Obama Tells Woman: "Interesting" Unemployed Husband Can't Find Job

[XemaSab]

During his Google+ hangout Pres. Obama tells a woman that her husband shouldn't be unemployed from the growth he has seen in the economy. Obama said he finds it "interesting" because he is getting "the word" that someone in her husband's job field "should be able to find something right away."

Obama offered to do something if she would just send him her husband's resume.

The woman wants to know why Obama is extending visas for foreigners when there is tons of demand for American jobs by Americans.

"I don't know what your husband's speciality [is], but I can tell you that there is a huge demand around the country for engineers," Obama told the woman.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2012/01/30/obama_tells_woman_her_husband_shouldnt_be_unemployed_according_to_him.html

[hedgehog]

1. Interesting, indeed!

If she follows through with the resume, expect to see some pressure applied on those companies insisting there's an engineering shortage!

[Fawke Em]

2. There may be huge demand in some cities, but maybe not

where this woman and her husband live.

And, they probably can't sell their house to move where the jobs are because they're underwater.

Obama should know better.

[snooper2]

33. Do you know where they are and what field he is in?

I know of a number of Engineering spots available now..In telecom..

[ScreamingMeemie]

53. I'm sorry, but sometimes you have to move if you truly cannot find a job.

Sometimes you have to start over. It's sad but true. On this one, Obama is exactly right. You go where the jobs are, sadly, in these times.

[mkultra]

95. Id dump my house and move to get a job before i sat unemployed

for more than a year. I'm in engineering and I see job listings coming up across the nation. Sometimes you must get outside your comfort zone to get moving again. I know a guy in my town who is unemployed in my field who keeps telling me there are no jobs. I see them come up and send him the links. I see him later and he says something stupid like "eh, it wasn't really what i was looking for"

If he isn't careful, his wife is going to toss him.

[Liberal Veteran]

3. I have a feeling H1-B visa engineers is what most companies are looking for.

[whathehell]

73. Yes...H1-B visa engineers = Cheaper and I expect that is what the woman was complaining about.

and he should have a better response than "interesting".

There are WAY too many H1-B Visas...It's simply a way of "insourcing" cheap labor.

[Brickbat]

4. The south has "bless your heart;" as a Minnesotan, "that's interesting" cracks me up.

[cyglet]

101. Thought it was "that's different"

[Brickbat]

102. Regional variant!

[phantom power]

5. Hope he fires whoever he's getting that "word" from

[NNN0LHI]

6. "engineer", covers a lot of territory doesn't it? Electrical engineers. Mechanical engineers.

Train engineers. And so on.

What kind of engineer is he?

Don

[XemaSab]

14. Semiconducter

n/t

[Romulox]

7. Wow. Did the President imply that there was something wrong with her husband?

"That's interesting" sounds like he doesn't believe her, or that there something other than the job market that is wrong with her husband.

[ProfessorGAC]

9. I Didn't Read It That Way

I thought it was a fairly natural reaction at hearing that an engineer can't find work. I know that there is, in fact, a dearth of chemical and petroleum engineers (at least those with some experience, and i don't even mean 10 years) in the midwest and mid-Atlantic.

So, to me it was a pretty normal response. I didn't read the "snark" into it that you did. Not saying i'm right. Just didn't see what you saw.
GAC

[Romulox]

17. No. This is a hurting person. "That's interesting" isn't in any way a response of empathy

or support.

[ProfessorGAC]

22. Then We Must Agree To Disagree

That's ok.

[Puzzledtraveller]

24. I give him a pass on not so great choice of word also

I believe he was sincerely sympathetic. Perhaps "I am very sorry to hear that" or " I can't begin to know your struggles..." I have always believe Obama to precede from the best interests and best intentions and though a great orator I have noticed on one-on-one situations it's harder for him to find the right words. Just my observation.

[bhikkhu]

113. Consider that he was very upbeat, and offered to personally help out with the job situation

...I can't imagine someone walking away from that conversation feeling anything but encouraged. How many times has the president of the United States offered to take a look at someone's resume, and send it along himself to potential employers?

