Stanley “Ann” Dunham and her son, the future President of the United State of America, Barack Obama at the Honolulu Zoo.
Marian Robinson and her daughter, the future First Lady of the United States of America, Michelle Obama.
Pro President Obama Blog
There's new energy to harness, new jobs to be created, new schools to build, and threats to meet, alliances to repair. The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even in one term. But, America, I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you, we as a people will get there. – Barack Obama 11-04-08
President Barack Obama
Saturday May 7, 2011
All Times Eastern
Pres Obama receives the presidential daily briefing
8:00 AM
9:00 AM
10:00 AM
11:00 AM
12:00 PM
First Lady Michelle Obama gives the commencement speech at the University of Northern Iowa
1:00 PM
2:00 PM
3:00 PM
4:00 PM
5:00 PM
6:00 PM
7:00 PM
8:00 PM
9:00 PM
10:00 PM
May 7, 2011
WhiteHouse.gov http://www.whitehouse.gov/live
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CNN http://live.cnn.com
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CSPAN http://www.cspan.org/
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Department of Defense http://win.2.c2.audiovideoweb.com/2c2winlive1020
10:00 AM EDT
The Navy will christen the newest guided-missile destroyer, The Michael Murphy, at General Dynamics Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine.
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Middle East Protest
Al Jazeera – English http://english.aljazeera.net
Ann Dunham
Stanley Ann Dunham (November 29, 1942 – November 7, 1995), the mother of Barack Obama, the 44th President of the United States, was an American anthropologist who specialized in economic anthropology and rural development. Dunham was nicknamed Anna, later known as Dr. Stanley Ann Dunham Soetoro, and finally Ann Dunham Sutoro. Born in Wichita, Kansas, Dunham spent her childhood in California, Oklahoma, Texas and Kansas and her teenage years in Mercer Island, Washington, and much of her adult life in Hawaii and Indonesia.
Dunham studied at the Honolulu University of Hawaii Manoa campus, and the University of Hawaii Manoa’s East–West Center, where she attained a bachelor’s in anthropology or mathematics and master’s and Ph.D. in anthropology. Interested in craftsmanship, weaving and the role of women in cottage industries, Dunham’s research focused on women’s work on the island of Java and blacksmithing in Indonesia. To address the problem of poverty in rural villages, she created microcredit programs while working as a consultant for the United States Agency for International Development. Dunham was also employed by the Ford Foundation in Jakarta and she consulted with the Asian Development Bank in Pakistan. Towards the latter part of her life, she worked with Bank Rakyat Indonesia, where she helped apply her research to the largest microfinance program in the world.
After her son assumed the presidency, interest renewed in Dunham’s work: The University of Hawaii held a symposium about her research; an exhibition of Dunham’s Indonesian batik textile collection toured the United States; and in December 2009, Duke University Press published Surviving against the Odds: Village Industry in Indonesia, a book based on Dunham’s original 1992 dissertation.
In an interview, Barack Obama referred to his mother as “the dominant figure in my formative years… The values she taught me continue to be my touchstone when it comes to how I go about the world of politics.”
For the entire article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanley_Ann_Dunham
Obama’s Tribute to his Mother
Uploaded by ObamaYesWeCan on Feb 15, 2008
An extract from the preface to Barack Obama’s first book “Dreams from my Father”, in which he pays tribute to his mother Ann Dunham
Legacy of the President’s Mother
1/14/2009 hawaii.edu
The candidacy and election of President Barack Obama drew international eyes to the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, where his parents met. But among some at the university, it is Obama’s late mother who stirs strong emotions of memory and hope.
Stanley Ann Dunham took an unconventional approach to life on both personal and professional levels. Her son’s book portrays her as an innocent, kind and generous; academics who knew her and reporters who have discovered her describe the idealism and optimism of her worldview and work ethic.
In her work, she was not a romantic, rather appreciating the artistic while dealing with the realistic, one contemporary observes.
Dunham was born in Kansas and attended high school in Washington State. Moving to Hawaiʻi with her parents, she entered UH in 1960. In Russian class, she met the first African student to attend UH, charismatic Barack Obama Sr., who moved in politically liberal, intellectual student circles that included future Congressman Neil Abercrombie. They married and had Barack Obama Jr. in 1961.
Obama Sr. left his family for Harvard and then Kenya. Dunham returned to UH, earning a math degree. She pursued graduate work, married another international student, Lolo Soetoro, and returned with him to Indonesia. There she began extensive research and fieldwork and welcomed the birth of daughter Maya Kassandra Soetoro, nine years Barack’s junior.
Although eventually divorced a second time, Dunham is credited with encouraging her children’s appreciation of their ethnic heritages.
“She was one of the most caring mothers you can imagine,” recalls UH Librarian Bron Solyom, a fellow graduate student who shared scholarly interests and a lasting friendship.
Weaving her studies as an anthropologist with her role as a mother and using United States-based correspondence materials, recordings of gospel singer Mahalia Jackson and speeches by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Dunham home-schooled both of her children in the early morning hours before classes at the nearby Indonesian school.
For the entire article: http://www.hawaii.edu/malamalama/2009/01/lessons-for-president-obama/
The Ann Dunham Soetoro Endowed Fund
The Ann Dunham Soetoro Endowment is a tribute to an independent thinker who used Applied Anthropology to analyze situations and prevailing assumptions to develop creative and effective solutions. It is a living legacy to a compassionate human being who lived and worked among the people she was studying, seeking to understand their culture and values in a way that allowed her to bring about lasting change. With a faculty position housed in the Anthropology Department at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, and fellowships administered by the East-West Center, the Ann Dunham Soetoro Endowment will support action-oriented research and teaching that seek to influence the next generation of committed scholars working in Asia and the Pacific.
http://www.uhfoundation.org/donor_resources/giving_opportunities/dunhamsoetoro_endowed_fund.aspx
A Legacy of Learning
Ann Dunham Soetoro’s dedication to education for herself and her children, and to providing educational tools to communities in Indonesia, reflect her belief that knowledge builds the foundation by which people can help themselves and others.
Her commitment to partnering with others to create sustainable change is evident throughout her life’s work and studies. While at the Ford Foundation in Indonesia, Ann worked with non-governmental organizations to support programs addressing women and poverty; later she established extensive microcredit programs throughout Indonesia and Pakistan. Ann personally sponsored dozens of students in Indonesia so they could work with her to learn about microcredit, research and crafts.
For the entire article: http://www.uhfoundation.org/donor_resources/giving_opportunities/dunhamsoetoro_endowed_fund.aspx
Panel on Ann Dunham’s “Surviving against the Odds: Village Industry in Indonesia”
Ann Dunham
Duke University Press recently published anthropologist Ann Dunham’s “Surviving against the Odds,” a revised and edited version of her 1992 University of Hawaii dissertation on metalworking industries in Java, Indonesia. Ms. Dunham, President Barack Obama’s mother, died in 1995.
The book was edited by Dunham’s graduate advisor, Alice Dewey, and fellow graduate student, Nancy Cooper. During this event, part of the American Anthropological Association’s annual meeting, Dewey and Cooper were joined by Ann Dunham’s daughter, Maya Soetoro-Ng, who wrote the foreword for the book.
