Monday, August 12, 2013

Homosexuality and ear wax

(Difference between revisions)

The buildup of earwax is major problem in homosexuals.

Sorry, I could not read the content fromt this page.

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Creating Jobs Faster by Cutting Timelines in Half for Major Infrastructure Projects

Creating Jobs Faster by Cutting Timelines in Half for Major Infrastructure Projects | The White House Skip to main content | Skip to footer site map The White House. President Barack Obama The White House Emblem Get Email UpdatesContact Us Go to homepage. The White House Blog Photos & Videos Photo Galleries Video Performances Live Streams Podcasts 2012: A Year in Photos

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Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release May 17, 2013 Creating Jobs Faster by Cutting Timelines in Half for Major Infrastructure Projects As part of the Administration’s effort to make America a magnet for jobs by building a 21st Century infrastructure, President Obama will sign a Presidential Memorandum that will modernize the Federal infrastructure permitting process, cutting timelines in half for major infrastructure projects while creating incentives for better outcomes for communities and the environment.  By cutting red tape and shaving months, and even years, off the time it takes to review and approve major infrastructure projects, we will be able to start construction sooner, create jobs earlier, and fix our Nation’s infrastructure faster.  In March 2012, the President issued an Executive Order launching a government-wide initiative to improve the efficiency of Federal review and permitting of infrastructure projects.  Since then, agencies have expedited the review and permitting of 50 major projects, including bridges, transit projects, railways, waterways, roads, and renewable energy.  In just one example, Federal agencies recently approved the Tappan Zee Bridge replacement project in New York, saving up to three years on the timeline of a multi-billion project that will help put Americans back to work. As a result of the President’s Executive Order, agencies have also identified a set of best practices for efficient review and permitting, which range from expanding information technology (IT) tools to strategies for improving collaboration, such as having multiple agencies review a project at the same time, instead of one after the other.  Today’s Presidential Memorandum institutionalizes these best practices, directing all relevant agencies to put them into effect. Further details on this initiative and the results achieved so far can be found in the Administration’s first annual Report to the President, which was also published today.  And results of specific projects can be tracked on the Administration’s Infrastructure Permitting Dashboard, a new tool that provides an unprecedented level of transparency into the Federal permitting and review process.   This permitting modernization effort represents an important component of the President’s larger effort to grow the economy, accelerate job creation, and improve U.S. competitiveness by building a 21st Century infrastructure.  Notably, the President’s Budget calls for immediately investing $50 billion in our Nation’s transportation infrastructure, with $40 billion devoted to “fix-it-first” projects that target areas in the most urgent need of repair.  The President also proposed a “Rebuild America Partnership,” creating tools to encourage partnerships between the private sector and Federal, State, and local governments to enhance the role of private capital in U.S. infrastructure investment and ensure America has the best transportation, electric, water, and communications networks in the world.

Extending Middle Class Tax Cuts

Blog posts on this issue May 17, 2013 6:08 PM EDTWeekly Wrap Up: “What Our Families Deserve”

Here’s a quick glimpse at what happened this week on WhiteHouse.gov.

May 17, 2013 5:50 PM EDTA Stronger and Sustainable Military for the 21st Century

The President and the Department of Defense are taking unprecedented steps to protect our environment, achieve significant cost savings, and give our military better energy options.

May 17, 2013 5:28 PM EDTComing Together to Stop Slavery

Today at the White House, we convened the 10th annual meeting of the President’s Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons.

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Kingdom Tower

(Difference between revisions)

Kingdom Tower is a building project in Jeddah, Saudi-Arabia. If the Kingdom Tower will be constructed it would be the tallest building in the world. The customer of this skyscraper is the Kingdom Holding Company. The contracter is the Saudi Binladin Group.


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FLASHBACK: NBC's Dr. Nancy Orders Obama's IRS to Go After Catholic Bishops

The revelation that the IRS was being used by liberals as a political weapon against conservative groups like the Tea Party makes NBC's Dr. Nancy Snyderman's 2009 call on the tax agency to investigate Catholic bishops even more chilling.

During an MSNBC November 12, 2009 segment about Catholic bishops' opposition to abortion funding in ObamaCare, Snyderman joined NOW President Terry O'Neill in calling on the IRS to investigate them. (video after the jump)Snyderman first complained: "The Catholic bishops appearing and having a political voice seems to be a most fundamental violation of church and state." To which O'Neill responded: "I don't know where there Internal Revenue Service is, but I hope they're paying attention." Snyderman  agreed: "Me, too."

The following is a transcript of the November 12, 2009 MSNBC live segment as first caught by the MRC's Scott Whitlock:

NANCY SNYDERMAN: Well, the fight over abortion and health care reform is getting even hotter. Abortion rights activists are organizing dozens of groups to ban together to keep any kind of language restricting abortion access out of the Senate bill. Planned Parenthood says the House's Stupak amendment has, quote, "completely galvanized the reproductive health community and the women's community." The National Organization of [sic] Women says, "They passed health care reform for half the nation and partial health care reform for the rest of us."

Joining me now from Washington, Terry O'Neill, president of NOW. And she was among those who met with Rahm Emanuel at the White House this weekend and I should say Nancy DeParle and some other women, leading women at the White House. Thanks for being with us. Terry, let me just ask you straight off the bat, this seems to have caught you guys, and I should say the women who believe in reproductive right off guard and found you a little off balance.

TERRY O'NEILL: Oh, it definitely caught me off guard. On Saturday morning, I started getting calls and E-mails and texts saying, you know, there's a deal that's been cut and a terrible, disastrous deal. The Stupak/Pitts amendment, in fact, I believe, essentially overrules Roe v. Wade. That's the intention of the Catholic bishops who pushed it. That, I believe, is the intention Mr. Stupak and Mr. Pitts who offered it. And it's an outrage and, and we are doing everything to be sure that it does not get into the Senate bill, that it does not survive the reconciliation process, because that's not a health bill if you take- it's not acceptable to change health care for America while sending women off into the back alleys to die.

SNYDERMAN: Terry, two things have come up over the last couple days that have really sort of fascinated me. And that is, people describing the House of Representatives as no longer being pro-choice. That is quietly pro life and perhaps even in the Senate. Now, I happen to think that abortion is one of the most divisive issues and you can't get one person from one side to the other side. But I also think most of life is quite gray and we think we have adamant solutions to things until they happen to mothers and children's. And we can find ourselves changing our mind and it becomes our family. Nonetheless, this is a chip. It is an erosion. It is a very slippery slope. Seems to me, that the women of our ages have a hard time saying to the women who are 18, 28, 38 that you have a stake here. And I'm not so sure young women get that.

O'NEILL: Oh, if you listen to the young women that are calling me and that are organizing rallies all around the country even as we speak, I don't think that's really correct.

SNYDERMAN: Really?


O'NEILL: Young women are galvanized around this. Especially the young women who are able to hear the truth. There are people out there who are saying that the Stupak/Pitts amendment is no different than the status quo. Nothing could be farther from the truth. And when the young women learn the truth, they are outraged. Just as the women my age are outraged.

SNYDERMAN: This is going to be a Pollyannaish statement. The Catholic bishops appearing and having a political voice seems to be a most fundamental violation of church and state.

O'NEILL: You know, that's the first thing that I said. I don't know where the Internal Revenue Service is, but I hope they're paying attention.

SNYDERMAN: Me, too. And I just want to, sort of, say good-bye to you by pointing out that Stupak and Henry Hyde, the two amendments that restrict a woman's right to choose, are both white men telling women about reproduction. [O'Neill laughs.] So, on that happy note, I will bid you a good day and thank you for spending time with me.


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Remarks of Dr. Jill Biden at Navajo Technical College Commencement *AS PREPARED FOR DELIVERY*

The White House

Office of the Vice President

Crownpoint, New Mexico
May 17, 2013

Good morning, everyone! 

Ya'aa'tey shi Din'e

It’s wonderful to be here in New Mexico to celebrate such an important day with all of you! 

Thank you, Roselyn, for that very kind introduction.  Dr. Guy, thank you for hosting me here today.

Last night, I had the wonderful opportunity to meet President Shelly and his wife, Martha, and see the students from Dine Bi Olta Elementary School and Miyamura High School perform the basket and ribbon dances.  The dances were beautiful.

Thank you, President Shelly and Council Delegate Simpson for having me today.

