The Acts of Obama: The First Four Years

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THE ACTS OF

OBAMA THE FIRST FOUR YEARS

Includes Responses from Christian Leaders

From the Editors of BCNN1 Black Christian News Network



CONTENTS Introduction 2009 2010 2011 2012 A Christian Response How You Can Help America



INTRODUCTION When one president leaves office and another one is about to assume leadership, the White House is essentially gutted of all documents and records. Nothing is left in the drawers, in the filing cabinets, in the closets, or on the shelves. The former president’s cabinet leaves and the new president’s cabinet comes in. The new president is handed a clean slate -- four years -- with which to make his mark on America and history.

From day one, the new president begins writing in a book filled with blank pages. His policies, agendas, and legislative triumphs and defeats will shape his term and affect the lives of everyday Americans for years to come. Because of the historic importance of Barack Obama’s presidency, we decided to create a living record of his time in office. The Acts of Obama is a full account of President Obama's first four years in office. In this book, the happenings at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue are recorded. The major events, laws signed, orders issued, heads-of-state received, and places traveled are all included. However you view Barack Obama's presidency -good, bad, somewhere in between, or simply


indifferent -- we hope that this record will give you a broad perspective of one of the most important eras in America’s history. What is equally important is the response of God’s Prophets to this President and his policies. If you are a regular reader of BCNN1, you have probably followed The Acts of Obama section on our site over the past four years, for we started from day one. BCNN1 Editors, www.BCNN1.com Black Christian News Network


2009 JANUARY 20, 2009 Inauguration Day Barack Hussein Obama was sworn in as the 44th president of the United States on January 20, 2009. In his inaugural address, he promised to “begin again the work of remaking America”. The day of celebration was a climax for a once-inconceivable journey for the man and the country. January 20 President Obama’s Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel, issues an order suspending last-minute federal regulations pushed through by outgoing President George W. Bush. In one of his first official acts, President Obama issues a proclamation declaring January 20, 2009 a National Day of Renewal and Reconciliation. The new president also enacted a pay freeze for Senior White House Staff making more than $100,000 per year and announces stricter guidelines regarding lobbyists in an effort to raise the ethical standards of the White House. January 21 Obama revokes an Executive Order initiated by the Bush administration to limit access to the records of former presidents. President Obama also had to retake the Presidential Oath of Office, again administered by Chief Justice John G. Roberts, before four print journalists. Obama issues instructions to all agencies and departments in his administration to “adopt a presumption in favor” of Freedom of Information Act requests.


JANUARY 22, 2009 Guantanamo Bay Order A major promise of his presidential campaign, President Obama issued an executive order announcing his goal of closing the Guantanamo Bay prison within one year. However in May 2009, the Senate passed an amendment blocking the transfer of any prisoners from the Bay to the mainland. The effort to close Guantanamo was further hampered when Obama signed in January 2011 the Defense Authorization Act which placed restrictions on prisoner transfers from Guantanamo. To this day, Guantanamo Bay is still operating.

January 22 Obama issued an executive order entitled "Ethics Commitments by Executive Branch Personnel", governing the limitations on hiring of employees by the executive branch to qualified individuals only, and placing very tight restrictions on lobbying in the White House. January 23 Obama ends the funding ban for groups that provide abortion services or counseling abroad, also known as the "gag rule". He orders the first two Predator airstrikes of his presidency. January 24 Obama produces his first weekly Saturday morning address available on whitehouse.gov and YouTube. January 26


Obama signs his first two Presidential Memoranda concerning energy independence, directing the Department of Transportation to establish higher fuel efficiency standards before 2011 models are released and allowing states to raise their emissions standards above the national standard. That night he gives his first formal interview as president to Al Arabiya. January 28 Obama makes his first visit to The Pentagon as President, meeting with Defense Secretary Robert Gates and the Joint Chiefs of Staff. JANUARY 29, 2009 Obama’s First Law President Obama signed his first bill, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which promotes fair pay regardless of sex, race, or age, into law on January 29, 2009. Lilly Ledbetter, who went to court against Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., joined the president and first lady at the signing ceremony.

January 30 Obama signs a presidential memorandum launching the Middle Class Working Families Task Force to be led by Vice President Joe Biden. January 31 Obama speaks at the Alfalfa Club annual banquet.


February 3 Obama nominates Senator Judd Gregg to be Secretary of Commerce, after Bill Richardson withdrew his nomination. Obama grants five television interviews and talks about the economic stimulus bill. February 4 Obama announces that companies receiving federal bailout money through the Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP) must cap top executive pay at half a million dollars. Obama signs the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009. FEBRUARY 5, 2009 A Day of Prayer & Faith President Obama attended his first National Prayer Breakfast. Former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair was the keynote speaker. Obama delivered a speech titled “This is My Hope. This is My Prayer.” Later that same day, the president renamed President Bush’s Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives as the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships.

February 6 Obama announces the creation of the President's Economic Recovery Advisory Board. Obama also issues an executive order backing the use of union labor for large-scale federal construction projects. February 7


Joe Biden makes the administration's first major foreign policy speech at the Munich Security Conference. Barack, Michelle, Malia and Sasha Obama make their first trip to Camp David. February 9 Obama travels to Elkhart, Indiana to discuss the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, and returns to the White House to give his first nationally-televised press conference. February 10 Obama travels to Fort Myers, Florida to discuss the Recovery and Reinvestment Act and the area's unemployment problems, and is joined by Governor Charlie Crist. February 12 Obama travels to Springfield, Illinois to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of President Abraham Lincoln, and speaks at a Lincoln Bicentennial Celebration. February 13 The First Family spends a weekend in their former home of Chicago, Illinois. FEBRUARY 17, 2009 The Recovery Act President Obama signs into law the $787 billion Recovery and Reinvestment Act in Denver, Colorado. Also known as the economic stimulus package, the purpose of the act was to rapidly save and create jobs. He also launches Recovery.gov to explain the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to the


public. On this day, Obama also approves a deployment of 17,000 additional troops to Afghanistan.

