Archive for September, 2011
Race Politics: Obama’s Rift With Black Community, Herman Cain Says Blacks “Brainwashed”
by Caren Z. Turner
For months critics within the black community have complained that President Obama, as the first black President, hasn’t done enough to focus on African-American issues such as disproportionately high unemployment. But this past weekend, at a gala dinner of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), President Obama fired back rather sharply against the criticism.
“I am going to press on for jobs,” he said in his speech at the dinner, and then went on to say, “I expect all of you to march with me and press on. Take off your bedroom slippers, put on your marching shoes. Shake it off. Stop complaining, stop grumbling, stop crying.”
Some prominent black leaders were stunned, among them Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA), Princeton professor Cornel West, and PBS talk show host Tavis Smiley.
“How does he get away with saying this to black folk?” said Smiley. “The president of the United States ought to consider more wisely the words that he uses when talking to Black folk as compared to others.”
The core issue is the economy, and President Obama’s economic policies in particular. While joblessness is a critical issue in the country at present, it is worse in African-American communities where unemployment is nearing 17%. And fueling the criticism from black leaders is their disappointment – perhaps unfairly reached – in the President’s perceived failure as an African-American to bring greater relief to economic woes in the black community.
A CNN.com analysis encapsulated the issue this way:
Many political analysts sum up those “expectations run amok” this way: White voters heralded the election of a black president as a sign that long-standing racial gaps were closing, and they expected Obama to play a post-racial role; a president for everyone, who just happened to be black.
Meanwhile, many African-American voters just as clearly saw his election as a great leap forward and hoped the presence of a black president in the Oval Office would bring a new level of understanding, acknowledgment, and relief for their community’s problems.
In a rare interview with Black Entertainment Television (BET) after the CBC gala speech, President Obama acknowledged that the 2012 election will be economy-driven, and that motivating black voters is critical. However, giving necessary place to balance, he also said that “America works when all of us are pulling together, and everybody is focused on making sure that every single person has opportunity.”
“And so when we put forward a program like, for example, the health care bill, our focus is people who don’t have health care,” Obama further said. “Now it turns out that the majority of folks who don’t have health care are also working families, and are disproportionately African-American and Latino, but that doesn’t mean that it’s only for them. There are a whole bunch of folks all across the country who need help. And we are going to help every single person who needs help.”
Some black critics feel that President Obama’s recent remarks only widened the rift that already exists between him and black voters, whose “strongly favorable” view of the President dropped from 86% to 58% in just five months, according to a recent Washington Post/ABC News poll.
But while African-American voters continue to support the President in spite of the rift, his problem may not be that black voters will vote for a Republican, but that they might not vote at all. It could prove costly to the President if the 2012 race is a tight one.
On the issue of black votes and race issues, GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain, who is African-American, said yesterday in an interview on CNN’s The Situation Room that the black community has been “brainwashed” into voting for Democrats.
“African-Americans have been brainwashed into not being open minded, not even considering a conservative point of view,” said Cain, who is a former CEO of Godfather’s Pizza. “I have received some of that same vitriol simply because I am running for the Republican nomination as a conservative. So it’s just brainwashing and people not being open minded, pure and simple.”
Believing he has a good chance to win a large portion of the black vote, Cain went on to say that “this whole notion that all African-Americans are not going to vote for Obama is not necessarily true. … I believe a third [of African-Americans] would vote for me, based on my own anecdotal feedback. Not vote for me because I’m black but because of my policies.”
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Supreme Court May Rule On Constitutionality Of National Health Care Law
by Caren Z. Turner
In what could potentially result in a devastating blow to President Obama’s signature legislative victory, the Supreme Court may review a challenge to the Affordable Care Act which could result in a ruling that it is unconstitutional in its entirety. The review was requested by 26 state attorney generals who are challenging the healthcare reform law’s mandate that individual’s must purchase health insurance.
“This case offers this court an ideal vehicle to resolve pressing and persistent constitutional questions arising out of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act,” said lawyers for the states. “It represents an unprecedented challenge — involving over half of the states in the nation — to an unprecedented legislative initiative.”
The states’ petition to the Supreme Court comes just two days after the Justice Department declined to seek a rehearing of a finding by the Fourth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that the health care reform law’s individual mandate was unconstitutional. While the issue was expected to end up before the Supreme Court eventually, the Justice Department’s risky decision undeniably hastens the process and could prove to be politically untimely – and potentially devastating – for the President: if the Supreme Court takes the case (which is expected, considering two circuit courts have recently made conflicting rulings on the same provision), then its decision would likely be handed down in June of 2012, a mere four months before the general election.
