Is there too much money in politics?

NPR has a Million-Dollar Donors List on their page

Shouldn't we know who is financing our politician and the payoff they expecting! I at least think so. Or even better, stop giving money to politician in the first place. Money brings corruption and corruption hinders democracy!

President Barack Obama Weekly Address June 9, 2012 (Video/Transcript)

 Remarks of President Barack Obama

Weekly Address
The White House

This week, I spent some time talking with college students about how we can make higher education more affordable.  And one of the things I told them was how proud I was that they were making that investment in themselves – because in today’s economy, the best predictor of success is a good education.

That’s not just true for our individual success; it’s also true for America’s success.  New jobs and new businesses will take root wherever they can find the most highly-educated, highly-skilled workers.  And I want those workers to be American workers.  I want those good-paying, middle-class jobs to take root right here.

So it should concern everyone that right now – all across America – tens of thousands of teachers are getting laid off.  In Pennsylvania alone, there are 9,000 fewer educators in our schools today than just a year ago.  In Ohio, the number is close to 7,000.  And nationwide, over the past three years, school districts have lost over 250,000 educators.  Think about what that means for our country.  When there are fewer teachers in our schools, class sizes start climbing up.  Our students start falling behind.  And our economy takes a hit.

The point is: teachers matter.  One study found that a good teacher can increase the lifetime income of a classroom by over $250,000.  A great teacher can change the course of a child’s life.  So the last thing our country needs is to have fewer teachers in our schools.

Now, I know states are still going through some tough times.  I realize that every Governor is dealing with limited resources and many face stark choices when it comes to their budgets.

But that doesn’t mean we should just stand by and do nothing.  When states struggle, it’s up to Congress to step in and help out.  In 2009 and in 2010, we provided aid to states to help keep hundreds of thousands of teachers in the classroom.  But we need to do more.  That’s why a critical part of the jobs bill that I sent to Congress back in September was to help states prevent even more layoffs and rehire even more teachers who had lost their jobs.

But months later, we’re still waiting on Congress to act.

When it comes to this recovery, we can’t fully control everything that happens in other parts of the world.  But there are plenty of things we can control.  There are plenty of steps we can take, right now, to strengthen our economy.  Putting teachers back in our kids’ classrooms is one of those steps.  And there’s no excuse for inaction.  You work hard.  Your leaders should, too.  Especially at this make-or-break moment for the middle class.

I know this is an election year.  But some things are bigger than an election.  Some things are bigger than politics.  So I hope you’ll join me in telling Congress to do the right thing; to get to work and to help get our teachers back in the classroom.  We can’t afford to wait any longer.

Thanks and have a great weekend.

President Obama Honors the Super Bowl XLVI Champion New York Giants(Video/Transcript)

 

South Lawn 

THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, everybody!  (Applause.)  Everybody, please have a seat.  Welcome to the White House, and congratulations to the Super Bowl Champion New York Giants.  (Applause.)

We’ve got some members of Congress and members of my administration who are here today and rabid Giants fans.  I want to also recognize the Maras and the Tischs, as well as, of course, head coach Tom Coughlin and general manager Jerry Reese.  They have built this team into one of the NFL’s most outstanding franchises.  So we are very proud of them.  (Applause.)

Now, I know for some of you, this is just “welcome back.”  (Laughter).  You guys have been through this drill before.  The last time the Giants were here was in 2008.  A lot of folks thought that team didn’t have a chance to win a Super Bowl.  They ended up winning with a circus catch in the fourth quarter, MVP performance by Eli Manning -- (applause) -- a come-from-behind win over the Patriots.  So this is all starting to sound kind of like déjà vu all over again.

But every season is different, and last year’s Giants were obviously a special bunch, not just because of where they ended up, but because of how they got there.  Every team has to deal with injuries to the players.  Not many teams have to deal with a late hit on the head coach.  (Laughter.)  You saw that Jets game.

