McConnell: U.S. is on the right track in Middle East

By Suzia van Swol, University of New Mexico-Talk Radio News Service
Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) calls President Obama’s plan “hardly distinguishable from the strategy of the previous administration” and says Afghanistan is “clearly an area where we need to keep the pressure on to prevent another attack on the homeland.”

McConnell traveled with Senators Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.), James Risch (R-Idaho) and John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) to the Middle East during the U.S. Congress recess, visiting with foreign officials regarding political, economic and military/security issues affecting bilateral relations.

Following the trip, McConnell said in a news conference today that the U.S. is “on the right track,” in both Iraq and Afghanistan.
“Over in Afghanistan, I think the surge that the President has ordered is the right thing to do,” said McConnell pertaining to President Obama’s decision to send additional troops to boost Afghan efforts.

“We’re going to be in Afghanistan for a long time to come,” said Sen. Chambliss, and it’s going to have to be a political, not military solution. Chambliss went on to say that leadership is needed from a State Department standpoint in Iraq.

McConnell noted that Israel and moderate Arab states have widespread concern over Iran’s nuclear weapon capabilities.

Millions Invested In 55 New Watershed Projects

By Suzia van Swol-University of New Mexico, Talk Radio News Service
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced $84.7 million in stimulus funding for 55 Watershed Operation Projects in 20 states.

These projects “are part of President Obama’s national recovery plan to modernize our nations infrastructure, jump start the economy and create in this case, close to 1,500 new jobs,” said Vilsack during a conference call.

Vilsack said that the Department of Agriculture Natural Resource Conservation Service has worked closely with local sponsors to identify projects that are ready for implementation, and those receiving resources have an 18 month time frame to “put them to work,” said Vilsack.

Projects are intended to provide both economic stimulus, assist local economies, and bring the benefits of natural resource conservation to watersheds nationwide. “These projects and funding means reduced soil erosion, better water quality, protecting people from the ravaging of flooding, and more reliable water supplies in communities across the country,” said Vilsack.

Obama Makes Remarks on Tax Day

By Suzia van Swol-University of New Mexico, Talk Radio News Service
President Obama celebrated income tax day today by outlining his commitment to helping the working class.

At the White House, Obama said Americans “need a government that is working to create jobs and opportunities for them, rather than simply giving more and more to those at the very top in the false hope that wealth automatically trickles down."

“We’ve passed a broad and sweeping tax cut for 95 percent of American workers,” said Obama. And "make no mistake, this tax cut will reach 120 million families and put $120 billion directly into their pockets, and it includes the most American workers ever to get a tax cut.”

Inside, the White House was warm and comforting, a stark contrast to the more than 1,500 people who fought the Washington, D.C. rain and cold with a "Tax Day Tea Party" protest.

Obama said he hopes to “make it easier, quicker, and less expensive for you to file a return, so that April 15th is not a date that is approached with dread every year.”

Cuba May Be Topic At Summit Next Week

By Suzia van Swol, University of New Mexico-Talk Radio News Service
Cuba is expected to be a topic at the upcoming Summit of the Americas, which 35 leaders, including President Obama, will attend this week. The meeting comes in the wake of the Presidents decision to partially ease travel and money restrictions with Cuba.

The upcoming summit will provide an opportunity to help Cuba move toward democracy, said Theodore Piccone, Senior Fellow and Deputy Director of Foreign Policy with the Brookings Institute.

Additionally, the summit is an opportunity to help “put (Cuba) on a path toward change so that they can become a member of the OAS,” Piccone said.

The Organization of American States, an independent alliance promoting peace and security for North and South America, leads the summit which will be held in Trinidad and Tobago April 17-19, marking the first meeting between President Obama and many Latin American and Caribbean leaders.

LGBT families get their golden egg at White House Easter Egg Roll

by Christina Lovato, University of New Mexico


Since 1878, families have participated in the official White House Easter Egg Roll event, but this year another community of families were invited.

Some 30,000 guests were expected to attend the event and this is the first time in Egg Roll history that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) families have been invited.

Jennifer Chrisler, Executive Director of the Family Equality Council, said she was thrilled when she received the invitation from the White House.  

“The outreach on President Obama and First Lady Obama’s behalf to gay and lesbian families was very meaningful and very important symbolism of this White House and its belief that all kinds of families should be valued in this country... We are very, very grateful,” Chrisler said. “We as parents, as gay parents, do all the same things that other parents do. We worry about getting our kids to school safely, about being good participants in our community, paying our taxes and to have a president that actually affirms us as families really helps when we face those hurdles that we face from time to time," Chrisler said.

Cathy Renna, a member of the Family Equality Council, said she has been going to this event for several years but that this year it felt different. The FEC works to ensure equality for LGBT families by building community, changing hearts and minds, and advancing social justice for all families.

“It looked a lot more like America this year,” said Renna. “This represents a shift both symbolically and hopefully in a policy way in the way that will be treated in this country. There’s clearly a tremendous amount of hope that we’ll pass hate crimes legislation, that we’ll pass employment non-discrimination legislation at the federal level.... There’s just a very different sense of dialogue and relationship that we haven’t had in a very long time,” said Renna.