Posts Tagged ‘Obama’

Obama proclaims National Days of Prayer and Remembrance

Washington (CNN) – Commemorating the 10th anniversary of 9/11, President Barack Obama proclaimed this weekend, Friday though Sunday, as National Days of Prayer and Remembrance.

“Today, our nation still faces great challenges, but this last decade has proven once more that, as a people, we emerge from our trials stronger than before,” Obama said in a statement Friday.

The president called on Americans to honor the victims of the terrorist attacks through activities such as prayer, memorial services, the ringing of bells, and evening candlelight remembrance vigils.

Obama also urged citizens to remember those among “the 9/11 generation” of service members who have “come of age bearing the burden of war,” with some paying the ultimate sacrifice.

“During these days of prayer and remembrance, a grateful nation gives thanks to all those who have given of themselves to make us safer,” Obama said.

Obama will attend memorial services at all three attack sites – New York, Washington and Pennsylvania – this weekend.

The proclamation comes in the wake of faith-based groups expressing opposition toward New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who stirred controversy when deciding to exclude religious leaders from the World Trade Center memorial service on Sunday.

Prominent politicians have also come out against the decision. On Tuesday, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani said religion played a key role in the days following the attacks by offering people some “strength to move on.”

“Just get them up. Say a little prayer,” Giuliani said at the National Press Club in Washington Tuesday. “The microphone will not melt if you say a prayer.”

In his statement Friday, Obama did not address the clergy issue, but focused on the memory of those who lost their lives 10 years ago.

“We continue to stand with their families and loved ones, while striving to ensure the legacy of those we lost is a safer, stronger, and more resilient nation,” Obama said.

– CNN’s Eric Marrapodi contributed to this report.


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Clinton: ‘Below zero’ chance at challenging Obama

Washington (CNN) - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says there is a “below zero” chance that she will challenge President Barack Obama for the presidency in 2012.

In an interview with CNN’s Alison Kosik on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, the former senator from New York said she is happy with her current job.

On Monday, Sept. 12th, CNN will broadcast the “Tea Party Republican Debate,” live from Tampa, Florida at 8 p.m. ET. Follow all the issues and campaign news leading up to the debate on CNNPolitics.com and @cnnpolitics on Twitter.

“One of the great things about being Secretary of State is I am out of politics,” Clinton said. “I have a big job to do and I am honored to do it everyday.”

When Kosik asked if she would ever get back into politics, Clinton said she had the same feelings.

“I don’t think so. I think I am going to stay focused on doing what I can to make sure that we continue to lead the world,” Clinton said.

Former Vice President Dick Cheney, possibly in an attempt to needle Democrats, said in a recent interview with ABC News that it was “not a bad idea” for Clinton to challenge Obama.

“I am not interested in being drawn back into it [politics] by anybody,” said Clinton.

In the past, Clinton has also indicated that she would like secretary of state to be last her job in government.

“I think I’ll serve as secretary of state as my last public position,” Clinton said at a 2010 event in Bahrain. “Then (I’ll) probably go back to advocacy work, particularly on behalf of women and children, and particularly around the world.”

She told CNN’s Wolf Blizter earlier this year that if the president is re-elected she does not want to serve a second term.

Clinton and Obama fought well into overtime in a historic battle for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination. Since then there have been rumors that Clinton might want to primary challenge Obama in 2012, but she has consistently knocked down such talk.


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Cantor strikes conciliatory tone before Obama jobs speech

Washington (CNN) – Striking a conciliatory tone the day before President Obama comes to Capitol Hill to reveal his jobs plan, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor left the door open to working with him on some of the proposals he’s expected to present in his address to a joint session of Congress Thursday evening.

Cantor said discussions with voters over the summer recess made it clear they are anxious about the economy, and he added Americans “have lost a lot of confidence in Washington and while they are going through such tough times they’re frankly sick of the rancor in this town.”

The number two House Republican noted the GOP continues to have a major difference of opinion with the president on the best way to create jobs, citing his party’s opposition to the president’s 2009 stimulus.

But moving forward Cantor stressed, “We’ve got to focus on areas of commonality, try and transcend differences here. I think we need to build consensus and that’s going to require us all not to impugn motives or to question patriotism.”

Three areas in which Cantor indicated the GOP may be able to find some common ground include some infrastructure spending, assistance for jobless Americans, and trade.

But while the president is expected to call for more federal spending for infrastructure projects and the unemployed, Cantor maintained that there needed to be more flexibility for states on how they spend money they already receive, and an effort to reform federal programs to support the unemployed with a focus on getting people back to work.

Cantor also encouraged the White House to move the three pending trade deals with Colombia, Panama, and Korea quickly to the Hill, saying reports show passage of the trade deals could “see the creation of hundreds of thousands of additional jobs.”

House Speaker John Boehner declined to answer questions from reporters Wednesday about the details emerging on the jobs package the president plans to unveil Thursday. But Boehner’s spokesman was careful to reserve judgment, telling reporters the speaker “will wait and listen to the President’s speech and we will consider those ideas along with other alternatives that have been discussed and debated in Congress.”

Cantor reiterated that House Republicans will move forward with their own agenda to facilitate growth in the short term – rolling back regulations that they believe are anti-business and providing small businesses a tax cut to encourage them to hire more new workers.

Shortly after the president lays out his plan Thursday, the contrast between the president’s approach and that of House Republicans will be on display not far from Washington. President Obama is scheduled to hold a jobs event in Cantor’s backyard of Richmond, Virginia, on Friday. Cantor announced Wednesday he’ll hold his own economic event the same day in his district.


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Republicans may not give formal response to Obama jobs speech

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Two days before President Barack Obama unveils a major jobs initiative to a joint session of Congress, no one has been designated publicly by Republican leaders on Capitol Hill to deliver the customary GOP response to the high-profile speech.

One senior Republican congressional aide told CNN Tuesday it is likely there won’t be a single, formal response but instead all Republican lawmakers will fan out to react to – and rebut – the president’s proposal.


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President Obama to Speak to Congress

The President will address a joint session of Congress on Thursday, September 8.





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Obama, in His Failure to Learn a Lesson of History, is Forcing All of Us to Relearn the Lesson

The rise of the Tea Party, the Congressional minority imposing its will; it’s all happened before.





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Tim Geithner tells Obama: I’ll stay in job

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) – Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner is staying put, the Obama administration announced Sunday.

“Secretary Geithner has let the president know that he plans to stay on in his position at Treasury,” a Treasury spokeswoman said in a statement.


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Satire: New Poll Indicates President Obama Trails Generic Republican, Generic Creeper

But the president defeats generic Syphilitic, generic Scientologist, Sarah Palin.





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Obama cancels fundraisers amid debt negotiations

Washington (CNN) – A campaign official for President Barack Obama tells CNN the president has cancelled two political fundraising appearances Monday night because of the debt ceiling situation.

The president’s week-ahead schedule, released Friday night, stated he was to attend two Democratic National Committee events in Washington Monday evening. But the events were not listed on a schedule released Sunday night.


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Obama will nominate Cordray to head the new consumer bureau

Washington (CNN) – President Barack Obama on Monday will nominate Richard Cordray to head the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the White House announced Sunday.

The move sets up formal leadership for the bureau created under the Wall Street reform bill passed last year.


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