All of you graduating today stand on the shoulders of those who came before you - your parents, your grandparents, and all of your ancestors. It is their vision, and their determination that created this community and built this college.

So as we celebrate your accomplishments here today, we also remember and acknowledge their sacrifices to make this all possible.

Navajo Technical College is a special place.  For the second year in a row I know you were recognized by the Aspen Institute as being one of the top 120 community colleges in the United States – in part because of your graduation rate near 80 percent.  That’s amazing!

I know you are also celebrating your first student to graduate with a Baccalaureate Degree this year – congratulations to Dody Begay– who is graduating with his degree in Information Technology!

Some of you know my story. I’ve been a teacher for more than 30 years, and I continue to teach full-time at a community college in Northern Virginia, just outside of Washington, D.C. 

This time of year is always a little bittersweet for me. I’m happy to have finished up another semester and look forward to a little summer break. But I know I’ll be missing my students.

And those feelings – which I’m sure many of your teachers share – are only amplified for those who are graduating.

We are so proud of you. We hope we have given you every bit of advice to help you succeed. And we are excited to see what you’ll do next.

College is a place that changes lives, for the better.  And tribal colleges are especially unique places … particularly for students who might otherwise not have the opportunity to attain a higher education.

Tribal colleges, like community colleges, meet students exactly where they are.

As a community college teacher, I see every day that my students have all made a choice to be there, to be better, to continue their education. 

They have made a choice to be in the classroom, even though they might be working one or two other jobs, juggling child care, and raising families.

My students have made the choice because they believe in themselves.

And we believe in them, too. We stand behind them.

Today, I would like to share a few stories of your fellow graduates and how they embody three important lessons about community and as you move forward in your lives, about your sense of place in the world.

Every story I have heard about your fellow students comes back to this: your community is more than the people around you, it is who you are. 

Many of you know Dwight Carlston. He’s about to graduate with his Associate of Applied Science degree in Environmental Science and Natural Resources.

Growing up, Dwight and his two younger brothers spent a lot of time with their grandparents while their single mom worked two jobs – one at a loan company and another as a bank teller.

There were lots of chores. No electricity. No running water.

Dwight says watching his mom, who didn’t graduate from high school, have to work so hard at all those jobs made him wonder what kind of life was really possible for himself.

One thing he does remember is his grandfather’s stubborn streak, especially when it came to education: his grandsons would go to school.

Dwight didn’t think he had the financial resources necessary to get his higher education.

But with the help of counselors, the cross country runner was able to get a scholarship to attend his first year at another school in Kansas.

But Dwight struggled and dropped out after a year. After working construction jobs, he knew he wanted to try again to complete his education.

For Dwight, Navajo Technical College’s proximity to home and affordability changed his entire learning experience.

Named last year’s Student of the Year, Dwight excelled in and out of the classroom, maintained a 3.8 GPA, served as Student Senate President and ran cross country. More recently, he was elected the Student Congress president of all 38 tribal colleges.

It’s clear his grandfather’s stubborn streak has been passed on.  Now that there is a four-year Bachelor of Science degree available, Dwight plans to continue his education this fall.

I know we’ll hear more from Dwight in the future!

The second lesson is about service to your community.

Many of you come back to your community because you couldn’t imagine being anywhere else. And you come back to your community because you want to continue to serve - serve others as well as they have served you.

Jerrilene Kenneth started her higher education right after high school at a community college in Albuquerque.

Three years in, her father passed away, and in a short time, Jerrilene says she didn’t know what to do with her herself.

She did complete a culinary arts certificate, but eventually dropped out of school.

Jerrilene’s dad had been a mechanic.  So Jerrilene, the youngest of 11, decided to enlist in the Army. 

She went on to serve four years as a mechanic, including two deployments – first to Iraq and then to Afghanistan.

While deployed, Jerrilene says she learned just how much stress one person could survive. After losing her dad, Jerrilene found being away from her family – especially her mom – to be the hardest thing she had ever done.

When Jerrilene came home, she found her place: spending time with her many nieces and nephews, connecting with young people and her community.

She enrolled at Navajo Technical College and graduates today – the first in her family to do so – with an Associate Degree in Early Childhood Education.

Last month, Jerrilene received a gold medal in Early Childhood Education at the SkillsUSA state competition and she will go on to compete in the National Championships.

With her Associate Degree down, Jerrilene says she now hopes to continue on to get her bachelor’s degree to eventually become a teacher. A woman after my own heart!

From cook, to mechanic in Iraq and Afghanistan, to teacher, Jerrilene knows wherever she is in the world helping others learn will be part of her life.

And she also says there is nowhere she would rather be serving than right here, in her own community.

Jerrilene, thank you for your service to our country.

And I know there are two other veterans graduating today as well - Fitzgerald Nez and Eric Begody – could you please stand? Thank you for your service.

The last idea is pretty simple: here, within the Navajo Nation, you found an even deeper level of community at your school.  Here at Navajo Technical College, you found the support that you needed to succeed.

Sherwin Becenti headed for college at the University of New Mexico right out of high school but dropped out after two years.

Sherwin stopped going to classes and pretty soon, felt like he was too far behind to catch up.

That was more than a decade ago.

He worked all kinds of jobs in the intervening time: a bread factory, construction, firefighting.

Then he met his wife, Michelle, who kept encouraging him to go back and finish his education. Michelle is a Navajo Technical College student, too.

Sherwin and Michelle want to provide a good example to their children, Mikaela and Kobe, to know there is a path to a brighter future.

Sherwin – this year’s Student of the Year – wants them to know about the things he never knew about – scholarships, internships, a path toward a better life.

Mikaela is already on her way. She recently completed a rigorous application process to be admitted into the Navajo Preparatory School, where she will start high school this fall.

And her parents couldn’t be more proud.

Sherwin, thank you for the wonderful example you are setting. And, he couldn’t have done it without you, Michelle.  You believed in him!

I would like you all to think back on the lessons you have learned as part of the Navajo Technical College community.

You are people like Dwight, who become lifelong learners and will encourage others to do the same.

You are people like Jerrilene, who are going to become teachers. And, in a few years, she may teach the children of the people sitting next to you.

You are people like Sherwin, who are going to continue to show future generations that there is a bright path ahead.

You all care so deeply about this place that generations of your family have called home.

You all have a stake in each other’s future because you are now and always be part of this shared community.

So continue to reach out to one another, to encourage one another, to lift up each other.

I know that shortly you will hear a new poem from the first Navajo Poet Laureate, Professor Luci Tapahonso.

But I would like to close with the beautiful ending of another of her poems entitled “A Blessing,” which she wrote for another class of college graduates:

“May we fulfill the lives envisioned for us at our birth. May we realize that our actions affect all people and the earth. May we live in the way of beauty and help others in need. May we always remember that we were created as people who believe in one another.

We are grateful, Holy Ones, for the graduates, as they will strengthen our future. All is beautiful again.”

I hope you all take some time today to reflect on all that you have accomplished.

Take time to thank your professors, your fellow students, and most of all, your families for their support along the way.

And celebrate this important milestone with your loved ones.

On behalf of President Obama, the First Lady and the Vice President, my husband Joe – we are so proud of you, and we look forward to all that lies in front of you.

Congratulations! Ahe'hee! 

Extending Middle Class Tax Cuts

Here’s a quick glimpse at what happened this week on WhiteHouse.gov.

The President and the Department of Defense are taking unprecedented steps to protect our environment, achieve significant cost savings, and give our military better energy options.

Today at the White House, we convened the 10th annual meeting of the President’s Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons.

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Julia Louis-Dreyfus: Joe 'Big F-ing Deal' Biden an 'Elegant Guy' Who 'Wouldn't' Swear

Noel Sheppard's picture

Do liberal media members actually pay attention to what's happening in the world, or do their opinions just come out of thin air?

Consider actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus who appearing on TBS's Conan Thursday actually said Vice President Joe Biden - he of the "This is a big f--king deal" crowd - is an "elegant guy" who wouldn't swear (video follows with transcribed lowlights and commentary":

During their interview, Louis-Dreyfus spoke about her recent meeting with Biden. This led O’Brien to mention that in her HBO program Veep, Loius-Dreyfus is quite a “potty mouth.”

“Does Biden, is the real vice president, does the language ever fly with him?” asked O’Brien.

