AND THE THIRD ANGEL FOLLOWED THEM, SAYING WITH A LOUD VOICE, IF ANY MAN WORSHIP THE BEAST AND HIS IMAGE, AND RECEIVE HIS MARK IN HIS FOREHEAD, OR IN HIS HAND.
*** REVELATION 14:9
Recently, I've noticed that Vivek Ramaswamy is frequently in the news and on YouTube videos. I am amazed at how Ramaswamy lost his political venture during the Republican Presidential Primary, and despite the defeat, all of a sudden he is back in the limelight trying to become relevant again despite his failed attempt.
As I watch Ramaswamy's meandering, I wonder what he is up to?
Yesterday, I found an informative video posted in May 2023 that gives us a clearer understanding of who Vivek Ramaswamy is and further explains his persona's resemblance to ex-President Barack Obama, and considers both individuals' Jesuit background and their political ambition.
Now I can understand why Ramaswamy is making headlines; he's searching for a new job. Just because London has a Pakistani descent Muslim Mayor (Sadiq Khan) and England has an Indian ancestry Hindu Prime Minister (Rishi Sunak), it doesn't mean that the United States is ready for a Hindu Indian descent Vice President. However, I acknowledge that if Vivek Ramaswamy is seeking a VP candidacy with the Trump campaign, we already have Vice President Kamala Harris who is of Indian and Jamaican heritage.
Considering Ramaswamy's political ambition and his Jesuit background, it all makes perfect sense.
P.S.
On July 5, 2024, one day after this post Rishi Sunak lost to Keir Starmer, the new Prime Minister of Britain.
First Lady Michelle Obama made a speech last night when she described waking up every morning ‘in a house built by slaves’.
She said the White House, America’s presidential residence, stood as a symbol of how much life had changed since the 1700s, as a black family now lived there.
Speaking at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, Mrs Obama said:
I wake up every morning in a house that was built by slaves.
And I watch my daughters, two beautiful, intelligent, black young women, playing with their dogs on the White House lawn. And because of Hillary Clinton, my daughters and all our sons and daughters now take for granted that a woman can be president of the United States.
Toni Townes-Whitley, a college classmate of Michelle Obamaand a senior executive at besieged Obamcare website contractor CGI Federal, has visited the White House several times for both personal and professional reasons.
Townes-Whitley visited the White House complex on four occasions earlier this year to meet with administration officials in her role as vice president for at CGI Federal, which secured a $678 million no-bid contract to build the Obamacare exchange web portal.
Townes-Whitley, a Princeton University classmate of first lady Michelle Obama, and her husband, John Whitley, who works as an engineer for CBS News, also attended a White House Christmas gathering together in 2010, posing for photos with the president and first lady.
The records from the White House visitors log show the CGI Federal vice president, who graduated Princeton in 1985, the same year as Michelle Obama, had a deeper connection with federal business than simply a college connection to the first lady.
Three of the afternoon meetings, held in the Old Executive Office Building, were scheduled in advance, and one, Friday April 26, was not. Three of the meetings were held on Friday and one on Saturday.
The records show Townes-Whitley was alone in her visits.
The first meeting was held on Jan. 18. Townes-Whitley met with Danny Werfel, a principal deputy commissioner on the Affordable Care Act, who was named acting director of the IRS in May. Records for that day show Townes-Whitley arrived at the White House at 1:31 p.m. and left at 3:23 p.m.
Townes-Whitley visited again April 26, arriving at 3:43 p.m. and leaving at 4:27 p.m. She met with Jonathan McBride, who was at the time special assistant to the president and deputy director of the presidential personnel office. McBride was promoted in July to director of the presidential personnel office.
Townes-Whitley met again with McBride on June 1, a Saturday, for about five hours, leaving the White House at around 7 p.m.
On Friday, June 28, Townes-Whitley met with John McNaught, an economics staff assistant.
The White House logs do not indicate the reason for the visits.
Townes-Whitley joined CGI in May in 2010, less than two months after President Barack Obama signed the Affordable Care Act. She serves as the lead of the company's Civilian Agency Programs Business Unit for the Federal Group, according to a bio published on the CGI website. The unit serves 22 federal civilian agencies in the U.S. and 34 other countries.
A CGI executive testified before an angry congressional committee last week about the website's significant technical problems, which have caused a registration delay for consumers seeking health insurance from federal exchanges. The White House has promised that the site will be fully functional by the end of November, although members of Congress are seeking a pause in the registration deadline until repairs are complete.
Prior to her work at CGI, Townes-Whitley worked at Unisys Corp., as a vice president for global public sector, system integration and consulting. She is also a former Peace Corps volunteer in central Africa, serving for three years, from 1986-1989.
According to Federal Election Commission Records, Toni Townes-Whitley gave $500 in 2011 and 2012 to Obama's reelection, and another $1,000 to the Obama Victory Fund.
A story published by the Daily Caller on Monday said that while at Princeton, Michelle Obama and Townes-Whitley were both active in two Princeton University groups – the Organization of Black Unity and the Third World Center. They both now belong to the Association of Black Princeton Alumni.
Michelle Obama served on the governing board of the Third World Center and was active in the Organization of Black Unity, according to 2008 Boston Globe article.
"Although Obama had friends who were both black and white, her social world revolved around several of the black organizations on campus, as it did for many other black students,” the Globe reported. “Obama was a member of the Organization of Black Unity, a primary resource for black students on campus which arranged speakers and programs."
I don’t know if this is a smoking gun necessarily since we have yet to establish whether they kept in contact after Princeton, but it does add a troubling dimension to the question of why a company with a bad track record suddenly began receiving huge contracts from Obama Inc.
Including a huge no bid contract for the ObamaCare Healthcare.gov website.
First Lady Michelle Obama’s Princeton classmate is a top executive at the company that earned the contract to build the failed Obamacare website.
Toni Townes-Whitley, Princeton class of ’85, is senior vice president at CGI Federal, which earned the no-bid contract to build the $678 million Obamacare enrollment website at Healthcare.gov. CGI Federal is the U.S. arm of a Canadian company.
Obama and Townes-Whitley both worked with the Third World Center and with the “Organization of Black Unity”.
