Quote of the week

I do not bring with me today a definitive solution to the problems of war. What I do know is that meeting these challenges will require the same vision, hard work, and persistence of those men and women who acted so boldly decades ago. And it will require us to think in new ways about the notions of just war and the imperatives of a just peace.

We must begin by acknowledging the hard truth: We will not eradicate violent conflict in our lifetimes. There will be times when nations -- acting individually or in concert -- will find the use of force not only necessary but morally justified.

-- remarks by President Obama as he accepted the Nobel Peace Prize

Obama: 'I have come here to seek a new beginning'

So long as our relationship is defined by our differences, we will empower those who sow hatred rather than peace, and who promote conflict rather than the cooperation that can help all of our people achieve justice and prosperity. This cycle of suspicion and discord must end.

I have come here to seek a new beginning between the United States and Muslims around the world; one based upon mutual interest and mutual respect; and one based upon the truth that America and Islam are not exclusive, and need not be in competition. Instead, they overlap, and share common principles – principles of justice and progress; tolerance and the dignity of all human beings.
-- President Obama, speaking Thursday at Cairo University

Text of Obama's address at Cairo University on June 4, 2009

To view President Obama's speech, click here.

Obama to seek reconciliation in Egypt

In his column for Newsweek, Howard Fineman writes about President Obama's scheduled visit to Cairo:

Barack Obama believes in his voice and his life story. Autobiographical speeches powered his campaign. ... Now comes the ultimate test of autobiographical speechmaking. Obama this week speaks at Cairo University, in the hub of Muslim-Arab culture. Obama "has privately told friends that his goal is far higher: nothing less than to help 'reconcile Islam and modernity.' ...

He will pay homage to the Golden Age of that culture—its glorious achievements in mathematics, science, literature and diplomacy—and note that Muslim scholars rescued from oblivion the Greek and Roman (i.e., the "Western") canon. He also will draw on the by-now-familiar story of his own life. A Christian son of an African-Muslim father, he spent years in Muslim-majority Indonesia, attending a public school run by, but not suffused with, the teachings of Islam. All of this, Obama thinks, not only allows him, but obliges him, to play a grand role as bridge builder.

The world will be watching as the president seeks reconciliation.


Tags: Obama, Egypt, Muslims, Reconciliation, Media by Sistrunk

White House steps up Web presence

The White House took a major leap into the Web 2.0 world on today, launching pages on social networks MySpace and Facebook and sending its first "tweets" on Twitter.

Content from President Obama's website WhiteHouse.gov is being fed in real time to White House profile pages on MySpace and Facebook and members of the communities can sign up as Facebook "fans" or MySpace "friends."

The White House had more than 31,000 fans on Facebook and more than 4,000 friends on MySpace within a few hours of the pages going online while more than 8,500 people had signed up as "followers" of the White House on Twitter.

"Technology has profoundly impacted how -- and where -- we all consume information and communicate with one another," the White House said in a blog post on WhiteHouse.gov titled "WhiteHouse 2.0."

The White House invited feedback from users and both the MySpace and Facebook pages were deluged with comments.

Tags: Barack Obama, Social Media, Technology, Politics, Media by Sistrunk

Obama eases Cuba travel restrictions

President Obama is directing his administration to lift some restrictions that will allow Cuban Americans to travel more freely to Cuba. Cuban-Americans will also be allowed to send more money to relatives in Cuba. The decision does not lift the trade embargo on communist Cuba.

The move was officially announced at a news briefing Monday afternoon. Last month, Obama signed a spending bill that eases some economic sanctions on Cuba.

The president has indicated he would be open to dialogue with Cuba's leaders. But he has said that, like previous American presidents, he will only consider a full lifting of the embargo once Cuba's communist government makes significant moves such as the holding of democratic elections.

Cuba's President Raul Castro has said he is prepared to negotiate with the new U.S. administration, providing there are no preconditions.

The announcement comes as the president prepares to leave Thursday for the Summit of the America's in Trinidad and Tobago, and a stop in Mexico.

Meanwhile, the Miami Herald has some advice for anyone thinking of traveling to Cuba: take plenty of cash.

