Valerie Jarrett claims , "Americans 'hungry' for Obama to act like an imperial president". Is that what Americans really want or what the Administration wants?

Examiner.com

Valerie Jarrett: Americans 'hungry' for Obama to act like an imperial president

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January 28, 2014

On Tuesday, White House Senior Adviser Valerie Jarrett told MSNBC's "Morning Joe" that Americans are "hungry" for Obama to take unilateral action, bypassing Congress wherever he can to get things done, CNS News reported.
"People around our country are hungry for action," she said. "And what you'll hear from the president tonight is going to be all about action -- creating opportunity -- and it's going to be a very optimistic speech."
According to Jarrett, Obama will "set forth very specific, concrete proposals that he thinks will move our country forward -- create opportunity for hard-working Americans who want to succeed."
Although Obama will prod Congress to act on his agenda, Jarrett said Obama "will make clear tonight that he will take action on his own," bypassing Congress when he sees fit.
"We're going to do what we can, within the president's own executive power, and working throughout the country with those who want to move our country forward," she added. "And it is a lot of potential there. And I think the optimism that the president has comes from the grit and determination of the American people, our businesses, many of who (sic) are bringing jobs back to America, so we have some momentum going, and we just need to call on everybody to work together, and that's what the president will do this evening."

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MSN News

Obama hiking minimum wage for new federal contracts

AP Photo: Jacquelyn Martin

President Barack Obama signs the $1.1 trillion spending bill that funds the federal government through the end of September, in Washington, Friday, Jan. 17, 2014 at Jackson Place, a conference center near the White House.

  By Jim Kuhnhenn of Associated Press

The increase, by President Obama's executive order, would benefit workers like army base employees and federally contracted janitors and construction workers.

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama will sign an executive order setting the minimum wage for workers under new federal contracts at $10.10 an hour, the White House said Tuesday. The president will announce the increase during his State of the Union address.
The increase from a national minimum wage of $7.25 an hour will not affect existing federal contracts, only new ones. Moreover, contract renewals will not be affected unless other terms of the agreement change.
The order would be one of the biggest examples in the State of the Union of Obama's vow to use presidential authority to push for policies by circumventing Congress.
Obama has been under pressure from liberal groups and employee advocates to use his executive authority to raise the minimum pay for federal contractors. By limiting the increase to new contracts, the order would affect far fewer employees than if it applied to all government contractors.

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Related: White House warns Obama could go around Congress

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Liberals: Obama alone could raise minimum wage for many

By Jeanne Sahadi  @CNNMoney January 24, 2014: 4:15 AM ET

President Obama has said he will use whatever executive authority he has to help the middle class and the economy. Liberals say he should do so to raise the minimum wage for federal contract workers.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

Just do it, Mr. President.

If Congress won't raise the federal minimum wage, you can. At least for people who work for companies that get federal contracts, subcontracts and grants.

So says a group of liberals in the House and Senate who want President Obama to sign an executive order requiring federal agencies to give preference in awarding contracts to companies that pay workers no less than $10.10 an hour.
Currently the federal minimum wage is $7.25. And there's been a push by Democrats to raise it to $10.10 -- an idea that Obama supports.
Doing so directly and indirectly could raise pay for up to 28 million workers, according to estimates from the liberal Economic Policy Institute.
But there's not a high chance Congress will pass that proposal anytime soon.
That's why 15 senators, led by Bernie Sanders of Vermont, and 17 members of the House, led by Keith Ellison of Minnesota, sent letters to the president urging him to exercise his executive authority.
"Profitable corporations that receive lucrative contracts from the federal government should pay all of their workers a decent wage," the senators wrote in their letter.
Demos, a liberal think tank, estimates such a move -- depending on how broadly it's structured -- could improve wages for up to nearly 2 million low-paid workers.

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Related: State with highest minimum wage may hike it again

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Bloomberg Business Week

Obama Won't `Simply Wait' for Congress: Jarrett

Jan. 28 (Bloomberg) -- Valerie Jarrett, a senior adviser to President Barack Obama, talks about the president's State of the Union address tonight and his plan to raise the minimum wage for federal contractors. Jarrett speaks with Tom Keene on Bloomberg Television's "Surveillance." (Source: Bloomberg)
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