Now, Coach Coughlin reminds everybody, he did not go down.  That’s a tough guy.  And you can see that toughness reflected in everybody else on this team.  The Giants took a whole bunch of hits this season, but they never went down.  From day one, they followed a simple motto:  Finish.  Finish the play.  Finish the game.  Finish the season.

And after week 15, sitting at 7-7, they knew that every game was a playoff game.  But the players, the coaches, the staff, the owners -- they didn’t quit.  They believed in each other.  And they kept winning, all the way to Indianapolis.

The night before the Super Bowl, they watched a highlight reel set to Justin Tuck’s good-luck song, “In the Air Tonight.”  I don’t know about a little Phil Collins before a big game.  (Laughter.)  I may try that before a big meeting with Congress.

But apparently it worked.  Next night, Eli Manning led the way, earned his second Super Bowl MVP.  (Applause.)  So I would just advise the sportswriters out there the next time Eli says he thinks he’s an elite quarterback, you might just want to be quiet.  (Applause.)

Eli wasn’t alone, of course.  Justin Tuck got to the QB.  Victor Cruz scored and salsaed.  (Applause.)  Mario Manningham kept his feet inbounds for the biggest catch of his life.  Nobody was perfect, but everybody did their job.  And when the  Patriots’ Hail Mary hit the ground, the Giants were Super Bowl champions.  Of course, the fans back home went crazy.

Now, people from New York and New Jersey don’t fall for just anybody.  It’s a tough crowd, let’s face it.  (Applause.)  You’ve got to earn their respect.  They're never completely satisfied, and you’ve got to earn it both on and off the field.  And that’s exactly what the Giants did.  From fighting childhood obesity -- Michelle likes that -- to wrapping up leftover food for homeless shelters, to working with the Make-a-Wish Foundation to bring kids to practices and games, Big Blue supports the folks who support them.

They’ve certainly earned the respect of folks like Ray Odierno -- is here, who is obviously one of our greatest warriors and one of our greatest soldiers -- because this team is always there for our men and women in uniform.  This is a New York Giants tradition that goes back to World War II.  (Applause.)  Back in World War II, Wellington Mara served in the United States Navy -- so there’s a long tradition here.

And these guys have made it clear that no matter who you root for on Sundays, if you’re a veteran, the New York Giants are on your team.  Whether it’s setting up tickets to games, or inviting folks to practices, the Giants never forget the men and women who risk everything to protect our freedom.  And I especially want to thank and congratulate Coach Coughlin on receiving the Army’s Outstanding Civilian Service Award.  That's a great honor.  (Applause.)

By the way, we’ve got some wounded warriors here today.  Let’s give them all a big round of applause.  (Applause.)  Having these folks here today, seeing how much the Giants means to them is a reminder of how important sports and football can be, but it's also a reminder that there are some things that are more important than football -- and the Giants know that.  They finished strong, they won six straight games with everything on the line, they made a difference in the lives of those around them.  But, most importantly, they did it not just on Sunday, but every week.

So, again, I want to congratulate the New York Giants.  Good luck this season.  It looks like we've got somebody singing for you.  (Laughter.)  That’s how happy everybody is.

Give the New York Giants a big round of applause.  (Applause.)

END

President Obama’s Message for the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II (Video/Transcript)

President Barack Obama: Your Majesty; on the historic occasion of your Diamond Jubilee, Michelle and I send you and all the British people and members of the Commonwealth the heartfelt congratulations of the American people.
 In war and in peace, in times of plenty and in times of hardship, the United States and the United Kingdom have shared a special relationship. We’ve stood tall and strong. And together we’ve face the greatest challenges this world has known. While many presidents and prime minister have come and gone, Your Majesty’s reign has endured. As I said last year at Buckingham Palace, that makes Your Majesty both a living witness to the power of our alliance and a chief source of its resilience. As a steadfast ally, loyal friend and tireless leader, Your Majesty has set an example of resolve that will be long-celebrated. And as we work together to build a better future for the next generation, it is gratifying to know that the bonds between our nations remain indispensable to our two countries and to the world.
 In honor of your 60 extraordinary years on the throne, communities around the Commonwealth have lit thousands of jubilee beacons. And may the light of Your Majesty’s crown continue to reign supreme for many years to come.

