Follow Barack Obama prior and during his tenure as the 44th President of the United States. Read about my personal observations along with every day facts as they happen. This blog will only submit factual information about the first black President, now in his 2nd term of office.
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BARACK OBAMA IN THE WHITEHOUSE

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This Week In Magazines: Obama The "Self-Entangling Giant"

Monday, September 28, 2009

The following is an excerpt from a HuffPost blog entry by James Warren about topics featured in magazines this week.


No matter how much he might disdain the George W. Bush presidency, especially when it comes to misuse of executive branch power, Barack Obama may be a "self-entangling giant" who is going down the same perilous path argues no less an initial Obama sympathizer than journalist-historian Garry Wills in the Oct. 8 New York Review of Books.

Wills, a Northwestern University historian emeritus, argues in "Entangled Giant" that Bush left office unpopular and disgraced, with Obama set on ending illegal acts like torture and indefinite detentions, denial and legal representation to detainees, and nullification of laws by signing statements, among others. But he then contends that, "The momentum of accumulating powers in the executive is not easily reversed, checked or even slowed."
Our entire post-World War 2 history "caused an inertial transfer of power toward the executive branch," replete with a de facto monopoly on nuclear power, a vast worldwide network of military bases, the systems of classification and clearance, the "war on terror" and what Wills calls the "cult of the commander in chief." And while Obama has taken certain steps, like announcing the future closing of the Guantanamo Bay detention center, there are other actions and statements that give pause: the CIA asserting that it may retain the practice of sending prisoners to foreign nations; the Justice Department decision to abort a trial by invoking "state secrets"; refusing to release photographs of "enhanced interrogation"; the release of gay personnel from the U.S. military at rates equivalent to the Bush years; and what Wills deems Obama's defiance of the Constitution's "full faith and credit" clause, mandating states to recognize laws passed by other states, via Obama's defense of the Defense of Marriage Act, allowing states to refuse to recognize other states' approval of gay marriages.

Most of his case involves national defense and he concedes, "It should come as no surprise that turning around the huge secret empire built by the National Security State is a hard, perhaps impossible, task." In sum, he argues that Obama will become a prisoner of the national security prison we've built over decades; an empire of military bases and imperial dealings largely unknown to the average citizen.

"He feels he must avoid embarrassing the hordes of agents, military personnel, and diplomatic instruments whose loyalty he must command," writes Wills. "Keeping up morale in this vast, shady enterprise is something impressed on him by all manner of commitments. He becomes the prisoner of his own power. As President Truman could not not use the bomb, a modern president cannot not use the huge powers at his disposal. It has all been given him as the legacy of Bomb Power, the thing that makes him not only Commander in Chief but Leader of the Free World. He is a self-entangling giant."

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Michelle Obama To Women: Do What Makes You Happy

DARLENE SUPERVILLE | 09/28/09 11:21 AM | AP

WASHINGTON — First lady Michelle Obama says women should do what makes them happy, a lesson she says she learned after realizing her two children, her husband and her physical health feed off of her good moods.

In an interview appearing in the November issue of Prevention magazine, Mrs. Obama discusses the meaning of good health, aging and her exercise, diet and beauty routines. She sat for the interview at the White House in late July.

Mrs. Obama says she learned "what not to do" from her mother, Marian Robinson, who now lives at the White House.

"She'd say being a good mother isn't all about sacrificing. It's really investing and putting yourself higher on your priority list," Mrs. Obama said. She said Robinson put her own two children first, sometimes to the detriment of herself.

"She encouraged me not to do that," Mrs. Obama said.

The first lady said there are many facets to good health – physical, internal, emotional, diet – and all are intertwined.

"Throughout my life, I've learned to make choices that make me happy and make sense for me. Even my husband is happier when I'm happy," Mrs. Obama said in her first interview with the women's health monthly. "So I have freed myself to put me on the priority list and say, yes, I can make choices that make me happy, and it will ripple and benefit my kids, my husband and my physical health."

"That's hard for women to own. We're not taught to do that," she added. "It's a lesson that I want to teach my girls."

Asked for a definition of happiness, Mrs. Obama said it's when daughters Malia, 11, and Sasha, 8, "are good and when my family is whole." She expressed relief that early in the year after moving from Chicago the girls came and told her they liked living in the White House.

"My happiness is measured against theirs. When they're in a good place, I feel really good," she said.

Mrs. Obama, who is 45 and appears on the magazine's cover, also said she has no fear about getting old.

"To me, with age, everything has gotten better," the first lady said.

She strives to be "on the cusp of being in the best shape that I can be" in, but has found she needs to work a little harder at it the older she gets. As a result, she has begun to incorporate more Pilates moves and stretching into her workouts to maintain flexibility.

Mrs. Obama also is working on balancing out her diet, which she said has "no absolute no's."

"Overall, it's good, but there are some great bakers" at the White House, she said, noting that pie is always available. "So for me, it's about setting up new boundaries. I had some challenges with that, but I'm balancing out."

The November issue of Prevention hits newsstands on Oct. 6.

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The Obamas' Many Double Dates: With Which First Couple Do They Have The Most Chemistry? (PHOTOS, POLL)

  found on  Huffington Post  

President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama co-hosted a reception for Heads of State and Government at the Metropolitan Museum on September 23rd. But judging by the 135 photos uploaded on the State Department Flickr stream, it almost looked like speed-dating with each Head of State and their spouse.


President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama above pose for a photo during a reception at the Metropolitan Museum in New York with H.E. Paul Biya, President of the Republic of Cameroon, and his wife, Mrs. Chantal Biya, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2009. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)



President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama above pose for a photo during a reception at the Metropolitan Museum in New York with T.H. Milo Djukanovic Prime Minister of Montenegro, and his wife, Mrs. Djukanovic, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2009.



President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama above pose for a photo during a reception at the Metropolitan Museum in New York with H.E. Ahmed Abdallah Mohamed Sambi, President of the Union of the Comoros, and his wife, Mrs. Djoudi Hadjir, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2009. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)



President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama above pose for a photo during a reception at the Metropolitan Museum in New York with H.E. Garen Nazarian, Permanent Representative of Armenia to the United Nations, and his wife, Mrs. Siranoush Nazarian, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2009. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)


President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama above pose for a photo during a reception at the Metropolitan Museum in New York with H.R.H. Prince Mohamed Bolkiah, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Brunei Darussalam, and H.R.H. Pengiran Anak Isteri Pengiran Anak Hajah Zariah, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2009. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)


President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama above pose for a photo during a reception at the Metropolitan Museum in New York with H.E. Yukio Hatoyama, Prime Minister of Japan, and his wife, Mrs. Miyuki Hatoyama, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2009. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)


President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama above pose for a photo during a reception at the Metropolitan Museum in New York with T.H. Apisai Ielemia, Prime Minister of Tuvalu, and his wife, Lady Ielemia, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2009. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)


President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama above pose for a photo during a reception at the Metropolitan Museum in New York with T.H. Fredrick Fono, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Development and Indigenous Affairs of Solomon Islands, and his wife, Mrs. Helen A. Fono, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2009. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)


President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama above pose for a photo during a reception at the Metropolitan Museum in New York with H.E. Ali Ahmed Jama Jangeli, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Transitional Federal Government of the Somali Republic, and his wife, Mrs. Jama, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2009. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)


