Read and watch more from the GPS special 'Memo to the President' which aired on CNN Sunday.
President Obama officially begins his second term on January 20. So what should his priorities be, domestically and abroad?
For his latest GPS special, "Memo to the President," Fareed Zakaria spoke with former senior policymakers from both sides of the aisle to get their take on what Obama should and shouldn’t be doing in the next four years.
What do you think? What should Obama's priorities be? Share your comments below.
James Baker, Treasury Secretary under Ronald Reagan:
My advice is, Mr. President, whatever happens in the second term, you are going to bear the consequences of it.
Our country is in sick shape financially. Economically, we are really in bad shape. If we didn't have the dollar as the de facto reserve currency of the world, we would be Greece.
And we have got to fix our economic problem, and it's not going to be fixed without leadership from you… It's his administration that's in charge. And if we don't get our economy out of this ditch, he's the one that's going to pay the price, he and his administration.
Paul O’Neill, Treasury Secretary under George W. Bush:
I don't want people to pay taxes if they have $20,000 a year worth of income. But at $30,000, I might like for people to pay $1, just $1, so they have a - a legitimate claim for saying, I'm part of the society and I don't pay a lot, but I do pay something.
Everybody participates and there's no game playing. It's a very efficient way to ray - raise revenue.
Right now, it costs us $431 billion a year to administer the tax system we have. And the tax gap, the money we're not collecting that's theoretically owed, is $400 billion a year. We could do better than that. We can think better than that. And the president needs to lay that out for us.
Elaine Chao, Labor Secretary under George W. Bush:
So what we're seeing, actually, is a lot of discouraged workers, people who can't find jobs. And they've just given up and they're no longer working and they're not counted in the workforce anymore. So we've got to do better on the job creation side.
It's the private sector who does the bulk of the hiring. And they've got to have the confidence. And that confidence comes from a more reasonable taxation level, more reasonable regulatory reform and then also the fiscal discipline that we need in our country to restore our country's overall financial ratings.
Steven Rattner, “Car Czar” for Barack Obama:
We need to have long-term tax policy, long-term budget policy, long-term regulatory policy, not doing this a few months at a time, not careening from a debt ceiling debacle to a fiscal cliff to some other issue with tax credits that expire every few months and all that kind of stuff. And so I think somehow the government as a whole has to come together in order to give business the confidence it needs.
Ed Rendell, Former Governor of Pennsylvania:
There was, in stimulus, something called "Build America Bonds." The federal government said to the states, if you want to do major development and major construction projects, we will help you defray 35 percent of the interest payments, but it ran out when stimulus ran out and an effort to reauthorize that as a separate program was turned down. Now the beauty of it was very little impact on the federal treasury and an incredible impact on the number of project we could get going. This isn't rocket science, it's not like finding a disease, the cure for Alzheimer's or Parkinson's or cancer, we know what the answers are, we know what cure to the problem is, and all it takes is political courage.
Zbigniew Brzezinski, National Security Advisor for Jimmy Carter:
I don't buy the absolutely ridiculous, irrational argument that the Iranians are so suicidal in the country of 75 million people or 80 million people, it's going to rush into committing suicide the moment it gets the first prototype of its bomb.
That even ignores the scientific fact that bombs have to be tested, that you have to have, from a military point of view, quite a number of them to be credible, et cetera, et cetera. So we're not dealing with an imminent threat, a reaction to which would be decided by someone else drawing red lines for us.
Robert Rubin, Treasury Secretary under Bill Clinton:
China is our most important relationship, in my judgment, at least. I think it is immensely in our economic self-interests, as well as in their economic self-interests to have an effective relationship…[A]lot of what we complain about with respect to them – their export-driven strategy, the absence of domestic demand – I think it's critically important for their own self-interests if they're going to have sustainable growth going forward, to deal with that issue.
So I think we have a common self-interest in dealing with many of the issues that we complain to each other about.
What do you think? What should Obama's priorities be? Share your comments below.
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Fareed, how can an English speaking person speak in a way that will limit mis-translation? For example, to say that "I belong to a region" could be mistranslated into something almost the exact opposite.
Obama's priorities are to mend ties with the Congress, without ceding his power. It's most important to have a functioning relationship with the legislative, if a president wants to have things done. Having said that, one has to admit that it is easier said than done. It's a real pity that so many in the House don't have the country's best interest at heart.
I just want my message to be on top*
Well, let US compare President Obama's Second-term with former President Clinton Second-term.
..................>>>>
A. President Clinton has a problem, that his opponents were using it as advantage. It was an affair he has with Monica L.
B. Since there is no 3rd term in US Presidential election, the Vice-President is the only one who is eagerly waiting to run for President.
However, Al-Gore (the former Vice-President), blamed the Clinton's affair for the votes he lost by American people.
Therefore, President Obama must take the above lesson and work hard to get good reputation and credibility by American people, to make Vice-President Biden WIN the Year 2016 Presidential election.
Until recently, President Obama and Vice-President Biden have a CLEAN records.
Who knows, President Biden on 2016.....
@ 100% ETHIO ... I like the idea of Joe Biden as President, but we need to remember that by 2016 he will be 74 years old. I can't see the point in electing someone President whose age and/or health make it questionable whether he'd finish his term. That's my major reservation about Chris Christie, too.
Oh hell no-Biden in 2016--he'll be about 90 by then.......we don't need Mr. Magoo for President, we already have an idiot in the White House.
Ganan
Your mamma is an idiot for having you.
In four years the United States of America will be twenty trillion dollars in debt...
Very, very well put. I couldn't have said it better. People are getting disgusted with the finger pointing and the battle between the Pres. and the Rep. House. Enough, already.
You seem to believe that Obama wants to work with Congress, and there are a number of Republicans that don't want to work with the President because they don't have the country's best interests at heart?. I think you've got it all backwards. If President Obama had the best interests of the country in mind, the first thing he would do would be to put forward a real budget and get it passed. Instead he refuses to even discuss the subject of balancing the budget. How does this help the nation begin to make the hard choices it must address at this particular juncture in time?
well, Obama got a lousy start on that when he submitted A fiscal cliff proposal with NO Spensing cuts after campaigning on a "balanced approach." He had the gall to demand unilateral authority to raise the debt ceiling without Congress. Notice he has backed off on that one-good advice.
Had Obama really wanted a deal, he could have simply sequestered the necessary parties at Camp David, closed the doors to the press, and hammered it out. instead he went back on the campaign trail to recruit his mathematically challenged base , who know next to nothing about our catastrophic debt, to bully GOP congressmen, who know just about everything about our catastrophic debt. Thus far, Obama is a great speaker and campaigner, but an abysmal politician who hasn't a clue what to do if My Way or the Highway doesn't work. He started fiscal cliff negotiations by humiliating Republicans. NOT productive, NOT the mark of a good negotiator.
I believe you are correct,that should be his priorities, but I just don't see it in his actions and words. I believe he wants a fundamental change to this country, that the Rep led House opposes. Please do not let opposition be interpreted as "not having the best interests of the country". The House believes running trillion $ a year deficits is not in the best interest of te country. What do you believe ?
Expressions have to be purged from your speech. Movie references, cultural references, are not shared. And say the thing in more than one way.
VP Biden for president??? You mean Cousin Eddie???
Maybe we OUGHT to allow 3 terms. The guy (Biden) will be completely senile by 2016.
WITH ALL DUE RESPECT,!!
President Obama is in a very good position to do a lot of good if the oligarchs will let him.He needs to end all wars, bring all troops home simply to save money.He must realize that "free trade' with China is a myth. Offshored jobs need to return.Lou Dobbs in ' Exporting America " describes how jobs left, now we have to reverse the trend and bring them back. Our border needs to be closed to illigal immigration, fewer V1-B1 visa issued. Some money needs to be spent on infrastructure ,but not using Chinese firms to do the work ! We are the largest economy in the world and our imports must be less than our exports so that we can provide jobs for Americans. The size of our government must be decreased a lot. Too many rules chased by too many beaurocrats. Imperial posturing is costly-drastic cuts in the military are necessary.
Simple but logical. We need to somehow foster innovation that leads to jobs. The green initiative was not a bad idea but it failed because rather than provide various incentives, the government directly invested and a huge scale and tried to pick and choose. That can be impossible, let the market naturally decide winners and losers. Building large numbers of nuclear plants and desalination plants would stimulate the economy and provide much needed energy and water. One thing is for sure, we have to cut government spending. Ending the wars is a good idea, and leave small forces there, relying on special forces and drones. Iraq is much improved and the world is safer with Saddam Hussein gone, but it cost us dearly in human lives and treasure.
China and Germany do Direct government investment and there are failures. But for Republicans,
no investment may fail. Better that we just give up and become a 3rd world nation. You think China and Germany are not subsidizing solar energy? You are mistaken. And China does it to put our industries out of business. Your comments are dead-wrong in my opinion, based on what I see in other countries.
foster new innovation to create jobs? go learn something before you speak will you. lower the rate companies are taxed at and the jobs will come back to this country. Why pay 35% in tax when you can pay 20%? if they lower the corp tax rate to 15% and commit to holding it there for 10 years there will be more jobs here than people to fill them.
its that simple. I am moving part of my production overseas for cost reasons. One part I produce costs me $65 to make it here, $9 to make it overseas, you do the math. Why does it cost so much here? The steel mill has to pay more for energy because of taxes and regulations on the coal industry, They have to pay for more healthcare which is a tax, they have to match higher fed tax withholdings for employees, they have to deal with union bs, the machinist are also paying all those higher taxes and thus every step of the process raises the end cost which I have to tack on to the sale price....
so tell me who these tax policies are actually helping? I produce product for the disabled.
If you want green energy to compete, tax the negative externalities of dirty energy. Tax CO2 output. Subsidies distort marketplaces and create inefficiencies.
How many times do we have to lower taxes on corporations before they bring jobs back. My God it has proven to be an ultimate failure to keep lowering taxes on corporations, because they have done nothing but kept sending jobs overseas with their lower tax rates. I agree with the individual above. We need new innovation into jobs, whether it be NASA or some other form of new technology. Lowering taxes on corporations have done nothing for this country.
What do you mean we have lowered the taxes for companies? Right now I believe we have the highest coperate tax rate in the world. (or we are going to shortly) WHere have we lowered taxes for corperations? True, tax credits are offered for bringing jobs back to the states but how is that an incentive at all? Great, you get 1 year of tax credits for binging 100 jobs back to the states... then you pay the normal tax rate every other year, plus the extra cost of the labor here? No buisnessman would ever make that stupid decision. There is not stability in what we have at the moment and buisnesses look for stability before they make a major decision.
He won't be in office long enough to destroy this great country. GOD WILL TAKE CARE OF THAT! Amen!
Short memory you have. Forgot that we got here as a result of corporations running Congress. Forgot that we grew no jobs under George Bush for 8 years, except for housing bubble jobs. You folks keep siding with the CEOs, because you are too intellectually lazy.
SuzieCreamcheese, if there is such an omnipotent being as "God", who hears the ignorant mutterings of people like you and acts upon them, I want no part of 'him'. Obama, Bush...it matters only in tiny degree as the USA is driven by much more elemental tides. Also the notion that there is some kind of war against white people and/or capitalism is truly a joke. We need only look back to Gerald Ford to see a far left of center President back in the 1970s – Obama has been a pretty good friend of business actually. And the uber stupid notion that he's taking this country down the path to "European Socialism" is a laugh – this country has been and will continue to be a social democracy. Wake up people and look in the grey – this world and its political machinations are never black and white!
Still envy and jealous of the greatest President in U.S. history? Well that's too bad. If you cant handle it you can go jump off a bridge. Racist stinking bit ch.
Strange thinking!
In my opinion, we need more welfare, more taxes on everyone but me, free healthcare, free donuts, free gas, free cars, no jobs, legalized pot everywhere and mostly importantly – MORE TAXES ON EVERYONE BUT ME.
don't tax you, don't tax me. tax the other fella over there behind the tree....
The problem is that your comment isn't much of an exaggeration for a lot of the Left.
You are case in point why we need education reform in this country.
Envy and jealous of the greatest President in U.S. history? Well that's too bad. Go drink Kool-Aid.
You are likely a resident of one of the red states, receiving 70%+ of federal aid, paid largely by the blue states.
it's easy. shut down the government, that will reduce spending
If the US defaults on its debts there will be multiple consequences, our credit rating would go way down, the US$ would be greatly devalued and the Republican Party would dissapear forever.
