THE WASHINGTON REVIEW & COMMENTARY: Weekly News From The White House

Cast of "House Of Payne"

As much as the African American community loves playwright, television, film and actor Tyler Perry, it goes without saying that he is widely supported and appreciated. However, the flip side of that adoration is the deafening silence of the African American community regarding Tyler Perry’s television series “House of Payne” and “Meet The Browns.”

With everything that Tyler Perry touches turning into gold, it is no wonder that he would try his hand at a television sitcom. The problem develops soon after in that the shows are not original and the story lines are sub par. “House of Payne” borrows too much from the Archie Bunker meets George Jefferson school of situation comedy. In fact, “House of Payne” is crammed pack every week with tons of buffoon / clown antics and situations that make little sense. It is hard to concieve that Tyler Perry would put something of this magnitude on the small screen that only justifies why television executives aren’t really hard-pressed at creating positive African American television shows. Why should they when  number one top box office filmmaker Tyler Perry produces sitcoms that border on unintelligent and unwatchable, which continues to project a negative image of African Americans?

Spike Lee made an interesting quote that should not be shot down just because he said it:

“I am a huge basketball fan, and when I watch the games on TNT, I see these two ads for these two shows (Tyler Perry’s “Meet the Browns” and “House of Payne”), and I am scratching my head. We got a black president, and we going back to Mantan Moreland and Sleep ‘n’ Eat?”

It is fascinating how accurate that statement is! The scary thing about it also is that no one in the African American community with clout is standing up and saying that “House of Payne and “Meet The Browns” are mere modern day charicatures of “Amos and Andy.”

Here’s a suggestion: perhaps instead of the African American community applauding publicly and frowning privately behind closed doors about the negativity of Tyler Perry’s two sitcoms , maybe a healthy dialogue should take place to bring “House of Payne” and “Meet The Browns” up to a standard that will be in line with the historic election of an African American President.

When future generations look back at the year 2009, wouldn’t it be great to show the steady positive progression of African Americans in ALL aspects of achievement? It would be a shame to have President Barack Obama and his family on one wall and the cast of “House of Payne” on the other. What would be the lesson there? Our generation still didn’t get it?

Remarks of President Barack Obama

Weekly Address

Saturday, May 30, 2009

Washington D.C.

This week, I nominated Judge Sonia Sotomayor of the U.S. Court of Appeals to replace Justice David Souter, who is retiring after nearly two decades on the Supreme Court. After reviewing many terrific candidates, I am certain that she is the right choice.  In fact, there has not been a nominee in several generations who has brought the depth of judicial experience to this job that she offers.

Judge Sotomayor’s career began when she served as an Assistant District Attorney in New York, prosecuting violent crimes in America’s largest city. After leaving the DA’s office, she became a litigator, representing clients in complex international legal disputes. She was appointed to the U.S. District Court, serving six years as a trial judge where she presided over hundreds of cases. And most recently, she has spent eleven years on the U.S. Court of Appeals, our nation’s second highest court, grappling with some of the most difficult constitutional and legal issues we face as a nation. She has more experience on the federal bench than any incoming Supreme Court Justice in the past 100 years.  Quite simply, Judge Sotomayor has a deep familiarity with our judicial system from almost every angle.

And her achievements are all the more impressive when you consider what she had to overcome in order to achieve them.  Judge Sotomayor grew up in a housing project in the South Bronx; her parents came to New York from Puerto Rico during the Second World War. Her father was a factory worker with a third grade education; when she was just nine years old, he passed away. Her mother worked six days a week as a nurse to provide for her and her brother, buying the only set of encyclopedias in the neighborhood and sending her children to Catholic school. That’s what made it possible for Judge Sotomayor to attend two of America’s leading universities, graduating at the top of her class at Princeton University, and studying at Yale Law School where she won a prestigious post as an editor of the school’s Law Journal.

These many years later, it was hard not to be moved by Judge Sotomayor’s mother, sitting in the front row at the White House, her eyes welling with tears, as her daughter – who had come so far, for whom she sacrificed so much – was nominated to the highest court in the land.

And this is what makes Judge Sotomayor so extraordinary. Even as she has reached the heights of her profession, she has never forgotten where she began. She has faced down barriers, overcome difficult odds, and lived the American dream. As a Justice of the Supreme Court, she will bring not only the experience acquired over the course of a brilliant legal career, but the wisdom accumulated over the course of an extraordinary journey – a journey defined by hard work, fierce intelligence, and the enduring faith that, in America, all things are possible.

It is her experience in life and her achievements in the legal profession that have earned Judge Sotomayor respect across party lines and ideological divides. She was originally named to the U.S. District Court by the first President Bush, a Republican.  She was appointed to the federal Court of Appeals by President Clinton, a Democrat.  She twice has been overwhelmingly confirmed by the U.S. Senate.  And I am gratified by the support for this nomination voiced by members of the legal community who represent views from across the political spectrum.

There are, of course, some in Washington who are attempting to draw old battle lines and playing the usual political games, pulling a few comments out of context to paint a distorted picture of Judge Sotomayor’s record. But I am confident that these efforts will fail; because Judge Sotomayor’s seventeen-year record on the bench – hundreds of judicial decisions that every American can read for him or herself – speak far louder than any attack; her record makes clear that she is fair, unbiased, and dedicated to the rule of law. As a fellow judge on her court, appointed by Ronald Reagan, said recently, “I don’t think I’d go as far as to classify her in one camp or another. I think she just deserves the classification of outstanding judge.”

Congress returns this week and I hope the confirmation process will begin without delay. No nominee should be seated without rigorous evaluation and hearing; I expect nothing less. But what I hope is that we can avoid the political posturing and ideological brinksmanship that has bogged down this process, and Congress, in the past. Judge Sotomayor ought to be on the bench when the Supreme Court decides what cases to hear this year and I’m calling on Democrats and Republicans to be thorough, and timely in dealing with this nomination.

As President, there are few responsibilities more serious or consequential than the naming of a Supreme Court Justice. The members of our highest court are granted life tenure.  They are charged with applying principles put to paper more than two centuries ago to some of the most difficult questions of our time. And the impact of their decisions extends beyond an administration, but for generations to come.

This is a decision that I have not taken lightly and it is one that I am proud to have made. I know that Justice Sotomayor will serve this nation with distinction. And when she ascends those marble steps to assume her seat on the Supreme Court, bringing a lifetime of experience on and off the bench, America will have taken another important step toward realizing the ideal that is chiseled above its entrance: Equal justice under the law.

Thanks.

From White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs

A number of you have asked about or reported on a recent article in the Telegraph that inaccurately described photos which are the subject of an ongoing lawsuit. Both the Department of Defense and the White House have said the article was wrong, and now the individual who was purported to be the source of the article has said it’s inaccurate. Given that this false report has been repeated around the world, and given the impact these negative reports have on our troops, I felt it was important for you to see this correction.

- Robert Gibbs

http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2009/05/30/taguba/print.html

Taguba denies he’s seen abuse photos suppressed by Obama

The general told a U.K. paper about images he saw investigating Abu Ghraib — not photos Obama wants kept secret.

By Mark Benjamin

May. 30, 2009 |

Retired Army Maj. Gen. Antonio Taguba denied reports that he has seen the prisoner-abuse photos that President Obama is fighting to keep secret, in an exclusive interview with Salon Friday night.

On Thursday an article in the Daily Telegraph reported that Taguba, the lead investigator into Abu Ghraib abuse, had seen images Obama wanted suppressed, and supported the president’s decision to fight their release. The paper quoted Taguba as saying, “These pictures show torture, abuse, rape and every indecency.”

But Taguba says he wasn’t talking about the 44 photographs that are the subject of an ongoing ACLU lawsuit that Obama is fighting.

“The photographs in that lawsuit, I have not seen,” Taguba told Salon Friday night. The actual quote in the Telegraph was accurate, Taguba said — but he was referring to the hundreds of images he reviewed as an investigator of the abuse at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq — not the photos of abuse that Obama is seeking to suppress.

In March 2006 Salon published “The Abu Ghraib Files,” 279 photographs and 19 videos collected by the Army’s Criminal Investigation Division as it examined the shocking cases of prisoner abuse at the notorious Baghdad prison. The photos depict scenes of extreme cruelty – prisoners forced to publicly masturbate, naked prisoners held in extreme stress positions, or being walked naked by a female guard. Some photos show prisoners bloodied and otherwise injured, with untrained guards tending to their wounds.

Several news organizations have described some of those same images as among the ones Obama is seeking to suppress, when in fact, they’ve already been published by Salon.

Taguba says the Telegraph story got one important fact right: He said he does support Obama’s decision to fight the release of the images subject to the lawsuit, even though he has not seen those images. “No other photographs should be released,” Taguba told Salon, because he worries additional images might threaten the safety of U.S. troops.

###

President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individuals for key administration posts: Gordon Heddell, Inspector General, Department of Defense; Ellen Murray, Assistant Secretary for Resources and Technology, Department of Health and Human Services; Polly Trottenberg, Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy, Department of Transportation; and James J. Markowsky, Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy, Department of Energy.

President Obama said, “Each of these individuals brings extensive expertise in their chosen fields, and they are joining my administration at a time when we face great challenges. Their experience and knowledge of the issues will be important as we move forward to put America on a path to prosperity and security. I am grateful for their decision to serve.”

President Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individuals today:

Gordon Heddell, Nominee for Inspector General, Department of Defense

Gordon S. Heddell has been Inspector General for the Department of Labor since 2001 and Acting Inspector General at the Department of Defense since 2008.  Mr. Heddell began his Government service in 1966 as an Army Chief Warrant Officer, Helicopter Pilot, serving in both Korea and Taiwan during the Vietnam-era conflict.  Following his military tours of duty, Mr. Heddell served for 29 years in the U.S. Secret Service, where he held various law enforcement, management, and leadership positions. He began his career with the Secret Service as a Special Agent, progressing to Assistant Special Agent-in-Charge in 1982. Between 1982 and 1985, he served as Assistant Special Agent-in-Charge in the Office of Administration, where he managed the day-to-day administrative operations of the Secret Service, nationwide.  Mr. Heddell then served for two years as Assistant to the Special Agent-in-Charge in the Washington field office where he directed investigations of threats made against the President, Vice President, and other high-ranking government officials in Washington, D.C. Between 1987 and 1989, Mr. Heddell served as Assistant Special Agent-in-Charge in the Philadelphia field office, where he supervised complex criminal investigations relating to counterfeiting and various types of financial fraud.  From 1989 to 1991, Mr. Heddell served as Deputy Assistant Director, where he managed inspections of offices, as well as internal investigations into allegations of wrongdoing by employees, worldwide. Mr. Heddell assumed an executive position in the Vice Presidential Protective Division in 1993, as Deputy Special Agent-in-Charge. In 1995, he was promoted to Special Agent-in-Charge and served in that position until 1998. From 1998 until December 2000, Mr. Heddell served as Assistant Director. In this executive position, he led the Secret Service’s Inspection and Internal Affairs programs, worldwide.  Mr. Heddell holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of Missouri, a Master of Arts degree in Legal Studies from the University of Illinois (formerly Sangamon State University), and was a Woodrow Wilson Public Service Fellow while at the Secret Service. He is a former member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police and was the creator of the Secret Service’s mentoring program at two D.C. public schools.

Ellen Murray, Nominee for Assistant Secretary for Resources and Technology, Department of Health and Human Services

Ellen Murray has served as Staff Director for the United States Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies since 1999.  In that capacity, she oversees the annual $150 billion LHHS Appropriations bill. Murray has extensive knowledge of the Department of Health and Human Services budget. Prior to her tenure with the Senate, she served in both the budget office and the Office of the General Counsel at HHS.  Previously, Murray served as an economist at the Social Security Administration. She is a graduate of Trinity College in Washington, DC with a degree in Economics and the George Mason University School of Law.