President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama above pose for a photo during a reception at the Metropolitan Museum in New York with His Highness Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani, Emir of the State of Qatar, and H.H. Sheikha Mozah Consort of H.H. The Emir of the State of Qatar, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2009. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)


President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama above pose for a photo during a reception at the Metropolitan Museum in New York with H.E. Y.B. Datuk Anifah bin Haji Aman, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Malaysia, and Datin Siti Rubiah Abdulsamad, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2009. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

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REMARKS BY PRESIDENT OBAMA AND PRESIDENT ARROYO OF THE PHILIPPINES IN JOINT PRESS AVAILABILITY

Note by the Editor 'James' of   'Obama in the White House' blog




As witnessed by the tragedies that had torn the Philippine islands apart during the last week, the monsoon season has been especially hard on the Philippines this year.  Hundreds of lives have been lost and hundreds of thousands of people have been left homeless. A vast majority of the islands have been affected by the storm, and international aid  for helping the victims of this tragic storm should be forthcoming. In a meeting a few months ago, President Arroyo of the Philippines visited the White House and met President Obama. The meeting stage was fairly formal between the two leaders  but now because of the storm, another meeting may take place, this time in the Philippines to discuss aid that may be afforded to the stricken country. A formal date of the next meeting between the two leaders has not been announced, but likely. In the transcript below found on the WhiteHouse website - www.whitehouse.gov, is the total transcript of the meeting at the White House that occurred in the end of July 2009.


In the meantime, I share this prayer I found on a blog called 'And I Am but a Small Voice'. Every one should take this moment and read this prayer, dedicated to the people of the Philippines in the wake of typhoon Ondoy.


"Lord,

Bless the people of the Philippines who has lost their houses, belongings, lives , due to typhoon Ondoy. We know that you have the power to provide and to take, please make a miracle and bless them abundantly.

Please remove all the worries, stress and fears in their heart, as they have lost everything.

Please ease the situation and bring them the joy and comfort them that things will work out.

Uplift their spirit and soothe their heart, and reassure them that there will be brighter days for them.

For thy is the Kingdom, the power and the Glory Forever

Amen
"


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THE BRIEFING ROOM


THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary
_________________________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release July 31, 2009

July 30, 2009
Oval Office

3:47 P.M. EDT

PRESIDENT OBAMA: Well, let me express my thanks and appreciation for the visit from President Arroyo. As we discussed during our meeting here and our delegations, the relationship between the United States and the Philippines dates back many years. It is a friendship that is forged not only in treaties and trade relationships and military relationships, but it is also strengthened by very personal ties that exist between our two countries. We are proud to have 4 million persons of Filipino ancestry contributing to our country each and every day, in all walks of life. The fact that we have Filipino veterans who have fought side by side with American soldiers on behalf of freedom -- all those things have strengthened the relationship between our two countries.

I am very pleased that President Arroyo has made such good progress on dealing with counterterrorism issues. She has initiated a peace process in Mindanao that we think is -- has the potential to bring peace and stability to a part of the Philippines that has been wracked by unrest for too long. We are very grateful of the strong voice that the Philippines has provided in dealing with issues in Asia ranging from the human rights violations that have for too long existed in Burma to the problems that we're seeing with respect to nuclear proliferation in North Korea.

I am looking forward to my travels to Southeast Asia, and the Philippines will be the coordinating country in the U.S. relationship with ASEAN, the primary organization -- strategic organization for Southeast Asian countries. And in addition, the Philippines will be sharing the Non-Proliferation Treaty conference that will be taking next -- place next year.

And so we're going to have a busy agenda together working to reduce the threat of nuclear weapons, improving the multilateral partnerships in Asia that can create greater security and greater prosperity for all countries. And in addition, we continue to be grateful for the outstanding contributions that the Philippines has made with respect to U.N. peacekeeping around the world.

So although the Philippines is not the largest of countries, it, in using a phrase from boxing, punches above its weight in the international arena, and we are very grateful that President Arroyo has visited us here today, and we are looking forward to using this meeting as a way of launching even greater cooperation between our two countries in the years to come.

PRESIDENT ARROYO: Thank you, Mr. President, and thank you for inviting me to have this very important conversation here in the White House.

The U.S. is very essential to the economic, diplomatic, and national security of our country. We are very thankful for the U.S. as an important ally in helping to professionalize our military and making it more effective.

Just as important, we are thankful to the U.S. for being such a good ally in our -- working on soft power by helping us build bridges, roads, schools, not only in Mindanao but across the nation. And this assistance of the U.S. has gone a long way in helping us to achieve what we have been able to achieve in the peace process in Mindanao in southern Philippines, and also in our fight against terrorism.

I was very happy to let President Obama know that the Muslim secessionists have agreed, together with a Philippine government panel, to work towards a resumption of formal peace talks, and we're very thankful for the international community, including the U.S., for their assistance in bringing us to this stage.

Internationally, we stand foursquare behind the United States on the position that it has taken with regard to Burma and with regard to North Korea's nuclear adventurism.

We also applaud President Obama for his leadership on climate change, which is so important to the Philippines because we are an archipelagic country and severe climate change is going to be disastrous for our country. We are already feeling the weather pattern changes in the rising seas.

We are also -- finally, may I say that I bring the thanks also of our Filipino veterans for the inclusion of the veterans' benefits in the fiscal stimulus package, something that we have all waited for as a country for the last 60 years.

So I'm very grateful for this opportunity. We thank the Obama administration for the new engagement in our part of the world, and we look forward to a stronger relationship between the U.S. and ASEAN and, bilaterally, a stronger relationship with our two countries.

Thank you, Mr. President.

PRESIDENT OBAMA: Thank you so much.

Okay, we're going to take two questions, one from a Filipino reporter.

PRESIDENT ARROYO: Yes.

PRESIDENT OBAMA: Yes. This gentleman right here. Is this a good -- (laughter.)

Go ahead.

Q Thank you very much, Mr. President, and President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. I am from the Philippine media, sir. It's noted that you're the first Asian head of state to be afforded by President Obama this -- such an invitation. As much as this is your first time to see President Obama in person and you have talked to him, could you kindly share to us, Madam President, your impressions of the American President? (Laughter.)

PRESIDENT OBAMA: I'm sure she thinks I'm much younger looking than she expected. (Laughter.)

PRESIDENT ARROYO: Well, as a person, President Obama is very cordial, warm, and welcoming. And I'm really very impressed about -- of his deep understanding and knowledge of the Philippines and the Filipino people -- the understanding of the close relationship within the Filipino people and the American people.

And we -- I think we connected very well also on our position with regard to Burma and Aung San Suu Kyi, with regard to North Korea and nuclear proliferation, with regard to human rights and terrorism. And we welcome President Obama's reaching out to the Muslim world, and also we are very pleased about his -- the importance that he accords to engagement with our part of the world.

Q Is it considered to be ungrateful if I will not get your reaction? It will be greatly appreciated if you can also give your impression of our President.

PRESIDENT OBAMA: Well, obviously, President Arroyo has done outstanding work on a whole range of issues. She mentioned the areas where the United States and the Philippines are of one accord, but as evidenced here today, she's somebody who knows the issues. She has experience leading the Philippines through some very difficult times. She has expressed a great friendship towards the United States, and aside from her great personal charm -- (laughter) -- we are very appreciative of the concrete ways in which her administration has pursued strengthening ties with the United States. So I'm very grateful for that.

