Obama or ... do America really want the new Republican landscape? (776)

Obama, advocates discuss immigration law overhaul
By DARLENE SUPERVILLE Associated Press The Associated Press
Tuesday, April 19, 2011 7:33 PM EDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Under pressure from advocates and the 2012 re-election calendar, President Barack Obama on Tuesday enlisted a diverse group of elected officials and religious, business, labor and civil rights leaders to help build support for a long-stalled overhaul of the nation's immigration laws.

Obama is making a new attempt to fulfill his campaign pledge to enact a broad immigration overhaul early in his term. But his failure there has angered some Hispanics and immigrants' advocates, voters who helped elect him in 2008 and whom he'll need at the polls again next year.

A White House meeting with a group of about 70 people led to no legislative breakthroughs, but rather a call to action.

"The president asked the group to commit to moving forward to keep the debate about this issue alive, to keep it alive in the sense that it can get before Congress, where the ultimate resolution of it will have to be obtained," said Bill Bratton, the former police chief in Los Angeles and New York City. "The idea being to go out into our various communities and to speak about the issue."

Obama promised to continue working to build a bipartisan consensus around immigration and said he'd lead a "civil debate" on the issue in the months ahead, the White House said in a statement. But he also said he won't succeed if he alone is leading the debate.

"The president urged meeting participants to take a public and active role to lead a constructive and civil debate on the need to fix the broken immigration system," the White House said. "He stressed that in order to successfully tackle this issue they must bring the debate to communities around the country and involve many sectors of American society in insisting that Congress act to create a system that meets our nation's needs for the 21st century and that upholds America's history as a nation of laws and a nation of immigrants."

The meeting marked an attempt by the White House to demonstrate broad support for immigration overhaul and to include voices often not heard in the debate, such as San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro and Facebook executive Sheryl Sandberg.

Plane with first lady came too close to cargo jet
By JOAN LOWY Associated Press The Associated Press
Tuesday, April 19, 2011 8:08 PM EDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Air traffic controllers directed a plane carrying first lady Michelle Obama to abort a landing at Andrews Air Force Base because it was too close to a military cargo jet, officials said Tuesday.

A Boeing 737 belonging to the Air National Guard, one of several guard planes used by the White House, came within about three miles of a massive C-17 as the planes were approaching Andrews shortly after 5 p.m. Monday to land, according to the Federal Aviation Administration and Major Michelle Lai, a spokeswoman for Andrews.

The FAA requires a minimum separation of five miles between two planes when the plane in the lead is as large as the 200-ton cargo jet, in order to avoid dangerous wake turbulence that can severely affect the trailing aircraft.

The FAA is investigating the incident as a possible error by controllers at a regional radar facility in Warrenton, Va., that handles approaches and departures for several airports, including Andrews, where the president's aircraft, Air Force One, is maintained.

The C-17 and Mrs. Obama's plane didn't have the proper separation when controllers in Warrenton handed them off to the Andrews controllers, a source familiar with the incident said.

Andrews air traffic controllers initially ordered Mrs. Obama's plane to conduct a series of turns to bring it farther from the military jet. When that didn't provide enough distance, controllers realized that there might not be enough time for the cargo plane to clear the Andrews runway before Mrs. Obama's plane landed.

Controllers then directed the pilot of Mrs. Obama's plane to execute a "go-around" — to stop descending and start climbing — and circle the airport, located in a Maryland suburb of Washington. A go-around is considered a type of aborted landing.

"The aircraft were never in any danger," the FAA said in a statement.

Aviation safety expert John Cox agreed that an accident was unlikely.

"Every professional pilot I have ever known has been in situation where they were overtaking the plane in front of them and asked to do an S-turn," said Cox, a former airline pilot. "The only issue that could have come up was if they'd encountered the wake of the C-17."

Even then, Cox said, the 737 is a "very controllable" plane. "I don't think Mrs. Obama's plane would have been in any jeopardy."

Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, also was on the plane with Mrs. Obama. The first lady had been in New York earlier in the day for a TV interview.

The first lady's office declined to comment and referred all questions to officials at the FAA and Andrews. The president's West Wing press office did likewise.

The National Transportation Safety Board is gathering information about the incident but hasn't yet decided whether it will open a formal investigation, board spokeswoman Kelly Nantel said.

