Obama throws jab, implies Romney is shoveling 'you-know-what'

(Image Credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

As Michigan Republicans headed to the polls Tuesday morning, President Obama delivered an aggressive defense of the bailout of the auto industry and his presidency in general, harshly criticizing GOP frontrunner Mitt Romney - though he never mentioned him by name.

"I've got to admit, it's been funny to watch some of these folks completely try to rewrite history now that you're back on your feet," the president said to a raucous crowd at the United Auto Workers Convention. "The same folks who said if we went forward with our plan to rescue Detroit, 'you can kiss the American automotive industry goodbye.'"

In a November 2008 New York Times op-ed titled "Let Detroit Go Bankrupt," Romney wrote, "If General Motors, Ford and Chrysler get the bailout that their chief executives asked for yesterday, you can kiss the American automotive industry goodbye. It won't go overnight, but its demise will be virtually guaranteed."

In a boisterous, excited tone, President Obama continued, criticizing Republicans who said "the workers made out like bandits in all of this; that saving the American auto industry was just about paying back unions. Really? I mean, even by the standards of this town, that's a load of you-know-what."

Campaigning in Grand Rapids, Mich., earlier this month, Romney said the bailout was " crony capitalism ," arguing that President Obama had "gotten hundreds of millions of dollars from labor bosses for his campaign. And so he's paying them back in every way he knows how. One way of course was giving General Motors and Chrysler to the UAW."

As part of the GM bailout's complex arrangements, a UAW-owned trust was given a 17.5 percent ownership stake the car company (now roughly 10% as stock has been sold) in exchange for various concessions including the union taking responsibility for health care costs of retirees. The president today argued that with reduced hours and pay, some worker rights relinquished, and roughly 700,000 auto worker retirees seeing a reduction in health care benefits, workers indeed gave things up in the bailout.

The visit was an "official" presidential event, not campaign-related, but the odd dynamic when the president took the stage to chants of "Four More Years!" after which a labor official told the crowd, "This is not a political event."

That seemed a questionable assertion, given how the president continually referenced Romney, defending how his moves to save GM and Chrysler demanded change and accountability. "The other option we had was to do nothing, and allow these companies to fail," the president said. "In fact, some politicians said we should. Some even said we should 'let Detroit go bankrupt'" - another reference to Romney's New York Times op-ed.

The crowd booed at that reference.

"You remember that?" the president said to the crowd that clearly did. "You know him?"

"Think about what that choice would have meant for this country," the president said. "If we had turned our backs on you; if America had thrown in the towel; GM and Chrysler had gone under."

The president used the event to not only reject Republicans referring to labor unions as a special interest group, he painted his support of the industry as part and parcel of his campaign platform: ""This notion that we should have let the auto industry die; that we should pursue anti-worker policies in hopes unions like yours will buckle and unravel - that's part of that same old you're-on-your-own philosophy that says we should just leave everybody to fend for themselves….We can't afford to go back. Not now….The economy is getting stronger. The recovery is speeding up. And now is the time to keep our foot on the gas."

Without directly asking the UAW workers to help his re-election campaign he said, "I'll promise you this: as long as you've got an ounce of fight left in you, I'll have a ton of fight left in me."

-Jake Tapper and Mary Bruce

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Senate rejects rollback of Obama birth control policy

Blunt (J. Scott Applewhite/AP)In a win for Democrats, the Senate voted Thursday to table an amendment permitting employers and insurers to opt out of provisions in President Obama's health care proposal on moral or religious grounds.

The Senate voted 51-48 to kill the amendment, which was offered by Senate Republican Minority Leader Roy Blunt of Missouri as an add-on to the transportation funding bill. Blunt and fellow Republicans cast the amendment as a fight to protect First Amendment rights (which include the freedom of religion.) Prior to the vote, Blunt argued that the language should be deemed noncontroversial by his colleagues, stating on the Senate floor that every member of the Senate, barring some of the most recently elected members, "have voted for bills that have this language in them."

But Democrats said the amendment would limit access to contraception and infringe on women's rights at a time when Congress needs to focus on the economy and employment. "These aren't the issues we should be debating right now," Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet said on the Senate floor.

Following Thursday's vote, Blunt accused Democrats of playing politics with the issue.

"I am truly disappointed by the partisanship that has been injected into this debate on religious freedoms," Blunt said in a statement. "Instead of working to pass a bipartisan measure that has been part of our law for almost 40 years, this debate has been burdened by outlandish and divisive efforts to misinform and frighten Americans."

Blunt added that he will continue to fight this issue.

The future of Thursday's amendment in the closely-divided Senate hung on decisions from a handful of Senate centrists. Retiring Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe of Maine voted with the majority of Democrats to table the amendment, while three centrist Democrats-- Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Ben Nelson of Nebraska-- crossed party lines to vote with Republicans in favor of the amendment.

The president recently proposed a mandate requiring all employers to offer health insurance that fully covers contraception, including institutions such as colleges and businesses connected to Catholic churches, for example, that may oppose contraception on religious grounds. The proposal sparked significant controversy, angering those who viewed the proposal as an attack on religious liberties as well as many Catholic bishops and other religious groups.

In response, the president announced an "accommodation" for institutions that object to the mandate, putting the onus on health insurers instead of employers to provide full coverage for contraception and other women's health services.

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Obama on Iran: 'I have Israel’s back'

President Barack Obama addressing the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, March 4, 2012. (Carolyn Kaster …President Barack Obama had a clear message Sunday in his speech to the powerful American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC): It's war.

No, not against Iran. But against partisan politics, specifically the Republican line claiming the president hasn't supported Israel enough in its hardline position on Iran.

Obama sharply escalated his warnings to Tehran that the use of force is very much "on the table," as the foreign policy cliché goes, in a possible response to its nuclear program. But he paired that rhetorical ramp-up with a detailed plea for patience with diplomacy and bluntly charged that "too much loose talk of war" has helped, not hindered, the Islamic republic.

But Obama served notice that election-year Republican criticisms that he has been too tough on Israel and too soft on the Islamic republic had crossed a red line.

"There should not be a shred of doubt by now: When the chips are down, I have Israel's back," the president told AIPAC, listing a wide range of actions he's undertaken — like rescuing Israeli diplomats in Cairo, boosting security and intelligence cooperation.

"Which is why if during this political season you hear some question my Administration's support for Israel, remember that it's not backed up by the facts," said the president. "And remember that the U.S.-Israel relationship is simply too important to be distorted by partisan politics. America's national security is too important. Israel's security is too important," he said, to sustained applause by the crowd.

On the eve of talks at the White House with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was expected to press Obama to embrace a possible military approach to Iran's suspect nuclear program, the president sought to banish the notion of a US-Israel divide on Iran while making it clear he won't be rushed into conflict.

"Already, there is too much loose talk of war," he said. "For the sake of Israel's security, America's security, and the peace and security of the world, now is not the time for bluster; now is the time to let our increased pressure sink in."

(A senior Obama Administration official, asked to whom the "loose talk" remark applied, told Yahoo News: "Everyone, press, politicians, pundits.")

"Obama offered clarity and commitments on mainstream Israeli concerns without capitulating to the Netanyahu narrative which is far more dismissive of diplomacy and which obviously indulges in talk of war," said Daniel Levy, head of non-partisan New America foundation's Middle East program.

But while the president laid out a case for letting diplomacy run its course, he went further than before in his warnings to Iran that, ultimately, it could pay a military price.

"Iran's leaders should have no doubt about the resolve of the United States, just as they should not doubt Israel's sovereign right to make its own decisions about what is required to meet its security needs," he said.

"I will only use force when the time and circumstances demand it," said Obama, but "Iran's leaders should know that I do not have a policy of containment; I have a policy to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon."