February 19 Obama makes his first trip abroad as president to Ottawa, Canada, where he speaks with Prime Minister Stephen Harper about environmental issues, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), and other US-Canadian relations. February 21 The Department of Justice rules that detainees at the Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan do not have the right to use U.S. courts to challenge their detention, upholding the Bush administration's position on the issue. February 24 Obama speaks to a joint session of the members of Congress. Prime Minister of Japan Taro Aso also meets with Obama at the White House. February 25 The United States Senate confirms Hilda Solis as United States Secretary of Labor. Obama nominates former Governor of Washington Gary Locke to become United States Secretary of Commerce. February 26 Obama reveals his proposal for the 2010 United States federal budget.


FEBRUARY 27, 2009 The Beginning of the End in Iraq At Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, North Carolina, President Obama announces his plans for the removal of U.S. troops from Iraq. On this day, the Obama administration through the Department of Health and Human Services begins the process to repeal or modify the "midnight rule" which was created to protect health workers who refuse to provide health care for conscience reasons.

March 2 President Obama nominates Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius to be Secretary of Health and Human Services and appoints Nancy-Ann DeParle as White House health czar. March 3 Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Gordon Brown visits Obama at the White House. Obama restores a provision of the Endangered Species Act requiring that federal agencies consult the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and/or the National Marine Fisheries Service before taking actions that could harm endangered species. March 4 Obama issues a memorandum limiting the possibility to grant no-bid contracts to private businesses. March 5 Vivek Kundra is selected by Obama as the first Federal Chief Information Officer.


MARCH 9, 2009 Decision on Stem Cells President Obama signs an executive order which overturned President Bush's ban on embryonic stem cell research. Obama had been supportive of stem cell research throughout his campaign and, as a senator, he co-sponsored the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2005 and 2007. Also, on this day, the president ordered all executive officials to consult with the Attorney General before relying on any signing statement previously used to bypass a statute.

March 10 Obama delivers a major policy speech on education, and holds his first meeting as president with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. March 11 The President signs the Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2009; on the same occasion he issues his first signing statement. Obama creates the White House Council on Women and Girls to assure cabinet level agencies coordinate policies and programs that affect women and families. Obama officially announces Lt. Gen. Karl Eikenberry and Christopher R. Hill, respectively, as ambassadors to Afghanistan and Iraq. March 12 Obama renews economic sanctions against Iran first imposed in 1995. Michelle Obama visits Fort Bragg, North Carolina on her first solo trip outside of the capital as First Lady.


March 13 The Department of Justice outlines a new legal standard for detaining the suspected terrorists held at Guantanamo; "enemy combatant" definition is dropped, and suspects shall be detained under international law. March 14 Obama meets Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva at the White House. Obama announces the nomination of Margaret A. Hamburg to become Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. March 17 Barack Obama meets with the Taoiseach of Republic of Ireland, Brian Cowen, and the First Minister of Northern Ireland, Peter Robinson. March 18 Obama speaks at a town hall meeting in Costa Mesa, California. The United States Senate confirms Ron Kirk, former Mayor of Dallas, as United States Trade Representative. March 19 Obama appears on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. He also releases a video message to the Iranian people and government to coincide with the holiday Nowruz. March 20 Obama and Biden meet with former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev in Washington.


March 23 Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner unveils the government's plan to help investors purchase toxic assets from banks. March 24 Obama holds his second prime time press conference in the East Room of the White House, to discuss economic hardships, as well as the government's intentions to solve the global economic crisis. Also, the United States Senate confirms Gary Locke, former Governor of Washington, as United States Secretary of Commerce. March 25 Obama meets with Kevin Rudd, the Prime Minister of Australia. Obama also meets with Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, the Secretary General of NATO, to discuss the upcoming summit, relations with Russia, and the future of NATO. March 26 Obama holds an online town hall at the White House, a historic first in American Presidential conveyance. March 27 Obama announces a new strategy for the war in Afghanistan and Pakistan. MARCH 30, 2009 Gov’t Takes Control of Motor Companies


President Obama lays out a framework by which struggling auto companies, General Motors and Chrysler, can restructure themselves, save jobs, and achieve vitality. The theme of the plan was “shared sacrifice.” And all stakeholders involved were required to make sacrifices for the good of the American auto industry. Also on this day, Obama signs the Omnibus Public Land Management Act into law.

March 31 Barack and Michelle Obama arrive in London for G20 meeting with World Leaders. April 1 Obama meets British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Russian President Dmitri Medvedev, Chinese President Hu Jintao, and the United Kingdom’s Queen Elizabeth II. APRIL 2, 2009 First European Trip President Obama attends the Group of 20 summit in London, England. It is his first European trip as president. On this day, the President also announces Robert Groves to be his candidate for director of The Census Bureau.

April 3 Obama meets French President Nicolas Sarkozy and holds a town hall meeting with French and German students.


April 3-4 Obama attends the two-day NATO summit in Strasbourg, France, and Kehl and Baden-Baden, Germany. April 5 Obama meets with Czech President Vรกclav Klaus and Prime Minister Mirek Topolรกnek. He delivers a speech on nuclear proliferation disarmament to a public crowd in Prague. April 6-7 Obama visits Istanbul and Ankara, Turkey, including a meeting at the Alliance of Civilizations forum. APRIL 7, 2009 First Trip to Iraq After wrapping up his visit to Istanbul, Turkey, President Obama makes a surprise visit to Baghdad, Iraq. It is his first visit there as president. He meets with the Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki while there.

