President Obama Is In Berlin

Politico: How Obama not so subtly undercuts Trump

Obama’s calculated but opaque opposition to Trump was on full display in Berlin.

When they realized former President Barack Obama was going to be in Berlin the same day President Donald Trump was going to be in Brussels, Angela Merkel was the one who called the White House to break the news.

The German chancellor invited Obama to the event in front of the Brandenburg Gate last year, before the election. Officially part of a multi-day gathering sponsored by the Protestant church in Germany, focused on youth and highlighting an exchange program between Berlin and Chicago, it was really about letting Obama boost his friend ahead of her fall reelection campaign and begin the international phase of his own post-presidency.

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WNU Editor: He just cannot let it go. After being deferred to and praised by many for 8 years .... and then to see President Trump be treated and feted by the Saudis and Israelis in a manner that was never accorded to him .... he has to (cough cough) voice his thoughts. I understand what he is doing .... he is fighting for his legacy, and he and his supporters know that President Trump is well positioned to uproot it. Here is an easy prediction .... President Obama's criticisms of President Trump are going to increase over time. But for the moment .... happy days are here today .... Nothing Says "Happiness" and "Relief" Like Angela Merkel Seeing Barack Obama Again (Mother Jones).

More News On President Obama's Remarks In Berlin

In Berlin, Obama Tacitly Criticizes Trump -- US News and World Report
Obama jabs Trump ahead of NATO summit -- FOX News
Obama, in Europe, taunts Trump -- Washington Times
Obama sends Trump clear message: 'We can't hide behind a wall' -- USA Today
Trump debuts in Europe as Obama returns to stir nostalgia for the old days -- The Guardian

No Comment Yet From President Obama On The New York City Bob Attacks

U.S. President Barack Obama addresses the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's 46th annual Legislative Conference Phoenix Awards Dinner in Washington, September 17, 2016. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas

New York Post: Obama stays silent on Chelsea explosion but talks election

President Obama’s motorcade passed through 23rd Street, the location of Saturday night’s bombing, and slept in Manhattan Sunday night — but he still hasn’t made any public remarks on the attack in Chelsea.

Instead, Obama’s first stop in New York City Sunday night was at the Gramercy Park home of restaurateur Danny Meyer and actress Audrey Meyer to attend a fundraiser for Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign.

Obama talked about the importance of this election — “the most important election of our lifetime” — and discussed why he believes Clinton is failing to run away with it.

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WNU Editor: A friend of mine who works in the Chinese delegation in the UN just pointed this out to me. He is clearly counting the days when he is out of the White House.

Update: Obama doesn’t mention terror in remarks on bombings (New York Post).

Did President Obama Fail The World's Expectations Of Him?

Nahal Toosi, Politico: How the World Fell Out of Love with Obama

In countries key to the president’s legacy, people express profound disappointment in a man from whom they expected great things.

The rest of the world fell as hard for Barack Obama as Americans did.

Back in 2008, the same qualities in the 47-year-old senator from Illinois that excited U.S. voters enthralled people around the globe. He was a fresh face and a compelling orator. He had spent his childhood in the Asia-Pacific, and his skin color alone made billions of people feel a connection with him. Perhaps most importantly, he was not George W. Bush, the president who invaded Iraq. Obama promised “hope” and “change” and people believed he could deliver—that he would end wars in Muslim countries, improve America’s standing on human rights, even alleviate global poverty. “Yes we can!” shouted The Age, an Australian newspaper, when he won office. Just months later, the rookie president was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, a nod more to his promise than to anything he had accomplished.

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WNU Editor: This Politico post is still a "puff" piece on President Obama .... with a few digs at Donald Trump .... but even President Obama's staunchest supporters are now realising that his foreign policy record is not what he should be remembered for.

World Leaders Want to Know From President Obama If Donald Trump Has A Chance Of Becoming President

CBS

New York Times: Obama Braces for Donald Trump Questions From World Leaders

HANOI, Vietnam — Officially, the top world leaders who gather Thursday at the Group of 7 summit meeting will talk about shared concerns, like global trade or the Islamic State. But their private discussions are likely to cover a topic that is not on the agenda: Donald J. Trump.

President Obama now hears questions in his meetings with world leaders about whether Mr. Trump has a realistic shot at becoming president.

For months, Mr. Obama has answered those questions with an emphatic “no.”

“I continue to believe Mr. Trump will not be president,” Mr. Obama said in February at the end of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit meeting in California.

But this week’s summit meeting in Japan is the first among major allies since Mr. Trump moved decisively toward securing the Republican nomination, and Mr. Obama’s counterparts are likely to want more detail in his explanations of an election that has prompted fascination and apprehension overseas.

