Audio only at White House live
C-Span * CNN live streaming * CBS live streaming
****
6:05: Departs departs Chicago en route Joplin, MO
7:30: Arrives in Joplin
9:15: Delivers remarks at the Joplin High School Commencement Ceremony
10:20: Departs Joplin, MO en route Washington, DC
****
****
President Barack Obama speaks with President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan, center, and President Asif Ali Zardari of Pakistan at the McCormick Place Convention Center during the NATO Summit in Chicago, Illinois, May 21, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
Am I first?
Boom!
Number one, Sabreen!
Thank you darling. “First” doesn’t happen often for me, but the wait is more than worth it! My Guy!!!
Fast work, Sabreen!
Hi!
BooYah!
Pamela, is that any way to greet your ‘other TOD half’?
Seems so. VC. pretty spontaneous!
Soooooooooooo close (again) VC!
BTW/ With the number of cat picc I get ‘awarded’ here looks like I’m going to have to develop a love of cats.
VC, just imagine yourself as these cats:
W-e-e-l-l… I suppose I could try though I am sadly lacking in imagination, and like to stay as far away from cats as possible. We’ll see.
I’m with you, VC. I stay as far away from them as possible – even to the point of trying not to look at pictures of them – although, I make an exception when President Obama is in the picture…
Hiya, Theo! How are you?
Hey VC! Enjoying the day – how about you?
Thanks for the cats, Chipssticks! *I* love cats(among many other animals), and am happy the president seems to like petting them. We’ve spayed and neutered a platoon of them living outside, built in fact a heated “cat house” for them with a feeder, waterers, carpeted wall perches, and make sure they get all their periodic shots and are treated for injuries. In return, they control the voles that otherwise would de-bark our orchards of apple and pear trees.
The privileged ones, the ones needing special care we keep inside — two of them very old by now, and they reward us with affection and enjoyment of their antics. Melanie, our daughter has five of them in her rebuilt and renovated granary, catty-cornered from the main house. She’s our specialist in finding, caging-up, and carrying into the vet the cats who need attention from the vets. At times, when we have quite a few of them needing attention, the vet makes a “farm-call” to this place and charges us a “herd” fee.
I sympathize with those who can’t abide cats, though, who are allergic to them, especially, who are actually afraid of them. We’ve got to be careful who we invite to parties, even outside parties, because if they’re not exposed to cats inside, they’re pestered by curious cats outside who often feel the friends who most dislike them would actually love to have them jump suddenly into their laps. I don’t THINK they do that on purpose, but they invariably give the non cat people the most attention.
HELLO.
LL, famous blogger, being followed on Twitter by Al Franken!! WE ARE PROUD OF YOU!!!! WOOOO HOOOOO!!!!
10 million hits for Chica!!! TOD is hitting the bigtime!!
Congrats, LL!
Congrats, again, Chips!
Keep your eye on the prize(s), ison!
That’s really wonderful, LL! Al Franken has been a favorite writer of mine for a long time. I’ve written a couple of reviews of his books.
You nailed it LL.
That’s all from me, lunch is o.v.e.r! Lovely warm rain in Seattle today, the trees are sighing with relief!
Also on C-Span main channel.
Something I haven’t seen mentioned on here. On NATO’s webcast page, there is one (three or four down now–shows a man with blue background) that has Michelle’s remarks at the spouse’s event yesterday. Mainly speaking to the youth there. Very down to earth and inspiring.
http://www.7wm4js9kw.com/press/feeds/webcast_english.php
CNN and CSPAN.org will also carry PBO’s presser live
http://live.cnn.com/
http://www.c-span.org/Live-Video/C-SPAN/
Oh the Press conference is coming soon!….
Love how our President can mesmerize world leaders in the morning, then swing on by a high school in Joplin in the evening and mesmerize that community, all without missing a beat or breaking a sweat. I just love it.
And now here he is at the news conference!
I love that too jacqueline – and I’m betting that millions of others are thinking the same thing!!
First Presser question-
Why do you Hate poor Poor Bain so much?
Already started on c-span
I can’t believe the first question is from a real journalist!? And is a question of substance, relevant to the actual agenda of the summit. I almost fell over…
Wait, what? Holy shmoly!
ok – back to normal. Second question is Cory Booker nonsense..
I tried to post (I really did) a comment that #1 would be a ? on the potholes in Chicago; #2 would be whether Rahm or Cory is his real BFF; #3 (from Snark) would be if PBO has Lynn Sweet’s address. Look how close I came; well, sorta; maybe I should buy a lottery ticket, eh? Lookin’ like my lucky day.
