Obama Speech Preview

Not to be outdone by Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R), the White House released just a snippet of the president’s prepared remarks for tonight.

But while our economy may be weakened and our confidence shaken; though we are living through difficult and uncertain times, tonight I want every American to know this: We will rebuild, we will recover, and the United States of America will emerge stronger than before.

The weight of this crisis will not determine the destiny of this nation. The answers to our problems don

Mrs. Michelle Obama

Dr. Jill Biden

Leonard Abess Jr., CEO, City National Bank of Florida (Miami, FL)
Abess Jr. is Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of City National Bank of Florida, now a subsidiary of Caja Madrid. Abess Jr. started his career in the bank’s print shop, which made forms and documents. Working his way up the ladder gave him an appreciation for the role that employees play in the success of an enterprise. He is currently serving a three-year term as Miami Branch Director of the Federal Reserve. On February 4, 2009 the President announced new restrictions on executive compensation. In the midst of our current financial crisis, limitations on executive pay are designed to ensure fiscal responsibility as we work to strengthen our economy by stabilizing our financial system. Abess Jr. demonstrated this sort of responsibility last November when he decided to quietly share some $60 million of the proceeds he received from the sale of City National shares to Caja Madrid with current and former front-line bank employees.

Ty’Sheoma Bethea, Student (Dillon, SC)
Bethea is an eighth grader at JV Martin Junior High School in Dillon, SC. Upon hearing the President mention her school