"And as I've made clear time and again during the course of my presidency, I will not hesitate to use force when it is necessary to defend the United States and its interests," said the president.

Obama said he understood that Israel cannot "tolerate a nuclear weapon in the hands of a regime that denies the Holocaust, threatens to wipe Israel off the map, and sponsors terrorist groups committed to Israel's destruction."

Obama's appeal for patience with his diplomatic strategy coupled with his rhetorical escalation on the possible use of force drew immediate praise from Nicholas Burns, the senior diplomat who served as George W. Bush's point person on Iran.

"This is the most specific, and toughest, he's been," Burns told Yahoo News by telephone.

"He made clear it was unacceptable for Iran to have a nuclear weapon, and he was much more specific about the use of force. At the same time, his core message was 'don't strike now,'" Burns said.

"He was not giving Israel a green light..and he was responding to those who say there's no hope for negotiations, there's no hope for sanctions. If that's what Prime Minister Netanyahu is bringing, it's not going to be a convincing message," he said.

Burns said he expected that Israeli officials "really want to push the administration, hard, to set timelines."

But "[Obama] said there's time for diplomacy — not to be charitable to them (Iranians), but to serve our own interests," the former senior diplomat, now a professor at Harvard's Kennedy School, said. "We want to see 'is there a deal out there that will stop them (the Iranians) or is there not?'"

And he dismissed Republican attacks on Obama's approach as "completely baseless."

"Obama and Bush have had a nearly identical policy," said Burns. "If anything, Obama's been tougher — the sanctions certainly are tougher."

And there is widespread talk that the United States and Israel are already waging a covert war against Iran's nuclear and missile programs -- so widespread that it was featured in a controversial Israeli ad for Samsung tablets.

Netanyahu, speaking to reporters in Ottawa before heading to Washington, underlined that Obama had refused to rule out military action and declared that containment was not an option, while emphasizing that Israel had the right to "defend itself by itself."

Update, 5:40 p.m. EST: This piece was updated with comments from the New American Foundation and Netanyahu.

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Obama lays out detention rules for al Qaeda suspects

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama issued a policy directive on Tuesday making clear that not all al Qaeda suspects would be held in U.S. military custody, fleshing out exceptions allowed under a sweeping defense bill that sought to have the Pentagon prosecute most suspects.

Under the directive, al Qaeda suspects arrested by U.S. law enforcement for waging attacks against American interests would not necessarily be held by the Pentagon under several scenarios, including if foreign governments refuse to hand them over to U.S. military control.

Other exceptions would include if the person were a U.S. permanent legal resident or if transferring them to military custody would hurt the chances of obtaining a confession or cooperation from the terrorism suspect.

"A rigid, inflexible requirement to place suspected terrorists into military custody would undermine the national security interests of the United States, compromising our ability to collect intelligence and to incapacitate dangerous individuals," Obama said in the directive.

The White House said the rules made sure that an al Qaeda suspect "will be transferred from civilian to military custody only after a thorough evaluation of all of the relevant facts, based on the considered judgment of the president's senior national security team."

Obama's administration has struggled over the best venue for prosecuting terrorism suspects, largely preferring criminal courts over military tribunals that Republicans and even some of the president's fellow Democrats have sought.

Tuesday's directive addresses White House concerns with the National Defense Authorization Act that Obama signed into law at the end of 2011.

SENATE HEARING

The White House had raised concerns the bill could unduly broaden the armed forces' powers over suspected militants, requiring foreigners allied with al Qaeda to be held in military custody even if they were captured in the United States.

That would allow terrorism suspects to be kept in military custody indefinitely without trial. U.S. citizens were already exempted from the mandatory military detention requirement.

The final version of the bill that cleared Congress gave Obama the flexibility to waive certain provisions and to let him determine who would be held by the U.S. military.

Three Republican senators - John McCain of Arizona, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire - issued a joint statement citing "significant concerns" about Obama's waivers, saying they would require a hearing in the Senate Armed Services Committee.

"We are particularly concerned that some of these regulations may contradict the intent of the detainee provisions of the National Defense Authorization Act passed by Congress last year," they said.

An Obama administration official said there should be no surprises in the expanded detention policy.

"The waiver authority and implementing procedures were specifically called for by those who spearheaded the legislation," said the official. "Today's directive merely creates the implementing procedures required under the legislation."

The president's directive also gave the attorney general permission to make additional waivers on a case-by-case basis in consultation with other national security officials.

Other categories in which al Qaeda terrorism suspects would escape U.S. military custody under Obama's waivers include if it would hurt counterterrorism cooperation with another country. The directive would also waive military custody for individuals arrested in the United States on charges unrelated to terrorism and when the person was arrested by local or state authorities.

(Editing by Cynthia Osterman and Christopher Wilson)

View the original article here

Obama lays out detention rules for al Qaeda suspects

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama issued a policy directive on Tuesday making clear that not all al Qaeda suspects would be held in U.S. military custody, fleshing out exceptions allowed under a sweeping defense bill that sought to have the Pentagon prosecute most suspects.

Under the directive, al Qaeda suspects arrested by U.S. law enforcement for waging attacks against American interests would not necessarily be held by the Pentagon under several scenarios, including if foreign governments refuse to hand them over to U.S. military control.

Other exceptions would include if the person were a U.S. permanent legal resident or if transferring them to military custody would hurt the chances of obtaining a confession or cooperation from the terrorism suspect.

"A rigid, inflexible requirement to place suspected terrorists into military custody would undermine the national security interests of the United States, compromising our ability to collect intelligence and to incapacitate dangerous individuals," Obama said in the directive.

The White House said the rules made sure that an al Qaeda suspect "will be transferred from civilian to military custody only after a thorough evaluation of all of the relevant facts, based on the considered judgment of the president's senior national security team."

Obama's administration has struggled over the best venue for prosecuting terrorism suspects, largely preferring criminal courts over military tribunals that Republicans and even some of the president's fellow Democrats have sought.

Tuesday's directive addresses White House concerns with the National Defense Authorization Act that Obama signed into law at the end of 2011.

SENATE HEARING

The White House had raised concerns the bill could unduly broaden the armed forces' powers over suspected militants, requiring foreigners allied with al Qaeda to be held in military custody even if they were captured in the United States.

That would allow terrorism suspects to be kept in military custody indefinitely without trial. U.S. citizens were already exempted from the mandatory military detention requirement.

The final version of the bill that cleared Congress gave Obama the flexibility to waive certain provisions and to let him determine who would be held by the U.S. military.

Three Republican senators - John McCain of Arizona, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire - issued a joint statement citing "significant concerns" about Obama's waivers, saying they would require a hearing in the Senate Armed Services Committee.

"We are particularly concerned that some of these regulations may contradict the intent of the detainee provisions of the National Defense Authorization Act passed by Congress last year," they said.

An Obama administration official said there should be no surprises in the expanded detention policy.

"The waiver authority and implementing procedures were specifically called for by those who spearheaded the legislation," said the official. "Today's directive merely creates the implementing procedures required under the legislation."

The president's directive also gave the attorney general permission to make additional waivers on a case-by-case basis in consultation with other national security officials.

Other categories in which al Qaeda terrorism suspects would escape U.S. military custody under Obama's waivers include if it would hurt counterterrorism cooperation with another country. The directive would also waive military custody for individuals arrested in the United States on charges unrelated to terrorism and when the person was arrested by local or state authorities.

(Editing by Cynthia Osterman and Christopher Wilson)

View the original article here

Obama rebukes Santorum on education ‘snob’ charge

President Barack Obama delivers remarks at the National Governors Association in the State Dining Room of the White …The White House on Monday rolled out a "no-drama" response to Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum's charge that Barack Obama is a "snob" intent on pushing "everybody in America" to go to college.

