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Showing posts with label barack obama. Show all posts
Showing posts with label barack obama. Show all posts
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Monday, January 21, 2013
Large crowds gather to welcome Obama for public Inauguration 2013!
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Washington (CNN) -- A day after formally beginning his second term, President Barack Obama on Monday takes part in the full trappings of his inauguration by reciting the oath of office in front of a crowd expected to number between 800,000 and 900,000 people.
The nation's first African-American president also will become only the 17th U.S. leader to deliver a second inaugural address before leading the traditional parade up Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House.
Amid the pomp and ceremony, with red, white and blue bunting festooned throughout central Washington, the event symbolizes American democracy with its peaceful extension of power based on last November's election that returned Obama to the White House.
And now Obama begins the second half of his presidency with the opportunity to make it more historic but facing some of the same challenges that he struggled with in the first half.
Satisfying the constitutional obligation to be sworn in on January 20, Obama and Vice President Joe Biden took quiet oaths the day before Monday's public ceremony at the Capitol.
The tone of the inaugural address will be "hopeful," Obama senior adviser David Plouffe told CNN, explaining that the president would "remind the country that our founding principles and values still can guide us in a changing and modern world."
Plouffe said that "the challenges and opportunities are enormous" in the president's second term, and that those challenges would be confronted as soon as the inaugural celebrations play out.
Reality of second-term presidencies
An estimated 1.8 million onlookers jammed the National Mall for Obama's first inauguration. The smaller crowd this time around reflects the reality of second-term presidencies, when the novelty and expectations of a new leader have been replaced with the familiarity and experiences of the first four years.
For Obama, that difference is even sharper. His historic ascendancy to the White House in 2008 came with soaring public hopes and expectations for a new kind of governance that would close the vast partisan gulf developed in recent decades.
However, a litany of challenges including an inherited economic recession and repeated battles with congressional Republicans over budgets and spending only hardened the opposing positions in Washington.
Obama's signature achievements, including major reforms of the health care industry and Wall Street, became symbols of political division, with opponents constantly accusing him of hindering needed economic recovery.
A second-term Obama has vowed to press for an overhaul of the nation's immigration policies and new ways to boost the sputtering economy, proposals that are bound to spark battles with his Republican rivals, and oversee the implementation of Obamacare.
And the shootings at a Connecticut elementary school last month put the divisive issue of gun control on his immediate agenda.
CNN polling released Sunday showed a majority of Americans -- 54% -- believe Obama will be an outstanding or above average president in his second term, while 43% said he'd be poor or below average.
And while overall, seven in 10 Americans hope the president's policies succeed, only four in 10 Republicans feel that way, with 52% hoping that Obama will fail.
Sunday swearing-in
Obama's swearing-in on Sunday took place in the ornate Blue Room, an oval-shaped reception space in the president's official residence, where he was joined by his wife, Michelle, and his two daughters.
Obama placed his left hand on a Bible held by Michelle Obama that was from her family. He then raised his right hand.
Chief Justice John Roberts administered the oath, his third time to hold that honor. After Roberts flubbed the order of words during the public ceremony in 2009, a do-over took place in the White House Map Room the next day to erase any question that Obama was officially the president.
Roberts didn't have any trouble with the oath this time around. He read from a white note card. Slash marks where Roberts paused to have Obama repeat the words were clearly visible.
The event took less than a minute and Obama didn't make any formal remarks or statements.
He did take a moment to hug his wife and daughters, exclaiming: "I did it!"
Justice Sonia Sotomayor performed the honors for Biden at his home at the Naval Observatory in Washington, where the vice president's extended family and a few Cabinet officials gathered to watch the ceremony.
Both Obama and Biden went to Arlington National Cemetery after Biden's swearing-in for a traditional wreath laying.
The president and his family also attended services celebrating the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. at Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church, one of the most historic churches in Washington.
Sunday evening, the Obamas watched Latino acts at "In Performance at the Kennedy Center," which was followed by the "Let Freedom Ring" concert. The "Red, White and Blue Inaugural Ball" and "Hip-Hop Inaugural Ball" closed out Sunday's activities.
Obama also thanked donors at an event at the National Building Museum, telling them, "When we put our shoulder to the wheel of history, it moves forward."
But Obama also told them that his remarks were going to be short, given the speech he would be delivering on Monday, saying, "There are a limited amount of good lines, and I don't want to use them all up."
