Free Republic

Barack Obama said on Tuesday the world should resist cynicism over the rise of strongmen, in an apparent reference to populist leaders who hold power in a number of countries. […] “Just as people spoke about the triumph of democracy in the 90s, people now are talking about the triumph of tribalism and the strong man. But we need to resist that cynicism,” Obama said in a speech in Johannesburg to mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of Nelson Mandela. Some of Obama’s language echoed that of Trump’s critics. “Too much of politics today seems to reject the very...

In his first major speech since leaving office, former President Barack Obama endorsed the idea of providing a universal basic income. Speaking at the Nelson Mandela Annual Lecture in South Africa on Tuesday, Obama raised the notion of guaranteed income as a way to reduce what he called "yawning disparities" in wealth, education, and security across different socioeconomic groups. "It's not just money that a job provides," said Obama. "It provides dignity and structure and a sense of place and a sense of purpose. So we're going to have to consider new ways of thinking about these problems, like a...

Former President Barack Obama will travel to Kenya and South Africa next month for an Obama Foundation initiative, where he will meet with the two countries' presidents and hold a town hall with 200 new Obama Foundation leaders in Africa. According to a press release issued by the former president's office on Friday, Obama will meet with Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and opposition leader Raila Odinga, the country's former prime minister. "President Obama will travel to Alego for the inauguration of the Sauti Kuu Foundation’s Sports, Resource and Vocational Training Centre, where he will deliver brief opening remarks," the statement...

Barack and Michelle Obama were at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery Monday in D.C. for the unveiling of their portraits. Obama's painting features the official flower of Chicago and African blue lilies are a nod to his late Kenyan-born father, Barack Sr. The painting will join the “America’s Presidents” exhibition and will be available for public viewing beginning Tuesday.

Well, this is what one would call bad political optics. With the dual breaking news events surrounding potential terrorism and a foreign diplomat being shot to death, White House pool reports showed that President Barack Obama headed to a country club in Hawaii near his rental house, where he is vacationing. The first email shows that Obama has directed his staff to keep him updated on the situation in Turkey regarding the assassination of the Russian Ambassador. From the White House, per Principal Deputy Press Secretary Eric Schultz: “This morning the President was briefed by his National Security Team on...

According to radical activist and Weather Underground co-founder Bill Ayers, American leftists were duped by prevailing conservative narratives into believing that President Obama himself was a tried-and-true leftist, and not the “middle-of-the-road” politician he declares himself to be. Speaking at a Washington, D.C., book store last Friday, Ayers explained that despite living near Obama in Chicago’s Hyde Park neighborhood and crossing paths many times during their activism, he never viewed the future president as a dedicated “leftist” like himself. The remarks came in response to a question about whether Ayers ever doubted Obama’s credentials as a true “progressive” or “man...

A faceless organization calling itself “The Trenches” is offering a $10,000 reward to anyone who can provide an authentic copy of President Barack Obama’s course transcripts from his days at Occidental College, Harvard University or Columbia University. “You’ve failed, media,” an undated statement on its one-page website reads. “You’ve had over three years to vet President Barack Obama. Yet in three years in office and over a year of campaigning beforehand, you have either been oddly uninterested or purposefully ignorant of Barack Obama’s educational history.” Finding the president’s transcripts, the message adds, “would represent more intellectual curiosity about the leader...

President Barack Obama describes the killing of Osama bin Laden as the “most important single day” of his presidency and said that the decision to carry out the raid was one that he had to ultimately make alone. “I did choose the risk,” the president said in an exclusive interview with Rock Center Anchor and Managing Editor Brian Williams. “The reason I was willing to make that decision of sending in our SEALs to try to capture or kill bin Laden rather than to take some other options was ultimately because I had 100 percent faith in the Navy SEALs...

Tim Thomas, Boston Bruins goalie, snubs President Obama By DONOVAN SLACK | 1/23/12 3:14 PM EST There was a notable absence during a White House reception this afternoon for the Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins: star goalie Tim Thomas. Thomas refused the invite for "political reasons," Sports Illustrated reports. The goaltender was the only member of the Bruins who wasn't at the ceremony, where President Obama congratulated the team on its victory. Thomas is a staunch conservative and is expected to explain his snub of the president on his Facebook page this evening.