Okay, Jeff Mason.

Q Yes, sir. A double-barreled question for you. First of all, what do you expect to be the main message of the GDP figures that come out tomorrow? And second of all, what do you think will be the main message of your meeting tonight in the Rose Garden?

PRESIDENT OBAMA: On GDP, I don't have a crystal ball and I haven't received the figures yet, but I think if you look at the consensus of economists right now, it confirms that we have seen a significant slowing down of the contraction over the last several months. There are a lot of indicators out there that tell us that job losses, although still way too high, are not at the pace that we were seeing in January or February. Housing prices went up for the first time in three years. The credit system, the banking system, the financial markets generally have settled down. You're not seeing the huge volatility or panic that you were seeing.

And so all of that is a sign that we have stepped away from the precipice. As Ben Bernanke and others across the ideological spectrum have indicated, we were in a position where we could have gone into a Great Depression. I think those fears have abated.

But I suspect that the GDP numbers will still show that the economy contracted in the second quarter, that job loss is still a huge problem. And you don't have to read GDP numbers to see that; all you got to do is talk to the American people who are still losing jobs, losing homes, and worried about their ability to keep their health care and finance their child's college educations. So we're not going to rest until we have seen not just a technical improvement in GDP but until the American people's job prospects, their incomes have rebounded -- and that's going to take some time.

With respect to tonight, you know, I am, I have to say, fascinated with the fascination about this evening. As you know, this idea was prompted when I was talking to Sergeant Crowley, and he said, well, maybe I'll have a beer in the White House someday, and I said, well, you know, I'm sure that can be arranged.

I notice this had been called the "beer summit." It's a clever term, but this is not a summit, guys. This is three folks having a drink at the end of the day and hopefully giving people an opportunity to listen to each other. And that's really all it is.

This is not a -- this is not a university seminar. It is not a summit. It's an attempt to have some personal interaction when an issue has become so hyped and so symbolic that you lose sight of just the fact that these are people involved, including myself, all of whom are imperfect. And hopefully instead of ginning up anger and hyperbole, everybody can just spend a little bit of time with some self-reflection and recognizing that other people have different points of view. And that's all it is.

And so I will be surprised if you guys all make this the lead as opposed to a very important meeting that we just had with one of our most important partners in the world, but the press has surprised me before. (Laughter.)

Thank you very much.

END
4:01 P.M. EDT

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Gates: Any new troops to Afghanistan wouldn't 'flow' til early 2010

Sunday, September 27, 2009

September 27, 2009
Posted: September 27th, 2009 09:19 AM ET

From

WASHINGTON (CNN) – The Afghanistan conflict has proven more difficult than anticipated, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said in echoing President Barack Obama’s deliberative approach on whether to send more troops. In an interview broadcast Sunday on CNN’s State of the Union, Gates said the focus on Iraq by the previous administration of President George W. Bush meant the operation in Afghanistan has been limited.
“The reality is, we were fighting a holding action,” Gates said of situation under Bush, whom he also served as defense secretary.
“We were very deeply engaged in Iraq,” Gates said, later adding: “We were too stretched to do more. And I think we did not have the kind of comprehensive strategy that … we have now.”
Setting an exit strategy for Afghanistan would be a mistake, but the United States also will closely monitor developments to ensure its strategy is achieving desired results, Gates said.
Obama is under increasing pressure from congressional Republicans who favor sending more troops, as desired by commanding Gen. Stanley McChrystal, while many of the president’s fellow Democrats are expressing resistance.
Gates said McChrystal “found a situation in Afghanistan that is more serious than … we had thought and that he had thought before going out there.”
Asked why the Obama administration has yet to decide on McChrystal’s assessment that more troops will be necessary to defeat insurgents and protect the local population, Gates said it would take more time to properly analyze the situation.
"I think we are in the middle of a review," Gates told CNN Chief National Correspondent John King, adding : “Once we're confident we have the strategy right, then — then we'll address the question of additional resources.”
Gates also noted that any additional combat troops for Afghanistan "really probably could not begin to flow" until January 2010.
He disagreed with setting a clear exit strategy for Afghanistan.

"[T]he notion of — of timelines and exit strategies and so on, frankly, I think would all be a — a strategic mistake," Gates said. "The reality is — failure in Afghanistan would be a huge setback for the United States.
“[The] Taliban and Al Qaeda, as far as they're concerned, defeated one superpower, [the Soviet Union],” he continued. “For them to be seen to defeat a second, I think, would have catastrophic consequences in terms of energizing the extremist movement, Al Qaeda recruitment, operations, fundraising, and so on. I think it would be a huge setback for the United States.”
Gates said the process should be defining a strategy “that we think can be successful, and then to pursue it and pursue it with confidence and resolution." At the same time, Gates suggested that the administration was not moving toward an open-ended, indefinite commitment to having a U.S. military presence in Afghanistan.
"I think that we are being very careful to look at this as we go along," Gates said. "We've put out metrics so that we can measure whether or not we're making progress. And if we're not making progress, then we're prepared to adjust our strategy, just as we're looking at whether adjustments are needed right now."
Filed under: 

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Obama addresses black caucus on health care

