Follow live updates as President Obama makes a key speech on the ‘Arab spring’ and the US’s role in the Middle East 4.20pm BST / 11.20am ET: PJ Crowley, the former State Department spokesman, tweets his thoughts on what Obama needs to do today: We’ll find out in about 20 minutes or so. 4.10pm BST / 11.10am ET: The New York Times puts Obama’s speech today into the context of a busy week for Middle East diplomacy: Thursday’s speech at the State Department is designed to be the first in a series of rhetorical opportunities for the president. On Friday, he will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for a conversation that will be closely watched by the Jewish community in the United States. And this weekend, Mr Obama will address the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the largest pro-Israel lobby in the United States. Together, the post-speech events will give the president a chance to assert his support for Israel early in the 2012 campaign cycle. 4pm BST / 11am ET: If you want to watch Obama’s speech from the State Department from the comfort of your computer or iPad, the White House is offering a live video stream here . Good morning from Washington DC, where Barack Obama’s speech on the remarkable ‘Arab spring’ and the shape of US foreign policy in the region is eagerly awaited. Obama is scheduled to begin speaking at 11.40am eastern time, that’s 4.40pm BST and 6.40pm EEST in Damascus. Here’s how the Guardian’s Washington bureau chief Ewen Macaskill previewed the speech earlier today , saying it is Obama’s most important speech on the region since his visit to Cairo in 2009: The speech will deal mainly with the Arab spring, hailing the benefits of democracy and respect for human rights, in spite of America’s long-time support for authoritarian regimes in the region. Senior Obama administration officials, briefing on the speech, said he will take a fresh look at the Middle East after a decade of tension and division. With the winding down of the Iraq war and the death of Osama bin Laden, “we are turning a page”, one official said, adding that the democracy movements reinforced this. My colleague Matthew Weaver has done an excellent job blogging the latest Middle East unreast and anticipation of Obama’s speech today, which you can read right here . Barack Obama Arab and Middle East unrest US foreign policy Obama administration Middle East United States Egypt Syria Israel Libya Tunisia Palestinian territories Richard Adams guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Follow live updates as President Obama makes a key speech on the ‘Arab spring’ and the US’s role in the Middle East 4.20pm BST / 11.20am ET: PJ Crowley, the former State Department spokesman, tweets his thoughts on what Obama needs to do today: We’ll find out in about 20 minutes or so. 4.10pm BST / 11.10am ET: The New York Times puts Obama’s speech today into the context of a busy week for Middle East diplomacy: Thursday’s speech at the State Department is designed to be the first in a series of rhetorical opportunities for the president. On Friday, he will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for a conversation that will be closely watched by the Jewish community in the United States. And this weekend, Mr Obama will address the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the largest pro-Israel lobby in the United States. Together, the post-speech events will give the president a chance to assert his support for Israel early in the 2012 campaign cycle. 4pm BST / 11am ET: If you want to watch Obama’s speech from the State Department from the comfort of your computer or iPad, the White House is offering a live video stream here . Good morning from Washington DC, where Barack Obama’s speech on the remarkable ‘Arab spring’ and the shape of US foreign policy in the region is eagerly awaited. Obama is scheduled to begin speaking at 11.40am eastern time, that’s 4.40pm BST and 6.40pm EEST in Damascus. Here’s how the Guardian’s Washington bureau chief Ewen Macaskill previewed the speech earlier today , saying it is Obama’s most important speech on the region since his visit to Cairo in 2009: The speech will deal mainly with the Arab spring, hailing the benefits of democracy and respect for human rights, in spite of America’s long-time support for authoritarian regimes in the region. Senior Obama administration officials, briefing on the speech, said he will take a fresh look at the Middle East after a decade of tension and division. With the winding down of the Iraq war and the death of Osama bin Laden, “we are turning a page”, one official said, adding that the democracy movements reinforced this. My colleague Matthew Weaver has done an excellent job blogging the latest Middle East unreast and anticipation