Inauguration activities kicked off on Saturday with the Obamas and Biden and his wife, Jill, leading volunteers across the country in National Day of Service Activities.
Later Saturday, singer Katy Perry headlined a concert for children of military families and Washington school children, hosted by Michelle Obama and Jill Biden. Singer Usher and the cast of the TV show "Glee" were among others who performed.
And now Obama begins the second half of his presidency with the opportunity to make it more historic but facing some of the same challenges that he struggled with in the first half.
Satisfying the constitutional obligation to be sworn in on January 20, Obama and Vice President Joe Biden took quiet oaths the day before Monday's public ceremony at the Capitol.
The tone of the inaugural address will be "hopeful," Obama senior adviser David Plouffe told CNN, explaining that the president would "remind the country that our founding principles and values still can guide us in a changing and modern world."
Plouffe said that "the challenges and opportunities are enormous" in the president's second term, and that those challenges would be confronted as soon as the inaugural celebrations play out.
Reality of second-term presidencies
An estimated 1.8 million onlookers jammed the National Mall for Obama's first inauguration. The smaller crowd this time around reflects the reality of second-term presidencies, when the novelty and expectations of a new leader have been replaced with the familiarity and experiences of the first four years.
For Obama, that difference is even sharper. His historic ascendancy to the White House in 2008 came with soaring public hopes and expectations for a new kind of governance that would close the vast partisan gulf developed in recent decades.
However, a litany of challenges including an inherited economic recession and repeated battles with congressional Republicans over budgets and spending only hardened the opposing positions in Washington.
Obama's signature achievements, including major reforms of the health care industry and Wall Street, became symbols of political division, with opponents constantly accusing him of hindering needed economic recovery.
A second-term Obama has vowed to press for an overhaul of the nation's immigration policies and new ways to boost the sputtering economy, proposals that are bound to spark battles with his Republican rivals, and oversee the implementation of Obamacare.
And the shootings at a Connecticut elementary school last month put the divisive issue of gun control on his immediate agenda.
CNN polling released Sunday showed a majority of Americans -- 54% -- believe Obama will be an outstanding or above average president in his second term, while 43% said he'd be poor or below average.
And while overall, seven in 10 Americans hope the president's policies succeed, only four in 10 Republicans feel that way, with 52% hoping that Obama will fail.
Sunday swearing-in
Obama's swearing-in on Sunday took place in the ornate Blue Room, an oval-shaped reception space in the president's official residence, where he was joined by his wife, Michelle, and his two daughters.
Obama placed his left hand on a Bible held by Michelle Obama that was from her family. He then raised his right hand.
Chief Justice John Roberts administered the oath, his third time to hold that honor. After Roberts flubbed the order of words during the public ceremony in 2009, a do-over took place in the White House Map Room the next day to erase any question that Obama was officially the president.
Roberts didn't have any trouble with the oath this time around. He read from a white note card. Slash marks where Roberts paused to have Obama repeat the words were clearly visible.
The event took less than a minute and Obama didn't make any formal remarks or statements.
He did take a moment to hug his wife and daughters, exclaiming: "I did it!"
Justice Sonia Sotomayor performed the honors for Biden at his home at the Naval Observatory in Washington, where the vice president's extended family and a few Cabinet officials gathered to watch the ceremony.
Both Obama and Biden went to Arlington National Cemetery after Biden's swearing-in for a traditional wreath laying.
The president and his family also attended services celebrating the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. at Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church, one of the most historic churches in Washington.
Sunday evening, the Obamas watched Latino acts at "In Performance at the Kennedy Center," which was followed by the "Let Freedom Ring" concert. The "Red, White and Blue Inaugural Ball" and "Hip-Hop Inaugural Ball" closed out Sunday's activities.
Obama also thanked donors at an event at the National Building Museum, telling them, "When we put our shoulder to the wheel of history, it moves forward."
But Obama also told them that his remarks were going to be short, given the speech he would be delivering on Monday, saying, "There are a limited amount of good lines, and I don't want to use them all up."
Inauguration activities kicked off on Saturday with the Obamas and Biden and his wife, Jill, leading volunteers across the country in National Day of Service Activities.
Later Saturday, singer Katy Perry headlined a concert for children of military families and Washington school children, hosted by Michelle Obama and Jill Biden. Singer Usher and the cast of the TV show "Glee" were among others who performed.
