If You're an American...You need to LISTEN to this!!!

An early "Merry Christmas" wish to you !!

Twas the month before Christmas*
*When all through our land,*
*Not a Christian was praying*
*Nor taking a stand.*

*See the PC Police had taken away,*
*The reason for Christmas - no one could say.*
*The children were told by their schools not to sing,*
*About Shepherds and Wise Men and Angels and things.*
*It might hurt people's feelings, the teachers would say*
*December 25th is just a ' Holiday '.*

*Yet the shoppers were ready with cash, checks and credit*
*Pushing folks down to the floor just to get it!*
*CDs from Madonna, an X BOX, an I-pod*
*Something was changing, something quite odd! *
*Retailers promoted Ramadan and Kwanzaa*
*In hopes to sell books by Franken & Fonda.*

*As Targets were hanging their trees upside down*
*At Lowe's the word Christmas - was no where to be found.*
*At K-Mart and Staples and Penny's and Sears*
*You won't hear the word Christmas; it won't touch your ears.*
*Inclusive, sensitive, Di-ver-si-ty*
*Are words that were used to intimidate me.*

*Now Daschle, Now Darden, Now Sharpton, Wolf Blitzen*
*On Boxer, on Rather, on Kerry, on Clinton !*
*At the top of the Senate, there arose such a clatter*
*To eliminate Jesus, in all public matter.*
*And we spoke not a word, as they took away our faith*
*Forbidden to speak of salvation and grace*

*The true Gift of Christmas was exchanged and discarded*
*The reason for the season, stopped before it started.*
*So as you celebrate 'Winter Break' under your 'Dream Tree'*
*Sipping your Starbucks, listen to me.*
*Choose your words carefully, choose what you say*
*Shout "MERRY CHRISTMAS" , not "Happy Holiday" !*




Please, all Christians join together and wish everyone you meet during the holidays a "MERRY CHRISTMAS"
Christ is The Reason for the "Christ-mas Season"


....NOT "How many toys are under the tree"!!
It's not "ME..ME...ME !!
Remember to teach your kids the value of GIVING more than GETTING !!

JOB SUMMIT finds ANSWERS !!

The answer is “motives” !!!
Yup, to create NEW real jobs we must have a “MOTIVE”!!
This was found at my own Job Summit here in Tennessee.

Let me explain.

The Obama administration has tried feverishly to “create jobs”. The stimulus plan(s) have set aside money to give out for “new jobs” which would stimulate our economy. These jobs were created by sending money to various organizations to do certain beneficial things like studying “cloud formations” in the upper atmosphere, etc…… the problem, however, was when the study was over…..there was no more job. Hmmmm??

OK, they then tried more “concrete-type” jobs like building roads…… contractors were hired who, in turn, hired people to new jobs and we built roads. Oops,… the roads were built and now those folks were laid off again. Back to “square one”.

Alright, we’ll try a different approach. Let’s give out “incentives”. How about “Cash for Clunkers”?? You remember that, right? Oh darn!! Same deal…..when the program and “the incentives” stopped, so did the sales…..and “the jobs”!!

Well……let’s just give everybody some money……you know, “Obama Money”!!
Actually let’s give it a better name and call it “Entitlements” Let’s even give it to dead people, prisoners, and all kinds of other folks we have on record. Only problem this time was once the money was passed out, the spending stopped and so did the temporary jobs…… and our deficit grew even more!?? (Oh darn!!)

And then it “dawned on us”!!! We need a MOTIVE to create jobs!!

Yup….In order to make anyone really hire someone, there must be a Motive!
In our human society (be it as it is) that translates to “making money” or a “profit” Call it capitalism, call it whatever you like. Just don’t call it socialism, or communism or anything that takes away the “motive” through the encouragement of laziness, apathy and the “re-distribution of wealth”.

I will go one step further and say that a REAL MOTIVE can be achieved immediately by adoption of the FAIR TAX. It’s our REAL ANSWER sooner or later!

Today's PROVERBS !!

Proverbs:


1. A day without sunshine is like night.
2. On the other hand, you have different fingers.
3. 42.7 percent of all statistics are made up on the spot.
4. 99 percent of lawyers give the rest a bad name.
5. Remember, half the people you know are below average.
6. He who laughs last, thinks slowest.
7. Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm..
8. The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese in the trap.
9. Support bacteria. They're the only culture most people have.
10. A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.
11. Change is inevitable, except from vending machines.
12. If you think nobody cares, try missing a couple of payments.
13. How many of you believe in psycho-kinesis? Raise my hand.
14. OK, so whats the speed of dark?
15. When everything is coming your way, youre in the wrong lane.
16. Hard work pays off in the future. Laziness pays off now.
17. How much deeper would the ocean be without sponges?
18. Eagles may soar, but weasels dont get sucked into jet engines.
19. What happens if you get scared half to death, twice?
20. Why do psychics have to ask you your name?
21. Inside every older person is a younger person wondering, What the hell happened?
22. Just remember -- if the world didnt suck, we would all fall off.
23. Light travels faster than sound. Thats why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.
24. Life isn't like a box of chocolates. Its more like a jar of jalapenos. What you do today, might burn your butt tomorrow.

A TRUE THANKSGIVING !!

Before we all move on to the rest of the Christmas Season...Remember this little story!!!


There was a blind girl who hated herself because she was blind.

She hated everyone, except her loving boyfriend.... He was always
there for her.
She told her boyfriend:
'If I could only see the world, I will marry you.'

One day,
someone donated a pair of eyes to her.
When the bandages came off, she was able to see everything, including her boyfriend.

He asked
'Now that you can see the world, will you marry me?'
The girl looked at her boyfriend and saw that he was blind.
The sight of his closed eyelids shocked her. She hadn't expected that.
The thought of looking at them the rest of her life
led her to refuse to marry him.

Her boyfriend left in tears.....
and days later wrote a note to her saying:
'Take good care of your eyes, my dear, for before
they were yours, they were mine.'

This is how the human brain often works when our status changes.
Only a very few remember what life was like before,
and who was always by their side in the most painful situations.


Life Is a Gift


Today....before you say an unkind word - Think of someone who can't speak.
Before you complain about the taste of your food - Think of someone who has nothing to eat.
Before you complain about your husband or wife - Think of someone who's crying out to GOD for a companion.
Today....before you complain about life - Think of someone who went too early to heaven.
Before whining about the distance you drive Think of someone who walks the same distance with their feet.

And when you are tired and complain about your job - Think of the unemployed, the disabled, and those who wish they had your job.

And when depressing thoughts seem to get you down - Put a smile on your face and think: you're alive and still around.

Kinda makes ya proud, huh!!??

Here's some more of the change you get:

Who is this guy covering his crotch ??

Check out this latest picture from Veterans Day 11/11/09 at the Ceremony in Arlington National Cemetery.



I don't know whether the National Anthem is being played, or the Flag is going by, or WHAT,

but EVERYBODY in the picture is either saluting or has his hand over the HEART.....except for ??

Who is the lame-ass guy covering his crotch?

I say, it shows just what comes natural and what's in the HEART!!

Have you gotten your FREEBIE today??

So long as our society moves in the direction of "spreading the wealth" and becomes a "land of entitlements".......it will no longer mean anything to "live within your means"!! It is already a concept that is becoming extinct as we find new ways and reasons to "bailout" a FAILURE!

Many of us do it today with our "youth" under the guise of "protectionism", "no child left behind", and the need to "make it better for the next generation".....
All at the expense of never learning the lessons of life!!

Yes...I know; we must keep up with the needs of "the household" and the busy schedule of our hectic two-income lives that.... well, its apparently OK for the government to step in and provide those things we just don't have time for, Right?? After all, its more important to adhere to "peer pressure" and keep up with "the Jones's"

Did you make room for the "Golf Balls" ??

