Joe Scarborough Exposes Deather Gov. Pawlenty (Transcript, Video 9-11-09)

I found the transcript and video on The Hill's Blog Briefing Room. Joe deserves credit for having the decency to challenge the insanity of the Republicans, even if he is one.

Appearing on MSNBC's Morning Joe today, Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R-Minn.) refused to distance himself from the claim that healthcare reform would lead to "death panels."

Pressed repeatedly by host Joe Scarborough, Pawlenty, a possible 2012 presidential candidate, called death panel concerns "legitimate" and suggested the high cost of care would lead bureaucrats to start deciding who lives and dies.

Here's the exchange. The empasis is mine. (Video of the exchange is below):

SCARBOROUGH: There's nothing in any of these bills that would "pull the plug on granny," is there?

PAWLENTY: ...Here are the facts. You did have in an earlier version of the bill a provision that said the federal government would encourage and incentivize end of life counseling. That concerned people, to have the federal government involved in that. So it's a legitimate question. Even if that is removed, there's concerns that this thing is going to be so expensive they're not going to be able to afford all that's promise, and somebody's going to have to make a decision to cut back, and peple are concerned that if the federal government does that--have them rationing care, that's a real problem. And so those are not irrational concerns based on those facts....

SCARBOROUGH: But but, there are no death panels here, though. Counseling is one thing. Having three people lining up and saying 'granny dies, grandpa lives,' that's quite another. You can't get there from here.

PAWLENTY: Well what happens--Joe, what you call it or label it, but I think the facts are these: if you have a system like the United Kingdom where---

SCARBOROUGH: But we don't. We don't governor. With all due respect, this does not give us a system like the United Kingdom. I'm talking specifically about this bill. How does this bill get us to "death panels?" You don't believe it does, do you?

PAWLENTY: Joe what if it becomes so expensive, and the trajectory of it is even close to what's being predicted 10 years out that they can no longer afford what they promised, and somebody has to scale back care, and the government is now empowered to do that.

And if you look at examples around the world where that takes place, there are concerns about care being cut back by a federal government instituation, and we can have a legitimate discussion about whether that's good or not. I don't think it is.

SCARBOROUGH: Governor, what in this bill, though, let's be specific, what in this bill leads us to that position, gives a bureacrat that power 10 years from now....what in this bill could lead someone to rationally believe that a death panel might emerge in a decade. Based on this legislation.

PAWLENTY: Joe there is nothing in the legislation directly that says that. It's the indirect concerns that i'm trying to articulate that I think are at least worth raising.

Anti-Abortion Activist Gunned Down Outside Michigan High School

There won't much outrage over this shooting. And it won't be plastered all over the media. This article was found predictably on FOXNews. There shouldn't be double standards. Political violence (assuming that's the case here) is political violence. It shouldn't be tolerated especially in a free society.

A well-known anti-abortion activist was shot multiple times and killed Friday morning in front of a Michigan high school, and another man was shot and killed just miles away in what police are investigating as related incidents.

Owosso police chief Michael Compeau said Jim Pouillon, 63, was outside the school Friday morning with a sign when a man drove by and shot him. No one else was injured.

Michigan State Police have taken a suspect into custody, the Flint Journal reported.

The school was placed on immediate lockdown, though no students were hurt or involved in the shooting, Ossowo Hish School officials told the paper.

NY Post Cover Today: Nothing on 9-11 Anniversary

The NY Post which is owned by Rupert Murdoch (who also owns FOXNews) has no mention of the 8th anniversary of September 11th on it's cover. It does have a section entitled, "NFL Bettor's Guide." This is the same rag that compared Obama to a dead monkey.

No Lessons learned

Here we are on the eve of the 8th anniversary of one of the worst disasters in American history. And there is very little talk about whether it could happen again. It is the same kind of complacency that existed prior to September 11th 2001. I had written in July of that year that a "disaster" would happen because we were unprepared. I cited Pearl Harbor as an example. I had no idea what happened would 2 months later.