And there is a good possibility that the Supreme Court would declare the healthcare law unconstitutional. In such an event, the defeat to the President would be almost irrecoverable and his reelection almost certain to fail.
National Journal summed the matter up rather succinctly:
The unpopularity of health care reform legislation helped Republicans win big in the 2010 elections. Republican presidential contenders pound the legislation relentlessly before their fans, and the eventual nominee will certainly use the law as an argument against the president. That the law will play a major role in next year’s elections is a foregone conclusion. Whether Republicans will have a much stronger argument that the seminal achievement of Obama’s first term was fundamentally unconstitutional is something the Supreme Court will decide.
And Obama has left that decision in the hands of a narrowly divided Court, one that is almost assured of dividing 5-4 on the constitutionality of an individual mandate. Whichever side the majority falls is likely to be decided by Justice Anthony Kennedy.
Kennedy will never be on a ballot, but the Obama administration has bolstered the possibility that Kennedy’s decision will be the president’s running mate next year.
Turner GPA is one of the premier, highly respected government and public affairs firms in the nation. Turner’s state-of-the-art advocacy has earned them respect and acclaim from the media, clients, policymakers and even their competitors! Turner advocates on behalf of cutting edge businesses, municipalities, and non-profits that wish to ensure their perspectives and needs are taken into account in Washington, in state capitols and in City Hall, as well as in the media. The firm creates and implements intensely focused and targeted advocacy campaigns designed to meet and exceed its client’s expectations and goals. For more information on Turner GPA, visit http://www.turnergpa.comor call 202-466-2511.
Government Shutdown Averted With Temporary Senate Compromise Measures
by Caren Z. Turner
Monday night the Senate approved two temporary measures that together will fund the government through the first seven weeks of FY2011, which begins Saturday. The first measure, approved by a voice vote, is a one-week funding bill which will finish off FY2010. The second measure, passed by a 79-12 vote, will fund the government through November 18.
In an agreement with the Senate, the House will approve the one-week funding measure by unanimous consent in a pro forma session on Thursday, giving House members enough time to return from their weeklong recess in order to consider the second funding measure.
What had initially threatened a government shutdown was disagreement over $1.5 billion in spending offsets to the $3.6 billion in disaster relief funding that were included in the House’s short-term continuing resolution to fund the government through mid-November. Democrats in the Senate flatly rejected the offsets, saying disaster relief for Americans should be unencumbered. Further concerning Democrats was that the offsets proposed by Republicans targeted green energy initiatives which Democrats support.
It is worth noting that a recent memo put out by the Congressional Research Service shows very few instances in the past twenty years when either Republicans or Democrats has demanded cuts to offset monies going into FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund.
The compromise measures, which do not include any offsets, were reached after the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) informed lawmakers that its disaster relief fund (DRF) would last through the remainder of this week without any need for additional emergency funds. As a result no new funds for the DRF are in the one-week funding bill, but are included in the FY2011 six-week funding bill.
The path to the Senate compromise measures came with some sharp frustration directed at House Republicans by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), who called Senators back into session yesterday to vote.
“The House, as we speak, on the eve of the government shutting down next Saturday, and FEMA on the verge of having no money, they left, they are gone, they are not in Washington,” he said on the Senate floor. “It’s really hard to negotiate with people who are not here.”
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said the compromise deal was a “vindication” for Republicans.
“Before we spend taxpayers’ money, we should have a real accounting of what’s actually needed,” he said. “In my view, this entire fire drill was completely unnecessary. But I’m glad a resolution now appears to be at hand.”
Turner GPA is one of the premier, highly respected government and public affairs firms in the nation. Turner’s state-of-the-art advocacy has earned them respect and acclaim from the media, clients, policymakers and even their competitors! Turner advocates on behalf of cutting edge businesses, municipalities, and non-profits that wish to ensure their perspectives and needs are taken into account in Washington, in state capitols and in City Hall, as well as in the media. The firm creates and implements intensely focused and targeted advocacy campaigns designed to meet and exceed its client’s expectations and goals. For more information on Turner GPA, visit http://www.turnergpa.com or call 202-466-2511.
President Obama’s Clean Energy Agenda Taking Some Hard (And Unfair?) Hits
By Caren Z. Turner
“To build a future of energy security, we must trust in the creative genius of American researchers and entrepreneurs and empower them to pioneer a new generation of clean energy technology. … The United States is committed to strengthening our energy security and confronting global climate change. And the best way to meet these goals is for America to continue leading the way toward the development of cleaner and more energy-efficient technology.”
