Photo Of The Year: May & June

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Your March Winner:

President Obama with Pope Francis at the Vatican

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Your April Winner:

Carolina Garcia Delfin, 94, a Filipina nurse who fought in the resistance against Japanese forces during World War II, kisses President Obama after he mentioned her in his remarks to American and Philippine troops at Fort Bonifacio in Manila, Philippines (Photo by Pete Souza)

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May

(1) President Obama greets 95-year-old Lewis Coffield, a retired U.S. Army Corporal and “buffalo soldier,” at Stewart Air National Guard Base prior to departure from Newburgh, N.Y., May 28, 2014. With them is fellow “buffalo soldier” Sanders H. Matthews, Sr., 93, a retired U.S. Army Staff Sergeant (Photo by Pete Souza)

(2) First Lady Michelle Obama tours the Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site in Topeka, Kan., May 16, 2014. Stephanie Kyriazis, Chief of Interpretation and Education, leads the tour (Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

(3) First Lady Michelle Obama and student performers react to seeing President Barack Obama as he drops by the White House Talent Show, hosted with the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, in the East Room of the White House, May 20, 2014 (Photo by Pete Souza)

(4) President Obama hold Silas McComb, son of Sean McComb, National Teacher of the Year, and Sarah McComb, in the Blue Room prior to the Teacher of the Year event in the East Room of the White House, May 1, 2014 (Photo by Pete Souza)

(5) President Barack Obama hugs children participating in the White House Healthy Kids & Safe Sports Concussion Summit, in the the East Garden Room of the White House, May 29, 2014. The President met with the group indoors when their South Lawn event was canceled due to weather (Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

(6) A soldier hugs President Obama following his remarks at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, Sunday, May 25, 2014 (Photo by Pete Souza)

(7) President Obama greets guests during a Federal Judges Association reception in the East Room of the White House, May 6, 2014 (Photo by Pete Souza)

(8) President Barack Obama kisses First Lady Michelle Obama during her remarks at an Affordable Care Act reception in the East Room of the White House, May 1, 2014. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

(9) President Obama greets children as he walks back to the White House from the Department of Interior in Washington, D.C., May 21, 2014 (Photo by Pete Souza)

(10) First Lady Michelle Obama joins students from Lame Deer Junior High School for a group photo in the China Room of the White House, prior to the White House Talent Show hosted with the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, May 20, 2014 (Photo by Amanda Lucidon)

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June

(1) President Obama walks to lunch at Chipotle restaurant with, from left, Shirley Young, Lisa Rumain, Shelby Ramirez and Roger Trombley before he attends the White House Summit on Working Families in Washington, D.C., June 23, 2014 (Photo by Pete Souza)

(2) President Obama greets Zoe Mahan, daughter of Hunter and Kandi Mahan, during a reception for the 2013 President’s Cup championship golf teams in the Blue Room of the White House, June 24, 2014 (Photo by Pete Souza)

(3) WWII veterans greet President Obama following the 70th French-American Commemoration D-Day Ceremony at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial in Colleville-sur-Mer, France, June 6, 2014 (Photo by Pete Souza)

(4) President Barack Obama visits with a departing United States Secret Service agent and his wife as their son dives into a couch in the Oval Office, June 23, 2014 (Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

(5) First Lady Michelle Obama delivers remarks at a private memorial service for Dr. Maya Angelou at Wake Forest University’s Wait Chapel in Winston-Salem, N.C., June 7, 2014. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

(6) President Obama jokes with a youngster while walking down Grand Avenue in St. Paul, Minn., June 26, 2014 (Photo by Pete Souza)

(7) President Obama, with First Lady Michelle Obama, greets a young boy during the Cannon Ball Flag Day Celebration at the Cannon Ball powwow grounds during a visit to the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe Reservation in Cannon Ball, N.D., June 13, 2014 (Photo by Pete Souza)

 

(8) President Barack Obama kisses a baby girl as he and Vice President Joe Biden greet wounded warriors and their families during their tour in the East Room of the White House, June 23, 2014 (Photo by Pete Souza)

(9) President Obama greets WWII veterans on stage during the 70th French-American Commemoration D-Day Ceremony at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial in Colleville-sur-Mer, France, June 6, 2014 (Photo by Pete Souza)

(10) President Barack Obama greets introducer Rebekah Erler’s son before delivering remarks on the economy at the Lake Harriet Bandshell in Minneapolis, Minn., June 27, 2014 (Photo by Pete Souza)

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See January and February here, and March and April here

Governor O’Malley at the Iowa Democratic Party’s state convention

 Gov. Martin O’Malley at today’s Iowa Democratic Party’s state convention – excerpts:

…. I don’t know about you, but I’ve had enough of the cynicism. I’ve had enough of the apathy. I’ve had enough of us giving in to self-pity, small solutions and low expectations of one another.

