THEWHITEHOUSESPIN.COM: NATO and NAC

THE WHITEHOUSESPIN.COM

Custom Text

April 27, 2009 REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT BARAK OBAMA HONORING THE 2008-2009 NCAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONS, UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM WHITE HOUSE [South Portico] 2:20 P.M. EDT Hello, everybody. Please have a seat. Have a seat -- except you guys. You guys can't sit. (Laughter.) It is just wonderful to be here on this beautiful day. Congratulations to Coach Geno on just the incredible season that took place as a consequence of these extraordinary young women. I want to just say it is a thrill. This is one of my favorite things about the job. I am a big fan. I want to congratulate everybody who runs the UCONN program -- from the assistants to the trainers, to the students to the ticket-takers, and of course, the UCONN fans everywhere -- you should all be extraordinarily proud. And I want to thank again Coach, and his wife Kathy, for being here. Congratulations also on being Coach of the Year -- although when you're winning by an average of 30 points, it's not that hard of a selection to make. (Laughter.) And we are thrilled that you're going to be coaching the Women's Basketball team in the 2012 Olympics. You're going to do a great job. (Applause.) Under Coach Auriemma's leadership, this Huskies program has redefined excellence again and again: Six of the last 15 NCAA Titles, five undefeated regular seasons, three undefeated championship seasons, two 39-0 seasons. But for this team, an undefeated season just wasn't enough -- they became the first team in NCAA history, men or women's, to win every single game by double digits, which is just an unbelievable, unbelievable statistic. (Applause.) I want to congratulate also Maya, who is here -- Maya Moore -- there you are. Raise your hand. Naismith Award, National Player of the Year, and an equally impressive achievement -- Maya was one of only five players chosen nationwide as first-team Academic All-American. So give it up for Maya. (Applause.) Renee Montgomery -- where's Renee? There you are, Renee, holding the ball -- for winning the Honda Sports Award that recognizes the top women's player in the country not just for athletics, but also academics, leadership, and willingness to give back to her community; and to all the players who make a true team. It's clear these women have a competitive streak -- from what I understand, they have trouble sometimes turning off that competitive streak. I've heard that "Movie Pictionary" gets pretty fierce among the women here. (Laughter.) But Coach Geno and each of these women also understands that being champion doesn't stop when you step off the court. Just last week, these ladies were recognized by the NCAA for top academic performance as a team. And over the course of 24 seasons, Coach Auriemma's teams have a 100-percent graduation rate. That is worthy of some applause. (Applause.) They also spend time off the court in service to others. "Geno's Cancer Team" -- and I'm wearing a bracelet that I just got, right here, I want to show it off -- raises money to fight cancer. And these young women visit pediatric patients, mentor at-risk youth to show they can make something of themselves, and give their time to folks in the communities who need it most. All of this makes the Storrs community stronger; it makes the state of Connecticut stronger; it makes our country stronger -- and I know this team gets a lot out of it in return. I also want to say something as a father. You know, it was this program in the mid-1990s as much as anything that helped propel women's basketball into the national consciousness. And thanks to players like each of these women and those who came before them, our young women today look at themselves differently, especially tall young women, like my daughters. My girls look at the TV when I'm watching Sports Center and they see women staring back. That shows them that they can be champions, too. And so, as a father, I want to thank all of you. Thank you to all the NCAA female athletes who work hard day in, day out to set a positive example to which our daughters can all aspire -- to be healthy and active, to be part of a team. Finally, I understand that Coach Auriemma has promised to go 40-0 next season. (Laughter.) So, Coach, if that happens, I guarantee you that you will be welcome back at the White House. (Laughter.) All right, give them a big round of applause. (Applause.) END 2:27 P.M. EDT

NATO and NAC

THEWHITEHOUSESPIN.COM
_______________________
WASHINGTON, DC
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2010

U.S. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA

President Barack Obama participates in an arrival ceremony at Belem National Palace with President Cavaco Silva of Portugal in Lisbon, Portugal.

White House Photography by Lawrence Jackson, November 19, 2010

_________________________________________________________________________
"Forum On Middle-Class America"
Posted By Karen Ann Carr
______________________________________________________________________________________

WASHINGTON, DC- Following the awesome remarks of Laurence Tribe, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden delivered another compiling discourse about the importance of what the Obama administration is doing to assist American veterans, home buyers and workers. The auditorium was filled with educated advocates.

Vice President expressed his regret that Mr. Tribe was not seated on the U.S. Supreme Court. After hearing Mr. Tribe's thinking about American justice and the legal system ones regret that he is not taking care of the American legal system was indeed regretful.

Notwithstanding, when Vice President Biden speaks Americans and others ought to listen, because he has internalized and synthesized the sound-wisdom of a tremendous amount of people. And what is keen about Vice President Biden is that he is able to utilized very deep contemplations in very appropriate ways. Fortunately for Americans, one of those extraordinary thinkers is Mr. Tribe and others, which Mr. Tribe deployed to bring fairness and realized equity into the American legal system.

Today following the awesome remarks of Mr. Tribe, Vice President Biden rendered an excellent picture of Middle-class Americans, which everyone in the room might relate to. For example, people in need of legal assistance but being unable to even begin to know where to begin. People appearing before judges without legal counsel. People being unfairly paid for work provided to employers, while being taunted and misused. Veterans living in homelessness after being injured in the line of duty, but finding no assistance in the U.S.

