From barackobama.com:

As part of the Affordable Care Act, starting August 1st, many insurance plans will be required to fully cover contraception without co-pays or deductibles as part of women's preventive care. This step will help more women to make health care decisions based on what's best for them—not their insurance company—and could save them hundreds of dollars every year.

Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius announced that certain religious organizations, including churches, will be exempt from paying their insurers to cover contraception.

Here's a look at how the new contraception policy will affect women and religious institutions.

• More than half of all Americans already live in the 28 states that require insurance companies to cover contraception.

• Most women—including 98 percent of Catholic women—who have had sex have used contraception, according to a study by the Guttmacher Institute.

• Some religiously-affiliated hospitals and universities already provide birth control coverage to their employees.

• A majority of Americans support including contraception coverage in health plans at no cost to women.

• Health care experts like the American Medical Association and the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommend contraception as a preventive service.

Protecting women's health

• Under the new provisions in the Affordable Care Act, women will have access to the care and family planning services they need without worrying about the cost.

• Women using contraception reduce their risk of developing ovarian and endometrial cancers to about half the rate of the rest of the population.

Religious employers

• Churches and other houses of worship are exempt from the new law.

• Other non-profit organizations, like religiously affiliated hospitals and universities that employ or serve people regardless of their faiths may qualify for a one-year transition period to prepare for the new law.

Protecting individual religious beliefs

• No individual health care provider will be forced to prescribe contraception.

• No one will be forced to buy or use contraception.

• Drugs such as RU-486 that cause abortion are not covered by this policy. The President remains committed to maintaining strict limits on federal funding for abortions.

Reducing costs

• While the monthly cost of contraception for women ranges between $30 and $50, insurers and experts agree that the savings would more than offset the costs.

• It will also save employers money. The National Business Group on Health estimated that employers would pay 15 to 17 percent more not to provide coverage than they would to provide it.

Let us know how the new policy will impact your life.

This morning, we got some very encouraging news about our economy. For the 23rd consecutive month, the number of new American jobs has continued to grow. January saw an additional 257,000 private-sector jobs, bringing us to nearly 3.7 million cumulative private-sector jobs under this administration.

This is really positive news, and it's a sign that the job-creation policies that President Obama and Democrats in Congress have fought for and implemented—despite near-universal Republican obstruction—are working. But the reality is that the hard work of rebuilding our economy is far from over. We need to continue to stand behind our President and congressional Democrats to build an economy that lasts—and to ensure every American looking for a job can find one.

To learn more about today's jobs numbers, check out this page on barackobama.com.

"The Lord will make a way somehow." As we celebrate Black History Month, the words of this old hymn keep me encouraged and focused on re-electing President Obama. I was an early supporter of then-Sen. Obama because I knew that he “got it,” and I have remained steadfast. 

In 1991, I was furloughed by my employer (later the company went bankrupt). As a part of the furlough benefit package, I was told that I could use COBRA to keep my health insurance. The COBRA coverage for my son and me would cost approximately $300 a month; I would receive a modest amount of severance pay; and I would be eligible to receive approximately $149 a week in unemployment benefits. But with a mortgage, a car payment, and other expenses, I could not afford the COBRA coverage. My ex-husband put my son on his insurance, but I went without health insurance for approximately two years. 

It got so bad that my house was scheduled for foreclosure. I was able to get forbearance on my mortgage, and eventually it was reamortized. During that time, I diligently searched for work and was able to receive extended unemployment benefits while I went to school at night. I prayed that I would not get sick. When I finally secured a job, I was able to use the Earned Income Tax Credit to keep more of my earnings. The Lord did make a way for me during those two years; somehow, I made it through. I went on to law school and now have my own law practice and pay for my health insurance.

When I first heard Sen. Obama talk about health care, I knew that I had to help him. The major issue during the 2008 campaign was health insurance, but by 2009, the economy had collapsed. I am very proud that in spite of the horrible condition that the country was in, President Obama did not abandon the working poor men and women, who like me, were simply trying to make it. The President understood that health insurance is a safety net for families. He continued to demonstrate his commitment to the less fortunate when he fought to extend unemployment benefit payments. I know the difference that extension made for the families of the 7 million people that were out of work, especially women.

Many times during periods of crisis, the needs of women and children are forgotten, but President Obama did not forget us. There are still women anxiously praying that they will be able to hold on until they can get health insurance. There are working women, who may have pre-existing conditions such as high blood pressure or diabetes and are not on medication. They are waiting for insurance. Throughout 2012, I will be working to re-elect President Obama because these women cannot afford to be left behind. 

During his second term, President Obama will be able continue moving our country in the right direction and make health insurance a reality for the working poor. The Affordable Care Act will reduce persistent health disparities that have plagued African American communities that lack access to health care. The people that want to repeal the Affordable Care Act have no concern for the working women and men that need health insurance, nor do they care how chronic illness affects our community. President Obama does.  

The President’s opponents like to deride the Affordable Care Act by calling it “Obamacare.” But I believe those words actually express the reality behind the legislation—Obama cares. Passing the health care bill was tough, but its passage brought new meaning to the words “the Lord will make a way somehow.”

To get the facts about the President’s health care law, click here.

As Mitt Romney campaigns in Nevada, a state hit hard by the housing crisis, he has yet to offer a single proposal to lend a hand to America’s struggling homeowners, make it easier for them to refinance their homes, or help them avoid foreclosure. Or, as Rep. Jan Schakowsky put it in a call slamming Romney's housing policies (or lack thereof) today: "He hasn’t offered any ideas to help these families recover their piece of the American dream and the dignity that comes with having a home to raise a family in."

Instead, he believes we should let the foreclosure process "run its course and hit the bottom." In other words, Romney would let homeowners lose their homes and let the banks make a quick buck from the wreckage of American middle-class families. And he had the gall to tell underwater Florida homeowners that the banks are "feeling the same thing" they are.

If you’re a homeowner in this country trying to make ends meet, Romney has four simple words for you: You’re on your own.

Banks, on the other hand…

Today in Las Vegas, Donald Trump added his name to a list of such esteemed luminaries as Christine O'Donnell, Robert Bork, Ann Coulter, and the Kansas secretary of state in endorsing Mitt Romney for the Republican presidential nomination.

But like so many before him, Trump hasn't always been on Team Romney. Quite the opposite: Less than a year ago, Trump couldn't resist sharing his disdain for Romney with every news outlet he could get a hold of.

Just last April, Trump mocked Romney in the New York Post as someone who "walked away with some money from a very good company that he didn't create."

He told the Washington Post that Romney has a history of "eliminating jobs rather than creating them."

And Trump believed, he told the Deseret News, that Romney "doesn't have a chance at the Republican nomination."

So what changed? How did Trump go from publicly mocking Romney to deciding he was the candidate for him?

It seems they discovered a common hobby to bond over: Firing people.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, former Nevada Gov. Bob Miller, and former Sen. Richard Bryan welcomed Mitt Romney to Nevada with an op-ed in the Las Vegas Sun. On every issue important to Nevadans—jobs, housing, immigration, and Yucca Mountain—Romney is on the wrong side.

Romney is running on his business experience and job creation record—a point he has stressed in Nevada, a state in which unemployment is a major issue. But Romney doesn't want Nevadans to know that he made millions from buying companies, closing factories, firing workers, and sending jobs overseas. And during his tenure as governor of Massachusetts, the state ranked 47th out of 50 in job creation. In contrast, President Obama has emphasized his commitment to job creation and laid out a blueprint for it in his State of the Union address.