By the superheated standards of recent election-year Republican attacks on the president — they've called him a socialist waging war on organized religion and offering nothing but weak-kneed appeasement to all of America's enemies (apparently Osama bin Laden can rest in appease) — Santorum's jibe was pretty mild, so maybe that's why Obama's response was more gentle rebuke than releasing the dogs-with-bees-in-their-mouths-and-when-they-bark-they-shoot-bees-at-you.

The criticism drew a response from Obama himself, who offered a thinly veiled rejoinder during a speech to the National Governors Association.

"The jobs of the future are increasingly going to those with more than a high school degree," he said. "And I have to make a point here:  When I speak about higher education we're not just talking about a four-year degree.  We're talking about somebody going to a community college and getting trained for that manufacturing job that now is requiring somebody walking through the door, handling a million-dollar piece of equipment. And they can't go in there unless they've got some basic training beyond what they received in high school."

"We all want Americans getting those jobs of the future.  So we're going to have to make sure that they're getting the education that they need," said the president.

Santorum's campaign press secretary, Alice Stewart, told MSNBC that Obama had made a "change in tone" and "clarified" his stance in response to the Republicans' attacks.

But Obama's remarks tracked with his first-ever speech to a joint session of Congress in February 2009, when he declared: "I ask every American to commit to at least one year or more of higher education or career training."

"This can be community college or a four-year school; vocational training or an apprenticeship.  But whatever the training may be, every American will need to get more than a high school diploma.  And dropping out of high school is no longer an option."

Santorum had charged, in remarks shown on NBC's "Meet The Press" on Sunday,  that "President Obama once said he wants everybody in America to go to college. What a snob!"

"There are good, decent men and women who go out and work hard every day and put their skills to the test that aren't taught by some liberal college professor, trying to indoctrinate them. Oh I understand why he wants to go to college. He wants to remake you in his image," Santorum said.

Asked about Santorum's comments, White House spokesman Jay Carney also took a low-key approach, telling reporters: "I don't think any parent in America who has a child would think it snobbery to hope for that child the best possible education in the future, and that includes college. "

"As you know, the president has always made clear that he believes higher education is important for everyone, and that includes if not a four-year degree -- bachelor's of arts degree -- then a two-year degree from a community college or vocational training through a community college," Carney said.

"So it is, to use a phrase that we've applied elsewhere, an all-of-the-above approach when it comes to higher education," he said.

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Police demote Arizona cop over Obama image on t-shirt

PHOENIX (Reuters) - An Arizona police sergeant who posted a photo on his Facebook account showing youths with guns posing with an apparently bullet-ridden t-shirt with a picture of President Obama on it has been demoted, authorities said on Tuesday.

Patrick Shearer, a 25-year-veteran of the Peoria, Arizona, police department, will be dropped in rank to officer and receive a two-week unpaid suspension for the incident that sparked a U.S. Secret Service investigation, Police Chief Roy Minter said.

"We expect our employees to exercise sound judgment and not bring discredit upon our police department," Minter said in a written statement.

Shearer has 10 days to appeal the decision. He could not be reached for comment.

A Secret Service spokesman said on Tuesday that the agency is not pursuing any action against Shearer stemming from the Facebook photo.

"The matter is closed from our perspective," said Ed Donovan, a Washington, D.C.-based spokesman. He said no charges will be filed.

Shearer came under fire late last month when the Secret Service confirmed it was following up on the photo of seven youths, posing in the desert, with four toting guns. The photo was quickly removed after it became public.

Shearer told a local television he took the picture and did not consider it "that big of a deal." He called it a "political statement," adding he would give his life for the president.

"It's not like they (the youths) were going to go out and shoot the president," he said.

Shearer was taken off the streets and assigned to administrative duties pending the results of the department's internal investigation.

Details of the probe were not released because the appeals process has not been concluded, police officials said.

(Editing by Dan Whitcomb and Greg McCune)

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Obama chides Santorum on ‘snob’ charge

President Barack Obama delivers remarks at the National Governors Association in the State Dining Room of the White …The White House on Monday rolled out a "no-drama" response to Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum's charge that Barack Obama is a "snob" intent on pushing "everybody in America" to go to college.

By the superheated standards of recent election-year Republican attacks on the president — they've called him a socialist waging war on organized religion and offering nothing but weak-kneed appeasement to all of America's enemies (apparently Osama bin Laden can rest in appease) — Santorum's jibe was pretty mild, so maybe that's why Obama's response was more gentle rebuke than releasing the dogs-with-bees-in-their-mouths-and-when-they-bark-they-shoot-bees-at-you.

The criticism drew a response from Obama himself, who offered a thinly veiled rejoinder during a speech to the National Governors Association.

"The jobs of the future are increasingly going to those with more than a high school degree," he said. "And I have to make a point here:  When I speak about higher education we're not just talking about a four-year degree.  We're talking about somebody going to a community college and getting trained for that manufacturing job that now is requiring somebody walking through the door, handling a million-dollar piece of equipment. And they can't go in there unless they've got some basic training beyond what they received in high school."

"We all want Americans getting those jobs of the future.  So we're going to have to make sure that they're getting the education that they need," said the president.

Santorum's campaign press secretary, Alice Stewart, told MSNBC that Obama had made a "change in tone" and "clarified" his stance in response to the Republicans' attacks.

But Obama's remarks tracked with his first-ever speech to a joint session of Congress in February 2009, when he declared: "I ask every American to commit to at least one year or more of higher education or career training."

"This can be community college or a four-year school; vocational training or an apprenticeship.  But whatever the training may be, every American will need to get more than a high school diploma.  And dropping out of high school is no longer an option."

Santorum had charged, in remarks shown on NBC's "Meet The Press" on Sunday,  that "President Obama once said he wants everybody in America to go to college. What a snob!"

"There are good, decent men and women who go out and work hard every day and put their skills to the test that aren't taught by some liberal college professor, trying to indoctrinate them. Oh I understand why he wants to go to college. He wants to remake you in his image," Santorum said.

Asked about Santorum's comments, White House spokesman Jay Carney also took a low-key approach, telling reporters: "I don't think any parent in America who has a child would think it snobbery to hope for that child the best possible education in the future, and that includes college. "

"As you know, the president has always made clear that he believes higher education is important for everyone, and that includes if not a four-year degree -- bachelor's of arts degree -- then a two-year degree from a community college or vocational training through a community college," Carney said.

"So it is, to use a phrase that we've applied elsewhere, an all-of-the-above approach when it comes to higher education," he said.

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Want more of our best political stories? Visit The Ticket or connect with us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, or add us on Tumblr. Handy with a camera? Join our Election 2012 Flickr group to submit your photos of the campaign in action.

View the original article here

Obama rebukes Santorum on education ‘snob’ charge

President Barack Obama delivers remarks at the National Governors Association in the State Dining Room of the White …The White House on Monday rolled out a "no-drama" response to Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum's charge that Barack Obama is a "snob" intent on pushing "everybody in America" to go to college.

By the superheated standards of recent election-year Republican attacks on the president — they've called him a socialist waging war on organized religion and offering nothing but weak-kneed appeasement to all of America's enemies (apparently Osama bin Laden can rest in appease) — Santorum's jibe was pretty mild, so maybe that's why Obama's response was more gentle rebuke than releasing the dogs-with-bees-in-their-mouths-and-when-they-bark-they-shoot-bees-at-you.

The criticism drew a response from Obama himself, who offered a thinly veiled rejoinder during a speech to the National Governors Association.

"The jobs of the future are increasingly going to those with more than a high school degree," he said. "And I have to make a point here:  When I speak about higher education we're not just talking about a four-year degree.  We're talking about somebody going to a community college and getting trained for that manufacturing job that now is requiring somebody walking through the door, handling a million-dollar piece of equipment. And they can't go in there unless they've got some basic training beyond what they received in high school."

