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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Busy Week Past, Busy Week Ahead for President Obama

Sunday, January 31, 2010




Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

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Political Cartoon compliments of MSNBC

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A NOTE FROM JAMES, THE EDITOR OF "OBAMA IN THE WHITE HOUSE BLOG"

 I wanted to take the time to thank everyone who reads this blog. Obviously it is all about Barack Obama and the world around him, and I would hope that people take the time out to read the articles. Become a FOLLOWER if you so desire, and read about him every day. Updated articles are written as soon as it is possible for me to write. Also, you can become part of this blog by either writing a comment on your selected post or you can send an email to obamainthewhitehouse.usa@gmail.com and criticize the blog as you wish, or include an article that you would like to have published. I would encourage original articles only to be published, but you will receive full credit of the article if published.

Editor JAMES

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Obama Ready to Fight to the Finish

Many people expected to hear during the 'State of the Union' speech that President Obama would back off of some of his goals, being that some of them seem so hard too achieve. With the President slumping in the polls, he has decided to stick to his agenda. Many would think that the State of the Union address would be the perfect medium for President Obama to make some concessions regarding his upcoming policies, and sway some of the moderate voters his way. But this method most of the time does not work. The opposition party, namely the Republicans would most likely take the concessions to prove to the American people that the President is weak. Anyone who follows President Obama as I do know that he is anything but a weak President. Do you remember the campaign words "yes we can"  and "change" which incidentally are two factors that won him the presidency, but now, you can add one more slogan to his resume. How about "WE DON'T QUIT". Yes, President Obama has at least 3 more years to go in his 1st term, but whether it be only his first, or instead represent his last, he is determined to go with his plan. So yes, it will be a long hard winter, not for just the President, but for all of the Republicans who thought that President Obama could be swayed in their direction. Maybe the Republicans fail to see that the President represents one of the most non-conservative Presidents in history. Filled with the facts of the economy, the loss of jobs and the high cost of medical and insurance plans, President Obama is tackling the issues right up front, right from his first term, whether or not his political career may fail because of it. At least, he did something. In the next three years, President Obama will continue to strive to what he feels the people of the United States need and deserve.
Another battle now approaches. With the congressional elections approaching this year, mid term elections for this President may not go too well. There is a chance that he can loose his power in Congress with a few more conservative Senators elected over the Democrats on both sides of the house. Still, President Obama does not quit. So why is he sticking to his guns? Maybe the following quote from him sums it up. "Just saying no to everything may be good short-term politics, but it is not leadership."
It's only been a year, but how people forget. This country elected him by a large margin over the Republican opposition McCain and Palin. Recently he attended a Republican GOP caucus in Baltimore, and he faced his critics front and center, took questions and delivered answers. They welcomed him in open arms as the invited him to the caucus and he accepted. He spoke his peace, and then started to take more criticism from a party who lost their bid to the White house fair and square, by a man by the name of Barack Obama who deserved to become President.
His message televised on national television, also was pointed at the Democratic leadership in Congress. He said "To Democrats, I would remind you that we still have the largest majority for decades, and the people expect us to solve some problems, not run for the hills".
It appears that the ones that need to make concessions now if they plan on getting anything done at all in Congress will be the Republican and moderate leaderships. President Obama still has veto power, and hopefully he will be allowed to do good for the people, not be shot down every time he tries to do something good for the American people. If things do not get done now in this Presidency, it's not because of a President who tried. It will be because of a Republican opposition that is just too proud to do what is right for their own constituents.

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Job Creation in New York - A Good Signal the Economy Could Turn Around

Friday, January 29, 2010

President Obama's State of the Union Speech highlighted what he stated, the "worst of the storm has passed" regarding the economy spiraling down. It has now stopped falling, but many people are skeptical on how long it will take for the job market to start rising again. The President focused on a few points, starting with job creation, loans for small businesses and the need to revitalize education options. His speech led into these ideas, which happens to be what his total focus will be this year.President Obama also needs to focus on the mid-term elections in the fall, when Democrats stand a chance to loose several more Senate seats in Congress. But regardless of his agenda, President Obama is focusing on what he believes is crucial to the people of the United States,  and not what happens to be the most popular moves a President can take. He also realizes that lately he has taken a fairly unpopular road, which was highlighted by the Republican win in Connecticut to replace the late Senator Ted Kennedy. One of the more popular topics to tackle in 2010 would be the idea of job creation, and to eliminate any further loss of jobs. The unemployment picture still is pretty grim hovering above 10% on the average nationally. In the state of New York for example, the  percentage of people out of work is way under 10 percent, but breaking that down to an actual number of people that is unemployed in New York State, the number is astronomically high. That is not acceptable to President Barack Obama, and he plans to do whatever he can to gain as many jobs in New York as possible. "As many as 581,000 jobs every month between now and then(by November 2011)" according to Barack Obama will have to be created for the job market to really turn around as he expects. Small grant funds are proposed for businesses in New York for example, which means up to $5 million for small businesses will become available.
Many people have stated that during his first year in office, he did too much. Some say that he crippled the country with the rising deficit, while others are waiting for his promises to take hold. In a state like New York, the successful creation of jobs in such a large community of people would signal to the rest of the country and to the world that President Obama is right on his decisions regarding the job market.

