Wednesday, 22 June 2011

letter From TheWhiteHouse/File31yHk

Will you join forces with us?


FROM:
TO:
Wednesday, 13 April 2011, 2:43

Message Body


The White House, Washington


Good afternoon,

I'm writing to make sure that you know about an unprecedented national campaign to support our nation's military families called Joining Forces.

As First Lady, I've had the privilege of meeting with Americans in uniform around the world.  These brave men and women would be the first to tell you that they don't serve alone.  Every day, they are joined in service to our country by military wives, husbands, children, siblings and parents.  


Joining Forces is about all of us joining together, as Americans, to give back to the extraordinary military families who sacrifice so much every day. Our motto is simple — everyone can do something.  So take a moment to find out how you can play a part: 
Like their loved ones, military families are proud to serve.  But that doesn't mean it’s easy. Indeed many Americans may not realize how difficult it can be to have a parent or spouse deployed overseas.

That's why Joining Forces is so important. We're going to match the unique needs and strengths of America’s military families with specific ways that Americans can offer support.  

So on behalf of the President, as well as the Vice President and Dr. Jill Biden, proud military parents themselves, let me offer a heartfelt thanks to not only our troops and their families – but also to the rest of you for joining forces to support them.


Sincerely,
Michelle Obama
First Lady of the United States

P.S. We've created a special email list for more frequent updates about the Joining Forces campaign. You can sign up here:






This email was sent to hebrew.king@ymail.com


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The view from outside Washington


FROM:
TO:
Thursday, 14 April 2011, 10:00

Message Body

2012
Friend --

The President's speech today began a new conversation in Washington about how to reduce the deficit while protecting crucial investments in our country's future.

But as we seek to build an organization based outside of Washington, President Obama's speech also provides an unusually stark contrast -- one all of us can use to start conversations with our friends and neighbors about what's at stake in this election.

He spoke about things you don't generally hear in Washington conversations too often dominated by special interests: He'll cut waste and excess at the Pentagon -- particularly spending that is requested not by our military, but by politicians and corporate interests.

He'll eliminate tax cuts for Americans in the highest tax brackets who don't need them, including himself -- and he will reform the individual tax code so that it's fair and simple and so that the amount of taxes you pay isn't determined by what kind of accountant you can afford.

Some cuts he proposed are tough. But they're also smart and surgical -- helping us balance our books while still doing the right things to win the future. President Obama's plan would protect the middle class, invest in our kids' education, and make sure we don't protect the wealthiest Americans from the costs of reform at the expense of the most vulnerable.

The other side has presented a very clear alternative: End Medicare as we know it, privatizing the program that millions of seniors rely on for health care. Make deep cuts to education. Slash investments in clean energy and infrastructure. All to pay for tax cuts for people making over $250,000 a year, and all while actually raising our national debt.

In short, their plan will please a special interest donor base and those who put ideology before results rather than reduce deficits over the long term. And let's be clear: They think they can get away with it because, fundamentally, they don't think you'll do anything about it.

That's where I know we can prove them wrong. Because we can respond right now by building an organization that will stop them -- not just in this deficit battle, but in the next election so they never have the chance to enact these proposals.

Here's the first step. Join our fight for a deficit reduction plan that will actually reduce the deficit -- with a goal of shared prosperity through shared responsibility. Add your name to support President Obama's plan -- and then help bring more people into the conversation:


President Obama made a promise in his speech today. He said that we won't have to sacrifice programs like Medicaid and Social Security -- programs that millions of Americans rely on -- as long as he's President. He's committed to seeking serious solutions to the problems we face while still upholding the larger responsibilities we have to one another. So it's our job to build the organization that's going to keep him in the White House.
More soon,

Messina

Jim Messina
Campaign Manager
Obama for America

P.S. -- If you missed President Obama's speech earlier today, some excerpts are below:

1. "Our approach lowers the government's health care bills by reducing the cost of health care itself.

"Already, the reforms we passed in the health care law will reduce our deficit by $1 trillion. My approach would build on these reforms. We will reduce wasteful subsidies and erroneous payments. We will cut spending on prescription drugs by using Medicare's purchasing power to drive greater efficiency and speed generic brands of medicine onto the market. We will work with governors of both parties to demand more efficiency and accountability from Medicaid. We will change the way we pay for health care -- not by procedure or the number of days spent in a hospital, but with new incentives for doctors and hospitals to prevent injuries and improve results. And we will slow the growth of Medicare costs by strengthening an independent commission of doctors, nurses, medical experts and consumers who will look at all the evidence and recommend the best ways to reduce unnecessary spending while protecting access to the services seniors need."

2. "But let me be absolutely clear: I will preserve these health care programs as a promise we make to each other in this society. I will not allow Medicare to become a voucher program that leaves seniors at the mercy of the insurance industry, with a shrinking benefit to pay for rising costs. I will not tell families with children who have disabilities that they have to fend for themselves. We will reform these programs, but we will not abandon the fundamental commitment this country has kept for generations."

3. "In December, I agreed to extend the tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans because it was the only way I could prevent a tax hike on middle-class Americans. But we cannot afford $1 trillion worth of tax cuts for every millionaire and billionaire in our society. And I refuse to renew them again."

4. "This is my approach to reduce the deficit by $4 trillion over the next twelve years. It's an approach that achieves about $2 trillion in spending cuts across the budget. It will lower our interest payments on the debt by $1 trillion. It calls for tax reform to cut about $1 trillion in spending from the tax code. And it achieves these goals while protecting the middle class, our commitment to seniors, and our investments in the future.

