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Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Readout of the President's Call with Baltimore Ravens Coach Harbaugh and General Manager Newsome

Readout of the President's Call with Baltimore Ravens Coach Harbaugh and General Manager Newsome | The White House Skip to main content | Skip to footer site map The White House. President Barack Obama Get Email Updates Contact 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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For Immediate Release February 05, 2013 Readout of the President's Call with Baltimore Ravens Coach Harbaugh and General Manager Newsome

This afternoon, the President called Head Coach John Harbaugh and General Manager Ozzie Newsome to congratulate them and the Baltimore Ravens on winning Super Bowl XLVII. He commended the Ravens on an unbelievable year and for the steadiness the team displayed through the end. The President also expressed how moved he and the First Lady were by the story of O.J. Brigance. The President said he looks forward to congratulating the team in person at the White House.

Blog posts on this issue February 05, 2013 3:00 PM ESTPresident Obama Makes a Statement on the Sequester

President Obama explains that while our economy is headed in the right direction, looming automatic budget cuts will cost jobs and slow down our recovery.

February 05, 2013 12:48 PM ESTAnnouncing the State of the Union White House Social

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February 05, 2013 10:58 AM ESTAnnouncing We the People 2.0 and a White House Hackathon

We're working towards Petitions 2.0, releasing an API, and inviting a small group to join us on February 22, 2013 for the White House Open Data Day Hackathon.

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Monday, March 18, 2013

Presidential Memorandum -- Designation of Officers of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation to Act as Director of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation

Presidential Memorandum -- Designation of Officers of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation to Act as Director of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation | The White House Skip to main content | Skip to footer site map The White House. President Barack Obama Get Email Updates Contact 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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For Immediate Release February 01, 2013 Presidential Memorandum -- Designation of Officers of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation to Act as Director of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation February 1, 2013 MEMORANDUM FOR THE DIRECTOR OF THE PENSION BENEFIT GUARANTY CORPORATION SUBJECT: Designation of Officers of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation to Act as Director of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the Federal Vacancies Reform Act of 1998, 5 U.S.C. 3345 et seq. (the "Act"), it is hereby ordered that: Section 1. Order of Succession. Subject to the provisions of section 2 of this memorandum, and to the limitations set forth in the Act, the following officials of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, in the order listed, shall act as and perform the functions and duties of the office of Director of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (Director) during any period in which the Director has died, resigned, or is otherwise unable to perform the functions and duties of the office of Director: (a) Chief Management Officer; (b) Chief Operating Officer; (c) Chief Financial Officer; and (d) General Counsel. Sec. 2. Exceptions. (a) No individual who is serving in an office listed in section 1 of this memorandum in an acting capacity, by virtue of so serving, shall act as the Director pursuant to this memorandum. (b) No individual listed in section 1 of this memorandum shall act as Director unless that individual is otherwise eligible to so serve under the Act. (c) Notwithstanding the provisions of this memorandum, the President retains discretion, to the extent permitted by law, to depart from this memorandum in designating an acting Director. Sec. 3. Prior Memorandum Superseded. This memorandum supersedes the President's Memorandum of December 9, 2008 (Designation of Officers of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation to Act as Director of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation). Sec. 4. Judicial Review. This memorandum is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person. Sec. 5. Publication. You are authorized and directed to publish this memorandum in the Federal Register. BARACK OBAMA

Blog posts on this issue February 05, 2013 3:00 PM ESTPresident Obama Makes a Statement on the Sequester

President Obama explains that while our economy is headed in the right direction, looming automatic budget cuts will cost jobs and slow down our recovery.

February 05, 2013 12:48 PM ESTAnnouncing the State of the Union White House Social

Apply today for a chance to join the White House social media team for the State of the Union.

February 05, 2013 10:58 AM ESTAnnouncing We the People 2.0 and a White House Hackathon

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Pennsylvania GOP Senator: Rigging The Presidential Election Is What The Framers Would Have Done

Shortly after the Democratic presidential candidate won the White House last November, Pennsylvania state Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi (R) announced a plan to keep that from happening again in the future. Under Pileggi’s plan, the blue state of Pennsylvania would award electoral votes proportionally according to the popular vote, so that a percentage of it electors will go to the Republican candidate even if a majority of Pennsylvania’s voters prefer the Democrat. Meanwhile, red states would continue to award all of their electors to the Republican.

In response to an inquiry from ThinkProgress, state Sen. Mike Folmer’s (R) office explained that he supports this plan to rig the next presidential race because he believes it to be more consistent with the Founding Fathers’ vision. Seriously:

Senator Folmer believes such changes would be consistent with how electoral votes were originally awarded under our constitutional republic.
When the Electoral College was established by the Constitutional Convention of 1787, the individual states were empowered to determine how their electors would be chosen. The Founding Fathers rejected the idea of a national popular vote because they feared the rights and interests of the minority could be trampled by the majority. This is why the term “democracy” does not appear in either the Declaration of Independence or the United States Constitution.
From the first Presidential election of 1788 – 1789 through the election of 1800, the states’ electoral votes were awarded proportionally. After the bitter election of 1800, states began to move to a winner take all system – even though the citizens of that era considered such a change to be blatantly political. By 1836, all states had moved to a winner take all system.

