it more than a year ahead of schedule.  That’s pretty impressive. 

And it would be understandable if these companies just stopped now and patted themselves on the back for a job well done and called it a day.  But instead, these companies are doing just the opposite –- they’re doubling down on their commitment to all of you.  And today, they’re pledging to hire or train another quarter of a million of our nation’s heroes -- a quarter of a million -- 250,000 -– including at least 50,000 military spouses. (Applause.)

I want to send a very clear message to the men and women who are wearing or who have worn our country’s uniform, and to their spouses:  When you have finished your service to our nation, you have got 2,000 great American companies ready and waiting to bring you on board. 

Because the truth is, they know, they’ve learned what you all have to offer.  And I can’t say this enough.  These companies are not making these commitments just because it’s the right thing to do -- which it is -- they’re doing this because it’s the smart thing to do for their bottom lines.  I think the CEO of Sears put it best when he said at one of our events -- and this is a quote -- he said, "The men and women of our military, their spouses and their families are some of the most gifted, talented employees that we have in the company."   That's what he said based on his experience.

And that’s a story that we have heard thousands of times over, because these companies know that if you can repair a helicopter engine in Mayport, if you can coordinate thousands of pounds of supplies being delivered to villages across Afghanistan, then clearly, you have what it takes for a manufacturing or a logistics job right here in the U.S.  

If you can work with sophisticated radar that guide high-speed missiles into other places, outer space, if you can operate complex communications systems from a tent in a desert, then clearly, you’re ready to succeed in our high-tech industries here at home.

If you can work with people from all different cultures and backgrounds, if you can lead dozens, even hundreds of your peers in life-or-death missions, then clearly, you’ve got the management and interpersonal skills that we need in every sector of this economy.

So make no mistake about it, you all have the talent, you’ve got the training and the experience to lead America’s economic comeback, and America’s businesses understand that.  And that's why they’ve stepped up so readily to answer this call.  That’s why they’re hiring folks like all of you every day all across this country.

And that’s part of the reason why the unemployment rate for veterans has been dropping.  And so far this year, the number of unemployed veterans is nearly 20 percent lower than it was a year ago.  So we are moving in the right direction.  But let’s be very clear that we are nowhere near where we need to be -- nowhere near.  When it comes to employment for our veterans and military spouses, we have still got a long way to go. 

So while our businesses are doing their part, my husband is making sure that our government is doing its part, as well.  That’s why he’s proposed a Veterans Job Corps, investing $1 billion to help our veterans become police officers, EMTs and other jobs serving our communities here at home.  And last year, he signed two new tax credits to make it easier for businesses to create jobs for veterans, including wounded warriors -– and he’s fighting to extend those credits before they expire at the end of this year.

And to make sure that you all know about all the jobs being created, we’ve worked with companies like Google and Linkedin to create the Veterans Job Bank.  Now, this is a website where companies who want to hire veterans can post their jobs.  And you all can find it, anyone listening, you can right to nrd.gov.

There are now more than 1 million jobs posted on that site  –- 1 million jobs today, right now, along with the skills translator, special software that takes your military specialty  -– your NEC -– and it shows you what jobs would be a good fit for you in the civilian world.  So that website is out there, and it’s available for everyone who is watching.

And finally, we’re making it easier for our military spouses to actually get these jobs by challenging all 50 states to help them transfer their professional licenses when they move from state to state.  Because if you’re a nurse or a teacher or a real estate agent or a dental hygienist, or have one of the many jobs that require a professional license, we know that you shouldn’t have to face a new licensing effort -- new fees, new paperwork and red tape every time your family moves to a new state.  That's ridiculous.  And so far, 26 states have adopted measures to help military spouses transfer their licenses or more easily obtain new ones. 

And today, again, I want to renew our challenge to those remaining 24 states to find their own solutions to ensure that our military spouses can continue to provide for their families and practice the professions they love, because more than anything else, truly, that is the story of Joining Forces.  That’s why we started this effort -- because it’s the story of folks across this country stepping up and doing everything they can to serve all of you as well as you have served this country.
Whether it’s doctors and nurses improving treatment for PTSD and TBI, whether it’s teachers reaching out to our military kids, whether it’s TV shows like Sesame Street and organizations like NASCAR sharing the stories of military families, or people spending millions of hours serving veterans and military families in their communities, since we launched Joining Forces, what I have to just let you know is that not a single person that we’ve approached or talked to has ever told us that they couldn’t help. Not one.  Instead, they ask us, what more can I do, and what else can I do? 

