07/29/2010
05:00 PM
Plan to Aid 9/11 Victims Is Rejected in House
House Republicans blocked a Democratic plan to provide billions of dollars for medical treatment to rescue workers and residents of New York City after 9/11.
Those who suffered from illnesses due to the toxic dust and debris at ground zero are disappointed.
60,000 Affected
Nearly 60,000 people are enrolled in a variety of health-monitoring and treatment programs related to the 9/11 attacks.
Votes Fall Short
The 255-to-159 vote fell short of the two-thirds margin needed under special rules that were used to bring the measure to the floor.
155 Republicans voted against the measure.
Speaker Pelosi Comments
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-CA, said, “Many of these people are losing their lives.”
Pelosi said, “They certainly have lost their health. And we owe them.”
Read the New York Times story
Read: House rejects bill to aid sick 9/11 responders
Read: Rep. Weiner Goes Ballistic At GOP For Killing 9/11 Responders Health Care
07/29/2010
05:00 PM
July is deadliest month of Afghan war for US
3 U.S. troops have been reported killed in blasts in Afghanistan.
That brings the death toll for July to 63.
July is now the deadliest month for American forces in the 9 year old war.
Read the AP story
07/29/2010
05:00 PM
Gibbs: Some very serious charges against Rangel
Republicans wanted an election-season ethics case against Rep. Charlie Rangel, D-NY.
Now they have one.
A House ethics panel made up of 4 Democrats and 4 Republicans will determine guilt or innocence of Rep. Rangel on 13 ethics charges.
Robert Gibbs Comments
White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said that the administration believed in letting ethics proceedings go forward against Rangel.
Gibbs said, “There’s a bipartisan committee looking into some very serious charges.”
He said, “We think that’s the right step to take.”
Gibbs appeared on NBC’s “Today” show.
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Gibbs said on ABC’s Good Morning America, “I feel confident that this party and this President have a record on ethics reform that we’re happy to put before the American people in November.”
Read the AP story
Read: White House backs ethics proceedings against Rangel
Read: Rangel Ethics Trial ‘Right Course,’ Gibbs Says
07/28/2010
05:00 PM
Ousted USDA employee Sherrod plans to sue blogger
Ousted Agriculture Department employee Shirley Sherrod said Thursday she will sue a conservative blogger who posted a video edited in a way that made her appear racist.
Shirley Sherrod Comments
Sherrod spoke Thursday at the National Association of Black Journalists convention.
She said she would definitely sue over the video that took her remarks out of context.
Sherrod said, “At this point, he hasn’t apologized. I don’t want it at this point, and he’ll definitely hear from me.”.
She said, “He had to know that he was targeting me.”
Before the full video was released, Fox News host Bill O’Reilly said Sherrod should be fired.
Others called her speech racist.
O’Reilly later apologized.
Sherrod said, “They had a chance to get the facts out, and they weren’t interested.”
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Read the AP story
Read: Sherrod plans lawsuit against conservative blogger Breitbart
Read: Sherrod plans to sue Breitbart
Read: Shirley Sherrod says she plans to sue Andrew Breitbart over misleading video
Read: Sherrod Says She Will Sue Blogger
07/28/2010
05:00 PM
Biden: US doing significant damage to al-Qaida
Vice President Joe Biden says U.S. forces are inflicting “significant damage” on the al-Qaida terrorist network in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Vice President Biden Comments
Biden said that the United States is making progress there.
He dismissed complaints from some Democrats that the U.S. is in the region for nation building.
Vice President Biden said the U.S. is there to defeat al-Qaida which poses a “clear and present danger to us.”
Biden appeared on NBC’s “Today” show.
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Read the AP story
07/28/2010
05:00 PM
Corporations Report Strong Earnings
Strong Corporate-earnings are dimming worries of a double-dip recession.
But is unlikely to lead to a swing in employment that would help Democrats this fall.
2nd Quarter Earnings
Dozens of corporations, including Dupont, FedEx, Apple and IBM, have reported earnings that exceeded expectations for the second quarter.
The latest reports are boosting confidence in the U.S. economy.
Companies Stockpiling Cash
But corporate America is not reinvesting those profits into its businesses and workers.
An estimated $2 trillion has been stockpiled by corporate executive officers, who so far are holding onto that cash out of fear the economy will enter a double-dip recession.
Read The Hill story
07/28/2010
05:00 PM
House Jury to Meet on Rangel’s Ethics Case
A jury of Congressional members is ready to publicly discuss ethical charges against Rep. Charles Rangel, D-NY.
Investigators looked into misuse of Rep. Rangel’s office for fundraising, failure to disclose income, late payment of taxes and possible help with a tax shelter for a company whose chief executive was a major donor.
Meeting Today
They will hold their first meeting Thursday.
8 House lawmakers will determine guilt or innocence of the former Ways and Means Committee Chairman.
There are a number of Democrats considering calls for Rep. Rangel to resign.
Rep. Quigley Comments
Rep. Mike Quigley, D-IL, said, “I think everyone is looking forward to getting all the facts out in the open and people will have to react once we know what we’re dealing with.”
Rep. Rangel Comments
Rep. Rangel told Democratic colleagues, “I know you love me, But love yourself more.”
Read the AP story
Read – Charlie Rangel to Democrats: Drop me if you must
Read: Rep. Rangel digs in for a fight ahead of Thursday ethics trial
07/28/2010
05:00 PM
Inquiry asks: Did fire crews cause BP rig to sink?
Investigators are looking into whether the firefighting response to the Deepwater Horizon rig explosion contributed to its sinking.
Saltwater Used instead of Retardant Foam
The concern focuses on the fact that responders used saltwater on the burning rig instead of retardant foam.
That could have overwhelmed the ballast chambers that kept the rig afloat with air and water, changing its weight distribution and causing it to list and then sink.
A a temporary cap on the busted well is holding firm.
Adm. Allen Comments
Adm. Thad Allen said that officials are taking every precaution as they move toward a permanent fix.
Adm. Allen said, “We have always asked for a backup plan for the backup plan.”
Allen said, “This relief well, while it is deep, it is something that has been done before. Obviously the depth is an issue here. But we are confident we are going to get this thing done.”
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Read the MSNBC story
Read: Gulf cleanup will change once oil stops for good
07/28/2010
05:00 PM
Judge blocks parts of Arizona immigration law
A federal judge has blocked the heart of the new Arizona immigration law.
