Democrats might have selected the keynote speaker at their convention to rally Latino voters, but the pick also illuminated the fact that as far as young Latino politicians go, the party doesn’t have a very deep bench.

 The Democratic National Convention Committee selected San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro, 37 — whose twin brother, Joaquin, will almost certainly be elected to Congress from Texas in November — as its keynote speaker in Charlotte, N.C.

 Though San Antonio has a population of 1.3 million, Castro is still a local officeholder. Compare that to the long list of nationally prominent Republican Latinos: Florida senator and potential Romney running mate Marco Rubio; Republican Latino governors Susana Martinez of New Mexico and Brian Sandoval of Nevada; and Ted Cruz, a Latino Republican in Texas who is favored Tuesday to win a GOP runoff for a U.S. Senate seat. (The runoff winner also would be favored in the general election.) 

 There are no Latino Democratic governors, and just one senator, New Jersey’s Robert Menendez, who is 58. Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-Los Angeles), 54, is a member of the House Democratic Caucus. Even in California, a state with some prominent Latino local elected officials, few Democrats have made a national name for themselves. (Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who chairs the Democratic convention, is 59.)

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OBAMA PROMISED HISPANIC FAMILIES THAT HE WOULD “CREATE JOBS WITH DECENT WAGES”

In 2008, Obama Told The National Council Of La Raza “The System Isn’t Working When Hispanics Are Losing Their Jobs Faster Than Almost Anybody Else….” OBAMA: “The system isn’t working when Hispanics are losing their jobs faster than almost anybody else, or working jobs that pay less, and come with fewer benefits than almost anybody else…Having a struggling economy-an economy that’s left so many people in need of your assistance-that doesn’t help, either.” (Senator Barack Obama, Remarks At National Council Of La Raza, San Diego, CA, 7/13/08)

• Obama In 2011: “My Number-One Priority Every Single Day Is To Figure Out How We Can Get Businesses To Hire And Create Jobs With Decent Wages.” OBAMA: “But that only makes our work more urgent to get this economy going and make sure that opportunity is spreading, to make sure that everyone who wants a job can find one and to make sure that paychecks can actually cover the bills, to make sure that families don’t have to choose between buying groceries or buying medicine, that they don’t have to choose between sending their kids to college or being able to retire. My number-one priority every single day is to figure out how we can get businesses to hire and create jobs with decent wages.” (President Barack Obama, Remarks At National Council Of La Raza, Washington, D.C., 7/25/11)
• Obama: “We’re Keeping Our Promise To Make Sure That America Remains A Place Where Opportunity Is Open To All Who Work For It.” OBAMA: “When I spoke to you as a candidate for this office, I said you and I share a belief that opportunity and prosperity aren’t just words to be said, they are promises to be kept. Back then we didn’t know the depths of the challenges that were going to lie ahead. But thanks to you, we are keeping our promises. We’re keeping our promise to make sure that America remains a place where opportunity is open to all who work for it.” (President Barack Obama, Remarks At National Council Of La Raza, Washington, D.C., 7/25/11)

The Obama Economy Has Hit Hispanics “Disproportionately Hard” With Rising Unemployment, Falling Incomes, And An Increase In Poverty

Since President Obama Took Office, The Unemployment Rate For Hispanics Has Increased From 10.0 Percent To 11.0 Percent . (Bureau Of Labor Statistics, Accessed 7/6/12)

• In June, The Hispanic Unemployment Rate Remained At 11.0 Percent. (Bureau Of Labor Statistics, Accessed 7/6/12)

Latinos Are Hit “Disproportionately Hard” By The Struggling Economy. “The collapse of the housing market and a foreclosure wave continues to hit Latino homeowners disproportionately hard, studies find, with market recovery still struggling to take hold. On health care, roughly three times as many Latinos are uninsured than are non-Hispanic whites. And Latino unemployment is on the rise, at 11 percent in May, up from 10.3 percent in April and March, according to the Labor Department, which is higher than the national average.” (Devin Dwyer, “Obama ‘08 NALEO Promises Still Works In Progress,”ABC News, 6/22/12)