Let’s remember who we are.

For 235 years, we have been the country that thrilled the world – and led the world – over and over again, in large part, by making ourselves stronger at home.

Don’t you think it’s time to do it again?

The patriots who made America great – did not pray for their president to fail, they prayed for their president to succeed.

Our founders didn’t belittle science and learning; they aspired to it.

They didn’t appeal to America’s fears; they inspired American courage.

And they would never — ever — abandon the war on poverty in order to declare a war on women,… a war on workers,… a war on immigrants,… a war on the sick,… and a war on hungry children.

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The patriots who made America great did not pray for their president to fail, they prayed for their president to succeed. #IADems

— Martin O’Malley (@GovernorOMalley) June 21, 2014

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America is the greatest job-generating, opportunity-expanding nation ever created in the history of the free world.

But America cannot serve our children’s needs if our Republican brothers and sisters in Congress keep shutting us down and selling us short.

As Democrats – as Americans – we have an urgent responsibility today.

It’s about jobs.

It’s about a stronger middle class.

And it’s about giving our children a better future now.

The truth is, after Hoover, America needed Roosevelt. After Eisenhower, we needed Kennedy. After Reagan, we needed Clinton…

And after eight miserable years of George W. Bush, America needed Barack Obama.

No President since FDR inherited a worse economy, bigger job losses, as many wars, or as large a deficit as President Obama.

Thanks to his leadership – and to the leadership of Sen. Harkin and Congressional Democrats – America is moving forward again.

This month – our 51st month in a row of positive private sector job growth – the United States created 217,000 new jobs.

Job growth exceeded 200,000 for the fourth straight month last month, and businesses have now added over a million jobs so far this year.

But urgent work remains to be done.

And the cynical few who have hacked our democracy are digging in.

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Our founders didn’t belittle science and learning; they aspired to it. They didn’t appeal to America’s fears; they inspired courage #IADems

— Martin O’Malley (@GovernorOMalley) June 21, 2014

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Love Is Love

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White House: Presidential Proclamation — Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, And Transgender Pride Month, 2014

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LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, AND TRANSGENDER PRIDE MONTH, 2014

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BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

As progress spreads from State to State, as justice is delivered in the courtroom, and as more of our fellow Americans are treated with dignity and respect — our Nation becomes not only more accepting, but more equal as well. During Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Pride Month, we celebrate victories that have affirmed freedom and fairness, and we recommit ourselves to completing the work that remains.

Last year, supporters of equality celebrated the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down a key provision of the Defense of Marriage Act, a ruling which, at long last, gave loving, committed families the respect and legal protections they deserve. In keeping with this decision, my Administration is extending family and spousal benefits — from immigration benefits to military family benefits — to legally married same-sex couples.

My Administration proudly stands alongside all those who fight for LGBT rights. Here at home, we have strengthened laws against violence toward LGBT Americans, taken action to prevent bullying and harassment, and prohibited discrimination in housing and hospitals. Despite this progress, LGBT workers in too many States can be fired just because of their sexual orientation or gender identity; I continue to call on the Congress to correct this injustice by passing the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. And in the years ahead, we will remain dedicated to addressing health disparities within the LGBT community by implementing the Affordable Care Act and the National HIV/AIDS Strategy — which focuses on improving care while decreasing HIV transmission rates among communities most at risk.

Our commitment to advancing equality for the LGBT community extends far beyond our borders. In many places around the globe, LGBT people face persecution, arrest, or even state-sponsored execution. This is unacceptable. The United States calls on every nation to join us in defending the universal human rights of our LGBT brothers and sisters.

This month, as we mark 45 years since the patrons of the Stonewall Inn defied an unjust policy and awakened a nascent movement, let us honor every brave leader who stood up, sat in, and came out, as well as the allies who supported them along the way. Following their example, let each of us speak for tolerance, justice, and dignity — because if hearts and minds continue to change over time, laws will too.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 2014 as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month. I call upon the people of the United States to eliminate prejudice everywhere it exists, and to celebrate the great diversity of the American people.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirtieth day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand fourteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-eighth.

BARACK OBAMA

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Robben Island

@PeteSouza

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@PeteSouza

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@dougmillsnyt

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President Obama visits the Robben Island prison cell where Nelson Mandela spent 18 of his 27 years of imprisonment

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…. with a tour guide at the Robben Island lime quarry where a rock memorial was started by Nelson Mandela

Senegal: An Image or Two

…. at the doorway that slaves departed from on Goree Island in Dakar

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@FLOTUS

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First Lady Michelle Obama visits the Martin Luther King middle school in Dakar, Senegal

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@FLOTUS

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President Obama introduces the First Lady to President Sall

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NPR

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Chat away, back in a while with more

The Charlie Rose Interview

2012: An image or two …. June

Only six 2012 months to go! 😎

January * February * March * April * May

the jobs report

Steve Benen: The first several months of 2011 showed steady and strong improvements to the nation’s employment picture, and there were reasons for optimism for the near future. That optimism is now long gone. If May’s job numbers were a punch to the gut, June’s job numbers felt like getting kicked while already on the ground.