Economic anthropologist Ann Dunham received her doctorate from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Before her death at age 52, she worked on development projects through organizations like USAID, the World Bank, and the Ford Foundation.
For the entire article: http://www.booktv.org/Program/11147/Panel+on+Ann+Dunhams+Surviving+against+the+Odds+Village+Industry+in+Indonesia.aspx
Maya on Her and Barack’s Mother
Uploaded by BarackObamadotcom on Oct 23, 2008
Barack’s sister Maya Soetoro-Ng discusses the strong influence their mother has had on their values and outlook.
The ‘Singular Woman’ Who Raised Barack Obama
5/3/11 Terri Gross – FreshAir from WHYY
In 1990, Barack Obama became the first African-American president of the Harvard Law Review. A year later, he was approached by a literary agent, who asked if he would be interested in writing an autobiography about his life.
Obama said yes, and in 1995, his book Dreams from My Father was published. As the title suggests, it focused mainly on the relationship he had with his father, Barack Obama Sr. When articles about the book started coming out, they referred to his mother, Stanley Ann Dunham, as simply “a white anthropologist from Kansas.”
But the characterizations of Obama’s mother — first as “a white anthropologist from Kansas” and then as “a single mother on food stamps” and “the woman who died of cancer while fighting with her insurance company at the end of her life” — don’t encompass who she was, the unconventional life she led or the influence she had on the future president of the United States, says writer Janny Scott.
Scott’s biography of Obama’s mother, A Singular Woman, traces Dunham’s life and the relationship she had with her son, whose rise in the political world came largely after her death in 1995. But he has said he largely thanks his mother for the values that led him to the work he now does.
For the entire article and audio interview:
http://www.npr.org/2011/05/03/135840068/the-singular-woman-who-raised-barack-obama
Marian Robinson
Marian Lois Robinson (née Shields; July 30, 1937) is the mother of Michelle Robinson and the mother-in-law of President Barack Obama. She is the only living grandparent of Malia and Sasha Obama. She also has one granddaughter, Leslie Robinson, and two grandsons, Avery and Austin Robinson, from her son, Craig Robinson.
Robinson was the fourth of seven children—five girls, followed by two boys—born to a house painter and licensed practical nurse, according to Steve Shields, her youngest sibling.
Robinson, now a widow, married Fraser Robinson on October 27, 1960. In addition to their daughter Michelle, they also had a son, Craig, the current coach of the Oregon State University men’s basketball team. Robinson was formerly a secretary at Spiegel catalog and a bank. While Michelle and Barack Obama campaigned in 2008, Robinson tended her granddaughters. Early in January 2009, it was reported that Robinson would move into the White House with the rest of the First Family in order to provide further transition support for her grand-daughters. She is the first live-in grandmother there since Elivera M. Doud during the Eisenhower administration. Some media outlets have dubbed Robinson the “First Granny.”
For the entire article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marian_Robinson
A Mother’s Love: First Lady & Mom Cover May 2009 Issue of ESSENCE
April 7, 2009 EssenceMagazine
In their first interview together, First Lady Michelle Obama and her mother, Marian Robinson, sit down in the White House to speak exclusively to ESSENCE Editor-in-Chief Angela Burt-Murray about retaining their family values, what it takes to raise good kids, and being role models for the Black community. Read on for excerpts from the interview.
Mrs. Michelle Obama on what being First Lady means to her: ”It’s an honor and a privilege when you walk into the White House-at least I automatically felt a level of obligation. This is a big responsibility, a wonderful platform and I just want to make sure I take every advantage to serve as a role model, to provide good messages, to be a supportive mate to the President and to make sure that my girls are solid.”
Mrs. Marian Robinson on seeing her daughter step into this historic role: ”Well, to me, it’s overwhelming. I never doubted that she could do this. She is doing it with such grace and dignity. So I am just proud. I just hope she does what she wants to do. [Chuckles] Because the things that she wants to do are very important. They mean a lot to her.”
Mrs. Michelle Obama on finding balance: ”Unlike most women, I have a lot of resources: I have my mother living with me. The White House has a staff of people who are there to make my life easy. I don’t have a full-time job, although I work very hard in the role of First Lady. But I have a lot of resources. So I have been able to achieve the balance because I have the support I need.
Read more: http://www.essence.com/news/a_mothers_love_first_lady_mom_cover_may.php
5 Things to Know about Grandma-in-Chief Marian Robinson
1/20/2009 BY SANDRA SOBIERAJ WESTFALL – People.com
Michelle Obama’s mom kept house and home together during Barack’s presidential campaign, driving the couple’s young daughters to school (with Secret Service trailing in a separate car), serving dinner and tucking them into bed.
Now, Marian Robinson, 72, plans to follow her famous family to Washington. Typical mother-in-law behavior, right? Candid and independent, the retired bank secretary may not be what you expect:
She’s not moving to the White House permanently
Much ink has been spilled about Robinson’s plans to share quarters with the President’s family at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. But an Obama spokeswoman says Robinson will only temporarily move in to help granddaughters Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7, settle into their new life. As Robinson told PEOPLE after the election: “I love those people, but I love my own house. The White House reminds me of a museum and it’s like, how do you sleep in a museum?”
She loves yoga
For this spry septuagenarian, limbering up is a family affair. Eleanor “Mama Kaye” Wilson, godmother to Sasha and Malia, is Robinson’s yoga partner, and their instructor is her younger brother, Stephen Shields, 57. “He’s our youngest child out of seven children and he’s the wisest,” Robinson tells PEOPLE. ” He has found a way to make a living doing what he likes to do. and I’ve always admired that.”
For the entire article: http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20253448,00.html
Amazing Mom: Marian Robinson
5/9/2010 Nicki Gostin- parentdish
Amazing Mom: Marian Robinson, first grandma of the United States
Marian’s Family: Husband: Fraser Robinson, married 31 years, died in 1991; Kids: Michelle Obama, Craig Robinson
Marian Lives In: Washington, D.C.
Why Marian Is Amazing: If it wasn’t for Marian Robinson, Barack Obama would probably not be President. While the Obamas were barnstorming across the country campaigning, Michelle’s mom retired from her part-time job as a bank secretary to hold down the fort at the Obama’s Chicago home, in effect becoming Malia and Sasha’s surrogate parent. She took them to school, ferried them to piano and dance classes, ran the baths and cooked their meals.
“I am standing here breathing in and out with any level of calm because my 70-year-old [mother] is home with my girls,” Michelle told voters in Ohio on one of the dozens of campaign trips she made in 2008. “There’s nothing like Grandma.”
And her mother concurred. “If somebody’s going to be with these kids other than their parents,” Marian told The Boston Globe, “it better be me.”
And then when the first family moved to Washington, the Grandma-in-chief moved as well, albeit reluctantly, to help her beloved granddaughters with their transition.
“They’re dragging me with them, and I’m not comfortable with that,” Marian told CBS ‘Sunday Morning’ last year. “But I’m doing exactly what you do. You do what needs to be done.”
Although the move was supposed to be a temporary one, it seems that the first grandma is enjoying living at the White House. She still accompanies her granddaughters to school, helps with homework and baby-sits when needed, but has lamented that now that Malia and Sasha are growing up, she’s “beginning to feel left out,” according to The Associated Press.