Judge Bolton Ruling
U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton said the controversial sections should be put on hold until the courts resolve the issues, including parts that required officers to check a person’s immigration status while enforcing other laws.
Bolton said, “Requiring Arizona law enforcement officials and agencies to determine the immigration status of every person who is arrested burdens lawfully present aliens because their liberty will be restricted while their status is checked.”
The ruling defused a confrontation between police and thousands of activists that had been building for months.
But the ruling isn’t the end.
Lengthy Court Battle Brewing
It sets up a lengthy legal battle that could end up before the Supreme Court.
The Arizona law reignited the immigration debate.
Similar measures have been introduced nationwide.
Protesters who gathered at the state Capitol and outside the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City cheered when they heard the news.
Gov. Jan Brewer, R-AZ, the law’s authors and anti-illegal immigration groups vowed to fight on.
Gov. Brewer Comments
Gov. Brewer said, “It’s a temporary bump in the road.”
State Rep. Pearce Comments
Arizona State Republican Rep. Russell Pearce (R), the key sponsor of bill said the judge was wrong.
Pearce predicted that the state would ultimately win the case.
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Read the AP story
Read: Ariz. immigration law has echoes across U.S.
07/28/2010
05:00 PM
Panel hits Rangel with 13 alleged ethics charges
House investigators accused Rep. Charlie Rangel, D-NY, of 13 violations of congressional ethics standards.
The allegations include failure to report rental income from vacation property in the Dominican Republic.
They also accuse Rangel of failing to report more than $600,000 in assets on his congressional financial disclosure statements.
Lawyers for Rangel and the House ethics committee worked out a plea deal, but it was too late.
Rep. Bonner Comments
Rep. Jo Bonner, R-AL, said, “Mr. Rangel was given multiple opportunities to settle this matter. Instead, he chose to move forward to the public trial phase.”
Speaker Pelosi Comments
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-CA, seem resigned to the case proceeding.
Pelosi said, “The chips will have to fall where they may politically.”
She said pursuing ethics cases against House members is “a serious responsibility that we have.”
Read the AP story
Read: Charges against Rangel unveiled after efforts to reach settlement fail
Read: Ethics Trial for Rangel Looms as House Panel Details Charges
Read: Ethics unveils 13 Rangel charges
Read: Ethics panel charges Rangel with conduct discrediting the House
07/28/2010
05:00 PM
Republicans block small business lending bill
Senate Republicans blocked a bill creating a $30 billion government fund to help open up lending for credit-starved small businesses on Thursday.
The vote was 58 to 42.
All 41 Republicans voting to continue the filibuster.
Democrats said banks should be able to use the lending fund to leverage up to $300 billion in loans, helping to loosen tight credit markets.
Read the AP story
07/27/2010
05:00 PM
Gulf Oil Spill Is Vanishing Fast, But Still Concerns
The oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico appears to be dissolving far more rapidly than anyone expected.
The huge patches of surface oil that covered thousands of square miles of the Gulf after the April 20 oil rig explosion are mostly gone.
But there are still sightings of tar balls and oil here and there.
Uncertainties Remain
Many problems and scientific uncertainties are still associated with the spill.
Federal leaders say they have no intention of walking away from those problems any time soon.
Read the New York Times story
07/27/2010
05:00 PM
House Democrats may break from Obama’s tax pledge
House Democrats may break from one of President Obama’s campaign promises regarding the Bush tax cuts.
The tax breaks are set to expire at the end of the year.
Temporary Extentions
Democrats in the House are looking at other options, including temporary extensions that would last more than a year.
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-MD, and Democrats have said they’ll definitely extend the middle-class tax breaks through next year.
Rep. Hoyer said, “We ought to have no increase in taxes on middle-income working Americans.”
Hoyer said, “Clearly, at a time of recession, we want to make sure that working people have the ability to support themselves.”
Hoyer said Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-CA, and other top Democrats in the House are still discussing what the best timeframe for the extension would be.
Obama pledged during the 2008 campaign to block tax increases on individuals making less than $200,000 and couples making less than $250,000, while allowing the tax breaks for upper-income earners to expire.
$130 Billion Cost
The extension of the middle-class tax cuts would cost more than $130 billion annually.
That cost is already factored into the administration’s budget projections, which reflect Obama’s proposed policies.
Senators Meet
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-MT, is crafting legislation that will extend the tax breaks.
Democrats on Baucus’s Committe met Tuesday to discuss the tax bill.
Sen. Conrad Comments
Sen. Kent Conrad, D-ND, said he would back either a temporary or a long-term extension of the middle-class tax breaks.
But Conrad said that more fundamental change to the tax code is needed than just shifting the current rates.
Sen. Conrad said, “We’ve got a tax system that was never designed for the world we live in today.”
Conrad said, “We need a tax system that will help us be more competitive as a country, be more fair and efficient. This system failed us on all those accounts.”
Sen. Wyden Comments
Sen. Ron Wyden, D-OR, said he’s open to a temporary extension that could set the stage for tax reform that would close loopholes and make the system simpler for individuals and companies.
Read The Hill story
07/27/2010
05:00 PM
Obama pushes business bill as an all-American goal
President Barack Obama made his latest economic pitch as a matter of patriotism.
President Obama urged the Senate to ditch its partisan mode at least long enough to pass a package of tax cuts and loan relief for small businesses.
President Obama Comments
Obama said, “Helping small businesses, cutting taxes, making credit available…This is as American as apple pie.”
He said, “Surely, Democrats and Republicans ought to be able to agree on this bill.”
Obama said, “Small businesses are the backbone of our economy. They are central to our identity as a nation. They are going to lead this recovery.”
Read the AP story
07/27/2010
05:00 PM
Obama ramps up fundraising for Democrats
President Barack Obama is stepping up fundraising efforts as the midterm elections are less than 100 days away.
Democrats need money to battle a Republican Party that is energized by voter concern over government spending and regulations.
Obama in New Jersey
Obama speaks Wednesday at a sandwich shop in Edison, NJ, to push a lending initiative aimed at small businesses.
Next President Obama travels to New York to tape an interview with the daytime talk show “The View.”
Obama Fundraisers for Democrats
After that Obama attends two high-dollar fundraisers for the Democratic National Committee.