of Obama’s speech today, which you can read right here . Barack Obama Arab and Middle East unrest US foreign policy Obama administration Middle East United States Egypt Syria Israel Libya Tunisia Palestinian territories Richard Adams guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Follow live updates as President Obama makes a key speech on the ‘Arab spring’ and the US’s role in the Middle East 4.20pm BST / 11.20am ET: PJ Crowley, the former State Department spokesman, tweets his thoughts on what Obama needs to do today: We’ll find out in about 20 minutes or so. 4.10pm BST / 11.10am ET: The New York Times puts Obama’s speech today into the context of a busy week for Middle East diplomacy: Thursday’s speech at the State Department is designed to be the first in a series of rhetorical opportunities for the president. On Friday, he will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for a conversation that will be closely watched by the Jewish community in the United States. And this weekend, Mr Obama will address the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the largest pro-Israel lobby in the United States. Together, the post-speech events will give the president a chance to assert his support for Israel early in the 2012 campaign cycle. 4pm BST / 11am ET: If you want to watch Obama’s speech from the State Department from the comfort of your computer or iPad, the White House is offering a live video stream here . Good morning from Washington DC, where Barack Obama’s speech on the remarkable ‘Arab spring’ and the shape of US foreign policy in the region is eagerly awaited. Obama is scheduled to begin speaking at 11.40am eastern time, that’s 4.40pm BST and 6.40pm EEST in Damascus. Here’s how the Guardian’s Washington bureau chief Ewen Macaskill previewed the speech earlier today , saying it is Obama’s most important speech on the region since his visit to Cairo in 2009: The speech will deal mainly with the Arab spring, hailing the benefits of democracy and respect for human rights, in spite of America’s long-time support for authoritarian regimes in the region. Senior Obama administration officials, briefing on the speech, said he will take a fresh look at the Middle East after a decade of tension and division. With the winding down of the Iraq war and the death of Osama bin Laden, “we are turning a page”, one official said, adding that the democracy movements reinforced this. My colleague Matthew Weaver has done an excellent job blogging the latest Middle East unreast and anticipation of Obama’s speech today, which you can read right here . Barack Obama Arab and Middle East unrest US foreign policy Obama administration Middle East United States Egypt Syria Israel Libya Tunisia Palestinian territories Richard Adams guardian.co.uk
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Click here to view this media Washington Post writer Jonathan Capehart has taken after Cornel West’s remarks in an interview at Truthdig.com with strident disagreement. From the interview: No one grasps this tragic descent better than West, who did 65 campaign events for Obama, believed in the potential for change and was encouraged by the populist rhetoric of the Obama campaign. He now nurses, like many others who placed their faith in Obama, the anguish of the deceived, manipulated and betrayed. He bitterly describes Obama as “a black mascot of Wall Street oligarchs and a black puppet of corporate plutocrats. And now he has become head of the American killing machine and is proud of it. ” Capehart responds : What West said is no less offensive, harmful and wrong than what Dinesh D’Souza said — with an assist from Newt Gingrich and Mike Huckabee — about a presumable anti-colonial and un-American mind-set possessed by Obama. Whereas these folks tried to deny the president his citizenship, West is trying to deny him his inherent blackness. By indulging in the “Obama-as-other” narrative, West is no better than a birther. By making petty complaints in that Truthdig interview about the lack of returned phone calls and not getting Inauguration tickets, West is no different than Gingrich in 1995 , when his displeasure over his seat on Air Force One led to a government shutdown. Melissa Harris-Perry and Adam Serwer weighed in, too with similar reactions. I don’t understand what the goal is when it comes to Cornel West’s opinion. He says in that same interview that if the only backstop against fascism is Barack Obama, he’ll go with that. If the goings-on in Republican states and the United States Congress doesn’t convince you of that, then look to the Supreme Court’s future to understand what’s at stake. So why come out and call President Obama a tool of the oligarchs? It makes no sense, and is suppressive in nature and intent.
