Netroots Nation '11 Focuses On Issues President Obama Is Strong On!

As progressives, and those who are making money off of them, gather in Minneapolis, the subjects they are taking on seem to read like the list of President Obama’s accomplishments. I’m not sure many of the organizers or attendees realize it, but in reading down the list of topics, it seems pretty obvious that President Obama’s priorities and the topics up for discussion are very much in line with each other. Some examples…

Topic: Engaging Progressives in the Fight to Save Public Education 

Some of President Obama’s accomplishments on Education

• Enacted largest reform of student aid in 40 years. ref, ref
• Health Care and Education Affordability Reconciliation Act of 2010. ref
• Increased funding for land-grant college. ref
• Provided means for students struggling to make college loan payments to refinance. ref
• Expanded Pell grants for low-income students. ref
• Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009 . ref
• Provided funding for high-speed, broadband Internet access to K-12 schools. ref
• $26 billion state aid package saved 160,000 teacher jobs (Aug 2010) ref
• Provided over $2.3 billion in additional funding to Head Start and Early Head Start programs in 2009. ref

Topic: Dirty Energy: The Fight Against Coal, Oil, Natural Gas and Nuclear Power

Some of President Obama’s accomplishments on clean energy and regulating “dirty” energy

• More than doubled federal spending for research on clean fuels. ref
• $60 billion in spending and tax incentives for renewable and clean energy. ref
• Invested $2 billion in solar power, hailed new jobs. ref, ref, ref
• Doubled funding for bicycling, walking projects ref, ref
• (DOL) Dedicated $100 million in Energy Training Partnership green jobs training grants. ref
• $8 billion combined public/pvt funding committed to develop Smart Power Grid (part of ARRA). ref
• Increased funding for the Environmental Protection Agency. ref
• Created job training programs in clean technologies for displaced workers. ref
• Created Green Vet Initiative to promote environmental jobs for veterans. ref
• Ended the previous policy of not regulating and labeling carbon dioxide emissions. ref
• Set smog limit: new strict proposal to replace Bush-era rule (EPA). ref ref
• Required states to provide incentives for utilities to reduce energy consumption. ref

Isn’t it amazing how much President Obama has done for the progressive movement. The accomplishments highlighted above are just some of what our most progressive president EVER has accomplished in 2 and 1/2 years. He accomplished them while battling against lock-step opposition from the right and even carping from a small group on the left – the naive, narcissistic, petty, “what-have-you-done-for-me-lately” crowd. Can you imagine how much more he could have accomplished if that latter group had helped instead of hindered him in the process. It also would have been nice if they had at least acknowledged the fact that he was negotiating with a crazed right-wing and a group of “conservadems” that forced the President to the middle.

But I’m very encouraged to see that Netroots Nation and the President are so in line on the issues. Obama 2012!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Source for the many accomplishments of President Obama. If you Google that sentence, you will see many more accomplishments. I love Google, by the way. I wouldn’t use anything but Google.

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