Message from President Obama: "A major step"

This afternoon, President Obama sent out a special thank you message to the supporters who canvassed, called, and organized to build support in their communities and in Washington for the President's budget: 

Thanks in no small part to your incredible work and dedication, we have taken another step towards creating jobs and rebuilding our struggling economy.

Last week, the budget I submitted to Congress passed both the House and the Senate and it embraces our most fundamental priorities: an energy plan that will end our dependence on foreign oil and spur a new clean energy economy; an education system that will give our children the tools to compete in the economy of the 21st century; and health care reform that finally confronts the back-breaking costs plaguing families, businesses and government alike.

Thousands of you signed pledges of support, knocked on doors, made phone calls, and talked to your friends and neighbors about this budget and the investments it makes in our long-term prosperity. You showed Washington that ordinary citizens are demanding change and are willing to work for it.

Our work on the budget isn't finished -- Congress still has to agree on a final version. But your efforts have sent a message that Washington can't ignore.

I'll be counting on you even more in the coming weeks and months. The budget Congress passes will be a critical blueprint for the changes we'll bring about. But that's when the real work begins -- the work that will bring health care to every American, transform our economy to run on clean energy, provide our children with the best education in the world, and bring about a new era of prosperity.

Thank you for everything you've done,

President Barack Obama

Read The Full Article:
http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/obamaforamerica/gGxgdd

Add to del.icio.us   Digg this   Post to Furl   Add to reddit   Add to myYahoo!

Obama reaches out to Muslim world in Turkey

President Barack Obama, with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, spoke to the Turkish Parliament in Ankara on Monday.

Obama reached out to the Muslim world telling the audience that the U.S. was not at war with Islam and wanted a relationship that went beyond simply battling terrorists.

Many analysts think that Obama wants to use Turkey's secular government as a model in his relationship with Islamic nations.



ABC News

Obama Says US Is Not at War With Islam

New York Times - ?24 minutes ago? President Obama, with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, spoke to the Turkish Parliament in Ankara on Monday. By HELENE COOPER ANKARA, ... Video: Turkey is a US door into Muslim world RT

video details and more





LI Muslims praise Obama's speech, but want action Newsday In Turkey, Obama says US is not at war with Islam Los Angeles Times

Paul Kekai Manansala is a freelance author and blogger from Sacramento, California.

 

Read The Full Article:
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ObamaBlog/~3/gDFtenTn8C8/obama-reaches-out-to-musl
im-world-in.html

Add to del.icio.us   Digg this   Post to Furl   Add to reddit   Add to myYahoo!

Streaming Today: The Final Health Care Forum in
California

At 10:30 AM in California, the final White House Regional Forum on Health Reform will be hosted by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Washington Governor Chris Gregoire. You can watch it streamed live below and on HealthReform.gov.

From WhiteHouse.gov:

Every regional forum in every location has held its own unique lessons. In Michigan, we heard from the wife of a GM worker whose experience showed how health care concerns can compound the anxiety of employment uncertainty to unbearable proportions. In Vermont the idea of health care as part of the social safety net was a top concern. In Iowa we heard about the needs and preferences regarding long-term care in rural communities. And in North Carolina it was a snap shot of a state hurting about as bad as anybody during this economic crisis and facing even longer term challenges of an eroding manufacturing base.

WhiteHouse.gov will also be live blogging the event as it happens.

Read The Full Article:
http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/obamaforamerica/gGxgf3

Add to del.icio.us   Digg this   Post to Furl   Add to reddit   Add to myYahoo!

President Obama in Turkey: "You cannot put out
fire with flames"

President Obama spoke in Ankara, Turkey this morning, in his first visit to a Muslim nation as president. He discussed the common challenges that both nations now face, including the global economic crisis and the threat of terrorism. He also talked at length about the relationship between the United States and Turkey, as well as our relationship with the larger Muslim world:

I know that the trust that binds the United States and Turkey has been strained, and I know that strain is shared in many places where the Muslim faith is practiced. So let me say this as clearly as I can: The United States is not, and will never be, at war with Islam. In fact, our partnership with the Muslim world is critical not just in rolling back the violent ideologies that people of all faiths reject, but also to strengthen opportunity for all its people.

I also want to be clear that America's relationship with the Muslim community, the Muslim world, cannot, and will not, just be based upon opposition to terrorism. We seek broader engagement based on mutual interest and mutual respect. We will listen carefully, we will bridge misunderstandings, and we will seek common ground. We will be respectful, even when we do not agree. We will convey our deep appreciation for the Islamic faith, which has done so much over the centuries to shape the world -- including in my own country. The United States has been enriched by Muslim Americans. Many other Americans have Muslims in their families or have lived in a Muslim-majority country -- I know, because I am one of them.

Above all, above all we will demonstrate through actions our commitment to a better future. I want to help more children get the education that they need to succeed. We want to promote health care in places where people are vulnerable. We want to expand the trade and investment that can bring prosperity for all people. In the months ahead, I will present specific programs to advance these goals. Our focus will be on what we can do, in partnership with people across the Muslim world, to advance our common hopes and our common dreams. And when people look back on this time, let it be said of America that we extended the hand of friendship to all people.

...There's an old Turkish proverb: "You cannot put out fire with flames." America knows this. Turkey knows this. There's some who must be met by force, they will not compromise. But force alone cannot solve our problems, and it is no alternative to extremism. The future must belong to those who create, not those who destroy. That is the future we must work for, and we must work for it together.

Read the President's full remarks, as delivered . . .

Read The Full Article:
http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/obamaforamerica/gGxglC

Add to del.icio.us   Digg this   Post to Furl   Add to reddit   Add to myYahoo!

The Obama Effect in Spain

A Daily Kos diary from a blogger who lives in Spain examining the effects of Obama's European visit.

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Read The Full Article:
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/BarackOblogger/~3/vmHyPCfkl5E/obama-effect-in-spai
n.html

Add to del.icio.us   Digg this   Post to Furl   Add to reddit   Add to myYahoo!