On His First Anniversary as President...

…on his way to Egypt, he was asked what he would say about the "authoritarian" nature of the Egyptian regime. That was kind of an understatement: Egypt is a brutal, harsh dictatorship. Obama's response was something about how he doesn't like to use labels for "folks." When a politician uses the word "folks," you wait for the next horror that's coming along. Obama said that he wouldn't call Mubarak authoritarian. He's a person who brings stability and does good, and he is our friend. (Chomsky, 2010)

Has Obama made any progress on the Israel-Palestine issue?

Obama said that we are now in a position where things can really be done because there are constructive proposals on the table. He singled out the Arab League Plan and said that it was a good basis for proceeding. … when the press asked whether Obama would do anything if Israel continues to expand settlements, his spokesperson said no; it was purely symbolic. He said that we wouldn't do what George Bush, Sr. did. He [George H. W. Bush] imposed very minor penalties if Israel continued to expand settlements. Bush withheld loan guarantees to the extent that Israel used the funds for settlement expansion. Obama said that we won't go as far as Bush, Sr., that the statements now are purely symbolic. That's telling Benjamin Netanyahu to do whatever he likes. That's a wink. We say "stop expanding settlements," but we wink to say they can go ahead and do it. (Chomsky, 2010)

References

Chomsky, N. (2010). A President's Report Card: Obama's First Year as President an Interview with Noam Chomsky. Harvard International Review, 32(1), 56+. Retrieved April 21, 2011, from Questia database: http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=5042649097

Obama and Bush Encounter

"The country's first black president, he started his day in Chicago, dropping daughters Malia, 10, and Sasha, seven, at school with a kiss, before hitting the gym.


Obama has been to the White House before. Four years ago, he and other members of the Senate were invited for breakfast with Bush. The two men shook hands and then, according to Obama, Bush turned to an aide "who squirted a big dollop of hand sanitiser in the president's hand". Bush then offered some to Obama, who recalled: "Not wanting to seem unhygienic, I took a squirt.""

Work Cited:
"OBAMA IN THE HOUSE; He's All Smiles.But Means Business." The Mirror (London, England) 11 Nov. 2008: 8.

Plan on Iraq Political Campaign or Platform of Government

By contrast with Richardson's, Kucinich's, and Edwards's stated views in the debates, Obama and Clinton envisioned a larger American presence. In the September 26 debate, the senator from Illinois said that the first thing he would do if elected would be "to call together the Joint Chiefs of Staff and initiate a phased redeployment.? I would immediately begin that process. We would get combat troops out of Iraq." The only troops that would remain, Obama said, would be those needed to protect U.S. bases, the U.S. embassy, and U.S. civilians, as well as "to engage in counterterrorism activities in Iraq." (Bostdorff)


As he had in the pre-primary debates, Obama continued to stress the need for diplomacy. He emphasized how he would send "a signal to the Iraqis that we are serious, and prompt the Shias, the Sunni and the Kurds to actually come together and negotiate."176 Furthermore, Obama said that he wanted to get the United States "out of Iraq so that we can refocus our attention on building the networks and alliances that are required to reduce terrorism around the world."

Like Richardson, Obama also pointed to the situation in Iraq as a reason why he wanted "to elevate diplomacy, so that it is part of our arsenal to serve the American people's interests and to keep us safe."178 Obama's pattern of emphasizing diplomacy more than the other candidates was consistent with his pre-primary debate performance, but it also served to underscore the importance of words to his leadership, an association that Clinton would attempt to use to her advantage. (Bostdorff)

Work Cited
Bostdorff, Denise M. "Judgment, Experience, and Leadership: Candidate Debates on the Iraq War in the 2008 Presidential Primaries." Rhetoric & Public Affairs12.2 (2009): 223+.

