We are about to start our blog again! Stay tuned.

State of the Union Text 2014

Here please find the text for President Obama's State of the Union speech from last night. As you probably know the United States' President addresses Congress at about this time each year to go over the previous years public policy, achievements and struggles, as well as outline goals for the year ahead.

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Vice President, Members of Congress, my fellow Americans:

Today in America, a teacher spent extra time with a student who needed it, and did her part to lift America’s graduation rate to its highest level in more than three decades.

An entrepreneur flipped on the lights in her tech startup, and did her part to add to the more than eight million new jobs our businesses have created over the past four years. 

An autoworker fine-tuned some of the best, most fuel-efficient cars in the world, and did his part to help America wean itself off foreign oil.

A farmer prepared for the spring after the strongest five-year stretch of farm exports in our history.  A rural doctor gave a young child the first prescription to treat asthma that his mother could afford.  A man took the bus home from the graveyard shift, bone-tired but dreaming big dreams for his son.  And in tight-knit communities across America, fathers and mothers will tuck in their kids, put an arm around their spouse, remember fallen comrades, and give thanks for being home from a war that, after twelve long years, is finally coming to an end.

Tonight, this chamber speaks with one voice to the people we represent: it is you, our citizens, who make the state of our union strong.

Here are the results of your efforts:  The lowest unemployment rate in over five years.  A rebounding housing market.  A manufacturing sector that’s adding jobs for the first time since the 1990s.  More oil produced at home than we buy from the rest of the world – the first time that’s happened in nearly twenty years.  Our deficits – cut by more than half.  And for the first time in over a decade, business leaders around the world have declared that China is no longer the world’s number one place to invest; America is.

That’s why I believe this can be a breakthrough year for America.  After five years of grit and determined effort, the United States is better-positioned for the 21st century than any other nation on Earth.

The question for everyone in this chamber, running through every decision we make this year, is whether we are going to help or hinder this progress.  For several years now, this town has been consumed by a rancorous argument over the proper size of the federal government.  It’s an important debate – one that dates back to our very founding.  But when that debate prevents us from carrying out even the most basic functions of our democracy – when our differences shut down government or threaten the full faith and credit of the United States – then we are not doing right by the American people.

As President, I’m committed to making Washington work better, and rebuilding the trust of the people who sent us here.  I believe most of you are, too.  Last month, thanks to the work of Democrats and Republicans, this Congress finally produced a budget that undoes some of last year’s severe cuts to priorities like education.  Nobody got everything they wanted, and we can still do more to invest in this country’s future while bringing down our deficit in a balanced way.  But the budget compromise should leave us freer to focus on creating new jobs, not creating new crises.

In the coming months, let’s see where else we can make progress together.  Let’s make this a year of action.  That’s what most Americans want – for all of us in this chamber to focus on their lives, their hopes, their aspirations.  And what I believe unites the people of this nation, regardless of race or region or party, young or old, rich or poor, is the simple, profound belief in opportunity for all – the notion that if you work hard and take responsibility, you can get ahead.

Let’s face it: that belief has suffered some serious blows.  Over more than three decades, even before the Great Recession hit, massive shifts in technology and global competition had eliminated a lot of good, middle-class jobs, and weakened the economic foundations that families depend on.

Today, after four years of economic growth, corporate profits and stock prices have rarely been higher, and those at the top have never done better.  But average wages have barely budged.  Inequality has deepened.  Upward mobility has stalled.  The cold, hard fact is that even in the midst of recovery, too many Americans are working more than ever just to get by – let alone get ahead.  And too many still aren’t working at all.

Our job is to reverse these trends.  It won’t happen right away, and we won’t agree on everything.  But what I offer tonight is a set of concrete, practical proposals to speed up growth, strengthen the middle class, and build new ladders of opportunity into the middle class.  Some require Congressional action, and I’m eager to work with all of you.  But America does not stand still – and neither will I.  So wherever and whenever I can take steps without legislation to expand opportunity for more American families, that’s what I’m going to do. 

As usual, our First Lady sets a good example.  Michelle’s Let’s Move partnership with schools, businesses, and local leaders has helped bring down childhood obesity rates for the first time in thirty years – an achievement that will improve lives and reduce health care costs for decades to come.  The Joining Forces alliance that Michelle and Jill Biden launched has already encouraged employers to hire or train nearly 400,000 veterans and military spouses.  Taking a page from that playbook, the White House just organized a College Opportunity Summit where already, 150 universities, businesses, and nonprofits have made concrete commitments to reduce inequality in access to higher education – and help every hardworking kid go to college and succeed when they get to campus.  Across the country, we’re partnering with mayors, governors, and state legislatures on issues from homelessness to marriage equality.

The point is, there are millions of Americans outside Washington who are tired of stale political arguments, and are moving this country forward.  They believe, and I believe, that here in America, our success should depend not on accident of birth, but the strength of our work ethic and the scope of our dreams.  That’s what drew our forebears here.  It’s how the daughter of a factory worker is CEO of America’s largest automaker; how the son of a barkeeper is Speaker of the House; how the son of a single mom can be President of the greatest nation on Earth. 

Opportunity is who we are.  And the defining project of our generation is to restore that promise.

We know where to start: the best measure of opportunity is access to a good job.  With the economy picking up speed, companies say they intend to hire more people this year.  And over half of big manufacturers say they’re thinking of insourcing jobs from abroad.

So let’s make that decision easier for more companies.  Both Democrats and Republicans have argued that our tax code is riddled with wasteful, complicated loopholes that punish businesses investing here, and reward companies that keep profits abroad.  Let’s flip that equation.  Let’s work together to close those loopholes, end those incentives to ship jobs overseas, and lower tax rates for businesses that create jobs here at home.

Moreover, we can take the money we save with this transition to tax reform to create jobs rebuilding our roads, upgrading our ports, unclogging our commutes – because in today’s global economy, first-class jobs gravitate to first-class infrastructure.  We’ll need Congress to protect more than three million jobs by finishing transportation and waterways bills this summer.  But I will act on my own to slash bureaucracy and streamline the permitting process for key projects, so we can get more construction workers on the job as fast as possible.

We also have the chance, right now, to beat other countries in the race for the next wave of high-tech manufacturing jobs.  My administration has launched two hubs for high-tech manufacturing in Raleigh and Youngstown, where we’ve connected businesses to research universities that can help America lead the world in advanced technologies.  Tonight, I’m announcing we’ll launch six more this year.  Bipartisan bills in both houses could double the number of these hubs and the jobs they create.  So get those bills to my desk and put more Americans back to work.

Let’s do more to help the entrepreneurs and small business owners who create most new jobs in America.  Over the past five years, my administration has made more loans to small business owners than any other.  And when ninety-eight percent of our exporters are small businesses, new trade partnerships with Europe and the Asia-Pacific will help them create more jobs.  We need to work together on tools like bipartisan trade promotion authority to protect our workers, protect our environment, and open new markets to new goods stamped “Made in the USA.”  China and Europe aren’t standing on the sidelines.  Neither should we.