President Obama headlines 4 Democratic fundraisers in 3 days and hosts another 4 events next week.
White House Comments
The White House said Obama will campaign vigorously throughout the nation ahead of the fall elections.
White House communications director Dan Pfeiffer said, “The fall campaign boils down to a choice between those who want to keep moving forward and those that want to take us back to the policies that got us into this mess.”
Pfeiffer said, “The president will help make that case across the country.”
Read the AP story
07/27/2010
05:00 PM
Obama urges passage of small business initiatives
President Barack Obama is calling on Congress to pass legislation that he says will help small businesses grow and hire again.
President Obama Comments
President Obama said, “We shouldn’t let America’s small businesses be held hostage to partisan politics, and certainly not at this critical time.”
New Lending Fund
A measure emerging in the Senate would create a new lending fund to help community banks offer loans.
Obama urged lawmakers not to block the initiative and hold the public hostage to Washington politics.
President Obama met with congressional leaders of both parties at the White House.
Read the AP story
Read – Obama to Congress: Aid small biz
07/27/2010
05:00 PM
US Senate fails to advance campaign finance bill
Republicans have blocked a bill to require an unprecedented level of public disclosure of who pays for political campaign advertising.
Disclose Act Fails
The Disclose Act fell short of the 60 votes needed to stop a Republican filibuster.
The vote was 57-41.
The bill would require any political organization to make their donors public.
The measure would ban foreign controlled corporations and government contractors from making political donations.
President Obama Comments
President Obama said, “Big corporations, even foreign-controlled ones, are now allowed to spend unlimited amounts of money on American elections.”
Obama said, “They can buy millions of dollars worth of TV ads, and worst of all, they don’t even have to reveal who’s actually paying for the ads.”
Sen. Durbin Comments
Assistant Senate Democratic Leader Dick Durbin, D-IL, said that many Republicans had earlier favored more disclosure.
Durbin said, “But this year, they’re betting that most of these ads are going to be on behalf of their candidates and against Democrats. That’s what it comes down to.”
Sen. Schumer Comments
Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-NY, said that Democrats would hold round-after-round of votes on it until it passes.
Schumer slammed Republicans for holding up the response to the Citizens United Supreme Court case.
Sen. Schumer said, “And we will go back at this bill again and again and again until we pass it.”
He said, “It’s that vital, not to Democrats, not to Republicans, but to the future of people’s faith in the functioning of this government.”
Sen. Murray Comments
Sen. Patty Murray, D-WA, said, “The Supreme Court decision was a true step backwards for this democracy.”
Murray said, “It allowed corporations and special interest groups to spend unlimited amounts of their money influencing our democracy and it opens the door wide for foreign corporations to spend their money on elections right here in the United States.”
The House of Representatives passed the bill in June.
Read the AP story
Read: Senate GOP blocks campaign disclosure bill
Read: Republicans block campaign finance disclosure bill
Read: Schumer promises flurry of votes on Disclose Act until passage
07/26/2010
05:00 PM
BP replaces CEO Hayward after record loss
BP’s Chief Executive Officer Tony Hayward will be replaced by American Robert Dudley on Oct. 1.
BP said the decision to replace Hayward, was a mutual agreement.
$1.6 Million Payoff
BP will pay him $1.6 million, a year’s salary.
BP planned to recommend Hayward for a non-executive board position at its Russian joint venture.
BP Chairman Comments
BP Chairman Carl-Henric Svanberg said, “The BP board is deeply saddened to lose a CEO whose success over some three years in driving the performance of the company was so widely and deservedly admired.”
Record Quarterly Loss
BP reported a record quarterly loss of nearly $17 billion in the last three months.
BP said the Gulf spill had cost the company $32.2 billion.
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Read the AP story
Read: Hayward to quit as CEO with a payoff of $1.6 million
Read: BP names Robert Dudley, an American, as chief executive
Read: Posting Record Loss, BP Confirms New Chief Executive
Read: BP ousts CEO Hayward and taps an American
Read: BP will start ‘static kill’ next week
07/26/2010
05:00 PM
Democrats’ summer strategy
House Democrats are planning a six-week messaging campaign for the August recess.
They will warn voters that putting Republicans back in power would mean a return to failed George W. Bush administration policies.
The strategy is designed to put Republicans on defense by forcing them to explain how they would lead the country if they win control of Congress.
Read The Hill story
07/26/2010
05:00 PM
Hit list draws fire in wake of leaked US documents
Among the thousands of pages of classified U.S. documents released by WikiLeaks.org are documents showing 200 incidents that involve an elite task force that hunted down and killed enemy combatants in Afghanistan.
Military officials and even war crimes experts said that enemy hit lists, while ugly and uncomfortable, are an sometimes unavoidable part of war.
Read the AP story
07/26/2010
05:00 PM
Immigrant groups criticize fingerprint initiative
The federal government is expanding a program to identify illegal immigrants using fingerprints from arrests.
The program is drawing opposition from local authorities and advocates.
They argue the initiative amounts to an excessive dragnet.
Bigger Impact than Arizona Law
The program may end up having a bigger impact than Arizona’s new immigration law because of its potential to round up and deport so many immigrants nationwide.
Under the program, the fingerprints of everyone who is booked into jail for any crime are run against FBI criminal history records and Department of Homeland Security immigration records to determine who is in the country illegally and whether they’ve been arrested previously.
Read the AP story
07/26/2010
05:00 PM
Nebraska town may halt immigration law to save money
Officials in Fremont, NE, are considering suspending a voter-approved ban on hiring or renting property to illegal immigrants until the lawsuits are resolved.
The ordinance was approved by voters last month.
The illegal immigrant vote has divided the community.
City Council Comments
Fremont Council’s President, Scott Getzschman, said the city was concerned about money, not about any lack of support for the ordinance.
Lawsuits Pending
The city faces lawsuits from the American Civil Liberties Union and the Mexican American Legal Defense & Educational Fund.
The ACLU and the Mexican American Legal Defense & Education Fund say the Fremont ordinance amounts to discrimination.
City officials have estimated that Fremont’s costs of implementing the ordinance would average $1 million a year.
Read the AP story
07/26/2010
05:00 PM
New BP chief: Priority is plugging well for good
Newly named BP CEO Bob Dudley said his top priority is sealing its blown oil well for good and cleaning and restoring the Gulf of Mexico.