April 9 In a presidential first, Obama hosts a White House Seder for the second night of Passover. April 12 Obama approves military action to rescue Richard Phillips who was captured by pirates in the Maersk Alabama hijacking.


April 13 Obama signs a presidential memorandum eliminating limits on Cuban-Americans governing family visits and remittances sent to the island. April 14 Obama gives a speech on his economic policies at Georgetown University. The first family also introduces their new dog, Bo. April 16 Four memos are released by the Justice Department on enhanced interrogation techniques used by the CIA on Al Qaeda suspects. April 16-17 Obama visits Mexico to meet with President Felipe Calderón. He says the U.S. is a “full partner” with Mexico in its fight against drug cartels. April 17-19 Obama attends the 5th Summit of the Americas in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. April 21 Obama meets with King Abdullah II of Jordan in a one-on-one meeting in the White House. Obama also signs the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act into law. He addresses the staff of the CIA.


April 23 Obama speaks at a Holocaust remembrance ceremony at the capitol. April 27 Obama addresses the National Academy of Sciences and announces additional funding for research and development. He also doubles the budgets of the NSF and NIST, and announces a goal of reducing carbon pollution by more than 80 percent by 2050. April 28 The United States Senate confirms Kathleen Sebelius, former governor of Kansas, as United States Secretary of Health and Human Services. April 29 Obama discusses the first 100 days of his presidency, and the plans already implemented that will continue into the rest of his term, in a primetime news conference. May 4 Obama marks Cinco de Mayo a day early in a small speech to Latino Americans. Obama was joined by First Lady Michelle Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, Second Lady Jill Biden, United States Ambassador to Mexico Arturo Sarukhan and his wife Veronica Valenca-Sarukhan. May 5 Obama meets with Israeli President Shimon Peres in the Oval Office of the White House to discuss the foreign affairs of


Israel, the relationship between Palestinians and Israelis, and the prospects of a two-state solution. May 6 President Obama holds a summit with Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari at the White House. May 9 Obama speaks at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, along with special guest comedian Wanda Sykes. MAY 13, 2009 First Commencement Address President Obama delivers his first commencement address at Arizona State University. He is not given an honorary degree from the school.

May 15 The World Series Champion Philadelphia Phillies are honored at the White House by President Obama. May 16 Jon Huntsman, Jr., the Republican Governor of Utah, is named United States Ambassador to China by President Obama, to replace Clark T. Randt, Jr. of Connecticut.


MAY 17, 2009 Notre Dame Controversy Despite controversy over his views on abortion and his recent executive order that lifted the ban on stem cell research, President Obama delivered the commencement address at the University of Notre Dame, a Catholic school.

May 18 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets with Obama and Sec. of State Clinton in Washington. May 19 President Obama announces plans to create new automobile fuel efficiency standards requiring cars, as well as light trucks to have an average of at least 35.5 miles per gallon, by 2016, in an attempt to curve emissions and reduce the United States' contributions to global warming. May 20 The Helping Families Save Their Homes Act of 2009 and the Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act are signed into law by President Obama to help alleviate burdens caused by the economic financial crisis in the United States. May 22 Obama gives the commencement address at United States Naval Academy. He also signs the Weapon Systems Acquisition Reform Act and the Credit CARD Act into law, to reform legislation and aim "...to establish fair and transparent practices


relating to the extension of credit under an open end consumer credit plan, and for other purposes." May 23 Major General Charles Bolden is nominated by Obama to be the next NASA administrator, marking the first African American to be nominated to the position. Lori Garver is nominated to be the deputy administrator. May 25 President Obama continues the long standing tradition of the U.S. President sending a wreath to the Confederate Monument at Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day and garners praise from Sons of Confederate Veterans Commander Chuck McMichael. MAY 26, 2009 Sotomayor’s Nomination President Obama nominates federal judge Sonia Sotomayor to replace retiring Supreme Court justice David Souter. Sotomayor was confirmed and became the first Hispanic and the third woman appointed to the Supreme Court.

May 30 Plans for a CyberSpace Czar to help prevent web crimes such as identity theft and other breaches of computer security networks are announced by the President. May 31


Obama denounces and condemns the killing of medical director and abortion provider George Tiller, saying he was "shocked and outraged" by the murder. June 1 President Barack Obama speaks to the American public about the General Motors bankruptcy crisis in a press conference at the White House. June 2 The President nominates Congressman John M. McHugh for the position of United States Secretary of the Army. Former First Lady Nancy Reagan visits the White House, and Mr Obama holds a press conference to announce legislation honoring the achievements of former President of the United States Ronald Reagan. June 3 President Obama visits with King Abdullah in Saudi Arabia on his way to Cairo, Egypt to make a speech introducing himself to the Muslim world. JUNE 3, 2009 The Cairo Speech President Obama delivers a speech in the Major Reception Hall of Cairo University in Cairo, Egypt. His speech was titled “A New Beginning�, and it was part of his attempt to repair the image of America around the world, a promise he made during his campaign for President of the United States. During the speech, Obama notably referenced the Bible, the Torah, the Qur'an, and other Muslim texts in his address to the more than one thousand students in attendance. He also announced that the


U.S. Government would host a Summit on Entrepreneurship to identify how the U.S. can deepen ties between business leaders, foundations, and entrepreneurs in Muslim communities around the world. June 5 Obama visits Buchenwald, a former Nazi concentration camp used during World War II, with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and survivor and activist Elie Wiesel, during his trip through Germany. Obama then arrives in Paris, visits the Eiffel Tower with his family, and meets French President Sarkozy. June 6 Obama commemorates the 65th anniversary of D-Day in Normandy, France, along with Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Prince Charles and President Nicolas Sarkozy. June 11 Obama holds a town hall meeting in Green Bay, Wisconsin to discuss the issue of healthcare. June 12 Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai of Zimbabwe visits President Obama at the White House, inside the Oval Office. June 15 Prime Minister of Italy Silvio Berlusconi visits President Obama at the White House. President Obama addresses the annual meeting of the American Medical Association in Chicago to discuss the rising cost of health care.


