2012 Presidential Campaign Blog: Barack Obama

Barack Obama

New Obama for America Television Ad: "Heard it Before"

New Obama for America Ad: "Heard it Before"

CHICAGO, IL -- Today, Obama for America released a new television advertisement titled “Heard it Before” that highlights Mitt Romney's failed economic record as Governor of Massachusetts -- and how he wants to bring that same economic philosophy to the White House. When running for Governor, Romney promised more jobs, less debt and smaller government. Once in office, he fell short on those promises and more – Massachusetts plummeted to 47th out of 50 in job creation, taxpayers were left with more debt per person than in any other state, and the size of government increased.

Now that he’s running for President, we’re hearing the same empty promises. And America can’t afford the same results. The bottom line is simple – Romney Economics didn’t work then, and it won’t work now.

“Heard it Before” is airing in Colorado, Florida, Iowa, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.

TITLE
“Heard It Before”

AD

VO:

“It started like this…”

Visual:

“Massachusetts 2002”

VO:

Romney: “I speak the language of business. I know how jobs are created.”

Visual:

“Romney campaigning for Governor.”

VO:

“But it ended like this. One of the worst economic records in the country.”

Visual:

Boston Globe masthead/headline: “Romney’s economic record” – Boston Globe, 7/29/07

Pull quote: “one of the worst in the country”

VO:

“When Mitt Romney was Governor, Massachusetts lost 40,000 manufacturing jobs.”

Visual:

Closed factory.

Super: “Lost 40,000 manufacturing jobs” –Bureau of Labor Statistics

VO:

“A rate twice the national average.”

Visual:

Abandoned work gloves.

Super: “Twice the national average” –Bureau of Labor Statistics

VO:

“And fell to forty-seventh in job creation. Fourth from the bottom.”

Visual:

Chart scrolls down to find MA at the bottom of job creation.

Logo: “State Job Creation, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics”

VO:

“Instead of hiring workers from his own state, Romney outsourced call center jobs to India.”

Visual:

Romney campaigning. Empty office building. Workers in India.

Super: “Outsourced jobs to India” – Boston Globe, 5/1/12

VO:

“He cut taxes for millionaires like himself…”

Visual:

Romney boarding jet

Super: “Cut taxes for millionaires” –Associated Press, 11/18/05, 12/8/05

VO:

“While raising them on the middle class…”

Visual:

Middle class family

Super: “Raised taxes and fees on middle class” – Boston Globe, 9/27/06

VO:

“…and left the state two point six billion deeper in debt.”

Visual:

Massachusetts State House

Super: “$2.6 billion more in debt” – Massachusetts Treasurer

VO:

“So now, when Mitt Romney talks about what he’d do as President…”

Romney: “I know what it takes to create jobs.”

Visual:

Romney campaigning in 2012

Super: “Get the facts at RomneyEconomics.com”

VO:

“Remember, we’ve heard it all before…”

Romney: “I know how jobs are created.”

Visual:

Side-by-side screen shots of Romney campaigning 2002 and 2012.

VO:

“Romney economics. It didn’t work then, and it won’t work now.”

Visual:

Boston Globe headline.

Super: “It didn’t work then. It won’t work now.”

Disclaimer: “Approved by Barack Obama. Paid for by Obama for America.”

Posted by Mike on 06/04/2012 | Permalink

Barack Obama Honeywell Photos, Golden Valley, Minnesota June 1, 2012, Part 2 of 2

Posted by Mike on 06/01/2012 | Permalink

Barack Obama Honeywell Photos, Golden Valley, Minnesota June 1, 2012, Part 1 of 2

Posted by Mike on 06/01/2012 | Permalink

President Obama Calls on Congress to Act on Veterans Job Corps in “To Do List” and Launches New Military Credentialing Initiative to Fill Workforce Needs

President Obama Calls on Congress to Act on Veterans Job Corps in “To Do List” and Launches New Military Credentialing Initiative to Fill Workforce Needs

Executive Action Will Help Thousands of Service Members Get Credentialed for Manufacturing Jobs

Tomorrow, President Obama will visit Honeywell’s Golden Valley facility in Golden Valley, Minnesota to call on Congress to act on the “To Do List” by passing the Veterans Job Corps legislation. The President will also announce a new We Can’t Wait initiative that will help thousands of service members with manufacturing and other high-demand skills receive civilian credentials and licenses. As thousands of our servicemen and women return from the end of the war in Iraq and the start of a responsible drawdown in Afghanistan, now more than ever we must fulfill our duty to them. In addition, the President’s Council of Economic Advisers and the National Economic Council have released a new report, Military Skills for America’s Future: Leveraging Military Service and Experience to Put Veterans and Military Spouses Back to Work. The report analyzes the labor market situation of America’s veterans, discusses the challenges that returning veterans and military spouses face as they seek to enter or re-enter civilian employment, and outlines the measures the Administration has taken to address these challenges.

