In the first Oval Office address of his presidency, Barack Obama discussed what the federal government has done to clean up the BP oil spill and stop the leak, measures to assist hard-hit Gulf Coast residents and local economies, and steps to try to ensure a catastrophe of this magnitude doesn't happen again. The president also called for comprehensive energy reform, saying the country must end its dependence on fossil fuels and foreign oil to create a clean energy future, but offered few specifics. He vowed that BP will pay for the damage. And in closing, he called on Americans to rally together, echoing statements made in Pensacola, Florida, earlier Tuesday, when he announced: "Make no mistake: the United States of America has gone through tough times before. And we always come out strong. And we will do so again. This region . . . will thrive again." Obama opened his address with a recap of what happened on April 20, when the BP Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded, and the government's initial response to the disaster. "Because there has never been a leak of this size at this depth," he said, "stopping it has tested the limits of human technology." He presented an update on the current containment strategy, highlighting official projections that the latest efforts should capture up to 90 percent of the oil leaking from the well over the next few weeks. The president characterized the spill as an epidemic, saying, "Make no mistake: we will fight this spill with everything we've got for as long it takes. We will make BP pay for the damage their company has caused. And we will do whatever's necessary to help the Gulf Coast and its people recover from this tragedy." Obama then laid out what he termed "the battle plan" to combat the spill. He quantified the federal government's response, including 30,000 personnel working across four states, the marshaling of thousands of ships and vessels, the authorization of more than 17,000 National Guardsmen to be called up at the discretion of Gulf Coast governors, and the use of five and a half million feet of boom to block approaching oil. He noted that millions of gallons of oil had been removed by skimming, burning, and other collection methods, but did not address the latest estimate, released Tuesday evening, which pegs the flow at a much higher rate of 35,000 to 60,000 barrels a day. Obama cited his recent visit to the gulf, touching upon the history and culture of the region. "I've talked to shrimpers and fishermen who don't know how they're going to support their families this year," Obama recounted. "The sadness and anger they feel is not just about the money they've lost. It's about a wrenching anxiety that their way of life may be lost." He went on to preview his meeting with BP officials on Wednesday, including an expected announcement about the establishment of an escrow account that will pay out claims for damages resulting from the spill. "This fund will not be controlled by BP," Obama vowed, but he did not name the independent third party that will run it. Obama then outlined a long-term gulf restoration plan, determined by states, tribes, residents, local communities, businesses and conservationists. "We must make a commitment to the Gulf Coast that goes beyond responding to the crisis of the moment," he said, announcing that the restoration plan will be led by Ray Mabus, Secretary of the Navy, former governor of Mississippi, and "a son of the gulf." Following this, the president discussed steps to minimize the chances of a future catastrophe, including the establishment of a national commission to examine the causes of the spill and recommend new, additional safety mechanisms. He also addressed the six-month moratorium on deep water drilling, urging the commission to complete its investigation as soon as possible to alleviate pressure on those who have already sustained economic damage, adding that he expected the commission "to do that work thoroughly and impartially." Obama went on to announce the appointment of Michael Bromwich to head the Minerals Management Service bureau. A "tough" assistant U.S. attorney and Justice Department inspector general, Bromwich "will act as the oil industry's watchdog -- not its protector." The president also pushed for comprehensive energy reform, saying, "For decades we have known the days of cheap and easily accessible oil were numbered," and that "for decades, we have failed to act with the sense of urgency that this challenge requires." Obama cited a lack of political courage and candor and called on the American public to end its addiction to fossil fuels and its dependence on foreign oil. "We cannot consign our children to this future," Obama said. "Now is the moment for this generation to embark on a national mission to unleash American innovation and seize control of our own destiny." He highlighted investments already made in clean energy through the recovery act, like wind turbine factories, fuel efficient cars and new developments in clean technology. Obama wrapped up his address with a national rallying cry, saying, "Each of us has a part to play in a new future that will benefit all of us," and that now was the time to "seize the moment." He stated that status quo on energy reform was unacceptable, warning, "The one approach I will not accept is inaction," and reiterated his commitment to securing passage of clean energy legislation. The president recalled America's history of revolution and innovation, saying, "We have refused to settle for the paltry limits of conventional wisdom ... what has defined us as a nation since our founding is our capacity to shape our destiny -- our determination to fight for the America we want for our children." And he invoked a prayer, of sorts. "The oil spill is not the last crisis America will face. ... What sees us through -- what has always seen us through -- is our strength, our resilience, and our unyielding faith that something better awaits us if we summon the courage to reach for it. Tonight, we pray for that courage."