For the entire article: http://www.parentdish.com/2010/05/09/amazing-mom-marian-robinson/
Letter from proud mother brings First Lady to UNI
3/25/11 Colleen O’Shaughnessy –kwwl
CEDAR FALLS (KWWL) — First Lady Michelle Obama is returning to Iowa for the first time in nearly four years. This May, the President’s wife will address the University of Northern Iowa graduating class.
The visit comes just a few months before Iowa caucus season, but even state republican leaders note, this is not about politics, it’s about honoring students as they mark a milestone in their lives.
It all started with a letter. In June, a proud mother, Ann Geneva, wrote to President Obama asking him to speak at her son Adam’s graduation. With a double major in business and finance, you can understand why Adam’s mother is so proud of her future graduate. But most mom’s give their kids a hug, and maybe even some money, they don’t usually ask the president to speak at their commencement.
“Wow, why did you do that?” Adam asked his mother when she told him about the note.”She’s like, oh, just to see what happened.”
Around Christmas, his family received a phone call. The lucky person to answer?
“It was actually my mom,” said Adam. “She was like, that was just the White House that called. I was like, really? Because we pretty much forgot about it because we’d sent it six months earlier.”
Adam had an idea that the First Lady was considering speaking at UNI’s 2011 Commencement. But you can imagine the reaction on campus when the decision became final.
“Most of us received the announcement an hour or so before class, so I think it was just trying to digest that,” noted Chris Larimer, a Political Science Professor.
For the entire article: http://www.kwwl.com/story/14325672/letter-from-proud-mother-brings-first-lady-to-uni?redirected=true
UNI Special Guest Commencement Speaker – First Lady Michelle Obama
First Lady Michelle Obama will speak at UNI’s spring commencement ceremony
UNI-Dome on the UNI campus
Saturday, May 7, 2011 – 11:00am – 2:00pm Central Time
The university will consolidate three ceremonies into one to provide all graduates the opportunity to be addressed by the First Lady.
Live online streaming: http://live.uni.edu/2011/05/07/spring-2011-commencement-special-guest-commencement-speaker-first-lady-michelle-obama
Navy to Christen Guided Missile Destroyer Michael Murphy
5/4/11 defense.gov
The Navy will christen the newest guided-missile destroyer, Michael Murphy, Saturday, May 7, 2011, during a 10 a.m. EDT ceremony at General Dynamics Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine. The new destroyer honors Navy SEAL (Sea, Air, Land) Lt. Michael P. Murphy who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions during Operation Red Wings in Afghanistan June 28, 2005.
Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Gary Roughead will deliver the ceremony’s principal address. Maureen Murphy will serve as sponsor of the ship named for her late son. In accordance with Navy tradition, she will break a bottle of champagne across the ship’s bow to formally christen the ship.
Murphy led a four-man team tasked with finding a key Taliban leader in the mountainous terrain near Asadabad, Afghanistan, when they came under fire from a much larger enemy force with superior tactical position. Mortally wounded while exposing himself to enemy fire, Murphy knowingly left his position of cover to get a clear signal in order to communicate with his headquarters. While being shot at repeatedly, Murphy calmly provided his unit’s location and requested immediate support for his element. He returned to his cover position to continue the fight until finally succumbing to his wounds.
Designated DDG 112, Michael Murphy, the 62nd Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, will be able to conduct a variety of operations, from peacetime presence and crisis management to sea control and power projection. Michael Murphy will be capable of fighting air, surface and subsurface battles simultaneously and will contain a myriad of offensive and defensive weapons designed to support maritime warfare in keeping with “A Cooperative Strategy for 21st Century Seapower.”
Cmdr. Thomas E. Shultz, a native of El Cajon, Calif., is the prospective commanding officer of the ship and will lead the crew of 279 officers and enlisted personnel. The 9,200-ton Michael Murphy is being built by General Dynamics Bath Iron Works. The ship is 509 feet in length, has a waterline beam of 59 feet, and a navigational draft of 31 feet. Four gas turbine engines will power the ship to speeds in excess of 30 knots.
Navy SEAL honored with warship bearing his name
5/5//11 DAVID SHARP, Associated Press
BATH, Maine – Engaged in a frenzied firefight and outnumbered by the Taliban, Navy Lt. Michael Murphy made a desperate decision as he and three fellow SEALs fought for their lives on a rocky mountainside in Afghanistan’s Kunar Province in 2005.
In a last-ditch effort to save his team, Murphy pulled out his satellite phone, walked into a clearing to get reception and called for reinforcements as a fusillade of bullets ricocheted around him. One of the bullets hit him, but he finished the call and even signed off, “Thank you.”
Then he continued the battle.
Dan Murphy, the sailor’s father, said it didn’t surprise him that his slain son nicknamed “The Protector” put himself in harm’s way. Nor was he surprised that in the heat of combat his son was courteous.
“That was Michael. He was cool under fire. He had the ability to process information, even under the most difficult of circumstances. That’s what made him such a good SEAL officer,” Murphy said.
A warship bearing the name of the Medal of Honor recipient will be christened Saturday — on what would have been Murphy’s 35th birthday — at Bath Iron Works, where the destroyer is being built.
For the entire article: http://goo.gl/akXeW
Michael Murphy, The Hero
Uploaded by DODvClips on May 6, 2011
In the face of danger and certain death, Navy SEAL Lt. Michael Murphy moved in the line of enemy fire to call in his location to headquarters in am attempt to save his men. For his heroic actions, the Navy has commissioned a destroyer the “USS Michael Murphy.”
07 May. 2011 – 12 May. 2011
nato.int
NATO Secretary General to travel to the United States
The NATO Secretary General, Mr. Anders Fogh Rasmussen, will visit the United States between 7 and 12 May 2011.
The Secretary General’s programme will include visits to Washington, DC; Atlanta, Georgia; Austin, Texas; and Chicago, Illinois. He will meet with government officials in every city. He will speak to a variety of audiences including students and US servicemembers.
Allies in America – Washington
nato.int
America and its Allies are more active today ensuring our common values of freedom, democracy and humanity than at any time since NATO’s foundation in 1949. To recognize this extraordinary, shared burden, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen will visit four American cities in May 2011 to engage the American public about its critically important role in the transatlantic relationship. He will honor the service of America’s fighting men and women, meet with students and civic organizations, and talk to the media about the bond that has kept the peace in Europe and North America for more than 60 years.
Program – Washington
Saturday, 7 May 2011
Visit: Wounded warriors at National Naval Medical Center
Sunday, 8 May 2011
Commemoration: Victory in Europe Day at National World War II Memorial, in partnership with Friends of the National World War II Memorial
Thursday, 12 May 2011
Address and Q&A: Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), in partnership with the University of California Washington Center and area universities
Great thread CR. Thanks.
I notice on the previous thread that the NEA has already come out in support of our President’s re-election. That is terrific. I am so very pleased. Dennis Van Roekel is from Arizona. I worked with his wife, Julie for many years.
Good Friday evening Jackie! Mr Van Roekel sounds like a very sensible man.
He is. I know he had his differences with the President on education, but considering the alternative, they know who they need to stand behind.