Its hard for me to see spinning that out as cold and unfeeling.

[MADem]

28. I'm with you. nt

[AtomicKitten]

34. I didn't read it that way either. Engineers have a much better chance of employment

than other fields currently.

Here he says he'll look at the engineer's resume: http://www.democraticunderground.com/10179667

[girl gone mad]

57. Not true.

Petroleum and chemical engineers are in demand, but civil and computer engineers currently have some of the highest rates of unemployment.

[fujiyama]

66. Highest is relative

The unemployment rates for all engineers is considerably lower than average. It also depends on the skill set. Computer engineers are definitely in demand depending on which industry the person has experience in. Embedded systems engineers shouldn't have too much difficulty finding work, assuming they are flexible in traveling or open to relocation. However, from what I gather it is more difficult if you are older and have considerably higher salary expectations. I'd be willing to admit there is some age discrimination out there...

I'm not as familiar with the demand for civil engineers though.

[Renew Deal]

71. No, he did everything he could to not imply that.

[joshcryer]

80. He said "that's interesting" after she said he was a semiconductor engineer. 4500 jobs on Indeed.com

...right now for that job description. The woman is full of it, and if she gets called out it will, in fact, be interesting if her husband can't get a job. What's going to be interesting is if there is a modicum of truth to what she claimed.

[Romulox]

104. You don't know any of that to be true, though. It's just a pile on in defense of the President. nt

[arely staircase]

122. did you see jon stewert last night? - she also asked him to "dance a jig." nt

[joshcryer]

126. Yeah, I saw that after I'd posted my comment.

Just confirms my suspicions even more (and to the other poster, yes I'm aware that there's no factual evidence, I am sharing my opinion, I could fully be wrong here).

[flexnor]

130. +1 there are ALWAYS lots of tech jobs advertised every weekend

here's a short youtube that covers the issue

[mkultra]

96. Thats what i would say if i thought it sounded stupid

[Romulox]

105. Precisely. It's a "polite insult" like "bless your heart". nt

[Bluenorthwest]

8. Wow.

That's just sad. This makes me queasy.

[redqueen]

10. Someone said earlier that this is the same lady who asked him to 'dance a jig'

and then later asked him to sing a song... and then changed the request into a command "sing a song for us".

As for her husband not finding a job, I have no comment.

[PragmaticLiberal]

19. I didn't know she was the same woman who asked Obama to dance a jig.

If that is true, I have some definite thoughts about this situation....

[redqueen]

25. The video on this page is blocked for me...

http://gawker.com/5880712/president-asked-to-dance-a-jig-by-random-internet-person

So I can't see for myself.

Thread where I saw the claim: http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002244529#post11

[tblue37]

76. I've seen it--and she is the same woman. It is

Last edited Thu Feb 2, 2012, 01:24 AM - Edit history (1)

an appalling display of bad manners and disrespect toward the POTUS--and the racial overtones are inescapable.

At the moment she is milking it for her 15 minutes of fame, and probably she will become a Teabagger darling like Not-Joe the Not-plumber. But if she has any sense at all, at some point she will want to crawl under a rock and hide there in embarrassment for a very long time. Even most racists don't want to be too overt about their racism these days, just because they don't want a lot of other people criticizing them.

Oh, and on edit, despite the rude demand that he "get up and dance a little jig for us real quick" and then the interruption and demand that he sing a song, he was very gracious and treated the idiot's request with gentle good humor. (Yes, the woman actually also interrupted him as he was responding.)

[redqueen]

85. Thanks, I heard the audio so I heard how rude she was,

It really made my blood boil.

To see so many DUers thoughtlessly lining up to support her... *sigh*

[hughee99]

11. That certainly takes a lot of "balls"

I don't think I would tell someone that they shouldn't be unemployed in this economy, and especially without knowing a lot more about the situation.

[JoePhilly]

49. He did not say that ... which is probably why the woman Obama talked to was on MSNBC today ...

where she said she was thrilled to have Obama's help.

This entire thread appears to be yet another manufactured outrage thread.

Obama offered to help .. and now he's a jerk for doing so.

