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United States News Title: Obama and Mark Zuckerberg in FB headquarters poking each other. PALO ALTO, California — President Barack Obama held a town hall meeting at Facebook headquarters here Wednesday afternoon with a packed audience of engineers who built the social networking site that some say was responsible for Obama’s 2008 election. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, wearing a suit and tie, moderated the discussion. “I’m kind of nervous. We have the president of the United States here,” Zuckerberg said in his opening remarks, to loud cheers. “My name is Barack Obama, and I’m the guy who got Mark Zuckerberg to wear a jacket and tie,” the President started. “I’m very proud of that.” “Second time,” Zuckerberg replied, referring to a lunch they both attended last February. ___ [1:50 p.m. PDT] President Barack Obama kicked off a town hall meeting at Facebook’s Palo Alto, California, headquarters Wednesday afternoon with a packed audience of engineers who built the social networking that site some say was responsible for Obama’s 2008 election. [2:00 p.m. PDT] First question is from Zuckerberg himself — on the budget. Obama gives an answer that is several minutes long, with familiar themes and talking points and at least two jabs about Republicans opposing tax cuts and a suggestion that people like Zuckerberg — worth billions — might have to pay more taxes. “That’s OK with me,” Zuckerberg said. When the president was done, there was no applause. “They were stunned by the length of that answer,” Obama quipped. [2:20 p.m. PDT] Second question is on the housing market. It’s improving, but not great yet, Obama says, even though some pockets are good. For some people it may be smarter to rent, he advises. [2:23 p.m. PDT] Facebook employee Lauren Hale, in the audience, asked Obama about the change in the national conversation from job creation to deficit reduction. Obama acknowledged that at the beginning of his term he focused on preventing another “great Depression” by pouring stimulus funds into highways and alternative energy. “But the economy is now growing,” Obama said, saying millions of jobs are being created in the private sector. “If we don’t have a serious plan to tackle the deficit, it could have a bigger effect on the economy than anything.” [2:23 p.m. PDT] Question 4 is about the Dream Act, an initiative that would grant permanent-residency status and a path to citizenship to illegal immigrant minors under certain conditions. Backed by Obama, the bill was blocked by a Senate filibuster last December. “People shouldn’t just be coming here and cutting in line. What we said is, ‘Let’s fix the whole system. If we have smart people that want to come here and start businesses, why don’t we want them to stay?’” Obama asked rhetorically to great applause. “Those are job generators. We want more Andy Groves,” Obama said, referring to the now-CEO of Intel, a Hungarian who was the chipmaker’s third employee. “We don’t want them starting the next Intel in China or France.” [2:31 p.m. PDT] Another audience member gets a question, about the budget proposed by House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan and the one put forth by Obama’s White House. “Is this a time for boldness, and is your plan bold?” Obama begins: “I’d call the Ryan plan fairly radical, but not particularly courageous.” On the various cuts to social programs the Ryan plan espouses: “I guess you could call that bold. I would call it shortsighted.” “If you are an entrepreneur with a startup in a garage, good luck getting health insurance,” Obama said. “Nothing is easier than solving a problem on the backs of people who are poor, who don’t have lobbyists and don’t have power.” [2:42 p.m. PDT] Question 6, from Kwame Simmons, was about education policy. Zuckerberg interjected with a major kudos to the Obama administration program called “Race to the Top,” a challenge that gives more money to schools that are reforming their system. “You had to show us you had a good plan to retrain and recruit teachers,” Obama said. The money, which amounted to about 1 percent of the federal budget, led states trying to win it to make big changes, including those that didn’t win the grants, Obama said. “The most important thing to a good education is having a good teacher at the front of the classroom,” Obama said. “The other thing is good data — not just standardized tests used to penalize schools as happened with No Child Left Behind — but data that can be used to show the teacher that a student is falling behind. “I’m frustrated by stories about how we can’t find enough engineers and computer programmers. That means our education system is not working. That’s why we are emphasizing math and science,” Obama said, noting efforts to “make science cool” for minorities and women. [2:57 p.m. PDT] Question 7 is another wheelhouse topic for the president: Health care policy. “I do think that it was so complicated that at some point people just thought this is typical Washington bickering — I ask myself if there was a way to have done this quicker — but I’m not sure I could have. There’s a reason this hasn’t been done in the past 100 years.” [3:01 p.m. PDT] Wrapping it up: Obama says there are things he wants to make sure he doesn’t leave to his successor to fix: immigration reform, deficit reduction and energy policy. “We lose $4 billion a year on subsidies to oil companies. Now think about this: The top 5 oil companies have made between $75 billion and $125 billion each year over the last few years. No one is doing better than Exxon — well, maybe Facebook is. Why can’t we remove the tax cuts and spend the money on alternative energy to save the planet,” Obama said, to big applause. “My closing comment is that I hope that you don’t get cynical and frustrated about our democracy.” “Lord knows, it’s frustrating. It seems like everyone is bickering,” Obama said. “But we have been through tough times before and we came out ascendant. We are still the most dynamic and entrepreneurial culture in the world. But I can’t do it all myself. People need to be engaged.” [3:07 p.m. PDT] Zuckerberg thanked the president for coming, calling it a huge honor — and bestowing on the president a uniform that Zuckerberg is more accustomed to: a Facebook sweatshirt. “This is a high fashion statement,” Obama said, holding it up against his chest, to applause.
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#1. To: A K A Stone (#0)
I'm curious as to why they even let him in the door?????? Just more lies, platitudes and BS....... Those people need to go wash their "EARS" out with soap...
"I love the 45 caliber M1911, I respect the 9MM M9 Beretta but I only carry a CZ for my own personal protection". Quote courtesy of Lt Col John Dean Cooper, recognized as the Father of Modern Handgunning
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