Tags: Obama, Politics, Cuba, Cuba Sanctions, Cuban Americans, Media by Sistrunk

Quotes of the week

This has been the Obama administration’s lost week -- an anger-filled race to get out in front of a story that the White House has variously underestimated, fueled, belittled, and sought to channel. All President Obama has to do is revive the economy and end a war and fix healthcare and rescue schools and save the planet. But first he’s had to spend a week trying to get back a few million dollars from a government-owned insurance company.
-- Rick Klein, ABC News

My administration is now committed to diplomacy that addresses the full range of issues before us, and to pursuing constructive ties among the United States, Iran and the international community. This process will not be advanced by threats. We seek instead engagement that is honest and grounded in mutual respect.
-- President Obama, from his message to Iran

Tags: Obama, Quotes, Media by Sistrunk

Signing the stimulus bill

Many media reports portray President Obama's trip to Denver (where he's set to sign the stimulus bill this morning) and Phoenix as an attempt to boost popular support for his economic agenda. The Los Angeles Times says the tour "reflects a decision by the president to escape the Beltway and touch base with the rest of the country at least once a week" and a recognition "that congressional Republicans were gaining traction in the debate."

Politico, meanwhile, says that "in turning their fire on the capital's process-and-power-obsessed political class," Obama's aides are "actually indulging in a time-honored Beltway tradition." The Washington Post reports that in addition to the "gales of Republican criticism," the President "is...facing quieter misgivings from liberal Democrats who say the bill does not go far enough." On its front page, the New York Times notes that Obama did gain the support of several Republican governors. John Aloysius Farrell, writing for U.S. News and World Report, offers 7 Reasons Why Obama Bipartisanship Lives.

Why sign the historic stimulus bill in Denver? It's unlikely that this is an arbitrary decision by the White House. For President Obama, Denver represents one of the high points of his campaign - when he accepted the Democratic nomination.



Tags: Obama, Politics, Media, Media by Sistrunk

Obama continues to engage new media

More than 49 million Americans watched President Barack Obama's first White House news conference on broadcast and cable television, according to ratings figures released on Tuesday. The figure does not include those who watched Monday's news conference over the Internet, which has been a key venue for Obama supporters to follow him.

For some media types and bloggers, the news coming out of the prime-time press conference is that Obama took a question from a blogger representing The Huffington Post. The President made time for only 13 questions, and this marked the first time a president has acknowledged a blogger during a prime-time event. Media outlets left out included the Wall Street Journal, Chicago Tribune, and Newsweek. The journalists were pre-selected by the White House.

The choice to include a blogger turned some heads. But perhaps we shouldn't be too surprised. After all, Obama is the first president to openly engage new media. Also, the fact that an online publication like The Huffington Post is thriving seems to signal an evolution in journalism.



Tags: Obama, Blogging, Blogs, New Media, Media by Sistrunk

Obama courts the press

America's new president is coming off a very rough week. Barack Obama returns to campaign mode this week - with carefully chosen stops and a prime-time press conference. His challenge is to recapture the magic of his campaign for reasons his effort to govern a nation during turbulent times.

To no surprise, all media outlets are scrutinizing Obama, looking for public relations and political blunders. The media typically gives a new president some space during his first 100 days, but that hasn't happened with Obama. Mainstream media and bloggers write voluminously about the lack of strong leadership. Many ask what happened to that powerful engine of change.

The Obama administration, attempting to stay focused while facing the fire, rolled out full media blitz, as ABC News senior political reporter Rick Klein writes. According to Lynn Sweet of the Chicago Sun-Times, the campaign includes the bully pulpit, social networking, [and] phone banks.



Tags: Obama, Politics, Media, PR, Media by Sistrunk

President to keep BlackBerry

President Obama may become the first emailing president. His advisors and and the Secret Service have given him the green light to keep his BlackBerry.

Obama has waged a very public campaign to keep his device. Tradition has kept previous commanders-in-chief from emailing. White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters yesterday that a "compromise" will allow the President to use his BlackBerry to stay connected with senior staff and a few friends. He said it will allow Obama to avoid being stuck in a "bubble."

The president did have to give up one thing - his old email address. His new one , of course, is classified.


Tags: Barack Obama, BlackBerry, Technology, Politics, Media by Sistrunk

Quote of the week

Change will not come
if we wait for some other person
or some other time.
We are the ones we've been waiting for.
We are the change that we seek.
~ Barack Obama ~

Studying the new black leadership

Gwen Ifill on the rise of Obama and other African-American politicians

In her new book, journalist Gwen Ifill explores black political power in the post-civil rights era. Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama will be released on Inaugural Day.

The men and women identified by Ifill as "breakthrough politicians” are the children of the civil rights movement. Born in the 1960s and ’70s, they grew up in “a world shaped by access instead of denial.” They often come from middle-class families and attend elite universities. Business tends to be their vehicle into politics rather than social activism.

