West Wing Week: "We Are Not Meant to Walk This Road Alone," 5/25/12

Published on May 25, 2012 by whitehouse

Welcome to the West Wing Week, your guide to everything that's happening at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

This week, the President announced a major new initiative on food security, hosted the G8 and NATO summits, gave the commencement addresses in Joplin, Missouri and at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, and traveled to Iowa to urge Congress to act on the "To Do List," invest in clean energy, and extend the Production Tax Credit that has bipartisan support.

That's May 18th to May 24th or "We Are Not Meant to Walk This Road Alone."

video is Public Domain.

Subscribe to the Rightardia feed: http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/UFPYA




Rightardia by Rightard Whitey of Rightardia is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.

Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at rightardia@gmail.com.

WH blog: G8 Summit at Camp David

This weekend, the leaders of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and Russia joined President Obama at Camp David for the annual G8 Summit. 


The leaders met to address major global economic, political, and security challenges, including energy and climate change, food security and nutrition, Afghanistan’s economic transition and transitions taking place across the Middle East and North Africa.

• Read the G8 Declaration
• View a slideshow from the weekend
• President Obama’s Remarks at the close of the G8 Summit

Energy and Climate Change:

At the Camp David Summit, G-8 Leaders recognized that the development of and universal access to environmentally safe, sustainable, secure, and affordable sources of energy is essential to global economic growth and to their overall efforts to address climate change. 

• Statement by the G-8 on Global Oil Markets
• Fact Sheet: G-8 Action on Energy and Climate Change

graphic: DonkeyHotey:  Some rights reserved

Uploaded on May 19, 2012

Subscribe to the Rightardia feed: http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/UFPYA




Rightardia by Rightard Whitey of Rightardia is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.


Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at rightardia@gmail.com.

President Obama's Weekly Presidential Address 7/11

Some light at the end of the tunnel after weeks of conservative gloom and doom. At last look only 11 per cent of the economic stimulus funds had been disbursed.

Economic stimulus spending is currently "slightly ahead of estimates," with $29 billion of the $787 billion stimulus package distributed to state governments through mid-June, according to a new Government Accountability Office report.

The GAO initially forecast that $49 billion would be spent by the federal government in increased transfers to state governments  by Sept. 30, the end of the fiscal year. Through June 19, 60% of that amount had been disbursed.

According to the report, 90% of the money distributed has come in the form of increased federal education and health-care grants to state governments. This money has helped many state governments to partially offset budget shortfalls. A much smaller portion has been spent on transportation infrastructure projects, the GAO said.



Source: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124698265628806371.html

Get 30 days of free traffic analysis simply by going to Web-Stat: http://www.web-stat.com/?id=2955

Contact Rightardia: eelder1@gmail.com

Subscribe to the Rightardia feed: feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/IGiu

Netcraft rank: 66069

Obama "Tail to the Chief' photo was photo shopped

SUMMARY: A day after Fox News host Greta Van Susteren debunked the "lying picture that's going around the Web" of President Obama purportedly "checking out" a young woman at a G8 photo shoot, Fox News continued to promote the insinuation that Obama had done so.The young woman in the picture was 18.

http://mediamatters.org/research/200907100012

 Get 30 days of free traffic analysis simply by going to Web-Stat: http://www.web-stat.com/?id=2955

Contact Rightardia: eelder1@gmail.com

Subscribe to the Rightardia feed: http://feeds2.feedburner.com/blogspot/Onjs

Netcraft rank: 66069

G8 Wrap: G8 to become G14 and new international currency

10 July, 2009, 22:31




The G8 summit that came to an end on Thursday has brought new prospects for major reforms in the world’s most influential political institutions.

Expectations for this year’s G8 were as shaky as the Italian terrain where the annual summit was held. Host Silvio Berlusconi made a last-minute venue change, bringing the summit to the devastated city of L’Aquila that was hit by a major earthquake in April.

The makeshift arrangements for the summit affected everyone from the locals and the press to the presidents: Dmitry Medvedev and Nicolas Sarkozy shared a house.