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Click here to view this media Washington Post writer Jonathan Capehart has taken after Cornel West’s remarks in an interview at Truthdig.com with strident disagreement. From the interview: No one grasps this tragic descent better than West, who did 65 campaign events for Obama, believed in the potential for change and was encouraged by the populist rhetoric of the Obama campaign. He now nurses, like many others who placed their faith in Obama, the anguish of the deceived, manipulated and betrayed. He bitterly describes Obama as “a black mascot of Wall Street oligarchs and a black puppet of corporate plutocrats. And now he has become head of the American killing machine and is proud of it. ” Capehart responds : What West said is no less offensive, harmful and wrong than what Dinesh D’Souza said — with an assist from Newt Gingrich and Mike Huckabee — about a presumable anti-colonial and un-American mind-set possessed by Obama. Whereas these folks tried to deny the president his citizenship, West is trying to deny him his inherent blackness. By indulging in the “Obama-as-other” narrative, West is no better than a birther. By making petty complaints in that Truthdig interview about the lack of returned phone calls and not getting Inauguration tickets, West is no different than Gingrich in 1995 , when his displeasure over his seat on Air Force One led to a government shutdown. Melissa Harris-Perry and Adam Serwer weighed in, too with similar reactions. I don’t understand what the goal is when it comes to Cornel West’s opinion. He says in that same interview that if the only backstop against fascism is Barack Obama, he’ll go with that. If the goings-on in Republican states and the United States Congress doesn’t convince you of that, then look to the Supreme Court’s future to understand what’s at stake. So why come out and call President Obama a tool of the oligarchs? It makes no sense, and is suppressive in nature and intent.
Continue reading …Click here to view this media Washington Post writer Jonathan Capehart has taken after Cornel West’s remarks in an interview at Truthdig.com with strident disagreement. From the interview: No one grasps this tragic descent better than West, who did 65 campaign events for Obama, believed in the potential for change and was encouraged by the populist rhetoric of the Obama campaign. He now nurses, like many others who placed their faith in Obama, the anguish of the deceived, manipulated and betrayed. He bitterly describes Obama as “a black mascot of Wall Street oligarchs and a black puppet of corporate plutocrats. And now he has become head of the American killing machine and is proud of it. ” Capehart responds : What West said is no less offensive, harmful and wrong than what Dinesh D’Souza said — with an assist from Newt Gingrich and Mike Huckabee — about a presumable anti-colonial and un-American mind-set possessed by Obama. Whereas these folks tried to deny the president his citizenship, West is trying to deny him his inherent blackness. By indulging in the “Obama-as-other” narrative, West is no better than a birther. By making petty complaints in that Truthdig interview about the lack of returned phone calls and not getting Inauguration tickets, West is no different than Gingrich in 1995 , when his displeasure over his seat on Air Force One led to a government shutdown. Melissa Harris-Perry and Adam Serwer weighed in, too with similar reactions. I don’t understand what the goal is when it comes to Cornel West’s opinion. He says in that same interview that if the only backstop against fascism is Barack Obama, he’ll go with that. If the goings-on in Republican states and the United States Congress doesn’t convince you of that, then look to the Supreme Court’s future to understand what’s at stake. So why come out and call President Obama a tool of the oligarchs? It makes no sense, and is suppressive in nature and intent.
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Click here to view this media Washington Post writer Jonathan Capehart has taken after Cornel West’s remarks in an interview at Truthdig.com with strident disagreement. From the interview: No one grasps this tragic descent better than West, who did 65 campaign events for Obama, believed in the potential for change and was encouraged by the populist rhetoric of the Obama campaign. He now nurses, like many others who placed their faith in Obama, the anguish of the deceived, manipulated and betrayed. He bitterly describes Obama as “a black mascot of Wall Street oligarchs and a black puppet of corporate plutocrats. And now he has become head of the American killing machine and is proud of it. ” Capehart responds : What West said is no less offensive, harmful and wrong than what Dinesh D’Souza said — with an assist from Newt Gingrich and Mike Huckabee — about a presumable anti-colonial and un-American mind-set possessed by Obama. Whereas these folks tried to deny the president his citizenship, West is trying to deny him his inherent blackness. By indulging in the “Obama-as-other” narrative, West is no better than a birther. By making petty complaints in that Truthdig interview about the lack of returned phone calls and not getting Inauguration tickets, West is no different than Gingrich in 1995 , when his displeasure over his seat on Air Force One led to a government shutdown. Melissa Harris-Perry and Adam Serwer weighed in, too with similar reactions. I don’t understand what the goal is when it comes to Cornel West’s opinion. He says in that same interview that if the only backstop against fascism is Barack Obama, he’ll go with that. If the goings-on in Republican states and the United States Congress doesn’t convince you of that, then look to the Supreme Court’s future to understand what’s at stake. So why come out and call President Obama a tool of the oligarchs? It makes no sense, and is suppressive in nature and intent.