[dionysus]

54. obama bad obama bad obama bad obama evil obama bad obama bad obama bad obama evil... you know the

drill by now!

[jenmito]

61. That's right. She said she couldn't get to her husband fast enough, that she had to let it sink in

that the POTUS just asked for her husband's resume, and she couldn't hear anything from the other questioners after her because she was in so much disbelief (in a good way) of what just happened.

[hughee99]

64. After watching the video (which I finally just did)

and not just reading the description, it looks much different then described.

[ProSense]

12. The President

did a great job responding to her question. Is this supposed to be a negative report?

Obama works to save jobs, 1 at a time
http://news.yahoo.com/obama-works-save-jobs-1-135334288.html


I mean, I know the media can spin things, but the clip is right there and the exchange was excellent.

[BumRushDaShow]

16. "Is this supposed to be a negative report? "

Of course it is, full context be damned. Sadly DU has devolved into that mode.

[redqueen]

18. +1

[uponit7771]

39. Yeap, I've come to the conclusion that Freepers just pepper the place especially on the weekend

[barbtries]

82. and yet, wonderfully,

keep reading and the true story emerges. on DU. i will allow that i didn't take even the OP as an indictment of the president though many apparently did so.

[redqueen]

88. That is true for those who keep reading,

and who choose to see more than only what they want to. I hope that's a majority of readers, at least here. I'm no so certain that is the case.

[barbtries]

91. sadly i think you're right.

too many people scan the OP, jump in with a diss at Obama, and run.

[mkultra]

97. ops like this are freeper dog whistles

[barbtries]

98. i think that's a fair characterization of it.

and i do get tired of that shit on MY DU.

[Number23]

121. Yep. And it "devolved" into that mode a long time ago

Glad to see people calling out this OP. This kind of stuff is simply ludicrous.

[LeftinOH]

13. Maybe he has (unreasonably) high salary demands, maybe

he's a notorious jerk whose reputation precedes him, maybe his 'engineering' skills aren't what they're cracked up to be. And- maybe she's a right wing shill. Who knows.....

[Romulox]

21. That's what the President seemed to be implying. nt

[Sheepshank]

32. Eddy on one of the Vacation movies.

His wife says he had been unemployed for 7 years holding out for a managment position. We simply don't have enough information to judge the circumstance being presented here.

[JVS]

83. Yeah, or maybe she is more familiar with the job market than Obama is.

[flexnor]

114. pretty quick to bash an unemployed stranger

without a single fact

studies show that in recessions, unemployment is not unheard of

or do you think only 'bad' people lose jobs in a recession?

[lumberjack_jeff]

15. Gaaa!

He hears this from HR firms employed by microsoft/google/apple. Are people incapable of critical thinking? He's hearing this from people who profit from a labor oversupply.

[SammyWinstonJack]

20. Sounds like he doesn't believe what this woman is claiming because it doesn't square with

"the word" he is getting. Way to dodge her question and play the "blame the victim" card at the same time.

Good job, Obama!

[Scurrilous]

23. I'm outraged. n/t

[WI_DEM]

26. According to this article engineering jobs are in demand, but...

http://why.knovel.com/all-engineering-news/952-top-engineering-jobs-of-2011-engineers-in-high-demand.html

I don't think that the president should be asking her to send him his resume. He could end up with thousands of people sending their resumes in hopes that he will help them get jobs.

[redqueen]

29. I didn't get the impression he was going to help with the job search...

I got the impression he wanted to be able to follow up with the people telling him that there's a demand for semiconductor engineers. If the guy has a bad work history then no need for a follow up, but if the resume is sterling and the guy still can't find a job then I can see the desire to ask those advisors wtf.

[laundry_queen]

132. That's the impression I got as well.

Although I think IF the resume is sterling, he will help with the job search. I've read quite a bit how he keeps in touch with people he meets at these town hall things and often helps them out.

[bayareamike]

27. A lot of people

taking this out of context in their responses. The President was actually quite helpful and thorough in his response. "That's interesting" was just the beginning of a long remark.

Besides, what other President would let people interject and correct them?

