Chat Away

WWII veteran and his grandson, a future president of the United States. #MemorialDay https://t.co/nkbyexbQIv

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(((sfpelosi))) (@sfpelosi) May 29, 2017

Mutual Respect

Pete Souza: President Obama greets Sgt. Bill Mohr, 108-year-old veteran who served in WWII, in the Blue Room today

A Trailblazer Meets The President

President Barack Obama smiles with Emma Didlake, the oldest known World War II veteran at 110 years old, in the the Oval Office of the White House. Didlake was a Private during the course of her service and her decorations include the Women’s Army Corps Service Medal, American Campaign Medal, and World War II Victory Medal

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CBS News: Obama Meets With Oldest U.S. Veteran

President Obama met with a 110-year-old woman believed to be the nation’s oldest veteran at the White House Friday. The president said it was a “great honor” to speak with Emma Didlake, a longtime Detroit resident and veteran of the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps during World War II. “It’s a great reminder of not only the sacrifices that the greatest generation made on our behalf but also the kind of trailblazing that our women veterans made,” Mr. Obama told reporters. “We are so grateful that she is here with us today.”

President Obama meets with 110-year-old Emma Didlake, the nation's oldest living veteran cbsn.ws/1HWePWR http://t.co/SaBhGQGf34

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CBS News Politics (@CBSPolitics) July 17, 2015

Known to family as “Big Mama,” Didlake was a 38-year-old wife and mother of five when she “wanted to do something different” and signed up for the WAAC in 1943, said her granddaughter, Marilyn Horne. She served stateside for about seven months during the war, as a private and driver. After she was discharged, she and her family moved to Detroit in 1944 – and she quickly joined the local NAACP chapter. She marched with the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1963, and received a lifetime achievement award two years ago from the chapter.

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Had a great visit today with Emma Didlake - our oldest living veteran at 110-years-young! She's a true American hero. http://t.co/EeeIC3AK4A

—
President Obama (@POTUS) July 17, 2015

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President Barack Obama: Doing So Much Good For The Country

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Keith Boykin: Why Obama May Be The Best President Since WWII

I woke up this morning to a disturbingly silly headline. President Obama is the worst president since World War II, according to a plurality of voters in a Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday. When you look beneath the numbers, it’s not what it looks like. Only about 33 percent of those polled called Obama the worst president, but that number roughly mirrors the percentage of Americans who identify themselves as Republicans, a group which has tried to sabotage, block, sue and impeach the president in recent years. So for the moment, forget what the polls say. The facts tell the real story of the Obama presidency, and the facts are damn good, especially compared to his predecessor. Under President Obama, the unemployment rate has fallen from 10 percent in 2009 to 6.3 percent today. Under George W. Bush, on the other hand, the unemployment rate rose from 4.2 percent to 7.8 percent. Under President Obama, the U.S. economy is gaining 200,000 jobs a month.

Compared to U.S. Presidents from Truman to Bush, Obama stacks up well. bet.com/news/politics/… http://t.co/9P6AAECpVh

—
Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) July 02, 2014

When Bush left office, however, we were losing 700,000 jobs a month. Under President Obama, at least 24 million people have gotten health insurance. The rate of uninsured has declined from 18 percent to 13.4 percent and the rate for Blacks has dropped dramatically from 20.9 percent to 14.7 percent. And despite all the exaggerated GOP claims that Obamacare would be a “job killer,” we’ve actually added more than 9 million new private sector jobs since the president signed the law. Under President Obama, businesses are also booming again. In the first few weeks of his presidency, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was sitting at 6547. Today it’s close to 17,000, a 10,000 point increase in five years!

And corporate profits hit an all-time record high just last year. President Obama ended the war in Iraq, drew down troops in Afghanistan, captured Osama Bin Laden, averted a second depression, helped to rescue the financial sector, stabilized home prices and saved more than a million jobs in the auto industry. At the same time, he enacted the most sweeping health care reform legislation in 50 years, something Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton couldn’t do, and which Ronald Reagan and the two Bushes never wanted to do. as a student of history, as an unapologetic liberal, as an African-American, as a gay man, as a supporter of equal rights for women and as someone who knows what it’s like to lose a job and live without health insurance, I’d say President Obama has done more good for this country than any president before him.

