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15
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White House.gov
- My ADA Story: A Deafblind Lawyer Dismantling Digital Barriers
- The Faces of Health Care: Christopher C.
- President Obama Travels to Kenya and Ethiopia
- Weekly Address: Wall Street Reform is Working
- The First Lady Hosts the "Beating the Odds" Summit
WH Tumblr
- “I believe that when all voices are being heard, when...
- “Kenya is on the move. Africa is on the move. You are poised to...
- Behind the Lens: Photographing the President in 50 Countries
- “I like rap, but I cannot rap. Although I have enough of a...
- “Instead of dismissing the rest of the world and going it...
The People’s View
- Obama Brilliantly Throws Lit Firecrackers into GOP Presidential Chaos Spandan Chakrabarti
- Weekend open thread - West Wing Week Liberal Librarian
- #BernieSoBlack: Sanders Cheerleaders Make Weak Case on Bernie and Race Spandan Chakrabarti
- Thanks, Obama! Jobless Claims Drop to 42-Year Low Spandan Chakrabarti
- Profit and Loss - Why #BlackLivesMatter Matters Liberal Librarian
Smartypants
- Barack Obama on Faith and Politics in 2006
- Corporate Giants Commit $140 billion to Address Climate Change. #ThanksObama
- What Obama Learned as a Community Organizer
- Chamber of Commerce to Go After Incumbent Republicans
- President Obama Articulates a Feminist Foreign Policy
A Writing Corner (LL)
- #Pixels: A sign of the Apocalypse?
- Annals in “WTH Were You Thinking??” – Potty Training
- For the young lady and her love of Seamus Heaney
- On compassion
- A Mass for the Dead
Greg Sargent
- Happy Hour Roundup
- Leading pro-Israel Democrat: It will be ‘difficult’ to stop the Iran deal
- The Republican demolition derby
- Morning Plum: Big majority of GOP voters favors mass deportation, poll finds
- Sunday Open Thread
Steve Benen
- Margin of error makes Fox News cuttoff in make-or-break debate arbitrary
- Sanders, Trump campaigns defy conventional wisdom
- War on ISIS enters new phase with Turkey base
- Monday's Mini-Report, 7.27.15
- Felony counts against Rick Perry drop from two to one
WH Flickr
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President Obama arrives in Ethiopia:
http://sodere.com/page/ethiopian-tv-live
Thanks to professorx10 for the link!
See you all later!
Congrats Chips :)
Thank you and NW for the ongoing coverage of President Obama’s travels - best to be found anywhere, print or online!!
Good.
Now after we have had the ladies take out their naughty mats, let me shout out for the fiercely blonde SS agent !
(GNAGNAGNAH :-)
Who wouldn’t want to touh his hand? I sure would! Maybe one day - :bear: <3
Good West Coast morning Chipsticks & TOD family.
A huge and heartfelt thanks to you Chips, Nerdy, JER and everyone else who supplied us with tweets and videos of the Native Sons travels in Kenya. 💙
Good Morning FamIly.
I’m now fully caught up on the President’s trip. Wasn’t it just wonderful? Even sister Auma’s introduction of him had me choked up. What a blessing to be living during the age of Obama.
Oh and thank you TOD as always for everything. What would we all do without you!
some advice I hope they take ….
While awaiting a moderator ….
Iranians, and investors and entrepreneurs all over the world, get it ….
Cute video, and at least a few women are participants, though I think the actual number of girls and young women in Iran who will emerge as leaders, across the board, will be very large ….
bbl ….
Bob! that is so encouraging and quite cool! Thanks :-)
:) Enthusiastic video participants (even with straight faces)!
Hi Gail and VC … glad you enjoyed it :)
That was awesome! :-D
I could watch this ALL DAY! :-D
He’s soooooo cool :-)
Good morning Dudette!
I LOVE THIS…WHAT A WAY TO COMPLETE MY SUNDAY!!!!!…:)
For Immediate ReleaseJuly 25, 2015
FACT SHEET: Power Africa
In 2013, President Obama launched Power Africa, an innovative partnership to double access to electricity in sub-Saharan Africa where more than 600 million people currently lack access. During the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit in 2014, President Obama reaffirmed that Power Africa’s reach extends across all of sub-Saharan Africa and tripled Power Africa’s goals to work towards adding 30,000 megawatts (MW) of new, cleaner electricity generation capacity and increasing electricity access by at least 60 million new connections.
