Lawmakers, activists rally in support of Obama budget
A group of Minnesotans will show their support for President Barack Obama's 2010 budget.
They will hold a rally Friday morning to encourage the Minnesota Congressional Delegation to vote in support of the plan.
Congressman Keith Ellison, Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak, labor leaders and members of groups like ACORN and Hunger Solutions plan to attend.
The rally will serve as the local kickoff for a national campaign to pass the budget called 'Rebuild and Renew America Now.' More than 40 organizations and unions are working on the $5 million campaign.
Obama Considering Tanker Deal Delay
- WashingtonPost.com, March 11, 2009
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/10/AR200903...
The White House budget office has asked the Pentagon to consider delaying the purchase of aerial refueling tankers by five years, a move that reflects the constraints of drawing up a budget in the midst of a recession, according to two sources familiar with the administration's discussions.
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It comes as the administration is considering which programs to include in its 2010 defense spending request to Congress next month, and as it grapples with a broken Pentagon procurement system that has led to about $300 billion in cost overruns on 95 major weapons systems compared with initial estimates.
Obama taking big political risk with budget
- San Francisco Chronicle, March 8th, 2009
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2009/03/08/MNEE16AJT...
Amid a cratering stock market, huge job losses and continuing ad hoc bank interventions, President Obama is risking his presidency on the most ambitious remake of the federal government since Ronald Reagan, raising jitters among moderate Democrats and presenting House Speaker Nancy Pelosi with the most daunting challenge of her career.
Liberal-labor coalition launches drive for Obama budget
- Boston.com, March 4th, 2009
http://www.boston.com/news/politics/politicalintelligence/2009/03/libera...
A coalition of liberal and union advocacy groups that lobbied aggressively for President Obama's economic stimulus package announced today that it will mount a similar effort to push through his budget.
The groups plan similar grassroots events, phone banks, and e-mails campaigns targeting members of Congress, as well as paid advertising. More than 40 major organizations have so far signed onto the $5 million to $7 million campaign, Americans United for Change said.
Unions Make Major Push For Obama Budget
- National Journal Online, March 4th, 2009
http://undertheinfluence.nationaljournal.com/2009/03/unions-make-major-p...
A coalition of organized labor and other progressive groups are gearing up to help ram President Obama's budget through Congress this spring.
Organizers are describing the campaign, called "Rebuild and Renew America Now", as the biggest grassroots effort in history. The coalition plans to spend $5-7 million from now through May on TV, print and Web advertising and field organizing.