Source 2
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Papa John's, Applebee's And Others Pay Huge Price For Anti-Obamacare Politicking
via glooce
It turns out that being a good corporate citizen is as important to selling pizzas as the thinness of the crust or the quality of the cheese.
If you don’t believe it, just ask Papa John CEO, John Schnatter.
As covered—and criticized—in this column in great detail, Mr. Schnatter decided to mix his politics with his pepperoni when suggesting that he would be cutting the work hours for Papa John employees in order to bring them below the 30 hour per week threshold that would require Schnatter to provide his employees with healthcare benefits.
It turns out, the pizza eating public did not approve.
Indeed, so serious was the reaction that Schnatter was forced to publish an op-ed piece where he sought to convince us that he never really intended to cut back worker hours but had simply been speculating on what he might do in response to the legislation.
According to YouGov BrandIndex, a leading marketing survey that measures brand perception in the marketplace (called “Buzz”), Papa John’s had good reason for concern as the pizza chain’s brand identity has plummeted from a high of 32 on election day, to a remarkably low score of 4 among adults who have eaten at causal dining restaurants during the past month.
Papa John is not alone in his anti-Obamacare misery.
Fast food server, Applebee’s, possessed a healthy Buzz score of 35 before Zane Terkel, CEO of one of the company’s largest franchisees, appeared on television to complain about the law and to announce that he would not be building more restaurants or hiring any more workers in response to his objections to Obamacare.
Applebee’s “pre-Terkel” Buzz score of 20 now sits at a pathetic 5.
I don’t imagine Mr. Terkel will be getting many Christmas cards this year from other Applebee’s franchise owners.
While these corporate complainers have sought to explain away the hit they are experiencing at the hands of the public’s perception, one such company is facing the music straight on. Darden Restaurants, Inc.— owner of Olive Garden, Red Lobster and LongHorn Steakhouse—has lowered its profit projections for the quarter ending November 25th, acknowledging that its bad numbers are the result of poorly performing promotions, Superstorm Sandy and…wait for it…the poor publicity it engendered by its decision to test out a plan to cut back on healthcare costs by putting more workers on part-time schedules.
Hopefully, other businesses seeking to avoid their responsibilities under the healthcare law—such as Walmart who intends to cut back employee hours in the effort to push workers onto Medicaid rolls rather than take responsibility for their employees’ health care—will get the message.
source
Monday, December 3, 2012
President Barack Obama & First Lady Michelle Obama at the Kennedy Center Honors
via glooce
Barack Obama honors 2012 Kennedy Center honorees
President Barack Obama and wife Michelle welcomed honorees of the 2012 Kennedy Center Honors today, December 2, 2012 at a well-attended reception at the White House in Washington, DC.
This year the John F. Kennedy Center of Performing Arts is recognizing seven individuals including Blues musician Buddy Guy, actor and director Dustin Hoffman, talkshow host and comedian David Letterman, ballerina Natalia Makarova as well as musicians John Paul Jones, Jimmy Page, and Robert Plant of rock band Led Zeppelin, for their lifetime contributions to American culture through the performing arts.
The President and Mrs. Obama received the honorees and members of the Artists Committee who nominate them, along with the Kennedy Center Board of Trustees at the White House prior to a gala performance
The a star-studded gala performance on the Kennedy Center Opera House stage, produced by George Stevens Jr. and Michael Stevens, which will be aired on CBS as a two-hour primetime special on Wednesday, December 26 at 9:00 p.m. (ET/PT).
For the Kennedy Center Honors, First Lady Michelle Obama wore a lovely bronze lamé cocktail dress with beading, while President Obama looked dapper in his tuxedo and bowtie.
Also attending the 2012 Kennedy Center Honors reception at the White House were musician Lenny Kravitz, talkshow host Jimmy Kimmel, Nancy Pelosi, Morgan Freeman in his jaunty hat, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, violinist Itzhak Perlman and wife Toby
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Saturday, November 10, 2012
The President and Michelle Obama: The Story Behind the Most-Liked Photo of All Time
via glooce
It was an intimate snapshot of a sweet celebration: Minutes after the networks called the 2012 presidential election for Barack Obama on Tuesday night, the Obama for America campaign posted a picture of him hugging his wife along with a simple message: "Four more years." Within minutes, it became the most popular post in the history of Twitter and the most-liked image in the history of Facebook, shared more than 804,000 times, marked as a favorite by more than 289,500 Twitter users, and "liked" by more than 3.2 million Facebook friends.