[WI_DEM]

30. overall I think the prez handled this exchange poorly, but it sounds like too the woman

is one of those who blame 'foreigners' for all their problems.

[MadHound]

31. Certainly not the most inspiring, helpful or empathetic response. n/t

[JoePhilly]

47. Yea ... terrible that Obama offerred to help.

I saw the woman on TV today ... she said that after he said "send me the resume" ... she had a hard time listening to any of the other questions that came up from others.

She then indicated that her husband had quickly sent his resume to Obama and was thrilled to have the help.

What a PRICK Obama is.

[Missy Vixen]

35. Is he joking?

Hey, President Obama,

My husband looked for a job eight hours a day for ten months while he was unemployed. He took a contracting position that was, luckily, offered to him while we were in the process of losing our house. If you don't know that people with engineering degrees are STILL looking for work in this economy, perhaps you need to spend less time lunching with guys like Bill Gates and whomever is running Apple these days. How about talking to some actual workers for a change?

We managed to keep the house, thanks to Senator Murray. My husband was offered another job. Did I mention he took a $24,000 a year pay cut to do so? We're still living inside and paying our bills, but we've cut things to the bone.

If you believe that American software companies are actually hiring Americans to do those "engineering" jobs, c'mon out to Seattle. I'll be more than happy to introduce you to people we know that are STILL looking for work.

Sincerely,
MV

[LibDemAlways]

38. I could have written your post. My engineer husband was

out of work for 7 months. He finally landed a job at a 40% pay cut with an outfit so cheap it doesn't even give performance reviews. The only reason he got it is that the type of work they do requires US citizenship. While he was out of work, he attended job fairs where the only people employers would talk to were new college grads and H1B Visa holders. It's a disgrace. If Obama talked to your husband or mine he would have a much better understanding of the job market for engineers.

[Missy Vixen]

41. Maybe we need to write a joint letter

Maybe everyone affected by the economic downturn and unemployment needs to write a letter. On paper. I wonder what the reaction would be if the White House got oh, a million letters. Snail mail.

I wouldn't shake my finger in the President's face, but I would ask for (and expect,) an answer more thoughtful and compassionate than "That's interesting."

[tblue37]

77. There's quite a *lot* of compassion in Obama's offer to take the man's

resume himself and try to help him find work.

[JoePhilly]

48. The guy in question worked on semi-conductors, not software.

The term "engineering" can be applied to a wide range of activities ... from bridge building, to semi-conductors, to IT, to software.

No one should assume that these are the same disciplines. They are not.

[gkhouston]

92. A lot of semiconductor work (including design) was offshored *before* they started

sending software jobs overseas. I'm surprised that there would be any semiconductor engineer jobs left by this time, apart from marketers. Then again, maybe that's what this guy did.

[Life Long Dem]

59. Well, he just talked to someone.

So now it is in the open and we now know Obama has two stories about the H1-B job situation.

Lets see what he does with this. I don't think just forwarding his resume is the answer. Whoever the President forwards this resume to, can be sure to get the job. That just keeps the problem hidden still.

[Mass]

36. Seriously? Well, companies want to hire people just out of school, at low salaries.

They are not interested hiring people with a lot of experience. And, just in case he did not hear, companies refuse to hire people who have been out of job for a while.

[HipChick]

58. That's my company's model - they get rid of the older experienced people

and hire younger folk, who have no clue what they are doing...

[Hugabear]

37. Facepalm

[uponit7771]

40. ****OP LINKS TELL HALF THE STORY*****

http://news.yahoo.com/obama-works-save-jobs-1-135334288.html

These people are getting tiring

[ellisonz]

42. How so?

The OP seems accurate to me. What he should have said is that he'll look at the issue of the H1-B program. Instead, he was kinda patronizing in asking, we'll send me his resume and I'll try and find something that's wrong with him to justify why he can't get a job. He doesn't want to take a position on the H1-B program because he doesn't want to piss off either his tech friends or unemployed workers. He's walking a tight-rope but the problem is that he leans too far to one side sometimes.

"I meant what I said, if you send me your husband's resume, I'd be interested in finding out exactly what's happening right there," Obama told the questioner, Jennifer Wedel of Fort Worth, Texas.

