President Obama's remarks after a joint meeting with Israeli and Palestanian leaders (Video)

President Barack Obama, center, shake hands with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, right, in front of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in New York Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2009.

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Netanyahu accepts limited Palestinian state (Video)

This is a start, because it can not continue as it is....

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu endorsed a Palestinian state beside Israel for the first time on Sunday, reversing himself under U.S. pressure, but saying the Palestinians would have to lay down arms, a condition they swiftly rejected.

A week after President Barack Obama's address to the Muslim world, Netanyahu said the Palestinian state would also have to recognize Israel as the Jewish state — essentially saying Palestinian refugees must give up the goal of returning to Israel.

With those conditions, he said, he could accept "a demilitarized Palestinian state alongside the Jewish state." read more here....

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Obama to Netanyahu "...get to the peace table...." (Video)

Obama is being a hardliner for this behind the scenes and he should. If we want things fixed in the Middle East it starts with the two-state solution. Netanyahu can be a hardliner for being against it, but in the end will not get the support he needs in the international community if he does not go back to the table with the Palestinians as an honest broker on this. Simple as that, get to the peace table.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday he is ready to resume peace talks with the Palestinians immediately, but any agreement is contingent on their acceptance of Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state. His comments came after a meeting with President Barack Obama, who bluntly told the Israeli leader it was time to get back to the negotiating table.

Netanyahu and President Barack Obama met for more than two hours at the White House and focused on Mideast peace talks, Iran's nuclear program and the U.S.-Israeli relationship.

Obama said he expects a positive response from his diplomatic outreach to Iran on stopping its nuclear program by the end of the year. The president said the United States wanted to bring Iran into the world community, but declared "we're not going to have talks forever." read more here....

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al-Qaeda, what next?

There is no doubt that for the United States of America to elect a man by the name of Barack Hussein Obama for President of the United States and then a man of color rings and says VOLUMES to the international community, it states not only change, but NO MORE OF THE SAME.

So, for al-Queda the step, issue for them is how to deal with Barack Obama? A man who spoke directly to the Muslim world on his inaugural day:

To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict or blame their society's ills on the West, know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those...(APPLAUSE)To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history, but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.

What is al-Qaeda's argument? Oh, we fully understand that they have a serious beef with the United States and its involvement in the Middle East, but the most powerful weapon they owned was public perception, the media in that part of the world. How do you recruit in Africa, which is a hotbed of recruiting, when they view, see one of their own from Kenya become President of the United States? Again, public perception. When the new president puts out a stern olive branch to work with you if you put your terror techniques down to make peace, again public perception. So, this is what al-Qaeda says:

Soon after the November election, al-Qaeda's No. 2 leader took stock of America's new president-elect and dismissed him with an insulting epithet. "A house Negro," Ayman al-Zawahiri said.

That was just a warm-up. In the weeks since, the terrorist group has unleashed a stream of verbal tirades against Barack Obama, each more venomous than the last. Obama has been called a "hypocrite," a "killer" of innocents, an "enemy of Muslims." He was even blamed for the Israeli military assault on Gaza, which began and ended before he took office.

"He kills your brothers and sisters in Gaza mercilessly and without affection," an al-Qaeda spokesman declared in a grainy Internet video this month.

The torrent of hateful words is part of what terrorism experts now believe is a deliberate, even desperate, propaganda campaign against a president who appears to have gotten under al-Qaeda's skin. The departure of George W. Bush deprived al-Qaeda of a polarizing American leader who reliably drove recruits and donations to the terrorist group.

What is going on with al-Qaeda now? Are those who funded them simply by the "we versus them" mentality of George W. Bush, now stepping back and taking a "wait and see attitude" with Barack Obama? Maybe this is, what is happening with al-Qaeda.

We also are observing an avalanche of tapes, audio denouncing Barack Obama, while in the same breath still making the argument that al-Qaeda is still relevant. Don't get me wrong, al-Qaeda is relevant but the election of Barack Obama is making many in the Muslim world take pause to see what he will do or attempt to do with diplomacy and it starts with the Israelis and the Palestinians. If we can make serious progress in diplomacy, what is the new argument for al-Qaeda? The Palestinian, Gaza Strip has been the center of their argument going back to 9/11, if we make progress this is ammunition that is stripped from their argument.

Friday, a new al-Qaeda salvo attempted to embarrass Obama, a day after the new president announced his plans for closing the prison at Guantanamo Bay. Appearing on the videotaped message were two men who enlisted in al-Qaeda after being freed from that detention center.

