Newson chief to Obama speech
WASHINGTON — Some of President Barack Obama's Republican foes are skipping his much-trumpeted jobs speech Thursday, and one has invited the top executive of a firm recently raided by the US government.
Republican Representative Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee said Wednesday that Henry Juszkiewicz, chief executive of the iconic instrument-maker Gibson Guitar, would be her special guest when Obama addresses a joint session of Congress.
"Gibson Guitar is at the heart of this jobs debate, and is an example of exactly why President Obama has it wrong when it comes to getting our economy back on track," she said in a statement.
Republicans say the late-August raid on Gibson, which makes guitars in Blackburn's home state of Tennessee, highlight their drive to roll back labor and environmental regulations they charge smother job growth.
Wildlife agents who seized rare ebony wood from India in the raid reportedly suspect that some of it was imported in violation of US and Indian laws, something Juszkiewicz has denied.
It was the second raid in as many years targeting the makers of Les Paul, Epiphone and other guitars favored by such artists as B.B. King, Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton, U2's The Edge, and the late Bob Marley and John Lennon.
The company has denounced the federal raid as "irresponsible" and "unreasonable" in a series of posts on its Twitter feed, @gibsonguitar, which has just shy of 300,000 followers.
US lawmakers are allowed to invite one guest to Obama's speech, and Juszkiewicz will likely sit in the visitors gallery that overlooks the floor of the House of Representatives.
But at least a handful of Republican lawmakers have said they'll skip the address.
Republican Senator Jim DeMint, a key patron of the archconservative "Tea Party" movement, told ABC television he would probably not attend.
Republican Senator David Vitter told Fox News he might watch the speech at home but that his evening would focus on the National Football League season opening game between the defending Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers and the New Orleans Saints -- who hail from his home state of Louisiana.
"As a fanatic, I have my priorities," he told Fox.
Republican Representative Paul Broun will watch the speech from his office and will respond to Obama on Twitter while taking questions on the site from his constituents, according to spokeswoman Meredith Griffanti.
"He wants to be readily available to answer any questions they might have about the address, as well as be open to hearing his constituents' thoughts and ideas for spurring job creation," she said.
Republican Representative Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee said Wednesday that Henry Juszkiewicz, chief executive of the iconic instrument-maker Gibson Guitar, would be her special guest when Obama addresses a joint session of Congress.
"Gibson Guitar is at the heart of this jobs debate, and is an example of exactly why President Obama has it wrong when it comes to getting our economy back on track," she said in a statement.
Republicans say the late-August raid on Gibson, which makes guitars in Blackburn's home state of Tennessee, highlight their drive to roll back labor and environmental regulations they charge smother job growth.
Wildlife agents who seized rare ebony wood from India in the raid reportedly suspect that some of it was imported in violation of US and Indian laws, something Juszkiewicz has denied.
It was the second raid in as many years targeting the makers of Les Paul, Epiphone and other guitars favored by such artists as B.B. King, Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton, U2's The Edge, and the late Bob Marley and John Lennon.
The company has denounced the federal raid as "irresponsible" and "unreasonable" in a series of posts on its Twitter feed, @gibsonguitar, which has just shy of 300,000 followers.
US lawmakers are allowed to invite one guest to Obama's speech, and Juszkiewicz will likely sit in the visitors gallery that overlooks the floor of the House of Representatives.
But at least a handful of Republican lawmakers have said they'll skip the address.
Republican Senator Jim DeMint, a key patron of the archconservative "Tea Party" movement, told ABC television he would probably not attend.
Republican Senator David Vitter told Fox News he might watch the speech at home but that his evening would focus on the National Football League season opening game between the defending Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers and the New Orleans Saints -- who hail from his home state of Louisiana.
"As a fanatic, I have my priorities," he told Fox.
Republican Representative Paul Broun will watch the speech from his office and will respond to Obama on Twitter while taking questions on the site from his constituents, according to spokeswoman Meredith Griffanti.
"He wants to be readily available to answer any questions they might have about the address, as well as be open to hearing his constituents' thoughts and ideas for spurring job creation," she said.
Copyright © 2011 AFP. All rights reserved. More »
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