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2:55PM EST
113 Responses to “President Obama Awards The Presidential Medal Of Freedom”
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Thank you, NW!
Apparently, MSNBC is also airing the ceremony.
Congrats on 1st JO!
Thanks again, Nerdy.
Thanks! Glad to be here with you!
You guys a such great activist and I am not. May I humbly suggest a hash tag #normalizinghate. Every time I heard a commentator say something like “If Trump should build roads and bridges this would be a great thing” or something in that vain; I tweet something like “building roads would be a great thing but not if is came with a white nationalist in the white house. Just a suggestion.
Totally agree. I’m afraid America will grow tired and retreat for fear of inability to change things. PBO brought change to help everybody. I don’t think nearly enough people have appreciated him, not even those who have supported him. Could it be that he is not obnoxious in any way, as it seems this is what people pay attention to ?
This a tweet to Chris Matthews as he was talking about Trump promise to rebuild our infrastructure with kellyann conway. “@HardballChris FYI DJT building roads is great but not if it comes w/ a white nationalist in the White House. #normalizinghate.
Well edp4bho it does seem that reality show host obnoxiousness is the flavor of the day.
Great ideas - thanks, activist!!!
Thanks jacquelineoboomer!!
This is what the Birther deserves credit for. If the bar gets any lower, Lordy.
‘https://twitter.com/lawalazu/status/801142791925600257
Oh please. Low bar is an understatement. It’s going to be a long four years. I so hope something big happens and he is out before he is in.
I have that same hope, Jackie!
Seriously.
I listened to Keepin it 1600 yesterday - they had Keith Ellison on. Much of his message resonated with me. He did not bash anyone, he had ideas that I would characterize as “old school organizing”. I know many here have had reservations about him, but I would suggest you listen to his suggestions and then share your thoughts. He starts at the 25 minute mark.
https://theringer.com/keepin-it-1600-podcast-politics-election-jon-favreau-dan-pfeiffer-220924af4c94#.kwsupxr1d
Thanks Linda - I he’s just next door in Minneapolis and I’ve met him on a few occasions. I’ve found him to be very friendly, I know he is hard working, and he answers tweets. Has a sense of humor.
The medal recipients are being announced. Yay!
Hail to the Chief and Mrs. Chief!
I cried when Ellen cried. She is so deserving of this recognition
Bring out the clapping gif!
https://thinkprogress.org/thinkprogress-alt-right-policy-b04fd141d8d4#.csfk3a9x1
ThinkProgress will no longer describe racists as ‘alt-right’
A note from the ThinkProgress editors.
Bravooooo to them
Don’t know whether I have tears in my eyes because of some of the words and deeds of the recipients, or because President Obama is making this presentation today - one of the few public events remaining to him - or a combination of both. This medals ceremony is magnificent.
GA JO’B.
Agree so much.
Now I tear up when I hear “Hail to the Chief,” played for PBO (and today, Michelle) — just can’t wrap my head around that song being played after Jan 20, 2025 (blerggg).
As PBO said, “this is a really good class (of Medal of Freedom recipients)”.
Nice tweet! Loved the entire ceremony.
Tears everywhere. So touching. We need to savor these last moments of President Obama and celebrities who have had a positive impact on this country and the world. I cannot imagine the orcs and ogres who will receive such medals under Trump.
GE pkayden.
You are SO right.
Recipients will be those who are the living embodiment of Nathan Bedford Forrest or other grand wizards.
Makes me sick to even think of DJT presidency…
There ya go! Was waiting for more before the end of the year. Thank you, President Obama. This 1,000+ will impact many thousands of loved ones, as well.
Well…
http://www.palmerreport.com/news/six-electoral-college-donald-trump-hillary-clinton/190/
🤔
I hope this is true.
I’m so happy to see that Vin was able to travel to receive his award
Diana Ross need to get rid of all that darn hair.
She has had that big over sizes wig since her the seventies.
It’s her signature look now, annieb 🙂
Still looking gorgeous at her age. Love her!