So said the President in his State of the Union address. Only it wasn’t President Obama. The words were spoken by his predecessor, George W. Bush, during his 2008 State of the Union address.
The “green” agenda that President Obama has been pursuing is a continuation (and evolution) of the clean energy vision and commitments advanced by former President Bush. And as our history has demonstrated for over a century-and-a-half, major direction changes in new industry and technology come with inherent investment risks. Such is the nature of exploration and discovery.
Which is why it is necessary to question whether recent criticism of the President is somewhat (though not entirely) unfair.
With the recent failure of California solar panel company Solyndra, criticism of President Obama on his green energy and green jobs initiatives has sharply increased. Among the more vocal recent critics is Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), Chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. He is even holding a hearing today titled “How Obama’s Green Energy Agenda is Killing Jobs.”
A recent report released by Issa’s committee strongly criticized the President’s push for green jobs by stating that “the metric of a ‘green job’ is nothing more than a propaganda tool designed to provide legitimacy to a pre-determined outcome that benefits a political ideology rather than the economy or the environment.”
The report concluded that “three years and nearly a hundred billion dollars later, taxpayers have received little return from President Obama’s investments in ‘green jobs.’”
Yet while the Obama Administration continues to get hammered on the issue, it remains steadfast in its defense of its investments in clean energy and green jobs.
“Our investments in clean energy innovation are creating hundreds of thousands of jobs around the country, developing entire industries and supply chains, and helping to make American companies to be more competitive,” said Deputy Energy Secretary Daniel Poneman in a statement yesterday. Poneman is scheduled to testify at today’s hearing.
It is worth noting that while Issa continues what appears to be politically motivated pummeling of the White House, it was recently discovered that he has sought government loans in the past for clean energy projects in his home state of California, including a hybrid-car company and a lithium-ion manufacturer.
Turner GPA is one of the premier, highly respected government and public affairs firms in the nation. Turner’s state-of-the-art advocacy has earned them respect and acclaim from the media, clients, policymakers and even their competitors! Turner advocates on behalf of cutting edge businesses, municipalities, and non-profits that wish to ensure their perspectives and needs are taken into account in Washington, in state capitols and in City Hall, as well as in the media. The firm creates and implements intensely focused and targeted advocacy campaigns designed to meet and exceed its client’s expectations and goals. For more information on Turner GPA, visit http://www.turnergpa.comor call 202-466-2511.
Enter President Obama’s Debt Reduction Plan, Stage Left
by Caren Z. Turner
Can a politician be practical and do politics at the same time? You bet.
President Obama outlined his $3 trillion debt reduction plan on Monday, which Republicans instantly criticized as “class warfare,” in spite of the fact that polls continue to show that Democrats and many independent voters support raising taxes on the wealthy and oppose reducing Medicare and Social Security benefits. The details of the President’s plan were what we expected, discussed in our post Monday: the creation of $1.5 in revenues largely by increasing taxes on the wealthy, and $1 trillion in savings through cuts and reforms to Medicare and Medicaid over the next ten years.
While the plan pleased Democrats, what utterly thrilled and reinvigorated President Obama’s Democratic base was his defiant stand against any potential Republican obstruction to his plan. To many, it was a “Well it’s about time Mr. President!” moment. The President has been criticized since taking office as being weak for compromising with Republicans on a number of key issues including healthcare, Bush-era tax cuts, and Wall Street reform.
The President’s shift, which many feel presents a sound policy direction, is also politically smart: President Obama cannot get reelected without the support of his base, which has been seriously displeased with him for a long time. The President’s new defiant energy – if he sustains it – may be the start of a new and critical trend by the President in his hopes for winning reelection.
“If he refuses to compromise, he’ll win,” said Dan Cantor, executive director of New York’s labor-backed Working Families Party, which led a drive last year for a similar “millionaire’s tax.” “It’s economically sensible, politically popular and morally just.”
On another note, Monday marked the final nail in the coffin for “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT) which also excited Democrats and liberals across the country.
Turner GPA is one of the premier, highly respected government and public affairs firms in the nation. Turner’s state-of-the-art advocacy has earned them respect and acclaim from the media, clients, policymakers and even their competitors! Turner advocates on behalf of cutting edge businesses, municipalities, and non-profits that wish to ensure their perspectives and needs are taken into account in Washington, in state capitols and in City Hall, as well as in the media. The firm creates and implements intensely focused and targeted advocacy campaigns designed to meet and exceed its client’s expectations and goals. For more information on Turner GPA, visit http://www.turnergpa.comor call 202-466-2511.