Polly Trottenberg, Nominee for Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy, Department of Transportation

Polly Trottenberg serves as Executive Director of Building America’s Future, a national bipartisan coalition that supports U.S. infrastructure investment and a more accountable, sustainable and performance-driven national transportation policy.  Building America’s Future is chaired by Governor Edward G. Rendell, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and has a membership of elected officials from across the U.S.  Prior to joining Building America’s Future, Trottenberg served in the U.S. Senate for 12 years, most recently as Deputy Chief of Staff and Legislative Director for Senator Barbara Boxer, and worked extensively on transportation policy. She also served as Legislative Director for Senator Charles Schumer and as Legislative Assistant for Transportation, Public Works and Environment for the late Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan. Trottenberg previously worked at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and the Massachusetts Port Authority on aviation and transportation finance issues, and on the Joint Commerce and Labor Committee of the Massachusetts State Senate.  She received her Master’s in Public Policy from Harvard University, Kennedy School of Government and her BA in American History from Columbia University, Barnard College.

James J. Markowsky, Nominee for Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy, Department of Energy

James J. Markowsky is currently a consultant in the energy and electric power generation area, a member of the National Research Council’s Committee on America’s Energy Future and a Member and the Chair of the National Academy of Engineering’s Section 6 – Electric Power/Energy Systems Committee. Previously, Markowsky was the President of Research and Development Solution, LLC, from 2004 – 2005 where he was involved in providing technical support services, including R&D technology planning and analysis; R&D project planning and analysis; and R&D operations and process engineering, design and analysis to DOE’s National Energy Technology Laboratories.  Before that he was executive vice president of power generation, at American Electric Power Service Corporation(AEP), where his responsibilities included providing overall administrative, operational, and technical direction for the AEP System’s 21,000MWe coal and 800 MWe hydro power generating facilities. Markowsky’s career with AEP extended  from 1971 – 2000, and his other positions included; executive vice president of engineering and construction, senior vice president  and chief engineer, vice president – mechanical engineering, assistant vice president – mechanical engineering, AEP Sloan Fellow, and section manager.   Markowsky received several awards including the Washington Coal Club’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002 and has 26 publications in the area of power generation and fossil energy. He earned degrees from:  Massachusetts Institute of Technology – MS in Industrial Management -1981; Cornell University – Ph.D. in 1971 and MS in 1970, both in Mechanical Engineering;  and Pratt Institute – Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering -1967.

REMARKS BY PRESIDENT OBAMA

AND PRESIDENT ABBAS OF THE PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY

IN PRESS AVAILABILITY

Oval Office

5:15 P.M. EDT

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Hello, everybody.  Well, it is a great pleasure to welcome President Abbas to the Oval Office.  We had — we just completed an extensive conversation, both privately as well as with our delegations, about how we can advance peace in the Middle East and how we can reaffirm some core principles that I think can result in Palestinians and Israelis living side by side in peace and security.

As I’ve said before, I’ve been a strong believer in a two-state solution that would provide the Israelis and Palestinians the peace and security that they need.  I am very appreciative that President Abbas shares that view.  And when Prime Minister Netanyahu was here last week I reiterated to him that the framework that’s been provided by the road map is one that can advance the interests of Israel, can advance the interests of the Palestinian people, and can also advance the interests of the United States.

We are a stalwart ally of Israel and it is in our interests to assure that Israel is safe and secure.  It is our belief that the best way to achieve that is to create the conditions on the ground and set the stage for a Palestinian state as well.  And so what I told Prime Minister Netanyahu was is that each party has obligations under the road map.  On the Israeli side those obligations include stopping settlements.  They include making sure that there is a viable potential Palestinian state.  On the Palestinian side it’s going to be important and necessary to continue to take the security steps on the West Bank that President Abbas has already begun to take, working with General Dayton.  We’ve seen great progress in terms of security in the West Bank.  Those security steps need to continue because Israel has to have some confidence that security in the West Bank is in place in order for us to advance this process.

And I also mentioned to President Abbas in a frank exchange that it was very important to continue to make progress in reducing the incitement and anti-Israel sentiments that are sometimes expressed in schools and mosques and in the public square, because all those things are impediments to peace.

The final point that I made was the importance of all countries internationally, but particularly the Arab states, to be supportive of a two-state solution.  And we discussed how important it is that the Arab states, building off of some of the recognition of the possibilities of the two-state solution that are contained in the Arab Peace Initiative continue to provide economic support, as well as political support, to President Abbas’s efforts as he moves the Palestinian Authority forward, as he continues to initiate the reforms that have taken place, and as he hopefully is going to be able to enter into constructive talks with the Israelis.

So, again, I want to thank President Abbas for his visit and a very constructive conversation.  I am confident that we can move this process forward if all the parties are willing to take on the responsibilities and meet the obligations that they’ve already committed to, and if they keep in mind not just the short-term tactical issues that are involved, but the long-term strategic interests of both the Israelis and the Palestinians to live side by side in peace and security.

So, thank you again, Mr. President.

PRESIDENT ABBAS:  (As translated)  Thank you very much, Mr. President, for receiving us here at the White House.  We came here to tell you first of all that we congratulate you for the confidence that was expressed by the American people in electing you President of the United States.  And we wish you all success in your mission.

Mr. President, you referred to the international commitment as we stipulated in the road map.  I would like to take this opportunity to reaffirm to you that we are fully committed to all of our obligations under the road map, from A to Z.  And we believe, like you, Mr. President, that carrying out the obligations of all parties under the road map will be the only way to achieve the durable, comprehensive, and just peace that we need and desire in the Middle East.

Mr. President, I believe that the entire Arab world and the Islamic world, they are all committed to peace.  We’ve seen that through the Arab League Peace Initiative that simply talks about land for peace as a principle.  I believe that if the Israelis would withdraw from all occupied Palestinian, Syrian, and Lebanese land, the Arab world will be ready to have normal relationships with the state of Israel.

On our part, we are carrying our security and responsibility in the West Bank, and have law and order in that areas under our control because we believe that it is in our interest to have security.  It’s in the interest of stability in the region.  And here I would like to pay tribute and thank you to General Dayton and all those who work with him in helping and supporting and training our security organizations to carry out their duties and responsibilities.

Mr. President, I believe that time is of the essence.  We should capitalize on every minute and every hour in order to move the peace process forward, in order to cement this process, in order to achieve the agreement that would lead to peace.

Thank you very much.

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Thank you.  We got time for a couple of questions.  Julianna.

Q    Thank you, Mr. President.  I’m going to ask you a question about your trip next week to Riyadh.  Reducing U.S. dependence on foreign oil is a cornerstone of your energy policy.  And when you meet with Riyadh’s King Abdullah next week, what message will you take to him about U.S. energy policy, oil prices, output quotes, and the like?

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Well, you know, Saudi Arabia has been an important strategic partner in providing us with our critical energy needs.  We appreciate that.  It’s a commercial relationship as well as a strategic relationship.

And I don’t think that it’s in Saudi Arabia’s interests or our interests to have a situation in which our economy is dependent, or better yet, is disrupted constantly by huge spikes in energy prices.  And it’s in nobody’s interest, internationally, for us to continue to be so heavily dependent on fossil fuels that we continue to create the greenhouse gases that threaten the planet.

So in those discussions I’ll be very honest with King Abdullah, with whom I’ve developed a good relationship, indicating to him that we’re not going to be eliminating our need for oil imports in the immediate future; that’s not our goal.  What our goal has to be is to advance the clean energy solutions in this country that can strengthen our economy, put people back to work, diversify our energy sources.

And, you know, interestingly enough, you’re seeing the Saudis make significant investments both in their own country and outside of their country in clean energy, as well, because I think they recognize that we’ve got finite — we have a finite supply of oil.  There are going to be a whole host of countries like China and India that have huge populations, need to develop rapidly.

If everybody is dependent solely on oil as opposed to energy sources like wind and solar, if we are not able to figure out ways to sequester carbon and that would allow us to use coal in a non-polluting way, if we don’t diversify our energy sources, then all of us are going to be in trouble.  And so I don’t think that will be a difficult conversation to have.

Q    (Question asked in Arabic.)  Mr. President, if Israel keeps declining to accept the two-state solution and to freeze the settlement activities, how the U.S. would intervene in the peace process?

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  We’ll, I think it’s important not to assume the worst, but to assume the best.  And in my conversations with Prime Minister Netanyahu I was very clear about the need to stop the settlements; to make sure that we are stopping the building of outposts; to work with the Palestinian Authority in order to alleviate some of the pressures that the Palestinian people are under in terms of travel and commerce, so that we can initiate some of the economic development plans that Prime Minister Netanyahu himself has said are so important on the ground.

And that conversation only took place last week.  I think that we don’t have a moment to lose, but I also don’t make decisions based on just the conversation that we had last week because obviously Prime Minister Netanyahu has to work through these issues in his own government, in his own coalition, just as President Abbas has a whole host of issues that he has to deal with.

But I’m confident that if Israel looks long term — looks at its long-term strategic interests, that it will recognize that a two-state solution is in the interests of the Israeli people as well as the Palestinians.  And certainly that’s how the United States views our long-term strategic interests — a situation in which the Palestinians can prosper, they can start businesses, they can educate their children, they can send them to college, they can prosper economically.  That kind of situation is good for Israel’s security.  And I am confident that the majority of the Israeli people would see that as well.

Now, obviously the Israelis have good reason to be concerned about security, and that’s why it’s important that we continue to make progress on the security issues that so often end up disrupting peace talks between the two parties.

Q    (Previous question translated.)  President Abbas, you’ve met with President Obama, and perhaps you shared some of your ideas about permanent status resolution.  What was in these ideas, and what kind of appropriate mechanism that you have discussed to realize them and carry them out?

PRESIDENT ABBAS:  We have shared some ideas with the President, but all of them basically are embodied in the road map and the Arab League Initiative, without any change, without any modification.

Regarding the mechanism to carry it out, of course, there is a mechanism through the Quartet as well as the follow-up committee from the Arab nations.  Such a proposal will need to be looked at, studied; then we’ll see where to go from here.

Q    Mr. President, do you plan to unveil any part or all of your proposal for Mideast peace when you’re speaking in Cairo next week, or is it some other message you intend to deliver?

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  I want to use the occasion to deliver a broader message about how the United States can change for the better its relationship with the Muslim world.  That will require, I think, a recognition on both the part of the United States as well as many majority Muslim countries about each other, a better sense of understanding, and I think possibilities to achieve common ground. 

I want to emphasize the importance of Muslim Americans in the United States and the tremendous contributions they make, something that I think oftentimes is missed in some of these discussions.  But certainly the issue of Middle East peace is something that is going to need to be addressed.  It is a critical factor in the minds of many Arabs in countries throughout the region and beyond the region.  And I think that it would be inappropriate for me not to discuss those.

I’m not going to give you a preview right now, but it’s something that we’ll certainly discuss.

One thing that I didn’t mention earlier that I want to say I very much appreciate is that President Abbas I think has been under enormous pressure to bring about some sort of unity government and to negotiate with Hamas.  And I am very impressed and appreciative of President Abbas’s willingness to steadfastly insist that any unity government would have to recognize the principles that have been laid by the Quartet.

In the absence of a recognition of Israel and a commitment to peace, and a commitment to previous agreements that have already been made, it would be very hard to see any possibility of peace over the long term.  And so I want to publicly commend President Abbas for taking that position because I think it’s a position that’s in the interest of the Palestinian people, in the interests of peace in the region, and it’s something that the United States very much agrees with.

Q    (Asked in Arabic.)  Mr. President, if I may, President Bush hoped that you would have a Palestinian state by the time he leaves office.  It didn’t happen.  Do you have a time frame when this Palestinian state is going to happen?  Are you talking about a timetable for negotiation?