It’s just not possible that PBO will not be making these presentations anymore. The thought of that atrocious, obnoxious man-child pretending to be worthy of this job is almost more than I can survive. Watching our President interact with these brilliant Americans crystallizes what we are losing, never to return. I’m overwhelmed with sadness.
Agreed wholeheartedly. I will not be watching anything Trump does since he is not my President. I will keep tabs on the Obamas and know that they will continue to make a positive impact on our country. They’re young and have a lot more good to do.
I cried right along with y’all. I was already hating to see our First Family go when I thought Hillary would be taking his place (as if). To know that the Orange Orge will be even sitting in his chair drives me crazy. He is not worthy. Trump will probably award the metals to his rich buddies and/or his own kids - since he believes he has unlimited power. I would REFUSE a metal from his hands… It is beyond the pale to go from THIS to THAT!!
I wonder if he will even have any awards ceremonies - he is that type to cancel these events
An amazing group of honorees. Thank you honorees and thank you Pres. Obama.
I’m pretty much crying like a baby right now.
I’m at my desk - trying to keep the tears from falling onto my keyboard
I’m afraid the rest of the year will be like this.
It was a beautiful ceremony and the President didn’t miss the opportunity to state the importance of seeing the best of America.
{{{{meta}}} we’ll just have to hug one another and cry together here on TOD ❤
It’s just so terribly sad that his time in office is tinged with this horrible toxic reality we face.
We’ll just have to carry on.
I feel I can’t allow myself to fully “let go” until late in January, but there were definitely tears in my eyes throughout pretty much that entire wonderful ceremony!
I noticed Ellen really couldn’t contain her tears. POTUS really honored her beautifully.
Oh that was wonderful, funny, touching and a beautiful respite from all the ick going on around us. Completely forgot about everything but our marvelous POTUS and his enjoyable way of giving to others. Thanks Nerdy 🙂
What aa joy to watch! Thank you NW. He is so gracious!!! My husband would have been thrilled that Vin Scully won this award. He thought Vin was the best.
As successful as many of them have become, they turned into a tear-filled puddle because this great President bestowed this Award upon them.
I couldn’t help but tear up too
FLOTUS
Gorgeous and classy. We will never have another Michelle Obama!!
NEVER EVER!!!!!!!!!!
❤️🌹🙏🏻🌹❤️
I remember Thom Hartman complaining about PBO not granting clemency to hardly anyone when he had not been in office a full year. Wonder what he says now?
I wonder if this could just become an annual traditional broadcast on PBS. It can be called the Obama Medal of Freedom Award??? 🙂
http://time.com/4580807/president-obama-presidential-medal-of-freedom/
President Obama hosted his last Presidential Medal of Freedom Ceremony on Tuesday, honoring 21 luminaries for their contributions to the U.S.
The ceremony was as diverse as it was star-studded with Michael Jordan, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Hanks, Robert De Niro lining a stage in the East Room of the White House alongside architect Frank Gehry, computer scientist Margaret Hamilton, and sculpture and landscape artist Maya Lin. President Obama seemed to get a kick out of awarding what he called a “really good class” of recipients on Tuesday afternoon, cracking jokes about Jordan who he called “more than a meme” and Abdul-Jabbar’s performance in the cult-classic Airplane. After facing trouble at the gate after forgetting her ID, television personality Ellen DeGeneres appeared overwhelmed with emotion when receiving her medal of freedom from the President, the nation’s highest civilian honor. The president, who has awarded more medals of freedom than any of his predecessors, also touched on the personal nature of his final awards ceremony, saying each of the recipients had had a profound impact on his life.
Beautiful, righteous message.
So incredibly incredibly sad that it had to be said. I just listened to a crowd BOOing the president elect - while the media said there were a few boos amid the cheers. They lie - they all lie. Mayor de Blasio speaks truth for the ages
I believe a fine gentleman named Abraham Lincoln also once spoke at Cooper Union …
… this was another fine speech.
Have you seen the Medal of Freedom recipients do the Mannequin Challenge.
Here you go:
What fun!
What do they do, yell “Freeze”! then scan the room?
