Networks to Carry Obama Address as well as GOP Response

House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) on Friday asked television networks to air the Republican response to President Barack Obama's health care address to a joint session of Congress, scheduled for 8 p.m. Wednesday.

"The opposing party has typically been granted this opportunity not only in the case of the annual Presidential State of the Union Address to Congress, but at other times when the President has come before Congress as well," Boehner wrote. "For example, in 1993 when President Bill Clinton spoke to Congress on health care, the networks carried a Republican response from then-Governor Carroll Campbell of South Carolina."

NBC, ABC, and CBS confirmed to POLITICO that they will carry Obama’s address and cover the GOP response. - Politico Story

FOX Says No to Prime Time Address for Obama

While ABC, NBC and ABC confirmed today they'll air Obama's address to Congress, Fox has just announced in a statement that the network won't preempt programming on Wednesday, according to a company statement.

It's not too surprising considering Fox aired "So You Think You Can Dance" instead of Obama's last prime-time news conference. The reality dance contest also airs at 8pm on Wednesday, the same time Obama addresses Congress.

While the broadcast network will not cut to the president, both Fox News and Fox Business Network will air the address in its entirety. - Politico

Unemployment Climbs to 9.7%

(AP) The unemployment rate rose to 9.7 percent in August, the highest since June 1983, as employers eliminated a net total of 216,000 jobs.

Analysts expect businesses will be reluctant to hire until they are convinced the economy is on a firm path to recovery. Many private economists, and the Federal Reserve, expect the unemployment rate to top 10 percent by the end of this year.

While the jobless rate rose more than expected, the number of job cuts is less than July's upwardly revised total of 276,000 and the lowest in a year, according to Labor Department data released Friday. Economists expected the unemployment rate to rise to 9.5 percent from July's 9.4 percent and job reductions to total 225,000.

If laid-off workers who have settled for part-time work or have given up looking for new jobs are included, the so-called underemployment rate reached 16.8 percent, the highest on records dating from 1994.

The recession has eliminated a net total of 6.9 million jobs since it began in December 2007. There are now 14.9 million Americans unemployed. - CBS News Story

WOW, it sure is a good thing that Biden believes the stimulus package is working better than expected. Can you imagine if it just worked as expected what the unemployment rate would have been at? What a joke.

Many Parents Opting Kids out of Obama Speech

Regine Gordon doesn't want her 6-year-old son to hear from President Obama next week.

Gordon, of Tampa, Fla., is among a growing number of parents across the country who are troubled by the president's plan to address elementary, middle and high school students in an online and televised speech Tuesday.

"It's a form of indoctrination, and I think, really, it's indicative of the culture that the Obama administration is trying to create," Gordon told FOXNews.com on Thursday. "It's very socialistic."

After writing letters to her congressmen and school officials, Gordon said her son, David, will be allowed to participate in an alternative activity at Gorrie Elementary School during Obama's address, which comes on the first day of school for many children.

"I'm waiting to hear from his teacher, but I have told them to go ahead and I'd like [David] to go do something else," Gordon said. "It's kind of like going through the children to get to their parents. Children are very vulnerable and excited. I mean, this is the president. I think it's an underhanded tactic and indicative of the way things are being done."

But some parents won't be allowed to "opt-out" their kids everywhere. At least one school district, Tempe Elementary School District No. 3 in Arizona, is not permitting parents to pull their children out of class during Obama's speech.

"I have directed principals to have students and teachers view the president's message on Tuesday," Superintendent of Schools Dr. Arthur Tate Jr. said in a statement Thursday. "In some cases, where technology will not permit access to the White House Web site, DVDs will be provided to classes on subsequent days. I am not permitting parents to opt out students from viewing the president's message, since this is a purely educational event." - FOX News Story

First of Dr. Arthur, you can not mandate to parents that their kids have to watch this speech. I don't know who the hell this guy thinks he is. I think the parents and Leaders of the community need to stand up and let this guy know that he is not the dictator of the educational system.

Obama's Green Jobs Czar Believes Government Behind 9/11 Attacks?

President Obama's "green jobs" adviser could become a mounting liability for the Obama administration, as the latest revelation about Van Jones shows his apparent belief that the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks may have been an inside job.

Jones joined the "9/11 truther" movement by signing a statement in 2004 calling for then-New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer and others to launch an investigation into evidence that suggests "people within the current administration may indeed have deliberately allowed 9/11 to happen, perhaps as a pretext for war."

The statement asked a series of critical questions hinting at Bush administration involvement in the attacks and called for "deeper inquiry." It was also signed by former Rep. Cynthia McKinney and Code Pink co-founder Jodie Evans.