Progress to Date
Power Africa has helped transactions expected to generate over 4,100 MW of new, cleaner power generation throughout sub-Saharan Africa reach financial close. When fully on line, this additional generation has the potential to enable an estimated 4 million new connections through increased availability of power. Through Power Africa’s Off-Grid Challenge and the U.S.-Africa Clean Energy Finance initiative (ACEF), the U.S. Government has funded projects expected to yield an additional 1 million new connections.
Delivering on U.S. Government Commitments
Two years after the launch of Power Africa, several U.S. Government departments and agencies have fulfilled their original 5-year Power Africa commitments and have announced expanded Power Africa commitments.
> The Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) expects to exceed its original $1.5 billion commitment by the end of 2015, which is expected to mobilize an additional $1.4 billion in private capital. OPIC has announced an additional $1 billion commitment through 2018.
> The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) expects to commit nearly $2 billion by the end of 2015, nearly doubling its original $1 billion commitment. MCC is implementing power compacts in Ghana and Malawi, and is developing energy sector programs in Benin, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Tanzania.
> The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has placed over 25 advisors across sub-Saharan Africa who are tracking over 24,000 MW of projects for potential support and providing technical support to improve the enabling environment for private sector investment. USAID, through its Development Credit Authority, has mobilized $171 million in private finance in support of power projects, with a pipeline of over $300 million in new projects.
>
………………………………….. //
https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2015/07/25/fact-sheet-power-africa
Beautiful!
they just want to touch him…..Simply AWEsome
PERFECT INDEED…………:)
I just want to touch him too.
:-)
Calm down ‘Granny’. You’ve come too far to lose it now! :-)
Hollah!!! :-D
I could cry my eyes out at that image! Beautiful.
I am totally choked up by it! Sometimes I wonder what it must feel like to have so many who just want to touch your hand. He wears it so gracefully.
Reminds me somewhat of the picture when pastors/well-wishers laid hands on him in a prayer session. I would like to think that both instances imbued both sides (touchers and one being touched) with renewed inner strength.
A rainbow again. :)
A RAINBOW IS A SYMBOL OF GOD’S PROMISE!
PBO is blessed indeed!
Barack Obama: Bringer of Rainbows
Perhaps the significance of meeting the US leader may not have hit her due to her tender age. Wamaitha is a Standard One pupil at Mariakani Primary School in South B, Nairobi. Teachers at the school said they were surprised to see her on television. Her class teacher, Ms Pauline Musyoka, said they did not know she had been selected to present the bouquet to Mr Obama as he made the historic visit to Kenya. “She is one the brightest pupils in her class,” said Ms Musyoka.
Complete 18 minute video of the interview
Good Pun !
A citizen going to see President Obama’s speech: Photo by the BBC’s Nastaran Tavakoli-Far
Gotta Love that Tshirt
I think there’s an extra “R” in Barack on that t-shirt, but they had to fit RESOURCEFUL in, so no problem. :)
Prayers and positive thoughts for Go Brooklyn
Is she okay…
Hi Hopef. She’s alright but going in for scans and the like tomorrow (Monday), and I asked that we uplift her with our positive thoughts and prayers. (There has been some extra tiredness and pain.) I’m working on the theory that together we at TOD can move ‘mountains’ - enough for GoB to ‘feel’ our positive presence and support.
Okay - thanks vc for the details. I will definitely have her in my thoughts, and will join you and TOD in giving GoB the best of our support as she undergoes her tests.
I wish that there was a word greater than thanks that could truly convey the gratitude that I feel toward Chips, Nerdy, and all other contributors who have been there all the way with PBO in Africa (as well as the other 49 trips that he has made abroad) and presenting them to all of us. I remember how frustrated I was when I tried to find coverage of the Obamas first trip overseas after the 2008 election. There was little information and most of it was horribly biased. Here at TOD the wonderful blog tyrants and contributors take us along in real time (I cannot believe that some of you were up at 4:00 am) to witness the greatest president of the modern era as he works so hard as a Statesman of the world. So proud of him and so thankful to all of you.