“[M]any Latinos Say That The Recession Has Hit Them Hardest When It Comes To Unemployment, Home Ownership, And Their Neighborhoods.” “‘Latinos in our polling have told us they feel Hispanics have been hit harder than other groups by the recession, and many Latinos say that the recession has hit them hardest when it comes to unemployment, home ownership and their neighborhoods,’ said Mark Hugo Lopez, an associate director at the Pew Hispanic Center.” (Devin Dwyer, “Obama ‘08 NALEO Promises Still Works In Progress,”ABC News, 6/22/12)

• 54 Percent Of Latinos Say The Economic Downturn Has Left Them Harder Hit Than Other Groups In America. “Fully 54% say Hispanics have been hurt more than other groups by the economic downturn of the past four years, while just 5% say they have been hurt less. Some 38% say Hispanics have been affected about as much as other groups.” (Paul Taylor, Mark Hugo Lopez, Gabriel Velasco, And Seth Motel, “Hispanics Say They Have The Worst Of A Bad Economy,” Pew Research Center, 1/26/12)

• 59 Percent Of Hispanics Say Someone In Their Household Has Been Out Of Work In The Past Year. (Paul Taylor, Mark Hugo Lopez, Gabriel Velasco, And Seth Motel, “Hispanics Say They Have The Worst Of A Bad Economy,”Pew Research Center, 1/26/12)

Between 2008 And 2010, 2.3 Million Hispanic-Americans Fell Into Poverty And The Poverty Rate For Hispanic-Americans Increased From 23.2 Percent To 26.6 Percent. (People With Income Below Specified Ratios Of Their Poverty Thresholds By Selected Characteristics, 2008, US Census Bureau, 9/10/2009; People And Families In Poverty By Selected Characteristics: 2009 And 2010, US Census Bureau, 9/13/11)

• “Hispanics Now Make Up The Largest Group Of Children Living In Poverty.” “Hispanics now make up the largest group of children living in poverty, the first time in U.S. history that poor white kids have been outnumbered by poor children of another race or ethnicity, according to a new study.” (Carol Morello and Ted Mellnik, “Hispanic Kids The Largest Group Of Children Living In Poverty,” The Washington Post , 9/28/11)

Between 2009 And 2010, The Median Income For Hispanic Households Fell 2.3 Percent, From $38,667 To $37,759. (“Income, Poverty, And Health Insurance Coverage In The United States, 2010,” US Census Bureau, 9/13/11)

• Hispanic Household Wealth Has Declined More Steeply Than Blacks And Whites. “They have one of the highest unemployment rates and saw their household wealth decline more steeply than either blacks or whites, largely because so many lost their houses to foreclosure.” (Carol Morello and Ted Mellnik, “Hispanic Kids The Largest Group Of Children Living In Poverty,” The Washington Post , 9/28/11)

• 75 Percent Of Hispanics Say Their Finances Are “Only Fair” Or In “Poor” Shape. (Paul Taylor, Mark Hugo Lopez, Gabriel Velasco, And Seth Motel, “Hispanics Say They Have The Worst Of A Bad Economy,”Pew Research Center, 1/26/12)

OBAMA PROMISED TO FIX HEALTH CARE FOR UNINSURED HISPANICS

Obama In 2007: “It’s An American Problem When Latinos Are The Most Likely To Be Uninsured Even Though They Make Up A Disproportionate Share Of The Workforce.” (Senator Barack Obama, Remarks At National Council Of La Raza, Miami, FL, 7/22/07)

• In 2008, Obama Promised To Fix Health Care For “The Nearly One In Three Hispanics Who Don’t Have Health Care….” OBAMA: “This election is about the nearly one in three Hispanics who don’t have health care-people for whom one accident, one illness can lead to financial ruin. And it’s about the small business owners struggling to stay afloat because of the rising cost of insuring their employees. They’re counting on us to fix our broken health care system.” (Senator Barack Obama, Remarks At National Council Of La Raza, San Diego, CA, 7/13/08)

Hispanics Are “Even More Likely To Be Uninsured” Than Four Years Ago

Hispanics “Have Become Even More Likely To Be Uninsured” Than Four Years Ago. “The Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index data reveal that more Americans lack health care today than did four years ago. Groups that were already among the least likely to have coverage — Hispanics, low-income Americans, and blacks — have become even more likely to be uninsured.” (Elizabeth Mendes, “More Americans Uninsured In 2011,” Gallup , 1/24/12)

