Obama Recognizes Fourth Of July — And Goes After His Naysayers
In this weekend’s Presidential YouTube Address, President Obama paid tribute to the Independence Day Holiday, and the spirit of those who built America. Furthermore, he tied this into his own agenda on energy, health care and other issues, and against his critics who say he’s doing too much:
“These naysayers have short memories,” said Obama. “They forget that we, as a people, did not get here by standing pat in a time of change. We did not get here by doing what was easy. That is not how a cluster of 13 colonies became the United States of America. We are not a people who fear the future. We are a people who make it. And on this July 4th, we need to summon that spirit once more.”
McCain Stands With Iranians In GOP’s Independence Day Address
In this week’s Republican Address we have President Obama’s rival in last year’s general election, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), who also paid tribute to the founding ideals of the United States. For his part, McCain took the opportunity to stand with the dissidents of Iran
“They do not ask us to arm them or come to their assistance with anything other than public declarations of solidarity, and public denunciations of the tyrants who oppress them. We have a moral obligation to do so,” said McCain. “There are those among us who warn that a strong and unequivocal declaration of moral support for Iranians would be used by the cruel regime in power there to convince their subject people that the United States is behind the civil unrest they have attempted to hide from the world. But the regime will make that claim no matter what we say or do.”
Obama’s Independence Day Plans
President Obama arrived back in Washington from Camp David this morning. At 7 p.m. ET, he will deliver remarks from the South Lawn, at a Fourth of July celebration with military families.
Palin’s Resignation Creates Whole New Questions About Presidential Run
The Washington Post reports that Sarah Palin’s resignation as Governor of Alaska seems to have left a good portion of the political world feeling very puzzled. “If this is about running for president, it’s about as odd a way as we’ve ever seen,” said former McCain strategist John Weaver. But another anonymous GOP strategist said: “She has a base in the party that’s motivated like no one else’s, and this decision won’t bother them. I don’t know if she’ll run. I don’t know if she could win if she ran. But I’m sure she has a shot.”
Biden Urges Iraqi Reconciliation; Iraq Declines Assistance
During his trip to Iraq, Vice President Biden urged the country to pursue reconciliation across its various sectarian and ethic divides, and offered whatever U.S. help may be needed. However, government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said that outside help was not desired: “We made it clear that national reconciliation is an Iraqi issue and involvement of a non-Iraqi party won’t make it more successful.”
Powell Cautions Obama On Big Government
In an interview with CNN’s State of the Union, set to air tomorrow, former Sec. of State Colin Powell offered advice to the Obama Administration — which he supported in the 2008 election, despite his self-identification as a Republican. “I think one of the cautions that has to be given to the president — and I’ve talked to some of his people about this — is that you can’t have so many things on the table that you can’t absorb it all. And we can’t pay for it all,” said Powell.
Environmental Groups Lose As SCOTUS Moves Rightward
The New York Times points out that environmental groups lost all five of their cases before the Supreme Court in this past term. The question is whether this represents a policy shift against environmentalists, or a more general embrace of executive power. “The real test will come when the Obama administration tries to implement new legislation, like the climate change legislation, assuming it passes,” said Prof. Richard J. Lazarus of Georgetown University, who himself represented the losing side in one of these cases.