Obama addresses black caucus on health care

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Enlarge Associated PressPresident Barack Obama delivers his remarks at the Congressional Black Caucus FoundationÂ's Annual Phoenix Awards dinner, in Washington, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2009.
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Associated Press
President Barack Obama delivers his remarks at the Congressional Black Caucus FoundationÂ's Annual Phoenix Awards dinner, in Washington, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2009.
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Enlarge Associated PressPresident Barack Obama, second left, and first lady Michelle Obama, right, are joined by Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Chairman Rep. Kendrick Meek, D-Fla, left, and Congressional Black Caucus Chairman Barbara Lee, D-Calif., at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's Annual Phoenix Awards dinner, in Washington, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2009.
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Associated Press
President Barack Obama, second left, and first lady Michelle Obama, right, are joined by Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Chairman Rep. Kendrick Meek, D-Fla, left, and Congressional Black Caucus Chairman Barbara Lee, D-Calif., at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's Annual Phoenix Awards dinner, in Washington, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2009.
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Enlarge Associated PressPresident Barack Obama, second left, and first lady Michelle Obama, right, are joined by Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Chairman Rep. Kendrick Meek, D-Fla, left, and Congressional Black Caucus Chairman Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's Annual Phoenix Awards dinner, in Washington, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2009.
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Associated Press
President Barack Obama, second left, and first lady Michelle Obama, right, are joined by Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Chairman Rep. Kendrick Meek, D-Fla, left, and Congressional Black Caucus Chairman Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's Annual Phoenix Awards dinner, in Washington, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2009.
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Enlarge Associated PressPresident Barack Obama delivers his remarks at the Congressional Black Caucus FoundationÂ's Annual Phoenix Awards dinner, in Washington, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2009.
1_Obama_Congressional_Black_Caucus.sff.jpg
Associated Press
President Barack Obama delivers his remarks at the Congressional Black Caucus FoundationÂ's Annual Phoenix Awards dinner, in Washington, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2009.
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Enlarge Associated PressPresident Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama, wave as they arrive at the Congressional Black Caucus FoundationÂ's Annual Phoenix Awards dinner, in Washington, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2009.
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Associated Press
President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama, wave as they arrive at the Congressional Black Caucus FoundationÂ's Annual Phoenix Awards dinner, in Washington, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2009.
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WASHINGTON September 27, 2009, 07:27 am ET
President Barack Obama on Saturday resumed his push to overhaul the health care system, telling a Congressional Black Caucus conference that there comes a time when "the cup of endurance runs over."
"We have been waiting for health reform since the days of Teddy Roosevelt. We've been waiting since the days of Harry Truman," he said in remarks at the caucus foundation's annual dinner. "We've been waiting since Johnson and Nixon and Clinton."
"We cannot wait any longer," Obama said.
Obama spent the past week largely focused on global and economic issues in meetings with world leaders in New York and Pittsburgh.
At the G-20 economic summit that wrapped up Friday in Pennsylvania, Obama told a story about an unnamed foreign leader who privately told the president he didn't understand the at-times contentious debate over changing the health care system.
"He says, 'We don't understand it. You're trying to make sure everybody has health care and they're putting a Hitler mustache on you. That doesn't make sense to me,'" Obama said, quoting the world leader he declined to identify.
The reference to Nazi leader Adolf Hitler was to signs some people have waved outside of often testy town hall meetings around the country this summer where lawmakers discussed Obama's health care plan.
In the speech, Obama described his plan as one that would not require people with coverage to change anything but would make health insurance affordable for the millions of people who don't have any. Republicans dispute those claims.
The Senate Finance Committee is in the process of amending a health care bill introduced by Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont.
Before becoming president, Obama was the only senator in the all-Democratic caucus, which now has 42 members. He wasn't particularly active in the group and isn't especially close to many of its members.
Animosity toward the president and his policies has bubbled up in recent weeks, most notably with Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., shouting "You lie!" at Obama during the president's recent health care speech to Congress.
Democrats from former President Jimmy Carter on down have blamed the increasingly harsh criticism of Obama on racism.
Obama says it's not racism but an intense debate over the proper role of government.
Before he began to speak, Obama walked to a podium facing the audience from the right side of the stage before he was directed to another one — the one affixed with the presidential seal — on stage left.
"They don't want me to be on the right," he joked. "This

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President Obama addressing 100 nations at the U.N. General Assembly

Saturday, September 26, 2009

President Obama at the United Nations this past week turned out to be similar to past Democratic Presidents, such as Woodrow Wilson, John Kennedy and Franklin Roosevelt. President Obama again was at his best as he demonstrated principles, aspirations, optimism and hope.
He systematically talked about what it would take to support international relations and make global progress during the next 20 years or so. First, he spoke about nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament efforts as he claims that the United States would further take steps to reduce its nuclear arsenal, in hopes to convince other nations to do the same. Second, he explained the need to create global structures to promote security and peace multilaterally, rather than just have the U.S. attempt to do it alone. Third, The importance to have a coordinated effort to protect the planet from catastrophic climate change. Last, to promote a new economic order that would eliminate the extremes of poverty around the world.
During his speech, he challenged other nations to act and react on their own regarding issues like terrorism and climate change, and not to watch what America does. He wants other countries to take their own initiative to interact without have America to lead the way all the time. He feels that if other countries would take the initiative, then there would be more worldwide "hope of human beings", as President Obama put it.

He just did not  speak abstractly about what the world needs to do. He was specific, especially when it came to promote nuclear disarmament, along with climate change policies, and to work together to promote peace in the Middle East.

He was the first U.S. President to criticize Israel publicly. President Obama claims that he would not be doing Israel any favors if he didn't say that Israel had to respect legitimate aspirations and rights of the Palestinians.
He went out of his way to explain how America was commited to solving global problems with other countries, not just by themselves.

He was putting forth to the U.N. assembly his vision for change, similar to his Presidential campaign, and explaining  how important it is to repair the United States image to the rest of the world.

Some people in the United States, namely Republican(conservative) base think that President Obama may be trying to do too much but he will fail. The odds may be against him, but he is thinking 'outside the box' and even if everything the President wants to accomplish is not successful, he will pass a considerablly more bills than most all other Presidents put together, especially for the last couple of decades.

Again, the hope factor was big in his speech. He explains that he wants people to believe that more and more things are possible, and that people with different beliefs can come together and agree on things.

Obama as usually showed how he can be calm and collected. He doesn't let criticism stop him from putting forward his ajenda that he carefully puts together. He's not concerned about opinion polls, and he doesn't let political spats side-track him.

Even though this may be true, the last several months have taken their toll on President Obama. His popularity has been dropping, but not too distant results in the economy and hopefully in health care will put the ice on the critics of President Obama. He has 'thrown out the bait' and now let's see what he can catch.

At the end after glancing how President Obama performed at the United Nations, you can easily recongnize the extraordinary qualities of this presidency. You can witness the vast change in American polices that are recongnized around the world, and the other world nations seem to accept it.

After all this the United Nations, it was overshadowed at the end, by the announcement of Iran and a second nuclear arsonel made know to the United States and the World. President Obama made note that he did not accept Iran's decision to operate such a facility and that it needs to be reduced in size or closed down. He immediately called for inspectors to tour the new nucleur facility, and expects Iran to give a detailed report by October 1st regarding the facility, and expects Iran to go by the United Nations decisions regarding the plant. President Obama also has not ruled out military actions against Iran if they do not comply.

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President Obama warns Iran to stop using underground facility to build nuclear weapons

Friday, September 25, 2009

 As reported by CNN, President Obama formally stated today that Iran had clandestinely built an underground plant to make nuclear fuel that could be used to build an atomic bomb. Iran has to meet with the United States and other major nations on Oct. 1 to discuss the nuclear issue.
Why is this an issue to the United States?

Obama said, "Iran is breaking rules that all nations must follow. The size and configuration of this facility is inconsistent with a peaceful program."

"Iran is on notice that when we meet with them on Oct. 1 they are going to have to come clean and they are going to have to make a choice" between international isolation and giving up any aspirations to becoming a nuclear power, he said. If they refuse to give ground, they will stay on "a path that is going to lead to confrontation."
 Defense Secretary Robert Gates, speaking Friday on CNN's "State of the Union," said it would be a mistake to rule out military action, but he also said there was still room to pursue diplomacy.



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Israeli and Palestinian leaders to meet President Obama in Washington

Sunday, September 20, 2009

As if President Obama doesn't have enough on his agenda these days on the homefront, in the works is a meeting set on Tuesday that will be hosted at the White House between Israeli Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. He doesn't have to go out and seek the worlds problems, they come to him. As former Maine Sen. George Mitchell claims, is "another sign of the president's deep commitment to comprehensive peace that he wants to personally engage at this juncture."
So why the meetings? It appears that Israel keeps approving of construction of homes in the Westbank, and Palestine believes that they should not build on their sacred land. The United States has firmly backed Israel in the past, and stands by Israel, but in this case, President Obama has publicly disagreed on Israeli plans to build more housing on land that the Palestinians regard as theirs. President Obama has demanded that the Israel stop building, but his request has been ignored by the Netanyahu government.
Unless President Obama has a magical crystal ball hiding somewhere, I highly doubt that both sides will continue talks. Abbas will not resume these talks until Israel halts all settlement building on the occupied West Bank, and in Palestinian East Jerusalem.
President Obama is calling for a partial solution, and that would be to halt production for a year. Israel however will only agree to a partial reduction of building.
Israel believes that East Jerusalem is part of its soveign capital since it took this land away from Jorndan in 1967, but Palestine wants East Jerusalem to be the capital of a future Palestinian state.

