Obama

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CONTACT US: President Obama is committed to creating the most open and accessible administration in American history. To send questions, comments, concerns, or well-wishes to the President or his staff, please use the form below: http://www.whitehouse.gov/CONTACT/

Contents

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Cabinet

The In Crowd: Who's Who. Lost In Transition's guide to Obama's selections so far. http://lostintransition.nationaljournal.com/2008/12/transition-bios.php

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Editorials

Obama: A disaster for civil liberties. He may prove the most disastrous president in our history in terms of civil liberties. By Jonathan Turley http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-turley-civil-liberties-20110929,0,7542436.story

The big lie that Obama can't lead is crumbling Prizing bravado, we’ve undervalued President Obama's brand of quiet competence. http://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/Walter-Rodgers/2011/0527/The-big-lie-that-Obama-can-t-lead-is-crumbling

Sticking up for the president

Re "Why the rush to gloat?," Opinion, May 10 It's a reach, even for Jonah Goldberg, to fault President Obama for releasing the news that a treasure trove of useful information had been recovered from Osama bin Laden's compound. As for gloating, just compare Obama's quiet, thoughtful speech to President George W. Bush's clownish "Mission Accomplished" appearance on an aircraft carrier, followed by billions of dollars and thousands of lives lost in two useless wars. I think that Goldberg and other Obama haters would ridicule the way he ties his shoes, for lack of anything else to criticize. Carol Hamlin Irvine

Does Goldberg really believe that the president, who with his team carefully planned the operation against Bin Laden and prevented any leaks for several months, is such an incompetent leader that he would present Al Qaeda with information that would jeopardize our advantage? The desire to announce the death of Bin Laden is obvious, but I trust that Obama had a good reason for making his comments. Perhaps if Bush had more carefully examined the evidence that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction, the political situation today would be different. This president is not one who speaks without careful and deliberate thought. Goldberg's opinion shows his bias. Allen Bundy Gardena

Goldberg criticizes the president because he announced Bin Laden's demise shortly after it happened. Tell me, please, how he could have avoided doing so in light of the inevitable flap a blown-up stealth helicopter in the courtyard of a mysterious mansion in Pakistan would have created? And tell me, please, how convincing an announcement of his death would have been months from now after we had a chance to memorize the secret plays in Bin Laden's stolen playbook? Janet Weaver Huntington Beach

Thanks to Goldberg for telling us how badly Obama messed up the mission to get Bin Laden. I usually have to watch Fox News to find out things like that. John Humble Santa Monica, http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/letters/la-le-0515-sunday-20110515,0,3652696.story?page=3

"The Nazis killed tens of MILLIONS. They got a trial. Why? Because we're not like them. We're Americans. We roll different." – Michael Moore in an interview last week. Last week, President Obama fulfilled a campaign promise and killed Osama bin Laden. Well he didn't actually do the killing himself. It was carried out by a very brave and excellent team of Navy SEALs. Not only does Mr. Obama have the overwhelming support of the country, I think there are millions who gladly wish it could have been their finger on the gun that took out bin Laden. When I heard the news a week ago Sunday, I immediately felt great. I felt relief. I thought of those who lost a loved one on 9/11. And I was glad we finally had a President who got something done. This is what I had to say on Twitter and elsewhere on the internet in that first hour or two: I want to point out that Barack Obama took two years to do what Bush couldn't do in over seven. That's the difference between STUPID in charge and SMART in charge. STUPID pursues two reckless wars, lets OBL escape from Tora Bora, keeps looking for him in caves and invades the wrong country. He bankrupts us to the tune of $1.2 trillion for the Iraq War (it will eventually actually be over $3 trillion), and worse, he cost us the lives of almost 5,000 of our troops, not to mention hundreds of thousands of civilian deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan – and, after all that, he STILL couldn't bring the perp to justice. In fact, in 2005, Bush closed down the CIA station that was devoted to looking for bin Laden! What does SMART do? He sends in a small elite strike force, no troops are killed, and the perpetrator is stopped for good. I was thrilled that the Osama bin Laden era was over. There was now an end to the madness. http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/mike-friends-blog/some-final-thoughts-on-death-of-osama-bin-laden

Obama shone in McChrystal affair. Obama did not allow Gen. McChrystal's Rolling Stone flap to become a drawn-out drama. He decided that McChrystal had to go, and was smart to replace him with Petraeus. http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-boot-mcchrystal-20100628,0,4301398.story