“No, no, he's very, he’s as, I don't get the impression at all that he's a swearer,” Louis-Dreyfus answered. “He's kind of an, you know, elegant guy. No he wouldn't.”

Really?

I guess Louis-Dreyfus and O’Brien forgot Biden saying to Obama just before the President signed ObamaCare into law, “This is a big f—king deal.”

Yeah, that Biden sure is an “elegant guy” who “wouldn’t” swear.


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Statement by the President on the Confirmation of Ernest Moniz as the Next Secretary of Energy

Statement by the President on the Confirmation of Ernest Moniz as the Next Secretary of Energy | The White House Skip to main content | Skip to footer site map The White House. President Barack Obama The White House Emblem Get Email UpdatesContact Us Go to homepage. The White House Blog Photos & Videos Photo Galleries Video Performances Live Streams Podcasts 2012: A Year in Photos

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Browse White House visitor logs

President Obama greets White House visitors

Issues Civil Rights It Gets Better Defense End of Iraq War Disabilities Economy Jobs Reform and Fiscal Responsibility Strengthening the Middle Class Support for Business Education Energy & Environment Ethics Foreign Policy Health Care Homeland Security Immigration Refinancing Rural Service Seniors & Social Security Snapshots Creating Jobs Health Care Small Business PreK-12 Education Taxes Tax Receipt The Buffett Rule Technology Urban Policy Veterans Joining Forces Violence Prevention Women Immigration Reform

Creating an Immigration System for the 21st Century

Immigration Reform

2012 Federal Taxpayer Receipt

Understand how and where your tax dollars are being spent

Taxpayer Receipt

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Create and Sign Petitions Now

We the People

President Barack Obama Vice President Joe Biden Being Biden Audio Series First Lady Michelle Obama Dr. Jill Biden The Cabinet White House Staff Chief of Staff Denis McDonough Deputy Chief of Staff Rob Nabors Deputy Chief of Staff Alyssa Mastromonaco Counselor to the President Peter Rouse Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett Executive Office of the President Other Advisory Boards About the White House White House On the Go

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Interactive Tour Inside the White House Interactive Tour West Wing Tour Video Series Décor and Art Holidays Presidents First Ladies The Oval Office The Vice President's Residence & Office Eisenhower Executive Office Building Camp David Air Force One White House Fellows President’s Commission About the Fellowship Current Class Staff Bios News and Newsletters White House Internships About Program Presidential Department Descriptions Selection Process Internship Timeline & FAQs Tours & Events 2013 Easter Egg Roll Kitchen Garden Tours Take a Virtual Tour of the White House Mobile Apps Our Government The Executive Branch The Legislative Branch The Judicial Branch The Constitution Federal Agencies & Commissions Elections & Voting State & Local Government Resources /* Maximize height of menu features. */if(typeof(jQuery)!='undefined')jQuery.each($('#topnav'),function(i,v){var o=$(v),oh=o.height(),sh=o.siblings().height();if(oh Home • Briefing Room • Statements & Releases   The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release May 16, 2013 Statement by the President on the Confirmation of Ernest Moniz as the Next Secretary of Energy

I am pleased that today, by a unanimous vote, the Senate confirmed Ernest Moniz as our next Energy Secretary. Dr. Moniz is a world-class scientist with expertise in a range of energy sources and a leader with a proven record of bringing prominent thinkers and innovators together to advance new energy solutions. He also shares my conviction that the United States must lead the world in developing more sustainable sources of energy that create new jobs and new industries, and in responding to the threat of global climate change. I am thrilled that Ernie is joining my team, and I look forward to his counsel on these issues as my Administration continues to increase our nation’s energy security, strengthen our nuclear security, develop the next-generation of clean energy technologies, and compete for the jobs of the 21st century.

Extending Middle Class Tax Cuts

Blog posts on this issue May 17, 2013 6:08 PM EDTWeekly Wrap Up: “What Our Families Deserve”

Here’s a quick glimpse at what happened this week on WhiteHouse.gov.

May 17, 2013 5:50 PM EDTA Stronger and Sustainable Military for the 21st Century

The President and the Department of Defense are taking unprecedented steps to protect our environment, achieve significant cost savings, and give our military better energy options.

May 17, 2013 5:28 PM EDTComing Together to Stop Slavery

Today at the White House, we convened the 10th annual meeting of the President’s Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons.

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Southern Baptist Convention blasts Boy Scouts over stance on homosexuality, votes to encourage defectors. [1]

America's first atheist monument to stand outside Florida courthouse.[2]

Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) deputy director Michael Morell has "decided to spend more time with his family" and resign post terror attack in Benghazi.[3]

Why moderates leave an acrid taste in a conservative's mouth. [4]

The modern civil rights movement consists of "demoralizers of the faith" – a far cry from Martin Luther King's day. [5]

The Mainstream Media always ignore this key fact about any mass murder story they cover: it happens in a gun-free zone. [6]

Pope Francis plans to purge the Vatican of the "gay lobby," and speaks candidly about the problem. [7] Why aren't Republican Party leaders as candid?

James Clapper, head of the NSA and now under-fire, said in March that he had no knowledge of the massive phone and email collecting by his agency. [8]

The socialist "paradise" of Venezuela is now on the brink of hyperinflation. [9]

Love Obamacare now? If you live in Ohio, your health insurance premiums went up 88% percent. [10]

NSA officials overheard on how to cause Edward Snowden to be "disappeared". [11]

From the IRS "Keep your religious beliefs to yourself." [12] "You cannot, you know, use your religious belief to tell other people you don’t have a belief, so I don’t believe you need the right to do this, start confrontation, protesting, uh, prot, uh, protest...you don’t apply for tax exemption."

The bright Patriots head coach treats the liberal media with disdain in dismissing their inane hostility to Tim Tebow, on his first day of practice. [13]

Is Edward J. Snowden, who revealed the breathtaking extent of how our government monitors us, a hero, or a traitor? Judge for yourself. [14]

The world's biggest mental health research institute is abandoning the new version of psychiatry's "Bible" (DSM-5).[15]

Great Conservative Sports Star Tim Tebow is reportedly joining the New England Patriots, from where he will be able to crush twice-a-year the liberal New York team that cut him. [16] God does indeed have a sense of humor.

Why is big government a Goliath and why should you fear it? Start with watching a girl with cystic fibrosis nearly die from some arcane rule, while the government waives said rule for a big campaign donor. Then remember a little bit of history. [17]

Homeschooling surge underway: Education at home is growing seven times faster than K-12 enrollment. The homeschool option makes perfect sense, "significantly higher ACT-Composite scores as high schoolers and higher grade point averages as college students." [18]

Michael Reagan: Reform the U.S. tax code. [19]

The joke sport of "rhythmic gymnastics" is part of the 2020 Olympic Games roster.[20]

2013 continues to be a TERRIBLE year for evolutionary belief just like creationists predicted. The formerly popular Whyevolutionistrue blog sees its web traffic plunge in 2013.[21]

Union jack.jpg

Britain has a debt-to-revenue ratio of 212%. Britain's external debt to GDP ratio was 390% in 2011.[22]

How long will you keep Charles Darwin on your currency Britain? How long will you run inefficient Darwinism indoctrinating public schools? Behold! Creationism will grow mightily in your land!

Multi-ethnic, Bible-believing church is adding 40-50 new members a year via the internet. Also, will a "God-ordained meeting" prove to yield more fruit than boring atheist meetings led by boring, white, atheist males? [23]

Atheists and evolutionists: Why are atheism and evolutionary beliefs so stale and boring?[24]

Conservative Rand Paul may challenge the privacy-invading conduct of the Obama Administration in court. [25] Even a few Dems express their opposition to the Big Brother program.

Promoters of marijuana are quiet about the arrest Saturday of a crane operator charged with causing the deaths of 6 people while under the alleged influence of the drug. [26] Authorities still conceal how much pot was in the system of "College Weed Dealer" Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. [27]

Trust the government? How can we in light of the recent scandals? [28]

Leftist vie for the Dem nomination for the special U.S. Senate election in New Jersey, with Rush Holt and media-promoted Cory Booker jumping into the race. [29]

Tag team of scientists show why the eye is still a thorn in the side of Darwinists.[30]

Protecting Christians in populist Muslim countries.[31]

Who is the enemy of the people? Barack Hussein Obama? Or institutions that enable him? [32]

Psychiatry and Darwinism: Pseudosciences in crisis.[33][34]

Primal scream therapy? A liberal evolutionist must have come up with that one!