The incident was first reported Tuesday by The Washington Post on its website.

Jobless Claims Unexpectedly Rise; Inflation Pressure Grows

Published: Thursday, 14 Apr 2011 | 9:43 AM ET

New claims for unemployment benefits unexpectedly rose last week, bouncing back above the key 400,000 level, while core producer prices clumbed faster than expected in March, government reports showed on Thursday.

Initial claims for state unemployment benefits rose 27,000 to a seasonally adjusted 412,000, the Labor Department said.

Economists polled by Reuters had forecast claims slipping to 380,000.

The prior weeks figure was revised up to 385,000 from the previously reported 382,000.

The four-week moving average of unemployment claims—a better measure of underlying trends—climbed 5,500 to 395,750.

The rise in claims interrupted a downward trend that had kept them below the 400,000 threshold for four weeks. That level is normally associated with steady job growth. Despite last weeks rise, the four-week average held below the 400,000 mark for a seventh straight week.

A Labor Department official said claims tend to rise the first week of a new quarter.

The number of people still receiving benefits under regular state programs after an initial week of aid fell 58,000 to 3.68 million in the week ended April 2, the lowest level since September 2008.

Economists had expected so-called continuing claims to ease to 3.70 million from a previously reported 3.72 million.

The number of people on emergency unemployment benefits fell 12,245 to 3.55 million in the week ended March 26, the latest week for which data is available. A total of 8.52 million people were claiming unemployment benefits during that period under all programs.

Core Producer Prices Climb

U.S. core producer prices rose slightly faster than expected in March and the increase from a year ago was the largest since August 2009, pointing to a broadening in pipeline inflation pressures.

Economists had expected core PPI to rise 0.2 percent in March.

Light trucks prices, which advanced 0.7 percent, accounted for a third of the rise in core PPI last month. The increase in light truck prices was the biggest since July. Passenger vehicle prices increased 0.9 percent, the largest increase since June 2009.

"It looks like the disruption to global autos production stemming from the Japanese disaster will hit autos supply and, consequently could lead to some further steep price increases over the next few months," said Paul Ashworth, chief U.S. economist at Capital economics in Toronto.

In the 12 months to March, the core producer price index rose 1.9 percent, the biggest increase since August 2009, after gaining 1.8 percent in February. Marchs increase was in line with market expectations.

The increase in headline PPI, however, slowed to 0.7 percent after surging 1.6 percent in February.

Economists polled by Reuters had expected PPI to rise 1 percent last month. In the 12 months to March, producer prices increased 5.8 percent, the largest gain in a year, after rising 5.6 percent in February.

Although rising gasoline prices are exerting upward pressure on inflation at the production level, the Federal Reserve largely views this as transitory. Officials have, however, said they would act if necessary to ensure that an inflation psychology does not take root.

Energy prices, which rose 2.6 percent, accounted for nearly 90 percent of the increase in wholesale prices last month.

Energy prices rose 3.3 percent in February.

Gasoline prices rose 5.7 percent after increasing 3.7 percent in February. Food prices fell 0.2 percent, the first decline since August.

The U.S. central bank said in its Beige Book summary of economic conditions on Wednesday that businesses were reporting that higher commodity costs were putting upward pressure on prices.

But with the labor market still weak and wage growth subdued, producers have limited capacity to pass on the higher costs to consumers.

Copyright 2011 Thomson Reuters.

Cantor in 2010: ‘Beyond Comprehension’ To Lift Debt Limit to $14.294 Trillion
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
By Terence P. Jeffrey

(CNSNews.com) - On Feb. 4, 2010, when the House of Representatives voted to increase the legal limit on the national debt by another $1.9 trillion (lifting the limit from $12.394 trillion to $14.294 trillion), not one Republican voted for the increase.

Then-Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R.-Va.) rose on the House floor that day and declared that it was “beyond comprehension” and “a travesty” to talk about raising the legal debt limit to $14.294 trillion.