JUNE 17, 2009 Rights for Homosexual Government Workers President Obama signs a memorandum extending some benefits, such as visitation or dependent-care rights, to the same-sex partners of homosexual federal employees. Obama also announces sweeping proposals to rework financial regulation and move the country toward financial stability.

JUNE 19, 2009 Father’s Day Along with other prominent fathers, Obama holds a town hall meeting at the White House to commemorate Father's Day, and bring awareness to the relationship of American fathers and children. Obama notably identified his father as one of the greatest influences in his own life, even though they were only together for a short time in his childhood.

June 22 President Obama signs legislation granting authority over tobacco products to the United States Food and Drug Administration in the Rose Garden of the White House. Obama also announced an $80 billion, 10 year offer by drug manufacturers to close the gap between Medicare prescription drug coverage and comprehensive health care reform. June 23 President Obama holds a press conference to discuss the issues of healthcare, as well as the recent Iranian election protests in Iran.


June 26 The President signs the "Cash-for-Clunkers bill" into law to increase national fuel efficiency, as well as stimulate the automobile industry, after both Chrysler and General Motors had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. June 27 The removal of American combat troops from major Iraqi cities begins. June 28 Obama meets with President Ă lvaro Uribe of Colombia in the Oval Office. The President and the First Lady also host a reception in the East Room for LGBT Pride Month. June 30 The President delivers remarks at an event in the East Room to highlight programs that have been able to make a difference in communities across the country. July 1 President Obama holds an online townhall meeting to discuss health care reform. He is joined by Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett. July 2 The President meets in the Roosevelt Room with leaders of companies that are creating jobs. The President also delivers


remarks about innovation and jobs in the White House Rose Garden. July 4 The White House celebrates Independence Day and honors military heroes and their families with a barbecue on the South Lawn. The celebrations conclude with fireworks on the White House grounds and at the Washington Memorial. July 6 The President and First Lady Obama arrive in Moscow to meet with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, to discuss diplomatic progress in regards to nuclear weapons, as well as the situation in Afghanistan. Obama also speaks at the graduation ceremony of the New Economic School in Moscow. July 7 President Obama meets with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, in a continuous attempt to restructure the U.S.–Russian relationship. Obama also meets with former President of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev in Gostinny Dvor, Russia. July 8 President Obama meets with Italian President Giorgio Napolitano at the Quirinal Palace in Rome. The President then attends the first day of the G-8 Summit in L'Aquila, Italy, and tours the quake zone that was struck in April, 2009. July 9 President Barack Obama attends the second day of the G-8 Summit, and holds a bilateral meeting with President Lula da


Silva of Brazil. He also attends a working dinner hosted by Italian President Napolitano later that day. July 10 On the final day of the G-8 Summit, President Obama meets with South African president Jacob Zuma, Obama also visits Pope Benedict XVI in Vatican City. The President then heads to Ghana in Africa, his first visit to any sub-saharan African nation since he was elected president. JULY 11, 2009 Visit to Ghana In Ghana, President Obama delivers a speech about Africa's hardships in regards to disease, as well as prospects for Africa's future, to the Ghanaian Parliament in Accra. The President also speaks at a “departure ceremony� at Kotoka International Airport in Accra, along with the President of Ghana, John Atta Mills.

July 13 The President nominates Dr. Regina Benjamin for the position of United States Surgeon General, noting her experience as a medical doctor in Alabama, and her multiple rebuildings of her office after natural disasters, in selecting her for the office. July 14 Obama meets with Prime Minister of the Netherlands Jan Peter Balkenende in the Oval Office. Obama then speaks at Macomb Community College, and proposes a $12 billion effort to help two-year institutions to "train more people for the jobs of the


future." Obama also throws the first pitch at baseball's annual All-Star Game at Busch Stadium. July 15 A milestone is achieved when a Senate committee approves a plan to revamp the U.S. health care system. The Senate confirmed Obama's nominations of retired astronaut Maj. Gen. Charles Bolden as administrator of NASA and Lori Garver as the assistant administrator. July 16 President Barack Obama gives a speech in New York City at the NAACP's 100th anniversary celebration. July 17 President Obama gives a speech on healthcare reform, to help to pass a national healthcare bill in the Congress, and address concerns over a government run healthcare program. July 20 The President meets with the Apollo 11 crew, Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins and Buzz Aldrin, in the Oval Office on the 40th Anniversary of the lunar landing. July 21 The President and First Lady host an event celebrating country music, with performers Charley Pride, Brad Paisley and Alison Krauss and Union Station. July 22


The President holds a primetime news conference to address concerns over the healthcare bill in Congress. Obama also comments on the arrest of Henry Louis Gates, and the actions of the police in arresting Gates. Obama also meets with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki in the Oval Office, and hold a joint news conference in the White House Rose Garden. July 23 President Obama travels to Cleveland, Ohio to tour the Cleveland Clinic, as well as deliver further remarks about healthcare reform. July 27 Obama and Chinese leaders Wang Qishan, Chinese Vice Premier, and Chinese State Councilor Dai Bingguo, attend the U.S.–China Strategic and Economic Dialogue held in Washington, D.C. July 29 President Barack Obama holds a town hall meeting in Raleigh, North Carolina. JULY 30, 2009 “Beer Summit” President Obama and Vice President Biden hold a "beer summit" at the White House with Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates and the arresting officer Sgt. James Crowley of the Cambride Police Department, in order to address the issue of race in America and discuss the arrest of Gates in his Massachusetts home on July 16, 2009. Obama also discusses remarks he had made during his news conference on July 22, in


which he stated that the police department had “acted stupidly� in arresting Gates.