What sane people learned this week
5/6/11 By Chris Matthews, Hardball host
Let me finish tonight with what sane people learned this week.
By sane, I mean people able to pay attention to what they see, aren’t afraid to see and don’t get it confused with something they’re convinced of but didn’t happen this week.
Here we go!
I learned that people on the right want the picture of the dead Osama bin Laden plastered all over the universe. They don’t care if it incites anger, insults whole nations; get teenage Muslim kids to become radicalized. In fact, I think they’d “like” to stick it to them and see how loud they squeal, see how many bees leave the hornet’s nest.
Normal people are put off by violence and death. Hillary Clinton in that picture in the Situation Room should be sent around the world to show that, though the U.S. did what it had to do with bin Laden, it doesn’t particularly enjoy the killing of people and certainly not as a spectator sport. What is it with the Republican right? Sarah Palin wants that picture out. She says it’s part of the mission. What mission? To encourage easier recruitment of Arab youth by the terrorists – you know teenagers who grow to, say, age 20, and kill themselves as suicide bombers.
You’ve got to wonder whether the Palins of the world, those on the right who want to get that picture of the dead bin Laden out there, really want to keep stirring up this “war of terrorism” because it’s something they can get really get their heads into, can rouse their right-wing brigades with.
What else did we learn? We learned that clear-thinking people, those not bound up in prejudice and tunnel-vision, give credit where it’s due. They’re not afraid to see what they see. They give Obama credit for this success in catching the bad guy and the intelligence and military services solid admiration as well.
They don’t crouch down in the fetal position because they don’t like what’s going on around them, and just snap back at pollsters and say George Bush deserves praise and Obama doesn’t. How deep is the hole these people hide in?
And, most of all, we saw this week that America is protected by some very good and very competent people. They don’t get on television. They don’t say crazy things to get attention. They don’t say – Hey! Look at me! They just roll out of bed in the morning – sometimes really early – show up to do the job and consider themselves lucky to be serving a country like ours.
This week, much like that terrible week in September a decade ago, we remember men and women like this – sometimes so close we can touch them – who are like those dutiful firefighters who went running up the stairs when everyone else was running down.
They are still there, we know, of course, grander in their exploits this week, so often courageous just in showing up for work each day. That’s the big thing we saw this week, that we are as lucky to have these gutsy countrymen and women as we all are to be Americans.
Well, CR. You have triple-times outdone yourself tonight.
First, this absolutely lovely thread topic. I’ve seen the photo of the President with his mother, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen the one of the First Lady with her mother. Glorious. Thanks so much!
Second, you found the transcript of Chris Matthews’ remarks from his show today! So glad to get them – I even prefer a transcript over a video sometimes, especially when the narrative reads like poetry to me, as this does!
Third, appreciate the info on the christening of the new guided missile destroyer named after a very special Navy SEAL. He certainly epitomized the Navy’s “core values” of honor, courage, and commitment. Sometimes these christenings are shown on C-SPAN, and if this one is, I encourage everyone to watch it live or record it, if you can. It is so impressive to see the call to “bring the ship to life”!
Finally, to all moms out there: Happy Mother’s Day!
Thank you Ms O’Boomer!
Happy Mother’s Day to you Ms. O’Boomer. Loved your post.
Happy Mother’s Day weekend!
Happy Mothers Day weekend to all those who serve as positive, nurturing role models in our lives!
Remarks of President Barack Obama
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Indianapolis, Indiana
Hi. I’m speaking with you today from the Allison Transmissions plant in Indianapolis, Indiana. I came here because this is a place where American workers are doing some big and impressive things.
The hybrid technology they manufacture here already powers nearly 4,000 buses all over the world – buses that have already saved 15 million gallons of fuel. Soon, they’ll expand this new technology to trucks as well. That means more vehicles using less oil, and that means jobs – more than 200 new workers at this plant alone.
That’s important because even as the economy is growing after one of the worst recessions in our history; even as we’ve added more than 2 million new private sector jobs over the past 14 months; I still meet and hear from Americans struggling to get out of their own personal recessions.
A lot of folks are still looking for work. And many folks who do have jobs are finding that their paychecks aren’t keeping up with the rising costs for everything from tuition to groceries to gas. In fact, in a lot of places across the country, like Indiana, gas is reaching all-time highs.
So although our economy hasn’t been the focus of the news this week, not a day that goes by that I’m not focused on your jobs, your hopes and your dreams. And that’s why I came here to Allison Transmissions.
The clean energy jobs at this plant are the jobs of the future – jobs that pay well right here in America. And in the years ahead, it’s clean energy companies like this one that will keep our economy growing, create new jobs, and make sure America remains the most prosperous nation in the world.
For the entire article: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/05/07/weekly-address-clean-energy-will-help-us-out-compete-and-out-innovate-re
Good Saturday morning everyone! I HOPE that you have a good day!
Next Up..
Department of Defense http://win.2.c2.audiovideoweb.com/2c2winlive1020
10:00 AM EDT
The Navy will christen the newest guided-missile destroyer, The Michael Murphy, at General Dynamics Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine.
Navy Christens Guided-Missile Destroyer Michael Murphy
5/7/2011 By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Dominique M. Lasco
BATH, Maine (NNS) — The Navy christened its newest guided-missile destroyer, Pre-commissioning Unit (PCU) Michael Murphy (DDG 112), during a morning ceremony at General Dynamics Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine May 7.
The new destroyer honors Medal of Honor recipient Lt. (SEAL) Michael P. Murphy and was christened on what would have been his 35th birthday.
“It is my sincere belief that this ship will build on the momentum gained by our special operations forces in the fight against extremism and sail the seas in a world made more peaceful by sustained American vigilance, power and dignity,” said Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Gary Roughead. “This ship will carry Michael’s legacy and values to Sailors several decades from now and to a new generation of Americans. For that I am proud to wear this uniform.”
Maureen Murphy, sponsor of the ship named for her late son, had the honor of breaking a bottle of champagne across the ship’s bow, formally christening the ship in accordance with Navy tradition.
“I am so proud and it is truly an honor,” said Murphy.” For people to come out and remember Mike and to celebrate this ship; it means a lot and it means that they still remember the sacrifice he made for this country.”
For the entire article: http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=60229
Good morning CR and everyone. HOPE you all have a fabulous Saturday. What an honor to have the newest destroyer names a war hero. Amazing.
Good Saturday morning Jackie!
Next Up…
12:00 AM EDT
First Lady Michelle Obama will speak at UNI‘s spring commencement ceremony
UNI-Dome on the UNI campus
Live online streaming: http://live.uni.edu/2011/05/07/spring-2011-commencement-special-guest-commencement-speaker-first-lady-michelle-obama
May 07, 2011
Remarks of First Lady Michelle Obama at University of Northern Iowa Commencement
Cedar Falls, Iowa
Thank you so much. I am thrilled and honored to be here today to help celebrate the UNI class of 2011 – congratulations to all of you on making it to this day. Before I get started, I wanted to let you know that if my remarks run long, I promise to take a break and we’ll crank up the music for the Interlude Dance. I’ve been practicing to get that ninja robot part just right.