Now I'm repeating it again, we are headed for another disaster. Could it be another terror attack? I don't know for sure. It could be cyberterror, the total collapse of the economy, a Swine Flu pandemic that leads to the deaths of tens of thousands, or the asassination of President Obama. All I know is we are too indifferent or ignorant to stop it. Or are we?
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Poverty at 11-Year High - And Still Rising

And there is no hope in site. Not as long as we produce nothing and continue to import everything. This President means well but doesn't seem to have any economic program for increasing employment. Rather than bailing out Wall St. and auto industry with hundreds of billions in money we do not have, he - and the Congress - should have set out to create a public works program. Especially since the infrastructure in America is crumbling. It was government created jobs that got us out of the Great Depression. A fully employed populous, working under decent wages, will create demand which makes the the economy grow. And a growing economy is that prosperous, not poor:

The poverty rate in the United States hit 13.2 percent last year, according to a study released Thursday - up from 12.5 percent the previous year.

That's an 11-year high, and it means that nearly 40 million Americans were living below the poverty line, the equivalent of a family of four living on about $22,000 or less a year. CBS News correspondent Randall Pinkston has more on the stark reality behind the numbers.

[...]The new poverty numbers don't reflect the downturn of 2009, when unemployment has reached almost 10 percent. That means there's worse news to come.

200 Million Children Work Worldwide

We still live in a world that treats children poorly. The solution: education. Like with so many problems, education can solve it. If only governments, including our own, understood this simple concept we wouldn't have this terrible evil going on.

Children are used to produce everything from pornography in Ukraine to fireworks in the Philippines and diamonds in Sierra Leone, the US Department of Labor said in a report.

The report, published on Thursday, lists 122 goods "produced with forced labor, child labor, or both, in 58 countries" from Afghanistan to North Korea to Uzbekistan.

"Agricultural crops comprise the largest category, followed by manufactured goods and mined or quarried goods," said the report, which was mandated by Congress in 2005, when lawmakers passed the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act.

Child labor was more common than forced labor, and the goods most often produced by children were cotton, sugar cane, tobacco, coffee, rice, and cocoa in agriculture; bricks, garments, carpets, and footwear in manufacturing; and gold and coal in mined or quarried goods.

Strawberries from Argentina, footwear from Bangladesh, gold and silver from Bolivia, and rubber from Cambodia were brought to international markets with the work of child labor.

Myanmar, which is listed in the report as Burma, used child and forced labor to produce 14 products, ranging from jade to teak wood.

In India, children worked on glass bangles, leather goods and soccer balls; in Pakistan, they are used to make carpets.

And in Russia and Ukraine, the Philippines and Thailand, they were used in the production of pornography.

"The International Labor Organization estimates that over 12 million persons worldwide are working in some form of forced labor or bondage and that more than 200 million children are at work, many in hazardous forms of labor," the report said.

Armed man Arrested in Capitol During Obama address

As I keep saying, there is a effort to try and assassinate the President. If the Republicans continue to engage in hate mongering directed against the President will be more attempts on the life of Obama.

U.S. Capitol Police have arrested a Virginia man they say tried to drive into a secure area near the Capitol with a shotgun and rifle in his car as the president gave his health care address to Congress.

Joshua Bowman, 28, of Falls Church, Va., was arrested around 8 p.m. Wednesday and charged with two counts of possession of an unregistered firearm and one count of unlawful possession of ammunition. Each carries a possible one-year jail sentence and $1,000 fine.

Bowman's intentions were unclear, said police spokeswoman Sgt. Kimberly Schneider, but the U.S. Attorney's Office in Washington decided against prosecuting him on more serious charges, said spokesman Benjamin Friedman.

Schneider said Bowman approached a security checkpoint near the Cannon House Office Building in a four-door Honda Civic and told officers he wanted to park.

People who want to drive into the area must have a permit and have their vehicles searched. The timing of the request raised an officer's suspicion, Schneider said, and Bowman consented to a vehicle search.

A shotgun, rifle and 500 rounds of ammunition were found in Bowman's trunk, said Erica Stanley, a spokeswoman for the District of Columbia mayor's office.

