Obama's Weekly Address April 4

Obama gives his weekly address from Air Force One:

The Queen and Her Court Pose for Family Photo

Apparently, according to CNN and other media reports, the Queen is irritated in this video by Silvio Berlusconi, Italy's PM. To me, she seems to just have a dry wit about her.

I guess the real story is that the people of Italy think Berlosconi's a big showoff:

Obama Speaks in Prague April 5

UPDATE 4-5: WATCH THE SPEECH HERE

UPDATE 4-4: See the Obamas arrival video here

Prague Castle
The Obamas will arrive at Prague Castle and Obama will meet with President Václav Klaus and Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek.

The Prague Post: U.S. President Barack Obama is expected to arrive in Prague around 5 p.m. Saturday, April 4. His public speech is scheduled for 10 a.m. on Sunday, April 5 at Hradčanske náměstí. Gates to the event open at 7 a.m. and the U.S. Embassy is urging early arrival.
Later in the day, Obama will attend an informal meeting with leaders from the European Union's 27 member states departing from Prague about 24 hours after arriving at 5 p.m. Sunday. Prague City Hall has a toll-free information line detailing public transport changes during the Obama visit.

From the Prague Monitor:

The Non-violence movement and the League of Mayors against the Radar told CTK Thursday they have initiated a letter to U.S. President Barack Obama, asking him to take Czechs' opinions into consideration when deciding about plans to extend the U.S. anti-missile shield to Central Europe.

The two groupings' representatives said the letter has been signed by 130 Czech and European personalities, politicians and organisations.

Representatives of the World without Wars have handed it to 20 U.S. embassies.

The letter says some 70 percent of Czech citizens have for a long time disagreed with building the radar base on Czech soil.

It also draws attention to the consequences the implementation of the project, which also includes a base with ten interceptor missiles in Poland, would have for the security of Europe and the whole world.

The radar base is to be built some 90km southwest of Prague. The Czech Republic has signed two treaties on the project with the former president George Bush's administration last year.

Jan Tamas, spokesman for Non-violence, said he welcomes and supports the new direction that the administration of Barack Obama has started to follow.

"If the prevention of nuclear weapons proliferation were one of Obama's priorities, the implementation of this project would be counter-productive," Tamas said.

Preparations:

Obama and Merkel Press Conference Video April 3

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Obama Speaks in Germany on NATO's Future

Obama speaks on G20 and the future of NATO. "I'm here to listen, share new ideas...

Obama's Arrival in Germany Video

Prepping for NATO Summit

See the NATO site here.
Raw footage of the Peace Camp prepping for the 60th anniversary of the NATO Summit in Strasbourg, France and Kehl, Germany.
NATO member countries.

Allied leaders of 28 nations have arrived at the Kurhaus in Baden-Baden. They were welcomed by the Secretary General of NATO, Mr. Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, the Chancellor of Germany, Mrs. Angela Merkel and the President of France, Mr. Nicolas Sarkozy and their spouses.
The two-day event began with the working dinner of the Heads of State and Government (HOSG) in the famous premises of the Baden-Baden Kurhaus. Following an official welcome by the leaders of the host nations and the Secretary General of NATO, the participants had an exchange of views on NATO’s future roles and missions. During the evening session, Allies are also expected to discuss long-term relations with Russia.
The second day of the Summit, on the morning of 4th April, will begin with a solemn ceremony at the Rhine River, honouring the men and women in uniform who have, and continue to, put their lives at risk in NATO-led missions and operations for the security of the Euro-Atlantic community.
Following this event, Alliance leaders will convene for a working session of the North Atlantic Council in Strasbourg. It will be devoted primarily to a discussion of the ongoing operational commitments of NATO, in particular its engagement in Afghanistan.
The NATO leaders will adopt a number of key documents, including a final communiqué, a Declaration on Allied Security and a statement on the Alliance’s mission in Afghanistan.
Prior to the start of the Summit itself, the Secretary General will give the keynote speech at a Youth Summit in Strasbourg. NATO

Envoy Scott Gration Visits Sudan

NYT: President Obama’s new envoy to Sudan has a tough job. He has to figure out how to get the Sudanese president who was just indicted for war crimes to reverse his decision to kick out 13 humanitarian groups working in Darfur.

