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Obama goes to the people.  19 minute Video here of his New Hampshire Town Hall rally on health insurance reform.  "Lets get this done!" The long C-Span version, including questions, is here.

White House Launches "Health Insurance Reform Reality Check" to fight fears, distortiions, and outright lies about intended reforms.

Sotomayor Confirmed by Senate, 68-31.  NYTimes report here.

More on health care.  First, this from the Rose Garden, dated 15th July; and then this determined statement from Obama on the 17th of July.

For some cheering medicine, have a look at the CSpan video embedded in here (you have to scroll down past 3 pictures first) - showing Al Franken's swearing in ceremony.

Obama to go to Russia:  “It’s naïve for us to think that we can grow our nuclear stockpiles, the Russians continue to grow their nuclear stockpiles, and our allies grow their nuclear stockpiles, and that in that environment we’re going to be able to pressure countries like Iran and North Korea not to pursue nuclear weapons themselves.”

Coleman Concedes, Senator Franken to Go to Washington.

House Passes the Waxman/Markey Energy Bill.  Vote:  219 to 212.  Close - the 8 Republican votes put it over the line!  It is a cap and trade bill to take effect in 2012, aiming to cut 2005 emissions by 17% in 2020, and by 83% in 2050.  20% of electricity in 2020 to be generated by 'renewables'.  To see how your Rep voted, click here.  And, for a very useful 6 page summary of the Bill's key provisions, click here.

 

The President's Call With Prime Minister Rudd of Australia on 23rd June - White House Press Office's Readout

President Signs the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act

The Coming Health Insurance Debate:  (1) The 20 page (.pdf) Congressional Research Service's paper; (2) An analysis of the state of play by Robert Reich (Professor of Public Policy at UC Berkeley); (3) "Obama to Forge a Greater Role on Health Care" in NYTimes; (4) Obama's open letter to Senators Kennedy and Baucus, in which he says:  "I strongly believe that Americans should have the choice of a public health insurance option operating alongside private plans.  This will give them a better range of choices, make the health care market more competitive, and keep insurance companies honest"; (5) The three chairs of the Committees with jurisdiction over health policy in the House--Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles B. Rangel (D-NY), Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA), and Education and Labor Committee Chairman George Miller (D-CA) released an outline of the new health reform plan, including a public option; (6) So, what about Kent Conrad's nonprofit health-care cooperatives?  Not as an alternative to a genuine public health care plan, according Robert Reich.

*** The Cairo Speech:  video and transcript.  For the (may I be allowed to editorialize?) thoughtful reactions of some of our fellow Americans who, as it happens, are Muslims, have a look/listen to this from McNeil/Lehrer.

Washington Post: "Obama Pushes Israel on Settlement Issue"+ coverage of the same story from the McClatchy papers.

President Obama on Sonia Sotomayor.

Update (on "The Health Negotiations" - for which, see below):  viz., Krugman's "Blue Double Cross".

The President's Speech ("Protecting Our Security and Our Values").  Video and transcript.

Obama to announce new (Californesque) national fuel (and, thus, national emission) standards.  NYTimes account - to be updated with the announcement itself, when available.  UPDATE  Here it is:  the President's own statement/announcement.

President Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu meet - NYTimes's and WaPo's account of the meeting, and the issues.

President Obama's Speech at Notre Dame:  text here.  For the full (video) treatment, go here .

Obama's Decision to proceed with newly-regulated  Military Tribunals:  Presidential statement, reports, and some commentary.  (1) Statement of President Barack Obama on Military Commissions; (2) NYTimes: "Obama to Keep Tribunals; Stance Angers Some Backers"; (3) Washington Post:  "Military Tribunals Will Resume, Obama Says"; (4) McClatchy:  "Obama's Revised Terror Court Wins Applause, Scorn"; (5) ACLU  "Obama Administration To Revive Fatally Flawed Military Commissions"; (6) Amnesty International USA:  "Obama Breaks Major Campaign Promise as Military Commissions Resume"; (7) Amnesty International :  "Return of Guantanamo Military Commissions Would Not Serve Justice"; (8) Human Rights Watch :  "Revival of Guantanamo Military Commissions a Blow to Justice"; (9)  Senator Lindsey Graham (Rep., South Carolina):  "Applauds Decision to Use Military Commissions to Try Terror Suspects".

President Obama "Takes Tougher Anti-Trust Line".  Excellent report from the NYTimes.

The Health Negotiations - some early sources with breaking news.  (1)  AP source "$2 trillion offered in health savings" here; (2) Marc Ambinder's brief note in The Atlantic, "Health Care Deal in the Works?" here; (3) Politico's "Obama to unveil groups' pledge to cut health care costs" here; and (4) Krugman's excellent "Harry, Louise and Barack" here.  UPDATE:  President Obama Announces Private Health Care Cost Control Plan here.  Followed by a certain scepticism.

REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT
AFTER THE TRILATERAL MEETING
WITH PRESIDENT KARZAI OF AFGHANISTAN
AND PRESIDENT ZARDARI OF PAKISTAN - here

Obama Meets with Peres (Israel's President).  Biden addresses AIPAC.  WaPo report here.  Times report here.

President Obama’s 100th-Day Press Briefing.  The transcript is here.  Grab yourself a glass of your favourite, settle back, and dwell upon it.  This is superb stuff.  What?  You'd rather watch it?  Ok.  Same glass.  Go here. 

President Obama's speech to the National Academy of Sciences, in which he pledges “the largest commitment to scientific research and innovation in American history.”  NYTimes story here, and text of speech here

Obama invokes 'reconciliation instruction' to secure passage of a health bill through the Senate by mid-October.  NYTimes story here.

For an uplifting pictorial essay on Obama's contribution to the Summit of the Americas, it's hard to go past Al Rodgers' 'Unclenching the Fist'.

Perspective, depth, and color added to the high speed rail vision.  Good stuff.  Money to flow commencing end of summer.  Central link here 

White House Announces Easing of Some Cuba Restrictions.  NYTimes report here, and text of announcement here.

Basic moral progress:  The CIA no longer operates any secret overseas prisons, Director Leon Panetta said yesterday.  Story here

What to choose out of the G20 summit, the Nato summit, the EU summit, and the rest?  I'm going for the speech in Prague - about nuclear weapons.  Here's the video, and the transcript can be found here.

The President's "New Strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan"  - here. Plus NYTimes background piece on the more narrowly specified strategic goal, and Biden's role in its shaping.

Obama's second prime-time White House press conference - video here

President Obama's special message to the people and government of Iran - here

President Obama Meets with the Business Roundtable - 1 hour and 8 minutes of lucidity.  Q & A commences at 23rd minute.  BTW, Aussies, Rudd mentioned twice.  Here

President's Executive Order creating White House Council on Women and Girls  - here

President's Memorandum on principles governing 'Signing Statements' - with a direction about [not] applying previously issued [!] signing statements.  Here.

President Revokes Dark Age Rules on human embryonic stem cell research.  His executive order is here.  His memorandum on Scientific Integrity is here.  And the White House Blog about all of this is here

Obama Suspends Bush Rule on Endangered Species  - here

Remarks of President Obama - Responsibly Ending the War in Iraq  "Let me say this as plainly as I can:  by August 21, 2010, our combat mission in Iraq will end.  ...  I intend to remove all U.S. troops from Iraq by the end of 2011."  Read the entire speech here

The Budget Papers:  Everything you wanted to know about the budget ("a profoundly moral document"), organized beautifully, including the full budget, the budget for each Department (track your favourite projects with ease), and much more.  All here  And here is Krugman's reaction.

President Obama's Address to the Joint Session of Congress - read it here

Obama Goes for High Speed Rail  - here

Statement by the President on Afghanistan  - here  & DoD News Release here

Stimulus Bill becomes Law - Obama's Speech Before Signing, and the Signing Itself - Article & Video  - here

Following passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Obama addresses the nation.  - At http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/02/14/A-major-milestone/  

Obama's Speech in Elkhart, Indiana (video and transcript) - here

Obama Hits the Road to Sell Stimulus Package  - Story here

Remarks by the President on Executive Compensation

"This is America. We don't disparage wealth. We don't begrudge anybody for achieving success. And we certainly believe that success should be rewarded. But what gets people upset -- and rightfully so -- are executives being rewarded for failure, especially when those rewards are subsidized by U.S. taxpayers, many of whom are having a tough time themselves."

Full statement here

Obama:  "I do not view the labor movement as part of the problem, to me it's part of the solution."  - here

President Obama signs equal pay bill  - here and here and (with great picture!) here.

House Passes Obama’s Stimulus Package (with NO Republican support)  - here

Obama's Interview On Arab Television  - here

Obama: Mideast peace envoy to engage "vigorously"  - here

President to Direct Shift in Emissions Regulations  - here

President Plans Fast Action to Tighten Financial Rules - here

Obama speaks on how the American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan will jump-start the economy.  - here

Obama reverses abortion-funding policy  - here

Obama's memorandum to effect the above reversal  - here

Obama to Close Foreign Prisons and Guantánamo Camp  - here 

On His First Full Day, Obama Tackles Sobering Challenges  - here 

Obama Seeks Halt to Legal Proceedings at Guantanamo  - here

Obama halts all regulations pending review:  Order goes out Tuesday afternoon, shortly after inauguration  - here

Further to the immediately above...

Democrats Look for Ways to Undo Late Bush Administration Rules  - here