Dudley said he does not expect any more oil to gush into the Gulf as BP PLC moves to permanently plug the well with cement after capping it nearly two weeks ago.
Dudley said he plans to change the company culture and make sure checks and balances are in place to prevent a repeat of the disaster.
Dudley appeared on ABC’s “Good Morning America.”
Takes over Oct. 1
Dudley takes over Oct. 1 from Tony Hayward.
Hayward was forced out by public and political anger in the United States over the spill.
Dudley grew up partly on the Gulf.
He will be the first American to lead London-based BP.
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Read the AP story
Read: BP names Robert Dudley, an American, as chief executive
Read: BP Envisions a Leaner Future Under Its New Chief Executive
Read: Crews in Gulf reconnect to underwater equipment through relief well
07/26/2010
05:00 PM
Obama says he still supports climate legislation
President Barack Obama said he still supports the need for broad climate legislation.
After meeting with 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.”
President Obama pledged to keep pushing for passage of a comprehensive energy policy overhaul that addresses climate change.
Obama said, “Our current energy policy is unsustainable.”
Read the AP story
07/26/2010
05:00 PM
Poll: A few cracks in Obama’s Hispanic support
President Barack Obama’s solid support among Hispanics is showing a few cracks.
It is a troubling sign for Democrats trying to hang on to majorities in Congress in November.
An Associated Press-Univision poll show Hispanics still overwhelmingly favor the Democratic Party over Repbulicans.
A majority still think Obama is doing a good job.
Lukewarm Support
But Obama gets only lukewarm ratings on issues important to Hispanics.
Only 43 percent of Hispanics surveyed said Obama is adequately addressing their needs.
32 percent were on the fence.
21 percent said he’d done a poor job.
The economy is a major concern for Hispanics that were polled.
Read the AP story
07/26/2010
05:00 PM
Target Corp. Spending Money on Republican Candidates
The discount retailer Target Corp., is now a major donor to a group backing the Republican candidate for Minnesota governor.
That’s not sitting well with some Target shoppers.
MN Forward Spend Money on Ads
The Minneapolis-based chain store gave $150,000 to a Republican-friendly political group, MN Forward.
MN Forward is running TV ads supporting Repubilcan State Rep. Tom Emmer, who is expected to be the GOP nominee.
Emmer Ultra Conservative
Emmer is a fiery conservative who opposes gay marriage, lauds Arizona’s strict approach to illegal immigration, once advocated chemical castration for sex offenders and wants to lower taxes.
Emmer’s profile contrasts with Target’s moderate image in Minnesota, where the company is known for donating to public school programs, food shelves and the annual Twin Cities Gay Pride Festival.
Corporate Money Flows
Corporate money is being since the U.S. Supreme Court threw out parts of a 63-year-old law that prohibited companies and unions from donating to campaigns for or against candidates.
Democrats in Minnesota are complaining about the large donation.
Some are talking about striking back at the popular Target brand.
Target Comments
Target spokeswoman Lena Michaud said the company supports causes and candidates “based strictly on issues that affect our retail and business objectives.”
Target’s donations to MN Forward – $100,000 in cash and $50,000 in brand consulting – slightly exceeds the total amount the company has given this year to all campaigns and causes at the federal level. By contrast, individuals can give a maximum of only $2,000 to candidates under Minnesota law.
Other Corporations Give
As of Monday, Target was the largest single donor to MN Forward, which had raised nearly $700,000 from companies including Pentair Inc., Hubbard Broadcasting Inc., Davisco Foods International Inc. and Polaris Industries Inc.
Democrats Running for Governor
Three Democrats, House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher, former U.S. Sen. Mark Dayton and former state Rep. Matt Entenza, are running in the Aug. 10 primary.
Mark Dayton is an heir to the Dayton Department Store dynasty which turned into Target Corp.
Read the AP story
Read: Target’s $150,000 Donation To Fund Anti-Gay Politics
Read: Target’s $150,000 Donation To Fund Anti-Gay Politics
07/26/2010
05:00 PM
The Middle Class in America Is Radically Shrinking
The rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer at a staggering rate.
Statistics Prove It
83 percent of all U.S. stocks are in the hands of 1 percent of the people.
61 percent of Americans “always or usually” live paycheck to paycheck, which was up from 49 percent in 2008 and 43 percent in 2007.
66 percent of the income growth between 2001 and 2007 went to the top 1% of all Americans.
36 percent of Americans say that they don’t contribute anything to retirement savings.
A staggering 43 percent of Americans have less than $10,000 saved up for retirement.
24 percent of American workers say that they have postponed their planned retirement age in the past year.
Over 1.4 million Americans filed for personal bankruptcy in 2009, which represented a 32 percent increase over 2008.
Only the top 5 percent of U.S. households have earned enough additional income to match the rise in housing costs since 1975.
For the first time in U.S. history, banks own a greater share of residential housing net worth in the United States than all individual Americans put together.
The bottom 50 percent of income earners in the United States now collectively own less than 1 percent of the nation’s wealth.
The top 1 percent of U.S. households own nearly twice as much of America’s corporate wealth as they did just 15 years ago.
In America today, the average time needed to find a job has risen to a record 35.2 weeks.
For the first time in U.S. history, more than 40 million Americans are on food stamps, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture projects that number will go up to 43 million Americans in 2011.
This is what American workers now must compete against: in China a garment worker makes approximately 86 cents an hour and in Cambodia a garment worker makes approximately 22 cents an hour.
21 percent of all children in the United States are living below the poverty line in 2010 – the highest rate in 20 years.
Despite the financial crisis, the number of millionaires in the United States rose a whopping 16 percent to 7.8 million in 2009.
The top 10 percent of Americans now earn around 50 percent of our national income.
Read the Yahoo story
Read: North Dakota, Alaska lead US job creation
07/26/2010
05:00 PM
US can’t account for $8.7 Billion in Iraqi funds
The U.S. Defense Department is unable to account for $8.7 billion of the $9.1 billion in Development Fund for Iraq.
$8.7 billion from of $9.1 billion in Iraqi oil money tapped by the U.S. for rebuilding the war ravaged nation.
Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction said, “The breakdown in controls left the funds vulnerable to inappropriate uses and undetected loss.”
The Pentagon unable to fully account for money it withdrew between 2004 and 2007.