If we had shut down the government when GWB was in office, we would have reduced spending in Iraq and Afghanistan by $5.3 trillion, thereby saving our economy and country.
What you said he already did opposite in his first term. He wants bigger government and putting hand-cuffs on businesses...
http://livingunderdrones.org/report/
Tips; Stop implementing communist policies,Stop giving American workers money to Illgal aliens,Stop pandering to the eouropean socialists(communists),stop giving American workers money to welfare frauds, stop your racist war against whites and christians
Fat chance, Dav. Face it, we've re-elected Jimmy Carter. And this time he's on steroids.
The Red states will survive because their legislatures can ameliorate ignorant liberal tax policies - it'll actually be a boon for them.
But the blue states like Illinois and California? Bend ova and grab your ankles, folks.
Ironically, the red states have the largest percentage of their populations on the welfare roles. Go figure.
Absolutely false, Kona..... Are you telling me California and Illinois have less welfare than Texas or Mississippi?
You have no idea what you're talking about. You watch too much PMSNBC.
Yes, California send more tax dollars to the Federal Government per capita than they receive back. Red states mostly receive more than they pay. That is a fact and you can look it up.
That is complete bullschidt and you both know it! The blue states are all starving – and businesses are leaving them for Red states like Texas.
Again, when you turn off MSNBC and start READING, you learn the truth.
Also, blue states are raising taxes, but revenue is DROPPING because businesses are LEAVING! As a result, they all need more bailout money from Obama and the Democrats.
Get a brain, both of you.
A liberal get a brain? And you are right, states that are run by Democrats are all losing revenue despite huge tax increases. And the Dems can't figure out why. And then internet trolls spew lies about blue states robbing money from the federal government because red states aren't paying their fair share.
The blue states are all in deep trouble because Democrats don't know how to run an economy, but they sure know how to ruin one.
Except Red states receive more federal aid than blue states. Do you know what that means? Blue states are subsidizing the red states. Do you know what THAT means? You are getting "free stuff" from your liberal buddies! Also note that the red states are the states with the lowest graduation rates, highest obesity rates, highest infant mortality rates, and the lowest income states. I wonder why...
You are right on most everything you said. Except part of the last sentence. I don't think he is against whites. I just think during his first term in office, he wanted to appoint most people of other nationalities to assure he gets a second term in office. Too bad he doesn't rent a house near the Mexico border for a month, live on nothing but a small Social Security check, let his wife try to find a job, put his kids in a regular school, and drive a beat up old car. I'm a Democrat, but I did not vote for him in '08 or in '12.
Why do people say it's socialism to give more to 98% of the country?The wealthy have and control money in America but everyone else runs it! The biggest problem in America is the GOP in D.C. They refuse to think about the people.America suffers while they're just trying to make a president look bad.It's a disgrace! (ask Governor Christie of NJ)
he should come up with an actual health care reform plan in his second term....not insurance reform which is what Obamacare actually is
To reform healthcare requires accepting that for profit healthcare can never work. Greed has priced healthcare out of reach of the poor and most of the middle class. We have been brainwashed that socialism is bad even though it is used in every aspect to run our republic. All insurance is socialism yet insurance has become a nescessity. Tell me how you can reduce healthcare costs when the demand to want to live will always be high? Is healthcare not a nescessity?
I have younger friends that are in their middle 30's. They can't afford insurance. They have also told me that they can't afford ObamaCare's monthly payments, either. ObamaCare is not geared for the elderly, either. Unless you are rich, and you get old, ObamaCare is going to put the skrews (miss spell intended) to you.
Deb, Obamacare is not a program (dun dun DUNNN!!!) In fact, it dramatically increases the private sector's share of the healthcare industry.
Insurance reform? Hardly.
Thank the legislators – BOTH Democrats and Republicans – for selling out.
When you tell insurance companies that it can't charge outrageous rates or fees to people anymore it's the right reform we all need.Everyone not only have the right to healthcare but the need as well.
Massive cut in military spending,close loopholes on taxes on the rich-ALL pay full soc sec tax,reduce corruption in all program spending,make the lobby bribes HIGHLY illegal,seek out more spending cuts without damage to the middle class,end corp. welfare,expose blind trusts ,increase tax on non working trust fund recipients,& pressure more illegals to leave the US & come in legally.
I didn't see anything in your post that talked about SS or Medicare reform...the two largest eaters of money.
If you mean reduce bene s-16% of 45 years of our work dollars–[personal & boss] to get 30% of wages for 14 years may not be excessive ?
President Obama need to work on trying to bring the right and left together. We need to have a productive Congress.. I don't know how he would do it, but the nation is calling for it.
You right , our Nation needs to have both parties work together... So stop electing people that don't want to cooperate and compromise..
That would entail voting out Republicans, primarily the Tea Party yokels, as everyone knows they are the true obstructionists.
Yes European Worker....you ARE the example of finger pointing idiots we currently have in Congress!
jobs, jobs, jobs...and climate change.
address these two main issues effectively and everything falls from them.
Lets all stop passing gas and we will fix the climate problem
Buh dum psh.
Climate change. Biggest problem facing the world and we act like things are just normal. Life is about to change a lot in the next 100 years.
You know, until or unless we address climate change, all the other issues a moot.
i remember as a young man how these same people who claim climate warming is ruining the planet are the same ones who said if we don't reduce carbon monoxide emmissions we would have another ice age in 20 years. People had to spend millions getting their cars checked because those people said cars were the problem. They insisted the earth's temputure was dropping rapidly. Than was the late 70"s early 80"s. Nothing happened-no ice age no nothing. So please excuse me because I do not believe them this time around. Our planet is changing, in some way, everyday and it is perfectly normal.
Actually Kevin it was Cloro-Floro-Carbons, not carbon Monoxide, that was blamed for creating a hole in the ozone layer. We actually did eliminate these from aerosol cans, but the science has improved and we found out that holes naturally form and go away in the ozone layer over time.
yes it will , l you will not be hear to see it
I would like to see Obama get a media act in this country to hold these stations accountable for making up news and passing it off as reality. You realize how bad it really is when you have a Presidential Debate and one candidate repeating complete fabrications, that one group of Americans are convinced is true. It would go a long way towards bringing Americans back together and stopping the extremists and conspiracy theorists who seem to be getting all the attention.
Its not as one sided as you say but you are right.
Anyone under George W. Bush should be too embarrassed to even speak. Learn from your boss.... Crawl under a rock in Texas and stay there until someone fishes you out.
End our war . Bin Laden is dead .
Jack, you have that right. Too bad the rest cna't get it together.
We need to get all of our troops out of the War zone. Good men and women are getting killed for notheing for a country that don't give a damn about us, only what we can give them. Send the troops home to their love ones. I am 82 years old and a Korean Vet and know most of the country feels about a damn war we will never win.
Get along with Boehner. Understand that there is a fine line between job growth and national dept. Compromise.
I cannot understand why the Republicans don't want to increase taxes on the rich. Probabably because they are all rich. And the best thing the Republican party could do is get rid of the Tea Party.
As long as there is so much crime being committed by bankers, Wall Street investors and American politicians, who suffer NO consequences because of their crimes, it's time to stop the war against the people and legalize marijuana and stop putting people in prison for such a benign thing. President Obama, end the war against marijuana and release every person in prison because of any such "offense" and open up a new market for jobs in this country by LEGALIZING MARIJUANA NOW. These people are not criminals . . . you ignore the real criminals!
Your exactly right. It was not pot smokers that bankrupted our nation. Even a pot head knows how to balance a budget for re-up.
Interesting – no mention of the environment. Over the next 30 – 100 years, the effects of global climate change will be devastating. This HAS to be a priority, right up there with the economy and national security. Continuing to ignore the problems facing us will have dire consequences.
Do you know there are several super volcanos in Iceland that could explode any day releasing more green house gas than the whole history of mankind? Yes polution is an issue and changes the envinronment but being worried about climate change should not be a priority.
Balancing the budget and paying down the debt!!
Better yet, how about the senate pass a budget. This country hasn't had an official bugdet in three years. No wonder they spent like drunk sailors on shore leave. That why I was against the fiscal cliff since it only gives them more money to spend, not reduce spending
I would like to see President Obama use the influence of his position to lobby McDonalds to serve the shamrock shake year-round and not just around St. Patrick's Day.
I was actually disappointed by that. Needs more mint.
End our war . Bin Laden is dead . Their always will be Taliban nut case's .
obama is just mad we killed bin laden that was his idle if he truly wants to do something bring jobs back which i dout he will and he does need to stop trying to mess with religion and guns
Lame Duck!
I wish our President the best!!! God help him!
He has to appeal to the people that actually pay taxes, to let them know that their money isn't being wasted. Go after fraud and waste in social spending, penalize able-bodied people who collect and abuse the system. Make drug testing mandatory for the receipt of welfare and food stamps. Adopt harsher standards on illegals and the people that rent to them and hire them. Americans dont mind helping someone in genuine need, but our tax dollars shouldnt be used to subsidize laziness or buy phones and ipads.
Infrastructure!
Because the public employee union pension plans are broke.
Of course, nothing will ever really get built, but that's not the purpose of infrastructure.
The POTUS isn't Barack Obama. The real POTUS is Richard Trumka, Obama's shadow boss.
Top Priority: Stop giving away our country. You'll never be forgiven.
Conservative words:
We will make Obama fail.
We will make America fail.
We will block everything that Obama tries.
We will hold the country hostage until we win the White House.
We will make Americans suffer until they vote for us.
We will continue doing this until a Republican is elected to the White House.
Conservatism is America's biggest social, economic, and political problem.
Hey, El Flaco. We've got 20 million people who have given up looking for full time employment, every taxpayer owes $145,600 on the federal debt - and have you seen your New Year's pay stub, assuming you're one of the lucky ones that has a job?
News flash: Obama has already failed - all on his own.
And when the mortgage bubble burst because the Dems forced banks to make loans to people who couldn't pay them back, they blamed it on Bush. And the media? They went along for the ride.
Why put all of this on taxpayers? What about those who have been receiving all of their lives with welfare, food stamps, public housing (go by and look at the new cars in the parking lots)? When do we force them from these programs? They've had generations to get their lives together and yet they sit and milk the US, or worse yet, submit to an economic slavery!
Thats what the Democrats did to Bush for 8 years.
Obama failed 4 years ago
Do not allow women to go backwards during your administration with health care, business and administration appointments. You do not want that legacy.
Instead, we'll ALL go backwards.
Take your head out of your ass, Mena.
Fix the Federal and State regulations to promote business and development in the United States! Reduce beauracracy by 50%.
".....STOP wasting time with the "Gun Contol" issue.....and STOP using it as a smoke-screen for the fact that your policies (or lack thereof) in regard to the E-C-O-N-O-M-Y .....don't work and will not work...... "
I'd like to see you knock on the door of any of the parents of the 20 children murdered in Sandy Hook and tell them "it's a waste of time"
We can fix both the economy and the gun problem if Conservatives would stop gridlocking Congress.
Republican gridlock of Congress is the only thing keeping this country afloat right now, Flaco.
Every taxpayer now owes $145,600 on the national debt.
And did you notice your paycheck on Friday? Or are you one of the freeloaders on SSA disability who don't pay taxes and expect "the rich" (i.e., those of us who do pay taxes) to pay your way?
RESIGN !!!!!!! PLEASE, do something for your country !
We survived Jimmy Carter. We'll survive Barack Obama.
I want Obama to be the president who finally comes clean to the public with this nation's full history of contact with other extraterrestrial races and how the human race actually came into being. We can handle it; and for those segments of society who can't handle what that means for undoing their previously held religious and racial beliefs ... oh well, it will suck to be them. It's time !
I bet you're a Democrat block voter.
Just a hunch.
Stop medicare fraud by hospitals.. doctors , nursing homes and people. Two Asperin in a hospital costs $20, unknown doctors walk into a patients room says hello looks at a chart and charges medicare $250 for a visit, nursing homes charges medicare & medicaid & family members the same charges. The entire health care system is a scam.
Are you kidding? Medicare fraud is what keeps the Democrats in office.
Why would they want to stop it?
Democrats like Rick Scott the governor of Florida?
Williams, you hit the nail right on the head. If the government would clean up medicare fraud that is going on with doctors and hospitals they could pay off the federal debt in short time.
