Rise and Shine

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Saturday: The President has no public events scheduled

Sunday: The President and the First Family will depart for Belfast, Northern Ireland (9:20 PM)

Monday: The President and the First Family will arrive in Belfast in the morning, where he will deliver remarks – the First Lady will introduce the President at the event.

The President will then meet with Prime Minister David Cameron ahead of the G8 Summit. Later, he will attend the G-8 Summit at Lough Erne, Northern Ireland, hosted by PM Cameron, from June 17-18.

On Monday evening, the President will hold a bilateral meeting with President Vladimir Putin of Russia.

Tuesday: In the evening, following the G-8, the President and the First Family will travel to Berlin, Germany.

Wednesday: The President will have a meeting with President Gauck and Chancellor Merkel to discuss a wide range of bilateral and global issues.

Later that afternoon, at the invitation of Chancellor Merkel, President Obama will speak at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin.

On Wednesday evening, the President and the First Family will return to the White House.

Thursday and Friday: The President will attend meetings at the White House.

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Please do not pay attention to the negative people. I am an American living the American Dream. This is part of the American life.

— Sebastien De La Cruz (@selcharrodeoro) June 12, 2013

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Daniel W. Drezner (Foreign Policy): Why Obama is arming Syria’s rebels: it’s the realism, stupid.

…. is this the first step towards another U.S.-led war in the region? No. Everything in that Times story, and everything this administration has said and done for the past two years, screams deep reluctance over intervention. Arming the rebels is not the same thing as a no-fly zone or any kind of ground intervention. This is simply the United States engaging in its own form of asymmetric warfare. For the low, low price of aiding and arming the rebels, the U.S. preoccupies all of its adversaries in the Middle East.

…. Now let’s be clear: to describe this as “morally questionable” would be an understatement. It’s a policy that makes me very uncomfortable… until one considers the alternatives. What it’s not, however, is a return to liberal hawkery.

So, to conclude: the United States is using a liberal internationalist rubric to cloak a pretty realist policy towards Syria.

Am I missing anything?

Full post here

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House GOP votes to block closure of Gitmo, where is the outrage from Bernie Sanders and his friends on left.

— Michael Hargrove (@MichaelHargrov1) June 15, 2013

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Steve Benen: It was just three weeks ago that President Obama made a persuasive case for closing the U.S. detention facility at Guantanamo Bay. He described a military prison that costs too much, has become an international embarrassment, and is filled with “people who have been charged with no crime.”

…. Last week, House Republicans once again barred the Obama administration from transferring detainees from Guantanamo Bay. Friday, against a backdrop of a terrible hunger strike, a Democratic effort to do the right thing was easily defeated in the face of mindless, reactionary conservative opposition.

More here

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Ooooops:

I feel obligated to share, as the story unfolds, my creeping concern that the NSA leaker is not who he purports to be http://t.co/dOV2XYXdRe

— Naomi Wolf (@naomirwolf) June 14, 2013

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Kurt Eichenwald: PRISM Isn’t Data Mining and Other Falsehoods in the N.S.A. “Scandal”

I can’t stand it.

A few days ago, I wrote in some detail about the National Security Agency’s data-mining program in hopes of calming the hysteria that has been whipped up in the last number of days by incorrect and misleading reports, as well as by plenty of ill-informed commentary based on those errors. At this point, I’ve decided that I need to tell a little bit more…..

See here

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True Facts of History: Eric Holder Uncovered & Corrected NSA Eavesdropping Overreach. In 2009. http://t.co/OGH9A2Rtj0

— Bob Cesca (@bobcesca_go) June 15, 2013

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Tommy Christopher (Mediaite): …. Glenn Greenwald and his source, whistle-and-country-blower Edward Snowden, have completely taken over the political media with revelations that hype well, but don’t amount to much upon closer examination. Now, Greenwald promises more (and more devastating) revelations to come, but what has been revealed so far is about as alarming as an epidemic of Pac Man Fever….

