Boehner: Obama Lacks 'Guts'

A feisty House Speaker John Boehner said this morning that he doesn't believe President Obama "has the guts" to make the tough choices to address the government's mounting deficit problem.

"He doesn't have the courage to take on the liberal side of his own party," Boehner said at a breakfast briefing with television correspondents and anchors. "He just doesn't have the courage to lead when it comes to our long-term spending problem."

The top House Republican said that when it comes to making tough decisions on the nation's deficit, "I don't think he has the guts to do it."

Although Boehner expressed some optimism on achieving an agreement on immigration, he was pessimistic about accomplishing almost anything else this year, saying the president is more interested in defeating Republicans in next mid-term elections. Defeating Republicans, he said, is the only way Obama can accomplish the "liberal agenda" he outlined in his inaugural address.

"I think he'd love to have Nancy Pelosi as Speaker of the House and Harry Reid as the leader of the Senate for the last two years of his presidency" Boehner said. "He knows that none of [the president's agenda outlined in the Inaugural] is going to happen as long as we have the majority in the House."

But Boehner sounded a different tone on immigration.

"We have to come to agreement on immigration," he said. "There is a lot that can be done."

Asked directly if the Republican-controlled House could support an agreement that includes a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants now living in the United States, Boehner said it was way too early to answer the question.

"Slow down. Slow down. How about a little foreplay?" Boehner joked. "There's a bipartisan conversation going on in the Senate. There's a bipartisan conversation going in the House. Let these things work their way along. It is too early to talk about legislation going on in one house or the other."

He added: "The only thing I worry about on immigration is the president getting in the way."

Boehner is so pessimistic about achieving a budget agreement, he said House Republicans may not even attempt to go forward with tax reform - a top GOP priority - in this Congress.

"There's a debate going on about whether we can get to the kind of tax reform we want given the outcome of the election," Boehner said. "We'd love to do tax reform. Lower rates for all, clean up the code, make it simpler. But why go through all that effort if it isn't going anywhere or why go through that effort if the outcome would be unacceptable?"

On the coming budget showdown over automatic spending cuts to go into effect on March 1, the president has insisted on a "balanced" approach that includes more increases in tax revenue as well as spending cuts. Boehner suggested he would agree to no more tax increases.

"The president got his revenue," Boehner said, referring to the deal Obama struck with Congress over the New Year to allow tax rates to go up for those earning more than $400,000 a year.

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/obama-lacks-guts-tough-choices-boehner-170922231--abc-news-politics.html

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Obama to stress jobs in State of the Union speech; audience's message is guns

WASHINGTON ? The American public will get a competing mix of rhetoric and imagery in President Obama's State of the Union address Tuesday, a speech that offers a heavy dose on the economy even as it plays out against a visual backdrop dominated by the current national debate over guns.

With the economy still trying to find its footing and with millions still out of work, Obama will make a case for measures and proposals that he says will boost job creation and put the economy on a more upward trajectory. Obama's emphasis underscores a White House recognition that while the president seeks to expand his agenda and build a second-term legacy, the economy remains a major public preoccupation.

AP

President Obama during last year's State of the Union address.

But in the galleries above the rostrum of the House of Representatives where Obama will speak, many of the faces looking down on him will be those of Americans thrust into the politics of gun violence.

First lady Michelle Obama will sit with the parents of a Chicago teenager shot and killed just days after she performed at the president's inauguration. Twenty-two House members have invited people affected by gun violence, according to Rep. Jim Langevin, D-R.I., who pushed the effort. And Republican Rep. Steve Stockman of Texas says he's invited rocker Ted Nugent, a long-time gun control opponent who last year said he would end up "dead or in jail" if Obama won re-election.

That confluence of message and symbolism illustrates where Obama is in his presidency following his re-election.