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Obama visits the GOP leaders - Answers boldly to Tuff Questions ..

Today in another bold move by the President, Obama continued his post State of the Union Speech tour by making a stop in Baltimore, Maryland. Here, he met the Republican House GOP leaders and acknowledged that the climate in Washington is fairly serious as it should be, but a very dangerous climate which seems to make it very difficult to handle problems. It is not known if President Obama would have made this trip to greet Republican leaders in Maryland if his Democratic Party would have been able to keep a filibuster in the Congress. It looks as if the newly elected Republican Senator in Connecticut changed all that.
As expected there were sharp differences and viewpoints between the two parties, but regardless, Obama accepted the invitation from the House GOP leaders to address their caucus. In a prepared speech, President Obama took questions and gave very serious answers at the Republican retreat.
As was stated by Rep. Mike Pence (Republican) of Indiana, "House Republican leaders are grateful for [Obama's] willingness to come... and have a frank and honest conversation". We welcome the dialogue with the president."
It didn't go unscathed without some accusations by the President, as he accused the Republicans of falsely criticizing his proposals to their followers, especially during the health care rebate. The Republicans told the President that the White House had a deaf ear pointing at them, at least until the new Senator in Connecticut was elected. That definitely caught President Obama's attention.
"Both sides can take some blame for a sour climate on Capitol Hill," Obama said, adding that Democrats and Republicans need to be careful in choosing their rhetoric. "A ton of civility instead of slash and burn would be
President Obama stated that he wanted to have more regular meetings with the GOP leaders, but the Republicans claim it is also important for Nancy Pelosi, house speaker to give the Republicans a greater role in the legislative process.

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No Florida Vacation this Time - Crist and Obama

Yesterday, just a day after the President gave his first state of the Union speech, President Obama flew down to Florida on a few stops to help promote his agenda. When he arrived in Florida, this time it was not to go on an Orlando vacation.
He met the Governor of Florida, Charlie Crist who is a Republican. This time, he wasn't greeted with open arms by the governor, because recently he took a beating from his Republican primary opponent, Marco Rubio, because he embraced the President during a trip when Obama was pressing for the stimulus package last year. Never the less, Governor Crist greeted the President on the tarmac, in a gesture of respect and as it was the proper thing to do. Vice President Biden did not fly with President Obama to Florida, but he arrived in time to take pictures with the President and the Governor.
All that the Governor did here was to meet the President, regardless of which political party in a sign of respect. But it is definitely the likes of Marco Rubio, a strongly professed conservative to criticize another member of his own party in the way that he does, mainly for political gain.

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Barack Obama - A Tall Strong Physique of 6'2"

Do you remember these pictures??? The first picture is a well publicized picture of Senator Barack Obama in Hawaii, just before he took office in November 2008. The second picture of course is a semi-formal position of him in Washington.


 

You may have thought at that time how nice it would be to have a physique like Barack Obama. He is a tall figure, standing 6'2" and sports a baritone voice and a very classy smile. Do you remember  how your parents told you that you could be anything you wanted to be. Generally people want to be physically strong and of sound mind, and to be able to look up at a peer, such as Barack Obama and see that some of the things that seem to be impossible, actually are possible. Barack Obama is living proof of this. He admires Abraham Lincoln, another tall individual. Most people seem to want to take the easy way to become successful, and actually that is not a bad way, but sometimes it is not the smartest way. Take body building for example. To actually build body mass, it can be important to take supplements such as a testosterone booster to build up you physique along with the proper diet. Too much of one or the other is harmful. Supplements are just as they claim, just supplements. It is necessary to understand that you cannot build a healthy body on them alone. A good eating regiment is key. When you use such a product, it is important to learn how others succeeded using it, and how safe it may be. Of course it is important that the product fit within your financial means. This is just one way to build muscle mass in a healthy way.

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President Obama's note after 'State of the Union' Speech

 The following is a note from President Obama sent to me. Notes of this nature will always be forwarded for all to read.. Here is the note immediately below......

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


James --

I just finished delivering my first State of the Union, and I wanted to send you a quick note.

We face big and difficult challenges. Change on the scale we seek does not come easily. But I will never accept second place for the United States of America.

That is why I called for a robust jobs bill without delay. It's why I proposed a small businesses tax credit, new investments in infrastructure, and pushed for climate legislation to create a clean energy economy.

It's why we're taking on big banks, reforming Wall Street, revitalizing our education system, increasing transparency -- and finishing the job on health insurance reform.

It's why I need your help -- because I am determined to fight to defend the middle class, and special interest lobbyists will go all out to fight us.

Help me show that the American people are ready to join this fight for the middle class -- add your name to a letter to Congress today:

http://my.barackobama.com/SOTU

We have finished a difficult year. We have come through a difficult decade. But we don't quit. I don't quit.

