@PeteSouza: WW2 Veteran gets ride on Marine One helicopter: Pres Obama talks w Kenneth “Rock” Merritt over Normandy
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Arriving at Sword Beach this morning
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Presidents Obama and Hollande smile next to World War II veteran Kenneth ‘Rock’ Merritt as they arrive for the official lunch at Benouville Castle
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Between President Obama and President Putin, Britain’s Queen Elizabeth, French President Francois Hollande, Denmark’s Queen Margrethe II
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Russian President Vladimir Putin stands at right as President Obama and New Zealand’s Governor-General Jerry Mateparae guide Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II to her position for a group photo
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With Queen Maxima of Holland
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With Charles and Camilla
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Because it can never be posted enough: A World War Two veteran greets President Obama
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.
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.
President Obama shakes hands as he arrives at Gerald Ford International Airport in Grand Rapids, Michigan, August 11
President Obama holds a battery as talks with Amanda Spore during his tour of Johnson Controls
President Obama waves to an employee in a “clean” facility during a tour of Johnson Controls Inc. in Holland, Mich., Aug. 11. Elizabeth Rolinski, vice president of operations at Johnson Controls Inc., right, accompanied the President during the tour of the advanced battery facility
President Barack Obama arrives to speak at Johnson Controls Inc. in Holland, Mich
The President speaks about the economy in Las Vegas, celebrates 100 years of the Boy Scouts of America, meets with President Bill Clinton, meets with President Fernandez of the Dominican Republic, visits with the 2010 Principal of the Year award winners, announces the new Director of the Office of Management and Budget ….
President Barack Obama shakes hands with guests at a groundbreaking ceremony for a new lithium-ion battery plant in Holland, Michigan on July 15, 2010. The $303 million facility run by LG Chem and Compact Power, Inc. is scheduled for completion in 2012 and is partially financed by a $151.4 million grant from the federal government as part of the stimulus package. UPI/Brian Kersey
…greeting workers as he attends the groundbreaking of a factory for Compact Power Inc. in Holland, Michigan July 15, 2010. The completed factory will employ more than 300 workers to produce batteries for General Motors Co.’s Chevrolet Volt and Ford Motor Co.’s Focus Electric vehicles.
…at Compact Power, a battery plant in Holland, Michigan, July 15, 2010
“My first car didn’t look like these. I wouldn’t have minded tooling around in one of these when I was 20 years old.” Obama checked out the Focus and a silver Chevrolet Volt, which he pronounced “pretty comfy.” In fact, the last time he drove was at a Secret Service training facility, he said. “They let me do my J-turn,” he told reporters in Michigan. “But I haven’t driven since that turn.”
The Obama Diary 
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