Third World Center didn’t just refer to the Third World, as you might assume, but to radical minority activists in the United States who began referring to themselves that way. Princeton has since changed the name as an outdated relic of radicalism.
Michelle Obama attends and promotes a “Black Solidarity” event for guest lecturer Manning Marable, who was, according to Cornel West, probably “the best known black Marxist in the country.” The event is the work of the Third World Center (TWC), a campus group whose board membership is exclusively reserved for minorities.
Michelle Obama was a board member at the Third World Center which means that it’s quite likely she knew Townes-Whitley. Townes-Whitley joined CGI Federal under Obama and some press releases make it clear that Townes-Whitley was involved in government contracts.
CGI Federal (NYSE: GIB) has won a position on a $900 million blanket purchase agreement with the U.S. Agency for International Development for information technology support.
The Fairfax, Va.-based IT and business process contractor said the potential five-year IT Forward BPA supports the agency’s IT reform efforts.
CGI has worked with the agency for more than a decade, said Toni Townes-Whitley, a senior vice president.
That’s a pretty huge contract, again for a company with a poor track record. And here’s an even bigger one.
The U.S. Department of Interior (DOI)/ Interior Business Center (IBC), Acquisition Services Directorate (AQD) has awarded CGI Federal Inc. (CGI), a wholly-owned U.S. operating subsidiary of CGI Group Inc. (NYSE:GIB)(TSX:GIB.A), a prime position on the indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity (ID/IQ), multiple-award contract for Foundation Cloud Hosting Services. The ID/IQ, which supports the DOI Office of the Chief Information Officer (CIO), as well as other government customers including both civilian agencies and the Department of Defense has a total contract ceiling value of US $1 billion over nine years
CGI, the first large company Cloud Service Provider to receive FedRAMP provisional authorization to operate for a government specific community cloud, will support DOI-wide cloud hosting, data center consolidation and IT infrastructure tasks. CGI will deliver a range of services for storage, secure file transfers, virtual machines, database and web hosting, as well as development and test environment hosting.
“As a Federal cloud leader, CGI brings experience and innovation to the delivery of cloud-based services through this contract, enabling DOI and its bureaus to more effectively support their broad and important missions,” said Toni Townes-Whitley, Senior Vice-President for Civilian Agency programs at CGI.
It certainly seemed like Toni Townes-Whitley was front and center every time CGI Federal received strangely huge contracts from Obama Inc.
Her titles are unofficial: First Granny. First Nanny. First Grandma-in-Chief.
Her duties are familial: Live with and help take care of two of her five grandchildren.
Marian Robinson, far right, has remained a steady presence in the lives of Sasha, center, and Malia Obama as they grow up in the White House. Here they look on following President Barack Obama's public ceremonial inauguration Jan. 21, 2013. ROB CARR, GETTY IMAGES
Michelle Obama joked in a New York Times article from 2009 about how her mother, Marian Robinson, seems to have forgotten how strict she was at the dinner table.
"My mother, who is now a grandmother – and that's a whole 'nother person – seems to believe that she never, ever really made us eat anything that we didn't want to eat," she told the Times.
Here's a look at some of the Obama household rules compiled by the Times and mentioned in interviews:
The girls write reports on the trips they take, whether or not it is a school requirement.
During the week, no watching TV or using the computer except for schoolwork.
They have to take up two sports, one of their choosing and the other picked by their mother. And they have to see it through, whether they are successful or not. No quitting.
Vegetables must be eaten, no matter what grandma's new mind-set is.
In a show of support for Jason Collins, President Obama telephoned the NBA player on Monday to congratulate him for revealing his homosexuality, thus making him the first openly gay player on a major U.S. sports team.
According to a White House aide, Obama congratulated Collins and told him he was impressed by his courage.
In an article he wrote for this week's Sports Illustrated, Collins admitted to being gay. He cited Rep. Joseph Kennedy, D-Mass., as the inspiration behind his decision to come out.
Earlier in the day, White House press secretary Jay Carney also praised Collins.
“Here at the White House we view this as another example of the progress we've made and the evolution that has taken place,” Carney said.
“We commend him on his courage and support him in this effort and hope that his fans and his team support him going forward.”
Collins becomes the first active male player in the four major American professional sports to come out.
Michelle Obama to Jason Collins: "We've got your back!" CBS News - 6 hours ago President Obama called NBA player Jason Collins Monday to offer his support after Collins announced he's gay, becoming the first openly gay major league professional athlete, CBS News Chief White House Correspondent Major Garrett has learned.
Michelle Obama flubs, calls herself a "busy single mother"
During an interview with Burlington, Vt. CBS affiliate WCAX, first lady Michelle Obama described herself as a "busy single mother" before quickly correcting herself, explaining, "Sometimes when you've got the husband who's president, it can feel a little single, but he's there."
13/8/2010 - Spain - “Obama always carries a picture of Mary Help of Christians in his wallet”
(ANS – Ronda) – During her visit to Casa Don Bosco in Ronda, Michelle Obama, wife of Barack, revealed that her husband, the President of the United States, “always carries a picture of Mary Help of Christians in his wallet”. On Saturday 7 August, Mrs Obama spent four hours in Ronda, admiring the monuments and enjoying the beautiful scenery: “Ronda is absolutely incredible”, she kept saying.
From early morning the city of Ronda was invaded by police and security personnel from the American Embassy and much of the historic part of the city was closed to traffic, both vehicular and pedestrian.
Although it had been planned to make the church of Santa Maria la Mayor the first stop, in order to send the journalists towards Tajo, the presidential party went first to Casa Don Bosco, a modernist building of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, noted for its marvellous gardens, and the home of the Salesian community in the city.
During her stay in the Salesian house, Michelle told the parish priest of Santa Maria, in charge of the Salesian community, that her husband, Barack Obama always carries with him a photograph with an image of Mary Help of Christians, to whom, those present reported, the first family of the United States has great devotion.
When the security services left, Mrs Obama and her daughter Sasha made their way on foot to the Church of Santa Maria la Mayor, and later visited the Palace of the Arabian King and the Mine. In the afternoon, after a break for lunch, the first lady of the United States also saw the monumental Plaza de Toros, the city bullring.
As on her arrival, the first lady smiled and waved as she took her leave of the citizens and tourists in Ronda, and went back to the summer residence of Beahavís. From there she set off on Sunday 8 August to meet the Spanish Royal Family in Mallorca.