Marijuana apparently killed again: six deaths in a building collapse have been traced back to a demolition equipment operator who, accordingly to toxicology reports, was allegedly high on pot. [35]

A Great Conservative Sports Star, the center who led the Ravens offense to the Super Bowl victory, declined to attend the White House celebration because Obama is so pro-abortion. [36] Obama-supported "Planned Parenthood performs about 330,000 abortions a year," Matt Birk observed.

"Reading by Bumps: How to navigate the Hebrew Braille Bible, and not go to prison" by Bishop Bert [37]

Obama administration mining Facebook data to predict crimes.[38]

New York City Mayor candidate Anthony Weiner and the New York Times are tying to rehabilitate his sleazy image, but Michelle Malkin has doubts that it will work.[39]

Flip-flops.png

Barack Hussein Obama flip-flops on the Patriot Act.[40]

Why do liberals, RINOs and Darwinist posers like to flip-flop so often?[41][42] Lack of convictions?

High unemployment, mistrust of government and a porous Mexican border makes odds of passing U.S. immigration bill longer.[43]

"The administration has now lost all credibility..."
And this statement comes from the editorial board of the New York Times, a liberal newspaper. [44][45]

The NSA's domestic spying - and they are spying on Americans - violates the Fourth Amendment. [46]

The special Senate election in New Jersey got a lot more interesting today. Governor Chris Christie named a close ally as a caretaker Senator, and several candidates said they would try to qualify. [47]

A Tea Party activist denounces Chris Christie for calling a special election instead of simply appointing an interim United States Senator. (And calling a special election so fast most candidates won't have time to qualify.) [48] While we're at it: is Chris Christie really a Republican? [49]

The Bully-crats: [50]

Trolls' attempts to silence conservatives just won't work. [51]

Robert Bauer: former White House Counsel, who could be the one most responsible for the IRS targeting of the Tea Party and conservatives in general. [52]

10-year old boy fends off armed home intruders with a gun.[53]

Remember this Father's Day: The left's policies are undermining the family.[54]

The Common Core State Standards for education are unconstitutional and illegal. See here for all the laws they violate. [55]

BREAKING NEWS: Steve Lonegan will start at once to gather signatures to get on the primary ballot in the New Jersey special Senate election. [56][57]

Chris Christie called a special election to fill Frank Lautenberg's Senate seat to benefit one man only: himself. And why is he drawing big money from prominent Democratic Party financiers? [58]

The Obama administration is as transparent as a tar pit.[59] American conservatives, like the ones in Florida and Texas, like the refreshing, clear waters of government transparency.

The IRS discriminates because they are a bunch of self-serving, liberal, money grubbers.[60] Eliminate the IRS and slash U.S federal government spending.

Real austerity and not "faux austerity" will help European economies.[61] How long will the liberal heathen rage and deny the obvious?

What's really "transparent" about Barack Hussein Obama? His war on America, and American women, that's what. [62]

Conservative landslide victory Tuesday, by a remarkable 67-27% margin, for an open congressional seat in Missouri. [63]

Tyranny gets a new face today. It is not just the IRS. It is the Democratic Party Caucus of the United States House of Representatives. [64]

BREAKING NEWS: Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey will not name an interim United States Senator immediately. He will call a special election, to take place this October, to name a replacement for the late Senator Frank Lautenberg. [65]

New Jersey voters! Vote today. A Tea Party group publishes its last list of endorsements in races from sheriff to township council. [66]

The lamestream media admit that Tim Tebow is being excluded not primarily because of his quarterbacking skills. [67] Why should the public support the NFL as it discriminates against outspoken Christians?

Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) died Monday. Now Governor Chris Christie must appoint someone to replace him. Whom will that be? [68][69]

Liberal hatred of the First Amendment: [70]

Evolutionists failed to overturn Louisiana pro-creationism law - again! Also, another creationist mother is eager to have her daughter read a draft of the Question evolution! campaign book for middle school students.[71]

Forbes: Religion is an essential driver of economic growth. Evangelicalism is improving the cultures of third world countries and boosting their economies. [72]

UN Agenda 21 threatens San Francisco Bay. But two activists are preparing to sue to fight it. [73]

Liberal censorship continues, by making a big deal out of an offhand reference to "no homo" by a triumphant basketball player. [74] But there's no exception to the First Amendment allowing censorship to promote the homosexual agenda.

Are the Koch Brothers hoping to buy the Los Angeles Times? If so, conservatives should applaud, not decry, them for that. [75]

Anti-Darwinism has now entered into a mainstream public university. Indiana's Ball State University is now offering a course which is intelligent design friendly.[76]

Same-sex marriage is defeated in the liberal state of Illinois, despite Obama's push for it in his home state. [77] Has Obama become irrelevant?

The academic journal Sociology of Religion shows secularism losing momentum and beginning to decline in both Europe and America by 2050. Other academic research shows it may begin to happen much earlier.[78]

August 2012: A summer of triumph for biblical creation belief. Will August 2013 be a watershed month as well?[79]

Media-promoted Tiger Woods "shot his worst nine-hole score as a professional" but afterward his comments were again self-serving: "I'm sure I'm not the only one who struggled out there." [80] Actually, Woods' score is worse than 69 other players.

The number of adherents of liberal Christianity who will be spit out of Jesus's mouth will be many.[81]

The country with the world's biggest atheist population is very interested in information debunking Darwinism.[82]

The first review of the Question evolution! campaign book for middle school students is in! Rachel finds the book "very interesting". Sarah is "very interested" in reading the book.[83]

Evolutionists, learning science is exciting. The force feeding of stale, evolutionary bunkum is not.[84][85]

New Jersey voters! This Tuesday is Primary Day. Herewith a voter guide. [86][87][88]

The IRS and the White House definitely worked together. The visitor logs show how often IRS Commissioner Shulman visited – and how rarely anyone else did with whom he would have had meetings, of not with Barack Obama. [89]

A Tea Party activist withdraws his earlier call for a temporary criminal registry, in wake of the scandals surrounding the Internal Revenue Service. This is the same agency that will police Obamacare. [90]

Liberal double standard: when undefeated Michele Bachmann declined to run for reelection, there was liberal claptrap galore by the media. Then her Dem opponent pulled out of the race too, and the media are nearly speechless. [91]

Eric Holder gave a private party for his friends in the Mainstream Media, and less than half of them showed up. What does that say about those who did? [92]

After cutting Tim Tebow, the New York Jets now try to stop the building of a family amusement park. [93] Why should the increasingly anti-Christian NFL receive favoritism??

Associated Press reports that Americans may lose the health plan they like under Obamacare.[94]

Student Loan money profits are being siphoned off to pay for ObamaCare.[95]

An activist advises people to elect a sheriff who remembers his Constitutional duty to those who elect him. [96]

"Memorial Day 2013: How it was. What it will be" by Bishop Bert [97]

1960s liberalism is not only financially unsustainable, but its champions are a dying breed.[98]

Understanding gold market dynamics.[99]

Evolutionary racism directed towards an accomplished footballer puts a sour note on a football game.[100] Why are so many liberals racists?

When a republic turns into a democracy, it will surely fail. [101]

Remembering a fallen police officer in Phoenix, Arizona. [102]

Media bullying alert: the lamestream media spend all day picking on undefeated conservative Michele Bachmann, who repeatedly won in a liberal district. Rather their cheap criticism, the media should be asking why they could never defeat her.

Wikipedia continues to lose influence in the world in 2013.[103] Also, interest in Project 200 plus keeps expanding.

Undefeated five-term congressman Michele Bachmann announces that she will retire from her position, and may run for higher office. [104] The liberal machine was never able to defeat her in a Dem state.