July 30 President Obama and President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo of the Philippines meet in the Oval Office of the Whitehouse. The 2 leaders talk about the strong relationship between the Philippines and USA. They also discuss terrorism in the Southern Philippines and environmental issues. President Arroyo is the first Asian Leader to attend discussions at the White House during Obama's Presidency. August 3 The President meets with Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber AlSabah, the Emir of Kuwait, in the Oval Office. August 4 President Barack Obama celebrates his forty-eighth birthday at the White House. Obama also meets with National Commander of the American Legion Dave Rehbein and Executive Director Peter Gaytan. August 5 Obama visits Elkhart, Indiana for the second time in his presidency to hold a townhall meeting about unemployment in the work force and new jobs being created.


August 6 Obama delivers brief remarks about the confirmation of soonto-be Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, and expresses gratitude to the Senators who confirmed her. August 7 The President gives a statement in the Rose Garden in regards to the release of the Bureau of Labor Statistics' unemployment figures for the month of July. August 8 President Barack Obama travels to Mexico for the two-day North American Leaders' Summit with the leaders of Mexico and Canada. August 10 President Obama meets in Guadalajara, Mexico with President Felipe Calderรณn of Mexico and Prime Minister Stephen Harper of Canada for a trilateral meeting to discuss the global economy, climate change, security and safety, as well as the H1N1 pandemic. August 11 Obama holds a townhall meeting in Portsmouth, New Hampshire to answer concerns about healthcare reform. August 12 The President holds a welcoming ceremony for newly appointed Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor in the East Room of the White House. Obama also awards the Presidential Medal of Freedom to 16 recipients, including Nancy Brinker,


Pedro JosĂŠ Greer, Stephen Hawking, Ted Kennedy, Billie Jean King, Joseph Lowery, Joseph Medicine Crow, Sandra Day O'Connor, Sidney Poitier, Chita Rivera, Mary Robinson, Janet Rowley, Desmond Tutu, and Muhammad Yunus. Jack Kemp and Harvey Milk were also posthumously awarded the Medal of Freedom. August 14 President Obama holds a townhall meeting, in Belgrade, Montana, to discuss health insurance reform, and the healthcare bill in Congress. August 15 President Barack Obama holds another townhall meeting, in Grand Junction, Colorado, to continue his emphasis on healthcare reform. August 16 Obama visits the Grand Canyon in Arizona with First Lady Michelle Obama, and daughters Malia and Sasha Obama. August 17 Obama gives a speech to the Veterans of Foreign Wars convention in Phoenix, Arizona. August 18 President Obama, along with Vice President Biden and Secretary of State Clinton, meet with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in the Oval Office.


August 19 President Obama hosts NASCAR drivers Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon, Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Carl Edwards and others in an event honoring Johnson as the winner of the 2008 Sprint Cup Championship. August 29 President Barack Obama gives the eulogy at the funeral service of Senator Edward Moore Kennedy. Former Presidents Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush (also representing his father, former President George H. W. Bush) attended, along with Vice President Biden, three former Vice Presidents, 58 senators, 21 former senators, many members of the House of Representatives, and several foreign dignitaries. September 8 After a week of vacation at the White House, Obama speaks at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Virginia to promote education. SEPTEMBER 9, 2009 The Beginning of the Health Care Law President Obama outlines proposal for universal healthcare in a speech to a joint session of Congress. Controversy had been brewing regarding the public option, illegal immigrant's access to healthcare and "death panels".

September 10


President Barack Obama meets with Prince General Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan of Abu Dhabi in the Oval Office. September 11 President Barack Obama addresses family members and friends who lost loved ones on September 11, 2001, in the September 11 attacks, at The Pentagon. Obama and the First Lady also meet with the Crown Prince Willem-Alexander and Princess Mรกxima of the Netherlands in the Yellow Oval Room of the White House. September 12 Barack Obama holds a rally in Minneapolis, Minnesota at the Target Center to continue speaking about his healthcare reform. September 14 President Obama speaks about the financial crisis at Federal Hall on Wall Street in New York City. September 15 President Barack Obama visits the General Motors Lordstown Assembly Plant in Warren, Ohio. Obama also addresses the AFL-CIO at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. September 16 President Barack Obama delivers remarks during a U.S. Olympians youth sporting event on the South Lawn of the White House, to promote Chicago's bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics.


September 17 President Obama posthumously awards Sergeant First Class Jared C. Monti the Medal of Honor in the East Room, at the White House. Barack Obama then speaks at the University of Maryland to deliver remarks and hold a healthcare rally. Obama also hosts a screening of The National Parks: America's Best Idea along with Ken Burns, Dayton Duncan and Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar. September 21 President Obama appears on the Late Show with David Letterman, for his second late night talk show interview since becoming president. September 22 President Barack Obama addresses the Climate Change Summit at the United Nations General Assembly in New York. SEPTEMBER 23, 2009 First Speech at the U.N. President Obama delivers his first speech to the United Nations General Assembly. He also speaks as a guest speaker at the Clinton Global Initiative while in New York City.