I still think we might get the Snark Knoller question – I have faith in the caliber of this crowd! They won’t let an important question like that go unasked!
Especially when they run out of other questions, as they are wont to do, with 20 mins. to spare.
Luckily, we’ve got some foreign journalists there, holding up the bar.
Maybe it’ll rub off.
I’m not holding my breath…
I LOVEEEEEE this answer!!!!!! It’s perfect – and it’s on the world stage. Yowza!
“The President’s job is not to maximize profit. It’s to make sure everyone in the country does well”. I love it!
A Thing of Beauty, theo! Thanks! Mahalos Plenty to you Mr President!
Sorry for my shouting, but that answer was ABSOLUTELY PERFECT AND PRESIDENTIAL! I am truly sick and tired of hearing Mitt Romney equate money making with the ability to govern a powerful and diverse country like the United States. I think his business money making skills are better fiited for a country like the Cayman Islands or Dubai!
No apologies necessary – I was shouting at the beauty of that answer, too.
Who’s the idiot Am. journalist who asked this question?
That curly-haired tall one. But, the President hit it right out of the park. It was a thing of beauty. I think it should be in an ad, tout de suite!
That “idiot” got smacked!. PBO schooled him about Romney’s resume. He basically said, Romney’s skills may not be appropriate for this job. I do believe PBO is in a debating mood.
Wasn’t PBO’s answer just a beaut? You’d think by now American ‘journalists’ would know they won’t discomfit this Pres by trying to stump him in sessions like these! Oh well, he’ll continue to patiently school them I guess.
Hans Nichols from bloomberg!
Never heard of him before. Guess I haven’t missed anything as he obviously ain’t a deep thinker
May never hear from him again. He could end up on unemployment after today!
I wish – well not unemployment per se, but removal from the media circle that follows our Pres and placed somewhere where we don’t have to see/hear him.
I was floored too, but < Tapper, I think, didn't disappointed.
Here we go….Cory Booker…Bain…
Second question about Booker
Love that Mayan in the Room, LL!
LL, you and Bobfr are the best!
Oh here it goes
That commencement speech in Joplin is going to be so special.
The President is making it plain as hell.
Yeah! Fuck yeah! Perfect answer to the second question.
Hit Robney right in the Teeth.
Whoooowe!!!
Mr. PBO is NAILING IT!!!
Jaysus H. Christ, why does PBO have to be on poop patrol all the time?
Look who he has to deal with.
LOl…That’s a good way to put it! But, he handles it so well. It’s like the Poopers set it up and he knocks it out of the Park ..or makes a 3 Point shot 20 some feet from the basket!
What’shesaying? What’shesaying? What’shesaying? What’shesaying? What’shesaying?
He said role of private equity is to maximize profit. Job of President is to make sure everyone does ok. Pluses and minuses of private equity should be examined, since Romney’s not touting his record as governor, but only touting his record as the head of a private equity firm. And he said he knows what his job is as President.
Well now. Grown folks talking. LOL.
Thanks, theo!
“Well now. Grown folks talking.”
Indeed, Indeed, PJ! Let’s say it out aloud: the skills required to run a private equity firm are not the same as the skills required for the job of President of the United States. PERIOD! Case closed. You go Mr. Pres.!
Back to journalism again. It’s like a see-saw!
Booyah!
I like David Corn. And Bain lives on.
See what I mean?
That’s the campaign, right there!
DELICIOUS!! Thanks David Corn, hopefruit, & PO~
My President is ready school those who are not so ready for prime time!
Corry BookerYep. Cory said Bain was a distraction. President Obama said Bain is NOT a distraction. It is key issue
PBO just STOMPED all over Romney’s campaign. WOOOSHHHH.
Knocked him out and knocked his sox off. WOW, he is something else!!
And just walked over his flattened body, on his way out the door, after he slapped the podium … twice.
That little tid-bit that POTUS just layed on us will fit nicely in a :30 second spot.
Come on DNC, get to the edit room:)
Obama/Biden 2012
He sure did Meta. He is soooooo smart.
That was a freakin awesome response. I was out of my seat. Just freakin awesome. Running a business is not the same as running a country. And oh by the way I’ve been running the country for over three and a half years now. Watch me and I’ll show you how it’s done.
He drank Romney’s milkshake.
Check please…….
check plzzz!!!!!!!
hahahahaha….
telllllllllllllll it LadyHawke….