Professor attacked by liberals. His "crime"? Teaching students to think for themselves. [105]

Judge-Shopping, or, How Eric Holder Got Away With Spying On A Reporter's Emails: [106]

The liberal nanny mayor of New York City doesn't like street cafes now. [107]

The IRS scandal that the news is not covering, because it's tied in with Obamacare: [108]

Eric Holder now faces investigation for perjury before Congress. Is Barack Hussein Obama paying attention? [109]

France struggles to find a strategy to turn around their economy even though it is right under their nose.[110] The Bible, Adam Smith and Friedrich Hayek

Many things happen in life that cannot be explained by science or philosophy. Atheists and agnostics self intellectually cripple themselves and are clueless about much of reality.[111]

Example of how modern conservatism is more conservative than Republicans from yesteryear: Bob Dole, Republican nominee in 1996, admits that "Reagan couldn't have made it. Certainly, Nixon couldn't have made it .... We might've made it, but I doubt it." [112]

A United States Senator finally says it: Barack H. Obama is throwing away his moral authority to lead. But in fact he never had legal authority to lead, either. [113]

Conservapedia pauses in prayer (not a liberal "moment of silence") in honor of Memorial Day.

RichardDawkins.net keeps getting smited! Has a plague of locusts eaten Richard Dawkins' daily website visitors?[114]

How long will you refuse to humble yourself before the Lord, Richard Dawkins?

Vox Day and a supporter of the Question evolution! campaign agree: The speed at which the secular left is collapsing is happening at an unexpectedly fast rate. [115]

Google USA estimates 101,000,000 search results for the search "Evolution and just so stories".[116]

"President Obama forgets to salute," but the lamestream media downplay gaffes by liberals. [117]

A Tea Party activist urges Congress to seize the moment, now that Obama's luck seems to have run out. [118]

Another study finds that obesity may decrease brain function.[119] See also: Atheism and obesity and Lesbianism and obesity

Have liberal policies destroyed Sweden? "Stockholm rioting continues for fifth night." [120]

The inventor of the concept "Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder" admitted, before he died, that he made the whole thing up. Think about that when the school district tells you to drug your kids. [121]

Dems admit they lack the votes to pass their amnesty-for-illegal-aliens bill, where 60 votes are the minimum needed in the U.S. Senate. [122]

The cold temperatures this spring have even hurt the sale of sporting goods. [123] Yet liberal denial about the cold weather persists, in order to perpetrate a fictional global warming.

World's most popular site devoted to atheism/agnosticism sees a massive loss of global market share according to Alexa. Also, new Question evolution! campaign group leader expected to be installed in June of 2013.[124]

Obama's paternalistic, sexist reference Thursday to a heckler as a "young lady" is no problem for the liberal media, [125] but an Hispanic golfer's offhand racial quip about Tiger Woods is unforgivable.

7 creationist groups have now joined Project 200 plus. Also, 7 ways the Question evolution! campaign is strengthening itself.[126]

An IRS official takes the Fifth Amendment. Or does she? Besides botching her plea, she shows hypocrisy in claiming a freedom she does not grant to others. [127]

Liberal double standard: racist remarks by Joe Biden are no problem, but the lamestream media and Tiger Woods make a big deal about an offhand joke by an Hispanic golfer. [128] Will media bullying enable Tiger Woods to end nearly 5 years without his winning a major?

The BBC News opened a story with this nonsense: “A study of Neanderthal skulls suggests that they became extinct because they had larger eyes than our species.”[129] Why does Darwinism spawn such lame just so stories?

Thomas Sowell recommends parents having their children read the book The New Leviathan which has a number of essays which debunk various liberal sacred cows.[130]

Barack Hussein Obama's "I am an idiot" defense about his recent scandals undermines his "cult of expertise" and statist redemption fantasies that he has been peddling.[131]

Ask yourselves right now: is this still America? Representative Mike Kelly asked that of IRS Acting Commissioner Miller. We should ask it of ourselves. [132]

Contrast the regal behavior of Barack Hussein Obama with the humble behavior of George Washington. [133]

Expert says that the discovery of a 20-year long rainfall in Ireland points to the Great Flood of the Bible being historical.[134]

Why do so many faux Christians deny the Great Flood and try to turn it into a non-Great Flood?[135] Did Jesus, Peter and Moses lie?[136]

Animals are where they are today, not because they evolved there, nor yet because of continental drift, but because they went there after the Great Flood. [137]

A description of "Common Core Education," the harm it can do, and a list of New Jersey primary candidates pledged to stop it. [138]

Outspokenly Christian Kevin Durant gives $1 million to the tornado victims. Durant uaually outscores LeBron, but the liberal media do not promote outspoken Christians.

Why does Glenn Beck, who loves to chart conspiracies on his famous chalkboards, ignore a conspiracy right under his nose? [139]

28 million Americans will be caught in a "massive game of health coverage pingpong" under ObamaCare, and even the liberal media are beginning to panic about this. [140]

Classic communist tactic by the Obama Administration: it files a document in court alleging that a reporter at Fox News is a possible co-conspirator in the "crime" of informing the public. [141] In fact this goes back further – to Henry II. Are we all Thomas Becket now? [142]

Teen awarded for improved capacitor - Intel gave a $50,000 scholarship to a girl whose titanium dioxide capacitor can store almost three times as much electrical energy as previous capacitors and is intended as a battery alternative. [143]

Most mainstream media got the story wrong, claiming incorrectly that her invention can charge a cell phone battery in 30 seconds. (Charging a battery too quickly reduces its life, which is why Motorola and Samsung and the rest keep the amperage low.)

Franklin Graham, one of America's most prominent evangelical Christians, says the targeting of conservative groups by the Internal Revenue Service included two of his ministries.[144]

Are many evangelical Christian churches primarily growing in America due to birth rates or due to evangelism?[145]

"Quiverfull" evangelical Christianity, which does not believe in contraception, is now spreading in the UK.[146] In the past 30 years, the number of Anabaptists in North America, including the Amish, has grown significantly, from 313,000 baptized members in 1978 to more than 535,000 in 2010. [147]

Unfortunately for militant atheists, secularist philosophy breeds sub-replacement levels of fertility. See: Decline of atheism

Reuters reports: "Europe is in the midst of its longest recession since it began keeping records in 1995 — even surpassing the calamity that hit the region in the financial crisis of 2008-2009."[148]

Biblical creationism is growing in Europe and its growth rate will accelerate amidst Europe's economic woes.[149]

The UK has experienced one lost economic decade, and it's about to enter a second. [150] When is the UK going to remove Charles Darwin off its currency?[151]

Turkey, a world leader in anti-evolutionism, had its Moody’s credit rating upgraded to investment-grade quality. [152][153]

What is the real IRS scandal? It's the tax code itself. [154]

A video was recently produced on the topic "Why Christianity and the Bible are true." [155]

Abortion: an indispensable right or violence against women?[156]

Bradlee Dean has this scathing commentary on Minnesota's gay "marriage" law. [157]

Previous Conservapedia Breaking News


View the original article here

President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to key Administration posts:

• Danny Russel – Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, Department of State
• Rick Metsger – Member, National Credit Union Administration Board

The President also announced his intent to appoint the following individuals to key Administration posts:

• Michael G. Whitaker – Deputy Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, Department of Transportation
• Alphonso Maldon, Jr. – Member and Chair, Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission
• Mary C. Pete – Member, Arctic Research Commission

President Obama said, “These fine public servants both bring a depth of experience and tremendous dedication to their new roles.  Our nation will be well-served by these men and women, and I look forward to working with them in the months and years to come.”

President Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to key Administration posts:

Danny Russel, Nominee for Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, Department of State
Danny Russel, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, is Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Asian Affairs on the White House National Security Staff (NSS).  From 2009 to 2011, he was the NSS Director for Japan, South Korea, and North Korea.  Before joining the NSS, Mr. Russel was Director of the Office of Japanese Affairs at the Department of State.  From 2005 to 2008, he was U.S. Consul General in Osaka-Kobe, Japan.  Previously, he served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in The Hague from 2002 to 2005, and as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Nicosia, Cyprus from 1999 to 2002.  From 1996 to 1999, Mr. Russel was Chief of Staff to the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs.  Earlier assignments included posts at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, Korea and with the U.S. Mission to the United Nations.  Before joining the Foreign Service in 1985, Mr. Russel was a manager for an international firm based in New York City.