President Obama speaks at 2011 LGBT Pride Month Reception (Video/Transcript)

THE PRESIDENT: Hello, everybody! (Applause.) Welcome to the White House. (Applause.)

Nothing ruins a good party like a long speech from a politician. (Laughter.) So I'm going to make a short set of remarks here. I appreciate all of you being here. I have learned a lesson: Don't follow Potomac Fever -- (laughter) -- because they sounded pretty good.

We’ve got community leaders here. We've got grassroots organizers. We've got some incredible young people who are just doing great work all across the country -– folks who are standing up against discrimination, and for the rights of parents and children and partners and students --

AUDIENCE MEMBER: And spouses.
THE PRESIDENT: -- and spouses. (Applause.) You’re fighting for the idea that everyone ought to be treated equally and everybody deserves to be able to live and love as they see fit. (Applause.)

Now, I don’t have to tell the people in this room we've got a ways to go in the struggle, how many people are still denied their basic rights as Americans, who are still in particular circumstances treated as second-class citizens, or still fearful when they walk down the street or down the hall at school. Many of you have devoted your lives to the cause of equality. So you all know that we've got more work to do.

But I think it's important for us to note the progress that's been made just in the last two and a half years. I just want everybody to think about this. (Applause.) It was here, in the East Room, at our first Pride reception, on the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall riots, a few months after I took office, that I made a pledge, I made a commitment. I said that I would never counsel patience; it wasn’t right for me to tell you to be patient any more than it was right for folks to tell African Americans to be patient in terms of their freedoms. I said it might take time to get everything we wanted done. But I also expected to be judged not by the promises I made, but the promises I kept.

Now, let's just think about it. I met with Judy Shepard. I promised her we'd pass an inclusive hate crimes law, named after her son, Matthew. And with the help of Ted Kennedy and others, we got it done and I signed the bill. (Applause.)

I met Janice Lang-ben, who was barred from the bedside of the woman she loved as she lay dying, and I told her we were going to put a stop to that discrimination. And I issued an order so that any hospital in America that accepts Medicare or Medicaid –- and that means just about every hospital in America -– has to treat gay partners just as they have to treat straight partners. Nobody in America should have to produce a legal contract. (Applause.)

I said we'd lift the HIV travel ban. We got that done. (Applause.) We put in place the first national strategy to fight HIV/AIDS. (Applause.)

A lot of people said we weren’t going to be able to get "don't ask, don't tell" done, including a bunch of people in this room. (Laughter.) And I just met Sue Fulton, who was part of the first class of women at West Point, and is an outstanding advocate for gay service members. It took two years through Congress -– working with Admiral Mullen and Secretary Gates and the Pentagon. We had to hold together a fragile coalition. We had to keep up the pressure. But the bottom line is we got it done. And in a matter of weeks, not months, I expect to certify the change in policy –- and we will end "don't ask, don't tell" once and for all. (Applause.)

I told you I was against the Defense -- so-called Defense of Marriage Act. I've long supported efforts to pass a repeal through Congress. And until we reach that day, my administration is no longer defending DOMA in the courts. The law is discriminatory. It violates the Constitution. It’s time for us to bring it to an end. (Applause.)

So bottom line is, I’ve met my commitments to the LGBT community. I have delivered on what I promised. Now, that doesn’t mean our work is done. There are going to be times where you’re still frustrated with me. (Laughter.) I know there are going to be times where you’re still frustrated at the pace of change. I understand that. I know I can count on you to let me know. (Laughter and applause.) This is not a shy group. (Laughter.)