More here

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Pete Souza: D-Day Photos

More photos and captions here

Love. Respect. Admiration.

Pete Souza: A WW2 veteran greets President Obama with a kiss at Normandy

A WWII veteran reacts in excitement as she meets President Obama at the 70th commemoration of DDay

A WWII Veteran acknowledges President Barack Obama as the president pays tribute to their courage

President Obama hugs and walks with WWII Veteran Kenneth “Rock” Merritt during the 70th commemoration of DDay

President Barack Obama pauses to hold on to and listen to a WWII veteran speak.

President Obama greets WWII veterans during the 70th commemoration of D-Day in Normandy, France

The Day in Normandy: Another Image or Two

@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

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Chat on!

The Cheer Heard Around The World

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C-SPAN has the no chatter version here at 1:13:01. The link also shows the entire 3 hour ceremony.

If you want to watch without viewing the ceremony, here is the clip.

Rise and Shine

A World War Two veteran greets President Barack Obama as they participate in the 70th French-American commemoration D-Day ceremony at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial in Colleville-sur-Mer, France on Friday, June 6, 2014

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Continuing live streaming from France

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President Obama travels from Normandy to Paris this afternoon where he will meet with embassy staff and family members. He then returns to Washington – he is scheduled to arrive at 8:45 PM ET.

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The President’s address this morning

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An Image or Two from France

@Stcrow: AWKWARD FAMILY PHOTO – President Obama, Queen Elizabeth, Petro Poroshenko, President-Elect of Ukraine (left) and Putin on right

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Putin’s expression when President Obama arrived for #DDay70 and WWII veterans and leaders gave him a standing ovation pic.twitter.com/Jv6lMGRgzI

— Nerdy Wonka (@NerdyWonka) June 6, 2014

Best split screen of all time? Moment Putin and Obama both realise they are on screen together #DDay #nobloodloss http://t.co/g2usb7hMU2

— SanitaryOwl.com (@SanitaryOwl) June 6, 2014

Video: President Obama, Like a Boss, v Putin http://t.co/5hJTOW6QcS

— TheObamaDiary.com (@TheObamaDiary) June 6, 2014

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President Obama and Russian President Putin pose during a group photo for the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Benouville June 6, 2014. Between Obama and Putin are (L-R) Britian’s Queen Elizabeth, French President Francois Hollande and Danish Queen Margrethe II

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Well, that’s appropriate: Red light reflected from the carpet illuminates Russian President Putin ….. pic.twitter.com/lsjPIF8gc4

— TheObamaDiary.com (@TheObamaDiary) June 6, 2014

President Obama helps Queen Elizabeth down the steps while a grumpy Vladmir Putin stands to the side. #DDay70 pic.twitter.com/PSgVyNIzkM

— Nerdy Wonka (@NerdyWonka) June 6, 2014

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Greeting Veterans

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President Obama with Prince Charles at Sword Beach this morning

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President of France Francois Hollande speaks while flanked by President Barack Obama, Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II, Denmark’s Queen Margrethe and Russian President Vladimir Putin during a luncheon for Heads of State at Chateau de Benouville in Benouville

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If Chuck Todd wrote captions: ‘Angry Veterans Shun Obama in Normandy’ pic.twitter.com/Ma9BTImbwX

— TheObamaDiary.com (@TheObamaDiary) June 6, 2014

Queen: ‘Barack? Vlad is staring at us. Shall one tell him to fock off?’ pic.twitter.com/OyKcd5rlNo

— TheObamaDiary.com (@TheObamaDiary) June 6, 2014

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And Today’s BIG News:

Steve Benen: Job creation remains steady, 217k jobs added in May

Once in a while, the expectations for the new jobs report and the actual data line up remarkably well.

The new report from Bureau of Labor Statistics shows the U.S. economy added 217,000 jobs in May, which is almost exactly what economists expected. The overall unemployment rate, meanwhile, remained at 6.3% – still at its lowest point since September 2008, nearly six years ago.

… All told, over the last 12 months, the U.S. economy has added over 2.38 million jobs overall and 2.36 million in the private sector. What’s more, May was the 51st consecutive month in which we’ve seen private-sector job growth. The year isn’t quite half over, but 2014 is currently on track to be the best year for U.S. job creation since 1999.