"We all want Americans getting those jobs of the future.  So we're going to have to make sure that they're getting the education that they need," said the president.

Santorum's campaign press secretary, Alice Stewart, told MSNBC that Obama had made a "change in tone" and "clarified" his stance in response to the Republicans' attacks.

But Obama's remarks tracked with his first-ever speech to a joint session of Congress in February 2009, when he declared: "I ask every American to commit to at least one year or more of higher education or career training."

"This can be community college or a four-year school; vocational training or an apprenticeship.  But whatever the training may be, every American will need to get more than a high school diploma.  And dropping out of high school is no longer an option."

Santorum had charged, in remarks shown on NBC's "Meet The Press" on Sunday,  that "President Obama once said he wants everybody in America to go to college. What a snob!"

"There are good, decent men and women who go out and work hard every day and put their skills to the test that aren't taught by some liberal college professor, trying to indoctrinate them. Oh I understand why he wants to go to college. He wants to remake you in his image," Santorum said.

Asked about Santorum's comments, White House spokesman Jay Carney also took a low-key approach, telling reporters: "I don't think any parent in America who has a child would think it snobbery to hope for that child the best possible education in the future, and that includes college. "

"As you know, the president has always made clear that he believes higher education is important for everyone, and that includes if not a four-year degree -- bachelor's of arts degree -- then a two-year degree from a community college or vocational training through a community college," Carney said.

"So it is, to use a phrase that we've applied elsewhere, an all-of-the-above approach when it comes to higher education," he said.

More popular Yahoo! News stories:

• Muslims and Arab Americans in Michigan aren't getting attention from Republican presidential candidates

• Scott Walker, Wisconsin governor, braces for recall election, proclaims controversial law is working

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Want more of our best political stories? Visit The Ticket or connect with us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, or add us on Tumblr. Handy with a camera? Join our Election 2012 Flickr group to submit your photos of the campaign in action.

View the original article here

Obama rebukes Santorum on education ‘snob’ charge

President Barack Obama delivers remarks at the National Governors Association in the State Dining Room of the White …The White House on Monday rolled out a "no-drama" response to Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum's charge that Barack Obama is a "snob" intent on pushing "everybody in America" to go to college.

By the superheated standards of recent election-year Republican attacks on the president — they've called him a socialist waging war on organized religion and offering nothing but weak-kneed appeasement to all of America's enemies (apparently Osama bin Laden can rest in appease) — Santorum's jibe was pretty mild, so maybe that's why Obama's response was more gentle rebuke than releasing the dogs-with-bees-in-their-mouths-and-when-they-bark-they-shoot-bees-at-you.

The criticism drew a response from Obama himself, who offered a thinly veiled rejoinder during a speech to the National Governors Association.

"The jobs of the future are increasingly going to those with more than a high school degree," he said. "And I have to make a point here:  When I speak about higher education we're not just talking about a four-year degree.  We're talking about somebody going to a community college and getting trained for that manufacturing job that now is requiring somebody walking through the door, handling a million-dollar piece of equipment. And they can't go in there unless they've got some basic training beyond what they received in high school."

"We all want Americans getting those jobs of the future.  So we're going to have to make sure that they're getting the education that they need," said the president.

Santorum's campaign press secretary, Alice Stewart, told MSNBC that Obama had made a "change in tone" and "clarified" his stance in response to the Republicans' attacks.

But Obama's remarks tracked with his first-ever speech to a joint session of Congress in February 2009, when he declared: "I ask every American to commit to at least one year or more of higher education or career training."

"This can be community college or a four-year school; vocational training or an apprenticeship.  But whatever the training may be, every American will need to get more than a high school diploma.  And dropping out of high school is no longer an option."

Santorum had charged, in remarks shown on NBC's "Meet The Press" on Sunday,  that "President Obama once said he wants everybody in America to go to college. What a snob!"

"There are good, decent men and women who go out and work hard every day and put their skills to the test that aren't taught by some liberal college professor, trying to indoctrinate them. Oh I understand why he wants to go to college. He wants to remake you in his image," Santorum said.

Asked about Santorum's comments, White House spokesman Jay Carney also took a low-key approach, telling reporters: "I don't think any parent in America who has a child would think it snobbery to hope for that child the best possible education in the future, and that includes college. "

"As you know, the president has always made clear that he believes higher education is important for everyone, and that includes if not a four-year degree -- bachelor's of arts degree -- then a two-year degree from a community college or vocational training through a community college," Carney said.

"So it is, to use a phrase that we've applied elsewhere, an all-of-the-above approach when it comes to higher education," he said.

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Santorum says Obama agenda not "based on Bible"

COLUMBUS, Ohio (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum challenged President Barack Obama's Christian beliefs on Saturday, saying White House policies were motivated by a "different theology."

A devout Roman Catholic who has risen to the top of Republican polls in recent days, Santorum said the Obama administration had failed to prevent gas prices rising and was using "political science" in the debate about climate change.

Obama's agenda is "not about you. It's not about your quality of life. It's not about your jobs. It's about some phony ideal. Some phony theology. Oh, not a theology based on the Bible. A different theology," Santorum told supporters of the conservative Tea Party movement at a Columbus hotel.

When asked about the statement at a news conference later, Santorum said, "If the president says he's a Christian, he's a Christian."

But Santorum did not back down from the assertion that Obama's values run against those of Christianity.

"He is imposing his values on the Christian church. He can categorize those values anyway he wants. I'm not going to," Santorum told reporters.

A social conservative, Santorum is increasingly seen as a champion for evangelical Christians in fights with Democrats over contraception and gay marriage.

"This is just the latest low in a Republican primary campaign that has been fueled by distortions, ugliness, and searing pessimism and negativity - a stark contrast with the President who is focused everyday on creating jobs and restoring economic security for the middle class," said Obama campaign spokesman Ben LaBolt.

The campaign's response signaled a new respect for Santorum. Until this week, the Obama campaign appeared exclusively focused on Mitt Romney. Republicans are waging a state-by-state contest to pick a candidate to challenge Obama in November's election.

At a campaign appearance in Florida last month, Santorum declined to correct a voter who called Obama, a Christian, an "avowed Muslim."

Santorum told CNN after that incident, "I don't feel it's my obligation every time someone says something I don't agree with to contradict them, and the president's a big boy, he can defend himself."

QUESTIONS ROMNEY RECORD ON OLYMPICS

On Saturday, Santorum also took aim at Romney, his main Republican rival, on one of the central accomplishments of his resume, saying the former Massachusetts governor's rescue of the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics required millions of dollars in handouts from the federal government.

The attack was a response to the Romney camp trying to portray Santorum as a proponent of big government because of his use of earmarks while he served in the U.S. Senate.

"He heroically bailed out the Salt Lake City Olympic Games by heroically going to Congress and asking them for tens of millions of dollars to bail out the Salt Lake Olympic Games - in an earmark," Santorum said.

"One of his strongest supporters, John McCain called it potentially the worst boondoggle in earmark history. And now Governor Romney is suggesting, 'Oh, Rick Santorum earmarked,' as he requested almost half a billion dollars of earmarks as governor of Massachusetts to his federal congressmen and senators. Does the word hypocrisy come to mind?" Santorum said.

Romney often talks of how he turned around the struggling Olympics organization and is appearing in Utah on Saturday to mark the anniversary of the Olympics.

In a statement, the Romney campaign said Santorum was in a weak position to challenge its candidate on big spending.

"Sometimes when you shoot from the hip, you end up shooting yourself in the foot. There is a pretty wide gulf between seeking money for post-9/11 security at the Olympics and seeking earmarks for polar bear exhibits at the Pittsburgh Zoo. Mitt Romney wants to ban earmarks, Senator Santorum wants more 'Bridges to Nowhere,'" said Romney spokeswoman Andrea Saul.