The President will address these issues at the Honeywell Golden Valley facility. Honeywell is a participant in the President’s Advanced Manufacturing Partnership, a partnership which has brought together industry, universities, the federal government, and other stakeholders to identify emerging technologies with the potential to create high-quality domestic manufacturing jobs and enhance U.S. global competitiveness. The AMP Steering Committee has recognized that veterans and separating service members are a great resource to help fill certain skills gaps in the manufacturing sector. Honeywell is also an active partner in the Administration’s Joining Forces initiative and has hired 900 veterans since 2011. The Golden Valley facility the President will be visiting tomorrow employs 65 veterans.

The Department of Defense, at the President’s direction, has established a Military Credentialing and Licensing Task Force. The Task Force will focus its initial efforts on industries that have an identified need for more skilled workers and stand to benefit from military expertise and training, including: manufacturing, first responders, healthcare, information technology, transportation, and logistics. Within one year, the Task Force will: (1) identify military specialties that readily transfer to high-demand jobs; (2) work with civilian credentialing and licensing associations to address gaps between military training programs and credentialing and licensing requirements; and (3) provide service members with greater access to necessary certification and licensing exams.

Tomorrow’s announcement is the first action of the Task Force, and will provide opportunities for up to 126,000 service members to gain industry-recognized, nationally-portable certifications for high-demand manufacturing jobs. In a recent study by Deloitte and the Manufacturing Institute, over 80% of manufacturers reported moderate to serious shortages of skilled talent for many of the jobs that require these types of certifications. Due to the high-quality of their military training, our veterans have the skill sets that employers demand to fill these positions.

Through the Military Credentialing and Licensing Task Force, the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps have worked with manufacturing credentialing agencies to expand certifications to military personnel with skills in the high-demand fields of engineering, logistics, machining, maintenance, and welding. Through these partnerships, service members will be able to test for and earn civilian credentials immediately upon completing their initial military training. This effort builds upon and helps to accelerate the Administration’s Skills for America’s Future partnership with the National Association of Manufacturers to provide 500,000 community college students with industry-recognized credentials that will help them secure jobs in the manufacturing sector. In the first year of this effort, nearly 85,000 certifications were awarded.

· Through a partnership between Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and the Manufacturing Skills Standards Council (MSSC), each Service will conduct a pilot for a limited number of service members to achieve industry-recognized credentials that can support a transition from military service to frontline jobs in the growing fields of advanced manufacturing and logistics. Service members participating in the pilot will have the opportunity to earn these credentials free of charge. The services will partner with MSSC to explore how opportunities for these credentials can be integrated into the services’ existing training programs and expanded to the larger pool of service members with relevant skills and training.

· Through a partnership between the Army, American Welding Society (AWS), and National Institute for Metalworking Skills (NIMS), the Army’s Ordnance School will be accredited to provide unlimited certification testing for soldiers with certain machinist and welding skills. Located in Fort Lee, Virginia, the Ordnance School trains thousands of service members every year in the maintenance of weapon systems. The partnership between NIMS and the Ordnance school will go into effect this summer to test for the NIMS “Level 1 Machinist” certification and the partnership between AWS and the Ordnance school will begin later this year to test for the AWS “Welder” certification.

The machinist, logistics, and engineering credentials that select service members can earn as part of the partnerships the President will announce tomorrow are highly valued by Honeywell and are an important element of our hiring process. The new partnership between the Army and the National Institute for Metalworking Skills will allow soldiers who complete machinist training and earn the “Level 1 Machinist” Certification to qualify for Honeywell’s machinist hiring qualifications without the need for an additional two-year degree.

· Through a partnership between the Army and Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME), the Army will expand certification opportunities for service members in highly-specialized and technical engineering fields. The Army’s Engineer school will conduct a one-year pilot program to assess the potential for Engineer Officers and Warrant Officers to meet SME’s “Certified Manufacturing Technologist” or “Lean Bronze Certification” credentials. These industry-recognized credentials will help service members qualify and pursue jobs as manufacturing engineers in the private sector.

The President will also continue to call on Congress to act on the “To Do List” and pass the Veterans Job Corps, which would put veterans back to work protecting and rebuilding America.