And every day, we’re seeing the impact of these efforts in communities across this country –- in the military kids whose teachers finally understand what they’re going through; in veterans who are finally getting the quality care they’ve earned.
And today, we’re seeing it in 125,000 men and women who have now -- have the jobs and training they deserve -- 125,000 people who are providing for their families and contributing to our economy and continuing every day to serve the country they love.

And this is just the beginning.  We are only scratching the surface.  We’re just getting started.  And we’re not going to stop until all of our veterans know that when they hit that job market, their skills will be rewarded.  We won’t stop until all of our military spouses know that the next time their family is transferred, they won’t have to leave behind their professional lives.  And I won’t be satisfied -- nor will my husband -– until every single veteran and military spouse who wants a job has one. All of you deserve nothing less.  Nothing less.

So today, I want to once again thank you all.  Thank you for your service to our country.  You all make us so incredibly proud.  So let the work continue. 

Thank you all.  God bless.

Obama’s (Perceived) Transformation

By TA-NEHISI COATES - NY Times 
Originally Published: August 18, 2012

 EARLIER this month, Ann Coulter took to the airwaves of the Fox News network to denounce the dastardly machinations, large mendacity and mad villainy currently employed by the American president. Barack Obama was “a liar,” Coulter said, a “despicable campaigner” who once claimed the banner of “hope and change” but was now giving the American people “the ugliest campaign we’ve ever had.”

The wordsmith who gave us such nuanced disquisitions as “Demonic: How the Liberal Mob Is Endangering America” holding forth on civility must always be greeted with raucous laughter. But Coulter was actually variegating on a theme. On the same network, Senator John McCain accused the president of promising “hope and change” but actually running “the most negative, most unpleasant, most disgraceful campaign that I have ever observed.” 

Obama is “the most divisive, nasty, negative campaigner that this country’s ever seen,” the head of the Republican National Committee claimed, and the party’s presumptive nominee, Mitt Romney, assured his followers that Obama was “going to do everything in his power to make this the lowest, meanest negative campaign in history.” 

For those of us who remember the attacks on Obama in 2008, this is a notable shift. Four years ago the book on Obama was not that he would fight dirty but that he would not fight at all. Before Obama became the Great Deceiver of Men, he was a pinot-noir-sipping weakling who was a horrible bowler, marveled at arugula and otherwise failed at manhood. The gospel among Republicans, and even many Democrats, held that Obama was yet another espouser of effete liberalism, a tradition allegedly pioneered by Adlai Stevenson, elevated by Jimmy Carter, apotheosized by Michael Dukakis, and admirably upheld by a windsurfing John Kerry. 

“There is in Obama something of the Democratic candidate for president in the 1950s, Adlai Stevenson,” wrote Dick Morris in 2008. Lest you miss what that “something” was, Morris’s column was titled “Obama’s Weakness Is Weakness.” National Review asserted that “Real Men Vote for McCain” and claimed that Obama “projects weakness” of the sort that was “an enticement to bad guys around the world.” In 2008 McCain asserted: “Senator Obama says that I’m running for Bush’s third term. It seems to me he’s running for Jimmy Carter’s second.” Early in Obama’s presidency, Coulter described Obama’s approach to Iran as “weak-kneed” and denounced him as a “scaredy-cat.” Surely such a man would see your all-American daughter sold to Ayman al-Zawahri and the Constitution replaced by Shariah law. 

But a funny thing happened on the way to 2012. As it turns out, the ingesting of arugula in no way interferes with one’s ability to have Osama bin Laden shot. Mitt Romney may attack Obama for “apologizing for America” overseas. But the audience for that charge is thin. In polls, Obama consistently beats Romney on national security. A recent Ipsos/Reuters poll found Obama leading Romney on the issue 47 to 38 percent and the campaign against terrorism 50 to 35 percent. 

Among the ranks of bullies, the only fair fight is the one that ends with them laughing and kicking sand. And so, no longer able to portray Obama as weak, the authors of Willie Horton, swift-boating and modern day poll-taxing have been reduced to other tactics — among them wildly yelping, “Please, Mr. President, nothing to the face.” 

Arugula partisan that I am, I must admit to some glee here. Watching Obama campaign is like watching an irradiated Peter Parker spar with Flash Thompson. It is deceptively easy, for instance, to see Harry Reid’s smearing of Romney not as the unsubstantiated, unevidenced ambush that it is, but as revenge. 