Read more

Many leaders took tours of the ruins in L’Aquila before sitting down for three days of debate and discussion.

The group pledged to work together further in the fight against climate change, agreeing on global cuts to greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50% by 2050. China has refused to agree to the target.

Experts say that the emissions cuts may lead to a more secure future for the signatory countries.

“This climate change provides a great opportunity because energy efficiency is one of the major answers to climate change and energy efficiency also means not using oil, not using gas,” said Nobuo Tanaka, executive director of the International Energy Agency. “Achieving this provides great opportunity for energy consuming countries to enhance security.”

It was the global economic crisis, however, that took central stage. The consensus among G8 leaders was that surviving the crunch is only possible by working together. The world leaders agreed that an end to the crisis is not in sight, and cannot be resolved only within the G8 format.

The G8 leaders did meet with the heads of the five major emerging economies, including India and China, in a grouping known as the G8+5. Due to problems at home, Chinese leader Hu Jintao missed the main part of the summit.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy hinted that by the time the summit rotates to France in two years, the G8 may no longer be just eight members.

“Evidently, the ability of G8 to represent the world in order to address such important issues as climate change and world government is not sufficient,” said the French leader. “There is G8, there is G5. Together with President Lula we have proposed as soon as possible to merge the two groups to achieve 14 with Egypt because we feel it is not reasonable to contemplate discussing major international issues without Africa, Latin America, China or India.”

Host Silvio Berlusconi suggested having another summit this year, adding to a planned G20 meeting in the autumn.

Thus, despite this year’s declarations and praise for progress made, there seems to be a feeling in the air that this could be one of the last G8 summits. The world’s most pressing issues now have become the work of the G20 or maybe even the G14, as suggested by the French president.

“The more the merrier” must be the motto if the global group wants to really represent the world and get things done.

Source: http://www.russiatoday.com/Top_News/2009-07-10/G8_growing_bigger.html

Get 30 days of free traffic analysis simply by going to Web-Stat: http://www.web-stat.com/?id=2955

Contact Rightardia: eelder1@gmail.com

Subscribe to the Rightardia feed: http://feeds2.feedburner.com/blogspot/Onjs

Netcraft rank: 66069

Bob Geldof calls out Premier Silvio Berlusconi

Updated: 2009-07-06 10:16

ROME: At least it wasn't another sex scandal. Irish singer and anti-poverty campaigner Bob Geldof grilled Silvio Berlusconi in an interview published on Sunday, telling him that Rome's failed pledges on aid put his credibility in doubt as he chairs a G8 summit this week.

"How can you lead the G8? Where is your credibility?" Geldof asked the conservative Italian Prime Minister in the interview, printed in La Stampa newspaper ahead of the July 8-10 Group of Eight summit in the central city of L'Aquila.

"Here we have the signature of a country and the honour of a man," Geldof told Berlusconi, showing him the written commitment to increase aid to Africa signed by him and his G8 colleagues at a 2005 summit in Scotland, La Stampa said.

"I am sorry, we made a mistake," Berlusconi responded, saying Italy's public debt mountain and the global economic crisis had forced it to cut spending.

"We are sorry we also reduced aid to Africa ... Our Economy Minister Giulio Tremonti has made a commitment to readjust in line with our undertakings within three years."

Development is one a major theme at the summit which on the final day will be broadened to include some African nations.

EMPTY PROMISES

Geldof's ONE campaign group said in a damning report last month Italy was trailing far behind other G8 nations in making good on their collective promise to more than double aid to Africa by 2010.

It said Rome had delivered only three percent of the aid increase promised by Berlusconi four years ago and that Italy's shortfall risked undermining the performance of the whole G8.

A government adviser told Geldof at the interview Italy would raise aid spending to 0.33 of its gross domestic product by 2010 and to 0.51 percent in 2015 - still short of the 0.7 percent target pledged at the 2005 G8 summit.

"I don't believe this. To achieve this plan you would have to do an unbelievable job. And we don't need plans, we need actions," Geldof retorted.