The last time Romney visited Nevada, a state with one of the highest foreclosure rates in the nation, he told homeowners he would let the foreclosure process “hit the bottom”—a stance he reinforced earlier this week. Meanwhile, President Obama visited Nevada last year and proposed new ways to help struggling homeowners keep their homes. Yesterday President Obama unveiled his new housing plan, which will create new opportunities for responsible homeowners to refinance their mortgages and save $3,000 a year.

Immigration is also a critical issue in Nevada, a state with a high population of Hispanics. Romney has proudly accepted the endorsement of Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, who authored the extreme anti-immigration laws in Arizona Alabama. And although 91 percent of Hispanics support the DREAM Act—which provides a pathway to citizenship for those who came to America as children through no fault of their own—Romney called it a “handout” and promised to veto it if Congress passed it. In his State of the Union address, President Obama promised to sign the DREAM Act into law if it came across his desk.

Finally, Romney sought and received the endorsement of South Carolina's Tea Party governor, Nikki Haley, who said she supports Romney largely because he wants to revive the Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste Repository. The project, which is strongly opposed by Nevadans and would have led to high-level nuclear waste to be dumped within Yucca Mountain, was canceled by President Obama.

The choice for Nevadans is clear, write Reid, Miller and Bryan: "If we follow the President’s bold blueprint and create an economy built to last, we will come back stronger than ever."

Having served for more than 11 years on active duty in our Navy with deployments to the Middle East, the Pacific Rim, the Mediterranean Sea and East Africa, I’m grateful for what I learned about the importance of strong sea power and in using smart power to exert global influence.  Though the military is just one element of national power, nothing compares to the ability to project power from a sovereign U.S. Navy vessel afloat in international waters without worrying about basing or overflight rights.

Under the leadership of President Obama, the Navy is rebuilding the fleet from 288 ships to 325 by the next decade.  For this and other reasons, it is clear to me that the President remains committed to a strong Navy and a strong national defense, despite a very challenging fiscal environment that forced difficult spending decisions. 

Though a capable military is necessary, strong national power begins at home.  The President’s track record includes needed investment in our aging infrastructure and the rescue of the American auto industry.  His vision moves us even further by doubling down on his commitment to American manufacturing, reducing our reliance on foreign oil through investment in clean energy, and investing in the most precious resource we have: American workers.

There’s one group of American workers that have already benefited from such investment and will continue to benefit under a second term: Veterans.  Starting in 2001, America increased the size of the military during a decade of conflict.  During that time, thousands of men and women joined our second-to-none, all-volunteer force – sometimes against the wishes of their mothers and fathers – and were sent to places like Iraq and Afghanistan, where they served honorably. 

A grateful nation would want to provide for their orderly transition into the civilian workforce, where their skills and dedication can be put to further use.  President Obama has done just that by signing the “Returning Heroes” and “Wounded Warriors” tax credits for businesses that hire unemployed veterans, by increasing veterans’ employment in the federal government, and by launching the Veteran’s Job Bank and other Labor Department initiatives.

In 2008 I was fired up and squarely behind a bold vision for the future outlined by then Sen. Obama.  While some criticize the President for not doing more during his first term, I admire his persistence and resilience in the face of adversity.  Despite the challenges and setbacks, he remains faithful to his values and committed to his vision.  Simply put, he exhibits exactly the qualities I admire in a leader and in a Commander-in-Chief.

If you see things the way I do, I hope you’ll join me in working as hard as possible in 2012 to ensure President Obama can continue to build on the progress he has made.

In an interview yesterday, Mitt Romney said, "I'm not concerned about the very poor." Romney's attempt to explain his comment was just as bad: "It’s not good being poor, and we have a safety net to help those that are very poor … My focus is on middle-income Americans … You can focus on the rich. That’s not my focus. You can focus on the very poor. That’s not my focus."

Romney is focused on the middle class? That's laughable. Romney's economic plan, which has been called "a plan for the 1%," would be devastating to the middle class—while giving enormous tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans. Mitt Romney paid a 13.9 percent tax rate in 2010-- about half of what most middle class Americans paid.  

Under Romney's proposed plan, his rate would be cut in half, but people who make less than $40,000 a year would see their taxes go up— some as much as 60%. Middle class families would see a cut of about $167 dollars, while those who earn more than $1 million would get tax cuts on average of nearly $146,000. 

And what about the safety net he refers to? Romney would slash it. His plan pays for his tax cuts for the wealthy through massive tax cuts to public services and social programs the middle class depends on. Romney has also said he would support policies that would end Medicare as we know it, and gut Social Security. 

So when Romney says he's not concerned about the very poor, but instead is focusing on the middle class, it's not just his insensitivity that is important, it's the fact that he's just not telling us the truth.

From BarackObama.com:

Today, as our nation kicks off African American History Month, the campaign is launching African Americans for Obama.

When President Obama took the oath of office, our economy was hemorrhaging jobs at a record pace. President Obama inherited a system that allowed a shrinking number of people to get ahead while the rest of us fell behind. But he stopped the bleeding and went to work for our community and our nation. Despite serious challenges, since 2009 restoring our shared values has helped us achieve real progress.

In some ways this election is more important than the last for our community. If we fail to re-elect President Obama, some people will say everything we’ve accomplished since 2008 was a fluke. That’s why we’ve got to speak loudly about his accomplishments and make sure that, throughout the campaign, we’ve got President Obama’s back. You can start today by volunteering or joining your local neighborhood team as a Black Business Captain, Congregation Captain, Barber Shop & Beauty Shop Captain, or HBCU Organizer.

There are ample opportunities to get involved. Begin by watching this message from the President and sharing it with your family and friends.

In a botched attempt to feign concern for the middle class yesterday, Mitt Romney told CNN that he's "not concerned about the very poor" in America. We're not here to dispute that—but let's be clear: Romney's not concerned about the middle class either.

Romney's concern has always been the well-being of the very rich. If Romney were president, the middle class could expect a $167 tax cut under his plan—while those making more than $1 million would see a $146,000 tax cut. He believes that the foreclosure crisis should "run its course and hit the bottom." And he called the President's $1,500 payroll tax cut a "temporary little Band-Aid."

Make sure your friends know where Romney's true priorities lie. Watch and share our new web video.

WASHINGTON, DC—In this week’s address, President Obama continued his call for a return to American values, including fairness and equality, as part of his blueprint for an economy built to last.  This is why the President is sending Congress his plan to give responsible homeowners the chance to save thousands of dollars on their mortgages by refinancing at historically low rates without adding a cent to the deficit.  The housing crisis has been the single largest drag on the recovery, and although the Administration’s actions have helped responsible homeowners refinance their mortgages and stay in their homes, Congress must act now to do more to continue assisting homeowners and the economy.  President Obama asks all Americans to tell their elected officials to pass this plan to keep more families in their homes and more neighborhoods thriving and whole.

Remarks of President Barack Obama
Weekly Address
The White House
Saturday, February 4, 2012

Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve been traveling around the country and talking with folks about my blueprint for an economy built to last.  It’s a blueprint that focuses on restoring the things we’ve always done best.  Our strengths.  American manufacturing.  American energy.  The skills and education of American workers. 

And most importantly, American values like fairness and responsibility. 

We know what happened when we strayed from those values over the past decade – especially when it comes to our housing market.

Lenders sold loans to families who couldn’t afford them.  Banks packaged those mortgages up and traded them for phony profits.  It drove up prices and created an unsustainable bubble that burst – and left millions of families who did everything right in a world of hurt.

It was wrong.  The housing crisis has been the single biggest drag on our recovery from the recession.  It has kept millions of families in debt and unable to spend, and it has left hundreds of thousands of construction workers out of a job.