But what I also know is that I will continue to fight alongside you. And I don’t just mean as an advocate. You are moms and dads who care about the schools that your children go to. You’re students who are trying to figure out how to pay for going to college. You’re folks who are looking for good jobs to pay the bills. You’re Americans who want this country to prosper. So those are your fights, too. And the fact is these are hard days for America. So we’ve got a lot of work to do to, not only on ending discrimination; we’ve got a lot of work to do to live up to the ideals on which we were founded, and to preserve the American Dream in our time -– for everybody, whether they're gay or straight or lesbian or transgender.

But the bottom line is, I am hopeful. I’m hopeful because of the changes we’ve achieved just in these past two years. Think about it. It’s astonishing. Progress that just a few years ago people would have thought were impossible. And more than that, what gives me hope is the deeper shift that we’re seeing that’s a transformation not just in our laws but in the hearts and minds of people -- the progress led not by Washington but by ordinary citizens.

It’s propelled not by politics but by love and friendship and a sense of mutual regard and mutual respect. It’s playing out in legislatures like New York. (Applause.) It’s playing out in courtrooms. It’s playing out in the ballot box, as people argue and debate over how to bring about the changes where we are creating a more perfect union. But it’s also happening around water coolers. It’s happening at Thanksgiving tables. It’s happening on Facebook and Twitter, and at PTA meetings and potluck dinners, and church halls and VFW Halls.

It happens when a father realizes he doesn’t just love his daughter, but also her partner. (Applause.) It happens when a soldier tells his unit that he’s gay, and they say, well, yeah, we knew that –- (laughter) -- but, you know, you’re a good soldier. It happens when a video sparks a movement to let every single young person out there know that they’re not alone. (Applause.) It happens when people look past their differences to understand our common humanity.

And that’s not just the story of the gay rights movement. It is the story of America, and the slow, inexorable march towards a more perfect union.

I want thank you for your contribution to that story. I’m confident we’re going to keep on writing more chapters.

Thank you very much, everybody. (Applause.)

President Barack Obama Weekly Address June 2, 2012 (Video/Transcript)

Remarks of President Barack Obama
Jobs for America’s Veterans
Golden Valley, Minnesota
June 2, 2012

