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June 30, 2009
President Barack Obama in remarks on June 29, 2009 during the joint press conference with President Uribe of Colombia:
It would be a terrible precedent if we start moving backwards into the era in which we are seeing military coups as a means of political transition rather than democratic elections. The region has made enormous progress over the last 20 years in establishing democratic traditions in Central America and Latin America. We don't want to go back to a dark past. The United States has not always stood as it should with some of these fledgling democracies, but over the last several years, I think both Republicans and Democrats in the United States have recognized that we always want to stand with democracy, even if the results don't always mean that the leaders of those countries are favorable towards the United States. And that is a tradition that we want to continue.
Oscar Garcia, vice president of the Honduran water workers union SANAA:
We don't recognize this new government imposed by the oligarchy and we will mount our campaign of resistance until President Manuel Zelaya is restored to power. June 29, 2009 President Obama in remarks June 29, 2009 regarding the passage of Cap and Trade legislation in the House:
"...just last Friday, the House of Representatives came together to pass an extraordinary piece of legislation that will finally open the door to decreasing our dependence on foreign oil, preventing the worst consequences of climate change, and making clean energy the profitable kind of energy. Thanks to members of Congress who were willing to place America's progress before the usual Washington politics, this bill will create new businesses, new industries, and millions of new jobs, all without imposing untenable new burdens on the American people or America's businesses. In the months to come, the Senate will take up its version of the energy bill, and I am confident that they too will choose to move this country forward." House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) today issued the following statement after President Obama delivered remarks at the White House in support of Speaker Pelosi’s cap-and-trade national energy tax: “Americans need real solutions to create jobs, lower energy prices, and clean up the environment, but Speaker Pelosi’s national energy tax is a recipe for driving up prices for middle-class families and small businesses and shipping more American jobs overseas. The President repeated his claim that this bill will create jobs, but independent analysts suggest it’s a job killer, while one of his prominent supporters, Warren Buffett, calls it a huge, regressive tax." June 25, 2009 Barbour to the Rescue?
In a quick turn of events, the Republican Governors Association has already announced that Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour will be taking over as chairman, following the resignation of South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford. Barbour, a rumored 2012 candidate acknowledged the new post by saying, "The RGA has an important task over the next two years. I am committed to seeing it through and confident we will succeed." With this new position Barbour's potential candidacy in 2012 has strengthened, making him one of the few top contenders for the nomination. Ongoing Iran Coverage: Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-CT):
The fact is that, as we acknowledged in our Declaration of Independence, there is, in every human being, a desire for freedom. We say in our declaration that that’s a right that every person has as an endowment from our creator. That yearning desire, that flame burning inside everybody, for now, seems too much in Iran to have been pushed out of the streets by the brutality of the regime, but the flame of freedom, the yearning of the Iranian people for freedom has not been extinguished.
And we as Americans, because of our founding and still-driving ideals of freedom, rule of law, the right of assembly, the right of free speech, have a responsibility to do what we can to stand with those around the world and now, particularly, in Iran, who are asserting their freedom. June 23, 2009 More on Iran: President Obama at a White House press conference today: This is not about the United States and the West. This is about the people of Iran, and the future that they, and only they, will choose. Gordon Brown, British Prime Minister
We want a very good relationship with the Iranians, we also respect the fact that it's for the Iranian people themselves to choose who their government is. But when there is a sign of repression or where there is violence that's affecting ordinary people in the streets, we have a duty to speak out and to say we want Iran to be part of the world, we don't want Iran to be isolated from the world. David Miliband, UK Foreign Secretary I reject categorically the idea that the protesters in Iran are manipulated or motivated by foreign countries. The UK is categorical that it is for the Iranian people to choose their government, and for the Iranian authorities to ensure the fairness of the result and the protection of their own people. I therefore deplore the continuing violence against those seeking to exercise their right of expression. This can only damage Iran's standing in the eyes of the world. The blame being heaped on foreigners is no excuse. Franco Frattini, Italian Foreign Minister What we want above all is for the violence to stop, that there are no more deaths or people attacked in the streets. And then we want a serious review of the vote. European countries have not manipulated anything. We have witnessed scenes of violence and firmly believe that there should be no violence. [Italy] respects Iran, its sovereignty and recognises its important role in the region. We do not want to recount the ballots ourselves, that is something that Iran must do. We have no intention of taking the place of Iranian authorities. Nicolas Sarkozy, President of France The attitude of the Tehran authorities in the face of the legitimate desire for truth of a large part of the Iranian population is inexcusable. Repression and violence against peaceful demonstrators must stop because there is no justification for it. Angela Merkel, German