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IBM President and CEO Sam Palmisano speaks about IBM and Barack Obama

Friday, September 18, 2009

Comment by James - Editor of  'Barack Obama and the White House' Blog

Some people ask me why I work for IBM. I've had many other opportunities in my career in the computer field to move on to what other people would consider bigger and better challenges. In the present time of my life, along with my challenging career with IBM, I've been an employee with Big Blue now for 15 years, and my job as an engineer to keep IBM mainframe computers is very challenging, and at no time in my career, have I ever was thinking that I would loose my job with IBM. Don't get me wrong, IBM is a big company that experiences cutbacks in the work force from time to time just like other big companies, but IBM works with their employees to help find advancement positions whenever an employee is qualified, regardless of the economic pressure that causes companies like IBM to cut back.
In a communication email today from the President and CEO Sam Palmasomo, IBM received an award from President Barack Obama. The 2008 National Medal of Technology and Innovation for the Blue Gene supercomputer in one of the highest honors bestowed for technological achievement.
Read the following letter as it was written from the President and CEO of IBM himself, Sam Palmisano.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear IBMer,

It is with great pleasure that I tell you that U.S. President Barack Obama has announced that IBM has been awarded the 2008 National Medal of Technology and Innovation for the invention of the Blue Gene supercomputer.  This is the highest honor for technological achievement bestowed by the President on America's leading innovators – and today marks the ninth time IBM has won it.

IBM announced its plans to build Blue Gene in December 1999.  In September 2004, an IBM Blue Gene at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California became the world’s most powerful supercomputer.  Blue Gene held that title for four years, until it was surpassed last year by another IBM supercomputer, codenamed Roadrunner.

The invention of Blue Gene was a great accomplishment in itself – but what really made it special was all the innovation that it has spawned, enabling significant advances in health care, energy exploration, astronomy, modeling and simulation, and many other fields.  The speed and power of Blue Gene and our other high-performance systems also serve as a springboard for our leadership in business analytics and optimization.

Seen in that broad perspective, it’s fair to say that all of IBM’s key business lines – hardware, software and services, and the researchers who conceived and invented Blue Gene – along with IBMers everywhere, can share in this honor and recognition.  It adds another proud chapter to our company’s unmatched history of innovation.


Sam Palmisano
Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer


       
   

       




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Air Force One - Landing in Ohio

Thursday, September 17, 2009


















View the pictures of Air Force One as it lands in Ohio as President Obama prepares to visit the GM Lordstown Plant. Below the pictures, there is an article that contains Obama's speech to the GM employees, word for word...

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Remarks by the President to General Motors Plant Employees - Sept 15, 2009

For Immediate Release September 15, 2009

General Motors Lordstown Assembly Plant
Warren, Ohio

11:13 A.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. Thank you, Lordstown. (Applause.) Thank you, guys. It is good to be back in Ohio. (Applause.) And it's good to be at one of GM's flagship plants with all of you. (Applause.)

I've got a list of some wonderful people that I want to make sure that I acknowledge real quick. First of all, a former colleague of mine, somebody who is now collaborating with me to make sure that working people are getting a fair shake -- please give it up for your United States Senator Sherrod Brown. (Applause.) Where's Sherrod? There he is.

Your Congressman, doing an outstanding job, great young man -- Tim Ryan. (Applause.) From the neighboring congressional district, somebody who is responsible for Cash for Clunkers -- Betty Sutton. (Applause.) And an outstanding congressman from Ohio, as well -- Charlie Wilson. Give Charlie a big round of applause. (Applause.) we've got a great trio of mayors here -- Mayor Michael O'Brien of Warren, Michael Chaffee of Lordstown, and Mayor Jay Williams of Youngstown -- give them all a big round of applause. (Applause.) We've got state senator and minority leader Capri Cafaro is here. (Applause.) How are you? She's a fireplug. I remember her. (Applause.)

The CEO of General Motors Fritz Henderson is in the house. (Applause.) Plant manager John Donahue is in the house. (Applause.) UAW servicing agent John Mohan is in the house. (Applause.) President of the UAW Local 1112 Jim Graham is in the house. (Applause.) President of Local 1714 David Green is in the house. (Applause.) Chairperson of 1112 Ben Strickland. (Applause.) And chairperson of Local 1714 Will Adams. (Applause.)

Well, listen, I just finished having a productive discussion with some of your coworkers about the challenges you're facing, both here and in your communities, and how we can meet them. We talked about the economic troubles that you've been weathering here in Trumbull County since long before our current crisis. Yes, if you've got chairs, feel free to sit down. (Laughter.) You don't have to stand this whole time. (Applause.)

But let's face it, we've been going through some crises since -- since before this economic crisis, this financial crisis hit. Over the years, you've seen factories close. You've seen friends and neighbors and relatives laid off. Your daughters and sons have had to move away in search of jobs and opportunity. I know it was painful around here earlier this year, when three shifts at this plant were cut down to one. Today, the local unemployment rate is unacceptably high in this region -- second-highest in Ohio. So I know at times, it seems like this community has been on the brink -- over and over and over again.

There are some who see this pain and suggest that somehow it's inevitable -- that the only way for America to get ahead is for communities like yours to be left behind. But I know better -- we know better. We know that our success as a nation depends on the success of communities just like this one. (Applause.) We know that the battle for America's future is not just going to be won in the big cities, not just on the coasts, but in towns like Elkhart, Indiana, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Warren and Youngstown. That's what we're fighting for. (Applause.)

That's why I'm proud to be here with all of you. (Applause.) You work hard. You meet your responsibilities. You deserve better. (Applause.) You deserve better than the attitude that's prevailed in Washington and Wall Street and sometimes in Detroit for far too long; an attitude that valued wealth over work and selfishness over sacrifice and greed over responsibility. (Applause.) That's why I want you to know that every day that I step into the Oval Office, I am thinking about you and your families, I am fighting for you and your families, and I'm going to keep on doing it as long as I'm President of the United States. (Applause.)

Now, sometimes that involves making tough decisions that have been put off for too long. That's my job -- making tough decisions. If it's an easy decision, it doesn't get to my desk. As I've said before, I didn't run for President to manage auto companies. It wasn't something on my to-do list. It wasn't even something on my want-to-do list. (Laughter.) I like driving cars. (Laughter.) Sometimes, you know, I can change a spark plug or change a tire, but I don't know so much about cars that I wanted to be deeply involved in the car industry.

But here's what I knew: I wasn't going to put any more tax dollars on the line if it meant perpetuating bad business decisions that got us to a point where the U.S auto industry was in crisis. But in the midst of a deep recession and financial crisis, for me to have just let the auto industry collapse, to vanish, would have caused unbelievable damage to our economy -- not just here in Lordstown, but all across the country. So we intervened for one simple and compelling reason: Your survival and the success of our economy depended on making sure that we got the U.S. auto industry back on its feet.

There were some people who said you can't do it. But our belief was that if GM retooled and reinvented itself for the 21st century, it would be good for American workers, it would be good for American manufacturing, it would be good for America's economy. And I'm pleased to report that that is exactly what has begun to happen at plants like this and others across the country. (Applause.) So I know that some of those decisions may not have been popular, but I will tell you what: I will double down on the American people and the American worker and all of you any day of the week. (Applause.)