GRANADA, Spain — US First Lady Michelle Obama and her nine-year-old daughter Sasha on Thursday visited Granada, the former seat of Moorish rule in Spain, during the second day of her holiday in the country.
The two had ice cream in the centre of the southern city as dozens of cameramen and local residents looked on before they began their tour of Granada amid temperatures that soared to nearly 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit).
Michelle Obama smiled and waved to the crowd before entering the city's imposing cathedral, which contains the tombs of Spain's king Ferdinand of Aragon and queen Isabella of Castile, the first stop on their tour.
She then attended a flamenco performance by Juan Andres Maya at a tavern in the centre of the city.
"She clapped along to the music and at the end even imitated some flamenco moves with her hands. It really moved me, I almost cried," Maya told public television TVE.
The tour of the city ended with a tour at sunset of the Alhambra fortress-palace, Spain's most-visited tourist attraction.
Once the residence of Moorish kings, the Alhambra is now one of the world's largest open-air museums of Islamic architecture and a World Heritage Site.
It features royal residential quarters, official chambers, a bathhouse, and a mosque, as well as a series of courtyards flanked by sweeping archways, columns and fountains.
The US First Lady and Sasha arrived on Spain's Mediterranean coast on Wednesday for a vacation with friends at the five-star Hotel Villa Padierna in the hills above the seaside resort of Marbella, a haunt for the rich and famous.
The White House has described the four-day visit as "a private, mother-daughter trip with longtime family friends".
Michelle Obama, 46, was however scheduled to meet Spain's King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia on Sunday at their summer palace on the Balearic island of Majorca, a short flight from Marbella, before she returns to the United States.
President Barack Obama, who celebrated his 49th birthday on Wednesday, stayed behind in the United States as did the couple's elder daughter, 12-year-old Malia, who is attending a summer camp.
Michelle Obama was cheered and applauded by several hundred onlookers on Wednesday night as she strolled through the historic centre of Marbella before having dinner at one of the city's most exclusive restaurants.
She bought two white dresses, one for herself and another for Sasha, for a total of about 80 euros (105 dollars) during her visit to the centre of Marbella, Spanish public television TVE reported.
Transcript Toasts by the President and the Prime Minister
Published: November 24, 2009
Following is a transcript of toasts by President Obama and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of India at the state dinner on Nov. 24, provided by the White House.
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Good evening, everyone. On behalf of Michelle and myself, welcome to the White House. Aapka Swagat Hai. (Applause.)
Many of you were here when I was honored to become the first President to help celebrate Diwali -- the Festival of Lights. (Applause.) Some of you were here for the first White House celebration of the birth of the founder of Sikhism -- Guru Nanak. (Applause.) Tonight, we gather again, for the first state dinner of my presidency -- with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Mrs. Gursharan Kaur, as we celebrate the great and growing partnership between the United States and India.
As we all know, in India some of life's most treasured moments are often celebrated under the cover of a beautiful tent. It's a little like tonight. We have incredible food and music and are surrounded by great friends. For it's been said that "the most beautiful things in the universe are the starry heavens above us and the feeling of duty within us."
Mr. Prime Minister, today we worked to fulfill our duty --bring our countries closer together than ever before. Tonight, under the stars, we celebrate the spirit that will sustain our partnership -- the bonds of friendship between our people.
It's a bond that includes more than two million Indian Americans who enrich every corner of our great nation -- leaders in government, science, industry and the arts -- some of whom join us tonight. And it's the bond of friendship between a President and a Prime Minister who are bound by the same unshakable spirit of possibility and brotherhood that transformed both our nations -- a spirit that gave rise to movements led by giants like Gandhi and King, and which are the reason that both of us can stand here tonight.
And so, as we draw upon these ties that bind our common future together, I want to close with the words that your first Prime Minister spoke at that midnight hour on the eve of Indian independence, because Nehru's words speak to our hopes tonight: "The achievement we celebrate today is but a step, an opening of opportunity, to the great triumphs and achievements that await us…The past is over and it is the future that beckons us now."
So I propose a toast to all of you.
Does the Prime Minister get a glass? Thank you.
Just logistically, we want to make sure the Prime Minister has a glass here. (Laughter.)
To the future that beckons all of us. Let us answer its call. And let our two great nations realize all the triumphs and achievements that await us.
Cheers.
(A toast is offered.)
PRIME MINISTER MANMOHAN SINGH: Mr. President; the First Lady, Mrs. Michelle Obama; distinguished guests. I feel privileged to be invited to this first state banquet, Mr. President, under your distinguished presidency. You do us and the people of India great honor by this wonderful gesture on your part. We are overwhelmed by the warmth of your hospitality, the courtesy you have extended to us personally, and the grace and charm of the First Lady. (Applause.)
Mr. President, your journey to the White House has captured the imagination of millions and millions of people in India. You are an inspiration to all those who cherish the values of democracy, diversity, and equal opportunity. (Applause.)
Mr. President, I can do no better than to describe your achievements in the words of Abraham Lincoln who said -- and I quote -- "In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It is the life in your years." (Applause.)
Mr. President, we warmly applaud the recognition by the Nobel Committee of the healing touch you have provided and the power of your idealism and your vision. (Applause.)
Mr. President, your leadership of this great nation of the United States coincides with a time of profound changes taking place in the world at large. We need to find new pathways of international cooperation that respond more effectively to the grave challenges caused by the growing interdependence of nations. As two leading democracies, India and the United States must play a leading role in building a shared destiny for all humankind.
Mr. President, a strong and sustained engagement between our two countries is good for our people and, equally, it is highly important for the world as a whole. We are embarking on a new phase of our partnership. We should build on our common values and interests to realize the enormous potential and promise of our partnership.
Our expanding cooperation in areas of social and human development, science and technology, energy, and other related areas will improve the quality of lives of millions of people in our country. The success of the nearly 2.7 million strong American community is a tribute to our common ethos. They have enriched and deepened our ties, and I thank them profoundly from the core of my heart. (Applause.)
Mr. President, I convey my very best wishes to you. Mr. President, as you lead this great nation, I look forward to working with you to renew and expand our strategic partnership. I wish you and the people of America a very, very happy Thanksgiving. (Applause.)