Maj. Gen. Scott Gration, a retired Air Force officer, evidently has decided to try honey, not vinegar. While activists and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton have President Omar Hassan al-Bashir’s decision to expel the aid groups, Mr. Gration, President Obama’s special envoy, on Wednesday publicly had nothing but pleasant words during his maiden mission to Khartoum.

Read a transcript here.

Michelle Obama Dines With Germany's First Man

Michelle Obama dines with the reclusive first man of Germany, Joachim Sauer, Chancellor Angela Merkel's husband.

Check out more photos at Spiegel. 
The Obamas and Sarkozys


Prepping for what I have no idea

Awaiting Obama in Germany

In France and Germany on Friday, US President Barack Obama said he wanted to renew the trans-Atlantic partnership. Part of that alliance, though, involves more European troops for Afghanistan, he said. Unexpectedly, Obama called for a world without nuclear weapons.

The reception for Barack Obama was just what most had been expecting. Hundreds of American flag-waving Baden-Baden residents turned out for the arrival of the US president, many of them chanting "Obama, Obama." German Chancellor Angela Merkel received Obama with full military honors. She was joined by Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Defense Minister Franz Josef Jung and a handful of other political luminaries. Read the rest at Spiegel

India's Singh Asks Obama For an Autograph

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Help With Gitmo: France Will Take a Detainee

Swamp: "I believe democracy makes it incumbent upon heads of state to speak the truth and to live up to what they say,'' French President Nicolas Sarkozy said today in a brief press conference with President Barack Obama - with the French leader managing to take a shot at the American saga of Guantanamo while offering help in fixing it.

"I am a longstanding friend of the United States,'' Sarkozy said. "But Guantanamo was not in keeping with U.S. values-- at least with my perception of what American values were and are. And I was proud and happy that the United States should have taken the decision that we were hoping for, which was to close down that base. We all were, here in Europe....

"You don't combat terrorists with terrorist methods,'' he said. "You combat them with the methods and the weapons of democracy.

"Having said that -- and I have said that -- if then the president of the United States says, 'I'm going to close down Guantanamo, but I need my allies to take -- in this particular instance, this one person -- into our prisons, because this is going to help me, the U.S. president, to shut down this base,' if we are consistent, then we say, yes.

"We can't condemn the United States to have this camp and then simply wash our hands of the whole business when they close it down,'' he said.

That's not all the two talked about today at Palais Rohan in Strasbourg, on the eve of a summit marking the 60th anniversary of NATO.

"We have a hell of a lot of work ahead of us, because there's a hell of a lot of problems we need to deal with,'' Sarkozy said.

Obama Holds Town Hall in Strasbourg France

Video below!

The Swamp: STRASBOURG, France -- President Barack Obama carried his "town hall'' brand of public dialog to a European stage today, standing before an etimated audience of 4,000 in Strasbourg, France, on the eve of a NATO summit to call on "a new generation in a new century'' to rise to the world's challenges.

The president called on Europeans to set aside a "casual" but "insidious" anti-American sentiment, to commit to the his strategy in Afghanistan and to reach out to Muslims in all nations to work for "peace and partnership."

But some of the most pointed questions centered less on American foreign and domestic policy and more on the purely personal:

A young woman rising to identify herself as both American and French - "dual nationality'' -- wanted to know about the president's approach to the world economic crisis, but also about that dog, the White House pup that Obama has promised his kids.

"We are getting a dog,'' Obama said. "This is a very important question in the United States... It should be there soon.''

"Did you ever regret to run for president?' a young woman from Germany asked.

"It's a good question... Michelle definitely asks that question,'' Obama replied with a laugh, then wandering carefully into a personal, and inspirational tale:

"There have been times, certainly during the campaign, and there have been times over the past months, when you feel a lot of weight on your shoulders,'' Obama said.

"There is no doubt about it,'' he said. "During the campaign.... I was away from my family all the time... Not only do I have a wonderful wife, but I also have two perfect daughters... But it turns out that, as president, I now have this nice office in my house called the Oval Office.

