Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Swine flu creates controversy on Twitter
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Obama at 66 percent, Michelle at 76 percent
is handling the economy. Fifty-two percent approved of the president's approach to the deficit.
As Obama Takes First Overseas Trip, More See U.S. Image Abroad Improving
With Barack Obama on his first presidential trip overseas, far more Americans now say the United States' image abroad is improving rather than worsening, a sharp turnaround from views under George W. Bush. But significant international challenges face Obama – including skepticism at home about negotiations with Taliban elements in Afghanistan.
Obama gets 62 percent approval for handling international affairs overall, and just 14 percent say the United States' image is worsening under his presidency – down from 61 percent under Bush in late 2003. Instead 43 percent now say the United States' image is improving, up from 10 percent under Bush. The rest say it's staying the same.
GM's future at stake as Obama's team steps in
http://www.dreamhost.com/r.cgi?2111269|SWA227
President Obama left a big question mark over the future of the U.S. auto industry Monday when he made it clear he is willing to offer limited aid to General Motors and Chrysler but warned they must restructure much faster or end up in bankruptcy court.
Obama takes step over the line that separates government from private industry
FACTBOX: Obama's presidential debut on world stage
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama will make his debut on the world stage this week with his first major foreign trip since taking office on January 20.
Here are some details of his travels plus his objectives for each leg:
G20 SUMMIT - LONDON
Obama's first stop: an April 2 summit of the Group of 20 top economies, a follow-up to a meeting hosted by predecessor George W. Bush, to tackle the global economic crisis.
Obama, who has pledged to repair America's image abroad after eight contentious years under Bush, will set the tone for his administration's relations with the rest of the world even as he is tested in his first encounter with global summitry.
He "is going to listen in London, as well as to lead," said White House spokesman Robert Gibbs.
In the final run-up to the trip, Obama's aides seemed to back away from earlier calls for other G20 countries to act quickly to ramp up spending to match the United States. The White House said Obama would not seek specific commitments.
European leaders, reluctant to build up more debt, had already spurned the idea and made clear they wanted to make a top priority of overhauling global financial regulations.
Obama will meet British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Queen Elizabeth on Wednesday before the summit. Talks with Chinese President Hu Jintao and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev will be watched for how he handles two world powers whose relations with Washington have often been tense.
Obama tells allies that public supports his agenda
WASHINGTON (AP) — Reassuring House Democrats that "we are in this together," President Barack Obama predicted that unity will help their party maintain its high standing with the public as they pursue an ambitious agenda in the face of economic turmoil.
The House and Senate are set this week to take up companion budget outlines that constitute Congress' initial response to the $3.6 trillion fiscal plan for 2010 that Obama proposed last month.
On the eve of his first trip to Europe, the president rallied lawmakers Monday in a closed-door session in the Capitol. He said they must deal with education, health care and clean energy in spite of the weak economy.
Obama said the reason his budget predicts such large deficits is not because of new spending for those three top agenda items but because of structural deficits that he inherited.
Speaking to fiscal hawks in the House, Obama said he is "serious as a heart attack" about addressing the nation's long-term deficit problems, according to notes taken by a House aide who required anonymity to describe the private session.
"We are in this together," Obama said.
Rep. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., said Obama said his administration remains focused primarily on the economy but added that "'we can do more than one thing at a time.'"
Obama appeared before Senate Democrats last week, where he received supportive questioning as moderates queasy over big deficits and rapidly rising debt held their tongues.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Barack Obama says No more tax sops for outsourcing firms – its significance
A consultant specializing in services, products & marketing - Sabapathy is a rainmaker for technology and telecommunication start-ups. Sabapathy writes on software trends, issues, producteering and services.
I can understand Obama’s standpoint. It is the trade union folks who campaigned so very effectively for Obama and they are to be protected, but it goes against all the principles and policies that America has stood for all these years. America has always been a proponent of free enterprise and globalization. After all, it is a country built by immigrants by and large. All of this is changing because of the protectionist attitude showcased now.
Sample these comments from Marc Faber on the US economy.
“The federal government is sending each of us a $600 rebate.
If we spend that money at Wal-Mart, the money goes to China.
If we spend it on gasoline it goes to the Arabs.
If we buy a computer it will go to India.
If we purchase fruit and vegetables it will go to Mexico, Honduras and Guatemala.
If we purchase a good car it will go to Germany.
If we purchase useless crap it will go to Taiwan and none of it will help the American economy.
The only way to keep that money here at home is to spend it on prostitutes and beer, since these are the only products still produced in US.
I’ve been doing my part.”
These are really extraordinary times for the Americans as well as the President but these cutbacks on tax sops are an extreme step. This is more a populist move that we are used to in Indian politics. Let us dwell on how this affects Indian corporations. I would say that the effect will be huge, because close to 50% of the Indian service exporters revenue comes from the US and it is 50% of $100 billion economy that we are talking about and the impact necessarily will be huge.