The President needs to focus on the economy. I don't buy this crap about 'us being like Greece'. The difference is we don't have 90% of the populous that believes the government should just spend and spend and never raise taxes on anyone. We have plenty of people that believe we should have a balanced mixture of tax hikes and spending cuts that gets us on better footing before once again playing the silly political game that was played in the early 2000s. But, the President needs to be more forceful in getting the corporate world to accept changes as much as the people have to accept changes. If we (and business) continue to be irrationally stubborn to our beliefs despite all the evidence that states our beliefs won't work by themselves, the economy will never improve.
>>The difference is we don't have 90% of the populous that believes the government should just spend and spend
Actually we have about 52% of the population that believes this. They are called Obama Voters.
Too late! Mexico's econmony is ahead of ours.
Do what you said you would do during the 2008 election cycle. Remember hope and change? Nothing has changed. It has been business as usual in DC.
Conservative words:
We will make Obama fail.
We will make America fail.
We will block everything that Obama tries.
We will hold the country hostage until we win the White House.
We will make Americans suffer until they vote for us.
We will continue doing this until a Republican is elected to the White House.
Love and Prayers Mr. Obama.
I think Immigration reform should be taken care of, positive reform would help the country in the future.
Gun reform is difficult given it is already out of control and WE probably have more guns than people in the US. Sad.
Look to supporting Food and Water resources, times will get harder for everyone. Good Luck.
Stop making excuses.
The country needs to address top 3 issues in 2 areas – revenue and expenses.
Expenses – biggest areas are medicare, defense and social security. Defense is the only net expense – others expenses get recirculated in the economy by seniors. So cut defense hard..
Revenue – Higher taxes lead to cheating. VAT works very well to combat that. So a combination of VAT and single digit flat tax on income – no deductions at all – for those above poverty level.
I'm for a VAT also as long as necessities are exempted. Tax Internet commerce. Also tax stock trades. That will all broaden the tax base and eliminate a lot of resentment about taxing "success."
Implement Obamacare flawlessly. He needs to have weekly meetings with the department heads in charge of this and call them daily to crack the whip. If this monumental and heroic effort at universal coverage turns into a bureaucratic nightmare that produces little or no improvement, it will poison the well for years to come. It is already much less than what was needed - Medicare for all, disentangled from employment and private insurance. And much too complicated for the public to understand. But it was the best he could get with a obstructive, subversive Republican Congress. The key will be the exchanges and the affordability of coverage available. The other key will be educating the public and small businesses about the exchanges and the benefits of the standardized plans. So far the administration has failed at public education and let the subversives rule the public perception. He should lay off immigration reform until Obamacare is running smoothly.
Ahhh... you sensed it. Obamacare in a Frankestinian construction and will suffer the same fate. It was never designed to work as an organic whole, but was just a collection of Democrat party wishes... many of which will actually cause more harm than good to our overall health care delivery system. No amount of obsessive compulsive micromanagement by the Control Freak in the White House will prevent this contraption from rattling itself to piece. It is destined to be as unpopular and as unworkable as was Prohibition.
Republicans were the reason Obamacare was the best Obama could do? Boy are you a Obama mindless follower. Obama never contributed to writing the bill. Republicans were a very small minortiy and were never included in the process. With dem senators only going along after taking political bribes to vote for it and house dems injecting all kinds of trash in the bill and Obama not having a clue what was in it just signs it. It's size will kill it and us. So Republicans had nothing to do with that crappy bill. It was all your beloved dems, no one else.
The president should concentrate on jobs first, the debt next, SSS & Medicare to get fixed &
taxes to be reworked. But most of all, we need Congress to just GROW UP! You're acting like lil babies! If you don't
turn yourself around your legacy will be in the toilet like g.w. bush F.Up.....get going.
Mr. President,
Fix the corruption and wasted spending.
Bob
The president cannot cure our problems because he is not a leader. A big part of leadership are that people must consent to be led by that leader. A leader builds that consent by the depth of his character, the ability not to give meaningless orders, and the ability to understand that it is better to bring different view points together for a common cause instead of always wanting to win the agruement. President Obama showed through the campaign he lacks all of these skills. He claimed to be like Lincoln but he isn't even in Lincoln's league. I think Obama needs to go through USMC boot camp and then OCS to leaarn what it takes and means to lead.
Conservative words:
We will make Obama fail.
We will make America fail.
We will block everything that Obama tries.
We will hold the country hostage until we win the White House.
We will make Americans suffer until they vote for us.
We will continue doing this until a Republican is elected to the White House.
I think you forgot your meds....
You hit the nail on the head.
Dude, give it a rest already. Go back to watching Chris Matthews...
USMC Boot Camp built me. Some failed, boot camp for me, made understand that I can do any thing, so long as I follow orders. Boot Camp is best described by the first few words of "A Tale of Two Cities", It was the best of times. It was the worst of times.
>>My advice is, Mr. President, whatever happens in the second term, you are going to bear the consequences of it.
HA. He doesn't have to worry about another term. He got re-elected, that's all he cares about. The consequences are that he will be a very rich man when he leaves office, writes a book, and charges huge speaking fees.
Tip #1 pull your head all the way out of your butt!
He needs to deal with our medical costs and insurance. I just got denied glaucoma drops without preservatives because I am allergic to preservatives. Now I have to pay with good? Ins. Get rid of drug and ins lobbyists. Why can't we get from Canada? Now our treatment and life expectancy is low compared to other countries. Huge problem effecting debt, jobs and health.
The president needs to focus on the economy, all of these other issues will be better, if the major problem this country faces is addressed.
Job creation via small businesses versus the WPA (Works Progress Admin) ie TSA style job creation. Small Businesses Created America and Small Businesses can Save America. Live with Intention, DrBillTothCom/blog
We are delusional if we think Mr. Obama is going to listen to anything "we the people" have to say. My impression is that he has convinced himself that he is omnipotent. There is an old saying that I am reminded of "power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." Scary stuff.
What gives you that idea about Obama? I don't see anything like that.
I think you've just been brainwashed by Conservative propaganda.
better than a liberal butt hole and idiot like obama
Throw the bankers in jail.
Student loan debt forgiveness, both private & govt. loans. College costs and interest rates are crippling. Many students will have debts burdening them for the rest of their lives.
The costs would be lower if students didn't have to take a bunch of classes that have nothing to do with the degree they want.
Why shouldn't you have to repay the 20-30K you took out for college core classes hmmmm?
PLEASE, PLEASE-PRESIDENT OBAMA, GAY MARRIAGE. THIS 72 YEAR OLD WOMAN WOULD LOVE TO MARRY BEFORE I LEAVE THIS EARTH THIS TIME...MY 71 YEAR OLD PARTNER FEELS THE SAME WAY. YOU HAVE DONE SO MUCH TO MOVE GAY RIGHTS AHEAD, WHY NOT FINISH WITH A BANG!
Um...you can get married........
We can't hope to compete if we spend all of our time getting to and from work, and paying the taxes, tolls and fees related to the deferred maintenance of a dysfunctional infrastructure. It's the same thing with education. Educating our young to compete is not an option but a requirement for America's future.
I'll be content if he plays a lot of golf and his wife and kids go on a lot of fascinating vacations. I have no interest in any of his agendas and neither does the House of Representatives. I don't see him getting us entangled in messy foreign situations... and I doubt that he will do anything about the debt. In sum... hed's already a lame duck... so he might just as well relax and enjoy the perks of the office.
If a giant UFO abducted every Conservative from America tonight at midnight, the country would be running 15% better by sunrise tomorrow morning.
It's actually pretty tough to define conservative nowadays. If someone is neutral on all the social issues and merely hopes that we don't get involved in any wars, but is very very very worried about the debt... does that qualify. My guess is that this amounts to a whole lot of people who actually keep the country running.
Once you are retired from U.S presidency, you can just tune out outside noise and chill. Maybe do one or two events with injured veterans. It's not like he will have opposition like muslim brotherhood waiting outside who'd want to hang him. He had to go through hell recently for a no brainer deal. There is really not that great incentive for U.S president to do bigger stuff like CEO of multinational corporation. And it's really hard too because one senator can make U.S president's life hell if the president is not that powerful among lawmakers.
Start breaking away from China. They can not be trusted. They are spending all the money we send them on a huge military buildup. Missles, stealth planes, submarines, aircraft carriers. They want to dominate the Pacific. Beware!
we are sending IOU to China...and they will never get the $... Why not continuing sending them more IOU..and we rip the benefits of cheap products...???
James Baker, our country, our resources, our system and our economy are absolutely nothing like Greece. And to make a comparison shows your ignorance and/or that you are simply a political hack
Immediately stop drone attacks. Change drone policy.
Would you rather have live pilots flying jets instead of pilot-less drones? Why?
Bring manufacture, call-center jobs, public transport, energy efficiency, push more fuel-efficient cars fron big three auto, tighten immigration, cut h1b, H4 visas and JOB-TRAIN BY USA CITIZENS, enhance rural Internet, voter reform, filibuster reform, term limits for senate and congress, gun-contro laws, go ahead–Obama, good luck. Time flies–be swift and fast.
CLIMATE CHANGE. The natural world makes our current civilization and way of life even possible; all other issues are secondary. People would be blind to ignore this.
droping dead would be a good start.
People won't know how stupid you are until you open your mouth...............do yourself a favor, please close yours!
Dear Ed Rendell,
You destroyed the economy of PA. Why, oh why, would anyone want your opinion? Oh, that's right, you can't get a political position because you backed Clinton over Obama!
Please fade into oblivion.
The very long term unemployed are going to end up being a permanent unemployed class and a drag on our economy and our society. Addressing the unemployment and underemployment problem should be priority #1 - increasing employment will reduce social spending, increase tax revenues and thereby seriously address our deficit/debt problems.
I'm glad you can vent on this site, it will at least keep you from looking stupid to those who really know you. We just have to suffer your ignorance for the time we are reading this article and responses.
Hear that Mr. President? That's the heartbeat of the mighty sleeping giant, and she is stirring.
"That even ignores the scientific fact that bombs have to be tested, that you have to have, from a military point of view, quite a number of them to be credible, et cetera, et cetera. So we're not dealing with an imminent threat, a reaction to which would be decided by someone else drawing red lines for us." – Brzezinski Zbigniew
What an idiotic and small minded statement. One only needs "quite a few" nuclear weapons...if one's enemy is a super power like the United States. If your enemy is a tiny nation like Israel??? In that case one hardly needs more than a couple. Also with the advancement of technology - specifically computer simulations - you really have to do very little physical testing, if any. Finally Iran is run by jihadists and jihadism is not about one single nation. It is about a religion that nearly a quarter of the world passionately follows and an ideology that spans multiple continents. They view that one nation as an insignificant cog in the grand scheme of things. That's not insane, in fact many would call it exceedingly rational.
Bringing manufacturing back to the United States and increasing our manufacturing expertise should be top goals. Setting up a national manufacturing R&D center to promote research, cooperation and synergism should help us meet this goal.
gun control
Our need is Jobs Jobs Jobs oh and did I say Jobs!!!
With Jobs everything will begin to take care of itself at home!!!
I think he should...
Tax Reform. Obama was re-elected in part for his promise to tax the wealthy at a higher rate and not the middle class. Not only did he win the most electoral votes but popular votes as well. I think the Republicans should realize they need to listen to the majority of the people and allow Obama to go forward with his promise. Instead the Republicans are throwing in a bunch of fluff to appease the wealthy and take more away from the middle class in trying to change Medicare and Social Security. That's not what the American people voted for.
He should legalize cannabis. Everything else will sort itself out.
Obama should do nothing at all. It's easy coasting second term and CNN and MSNBC will call it genius anyway.
Hey Fareed, thanks for all of the insight as to what is wrong with America and how we should go about fixing it. I have a suggestion for you – go back to your homeland India and fight for women's rights there.
Our infrastructure has been neglected for a full generation and is making our economy less efficient and more expensive. Rendell's plan deserves a serious look.
Protect the first amendment, at all cost. The second is not negotiable.
Play more golf! Smoke more cigs! Destroy more relationships with our allies!
$2 spending reduction for every $1 tax increase. Just act like a responsible American family who's credit cards are maxed out. It's a fairy tale that we can have and do everything we want. We're taxing our grandchildren, and they're not represented in the Congress. Most of them haven't been born. NO TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION
Failing to spend on R&D, infrastructure and education just gives our grandchildren a weaker economy with few opportunities.
Please put your blinders back on and go play with your $1,000,000,000,000,000 platinum coin.