That way lies the abyss. I am not simply thinking of Senator Reid’s shadow war, but of the president’s. Obama’s tough guy bona fides were largely built on the expansive bombing campaign he launched against Al Qaeda, a campaign that regards due process and the avoidance of civilian casualties as indulgences. 

Let us grant that the execution of Anwar al-Awlaki, said to be the mastermind behind the foiled underwear bomb plot, should not much trouble us. But surely the killing of his 16-year-old American-born son, Abdulrahman al-Awlaki, and the secrecy around both acts, should. 

I like to think that the junior Awlaki’s (reportedly accidental) death weighs heavy on the president’s conscience. In fact that weight does nothing to change the net result — from this point forward the presidency means the right to unilaterally declare American citizens to be American enemies, and then kill them. 

During the 2008 campaign, Barack Obama earned the G.O.P.’s mockery. Now he has earned their fear. It is an ambiguous feat, accomplished by going to the dark side, by walking the G.O.P.’s talk, by becoming the man Dick Cheney fashioned himself to be.

President Barack Obama Weekly Address August 20, 2012 (Video/Transcript)

Remarks of President Barack Obama
The Weekly Address
The White House
August 18, 2012

Hi, everybody.  This week, I spent some time traveling across Iowa talking with folks about rebuilding an economy where if you work hard, you and your family can get ahead.
And along the way, I stopped in at Cascade High School to thank the teachers there for doing such a great job – and wish them luck as they head back to the classroom for this school year.
There’s nothing more important to our country’s future than the education we give our kids. And there’s no one more important to that education than the person at the front of the classroom.
Teachers matter.  Most work tirelessly, with modest pay, sometimes digging into their own pocket for school supplies – just to make a difference.  They give everything for our kids – and in return, we should invest in them.
But here’s the thing: this year, several thousand fewer educators will be going back to school.  Since 2009, we’ve lost more than 300,000 education jobs, in part, because of budget cuts at the state and local level.
Think about what that means for our country.  At a time when the rest of the world is racing to out-educate America; these cuts force our kids into crowded classrooms, cancel programs for preschoolers and kindergarteners, and shorten the school week and the school year.
That’s the opposite of what we should be doing as a country.  States should be making education a priority in their budgets, even in tough fiscal times.  And Congress should be willing to help out – because this affects all of us.
That’s why part of the jobs bill that I sent to Congress last September included support for states to prevent further layoffs and to rehire teachers who’d lost their jobs.  But here we are – a year later with tens of thousands more educators laid off – and Congress still hasn’t done anything about it.
In fact, the economic plan that almost every Republican in Congress voted for would make the situation even worse.  It would actually cut funding for education – which means fewer kids in Head Start, fewer teachers in our classrooms, and fewer college students with access to financial aid – all to pay for a massive new tax cut for millionaires and billionaires.
That’s backwards.  That’s wrong.  That plan doesn’t invest in our future; it undercuts our future.
If we want America to lead in the 21^st century, nothing is more important than giving everyone the best education possible – from the day they start preschool to the day they start their career.
That’s why we launched a national competition to improve our schools.  And for less than one percent of what our nation spends on education each year, we’ve encouraged almost every state to raise their standards – the first time that’s happened in a generation.
That’s why we’ve invested in math and science education, and given states more flexibility on No Child Left Behind.
And that’s why we’ve reformed the student loan program to put students before big banks, and increased financial aid for millions of young people – because in America, higher education cannot be a luxury; it’s an economic necessity every family should be able to afford.
This is a country where no matter what you look like or where you come from, if you’re willing to study and work hard, you can go as far as your talents will take you.  You can make it if you try.  I am only the President of the United States today because of the chance my education gave me.  I want every child in America to have that chance.  That’s what I’m fighting for.  And as long as I have the privilege of being your President, that’s what I’m going to keep fighting for.
Thanks, and have a great weekend

Never before I have I seen so much animosity and negativity

Never before I have I seen so much animosity toward a sitting president as I am seeing now from the right during this election cycle.

 Never before I have I seen so much negativity expressed and repeated in the media as right now toward a sitting president.

 Not even against former President J.W. Busch who has been responsible for thousands of American deaths in Iraq in a wrongful war.