Congress’ To Do List

1. Reward American Jobs, Eliminate Tax Incentives To Ship Jobs Overseas: Congress needs to attract and keep good jobs in the United States by passing legislation that gives companies a new 20 percent tax credit for the cost of moving their operations back to the U.S. and pay for it by eliminating tax incentives that allow companies to deduct the costs of moving their business abroad.

2. Cut Red Tape So Responsible Homeowners Can Refinance: Congress needs to pass legislation to cut red tape in the mortgage market so that responsible families who have been paying their mortgages on time can feel secure in their home by refinancing at today’s lower rates.

3. Invest in a New Hire Tax Credit For Small Businesses: Congress needs to invest in small businesses and jumpstart new hiring by passing legislation that gives a 10 percent income tax credit for firms that create new jobs or increase wages in 2012 and that extends 100 percent expensing in 2012 for all businesses.

4. Create Jobs By Investing In Affordable Clean Energy: Congress needs to help put America in control of its energy future by passing legislation that will extend the Production Tax Credit to support American jobs and manufacturing alongside an expansion of the 30 percent tax credit to investments in clean energy manufacturing (48C Advanced Energy Manufacturing Tax Credit).

5. Put Returning Veterans to Work Using Skills Developed in the Military: Congress needs to honor our commitment to returning veterans by passing legislation that creates a Veterans Jobs Corps to help Afghanistan and Iraq veterans get jobs as cops and firefighters, as well as other jobs serving their communities. Leveraging skills developed in the military, veterans will restore our great outdoors by providing visitor programs, restoring habitat, protecting cultural resources, eradicating invasive species, and operating facilities. Through these opportunities, our veterans will help make a significant dent in the deferred maintenance of our Federal, State, local, and tribal lands including jobs that will repair and rehabilitate trails, roads, levees, recreation facilities and other assets. Additionally the Veterans Job Corps will help veterans get back to work protecting our nation as first responders, such as police, firefighters, and emergency medical technicians. The program will serve all veterans, but will have a particular focus on post-9/11 veterans.

Posted by Mike on 05/31/2012 | Permalink

Obama for America Releases Next Set of Spanish Language TV, Radio Ads Featuring Latino Organizers

Obama for America Releases Next Set of Spanish Language TV, Radio Ads Featuring Latino Organizers

CHICAGO, IL - Obama for America today released the third in a series of Spanish language television and radio ads highlighting the President’s record on issues of particular importance to the Hispanic community. The ads, which discuss the President’s record of accomplishments on jobs and health care, feature first person accounts from Obama for America organizers sharing their personal stories of how the President’s policies have empowered Latino families and communities.

The newly released ads highlight the President’s record on job creation and the economy, a record that includes 26 straight months of private-sector job growth, with businesses adding more than 4.2 million jobs through April 2012 and Hispanics.

Also today, Obama for America released a television ad highlighting the President’s record on healthcare--a record that includes making affordable healthcare available to up to 9 million previously uninsured Hispanics by 2014, enabling 736,000 young Hispanics to stay on their parents’ health insurance plans, strengthening Medicare so that 1.2 million Hispanic beneficiaries can receive free preventive screenings and affordable prescription drugs, and making sure that millions of Hispanics will no longer be denied insurance or charged more for insurance because of their gender or pre-existing condition.

The ads, which will air in Nevada, Colorado and Florida feature the following individuals speaking with community members about their support for President Obama and sharing the Presidents accomplishments:

Lynnette Acosta, Florida
Lynnette Acosta graduated from the University of Puerto Rico in 2000, before beginning her professional career with General Electric. After five years at the company, she decided to shift focus and served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Honduras. Lynnette later returned to the United States and now resides in Central Florida, where she raises her two children and brings together residents in her community to rally support for President Obama as a fellow with Organizing for America-Florida.

Daniella Urbina, Colorado
Daniella Urbina was raised by her mother and grandmother in Covina, California. After graduating from Harvard University in 2010, Daniella returned to California to work on Senator Barbara Boxer’s reelection campaign, and eventually moved to Washington DC to serve as the assistant to the Senator’s Chief of Staff. She now lives in Denver, Colorado where she works to register and motive voters in her community as a Field Organizer with Organizing for America-Colorado.

Ernesto Apreza, Nevada
Ernesto Apreza is from the small town of Everson, Washington. As the first generation American in his family to graduate from college, Ernesto earned his Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs from The George Washington University. Upon graduation, he completed an internship in the Office of Public Engagement at the White House. Today, Ernesto works as a Field Organizer with Organizing for America-Nevada where he cultivates relationships with neighborhood leaders.