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Locked in a tough re-election battle with Mitt Romney, President Barack Obama aimed to energize his core supporters – African American voters – by delivering a rousing speech and unveiling a new executive order at the Urban League’s annual convention in New Orleans Wednesday night.
The president told the largely African American crowd of roughly 3,700 people that the executive order will seek to improve educational achievement for African Americans at all levels “so every child has greater access to a complete and competitive education from the time they’re born to the time, all through the time they get a career” the president said to cheers.
An administration official tells NBC News the order will create a new White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African-Americans that will “work across Federal agencies and with partners and communities nationwide to produce a more effective continuum of education programs for African American students.”
President Obama addresses the National Urban League in New Orleans, La., on Wednesday. "If you still believe in me ... stand with me," he said.
The official added that the initiative would be housed in the Education Department, which will work with the Executive Office and other Cabinet agencies to identify practices that will improve African Americans’ achievement in schools and colleges. The administration official did not yet know how much funding the program would receive but said more information would be released Thursday when the president signs the executive order.
The president has previously received criticism from some black leaders for not doing enough to help the African American community as rates for school dropout and unemployment among African Americans continue to be higher than the national numbers.
For example, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, the dropout rate for African American students ages 16 to 25 was 8 percent in 2010; by comparison, white students in that age range had a 5.1 percent dropout rate. Further, the unemployment rate for African Americans is 14.4 percent, significantly higher than the national average of 8.2 percent.
Last August, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA) told a crowd of Congressional Black Caucus members in Detroit, “We want to give the president every opportunity to show what he can do and what he’s prepared to lead on. But our people are hurting and the unemployment rate is unconscionable.”
Obama has in the past responded to such criticism. In an interview on BET last September he answered a question about why he didn’t create more policies specifically targeted at African Americans: “That’s not how America works,” the president replied, “America works when all of us are pulling together and everybody is focused on making sure that every single person has opportunity.”
When asked if this latest executive order is timed to mobilize African American voters ahead of the election, one White House official said it is “one more step along a path that the president has been walking.” The official cited the fact that the president enacted the Race to the Top initiative and new flexibility on No Child Left Behind, actions aimed at improving educational opportunities for all students including minorities, according to the Official.
On Tuesday, the president admitted there was still a lot more work and asked the Urban League crowd for their continued support: “If we don’t keep fighting for better jobs and a better future, who will? That’s our challenge. We don’t quit.”
From the Romney camp, spokeswoman Tara Wall responded to the speech, saying, "As black Americans, we all take pride in Barack Obama's historic election - but unfortunately his performance as president has not matched that enthusiasm."
Exit polls show that 95 percent of African American voters supported president Obama in 2008. Analysts believe he will need them to turn out in similarly large numbers if he hopes to win key swing states such as Ohio, Virginia, North Carolina.
The president wrapped up his remarks with a familiar plea for voters to turnout in November; “I still believe in you and if you still believe in me I ask you stand with me. March with me. Fight with me and … I promise we will finish what we started, turn this economy around, seize our future and remind the world why the United States of America is the greatest nation on earth.”
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Why don't you all wake up and smell the coffee. You think just Blacks and Hispanics are hurting. If any politician wanted to help America, they would help everyone. In case you have not seen lately, America's test scores are going down the toilet. Government is ruining our schools. Look at California, there is a good of example or our school systems run amuck.
If you want to increase the quality of education, you have to change the mindset of Americans! Not this Black, Hispanics, Whites, Asians racist garbage. We are all Americans. Stop pandering to Race, and let us unite. You have to require people to speak more than the language they bring to America. I see it in my community, where large number of families comes from another country and they have little comprehension or do not speak much English. The kids are passing without really having much of an understanding of what they should know. They do not have parents that can reinforce what they learn so the kids suffer. Districts dumb down education so every kid can pass.
Educators need to change the systems. They are broke. Do not bring down the level of our students education because of other people. You bring the other people up to speed and then you put them into mainstream education. You need an onramp for the freeway and these kids need it as well.
blame the teacher unions. They are the ones that want to keep bad teacher at top positions because they have been there for so many years. If these people are bad teachers get rid of them. That's what would happen to any of us working in the private sector.