“We will support the Millennium Development Goals, and approach next year’s summit with a global plan to make them a reality. And we will set our sights on the eradication of extreme poverty in our time.” They’re not my words, they’re your president’s. If they’re not familiar, it’s because they didn’t make many headlines. But for me, these 36 words are why I believe Mr. Obama could well be a force for peace and prosperity — if the words signal action. The millennium goals, for those of you who don’t know, are a persistent nag of a noble, global compact. They’re a set of commitments we all made nine years ago whose goal is to halve extreme poverty by 2015. Barack Obama wasn’t there in 2000, but he’s there now. Indeed he’s gone further — all the way, in fact. Halve it, he says, then end it. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/18/opinion/18bono.html?em

Obama signals end of Reagan era. Ronald Reagan may be turning in his grave. It was he who famously declared in his 1981 inaugural address "government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem". http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7819180.stm

if he succeeds in meeting the tremendous challenges of our times, the entire country will flourish. And if he fails in this historic assignment, the entire country will languish. Obama would bolster his chances of success by keeping an ear close to the sentiments of ordinary Americans, not always an easy task from the isolated confines of the Oval Office. The broad popular backing that the new president will enjoy on Inauguration Day is incredibly perishable and apt to shrink even under the best of political circumstances. Continued support from a significant chunk of the electorate through the difficult days ahead will be crucial to Obama's ability to foment real change. By governing from the center – in contrast with the positions he staked out on the left during the presidential campaign – Obama can hope to keep the country united behind his leadership. Another sharp shift from the campaign that would give wings to Obama's presidency would be a restoration of some semblance of bipartisanship in Washington. If this ever is to occur, the president must take the lead in forging new relationships and new ways of doing business with the Republican opposition, and not reflexively retreat behind the Democratic majorities he enjoys in the House and Senate. [so Obama must listen to Americans but Bush's great strenth was ignoring public opinion polls] http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stories/2009/jan/18/lz1ed18top193658-hopes-obama/?uniontrib

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Military

Seymour Hersh on Obama Being "Dominated" by the U.S. Military. At this point he's in real trouble. Because the military are dominating him on the important issues of the world: Iraq, Iran, Afghan and Pakistan. And he's following the policies of Bush and Cheney almost to a fare-thee-well. He talks differently. And he's much brighter, he's much more of the world. So one only hopes he has a game plan that will include doing something, but he's in real trouble, in terms of – he's in real trouble. http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/must-read/seymour-hersh-obama-being-dominated-us-military

Obama meets with enlisted leaders. http://www.navytimes.com/news/2009/01/military_obama_enlistedleaders_013009w/

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Polls

2012

Electoral Votes 332 62,611,250 Popular Votes (2008 69,498,215)

Electoral Votes 206 59,134,475 Popular Votes (2008 59,948,240)


President Obama is benefiting from remarkably high levels of optimism and confidence among Americans about his leadership, providing him with substantial political clout as he confronts the nation’s economic challenges and opposition from nearly all Republicans in Congress, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/24/us/politics/24poll.html?ref=weekinreview

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news

Letters on Letters: What Obama has done for us Times readers respond to a letter writer who questioned why anyone voted to reelect the president. http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/letters/la-le-what-obama-has-done-for-us-20121117,0,4458642.story

Within a couple of weeks of turning in his financial details, Brown was accepted into the unemployment mortgage portion of the program. He's receiving nine months of aid as he figures out his career. “I think it’s a blessing,” Brown said. “I’m a registered Republican and I am also a Black man. I couldn’t justify voting for Obama as much as I liked him. But I’m going to vote for him this time. I think he’s doing a lot for struggling people.” http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2012/jan/22/san-diego-homeowners-share-stories-struggle/?page=1#article

Huckabee Rejects Debates Over Obama's Faith. http://www.christianpost.com/news/huckabee-rejects-debates-over-obamas-faith-49170/

In inner-city murals, Barack Obama almost always wears a tie. He smiles a lot, or else he has the up-tilted face and earnest demeanor of the famous “Hope” campaign poster, a statesman pondering weighty matters. He doesn’t generally look defiant, like Malcolm X; he doesn't convey approaching martyrdom, like the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. -- two other heroes in these neighborhoods. http://opinion.latimes.com/opinionla/2010/11/photo-essay-obamafication.html

