Mohamed A. El-Erian, 9/8/11

CEO and co-CIO, PIMCO

Judging from President Obama's impactful speech this evening, the administration has at long last recognized the severity of America's unemployment crisis and the need for a comprehensive policy response.

Alec Baldwin, 9/8/11

Actor

As unimaginable and cowardly as the 9/11 attacks were, it's important to ask ourselves what we must learn from them. Not just about terrorism, but about our country and ourselves as well.

Robert Creamer, 9/8/11

Political organizer, strategist and author

What was needed was a package of proposals that were bold, projected urgency, and will create jobs now. The president delivered.

Russell Simmons, 9/8/11

Founder of GlobalGrind.com

My challenge to Republicans: get into the game now -- don't wait for the election. You can make your case to the American people without holding them and their aspirations hostage.

Sec. Kathleen Sebelius, 9/8/11

Secretary of Health and Human Services

The common sense ideas that President Obama has proposed will provide an immediate spark to our economy. That's why Congress should act quickly to pass the American Jobs Act and send it to the president to sign.

Willow Dea, 9/8/11

Integral Education Pioneer, Editor, 'Igniting Brilliance: Integral Education in the 21st Century'

It isn't news that Americans are a stressed out bunch, especially with the economy and potential job concerns, but what is different is the spike in stressed out kids.

Jim Wallis, 9/8/11

Christian leader for social change

In our sudden sense of vulnerability ten years ago we were then, and perhaps for the first time, like most of the world, where vulnerability is an accepted part of being human.

Miles Rapoport, 9/8/11

President, Demos

President Obama articulated a vision that Americans need to hear -- a vision of a strong, clear, and positive role for government to make the investments that secure the American Dream.

Melissa Lafsky, 9/8/11

Editor, writer, ex-lawyer

Breakups HURT. They crush your chest and cleave your heart and twist your bowels with an exquisite, visceral pain. When you think about it, of course there's pain, something has literally died.

Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al Nahyan, 9/8/11

Minister of Foreign Affairs, United Arab Emirates

Ten years ago the world united in horror at the attacks perpetrated in the United States on September 11th, 2001. In that moment, geographical distance vanished and differences in culture or political systems faded away in our common grief.

Parvez Ahmed, 9/8/11

Associate Professor of Finance at the Coggin College of Business, University of North Florida

The incessant headlines about violence in the name of Islam have led nearly one in two Americans to erroneously conclude that the faith of Islam is more likely than other religions to encourage violence.

Peter Smirniotopoulos, 9/8/11

National expert in urban redevelopment, housing policy, and project and public finance

When what we really needed was a new vision for America and a clear path forward, what we received instead was a collection of tepid, "been there/done that," short-term fixes. A Band-Aid on a shotgun blast.

Madeleine M. Kunin, 9/8/11

First Female Governor of Vermont; Marsh Scholar, University of Vermont

The site of the destroyed Twin Towers has been cleaned up but not rebuilt, the photographs of the funerals are now in albums but not forgotten, the country has moved on, but it has not healed its wounds.

Omar Tyree, 9/8/11

New York Times best-selling author and journalist

As we now head toward a reelection campaign, where the president asks the people to "Finish what we started," the African-American community is forced to ask itself, which "we" is President Barack Obama referring to?

Sister Joan Chittister, OSB, 9/7/11

Catholic Visionary

We allowed neither time, nor space to harden the natural distance between us. We would not choose sides. We would continue simply to be a very public witness and single face of the equal love of the God of Differences for us all.

Al Gore, 9/8/11

Chairman, Current TV

Yesterday's Wall Street Journal opinion page echoed Fox News with claims that global warming is caused by cosmic rays and not the 90 million tons of pollution that we are emitting every day. Unfortunately, there's plenty they failed to mention.

Jason Linkins, 9/8/11

Editor, Eat the Press

I was disappointed that Brian Williams, faced with the golden opportunity to specifically cite the Cameron Todd Willingham case in his debate interrogation of Rick Perry, instead opted for a more generic set of questions on the death penalty.

Joel Rubin, 9/8/11

Director of Policy and Government Affairs, Ploughshares Fund

The bottom line on Senator Jon Kyl's gambit to publicly pressure the supercommittee against more defense reductions is that it reveals that Kyl has no leverage on the issue.

D.A. Barber, 9/8/11

Freelance journalist

if you're going to "rebuild America," shouldn't you use the latest, high-tech sustainable technology?

David Berri, 9/8/11

Co-author, 'Stumbling on Wins'; Economics professor, Southern Utah University

The NBA -- if it is interested in the problem of payroll equity -- doesn't have to demand its players accept less money. They could accomplish the same objective by demanding teams like the Lakers accept less money.

Scott Lilly, 9/8/11

Senior fellow, Center for American Progress

With nearly a quarter of the nation's proven oil reserves, Texas collects a cool 7.5% on the market value of natural gas production and 4.6% on oil. What's puzzling is how little advantage Rick Perry has taken of this unique opportunity.

Elizabeth Warren, 9/8/11

Fmr. Assistant to the President and Special Advisor to the Secretary of the Treasury on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

It's time for Republicans in the Senate to put the interests of hard working middle class families over the special interests of large financial institutions. We've got to speak out and make sure our fellow Americans know the truth.

Benari Lee, 9/8/11

Writer, comedian, soldier. G.I.Jew

Chris Dodd, 9/8/11

Chairman and CEO, Motion Picture Association of America; Fmr. U.S. Senator

While our leaders in Washington spar over how best to resolve this crisis, we can never lose sight of the enormous good film and television production brings to our country and to our people.