The right has been claiming that the left is dividing the country, when the right is doing exactly that.  Not only are they spreading falls information but also demonizing people who do not adhere to their conservative doctrines.

 On the one hand the right is pointing to the radicalization of Muslims but on the other hand their view has moved more and more radical during the recent decade. Anything that does not agree with their philosophy is evil and need to be eradicated. This kind of rhetoric has divided not only the country but also inspired shooters to arm themselves and take action to defend this radical thinking. If you do not believe my assertion, just watch Fox-News for a few hours.

Although President Obama has not been able to accomplish what he had promised, he has at least tried very hard, despite a from the Bush area inherited economic disaster, to improve the lives of anybody in the United States as well as around the world. At least President Obama has shown that he honestly cares about those who are less fortunate, despite a congress that has been doing anything to make his life as President miserable.  

Mitt Romney says he has “one overwhelming conviction and passion.” It is that the 21^st century “must be an American Century.” He does not seem to understand that the years of J.W. Bush are over and that the world has been changing with new emerging powers like China and India.  America cannot allow itself to continue on such arrogant path. It has to become a strong but humble partner within the global community.  

During this election cycle, one must ask oneself, why is the Republican Party continuing to establish a reputation for putting short-term political gain and fundamentalism ahead of democratic rights?

Overt Discrimination in Ohio

Editorial in NY Times
Published: August 14, 2012

Update: On Wednesday afternoon, Jon Husted, the Ohio Secretary of State, announced that all Ohio counties would follow a uniform early-voting policy. The policy would extend early-voting hours to 7 p.m. on weekdays during the last two weeks before the election, though all early voting is banned during the final three days of the campaign.

If you live in Butler or Warren counties in the Republican-leaning suburbs of Cincinnati, you can vote for president beginning in October by going to a polling place in the evening or on weekends. Republican officials in those counties want to make it convenient for their residents to vote early and avoid long lines on Election Day.

But, if you live in Cincinnati, you’re out of luck. Republicans on the county election board are planning to end early voting in the city promptly at 5 p.m., and ban it completely on weekends, according to The Cincinnati Enquirer. The convenience, in other words, will not be extended to the city’s working people.

The sleazy politics behind the disparity is obvious. Hamilton County, which contains Cincinnati, is largely Democratic and voted solidly for Barack Obama in 2008. So did the other urban areas of Cleveland, Columbus and Akron, where Republicans, with the assistance of the Ohio secretary of state, Jon Husted, have already eliminated the extended hours for early voting.

County election boards in Ohio, a closely contested swing state, are evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans. In counties likely to vote for President Obama, Republicans have voted against the extended hours, and Mr. Husted has broken the tie in their favor. (He said the counties couldn’t afford the long hours.) In counties likely to vote for Mitt Romney, Republicans have not objected to the extended hours.

This is just the latest alarming example of how Republicans across the country are trying to manipulate the electoral system by blocking the voting rights of their opponents. These actions have a disproportionate effect on blacks, Hispanics and other ethnic minorities who struggled for so long to participate in American democracy.

Cincinnati, for example, is 45 percent black, and Cleveland 53 percent. Butler County, however, is 8 percent black, and Warren 3.5 percent. This kind of racial disparity is clearly visible wherever Republicans have trampled on voting rights during Mr. Obama’s term.

In Florida, more than half of black voters went to the polls early in 2008 largely to support Mr. Obama. So, last year, Republican lawmakers there severely curtailed the early voting period. In Pennsylvania and other states that have imposed strict voter ID requirements, the impact will be felt hardest by blacks, Hispanics, older citizens and students, all of whom tend to lack government ID cards at a higher rate than the general population. At the trial in Pennsylvania over the constitutionality of the state’s voter ID law, the plaintiffs introduced clear evidence, compiled by a geographic data analysis firm, that registered voters in Philadelphia who lack government ID cards are concentrated in minority and low-income areas.

In Ohio, as in other states, the Republican Party is establishing a reputation for putting short-term political gain ahead of the most fundamental democratic rights.