Trade Deficit jumps to Highest level in 6 months

This means that America will continue to be a debtor nation much like any third world nation. We produce very little but consumer plenty...of foreign products. And how do we pay for these imported goods, as we have for decades? By putting it on a credit card. Because all the good paying manufacturing jobs have been outsourced. Trade is a component of GDP. Meaning, trade deficits rob our economy. It is also contributes to our foreign debt. That means we have to borrow to pay off the Chinese. Recipe for more disasters. Unfortunately, the last politician to talk about this issue was - Ross Perot. And he ain't running for President anymore.

The U.S. trade deficit shot up in July to the highest level in six months as a surge in shipments of foreign oil and autos pushed imports up by a record amount.

The Commerce Department said Thursday that the trade deficit rose 16.3 percent to $32 billion in July, much larger than the $27.4 billion imbalance that economists had expected. It was the largest imbalance since January and the percentage increase was the biggest in more than a decade.

Imports rose by 4.7 percent, the largest monthly advance on records that go back to 1992, while exports edged up by a smaller 2.2 percent. Both gains provided evidence that the most severe recession since World War II was beginning to lose its grip on the global economy.

That would explain our auto industry is being taken over by foreigners.

General Motors Co. agreed to sell its Opel unit to Magna International Inc., accepting the German government’s preference over a financial investor that the U.S. carmaker had favored.

Magna, Canada’s biggest auto-parts maker, and its Russian partner OAO Sberbank will acquire a 55 percent stake in Opel, Detroit-based GM said in a statement. GM, Magna and Germany resolved disputes over Opel’s access to GM intellectual property and financing issues in the past two weeks, according to a person familiar with negotiations.

Top U.S. Banker: Criticism of Excessive Bonuses "Appropriate"

Now this guy deserves a medal. Why isn't his comments front page news? And why aren't the politicians saying I told you so? Maybe they don't care? Maybe the bailout of Wall St. was a mistake?

A top US banker has said that public anger about excessive bonuses paid out by financial institutions is both "understandable and appropriate".

Lloyd Blankfein, head of Goldman Sachs, also said that payouts guaranteed over a number of years should be banned.

His own firm was recently criticised for setting aside billions of dollars to be paid out in bonuses.

Many blame excessive bonuses for the short-term risk taking that helped bring about the financial crisis.

Mr Blankfein, one of Wall Street's best paid bankers, said "there is little justification for the payment of outsized discretionary compensation when a financial institution lost money for the year".

61 SC House Republicans call on Governor to Resign

This is what politicians in America have to come to. They have little concern for what is right and what is good for America. The honorable thing for Mr.Sanford to do is step down. But love of power and self trump duty and honor. Whether it's the Republicans and Democrats they not only dishonor their parties but have little regard for family. Is it any wonder our society is crumbling when the two parties spend all their time chasing skirts or selling out.

Sixty-one South Carolina House Republicans asked Gov. Mark Sanford to resign Wednesday, questioning his ability to lead the state since his unannounced summertime trip to see a mistress in Argentina and investigations of his state and private travel that followed.

"Your decision to abandon our state for five days, with no defined order of succession and with no known way to contact you, is inexcusable," said a letter from the lawmakers signed by House Majority Leader Kenny Bingham.

At least this guy had the decency to quit. But here's another example of a politician who uses his power to pursue self interest rather than doing what he was elected for.

Mike Duvall's second term as a member of the California Assembly was progressing pretty much like his first — in relative obscurity, with few notable legislative accomplishments.

The Orange County Republican is now a YouTube hit after KCAL-TV aired his racy comments about sexual conquests that were caught by an open microphone in a Capitol hearing room. Several media outlets said the comments referred to Duvall's affairs with a female lobbyist and another woman. He resigned Wednesday.

Congressman Yells 'You Lie' During Obama Speech

Now tell me this isn't about a White man hating - or pandering to those whom do - a black man occupying the Oval Office. It has gotten out of control. There is no respect coming from the Republicans. Where will it end? I'll tell you: In President Obama's assassination.