The simple shot of a happy husband and wife was a surprise to people who may have been expecting a grand portrait of a newly re-elected president and his people. But no one was more surprised than the woman who took the photo back in August.
Scout Tufankjian, a photojournalist who has been focusing her lens on Obama's political career since 2007, told Slate's Julia Turner that she snapped the picture on the third day of an Iowa bus tour.
"It was the first day that the first lady had joined us so he hadn't seen her in a couple of days," she explained. "She came in on a bus that morning—it was the first event of the day—and they embraced on stage. Onstage in front of all those people."
"I decided to focus on them rather than taking a wider shot, because I think I'm not alone in finding their relationship to be totally aspirational," the newly married photojournalist said. "The obvious love and respect that they have for each other, and that the relationship is clearly one of equals, despite the fact that he's the president, is remarkable. So I wanted to focus on them as a couple rather than on them and the crowd, or them and their position."
Tufankjian didn't know that the campaign had used the picture as their Election Night victory image until a friend emailed her about it. It's unusual that such a personal shot would be used in such a high-profile way, but Tufankjian says it makes sense to her. "It reflects on the way that people feel about the Obamas as people, rather than as public figures," she said. "What the family is and represents to the country is as much a part of the president's appeal as his policies."
After she chronicled Obama's 2008 campaign, his campaign team hired her in August 2012 as one of their two official photojournalists. It's given her an opportunity to travel with the president and witness scenes that few ever get to see—like the moment a pizza shop owner in Florida gave the President a bear hug that lifted him off his feet.
The President is "so much happier and more relaxed" when he's with his family, Tufankjian confided. "He and the first lady are so focused on each other. The way that they play off each other and get energy from each other… when I was shooting the president during the 2008 campaign I would watch them greet each other on stage and I used to text-message my boyfriend, now my husband: 'Do you love me as much as Barack loves Michelle?' and he'd be like, 'Probably not, no'."
Still, she has hope. "The way that they relate to each other—they just celebrated their 20th anniversary—the way they enjoy each other and listen to each other, and the real respect that they have for each other is something I would like to see in my relationship twenty years from now," she said.
Source 2
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Donald Trump to Reveal Divorce Papers of President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama
via glooce
Douglas Kass, an investor who appears on CNBC’s talkshow ‘Squawkbox’ where Donald Trump also appears, tweeted his 48,000 followers today: "High above the Alps my Gnome has heard that Donald Trump will announce that he has unearthed divorce papers between the Prez and his wife."
Trump will reportedly claim that the documents show the First Lady and the President were at one time seriously considering divorce, reports the Daily Mail. Claims about Obama divorce papers were previously made in ‘The Amateur,' a book released earlier this year by widely discredited author Ed Klein, who claimed that Mrs. Obama prepared the divorce papers to separate from the President in 2000 following his failed attempt to win a state House seat in Illinois.
Trump announced on Monday's 'Fox and Friends' that he would reveal news on Wednesday that would be "bordering on gigantic" and "something very, very big concerning the president of the United States."
Trump will reportedly claim that the documents show the First Lady and the President were at one time seriously considering divorce, reports the Daily Mail. Claims about Obama divorce papers were previously made in ‘The Amateur,' a book released earlier this year by widely discredited author Ed Klein, who claimed that Mrs. Obama prepared the divorce papers to separate from the President in 2000 following his failed attempt to win a state House seat in Illinois.
Trump announced on Monday's 'Fox and Friends' that he would reveal news on Wednesday that would be "bordering on gigantic" and "something very, very big concerning the president of the United States."
Trump, who has been divorced two times, said: "It's going to be very big. I know one thing, you will cover it in a very big fashion."
When asked about Kass' tweet, Trump spokeswoman Holly Lorenzo told the Daily Mail: "All we know is that he is going to announce it on his Twitter and Facebook accounts tomorrow. I don’t know what time it will be, that’s all I know."
On the other side of the political aisle, attorney Gloria Allred will be in a Boston courtroom on Wednesday in an attempt to unseal the sworn testimony given by Republican Presidential nominee Mitt Romney, from a prior court case, reports RadarOnline.com.
A source close to the situation tells RadarOnline.com: "The Boston Globe is headed to court tomorrow morning for an emergency hearing in an attempt to obtain a court order to unseal the sworn testimony given by Mitt Romney in a prior court case and to lift a gag order so that the parties can speak about Romney. Gloria Allred will be in court representing one of the parties in the case."