The repubs' threat to hold the full faith and credit of the United States hostage until they are able to cut Medicare is traitorous in my opinion.
uh, it's Obama who wants to cut Medicare, not the republicans. Wow, just TRY to read a news story once in awhile instead of spreading talking points.
abolish corporate person-hood. make corporate lobbying illegal. make it illegal for corporations to outsource. bring industry back to America. stay out of gun control as it only empowers criminals and steals liberties from law-abiding citizens. enforce the borders. decriminalize marijuana. Do something for the middle-class!
I like that you used the term "abolish". The SCOTUS already delivered a decision on coporate donations to political parties by declaring that a corporation is a person (or run by a person to make decisions). King Obama cannot rule by fiat....even if he does try to abuse Executive orders (even more than Bush)
Bring back manufacturing and stop immigration and foreign imports, except as absolutely necessary. Keep religion out of government, too.
Job creation!
really? Are you serious??? We just raised taxes on the only people who actually CAN create jobs. The wealthy. Like it or not, jobs don't come from people making less than $50,000/year. So you just decreased their income and NOW you scream you want them to create more jobs. News flash, the purpose of a business is NOT to create jobs, it's to make a profit. With profit, jobs follow.I fear you may learn this too late.
President Obama should create an entrepreneurship fund to help companies commercialize their products. The Small Business Administration might be great for starting a hot dog stand, but not a business that adds substantial value to the economy. In addition, it requires that one uses assets such as a home as collateral. Right now, it is difficult to find investors willing to be first to put money at risk. If the Presdent wants to get capital moving to build jobs, the Treasury Department should establish a reserve fund of $100 Billion that would be made available on the basis of merit to small companies in amounts up to $5 Million in the form of convertible debt. The companies would be qualifed by existing investment concerns according to their standard practice. The fund could then provide capital as the lead investor , thus sharing and lowering risk to provide an incentive for VCs and other investment organizations to co-invest. If Treasury could turn a profit by taking big positions in GM, AIG and others, it can do the same by helping entrepreneurs get their companies to profitabiity. Goods, services and jobs will be added to the economy, tax revennue would increase, and America would be on the move again using its own resources, creativity and capital!
I would tell Obama to just ignore the GOP/teabaggers and the religious right wackos that Bush W empowered. Take a steam roller and run over them. They have not added a constructive thing to the USA since Bill Clinton. All they have managed to so is make the rich richer. Its time that government works for the People not the rich overlords. Make sure the SCOTUS swings to the center and stays there for a while. Build up the Middle Class again. A country without one is just a 3rd world nation. Jobs Jobs Jobs.
You didn't just drink the kool-aid, you showered in it, swam in it and had an enema with it.
I'd love to see him push tax reform that REALLY taxes the richest Americans, unlike that embarrassment the Buffet Rule, which would have spared the people in the top tax bracket such as, ironically, Warren Buffet. And if that is his top priority, gun control must be second. Seriously, hasn't there been enough violence?
The legislative branch should legislate a law that makes the McRib sandwhich a year round offering. If President Obama threatens a veto he should be impeached immediately.
Tip 1 – resign from all politics immediately
Tip 2 – resign from all politics immediately
Tip 3 – resign from all politics immediately
Tip 4 – resign from all politics immediately
Tip 5 – resign from all politics immediately
Tip 6 – resign from all politics immediately
Tip 7 – do all of the above
1. AMEN! 2. AMEN! 3. AMEN! 4. AMEN! 5. AMEN! 6. AMEN! 7. #s 1-6.
PS: tell him to take that ugly, fat hypocrit of a wife with him.
He's been concerned with Obamacare 1st term and now guns. He doesn't care about job creation. That should have been his concern starting 1st term. He's a POS.
Unfortunately, Obama is losing his focus because his past is taking over. He should stop running for re-election and focus on the one thing his legacy will be based on: JOBS. Everything else is nice and will get him points on the liberal side of his party, but will be irrelevant to his legacy if he can't create JOBS.
Focus on JOBS. Obamacare, budget, taxes, gun control are nice liberal causes but mean nothing if he can't deliver JOBS.
JOBS, JOBS, JOBS or you risk losing your legacy and even maybe putting yourself in a position that you could be impeached. JOBS.....do anything to create JOBS, no matter.
His first priority should be to take a course in economics.
Every American taxpayer now owes $145,600 on the national debt. If you count all Americans, meaning your children who don't work yet (assuming they'll be able to find a job when they're old enough), it drops to $45,000, but it's projected to increase to $55,000 by 2016.
Visit USDebtclock.org
It's an eye opener. And if you're not completely appalled, you're either a liberal idiot or just plain retarded.
Correction: I just checked. Your children now owe $52,189. The figures I just quoted are from early December.
And in 2017 the debt on your children will rise to $68,598 and the debt to individual tax payer tops $183,000.
And we've re-elected Jimmy Carter.
The most important thing for Obama to do is to subscribe to the political version of the modern elision of the Hippocratic Oath: "First, do no harm."–and that includes quit scaring the economy with endless threats of higher taxes and insane over-regulation. Call off the class warfare of trying to force one half of the population to subsidise the other half–it's divisive and unjust.
Quit treating the people of this country with the contempt implicit in such things as Obamacare–get out of the way and let us make our own decisions. Don't even try to trash the rights of 99.9999% of American gun owners who've never abused their guns and often do good with them.
Try to be a President for all of us, not just for your friends–you don't need to buy any more votes. Quit saying vicious, divisive, things like “If they bring a knife to the fight, we bring a gun.”
I believe it takes a village to start and run new companies. No matter if you are a Republican, Democrat, TEA party or liberal, it takes all talents working together. TEA party people may be good at one part of business and a liberal at something else. Republicans may now how to finance new companies; however Democrats may be good at creating new ideas. As they say out of 200 ideas, 2 may be doable. Perhaps some ideas Americans propose are that of the 198 non-starters; however, sooner or later there will be those 2 winning ideas proposed mixed in. After all, even a stopped watch is right 2 times a day. And a watch running backwards is right 4 times a day.
Can new ways be developed to help people obtain better health? Can better ways be developed, to get people to pre-stock on emergency supplies for disasters, including hurricanes, earthquakes, ice storms and blizzards? Can a better model be developed for FEMA to pre-position equipment in case of an approaching major storm to restore power? Can they air lift bucket trucks and tree removal supplies to where it is needed the most? They could utilize large military helicopters to do such thing?
I was at an unemployment support group then I realized, there were people with enough different backgrounds and talents to start and run new companies. There were accountants, sales, HR, IT and other personnel to make up that group. Then I thought instead of us unemployed looking outward for new jobs; We could look no further than the people in that same room for new jobs. I hope the next 4 years will bring the following to create new companies; thus new jobs. Can new research parks be organized in every town to start and run new companies? There would be a contact person and website for Americans to submit new ideas. If it looks to be a winning idea, unemployed engineers could be hired to help develop this new product. Financiers could then be contacted to move this new company from planning stage to that of production. Then unemployed accountants, marketing, HR, IT and others would be hired to run this new company. I believe it takes a village to start and run new companies. I believe creating new one-stop business parks in every town is a great place to start.
You should watch Shark Tank and learn how people still believe in the American Dream. Some are losers and some are winners. Government is against business.
The best thing he can do for America is resign.
I agree 100%. He's ruining the nation.
I can never take F. Zakaria seriously after his Time article: "Obama has been good. Can he be great?"
In my opinion, we need more welfare, more taxes on everyone but me, free healthcare, free donuts, free gas, free cars, no jobs, legalized pot everywhere and mostly importantly – MORE TAXES ON EVERYONE BUT ME.
There's prison cell with the bankers name all over it.
Climate change. Everything else is pointless if we don't invest significant resources to address this issue.
Global warming and saving the environment, animals and farming.
Obama needs to back-off his childish notion of "my way or the highway" in all of his dealings with congress. The American people are not fooled by this misdirected, naive methodology of dealing with folks who disagree with your idea of what America is, and can be. Obama is not Presidential material. However, he IS our president. I would hope that at minimum, he would want to make some progress with the issues he promised he would, if for no other reason than to avoid the historians writing about him as the worst president to ever hold 8 years in office.
Sorry! The President is not taking tips now or ever! Thumb to the nose! Salute!
I believe Obama's number one priority should be similar to what the Republicons have been doing since he was elected President. He should say no to anything and everything they want to do, and put all of his efforts into trying to make sure that John Boehner does not get re-elected. He is the main reasons the Republicons have become the "Party of No". Get rid of him and the rest of the Republicons might be a little more cooperative, and our do nothing Congress might actually get something done for a change.
what you say is absolutely not true! republicans saying NO? they put forth budgets and proposals.....maybe you are right, dems didn't say no...they just ignored and nothing got done 16.5 trillion and ticking...that is a global warming mess!
Frank's not that smart, is he, and a brainwashed fool to boot.
Climate Change – none of the other stuff will even matter if we continue to ignore the changing climate...and the clock is ticking.
Mr. President can address the problems in Tibet. Self immolations and reasons of these causes. I am not saying he should lie. I am only saying President should tell the truth to the world and support the truth.
change comes when the back door banking is shut permanently, when half under the sock table is on the table, when there isn't po tik free gifts that gave you a tax increase for your neighbors free stuff and a fiscal clift, when you stop voting in the same religious guise that continued Pres. George Bush's mess.
Yes. like he would take them to heart. NOT
Resign.
Fareed , #1 on your list is for President Obama to create jobs? What kind of jobs can the President create? More government workers? Why not suggest the President's first priority is for the government to get out of the way of job creation? Private Sector job growth is key to economic recovery. Government hurts far more than it helps. FZ, you do the public a disservice when you perpetuate the illusion the President creates jobs.
Make lots of chocolate chip cookies. Give those cookie out to the GOP.
Dump the socialist idea of Health Care reform (Obamacare). Dump it and dump it Now before there is no turning back, and the country is totally screwed on health care. If he moves forward, there is no turning back and our country will suffer. Suffer to the likes of the greast depression in the 30's. Amrerica is not ready for this, it works in Europe, but will never work in America. Amercians cannot even understand the metric system, how will they ever understand this. Currently, this a plague in our health care system now, which will only get worse. How about this, get a job, pay for health care and pay your taxes and stop looking for a free ride fromthe government.
1st tip for Obama second term: RESIGN he is a failure and bad for the country! but of course plenty of ignorant fools voted for him....
So I'm wondering if that lingering November bile ruined the taste of your Christmas dinner.
So says the ignorant fool who votes republican....how did ole' GW Bush work out for you?
Ensure the correct implementation of the things already passed. That's a full agenda
The black american citizens of america are watching the representatives or officials president obama chooses to put in place. Even though many of our people are well qualified they are constantly overlooked or not defended/backed by the president. This has to stop. He acknowledges other ethnic groups with action/legislation. To us he gives inspirational speeches without any fullproof plan to aid us. If this situation is not rectified soon, I encourage black americans to empower themselves through education and business and to seek another candidate to hold in high esteem and to support. Obama has shown a tendency to support those of the IVY league and those who are connected to powerful llobbies. It is time that we stop supporting those who do not support us.
You are now just learning Obama doesn't care about you? Just look at the unemployment number for black Americans. That is proof enough he doesn't care. He played on your ethinic background to get your vote. Now that you re-elected him you will keep getting the short end of the stick. It is truly sad people still vote based on race. I couldn't care what his skin color is, his religion, or if he eats cat chow. We need a leader and it is not him. To preach health care to me and the guy smokes, eats greasy foods, and shows he is no health guru or leader.
For Obama's Second Term.......I vote for Obama throwing himself on his own sword.......
So James Baker is asked what his advice to the President would be as he starts his second term and his answer is essentially "Whatever happens is his fault." Not only is that not advice but it's also not true. If Baker believed that concept in general, wouldn't he be offering mea culpas for the Reagan deficits?
Economic growth and job growth! We have dismal economic growth and the outlook is uninspiring, especially for those looking for a decent job.
1. Reduce murders in the black community. Somehow this race of people believe that killing is their only answer. Teach them that studying in schools and working hard is the way to go. Put time limits on welfare, public housing. This will make for a much smaller murder rate in the US, check the stats.
2. Jobs, jobs, jobs for everyone. Everyone must work, all worker age people must work and pay taxes. No more free rides with welfare, etc.
