The White House - Polnut Administration

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

PRESS RELEASE

The President continues to recover from his illness and will release two-pieces of proposed legislation tomorrow.

He also notes the resignation of Oakvale from the Supreme Court, a nomination for his replacement will be made in the next two days. Anyone interested in serving should be contact within the next 24 hours.

Next week, the President will visit Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan to personally speak with those involved in the Manufacturing industry.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

LEGISLATIVE REQUEST

The President requests a Senator put forward this Bill.

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[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

PRESS RELEASE

The President has nominated former Senator and President Bgwah to serve on the Supreme Court.

This is a nomination based on the desire to serve, the demonstration of activity and commitment to Atlasia.

The President hopes for a speedy confirmation process.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

TRANSCRIPT

The University of Pittsburgh
Basketball Arena


Ladies and gentlemen,

I want to thank you for your warm welcome also for the good wishes you've sent me while I've been ill for the past week. It's not exactly the best way to start off a presidential term.

But, I'm here today because I want to see the strength of the Atlasian manufacturing industry, I want to talk with you whose small businesses rely on these industries not only surviving, but thriving.

We've seen a lot press over the past few, months, years, undermining the strength of our manufacturing sector and those who work within it. Manufacturing and industry built this country and they remains cornerstones of the Atlasian economy.

I want to make one thing clear, our economy is improving. Despite what you might hear, jobs are being created, people are getting back to work, families are starting to see stability return... this is all good news. I acknowledge that our recovery has been uneven and weaker then we'd like, but the trajectory is positive.

What happened to the world 3 and a half years ago was so fundamentally destabilising that expectations of a strong and bounding recovery were both foolish and only fed continued unease.

During my first term, I instituted tax reform to ease the burden on small businesses to return more certainty and security to their bottom lines, this was accompanied by a low-income tax cut to give more lower-income families more disposable income.

We keep hearing from left and right that they have the solutions and everyone else is wrong. I've been called a moderate hero because I believe in moderation over extremes as the source of the best of public policy solutions. I also believe that you can be creative and focus on a balanced approach.

We cannot tax nor cut our way to financial stability. We need to reduce spending that is both inefficient and without positive benefits, and we also need to be realistic about our revenues. If we focus on boosting what Government can do, and does well and support the private sector to do what they do well, then we can re-build, not boost artificially, but restore structural stability.

Once we do that, our hopes for the future of our economy can grow and manufacturing industries can regain its place and provide security for the people who rely directly and indirectly on it.

I'm looking forward to travelling through Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan over the next day to see what can expect from a strong and revitalised manufacturing sector.

Thank you all very much!

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

PRESS RELEASE

The President will be travelling to the Nuclear Security Summit in Marrakesh, Morocco on Friday.

The President will also be holding a series of one on one meetings with other world leaders, and with IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano.

The President will return to Nyman on Tuesday.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

PRESS RELEASE

The President is being kept fully abreast of the nuclear security issue in Nevada.

Given the clear implications, the President has requested all related agencies and authorities be ready to respond.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

TRANSCRIPT

Palais de Congress,
Marrakesh, Morocco


Ladies and gentlemen,

Today we are gathered here to consider the real threat our common future faces. Yet again, nuclear security and therefore the security of the world is a point of concern.

The Hindi God Shiva is both a God of destruction and a God creation and renewal. In many ways our approach to nuclear technology is the same. It is, at once, the harnessing of the base elements of our universe to either destroy in an instant or to create energy to power our world.

People of my political persuasion have been caught in the horns of a dilemma for as long as we knew about nuclear technology. It grants some the capacity for destruction that no single country deserves, but as we saw during the Cold War, the presence of those weapons, and the mutual assured destruction they would bring created equilibrium. However, the race to assume and expand our nuclear knowledge has had a tremendous effect on those directly and those innocently nearby. Apart from environmental desolation, what about the cancer clusters directly related to that research in the early days.

We have states across the world, where dangerous nuclear technology is stored in sheds, protected at best by one guy, a German shepherd and a padlock. We will work with our friends and neighbours to remove fissile material and downgrade it, we will work with them to secure material around the world. The common factor is that Atlasia wants to work with the world to clean up and secure nuclear material.

However, we have also used that technology to change our world for the better. While events like Three-Mile Island, Chernobyl and Fukishima made as all question the need for nuclear power, the fact remains that in many ways it is the low-emission alternative to fossil fuels for the short to medium term. I know I am at odds with many in my country, in my side of politics and within my party. I believe nuclear power can be harnessed safely and with maximum security.