Source 2
Monday, October 22, 2012
Kelly Clarkson will vote for Barack Obama for president
via glooce
During the European leg of her tour, the singer told The Daily Star: “I’ve been reading online about the debates and I’m probably going to vote for Obama again, even though I’m a Republican at heart.”
Kelly added: “I can’t support Romney’s policies as I have a lot of gay friends and I don’t think it’s fair they can’t get married. I’m not a hardcore feminist but we can’t be going back to the '50s.”
Clarkson thinks that Obama is a “great guy” and added that she is a “big fan of First Lady Michelle Obama” because “she has been busy promoting better education and healthy diets, which is something we could all use a dose of reality on.”
On her support of gay marriage, Kelly joins another American Idol winner, Carrie Underwood, who in an interview with the UK’s newspaper The Independent said: ““As a married person myself, I don’t know what it’s like to be told I can’t marry somebody I love and want to marry. I can’t imagine how that must feel. I definitely think we should all have the right to love, and love publicly, the people that we want to love.”
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Celebrities Tweet Reaction To Second Presidential Debate
via glooce
All eyes were on President Barack Obama and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney as they participated in the second presidential debate of the 2012 election on Tuesday, October 16, including those in Hollywood!
Anderson Cooper: Very different presidential debate tonight. Much more on point #Obama, #Romney on point as well. What do you think so far?
Ian Somerhalder: Ohh, it looks tense in that room.Glad Im in my living room.Illl try to answer as many questions-lets just think about what is most important
Zooey Deschanel: Tonight’s episode of #newgirl will be a presidential debate. It’s going to be zany and hilarious and much longer than a normal episode.
Elisabeth Hasselbeck: Maybe @BarackObama is just a procrastinator like me… #debates #Debate2012
Phaedra Parks: Mitt u can’t find qualified women? Where were u lookng b/c I graduated from a womens college full of qualified ppl#Debates
Christopher Manzo: I wish debates were more about what the candidate plans on doing and not how much they think their opponent sucks.
Ryan Seacrest: Candy Crowley holding the reins tight tonight…no shenanigans in her house. #debates
Chris Rock: CNN BREAKING NEWS: This is the first black person Romney has talked to since his last debate w/ Pres Obama last month. #debate
Source 2
Obama Pride: LGBT Americans For Obama Video Stars Zachary Quinto, Wanda Sykes, Chaz Bono And More
via glooce
Zachary Quinto, Wanda Sykes and Chaz Bono are just three of the many lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) celebrities to endorse President Obama in this new video for the re-election campaign.
Not only does the clip highlight Obama's backing of same-sex marriage, but also his other LGBT-relevant achievements, including the 2011 repeal of the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy.
"It's amazing how each generation just keeps pushing the ball forward," notes tennis champ Billie Jean King. "President Obama has pushed it forward faster than any time in the history of our community."
Adds Quinto: "Having the president of the United States declare his belief that gay couples should be allowed to marry and to use the word marry...[it ]was incredibly inspiring to watch that all unfold."
Source, 2 3
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Female Celebrities in Support of Obama
via glooce
Jane Lynch, Eva Longoria, Beyoncé Knowles, Julianne Moore, Julianna Margulies, Olivia Wilde, Gloria Steinem, Jennifer Lopez, Ashley Judd, Sheryl Crow, Cecile Richards, Padma Lakshmi, and Kerry Washington share how President Obama has fought for women's rights; how he'll continue to move this country forward; and how women will help decide this election.
SOURCE 2
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Monday, September 10, 2012
Obama: Nicki Minaj Didn't Really Endorse Romney
Via Glooce
President Barack Obama says he isn’t sure what to make of rapper Nicki Minaj’s apparent endorsement of Mitt Romney, or whether to believe she was being serious.
“I’m not sure that’s actually what happened,” Obama told an Orlando hip-hop station this morning. “I think she had a song on there — a little rap that said that,” Obama said. “But she likes to play different characters, so I don’t know what’s going on there.”
The president was referencing the fact that Minaj is known for adopting off-beat alter-egos as part of her act.
source.
“I’m not sure that’s actually what happened,” Obama told an Orlando hip-hop station this morning. “I think she had a song on there — a little rap that said that,” Obama said. “But she likes to play different characters, so I don’t know what’s going on there.”
The president was referencing the fact that Minaj is known for adopting off-beat alter-egos as part of her act.
source.
source 2
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