Monday, August 29, 2011

Obama's Schedule Aug. 30


8:45 AM
The President departs the South Lawn en route Joint Base Andrews
South Lawn
Open Press
9:05 AM
The President departs Joint Base Andrews en route Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota
Travel Pool Coverage
11:25 AM
The President arrives Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota
Local Event Time: 
10:25 AM CDT
Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport
Open Press
11:55 AM
The President delivers remarks at the American Legion Annual Conference
Local Event Time: 
10:55 AM CDT    LIVE STREAM
Minneapolis Convention Center
Open Press
1:15 PM
The President departs Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota en route Joint Base Andrews
Local Event Time: 
12:15 PM CDT
Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport
Open Press
3:30 PM
The President arrives Joint Base Andrews
Travel Pool Coverage
3:45 PM
The President arrives the White House
South Lawn
Open Press

White House Press Briefing Aug. 29

FEMA's Craig Fugate joins the briefing today and Jay has new glasses!

Obama Picks Alan Krueger to Replace Goolsbee

President Barack Obama on Monday plans to nominate Princeton University's Alan Krueger to be chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, a White House official said.
Mr. Krueger, 50 years old, returned to Princeton a year ago after serving as assistant Treasury secretary for economic policy during the first two years of the Obama administration—which means he has recently cleared the sometimes treacherous Senate confirmation process.
He would succeed Austan Goolsbee, who left earlier this month to reclaim his teaching post at the University of Chicago. WSJ
Read Krueger's bio here.

Obama's Schedule Aug. 29

Jay Carney's press briefing is at 12:30 pm eastern time: live stream.
10:15 AM
The President receives the Presidential Daily Briefing
Oval Office
Closed Press
11:00 AM
The President makes a personnel announcement
Rose Garden                                    LIVE STREAM
Open Press
12:10 PM
The President meets with senior advisors
Oval Office
Closed Press
12:45 PM
The President and the Vice President meet for lunch
Private Dining Room
Closed Press

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Obama's Update on Hurricane Irene Aug. 28

Meet the Press Aug. 28 Video

Dick Cheney has a new book criticizing everyone-- Colin Powell, Condi Rice, Bush.... If you only have criticism for everyone else, you need to look in the mirror. In my mind, Cheney is a sociopath of sorts. The man seemed to enjoy the shadows.
David Brooks says Rick Perry is a serious candidate. He says the GOP is aligned with Perry and that Jon Huntsman, the sole normal republican candidate, is supported by only 15% of the republican party.


Obama gets an update on Hurricane Irene this morning
Irene update:


Chris Christie: evacuated one million people from the Jersey shore. Full show:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Obama Finalizing Jobs Plan

Not to be cynical, but.... it's dead on arrival. Republicans absolutely refuse to work with this president. Why does that matter? Because republicans control the House. They'll balk at whatever he puts out. Jobs will be slow growing for years to come, except for highly trained folks in certain technical and healthcare fields. That's just the way it is. With people paying down debts and saving more, the demand for goods and services isn't what it used to be.
President Barack Obama is finalizing a jobs package that could include a program to refurbish school buildings nationwide and tax breaks to encourage firms to hire workers.
The package, to be unveiled in early September, is Obama's chance to convince skeptical voters he can bring down the 9.1 percent unemployment rate and steer the United States away from another recession - ahead of next year's election. Reuters

47% Say Obama Deserves Re-election

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Obama Updated on Hurricane Irene

... Speaking from the press center at the Mansion House in Vineyard Haven, principal deputy press secretary Josh Earnest said the President was updated on action being taken by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and Department of Homeland Security, which have been underway for several days, during his regular morning briefing with national and homeland security adviser John Brennan.

There had been close consultation with state and local authorities all up and down the eastern seaboard to ensure communities were prepared, Mr. Earnest said.

Recent forecasts of the hurricane’s likely path suggest it could strike just to the west of the Vineyard, on the Rhode Island Coast this weekend. President Obama and his family are due to leave the Vineyard Saturday. more at mvgazette

Biden's Speech in Sendai Japan Video


Biden, on a nine-day trip to China, Mongolia and Japan, visited a China classroom Aug. 21:

Biden Visits U.S. Troops in Japan

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Readout: Obama's Call With Sarkozy

From the White House:
The President and French President Sarkozy spoke today about the situation in Libya and continued theirclose consultations about the global economic situation and recent developments in financial markets. With regard to Libya, they agreed that Qadhafi and the remnants of his regime needed to accept that their time is up and relinquish power once and for all, and they welcomed the progress that has been made by the Libyan people in pursuing an end to the Qadhafi regime. At the same time, they agreed to continue to work with allies and partners in the international community to protect the people of Libya and to support a peaceful transition to democracy. President Sarkozy joined the President in urging the Transitional National Council to continue demonstrating its leadership by respecting the rights of the people of Libya, avoiding civilian casualties, protecting the institutions of the Libyan state, and pursuing a transition to democracy that is just and inclusive for all of the people of Libya.

The two Presidents also discussed the global economic situation, the Eurozone crisis and recent market developments. They agreed on the importance of concerted action, including through the G20, to address these challenges and to spur growth and job creation in the global economy.

Another Recession? Unlikely

You wouldn't know it from the media reports but another recession is unlikely. I'm sure republicans have a lot to do with spinning economic news. The worse the economy, they figure, the better for them. Of course, for some people, it doesn't feel like we're in any kind of recovery. A lot of people were slammed because they had been living off credit cards and were deep in debt, so when they lost their home equity and their jobs, they didn't have much to fall back on. And for those without much to start, they're always are on the frontlines of a recession -- first to feel it, last to recover.
Granted, investors have more to fear than fear itself. But based on the disconnect between market performance and recent economic data, fears of another recession look to be overblown, says Jeffrey Kleintop, chief market strategist at LPL Financial.

One survey of economists puts the odds of recession at 25 percent. The debt and equity markets appear even more unnerved by the possibility of a double dip. Yet the latest data don’t jibe with such high levels of anxiety, Kleintop says in his latest note to clients. Read more
This video best depicted America pre recession:

Obama Will Speak in Detroit on Labor Day

From the White House:
On Monday, September 5, the President will travel to Detroit, Michigan, to deliver remarks at the Labor Day event sponsored by the Metro Detroit Central Labor Council.
Read more here.

Obama to Speak at MLK Memorial Dedication Aug. 28

Update: The dedication has been postponed thanks to Irene. Read Maya Angelou's poem for the event here.
The Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial opened to the public Monday, the first day of a five-day celebration of the newest monument in Washington.

President Barack Obama will speak Sunday at the dedication of the memorial, with as many as 200,000 people expected to attend, officials said. The $120 million memorial will open on the anniversary of King's 1963 landmark "I Have a Dream" speech.

The memorial, which has been more than 25 years in the making, is located on a 4-acre site on the National Mall. Read more

Readout: Obama's Call With Cameron

The President and Prime Minister Cameron spoke today about the evolving situation in Libya. They agreed that the situation had reached a tipping point and that Qadhafi needed to relinquish power once and for all. At the same time, they agreed tocontinueto work with allies and partners in the international community to protect the people of Libya and to support a peaceful transition to democracy. The Prime Minister joined the President in urging the Transitional National Council to continue demonstrating its leadership by respecting the rights of the people of Libya, avoiding civilian casualties, protecting the institutions of theLibyan state, and pursuing a transition to democracy that is just and inclusive for all of the people of Libya.