Let's seize this moment -- to start anew, to carry the dream forward, and to strengthen our union once more.

President Barack Obama

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1st State of the Union Address by Barack Obama 1/27/2010

Thursday, January 28, 2010

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State of the Union: Highlights, reactions, analyses

Washington (CNN) -- Citing a "deficit of trust" in government by the American people, President Obama's first State of the Union address urged Congress to erode the influence of special interests and work together to confront the nation's most pressing problems.
In the nationally televised speech Wednesday night to a joint session of Congress, Obama sought to reassure Americans angry and nervous about the pace of economic recovery that his government understands the challenges and would act boldly to meet them.
Obama called for a new political climate of "common sense" approaches that invest in the American people without building "a mountain of debt."

Highlights of the speech

"We have to recognize that we face more than a deficit of dollars right now. We face a deficit of trust -- deep and corrosive doubts about how Washington works that have been growing for years," Obama said.
Key areas where Obama wants to build that trust include: the economy, education, energy, health care and national security.
Democrats applauded the remarks of their party's leader.




RELATED TOPICS
"He outlined a road map that, if followed with bipartisan support in Congress, can reduce our deficit, rebuild our economy and create a new foundation of prosperity for American families and businesses," said Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa.
"It was a serious speech -- reached out to Republicans," said Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Maryland, the House majority leader.

iReport: Share your views on the speech

Republicans, however, were skeptical of Obama's ability to change the partisan atmosphere in Washington.
"Real bipartisanship requires more than just lip service; it demands both sides coming together in a real and meaningful way. It's time for the administration to abandon this big-government agenda and start working in a meaningful way with Republicans to find common-sense solutions to move the country forward," said Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah.
"I would have liked to have seen him emphasize reaching out to the other side of the aisle and bringing us together," said Sen. George Voinovich, R-Ohio.

Read more reaction to address

Analysts, too, were mixed in their reactions to what Obama had to say Wednesday night.
CNN political contributor John Avlon said Obama was targeting independents with his remarks, but questioned his success.
"They still hear The Who's 'Won't Get Fooled Again' in the back of their minds," Avlon said.
Democratic strategist James Carville said Obama made progress. "He picked up a first down tonight," Carville said.
And a post-speech opinion poll shows a divided public.
A CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey indicated that 48 percent of speech watchers had a very positive reaction, with three in 10 saying they had a somewhat positive response and 21 percent with a negative response.
See full results of poll
The 48 percent who indicated they had a very positive response is down 20 points from the 68 percent of speech watchers who felt the same way a year ago about the president's February 24 primetime address to a joint session of Congress.
"Wednesday night's State of the Union audience is more Democratic than the nation as a whole, but speech-watchers were less Democratic this year than they were last year," said Keating Holland, CNN polling director. "That may be one reason why the number who gave his speech a 'very positive' rating is lower this year. But part of the reason also may be that speech-watchers didn't necessarily hear a new agenda and aren't confident that the president can improve health care or lower the deficit."

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Sleeping Pills - Which Ones Work and Which Ones Are Safe

Friday, January 22, 2010

Many people such as myself have a hard time falling asleep at nights. Doctors say that it could be because of many things, from bad eating habits to medical reasons. Besides trying to find a pill to help you sleep, there are many things to consider before purchasing a pill that you want to use. Cost is one consideration, but it should not be the most important. Sleeping pills can have a variety of side effects and in some cases, would not be effective for you. One of the safest types would be to find all natural sleeping pills. I try and keep up on the reviews of the products I buy, but in this case, it may be wise to trust some of the research to the experts. These experts would already have compiled different reviews on a variety of products.
The end result here is to get a good nights sleep, by taking the most effective and safest sleeping pill that you can find.

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Uneasy Days for Toyota - 2nd Recall with Gas Pedal Issues

Thursday, January 21, 2010

In one of the biggest recalls in history, Toyota Motor Sales USA is recalling 2.3 million vehicles because of a sticky gas pedal problem. This is a similar recall that has been in effect for over 4.3 million vehicles, where the gas pedal can become stuck under a loose floor mat. So why the new recall if there is already a known problem with the gas pedal? It has been discovered that the gas pedal when depressed may not return in its fully upright position when the gas pedal is no longer depressed. most likely, in most cars, this problem has been caught in time, because this situation would most likely show up on worn gas pedal parts. Never the less, it has been found, and I would highly recommend that all owners involved with the recall immediately schedule their car to be sent to the shop so that any issues can be resolved. The dealership will notify the customers that are at risk. This is an issue that needs to be addressed immediately, so just in case you get the recall notice or know your car can be at risk, then it is highly advisable to get the vehicle checked out.

The vehicles covered under the recall are:

2009-2010 Toyota Rav4, Corolla, Matrix, 2005-2010 Avalon, 2008-2010 Camry, 2010 Highlander, 20078-2010 Tundra and 2008-2010 Sequoia..

The Camry Hybrid is not included in the recall.

Toyota owners with questions should call Toyota's customer service line at 800-331-4331.