Folmer is correct that Pileggi’s plan is more like the anti-democratic methods used to pick our first presidents, although he is wrong about many of the details of how early elections were run. In the first presidential election in 1788-89, just six states used some form of a popular vote to select the members of the Electoral College. Three states delegated this power entirely to their legislatures, although only about 30 percent of South Carolina’s lawmakers even bothered to show up to choose the first president. New Jersey’s governor unilaterally selected the electors in his state.

Moreover, this pattern of cutting the people out of the presidential election was common in early American elections. Six states held a popular election in 1792; eight held one in 1796; and just five held a popular vote in 1800. And the “popular” elections from this era cannot even vaguely be described as democratic. Just over 13,000 people voted in the 1792 election that reelected President George Washington — out of a nation of 3.9 million people. Needless to say, the 700,000 persons held in bondage at this point in American history did not cast a ballot.

So Folmer is right that Pileggi’s effort to cut the American people out of the opportunity to choose their own president is more like the system that elected our first presidents than our current system. The real question is why he thinks moving back to the anti-democratic days of the past is a good thing.

Sen. Folmer’s full statement is copied below the fold:

Senator Folmer has previously cosponsored Senator Pileggi’s proposed changes to Pennsylvania’s Electoral College voting because Senator Folmer believes such changes would be consistent with how electoral votes were originally awarded under our constitutional republic.
When the Electoral College was established by the Constitutional Convention of 1787, the individual states were empowered to determine how their electors would be chosen. The Founding Fathers rejected the idea of a national popular vote because they feared the rights and interests of the minority could be trampled by the majority. This is why the term “democracy” does not appear in either the Declaration of Independence or the United States Constitution.
From the first Presidential election of 1788 – 1789 through the election of 1800, the states’ electoral votes were awarded proportionally. After the bitter election of 1800, states began to move to a winner take all system – even though the citizens of that era considered such a change to be blatantly political. By 1836, all states had moved to a winner take all system.
In 1991, Nebraska’s nonpartisan legislature returned to proportional awarding of Electoral College votes to increase interest among that state’s voters. In 2008, Maine followed suit. According to Reuters, the law “was instrumental in getting Nebraskans excited about the 2008 presidential election” and the same was true in Maine.
Of course, Senator Folmer believes any changes to the current system should be publicly deliberated to ensure all viewpoints are given proper consideration.

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Establishment Republicans plan to perpetuate losing formula

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Establishment Republicans plan to perpetuate losing formulaBy Sal Russo, co-founder and chief strategist, Tea Party Express-02/05/13 03:05 PM ET !function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,"script","twitter-wjs");

The Tea Party movement is a major force in American politics because people are sick and tired of the tax-and-spend policies and crony capitalism of both political parties. Now we learn of the newly launched Conservative Victory Project that wants to push the Tea Party out and replace them with the failed strategies of 2008 and 2012.

After Election Night 2012, even some Tea Party members bought into the false narrative of devastating losses in the Tea Party’s conservative ranks. However, the Tea Party grew in Congress with the election of 27 new Tea Party conservatives to the House and three new Tea Party Senators. The movement again exhibited electoral strength even while the GOP establishment stumbled badly.

If the inappropriately named Conservative Victory Project were actually interested in victories and in conservatives, they would be pushing Republicans to embrace the pro-growth,fiscally economic messages of Tea Party leaders like Marco Rubio, Rand Paul, Ted Cruz, Mike Lee and others, who not only won impressive election victories, but also continue to articulate a conservative message that appeals to all Americans. The Conservative Victory Project would have likely supported the opponents of all of these great U.S. Senators.

If these establishment big donors want to see a real disaster, then all they have to do is push Tea Party conservatives into supporting alternative third candidates in competitive races or even tempt them to form a third party. In the general elections, responsible Tea Party leaders have supported establishment Republicans consistently after primaries, while moderates have been spotty at best in being loyal to conservative primary victors.

Establishment Republicans seem to prefer candidates like Florida’s ex-Governor who ran as an independent when he lost the primary. They thought highly of former Senator Dick Lugar of Indiana who refused to support the Republican nominee that defeated him. These are the same big donors in 1980 who rejected Ronald Reagan as a loser, while they supported John Connally, George H.W. Bush and Howard Baker instead. When Reagan won the nomination, many then supported third party candidate, liberal Republican Congressman John Anderson. Reagan defeated Anderson along with President Jimmy Carter in a landslide election.