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough.....
remember the The GOLF BALL story with the mayonnaise jar and the 2 Beers.

Here it is:

"A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him.
When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty
mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls.. He then asked the
students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar
He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between
the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They
agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of
course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar
was full. The students responded with a unanimous 'yes.'

The professor then produced two Beers from under the table and poured the
entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the
sand. The students laughed..

'Now,' said the professor as the laughter subsided, 'I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life..

The golf balls are the important things, your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions and .....if everything else was lost and only they remained,
your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and
your car.

The sand is everything else---the small stuff.

'If you put the sand into the jar first,' he continued, 'there is no room
for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life.

If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have
room for the things that are important to you.

Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.

Spend time with your children.

Spend time with your parents.

Visit with grandparents.

Take time to get medical checkups.

Take your spouse out to dinner.

Play another 18.

There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal.

Take care of the golf balls first---the things that really matter.

Set your priorities.

The rest is just sand.

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the Beer represented.

The professor smiled and said, 'I'm glad you asked.'

The Beer just shows you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's......

always room for a couple of Beers with a friend.....

Please share this with someone you care about...
I JUST DID!

LIFE ISN'T ABOUT WAITING FOR THE STORM TO PASS... ...
IT'S LEARNING HOW TO DANCE IN THE RAIN !

The "QUEEN" at work !!!

THE QUEEN OF THE UNITED STATES

Talk about vain arrogance!!!


Newt Gingrich, a Republican, served in the House from Georgia from 1978 and as House Minority Whip in 1989. He was Speaker of the House from 1995 to 1999. During that time he never made use of military air craft.


Nancy Pelosi, Democrat from California, current Speaker of the House. The Pentagon provides the House speaker with an Air Force plane large enough to accommodate her staff, family, supporters, and members of the California delegation when she travels around the country. But, Pelosi wanted routine access to a larger plane. It includes 42 business class seats, a fully-enclosed state room, an entertainment center, a private bed, state-of-the-art communications system, and a crew of 16. Pelosi wanted "carte blanche for an aircraft any time," including weekend trips home to San Francisco . Pretty nice but very expensive perk! Her Air Force C-32 costs approximately $15,000 an hour or approximately $300,000 per trip home.


And she has the guts to confront the Big Three CEOs for flying their corporate jets to Washington ! YOU WOULD THINK SHE, ALONG WITH A HUSBAND WORTH AN ESTIMATED BILLION DOLLARS, WOULD LEASE OR BUY AND FLY THEIR OWN PLANE, OR FLY FIRST CLASS ON COMMERCIAL AIRLINES LIKE OTHER RICH PEOPLE.. NANCY PELOSI FACTS:


Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi's home district includes San Francisco . Star-Kist Tuna's headquarters are in San Francisco, Pelosi's home district. Star-Kist is owned by Del Monte Foods and is a major contributor to Pelosi. Star-Kist is the major employer in American Samoa employing 75% of the Samoan workforce.


Paul Pelosi, Nancy 's husband, owns $17 million dollars of Star-Kist stock. In January, 2007 when the minimum wage was increased from $5.15 to $7.25, Pelosi had American Samoa exempted from the increase so Del Monte would not have to pay the higher wage.. This would make Del Monte products less expensive than their competition's.


Last week when the huge bailout bill was passed, Pelosi added an earmark to the final bill adding $33 million dollars for an 'economic development credit in American Samoa ..'


Pelosi has called the Bush Administration "CORRUPT" !!


How do you spell "HYPOCRISY" ??


EVERY AMERICAN SHOULD READ THIS !! Especially before entering the VOTING BOOTH....so you won't Forget!!

I've figured everything out !!!

The new Health Care bill from the House uses the word “shall” 3,425 times. The word “shall” in a bill becomes a government order when that bill becomes law. One of those “shall” provisions deals with vending machines. Under this bill, the federal government will now dictate how snacks are arranged in vending machines - imagine that! Talk about the long arm of the federal government! Good thing everything is so transparent and OPEN, huh!!!

GEE, and you thought they were going to "sneak" something by you!!
Shame on you!!

Here's the latest update from Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn:

Friends,

Working in the district this weekend, I encountered so many people who have deep concerns about the latest version of the Democrat health care bill. Over and over people asked me for sources of accurate information about the bill and Republican alternatives.

Of course, the best source of information is to read the bill itself, which you can find on my website. The bill is nearly 2,000 pages, so it may take you some time. As you read it, what will become clear to you is that if this bill passes, it will centralize health care decision making in Washington, rather than in your doctor's office. For more on that, I would also point you to this piece by Minority Leader John Boehener. He lays out the principles of reform that Republicans, and many Democrats agree on.

Floor debate on Speaker Pelosi's health care bill could begin as early as this week. A theme in that debate from liberals is that if you oppose this one bill, that means you are comfortable with the status quo and oppose any kind of health reform at all. A similar theme was picked up in the editorial pages of the Tennessean this week. As I explained in a Letter to the Editor that was published this morning, this simply isn't true. We can go a long way to fixing what is wrong with health care by committing to the reforms Republicans have laid out in the bills we have written:

1) Allow families to purchase insurance across state lines.

2) Allow individuals, small businesses, and other groups to pool together to purchase insurance in the same way that labor unions do today.

3) Curtail frivolous lawsuits and the defensive medical practices they create.

Liberals believe that if we shift the decision making on health care from your doctors office to Washington, it will cost less and more people will be covered. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office has already warned Ways And Means Chairman Rangel that their Washington run public option would "typically have premiums that are somewhat higher than the average premiums for the private plans in the exchanges." I discussed the true costs of this plan on Fox Business Channel this past Friday. Tennesseans know from our experience with TennCare that a public option doesn't lead to lower costs.

As always, I will keep you posted as this debate continues. In the meantime, don't hesitate to speak out about how you feel about the Speaker's 2,000 page health care bill. Each of you has a strong network of friends and families who value your opinion. Let them know what you think, and as I keep you informed, please keep them informed.

My Best,

Marsha

Now this all makes sense !!!!

Let me get this straight.....
We're going to pass a health care plan written by a committee whose head says he doesn't understand it, passed by a Congress that hasn't read it but exempts themselves from it, signed by a president that also hasn't read it, and who smokes, with funding administered by a treasury chief who didn't pay his taxes, overseen by a surgeon general who is obese, and financed by a country that's nearly broke.
What possibly could go wrong?

Here's the OIL YOU BOUGHT!!

Take a look at this one. It will blow your mind
Off Shore Oil Exploration




Finally - Offshore Oil Exploration gets approved and funded -
However ----- You need to read the "rest of the story" ......

This was NOT reported on any of the mainstream news outlets such as ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN or MSNBC. However, it was reported as follows:

On 20 August 2009, on a segment of the "Glenn Beck Show" on FCN (Fox Cable News) ... the following statement was read:

"Today even though President Obama is against offshore drilling for oil for this country. He signed an executive order to loan 2 Billion or more of our taxpayers dollars to a Brazilian Oil Exploration Company (Petrobras - which is the 8th largest company in the entire world) to drill for oil off the coast of Brazil. The oil that comes from this operation is for the sole purpose and use of China and not the USA . The Chinese government is under contract to purchase all the oil that this oil field will produce, which is hundreds of millions of barrels of oil".

We (the American People) have absolutely no gain from this transaction whatsoever.

Wait, it gets more interesting: Guess who is the largest individual stockholder of this Brazilian Oil Company, and who would benefit most from this ---??? It is American Billionaire, George Soros, the Liberal businessman who is a radical left wing supporter, finances "MoveOn.org" as well as other liberal programs, and
was President Obama's largest and most generous supporter during his campaign.

If you are able to connect the dots and follow the money, you are probably as upset as I am.

Not a word of this transaction was on any of the other news networks.
Does anyone think this was the type of change Obama meant ---??? Or, maybe it was!!!.

