He’s at it again. President Barack Obama speaks at a town hall meeting on August 11 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, talking about the need for health insurance reform to a crowd of 1,800.
President Obama, Mexican President Felipe Calderon (center) and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper pose for official photo at the Cabanas Cultural Center in Guadalajara on August 10. This was President Obama’s first North American leaders summit in Mexico.
President Obama hosts Shaykh Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al Sabah, Amir (that’s a mouth full) of the State of Kuwait in the Oval Office at the White House on August 3. A translater sits behind the two leaders, who talked about achieving peace in the Middle East.
A group of environmental activists found a way to celebrate President Obama’s 48th birthday outside the White House on August 4.
Although it’s just their wax figures, what a party this would be with former President George W. Bush, Oprah Winfrey, former President Bill Clinton, former Secretary of State Colin Powell and President Obama’s wax figures all groouped together at New York’s Madame Tussauds to celebrate Mr. Obama’s B-day.
President Obama boards the Air Force One at the Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland on August 5 en route to Wakarusa, Indiana, where he will speak on the economy.
US President Barack Obama holds cup cakes he brought for veteran White House reporter Helen Thomas (bottom, back to camera) who shares the president’s birthday in the Brady Briefing Room of the White House at the start of the daily briefing in Washington,DC on August 4, 2009.
Even the President gets a little R&R during the weekends as Mr. Obama, his mother-in-law Marian Robinson, First Lady Michelle Obama and daughter Malia all walk towards Marine One on August 1, 2009. They left the White House and headed to Camp David for a weekend visit.
President Obama walks back to the White House after a meeting with cabinet members at the Blair House on July 31, in Washington, DC. Mr. Obama held a retreat with cabinet members to “talk about the agendas both past and forward,” according to White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs.
President Barack Obama and Vice-President Joe Biden sit down with Cambridge, Mass., police Sgt. James Crowley and Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr.to mediate the situation between Gates and Crowley in the Rose Garden of the White House, Thursday, July 30.
President Barack Obama walks to the White House after stepping off Marine One in Washington Wednesday, July 29, 2009.
President Barack Obama held a town hall meeting in the most unlikely of places: a supermarket. He spoke about health care reform to the employees at Kroger supermarket in Bristol, Va., Wednesday, July 29, 2009.
The President and First Lady stand side-by-side addressing a reception for ambassadors to the United States on July 27 in the Grand Foyer of the White House.
Diplomacy has always been critically important to all nations," said the President. “But in many ways, it grows more important with each passing year because the interconnectedness of our world means that in the 21st century, we cannot solve our problems until we solve them together.”
President Barack Obama participates in an AARP tele-town hall on health care, Tuesday, July 28, 2009, in Washington.
President Obama welcomes the 2008 WNBA Champions, the Detroit Shock, Monday, July 27, thanking them and saying, "my daughters have never known a time when women couldn’t play professional sports. They look at the TV and they see me watching “SportsCenter” and they see young women who look like them on the screen. And that lets them and all our young women, as well as young men, know that we should take for granted that women are going to thrive and excel as athletes."
Talented both on and off the court, President Obama does his best Harlem Globetrotter impersonation after welcoming the 2008 WNBA champion Detroit Shock to the White House.
President Obama welcomes China’s Vice Premier Wang Qishan (seated) as he opens the U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue on July 27. Both men are expected to discuss our country’s differences on trade and how we can help each others budget deficits.
President Barack Obama and the First Lady share a moment near the end of the evening parade at the Marine Corps Barracks in Washington on July 24.
President Barack Obama watches the evening parade at the Marine Corps Barracks in Washington on July 24.
President Barack Obama spoke at a town hall meeting on health care at the Shaker Heights High School in Shaker Heights, Ohio, on Thursday, July 23. The President will continue to travel throughout the country trying to get everyday Americans to understand the ins and outs of his health care reform plan.
The President tries to concentrate while listening to the translation of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki during a joint news conference on July 22 in the Rose Garden of the White House.
President Barack Obama enters with his wife, Michelle Obama, to begin the White House music series celebrating country music in Washington on July 21.
President Barack Obama shares a laugh with his daughter Malia Obama, at the start of the White House music series celebrating country music at the White House in Washington on July 21.
President Barack Obama gives thumbs up at the start of the White House music series celebrating country music in the East Room at the White House in Washington on July 21.
President Barack Obama greets the historic Apollo 11 astronauts (from left) Buzz Aldrin, Michael Collins, and Neil Armstrong in the Oval Office of the White House on July 20, 2009. The meeting was to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 lunar landing.
President Barack Obama talks about his plan for health care reform following a discussion with health care providers during a visit to the Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C., on July 20. The teddy bear in the background is the hospital’s logo.
President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama and their daughters, Malia and Sasha, walk on the South Lawn at the White House.
President Barack Obama makes remarks on health care reform at the White House in Washington.
President Obama waves after addressing the NAACP 100th Anniversary convention in New York on July 16.
Accompanied by members of Congress and medical professionals, President Barack Obama delivers remarks on health care reform on July 15. The President said, “We can look beyond the next news cycle and the next election to the next generation, and come together to build a system that works not just for these nurses, but for the patients they care for; for doctors and hospitals; for families and businesses.”
Representing his beloved Chicago White Sox, President Obama throws out the first pitch at the Major League Baseball All-Star Game on July 14.
President Obama steps off Air Force One while escorting Major League Baseball Hall of Famer Willie Mays to the All-Star game in St. Louis, Missouri.
President Obama made remarks at Macomb Community College on July 14, 2009 in Warren, Michigan where he announced plans for the American Graduation Initiative, which will “reform and strengthen community colleges like this one from coast to coast so they get the resources that students and schools need — and the results workers and businesses demand.”
The First Family enjoy a departure ceremony at Accra airport in Ghana on July 11 as they return home to the USA.
President Barack Obama sings “The Star Spangled Banner” before addressing the Ghanaian Parliament in Accra, Ghana, Saturday, July 11.
Women in Ghana celebrate President Obama’s arrival with traditional dresses bearing his image and chant his name after he addressed the Ghanaian Parliament on July 11.
President Barack Obama and daughters Malia and Sasha tour the Cape Coast Castle in Ghana, where Africans were kept before being sold into slavery.
President Barack Obama speaks after a tour of the Cape Coast Castle.
“To be able to come back with my family, with Michelle and our children, and see the portal through which the diaspora began, but also to be able to come back here in celebration with the people of Ghana of the extraordinary progress that we’ve made because of the courage of so many,” he said.
Ghanaian police prepare for the departure ceremony of President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama and their children at the airport in Accra, Ghana, on July 11.
The Ghanaian honor guard band is ready to serenade the First Family at a departure ceremony on July 11.
President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama and daughters Malia and Sasha arrive at the White House from Ghana, early Sunday morning, on July 12.
President Barack Obama speaks to the people of Ghana before departing on Saturday, July 11.
“As somebody whose father comes from Africa, obviously this visit has been particularly meaningful for me,” he said. “Ghana sends a simple message to the world that democracy can thrive in Africa.”
President Barack Obama meets with Ghana President John Atta Mills at the Presidential Palace on July 11. The two have a lot in common: they’re both lawyers, former law professors, they both love sports and are proud of serving their country.
“In my country, African-Americans—including so many recent immigrants—have thrived in every sector of society. We have done so despite a difficult past, and we have drawn strength from our African heritage. With strong institutions and a strong will, I know that Africans can live their dreams in Nairobi and Lagos; in Kigali and Kinshasa; in Harare and right here in Accra,” said President Barack Obama during his address to the Ghanaian Parliament on July 11.
President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama and daughters Malia and Sasha are joined for a tour of the Cape Coast Castle listening to a tour guide explain the history of the castle that was used in the trans-Atlantic slave trade.
President Obama holds a baby while visiting the La General Hospital in Accra, Ghana during his trip to the country.
The President and First Lady Michelle Obama meet people at the La General Hospital in Accra, Ghana.
A little girl in Ghana wears a shirt celebrating President Barack Obama’s visit to her country. President Obama spoke Saturday, July 11, at the International Conference Center in Accra, Ghana.
President Barack Obama does a pass and review of members of the Ghanaian military at the Presidential Palace in Accra, Ghana, on July 11.
“So I do not see the countries and peoples of Africa as a world apart; I see Africa as a fundamental part of our interconnected world—as partners with America on behalf of the future that we want for all our children,” said President Obama.
The Obamas arrive in Accra, Ghana, on Friday, July 10. This is the President’s first visit to sub-Saharan Africa since taking office.
Their getting ready in Ghana as workers clean and landscape underneath a sign showing President Barack Obama and Ghana President John Atta Mills along the road where Mr. Obama will pass during his visit to Accra, Ghana, on Friday, July 10. This is President Obama’s first visit to sub-Saharan Africa since taking office.
A soccer jersey vendor sells shirts depicting President Obama’s face along with slogans saying “A leader we can believe in” and “Save Our Nation” at a streetside stall in Accra, Ghana.
Notorious Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi meets President Obama as they get in position for a group photo at the G8 Summit in L’Aquila, Italy, on Friday, July 10.
President Obama greets newly elected South African President Jacob Zuma on Friday, July 10, during the G8 Summit in L’Aquila, Italy.
President Obama is welcomed by Bishop James Harvey as he arrives at the Vatican for a meeting with Pope Benedict XVI on July 10. Mr. Obama’s motorcade was greeted by Swiss Guards as several hundred people lined the broad avenue leading to St. Peter’s Square to catch a glimpse of him.
A junior G-8 delegate gets to meet President Obama at the G8 summit in L’Aquila, Italy on July 9.
The biggest leaders in the world pose in Italy for the G8 Summit.(From left to right) South African President Jacob Zuma, South Korean President Lee Myung-bak Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, President Barack Obama, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, Japan’s Prime Minister Taro Aso, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, Sweden’s Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, Mexican President Felipe Calderon and the President of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso all pose for the family portrait during the second day of the G8 summit on Thursday, July 9.
