The White House - Polnut Administration

[Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Mr President,

The Giving the Vice-President Annoying Work Act has passed the senate, and is presented for your signature or veto.

Sen. NC Yankee,
Senate Dean.

[Secretary Polnut]

TRANSCRIPT

The President's Address to the Nation - Our Involvement in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya


My fellow Atlasians,

I have chosen to make my first address to you as President to discuss an issue which weighs heavily on this country,  and on me, as Commander-in-Chief, our military presence in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya.

My personal views on the Iraq conflict are well documented. I never supported the deployment to a conflict that I believed we had no legal justification to engage in. Saddam Hussein was a blood-thirsty dictator, on that there is no confusion. However, my view is that once our young men and women are deployed in harms way, we must do all we can to ensure their safety, as well as their exit from the conflict as soon as conditions allow.

Therefore, after consultations with Military advisors, the External Affairs Department and our allies, including the Iraqi Government, Atlasia will bring home 50% of our current military deployment by February 2012, with more than half of those troops home by Christmas. In relation to the remaining forces, their status will be determined later in the year, once we have undertaken further responsible analyses of the situation on the ground.

Yesterday I returned from a conference of leaders involved in the Afghanistan conflict in Istanbul. What is clear is that death of Osama Bin-Laden created room for a reappraisal of the need for current troop numbers in Afghanistan. I supported our deployment in response to the 9/11 attacks as the Taliban Government of Afghanistan had aided and sheltered those who had engaged in that atrocity.  However, the strategy after the Iraq War started went significantly off-track. We need to be realistic about the situation in Afghanistan, the possibility of a peaceful settlement is certainly there. But the situation remains incredibly delicate, and the consequences of a return of Taliban rule especially for women and minorities cannot be underestimated. On the other side of that, we must examine whether or not, after nearly a decade of fighting, how much more we can achieve through direct conflict.

Atlasia will commence drawing down its forces in Afghanistan at the end of the current fighting season. We will have more than a quarter of our combat forces home by February 2012 – with plans in train to have almost half home by June 2012.

The other conflict is that currently underway is Libya, at my Inauguration I supported those engaged in the Arab Spring. But what I said then, remains now as I warn against expectations that the progress in these countries, most that have never known genuine Democracy, will be smooth or swift. Our democracies have had centuries to make mistakes and learn lessons, while we must guard against abuses, we cannot be their minders. We are liaising with the rebel Libyan administration in Benghazi and will work to support them in their goal of liberating Libya from 40 years of oppressive rule.  Our military involvement in Libya will remain, but not as an offensive force, but one there to defend civilians and civilian infrastructure in Benghazi. We will also be expanding our aid to the rebel forces, and also assisting them through logistical and intelligence support.

If we want the Arab Spring to work, we must make sure that we are there to encourage them to create their own destinies, the changes must be genuine and in order to maintain its credibility we must not fight their wars for them.  

However, as Commander-in-Chief I will always listen to the advice of my Military and foreign policy advisors.

Thank you and good night.

[Secretary Polnut]

PRESS NOTE

The President has agreed to address the National Small Business Forum in Dallas, Texas on Friday. He will speak on his soon-to-finalised taxation policy.

He will depart on Thursday evening to attend a fundraising dinner in Houston, before arriving in Dallas on Friday morning and will return to Nyman that night.


White House Press Office

[Secretary Polnut]

PRESS RELEASE

The President has conveyed his sympathies to President Karzai of Afghanistan after the assassination of his half-brother.

He condemns this act and reminds the Taliban that they cannot be included in peace negotiations, when they act in a way that does not show peaceful intent. He want to stress to the Taliban that there are deep consequences to their long-term interests when acting with such barbaric shortsightedness.


White House Press Secretary

[Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Mr. President,

The Island Enfranchisement Act and it is presented for your signature or veto.


Sen. NC Yankee,
President Pro-Tempore

[Secretary Polnut]

PRESS RELEASE

President Polnut wishes to condemn the terrorist attacks that took place in Mumbai.

"What has happened is an vile and cowardly atrocity against innocent civilians. These attacks have not, and will never work and only steel our resolve to defeat that most repugnant ideology. I send my deepest thoughts on behalf of all the Atlasian people to those who are suffering in Mumbai today".

[Secretary Polnut]

PRESS RELEASE

President Polnut will be visiting the newly recognised state of Oceania from July 21-23.

He will arrive in Hagåtña, Guam on July 21 and depart from Pago Pago, American Samoa on July 23 and return to Nyman on July 24.

[Secretary Polnut]

PRESS NOTE

The President's schedule has been changed to allow him to address the National Small Business Forum Dinner Tonight in Dallas, rather than the lunch tomorrow.

The fundraising dinner in Houston has been shifted to Friday night.

He will depart Dallas straight after dinner for Austin where he will spend most of tomorrow.


White House Press Office

[Secretary Polnut]

TRANSCRIPT

The President's Address to the National Small Business Forum Dinner
Dallas Convention Centre
Dallas, Texas
Thursday 14 July 2011


Ladies and Gentlemen, I want to thank you for the invitation to be here with you today, also for allowing me to accept this invitation so late in your organisation for this forum. As you can understand being a new President, I have a lot of people who want to meet with me, and who I want to meet with. My schedule over the last few weeks has been hectic to say the least.

I want to speak to this gathering of Atlasia’s small business people about an issue that I know is of great concern for you and, indeed, for all Atlasians, our economy and how we can make it stronger and more vital. Our deficit is slowly receding, but we until we can direct funds to pay down our debt, the bill we owe will continue to grow, which means we must act now.