One of the other efforts we undertook was the Cash for Clunkers program. Folks said that wouldn't work either. That program was good for automakers, it was good for consumers, and, by the way, it was good for our environment. And you know what, the Chevy Cobalt that you build here was one of GM's most sought-after cars under that program. (Applause.) Dealers across the country started running out. You need to build more.

And one other thing: For too long, our auto industries faced uncertain and conflicting fuel economy standards. And that made it difficult for you to plan down the road. And that's why, today, we are launching –- for the first time in history –- a new national standard aimed at both increasing gas mileage and decreasing greenhouse gas pollution for all cars and trucks sold in America. It creates an even playing field. It's an action that is long overdue. It will give our auto companies clarity, and stability, and predictability.

In the past, an agreement like this would have been impossible, but this time it was different because automakers, the UAW, environmental advocates, Democrats, Republicans, states all across the country -- all of them came together, pledging to set aside the quarrels of the past for the sake of the future.

Because of the steps we've taken, this plant is about to shift into high gear. (Applause.) A hundred and fifty of your coworkers came back to work yesterday. (Applause.) More than 1,000 will be coming back to work in less than three weeks as production of the Cobalt ramps up. (Applause.) That's worth standing for. (Applause.) And next year, this plant will begin production of the Chevy Cruze -- (applause) -- a new car that will get more than 40 miles per gallon. I just sat in the car. I asked for the keys, they wouldn't give me the keys. (Laughter.) I was going -- I was going to take it for a little spin. (Laughter.) But it was nice sitting in there. It was a roomy car -- 40 miles per gallon.

So if you picked up a copy of the Youngstown Vindicator back in January, you would have seen a headline that read: "Worries mount in wake of layoffs." A couple weeks ago, you would have read a different story: "Good news at Lordstown is good news for all." And today, you made, by the way, some more good news: I understand that the one-millionth Cobalt rolled off the assembly line late last night. (Applause.)

So I don't want to just congratulate you, I want to thank you. You're doing your part to move us forward and make sure that the high-quality, well-engineered, safe and fuel-efficient cars of the future will be built where they've always have been built -- right here in Ohio, right across the Midwest, right here in the United States of America. (Applause.)

Now, even though you're proving that American automakers are getting back in the game, I think everybody understands our economic troubles are far from over. I don't want to overpromise here. We've still got a lot of work to do. We got in a deep hole over a course of years; it's going to take some years to get back out of this hole. We have a lot of work to do not just to get this community moving again, and this economy moving again, but we've got to build a stronger foundation for economic growth into the future.

There's some people in Washington, they've already forgotten just what it was that we walked into eight months ago. So let just go through -- let me go through the facts here real quick in case you all have forgotten: a financial system near collapse; 700,000 workers losing their jobs every single month; a sudden decline in credit that made it difficult to take out a mortgage or a student loan, or a small business loan, or an auto loan. You couldn’t get an auto loan. It was so bad that experts of all political persuasions feared a second coming of the Great Depression.

So we took bold, swift action to make sure that didn't happen. We moved to keep responsible homeowners in their homes. We moved to jumpstart lending. We passed a sweeping Recovery Act without the usual Washington earmarks or pork-barrel spending -- but putting people back to work. And that plan is now working.

I want you to know what's happened here. One-third of our Recovery Act went to tax relief. We cut your taxes. Ninety-five percent of America's working families -- 4.5 million families right here in Ohio -- we cut your taxes. (Applause.) And we cut taxes for small businesses on investments that they make. (Applause.)

That was a third of our Recovery Act. And that gave everybody a little more money in their pockets to spend, which helped boost the economy. Then what we did was we put another third into emergency relief. All those Americans who were laid off, we extended unemployment benefits -- and that's made a difference for 12 million Americans, including 570,000 right here in Ohio. (Applause.)

And for all those people who had lost their jobs, they were worried about losing their health care -- they were going to have to try to get on COBRA, but you know how much COBRA costs, having to pick up your whole health care premium. So what we did was we made health insurance through COBRA 65 percent cheaper for families while they were looking for work. (Applause.) We saved the jobs of tens of thousands of state and local workers, including 336 police officers right here in Ohio. (Applause.) That was part of our Recovery Act.

Now, the last third is investing in your towns and your future. Over in Canfield, we awarded a competitive contract to a local company to repair a bridge on Route 11. That allowed them to avoid layoffs they were otherwise going to make. That allowed local folks to keep coming to work, doing the work America needs done. (Applause.) We've got projects like that all across Ohio and all across the country -- rebuilding our roads and our bridges, laying broadband lines, making sure that we're building the wind turbines and solar panels that are going to drive our energy future. That's what the Recovery Act has been all about.

Now, we've still got a long way to go. But there is little debate that the decisions we've made and the steps we've taken helped stop our economic freefall. In some places, they've helped us turn the corner. Home sales are up; business investment is starting to stabilize. For the first time in 18 months, we're actually seeing growth in American manufacturing, instead of decline. (Applause.)

I know that's small consolation when so many people you know are still out of work. It's going to take some time to achieve a complete recovery. But I want you all to know, I will not rest until anybody who's looking for a job can find one -- and I'm not talking about just any job, but good jobs that give every American decent wages and decent benefits and a fair shot at the American Dream. (Applause.) That's what I'm fighting for every single day. (Applause.)

We're fighting for an America where your children will be armed with the skills they need to compete with any worker, anywhere in the world. We're making a historic commitment to strengthening and improving education from cradle to a career. And I've set a goal: By 2020, America will once again have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world. There's no reason why we can't have that number-one ranking once again. (Applause.)

We're fighting for an America where clean energy generates green jobs -- that can't be outsourced; that help us free ourselves from our grip of foreign oil; jobs that make sure the cars of the future and the technologies like the new batteries that power them are made right here in the United States of America. (Applause.)

And, yes, just in case you were wondering, we are fighting for an America where no American should have to worry about going without health insurance or feel that one illness could cost them everything they have. (Applause.) We're going to reform the system to provide more security and stability to those of you who have health insurance. We're going to offer quality, affordable choices to those who currently don't have health insurance. And we're going to bring health care costs for our families and our businesses and our government under control.

Think about it. If you're a member of the union right now, you're spending all your time negotiating about health care. You need to be spending some time negotiating about wages -- but you can't do it -- (applause) -- but I want to make sure that you understand – you’ve got to understand Fritz's position here. He's trying to build this company back up. And if health care costs are going up 30 percent or 20 percent every year, it's very tough for him. So we all have an interest in reforming the health care system so that the cost for employers don't go up; that means the cost for you don't go up, and that means you can actually start bringing home a little more take-home pay. That's what this is all about if you've already got health insurance. (Applause.)

So that's what we're fighting for: to bring Lordstown and Youngstown and Warren back; to make sure that our towns and our middle class -- a middle class forged just like in plants that you're seeing here -- I want them not just to survive today, but to thrive tomorrow.

I want you to deliver a message to the GM team members who are manning the line and couldn't join us today: As long as you've still got an ounce of fight left in you, I've got a ton of fight left in me. (Applause.) I've said it before, I'm skinny but I'm tough. (Laughter.) And as long as I have the privilege of being your President, I'm going to keep fighting for a future that is brighter for this community and brighter for Ohio and brighter for the United States of America.