Read the AP story
Read: Pentagon can’t account for how it spent $2.6 billion in Iraqi funds, audit finds
07/25/2010
05:00 PM
White House: Afghan war leaks put lives ‘at risk’
The online whistle-blower WikiLeaks posted 91,000 leaked U.S. military records online.
It is a blow-by-blow account of six years of the Afghanistan war.
The documents describe a period from January 2004 to December 2009, mostly during the administration of President George W. Bush.
Julian Assange Comments
Julian Assange, the founder of the website WikiLeaks, said the first-hand accounts are the military’s own raw data on the war, including numbers killed, casualties, threat reports and the like.
Assange said, “It is the total history of the Afghan war from 2004 to 2010, with some important exceptions — U.S. Special Forces, CIA activity, and most of the activity of other non-U.S. groups.”
White House Condemns Leak
White House national security adviser Gen. Jim Jones said, “That was before President Obama announced a new strategy with a substantial increase in resources for Afghanistan, and increased focus on al-Qaida and Taliban safe havens in Pakistan, precisely because of the grave situation that had developed over several years.”
Jones said, “The United States strongly condemns the disclosure of classified information by individuals and organizations which could put the lives of Americans and our partners at risk, and threaten our national security.”
He said, “These irresponsible leaks will not impact our ongoing commitment to deepen our partnerships with Afghanistan and Pakistan; to defeat our common enemies; and to support the aspirations of the Afghan and Pakistani people.”
Secret Special Operations Unit
The leaked records include detailed descriptions of raids carried out by a secretive U.S. special operations unit called Task Force 373 against what U.S. officials considered high-value insurgent and terrorist targets.
Some of the raids resulted in unintended killings of Afghan civilians.
New York Times Report
The New York Times said the documents describe U.S. fears that ally Pakistan’s intelligence service was actually aiding the Afghan insurgency.
According to the Times, the documents suggest Pakistan “allows representatives of its spy service to meet directly with the Taliban in secret strategy sessions to organize networks of militant groups that fight against American soldiers in Afghanistan, and even hatch plots to assassinate Afghan leaders.”
Sen. Kerry Comments
Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry, D-MA, said, “However illegally these documents came to light, they raise serious questions about the reality of America’s policy toward Pakistan and Afghanistan.”
Sen. Kerry said, “Those policies are at a critical stage and these documents may very well underscore the stakes and make the calibrations needed to get the policy right more urgent.”
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Read the MSNBC story
Read: US documents leaked online give inside look at war
Read: Pakistan Aids Insurgency in Afghanistan, Reports Assert
Read: Leaked files suggest Pakistan is aiding Afghan rebels
Read: Afghan says it’s ‘shocked’ by leaked U.S. documents
Read: W.H. condemns ‘irresponsible’ leaks, dismisses stories
07/24/2010
05:00 PM
BP CEO Tony Hayward nears exit
BP Plc has decided Chief Executive Tony Hayward should step down over his handling of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.
His departure could be announced in the coming days.
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Read the Reuters story
Read: Hayward departure from BP called imminent
Read: As BP Lays Out Future, It May Not Include Tony Hayward
07/24/2010
05:00 PM
Democrats are betting that ending tax cuts for the rich will play in their favor
President Obama and Democratic leaders in Congress are setting the stage for a high-stakes battle over taxes in the final weeks before the November congressional elections.
Most Democratic leaders and President Obama say they are intent on letting the tax cuts for the wealthy expire as scheduled at the end of this year.
But they have pledged to continue the lower tax rates for individuals earning less than $200,000 and families earning less than $250,000
Republicans Oppose
Republican lawmakers want to extend all of the tax cuts, adding at least $2 trillion over the next decade to the national debt.
Rep. Van Hollen Comments
Rep. Chris Van Hollen, D-MD, said, “This blows a hole in their argument that they’re deficit hawks. They’re not deficit hawks; they’re deficit chickens.”
Sen. Ron Wyden Comments
Sen. Ron Wyden, D-OR, said, “It has enormous ramifications for the fall and clearly will be one of the dominant issues.”
Sen. Wyden said, “This is code for the role of the federal government, the debate over the size of government and the priorities of the nation.”
Conservative Democrats Disagree
In recent days, fiscal conservatives like Sen. Kent Conrad, D-ND, and Sen. Evan Bayh, R-IN, expressed support for extending the tax cuts at all income levels, at least temporarily.
Sen. Conrad Comments
Sen. Conrad said, “In a perfect world, I would not be cutting spending or raising taxes in the next 18 months to two years.”
Read the Washington Post story
Read: Battle Looms in Washington Over Expiring Tax Cuts
07/24/2010
05:00 PM
Geithner favors allowing some tax cuts to expire
Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner said that allowing tax cuts for the wealthy to expire would be “the responsible thing to do.”
Geithner said, “It’s responsible to let the tax cuts expire that just go to 2 percent to 3 percent of Americans, the highest earning Americans.”
He said, “We think that’s the responsible thing to do because we need to make sure we can show the world that they’re willing as a country now to start to make some progress bringing down our long-term deficits.”
Secretary Geithner said he does not believe that higher taxes for those high earners will hurt economic growth.
Geithner appeared on NBC’s “Meet the Press” and ABC’s “This Week.”
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Read the AP story
Read – Geithner – Letting Bush Tax Cuts for Rich Expire Will Not Slow Economic Growth
Read: Geithner pushes plan to let tax cuts for wealthy expire
07/24/2010
05:00 PM
Howard Dean Calls Fox News Racist
Former DNC Chairman and Gov. Howard Dean, D-VT, said the Fox News Channel’s handling of the Shirley Sherrod controversy “was absolutely racist.”
Dean said Fox News failed to vet video footage of a speech misleadingly excerpted to make it appear that Sherrod was boasting of using her post as an Agriculture Department official to discriminate against a white farmer.
Howard Dean Comments
Dean told host Chris Wallace, “I don’t think Newt Gingrich is a racist, and I don’t think you’re a racist.”
Dean said, “But Fox News did something that was absolutely racist. They took a – they had an obligation to find out what was really in the clip. They had been pushing a theme of black racism with this phony Black Panther crap and this business and this Sotomayor and all this other stuff.”
Gov. Dean told Wallace, “You didn’t do your job.”
He charged that Fox News has helped the Republican Party foster racism by focusing on allegations of reverse racism.