"You also lose privacy and anonymity,'' the president said. "It used to be that, when I came to Europe, I could just wander down to some café, have some wine... and watch the sun go down... Now I have Secret Service around me all the time... Losing that ability to just have a walk, that is something that is frustrating....

"Having said all that, I truly believe that there is nothing more noble than public service,'' the presdient told his audience, which included many young people. "That doesn't mean that you have to run for president.,'' he said. "You might work for Doctors Without Borders... You might be the mayor of Strasbourg. You might volunteer in your own community.

Remarks and Q&A:

Obama and Sarkozy News Conference in France

Read a transcript here.

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Obama in France for NATO summit:

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The Obamas meeting Sarkozy and Carla Bruni-Sarkozy:

Obama Meets With South Korea's President To Talk North Korea

North Korea is about to blast off a satellite between April 4-8. Obama met with South Korean president Lee Myung-Bak today to discuss:

The two leaders met at the ExCel Center, where the G-20 summit is being held. Thursday's all-day opening session is aimed at finalizing the summit's main goal -- a statement of unity by of heads of state in managing the global financial crisis.

Senior White House officials said Obama and Lee discussed the missile test that North Korea is expected to launch any day now, despite repeated protests by the United States, Japan and South Korea and disapproval from Russia and China.

While the reclusive North Korean government says the missile test is part of a peaceful research effort to put a communications satellite into orbit, experts outside the country say it is an effort to try out long-range missiles that could eventually be armed with nuclear warheads.

Obama expressed admiration for Lee's "calm resolve" as North Korea has prepared the launch and hurled invective at its neighbors, the senior official said. Obama told Lee North Korea "will not be able to drive a wedge between the U.S. and South Korea" and said a launch would be a violation of Security Council resolutions. Read the rest at WaPo

G20 Photos April 2

Obama and South Korea's Lee Myung-bak
Obama and India's PM Manmohan Singh
Michelle Obama at Elizabeth Garrett Anderson School



Michelle and other First Ladies at Royal Opera House, where she met J.K. Rowling

Obama Names Robert Groves Director of Census

Obama named more nominees, including Groves, who is a survey expert:

Robert M. Groves, Nominee for Director of the Bureau of the Census, Department of Commerce
Robert M. Groves is Director of the University of Michigan Survey Research Center, Professor of Sociology at the University of Michigan, Research Professor at its Institute for Social Research, and Research Professor at the Joint Program in Survey Methodology, at the University of Maryland. From 1990-1992 Groves was an Associate Director of the U.S. Census Bureau, on loan from University of Michigan. From 1992-2001 he was the associate director, then director of the Joint Program in Survey Methodology, a graduate program sponsored by the US Federal statistical system. He is the author of seven books and scores of scientific articles concerning the improvement of surveys. He is a member of the Federal Economic Statistics Advisory Board of the Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the Census Bureau. He is a fellow of the American Statistical Association, an elected member of the International Statistical Institute, a National Associate of the National Academies, National Research Council, former President of the American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR), former Chair of the Survey Research Methods Section of the American Statistical Association. Groves was awarded AAPOR Innovator Award in 2000 and in 2001 he was awarded the distinguished achievement award, the AAPOR award, by the association. He was given the 2008 Fellow award by the Midwest Association for Public Opinion Research. In 2008, he was given the Julius Shiskin Award for unusually original and important contributions in the development of economic statistics. Groves has an A.B. degree from Dartmouth College and a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan.

Victor M. Mendez, Nominee for Administrator, Federal Highway Administration, Department of Transportation
Victor M. Mendez was a member of former Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano’s Cabinet as the Director of the Arizona Department of Transportation. He has extensive experience in transportation including innovations in the areas of funding and financing, technology, infrastructure, research, planning and internal operations. Mendez has served as a past President of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials and in 2008 he was selected as Leader of the Year in Public Policy in Transportation by the Arizona Capitol Times. Previously, Mendez was selected as the Deputy State Engineer to lead the implementation of the Phoenix area’s multi-billion dollar freeway system. Mendez earned a Masters of Business Administration degree from Arizona State University and a Bachelors of Science in Civil Engineering degree from the University of Texas at El Paso.