….in June, the economy created even fewer jobs, totaling just 18,000 for the month. The unemployment rate also went up, reaching 9.2%. All told, the private sector gained 57,000 jobs, while the public sector lost 39,000 jobs, due entirely to budget cuts at the state and local level.

… If our political system were sane in the slightest, elected leaders would look at these numbers and conclude that the economy desperately needs a boost. Job creation should be the first, and arguably one, priority on the minds of policymakers. Instead, the only topic of discussion allowed in Washington is about debt reduction – which takes money out of the economy and makes unemployment worse.

This jobs report is a flashing red light …. we have a jobs crisis, not a debt crisis. The longer we’re stuck in the wrong conversation, the longer it will be until conditions improve.

Full post here

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President Obama walks out of the Oval Office to the Rose Garden to make a statement about the unemployment numbers

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Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi: “Today’s jobs report makes it clear: more must be done to create jobs and strengthen our middle class. Republicans must join Democrats to focus squarely on Americans’ top priority – putting people back to work.

“In the six months since Republicans have been in charge of the House, they have failed to bring a single jobs bill to the floor or offer a clear jobs plan. Democrats have forced ten votes on job-creation measures in this Congress – and Republicans have voted ‘no’ each time.

“Democrats know that creating jobs must be job number one for this Congress, yet Republicans continue to push their plan to end Medicare in order to give billions in tax breaks to Big Oil and corporations that ship American jobs overseas.  And now, they are putting our entire economy at risk – by threatening to let our nation default for the first time, injecting uncertainty into the economy, and demanding we balance our budget on the backs of seniors and the middle class.

“We are ready to work together on a balanced, bipartisan approach to bring down our debt, while creating jobs, strengthening the middle class, and growing our economy.”

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ThinkProgress: Appearing on CNBC this morning, presidential candidate Rep. Michele Bachmann was asked about this morning’s dismal jobs report and whether higher unemployment rates might help her chances of winning in 2012. “Does it strike you that as the unemployment rate goes up, your chances of winning office also go up?” host Carl Quintanilla asked. “Well, that could be. Again, I hope so,” Bachmann replied. More here

Thank you Desert Flower

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Steve Benen: In a statement this morning, Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus blamed rising unemployment on “out-of-control spending.” Perhaps now would be a good time for reasonable political observers to call this what it is: dangerously stupid.

… When the jobs reports were looking quite good in the early spring, Republican leaders were eager to take credit for the positive numbers they had nothing to do with. Needless to say, GOP officials are no longer claiming responsibility … It’s a nice little scam Republicans have put together: when more jobs are being created, it’s proof they’re right; when fewer jobs are being created, it’s proof Obama’s wrong…

…the great irony of the 2010 midterms is that voters were angry and frustrated by the weak economy, so they elected a lot of Republicans who are almost desperate to make matters worse.

…It’s not too late. We can boost public investments. The Federal Reserve can stop worrying about inflation that doesn’t exist. We can stop pretending spending cuts can create jobs.

If the politics won’t allow for measures to make things better – if, in other words, Republicans refuse to consider steps to create jobs – then it’s probably time for the public to change the politics.

Full post here

but where are the jobs?

Reuters: U.S. private employers added far more jobs than expected in June, bouncing back from a surprise slump the month before, a report by payrolls processor ADP showed on Thursday.

The private sector added 157,000 jobs last month, exceeding expectations for a gain of 68,000, according to a Reuters survey of economists.

…. U.S. stock index futures added to gains following the report, while the dollar gained more ground against the yen.

Friday’s jobs report is expected to show a modest rise in overall nonfarm payrolls of 90,000 for last month and a gain in private payrolls of 110,000….

On Wednesday, a stable employment reading from the Institute for Supply Management’s service sector survey suggested employment growth later in the year….. More here

Bloomberg: U.S. stock-index futures extended gains after an industry report showed companies added more jobs than forecast in June, bolstering confidence in the economic recovery…. More here

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Bloomberg: U.S. initial jobless claims fell for the first time in three weeks, a sign the labor market is making a little headway.

Jobless claims fell by 14,000 to 418,000 in the week ended July 2, Labor Department figures showed today in Washington. The median forecast of economists in a Bloomberg News survey called for a drop to 420,000. The number of people on unemployment benefit rolls and those getting extended payments also declined.

news conference (video added)

President Obama during a news conference in the East Room of the White House, June 29