Bunch of Grapes owner Dawn Braasch after the visit. She said "We talked about what books he was reading, books that are coming out. He was very clear that this was for his girls. And we kind of let him shop quietly on his own. But he was just the loveliest person, I felt like I'd known him my whole life....[I was crying] because I adore him and it was such an honor to have him in my bookstore." http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/08/20/obamas-in-marthas-vineyar_n_689155.html

What Mr. Johns, Mr. Gingrich, and others brandishing the "socialist" s-word are really complaining of is a return to the policies of John Maynard Keynes, the English economist who advocated vigorous government involvement in the economy, from regulation to pump priming, says labor historian Peter Rachleff of Macalester College in St. Paul, Minn. "Socialism suggests getting rid of capitalism altogether," says Dr. Rachleff. "Mr. Obama is not within a million miles of an ideology like that." For what it's worth, socialists deny that Obama is one of them – and even seem a bit insulted by the suggestion. "I have been making a living telling people Obama is not a socialist," says Frank Llewellyn, national director of the Democratic Socialists of America. "It's frustrating to see people using our brand to criticize programs that have nothing to do with our brand and are not even working." Adds Billy Wharton,co-chair of the Socialist Party USA: "I am not even sure he's a liberal. I call him a hedge fund Democrat." http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2010/0701/Is-Obama-a-socialist-What-does-the-evidence-say

As a U.S. senator, Obama co-authored nonproliferation legislation and traveled to the former Soviet Union to examine weapons stockpiles. Lugar praised Obama's "productive" work on nonproliferation that took "next critical step" on the issue. In an August 2008 Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette op-ed (retrieved from the Nexis database), Lugar wrote that "Sen. Obama has worked with me, productively, on non-proliferation issues. We jointly introduced a bill that strengthened U.S. defenses against proliferation of weapons of mass destruction." http://mediamatters.org/research/201004090086

Judge them by their enemies. More evidence that Barack Obama might be shaping up as a good president is that Norman Podhoretz hates him so much. In a Wall Street Journal column Monday the guru of the neoconservatives declared: “I would rather be ruled by the Tea Party than by the Democratic Party, and I would rather have Sarah Palin sitting in the Oval Office than Barack Obama.” http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/sarah_palin_neocon_messiah_20100331/

Threats Against Obama Spiked Early. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/06/us/06threat.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&ref=us

The Nobel Peace Prize for 2009. The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided that the Nobel Peace Prize for 2009 is to be awarded to President Barack Obama for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples. The Committee has attached special importance to Obama's vision of and work for a world without nuclear weapons. Obama has as President created a new climate in international politics. Multilateral diplomacy has regained a central position, with emphasis on the role that the United Nations and other international institutions can play. Dialogue and negotiations are preferred as instruments for resolving even the most difficult international conflicts. The vision of a world free from nuclear arms has powerfully stimulated disarmament and arms control negotiations. Thanks to Obama's initiative, the USA is now playing a more constructive role in meeting the great climatic challenges the world is confronting. Democracy and human rights are to be strengthened. Only very rarely has a person to the same extent as Obama captured the world's attention and given its people hope for a better future. His diplomacy is founded in the concept that those who are to lead the world must do so on the basis of values and attitudes that are shared by the majority of the world's population. For 108 years, the Norwegian Nobel Committee has sought to stimulate precisely that international policy and those attitudes for which Obama is now the world's leading spokesman. The Committee endorses Obama's appeal that "Now is the time for all of us to take our share of responsibility for a global response to global challenges." Oslo, October 9, 2009 http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/2009/speedread.html

For his noble words, Obama deserves the prize. The negative reaction to the president's Nobel Peace Prize ignores history. http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-rutten10-2009oct10,0,6945839.column

Nobel Prize To Obama Defended (VIDEO) Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/09/nobel-prize-to-obama-defe_n_316098.html

Behind the right's attack on Obama. Don't be fooled by the grass-roots image of the tea partyers and the '10thers.' http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-rutten16-2009sep16,0,4339213.column

Third school trustee regrets vote to ban Obama speech. http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stories/2009/sep/11/bn11trustee181844/

Crazy right-wing myths about Obama 2.0. The post-inauguration edition of odd things conservatives believe about Obama. Teleprompters! Hitler Youth! Satan! http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2009/06/08/obama_myths/index.html