In all seriousness, I want to thank President Ben Allen for that very kind introduction as well as Executive Vice President and Provost Gloria Gibson, Board of Regents President David Miles, all of the members of the Board of Regents and Katie Berge for her wonderful speech. I also want to thank Congressman Bruce Braley, former Governor Chet Culver, Cedar Falls Mayor Jon Crews and Waterloo Mayor Buck Clark for being here today. And I want to say a special thank you to everyone here in the UNI-Dome especially all of you who changed your plans so that we could celebrate our graduates together today.
Now, as many of you know, this is not my first time here in Iowa. In fact, it feels like I’ve spent more time in this state than anywhere besides Illinois or Washington, D.C. My family was here a lot back in 2007. Long enough for my husband to have a sculpture of his head made out of butter.
But while a campaign is what initially brought me to Iowa, what brings me back today is something so much bigger, so much deeper and so much more personal to me. You see, this state, the people I’ve met here, and the things that I’ve learned here have all become an important part of my own journey.
For the entire article: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/05/07/remarks-first-lady-michelle-obama-university-northern-iowa-commencement
First lady encourages graduates to retain Iowa values
Complete text of the first lady’s speech
5/7/11 uni.edu
The soon-to-be graduates began streaming into the UNI-Dome around 8:30 a.m. Their family and friends soon followed, knowing early arrival was key to getting a good seat at this year’s commencement ceremony at the University of Northern Iowa.
While each commencement is noteworthy, this spring’s ceremony was even more so because first lady Michelle Obama gave the keynote address.
Prior to her arrival at the lectern, the nearly 1,700 students eagerly awaiting their walk across the stage were ushered in by processional music played by the Northern Iowa Symphony Orchestra. Some of the graduates wore corsages. Some sported messages on their mortarboard. All beamed as they waved to loved ones who had come to witness this seminal event. Shutters clicked, cheers erupted. The UNI class of 2011 was about to graduate!
The first students to be honored were the Lux Service Award recipients. This annual award is presented to undergraduates who best represent the ideal of service to the university community. “Lux” comes from the university’s official seal, which features a burning lamp of knowledge and is the Latin word for “light.”
Gloria Gibson, executive vice president and provost, presented the Lux Service Award to Darion Watson, an organization communication major from Gary, Indiana; Jacob Rudy, a political science and sociology major from Radcliffe; and Adam Haselhuhn, a political science and political communication major from Des Moines.
Kathryn (Katie) Berge, a double major in biology and the study of religions with a minor in chemistry, was this year’s student speaker. Berge said while college was a time for her to find who she was as a person, she encouraged fellow graduates to heed the words of her wise grandfather who said, “Remember who you are.”
“You are an Iowan and a UNI graduate,” Berge said. “Use this to better the world around us.”
The time had finally come to hear one of the most recognized speakers ever to grace the commencement stage: first lady Michelle Obama. She started her remarks on a light note, assuring the graduates and audience members that if her remarks run long, “I promise to take a break and we’ll crank up the music for the Interlude Dance,” referencing a student-created dance that has taken UNI by storm. “I’ve been practicing to get that ninja robot part just right!” she quipped.
Obama reminded the audience that this was not her first time in Iowa. “While a campaign is what initially brought me to Iowa, what brings me back today is something so much bigger, so much deeper and so much more personal to me. That “something” are three values she shares with Iowans: the power of family, the commitment to service and the pursuit of a life passion.
“I can tell you from my own experience that nothing else in your life – not your job, not your hobbies, not the money in your bank account – will sustain you like family.” She encouraged graduates to “hug those folks up in the stands just a little harder” after the ceremony and continue to stay in touch, wherever the graduates find themselves in the future.
Obama also stressed the value of service to others. “Service is what connects us to one another, to our neighbors, our communities, our country,” she said. “It reminds us that we are not simply individuals living isolated lives, but that we’re all woven together.”
She also encouraged graduates to find the passion within themselves and follow it wherever it takes them. “No matter what you do from nine to five, know that you should always try to find some way to pursue what you love. Maybe it’s a hobby that one day becomes your own business. Maybe it’s volunteer work that helps you develop new skills and passions.
“You will have some false starts and setbacks along the way,” she continued. “But I promise you that if you keep listening to yourself and keep yourself open to new possibilities, new people, and new ways of thinking, you will find a place in this world that feels right for you.”
As Obama brought her address to a close, she looked at the sea of eager faces before her and gave the graduates some final words of encouragement.
“The values you’ve learned here [at UNI] – commitment to family, openness to diversity, willingness to serve your community and your country, the courage to follow your passion – those are the keys to success in any field.
“That’s what I saw when I first started coming to Iowa,” she said. “And graduates, that’s why I wanted to come back, to remind you what makes you special and unique.”
Hardball What sane people learned this week
Uploaded by PresidentObama3 on May 6, 2011
Hardball What sane people learned this week
I am glad that you posted this video CR. I happen to watch the entire show and I was pleasantly surprised that I actually enjoyed Chris’ show on Friday.
I missed the graduation speech this morning. If anyone finds a full video, please let me know. I could kick myself for missing it.
GOLF OUTING
5/7/11 POLITICO44
President Obama headed Saturday to Andrews Air Force base for some golf. He was playing in a foursome with David Katz, Marvin Nicholson and Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood.
Now, that is what I like to hear, CR!
Last weekend he was … you know … and he gets to rest this weekend (at least for a Saturday morning of golf!).
Happy Saturday Ms O’Boomer!
GOP vow to block nominees makes Warren more likely
5/07/11 By Peter Schroeder – TheHill.com
A promise by Senate Republicans to block anyone President Obama nominates to lead the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has increased the likelihood that Elizabeth Warren will get the job.
The president has little choice but to use his recess powers given the position of Senate Republicans, said Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), one of the Wall Street reform bill’s chief architects.
“It’s the worst abuse of the confirmation process I’ve ever seen,” said Frank. “What it clearly says is that the president will have to make a recess appointment.”
There’s a good chance that will be Warren, the person many Republicans least want to see get the job.
The CFPB is supposed to start work on July 21, and advocates for the bureau are already calling for Warren to be nominated.
The White House demurred from nominating Warren, the chief advocate for the bureau, to the spot earlier in the year, and instead made her a special adviser to the president.
But given the GOP’s promise to block any nominee unless the agency’s “unfettered authority” is brought under control, some say the White House now has nothing to lose by recess appointing Warren if it wants someone in charge of the bureau for its start date.
For the entire article: http://thehill.com/blogs/on-the-money/personnel-notes/159803-gop-vow-to-block-nomination-make-warren-appointment-to-consumer-bureau-more-likely
Latest developments in Arab world’s unrest
5/7/11 By The Associated Press
SYRIA
Troops in tanks and armored vehicles enter a key oil-industry city on Syria’s Mediterranean coast, taking up position in a hilltop Crusader castle and cutting off power and phone lines. An activist says three women protesting the crackdown were shot dead.
The move against Banias, which had become a bastion of anti-regime protests in recent days, signals an expanding campaign by President Bashar Assad aimed at crushing the country’s seven-week nationwide uprising.
Ammar Qurabi of the National Organization for Human Rights says the three women were protesting the siege and the cutting of power lines when they were shot dead by plainclothes security forces or pro-government gunmen.