But on Thursday, Jones tried to distance himself from the position, saying "In recent days some in the news media have reported on past statements I made before I joined the administration – some of which were made years ago. If I have offended anyone with statements I made in the past, I apologize. As for the petition [9/11 statement] that was circulated today, I do not agree with this statement and it certainly does not reflect my views now or ever."

In addition, an aide to Jones told FOX News the Green Jobs Czar "did not carefully review the language in the petition."

The aide did not say when Jones signed the petition or when he became aware of the controversy.

The apology comes after one from Jones Wednesday for "offensive words" he uttered in February when he called Republicans "assholes." He said the remarks "do not reflect the views of this administration" and its bipartisan aims. - FOX News Story

Obama's Green Jobs Czar - Republicans are A**holes

Van Jones, currently the White House "green jobs" czar, was attending a forum in Berkeley, Calif. back in February [a month before he was hired for his current gig] when he was asked why Congressional Republicans were blocking the administration's initiatives.

Jones, a former civil rights attorney in Oakland and author of a bestseller on the green economy, was appointed as Special Advisor for Green Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation at the White House Council on Environmental Quality in March, 2009.

Here's what he said.

"The answer to that is they're a**holes... [Crowd laughter] That's a technical political science term... And Barack Obama's not an a**hole. And I can be an a**hole. And some of us who aren't Barack Hussein Obama are going to have to start getting a little bit uppity." - Politico

Former DNC Chair Howard Dean need History Lesson

With virtually no Republican support for the health care reform bill, some Democrats believe they will have to go it alone.

But Howard Dean, the former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, isn't worried about the political repercussions.

When asked about the risks of abandoning efforts for a bipartisan bill, Dean had this to say:

"All the really great programs in American history, Social Security, was done without Republicans. Medicare was done without Republican support until the last vote where they realized they had to get on board," Dean said on the Aug. 25, 2009, episode of the Rachel Maddow Show. "So a lot of the things that have been done that have helped seniors in particular have been done without Republican support at all and there's not going to be any political penalty. The only political penalty will be suffered is if we don‘t pass a bill and the Republicans know that. And that's why they‘re not interested in helping pass the bill."

Our recollection about the votes on Social Security and Medicare was a little rusty, and we wondered whether Dean was right that both bills passed with no Republican support.

To find out, we had to turn back the clock to 1935 - the height of the Great Depression - when President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act, an insurance program funded through taxpayer dollars meant to support retirees. The legislation was controversial for a number of reasons, including its perceived effects on the labor market and whether its benefits favored working white men.

Nevertheless, on Aug. 8, 1935, the conference report - the final version of the bill that melds together changes made in the House and in the Senate - passed in the House 372-33, with 81 Republicans voting in support of the bill. The next day, the bill was passed in the Senate 77-6, with 16 Republicans supporting the legislation. So Social Security did pass with Republican support.

Thirty years later, a significant number of Republicans voted in favor of the Medicare bill. The House adopted the conference report on July 27, 1965, 307-116, with 70 Republicans supporting it. And on July 28, the Senate adopted the final version of the bill by a vote of 70-24, with 13 Republicans in favor of the bill. President Lydon B. Johnson signed the Medicare bill into law on July 30, 1965. - Politifact Story

Obama Amongst Worst in Approval Ratings as President

The pundits and prognosticators are saying President Obama is losing his mojo.

And they have facts to back up their claim.

"Since World War II, only Gerald Ford and Bill Clinton have had worse ratings after seven months than President Obama," said Republican Newt Gingrich, offering advice to Obama on the op-ed page of the Washington Post.

Gingrich's comment was part of a round-up of advice solicited by the Post for the supposedly faltering president; Gingrich advised Obama to reject his left-leaning supporters and move to the center.

Being but humble factcheckers, we can't speak to the wisdom or folly of Gingrich's advice. But we certainly can check his factual statement about Obama's poll numbers, a claim we've seen repeated in other media.

The Gallup poll actually has been tracking presidential approval ratings since World War II. We consulted Gallup's tracking polls and found that Gingrich is correct. At the seven-month mark, Obama's approval rating was 51 percent. The only two presidents doing worse than Obama were Gerald Ford and Bill Clinton. - Politifact Story

Obama from Top to Bottom in mere Months

President Barack Obama's approval ratings, once seen as historically high, could soon be among the worst early poll numbers for a modern American president.

He has already, however, outlasted the brief honeymoon of the last Democratic president, Bill Clinton.

The Gallup Organization — whose polls show Obama at just 50 percent approval rating less than eight months into his first term — says only two modern presidents, Gerald Ford and Bill Clinton, saw their approval ratings drop below 50 percent by this time in their presidencies. Ronald Reagan is the next in line, with his numbers dipping after 10 months, while Jimmy Carter retained positive approval numbers for more than a year.