(Editing by Peter Cooney)

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Santorum calls Obama health program bad for marriage

STEUBENVILLE, Ohio (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum accused Democratic President Barack Obama's administration on Monday of implementing healthcare policies that discourage marriage and hurt families.

The former Pennsylvania senator, trying to rally conservative voters and put pressure on Republican rival Mitt Romney, said Obama's 2010 healthcare overhaul gave couples financial incentives to remain unmarried.

"Do you realize that if you are married under Obamacare, you pay a lot more than if you are living together under Obamacare? A lot more," Santorum told 500 voters packed into Froehlich's Classic Corner restaurant. "Thousands of dollars more for the average American family you paid if you are married."

Santorum's attack was the latest in a series of provocative statements in which he or his staff has touched on religion, healthcare or abortion in criticizing the Democratic president.

Over the weekend, Santorum questioned Obama's "theology," and suggested that the president's healthcare law encouraged abortion by requiring insurers to cover various prenatal tests used to identify abnormalities.

Then, on Monday, the former senator's spokeswoman, Alice Stewart, mistakenly referred to Obama's "radical Islamic policies." Stewart later told MSNBC she had meant to say "radical environmental policies."

In calling Obama's healthcare program an enemy of marriage, Santorum apparently was referring to changes in eligibility for Medicaid benefits that can occur when a couple get married.

Obama campaign spokeswoman Lis Smith said the Affordable Care Act passed in 2010 did not create the funding formula Santorum appeared to be complaining about. She added that in many cases, benefits from Medicaid - a program that helps low- and middle-income Americans - actually can increase when recipients get married.

"It's unfortunate that Rick Santorum continues to peddle divisive and patently false claims on the campaign trail," Smith said.

IGNORING ROMNEY

Santorum, after wins in Minnesota, Missouri and Colorado, is suddenly Romney's main challenger in the state-by-state race to determine which Republican will face Obama in the November 6 election.

Recent polls have shown Santorum with a small lead over Romney in Michigan, where Romney grew up and his father was an auto executive and governor.

If Romney, a former Massachusetts governor, loses the Michigan primary to Santorum on February 28, doubts within the party about his campaign will escalate.

After a Sunday evening visit to a Georgia church, Santorum returned to Ohio and Michigan on Monday.

After Michigan votes, Ohio is among 10 "Super Tuesday" states where voters will go to the polls on March 6. The Michigan and Ohio contests will be crucial in helping determine who wins the Republican nomination.

Santorum ignored Romney at the Ohio rally, focusing his attention on the failures of the Obama administration.

On MSNBC on Monday, top Romney adviser Eric Fehrnstrom said Santorum was ignoring economic issues in his campaign.

"Just yesterday, he was talking about World War Two and making a comparison between President Obama and Hitler," Fehrnstrom said. Santorum routinely compares the challenge of removing Obama from the White House with the one that confronted the "greatest generation" during the Second World War.

Asked about it by reporters after his speech on Monday, Santorum said he did not make such a comparison.

"Of course not," he said.

Santorum said his upbringing in nearby western Pennsylvania made him particularly qualified to be president.

"We need someone who understands, who comes from the coal fields, who comes from the steel mills, who understands what average working people of America need to be able to provide for themselves and their families," Santorum said.

(Editing by David Lindsey and Peter Cooney)

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Analysis: Obama goes on offense over high gasoline prices

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - As Republican presidential candidates toss barbs at Barack Obama over expensive gasoline, the U.S. president and his team are going on the offensive with a strategy to divert blame and prepare voters for higher costs.

In subtle and not so subtle ways, Obama, a Democrat, is raising the issue of high prices to promote his own policy priorities and blunt criticism from the men vying to unseat him in the November 6 election.

His strategy is both politically- and policy-oriented. The president wants to advance his plans to increase renewable energy sources and reduce U.S. reliance on foreign oil.

But he also needs to win the war of words to gain an upper hand over Republicans in Western battleground states such as Colorado, Nevada and New Mexico, where people drive a lot and feel the sting of rising prices acutely.

Republicans see many weaknesses to exploit. They blame Obama for not doing enough to increase domestic production of fossil fuels and cite his decision to block a new oil pipeline from Canada as evidence that he is beholden to environmentalists.

Rising gasoline costs have brought the issue to the forefront of the presidential campaign. So Obama has started to pepper his speeches with references to prices at the pump.

On Tuesday he cited the extension of the payroll tax cut as a welcome buffer for workers coping with the cost of gas. On Wednesday he proposed -- not for the first time -- getting rid of tax loopholes that benefit oil and gas companies.

On Thursday he'll go a step further, using a speech in Florida to outline his own accomplishments in the energy arena along with a long-term strategy to keep fuel prices down.

"This is a recurrent problem and it's a problem that reinforces the need that (Obama) identified back when he was a candidate for a comprehensive energy strategy," White House spokesman Jay Carney said. Obama advisers have pointed to growing demand in China and unrest in the Middle East as factors out of their control that are affecting the price of oil.

Average gasoline prices have climbed to their highest February levels on record, hitting $3.53 per gallon last week, according to MasterCard SpendingPulse data.

Gasoline prices have tracked crude oil prices, which have been bolstered by the threat of supply disruptions from the West's standoff with Iran over Tehran's nuclear program.

Some analysts say U.S. prices could hit $4 a gallon or more ahead of the summer when driving demand peaks.

POLITICAL BATTLE

Those prices hurt Obama politically as much as they hurt the country economically, and Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum seized on them criticize the president for his environmental record.

"Folks are just starting to be able to breathe a little as the economy starts to come back a little bit, unemployment starts to go down," Santorum said at a campaign event last week.

"All of a sudden they are going to be hit with the same force of wind that hit us in 2008 in the summer that caused us to go into a recession. All because of the radical environmentalist policies of this president," Santorum said.

Carney dismissed Santorum's comments as "random statements by politicians seeking office." Obama is the first president to preside over growth in domestic oil production since President Jimmy Carter, also a Democrat.

Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich, the former speaker of the House of Representatives, promised at a debate with rivals on Wednesday night that the country would enjoy gasoline prices at $2.50 a gallon if he won the White House.

Analysts and strategists said Obama has few options to bring down gasoline prices in the short term and said his energy policies had evolved from focusing on renewable fuels to promoting nuclear energy and natural gas.

"Basically he's come a long way from the campaign of '08. I think that reflects pragmatism on his part," said Guy Caruso, a senior adviser on energy at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Progress or not, Obama has vulnerabilities when it comes to energy. Earlier this year he nixed TransCanada Corp's Keystone XL pipeline under severe pressure from environmentalists.

The president blamed Republicans for forcing him to take a decision under a tighter timeframe than the State Department said it needed to study the project.

Mitt Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts and off-and-on frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination, said that decision was a sign that Obama wanted to please his political base more than he wanted to improve the economy.

VULNERABILITIES, FEW OPTIONS

Analysts say even if Keystone were approved, the increase in oil supplies would not affect gasoline prices for years, but the decision is nevertheless a key flashpoint in the election.

"The juxtaposition of the high gas prices and Keystone has (the White House) understandably nervous, and even though those two ... have almost nothing to do with each other substantively, they create a political narrative that Republicans could be successful in using to paint Obama as anti-energy and pro-high gas prices," a Democratic strategist said.

Politically, Obama's vulnerability over gasoline prices could be especially deadly in Western states that he needs to win to remain in the White House.

Charles Ebinger, director of the Energy Security Initiative at the Brookings Institution, said Republican candidates could gain traction with voters in that region by emphasizing fuel costs, though they -- like Obama -- had few options to suggest to bring prices down in the short term.

"Out there (a candidate) can get some resonance against the president by talking about high gasoline prices," he said.