The economic blueprint he will discuss will have many of the elements Americans have heard before, with its embrace of manufacturing, energy development and education. And in that sense it is a reminder of what was unfulfilled at the end of Obama's first term. But the tragic murders of 26 people at a Newtown, Conn., elementary school in December altered the president's agenda, pushing guns onto a to-do list that already included a new push for an overhaul of immigration law.

As the president addresses gun violence, the cameras are sure to pan the faces in the crowd inside the House chamber, each with a story meant to influence the debate. Obama has proposed a ban on certain weapons and on high-capacity ammunition magazines. He has also called for broader, universal background checks on gun purchasers, a proposal that stands a better chance politically.

Domestic policy will be front and center, but ongoing challenges abroad won't go without mention. On North Korea, which said it successfully detonated a nuclear device Tuesday in defiance of UN warnings, the White House said Obama would make the case that the nuclear program had only further isolated the impoverished nation.

Source: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/obama_audience_stress_jobs_message_f4UTVYEgKGR7MH5wrQilsL?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20National

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Stock market starts year strong, but can it last?

Matthew Craft , The Associated Press ? ? ? 4 hrs.

The pattern looks eerily familiar.

The stock market scampers up to historical heights to start the year then gets knocked on its back. Last year, worries about Greece and the U.S. economy helped flatten a rally by June. The year before it was an earthquake and tsunami in Japan along with a political fight in Washington.

This year, the stock market raced off to its best start since 1997. So, what could squash the good cheer this time?

The top candidates are two of the same culprits from the previous years: Europe and Washington. But the big difference is that the U.S. economy, corporate America and Europe are all in much better shape, investors say. A slump this year shouldn't be as bad.

"Even if we're tired of hearing about the dangers, dismissing them hasn't been a smart thing to do for the past few years," says Dan Greenhaus, chief global strategist at the brokerage BTIG.

History never repeats itself, exactly, but people who play with numbers for a living see patterns. Last year, strong corporate earnings and steady growth in the U.S. economy drove the S&P 500 index up 8 percent by the middle of February. Less than three months later, fears that Greece would drop the euro currency and a surprisingly weak employment report left the index back where it started.

In 2011, the broad-market index staggered higher to start the year, reaching a peak in May with a 9 percent gain. By August, it was all gone. That echoed the year before, and the year before that.

"It's funny how at the beginning of the year everybody gets excited and then by the middle of the year it's, 'Everything stinks,'" Greenhaus says.

Over the past week, Europe's troubles have recaptured investors' attention. In Spain, charges of bribery have put pressure on Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy to resign. In Italy, polls show strong support for Silvio Berlusconi, the former prime minister, in elections later this month. The scandal-plagued Berlusconi has called for billions in tax rebates and amnesty for Italians who haven't paid them.

Both developments have heightened concerns that the two countries will be able to handle their struggling banks as well as their debts. As a result, interest rates for Spanish and Italian government bonds have edged higher over recent days.

But the damage won't be as deep as in prior years. Borrowing costs for Spain and Italy remain far below levels reached last year, thanks to the European Central Bank's pledge to stand behind the hardest hit countries and protect the euro currency. Last July, for example, the cost for Italy's government to borrow from the bond market for 10 years topped out at 7.5 percent. On Friday, after creeping higher all week, it was 4.5 percent.

The European debt crisis no longer has Wall Street's investment banks on a leash. Back in October 2011, fears that Greece would be unable to get another lifeline from lenders helped push Goldman Sachs's stock as low as $84.27. It's now $151.11.

Jeffrey Kleintop, the chief market strategist at LPL Financial, says the ECB's pledge largely removed the prospect of a financial crisis spreading from Europe to the rest of the world. Even though the scariest threat is gone, Europe's economic troubles still pose a risk.

If Germany, for instance, gets pulled into a recession with the rest of the region, the pain is bound to spread, Kleintop says. Added together, the 17 countries that use the euro rank as the world's second-largest economy. Europe is also China's top customer for exports.