3. Reduce overseas spending on foreign countries. We need the money.
My top priority for this President would be a resignation of him and Biden simultaneously. Biden is the best job security Obama has!
obama, please budget the country as you would your own finances. im sure you live within your means and have a retirement plan and investments for your future and your children. then why would you run the country the comlete opposite with maxed out credit and unrestrained growing interest on debt and no notion or plan to turn things around?
i think we need an accountant instead of a president next term. let the VP handle politics next term.
Post
1- A CCC-like project that will hire the hard core unemployed at a decent wage and rebuild our crumbing infrastructure, schools and park system
2- Invest HEAVILY in medical (CANCER) research. A healthy populace is necessary for a HEALTHY ECONOMY.
3- Invest in big GREEN ENERGY and fight global warming/climate change
4- Legalize POT, tax it HEAVILY. Jobs and revenue and frees up courts and jails for actual CRIMINALS.
5- Divert $5 BILLION a year from defense budget for a NATIONAL GUN BUY-BACK program. Illegalize assault weapons and ammo, and all clips over 10.
6- Cradle to grave health care for all.
7- FIRE Michael Taylor (ex Monsanto exec) from the FDA, In fact FIRE ALL former execs from polluting companies from the EPA and FDA. CLEAN HOUSE Mr President !!!
I sincerely believe you need to revisit "Build America Bonds". I believe we need to build better cooperation between the federal govt and the states and be focusing on the infrastructure of the United States. We have been distracted for a long time with international issues and wars. President Obama you are the great organizer. Organize a challenge to the people of the USA to strengthen America. We need to re-build our power plants (which are sadly out of date), address our mass transportation systems, create a better mental health system, have better access to health care (not access to insurance), improve our education, evaluate our social security, and so on. Take us out of a war time economy and put people to work like returning vets, graduating college students, and unemployed older folks on strengthening America.
As long as "low information voters" keep electing Anti-America Republicans to office then our problems will never be fixed.
Everything wrong in he country is directly caused by conservative polices.
2nd term? He should clear up Benghazi, stop blaming congress and everyone because he is bad negotiator, pick qualified cabinet members who have bi partisan support instead of trying to cause fights, stop being so arrogant, hypocrital and hyper-partisan, try to bring people together instead of being divisive, the list could go on .....
When Bill Clinton left the presidency on January 20, 2001, the American economy was in as good shape as it had ever been in the previous 50 years. When Barack Obama began his presidency on January 20, 2008, the American economy was already sliding into what became the worst recession since the Great Depression of the 1930s. Who was in charge between 2001-2008 that let that happen?
Job creation should be the U.S. President's number one priority.
Best thing he could do is resign.
We can talk about economic concerns, political agendas, important domestic issues, outside threats etc etc, many of which have very valid arguments for their inclusion into the prioritization of our countries problems, but for me the most important issue that must be addressed is the governments inability to work together. Somehow the President must heal the divide that so sharply divides our elected officials and keeps our country from moving forward in any direction. Any political ideology practiced to exclusion is doomed to fail. The worlds history is littered the ruins of such folly. We must rise above our petty differences and understand only together will be able to solve the plethora of political challenges facing our country today. I say its time to put aside labels like Democrat or Republican forget about campaign concerns and get back to the only pledge I'm concerned about......the pledge of allegiance!
Global climate change is not only our country's greatest issue, it is the greatest issue humanity faces today. We are on a trajectory such that this planet will not support human life. We must change everything about our lifestyles that involves the direct or indirect consumption of fossil fuels. And, we must make these changes now.
Addressing this issue will take ALL of us working together. And, yes, it will drive a ton of jobs. We need to rebuild every home, recreate cities such that we all live near our workplaces, create local food, water, and energy security. All these changes will drive the creation of jobs, lots of them.
Wrong, while climate change may be an issue, it ain't gonna get fixed until the economy is fixed. We still don't know how to avoid climate change, but we sure as heck do know how to fix the economy. And with a healthy economy we will have the resources to do what we need to do about climate change especially if we actually have a solution. Remember doing something because we should is often more damaging than doing nothing.
Nothing will change unless both parties agree to get rid if the IRS and go to a fair tax. Yes, everyone who resides in the US should pay taxes based on what they purchase exempting food. This would eliminate loopholes for all people. If anyone noticed, they have raised the tax bracket on the wealthy but given loopholes to Hollywood and Nascar. Let me see, who do you think make the most money? Obama claims to want the wealthy to pay more unless they are his major contributors! The politicians will ruin this country. We need a budget! Stop welfare! Put people back to work!
Follow Clinton's lead, it's the economy stupid!!!! Have all americans pay taxes so that they have some skin in the game. Get us out of Afghanistan and completely out of Iraq, and stay out of Syria. But get real and understand that this is the beginning of the Islam tide and prepare for it.
CLIMATE CHANGE.
REFORM FAMILY COURTS. Re-instate Fault divorces. Give Fathers Rights!
His top priority should be....
leaving.
Sec. Baker...what a handsome man !...I beg to disagree, though !
Stimulus is the key in a depressed global economy(note that I say global, not US for those shortsighted among us).As the world transforms into a closely interconnected system of systems, the only nation on Earth that can pull us all out of the doldrums seems stuck in neutral...worse, unable to shine American vision when it is needed. The silver haired congress cannot be trusted to think in visionary terms because they are all "old" to put it mildly.
America needs to unleash stimulus, serious stimulus, create a few hundred new innovations like the iPhone and all talk of fiscal deficit will be forgotten, forever. But we need to be wary of other "small"nations with 19th century mindset, especially those with a "royal" history of using Machiavellian tactics, and bring them in line for the new values that are unleashed upon us, thanks to freedom of information...at the speed of light !
America needs to assert that Cosmopolitanism is what we wish to see in the world, in keeping with freedom of information and knowledge.
7 tips? Here's one tip. Don't sell this country out to the Arab nations you MUSLIM TURD
I agree
re:James Baker – the American people will pay the price...not the President or his cabinet
re:Paul O"Neil – exactly......everyone needs to contribute no matter how small or how large
re:Elaine – right...all the continuing indecision from Washington leaves the private sector unsure of what or what not to do
re; Steven Pather – right....long term plan and long term strategy with a little tweaking as time goes on... that is the way industry has been successful
Zbigniew Brezinski – wrong... we all waited as we appeased Hitler – and look what happened..we are appeasing the situation in Syria...and look hat is happening.....we did not go after Sadam when he invaded Kuwait and look what happened....start by talking but don't let talking become your first and last strategy
From your neighbor in the north, I am pleased to have you as our neighbor. But, at the same time, you need to get past your arrogance......the only good thing is that which is born and developed in the USA.......You guys are at the bottom of virtually ever category when you look at the top 17 countries in the world. You need to come to grips and admit that while you have contributed a lot to this planet, there are others who have also got a lot to contribute. You have 50 million people on food stamps...you suffered through a real housing crisis...you have a sick and failing health care system....you have more deaths per capita from guns than any country in the world. You want to fix everything but fail to do anything but fall into a he said she said battle. As the wealthiest country in the world you should be the leaders and not the brunt of jokes about your continued ineptness at doing anything. As someone said, your only saving grace is the fact that the US$ is the standard currency...but, unless you change, it is not a matter of "if" but "when" you will go the way of the Roman Empire.
Tax church land & income[they are private clubs ]& non believers should not pay for them,end the Patriot act that has cancelled the Bill of Rights & go back away from the Homeland security scam.
President Obama and our Congress need to humbly seek God's will, then do what is best for our country "as a whole."
And I think you should keep your religion to yourself and respect the separation of church and state!
I think ending the war on drugs (marijuana) will keep billions of dollars from leaving our country, and this will aid legitimate investment in our country and job creation. Certainly there are other programs that need to be eliminated or ran more efficiently, but it's rediculous to spend tax dollars and bear the cost of incarcerating fellow citizens over a non-lethal drug.
Currently 15,000 Americans per year die from Vicodin, but not 1 overdose from Marijuana. So why is our country spending so much to prohibit and incarate marijuana users?
Being a conservative the truth is hard to swallow, but the Republicans have done more then their fair share to help destroy the country. Ronald Reagan with amnesty for 13 million illegals. Bill Clinton with NAFTA and free trade endorsed by Republicans. Bush II with useless wars, deficits, open borders, globalization and TARP. Now comes Obama with another amnesty that the Republicans can't wait to jump on, higher taxes but still with deficits we have no intention of ever repaying and a debt ceiling that means absolutely nothing until China decides it does. I would say this Bald Eagle's goose is already cooked and these so called experts quoted above in large measure helped build the cook fire.
recognize the new states of Seattle and Palestine.
I have several suggestions.
1) Anyone who has flown on a plane has heard the phrase "put on your own oxygen mask before helping someone else with theirs." Our country is in a similar financial situation. We should, at least for the next 5-10 years, halt all foreign aid (monetary, not necessarily sales or "in-kind" aid which can cost substantially less).
2) Close all military bases on foreign soil. Bring all troops home, re-establish those troops at previously closed bases to help re-stimulate local economies. Engage the scientific community in ways to just as effectively defend our interests from here rather than having to be deployed continuously around the world.
3) Match all tariffs imposed on US goods and services from other countries. Pass a law creating a mechanism for automatically reciprocal tariffs. If some other country changes tarrifs on the US, the law automatically raises or lowers ours to match.
4) Seriously investigate some form of national consumption (sales) tax to completely replace all income taxes and ditch the wasteful IRS. Studies have shown such a tax would stimulate the economy, increase overall revenues (especially because even criminal activities now get taxed), bring ex-pat companies home and create the US as a tax haven for foreign companies. Further, the wealthiest would pay substantially more than others because they spend substantially more. Of course there will be attempts to cheat, but if the tax code is kept simple, it would be more difficult.
I love your idea on tariffs. Such a law would prevent cronyism from creeping in and passing tariffs only for domestic industries with high political clout. America needs to become the beacon of free trade and will play fairly with those who play fairly with us. Well said.
DO NOTHING!!! Bring the troops home, stop spending so much money, reduce taxes, end the war on drugs, open immigration, repeal universal healthcare, get government out of the way. That's what you should do Mr. Obama. People make jobs, governments destroy them. Repeal NDAA and The Patriot Act, end Guantanmo, stop assassinating suspected terrorists without due process, ESPECIALLY AMERICAN ONES... Basically undo your whole nanny-state loving political philosophy. Become Ron Paul.
Um, Well,
It may be hard for Liberal's to understand but most people are perfectly capable of taking care of themselves. In fact they have to. So Start the return of all Social Programs to the States where the people in each state can decide their own Prioirties.
Prez Obama should consider Illinois' current position as the worst state in the union when it comes to finances, a state that he and his cronies herald from. Illinois is starting to depopulate due to the costs of living/doing biz here. He should also take a close look at Argentina. U can't build a middle class via a govt beuracracy. He needs to stop punishing the "successful". Retribution and a wholesale desire to change the fabric of the US is clearly his motive. Note well the time when Clinton handed the keys to WH to Bush, we were headed back to recession. It was the Bush tax cuts that kept us out of recession even with the tragedy of 911. Better read up on your history folks.
I believe Flat Tax for everyone, Nationalized Healthcare + legalizing Marijuana would be a great start for our economic recovery! And, Term-Limits are an absolute "Must Have"!!
The best thing that Obama could do for the good of our country is to immediately resign.
There is still time to resign. Seeing as how everything is in such tatters after George W Bush, no one would blame you you and Michell for resigning and hanging out with your millionaire and billionaire Hollywood freak friends.
When health is lost few things matter. Fareed, I'm surprised both you and Obama, both being obviously very bright guys, don't make it a priority to inform more people just how great a risk GMOs are now, which are estimated to be in 80% of the US food supply. Fareed, I know your focus is not on health, but the President should show even with the great influence and power companies like Monsanto have, it's still the people that matter, and his next focus, Gun Control.
I hope you will both read or watch Genetic Roulette to really understand just how serious a problem this is.
Fiscal Sustainability.
To heck with political parties. Everyone already agrees government is spending more than it brings in. That means two things.
First, our government is not only too big; it is constantly growing in size and expense. This will continue until "we, the people" demand otherwise.
Second, our politicians can't tell a want from a need. No surprise. "We, the people" can't either. At some point a LEADER must emerge who will ask the questions that no one dares ask:
1. What should our government do?
2. What can we afford to have our government do?
Obviously there needs to emerge a national basis a consensus of "we, the people" as to what we expect our government to do and how much money we will pay in taxes for such purpose. America is productive enough to afford anything it .
But somewhere along the line "we, the people" have accepted the promise of our politicians that "everything is possible NOW. It's simply not true. No country on the history of the world has ever been productive enough to afford everything it's people want.
