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President Moon Jae-in renewed his resolve to pursue sanctions and dialogue to tackle North Korea’s nuclear program during a meeting with former US President Barack Obama on Monday, saying now is the “last chance” for the regime to return to the negotiating table. “Obama said that as many South Koreans hope for his success, Moon would no doubt meet the people’s expectations, quoting former President Abraham Lincoln whom he said he respects the most that with the people’s support you can do anything.” Obama arrived in Seoul on Sunday along with his wife Michelle and daughters, Sasha and Malia, marking his first visit since his term came to an end in January. Obama is enjoying his post retirement life nonetheless, basking in one of the highest ratings for any former US leader.
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Earlier Monday, he took part in the Asian Leadership Conference hosted by the Chosun Ilbo and met with former President Lee Myung-bak, which he called a chance to “catch up with my old friend.”
At the forum, Obama sought to counter Trump’s criticism for his North Korea policy, pointing to his efforts to intensify sanctions, plug loopholes and boost cooperation with China — the defiant regime’s economic lifeline — and other countries such as in Southeast Asia. While expressing skepticism a quick solution, he emphasized the need to tighten the enforcement of the sanctions to ensure no “leaks” that may facilitate arms trade and cash flows into the North. “We should be under no illusions that there is some silver bullet and solve this problem right away,” Obama said. “But I do think that a good dialogue has opened up between the US and China around this issue, and my hope is that the current administration is continuing that. I think it is also important for us to maintain the kinds of strong application of sanctions.”
More here
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Text of speech
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The Obama Diary 
Delighted to see our President engaging with world leaders in such a positive way/
Evening TOD and Judith- it’s the only way he knows how to engage. It’s why we respect him as well !!
Congrats on first Judith.
I love this and it’s the best evidence that President Obama is still PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES and everybody knows it
It would be nice if PBO could go behind Trump as a shadow President and meet with all of the leaders. 🙂
Who says he isn’t doing just that? It seems like he is.
It seems so to me, too:) Thank god. He’s STILL saving us! Morning, idon. Morning TOD:) Happy 4th
Don’t say things like that, the right wing crazies are already saying these very things.
LEAVE IT TO THE ‘O’ TO FIX…REPAIR AND SOW…VALUES THAT HAVE BEEN DUMPED BECAUSE AMERICANS HAVE BEEN ….TRUMPED!…MY PRESIDENT!
For Real, TOD – Totally and Completely, For Real ….
I literally have returned to my childhood nightly horror of a flash of light, mushroom cloud and the END ….
Trump and the GOP are literally giving everyone PTSD.
Yes. For real. Which is yet ANOTHER reason we all need healthcare.
GE Dr Bob.
It’s truly horrifying — my sleep (?) pattern has been completely upended by FUBAR — exhausted, so I can go to sleep, but I wake up when I should be in deep sleep, etc.
Some perspective on North Korea missile launch:
And for Nena (who can’t see @ddale8’s tweets 😦 ):
Same for me, arapaho!
And yes, Tally – PTSD for any person (not just Americans for sure) with a wit of sense and love of life!!
THERE IS NEVER AN END IF YOU LOVE JESUS..THERE IS A NEW ETERNAL BEGINNING…NO WORRIES!
It’s almost Malia Obama 19th birthday. Happy Birthday Malia.
Beautiful, awe inspiring, dedicated to world peace. We are so truly blessed. Thank you, PBO, MO, lovely family, and thank you, TOD, for always being near. Taking the day tomorrow to celebrate my Mother, who passed on 4th July, 44 years ago, as I sat holding her hand. A life shaping gift, to be sure. Back on the 5th. Be blessed everyone, Be safe. Be at peace. ❤️💐🌏🙏🏻🎶
Love our Pres Obama. What the world needs now, is love sweet love.. .. Must see video:
DONE..<3
GE/GM TODville.
For those still awake in an hour and a half…
I’m woke
Here’s where we are as a nation now.
1) Our government lies to us:
more…
Here’s what our government had to say about tonight’s launch by North Korea:
Or hasn’t said…
Meanwhile, North Korea made an elaborate announcement on television, and this is what their news agency reports:
And I think this is what state TV reported:
more…
Meanwhile, DJT is packing his bags to visit Poland (hard right government — very disturbing assessment of this visit by AP) and Dear Leader, President Putin:
From AP article:
“Trump will be welcomed in Poland by populist leaders who are closely aligned with his worldview and who gained power in 2015 with the same brand of nationalistic, anti-Muslim rhetoric that has put both the new U.S. leader and the Poles in conflict with leaders in Western Europe.
