Archive for the ‘Obama’ Category

Obama goes stag to Asia, and Japanese don't like it (+video)

Obama travels to Japan without the first lady, and Japanese tongues are wagging about what that says about Japan's place on the US priority list. After all, Michelle Obama and daughters recently went to (gasp!) China.

When Japan scored Caroline Kennedy as the new US ambassador to Tokyo last year, Japanese officials and media were ecstatic. That President Obama had named such a globally recognized figure and the daughter of a widely beloved and glamorous president to represent the United States in Japan was seen as a sign of the countrys enduring importance to Washington.

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But that was then. Now on the eve of Mr. Obamas state visit to Tokyo this week, Japan is back to openly fretting about its place on Americas priority list particularly in comparison to rising rival China.

The reason? When Obama arrives Wednesday evening, hell disembark Air Force One solo without first lady Michelle Obama. Obama will be the first US president to come to Japan on a state visit in 18 years, but never mind: Michelles absence has thrown Tokyo into a tizzy.

Media commentators, social media discussions, academics, even some officials, named and unnamed, are wringing their hands over Mrs. Obamas decision to sit out not just Japan but her husbands entire eight-day Asia trip, which will also take in South Korea, Malaysia, and the Philippines.

At least one miffed member of the Diet, Japans parliament, has gone so far as to become snarky so not like Japan and intimate that the presidents solo travel must say something about the state of the Obama marriage.

But for most of those doing the chattering, Mrs. Obamas absence is a woeful sign of Japans retreat from the top tier of Americas allies.

No doubt the first lady's no-show would have disappointed and prompted speculation under just about any circumstances. But what has really thrown the Japanese for a loop is that her failure to grace Japan with her presence comes within a month of Mrs. Obamas widely covered trip with daughters, Sasha and Malia, to (shudder at the thought) China.

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Obama goes stag to Asia, and Japanese don't like it (+video)

Obama Opens 4-Country, Asia-Pacific Trip in Tokyo

Opening a four-country swing through the Asia-Pacific region, President Barack Obama is aiming to promote the U.S. as a committed economic, military and political partner, but the West's dispute with Russia over Ukraine threatens to cast a shadow over the president's sales mission.

Obama arrived in Tokyo late Wednesday for an official state visit after flying overnight from the U.S. He headed straight for a private dinner with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, setting the stage for bilateral talks Thursday. Obama will also be the guest of honor at a state dinner Thursday night at the Imperial Palace, the moat-lined and stone-walled home of Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko. He is traveling without first lady Michelle Obama.

The eight-day trip is a do-over of the Asia tour Obama had scheduled last October but canceled in the midst of the partial shutdown of the U.S. government.

As with last fall's trip, the White House wants to keep the focus on Obama's promised "rebalance" of U.S. policy toward Asia, after years of attention on the Middle East and the fight against terrorism. One goal of Obama's stops in Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and the Philippines is to demonstrate the benefits to America of deeper economic relations with the fast-growing region.

But the continued need for Obama to devote time and energy to more pressing matters at home and abroad has fostered lingering doubts here about the depth of the U.S. commitment. And the situation in Ukraine threatens to divert at least some of Obama's attention this week.

Relations between neighbors Russia and Ukraine remain tense nearly a week after both countries, the U.S. and the European Union inked an agreement in Geneva calling on Moscow to use its influence over pro-Russian forces to have them lay down their arms and end their occupation of government buildings in eastern Ukraine.

Each side accuses the other of failing to uphold its end of the deal.

The White House, which lays the blame squarely on Russia and praises Ukraine for behaving responsibly, has said it is monitoring the situation closely and is prepared, without being specific about a timeline, to slap additional sanctions on Russia "in the coming days" if it fails to abide by the terms of the tenuous deal.

"We are calling on all parties to comply with the commitments they've made," White House press secretary Jay Carney told reporters traveling with Obama.

The U.S. response in Ukraine has unsettled some Asian countries, leaving them to wonder how reliable a partner the U.S. would be if they ever faced a similar situation given their own sea and air disputes with China. They are seeking reassurance from Obama.

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Obama Opens 4-Country, Asia-Pacific Trip in Tokyo

Kermit the Frog on Miss Piggy, President Obama & his little secret – Video


Kermit the Frog on Miss Piggy, President Obama his little secret
Zu "Muppets Most Wanted" trifft Vanessa den berhmtesten Frosch der Welt zu Interview. ab 1.Mai 2014 im Kino Interview: Vanessa Christin Poehlmann.

By: moviemaniacsDE

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Kermit the Frog on Miss Piggy, President Obama & his little secret - Video

Robert Spencer: Obama ignores Jihadist imperative to destroy non-Muslims – Video


Robert Spencer: Obama ignores Jihadist imperative to destroy non-Muslims
Watch the full episode here http://youtu.be/_kNDNHysN38 JihadWatch author Robert Spencer talks about why the US missed cues from Russia which could have prev...

By: RT

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Robert Spencer: Obama ignores Jihadist imperative to destroy non-Muslims - Video

President-Elect Barack Obama Introduces His National Security Team 12-1-2008 part 2 of 2 – Video


President-Elect Barack Obama Introduces His National Security Team 12-1-2008 part 2 of 2
President-elect Barack Obama unveiled his national security team at a press conference in Chicago on December 1st, 2008. President-Elect Barack Obama Introdu...

By: William Blakey

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President-Elect Barack Obama Introduces His National Security Team 12-1-2008 part 2 of 2 - Video