Notes Toward a Theory of Obama. What we've learned so far about the president. http://www.slate.com/id/2218357/

As President Obama makes an unannounced stop in Iraq, a new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll shows Americans overwhelmingly support the president's plan to remove the majority of U.S. troops from the country by August of next year. Just under 70 percent of Americans approve of Obama's plan to remove most troops in Iraq by next August while keeping 35,000-50,000 troops there past that date. Thirty percent of Americans oppose that plan. Of the 30 percent who oppose the plan, 19 percent want all troops removed as soon as possible while 11 percent say all troops should stay indefinitely. http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/04/07/obama-in-iraq-americans-approve-of-his-plan-says-poll/

Revealed: the letter Obama team hope will heal Iran rift. Symbolic gesture gives assurances that US does not want to topple Islamic regime. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jan/28/barack-obama-letter-to-iran

To Combat Obama, Al-Qaeda Hurls Insults. Effort Hints at Group's Consternation. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/24/AR2009012401703.html?hpid=topnews

Obama, be like Reagan. The Great Communicator can serve as a role model for our new president. http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-bunch22-2009jan22,0,7901233.story

This half-meter resolution image of the United States Capitol, Washington D.C. was collected by the GeoEye-1 satellite on Jan. 20, 2009 to commemorate the Inauguration of President Barack Obama. The image, taken through high, whispy white clouds, shows the masses of people attending the Inaugural Celebration. http://www.geoeye.com/CorpSite/gallery/detail.aspx?iid=220&gid=1

Obama: Roberts not to blame for oath hiccup. http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/obama-roberts-not-to-blame-for-oath-hiccup-2009-01-20.html

Dear Prudence: What If Obama Fails? http://www.slatev.com/player.html?id=8373788001

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Commentary

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general

Obama Oil Spill Speech Criticized By CNN's Language Analyst For Not Being Moronic Enough [UPDATE] http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/17/obama-oil-spill-speech-cr_n_615796.html

Obama: The Grand Strategy http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/23/AR2009042302983.html

Charles Krauthammer http://www.snopes.com/politics/soapbox/krauthammer.asp

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Accomplishments

South Korea-based LG Chem is building the $300-million, 650,000-square-foot battery plant in Holland that is set to start operating in 2012. LG Chem and its Troy-based subsidiary Compact Power are behind the battery system to power the Chevrolet Volt, the nation's first mass-market extended range plug-in electric vehicle, which will launch later this year. LG Chem has received $151.4 million in grants from the Department of Energy for its Holland plant. The factory, which will be able to make 15 million to 20 million battery cells a year, is one of at least five battery plants built in Michigan. Johnson Controls, through its joint venture with French battery company Saft, also is converting one of its existing factories in Holland into a lithium-ion battery plant. http://www.freep.com/article/20100709/NEWS15/100709025/Obama-will-visit-Holland-battery-plant-Thursday

President Barack Obama's push for green energy will bring him back to Michigan. On Friday Newschannel 3 learned that the president will be in Michigan for the third time since May. This time to attend the groundbreaking of Holland's new LG Chem plant. The excitement in Holland is just starting to build for the presidential visit, which will highlight the president's push for an increase in electric vehicle production. City leaders say the visit will make Holland more visible and show that the community is on the leading edge of green technology. Site preparation is already underway for the LG Chem battery facility in Holland where the president will help celebrate the plant at an official groundbreaking ceremony. “We're just incredibly excited about the President of the United States coming to Holland Michigan for this groundbreaking event,” said Holland Mayor Kurt Dykstra. “Really, anytime the president comes to community, it's a tremendously wonderful event for the community.” http://www.wwmt.com/articles/president-1378850-holland-visit.html

The government is taking what President Barack Obama calls "a long overdue step" to aid veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder, making it easier for them receive federal benefits. The changes that Veteran Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki will announce Monday fulfill "a solemn responsibility to provide our veterans and wounded warriors with the care and benefits they've earned when they come home," Obama said in his weekly radio and online address Saturday. The new rules will apply not only to veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, but also those who served in previous conflicts. http://apnews.myway.com/article/20100710/D9GS9G4G1.html