First Lady Michelle Obama meets with Clio Napolitano, wife of President Napolitano of Italy, at the Quirinale Palace in Rome on July 8, 2009.
President Obama tries to take some quiet time for himself as he attends the G-8 summit in L’Aquila, Italy.
If there’s a hoop, you better believe President Obama is going to use it. He shoots some baskets with Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications Denis McDonough, Staff Secretary Lisa Brown, and National Security Advisor General Jim Jones while attending the G-8 summit in Italy.
President Barack Obama is welcomed by Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi in L’Aquila, Italy, on Wednesday, July 8. The leaders of the Group of Eight nations, otherwise known as the G8, have come together to discuss ways in which they can all fight the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.
President Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev discuss world history in front of the Tsar Cannon built in 1586, on July 7, in Moscow.
President Obama listens during the U.S. and Russia Business Summit Tuesday, July 7, in Moscow.
President Obama speaks on the transfer of authority in Iraqi cities and towns on June 30 in Washington, D.C., where he said, “There are those who will test Iraqi security. I’m confident that those forces will fail. The future belongs to those who build, not those who destroy.”
President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama and Sasha and Malia greet supporters upon their arrival to Moscow on July 6. The President is in Russia to revive a relationship hurt by a series of crises.
President Barack Obama participates in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unkown Soldier in Moscow on July 6.
President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, participate in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unkown Soldier in Moscow.
President Barack Obama meets with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev at the Kremlin in Moscow on July 6.
A nighttime view of the South Lawn of the White House as the Foo Fighters performed on July 4, 2009.
President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama watch the fireworks over the National Mall as they celebrate their first Independence Day in the White House.
The First Family greets visitors at the White House for a Fourth of July celebration. The event honored military heroes and their families on the South Lawn at the White House in Washington, D.C., on July 4.
President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama host a reception for 300 people in honor of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Pride Month in the East Room of the White House on June 29.
“I know that many in this room don’t believe that progress has come fast enough,” said President Obama. “We have made progress, and we will make more.”
First Lady Michelle Obama poses for a photo with a guest after making remarks during a visit to the Unity Health Care Upper Cordozo Health Center in Washington, D.C., on June 29. Mrs. Obama announces a grant of $2.5 million to the center as part of the federal stimulus program.
President Obama met with Colombian President Alvaro Uribe on Monday, June 29, where the two leaders discussed reaching a deal on a stalled trade agreement, despite a continuing concern about the murder of labor leaders in Colombia.
President Obama graciously allowed a group of journalists traveling with Colombian President Alvaro Uribe following a meeting between the two in the White House.
President Barack Obama, accompanied by Energy Secretary Steven Chu, delivers remarks on the energy bill on Monday, June 29.
A makeup artist is seen putting the final touches to a life-size wax model of President Barack Obama. The fake Obama was presented to the people of France near the Eiffel Tower on Monday, June 29. The model will have a home at the Paris Grevin Wax Museum.
A wax statue of President Barack Obama is unveiled in front of the Eiffel tower in Paris, France.
President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel talk in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on Friday, June 26, 2009.
President Barack Obama is flanked by Vice-President Joe Biden (left) and his former opponent Senator John McCain (right.) The trio meets with members of Congress to discuss immigration reform on Thursday, June 25, 2009.
The President leads by example with his daughters Sasha, 8, (right) and Malia 10, who participate with him in the “United We Serve” service event at Fort McNair Fitness Center on June 25. They are helping to prepare 15,000 backpacks for the children of servicemen and women.
Michelle Obama is spearheading the “United We Serve” service initiative around the country. She starts by helping to add books, healthy snacks, Frisbees and other items into backpacks for children of servicemen and women.
First Lady Michelle Obama straightens the President’s tie right before they gave a talk for the “United We Serve” service project at Fort McNair in Washington D.C., on June 25.
President Obama and the First Family thank their guests for joining them for a luau on the South Lawn of the White House.
President Obama walks with daughter Sasha, decked in her Hawaiian colors, as he hosts a luau on the South Lawn of the White House for members of Congress and their families on Thursday, June 25.
President Obama greets actress Reese Witherspoon in the Oval Office on June 25. The president was also joined by actors Paul Rudd and Witherspoon’s boyfriend Jake Gyllenhaal. The trio is currently filming a movie in Washington, D.C., and stop by for a quick hello.
President Obama leans on a football while making a phone call in the Oval Office on June 24.
Nine-year-old Sarah Louise Wiggins, representing the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, stands behind President Obama as he signs the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act on June 22 in the Rose Garden of the White House.
President Barack Obama signs the Supplemental Appropriations Act on Wednesday, June 24. The $106 billion spending bill will keep the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan from running out of money.
President Barack Obama takes part in a news conference at the White House on June 23 where he was asked questions on Iran, his smoking habits and his health care reform bill.
President Obama and Senior Adviser Valerie Jarrett greet Secretary of State Hillary Clinton before a meeting at the White House on June 22. Secretary Clinton broke her elbow last week and had surgery on Friday.
President Barack Obama steers the cart with his golfing partner, Vice-President Joe Biden, as the two finish 18 holes at the Fort Belvoir Golf Club on Father’s Day June 21.
With the Blackberry he fought to keep strapped at his waistline, President Barack Obama leaves the White House for a Father’s Day golf outing. Check out his fly sandals.
President Barack Obama laughs (probably at his own joke) during the beginning of the Radio and Television Correspondents Dinner on Friday, June 19.
The President jokingly said in his speech, “Why bother hanging out with celebrities when I can spend time with the people who made me one? I know where my bread is buttered.”
President Barack Obama and Vice-President Joe Biden host an old-fashioned cookout on the South Lawn of the White House for young men from local schools on June 19. Throughout the day, the President stressed not just the importance of fatherhood but the definition of what a good father means.
President Obama demonstrates to Manicia Standard that banging on the site of his computer is basically his usual way of fixing it when it freezes up. Standard, a student at Washington D.C.’s Year Up program which trains young adults in various fields, must know there is an easier way.
President Obama delivers remarks at the Esperanza National Hispanic Prayer Breakfast and Conference on June 19, 2009 in Washington, D.C.
The President steps in the East room to speak about the economy and comprehensive plan for financial regulations at the White House on June 17.
President Obama gives a fist-bump to personal aide Reggie Love in the Oval Office of the White House on June 16, 2009. Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel is at left looking on.
President Obama shakes hands with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi during a meeting in the Oval office on June 15 where the men discussed Italy taking on three detainees from the Guantanamo Bay camp off our hands.
Zimbabwe’s Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai shakes hands with President Obama during meetings in the Oval Office on June 12.
President Obama speaks about tobacco legislation in the Rose Garden at the White House on June 12. In his speech, President Obama said “Each year Americans pay nearly $100 billion in added health care costs due to smoking. Each day about a thousand young people under the age of 18 become regular smokers.”
He will sign the bill that will give the FDA the power to regulate cigarettes.
President Obama’s put his signature on a wall in a health classroom at Southwest High School in Green Bay, Wisconsin. He was in town for a meeting on health care on June 11.
President Barack Obama makes remarks on the “Pay As You Go” or PAYGO principle which will allow 10 banks to repay 68 billion dollars in government bailout money. The President adamently pointed out that this isn’t a sign that our financial troubles are over. “But it is a positive sign,” said Mr. Obama.
President Barack Obama looks at a map that he received from the National Geographic Society on June 10.
P061009PS-0330 by The Official White House Photostream.
President Barack Obama looks at a map donated to the White House by the National Geographic Society, in the Oval Office, June 10, 2009. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
This official White House photograph is being made available for publication by news organizations and/or for personal use printing by the subject(s) of the photograph. The photograph may not be manipulated in any way or used in materials, advertisements, products, or promotions that in any way suggest approval or endorsement of the President, the First Family, or the White House.
Comments
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ronin_z_e_r_o Pro User says:
I love this photo.
Posted 3 days ago. ( permalink )
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Oh Nuts Pro User says:
Nice gift
Posted 3 days ago. ( permalink )
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paws22 Pro User says:
I’m a big time map geek, love this photo.
Posted 2 days ago. ( permalink )
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Saint Seminole Pro User says:
Love the map.
Posted 2 days ago. ( permalink )
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The Ugly American Pro User says:
Looking for Iran, no doubt.
Iranians are being murdered in the streets while he goes out for burgers and ice cream photo ops.
To be followed up with his deplorable “hot dog diplomacy” on July 4th.
Heck of job, Barry.
Posted 35 hours ago. ( permalink )
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kylos h Pro User says:
Aw, rats, TUA, you beat me to it.
Posted 34 hours ago. ( permalink )
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WinaVD says:
Awwww…..sweet pose and the other style Obama!!!! Love this photo !
Posted 25 hours ago. ( permalink )
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screaming71datsun510 says:
Just like being the president of the United States is the ultimate Job in the world. Being the the first Photographer to president is the ultimate photographer’s job in the world!!!!!!!
Posted 24 hours ago. ( permalink )
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This place-setting is for President Obama before a meeting with Congressional leaders in the State Dining Room on June 9.
President Obama takes time to have a constructive 20-minute conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from the Oval Office on June 8. The President reiterated the principal elements of his Cairo speech, including his commitment to Israel’s security. He also noted that former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell will be in Israel again as he starts his fourth trip to the region as the Special Envoy for Middle East peace.
The President disembarks the Marine One helicopter after returning to the White House on June 7 from his Middle East and Europe tours. The President landed just in time for Game 2 of the NBA Finals. You think he had that timed?
President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama arrive on June 6, 2009, at the Caen Prefecture before the commemorations marking the 65th anniversary of D-Day when allied forces landed in Normandy.
President Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama and Malia watch as Sasha lights a candle in Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris on June 6 while the family was enjoying a brief holiday in France.
President Barack Obama tours the Sphinx and pyramids outside Cairo, Egypt, during his one-day visit on June 4, 2009.
President Obama enjoys a look at Cairo, Egypt, following his address to Muslims around the world and reminding all citizens the religion is rooted in peace.
