Tag: President Obama

Posted on

President Obama to meet with Russian LGBT activists during G20 summit

Following his cancellation of a bilateral meeting with President Vladimir Putin, U.S. President Barack Obama may infuriate the Kremlin further by meeting Russian human rights activists, including LGBT rights groups, during his upcoming trip to St. Petersburg for the G20 summit.

Four Russian non-governmental organizations told BuzzFeed Monday they had been invited to the meeting, scheduled for this Thursday at St. Petersburg’s Crowne Plaza Hotel.

Obama was due to hold a one-on-one meeting with Putin in Moscow before heading to the summit, but abruptly called that off last month in the wake of deteriorating relations and Russia’s sheltering of NSA whistle-blower Edward Snowden. Putin has repeatedly accused members of Russia’s civil society as being in the pay of the U.S. State Department.

Thursday’s meeting is not unique or unprecedented. Obama met with civil society and opposition activists during his last visit to Russia in 2009. George W. Bush met with NGOs during the G8 summit in 2006.

(source)

Posted on

President Obama gives statement to country on Syria

The White House announced Saturday that President Obama will speak to the nation at 1:15 ET Saturday afternoon.

A senior administration official said the president’s remarks were not about imminent military operations in Syria, but rather an update about his decisions on how to proceed.

The Obama administration was to continue its sales pitch to Congress to get behind a potential military strike against Syria on Saturday, hours after U.N. weapons inspectors left the country amid high anticipation of an imminent U.S. attack.

The president’s national security will brief the entire Senate Republican conference today via telephone at 1pm ET on Syria at the request of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

Also on Saturday, the office of House Speaker John Boehner announced that the White House plans to provide a classified briefing at 2 p.m. Sunday to members who wished to attend.

(source)

UPDATE: President Obama to seek authorization from Congress before ordering military action against Syria.  More at USA Today.

Posted on

President Obama on Syria: “I have not made a final decision”

President Obama stated today that he has yet to decide what course to take, and said: “We have consulted with allies. We have consulted with Congress.”

Obama’s comments come after Secretary of State John Kerry delivered a forceful case for why action is warranted. Obama said the response he is considering would not constitute a “major operation.”

From USA Today:

President Obama said Friday he is considering a “limited, narrow act” as a military response to Syria’s alleged use of chemical weapons against its own citizens.

Calling it “a challenge to the world,” Obama said the use of chemical weapons threatens U.S. national security and merits a response.

Obama emphasized that he still has not made any decisions about what actions the U.S. will take.

He said his military advisers have looked at a wide range of options. “I meant what I said: that the world has an obligation to make sure that we maintain the norm against the use of chemical weapons,” Obama said, following his administration’s release of document he said proves Syria’s recent attack. “We cannot accept a world where women and children and innocent civilians are gassed on an incredible scale.”

Posted on

President Obama speaks on the 50th Anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr’s “I Have A Dream” speech

From USA Today:

In his address to thousands who gathered on the Washington Mall on Wednesday to mark the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington, President Obama paid tribute to civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. and to the anonymous millions who stood by King’s side during the civil rights fight of the 1960s.

Obama remembered those who could not marry the ones they loved because of so-called anti-miscegenation laws, African-American soldiers who fought for freedom abroad that they could not enjoy on U.S. soil and white Americans who could not stand by discrimination and sacrificed sometimes with their own blood.

“Because they marched, America became more free and more fair,” Obama said. “Not just for African-Americans but for women and Latinos, Asians and Native Americans, for Catholics, Jews and Muslims, for gays, for Americans with disabilities. America changed for you and for me. And the entire word drew strength from that example.”

Before Obama took the stage on Wednesday, former presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton offered stirring tributes to King.

Posted on

Louisiana: Republicans blame Obama for slow Katrina response 3 years before his presidency

A significant chunk of Louisiana Republicans evidently believe that President Barack Obama is to blame for the poor response to the hurricane that ravaged their state more than three years before he took office.