(Previous question translated.)  The first question to President Abbas:  Mr. President, did you receive any kind of clear-cut commitments from President Obama, or any pledges that would help you to strengthen your hands when you are dealing with the Palestinian public and opposition among Palestinians that this peace process activities could be viable and could be actually productive?

And the second question was, did President Obama ask you to have a meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu?

PRESIDENT ABBAS:  President Obama basically talked and reaffirmed the international commitments that we all agreed to, and they are all embodied in the road map.  He talked about the necessity to have two states, he talked about the importance of stopping settlement activities, and he also talked about the importance of achieving peace through negotiating all permanent status issues.

Obviously without discussing and negotiating permanent status issues there will be no progress.  We know that all the six issues of permanent status were discussed with the previous Israeli Prime Minister, Mr. Olmert, and what is needed right now is to resume the discussions with the current Israeli government.

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  And in terms of a timetable, I have not put forward a specific timetable.  But let me just point out, when I was campaigning for this office I said that one of the mistakes I would not make is to wait until the end of my first term, or the end of my second term, before we moved on this issue aggressively.  And we’ve been true to that commitment. 

From the first week that I arrived in this office, I insisted that this is a critical issue to deal with, in part because it is in the United States’ interest to achieve peace; that the absence of peace between Palestinians and Israelis is a impediment to a whole host of other areas of increased cooperation and more stable security for people in the region, as well as the United States.  And so I want to see progress made, and we will work very aggressively to achieve that.

I don’t want to put an artificial timetable, but I do share President Abbas’s feelings and I believe that many Israelis share the same view that time is of the essence, that we can’t continue with a drift**, with the increased fear and resentments on both sides, the sense of hopelessness around the situation that we’ve seen for many years now — we need to get this thing back on track.  And I will do everything I can, and my administration will do everything I can — my special envoy, George Mitchell, is working as diligently as he can, as is my entire national security team, to make sure that we jumpstart this process and get it moving again.

All right.

Praise for Sotomayor’s Qualifications

Fellow Second Circuit Judge Guido Calabresi on Sotomayor: “She’s Always a Very Forceful and Powerful Judge. She Has, Not on a Insignificant Number of Occasions, Caused Me to Change My Mind.” “Judge Guido Calabresi, a fellow judge on the 2nd Circuit Court who taught the young Sotomayor torts at Yale, said she was the one who organized dinners for the judges on the court and their spouses. But he was also quick to praise her for her work on the bench. ‘She’s always a very forceful and powerful judge,’ Calabresi said. ‘She has, not on an insignificant number of occasions, caused me to change my mind. I would read one of the memos she had written on a case and say, “I think she’s got it and I don’t.”’” [Los Angeles Times, 5/27/09]

Former Chief Judge of the Second Circuit Court of Appeals and Carter Appointee Jon Newman Said Sotomayor Was “Everything One Would Want in a First-Rate Judge.” NPR reported that Judge Newman called Sotomayor a brilliant lawyer and a fair-minded pragmatist. “She is everything one would want in a first-rate judge,” he said. [NPR, 5/27/09]

Federal Judge And Former Appeals Lawyer Said Sotomayor Was Widely Regarded As An Excellent Judge Who Asked Questions That Were “Penetrating, But Fair.” “Some lawyers have described her courtroom manner as abrupt, but several others said in interviews that it represents nothing more than her direct, New York style. Judge Martin Glenn, who as a veteran appeals lawyer had appeared before her frequently, said that she was widely regarded as an excellent judge. Judge Glenn, now a federal bankruptcy judge, said that Judge Sotomayor always asked ‘questions that were penetrating but fair.’ ‘She was always respectful,’ he said. Judge Glenn said lawyers generally regard her as representative of what he said is called ‘a hot bench,’ meaning that questions come fast and furious and lawyers have to be fully prepared.” [New York Times, 5/27/09]

Sen. Olympia Snowe Called Sotomayor “Well-Qualified” And Said Her Selection Was “Historic.” “Indisputably, this is an historic selection, as Sonia Sotomayor is just the third woman to be nominated to The Court and the first Hispanic American. I commend President Obama for nominating a well-qualified woman, as I urged him to do during a one-on-one meeting on a variety of issues in the Oval Office earlier this month.  I also appreciate that White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel called me personally this morning to inform me of the President’s selection.” [Snowe Statement, 5/26/09]

Sen. Joe Lieberman: Sotomayor “An Impressive Choice.” “President Obama made an impressive choice by nominating Judge Sotomayor for the position of Associate Justice for the Supreme Court.  Judge Sotomayor’s career represents the best of the American dream and she possesses distinguished and superior legal credentials.  I look forward to the upcoming hearings and I hope that there is a bi-partisan effort to ensure a fair confirmation process.” [Lieberman Statement, 5/26/09]

Founding Dean of UC-Irvine Law School Said Sotomayor “Is an Excellent Choice Because She is an Outstanding Judge.” Erwin Chemerinsky wrote, “But most of all, Sotomayor is an excellent choice because she is an outstanding judge. Her opinions are clearly written and invariably well-reasoned. My former students who have clerked for her rave about her as a judge and as a person. She has enormous experience as a lawyer and as a judge, both in the federal district court and the federal court of appeals. The bottom line is that the court will now have its third woman justice in history, its first Latina, and an individual who likely will be an excellent justice for decades to come.” [The New Republic, 5/26/09]

Lawyer and Supreme Court Expert Tom Goldstein Praises Sotomayor as “Extremely Intelligent” with “Overwhelming” Qualifications.”  On MSNBC today, Goldstein said today, “Objectively, her qualifications are overwhelming from the perspective of ordinary Americans.  She has been a prosecutor, private litigator, trial judge, and appellate judge.  No one currently on the Court has that complete package of experience… The objective evidence is that Sotomayor is in fact extremely intelligent.  Graduating at the top of the class at Princeton is a signal accomplishment.  Her opinions are thorough, well-reasoned, and clearly written.  Nothing suggests she isn’t the match of the other Justices.” [SCOTUS Blog, 5/26/2009]

NY D.A. Supervisor John W. Fried Lauded Sotomayor for Her Ability Right Out of Law School “To Move Almost Seamlessly From Studying Law in Law Books to Being an Assistant D.A. in a Large Urban Environment,” Compared Sotomayor to the Late Justice Byron White. “After graduation from Yale in 1979, and when many of her peers began lucrative careers in the private sector, Sotomayor became a prosecutor, working for venerable Manhattan Dist. Atty. Robert Morgenthau. She rose quickly from junior to senior assistant district attorney, moving from prosecuting misdemeanors to felonies. ‘She was right out of law school,’ said John W. Fried, who was Sotomayor’s supervisor. ‘And what impressed me was her ability to move almost seamlessly from studying law from law books to being an assistant D.A. in a large urban environment — with legal issues and factual issues that are not the subject of any law school curriculum.’… Fried compared Sotomayor to the late Justice Byron White. ‘I once had a beer with Whizzer White,’ Fried said. ‘He was just a down-to-earth guy. She very much reminded me of that. Unpretentious. A humble-type person who through hard work and effort was given a great opportunity.’” [Los Angeles Times, 5/27/09]

New York District Attorney Robert Morgenthau: Sotomayor’s Story Is a Credit to The U.S. That Individuals From Humble Beginnings Can Be Nominated For The Highest Court In The Land. “President Obama has made an outstanding choice in selecting Judge Sonia Sotomayor to serve on the United States Supreme Court.  Throughout her career Judge Sotomayor has shown that she possesses the wisdom, intelligence, collegiality, and good character needed to fill the position for which she has been nominated.  It is a credit to the President, and indeed to the United States, that an individual born in humble circumstances in the South Bronx can, simply by dint of talent and hard work, rise to be recognized as the right candidate for a seat on the highest Court in the land.” [Morgenthau Statement, 5/26/09]

Harvard Law Professor Ogletree Calls Sotomayor a “Bold and Brilliant Choice.” On MSNBC today, Harvard Law Professor Charles Ogletree said, “I think it’s a bold and brilliant choice by President Obama, I think she has all the characteristics that he talked about: empathy, experience, judgment.  She will walk right into the Supreme Court on first Monday in October and she will be a very significant contributor to the intellectual dialogue going forward.” [MSNBC, 5/26/2009]

Praise for Sotomayor’s Pragmatism

Pepperdine Constitutional Law Professor Doug Kmiec Said Obama Chose Sotomayor For Her Legal Experience, Training, and Attention “For The Factual Record As It Effects Real Human Lives.” Douglas Kmiec wrote, “President Obama did not select Judge Sotomayor for her judicial outcomes, but for her experience…In terms of legal training, the opposition will find it difficult to find any omission in preparation — the prosecution of dozens of criminal cases as an assistant DA in Manhattan; a partner in a major New York firm dealing with highly detailed and complex intellectual property and commercial litigation; a trial judge for six years showing a meticulous attention – and yes empathy – for the factual record as it affects real human lives, and an appellate judge for 11 years where she participated in over 3000 decisions and authored roughly 400. It’s doubtful that anyone has totally catalogued all of these cases and no doubt they will be flyspecked. Yet, my preliminary review is that this is a woman who cares deeply about justice, both when the facts cry out for it – as in her favorable view of asylum cases of Chinese women who experienced or were threatened with forced birth control, and when the facts do merit special consideration, as when churches and religious associations are trying to maintain their own internal procedures without state interference.” [National Catholic Reporter, 5/26/09]

TNR’s Jeff Rosen: “Of Course Judge Sotomayor Should Be Confirmed,” Highlighted “The Range of Her Experience.” “Of course, Judge Sotomayor should be confirmed to the Supreme Court…the strongest case to be made for Sotomayor is the idea that the range of her experience–as a trial judge, appellate judge, and commercial litigator–might give her the humility to recognize that courts participate in a dialogue with the political branches when it comes to defining constitutional rights, rather than having the last word.” [The New Republic, Jeff Rosen, 5/26/09]

Court Watchers and Attorneys Said Sotomayor Would Bring A Pragmatic Perspective To Employment Law, Was “Incredibly Well-Prepared” In Court. “Judge Sonia Sotomayor, President Obama’s nominee to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice David Souter, will bring a pragmatic perspective on employment law to the High Court if she is confirmed, say court watchers and attorneys who have argued cases before her. Currently serving as one of 21 judges on the United States Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit, Sotomayor has authored more than 150 opinions in civil cases since 1998, including several that directly dealt with employment law. The picture that emerges from an analysis of her decisions, according to Tom Goldstein, a Washington, D.C., attorney and legal-affairs blogger, is of a jurist who sides with employees some of the time, and with employers in the kinds of cases that often reach the Supreme Court. Other employment law attorneys who have argued cases before Sotomayor say she does her homework and expects attorneys to have done theirs. ‘My colleagues who have tried cases before Judge Sotomayor say she is incredibly well prepared and asks good questions,’ says Louis P. DiLorenzo, editor of HR Specialist’s New York Employment Law newsletter and co-chair of the Labor and Employment Law Department at Bond, Schoeneck & King.” [Business Management Daily, 5/26/09]

Cornell Law Professor Said Sotomayor’s Experience In Business Law Would Bring An Important Perspective To Court That Would Face Increasingly Important Economical Issues. “Cornell law professor Michael Dorf said Tuesday, ‘Her experience as a judge on the 2nd Circuit — with a large commercial and corporate docket— will bring an important perspective to a Court that will increasingly face important issues regarding the regulation of the national economy.’” [USA Today, 5/26/09]

Praise for Sotomayor’s Non-Ideological Approach to the Law

Second Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Roger Miner, Appointed by President Reagan, Said He Would Not Classify Sotomayor in One Ideological Camp or Another But Rather as an “Outstanding Judge.” NPR reported that Judge Miner called Sotomayor an excellent choice. “I don’t think I’d go as far as to classify her in one camp or another. I think she just deserves the classification of outstanding judge,” he said. [NPR, 5/27/09]

