Jack & Jill Politics

This morning the President spoke at the University of Michigan, which is why it made sense for him to hammer as hard as he did on the critical issue of student loan debt which, as he pointed out, is now surpassing credit card debt as the number one debt burden faced by middle class families. But another thing Obama said in the speech caught my attention just as much, namely that he and his wife, First Lady Michelle Obama, would never have accomplished all that they have without the assistance of a first-rate education. Never would have happened.

This is supremely important for struggling families of color, because the Obamas, similar to most African American families, hardly came from privilege. They are well-acquainted with struggle. Matter of fact, you might even say they are on a first-name basis with financial strain and struggle. But despite their challenges, Obama was able to attend Harvard, where he excelled. His wife – and her brother Craig – both attended Princeton where they excelled as well. Obviously this education made a massive difference in all their lives, just as a college education makes a significant difference in the lives of most who are able to attend. Matter of fact, as the President pointed out in his speech, the unemployment rate of college graduates is half the national average, so that tells you something right there.

But what also tells you something is that college tuition is swiftly escalating far beyond the affordability range of many families, and that’s not just Harvard or Princeton but many state institutions as well. Matter of fact, according to Obama, 40 states cut their education budgets last year, forcing state institutions to make up the difference by significantly raising tuitions, thereby putting college out of reach for many. Others are now forced to choose whether it is worth it to get a college degree if it means paying back that loan for practically the rest of their lives.

If something is not done to address this issue, this country will become even more divided along race and class lines than it is already. So many of our children are already receiving grossly inferior education in public schools that have been practically abandoned by all except the poor non-white kids who have no choice but to attend. To slam yet another door in their faces is unacceptable. But the rates of college tuition are now so high that it is not just these kids who cannot attend, but kids from slightly better off middle class families who may have even attended private schools.

If you want a better idea of what we’re looking at if we continue down this road, consider what this excellent article in The Nation had to say about discrimination in education:

How Educational Redlining Works

The racial and economic segregation that sets the stage for redlining is now firmly in place. One in four American children lives in poverty, nearly 60 percent more than in 1974, and the number of people living in severe poverty has reached a record high. A national study released in 2009 found that one in fifty children in America is homeless and living in a shelter, motel, car, shared housing, abandoned building, park or orphanage. The proportions in some school districts exceed one in ten, and the number is growing rapidly.

Furthermore, this poverty is concentrated in increasingly resegregated communities and schools. More than 70 percent of black and Latino students attend predominantly minority schools, and nearly 40 percent attend intensely segregated schools, where more than 90 percent of students are minority and most are poor.

Poverty rates make a huge difference in student achievement. Few people are aware, for example, that in 2009 US schools with fewer than 10 percent of students in poverty ranked first among all nations on the Programme for International Student Achievement tests in reading, while those serving more than 75 percent of students in poverty scored alongside nations like Serbia, ranking about fiftieth.

The schools identified as low-performing not only serve a growing underclass of impoverished families; they also typically do so with fewer state and local dollars per pupil than wealthier districts around them. Unlike high-achieving nations that fund their schools centrally and equally, most American states spend three times more on their wealthiest schools than they do on their poorest.

To take a page from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., this is why we can’t wait.

This is being cross-posted at Black Liberal Boomer

Well, it’s not dead—yet. Capitalism’s sick and the prognosis isn’t that good. It’s on a kind of day-by-day, minute-by-minute world watch.
This isn’t a pro-Marxist screed. Then again, I don’t know. I may be Marxist, or socialist, if there’s some decipherable distinction. I know it deals with a communalism of which I’m fond. But then again, I don’t read thick texts with equally obtuse phrases like dialectical materialism and dictatorship of the proletariat, so I’m not really sure.
I never thought capitalism all bad. For one thing, at least it accumulates capital fast. Put into perspective, it was an improvement over the system it replaced—feudalism, itself an improvement over slavery. With each progression, more people got to own more stuff. Wait a minute. Isn’t that distribution of wealth, the very shady allocation that’s an affront to champions of capitalism, like Mitt Romney and Joe the Plumber?
Anyway, any system that makes work for the many a byproduct of the wealth of the few a principal tenet is bound to have major failings. Hey, maybe those titans of biz don’t really need any more workers. You know?
There’re other built-in shortcomings. If left unchecked, for instance, Chrysler can sell its new cars for $300 tomorrow—and put Ford and GM out of business. Anti-trust laws didn’t just fall out of the sky.
There’s also this problem that it hasn’t really been tested—not in a mass way. Back in the day, you could, by law, keep certain people out although many of them did much of the back-breaking work to contribute to the system’s “success.” No more. The longtime despised want in. In theory, there may be enough room— if the owners of the means of production settle for $50 mil a year instead of $2 billion. It’s lonely enough at the top.
And now, the Great Recession, brought to us by the misbehavior of the financial elite. Reminding folks of the Great Depression. Costs rising. The jobs remain scarce. Nearly just as bad, too many do not pay enough to meet bills. Obama stressing fairness. Occupied Wall Street highlighting the income disparities and promises more protests when the warm months arrive. The unrest has spread across the globe.
Funny thing about economic systems. The great unwashed don’t care what you call them. They either work for them or they don’t.
They watch but not always wait for a successful operation.