We know that the nation that goes all-in on innovation today will own the global economy tomorrow.  This is an edge America cannot surrender.  Federally-funded research helped lead to the ideas and inventions behind Google and smartphones.  That’s why Congress should undo the damage done by last year’s cuts to basic research so we can unleash the next great American discovery – whether it’s vaccines that stay ahead of drug-resistant bacteria, or paper-thin material that’s stronger than steel.  And let’s pass a patent reform bill that allows our businesses to stay focused on innovation, not costly, needless litigation.

Now, one of the biggest factors in bringing more jobs back is our commitment to American energy.  The all-of-the-above energy strategy I announced a few years ago is working, and today, America is closer to energy independence than we’ve been in decades.

One of the reasons why is natural gas – if extracted safely, it’s the bridge fuel that can power our economy with less of the carbon pollution that causes climate change.  Businesses plan to invest almost $100 billion in new factories that use natural gas.  I’ll cut red tape to help states get those factories built, and this Congress can help by putting people to work building fueling stations that shift more cars and trucks from foreign oil to American natural gas.  My administration will keep working with the industry to sustain production and job growth while strengthening protection of our air, our water, and our communities.  And while we’re at it, I’ll use my authority to protect more of our pristine federal lands for future generations.

It’s not just oil and natural gas production that’s booming; we’re becoming a global leader in solar, too.  Every four minutes, another American home or business goes solar; every panel pounded into place by a worker whose job can’t be outsourced.  Let’s continue that progress with a smarter tax policy that stops giving $4 billion a year to fossil fuel industries that don’t need it, so that we can invest more in fuels of the future that do.

And even as we’ve increased energy production, we’ve partnered with businesses, builders, and local communities to reduce the energy we consume.  When we rescued our automakers, for example, we worked with them to set higher fuel efficiency standards for our cars.  In the coming months, I’ll build on that success by setting new standards for our trucks, so we can keep driving down oil imports and what we pay at the pump.

Taken together, our energy policy is creating jobs and leading to a cleaner, safer planet.  Over the past eight years, the United States has reduced our total carbon pollution more than any other nation on Earth.  But we have to act with more urgency – because a changing climate is already harming western communities struggling with drought, and coastal cities dealing with floods.  That’s why I directed my administration to work with states, utilities, and others to set new standards on the amount of carbon pollution our power plants are allowed to dump into the air.  The shift to a cleaner energy economy won’t happen overnight, and it will require tough choices along the way.  But the debate is settled.  Climate change is a fact.  And when our children’s children look us in the eye and ask if we did all we could to leave them a safer, more stable world, with new sources of energy, I want us to be able to say yes, we did.

Finally, if we are serious about economic growth, it is time to heed the call of business leaders, labor leaders, faith leaders, and law enforcement – and fix our broken immigration system.  Republicans and Democrats in the Senate have acted.  I know that members of both parties in the House want to do the same.  Independent economists say immigration reform will grow our economy and shrink our deficits by almost $1 trillion in the next two decades.  And for good reason: when people come here to fulfill their dreams – to study, invent, and contribute to our culture – they make our country a more attractive place for businesses to locate and create jobs for everyone.  So let’s get immigration reform done this year.

The ideas I’ve outlined so far can speed up growth and create more jobs.  But in this rapidly-changing economy, we have to make sure that every American has the skills to fill those jobs.

The good news is, we know how to do it.  Two years ago, as the auto industry came roaring back, Andra Rush opened up a manufacturing firm in Detroit.  She knew that Ford needed parts for the best-selling truck in America, and she knew how to make them.  She just needed the workforce.  So she dialed up what we call an American Job Center – places where folks can walk in to get the help or training they need to find a new job, or better job.  She was flooded with new workers.  And today, Detroit Manufacturing Systems has more than 700 employees.

What Andra and her employees experienced is how it should be for every employer – and every job seeker.  So tonight, I’ve asked Vice President Biden to lead an across-the-board reform of America’s training programs to make sure they have one mission: train Americans with the skills employers need, and match them to good jobs that need to be filled right now.  That means more on-the-job training, and more apprenticeships that set a young worker on an upward trajectory for life.  It means connecting companies to community colleges that can help design training to fill their specific needs.  And if Congress wants to help, you can concentrate funding on proven programs that connect more ready-to-work Americans with ready-to-be-filled jobs.

I’m also convinced we can help Americans return to the workforce faster by reforming unemployment insurance so that it’s more effective in today’s economy.  But first, this Congress needs to restore the unemployment insurance you just let expire for 1.6 million people.

Let me tell you why.

Misty DeMars is a mother of two young boys. She’d been steadily employed since she was a teenager.  She put herself through college.  She’d never collected unemployment benefits.  In May, she and her husband used their life savings to buy their first home.  A week later, budget cuts claimed the job she loved.  Last month, when their unemployment insurance was cut off, she sat down and wrote me a letter – the kind I get every day.  “We are the face of the unemployment crisis,” she wrote.  “I am not dependent on the government…Our country depends on people like us who build careers, contribute to society…care about our neighbors…I am confident that in time I will find a job…I will pay my taxes, and we will raise our children in their own home in the community we love.  Please give us this chance.”

Congress, give these hardworking, responsible Americans that chance.  They need our help, but more important, this country needs them in the game.  That’s why I’ve been asking CEOs to give more long-term unemployed workers a fair shot at that new job and new chance to support their families; this week, many will come to the White House to make that commitment real.  Tonight, I ask every business leader in America to join us and to do the same – because we are stronger when America fields a full team. 

Of course, it’s not enough to train today’s workforce.  We also have to prepare tomorrow’s workforce, by guaranteeing every child access to a world-class education.

Estiven Rodriguez couldn’t speak a word of English when he moved to New York City at age nine.  But last month, thanks to the support of great teachers and an innovative tutoring program, he led a march of his classmates – through a crowd of cheering parents and neighbors – from their high school to the post office, where they mailed off their college applications.  And this son of a factory worker just found out he’s going to college this fall.

Five years ago, we set out to change the odds for all our kids.  We worked with lenders to reform student loans, and today, more young people are earning college degrees than ever before.  Race to the Top, with the help of governors from both parties, has helped states raise expectations and performance.  Teachers and principals in schools from Tennessee to Washington, D.C. are making big strides in preparing students with skills for the new economy – problem solving, critical thinking, science, technology, engineering, and math.  Some of this change is hard.  It requires everything from more challenging curriculums and more demanding parents to better support for teachers and new ways to measure how well our kids think, not how well they can fill in a bubble on a test.  But it’s worth it – and it’s working. 

The problem is we’re still not reaching enough kids, and we’re not reaching them in time.  That has to change. 

Research shows that one of the best investments we can make in a child’s life is high-quality early education.  Last year, I asked this Congress to help states make high-quality pre-K available to every four year-old.  As a parent as well as a President, I repeat that request tonight. But in the meantime, thirty states have raised pre-k funding on their own.  They know we can’t wait.  So just as we worked with states to reform our schools, this year, we’ll invest in new partnerships with states and communities across the country in a race to the top for our youngest children.  And as Congress decides what it’s going to do, I’m going to pull together a coalition of elected officials, business leaders, and philanthropists willing to help more kids access the high-quality pre-K they need.