"If someone comes back at him and says, 'What's your policy Mr. Santorum, Mr. Gingrich, or whomever, to lower gasoline prices today,' I don't think they'll have a good answer."

(Additional reporting by Matthew Robinson and Samuel Jacobs; Editing by Russell Blinch and Anthony Boadle)

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Obama seeks stronger online privacy protection for consumers

NEW YORK (AP) — The Obama administration is calling for stronger privacy protections for consumers as mobile gadgets, Internet services and other tools are able to do a better job of tracking what you do and where you go.

Administration officials outlined a proposed "Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights" on Thursday and urged technology companies, consumer groups and others to jointly craft new protections. Such guidelines would initially be voluntary for companies, but those that agree to abide by them could be subject to sanctions for any violations.

"As the Internet evolves, consumer trust is essential for the continued growth of the digital economy," President Barack Obama said in a statement. "That's why an online privacy Bill of Rights is so important. For businesses to succeed online, consumers must feel secure."

The effort comes as companies have found more sophisticated ways to collect and combine data on your interests and habits. Beginning next week, for instance, Google will start merging data it collects from email, video, social-networking and other services when you're signed in with a Google account.

The growing use of smartphones and tablet computers adds another dimension to the tracking. Location information can give service providers insights into where you spend your time and, if you have friends who use the same services, whom you tend to hang out with in person.

Data collection can help companies improve and personalize services. It can also help advertisers fine-tune messages and reach the people most likely to buy their products and services — often without consumers even realizing it.

That is why the administration is seeking more data protections for consumers in a report issued Thursday.

How strong the protections will be ultimately depends on what rules parties can reach consensus on. The administration favored a multi-stakeholder approach that has hints of self-regulation because legislation to enable traditional regulation would take time.

Last week, the Federal Trade Commission complained that software companies producing games and other mobile applications aren't telling parents what personal information is being collected from kids and how companies are using it. Depending on how the guidelines are crafted, companies could be required to more prominently disclose when they collect such things as location, call logs and lists of friends — not just from kids, but everyone.

The report is not intended to replace other efforts at offering privacy protections.

Leading companies in mobile computing agreed Wednesday to require that mobile applications seeking to collect personal information forewarn users before their services are installed. The guidelines came as part of an agreement with California's attorney general.

Separately, the FTC has recommended the creation of a "Do Not Track" tool to let consumers curb advertisers from studying their online activity to target ads. In announcing support for the administration's privacy safeguards, companies responsible for delivering nearly 90 percent of targeted advertisements also committed to adopting the Do Not Track technology when it is built into Web browsers, something expected this year.

Commerce Secretary John Bryson said in a briefing with reporters that the administration's proposal not only protects consumers but also gives businesses better guidance on how to meet consumer expectations.

The proposal expands on widely accepted Fair Information Practice Principles crafted in the 1970s, when the Internet was just an experimental network used primarily by researchers. Those existing guidelines say that consumers should be informed about any data collection and given the option to refuse. They should also be allowed to review and correct data about themselves. The principles also have provisions for security and enforcement.

Applying the principles to the Internet era, the administration said data collected in one context should not be used for another, while companies should specify any plans for deleting data or sharing information with outside parties. Companies also need to be mindful of the age and sophistication of consumers. Disclosures need to be presented when and where they are most useful for consumers.

The idea isn't to give people access to everything a company collects about them, but they should at least be able to review and correct any information that is used to make decisions.

The Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration plans to convene companies, privacy advocates, regulators and other parties in the common months to craft detailed guidelines that reflect those principles. Enforcement would be left to the FTC under existing laws.

The codes of conduct would be specific to particular types of companies. One might cover social networks, for instance, while another might deal with services on mobile gadgets. A company that offers social-networking features on phones might adopt both. New ones could emerge as technology evolves.

Although officials expect many companies will agree to the new codes, allowing them to use that commitment in marketing materials, the report also called on Congress to pass new laws to require remaining companies to adopt such guidelines. Until then, enforcement would be limited to companies that say they would abide by the codes but fail to do so.

Legislation also would be needed for the FTC to give protections to businesses that follow a checklist of good practices. Known as safe harbor, such protections would exempt companies from sanctions if they inadvertently break a code.

The report comes 14 months after the Commerce Department first proposed a privacy bill of rights. The issue was later elevated to the White House and won its endorsement with the release of Thursday's report.

The administration dropped a proposal in the original report to create a federal privacy office within the Commerce Department. Instead, the task of convening parties to craft guidelines is left to the existing NTIA.

___

Online:

http://1.usa.gov/zp645t

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Obama urges bipartisan support for his agenda

Fresh off a political victory from the extension of the payroll tax cut, President Barack Obama delivered a time-honored political message on Tuesday that might be paraphrased this way: Now is the time for all Americans to set aside their differences and do what I want.

The president wasn't quite so blunt, of course. But at a White House celebration of the payroll tax cut deal, flanked by workers who stand to benefit to the tune of $40 per paycheck, he pushed the polarized Congress to close ranks behind now-familiar parts of his election-year agenda.

"My message to Congress is: Don't stop here. Keep going," Obama urged.

Part of the president's message was that the parties can unite, even in a campaign year. Another was that he has delivered on promises to help working- and middle-class Americans--an apparent response to fierce Republican criticism of his stewardship of the economy.

"For the typical American family, it is a big deal," Obama said of the payroll tax cut extension. "That $40 helps to pay the rent, the groceries, the rising cost of gas."

Obama made the case for parts of his stalled jobs package and for items in his State of the Union address, including helping homeowners who are struggling with mortgages they can't afford, paving the way for small business owners to get much-needed capital, boosting exports, and reward firms that hire in the United States rather than overseas.

And the president pushed for adoption of the so-called "Buffett rule," named after billionaire investor Warren Buffett, aimed at ensuring that people who make more than $1 million per year pay at least 30 percent of their incomes in taxes.

Congressional Republicans leaders have roundly rejected that proposal, denouncing it as an example of alleged "class warfare" against an investor class that they say is critical to spurring job growth.

House Republicans, who blame the Democratic-controlled Senate for stalling legislation they say would bolster the slumping economy, plan to bundle together a series of bills designed to help small businesses and backed by robust bipartisan majorities.

They include a proposal that sailed through the House Financial Services Committee by a 54-1 margin and others that passed the full House by lopsided margins of 413-11, and 421-1.

But Republicans don't seem that optimistic about the prospects for passage in the Senate.

"I just think Senate Democrats are trying to help the White House narrative that we are good-for-nothing scoundrels," a House leadership aide told Yahoo News on condition of anonymity in order to speak candidly.

Olivier Knox is the White House correspondent for Yahoo News.

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Romney: Barack Obama has 'fought against religion'

SHELBY TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney said Tuesday that President Barack Obama's administration has "fought against religion" and sought to substitute a "secular" agenda for one grounded in faith.

Obama's campaign seized on the characterization, calling Romney's comments "disgraceful."

Romney rarely ventures into social issues in his campaign speeches, but people participating in a town hall-style meeting one week before the Michigan primary asked how he would protect religious liberty.

"Unfortunately, possibly because of the people the president hangs around with, and their agenda, their secular agenda — they have fought against religion," Romney said.

The Obama campaign linked Romney's remarks to recent comments by rival Rick Santorum, who has referred to Obama holding a "phony theology" only to say later that he wasn't attacking Obama's faith but the president's environmental views.

"These ugly and misleading attacks have no place in the campaign and they provide a very clear contrast with what President Obama is talking about: how to restore economic security for the middle class and create jobs," said Lis Smith, an Obama campaign spokeswoman.

Religious liberty has been a leading topic in recent weeks because of the Obama administration's mandate that insurance companies provide free birth control even to people employed by church-affiliated organizations, including schools and hospitals. Opponents frame the debate as one of religious liberty while proponents of the mandate say it's about women's health and access to contraception.