Read the rest of this entry »

From The Plum Line Blog:

Posted at 02:40 PM ET, 01/26/2012
Obama heaps mockery on Romney’s `envy’ charge
By Greg Sargent

At an event in Las Vegas this afternoon, Obama offered his most extensive rebuttal by far to the bogus GOP charge that the push for higher taxes on the wealthy is about “class warfare” and “envy.”

The whole thing is worth a watch — the tone was not one of outrage, but one laced with a good deal of mockery and derision:

Obama made what I think is his clearest case yet that the debate over whether to increase taxes on the wealthy is one that involves choices and priorities. He spelled out that if we don’t ask the wealthy for a bit more, either the deficit will go up, or the burden of doing all the sacrificing to bring it down will fall on those who are least equipped to bear it. He also framed a clear choice between keeping tax breaks for the wealthy and investing in “everything else,” a twist on the 99 percent versus one percent argument that didn’t sound personal at all and came across as eminently sensible and even undeniable. In this narrative, we face a stark choice: Either keep tax cuts for the rich, or invest adequately in the future viability of the whole country.

Obama also waded into the Elizabeth Warren argument — the case that people don’t get rich in a vacuum, and that the wealthy can afford to give a little more back to keep the society that helped enable their good fortune fuctioning smoothly:

“Each of us is only here because somebody, somewhere, felt a responsibility to each other and to our country and helped to create all this incredible opportunity that we call the United States of America. Now it’s our turn to be responsible. And it’s our turn to leave an America built to last for the next generation. That’s our job. And we can do it.”

I don’t know how decisive this particular argument will be to the outcome of the general election — the state of the economy on Election Day 2012 may trump all. But tax fairness and inequality will be important, and this argument seems like a clear loser for Romney, particularly given his own wealth and diminutive tax rate.

Indeed, all indications are that Romney is going to continue making the “envy” and “class warfare” barbs central to his case. But it’s getting harder to figure out who the intended audience for this line is at this point. Does anyone buy it? Given what polls tell us about the mood of the country right now, one wonders if any Republicans will ask themselves whether it’s really a good idea to rush headlong into the general election brandishing the small-minded “envy” and “division” argument against the case Obama made above.

TGIF and Good Morning.

As you go through your day, don’t forget JJP.

Drop those links. Engage in debate. Give us trivia and gossip too.

And always, have a peaceful day.

Read the rest of this entry »

Debbie Wasserman Schultz Reads Gabrielle Giffords’ Resignation Letter On The Floor Of The House

Good Afternoon.

As you go through the rest of your day, don’t forget JJP.

Drop those links. Engage in debate. Give us trivia and gossip too.

And continue to have a peaceful day.

Read the rest of this entry »

From ThinkProgress:

Watch Mitt Spin: Romney Claims His Real Tax Rate Is ‘Closer To 45 Or 50 Percent’

By Judd Legum on Jan 25, 2012 at 4:05 pm

During an interview with Univision, Romney was pressed on whether it was fair for him to pay about 13 percent of his income in taxes — as he did in 2010, according to his recently released tax returns — when many middle class families pay far more. Romney proceeded to claim that his actual rate is “closer to 45 or 50 percent.”

To justify his figure, Romney relied on his belief that “corporations are people.” When Univision’s Jorge Ramos asked Romney if his 13 percent tax rate is “fair,” Romney suggested adding the maximum corporate tax rate (35 percent) to his personal taxes to calculate his real rate:

RAMOS: You just released your tax returns. In 2010 you only paid 13 percent of taxes while most Americans paid much more than that. Is that fair?