Wrong. Teachers unions have very little to do if anything with the problems in our schools. I shudder to think what would happen if there WEREN'T teacher unions in the schools. I once worked under a principal that tried to put all kinds of crap in my file that was not true simply because she did not personally like me for whatever reason (I had stellar reviews at other schools I had worked at. Never could understand what her problem was with me.) My union rep took care of it. Without the union I could have been out of a job (and I have three children to care for) simply due to this woman's personal unexplained vendetta against me. Do you really believe that teachers who have signed on to work in a field that pays them a pittance because they want to educate children for the good of all of our future really have this conspiracy to keep bad teachers in the classroom? To what end? How would that be logical? Sometimes it does happen that in order to ensure what is best for teachers as a whole (and most teachers ARE good, hard working people that are dedicated to educating children and spend quite a bit of their own time off the clock and their own money to do that) a few "bad" ones also end up being protected...but that is the same in ANY industry, in ANY field....and there are bad workers in any field out there. You just have to accept that the good of the many good teachers out there outweighs the negatives of a small minority that aren't so good being retained. And the truth is....many teachers that are really bad end up weeding themselves out because they end up not being able to hack it and quit after a few years in the classroom. There was one teacher at a school I worked at that was just truly horrid. It was her first year teaching...she quit after that year and went back to school to become an opthamologist lol.
Obama has always played the political race and sex cards. He played them against Clinton to win the nomination. He will play them and other tricks in his reelection campaign. I like how he preaches to the quire. He expects his (blind) followers to believe what he says regardless of whether or not it is believable. He gets indignant when someone questions what he says. He is a poor leader and the biggest obstacle he has to overcome is his personal record. He will tell you that he has fulfilled his promises even when he has actually done very little but talk.
The President could do all he can and his haters would still have something to gripe over......damn if he does and damn if he doesn't so I say the hell with them.......Press on Mr President.....NO other President has had to take so much unneccessary @!$%# from such Nasty.....Hypocrites......He has tried his best to MAKE EVERYBODY happy but GREED has not Bottom....I say it again......Greed has no bottom.....and it always wants MORE..........We love you MR. President.........NONE of us Could Do what YOU are doing...Under So MUCH PRESSURE.....Ignore the Naysayers........They Mad today.....and even when they Find the Butter for their Muffin........they still will be mad tomorrow...ITs Fruitless to Please them......which has nothin to do with....YOU as President Of the UNITED STATES!
Your another one Obama's followers instead of a leader.. The Liberals way of life. you tell me when too shix and I will shix..
Bravo! Thank you. The same people that whine and complain that black people just want to be on welfare and not work or make anything of themselves and that they're all criminals then complain when a black man (or half black as the case is with Obama) actually does make something of himself. You can't win with those people. They're the ones that will destroy this country, not Obama.
What did you just say?
IsntTHATspecial?==Wow you need some glasses. You can't see past the tip of your nose.
AD13===Really?
Sorry Smokie, but it's true. This president has had to go through more bull crap than any previous president EVER has and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out why. I was one of those that thought that though there were still racist people out there, the problem was not as bad as minorities were making it out to be...until Obama became president and it was proven to me how very wrong I was. We still have a very long way to go in this country. That doesn't mean that minority groups don't have their faults and things that need to be addressed and dealt with, they definitely do. I lived and worked in a predominately African American area for many years and there are definitely issues they need to deal with. But that being said....it really is the same group of people that complain about black people being on welfare, etc that sit there and complain about a black man who did what they say they want other blacks to do...he got an education and he accomplished something with his life (whether you like him or not, you have to agree that becoming president is quite an accomplishment!). If he'd become a drug dealer or someone that refused to work and just collected welfare these people would dump on him for that. The man can't win.
Aid to African-American students, but to hell with Native American, Latin American, Caucasian and Asian students?