According to a new PPP poll, 28% of Republicans feel former President George W. Bush was more responsible for the poor federal response to Hurricane Katrina; a surprising 29% put the blame on President Obama; “surprising” because he didn’t become President until three years AFTER the weather tragedy.

Just goes to show you that Republicans will blame President Obama for anything. Even events that happened years before his presidency. When in doubt, blame Obama.

And by the way, 44% didn’t know who to blame.

(source)

Posted on

President Obama opposes Sochi Olympic boycott

“I know that one question that’s been raised is how do we approach the Olympics. I want to just make very clear right now I do not think it’s appropriate to boycott the Olympics. We’ve got a bunch of Americans out there who are training hard, who are doing everything they can to succeed. Nobody’s more offended than me by some of the anti-gay and lesbian legislation that you’ve been seeing in Russia.

“But as I said just this week, I’ve spoken out against that, not just with respect to Russia, but a number of other countries where we continue to do work with them but we have a strong disagreement on this issue.

“And one of the things I’m really looking forward to is maybe some gay and lesbian athletes bringing home the gold or silver or bronze, which I think would go a long way in rejecting the kind of attitudes that we’re seeing there. If Russia doesn’t have gay or lesbian athletes, it will probably make their team weaker.” – President Obama, speaking yesterday at a press conference.  Watch video via TPM below.

Posted on

President Obama cancels meeting with Putin, has no patience for anti-gay laws

The White House announced Tuesday that President Barack Obama would not meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin for a one-on-one meeting this September because of the country’s record on human rights, among other conflicts that have arisen like granting asylum to NSA leaker Edward Snowden.

The meeting was scheduled to take place after the G-20 summit in St. Petersberg. The meeting was canceled due to a “lack of progress on issues like missile defense, arms control, trade and commercial relations, global security issues, and human rights and civil society,” White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said according to the Washington Blade.

The announcement followed Obama’s appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno Tuesday in a wide-sweeping interview, which included conversations on the economy, the Affordable Care Act, and the current law in Russia that places a ban on so-called homosexual propaganda.

(via Advocate)

Posted on

President Obama talks Sochi Olympics, Edward Snowden on The Tonight Show

Last night President Obama made a lengthy appearance on the Tonight Show, where Jay Leno brought up the subject of Russia’s crackdown on LGBT people.

Leno: “This seems like Germany – let’s round up the Jews, let’s round up the gays, let’s round up the…it starts with that. You round up people you don’t like. Why isn’t more of the world outraged at this?”

Obama: “I’ve been very clear that when it comes to universal rights, when it comes to people’s basic freedoms, that whether you are discriminating on the basis of race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation, you are violating the basic morality that should transcend every country, and I have no patience for countries that try to treat gays or lesbians or transgender persons in ways that intimidate them or are harmful to them.”

[snip]

“What’s happening in Russia is not unique. When I traveled to Africa there were some countries that are doing a lot of good things for their people, who we’re working with and helping on development issues but in some cases have persecuted gays and lesbians and it makes for some uncomfortable press conferences sometimes but one of the things that I think is very important for me to speak out on is making sure that people are treated fairly and justly because that’s what we stand for and I believe that’s not a preset that’s not just unique to America but should apply everywhere.”

When Leno asked him if it would affect the Olympics, Obama replied:

“I think Putin and Russia have a big stake in making sure that the Olympics work, and I think that they understand that for most of the countries that participate in the Olympics we wouldn’t tolerate gays and lesbians being treated differently. They are athletes. They are there to compete. If Russia wants to uphold the Olympic spirit, then every judgment should be made on the track or in the swimming pool or on the balance beam and people’s sexual orientation shouldn’t have anything to do with it.”

Posted on

Happy 52nd birthday President Obama

President Obama turns 52 on Sunday and is spending part of the day at the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland.

The White House said little about how he’s celebrating. He played golf Saturday with friends from his days in Hawaii and Chicago. Some of them joined him at Camp David.

Obama is scheduled to return to the White House on Sunday afternoon.