But there’s something even more important at stake.  I’ve been saying this is a make-or-break moment for the middle class.  And the housing crisis struck right at the heart of what it means to be middle-class in this country: owning a home.  Raising our kids.  Building our dreams.

Right now, there are more than 10 million homeowners in this country who, because of a decline in home prices that is no fault of their own, owe more on their mortgages than their homes are worth.  Now, it is wrong for anyone to suggest that the only option for struggling, responsible homeowners is to sit and wait for the housing market to hit bottom.  I don’t accept that.  None of us should.

That’s why we launched a plan a couple years ago that’s helped nearly one million responsible homeowners refinance their mortgages and save an average of $300 on their payments each month.  Now, I’ll be the first to admit it didn’t help as many folks as we’d hoped.  But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t keep trying.

That’s why I’m sending Congress a plan that will give every responsible homeowner the chance to save about $3,000 a year on their mortgages by refinancing at historically low rates.  No more red tape.  No more endless forms.  And a small fee on the largest financial institutions will make sure it doesn’t add a dime to the deficit.

I want to be clear: this plan will not help folks who bought a house they couldn’t afford and then walked away from it.  It won’t help folks who bought multiple houses just to turn around and sell them. 

What this plan will do is help millions of responsible homeowners who make their payments every month, but who, until now, couldn’t refinance because their home values kept dropping or they got wrapped up in too much red tape.

But here’s the catch.  In order to lower mortgage payments for millions of Americans, we need Congress to act.  They’re the ones who have to pass this plan.  And as anyone who has followed the news in the last six months can tell you, getting Congress to do anything these days is not an easy job.

That’s why I’m going to keep up the pressure on Congress to do the right thing.  But I also need your help.  I need your voice.  I need everyone who agrees with this plan to get on the phone, send an email, tweet, pay a visit, and remind your representatives in Washington who they work for.  Tell them to pass this plan.  Tell them to help more families keep their homes, and more neighborhoods stay vibrant and whole. 

The truth is, it will take time for our housing market to recover.  It will take time for our economy to fully bounce back.  But there are steps we can take, right now, to move this country forward.  That’s what I promise to do as your President, and I hope Members of Congress will join me.

Thank you, and have a great weekend.

WASHINGTON – Today, President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to key Administration posts:

• Bill Baer – Assistant Attorney General for the Antitrust Division, Department of Justice
• Marcilynn A. Burke – Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management, Department of the Interior
• Joseph Jordan – Administrator for Federal Procurement Policy, Office of Management and Budget
• John Norris – Commissioner, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
• Heidi Shyu – Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology, Department of Defense

The President also announced his intent to appoint the following individuals to key Administration posts:

• Milton Irvin – Member, President's Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities
• George B. Walker, Jr. – Member, President's Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities

President Obama said, “I am proud that such experienced and committed individuals have agreed to serve the American people in these important roles.  I look forward to working with them in the months and years ahead.”

President Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to key Administration posts:

Bill Baer, Nominee for Assistant Attorney General for the Antitrust Division, Department of Justice
Bill Baer is the chair of the Antitrust Practice Group at Arnold and Porter LLP.  He joined Arnold and Porter in 1980, becoming a partner at the firm in 1983.   In his practice, Mr. Baer represents a broad range of companies in U.S. and international cartel investigations, mergers and acquisition reviews, and in antitrust litigation.   From 1995 to 1999, he served as the Director for the Bureau of Competition at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).  Mr. Baer began his legal career in 1975 as a trial attorney for the Bureau of Consumer Protection at the FTC.  Mr. Baer holds a B.A. from Lawrence University and a J.D. from Stanford Law School.

Marcilynn A. Burke, Nominee for Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management, Department of the Interior
Marcilynn A. Burke has served as Acting Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management at the Department of the Interior (DOI) since July 2011 and as Deputy Director of the Bureau of Land Management since August 2009.   Prior to serving in these positions at DOI, Ms. Burke was a tenured Associate Professor of Law at the University of Houston Law Center where she taught natural resources, land use management, environmental, and property law.  Before she began her teaching career, Ms. Burke was an associate at the law firm of Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen, & Hamilton.  She earned her A.B. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her J.D. from Yale University.

Joseph Jordan, Nominee for Administrator for Federal Procurement Policy, Office of Management and Budget
Joseph Jordan is currently Senior Advisor to Office of Management and Budget Acting Director Jeffrey Zients, a position he has held since December 2011. Between 2009 and 2011, Mr. Jordan served as Associate Administrator for Government Contracting and Business Development at the Small Business Administration (SBA). Prior to joining SBA, Mr. Jordan was an Engagement Manager with McKinsey & Company, a global management consulting firm.  At McKinsey, he specialized in developing purchasing and supply management strategies for clients across several industries. He also worked with the firm’s public sector practice, advising state governments on how to cut costs and capture efficiencies.   In 2000, Mr. Jordan helped build and manage operations of Backwire, a web-based publisher-marketer. When the company was purchased by Leap Wireless, he transitioned to become Leap’s project manager for strategic planning and product development. From 1998 to 2000, Mr. Jordan worked as an Associate Producer on MSNBC’s Hardball with Chris Matthews.  Mr. Jordan received his B.A. from The College of the Holy Cross and an M.B.A. from the University of Virginia's Darden School of Business Administration.

John Norris, Nominee for Commissioner, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
John Norris is a Commissioner at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), a position he has held since December 2009.  Over the past 10 years, Mr. Norris has also been involved in numerous local, regional, and national energy related boards and organizations.  Before his appointment to FERC, he was Chief of Staff at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.  From 2005 to 2009, Mr. Norris served as Chairman of the Iowa Utilities Board (IUB).   Prior to joining IUB, he served as Chief of Staff and Energy Advisor to Governor Tom Vilsack, Chief of Staff to U.S. Representative Leonard Boswell, and owned and managed a restaurant in Greenfield, Iowa.  Mr. Norris received a B.A. in Political Science from Simpson College and a J.D. from the University of Iowa College of Law.

Heidi Shyu, Nominee for Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology, Department of Defense
Heidi Shyu has served as Acting Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology (ALT) since June 2011, and as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for ALT since November 2010.  Prior to joining the Administration, Ms. Shyu worked for the Raytheon Company from 1997 to 2010.  During that time, she held several leadership positions including Vice President of Technology Strategy for Space and Airborne Systems (2009-2010), Corporate Vice President of Technology and Research (2007-2009), Vice President and Technical Director for Space and Airborne Systems (2004-2007), and Vice President of Unmanned and Reconnaissance Systems (2002-2003).   Prior to working at Raytheon, Ms. Shyu worked for Hughes Aircraft Company (1992-1997), Litton (1990-1991), and Grumman Aerospace (1989-1990).  She began her career in 1978 as an Engineer for Hughes Aircraft Company.  Ms. Shyu holds a B.S. from University of New Brunswick in Canada, an M.S. from the University of Toronto, and an M.S.E.E. from University of California, Los Angeles.