Romney hasn't faced voters or reporters very often since Santorum's surge and the rise of social issues in the campaign, largely avoiding questions on the subject. But he's clearly focused on the conservative Republican base that's still skeptical of him, calling himself "severely conservative" during a speech to activists in Washington earlier this month. And his lengthy, detailed answer Tuesday on religious liberty showed clear attention to the issue.

Romney implicitly invoked his own Mormon faith, also rare for the former Massachusetts governor. He said Tuesday that he cares about the issue because he is "someone who has understood very personally the significance of religious tolerance."

He also took questions on gay marriage, Supreme Court appointments and abortion — and when asked about whom he might select as his vice presidential running mate, he listed "pro-life" as the first credential he would look for.

Romney has found himself in an unexpectedly difficult fight in Michigan, his native state and a place where his advisers had long assumed he could do well. He's facing a tough challenge from Santorum, who has excited the GOP base with strong anti-abortion rhetoric and appeals to blue-collar voters.

"I care about Michigan. This is personal for me," Romney said.

The campaign's fundraising has slowed in recent weeks. The multimillionaire former venture capitalist has yet to tap his own fortune, campaign spokeswoman Gail Gitcho said Tuesday.

Romney has stepped his attacks on Santorum in recent days. On Tuesday he argued that tea party voters should prefer him over the former Pennsylvania senator — a renewed focus on the fiscally conservative voters who identify with those groups.

"I think the tea party would find it very interesting that Rick Santorum voted to raise the debt ceiling five times without getting compensating reductions in spending," Romney said, echoing the negative campaign ads his campaign and their wealthy allies are airing in the state.

Michigan's GOP primary electorate has grown increasingly conservative in recent years. Tea party voters played a key role in the 2010 midterm elections, and local tea party groups are still active.

When one questioner at Romney's town hall stood and introduced himself as someone from the tea party, the crowd cheered.

Romney's focus on those voters shows in his schedule. He's set to address a coalition of tea party groups Thursday in Milford — a rarity for the former venture capitalist, who normally holds events at local businesses. Romney has scheduled just one or two public events per day in recent weeks.

Organizers said Romney, who accepted the invitation last week, will take questions from the crowd. Wes Nakagiri, the chairman of the tea party group, RetakeOurGov, that is hosting the event, said many of the group's members want to "root for the hometown boy" but that most would "prefer somebody else."

"The favored son helps if you are a longtime establishment Republican, knew his father," Nakagiri said. "But it's not going to be the same with people that are newly motivated to get into the process. Tea party people that have gotten into the process in the last two years don't have those relationships and are focused on policy."

There are signs that Romney's campaign has stepped up its outreach to the GOP establishment in the state, a group that he's counting on in the Feb. 28 primary.

After Santorum won contests in Missouri, Minnesota and Colorado, tickets for the Oakland County Lincoln Day Dinner — he was already booked as the keynote speaker — skyrocketed, according to Jim Thienel, the chairman. Romney's campaign hadn't responded to the party's earlier request to have him address the dinner.

After the Santorum victories, Romney's campaign called to say his wife, Ann, would be glad to attend. She spoke, too. Romney grew up in Bloomfield Hills, which is in Oakland County.

Romney himself has shown confidence that he'll win in Michigan. When asked in interviews earlier this week what would happened if he lost, Romney said, "That won't happen."

Still, supporters are trying to scale back expectations. Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette introduced Romney at his Tuesday town hall as "The Comeback Kid."

"We've got a barn burner of a campaign right now here in Michigan," Schuette said, "and Mitt Romney is fighting like an underdog."

Romney left Michigan for Arizona, where he's set to debate his GOP rivals Wednesday night. Arizona also holds its primary Feb. 28. Then he will return to Michigan on Friday to deliver a major economic speech at Ford Field, the NFL football stadium in downtown Detroit.

Romney said Tuesday he'll use the speech to outline his economic plan. He said he will have details on a plan for tax policy, cutting spending and adjusting entitlement programs.

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Obama to address AIPAC before talks with Netanyahu on Iran

Barack Obama will address the annual convention of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) on March 4, a day before he and visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hold talks expected to focus on Iran, the White House announced Tuesday.

With the Middle East peace process stalled, the president and his guest are likely to focus on the best way to confront Iran over its suspect nuclear program, as well as the response to Syria's bloody crackdown on opponents of President Bashar al-Assad's regime.

The president's speech to the most powerful US pro-Israel lobby group could also have an election-year flavor: Republicans have tried to portray Obama as insufficiently supportive of Israel's security, a charge rejected by several high profile Israeli officials including Defense Minister Ehud Barak.

The announcement came after Obama's national security adviser, Tom Donilon, paid a two-day visit to Israel.

According to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz. Donilon got an earful from Netanyahu, Barak, and other officials about a recent interview in which US Joints Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Martin Dempsey warned against an Israeli attack on Iran.

Dempsey told CNN that such a strike would be "destabilizing" and "not prudent" and strongly suggested that Israel saw things differently.

"They consider Iran to be an existential threat in a way that we have not concluded that Iran is an existential threat. So I wouldn't suggest, sitting here today, that we've persuaded them that our view is the correct view and that they are acting in an ill-advised fashion," Dempsey told CNN.

Dempsey comments drew a veiled but unmistakable rebuke from Republican Senator John McCain on Tuesday at a press conference in Israel.

"There should be no daylight between America and Israel in our assessment of the threat," McCain said, according to the Jerusalem Post. "Unfortunately there clearly is some."

US Director of National Intelligence James Clapper is reportedly due in Israel Thursday for talks with top intelligence and military officials. His press office declined to discuss his schedule.

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Source: Obama seeks 28 percent corporate tax rate

WASHINGTON (AP) — Laying down an election-year marker in the debate over taxes, the Obama administration is proposing to cut the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 28 percent, and to seek an even lower effective rate for manufacturers, a senior administration official says.

In turn, corporations would have to give up dozens of loopholes and subsidies that they now enjoy. Corporations with overseas operations would also face a minimum tax on their foreign earnings.

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner on Wednesday was to detail aspects of President Barack Obama's proposed overhaul of the corporate tax system, a plan Obama broadly outlined in his State of the Union speech last month.

Chances of accomplishing such change in the tax system are slim in a year dominated mostly with presidential and congressional elections. But for Obama, the proposal is part of a larger tax plan that is central to his re-election strategy.

The corporate tax plan dovetails with Obama's call for raising taxes on millionaires and maintaining current rates on individuals making $200,000 or less.

The 35 percent nominal corporate tax rate is the highest in the world after Japan. But deductions, credits and exemptions allow many corporations to pay taxes at a much lower rate.

Under the framework proposed by the administration, the rate cuts, closed loopholes and the minimum tax on overseas earning would result in no increase to the deficit.

That means that many businesses that slip through loopholes or enjoy subsidies and pay an effective tax rate that is substantially less than the 35 percent corporate tax could end up paying more under Obama's plan. Others, however, would pay less while some would simply benefit from a more simplified system.

The official said the Obama plan aims to help U.S. businesses, especially manufacturers who face strong international competition. Obama's plan would lower the effective rate for manufacturers to 25 percent while emphasizing development of clean energy systems. The administration official spoke on condition of anonymity to describe what the administration will do.

The New York Times first reported details of the plan in its online edition early Wednesday.

Many members of both parties have said they favor overhauling the nation's individual and corporate tax systems, which they complain have rates that are too high and are riddled with too many deductions.

The corporate tax debate has made its way into the presidential contest. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has called for a 25 percent rate, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., would cut the corporate tax rate to 12.5 percent, and former Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., would exempt domestic manufacturers from the corporate tax and halve the top rate for other businesses.

