Obama’s Domestic Policy Formed From Necessity

By Joseph Russell- Talk Radio News Service

National Economic Council Director Larry Summers highlighted the Obama Administration’s plan to improve the economy during a speech to the Council on Foreign Relations' annual conference in New York.

Summers emphasized that the President has been absolutely clear that “the actions we take are those of necessity, not choice.”

Summers also said, “the President has been unambiguous. . .that any intervention goes with, rather than against, the grain of the market system. Our objective is not to supplant or replace markets. Rather, the objective is to save them from their own excesses and improve our market-based system going forward.”

Summers outlined the President’s position to support additional financial regulatory reform toward individual institutions. While Summers admitted the details are complex and “can blind sophisticated observers to the obvious,” he echoed Obama by saying such reform is necessary to overt future financial crises.

While no examples of possible legislation were given, Summers said the center of the financial crisis was, and continues to be, excessive leverage and systemic risk by banks and other financial institutions. He noted the administration will continue to move forward with its domestic agenda,
even though the effects of these policies may not be known for up to
four years.

Canadian Prime Minister Upset Over "Buy American" Provision

By Joseph Russell- Talk Radio News Service

The US Chamber of Commerce has initiated an aggressive grassroots campaign using TV, radio, online and print media to educate Americans about unlawful government regulations.The Chamber is addressing growing concerns that “Buy American” provisions in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) are risking American and Canadian jobs. Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper plans to launch his own campaign that involves meeting with President Obama directly to discuss removing “Buy American” provisions and to possibly renegotiate trade agreements.  

Jay Myers, President and CEO of Canadian Manufactures and Exporters, said Prime Minister Harper wants to meet with President Obama to restructure the “Buy American” provisions out of respect for trade agreements. “We’re concerned because we’re seeing these much more restrictive provisions being added to other appropriation bills beyond the recovery act” Myers said.

The Chamber claims “Buy American” provisions risk $3 billion in lost business because U.S. firms who rely on Canadian products are excluded from municipal contracts. Additionally, Canadian firms operating inside the U.S. are also exempted from ARRA contracts. The Chamber is particularly concerned that such a high loss of business will lead to an increase in U.S. job loss. Chamber Vice President for East Asia Myron Brilliant said these provisions will cause Canada and other countries worldwide to retaliate with “Buy Canadian” provisions in an attempt to prove that ARRA exemptions are “hindering, not helping.”

The Chamber wants Obama to give special guidance to state and local municipalities so federal trade agreements are respected. Currently, the ARRA allows local governments to administer $280 billion in funds while ignoring international trade agreements. The Chamber originally supported the ARRA, but now notes the potential for business disruption.

Universal Health Care To Cost Money And Jobs

By Joseph Russell- Talk Radio News Service
U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) discussed the future of employer provided healthcare at the Heritage Foundation.
 
The lessons learned from failed universal care programs are alarming and allowing the United States to become another “laboratory” for mandated health care programs will yield similar results, according to U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.). According to Blackburn, who spoke comments yesterday at the Heritage Foundation, these systems yield runaway administrative costs and diminish patient access to quality healthcare due to "serious government mismanagement." 
 
“We need to shift the focus,” Blackburn said. “So its not about punishment, and punishing employers, and punishing individuals, and limiting access. That’s not the way to do health care reform. We need to flip it and focus on the positive.” 

Blackburn said that U.S. health care reform needs to be a priority of the government. However,   putting insurance in the hands of the consumer allows more people to have access to healthcare while keeping costs down, she said. The “pay to play” system for employers to continue to provide benefits to employees under universal health care will cost more than 1.5 million jobs and shift 120 million people from private insurance to public insurance, she said. 

The “pay to play” system Democrats have proposed “allows” employers to buy into insurance programs through a newly proposed National Insurance Exchange. The insurance exchange forces insurance companies to offer the same benefits as their competitors, including the government, but they are paid more if the enroll higher risk patients. 

Poll: Iranians Desire Democracy and Reform

By Joseph Russell- Talk Radio News Service
The majority of Iranians say they will vote to reelect  incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, according to a nationwide poll conducted across Iran before the June 12, 2009 Iranian Presidential elections. The poll conducted by Terror Free Tomorrow also says that Iranians overwhelmingly continue to favor better relations with the United States and would like to directly elect their Supreme Leader in a free vote. 

Iranians envision their country’s future as being more Democratic and having better trade relations, said Ken Ballen, President of Terror Free Tomorrow. Even if Ahmadinejad is re-elected it “doesn’t mean they don’t support these goals... If he is re-elected its not on his policies...its on a new mandate.”  

According to the poll report: "Over the past two years, 77 percent of Iranians back 
normal relations and trade with the United States. 68 percent also favor Iran 
working with the United States to help resolve the Iraq war, while 60 percent 
back unconditional negotiations with the U.S. For more than six in ten Iranians, the most important steps the U.S. could take that would improve opinions of America are: a free trade treaty between Iran and the U.S.; the withdrawal of American forces from Iraq, and increasing visas for 
Iranians to study and work in the United States."  

The poll also says that 62 percent of Iranians oppose any peace treaty recognizing the State of Israel. The majority Iranians also support Muslims continuing "to fight until there is no State of Israel in the Middle East," the poll said.

And positive diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Iran may come at a price. "Iranians also continue to support the idea of Western investment and aid to Iran. Seventy percent favor Western investment; 80 percent medical, education and humanitarian assistance from Western countries," the poll report said. However, "60 percent of Iranians also support the government of Iran providing military and financial assistance to Iraqi Shiite militias (33 percent oppose), while 62 
percent back such assistance to Hezbollah in Lebanon (31 percent oppose). Again, however, as part of a deal with the United States, 54 percent of Iranians would endorse the Iranian government ending support for Iraqi militias,"the report said.  
  
This is Terror Free Tomorrow's third poll in a series over the past two years. It was conducted by telephone inside Iran over May 11 to May 20, 2009, with 1,001 interviews proportionally distributed and covering all 30 provinces of Iran, with a margin of error of +/- 3.1 percent.

Tiananmen Students Continue Fight

By Joseph Russell- Talk Radio News Service

A remembrance was held on the West Lawn of Capitol Hill to honor the students that lost their lives during the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre 20 years ago. U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ.) spoke with former Chinese student leaders about the importance of remembering the fallen students and the need to continue to fight for Democracy in China.

“The ugly spirit of the Tiananmen Square Massacre continues today unabated in China with brutality and efficiency that only a Nazi could love,” Smith said, adding the Obama administration should not seek to improve the world economy while ignoring the country’s human rights violations.

Dr. Yang Jianli, a Tiananmen survivor and former political prisoner, said that “it is truth that tyrannies fear most; it is truth that build stable societies.” He called for the release of political prisoners and ending the blacklisting of China citizens.

The Tiananmen Square massacre resulted from political protests by college students who demanded government reform. The student’s protest was planned for 40 days, but ended after the 20th day. The government used force to stop the protest when the students erected a statue of the Goddess of Liberty. The statue was destroyed and an estimated 2,000 students were killed by the Chinese military.