Last year, I also pledged to connect 99 percent of our students to high-speed broadband over the next four years.  Tonight, I can announce that with the support of the FCC and companies like Apple, Microsoft, Sprint, and Verizon, we’ve got a down payment to start connecting more than 15,000 schools and twenty million students over the next two years, without adding a dime to the deficit. 

We’re working to redesign high schools and partner them with colleges and employers that offer the real-world education and hands-on training that can lead directly to a job and career.  We’re shaking up our system of higher education to give parents more information, and colleges more incentives to offer better value, so that no middle-class kid is priced out of a college education.  We’re offering millions the opportunity to cap their monthly student loan payments to ten percent of their income, and I want to work with Congress to see how we can help even more Americans who feel trapped by student loan debt.  And I’m reaching out to some of America’s leading foundations and corporations on a new initiative to help more young men of color facing tough odds stay on track and reach their full potential.

The bottom line is, Michelle and I want every child to have the same chance this country gave us.  But we know our opportunity agenda won’t be complete – and too many young people entering the workforce today will see the American Dream as an empty promise – unless we do more to make sure our economy honors the dignity of work, and hard work pays off for every single American. 

Today, women make up about half our workforce.  But they still make 77 cents for every dollar a man earns.  That is wrong, and in 2014, it’s an embarrassment. A woman deserves equal pay for equal work.  She deserves to have a baby without sacrificing her job.  A mother deserves a day off to care for a sick child or sick parent without running into hardship – and you know what, a father does, too.  It’s time to do away with workplace policies that belong in a “Mad Men” episode.  This year, let’s all come together – Congress, the White House, and businesses from Wall Street to Main Street – to give every woman the opportunity she deserves.  Because I firmly believe when women succeed, America succeeds.

Now, women hold a majority of lower-wage jobs – but they’re not the only ones stifled by stagnant wages.  Americans understand that some people will earn more than others, and we don’t resent those who, by virtue of their efforts, achieve incredible success.  But Americans overwhelmingly agree that no one who works full time should ever have to raise a family in poverty.

In the year since I asked this Congress to raise the minimum wage, five states have passed laws to raise theirs.  Many businesses have done it on their own.  Nick Chute is here tonight with his boss, John Soranno.  John’s an owner of Punch Pizza in Minneapolis, and Nick helps make the dough.  Only now he makes more of it: John just gave his employees a raise, to ten bucks an hour – a decision that eased their financial stress and boosted their morale.

Tonight, I ask more of America’s business leaders to follow John’s lead and do what you can to raise your employees’ wages.  To every mayor, governor, and state legislator in America, I say, you don’t have to wait for Congress to act; Americans will support you if you take this on.  And as a chief executive, I intend to lead by example. Profitable corporations like Costco see higher wages as the smart way to boost productivity and reduce turnover. We should too.  In the coming weeks, I will issue an Executive Order requiring federal contractors to pay their federally-funded employees a fair wage of at least $10.10 an hour – because if you cook our troops’ meals or wash their dishes, you shouldn’t have to live in poverty.

Of course, to reach millions more, Congress needs to get on board. Today, the federal minimum wage is worth about twenty percent less than it was when Ronald Reagan first stood here.  Tom Harkin and George Miller have a bill to fix that by lifting the minimum wage to $10.10.  This will help families.  It will give businesses customers with more money to spend.  It doesn’t involve any new bureaucratic program.  So join the rest of the country.  Say yes.  Give America a raise.

There are other steps we can take to help families make ends meet, and few are more effective at reducing inequality and helping families pull themselves up through hard work than the Earned Income Tax Credit.  Right now, it helps about half of all parents at some point.  But I agree with Republicans like Senator Rubio that it doesn’t do enough for single workers who don’t have kids.  So let’s work together to strengthen the credit, reward work, and help more Americans get ahead.

Let’s do more to help Americans save for retirement. Today, most workers don’t have a pension.  A Social Security check often isn’t enough on its own.  And while the stock market has doubled over the last five years, that doesn’t help folks who don’t have 401ks.  That’s why, tomorrow, I will direct the Treasury to create a new way for working Americans to start their own retirement savings: MyRA. It’s a new savings bond that encourages folks to build a nest egg.  MyRA guarantees a decent return with no risk of losing what you put in.  And if this Congress wants to help, work with me to fix an upside-down tax code that gives big tax breaks to help the wealthy save, but does little to nothing for middle-class Americans.  Offer every American access to an automatic IRA on the job, so they can save at work just like everyone in this chamber can.  And since the most important investment many families make is their home, send me legislation that protects taxpayers from footing the bill for a housing crisis ever again, and keeps the dream of homeownership alive for future generations of Americans.

One last point on financial security.  For decades, few things exposed hard-working families to economic hardship more than a broken health care system.  And in case you haven’t heard, we’re in the process of fixing that.

A pre-existing condition used to mean that someone like Amanda Shelley, a physician assistant and single mom from Arizona, couldn’t get health insurance.  But on January 1st, she got covered.  On January 3rd, she felt a sharp pain.  On January 6th, she had emergency surgery.  Just one week earlier, Amanda said, that surgery would’ve meant bankruptcy.

That’s what health insurance reform is all about – the peace of mind that if misfortune strikes, you don’t have to lose everything. 

Already, because of the Affordable Care Act, more than three million Americans under age 26 have gained coverage under their parents’ plans.

More than nine million Americans have signed up for private health insurance or Medicaid coverage.

And here’s another number: zero.  Because of this law, no American can ever again be dropped or denied coverage for a preexisting condition like asthma, back pain, or cancer. No woman can ever be charged more just because she’s a woman.  And we did all this while adding years to Medicare’s finances, keeping Medicare premiums flat, and lowering prescription costs for millions of seniors.

Now, I don’t expect to convince my Republican friends on the merits of this law.  But I know that the American people aren’t interested in refighting old battles.  So again, if you have specific plans to cut costs, cover more people, and increase choice – tell America what you’d do differently.  Let’s see if the numbers add up.  But let’s not have another forty-something votes to repeal a law that’s already helping millions of Americans like Amanda.  The first forty were plenty.  We got it.  We all owe it to the American people to say what we’re for, not just what we’re against. 

And if you want to know the real impact this law is having, just talk to Governor Steve Beshear of Kentucky, who’s here tonight.  Kentucky’s not the most liberal part of the country, but he’s like a man possessed when it comes to covering his commonwealth’s families.  “They are our friends and neighbors,” he said.  “They are people we shop and go to church with…farmers out on the tractors…grocery clerks…they are people who go to work every morning praying they don’t get sick.  No one deserves to live that way.” 

Steve’s right.  That’s why, tonight, I ask every American who knows someone without health insurance to help them get covered by March 31st.  Moms, get on your kids to sign up.  Kids, call your mom and walk her through the application.  It will give her some peace of mind – plus, she’ll appreciate hearing from you. 