More here

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We’re back, baby. pic.twitter.com/dRcVzEO9R9

— Justin Wolfers (@JustinWolfers) June 6, 2014

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Since Obamacare was passed 50 months ago, health care has gained almost 1 million jobs. (982,300, to be more specific.)

— Dan Diamond (@ddiamond) June 6, 2014

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to put May’s 217K job growth in recent historical perspective: in 2005, best job creation year under Bush, average monthly gain was 209K

— John Harwood (@JohnJHarwood) June 6, 2014

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It’s a record streak of 51 conseuctive monthly job gains. pic.twitter.com/2nBFJWQQvL

— Justin Wolfers (@JustinWolfers) June 6, 2014

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On This Day

President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama walk towards Marine One as they leave Normandy for Paris on June 6, 2009. Seeing them off are National Security Advisor James Jones, Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, and Senior Advisors Valerie Jarrett and David Axelrod (Photo by Pete Souza)

President Barack Obama greets the staff of the U.S. Embassy at the U.S. ambassador’s residence in Paris, France on June 6, 2009 (Photo by Pete Souza)

President Obama lifts a baby while meeting the staff of the U.S. Embassy at the U.S. ambassador’s residence in Paris, France, June 6, 2009 (Photo by Pete Souza)

President Obama tours the Centre Pompidou modern art museum in Paris, June 6, 2009 (Photo by Pete Souza)

President Obama shakes hands with French President Nicolas Sarkozy during a bilateral meeting in Caen, France, June 6, 2009 (Photo by Pete Souza)

 

June 6, 2009 – Pete Souza” “After his speech in Normandy, a crush of people tried to get close to the President to shake his hand. I noticed this guy waiting patiently and then literally being pushed back into the crowd. I felt bad for him, and mentioned the incident to the President’s trip director, Marvin Nicholson. Marvin pulled the guy out of the crowd, found him a wheel chair, and brought him over to meet the President. He was a French veteran. The man’s face shows his emotion.”

President Obama gives a ‘thumbs-up’ to a group of World War II veterans sitting behind him on stage following his speech at the 65th anniversary of the D-Day invasion in Normandy, France, June 6, 2009 (Photo by Pete Souza)

American D-Day veteran Clyde Combs gets a hug from President Obama at the Normandy American Cemetery on June 6, 2009 in Colleville-sur-Mer, France

President Obama embraces his great uncle Charles Payne following the President’s speech at the 65th anniversary of the D-Day invasion in Normandy, France, June 6, 2009 (Photo by Pete Souza)

President Obama greets his great uncle Charles Payne and his wife Melanie, who is reacting to seeing First Lady Michelle Obama, before the ceremony at the Normandy American Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer, France, on the 65th anniversary of the D-Day landings, June 6, 2009 (Photo by Pete Souza)

President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama former Senator Max Cleland of Georgia before the ceremony at the Normandy American Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer, France, on the 65th anniversary of the D-Day landings, June 6, 2009 (Photo by Pete Souza)

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President Obama adjusts Dick Van Dyke’s tie during the Ford’s Theatre reception in the Diplomatic Reception Room of the White House, Sunday, June 6, 2010 (Photo by Pete Souza)

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President Obama talks on the phone with Prime Minister Mario Monti of Italy aboard Air Force One, June 6, 2012 (Photo by Pete Souza)

President Obama walks across the tarmac at Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles, Calif., June 6, 2012 (Photo by Pete Souza)

Trip Director Marvin Nicholson watches as President Obama signs items after delivering remarks at the LGBT Leadership Council Gala in Beverly Hills, Calif., June 6, 2012 (Photo by Pete Souza)

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President Obama views a math project during a tour of Mooresville Middle School in Moorseville, N.C., Thursday, June 6, 2013

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Normandy

President Obama sits on stage with veterans at Normandy American Cemetery at Omaha Beach as he participates in the 70th anniversary of D-Day in Colleville sur Mer

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Live streaming from France:

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President Obama and French President Francois Hollande look out over Omaha Beach

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MoooOOOooorning! More from Normandy in Rise and Shine