Report says global climate deal hinges on Obama reelectionBy Ben Geman - 01/05/12 11:55 AM ET Prospects for striking a binding global climate deal by 2015 are probably toast if President Obama loses in November. That’s among the conclusions in a wide-ranging, new climate and green energy outlook from banking giant HSBC’s research branch. A major outcome from the United Nations climate talks in December was a plan to craft a deal by 2015 — one that would include big, developing nations such as China — and have it come into force by 2020. But Obama’s main Republican White House...

KABUL — A roadside bomb attack killed three NATO troops ineastern Afghanistan,one ofthe deadliest flashpoints in the 10-year war against Taliban insurgents, according to the military. NATO's US-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) did not release the nationalities of the troops or give further details of the incident, which happened on Tuesday.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Drawing a bright line with congressional Republicans, President Barack Obama is proposing $1.5 trillion in new tax revenue as part of his long-term deficit reduction plan, according to senior administration officials. The president on Monday will announce a proposal that includes repeal of Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthiest taxpayers, nearly $250 billion in reductions in Medicare spending, $330 billion in cuts in other mandatory benefit programs, and savings of $1 trillion from the withdrawal of troops from Iraq and Afghanistan, the officials said. The plan includes no changes in Social Security and does not include an...

Canadian Commentator: The Press Gave America 'An Untried, Unknown,' 'Incompetent Figure As President' By Noel Sheppard Created 09/18/2011 - 9:09pm Maybe what America's press really need is a Canadian television commentator to explain how atrocious their coverage of Barack Obama has been since the moment he tossed his named into the presidential ring in February 2007. Although they may not be familiar with CBC's Rex Murphy, they should certainly heed the marvelous piece he wrote for the National Post Saturday entitled "The Media’s Love Affair With a Disastrous President": As the bad economic news continues to emanate from the United...

US president Barack Obama, in a populist step designed to appeal to voters, will propose a 'Buffett Tax' on people making more than $1 million a year as part of his deficit recommendations to Congress on Monday. Such a proposal, among suggestions to a congressional super committee expected to seek up to $US3 trillion in deficit savings over 10 years, would appeal to his Democratic base ahead of the 2012 election, but may not raise much in revenues. White House communications director Dan Pfeiffer said in a tweet on Saturday the tax would act as "a kind of [Alternative Minimum...

Someone has do do this...looking forward to comments from those that watch

The forces of Zero's Keynesianism and the tattered remnants of the Free Market proponents meet on 9-8-2011 to hear Zero arrogantly announce how HE plans to buy "jobs" with MY grandchildren's future paychecks. It will be an auspicious occasion I'm sure. Since I plan to watch The Packers whup up on the enemy, I though we could help Ol' Zero improve his " 9-8-jobs-can-wait" speech by including a few things that might, could work, and give us time to watch some FOOTBALL! All the L.I.E. Media wants to talk or write about is what Zero is going to say. At...

hmmmmmmmmm

Speaker John Boehner has rejected Obama’s request to address a joint session of Congress on September 7th to discuss his jobs plan. Boehner has asked that Obama consider the following night instead. According to Politico, Boehner said in a letter to Obama that Sept. 8th would be better “so we can ensure there will be no parliamentary or logistical impediments that might detract from your remarks.” It is important to note that on September 7, the GOP Presidential candidates will have a debate that is sponsored by NBC and Politico that will air on MSNBC. NBC and Politico announced earlier...

Not an absurd claim on its face — in theory, the more people hate “Washington” generally, the more all relevant players should suffer — but it’s astounding to think this is the same guy who swore up and down on the trail that he was going to transform the way D.C. does business. Three years ago his message was, “Elect me and strike a blow for hope.” Now his message is, “Reelect me because Congress is hopeless.” Now that’s Change. CBS’s edit of the interview doesn’t include Obama’s full answer so here it is in the interest of fairness: Mason:...

Of all the places to hear fulminations against President Obama, one of the least expected is the corner of 71st Avenue and Queens Boulevard, in the heart of a Congressional district that propelled Democrats like Geraldine A. Ferraro, Charles E. Schumer andAnthony D. Weiner to Washington. But it was there that Dale Weiss, a 64-year-old Democrat, approached the Republican running for Congress in a special election and, without provocation, blasted the president for failing to tame runaway federal spending. “We need to cut Medicaid,” she declared, “but he won’t do that.” She shook her head in disgust. “He is a...