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Republican Scott Brown wins Massachusetts Senate Seat over Democratic Challenger Martha Coakley

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Well, the unthinkable just happened. A fairly unknown gentleman by the name of Scott Brown has been voted in the Senate to represent the state of Massachuttes, defeating Democratic challenger Martha Coakley.
To start off, the win is an embarrassment to the Democratic party, and a disgrace squarely belonging to the people of Massachusetts. After a gentleman by the name of Edward (Ted) Kennedy represented that state for so many years, and right on the brink of a health reform bill passage, the state has decided to allow a conservative lawmaker to be at the helm representing their state. The implications to this loss by the Democratic party is far reaching and damaging to the agenda of President Obama.

If the Health Care Reform bill now does not pass,because the Democrats did not hold on to their 60-seat Senate super-majority, the people of Massachusetts are squarely to blame. How in their right liberalistic minds could they even allow such a thing to happen. Appearently there are now just too many 'middle of the road' Democrats in the State. This Republican win in the one state which Democrats knew for sure that they would win, has now been compromised and leaves ample doubt as to the abilities of future Democratic elective officials to keep their jobs.

Everything President Obama has worked so hard for, and intended to work on besides health care reform is now in jeopardy. His topics of interest for 2010, namely employment, economy, and security are now also in jeopardy of getting completed because President Obama just has not found a way to convince the people on the other side of the table, namely the Republicans, that his agenda is the correct one for the people. What he will now have to do is to actually get a Republican or two to accept his future agendas. Recently, he has not been successful, except for one lone incident involving Republican Senator Olympia J. Snow, who sided with Obama recently in the past, but she was the lone Republican that voted against her party on one issue. Presently, there are no known Republicans that would vote for any Health Care Reform plan presented by the Democratic Party, unless the bill was modified to suit their desires. Now that the Senate super-majority is a thing of the past, the President and the Democrats will have to fight tooth and nail to get any bills passed. They will try and get the Health Care Reform bill passed before the new Republican Senator from Massachusetts has his confirmation hearing, but now it is most unlikely that the Democrats can do anything on their own.

All that can be done now is to sit back and witness the damage the people of Massachusetts have caused, do to their rash judgment, to install a conservative official in their Senate seat. Again, the implications of this defeat of the Democrats in Massachusetts will be far reaching, and only time will tell the story.

Obama has been both "surprised and frustrated" by the race, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said Tuesday.

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A New Massachusetts Senator, Scott Brown (R), Martha Coakley (D) to be Named Within Hours

Within the next few hours, President Obama will learn whether or not the Democrats hold on to their 60-seat Senate super-majority or loose the race to give the GOP enough votes to block future Senate votes on health care and other White House priorities. But in the meantime, rumors leaking from the Democratic side of the house  claims that the present health care bill is "better than nothing," according to a 'CNN Politics' report. It appears that the House of Representatives is considering passing the more conservative Senate measure with no alterations. So what does this mean. It means that the Republicans will have attained a major victory in the war against President Obama's present agenda, and for agendas in the future. This can be devastating for the President, and who would have ever thought it would be because a Republican took the seat of the late Edward Kennedy, the one man who lived most of his 42 year Senate career trying to get a better health care package through Congress. This also goes to show you how powerful Senator Ted Kennedy was, and now after that many years, the state of Massachusetts may have a Republican Senator.

An update to this race will be posted right here on this website.

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Rush Limbaugh Shows a Lack of Respect towards President Barack Obama

Last Friday, in another stupid remark by the talk show host Rush Limbaugh, he accused the President of using the disaster in Haiti for political gain.

Here we go again. Rush and his cohorts are the most negative sounding talk show hosts ever. He really never has anything nice to say about President Obama, and regardless of what he does, he brings him down. Rush Limbaugh displays disrespect for the President on a regular basis.

I don't know about you, but if you had a chance to listen to him lately on his daily show on his conservative radio station, you could see how insanely obsessed he is about his negativism towards President Barack Obama.

Now, do the readers of this article believe that President Obama is using his comments about Haiti for political gain? I would believe that most do not. In matter in fact, members of the Republican party have largely expressed their support for the president's efforts.

Robert Gibbs, the Obama White House Press Secretary, accused Rush with having no compassion after his remarks. "I think in times of great crisis, there are always people that say really stupid things," Gibbs said yesterday. "I don't know how anybody - I don't know how anybody could sit where he does, having enjoyed the success that he has, and not feel some measure of sorrow for what has happened in Haiti." If Rush Limbaugh had any compassion at all, he would formally apologize to the President, but I don't believe that he's enough of a man to do so. Rush Limbaugh would have no respect for any liberal politician. He thinks he is always right, and everyone else is always wrong. He was even quoted as saying that the "Republicans are not true conservatives".
For one thing, he gets paid to say what he does, and to stir up an argument as he has regarding President Obama and Haiti. He always finds a way to hit the liberal hot buttons, especially mine.

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Obama cites Waxahachie woman's breast cancer nightmare: acne used as pretext to cancel insurance

Regardless of the type of acne a person has, whether it be facial acne, chest acne or other type, this should never be a reason why an insurance company would cancel someones policy.

