THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you, Ohio!  Thank you, Cleveland!  (Applause.)  Thank you so much.  Thank you very much, everybody.  Everybody, please have a seat.  Have a seat.  We’ve got some business to do today.  (Applause.)  Thank you very much.

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  We love you!

THE PRESIDENT:  I love you back.  Thank you.

Before we get started I want to just acknowledge some outstanding public servants who are here.  First of all, somebody who I believe is one of the finest governors in this country — Ted Strickland is here.  (Applause.)  The lieutenant-governor and soon-to-be junior senator from the great state of Illinois — or Ohio — I was thinking about my own home — Lee Fisher is here. (Applause.)

I used to hear that line all the time about “senator from Illinois” — that would be me.  (Laughter.)

Outstanding mayor of Cleveland, Frank Jackson is here.  (Applause.)  The mayor of Parma, Dean DePiero.  (Applause.)  Somebody who is fighting for working families each and every day, Senator Sherrod Brown is here.  (Applause.)  And three of the hardest-working and finest members of the House of Representatives — Dennis Kucinich, Marcia Fudge, and John Boccieri.  (Applause.)

Good afternoon, everybody.  It is good to be back in Ohio.  (Applause.)        
 
You know, in the fall of 2008, one of the last rallies of my presidential campaign was right here in the Cleveland area.  (Applause.)  It was a hopeful time, just two days before the election.  And we knew that if we pulled it off, we’d finally have the chance to tackle some big and difficult challenges that had been facing this country for a very long time.

We also hoped for a chance to get beyond some of the old political divides -– between Democrats and Republicans, red states and blue states -– that had prevented us from making progress.  Because although we are proud to be Democrats, we are prouder to be Americans -– (applause) — and we believed then and we believe now that no single party has a monopoly on wisdom.

That’s not to say that the election didn’t expose deep differences between the parties.

I ran for President because for much of the last decade, a very specific governing philosophy had reigned about how America should work:  Cut taxes, especially for millionaires and billionaires.  Cut regulations for special interests.  Cut trade deals even if they didn’t benefit our workers.  Cut back on investments in our people and in our future -– in education and clean energy, in research and technology.  The idea was that if we just had blind faith in the market, if we let corporations play by their own rules, if we left everyone else to fend for themselves that America would grow and America would prosper.

And for a time this idea gave us the illusion of prosperity. We saw financial firms and CEOs take in record profits and record bonuses.  We saw a housing boom that led to new homeowners and new jobs in construction.  Consumers bought more condos and bigger cars and better TVs.

But while all this was happening, the broader economy was becoming weaker.  Nobody understands that more than the people of Ohio.  Job growth between 2000 and 2008 was slower than it had been in any economic expansion since World War II -– slower than it’s been over the last year.  The wages and incomes of middle-class families kept falling while the cost of everything from tuition to health care kept on going up.  Folks were forced to put more debt on their credit cards and borrow against homes that many couldn’t afford to buy in the first place.  And meanwhile, a failure to pay for two wars and two tax cuts for the wealthy helped turn a record surplus into a record deficit.

I ran for President because I believed that this kind of economy was unsustainable –- for the middle class and for the future of our nation.  I ran because I had a different idea about how America was built.  (Applause.)  It was an idea rooted in my own family’s story.

You see, Michelle and I are where we are today because even though our families didn’t have much, they worked tirelessly -– without complaint -– so that we might have a better life.  My grandfather marched off to Europe in World War II, while my grandmother worked in factories on the home front.  I had a single mom who put herself through school, and would wake before dawn to make sure I got a decent education.  Michelle can still remember her father heading out to his job as a city worker long after multiple sclerosis had made it impossible for him to walk without crutches.  He always got to work; he just had to get up a little earlier.

Yes, our families believed in the American values of self-reliance and individual responsibility, and they instilled those values in their children.  But they also believed in a country that rewards responsibility; a country that rewards hard work; a country built on the promise of opportunity and upward mobility.    

They believed in an America that gave my grandfather the chance to go to college because of the GI Bill; an America that gave my grandparents the chance to buy a home because of the Federal Housing Authority; an America that gave their children and grandchildren the chance to fulfill our dreams thanks to college loans and college scholarships.

It was an America where you didn’t buy things you couldn’t afford; where we didn’t just think about today -– we thought about tomorrow.  An America that took pride in the goods that we made, not just the things we consumed.  An America where a rising tide really did lift all boats, from the company CEO to the guy on the assembly line.