Ladies and gentlemen, I invite you to join me in a toast to the health and happiness of President Barack Obama and the First Lady, Mrs. Obama, the friendly people of the United States of America, and stronger and stronger friendship between India and the United States of America.
MR. OBAMA: Cheers.
(A toast is offered.)
MR. OBAMA: Thank you, everybody. Enjoy your evening. (Applause.)
Sarah Brown had a private audience with Pope Benedict XVI in the Vatican on the opening day of the G8 summit and was presented with a special papal medal.
By Nick Squires in L'Aquila Published: 7:27PM BST 08 Jul 2009
Michelle Obama and Nicolas Sarkozy's wife Carla Bruni-Sarkozy missed the meeting with the Pontiff Photo: AFP
Mrs Brown and the wives of the other G8 leaders were given a tour of St Peter's Basilica and shown around the Vatican's gardens, which are closed to the public. Mrs Brown provided a behind-the-scenes look at the G8 as she blogged about the “good food and good company".
"Landed in Italy, and Gordon is whisked off to the summit. I spend the first day in Rome and join the programme for the First Ladies and PMs’ wives,” one breezy entry began.
The blog details reveals that the audience with Pope Benedict XVI was a case of deja vu for Mrs Brown.
“In February, Gordon took me and our boys to a private audience with the Holy Father where we were touched by his kindness and concern for the developing world,” she wrote.
The prime minister’s wife, a 45-year-old former public relations boss, also found time to update readers on “excitement” at the British embassy in Rome about the resident beehives and their “imminent harvest of honey".
During the 30-minute audience, the Pope asked her to pass on his best wishes to the Gordon Brown and their sons, John and Fraser.
Mrs Brown was presented with the Annual Papal Medal, which bears a bust of the reigning Pope and the year of his papacy, and is struck each year to commemorate ecclesiastical, social and political events.
The first ladies also viewed Rome's historic monuments, including the Capitoline Hill and the ruins of the Forum, and enjoyed a private tour of a museum packed with ancient Roman statuary.
Michelle Obama and Nicolas Sarkozy's wife Carla Bruni-Sarkozy missed the meeting with the Pontiff.
Mrs Obama and her husband will have a separate audience on Friday and the Italian-born Miss Bruni will only arrive at the summit on Wednesday.
Her absence has been interpreted as a snub by the Italian media, who recalled her remark that she was glad to have taken French citizenship after the Silvio Berlusconi, Italian prime minister, described President Barack Obama as "tanned" last year.
In the absence of Mr Berlusconi's wife, who is suing for divorce over his alleged philandering, Mrs Brown and the other G8 spouses were hosted by Italy's two most glamorous ministers: the former model Mara Carfagna and her colleague Maria Stella Gelmini.
Writing on her blog before leaving London for Italy, Mrs Brown said she was expecting "a busy few days" taking part in the spouses' programme which runs alongside the official meetings.
"I'm really looking forward to meeting up with the 'other halves'. They are all very interesting people and I'm hoping to get to know them better and to discuss some of the issues that we all feel strongly about."
First Lady Michelle Obama and daughters Sasha and Malia, along with her mother, Marian Robinson, will join President Obama when he travels to Russia, Italy and Ghana next week. The First Couple will meet with Pope Benedict XVI on July 10 at the Vatican.
The White House announced in May that Mrs. Obama would visit Ghana -- and only recently confirmed that she will be with the president for the entire swing. The president will deliver two major speeches during the trip -- in Moscow, on U.S.-Russia relations, and in Accra, before the Ghanaian parliament.
Not all details about Mrs. Obama's activities on this trip are out yet, but a Wednesday briefing at the White House revealed some of her plans.
This is Mrs. Obama's second overseas trip in less than a month; she, her mom and daughters flew to Paris and London in June, marking Sasha's eighth birthday in London. Malia turns 11 on July 4. The next day, the Obama family flies to Russia aboard Air Force One, landing in Moscow on Monday.
Unlike the Paris and London trip -- basically a vacation for Mrs. Obama, with the exception of a side visit to Normandy to mark the anniversary of D-Day -- this travel is official business.
Once in Moscow, the president will meet with Russian leader Dmitry Medvedev, said Denis McDonough, deputy national security advisor for strategic communications.
"He will hold a press conference that afternoon in Moscow. After the meeting with President Medvedev, then he and the first lady will have dinner Monday evening with President and Mrs. Medvedev.
"They'll overnight in Moscow and the next morning will have breakfast with Prime Minister [Vladimir] Putin; will have a meeting with former President [Mikhail] Gorbachev. The president will give a major speech at the New Economic School that afternoon on U.S.-Russia relations. And then the president will hold meetings with a variety of Russian political, business leaders during the course of that afternoon."
On Wednesday morning, it's on to Rome and then to L'Aquila, Italy, for G8 meetings. It's not known yet what schedule, if any, Mrs. Obama will have in connection with the G8 spouses before returning to Rome on Friday for the meeting with the pope. The president will also meet with the Vatican secretary of state.
Next up, McDonough said, is Accra, Ghana, where the presidential party will arrive late Friday evening. On Saturday, the president will attend a series of meetings as well as make a major address in the Ghanaian parliament on development and democracy. After the speech, he and the first lady will tour the Cape Coast Castle, and then leave for Washington.
Michelle Gavin, the White House senior director for African Affairs, said the Ghana stop is an acknowledgement of the nation's stability and that Obama "certainly looks forward to traveling more widely in Africa in the future."
She noted that said the president wanted to emphasize "the importance of governance for stability. And Ghana is a truly admirable example of a place where governance is getting stronger, a thriving democracy. They just had an extraordinarily close election at the end of last year, decided ultimately by about 40,000 votes, that remained peaceful, power was transferred peacefully, and they continue to pursue a development agenda and bolster the rule of law.
"And this is worth pointing out, because far too often discussions of Africa are focused on crisis. Ghana is not in crisis, and it's an example for the region and more broadly."
Mrs. Obama was last in Africa in 2006 when, with her daughters and some of her friends, she flew to Nairobi to join then-Sen. Obama in Kenya, the homeland of his father.