Berlusconi said Italy was ready to back US President Barack Obama's plan to double US funding for agricultural development aid to $1 billion by 2010, with an additional $1 billion expected to come from his G8 partners.

La Stampa said the interview at times resembled a boxing match, with billionaire Berlusconi clenching his fist, Geldof shaking his head and interrupting him, and the prime minister's aides intervening to soothe tempers.

"We were knocked back by all the things that happened to us. The crisis, the earthquake. We also have a situation of strong confrontation with the opposition, and magistrates attacking us," Berlusconi said at one stage.

Geldof snapped, "This is not a debate about the media or the judiciary system. We are talking about poor, defenceless people."

Source: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/world/2009-07/06/content_8381936.htm

Get 30 days of free traffic analysis simply by going to Web-Stat: http://www.web-stat.com/?id=2955

Contact Rightardia: eelder1@gmail.com

Subscribe to the Rightardia feed: http://feeds2.feedburner.com/blogspot/Onjs

Netcraft rank: 66069

It took eight years for President George W. Bush to mess up US-Russia relations

07 July, 2009, 07:33

"It took eight years for President George W. Bush to mess up US-Russia relations, and it’s going to take more than eight months to get the two talking and working together more closely,” says US analyst John Isaacs.

source: http://www.russiatoday.com/Top_News/2009-07-07/_It_s_a_good_day__but_there_s_still_a_long_way_to_go_.html#

Get 30 days of free traffic analysis simply by going to Web-Stat: http://www.web-stat.com/?id=2955

Contact Rightardia: eelder1@gmail.com

Subscribe to the Rightardia feed: http://feeds2.feedburner.com/blogspot/Onjs

Netcraft rank:112889

Russia Today Update on Moscow Summit

06 July, 2009, 18:54

Russia and the US have agreed on strategic arms reduction and on the signing of a new treaty to replace the current one, known as START.

The two states are going to reduce the number of nuclear warheads to between 1500 and 1675, and nuclear missiles to between 500 and 1100.

The main points to be included in the new START treaty are listed in a document named "Joint Understanding on Further Strategic Offensive Arms Cuts and Reductions" which was signed today by the leaders in the Kremlin.

Presidents Dmitry Medvedev and Barack Obama, on his first visit to Moscow, have also signed a number of bilateral agreements on anti-missile defense and Afghanistan. An agreement over the transit of US weapons, military hardware and personnel through Russian territory – in connection with US’s efforts aimed at providing security and stabilization of situation in Afghanistan – was one of the deals signed.

The protocol meeting between President Dmitry Medvedev and Barack Obama started in a narrow format with only foreign policy aides and foreign ministers participating. It was planned that this meeting would last for half an hour, but the talks continued for almost one-and-a-half hours.

Read more

Then the two countries' delegations joined the discussion. The US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, however, was not able to come to Moscow because of an elbow injury she suffered last month.

Speaking at the beginning of the meeting, Medvedev welcomed his American counterpart and wished him “every success”. He said:

Our countries are facing a wide range of issues, which we are trying to tackle together – economic, world security issues and those connected with strategic arms reduction. I think the agenda of our talks gives us every opportunity to come to important and very necessary solutions. 

The Russian leader also said, as a result of “our work today, tomorrow's work and full-scale bilateral communication,” he hopes a number of complicated pages in the relations between Moscow and Washington will close, and a new page will open.
President Obama, for his part, said:

"We are confident that we can continue to build on the excellent discussions that we had in London, and that on a whole host of issues – including security issues, economic issues, energy issues, environmental issues – that the United States and Russia have more in common than they have differences, and that if we work hard during these next few days we can make extraordinary progress that would benefit the people of both countries."

Before the Kremlin meeting, Obama laid flowers at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier near Red Square in Moscow, to commemorate those Russian soldiers who died in WWII.
On Tuesday, the American President is expected to meet Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, and the former, and actually the only President of the USSR, Mikhail Gorbachev.

Unprecedented security measures

Russian authorities are taking unprecedented measures of security. According to the Interior Ministry, the number of people providing safety and security for the American President and his family during his three day stay in Moscow will exceed 10,000. This is significantly more than for any previous state visit.