The other major concern for investors stems from Washington, where drawn-out budget battles have turned into an annual event. Steep spending cuts are scheduled to kick in March 1, unless Congress and the White House find a way to avoid them. Previous high-stakes talks have rattled financial markets. In August 2011, a fight over raising the government's borrowing limit ended with the country losing its top credit rating and panicked investors fleeing for safety. Worries that lawmakers would fail to avoid budget cuts known as the "fiscal cliff" were blamed for the stock market's swoon last fall.

There's little agreement about what will happen this time, except that it won't be nearly as bad. Some think that investors have seen enough budget brawls that they won't be fazed by another one.

"People are pretty much sick of hearing about this," says Joseph Tanious, the global market strategist at JPMorgan Funds.

The S&P 500 is already off to its best start in decades, after climbing 6 percent this year. Kleintop, however, says the buoyant mood is unlikely to last. If more companies keep warning of slower earnings in the coming weeks, the pile-up of worries could unnerve investors. Without another last-minute deal between Congress and the White House to avoid the budget cuts, the stock market's gains could be erased as early as March, Kleintop says.

The good news is that even those who believe the ride is about to get bumpy expect it to end well. Unlike previous years, it's hard to find anyone predicting a crash or a replay of 2008. They mainly believe the stock market can't keep up its blistering start. Repeat the S&P 500's surge in January over the rest of 2013 and it works out to an annual gain of 79 percent -- roughly nine times better than the historical average.

For all his skepticism, Kleintop expects the S&P 500 to end the year trading around where it is now. He's drawn up a list of companies he plans to scoop up after the next big drop.

"It will be a buying opportunity," he says. "We'll be ready to step in, because this bull market isn't over."

? 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/business/stock-market-starts-year-strong-can-it-last-1B8310115

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In Israel, Huckabee Blasts Hagel Nomination

Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee said in Israel on Monday that he doubted whether former Sen. Chuck Hagel would be confirmed as Secretary of Defense.

?I think it's very much in question whether Chuck Hagel will be confirmed,? Huckabee said at a news conference reported by BuzzFeed. He is on tour with his ?Israel Experience with Mike Huckabee? program. ?I think the testimony of last week is extraordinarily problematic for many Democratic senators.?

Hagel, the former Nebraska senator, underwent tough questioning last week by Republicans at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee.

In fact, GOP committee member Sen. Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire reportedly plans to vote against Hagel?s nomination on Tuesday, while Sen. John McCain of Arizona said he would support a committee vote on the nomination.

Huckabee said that if Hagel is confirmed, Democratic Jewish senators would face the wrath from any fallout.

?If you're Chuck Schumer, if you're Carl Levin and you're a Democrat with a strong connection to the Jewish community, how can you possibly vote for Chuck Hagel and ever have credibility ever again with the Jewish community? Or for that matter with the rest of America?" Huckabee asked.

? 2013 Newsmax. All rights reserved.

Source: http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/huckabee-slams-hagel-confirmation/2013/02/11/id/489907

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Solar Power To Be Focus Of Shift In Energy Needs: Ambani

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American Lepchenko beats Vinci to tie Fed Cup

United States' Varvara Lepchenko celebrates after winning a point to Italy's Roberta Vinci during a World Group first round Fed Cup tennis match at the 105 stadium in Rimini, Saturday, Feb. 9, 2013. (AP Photo/Felice Calabro')

United States' Varvara Lepchenko celebrates after winning a point to Italy's Roberta Vinci during a World Group first round Fed Cup tennis match at the 105 stadium in Rimini, Saturday, Feb. 9, 2013. (AP Photo/Felice Calabro')

United States' Varvara Lepchenko celebrates after defeating Italy's Roberta Vinci during a World Group first round Fed Cup tennis match at the 105 stadium in Rimini, Saturday, Feb. 9, 2013. Lepchenko won 2-6, 6-4, 7-5. (AP Photo/Felice Calabro')