President Obama has cited a Texas case as a case in point for what's wrong with the health care system - a woman whose breast cancer treatment was delayed when the insurance company canceled her policy for failing to report a pre-existing condition: acne.

That's a pretty outrageous scenario, and what makes it an especially potent anecdote for the president is that - although he didn't mention it - the lawmaker who intervened on the woman's behalf was none other than Rep. Joe Barton of Ennis, the senior Republican on the powerful House commerce committee.

Her name is Robin Beaton of Waxahachie. In June, she testified about her plight to Congress, eight months after finally undergoing the breast removal surgery. Here's a CNN report.

Obama tonight:

    "...More and more Americans pay their premiums, only to discover that their insurance company has dropped their coverage when they get sick, or won't pay the full cost of care. It happens every day.... [A] woman from Texas was about to get a double mastectomy when her insurance company canceled her policy because she forgot to declare a case of acne. By the time she had her insurance reinstated, her breast cancer more than doubled in size. That is heart-breaking, it is wrong, and no one should be treated that way in the United States of America."

No comment yet from Barton about the president co-opting a story he championed, given his strong disdain for Obama's approach to reforming health care.

Read Beaton's testimony here. Watch it here.

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Clinton and Bush to Team Up in Haiti Support Effort

Monday, January 18, 2010

Most people have the right heart when they hear and talk about the natural disaster that turned Haiti in ruins. But now there are two distinguished past Presidents, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush who are uniting to create the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund, a major fund raising effort for victims of Tuesday's earthquake led by Clinton and former President George W. Bush. Clinton is preparing to meet with Haitian President Rene Preval, his government and aid workers to discuss how to proceed with recovery operations. The announcement of the fund came two days ago, but I now find it kind of odd to see President Bush so pro-active in helping victims of Haiti, when he didn't seem to give much help to the native Americans in New Orleans during the natural disaster of Hurricane Katrina. Why does he have a change of heart. I must apologize to some of the readers of this blog who support the ideals of President Bush, but I honestly think that he is doing just too little way too late. Yes, he wants to help the world now, but what about the people of New Orleans. Maybe he still doesn't get it. The state still has not fully recovered. People have lost their homes and all of their belongings, including loved ones. Some of these people still are suffering from what had happened almost a decade ago.

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Senate Race in Massachusetts Set for Tomorrow

Edward Kennedy, an icon who represented the Massachusetts Senate, can become the sole reason why the health care reform bill will not pass. You might consider that statement unthinkable, because he fought the majority of his long Senate career for promoting health care reform. But, now he is gone. His death last year left a vacancy in the Massachusetts Senate, and the Democrats and now trying to even consider backup plans, just in case the Democratic candidate Marthy Coakley looses the race on Tuesday. Tomorrow, the nation will know if the top White House aides may be engaging in contingency plans to try and save the health care reform bill.
President Obama has been campaigning with Marthy Coakley in Massachusetts on Sunday, and the goal according to a White House Spokesman is to pass the health care reform with 60 votes. It could even be done with a Senate vote as low as 51 votes, but this simple majority would require technical and procedural issues that would prolong the process for quite some time. Not even the Democrats want to prolong this issue into the new year. If the Republican Scott Brown is elected to the Senate the filibuster proof Democratic Senate dies. One option may be to get the reform bill pushed through before Brown takes office. But the unthinkable does happen. What if the health care overhaul dies? Democrats are afraid to believe that his health care bill will fail because they spent so much time in 2009 trying to get it passes, along with so much political capital by the President.

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Haiti Earthquake - Hurricane Katrina - Very Different Catastrophes

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Some people are already comparing the earthquake in Haiti with the likings of Hurricane Katrina. Devastation usually reigns, sometimes either in a small or large scale.  Both generally result in a loss of life, and there can be tremendous suffering because of it. But the one main difference is that with a hurricane, there is most always sufficient warning for people to get out of the way. But when it comes to an earthquake, how can anyone prepare for it? The answer is simple. In poverty stricken countries like Haiti, you just can't prepare for it. It happens, people get trapped, crushed and killed, sometimes in a few seconds, but other times the death resulting from an earthquake can be a slow one. In Haiti, people were using their hands, pulling up one stone at a time to help free their friends and relatives. It's been nearly 5 days since the earthquake rocked Haiti, and there are people that are still trapped, some without food or water. Most likely those people may already be dead, because of starvation and the lack of fluids.
President Obama is outwardly reaching to Haiti, and providing necessary help and relief efforts in an attempt to help bring this tragedy to a close. But the scares of this earthquake will be felt by native Haitians for years and decades. Lives and homes have been lost. Even the Presidential Palace ended up in ruins. In a recent conversation with the President of Haiti, he told the reporter that he did not have a place to live or even a place to sleep. There are no national emergency measures in force at this time, and without the help of outside countries, there would be a monumental loss of life, along with disease and famine spreading wild.
Many peace keeping countries around the world are sending aid to the earthquake stricken country. Countries around the world are swinging behind a huge aid effort for quake-ravaged Haiti, with at least 30 nations having sent or readying help, a US official said on Friday.
Eight search-and-rescue teams were already on the ground in Port-au-Prince comprising about 260 personnel, who had joined the grim search for survivors among the ruins, State Department spokesman PJ Crowley said.
"Obviously this is still a very growing list, but our estimate is that at least 30 countries have meaningful assistance that has already reached Haiti or is en route," he said.
"So not only is the United States' commitment to Haiti growing, but also the international commitment as well."
Apart from a US team on the ground, there were also staff in place from Iceland, Spain, Chile, he said, adding they had helped free to people from the ruins.
UN chief Ban Ki-moon announced earlier that relief workers from China, the Dominican Republic, France and Venezuela had also joined the huge operation to help the Haitians devastated by Tuesday's 7.0 quake.
Crowley also confirmed news of the first American to have been killed by the massive temblor, identifying her as the US cultural affairs officer in Haiti, Victoria DeLong, who had served in the country since 2009.
"It's a tragedy for the State Department, for our family and the public diplomacy and public affairs world," Crowley said, adding she died when her home collapsed.