President Obama waves to the crowd who gives him a standing ovation at the conclusion of his speech at Cairo University in Egypt on June 4, 2009. He spoke about a “new beginning between the United States and Muslims,” and declared that “this cycle of suspicion and discord must end.”
President Barack Obama addresses the Muslim community at Cairo University campus during his one-day visit to Egypt on June 4.
In his speech, President Obama delved into the ever controversial subject of women’s rights by saying, “I am convinced that our daughters can contribute just as much to society as our sons. Our common prosperity will be advanced by allowing all humanity—men and women—to reach their full potential. I do not believe that women must make the same choices as men in order to be equal, and I respect those women who choose to live their lives in traditional roles. But it should be their choice.”
Studying the past to avoid repeating it has been a big part of President’s Obama strategy and success story. He places a rose on the living memorial to survivors during his tour of the Buchenwald concentration camp in Germany on June 5.
President Obama takes off the King Abdul Aziz Order of Merit after it was presented to him by Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz al-Saud during a meeting at the king’s ranch in the Middle East on June 3. The President is there to reach out and speak to the world’s Muslims.
This is President Obama’s first visit to Saudi Arabia, but he has had several conversations with Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz al-Saud. President Obama felt it was important to come to the place where Islam began and to seek His Majesty’s counsel and discuss many of the issues currently plaguing that region of the world.
Newsweek writer Richard Wolffe’s new book, “Renegade: The Making of a President,” spills secrets of the campaign and notes a rocky patch in the Obamas’ marriage. The book is based on interviews Wolffe had with Mr. Obama.
On marriage Wolffe writes: She hated the failed race for Congress in 2000, and their marriage was strained by the time their youngest daughter, Sasha, was born. Politics seemed like a waste of time to Michelle.
On picking Hillary Clinton for secretary of state Wolffe writes: During one transition meeting, Obama said he wanted to offer Clinton the diplomatic job. “I’m really interested in pursuing this, but I know she has some hard feelings coming out of this campaign.” [Aides] assured Obama that she was over those hard feelings now. Obama smiled and said, “Believe me. She’s not over it yet.”
Former First Lady Nancy Reagan was invited back to the White House to see the President sign the Ronald Reagan Centennial Commission Act on June 2.
Former First Lady Nancy Reagan, Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, Senator Richard Lugar and Rep. Elton Gallegly watch President Barack Obama sign the Ronald Reagan Centennial Commission Act, which will honor former U.S. President Ronald Reagan on his 100th birthday in 2011.
The President is trying his best to get the support of the Senate Democrats on backing his somewhat ambitious agenda on a number of pending issues including bills on health care reform, global warming, and the confirmation of a new Supreme Court judge.
Making her rounds around Washington, D.C., Supreme Court Justice nominee Judge Sonia Sotomayor met with the Ranking Republican of the Senate Judiciary Committee Senator Jeff Sessions as a way of getting to know each other better before her Senate confirmation hearings.
President Obama, surrounded by administration officials, speaks about the Chapter 11 bankruptcy filed by General Motors on June 1 from the White House in Washington, D.C. GM’s bankruptcy filing is the fourth largest in American history.
Keeping his promise to the First Lady, President Obama takes his wife out for dinner and a show. The First Couple whisked off to New York City where they took in “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone” at the Belasco Theatre. We’re sure they’ll see a surge in ticket prices in the next few weeks.
The President and First Lady return to Washington, D.C., after spending the evening in New York City. They ate dinner at the Blue Hill, a restaurant in the West Village, took in a Broadway performance and were back in D.C. that evening.
President Barack Obama takes a break from his busy day for lunch at Five Guys burgers on May 29 in southeast Washington, D.C.
Some have questioned whether or not the President’s “impromptu” trip to the Five Guys burger spot in Washington, D.C. on May 29 wasn’t planned ahead time.
President Obama enjoys a few peanuts while speaking with supporters and waiting for his orders of Five Guys burgers and fries on May 29.
With his burger and fries in tow, President Obama heads inside the White House to enjoy his lunch.
President Obama welcomes Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to the White House for the first time since the President took office on May 28. The world leaders discussed the Israeli-Palestinian peace process in the Oval Office and left President Obama confident in their progress.
President Obama was in Las Vegas on May 27 speaking at a fundraiser for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid at Caesar’s Palace.
Clearly he enjoys being in charge. President Obama sits in a pilot seat while talking with Sen. Harry Reid before giving a speech at Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas on May 27, 2009.
President Barack Obama announces federal appeals court Judge Sonia Sotomayor, right, as his nominee for the Supreme Court on May 26 in the East Room of the White House in Washington.
Sotomayor will be the first Hispanic to serve on the high court and, according to White House officials, has more judicial experience than any other Supreme Court justice of the past 70 years.
Sotomayor, 54, will also be only the third female Supreme Court judge in history. Raised in a housing project the South Bronx and of Puerto Rican descent, she is a graduate of both Princeton University and Yale Law School.
President Barack Obama lays a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia, during a special Memorial Day ceremony.
President Obama, accompanied by Major General Richard J. Rowe, pause prior to the President laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns, on May 25, during a Memorial Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia.
Who’s the man with the master plan? Obama! President Obama gets into the Presidential limousine on his way to a Memorial Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia on May 25.
President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden confer in the halls of the White House minutes before the Supreme Court nomination announcement of Judge Sonia Sotomayor on May 23, 2009.
President Barack Obama signs the Weapons Systems Acquisition Reform Act in the Rose Garden as (L-R) Rep. Robert Andrews (D-NJ), Rep. John McHugh (R-NY), Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI), Rep. Ike Skelton (D-MO) and Rep. Mike Conaway (R-TX) look on May 22 in Washington, DC.
President Obama meets with Tanzania President Jakaya Kikwete in the Oval Office on May 21. This was the President’s first meeting with an African Head of State. Notice the bust of Martin Luther King, Jr. prominently placed to the far left. We imagine Dr. King is smiling in heaven seeing these two leaders meet.
President Obama rolled up his sleeves and got in line to help assemble care packages for troops in Iraq and Afghanistan with Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward (left) and newly crowned Democratic Senator Arlen Specter (right)at the South Lawn of the White House on May 21.
Mr. Obama hosted the team and introduced them to wounded war vets from Walter Reed Army Medical Center and National Naval Medical Center with their families.
President Obama poses with Pittsburgh Steelers Chairman Dan Rooney (center) and Head Coach Mike Tomlin (right) during a picture with the 2009 NFL Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers who visited the White House on May 21.
“I already told these guys, no matter how big they are, I am a Bears fan,” said the President to a roar of laughter. “But it’s no secret that I was pulling for the Steelers during the Super Bowl last year, and that’s part of the reason why this is so much fun for me.”
President Barack Obama signs the Helping Families Save Their Homes Act in the East Room of the White House on May 20.
Before siging the President said, “I know my administration will be judged by various markers. But there’s only one measure of progress that matters to me, and that’s the progress that the American people see in their own lives, day to day, because right now, despite progress, too many Americans are hurting.”
President Obama talks on the phone with astronauts on May 20. They were aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis on a mission to repair the Hubble Space Telescope at the time.
Surrounded by car industry executives, union leaders and environmental activists, President Barack Obama announced changes in fuel efficiency standards for cars and trucks at a press conference on May 19. The new standards will hopefully cut vehicle carbon emissions (helping the environment) and raise mileage by 30 percent (helping your wallets.)
Fifteen small business owners and leaders of small business support organizations were hailed today by the U.S. Small Business Administration for their outstanding support of entrepreneurs. President Obama spoke at the event, which was part of the annual observance of National Small Business Week. There are over 27 million small businesses in America.
President Barack Obama receives a standing ovation as he arrives on the stage for the University of Notre Dame’s commencement ceremony on May 17.
As a few anti-abortion activists used President Obama’s visit to the University of Notre Dame to protest his pro-choice stance, the President shared a message on the importance of being open minded and tolerant of others’ opinions.
While First Lady Michelle Obama was away for the University of California, Merced graduation, President Obama headed to daughter Sasha’s soccer game and became a standout cheerleader.
President Obama cheers after Sasha’s soccer team scores on May 16 in Washington, D.C. The President continues to represent for his home of Chicago with a White Sox jacket.
A combo photo shows President Obama waving to his younger daughter Sasha and her waving back to him as he returns home to the White House from his trip to Arizona and New Mexico on May 14. We’re loving Sasha’s red T-shirt and electric blue throwback shorts.
President Barack Obama delivers his commencement speech at Arizona State University at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona, on May 13. The President’s message was simple: going for gold doesn’t always mean going for the big bucks and corner office, but remembering that working to help others can also provide tremendous rewards.
What a way to graduate! The doctoral graduates at Arizona State University meet President Obama during their commencement ceremony in Tempe, Arizona.
During his speech, President Obama said, “So, graduates, it is now abundantly clear that we need to start doing things a little differently. In your own lives, you’ll need to continuously adapt to a continuously changing economy: to have more than one job or career over the course of your life; to keep gaining new skills—possibly even new degrees; and to keep taking risks as new opportunities arise.”
The President’s speech on health care reform included support from (left to right) Cedars-Sinai Health System President and CEO Tom Priselac; Merck Chairman, President and CEO Richard Clark; Kaiser Permanente CEO George Halverson; American Medical Association President-Elect J. James Rohack, M.D.; Service Employees International Union Healthcare Chair Dennis Rivera; and Edwards Life Sciences Chairman and CEO Michael Mussallem.
The President met with all of these men to discuss ways in which they can all work together to provide health insurance to the estimated 50 million Americans who currently do not have it.
President Obama and the First Lady opened their home to host an evening of music, poetry and spoken word in the East Room of the White House on May 12.
“We’re here to celebrate the power of words and music to help us appreciate beauty, but also to understand pain; to inspire us to action, and to spur us on when we start to lose hope; to lift us up out of our daily existence,” explained President Obama.