I need your help, so give it to me, guys, because we're going to rebuild right here, right now. (Applause.) We're going to make Ohio work again.

Thank you, everybody. God bless you. (Applause.)

END
11:34 A.M. EDT

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Obama Formally announces the start of tighter auto fuel efficiency standards

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

President Obama appears not to be afraid to take his message to the people regarding his economic recovery message. He defended the controversial auto bailout at the General Motors plant in Lordstown, Ohio, located between Cleveland and Youngstown, Ohio. At this address to the GM autoworkers, President Obama officially announced the start of tighter auto fuel efficiency standards. One of the main reasons for doing so is to reduce dependence on foreign oil. As President Obama said, "In the midst of a deep recession and financial crisis, the collapse of the auto industry would have caused enormous damage to our economy," Obama told and enthusiastic crowd of autoworkers. "So we intervened for one simple and compelling reason: Your survival and the success of our economy depended on it."
GM received $19.4 billion before their bankruptcy filings, and then gave another $30 billion to GM for funding of GM's operations during and after he bankruptcy process. President Obama then indicated what kind of fighter he is concerning the long-term recovery process of the auto industry. "As long as you've still got an ounce of fight left in you, I'll have a ton of fight left in me," Obama said. "I've said it before, I'm skinny but I'm tough."

In the following video, Obama announces the new rules. Speaking at an auto assembly plant, President Obama calls for national gas mileage standards.

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THE TRUTH: MANY REPUBLICANS HAVE CONTINUALLY MADE FALSE CLAIMS IN THEIR ATTACKS ON HEALTH INSURANCE REFORM.

Friday, September 11, 2009

REPORTED July 23, 2009


Republicans have often used misleading facts and blatantly untrue talking points when discussing health insurance reform, often citing studies by groups that are wholly owned by the insurance industry. [1]

Republicans claim that health insurance reform would explode the deficit, when in fact the President has repeatedly said that reform must be deficit-neutral. [2] They have also warned that reform will lead to rationing, a claim that “fall[s] apart on close scrutiny.” [4]

Numerous Republicans, including Rep. Mike Pence of Indiana, have falsely described the Democratic plan for health insurance reform as “a government-controlled health care plan” that will deprive over 120 million Americans of their current health care coverage – a claim that independent fact-check organization PolitiFact rated “False.” [4]

These claims, which have been echoed by Republicans across the country, are wholly untrue and have been repeatedly debunked by numerous independent sources. [5]


SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT:

[1] “Generally left unsaid amid all the citations is that the Lewin Group is wholly owned by UnitedHealth Group, one of the nation's largest insurers. More specifically, the Lewin Group is part of Ingenix, a UnitedHealth subsidiary that was accused by the New York attorney general and the American Medical Association, a physician's group, of helping insurers shift medical expenses to consumers by distributing skewed data.” [Washington Post, 7/22/09]

[2] Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, in testimony prepared for delivery to the House Energy and Commerce Committee, said, “The president is open to good ideas about how we finance health reform. But we are not open to deficit spending. Health reform will be paid for and it will be deficit neutral over ten years.” [Politico, 6/24/09]

[3] “[Republican] arguments fall apart on close scrutiny. The government isn’t mandating that doctors adopt the results of CER [comparative effectiveness research] and it is not rationing care. Each patient has his or her unique needs and the ultimate decision for how to proceed should be left to the doctor and the patient. Currently, approximately one-third of all treatments have never been proven to produce better outcomes; CER would provide doctors with unbiased information about the most effective treatments, help doctors and patients make better informed decisions, and improve the quality of care. Moreover, far from establishing one-size-fits all medicine or dictating treatments, properly conducted CER will actually promote faster adoption of personalized care.” [ThinkProgress.org, 6/19/09]

[4] “120 million ‘deprived’ of health care is not correct. Pence appears to be picking the worst number he can choose. And he doesn't mention the fact that under the scenario laid out by the Lewin Group, people would still have health care coverage and their premiums reduced by 30 to 40 percent. He says the government would ‘deprive’ people of health insurance, when actually the scenario is that they would choose a different option...Finally, we have to include a caveat about the Lewin Group. The group says it operates with editorial independence, but it is a subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group, which also offers private health insurance. Given all this background and explanation, we rated Pence's statement that the government would ‘deprive’ 120 million people of their ‘current health care coverage’ False.” [PolitiFact, 5/19/09]

[5] “Republicans in Washington seem to be shifting into overdrive to keep a health system overhaul from passing Congress before the August recess. Yesterday, July 22, brought two more deceptive assaults (that we know of) on the pending bills, one from Minority Whip Eric Cantor and the other from the top GOP member of the House Immigration Subcommittee, Steve King of Iowa.” [FactCheck.org, 7/23/09]



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Obama's tribute to 9/11 victims

 

US President Barack Obama today paid tribute to the victims of the horror attacks on the twin towers on September 11 2001.



Nearly 3,000 people died in the terrible attacks eight years ago when terrorists hijacked four planes and crashed them in New York, at the Pentagon and in a Pennsylvanian field.
Speaking on a rain soaked day at the Pentagon, Mr Obama said today : "On this solemn day, at this sacred hour, once more we pause, once more we pray, as a nation and a people."
He also vowed to "never falter" in the pursuit of al-Qaeda.
Thousands gathered for ceremonies around New York's Ground Zero, as remembrance services were held around America.
Vice-President Joe Biden attended the New York ceremony, at the site where two planes crashed into the World Trade Center towers, causing them to collapse.
Volunteers who helped after the attacks joined family members reading the names of more than 2,700 of the victims.

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World Trade Center 9/11 Facts as they happened 8 years ago today