President Obama also announced his intent to appoint the following individuals to key Administration posts:

Milton Irvin, Appointee for Member, President's Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities
Milton Irvin is currently Chair of the Advisory Board for Castle Oak Securities, L.P.  In January 2012, Mr. Irvin retired from UBS AG where he had been a Managing Director and the Americas’ Head of Diversity and Inclusion since 2002.  Before working at UBS, Mr. Irvin served as President and COO of Imbot.com, from 2000 to 2002, and Blaylock & Partners L.P., from 1998 to 1999.  Mr. Irvin began his career as a corporate lending officer at Chase Manhattan Bank, and then spent 20 years at Salomon Brothers, holding numerous positions including Managing Director and Head of Generalist Sales.  Mr. Irvin currently serves on the Wharton Graduate Advisory Board, the Board of the Harlem School of the Arts, and LEAD, a non-profit that unites colleges and universities with corporations to encourage minority high school students to explore careers in business, science, engineering, and technology.  In 1994, President Clinton appointed Mr. Irvin to the Advisory Committee of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation for which he served as chairman from 1995 to 1997.  Mr. Irvin earned his B.S. from the United States Merchant Marine Academy and his M.B.A. from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.

The Reverend George B. Walker, Jr., Appointee for Member, President's Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities
The Reverend George B. Walker, Jr. is the Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund and Victory Institute (“Victory”), a position he has held since October 2011. From 2008 to 2011, Reverend Walker was the Vice President of Leadership Initiatives at Victory.  Before joining Victory, Reverend Walker worked at the American Constitution Society for Law and Policy as the Development Director from 2006 to 2008; the Human Rights Campaign as Major Gifts Officer from 2004 to 2006; and the Center for Community Change, where he was Deputy Operations Director from 2003 to 2004 and Director of Evaluation from 2001 to 2003.  From 1994 to 1996, Reverend Walker worked as a volunteer for the U.S. Peace Corps.  He later served as Associate Director of the Peace Development Fund from 1998 to 2001.  Reverend Walker is the recipient of the U.S. Peace Corps’ Franklin H. Williams Award, the German Marshall Memorial Fellowship, and the Pipeline Project’s 21st Century Leadership Fellowship.  Reverend Walker holds a B.A. from Morehouse College and an M.Div. from the Divinity School at Duke University.

WASHINGTON – Today, President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individual to a key Administration post:

• Jeremiah O. Norton – Member, Board of Directors of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation

President Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individual to a key Administration post:

Jeremiah O. Norton, Nominee for Member, Board of Directors of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
Jeremiah O. Norton is currently an Executive Director of J.P. Morgan Securities, LLC.  In this role, Mr. Norton advises financial institutions on mergers and acquisitions and other corporate finance transactions.  Prior to joining J.P. Morgan, Mr. Norton served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Financial Institutions Policy at the Department of the Treasury from 2007 to 2009.  In that role, he led the Department’s office that developed, analyzed, and coordinated policies on legislative and regulatory issues affecting financial institutions.  Additionally, he oversaw the Terrorism Risk Insurance Program. Prior to his time at the U.S. Treasury, Mr. Norton served on the legislative staff of Representative Edward R. Royce as the primary advisor on banking and insurance issues.  Prior to joining Representative Royce, Mr. Norton worked in the Financial Institutions and Governments investment banking group at J.P. Morgan.  Mr. Norton received an A.B. in Economics from Duke University, and a J.D. from the Georgetown University Law Center.

MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE

SUBJECT: Delegation of Authority Pursuant to Sections 110(d)(4) and 110(f) of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, as Amended

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including section 301 of title 3, United States Code, I hereby delegate to you the authority conferred upon the President by the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (Division A of Public Law 106-386), as amended (the "Act"), to determine, consistent with sections 110(d)(4) and 110(f) of the Act, with respect to Burma for fiscal year 2012, that assistance described in section 110(d)(1)(B) of the Act would promote the purposes of the Act or is otherwise in the national interest of the United States.

You are authorized and directed to publish this memorandum in the Federal Register.

BARACK OBAMA

Event Will Highlight Winners of National Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Competitions

WASHINGTON, DC -- On Tuesday, February 7th, President Obama will host the second White House Science Fair celebrating the student winners of a broad range of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) competitions from across the country. The President will also announce key steps that the Administration and its partners are taking to help more students excel in math and science, and earn degrees in these subjects.

At the fair, the President will view exhibits of student work, ranging from breakthrough research to new inventions, followed by remarks to an audience of students, science educators and business leaders on the importance of STEM education to the country’s economic future.

The President hosted the first-ever White House Science Fair in late 2010, fulfilling a commitment he made at the launch of his Educate to Innovate campaign to inspire students to excel in math and science.  As the President noted then, “If you win the NCAA championship, you come to the White House. Well, if you're a young person and you produce the best experiment or design, the best hardware or software, you ought to be recognized for that achievement, too.” In addition, over the past year, the President met with the three young women who won the Google Science Fair, met a student robotics team on his bus tour through North Carolina and Virginia, and made a surprise appearance at the New York City Science Fair.

Fire Station #5
Arlington, Virginia

11:30 A.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you!  Thank you, guys.  (Applause.) Thank you so much.  Everybody, please have a seat.  Well, good morning, everybody.

AUDIENCE:  Good morning!

THE PRESIDENT:  Jacob, thank you for that introduction.  More importantly, thank you for your extraordinary service to our country.

I want to acknowledge two outstanding members of my Cabinet who are here today -- Secretary of Veterans Affairs Ric Shinseki is in the house, also one of our finest -- (applause) -- himself, one of our finest veterans and obviously an extraordinary leader when he was in our Army.  And I also want to acknowledge Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, who's in the house.  (Applause.)  

And we’re joined by another president -- the International Association of Firefighters president, Harold Schaitberger, is here.  (Applause.)

Now, this is a fire station that holds some special significance for our country.  On September 11th, the firefighters of this house were among the first to respond to the attack on the Pentagon.  You guys answered this nation’s call during its hour of need.  And in the years that followed, as Americans went to war, some of you answered that call as well.

Today’s 9/11 generation of veterans has already earned a special place in our history.  Our veterans -- and all the brave men and women who serve our country -- are the reason why America’s military is the greatest in the history of the world.  In the face of great odds and grave danger, they get the job done.  They work as a team.  They personify the very best that America has to offer.

That’s true on the battlefront.  But we’re here today because it's also true on the home front.  After a decade of war, our nation needs to do some building right here in the United States of America.

Now, this morning, we received more good news about our economy.  In January, American businesses added another 257,000 jobs.  The unemployment rate came down because more people found work.  And altogether, we’ve added 3.7 million new jobs over the last 23 months.   

Now, these numbers will go up and down in the coming months, and there's still far too many Americans who need a job, or need a job that pays better than the one they have now.  But the economy is growing stronger.  The recovery is speeding up.  And we've got to do everything in our power to keep it going. 

We can't go back to the policies that led to the recession. And we can't let Washington stand in the way of our recovery.  We want Washington to be helping with the recovery, not making it tougher. 

The most important thing Congress needs to do right now is to stop taxes from going up on 160 million Americans at the end of this month.  They've got to renew the payroll tax cut that they extended only for a couple of months.  They need to pass an extension of the payroll tax cut and unemployment insurance -- and do it without drama, without delay, without linking it to some ideological side issues.  They just need to get it done.  It shouldn't be that complicated.  Now is not the time for self-inflicted wounds to our economy.  Now is the time for action.

So I want to send a clear message to Congress:  Do not slow down the recovery that we're on.  Don't muck it up.  Keep it moving in the right direction.  (Applause.)

Beyond preventing a tax hike, we need to do a lot more to create an economy that’s built to last.  To restore American manufacturing, we need to stop giving tax breaks to companies that ship jobs overseas; give those tax breaks to companies that are investing in plants and equipment and hiring workers right here in the United States of America.  That makes a lot of sense.

To reduce our dependency on foreign oil, we need to stop subsidizing oil companies that are already making record profits, and double down on clean energy, that creates jobs and creates opportunities in new industries but also improves our security, because we're not as dependent on foreign oil. 

