Friday
Mar052010
Romney: Obama Should Have Focused On Jobs First, Not Health Care
Friday, March 5, 2010 at 5:09PM
By Antonia Aguilar - University of New Mexico/ Talk Radio News Service
The Obama administration should have attempted to spur job creation prior to pursuing health care reform, according to Massachusetts' former Republican Governor Mitt Romney, who unsuccessfully ran for the Republican presidential nomination in the last election cycle.
“Given the priorities that we faced at the time of his inauguration, I probably wouldn’t have suggested spending all that time... devoted to discussions on health care,” said Romney during an appearance before the National Press Club. “The first [priority] had to be to get the economy back on track and create jobs.”
Romney charged that current proposals intended to stimulate job creation have thus far served more as deterrents to investors within the private sector.
“I think this has been the most anti-investment, anti-entrepreneur, anti-employment, anti-job agenda since the days of Jimmy Carter," said Romney. "It has prolonged the recession and made it more difficult for us to recover."
Romney proposed deficit reduction, energy independence and education investments as remedies for the nation's economic woes.
The former governor is widely considered a presidential contender for 2012.
The Obama administration should have attempted to spur job creation prior to pursuing health care reform, according to Massachusetts' former Republican Governor Mitt Romney, who unsuccessfully ran for the Republican presidential nomination in the last election cycle.
“Given the priorities that we faced at the time of his inauguration, I probably wouldn’t have suggested spending all that time... devoted to discussions on health care,” said Romney during an appearance before the National Press Club. “The first [priority] had to be to get the economy back on track and create jobs.”
Romney charged that current proposals intended to stimulate job creation have thus far served more as deterrents to investors within the private sector.
“I think this has been the most anti-investment, anti-entrepreneur, anti-employment, anti-job agenda since the days of Jimmy Carter," said Romney. "It has prolonged the recession and made it more difficult for us to recover."
Romney proposed deficit reduction, energy independence and education investments as remedies for the nation's economic woes.
The former governor is widely considered a presidential contender for 2012.
Napolitano: Body Scanners Key To Aviation Security
University of New Mexico /Talk Radio News Service
U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said that more full body scanners and increased law enforcement are to be expected in the coming months to improve international and domestic aviation security. Napolitano spoke Monday before the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. during an annual legislative conference.
“What we’re about is finding gaps, filling them [and] minimizing risk,” she said. “We are rolling the technology out.”
The December 25, 2009 al-Quaeda attempt to sabotage Northwest Airlines Flight 253 from Amsterdam to Detroit and other security breaches raised concerns over international and domestic airport security measures and standards. In the attempt, Nigerian Umar Farou Abdulmutallab tried to ignite plastic explosives hidden in his underwear.
Last week, Napolitano met with the CEOs of the member airlines of the Air Transport Association of America and the International Air Transport Association, which represents 230 airlines and more than 90 percent of the world's air traffic. “"Government and the private sector must work collaboratively to develop and implement enhanced international security measures and standards," she said.
On March 4, DHS Under Secretary Caryn Wagner testified before the House Subcommittee on Homeland Security on the President’s Fiscal Year 2011 Budget Request for the Department’s Office of Intelligence and Analysis.
“DHS reactivated the DTTF [DHS Threat Task Force] on December 25, 2009, after the attempted bombing of Northwest Airlines Flight 253,” she said. “We intend to institutionalize this enterprise task force to focus the efforts of the whole Department in unison on mitigating terrorism threats to the homeland. Per the Secretary’s direction, the DTTF has been playing a direct role in identifying and analyzing homeland security threats, informing DHS leadership decision-making, and ensuring that intelligence supports component operations in the field. These efforts have directly contributed to more effective use of watch lists and have supported Department programs for passenger travel analysis and airport screening procedures.”