ABSOLUTELY CEB….THE TOD COVERAGE IS ALWAYS SUPERB….UNFORTUNATELY…I’LL BE MISSING ALOT OF IT TODAY…BECAUSE YOUKNOWWHO2 HAS ALOT OF ERRANDS…PRAYERS CONTINUED FOR AN AMAZING JOURNEY FOR OUR ENERGIZER PBO……………
You have articulated what many of us feel and you have done it beautifully! Those words can’t be said often enough.
I echo your thoughts, CEB!
“Which raises the question: Did the Israeli cabinet authorize the war that Israel has launched in order to impose its will on the Obama administration over the Iran nuclear agreement? Shouldn’t it have done so, give that such a war could have implications and ramifications that are no less consequential than those of a “conventional” war?”
clip
A decade ago, the American Jewish community had to mount a concerted campaign to counter the claims made by widely respected political scientists Stephen Walt and John Mearsheimer about the Israel Lobby and its supposedly pivotal role in pushing America to war in Iraq. And that was with a gung-ho administration that needed no encouragement to take on Saddam Hussein, and with an experienced Israeli prime minister like Ariel Sharon who maintained an extremely low profile during the months leading up to the 2003 war.
In 2015, however, the administration is promoting a diplomatic agreement, not seeking an excuse to go to war. And far from lobbying discreetly on the sidelines, the Israeli prime minister is flaunting his opposition to the proposed deal, brazenly infiltrating the administration’s hinterland in Congress, openly exhorting his troops, Henry V style, to go “once more unto the breach” to topple Obama’s dangerous peacemaking.
clip
There have been harsh confrontations between Israel and U.S. administrations in the past: None have seemed quite so harsh, bitter and potentially damaging, directly and collaterally. Benjamin Franklin is quoted as saying that the price of war is not paid while it is being waged – the invoice is presented only when it is over. In a campaign with unclear motives, undefined objectives and dubious gains even in victory, the price is bound to be high and the bill both painful and inevitably shocking.”
suggest all of you read the entire essay ….
What President Obama should really be applauded for is his business acumen. He has opened up the markets of Cuba and Iran to the global business community. Money is what bought Iran to the table, President Obama did not appeal to Iran politically he appealed to their pocketbooks, and the same goes for Cuba. There isn’t a business or corporation that isn’t ready to do business with Iran and Cuba. And that silence you’re getting from the United States Chamber of Commerce, it isn’t because they’re fed up with President Obama. It’s because the businesses that they represent told them to shut the fuck and let President Obama make us more money.
BOOM. Don you NAILED it….
All true, Don.
BTW, if you and all TODers read the article in the tweet, above, about Iranian entrepreneurs - http://t.co/D4pfznop8J
Particularly notice the ‘gold rush’ that German & French FMs are now vigorously pursuing in Iran.
If the GOP, Netanyahu and their war mongering colleagues manage to defeat the #IranDeal, that ‘gold rush’ will not be abated and what will happen is that Israel will be even more isolated and the US will suffer, considerably.
This is right on target. All about the $$$$$.
Tell it Don!
Allowed myself five minutes of Trump News Network aka CNN, and that should last me until tomorrow! I like to peek in on what the animals in the zoo are doing. Ugh. Clean up in the Fools’ Den, please!
I must hand it to Donald Trump, even more so than President Obama Donald Trump shows the media just how foolish they really are. For every idiotic idea that comes out of Trump’s mouth the media tries to make it plausible.
that makes the media complicit with the racist hatred that comes out his mouth…do you believe that the media does not really see what is before them
Trump is now #2 in IA within the MOE with Walker… and he is now leading Nationally with every poll now since last weekend.
The Media and the GOPer DC/National Apparatus have doggedly refused to accept that over 30-40% of GOPers are just like Trump.
So.Very.True.
Hey amk, here’s a ‘sup for you! :) :)
This isn’t the 1st time that a so called Ordained Minister, Huckabee, is spouting Hateful, Crude, Cruel, Wicked and Devilish commentaries against then Sen Obama and now Pres Obama. The man is Vile. I hope that when Karma delivers the punishment, Huckabe is sent directly to a fiery Blaze.
The MSM promotes this trash as normal….