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Previous Post: President Obama Reveals The One Question That Every World Leader Is Now Asking Him (April 19, 2016).

WNU Editor: President Obama is not the person to ask questions on Donald Trump. But the fact that they are asking them tells me that many of them are now looking at the very real possibility of a Trump Presidency, and on how it impact trade and business with the U.S.. The countries that are the most concerned are Japan and China .... no surprise there .... they enjoy hundreds of billions in trade surpluses each year with the U.S. and they now see that imbalance under threat.

President Obama Spoof Retirement Video

Daily Mail: 'I can drink beer at 11.30am and Michelle won’t even know?' President Obama pokes fun at his retirement plans in hilarious spoof video

* Obama played spoof video about his retirement at Correspondents dinner
* It showed him wondering what to do when he leaves the White House
* He faces difficulty getting a driving license and using Snapchat on a cell
* But he is given advice by ex-Speaker John Boehner, who tells him to relax

He is set to leave the White House at the end of the year and speculation is mounting about what President Barack Obama will do when he leaves office.

And at his final White House Correspondents' Dinner the U.S. leader poked fun at his future plans with a spoof video, where he described himself as going from 'Commander-in-Chief' to 'Couch Commander'.

During his speech at Saturday night's dinner, the president alluded to life after the White House and asked guests to watch a clip on the big screens.

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WNU Editor: No comment necessary.

President Obama: 'Many World Leaders Are Completely Out Of Their Mind'

Daily Beast: Obama Tells Jerry Seinfeld How He Blows Off Steam: ‘I Curse’

President Barack Obama drives a Corvette, drinks coffee, and talks about nothing with Jerry Seinfeld.

As he does at the beginning of every episode of his popular Web series Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, Jerry Seinfeld gave his latest guest a call on the way to pick him up.
“White House,” a familiar voice answered.

“Yes, may I speak with the president please?” Seinfeld asked politely.

“Speaking,” President Barack Obama said, delivering the first laugh of an entertainingly candid conversation between the two men.

Seinfeld rolled up to the White House in a cool blue 1963 Corvette Stingray for the episode, taped Dec. 7, and the pair did a couple of laps around the South Lawn. They didn’t make it too far, trading in the typical public café experience for a sit-down talk over coffee in the staff dining room to avoid the inevitable security concerns.

WNU Editor: You can watch the full episode at comediansincarsgettingcoffee.com.

More News On President Obama And Jerry Seinfeld

President Obama tells Jerry Seinfeld he thinks most world leaders are 'completely out of their mind' as he makes appearance on Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee -- Daily Mail
Obama-Seinfeld show: 'Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee' airs -- AP
President Obama goes for a drive with Jerry Seinfeld -- CBS
Obama 'Drives' With Seinfeld for a Coffee at the White House -- NBC
Seinfeld and Obama, Chatting in a Corvette -- NYT
Watch President Obama’s guest spot on Seinfeld’s ‘Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee’ -- Washington Post
Nachos, underwear and football: Highlights from Obama's talk with Jerry Seinfeld -- CNN
Barack Obama gets chummy, coffee with Jerry Seinfeld -- CSM
Here's Obama’s appearance on Jerry Seinfeld’s “Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee” -- VOX
6 gems from President Obama's abrupt ride with Jerry Seinfeld -- USA Today
Obama to Seinfeld: 'I always wanted to be in a show about nothing' -- Politico
Obama charms Jerry Seinfeld in Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee -- The Guardian
President Obama Tells Jerry Seinfeld About the Downside of Fame -- Vanity Fair
Obama Tells Jerry Seinfeld Many World Leaders “Insane” In New Crackle Coffee Klatsch -- Deadline
Watch Barack Obama's Hilarious Chat With Jerry Seinfeld -- Rolling Stone

Is Castro An Ideologue?

President Barack Obama participates in an interview with Oliver Knox, Chief Washington Correspondent, Yahoo! News, in the Cabinet Room of the White House, Dec. 10, 2015. (Official White House Photo by Amanda Lucidon)

Washington Examiner: Obama eyes Cuba visit, says Castro not 'an ideologue'

President Obama is hopefully planning a visit to Cuba and sees longtime co-dictator Raul Castro, who has taken over for ailing brother Fidel, as a pragmatist, not "an ideologue."

In a newly released Yahoo interview, Obama said, "I am very much interested in going to Cuba, but I think the conditions have to be right."

The president told correspondent Olivier Knox, "My hope is that sometime next year we look at the conditions there and we say, you know what? Now would be a good time to shine a light on progress that's been made, but also maybe to nudge the Cuban government in a new direction."