What Pau Ryan means for the social safety net

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Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan: Back to the Failed Top-Down Policies

President Barack Obama Weekly Address August 11, 2012 (Video/Transcript)

Remarks of President Barack Obama
Weekly Address
The White House
August 11, 2012

Hi, everybody. Today, I want to talk about something that most of you know already – it’s hot outside. It’s really hot. And if this feels worse than normal, that’s because it is. We just found out that the month of July was the warmest month on record – warmer than any other month since we began keeping track more than a century ago.
But the heat is just half the story. We’re also suffering through one of the worst droughts in over 50 years. More than a fifth of this country is experiencing what we call “extreme” or “exceptional” drought – with states like Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Arkansas getting hit harder than most.
That’s bad news for a lot of people, but it’s especially tough on our farmers. Right now, half of the corn crop in America is in poor or very poor condition. Cattle farmers are struggling to feed their animals. Many folks are seeing their livelihoods dry up in front of their eyes. And if we don’t get relief soon, Americans everywhere will start feeling the pinch, with higher prices on grocery store shelves all across the country.
We can’t let that happen. That’s why, at my direction, the Department of Agriculture, led by Secretary Vilsack, has been working with other agencies across the federal government to make sure we’re doing everything we can to help farmers and ranchers fight back and recover from this disaster. Already, we’ve given farmers across 32 states access to low-interest emergency loans.
We’ve opened up more federal land for grazing. And we’re working with crop insurance companies to give farmers a short grace period on their premiums, since some families will be struggling to make ends meet at the end of the year.
This past week, we went even further – announcing an additional $30 million to help get more water to livestock and restore land affected by the drought. We’re making it easier for even more farmers, ranchers and businesses to get emergency loans. And the Department of Transportation is helping more truck drivers deliver supplies to states that need them the most.
This is an all-hands-on-deck response, and we’ll be doing even more in the coming weeks to help families and communities that are suffering right now.
But my Administration can’t do it alone. Congress needs to do its part, too. They need to pass a farm bill that not only helps farmers and ranchers respond to these kinds of disasters, but also makes necessary reforms and gives them some certainty year-round. That’s the single best way we can help rural communities right now, and also in the long-term.
So call your Members of Congress, write them an email, and tell them that now is the time to come together and get this done. Too many Americans are suffering right now to let politics get in the way. Let’s help farmers, ranchers and business owners recover. Let’s make sure that families who already stretch their budgets to the limit don’t have to pay more for groceries this fall.
In the meantime, I’ll keep doing everything I can to help respond to this disaster. Because at times like these, it doesn’t matter if you live in Des Moines or Detroit – we’re Americans first. And if we look out for each other, we’ll come out of this stronger than before.
Have a great weekend, everybody. And stay cool.

Why do I prefer President Barak Obama?

Well, I think President Barak Obama is the better choice because he has proven over and over again that he is not just a good  rhetorician but really cares about people, regardless of color, sex, heritage,wealth, income or sexual orientation.

I have to ask myself, do I want to have a man who says that only a good businessman, such as a CEO of a company, can also be a good President for the country, as Governor Mitt Romney does.

 Someone who needs to hide his tax returns so that no one ever finds out how wealthy he really is.

 Someone who agrees with Donald Trump who wants children from poor families (especially welfare recipients) work and serve the rich at schools and Universities, so that we don’t get the feeling that they (children from poor families or families on welfare ) get a free ride. At the same time, these measures would teach them where their place in our society is . 

 Someone who wants to get rid of any kind of birth control or other women rights and at the same time force everyone else to follow his religious believes. 

Someone who wants health to be a privilege of the wealthy since regular and poor people cannot afford the ever rising insurance premiums. He opposes the attempt made by President Barak Obama to make healthcare affordable to every American not just the wealthiest. 

Someone who has changed his policy positions, he has advocated as Governor of Massachusetts, because they do not please the ultra conservatives of the Republican Party. 

No, I rather have someone like President Barak Obama who is
 a President of all people!

Honoring America's Veterans and Caring for Camp Lejeune Families Act of 2012 (Video/Transcript)

THE PRESIDENT:  Well, I want to thank everybody who is here because they all did outstanding work to help us get this legislation completed.

As you know, I think all Americans feel we have a moral, sacred duty towards our men and women in uniform.  They protect our freedom, and it’s our obligation to do right by them.  This bill takes another important step in fulfilling that commitment.

I want to thank the members of Congress who helped to make this happen.  It is going to have immediate impact.  It is going to improve access to health care, streamline services in the VA. It expands support for veterans who are homeless.

There are two parts to the bill, though, that I especially want to highlight.  First of all, this bill ends a decade-long struggle for those who serve at Camp Lejeune.  Some of the veterans and their families who were based in Camp Lejeune in the years when the water was contaminated will now have access to extended medical care.  And, sadly, this act alone will not bring back those we’ve lost, including Jane Ensminger, but it will honor their memory by making a real difference for those who are still suffering.