• “More Than 40%” Of Hispanics and “30% Of Low-Income Americans” Were Uninsured In 2011. “Hispanic Americans continue to be the most likely to be uninsured, with more than 40% going without health coverage in 2011, the highest Gallup has found for any key group since it began tracking in 2008. More than 30% of low-income Americans were uninsured in 2011 — a figure that has been rising since 2008, when it was 26.4%.” (Elizabeth Mendes, “More Americans Uninsured In 2011,” Gallup , 1/24/12)

Gallup Has Consistently Found That Hispanics Are Among The Most Likely In The U.S. To Be Uninsured Since It Started Tracking Health Insurance Status In January 2008. (Elizabeth Mendes, “Uninsured Rates Vary From 4% to 50% Across U.S. Metro Areas,” Gallup, 3/27/12)

The McAllen-Edinburg-Mission Metro Area Has By Far The Largest Hispanic Population In The Nation: 90.6% In 2010 According To The U.S. Census Bureau. An Average Of 49% Of Residents Is Hispanic In The 10 Metro Areas With The Highest Uninsured Rates, Compared With 8.3% In The 10 Areas With The Lowest Rates. (Elizabeth Mendes, “Uninsured Rates Vary From 4% to 50% Across U.S. Metro Areas,” Gallup, 3/27/12) 

“Una vez más, el informe mensual de empleo trae noticias devastadoras para millones de estadounidenses buscando trabajo, y especialmente para los latinos que siguen enfrentando una tasa de desempleo casi 3 puntos por encima la media nacional. Nuestro país está saliendo del peor trimestre de creación de empleos en dos años. La economía de Obama se define por tener altos niveles crónicos de desempleo. ObamaCare y las otras políticas del Presidente Obama simplemente no funcionan, los estadounidenses están decepcionados y listos para una nueva dirección”, dijo el Presidente del RNC Reince Priebus.

MEMO: La Política de ObamaCare

FROM: Rick Wiley

La decisión de la Corte Suprema no cambia los hechos acerca de ObamaCare: es una mala ley que los Estados Unidos no quiere ni puede permitirse. Y ahora la única manera de ponerle fin e impulsar una reforma verdadera es que los votantes elijan republicanos en noviembre. Esto perjudica las perspectivas de reelección del Presidente Obama, haciendo su camino a los 270 votos electorales cada vez más difícil.

Los republicanos están de acuerdo con el pueblo estadounidense sobre esta cuestión. Especialmente en los Estados cruciales para la elección, vemos que los votantes están más dispuestos a oponerse a ObamaCare que a apoyarlo.

El panorama nacional es malo para los Demócratas:

• Más de la mitad (52 por ciento) de los estadounidenses en la encuesta de ABC News/Washington Post del 20-24 de junio tienen un “impresión desfavorable” de ObamaCare.
• Solo el 22 por ciento en la encuesta de NBC News/Wall Street Journal del 20-24 de junio dijeron que serían “decepcionados” si declaran ObamaCare inconstitucional.
• Sólo un tercio de los estadounidenses apoyan la ley, de acuerdo con una encuesta del mediado de junio del Associated Press/GfK
• Votantes Independientes en una encuesta de Reuters/Ipsos el 19-23 de junio estaban opuestos a ObamaCare por 73 por ciento al 27 por ciento.
• Sólo el 24 por ciento de los estadounidenses querían que la Corte Suprema mantuviera la ley entera, según una encuesta de CBS/New York Times de mayo 31 - junio.
• Una encuesta de Junio de Fox News encontró que 52 por ciento cree que la administración de Obama “en su mayoría falló” en “mejorar la salud”.
• Sólo el 23 por ciento de los estadounidenses esperan que sus familias estén mejores de lo que están bajo ObamaCare, según una encuesta el mes pasado de la Fundación de la Familia Kaiser .
• Una encuesta de NBC News/Wall St. Journal de mediados de mayo encontró que el 64 por ciento de los estadounidenses dicen que el Presidente Obama ha “empeorado” las cosas ” o “no ha hecho mucha diferencia” con respecto al cuidado de salud.

ObamaCare es el “logro” legislativo transcendente del Presidente. Pero no lo escuchas hablar de él mientras que hace campaña. La campaña de Obama sabe que es una cuestión que los hará perder, y las encuestas lo demuestran.