Chancellor Germany stands by the people in Iran who want to exercise their right to freedom of expression and freedom of assembly. I strongly urge the Iranian leadership to permit peaceful demonstrations, renounce the use of violence against demonstrators, release detained members of the opposition, permit free reporting by the media and conduct a recount of the ballots cast in the presidential election. June 22, 2009 Kang Nam (North Korea) Update: The U.S. military is preparing for a possible intercept of a North Korean flagged ship suspected of proliferating weapons material in violation of a U.N. Security Council resolution passed last Friday. The USS John McCain, a Navy destroyer, is moving into the area in case it gets orders to intercept the ship Kang Nam as soon as it leaves the vicinity off the coast of China. The vessel, which the military has been tracking since its departure, could be carrying weaponry, missile parts or nuclear materials, a violation of U.N. Resolution 1874, which put sanctions in place against Pyongyang. The resolution would not allow the United States to board the ship forcibly. Rather, U.S. military would have to request permission to board -- a request North Korea is unlikely to grant, as they have said that any attempt to board its ships would be viewed as an act of war and promised "100- or 1,000-fold" retaliation if provoked. Since the U.S. does not expect to be granted permission, it expects to be asked to interdict that it will have to shadow the ship until it runs out of fuel. At that point, the ship would likely have to be towed into the port.The U.S. military may request that the host country not provide fuel to the ship when it enters its port. North Korean merchant ships usually need fuel as they approach Singapore and the ports of eastern India. When tipped off, Indian port authorities are stringent enforcers of UN sanctions against ships carrying contraband. It will be interesting to see how this tense situation plays out. More on Iran: Sen. John McCain: It’s not so much about Iran, although it certainly is at the moment, but it is also about being on the right side of history. Sen. Lindsey Graham: The young men and women have taken to the streets in Tehran and need our support. Their signs are in English, they are basically asking for us to speak up on their behalf. Sen. Chris Dodd: As the Presidents of the United States said he is not a member of the Senate or a columnist. He has got a very delicate path to walk here. I think he has been strong, you do not want to become --, you do not want to take ownership. Sen. Evan Bayh: This regime is rapidly losing legitimacy with its own people. There is some polling data from other countries in the Islamic world suggesting they are losing legitimacy in the rest of the Islamic world. We should not let them change the narrative to one of being, you know, meddling Americans. June 18, 2009 "Government does not create wealth. The major role for the government is to create an environment where people take risks to expand the job rate in the United States." George W. Bush speaking June 18, 2009 in Pennsylvania. June 16, 2009 President Barack Obama: (during a press conference after the meeting with Prime Minister Berlusconi) Obviously all of us have been watching the news from Iran. And I want to start off by being very clear that it is up to Iranians to make decisions about who Iran's leaders will be; that we respect Iranian sovereignty and want to avoid the United States being the issue inside of Iran, which sometimes the United States can be a handy political football -- or discussions with the United States. Having said all that, I am deeply troubled by the violence that I've been seeing on television. I think that the democratic process -- free speech, the ability of people to peacefully dissent -- all those are universal values and need to be respected. And whenever I see violence perpetrated on people who are peacefully dissenting, and whenever the American people see that, I think they're, rightfully, troubled. Senator John McCain: (on what the President should do about Iranian election) He should speak out that this is a corrupt, fraud, sham of an election. The Iranian people have been deprived of their rights. We support them in their struggle against a repressive, oppressive regime and they should not be subjected to four more years of Ahmadinejad and the radical Muslim clerics. June 15, 2009
On Iranian elections: Hillary Clinton, Secretary of State: We are monitoring the situation as it unfolds in Iran but we, like the rest of the world, are waiting and watching to see what the Iranian people decide. The United States has refrained from commenting on the election in Iran. We obviously hope that the outcome reflects the genuine will and desire of the Iranian people. David Miliband, UK Foreign Secretary: We have also heard the concerns about the counting of ballots expressed by two of the candidates. This is a matter for the Iranian authorities to address. We will continue to follow developments. Our priority is that Iran engages with the concerns of the world community, above all on the issue of nuclear proliferation. Frank-Walter Steinmeier, German Foreign Minister: The violent actions of the security forces against demonstrators is not acceptable, nor is preventing peaceful protest. We will continue to monitor the situation on the ground very carefully. Lawrence Cannon, Canadian Foreign Minister: Canada is deeply, deeply concerned by reports about voting irregularities in the Iranian election. We're troubled by reports of intimidation of opposition candidates' offices by security forces. June 10, 2009 "This is a very significant day ... for the global automotive industry as a whole. From the very beginning, we have been adamant that this alliance must be a constructive and important step towards solving the problems impacting our industry." Sergio Marchionne, Fiat's chief executive who was named the CEO of Chrysler on Wednesday as the deal between Fiat and Chrysler was made official June 10, 2009. June 9, 2009
"It is critical that as our country emerges from this period of crisis, that we learn its lessons; that those who seek reward do not take reckless risk; that short-term gains are not pursued without regard for long-term consequences."
