Archive for the ‘Obama’ Category

Former President Barack Obama reveals political comeback – AOL News

By Nathan Rousseau Smith, Buzz60

As many wait with bated breath on details around Barack Obama's post-White House ventures, a solidified book deal and new report could signal a political comeback for the former president.

That according to Obama's friend and former Attorney General Eric Holder, who addressed the National Democratic Redistricting Committee. Holder told reporters "It's coming. He's coming, and he's ready to roll. [Obama] will be a more visible part of the effort."

Holder said he's discussed with Obama ways to help the NDRC through fundraising and interacting with state legislators.

RELATED: 44 iconic photos of Barack Obama's presidency

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44 iconic photos of Barack Obama's presidency

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Barack Obama takes a moment to reflect before walking on stage to take the oath of office.

Photo Credit: The White House

Barack Obama and the First Lady share a tender moment during the Inaugural Ball on Jan. 20, 2009.

Photo Credit: The White House

Obama enters the Oval Office on the first day of his presidency.

Photo Credit: The White House

President Obama reads a letter left in his desk by George W. Bush, a White House tradition welcoming the new President.

Photo Credit: The White House

Obama tours the grounds of his new home for the next 8 years.

Photo Credit: The White House

Barack Obama meets with senior advisors in his third week as president.

Photo Credit: The White House

President Obama settles in for his first flight aboard Air Force One.

Photo Credit: The White House

The 44thPresident of the United States gives his first State of the Union address on February 24, 2009.

Photo Credit: The White House

Mr. & Mrs. Obama walk hand in hand towards the helicopter that will take them on their first trip to Camp David.

Photo Credit: The White House

Michelle Obama shakes hands with Queen Elizabeth at the Buckingham palace during their trip for the G20 summit.

Photo Credit: The White House

POTUS shows some love for his troops while visiting Camp Victory in Iraq on April 7, 2009.

Photo Credit: The White House

The Obamas share a laugh while eating a snack after an event.

Photo Credit: The White House

Obama and Biden take in some fresh air with some golf on the White House green.

Photo Credit: The White House

President Obama explores the Pyramids of Giza during a trip to Egypt on June 4, 2009.

Photo Credit: The White House

POTUS walks through his first G8 Summit in Italy.

Photo Credit: The White House

Barack Obama takes in the beauty of the Grand Canyon.

Photo Credit: The White House

President Obama enjoys himself during an interview with David Letterman on Sept 21, 2009.

Photo Credit: The White House

The Obama's welcome children to enjoyHalloween fun at the White House.

Photo Credit: The White House

President Obama and the First Lady take their first portrait in front of the official White House Christmas tree.

Obama sits in his personalized chair during a meeting.

Photo Credit: The White House

The Obama's bust a move during the Governors' Ball.

Photo Credit: The White House

Obama takes a moment to catch up on some important documents while on the go.

Photo credit: The White House

The President takes calls at all hours leading up to the vote on healthcare reform.

Photo credit: The White House

Obama and Biden applaud the passing of the Affordable Care Act.

Photo Credit: The White House

White House Photographer Pete Souza had this to say about capturing this photo: "The sun was setting as the Presidential motorcade arrived back at Miami International Airport. I ran to get in front of Air Force One so I could use the beautiful sky as the background when the President boarded the plane."

Photo Credit: The White House

The Obamas lip-sync to a group of acappella singers during a holiday visit.

Photo Credit: The White House

A rare moment in the Situation Room of the White House.

Photo Credit: The White House

The President greets soldiers after a surprise all night flight to Afghanistan.

Photo Credit: The White House

The Obama family admires Rio's infamous Christ the Redeemer statue while In Brazil on March 20, 2011.

Photo Credit: The White House

Barack Obama approaches the Marine One helicopter.

Photo Credit: The White House

President Obama watches the screen like a hawk during the real time mission to capture Osama bin Laden.

Photo Credit: The White House

The White House photographer Pete Souza writes"The President was ready to announce the news about the mission against Osama bin Laden and was putting the finishing touches on his statement in the Outer Oval Office. As he did so, the networks broke in with bulletins confirming that bin Laden had been killed and a photograph of him appeared on the television screen in the background near the Vice President and Press Secretary Jay Carney."

Photo Credit: The White House

Souza says "One of the most memorable moments of the year was when the President hugged Rep. Gabrielle Giffords as he walked onto the floor of the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol to deliver his annual State of the Union address."