WNU Editor: The interview and report from Yahoo is here. What's my take .... the Castros (and their supporters) have always been ideologues. It is their rational to stay in power, and heaven help those who have questioned their decisions and motivations over the past 6 decades.

President Obama: Turkey And Russia Must Talk After Plane Downing

U.S. President Barack Obama addresses a joint news conference with French President Francois Hollande in the East Room of the White House in Washington November 24, 2015. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

Reuters: Obama urges Turkey, Russia to talk after plane downing

WASHINGTON, Nov 24 (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama and French President Francois Hollande on Tuesday urged Russia and Turkey to avoid escalation over Turkey's downing of a Russian plane along the Turkish-Syrian border.

The leaders said details are still emerging on the incident.

"Turkey, like every country, has the right to defend its territory and its airspace," Obama, speaking alongside Hollande, said at a joint news conference at the White House.

"It's very important right now for us to make sure that both the Russians and the Turks are talking to each other to find out exactly what happened and take measures to discourage any kind of escalation," Obama said.

Update: President comments on downed Russian plane (AP)

WNU Editor: Talk!?!?!?!

President Obama Calls Paris Massacres An Attack Against 'All Of Humanity' But Refuses To Mention Who Is To Blame

Daily Mail/AFP/AP: President Obama calls Paris massacres an attack against 'all of humanity' as leaders around the world pledge to work with France and bring those responsible to justice

* President Barack Obama condemned the series of deadly attacks across Paris Friday as an 'attack on all of humanity'
* He promised to do all he could to work with France and bring those responsible to justice
* Secretary of State John Kerry said that the US Embassy in Paris is doing everything they can to assure the safety of Americans
* President Xi Jinping of China said on Saturday that they would work closely to help France
* 'I am shocked by events in Paris tonight. Our thoughts and prayers are with the French people. We will do whatever we can to help,'said David Cameron
* Iran's Hassan Rouhani branded the Paris attacks 'crimes against humanity'
* In the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan sent a telegram to President Hollande offering his condolences

President Barack Obama condemned the series of deadly attacks across Paris Friday as an 'attack on all of humanity' and pledged to work with France in order to bring those responsible to justice.

'Whenever these kinds of attacks happen, we've always been able to count on the French people to stand with us,' said President Obama.

'They have been an extraordinary counterterrorism partner. And we intend to be there with them in that same fashion.'
President Obama also spoke by phone to President Hollande on Friday evening according to the White House.

WNU Editor: What is revealing about the above video is that President Obama still cannot mention who is to blame.

Is Putin Challenging President Obama?

Real Clear Politics: Obama Pushes Back: "In What Way" Is Putin Challenging Me?

In an interview which will air in its entirety tonight on CBS's "60 Minutes," President Barack Obama pushes back against the idea that Russian President Vladimir Putin is "challenging" America's leadership in the world. While Obama tries to justify himself, "60 Minutes" host Steve Kroft inturrupts the president three times in less that two minutes: "He's challenging your leadership, Mr. President. He's challenging your leadership."

"In what way?" replies an angry president.

WNU Editor: They are both challenging each other.

What Is President Obama's Agenda At The U.N.

President Obama spoke at a United Nations meeting on global development concerns on Sunday. PHOTO: KEVIN LAMARQUE/REUTERS

Wall Street Journal: Obama to Press Growth, Climate Issues at U.N.What to Expect on Monday

President to advance foreign-policy goals at General Assembly amid new challenges.

President Barack Obama’s appearance at the United Nations this week is essentially his last opportunity to use the high-profile global platform to press his foreign-policy agenda, which is facing new challenges as he enters his final year in office.

Increasingly complex dynamics in a volatile Middle East will test Mr. Obama, while he tries to advance his longer-term policy goals on issues such as global development and climate change.

Russia’s more aggressive posture in Syria and Iraq is overshadowing Mr. Obama’s three days in New York for the U.N. General Assembly. On Monday, Mr. Obama is scheduled to meet with President Vladimir Putin for the first time in more than two years.

The president is also grappling with finding a U.S. role in a global migrant crisis spawned by Syria’s civil war.

WNU Editor: These are the main events scheduled for Monday (but the important event is at 5:00 PM ... the Putin-Obama meeting) ....

Brazil’s Dilma Rousseff, President Barack Obama, China’s Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin of Russia, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and France’s François Hollande address the General Assembly. Cuba’s Raúl Castro is also scheduled to speak, in his first assembly address; he is set to meet with Mr. Obama on Tuesday.

President Obama and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi meet for the third time this year as they seek to strengthen economic and strategic ties in the face of an increasingly assertive China.