Y de acuerdo con las encuestas, la noticia es peor para el Presidente Obama en los estados cruciales para la elección:

• Wisconsin:  Sólo un tercio de los estadounidenses apoyan a ObamaCare, de acuerdo con una encuesta del mediado de junio del Associated Press/GfK
• New Hampshire: el 46 por ciento desaprueban de ObamaCare, mientras que el 36 por ciento lo aprueba Sólo el 26 por ciento de los independientes están a favor. (Encuesta del estado de granito y WMUR, 4/9-42012)
• Pennsylvania: el 46 por ciento cree que Congreso debe revocar ObamaCare; sólo 42% desean que se mantenga. (Quinnipiac University, 4/25-5/1/12)
• Carolina del Norte: donde los Demócratas celebrarán su Convención: sólo el 36 por ciento cree que la Corte Suprema debe decir que ObamaCare es constitucional. (Public Policy Polling, 44-4712)
• Florida: 53 por ciento cree que el Congreso debe revocar ObamaCare. (Quinnipiac University, 425-112)
• Iowa: 58 por ciento desaprueban el manejo del Presidente Obama del cuidado de la salud. Sólo el 36 por ciento de aprobación. (Encuesta del Des Moines Register de Iowa, 212-21512)
• Nevada: sólo el 34 por ciento cree que la Corte Suprema debe decir que ObamaCare es constitucional. (Políticas públicas sondeo, 67-61012)
• Ohio: 52 por ciento de los votantes piensa que el Congreso debe revocar ObamaCare. (Quinnipiac University, 425-5112)

En particular, Ohio, un estado que Obama tiene que ganar, rechazó ObamaCare en las urnas el noviembre pasado cuando los votantes aprobaron una enmienda anti-ObamaCare para la Constitución del estado. No sólo ganó, ganó en todos los 88 condados.

ObamaCare representa un activo político tóxico para Obama: es una doble promesa incumplida. En primer lugar, él no pudo mantener su promesa de reducir los costes del cuidado de la salud. (Las primas del seguro de salud siguen aumentando).En segundo lugar, con su enfoque en ObamaCare, no cumplió su promesa de concentrarse completamente en la economía y la creación de puestos de trabajo.

Pocas cosas son peores para un Presidente buscando ser reelegido que flagrantes promesas incumplidas.

En el primer año de su Presidencia, cuando el Presidente Obama debería haberse enfocado en el crecimiento económico y las políticas públicas para crear puestos de trabajo, en su lugar escogió perseguir que el gobierno tomara control del sector de cuidado de saludo que sólo empeoró nuestros problemas.Perdió tiempo valioso, y ahora los estadounidenses están pagando por eso. Cuanto más revisamos este caso, lo más impopular que esperamos ObamaCare llegará a ser.

ObamaCare fué mala política pública para los Estados Unidos desde el principio. En noviembre de este año, va a ser mala política para los demócratas. Los votantes quieren una reforma verdadera, y sólo los republicanos están dispuestos a perseguirla.

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President Obama, 2009: “When the unemployment rate for Latinos and Latinas is higher than 10 percent, it isn’t just a problem for families worried about paying the bills or keeping their home. This is not just a problem for the Hispanic community. It’s a problem for a nation.”(President Barack Obama, Remarks By The President At The Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute’s 32^nd Annual Award Gala , Washington, D.C., 9/17/09)

OVER THREE YEARS OF OBAMA’S FAILED POLICIES HAS LEFT HISPANICS BEHIND, STRUGGLING WITH HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT AND FALLING WAGES

Since President Obama Took Office, The Hispanic Unemployment Rate Has Increased From 10.0 Percent To 11.0 Percent. (Bureau Of Labor Statistics, Accessed 6/19/12)

• In May, The Hispanic Unemployment Rate Jumped From 10.3 Percent To 11.0 Percent. (Bureau Of Labor Statistics, Accessed 6/19/12)

Hispanics “Have Been Hit Harder By The Bleak Economy Than Any Other Group.” “The rise in childhood poverty is another signal of distress for the nation’s 50.5 million Hispanics, who have been hit harder by the bleak economy than any other group.” (Carol Morello and Ted Mellnik, “Hispanic Kids The Largest Group Of Children Living In Poverty,” The Washington Post , 9/28/11)