The historical numbers back David Brooks' view today of an "Obama Slide."

Earlier presidents faced a more forgiving public: Richard Nixon maintained positive approval numbers for just over two years, and Lyndon Johnson for almost 2½ years. Dwight Eisenhower's numbers remained positive for more than five years, and John F. Kennedy never dipped into negative territory during his 1,000 days. - Politico Story

Obama in Trouble, Changing Strategy

Aides to President Barack Obama are putting the final touches on a new strategy to help Democrats recover from a brutal August recess by specifying what Obama wants to see in a compromise health care deal and directly confronting other trouble spots, West Wing officials tell POLITICO.

Obama is considering detailing his health-care demands in a major speech as soon as next week, when Congress returns from the August recess. And although House leaders have said their members will demand the inclusion of a public insurance option, Obama has no plans to insist on it himself, the officials said.

“We’re entering a new season,” senior adviser David Axelrod said in a telephone interview. “It’s time to synthesize and harmonize these strands and get this done. We’re confident that we can do that. But obviously it is a different phase. We’re going to approach it in a different way. The president is going to be very active.”

Top officials privately concede the past six weeks have taken their toll on Obama's popularity. But the officials also see the new diminished expectations as an opportunity to prove their critics wrong by signing a health-care law, showing progress in Afghanistan, and using this month's anniversary of the fall of Lehman Brothers to push for a crackdown on Wall Street. - Politico Story

GOP Senator Warns of Minor Revolution

WASHINGTON (CNN) — A top Republican senator warned Tuesday that if Democrats try to overhaul health care without Republican support, "it will wreck our health care system and wreck the Democratic Party."

"The intensity on this issue across the country is like nothing I"ve seen in a long, long time," said Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, the third-ranking Republican in the Senate.

After a month of town halls back home, Alexander said it's clear to him and other Republicans that Americans are "scared to death" about the sweeping policy changes coming from Washington this year and the massive debt they are creating.

Alexander warned there would be "a minor revolution in this country" if Democrats try to "ram" a health care overhaul using a legislative tool called reconciliation, which would allow a bill to pass with 50 votes instead of 60.

Alexander also complained the White House has cut Republicans out of talks. - CNN

Well, it is good to see that someone is paying attention. I have said this for the last few months. We are headed down a dangerous path and if the people in Washington don't open their eyes this is going to be a pivotal moment in history.

Stocks Tumble on Bank / Economy Concerns

(AP) The stock market's six-month rally finally gave way Tuesday, succumbing to resurgent worries about the fragility of the banking industry and the economy as a whole.

A mix of rumors and growing concerns that more banks will fail pummeled the financial industry, which had posted some of the biggest gains since the stock market began its huge advance in March. Investors saw a batch of economic reports that just weren't good enough as a parallel reason to sell.

All the major indexes fell about 2 percent. The Dow Jones industrials fell 186 points. The Nasdaq lost 40 and the S&P 500 was down 23.

Meanwhile, bond prices edged higher as investors sought the safety of government debt. The price of oil tumbled as the dollar strengthened and amid concerns that the economy isn't strong enough to support higher demand for energy. - CBS News Story

I thought that Obama had assured us that he was creating a healthier banking system and an economy that was on more solid ground?

Obama's Approval at All Time Low

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Tuesday shows that 30% of the nation's voters Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as President. Forty-one percent (41%) Strongly Disapprove giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -11 (see trends).

......

Overall, 45% of voters say they at least somewhat approve of the President's performance. That’s down a point from yesterday and the lowest level of total approval yet measured for Obama. Fifty-three percent (53%) now disapprove. See recent demographic highlights from the tracking polls. - Rasmussen Reports Poll

Obama's Approval Continues Dropping

Rassmussen Reports Polls

Democrats Hurting in Polls

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 43% would vote for their district’s Republican congressional candidate while 36% would opt for his or her Democratic opponent.

That represents the lowest level of support for Democrats in recent years, while Republicans have tied their highest level of support for the third straight week. The previous low for Democrats over the past year was 37%. - Rasmussen Reports Poll

CIA Says it will Release No More Information

WASHINGTON -- The CIA says it cannot turn over more details of its interrogations of terror suspects without spilling classified government secrets.

A long-secret report released last week shed new light on alleged CIA abuses. The spy agency faced a Monday court deadline to turn over more papers, but the agency responded by telling the federal judge in the case that dozens of remaining documents must stay secret.

The American Civil Liberties Union has sought the documents as part of a long-running lawsuit seeking information about the U.S. government's antiterror program.

The civil rights group criticized the CIA's position, saying it contradicts President Obama's policies on counterterror measures and transparency in government.

