Politics. On Point.

 In remarks to the people of Africa while in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on Monday, President Obama told throngs of assembled listeners at Mandela Hall (African Union Headquarters) that Africa helped shape him and how he sees the world. "I stand before you as a proud American.  I also stand before you as the son of an African. Africa and its people helped to shape America and allowed it to become the great nation that it is.  And Africa and its people have helped shape who I am and how I see the world", he said. He said that in the villages of Kenya where his father was born he learned of his ancestors, and the bonds of family that connect us all as Africans and Americans.  He went on to say that he wanted his two daughters to know their ancestors were both slaves and slave owners. The full transcript, below, has been made available by the White House. The president finished his four-day African visit on Tuesday and is expected to return to Washington later the sam...

Last month President Obama signed legislation increasing the minimum wage of contract workers from $7.25 to $10.10 per hour.   "It's time to give Americans a raise", the president said in several addresses this year, as well as in this week's Weekly Address.  "No one who works forty hours a week should live in poverty." Many see $10.10 per hour as a step in the right direction towards helping hard working Americans take care of their families.    Yet many employees in the fast food and retail industries held protests and went on strike  in an effort to get the minimum wage even higher, to a living wage of  $15 per hour. How about a happy medium, we can all live with? One Republican conservative is suggesting that the minimum wage be raised to $12 an hour.  Ron Unz says raising the minimum wage to $12 an hour would keep workers off welfare and government assistance, and allow workers to provide a living wage for ...