So if we can't do it all, we have to learn again to prioritize. We must separate our needs from our wants and then allocate a specific priority for each line item again available funds and NO MORE!
I'm not saying this will be easy, and I'm certainly not saying that everyone's list would be the same. I'm merely saying that we should each have a say and agree in advance that we will support what emerges. This "conversation" should be one repeated at appropriate intervals, but in the interim between "we, the people" would be in substantial agreement that America will "live within it's means" (no more raises in the Debt Ceiling) and how much is spent on what.
Unless and until "we, the people" do this, there is NO LIMIT as to how big our government will grow or how much it will take from our productivity to support itself. Be afraid! Be VERY afraid. "Any government powerful enough to give you anything you want is also powerful enough to take everything you have." – Thomas Jefferson
The gall of Zakaria, CNN and those interviewed to try and tell a sitting president of the United States what he should be doing. None of these people did that to either of the Bushes, or to Reagan, Clinton or any other chief executive. But, a black man ascends to the nation's highest office and the white talking heads suddenly believe they have the authority to dictate what he should be doing–like you innately know better than he does and he has no clue. Not-so subtle racism at its best.
Um...the president works for us, not the other way around. And the idea of telling our leaders what they shuld be doing is basic US Citizenship 101. I have been doing it since Reagan was in office and I was old enough to vote.
Zbigniew Brzezinski, National Security Advisor for Jimmy Carter:
"I don't buy the absolutely ridiculous, irrational argument that the Iranians are so suicidal in the country of 75 million people or 80 million people, it's going to rush into committing suicide the moment it gets the first prototype of its bomb.
That even ignores the scientific fact that bombs have to be tested, that you have to have, from a military point of view, quite a number of them to be credible, et cetera, et cetera. So we're not dealing with an imminent threat, a reaction to which would be decided by someone else drawing red lines for us."
And we know who that "someone" is. It is telling that with so many suggestions on how to cut spending, never once has it been suggested, by any one in Congress, to end foreign aid to this wealthy "someone." It fosters a thought that advocates of this "someone" have bought our elected representatives. That thought fosters another, the questioning of where the loyality of these advocates lay, with the country of their birth, or with that "someone."
Dear all: the main stream media is the mouth of the Democratic party. U r barking up a tree. In the old days, the media picked on both parties but now it's vastly different. They are protective of Obama and his ilk. thanks to God for Fox News.
Teabilly moron.
The rich don't pay enough taxes in this country and the disadvantaged pay out the nose. If the rich paid their fair share, we'd be out of this recession because poor people would have more money in their pockets to spend. The Republicans only care about rich people because thats who votes for them. And religion is a bunch of crap.
There I said it.
Repukes eat their own children.
I hope you feel better now, having said it, in spite of how wrong it is. I fact, the wealthiest ~10% in this country pay ~90% of the taxes. The poorest ~25% pay nothing at all but receive most of the payouts. The percentages I quote above may not be exact, but they are accurate enough to make my point.
u r close justmy2cents: I think the 10% pay about 80%. Everyone should pay taxes, even if it's only 50 bucks, so they have skin in the game and pay closer attention to what's going on at state and fed levels of govt. Incredible that Congress is going for a pay raise. If they worked in the public sector, they would have been sued for breach of fiduciary responsibility. The private sector vastly employs more people as compared to Govt workers.
u r a bitter, green eyed, unhappy person hell bent on carrying out class warfare as preached by the Dems I pity you. This country gives one the opportunity to succeed whatever that means to you. I suggest you get off your butt and get moving. We need more good taxpayers on this country.
The labor Dept recently reported that the cost of a govt employee either at state or Fed level costs 30% more as compared to a private sector worker. Also, it was also reported that a Fed Govt employee workweek is 37.8 hours compared to 40+ for one in the private sector. In our local school district we have A/V/Librarians and nurses making 100K for 9 months of work. They can retire at 52 years old and collect a minimum of 60% of the average of their top 4 salaries. Bascially, we are making Teachers and others millionaires by the time they depart mother earth. Sound fair to you? And what does Obama want to do? Increase the size of the government? Give me a break.
Dear Prez Obama: please review this web site on a weekly basis: http://www.championnews.net/
it will be an eye opening experience.
...Never met a public school teacher or librarian that makes as much as you claim. Did you mean university level?
Having been a teacher (making less than $30K with advanced degrees), the extremely low wages was one reason I had to leave the profession.
I am a Federal worker and make less than a teacher. As a matter of fact many of my co workers are in the same boat. The ignorant public needs to get over what the drivel righties spew about us. We do not live great lives just because we work for the Federal gvoernment. I do get free healthcare though from the government – I'm a disabled veteran so I get it through the VA, or is that to "socialist" for you to stomach?
Zakaria: Why even print James Baker's so-called suggestions? His general, demeaning and unspecific comments only demonstrate Republicans want to play the blame game instead of help our country.
and you as a liberal don't blame the GOP? All the liberals have done since Obama got elected was blame the GOP. It doesn't matter that it was Clinton's legislation that led to the housing crisis, the economy is the GOP's fault. It doesn't matter that we spend $0.75 on safety net projects for every dollar we take in revenue, its the GOP's fault that the legislation gets passed (even though some of the legislation was strong armed and back ended, and the rest were slipped into bills that had no relation). It doesn't matter that Obama hasn't passed a budget in 4 years (even though by law he is required to). So you call it the blame game. I call it holding someone accountable for their actions.
Here is a new concept. Since both parties point fingers and blame at each other on most of our issues we need to have more bipartisanship. The way I see to do this is to have one republican and one democrat take an issue, work on it together and submit it with both names as a bill. It wouldn’t be red. It wouldn’t be blue. It would be purple. Take the major most pressing issues. This way those who vote on it couldn’t take sides. If at least half of congress’s bills were submitted in this format maybe, just maybe we could get some progress. Also neither side could add pork to these bills to get them thru.
I have written legislation that will create jobs in the private sector nationwide and in manufacturing. The legislation is at http://www.woundedheroproject.org This legilslation creates jobs without taxpayer money, very easily. This gives labels on homes for energy efficiency using the DOE's Home Energy Score, and if a homeowner implements energy savings they get to lower their current mortgage rate by .50. It is simple. Please look at this, and you will see it is possible for one person to change our country, and economy.
There is Russian joke about a man coming into a new job. So he was given three numbered envelopes by the guy before him. The guy said: if you are in trouble – open one after one and follow the tips....
So one day there was trouble so he opened the first envelope: " Explain that you are new to the job and need more time..."
Then came the second, the tip was: "Blame it all on me...."
When he was in trouble the third time and opened the last envelope the tip was "Prepare three envelopes..."
I guess it is time for Obama to start preparing envelopes...
Here's a tip Pres.....Stop spending our money!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
One more Pres............leave early for Chicago and help America recover!!!!!!
STOP SPENDING !!!
Why is it Americans can go to Russia or China, but not Cuba?
Get a budget passed. No budget, crazy spending, sounds like a debt counciling commercial.
Resign and go back to where you came from, wherever that is!
resign
Since Obama was re-elected, will he up the ante on NASA's SETI (search for 'ET') program in hopes of finding our interstellar origins and continue to throw hard-earned tax dollars at the International Fake Station??
http://www.fountainsofthegreatdeep.com/IFS.htm
We are all better than this. The real game is to divide the masses so that the powers that be can come to our rescue. Stand up and be accountable. Do your part to fix what ails us and not protract the cultural war that has been raging since the beginning of time.
Number one tip:
1. Do not continue to foster hate between socio-economic groups across america. You played this game during your first term to get re-elected and it caused hate between people I have never seen in my life.
Obama needs to get serious about his job. I know a bunch of liberals are going to shoot back saying "Well, the GOP is the problem". You are partially right. The GOP is a self punishing group of endoctrined horses patutes, but this is directly about Obama and what he needs to do in his second term. We can bash the GOP on almost any other article. When I say Obama needs to get serious about his job, he has been neglecting some very important issues and focusing on things that make no sense. He hasn't passed a budget since he was elected. Had a conservative done that I am fairly certain the liberals would ask for an impeachment. I am surprised there aren't more conservatives screaming for Obama's head on this. The budget is not only increadibly important to the structure of our economy and setting a real plan for fiscal responsibility, it is hard law that he is to pass a budget. In the 3 budgets he has submitted, not one of them got a single vote from the liberal senators or congressmen. That's a pretty tellling statement. And while he ignores this, he is focusing on useless legislation like the assault weapons ban. Less than .4% of gun related deaths are commited with an assault weapon. Even if you go after gun control, less than 5% of gun related crimes are commited with registered and legal weapons. Any bill, ban, or regulation will do absolutely no good. It's all for show. THe liberal base is in an uproar, and obama is playing to their hand. He already got re-elected. Why is he doing this now? boost his approval rating? It wouldn't be any different if he did nothing at all. He needs to focus on what's immediately important and not use his political capital on something that will do absolutely nothing. If he really cares about gun violence he needs to address the 213 people that were shot this past weekend in Chicago. 99% of those shootings were done with an illegal weapon.
Here's a "tip". Represent America...not just Pelosi and Reed.
a Muslim sworn in on a bible.. That's great.
Obama has so poisoned his relationship with the House republicans we will likely see very little acomplished in his second term either. His incessant reneging on negotiated agreements at the eleventh hour has destroyed his ability to negotiate. He sends Biden or Geitner to negotiate now since he has no credibility. Lew shares his my way or the highway mentality so in fiscal issues it will likely get worse. We can expect more viciousness from the Whitehouse and more obstinance from the House republicans. Obama will go down as the most divisive leader we have ever had.
I'm a libertarian so I have little use for any of them. I look forward to another wasted four years from all of them.
Tip #8 for Obama: Don't Tread on Me... signed, American Taxpayer and Citizen
It's about time this dumbo stepped up to the plate and TOOTED more than just a big voice and some coke! He needs to act and DO presidential things if he lives up to the job in his last four years Shootin hoops and snortin coke don't cut the mustard!!!
Last days of office, since there is no 3rd term, listen to the American people and decriminalize marijuana.
Hi Mr. Obama. Some suggestions that I have is to : Decriminalize Marijuana at a federal level and leave it up to the states to decide whether or not they want to fully legalize the substance. Would eliminiate millions in wasted tax dollars and could create a new source of income for the states that decide to legalize. Marijuana being illegal at a federal level is also preventing many citizens from getting the medicine they NEED. Another suggestion is to eliminate corporate lobbying which is essentially a legal form of corruption. power to the people! Thanks for your time.
A President is only as good as the people he surrounds himself with. When picking staff members, forget about the political IOU's. You are in a position to do whatever you want in a second and last term. Surround youself with great thinkers, who have vision. We also need a radical change in our tax policy. It is time that we went to a national sales tax for funding and did away with income taxes and all deductions. This new approach would hit the rich and the non payers who don't declare income.To lessen the burden on the poor, have set rates for different items bought. No taxes on food, low rent and medicine ect. To bring down the deficits and the debt, cut military spending in half. Why are we spending more than all of the major countries combined. For example, we spend around 700 billion a year and the next largest spender spends less than 150 billion.
Quit abdicating your presidential responsiblities to the VP and Congress. Provide leadership NOW!
The fact that we are here today to debate raising America’s debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. It is a sign that the U.S. Government can’t pay its own bills. It is a sign that we now depend on ongoing financial assistance from foreign countries to finance our Government’s reckless fiscal policies. … Increasing America’s debt weakens us domestically and internationally. Leadership means that “the buck stops here.” Instead, Washington is shifting the burden of bad choices today onto the backs of our children and grandchildren. America has a debt problem and a failure of leadership. Americans deserve better......................Senator Obama 2006
This problem dates back to the end of WWII. It didn't start in 2008. Get a brain.
Judging from all of the idiotic comments posted here, a great amount of the reasons for our problems are the american public.
The President better use those open-ended no-bid DOD contracts to begin installing hydrogen fueling stations to fight the drought caused by global warming before a global famine occurs as our farming becomes dormant. This is no joke we have more fallow fields than I have seen in my lifetime. Dairy herds have been decimated farmer's markets closed people fleeing to live elsewhere even if on the streets. Beware America!!!
Hidrogen fuel is another ruse used to dupe Americans and Europeans. All hidrogen for the fuel is manufactured by strictly speaking high-temperature catalitic burning of hidrocarbons: surprise, surprise! So they make it from the same oil, but it is even more wasteful than regular fuels because carbon is still burned, CO2 goes to the atmosphere, but the energy it is essentially wasted... So go figure!
