President Obama gives a “shaka” gesture while greeting people at Island Snow near his vacation home in Kailua, Hawaii December 31
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Archive for December, 2013
31
Dec
13
Shaka!
by Me
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1 The Inauguration
Ah, the most magical of days, made all the more lovely by spending it in TOD’s company. And the updates and photos from the TOD meet-up in DC made it even better ….. although I heard VC was left behind in the room behind the main one, talking to herself 🙄
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2 Gabby Giffords’ Statement at the Senate Hearing on Gun Violence
She’s just an inspirational woman, her courage is beyond description.
#TheTimeIsNow
Mark Kelly’s pride in his extraordinary wife:
President Obama greets former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and her husband, former astronaut Mark Kelly, in the Oval Office after they testified at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on gun violence, Jan. 30, 2013 (Photo by Pete Souza)
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3 The President and First Lady visiting the Fast for Families immigration protestors on the Mall
As SmartyPants put it, “when has a White House shown this kind of support to activists? The answer: Never.”
An incredibly powerful moment, the President of the United States and the First Lady departing the White House to show solidarity with immigration activists on the Mall.
Of the people, for the people.
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4 Obamacare
The coalition of forces, $$ supported $$ by the MSM, that united against the Affordable Care Act, was a sight to behold, even so-called progressives – the privileged ones, need it be said? – like Ezra Klein did their level best to belittle and undermine the efforts to make health insurance affordable for all Americans.
Now?
They’re frothing at the mouth as those enrollment figures soar.
Obamacare is enriching people’s lives.
Thank you Barack Obama. What an amazing legacy.
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5 A President Abroad
As if Nelson Mandela’s Memorial Service wasn’t emotional enough, the outpouring of love from the South African people for the First Couple was a truly beautiful thing.
And needless to say, this image from June will live long in the memory:
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6 Respect
This photo from Pete Souza: Respect.
Day after day we see efforts to diminish this President, to attach him to scandal, to demonize him, to smear him, lying shills like Jon Karl and Chuck Todd leading the MSM charge.
And I always smile when they gleefully report poor polling figures for the President.
Remember: Almost 46% of Americans voted for Sarah Palin (and John McCain) in 2008, and over 47% for Mitt Romney in 2012. No, seriously.
These people would have voted for Satan rather than a black man. But that’s never an ‘issue’ the MSM will address.
So, the President’s ‘ceiling’ is around 50% – his opponents are lost in a wilderness of hate, even though they benefit from his work.
The latest GOP/Rasmussen figure? 48% approval.
There you have it: the people who put their faith in him still believe in him – and respect him.
Like that man in the photo.
Because he knows Barack Obama is fighting for him.
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7 Genius
Choosing Billie Jean King and Caitlin Cahow as part of the delegation to represent the White House at the Sochi Olympics in 2014.
President Obama?
You brilliant rascal.
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8 The Fun
I have no clue how he does it, but he remains cheerful through all this madness – and I love him for it.
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9 The Blog Tyrants
On a personal bloggy note ….. the day UT agreed to run TOD with me was a bit fantabulous, at that stage I just couldn’t keep things going on my own, too much going on, and then this bundle of awesomeness teamed up and bloggy life has been a joy ever since.
Honestly, I can never ever thank UT enough, you have no idea how many ridicuously-short-notice messages I have sent her asking her to do, say, a R&S at two minutes notice, and not once has she said: “GO AWAY!”
So, I adore this brilliant woman, even if her taste in soccer teams is totally rubbish.
And I also too adore our regular blog tyrants, Liberal Librarian, Lovely Plains, Zizi and even Amk – you have all brought SO much to this place, thank you.
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10 You
Too many memorable 2013 moments to mention, but ‘you people’ are the very, very best, you make me smile and think every single day, thank you for your company on this lovely trip – wishing you and your loved ones a healthy, happy, joyful 2014.
#Forward
31
Dec
13
The Fabulous Four
The President and First Lady joke with the Vice President and Dr. Biden in the Blue Room of the White House before the National Governors Association Dinner.” (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
by Bob
The following is my humble offering to the lovely tradition you have launched to encourage TODers to reflect on key moments of the Presidency of Barack Obama’s second term:
“President Obama said he wouldn’t negotiate with Republicans over raising the debt limit and funding the government, and he never really needed to pick up the phone. The deal that passed both houses of Congress Wednesday achieves both goals, with minuscule concessions from the president’s side. In the crude analogy of two cars playing chicken, the president’s opponents pulled over. After 16 days of a government shutdown, the Republican Party has achieved its lowest approval ratings in recorded history, the president’s health care plan is unscathed, and the GOP’s civil war still roars. Proof was on the cable television split-screens. As Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell was announcing the bipartisan deal that ended the standoff, Sen. Ted Cruz was holding his own press conference denouncing the Senate establishment that had caved.” (Slate)
Without any doubt, had Senator Reid and Congresswoman Pelosi not stood steadfastly with President Obama the Office of the President of the United States would have been severely damaged and a MINORITY of radicals would have set the precedent of being able to control the Executive Branch of our Government.
