President Barack Obama, Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi, Natioanl Security Advisor Susan Rice, Secretary of State John Kerry and Samantha Power United States Ambassador to the United Nations, attend the “Leader’s Summit on Countering ISIL and Countering Violent Extremism” at the United Nations
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First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama joins the “Let Girls Learn” Global Conversation at The Apollo Theater in New York City
Glamour’s Editor-in-Chief Cindi Leive (R) led a panel discussion with Former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard, Founder of Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project and U.N. Messenger of Peace Charlize Theron, First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama and Girl ambassador from Plan International Nurfahada during Glamour “The Power Of An Educated Girl” at The Apollo Theater
President Obama talks to New Zealand Prime Minister John Key as they arrive for the gala dinner together with other head of states participating in the 21st ASEAN Summit, Cambodia, Nov 19
… with Australian Prime Minister, Julia Gillard
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President Obama receives a floral tribute upon his arrival at Phnom Penh International Airport for the ASEAN Summit, November 19
….. arriving at the ASEAN Summit at the Peace Palace in Phnom Penh
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More soon – no, not necessarily more pics of that shirt, although if it happens to feature in other ASEAN Summit pics, well then, so be it 😕
5:20: Attends the closing ceremony of the G-20 Summit
5:45: Holds a bilateral meeting with President Hu of China
7:30: Holds a press conference
8:40: Departs Los Cabos, Mexico
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TPM: A majority of voters agreed with President Obama’s decision to halt deportation of young undocumented immigrants, according to a new Bloomberg Poll out Tuesday … 64 percent of likely voters agree with the new policy, while just 30 percent disagreed.
Along party lines, only Republicans disagreed the move, with 56 percent of likely GOP voters opposed to the policy. Close to 9 in 10 Democrats (86 percent) liked the move. A large majority of independents, 66 percent, backed the decision, while just 26 percent opposed it.
…. Yesterday, a Latino Decisions poll showed that enthusiasm for Obama among Latino voters jumped significantly after the announcement.
President Obama showed last week that it’s possible to find a reasonable, humane solution for at least 800,000 young people who were illegally brought into this country as children. All you need is a moral compass and a heart.
Seems to me that Obama’s unilateral decision to let these non-citizens remain here without fear of deportation should have quieted critics who bray and whine about a supposed lack of bold presidential leadership. It didn’t, of course.
Where is Mitt Romney on all of this, you ask? Excellent question…..
…. It’s tiresome having to spend so much time trying to figure out what Romney really believes. If anything, I mean.
….. with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon ahead of the 2012 Nuclear Security Summit working dinner in Seoul on March 26
… with Australia’s Prime Minister Julia Gillard
…. with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
… with Russian President Dmitriy Medvedev after their bilateral meeting in Seoul on March 26
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President Barack Obama is briefed by Lt. Col. Yoon Bong-hee, left, as he views the DMZ from Observation Post Ouellette at Camp Bonifas, Republic of Korea, March 25, 2012. A translator assists during the briefing. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
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People rally on the sidewalk as legal arguments over the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act take place at the Supreme Court in Washington, March 26
Medical students show their support for President Obama’s healthcare law
Linda Door protests against President Obama’s health care plan 🙄
First Lady Michelle Obama speaks to children at the White House’s garden on March 26. The First Lady welcomed school children from across the country to join her for the fourth annual White House Kitchen Garden spring planting.
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Caroline Kennedy speaking to volunteers in a field office in Florida, March 23
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Hi everyone, just a few pics and videos for now, I’ll try and catch up properly with all the news tomorrow – I’m way behind!
President Barack Obama stands with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and his wife Kristiani Herawati during a family photo before the East Asia Summit Gala dinner in Nusa Dua, on the island of Bali
President Obama and Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono talk as Balinese dancers perform on stage at the East Asia Summit dinner
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What a beautiful difference five years makes. Just sayin’:
President George W. Bush chats with Chinese President Hu Jintao and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the end of the Asian-Pacific leaders meeting in Hanoi, 19 November 2006.
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President Obama speaks after announcing a commercial deal between Boeing and Indonesia’s Lion Air at a signing ceremony in Nusa Dua, on the island of Bali, Indonesia.