Second Circuit Court of Appeals Judge John Walker, Appointed by President George H. W. Bush, Said Sotomayor Was Not an Ideological or Activist Judge Pushing a Political Agenda. NPR reported that Judge Walker called Sotomayor an independent thinker. “While her views are liberal, I don’t consider her to be an ideological judge or an activist judge pushing a political agenda,” he said. [NPR, 5/27/09]

Former Clerk Julia Tarver Mason: Sotomayor “Is Not Someone Who Is Going to Try to Reach a Particular Result in a Particular Case. She Calls Them Straight Down the Middle, Just Like She Sees Them.” “Julia Tarver Mason, who spent a year clerking for Sotomayor when she was a federal judge, told CBS’ The Early Show Wednesday that Sotomayor ‘is not someone who is going to try to reach a particular result in a particular case. She calls them straight down the middle, just like she sees them.’ Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh went so far as to call Sotomayor a ‘reverse racist’ for her decision ruling against mainly white firefighters who had filed a reverse discrimination suit against New Haven, Conn. ‘That’s an absurd notion,’ Mason said ‘Judge Sotomayor is one of the most egalitarian people I have ever met. She treats people equally, no matter their background or ethnicity. I think the…fact that people from the right are throwing these outrageous allegations right now is just an indication that they don’t know much about her record.’” [CBSNews.com, 5/27/09]

Founder Of Freedom Watch And Judicial Watch Issued Statement That Praised Sotomayor Selection As A “Very Prudent And Wise Decision,” Wished Her Nomination Success. “Today, Larry Klayman, the founder, chairman and general counsel of Freedom Watch (and also the founder of Judicial Watch), issued the following statement on President Obama’s selection of Sonia Sotomayer as nominee for Supreme Court Justice to replace David Souter: ‘While I would have liked to see a more conservative libertarian type on the high court, President Obama’s selection of New York federal appeals court Judge Sonia Sotomayer, was a very prudent and wise decision from a far left liberal like Obama. Having initially been appointed to the bench by President George H. W. Bush, soon to be justice Sotomayer has previously pledged to follow the Constitution, and not legislate from the bench, and her career as a federal court judge suggests, as a whole, that this is the way she will administer to the law. It is also great to have a highly qualified Latina on the bench. The Latin culture, with its emphasis on family and family values, will be a welcome addition, as an understanding of real life relationships is important for any jurist. And, as the largest minority in the United States, its time that Latins can take pride that they too are now part of the legal system. On behalf of Freedom Watch and the American people, we wish Justice Sotomayer much success.’” [Klayman Statement Provided To WHO via Chuck Todd e-mail, 5/26/09]

Malcolm X

The following speech was given on February 14, 1965 in Detroit, Michigan. Malcolm X and his family were victims of a house bombing earlier that morning. Malcolm was scheduled to speak on the day of the bombing and felt that it was necessary to appear at this meeting even though his life and that of his family was in danger.

“Attorney Milton Henry, distinguished guest, brothers and sisters, ladies and gentlemen, friends and enemies: I want to point out firts that I am very happy to be here this evening and I am thankful to tje Afro-American Broadcasting Comany for the invitation to come here this evening. As Attorney Milton Henry has stated- I should say Brother Milton Henry because that’s what he is-our brother-I was in a house last night that was bombed, my own. It didn’t destroy all my clothes but you know fire and smoke can do to things. The only thing I could get my hands on before leasving was what I have on now.

It isn’t something that made me lose confidence in what I am doing, beacuse my wife undestands and I have children from this size on down, and even in their young age they understand. I think they would rather have a father or brother or whatever situation may be who will take a st and in the face of reaction from any narrow-minded people rather that to compromise and later on have to grow up in shame and disgrace.

So I ask you to excuse my appearance. I don’t normally come out in front of people without a shirt and tie. I guess that’s somewhat a holdover fomr the Black Muslim movement which I was in. That’s one of the good aspects of that movement. It teaches you to be very careful and conscious of how you look, which is a positive contribution on thier part. But that positive contribution on their part is greatly offset by too many liabilities.

Also last night, when the temperature was about 20 above and when this explosion took place, I was caught in what I had on-some pajamas. In trying to get my family out of the house, none of us stopped for any clothes at that point, so we were out in 20 degree cold. I got them into the house of the neighbor next door. I thought perhaps being in that condition for so long O would get pneumonia or a cold or something like that, so a doctor came today, a nice doctor, and shot something in my arm that naturally put me to sleep. I’ve been back there asleep ever since the program started in order to get back in shape. So if I have a tendency to stutter or slow down, it’s still the effect of the drug. I don’t know what kind it was, but it was good; it makes you sleep, and there’s nothing like sleeping through a whole lot of excitement.

Tonight one of the things that has to be stressed, which has not only the United States very much worried but also France, Great Britain and most of the powers who formerly were known as colonial powers worried, and that is the African revolution.They are more concerned with the revolution that is taking place on the African continent than they are with the revolution in Asia and Latin America. And this is because there are so mnany people of African ancestry within the domestice confines or jurisdictions of these various governments…There is an increasing number of dark-skinned people in England and also in France.

When I was in Africa in May, I noticed a tendency on the part of the Afro-Americans to -what I call lolly-gag. Everybody else who was over there had something on the ball, something they were doing, something constructive. Let’s take Ghana as an example. There would be many refugees in Ghana from South Africa….Some were being trained in how to be soldiers but others were involved as a pressure group or lobby group to let the people of Ghana never forget what happened to the brother in South Africa. Also you had brothers there from Angola and Mozambique. All of the Africans who were exiles from their particular country and would be in a place like Ghana or Tanganyika-now Tanzania, would be in training. Their every move would be designed to offset what was happening to their people back home where they had left…When they escaped from their respective countries that were still colonized, they didn’t try and run away from the family; as soon as they got where they were going, they began to organized into pressure groups to get support at the international level against the injustices they were experiencing back home.

But the American Negroes or the Afro-Americans, who were in these various countries, some working for this government, some working for that governemtn, some in business-they were just socializing, they had turned their back on the cause over here, they were partying, you know. When I get through one country,in particular, I heard a lot of their complaints and I didn’t make any move. But when I got to another country, I found the Afro-Americans there were making the same complaints. So we sat down and talked and organized a branch in this particular country of the Organization of Afro-American Unity. That onewas the only one in existence at that time. Then during the summer when I went back to Africa, I was able in each country that I visited to get the Afro-American community together and organize them and make them aware of their responsibility to those of us who are still here in the lion’s den.

They began to do this quite well, and when I got to Paris and London-there were many Afro-Americans in Paris, and many in London-in November, we organized a group in Paris and within a very short time they had grown into a well-organized unit. In conjunction with the African community, they invited me to Paris Tuesday to address a large gathering of Parisians and Afro-Americans and people from the Caribbean and also from Africa whe were interested in our struggle in this country and the rate of prgress that we have been making. But the French government and this government here, the United States, know that I have been almost fanatically stressing the importance of the Afro-Americans uniting with the Africans and working as a coalition, especially in the areas whiech are of mutual benefit to all of us. And the governments in these different places were frightened…”

REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT

IN COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS

AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME

University of Notre Dame

South Bend, Indiana

3:06 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Well, first of all, congratulations, Class of 2009.  (Applause.)  Congratulations to all the parents, the cousins — (applause) — the aunts, the uncles — all the people who helped to bring you to the point that you are here today.  Thank you so much to Father Jenkins for that extraordinary introduction, even though you said what I want to say much more elegantly.  (Laughter.)  You are doing an extraordinary job as president of this extraordinary institution.  (Applause.)  Your continued and courageous — and contagious — commitment to honest, thoughtful dialogue is an inspiration to us all.  (Applause.)

Good afternoon.  To Father Hesburgh, to Notre Dame trustees, to faculty, to family:  I am honored to be here today.  (Applause.)  And I am grateful to all of you for allowing me to be a part of your graduation.

And I also want to thank you for the honorary degree that I received.  I know it has not been without controversy.  I don’t know if you’re aware of this, but these honorary degrees are apparently pretty hard to come by.  (Laughter.)  So far I’m only 1 for 2 as President.  (Laughter and applause.)  Father Hesburgh is 150 for 150.  (Laughter and applause.)  I guess that’s better.  (Laughter.)  So, Father Ted, after the ceremony, maybe you can give me some pointers to boost my average.

I also want to congratulate the Class of 2009 for all your accomplishments.  And since this is Notre Dame –

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Abortion is murder!  Stop killing children!

AUDIENCE:  Booo!

THE PRESIDENT:  That’s all right.  And since –

AUDIENCE:  We are ND!  We are ND!

AUDIENCE:  Yes, we can!  Yes, we can!

THE PRESIDENT:  We’re fine, everybody.  We’re following Brennan’s adage that we don’t do things easily.  (Laughter.)  We’re not going to shy away from things that are uncomfortable sometimes.  (Applause.)

Now, since this is Notre Dame I think we should talk not only about your accomplishments in the classroom, but also in the competitive arena.  (Laughter.)  No, don’t worry, I’m not going to talk about that.  (Laughter.)  We all know about this university’s proud and storied football team, but I also hear that Notre Dame holds the largest outdoor 5-on-5 basketball tournament in the world — Bookstore Basketball.  (Applause.)

Now this excites me.  (Laughter.)  I want to congratulate the winners of this year’s tournament, a team by the name of “Hallelujah Holla Back.”  (Laughter and applause.)  Congratulations.  Well done.  Though I have to say, I am personally disappointed that the “Barack O’Ballers” did not pull it out this year.  (Laughter.)  So next year, if you need a 6’2” forward with a decent jumper, you know where I live.  (Laughter and applause.)

Every one of you should be proud of what you have achieved at this institution.  One hundred and sixty-three classes of Notre Dame graduates have sat where you sit today.  Some were here during years that simply rolled into the next without much notice or fanfare — periods of relative peace and prosperity that required little by way of sacrifice or struggle.

You, however, are not getting off that easy.  You have a different deal.  Your class has come of age at a moment of great consequence for our nation and for the world — a rare inflection point in history where the size and scope of the challenges before us require that we remake our world to renew its promise; that we align our deepest values and commitments to the demands of a new age.  It’s a privilege and a responsibility afforded to few generations — and a task that you’re now called to fulfill.

This generation, your generation is the one that must find a path back to prosperity and decide how we respond to a global economy that left millions behind even before the most recent crisis hit — an economy where greed and short-term thinking were too often rewarded at the expense of fairness, and diligence, and an honest day’s work.  (Applause.)

Your generation must decide how to save God’s creation from a changing climate that threatens to destroy it.  Your generation must seek peace at a time when there are those who will stop at nothing to do us harm, and when weapons in the hands of a few can destroy the many.  And we must find a way to reconcile our ever-shrinking world with its ever-growing diversity — diversity of thought, diversity of culture, and diversity of belief. 

In short, we must find a way to live together as one human family.  (Applause.)

And it’s this last challenge that I’d like to talk about today, despite the fact that Father John stole all my best lines.  (Laughter.)  For the major threats we face in the 21st century — whether it’s global recession or violent extremism; the spread of nuclear weapons or pandemic disease — these things do not discriminate.  They do not recognize borders.  They do not see color.  They do not target specific ethnic groups. 

Moreover, no one person, or religion, or nation can meet these challenges alone.  Our very survival has never required greater cooperation and greater understanding among all people from all places than at this moment in history. 