This is one of those stories if you don't agree with Obama your called a racist by Libturds.. I guess I am a racist.
Why doesn't Obdummy come up with a plan for the economy and jobs. Try putting people to work instead of giving them a free ride.
More people get in line for the free ride than the one they have to pay for. Obama knows this.
lucky-1087161===He doesn't know anything about that kind of stuff, it's to complicated. He made it to the top you have to give him that. After he got there he didn't know what to do and he still doesn't. He is still an activist looking for a cause.
As a former teacher in schools that had a predominately African American student body I have to say that nothing will change in schools until things are first changed in the home and in the culture outside schools. THAT is where the biggest change needs to happen. Teachers are looked at as "the enemy" trying to keep the black people "down" and many parents will act like their child's defense attorney instead of a parent when the child is disciplined and don't work as a partner with the teacher for what's best for their child. Education is not a priority in the homes, parents are not involved in their children's lives (this is true for non African Americans too, but even more true in AA families I've seen for myself), seldom make sure that homework is done or even ask if their child has any, children are not being taught in many AA homes that education is of extreme importance and AA children that do try hard in school and achieve are accused of acting "white" so some kids that don't want to be ostracized will purposely blow off school and work below their potential. I once had an AA parent leave a message on my work phone that I wasn't "qualified" to teach about slavery in my 5th grade class because I'm white (even though my minor was in history and I've studied the subject quite extensively.) The racism towards white teachers by both AA students and parents is so prevalent and disgusting. Until things are changed in the home, things are not going to change in school for AA students no matter what new programs or initiatives are thrown out there into the schools.
AD13===Finally a teacher's point of view. You can throw all the money you want at a problem but that will not make it any better.
Yes...that is not to mean though that schools don't need more money.....they DO...desperately! Our education system is so underfunded it's disgraceful....and anytime a politician of any party in state govt. needs money to cover a shortfall, education is one of the very first things cut. At the last school I worked at they even kept track of every stick of chalk and every dry erase marker we used and they were tightly rationed due to budget constraints. It was crazy. Schools do need to be funded adequately and teachers need to be paid a true living wage. In most districts, teachers make about half of what any other person with a bachelor's degree makes. Teachers with masters degrees and ten years of experience in a local district make less than a great many people would make in an entry level job with a bachelor's degree. How can you attract the "best and brightest", which is who we should be wanting to be teaching our children, into education if you don't pay them hardly enough to live on?? I had a student with an IQ of 70 (which is mildly retarded) that was unable to qualify for special ed services because the district was so strapped for cash they couldn't afford such services and kept lowering the IQ level at which students could receive services. This child could barely write his own name or do even kindergarten level math in 5th grade. He was a great kid and wanted to be successful but that was impossible without him getting the help that he needed which the district could not afford. I'm not only blaming the govt. for poor funding however, school districts do need to be more responsible with the money they do get. There's no reason to have the number of administrators that many districts have that are often paid twice to three times or more what teachers are making. The district I taught in had a "superintendent" for every subject. Basically all they did was sit in an office all day and look at test scores and maybe do an occasional presentation at an in-service meeting. We teachers might see them once a year if that....and guess who got laid off when budgets were cut? Not any of the administrators. We have to make education a priority in this country and show that it is with actions like legislating a "hands off" policy towards education funding so that it isn't allowed to be chopped when the govt. needs to fund other things or cover a shortfall due to their own mismanagement.
All people that think it is ok to focus on 1 race is stupid, ALL CHILDREN in EVERY PUBLIC SCHOOL need help. It is very sad that so many people are arguing about race on here. So here is a little history lesson for all of you, Blacks fought on both sides in the civil war. There were free blacks that owned slaves (look it up it is true) there were whites in this country that were enslaved.