After all, that’s the spirit that has always moved this nation forward.  It’s the spirit of citizenship – the recognition that through hard work and responsibility, we can pursue our individual dreams, but still come together as one American family to make sure the next generation can pursue its dreams as well.

Citizenship means standing up for everyone’s right to vote.  Last year, part of the Voting Rights Act was weakened.  But conservative Republicans and liberal Democrats are working together to strengthen it; and the bipartisan commission I appointed last year has offered reforms so that no one has to wait more than a half hour to vote.  Let’s support these efforts.  It should be the power of our vote, not the size of our bank account, that drives our democracy.

Citizenship means standing up for the lives that gun violence steals from us each day.  I have seen the courage of parents, students, pastors, and police officers all over this country who say “we are not afraid,” and I intend to keep trying, with or without Congress, to help stop more tragedies from visiting innocent Americans in our movie theaters, shopping malls, or schools like Sandy Hook.

Citizenship demands a sense of common cause; participation in the hard work of self-government; an obligation to serve to our communities.  And I know this chamber agrees that few Americans give more to their country than our diplomats and the men and women of the United States Armed Forces.

Tonight, because of the extraordinary troops and civilians who risk and lay down their lives to keep us free, the United States is more secure.  When I took office, nearly 180,000 Americans were serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Today, all our troops are out of Iraq.  More than 60,000 of our troops have already come home from Afghanistan.  With Afghan forces now in the lead for their own security, our troops have moved to a support role. Together with our allies, we will complete our mission there by the end of this year, and America’s longest war will finally be over.

After 2014, we will support a unified Afghanistan as it takes responsibility for its own future.  If the Afghan government signs a security agreement that we have negotiated, a small force of Americans could remain in Afghanistan with NATO allies to carry out two narrow missions: training and assisting Afghan forces, and counterterrorism operations to pursue any remnants of al Qaeda.  For while our relationship with Afghanistan will change, one thing will not: our resolve that terrorists do not launch attacks against our country.

The fact is, that danger remains.  While we have put al Qaeda’s core leadership on a path to defeat, the threat has evolved, as al Qaeda affiliates and other extremists take root in different parts of the world. In Yemen, Somalia, Iraq, and Mali, we have to keep working with partners to disrupt and disable these networks. In Syria, we’ll support the opposition that rejects  the agenda of terrorist networks. Here at home, we’ll keep strengthening our defenses, and combat new threats like cyberattacks.  And as we reform our defense budget, we have to keep faith with our men and women in uniform, and invest in the capabilities they need to succeed in future missions.

We have to remain vigilant.  But I strongly believe our leadership and our security cannot depend on our military alone. As Commander-in-Chief, I have used force when needed to protect the American people, and I will never hesitate to do so as long as I hold this office.  But I will not send our troops into harm’s way unless it’s truly necessary; nor will I allow our sons and daughters to be mired in open-ended conflicts.  We must fight the battles that need to be fought, not those that terrorists prefer from us – large-scale deployments that drain our strength and may ultimately feed extremism.

So, even as we aggressively pursue terrorist networks – through more targeted efforts and by building the capacity of our foreign partners – America must move off a permanent war footing.  That’s why I’ve imposed prudent limits on the use of drones – for we will not be safer if people abroad believe we strike within their countries without regard for the consequence.  That’s why, working with this Congress, I will reform our surveillance programs – because the vital work of our intelligence community depends on public confidence, here and abroad, that the privacy of ordinary people is not being violated.  And with the Afghan war ending, this needs to be the year Congress lifts the remaining restrictions on detainee transfers and we close the prison at Guantanamo Bay – because we counter terrorism not just through intelligence and military action, but by remaining true to our Constitutional ideals, and setting an example for the rest of the world.

You see, in a world of complex threats, our security and leadership depends on all elements of our power – including strong and principled diplomacy.  American diplomacy has rallied more than fifty countries to prevent nuclear materials from falling into the wrong hands, and allowed us to reduce our own reliance on Cold War stockpiles.  American diplomacy, backed by the threat of force, is why Syria’s chemical weapons are being eliminated, and we will continue to work with the international community to usher in the future the Syrian people deserve – a future free of dictatorship, terror and fear. As we speak, American diplomacy is supporting Israelis and Palestinians as they engage in difficult but necessary talks to end the conflict there; to achieve dignity and an independent state for Palestinians, and lasting peace and security for the State of Israel – a Jewish state that knows America will always be at their side.

And it is American diplomacy, backed by pressure, that has halted the progress of Iran’s nuclear program – and rolled parts of that program back – for the very first time in a decade.  As we gather here tonight, Iran has begun to eliminate its stockpile of higher levels of enriched uranium.  It is not installing advanced centrifuges.  Unprecedented inspections help the world verify, every day, that Iran is not building a bomb.  And with our allies and partners, we’re engaged in negotiations to see if we can peacefully achieve a goal we all share: preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

These negotiations will be difficult.  They may not succeed.  We are clear-eyed about Iran’s support for terrorist organizations like Hezbollah, which threaten our allies; and the mistrust between our nations cannot be wished away.  But these negotiations do not rely on trust; any long-term deal we agree to must be based on verifiable action that convinces us and the international community that Iran is not building a nuclear bomb.  If John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan could negotiate with the Soviet Union, then surely a strong and confident America can negotiate with less powerful adversaries today.

The sanctions that we put in place helped make this opportunity possible.  But let me be clear: if this Congress sends me a new sanctions bill now that threatens to derail these talks, I will veto it.  For the sake of our national security, we must give diplomacy a chance to succeed.  If Iran’s leaders do not seize this opportunity, then I will be the first to call for more sanctions, and stand ready to exercise all options to make sure Iran does not build a nuclear weapon.  But if Iran’s leaders do seize the chance, then Iran could take an important step to rejoin the community of nations, and we will have resolved one of the leading security challenges of our time without the risks of war.

Finally, let’s remember that our leadership is defined not just by our defense against threats, but by the enormous opportunities to do good and promote understanding around the globe – to forge greater cooperation, to expand new markets, to free people from fear and want.  And no one is better positioned to take advantage of those opportunities than America. 

Our alliance with Europe remains the strongest the world has ever known.  From Tunisia to Burma, we’re supporting those who are willing to do the hard work of building democracy.  In Ukraine, we stand for the principle that all people have the right to express themselves freely and peacefully, and have a say in their country’s future.  Across Africa, we’re bringing together businesses and governments to double access to electricity and help end extreme poverty.  In the Americas, we are building new ties of commerce, but we’re also expanding cultural and educational exchanges among young people.  And we will continue to focus on the Asia-Pacific, where we support our allies, shape a future of greater security and prosperity, and extend a hand to those devastated by disaster – as we did in the Philippines, when our Marines and civilians rushed to aid those battered by a typhoon, and were greeted with words like, “We will never forget your kindness” and “God bless America!”

We do these things because they help promote our long-term security.  And we do them because we believe in the inherent dignity and equality of every human being, regardless of race or religion, creed or sexual orientation.  And next week, the world will see one expression of that commitment – when Team USA marches the red, white, and blue into the Olympic Stadium – and brings home the gold.

