Obama Says He Still Supports Climate Legislation

(AP)  Despite setbacks on Capitol Hill, President Barack Obama said Tuesday he still supports the need for broad climate legislation.

Speaking in the Rose Garden following a bipartisan meeting of congressional leaders, Obama said the energy bill making its way through Congress now is "an important step in the right direction." But, he said, "I want to emphasize that it's only the first step." He pledged to keep pushing for passage of a comprehensive energy policy overhaul that addresses climate change.

"Our current energy policy is unsustainable," Obama said.

Last week, Senate Democrats abandoned plans for a sweeping measure that would cap greenhouse gases blamed for global warming. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said no Republican senators were willing to vote for the bill, leaving Democrats shy of the 60 votes needed to overcome GOP delaying tactics.

Instead Democrats hope to pass a narrower bill that responds to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and takes steps to improve energy efficiency.

Obama also called on Congress to pass legislation that he says will help small businesses grow and hire again.

A measure pending in the Senate would create a new lending fund to help community banks offer loans. Obama urged lawmakers not to block the initiative.

Obama announced during his State of the Union address earlier this year that he planned to hold monthly bipartisan meetings with congressional leaders at the White House. Among those present Monday was House Minority Leader John Boehner, who has ratcheted up his criticism of Obama in recent weeks, accusing the president of stooping to partisan attacks and saying Obama cannot sell his economic plan.

Obama has argued that Boehner and Republicans are trying to advance the same agenda that led the country into the recession.

The president said he urged Senate Republicans to help fill federal judgeship vacancies. He said his nominees have been waiting up to eight months to be confirmed, even though they have received unanimous or nearly unanimous bipartisan support in the Senate Judiciary Committee.

He blamed "some in the minority" for using procedural tactics to delay the votes.

[RobAla]

Incompetence in Washington DC has risen to an outrageous level. Continued expansion of the federal government, without a means to pay for it, is leaving us with a $1.47 trillion deficit for 2010 and a national debt that exceeds $13 trillion. The federal government has mismanaged Social Security and Medicare to the point that both programs are going bankrupt. This is gross mismanagement that has never been seen in corporate America. The incompetence and corruption of our leadership in Washington demands action by voters.

After removing many of our ridiculous Representatives and Senators from office, I want to see the following:

1) Significantly reduce the federal government to a manageable size and scope.
a) Repeal the health care bill and all of its associated expenses, taxes, and fees.
b) Reduce the size and scope of the IRS by replacing our currently form of income tax with the Fair Tax or a national sales tax.
c) Education in the US is run by the states, and the federal Department of Education educates no one. Eliminate this entire unnecessary federal Department.
d) Get the government out of running or competing with American private businesses (GM, AIG, Chrysler, Freddy Mac, Fannie Mae, NPR and PBS). Businesses should make it on their own.
e) Stop the built in automatic increases of funding for federal programs. Each program should be required to justify need for annual increase in funding.
2) Secure US borders, and enforce immigration laws.
3) With serious reductions to the size and scope of the federal government, we should be able to reduce the tax burden on all businesses and all individual taxpayers.
4) Open up ANWAR to drilling for oil.
5) Since leadership in Washington has proved it is incapable of handling the public?s money, we should pass a Balanced Budget Amendment to the US Constitution.
6) We should do away with the seniority system used by Washington politicians, and pass and Amendment to the US Constitution imposing term limits on the House (3 two year terms) and the Senate (2 six year terms). No politician should retire on the taxpayer?s dime.
7) After establishing an environment where private business can begin hiring, the federal government should focus on reducing the national debt.
8) Address the mismanagement of Social Security and Medicare, so that none of the money for those programs can be spent otherwise.
9) Make sure the recipients of bailout money repay the American taxpayer, or have they liquidate their assets for repayment (GM, AIG, Chrysler, Freddy Mac, and Fannie Mae). No company is too big to fail. We have monopoly laws.
10) Stop allowing the federal government to micromanage state and local issues. Make sure the federal government is limited to declared Constitutional duties, and reserve the rights of states and local communities to handle all other responsibilities.

In summary: We are in dangerous economic times. Federal spending should focus on defending the nation and creating an environment where American private businesses can be successful. No bills, like cap and trade, should be passed which cripple American business. Also, this is no time to experiment with unproven or extremist ideologies.

[JFK2112]

But in the meantime the first lady and her daughter is flying to Spain on Vacation and staying in a 5 Star Hotel and booking 30 Rooms.