A South Carolina Republican lawmaker shouted "You lie" at President Barack Obama as he addressed Congress on Wednesday. The congressman later apologized for his "lack of civility."

In his speech in the House chamber, Obama was telling lawmakers that the Democratic plans for health care overhaul do not cover illegal immigrants.

"The reforms I'm proposing would not apply to those who are here illegally," Obama said.

"You lie!" Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., shouted from his seat, jabbing a finger in the air.

In a statement, Wilson said later that he regretted the incident.

"This evening I let my emotions get the best of me," Wilson said. "While I disagree with the president's statement, my comments were inappropriate and regrettable. I extend sincere apologies to the president for this lack of civility."

Feds are in Bed with "Hazardous Materials" Shippers

Why not?! Everything else is for sale in America. Public safety is the last concern. And the government just gives and wink and a nod.

The federal agency that regulates transportation of hazardous materials is too "cozy" with shippers and often fails to provide adequate oversight to protect the public, a congressional investigation finds.

The concerns are outlined in a staff memo for the House Transportation Committee ahead of a hearing today on the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.

The investigation by committee staff "strongly suggests that (the safety administration's) performance of its primary safety mission is less than diligent in far too many instances, appears to be inappropriately 'cozy' with industry, and demands an immediate, high-level policy review," the memo says.

Obama Speech to Congress on Health Care Transcript (9-9-09)

Read the complete transcript of President Obama's speech to the full Congress on health care reform. Excerpt below:

I am not the first President to take up this cause, but I am determined to be the last. It has now been nearly a century since Theodore Roosevelt first called for health care reform. And ever since, nearly every President and Congress, whether Democrat or Republican, has attempted to meet this challenge in some way. A bill for comprehensive health reform was first introduced by John Dingell Sr. in 1943. Sixty-five years later, his son continues to introduce that same bill at the beginning of each session.

Our collective failure to meet this challenge – year after year, decade after decade – has led us to a breaking point. Everyone understands the extraordinary hardships that are placed on the uninsured, who live every day just one accident or illness away from bankruptcy. These are not primarily people on welfare. These are middle-class Americans. Some can't get insurance on the job. Others are self-employed, and can't afford it, since buying insurance on your own costs you three times as much as the coverage you get from your employer. Many other Americans who are willing and able to pay are still denied insurance due to previous illnesses or conditions that insurance companies decide are too risky or expensive to cover.

We are the only advanced democracy on Earth – the only wealthy nation – that allows such hardships for millions of its people. There are now more than thirty million American citizens who cannot get coverage. In just a two year period, one in every three Americans goes without health care coverage at some point. And every day, 14,000 Americans lose their coverage. In other words, it can happen to anyone.

But the problem that plagues the health care system is not just a problem of the uninsured. Those who do have insurance have never had less security and stability than they do today. More and more Americans worry that if you move, lose your job, or change your job, you'll lose your health insurance too. More and more Americans pay their premiums, only to discover that their insurance company has dropped their coverage when they get sick, or won't pay the full cost of care. It happens every day.

One man from Illinois lost his coverage in the middle of chemotherapy because his insurer found that he hadn't reported gallstones that he didn't even know about. They delayed his treatment, and he died because of it. Another woman from Texas was about to get a double mastectomy when her insurance company canceled her policy because she forgot to declare a case of acne. By the time she had her insurance reinstated, her breast cancer more than doubled in size. That is heart-breaking, it is wrong, and no one should be treated that way in the United States of America.

Then there's the problem of rising costs. We spend one-and-a-half times more per person on health care than any other country, but we aren't any healthier for it. This is one of the reasons that insurance premiums have gone up three times faster than wages. It's why so many employers – especially small businesses – are forcing their employees to pay more for insurance, or are dropping their coverage entirely. It's why so many aspiring entrepreneurs cannot afford to open a business in the first place, and why American businesses that compete internationally – like our automakers – are at a huge disadvantage. And it's why those of us with health insurance are also paying a hidden and growing tax for those without it – about $1000 per year that pays for somebody else's emergency room and charitable care.