My fellow Americans, no other country in the world does what we do.  On every issue, the world turns to us, not simply because of the size of our economy or our military might – but because of the ideals we stand for, and the burdens we bear to advance them.

No one knows this better than those who serve in uniform.  As this time of war draws to a close, a new generation of heroes returns to civilian life.  We’ll keep slashing that backlog so our veterans receive the benefits they’ve earned, and our wounded warriors receive the health care – including the mental health care – that they need.  We’ll keep working to help all our veterans translate their skills and leadership into jobs here at home.  And we all continue to join forces to honor and support our remarkable military families.

Let me tell you about one of those families I’ve come to know.

I first met Cory Remsburg, a proud Army Ranger, at Omaha Beach on the 65th anniversary of D-Day.  Along with some of his fellow Rangers, he walked me through the program – a strong, impressive young man, with an easy manner, sharp as a tack.  We joked around, and took pictures, and I told him to stay in touch.

A few months later, on his tenth deployment, Cory was nearly killed by a massive roadside bomb in Afghanistan. His comrades found him in a canal, face down, underwater, shrapnel in his brain. 

For months, he lay in a coma.  The next time I met him, in the hospital, he couldn’t speak; he could barely move.  Over the years, he’s endured dozens of surgeries and procedures, and hours of grueling rehab every day. 

Even now, Cory is still blind in one eye.  He still struggles on his left side.  But slowly, steadily, with the support of caregivers like his dad Craig, and the community around him, Cory has grown stronger. Day by day, he’s learned to speak again and stand again and walk again – and he’s working toward the day when he can serve his country again. 

“My recovery has not been easy,” he says. “Nothing in life that’s worth anything is easy.” 

Cory is here tonight.  And like the Army he loves, like the America he serves, Sergeant First Class Cory Remsburg never gives up, and he does not quit. 

My fellow Americans, men and women like Cory remind us that America has never come easy.  Our freedom, our democracy, has never been easy.  Sometimes we stumble; we make mistakes; we get frustrated or discouraged.  But for more than two hundred years, we have put those things aside and placed our collective shoulder to the wheel of progress – to create and build and expand the possibilities of individual achievement; to free other nations from tyranny and fear; to promote justice, and fairness, and equality under the law, so that the words set to paper by our founders are made real for every citizen.  The America we want for our kids – a rising America where honest work is plentiful and communities are strong; where prosperity is widely shared and opportunity for all lets us go as far as our dreams and toil will take us – none of it is easy.  But if we work together; if we summon what is best in us, with our feet planted firmly in today but our eyes cast towards tomorrow – I know it’s within our reach. 

Believe it.

God bless you, and God bless the United States of America.

Potential Senate Campaign for Giffords

Arizona Representative Gabrielle Giffords, (D) is steadily recovering from a gunshot wound to the head that she sustained during an attack at a political event earlier this year. Despite the intense injury, there are rumblings that Giffords may run as a prime Senatorial candidate in an effort to replace Republican Senator Jon Kyl, who is vacating his seat next year.

According to a New York Times article, Giffords' aides and supporters are currently focused on her health rather than politics, as she is still in the hospital. Giffords' husband, astronaut Mark Kelley, is highly optimistic about her recovery, claiming that "she is improving everyday" in terms of memory, walking, and talking. Giffords was among those wounded during her "Congress on Your Corner" event on January 8th, when a gunman opened fire, leaving 6 people dead and 19 injured.

Giffords had expressed interest in running for the Senate before the January shooting, and politically speaking, as a third term representative, she has a strong chance at winning a nomination. Other Democratic hopefuls have expressed support of Giffords recovery and her possible candidacy: one stated that any Democrat running against her "would be doomed." Another hopeful and friend of Giffords, Fred DuVal, has said he will run only if Giffords opts out. However, pending recovery, even a popular Blue Dog Democrat like Giffords still faces fierce competition in a state as red as Arizona.

Libyan Loyalists Face Military Opposition by West

In a self-proclaimed effort to protect Libyan citizens from Colonel Qaddafi's forces, both American and European forces launched airstrikes on Saturday March, 19th, across the country's key cities. The military intervention was passed by the UN Security Council in favor of a no-fly zone on Thursday night, with varying degrees of support.

On Friday the 18th, President Obama issued a strong statement to Col. Quaddafi, calling for an immediate cease-fire, saying his demands were not negotiable, and claiming that military intervention by the United States would be a consequence of any continuing violence. The New York Times reports that the President said he was forced to act because Qaddafi has shown "no mercy to his own citizens." While Qaddafi paid lip service to the warning, stating he would pull back, the attacks on rebel forces continued in Benghazi, and other key areas. As a result, France, Britain, and the United States unleashed warplanes and missiles on Saturday afternoon.

President Obama portrayed the US in a supporting role, saying that Britain, France and Arab nations would take the lead, and that NATO could offer more leverage over as days go on. Indeed, as of this morning, NATO is meeting in Brussels to try to negotiate how the organization can undergird the no-fly zone.

The UN-backed vote passed 10-0, however, both Russia and China abstained from voting, and each country has expressed strong disapproval of military action. According to the Washington Post, Russian Prime Minster, Vladmir Putin, likened the assault to "medieval calls for crusades." Germany also abstained from voting, while Spain, Norway, and Denmark supported the no-fly zone resolution. Even Italy, who has strong ties to its former African colony due to oil, has sent military forces to Libya. Some Arab League leaders expressed support, while other were reluctant due to the potential for civilian deaths that airstrikes often pose.

Obama has pledged that this action will not involve ground troops, and this intervention is largely being carried out with Navy and Air force soldiers, due to the larger Army presence in Iraq and Afghanistan. The US Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates, issued a statement that the current military operation is not focused on Qaddafi himself, but on the protection of Libyan civilians and rebels, as not to violate UN-approved mandate.

To read more, visit these sites:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/20/world/africa/20libya.html?scp=2&sq=libya&st=cse

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/us-jets-strike-gaddafis-forces-coalition-continues-hitting-libyan-air-defenses/2011/03/20/ABgFNa3_story_1.html

Tea Party Prominence Threatens Conservative Candidates

Tea Partyers have rallied throughout Utah since the 2009 Taxpayer March on Washington. Add in the fact that Mormons tend to be politically conservative, and one can see why the Beehive state has been rendered a cozy haven Tea Party idealists. Three key politicians, Utah Senator Orrin Hatch (R), former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney (R), and former governor of Utah, Jon M. Huntsman Jr. (R), are Mormon. The latter two are also GOP presidential candidate hopefuls, while Hatch is carefully courting conservative voters in an effort to win his seventh sojourn in Washington.

Why is Hatch so attentive to his potential supporters? It turns out that Utah's Mormon Tea Party members are looking for more conservatism in their candidates. According to the New York Times, David Kirkman, a business man who founded one of Utah's first Tea Party groups, the Tea Party "opposes all three" candidates due to their individual actions.