Photo Credit: The White House

Pete Souza reveals an interesting fact about this photo: "The President hugs the First Lady after she had introduced him at a campaign event in Davenport, Iowa. The campaign tweeted a similar photo from the campaign photographer on election night and a lot of people thought it was taken on election day."

Photo Credit: The White House

Basketball fans cheer for the Obamas as they kiss for the kiss cam.

Photo Credit: The White House

President Obama serenades Michelle on her birthday.

Photo Credit: Pete Souza

President Obama sits for a 3D portrait at the Smithsonian.

Photo Credit: The White House

President Obama takes a detour after the NATO summit to visit Stonehenge.

Photo Credit: The White House

Barack Obama can't keep a straight face while recording a Holiday video at the White House.

Photo Credit: The White House

Mr. President speaks at the 50th Anniversary of Bloody Sunday and the Selma to Montgomery civil-rights marches.

Photo Credit: The White House

President Barack Obama and President Ral Castro of Cuba shake hands during the Summit of the Americas at the Atlapa Convention Center in Panama City, Panama on April 11, 2015.

Photo Credit: The White House

U.S. President Barack Obama collects the folio holding the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 after signing it into law in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, November 2, 2015.

Phto credit: REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

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Holder also predicted Republican lawmakers would lose seats during off-year elections per usual but that it would be quote "on steroids with President Trump."

Penguin Random House has landed a deal to publish two forthcoming books by former U.S. President Barack Obama and the former first lady, Michelle Obama, with one volume to be written by each, the publishing company said on Tuesday.

Terms of the agreement, in which Penguin Random House acquired worldwide publication rights for the two books, were not disclosed.

RELATED: Barack and Michelle Obama through the years

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Barack and Michelle Obama through the years

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Former President Barack Obama reveals political comeback - AOL News

Obama official: ‘Nothing magic’ about saying ‘radical Islamic terrorism’ – Washington Examiner

A former Obama administration official dismissed President Trump's reference to "radical Islamic terrorism" in his speech to Congress last night as a talking point that doesn't matter much in the war against the Islamic State.

"There's nothing magic about those three words, and they're not a strategy, they're a talking point," said Marie Harf, a former State Department spokeswoman, on Fox News.

Harf noted that Trump's own staff has said they oppose using that term because it "alienates a lot of the people that we actually need to work with us in defeating ISIS."

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She said Obama's plan was effective and was working, which was to build up local forces to fight the group and give them air support. But that plan was criticized by many Republicans, who said it required waiting for several years to make progress.

Republicans also said Obama hurt the effort by failing to acknowledge that radical Islam was the source of the terrorist threat, and charged that he couldn't effectively fight an enemy he refused to identify.

Unlike President Obama's push to "degrade and destroy" the Islamic State, Trump said his plan was to "demolish and destroy" the group.

"As promised, I directed the Department of Defense to develop a plan to demolish and destroy ISIS a network of lawless savages that have slaughtered Muslims and Christians, and men, women, and children of all faiths and beliefs," Trump said.

Also from the Washington Examiner

"He was talking specifically about ISIS at the time. We're talking about the broader threat."

03/01/17 2:40 PM

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Obama official: 'Nothing magic' about saying 'radical Islamic terrorism' - Washington Examiner

Donald Trump accuses Obama of orchestrating protests against …

Donald Trump has accused former president Barack Obama and his people of organizing the demonstrations that have roiled city streets, airports and town halls during the first weeks of his presidency.

In an interview with Fox and Friends, which aired on Tuesday morning in the US, the president also suggested Obama and his allies were behind the leaks of classified information from the White House to the press.

There is no evidence that the former president has had any hand in either activity.

Trump was asked by the Fox interviewer whether he believed Obama was involved in organizing protests, including the recent spate of raucous Republican town hall meetings, and if he is, is that a violation of the so-called unsaid presidents code?

No, I think he is behind it. I also think its just politics. Thats just the way it is, Trump said in the pre-taped interview, a portion of which was released on Monday night.

Trump continued: You never know whats exactly happening behind the scenes I think that President Obamas behind it because his people are certainly behind it.

Republicans and rightwing media outlets have accused the former president of directing the demonstrations though a group called Organizing for Action (OFA), a progressive group that grew out of Obamas presidential campaigns. It is chaired by Jim Messina, who was Obamas deputy chief of staff during his first term and his campaign manager during the 2012 election.

As a nonprofit, the group cannot advocate for a political candidate, though its agenda aligns closely with the Democratic party and Obamas key policy positions. There is no evidence the former president is personally involved with the group.