WELL HERE's WHAT THEY WILL GET !!!!

Its YOUR Schools....Don't wait until its too Late !!

As a helpful answer and reference for action items, I am posting this outline here:


The following points have been summarized from Patrick Miranda's Blog (Patrick is a new candidate running for the 5th U.S. Congressional Seat)...and I fully support and endorse these positions:



1. Keep the Federal Government OUT of the business of running our schools. Sure the Feds can set national standards that our kids should be able to reach, but they should really give adequate money to the states and let them run and fund the schools as they see fit. Bush had said at one time, and I agree with him, that we should give these schools ALL that they need to provide a good education to their youth, but, at the same time, they need to be held accountable for their successes and FAILURES. Bottom line, give the local school districts what they need to succeed and then get out of the way!

2. We need to ABOLISH the NEA and completely scrap its influence in our schools. The fact that tenure is more important than educating our youth is a primary reason that our schools are failing. Furthermore, the NEA needs to be audited and should be put on notice as an organization beholden to the most Leftist groups/politicians in our nation. Force your teachers to TEACH our children, or loose ANY and ALL funding that you receive from American tax payers.

3. We MUST end political correctness in our grade schools. If a student can't read AT or ABOVE his/her current grade level, then they MUST either be held back or required to attend summer school or extra tutoring sessions in order to progress to the next grade level. We have got to quit allowing our students to advance if they aren't equipped to do so...if their feelings get hurt, then they can deal with it. I was told I made mistakes in school and I worked harder...we should tell kids they are wrong when they mess up and help them to do better; STOP the CODDLING.

4. We WILL take thuggery out of our schools. Far too often our students and teachers feel fearful when going to school; they feel as if they always have to be on guard in order to avoid physical harm. For this, there needs to be a ZERO tolerance rule...if you cause harm at school (selling drugs, buying weapons, excessive bullying), then you will be kicked out, PERIOD. You will be required to go to school, but you will be required to do so at a military school or somewhere similar where discipline is MANDATORY. Parents, you will be required to PAY at least part of the fee to enroll these hoodlums in schools like these...stop making our children suffer while we deal with your child. For all other offenses, we need to enforce, without fear of lawsuit, etc, a "three strike rule" for those who continually break the rules.

5. We need a VOUCHER system. We should allow parents to use the money they'd otherwise be paying in taxes to put their money in a voucher or in a TAX-FREE education fund for their children. They can use this voucher to attend the schools of their choice. If under performing schools fail, then so be it...competition will breed success.

6. EMPHASIZE and SUPPORT charter schools. Obama shut down one in DC recently which forced primarily "inner-city" youth, who were preforming well, to attend schools in the DC school system...this is a TRAVESTY! We should reward schools and administrator who excel in their jobs and keep our students performing at top levels.

7. We must end busing. Local school districts ought to be allowed to determine if they want students bused to their schools from other areas of the city...the government needs to stay out of these choices. If local schools are failing, then it should be up to LOCAL officials and parents to FIX the schools...not the job of better performing school districts to take in additional students from these failing schools (this does not include students with vouchers).

8. Understand and support the needs of schools with Special Education courses. Make schools perform to the standards set forth by law, but take into account schools with special needs youth. Reward schools who have good special needs programs which not only educate but allow for greater social interaction with the youth they teach.

9. ESL classes are necessary, but we MUST insist on parents and students to learn the English language as quickly as possible. We should mandate how long a child can be in a ESL class...if, for example, the child hasn't learned sufficient English in 3 years, then they need complete English immersion...no questions asked. Also, we MUST retool our curriculum to focus on Reading, Writing, Arithmetic, US History and Geography. We must also allow our students to take financial awareness courses in late grade school and high school which will teach them the basics of investing, earning and spending money...financial literacy so that they will learn the importance of money in their daily lives.

Finally, STOP the motto "All children CAN learn". Rather, make it "All children WILL learn".

How "DISCONNECTED" are YOU???

Are You Addicted ??
As Internet use continues to grow, and new Social Websites spring up constantly, Americans report spending less & less time with friends, family and other people according to a recent study by the Stanford Institute !!

The problem:
A substantial decline in "Civic engagement" (you know.... that people to people stuff..in person and not by media sources). This has resulted mostly due to a rise in "Media Proliferation" which has caused a "DISCONNECT" in reality.



"Images" are being substituted for "reality & actual experiences";... (internet) "postings" are taken as "truths";.... media "information" is used in lieu of "understanding it".

Since 1995, internet issues have also become a prevailing factor in a rapidly increasing number of divorce & custody cases where the term "virtual abandonment" is coined by the Kiplinger Washington Letter to interpret Web surfing and "addictions". The internet is like "television on steroids"......it creates a sense of "boundary-less-ness" which can easily "suck you in"!

The effect of all this has caused significant changes in daily life for many!! The implications of which are certainly not clear yet.


I plan to cover more of this "DISCONNECT-ness" and how it applies to many of the political and social issues we battle with today...in future posts (and my upcoming BOOK)!!

Here's How to fix YOUR Social Security!!

Just require your Congress (Representatives and Senators) to become part of the Social Security System!! Yes, they should pay into and draw benefits the same as you and I do!!!

Right now, they have their own "special Retirement Plan" which they DO NOT contribute to......The funds are paid for by taxpayers (you and I)... from the General Fund! It pays them their ENTIRE SALARY for life, PLUS cost of living adjustments each year!
Yup...another example of the DISCONNECTED ..ELITE groups that represent OUR BEST INTERESTS!!

By making them subject to the same rules and benefits that we do is the only real way to fix them! Same with Health Care! Same with TAXES, etc!!

This way ....they would FIND a way to fix things quickly!!!

Afghanistan is spelled "V i e t n a m"

Here's the problem, as summarized in this excerpt quote from a haystack post on Redstate:

"On February 17, 2009 (just about a month after swearing an oath to defend his Country against all enemies foreign and domestic) it was reported that Barack Obama was committing an additional 17,000 troops to the Afghanistan “conflict” in order “to meet urgent security needs.”

On March 27, 2009 Barack Obama “announced a comprehensive, new strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan that is the culmination of a careful 60-day, interagency strategic review,” suggesting that:

We are in Afghanistan to confront a common enemy that threatens the United States, our friends and allies, and the people of Afghanistan and Pakistan who have suffered the most at the hands of violent extremists. So I want the American people to understand that we have a clear and focused goal: to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat al Qaeda in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and to prevent their return to either country in the future…To achieve our goals, we need a stronger, smarter and comprehensive strategy.”
Two days later, on March 29, 2009 it was reported that Barack Obama was committing “4,000 troops to Afghanistan along with hundreds of civilian specialists in an effort to confront what he considers “the central challenge facing [that] country.” Now the master of indecisiveness is promising “to announce new strategies for both countries Friday” (September 25, 2009)."

"Waffling" is not a policy.

As our troops continue in harm's way, we find that there really has been no policy other than that of the usual politcal reactions.

We should all know by now that the "War on Terror" or our "fight against islamic extremism" is not found just in the mountains of Afghanistan. It will be one of our overall exercise of International Security and reaction to Global Intelligence un-inhibited by the hinderance of "political correctness"!



Unfortunately, we have a "Commander-in-Chief" with Zero experience in everything from Management to Foreign Affairs.

Our Shadow Government - The LAND of CZARS !

Here a Czar, There a Czar....everywhere a Czar, Czar.... !!!
ARE WE GOING MAD ???




I guess this is one way of providing jobs, huh ??

Hiring all the Obama supporters to lucrative jobs at taxpayer expense...... AND then, to ignore the normal screening process required of such positions ! Maybe this is the way Obama intended...so that he can slide these "questionable" characters into their slots quietly un-noticed.


And then, how about all the First Lady aides we reported on earlier!?