The second part of this bill that I want to highlight -- prohibit protesting within 300 feet of military funerals during the two hours before and two hours after a service.  I supported this step as a senator.  I am very pleased to be signing this bill into law.  The graves of our veterans are hallowed ground.  And obviously we all defend our Constitution and the First Amendment and free speech, but we also believe that when men and women die in the service of their country and are laid to rest, it should be done with the utmost honor and respect.

So I’m glad that Congress passed this bill and I hope that we can continue to do some more good bipartisan work in protecting our veterans.  I’ve been advocating, for example, for a veterans job corps that could help provide additional opportunities for the men and women who are coming home as we’re winding down our operations in Afghanistan and having ended the war in Iraq.  And so this is a good sign of a bipartisan spirit that I’m sure is going to carry through all the way to Election Day and beyond.

With that, I’m going to sign the bill.  Make sure I sign the right place, though.

(The bill is signed.)

There you go.  Congratulations, everybody.  Good work.  Thank you very much.

Q Mr. President, after the Wisconsin shooting, are you going to push for any further gun control measures?

THE PRESIDENT:  Well, first of all, we’re still awaiting the outcome of a full investigation.  Yesterday I had the chance to speak to both the Governor and the Mayor, as well as leaders of the Sikh community in Oak Creek.  All of us are heartbroken by what’s happened.  And I offered the thoughts and prayers not only of myself and Michelle but also for the country as a whole.

I think all of us recognize that these kinds of terrible, tragic events are happening with too much regularity for us not to do some soul-searching and to examine additional ways that we can reduce violence.  And as I've already said, I think there are a lot of elements involved in it, and what I want to do is to bring together law enforcement, community leaders, faith leaders, elected officials of every level to see how we can make continued progress.

We don’t yet know fully what motivated this individual to carry out this terrible act.  If it turns out, as some early reports indicate, that it may have been motivated in some way by the ethnicity of those who were attending the temple, I think the American people immediately recoil against those kinds of attitudes, and I think it will be very important for us to reaffirm once again that, in this country, regardless of what we look like, where we come from, who we worship, we are all one people, and we look after one another and we respect one another.

But as I said, the FBI is working with local officials and they’re still investigating what motivated this individual.  And as we find out more, I suspect that not only the White House but others in Congress and at the local level will have more to say.

Thank you very much, everybody.

END

President Barack Obama Weekly Address August 04, 2012 (Video/Transcript)

Hi, everybody.  Today, I want to take a break from the back-and-forth of campaign season, and talk about something that’s brought us all together this week – the Summer Olympics.
These games remind us that for all our differences, we’re Americans first.  And we could not be prouder of the men and women representing our country in London, in both the Olympics and in the Paralympics.
Last weekend, Michelle led the American delegation to London and reaffirmed the special relationship we share with our strongest ally, Great Britain.  She met with the Queen, and with Prime Minister Cameron’s wife, Samantha.  She spent some time thanking our brave service members and military families.  And, of course, she took in as many events as she could to cheer on our athletes.
I’ve got to admit I was a little jealous she got to go.  But like many of you, I caught as many events as I could, jumping off the couch for a close race, or a perfect vault.  I watched the wonderful young women of our gymnastics team recapture the team gold for America, and I was filled with pride watching Gabby Douglas win the all-around gold with incredible poise and grace.  I watched our swimmers win a haul of medals, and Michael Phelps become the most decorated Olympic athlete of all time.  I saw our women’s soccer team power through the competition.
And I’m just as proud of all our athletes in sports that don’t always get as much attention.  The U.S. women’s eight continued its rowing dominance with another gold medal.  Kayla Harrison won America’s first-ever gold medal in Judo, and Marti Malloy won a bronze.  Kim Rhode became the first American to win individual medals in five straight Olympics with her gold in skeet shooting; and her teammate, Army Sergeant Vincent Hancock, won his second skeet gold.
I also thought of the truly difficult journeys that many of our athletes have made.  Some have faced personal loss, or beaten cancer.  Some have worked long shifts at multiple jobs to feed their Olympic dream.  And some have done the impossible.  Less than four years ago, Bryshon Nellum was shot three times in his legs.  But this week, he’ll run the 400 meters.  And as a boy, Lopez Lomong fled war and persecution and life as a refugee – one of the “Lost Boys” of Sudan.  Today’s he’s an American – and representing his country at the Olympics for the second time.
So it’s no surprise America is vying for the top of the medal count.  But it’s not the medal count alone that inspires us – most of our athletes won’t claim a medal at all.  It’s the character of the men and women who compete for those medals.  It’s their hard work and sacrifice – the countless hours in the gym, in the pool, on the track.  It’s their dogged perseverance and unyielding determination, through disappointment and triumph alike.
It’s that unconquerable spirit – that American spirit – that says even though we may have very different stories to tell; even though we may not look alike or talk alike or be dealt the same hand in life – if we work hard, we can achieve our dreams.  We can make it if we try.  We are one people, with common values and ideals; we celebrate individual excellence, but recognize that only together can we accomplish great and important things we cannot accomplish alone.
That’s why we watch.  That’s why we cheer.  That’s why we come together, for two weeks in summer, and swell with pride at the incredible things our fellow citizens can do.
So to all our Olympic and Paralympic athletes – whether you’ve already competed or have yet to compete – your country could not be prouder of you.  Thank you for presenting the best of America to the rest of the world.  And, thank you for becoming new role models to our children – mine included – and inspiring them to believe that if they work hard and do their best, they can achieve great things, too.
Go get ‘em this week, Team USA.  We can’t wait to welcome you home.
God bless you, and God bless America.