ROMNEY: Well, actually, I released two years of taxes and I think the average is almost 15 percent. And then also, on top of that, I gave another more 15 percent to charity. When you add it together with all of the taxes and the charity, particularly in the last year, I think it reaches almost 40 percent that I gave back to the community. One of the reasons why we have a lower tax rate on capital gains is because capital gains are also being taxed at the corporate level. So as businesses earn profits, that’s taxed at 35 percent, then as they distribute those profits as dividends, that’s taxed at 15 percent more. So, all total, the tax rate is really closer to 45 or 50 percent.

RAMOS: But is it fair what you pay, 13 percent, while most pay much more than that?

ROMNEY: Well, again, I go back to the point that the, that the funds are being taxed twice at two different levels.

Romney glosses over the fact that he is not a corporation and doesn’t pay corporate taxes. Additionally, most corporations pay far lower than a 35 percent rate. In fact, many profitable corporations pay nothing at all.

In the alternative, Romney suggested that his tax rate should be considered “almost 40 percent” because he gave a substantial amount of money to charity, mostly to the Mormon church. Romney should be lauded for his charitable contributions — and received a tax deduction for them — but charitable contributions are not taxes.

Good Morning.

As you make it through your day, don’t forget JJP.

Drop those links. Engage in debate. Give us trivia and gossip too.

And always, have a peaceful day.

Read the rest of this entry »

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie needs to put down that fried chicken and biscuits and learn some history. He managed to insult all Americans and American history with an either ignorant or disingenous assertion that, if Southern whites in the 1940s, 50s and 60s had just been given enough time, they would have totally been down for equality with their black neighbors. They would have even voted for it themselves! Hmmm…. Here’s the deets from the New Jersey Newsroom (emphasis mine):

In a comment related to his call for a voter referendum on the proposal to legalize gay marriage in New Jersey, Gov. Chris Christie said Wednesday, “People would have been happy to have a referendum on civil rights rather than fighting and dying in the streets in the South.”

The governor, who on Tuesday called for a referendum on the Nov. 6 ballot that would ask voters to decide if the state should legalize same-sex marriage, also said he will veto the Democratic legislation to allow it when the proposal reaches his desk.

The comment that the civil rights movement of the 1960s could have been settled through a national or southern states voter referendum stunned Assembly Speaker Sheila Y. Oliver (D-Essex), who became the first African-American woman to head the lower house in 2010.

“Gov. Christie better sit down with some of New Jersey’s great teachers for a history lesson, because his puzzling comment shows a complete misunderstanding about the civil rights movement,” Oliver said. “It’s impossible to ever conceive that a referendum on civil rights in the South would have been successful and brought justice to minorities. It’s unfathomable to even suggest a referendum would have been the better course.

“Governor – people were fighting and dying in the streets of the South for a reason,” the Assemblywoman said. “They were fighting and dying in the streets of the South because the majority refused to grant minorities equal rights by any method. It look legislative action to bring justice to all Americans, just as legislative action is the right way to bring marriage equality to all New Jerseyans.

Stunning. This new line of revisionist history falls in line with Ron Paul and Rand Paul’s creepy, cynical criticism of the Civil Rights Act, which forced private businesses such as restaurants, lunch counters and hotels to integrate. Their theory? The free market would have taken care of it, eventually. Yeah, right. It’s a dogwhistle and a wink to those boomers and older who have wistful memories of the days before it was possible for a black man to become president.

Black people and the non-black people who love them weren’t willing to wait then and we won’t allow people like Christie to distort our hard-won achievements for human rights and equality. Certainly not at a time when there’s still room for improvement in America in how we treat immigrants, Muslims, those in the LGBTQ community and oh yeah, every single black man who’s been hassled for no reason by the police.

Lord knows it was just Martin Luther King Day last week. If Christie is unaware of King’s seminal book called Why We Can’t Wait (available for free in Google Books) which answered those of the time who asked blacks to be patient, then surely he’s heard of King’s classic Letter from Birmingham Jail which also covers the topic of the extreme, shall we say, reluctance among the Southern white majority of extending anything even resembling equality to blacks.

Above, I offer Gov. Christie a short slice from a documentary of the integration of the University of Mississippi. 500 U.S. Marshals were required to enroll one extremely brave black man, James Meredith. Riots ensured. 35 Marshals were shot. 2 people died. James Meredith was later shot. He remains alive today. I’d strongly recommend that Christie read up on the inspiring life of James Meredith and then ask him whether he thinks the University of Mississippi would ever have been integrated via referendum. Hard to believe that Christie was once the great white hope of Republicans hoping for a viable, engaging presidential candidate to go up against Obama. Can’t wait to see him walk this one back.