Rick Metsger, Nominee for Member, National Credit Union Administration Board
Rick Metsger is President of Parakletos Strategic Public Affairs LLC, a position he has held since 2010.  Prior to this, Mr. Metsger served in the Oregon State Senate from 1999 to 2011, and as Senate President Pro Tempore  from 2009 to 2011.  From 2004 to 2007, Mr. Metsger worked as a Principal at Metsger Forbes LLC.  He was Principal of NewsMedia Dynamics Inc. from 1992 to 1999.  Mr. Metsger was a news anchor and reporter for KOIN-TV in Portland, Oregon from 1977 to 1992.  He served on the State Treasury Debt Policy Advisory Commission from 2001 to 2011 and was on the Board of Directors of Portland Teachers Credit Union from 1993 to 2001.  Mr. Metsger received a B.S. and an M.A.T. from Lewis & Clark College.
President Obama announced his intent to appoint the following individuals to key Administration posts:

Michael G. Whitaker, Appointee for Deputy Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, Department of Transportation
Michael G. Whitaker most recently served as a Board Member and Business Development Consultant for InterGlobe Enterprises from 2011 to 2012.  Prior to this, Mr. Whitaker was a Group Chief Executive Officer within InterGlobe Enterprises from 2009 to 2011.  From 1994 to 2009, he served at United Airlines, most recently as Senior Vice President for Alliances, International, and Regulatory Affairs.  Prior to that, he served at Trans World Airlines from 1991 to 1994, most recently as Assistant General Counsel for Regulatory and International Affairs.  Mr. Whitaker received a B.A. from the University of Louisville and a J.D. from the Georgetown University Law Center. 

Alphonso Maldon, Jr., Appointee for Member and Chair, Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission
Alphonso Maldon, Jr. is Founder, President, and CEO of Partnership Strategies Consulting in Virginia.  He is also part-owner of the Washington Nationals Baseball Club.  Before launching Partnership Strategies Consulting in 2009, Mr. Maldon was Senior Vice President for External Affairs for the Washington Nationals and President of the Dream Foundation, the Washington Nationals’ philanthropic arm.  Before joining the Washington Nationals Baseball Club, Mr. Maldon was Senior Vice President and Senior Relationship Management Officer for Government Banking Services for PNC Financial Services Group in Washington, D.C.  Previously, he was Executive Vice President with Fleet Boston Financial and Bank of America.  From 1999 to 2001, Mr. Maldon served as Assistant Secretary of Defense for Force Management Policy.  Prior to that, he served as Deputy Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs at the White House and White House Congressional Liaison to the United States Senate and House of Representatives from 1995 to 1999.  From 1994 to 1995, he was Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of the White House Military Office.  Mr. Maldon served in the U.S. Army from 1973 to 1993 and retired with the rank of Colonel.  He received a B.S. from Florida A&M and an M.A. from the University of Oklahoma.

Mary C. Pete, Appointee for Member, Arctic Research Commission
Mary C. Pete is the Director of the University of Alaska, Fairbanks Kuskokwim Campus in Bethel, Alaska, a position she has held since 2005.  She was first appointed to the Artic Research Commission by President Obama in 2010.  Prior to that, from 1996 to 2005, she served as the Director of the Division of Subsistence for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.  From 1993 to 1996, Ms. Pete was an instructor in the Department of Rural Development at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks and a Subsistence Resource Specialist from 1984 to 1993.  From 2005 to 2009 she served as a member of the North Pacific Research Board Science Panel.  Ms. Pete received a B.A. and an M.A. from the University of Alaska, Fairbanks.

Extending Middle Class Tax Cuts

Here’s a quick glimpse at what happened this week on WhiteHouse.gov.

The President and the Department of Defense are taking unprecedented steps to protect our environment, achieve significant cost savings, and give our military better energy options.

Today at the White House, we convened the 10th annual meeting of the President’s Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons.

view all related blog posts

View the original article here

President and First Lady to Host Concert Honoring Carole King in the East Room

The White House

Office of the First Lady

Wednesday, May 22 * White House – As part of their “In Performance at the White House” series, the President and First Lady will host a concert in the East Room honoring singer-songwriter Carole King, who will be awarded the 2013 Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song.  President Obama will present the award as he did when the Library of Congress honored Stevie Wonder (2009), Sir Paul McCartney (2010), and the songwriting team of Burt Bacharach and Hal David (2012). The program will include performances by King, as well as Gloria Estefan, Billy Joel, Jesse McCartney, Emeli Sandé, James Taylor and Trisha Yearwood.

The President’s remarks will be pooled press and the entire event will be streamed live on www.whitehouse.gov/live starting at 7:00 PM ET.  “Carole King: The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize In Performance at the White House” will be broadcast Tuesday, May 28 at 8:00 PM ET on PBS stations nationwide (check local listings).  The program will also be broadcast at a later date via the American Forces Network to American service men and women and civilians at U.S. Department of Defense locations around the world.

This will be the first time the Gershwin Prize honor has been awarded to a woman.  The Gershwin Prize commemorates George and Ira Gershwin, the legendary American songwriting team whose extensive manuscript collections reside in the Library of Congress. The prize is awarded to musicians whose lifetime contributions in the field of popular song exemplify the standard of excellence associated with the Gershwins. 

The White House concert caps off two days of events celebrating the recipient of the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. On Tuesday, May 21st at 7:00 PM ET, the Library of Congress will host an invitation-only concert at their Coolidge Auditorium in honor of Carole King. The all-star tribute will include performances by Patti Austin, Colbie Caillat, Michael Feinstein, Siedah Garrett, Louise Goffin, Shelby Lynne, Gian Marco, Arturo Sandoval and a special performance by honoree Carole King. This event will be open to press, but space is limited. Members of the media who wish to cover this event must contact Sheryl Cannady at 202-707-6456 or scannady@loc.gov.

 “Carole King: The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize In Performance at the White House” will be the eleventh “In Performance at the White House” program hosted by the President and Mrs. Obama.  Starting in February 2009, these events have honored the musical genius of Stevie Wonder, Sir Paul McCartney, Burt Bacharach and Hal David; celebrated Hispanic musical heritage during Hispanic Heritage Month; marked Black History Month with events featuring music from the Civil Rights Movement, Motown, Memphis Soul and the Blues; spotlighted Broadway and the unique spirit of the American musical; and explored the rich roots and resiliency of Country Music.

Extending Middle Class Tax Cuts

Here’s a quick glimpse at what happened this week on WhiteHouse.gov.

The President and the Department of Defense are taking unprecedented steps to protect our environment, achieve significant cost savings, and give our military better energy options.

Today at the White House, we convened the 10th annual meeting of the President’s Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons.

view all related blog posts

View the original article here

Remarks by the President at Ellicott Dredges

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

Ellicott Dredges
Baltimore, Maryland

1:20 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, Baltimore!  (Applause.)  Well, it is wonderful to see all of you.  Give Duncan a big round of applause for the great introduction.  (Applause.)  I want to thank all of you for the warm welcome, the great hospitality.  And I tell you what, I’m going to return the favor by hosting your Super Bowl Champion Baltimore Ravens at the White House this summer.  (Applause.)  We’ll have Ray Lewis in the China Room -– what could go wrong?  (Laughter.)

I want to thank your CEO, Peter Bowe, and your plant manager, Robert Croom, and your entire team for showing me around this great facility.  I was told that one of your customers once named a dredge after President Clinton, so I’ve got my fingers crossed.  (Laughter.)  Never had a dredge named after me, so I’m looking after -- looking forward to that.

I’ve come here today to talk about our single most important priority as a country right now.  And that is reigniting the true engine of our economic growth, and that is a rising, thriving middle class.  (Applause.)  And as I said in my State of the Union address this year, that’s our North Star.  That’s what we have to focus on.  That’s what has to guide all our efforts. 

And we’ve got some great people who are championing middle-class families every single day.  First of all, your outstanding Governor -- come on -- Martin O’Malley.  (Applause.)  Your outstanding Mayor -- Madam Mayor.  (Applause.)  You’ve got some outstanding members of Congress, led by your senior Senator, Barbara Mikulski.  (Applause.)  And your own leader in the House of Representatives -- he is doing a great job every single day and he loves this state -- Steny Hoyer.  (Applause.) 

So we’ve got just some extraordinary folks here.  Let me make sure I’ve -- Elijah Cummings is here.  (Applause.)  But more importantly, Elijah’s mom is here.  (Applause.)  And we are so proud of Elijah, but his mom apparently prays for me every day, so I’m very grateful for her as well.