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Obama Diet - Not Really a Diet

Some people do not worry about the food that they eat. But others have to watch what they eat, and even include diet supplements at times. Take Barack Obama for example. When it comes to food, Barack Obama eats pretty much anything, from chicken wings and barbecue and ribs to grilled fish and steamed broccoli, according to steadyhealth.com. But when he was campaigning before elected President, you could catch him eating  a cheeseburger.(Cheddar is the cheese of choice.) Obama likes MET-Rx chocolate roasted-peanut protein bars and bottles of a hard-to-find organic brew -- Black Forest Berry Honest Tea. He keeps a supply of both on hand. Here are his other likes -- and dislikes.

WHAT HE EATS
* Planters trail mix: nuts, seeds and raisins
* Roasted almonds
* Pistachios
* Dentyne Ice
* Nicorette
* Vegetables, especially broccoli and spinach
* Handmade milk chocolates from Fran's chocolates in Seattle

WHAT HE DOESN'T
* Mayonnaise
* Salt and vinegar potato chips
* Asparagus ("if no other vegetables are available, he'll eat it")
* Beets
* Soft drinks (he prefers water)
* Ice cream

President-elect Barack Obama is not exactly a picky eater, but he does have his favorite foods. Some are good and nutritious, but some are considered just plain junk foods. A high number of people are not as fortunate as President Obama when it comes to diet, and in some cases, you may need to acquire diet supplements that work. But there should be a criteria that you may want to follow when searching for the best supplement. Ingredients are always a factor, and how effecient they may be. Are you alergic to specific foods or medicine?  There may be side effects to using different varieties of medicine. It's important to know how popular a specific product is and how it is used. You can find out by reading customer reviews, and as is with most products you buy, a return policy should be available just in case the product will not work for you.

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Catastrophe in Haiti - Note from President Obama

Friday, January 15, 2010

 I received the following note from President Obama, and I would like to share it with you.....


James --

On Tuesday, a catastrophic earthquake struck near Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The full extent of the damage is still being assessed, but the death toll -- already in the thousands -- is climbing fast.

This is the worst earthquake to hit the area in more than 200 years. Entire communities have been ripped apart and as many as 3 million people have been directly affected, including tens of thousands of American citizens who are in Haiti.

Our neighbors in Haiti are racing to confront the enormous devastation -- and the OFA community can help.

Click here for more information about essential relief efforts and ways you can help today.

Footage is pouring in of homes collapsing, Haitians carrying injured family members, and hospitals being overrun in what was already the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere.

I have directed my administration to respond with a swift, coordinated, and aggressive effort to save lives. Personnel from the United States and our partners in the international community are on the ground in damaged areas right now, working side by side with the Haitian people. They're providing much-needed food, water, and sanitation supplies, saving lives and helping local communities start to rebuild.

Despite the fact that we are experiencing tough times here at home, I encourage those who can to reach out and help. It's in times like these that we must show the kind of compassion and humanity that has defined the best of our national character for generations.

Click here to find out what you can do:

http://my.barackobama.com/Haiti

As this story continues to unfold, I hope you will continue to keep the people of Haiti in your thoughts and prayers, as well as the many Haitian-Americans who have done so much to enrich our country and who are worried about friends and loved ones in this time of need.