"You've got to know how to know" Vice President Biden said.

Cultural inequity in the work place. Justice based on the wealth of the individual. Swindling profiteers who take money from people up-front while claiming they will help them save their homes from foreclosure will no longer be allowed to serve the public.

Truly today was a day of America's baby steps to further realizing the American dream.



U.S. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA

President Barack Obama participates in an arrival ceremony at Belem National Palace with President Cavaco Silva of Portugal in Lisbon, Portugal.

White House Photography by Lawrence Jackson, November 19, 2010

_______________________________________________
"President Barack Obama Attends NATO and the NAC Session”
Posted By Karen Ann Carr
_________________________________________________________________________

WASHINGTON, DC- On Friday morning, U.S. President Barack Obama will arrive at the Lisbon International Airport in Lisbon, Portugal. President Obama will then participate in a U.S Embassy meet and greet at the Lisbon Marriot Hotel.
     In the afternoon, President Obama will participate in an arrival ceremony and sign the guest book at Belém National Palace.
     Afterward, President Obama will hold a bilateral meeting with President Cavaco Silva of Portugal at Belém National Palace.
     At that time, President Obama will participate in a working lunch with President Cavaco Silva. Later, President Obama and President Cavaco Silva will deliver statements.
     Later in the afternoon, President Obama will hold a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Socrates of Portugal at the Prime Minister’s Office and deliver statements. Soon after, President Obama will participate in a NATO arrival reception at the Feria Internacional de Lisboa.
     Later, President Obama will attend the NAC opening session, the NAC working session and participate in the NATO official photo.
     In the evening, President Obama will hold a bilateral meeting with President Saakashvili of Georgia.
Later in the evening, President Obama will participate in the NAC working dinner.

_____________________________________________

THEWHITEHOUSESPIN.COM

_______________________
WASHINGTON, DC

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2010

U.S. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA

resident Barack Obama attends a START Treaty meeting in the Roosevelt Room of the White House.

White House Photography by Pete Souza, November 18, 2010

_______________________________________________
“President Barack Obama On Motors”
_________________________________________________________________________

James S. Brady Press Briefing Room

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA:
     Hello, everybody. Good afternoon. Today, one of the toughest tales of the recession took another big step towards becoming a success story.
     General Motors re-launched itself as a public company, cutting the government’s stake in the company by nearly half. What’s more, American taxpayers are now positioned to recover more than my administration invested in GM.
     And that’s a very good thing. Last year, we told GM’s management and workers that if they made the tough decisions necessary to make themselves more competitive in the 21st century -- decisions requiring real leadership, fresh thinking and also some shared sacrifice –- then we would stand by them. And because they did, the American auto industry -– an industry that’s been the proud symbol of America’s manufacturing might for a century; an industry that helped to build our middle class -– is once again on the rise.
     Our automakers are in the midst of their strongest period of job growth in more than a decade. Since GM and Chrysler emerged from bankruptcy, the industry has created more than 75,000 new jobs. For the first time in six years, Ford, GM and Chrysler are all operating at a profit. In fact, last week, GM announced its best quarter in over 11 years. And most importantly, American workers are back at the assembly line manufacturing the high-quality, fuel-efficient, American-made cars of tomorrow, capable of going toe to toe with any other manufacturer in the world.
     Just two years ago, this seemed impossible. In fact, there were plenty of doubters and naysayers who said it couldn’t be done, who were prepared to throw in the towel and read the American auto industry last rites. Independent estimates suggested, however, that had we taken that step, had we given up, we would have lost more than 1 million jobs across all 50 states. It would have also resulted in economic chaos, devastating communities across the country and costing governments tens of billions of dollars in additional social safety net benefits and lost revenue.
     That wasn’t an acceptable option –- to throw up our hands and to quit. That’s not what we do. This is a country of optimistic and determined people who don’t give up when times are tough. We do what’s necessary to move forward.
     So these last two years haven’t been easy on anybody. They haven’t been without pain or sacrifice, as the tough restructuring of GM reminds us. And obviously we’ve still got a long road ahead and a lot of work to do -– to rebuild this economy, to put people back to work, to make America more competitive for the future and to secure the American Dream for our children and our grandchildren.
     But we are finally beginning to see some of these tough decisions that we made in the midst of crisis pay off. And I’m absolutely confident that we’re going to keep on making progress. I believe we’re going to get through this tougher and stronger than we were before. Because, just as I had faith in the ability of our autoworkers to persevere and succeed, I have faith in the American people’s ability to persevere and succeed. And I have faith that America’s best days and America’s -- and American manufacturing’s best days are still ahead of us.
     Finally I just want to embarrass a couple of people. Ron Bloom and Brian Deese are key members of the team that helped to engineer this rescue of GM and Chrysler. So it had not been for these two gentlemen, a whole lot of people might be out of work right now. We are very proud of them and I figured that I’d go ahead -- you can see they’re all looking sheepish -- point them out to you.
     So thank you very much, everybody.



________________________

U.S. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA

President Barack Obama holds a meeting on the economy with his advisors in the Roosevelt Room of the White House.

White House Photography by Pete Souza, November 15, 2010