Results tagged “presidentobama”

• At today's hearing, prosecutors alleged that an investigator working with students of the Medill Innocence Project on the Anthony McKinney case paid a witness, undermining his credibility.
• President Obama traveled to Fort Hood to take part in the memorial service for the soldiers killed in last week's shooting rampage. Video of the President's remarks is available here.
• The early release for state prisoners to save money has begun.

By a narrow final margin of 220-215, the U.S. House passed the health care reform bill late last night. With the vote almost completely breaking along party lines, only one Republican - Joseph Cao of New Orleans, LA - voted yes while 39 Dems (none from Illinois) voted no. In an email statement, President Obama said, "This is a night to celebrate -- but not to rest. Those who voted for reform deserve our thanks, and the next phase of this fight has already begun.''

The battle over health care is revving up this weekend as a deal among U.S. House Democrats has paved the way for a potential House vote on President Obama's health care reform bill. The deal would allow for an amendment to the public option portion that would prevent the the government's plan, as well as private plans involved in the government-run exchanges, from covering elective abortions. However, coverage would still be available in the cases of rape, incest, or when the mother's life is in danger. The amendment is expected to pass with support from Republicans and conservative Dems and gives Dem leaders hope of swaying enough of those conservative Dems to secure the 218 necessary votes to pass the bill on to the Senate. There are concerns, though, that there won't be quite enough votes to get the bill passed. Clout Street explains:

       

With his handling of the War in Afghanistan coming under scrutiny, President Obama made a surprise trip this morning to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware to meet the caskets of the 18 soldiers killed in action over the last week; October 2009 has been the deadliest month for U.S. troops thus far in the eight-year war; as of Tuesday, the death toll was 55. Upon arrival, around 3 a.m., Obama met with the families of the soldiers in the base's chapel and then observed the transfer of caskets. Reporters and photographers were given permission to view the transfer of the casket of Sgt. Dale Griffin (of Terre Haute, Indiana) by Griffin's family. Obama returned to the White House shortly before 5 a.m.

If you thought Obama's receiving this year's Nobel Peace Prize was jumping the gun, get ready for more looking ahead. The University of Chicago is already taking the first steps to try to secure the eventual Obama Presidential Library. Bloomberg reports that U of C officials have already asked the White House about plans but have been rebuffed with the reasoning being, "too soon." University of Chicago president Robert J. Zimmer told Bloomberg, “We are trying to understand the situation as best we can now. Until the president really wants to talk about it, has some kind of direction that he’s thinking about, we really feel more specific questions are premature.” Meanwhile, U of C spokesman Steven Kloehn said, “I know of no contacts on that topic."

As the death toll from the H1N1 flu virus (aka swine flu) has crossed 1,000 in the United States, President Obama has declared the outbreak a national emergency which, according to CBS 2, "empowered his health secretary to suspend federal requirements and speed treatment for thousands of infected people." Obama signed the declaration late yesterday, saying in a statement, "As a nation, we have prepared at all levels of government, and as individuals and communities, taking unprecedented steps to counter the emerging pandemic." Originally planning to have 120 million doses shipped to health centers around the nation, only 11 million have been shipped; the government hopes to have 50 million shipped by mid-November and 150 million shipped by mid-December. Locally, long lines were forming around at different locations for a limited number of doses, all but ensuring many would be turned away without receiving the vaccination. Several area schools have also been completely shut down by widespread illness amongst students.

Speaking at a DNC fundraiser last night in New York City, President Obama addressed criticism of his proposed health care reform but also took a moment to address criticism of his trip to Copenhagen on behalf of Chicago's 2016 Olympic bid. Said Obama of his whirlwind, transatlantic adventure:

T-Pain gives President Obama a hand making his health care proposal sound better.

• Mayor Daley and Governor Quinn are defending the $16 million price tag on the state's tourism spending. If gubernatorial opponent Dan Hynes thinks that's steep now, wait til October 3rd when we might add roughly $4 billion to that.
• Officials downstate are investigating a brutal quintuple homicide in which a couple and three of their children were shot dead in Beason; a 3-year-old girl survived the shooting, but police haven't released any additional details on her condition.
• Investigators have ruled that the fire-related deaths of a couple in their Des Plaines-area home was a murder-suicide.

Speaking of President Obama and the issue that may keep him from going to Copenhagen in October, he's planning a big media blitz this weekend. You can look for him on the Sunday morning shows across the major networks including CBS, ABC, NBC, and CNN. He'll wrap it up by stopping by David Letterman's show, the first time a sitting present has visited Letterman. [Tribune]

Sure, the First Lady is going and Oprah's mulling it over, but President Obama is skeptical he'll get to visit Copenhagen in October to make a last-second pitch for Chicago 2016 because he's got other things on his "to do" list. But to hear at least one member of the IOC talk about it, President Obama is the key to the whole deal for Chicago. An IOC member named Dick Pound (no, really) spoke at a symposium focused on the Olympics last night and said, among other things, "If you have a popular and transformational leader and you don't use him, you're not maximizing your chances. To the extent that the mayor and Pat Ryan can twist the presidential arm, they should do that. I think it could make a huge difference."

Speaking of the Windy City White House, check out the official cabinet pic for Obama's current administration. Besides the President and his (literally) right-hand man Rahm-bo, you can also spot Illinois guys Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood (back row, all the way to the left) and Education Secretary Arne Duncan (standing, all the way to the right).

Man, it's been a rough summer for President Obama. As if the economy hasn't given him enough problems, the battle over health care reform has turned pretty damn nasty. And now a new poll by the Tribune and WGN shows that support for Obama in his co-home state is waning a bit. Of the 700 registered voters polled, 59 percent approved of the job he was doing, 33 percent disapprove, and eight percent had no opinion. Of course, the real split comes on how Obama's handled health care.