A heads-of-state lunch hosted by U.N. Secretary General Ban-Ki Moon could see the first interaction between Messrs. Obama and Putin since a brief encounter in November, ahead of a much-anticipated 5 p.m. summit. Iran won’t attend the luncheon.

President Obama called a 3 p.m. meeting to advance the U.S. push to increase the U.N.’s force of peacekeepers.

Messrs. Obama and Putin are set to meet at 5 p.m., as the Russian leader stakes out an assertive and agenda-shaping policy in the Middle East.

On Monday evening, foreign ministers from Iran and the six countries that negotiated the nuclear deal will meet for the first time since the July 14 agreement to chart out implementation.

President Obama Planning Brief Return To Washington In The Middle Of His Vacation

Vacationing Obama Plans Brief Return to Washington -- VOA

President Barack Obama, who is on a two-week vacation to Massachusetts with his family, will return briefly to Washington for meetings, the White House said on Sunday.

Obama is scheduled to be back at the White House Sunday around 11 p.m. EDT (0300 UTC), USA Today reported.

While the White House did not say why Obama would need to attend unspecified meetings with Vice President Joe Biden and other advisers, The Associated Press reported that part of the decision appears aimed at countering criticism that Obama is spending two weeks on a resort island in the midst of so many foreign and domestic crises.

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Update: Obama to pause vacation, return to Washington -- CBS/AP

My Comment: Sill no explanation on why he is coming back to the White House.

President Obama Defends NSA Surveillance Programs

 

Obama Defends' System Of Checks And Balances' Around NSA Surveillance -- The Guardian 

Addressing leaked NSA files, president says Department of Justice is investigating 'possible extradition' of Edward Snowden Barack Obama addressed what he described as the public "ruckus" over the leaked National Security Agency surveillance documents on Monday, indicating that the US authorities would pursue extradition from Hong Kong of the whistleblower Edward Snowden.

In his first public comments in 10 days about the NSA disclosures, Obama also said he had set an oversight board made up of independent citizens and the ordered the declassification of documents relating to surveillance to allow the public to see the broader context.

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More News On President Obama Defending The NSA's Surveillance Programs  

Obama on NSA programs: Americans "not getting the complete story" -- CBS
Obama calls NSA secret data gathering 'transparent' in PBS interview -- FOX News
Obama Defends Authorization of Surveillance Programs -- New York Times
Obama: NSA surveillance programs are 'transparent' -- USA Today
In Interview, Obama Defends NSA Data Collection -- NPR
Obama Defends NSA Surveillance -- US News and World Report
Obama bristles at suggestion he's shifted on snooping -- CNN
Obama Defends Surveillance: ‘We Should Take Pride’ In NSA -- TPM

President Obama To Speak On Syria Next Week

 

White House: Obama To Speak On Syria In Coming Days -- Politico 

President Obama hasn't spoken publicly about his administration's evidence that Bashar al-Assad's Syrian regime has crossed his "red line" with its use of chemical weapons, but the White House indicated Friday that he will soon speak out.

 "I'm certain he's going to have opportunities to speak to it, for instance, over the course of the several days that he'll be traveling to Europe. He himself is the one who laid out the red line publicly," deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes told reporters Friday.

He later added: "You can fully expect that the president will be heard on these issues repeatedly in the coming days, and the announcement we made yesterday very much reflected his guidance because he was the one who directed the intelligence community to pull together this assessment and directed us to make it public." But Rhodes didn't indicate that Obama has any plans to address the nation in domestic remarks before he heads to Europe.

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My Comment: Before reading this article from the Politico, I was just about to write a post on "Where is President Obama?". President Obama will also need to address the NSA surveillance scandal, and explain why has he expanded this policy when he vowed as candidate Obama in 2007 that he was going to abolish it.

Not Everyone Was "Joyful" At Last Night's White House Dinner

Are you done yet? Mrs Obama's poor attitude is unusual, as she has dedicated much of her time to helping military families and returning veterans

Grumpy Michelle Frowns Through State Dinner As President Thanks Iraq War Veterans And Their Families -- Daily Mail

With a formal dinner for the few, President Barack Obama on Wednesday paid solemn tribute to the many.

The president, who opposed the Iraq war from its outset, thanked those who fought its battles by sitting down to a candlelit meal with a small cross section of the million-plus who served there over the past nine years.

Though the mood was reflective, the First Lady was caught looking rather grumpy at several points throughout the night.

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My Comment: If this White House dinner involved her rock star friends instead of Iraqi vets and their families ....would she be frowning like this .... probably not. Hell .... I would probably be acting the same way. But I can guarantee you one thing .... for this administration this will be the last White House dinner for war veterans.