Washington (CNN) -- President Obama sealed a final victory on his signature domestic priority Tuesday, signing a sweeping package of changes to the newly enacted health care reform law. The so-called "fixes" bill -- approved over unanimous Republican opposition in both chambers of Congress -- significantly expands health insurance subsidies for lower- and middle-income families while watering down a tax on expensive health policies. The measure also overhauls the national college student loan system by shifting government funding for loans away from commercial banks to new education initiatives. Until now, commercial banks have received federal subsidies to provide student loans. The bill increases the overall cost of the health care reform legislation to $940 billion over the next 10 years, $65 billion more than the original health care bill Obama signed into law last week. What will health reform mean for you? The president emphasized the student loan reforms at a signing ceremony at Northern Virginia Community College in Alexandria, Virginia. The passage of the bill represents the end of a battle "pitting the interests of the banks [and] the financial institutions against the interests of students," Obama said. Video: Sebelius: Don't you dare Video: Dems face tough constituents RELATED TOPICS * Health Care Reform * Barack Obama * Mitch McConnell * Nancy Pelosi It fixed an old "sweetheart deal" by cutting out "unnecessary middlemen" in the administration of college loans, he asserted. "We stood with America's students." Changing the law, Obama said, will free up nearly $68 billion for both college loans and deficit reduction. As a result, the White House claimed, another $40 billion will be funneled into Pell Grants over the next decade. New borrowers taking out loans starting in July 2014 will be able to cap their student loan repayments at 10 percent of their discretionary income. The balance of their loans will be forgiven after 20 years if they keep up with their payments over time. Congressional Republicans bitterly criticized the Democrats' decision to attach the student loan overhaul to the health care bill, arguing in part that each measure deserved a separate debate. They have also argued the larger health care reform plan will lead to a government takeover of the private health insurance system, and charge that it will result in deep cuts in critical Medicare services while doing little to control skyrocketing medical costs. Democrats contend that the plan, which is estimated to extend health coverage to 32 million Americans, will reduce future federal budget deficits while giving consumers greater leverage with private insurers. Obama repeatedly slammed large insurance companies in the waning days of the health care debate, framing the politically polarized dispute as a face-off between the powerful corporations and ordinary Americans. The congressional wrangling over the plan, which included months of late-night votes and caustic floor debate, reflected the country's deep political divide over health care reform. Polls show the American public remains sharply divided over the issue. Forty-seven percent of Americans believe Congress should repeal the current reform law and replace it with new proposals, according to a March 25-28 CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll. Fifty percent are opposed to doing so. Conservative activists -- including Tea Party protesters -- have continued to hold rallies against the legislation. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, has promised that Republicans will use the slogan "repeal and replace" with regard to the health care law in the upcoming midterm elections. Texas GOP Sen. John Cornyn, who is in charge of the 2010 Republican Senate campaign effort, outlined key GOP health care talking points Tuesday in a new memo, "Moving Forward," that was sent to several media outlets, including CNN. "It's critical that we remind people of the fact that it was Republicans who fought to force insurance companies to compete with one another over state lines for Americans' business," Cornyn wrote in the memo. "It was Republicans who fought to reform the junk lawsuits that raise medical costs and lower quality by forcing doctors to practice [defensive] 'medicine.' ... It was Republicans who proposed health care reforms that didn't cut Medicare by $500 billion and raise Americans' taxes by $400 million." Given Democratic control of the White House and Congress, outright repeal of the legislation is considered unlikely. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California, questioned the Republicans' political strategy at a rally in San Francisco on Monday, noting it would require GOP candidates to favor ending popular benefits in the legislation -- such as preventing insurance companies from denying coverage due to pre-existing medical conditions. "They want to reverse and repeal a prohibition on denying care on the basis of a pre-existing condition," Pelosi said Monday. "Can you imagine making that case?" Congress initially appeared poised to pass a compromise reform bill in January or February, shortly after both the House and Senate approved their own versions of the measure. However, the political landscape shifted in January when Republican Scott Brown won a special election in Massachusetts to fill the Senate seat formerly held by Democrat Ted Kennedy, the longtime champion of health care reform, who died last year. Brown's victory cost Senate Democrats the 60-seat majority they needed to overcome a Republican filibuster against a compromise health care bill. In response, Democrats devised a two-bill process in which the House passed the Senate version unchanged, making it law when signed last week by Obama, and also passed the accompanying "fixes" bill to change provisions in the Senate legislation that some House members opposed. The "fixes" bill was then proposed under reconciliation rules in the Senate that apply to bills involving the budget. Such bills need only a simple majority of 51 votes to pass. Specific provisions in the "fixes" bill include: • Closing the Medicare prescription drug "doughnut hole" by 2020. Under current law, Medicare stops covering drug costs after a plan and beneficiary have spent more than $2,830 on prescription drugs. It starts paying again after an individual's out-of-pocket expenses exceed $4,550. Senior citizens stuck in the doughnut hole this year will receive $250 rebates. • Raising the threshold for imposing the "Cadillac" tax on expensive health insurance plans to coverage valued at more than $10,200 for individuals and $27,500 for families. The tax won't kick in until 2018. • Imposing an additional 3.8 percent Medicare payroll tax on investment income for individuals making more than $200,000 a year and couples making more than $250,000 a year. • Eliminating the "Cornhusker Kickback," which gave Nebraska a special exemption from all new Medicaid expenses. The federal government will instead assist every state by picking up 100 percent of the costs of expanded Medicaid coverage between 2014 and 2016, and 90 percent starting in 2020. • Reducing the fine for individuals who fail to purchase coverage from $750 to $695. • Increasing the fine on large companies failing to provide health coverage for workers from $750 to $2,000 per employee.

US General Petraeus new Afghan war chief Jun 24, 2010 7:16 AM | By Sapa-AP Army General David Petraeus already has turned around a struggling U.S. war once. The White House is betting he can do it again. Current Font Size: Then US Senator Barack Obama listens (L) as Gen. David Petraeus (R) discusses security improvements in Baghdad while giving him an aerial tour of the city, in this July 21, 2008 file photo. U.S. President Obama has chosen Petraeus to replace Gen. Stanley McChrystal as the top U.S. general in Afghanistan. Then US Senator Barack Obama listens (L) as Gen. David Petraeus (R) discusses security improvements in Baghdad while giving him an aerial tour of the city, in this July 21, 2008 file photo. U.S. President Obama has chosen Petraeus to replace Gen. Stanley McChrystal as the top U.S. general in Afghanistan. Photograph by: HO Credit: Reuters quote He's already completely up to date on the intelligence, knows the political and military actors and understands the region quote Related Articles * Obama fires top general * US General in Afghan at risk of losing his job The professorial four-star general with a superstar reputation has not been chosen, however, to bring a bold new strategy to the war. Instead, he is seen as the officer best able to make the current strategy work by making peace among squabbling US diplomats and U.S. and NATO military leaders. That tension surfaced in a series of contemptuous quotes by members of Gen. Stanley McChrystal's staff in the now-infamous Rolling Stone profile, put paid to the hard-driving special operator's glittering career. If McChrystal's staff resembled a locker room-style boy's club in the magazine article, Petraeus runs his team more like a graduate seminar, said a former staffer who served on Petraeus' team in Iraq. That style is seen as key to drawing together the warring bureaucratic factions in Afghanistan, of a US team that has seemed to spend