Today I’m at one of Honeywell’s manufacturing facilities in Golden Valley, Minnesota, where I just announced a step that will make it easier for companies to hire returning service members who have the skills our country needs right now.  It’s another part of our effort to make sure that no American who fights for this country abroad has to fight for a job when they come home.  That’s why businesses like Honeywell are answering our challenge to hire 100,000 post-9/11 veterans and their spouses by the end of next year.  That’s why I’ve directed the government to hire over 200,000 veterans so far – because our economy needs their tremendous talent, and because millions of Americans are still looking for a job.
Right now, this country is still fighting our way back from the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.  The economy is growing again, but it’s not growing fast enough.  Our businesses have created almost 4.3 million new jobs over the last twenty-seven months, but as we learned in this week’s jobs report, we’re not creating them fast enough.  And just like last year at this time, our economy faces some serious headwinds.  Gas prices are starting to come down again, but when they spiked over the last few months, it hit people’s wallets pretty hard.  The crisis in Europe’s economy has cast a shadow on our own.  And all of this makes it even more challenging to fully recover and lay the foundation for an economy that’s built to last.
But from the moment we first took action to prevent another depression, we knew the road to recovery wouldn’t be easy.  We knew it would take time, that there would be ups and downs along the way.  But we also knew that if we were willing to act wisely, and boldly, and together; if we were willing to keep at it, and never quit, we would come back stronger.
Nothing has shaken my faith in that belief.  We will come back stronger.  We do have better days ahead.  And that’s because of you.  I would place my bet on American workers and American businesses any day of the week.  You’re the reason our auto industry has come roaring back.  You’re the reason manufacturing is hiring at its fastest pace since the 1990s.  You work hard. You play by the rules. And what you deserve are leaders who will do the same; who will do whatever it takes to fight for the middle-class and grow this economy faster.  Because while we can’t fully control everything that happens in other parts of the world, there are plenty of things we can control here at home.  There are plenty of steps we can take right now to help create jobs and grow this economy.
I sent Congress a jobs bill last September full of the kinds of bipartisan ideas that would have put our fellow Americans back to work and helped reinforce our economy against those outside shocks.  I sent them a plan that would have reduced the deficit by $4 trillion in a way that’s balanced – that pays for the job-creating investments we need by cutting unnecessary spending and asking the wealthiest Americans to pay a little more in taxes.
Since then, Congress has only passed a few parts of that jobs bill, like a tax cut that’s allowing working Americans to keep more of your paycheck every week.  That was important.  But Congress hasn’t acted on enough of the other ideas in that bill that would make a difference and help create jobs right now. And there’s no excuse for that.  Not when so many people are looking for work.  Not when so many people are struggling to pay the bills.
So my message to Congress is, get to work.
Right now, Congress should pass a bill to help states prevent more layoffs, so we can put thousands of teachers and firefighters and police officers back on the job.  Congress should have passed a bill a long time ago to put thousands of construction workers back on the job rebuilding our roads and our bridges and our runways.  Instead of just talking a good game about job creators, Congress should give small business owners a tax break for hiring more workers and paying them higher wages.  Let’s get that done.
Right now, Congress should give every responsible homeowner the opportunity to save an average of $3,000 a year by refinancing their mortgage.  Next week, there’s a vote in Congress on a bill that would give working women the tools they need to demand equal pay for equal work.  Ensuring paycheck fairness for women should be a no brainer.  And they need to pass that bill.
Right now, Congress also needs to extend the tax credits for clean energy manufacturers that are set to expire at the end of the year – so that we don’t walk away from 40,000 good jobs.  And it’s long past time for Congress to end the tax breaks for companies that ship jobs overseas, and use that money to cover moving expenses for companies that are bringing jobs back to America.
It’s not lost on anyone, least of all me, that this is an election year.  But we’ve got responsibilities that are bigger than an election.  We’ve got responsibilities to you.  With so many people struggling to get by, now is not the time to play politics.  Now is not the time for Congress to sit on its hands.  The American people expect their leaders to work hard, no matter what year it is.  That’s what I intend to do.  And I expect Democrats and Republicans to join me. 

President Obama Celebrates LGBT Pride Month (Video/Transcript)

I have often said that the truth genius about America is that America can change. We can pass laws to right wrongs. We can soften harden attitudes. Our union can be made more perfect. But here is the thing, change never happens on its own. Change happens because ordinary people countless unsung heroes of our American story stand up and demand it. The story of gay, lesbian, bisexuals and transsexual American is no different. As we celebrate LGBT Pride Month we remember the activists and advocates who refused to be treated as second class citizens. People like G Manfan and Harvey Milk who marched and protested and believed in a better future. But we also remember the unsung heroes, the millions of LGBT Americans for whom everyday acts have required extraordinary courage. The young people who came out as gay or transgender to their parents not knowing what to expect, the two moms or two dads who went to an open house or PTA meeting not knowing how they be received. The couple that got married even if their bosses or neighbor wouldn’t approve, at least not right away. Most of these heroes didn’t set out to make history but that’s exactly what they did. Bit by bit, step by step, they bend the arc of the moral universe towards justice. Now it’s our turn. So this June let’s take some time to celebrate teachers and students who take a stand against bullying, openly service members who openly defend our country with honor and integrity, families and friends who have seen their own attitude evolve. Perfecting our union isn’t something we can do in just one month, but we can remember those who came before us. We can summon their courage and build on their legacy and we can renew our commitment day in and day out to be the kind of people who make change happen.