The other key issue we cannot ignore is the risk posed to the wider world by the obtaining of fissile material by rouge nations and non-state actors, not the least of which being terrorists. Their desire to obtain this material is no secret. I understand the total discomfort by many as I stand here as President of a nuclear-armed state suggesting that other countries do not deserve access to such weapons. I understand it, but that does not mean that I am going to engage in moral relativism. However, I am taking this opportunity to make this pledge here and now. Atlasia will commence a new round of nuclear weapon dismantling. It is my intention to reduce Atlasia’s stockpile of nuclear weapons to 15% of 2000 levels within the next two years. I can hear many saying “why can’t you do it faster?” and “why can’t get rid of all nukes?” the answers to those questions are these, in order to dismantle warhead and dispose of fissile material in a safe manner takes time, and the other is a sheer fact of Geopolitical reality.

However, I believe we should pledge that all of our efforts will lead to a time when nuclear weapons are relic of history. It is not an easy ask, in fact, one of the toughest. But we must start now, and we must be united and prevent further destabilizing proliferation.

I truly believe the energy future of the world lies within clean renewable technologies and I will continue to support more research and development to bring those energies online in a wholesale manner as quickly as possible. But we must be realistic; we cannot wail and gnash our teeth because they’re not here now. For the past two decades we have squandered opportunities to focus on that research. We cannot afford to continue to do so. But we need to understand that because of taking our eye off the ball at a critical time, we need to spend more than we should need to and it will take longer to bring online than we want.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is an opportunity we cannot waste. The time is now, and we must be prepared to act.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

Mr. President- I am appalled by this. A reduction in our nuclear arsenal as part of an agreement with other nations to do the same is understandable and desirable... a unilateral weakening of our nuclear arsenal with no agreement for other nations to do the same is irresponsible to the point of neglect of your duties as Commander-in-Chief...

I will be putting forward a bill to prevent any reduction in our nuclear arsenal unless there is a treaty with other world powers- specifically China nd Russia- to make equivalent proportional reductions...

You are more than welcome to be appalled.

I am seeking agreements with the Russian Federation and the People's Republic of China. I believe we can achieve this without undermining our strategic or military priorities. However, one person needs to be spokesperson for a new treaty, we need to make our intentions clear so we can get negotiations going.

Respectfully, I believe you are overreacting to this measure which is quite mild in the history of nuclear arsenal reductions.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

LEGISLATIVE REQUEST

The President requests a Senator put forward this Bill.

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[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

PRESS RELEASE

The President will travel to Georgia and Florida tomorrow to meet with community leaders after the incident which ended in the death of Treyvon Martin.

The President will make a brief statement in Tampa on Wednesday evening.

On Wednesday night, the President will fly to Denver and will hold a meeting of national nuclear security experts on Thursday before returning to Nyman that night.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

TRANSCRIPT

White House Rose Garden


Ladies and gentlemen,

I visited Florida on Wednesday to meet with local community leaders over the death of Trayvon Martin.

I did not meet with his family as they were obviously managing their own affairs but I did meet with his uncle.

I will not beat around the bush, I am deeply disturbed by the circumstances of this young man's death. However, vigilante justice cannot be sought to be the answer to matters of justice. I have instructed the federal justice agencies to investigate this issue.

This issue has given light to many truly ugly elements of Atlasian character we cannot hide from any longer. The idea that because of the way someone dresses, or due to their race, suddenly we are supposed to fear them and perceive them as a threat, and not just a threat, an immediate threat that must be met with lethal force, sickens me to the core.

Now, I believe that the justice system must be engaged completely. The fact remains, the way this issue has been handled at the local level has been deeply disappointing, which is why I have engaged the federal government to ensure that justice is done.

There are some issues I need to make comments on.

The first is the value of neighbourhood watch, they are a valuable force to make sure our communities are more secure. The idea of neighbour looking out for neighbour is one we should be encouraging. However, their role is not to take the place of local law enforcement.

I accept the role of the second amendment in Atlasia, but I believe that rights, including the right to bear arms need to be exercised with a strong sense of responsibility.

We need to work together to make sure that justice is done and that it is carried out fairly and with utmost respect of all sides.

I urge restraint, these processes need to be allowed to occur.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

PRESS RELEASE

The President will visit Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky from 10 April.

10 April
Chicago, IL - Champaign, IL

11 April
Indianapolis, IN - Bloomington, IN

12 April
Louisville, KY - Lexington, KY

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

PRESS RELEASE

The President has formally requested federal legal authorities to examine any regional law which enables the use lethal force beyond traditional concepts of self-defense.

Press Secretary

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

TRANSCRIPT

National Business Innovators Conference
Washington DC Convention Centre


Ladies and Gentlemen,

Thank you for the invitation to speak with you today, and the timing of this conference could not be more relevant.

You would be aware that my administration’s Homeowner Protection Bill is before the Senate. I put forward this Bill to have three key goals.