President Obama during remarks on PAYGO June 9, 2009. Health Care Reform: "A public plan is a non-starter. They're trying to come up with various ways to have a public plan without calling it that." Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, leaving a meeting on the subject. June 8, 2009 "The government-run plan is most concerning to most Republicans, so we're trying to figure out a way to help keep the insurance companies feet to the fire in a way that doesn't frighten Republicans away because it sounds too much like government." Sen. Max Baucus, D-Montana June 8, 2009. June 8, 2009 Recession Update: Budget cuts mean the City of Toledo, Ohio has hired half as many seasonal workers to keep its parks tidy, so Mayor Carty Finkbeiner was out with a mower doing the job Saturday at a park near his home. The mayor is asking residents to grab a mower and help him cut the grass in city parks. So far about 10 city workers have joined him, on their own time. Looks like Toledo is coming up with innovative ways to deal with the recession! "We have a long way to go on our road to recovery but we are going the right way... Our measure of progress is the progress the American people see in their own lives. And until that progress is steady and solid, we're going to keep moving forward. We will not grow complacent or rest. Surely and steadily, we will turn this economy around." President Obama said in a written statement regarding additional summer stimulus activity on June 8, 2009. June 4, 2009 I have come here to seek a new beginning between the United States and Muslims around the world; one based upon mutual interest and mutual respect; and one based upon the truth that America and Islam are not exclusive, and need not be in competition. Instead, they overlap, and share common principles - principles of justice and progress; tolerance and the dignity of all human beings.
President Obama in remarks made at Cairo University on June 4, 2009. June 3, 2009 "... The United States and Saudi Arabia have a long history of friendship. We have a strategic relationship and as I take this trip and will be visiting Cairo tomorrow I thought it was very important to come to the place where Islam began and to seek his majesty's counsel and to discuss with him many of the issues that we confront here in the Middle East...I am confident that working together that the United States and Saudi Arabia can make progress on a whole host of issues of mutual interest." Obama prior to meeting with King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia on June 3, 2009. June 1, 2009 General Motors Bankruptcy:
“GM is an American company, with tens of thousands of employees in this country, and responsibility for its future ultimately rests with us. That’s why our government will be making a significant additional investment of about $30 billion in GM, an investment that will entitle American taxpayers to ownership of about 60 percent of the new GM.” President Obama in an address regarding GM’s bankruptcy June 1, 2009.
“The automotive task force has been rigorous in its analysis, basically dissecting our plan, but with no real interest in running our business. We’re fine with that, I’m fine with that.” GM CEO Fritz Henderson stated following President Obama’s address on GM’s bankruptcy June 1, 2009
Views on Supreme Court Nominee:
"I see this as part of her own experience. Maybe she could have chosen different words but what she is basically saying is your experience matters and she went on to say that you have to look at this as a whole, that she has to ... bring her experience to bear but also the law to bear." Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minnesota, on CNN's "State of the Union"
"What she said is that based on her life experiences, that she felt a Latina woman, somebody with her background, would be a better judge than a guy like me, a white guy from South Carolina. And it is troubling, and it's inappropriate, and I hope she'll apologize. And if I had said something like that or someone with my background and profile, we wouldn't be talking about this nomination going forward." Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina, on "Fox News Sunday"
Political Peeks:
Think we have it bad with 8.9 percent unemployment? The unemployment rate in Spain has hit 17 percent, the highest in the European Union. Tens of thousands of protesters marched today in Madrid to demand better protection for the nation's workers. Similiar protests are planned for the coming days in Berlin, Prague, Luxembourg, Bucharest and Birmingham.
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