September 24 In a first for an American president, Obama chairs a U.N. Security Council summit dedicated to nuclear disarmament and proliferation.


September 25 While at the G-20 Pittsburgh summit, Obama and the leaders of France and the UK make a public statement accusing Iran of constructing a secret nuclear facility near Qom. September 29 President Obama meets with NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen in the Oval Office for an expanded delegation meeting. September 30 Obama tours the National Institute of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, along with NIH Director Francis Collins and Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius. October 1 President Barack Obama gives a statement on the Iranian nuclear program, in the Diplomatic Reception Room of the White House. OCTOBER 2, 2009 Olympic Tryouts President Obama and First Lady Obama, along with Oprah Winfrey, travel to Copenhagen, Denmark, to give a speech to the International Olympic Committee in a failed attempt to bring the 2016 Summer Olympics to Chicago.


October 2 President and First Lady Obama, along with Oprah Winfrey, travel to Copenhagen, Denmark, to give a speech to the International Olympic Committee in a failed attempt to bring the 2016 Summer Olympics to Chicago. October 3 The President and First Lady celebrate their 17th wedding anniversary at the Blue Duck Tavern in Washington, D.C. before heading back to the White House. October 5 President Obama gives a speech to doctors about health care reform on the Rose Garden of the White House. Obama also participates in a CEQ Executive Order signing in the Oval Office. October 6 Obama meets with the National Counter Terrorism Center leadership and analysts during a visit to the NCTC in McLean, Virginia. October 7 The President presents 2008 Medals of Science and Medals of Technology and Innovation during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House. Obama also hosts an Astronomy Night on the South Lawn, with Sally Ride. OCTOBER 9, 2009 Nobel Peace Prize


The 2009 Nobel Peace Prize is awarded to President Barack Obama “for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples.”

October 10 President Obama speaks at the Human Rights Campaign's 13th annual national dinner, to address civil rights and equality, along with homosexual marriage and "Don't ask, don't tell." October 13 Obama gives a statement thanking United States Senator Olympia Snowe, and thirteen Democratic Senators on the Senate Finance Committee for approving a healthcare bill. Obama then meets with Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero of Spain. President Obama also hosts a "Fiesta Latina" event at the White House, and welcomes performers Marc Anthony, Gloria Estefan, Tito el Bambino, Jimmy Smits, Eva Longoria and George Lopez. October 14 President Obama nominates Sharon Lubinski of the Minneapolis Police Department to be the first openly homosexual person to serve as a Marshal in the United States Marshals Service. Obama also speaks at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Washington, D.C., about Ted Kennedy and the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate. October 15 Obama travels to New Orleans, Louisiana, to visit areas still recovering from Hurricane Katrina. Obama then travels to San


Francisco, California to speak to the Democratic National Committee, alongside House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. October 16 Obama speaks to a forum at Texas A&M University, alongside former President George H. W. Bush, in College Station, Texas, to promote public service. October 19 President Obama visits Viers Mill Elementary School in Silver Spring, Maryland to speak to children about reading. October 20 President Barack Obama meets with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki in the Oval Office. October 21 Obama, along with Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, speaks at the Metropolitan Archives, in Landover, Maryland to announce a package of initiatives to increase credit to small businesses. Obama also meets with Senator John Kerry in the Oval Office to discuss the war in Afghanistan. October 22 President Barack Obama signs the Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and Transparency Act in the East Room of the White House. October 23


President Obama declares a national emergency, in response to the H1N1 epidemic, in the United States. October 26 President Barack Obama gives a speech to servicemen and women at Naval Air Station Jacksonville, in Jacksonville, Florida. October 27 Obama speaks and tours the DeSoto Next Generation Solar Energy Center in Arcadia, Florida. October 28 President Obama signs the Matthew Shepard Act in the East Room of the White House, expanding hate-crime law to include gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability. October 29 President Obama travels to Dover Air Force Base to oversee the return of eighteen American soldiers killed in Afghanistan. October 30 President Obama signs an executive order, lifting a 22-year old immigration and travel ban on citizens of the United States with HIV. October 31 The First Family hosts a Halloween party at the White House, and welcome more than two thousand children.


November 1 President Barack Obama travels to Camden and Newark, New Jersey to support the reelection campaign of Governor Jon Corzine. November 2 Obama meets with Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt of Sweden to discuss climate change before the United Nations Climate Change Conference 2009. November 3 Obama hosts several European leaders, meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Patriarch Bartholomew I, President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso and the High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana. November 4 President Obama and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan travel to James C. Wright Middle School in Madison, Wisconsin to discuss overhauls to the American education system. November 5 President Obama meets with the President of Botswana Ian Khama in the Oval Office. Obama also meets with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus to discuss Hispanic relations in the United States. November 6


Obama visits Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., to award two Purple Hearts. November 9 Barack Obama welcomes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oval Office. Obama also signs an executive order establishing the Council on Veterans Employment. November 10 President Barack Obama gives a eulogy at the Fort Hood ceremony honoring those killed in the shooting rampage on November 5, 2009, by Major Nidal Malik Hasan. November 11 President Obama travels to Arlington National Cemetery on Veterans Day, to lay a ceremonial wreath on the Tomb of the Unknowns. November 12 President Obama meets with military personnel at the Elmendorf Air Force Base, near Anchorage, Alaska. November 13 President Barack Obama arrives in Tokyo to meet with Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, and holds a bilateral meeting. November 14 Obama delivers a major address regarding Asia's relationship with the United States, at Suntory Hall in Minato, Tokyo, Japan.