To make sure our businesses don’t have to move overseas to find skilled workers, we've got to invest in education, and make sure college is affordable for every hardworking American. 

And -- this is the reason we're here today -- we need to make sure that as our troops return from battle, they can find a job when they get home.  That’s what I want to talk about today. (Applause.)

The war in Iraq is over.  The war in Afghanistan is moving to a new phase -- we're transitioning to Afghan lead.  Over the past decade, nearly 3 million service members have transitioned back to civilian life, and more are joining them every day.

When these men and women come home, they bring unparalleled skills and experience.  Folks like Jacob -- they’ve saved lives in some of the toughest conditions imaginable.  They’ve managed convoys and moved tons of equipment over dangerous terrain.  They’ve tracked millions of dollars of military assets.  They've handled pieces of equipment that are worth tens of millions of dollars.  They do incredible work.  Nobody is more skilled, more precise, more diligent, more disciplined.

Our veterans are some of the most highly trained, highly educated, highly skilled workers that we’ve got.  These are Americans that every business should be competing to attract.  These are the Americans we want to keep serving here at home as we rebuild this country.  So we’re going to do everything we can to make sure that when our troops come home, they come home to new jobs and new opportunities and new ways to serve their country.

Now, this has been a top priority of mine since I came into office.  Already, we’ve helped 600,000 veterans and their family members go back to school on the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill.  We’ve hired over 120,000 veterans to serve in the federal government.  We’ve made it easier for veterans to access all sorts of employment services.  We’ve set up online tools to connect veterans with job openings that match their skills. 

Michelle and Jill Biden have worked with the private sector, with businesses, to secure a pledge of 135,000 jobs for veterans and their families.  And with the support of Democrats and Republicans, we’ve put in place two new tax credits for companies that hire veterans.

So these are all important steps.  We’ve made progress.  But we’ve got to do more.  There’s more we can do.
 
In my State of the Union address, I proposed a new initiative, called the Veterans Jobs Corps, to put veterans back to work protecting and rebuilding America.  And today, we’re laying out the details of this proposal.

First, we want to help communities hire more veterans as cops and firefighters.  You guys have seen what a great job Jacob is doing.  Well, there are a whole bunch of folks like that who could be doing that same outstanding work all across the country. But it’s not that easy these days to get a job at a firehouse.

Over the past few years, tight budgets have forced a lot of states, a lot of local communities to lay off a lot of first responders.  Now, my administration -- when I first came into office, one of the first things we did was, through the Recovery Act, make sure that states and local governments helped -- or got the help that they needed to prevent some of these layoffs.  And thousands of jobs were saved all across the country.

Harold and I were talking as we came over here -- thousands of firefighter jobs were saved because of the actions we took. But budgets are still tight, and that’s a problem we need to fix. Jobs that protect our families and our communities shouldn’t be the first on the chopping block.  They should be one of our highest priorities as a nation. 

Over the past three years, my administration has made it possible for states to keep thousands of first responders on the job.  But today, we’re announcing that communities who make it a priority to recruit veterans will be among the first in line when it comes to getting help from the federal government. 

And I know that’s one of the things, Chief, that you’ve been doing here in Arlington.

So we want to prioritize veterans and we want to help states and local communities hire veterans to firehouses and police stations all across the country.

The second thing we want to do is to connect up to 20,000 veterans with jobs that involve rebuilding local communities or national parks.  That’s why Ken Salazar is here as the Interior Secretary.  He needs some help.  And our veterans are highly qualified to help him.  They’ve already risked their lives defending America.  They should have the opportunity to rebuild America.  We’ve got roads and bridges in and around our national parks in need of repair.  Let’s fix them. 

Of course, Congress needs to fund these projects.  Congress should take the money that we’re no longer spending on war, use half of it to pay down our debt, and use the rest to do some nation-building here at home, to improve the quality of life right here in the United States of America -- (applause) -- and put our veterans to work.  (Applause.) 

So let’s get more cops on the beat.  Let’s gets more rangers in the parks.  Let’s get more firefighters on call.  And, in the process, we’re going to put more veterans back to work.  It’s good for our communities, it’s good for our economy, and it’s good for our country.

And for veterans who want to do something else -- maybe put their leadership skills to use starting a small business -- we’re going to start offering entrepreneurial training to our veterans. We want service members prepared for battle -- and for professional success when they come home.  So we should do all that we can to support our troops and our veterans -- in helping them start a business, in helping them get a foothold in a fire station like this one, and start moving up the ranks, doing outstanding work the way Jacob has been doing.
 
But we also need to follow their lead.  We want to help them, but we should also learn from them.  We should remember from our veterans that no matter what the circumstances, those men and women in uniform -- a lot like the firefighters in this fire station -- work together.  Act as a team.  Finish the job. That’s what we've got to do when it comes to our nation's recovery.

These are challenging times for America, but we’ve faced challenging times before.  On the grounds here you've got a stone from the Pentagon and a beam from the World Trade Center.  And that reminds us of our resolve as a people.  They remind us that when we come together as one people and as one community, one nation, then we prevail.  That’s who we are.

This is a nation that exists because generations of Americans worked together to build it.  This is a nation where, out of many, we come together as one.  Those are the values that every veteran understands.  Those are values that this fire station understands.  We've got to make sure that we return to those values.  And if we do, then I guarantee you we'll remind everybody around the world just why it is the United States is the greatest country on Earth.

Thank you very much, everybody.  God bless you.  God bless America.  (Applause.)

END          
11:44 P.M. EST

NOTICE

- - - - - - -

CONTINUATION OF THE NATIONAL EMERGENCY WITH RESPECT TO
THE SITUATION IN OR IN RELATION TO CÔTE D'IVOIRE

On February 7, 2006, by Executive Order 13396, the President declared a national emergency, pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701-1706), to deal with the unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States constituted by the situation in or in relation to Côte d'Ivoire and ordered related measures blocking the property of certain persons contributing to the conflict in Côte d'Ivoire. The situation in or in relation to Côte d'Ivoire, which has been addressed by the United Nations Security Council in Resolution 1572 of November 15, 2004, and subsequent resolutions, has resulted in the massacre of large numbers of civilians, widespread human rights abuses, significant political violence and unrest, and fatal attacks against international peacekeeping forces.

While the Government of Côte d'Ivoire and its people continue to make significant progress, the situation in or in relation to Côte d'Ivoire continues to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States, the national emergency declared on February 7, 2006, and the measures adopted on that date to deal with that emergency, must continue in effect beyond February 7, 2012. Therefore, in accordance with section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)), I am continuing for 1 year the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13396.

This notice shall be published in the Federal Register and transmitted to the Congress.

BARACK OBAMA

TO THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES:

Section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)) provides for the automatic termination of a national emergency, unless, within 90 days prior to the anniversary date of its declaration, the President publishes in the Federal Register and transmits to the Congress a notice stating that the emergency is to continue in effect beyond the anniversary date. In accordance with this provision, I have sent to the Federal Register for publication the enclosed notice stating that the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13396 of February 7, 2006, with respect to the situation in or in relation to Côte d'Ivoire is to continue in effect beyond February 7, 2012.

The situation in or in relation to Côte d'Ivoire, which has been addressed by the United Nations Security Council in Resolution 1572 of November 15, 2004, and subsequent resolutions, has resulted in the massacre of large numbers of civilians, widespread human rights abuses, significant political violence and unrest, and fatal attacks against international peacekeeping forces. Since the inauguration of President Alassane Ouattara in May 2011, the Government of Côte d'Ivoire and its people have made significant advances in the promotion of democratic, social, and economic development. Although considerable progress has been made, the situation in or in relation to Côte d'Ivoire continues to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States. For these reasons, I have determined that it is necessary to continue the national emergency and related measures under Executive Order 13396 of February 7, 2006, Blocking Property of Certain Persons Contributing to the Conflict in Côte d'Ivoire.