Meta, College Kay, amk, and SmartyPants have shared many of the 2013 heart-wrenching, powerful, and transformational acts of President Obama.
For me, the act that may well be among the most important of his two-terms, if not the most important historically, is that he courageously blocked a Minority Coup that would have undermined the Office of the President – 224 years into the great American experiment in Democracy.
So, I’ll limit my contribution to 1 instead of 10 memorable moments, for the reasons stated above and because our colleagues have already beautifully summarized many of President Obama’s actions throughout 2013 that I would have selected.
#TrustBarack
Yes We Can
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by Carol Duhart
President Obama’s second inauguration:
While the first inauguration was magical, the second was more than magic. The American people chose to re-elect him. Â Before 2012, even though Obama was doing a good job, there was always the saying by some that Obama was a fluke-a flirtation with diversity that would end as soon as an “adequate” candidate showed up. Or that he benefited by having McCain/Palin as opponents. But Obama has proven that diversity and change were not just flavors of the week by winning comfortably and later having a good and inspirational re-inauguration
The Obamacare website fizzle:
Really, after all of the fuss, that is what things have come down to? A website with glitches? I mean, no website runs perfectly on the first day ever. No matter how many tests, there are some things that you just don’t know are a problem until a real person actually uses it. And even then, all of the fuss didn’t stop millions from trying and retrying until they got enrolled. And it looks like it’s on its way to meet the numbers hoped for in enrollments
The Iran agreement:
For just about as long as I can remember, the shadow of a war that first engulfed the Middle East and brought in the rest of the world has hung over everything. To see Obama bring Russia and China into a peace-making agreement with Iran is huge. And do the same with Syria-all without firing a shot. Add the ending of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars mean that that Middle East war is further away than ever. Syria is terrible, but by itself won’t make it World War III or even a whole region conflagration.
In so many ways, Obama is the big cleanup of so many outmoded ideas. Â The end of the “war on terror” replaced by a nearly won war on al-Qaeda. The friendly rapprochement to Cuba and Iran. His support of alternative energy instead of pandering for votes by “drill, drill, drill” for cheaper gas. Â And so much more.
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by EveInGeorgia
Eve chose 10 of President Obama’s speeches from 2013
January 21: The second inauguration
February 12: State of the Union
March 21: Speech in Israel
April 18: Speech in Boston
May 23: Perpetual War speech
June 5: Appointments of Susan Rice and Samantha Power
July 19: Remarks on Trayon Martin
August 28: The 50th Anniversary of Dr King’s speech
It was one of the most spectacular days of my life, the day was indescribable! Because of my disability, I was allowed to sit in a great section. Hence, I was able to scoot around and take pictures of some great folk: Oprah, John Lewis, Elijah Cummings, Jaime Foxx, Al Sharpton, Bill Russell…..I couldn’t believe it, all these folk passed right near us, and they were gracious to a fault.
I thought all the presidents’ speeches were great, but President Obama’s was simply elegant.
What a blessed day.
September 10: Address to the nation on Syria
October 17: Speech on the budget deal
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by CarolMaeWY
President Obama was sworn in twice for the second time. Only one other president was sworn in four times, Franklin D. Roosevelt.
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The President can have a new career as a comedian. His time at the podium during the WHCD was great this year, as it has been in other years. How did you like his new entrance music?
Rush warned you, Second Term Baby! Republicans, if you want to reach out to minorities, reach out to me!
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We also enjoyed FLOTUS in BANGS – and Mom Dancing!
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Carole King is the First Woman to receive the Gershwin Award. This is the first musical presentation I watched. I never knew it was possible. I missed so much before I found TOD.
It’s one of our nation’s highest arts honors, given to recognize contribution to pop music and culture — and in 2013, the President awarded it to Carole King, legendary singer and songwriter responsible for hits like “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman.”
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Two people received the Medal of Honor from our President this year. Poignant moments for all involved.
Former Army Staff Sgt. Clinton Romesha Receives the Medal of Honor
“With gunfire impacting all around him, Clint raced to one of the barracks and grabbed a machine gun. He took aim at one of the enemy machine teams and took it out. A rocket-propelled grenade exploded, sending shrapnel into his hip, his arm, and his neck. But he kept fighting, disregarding his own wounds, and tending to an injured comrade instead.” – President Obama, February 11, 2013
U.S. Army Captain William Swenson Receives the Medal of Honor
Swenson received the Medal of Honor for his courageous actions while serving as an Embedded Trainer and Mentor of the Afghan National Security Forces with Afghan Border Police Mentor Team, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, during a lengthy battle with the Taliban in Kunar Province, Afghanistan on September 8, 2009.
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A New Dog at the White House
Sunny, a sweet and friendly 1-year-old girl pup, arrived at the White House to keep Bo and the Obama family company. We all know how special a new dog is.
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President Obama continues to be a great judge in character. Let’s not forget Ambassador Susan Rice is now his National Security Adviser and we have Ambassador Powell at the U.N.
Also Senators confirmed Vice Adm. Michelle Howard for the service’s No. 2 post on Dec. 20, making her the first female four-star admiral in the Navy’s 238-year history.