Did you watch the State of the Union last night? I thought it was one of Obama’s best speeches and given the tone & content of the recent Republican debates, a refreshing dose of sanity. Here’s the video from the most powerful part of the speech for me — the inspirational ending calling all Americans, Congress in particular, to come together to build a better nation.

According to a CBS poll right after the speech (emphasis mine):

An overwhelming majority of Americans approved of the overall message in President Obama’s State of the Union speech on Tuesday night, according to a CBS News poll of speech watchers. According to the poll, which was conducted online by Knowledge Networks immediately after the president’s address, 91 percent of those who watched the speech approved of the proposals Mr. Obama put forth during his remarks…

The president had more success convincing viewers that his economic proposals would lead to job growth and increased success on the international playing field: 75 percent of viewers said they thought the president’s plans would make America more competitive in the world economy, and 75 percent also said they thought the plans outlined in his speech would create jobs. That’s up from 55 percent before the speech.

That’s better than last year — a mere 83% of viewers approved of the 2011 SOTU.

Dang nephew! Looks like a black president kinda nailed it, y’all. My hope is that Republicans pay heed. His proposals are actually quite centrist. There’s a lot for Republicans to get behind, if they can choose patriotism over politics, big ideas instead of bigotry.

Great gripping speech with real remedies for real Americans. Nice work, Mr. President.

On a lighter note, New England Patriots wide receiver and Dancing with the Stars contestant Chad Ochocinco had a fetching exchange with Speaker John Boehner over twitter. Why does that matter? Well, black folks (not just celebrities) are 3x more likely to use Twitter than whites and @Ochocinco has over 3.1 million followers while @SpeakerBoehner has a fraction of that love with only 269,000 followers. Black folks on twitter? We are legion. And we’re up in your biznazz. Expect us.

Here’s the conversation (thanks HuffPost Hill!):

@ochocinco: Anybody notice the guy over Obamas left shoulder doesn’t seem very happy and he’s not smiling. He’s not clapping with joy

@ochocinco: Does John Boehner have a twitter RT @KeithFoster: @ochocincoThat’s the Speaker of the House John Boehner,a Republican, he won’t clap often.

@ochocinco: @SpeakerBoehner Just read some of your tweets and you seem pretty angry kind sir. I can see you on tv but you’re not smiling. Hope you’re ok

@ochocinco: @SpeakerBoehner Hello Mr. Boehner, hoping you are in better spirits today. If all else seems bad in life just remember I love you kind sir.

@ochocinco: Wow thanks RT @SpeakerBoehner: @ochocinco: Thanks & good luck in the @SuperBowl we’ll see you in the playoffs next year. Go #Bengals #WhoDey

@ochocinco: Totally awesome that John Boehner just tweeted me.

@ochocinco: Well now we are friends you f_cking Pansy RT @healey10:@ochocinco wtf ocho..you didn’t even know who he was until last night dummy

The text from the video above is offered after the jump. Enjoy.
Read the rest of this entry »

2012 State Of The Union Address: Enhanced Version

From Balloon Juice:

SOTU Reaction
by John Cole

I gotta say, every time I get some one on one time with that guy, which is basically what the SOTU is- an opportunity for the President to speak to America, I just want to vote for him early and often. The contrast between Obama and the crowd of miscreants in the GOP running to replace him is just striking.

One of the things I found interesting is that if you are a political junkie, you will find the speech from Obama a little bit feistier than those who are casual observers of the political process. I caught the references to Solyndra and telling the Republicans to back off on that nonsense, I got the DADT references, and so forth.

But most of all, every time I hear him speak, I am still aware of all the things I disagree with him on, but think “That is a good man doing what he thinks is best.” That is really all you can ask for from someone, because as far as I can tell, I’m the only one who agrees with me 100% of the time. And as you all know, if you give me a week, I’ll disagree with myself.

We really don’t deserve him. We really don’t.

Good Afternoon.

As you go through the rest of your day, don’t forget JJP.

Drop those links. Engage in debate. Give us trivia and gossip too.

And continue to have a peaceful day.

Read the rest of this entry »

hat tip-The Obama Diary:

Good Morning.

As you make it through Hump Day, don’t forget JJP.

Drop those links. Engage in debate. Give us trivia and gossip too.

And always, have a peaceful day.