This president does not feel our deficit spending is an issue. It is as simple as that.
James Baker or a guy like him would be excellent but Obama would rather have somebody that doesn't care about the deficit and only cares about Wall Street like his present nominee and his buddy Geitner!
Ask any economist. The deficit will take care of itself if we put our emphasis on more jobs and repairing the infrastructure. Putting more money in the hands of the people will allow them to pay more taxes, purchase more items and thereby repair the country. Raising taxes on the middle class and cuts to social programs that force the poorest among us to have to do with even less will create nothing but more debt and suffering. Cutting spending now would be like putting a band-aid over an amputation...
It takes a lot of money to run a government, and without meaningful discourse on the biggest items, SS, Medicare, and the military (yes ALL THREE OF THOSE) we have no real hope of changing spending levels without killing a bunch of people, making them homeless or leaving ourselves with gaps in defense.
I'm sure military cuts could be made without laying off a single soldier. Just cleaning up the fat in the DOD contracts could free up billions of dollars. End the wars. Bring home the solders. Allow those who want to to remain in the military which would be used to upgrade the infrastructure. Look up the "Corps of Engineers"...
One area missed was family. President Obama and Michelle present such a positive family image, and in my classes at the University I see so much dysfunction. More money for schools will never overcome the devastation imposed upon our children by the wreckage in many homes. President Obama could do so much for our families–and so easily. On a trip, have an aide uncover a family for the President to meet and hold up as a model; he could take a father and mother with him to the platform where he speaks and give them a sentence or two of praise, and so on. This won't garner him much press, but could be a significant contribution to our national well being.
The President and his Administration should revist the federal laws addressing employment termination and consider revising to include other methods used to wrongfully terminate an employee from workplace. Companies have the right to terminate employees (not under contract) without reason and this right has been abused by some employers. For instance, top performer may be terminated by manager due to corporate political reasons (i.e., professional threat) and the employee has no recourse to defend his/her position. These types of terminations are absent corporate restructure or any change management. These wrongful terminations add to the high unemployment rate and can be avoided by stricter federal laws an organization Human Resources Department will enforce and ensure organization apply honest employment practices.
Why aren't they seizing assets of former presidents, contractors, and congress? And charging them with misappropriation of funds? killing innocent civilians? destroying other countries? why were they allowed to lie to us?
Why are they allowed to privatize profits and socialize losses? Why don't we have any say in this? May we have our elections back please?
Why doesn't media work in this country? They are the corporations. Money dominates politics and the media. We need to hear independent voices to get the truth.
Bush family has issues. Let's stay away from them too now. We are still paying for their trauma.
Why does Bush think we can invade other countries? (nobody is buying that 9-11 story)
Bush, Clinton, Obama...hit men for the banking cartels and corporations. this country doesn't protect humans one speck. they coddle the corporations. humans are just garbage to them.
the world is not safe from multinational psychopath corporations. nobody is safe.
quite frankly, nobody is buying any of these lies anymore.
This is "rich." Don't blow up the economy. Translated: keep feeding the military industrial complex. The irony of this amazes me. Truly everyone in DC is from the same zoo.
How about this? Hold to your position on the debt ceiling, Mr. President. It's a foolish idea to begin with and you shouldn't dignify it with a foolish work-around gimmick. Go straight to the sequester. Once you get there, offer the Congress one dollar of defense sequester relief for each dollar of domestic sequester relief. And each dollar of sequester relief has to be paid for with either cuts elsewhere or new revenues from tax reform. That would allow Congress to make up its own wish list and pay for it through closing loop-holes, just as the Speaker has already suggested. Otherwise, let the sequesters happen.
To tell you the truth, it makes me sick just to think about what a bunch of incompetent people we have in Washington thats trying to run this country, Thats not running the country.
He needs to go on vacation to Hawaii and not return until his term is over. No phone or INTERNET would be a must not have, the only commutation would be by smoke signal like when he was in high school.
Here's a tip. Step down, pay back all the tax money you have spent on your lavish getaways and parties and take that big fat consuming wife of yours with you........
Obama and Congress can repeal China's MFN (Most Favored Nation) Trade status and bring 8 million lost jobs back to the USA anytime they wish. That was Clinton's gift to America in 1999 in exchange for laundered Chinese campaign contributions.
Republican supporters and big business would stop that.
Major Corporations have found that China's State Sponsorship of Capitalism is the idea market for them to be in.
Unlike the US....
No environmental laws.
No child labor laws.
No Patent enforcement.
Blatant counterfeiting of US products.
Weak state controlled unions.
Low wages.
Long hours.
No benefits.
Lol, Even US Corporate expenses related to out sourcing American jobs are tax deductable. Its true. Google the thread and read it for yourself.
It is really to Ironic that the very same Americans displaced by out sourcing and out of work pay the tab for those very tax deductions.
Why?
Bad things are supposed to happen to stupid people that re-elect the same people.
I'd settle for one item on the memo. President Obama, keep your promises on the budget deficit and national debt.
The real problem we must focus on can be stated in one sentence: The customers don't have enough money. To succeed we must have one goal: To return wages, income, and the ability of middle class citizens to afford sustained spending at the same level as in past healthy economies.
Previously stated focuses are not precise enough to succeed in reaching the goal of economic recovery to previous levels. This missing focus is critical if we are to succeed. Our economy is consumer driven, dependent on wage earners in large part. Until wages are restored so that wage earners share in the increases in productivity in order to purchasing power in an equal portion of GNP to when we had a healthy economy past, a "full" recovery is not possible. Low wage manufacturing jobs brought back to this county at a fraction of previous wages will not enable a full recovery. Giving the wealthy more money has not worked in the past and will not work in the future. Small and large businesses will hire more workers when they can sell more goods and services, not because they have more money.. None of the programs in Congress or proposed by the President focus on the real problem. The proposed programs would only marginally aid recovery while falling far short of restoring the middle class and full recovery. Capitalism and free trade, without governmental regulation, will reduce our middle class to a fraction of what it was in a healthy U.S. Economy. Our middle class will be diminished to the lowest common denominator as exists in most of the rest of the world. By addressing the real problem and focusing on the real goal, it is possible for our government to succeed. We will not succeed unless our government improves dramatically. We must look for other democratic countries doing a better job in sharing economic gains with workers and their middle class. The best example today, is Germany. We the people must demand that our government adopt these goals. Otherwise the wealthy and powerful will continue to reward our elected officials for shifting income to those at the top on whom they depend to finance their ads and campaigns.
Obama, stop being so arrogant.
We now need to focus on India. The American invasion of Afghanistan brought to the forefront the irrelevance of India as a nation. With a population of over 1.2 billion people there was no value that this nation could bring to the table. Their soldiers (ragtag) 1.2 million continue hiding in the trenches scared from Talibans. A few teenage Talibans invaded the country and held it hostage for days on end showing how useless India is. It was embarrasing for the world to observe this humiliation of a nation that was being touted as a regional power.
I continue to read with interest the thesis presented on CNN that "less is more" in a political context as applied to India. Although Mies Van Der Rohe adopted this in an architectural context, its economic and political connotations are indeed powerful. Empowering subjugated minorities in India by splitting it into smaller states would trigger uber economic demand for western nations who have given so much financial and technology aid to India with no return to show for the investment. I concur with this approach and with an economic background find the premise to be on solid footing. Central Asian States (CAS) are a case in point on this successful approach. We need to understand that India has an unmanageable large population mired in poverty and we are spinning our wheels trying to feed it. It is also too big of a geographical unit to govern. Again, we saw how a few teenage talibans were able to invade it with a few BB guns. And that says a lot... in a negative way not only for a large unmanageable country like India but also for USA which is trying to prop it up against China. Besides, Americans cannot afford to look like losers in the midst of a terror war which has lasted for over ten years now.
TERRORIST GROUPS IN INDIA
• RASHTRIYA SWAYAM SEWAK SHANG (R.S.S.)
• VISHWA HINDU PARISHAD (World Hindu Council)
• HINDU MUNNANI
• ARYA SAMAJ
• SHIV SENA
• BHARATIYA JANATA PARISHAD
• SANT SAMITI
• HINDU MAHASABHA
• BAAJRANG DAL
LEADERS: L.K. Advani/ Ashok Singhal/ Bala Saheb Devaras/ Bal Thackeray(EXTERMINATED)/ A.B. Vajpayee/ Savarkar/ Baikunnth Lal Sharma “Prem”/ Balraj Madhok/ The Shankaracharya of Puri, Niranjan Dev Theerth/ Rama Gopalan/ Variyar – Vishwan Hindu Parishad/ Dharmalinga Nadar/ Cho Ramaswamy
We have invested a lot of resources in India over the past two decades and given a lot of aid to prop it up. There has been no investment on this return. Instead India has squandered all the resources in building nuclear weapons while poverty remains rampant in the country. Terrorism is rampant in the region in part financed by Indians. We need to revisit our relationship with India. American taxpayers will not tolerate this anymore. We need to take care of our own populace going forward. We cannot be exporting jobs to India or giving it financial or technical handouts. It has become too big to govern or create any value for western countries or even for its own population. India needs to be carved up into smaller independent states to be a viable economically and geo politically.
"Amnesty International is calling for an impartial investigation into mass graves found in Indian-controlled Kashmir. Sunday, India's Jammu and Kashmir State Human Rights Commission released a report saying a three-year investigation had uncovered 2,156 unidentified bodies in 38 sites in the region. In a statement released Monday, Amnesty International asked Indian officials to allow impartial forensic experts to carry out a thorough investigation of the skeletal remains. The rights group also urged Indian authorities to ensure the safety of the witnesses who gave statements to police during the investigation. Indian authorities conducted the inquiry in response to allegations that Indian security forces have committed rights abuses in fighting a more than two-decade-long Muslim separatist insurgency. Rights activists say at least 8,000 people have gone missing in Indian Kashmir since the separatists began fighting in 1989 for independence from Hindu-majority India or a merger with Muslim-majority Pakistan. Rebel attacks and Indian government crackdowns have killed at least 50,000 people.
"Experimental Democracy" has failed in India. An experiment that was being shoved down India's throat by western countries too eager to propagate their own values on a country that was trying to decolonize itself while trying to shed the communist skin of being a Soviet ally. India was thus trapped. What has become evident now is that this "Experimental Democracy" has marginalized the country. The marginalized groups of the country – Dalits and ‘backward’ castes/classes, indigenous ‘tribal’ people and religious minorities have been disenfranchised. "The belief that corruption is the important issue in the country is shared only by the minority living in urban areas and towns who have been beneficiaries of economic liberalization policies mandated by western countries. The most important challenges of Indian society remain as follows: justice, social and economic equality and equal access to certain standards of life for all Indians. “While India seems too eager to please its western masters and put on a progressive and softer face for CNN for public consumption, people see through it. The consequences of this "Band – Aid" approach will be brutal for India geo-politically when it realizes that the GDP statistics that it has been relying to gage its progress has not amounted to much in the long run.
Unless this country goes back to a tax structure pre-Reagan all but the top one percent is doomed.
Raised the Federal wage to 9.50 and cut the space program. Who care's what is out in Mars.Are we going out there?
Obama the snake that he is should go and hide under a rock for the next four years and leave us alone. I am getting disgusted with his tactics and stupidity.
Reform the political system to remove legalized bribery in form of campaign's contributions to our politicians for interests of certain groups vs interest of the nation. Terms for congressmen should be limited
This! And also make it impossible to receive money from the government and vote at the same time. Politicians should not be able to be bribed by corporations nor bribe people to vote for them.
Do anything in your power to ensure the Republican party is never elected for next 100 years so we can have a growth and buld our economy.
Special Taxes for Republicans for paying off the expenses of war in Iraq and Afghanistan that led to this national debt.
Another r-ape in India today.... one evry 22 seconds. Just another day in our lives. That is what we do best. That is our passion
This time he not going to use vasoline
7.....resign...quit...leave...disappear....go.....retreat....apologize
Solution to obesity epidemic: the People have now decided that personal training is a God Given Right. Congress must sign the Affordable Training Act of 2012. The Governmwnt will take over all private gyms in the US. Trainers will now be paid by he government, and their salaries will be cut by 1/3 to 1/2. Obama will appoint a 15 member commission without one trainer on it that will dictate to trainers what training programs they will be paid for, but if their clients don't lose weight, it's the trainers who don't get paid. Trainers will therefore be responsible for clients behavior even outside the gym. If a client has a heart attack doing one of the Commission's regimens, the trainer can certainly be sued, but the Commission is legally untouchable. Write your Congressman now to support our right to free Personal Training!