Thank you,

President Barack Obama

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Do Presidents Eat Healthy? History says 'Absolutely Not'

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Presidents are generally not noted for what they eat. But during a Hawaiian vacation last year, President Obama prior to taking office was caught on camera displaying what most people would consider a very healthy physique. Is President Obama naturally slim or is it because of what he eats or has eaten. As a child as mentioned in his book "Dreams From My Father" he claims to have eaten dog, snake and grasshoppers as a boy in Indonesia. Now that's different. I don't think I could eat grasshoppers, can you? Most likely it's not because of his love for the local Chicago joint foods. But he seems to have the metabolism to keep slim. He most likely exercises allot after a hard day at work, as he would be considered an avid basketball player. President Clinton had a weakness for junk food, but he never went to a place that was distinguished in a sense that would say they were made famous from his visits. Before that--hard to imagine Nixon, Eisenhower, Hoover as anything but steak and potato guys, though Taft looked like a guy who could down two dozen oysters as prelude to a rack of lamb.There are several techniques in loosing weight these days, from various exercise routines to diet pills, to special diet meals. One way to burn fat would be to increase metabolism. You can mainly do this through a diet or with pills. The safer way by far would be through a healthier diet in combination with exercise. So how does this work? In a nutshell, foods that burn fat actually burn more calories than the content of calories in the food you are consuming. In this type of diet, you do not have to worry on how much food that you eat, as long as you combine it with exercise. Usually either one or the other by itself will almost never work. So there is a technique that you can master, a plan that may work for you but not for others. But eating healthy most always would be more beneficial to everyone, and that would mean eating the proper types of foods that would help increase metabolism to burn calories.

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Obama intends to Tax the Largest Banking Institutions that profited from the TARP Money

Who said President Obama would not call for tax money to recoup money loaned? President Obama wasn't kidding when he said that he intends to get every penny of the taxpayers money back from the largest banks and institutions. Calling it the "financial crisis responsibility fee" it is designed for those big companies to pay a penalty if the monies loaned to them are not paid back in full. But even that statement is not 100% totally true. Details of this plan will be part of Obama's proposed 2011 budget, which will be released in February. So why now at the beginning of 2010 is Obama making this announcement. First, it is to give these institutions a 2nd look at what they may potentially have to pay if they do not find a good way to pay the money back. Obama also thinks it is fitting now because these larger companies are already bouncing back from the Troubled Asses Relief Program, and already issuing massive bonuses. If they can afford this, Obama claims, "they are surely in good enough shape to afford paying back every penny to taxpayers." This money is expected to come from the largest of the banking institutions, approximately $90 billion estimated over 10 years. Now the kicker. Even  if banking institutions that have already paid back 100% of the money may be subject to the tax. They may be taxed considerably less if they have already paid their government loan back. A benefit from this tax would be to help the U.S. fiscal position, because it was worsened by the crisis. President Obama fully intends to get every penny of the money back.

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The Necessity of Computer Backups

In the news just about every other day, you hear about hackers getting into computers that contain highly sensitive material. The U.S. Government led by President Obama, has been leading the way to implement measures on preventing the attacks and do what it takes to keep data safe. So it is done from the highest levels of government, all the way down to the individual PC user. Several companies have opened their services to PC users, so that data can be protected by an online backup. It is not only important to backup your computer because of hackers and on-line viruses, but because PC's will naturally fail over a given period of time. I don't know about you, but what would you do if you lost all of our important files, pictures and documents just because you did not backup your computer data? To most, this may be a hassle, but operating systems like the new Windows 7 provide a way to automatically backup your information. But if you are like me, you may have a terabyte or two of information on your hard drive, and that would require another local hard drive to archive or backup data. It may be costly, but why would anyone leave critical backup information in one place, especially in the same place as the original information. Backing up the information not on site seems the way to go. There are several services that provide the online backup capability, and you just may want to see what they have to offer.

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OBAMA Family Life

Sunday, January 10, 2010

When Barack Obama celebrates America's racial and cultural diversity, he speaks from a lifetime of personal experience. In The Audacity of Hope, he wrote: "As the child of a black man and a white woman, someone who was born in the racial melting pot of Hawaii, with a sister who's half-Indonesian but who's usually mistaken for Mexican or Puerto Rican, and a brother-in-law and niece of Chinese descent, with some blood relatives who resemble Margaret Thatcher and others who could pass for Bernie Mac, so that family get-togethers over Christmas take on the appearance of a UN General Assembly meeting, I've never had the option of restricting my loyalties on the basis of race, or measuring my worth on the basis of tribe."

Obama's wife, Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama, was born on January 17, 1964. Their first daughter, Malia Ann, was born on July 4, 1998, and their second daughter, Natasha, known as Sasha, was born on June 10, 2001. All three were born in Chicago and, until moving to Washington on January 5, 2009, two months after Barack Obama was elected President, they had spent almost their entire lives there. The Obamas chose to send their daughters to Sidwell Friends School, Sasha as a second-grader at the school's Bethesda, Maryland, elementary school campus and Malia as a fifth-grader at its middle school campus in Washington. The Obamas were accompanied to Washington by Michelle's mother, Marian Shields Robinson, whom they invited to live with them in the White House. Robinson is the only surviving parent of either Barack or Michelle Obama. Other close family members include Michelle Obama's brother, Craig Robinson, who is the men's basketball coach at Oregon State University and Barack Obama's half-sister Maya Soetoro Ng. Ng was born in 1970 in Indonesia, the daughter of Obama's mother and her second husband, Lolo Soetoro. She teaches school in Hawaii.