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Click here to view this media Washington Post writer Jonathan Capehart has taken after Cornel West’s remarks in an interview at Truthdig.com with strident disagreement. From the interview: No one grasps this tragic descent better than West, who did 65 campaign events for Obama, believed in the potential for change and was encouraged by the populist rhetoric of the Obama campaign. He now nurses, like many others who placed their faith in Obama, the anguish of the deceived, manipulated and betrayed. He bitterly describes Obama as “a black mascot of Wall Street oligarchs and a black puppet of corporate plutocrats. And now he has become head of the American killing machine and is proud of it. ” Capehart responds : What West said is no less offensive, harmful and wrong than what Dinesh D’Souza said — with an assist from Newt Gingrich and Mike Huckabee — about a presumable anti-colonial and un-American mind-set possessed by Obama. Whereas these folks tried to deny the president his citizenship, West is trying to deny him his inherent blackness. By indulging in the “Obama-as-other” narrative, West is no better than a birther. By making petty complaints in that Truthdig interview about the lack of returned phone calls and not getting Inauguration tickets, West is no different than Gingrich in 1995 , when his displeasure over his seat on Air Force One led to a government shutdown. Melissa Harris-Perry and Adam Serwer weighed in, too with similar reactions. I don’t understand what the goal is when it comes to Cornel West’s opinion. He says in that same interview that if the only backstop against fascism is Barack Obama, he’ll go with that. If the goings-on in Republican states and the United States Congress doesn’t convince you of that, then look to the Supreme Court’s future to understand what’s at stake. So why come out and call President Obama a tool of the oligarchs? It makes no sense, and is suppressive in nature and intent.
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Hear that? Pilates just got a ringing endorsement. The Daily Mail reports that Pippa Middleton, sister of Duchess Catherine of Cambridge, passes her free time at Parson’s Green Pilates Studio in London — in fact, she wrote the following testimonial for the exercise center: “As someone who is always ‘on the go’, Pilates has been a wonderful escape from my busy lifestyle in London. Whether it’s 7am in the morning or 7pm at night I always leave feeling calm, refreshed and invigorated. Over the past few months I have noticed a huge difference in my core strength and posture and couldn’t recommend Margot more highly as an instructor. From breathing techniques, muscle toning to overall flexibility and relaxation, my Pilates sessions have become something of a weekly necessity that keeps me fit, happy and energized.” Fit, happy, energized and the subject of a Facebook group with 221,714 members as of this posting. And the 27-year-old’s posterior might have sparked an increase in butt-lifting procedures in the UK, which you can read all about here. UsMagazine.com adds that Pippa also “gets her cardio on with swimming, jogging, tennis and skiing.”
Continue reading …Hear that? Pilates just got a ringing endorsement. The Daily Mail reports that Pippa Middleton, sister of Duchess Catherine of Cambridge, passes her free time at Parson’s Green Pilates Studio in London — in fact, she wrote the following testimonial for the exercise center: “As someone who is always ‘on the go’, Pilates has been a wonderful escape from my busy lifestyle in London. Whether it’s 7am in the morning or 7pm at night I always leave feeling calm, refreshed and invigorated. Over the past few months I have noticed a huge difference in my core strength and posture and couldn’t recommend Margot more highly as an instructor. From breathing techniques, muscle toning to overall flexibility and relaxation, my Pilates sessions have become something of a weekly necessity that keeps me fit, happy and energized.” Fit, happy, energized and the subject of a Facebook group with 221,714 members as of this posting. And the 27-year-old’s posterior might have sparked an increase in butt-lifting procedures in the UK, which you can read all about here. UsMagazine.com adds that Pippa also “gets her cardio on with swimming, jogging, tennis and skiing.”
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