Like Trump, Poland’s leaders seek to restore more national sovereignty and weaken international institutions like the European Union. Some political observers worry that the visit could further deepen divisions between Poland and its Western European partners.”
snip /
“Trump can probably count on large enthusiastic crowds to greet him in Warsaw, where he is expected to give a major televised address to the nation. In fact, according to Polish media reports, that is exactly what Poland’s government promised the White House in its invitation.
To make good on that pledge, ruling party lawmakers and pro-government activists plan to bus in groups from the provinces to hear Trump’s speech. A warm reception would certainly be a plus for Trump after his somewhat awkward debut in Europe in May.”
snip /
“The hundreds of thousands of Polish-American voters in the United States represent an important constituency in several battleground states, and last year they helped give Trump the edge he needed in Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.”
And lastly, FUBAR wants to sell more liquefied natural gas and oil to Poland (making all the polluters and rapers of our natural landscape even wealthier than they are now).
My stomach is in knots (again).
Any bets that our our masochistic, lapdog media – including MSNBC – will fall in line and play up the “success” of the Polish propaganda show as a measure of 45’s “popularity”, rather than going anywhere near the truth that he’s only going where some fellow authoritarians promised to stroke his ego with a big show of approval?
GM Sandy.
You’re right that our #WhiteAuthority MSM will stoke the egos of FUBAR and his deplorable supporters, which will be a sickening spectacle to behold.
But what worries me the most is that FUBAR will head directly from this ego-boosting high to meet with President Putin — who has total control over FUBAR. FUBAR will be on such a high, he will have absolutely no self-control, and he will be so eager to please Vlad, that he literally could give Vlad the US nuclear codes, or whatever else Vlad persuades him to do (first by flattery, and then by extortion if that’s what it takes).
This week is shaping up to be a nightmare come true. JHC.
So I guess in the future, he’ll visit places like the Phillipines where a despot is countenance the killing of thousands of “drug dealers”. Trump loves dictators and despots because that is who he is. I’m sure going to Poland will stroke his ego but he won’t get that reception in most Western democracies. That’s why he wants to sneak into England.
GM TODville.
Though still desperately worried about this week (see dire postings above), this has calmed me down (for now):
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/our-fakehero-president-is-an-insult-to-our-founders/2017/07/03/c0bc0402-6024-11e7-a4f7-af34fc1d9d39_story.html?utm_term=.52453d507f10
http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/07/10/american-dignity-on-the-fourth-of-july
Read it all. No wonder all of us crave whatever we can find about our Forever President.
Agreed. I hope Mueller swoops down, like a giant American eagle, and snatches up all the filth and we can get back to where we should be….please let it happen soon. Please. On this July 4th, I would like all the IC to know that I am grateful for their hard work….the people in Congress that are doing the good work….the military that must be beside themselves, praying that they don’t get an order from that shitforbrainsmoron….. I’m not religious, but I pray.
Happy Birthday Malia Obama
Where we are.
It sure feels as if we are in the early phases of fascism.
Sarah Kendzior explains *why* women are foremost targets of our homegrown facsists (spoiler alert: it’s because women are leading #TheResistance).
We “need” a Russian owned news outlet in DC? Really? WTF for??? Oh…Putin said so. Got it
I’m listening
Good start. They need to make sure this never happens again.
GM DF.
Call me paranoid, but I don’t trust sources now from Russian media. @MSnegovaya Twitter profile:
“PhD student at Columbia University and a columnist at Vedomosti, looking into an abyss.” Per Wikipedia, Vedomosti (Russian: Ведомости, literally “The Record”) is a Russian-language business daily.
Thanks for posting this, as Facebook is a critical component in upcoming US elections.
The article @MSnegovaya is over 2 months old, don’t know what (if anything) has changed since then:
Happy Fourth, everyone!!
Thanks for all you do, Nerdy.
You are the queen that roam these parts, keeping this oasis alive and vibrant. A Wonder Woman of sorts of the TOD!! 🙂 🙂
Hope you and your family have a happy and safe fourth.
(((((((((((((((((((((Dearest Chips)))))))))))))))))))))
Hear! Hear!
Big ups to Nerdy and Chips! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Good morning, good people. Wishing you a safe and happy holiday. And to Malia, Happy Birthday. Always in our hearts.