Read the rest of this entry »

By Jeneba Ghatt

Today, the president outlines his prognosis on the state of the economy, domestic and foreign affairs and projects his goal and the visions for the future.

Since it appears that the White House does not always successfully project what precisely this administration has done to specifically impact many Americans, the State of the Union represents a opportune time to lay it all out on the table.  Of course, he could use the platform to dig back at his Congressional opponents.  And, he will be swiftly called out on that by his GOP opponents for using the office as a campaign stump.  But, who doesn’t do that?

That said, the SOTU could be that moment to share with the American public what he’s been doing all these years.  Heaven knows many people have been consumed with their own personal struggles and not necessarily engrossed in politics.

Last January, we heard President Obama set out a laundry list of action items and proposals, some seemingly idealistic and undoable, others symbolic and foreseeable. He should take some time during this State of the Union to perhaps present a status update and let us know what’s been done, what is lagging behind and why and how he plans to adjust those projections that are nowhere near being actualized.

Read more…

By Alton Drew

It’s time for the FCC to move on promoting incubation for minority radio ownership

.

In 1938, two engineers, Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard, started work in a rented garage at 367 Addison Avenue in Palo, California. They had $538 in capital. Their first product, a resistance capacitor audio oscillator, would be used to test sound equipment for the Walt Disney Studios. The following year the two would formalize their partnership, deciding whose name would go first on the letterhead based on a flip of a coin.

The story is a romantic one, at least in the technology world. While the flip of the coin would be the least of their gambles (just ask Carly Fiorina), the stakes are much higher for minority entrepreneurs trying to break into the media marketplace.

Simply put, there is a dearth of minority ownership of radio and television stations in the United States. According to the Minority Media and Telecommunications Council, while minorities make up one-third of the American population, minorities own approximately seven percent of all full power commercial radio stations, which represent approximately one percent of the industry’s asset value. In addition, minorities own only 29 out of over 1300 full power television stations in the United States.

The reason these numbers are important is pretty straightforward. For all the prevalence of social media and our disproportionate use of platforms such as Twitter and Facebook, Americans overall and the minority community…

Read more

PolicyMic.com is currently accepting applications for our Political Journalism Bootcamp, which will train you to write provocatively and persuasively about politics..

PolicyMic.com is a rapidly growing platform for engaging young people in politics and current events. As a member of the bootcamp, you will complete a series of challenges over the course of 7 weeks designed to test and train your writing and new media skills. Along the way, there are prizes to win and our editors will give you feedback on everything you write. When you’re done, you will have a polished portfolio of writing and an audience of readers.

Skills covered include:

• Building exciting stories and backing them up with research
• Writing a strong lead paragraph and thesis in order to grab your audience
• Promoting your writing with smart social media tactics.

This writing program will span 7 weeks, and all work can be done remotely, with a flexible time schedule. To apply, please send a resume to Editorial (at) policymic.com. Application deadline: Friday January 3rd.

hat tip-The Obama Diary:

Behind The Scenes: Writing the 2012 State of the Union Address

Chipsticks
January 24, 2012 at 1:45 pm
The First Lady’s guest list tonight:

SGT Ashleigh Berg, USA
Malibu, California

SGT Ashleigh Berg is from Malibu, California, and joined the United States Army in July of 2004. SGT Berg has been stationed in South Korea and Germany, and has served two tours of duty in Iraq. Her husband, SGT Matthew Berg, USA is currently deployed to Afghanistan on his 3rd combat tour. SGT Berg is currently assigned to the 94th Army Missile Defense Command in Fort Shafter Hawaii, and is serving a three year tour as the Commanding General’s Executive Administrative assistant.

Alicia Boler-Davis
Plant Manager, General Motors Orion Assembly
Detroit, Michigan

Alicia Boler-Davis lives in Detroit with her husband, Fitzgerald, and their two young sons. She is the plant manager at General Motors Orion Assembly and Pontiac Stamping, and is responsible for overseeing the production of the first new small car program from General Motors to be manufactured in the United States. Last October, Ms.

Boler-Davis led President Obama and President Lee of South Korea on a tour of the General Motors Orion Assembly and Pontiac Stamping. President Obama and President Lee traveled to the GM plant to highlight the free trade agreements and the resurgence of the American auto industry.