• Unemployment, Foreclosures, And Poverty Rates Are Higher Among Hispanics Than The General Population. “The unemployment rate among Latinos is 11.3 percent, more than 2 points higher than the general population. Hispanics have felt the home foreclosure more than non-Hispanic whites, and 2010 census figures revealed that more Latino children are living in poverty - 6.1 million - than children of any other racial or ethnic group.” (Alex Leary, “Florida Hispanics’ Frustration With President Barack Obama Is Jobs,” St. Petersburg Times , 10/14/11)

• “Hispanics Now Make Up The Largest Group Of Children Living In Poverty.” “Hispanics now make up the largest group of children living in poverty, the first time in U.S. history that poor white kids have been outnumbered by poor children of another race or ethnicity, according to a new study.” (Carol Morello and Ted Mellnik, “Hispanic Kids The Largest Group Of Children Living In Poverty,” The Washington Post , 9/28/11)

Between 2009 And 2010, The Median Income For Hispanic Households Fell 2.3 Percent, From $38,667 To $37,759. (“Income, Poverty, And Health Insurance Coverage In The United States, 2010,” US Census Bureau, 9/13/11)

• “Unfortunately, Hispanics Lead In The Share Of Workers Earning Wages That Cannot Lift A Family Out Of Poverty.” “Without a good job, it is very hard to keep one’s family out of poverty. A third of Hispanic children are living in poverty, nearly three times the rate for white children. Since the start of the recession, Latino child poverty has increased the most of the major racial and ethnic groups. To lower this high rate of poverty, we need to increase the wages of Hispanic workers. Unfortunately, Hispanics lead in the share of workers earning wages that cannot lift a family out of poverty.” (Algernon Austin, “Latinos And The Jobs Crisis,” Economic Policy Institute, 5/22/12)

• Hispanic Household Wealth Has Declined More Steeply Than Blacks And Whites. “They have one of the highest unemployment rates and saw their household wealth decline more steeply than either blacks or whites, largely because so many lost their houses to foreclosure.” (Carol Morello and Ted Mellnik, “Hispanic Kids The Largest Group Of Children Living In Poverty,” The Washington Post , 9/28/11)

54 Percent Of Latinos Say The Economic Downturn Has Left Them Harder Hit Than Other Groups In America. “Fully 54% say Hispanics have been hurt more than other groups by the economic downturn of the past four years, while just 5% say they have been hurt less. Some 38% say Hispanics have been affected about as much as other groups.” (Paul Taylor, Mark Hugo Lopez, Gabriel Velasco, And Seth Motel, “Hispanics Say They Have The Worst Of A Bad Economy,” Pew Research Center, 1/26/12)

• 59 Percent Say Someone In Their Household Has Been Out Of Work In The Past Year. (Paul Taylor, Mark Hugo Lopez, Gabriel Velasco, And Seth Motel, “Hispanics Say They Have The Worst Of A Bad Economy,”Pew Research Center, 1/26/12)

• 75 Percent Say Their Finances Are “Only Fair” Or In “Poor” Shape. (Paul Taylor, Mark Hugo Lopez, Gabriel Velasco, And Seth Motel, “Hispanics Say They Have The Worst Of A Bad Economy,” Pew Research Center, 1/26/12)

OBAMA LACKS AN ECONOMIC AGENDA FOR 2012 AND BEYOND THAT WILL LIFT HISPANICS OUT OF THE RECESSION

“Forget Concerns About Obama’s Campaign Message - To One Group Of Sober-Sounding Operatives, The Real Problem Is That He Doesn’t Have A Sharp Enough Policy Vision.” (Alexander Burns and John F. Harris, “Second-Guessing President Obama,” Politico, 6/14/12)

Former Clinton Pollster Doug Schoen: “They Have No Clear Message Or Overarching Theme Other Than Class Warfare And Attack Politics.” “Doug Schoen, the former Clinton pollster who routinely knocks other Democrats and helped promote the now-defunct third-party group Americans Elect, summed up this critique in an interview with BuzzFeed. ‘They have no clear message or overarching theme other than class warfare and attack politics,’ Schoen said of Obama’s campaign.” (Alexander Burns and John F. Harris, “Second-Guessing President Obama,” Politico, 6/14/12)

• Schoen: “‘They Don’t Have A Vision For The Second Term. No Clear Sense As To What The Administration Is Offering For A Second Term.’” (Alexander Burns and John F. Harris, “Second-Guessing President Obama,” Politico, 6/14/12)