Unfortunately, finding that common ground — recognizing that our fates are tied up, as Dr. King said, in a “single garment of destiny” — is not easy.  And part of the problem, of course, lies in the imperfections of man — our selfishness, our pride, our stubbornness, our acquisitiveness, our insecurities, our egos; all the cruelties large and small that those of us in the Christian tradition understand to be rooted in original sin.  We too often seek advantage over others.  We cling to outworn prejudice and fear those who are unfamiliar.  Too many of us view life only through the lens of immediate self-interest and crass materialism; in which the world is necessarily a zero-sum game.  The strong too often dominate the weak, and too many of those with wealth and with power find all manner of justification for their own privilege in the face of poverty and injustice.  And so, for all our technology and scientific advances, we see here in this country and around the globe violence and want and strife that would seem sadly familiar to those in ancient times.

We know these things; and hopefully one of the benefits of the wonderful education that you’ve received here at Notre Dame is that you’ve had time to consider these wrongs in the world; perhaps recognized impulses in yourself that you want to leave behind.  You’ve grown determined, each in your own way, to right them.  And yet, one of the vexing things for those of us interested in promoting greater understanding and cooperation among people is the discovery that even bringing together persons of good will, bringing together men and women of principle and purpose — even accomplishing that can be difficult. 

The soldier and the lawyer may both love this country with equal passion, and yet reach very different conclusions on the specific steps needed to protect us from harm.  The gay activist and the evangelical pastor may both deplore the ravages of HIV/AIDS, but find themselves unable to bridge the cultural divide that might unite their efforts.  Those who speak out against stem cell research may be rooted in an admirable conviction about the sacredness of life, but so are the parents of a child with juvenile diabetes who are convinced that their son’s or daughter’s hardships can be relieved.  (Applause.)

The question, then — the question then is how do we work through these conflicts?  Is it possible for us to join hands in common effort?  As citizens of a vibrant and varied democracy, how do we engage in vigorous debate?  How does each of us remain firm in our principles, and fight for what we consider right, without, as Father John said, demonizing those with just as strongly held convictions on the other side?

And of course, nowhere do these questions come up more powerfully than on the issue of abortion.

As I considered the controversy surrounding my visit here, I was reminded of an encounter I had during my Senate campaign, one that I describe in a book I wrote called “The Audacity of Hope.”  A few days after I won the Democratic nomination, I received an e-mail from a doctor who told me that while he voted for me in the Illinois primary, he had a serious concern that might prevent him from voting for me in the general election.  He described himself as a Christian who was strongly pro-life — but that was not what was preventing him potentially from voting for me.

What bothered the doctor was an entry that my campaign staff had posted on my website — an entry that said I would fight “right-wing ideologues who want to take away a woman’s right to choose.”  The doctor said he had assumed I was a reasonable person, he supported my policy initiatives to help the poor and to lift up our educational system, but that if I truly believed that every pro-life individual was simply an ideologue who wanted to inflict suffering on women, then I was not very reasonable.  He wrote, “I do not ask at this point that you oppose abortion, only that you speak about this issue in fair-minded words.”  Fair-minded words.

After I read the doctor’s letter, I wrote back to him and I thanked him.  And I didn’t change my underlying position, but I did tell my staff to change the words on my website.  And I said a prayer that night that I might extend the same presumption of good faith to others that the doctor had extended to me.  Because when we do that — when we open up our hearts and our minds to those who may not think precisely like we do or believe precisely what we believe — that’s when we discover at least the possibility of common ground.

That’s when we begin to say, “Maybe we won’t agree on abortion, but we can still agree that this heart-wrenching decision for any woman is not made casually, it has both moral and spiritual dimensions.

So let us work together to reduce the number of women seeking abortions, let’s reduce unintended pregnancies.  (Applause.)  Let’s make adoption more available.  (Applause.)  Let’s provide care and support for women who do carry their children to term.  (Applause.)  Let’s honor the conscience of those who disagree with abortion, and draft a sensible conscience clause, and make sure that all of our health care policies are grounded not only in sound science, but also in clear ethics, as well as respect for the equality of women.”  Those are things we can do.  (Applause.)

Now, understand — understand, Class of 2009, I do not suggest that the debate surrounding abortion can or should go away.  Because no matter how much we may want to fudge it — indeed, while we know that the views of most Americans on the subject are complex and even contradictory — the fact is that at some level, the views of the two camps are irreconcilable.  Each side will continue to make its case to the public with passion and conviction.  But surely we can do so without reducing those with differing views to caricature.

Open hearts.  Open minds.  Fair-minded words.  It’s a way of life that has always been the Notre Dame tradition.  (Applause.)  Father Hesburgh has long spoken of this institution as both a lighthouse and a crossroads.  A lighthouse that stands apart, shining with the wisdom of the Catholic tradition, while the crossroads is where “¼differences of culture and religion and conviction can co-exist with friendship, civility, hospitality, and especially love.”  And I want to join him and Father John in saying how inspired I am by the maturity and responsibility with which this class has approached the debate surrounding today’s ceremony.  You are an example of what Notre Dame is about.  (Applause.)

This tradition of cooperation and understanding is one that I learned in my own life many years ago — also with the help of the Catholic Church. 

You see, I was not raised in a particularly religious household, but my mother instilled in me a sense of service and empathy that eventually led me to become a community organizer after I graduated college.  And a group of Catholic churches in Chicago helped fund an organization known as the Developing Communities Project, and we worked to lift up South Side neighborhoods that had been devastated when the local steel plant closed. 

And it was quite an eclectic crew — Catholic and Protestant churches, Jewish and African American organizers, working-class black, white, and Hispanic residents — all of us with different experiences, all of us with different beliefs.  But all of us learned to work side by side because all of us saw in these neighborhoods other human beings who needed our help — to find jobs and improve schools.  We were bound together in the service of others. 

And something else happened during the time I spent in these neighborhoods — perhaps because the church folks I worked with were so welcoming and understanding; perhaps because they invited me to their services and sang with me from their hymnals; perhaps because I was really broke and they fed me.  (Laughter.)  Perhaps because I witnessed all of the good works their faith inspired them to perform, I found myself drawn not just to the work with the church; I was drawn to be in the church.  It was through this service that I was brought to Christ. 

And at the time, Cardinal Joseph Bernardin was the Archbishop of Chicago.  (Applause.)  For those of you too young to have known him or known of him, he was a kind and good and wise man.  A saintly man.  I can still remember him speaking at one of the first organizing meetings I attended on the South Side.  He stood as both a lighthouse and a crossroads — unafraid to speak his mind on moral issues ranging from poverty and AIDS and abortion to the death penalty and nuclear war.  And yet, he was congenial and gentle in his persuasion, always trying to bring people together, always trying to find common ground.  Just before he died, a reporter asked Cardinal Bernardin about this approach to his ministry.  And he said, “You can’t really get on with preaching the Gospel until you’ve touched hearts and minds.”

Now, you, Class of 2009, are about to enter the next phase of your life at a time of great uncertainty.  You’ll be called to help restore a free market that’s also fair to all who are willing to work.  You’ll be called to seek new sources of energy that can save our planet; to give future generations the same chance that you had to receive an extraordinary education.  And whether as a person drawn to public service, or simply someone who insists on being an active citizen, you will be exposed to more opinions and ideas broadcast through more means of communication than ever existed before.  You’ll hear talking heads scream on cable, and you’ll read blogs that claim definitive knowledge, and you will watch politicians pretend they know what they’re talking about.  (Laughter.)  Occasionally, you may have the great fortune of actually seeing important issues debated by people who do know what they’re talking about — by well-intentioned people with brilliant minds and mastery of the facts.  In fact, I suspect that some of you will be among those brightest stars.

And in this world of competing claims about what is right and what is true, have confidence in the values with which you’ve been raised and educated.  Be unafraid to speak your mind when those values are at stake.  Hold firm to your faith and allow it to guide you on your journey.  In other words, stand as a lighthouse.

But remember, too, that you can be a crossroads.  Remember, too, that the ultimate irony of faith is that it necessarily admits doubt.  It’s the belief in things not seen.  It’s beyond our capacity as human beings to know with certainty what God has planned for us or what He asks of us.  And those of us who believe must trust that His wisdom is greater than our own.

And this doubt should not push us away our faith.  But it should humble us.  It should temper our passions, cause us to be wary of too much self-righteousness.  It should compel us to remain open and curious and eager to continue the spiritual and moral debate that began for so many of you within the walls of Notre Dame.  And within our vast democracy, this doubt should remind us even as we cling to our faith to persuade through reason, through an appeal whenever we can to universal rather than parochial principles, and most of all through an abiding example of good works and charity and kindness and service that moves hearts and minds.

For if there is one law that we can be most certain of, it is the law that binds people of all faiths and no faith together.  It’s no coincidence that it exists in Christianity and Judaism; in Islam and Hinduism; in Buddhism and humanism.  It is, of course, the Golden Rule — the call to treat one another as we wish to be treated.  The call to love.  The call to serve.  To do what we can to make a difference in the lives of those with whom we share the same brief moment on this Earth.

So many of you at Notre Dame — by the last count, upwards of 80 percent — have lived this law of love through the service you’ve performed at schools and hospitals; international relief agencies and local charities.  Brennan is just one example of what your class has accomplished.  That’s incredibly impressive, a powerful testament to this institution.  (Applause.)

Now you must carry the tradition forward.  Make it a way of life.  Because when you serve, it doesn’t just improve your community, it makes you a part of your community.  It breaks down walls.  It fosters cooperation.  And when that happens — when people set aside their differences, even for a moment, to work in common effort toward a common goal; when they struggle together, and sacrifice together, and learn from one another — then all things are possible.

After all, I stand here today, as President and as an African American, on the 55th anniversary of the day that the Supreme Court handed down the decision in Brown v. Board of Education.  Now, Brown was of course the first major step in dismantling the “separate but equal” doctrine, but it would take a number of years and a nationwide movement to fully realize the dream of civil rights for all of God’s children.  There were freedom rides and lunch counters and Billy clubs, and there was also a Civil Rights Commission appointed by President Eisenhower.  It was the 12 resolutions recommended by this commission that would ultimately become law in the Civil Rights Act of 1964. 

There were six members of this commission.  It included five whites and one African American; Democrats and Republicans; two Southern governors, the dean of a Southern law school, a Midwestern university president, and your own Father Ted Hesburgh, President of Notre Dame.  (Applause.)  So they worked for two years, and at times, President Eisenhower had to intervene personally since no hotel or restaurant in the South would serve the black and white members of the commission together.  And finally, when they reached an impasse in Louisiana, Father Ted flew them all to Notre Dame’s retreat in Land O’Lakes, Wisconsin — (applause) — where they eventually overcame their differences and hammered out a final deal.

And years later, President Eisenhower asked Father Ted how on Earth he was able to broker an agreement between men of such different backgrounds and beliefs.  And Father Ted simply said that during their first dinner in Wisconsin, they discovered they were all fishermen.  (Laughter.)  And so he quickly readied a boat for a twilight trip out on the lake.  They fished, and they talked, and they changed the course of history. 

But as you leave here today, remember the lessons of Cardinal Bernardin, of Father Hesburgh, of movements for change both large and small.  Remember that each of us, endowed with the dignity possessed by all children of God, has the grace to recognize ourselves in one another; to understand that we all seek the same love of family, the same fulfillment of a life well lived.  Remember that in the end, in some way we are all fishermen.

If nothing else, that knowledge should give us faith that through our collective labor, and God’s providence, and our willingness to shoulder each other’s burdens, America will continue on its precious journey towards that more perfect union.  Congratulations, Class of 2009.  May God bless you, and may God bless the United States of America.  (Applause.)

Remarks of President Barack Obama

Weekly Address

Saturday, May 16, 2009

Good morning. Over the past few months, as we have put in place a plan to speed our economic recovery, I have spoken repeatedly of the need to lay a new foundation for lasting prosperity; a foundation that will support good jobs and rising incomes; a foundation for economic growth where we no longer rely on excessive debt and reckless risk – but instead on skilled workers and sound investments to lead the world in the industries of the 21^st century.