That’s the America I believe in.  (Applause.)  That’s the America I believe in.  That’s what led me to work in the shadow of a shuttered steel plant on the South Side of Chicago when I was a community organizer.  It’s what led me to fight for factory workers at manufacturing plants that were closing across Illinois when I was a senator.  It’s what led me to run for President -– because I don’t believe we can have a strong and growing economy without a strong and growing middle class.  (Applause.)  

Now, much has happened since that election.  The flawed policies and economic weaknesses of the previous decade culminated in a financial crisis and the worst recession of our lifetimes.  And my hope was that the crisis would cause everybody, Democrats and Republicans, to pull together and tackle our problems in a practical way.  But as we all know, things didn’t work out that way.

Some Republican leaders figured it was smart politics to sit on the sidelines and let Democrats solve the mess.  Others believed on principle that government shouldn’t meddle in the markets, even when the markets are broken.  But with the nation losing nearly 800,000 jobs the month that I was sworn into office, my most urgent task was to stop a financial meltdown and prevent this recession from becoming a second depression.  (Applause.)  

And, Ohio, we have done that.  The economy is growing again. The financial markets have stabilized.  The private sector has created jobs for the last eight months in a row.  (Applause.)  And there are roughly 3 million Americans who are working today because of the economic plan we put into place. Read the rest of this entry »

That is a very good question GOP…what is it about working families that propels you to do everything within your power to make their lives as difficult as possible?

President Obama made this statement yesterday, originally made by the late great Ted Kennedy, while unveiling his $50 billion dollar rail, runway, and air traffic control rebuilding plan to create MORE jobs by the end of this year.  But back to the GOP.  Republicans have this “deep seated hatred for”  working people…or the working class…. (Glenn Beck inspired quote).  It never seases to amaze me how far the GOP will go to throw working class families under the bus if its a choice between working  families and the filthy rich.

Here are more of the President’s remarks:

But there are some folks in Washington who see things differently. When it comes to just about everything we’ve done to strengthen the middle class and rebuild our economy, almost every Republican in Congress said no. Even where we usually agree, they say no. They think it’s better to score political points before an election than actually solve problems. So they said no to help for small businesses. No to middle-class tax cuts. No to unemployment insurance. No to clean energy jobs. No to making college affordable. No to reforming Wall Street. Even as we speak, these guys are saying no to cutting more taxes for small business owners. I mean, come on! Remember when our campaign slogan was “Yes We Can?” These guys are running on “No, We Can’t,” and proud of it. Really inspiring, huh?

To steal a line from our old friend, Ted Kennedy: what is it about working men and women that they find so offensive?

This is worth a listen…the President was on fire yesterday.

Here is the link to the entire speech

NOTE:Attorney barred in the District of Columbia and California currently looking for opportunities in the private and government sectors.  Specializes in ediscovery/litigation efficiency project management but can do straight litigation or litigation management.  Feel free to contact me with opportunities at progress@progresspolitics.com

This has got to be one of the better quotes that the President has made about Republicans having sent  the country into the Great Recession and now that the Democrats have brought it back from the brink in spite of the GOP obstructing every step of the way they want to take over again.

 ”After they drove the car into the ditch, made it as difficult as possible for us to pull it back, now they want the keys back. No. You can’t drive. We don’t want to have to go back into the ditch. We just got the car out.”

The President also used his old mopping metaphor, saying that Democrats were busy cleaning up the GOP’s mess, only to have Republicans criticize: “Hold the broom better. That’s not how you mop.”

“Don’t tell me how to mop,” Obama said.

Attorney barred in the District of Columbia and California currently looking for opportunities in the private and government sectors.  Specializes in ediscovery/litigation efficiency project management but can do straight litigation or litigation management.  Feel free to contact me with opportunities at progress@progresspolitics.com

Attorney barred in the District of Columbia and California currently looking for opportunities in the private and government sectors.  Specializes in ediscovery/litigation efficiency project management but can do straight litigation or litigation management.  Feel free to contact me with opportunities at progress@progresspolitics.com

President Obama made a statement today to those fighting for human rights in Iran:

Before I leave, let me also briefly address the events that have taken place over the last few days in the Islamic Republic of Iran. The United States joins with the international community in strongly condemning the violent and unjust suppression of innocent Iranian citizens, which has apparently resulted in detentions, injuries, and even death.

For months, the Iranian people have sought nothing more than to exercise their universal rights. Each time they have done so, they have been met with the iron fist of brutality, even on solemn occasions and holy days. And each time that has happened, the world has watched with deep admiration for the courage and the conviction of the Iranian people who are part of Iran’s great and enduring civilization.

What’s taking place within Iran is not about the United States or any other country. It’s about the Iranian people and their aspirations for justice and a better life for themselves. And the decision of Iran’s leaders to govern through fear and tyranny will not succeed in making those aspirations go away.