Small list of Obama accomplishments its to big to post all

  1. Ordered all federal agencies to undertake a study and make recommendations for ways to cut spending
  2. Ordered a review of all federal operations to identify and cut wasteful spending and practices
  3. Instituted enforcement for equal pay for women
  4. Beginning the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq
  5. Families of fallen soldiers have expenses covered to be on hand when the body arrives at Dover AFB
  6. Ended media blackout on war casualties; reporting full information
  7. Ended media blackout on covering the return of fallen soldiers to Dover AFB; the media is now permitted to do so pending adherence to respectful rules and approval of fallen soldier's family
  8. The White House and federal government are respecting the Freedom of Information Act
  9. Instructed all federal agencies to promote openness and transparency as much as possible
  10. Limits on lobbyist's access to the White House
  11. Limits on White House aides working for lobbyists after their tenure in the administration
  12. Ended the previous stop-loss policy that kept soldiers in Iraq/Afghanistan longer than their enlistment date
  13. Phasing out the expensive F-22 war plane and other outdated weapons systems, which weren't even used or needed in Iraq/Afghanistan
  14. Removed restrictions on embryonic stem-cell research
  15. Federal support for stem-cell and new biomedical research
  16. New federal funding for science and research labs
  17. States are permitted to enact federal fuel efficiency standards above federal standards
  18. Increased infrastructure spending (roads, bridges, power plants) after years of neglect
  19. Funds for high-speed, broadband Internet access to K-12 schools
  20. New funds for school construction
  21. US Auto industry rescue plan
  22. Housing rescue plan
  23. $789 billion economic stimulus plan
  24. The public can meet with federal housing insurers to refinance (the new plan can be completed in one day) a mortgage if they are having trouble paying
  25. US financial and banking rescue plan
  26. The secret detention facilities in Eastern Europe and elsewhere are being closed
  27. Ended the previous policy; the US now has a no torture policy and is in compliance with the Geneva Convention standards
  28. Better body armor is now being provided to our troops
  29. The missile defense program is being cut by $1.4 billion in 2010
  30. Restarted the nuclear nonproliferation talks and building back up the nuclear inspection infrastructure/protocols
  31. Reengaged in the treaties/agreements to protect the Antarctic
  32. Reengaged in the agreements/talks on global warming and greenhouse gas emissions

From The Detroit News: http://apps.detnews.com/apps/forums/newstalk/lettersindex.php#ixzz0rQKIVVIA http://apps.detnews.com/apps/forums/newstalk/lettersindex.php?username=DoubleD

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Hate For

Joe Hanson at 7:02 AM May 30, 2010: We need to ask why Congress who have oversight of federal agencies allows the disfunction to exist at these agencies that are charged with regulating industry. They share a responsibility for this mess in the gulf.

sonnydavis31 at 6:44 AM May 30, 2010: This absurd disaster if showing how turning your government over to a bunch of radical extremists with no experience is a terriblly dumb thing to do. Obama and his staff never know what is going on. Learning what is going on interferes with his golf or basketball activity. The only Americans have now that we have this joke for a President is November when we can put our boot on his neck and cut off his hot check writing. Then in 2012 this pitiful excuse for a President will be thrown out of the White House in a tsunami of Republican votes.

squishyegg at 5:56 AM May 30, 2010. Good thing Mr. Obama is ON VACATION and going to the Stanley Cup playoffs. I wonder what Ken Salazar has planned for the weekend? Barbecue? A little golf? Waiting for text messages to let him know how BP is handling the situation? And like Obama said, remember to honor the fallen while partying down. What a sad day for America, for all the marine and coastal life that is now suffering and dying, and for our brethren in the Gulf who will be devastated economically by this catastrophe. I'm sure Obama will have much to say about all this in stern, "concerned," testy, and weighty intonations when he returns from vacation. Not one flyover of the rig site by Obama in 42 days. How many Sea King helicopters are at Obama's disposal? Three hours on the beach on his way to vacation. No team of independent OIL INDUSTRY drilling experts (instead of nig-nog academics who have never been on an oil rig in their lives, let alone an offshore rig) assembled by the administration to second-guess and consult with BP, and to inform the president about what can be done. Obama is way, way, way out of his depth on this one, and sorry to say, just about everthing else his office presents to him. Have a great time at the hockey game, Mr. President, while Rome burns.

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-mcmanus-bp-20100530,0,5554554.column?page=2

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