United States' Varvara Lepchenko celebrates after defeating Italy's Roberta Vinci during a World Group first round Fed Cup tennis match at the 105 stadium in Rimini, Saturday, Feb. 9, 2013. Lepchenko won 2-6, 6-4, 7-5. (AP Photo/Felice Calabro')

United States' Varvara Lepchenko, left, shakes hands with Italy's Roberta Vinci at the end of a World Group first round Fed Cup tennis match at the 105 stadium in Rimini, Saturday, Feb. 9, 2013. Lepchenko won 2-6, 6-4, 7-5. (AP Photo/Felice Calabro')

United States' Varvara Lepchenko, back to camera, celebrates with her team captain Marie Joe Fernandez after defeating Italy's Roberta Vinci during a World Group first round Fed Cup tennis match at the 105 stadium in Rimini, Saturday, Feb. 9, 2013. Lepchenko won 2-6, 6-4, 7-5. (AP Photo/Felice Calabro')

RIMINI, Italy (AP) ? American Varvara Lepchenko won in her Fed Cup singles debut to lift the U.S. team to a 1-1 tie against Italy on Saturday, after Sara Errani beat Jamie Hampton 6-2, 6-1.

Lepchenko rallied past Roberta Vinci 2-6, 6-4, 7-5 after the Italian struggled with a leg cramp in the final set, which featured seven breaks of serve. She had treatment on her left thigh and rallied from 5-1 down in the third to tie it 5-5.

Then Lepchenko broke back and served out the match.

"I really lost my focus and got a bit distracted, which happens a lot to a lot of players," Lepchenko said. "I just kept on fighting, said to myself it's not the end of the match, you can still win it."

The doubles on Sunday will feature Melanie Oudin and Liezel Huber against Nastassja Burnett and Karin Knapp. Lepchenko will play Errani in reverse singles.

Lepchenko, who is originally from Uzbekistan, moved to the U.S. in 2001 and claimed political asylum. She officially became a U.S. citizen in 2011 and was part of the team at the London Olympics.

"I feel amazing to be part of this team, to have so much spiritual support behind me," Lepchenko said. "There's this feeling that I can't let my team down, so I try even harder, more than if I was playing for myself. The team is really important for me.

"I wasn't that nervous, because of my experience in the Olympics, where I was super nervous. I told myself I wasn't going to let emotions ruin my chances here. I was a bit stiff at the beginning, but then I got into it."

The seventh-ranked Errani needed just over an hour to beat the 64th-ranked Hampton.

With Serena and Venus Williams and Sloane Stephens injured, Hampton and Lepchenko made their Fed Cup singles debuts. Veterans Francesca Schiavone and Flavia Pennetta, who have struggled lately, were left off Italy's squad.

Italy beat the U.S. in back-to-back Fed Cup finals in 2009 and 2010.

"We're going to try our hearts out tomorrow," U.S. captain Mary Joe Fernandez said. "I'm really proud of how (Lepchenko) approached the match and how disciplined she was. It's not easy the first time, especially when you're playing with a crowd from another country, and she did a good job blocking it out.

Italy will hope Vinci recovers for reverse singles on Sunday.

"I hope it's just a bit of cramp, but they're treating her," Italy captain Corrado Barazzutti said. "Roberta made a really great effort. She was injured, but she played the last few games with all of her heart."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-02-09-TEN-Fed-Cup-US-Italy/id-5dbab481e67741b1afa5afdd58bed416

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7 Apps You Don't Want to Miss

JOHANNESBURG, Feb 10 (Reuters) - Nigeria ended a 19-year wait to regain the African Nations Cup after a stunning goal from winger Sunday Mba gave them a deserved 1-0 win over Burkina Faso in the final at Soccer City on Sunday. The 24-year-old, who also scored the winner in the 2-1 quarter-final win over Ivory Coast, struck after 40 minutes when the ball bounced off a defender and into his path as he advanced on goal. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/7-apps-dont-want-miss-164510266.html

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