- Related Topic:
Obama Talks to Students at Wakefield High School (9-8-09)

Video: China Fuels Illegal Ivory Demand

The Chinese are behind much of the evil in the world. But whose to stop them? Not the U.S. government since they need China's money to pay for their wasteful spending. And then there are all those profits being made by Wall St. and those outsourcing corporations.

British soldier killed during rescue of kidnapped journalist in Afghanistan

Should our military, or that of our allies, be in the business of rescuing journalists that act as free agents in a war zone? The press has it's own agenda. Which is not necessarily the same of that of our military. It is hard enough fighting a tenacious enemy that our soldiers have to worry about babysitting reporters. Many of these reporters often hide behind the military in order to get what they want. It should be made clear to any reporter that if they wish to go to a war zone that they follow the rules set by the military. Otherwise, they are on their own.

A British soldier serving with the special forces support group has been killed during a pre-dawn raid to free a British journalist being held by the Taliban in northern Afghanistan, it was confirmed today.

The reporter's interpreter also died in the operation.

Stephen Farrell, a New York Times journalist, and his translator, Sultan Munadi, were captured last Saturday as they reported on the aftermath of a Nato air strike in which at least 70 people were killed.

Early today, Farrell said he had been "extracted" after a helicopter carrying British and Afghan soldiers swooped on a compound near the northern city of Kunduz.

"We were all in a room, the Talibs all ran ... it was obviously a raid," the 46-year-old told his editors in New York.

The Kunduz governor's office confirmed that the raid had been led by British special forces.

Israel Pushes Ahead East Jerusalem Building Plans

You can forget any peace agreements. The Israeli government feels that Obama is too preoccupied with health care that he won't make much of a stink. But if war does break out again you can bet it will get the President's attention then.

Israel is pushing ahead with a long-delayed plan to build hundreds of apartments in east Jerusalem, staking claims to land the Palestinians want for a future state and complicating already tense relations with the U.S. over its demand for a construction moratorium.

The government has chosen developers to build 486 new apartments in the Pisgat Zeev neighborhood after a yearlong delay over pricing disputes, the state-run land agency said Tuesday.

The announcement came just days after Israel approved up to 455 apartments in the West Bank. Construction plans are continuing even as Israel negotiates with the U.S. on its demand for a total building freeze in both the West Bank and east Jerusalem.

The new buildings are to go up on the outer edge of Jerusalem's northeastern boundary and would narrow the distance between Pisgat Zeev and nearby Palestinian communities.

Jerusalem, with its sites holy to both Jews and Muslims, lies at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Israel captured the eastern sector of the city from Jordan in 1967 and immediately annexed it. The international community does not recognize the annexation or Israel's argument that Jewish neighborhoods there are not settlements.

"While the government of Israel for the sake of the peace process is willing to consider placing severe limitations on construction in the West Bank, that does not apply to Jerusalem," government spokesman Mark Regev said. "The position of the government is that Jerusalem is and will remain the united capital of Israel."

By rebuffing U.S. pressure on settlement construction, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has solidified the support of his largely hawkish coalition. But the dispute has caused unprecedented tensions with Washington, and the Palestinians have refused to resume stalled peace talks until construction stops.

And let's not forget Israel's plan to bomb Iran. A politically wounded Obama would strengthen the hand of the neocons and the pro-bombing Iran elements in the Israeli government.

The United States says it has "serious concerns" that Iran is deliberately trying - at a minimum - to preserve a nuclear weapons option.

Washington's chief envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency says a recent report by the nuclear watchdog shows that Iran is now either very near or already has enough low-enriched uranium to produce one nuclear weapon.

And the Israelis army isn't squeamish about fighting a war. Even if it means killing plenty of civilians. Which only inflames the Arab and Muslim world further.

Well over half of nearly 1,400 Palestinians killed in Israel's Gaza war were civilians, including 252 children younger than 16, a leading Israeli human rights groups said Wednesday, challenging Israel's claim that most of the dead were militants.