Two pillars of this new foundation are clean energy and health care. And while there remains a great deal of difficult work ahead, I am heartened by what we have seen these past few days: a willingness of those with different points of view and disparate interests to come together around common goals – to embrace a shared sense of responsibility and make historic progress.

Chairman Henry Waxman and members of the Energy and Commerce Committee brought together stakeholders from all corners of the country – and every sector of our economy – to reach an historic agreement on comprehensive energy legislation.  It’s another promising sign of progress, as longtime opponents are sitting together, at the same table, to help solve one of America’s most serious challenges.

For the first time, utility companies and corporate leaders are joining, not opposing, environmental advocates and labor leaders to create a new system of clean energy initiatives that will help unleash a new era of growth and prosperity.

It’s a plan that will finally reduce our dangerous dependence on foreign oil and cap the carbon pollution that threatens our health and our climate.  Most important, it’s a plan that will trigger the creation of millions of new jobs for Americans, who will produce the wind turbines and solar panels and develop the alternative fuels to power the future.  Because this we know: the nation that leads in 21^st century clean energy is the nation that will lead the 21^st century global economy. America can and must be that nation – and this agreement is a major step toward this goal.

But we know that our families, our economy, and our nation itself will not succeed in the 21^st century if we continue to be held down by the weight of rapidly rising health care costs and a broken health care system. That’s why I met with representatives of insurance and drug companies, doctors and hospitals, and labor unions who are pledging to do their part to reduce health care costs. These are some of the groups who have been among the fiercest critics of past comprehensive health care reform plans. But today they too are recognizing that we must act. Our businesses will not be able to compete; our families will not be able to save or spend; our budgets will remain unsustainable unless we get health care costs under control.

These groups have pledged to do their part to reduce the annual health care spending growth rate by 1.5 percentage points. Coupled with comprehensive reform, their efforts could help to save our nation more than $2 trillion in the next ten years – and save hardworking families $2,500 each in the coming years.

This week, I also invited Speaker of House Nancy Pelosi, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, and other congressional leaders to the White House to discuss comprehensive health reform legislation. The House is working to pass a bill by the end of July – before they head out for their August recess. That’s the kind of urgency and determination we need to achieve comprehensive reform by the end of this year. And the reductions in spending the health care community has pledged will help make this reform possible.

                I have always believed that it is better to talk than not to talk; that it is far more productive to reach over a divide than to shake your fist across it. This has been an alien notion in Washington for far too long, but we are seeing that the ways of Washington are beginning to change. For the calling of this moment is too loud and too urgent to ignore. Our success as a nation – the future of our children and grandchildren – depends upon our willingness to cast aside old arguments, overcome stubborn divisions, and march forward as one people and one nation.

This is how progress has always been made. This is how a new foundation will be built. We cannot assume that interests will always align, or that fragile partnerships will not fray. There will be setbacks. There will be difficult days.  But we are off to a good start. And I am confident that we will – in the weeks, months, and years ahead – build on what we have already achieved and lay this foundation which will not only bring about prosperity for this generation, but for generations to come.

Thanks so much.

REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT

AT ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY COMMENCEMENT

Sun Devil Stadium

Tempe, Arizona

May 13, 2009

7:59 P.M. MST

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.  Thank you.  Thank you, ASU.  (Applause.)  Thank you very much.  Thank you very much.  Thank you so much.  Thank you — please.  Well, thank you, President Crow, for that extremely generous introduction, for your inspired leadership as well here at ASU.  And I want to thank the entire ASU community for the honor of attaching my name to a scholarship program that will help open the doors of higher education to students from every background.  What a wonderful gift.  Thank you.  (Applause.)  That notion of opening doors of opportunity to everybody, that is the core mission of this school; it’s a core mission of my presidency; and I hope this program will serve as a model for universities across this country.  So thank you so much.  (Applause.)

I want to obviously congratulate the Class of 2009you’re your unbelievable achievement.  (Applause.)  I want to thank the parents, the uncles, the grandpas, the grandmas, cousins — Calabash cousins — everybody who was involved in helping these extraordinary young people arrive at this moment.  I also want to apologize to the entire state of Arizona for stealing away your wonderful former governor, Janet Napolitano.  (Applause.)  But you’ve got a fine governor here and I also know that Janet is applying her extraordinary talents to serve our entire country as the Secretary of Homeland Security, keeping America safe.  And she’s doing a great job.  (Applause.)

1. (Laughter and applause.)

Now, in all seriousness, I come here not to dispute the suggestion that I haven’t yet achieved enough in my life.  (Laughter.)  First of all, Michelle concurs with that assessment.  (Laughter.)  She has a long list of things that I have not yet done waiting for me when I get home.  But more than that, I come to embrace the notion that I haven’t done enough in my life; I heartily concur; I come to affirm that one’s title, even a title like President of the United States, says very little about how well one’s life has been led — that no matter how much you’ve done, or how successful you’ve been, there’s always more to do, always more to learn, and always more to achieve.  (Applause.)

And I want to say to you today, graduates, Class of 2009, that despite having achieved a remarkable milestone in your life, despite the fact that you and your families are so rightfully proud, you too cannot rest on your laurels. Not even some of those remarkable young people who were introduced earlier — not even that young lady who’s got four degrees yet today.  You can’t rest.  Your own body of work is also yet to come.

Now, some graduating classes have marched into this stadium in easy times — times of peace and stability when we call on our graduates simply to keep things going, and don’t screw it up.  (Laughter.)  Other classes have received their diplomas in times of trial and upheaval, when the very foundations of our lives, the old order has been shaken, the old ideas and institutions have crumbled, and a new generation is called upon to remake the world.

It should be clear to you by now the category into which all of you fall.  For we gather here tonight in times of extraordinary difficulty, for the nation and for the world.  The economy remains in the midst of a historic recession, the worst we’ve seen since the Great Depression; the result, in part, of greed and irresponsibility that rippled out from Wall Street and Washington, as we spent beyond our means and failed to make hard choices.  (Applause.)  We’re engaged in two wars and a struggle against terrorism.  The threats of climate change, nuclear proliferation, and pandemic defy national boundaries and easy solutions.

For many of you, these challenges are also felt in more personal terms.  Perhaps you’re still looking for a job — or struggling to figure out what career path makes sense in this disrupted economy.  Maybe you’ve got student loans — no, you definitely have student loans — (applause) — or credit card debts, and you’re wondering how you’ll ever pay them off.  Maybe you’ve got a family to raise, and you’re wondering how you’ll ensure that your children have the same opportunities you’ve had to get an education and pursue their dreams.

Now, in the face of these challenges, it may be tempting to fall back on the formulas for success that have been pedaled so frequently in recent years.  It goes something like this:  You’re taught to chase after all the usual brass rings; you try to be on this “who’s who” list or that top 100 list; you chase after the big money and you figure out how big your corner office is; you worry about whether you have a fancy enough title or a fancy enough car.  That’s the message that’s sent each and every day, or has been in our culture for far too long — that through material possessions, through a ruthless competition pursued only on your own behalf — that’s how you will measure success.

Now, you can take that road — and it may work for some.  But at this critical juncture in our nation’s history, at this difficult time, let me suggest that such an approach won’t get you where you want to go; it displays a poverty of ambition — that in fact, the elevation of appearance over substance, of celebrity over character, of short-term gain over lasting achievement is precisely what your generation needs to help end.  (Applause.)

1. It was in pursuit of gaudy short-term profits, and the bonuses that came with them, that so many folks lost their way on Wall Street, engaging in extraordinary risks with other people’s money.

In contrast, the leaders we revere, the businesses and institutions that last — they are not generally the result of a narrow pursuit of popularity or personal advancement, but of devotion to some bigger purpose — the preservation of the Union or the determination to lift a country out of a depression; the creation of a quality product, a commitment to your customers, your workers, your shareholders and your community.  A commitment to make sure that an institution like ASU is inclusive and diverse and giving opportunity to all.  That’s a hallmark of real success.  (Applause.)

That other stuff — that other stuff, the trappings of success may be a byproduct of this larger mission, but it can’t be the central thing.  Just ask Bernie Madoff.  That’s the first problem with the old attitude.

But the second problem with the old approach to success is that a relentless focus on the outward markers of success can lead to complacency.  It can make you lazy.  We too often let the external, the material things, serve as indicators that we’re doing well, even though something inside us tells us that we’re not doing our best; that we’re avoiding that which is hard, but also necessary; that we’re shrinking from, rather than rising to, the challenges of the age.  And the thing is, in this new, hyper-competitive age, none of us — none of us — can afford to be complacent.

That’s true in whatever profession you choose.  Professors might earn the distinction of tenure, but that doesn’t guarantee that they’ll keep putting in the long hours and late nights — and have the passion and the drive — to be great educators.  The same principle is true in your personal life.  Being a parent is not just a matter of paying the bills, doing the bare minimum — it’s not bringing a child into the world that matters, but the acts of love and sacrifice it takes to raise and educate that child and give them opportunity.  (Applause.)  It can happen to Presidents, as well.  If you think about it, Abraham Lincoln and Millard Fillmore had the very same title, they were both Presidents of the United States, but their tenure in office and their legacy could not be more different.

And that’s not just true for individuals — it’s also true for this nation.  In recent years, in many ways, we’ve become enamored with our own past success — lulled into complacency by the glitter of our own achievements.

We’ve become accustomed to the title of “military super-power,” forgetting the qualities that got us there — not just the power of our weapons, but the discipline and valor and the code of conduct of our men and women in uniform.  (Applause.)  The Marshall Plan, and the Peace Corps, and all those initiatives that show our commitment to working with other nations to pursue the ideals of opportunity and equality and freedom that have made us who we are.  That’s what made us a super power.  (Applause.)

We’ve become accustomed to our economic dominance in the world, forgetting that it wasn’t reckless deals and get-rich-quick schemes that got us where we are, but hard work and smart ideas — quality products and wise investments.  We started taking shortcuts.  We started living on credit, instead of building up savings.  We saw businesses focus more on rebranding and repackaging than innovating and developing new ideas that improve our lives.

All the while, the rest of the world has grown hungrier, more restless — in constant motion to build and to discover — not content with where they are right now, determined to strive for more.  They’re coming.

So graduates, it’s now abundantly clear that we need to start doing things a little bit different.  In your own lives, you’ll need to continuously adapt to a continuously changing economy. You’ll end up having more than one job and more than one career over the course of your life; to keep gaining new skills — possibly even new degrees; and you’ll have to keep on taking risks as new opportunities arise.

And as a nation, we’ll need a fundamental change of perspective and attitude.  It’s clear that we need to build a new foundation — a stronger foundation — for our economy and our prosperity, rethinking how we grow our economy, how we use energy, how we educate our children, how we care for our sick, how we treat our environment.  (Applause.)

Many of our current challenges are unprecedented.  There are no standard remedies, no go-to fixes this time around.  And Class of 2009 that’s why we’re going to need your help.  We need young people like you to step up.  We need your daring, we need your enthusiasm and your energy, we need your imagination.

And let me be clear, when I say “young,” I’m not just referring to the date of your birth certificate.  I’m talking about an approach to life — a quality of mind and quality of heart; a willingness to follow your passions, regardless of whether they lead to fortune and fame; a willingness to question conventional wisdom and rethink old dogmas; a lack of regard for all the traditional markers of status and prestige — and a commitment instead to doing what’s meaningful to you, what helps others, what makes a difference in this world.  (Applause.)

