To the Point
Can President Obama Organize America?
Barack Obama transformed political campaigns by creating a grassroots network of 13 million people. Can they be mobilized to help accomplish Obama's agenda? The effort begins this weekend, and we get a preview of what could be a sea change in the way that America is governed. Also, the Senate works on the stimulus bill as the economy sheds jobs, and with unemployment on the rise, states are cutting welfare.
By Warren Olney • • 1h 0m ListenBarack Obama transformed political campaigns by creating a grassroots network of 13 million people. Can they be mobilized to help accomplish Obama's agenda? The effort begins this weekend, and we get a preview of what could be a sea change in the way that America is governed. Also, the Senate works on the stimulus bill as the economy sheds jobs, and with unemployment on the rise, states are cutting welfare.
In this episode
3 storiesSenate Works on Stimulus as Economy Sheds Jobs
The US lost almost 600,000 jobs last month, and unemployment rose to 7.6% of the labor force, the highest level in 16 years.
Read the story6 minCan President Obama Organize America?
To demand action from Congress — on healthcare, energy independence and the stimulus package — the President's using the bully pulpit. That's business as usual. But Obama's extraordinary campaign apparatus may give him a new kind of political weapon.
Read the story33 minUnemployed Get Tangled in a Frayed Safety Net
President Bill Clinton signed a law he promised would "change welfare as we know it," partly with new emphasis on putting people to work. The idea was that, in times of crisis, states would still get families back on the rolls. But it's not working out that way.
Read the story9 min