Debbie Bosanek
Assistant, Berkshire Hathaway
Bellevue, Nebraska

A Nebraska native, Debbie Bosanek has worked for Berkshire Hathaway for 37 years and has been Warren Buffett’s secretary for almost two decades. Last September, the President proposed the “Buffett Rule” as part of comprehensive tax reform, and is working to build an economy that works for everyone, including Americans like Ms. Bosanek, not just a wealthy few. Ms. Bosanek lives in Bellevue, Nebraska with her husband of 23 years and their son, and spends most of her time and energy trying to keep up with her boss.

Jackie Bray
Process Operator at the Siemens Charlotte Energy Hub
King’s Mountain, North Carolina

Jackie Bray is a single mother from King’s Mountain, North Carolina.

Last January she was laid off from her job as a high speed packaging mechanic. That is when she enrolled in Central Piedmont Community College to prepare for Siemens pre-hiring test. After finishing the course and passing the test, Ms. Bray was hired by Siemens in August of 2011. This type of partnership between businesses and community colleges is exactly what President Obama hopes to strengthen to maximize workforce development strategies, job training programs, and job placements. Ms. Bray now works as a process operator, combining her machinist background with new skills she has been trained on since working at Siemens: laser training, robotics training, penetrant inspection training, and product orientation.

Mayor Julián Castro
San Antonio, Texas

Mayor Castro was first elected mayor of San Antonio in 2009 and at 37 years old is the youngest mayor of a top 50 American city. He is a former city councilman and founder of a law firm. He graduated from Stanford University and earned his J.D. from Harvard Law School in 2000. During his Administration, the Milken Institute ranked San Antonio as the best-performing city in the nation in 2011. In January 2012, Mayor Castro announced that CPS Energy, a municipally-owned utility, has entered negotiations to bring at least 800 jobs and $100 million in capital investment to San Antonio. This is expected to be one of the nation’s largest solar projects resulting in 400 megawatts of zero-emissions solar energy.

Bruce Cochrane
President and CEO of Lincolnton Furniture
Lincolnton, North Carolina

Bruce Cochrane comes from a family that has manufactured furniture in North Carolina for decades, but when Cochrane Furniture was sold in 1997, the new owners moved manufacturing to China. Two years ago, Mr. Cochrane decided the time had come to start his own furniture company back in his home state. In January 2012, production began at Lincolnton Furniture in the same plant his family once ran. Lincolnton Furniture is expected to add 130 new jobs to the area. Mr. Cochrane attended President Obama’s Insourcing American Jobs Forum earlier this month.

Sara Ferguson
Teacher, Columbus Elementary
Parkside, Pennsylvania

Sara Ferguson teaches literacy and math at Columbus Elementary, and has worked for the Chester Upland School District for 20 years. She is a third generation educator in Chester Upland, and a proud product of that district. When the Chester Upland School District faced bankruptcy earlier this year in light of severe state budget cuts, Ms.

Ferguson vowed to continue teaching even without being paid, saying “we are adults; we will make a way. The students don’t have any contingency plan. They need to be educated, so we intend to be on the job.”

Dr. Hiroyuki Fujita
Founder, President and CEO Quality Electrodynamics
Cleveland, Ohio

Dr. Hiroyuki Fujita is founder, president and chief executive officer of Quality Electrodynamics (QED), in Cleveland, Ohio. Coming to America from Japan in 1988 and after receiving his Ph.D. in physics from Case Western Reserve University in 1998, Dr. Fujita chose to continue his professional training in America. In 2006 he started his own company, QED, which is a developer and manufacturer of highly proprietary state-of-the-art MRI radiofrequency antennas. QED is now one of the world’s largest suppliers of these products and ships throughout the globe. In 2010, Dr. Fujita founded his second company, eQED, a solar energy-related electronics development and manufacturing company. With the founding of both QED and eQED, today Dr. Fujita is creating high tech, advanced manufacturing jobs in the healthcare and energy sectors in the United States.

Mahala Greer
Student
Denver, Colorado

Mahala Greer grew up in Paonia, a small town in rural Colorado. She is currently a student at the University of Colorado Denver majoring in Spanish, and has just been accepted into Teach for America as a Bilingual Education Corps Member. In May she will graduate with more than $35,000 in student loans. Last October, Ms. Greer introduced President Obama when he spoke to students at CU Denver about how his Administration is working to make college more affordable and reduce student loan debt.