They just need to look at the record in 2012 and see where their problems really reside. In the Senate, the Republicans drastically underperformed, even though eight of the nine new Senate Democrats faced the establishment-anointed candidates. In comparison, the three incoming Republicans – Ted Cruz, Jeff Flake, and Deb Fischer - are not only strong fiscal conservatives, they are Tea Party darlings that have garnered national attention. So while the Republicans squandered an opportunity for a majority, the Tea Party amplified its voice and influence in the Upper Chamber.

What these big donors are unable to realize is that the people elect the candidates, not their flashy million dollar television advertisements. They wasted money on million dollar advertisements without resulting in a single noteworthy victory. If you don’t have a candidate that represents the electorate with a strong Tea Party message of economic growth and fiscal responsibility, it won’t matter how much you have to spend, because they won’t win.

Just look at the 2012 results in the House of Representatives we see an overwhelming success for Tea Party-backed candidates. The incoming freshman class includes 35 republicans, 27 of which are Tea Party conservatives. Though five replaced outgoing Tea Party members like Mike Pence and Ron Paul, the other 21 are brand new additions to the lower chamber’s Tea Party members.

The Tea Party movement’s success continues because it has been clear in its desire to restore economic sanity by curbing excessive spending and encouraging economic growth. Some Republicans, notably newly elected Senator Ted Cruz and 2010-elected Senator Marco Rubio, have been admirably trying to yank the Republican Party to a more inclusive political posture that is consistent with Tea Party ideas.

GOP insiders should stop pointing the finger at the Tea Party movement for the Republican’s own shortcomings, and instead listen to the likes of Paul Ryan, Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio for a message that will appeal to 100 percent of Americans – instead of just 53 percent that were targeted in 2012. Not only will their message continue to see success at the ballot box, but their policies will move the country in the right direction.

Russo is the co-founder and chief strategist of Tea Party Express, the nation’s largest Tea Party political action committee.

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Poll: Plurality see NRA endorsement as a negative

A plurality of voters say that the endorsement of the National Rifle Association would make them less likely to vote for a political candidate, according to a new poll released Tuesday.

In the survey, from Democratic pollster Public Policy Polling, 39 percent say they would be less likely to vote for a candidate with the backing of the NRA. Just over a quarter — 26 percent — say an NRA endorsement would increase the odds they lodge a vote for a politician. Of those surveyed, 32 percent say it wouldn't matter either way.

The figures come in the midst of a polarizing battle between the gun lobby and the Obama administration, which has called for increased gun regulations in the wake of the Newtown, Conn., elementary school shooting. The president has said Congress should institute a renewed assault weapons ban and universal background checks on all weapons purchases.

"The vast majority of Americans, including a majority of gun owners, support requiring criminal background checks for anyone trying to buy a gun," Obama said Monday in Minneapolis, at an event with law enforcement officials. But the National Rifle Association has argued against the practice, saying that the expansion of background checks would place a burden on legal gun owners and be ignored by criminals.

“If I want to sell you a shotgun or something like that ... we'll have to go find a dealer or walk into a police station. Who's going to do the check? There's going to be fees. There's going to be paperwork. There's going to be law-abiding people caught up in a bureaucratic nightmare," NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre told Fox News last month.

The PPP poll released Tuesday showed a majority — 53 percent — of voters say they support stricter gun laws, while 39 percent stand in opposition. Those numbers are virtually identical to a month ago, showing little deterioration with distance from the December Sandy Hook Elementary shooting. More than half — 51 percent — say they support an assault weapons ban.

The survey also showed broad support for a number of President Obama's other second-term goals. A plurality of voters (39-33 percent) support the confirmation of former Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) as secretary of Defense, despite a widely panned performance at last week's Senate confirmation hearing. A large majority of voters (64 percent) and even a plurality of Republicans (44-41 percent) support a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, a major tentpole of the president's proposed immigration reforms.

Still, there were encouraging signs for Republicans. Congressional Republicans now field a 22 percent approval rating — up from just 15 percent a month ago. The party's base seems primed to rally after a tough Election Day, with 89 percent of self-identified Republicans saying they would support their party's candidate in an election held today. That's up from 81 percent a month ago.

Obama's approval rating has also slipped below 50 percent, according to the survey. While the president still maintains a 49-48 percent advantage, the president falls below the psychologically important 50 percent threshold.

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Obama Care

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Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Readout of the President's Call with Baltimore Ravens Coach Harbaugh and General Manager Newsome

Monday, March 18, 2013

Presidential Memorandum -- Designation of Officers of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation to Act as Director of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation

Pennsylvania GOP Senator: Rigging The Presidential Election Is What The Framers Would Have Done

Establishment Republicans plan to perpetuate losing formula

Poll: Plurality see NRA endorsement as a negative

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