He didn’t just drink Romney’s milkshake. He handed the empty glass back to Romney to wash and put away.
Then Romney had Ann do it.
Sounds about right!
And then she threw it against the wall! HeeHaw!
Oh, yeah, baby!
Then romney gave it a demon haircut.
I loved the fact he referred to Willard as “Mr Romney” instead of Gov.
I believe he wanted to highlight the fact that Willard does not want to be associated with his one term stint as MA governor because he fears turning-off tea baggers. If Willard wants to be known as Mr. business man, then why not graciously grant him his wish. I am so much in awe of President Obama political skills.
Slam dunk!!!
Our President sent a swift message to BOTH Romney and Booker: Neither of them know what being President is about. BOOM.
Clapping my hands.
I know! He just changed the conversation. Woohooo!
Never. Underestimate. Barack. Obama.
Exactly!
If anyone doubts the brains of this president, please rewatch this:
I know this was simply awesome….hahahah…
they did not invite him back…they knew better….
I still have this on my DVR. A smack down that rocks.
Proud, I hope the Obama campaign uses some parts of this video to debunk false claims, like the ones being peddled by Marco Rubio, that President Obama is the most divisive president in history. I know of no other president who tried so hard to reach across the partisan drive and work with members of the opposition party. I remember all the attacks from the purity progressives who mocked him for trying to work with Republicans to solve critical problems. The fact that the Republicans said NO to everything he proposed does not diminish the efforts President Obama invested in trying to work with his opponents. Any politician who claims otherwise, like Marco Rubio, is a bold faced liar.
PBO re: Greece – “I haven’t just been thinking about this over the last week … I’ve been thinking about it during the last two years.”
I love how comfortable he answers these questions with such ease. He is a true Statesman.
Booker = Judas = Toast
… although I could just see PBO’s giving him a shot at ” = Redemption.”
Yeah, but now the President will see him in a different light. Once someone throws shyte it’s hard to view them in the same way.
That’s true, and probably the President – while kind – doesn’t suffer fools gladly. Poor Mayor Booker – he should have thought a bit more first.
My thoughts have to do with the Joe Ricketts idea to find an articulate Black to counter Obama when the Rev. Wright plan was to be brought to action. Now with having both Booker and Ford nixing the Bain video as sickening attacks the GOP has two articulate Democratic Blacks vouching for them.
Ok may be I will grant you Cory Booker as an articulate Black man. I am sorry but I wouldn’t classify H. Ford as being an articulate Black man. That’s just my personal opinion. Actually, Allan Keys was a very articulate Black man. Check out what happened to him once he had to face BHO!
Ok, Snark is making me LOL.
Wipes tears…too funny.
You hear Him name those Two Cities in Yemen? He is in command of the facts!
While Romney panics over the USSR, President Obama is rattling off names of countries/regions (some of which have never been uttered by a US President) quite comfortably. It’s insulting that Romney thinks he can compete with President Obama.
Every country/region name that Romney could utter would be interrupted by his too-frequent “uh, uh, uh.”
Cringe.
they’d also be from 40 years ago…
Theo67, are you suggesting that Mitt might call Zizi’s Ghana, the Gold Coast? This is not so far fetched given the fact (so I heard) that some of his advisors still call Russia the Soviet Union. I guess this part of why many many right wingers want their country back. They can’t accept the fact that so much has changed since the 1950′s.
They’ll be calling Zimbabwe by the name “Rhodesia” soon, and all the other countries in the region will be from years ago, too…
It seemed like PBO was daring him to ask a non-Afghan question – PBO set him up by praising JT’s recent visits with soldiers. How could JT follow that up with a Bain question? Well, he’s JT, so of course he’s tone-deaf to nuances but still…
I’m sure that very sincere set-up question wasn’t missed by most of ‘em!
Yup, but the President was giving him a chance to ask a question directly from the troops – I guess Tapper had sent out a call to troops to get their questions in.
Beautiful response on the military from our Commander-in-Chief. Don’t apply diplomatic or political characteristics to them. They are trained to “see the hill, take the hill.”
Tweety just said in all his time in politics he had never seen anything like Cory Booker on MTP.
Sorry, did not mean for this to be a reply.
What I found appalling by that remark from Tweety was that it was “all” he got out of the press conference. I appreciated the fact that the President handled it “deftly,” from Tweety’s perspective, but that’s all he got out of a post-NATO Summit presser. Unreal.
Our media is diseased.
I’d like to see them all quarantined, then! Maybe we could borrow some from Canada and beyond.
Brits make good journos, for the most part.