Dean said, “The tea party called out their racist fringe and I think the Republican Party’s got to stop appealing to its racist fringe. And Fox News is what did that. You put that on.”
He said, “Continuing to cater to this theme of minority racism and stressing comments like this – some of which are taken out of context – does not help the country knit itself together.”
Dean appeared on “Fox News Sunday.”
Read the Politico story
Read: Dean calls Fox News ‘absolutely racist’ for aiding Sherrod ouster
Read: Howard Dean Calls Fox News ‘Absolutely Racist’
Read – Howard Dean tells Fox: Your coverage of Sherrod was racist
07/23/2010
05:00 PM
House Democrat calls on Rep. Rangel to resign
Rep. Betty Sutton, D-OH, has called on Rep. Charlie Rangel, D-NY, to resign.
Rep. Sutton Statement
Rep. Sutton told The Hill in a statement, “It is regrettable, but Charlie Rangel needs to resign from his seat in Congress.”
Sutton said, “This isn’t about being a Democrat or Republican, this is about preserving the public trust.”
She said, “Our nation is facing extraordinary challenges and we must be focused on building a sustainable economy that will allow our workers and businesses to flourish.”
Rep. Rangel Comments
Rep. Rangel said that he looked forward to a public airing of the charges next week and fully intended to fight to clear his name.
Rangel asked his constituents to withhold judgment, while he acknowledged that the lengthy inquiry was taking an emotional toll on him.
Rangel said, “I’m in the kitchen and I’m not walking out.”
He said that the testimony he planned to give at the public hearing would “make certain, before this election, people know who Charlie Rangel is.”
Talks Break Down
The New York Times reports that Rangel and the House Ethics Committee have been exploring a settlement to the numerous accusations against him.
A settlement would allow the 20-term Congressman to avoid an ugly public trial and could prevent further political damage to Democrats nationally.
Talks broke down on Thursday after more than a month.
Lawyers were still open to reaching a deal.
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Read The Hill story
Read: Rangel Had Talks to Settle Ethics Cases and Avoid Trial
Read: Rangel ethics charges create headache for allies
07/23/2010
05:00 PM
North Korea vows nuclear response to US-South Korea drills
North Korea has vowed to respond with “powerful nuclear deterrence” to joint U.S. and South Korean military exercises poised to begin this weekend.
North Korea said the drills amount to a provocation that would prompt “retaliatory sacred war.”
Military Drills Thru Wednesday
U.S.-South Korean military drills are to set to run through Wednesday.
About 8,000 U.S. and South Korean troops on 20 ships and submarines are carrying out exercises in the East Sea.
The drills involve 200 aircraft, headlined by 4 U.S. Air Force’s F-22 “Raptor” stealth fighters.
Read the AP story
Read: North Korea vows nuclear response to U.S.-Seoul drills
Read: North Korea ramps up threats against military exercises
Read: North Korea threatens nuclear response to U.S.-South Korea military exercises
07/23/2010
05:00 PM
Obama slams GOP Jobs plan
President Barack Obama says an economic plan by House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-OH, just repeats job-killing policies of the past.
President Obama Comments
President Obama said, “These are not new ideas. They are the same policies that led us into this recession. They will not create jobs. They will kill them. They will not reduce our deficit, they will add $1 trillion to our deficit. They will take us backward at a time when we need to keep America moving forward.”
Obama called Boehner’s new job creation plan as “surprisingly short, and sadly familiar.”
He said that the Republican plan would “repeal health insurance reform” and rob millions of small-business owners of tax credits they would otherwise receive.
Obama said that the Republican plan would stop short of investing in clean energy technology, while maintaining the tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans.
President Obama said, “It took nearly a decade of failed economic policies to create this mess, and it will take years to fully repair the damage.”
Obama said, “But I am confident that we are finally headed in the right direction. We are moving forward. And what we can’t afford right now is to go back to the same ideas that created this mess in the first place.”
Obama on Bush Tax Cuts
Obama addressed calls by Republican members of Congress to extend the Bush-era tax cuts.
Obama said that he is focused instead on cutting taxes for the middle class.
He specifically mentioned the administration’s tax relief efforts as well as reforms to the student loan and health care industries.
Obama said, “Our economic plan is also aimed at strengthening the middle class. That’s why we’ve cut taxes for 95% of working families.”
Obama said, “That’s why we’ve offered tax credits that have made college more affordable for millions of students, and why we’re making a new commitment to our community colleges. And that’s why we passed health insurance reform that will stop insurance companies from dropping or denying coverage based on an illness or pre-existing condition.”
Read the AP story
Read: Obama, Boehner trade barbs
Read: Obama and Boehner square off again over parties’ jobs plans
07/22/2010
05:00 PM
Breitbart: I am public enemy No. 1
Andrew Breitbart told POLITICO that the Obama administration and its allies have manufactured a controversy over the video he posted of Shirley Sherrod’s speech to the NAACP as part of an orchestrated effort to take him down.
Andrew Breitbart Comments
Breitbart said, “I am public enemy No. 1 or 2 to the Democratic Party, the progressive movement and the Obama administration based upon the successes my journalism has had.”
He said, “The desire here is to make it about me and not the Democratic establishment and the NAACP vs. the tea party.”
No Apology
Breitbart offered no apology to Sherrod.
He said that she has not been held accountable for the racial overtones of what she said.
Breitbart said, “If anybody reads the sainted, martyred Sherrod’s entire speech, this person has not gotten past black vs. white.”
Read the Politico story
Read: Conservatives Try To Bash USDA Anti-Racism Suit, Shirley Sherrod
07/22/2010
05:00 PM
Ed Schultz Slams White House As Afraid Of Fox News
MSNBC’s Ed Schultz slammed President Obama’s White House for its handling of the Shirley Sherrod debacle at the Netroots Nation Convention.
Schultz suggested that President Obama and his team are afraid of Fox News and don’t use progressive media enough.
Ed Schultz Comments
Schultz said, “They must have a war room at the White House. I think they’ve got a sissy room too.”
He said, “I didn’t vote for that.”
Schultz pointed to the camera and said he was glad the speech was being recorded and wanted the White House to hear his message.
Schultz said Democrats have failed to live up to their own platform passed at the Democratic Convention in 2008.
He challenged the activists and bloggers in the crowd, “If I’ve got the balls to say it, you better have the balls to write it. It’s time we hold this party accountable.”
