Mitt Romney’s “Day One” ads, outlining what he’d do in his first 24 hours on the job, sure make it sound like he’d be a good President of the United States. But are they realistic? Some things he promises in the TV spots, such as expediting the Keystone pipeline and ending Obamacare, he probably could do, or at least play a major role in. Others, such as lifting job-killing regulations and lowering the unemployment rate, are more nebulous. It’s easier to run for President than to be President. Watch the ads below and see what the Republican’s presidency would look like … or at least how he envisions it in an idealized campaign commercial. Mitt Romney – Day One Ad Mitt Romney – Day One Ad (Part Two) If they election were today, for whom would you vote?
Romney beat Rick Santorum by double digits in Tuesday’s primary. By Gil Kaufman Mitt Romney at his Illinois primary night party Photo: AFP Mitt Romney strung together two solid victories in a row on Tuesday night when he pulled off a decisive win in the Illinois presidential primary, the latest in a series of “must-win” contests in the GOP race to the White House. The former Massachusetts Governor is likely to pull in at least 41 of the 54 delegates at stake following his win over rival Rick Santorum, who he beat by a 47 to 35 percent margin. The other two candidates in the race, Texas congressman Ron Paul and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich hardly campaigned in the state and came in a distant third and fourth, with, respectively, 9 and 8 percent of the vote. “We thank the people of Illinois for this extraordinary victory,” Romney said to supporters gathered in the Chicago suburb of Schaumburg, according to CNN. “Elections are about choices. Today, hundreds of thousands of people in Illinois joined millions of people in this country in this cause.” If he gets 41 delegates, Romney’s total to date is 562, which puts him halfway toward the goal of 1,144 needed to clinch the GOP nomination. Once again, he turned his attention away from his fellow candidates an onto President Obama in his victory speech, saying, “It’s time to say this word: enough. We’ve had enough … We know our future’s brighter than these troubled times. We still believe in America, and we deserve a president who believes in us, and I believe in the American people.” Romney was feeling bullish after his huge victory in the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico on Saturday, where he took more than 83 percent of the vote and likely all 20 delegates. Pundits said he needed a solid victory in Obama’s former home state in order to tamp down the growing buzz about the potential for a contested GOP convention in August should he fail to get enough delegates to close the deal before then. Though he had a rough week — which included gaffes in P.R. in which he said the nation needs to adopt English as its official language to gain statehood and a remark on Monday in which he claimed the unemployment rate “doesn’t matter to me” — Santorum was still defiant after his Illinois loss. “This is an election about fundamental and foundational things,” the former Pennsylvania Senator said during a gathering in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. “This is an election about not who’s the best person to manage Washington or manage the economy. We don’t need a manager, we need someone who’s going to pull government up by the roots and do something to liberate the private sector in America.” The race now moves on to Louisiana on Saturday, where, once again, Romney will attempt to prove that he can appeal to the party’s conservative base and that he can win in the South. Stick with MTV’s Power of 12 (http://powerof12.org/) throughout the presidential election season for updates and news from the campaigns. Related Videos Super Tuesday: MTV News Is On The Ground!
As an Ohioan, Chris Matthews fawning “you’re the best there is on this argument” is not what I hope for from my senator. I am impressed, though, with the way Sherrod Brown knows what every wealthy American is going to buy! Broadcasting platform : YouTube Source : Big Government Discovery Date : 19/02/2012 04:15 Number of articles : 2
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is going on the offense Tuesday, raising pressure on congressional Republicans to extend the payroll tax cut and unemployment insurance benefits. But it is unclear if the president will accept a GOP effort to separate the two issues. With weeks before both provisions expire, Obama will host an event at the White House and release a video to nudge Congress to act… Broadcasting platform : YouTube Source : The Huffington Post Discovery Date : 14/02/2012 00:01 Number of articles : 2
‘There’s no dollar amount that can fix anything that I can ever hope to achieve in my life,’ one protester tells MTV News. By Natasha Chandel Demonstrators rally at the Occupation Party Photo: Natasha Chandel / MTV News NEW YORK — Occupy Wall Street might have started as a small demonstration September 17, finding a home in New York’s Zuccotti Park, but since then, it has grown into a revolutionary movement, spanning 951 cities in 82 countries. On Saturday night (October 15), an Occupation Party was to start at 5 p.m. ET sharp in New York’s Times Square. At around 4:45 p.m., a few hundred people had congregated. By 6:30 p.m., the number had easily reached the thousands. An extension of Occupy Wall Street, the Occupation Party had gathered in the hub of New York consumerism, Times Square, to peacefully yet heartily protest corporate greed, nationwide unemployment and unethical governmental practices. They set out to march from their starting point back down to Wall Street. Comprised of an eclectic mix of individuals, the rally saw folks playing music, dancing and chanting slogans such as “This is what Democracy looks like” and “We are the 99 percent.” Within the thousands were three young individuals who expressed the gamut of frustrations with “the system”: Janet Imobisa Age : 25 Location : Virginia Fighting for : Job creation A senior in college, Janet recently lost her job as a call-center employee because the positions were outsourced to Singapore. “I was laid off, and I’m currently receiving unemployment, and it’s so hard to find a job, and my unemployment is running out,” Janet told MTV News. Janet is one of millions without a job and losing hope. According to the U.S. Board of Labor, the current unemployment rate in the U.S. is 9.1 percent, up more than 5 percent from the year 2000. “My future is in jeopardy,” a cheerful but clearly anxious Janet said. Jen Ventriglia Age : 26 Location : New York Fighting for : Hope Standing atop a plant above the crowd was Jen, a young woman working two jobs at Edible Arrangements and UPS to pay her way through her full-time program in college. “It’s all in preparation for a future that might not exist anymore because there are no more jobs. There’s no dollar amount that can fix anything that I can ever hope to achieve in my life,” Jen said. An aspiring entrepreneur, Jen cited the drop in value of the American dollar and taxes as the obstacles standing in the way of her dreams. Peter Olsen Age : 25 Location : New York Fighting for : Equality In the middle of the enormous crowd was a small hole. It seemed to be the epicenter, and everyone had formed around it. The attention seemed to be going to a young man in glasses and a red glass earring through his ear. Peter Olsen was one of the facilitators of the Occupation Party. The friendly young man was adopted from poverty-ridden Colombia by his parents, a couple from Westchester County in New York, but Peter found himself ostracized as a minority. “I was discriminated against. My parents adopted me because they thought I’d be in a better position here. Now I’m worse off than I would have been,” said Peter, who told us he has four degrees and six certificates. Not only is he working in a Verizon store, but he still feels out of place. With their futures hanging in the balance, Janet, Jen and Peter still smiled on, protesting to have their voices heard. These are just a handful of stories from within the Occupation Party, a march that has been compared to 1995’s Million Man March. Whether it reaches such heights remains to be seen, but it was clear that the demonstrators came together for one common cause: change. And they won’t take “no” for an answer. Share your thoughts on the ongoing Wall Street protests in the comments below.