As I said in Oslo, it’s telling when governments fear the aspirations of their own people more than the power of any other nation.

Along with all free nations, the United States stands with those who seek their universal rights. We call upon the Iranian government to abide by the international obligations that it has to respect the rights of its own people.

We call for the immediate release of all who have been unjustly detained within Iran. We will continue to bear witness to the extraordinary events that are taking place there. And I’m confident that history will be on the side of those who seek justice.

Attorney barred in the District of Columbia and California currently looking for opportunities in the private and government sectors.  Specializes in ediscovery/litigation efficiency project management but can do straight litigation or litigation management.  Feel free to contact me with opportunities at progress@progresspolitics.com

President Obama, Cincinnati Ohio  LABOR DAY

“Hello Cincinnati. Hello Ohio. I can’t think of a better place to be on Labor Day than at America’s biggest Labor Day picnic-with the workers and families of the Cincinnati AFL-CIO.

First, give a big round of applause to Charlie. Charlie reminds us that in these tough times, America’s working men and women are ready to roll up their sleeves and get back to work.”

“I want to salute your AFL-CIO local leaders: Executive Secretary-Treasurer Doug Sizemore, President Joe Zimmer and state President Joe Rugola. And your outstanding national leaders: a man who we thank for devoting his life to working Americans-President John Sweeney. And the man who will pick up the mantle of leadership-who we need to succeed because a strong labor movement is part of a strong economy-Secretary-Treasurer Rich Trumka.

Although Ohio’s terrific Governor Ted Strickland couldn’t be here, we have Lieutenant Governor Lee Fisher, Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, Attorney General Richard Cordray, Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory, and Hamilton County Commission President David Pepper.

We’re joined by members of Ohio’s congressional delegation: Congressman Steve Driehaus and my great friend-who is at the forefront of every fight for Ohio’s working men and women, including the battle for health insurance reform-Senator Sherrod Brown.

And I’m proud to be here with a leader who is re-energizing the Department of Labor-and a daughter of union members-Secretary Hilda Solis. And my director of recovery for auto communities and workers-Ed Montgomery.

Now, like a lot of Americans, you’re having some fun today. Taking the day off. Spending time with the kids. Enjoying some good music and good food-some famous Cincinnati chili. But today we also pause. To remember. To reflect. To reaffirm.

We remember that the rights and benefits we enjoy today were not simply handed out to America’s working men and women. They had to be won.

They had to be fought for, by men and women of courage and conviction, from the factory floors of the Industrial Revolution to the shopping aisles of today’s superstores. They stood up and spoke out to demand a fair shake; an honest day’s pay for an honest day’s work. Many risked their lives. Some gave their lives. Some made it a cause of their lives-like Senator Ted Kennedy, who we remember today.

So let us never forget: much of what we take for granted-the 40-hour work week, the minimum wage, health insurance, paid leave, pensions, Social Security, Medicare-they all bear the union label. It was the American worker-union men and women-who returned from World War II to make our economy the envy of the world. It was labor that helped build the largest middle class in history. So even if you’re not a union member, every American owes something to America’s labor movement. Read the rest of this entry »

Obama’s prepared remarks prior to the Q&A:

Good evening. Before I take your questions, I want to talk for a few minutes about the progress we’re making on health insurance reform and where it fits into our broader economic strategy.

Six months ago, I took office amid the worst recession in half a century. We were losing an average of 700,000 jobs per month and our financial system was on the verge of collapse.

As a result of the action we took in those first weeks, we have been able to pull our economy back from the brink. We took steps to stabilize our financial institutions and our housing market. And we passed a Recovery Act that has already saved jobs and created new ones; delivered billions in tax relief to families and small businesses; and extended unemployment insurance and health insurance to those who have been laid off.

Of course, we still have a long way to go. And the Recovery Act will continue to save and create more jobs over the next two years – just like it was designed to do. I realize this is little comfort to those Americans who are currently out of work, and I’ll be honest with you – new hiring is always one of the last things to bounce back after a recession. 

And the fact is, even before this crisis hit, we had an economy that was creating a good deal of wealth for folks at the very top, but not a lot of good-paying jobs for the rest of America. It’s an economy that simply wasn’t ready to compete in the 21st century – one where we’ve been slow to invest in the clean energy technologies that have created new jobs and industries in other countries; where we’ve watched our graduation rates lag behind too much of the world; and where we spend much more on health care than any other nation but aren’t any healthier for it.

That is why I’ve said that even as we rescue this economy from a full-blown crisis, we must rebuild it stronger than before. And health insurance reform is central to that effort. Read the rest of this entry »