"By Allah, imprisonment only increased our persistence in our principles for which we went out, did jihad for and were imprisoned for," said Abu Sufyan al-Azdi al-Shahri, who described himself as a deputy commander for al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. The translation was also provided by the Site group.

Site founder Rita Katz said the messages show "just how much al-Qaeda is intimidated by Obama."

"The leadership of al-Qaeda is very concerned about the wide support that Obama has been receiving from Arab and Muslim countries," Katz said. "To combat this threat, al-Qaeda has embarked on a propaganda campaign against Obama, not only by linking him to the policies of the Bush administration, including the occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan, but also by accusing him of actions in which he had no part."

Barack Obama is garnering support in the Muslim world, they too, as we want peace. al-Qaeda's argument is weak attempting to link Obama to Bush, when his actions are clearly the reverse from Bush.

The Muslim world is watching Obama closely, they already applaud him for closing Guantanamo Bay, they are waiting for the US to be removed from Iraq and watching how he will handle Afghanistan, but seeing if peace and fairness can emerge between the Israelis and the Palestinians.

If all goes well, if we can succeed, what is the next argument for al-Qaeda? America, again, we made the right choice for a President to lead us out of the mess that George W. Bush's polices have left us all over the globe. In the end, we too, want peace and our military men and women home, hopefully for good.

Source
MSNBC

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Meet the Press, December 28, 2008 (Video and Transcript)

On Meet the Press: Israel's Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni talks about her country's on-going offensive against Hamas in Gaza. Then, President-elect Obama's chief campaign strategist and senior adviser David Axelrod talks about the presidential transition, solutions to the economic troubles and remaining questions about the Blagojevich corruption scandal. Plus, a political roundtable on the economy, the President-elect, and the Bush legacy: Rich Lowry, Todd Purdum, Michelle Singletary & Richard Wolffe.

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This Week With 'The Presumptive Democratic Nominee' Barack Obama, July 20-26, 2008

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barack obama's berlin, germany speech

The week that will be remembered....the spiral downward of John McCain...at least for now...

I remember, clearly, when Barack Obama announced that he was the ‘Presumptive Nominee’, the first thing that came out of John McCain’s mouth was town hall meetings. Ten weekly town hall meetings to be exact.

Many said this would be wonderful, on the scale and scope of the Lincoln-Douglass debates. Many said this would bring democracy back to the process, let the voters see these candidates undressed, real. Well, it isn’t happening.

I was against such posturing from the beginning, primarily because it would give candidate John McCain a chance to stand on the stage with Barack Obama, size him up while sizing and shoring 'John McCain' up. After last week’s tour through the Middle East and Europe, we can comfortably state, the town hall meetings will not happen.

Through this week I saw two different campaigns.

The Obama Campaign. Senator Obama dealt directly with dignitaries of Iraq and Afghanistan, with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki endorsing the Obama Timeline for getting U.S. Troops out of Iraq. Then the trip to Afghanistan. Obama met with the President and witnessed firsthand the need of more U.S.Troops on the ground there and not in Iraq. The big crux of all this was the look of Barack Obama. He looked presidential, he looked like a leader. The most astounding thing is that all the heads of state, important diplomatic dignitaries wanted to meet and speak with Barack Obama. But the most startling thing of this whole trip was the blunt and direct ignoring of the Bush Administration by all of these countries and looking to Barack Obama as the new face of diplomacy from the United States of America, not John McCain. John McCain, nor George W. Bush will ever be met in Europe like Barack Obama was greeted. The waving of U.S. flags, excitement of the over 200,000 Germans in Berlin sealed the Bush Administration's fate, and McCain's fate to a point.

All of this unhinged the McCain Campaign. Why? I don’t know. It was John McCain and the RNC who kept a clock ticker about Obama not visiting Iraq and never have gone to Afghanistan. It was their daring that put Barack on this worldwide tour. And now they had to sit back and take it. The McCain Campaign had to watch major U.S. Media and International Media follow Obama’s every step and report on it.

McCain whined about unfair media coverage, along with unloading very disingenuous ads that were just straight up lies. Why he did this is beyond me? But, knowing politics, you don’t go negative unless you must and something in the weeds has to be alarming for the McCain Campaign to go this route.