During the campaign I made clear that in order to address the Government’s debt and deficit issues, we need a two-pronged effort. We need to reduce our expenditure in the first instance. So far, I sent instructions out to our Government departments to find economies, but not economies that lead to more people looking for work. My administration is looking at all Federal Government subsidy programs. Subsidies are not handouts they have a purpose, and if they don’t serve that purpose they will be ended immediately.

On Monday night I announced the plan for our military to leave Iraq and Afghanistan over the next couple of years, and to re-focus the mission in Libya to a civilian defense force. These measures, while being based on military advice are also enabling future budgets to not have to deal with great economic weight of those deployments.

The second factor in my economic recovery plan is a serious re-examination of our taxation system. The first thing I want to announce here today is that I will be working to reduce the corporate tax rate on those businesses with annual incomes of less than $500,000. It is our small businesses who have suffered most during these difficult times, and we need to encourage you to get hiring, and put your businesses on the sound financial footing, the bedrock of our employment sector deserves. To put it simply, we need more small business jobs and I believe this is the way we can do it.

We will not increase corporate tax rates at the higher end, but we will cut the loopholes to ensure that the big end of town pays the full amount that they should, because in the end, businesses are part of the community too and should pay their fair share of tax.

Alongside that, we will re-organise personal income tax rates and brackets – there will be a detailed announcement shortly, but we will reduce the income tax rate for those who earn less than $35,000 per year – there will be small increases to higher-brackets, these are difficult times and they call for difficult actions. However, we will also expand the brackets to allow people to earn much more, before they need to pay a higher level of tax.

Now, I know that some on the other side politics believe that the panacea for economic problems is to cut government spending, while at the same time, cutting taxes. My plan cuts spending and my plan cuts taxes. But I believe that the tax cuts I am proposing, which are offset throughout the taxation system, are strategic and right for our economic conditions.

At a time when we still have $12 trillion in national debt, we cannot afford broad-scale tax cuts – we need to be smart and I believe focusing corporate tax cuts at small business is the smart thing to do and personal tax cuts at low-income workers is the fair thing to do.

With difficult times, come difficult choices, we do not have the luxury to do what we want to do, based on political or ideological allegiance – as President, I have a responsibility to every single man, woman and child in this country. Therefore I must advocate for what we have to do to. We either have to make some difficult choices now which will result in largely temporary pain for greater payoff down the track – or we face a future which will be very different from now. 

We need a strong small business sector and I believe these measures will help bring this about, but it cannot work without your help.

Thank you all and my best wishes for a successful forum. 

[Secretary Polnut]

PRESS RELEASE

President Polnut will be visiting  the People's Republic of China, Japan and South Korea next week, in advance of his visit to the newly recognised state of Oceania.

He will depart Nyman from Los Angeles on Sunday evening.

[Secretary Polnut]

PRESS NOTE

The White House will be releasing specific details of the President's Tax Reform Plan within 48 hours, including a chart showing the proposed changes.


White House Press Office

[President Marokai]

I love that you respond to my updates. You're a Game Moderator's dream.

[Proud Lieberal from Northeast]

PRESS NOTE

After a hour-long struggle, President Polnut made a great poo at precisely 9.00 PM EST.

Tomorrow, the President will present his achievement to the school tour.


White House Press Office

[Secretary Polnut]

PRESS RELEASE

President Polnut made a flying visit to Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan this evening. The President was on the ground for 4 hours and met with the Commanders of the Atlasian and other Coalition forces.

He is now en-route to Guam to commence his tour of the newly incorporated Atlasian state of  Oceania.


White House Press Office

[Proud Lieberal from Northeast]

PRESS RELEASE

While en-route to Guam to commence his tour of the newly incorporated Atlasian state of  Oceania, President Polnut had a tasty pizza. After consuming his pizza, President Polnut performed number one.


White House Press Office

[Teddy (IDS Legislator)]

Isn't impersonating the President against the law?

[Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Mr. President,

The Drought Mitigation Act of 2011 has passed the Senate and is presently awaiting your signature or veto.


Sen. NC Yankee,
President Pro-Tempore

[Proud Lieberal from Northeast]

Isn't impersonating the President against the law?

I am the law.

[Secretary Polnut]

Isn't impersonating the President against the law?

I am the law.

Interesting you say that...

[Proud Lieberal from Northeast]

Isn't impersonating the President against the law?

I am the law.

Interesting you say that...

Isn't that a definition of my office?

I'm not "impresionating" Polnut. If I were, I'd change display name and avatar.

I'm merely making fun of his pretentious, frequent updates.

[Secretary Polnut]

Isn't impersonating the President against the law?

I am the law.

Interesting you say that...

Isn't that a definition of my office?

I'm not "impresionating" Polnut. If I were, I'd change display name and avatar.

I'm merely making fun of his pretentious, frequent updates.

Somebody owes me a coke... you really are too predictable

[Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Mr. President,

The Seventh Amendment to the Consolidated Electoral System Reform Act has passed the Senate and is presented for your signature or veto.

Sen. NC Yankee,
President Pro-Tempore

[Senator Napoleon]

I don't find the President's updates pretentious. I like them.

[President Marokai]

I don't find the President's updates pretentious. I like them.

As do I. He responds to my updates and takes his job seriously. I think he's doing splendidly and shouldn't change a thing.

[Secretary Polnut]

PRESS RELEASE

President Polnut made a statement on arrival in Pago Pago, American Samoa.

"I was utterly horrified by the attacks in Oslo today, and I am pledging the support of the Atlasian Government in any way that might be needed to assist the Norwegian people".

Further comment will be forthcoming once more details are known.