November 15 President Obama attends the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Singapore 2009 conference in the Republic of Singapore, along with United States Trade Representative Ron Kirk. Obama also meets with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. November 16 President Barack Obama meets mayor Han Zheng in Shanghai, and holds a town hall to meet with students at the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum. Obama also attends a state dinner with President Hu Jintao in Beijing. November 17 Obama holds a series of meetings with President Hu Jintao, to discuss issues regarding U.S.-China relations. President Obama also tours the Forbidden City in Beijing. November 18 Barack Obama meets with Premier Wen Jiabao and visits the Great Wall of China before leaving for Seoul, South Korea. November 19 Obama meets and holds an arrival ceremony with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak in Seoul, South Korea. November 23 President Obama presents the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award to Magadonga Mahlangu, Jenni Williams, and their


organization known as WOZA, in a ceremony in the East Room of the White House. NOVEMBER 24, 2009 First State Dinner President Obama holds his first state dinner on the White House grounds in honor of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

November 25 President Barack Obama officially pardons two turkeys in recognition of Thanksgiving in the United States. November 30 Obama and Clinton meet Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. December 1 President Barack Obama travels to the United States Military Academy, where he presents his new battle strategy for the War in Afghanistan. December 3 The first family lights the National Christmas Tree. December 4 Obama goes to Allentown, Pennsylvania, to give a speech.


DECEMBER 10, 2009 Accepting the Nobel Prize President Obama accepts the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize at Oslo City Hall in Norway. He also meets with Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg, King Harald V, and Queen Sonja.

December 14 Obama meets with members of the financial industry including JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon and PNC Financial Services CEO Jim Rohr, to discuss economic recovery, and later meets with President of Lebanon Michel Suleiman. December 18 Obama attends the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen. December 24 The Obama family arrives in Oahu, Hawaii, for a 10-day holiday vacation at Plantation Estate. December 28 Obama makes his first public remarks on the Christmas Day attempted bombing of Northwest Airlines Flight 253.



2010 January 5 Obama holds a major security meeting in the wake of the attempted attack on Northwest Airlines Flight 253. January 7 President Obama meets with former President Bill Clinton at the White House. JANUARY 13-14, 2010 Helping Haiti President Obama holds a press conference discussing the operations of US government organizations such as USAID and the Department of Defense in response to the 2010 Haiti earthquake. On January 14th, he commits one hundred million dollars to help Haiti recover from the 2010 earthquake, while calling on former American Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton to assist.

January 16 Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and USAID Director Rajiv Shah travel to Haiti. January 17 Obama travels to Boston, Massachusetts to campaign for Martha Coakley in the Senate special election.


January 18 Obama participates in community service activities to honor slain civil rights hero Martin Luther King Jr., while also visiting the American Red Cross headquarters and personally submitting his first Twitter update. January 19 Republican Scott Brown wins the Massachusetts Senate special election in spite of Obama's personal efforts in support of his opponent, Martha Coakley. January 21 Obama announces the "Volcker rule" and a host of other proposals for new banking regulation. The Volcker rule restricted banks from making speculative investments that were not in the best interests of their customers. January 22 President Obama travels to Elyria, Ohio, visiting the Lorain County Community College and emphasizing his political agenda. January 25 President Obama hosts the Los Angeles Lakers at the White House for winning the 2009 NBA Finals. JANUARY 27, 2010 State of the Union President Barack Obama delivers his first State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress.


January 28 President Obama travels to MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, where he met with crew helping with the humanitarian response to the 2010 Haiti earthquake, before holding a town hall meeting at the University of Tampa. January 30 former President George H. W. Bush makes a social call on President Obama at the White House. February 1 Obama announces his proposal for the fiscal year 2011 federal budget. Obama answers questions submitted by the public in a live session moderated by Steve Grove of YouTube; the session is broadcast from the White House and on YouTube's CitizenTube channel. February 2 President Obama travels to Nashua, New Hampshire, touring small businesses before giving a speech at Nashau North High School. February 3 President Obama hosts a meeting of Governors in the State Dining Room. Afterwards, he holds a Cabinet-level exercise in crisis-management in preparation for the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.


February 6 President Obama speaks at a gathering of the Democratic National Committee's Winter Meeting at the Capitol Hilton in Washington, D.C. The president's motorcade encounters trouble due to the blizzard that affected the region when a snow-laden tree branch fell on a vehicle carrying journalists as it returned to the White House; no one was injured. FEBRUARY 9, 2010 Music Series Begins The President and First Lady host a concert of civil rights era music at the White House to celebrate Black History Month. The concert also marks the beginning of the 2010 White House music series.

FEBRUARY 10, 2010 Urban Economic Summit President Obama hosts an “urban economy summit� in the Oval Office with African-American leaders including Al Sharpton, Benjamin Jealous (president of the NAACP), and Marc Morial (president of the National Urban League).

February 11 President Obama meets with senior representatives from the March of Dimes charity, discussing the effects of preterm birth.


February 16 Obama announces $8.3 billion in federal loan guarantees to help Southern Company build two new nuclear reactors in Burke County, Georgia. President Obama also nominates career diplomat and former United States Ambassador to Algeria Robert Ford to be the first United States Ambassador to Syria since 2005. February 18 Obama meets with the Dalai Lama in the Map Room at the White House. February 25 President Obama delivers opening remarks at his bipartisan health care summit at Blair House. Obama awards the National Medal of Arts and the National Humanities Medal to twenty recipients in a ceremony in the East Room of the White House. February 27 The White House announces the naming of Julianna Smoot as Deputy Assistant to the President and Social Secretary; Smoot replaces DesirĂŠe Rogers. February 28 President Obama travels to Bethesda, Maryland, for a routine medical examination at the National Naval Medical Center, where he later visits soldiers who were wounded in the Iraq War and the War in Afghanistan.