Obama on Fox
Schultz complained that Obama hasn’t gone on his show or sat recently for interviews with Keith Olbermann or Rachel Maddow.
He said that during the campaign, “I busted my ass for Obama.”
Schultz said that instead of going on The Ed Show, Obama went on Bret Baier’s show on Fox, “in my time slot. What’s that all about?”
Change Some Plays
Schultz said he’s “not anti-Obama” but wants to “change some plays” to help the Democrats win in November.
Schultz said when former President George W. Bush was in trouble, he talked to the base.
He said, “You know what this outfit does? They react to Fox.”
Schultz said progressives should realize they are warring against a win-at-all-costs conservative media.
He said that Fox News is out to “destroy the progressive movement.”
Read the Talking Points Memo story
Read: Shirley Sherrod a popular topic in Netroots Nation rebukes of conservative media
Read: Ed Schultz takes on the establishment
View – Ed Schultz:GOP Serious About Obstruction
07/22/2010
05:00 PM
Ford posts another quarterly profit as sales climb
Ford Motor Co. posted its fifth straight quarterly profit on Friday as its popular cars and trucks continued to draw buyers.
Ford earned $2.6 billion, or 61 cents per share.
Ford has gained market share in the U.S. from Toyota Motor Corp., General Motors Co. and Chrysler Group LLC.
The No. 2 U.S. automaker ended the quarter with 17.2 percent of the U.S. market.
Read the AP story
Read: Ford Reports Another Profit, and Sees More Gains Ahead
07/22/2010
05:00 PM
Oil spill work on hold as Bonnie approaches
Work to permanently shut off the BP oil well in the Gulf of Mexico was at a standstill Friday.
Ships around the site were ordered to evacuate ahead of the approaching Tropical Storm Bonnie.
The storm could delay the push to plug the broken well for good using mud and cement by another 12 days.
Adm. Allen Comments
Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen said, “While this is not a hurricane, it’s a storm that will have probably some significant impacts, we’re taking appropriate cautions.”
Allen said, “While these actions may delay the effort to kill the well for several days, the safety of the individuals at the well site is our highest concern.”
Vice President Biden Comments
Vice President Joe Biden visited cleanup workers in southern Alabama.
Biden said, “After the storm’s passage we will be right back out there.”
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Read the AP story
Read: Relief oil well on hold as Bonnie forces Gulf evacuations
Read: Oil spill work on hold as Bonnie approaches
Read: Storm Threat Forces Ships to Leave Work at Oil Spill Site
Read: Hands-off approach to oiled marshes – strategic or chaotic?
07/22/2010
05:00 PM
Rangel says he’s ready to fight ethics charges
A House investigative committee on Thursday charged Rep. Charles Rangel, D-NY, with multiple ethics violations.
It deals a serious blow to the former Ways and Means Chairman.
It also complicates Democrats’ election-year outlook.
Rep. Rangel Comments
Rep. Rangel says he looks forward to fighting ethics charges.
Rangel said, “I look forward to airing this thing.”
He insisted the allegations against him have no substance.
Rep. Rangel said, “I am pleased that, at long last, sunshine will pierce the cloud of serious allegations that have been raised against me in the media.”
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Read the AP story
Read: Rep. Charles Rangel broke ethics rules, House panel finds
Read: House Panel Will Try Rangel in Ethics Cases
07/22/2010
05:00 PM
Sherrod gets biggest ‘I’m sorry’ from Obama
Shirley Sherrod got the biggest “I’m sorry” of all Thursday and it came from President Barack Obama.
President Obama personally appealed to the ousted worker to come back.
President Obama Comments
Obama said Secretary Tom Vilsack was too quick to seek Sherrod’s dismissal.
President Obama said, “He jumped the gun, partly because we now live in this media culture where something goes up on YouTube or a blog and everybody scrambles.”
Obama said he’s instructed “my team” to make sure “that we’re focusing on doing the right thing instead of what looks to be politically necessary at that very moment. We have to take our time and think these issues through.”
President Obama told ABC News, “One of the things I shared with Ms. Sherrod was the fact that the stories that she was telling about her own biases and overcoming them, those were actually good leasons for all of us to learn, because we all have our own biases.”
He said, “I wrote this in my own book.”
Obama said, “There was times when I had stereotypes, both blacks and whites, that you had to work through, and you had to admit to yourself.”
He said, “We should acknowledge the enormous progress that we’ve made since the time Shirley Sherrod was a child in the Jim Crow South. I’m sitting here as a testament to this myself, as President.”
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Read the AP story
Read: President Obama Speaks Via Phone With Shirley Sherrod
Read: Obama asks ousted USDA worker to return
07/21/2010
05:00 PM
Bernanke: Don’t stop stimulus spending
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke told Congress Thursday that the fragile economy still needs government stimulus spending to strengthen the recovery and help reduce unemployment.
Bernanke urged lawmakers to come up with a credible plan to reduce the government’s record-high budget deficits in the long run.
But the Fed Chairman said they shouldn’t move now to slash spending or boost taxes, or undertake some combination of both.
Bernanke said, “I believe we should maintain our stimulus in the short term.”
Read the AP story
07/21/2010
05:00 PM
Democrats may stop Bush-era tax cuts for wealthy from expiring
Democrats are considering a plan to delay tax hikes on the wealthy for two years.
Slow Economy
Their reason is the economic recovery is slow and they fear getting crushed in November’s election.
It could mean a big reprieve for families earning $250,000 and above annually.
Bush Tax Cuts Set to Sunset
President George W. Bush’s tax cuts will expire at the end of the year unless Congress acts to delay their sunset.
Re[p. Yarmuth Comments
Rep. John Yarmuth, D-KY, a member of the Ways and Means Committee, which has jurisdiction over taxes, said some of his Democratic colleagues have discussed the idea out of fear of impeding the nation’s economic recovery.
Rep. Yarmuth said, “I’ve heard some sentiment about raising the rate but not making it effective until 2012.”
Vulnerable Democrats in Congress are worried about talk of raising taxes, even on the wealthiest families, when the national economic recovery has slowed.
Rep. Connolly Comments
Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-VA, said, “I think the recovery is sufficiently fragile that we ought to leave tax rates where they are.”
Rep. Connolly said Democrats should not allow the 2001 Bush tax cuts to expire for anybody.