He told Wedel that according to what he was hearing from industry, such high-tech fields are in great demand and her husband "should be able to find something right away."

Wedel told Obama that despite what he said, her husband had been out of work for three years. She wanted to know why foreign workers were getting visas for high-skilled work.

-----------

"I'll have to take you up on that," she told him. And Obama came back to it after covering a range of issues in the 45-minute session, telling Wedel, "Remember to send me that information!"

From what I can tell, without watching the entire session, he didn't address the question directly and it came back as smug. Does Obama want all unemployed people to start sending him resumes?

[sad sally]

50. In 2009, the H1-B program was included in the President's

Employ American Workers Act. Supposedly, it prevented employers from displacing American workers when recruiting H1B applicants if the employer got covered funding through the TARP.

Granted, this law only applied to TARP recipients, and only lasted until February 2011, but still, one might think there may still be some issues with the program to look into - like corporations that get tax breaks and cheaper foreign labor, while educated in-debt Americans go without jobs.

[ellisonz]

52. Especially considering...

...his comments in the SOTU about not favoring companies that outsource. This is outsourcing at home in a very real way.

[ellisonz]

43. The President needs to fire his advisors.

That he either doesn't have a position on the H1-B program, or that he doesn't want to share it, really becomes the fault of his team of advisers that seems more interested in making a Madison Avenue pitch to the American voters than doing the hard work of coming to policy conclusions and sticking to them. What is the President's position on the H1-B program exactly?

[Lionessa]

44. He is just so out of touch with reality.

[russspeakeasy]

65. or did he just call her bluff ?

[countingbluecars]

45. Was that before or after

she asked him to dance a little jig?

[pkdu]

46. Her husband was employed for almost all last year according to his linkedin page ( she "forgot" to

...cant tell why that employment ended but he has only been unemployed since the end of last year. ( appears to have been unemployed in 2009/2010)

[Life Long Dem]

51. She used the word permanent job.

What you probably are looking at are temp consulting jobs.

[flexnor]

111. or fake ads to certify green cards in the perm process

google "PERM FAKE youtube" for a short explanation of that process

every one of these fake ads counts as a 'job no americans will do', even if they turn away multiple qualified and willing American applicants

[Life Long Dem]

118. I don't know how these people can sleep at night.

[flexnor]

119. they sleep just great - some time around 1998, American tech workers became 'unpersons'

Last edited Wed Feb 1, 2012, 10:34 PM - Edit history (2)

and any lie told against them for the benefit of tech wealth, was for 'the greater good'

the people in that video are just serving the 'greater good' real well, along with every politician and journalist who support the H-1b program

to suggest that unpersons sent into the memory hole have been wronged is xenophobia and or racism, which are forms of crimethink. Crimethink can only be held at bay by crimestop and blackwhite.

see http://www.newspeakdictionary.com/ns-dict.html for any terms used here you dont understand

all kidding aside, there's no place more screwed than being sold out by both parties - you can show people that video above, only to be told to shhhhhhhhh, and be called names 'you're not supposed to talk about that!'

[girl gone mad]

55. It's interesting and uniquely American, too.

He can't be this out of touch... can he?

[cherokeeprogressive]

56. I hope President Obama gets millions of resumes. n/t

[ProSense]

67. Me too, and

I hope he sends them to Congress attached to the American Jobs Act and the infrastructure bill.

[jenmito]

60. The RNC cut the answer up and is using this clip to bash Obama as "out of touch." He's NOT.

This is a RW smear. They made an attack ad or two using this, even made a website around this part of his answer.

[ProSense]

63. They're

good at this, aren't they?

[jenmito]

68. VERY good...

too bad it's allowed to be posted HERE now as fact.

[mkultra]

99. Yup, Its a RW talking point

The fact that she asked him to dance a jig before she talked about her husband should make all the real liberals here take note.

[redqueen]

103. You'd think it would make people take note. Instead it's roundly ignored.

[jenmito]

107. Yes it is...

but didn't she ask him to dance a jig AFTER he asked her to send her husband's resume to him?

