Obama: ‘Not A Day That Goes By That I’m Not Focused On Your Jobs’
In this weekend’s YouTube address, President Obama spoke from the Allison Transmissions plant in Indianapolis, Indiana, a clean ’ company, to stress that he is still focusing on the economy in addition to the big news from the past week about the killing of Osama bin Laden.
“A lot of folks are still looking for work. And many folks who do have jobs are finding that their paychecks aren’t keeping up with the rising costs for everything from tuition to groceries to gas. In fact, in a lot of places across the country, like Indiana, gas is reaching all-time high,” said Obama.
“So although our economy hasn’t been the focus of the news this week, not a day that goes by that I’m not focused on your jobs, your hopes and your dreams. And that’s why I came here to Allison Transmissions. The clean ’ jobs at this plant are the jobs of the future - jobs that pay well right here in America. And in the years ahead, it’s clean ’ companies like this one that will keep our economy growing, create new jobs, and make sure America remains the most prosperous nation in the world.”
Scott Brown: Bin Laden Killing ‘Was The Pledge of President George W. Bush’
In this weekend’s Republican address, Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA) discussed the recent killing of Osama bin Laden, and gave praise to former President George W. Bush.
“Bin Laden’s killing was the result of coordinated efforts going back many years,” said Brown. “It was the dramatic conclusion of patient intelligence gathering begun long before, and the work of a military that is second to none. The operation was a model of sustained, concentrated military action, and the example will not be lost on other terrorists. Any escape they make will be temporary. Any sanctuary they find will be uncovered. Those who harm or threaten the American people will be dealt with, on our terms, however long it takes.
“This was the pledge of President George W. Bush in the days after 9/11, and he kept it in seven years of relentless, decisive action against the al-Qaeda network. In the case of bin Laden, it fell to President Obama to give the final order. He did so calmly, swiftly, and decisively. It was a fine moment for our commander-in-chief and for our country.”
U.S. Demands More From Pakistan In Bin Laden Inquiry
The New York Times reports: “Pakistani officials say the Obama administration has demanded the identities of some of their top intelligence operatives as the United States tries to determine whether any of them had contact with Osama bin Laden or his agents in the years before the raid that led to his death early Monday morning in Pakistan. The officials provided new details of a tense discussion between Pakistani officials and an American envoy who traveled to Pakistan on Monday, as well as the growing suspicion among United States intelligence and diplomatic officials that someone in Pakistan’s secret intelligence agency knew of Bin Laden’s location, and helped shield him.”
‘Ganging up’ in the Senate
The Washington Post reports: “The U.S. Senate has a gang problem. To tackle immigration, senators formed a Gang of 12. On ’ policy, they tried a Gang of 10 ( which became a Gang of 20). Now, under pressure to lower the national debt, Congress is waiting for a bipartisan plan from a Gang of Six. Those are the gangs. This is the problem: Often, they don’t work…These informal groups are intended to create breakthroughs, in a Senate paralyzed by odd rules and polarized parties. But they usually fizzle out, because the Senate is paralyzed by odd rules and polarized parties.”
House Conservatives Prepare Strong Demands To Raise The Debt Ceiling
The Hill reports: “House conservatives appear comfortable with being unable to get Medicare reform in exchange for the debt ceiling being raised and are coalescing around other strong demands including enactment of a balanced budget amendment. Tea Party-backed freshmen and the Republican Study Committee are reprising their roles, which were established during talks this spring over 2011 spending, pushing leadership to escalate demands.”
Republican Answers Critics Of Service Under Obama
Reuters reports: “Republican Jon Huntsman, a potential White House contender and former ambassador to China, used his first public speech since returning from Beijing to answer conservative critics who question his service under President Barack Obama. In a commencement address at the University of South Carolina, the former two-term governor of Utah told graduates they should serve their country if asked. ‘I was, by a president of a different political party,’ he said. ‘But in the end, while we might not all be of one party, we are all part of one nation, a nation that needs your generational gift of ’ and confidence.’”
Jindal Releases His Birth Certificate
Gov. Bobby Jindal (R-LA) has publicly released his birth certificate, the New Orleans Times-Picayune reports: “He was sharply criticized by some last month when he said he would sign a bill filed in the Louisiana Legislature that would require candidates for federal office to provide a birth certificate in order to get on the ballot…The document, which includes the basic information found on Obama’s long-form version, reveals that the governor was born at 12:27 p.m. on June 10, 1971; that his parents, who were living in student housing, listed their address as ‘Physics Department LSU;’ that the attending physician was a Dr. Rabalais; and that Piyush Jindal — who as a young boy asked to be called Bobby — has no middle name.”
Eric Kleefeld
Eric Kleefeld joined TPM as an intern for the final months of the 2006 midterm elections, and then kept showing up for work. His other interests include guitars, old comic books and the politics of various English-speaking countries.
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