Which brings me to a comment that sums up the McCain Campaign:

Phil Gramm used the right word on the wrong:

target: it should be John McWhiner McCain. I've never heard a politician whine so publicly about the attention he ISN'T getting.

And the strange thing is, all he's doing is calling more attention to his raggedy-ass, message-less campaign and his inability to manage it.

That sums up what is going on in the McCain Campaign and why we don't need to get involved in any town hall meetings.

Lastly, while McCain complained about the Obama Tour, we must remember that McCain, post becoming the presumptive nominee, have been to every single country as Obama.

"It's hard for me to understand Sen. McCain's argument. He was telling me I was supposed to take this trip. He suggested it, thought it was a good idea," the senator told reporters, some of whom were seated on the ground in front of him and or standing on the sidewalk across.

"John McCain has visited every one of these countries post-primary that I have. He has given speeches in Canada, in Colombia, Mexico," he continued. "So it doesn't strike me that we've done anything different than the McCain campaign has done, which is to recognize that part of the job of the next president and commander-in-chief is to forge effective relationships with our allies."

So for all those who are still rallying for town hall meetings, the question is why? Who stand to gain from these town hall meetings? Who needs free media because their campaign is sucking an egg? Who gains to be seen with the most popular and important politician right now? Surely not Obama, but McCain.

Let’s wait for the official debates. Let’s get our vice-presidential nominee. Let’s finish our convention. Let’s work hard to elect Barack Obama the 44th President of the United States of America. And surely, let’s forget about any town hall meetings in the very near future.

Barack in Afghanistan and Kuwait

Audio/Video of the Week

Obama's appearance on Meet the Press; Obama at the U.S. Embassy; Press Conference in Jordan; Press Conference in Israel; NBC's Brian Willams' Interview with Obama in Berlin, Germany; CBS's Katie Couric's Interview with Obama in Jordan, with all excerpts; Obama's Press Conference with President Nicholas Sarkozy in Paris; Obama interview on Face the Nation with Lara Logan in Afghanistan; Chuck Hagel on Face the Nation criticizing John McCain; Obama at Yad Vashem, Israel; Obama's London Press Conference; How Did Obama Do In Europe?; Open Up The Vice Presidential Selection Process; Obama Wraps Up Worldwide Trip; 'It's All Politics': NPR's Weekly News Roundup; Obama Addresses U.S. Image Abroad; Obama Returns Home After Foreign Tour

obama on meet the press from london, england

Al Rodgers

Why a singular shoutout? Because Al Rodgers is da BOMB!!! And because you need to look at his pictures and videos...that's why....

BREAKING: 10 Days That Shook The World - Obama in Iraq; 3,000 GIs MOB Barack in Baghdad; MSM HAMMERS McSame !!!; USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA!; BREAKING: Barack SURGING (Plus 9)

Barack in Iraq & Kuwait

Polls

PPP Ohio; UNH New Hampshire Poll; Rasmussen Georgia and Alaska Poll; Detroit News Michigan Poll; Rasmussen Ohio Poll; EPI/MRA Michigan Poll; ARG Florida and New Hampshire Poll; Monmouth New Jersey Poll; PPP Virginia Poll; Rasmussen Florida Poll; WSJ/NBC National Poll; Rasmussen Minnesota Poll; Quinnipac Colorado, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin Poll; Pew Hispanic Poll; FOX News National Poll; Rasmussen New Hampshire Poll; Research 2000 Mississippi Poll; Rasmussen Pennsylvania Poll; Research 2000 North Dakota Poll; Frederick Colorado Poll; Rasmuseen New Mexico Poll; Critical Insights Maine Poll; Rasmussen and Gallup National Poll; Research 2000 South Carolina Poll; Rasmussen California Poll

obama addresses the UNITY Convention for Journalists of Color

Photo Blogs, All Pictures, All the Time

Netroots Nation photoblog -- live from the Hilton by casperr; Netroots Nation 2008: The 5 Ws by the awful truth; My NetrootsNation08 Recap EXTREMELY PHOTO HEAVY!! by by navajo; Campaign Slideshow of Obama in Jordan; Netroots Nation 2008: a spider's-eye view (PHOTOS GALORE) by hekebolos; I Flew to Berlin This Morning! (with pictures) by Fairy Tale; Campaign Slideshow, Jerusalem to Berlin Photos; Obama in Afghanistan and Kuwait (UPDATED WITH PICTURES and VIDEO) by icebergslim; Obama Western Wall Visit, Old Jerusalem Pictures by icebergslim; Obama Germany Pictures by icebergslim; Obama is BIG NOISE. DAMN RIGHT....German Pictures; Obama Paris Pictures by icebergslim; Obama in London Pictures by icebergslim; Campaign Slideshow Obama in Jordan; A Panoramic View from Obama in Berlin; Campaign Slideshow Obama in London