Congratulations, College Grads! Even in this wack a** economy, you’re still the mostly likely to get a job in America. But it’s not all good news though. According to recent research, the average job now requires a higher level of education than the average worker possesses. But you, multiple degree holder, you don’t have those types of problems. And if you do, relocating to one of these 10 cities might solve them. Check out the ten best cities for educated workers.
African-American unemployment is real, and the Congressional Black Caucus is not feelin the way Barry-O is handling the situation: Members of the Congressional Black Caucus on Thursday publicly accused the Obama administration of failing to adequately address a veritable epidemic of African American unemployment. “Can you imagine a situation where any other group of workers, if 34 percent of white women were out there looking for work and couldn’t find it?” asked Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, a Missouri Democrat and chairman of the caucus. “You would see congressional hearings and community gatherings. There would be rallies and protest marches. There is no way that this would be allowed to stand.” In May, the black unemployment rate was at 16.2 percent compared to 9.1 percent overall joblessness and 8 percent levels among white workers. In Milwaukee, Wis., a staggering 34 percent of black men are unemployed, CBS news reported. The Obama administration has focused on broad-based initiatives aimed at lowering unemployment in general, while declining to address elevated rates among minority groups. The administration unleashed an $800 billion package of spending measures aimed at stimulating economic growth, while extending unemployment benefits and increasing funding for community health centers. These programs are also sure to help black and Latino Americans hard hit by the recession, Obama said at a White House press conference in April. Debate about the ability of a universal job creation strategy to address persistent and disproportionate African American unemployment occupied a significant portion of Thursday’s gathering. So too did concerns about the political feasibility of any sort of effort to target black joblessness, the public’s appetite for programs that may look and sound like affirmative action and common assumptions about why so many black people do not have jobs. Black Americans make up about 12 percent of the nation’s population, but about 20 percent of the unemployed. “This is an American crisis that demands an American response at the highest echelons of our government,” said Michael Eric Dyson, a writer, Georgetown University professor and frequent social and political commentator on television and radio programs aimed at a black audiences. “And that does include the White House.” Discuss… Source
Mitt Romney has garnered a lot of credit for crafting a perfectly-targeted general election message focusing on the economy: [H]is narrow, economy-focused message appears to be resonating amid growing alarm about the unemployment rate – which rose above 9 percent the day after Romney declared his campaign. Romney can continue to gain traction by presenting himself as an accomplished businessman and… Broadcasting platform : YouTube Source : Jonathan Chait Discovery Date : 13/06/2011 17:38 Number of articles : 3
Maybe OUR President is doing a better job than some of these white folks Republicans are saying he is… The number of people applying for unemployment benefits fell to its lowest point in nearly two and a half years, a sign that the job market is slowly improving. Applications dropped by 34,000 to 388,000, the fewest since July 2008, the Labor Department said Thursday. The number of applications has either fallen or remained unchanged in five of the past six weeks. Fewer than 425,000 people seeking unemployment benefits signals modest job growth. But economists say applications need to fall consistently to 375,000 or below to bring down the unemployment rate. Applications for unemployment benefits peaked during the recession at 651,000 in March 2009. Hopefully this trend will continue and we’ll see a much stronger economy in 2011. Obama definitely needs that kind of movment to help spur his re-election campaign. Does it seem like things are improving in your city? Source
Posted onDecember 15, 2010byBenny Hollywood|Comments Off on Reuters Editor Shrieks: Tax ‘Lucky Sperm Club’ to Break ‘Landed Gentry’
For Chrystia Freeland, the thought of only taxing wealthy estates 35 percent is “destructive to the fabric of America.” The Reuters global editor-at-large went on a ear-piercing tear this afternoon on MSNBC's “Dylan Ratigan Show,” stoking the flames of class warfare. “[The wealthy] were just born–it's the lucky sperm club, right?” screeched Freeland. “I don't think American wealth should be determined by that.” Politics Daily contributor Matt Lewis, for his part, tried to maintain a civil discourse, but Freeland repeatedly interrupted him to interject her inflammatory rhetoric. “I thought the philosophy was against a landed gentry,” asserted an indignant Freeland. “I thought the philosophy was against an aristocracy. I thought the American way was you build it yourself and everyone was born equal.” [Video embedded after page break.] read more