Connolly said, “People in the upper tax brackets have a huge impact, a disproportionate impact on consumer spending.”
Sen. Conrad Comments
Sen. Kent Conrad, D-ND, a senior Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, said he could support a short-term extension of the Bush tax cuts for the highest income earners.
He said that experts predict continued economic weakness over the next 18 to 24 months.
Sen. Conrad said, “My reaction would be don’t cut spending, don’t raise taxes and that would mean on anyone.”
Allowing income tax rates to reset to pre-Bush levels for individuals earning more than $200,000 and families earning more than $250,000 could generate close to $700 billion over the next 10 years.
Families earning more than $374,000 a year in taxable income would see their rate jump from 35 percent to 39.6.
Families earning above $250,000 in gross income would see their rate jump from 33 percent to 36.
Read The Hill story
07/21/2010
05:00 PM
Jobless benefits hinge on House vote
After months of a bitter stalemate, the Senate passed the unemployment bill Wednesday by a 59-39 vote.
Sen. Brown Comments
Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-OH, said, “Extending unemployment insurance isn’t just the right thing to do. It’s also the smart thing to do for our economy.”
President Obama is ready to sign the measure into law after a final House vote.
President Obama Comments
President Obama said, “Americans who are working day and night to get back on their feet and support their families in these tough economic times deserve more than obstruction and partisan game-playing.”
The House plans to vote around midday Thursday.
Read the AP story
Read: Unemployment benefits bill goes to the House
Read: Emergency jobless benefits approved in crucial Senate vote
Read: Senate extends jobless benefits
Read: Senate passes benefits package on 59-39 vote
07/21/2010
05:00 PM
Judge hears arguments on Arizona immigration law
A federal judge is hearing arguments Thursday from lawyers for the federal government, governor, and civil rights groups over whether Arizona’s new immigration law should take effect in a week.
U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton is considering a request by the U.S. Justice Department to block enforcement of the law.
The first challenge Judge Bolton heard Thursday was by a group of more than 100 individuals and civil rights groups.
The civil rights groups want the Arizona law to be put on hold.
In the afternoon, the Justice Department’s lawsuit will be heard.
The federal government claims the Arizona law conflicts with federal authority on immigration.
Critics have said the law will also promote racial profiling.
Read the AP story
Read: U.S. challenges Arizona immigration law in court
Read: Arizona immigration law faces federal challenge Thursday
07/21/2010
05:00 PM
New jobless claims jump from two-year low
New jobless claims jumped last week by the most since February.
The new report reverses the previous week’s sharp decline.
The numbers reflect the job market’s weakness.
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Read the AP story
07/21/2010
05:00 PM
Obama signs unemployment bill
President Barack Obama on Thursday signed into law a restoration of benefits for people who have been out of work for six months or more.
The House passed the bill 272-152 earlier in the day.
President Obama Comments
President Obama said, “Americans who are fighting to find a good job and support their families will finally get the support they need to get back on their feet during these tough economic times.”
Speaker Pelosi Comments
Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-CA, said, “Unemployment benefits protect those who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own but would lead to more jobs, higher wages and a stronger economy for all Americans.”
Pelosi said, “The money will be spent immediately on necessity, injecting demand into the economy, creating jobs.”
Read the AP story
07/21/2010
05:00 PM
Senate Democrats abandon comprehensive energy bill
Senate Democrats on Thursday gave up plans to attempt to pass an energy bill that caps greenhouse gases blamed for global warming.
Sen. Reid Comments
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-NV, said no Republican was willing to back a comprehensive energy bill.
Sen. Reid called the development “terribly disappointing.”
Sen. Kerry Comments
Sen. John Kerry, D-MA, said, “We’ve always known from Day One that to pass comprehensive energy reform you’ve got to have 60 votes.”
Kerry said, “As we stand here today we don’t have one Republican vote.”
Carol Browner Comments
White House energy adviser Carol Browner said President Obama continues to support a comprehensive bill that includes a cap on carbon emissions.
But she said that the President supports Reid’s decision to go forward with a narrower bill.
Sen. Casey Comments
Sen. Bob Casey, D-PA, said he was frustrated that Senate leaders were giving up on the carbon tax.
But Casey acknowledged that a bill focused on the Gulf oil spill “is probably the best we can do now.”
Sen. Casey said he and others would continue to work for a comprehensive approach.
Read the AP story
07/21/2010
05:00 PM
Sherrod will likely turn down USDA job offer
Shirley Sherrod said on Thursday that she is unlikely to accept a job offer by the USDA.
Sherrod said the job offer was with the Office of Outreach, and would involve dealing with discrimination within the USDA.
She acknowledging that there was discrimination within the USDA.
But Sherrod said that she “would not want to be that individual that everyone is looking to solve the issue of racism in the USDA.”
She said that she wanted to look at the complete job description before turning anything down.
Sherrod appeared on NBC’s TODAY show.
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Wants to Talk with Obama
Sherrod said she wants to discuss racial issues with President Obama.
She said he’s “not someone who has experienced some of the things I’ve experienced in life.”
Sherrod said, “I’d like to help him see some of the things that he could do in the future.”
She said, “I really regret what they did. But as I said before, he’s my president.”
Sherrod said, “When you get it down to where the rubber meets the road, I think you need to understand a little more what life is like. I’d love to talk to him, though, or people in his administration … to help them understand.”
She said, “I can’t say that the president is fully behind me. I would hope that he is.”
Sherrod said, “I would love to talk to him.”
She feels there is no need for Obama to apologize for her week, which started with conservative blogger Andrew Breitbart posting edited controversial remarks she made.
Sherrod has received apologies from both the White House and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.
Sherrod accepted Vilsack’s apology.
Sherrod Responds to Right Wing Blogger
Blogger Andew Breitbart said he posted it to illustrate that racism exists in the NAACP, an argument he was using to counter allegations by the civil rights organization of racism in the tea party.
Sherrod said, “He was willing to destroy me … in order to try to destroy the NAACP.”
Sherrod said she still hasn’t heard an apology from Breitbart.
She said from the start that her talk was about racial moderation and reconciliation, and that the Internet posting took her speech out of context.
Read the MSNBC story
Read: Fired USDA official Shirley Sherrod has concerns about new job offer
Read: Sherrod says she’d love to talk race with Obama
Read – Shirley Sherrod: I want to speak to Obama