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At today’s White House celebration of Stonewall, President Obama gave a 21-minute speech that touched on nearly every issue we have had with his administration — DOMA, DADT, LGBT rights as civil rights. And the big take-away for all of us, from him, is that we need to be patient. Patiently patient.
The speech was moving at times, unsatisfying at others.
During the course of the speech, Obama said:
And I want you to know that I expect and hope to be judged not by words, not by promises I’ve made, but by the promises that my administration keeps. And by the time you receive — (applause.) We’ve been in office six months now. I suspect that by the time this administration is over, I think you guys will have pretty good feelings about the Obama administration.
Watch the full video, read the full transcript, and check out the guest list.
THE PRESIDENT: Hello, everybody. Hello, hello, hello. (Applause.) Hey! Good to see you. (Applause.) I’m waiting for FLOTUS here. FLOTUS always politics more than POTUS.
MRS. OBAMA: No, you move too slow. (Laughter.)
THE PRESIDENT: It is great to see everybody here today and they’re just — I’ve got a lot of friends in the room, but there are some people I want to especially acknowledge. First of all, somebody who helped ensure that we are in the White House, Steve Hildebrand. Please give Steve a big round of applause. (Applause.) Where’s Steve? He’s around here somewhere. (Applause.)
The new chair of the Export-Import Bank, Fred Hochberg. (Applause.) Where’s Fred? There’s Fred. Good to see you, Fred. Our Director of the Institute of Education Sciences at DOE, John Easton. Where’s John? (Applause.) A couple of special friends — Bishop Gene Robinson. Where’s Gene? (Applause.) Hey, Gene. Ambassador Michael Guest is here. (Applause.) Ambassador Jim Hormel is here. (Applause.) Oregon Secretary of State Kate Brown is here. (Applause.)
All of you are here. (Laughter and applause.) Welcome to your White House. (Applause.) So –
AUDIENCE MEMBER: (Inaudible.) (Laughter.)
THE PRESIDENT: Somebody asked from the Lincoln Bedroom here. (Laughter.) You knew I was from Chicago too. (Laughter.)
It’s good to see so many friends and familiar faces, and I deeply appreciate the support I’ve received from so many of you. Michelle appreciates it and I want you to know that you have our support, as well. (Applause.) And you have my thanks for the work you do every day in pursuit of equality on behalf of the millions of people in this country who work hard and care about their communities — and who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender. (Applause.)
Now this struggle, I don’t need to tell you, is incredibly difficult, although I think it’s important to consider the extraordinary progress that we have made. There are unjust laws to overturn and unfair practices to stop. And though we’ve made progress, there are still fellow citizens, perhaps neighbors or even family members and loved ones, who still hold fast to worn arguments and old attitudes; who fail to see your families like their families; and who would deny you the rights that most Americans take for granted. And I know this is painful and I know it can be heartbreaking.
And yet all of you continue, leading by the force of the arguments you make but also by the power of the example that you set in your own lives — as parents and friends, as PTA members and leaders in the community. And that’s important, and I’m glad that so many LGBT families could join us today. (Applause.) For we know that progress depends not only on changing laws but also changing hearts. And that real, transformative change never begins in Washington.
(Cell phone “quacks.”)
Whose duck is back there? (Laughter.)
MRS. OBAMA: It’s a duck.
THE PRESIDENT: There’s a duck quacking in there somewhere. (Laughter.) Where do you guys get these ring tones, by the way? (Laughter.) I’m just curious. (Laughter.)
Indeed, that’s the story of the movement for fairness and equality — not just for those who are gay, but for all those in our history who’ve been denied the rights and responsibilities of citizenship; who’ve been told that the full blessings and opportunities of this country were closed to them. It’s the story of progress sought by those who started off with little influence or power; by men and women who brought about change through quiet, personal acts of compassion and courage and sometimes defiance wherever and whenever they could.
That’s the story of a civil rights pioneer who’s here today, Frank Kameny, who was fired — (applause.) Frank was fired from his job as an astronomer for the federal government simply because he was gay. And in 1965, he led a protest outside the White House, which was at the time both an act of conscience but also an act of extraordinary courage. And so we are proud of you, Frank, and we are grateful to you for your leadership. (Applause.)
It’s the story of the Stonewall protests, which took place 40 years ago this week, when a group of citizens — with few options, and fewer supporters — decided they’d had enough and refused to accept a policy of wanton discrimination. And two men who were at those protests are here today. Imagine the journey that they’ve travelled.
It’s the story of an epidemic that decimated a community — and the gay men and women who came to support one another and save one another; and who continue to fight this scourge; and who demonstrated before the world that different kinds of families can show the same compassion and support in a time of need — that we all share the capacity to love.
So this story, this struggle, continues today — for even as we face extraordinary challenges as a nation, we cannot — and will not — put aside issues of basic equality. (Applause.) We seek an America in which no one feels the pain of discrimination based on who you are or who you love.
And I know that many in this room don’t believe that progress has come fast enough, and I understand that. It’s not for me to tell you to be patient, any more than it was for others to counsel patience to African Americans who were petitioning for equal rights a half century ago.
But I say this: We have made progress and we will make more. And I want you to know that I expect and hope to be judged not by words, not by promises I’ve made, but by the promises that my administration keeps. And by the time you receive — (applause.) We’ve been in office six months now. I suspect that by the time this administration is over, I think you guys will have pretty good feelings about the Obama administration. (Applause.)
Now, while there is much more work to do, we can point to important changes we’ve already put in place since coming into office. I’ve signed a memorandum requiring all agencies to extend as many federal benefits as possible to LGBT families as current law allows. And these are benefits that will make a real difference for federal employees and Foreign Service Officers, who are so often treated as if their families don’t exist. And I’d like to note that one of the key voices in helping us develop this policy is John Berry, our director of the Office of Personnel Management, who is here today. And I want to thank John Berry. (Applause.)
I’ve called on Congress to repeal the so-called Defense of Marriage Act to help end discrimination — (applause) — to help end discrimination against same-sex couples in this country. Now, I want to add we have a duty to uphold existing law, but I believe we must do so in a way that does not exacerbate old divides. And fulfilling this duty in upholding the law in no way lessens my commitment to reversing this law. I’ve made that clear.