“The great jazz musician, Louis Armstrong, once said simply, ‘What we play is life.’ And that is what these artists do—they express the joys and hardships of life and remind us how much all of us have in common,” said President Obama at the first-ever Evening of Poetry, Music and the Spoken Word in the White House on May 12.
Eric Lewis, aka ELEW, performed at the Evening of Poetry, Music and the Spoken Word. A native of Camden, New Jersey, ELEW attended the Manhattan School of Music on a full scholarship. Upon graduation, he toured the world with Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Cassandra Wilson, and Roy Hardgrove, among others.
President Barack Obama signed the “Civil Rights History Project Act” bill into law on May 12 along with (from left) Rep. Mike Quigley (D-IL); Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY); Rep. Sanford Bishop (D-GA); Rep. Lacy Clay (D-MO); Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-SC) and Rep. John Lewis (D-GA). This act will now require the Library of Congress and the Smithsonian Institution to establish an oral history project related to the Civil Rights Movement.
President Barack Obama, Vice-President Joseph Biden and Attorney General Eric Holder arrive for an event to host the recipients of National Association of Police Organizations’ Top Cops Awards at the Rose Garden on May 12.
“The President and I recognize the bravery you display simply by putting on that badge every day,” said Vice-President Biden.
So did the President know something we didn’t? Mr. Obama picked the North Carolina Tar Heels to come out on top and they are now the 2009 NCAA Division I national champions.
As a gesture of their appreciation, the UNC men’s basketball head coach Roy Williams presented President Obama with a team jersey at the White House on May 11.
Waiting for the festivities to begin, Reverend Al Sharpton returns to Washington, D.C., for the White House Correspondents’ Association annual dinner on May 9. The civil rights leader was there earlier in the week for a sit-down meeting with President Obama to discuss the education gap for minority students.
Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner chats up former Secretary of State Colin Powell, who recently came out and said that he feels Republicans like Rush Limbaugh are a detriment to the GOP.
Mayor Adrian Fenty and his wife, Michelle Fenty, arrive at the 2009 White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner in true style.
President Barack Obama was the man of the hour at Saturday night’s White House Correspondents’ Association dinner. The annual event is a time for the President and the media who cover him to mingle and poke fun each other. Each year the President gives a joke-filled speech, and this year was no different. Mr. Obama ragged on Vice-President Dick Cheney ("I hear his next book is titled “How to Shoot Friends and Interrogate People”) and Republican Party Chairman Michael Steele (“Michael Steele is in the house tonight, or as he would say, ‘In the heezy.’”)
President and Mrs. Obama hosted the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner on May 9 at the Washington Hilton hotel. The invited guests include lawmakers, celebrities and members of the media. Sitting at the head table with the President are, from left: White House Correspondents’ Association Secretary Peter Maer of CBS News, comedian and actress Wanda Sykes, who served as the night’s mistress of ceremonies, New York Times photographer Doug Mills, First Lady Michelle Obama, and Associated Press President and CEO Tom Curley.
First Lady Michelle Obama was a vision in this signature arms-baring pink dress at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in Washington. ESSENCE.com spotted some of the biggest names in media and entertainment at the event: actor Chris Tucker; film director Steven Spielberg; Hollywood power couple Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore; Reverend Al Sharpton; Tyra Banks; Barbara Walters; Kerry Washington; Katie Couric; and Lou Gossett, Jr., just to name a few.
Over 2,500 guests attended the 2009 White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, including longtime Obama supporter Kerry Washington.
Political analyst and frequent CNN commentator Jamal Simmons and guest enjoy the festivities at the Capitol File after party.
Reverend Al Sharpton, ESSENCE Communications President Michelle Ebanks and comedian Chris Tucker catch up between dinner courses at the big event.
Grammy-winning artist Alicia Keys joins the ranks of the entertainment industry’s best and brightest at the White House Correspondents’ Association gala dinner.
President Barack Obama is choked up with laughter at the banter of comedian Wanda Sykes, who performed a hilarious speech that poked fun at the President, Mrs. Obama, Rush Limbaugh and others at the annual dinner.
Stevie Wonder—whose music served as the President’s informal soundtrack during Obama’s stretch on the campaign trail—was on hand for the fun.
Democratic political strategist Donna Brazile and “The View” cohost Sherri Shepherd check out who’s in attendance at the pre-dinner cocktail reception.
Publisher Peter Maer (left to right), featured entertainer Wanda Sykes, New York Times photographer Doug Mills, and First Lady Michelle Obama take in the excitement of the night while seated at the head table.
CNN Correspondent and ESSENCE.com blogger Roland Martin shares camera time with ESSENCE Washington Correspondent Cynthia Gordy.
BET President Barbara Lee is all smiles outside the pre-dinner reception at the Washington Hilton Hotel.
President Barack Obama and Associated Press President Tom Curley converse at the head table of the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner.
Kerry Washington and Ludacris chat it up at the Time/People event during the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner weekend activities in Washington.
CNN White House reporter Dana Bash, left, NBC reporter Norah O’Donnell, rapper and actor Ludacris and actress Kerry Kerry Washington mingle at an event in celebration of the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner weekend in D.C.
Ludacris, looking dapper, at a White House Correspondents’ Association dinner weekend cocktail party hosted by Time and People magazines.
President Barack Obama addresses the first Spanish language town hall meeting in White House history on May 8. Mr. Obama spoke in English and talked, about the precautions to take to avoid the Swine flu.
“You know, I’m kind of messing up the whole thing,” said the President about speaking in English at the Spanish only town hall.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov meet with the President in the Oval Office on May 7, to prepare for a summit between Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Mr. Obama in July 2009.
President Barack Obama and White House Budget Director Peter Orszag arrive to speak on the FY2010 federal budget at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building of the White House on May 7. The President has proposed a $17 billion cut from the federal budget saying, “All across this country, Americans are responding to difficult economic times by tightening their belts and making tough decisions about where they need to spend and where they need to save. The question the American people are asking is whether Washington is prepared to act with the same sense of responsibility.”
President Obama leaves the Eisenhower Executive Office Building to return to the White House after delivering remarks on the terminations, reductions, and savings in the fiscal 2010 federal budget. It’s time for government to reduce spending like every day people have had to do.
First Lady Michelle Obama sits with Jeanette D. Rivera Boria, who spoke about working while caring for her sick mother, on May 7 during the annual meeting of Corporate Voices for Working Families in Washington. The First Lady addressed how businesses can improve the quality of life for families saying, “these types of policies can be the key to whether a family remains economically viable or slips into financial uncertainty.”
First Lady Michelle Obama speaks to employees of the U.S. Mission to the United Nations on Tuesday, May 5, in New York City.
“I’ve been going around to as many federal agencies as I can. My visits are just a simple way of saying yes, in fact, we see you, we know who you are, we value what you do, and we couldn’t be here, wouldn’t be here, without you,” said Mrs. Obama.
“I stand here today because of people who loved me, pushed me and believed in me. I stand here today because of scholarships and grants and experiences that gave me opportunities I was afraid to dream of,” said Mrs. Obama during her speech at the Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People Awards in New York City on May 5.
“I never imagined that, as a result of all that support, I would be in a position to be a role model for girls around the globe.
“Girls who look at me and see something more for themselves, more than society expects of them.
“Girls who now think anything is possible.
“As global leaders, let’s not underestimate the power each of us has to change the world for someone – and let us not be afraid to try.”
Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari (right) and Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai (left) spend some time with Vice-President Joe Biden and President Barack Obama in the Grand Foyer after a meeting at the White House on May 6.
The President and Vice-President were supposed to have a lunch (closed off to the press) in the Oval Office, but President Obama changed his mind and invited everyone out to Ray’s Hell Burger in Arlington, Virginia on May 5. Jackets off and with serious determination, the two sit down at a table with their monster cheeseburgers.
Imagine working at your local burger joint when the President of the United States walks in and he’s not alone. President Obama and Vice-President Joe Biden show up unannounced for lunch at Ray’s Hell Burger.
The President offered to foot the bill for members of the press who gather behind him.
President Barack Obama makes remarks during a Cinco de Mayo celebration in the Grand Foyer of the White House on May 4. Joining the President are (left to right)Veronica Valenca-Sarukhan, Arturo Sarukhan, Mexican Ambassador to the U.S., First Lady Michelle Obama, the President, Vice-President Joe Biden, and his wife, Jill Biden.
First Lady Michelle Obama speaks with a young girl during a Hispanic Heritage event in celebration of Cinco de Mayo (May 5) at the Latin American Montessori Bilingual Public Charter School(LAMB) in Washington, D.C.
Mrs. Obama is hugged by several schoolchildren after attending a Hispanic Heritage event at the Latin American Montessori Bilingual (LAMB) Public Charter School in celebration of Cinco de Mayo on May 4. Mrs. Obama greeted the kids with “Que fantastico!” and told them that visiting schools is one of her favorite things to do.
Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and President Barack Obama hold a press conference about asking Congress to input changes in our country’s international tax codes in the Grand Foyer of the White House on May 4.
On their first night out together in weeks, President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama waved as they walk along the South Lawn of the White House on Saturday, May 2. The couple had just returned from having dinner at Michel Richard Citronelle restaurant.
President Obama congratulates newly appointed Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius after her ceremonial swearing-in at the East Room of the White House on May 1.
“Kathleen is already a tremendous asset to my Cabinet. She has hit the ground running. I look forward to working with her in the years to come,” said President Obama.
President Obama and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano greet newly sworn in U.S. citizens at the conclusion of a naturalization ceremony for those who are active duty service members on May 1.
President Barack Obama greets guests as he hosts the start of the “White House to Lighthouse” wounded warrior soldier’s ride on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington on April 30.
Participating in the ride are a dozen veterans who are biking 65 miles from the White House to Annapolis, Maryland, to raise awareness of injured service men and women.
Before signaling the start of the three-day race with a horn blast, Obama praised the “heroes among us” who served and fought for the country.