                     

It's time for our monthly check-in with Chicago's Commander-in-Chief who's had a rough several weeks. Photos courtesy of the White House Flickr stream.

A peach a day keeps the birthers/angry town hall attendees away?

In a sit-down described as "cordial and productive," President Obama sat down with Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates Jr., and Sgt. James Crowley, the Cambridge Police officer who arrested Gates a few weeks ago as Gates tried to enter his own locked house. The furor over the incident intensified last week when President Obama said that the police had "acted stupidly" in the manner in which they arrested Gates. A Pew Research Center poll found 41 percent of those polled disapproved of Obama's handling of the situation, 29 percent approved, and 30 percent fell into the "don't know" category. Afterward, Crowley indicated he and Gates planned to meet again. Whether the sit-down will cool tensions over this incident - which has seen things as wild as FOX News host Glenn Beck saying Obama, "has a deep-seeded hatred for white people," - remains to be seen and the President now moves on to other issues such as the economy (is it really rebounding?) and health care (still facing much opposition). In the meantime, Slate also breaks out a great list of cinematic sit-downs over beer. Hard to beat #1.

President Obama got some folks - including us - talking last week when he threw out the first pitch at the 2009 Major League Baseball All-Star Game wearing a White Sox jacket - even though MLB didn't want him to - and a large, oversized pair of jeans. But what does President Obama think of the Mom Jeans accusations? Well, in short, he doesn't care. In his interview with NBC's Today Show, Obama admitted being "frumpy" and said, "Here's my attitude: Michelle, she looks fabulous. ... For people who want a president to look great in tight jeans, I'm sorry." Well, at least he owns it. [via Newsday]

With the Health Care issue the hot topic on Capitol Hill right now, President Obama took to NBC's Today Show to talk about his proposal for Health Care reform and how he's prepared to do what it takes to ensure it gets passed.

         

Here's one more round of the All-Star visit of Pres. Obama, courtesy of the White House Flickr Stream. [see our previous set here and check out SI's collection here (thanks, Chris!)]

• The number of city jobs to be cut if the unions don't come to an agreement with Mayor Daley: 431 according to the Mayor.
• Authorities arrested Elgin Nathan James for running "a street gang that allegedly exerts control over the hardcore punk rock music [scene] through the use of violence."
• A strange story from the South Side where a man's two prosthetic legs were stolen. The legs were later recovered unharmed.

              

Pictures from President Obama's first Fourth of July in office, which also happened to be oldest daughter Malia's 11th birthday. Most pics are from the Fourth of July party on the White House's South Lawn.

       

Yes, outside of Michael Jackson, it is a pretty slow news day. Yesterday, President Obama held a luau for members of Congress at the White House, which included a dunk tank. While the sinking of press secretary Robert Gibb was captured on film, what we sadly have no pictorial evidence of is the report that First Daughter Sasha Obama was responsible for getting Rahm Emanuel all wet in the dunk tank (the press had been booted at that point). The luau was Obama's way of bringing his own personal touch to the president's annual picnic via his co-home state of Hawaii. We guess next year's will be an Illinois theme featuring Goose Island, brats, and cornhole, right?

President Obama is about to start a press conference in the White House Rose Garden, his first from that location. Expected topics of interest will include Iran and health care. You can follow it here starting at 11:30 a.m.

While the Republicans are beginning to sort out their candidates for the 2010 governor's race, the nation's top Democrat is starting to help state Dems sort out who's running for what, including Attorney General Lisa Madigan. Though Madigan has long been rumored as a serious candidate for governor, it seems President Obama is trying to push Madigan into next year's senate race - for the seat Obama once occupied and is now occupied by embattled Sen. Roland Burris - in an attempt to take on Republican U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk. The Sun-Times' Laura Washington has more.

     

Much was made yesterday morning about the cost of President Obama's quick trip back to Chicago for his speech before the American Medical Association's annual meeting, pitching his proposed health care reform plan. But the speech itself was received warmly for the most part. Calling the current cost of health care a "ticking time-bomb" and while not supporting caps on malpractice lawsuits, Obama did call for improvements to the system that would:

We mentioned last week President Obama is making a brief return visit to town today to speak to the annual meeting of the American Medical Association House of Delegates. Most pundits see the address as the first in what will be a growing and ongoing tussle over Obama's new health care package. But others, including the Tribune, are focusing more on the cost of Obama's trip home than what he has to say to the AMA. President Obama won't stay long, flying back to D.C. later this afternoon after making his appearance. According to the Tribune, the cost of the round-trip on Air Force One will cost around $236,000. And, as the Trib points out, "that does not include such expenses as Secret Service protection, motorcades and helicopter transports." It's believed that Obama will travel by helicopter from O'Hare to a location close to the hotel where he'll be speaking so as not to completely snarl traffic. Of course, buried in the Trib story are concessions that Obama's trips to Chicago are much shorter - and thereby cheaper - than trips taken by previous presidents to their home bases.

Rev. Jeremiah Wright backpedaled on his controversial comments blaming "them Jews" for preventing him from having any contact with President Obama. According to Politico:

Reverend Jeremiah Wright is at it again, doing what he best: stirring up controversy. In an interview at the Hampton University Ministers' Conference, Wright blamed the Jews for not allowing him to talk to President Obama.

With health care always in the news, President Obama is going to make a return trip to Chicago next week to address the annual meeting of the American Medical Association House of Delegates in person. Last week, the AMA - along with several other supporting organizations - published an open letter to President Obama [PDF] about their hopes and suggestions for health care reform. The House of Delegates meeting takes place June 13 through 17th, following on the heels of the general AMA convention, which begins tomorrow and runs through Saturday.