Beltway Insider: Obama Begins Economic Whistle Stop; Syrian Weapons Aid Approved; NYC Mayoral Race; Kennedy Nominated

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Category: Beltway Insider

Published on Sunday, 28 July 2013 19:14

Written by Janet Walker

President Obama has spent the week pitching his economic reform package geared toward strengthening the middle class and assisting those financially weakened by the lingering recession move closer to economic recovery and security.

According to Gallup, President Obama’s job approval, over the past week, dropped two percentage points to 46% of those polled approve of his effectiveness as President and those who disapprove of his effectiveness as President rose one percentage point to 47%.

Obama Begins Economic Whistle Stop Campaign

President Obama presented his economic reform package in two separate stops across the Midwest. Beginning in Galesburg, Illinois he spoke at Knox College and later the same day at Missouri Innovation Campus reinforcing his plan to build a better America is to build a stronger, more economically fit middle class. 

The economic reform initiative was a major announcement for the Obama Administration and included six key economic sectors including Jobs, Education, Health Care, Retirement Security, Housing and Ladders of Opportunity.

The President is streamlining the plan, compartmentalizing the economy in order to address each individual issue so to create a check list for economic health.  

Economic growth, which is still slow, is the foundation for rebuilding a stronger America. The Obama Administration will be explaining the plan over the next several weeks to cities and towns across the nation.

He is quick to point out that over the past forty months over 7.2million jobs have been added to the economy.  With the number of unemployed Americans over those same months the unemployment rate has barely moved below 8% where it had been cemented for forty straight months. 

The President will be the first to agree government alone cannot repair the deep holes created by the recession. Repairing the damage to the economy is not a quick fix. Every citizen has to do his or her part to assist in individual economic recovery.

Over the next several weeks the Obama Administration will continue to lay out the cornerstone plan for each of these sections of the economy encouraging Americans to reach out through the White House web site and explain the importance if each if these issues.

While he does not compare the “Great Recession” to the Great Depression of the 1930’s his reforms, his speeches and his outreach reflect a comparison of the economic downfall of 2009 to the Great Depression of 1929.

The worst recession since the Great Depression is noted often in his speeches and it is clear the White House does think of the 2009 economic drop as a great recession.

The Obama White House appears to understand those who took the hardest hit are those who had the least to lose. Subsequently, they also have the most difficult road ahead simply to regain the lost ground.

As President Obama continues to pitch his economic reform package the underlying message of hope for a brighter economic future will filter out to the masses.

Syrian Rebels Weapons Package Approved

President Obama approved a Foreign Aid package, this week, which will send weapons to the Syrian rebels in their continued effort to topple the Assad regime.

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted to move forward on the aid package after it became clear Bashar Al-Assad had received assistance from Hezbollah and Iran.

White House Press Secretary, Jay Carney stated, “Assad is continuing to wage a brutal assault on the Syrian people.  And because of the support he’s gotten from other bad actors in the region, that assault has intensified.  And that is why it is so important that the United States and our allies and our partners provide the assistance that the opposition needs to strengthen itself and so that it can withstand the Assad forces and the Hezbollah and Iranian-backed forces.”

The Obama administration has repeatedly maintained the U.S. stands with the rebels and has been the largest supporter of aid packages which includes assistance for neighboring countries who are accepting Syrian refugees.

The weapons will be distributed to vetted resistance organizations who have been battling the dictator since the Arab Spring uprising in 2011.

NYC Mayoral Race Focus Shifts South

The New York City Mayoral race was the focus of the global media this week as it was revealed the frontrunner, Anthony Weiner, maintained inappropriate sex-texting and twitter messaging after his resignation from the House of Representative.

Weiner, who resigned in June 2011 as the U.S. Representative for the 9^th Congressional District, has admitted engaging in online sexual conduct with between six and ten different women. His actions, and definition of inappropriate sexual conduct, don’t seem to affect his belief in his ability to represent the people of New York City.

With the media frenzy focused on the pornographic selfies sent out by the embattled mayoral candidate, the issues concerning New York City have fallen to the way side.

Once holding a substantial lead over six other democratic challengers, the revelations and subsequent press conferences that included Weiner’s wife, Huma Abedin, former aide to Hillary Clinton, who emphasized the message of his political expertise over his indiscretions and she also indicated her belief in his abilities.

Weiner has continued to lose momentum dropping 25% in the newest polls. His campaign manager, Danny Kedem has resigned. He has been encouraged to drop out of the race by leading politicians from President Obama to former Speaker of the House and current Minority Leader, Nancy Pelosi, as well as almost every major media outlet.

Weiner has maintained his resolve to remain in the race. His nearest challenger, Christine Quinn, Speaker of the New York City council and openly lesbian, has surged once again in the polls making her the one to beat in the upcoming November election.

The challenger will face off against the virtually unknown republican candidate, Joe Lhota, a lifelong NYC politician, and will replace outgoing Mayor Mike Bloomberg who has held the position since elected in November 2001.

Caroline Kennedy Nominated for Ambassadorship

Caroline Kennedy, the only living child of former President John F. Kennedy, has been nominated by President Obama for a Department of State Ambassadorship position to Japan.

The nomination of Kennedy, who has no previous experience, was made by President Obama who stated during the announcement, “these fine public servants bring a depth of experience and tremendous dedication to their new roles. Our nation will be well-served by these individuals, and I look forward to working with them in the months and years to come.”

A dedicated public servant, Kennedy, was instrumental in the election of the President, backing him financially, through public appearances and securing key political endorsements. The administration has been criticized for the choice as it has been noted Kennedy lacks the qualifications and has no ties to Japan its people or culture.

An accomplished philanthropist, author, lawyer and historian, Kennedy is President of the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation and Chair of the Senior Advisory Committee of the Institute of Politics at Harvard University.  

She is the editor of several New York Times best-selling books on topics including constitutional law, American history, politics, and poetry.  She received a B.A. from Harvard University and a J.D. from Columbia Law School.

Kennedy, who no longer uses her married name, was reportedly offered the ambassadorship position to Canada but declined. 

For more information on President Obama: www.whitehouse.gov 

Sources: Gallup, Wikipedia, Whitehouse.gov,