Hi Nena & pf58 …. no surprises here ….
In_Deed, Doc.
The Senate began with Orin Hatch scolding Ted Cruz.
Now McConnell is saying they will vote to repeal Obamacare.
mute !
**NOTE
PBO is currently dialoguing with the leaders in a round table discussion (at the link Chips shared above). Lots and lots of Amharic and a little English here and there.
Sorry, that didn’t last for too long. :( I did see him sitting at the table though and heard him talking. :)
“The polls are in: a majority of Americans supports President Obama’s nuclear deal with Iran. But, in what is emerging as a significant new element of the political landscape, the millennial generation (those born between 1980 and 1997) is by far the most supportive, with 65 percent for the deal compared with 55 percent of older Americans in a recent Cato/YouGov poll.
The millennials’ attitudes toward the deal bolster the findings from our recent study of millennials’ foreign policy attitudes, published by the Cato Institute. Compared with their elders, millennials view the world as less threatening, are more supportive of international cooperation and diplomacy, and are far more averse to the use of military force. All of these attitudes likely contribute to millennial support for the Iran deal.”
Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/thinktank/Millennials-strongly-back-Iran-deal.html#GK48tHIW54Ez6Woa.99
h/t
These would be the people that the GOP want to send to fight their wars -
Dear Chips & NW,
I request that you feature excerpts from the following article in a new thread. It is the most comprehensive, easy to read analysis of the #IranDeal I’ve seen (and I’ve looked at a bunch of them!). TY
========
A bad deal? Diplomacy saves Israel from taking military action against Iran
The Vienna deal prevents the introduction of a new nuclear power in the Middle East, halts the nuclear arms race and saves Israel from using military force on Iran. So why is Prime Minister Netanyahu still so opposed to it?
By Shemuel Meir
“Let’s set aside the mantras about the Iranian nuclear deal, that it is a “bad deal — an historic mistake.” The agreement signed on July 14 blocks Iran’s path to a nuclear weapon; it not just temporarily freezes its progress. The agreement includes clauses that refer to 10, 15 and 25 years — but blocking Iran’s path to the bomb is permanent. The concessions that Tehran made were bigger than anything any of the commentators in Israel predicted.
clip
Our analysis, as opposed to that of the prime minister, leads to the conclusion that from a strategic perspective, Israel should hope that the deal will be durable and sustainable vis-a-vis the aforementioned nuclear parameters. The Vienna deal has a good chance of doing so, since it is a win-win in which both Iran and the guardians of non-proliferation stand to gain. Iran “signed” to the U.S. that it is not seeking to develop nuclear weapons, and in exchange for the intrusive measures of transparency and oversight it asked for its civilian nuclear plan to be recognized. This was not obvious to all before the deal. The second Iranian demand was also met: rescinding all UN Security Council resolutions (even if the sanctions themselves will be removed gradually over a period of months and years) and replacing them with a new Security Council resolution that adopts the agreement. The resolutions on the sanctions are part of Chapter 7 of United Nations Charter that allows in some cases (but not in this case) to use military force. One of the aims of the new Security Council resolution is to remove the file of Iran’s previous violations from the UN table, and to revoke a legal basis for military action against Iran. For the Iranian leadership, this is most crucial point.
An important question to end with: What does Iran want? Israel’s spokespeople and analysts (apart from the military echelon, whose voice is not heard, but does not seem to be partner to the alarmism) is almost axiomatic: “Of course Iran secretly seeks nuclear weapons.” The facts, as well as the aforementioned analysis, say something else. And if Iran strays from the path to civilian nuclear power, it will quickly be detected by the intrusive oversight mechanisms. Paradoxically for some Israelis, in Iran’s eyes strict adherence to the NPT as a NNWS is an insurance certificate. This will allow the Islamic Republic to preserve its rule vis-a-vis the “regime changing” doctrine of America’s neocons. A rational Iranian approach of matching the means to the ends is of utmost importance for the survival of the regime. The Supreme Leader did not halt the country’s suspicious nuclear activity after the U.S. invaded Iraq and brought down Saddam Hussein’s regime in 2003 for nothing. American deterrence works — and it will always form another layer to preserve the agreement. The task force of U.S.’s Fifth Fleet in the Persian Gulf and the Tomahawk missiles of the Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean send a message of deterrence on a daily basis. Whoever believes the U.S. is ditching the Middle East is wrong. The Iranian nuclear deal only strengthens and entrenches America’s role in the region.”