Romney has been criticized because of his support of state healthcare legislation in Massachusetts, which makes healthcare compulsory in the Baystate, and was passed during his tenure as governor. Many Tea Partyers see Massachusetts healthcare laws as a model for the the Obama-proposed plan, which they interpret and ideologically oppose, as a big government stronghold. Huntsman, who announced his resignation of ambassadorship to China in January, had taken a fairly moderate position on key social issues and "supported carbon emissions cap-and trade legislation to reduce heat-trapping gases." Those bipartisan stances are deal breakers for Tea Party voters.

And only last year, veteran Utah GOP Senator Robert Bennett lost what would have been his 4th term to the Tea Party candidate, Mike Lee. Hatch faces a battle for his re-election for the same ideological reasons that thwarted Bennett. Therefore, he's taking a pro-active stance by seeking out prominent tea party members in the community, and taking a hard line anti-Washington stance. In addition, he's against same-sex marriage, the national healthcare reforms, and gives no leeway to unions.

Only time will tell if Hatch's strategy will secure his long-running political career as a Utah Senator, and, if Romney and Huntsman can make headway among such staunchly conservative citizens.

To read more, visit:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/in-utah-sen-hatch-courts-tea-partyers-one-by-one-in-quest-for-survival/2011/03/01/ABieqTP_story.html

Wisconsin Cuts Bargaining for Public Workers

Three weeks of Senate stalemate in Wisconsin may have come to an end, after Republican senators voted to pass a controversial bill late last night. The bill, proposed by new Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, is supposed to address current budget issues by limiting public employee benefits, and collective bargaining rights, more specifically. While large anti-bill demonstrations have been a staple outside the state Capital building in Madison over the last month, now groups are protesting the voting measures in addition to the bill itself.

On Wednesday, March 10th, 19 Republican senators strategically trimmed the bill of fiscal policy measures that would render the 20-senator quorum necessary. The senators voted 18 to 1 to pass the bill, without any debate and without a single Democratic counterpart present. The 14 Democratic senators had fled to Illinois in hopes of blocking a vote by absence, and their plan proved unsuccessful. The passage of the bill and the tactics taken to vote on it may threaten the job security for the Republican senators and the governor himself, as recall petitions are being passed around by citizens.

According to The Washington Post, Gov. Walker applauded the Republican strategy, stating it allows leaders to "stand up to the status quo and take a step in the right direction to balance the budget and reform government." The bill that passed targets Unions by limiting bargaining to issues of wags and raises only, unless the public concedes in a referendum. In addition, it does not allow compulsory union dues form members, or let dues be taken from a worker's paycheck. Workers would also have to pay for more of their healthcare.

Walker cited the current economy as impetus for the bill, which was proposed as a fiscal initiative, but voted through without those measures. Walker states that the bill will help create jobs by freeing up money to fill gaps in the current budget, and keeping taxes from rising in his biennial budget proposal. A Rasmussen poll last week, however, reported that 57 percent of likely voters in the state disapprove Walker's sojourn in office so far.

To read more, visit the New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/10/us/10wisconsin.html?pagewanted=2&hp&adxnnlx=1299765656-KoE6D5AyjZ%20BWim4IfIOBQ

International Responses: Conflict of Resolutions in Libya

Libya appears to be in the throes of a full-on civil war, with violence escalating throughout the country. Indeed, loyalists are reportedly sniping from rooftops, storming houses, and carrying out airstrikes. Bombing by pro-Qaddafi forces began on Monday, March 7th, targeting the western city of Zawiyah. Loyalists are also closing in on Ras Lanuf, the location of a sizable oil refinery, yet, the opposition appears to be holding Benghazi and Zawiyah, despite heavy air raids.

Bodies line the streets in Zawiyah, which has been under heavy shelling for five days. Numbers of injuries and casualities remain undetermined, but it can be assumed that the total is steadily rising in Tripoli, Misurata, and other cities. According to Al Jazeera sources, some estimates range into the thousands. Numbers of refugees fleeing Libya are said to be around 215,000, and according to the UNHCR, foreign workers are being forced to leave at gunpoint for the Sudanese, Tunisian, and Egyptian borders.

There are reports that Qaddafi's government is negotiating with opposition forces regarding a potential step down from power. The New York Times, wrote that the Head of National Opposition Council, Mustafa Abdel Jalil, claimed that rebel forces were approached by a government official with demands that Qaddafi be able to keep his assets, evade prosecution for war crimes, and secure a safe passage for him and his family, if he leaves Libya within 72 hours. An official of the Provisional Transitional National Council, however, Abdel Hafiz-Ghoga, asserted that there was no truth behind such negotiations. Indeed, such allegations are suspicious, considering not long ago Qaddafi himself vowed to fight "to the last drop of blood."

As brutalities multiply in Libya, foreign policy leaders are conflicted. Most rebel forces voice a desire for a no-fly zone to fortify their few strategic advantages, but they not want direct military intervention. The international community, however, risks losing support from Russia and China if a no-fly zone were carried out. In addition, such a plan is difficult to authorize by legal international standards, and Britain and France are in discussions to bring about a United Nations resolution.

The Arab League is said to be meeting on Friday to discuss options for the current violence, and word from the African Union is coming in regards to solutions. President Obama has called the violence in Libya "unacceptable."

Link to an interactive map from the NY Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/02/25/world/middleeast/map-of-how-the-protests-unfolded-in-libya.html?ref=africa

Read more:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/03/07/AR2011030701703.html?hpid=topnews

Protests Continue in Yemen

This week, Amabassador Tom Krajeski is coming to UMASS Amherst to lecture and lead a discussion on Yemen, and current events throughout the Middle East. The timing is apt, as protesters have returned to the streets in Sanaa, Yemen, on Tuesday for a "Day of Rage".

Protesters for and against President Ali Abdullah Saleh were joined by an alleged former mentor to Osama bin Laden, cleric Sheik Abdul Majid al-Zindani. Zindani, whom the US claims has ties to al-Qaeda, called for Saleh to step down in order to make Yemen an Islamic state. At this point, many anti-government factions are looking for the support of Zindani, while others express ambivalence about the strong religious sentiments.

Both The New York Times and Al-Jazeera report that Saleh is laying blame for protests at the feet of the United States and Israel, claiming they are responsible for destabilizing Yemen and the entire region. The Times contends that the US has been Mr. Saleh’s most powerful Western backer during his three decades in power.

24 people are reported dead so far in the Yemeni protests that have spanned about a month thus far.

Ambassador Krajeski will speak about these events, among others, at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst on Thursday March 3rd at 5pm in Thompson Hall, 106.

For more on Ambassador Krajeski

http://www.ndu.edu/info/LeadershipBios/Krajeski.cfm

Violence Boils Over in Libya

Protests in Libya are entering their second week, as Libyan leader Colonel Muammar el-Qaddafi claimed that he would 'die as a martyr' before resigning, according to an article in the Washington Post. Unrest has been intensifying between Qaddafi loyalists and anti-government protesters, and forces on both side are clashing in the Libyan capital of Tripoli, in Benghazi and throughout the North African Country.

