Tag Archives: Obama

Sarah Palin: Competent Manager

How Sarah Palin says she would have dealt with the oil spill, why white people in Santa Monica are dodging immigrant police and why the EPA is after the Amish. On a regular basis, Truthdig brings you the news items and odds and ends that found their way to Larry Gross, director of the USC Annenberg School for Communication. A specialist in media and culture, art and communication, visual communication and media portrayals of minorities, Gross helped found the field of gay and lesbian studies. The links below open in a new window. Newer ones are on top. SIGNS OF DEMI-SEMITISM Progressive Review – Because coverage of Jewish issues is so biased in the media, you are probably not aware of a J Street poll this spring of American Jews that found they had a more favorable opinion of Obama, Biden, Hillary Clinton, and the Democratic Party than they do of Netanyahu or Rabin. If You Can’t Beat Them, Brand Them The security firm formerly known as Blackwater is looking for new ownership, announcing Monday it is pursuing a sale of the company that became renowned and reviled for its involvement with the U.S. government in Iraq and elsewhere. EPA Officials Target Amish Farmers With simplicity as their credo, Amish farmers consume so little that some might consider them model environmental citizens. Palin Claims She Could Have Handled Oil Spill Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin said President Barack Obama’s acknowledgment that he hasn’t directly spoken to BP’s chief executive shows it “bodes well to have some sort of executive experience before occupying the Oval Office.” Harvard’s Fake-Harvard-Credit Business I’ve gotten a few e-mails today complaining about the use of the word “fake” in my latest Chronicle column: “Harvard has the opposite of a brand deficit. It has a brand surplus. The name is so strong that Harvard can run a side business selling fake Harvard credits and nobody bats an eye.” U. of California Tries Just Saying No to Rising Journal Costs The University of California system has said “enough” to the Nature Publishing Group, one of the leading commercial scientific publishers, over a big proposed jump in the cost of the group’s journals. Improving sidewalk traffic in NYC Judge Walker’s Amazing Questions for Closing Argument There was big news yesterday in California about “the trial of the century.” Judge Vaughn Walker today issued a series of questions (see document below) for the parties to the federal Prop. 8 trial that began in January and was put on by Ted Olson and David Boies and colleagues and defended by the oxymoronic “Protect Marriage” proponents of Prop. 8. Sorry, you are being deported to Europe HOW THE WASHINGTON POST’S OMBUDSMAN THINKS LABOR PROTESTS SHOULD BE COVERED The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) organized protests in Maryland at the homes of several bank executives, along with follow-up rallies in Washington, D.C., at bank branches and offices. Related Entries June 9, 2010 A Loss Won’t Silence the Democratic Left June 9, 2010 Why We Can’t Just ‘Look Forward’

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Sarah Palin: Competent Manager

Big Oil Is Still Boss

By Bill Boyarsky A lot of pundits want President Barack Obama to turn terrible tempered in his handling of the Gulf of Mexico disaster. These critics ignore the real issue—the death grip the oil industry has on Washington and the state capitals of oil-producing states. Related Entries May 31, 2010 What’s Not to Like About Civil Rights? May 31, 2010 Memorial Day and Our Discontents

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Big Oil Is Still Boss

Mitchell: If Obama Would Have Just ‘Eaten Some Shrimp,’ He Could Have Avoided Criticism

At this point, it may be safe to say that “Morning Joe” host Joe Scarborough is no more Republican than Arlen Specter. After all, the show’s “conservative” host takes almost every opportunity to defend the current administration and dismiss Obama’s critics. On June 9, the panelists were reviewing the Obama administration’s response to the BP Gulf of Mexico oil spill.  Scarborough asserted, “A poll yesterday shows that more people think that the government is mishandling this then Katrina , which is just, I think, ridiculous .”  Fellow MSNBC anchor Andrea Mitchell agreed, and noted that the president and his team have been down in the Gulf working hard. And then Mitchell asserted that Obama could have diminished criticism if a week earlier, he had “gone down there and stayed and had a meal with the people, eaten some shrimp.” [MP3 audio avaiable here ] Later, Scarborough held out hope that success is still attainable for the president because this crisis is a “marathon” and “not a sprint. He can play catch up.” While the Gulf is being ravaged with an estimated 12,000 to 25,000 barrels of oil daily and its residents’ livelihoods are being destroyed, it is reassuring to hear Scarborough offer that this is above all, a test of endurance for the president. Co-host Mika Brzezinski added her concern, wondering, “have we been covering it intensely?” Even though the oil spill has been a topic of discussion every day since it started, Scarborough practically insulted his audience by claiming that they were unaware of the president’s efforts and that, “there is a disconnect between that reality and the perception of Americans.” It just doesn’t occur to Scarborough that he may be the one who is out of touch.