All of these programs to keep people down are doing exactly what there were intended to do. How many families are 3rd and 4th generation welfare families? How many of these folks actually want to get out and make a better life when they get free housing and money? Not to many or they would. I have several friends that grew up in places like the project in Detroit, Compton California, and in the ghettos in Ohio. They have made the decision to get educated and get out! If a black man or woman wants to get out they can. Yes all of these friends are black. As a matter of fact they even got their families out of those areas. WOW it amazing when a young black man or woman decides not to do drugs, pop out children at 15-16, not run with the gang, not stand on the street corner with 40's at night and decides to study how easy it is for them to get out. All they have to do is decide to get out and they can. Yes the might have to study and not party but this is a decision that they need to make. Do they want to stay in that life or move up and out?
This is just the beginning of the Obomber's hope and Race Plan.
obamanation the clown still not in jail for his criminal activities is what is ashame.
Fast and Furious (responsible for 200+ murders)
Pushing for illegals vote while refusing to insure Militaries right to vote
9 wars and growing
Upsets allies and bows to enemies
spits on veterans while honoring enemies
Fast and furious directly responsible for buying the weapons used in suppling known felons guns (known violent Mexican Drug Cartel who is responsible for 200 + murders including a US Boarder Agent) Guilty Before the Fact
50% increase in national debt
Record spending of 1.4 Trillion annually
41% increase in welfare (35% of the US population on welfare)
Highest record of food stamps
Increase of unemployment to 8% by his calculation 15% by real calculation
Purposely out to divide country versus bring the country together
Attacked Small Business, corporation, and Wall Street all which are needed for job growth
Highest tax increase (Obamanation care)
83% of Doctors are currently debating retiring if Obama is re-elected because of Obamacare
Please come back to us. We want to help. We all love you.
Which statement above did you have problem find supporting documentation? Tons of supporting information a google step away.
Another blatent Chicago style buyoff to keep him in power for four more years while that portion of blacks this will effect will neither grasp the ring nor even ride on the merry go round.Instead,it will be another Federal spending travesty which each and every citizen will be responsible for ,for the next 20 years.The Federal government spends enormous amount on education.The recently resurrected early start program that was even debaised by federal beauacrats has an increased budget ,up 25% from three years ago.You can pour all the water you want down a ratshols but don't expect the rat to come up for air as long as its more comforable and safe below ground than it is above ground! This will do nothing but appeasement for teacher unions who are drunk with power and like any other drunk cannot ever get enough. The time is coming! One day,the abstenance powers will blossom and the ruthless power of these selfish and greedy ideologues will dissipate!
And just in case you do not know how to look it up here ya go.
America Obomber knows that the more he increases people on welfare it means more votes for him in Nov. He is doing everything he can to get more people on welfare. It is at 35 percent of Americans on welfare.. It should scare everyone to vote Romney in Nov. 2012..
"It should scare everyone to NOT vote for Romney In Nov 2012" You're welcome.:)
http: //americancivilwar.com/ authors/ black_slaveowners.htm
Our President wants to help.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UOL9Jh61S8
This is just the start of the Obama class warfare and race war he wants so bad. He just threw Native American, Latin American students to the curb.
Is anyone suprised.
America we have until Nov. 2012 to vote this loser out..
wow only 3.5 years too late. This guy is not the hope and change prez, he's what will never happen A$$ clown.
He also made some comments about assult rifles but will NEVER have the guts to actually do something about it.
He's toast - the desperation is so bad the WSJ/NBC poll was slanted 2/1 polling Democrats. Induced bias. Even the NYT was more honest than that.
Heck -- Romney TIES him in the debates and he's in.
Start packing Barrrrack. You can keep the towels with your BO on them.