President Barack Obama answers questions at a news conference on April 29, his one-hundredth day in office. Our Washington correspondent Cynthia Gordy was on the front row and shares insider details of the briefing:
“We saw a good mix of questions, without having ten in a row just about the economy, which happens sometimes. He spoke assuredly on every issue that came up, from immigration to ‘enhanced interrogation techniques’ to the ground situation in Iraq and Pakistan. He even threw in a few zingers.”
President Barack Obama speaks during a town hall meeting on April 29 at Fox Senior High School in Arnold, Missouri.
“It’s great to be back in the middle of America, where common sense often reigns. It reminds me of why I like to get out of Washington now and again,” said the President.
A timeline of President Obama’s first 100 days in office »
First Lady Michelle Obama spent the family’s one-hundredth day in the White House volunteering at a local food bank with the Vice-President’s wife, Jill Biden, congressional spouses and volunteers on April 29.
The President and his senior adviser Valerie Jarrett chat it up while heading to their helicopter in Arnold, Missouri.
A timeline of President Obama’s first 100 days in office »
The crowd snaps photos of President Obama as he greets Army reservists and National Guardsmen before boarding Air Force One to return to Washington for a news conference marking his first 100 days in office.
A timeline of President Obama’s first 100 days in office »
First Lady Michelle Obama applaud actress Cicely Tyson during an event to unveil the bust of Sojourner Truth in Emancipation Hall of the US Capitol on April 28 in Washington. Sojourner Truth was an American slave, abolitionist, and women’s rights activist who is best-known for her speech, “Ain’t I a Woman?”
First lady Michelle Obama joins House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton to unveil the bust of Sojourner Truth. Mrs. Obama said she hopes Truth, the first Black woman to be honored with a bust at the Capitol, would be proud to see a descendant of slaves as America’s First Black First Lady.
Mrs. Obama and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi help to unveil the new bust of Sojourner Truth in Emancipation Hall on April 28.
“It’s so good to see this hall filled with so many strong women — a few brothers in here, but such a diverse group of people crowding this hall. And one can only imagine what Sojourner Truth, an outspoken, tell-it-like-it-is kind of woman would have to say about this incredible gathering,” said Mrs. Obama.
Legendary actress Cicely Tyson takes to the podium while the First Lady and Speaker Pelosi applaud during the Sojourner Truth event. Truth, born Isabella Baumfree, was one of 13 children born into slavery.
President Barack Obama dons an FBI hat given to him by FBI Director Robert Mueller at the agency’s headquarters in Washington on April 28.
“I am extraordinarily pleased with the job that the Director has done not just during my tenure in office, but preceding me,” said the President.
President Barack Obama delivers remarks to FBI employees at FBI headquarters. A crowd of approximately 2,500 people including those watching from behind closed windows, came out to listen tothe President’s speech. Mr. Obama stood in front of the Department of Justice seal and next to a huge sign that read, “A Century of Fidelity, Bravery and Integrity.”
We’re glad FBI Director Robert Mueller pointed out that these two adorable teddy bears were not from him to the President but gifts for Sasha and Malia.
FBI Director Robert Mueller meets with President Obama on April 28. Currently, only 13.3 percent of the FBI’s employees are African-American.
President Barack Obama poses for photos with the NCAA champion University of Connecticut women’s basketball team at the White House on April 27. “Thanks to players like each of these women and those who came before them, our young women today look at themselves differently, especially tall young women, like my daughters,” said the President.
President Obama shows members of the NCAA champion team from the University of Connecticut his best moves on April 27, at the White House.
President Barack Obama walks with aides on the South Lawn of the White House after shooting a few hoops with the UConn women’s basketball team.
President Obama delivers remarks at the National Academy of Sciences on April 27, where he said, “We will devote more than 3 percent of our GDP to research and development. We will not just meet, but we will exceed the level achieved at the height of the Space Race, through policies that invest in basic and applied research…”
As Commander in Chief, the President spends time with Air Force leaders at the Andrews Base in Maryland, after hitting a few balls on the golf course.
President Barack Obama unwinds with an afternoon round of golf with Mike Thomas, general manger of the Andrews Air Force Base golf courses, in Maryland on Sunday, April 26.
Michelle Obama gestures as she allows two more questions from children whose parents are part of the Executive Office during the “Take Your Child to Work Day” event at the East Room of the White House on April 23. One of the children asked Mrs. Obama where do Sasha and Malia’s friends sleep when they spend the night over.
President Barack Obama tosses a football given to him as a gift by the 2008 NCAA Football Champions Florida Gators, at the White House on April 23.
President Barack Obama shows off his new jersey from the Florida Gators.
President Obama hugs Kaddish Morris Rosen, a Holocaust survivor, at the National Commemoration of the Days of Remembrance in the Capitol Rotunda on April 23.
President Barack Obama speaks on higher education in the Diplomatic Reception Room of the White House on April 24. Obama has been very vocal about his desire to make college more affordable for students.
In his speech on higher education, President Barack Obama talked of making college more accessible for low-income families and underscored his commitment to cut wasteful spending from the federal student loan program by ending taxpayer subsidies to banks.
President Barack Obama his daughter Malia and do Bo as he heads inside the White House on April 22, after celebrating Earth Day in Iowa.
Bo Obama waits to greet President Barack Obama as he crosses the South Lawn of his new home, The White House.
President Barack On Earth Day 2009, addresses workers at Trinity Structural Towers in Iowa and announces his plans to expand renewable energy resources such as wind and water power.
President Barack Obama speaks with factory superintendent Larry Freeman (right), maintenance manager Richard Mulbrook (left), Trinity senior vice-president Mark Stiles (second right) and plant manager William Jones (second left) during a tour of Trinity Structural Towers manufacturing plant in Newton, Iowa, on April 22. The green facility builds towers for wind energy production on the site of a former Maytag plant.
He has a green thumb too! President Obama takes a moment to plant a tree at the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens on April 21 in Washington, D.C. The event was organized by the Student Conservation Association, an Americorp organization. Mr. Obama also signed the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act that will triple the AmeriCorp volunteers to over 250,000 in the United States.
From the Oval Office to the backyard, President Obama likes to get his hands into whatever he’s working on. He plants a tree as part of a service project at the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens in Washington. Earlier that day, he signed the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act saying, “There are very few people who have touched the life of this nation in the same breadth and the same order of magnitude than Ted Kennedy. I am truly grateful and honored to call him a friend, a colleague, and one of the finest leaders we’ve ever had.”
Whether she’s hosting an event or tending to her garden, First Lady Michelle Obama always looks dressed to impress. Here, she also helps plant a tree as part of a service project at the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens.
There’s a familiar face. Former President Bill Clinton stands with Vice-President Joe Biden and volunteers who are planting trees with President Obama and Mrs. Obama as part of their service project.
We wonder if President Clinton spends a lot of time gardening now that he’s no longer running the show? He’s looking good here, showing President Obama how to get it done as Mrs. Obama and various students observe as they participate in a national service project at Kenilworth Aquatic Garden.
President Obama poses for photographs with His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan in the Oval Office at the White House on April 21. The two leaders had a private meeting in the President’s personal dining room. King Abdullah personally drove the President to the airport when he visited Jordan prior to his election. “I won’t tell you how fast he was going,” joked the President.
Just a few days ago, President Obama agreed to have top-secret CIA memos detailing the agency’s tactics for interrogating terror suspects released. Now, he’s meeting with the top brass at the spy agency’s Virginia headquarters to defend his decision and bolster morale.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton looks on as President Obama announced in his first meeting with the Cabinet on April 20 that he expects them to cut $100 million in spending.
According to the President, this will be one way the federal government “can free up those dollars in order to put them to use for critical areas like health care, education, energy, our foreign policy apparatus…”
How did this kid get so close to the President? Well, his dad may have something to do with it. Ethan Gibbs, the son of Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, gives President Obama a fist bump after the President arrived on the South Lawn of the White House, returning from Trinidad and Tobago.
“We showed that while we have our differences, we can and must work together in areas where we have mutual interests, and where we disagree we can disagree respectfully,” said President Obama during a press conference after attending the Fifth Summit of the Americas on April 19. “We showed that there are no senior or junior partners in the Americas; we’re simply partners, committed to advancing a common agenda and overcoming common challenges.”
President Barack Obama and the Foreign Minister of El Salvador, Marisol Argueta, share a laugh during the first plenary session of the Fifth Summit of the Americas on April 18. The summit got into full swing on Saturday as all participants attended plenary sessions on energy, environmental and public security topics.
“I do not see eye to eye with every regional leader on every regional issue,” said the President during a press conference the following day. “And I do not agree with everything that was said at this summit by leaders from other nations. But what we showed here is that we can make progress when we’re willing to break free from some of the stale debates and old ideologies that have dominated and distorted the debate in this hemisphere for far too long.”
“As neighbors, we have a responsibility to each other and to our citizens. And by working together, we can take important steps forward to advance prosperity, security, and liberty,” said President Obama.
President Barack Obama poses with CARICOM leaders during the Fifth Summit of the Americas in Port of Spain, Trinidad on April 18. CARICOM stands for the Caribbean Community and is an organization of 15 Caribbean nations whose main purpose is to promote equal economic integration and cooperation among its members.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez gives “The Open Veins of Latin America” or “Las Venas Abiertas de America Latina” written by Uruguayan writer Eduardo Galeano to President Obama during the Summit of the Americas in Port of Spain, Trinidad on April 18. Galeano’s book contends that Latin America has been abused as industrialized nations like the U.S.destroyed its natural resources, ranging from gold and silver to cocoa and cotton.
President Barack Obama deplanes with a smile at Piarco International Airport in Port of Spain, Trinidad on April 17, to attend the 5th Summit of the Americas. Cuba remains a hot topic of the conference, as the only country excluded from the gathering.
The media wait for the arrival of several presidents outside the hotel where the Fifth Summit of the Americas was being held in Port of Spain. But it was President Obama who got the most cheers upon his arrival to the Caribbean nation.
Mexican President Felipe Calderon drinks a toast with US president Barack Obama during a banquet at the Anthropology National Museum in Mexico City on April 16.