Does anyone here remember playing “Statue” as a kid? As I remember playing it in elementary school there was hand holding and running fast with a pivot person in the middle (sort of like the whip in roller skating). Then the pivot lets go of hands as does everyone else. Someone yells Statue and everyone freezes. When someone moves the pivot calls them out. Reminds me of the mannequin game.
Yesssss
PLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASE!!!!!
http://www.politicususa.com/2016/11/22/prominent-computer-scientists-election-lawyers-urging-hillary-clinton-challenge-election-results.html
Gabriel Sherman of New York Magazine reported:
The group, which includes voting-rights attorney John Bonifaz and J. Alex Halderman, the director of the University of Michigan Center for Computer Security and Society, believes they’ve found persuasive evidence that results in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania may have been manipulated or hacked. The group is so far not speaking on the record about their findings and is focused on lobbying the Clinton team in private.
….
The academics presented findings showing that in Wisconsin, Clinton received 7 percent fewer votes in counties that relied on electronic-voting machines compared with counties that used optical scanners and paper ballots. Based on this statistical analysis, Clinton may have been denied as many as 30,000 votes; she lost Wisconsin by 27,000. While it’s important to note the group has not found proof of hacking or manipulation, they are arguing to the campaign that the suspicious pattern merits an independent review — especially in light of the fact that the Obama White House has accused the Russian government of hacking the Democratic National Committee.
More from NY Mag
http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2016/11/activists-urge-hillary-clinton-to-challenge-election-results.html
GE DF.
I sent a tweet to Meta about an hour ago when I saw this:
Asking if she had info, and she RT’d this:
Meta also RT’d these:
Watch this space
https://twitter.com/search?q=%23AuditTheVote
why are some people (here it is the judge) so hell-bent on denying others a chance to live a reasonable life and advance their standard of living?
when you find out the answer please share it - I have tried to understand that mindset all my life.
these people are sheer evil and no one can convince me otherwise;
I got pissed off by the federal judge who has put an injunction on the overtime pay rule that PBO had issued.
I agree with you… and then John McCain made a statement or tweet applauding the judge’s ruling. Why he continues to win his seat is beyond my understanding too.
GE TODville.
Don’t have the faintest idea what’s going on with Dems now — just know that DNC chair is up for grabs and some Ohio congresscritter (Tim Ryan) is challenging Speaker-for-Life-Pelosi for House Minority Leader (as Meta asked this morning… “why?”, but it looks like our favorite Uncle wants nothing to do with all that drama:
Can’t help but think PBO will be doing a lot of TV in the future…he’s a natural talent !
Seriously ….
Thank you Nerdy for this thread. I am now listening to the replay of this wonderful event. What a collection of people - all sizes, shapes, sexes, races and any other type of diversity one wants to speak of. We will not go this way again in the future. PBO studies and understands what each of these people have given to their country and the world. No other President - EVER - has had the knowledge and understanding of this most wonderful of men. He shall remain my No 1 person - until I die.
When the Nazis control the press …
Yes, America, it’s happening HERE ….
Don’t think it can’t happen here …
So touching. And I agree, Bob. It could happen here.
Goodnight TOD ….
#FORWARD Together
this right here is what I was complaining about - how evil some people (here the federal judge) can be to towards those that need help the most;
Federal Judge in Texas blocks Obama rule that extends overtime pay for 4.2 million US workers;
it is so hard to love these rightwingers … there is nothing that helps the vulnerable people these republicans do not want to destroy
I stand with the West Wing.
So do I Meta.
I am watching these announcements with a lot of interest;
but for now, I am being cautious about the information from some of these reporters …
why? because I have learned that they want nothing better than to create an appearance of conflict between Dems while they often ignore those among the gop
this is what i mentioned to you yesterday…
there is a move a foot to minimize the President’s influence post presidency…and to also minimize the coalition who elected the President…
sounds like its ON!
I sure hope so.
New post.
https://theobamadiary.com/2016/11/22/a-spectacular-friendship/
This a sick man. This is a corrupt media.
Trying to normalize this pig.