Last week, the Republican House leadership agreed to a deal with President Barack Obama and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D.-Nev.) to spend $3.7555 trillion in this fiscal year--even though at the close of business Friday, as the deal was being struck, the Treasury reported that it could borrow only an additional $80.85 billion before hitting the $14.294-trillion debt limit Congress set last year.
In the first six months of this fiscal year (Oct-March), according to the Treasury, the debt increased $708.492 billion. Even if you subtract $38.5 billion from that number—to account for the $38.5 billion Republicans say the new spending deal will cut from the current annual federal spending level—the federal government would still be on a pace to increase the debt by about another $670 billion in the remaining six months of this fiscal year.

Simply put: To consummate the spending deal the Republican House leaders cut with Obama and Reid on Friday, the Republicans would need to lift the debt ceiling by hundreds of billions just to let the government borrow the money the Republicans have already agreed to let the government spend between now and Sept. 30.


Back in February 2010, when the then-Democrat-controlled House of Representatives voted to lift the debt ceiling to $14.294 trillion, then-Minority Whip Cantor delivered a scathing speech against the measure.

“It would be recklessly naive to go about our business in Washington pretending there won't be severe consequences for the mountains of debt we are piling up,” Cantor said on the House floor. “Yet today it is evident that this kind of willful ignorance is sweeping across Washington. We are set to lift our Nation's debt burden to $14 trillion.”

“I would ask my colleagues in this chamber if they know how many zeroes 14 trillion has,” said Cantor. “I would ask the American people if they know how many zeroes are in 14 trillion. It is 14 trillion. It is beyond comprehension to be talking about numbers this big. More precisely, the limit is 1, 4, 2, 9, 4, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0.”

Part 2

“It is a travesty,” said Cantor. “The writing is on the wall. Congress needs to wake up and realize that the future of American prosperity is in dire straits, mortal danger. As Americans hunker down to weather the economic storm, Democrats in Congress boosted Federal spending by 12 percent.”

Cantor also argued in his speech that day that Democrats were wrong to argue for increasing taxes as means to offset their spending increases.

“We have heard a lot about the majority's PAYGO scheme, but this will not affect any spending that has already happened,” said Cantor. “In fact, it will perpetuate the problem by locking in that spending going forward. And the majority's solution to offset all of their spending is more tax increases, which will kill jobs at the time we need them most.

“Supporters of this legislation will pull the wool over the American people's eyes and claim the mantle of fiscal responsibility, but the American people aren't buying it,” Cantor said. “By voting in favor of this PAYGO bill, the majority will be increasing the debt burden on our children and grandchildren by $1.9 trillion. Strip away the sweet-sounding rhetoric, and that's what this bill is all about.”

The final vote on Feb. 4, 1010 to lift the debt ceiling to $14.294 trillion was 233 to 187 (with 8 Democrats and 6 Republicans not casting any vote on the measure). Not a single House Republican voted for lifting the debt ceiling that day and 15 Democrats crossed party lines and voted against it.

Boehner-Obama Deal Leaves FY11 Spending $773B Above FY08 Level—About as Big an Increase as Obama’s Stimulus
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
By Terence P. Jeffrey

House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., after meeting with President Obama at the White House to discuss the Fiscal 2011 budget impasse on Wednesday night, April 6, 2011. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

(CNSNews.com) - The budget deal cut late Friday by President Barack Obama, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D.-Nev.) and House Speaker John Boehner (R.-Ohio) will allow $3.7555 trillion in federal spending in this fiscal year.

That is $773 billion more than federal spending was in fiscal year 2008--the fiscal year before Congress enacted a bailout for the banking industry requested by President George W. Bush and a $787-billion economic stimulus law request by President Barack Obama.

On Friday night, Boehner and Reid released a joint press statement saying that together with President Obama they had reached an agreement to cut spending in fiscal year 2011 to a level $78.5 billion below the president’s original budget request. “We will cut $78.5 billion below the President’s 2011 budget proposal,” they said.

President Obama’s 2011 budget proposal asked for $3.834 trillion in spending. Subtracting $78.5 billion from that leaves $3.7555 trillion in spending.

In fiscal 2008, according to the Office of Management and Budget, the federal government spent $2.982544 trillion--or $772.95 billion less than the $3.7555 trillion the Boehner-Obama deal will allow the federal government to spend this year.

That $773 billion in spending that the federal government will do this year over and above the federal spending level of 2008 equals 98 percent of the $787 billion stimulus signed by President Obama in February 2000—on the premise that it was a one-time, short-term spending escalation needed to pump up the economy in a time of recession.