Believe or not, Al-Jazeera actually reports news worldwide.
In order of the time I spend viewing: BBC World, AJE, France 24, DWTV. CNN, MSNBC, Fox? Zilch.
LL, you are a true gentleman! My feeling is that most of our current mainstream media are rotten to the core. Disease can be cured, but something rotten must be discarded. I base my opinion on having been on this earth for sixty six years and remembering when most journalism focused on real issues and not on fluff sensational drama.
Yup – I actually love that President Obama doesn’t sugar coat how difficult some of this stuff is, and how sometimes, the best we’re going to get is “good enough” – not “perfect”. We’ve got some wondering why he can’t fix everything by snapping his fingers – but he realizes that there are lives hanging in the balance, that have to be weighed against what’s actually possible. It must frustrate President Obama to no end when people just simplify some of this stuff that’s been festering for years.
OMG, Snark is on a roll!!
Not a successful presser for him LL, he seems quite, um, agitated.
I love him.
I absolutely ENJOYED this Presser. What a beautiful President we have. PBO should be president until he retires at 80!!
I would second that, if you adjust the age to 60 or so. I want him to have SOME time to truly interact with his grandchildren. I don’t want to be greedy. There is no reason IMO why his family shouldn’t have a decade or so of his undivided attention.
I agree vc. I’m being facetious with that “until 80″ request!
But perhaps, maybe, possibly just one more term, like 2016-2020 and then he can leave politics for good
He will be 58 then.
Okay, with this compromise, I SECOND your motion.
I couldn’t agree more!
That’s kind of by Bo’s reckoning: 28 more years.
No, No, hopefruit! We need him still young and in his elements to be able to compare him with his successors. Otherwise, people might remember him in his 80′s. Believe me, speaking from experience with my father, aging can sometimes take its toll even on some of the most brilliant minds. But I also know how you feel. Our president is a very special person
I agree fully Nathkatun. I was just kidding and don’t think ANYONE should be US President past the age of 75
I’m just happy to have our young President at this time, when our country most needs him!!
This man’s brilliance is hard to describe. Just amazing, THE MASTER.
rolling on the floor
The best one yet! Over to Twitter I go, to check out the rest of ‘em!
I liked this one.
https://twitter.com/?tw_e=screenname&tw_i=204678756554653697&tw_p=tweetembed#!/SnarkKnoller/status/204664467575943168
I’m getting a wee bit concerned about SnarkK. The stress of the job is definitely getting to him to the point where his language has become more and more colourful in the last weeks. Wonder if PBO would consider taking him for a golfing afternoon? Might sweeten his mood.
Matthews is socking Judas Booker
i am growing a lil tired of this…..
when the media jumps on a band wagon like this…it makes me uncomfortable….
Booker is a Judas. stabbing all of us in the back to suck up to his wall street contributors.
I wish Howard Fineman would put a sock in it. blah blah blah crap. Tweety is not buying it. He asks the question is Cory Booker a surrogate or not??
Tweety absolutely sound angry at Cory.
I wonder what Rev. Al will have to say about Cory ” nauseating” Booker?
I am crazy, nuts for this man. I just love him to pieces.
Standing right beside you in the nut house, LadyHawke. I’m crazy, nuts for him too.
Yes, he is so sharp and so knowledgeable about everything, he just takes your breath away.
Some of our friends on Twitter have considered the possibility that this was all planned by Booker and PBO camp to put the issue of Bain back on the table. I wondered about that also in one of my comments yesterday. Maybe it was, maybe it wasn’t. But whatever it was, PBO just handled the issue in his presser masterfully!
No. It was Judas Booker sucking up to his wall street fundraisers.
Tweety and David Corn are ripping him apart.
Jenny, I wonder how did Jesus handle Judas!
I was one of those people. Never doubt that PBO is thinking 10 moves ahead.
It definitely wasn’t planned.
While a part of me wants to latch on to this possibility (because Booker’s comment really hurt ), another part always balks when my president is portrayed as machiavellian, because I DO NOT see him this way. I prefer to see Cory’s comment as irresponsible and to a certain extent, as Tien implied, lacking in maturity.
Booker was toeing the republican party line.
VC, In my opinion Cory Booker’s comments were dumb! Yes, it’s “nauseating” to see how those laid off workers who were devastated by a private equity farm that was all about making money and maximizing profits. Instead of being angry and “nauseated” at Bain’s of workers who lost their jobs, their pensions and their health insurance, Cory Booker chose to express his distaste of being inconvenienced by the truth of that Ad. May be as some have suggested this was Booker’s way of re-assuring David Gregory and MTP that he was not an angry Black man who blindly follows the President. Whatever led him to say what he said, the reality is that his words ended up undermining the president’s message of exposing Mitt Romney. For that, he deserves all the criticism.