4 U.S. Marines die in Afghan Ambush

Nothing good can come from this war at this point. Time to start getting out. This story is reminiscent of Vietnam. It's a quagmire. If we're pulling out from Iraq then we should also do so from Afghanistan. President Obama has a different agenda. He, like Kennedy, don't want to be seen as soft on communism Jihadism.

We walked into a trap, a killing zone of relentless gunfire and rocket barrages from Afghan insurgents hidden in the mountainsides and in a fortress-like village where women and children were replenishing their ammunition.

"We will do to you what we did to the Russians," the insurgent's leader boasted over the radio, referring to the failure of Soviet troops to capture Ganjgal during the 1979-89 Soviet occupation.

Dashing from boulder to boulder, diving into trenches and ducking behind stone walls as the insurgents maneuvered to outflank us, we waited more than an hour for U.S. helicopters to arrive, despite earlier assurances that air cover would be five minutes away.

U.S. commanders, citing new rules to avoid civilian casualties, rejected repeated calls to unleash artillery rounds at attackers dug into the slopes and tree lines — despite being told repeatedly that they weren't near the village.

"We are pinned down. We are running low on ammo. We have no air. We've lost today," Marine Maj. Kevin Williams , 37, said through his translator to his Afghan counterpart, responding to the latter's repeated demands for helicopters.

Four U.S. Marines were killed Tuesday, the most U.S. service members assigned as trainers to the Afghan National Army to be lost in a single incident since the 2001 U.S.-led invasion. Eight Afghan troops and police and the Marine commander's Afghan interpreter also died in the ambush and the subsequent battle that raged from dawn until 2 p.m. around this remote hamlet in eastern Kunar province, close to the Pakistan border.

Three Americans and 19 Afghans were wounded, and U.S. forces later recovered the bodies of two insurgents, although they believe more were killed.

The Marines were cut down as they sought cover in a trench at the base of the village's first layer cake-style stone house. Much of their ammunition was gone. One Marine was bending over a second, tending his wounds, when both were killed, said Marine Cpl. Dakota Meyer , 21, of Greensburg, Ky. , who retrieved their bodies.

Colleges Are Failing in Graduation Rates

More proof of a crumbling society:

"If you were going to come up with a list of organizations whose failures had done the most damage to the American economy in recent years, you’d probably have to start with the Wall Street firms and regulatory agencies that brought us the financial crisis. From there, you might move on to Wall Street’s fellow bailout recipients in Detroit, the once-Big Three.

But I would suggest that the list should also include a less obvious nominee: public universities.

At its top levels, the American system of higher education may be the best in the world. Yet in terms of its core mission — turning teenagers into educated college graduates — much of the system is simply failing."

It should be no surprise that if our schools are crumbling then so is our infrastructure:

Failing infrastructure is not just an L.A. problem. Further north, workers scrambled to reopen the 73-year old Bay Bridge between San Francisco and Oakland after finding a crack in a steel beam. The bridge was severely damaged and refurbished after the 1989 earthquake.

But it's not just earthquake-prone California that's falling apart. And it's not just bridges and water mains, but also airports, dams, roadways, sewers and more.

In their annual report card, the nation's civil engineers give the whole country poor grades for infrastructure.

Laura Bush: "Everyone" Should Respect the President

Laura Bush appeared on Larry King today and seemed to understand what her fellow Republicans (I'm assuming she is) don't. The office of President of the United States should be treated with some respect. Republicans do not seem to have any right now.

Laura: Well, that's they're right, you know that certainly is the right of parents to choose what they want their children to hear in school, but I think really what people were unhappy about were the guidelines that went out with the... before the.. speech went out with the, um, and I think those have been changed and I think its also really important for everyone to respect the President of the United States.

Zain: Do you think that it is fair that Obama is criticized as a socialist?

Laura: I'd have no idea whether it is fair, do you think I thought it was fair when President Bush was criticized? Not really. So I guess not.