BARACK OBAMA

February 9th – 11th, First Lady to make stops in Des Moines, Iowa; Little Rock, Arkansas; Fort Worth, Texas; Dallas, Texas; Homestead, Florida; Longwood, Florida & Orlando, Florida

WASHINGTON – On February 9, 2012, First Lady Michelle Obama will kick off a three day, nation-wide tour celebrating the second anniversary of Let’s Move!, her initiative to solve the problem of childhood obesity within a generation. Since launching Let’s Move! on February 9, 2010, significant progress has been made to solve the problem of childhood obesity. Parents, businesses, educators, elected officials, members of the military, chefs, physicians, athletes, childcare providers, community and faith leaders and kids themselves have made substantial commitments to improve the health of our nation’s children. Through working together with Let’s Move!,  these groups have provided children with healthier food and greater opportunities for physical activity in schools and communities, helped get families the information they need to make healthier decisions, supported a healthy start in early childhood, and have worked to ensure more people have access to healthy, affordable food.  The Let’s Move! tour will highlight examples of people making changes across the country, from a single family to an entire state.

A fact sheet on a few of the many accomplishments of Let’s Move! is attached and can be found HERE.

The First Lady’s Let’s Move! tour schedule is below:

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2012

Des Moines, Iowa * 11:00 AM CT/ 12:00 PM ET * Let’s Move! Day in Iowa

First Lady Michelle Obama will kick off her three day national tour in Des Moines, Iowa, to highlight Iowa’s Healthiest State Initiative, a private-public partnership launched in August by Governor Terry Branstad and other government and business leaders to make Iowa the healthiest state in the nation by 2016. More than 10,000 children grades 6 - 9 from Iowa schools will fill Wells Fargo Arena in downtown Des Moines to participate in a high-energy, interactive celebration of the Let’s Move! anniversary, hosted by Iowa’s Healthiest State Initiative.

Mrs. Obama will be joined by former Iowa Governor and current Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and Iowa Governor Branstad, as well as NASCAR racing champion and member of the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition Carl Edwards, Olympic figure skating champion and member of the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition Michelle Kwan (who was recently inducted into the U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame), Olympic champion gymnast Shawn Johnson, 2011 WNBA MVP Tamika Catchings, Health and Fitness Expert Bob Harper, Iowa State University Basketball coach and former NBA player Fred Hoiberg – who are all committed to helping kids embrace good health, nutrition and physical fitness.  Governor Branstad will sign a proclamation establishing February 9 as “Let’s Move! Day in Iowa” to celebrate the second anniversary.

Little Rock, Arkansas * 2:15 PM CT / 3:15 PM ET * Military Improving Nutrition for Servicemembers

First Lady Michelle Obama will visit the Little Rock Air Force Base to make an announcement about the military’s efforts to improve the nutrition of food served throughout military bases. Little Rock Air Force Base is part of a special pilot program that has enhanced food service quality, variety and availability through new acquisition processes and redesign efforts.  Mrs. Obama will receive a briefing on the Air Force’s healthy eating efforts from leadership and then visit the dining facility with cooks and airmen to discuss the changes. Childhood obesity has become a national security issue - more than one-quarter of our nation’s 17-24 year- olds are too overweight to serve in the U.S. military. Additionally, the Department of Defense spends an estimated $1.1 billion per year on medical care associated with excess weight and obesity.

Fort Worth, Texas * 5:30 PM CT / 6:30 PM ET * Parents and Businesses Making a Difference

First Lady Michelle Obama will hold a roundtable dinner discussion at a local Olive Garden with parents who are changing habits in their homes and communities. Mrs. Obama will have a conversation with the parents about their efforts and get their ideas on how Let’s Move! can continue to support families across the country. In September 2011, Darden, the world’s largest full service restaurant company which owns Olive Garden, Red Lobster, Longhorn Steakhouse and others, made a commitment to improve their kids menus by offering a fruit or vegetable and low-fat milk with every meal, as well as reduce total calories and sodium across their menus.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2012

Dallas, Texas * 9:00 AM CT / 10:00 AM ET * Schools and Chefs Working Together

First Lady Michelle Obama will join chef'testants from past seasons of Bravo’s hit series “Top Chef” and members of the Dallas Cowboys to highlight the work being done in schools across America to provide healthier food to students. The chefs will compete in a healthy cooking competition with students from Nancy Moseley Elementary School, a Gold school in the HealthierUS School Challenge program. The Dallas Independent School District is a leader in making healthy changes for its students – it has the most Gold schools of any district in the country. Chefs have played an important role in the Let’s Move! initiative, teaming up with schools all across the country to work with school chefs on healthy school meals and teach kids about the importance of a nutritious diet. Approximately 3,400 chefs and 3,350 schools have signed up for Chefs Move to Schools, and the First Lady will announce a coalition that is working together to expand the program.

Homestead, Florida * 3:30 PM * WebMD Town Hall: Simple Tips For Healthy Families

First Lady Michelle Obama will join experts from WebMD, a leading source of health information for consumers and professionals and a free source of trusted information on children’s health and wellness, to answer questions from a live local audience and a national online audience about how families can implement healthy changes in their daily lives.  The WebMD town hall style discussion will be held at a Miami-area YMCA. In November 2011, the YMCA, a leading nonprofit dedicated to youth development and healthy living and one of the nation’s largest child-care providers, announced that it is adopting a set of standards to ensure its programs offer children fruits, vegetables and water as snacks and adequate physical activity while children are in their care. The panel will include a WebMD pediatrician and nutritionist and a health and well-being expert from the YMCA. Parents can submit questions for the First Lady and the panel at www.webmd.com/townhall.

Orlando, Florida * 7:00 PM ET * Change Begins at Home

First Lady Michelle Obama will visit the home of an Orlando-area family who has made changes to become healthier. Mrs. Obama will have dinner with the family in their home and discuss the everyday changes families can make. This event will have a pool spray at the top.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2012

Longwood, Florida * 10:00 AM ET * Faith and Community Groups Leading the Way

First Lady Michelle Obama will speak to a gathering of 3,000 people from diverse faiths at Northland, A Church Distributed, about the work of faith and community organizations across America to support healthy lifestyles. Mrs. Obama launched Let’s Move! Faith and Communities in November 2010 and since then, these organizations have initiated a broad range of activities including logging over 1,500,000 miles walked and working to provide healthy food to their congregations.  Saturday’s program will include choirs, performers and speakers from local and national congregations. Tickets are being distributed by local faith and community organizations.

Orlando, Florida * Afternoon * Getting Active Is Fun!

Following the event at Northland, First Lady Michelle Obama will travel to ESPN Wide World of Sports at the Walt Disney World Resort to participate in a physical activity event for hundreds of local kids and their families, including participants in the morning’s faith event. Disney Channel and Disney XD stars and professional athletes will be on hand as families participate in fun, physical activity stations. Tickets are being distributed by local faith and community organizations.

Phil Plait takes down Gingrich's moonbase pander and Rick Tumlinson provides a more nuance look at HuffPo which includes this snippet:

Obama did take action first though, and interestingly, Newt Gingrich and Robert Walker actually came out in support of his initiative -- for about thirty seconds -- before realizing Republicans are not supposed to support anything Obama does, and that most of those defending the socialist approach to space we have followed since Apollo were indeed Republicans... (Oops!)