The first is to put in place a 90-day moratorium on foreclosures. Now, this is designed to pull back and allow all involved to take stock. The key factor in a drop in tax revenues is the tremendous drop in housing values, which has been based almost completely in the tremendous number of foreclosures that have taken place. Say for example, 4 years ago a house with 10 houses on it, had an average value of $250,000 that’s a value in one street of $2.5 million. Now consider the average value has dropped to $125,000 that’s a total of $1.25 million – that’s a 50% reduction in the value of a street full of houses, now imagine this across a suburb or a city. The more foreclosures that occur the deeper the drop in values will become. That’s not only a disaster for the families and their community, but these have tremendous knock-on economic effects.

The second element is to ensure that banks and other mortgage owners are able to fulfill their administrative requirements, basically to ensure that if a family is forced out of their home, it is done in both a legal and ethical manner. This Bill will require any bank to provide all documents of mortgage ownership to the homeowner. If they provide incorrect or incomplete the mortgagee must be in a position to re-negotiate terms up to and including a managed foreclosure over a period. If they cannot provide demostrations of ownership the foreclosure cannot continue. There will be harsh penalties for any bank that tries to avoid this responsibility, a fine of $300,000 per offense and the potential of both criminal and civil proceedings.

The final is to put in place protections for people who suffer from medically extreme circumstances. The Bill will create a Foreclosure Hold. Now this does not prevent foreclosures from happening, but it provides a Federal Government order to hold proceedings for a period of 30 days to 6 months.

I want to make sure this point is clear. This Bill is designed to slow the current rate of foreclosures, ensure that banks are undertaking their full legal and ethical responsibilites and to provide protections for more vulnerable people. This Bill will not stand in the way of foreclosures where people have been clearly delinquent and as long as banks have their paperwork in order, they can proceed. This does not defer responsibility for people who over-extended. It ensures that all involved in the processes know their roles and responsibilities.

This is a practical Bill to address an issue with a wide range of consequences. I believe this Bill will have positive impacts and will work to ensure a more stable situation for the future. My administration will always advocate that personal responsibilty is of primary importance, but we need to make sure that we have a solid and fair set of protections.

I want to thank you for taking the time to listen to me today.

Thank you all and good luck for your conference.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

TRANSCRIPT

Question asked to the President while visiting a school in Arlington, Virginia


Reporter: What do you have to say about the 'revolution' being advocated? Including by some of your political allies?

PP: I think strong political discussions should happen, we always need to face up to difficult truths if things aren't working. Tweed is welcome back to Atlasia and I'm sure will run a very spirited campaign for the June election. However, I'm concerned that some people are attracted to a strategy that will likely blow up in their faces.

Atlasia is going through a period that is certainly more stagnant than I'd like, but I don't think a 'revolution' will do anything except provide some drama for a while, and because of that, the stagnation will return. I've been around Atlasia for a while, and stagnant periods happen. I don't believe this is a terminal decline. I'd be very interested what happens in Atlasia... say after November. I think you'll see activity return.

I should also say, what I said when a 'founder' returned to Atlasia to personally attack me, you built it, but didn't buy it, so you don't own it. Thanks...

Reporter: However, Mr Tweed has declared the Atlasian Government illegitimate

PP: Last time I checked, the people voted for the Government, in line with the Constitutional authorities that they also voted for. The Atlasian Government is most certainly legitimate, and he has no place to make such proclamations.

In fact, it's a bit like your mother turning up in your house, and proclaiming you divorced because she doesn't like your wife. It's dramatic and a little wacky, but also destabilising, which I presume is the point.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

PRESS RELEASE

The President is pleased with the passage of the Homeowners Protection Act by the Senate.

He says "this is a vital first step to get our housing market in good order".

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

PRESS RELEASE

The President was unharmed during the security incident involving tainted mail.

He was initially removed from the West Wing to a secure location, but chose to continue with plan to spend the weekend at Camp David as soon as Secret Service were sure there was no thread of contamination.

The President wants to make clear that he will not respond to threats and will continue with his visit to North Carolina and Virginia next week. His public schedule will not be curtailed.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

PRESS RELEASE

The President will be visiting North Carolina and Virginia next week.

The schedule will be as follows:

Tuesday 17 April

Raleigh, Durham and Winston-Salem NC

Wednesday 18 April

Richmond, Norfolk and Williamsburg VA

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

PRESS RELEASE

The President wishes to sincerely apologise to all Senate candidates due to his absence from the Senate election.

He has been suffering with a severe flu and pharyngitis for the past week.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

PRESS RELEASE

The President thanks those who have passed on best wishes during his illness.

He was diagnosed with the flu and pharyngitis, which turned into a bronchial infection. He has now being given the all clear from his doctor.

The President also wishes to state that he intends to make an endorsement for the Presidential election, however, he does not intend to make it precipitously but an endorsement will be made before the election.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

PRESS RELEASE

The President and the Vice President are currently working on a Budget to put forward for the Senate's consideration.