as much time fighting each other as the enemy. Petraeus also is seen as ablest to pick up the counterinsurgency battle plan exactly where McChrystal is leaving off. Petraeus was McChrystal's boss as head of US Central Command, in Tampa, Florida, where he already was keeping tabs on the campaign, with frequent visits to Afghanistan, and neighbouring Pakistan, as well as to Washington. "He's already completely up to date on the intelligence, knows the political and military actors and understands the region," says John Nagl, president of the Center for the New American Security. Over the past two years in his Centcom role, Petraeus has fostered what has been described as a good, working relationship with Afghanistan's president, Hamid Karzai. He knows Afghanistan's U.S. ambassador and retired Army general, Karl Eikenberry, from their years together in the army. Most importantly, Petraeus has established a solid relationship with the White House, according to Brookings Institution's Michael O'Hanlon. "He was part of both of the White House's Afghanistan strategy reviews, as well as the review of Iran policy and Iraq," O'Hanlon said. "He and the president know each other pretty well right now." Such a personal relationship that was notably lacking between President Barack Obama and McChrystal. The Afghanistan job is technically a demotion from Petraeus' current post, where he oversees US military involvement across the Middle East, including Iraq and Iran, as well as Afghanistan and Pakistan and several Central Asian nations. No one who has worked with Petraeus thinks that is how he will see it. "He's getting another opportunity to step into a war at a critical inflection point, when the security of the American people is at stake," said Nagl, a retired Army officer who worked for Petraeus drafting the Army's counterinsurgency manual. "So this is by no means a step down." "He can walk right into the job," says his former executive officer, retired U.S. Army Col. Peter Mansoor. "He'll have the support of the troops. He can just roll up his sleeves, and get right to work." Response to his nomination in Congress has been widely positive, and he is expected to be confirmed quickly by the Senate. Democratic Rep. Ike Skelton said that Petraeus would take a step down in his career shows "the measure of a man." "He knows we have to be successful there," Skelton said. The shakeup comes as the American public questions whether the war can be won, and if it is worth fighting. NATO announced eight more international troop deaths on Wednesday for a a total of 75 this month, matching the death toll of the deadliest month of the nine-year war in July 2009. Petraeus is expected to continue with McChrystal's strategy in Afghanistan in large part because it is based on Petreaus' own ideas about beating an insurgency. That plan calls for more troops to bolster security, while limiting the use of military firepower in order to win the support of the local population. In Brussels, NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said perations in Afghanistan will continue as planned and "will not miss a beat". "While he will no longer be the commander, the approach he helped put in place is the right one," Fogh Rasmussen said in a statement. "The strategy continues to have NATO's support, and our troops will continue to carry it out. The post will mean another long stint overseas for a man who spent three yearlong-plus tours in Iraq. His return to the United States has not meant much more time with his wife Holly in Tampa, however. He spent more than 300 days on the road last year, even as he battled prostate cancer. He was later declared free of the disease after a course of chemotherapy. "He is the Energiser general," said Mansoor, Petraeus' executive officer in Iraq in 2007-08. "But what he'll need is someone on his staff to make him pace himself. That was my job," says Mansoor, who now teaches at Ohio State University. "His natural instinct is to run himself into the ground." Day to day, the 57-year-old general keeps a punishing pace, rising early for long runs where he regularly outruns officers half his age, and responding to e-mails in the middle of the night. That nonstop pace has sometimes shown on Petraeus. He briefly collapsed during Senate testimony last week, apparently from dehydration. Petraeus has denied repeatedly that he plans to run for president in 2012 and is said to want only one job: chairman of the joint Chiefs of Staff. His favourite expression, one of his former staffers says, gives you a key to his character: "Luck is what you call it, when preparation meets opportunity."