Ifill is the managing editor and moderator for “Washington Week” on PBS and senior correspondent for “The NewsHour With Jim Lehrer." In October, Breakthrough sparked some prepublication publicity and a flurry of angry blog posts, not because of its content but because Ifill was working on it when she was tapped to moderate one of the presidential debates. Now, to coincide with Tuesday’s inauguration, the work can be judged on what it says about the new generation of African-American politicians, which is breaking with the black leadership of the past. Read more.


Tags: Gwen Ifill, Politics, Books, Obama, Media by Sistrunk

Obama wants to hear from you - online

President-elect continues to engage public via technology

People wanting a chance to help shape policy are invited to submit their ideas online. President-elect Barack Obama's transition team shot an email to constituents to introduce the idea portal.

The public's thoughts and ideas will be will be compiled into a Citizen's Briefing Book and delivered to Obama once he takes office Jan. 20. An explanation about the briefing book is posted on Change.gov.

"Your participation is key to our success," said transition and administration aide Valerie Jarrett said in an introductory video.

The online Citizen's Briefing Book feature includes tools that allow visitors to explore a variety of submissions, which they can rate and comment on, with ideas receiving the largest number of comments being included in final book that will be given to Obama.

Social networking continues to hold a place in the Obama administration. Potentially, Web tools could protect Obama from governing in a bubble. By keeping a direct line to public opinion - through discussion forums, blog comments, etc. - the new president could keep a good feel for the issues that most concern them, rather than relying on the media, opinion polls and other filters. A number of ideas are already posted on the site.

The site will be live until the Jan. 20 inauguration. After that, the highest-rated ideas will be prepared and presented to the president.

Tags: Barack Obama, Citizen's Briefing Book, Social Media, Technology, Media by Sistrunk

Singing their way to Washington

Internet hit nets inaugural invite
The feel-good story of the week comes out of Atlanta. A group of students at Ron Clark Academy thought they'd just be performing their song 'Dear Obama' at a news conference this week. But after finishing the song, the kids got a big surprise.

They will perform their new song during at least four inaugural balls next Tuesday. At one of the events, these talented youngsters will share the stage with Atlanta pop singer Usher and R&B legend Patti LaBelle.

The students wrote the new song as a follow-up to their YouTube hit You Can Vote However U Like, which landed the kids on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” CNN, and BET. The song was written to the tune of rapper T.I.’s megahit “Whatever You Like.”

Click on the links, and watch the videos. You'll smile.

Tags: Ron Clark Academy, Obama, Obama Song, Inaugural Day, Media by Sistrunk

Will he say goodbye to his BlackBerry?

'Mr. President, please hand it over.'

President-elect Barack Obama is promising a fight to the finish - not over his economic plan, but to hang on to his BlackBerry. He is trying to avoid the fate of President George W. Bush, who gave up e-mail when he took power in 2001 because his lawyers determined any such electronic communications would have to be preserved for posterity as presidential documents. The Presidential Records Act puts his correspondence in the official record and ultimately up for public review, and the threat of subpoenas.

For years, like legions of other professionals, Obama has been all but addicted to his BlackBerry. The device has rarely been far from his side — on most days, it was fastened to his belt. For the incoming president, there are concerns that someone might hack into presidential electronic communications - just for the thrill of it or for more malicious reasons.

Obama has said that keeping in touch by e-mail was a way of escaping the trappings of power and staying in touch with regular people.

The chief executive of the U.S. may have plenty of perks and power. However, law dictates that he be deprived of some of the very tools that other chief executives depend on to survive and to thrive. Obama, however, seems intent on bring some technology into the Oval Office. He hopes to have a laptop computer on his desk. If that happens, he'll be first American president to do so.

During his campaign, he set some groundbreaking precedents with his strategic use technology. Obama made U.S. political history by placing the first presidential campaign ads in online video games. Also, last November, when the Obama broadcast the weekly Democratic radio address, it came with a twist. For the first time, it was also videotaped and will be archived on YouTube.

But back to his BlackBerry. At last report, Obama was holding on to it.

Tags: Barack Obama, BlackBerry, Technology, Politics, Media by Sistrunk

Photos captures Obama family's unguarded moments

Take a sneak peak at newly released pictures

Callie Shell of Time magazine is one of a handful of photographers who has had personal access to the Obama family. Shell covered Obama when his entourage was so small that everyone could fit in a sedan. She was out on the road in 2006 when it was just Obama and a driver — and her.

Shell's photos are now featured in a new book called President Obama: The Path to The White House. She recently spoke with National Public Radio's Michele Norris about her golden opportunities. For a look at a delightful slide show featuring images of the incoming First Family, check out NPR.org. Read more at Amazon.com.



Tags: Barack Obama, Callie Shell, Time, Photojournalism, Media by Sistrunk

OBAMA!!