Thursday
Feb122009
Celebrating the legend of Lincoln
Thursday, February 12, 2009 at 5:06PM
By Kayleigh Harvey - Talk Radio News Service
All around the country Americans are celebrating the birthday of one of the most historical American political figures, Abraham Lincoln.
The Capitol held its own Lincoln Bicentennial Celebration, today, with President Barack Obama making an appearance to pay his respects to a man he said “made America’s story possible.”
President Obama said: “What Lincoln never forgot, not even in the midst of civil war, was that despite all that divides us - north and south, black and white - we were, at the heart, one nation and one people, sharing a bond as Americans that could bend but would not break...I feel great gratitude to this singular figure who in so many ways made my own story possible, and in so many ways made America’s story possible.”
Other politicians who spoke at the ceremony were Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif), Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev), House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio), Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky), Senate Assistant Majority Leader Richard Durbin (D-Ill), Senator Jim Bunning (R-Ky), Representative Jesse Jackson Jnr. (D-Ill) and Representative Donald Manzullo (R-Ill).
The large audience, that filled the Rotunda in the U.S. Captiol, also heard tributes to the former President from Harold Holzer Co-chair of the Lincoln Bicentennial Commission, Richard Norton Smith, Former Executive Director of the Lincoln Presidential Library and Presidential historian and author Doris Kearns Goodwin.
In the closing statement, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi said: “Let us take our lead from Lincoln. Abraham Lincoln knew that the preservation of the union was a fight for the ideals of the Declaration of Independence. As he said ‘At stake was not just the future of our nation, but the future of people throughout the world’.”
All around the country Americans are celebrating the birthday of one of the most historical American political figures, Abraham Lincoln.
The Capitol held its own Lincoln Bicentennial Celebration, today, with President Barack Obama making an appearance to pay his respects to a man he said “made America’s story possible.”
President Obama said: “What Lincoln never forgot, not even in the midst of civil war, was that despite all that divides us - north and south, black and white - we were, at the heart, one nation and one people, sharing a bond as Americans that could bend but would not break...I feel great gratitude to this singular figure who in so many ways made my own story possible, and in so many ways made America’s story possible.”
Other politicians who spoke at the ceremony were Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif), Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev), House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio), Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky), Senate Assistant Majority Leader Richard Durbin (D-Ill), Senator Jim Bunning (R-Ky), Representative Jesse Jackson Jnr. (D-Ill) and Representative Donald Manzullo (R-Ill).
The large audience, that filled the Rotunda in the U.S. Captiol, also heard tributes to the former President from Harold Holzer Co-chair of the Lincoln Bicentennial Commission, Richard Norton Smith, Former Executive Director of the Lincoln Presidential Library and Presidential historian and author Doris Kearns Goodwin.
In the closing statement, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi said: “Let us take our lead from Lincoln. Abraham Lincoln knew that the preservation of the union was a fight for the ideals of the Declaration of Independence. As he said ‘At stake was not just the future of our nation, but the future of people throughout the world’.”
Better Access To Education And Better Schools
Two new pieces of legislation were introduced to the Senate yesterday
by Senator Bob Casey (D-Pa.) to improve access to education for children and to develop better facilities for children to learn.
The Starting Early Right Act and The Child Care Facilities Financing Act of 2009, "are critically important and essential in any environment because we are not doing nearly enough on child care...both of these bills speak to that basic challenge,” Casey said during a conference call today.
The Starting Early Right Act aims to help all children have equal and improved access to education. This bill would amend the Childcare and Development Block Grant of 1990 by investing an additional $10 billion each year to help low income families ensure their children receive access to a high quality education.
The Child Care Facilities Financing Act of 2009 aims to get to the “bricks and mortar,” Casey said. The bill would provide financial assistance to improve schools and other learning establishments. “This bill would set up a grant program,” Casey added.
Casey has already received support from Senators Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) and Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) and hopes to see bipartisan support from Senators towards this legislation.
Casey is also in talks with President Obama and his administration about education policy. Casey is an advocate of the Obama administrations focus to help children from zero to five.
“In the midst of this economy it’s especially important that President Obama has demonstrated the type of leadership that he has on his zero to five initiative...I think both of these bills are consistent with what the President is trying to do,” Casey said.
In closing Casey said these bills would, “provide the kind of dollars for good quality childcare as well as a bill to provide the dollars for the physical infrastructure for a care setting that is appropriate for children.”