And all of these -- all of your members of Congress, every single day, are working, fighting on your behalf in terms of making sure that we’re growing an economy that creates outstanding middle-class jobs.  That’s the challenge that we should be rallying around every single day.  And I know it can seem frustrating sometimes when it seems like Washington’s priorities aren’t the same as your priorities.  I know it often seems like folks down there are more concerned with their jobs than with yours.  Others may get distracted by chasing every fleeting issue that passes by.  But the middle class will always be my number-one focus, period.  Your jobs, your families, your communities -- that’s why I ran for President.  That’s what drives me every day as I step into the Oval Office.  That’s what I’m going to keep fighting for over the next four years. 

And that’s why I’m so proud to have these partners.  John Sarbanes I saved for last, because Congressman Sarbanes, he himself is doing a great job, but when I first came in, his father was one of the people who I so admired in the Senate.  He had served for a long time.  And I remember just a conversation that we had -- he probably doesn’t remember it -- but I asked him -- I came and paid him a visit, and I asked him, “What’s your advice?”  He says, “Just keep in mind the people who sent you.”  Because here in Washington, sometimes people get distracted.  But you’re here to work on behalf of your constituencies.  And if you stick to that, you’re going to be just fine. 

And that’s what’s happening here in Maryland.  Under Governor O’Malley’s leadership, Maryland has won back almost 100 percent of the jobs that were claimed by the recession.  (Applause.)  So you might not know it if you were just watching the news and you’re exposed to all these partisan battles and brinksmanship in Washington, but the truth is there are a lot of reasons to be optimistic about where this country is headed, especially after all we’ve been through over the past several years.  And that’s got to encourage us to roll up our sleeves, and work together, and take on the challenges that are still holding back the economy and holding down working families.

Now, the good news is in a little over three years, businesses like this one have created more than 6.5 million new jobs.  And while our unemployment rate is still too high, it’s the lowest it’s been since 2008.  (Applause.)  That's good news.

But that's not enough because we’ve also got to create even more good, middle-class jobs, and we’ve go to do it even faster. 

Corporate profits have skyrocketed at an all-time high. Now we’ve got to make sure that middle-class wages and incomes are going up too -– because families all across America haven’t seen their take-home pay rise for nearly a decade.  That's the next phase.  It’s good that companies are profitable.  I want you to be profitable.  I want you to be taking a little more home in your paycheck.  (Applause.)

Our housing market is healing.  But that's not enough.  Now we’ve got to help more families stay in their homes, or refinance to take advantage of these historically low interest rates. 

Our deficits are shrinking at the fastest rate in decades.  That's the truth.  That's worth an applause, sure.  (Applause.)  Because you wouldn’t always know that listening to folks in Washington.  But the fact is our deficits are going down faster than they have gone down in decades.  But we still have to create a budget that is smart and doesn’t hurt middle-class families or harm our critical investments into our future. 

Barbara Mikulski is on the Appropriations Committee; she’s fighting hard to make sure that this sequester that is slowing down growth, and we’re starting to see growth slowing down because of furloughs and cuts in defense spending, and a whole bunch of stuff that wasn’t well thought through -- we’ve got to make sure that we’ve got a budget that doesn't push our economy back down.  We need a budget that pushes our economy back up.

The American auto industry is thriving.  American energy is booming.  American ingenuity in our tech sector has the potential to change the way we do almost everything. 

And thanks to the grit and determination of the American people, we’ve been able to clear away the rubble of the crisis.  We’re now poised for progress, but our work is not done, and our focus cannot drift.  We’ve got to stay focused on our economy, and putting people back to work, and raising wages, and bringing manufacturing back to the United States of America.  That has to be what we’re thinking about every single day.  (Applause.)

The middle class has taken a beating for more than a decade.  You deserve folks in Washington who are willing to fight back on your behalf every single day.  Because every single day, you and Americans like you all across the country are working hard and living up to your responsibilities.  So you’ve got to have the same seriousness of purpose in your leaders. 

Now, I see three areas where we need to focus if we’re really going to keep the recovery going but take it to new heights.  Number one, we’ve got to make America a magnet for good jobs.  Number two, we’ve got to make sure that workers are able to get the education and skills they need to do those jobs.  Number three, we’ve got to make sure that, if and when you’re working hard, that that leads to a decent living.

And that’s why I wanted to come to Baltimore -- because a lot of people here in Baltimore, they work hard.  Baltimore has gone through tough times in the past, but Baltimore has come bouncing back.  (Applause.)

I started a few hours ago at a pre-K program at Moravia Park Elementary School.  (Applause.)  There, kids are getting a head start learning skills they need to succeed in college and the workplace.  And, by the way, this is a center that was named after Steny Hoyer’s late wife, Judy, because she and Steny share my belief in the importance of giving every kid every chance as early as possible. 

I got to help with one of the lessons -- we were having to draw zoo animals.  (Laughter.)  And I’ve got to say, my tiger was not very good.  (Laughter.)  The kids were unimpressed.  They kind of looked at it, they said, that doesn’t look like a tiger.  (Laughter.)  But they were amazing.

And later today, I’m going to visit with a program that helps people who have gone through some tough circumstances, especially low-income dads, and this program is now helping them get the training and the guidance they need to find work and support a family, which is a priority.  (Applause.)  And probably some of these folks who I’m meeting, they didn’t get that early childhood education that put them on the right track.  And what we want to do is, first of all, make sure our kids are getting the training they need, but if they missed out early on, we still want to give them opportunity on the backend.  

But obviously, the training of kids, giving them a good education, training older workers -- none of that is going to make a difference if we don’t have great companies that are hiring.  And that’s why I wanted to come to Ellicott. 

Ellicott Dredges, you guys are an example of what we can do to make America a magnet for good jobs.  After all, you all know a thing or two about growing the economy -- you’ve been doing it for more than a century.  This company was founded in 1885.  You’ve been right here on Bush Street since 1900.  This company built dredging equipment that helped dig the Panama Canal.  (Applause.)  That’s impressive.

What that means is this company, right here in Baltimore, literally helped create our global economy, because that was one of the first connectors that started to allow us to ship goods and cut the distances that integrated the world economy. 

And yet, after all this time, this company still has a set of core values that's lasted for generations.  Just like the folks who came before you, you’ve got that drive to make the best machines that money can buy; to sell products all over the world; to grow not just a business, but a community, and by doing that, you're growing our country.

And these values have seen you through an era of enormous change.  Your leaders saw the potential in developing markets like China and India and Brazil and Bangladesh.  So you ramped up your focus on airports -- on exports -- maybe on airports, too -- (laughter) -- but on exports.  And the federal government has worked with you as a partner to sell dredging equipment right out of this shop all over the world.  You maintained your quality.  You built a sales force that travels everywhere, outhustling the competition in search of new business.

All that hard work has paid off.  Today, this company, you have sold equipment to more than 100 different countries.  You’ve made new investments here at home.  You employ more than 200 people in Baltimore and Wisconsin and Kansas.  And over the past few decades, during some of the tough times for our workers, you were able to keep building equipment stamped with those three proud words:  Made in America.  And you're selling it around the world.  (Applause.)

As Steny Hoyer and some of these House members like to say, that means you're making it in America.

MR. HOYER:  All right.

THE PRESIDENT:  See, Steny gets excited.  (Laughter.)  You're actually making stuff here in America, but it also means that we're all making it here in America when you do what you're doing.  And this is a great example.  

And the good news is, more and more companies are following your example.  After shedding jobs for 10 years, our manufacturers have added more than 500,000 jobs over the past three years.  Ford is bringing jobs back from Mexico.  Caterpillar is bringing jobs back from Japan.  (Applause.)  After placing plants in other countries like China, Intel, which is making the chips in your smartphone and your iPad, all of these gizmos everybody is holding up right now -- (laughter) -- Intel is opening its most advanced plant right here at home, right here in America.  

Washington should be helping these kinds of success stories take root all across the country.  That’s why we’ve boosted -- my administration has boosted our efforts to help businesses export more of their goods and services.  That’s why we signed trade agreements that will protect American workers, but open up new markets and support tens of thousands of good-paying jobs. 

That’s why we reauthorized the Export-Import Bank.  And we are proud to have the bank’s chairman right here, Fred Hochberg.  He's here this afternoon.  He's helping this company as we speak sell more goods overseas.  And so today, exports are at an all-time high.  We are selling more stuff around the world.  We’ve added more than a million export-supported jobs since I took office.  (Applause.)

So all these steps are making a difference, but there’s more we can do.  We need to pursue new trade agreements with Europe and the Pacific region.  We need to invest in high-tech manufacturing centers, because I want the next revolution in manufacturing to be made here in America.