Before the toast, President Obama thanked President Calderón saying, “I am so pleased that I have such an outstanding partner as President Calderón, somebody who has shown his courage and his bravery, and somebody who’s shown that he combines a sense of principle with a sense of practicality; somebody who I know wants to be a partner with me as we strengthen our partnership and we make certain that the children of Mexico and the children of the United States are both seeing a future that’s more prosperous and more hopeful than the ones that have come before.”
President Barack Obama discusses his administration’s plan to create a nationwide system of high-speed rail as Vice-President Joe Biden looks on in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building April 16. The President said the plan will lay the foundation for economic prosperity by connecting cities, decreasing congestion on roads and in the air and reducing the U.S.’s dependence on foreign oil.
President Barack Obama speaks on the economy during a speech at Georgetown University on April 14, in Washington, D.C. He didn’t sugarcoat the future of economic situation, saying we can expect more job loss, more foreclosures and more pain for Americans before things get better.
The Obamas formally introduce the newest member of the family, a Portuguese water dog named Bo, on April 14.
First Pooch Bo takes questions during his introduction to the White House press corps on the South Lawn of the White House April 14.
The Obamas enjoy a walk with dog Bo. The 6-month-old puppy is a gift from Senator Edward M. Kennedy, who owns several Portuguese water dogs himself.
The President and daughters Malia and Sasha keep up as Bo sprints during his walk. The dog is considered a good pet for children who have allergies, like Malia.
President Obama gets some exercise as he jogs along with Bo.
The debut of Bo ends much speculation over one of the First Family’s biggest campaign promises, a dog for Sasha and Malia.
First Lady Michelle Obama breaks ground as the very first wife of any U.S. President to visit the Department of Homeland Security. She addressed 300 employees, telling them “one of the President’s greatest concerns and priorities is the safety and security of the American people, and the more than 180,000 employees of this Department are at the heart of fulfilling that mission. He couldn’t do it without you.”
She thanked workers for joining the President to keep the country safe.
“He couldn’t do it without you,” she said.
The Obmaa’s new Portuguese water dog, 6-month-old Bo, is a gift from Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA) and his wife, Victoria, to the President’s daughters, Sasha and Malia. Looks like Mr. Obama is having a good time getting Bo acclimated to his new home.
ESSENCE Washington Correspondent Cynthia Gordy spent the day in yard of the White House. There were 30,000 guests from all over the country in attendance at the Easter Egg Roll. They all gathered on the South Lawn in five shifts of 6,000 people at a time.
Get the latest on the First Family from our Washington Correspondent Cynthia Gordy »
President Obama usually comes across pretty…well, presidential. But at the White House Easter Egg Roll he was like a big kid, energetically chatting with every child competing in this particular race. “This is big,” he said with a wide grin before blowing a whistle to commence the rolling.
The traditional Easter Egg Roll dates back to 1878 with President Rutherford B. Hayes. This year 13,000 hard-boiled, dyed eggs were on hand for the festivities. Sasha and Malia Obama were able to hold their own, but their dad trotted alongside some of the younger kids, cheering them on for moral support.
Although President Obama got into the action, the official host of the White House Easter Egg Roll was First Lady Michelle Obama, seen here having a quiet talk with daughter Malia before the first race began. Despite being surrounded by hundreds of cheering onlookers and photographers, the First Family seems really unfazed by the attention. Apparently it’s just a normal thing for them by now!
There was more to the day than just rolling eggs around the South Lawn of the White House, such as this odd arts and crafts project (a big jumble of paint, ribbons, egg cartons, markers, stickers and other materials). It confused me a bit, but the kids were intently focused on their creations. Other activities included jump rope, soccer, and an egg hunt.
President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama watch their daughters and other children at the start of the White House Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn of the White House April 13.
The White House Easter Egg Roll has taken place every year since 1878, but during the beginning of World I, World War II, and the Truman administration’s renovation of the White House, the event was held on the National Mall instead of the South Lawn.
The First Family waved from the White House before President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama welcomed their thousands of guests to the event. “This is one of the greatest White House traditions because it reminds us that this is the people’s house,” said President Obama. “The goal today is to have fun, to get out and play,” announced the First Lady.
How fun would it be if all of his meetings started like this! President Barack Obama blows a whistle to start the White House Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn of the White House.
The theme for this year’s Easter Egg Roll was “Let’s Go Play,” to encourage a healthy, active lifestyle. Naturally, athletics were a big part of the festivities, such as the basketball court that was set up especially for the day. NBA and WNBA stars Etan Thomas and Swin Cash helped teach the kids how to dribble and shoot, along with student athletes from local high schools.
President Obama provides a helping hand (and a little extra height) to a child as he dunks a basketball during the 2009 White House Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn in Washington, D.C., April 13. Before the event, the President said, “This is one of the greatest White House traditions because it reminds us that this is the people’s house and to see so many children out here having a great time just fills Michelle and myself and the entire family with a whole lot of joy.”
“First Granny” Marian Robinson also participated in the day’s activities, reading “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie” to a group of youngsters with her daughter, First Lady Michelle Obama. Mrs. Robinson and Mrs. Obama took turns reading lines from the book. Other celebrity book readers included actor Josh Duhamel, basketball Olympian and coach Dawn Staley, and football player Derrick Dockery.
First Lady Michelle Obama, her mother, Marian Robinson, daughters Sasha and Malia, Vice-President Joe Biden and his wife, Jill Biden, all walk to the next event during the annual Easter Egg Roll at the White House.
As their mother and grandmother read from “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie,” First Daughters Sasha and Malia Obama held up a large version of the book to better show the pictures to the other listening children. When Mrs. Obama and Mrs. Robinson were finished reading, the First Lady smiled at her daughters and said, “Well done!”
All the kids who attend the White House Easter Egg Roll festivities got a treat today as President Barack Obama read from the children’s favorite book, “Where the Wild Thing Are.” Also enjoying his rendition were First Lady Michelle Obama, daughters Sasha and Malia and Marian Robinson, Mrs. Obama’s mother.
Sasha Obama and a friend run past the Oval Office after the start of the Easter Egg Roll, taking a shortcut to the next event. The First Daughters were also spotted at the music stage taking in an energetic performance by Fergie, who also belted out the national anthem.
President Barack Obama reads the book “Where the Wild Thing Are” to young children during the annual White House Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn of the White House. More than 30,000 guests will attend this year’s events, which include a kids kitchen, an organic kitchen, live musical performances, kids yoga and the traditional Easter egg roll.
President Obama strolls by the South Lawn accompanied by the woman responsible for the planning of the Easter Egg Roll (and every other event at the White House), Social Secretary Desiree Rogers. Her office managed everything from the wrangling of the celebrities who participated to the “green” design of the souvenir Easter eggs, made with wood from sustainably managed forests.
President Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama and daughters Malia and Sasha pose with children during the annual Easter Egg Roll April 13.
In 1927, the White House hosted a young Nancy Reagan, who would go on to host eight of her own Easter egg rolls as First Lady from 1981-1988. Who knows a future president could have rolled her first egg today.
Say cheese! President Obama and the First Lady pose for a photo with their daughters Sasha and Malia Obama as well as some of the children who participated in the Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn of the White House.
As President Obama greeted the cheering crowd, the mic went out. He tried to figure it out, but then Malia Obama walked up to the mic and suddenly, it started working. Mr. Obama said, “That’s Malia, our technical adviser.”
Malia Obama partakes in the White House Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn of the White House April 13. The White House Easter Egg Roll is a tradition dating back to 1878 during the presidency of Rutherford B. Hayes when he invited local children to roll eggs on the South Lawn.
Our President shares top secret information with the Easter Bunny after the mics were not turned on during the annual White House Easter Egg Roll. We predict somebody’s in trouble.
President Barack Obama checks on his daughters Malia Obama (center) and Sasha Obama before the start of the White House Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn of the White House. Did you know that First Lady Dolly Madison first began the tradition of Easter egg rolling in Washington, when local children joined her for an egg roll at the Capitol in 1814? The children eventually would make such a mess that in 1876, Congress passed the Turf Protection Law, banning the use of the Capitol lawn as a playground.
The First Family, including the President’s mother-in-law, Marian Robinson, applauds as they listen to singer Fergie (from the pop group The Black Eye Peas) sing the National Anthem at the start of the annual Easter Egg Roll.
After the Anthem, the President gave Fergie a hug and went to the mic, shouting a good morning greeting that was only half heard.
President Barack Obama waves alongside First Lady Michelle Obama, their daughters Sasha and Malia and First Granny Mrs. Marian Robinson during the annual White House Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn of the White House on April 13.
The White House Easter Egg Roll dates back to 1878. This year’s theme, “Let’s Go Play,” encourages kids to lead healthy and active lives. Each child receives a colorful wooden egg signed by the President and First Lady.
The First Daughters, 10-year-old Malia, left, and 7-year-old Sasha, emerge from St. John’s Church across from the White House where they celebrated Easter with their parents on Sunday, April 12. Reverend Luis Leon told congregants it was his 15th Easter service at the church. His sermon included references to famous poets E.E. Cummings and Emily Dickinson, hating the New York Yankees and a shout-out to the President for picking the UNC Tarheels as NCAA tournament winners.
President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama leave St. John’s Episcopal Church following Easter Sunday services in Washington, D.C.
President Obama pets the family’s new pup, Bo, a 6-month-old Portuguese water dog, as daughters Sasha and Malia (bottom right) look on, at the White House.
Bo, the First Family’s new pooch, is a gift from Massachusetts Senator Edward Kennedy and his wife, Victoria. Isn’t he cute?!
President Barack Obama discusses his plan to make homes more affordable and to stabilize the country’s housing market with Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, left, and HUD Secretary Sean Donovan. The roundtable discussion was attended by homeowners at the White House on April 9.
First Lady Michelle Obama gets her hands dirty as she plants new seedlings in her Kitchen Garden on the South Lawn of the White House on April 9. She was joined by children from Bancroft Elementary.