Her promotion to vice chief of naval operations, expected for early 2014, will also make her the first African-American woman to attain four-star rank in Pentagon history.
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We enjoyed celebrating President Obama’s 52nd Birthday with many photos of his life here on TOD and Twitter.
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During President Obama and the First Lady’s trip to Africa many commented on Michele being a descendent of slaves.
Thought you’d be interested in this story:
President Obama Ancestry
Obama Has Ties to Slavery Not by His Father but His Mother, Research Suggests
Mark Bunch, who directs his family’s online lineage project, said of President Obama, “I’m his fifth cousin twice removed.”
By SHERYL GAY STOLBERG
President Obama’s biography — son of a black father from Kenya and a white mother from Kansas — has long suggested that unlike most African-Americans, his roots did not include slavery.
One tool used by a team of genealogists over the course of two years was an online database maintained by the Bunch family.
Now a team of genealogists is upending that thinking, saying that Mr. Obama’s mother had, in addition to her European ancestors, at least one African forebear and that the president is most likely descended from one of the first documented African slaves in the United States.
More information can be found at Wikipedia. It’s a complicated story.
So much more to do and enjoy in 2014! FORWARD! TRUST BARACK!
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31
Dec
13
Dad? Stop. Right Now.
June 16, 2013: “The President shows off his dance moves as he and the First Lady waited backstage during an intermission of daughter Sasha’s dance recital at Strathmore Arts Center in North Bethesda, Maryland.” (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
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See all of Pete Souza’s ‘Year in Photos’ here
31
Dec
13
Pete Souza’s Year in Photos
Jan. 17, 2013: “The President sings ‘Happy Birthday’ to the First Lady after greeting inaugural brunch guests in the Blue Room of the White House. Of course, the First Lady’s new hairstyle attracted a lot of attention.”
Dec. 25, 2013: “When little kids are around, you never know what will happen. On Christmas Day, the President and First Lady were greeting almost 600 active duty troops and their families at Marine Corps Base Hawaii Kaneohe (known locally as K-Bay). This youngster gave the President a look, which he returned.”
Dec. 10, 2012: “South Africans cheer as President Obama waits in a tunnel at the soccer stadium before taking the stage to speak at Nelson Mandela’s memorial service. It was a long overnight flight to Johannesburg, a few hours on the ground in the pouring rain, and then a long flight back to Washington.”
Nov. 4, 2013: “The President is reflected in a glass table top during a meeting in the Oval Office.”
Dec. 13, 2013: “Everyone has a smart phone. The President delivers remarks with the First Lady during a Christmas reception in the Grand Foyer of the White House.”
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Pete Souza has started posting his ‘Year in Photos’ on Flickr – see here – and, naturally, they’re stunning.
Chat on!
31
Dec
13
Early New Year’s Eve Chat
Dec. 31, 2012: “Following remarks in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the fiscal cliff negotiations, the President greets a couple of OMB workers as he walked back across on West Executive Avenue as he walked back to the West Wing of the White House. He gave them an elbow-bump, because he had just put Purell on his hands.” (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
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MoooOOOooorning Early Birds, Happy New Year’s Eve!
30
Dec
13
Father-In-Chief
30
Dec
13
A Laugh Or Two
by VC
To be honest, TODobots, reflecting on meaningful 2013 moments in the Age of Obama takes me right back to the 2009 Inauguration which I watched on TV. Personally, I go backwards first because for me almost all momentous 2013 happenings are irrevocably intertwined with the ones started back then.
Remember this part of Pres O’s 2009 address?
“To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society’s ills on the West – know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.”
“we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.” ’09 PBO •►a man of his word! So what’s the problem? pic.twitter.com/2txz0AbmlV
— Vick C. (@sonamie) December 11, 2013
I wasn’t at all surprised President Obama did just that, on December 10, 2013.
(1) ••►President Barack H. Obama = A Man of his Word
He also said then ….
“…. as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.
To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect.”
A roundup of Iranian President @HassanRouhani‘s tweets describing his conversation with Obama http://t.co/k2WDfTwPJf
— The Boston Globe (@BostonGlobe) September 27, 2013
In seeking a new way forward, President Obama had a 15 minute conversation with Iranian President Rouhani
September 27, 2013:
(2) ••►President Barack H. Obama = A Man of Vision and of Action
Most everyone here would agree that PBO’s choice of Joe Biden as a presidential partner was, and is, a smart one. VP Joe has worked closely with Pres. O from the beginning …..
“Now, as the 47th Vice President of the United States, Joe Biden has continued his leadership on important issues facing the nation. The Vice President was tasked with implementing the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, helping to rebuild our economy and lay the foundation for a sustainable economic future.  …
In addition, Vice President Biden has supported the Administration’s effort to re-establish leadership in the Asia Pacific, traveling to China, Japan, and Mongolia in August 2011 and completing an exchange of visits with China’s then-Vice President in February 2012, that country’s current leader. He has represented our country in every region of the world……. ”
…and in 2013 a memorable event for me was VP Biden’s December 2013 6-day trip to Asia.
The Obama Diary 
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