• A possible terrestrial planet orbiting in the habitable zone of a nearby star has been detected. The skies as seen from this world would be particularly interesting: the star it circles is but one member of a trinary star system.
• Yesterday, the tech laden NASDAQ stock index finally got back to near where it was in the earliest days of the Bush administration, 11 long years ago.
• The Milky Way galaxy has an evil twin? Who knew!
• An article at the WaPo this week reviews some of the anti-evolution craziness coursing through far right statehouses. Check out this little piece of ledge for one example:

  A bill in Virginia would make it illegal for state colleges to require a class that conflicts with a student’s religious views. Critics say that would enable a student to receive a biology degree, for example, without studying evolution if he or she objected to it.

Visual source: Newseum

CBS News:

That means the relatively anemic job growth of Mr. Obama's first three years matters less then what happens in 2012; Silver suggests that every time the economy generates more than 150,000 jobs in a month between now and November, Mr. Obama's reelection odds go up. That's why today's news is so good for Mr. Obama: if January's numbers reflect a trend that lasts deep into the year, it's going to be awfully hard for Romney (or any Republican) to convince a majority of Americans that Mr. Obama has failed in his stewardship of the economy. And with polls showing that Americans are more concerned with the economy than any other issue - by a wide margin - Romney simply doesn't have any other argument on which to hang a viable presidential campaign.

WaPo:

Caught in a maelstrom of public reaction to its decision to cease funding Planned Parenthood, the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation announced Friday that it would reverse course...

But officials across the organization said they were still reeling from the fallout of what many described as a public relations fiasco created by Komen’s leadership.

“I felt like we were eaten alive,” said Logan Hood, executive director of Komen’s Aspen affiliate in Colorado. “We had no advance warning.. . . We were sent into battle without armor.”

Bay Area News Group:

Some of the sharpest criticism came from participants in Komen's benefit walks.

"I feel Susan G. Komen acted foolishly and hastily, and maybe they didn't realize the power of the Internet," said Teresa Tirado, of Castro Valley, whose eldest daughter has raised funds for the organization in its Walk for the Cure.

"It's almost like Occupy Susan G. Komen," she said.

Komen founder and chief executive Nancy Brinker insisted Friday that the foundation's new rules preventing grants to groups that were subject to government investigations had not been designed to target Planned Parenthood and had nothing to do with its role as an abortion provider. "We do not want our mission marred or affected by politics — anyone's politics," Brinker said in a statement.

By then, a key officer at its Dallas headquarters had resigned, and others in the group's local affiliates had threatened to follow suit if the decision was not reversed. Members of Congress admonished the foundation for playing politics with women's health. Irate women denounced Komen on the Internet and pledged to boycott its upcoming "Race for the Cure" events, which raise several million dollars each year.

The situation has been a "total embarrassment" for Komen, said Tom Madden, chief executive of TransMedia Group, a Boca Raton, Fla.-based public relations and crisis management company. "I can't believe an organization like Komen wasn't aware of what was going on."

Gail Collins:

This week we had a huge political fight about breast cancer. Clearly, we have now hit the point where there’s nothing that can’t be divided into red-state-blue-state.

Nothing. The other day I saw a blog called “I Dig My Garden” that had a forum on whether Republicans could truly love gardening. And there was a little dust-up in Albany over politicization of a local pet blog, which had featured a discussion on Mitt Romney’s driving to Canada with the family dog strapped to the roof of the car.

But breast cancer would seem like the last thing to go. Everybody hates cancer and everybody likes breasts — infants, adults, women, men. Really, it’s America’s most popular body part.

This has nothing to do with context. This has everything to do with a caviar candidate’s inability to relate to a chicken-soup citizenry... Romney is not only cold and clumsy, he’s disastrously out of touch, and when talking about real people, out of sorts. If only he had a heart, and if only that heart was connected to his brain.

And just when you think the tea party couldn't get any nuttier, the NY Times reports:

Across the country, activists with ties to the Tea Party are railing against all sorts of local and state efforts to control sprawl and conserve energy. They brand government action for things like expanding public transportation routes and preserving open space as part of a United Nations-led conspiracy to deny property rights and herd citizens toward cities.

Terry J. Allen pulls back the covers a smidge:

“Open-air burn pits have operated widely at military sites in Iraq and Afghanistan,” the Department of Veterans Affairs notes on its website. On hundreds of camps and bases across the two countries, the U.S. military and its contractors incinerated toxic waste, including unexploded ordnance, plastics and Styrofoam, asbestos, formaldehyde, arsenic, pesticides and neurotoxins, medical waste (even amputated limbs), heavy metals and what the military refers to as “radioactive commodities.” The burns have released mutagens and carcinogens, including uranium and other isotopes, volatile organic compounds, hexachlorobenzene, and, that old favorite, dioxin (aka Agent Orange).

The military pooh-poohs the problem, despite a 2009 Pentagon document noting “an estimated 11 million pounds [5,000 tonnes] of hazardous waste” produced by American troops, the Times of London reported. In any case, it says, the waste isn’t all that toxic, and there is no hard evidence troops were harmed. Of course, one reason for that lack of evidence, reports the Institute of Medicine (which found 53 toxins in the air above the Balad air base alone), is that the Pentagon won’t or can’t document what it burned and buried, or where it did so. [...]

[S]ick and dying vets, this time from Iraq and Afghanistan, are trying to trace their cancers and respiratory problems to the toxins of war. Again, the military refuses to release complete data, and claims the data show no harmful effects. Again, the assumption of culpability, and the clean-up efforts will come too little, too late.

A July article in the New England Journal of Medicine studied 80 soldiers disabled with constrictive bronchiolitis, “a very rare finding” in otherwise healthy, young non-smokers. Almost all the cases were traced to “inhalational exposures during service in Iraq and Afghanistan.” The journal lamented : “This group causes particular concern, since their potential toxic exposures are shared by most personnel who were deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan.”

And, oh, yes, by those left to endure the predictable consequences of expedient poisoning. You’re welcome, Iraq. 

Blast from the Past. At Daily Kos on this date in 2004:

We Must Never Forget: February 5, 2003.

Colin Powell went to the UN and engaged in one the most infamous acts of Propaganda in World history.  We must never forget.

 Additionally, Powell violated his oath to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States, his fraternity and fidelity to the men in uniform he served with, and his  so-called Powell Doctrine, that he helped create in the mid 1980s.  He destroyed not only his reputation, but everything he stood for.  Moreover, he tuned his back on Duty, Honor, Country, all in slavish obedience to the temporary occupant of the White House.

Today, we find ourselves in a Quagmire, where 500 G.I.s will die per year, where 10,000 casualties will occur per year, where $50 to 100 Billion will be wasted per year - now and for the foreseeable future - all because Powell and company abdicated the Principle of Exit Strategy.

Today, Karl Rove sent out CIA Director George Tenent (the man sitting behind Powell at the UN) to feed the media machine, so as to distract their recollection of this date.  But we, the true patriots of this country, must never forget.

Tweet of the Day:

In town for the Nevada caucuses.

High Impact Posts are here. Top Comments are here.

Things that appear certain, based on polling:

• Mitt Romney is on his way to a relatively easy win in tomorrow's caucuses in Nevada.
• Romney is also in pretty decent shape in the two late February primaries in Arizona and Michigan, two states that (on paper) set up pretty well for him.
• Gingrich's national standing, at least in the Gallup tracking polls, has taken a mighty dive.