Last week, Republicans faced angry constituents in town halls and district offices around the country. The action follows protests that erupted at airports in response to the Trump administrations travel ban, which closed the US borders to people from seven predominantly Muslim countries.

In the interview with Fox, Trump accused Obama and his allies of possible involvement in the leaks of information from the White House.

Some of the leaks possibly come from that group, Trump said in the interview.

You know, some of the leaks which are really very serious leaks because theyre very bad in terms of national security but I also understand thats politics and it will probably continue.

It is extremely rare for a former president to criticize his successor while in office.

Last month, Obama spoke out against Trumps travel ban. In a statement, a spokesman said Obama was heartened by the level of engagement taking place in communities around the country and that the former president fundamentally disagrees with the notion of discriminating against individuals because of their faith or religion.

In the Fox interview, Trump further disparaged Obamas immigration policy, saying the former president had deported a lot of people, in contrast to his own administrations stepped-up deportation measures, which were focusing on a very bad group.

Earlier this month, in Texas, a woman was arrested by immigration officials at a courthouse where she was seeking protection from domestic violence. In a separate case, a Salvadoran woman fighting deportation was removed by immigration officials from a Texas hospital where she was being treated for a brain tumor and returned to a detention centre.

In response to a question about whether there was a method behind his recent spate of Twitter attacks, Trump reiterated his criticism of John McCain. The senator had been critical of the Trump administrations operation in Yemen last month, which resulted in the death of a US Navy Seal.

I felt badly when a young man dies and John McCain said it was a bad mission I thought it was inappropriate that he goes to foreign soil and he criticizes our government, Trump said on Fox, cautioning the Arizona senator to be careful.

Trump also insisted to Fox that his Twitter feed allowed him to go around dishonest media, a theme repeated in an exclusive interview with Breitbart News, the controversial far-right media outlet formerly run by his chief White House strategist Steve Bannon.

The president specifically criticized the New York Times, alleging that the newspapers intent is so evil and so bad in its coverage of him.

I call them the failing New York Times and they write lies. They write lies. Nobody would know that, Trump said of the Times.

Additional reporting by Adam Gabbatt.

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Donald Trump accuses Obama of orchestrating protests against ...

Obama spotted outside NYC Starbucks, greeted by cheering …

NEW YORK --New Yorkers are supposed to be cool when a celebrity in their midst, but Manhattan had no chill Friday when former President Obama was spotted outside a downtown Starbucks.

Mr. Obama, whose most recent headlines have been about kitesurfing with Richard Branson, was spotted leaving 160 5th Ave. Friday around noon, with a cup of coffee in his hand.

Allan Smith of Business Insider captured video of Mr. Obama walking from the building to an SUV. Twitter users, meanwhile, captured some of the mania outside.

Mr. Obama has long been popular in New York City, where he trounced Mitt Romney 81 percent to 18 percent in 2012 (Romney tied Mr. Obama in the district where President Trump and Trump Tower is located), according to The New York Times. And despite being Mr. Trumps hometown and the current home of First Lady Melania Trump and their 10-year-old son Barron Trump New York City voted solidly for Hillary Clinton in November.

On Thursday night, Mr. Obama was spotted at Emilios Ballato in SoHo, with his daughter Malia, according to the Instagram page of the restaurant.

The reasons for Mr. Obamas visit are not yet known.

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Obama 2017: Petition for Barack Obama to Be French … – time.com

Obama 17 posters are seen displayed on Feb. 23, 2017 in Paris, France. Aurelien MeunierGetty Images

If the upcoming French election wasn't tense enough, a petition is calling to add yet another candidate into the mix: former U.S. President Barack Obama .

The Obama 17 campaign, which was launched earlier this week, is attempting to collect 1 million signatures by March 15 in order to persuade Obama to stand in the May election.

"Barack Obama has the best resume in the world for the job," the site explains. "Because at a time when France is about to vote massively for the extreme right, we can still give a lesson of democracy to the planet by electing a French President, a foreigner."

According to NBC , posters calling for Obama 2017 have been plastered around Paris and the petition has received about 27,000 signatures so far. One of the site's founders told NBC that he thought up the idea for the campaign with four friends "after a drink."

This diverse array of contenders in the French election is likely to be winnowed down to a head-to-head race by the country's two-round voting system. Unless one candidate wins a (highly unlikely) majority in the first round, the two candidates who receive the most votes in round one (April 23) will face off in a second round (May 7).

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Obama 2017: Petition for Barack Obama to Be French ... - time.com