The First Lady and the students first broke ground on the Garden on March 20. Students from the school will return later in the year for harvesting and cooking with the food.
President Barack Obama returns to the White House after his first trip to Europe and the Middle East while in office. He surprised troops in Iraq with a visit, following the G-20 and NATO summits.
President Obama thanks American troops for their service at Camp Victory during his surprise trip to Baghdad, Iraq, on April 7.
President Obama waves before boarding Air Force One on April 7 shortly before his departure from Istanbul. President Obama visited a landmark mosque in Istanbul, following his message of reconnecting with the Islamic world. Taking off his shoes as tradition requires, Mr. Obama stepped into the 17th century Sultanahmet Mosque in the ancient heart of Istanbul joined by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. There was tight security throughout the area.
President Barack Obama speaks with Chief Rabbi of Istanbul Isak Haleva during a meeting with religious leaders on April 7, in Istanbul, Turkey. President Obama is concluding his visit to Turkey to revitalize the bond between Turkey and the United States. He’s been very vocal about supporting the country’s efforts to join the European Union.
President Obama and Iraq President Jalal Talabani discuss the transition of power to Iraqi leaders on April 7.
Our left-handed President signs a guest book during his visit to Anitkabir, the mausoleum of the founder and first president of the Republic of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk on April 6.
During his visit, the President made a short speech to the people of Turkey saying, “This morning I had the great privilege of visiting the tomb of your extraordinary founder of your republic. And I was deeply impressed by this beautiful memorial to a man who did so much to shape the course of history. But it is also clear that the greatest monument to Ataturk’s life is not something that can be cast in stone and marble. His greatest legacy is Turkey’s strong, vibrant, secular democracy, and that is the work that this assembly carries on today.”
President Obama and Turkish President Abdullah Gul shake hands during a press conference on April 6 at Cankaya Palace in Ankara. President Obama is in Turkey for a two-day visit to impress upon the Turkish people that the U.S. is interested in continuing an allied relationship.
“The United States and Turkey have not always agreed on every issue, and that’s to be expected; no two nations do,” said President Obama during his speech. “But we have stood together through many challenges over the last 60 years. And because of the strength of our alliance and the endurance of our friendship, both America and Turkey are stronger and the world is more secure.”
President Obama and the First Lady wave to the crowd at Hradcany Square in Prague, Czech Republic, on April 5. The First Couple received a rapturous welcome from a crowd of 30,000 as they arrived for a public speech on a nuclear-free world.
In his speech, the President remarked how happy he was to be visiting the city saying, “Thank you to the people of the Czech Republic. Today, I am proud to stand here with you in the middle of this great city, in the center of Europe. And—to paraphrase one my predecessors—I am also proud to be the man who brought Michelle Obama to Prague.”
President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama meet with Czech President Vaclav Klaus and his wife, Livia Klausova, at Prague Castle on April 5. The Czech President and First Lady hosted a welcome ceremony at Prague Castle for the Obamas.
President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama arrive at the opening of the NATO summit at the Kurhaus on April 3 in Baden Baden, Germany. Heads of state, foreign ministers and defense ministers of the 28 NATO member countries are participating in the summit. We love what Mrs. Obama has done to her hair by creating a new look with a side swept bang.
Bonjour to President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama from French President Nicolas Sarkozy and French First Lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy as they pose together during the NATO summit arrival ceremony at the Palais Rohan on April 3, in Strasbourg. The summit, which marks the organization’s sixtieth anniversary, is taking place in Strasbourg, France, and Baden-Baden and Kehl in Germany.
President Obama and French President Nicolas Sarkozy make their way to a NATO summit press conference at Palais Rohan on April 3 in Strasbourg. President Obama spoke about reaching out to build stronger partnerships with countries around the world and stressed that with strong partnerships comes mutual responsibility.
With the world buzzing about our economic crisis, Mrs. Obama wisely chose to wear American brand J-Crew on her U.K. visit that is associated with high quality at a favorable price point.
President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama arrive at Downing Street for dinner prepared by celebrity chef Jamie Oliver for the G-20 summit. Mrs. Obama bares her gorgeous arms in an Isabel Toledo silk satin crepe dress with black skirt and white bodice. Black and white fused together is hot trend for spring.
First Lady Michelle Obama gives student Brenda Mensah a high five after she sang a song during Mrs. Obama’s visit to the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Language School in London on April 2. In the touch felt throughout Britain, much was made about Mrs. Obama’s daring arm around Queen Elizabeth II, but the First Lady has made such an impact in Britain that it seems that the British media is leaving her and well enough alone.
Mrs. Obama is youthful and chic in her teal Jason Wu dress and argyle Junya Watanabe cardigan, as she meets with the wife of Britain’s Prime Minister, Sarah Brown. The two were visiting the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden in London on Thursday.
Prime Minister of England Gordon Brown and his wife, Sarah Brown, meet with President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama for his first official trip to the U.K. since his election. Commanding a cool presence, Mrs. Obama opted for a J. Crew sequined champagne cardigan and mint pencil skirt. The pink and green colors complement each other creating a vibrant and fresh sophisticated look for spring.
“President Obama, you have given renewed hope not only to the citizens of the United States of America, but to all citizens in all part of the world,” said Prime Minister Brown. “And I want to thank you for your leadership, your vision and your courage, which you’ve already shown in your presidency, and congratulate you on the dynamism, the energy and, indeed, the achievements that you have been responsible for.”
Ms. Obama’s exposed arms caused quite a stir in recent weeks here in the States. However, our First Lady clearly had no problem flaunting her buff physique in this Isabel Toledo dress. Here she is with other high-profile women, including supermodel Naomi Campbell and Sarah Brown, wife of British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, at a dinner hosted by Queen Elizabeth II.
World leaders, including U.S. President Barack Obama, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Chinese President Hu Jintao, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva, pose for a family photo at the G-20 summit on April 2 in London. These men and women are there to find measures to tackle the World’s financial crisis.
Everyone wants a piece of our President, and world leaders are no exception. Saudi King Abdullah Bin Abde Aziz (first row left), Chinese President Hu Jintao (first row right), Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi (next to President Obama) Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) Meles Zenawi smile for the camera at the ExCel Centre, located in east London, on April 2. They are there for a summit that includes the 20 richest nations.
Queen Elizabeth II hosts a reception for delegates of the London summit. Those in attendance include German Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Barack Obama. The dinner was held at 10 Downing Street on April 1. The President is there to attend the G-20 world leaders’ summit dedicated to tackling the global financial crisis.
President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle meet Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace in central London, on April 1. So what does one give to the Queen of England as a thank-you gift? An iPod, of course. An Obama aide reported that the President gave Her Majesty a fully-charged iPod loaded with video and photos of her 2007 trip to the United States, as well as songs and accessories. She also received a rare songbook signed by the composer Richard Rodgers.
President Obama and the First Lady head inside Buckingham Palace with Head of Household David Walker on April 1, to meet Queen Elizabeth II.
World leaders pose with Queen Elizabeth II, dressed in pale pink, during a reception she hosted at Buckingham Palace on April 1, in London.
First lady Michelle Obama makes a grand entrance in green during her first trip with the President to the United Kingdom.
President Barack Obama welcomes conservative leader party David Cameron into the U.S. ambassador’s official residence in London on April 1, during his first trip to the U.K. as President.
First Lady Michelle Obama gets personal with Sarah Brown, the wife of British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, in central London, on April 1.
President Obama shakes hands with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and shares his plans to visit Moscow in the summer. The President later expressed his interest in renewing a relationship with Russia saying, “I think that over the past several years the relationship between our two countries has been allowed to drift. And what I believe we have done today is a very constructive dialogue that will allow us to work on issues of mutual interest…”
President Obama stays upbeat while meeting with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in London. The two presidents spoke about a mutual interest in promoting peace and stability in areas like the Middle East.
Britain Prime Minister Gordon Brown and President Barack Obama share a laugh at a press conference inside the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on April 1. The President would later say that “the United States and the United Kingdom have stood together through thick and thin, through war and peace, through hard times and prosperity and we’ve always emerged stronger by standing together. So I’m pleased that my first meeting overseas as President is with Gordon Brown, just as I was pleased to host him in Washington shortly after taking office. And I know that we both believe that the relationship between our two countries is more than just an alliance of interests; it’s a kinship of ideals and it must be constantly renewed.”
Regal First Lady Michelle Obama sips tea while meeting with Sarah Brown, wife of British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. The two also visited Maggie’s Cancer Caring Centre in West London, on April 1.
British Foreign Minister David Miliband, left, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, President Barack Obama, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling meet the press after meeting in London on April 1.
President Obama and the First Lady walk to Air Force One prior to departure from Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland on March 31. The Obamas are traveling on an eight-day, five-country visit to Europe.
President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama step off Air Force One at Stansted Airport, north of London.
Today, the President will hold a one-on-one meeting with Prime Minister Gordon Brown; then he will hold separate bilateral meetings with Russian and Chinese leaders; then he in the evening, the President and the First Lady will have a private audience with Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace followed by a working dinner with G-20 leaders.
Marine One, carrying President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama flies in between the cherry blossoms as the First Couple take off from the White House lawn on March 31. Mr. Obama is making his first visit to Europe as President and will attend the G-20 summit meeting in London.
President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama rise and shine as they head to Marine One. The President is on his first visit to Europe and will attend the G-20 summit meeting in London.
President Barack Obama takes questions while meeting with Sudanese envoy Scott Gration in the White House on March 30.
President Barack Obama greets the press as he arrives with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer for a meeting with the House Democratic Caucus on Capitol Hill.
President Barack Obama makes an announcement as Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood, left, Secretary of the Treasury Timothy Geithner, and former Deputy Labor Secretary Edward Montgomery listen at the Grand Foyer of the White House on March 30. The President unveiled the details of his administration’s plan on dealing with the auto industry crisis and named Montgomery to be the new director of Recovery for Auto Communities and Workers.