That’s the spirit that led a band of patriots not much older than most of you to take on an empire, to start this experiment in democracy we call America.  It’s what drove young pioneers west, to Arizona and beyond; it’s what drove young women to reach for the ballot; what inspired a 30 year-old escaped slave to run an underground railroad to freedom — (applause) — what inspired a young man named Cesar to go out and help farm workers; what inspired a 26 year-old preacher to lead a bus boycott for justice.  It’s what led firefighters and police officers in the prime of their lives up the stairs of those burning towers; and young people across this country to drop what they were doing and come to the aid of a flooded New Orleans.  It’s what led two guys in a garage — named Hewlett and Packard — to form a company that would change the way we live and work; what led scientists in laboratories, and novelists in coffee shops to labor in obscurity until they finally succeeded in changing the way we see the world.

That’s the great American story:  young people just like you, following their passions, determined to meet the times on their own terms.  They weren’t doing it for the money.  Their titles weren’t fancy — ex-slave, minister, student, citizen.  A whole bunch of them didn’t get honorary degrees.  (Laughter and applause.)  But they changed the course of history — and so can you ASU, so can you Class of 2009.  (Applause.)  So can you.

With a degree from this outstanding institution, you have everything you need to get started.  You’ve got no excuses.  You have no excuses not to change the world.  Did you study business?  (Applause.)  Go start a company.  (Applause.)  Or why not help our struggling non-profits find better, more effective ways to serve folks in need.  (Applause.)  Did you study nursing?  (Applause.)  Understaffed clinics and hospitals across this country are desperate for your help.  Did you study education?  (Applause.)  Teach in a high-need school where the kids really need you; give a chance to kids who can’t– who can’t get everything they need maybe in their neighborhood, maybe not even in their home we can’t afford to give up on — prepare them to compete for any job anywhere in the world.  (Applause.)  Did you study engineering?  (Applause.)  Help us lead a green revolution — (applause) — developing new sources of clean energy that will power our economy and preserve our planet.

But you can also make your mark in smaller, more individual ways.  That’s what so many of you have already done during your time here at ASU — tutoring children; registering voters; doing your own small part to fight hunger and homelessness, AIDS and cancer.  One student said it best when she spoke about her senior engineering project building medical devices for people with disabilities in a village in Africa.  Her professor showed a video of the folks they’d been helping, and she said, “When we saw the people on the videos, we began to feel a connection to them.  It made us want to be successful for them.”  Think about that:  “It made us want to be successful for them.”

That’s a great motto for all of us — find somebody to be successful for.  Raise their hopes.  Rise to their needs.  As you think about life after graduation, as you look into the mirror tonight after the partying is done — (laughter and applause) — that shouldn’t get such a big cheer — (laughter) — you may look in the mirror tonight and you may see somebody who’s not really sure what to do with their lives.  That’s what you may see, but a troubled child might look at you and see a mentor.  A homebound senior citizen might see a lifeline.  The folks at your local homeless shelter might see a friend.  None of them care how much money is in your bank account, or whether you’re important at work, or whether you’re famous around town — they just know that you’re somebody who cares, somebody who makes a difference in their lives.

So Class of 2009, that’s what building a body of work is all about — it’s about the daily labor, the many individual acts, the choices large and small that add up over time, over a lifetime, to a lasting legacy.  That’s what you want on your tombstone.  It’s about not being satisfied with the latest achievement, the latest gold star — because the one thing I know about a body of work is that it’s never finished.  It’s cumulative; it deepens and expands with each day that you give your best, each day that you give back and contribute to the life of your community and your nation.  You may have setbacks, and you may have failures, but you’re not done — you’re not even getting started, not by a long shot.

And if you ever forget that, just look to history.  Thomas Paine was a failed corset maker, a failed teacher, and a failed tax collector before he made his mark on history with a little book called “Common Sense” that helped ignite a revolution.  (Applause.)  Julia Child didn’t publish her first cookbook until she was almost 50.  Colonel Sanders didn’t open up his first Kentucky Fried Chicken until he was in his 60s.  Winston Churchill was dismissed as little more than a has-been, who enjoyed scotch a little bit too much, before he took over as Prime Minister and saw Great Britain through its finest hour. No one thought a former football player stocking shelves at the local supermarket would return to the game he loved, become a Super Bowl MVP, and then come here to Arizona and lead your Cardinals to their first Super Bowl.  (Applause.)  Your body of work is never done.

Each of them, at one point in their life, didn’t have any title or much status to speak of.  But they had passion, a commitment to following that passion wherever it would lead, and to working hard every step along the way.

And that’s not just how you’ll ensure that your own life is well-lived.  It’s how you’ll make a difference in the life of our nation.  I talked earlier about the selfishness and irresponsibility on Wall Street and Washington that rippled out and led to so many of the problems that we face today.  I talked about the focus on outward markers of success that can help lead us astray.

But here’s the thing, Class of 2009:  It works the other way around too.  Acts of sacrifice and decency without regard to what’s in it for you — that also creates ripple effects — ones that lift up families and communities; that spread opportunity and boost our economy; that reach folks in the forgotten corners of the world who, in committed young people like you, see the true face of America:  our strength, our goodness, our diversity, our enduring power, our ideals.

I know starting your careers in troubled times is a challenge.  But it is also a privilege.  Because it’s moments like these that force us to try harder, to dig deeper, and to discover gifts we never knew we had — to find the greatness that lies within each of us.  So don’t ever shy away from that endeavor.  Don’t stop adding to your body of work.  I can promise that you will be the better for that continued effort, as will this nation that we all love.

Congratulations, Class of 2009, on your graduation.  God bless you.  And God bless the United States of America.  (Applause.)

PROTECTING AMERICAN CREDIT CARD HOLDERS

President Obama Discusses Need for Credit Card Reform;

Urges Congress to Pass Comprehensive Legislation

Today, President Obama  will hold a town hall meeting in Rio Rancho, New Mexico where he will discuss the need for immediate reform of the credit card industry and his commitment to signing the Credit Card Bill of Rights into law by Memorial Day.

“It’s time for strong and reliable protections for our consumers.  It’s time for reform that is built on transparency, accountability, and mutual responsibility – values fundamental to the new foundation we seek to build for our economy,” President Obama will say, according to prepared remarks.

In the Senate and throughout the campaign, President Obama called for measures to strengthen consumer protection in the credit card market. And just last month he met with representatives from the credit card industry to discuss the impact of the current economic crisis on consumers.  The Federal Reserve has taken a strong first step toward improving disclosures and ending unfair practices.  This week the Senate, under the leadership of Chairman Dodd, Ranking Member Shelby and Senator Levin, brought a strong bill to the floor that would codify and strengthen these regulations.  The House, building on the work of Chairman Frank and Representatives Maloney and Gutierrez, already passed such a bill in a strong bipartisan vote. Today, President Obama will call on Congress to take final action to pass a credit card reform bill that protects American consumers that can be signed into law by Memorial Day. 

Principles for Long-term Credit Card Reform 

• First, there have to be strong and reliable protections for consumers – protections that ban unfair rate increases and forbid abusive fees and penalties.  The days of “any time, any reason” rate hikes and late fee traps have to end. 

• Third, we have to make sure that people can shop for a credit card that meets their needs without fear of being taken advantage of.  That means requiring firms to make all their contract terms easily accessible and giving consumers the information they need to go online and do some comparison shopping.  It also means requiring firms to offer at least one simple, straightforward credit card that offers the strongest protections along with the simplest terms and prices. 
• Finally, we need more accountability in the system, so that we can hold those responsible who do engage in deceptive practices that hurt families and consumers.  To do that, we’ll beef up monitoring and enforcement, and also penalties for any violations of the law.

The Administration supports the legislative efforts of both the House and the Senate.  Below we are highlighting the critical elements of reform in both chambers of Congress. 

• Ban Unfair Rate Increases
• Prevent Unfair Fee & Interest Rate Charges
• Plain Sight /Plain Language Disclosures 
• Market Transparency
• Accountability
• Protections for Students and Young People

TREASURY DEPARTMENT STATEMENT ON CHRYSLER DEALER CONSOLIDATION

WASHINGTON – Earlier today, Chrysler announced the specifics of its planned dealer consolidation. This announcement, which has been part of Chrysler’s plan for some time, is one of several steps the Company is taking to restructure to achieve financial viability.

A month ago, Chrysler faced the real prospect of liquidation, which would have eliminated all 3,200 of the company’s dealers. As a result of the successful Chrysler-Fiat partnership and the backing of the President’s Auto Task Force, Chrysler is now positioned to move forward with a plan that retains 75% of its dealers – representing 87% of Chrysler sales. Consistent with the Task Force’s role in the restructuring process, it was not involved in the specific design or implementation of Chrysler’s dealer consolidation plan. The Task Force played no role in deciding which dealers, or how many dealers, were part of Chrysler’s announcement today.

We understand that this rationalization will be difficult on the dealers that will no longer be selling Chrysler cars and on the communities in which they operate. However, the sacrifices by the dealer community – alongside those of auto workers, suppliers, creditors, and other Chrysler stakeholders – are necessary for this company and the industry to succeed. And a stronger Chrysler, supported by an efficient and effective dealer network, will provide more stability for current employees and the prospect for future employment growth.

In addition, the Administration is committed to continuing its significant efforts to help ensure that financing is available to creditworthy dealers and pursuing efforts to help boost domestic demand for cars. These steps will help auto dealers, the auto industry, and the American economy.

From www.nba.com/pistons:

Daly’s No. 2 – representing the two NBA titles he won in 1989 and ’90, at the height of the NBA’s competitive best and bracketed by dynasties on both sides – hangs from The Palace rafters alongside the retired numbers of many of the players he coached, including Hall of Fame guards Isiah Thomas and Joe Dumars. Daly was voted to the Hall of Fame in 1994.

“The Daly family and the entire Detroit Pistons and Palace Sports & Entertainment family is mourning the loss of Chuck Daly,” family spokesman and Pistons vice president Matt Dobek said. “Chuck left a lasting impression with everyone he met both personally and professionally and his spirit will live with all of us forever.”

Though Daly already had three decades in basketball when he came to the Pistons, it will be his time with them for which he will be most remembered despite his three other NBA stops and his college head coaching stints at Boston College and Penn. In 14 NBA seasons, Daly went 638-437, including 467-271 with the Pistons.

Daly’s greatest gift was his ability to manage egos and personalities – and there was no shortage of them with the Bad Boys, as the Pistons came to be known for their hard-nosed, blue-collar defense.

“It’s a players’ league,” he once said. “They allow you to coach them or they don’t. Once they stop allowing you to coach, you’re on your way out.”

Jack McCloskey, the man who brought Daly to the Pistons, assembled a deep and talented roster by the time the Pistons were ready to compete with the dynastic Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers. It took Daly’s deft touch to keep all of those sometimes volcanic personalities in check and manage the playing time of a team that had eight or nine players who were talented enough to start for most teams.

It was Daly’s achievement with the Pistons – both his winning and his hand at managing egos – that led USA Basketball to tab Daly to coach the 1992 “Dream Team” at the Barcelona Olympics. It proved to be a perfect fit.

“There were some huge egos there,” Palace CEO Tom Wilson said. “You never heard a bit about them. Somehow you had to manage all that stuff with a goal toward winning and managing minutes for guys who all felt they were the best player in the world. It was perfect. Plus the persona – Daddy Rich, the smooth operator. The image was perfect for that group of guys. The best coach in the world and the best group of players.”

That “Daddy Rich” nickname was bestowed upon him by Thomas for Daly’s affection for stylish suits. Daly’s wardrobe – he favored double-breasted suits, mostly in dark blues and grays – and perfectly groomed hair were the subject of constant media references as the Pistons rose to prominence.

But Daly never took himself seriously. Dubbed the “Prince of Pessimism” by Boston Globe columnist Bob Ryan, whose relationship with Daly went back to his Boston College days, Daly would say he was an “optimist with experience.”