US President Barack Obama's limousine and motorcade drive through central Moscow on his way to meet with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev at the Kremlin, on July 6, 2009 (AFP Photo / Saul Loeb)

The airspace above Moscow is going to be a “no-go zone” for three days, and several fighter jets are ready to take off immediately in case of any threat coming from above – just to be on the safe side.

The Interior Ministry of Russia has even mentioned some innovations in terms of security to be applied during the visit of the US President.

Barack Obama has already acknowledged the strictness of Russian security measures. While a senator and member of an American delegation in 2005, he visited the Russian town of Perm to inspect nuclear security facility. Back then, the officials’ jet was detained for more than three hours, and was cleared only after their diplomatic status was confirmed.
This time it looks like all issues have been taken care of, and everything is going to pass without incident.

You can receive all updates about Obama`s visit in Moscow. Subscribe here (RSS) .
 

http://www.russiatoday.com/Top_News/2009-07-06/Russia-US___global_warming__after_Ice_Age.html# Get 30 days of free traffic analysis simply by going to Web-Stat: http://www.web-stat.com/?id=2955 Contact Rightardia: eelder1@gmail.com Subscribe to the Rightardia feed: http://feeds2.feedburner.com/blogspot/Onjs

Conservative Caligula cavorts with lesbians

Sunday, 05 July 2009 07:03

Photographs show Silvio Berlusconi grinning as two young women kiss in front of him at his Sardinian estate.

A prostitute claims that she spent a night at Berlusconi’s residence in Rome.

Several European publications are bidding for photographs by Antonello Zappadu, who took 5,000 pictures of Berlusconi’s guests in Sardinia in 2007 and 2008. the aim was to publish them just before the summit begins on Wednesday “for maximum impact." Berlusconi is hosting a G8 summit this week.

Some photos show Berlusconi with five young women in a gazebo. Two of them are sitting on his lap. He grins approvingly as Angela Sozio, 36, a red-headed former Big Brother contestant, sits on the knees of another young woman and kisses her on the lips.

She gives a bouquet of flowers to a young woman with whom Berlusconi has been holding hands. Sozio and the other two women intone a wedding march.

Prosecutors in Bari, southern Italy, have questioned Patrizia D’Addario, the call girl who says she was with Berlusconi on November 4, 2008, Barack Obama’s election night. Berlusconi missed an Obama celebration event to be with the call girl.

Last month a Sardinian judge ordered all 5,000 photographs to be seized on the grounds that they violated Berlusconi’s privacy, but they had already been sold to Ecoprensa, a Colombian picture agency. The Spanish newspaper El Pais has published photographs of a topless young woman by a pool and Mirek Topolanek, a former Czech prime minister, who is naked.

Also up for sale are photographs showing two topless women in thongs kissing under a shower in June 2008. The photographs were taken at another home belonging to Berlusconi.

Berlusconi said nothing last week about the scandal, which began when his wife, Veronica Lario, demanded a divorce. She alleged that he “frequents underage girls” after he attended the 18th birthday party of Noemi Letizia, a lingerie model.

Berlusconi, who was jeered with shouts of pedophile and whoremonger when he visited the scene of a train crash in Viareggio in Tuscany last week, will aim to minimise the risk of further public hostility when he escorts leaders to towns hit by the earthquake.

A residents’ association named 3.32, after the time of the tremor, intends to mount protests during the summit. Three months on, 25,000 homeless people are still living in camps and the temperature in the tents can reach 44C.

Berlusconi also risks a snub from Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, the Italian-born wife of the French president. After Berlusconi joked that Obama was “always tanned”, she remarked: “Sometimes I am very happy that I have become French.”

Source: TIMESONLINE feromoon.info/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4729:lesbian-clinch-more-embarrassment-for-berlusconi-&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=18

Get 30 days of free traffic analysis simply by going to Web-Stat: http://www.web-stat.com/?id=2955

Contact Rightardia: eelder1@gmail.com

Subscribe to the Rightardia feed: http://feeds2.feedburner.com/blogspot/Onjs