Chicago, Unity Convention for Journalists of Color

Obama in Iraq, Jordan, Israel and Palestine


icebergslim’s last word: no time for complacency

Ok, there are enough links and slides in this diary for any Obama picture/video fixation or just a roadmap to what the past week has been for everyone to devour. We are proud of our Democratic Nominee, he did something that many thought he could not, and he looked and acted presidential. This world tour, this past week has stopped all the talking points of can Obama handle the world stage. We saw the images and videos, the answer is a resounding, YES!!

Now it is time to get ready for the convention but more importantly, post convention. This is where the real fighting will commence.

Already John McCain has put up two negative ads against Obama while he was away. One, which blames Obama for the high gas prices, which is just laughable. Believe me, the cable desk clerks were laughing at this one. The second ad called “Troops” is about Obama not visiting our wounded troops in Germany, instead playing hoops or working out. Another lie of an ad, as the German visit was cancelled by the Pentagon because Obama was travelling with his campaign, versus his senate detail as he was in Iraq and Afghanistan.

This is just the beginning of the McCain running the Hillary Clinton Campaign. Folks, he is. It is called muddy up the waters, lie if necessary and throw the kitchen sink and hopes something sticks. That is what he is doing.

The Obama Campaign need to have a boatload of surrogates, on all the news shows, to tear this concept of McCain’s down to a shred. Believe me, it is easy because McCain has practically switched on every major point and the latest “Troop” ad even has Obama shooting hoops with troops, while the ad is stating he is not spending anytime with the troops. Go figure.

It is crap like this that will be out in force. Why so early? Well, August 8, 2008, the Olympics start. Many news channels will be focused on the Olympics and the results. Stories of unbelievable “this, that or the other” will be shown, thus politics are on the back burner. So, now it is time for McCain to attempt to become relevant. He shot himself in the foot by daring Obama to go overseas. Obama went overseas and McCain bitched the whole week about the media, thus negative ads appeared. Time is of the essence here, again, even though we have 99 days until the election a whole month will be detoured for the Olympics and both conventions start late in August, into September. Again, not much time.

Obama’s full focus should be on the economy. He has put the experience issue, military issue, looking commander in chief issue to bed by this trip. Now, go to those states Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, etc., that are devastated by the economy and hammer home your plan from now until November 4, 2008.

This election will be about the economy, gas prices, homeowner loss, banks going down, jobs, lack of health care, tuition for college, the environment, climate change, all issues that affect people directly, not indirectly. Win on this issue, you will win the election. Simple as that.

Shoutouts, stuff you should read...

Kennedy, Reagan, Obama in Berlin by Devilstower; McCain's Campaign: So Dumb, We Had to Check to Make Sure It Was Real by DHinMI; Post-Berlin Polls: Success 55% approve w/ Berlin Bounce +5% & Gallup 4% Move Overnight to +6 by Hope Reborn; We're Nowhere Near A Bottom in Housing by bonddad; What Barack Obama Needs to Win by poblano; This should Settle the Question of Hillary as VP by The Christian Progressive Liberal; Sorry Senator Obama, Even Your Prayers Are ‘Public Domain’ by rikyrah; ABC News Officially Endorses John McCain For President by JedReport; We don't buy our own hype - NY Times Interview with Obama by Tax problems; How Close Is The Election Really? by Chris Bowers; The week John McCain's campaign ended by Clem Guttata; Frank Rich: How Obama Became Acting President. by Nuisance Industry; Fox News caught fixing video for McCain by zenbowl; Confirmed: State Department screwed Obama by VirginiaDem; We can't let America elect another unhinged raving lunatic by clammyc; NY Times' Herbert: Media bias indeed; favoring McCain by LaughingPlanet; Massachusetts homeowner commits suicide before foreclosure by litho; McCain Responds to Gaffe; A Surge before THE Surge after Canceling Pres Avail by Hope Reborn; "The World's Most Popular Politician" by DanK Is Back; McCain Would Rather Lose His Honor In Order To Win a Political Campaign by BarbinMD; Military Support for Barack Obama by noweasels

Berlin, Nuff Said....