Daly was born in Kane, Pa., and graduated from Bloomsburg State in 1952. He coached at Punxsutawney, Pa., High School from 1955-63, but networked throughout the East at coaching clinics and finally landed a job as an assistant at Duke in 1963, where he stayed until taking the head coaching job at Boston College in 1969. After three years at BC, Daly went to Pennsylvania in 1971 – McCloskey, after a decade as Penn’s coach, had left five years earlier – and won four straight Ivy League titles, posting an overall record of 151-62 as a college coach.

He left Penn and college basketball after the 1977 season to join his longtime friend, Billy Cunningham, on Cunningham’s Philadelphia 76ers staff. His first NBA job came in 1981 when Cleveland owner Ted Stepien hired him. The Cavs were a notoriously bad team, and badly run franchise, under Stepien. Daly knew it would be a tough job. He never even signed a lease, choosing instead to take a room at the Holiday Inn near the old Richfield Coliseum. He lasted 41 games – spending 93 nights at the Holiday Inn – and didn’t get his next chance for another season and a half, when McCloskey came calling.

That call not only launched the richest chapter in Pistons history, it established Chuck Daly as one of basketball’s all-time great coaches.

Visitation will take place 5-9 p.m. Tuesday at Aycock Funeral Home in Jupiter, Fla., and again from noon-12:45 p.m. Wednesday at St. Jude Catholic Church in Tequesta, Fla., with the funeral to follow at 1 p.m. In lieu of flowers, it is suggested that those who wish to further honor the memory of Daly may do so by making a contribution to the Jupiter Medical Center Foundation, 1210 South Old Dixie Highway, Jupiter, FL 33458, (561) 746-7974 or at www.jupitermed.com.

The Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin is at war again. Not with Beyonce or some wannabe pop goddess in training. No this war is about felt. A hat.

Sister Re-Re is definitely not happy with her milliner Luke Song. Who is Luke Song? Everyone in the fashion industry has been buzzed with extreme excitement over the work of Luke Song which is embodied in the grey felt, crystal lined bow hat that Aretha Franklin wore to the Obama inauguration.

The hat caused a stir heard around the world. The lips of every comedian alive couldn’t believe the comedic material that fell plum out of the sky. Because of the popularity of the hat, Luke Song has more than doubled his millinery business located in Detroit. Various versions of the hat named “the Aretha,” have flown off shelves just in time for Mother’s Day.

However, the Queen is not so happy with Mr. Song. In spite of the enormous success that her long-time hatter is now enjoying due to her appearance in it, the Queen wants more. Aretha wants recognition and royalties. Yep. Royalties.

Granted, Luke Song and Aretha did collaborate on the creation of the hat. Yet, the final artistic genius came from Song. But, Aretha believes that she should get a cut of “the Aretha” profits.

Sister Re-Re, you can’t get royalties off a hat. It is a hat, not a song. It’s a Song creation. But not a song…song.  No royalties there. No matter how peeved she may be at Luke Song for not mailing her a check, Queen Aretha wore a Mr. Song Millinery original to the Kentucky Derby.

Go Figure!

Only in America can a man suspected of murdering not one, but two wives, walk around with his freedom for five years. That man is Drew Peterson. The ex police sergeant has been under a dark cloak of suspicion for a while. But it wasn’t until the strange disappearance of Peterson’s fourth wife, Stacy Peterson, that law enforcement decided to take a closer look at what is beginning to shape up as a dark picture of the uglier side of domestic violence.

Drew Peterson, 55, was arrested Thursday during a routine traffic stopped and charged with first degree murder in the death of his third wife, Kathleen Savio. Savio was found dead in her bathtub with a head wound. The death was ruled an accidental drowning. How that happened is anyones guess because Ms. Savio was found in a dry bathtub, yet water was in her lungs. Kathleen Savio’s family for years claimed that Drew Peterson murdered their loved one and even expressed the concern that Savio had for her well-being.

The Savio family had the body of Kathleen Savio exhumed and an independent forensic pathologist over-turned the accidental death ruling and called the death a homicide. Yet, Drew Peterson walked a free man to live, marry and pop up with another wife whom he claims simply left their marital home and children never to be seen again. Drew Peterson and his attorney argue that Stacy Peterson was having an affair with some unknown man and ran off with.

Far fetched and screaming suspect, Drew Peterson was not charged in the disappearance of his fourth wife even though authorities believe that Stacy Peterson has met with foul play at the hands of her husband.

What this commentary is getting at is if this case featured an African American man in the very same predicament as Drew Peterson, would the African American man fare the same? No. Drew Peterson’s African American counter-part would have been up under the jail years ago. It should be an outrage to everyone that Drew Peterson has been allowed to walk a free man all this time. Peterson, according to CNN, even has a new wifey prospect in an obliviously naive and love-starved twenty-three year old.

All of that siad, the Illinois grand jury has finally indicted Drew Peterson and he sits in jail on a $20 million bond.  It’s about time!

When Chrysler Corp. filed for bankruptcy last month, little did the American people realize just what that actually meant. Within those legal bankruptcy papers was the not so publicized fine print. The $7 billion dollar bailout loan that the American people funded so graciously to Chrysler, will be forgiven by the U.S. government.

That’s right. Remember all of the hoopla over auto executives groveling to the Senate and the American public about how broke they were, yet they flew to Washington in a private plane? Remember how they begged for that money and promised to pay it back? Apparently upon filing bankruptcy, that little deal is off.

According to the Obama administration, Chrysler’s $7 billion dollar bailout loan or what should be appropriately labeled gift, we the American people, are cool with that and are being compensated for our tax dollar contribution. Yep. An Obama administration official stated that “while we [ the White House] do not expect a recovery of these funds, we are comfortable that in totality of the arrangement, the Treasury and the American tax payer are being fairly compensated.”

Exactly how will we, the American people, be “fairly compensated?” If you are behind in your monthly Chrysler payment on a car, van, jeep or sport utility vehicle, who is it that will hound you morn, noon and night, seven days of the week, until you bleed a payment of some sort? Chrysler Financial. Who will risk a lawsuit to hound you at your place of employment for a payment on a product that even they know isn’t worth repossessing or reselling?

So, how will the American people be “fairly compensated” for literally cursing a generation not yet born with a debt the size of the universe? According to my sources, if the American tax payer filed for bankruptcy with an outstanding Chrysler loan, they would still be liable for the entire loan. Chrysler never forgives a loan.

Explain how it is that Chrysler was given the mother load of all loans and they are excused from paying it back? The bailout money comes from American tax payers. It was not our fault that due to greedy and bad executive management skills, Chrysler is in the proverbial crapper! Chrysler Financial’s gangster tactics prevents the layman from getting over.

However, the question remains. What is the Obama administration and what is left of Chrysler Corp. going to do to “fairly compensate the American tax payer?” We have a suggestion: forgive Chrysler lessee and buyer loans. With the economy at an all time high, especially in Michigan, Chrysler vehicle owners deserve the same consideration that Corporate does. Instead of harassment for the penny some Americans do not have, how about some leniency? In other words, since the American people  coughed up $7 billion dollars and will be stuck with the bill for years to come, isn’t it time that Chrysler stops biting the hand that feeds it?

It’s called doing the right thing for those who don’t know. I’m talking to you Chrysler big wigs in Auburn Hills on the top executive floor. Oh, and by the way, Chrysler Financial is going out of business according to bankruptcy documents.

The Tampa Bay area has seen two horrific acts of inhumane violence perpetrated on young children. The following story is one that has been nationally reported.

21 year old Richard Anthony McTear obviously didn’t get the memo. Unfortunately, African American young men on a large scale have in fact ignored the memo. What memo? The one that announced that President Barack Obama is the first African American to hold the highest office in the land and that is something to be proud of. Not only that, it is something to aspire to. If becoming president is not in the cards, how about being a productive citizen?

Richard Anthony McTear is accused of violently beating Jasmine Bedwell, then throwing his ex-girlfriend’s four month old son out of a moving Impala while speeding down I-275. McTear broke into his former girlfriend’s apartment, beat her, took the baby, slammed him into the concrete flooring of the home, and then ran off with the child.

Jasmine Bedwell, 17, started dating McTear ten months ago. Bedwell was at the time pregnant but McTear was not the father. The relationship was a domestic violence nightmare. Neighbors reported that it was not unusual to see see the teen with bruises and black eyes. Bedwell had pressed charges against McTear and in fact was scheduled to appear in court on Monday, but failed to show up. Tuesday Richard Anthony McTear killed her child as he had threatened to do on numerous occasions.

You have to wonder when you hear cases like this why the mother, Miss Bedwell, didn’t appear in court to put her abuser behind bars? Why is it almost impossible for women, young women, to realize that their abuser/attacker will kill them or their loved ones somewhere down the road?

It is maddening to comprehend what that young mother is going through at this time. Yet, the real question lies in the fact that obviously Bedwell and other young women like her, are making tragic decisions in the areas of love and relationships. McTear is a career criminal and started his life of crime at the age of 14. What is appealing about that? McTear was unemployed. Doesn’t take a degree from MIT to guess why that is.

From the looks of it, this was a young man that should have been avoided on all counts. But what the true heart of this tragedy is crying out to all women, especially young women, is that lack of good judgement skills can do more harm than good. Young women need to learn why it is important  to love themselves first and foremost. When this love is nurtured, a man like Richard Anthony McTear doesn’t even enter on the radar screen.

It is sad that Jasmine Bedwell had to learn a hard lesson. Be cautious as to whom is allowed around children. Women need to be discriminative and proactive in the people within ones orbit, tragedies such as this one can be avoided.

Showing up to court dates and hearings to cage animals that pose as human beings are more than necessary to protect the world at large from predators and insane criminals like McTear.

And…when asked why he killed his ex’s four month old baby, he said two things: “Its a cruel world” and “It’s a dirty game.”

President Obama to Request $50 Million to Identify and Expand Effective, Innovative Non-Profits

White House Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation to Coordinate Efforts

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama, in his FY2010 budget, will ask Congress to provide $50 million in seed capital for the Social Innovation Fund to identify the most promising, results-oriented non-profit programs and expand their reach throughout the country. 

Many solutions to our nation’s most challenging social problems are being generated outside of Washington; the Social Innovation Fund will identify what is working in communities across the country, provide growth capital for these programs, and improve the use of data and evaluation to raise the bar on what programs the government funds. 

“The idea is simple: to find the most effective programs out there and then provide the capital needed to replicate their success in communities around the country that are facing similar challenges,” First Lady Michelle Obama will say Tuesday at the Time 100 Most Influential People Awards in New York City, according to her prepared remarks. “By focusing on high-impact, result-oriented non-profits, we will ensure that government dollars are spent in a way that is effective, accountable and worthy of the public trust.”

Melody Barnes, Assistant to the President and Director of the Domestic Policy Council, also highlighted the Fund Tuesday in a keynote speech to the Council on Foundations.  “The Social Innovation Fund reflects the President’s new governing philosophy: finding and investing in what works; and partnering with and supporting others who are leading change in their communities,” Barnes said.  “We are also working with Federal agencies across the government to identify new solutions to problems that have resisted traditional approaches.”

The Social Innovation Fund was authorized in the recent Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act.  The Fund will focus on priority policy areas, including education, health care, and economic opportunity.  It will partner with foundations, philanthropists, and corporations which will commit matching resources, funding, and technical assistance. 

The White House Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation will coordinate efforts to enlist all Americans –individuals, non-profits, social entrepreneurs, corporations and foundations – as partners in solving our great challenges.  Located within the Domestic Policy Council, it will:

• Catalyze partnerships between the government and nonprofits, businesses and philanthropists in order to make progress on the President’s policy agenda
• Identify and support the rigorous evaluation and scaling of innovative, promising ideas that are transforming communities like, for example, Harlem Children’s Zone, YouthVillages, Nurse-Family Partnership, and Citizen Schools.
• Support greater civic participation through new media tools
• Promote national service.