___
LIBYA
Moammar Gadhafi’s forces rocket the main fuel depot in Misrata, intensifying a two-month siege on the rebel-held city that has claimed civilian lives and prompted warnings of a humanitarian crisis.
Government forces send Grad rockets slamming into the depot, which contains vital stores of fuel for cars, trucks, ships and generators powering hospitals and other key sites in a city left darkened by electricity cuts, said witnesses and residents.
Fuel tanks are engulfed in flames hours after the early morning attack, as firefighters battle the blazes. No one was injured, a doctor says.
The attack raises fears of shortages, though some of the fuel had already been moved to other sites in anticipation of such a strike.
___
YEMEN
One demonstrator is killed and 11 injured in a southern town when police descend on thousands rallying for the ouster of Yemen’s longtime president, an activist says.
Nouh al-Wafi says police fired tear gas and live ammunition to disperse protesters in the town of al-Maafir in Taiz province. The demonstrators are mainly students but are joined later by other residents.
In several other cities — including Aden, Saada and Hodeida — protesters observe a one-day shutdown of offices and businesses as part of the civil disobedience campaign called by the opposition to pressure President Ali Abdullah Saleh to step down.
___
TUNISIA
A leading Tunisian human rights lawyer says a Tunis court has convicted a nephew of Leila Trabelsi, Tunisia’s widely reviled former first lady, on drug consumption charges.
Imad Trabelsi is sentenced to two years in prison and a 2,000 dinar (about euro1,000) fine, according to Mokhtar Trifi, president of the Tunisian League of Human Rights.
The conviction is the second of a member of former President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali’s extended family since he fled Tunisia in January amid huge street protests that sparked similar uprisings across the Arab world.
Please join me in lighting a candle for our President, the First Family and the Nation.
http://www.gratefulness.org/candles/candles.cfm?l=eng&gi=PBO
Hello Everyone. Just dropping by to Wish everyone a HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY. Love the photos at the beginning of this thread CR.
Good Saturday COS!
Same to you COS!
Happy Mother’s Day, COS! Good to see ya!
Sunday May 8, 2011
All Times Eastern
Pres Obama receives the presidential daily briefing
8:00 AM
9:00 AM
10:00 AM
11:00 AM
12:00 PM
1:00 PM
2:00 PM
3:00 PM
4:00 PM
5:00 PM
6:00 PM
7:00 PM
8:00 PM
9:00 PM
10:00 PM
May 8, 2011
WhiteHouse.gov http://www.whitehouse.gov/live
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CNN http://live.cnn.com
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CSPAN http://www.cspan.org/
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Middle East Protest
Al Jazeera – English http://english.aljazeera.net
May 06, 2011
Presidential Proclamation–Mother’s Day
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION
As our society has changed, so have the challenges facing women raising families. Many American women are raising children at home while caring for an elderly parent, holding down two jobs, serving as the sole parent in a family, or defending our country overseas as a service member. Our Nation’s mothers not only look after our needs and teach us to be compassionate and responsible, but also manage households, build careers, and improve our neighborhoods and communities. While the roles and responsibilities of mothers have evolved, their guidance and care remains as strong and constant as ever.
On Mother’s Day, we celebrate the extraordinary importance of mothers in our lives. The bond of love and dedication a mother shares with her children and family is without bounds or conditions. Whether an adoptive mom or grandmother, mother or partner, the women who raise us show us that no hurdle is too high, and no dream is beyond our reach. As sons and daughters, we show our gratitude for the women in our lives who care for us, shape our values, and set us on the path to a limitless future.
Throughout our history, mothers have made remarkable sacrifices for the well-being of their loved ones. Nearly a century ago, Anna Jarvis, who had suffered the loss of her beloved mother, campaigned with many other Americans to make Mother’s Day a recognized holiday and pay respect to all women raising children. Today, we continue to celebrate the influence, love, and nurturing our mothers provide in our lives and in our national life.
For the entire article: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/05/06/presidential-proclamation-mothers-day
Mothers Who Served, World War II – Present
Posted by Kate Hoit on May 07, 2011
Cross-posted from the Veterans Affairs blog VAntage Point. First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden welcomed military spouses, mothers and grandmothers to the White House for a Mother’s Day tea this week. Watch the video.
In honor of Mother’s Day, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is celebrating the women who have served our country and taken on one of the greatest roles in life: motherhood. In doing so, we reached out to mom Veterans and their family members for photographs and stories. We’ve received photographs and stories that stretch beyond the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan back to World War II. Each mother has a unique story, united by their service. Below are photos and excerpts of stories of mothers who served in World War II to Iraq and Afghanistan. Happy Mother’s Day!
For the entire article and to see photos: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2011/05/07/mothers-who-served-world-war-ii-present
First Lady Michelle Obama Quotes
On Motherhood
“My support for my husband comes straight from my motherhood bones.” ABC News 1/24/2008
“The first priority is to make sure that my kids have their heads on straight. They are great and they are stable and they are confident, and I want to make sure that they stay that way.” Chicago Sun-Times 8/7/2007
On Her Children
“My children force me to keep my feet on the ground” Newshouse News Source 8/10/2008
“They’re living in a family where they’ve got an African American grandmother and an Indonesian aunt. They’ve got a Chinese American cousin. They’ve got African American cousins. They’ve got a multiracial cousin in Africa who’s African and English. The in-laws, who are Chinese-Canadian, are part of their families. Their world is bigger. – Ladies Home Journal August 2008
“I believe that kids thrive with structure and rules and boundaries. I’m a big proponent of that. And I’ve been grateful that Barack supports that. So when he comes home after a long week away it’s not like he’s the fun dad who does all the fun and I do all the work. He definitely reinforces the furls that we have in place, and one of those is making bedtime. We have a pretty strict bedtime.” Larry King Live – 10/8/2008
“I’m so happy that my girls will grow up where the prospect of a woman or African American president is normal. And that’s one of the major reasons whey our family has invested so much into this campaign. I want them to grow up in a world where they don’t have to limit themselves, where they can dream and achieve without ever hitting a glass ceiling.” Momlogic.com 7/31/2008
‘My girls are the first thing I think about when I wake up in the morning and the last thing I think about when I go to bed. When people ask me how I’m doing I say “I’m only as good as my most sad child.” New York Times 10/28/2008
“Our concern is that they stay normal. Where I gain confidence is that all of these [presidential] children have turned out to be pretty decent kids, even with the bumps and bruises that go along.” People 11/17/2008
“They are our hearts. They light up our lives. I don’t care where I am whether I’m on the campaign trail, at work, in the car, I’m worrying about their health and well-being. I want to make sure that they are happy and healthy and whole. Campaign speech 10/7/2008
On Family Time
“We have just some of the most wonderful times when we visit Barack’s grandmother in Hawaii. Those are always wonderful times, warm weather, a time to be together and laugh, when everybody’s relaxed, no schedules, no nothing, just a lot of good fun together.” US News and World Report 2/1/2008
“When it comes to family TV and movie time, what the girls say goes. We love to watch The Incredibles, Shrek , Harry Potter and Hanna Montana together. But the girls will tell you they only get an hour of television time each day, after their homework is finished.” Momlogic.com 7/31/2008
On Her Mother
“She is my salvation and not just because she is there, but because she is she is there in a positive way. I know that in addition to all the extra love and attention., she is instilling the discipline and the rules. She cheats a little bit as grandmas do, but the baseline in terms of how we as a family believe in instilling character and our values, I know that that ‘s the same across the board.” Ebony, September 2008
“My mother’s love has always been a sustaining force for our family, and one of my greatest joys is seeing her integrity, her compassion and her intelligence reflected in my own daughters.” One Nation speech, Democratic National Convention, 8/25/2008
“My mom does anything for us and her grandkids. Al they have to do is look at her with sad eyes and she’s done for. It’s like, You’re going to say no? You’ve going to tell your grandkids, “No, I’m going to stay in Chicago [instead of moving to Washington?] Newsweek, 11/5/2008
Obama on decision to bury Osama bin Laden at sea
5/7/11 CBS News
The decision to bury the body of Osama bin Laden at sea was a respectful and appropriate way that contrasted sharply with the terrorist’s disregard for the 3,000 people who perished – some never to be found – in the 9/11 massacre he masterminded.