Democrat Pollster Peter Hart: “Our Focus Groups Show That Voters See A Lot Of Glamour And Glitz From The Obama Administration; They’re Wondering Where The Vision, Where The Valor Is Going To Be.” “After he conducted a focus group of swing voters in Colorado, pollster Peter Hart — the Democratic half of the NBC/WSJ poll — had this advice for Team Obama in an interview with NBC News: ‘Our focus groups show that voters see a lot of glamour and glitz from the Obama administration; they’re wondering where the vision, where the valor is going to be.’” (Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, Brooke Brower, and Natalie Cucchiara, “First Thoughts: Obama’s Back Against The Wall (Again),” NBC News, 6/14/12)

After A Dismal May Jobs Report, Obama Delivered A “Framing” Speech, With No New Policy Proposals Because “His Economic Team Made Clear They Don’t See Many Fresh Options.” “Mr. Obama’s address in Cleveland, described by his aides as a ‘framing’ speech, isn’t expected to include any major new proposals. While some of his political advisers had pushed for that, his economic team made clear they don’t see many fresh options, particularly when Congress hasn’t passed the bulk of a jobs bill that the president unveiled nine months ago, according to people familiar with the discussions.” (Carol Lee and Laura Meckler, “Obama To Revisit Economic Debate,” The Wall Street Journal, 6/11/12)

• Obama Still Believes That A Second Stimulus Contains His “Best Ideas For Spurring The Economy, And There Are No Alternative Policies Waiting In The Wings.” “People familiar with the speech say the White House believes those proposals still represent Mr. Obama’s best ideas for spurring the economy, and there are no alternative policies waiting in the wings. The speech will mark Mr. Obama’s first 2012 campaign event that is neither a large rally nor a fundraiser. About 1,000 people are expected to attend the event at Cuyahoga Community College, people familiar with the event said.” (Carol Lee and Laura Meckler, “Obama To Revisit Economic Debate,” The Wall Street Journal, 6/11/12)

• Obama Has Made A Political Calculation That Running Against Congress Is Better Than Working With Congress To Fix The Economy. “Leaving behind a year of bruising legislative battles, President Barack Obama enters his fourth year in office having calculated that he no longer needs Congress to promote his agenda and may even benefit in his re-election campaign if lawmakers accomplish little in 2012.” (Julie Pace, “In 2012, Obama To Press Ahead Without Congress,” The Associated Press, 12/31/11)

“Absent Any Major Policy Pushes, Much Of The Year Will Focus On Winning A Second Term.” “Absent any major policy pushes, much of the year will focus on winning a second term. The president will keep up a robust domestic travel schedule and aggressive campaign fundraising and use executive action to try to boost the economy.” (Julie Pace, “In 2012, Obama To Press Ahead Without Congress,” The Associated Press, 12/31/11)

“The Reality Is The Ideas Coming From Obama Are Likely To Be The Ones He Has Already Proposed.” “The ‘president is continuing to work with his team on potential new ideas’ to jumpstart the economy, White House spokesman Jay Carney said Monday when pressed about the sagging rate of job growth. The reality is the ideas coming from Obama are likely be the ones he has already proposed. There is no money and no political appetite for bolder ideas.” (Andrew Taylor, “Few Options Left For Obama On Economy Before Election Day As Gridlock Takes Hold,” The Associated Press , 6/5/12)

• Obama’s Proposals “Consists Mainly Of Marginal Initiatives …” “Obama’s ‘to do list’ consists mainly of marginal initiatives such as a tax breaks for companies that move their operations back to the U.S., hire new workers or boost their payrolls. A similar payroll tax credit was in place in 2010 but didn’t seem to do much to promote hiring. Economists say that companies hire workers based on how well their business is doing, rather than in response to tax incentives.” (Andrew Taylor, “Few Options Left For Obama On Economy Before Election Day As Gridlock Takes Hold,” The Associated Press , 6/5/12)

Obama’s “To-Do List” For Congress Holds “Little Promise Of Lifting A $15 Trillion Economy From Its Torpor.” “Obama’s remaining ‘to do list’ for Congress contains a partial tax credit for new hires, extending tax breaks about to expire, renewing highway and mass transit construction programs and preventing interest rates on student loans from doubling. Even combined, they hold little promise of lifting a $15 trillion economy from its torpor.” (Andrew Taylor, “Few Options Left For Obama On Economy Before Election Day As Gridlock Takes Hold,” The Associated Press , 6/5/12)