Good things President Obama/Democrats are doing to help the middle class...

(...)

So this Labor Day, we should recommit ourselves to our time-honored values and to this fundamental truth: to heal our economy, we need more than a healthy stock market; we need bustling main streets and a growing, thriving middle class. That’s why I will keep working day-by-day to restore opportunity, economic security, and that basic American Dream for our families and future generations.

First, that means doing everything we can to accelerate job creation. The steps we have taken to date have stopped the bleeding: investments in roads and bridges and high-speed railroads that will lead to hundreds of thousands of jobs in the private sector; emergency steps to prevent the layoffs of hundreds of thousands of teachers and firefighters and police officers; and tax cuts and loans for small business owners who create most of the jobs in America. We also ended a tax loophole that encouraged companies to create jobs overseas. Instead, I’m fighting to pass a law to provide tax breaks to the folks who create jobs right here in America.

(...)

...we’ve put an end to the wasteful subsidies to big banks that provide student loans. We’re going to use that money to make college more affordable for students instead.

...we’re making it easier for workers to save for retirement, with new ways of saving their tax refunds and a simpler system for enrolling in retirement plans like 401(k)s. And we’re going to keep up the fight to protect Social Security for generations to come.

...we stopped insurance companies from refusing to cover people with pre-existing conditions and dropping folks who become seriously ill.

...we cut taxes for 95 percent of working families, and passed a law to help make sure women earn equal pay for equal work in the United States of America.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2010/09/04/weekly-address-president-obama-honors-americas-workers-outlines-steps-ta

and it would be great if Obama announced a program similar to FDR's WPA. This would address both job creation and our crumbling infrastructure. Win-Win. Of course it would have to get through congress and we know how that goes.
Link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Works_Progress_Administration

End to wasteful subsidies for Student Loans? Now the students fees goes back into government coffers. Which wouldn't be bad if our money didn't mostly go to the Pentagon. It's really something like a forced student tax now instead of a forced corporate fee.

"Fight to protect Social Security"? Yeah, it depends on what you mean by that. "Kill it to save it" is not "Fight to Protect"

Yeah, the pre-existing conditions stuff is great and important. Too bad there's no checks on whether or not these people are going to be forced into poverty to pay for their health. What a shitty and unnecessary compromise. What a potential disaster for us. What a potential boon for the insurers.

Cut taxes for 95% of working families. How about not cutting taxes on the rich--in fact RAISING TAXES on the rich and calling it even?

Lily Ledbetter: Yes, you signed a fucking document. Thanks for the hard work. I'm sure it will work miracles with all the political capital you spend on labor issues. :sarcasm:

Don't shit on me and call it a hot fudge sundae.

Oh that's the Republicans?

Okay, then:
Don't shit on me a little around the edges and call it fine beading.

President Obama Gets A gift from Yogi Berra

President Obama receives a picture signed by Yogi Berra. | AP Photo, Tom Murro
After lunch at Nancy's, President Obama receives a signed photograph
By KIKI RYAN

On Wednesday afternoon, a pool report from the President’s vacation in Martha’s Vineyard contained a line about POTUS taking an envelope from an unidentified man.

“One man, standing at the edge of the yellow police tape, handed POTUS something (it looked like a maroon 8.5x11 folder but pool was too far away to tell.) POTUS looked at it, then handed it to Nicholson ,” read the report.

So who was the man, and what was in the envelope? Turns out it was Tom Murro (a.k.a. the “Celebrity Magnet” from New Jersey) who had a gift for Obama from baseball legend Yogi Berra: a photo of the Brooklyn Dodgers’ Jackie Robinson coming in safe after stealing home during a 1955 World Series game against Berra and the Yankees. Berra wrote “Dear Mr. President, He was out!” and signed his name in blue pen.

Murro had reason to believe he’d be able to get the gift to the president. He’d met Obama before, at the Farm Neck Country Club on Martha’s Vineyard, when both were vacationing a year ago. Murro had first stopped to chat with film director Spike Lee, who was also playing golf that day, and when Obama eventually passed the two on the course, he also stopped to talk, and pose for photos.

The picture of Murro with Obama from that day became highly publicized following the encounter, given that the public is typically not allowed near the president on the golf course (it was thanks to Lee, who vouched for him). A bit later, back home in New Jersey, Murro ran into Berra (who lives near him in Montclair) who, having seen the shot of Murro with Obama, asked if he might give Murro a gift to pass on to POTUS. Murro accepted. But until yesterday, the photo had remained undelivered.

Murro told POLITICO about his successful pass off shortly just after leaving the waterfront restaurant Nancy’s, where the Obamas had lunch on Wednesday.

“I said to him, ‘I met you last year on the golf course with my daughter and Spike Lee,’” Murro explained. He seized on a moment when the president was stopping to shake hands after lunch. “Obama then said, ‘Oh yeah, how you doing?”

Murro said the president then began to walk away until Murro told him that he had a gift for him from Yogi Berra. This prompted Obama to “perk-up” and turn around in curiosity and ask, “What do we have?,” according to Murro.

Murro opened the envelope. Upon seeing what was inside, Murro said Obama smiled and said, “That’s fantastic,” just before handing off the gift (as the pool report states) to Obama’s trip director Marvin Nicholson.

“I can’t believe it finally happened, I am in shock to have gotten into the inner sanctum twice now,” Murro said. He should feel a little lighter today: Murro’s been carrying the envelope with him everywhere while vacationing this week in the slim chance he may have run into Obama again.

Follow Tom's other amazing adventures at Celebritymagnet.com

Full video here- http://videoshare.politico.com/singletitlevideo.php?bcpid=19407224001&bctid=595091753001

Photos here-http://www.newjerseynewsroom.com/nation/barack-obama-receives-signed-yogi-berra-photo-from-new-jerseys-tom-murro

More video News12NJ- http://www.news12.com/articleDetail.jsp?articleId=260412&position=1&news_type=news

NECN- N.J. man finally gets gift to Obama-http://www.necn.com/08/27/10/New-Jersey-man-finally-gives-gift-to-Oba/landing.html?blockID=299223&feedID=4214

As it is he has spent less than twenty billion on high speed rail. Which isn't enough, in this day and age, to complete service from Sacramento to L.A.

Unfortunately this Administration's priority, like the Administration before it, has been to the two wars we are fighting.

The two to four trillion dollars already spent on those fiascoes would certainly have put high speed rail on the map.

I just registered tonight and would like to know if there is a glossary on this site?

Thanks

kick and recommend.

Kick means to post a reply (often just 'K&R' in the Subject and nothing in the Message) in order to kick a thread up to the top of the list.

Recommend is more obvious -- there's a Recommend link at the bottom of each original post (OP).

Check out the Help icon above, but it will only tell you about the official stuff, not informal customs.

Maybe your question was about something else, but a lot of new members ask about K&R.

Welcome to DU!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_oet&address=358x190

It was done a while back, but may still be helpful.

Welcome to DU!

Talking about values does. So why aren't Obama and the Dems doing it? They did in 2008, after all.

A national campaign trumpeting Democratic accomplishments on health care, education and Wall Street regulation has given way to a race-by-race defensive strategy.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/05/us/politics/05dems.html?_r=1

Does this means that we won't be bothered anymore with those "accomplishment" threads with their blue linkies?

HCR has helped a small number of people, but this is not at all enough to be visible. Dropping the Medicare age to 60 or 55, in contrast, would have been hugely noticable. The basic value to campaign on would be that everyone deserves access to health care. Unfortunately, Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Dirt classifications contradict that value.