That’s what President Obama tells Steve Kroft in a “60 Minutes” interview on the eve of his visit to Ground Zero to honor many of those killed in bin Laden’s attack almost 10 years ago. The interview, Obama’s first since the killing of bin Laden, will be broadcast on “60 Minutes” this Sunday, May 8 at 7 p.m. ET/PT.
About bin Laden’s burial at sea executed within 24 hours of his death as prescribed by Muslim law, the president said, “Frankly, we took more care on this than, obviously, bin Laden took when he killed 3,000 people. He didn’t have much regard for how they were treated and desecrated. But that, again, is something that makes us different. And I think we handled it appropriately.”
Kroft asks President Obama if it was his decision to bury the al Qaeda leader at sea. “It was a joint decision. We thought it was important to think through ahead of time how we would dispose of the body if he were killed in the compound,” says the president. “And I think that what we tried to do was – consulting with experts in Islamic law and ritual – to find something that was appropriate, that was, respectful of the body.”
Read more: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/05/05/60minutes/main20060098.shtml
Every part of the operation was well done, from my perspective. Nobody in this administration went out for blood just for the sake of going for blood, but the President felt it was a just cause and that he had to get this done, however it turned out, and he did just that.
I agree Ms O’Boomer!
Sunday show preview: After bin Laden
05/07/11 By Jamie Klatell – TheHill.com
The aftermath of the U.S. mission that killed terrorist leader Osama bin Laden will be the big topic this week on the Sunday morning talk shows.
White House national security adviser Tom Donilon will be on four of the shows to give the administration’s view: ABC’s “This Week,” CNN’s “State of the Union,” “Fox News Sunday” and NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
On ABC, he will be followed by former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Pakistani Ambassador to the U.S. Husain Haqqani.
On CNN, Sen. Richard Lugar (R-Ind.), the ranking member of the Foreign Relations Committee, and NATO Secretary General Fogh Rasmussen will discuss bin Laden and Libya.
Fox has former Vice President Dick Cheney on after Donilon.
Former Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, former CIA Director Michael Hayden and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani are also on NBC.
CBS’ “Face the Nation,” will feature Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld.
I don’t watch these shows anymore (except for Fareed), but – if I did – I’d hang around for Tom Donilon and Sen. Kerry.
But I don’t want to be there when my teevee implodes with the likes of Cheney, et al. Could the MSM be any more transparent that they are trying to force Republican talking points down the throats of the American people, who are trying to forget them?
I’m with you. And what, no John McCain? Thank you Lord!
Date night! The Obamas, out for Italian
5/07/11 By JULIE MASON – POLITICO
President Obama took Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood golfing today — message received: LaHood is safe in his job — and capped an eventful week with dinner out. From the pool report:
“POTUS and FLOTUS emerged from the south portico at 7.52 p.m., and the (motorcade) traveled in three minutes to 12th and F, N.W, where the First Couple entered Tosca, an Italian restaurant. FLOTUS is wearing a dark-leather jacket.”
Tosca. Hm. Is this a Mother’s Day treat, a celebration, an effort to mellow and unwind after an eventful week? The POTUS gave no indication.
UPDATE:
The President and the First Lady emerged from Ristorante Tosca at 9.41, and embarked on their limo to make their way home. The President waved at a few onlookers to his left on 12th street, and then waved twice at more numerous onlookers on 11th street.
The President and First Lady were not visibly accompanied by guests.
The vehicles stopped at at least two traffic lights, extending the trip back home to 5 minutes.
Good Sunday morning everyone! Happy Mothers day!
Sometimes others in your life act as a parental substitute so take some time to acknowledge all those who serve as positive, nurturing role models in your life!
I HOPE that you have a good day!
Good morning CR. HOPE you have a wonderful Sunday.
Your comment is so true. My friend Catherine, who went to Germany with me last year, is wonderful substitute for my beloved mother who passed away 4 years ago on August 1.
Good Sunday morning Jackie!
Happy Mother’s Day Catherine!
Happy Mother’s Day everyone.
Please join me in lighting a candle for our President, First Family and the Nation.
http://www.gratefulness.org/candles/candles.cfm?l=eng&gi=PBO
Thank you Jackie!
Don’t know if anyone saw this Newsweek article, but it is excellent.
http://www.newsweek.com/2011/05/05/commander-in-chief.html
Thank you Jackie!
“Obama decided to reveal how he would fight Al Qaeda in a speech at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 1, 2007“
U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D), Pres. Candidate (Pt. 1 of 5)
Uploaded by IllinoisChannelTV on Aug 26, 2007
From the Woodrow Wilson International Center in Washington, DC: Senator Barack Obama delivers a policy address on fighting global terrorism. This speech is one of the major foreign policy components of Senator Obama’s Presidential campaign, in which he discusses what he would do in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. He also discusses what he would do to improve homeland security within the United States.
U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D), Pres. Candidate (Pt. 2 of 5)
Uploaded by IllinoisChannelTV on Aug 26, 2007
From the Woodrow Wilson International Center in Washington, DC: Senator Barack Obama delivers a policy address on fighting global terrorism. This speech is one of the major foreign policy components of Senator Obama’s Presidential campaign, in which he discusses what he would do in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. He also discusses what he would do to improve homeland security within the United States.
U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D), Pres. Candidate (Pt. 3 of 5)
Uploaded by IllinoisChannelTV on Aug 26, 2007
From the Woodrow Wilson International Center in Washington, DC: Senator Barack Obama delivers a policy address on fighting global terrorism. This speech is one of the major foreign policy components of Senator Obama’s Presidential campaign, in which he discusses what he would do in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. He also discusses what he would do to improve homeland security within the United States.
U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D), Pres. Candidate (Pt. 4 of 5)
From: IllinoisChannelTV | Aug 26, 2007
From the Woodrow Wilson International Center in Washington, DC: Senator Barack Obama delivers a policy address on fighting global terrorism. This speech is one of the major foreign policy components of Senator Obama’s Presidential campaign, in which he discusses what he would do in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. He also discusses what he would do to improve homeland security within the United States.