"So this is our vision for America -- a vision where we live within our means while still investing in our future; where everyone makes sacrifices but no one bears all the burden; where we provide a basic measure of security for our citizens and rising opportunity for our children."

5. "But no matter what we argue or where we stand, we've always held certain beliefs as Americans. We believe that in order to preserve our own freedoms and pursue our own happiness, we can't just think about ourselves. We have to think about the country that made those liberties possible. We have to think about our fellow citizens with whom we share a community. And we have to think about what's required to preserve the American Dream for future generations.

"This sense of responsibility -- to each other and to our country -- this isn't a partisan feeling. It isn't a Democratic or Republican idea. It's patriotism."
This email was sent to hebrew.king@ymail.com

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Did you see President Obama's speech?

Message Body


The White House, Washington


Good afternoon,

Yesterday, President Obama laid out a comprehensive and balanced framework to cut the nation's deficit by $4 trillion over the next twelve years while still making the investments needed to win the future. He also described the underlying values that guide his approach, including the role that government should play and the shared responsibility Americans have to one another.

The video of the President’s speech is worth watching, but it's 40 minutes long, so we've also summed up the main points in a graphic. You can see both the video and the graphic here:
President Obama's framework has four key parts:
  • Budget Cuts. Last week, President Obama worked with Democrats and Republicans on a budget compromise that represents the largest spending cut in our history. The President's approach builds on that compromise and will save us $770 billion over twelve years.
  • Security Spending. Working with Secretary of Defense Gates and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mullen, we will cut $400 billion by 2023 out of defense spending by eliminating waste and inefficiencies while ensuring that our troops have the resources they need to protect our national security.
  • Health Care Costs. The President's approach to reforming Medicare and Medicaid keeps our commitments to seniors, people with disabilities, and children while reducing health care spending. These reforms will help us save $480 billion by 2023 and an additional $1 trillion in the decade after that.
  • Tax Reform. The President called for closing loopholes and letting the Bush era high income tax cuts -- which we simply cannot afford -- expire. The President is also calling on Congress to reform the individual tax code so that it is fair and simple so the amount of taxes you pay isn't determined by what kind of accountant you can afford. Those savings would be devoted to reducing tax rates and the deficit.
The President's approach also calls for something that we don't see enough of in Washington -- accountability. If this approach isn't on target by 2014, the President is proposing a "debt failsafe" trigger that would require across the board spending cuts, including spending in the tax code.

Now, you may have also heard about a plan from Republicans in the House of Representatives that will cut the deficit by about the same amount.

But there's an important difference between the two approaches.

The Republican plan places the burden of debt reduction on those that can least afford it -- people like seniors and lower income Americans. Their plan slashes investments in areas like clean energy investment and education funding. It ends Medicare as we know it and doubles health care costs for seniors in order to pay for an average tax cut of $200,000 for millionaires and billionaires.

The President's plan protects the middle class, defends our commitments to seniors, and makes the smart investments we need to create good jobs and grow our economy. It's based on the idea that, as a nation, we have a responsibility to come together to provide a basic measure of security and dignity for all Americans.

The President has laid out his framework, but there is clearly much work ahead. As the recent compromise in the face of a government shutdown taught us, Republicans and Democrats can sit down and work through these issues to find common ground.

I'll be sure to keep you posted on our progress.

Sincerely,
David Plouffe
Senior Advisor to the President

P.S. Tomorrow I'm going to send you another way to understand how your personal taxpayer dollars are spent in Washington. Hint: the President mentioned it in his State of the Union Address.





This email was sent to hebrew.king@ymail.com


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"Open for Business"



FROM:
TO:
Saturday, 25 December 2010, 23:32

Message Body

The White HouseYour Daily Snapshot for
Friday, April 15, 2011
"Open for Business"

West Wing Week is your guide to everything that's happening at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. This week, with the threat of a government shutdown averted, President Obama focused on fiscal responsibility and balancing the need to cut spending and the deficit while continuing to support education, clean energy, and other investments needed to win the future. The Amir of Qatar also visited the White House.



In Case You Missed It

Your Taxpayer Receipt
The White House announces the first-ever federal taxpayer receipt. Find out how your tax dollars are spent.

Remarks by the President before Meeting with Fiscal Commission Chairmen
President Obama delivers brief remarks before meeting with fiscal commission chairs Erskine Bowles and Alan Simpson.

Repealing the 1099 Reporting Requirement: A Big Win for Small Business
Karen Mills, Administrator of the Small Business Administration, discusses the benefits of the repeal of the Affordable Care Act’s 1099 reporting requirements that President Obama signed into law.

Today's Schedule

All times are Eastern Daylight Time (EDT).

12:55 PM: The President departs Chicago, Illinois en route Andrews Air Force Base
1:00 PM: The Vice President meets with Director of the Office of Management and Budget Jacob Lew, Director of the National Economic Council Gene Sperling, and senior advisors to discuss fiscal policy

2:35 PM: The Vice President meets with Director of the Office of Management and Budget Jacob Lew, Director of the National Economic Council Gene Sperling, and senior advisors to discuss fiscal policy

2:50 PM: The President arrives at the White House

3:20 PM: The President and the Vice President meet with leadership of the National Conference of State Legislators
 
Indicates events that will be live streamed on White House.com/Live



  

This email was sent to hebrew.king@ymail.com




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