I know many people think Mayor Booker purposely set out to defend Bain, because of his Wall Street connections, his ties with Christie and his ambition for higher office. I am sorry, but I am still not persuaded that Mr. Booker purposely intended to hurt the President. I think he was trying to appear as a responsible, non-partisan person, who naively thought that he was objecting to negative commercials on both sides, without thinking through the harmful consequences of his words. Obviously, I know that my opinion is not shared by the majority on this blog, but I just can’t imagine that a man who has sometimes been asked to speak on behalf of the President would publicly turn against him like that. That is why I wish Chips would repost Cory Booker’s excellent speech at the Jefferson/Jackson dinner in Denver Colorado where he strongly defended President Obama’s record.
I forgot the person who, up thread, called Cory Booker Judas. Since there are people on this site who are fond of using biblical analogies let me suggest a different analogy. I think what Mr Booker did was more like what Peter did than what Judas did to Jesus. For those versed in the Bible, I am sure you remember that Jesus had predicted that Peter, one of his major disciples, would deny him once the Roman authorities came to arrest him (jesus). Just as Jesus had predicted, Peter did exactly that. He denied, three times, that he knew Jesus. In the end though, Peter was forgiven and he went on to be the foremost champion ofChristianity. And, it is upon Peter’s discipleship that the Catholic Church is built it’s Church. I think in moments of weakness Cory Booker, like Peter, seemed to have abandoned President Obama. But, based on his previous deeds, and his subsequent statements, I still think Cory Booker is more like Peter than Judas. Of course you don’t have to agree with me given the fact that I am not religious. But, I grew up in a “severely” Christian family.
Darn I love his brain!
Chips, I can’t wait to share that piece of video. hint hint
p.s. I am done with the CB fiasco. Moving on!!!!
2nd.
Tweety and David Corn are slamming Cory, and Fineman, not so much!
Howard the Duck, this is Mitt, we need you to get on Hardball and say the President is in big trouble. Check!
i resent….both of them…..
next week they will be slamming the President…their hypocrisy…is numbing
Poor Snark is having a major meltdown! I feel his pain…
OMG I am hollering in here. Thank goodness my staff just left for the day. That was one of Snarks best!
Simply exquisite snark from the incredible Snark Knoller!
Since the President was the only adult in the room (again), it seemed to me at the press conference that he was reading all of the “participants” a good bedtime story, so they’d settle down, and let him have his evening free. Except for Snark, who’ll follow him to Joplin, that is.
Agghh!! What happened to the feed?!!
New post everyone:
http://theobamadiary.com/2012/05/21/this-is-what-this-campaign-is-going-to-be-about/
I love this president. There is never a time, including this appearance, where he doesn’t exceed expectations. I love everything he says. And the more I hear about what Booker said, the extent to which he went on all the praise of Bain etc. the less inclined I am to be gratuitous at all. He trashed the whole central message of the Obama campaign re.Romney/Bain and his fitness for the presidency. It really is inexcusable. It was beyond selfish and said a lot about Booker’s character or lack thereof.
Yeah, I know it’s dailykos, but it’s good:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/05/21/1093259/-Why-Booker-Attacked-Obama-The-REAL-Cory
It’s not easy for me to forget, because I was living in NYC at the time and remember hearing about this guy and the buzz that he would be the first black president.
We have to remember that PBO’s rise had, and still has, a LOT of folks — of all colors and creeds — totally SHOOK.
I think Cory has enough of a good core to take this moment as an opportunity for self-reflection. He obviously doesn’t have the vision, imagination, self-awareness, or depth of understanding that PBO has. So it’s easy to see how he could get tied up in the Third Way. It’s the path of least resistance for a lot of these middle-of-the-road, corporate Dems that want GOP money, but not GOP baggage.
At this point, IMO, the major blow to Booker’s aura is not that he did something off-the-charts horrible, or damaging. He will soon find that he hasn’t had much of an impact, if any at all, on PBO’s campaign. No, the major blow is that he has shown himself to be something worse in a politician — he’s shown himself to be common. Middle of the road. Mediocre. Go along to get along. He’s not a visionary, as we might have thought. He’s actually average. Which is a shame.
He’s shown himself to be an trustworthy backstabber.