Please note - “Shemuel Meir is a former IDF analyst and associate researcher at the Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies at Tel Aviv University. Today he is an independent researcher on nuclear and strategic issues and author of the “Strategic Discourse” blog, which appears in Haaretz.”
#TrustBarack
bbl ….
Bibi wants war or more specific wants the US to lead the way. He’s been on this kick since the 80’s.
I was thinking that exact same thing, Bibi wanted Congress to force President Obama into war with Iran. My fear is that should Hillary and certainly which ever Republican ends up in the Whitehouse, that President might seriously consider Bibi’s wish and indeed go to war with Iran.
That’s what worries me about Hillary. I get the feeling she’ll write Bibi a blank check and call you an anti-Semite if you disagree.
BS would do Israel’s bidding too. I am riding with Biden.
Roger that, jojo ….
Thank you so much Bob! Good stuff here!
With the usual garbage and worse coming out of the mouths of the Republicans in the US, I have been struck this weekend by the contrast between that and our incredible First Family. You’ve got Mike Huckabee on the right saying nothing short of despicable things, while FLOTUS spreads love and tolerance at the Special Olympics and PBO spreads his message on the African continent. Couldn’t find a better example of the enormous differences in the parties and the messages than this weekend. Hope versus Hate. Not a difficult choice for me.
Saw an interesting tweet from Sam Wang at Princeton this morning. He thinks based on recent surveys that Trump could reach 44% but would top out there. Contrary to the Rs wishes, I suspect he will be around for a significant period of time. My sense in the few clips I’ve seen is that he basically started this as a joke, but has been surprised at the response he’s received and is loving the attention. He now is doing the more traditional things like spending time in IA, etc. You reap what you sow, and I don’t see him giving this up any time soon. And he doesn’t have to do the hated fund raising so there really is no incentive for him to leave the race. Once he filed his financials, he’s got nothing to lose by staying in. The joke is on the Rs.
Yep!
My goodness, Donald Trump has strapped on a suicide vest and he is going in! LOL!
Mujahidon Trump!
LOL!!
I love that analogy :) :) :)
Let it not be said that I didn’t post this on Sunday! :D
You can now officially add traffic stops to the leading cause of death for the black and brown along with heart disease and smoking.
yes…you are correct :-(
The Senate was in session today to take a vote to repeal Obamacare. Because, you know there hasn’t been enough of those.
I remember when I got my first job, my old man told me, he said son “If you ain’t busy look busy, and always have something in your hands”.
NAILED IT.
Was Ted Cruz there to vote since he whined about it…..
I’m sure this was posted already but since I missed it and since I’m here twiddling my thumb - here it is again. ;)
Import Export bank amendment passes cloture
Great!
Cruz loses again - what a waste of time he is - does NOTHING for those who voted for him
WOWWWWWW very niceeeeee
Takes my breath away.
Lefkow is hoping for a stronger commitment to human rights from Washington than in the past, when there was emphasis on security and development and the hope that “quiet diplomacy” would deliver on other issues. But the situation in the country has worsened in the last decade, Lefkow said. The anti-terror law has not brought more security. “The Ethiopian government cannot curb the right to freedom of expression and assembly, as it is doing at the moment, and believe that it is the best recipe for a peaceful, stable Ethiopia. That’s too short-sighted,” Lefkow said.
Observers are putting their hopes on a planned meeting between Obama and civil society groups. Which ones they will be is uncertain. Much of the Ethiopian opposition is abroad, seeking to promote change from the outside.
************************
I think the President will have a strong message in Ethiopia….just as he had in Kenya…
New post.
http://theobamadiary.com/2015/07/26/the-presidents-sunday-in-kenya-and-ethiopia/
The Republican presidential candidates in the Senate all voted for the repeal of the ACA, but McConnell’s amendment to repeal the ACA was dead before the first vote was cast. Democrats are never going to support anything that repeals Obamacare.
McConnell only did this in an attempt to appease the RWNJs - the dems did what he wanted.