[Cherchez la Femme]

62. There's the answer! Send those c.v.'s in!

If you can't find a job just send the Pres. your resume & he'll get right on it!
Heck with all the experience he'll gain running an Employment Agency, out of the White-House no less, after he's done he can start a whole nationwide, rbrn worldwide chain!

Or would that not be the most lucrative income for a historically significant, Nobel-Prize winning ex-president?

Hmmmmmmmmmm....

well anyways, my resume is on it's way!

[Life Long Dem]

69. You must have a slow connection.

Because my resume was there like yesterday.

[Cherchez la Femme]

70. Damm you!

You took my job!!1!1 *shaking ineffectual fist in your general direction*.

[Life Long Dem]

72. One up on that argument would be...

Well, a foreigner took my job.

[tblue37]

78. Do you really have an intellectual fist? I have enough trouble

getting my head to seem intellectual!

[CakeGrrl]

74. Wow, what a misleading, sensationalist spin on what happened.

Need unrec for misinformation.

[redqueen]

87. +1

And nobody seems to be too interested in discussing her racist comments or how rude she was.

[PragmaticLiberal]

93. Of course they're not interested.

It doesn't fit into the "Obama is the lesser of two evils, hates poor people" narrative.

[redqueen]

100. I wonder how many people rec'd bigtree's OP about racism yesterday

And then came here and just flat-out ignored the racism displayed by this person.

[GusFring]

75. so the word "intertesting" is what sparked this? Interesting in deed. As far as repukes, I see...

they're still using that he's never had a job crap. ANd how he wants to keep the presidency so that he can make 400k a yr and have servants. Do they not realize how much money Presidents makes when they're out of office? I'm sure he'll be alright.

[joshcryer]

79. I think this woman is full of it.

[0rganism]

81. I really hope it IS interesting to him

I hope the prez takes a look at the resume and figures out that there are a lot of talented experienced people in the almighty technical fields who can't find steady work because of all the offshoring. I hope he takes a long look at our durable goods import policies and the "free trade" bullshit treaties that turn the USA into the #1 consumption sink for countries that abuse cheap labor. I hope he sees that it's not just the assembly line jobs that go offshore when a company relocates a factory to China. I hope he recognizes that the hiring practices for H1B visa workers are exploitative and drive down wages across the board.

I hope he takes that resume and waves it in the face of the dingbats who've been telling him about the miraculous national demand for "engineers".

And then maybe he brings out some of that Change we've all been waiting for.

[Enrique]

89. that's my hope too

I saw it as a possible bursting of the bubble. It's possible we saw something dawn in Obama, that his business leaders aren't giving him the whole story.

Even if that's not true for Obama personally, it's good to see this clash between reality and business propaganda, so kudos to Obama for putting himself in the position where he could hear this stuff.

[flexnor]

117. 'drive down wages across the board'

why is it that so few people get that issue?

you poke a hole in a boat, some may get wet first, others may get wet last

but the water through that hole reaches everyone, eventually

[The Backlash Cometh]

86. Maybe everyone with an engineering degree who doesn't have a job should send their resumes to Obama?

[seabeyond]

90. i am more bothered this woman, with a huge smile, asked our president to dance a jig. wtf. nt

[Greybnk48]

94. THis clip was on the Daily Show last night, 1/31/2012.

The way some are depicting the exchange here is disturbing. He didn't blow her off, he offered to help her husband personally (send me his resume). She was a fucking crackpot; she asked him to dance for her.

[redqueen]

106. Thanks for the tip...

looking forward to seeing that.

[Gold Metal Flake]

108. She then told him to dance for her. Fuck her.

[Cali_Democrat]

115. Huh?

[Gold Metal Flake]

123. Huh.

[Cali_Democrat]

125. Sorry...I thought you were kidding about her asking him to dance

But she did.

[tblue37]

124. Not just to dance for her, but to "get up and dance a little JIG for us real quick."

Then, as he tried to respond--very graciously, despite her rude, racist remark, she kept interrupting him, even demanding that he sing a song (since he said he doesn't dance well).