…. That hasn’t stopped the media from going all Chicken Little, some because they’re desperate to “have the conversation,” some because they want to attack President Obama to prove varying types of cred, and some because they’d like even less fettering of the surveillance state. I think we do need to “have the conversation” about government surveillance, but it should begin in 1978, not last week, when the world discovered that the first black president was in charge of it….

Full post here

Chat away – Happy Cinco de Mayo!

So, for Cinco de Mayo, you may expect that I’m going to post a bunch of mariachi videos. WRONG!

One of the things I discovered when I moved to L.A. was rock en español. And Mexico is its epicenter. So, in honor of Mexican revolutionaries defeating the Emperor Maximillian, a little rock for your Sunday afternoon.

First, Maná – “Labios compartidos”

This and That

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Today:

All times Eastern

1:0: The President attends a forum on Inclusive Economic Growth and Development (Audio only at White House live)

3:0: Departs San Jose, Costa Rica en route Washington, DC

7:20: Arrives Joint Base Andrews

7:35: Arrives the White House

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Live coverage from Costa Rica:

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Tomorrow:

9:45: President Obama departs the White House

11:15: Arrives Columbus, Ohio

12:35: Delivers the commencement speech at The Ohio State University

3:25: Arrives the White House

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The week ahead:

Monday: The President will have meetings at the White House

Tuesday: Welcomes President Park Geun-hye of the Republic of Korea to the White House

Wednesday: Meetings at the White House

Thursday: Travels to Austin, Texas for events on the economy and to see UT. Returns to the White House in the evening

Friday: Meetings at the White House

Saturday: The President and the Vice President will honor the 2013 National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO) TOP COPS award winners at the White House

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President Barack Obama and President Laura Chinchilla of Costa Rica participate in a cultural event with Costa Rican youth at Casa Amarilla, San Jose, Costa Rica, May 3, 2013. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

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President Obama at his joint press conference with Costa Rica’s President Laura Chincilla in San Jose, May 3

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A Cinco de Mayo pic or two, even though it’s only the 4th 😕

2009:

President Obama and the First Lady take the elevator to the private residence after a Cinco de Mayo celebration at the White House, May 4, 2009 (Photo by Samantha Appleton)

2010:

Do it for your Country

A Little Bit More of This and That

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NYT: A longtime aide to George W. Romney issued a harshly worded critique of Mitt Romney, accusing him of shifting political positions in “erratic and startling ways” and failing to live up to the distinguished record of his father, the former governor of Michigan.

Walter De Vries, who worked for the senior Mr. Romney throughout the 1960s, wrote that Mitt Romney’s bid for the White House was “a far cry from the kind of campaign and conduct, as a public servant, I saw during the seven years I worked in George Romney’s campaigns and served him as governor.”

“While it seems that Mitt would say and do anything to close a deal – or an election,” he wrote, “George Romney’s strength as a politician and public officeholder was his ability and determination to develop and hold consistent policy positions over his life.”

… “George would never have been seen with the likes of Sheldon Adelson or Donald Trump.”

… Mr. De Vries, who said he wished to the see the Republican Party return to its moderate roots, said he intended to vote for Mr. Obama on Election Day.

More here

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More at Business Insider

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Reuters: Retail sales rose in September as Americans stepped up purchases of everything from cars to electronics, a sign that consumer spending is driving faster economic growth.

…. expectations for third-quarter economic growth improved after the Commerce Department reported a 1.1 percent increase in retail sales during September.

The reading, which beat analysts’ forecasts, builds on other signs of growing economic momentum, including a drop in the jobless rate last month and a rise in consumer confidence.

“The news flow on the U.S. economy keeps getting better,” said Chris Williamson, an economist at Markit in London.

More here

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Iowa, August 13

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Tuesday:

10:15: VP Biden delivers remarks at the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research in Danville, Va.

12:25: President Obama delivers remarks at the Nelson Pioneer Farm & Museum in Oskaloosa, Iowa

4:30: VP Biden delivers remarks at Spiller Elementary School, Wytheville, Va.