Adrienne Howard
San Diego, California

Adrienne Howard is a military spouse from Lynchburg, Virginia, and currently lives in San Diego, California with her three children. Her husband, Commander Colby Howard, USN, is currently on a seven month deployment. Mrs. Howard has moved 14 times during her husband’s career, and their oldest child has attended 9 different schools along the way. For nearly 20 years, she has been heavily involved as a volunteer in family readiness groups and Navy spouse organizations. This past September, Mrs. Howard was inspired by First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden’s Joining Forces initiative to reach out to her community, and the response was overwhelming. Mrs. Howard shared her story of rallying her community to ‘adopt’ a Sailor on the Joining Forces Blog.

Mike Krieger
Co-founder Instagram
San Francisco, California

Mike Krieger is the co-founder of Instagram, the fastest growing social mobile startup in the U.S. today, with over 15 million registered users. Mike was born in São Paulo, Brazil, and moved to California in 2004 to attend Stanford University, where he studied computer science and cognitive science. In 2010, he joined up with Kevin Systrom to co-found Instagram, and now employs a talented, growing team of designers and engineers. After graduation, Mr. Krieger worked for a year on his student F-1 visa, later applying for and receiving an H-1B visa as a high-skill worker. Mr. Krieger wants to permanently stay in the U.S. and has applied for a green card.

Captain Mark Kelly, USN, Ret.

Mark Kelly is an American astronaut, retired US Navy Captain, best-selling author, and an experienced naval aviator who flew combat missions during the Gulf War. The winner of many awards, including the Legion of Merit, two Defense Superior Service Medals and two Distinguished Flying Crosses, Kelly was selected as an astronaut in 1996. He flew his first of four missions in 2001 aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour, the same space shuttle that he commanded on its final flight in May 2011. He has also commanded Space Shuttle Discovery and is one of only two individuals who have visited the International Space Station on four different occasions. Already a celebrated American, Kelly became the center of international attention after the January 2011 assassination attempt on his wife, US Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. In their best-selling memoir, Gabby, the couple shares their story of hope and resilience with the world.

Lorelei Kilker
Analytical Chemist
Brighton, Colorado

Lorelei Kilker is an analytical chemist for an environmental laboratory, and lives in Brighton, Colorado with her domestic partner and their two children. In October of 2011, Ms. Kilker was one of a class of women who benefitted from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s (EEOC) investigation of alleged systematic sex discrimination at her former employer that resulted in the award of back wages and significant remedial relief, arrangements that were achieved through a cooperative process between the employer and EEOC. Since the creation of the President’s Equal Pay Task Force in January 2010, EEOC obtained almost $50 million in monetary relief through administrative enforcement for victims of sex-based wage discrimination, obtained changes to workplace practices that benefit over one quarter of a million workers, and filed five cases including sex-based wage discrimination claims.

Admiral William McRaven, USN

Admiral McRaven assumed command of the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) on June 13, 2008. Prior to assuming command, he served from June 2006 to March 2008 as commander, Special Operations Command Europe (SOCEUR). In addition to his duties as COMSOCEUR, he was designated as the first director of the NATO Special Operations Forces Coordination Centre (NSCC), where he was charged with enhancing the capabilities and inter-operability of all NATO Special Operations Forces. Adm. McRaven has commanded at every level within the special operations community, including assignments as deputy commanding general for operations at JSOC, commodore of Naval Special Warfare Group 1, commander of SEAL Team 3, task group commander in the CENTCOM area of responsibility, task unit commander during Desert Storm and Desert Shield, squadron commander at Naval Special Warfare Development Group, and SEAL platoon commander at Underwater Demolition Team 21/SEAL Team 4.

Adm. McRaven’s diverse staff and interagency experience includes assignments as the director for Strategic Planning in the Office of Combating Terrorism on the National Security Council Staff, assessment director at U.S. Special Operations Command, on the Staff of the Chief of Naval Operations and the chief of staff at Naval Special Warfare Group 1.

Adm. McRaven’s professional education includes assignment to the Naval Postgraduate School, where he helped establish and was the first graduate from the Special Operations/Low Intensity Conflict curriculum.

Joan Milligan
Orlando, Florida

As deep rooted Orlando, Florida, residents, Joan Milligan and her husband Bill share a strong commitment to their community and volunteering. Faced with losing their home, President Obama’s Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP) allowed Joan and her husband to refinance their existing loan when other means of refinancing were not open to them. As Mrs. Milligan has said, “I can’t believe how easy the process was. The bank bent over backwards to accommodate us”. The Milligans will celebrate 50 years of marriage in October 2012.