Small Arms Treaty Will Take Your Grandfathers handed down Shotgun. Thanks Obama & Hilary :) No more 2nd Amendment for those angry Americans to think they can protect themselves or go hunting on Thanksgiving Morning. The bill wont be announced until after the Election. I understand, the last thing you want is people to know your true intentions. Nice Job Barry..Americans keep their head buried in the distractions day to day while this gets swept under the rug until the perfect timing. The Global Government..(UN) along with 500,000 hollow points and 400,000 coffins along with DHS and all the newly created TSA agents obviously wont have a problem helping with the Gun Confiscation. Its nice to see the future Capitol of the New World Order Denver is just about all set to go. Many of the Government extensions have been slowly moving to the area. The murals in the Airport are a story in themselves. I like the one with the child destroying weapons the most. Im glad the only man that ran this term that cared about Freedom was kicked to the curb. The last thing the NWO want is people with power to get in the way of dreams that are against the American People. He is still doing what he promised so I give him credit, after all nobody ever got a new car did they. I dont think that MSN is on this one yet. It should be on the front page. They are probably counting there penny`s looking for ways to end the audit!
A bipartisan bill requiring broader operational audits of the U.S. Federal Reserve passed the House on Wednesday by a broad bipartisan margin.
The bill passed 327 to 98; all but one Republican and 89 Democrats voted yes. The bill will be considered under the suspension of normal House rules, meaning it required at least a two-thirds majority to pass.
The measure would permit government auditors to conduct deeper audits of the Fed’s monetary policy operations. Despite opposition from some Democrats and the Federal Reserve, the bill has at least 274 cosponsors, including more than three dozen Democrats facing difficult reelection campaigns.
Wednesday’s vote was a coup for its chief sponsor, Rep. Ron Paul (R-Tex.), a longtime nemesis of the Fed, which he has called “an enormously destructive and unaccountable force in both the U.S. economy and the greater global economy.”
Lawmakers agreed to expanded audits of the Federal Reserve during negotiations over a financial regulatory reform measure in 2010. The agreement granted the Government Accountability Office broad authority to examine the operations of the Fed and to require additional disclosures from the central bank, including examinations of the Fed’s discount window and its purchases and sales of government securities.
At the time, Democrats and Republicans alike hailed the agreement as an effort to make the nation’s monetary policymaker a more transparent organization. But in years since, Paul and members of both parties said Congress deserves an opportunity to conduct deeper investigations of the Fed to better understand policy decisions.
House Democratic leaders oppose the bill, but said they don’t plan to whip the vote — or force most members to vote the party line. House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said Tuesday that the measure “increases the likelihood that the Fed will make decisions based on political rather than economic considerations, and that is not a recipe for sound monetary policy.”
For his part, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke didn’t express explicit opposition to the bill, but said last week that the agency “needs to be transparent and it needs to be accountable.”
“We are quite transparent and accountable on monetary policy,” Bernanke told the House Financial Services Committee last week. “Besides our statement, besides our testimonies, we issue minutes after three weeks. We have quarterly projections, I give a press conference four times a year, there’s quite a bit of information provided to help Congress evaluate monetary policy as well as the public.”
Even with broad bipartisan support in the House, aides said the bill is unlikely to be considered in the Democratic-controlled Senate.
Deitz - I know all about Denver - I have to live there. I sold all my stuff. Even have the the receipts.
The GPS location is burned in my brain.
The best thing Obama can do for his Country is get the helx out of the way. Let someone like Romney do the job you don't know how to do.
What specific plans of Romney's do you support?
Clotho - I heard he has a plan to waterboard stupid liberals - I'm all for that.
"What specific plans of Romney's do you support"? Getting his race baiting a$$ out of the White House for starters.
He plays the race card for votes....what a wonderful human being. He knows he can't run on his record....and any reasonable person can see that fact. So
DingleBary has to play to his only strength...the color of his skin.A new low In politices....didn't think It was possible. A race baiting troll of the highest order.
Talk about a racist idea!
A black kid, sitting in a classroom with other students who aren't black. The other students understand the lessons taught but a black kid has "special" needs?
Guess that is proof he is just another jungle bunny looking out for his own. Maybe black kids would have a chance if they had daddys living with their mommas. I hope white voters remember his racist leanings come November.
The first thing Obama needs to do is have all students attend a church that states God Damn America! Then he needs to take from the working people and HELP?? Others (give that to people who dont do anything) Welfare has helped no one. White Black Fat skiny. The government is harrassing business people out of business. 4 more years of that is a death sentence. Right it right wrong is wrong.