President Barack Obama on Tax Cuts for the Middle Class (Video/Trascript)

South Court Auditorium

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you, everybody.  (Applause.)  Good morning.  Thank you.  Thank you so much.  Everybody, please have a seat.  Have a seat.  Well, it is great to see all of you, and I hope you guys are having a wonderful summer.
I am joined here today by moms and dads, husbands and wives, middle-class Americans who work hard every single day to provide for their families.  And like most Americans, they work hard and they don’t ask for much.  They do expect, however, that their hard work is going to pay off.  They want to know that if they put in enough effort, if they are acting responsibly, then they can afford to pay the bills; that they can afford to own a home that they call their own; that they can afford to secure their retirement; and most of all, that they can afford to give their kids greater opportunity -- that their children and grandchildren can achieve things that they didn’t even imagine.
Every single decision that I make is focused on giving them that chance -- because if we want to keep moving this country forward, these are the folks who are going to get us there.
This morning, we learned that our businesses created 172,000 new jobs in the month of July.  That means that we've now created 4.5 million new jobs over the last 29 months -- and 1.1 million new jobs so far this year.  Those are our neighbors and family members finding work, and the security that comes with work.
But let’s acknowledge, we’ve still got too many folks out there who are looking for work.  We’ve got more work to do on their behalf -- not only to reclaim all the jobs that were lost during the recession, but also to reclaim the kind of financial security that too many Americans have felt was slipping away from them for too long.
And we knew when I started in this job that this was going to take some time.  We haven’t had to come back from an economic crisis this deep or this painful since the 1930s.  But we also knew that if we were persistent, if we kept at it and kept working, that we’d gradually get to where we need to be.
Here’s the thing.  We are not going to get there, we’re not going to get to where we need to be if we go back to the policies that helped to create this mess in the first place.  And the last thing that we should be doing is asking middle-class families who are still struggling to recover from this recession to pay more in taxes.
Rebuilding a strong economy begins with rebuilding our middle class.  And what we should do right now is give middle-class families and small business owners a guarantee that their taxes will not go up next year.  When families have the security of knowing that their taxes won’t go up they’re more likely to spend, and more likely to grow the economy.  When small business owners have certainty on taxes and can plan ahead they’re more likely to hire and create new jobs.  And that benefits all of us.
And that’s why, last week, I was pleasantly surprised -- I was glad to see the Senate come together and extend tax cuts on the first $250,000 of every family’s income.  That means 98 percent of Americans won’t see their income taxes go up next year.  That means that 97 percent of small businesses wouldn’t see their income taxes go up next year.  Not a single dime.  That would be important.
And that’s why it’s so disappointing that, so far at least, House Republicans have refused to follow the Senate’s example and do the same thing.  On Wednesday, they voted to hold these middle-class tax cuts hostage unless we also spend a trillion dollars over the next decade on tax breaks for the wealthiest 2 percent of Americans.  In fact, it’s a little worse than that because their plan would actually raise taxes on 25 million hardworking American families by about $1,000 each.
So, at a time when too many working families are already struggling to make ends meet, they want to give millionaires and billionaires and folks like me tax cuts that we don’t need and that the country can’t afford, even if middle-class families have to pick up the tab for it.  Those are their priorities.
And this week, we learned that there's some in the Republican Party who don’t want to stop there.  An independent, non-partisan study found that one plan at least would give more tax cuts to millionaires and billionaires, and they’d pay for those tax cuts by raising taxes on the middle class -- an average tax hike of more than $2,000 for families with children.