WTC, New York, Sept 11 2001 TIMELINE OF EVENTS
September 11th, 2001

Graphic  8:46 AM: Flight 11 crashes into the WTC (World Trade Center) north tower.
Graphic  8:46:40: Flight 11 crashes at roughly 490 mph (790 km/h) into the north side of the north tower of the World Trade Center, between floors 94 and 98. The aircraft enters the tower mostly intact. It plows to the building core, severing all three gypsum-encased stairwells, dragging combustibles with it. A massive shock wave travels down to the ground and up again. The combustibles and the remnants of the aircraft are ignited by the burning fuel. Since the building lacks a traditional full cage frame and depends almost entirely on the strength of a narrow structural core running up the center, the fire at the center of the impact zone is in a position to compromise the integrity of all internal columns. Two home video cameras are known to have recorded the impact. People below the severed stairwells in the north tower start to evacuate; no-one above the impact zone is able to do so.
Graphic  8:46 to 10:29: At least 100 people (some accounts say as many as 250), primarily in the north tower, trapped by fire and smoke in the upper floors, jump to their deaths. There is some evidence that large central portions of the floor near the impact zone in the north tower collapsed soon after the plane hit, perhaps convincing some people that total collapse was imminent. One person at street level, firefighter Daniel Thomas Suhr, is hit by a jumper and dies. No form of airborne evacuation is attempted as smoke is too dense for a successful landing on the roof of either tower.
Graphic  9:03 AM: Flight 175 crashes into the south WTC tower.
Graphic  9:03:13: Flight 175 crashes at about 590 mph (950 km/h) into the south side of the south tower, banked between floors 78 and 84. By this time, several media organizations are covering the first plane crash; millions see the impact live. Parts of the plane leave the building at its east and north sides, falling to the ground six blocks away. A massive evacuation begins in the south tower below its impact zone. One of the stairwells in the south tower remains unblocked, but filled with smoke. This led many people to mistakenly go upwards towards the roof for a rooftop rescue that never came. CNN's headline now reads 'Second plane crashes into World Trade Center'.
Graphic  9:59 AM: The south tower of the World Trade Center collapses.
Graphic  9:59:04: The south tower of the World Trade Center collapses, viewed and heard by a vast television and radio audience. It had stood for 56 minutes 10 seconds since the impact by Flight 175. As the roar of the collapse goes silent, tremendous gray-white clouds of pulverized concrete and gypsum rush through the streets. Most observers think a new explosion or impact has produced smoke and debris that now obscures the south tower. When the wind finally clears the immediate space, it is plain to see that there is no tower.
Graphic  10:28 AM: The World Trade Center north tower collapses.
Graphic  10:28:31: The north tower of the World Trade Center collapses from the top down, as if being peeled apart. Probably due to the destruction of the gypsum-encased stairwells on the impact floors (most skyscraper stairwells are encased in reinforced concrete), no one above the impact zone in the north tower survives. The Marriott Hotel, located at the base of the two towers, is also destroyed. The second collapse is also viewed live on television and heard on radio.
Graphic  The north tower, 1 WTC, stood for 102 minutes 5 seconds after impact. The south tower, 2 WTC, collapsed about 56 minutes later.
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World Trade Center Twin Towers, New York, Sept 11 2001 WORLD TRADE CENTER
Facts About The Twin Towers

Graphic  Each of the WTC towers had 110 stories. Tower One (the North Tower, which featured a massive 360 foot high TV antenna added in 1978) stood 1,368 feet (417 m) high, and Tower Two (the South Tower, which contained the observation deck) was 1,362 feet (415 m) high. The length and breadth of the towers were 208 feet (63.4 m) x 208 feet (63.4 m). Although only Tower 1 featured an antenna, the structure of both buildings were designed to carry a broadcast mast.
Graphic  Of the 110 stories, eight were set aside for technical services (mechanical floors), in four two-floor areas evenly spread up the building. All the remaining floors were free for open-plan offices. Each tower had 3.8 million square feet (350,000 mª) of office space.
Graphic  The complex, located in the heart of New York City's downtown financial district, contained 13.4 million square feet (1.24 million mª) of office space, almost four percent of Manhattan's entire office inventory. During the 1990s some 500 companies, especially financial firms, had offices in the complex, including Morgan Stanley, Aon Corporation, Salomon Brothers, and the Port Authority itself.
Graphic  Each floor of the Twin Towers was approximately one acre in size.
Graphic  When the Towers collapsed they fell nearly ¼ of a mile to earth, and reached a speed of 120 miles per hour.
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Overlay of 767 Aircraft on WTC architectural drawing. IMPACT OF THE AIRLINERS
The Force Of The Impact On The Twin Towers

Graphic  The towers were struck by hijacked Boeing 767 jet planes, American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175.
Graphic  A typical Boeing 767 is 180 feet (55 m) long and has a wingspan of 156 feet (48 m), with a capacity of up to 24,000 US gallons (91,000 l) of jet fuel.
Graphic  The planes hit the towers at very high speeds. Flight 11 was traveling roughly 490 mph (790 km/h) when it crashed into the 1 WTC, the north tower; flight 175 hit 2 WTC, the south tower, at about 590 mph (950 km/h).
Graphic  The resulting explosions in each tower ignited 10,000 gallons (c. 40,000 l) of jet fuel and immediately spread the fire to several different floors while consuming paper, furniture, carpeting, computers, books, walls, framing and other items in all the affected floors.
Graphic  The jet fuel probably burned out in less than 10 minutes; the contents of the buildings burned over the next hour or hour and a half, according to the lead investigator of the NIST investigation.
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Burial of a firefighter after 911 LOSS OF LIFE ON 9/11
Facts About The Victims Of 9/11

Graphic  2,749 death certificates were filed relating to the WTC attacks, as of February 2005.
Graphic  13 people died after the disaster, from injuries received on September 11; three of these people died in Massachusetts, Missouri, and New Jersey, and the rest died in New York.
Graphic  Of the 2,749 people who died, 2,117 (77%) were males and 632 (23%) were females.
911 wtc death toll in the Twin Towers Graphic  1,588 (58%) were forensically identified from recovered physical remains.
Graphic  The median age for the victims was 39 years (range: 2-85 years); the median age was 38 years for females (range: 2-81 years) and 39 years for males (range: 3-85 years). Three people were aged under 5 years, and three were aged over 80 years.
Graphic  23 New York City Police Officers died on September 11th, 2001.
Graphic  People from 83 different countries died in the attacks on the World Trade Center.
Graphic  Hundreds to thousands of more people will continue to experience a reduced quality of life and unfortunate death due to the release of asbestos in the air when the towers fell, causing tragic mesothelioma cancer.
Graphic  For more complete statistics on the World Trade Center loss of life, visit this site: September 11th, 2001 Victims
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Plane hitting WTC, Sept 11 2001 OTHER VARIOUS FACTS
Other Facts About The Attacks On World Trade Center WTC On September 11th, 2001
Compiled by USA Today

Graphic  The youngest passenger on the hijacked jets was Christine Hanson on United Airlines Flight 175. She was 2 and on her first trip to Disneyland.
Graphic  The oldest passenger on the hijacked jets was Robert Norton on American Airlines Flight 11. He was 82.
Graphic  The New York City Fire Department lost 343 firefighters, almost half the number of on-duty deaths in the department's 100-year history.
Graphic  The south tower collapsed at a magnitude of 2.1 on a seismograph; the north tower collapsed with a magnitude of 2.3, according to Columbia University in New York.
Graphic  91 baseball games were postponed in the six days Major League Baseball suspended play, the longest postponement, excluding work stoppages, for regular-season games since World War I in 1918.
Graphic  Sirius, one of the first bomb-sniffing K-9 dogs stationed near the World Trade Center after the 1993 terrorist bombing, died in the Sept. 11 attacks.
Graphic  Fifteen million square feet of office space was lost at the WTC, more than three times the amount of space at the Sears Tower in Chicago. 1,430 people with 50,000 employees from 26 countries called the WTC "the office."
Graphic  1,337 vehicles were crushed when the towers collapsed, including 91 FDNY vehicles - a little more than half of all the fire vehicles in Louisville.
Graphic  1.5 million working hours during 261 days were spent removing the debris at the WTC site.
Graphic  Seven in 10 Americans say they have experienced depression since the attacks. New York State Office of Mental Health estimates more than 33,000 showed symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.
Graphic  America's Blood Centers, a network of community banks, collected 251,370 units, nearly three times the normal intake, in the four days after Sept. 11. The Red Cross collected more than 200,000 units and saw its on-hand supply nearly double, from 80,000 units to 156,000 units in days.
Graphic  The fires at Ground Zero burned for 99 days, until Dec. 19.
(Sources: USATODAY research by April Umminger, Joan Murphy, Lori Joseph, William Risser, Darryl Haralson, Mary Cadden)
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Many of the other facts on this page were compiled from Wikipedia the free encyclopedia.

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