While Obama has been promoting various aspects of his economic agenda in personal appearances and speeches, the decision to leave the corporate tax plan to the Treasury Department to unveil signaled its lower priority.

What's more, the administration's framework leaves much for Congress to decide — a deliberate move by the administration to encourage negotiations but which also doesn't subject the plan to detailed scrutiny.

Obama's plan is not as ambitious as a House Republican proposal that would lower the corporate rate to 25 percent.

Still, Obama has said corporate tax rates are too high and has proposed eliminating tax breaks for American companies that move jobs and profits overseas. He also has proposed giving tax breaks to U.S. manufacturers, to firms that return jobs to this country and to companies that relocate to some communities that have lost big employers.

Geithner told a House committee last week that the administration wants to create more incentives for corporations to invest in the United States.

"We want to bring down the rate, and we think we can, to a level that's closer to the average of that of our major competitors," Geithner told the House Ways and Means Committee.

White House economic adviser Gene Sperling has advocated a minimum tax on global profits. Currently many corporations do not invest overseas profits in the United States to avoid the 35 percent tax rate.

___

Associated Press writer Alan Fram contributed to this report.

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Obama joins Jagger, B.B. King, to belt out blues

WASHINGTON (AP) — The president just couldn't say no: Mick Jagger held out a microphone almost by way of command, and soon Barack Obama was belting out the blues with the best of them.

The East Room of the White House was transformed into an intimate blues club on Tuesday night for a concert featuring blues all-stars of the past, present and future — and the president himself.

The surprise performance by Obama came at the end of the playlist when the blues ensemble was singing "Sweet Home Chicago," the blues anthem of Obama's home town.

Buddy Guy prodded the president, saying he'd heard that the president sang part of an Al Green tune recently, and adding, "You gotta keep it up."

Then Jagger handed over the mic, and Obama seemed compelled to comply.

"Come on, baby don't you want to go," the president sang out twice, handing off the mic to B.B. King momentarily, and then taking it back to tack on "Sweet Home Chicago" at the end.

That was how Obama ended the night.

This was how he began it: Obama said sometimes there are downsides to being the president. You can't just go for a walk, for example.

And then there are the times that more than make up for all those frustrations, he said, like Tuesday night, when Jagger, King, Jeff Beck and other musical giants came by the house to sing the blues.

"I guess things even out a little bit," Obama joked at the start of a rollicking East Room concert that was electrified by Jagger and the rest.

"This music speaks to something universal," Obama declared. "No one goes through life without both joy and pain, triumph and sorrow. The blues gets all of that, sometimes with just one lyric or one note. "

King, 86, arrived in a wheelchair but rose tall to kick off the night with a raucous "Let the Good Times Roll," quickly joined by other members of the ensemble. And he followed with "The Thrill is Gone."

From there, Obama and his wife, Michelle, were swaying in their seats and singing along to an all-hits playlist including "St. James Infirmary" and "Let Me Love You."

Beck slowed things down with an instrumental "Brush With the Blues," as anticipation built for the arrival of Jagger, who did not disappoint.

The longtime Rolling Stones frontman delivered on "I Can't Turn You Loose" and then teamed up with Beck on "Commit a Crime." Jagger got the president and his wife up out of their seats, swaying and clapping to the music, and picked up the pace with "Miss You," performed with Shemekia Copeland and Susan Tedeschi.

Obama was clearly savoring the moment, closing his eyes at times and nodding his head as he lip-synced the words.

The president rose at the end to introduce the ensemble as the "White House Blues All-Stars" for the final song of the night, "Sweet Home Chicago."

"For Michelle and me," the president said, "there's no blues like the song our artists have chosen to close with — the blues from our hometown."

With that, the ensemble wrapped up the evening with "Sweet Home Chicago." And then Jagger handed off the mic to Obama for his presidential coda.

In advance of the concert, Grammy-winner Keb Mo had joked during a rehearsal break that Obama himself would perform, and there could even be a record in the works. He joked that Obama's record would be called, "After the second term, now I can finally get my groove on."

Maybe he wasn't joking after all.

The lineup for Tuesday's concert spanned multiple generations, from legends like King and Guy to young faces such as 26-year-old Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews and Gary Clark Jr., whose style blends hip hop, contemporary soul and indie rock. Also performing were Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks, with actress Taraji P. Henson as the program host and Booker T. Jones as music director and band leader.

The blues concert will be part of the "In Performance at the White House" series that airs on the Public Broadcasting Service. This one, designed to recognize Black History Month, will be broadcast on Monday on PBS stations and aired later on American Forces Network.

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Santorum calls Obama health program bad for marriage

STEUBENVILLE, Ohio (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum accused Democratic President Barack Obama's administration on Monday of implementing healthcare policies that discourage marriage and hurt families.

The former Pennsylvania senator, trying to rally conservative voters and put pressure on Republican rival Mitt Romney, said Obama's 2010 healthcare overhaul gave couples financial incentives to remain unmarried.

"Do you realize that if you are married under Obamacare, you pay a lot more than if you are living together under Obamacare? A lot more," Santorum told 500 voters packed into Froehlich's Classic Corner restaurant. "Thousands of dollars more for the average American family you paid if you are married."

Santorum's attack was the latest in a series of provocative statements in which he or his staff has touched on religion, healthcare or abortion in criticizing the Democratic president.

Over the weekend, Santorum questioned Obama's "theology," and suggested that the president's healthcare law encouraged abortion by requiring insurers to cover various prenatal tests used to identify abnormalities.

Then, on Monday, the former senator's spokeswoman, Alice Stewart, mistakenly referred to Obama's "radical Islamic policies." Stewart later told MSNBC she had meant to say "radical environmental policies."

In calling Obama's healthcare program an enemy of marriage, Santorum apparently was referring to changes in eligibility for Medicaid benefits that can occur when a couple get married.

Obama campaign spokeswoman Lis Smith said the Affordable Care Act passed in 2010 did not create the funding formula Santorum appeared to be complaining about. She added that in many cases, benefits from Medicaid - a program that helps low- and middle-income Americans - actually can increase when recipients get married.

"It's unfortunate that Rick Santorum continues to peddle divisive and patently false claims on the campaign trail," Smith said.

IGNORING ROMNEY

Santorum, after wins in Minnesota, Missouri and Colorado, is suddenly Romney's main challenger in the state-by-state race to determine which Republican will face Obama in the November 6 election.

Recent polls have shown Santorum with a small lead over Romney in Michigan, where Romney grew up and his father was an auto executive and governor.

If Romney, a former Massachusetts governor, loses the Michigan primary to Santorum on February 28, doubts within the party about his campaign will escalate.

After a Sunday evening visit to a Georgia church, Santorum returned to Ohio and Michigan on Monday.

After Michigan votes, Ohio is among 10 "Super Tuesday" states where voters will go to the polls on March 6. The Michigan and Ohio contests will be crucial in helping determine who wins the Republican nomination.

Santorum ignored Romney at the Ohio rally, focusing his attention on the failures of the Obama administration.

On MSNBC on Monday, top Romney adviser Eric Fehrnstrom said Santorum was ignoring economic issues in his campaign.

"Just yesterday, he was talking about World War Two and making a comparison between President Obama and Hitler," Fehrnstrom said. Santorum routinely compares the challenge of removing Obama from the White House with the one that confronted the "greatest generation" during the Second World War.

Asked about it by reporters after his speech on Monday, Santorum said he did not make such a comparison.

"Of course not," he said.

Santorum said his upbringing in nearby western Pennsylvania made him particularly qualified to be president.

"We need someone who understands, who comes from the coal fields, who comes from the steel mills, who understands what average working people of America need to be able to provide for themselves and their families," Santorum said.

(Editing by David Lindsey and Peter Cooney)

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