Our workers are at our best when we're building stuff.  So today, I’m also announcing the next step in our effort to cut through red tape that keeps big construction projects from getting off the ground.

Now, some of you, if you’ve heard me, I’m really big on us rebuilding our infrastructure in this country.  (Applause.)  I want to put people back to work improving our roads, our bridges, our airports, our ports.  (Applause.)  We were talking about the Panama Canal.  The Panama Canal is being revamped down in Panama so that it can accommodate even bigger ships.  And these cargo ships are so big that if we don’t remodel our ports here in the United States, they can’t dock at our ports.  They’ll dock someplace else.  We’ll lose that business.

So we’ve got to up our game when it comes to infrastructure.  And the good news is, when you do that, you’re putting people back to work right away, operating dredging equipment and doing other stuff, and you’re also laying the foundation for future economic growth.

Now, the problem is we’ve had some trouble out of Congress just going ahead and funding --

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  (Inaudible.)

THE PRESIDENT:  I know, it’s surprising, isn’t it?  (Laughter.)  But we’ve had a little difficulty getting our Republican friends to work with us to find a steady funding source for these projects that everybody knows needs to happen.  But in fairness, one of the problems we’ve had in the past is, is that sometimes it takes too long to get projects off the ground.  There are all these permits and red tape and planning, and this and that, and some of it’s important to do, but we could do it faster. 

So a while back, what I did was I ordered everybody who was involved in approving projects to speed up the permitting process for 50 different big projects all across the country, from the Tappan Zee Bridge in New York to the Port of Charleston in South Carolina.  And we’ve been able to, in some cases, cut approval times from seven years down to a year.  So we’ve made progress.  (Applause.) 

Today, I’m directing agencies across the government to do what it takes to cut timelines for breaking ground on major infrastructure projects in half.  And what that will mean is, is that construction workers get back on the jobs faster.  It means more money going back into local economies, and it means more demand for outstanding dredging equipment that is made right here in Baltimore.  (Applause.) 

Now, as some of you know, one of the guys who has been working on this, he’s Deputy Transportation Secretary John Porcari, your former transportation secretary here in Maryland before Governor O’Malley generously agreed to share him with the entire country.  (Laughter.)

So those are some of the ways that we can create the conditions for businesses like this one to generate even more good jobs.  And these are the kinds of ideas that we have to stay focused on every single day.  This should be our principal focus:  How are we making ourselves more competitive; how are we training our workers so that they can do the jobs that need to be done; how can we make sure that we stay on the cutting edge in terms of technology; how are we making it easier for businesses to succeed.

And I’m going to keep trying to work with both parties in Washington to make progress -- because our challenges are solvable.  I travel all around the world, and I meet people from all walks of life.  And I can tell you, there’s not a country on Earth that wouldn’t trade places with the United States of America.  That’s really true.  (Applause.)  They know we’ve got all the ingredients to succeed.  We’ve got the answers.  The only thing that’s holding us back sometimes is a lack of political will.  Sometimes our leadership isn’t focused where we need to be focused.  And that’s where you come in.  It’s up to you and all the people across the country to tell the people in Washington, focus on getting stuff done.  We may not agree on the way to do certain things, but I think we all love our country.  We all want what’s best for our kids and our grandkids. 

Wouldn’t we be better off if every American could find a good job that pays the bills and lets you afford a home, and maybe take a vacation, put some money away to retire?  Wouldn’t we be better off if we knew that all of our kids were getting a good education from an earliest age; if we reformed our high schools for this new economy; if we’re helping more young people afford to go to college? 

Wouldn’t we be better off if every worker’s wage was a wage you could live on?  Nobody wants to be on welfare.  Nobody wants to have to rely on a handout.  They want to work.  But let’s make sure that work pays. 

Wouldn’t we be better off if every American could afford quality healthcare, and the peace of mind that comes with it?  That's why we passed health care reform.  (Applause.)  Wouldn’t we be better off if we did what’s necessary to protect more of our children from the horrors of gun violence?  (Applause.)

There are going to be disagreements about how we get there.  But let’s remind ourselves that when we work together nobody can stop us.  When we do the right thing -- that's what I believe.  That's what I’m going to keep fighting for.  That's what drives me -- is all the stories of people like you that I have the great honor of meeting and working with every single day.  You deserve leaders with the same dedication and commitment and focus that the people who work at this company bring to their jobs every single day.  And you look at those dredges up there -- and I met folks who have worked here 38 years, some who worked 40 years, and the pride that they take in their product and the way they all work together, that's the attitude that we’ve got to bring to bear here.

I think about a woman here, Myrna LaBarre.  Myrna LaBarre -- where is Myrna?  (Applause.)  There’s Myrna right here.  (Applause.)  Myrna LaBarre.  Myrna has been at Ellicott for more than 50 years.  (Applause.)  Now, that means she started when there were no child labor laws, because it was clearly illegal.  (Laughter.)  She was about four or five, and they started putting her to work, put a broom in her hand.  But when somebody asked Myrna what lessons she learned after 50 years working at the same company, she said, “Be honest, be helpful, accept your mistakes and improve upon them, be good to people, keep a good sense of humor, have the best work ethic possible, and handle the good times and get over the bad.”  That’s a pretty good recipe for success right there.  That’s who we are.  That’s who we are.  (Applause.)  Thank you, Myrna. 

I mean, that pretty much sums up everything.  (Laughter.)  That’s who we like to understand America to be, who we are as Americans.  We’re honest and helpful.  We work hard.  We’re good to others.  We handle the good times, and we get over the bad times.  If we keep that in mind, if we just all keep Myrna’s advice in mind, keep plugging away, keep fighting, we’ll build an even better America than we’ve got right now. 

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  We’re praying!

THE PRESIDENT:  And I know you’re going to -- we can pray too, we’ll add that in there.  (Laughter and applause.) 

If we work to create more jobs, if we give every American the tools that they need for those jobs, if we make sure that hard work pays off and that responsibility is rewarded, then once again America is going to be the place where you can always make it if you try.  And we’ll all prosper together.  And we’ll make sure that America remains the greatest nation on Earth.

Thank you, everybody.  God bless you.  God bless America.  (Applause.)

END
1:46 P.M. EDT

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Presidential Proclamation -- World Trade Week, 2013

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

WORLD TRADE WEEK, 2013

- - - - - - -

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

As a Nation, we need to do everything we can to create good, middle-class jobs right here in America. And one of the best ways we can do that is by boosting manufacturing and expanding trade that allows us to sell more of our goods and services all around the world. We have made important progress toward meeting that goal under our National Export Initiative, and we are taking historic steps to help our businesses access new markets abroad. But we cannot stop there. We need to keep making the investments in commerce and infrastructure that drive our economic growth and bring more Americans into a thriving middle class.

We can start by modernizing our roads, bridges, and ports. These upgrades would allow American companies to ship their goods faster and cheaper, and they would encourage businesses worldwide to set up shop here and bring more jobs to our shores. So earlier this year, I proposed the Partnership to Rebuild America -- a collaboration between the private and public sectors to break ground on our most pressing infrastructure projects.

In the past 4 years, we have focused on opening up growing markets for our businesses through historic trade agreements and enforcing trade rights so American workers can compete on a level playing field. To build on that progress, we are joining nations in Asia and the Americas to negotiate a new, high-standard trade agreement: the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Once realized, the deal would boost our exports, support American jobs, and help our companies succeed in the global marketplace. And to ramp up trade with Europe, we also plan to launch talks for a Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership with the European Union.

My Administration is committed to expanding international commerce that creates jobs and grows our economy. During World Trade Week, we recognize workers, growers, and entrepreneurs nationwide who share that ambition, and we rededicate ourselves to advancing it in the year ahead.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim May 19 through May 25, 2013, as World Trade Week. I encourage all Americans to observe this week with events, trade shows, and educational programs that celebrate and inform Americans about the benefits of trade to our Nation and the global economy.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this seventeenth day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand thirteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-seventh.

BARACK OBAMA

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Here’s a quick glimpse at what happened this week on WhiteHouse.gov.

The President and the Department of Defense are taking unprecedented steps to protect our environment, achieve significant cost savings, and give our military better energy options.

Today at the White House, we convened the 10th annual meeting of the President’s Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons.

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