west wing week: “the turkey behind the turkey” (november 26, 2010)

staff room

President Barack Obama meets with staff including, from left, National Security Advisor Tom Donilon, Ben Rhodes, Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communication, Chief of Staff for Policy Mona Sutphen, Liz Sherwood-Randall, Senior Director for European Affairs, Mike McFaul, Senior Director for Russian and Central Asian Affairs, Senior Advisor David Axelrod, and Press Secretary Robert Gibbs at the NATO Summit in Lisbon, Nov. 20, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

More official photos from the Lisbon summit here

today’s press conferences

President Obama speaks to the media after the Nato Summit in Lisbon, Portugal and reports on progress made on the way forward in Afghanistan, the new approach to European missile defense, reducing nuclear weapons, and keeping the U.S. NATO partnership strong. November 20, 2010.

President Obama and and European leaders discuss job creation, sustaining global economic recovery, protecting citizens, preventing nuclear proliferation, increasing trade and investment, Iran’s nuclear program, and clean energy technologies. November 20, 2010.

face to face

President Obama began his meeting with Hamid Karzai at the NATO summit in Lisbon on Saturday by asking the Afghan president about his family.

“How’s your family?” Obama asked him. Karzai, whose brother is being investigated by the United States for corruption, replied, “Good.”

Karzai praised Obama for setting the right “tone” at NATO, and Obama thanked him.

“That was my goal,” Obama said. “Every once in a while, I do things right.”

** Mr President? Stop listening to Fox Noise! **

mr president? phone home!

President Barack Obama is displayed on a giant TV screen in the International Media Center during a press conference on November 20 in Lisbon

fox noise: obama downbeat & friendless at summit

…..with Finland’s President Tarja Halonen

…..with Luxembourg’s Defence Minister Jean-Marie Halsdorf

….with Britain’s Prime Minister David Cameron

….with Japan’s State Secretary for Foreign Affairs Yutaka Banno (R)

….with Australia’s Prime Minister Julia Gillard

….with Canada’s Minister of Defence Peter MacKay, Britain’s Foreign Minister William Hague and Denmark’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Lene Espersen

….with Belgium’s Prime Minister Yves Leterme

….with Russia’s President Dmitry Medvedev and France’s President Nicolas Sarkozy

in the driving seat

President Barack Obama inspects an Opel Ampera electric car (made by GM for sale in Europe) at the NATO  Summit in Lisbon, November 20

“ooooh la la, i wish i could smile like zat”

 

“Go on, try Nicolas”:

 

“Well…..no. Here – I’ll make you laugh: Bunny Rabbit!:

 

“See?! I knew you could do it!”:

 

“Barack? You’re a miracle worker!”

“Thanks Angela!”:

 

24 hours later: “Hey, look at my Obama smile!”:

(….with French President Nicolas Sarkozy, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and British Prime Minister David Cameron, Lisbon)

a relaxing saturday…

…..well, apart from:

3:30 am: The President attends the meeting on Afghanistan opening session

3:40 am: The President attends the meeting on Afghanistan working session

7:45 am: The President attends the NAC working session

9:00 am: The President attends the NATO Russian Council meeting opening session

9:10 am: The President attends the NATO Russian Council meeting working session

10:40 am: The President holds a bilateral meeting with President Karzai of Afghanistan

11:30 am: The President holds a press conference

12:25 pm: The President participates in the EU/US Summit official photo

12:30 pm: The President participates in the EU/US Summit

2:00 pm: The President delivers a statement to the press with EU Commission President José Barroso and European Council President Herman van Rompuy

2:45 pm: The President departs Lisbon, Portugal en route Washington, DC

10:25 pm: The President arrives at Andrews Air Force Base

10:40 pm: The President arrives at the White House

(all times US ET)

talk, talk, talk, talk, talk (“oh man, i miss dc”)

President Barack Obama listens to NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen and United Kingdom’s Prime Minister David Cameron after posing for a family picture after the NAC (North Atlantic Council) meeting on November 19 in Lisbon