What is quite a bit less clear, however, is if this really does portend the beginning of the end for the Republican presidential horse race. More on that after the jump. For now, the numbers from two days of polling (yesterday's Wrap having been sabotaged by a computer virus beating up my laptop):

NATIONAL (Gallup Tracking): Romney 33, Gingrich 25, Santorum 16, Paul 11

NATIONAL (YouGov): Romney 29, Gingrich 23, Santorum 20, Paul 14

ARIZONA (Rasmussen): Romney 48, Gingrich 24, Santorum 13, Paul 6

GEORGIA (SurveyUSA): Gingrich 45, Romney 32, Santorum 9, Paul 8

MICHIGAN (Rasmussen): Romney 38, Gingrich 23, Santorum 17, Paul 14

NEVADA (PPP): Romney 50, Gingrich 25, Paul 15, Santorum 8

NEVADA (UNLV): Romney 45, Gingrich 25, Santorum 11, Paul 9

And ... as always ... the general election nums, as well:

NATIONAL (Rasmussen Tracking): Obama tied with Romney (45-45); Obama d. Santorum (46-44); Obama d. Paul (45-42); Obama d. Gingrich (49-41)

NATIONAL (YouGov): Obama d. Paul (48-40); Obama d. Romney (49-40); Obama d. Santorum (50-40); Obama d. Gingrich (52-37)

GEORGIA (SurveyUSA): Romney d. Obama (51-43); Gingrich d. Obama (50-44)

MISSOURI (PPP): Obama tied with Romney (45-45); Obama d. Paul (45-43); Obama d. Santorum (47-44); Obama d. Gingrich (49-42)

Some thoughts as we head into the weekend, right after the jump.

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (Larry Downing/Reuters)

It's a fairly simple piece of legislation as far as tax reform goes, creating basically an alternative minimum tax for millionaires. Where it gets slightly complicated is in an adjustment for those making between $1 and 2 million, a provision that would allow for the tax to be gradually phased in. This would avoid a “tax cliff,” where a taxpayer going from $999,999 to $1 million, would pay on a phased-in basis a portion of the extra tax required to get up to the 30 percent effective tax rate. This would also potentially prevent a problem Klein identifies of people at that threshold just evading their taxes.

The premise of the bill is simple, but the rationale lying behind it is interesting, and something Klein tries to delve into a bit, asking whether Democrats might be ceding the fight on ending the Bush tax cuts, pushing the threshold of "wealthy" from $250,000 upward, and the concern that "there’s no one left looking at taxes as a revenue measure, and asking what should be the basic question: what level of taxation do we need to fund the government we think we want, and what’s the best way to get there?"

He got a semi-answer from Whitehouse:

SW: Kent Conrad is fond of pointing out that in God knows how many years, 50 years or something like that, America has never had its budget in balance with revenues less than, if I remember correctly, 21 percent of GDP. So if you’re looking at the times in the past when we’ve gotten our act together and gotten our budget balanced, you come in at 21 percent. If you’re substantially below that, you’re doing protracted deficits or cutting very significantly into spending. So I think it is an important point, but in the meantime, I think it’s important that we restore some confidence in the tax code on the part of the American public by getting rid of the egregious loopholes.

Klein's question was more to the point of when are Democrats going to start talking about the necessity of revenue to keep the government functioning, which is the larger argument that needs to be made against the nihilism of Republicans who basically just want to sell it off. From a short-term political perspective, the Buffett Rule push makes a lot of sense. Now is the moment to seize the argument of economic inequality, of tax fairness and to force Republicans to vote on it.

But the long-term case for a progressive tax structure and for the necessity of it to allow for a government that works—the existential fight we're in right now—needs to be made.

For one thing, in some cases, an existing union would just be dissolved. "In a merger," Shook explains, "if the larger workforce is non-union, there would simply be no election to determine representation of the combined group. The union and the contract would simply go away."

In other cases, though, hurdles galore. Accompanying the new 50 percent threshold to call for a union representation election, management would control all the information on how many people might be eligible to vote and who they were. That means they could pad the numbers required to get to 50 percent. Then, because the requirement threshold would now be written into the statute, it would be subject to litigation. That would not only allow companies to drag out the process, the union cards the workers had signed would be subject to discovery. It's a perfect opportunity for management to intimidate union supporters.

This is no compromise. Tell Congress to pass a clean FAA bill, without the union-busting.

Well, there's partisanship and then there's the American people.

Gallup asked the question of adults as to their level of support for five economic proposals expected in the State of the Union speech. Here's the same list of proposals broken down by partisanship. Note that the support from Republicans drops off for the "big government alternative energy" and the "tax the rich" proposals:

Yet the Big Government jobs education idea is a political winner with everyone, including a bare majority of Republicans. While one might argue that "Big Government is fine so long as it's about me (and keep your hands off my Medicare)" is popular with everyone, the real underlying message is this:

It's all about jobs.

(Hotel Workers Rising)

At the same time, unions are highlighting not just the recent anti-union vote but ongoing labor struggles in the state. Think Progress reports that:

The AFL-CIO will have a “constant presence” at Super Bowl events, [Indiana AFL-CIO Communications and Outreach Coordinator Jeff] Harris said, but its actions will be informative rather than disruptive. The union, which encouraged workers to meet with their state representatives in the days before the law passed and organized rallies outside the statehouse Wednesday, will pass out leaflets and pamphlets around Super Bowl village and Lucas Oil Stadium, the site of the game, Harris said.

Unite Here has planned a Friday afternoon rally at the Hyatt Regency Indianapolis, where 20 workers may lose their jobs as Hyatt switches from one low-wage subcontractor to another; the original subcontractor was recently sued for wage theft. DeMaurice Smith, the executive director of the NFL Players Association, is slated to participate in that rally.

Sen. John Cornyn (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)

The senators said in a letter Friday that they will file a friend-of-the-court brief to support legal action arguing that Obama overstepped constitutional boundaries when he tapped Richard Cordray to lead the consumer agency and appointed three members to join the NLRB.

“American democracy was born out of a rejection of the monarchies of Western Europe, anchored by limited government and separation of powers,” Texas Sen. John Cornyn said in a statement. “We refuse to stand by as this president arrogantly casts aside our Constitution and defies the will of the American people under the election-year guise of defending them.”

While they don't specify which actual case they'll be joining, they just wanted the world to know that, yeah, they're still pissed about it and mean to do something, the specifics of which are to be determined. The National Federation of Independent Businesses and the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation have filed one case against the NLRB appointments, which provides a potential case for them to join.

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What is worth celebrating, however, is the instantaneous and spontaneous and powerful reaction of the blogosphere and social media that first spotlighted Komen's decision, splattered it from coast to coast, drove a hugely successful fund-raising effort for Planned Parenthood and—assisted by Komen's incompetent management of the crisis it had created—permanently damaged the foundation's brand, bringing to light information that few Americans have previously heard. That is a victory. And it shouldn't be nay-said.

But while quaffing the bubbly, that victory should be recognized for what it is: self-defense. Together, those of us who believe in ensuring that women without means can get basic and preventive health care as well as exercise their reproductive rights, fought what amounted to a rearguard action, struggling to hang onto ground gained long ago. It's not unlike other struggles in other arenas, like those we engage in these days to hang onto the gains of the New Deal and Great Society while right-wing forces do their damnedest to dismantle them. But what we need is both self-defense and offense.

What we've witnessed and participated in during the past two days has been a skirmish in an on-going war with relentless, ruthless foes. This was not an isolated event but a line item on the agenda of a right wing movement determined to return us to the way things were. For the record, those weren't the good old days.

(Continue reading below the fold.)