Well.....here's your Czars:








List of Obama's Czars
August 21, 2009 - 5:26 ET

As of July 20, 2009:

• The Brainroom counts 32 czars in the Obama administration, based on media reports from reputable sources that have identified the official in question as a czar.
• In addition, President Obama has said that he will create the position of cyber czar, and there have been media reports that there could be a health insurance czar and a copyright czar. When and if those positions are filled, that would bring the total to 35.
• Since czar isn't an official job title, the number is somewhat in the eye of the beholder.

NOTE: positions that also existed under previous administrations are indicated with an *.

1. Afghanistan Czar - Richard Holbrooke

Title: Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan
Salary: unknown
Reports to: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
Appointed: January 2009
Department that might have handled similar issues: State

• Will work with CENTCOM head Gen. David Petraeus to integrate U.S. civilian and military efforts in the region.
• 45 years of experience have made him a fixture of the Democrats' foreign policy establishment.
• Was U.S. ambassador to U.N., 1999-2001
• Brokered the 1995 Dayton Peace Accords in Bosnia
• Also served as Assistant secretary of state, East Asia and the Pacific (1976 to 1980); worked in foreign service (1962 to 1976)
• From 1972 through 1976, was the editor of Foreign Policy magazine.

2. AIDS Czar * - Jeffrey Crowley

Title: Director of the Office of National AIDS Policy
Salary: $102,000
Reports to: President Obama (as part of the Executive Office of the President’s Domestic Policy Council)
Appointed: February 2009
Department that might have handled similar issues: Health and Human Services

• Coordinates HIV/AIDS policy domestically and internationally.
• Senior Research Scholar at Georgetown University's Health Policy Institute and a Senior Scholar at the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law, Georgetown University Law Center.
• Was Deputy Executive Director for Programs at the National Association of People with AIDS
• Has Master of Public Health from the Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health

3. Auto Recovery Czar - Ed Montgomery

Title: Director of Recovery for Auto Communities and Workers
Salary: unknown
Reports to: Larry Summers, the president's top economic adviser, and Labor Secretary Hilda Solis
Appointed: March 2009
Department that might have handled similar issues: Labor

• Will work to leverage government resources to support the workers, communities and regions that rely on the American auto industry.
• Was Deputy Secretary and Chief Economist at the Labor Department (1997 to 1998)
• Is Dean of the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences at the University of Maryland (2003 to present)
• Has PhD in economics from Harvard
• In 2008, made $1,200 in political donations, all of which went to Obama’s presidential campaign.
• Wife is the granddaughter of a General Motors worker from Portland, Mich.
• Drives a 2000 Lincoln

4. Border Czar * - Alan Bersin

Title: Assistant Secretary for International Affairs and Special Representative for Border Affairs
Salary: unknown
Reports to: Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano
Appointed: April 2009
Agencies that might have handled similar issues: Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

• Will coordinate all of the department's border security and law-enforcement efforts.
• Essentially had the same job under President Clinton; served as Attorney General Janet Reno's special representative on border issues, a job that he held while retaining the position of U.S. attorney for San Diego.
• This time, boss will be Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, who will expect him to handle illegal immigration and drug violence issues along the Mexican-American border
• Previous experience: Chairman of the San Diego Regional Airport Authority (2006 to 2009); Secretary of Education for California (2005 to 2006); Superintendent of San Diego Public Schools (1998 to 2005); U.S. Attorney for San Diego (1993 to 1998)
• Graduate of Harvard and Yale Law School
• Talking about border security shortly before he was named Clinton border czar in 1995, said he wanted to focus on suspected smugglers of both drugs and people and was not interested in prosecuting “economic migrants.”
• Often tied to the 1994 border policy called “Operation Gatekeeper.” The policy shifted the U.S. focus from the arresting of immigrants who actually crossed the border to an increased border presence designed to stop border crossing in the first place. When Bersin left the position in 1998, border arrests were on pace for an 18-year low of just more than 200,000. Latino groups complained that Operation Gatekeeper was immoral, saying the program monitored the border near San Diego but simply forced illegal immigrants to other, more dangerous areas.
• Has given more than $50,000 to political campaigns since 1999, almost all of it to Democrats.

5. California Water Czar - David J. Hayes

Title: Deputy Interior Secretary
Salary: unknown
Reports to: Interior Secretary Ken Salazar
Appointed: June 2009
Confirmed by Senate (as Deputy Interior Security): May 20, 2009
Department that might have handled similar issues: Interior

• Charged with coordinating federal agencies to ease California's water shortage
• Graduate of Stanford Law School; clerked for U.S. District Court for the D.C., has been a partner at two big D.C. law firms
• Was deputy interior secretary under Bruce Babbitt during Clinton administration
• From 1993 to 1995, was chairman of the board at the Environmental Law Institute, a non-profit research center.
• As a lobbyist, represented the Southern California Metropolitan Water District in 2001
• In August 2008, wrote a policy report while working at the Progressive Policy Institute accusing the Bush administration of leaving a “damaging legacy” in their natural resource management policies
• Donated $2,300 to Clinton during 2008 campaign; after she withdrew, donated $2,300 to Obama

6. Car Czar - Ron Bloom

NOTE: on July 13, 2009, Bloom took over as head of the Presidential Task Force on the Auto Industry, replacing Steven Rattner

Title: Counselor to the Secretary of the Treasury
Salary: unknown
Reports to: Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and National Economic Council head Larry Summers
Appointed: July 2009
Department that might have handled similar issues: Treasury

• A leader of the White House task force overseeing auto company bailouts; worked on restructuring of General Motors and Chrysler LLC.
• Was special assistant to president of the United Steelworkers union from 1996-Feb 2009
• Has negotiated restructuring deals for more than 50 companies, getting major concessions from unions and companies.
• Was raised in New York in a pro-union family, which included a schoolteacher mother and unionized relatives.
• After working for the Service Employees International Union, got an MBA from Harvard University because he thought unions lacked business smarts, he said in a 1996 interview in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
• From 1985 to 1990, he worked as an investment banker with Lazard Freres & Co., which specializes in mergers, acquisitions and corporate restructuring, before co-founding the investment-banking firm Keilin and Bloom.

7. Central Region Czar - Dennis Ross

Title: Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for the Central Region (encompasses the Middle East, the Gulf, Afghanistan, Pakistan and South Asia)
Salary: unknown
Reports to: National Security Adviser Gen. James L. Jones
Appointed: June 2009
Department that might have handled similar issues: State

• Spent 12 years in the George H.W. Bush and Clinton administrations trying to create a permanent agreement between the governments of Israel and the Palestinian territories
• In 1981, was named to President Ronald Reagan’s national security staff as the director of Near East and South Asian Affairs.
• Was director of the State Department’s Policy Planning office during President George H. W. Bush’s term.
• 1993: appointed to the position of Middle East coordinator, making him the top negotiator for peace between Israel and Palestinian territories
• After he left government in 2000, headed up Washington Institute for Near East Policy, a hawkish think tank with a pro-Israeli bent

8. Climate Czar - Todd Stern
Title: Special Envoy for Climate Change
Salary: unknown
Reports to: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
Appointed: January 2009
Agency or department that might have handled similar issues: Environmental Protection Agency; State

• Responsible for developing international approaches to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases.
• Served in the Clinton White House from 1993 to 1999; Was Head of the Initiative on Global Climate Change (1997 to 1999) and Adviser to the Secretary of the Treasury (1999 to 2001)
• As a top aide to President Clinton, helped negotiate the Kyoto and Buenos Aires climate pacts, both of which fell apart partially because of a lack of U.S. support during Bush administration.
• After Bush was elected to office, went to the Wilmer Hale law firm, where he is a partner in the regulatory and government affairs division.
• Was most recently a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress, where he focused on climate change and environmental issues.
• Has written extensively on climate change, and has called on the American government and the international community to take a series of steps to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases.
• Supports a national cap-and-trade system that would limit carbon emissions and reduce U.S. dependency on foreign oil
• Has law degree from Harvard