Republican Leaders Pressure Bernanke On Federal Reserve Policy
By Caren Z. Turner
As Republicans on the Hill continue to resist the President’s American Jobs Act and sharply criticize his recent debt reduction plan as “class warfare,” their continued pushback against the President on the economy and jobs took an unprecedented step when they sent a letter to Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke expressing “serious concerns” about the Fed’s role in the U.S. economy.
“Respectfully, we submit that the board should resist further extraordinary interventions in the U.S. economy, particularly without a clear articulation of the goals of such a policy, direction for success, ample data proving a case for economic action and quantifiable benefits to the American people,’ read the letter, which was co-signed by House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH), House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA), Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-AZ).
The letter was sent on Monday, just ahead of the Federal Open Market Committee’s (FOMC) two-day meeting which this afternoon will culminate in an announcement of monetary decisions the committee may have made.
Earlier this year the Fed used $600 billion in electronically generated funds to purchase U.S. Treasury bonds from banks in an effort to stimulate the economy. In a similar move, the Fed exercised what is known as quantitative easing by buying $1.5 trillion of mortgage-backed securities.
GOP lawmakers used the letter to warn that other similar activities by the fed “could exacerbate current problems or further harm the U.S. economy.”
“Such steps may erode the already-weakened U.S. dollar or promote more borrowing by overleveraged consumers,” Republican leaders said in the letter. “To date, we have seen no evidence that further monetary stimulus will create jobs or provide a sustainable path towards economic recovery.”
Democratic Senators are angered at what is being seen as a brash and unprecedented political maneuver to influence the politically independent Fed.
“[W]ith this letter to the Federal Reserve, the Republican congressional leaders are telling the Federal Reserve, we believe for the first time in history, that they should not provide in this economy a vehicle for expansion by lowering interest rates,” said Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL). “That to me is wrong-headed.”
Durbin quoted a former Federal Reserve official who said the political communication is “outrageous” that the Fed would receive “direct political communications from Republican leaders.”
Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) joined Durbin, criticizing the letter as an inappropriate effort to intimidate the Fed.
“This is a heavy-handed attempt to meddle in the Fed’s independent stewardship of monetary policy,” Schumer said in a statement. “It should be ignored by Chairman Bernanke and the Fed’s policymakers.”
The letter follows a recent string of strong criticism of Bernanke by Republican presidential candidates, some of whom have said they would immediately fire Bernanke if they were to take office, among them Texas Governor Rick Perry, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. Rick Perry has gone so far as to say that another round of quantitative easing at the height of political season could be “treasonous.”
Turner GPA is one of the premier, highly respected government and public affairs firms in the nation. Turner’s state-of-the-art advocacy has earned them respect and acclaim from the media, clients, policymakers and even their competitors! Turner advocates on behalf of cutting edge businesses, municipalities, and non-profits that wish to ensure their perspectives and needs are taken into account in Washington, in state capitols and in City Hall, as well as in the media. The firm creates and implements intensely focused and targeted advocacy campaigns designed to meet and exceed its client’s expectations and goals. For more information on Turner GPA, visit www.turnergpa.com or call 202-466-2511.
Where Are We With Appropriations FY 2012?
Below is a chart outlining the status of the 12 major FY12 appropriations bills, as prepared by National Journal.
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School is Back and so is Congress
By Caren Z. Turner
I hope you had a wonderful summer! One of the highlights of our summer was the August webinar by Andrea Shalal-Essa, Reuters correspondent, who discussed recent trends in the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act!
School is back in and so is Congress. We are ready to go! The August debt ceiling stalemate has ended!! Issues, laws, regulations and proposals are percolating. Time to lay out the ground work for the fall.
Nearly every lobbying campaign must include a strategy for the Super Committee. Be sure your plan is in place. Also, please be sure to reach out to your legislators NOW, in advance of the Super Committee decisions to help prevent your industry from getting cut, ignored or over regulated. We anticipate a lot of activity in transportation, aerospace and defense, healthcare and manufacturing. If you need help, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Please call (202) 466-2511.
While the Republican Presidential field is getting crowded, the Democrats have increasingly ripped apart their candidate. In her NYT article, “One and Done?” Maureen Dowd questions, “Maybe Obama was not even the person he was waiting for”. OUCH!