Boeing and Lion Air have reached agreement on the purchase of 201 Boeing 737MAX and 29 Next Generation 737ER aircraft. The order will support over 110,000 U.S. jobs at Boeing and at suppliers in 43 states. This represents one of the largest trade deals between the United States and Indonesia in history….
Boeing and Singapore Airlines have reached agreement on the purchase of eight Boeing 777-300ER widebody aircraft with a total list price value of $2.4 billion, $2 billion in U.S. export content and supporting an estimated 11,000 U.S. jobs….
The Hill: A senior military official says U.S. forces soon will begin winding down counterinsurgency operations in Afghanistan, signaling a major shift in the decade-old conflict.
U.S. forces are working to “set the conditions” for Afghan government officials and security forces to assume control of key provinces by next fall as American troops begin to exit, Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James Amos told The Hill.
NYT: Chrysler said Wednesday that it would add 1,100 jobs at a sport utility vehicle plant here as it spends $1.7 billion developing new models for its Jeep brand.
…. Chrysler is one of several carmakers adding large numbers of jobs in the United States after years of steep employment declines in the auto industry. On Thursday, Toyota is scheduled to begin production at a new plant in Mississippi that will employ about 2,000 people.
The mayor of Toledo, Mike Bell, described Chrysler’s announcement as “the equivalent of a blood transfusion” for this heavily industrial city along the Michigan border.
FactCheck: Republican presidential candidates Rick Perry and Mitt Romney both claim President Barack Obama said that “Americans are lazy.” He didn’t. To the contrary, Obama has consistently and repeatedly praised American workers as the “most productive in the world,” a bit of boosterism he has repeated dozens of times. His recent words — “we’ve been a little bit lazy, I think, over the last couple of decades” – actually referred to collective efforts to promote foreign investment in the U.S., and not to American workers or voters as individuals. Perry and Romney simply rip those words out of their context in order to mislead.
Washington Post: A think tank founded by GOP presidential candidate Newt Gingrich collected at least $37 million over the past eight years from major health-care companies and industry groups, offering special access to the former House speaker and other perks, according to records and interviews.
President Obama talks to Margaret Heron after laying a wreath at the memorial of the USS Peary in Darwin. Margaret Heron was 11 at the time of the Darwin bombing by Japanese aircraft which resulted in the sinking of the Peary, a Clemson-class destroyer, on February 19, 1942
President Obama hugs survivor Mary Lee who was 9 at the time of the Darwin bombing by Japanese aircraft which also resulted in the sinking of the Peary
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At the Royal Army Air Force Base in Darwin
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Arriving in Bali, Indonesia:
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President Barack Obama waves to people in the gallery after addressing the Australian Parliament in the House of Representatives at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, Nov.17, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
Reuters: New U.S. claims for jobless benefits hit a seven-month low last week, while permits for future home construction rebounded strongly last month, bolstering views the economy was gaining traction.
Initial claims for state unemployment benefits fell 5,000 to a seasonally adjusted 388,000, the Labor Department said on Thursday, from 393,000 the prior week. Economists had forecast claims rising to 395,000.
Separately, permits for residential construction rose 10.9 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 653,000 last month, the Commerce Department said. However, new home construction fell 0.3 percent to annual rate of 628,000 units.
….. “The U.S. economy continues to show signs of strong momentum. The improvement in claims underscores that the gains in labor market activity over the past few months are being sustained,” said Millan Mulraine, a senior macro strategist at TD Securities in New York.
….. On the margins of the President’s trip, trade transactions were announced or showcased, exceeding $25 billion in total value (and an additional $14 billion in potential value) and supporting an estimated 127,000 U.S. jobs ….. Notable examples include:
• Boeing 737s to Indonesia: The Boeing Company and Lion Air have reached agreement on the purchase of 201 Boeing 737MAX and 29 Next Generation 737ER aircraft. The President will join a signing ceremony between the representatives of Boeing and Lion Air on November 18 …. The order will support over 110,000 U.S. jobs at Boeing and at suppliers in 43 states. This represents one of the largest trade deals between the United States and Indonesia in history….