Amber Morris
Virginia Beach, Virginia

Amber Morris, a Virginia Beach resident, responded to the White House’s call in December asking Americans “What does 40 mean to you?” saying, “Forty dollars a pay check means that I’ll be able to pay my bills, but most months it’ll be a tight squeeze. It means that I’ll have no spending money which means I can’t do my part in encouraging my local economy. Forty dollars a paycheck may not seem a lot, but it could mean a steady job for me and my coworkers or unemployment.” Ms. Morris graduated from Northeastern Law School in 2008 and found herself unable to find a job in her field.

She was working for a non-profit in Boston, but after they lost funding she found herself unemployed in 2009 and forced to move back home with her parents. She’s since found work as a waitress in a local restaurant and although it’s less than ideal, she feels “lucky to have paycheck” to help pay student loans and help save up for the Virginia bar exam.

Laurene Powell Jobs
Founder and Chair of Emerson Collective
Palo Alto, California

Ms. Laurene Powell Jobs is founder and chair of Emerson Collective, an organization focused on harnessing the potential of individuals from underserved communities to help them build a better life.

Ms. Powell Jobs also serves as president of the board of College Track, an after-school program she founded in 1997 to prepare underserved high school students for success in college. Started in East Palo Alto, College Track has expanded to serve students in Oakland, San Francisco, New Orleans and Aurora, Colorado. The program’s intensive academic and extracurricular program is designed to ensure admittance to and graduation from college. All of the program’s graduates have completed their secondary education and gone on to college.

In addition to her work with the Emerson Collective and College Track, she serves on the boards of directors of NewSchools Venture Fund, New America Foundation and Conservation International. She also serves as a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Ms. Powell Jobs holds a BA and a BSE from the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. Earlier in her career, she spent several years working in investment banking and later co-founded a natural foods company in California.

Adam Rapp
Fall Creek Township, Illinois

Adam Rapp lives in Fall Creek Township, Illinois, and is the only child of Stephen and Lisa Rapp. On his 23rd birthday, he was diagnosed with cancer, and without the Affordable Care Act he would have lost health insurance coverage the same day. Adam’s mother wrote President Obama a letter last May thanking him for passing the health reform law so that her son could remain on their health insurance policy. After undergoing treatment, Mr. Rapp is now cancer-free and engaged to be married to Adrienne Mast of Quincy, Illinois.

Juan Jose Redín
Attorney
North Hollywood, California

Juan Jose Redín was born in Ixtapan de la Sal, Mexico before coming with his mother and younger sister to the United States at the age of 10. After enduring many challenges throughout his journey to achieve his dream of higher education. Juan benefited from California’s Assembly Bill 540 and was able to enroll, and excel, in his studies at UCLA. He received both his undergraduate (with honors) and law degrees from UCLA. Now a US citizen and a practicing attorney, Juan is as passionate as ever about ensuring educational access to all.

Bryan Ritterby
Lab Technician
Holland, Michigan

Bryan Ritterby had been in the furniture manufacturing industry for more than 25 years working on the manufacturing floor, in the quality department and as a field service representative, but was laid off in February of 2009. Mr. Ritterby then went through the Grand Rapids Community College Composite Technician Training Program in conjunction with a new start-up company, Energetx Composites. Upon completion of the program,

Mr. Ritterby was hired by Energetx Composites as a composite technician in April of 2010. Today, Mr. Ritterby is a Lab Technician for Energetx Composites conducting material tests in the company’s laboratory verifying materials to be used in wind turbine blades, as well as working on blade validation tests for all of the community scale wind blades Energetx is manufacturing.

Colonel Ginger Wallace, USAF
McLean, Virginia

Colonel Ginger Wallace is an Air Force intelligence officer who has led airlift and intelligence operations during Operations SOUTHERN WATCH, PROVIDE RELIEF, UPHOLD DEMOCRACY, ALLIED FORCE, ENDURING FREEDOM and IRAQI FREEDOM. She currently lives in McLean, Virginia with her partner of over a decade, Kathy Knopf. In December, Ms.

Knopf attended Col. Wallace’s promotion ceremony and participated in the “pinning on” of Col. Wallace’s rank, marking the first such event reported following the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Col. Wallace is currently training to deploy to Afghanistan in the Spring 2012 through the Afghanistan-Pakistan Hands program.

Sharing some videos with you.

Rev. Al on the economic divide.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Rev. Al on a potential Gingrich nomination.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Good Afternoon.

As you go through the rest of your day, don’t forget JJP.

Drop those links. Engage in debate. Give us trivia and gossip too.

And continue to have a peaceful day.

Read the rest of this entry »