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well, this has been one hell of a week, both politically and definately visually. our nominee knocked it out of the park, and then some. today is a visual diary, back in the saddle next sunday, but after vacation and barack's week i am pooped!!! below is my slideshow from germany, france and england. we have a fight on our hands, time is of the essence and thinking it is in the bag, is a no, no. as always, remember to focus on obama and not the drama....peace...

Berlin, Paris, London and Home...



and Obama's staff in London:




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Tip the Obama Jar, Here

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Get Involved Here
For Inspiration: Yes.We.Can!!!

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icebergslim1047 (at) gmail (dot) com
cross-posted @ Daily Kos

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Morning Brew...Obama in Israel, West Bank and CBS McCain Coverup...

Barack Obama lays a wreath in the Hall Of Remembrance visit to the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum

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CBS's snafu and editing of the McCain's misunderstanding of the Surge and Sunni Awakening

This was first pointed out by Keith Olbermann, last night on Countdown, as follows:



How this was found out is because extended video of both McCain and Obama's interview was posted on CBS's website with transcript. I have the link here, with the original Couric interview and the extended video.

Then on Anderson Cooper 360, CNN, last night this incident was talked about extensively, with David Gergen questioning the continuous gaffes and confusion of McCain and brought up McCain's age.



Joe Klein wraps this up about the danger of John McCain making hard, heavy hits on Obama and the overstating of the insurgency of al-Qaeda in Iraq, this along with the scurillious statements that Obama would rather "loose the war to win an election". This is worth repeating.



And JedReport's take on it:



and h/t over at kos for how it really went down:



My take, CBS lost credibility, period. McCain gaffed, again. Don't hide it, show it. And if you are going to do the "sneaky", at least don't put the sh*t on your website to discredit you. (rolleyes)

Obama Campaign don't let this sit out there and fester, the McCain words, that is. I know that many would rather Obama take the gloves off and fight right now, this is understood, but remember we will never win the war, but rather pick the battles that you can win.

I expect some response, when it comes it will be irrevocably on point, factual and hard hitting that the McCain Campaign will have to move along.

Full rundown by turneresq and Huffington Post. A good read.

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Obama with Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas



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McCain and his Negativity

First Read gives a good rundown on John McCain and his spiraling campaign.

Sometimes body language can tell you a lot. And the body language coming from the McCain campaign -- as Obama continues his overseas trip -- doesn’t look too pretty right now. Let us count the ways: It has aired its first two negative TV ads of general election, one of which (on energy) was panned by virtually every media outlet for being factually incorrect. It later sent the press on what appears to be a wild goose VP chase, when it leaked to Bob Novak that a veep decision could be coming this week (and now even Novak admits that he might have been used). Next came the McCain Web video blasting the media’s attention on Obama, as well as those luggage tags calling the reporters who have followed McCain for much of this election the “JV Squad” while others are covering Obama overseas; the other side of the luggage tag was in French with a beret-wearing guy pouring wine. (Side thought: Why does McCain think belittling his own press corps is a good idea? But we digress…) And then yesterday came McCain’s line that “Obama would rather lose a war in order to win a political campaign” --

We all should digress.

John McCain and his Camp belittled Obama, challenged him to go to Afghanistan and Iraq. Of course, McCain wanted to go with Obama, but Obama side-stepped that one.

Since, Obama has been in the middle east, the whole Iraq thingy has unraveled to favor Obama, with the White House coinciding with the junior senator from Illinois, without publicly stating so.

I think yesterday's Katie Couric interview told the story about McCain. Couric let him go through his diatribe hate of Obama, because that is what his was, then just stated that he was frustrated with Obama.

Well, he is. He challenged Obama, thought Obama would mess up, big time and has come out on the losing end. That is it in the nutshell.

McCain need to wash his mouth out with "straight talk mouthwash" and get back on the straight and narrow trail of truth. Stop worrying about Barack Obama, but worry about how you are coming across to the American public right now. That is shrill, bitter, jealous and totally frustrated.

The only one looking presidential is Barack Obama.

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chuck todd, first read


Lieberman speaking to Hagee Group, so when are the Dems going to kick him OUT....

Full Obama Jordan Press Conference, here...

Missed Evening Wrapup, here....

NBC/WSJ Poll out later today....

Obama Israel Press Conference this morning, will post video when available....

catch you guys later....

and.....



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