Attorney General Eric Holder last week appointed federal prosecutor John Durham to look into abuse allegations after the release of an internal CIA inspector general's report that revealed agency interrogators once threatened to kill a Sept. 11 suspect's children and suggested another would be forced to watch his mother be sexually assaulted.

Neither end of the political spectrum is happy with Holder's decision. Led by former Vice President Dick Cheney, conservatives said the probe wrongly targeted those who helped keep the nation safe after the Sept. 11 attacks. Civil liberties groups were unhappy that officials from the administration of President George W. Bush were not targeted in the probe.

President Obama has said interrogators would not face charges if they followed legal guidelines. However, the report said that some CIA interrogators went beyond Bush administration restrictions that gave them wide latitude to use severe tactics such as waterboarding, a simulated drowning technique. Three high-level suspects underwent waterboarding scores of times.

Cheney contended that the inspector general's report showed that the severe techniques resulted in "the bulk of intelligence we gained about Al Qaeda" and "saved lives and prevented terrorist attacks." - FOX News Story

Obama's War - Top General Calls for Change in Strategy

The top U.S. commander in Afghanistan on Monday called for a new strategy to defeat the Taliban, calling the security picture "serious" but not irreversible.

Gen. Stanley McChrystal sent his strategic review of the Afghan war to the Pentagon on Monday.

He did not ask for more troops but is expected to do so in a separate request, two NATO officials said on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak on the matter.

Increasing U.S. forces is a hot-button issue that could ignite furious debate in Washington on the U.S. military's future in an increasingly unpopular war. Some Democratic senators have increased calls for a timeline to draw down troops.

NATO spokesman James Appathurai told FOX News Radio that McChrystal's report is an "assessment" and not a "final change of strategy," and still has to be reviewed by U.S. allies.

"We need to show the American people, but also the people of the 41 other countries contributing to this operation, progress," he said.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates ordered the 60-day review to size up the rapidly deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan as Taliban attacks rise and U.S. deaths spiral upward. - FOX News Story

Obama's Struggles Continue

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Monday shows that 30% of the nation's voters Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as President. Forty-one percent (41%) Strongly Disapprove giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -11 (see trends).

Twenty-nine percent (29%) are confident that Congress knows what it’s doing when it comes to the economy. If Americans could vote to keep or replace the entire Congress, 57% would throw out all the legislators and start over again. Just 25% would vote to keep the Congress.

The Presidential Approval Index is calculated by subtracting the number who Strongly Disapprove from the number who Strongly Approve. It is updated daily at 9:30 a.m. Eastern (sign up for free daily e-mail update). Updates also available on Twitter and Facebook.

Overall, 46% of voters say they at least somewhat approve of the President's performance. That’s the lowest level of total approval yet measured for Obama. Fifty-three percent (53%) now disapprove. Eighty-one percent (81%) of Democrats approve while 83% of Republicans disapprove. As for those not affiliated with either major party, 66% disapprove. See other recent demographic highlights from the tracking polls. - Rasmussen Reports Polls

Cheney - Investigation into CIA Interrogation Silly Political Act

Calling it a "terrible decision" that undermines national security and devastates CIA morale, former Vice President Dick Cheney slammed the Obama administration's probe of aggressive interrogation of terrorists.

"It's an outrageous political act that will do great damage, long-term, to our capacity to be able to have people take on difficult jobs, make difficult decisions, without having to worry about what the next administration is going to say," Cheney told "FOX News Sunday" in a no-holds-barred interview.

In blunt, unsparing language, Cheney accused President Obama of setting a "terrible precedent" by allowing an "intensely partisan, politicized look back at the prior administration."

He said the decision by Attorney General Eric Holder to launch a probe into alleged abuse of prisoners under the prior administration "offends the hell out of me," as he seemed to question Obama's fitness as commander-in-chief.

"I have serious doubts about his policies," Cheney told FOX News' Chris Wallace in Jackson Hole, Wyo. "Serious doubts, especially, about the extent to which he understands and is prepared to do what needs to be done to defend the nation."

As evidence, Cheney pointed to Obama's decision last week to assert White House control over a newly formed unit that will interrogate terrorists. The new arrangement shifts control of such interrogations away from the CIA and toward the FBI, although oversight will be exercised by the National Security Council, which is located in the White House and reports directly to the president. - FOX News Story

Obama and Congress Struggle in Polls

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Sunday shows that 32% of the nation's voters Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as President. Forty-two percent (42%) Strongly Disapprove. That’s the highest level of Strong Disapproval yet recorded for this President and it gives Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -10 (see trends).

If Americans could vote to keep or replace the entire Congress, 57% would throw out all the legislators and start over again. Just 25% would vote to keep the Congress. - Rasmussen Reports Poll