U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D), Pres. Candidate (Pt. 5 of 5)
From: IllinoisChannelTV | Aug 26, 2007
From the Woodrow Wilson International Center in Washington, DC: Senator Barack Obama delivers a policy address on fighting global terrorism. This speech is one of the major foreign policy components of Senator Obama’s Presidential campaign, in which he discusses what he would do in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. He also discusses what he would do to improve homeland security within the United States.
I watch all five 2007 videos and in the video then Senator Obama said:
1) Al Quaida is based in Pakistan
2) In his first 100 days he would go to an major Islamic forum to deliver an message to [the Muslim youths].
In speech, Michelle Obama praises raid SEALs
May 7, 2011 By Thomas Beaumont – AP
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa — First lady Michelle Obama said Saturday that the U.S. military specialists who killed terrorist leader Osama bin Laden showed “the very essence” of public service.
Obama made her first public remarks about bin Laden’s death during the commencement address at University of Northern Iowa. U.S. officials have said Navy SEALs shot and killed bin Laden and four others Monday at his luxury compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan.
“Just imagine, a small group of brave men, dropped by helicopter, half a world away in the dead of night into unknown danger inside the lair of the most wanted man in the world,” Obama told the graduating class at the UNI Dome. “They did not hesitate, risking everything for us, for our freedom and security. And they did it not just as Navy SEALs. They did it as husbands, as fathers, as sons. Their families were back here, with no idea of their mission or whether their loved one would ever come home.”
The first lady evoked the SEALs’ actions as part of a call for the graduating class to engage in public service after they leave the university.
“Now, that’s the very essence of the word ‘service,’ ” she said of the military action. “And the least we can do is give something back to these troops and their families who have given us so much.”
For the entire article: http://www.navytimes.com/news/2011/05/ap-michelle-obama-commencement-speech-seals-050711/?sms_ss=twitter&at_xt=4dc5d4d1345215d2,0
The Gift of Good Health on Mother’s Day
Posted by Tom Kalil on May 08, 2011
Pregnant women and new mothers deserve more than just flowers this Mother’s Day. They deserve the precious gift of good health for themselves and their babies. That’s why today I’d like to celebrate the benefits of text4baby, a free, mobile health information service that offers useful tips timed to a woman’s due date or baby’s date of birth.
The beauty of text4baby is its simplicity. Text BABY (or BEBE in Spanish) to 511411, and receive three free SMS messages every week on important issues like nutrition, oral health, and immunization schedules. Text4baby also connects women to public clinics and support services for prenatal and infant care in their area.
In the year since last Mother’s Day, text4baby has chalked up a number of exciting achievements that have improved the lives of the mothers it serves. The service has sent 12 million messages to more than 170,000 users with the support of over 500 outreach partners. And last August, text4baby was selected by Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius as one of three winners of the HHSInnovates award, which recognizes the top innovations in that Department.
The broad coalition of public and private partners that have made text4baby possible, which includes government, corporations, academic institutions, professional associations, tribal agencies, and non-profit organizations, has no intention of slowing down. The Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies Coalition (HMHB)—the nonprofit organization that runs text4baby—announced with increased support from text4baby sponsor Johnson & Johnson an ambitious new goal to reach 1 million moms and moms-to-be by the end of 2012.
For the entire article: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2011/05/08/gift-good-health-mother-s-day
Latest developments in Arab world’s unrest
May 8, 2011 By The Associated Press
EGYPT
Hundreds of Christians and Muslims hurl stones at each other in downtown Cairo, hours after Muslim mobs set fire to a church and a Christian-owned apartment building in a frenzy of violence that kills 12 people and injures more than 200. The deepening religious violence in military-ruled Egypt is exacerbating the lawlessness and disorder of the country’s bumpy transition to democracy after three decades of autocratic rule under former President Hosni Mubarak. Muslim youths attack a large crowd of Coptic Christian protesters marching to the state television building overlooking the Nile. TV images show both sides furiously throwing stones, including one Christian who was holding a large wooden cross in one hand while flinging rocks with the other.
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SYRIA
Gunfire and shelling rattles a city in central Syria, killing a 12-year-old boy, as President Bashar Assad’s harsh regime expands its crackdown on a seven-week uprising by sending tanks and reinforcements to key areas. Authorities arrest a 10-year-old boy, apparently to punish his parents, and file charges against a leading opposition figure who is suffering from cancer. The continued crackdown suggests that Assad’s regime is determined to end the uprising by force and intimidation.
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LIBYA
Shortages of basic supplies are making life in Libya difficult for residents, with long lines at gas stations and some shops closed, a result of more than two months of clashes between forces loyal to ruler Moammar Gadhafi and rebels. Hardest hit is the besieged city of Misrata, the only city near the capital of Tripoli still under at least partial rebel control.
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YEMEN
Yemeni security forces backed by army units open fire on protesters demanding the ouster of longtime president Ali Abdullah Saleh, killing three. In all, tens of thousands of protesters mobilize in several cities and towns, the latest installment of almost three months of daily protests. One protester is killed in the western port of Hodeida, and two are killed in the southern city of Taiz when elite Republican Guard forces tried to disperse protesters by firing in the air.
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BAHRAIN
Bahrain’s king sets a fast-track timetable to end martial law-style rule in a bid to display confidence that authorities have smothered a pro-reform uprising, even as rights groups denounce the measures. The announcement to lift emergency rule two weeks early on June 1 comes hours after the start of a closed-door trial accusing activists of plotting to overthrow the Gulf state’s rulers. The decision appears part of Bahrain’s aggressive international campaign to reassure financial markets and win back high-profile events. They include the coveted Formula One grand prix that was canceled in March after deadly clashes and protests by the country’s majority Shiites, who are seeking greater rights and freedoms.
Obama on Pakistan and Osama bin Laden
5/6/11 cbsnews.com
(CBS News) Did some people in Pakistan’s government or intelligence agencies know that Osama bin Laden was living inside their country? In his first interview since the killing of the al Qaeda leader, President Barack Obama told “60 Minutes” correspondent Steve Kroft his administration thinks there had to be some sort of support network for bin Laden. “But we don’t know who or what that support network was,” he added.
The president told Kroft it is unclear whether there might have been assistance from people inside or outside the Pakistani government, and that the U.S. and Pakistan need to investigate this.
The interview with President Obama will be broadcast on “60 Minutes” this Sunday, May 8 at 7 p.m. ET/PT.
STEVE KROFT: Do you believe people in the Pakistani government, Pakistani intelligence agencies knew that bin Laden was living there?
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: We think that there had to be some sort of support network for bin Laden inside of Pakistan. But we don’t know who or what that support network was. We don’t know whether there might have been some people inside of government, people outside of government, and that’s something that we have to investigate, and more importantly, the Pakistani government has to investigate. And we’ve already communicated to them, and they have indicated they have a profound interest in finding out what kinds of support networks bin Laden might have had. But these are questions that we’re not going to be able to answer three or four days after the event. It’s going to take some time for us to be able to exploit the intelligence that we were able to gather on site.
The first thing on President Obama’s mind when planning the daring assault on Osama bin Laden’s compound was getting the Navy SEAL team out under any conditions, he tells Steve Kroft. The president says those plans were constructed to provide “the best chance of getting our guys out.”
For the entire article: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/05/06/60minutes/main20060509.shtml
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