I’m also urging Congress to pass the Domestic Partners Benefits and Obligations Act, which will guarantee the full range of benefits, including health care, to LGBT couples and their children. (Applause.) My administration is also working hard to pass an employee non-discrimination bill and hate crimes bill, and we’re making progress on both fronts. (Applause.) Judy and Dennis Shepard, as well as their son Logan, are here today. I met with Judy in the Oval Office in May — (applause) — and I assured her and I assured all of you that we are going to pass an inclusive hate crimes bill into law, a bill named for their son Matthew. (Applause.)
In addition, my administration is committed to rescinding the discriminatory ban on entry to the United States based on HIV status. (Applause.) The Office of Management and Budget just concluded a review of a proposal to repeal this entry ban, which is a first and very big step towards ending this policy. And we all know that HIV/AIDS continues to be a public health threat in many communities, including right here in the District of Columbia. And that’s why this past Saturday, on National HIV Testing Day, I was proud once again to encourage all Americans to know their status and get tested the way Michelle and I know our status and got tested. (Applause.)
And finally, I want to say a word about “don’t ask, don’t tell.” As I said before — I’ll say it again — I believe “don’t ask, don’t tell” doesn’t contribute to our national security. (Applause.) In fact, I believe preventing patriotic Americans from serving their country weakens our national security. (Applause.)
Now, my administration is already working with the Pentagon and members of the House and the Senate on how we’ll go about ending this policy, which will require an act of Congress.
Someday, I’m confident, we’ll look back at this transition and ask why it generated such angst, but as Commander-in-Chief, in a time of war, I do have a responsibility to see that this change is administered in a practical way and a way that takes over the long term. That’s why I’ve asked the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to develop a plan for how to thoroughly implement a repeal.
I know that every day that passes without a resolution is a deep disappointment to those men and women who continue to be discharged under this policy — patriots who often possess critical language skills and years of training and who’ve served this country well. But what I hope is that these cases underscore the urgency of reversing this policy not just because it’s the right thing to do, but because it is essential for our national security.
Now, even as we take these steps, we must recognize that real progress depends not only on the laws we change but, as I said before, on the hearts we open. For if we’re honest with ourselves, we’ll acknowledge that there are good and decent people in this country who don’t yet fully embrace their gay brothers and sisters — not yet.
That’s why I’ve spoken about these issues not just in front of you, but in front of unlikely audiences — in front of African American church members, in front of other audiences that have traditionally resisted these changes. And that’s what I’ll continue to do so. That’s how we’ll shift attitudes. That’s how we’ll honor the legacy of leaders like Frank and many others who have refused to accept anything less than full and equal citizenship.
Now, 40 years ago, in the heart of New York City at a place called the Stonewall Inn, a group of citizens, including a few who are here today, as I said, defied an unjust policy and awakened a nascent movement.
It was the middle of the night. The police stormed the bar, which was known for being one of the few spots where it was safe to be gay in New York. Now, raids like this were entirely ordinary. Because it was considered obscene and illegal to be gay, no establishments for gays and lesbians could get licenses to operate. The nature of these businesses, combined with the vulnerability of the gay community itself, meant places like Stonewall, and the patrons inside, were often the victims of corruption and blackmail.
Now, ordinarily, the raid would come and the customers would disperse. But on this night, something was different. There are many accounts of what happened, and much has been lost to history, but what we do know is this: People didn’t leave. They stood their ground. And over the course of several nights they declared that they had seen enough injustice in their time. This was an outpouring against not just what they experienced that night, but what they had experienced their whole lives. And as with so many movements, it was also something more: It was at this defining moment that these folks who had been marginalized rose up to challenge not just how the world saw them, but also how they saw themselves.
As we’ve seen so many times in history, once that spirit takes hold there is little that can stand in its way. (Applause.) And the riots at Stonewall gave way to protests, and protests gave way to a movement, and the movement gave way to a transformation that continues to this day. It continues when a partner fights for her right to sit at the hospital bedside of a woman she loves. It continues when a teenager is called a name for being different and says, “So what if I am?” It continues in your work and in your activism, in your fight to freely live your lives to the fullest.
In one year after the protests, a few hundred gays and lesbians and their supporters gathered at the Stonewall Inn to lead a historic march for equality. But when they reached Central Park, the few hundred that began the march had swelled to 5,000. Something had changed, and it would never change back.
The truth is when these folks protested at Stonewall 40 years ago no one could have imagined that you — or, for that matter, I — (laughter) — would be standing here today. (Applause.) So we are all witnesses to monumental changes in this country. That should give us hope, but we cannot rest. We must continue to do our part to make progress — step by step, law by law, mind by changing mind. And I want you to know that in this task I will not only be your friend, I will continue to be an ally and a champion and a President who fights with you and for you.
Thanks very much, everybody. God bless you. (Applause.) Thank you. It’s a little stuffed in here. We’re going to open — we opened up that door. We’re going to walk this way, and then we’re going to come around and we’ll see some of you over there, all right? (Laughter.) But out there. (Laughter.)
But thank you very much, all, for being here. Enjoy the White House. Thank you. (Applause.)