9. Domestic Violence Czar - Lynn Rosenthal

Title: White House adviser on Violence Against Women
Salary: unknown
Reports to: President Obama and Vice President Biden
Appointed: June 2009
Department that might have handled similar issues: Health and Human Services

• Will advise the President and Vice President on domestic violence and sexual assault issues.
• 2000-2006: served as the Executive Director of the National Network to End Domestic Violence
• Was an advocate for the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act in 2000 and 2005 and has assisted states and local communities with implementation of this federal legislation
• Was director of the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence

10. Drug Czar * - Gil Kerlikowske

Title: Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy
Salary: unknown
Reports to: President Obama
Appointed: March 2009
Confirmed by Senate: May 7, 2009
Department that might have handled similar issues: Justice

• Directs drug-control policy in the U.S.; is expected to shift drug policy to intervention, treatment and a reduction of problem drug use.
• Was police chief for the city of Seattle from 2000-2009
• Was Deputy Director of the Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (1998 to 2000); Police Chief for the city of Buffalo (1994 to 1998); Police chief of Fort Pierce, Fla. (N/A to 1994)
• A strong gun-control advocate, urged both the Washington legislature and the U.S. Congress to pass an assault-weapons ban and has worked to close the loophole that doesn't require background checks at gun shows
• 2003: admitted that busting people for personal marijuana possession was not a top priority of the Seattle police department.
• As Seattle police chief, assigned an officer full-time to the drug court, which commuted sentences of drug users who complete medical treatment in lieu of going to jail.

11. Economic Czar * - Paul Volcker

Title: Chairman of the President's Economic Recovery Advisory Board
Salary: Volcker reportedly isn't paid for his advice.
Reports to: President Obama
Appointed: January 2009
Department that might have handled similar issues: Treasury

• Charged with offering independent, nonpartisan information, analysis, and advice to the President as he formulates and implements his plans for economic recovery.
• Some reports say he's been marginalized by Larry Summers.
• Former Federal Reserve chairman (1979-1987)
• Was Undersecretary for Monetary Affairs, Department of the Treasury (1969 to 1974); Deputy Undersecretary for Monetary Affairs, Department of the Treasury (1963 to 1965)
• Gave Obama campaign $2,300 in 2008.

12. Energy and Environment Czar - Carol Browner

Title: Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change
Salary: $172,200
Reports to: President Obama
Appointed: January 2009
Agency that might have handled similar issues: EPA

• Coordinates energy and climate policy, emphasizing regulation and conservation.
• Was Environmental Protection Agency administrator in the Clinton administration (1993-2000)
• Was Florida Secretary of the Environment (1991 to 1993)
• Founded and continues to serve as a principal of The Albright Group LLC, a global strategy firm led by former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. Also a principal of Albright Capital Management, an investment advisory firm that concentrates on emerging markets.
• Worked on the Socialist International's Commission for a Sustainable World Society, which argues that the global community must work collectively to address environmental policies
• Described Bush administration as the "worst environmental administration ever"
• While orchestrating private discussions between the White House and auto industry officials on vehicle fuel efficiency standards, kept the talks as quiet as possible. Mary Nichols, the head of the California Air Resources Board, said, "We put nothing in writing, ever."
• 2003: A federal judge held the Environmental Protection Agency in contempt for destroying computer files during the Clinton administration that had been sought by a conservative legal foundation. U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth also ordered the EPA to pay the Landmark Legal Foundation's legal fees and costs because the agency disobeyed his order to preserve the electronic records of Browner, the former EPA chief.

13. Faith-Based Czar * - Joshua DuBois

Title: Director of the Office of Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships
Salary: $98,000
Reports to: President Obama
Appointed: February 2009
Department that might have handled similar issues: Health and Human Services

• Acts as a liaison between faith and secular community groups and the White House, often partnering with them to tackle social issues. Helps these groups apply for federal grants available to them.
• Is 26 years old
• Has master’s in public affairs from Princeton University; served as associate pastor
• Worked for Rep. Rush Holt (D-N.J.) as an intern and then as a fellow for Rep. Charles B. Rangel (DN. Y.).
• Hired as a legislative correspondent in Obama’s Senate office in May 2005
• In 2008, at the age of 25, was appointed director of religious affairs for the Obama campaign.

14. Government Performance Czar - Jeffrey Zients

Title: Chief Performance Officer
Salary: unknown
Reports to: Office of Management and Budget Director Peter Orzag
Appointed: April 2009
Confirmed by the Senate (as deputy director for management for the OMB): June 19, 2009
Agency that might have handled similar issues: OMB

• Charged with cutting costs and finding best practices throughout government.
• Has never worked in government before
• Was a chief executive and former management consultant
• Was founder of Portfolio Logic (2004 to present); Partner of the Washington Baseball Club (2004 to 2006); CEO of the Advisory Board (1998 to 2004)
• Has donated just over $90,000 to political campaigns since 1999, almost all of which went to Democratic candidates

15. Great Lakes Czar - Cameron Davis

Title: Special advisor to the U.S. EPA overseeing its Great Lakes restoration plan
Salary: unknown
Reports to: Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson
Appointed: June 2009
Agency that might have handled similar issues: Environmental Protection Agency

• Oversees the administration's initiative to restore the Great Lakes' environment.
• President of the Chicago-based environmentalist group Alliance for the Great Lakes
• Was a litigating attorney and served as an adjunct clinical assistant professor of law at the University of Michigan Law School.
• Served with the United Nations Environment Program in Nairobi, Kenya, where he worked on the Montreal Protocol to protect the Earth’s ozone layer, and U.S. EPA’s Office of Regional Counsel in Chicago.

16. Green Jobs Czar - Van JonesRESIGNED !!!

Title: Special Adviser for Green Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation at the White House Council on Environmental Quality
Salary: unknown
Reports to: Head of Council on Environmental Quality Nancy Sutley
Appointed: March 2009
Agency or department that might have handled similar issues: Environmental Protection Agency; Labor

• Will focus on environmentally-friendly employment within the administration and boost support for the idea nationwide
• Rose from near obscurity in the Oakland, Calif., grassroots organizing scene to the leader of a national movement to spur the green economy.
• Founded Green For All, an organization focused on creating green jobs in impoverished areas
• Also co-founder of the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights and Color of Change, which includes Bay Area PoliceWatch, a group devoted to "protect[ing] the community from police misconduct"
• Published New York Times best-seller The Green Collar Economy: How One Solution Can Fix Our Two Biggest Problems, in October 2008
• Started career as a prison-reform advocate in Oakland, Calif., lobbying for reform of the juvenile justice system and youth-violence prevention programs
• Has law degree from Yale
• 2007: worked on the Green Jobs Act with then-Rep. Hilda Solis (D-Calif.), who co-sponsored the bill in the House
• 1993: was arrested at the Los Angeles riots that followed the acquittal of cops in the Rodney King beating. "I was arrested simply for being a police observer," says Jones, who had just graduated from Yale Law School and was working with the Lawyer's Committee for Civil Rights in San Francisco.
• 1999: was arrested in the 1999 Seattle protests against the World Trade Organization
• Excerpt from a Nov. 2005 interview in the East Bay Express:
Jones had planned to move to Washington, DC, and had already landed a job and an apartment there. But in jail, he said, "I met all these young radical people of color -- I mean really radical, communists and anarchists. And it was, like, 'This is what I need to be a part of.'" Although he already had a plane ticket, he decided to stay in San Francisco. "I spent the next ten years of my life working with a lot of those people I met in jail, trying to be a revolutionary." In the months that followed, he let go of any lingering thoughts that he might fit in with the status quo. "I was a rowdy nationalist on April 28th, and then the verdicts came down on April 29th," he said. "By August, I was a communist." In 1994, the young activists formed a socialist collective, Standing Together to Organize a Revolutionary Movement, or STORM, which held study groups on the theories of Marx and Lenin and dreamed of a multiracial socialist utopia. They protested police brutality and got arrested for crashing through police barricades. In 1996, Jones decided to launch his own operation, which he named the Ella Baker Center after an unsung hero of the civil-rights movement.

