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Barack Obama

Barack Obama216 posts

Barack Obama was elected as the 44th President of the United States in 2008, and the first African-American President. He won re-election in 2012. He is married to Michelle Obama, a former lawyer, and has two daughters, Sasha and Malia.

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27 Feb, 2015

‘I loved Spock’

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Obama pays tribute to Nimoy in a statement.

Long before being nerdy was cool, there was Leonard Nimoy. Leonard was a lifelong lover of the arts and humanities, a supporter of the sciences, generous with his talent and his time. And of course, Leonard was Spock. Cool, logical, big-eared and level-headed, the center of Star Trek’s optimistic, inclusive vision of humanity’s future. I loved Spock.

In 2007, I had the chance to meet Leonard in person. It was only logical to greet him with the Vulcan salute, the universal sign for “Live long and prosper.” And after 83 years on this planet – and on his visits to many others – it’s clear Leonard Nimoy did just that. Michelle and I join his family, friends, and countless fans who miss him so dearly today.

30 May, 2015

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President Obama says he and Michelle are grieving alongside the Biden family.

Michelle and I are grieving tonight.  Beau Biden was a friend of ours.  His beloved family – Hallie, Natalie, and Hunter – are friends of ours.  And Joe and Jill Biden are as good as friends get…Beau took after Joe.  He studied the law, like his dad, even choosing the same law school.  He chased a life of public service, like his dad, serving in Iraq and as Delaware’s Attorney General.  Like his dad, Beau was a good, big-hearted, devoutly Catholic and deeply faithful man, who made a difference in the lives of all he touched – and he lives on in their hearts…But for all that Beau Biden achieved in his life, nothing made him prouder; nothing made him happier; nothing claimed a fuller focus of his love and devotion than his family…Beau Biden believed the best of us all.  For him, and for his family, we swing our lanterns higher…Michelle and I humbly pray for the good Lord to watch over Beau Biden, and to protect and comfort his family here on Earth.

6 Jun, 2015

Delivers eulogy

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President Obama delivers the eulogy at Biden’s funeral, speaking for 25 minutes at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church to about 1,000 mourners, including former President Bill Clinton and his wife, Hillary.

He did in 46 years what most of us could not do in 146. He left nothing in the tank…He lived a life where the means were as important as the ends. He made you want to be a better daughter or son or a better brother or sister. And better at your job, a better soldier. He made you want to be a better person…Isn’t that finally the measure of a man, the way he lives, how he treats others no matter what life may throw at him? We do not know how long we’ve got here. We don’t know when fate will intervene. We cannot discern God’s plan.

About 200 people inside the parish gymnasium watch Obama and others speak on two monitors, while several hundred people listened to the service from loudspeakers outside on the church property. Joe Biden did not speak during the two-hour ceremony.

Jun 2015

Delivers Rev. Pinckney’s eulogy, sings Amazing Grace

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The President delivers the eulogy at the funeral of South Carolina State Senator Rev. Pinckney, who was also a personal acquaintance, which includes him singing Amazing Grace.

Reverend Pinckney embodied a politics that was neither mean nor small. He conducted himself quietly and kindly and diligently. He encouraged progress not by pushing his ideas alone but by seeking out your ideas, partnering with you to make things happen. He was full of empathy and fellow feeling, able to walk in somebody else’s shoes and see through their eyes.

21 Jul, 2015

Orders flags to half-staff

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President Obama orders flags to be lowered to half-staff at the White House and federal buildings across the country until July 25, to honor the victims of the shooting, after facing pressure from lawmakers and others.

We honor their service. We offer our gratitude to the police officers and first responders who stopped the rampage and saved lives. We draw strength from yet another American community that has come together with an unmistakable message to those who would try and do us harm: We do not give in to fear. You cannot divide us. And you will not change our way of life.

22 Jul, 2015

President pays tribute

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President Obama pays tribute to Doctorow:

28 Jul, 2015

‘One of India’s most accomplished leaders’

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President Obama extends his condolences on the event of Kalams death. He pays rich tributes and says that Kalam served as an inspiration to millions of Indians.

A scientist and statesman, Dr Kalam rose from humble beginnings to become one of India’s most accomplished leaders, earning esteem at home and abroad. An advocate for stronger US-India relations, Kalam worked to deepen our space cooperation, forging links with NASA during a 1962 visit to the United States.

16 Aug, 2015

‘Justice and equality spanned his life’

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President Obama says of Bond:

Justice and equality was the mission that spanned his life — from his leadership of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, to his founding role with the Southern Poverty Law Center, to his pioneering service in the Georgia legislature and his steady hand at the helm of the NAACP. Julian Bond helped change this country for the better. And what better way to be remembered than that.