When opposition groups gathered in Tripoli's Green Square on Monday, they were met with open gunfire on the ground, and by helicopter, from pro-Qaddafi forces. Exact numbers of dead and wounded are unknown, but estimates range between 300 to 500. Libya's second biggest city, Benghazi, is most recent target of violence for both civilians and military deserters.

Libyan diplomats and religious leaders are voicing their discontent about the assaults. According to Al Jazeera, Ibrahim Dabbashi, who is Libya's deputy ambassador, claimed that current events are a "genocide against the Libyan people." Libya's ambassador to the United States has declared his resignation, and he called on the US to "raise its voice very strongly" to help topple the 68 year-old dictator. In addition, an influential Muslim cleric, Yusuf al-Qaradawi, has issued a fatwa on Qaddafi's life, which is tantamount to calling for a vigilante assassination.

UN Security forces are to meet with Arab Union Leaders today to discuss the bloodshed. Both the US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton and the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon strongly condemn the ongoing violence towards the anti-government protesters.

Qaddafi's regime has been in power since 1969, when he successfully led bloodless coup at the age of 27.

Read more below:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/23/world/africa/23libya.html?_r=1&hp

A useful map:

http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2011/02/22/world/africa/22libyaGraphicA.html?ref=africa

Civic Initiative Speaker Series: "Yemen: The Next War"

The Civic Initiative Speaker Series will continue this month with a lecture and discussion by Ambassador Thomas C. Krajeski, who is currently the Senior Vice President of the University. The ambassador will speak about current affairs in the Middle East, and Yemen, more specifically.

Throughout his diplomatic career, Mr. Krajeski served as the Senior Advisor on Northern Iraqi Affairs in Baghdad in 2008-2009, working to delineate the permanent boundary of Iraqi Kurdistan. On July 30, 2004, he was sworn in as the American Ambassador to the Republic of Yemen of where he served until July 4, 2007. From 2001 to 2004, Ambassador Krajeski was the Director of the Office of Northern Gulf Affairs (Iran and Iraq) in the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs at the State Department. From July to October 2003, Ambassador Krajeski served as a political advisor on Ambassador L. Paul Bremer’s staff at The Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) in Baghdad. Ambassador Krajeski also served inNepal, India, Poland, Tunisia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and WashingtonDC. In 2007, he received the President’s Distinguished Service Award for his service in Iraq and Yemen. He is an alumna of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

Please join us for “Yemen: The Next War”, on Thursday, March 3^rd from 5 to 7 p.m. in Thompson 106 at the University of Massachusetts.

To learn more about the Ambassador, visit:

http://www.ndu.edu/info/LeadershipBios/Krajeski.cfm

The Social Media Professor

Professor Marcus Messner of Virginia Commonwealth University teaches about global and multimedia journalism, and the latest developments in communications: social media. Networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Linked, along with the seemingly unending blogosphere, are eclipsing older mediums like newspapers, and even televised nightly news. On his website he shares insights on everything from the significance of social media in recent events in Egypt to more domestic affairs.

Follow him on Twitter:

http://twitter.com/#!/marcusmessner

Political Unrest Grows in the Middle East

Tunisia first lit the flame of civilian discontent in North Africa, then Egypt exploded by successfully overthrowing their leader last Friday. Throughout the last month, huge anti-government protests have spread throughout the region, first in Algeria and Jordan, and now in Iran, Yemen, and Bahrain. The recent cries of protesters parallel those heard in Tunisia and Egypt, calling for democratic ruling and the end of elitist, authoritarian regimes.

While the anti-government protesters have generally been peaceful, police and pro-regime factions are reacting with extreme violence. In Bahrain, two protesters have been shot dead by the police, while plainclothes police hidden among civilian loyalist carry electric tasers and batons, in the streets of Sanaa, Yemen. Iranian Political leaders are calling for opposition leaders to be handed the death penalty, and two have already died. Many others have been wounded while assembling to support the recent activity in Tunisia and Egypt. Most protests show no signs of stopping, though frequent arrests and teargas have slowed them down.

Both President Obama and Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton have voiced support for peaceful protesters and called for peace between various government responses and those who fill the streets.

Read more here:

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/02/20112158387191255.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/16/world/middleeast/16bahrain.html?hp

New Abortion Bill Changed

On January 20th, a Republican-backed bill was introduced that seeks to render the Hyde Amendment permanent, among other antiabortion provisions. In an effort to cut federal funding for abortions, the new bill tailored existing Hyde Amendment language, changing exceptions for rape to "forcible rape". The new language was met with immediate public outcry from women's groups, prochoice activists, and advocates of rape victims. Their concern was surrounded the new definition of rape, which is widely understood as being a sexual crime of force.

The linguistic change was cut on February 3rd, and returned to the original Hyde wording, which funds abortions in cases of rape, incest or danger to the life of the mother. According to The Washington Post, lawmakers claimed they changed the language because the term forcible was being "misconstrued". The abortion debate has returned to Capitol Hill with a vengeance.

Read more here:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/09/us/politics/09congress.html?scp=1&sq=new%20abortion%20bill&st=cse

http://www.opencongress.org/bill/112-h3/text

Mubarak, No More

On the evening of February 11th, Hosni Mubarak released his iron grip and formally resigned his presidency of almost three decades. His step down from power was met with an ecstatic frenzy from both Egyptian civilian protestors and the military alike, and shouts of "liberation" were exclaimed the world over. The ever-present Egyptian army was quick to make statements about their new governmental control, whilst essaying to calm anxieties about their potential for militaristic rule. In an official statement, the army said that the current civilian leadership would be supported, until a new governmental structure can be put in place. Indeed, the desires of the peaceful protestors were clearly made and heard: they seek democratic reformation of their government.

The tone and volume of the military rule has yet to be fully revealed, along with the role of former Vice President Omar Suleiman. While civilians and soldiers hugged and took hands in the streets on Friday, it's yet to be seen if the army will sincerely meet the demands of the people. Protestors remain in Tahrir square still and they vow to stay put until the democratic standards are met.

As the balance of power swings, the role of the small, yet powerful Muslim Brotherhood remains in question. Throughout the 18-day mass protest throughout the country of 80 million, the Muslim Brotherhood seemed to play a peripheral role at best, as most organizing was carried out through social media like Facebook and Twitter. While much of the Western media has sought to portray the Brotherhood as a band of Islamic extremists, Egypt's Brotherhood has laid low during the protests. The organization has issued only brief statements of support for the revolt, and they will not front a candiate for the presidency.

In the streets of Yemen and Algeria, anti-government protestors emerged to demonstrate after Mubarak's resignation. They were met, however, with police clubs and many were arrested. Although the Egyptian people's breakthrough spring hope for ending dictatorships in Yemen and Algeria, the futures of all three countries remain in the balance.