17. Guantanamo Closure Czar - Daniel Fried

Title: Special envoy to oversee the closure of the detention center at Guantanamo Bay
Salary: unknown
Reports to: Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton
Appointed: March 2009
Department that might have handled similar issues: Justice; State

• Works to get help of foreign governments in moving toward closure of Guantanamo Bay, in fulfillment of Obama's promise to close the prison within a year of taking office.
• Was Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasian Affairs, State Department (2005 to 2009); Director for European and Eurasian Affairs, State Department (2001 to 2005); U.S. Ambassador to Poland (1997 to 2001)

18. Health Czar * - Nancy-Ann DeParle

Title: Counselor to the President and Director of the White House Office of Health Reform
Salary: $158,500
Reports to: President Obama
Appointed: March 2009
Department that might have handled similar issues: Health and Human Services (HHS)

• Coordinates the development of the Administration's healthcare policy agenda.
• Experience: Managing Director, CCMP Capital (since 2001); Adjunct professor (focusing on healthcare policy), Wharton School of Business (since 2001); Commissioner, Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (since 2001); Fellow, Harvard Institue of Politics (2000 to 2001); Director, Healthcare Financing Administration (1997 to 2000)
• Has law degree from Harvard
• Served as the OMB’s representative on health-care reform during Bill Clinton’s first term
• As head of the HHS Health Care Financing Administration under Clinton, ran the largest health insurance provider in America, overseeing $600 billion in payments annually to 74 million recipients of Medicare and Medicaid
• 2001: left government to take a year-long fellowship at Harvard’s Institute of Politics, where she was part of Harvard’s Health Care Policy Forum and led a weekly study group on reforming Medicare.
• During Bush administration, sat on the boards of many health companies, from medical treatment producers to hospital systems
• In September 2008, donated $2,300 each to Clinton and Barack Obama.

19. Information Czar - Vivek Kundra

Title: Federal Chief Information Officer
Salary: unknown
Reports to: Director of the Office of Management and Budget Peter Orszag
Appointed: March 2009
Agencies that might have handled similar issues: other federal agency CIOs

• Basically in charge of overseeing other federal agency CIOs and for setting technology policy across the government.
• Head of a federal technology budget that amounts to $71 billion annually
• Operation is housed in the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and will likely have authority to question how money in departmental technology budgets is used
• Formerly head of the District of Columbia's technology operations
• Shortly after he joined the OMB, federal authorities raided his old District government office. They arrested two technology office managers and a subcontractor, charging them with a bribery scheme that allegedly defrauded the city out of at least $500,000. Kundra was not a suspect in the case, the U.S. Attorney’s office said.
• Has a masters from Maryland in information technology.
• Experience: Washington, D.C. Chief Technology Officer (2007 to 2009); State of Virginia's Assistant Secretary of Commerce and Trade (2006 to 2007); CEO of computer security firm Creostar

20. Intelligence Czar * - Dennis Blair

Title: Director of National Intelligence
Salary: $197,700
Reports to: President Obama
Appointed: January 2009
Confirmed by Senate: January 28, 2009
Agency that might have handled similar issues: CIA

• Nation’s top intelligence official.
• Retired four-star admiral.
• Graduate of the United States Naval Academy, 1968; sixth-generation naval officer
• Lacks professional roots in the world of intelligence
• Held a number of prestigious Washington posts, including the Pentagon’s top liaison to the CIA and director of the Joint Staff.
• Ran the non-profit Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA), which focuses primarily on issues related to national security, and does a lot of work for the Defense Department. Left IDA under a cloud of controversy in mid-2006.

21. Mideast Peace Czar - George Mitchell

Title: Special Envoy for Middle East Peace
Salary: unknown
Reports to: Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton
Appointed: January 2009
Department that might have handled similar issues: State

• Works to maintain the shaky peace between Israel and Hamas after recent hostilities
• Senate majority leader from 1989 to 1994
• Was special envoy to Northern Ireland during the Clinton administration and lead investigator into steroid use in Major League Baseball.
• 2000: led a fact-finding committee to study violence in the Middle East; 2001's Mitchell Report formed the basis for the road map for Middle East peace

22. Pay Czar - Kenneth R. Feinberg

Title: Special Master on executive pay
Salary: reportedly receiving no compensation for his work.
Reports to: Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner
Appointed: June 2009
Department that might have handled similar issues: Treasury

• Named to examine compensation practices at companies that have been bailed out more than once by the federal government
• Oversaw the payouts to the families of the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks
• Was the chief administrator to the Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund, which commemorates the students who died in the April 2007 shooting rampage at Virginia Tech
• Founder and managing partner of Feinberg Rozen LLP (1992 to present), law firm specializing in mediation
• Was Chief of staff for Sen. Edward Kennedy (1978 to 1980)
• While working with the Feinberg Group, donated over $150,000, nearly all of which has gone to Democratic candidates and political action committees. In 2007, donated $2,300 to 2008 presidential candidate Rudolph Giuliani (R).

23. Regulatory Czar - Cass R. Sunstein *

Title: Administrator of the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs
Salary: unknown
Reports to: Office of Management and Budget head Peter Orszag
Appointed: January 2009
Nomination was sent to Senate on April 20, 2009 - no action yet taken
Agency that might have handled similar issues: OMB

• Will be responsible for reviewing draft regulations and assessing their costs and benefits
• Is a Harvard Law School professor; prior to that, was a professor at the Univ. of Chicago Law School (1981-2008)
• Academic specialties: constitutional law, administrative law, and regulatory policy
• Obama: "Cass is not only a valued advisor, he is a dear friend"
• Known for advancing a field called "law and behavioral economics" that seeks to shape law and policy around the way research shows people actually behave; though embraced by conservatives, critics say it fails to account for the sometimes less-than-rational aspects of human behavior.
• In his 2002 book, Republic.com, discussed the drawbacks of limitless choices on the Internet that allow people to seek out only like-minded people and opinions that merely fortify their own views; he talked about the idea of the government requiring sites to link to opposing views. He later came to realize it was a "bad idea."
• In his 2004 book, Animal Rights, suggested that animals ought to be able to bring suit, with private citizens acting as their representatives, to ensure that animals are not treated in a way that violates current law.
• In a 2007 speech at Harvard he called for banning hunting in the U.S.
• The American Conservative Union started a website, Stop Sunstein, in an effort to keep him out of the White House.

24. Science Czar - John Holdren

Title: Assistant to the President for Science and Technology, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and Co-Chair of the President’s Council of Advisers on Science and Technology
Salary: unknown
Reports to: President Obama
Appointed: December 2008
Confirmed by Senate: March 19, 2009
Agency or department that might have handled similar issues: Energy

• Top adviser to Obama on science and technology, issues that are increasingly relevant to other issues such as homeland security, energy and environmentalism
• Teresa and John Heinz Professor of Environmental Policy and Director, Program in Science, Technology, and Public Policy at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government (1996-2009); Harvard University Professor of Environmental Science and Public Policy (1996-2009); University of California, Berkeley Professor of Energy and Resources Emeritus (1996 to present)
• Studied aerospace engineering and plasma physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology — where he earned his BS and MS — and Stanford University, where he received his doctorate in 1970
• Is an outspoken advocate of the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and believes the United States should sign the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty.
• In a 2008 New York Times op-ed, Holdren called climate change skeptics “dangerous” members of a “denier fringe.”
• In 1971, co-authored a paper in Global Ecology suggesting "some form of ecocatastrophe, if not thermonuclear war, seems almost certain to overtake us before the end of the century."
• Some conservative media outlets have called attention to a book Holdren co-authored in 1977 titled Ecoscience: Population, Resources, and Environment. The book reportedly includes this statement: "population-control laws, even including laws requiring compulsory abortion, could be sustained under the existing Constitution." Holdren's office says he "does not now and never has been an advocate of compulsory abortions or other repressive measures to limit fertility."