Zain: President Bush was criticized, he was called by many in the left a fascist. What kind of advice would you give to President Obama in how to handle the situation...

Laura: Well I wouldn't give him any advice you know, I don't think I need to give him any advice, but I think I think it's just what happens and people know it in our country is the cause of our very really safe Congressional districts everywhere in our country, we're polarized in the sense that a lot of people are on the right, a lot of people are on the left and we've seen that for the last eight years certainly and we're still seeing it and that's just a fact and I think it is important for everybody who is elected -- Republicans, Democrats and independents to really be bipartisan and to come together and its difficult.

These are really admirable words. Why aren't other Republicans saying the same thing? Why aren't there more voices calling for greater civility? Where is the leadership? Why does everything coming from the GOP have to be a conspiracy theory? Why do Republicans sound like the Southern Democrats during the civil rights movement? And where are voices saying that this continued Obama bashing could lead to his assassination, as it did with Kennedy?

The Republicans are so busy attacking that when they stop and decide to make proposals the GOP is clueless.

A source close to Republican Sen. Charles Grassley tells CNN he intends to offer counter proposals to Sen. Max Baucus tomorrow morning, as the Senate Finance Committee chair requested.

What changes he will offer is still unclear. He and his aides will work on it tonight.

Sounds like something Grassley should be telling his constituents:

Michael Vick, speaking to a group of Philadelphia high school students Tuesday, warned against the dangers of peer pressure and offered himself as a cautionary tale of what can happen when someone is a follower instead of a leader.

Obama Talks to Students at Wakefield High School (9-8-09)

Read the complete transcript of Obama's words to the Virginia High schoolers:

OBAMA: So that’s the main message that I want to send is take advantage of the opportunity. If -- if you are hungry for learning, you will find teachers that want to help you, you will -- you know, your parents will be there for you, the community will be there, you will be able to finance college, you will be able to get a good job, you will be able to have a successful career. But you’ve got to want it. And that’s the main message that we want to send.

So, with that, we’ve got about 20 minutes just to go back and forth. And I know, like I said, it’s a little intimidating having these folks around. But it’s not every day that you get a chance to talk to the president, so.

(LAUGHTER)

I’m not going to call on anybody. Just whoever has a question or a comment, a suggestion, an idea about what you think would make school better, things that you think make it tough for some kids, even if it’s not you, but things that you’ve heard, that you think we should know. Questions about Bo, my dog, that’s OK, too.

(LAUGHTER)

You know, whatever -- whatever comes to mind.

So who wants to start off? I know -- there you go (inaudible). We’ve got a mike so everybody can hear you.

Introduce yourself.

QUESTION: How has your life changed?

OBAMA: What’s your name?

QUESTION: Jimmy.

OBAMA: Jimmy.

How’s my life changed?

(CROSSTALK)

OBAMA: Well, you know, when you -- when you announce that you’re running for president -- first of all, I was a U.S. senator before I was a president, so people already sort of knew me, but just in Illinois, in my home state, in Chicago. And when you announce that you’re running for president, suddenly a lot more people know you. And then, slowly, you get Secret Service. And then, when you win the nomination, you get more Secret Service.

OBAMA: And then, when you become president, then everything just shuts down.

And so, you know, one of the biggest changes in my life is that I can’t just do things normally like I used to be able to do them. And that’s hard sometimes.

I mean, you know, I can’t just get in my car, go to the store, pick up, you know, some whatever it is that I feel like picking up.

(LAUGHTER)

I can’t go take a walk without shutting down a whole bunch of roads and really inconveniencing a lot of people.

And so, in terms of my own personal life, I think the biggest change is that I’m inside what’s called the bubble, you know. I can’t just do things on the spur of the moment.

And that’s actually the toughest thing about being president. Because, you know, you want to just be able to interact with people normally, right?

And these days, either people are waving and really happy to see me or they’re booing me, saying, you know...

(LAUGHTER)

But -- but nobody just, kind of, interacts with you in a -- in a normal way.

The good thing about being president is I’ve got this really nice home office called the Oval Office.

(LAUGHTER)