5:00: President Obama delivers remarks at B.R. Miller Middle School in Marshalltown, Iowa

8:45: President Obama delivers remarks at the Waterloo Center for the Arts in Waterloo, Iowa

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Oh heck, I love PBO supporters:

Supporters of President Obama demonstrate across from the site of the “Romney Plan for a Stronger Middle Class” bus tour, at El Palacio De Los Jugos, Miami, Florida on August 13

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President Obama shares a beer with Mike Cunningham at a beer stand at the Iowa State Fair, August 13

President Obama and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack greet people as they visit the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines

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Iowa, August 13

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President Barack Obama gets a hug from Joy Dannelly as he visits the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines, Iowa, August 13

rise and shine

President Barack Obama mingles with guests during a Cinco de Mayo reception in the Rose Garden, May 3

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Morning everyone.

Okay, those jobs figures come out at 8:30 AM …. fingers crossed.

See you then.

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11:25 The President holds a roundtable discussion with a group of seniors and their parents at Washington-Lee High School

11:50: Delivers remarks about the importance of having a fair shot at an affordable higher education

4:55: Welcomes the University of Kentucky men’s basketball team to the White House

gracias

….. greeting school children and teachers after speaking at Plaza de San Pedro in Cartagena

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Catholic priest Alvaro Gutierrez leads President Obama and President Santos on a tour of San Pedro church in Cartagena

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….. greeting Colombian singer Shakira during an event to hand over titles to representatives of the Afro-Colombian community during an event at the Plaza de San Pedro in Cartagena. The land restitution is an attempt by Colombia to recognized marginalized communities who were forced from their land by armed groups.

Sebastian Salgado, leader of the San Basilio de Palenque community of descendants of former slaves, receives a land title from President Obama during the ceremony

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…. at a joint press conference with Colombia President Juan Manuel Santos

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…. departing on Air Force One from Rafael Nunez International Airport in Cartagena en route to Washington DC

pic of the americas

President Barack Obama gestures during the official photo at the sixth Summit of the Americas in Cartagena, Colombia. Obama is flanked by Presidents Sebastian Pinera of Chile, front left, and Otto Perez Molina of Guatemala, front right. Pictured behind the three leaders are Presidents Porfirio Lobo of Honduras, middle row, left, Felipe Calderon of Mexico, middle row, second from left, Ricardo Martinelli of Panama, middle row, right, and Trinidad and Tobago

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President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton with Argentina’s President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner during a bilateral meeting at the Americas Summit in Cartagena. April 14

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From yesterday:

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Meanwhile….

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Back later, chat away 😉

chat away

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AP: Some of the money from President Barack Obama’s health care law is flowing to places you might not expect.

Two Texas public employee programs are among the top 25 beneficiaries of a $5-billion fund to shore up employer coverage for early retirees, despite Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s vow to repeal what Republicans derisively call “Obamacare.”

And records show the Huntsman family business, where GOP presidential candidate Jon Huntsman was once a top executive, received about $1 million.

Some see a gap between dire Republican rhetoric about the health care overhaul and the pragmatic impulse to cash in on a new government benefit.

“Lots of Texans are already benefiting from health care reform,” said Anne Dunkelberg, a health care expert at the Austin-based Center for Public Policy Priorities. “Other than for political theater, there would not be the kind of opposition there is.” The nonpartisan center advocates for the poor.

Full article here

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The Week

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Uggh, he’s at it again:

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and Argentina’s President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner

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…. with Spain’s PM Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero

… with Brazil’s President Dilma Rousseff

…. with Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan

… with International Labor Organization Director-General Juan Somavia

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CNN: President Barack Obama leads all of his potential Republican challengers in hypothetical 2012 matchups among Pennsylvania adults, according to a new poll.

The Franklin and Marshall College poll released Thursday in the battleground state, shows Obama ahead of potential rivals Mitt Romney, Herman Cain, Rick Perry and Rick Santorum, but the results are closest when the president is paired with Romney.

Obama leads the former Massachusetts governor 35% to 26% and Cain, the former pizza executive, 38% to 24%. He enjoys a 20% lead over Texas Gov. Perry, 40% to 20% and a 13% advantage over former two-term Pennsylvania Sen. Santorum, 38% to 25%.

Full post here

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McClatchy

Thanks amk