25. Stimulus Accountability Czar - Earl Devaney

Title: Chair of the Recovery Act Transparency and Accountability Board
Salary: unknown
Reports to: Vice President Biden
Appointed: February 2009
Agency that might have handled similar issues: OMB

• Leads oversight board that monitors money spent by the stimulus package
• Experience: Inspector General at the Interior Department (1999 to present); Director of criminal enforcement at the Environmental Protection Agency (1991 to 1999); Special Agent at the Secret Service (1970 to 1991)
• During his tenure at Interior, uncovered the shady dealings of disgraced ex-lobbyist Jack Abramoff, an investigation that eventually led to Abramoff's imprisonment and the resignation of Interior's no. 2, J. Steven Griles, for lying under oath about his own role in the scandal.
• On July 8, 2009, the U.S. General Services Administration issued a press release announcing an $18 million contract for a new recovery.gov web site, which quoted Devaney as saying, “We are pleased that another major milestone has been achieved."

26. Sudan Czar - J. Scott Gration

Title: Special Envoy to Sudan
Salary: unknown
Reports to: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
Appointed: March 2009
Department that might have handled similar issues: State

• Will coordinate U.S. role in the aftermath of the genocide in Darfur
• Experience: Supreme Allied Command, NATO (2004 to 2005); Air Force assistant deputy undersecretary for international affairs (2003 to 2004)
• Commanded all air operations during the Iraq war in 2003
• 2006: left Air Force position to join Obama’s staff after traveling to Africa with the then-Senator from Illinois, even though he was a Republican
• Has won a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart, a Defense Superior Service Medal and 16 other awards
• Is a fluent Swahili speaker who grew up in the Congo
• Has called on the Obama administration to incentivize participation by the Sudanese government in peace talks by lifting sanctions, a position that is controversial. Also worked to position himself as the principal negotiator between the Sudanese government and its adversaries in Darfur, and is planning an international conference for September 2009
• Has M.A. in security studies from Georgetown

27. TARP Czar - Herb Allison

Title: Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Financial Stability
Salary: unknown
Reports to: Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner
Appointed: June 2009
Department that might have handled similar issues: Treasury

• Leads the government's $700 billion financial rescue program in the office of financial stability
• Veteran Wall Street banker and interim head of the mortgage-finance company Fannie Mae
• Worked at Merrill Lynch for 28 years, reaching position of president and COO
• Was CEO of Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association College Retirement Equities Fund (2002 to 2008); CEO of the Alliance for Lifelong Learning (2000 to 2002)
• Has undergraduate degree from Yale and MBA from Stanford
• 2000: was John McCain’s 2000 presidential campaign finance chairman
• In 2008, donated $2,300 to Obama's presidential campaign

28. Technology Czar - Aneesh Chopra

Title: Chief Technology Officer
Salary: unknown
Reports to: President Obama
Appointed: April 2009
Confirmed by Senate: May 21, 2009
Department that might have handled similar issues: Commerce

• Will lead in the effort to eliminate wasteful government programs
• Will probably work to increase broadband access nationwide and computerize medical records
• Was Virginia’s secretary of technology (2005-2009)
• Has degree in public health from Johns Hopkins, Master's from Harvard in public policy
• Worked at Morgan Stanley as investment banker; also worked at Advisory Board, a health-care research and consultancy firm
• Has donated more than $24,000 since 1997 to various campaigns. With the exception of a $1,000 donation to Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) in 2004, all of Chopra’s contributions have gone to Democrats. From 2007 to 2008, Chopra donated $2,750 to Obama’s presidential campaign.

29. Terrorism Czar - John Brennan

Title: Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism
Salary: $172,200
Reports to: National Security Adviser James L. Jones
Appointed: January 2009
Department that might have handled similar issues: Homeland Security

• Under Obama's plan the homeland security adviser’s office would be eliminated, and the National Security Council would take over those duties. Brennan would be responsible for guarding against natural disasters and terrorism.
• Has called for increased integration between the Departments of Commerce, State and Defense
• Graduated from Fordham University in 1977 after a year of intensive Arabic and Middle Eastern studies in Cairo. Earned his J.D. from the University of Texas at Austin before joining the CIA as an intelligence director in 1980.
• Is a CIA veteran and fluent Arabic speaker
• Was CIA deputy executive director (2001 to 2003) and National Counter-Terrorism Center, Chair (2004 to 2005)
• Worked at Analysis Corp, (2005 to 2008);
• Staunch supporter of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Program; defended the use of extraordinary rendition, saying it is “an absolutely vital tool.”

30. Urban Affairs Czar - Adolfo Carrion Jr.

Title: White House Director of Urban Affairs
Salary: $158,500
Reports to: President Obama
Appointed: February 2009
Department that might have handled similar issues: Housing and Urban Development

• Job entails coordinating transportation and housing initiatives, as well as serving as a conduit for federal aid to economically hard-hit cities.
• Has undergraduate degree in world religions from Kings College; became an associate pastor at a Bronx church; earned his master’s degree in urban planning from Hunter College
• Was Bronx Borough President (2001-2009); President of the National Association of Latino Elected Officials (since 2007); City Council member (1998 to 2000)
• Many reporters say he has higher ambitions and will probably run for New York City mayor in the next ten years.
• Was an active campaigner for Obama, travelling across the country to speak on his behalf. He focused particularly on states with large Hispanic populations.
• The NY Daily News reported numerous developers made tens of thousands of dollars in campaign donations to Carrión around the same time he was considering approving their projects in the Bronx.

31. Weapons Czar - Ashton Carter

Title: Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics
Salary: unknown
Reports to: Defense Secretary Robert Gates
Appointed: April 2009
Confirmed by Senate: April 23, 2009
Department that might have handled similar issues: Defense

• Will coordinate the Pentagon's acquisitions, technology and logistics for weapons.
• Will oversee a weapons-buying system that Obama has placed at the top of his list of federal programs he wants to fix and will be asked to quickly weigh in on difficult decisions concerning at least 10 major defense programs, while also instantly dissecting the procurement system’s ailments so he can advise the administration on its Pentagon acquisition reform agenda
• Is a physicist and Harvard academic whose only previous Pentagon stint was in a mid-level policy post from 1993 until 1996 under the Clinton administration
• Graduated from Yale summa cum laude; studied at Oxford University as a Rhodes scholar and earned a doctorate in theoretical physics.
• Chair of Harvard’s International Relations, Science & Security Area International Security Program within the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs; Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Policy (1993 to 1996); Director of the Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard University’s Kennedy School (early 1990s)
• Has donated primarily to Democratic politicians since 2000. He donated $6,900 to then-Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) in 2007 and 2008. He gave the same amount to then Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) during that same span.

32. WMD Policy Czar - Gary Samore

Title: White House Coordinator for Weapons of Mass Destruction, Security and Arms Control
Salary: unknown
Reports to: National Security Advisor Gen. James L. Jones
Appointed: January 2009
Department or agency that might have handled similar issues: NSC; Defense; State

• Will coordinate issues related to weapons of mass destruction across the government. His portfolio includes proliferation, nuclear and conventional arms control, threat reduction, and terrorism involving weapons of mass destruction.
• Position sits within the National Security Council.
• Is a veteran arms control negotiator.
• B.A. in sociology from the State University of New York at Stony Brook and his PhD in government from Harvard University in 1984.
• After brief stints with the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and the RAND Corporation, joined the State Department during the Reagan administration in 1987. Held several positions there, including director of the Office of Regional Non-proliferation Affairs; special assistant to the Ambassador-at-Large for Non-proliferation and Nuclear Energy Policy; and deputy to Ambassador-at-Large for Korean Affairs Robert Gallucci. Helped to negotiate the 1994 U.S.-North Korea Framework Treaty
• Joined the Clinton administration’s National Security Council in 1995 as an adviser on nonproliferation. Coordinated U.S. policy on nuclear, chemical and biological weapons.
• Was Director, Council on Foreign Relations (2006 to 2009); Vice President for Global Security and Sustainability, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation (2005); Researcher, International Institute of Strategic Studies (2001 to 2005)

Whew !!!! And you want to know why we're broke !!??