• Boeing 777s to Singapore: The Boeing Company and Singapore Airlines have reached agreement on the purchase of eight Boeing 777-300ER widebody aircraft with a total list price value of $2.4 billion, $2 billion in U.S. export content and supporting an estimated 11,000 U.S. jobs…..
• GE Engines to Indonesia: GE is signing a contract to sell 50 CFM56 engines to Garuda Airlines of Indonesia, for $1.3 billion. This deal will represent $650 million in U.S. export content and support close to an estimated 5,000 U.S. jobs at GE’s plants in Ohio and North Carolina and at suppliers across the nation.
• Sikorsky Helicopters to Brunei: Sikorsky has been selected by the Brunei Ministry of Defense to supply 12 Blackhawk S-70i helicopters …. The value of the deal is $325 million, with $200 million in U.S. export content supporting an estimated 1,100 U.S jobs……
President Obama is pictured with Australian Governor-General Quentin Bryce and Australian Major-General Peter Cosgrove after Obama laid a wreath at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra
…. with John Hogg, President of the Australian Senate
….. addressing the Australian Parliament in Canberra
…. visiting Campbell High School in Canberra
… with U.S. Ambassador to Australia Jeffrey Bleich before a tree dedication ceremony at the U.S. embassy compound in Canberra
President Obama waves from the steps of Air Force One upon his departure from Canberra
I hate to ruin this post with a photo of Rusty, but bjw2 (thank you!) saw this at the brilliant Democrats for Progress – Rusty Bawls Through Congressional Award Ceremony:
The Herald: IT was that unforgettable moment when a prime minister meets the US President in Parliament House, Canberra.
But it was not the nation’s leader, Julia Gillard, who embraced Barack Obama. She had to settle for a kiss and back pat.
Instead it was Chelsea Gallagher, the 12-year-old ‘prime minister’ of Dungog Public School, who wrapped her arms around the world’s most powerful man yesterday.
“I said ‘hello’ and then I asked him if I could have a hug and he gave me one,” said Chelsea, whose school voted her ‘prime minister’ (rather than captain) this year.
…. “He was really cool, and had the biggest smile on his face when he walked into the foyer and saw us all,” she told the Newcastle Herald.
Mr Obama spotted the children and said “Whoa. Hello everyone,” then exclaimed “G’day”….
President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Julia Gillard toast during the Parliamentary Dinner at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, Nov. 16, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
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Steve Benen: President Obama spoke to American business leaders at the APEC summit, and said policymakers haven’t been aggressive enough in attracting businesses to American soil….
…. Mitt Romney, either because he’s not terribly bright or because he’s hoping voters aren’t terribly bright, launched a new attack based on Obama’s comments. As he sees it, the president “said that Americans are lazy.” That’s not true, but Romney isn’t exactly fact-oriented….
As it turns out, there is a presidential candidate who’s argued that Americans “avoid the hard work” that’s needed for the country to get ahead. The candidate is Mitt Romney, who put the argument in his book:
“We have been accustomed to being the world’s leading nation for so long, enjoying the freedom, security, and prosperity that comes with that leadership, that we have tended to avoid the hard work that overcoming challenges requires.”
…. The former governor said yesterday the president doesn’t “understand” Americans. It seems like Romney has this backwards.
News.com: As the Occupy camps in Melbourne and Adelaide rage against the ills of Western capitalism, young Australians have given their backing to the man who leads the world’s biggest economy.
A news.com.au survey can reveal that under-35-year-olds are happiest about Barack Obama’s visit, with more than 50 per cent saying they were happy or ecstatic.
…. The feelings of good-will and warmth for Mr Obama are in stark contrast to those George W. Bush aroused when he visited Australia in 2003 and 2007.
… A Gallup poll shows that approval of US leadership nearly tripled among Australians between 2008 and 2010, jumping from 25 per cent to 69 per cent. It was the biggest increase Gallup measured worldwide pre- and post-Obama.
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….. greeted by Australia’s Governor-General Quentin Bryce
… greeting Australia’s Prime Minister Julia Gillard
The Obama Diary 
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