In the Gulf, We Need Action, Not Finger-pointing

I believe the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is the fault and responsibility of British Petroleum, and I believe they should be held accountable and made to pay for stopping the leak, cleaning up the water, beaches and wetlands, even if it takes every cent the company makes for the next ten years. I believe that they should be sued by the feds, the state government and the families who are suffering from the millions of gallons of crude oil that’s not only poisoning their waters but also threatening their very way of life. And having said that, I want to say this. Now is not the time for lawsuits, finger pointing, meaningless meetings and bureaucratic BS. Now is the time for action and all energy should be focused on getting the spill stopped and the mess cleaned up. Eric Holder’s presence on the Gulf Coast is about as useless as mammary glands on a boar hog. The time will come for lawsuits and plenty of them, but right now anything that distracts from fixing the catastrophe in the Gulf should be put on the back burner. If Holder wants to do something useful he should investigate the Sestak situation. Fat chance of that. And if President Obama wants to do something useful he should cut through the bureaucratic red tape that seems to throw a roadblock in the way of anything anybody wants to do to remedy the situation. Governor Bobby Jindal has been screaming for weeks that he needs containment equipment, and he wants to dredge sand and build some barriers to stop the oil slick before it gets on shore. He has been denied his request by the government. They say it’s because there has not been an environmental study done as to what the effects would be. The truth of the matter is that by the time the lethargic Obama Administration gets around to doing something meaningful there may not be an environment to protect on the Louisiana coast. Obama’s policy seems to be, do nothing and let nobody else do anything. People, can you imagine what would happen if America was to have a major terrorist attack. Would there have to be an environmental study before we respond or would Obama send Holder to sue the terrorists. Oh I forgot, he doesn’t sue terrorists, he defends them. Besides, it would probably be George Bush’s fault anyway. This country is leaderless. The incompetency of the Obama Administration is putting this nation in terrific and immediate danger. Somewhere on this planet there is someone who knows how to stop this leak. It may not be a politically correct method and it may not be something Obama can take credit for but there is a way to do it and the federal government should put away politics. Swallow their pride and put out the call for help. People of the Gulf Coast please know that my heart is with you, my prayers are for you and I know what kind of people you are. You’ll never give up. I only wish you could get some sensible help from the government you pay taxes to.

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In the Gulf, We Need Action, Not Finger-pointing

President Obama’s Appearance At Kalamazoo Central Was ‘Electrifying,’ Students Say