Peter H. Appel, Nominee for Administrator, Research and Innovative Technology Administration, Department of Transportation
Peter H. Appel is a Principal with the global management consulting firm of A.T. Kearney, Inc. He has led business improvement initiatives for clients in the private and public sectors, with a focus on Transportation and Infrastructure. Appel has over 20 years of experience in Transportation, and has supported organizations in the railroad, trucking, airline, and ocean shipping industries with growth strategy, supply chain improvement, post-merger integration, public-private partnerships, and other key business and policy issues. Previously, Appel served as the Special Assistant to the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, and as Assistant Director for Pricing and Yield Management at Amtrak. Appel earned his bachelor’s degree from Brandeis University in Economics and Computer Science with Highest Honors, and received his Master of Science in Transportation from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

John Q. Easton, Nominee for Director, Institute of Education Sciences, Department of Education
John Q. Easton currently serves as Executive Director of The Consortium on Chicago School Research (CCSR) at The University of Chicago. CCSR conducts research to inform and assess policy and practice in the Chicago Public Schools and expand communication among researchers, policy makers and practitioners as they search for solutions to the problems of school reform. Over the years, Easton has held a variety of positions at Chicago Public Schools, including Advisor and Director of the Department of Research and Evaluation and Director of the Department of Research, Analysis and Assessment. Easton has also served as the Director of Monitoring and Research at the Chicago Panel on School Policy, and the Director of Research at the Center for the Improvement of Teaching and Learning at City Colleges of Chicago. Easton earned his Bachelor of Arts from Hobart College, a Master of Science from Western Washington University and a Ph.D. from The University of Chicago. Easton has taught at universities across the country and has authored and co-authored several books and papers in the field, including Charting Chicago school reform: Democratic localism as a lever for Change, What Matters for Staying On-Track and Graduating in Chicago Public High Schools and recently, From High School to the Future: The Pathway to 20.

Netherlands Prime Minister on G20 Consensus

Protectionism doesn't protect, says Netherlands Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende. By all accounts, the G20 was a smashing success. The leaders have agreed to meet again in the fall.

House Approves Budget

Healthcare reform is one more step closer to reality.

Politico: Democrats won House approval Thursday of a $3.5 trillion budget plan that keeps faith with President Barack Obama’s domestic priorities while promising to bring health care reform legislation to the floor by next fall.

The partisan 233-196 House vote came as the Senate neared passage of its own alternative, also crafted by Democrats but more of a status quo document when compared with the House resolution or the president’s ambitious plan put forward in February.

Sarkozy Praises Brown Throws a Bone to Obama

The Obamas are off to France, where Obama will meet with Sarkozy and hold a town hall meeting. Sarkozy's a funny guy:

Guardian: Nicolas Sarkozy tonight lavished praise on Gordon Brown and Barack Obama for their role in the G20 summit but insisted the "historic" outcome would not have been achieved without pressure from France and Germany.

Hailing the greatest financial reform since the Bretton Woods agreement, and ending "the madness of this time of total deregulation", the French president revealed there had been "tensions in the room" until shortly before the conference ended.

"We would never have hoped to get so much," he said at his final press conference. "This is not the victory of one camp against the other, but shows the growing awareness that the world needs to change."

Sarkozy, backed by the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, had several times threatened to walk out if their joint "red lines" on regulation were not preserved – even though this was widely dismissed as tactical posturing.

"Of course, there are tensions, wrestling matches and vested interests, but even our Anglo-Saxon friends are convinced we need reasonable rules," he said.

Sarkozy emphasized his own role in persuading the Chinese president, Hu Jintao, to accept publication of a list of tax havens by the OECD, despite China not being a member of the body.

"If France and Germany had not demanded results would we have achieved them? What do you think? But Gordon Brown played a very, very excellent role, and President Obama helped me enormously on this issue of tax havens.

"President Obama really found the way to consensus. He didn't focus exclusively on stimulus. He was determined to enhance and step up regulation."

Obama Offers Condolences to Chip Reid

CBS' Chip Reid's father passed away:

From CBS News Washington Bureau Chief Christopher Isham:

Chip Reid's father passed away shortly after he arrived in London to cover the president. While Chip at first planned to return home, his mother and wife, Nina, insisted that his father would want him to continue on the President's historic trip.

In a note to us today he said "My father was my hero and I'm here to make him proud."