Read more here:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/13/world/middleeast/13egypt.html?_r=1&hp

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/12/AR2011021200888.html?hpid=topnews

Egypt in the News: Different Perspectives

While recent unrest in Tunisia may have lit the flame of anti-government protest throughout the Arab World, Egypt is undoubtedly in the forefront of the fire. Mubarak supporters, including the military, have reacted to anti-government protesters with extremely violent tactics--from club beatings and frequent gunfire, to rocks and firebombs. This week the violence came to a head between both factions at a rally of tens of thousands in Tahrir Square on Wednesday, leaving at least five dead and over 800 wounded. Most news sources confirm these happenings as fact, however, the coverage on the Egyptian varies from central to peripheral according to different newspapers.

The Dallas Morning News' coverage of Egypt is largely absent on the website, with only an editorial, while the homepage is focused on local weather and the Superbowl. Short stories regarding the inflammatory protests are buried in the World News section, yet they offer little information about the repercussions from Egypt in the rest of the Arab world, the minor role of the Islamic Brotherhood, and the media-centered nature of the protests.

Both the New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, however, have offered more comprehensive coverage. The Times remarks that contrary to previous speculation, the revolution is not being led by Islamic Brother, but young people and intellectuals. Moreover, the Times refers to Egyptian protest as largely symbolic in the Arab world, evoking powerful echoes of Abdel Nasser. Egyptians themselves in protest are utilizing language of Arab unity, which was so familiar in the 1960's.

Plastered all over the Journal's homepage are stories and images from Egypt. Their coverage also refers to messages of Arab unity, based on the common problem of despotic and corrupt regimes, and efforts to overthrow them. Both the Journal and the Times have made it clear that new media, such as Facebook and Twitter have been central to the Egyptian organizing process. Lastly, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and Al Jazeera have all reported on the spread of the Egypt government crackdown beyond Egyptian nationals to foreign observers and reporters. Two NYtimes reporters, two Washington Post staffers, and three Al Jazeera reporters are among the detained journalists. The Al Jazeera detainees have yet to be released.

Unrest continues in Cairo and throughout Egypt.

Dallas Morning News:

http://www.dallasnews.com/

New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/03/world/middleeast/03arab.html?hp

Wall Street Journal:

http://online.wsj.com/public/page/mideast.html?mod=quicklinks_egypt

Al Jazeera:

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/02/201123165214813586.html

Protest in Egypt -- "Egyptians' Fury has Smoldered Beneath the Surface for Decades"

Egypt has erupted in protest. The grievances behind the protests have long been there. Egyptian President Mubarak has held power for over 30 years, largely through election rigging. This past November in the Parliamentary elections, the president’s party won 500 of 518 seats, which resulted in the loss of almost all opposition seats. The effect is that voices of opposition have been pushed out of government. Furthermore, the Egyptian government does not have a clean history in regards to human rights. The Emergency Law, passed in 1981 allows people to be arrested without charges, detain prisoners indefinitely, and limit freedom of expression and assembly. While the law is only supposed to be used to combat terrorism, that is not the reality. Low wages and poverty are also a source of the Egyptians’ discontent with the current regime. Nearly half of Egyptians live on less than $2 a day. The people have taken to the streets in protest, calling for President Mubarak to step down.

To the full New York Time Article, click here: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/29/world/middleeast/29mubarak.html?_r=1&hp

State of the Union

On Tuesday, the 25th, President Obama delivered this year’s State of the Union address. He emphasized bipartisanship and efforts to get the economy back on track. He also emphasized spending in critical areas, such as education and clean-energy technology. However, Republicans believe his approach is to the deficit is not enough.

To hear the State of the Union Address, click here: http://www.whitehouse.gov/state-of-the-union-2011

To read about the State of the Union Address, click here: http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/s/state_of_the_union_message_us/index.html?scp=1-spot&sq=state%20of%20the%20union%20&st=cse

All Signs Lead to Secession in Southern Sudan

While the Sudan has suffered from civil war and bitter division for many decades, the latest political action almost guarantees an absolute divide in the form of secession. Indeed, a week-long referendum poll that ended on Saturday, January 15th, indicated that around 95 percent of the Southern Sudanese population, both domestic and abroad, favored becoming a separate country, according to a recent New York Times article. While tallying votes began last week, the results are not expected to be formally announced until early to mid-February 2011.

Moreover, if secession from the North is the final outcome of the referendum, Southern independence would not take place until the expiration of the "Comprehensive Peace Agreement" on July 9th of this year. The 2005 American-influenced agreement marked the end of the 22-year Second Sudanese Civil War between Northern Arab political leadership, and Animists and Christian populations in the South. Yet, secession will not end strife between the North and the South, and the more complicated schisms regarding religion, ethnicity, and oil. While votes were being cast in the South, rallies were active in the North, with groups shouting anti-government slogans and expressing disillusion over whether fair elections were possible. In addition, as Al Jazeera reports, a secession means that nearly nine million Southern Sudanese would "take with them some 80 per cent of Sudan's oil reserves--leaving the north's 32 million people to go it alone" without the economic security that oil can bring.

To learn more about the current situation in the Sudan, come to the University of Massachusetts, Amherst on February 10th, to hear Dr. Andrew Natsios of Georgetown give a talk entitled: "The Future of the Sudan."

To read more:

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2011/01/201111513594958973.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/17/world/africa/17sudan.html?scp=2&sq=sudan&st=cse

Self-Immolation, Social Media, and Tunisian Strife

The recent riots throughout Tunisia were provoked by many things, such as the self-indulgent behaviors of President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, socio-economic discontent, and old-fashioned corruption. The ultimate trigger, however, was the suicide of a desperate 26 year-old man, Mohammed Bouazizi, who set himself on fire because his fruit stand had been confiscated by the local police. His act of self-immolation unleashed the anger of middle-class, and college-educated Tunisians, who face rampant unemployment, while the now-former President Ben Ali enjoyed a ultra lavish life-style.

For almost a month now, Tunisia has been flooded by rioters in rural areas and in the streets of Tunis, who are calling for political reform and accountability. Riots were organized via various social media, such as Facebook, Twitter, and Tunisian bloggers. In addition, many of the protests are being documented by videos posted online, prompting more action and unrest. At least 78 Tunisians have died, and 100 have been wounded in the protest, often due to police violence. The demonstrations, however, have been effective in toppling the regime: Ben Ali has fled to Saudi Arabia, more than five ministers from makeshift unity government stepped down, and there are calls for Prime Minister Mohammed Ghannouchi to resign.

While Tunisia is the current powder keg, there is a single flame uniting these protests in Tunisia with the the rest of the Arab World: the target of political despotism. Indeed, protesters from Jordan to Sudan have been activated by the demonstrations in Tunisia, though often in self-destructive ways. As of January 17th, five more North African men have set themselves ablaze, two in front of their respective parliament buildings. These self-immolations have taken place in Egypt, Algeria, Mauritania,Tunisia, and the common thread is the brief and fleeting relationships these countries have had with democracy. According to an Al-Jazeera article, "Tunisians, many other Arabs are frustrated by soaring prices, poverty, high unemployment and systems of rule that ignore their voices." Indeed, an Egyptian group is organizing a protest via Facebook for January 25th, to fight against "torture, poverty, corruption and unemployment."

Click here for the latest news:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/19/world/africa/19tunis.html?pagewanted=1&hp

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2011/01/20111179413130528.html