‘Everybody was screaming. Nobody was forming sentences,’ Xavier Bolden says of surprise meeting before graduation. By James Montgomery Kalamazoo Central High School student Simon Boehme Photo: MTV News A salutatorian. A future lawyer. And an actor. Up until Monday, all three were students at Kalamazoo Central High School in western Michigan, and all three were responsible for “We Are the Giants,” the winning entry in the White House’s “Race to the Top High School Commencement Challenge.” So all three were responsible for the prize: President Barack Obama , who came to town to deliver the : commencement address at Central’s graduation ceremony. MTV News and Get Schooled — a national program aimed at increasing high school and college graduation rates — gave all three students video cameras to document their graduation and, of course, all the excitement that came with having the Commander in Chief in town to help them celebrate. “I woke up on Monday, had two early morning interviews at 6 a.m. with local TV news stations, and then after that, I relaxed a bit,” Central’s salutatorian Simon Boehme told MTV News. “After that, I read over my speech, and then, well, I got a new tie, met my family, went out to lunch with the mayor of Kalamazoo, and then got ready. It was a pretty hectic day.” Nicole Allen, who will head to Western Michigan University in the fall and law school after that, had a busy day too. “This morning at 6:30, I had an interview with a local CBS news affiliate, and then I came home and tried to take a nap, but that didn’t work out so well,” she recounted. “Then, I had [graduation] rehearsal from about 8:30 to 10, and after that, I went home and finally managed to take that nap … around 2 p.m., I started getting ready, only we had serious car problems. So I was rushing around, hoping I’d make it there on time!” Due to Obama’s appearance, Central’s graduation ceremony was moved to nearby Western Michigan University, where the soon-to-be grads milled about anxiously until principal Von Washington Jr. gathered them in adjoining room, where they got the surprise of their lives: a meeting with Obama himself. “I had no idea. I was actually filming some of it [for MTV], and I looked underneath the curtain, and I was like, ‘Wait … that’s got to be Obama. Look at the shoes! From the ankles down, that’s him,’ ” laughed Xavier Bolden, who stars in the “Giants” video and will study theater at WMU in the fall. “Still, though, when he came out, I was shocked! It was electrifying. Amazing. Everybody was screaming. Nobody was forming sentences.” “We were sitting in the room, and then all of a sudden, out walks the president!” Allen said. “It was completely a surprise! When he came in, I cried, but then I cried when I found out we won. People say I’m emotional, but it was so unexpected. I burst out crying. I was shaking. My whole body was.” And as for Obama’s actual speech, well, all three students found his message of hard work, selflessness and service inspiring. Even Boehme, who used his salutatory speech as a platform to ask Obama to form a youth advisory council (“I always knew I wanted to ask him about it,” he said). As they head out into the world, they’ll always remember their graduation day and who they got to speak at it. “I mean, the president is standing right in front of us! That doesn’t happen every day,” Allen said. “And to be in high school and have the president give your commencement speech, I won’t ever forget that.” Get Schooled is a national program aimed at increasing high school and college graduation rates and promoting the importance of education, developed by Viacom in partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Related Videos Race To The Top: President Obama Inspires At Kalamazoo Central High School

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President Obama’s Appearance At Kalamazoo Central Was ‘Electrifying,’ Students Say

Israel Loyalist Harvey Weinstein Picks Up Julian Schnabel’s Palestinean Drama Miral

Were it not for their previous, successful collaborations on the 1996 biopic Basquiat and 2008’s Lou Reed’s Berlin , I would pay top freaking dollar for a ringside seat to watch Julian Schnabel and Harvey Weinstein battle over Miral , the Schnabel drama acquired Monday by the Weinstein Company. Never mind the likely editing-suite drama or the marketing meltdowns sure to follow Harvey’s modest entreaty, “Frieda Pinto. Wild Wild Girls . Think about it.” This time it’s allll about the Holy Land.

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Israel Loyalist Harvey Weinstein Picks Up Julian Schnabel’s Palestinean Drama Miral

Late Night Highlights: Stephen Colbert Takes Care of BP for Obama and Jay Leno Knocks NBC

President Obama may not be able to elicit the appropriate amount of rage towards BP, but Stephen Colbert has got a tutorial for that. Just last night, the Colbert Report host threw BP CEO Tony Hayward down a flight of stairs before unleashing an angry team of snapping turtles and sea birds at the exec. Meanwhile over at Tonight Show , Jay Leno took another swipe at NBC and flirted with his new band leader’s wife. Click through for those segments, as well as the other highlights you missed while cracking wise about Katherine Heigl .

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Late Night Highlights: Stephen Colbert Takes Care of BP for Obama and Jay Leno Knocks NBC

President Obama Praises Kalamazoo Central Students’ ‘Sense Of Community’