A racist executive proclamation, pure and simple.
obamanation the clown still not in jail for his criminal activities is what is ashame.
Fast and Furious (responsible for 200+ murders)
Pushing for illegals vote while refusing to insure Militaries right to vote
9 wars and growing
Upsets allies and bows to enemies
spits on veterans while honoring enemies
Fast and furious directly responsible for buying the weapons used in suppling known felons guns (None violent Mexican Drug Cartel who is responsible for 200 + murders including a US Boarder Agent) Guilty Before the Fact
50% increase in national debt
Record spending of 1.4 Trillion annually
41% increase in welfare (35% of the US population on welfare)
Highest record of food stamps
Increase of unemployment to 8% by his calculation 15% by real calculation
Purposely out to divide country versus bring the country together
Attacked Small Business, corporation, and Wall Street all which are needed for job growth
Highest tax increase (Obamanation care)
83% of Doctors are currently debating retiring if Obama is re-elected because of Obamacare
I wonder if I will be alive when blacks come to realize they have been sold a bill od goods for bad wheat.Time and time again,federal programs are intruduced(most through legel legistative processes) for naught! There are endless stories of generational ,institutionalized black family who never achieve a thing, thanks to these programs.It destroys black individualism and is racsim in the highest order.For our first black president to propose a new but essentuallty the same program that does nothing to identify and promote the real problem in black communities.Responsibility! Blacks have relegated themselves to almost slaves status again by their rush to accept more federal dollars in exchange for their vote.We will see blacks in the next election who will have to be told who to vote for and which "number" they are on the ballot because they lack the abilities to even read the ballot.If Obamy wins we are doomed to four more years of a ruthless regime intent on bringing eveyrone down.If he cant bring his people up,then everone else must meet them on the way down.Good luck America,God bless!
How dare a politician actually run for an election! the arrogance!
Seriously though, I know everyone watched President Obama's speech, since they are interested in politics and not just racist haters.
So, what did everyone think? The idea that everyone has to work hard for what they get, but everyone should be given the opportunity. We OK with that?
This is America,ahole,everyone does have the chance! The chance doesn't come by in the morning at 10:30 when you are just getting up from a long night.It doesn't come to you in school when you sit there like a log waiting for an easy way to get knowledge.It doesn't come to you when you want something and don't heve the money.We all want to sleep in! We all want books to read us! We all want flat screens and $400 pair of sneakers but we don't all get them the same way! Individual responsibility is how everything is done.Not collective responsibility where you may sit on your ass and get the same thing the workers are getting!
Amazing. 3 1/2 years in office, and Obama suddenly discovers the gays, the fertile women, and the young blacks.
WHERE was he the FIRST 3 1/2 years?
And sadly, his policies, and Bush's and Clinton's before him, have HURT young blacks. My school district spends so much of its budget trying to cope with the nearly one out of six kids in our district that do NOT speak English, that we have no time or money for help for struggling Black or White students. And since I live in Central MO in a small town (20K), I can only imagine how much worse this problem is elsewhere.
STOP pandering to illegals, Mr. President, and start working for AMERICAN CITIZEN kids.
And while you are at it, you might try reading the riot act to black adults about the lack of progress in schooling for their kids. UNTIL the parents stop allowing their kids to NOT work hard, and do so from a very young age, in SCHOOL, they will never get this problem licked.
As my mom used to say, your children will live UP to, or down to, your EXPECTATIONS of them. If you EXPECT your third grader to know his/her multiplication tables (even if you have to work with them!) they will. If you EXPECT your kid to READ books, (and go with them to the library) THEY WILL.
But if you sit on your azz watching junk TV all day and all night, that is ALSO what your kids will do.
Jesse Jackson, back in the 70's, told Black audiences that EVERY Black who MADE IT out of the 'ghetto' had an OBLIGATION to extend a hand back and help OTHERS do the same.
Empty exec orders won't do it, Mr. President. Get on the stump with your own people and tell them some unpleasant truths about how THEY need to step up.