Environmentalists may soon lead the anti Obama parade after the President pulled back on the tougher smog standards that EPA had promised for months. Thank goodness we weren’t near 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue when that was announced. (EPA headquarters!).
If you ever want to know who is making the decisions about our economy? Study: 8 in 10 Lawmakers Lack an Education in Economics.
So, hang on to your hats. It’s going to be a wild Autumn!
Turner GPA is a leading D.C.-based national lobbying and government affairs firm dedicated to delivering cutting edge policy advocacy for the manufacturing, defense, aerospace, and energy industries. Members of our professional policy team can be reached at (202) 688-1820. We are also on the Web at www.turnergpa.com.
Transportation Funding Showdown
By Scott Orr
Just when Washington watchers have moved on from the painful stalemate over the debt ceiling, another showdown is looming, one that threatens billions in federal transportation aid.
If you’re in state or local government, or a contractor in the transportation sector, you need to keep a close eye on the coming debate. Getting inside the debate with the help of Turner GPA’s experienced team of government and public affairs specialists could pave the way to political and business success.
At stake, as Congress returns from August recess, is the fate of billions of dollars in funding for highway and transit construction projects across the country and the thousands of jobs that money supports.
The federal government’s authority to collect 18.4 cents a gallon in federal gasoline taxes, and the power to spend that money, both expire on Sept. 30, which doesn’t give Congress much time. And as it begins debate, both parties remain painfully aware of the black eyes they received for wasting $350 million during a deadlock over Federal Aviation Administration funding this summer.
What has state officials, and by extension the contractors they hire, worried is the fact that neither the House nor the Senate has acted on a long-term surface transportation bill.
The House is considering a six-year plan worth around $35 billion a year, while the Senate is discussing a two-year plan that would total about $109 billion. But these long-term packages haven’t even been written yet, let alone debated.
That means Congress will need a stop-gap measure this monthto prevent a stalemate that would bring construction on transportation projects screeching to a halt.
And while these kinds of extensions have been routine in the past, recent history has shown that this Congress is not one to pursue the simple path. A must-pass bill that contains transportation programs funded by taxes could prove a very tempting target for tea party zealots looking to again demonstrate their displeasure for federal spending. Our prediction is for another wreckless political high wire show, so be prepared.
Take Advantage of the Federal Jobs Plan
By Carl Chancellor
While the details of President Obama’s job plan won’t be unveiled until Thursday when he addresses a joint session of Congress, it’s a safe bet that the package will have significant benefits not only for the unemployed but for businesses and private investors as well.
It’s almost certain that the president will push the idea of a national infrastructure bank—which has gained traction on both sides of the political divide—as a means of sparking job creation by rebuilding the nation’s crumbling infrastructure. Both the AFL-CIO and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce have endorsed the creation of just such a government-sponsored lending institution that would supplement federal spending on infrastructure by promoting private-sector investment. The private sector currently provides only about 6 percent of infrastructure spending in this country. According to the Associated Press, the United States is one of the few large countries that lack a central source of low-cost financing for construction projects.
Many of our clients are particularly intrigued with the idea of a national infrastructure bank knowing that such a commitment could inspire financial markets and encourage investment. We, at Turner GPA, have been in constant contact with federal lawmakers on both sides of the aisle as they’ve been busy crafting legislation to address the economy and other pressing national issues. Our number one priority is making sure our clients’ voices are being heard on the Hill and that their wishes and concerns are being addressed.
“We’ve got roads and bridges across this country that need to be rebuilt,” said Obama at a Labor Day rally in Detroit. “We’ve got private companies with the equipment and manpower to do the building. We’ve got more than one million unemployed construction workers ready to get dirty right now.”
At that rally the President hinted at some of the other possible elements of his much anticipated jobs plan, including extension of the soon-to-expire payroll tax cuts, extended unemployment benefits, and expanding job training. In addition, it is expected that the President’s jobs plan will offer tax credits to companies that hire new workers; push for the ratification of free-trade deals; address reforms to parts of the tax code; and, will speak to federal regulatory concerns.
At a time when unemployment tops 9 percent and some 14 million Americans are out of work, voters who are clearly disenchanted with the White House and Congress are looking for a bold plan to jump start a stalled economy that created no new jobs in August.
House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, (R-Virginia) has indicated that there could be support for portions of the president’s jobs bill like tax and regulatory reform and free trade. However, Congressional Republicans are sure to balk at any major new public works plan.
Still, it is worth mentioning, as many political pundits already have, that a national infrastructure bank encompasses two of the GOP’s favorite notions–privatization and the elimination of earmarks.
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