Growing up, Barack Obama's family influenced his values in ways that later shaped his political philosophy. "Empathy . . . is at the heart of my moral code . . . ," he wrote in The Audacity of Hope, "a call to stand in somebody else's shoes and see through their eyes. Like most of my values, I learned about empathy from my mother." As a result, Obama is "angry about policies that consistently favor the wealthy and powerful over average Americans, and insist[s] that government has an important role in opening up opportunity to all."

Proud Democrat that he is, however, Obama is critical of his party's reflexive liberalism. "In reaction to a war that is ill-conceived," he wrote, "we appear suspicious of all military action. In reaction to those who claim the market can cure all ills, we resist efforts to use market principles to attack pressing problems. In reaction to religious overreach, we equate tolerance with secularism." Interestingly, in The Audacity of Hope, the figures he praised most, except for Franklin D. Roosevelt, were Republican icons: Alexander Hamilton, Abraham Lincoln, and Ronald Reagan, not Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson, or Bill Clinton.

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Michael Steele in the Hot Seat with the Republican Party

Michael Steele, the Republican party chairman, has been taking tons of flack from members of his own party, and rumors have it that many of them are calling for him to step down.
So why are they so upset with him? Within the last few days, Chairman Steele published a book and commented that the Republican party will not take back the house in November. The Republicans now believe that the Chairman is now hurting the party more than helping it. And of all times for this to happen. During a week that saw several high-profile Democratic retirements, Steele seems to be digging himself deeper and deeper, because he is saying things that the Republican party just does not support. The direction that he is taking eventually will lead towards his resignation as the Republican Chairman.
Now the question is posed, who would take his place? Maybe he will be able to keep his job, but it will be interesting to see if he continues with his predictions about the inability of his own party to take the Senate in November.

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President Obama's Call for new reforms within his Intelligence Agencies

Saturday, January 9, 2010

After returning from his Hawaiian vacation over the holidays, President Obama is still answering questions regarding the botched December 25 terror bombing of a U.S. bound jetliner. In a deliberate move, President Obama is calling on major reforms because of the attack.  He is now stipulating the need for more accountability within his staff and the agencies that should be taking measures to protect U.S. citizens.  But again, President Obama believes that he holds the ultimate responsibility.
So who is responsible for the near tragic fate of the people aboard the airliner? A Nigerian national by the name of Umar Farouk AbdulMutallab at age 23 was responsible. He was carrying explosives in his underwear and tried to detonate the explosives when his plan that originated from Amsterdam, Netherlands was making its final approach to Detroit, Michigan on Christmas day. Instead of detonating, a fire started in his seat.
Obama sighted problems that contributed to the government's failure to prevent the attack. Intelligence officials knew that there was an al Qaeda organization in Yemen that had intentions to strike the United States, and that they were preparing people to carry out attacks. The  U.S. government was aware of this.  But there was no deliberate follow up with the information that was known. Obama also sights that in the analysis phase, there was no connection with the intelligence to indicate that there was an issue.  This seemed to all contribute to irregularities in the U.S. watch-listing system which resulted in the bomber not added to the no-fly list.
What is sad about the intelligence community, was that they had all the major pieces on the table, but failed in order to put it together and realize the seriousness of the situation. A six-page summary reported that the U.S. has enough information on what was about to happen, but did not respond. This seems to be dreadfully similar to what President Bush experienced with his Central Intelligence agency in the days and hours before the bombings on 911.
So how is President Bush addressing the issue? Through immediate reforms such as the following:
First, he ordered the intelligence community to assign specific responsibility to individuals to pursue all leads on specific high-priority threats. "We must follow the leads that we get, and we must pursue them until plots are disrupted. And that means assigning clear lines of responsibility," he said.
Second, intelligence reports will be distributed more widely and quickly, he added.
Third, Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair will overhaul current intelligence analysis efforts.
Fourth, the government will strengthen the criteria used to add people to its terrorist watch lists, particularly the no-fly list.
Watch President Obama explain what happened and the steps he has already implemented to correct the problem.

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Burj Dubai, Worlds Tallest Building - Opened today

Monday, January 4, 2010



January 4, 2010 - Burj Dubai, the world’s newest tallest building opened tonight with a stunning fireworks spectacle belying the structure’s dismal occupancy rate.  
Ten thousand fireworks ascended the structure’s 2,717 foot spine, cascading in orgasmic bursts, falling to the 500-acre Downtown Burj Dubai on which the building sits.
Nearly 900 high powered “stroboscope lights” lasered Dubai's  tower, sending hypnotic pulses around the downtown area. Other displays featured a simulated “beating heart” created via 300 space canon projectors. Developer Emaar Properties' corporate logo was re-created, shooting the symbol’s iconic sun beams into the ink sky.
The tower cost $1.5 billion U.S. to build, with the entire surrounding “Downtown Dubai” budget clocking in at $20 billion.
The tower was recently re-named after Burj Khalifa, the ruler of United Arab Emirates'  Abu Dhabi, which pumped $10 billion into the ailing emirate.
Watch a video of the spectacle below.




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