1) Cut the military budget by 25%, use that money to double the VA. Add offices across the country with new hire claims processors. 2) Streamline South American work-visa approval process. Get "legal" workers in, so that more taxes are paid. New immigrants will work minimum wage jobs, whereas citizens complaining they need a job will not go work at fast food etc. –increase minimum wage. 3) Fix the Gitmo situation. Convert it to secondary Leavenworth. Try or ship to country of origin the "detainees" that have been in prison for all these years without any type of trial. C'mon nohw, do you need a refresher? 4) Create an atmosphere of more calm and considering the flipside viewpoint from the other side, and less hyperbole and bully-although generals and military advisors live, eat and breathe war and conflict, it is not a necessary state of being for at all times. 5) Working relationship with China. 6) Invest in rejuvenating infrastructure–find some porkfat to cut and use it to create both jobs and "home improvments". 7) Reconnect with self.
Tip #8 – LEAVE OFFICE.
That is all
Tip number 8 – retire, and take Biden with you.
Lead by example Mr. Obama. Un-exempt yourself, fellow politicians and union pals from Obama care.
7 tips from South Korea: No1.: We have stronger industries than USA; No.2.: We produce and deliver more guns and military equipment than USA; No.3.: North Korea is not our enemy, but our back-stage partner; No.4.: No imports from South Korea will enable USA to survive; No.5.: Our imports into USA mean that we defeat US companies; No.6.: USA does not understand our "communism ideology" – and never will; No.7.: South Korea emerges as winner, not USA.
Biden for President...seriously? I thought he was just there to offer an even-worse alternative to Obama?
Biden's mouth will keep him out of office, no need to worry. Then again most voters are suckers these days.
This may help the military there in Africa and elsewhere. Can placing walls with checkpoints by way of drone helicopters be a smart move? The military is already using new heavy lifting drone helicopters. Just google it. They use them to move supplies into Afghanistan. Can they mass produce these drone helicopters, much cheaper than regular piloted helicopters, to air lift blast walls from Baghdad and other bases? Then drop these walls to places where it will help our military in pinpoint areas of roads and towns. These walls could help block this free-roam of people and supplies... At other times, these drone helicopters could be used to move emergency supplies to parts of this nation before a major storm occurs.... These drones could be used to help put out wildfires, as well. There could be a multiple amount of these drones dropping fire resistant chemicals for every 1 regular piloted helicopter.... Please mass produce these new heavy lifting drone helicopters to be used for areas mentioned above..
Mr president first go back to the banks + force them to write down all mortgages to market.they are complicit in subprime meltdown + you bailed them out with no conditions cowardly action + they laugh in your face kick their ass now. Your job is to protect this country+ our kids. Start in DC declare marshall law in gang infested neighborhoods across this land. Take our kids out of the ghettos + relocate them to reeducation camps + schools funded by private + gov funding including banks. Executive action protect the children. Pull our troops from europe + send them to mexico + kill the cartels no mercy shoot on site.+ stop the influx of heroin into our country that is killing our kids. Expand the reserves + national guard to an unprecendated levels 2 year service with education benefits at historic levels. Give kids a path.+ out of the gang infested cities. We need a manhattan size national goal of a super hybrid class of vehicles that achieve 75 mph not some crap from GM but a gigantic apollo sized national effort that draws on the best global talent + resources regardless of the cost. If the product costs 75K a vehicle so be it. Let buyers straight line depreciate. Get a stalim like 4eries of 5 year plans to get this country fuel efficient.use american intellectual + scientific + managerial talent to draft the plans not those idiots in congress. LEAD + quit making speeches. You have a chance to be great grasp it.
I would like to hear that America improved the law-system. Obama studied law! The death of Aaron Swatz is something that makes people all over the world pretty sad. He could have brought his ideas in, he could have helped to bring more transparency into political and scientific debates, building up data-bases, investing in the internet. I think that the American law system is somehow 'behind' and that the view of property and theft should change, if it deals with mental ideas, knowledge and something that needs a higher degree of understanding. So many people are sitting without any hope in prisons, they even didn't have a fair trail. But probably this is something that makes him unpopular like trying to set a law in place against too many guns in U.S.
A proposal: Before our soldiers are required to serve a 2nd or 3rd term in a theatre of war there should be an automatic draft put in place. This would force our military leaders to understand they would no longer be dealing with a strictly volunteer force to continue any battle/war. Also, it would force the American people to pay closer attention to what is being done in Washington since any military involvement would become personal rather than just another news story.
i voted for Obama but i do not support all his idea / policy.i think everybody should pay tax, not everybody should be on food stamp. i am a student and also work but I do not need food stamp. even though at the end of the day i have nothing left. I earn $8/h.
as for his second term, he need to focus on regular folk like me who needs the govt to get out of our lives. I mean i do not need a license to be a barber or to make cup cake for sale or trying to use my talent. regular folks have ideas but government regulation kills them. we do not need to be employed but we want to be self employed and fed our family. that how people in third world country survive. he should send his aids to africa and other parts of the world to study how poor people over there put food on their table.
I can sum it up in one sentence.
Stop spending and get out of the country's way so it can heal itself.
resign immediately before it's too late. That's the best piece of advice he could follow.
B.O.H.I.C.A.!
Everyone wants the President to belittle himself in order for the Republicans to COMPROMISE when they no full well it won't work. The Republicans in the House have no intention of working with this President. They would prefer to have the Taliban in charge.
the folly of humans, never ceases to amaze me.
This term will be exactly like the last one. A man who would be dictator in America, trying to have his way with everything and everyone...........and the stupidity of people who accept that!
If Obama TRULY wants to make his mark on HISTORY, rather than just "current events", he will begin a MASSIVE SCALE-UP of pollution-free Oil-from-Algae production, making us not just 100% energy-independent, but making energy so plentiful and cheap that lifestyles will thrive worldwide.
Stopping "Dug-for" production of energy also stops increases in global warming and pollution, wars over oil, energy monopolies, ground-water contamination, deterioration of public health, and all the "hidden costs" of "dug-for" energy.
The biggest problem in the United States is in the inner cities. Look at Chicago. 500 murders per year. 500 kids shot per year. 10 shootings per day. 50% HS graduation rate for Blacks. 20% read at grade level rate in public schools. Chicago is raising MORONS! They will be on welfare or in jail forever! There is no other country in the world that has to jail such a large segment of its population. And Chicago is Obama's city. Action is needed to eliminate the gangs! Until the gangs are gone nothing else can be accomplished. Once the gangs are gone, the culture can be moved to an education focus instead of survival. This is happening in all big cities. Blacks principally, although you will find white and Hispanic pockets of ignorance, are losing ground because Black leaders – Obama, Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton – don't attack the gang problem. Face it. No Black gang member has ever voted for the law and order Republican. They always vote for the Dem who hates the Cops.
Look at your country. How is one country different from others? Once you know what one country is different in terms of geographical, products that one can produce and what one already have, work on those areas to make yourself stand up from the rest. You do have a group of brave people there who are good speakers, innovative and daring to stand up for themselves. Could organise public speaking seminars and held these courses throughout the world. Basically paid and learn from us here on how to efficiently mown your grass at the front or backyard.
Do promote your sourdough. They are very different from the rest of the dough elsewhere. Check it at Kokomo.
Here's a tip obama, RESIGN.
Obama is an eloquent and effective speaker. The news reporters this morning seem to be asking if he should not have done more to voice a willingness to cooperate with republicans. I think his lack of such a mention says it all! My guess is that he is waiting for the 2014 elections and when Congress is once again a Democratic majority, which I think is inevitable, the Republican Party of "no" will disappear!!! Hopefully forever! The Republican Party of "no", you know the ones who can't wait to overturn Roe V Wade when 70% of the American people want abortion to be fully legal!
Tip #8 – Tell the GOP to s_u_c_k your big black 8===>
Fixing the Economy should be the number one problem. JOBS, JOBS JOBS!!! The more people who are working the more people who are paying taxes that is simple economics. So how do we get Americans back to work?
1. Lower Corporate Taxes to 15% just a little higher than Canada. Attact U.S. bases companies who are making all their products overseas back to America. It's very hard to find any clothing items that say's, "Made in USA!"
2. Increase import taxes on any U.S. based retail store etc... that is making their products overseas and make it where it is more profitable to put Americans back to work.
3. Fix our tax codes. I still favor and I think most Americans would believe a 10% flat tax (no more loopholes, not more deductions etc... ) is fair for anyone making over $25,000 a year and any marital combined income of $50K a year. A 5% flat tax on anyone making between $20 Kand 25K a year. If you are not making a least 20K then you are probably not making enough to surive giving risiing Health Care Costs etc...
4. Fix Social Security. Anyone 40 and under who has paid at least 10 years into their SS give them a liump sum payment back and no longer deduct Social Security Tax. Anyone 40 and under will be responsible for their own retirement. Everyone else can continue you paying because you probably cannot invest enough quickly enough to retire.
This here United States has to many mean as hell people living in it.If you all think for one minute that our president can keep his nose out of other countries business's your dead wrong.We had no business going to Iraq in the first place.Our government knew where ben was all the time and now Iraq is right back where it was before we went there.Our tourist aren't even nice when visiting other countries much less when they are at home.Our US is to violent and it shows everywhere we go.The FDA hides things from the people,like letting drug company's put drugs on the market that kill a few hundred people before they are taken off the market.Check this out if you don't believe me.Go to a search engine and type in Banned Ingredients that are Still legal in the US,and then ask yourself if the FDA has got your back.There is a treatment for cancer that is the best one the US has ever come acrossed but won't use it because people who casually smoke it don't fit in with the rest of the US(violent)The resins from this plant kills cancer cells until there are no more cancer cells to kill.The cancer wings in all the hospitals could have been shut down in 1974.This how long the feds have known about this stuff and the AMA has been trying to make this a synthetic drug for years so they can patend it and make big bucks off of it.I fought in Viet Nam and i saw how volent our men could be and it wasn't a pretty site believe me.Don't worry about congress getting along when the people of the whole country can't even get along.Stop the income tax and tax everything else to the hilt.China is going to slam these company's that moved over there from here because of all the waste they are putting in the air and maybe they will move again.Tuff
How come all these self proclaimed experts do not run for office themselves? Maybe because they are frauds?
In reality the place we find oueselves in started 30 years ago with the election of the most dangerous type of politician the borrow and spend Republican named Ronald Wilson Reagan. In 1980 Reagan convinced a bunch or Ayn Rand inspired narcissists that they were special and that the government was an obstruction to thier dreams of world domination. So the traitor Reagan lowered taxes on the rich by almost 50% which allowed these narcissists to take thier money from America over seas to make investments, literally bets, against America. Instead of investing in America like the corporations used to do they invested in China, India, Bangledesh, places where life is cheap and the environment is for sale and pocketed the difference.
Now these same parasites in America the Ayn Rand inspired special snowflakes, will question to patriotism of anyone that calls them that does not buy thier special brand of philisophical gibberish, a typical FOX News broadcast. These people have bankrupted America with thier investments in foreign countries that directly having fed on the middle class like a lamprey on a lake trout. In the end a proven fact is that supply side economics does not work unless you are the 1%, class warfare is was and will always be waged it is just that the rich are better funded. To prove that Republican inspired supply side economics is an abject failure i merely have to points, 16 trillion dollars of debt from low taxes on the rich, and that in 30 years of Republican incompetence and mismanagement America has done nothing great.
That is why it is called the Russian space station, or the International space station. We have not built anything of lasting value. We have aquired massive debt, high unemployment, a shrinking middle class, our children are fat and stupid, and our infrastructure is crumbling just to name a few. Small government empowers the individual (Ayn Rand brand kool aid) big government empowers us all. With out the necessary revenue to educate our children, maintain our infrastructure, and the government to focus American money and effort, we become a nation of individuals, all looking out for ourselves, united we stand divided we fall. Obama is trying to turn back the clock to a period when America and Americans all looked out for each other, when people trusted governement (government is we the people after all) to restore confidence and compromise in government so that it can do great things again, that is the grand bargain.
The Republicans want to reduce the deficit and debt and develop a responsible government. Obama wants to keep spending and expanding spending. We truly need fiscal responsibility.
Resign from office?