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TOP NEWS
In Iowa, Gingrich Is Gaining Favor, New Poll Shows
By JEFF ZELENY and MARJORIE CONNELLY
Republican voters in Iowa view Newt Gingrich as more prepared to be president than Mitt Romney, a New York Times/CBS News Poll said.
How the Iowa Poll Was Conducted
Document: New York Times Poll on Iowa Voters
Video: Voices From the Iowa Poll
Rare Attacks on Shiites Kill Scores in Afghanistan
By ROD NORDLAND
Bombers struck Shiite religious observances on Tuesday, in the first such sectarian attacks since the fall of the Taliban.
Photographs: Bombings Kill Scores of Shiites in Afghanistan
Obama Strikes Populist Chord With Speech on G.O.P. Turf
By A. G. SULZBERGER
Infusing his speech with the type of language that has emerged in the Occupy protests, President Obama on Tuesday delivered his most pointed appeal yet for using taxes and regulations to level the economic playing field.
Following is a text of President Obama’s prepared remarks in Osawatomie, Kan., as released by the White House on Tuesday
Good afternoon. I want to start by thanking a few of the folks who’ve joined us today. We’ve got the mayor of Osawatomie, Phil Dudley; your superintendent, Gary French; the principal of Osawatomie High, Doug Chisam. And I’ve brought your former governor, who’s now doing an outstanding job as our Secretary of Health and Human Services, Kathleen Sebelius.
It is great to be back in the state of Kansas. As many of you know, I’ve got roots here. I’m sure you’re all familiar with the Obamas of Osawatomie. Actually, I like to say that I got my name from my father, but I got my accent – and my values – from my mother. She was born in Wichita. Her mother grew up in Augusta. And her father was from El Dorado. So my Kansas roots run deep.
My grandparents served during World War II — he as a soldier in Patton’s Army, she as a worker on a bomber assembly line. Together, they shared the optimism of a nation that triumphed over a Depression and fascism. They believed in an America where hard work paid off, responsibility was rewarded, and anyone could make it if they tried — no matter who you were, where you came from, or how you started out.
These values gave rise to the largest middle class and the strongest economy the world has ever known. It was here, in America, that the most productive workers and innovative companies turned out the best products on Earth, and every American shared in that pride and success — from those in executive suites to middle management to those on the factory floor. If you gave it your all, you’d take enough home to raise your family, send your kids to school, have your health care covered, and put a little away for retirement.
Today, we are still home to the world’s most productive workers and innovative companies. But for most Americans, the basic bargain that made this country great has eroded. Long before the recession hit, hard work stopped paying off for too many people. Fewer and fewer of the folks who contributed to the success of our economy actually benefitted from that success. Those at the very top grew wealthier from their incomes and investments than ever before. But everyone else struggled with costs that were growing and paychecks that weren’t – and too many families found themselves racking up more and more debt just to keep up.
For many years, credit cards and home equity loans papered over the harsh realities of this new economy. But in 2008, the house of cards collapsed. We all know the story by now: Mortgages sold to people who couldn’t afford them, or sometimes even understand them. Banks and investors allowed to keep packaging the risk and selling it off. Huge bets – and huge bonuses – made with other people’s money on the line. Regulators who were supposed to warn us about the dangers of all this, but looked the other way or didn’t have the authority to look at all.
It was wrong. It combined the breathtaking greed of a few with irresponsibility across the system. And it plunged our economy and the world into a crisis from which we are still fighting to recover. It claimed the jobs, homes, and the basic security of millions – innocent, hard-working Americans who had met their responsibilities, but were still left holding the bag.
Ever since, there has been a raging debate over the best way to restore growth and prosperity; balance and fairness. Throughout the country, it has sparked protests and political movements – from the Tea Party to the people who have been occupying the streets of New York and other cities. It’s left Washington in a near-constant state of gridlock. And it’s been the topic of heated and sometimes colorful discussion among the men and women who are running for president.
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| NEW YORK TIMES |
QUESTION OF THE DAY
"We felt we ran a good course for 70 years. Fought a good fight."
HARRY R. KERR, a leader in the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association, on the decision to disband on Dec. 31
SCIENCE
Interactive Feature:
Predicting the Future of Computing
Readers are invited to make predictions and collaboratively edit this timeline on the future of computing
/Historien - "wonderbar" grafik/
WORLD
Japan Split on Hope for Vast Radiation Cleanup
By MARTIN FACKLER
Japan hopes the cleanup near the tsunami-ravaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant will allow the displaced to return home.
Cesium Found in Japanese Baby Formula
Graphic: Voices of Fukushima's Evacuees
Graphic: Fukushima Plant Update
Merkel's Path: Brinkmanship for Debt Crisis
By NICHOLAS KULISH
Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany appears to have adopted a strategy aimed at remaking the euro zone in her country's likeness.
Economix Blog: Sarkozy and Merkel's Delicate Dance
Interactive Feature: Tracking Europe's Debt Crisis
U.S. to Aid Gay Rights Abroad, Obama and Clinton Say
By STEVEN LEE MYERS and HELENE COOPER
The administration vowed to combat efforts by other nations that criminalize homosexual conduct.
U.S.
Pearl Harbor Still a Day for the Ages, but a Memory Almost Gone
By ADAM NAGOURNEY
After 70 years, Pearl Harbor survivors, aging and fewer in number, are giving up on major gatherings in the future.
By ADAM NAGOURNEY
Published: December 6, 2011
HONOLULU — For more than half a century, members of the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association gathered here every Dec. 7 to commemorate the attack by the Japanese that drew the United States into World War II. Others stayed closer to home for more intimate regional chapter ceremonies, sharing memories of a day they still remember in searing detail.
Document: Gathering to Remember for the Last Time
Times Topic: Pearl Harbor
Mine Owner Will Pay $209 Million in Blast That Killed 29 Workers
By SABRINA TAVERNISE and CLIFFORD KRAUSS
For the families of the miners killed in the accident, the settlement was justice denied. Many were hoping for criminal charges against the people who ran the company.
Hearing May Be an Ex-Governor's Last Stand
By MONICA DAVEY
Rod R. Blagojevich, the former Illinois governor, convicted of 18 felony corruption charges, is expected to testify at his sentencing hearing.
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