Welcome to "YOUR GOVERNMENT" !!

Here's the problem with political messages in our school system....
There will NEVER be an end to such "brainwashing" if this is allowed......by any administration trying to use such techniques to further their objectives through indoctrination of our youth. Providing guidance to our school-age children is a parent's job... not the GOVERNMENT's!!!

Obama’s Address to Students Across America September 8, 2009 Menu of Classroom Activities 7-12

The suggested format for Teachers to use:
Grades 7-12
Menu of Classroom Activities: President Obama’s Address to
Students Across America
Produced by Teaching Ambassador Fellows, U.S. Department of Education September 8, 2009

Before the Speech
:


Quick Write or Think/Pair/Share
(Students spend a few minutes Thinking and writing about the question; Paired with another student to discuss, then Sharing their ideas with the class as a whole)
. What do we associate with the words responsibility, persistence, and goals? How would we define each term? A teacher might create a web of student ideas for each of the words.


Quick Write or Brainstorm: What are your strengths? At what are you successful as a person/student? What makes you successful at these efforts? List at least three things you are successful at and why you feel successful with these tasks.


Short readings. Notable quotes excerpted (and posted in large print on board) from
President Obama’s speeches about education. Teacher
might ask students to think alone, compare ideas with a partner, and share their collaborations with the class (Think/Pair/Share) about the following: What are our interpretations of these excerpts? Based on these excerpts, what can we infer the President believes is important to be successful educationally?


Brainstorm or Concept Web: Why does President Obama want to speak with us today? How will he inspire us? How will he challenge us? What might he say?


Brainstorm or Concept Web: What other historic moments do you remember when the President spoke to the nation? What was the impact? Students could create a Cause/Effect graphic organizer.
During the Speech:


Listening with a purpose: personal responsibility, goals, persistence. Teachers might ask pairs of students to create a word bank from the web of any one of the terms (personal responsibility, goals, or persistence) at the top of a double-column style notes page. On the right-hand side, students could take notes while President Obama talks about personal responsibility, or goals, or persistence, trying to capture direct quotations. At the end of the speech, students could then write the corresponding terms from the word bank in the left hand column, to increase retention and deepen their understanding of an important aspect of the speech.


Listening with a purpose: Inspiration and Challenges. Using a similar double-column style notes page as the one above, the teacher could focus students on quotations that either propose a specific challenge to them or inspire them in some meaningful way. Students could do this individually, in pairs or groups. Transition/Quick Review: Teachers could ask students to look over the notes and collaborate in pairs or small groups. What more could we add to our notes? Teachers might circulate and ask students questions such as: What are the most important words in the speech? What title
would you give it? What’s the thesis?

After the Speech: Guided Discussion:


What resonated with you from President Obama’s speech?
What lines/phrases do you remember?


Who is President Obama addressing? How do you know? Describe his audience.


We heard President Obama mention the importance of personal responsibility. In your life, who exemplifies this kind of personal responsibility? How? Give examples.


How are we as individuals and as a class similar? Different?


Suppose President Obama were to give another speech about being educationally successful. Who could he speak to next? Who should be his next audience? Why? What would he say?


What are the three most important words in the speech? Rank them. What title would you give this speech?
What’s the thesis?



What is President Obama inspiring you to do? What is he challenging you to do?


What do you believe are the challenges of your generation?


How can you be a part of addressing these challenges? Video Project:


Teachers could encourage students to participate in the Department of Education’s “I Am What I Learn” video contest.

On September 8th:
the Department will invite K-12 students to submit a video no longer than 2 min, explaining why education is important and how their education will help them achieve their dreams. Teachers are welcome to incorporate the same or a similar video project into an assignment. More details will be released via www.ed.gov
.
Transition:
Teachers could introduce goal setting in the following way to make the most of the extension activities.
“When you set a goal, you envision a target you are going to reach over time. Goals are
best when they are Challenging, Attainable, and Needed (CAN). For example, a good
goal might be “I want to boost my average grade by one letter grade this year so I can show colleges I’m prepared.” But, every good goal also needs steps that guide the way.
These steps keep you on track toward achieving your goal. For example, my first step might be, to improve by a letter grade in all subjects for each report card. My second step: to complete 100% of my homework for all my classes the first week of school. My third step: to study an extra hour for all my tests each marking period. My fourth step:
to attend tutoring or get an adult to help me whenever I don’t understand something.
My last step might be the most important: to ask an adult in my life to check on me
often, to make sure I’
m reaching each of my steps. Your steps should add up to your
goal. If they don’t, that’s okay; we fix them until they do add up!

Let’s hear another example of an academic goal for the year, and decide what steps would achieve that goal…
Now I want you to write your own personal academic goal for this year and steps you will take to achieve it. We can revise our steps each marking period to make sure we
are on track.”

Extension of the Speech: Teachers can extend learning by having students 

Create decorated goals and steps on index card sized material. The index cards could be formatted as an inviting graphic organizer with a space for the goal at the top and several steps in the remaining space. Cards could be hung in the room to create classroom culture of goal setting, persistence and success, and for the purpose of
periodic review. (See “Example Handouts”).



Create posters of their goals. Posters could be formatted in quadrants or puzzle pieces or trails marked as steps. These could also be hung around the room, to be reviewed periodically and to create a classroom culture of goal setting and for the purpose of periodic review.


Interview and share their goals with one another and the class, establishing community support for their goals.


Create incentives or contests for achieving their personal goals.


Write about their goals and steps in a variety of genres, i.e. poems, songs, personal essays.


Create artistic representations of their goals and steps.

Really....all this for "a simple pep talk"?!!



Another example of a recent at "political indoctrination of our children" came here:

Utah Eagle Forum upset over political video shown at elementary school
September 1st, 2009 @ 10:23pm
FARMINGTON -- A video shown at Eagle Bay Elementary School in Farmington has ruffled the feathers of the Utah Eagle Forum which claims it is a political message in support of a "liberal" agenda.

The video, which consists of celebrities pledging support for a variety of causes, was shown on Friday, August 28. The Eagle Forum says it was brought to their attention by concerned parents.

President of the Utah Eagle Forum, Gayle Ruzicka, says the decision to show the video was made by the PTA president and school principal without parental consent.

"I'm very concerned when they show a leftist, liberal political video to elementary-age children without their parents being notified," Ruzicka said.


In a statement to the media, Ruzicka says the "left-wing, liberal, political video shows some useful concepts," but mainly showcases "well-known celebrities pledging and asking viewers to support stem cell research, not flushing the toilet after urinating, not using plastic grocery bags, ‘to sell my obnoxious car and buy a hybrid,' etc." Here's the video:



According to Ruzicka, the PTA has planned to show the video to parents on Thursday, Sept. 3, at Back-to-School Night, but the principal has now decided not to "because she believes it will ‘cause too much controversy.'"

Ruzicka is asking the superintendent to require the Principal, Ophelia Wade, to send all the parents a link to the video before Back-to-School Night and then give them the opportunity to "voice their opinion."

Meanwhile, Wade is apologizing to parents and says she hopes the incident doesn't overshadow the school's effort to motivate students to serve the community.