"An African Solution Solving the Crisis of Failed States" and Obama

What United States President Barack Obama said in his July 2009 speech in Accra, Ghana, while remarkably accurate, was not new. In fact, his message confirms what some of us have been saying for decades, best summarized in his words as:

"Africa's future is up to Africans ... Development depends upon good governance. That is the ingredient which has been missing ... That is the change that can unlock Africa's potential ... a responsibility that can only be met by Africans." Africa's destiny lies in her own hands and the solutions to her myriad problems lie in Africa itself--not inside the corridors of the World Bank or the inner sanctum of the Oval Office or the Kremlin. Moreover, Africa's salvation lies in returning to and building upon its own indigenous institutions and heritage. (Ayittey)

Work Cited

Ayittey, George B.N. "An African Solution Solving the Crisis of Failed States: George B.N. Ayittey Is a Distinguished Economist at American University and President of the Free Africa Foundation. He Is the Author of Africa Unchained." Harvard International Review 31.3 (2009): 24+

Patriotism, Terrorism and Taxes

Barack Obama said that he no longer wears a flag pin because it has become a substitute for "true patriotism." He added, "Instead, I'm going to try to tell the American people what I believe will make this country great and hopefully that will be a testimony to my patriotism." ("Barack Obama Said That" 6)


Barack Obama said that America must be willing to attack al-Qaeda targets in Pakistan with or without the permission of the Pakistani government. He told a press conference, "If we have actionable intelligence about high- value terrorist targets and President Musharraf won't act, we will." (Babbin 6)


Obama said that "McCain wants to give the average Fortune 500 CEO a $700,000 tax cut but absolutely nothing at all to over 100 million Americans." In the back-and-forth between McCain and Obama on tax policy, McCain has repeatedly referred to "Joe the Plumber": Joe Wurzelbacher, the Ohio plumber who elicited Obama's comment that "when you spread the wealth around, it's good for everybody." ("McCain & Obama's Ongoing" 7)

Works Cited

Babbin, Jed. "Pakistan-based Terrorists Must Be Rooted out." Human Events 8 Dec. 2008: 6. 

"Barack Obama Said That He No Longer Wears a Flag Pin Because It Has Become a Substitute for "True Patriotism."." National Review 5 Nov. 2007: 6.

"McCain & Obama's Ongoing Debate on Taxes Ignores Inflation Tax." The New American10 Nov. 2008: 7.

Ending War in Iraq

MLA Citation
Obama said that he wanted to get the United States "out of Iraq so that we can refocus our attention on building the networks and alliances that are required to reduce terrorism around the world."177 Like Richardson, Obama also pointed to the situation in Iraq as a reason why he wanted "to elevate diplomacy, so that it is part of our arsenal to serve the American people's interests and to keep us safe." (Bostdorff)


MLA Bibliography/Work Cited

Works Cited

Bostdorff, Denise M. "Judgment, Experience, and Leadership: Candidate Debates on the Iraq War in the 2008 Presidential Primaries." Rhetoric & Public Affairs 12.2 (2009): 223+.

APA Citation:
Obama said that he wanted to get the United States "out of Iraq so that we can refocus our attention on building the networks and alliances that are required to reduce terrorism around the world."177 Like Richardson, Obama also pointed to the situation in Iraq as a reason why he wanted "to elevate diplomacy, so that it is part of our arsenal to serve the American people's interests and to keep us safe." (Bostdorff, 2009)


APA Bibliography/References

References

Bostdorff, D. M. (2009). Judgment, Experience, and Leadership: Candidate Debates on the Iraq War in the 2008 Presidential Primaries. Rhetoric & Public Affairs, 12(2), 223+. 

Obama said that he wanted to get the United States "out of Iraq so that we can refocus our attention on building the networks and alliances that are required to reduce terrorism around the world."177 Like Richardson, Obama also pointed to the situation in Iraq as a reason why he wanted "to elevate diplomacy, so that it is part of our arsenal to serve the American people's interests and to keep us safe." ¹

1. Denise M. Bostdorff, "Judgment, Experience, and Leadership: Candidate Debates on the Iraq War in the 2008 Presidential Primaries," Rhetoric & Public Affairs 12, no. 2 (2009).