It will focus on three things

1. reducing the overheads of government, without triggering mass unemployment
2. making sensible reductions in areas of duplication and where consolidation would work
3. finding reasonable revenue increases with minimal household impact.

The minimum deficit reduction target for this year is 17%.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

PRESS RELEASE

The President will be addressing the Atlasian Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) National Congress in Atlanta, Georgia on Wednesday.

He will then travel to Miami, where he will address the National Women's Leadership Council dinner.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

PRESS RELEASE

The President made a statement today about the resignation of the Secretary of External Affairs.

"Secretary Ben has served me well, with loyalty and commitment. It was often a difficult job for him and I always appreciated his ability to separate his own views and interests with that of my administration.

I have always known Ben's desire to serve in the national legislature, so I accepted his resignation.

I wish him every success."

The President requests any who wish to serve as Secretary of External Affairs to make contact by the weekend.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

PRESS RELEASE

The President has accepted the invitation of the National Council of Bishops to speak at their national gathering in Kansas City, Missouri on Monday 7 May.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

TRANSCRIPT

Speech to the National Council of Bishops
Kansas City, Missouri

Ladies and gentlemen,

I want to thank you for extending this invitation to me to be here with you all today.

I think we should get the numerous and enormous pink elephants out of the room right up front.

There are obviously many areas in which we are in complete and total disagreement.

I supported full legal equality of same-sex couples, including the right of adoption. I support the use of stem-cell research and believe in the separation of Church and State.

The separation of Church and State is an issue that has been one often fraught with landmines for those who discuss it. For those of strong faith, it is an affront and an assault of your personal religious liberty, for those of no faith, it means that religious beliefs and views should be excluded from our political discourse.

I believe my position on this is clear, but I want to repeat it for you. I believe in State whose administration is free of the involvement of any specific religious interest or group. However, we must also be realistic. For many in our community, their faith is a core factor in what drives them and therefore it must not be discounted as invalid, simply because of the fact it’s faith-driven.

We have a number of clear protections in our system to ensure that policies and their implementation are not discriminatory.

I believe that faith is deeply personal, and in our country, your right to practice or not practice any religious belief is respected as long as you do not impinge on the rights of others. That includes respecting that just because you believe it’s right, does not give you the right to place demands on others who do not follow your own religious views.

I’m going to mention the evil ‘L’ word, liberal. Part of the reason I consider myself a liberal is that I believe that individual rights need to be respected as a paramount element of society. That doesn’t mean we don’t make laws for society as a whole, but those particular rights and liberties need to be acknowledged. I will always defend the rights of people of faith to exercise them, with the same fervor I will protect the rights of those who do not have any or a different faith to live their lives how they see fit.

I’m a liberal, because I believe in the right to choose.

I’m going to go even further here… I spoke to the National Women’s Leadership Congress last week and I discussed my view of the reproductive rights issues currently swirling around. I made clear that I am fundamentally pro-choice. However, many members of organisations such as this attacked me, suggesting that I am pro-abortion. There is a difference and it’s deeply offensive to suggest otherwise. Abortion is a terrible thing for all parties involved, and support, not guilt, should be there to give women options, I personally a support a graduated system of checks from beginning of the second trimester. One key element that angers me no end, is that no connection is made between those who are pro-life  and those who are opposed to comprehensive sex education.
To me, they are part of the same basket. There is real evidence that if you are given all of the information up front, including the use of condoms and other forms of birth control, the likelihood of unwanted pregnancies is much lower. This also is reflected in the rates of sexually transmitted infections.

Now, let’s work on what we generally agree on.

All religious texts instruct us that we must care  for those unable to care for themselves. That we should be devoting our time and resources to looking after each other and treating all, even our enemies with the respect and dignity we would hope to see from them.

I am about to hand down a Budget proposal to the Senate. I intend to bring down a deficit much faster than originally projected, with the opportunity to start paying down our debt from next year. We will do this, with small increases in some government charges and excises, we will do this from streamlining the way our military operates, we will cut back our military aid, but increase our humanitarian aid and we will cut back the operating costs of government. But I want to make this clear, there will be no cuts to social programs and I will not be cutting back the public sector workforce. I will defend those who administer vital programs for our country and am frankly sick and tired of seeing them attacked by people who know nothing of the work they do, or how hard they work. I will also ensure that those at the top know the need to reign in unnecessary spending. I will personally take a 20% cut in my operating and living allowances, and I will expect the same of all other elected and judicial officials.

We can deal with our economic problems, but we will not apply a machete when a scalpel works better.

Again, I want to thank you for inviting me here today. I’m sure many might not have liked what I had to say, but the opportunity meant a lot to me, so thank you.