Now, I just think we’ve got our priorities skewed if the notion is that we give tax breaks to folks who don't need them and, to help pay for that, we tax folks who are already struggling to get by.  That's not how you grow an economy.  You grow an economy from the middle out, and from the bottom up.  And the kind of approach that the House Republicans are talking about is bad for our families and it’s bad for our economy.
The people standing behind me should not have to pay more just so the wealthiest Americans can pay less.  That’s not just top-down economics, that's upside-down economics.  (Laughter.)
Instead of the middle class paying more, we should ask the wealthiest Americans to pay a little more, a modest amount, so that we can reduce our deficit and still make investments in things like education that help our economy grow.
And keep in mind, we're talking about folks like me going back to the tax rates that existed under Bill Clinton.  If you remember, that was when we created 23 million new jobs, we went from deficits to surplus, and folks at the top did well, too -- because when middle-class families have money in their pockets, they go out and buy that new car, or that new appliance, or that new computer for their kids, or they go out to a restaurant, or, heaven forbid, they take a vacation once in a while.  And that money goes back into the economy, and businesses do well because they've got more customers.
And here's the thing -- there are a lot of well-to-do Americans, patriotic Americans, who understand this and are willing to do the right thing, willing to do their part to make this country strong.
So, for those of you who are keeping score at home, here’s where we stand.  We might have a whole bunch of disagreements with folks in the other party on whether it’s a good idea to spend more money giving tax breaks to millionaires or billionaires.  And frankly, that issue is probably not going to be resolved until after November.  In the meantime, though, we say we all agree on extending tax cuts for middle-class families. The House says it agrees.  The Senate has already shown that it agrees.  And I certainly agree.  So let’s at least work on what we agree on.
Let’s keep taxes low for 98 percent of Americans, and we can argue about the other 2 percent.  Let's keep taxes low for the 97 percent of small business owners, and we can argue about the other 3 percent.  If Congress sends me a clean bill extending the tax cuts on the first $250,000 of every family’s income, I will sign it right away.  (Applause.)  I will sign it right away.
There’s no reason to wait.  There’s no reason to make families and small businesses anxious just so one party can score political points.  Let’s go ahead and give them that guarantee now that their taxes won’t go up next year.
And keep in mind -- just one last point I want to make -- we're saying nobody's income taxes go up on the first $250,000 of their income.  So even somebody who makes more than $250,000 is still getting a tax break on their first $250.000.  Yuu understand?  Even somebody who's worth $200 million -- on that first $250,000 they're still paying lower taxes.
It's the right thing to do.  It's the smart thing to do.  It would be good for the economy, and most importantly, it would be good for your families.
So we're going to have plenty to argue about in the next three months, and probably in the next five years.  (Laughter.)  This shouldn’t be one of those things we argue about.  (Applause.)
Let’s do what the American people sent us here to do.  Let's work on those things we can agree on; let's make progress; let's do right by the people behind me, and the millions of Americans that they represent.  I’m going to be fighting every single day to make sure that you have opportunity.  I expect, and I hope, that Congress will do the same.
So, thank you very much, everybody.  God bless you.  God bless America.  And have a great weekend.  (Applause.)

Dick Cheney calls Obama worse than Jimmy Carter

 

It is amazing to me that Dick Cheney calls Obama worse than Jimmy Carter after what he and President J.W. Bush have done to our world and the economy.

We need to take a closer look at the Republican Party. Do they have the good of the American people in mind or only the good of the wealthiest people in the world?

No matter how you look at it, a politician should represent all people, not only the ones who give them the most money.   A politician should be a representative of the people in its country and always have the peace and happiness of all people around the world in mind.

Neither Dick Cheney nor J.W. Bush nor W. Mitt Romney are these kind of politician.They only have their own agenda. Their ideology is to let the banks and corporations do whatever they want as long as the make more money for them and to be a  long-term advocate of tax cuts but mostly for the wealthiest in the country!