‘That moment right there changed my life,’ one graduating students exclaims after shaking hands with the president. President Barack Obama surprises students at Kalamazoo Central High School Photo: MTV News President Barack Obama made some new friends on Monday, when he delivered the commencement address at Michigan’s Kalamazoo Central High School, the winning school among thousands of entrants to the White House’s “Race to the Top High School Commencement Challenge.” Before delivering his speech, the president surprised the class of 2010 with an unannounced informal meeting, where he shook hands and exchanged one-on-one words with the impending graduates. “It was the most amazing thing ever that could ever happen to anybody,” one particularly enthusiastic student gushed, while another classmate chimed in, “That moment right there changed my life, just meeting the president.” During the surprise meeting, Obama praised the high school for its strong sense of community and its promising ideals. “If you carry with you the sense of community you’ve got here in your hometown, there is nothing you can’t accomplish,” he told the students. The president’s words touched Kalamazoo’s graduates greatly. As one student put it, “Giving our school so much praise and saying how much he loved the community and everything, him talking about education [and] going further — it was just really good.” But Obama didn’t even have to open his mouth to thrill the crowd, as his mere presence earned him instant rock-star status with Kalamazoo Central’s nearly 300 graduating seniors. Several students leapt up and down screaming at the top of their lungs, others were left in awe after shaking Obama’s own hand, while some even found the time to share the good news on social networking sites. “I just updated my Facebook status: ‘Just met Barack Obama and made friends with the Secret Service,’ ” one girl happily revealed. Although the reactions to Obama’s appearance varied from student to student, the overall vibe of excitement and pride hanging in the air at Kalamazoo Central High School was palpable. “This is the biggest moment in history and we’re all a part of it,” said one overjoyed classmate. “The whole class of 2010, I’m so excited to just be here in the moment.” “The biggest moment in history” might be something of an overstatement, but Obama’s arrival at Kalamazoo certainly armed the students with an emotional touchstone to look back upon as they move forward with the next phase of their lives. As one graduate astutely observed: “It’s incredible how one man can bring everyone together like that.” Get Schooled is a national program aimed at increasing high school and college graduation rates and promoting the importance of education, developed by Viacom in partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Related Videos Race To The Top: President Obama Inspires At Kalamazoo Central High School

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President Obama Praises Kalamazoo Central Students’ ‘Sense Of Community’

You Can Live in Barack Obama’s Old New York Apartment for $1900/Month [For Rent]

Apartment 3E at 42 West 109th St. is like the opposite of haunted: Barack Obama lived here in 1981. Now it’s on the market, and you can rent it for $1,900 a month. Let’s take a look. More

President Obama Surprises High School Contest Winners — Watch Now!

Before giving his commencement speech, Obama pops in on some unsuspecting Kalamazoo Central students. By James Montgomery, with additional reporting by Sean Lee Kalamazoo Central High School are visited by President Barack Obama on Monday Photo: MTV News On Monday (June 7), hours before he was set to deliver the commencement address for Kalamazoo Central High School’s class of 2010 , President Barack Obama gave those graduating students the surprise of their lives, bringing the already energized group to a frenzy with an unannounced meet-and-greet at an intimate, pre-commencement ceremony. MTV News was there exclusively, and we’ve got the footage for you right now! Backstage, in the moments prior to their commencement — which was held at nearby Western Michigan University, due to the overflow crowd — Kalamazoo Central Principal Von Washington Jr. brought the nearly 300 graduating seniors together in an adjoining holding area for what they only assumed to be little more than a quick pre-commencement pep talk. After some initial comments from U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, Washington announced that he had another special guest he’d like to introduce. The seniors in the room were shocked to see none other than President Obama himself bound out into the center of the floor. The room erupted in excitement and stayed charged throughout Obama’s brief-but-encouraging words on the hard work Central’s students had put in and the school’s embrace of diversity. Then he flashed his megawatt smile and began shaking hands with the still-stunned students, working the room with an enthusiasm reminiscent of his days back on the campaign trail. For the soon-to-be-graduates, the unexpected moment capped a week of excitement, one that kicked off with the announcement that Central had won the White House’s inaugural Race to the Top Commencement Challenge video competition (co-sponsored by education organization Get Schooled) aimed at finding the school that best exemplified academic excellence and college readiness. It was, needless to say, a day they won’t soon forget. “He took the time to shake everyone’s hand and looked everyone directly in the eye,” one student shared. As another simply put it: “This day has changed our lives.” What would you think if President Obama showed up unannounced? Let us know in the comments!

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President Obama Surprises High School Contest Winners — Watch Now!