{{{{Malia}}}} Happy Birthday, dear one. Many more!
Wow. 19!! Happy Birthday, Malia!!
HAPPY,HAPPY BIRTHDAY MALIA…GOD BLESS YOUR JOURNEY..SUCH A BEAUTIFUL YOUNG WOMAN..YOU NEED TO BUY YOUR PARENTS AN EXTRA BOX OF KLEENEX!…AAAH THE EMPTY NEST SYNDROME!
Didn’t know she was born on July 4th. Happy B’Day to her!!
Happy Independence Day to all in TODville and their ((( loved ones ))).
Will logoff soon, but #KnowledgeIsPower — for those interested in learning more about North Korea here is Twitter thread from “Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress for nuclear and defense policy” @ajmount, and may be why US is not officially admitting that North Korea launched an ICBM yesterday.
I see where Trump has stuck his nose into this case going on in England where these parents want their sick child to come to America for some treatment which they hope could save their baby. I pray for the child. But I say this, it’s funny he is trying to show that he is concern about that child, what about all the American children he want to kick off of Medicaid, the ACA. Where is the compassion for them?
Amen!
Exactly. He’s a showboat though…this serves a purpose of elevating him to some kind of savior, because of all the publicity. Our kids? Not so much. That said, of course I hope the child gets what he needs. I wish that for ALL PEOPLE.
And his shutting the door on other sick children from non-European children.
I have to ask the question, if it was a Muslim child would he even care, would he and his Muslims hating base want to bring the Muslim child and parents to this country?
Congrats to Bill R, Judith Fardig and other Oregonians:
Is Oregon where all the reasonable Republicans are hiding? 🙂 Congrats to Oregonians….doing right by the people
We’ll take what we can get from our Oregon Republicans. Kruse is no moderate but he does recognize fiscal stupidity. Another Republican Rep (Julie Parrish) is trying to scuttle it.
Well, at least SOME of them are thinking properly:)
Morning TOD. America will have to fall on its face with a wham before it stops the hate that keeps it from becoming what some call “great”. Rural folks went for the okey-doke, instead of appreciating what we had achieved. Perhaps their only wake-up call is to suffer- greatly ! I have no pity whatsoever.
Hmmmmm
GM AT2.
Does. not. matter.
Seals place their lives on the line as part of their work.
GOP, not so much.
GM friend!!
Good Morning TOD.
there is a darling video that goes with this…i love it…thanks for posting…JER
Joy let’s it fly in the best way.
I’m more sad and scared this 4th of July than ever before in my life. Who is going to show somw spine among the House GOP and impeach the manic squatting in the Oval Office?
Wow! Cool!
LOVELY!! Thank you, JER!!
Great article, explaining the meaning of each color in the Obama Family tartan.
Thanks so much JER for posting these!
Everybody wants to be associated with this precious man.
WOW…..
Happy 4th of July! 🇺🇸
YES!
😄
Cool!
Charles M. Blow is telling the truth.
I’ve always loved this photo! ❤️
Happy birthday to gorgeous Malia!! And Happy July 4th to the Obama and Biden clans!!
Happy 44th Forever to Nerdy Wonka and all on terrific TOD.
Happy Birthday Malia Obama! 🎂
Lovely!
The damage done by the time the architects of this Coup are satisfied with the regime change – will be MONUMENTAL.
KOCH/nra/McConnell will keep Trump until the worst of their vision of the world is set up.
–Why the Dictraitor has to G-O sooner rather than later.
Bannon. Putin.
I remember when we had a real President.
OH MY Goodness…will every election be challenged….
At the very least, every election back to Nov 2016.
For crying out loud a child could figure this out.
NO MORE VOTING OF ANY KIND:
UNTIL EVERY SYSTEM HAS BEEN OFFICIALLY CHECKED.
AND THERE IS A PAPER TRAIL FOR EVERY PRECINCT.
We not only have to worry about North Korea, we have to worry about Trump.
Just what the MAFIAdministration wanted. Perfect.
https://www.facebook.com/TheGuardiansOfDemocracy/?hc_ref=NEWSFEED&fref=nf
This should leave a mark on the fraud that is Pence.
Bible (it’s only been changed umpteen times with every political takeover) not Science!!
“Trump is a Trojan horse for a cabal of vicious zealots who have long craved an extremist Christian theocracy,
and Pence is one of its most prized warriors.” (Jeremy Scahill)
New post.
https://theobamadiary.com/2017/07/04/the-4th/