I am reminded of the scene in Blazing Saddles where the white overseer of a Black railroad work crew demands that they sing one of those cheerful songs "their people" are so famous for.

[Gold Metal Flake]

128. I grew up in Texas.

That woman is a racist, and she was trolling the President.

It's true, they can't help themselves. It's an irresistible impulse for them. What is that called? Pathological?

[T S Justly]

109. Even more interesting, should O be out of a job, after comments like that?

[flexnor]

110. disturbing that so many question the woman and not the issue

Last edited Wed Feb 1, 2012, 09:48 PM - Edit history (1)

regardless of where one comes down on this issue, it IS a fair question to ask whether there should be a large number of guest workers in a deep and seemingly intractable recession - other countries have very strict rules about foreign nationals working in their country, including India

[Justice wanted]

112. Well, Mr. President there is what you are being told by your staff and "handlers" and then there is

reality.


Since it is not possible for Mr. Obama to "walk among us" and see what is really happening. Perhaps a staffer can go undercover and than give him an HONEST report.

YES, the job market is going BUT it is not going fast enough. You still employers or would be employers discriminating against those unemployed for a length of time.

I myself got send home from my job today because there wasn't enough work.

[Cali_Democrat]

116. I think a better word for Obama to use would have been "unfortunate"

[arely staircase]

120. and then she asked him if he would dance "a jig"- saw it on jon stewert nt

[phylny]

127. Sorry, President Obama

Our daughter has a double degree from a prestigious university, Engineering and Philosophy, with two minors, and she's managing a retail store.

[flexnor]

129. H-1b is a baseball bat on the middle class - Even Milton Freidman called it a 'subsidy'

from the middle class to corporations

it makes indentured servitude the labor standard

who has more power in a relationship? an indentured servent, or the employer who controls the indentured servent's status in the country?

that's what H-1b is all about, sparing tech employers the messy problem of obtaining the best and the brightest, and having to treat them like people as you extract what you want from them

I saw the writing on the wall in the late 1990s - silicon valley guys had lots and lots of money, they were liberal on social issues, but they liked their labor to be obedient. Really, really obedient. Some of the tech leaders were kind of aspergers syndrome types, and found relating to others to be difficult - so it's easier for them to deal with others, if others have to simply obey them, and have their status in this country dependent on the tech employer's whims

[flexnor]

131. Obama's plans to raise guest worker numbers, from White House Blog

That’s why the President supports legislative measures that would attract and retain immigrants who create jobs and boost competitiveness here in the U.S. – including "stapling" green cards to the diplomas of certain foreign-born graduates in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields – as a part of his vision for building a 21st century immigration system.

We reiterated this message on our call, and also discussed what the Administration is doing—independent of Congress—to help improve existing immigration policies to attract and keep the best and the brightest in our country. During the Q&A session, callers raised many concerns regarding F-1 and other visas targeted for highly skilled immigrants. Among these was a question regarding the possibility of extending employment authorization to certain spouses of H-1B visa holders who are awaiting the adjudication of green card applications


http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2012/02/02/conversation-we-people-about-immigration-policy

this may be why he was not receptive to hearing about anyone displaced by guest workers

[flexnor]

133. Bill Clinton 'I feel your Pain'. Obama 'the word I'm getting is, you have no pain'

seems like Clinton had a little more empathy

[Rex]

134. I thought the POTUS said, 'interesting' after she asked

him to dance a jig for her.

[fujiyama]

135. I think blaming H1-Bs for this guy's situation is presumptuous

Most H1-Bs I've ever worked with or spoke to were not working on any real R&D type work, the kind of stuff associated with semiconductor work. A lot of that work also requires a Ph.D. nowadays.There's work at Intel, AMD, and a few others but that kind of work is competitive and a lot of the actual fabrication has moved abroad.

The H1-B visa is prone to abuse and I agree that bringing people just to artificially lower the prevailing wage is bullshit and a pretty shady way for companies to just save money. But it's easy to just scream the "f'rnrs are stealing jobs!" when we don't know A) this guy's work history/qualifications, B) his salary expectations and C) his willingness to travel and/or relocate.