In his plan, the President remarked, “The pain being felt in places that rely on our auto industry is not the fault of our workers; they labor tirelessly and desperately want to see their companies succeed. It’s not the fault of all the families and communities that supported manufacturing plants throughout the generations. Rather, it’s a failure of leadership—from Washington to Detroit—that led our auto companies to this point.”
“We cannot, and must not, and we will not let our auto industry simply vanish,” said President Obama as he unveiled the details of his administration’s plan on dealing with the auto industry crisis. “We cannot continue to excuse poor decisions. We cannot make the survival of our auto industry dependent on an unending flow of taxpayer dollars. These companies—and this industry—must ultimately stand on their own, not as wards of the state.”
President Barack Obama listens as U.S. Attorney General Eric H. Holder, Jr., is sworn in, with his wife, Dr. Sharon Malone, holding the Bible, as Judge Robert I. Richter, right, conducts the installation ceremony. The President remarked how grateful he was to Dr. Sharon Malone and their children—Brooke, Maya, and Eric—"for sharing him with all of us."
Although he has been serving since his confirmation by the Senate in February, Attorney General Eric Holder received his official installment on March 27. Here Holder kisses his wife, Dr. Sharon Malone, during the ceremony which took place at George Washington University.
President Barack Obama announces the country’s new strategy to increase troops in Afghanistan and aid in Pakistan to weaken al-Qaeda on March 27. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton looks on during the speech at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on March 27.
With the top security leaders looking on, the President vows to wipe out terrorists from Pakistani safe havens, with the country’s new Afghan war strategy.
“To the terrorists who oppose us, my message is the same: we will defeat you,” Obama says.
President Barack Obama shows off his present from Greek Orthodox Church leader Archbishop Demetrios during a celebration for Greek Independence Day at the White House.
President Obama speaks at a Democratic National Committee fund-raiser March 25, in Washington, D.C. While thanking the crowd of his party members, he also reminded them there was much to do to solve the nation’s economic, educational, health care and environmental problems.
After a brutal week of anger over AIG executive bonuses and criticism from both sides of the aisle about his $3.6 trillion budget, President Obama took to the airwaves on March 24 with a televised prime-time news conference from the White House East Room. In one hour, before a fervent press corps, he defended his policies and decisions, outlined his reasoning and tried to calm the uncertainties of the American public. With a front-row seat to the program, ESSENCE takes you inside the President’s latest Q&A session.
Days before his second prime-time press conference on March 24, President Obama sat for a one-on-one interview with “60 Minutes” reporter Steve Kroft. On the night of the conference, however, he faced around 300 reporters representing the national and international press from print, TV, radio and online media. Buzzing with anticipation, they began flowing into the White House East Room more than an hour before it began, taping live television pre-shows and poring over pages of possible questions for the President.
On March 24, President Obama met with Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd in the Oval Office. Among the topics the two leaders discussed were the international financial crisis, climate change and policies on Afghanistan and Pakistan. The conversation may have helped prep the President for his press conference later that evening, where questions on the same topics emerged.
President Obama had back-to-back speaking appearances touting his policies in recent days, including two town halls in California, an interview on the “Tonight Show,” as well as “60 Minutes.” With a good idea of what’s on people’s minds, by the time he sauntered to the podium at his televised press conference, he appeared confident, at ease and prepared for questions on topics including the federal deficit, homelessness, stem cell research and the Israeli/Palestinian conflict.
The nation’s economic crisis dominated President Obama’s press conference on March 24, starting with his opening remarks. “The budget I submitted to Congress will build our economic recovery on a stronger foundation, so that we do not face another crisis like this ten or twenty years from now,” said Obama, stressing the $3.6 trillion budget’s focus on investments in renewable energy, education and healthcare, designed to lay the groundwork for future growth. “The best way to bring our deficit down in the long run is not with a budget that continues the very same policies that have led to a narrow prosperity and massive debt. It’s with a budget that leads to broad economic growth by moving from an era of borrow and spend to one where we save and invest.”
When pressed to explain why he waited several days before publicly commenting on the bonuses paid to executives at AIG, a floundering insurance company that took taxpayer bailout funds, President Obama flatly responded, “It took us a couple of days because I like to know what I’m talking about before I speak.” Reporters in the room chuckled at the quip, while Obama simply moved on to the next question.
When asked at last night’s news conference about the pressures of grappling with moral issues like stem cell research and abortion, the President had this to say:
“I wrestle with these issues every day. I believe that it is very important for us to have strong moral guidelines, ethical guidelines when it comes to stem cell research or anything that touches on, you know, the issues of possible cloning or issues related to, the human life sciences. I think those issues are all critical, and I’ve said so before. I wrestle with it on stem cell, I wrestle with it on issues like abortion.”
Unlike the daily press briefings with Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, where reporters raise their hands to get called on (or simply blurt their questions out of turn) at presidential news conferences the President calls on whoever he wants, and you never know who it may be. Straying from the usual suspects in the press corps, at his conference Obama surprised some in the room by picking a variety of journalists, including reporters from blogs and ethnic media.
Asked if he has factored the issue of race into his policy discussions over the past 64 days, President Obama countered, “I think that the last 64 days have been dominated by me trying to figure out how we’re going to fix the economy, and that affects Black, Brown and White.” He went on to acknowledge the pride expressed by many Americans when he was sworn in, celebrating that a step was taken to move the country beyond some of legacies of racial discrimination. “But that lasted about a day,” he joked.
President Obama ended his news conference on the idea of persistence, which he raised while discussing attempts at peace and reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians. He also applied it to his efforts at solving the financial crisis, eliminating the influence of lobbyists in Washington and eliminating wasteful pork spending. “That whole philosophy of persistence, by the way, is one that I’m going to be emphasizing again and again in the months and years to come as long as I’m in this office. I’m a big believer in persistence.”
Click on to learn more about President Barack Obama’s first 64 days in office.
Just a few months in office, President Obama ended his second news conference with a feeling of hope and confidence that his administration is moving in the right direction, making choices that are based in moving the economy forward.
“We are going to stay with it as long as I’m in this office, and I think that you look back four years from now, I think hopefully people will judge that body of work and say, this is a big ocean liner-it’s not a speedboat; it doesn’t turn around immediately but we’re in a better place because of the decisions that we make.”
Congressional leaders and DC middle school students join President Barack Obama as he hosts a teleconference with astronauts in space. The President was excited to hear about plans to possibly add solar panels to the space station as he continues to push for solar energy.
The students asked a range of questions from what do the astronauts eat and how do they exercise, to finding other life forms in space, which the President was interested to hear the answer to. He also asked one woman astronaut about her long hair floating and added, “I think it’s a real fashion statement.”
President Barack Obama, flanked by Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, left, and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, receives his Economic Briefing on March 23 at the White House. “It’s not going to happen overnight. There’s still great fragility in the financial systems. But we think that we are moving in the right direction,” the President said.
President Barack Obama speaks alongside Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, left, during an economic daily meeting on March 23 in the Cabinet Room of the White House.
Barack Obama converses with Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change Carol Browner on the topic of investments in clean energy and new technology.
In talks with technology executives on March 23, the President remarked: “We know the right choice. We have known the right choice for a generation. The time has come to make that choice, to act on what we know. And that’s why my budget makes a historic investment: $150 billion over 10 years in clean energy and energy efficiency, building on what we’ve achieved through the Recovery Plan.”
The First Couple acknowledges photographers as they make their way to Marine One on March 21.
First Lady Michelle Obama arrives to speak to women leaders like actress Kerry Washington (left), actress Sarah Jones (right), and White House Social Secretary Desiree Rogers (far left) in the Diplomatic Room of the White House, prior to her visit to Anacostia High School on March 19. The first lady met with women at the top of their fields before dispatching them to speak to students at local schools in celebration of Women’s History Month.
Commander-in-Chief Obama is saluted as he exits Marine One helicopter at the White House on March 20, after a trip to California.
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger greets President Barack Obama after introducing him at a town hall meeting in Los Angeles on March 19.
Many Americans tuned in to see President Obama appear on Jay Leno’s show. The President assured the late night host he is able to multi-task, and keep things moving while he visits California.
First Lady Michelle Obama breaks ground on the first vegetable garden at the White House with help from students at Bancroft Elementary.
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, left and Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell listen on as President Obama speaks at the White House on March 20.
During his two-day trip to California, President Barack Obama speaks at a town hall meeting in Costa Mesa on March 18.
President Barack Obama chats with his Senior Adviser David Axelrod after the meeting.
First Lady Michelle Obama shares her praise with members of the YouthBuild AmeriCorps on the National Mall on March 17. More than 100 YouthBuild students, graduates and members of Congress celebrated the organization’s 30th anniversary by creating an energy-efficient, affordable home on the mall.
First Lady Obama plants a seed inside a rooftop garden while touring the YouthBuild AmericCorps energy-efficient home.
President Obama meets with Irish Taoiseach Brian Cowen and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in the Oval Office on St. Patrick’s Day (March 17). Cowen was in Washington for St. Patrick’s Day celebrations.
The President wore a festive green tie while Ms. Clinton sported a navy blue outfit with a shamrock pin.
President Obama gets in the spirit of during a St. Patrick’s Day Lunch in the Capitol hosted by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio ‘Lula’ da Silva meets with President Obama in the Oval Office of the White House on March 14. The President expressed interest in continuing a friendship between Brazil and the U.S. saying, “we can always make it stronger in areas like energy and biofuels, in the interest in increasing the standards of living in impoverished countries throughout Latin America.”
President Barack Obama shares a laugh with his Economic Recovery Advisory Board Chairman Paul Volcker in the Oval Office at the White House on March 13. Volcker updated the President on how effective the $787 billion stimulus package has been so far.
First Lady Michelle Obama autographs a newspaper for a US soldier at Ft. Bragg in North Carolina on March 12.
First Lady Michelle Obama reads ‘The Cat In The Hat’ by Dr. Seuss to children at the Prager Child Development Center for military families inside Ft. Bragg, on March 12.