INVITED GUESTS
Administration Officials
John Berry, Director, Office of Personnel Management
Fred Hochberg, Chair, Export-Import Bank
John Easton, Director, Institute of Education Sciences at the Department of Education
City and State Officials
Jason Bartlett, Connecticut House of Representatives
Kate Brown, Oregon Secretary of State
David Dibble, Minnesota State Senator
Evan Low, Vice-Mayor, Campbell, CA City Council
Al McAffrey, Oklahoma House of Representatives
Andrew Mcdonald, Connecticut House of Representatives
Robert Meza, Arizona House of Representatives
Christine Quinn, New York City Council
Debra Shore, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago
Denise Simmons, Mayor of Cambridge, MA
Kyrsten Sinema, Arizona House of Representatives
Patricia Todd, Alabama House of Representatives
Lupe Valdez, Dallas County Sheriff
Other Invited Guests (Invite Only)
Michael Adams, Service and Advocacy for LGBT Elders (SAGE)
Mark Agrast, Washington, DC
Madeline Alk, New York, NY
Ron Ansin, Harvard, MA
Judith Appelbaum, Department of Justice
Chip Arndt, Miami Beach, FL
Cornelius Baker, National Black Gay Men’s Advocacy Coalition
Tom Barbera, SEIU Lavender Caucus
Andrew Barnett, Sexual Minority Youth Assistance League (SMYAL)
Jarrett Barrios, Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD)
Vic Basile, Office of Personnel Management
Christopher Bates, Washington, DC
Michael Bauer, Chicago, IL
Terrance Bean, Portland, OR
Jeremy Bernard, National Endowement for the Humanities
Jennifer Besson, Washington, DC
Dana Beyer, Chevy Chase, MD
David Binder, San Francisco, CA
Elizabeth Birch, Washington, DC
Jeremy Bishop, Pride at Work (AFL-CIO)
David Bohnett, Beverly Hills, CA
Marsha Botzer, Quilcene, WA
Raymond Buckley, DNC Vice-Chair
Eliza Byard, Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN)
Christopher Caldwell, Los Angeles, CA
Leslie Calman, Mautner Project
Rea Carey, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
Charles Carter, New York, NY
Kevin Cathcart, Lambda Legal
Curtis Chin, Los Angeles, CA
Jennifer Chrisler, Family Equality Council
Jamie Citron, Department of Health and Human Services
Wes Combs, Washington, DC
Roberta Conroy, Santa Monica, CA
Cheryl Cook, Department of Agriculture
Stampp Corbin, San Diego, CA
Michael Council, Columbus, OH
Wilson Cruz, West Hollywood, CA
Mark Davis, Philadelphia, PA
Q Todd Dickinson, Washington, DC
Daniel Dozier, Washington, DC
Ruby Dunning, Washington, DC
Ingrid Duran, Falls Church, VA
Christopher Dyer, Washington, DC Office of LGBT Affairs
Steven Elmendorf, Washington, DC
Fred Eychaner, Chicago, IL
Eric Fanning, Department of Justice
Bishop Yvette Flunder, City of Refuge United Church of Christ
Earl Fowlkes, International Federation of Black Prides
Rebecca Fox, National Coalition for LGBT Health
R. Brandon Fradd, New York, NY
Daniel Galindo, San Antonio, TX
Adolfo Garay, New York, N
Jesus Garcia, TX LULAC 4871
Joan Garry, Montclair, NJ
Rufus Gifford, Washington, DC
Emily Giske, New York, NY
Mitchell Gold, Hickory, NC
John Gonzalez, Washington, DC
Vernita Gray, Chicago, IL
Chad Griffin, Los Angeles, CA
Patrick Guerriero, Gill Action
Hon. Michael Guest, Former Ambassador
Rebecca Haag, AIDS Action
Steve Hildebrand, Sioux Falls, SD
Gavin Hilgemeier, Federal GLOBE
Leonard Hirsch, Federal GLOBE
Lorilyn Holmes, Federal GLOBE
Clifford Honicker, Knoxville, TN
Conrad Honicker, Knoxville, TN
Gerald Hoose, Stonewall Participant
Ernest Hopkins, Communities Advocating Emergency AIDS Relief
Hon. James Hormel, Former Ambassador
Paul Horning, Atlanta, GA
Brad Hoylman, Village Independent Democrats
Jody Huckaby, Parents, Families, & Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG)
Kevin Jennings, Department of Education
Jennifer Jones, Department of Housing and Urban Development
Frank Kamney, Washington, DC
Elaine Kaplan, Office of Personnel Management
Paul Kawata, National Minority AIDS Council
Mara Keisling, National Center for Transgender Equity
Kate Kendell, National Center for Lesbian Rights
Jacqueline Kittrell, Knoxville, TN
Harry Knox, Human Rights Campaign
Steven Latasa-Nicks, New York, NY
Andre Leon Talley, White Plains, NY
Richard Llewellyn, Los Angeles, CA
Robert Llewellyn, Los Angeles, CA
Rosemary Llewellyn, Los Angeles, CA
Thomas Lopach, Export-Import Bank
Lin Lougheed, Miami Beach, FL
Claire Lucas, Corona del Mar, CA
Glenn Magpantay, Federation of LGBTQ AAPI Organizations
Mary Beth Maxwell, Department of Labor
Lisbeth MelendezRivera, Unid@s
Shannon Minter, National Center for Lesbian Rights
Chance Mitchell, National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce
Mary Morten, Chicago, IL
Babak Movahedi, Miami Beach, FL
David Munar, National Association of People with AIDS
Kevin Naff, Washington Blade
Justin Nelson, National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce
J. Alexander Nicholson, Servicemembers United
David Noble, NASA
Matt Nosanchuk, Silver Spring, MD
Robyn Ochs, BiNet USA and Bisexual Resource Center
Derek Orr, DC Office of Disability Rights
C. Dixon Osborn, Washington, DC
Kathleen Padilla, Philadelphia, PA
Pari Parker, Washington, DC
Skip Paul, Beverly Hills, CA
Terry Penrod, Columbus, OH
Troy Perry, Founder Metropolitan Community Churches
First lady Michelle Obama will also make the trip to the Vatican Published on June 25, 2009
by OfficialWire NewsDesk
(OfficialWire)
WASHINGTON, D.C.
U.S. President Barack Obama will visit with Roman Catholic Pope Benedict XVI when he heads back overseas next month, the White House said Wednesday.
Press Secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters the president will discuss "a range of issues, including their shared belief in the dignity of all people" when he meets the pope July 10.
The first meeting between the two men will follow Obama's attendance at the Group of Eight summit in L'Aquila, Italy. Obama drew condemnation from the Vatican in March when he lifted restrictions on funding for stem-cell research and he also has rankled some Catholics for his support of abortion rights.
First lady Michelle Obama will make the trip to the Vatican, as well, Gibbs said.
March 17: First lady Michelle Obama greets members of AmeriCorps Youthbuild USA during her visit to a "green" home building project on the National Mall in Washington. (Reuters)
House Passes Volunteerism Bill Critics Call Pricey, Forced Service
The legislation will expand the1993 AmeriCorps program to match the renewed interest in national service since President Obama's election, which backers say is crucial in tough economic times.
By Kelley Beaucar Vlahos FOXNews.com Wednesday, March 18, 2009
WASHINGTON -- The House of Representatives passed a measure Wednesday that supporters are calling the most sweeping reform of nationally-backed volunteer programs since AmeriCorps. But some opponents are strongly criticizing the legislation, calling it expensive indoctrination and forced advocacy.
The Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education Act, known as the GIVE Act -- sponsored by Reps. Carolyn McCarthy, D-N.Y, and George Miller, D-Calif. -- was approved by a 321-105 vote and now goes to the Senate.
The legislation, slated to cost $6 billion over five years, would create 175,000 "new service opportunities" under AmeriCorps, bringing the number of participants in the national volunteer program to 250,000. It would also create additional "corps" to expand the reach of volunteerism into new sectors, including a Clean Energy Corps, Education Corps, Healthy Futures Corps and Veterans Service Corps, and it expands the National Civilian Community Corps to focus on additional areas like disaster relief and energy conservation.
It is the first time the AmeriCorps program, which was created by President Clinton in 1993, will be reauthorized, and supporters say it will have additional funding to match the renewed interest in national service since President Obama's election and the acute need for volunteerism and charity in tough economic times.
"National and community service can help make Americans a part of the solution to get our country through this economic crisis. I hope the House and Senate will join us in moving as quickly as possible to help President Obama sign this critical bill into law," Miller, chairman of the education committee, said after the bill was passed.
But the bill's opponents -- and there are only a few in Congress -- say it could cram ideology down the throats of young "volunteers," many of whom could be forced into service since the bill creates a "Congressional Commission on Civic Service."
The bipartisan commission will be tasked with exploring a number of topics, including "whether a workable, fair and reasonable mandatory service requirement for all able young people could be developed and how such a requirement could be implemented in a manner that would strengthen the social fabric of the nation."
"We contribute our time and money under no government coercion on a scale the rest of the world doesn't emulate and probably can't imagine," said Luke Sheahan, contributing editor for the Family Security Foundation. "The idea that government should order its people to perform acts of charity is contrary to the idea of charity and it removes the responsibility for charity from the people to the government, destroying private initiative."
House committee staff insist the GIVE Act will not change the voluntary nature of service.
"Its ridiculous to suggest that our bill includes any effort to make service a mandatory requirement. All of the opportunities our bill provides to Americans are voluntary. Americans are proud of their service and volunteering and their interest in it is only growing, especially in the face of this crisis. Our legislation recognizes that more Americans than ever want to serve and give back and provides them with more opportunities to be able to do so," Miller spokeswoman Rachel Racusen said in an e-mail to FOXNews.com.
Others say they are concerned that the increased funding will be used to promote one ideology over another.
"It's allowing taxpayer funding of the left-wing organizations," said Larry Hart, director of government relations for the American Conservative Union.
"I think this is a problem that is rife throughout the federal government. When you dramatically expand the program, then you dramatically expand the ability for these left-wing advocacy organizations to get more funding. I don't see a lot of attention being paid to that, even from those who are critical. That's where the focus should be. Republicans tend to say its not that they oppose the program, they just want to spend less money. It's the program that's bad."
South Carolina Rep. Joe Wilson was one of three Republicans to oppose the legislation in committee. Wilson questioned the utility of the cash-strapped federal government making such huge investments in what he says should be community-inspired projects and programs.
"Volunteerism is part of the American spirit of generosity, and we all stand in support of those who will share their time," said Wilson, who was voted against the bill with Minnesota Rep. John Kline and California Rep. Tom McClintock.
"However, while our economy and our government is in financial trouble, it is not the best use of taxpayer dollars to spend the level of money on new and existing programs included in this bill."
Aides to Miller say they are awaiting estimates from the Congressional Budget Office on how much the GIVE Act would ultimately cost. In addition to all of the funding that goes to organizations in the forms of grants and administrative costs, AmeriCorps volunteers typically receive stipends and college scholarships when they complete one of the several available programs.
For example, a participant in the National Civilian Community Corps, which is a 10-month residential commitment, now receives $4,000 in living expenses and a $4,475 in money toward school. That conceivably would increase under the new legislation.
But regardless of the budget estimate, the financial benefits outweigh the cost, Racusen said.
"The millions of Americans who volunteered in 2007 generated benefits worth $158 billion," Racusen said. "A cost-benefit analysis of AmeriCorps, for example, shows that every dollar invested in the programs yields almost $4 in direct, measurable benefits. Investing in service helps low-income students achieve in school, prepares future workers for green jobs, provides assistance to veterans returning from war, and rebuilds homes and communities after disasters."
Many of the provisions in the GIVE Act can be found in Obama's 2010 fiscal year budget blueprint issued in February. The administration proposes $1.3 billion for the Corporation for National and Community Service, which administers AmeriCorps. CNCS received an estimated $260 million in fiscal 2009.
But some critics on the right suggest that the president's push for national service goes too far, and the recent congressional steps toward expanding the federal role in volunteerism and "civilian service" smacks of a larger agenda. They point to a campaign speech the president made last July in which he suggested national security could be entrusted to a civilian force.
"We cannot continue to rely on our military in order to achieve the national security objectives we've set. We've got to have a civilian national security force that is just as powerful, just as strong, just as well funded," Obama, who worked as a community organizer in Chicago early in his career, said during a Colorado Springs rally.
At the time, Obama was discussing expanding the USA Freedom Corps -- created by President George W. Bush in 2002 -- Peace Corps and AmeriCorps, as well as beefing up the cadre of foreign service officers abroad and programs in which veterans help veterans back home.
"This will empower more Americans to craft their own service agenda and make their own change from the bottom up," Obama said in the speech.
"Senator Obama aims to tap into the already active volunteerism of millions of Americans and recruit them to become cogs in a gigantic government machine grinding out his social re-engineering agenda," Lee Cary of the conservative American Thinker wrote at the time about Obama's remarks.
"(His words) were about turning America into one, giant, community organizer's sandbox at enormous cost to taxpayers," Cary wrote.
Supporters say critics are a minority who prefer to agitate than assist.
"Resistance to expanded public service programs can be expected from the ideologically sclerotic, those who occupy the negative ground between government as the problem and government as our enemy," former Democratic Colorado Sen. Gary Hart wrote in a recent op-ed on the Huffington Post Web site.
The Senate is mulling over a similar piece of legislation, the "Serve America Act," sponsored by Sens. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, and Ted Kennedy, D-Mass. It was given a special endorsement by the president in his address before Congress on Feb. 24.