March 1 Speaking at the United States Chamber of Commerce, President Obama announces that $900 million in grants would be given to under-performing schools in America upon acceptance of a reform model. March 2 Promoting his energy-related jobs proposals, President Obama addresses the faculty and students at the Savannah Technical College in Savannah, Georgia. March 5 President Obama travels to Arlington, Virginia, discussing his Administration's policy and the economic situation at the headquarters of OPOWER, a corporation producing efficient energy use technology. March 8 President Obama discusses health care reform at Arcadia University in Glenside. March 10 President Obama travels to St. Louis, Missouri, where he discusses his plans for health care reform. March 13 While in Atlanta, Georgia, President Obama details his plans for the overhaul of the American education system.


March 19 President Obama speaks at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, discussing his plans for major health care reform. March 20 President Obama confers with the Democratic Caucus of the United States House of Representatives, urging members to vote in favor of administration health care reform proposals. MARCH 23, 2010 Obama Signs Healthcare Law President Obama signs the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (commonly called “Obamacare�) into law. The act is the first major health care reform law enacted in the history of the United States after several failed attempts by previous administrations.

March 25 President Obama speaks at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa, where he defends the newly signed Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. March 28 President Obama makes an unannounced visit to Afghanistan where he meets with the country's president, Hamid Karzai.


March 30 President Barack Obama signs the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 into law at a ceremony at the Alexandria campus of Northern Virginia Community College. Obama hosts French president Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, at the White House. March 31 Speaking at Joint Base Andrews Naval Air Facility, Mr. Obama announces that he will approve oil and gas exploration in the eastern Gulf of Mexico and off the coast of Virginia, ending a moratorium on drilling off the East Coast of the United States. April 1 President Obama holds an hour-long phone conversation with Chinese President Hu Jintao. APRIL 4, 2010 Easter The Obama family celebrates Easter at Allen Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Southeast, Washington, D.C., drawing attention to an area with high crime and unemployment rates.

April 5 The Obamas host thousands of families on the White House lawn for the annual White House Easter Egg Roll. President Obama throws the ceremonial first pitch at the Washington Nationals season opener against the Philadelphia Phillies at


Nationals Park in Washington, D.C., marking the 100th year of the presidential tradition. April 8 President Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev sign the latest Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), a "major" nuclear arms control agreement that reduces the nuclear weapons stockpiles of both countries. April 9 President Obama and Czech President Václav Klaus hold a meeting at Prague Castle. April 10 President Obama calls Prime Minister of Poland Donald Tusk to express his condolences following the death of Polish president Lech Kaczynski and others in a plane crash. April 11 Obama holds talks at Blair House with heads of state from India, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, and South Africa on the eve of the Nuclear Security Summit that he is hosting in Washington, D.C. April 12 Obama holds bilateral meetings with a number of heads of state —including a high-profile meeting with Chinese President Hu Jintao—and hosts a working dinner with foreign government delegations as part of the Nuclear Security Summit that he is hosting.


April 13 President Obama participates in the second and final day of the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington, D.C., proclaiming at the conclusion of the gathering that "real progress" was made toward the goal of securing nuclear material worldwide. APRIL 4, 2010 Deep Space Speech In a major space policy speech at Kennedy Space Center, President Obama outlines his proposal to add $6 billion to NASA's budget over the next five years with funding being used for deep space exploration rather than lunar exploration. In a memorandum, Obama also orders the Department of Health and Human Services to write rules that would prohibit hospitals that receive funding from Medicare or Medicaid from denying visitation privileges on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability.

April 17 Due to air travel disruption across Europe after the eruption of Iceland's Eyjafjallajรถkull volcano, the White House cancels plans for President Obama to attend the funeral of Polish president Lech Kaczynski. APRIL 20, 2010 Deepwater Horizon Disaster Begins The Deepwater Horizon drilling rig explodes in an oil field about 40 miles southeast of the Louisiana coast. The explosion killed 11 workers and injured 16 others. The explosion caused the Deepwater Horizon to burn and sink, resulting in a massive


offshore oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, considered the largest accidental marine oil spill in the world, and the second largest environmental disaster in U.S. history, behind the Dust Bowl.

April 22 Speaking at Cooper Union in Lower Manhattan, President Obama urges CEOs to back his financial reform proposal and to support regulatory legislation. April 23 Obama speaks at a naturalization ceremony for active-duty members of the U.S. military forces in the Rose Garden, strongly criticizing the newly passed Arizona SB1070 measure against illegal immigration, and calling for federal immigration reform. April 23-25 President and Mrs. Obama are in Asheville, North Carolina for a weekend vacation. APRIL 25, 2010 Meeting Billy Graham President Obama meets briefly with Billy Graham at his home in Montreat, North Carolina. President Obama and Vice President Biden also travel to Beckley, West Virginia, where they meet with family members of miners killed in the Upper Big Branch Mine disaster; Obama delivers a eulogy at a service for the 29 miners who died in the mine explosion.


April 26 Obama welcomes the World Series Champion New York Yankees to the White House to honor their 2009 season. He also speaks at the Presidential Summit on Entrepreneurship at the Ronald Reagan Building. April 27 Obama travels to Iowa and tours the Siemens Wind Turbine Blade Manufacturing Plant in Fort Madison, Iowa. There he delivers remarks on how to grow the economy and put Americans back to work. He also visits a local business in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa and holds a town hall meeting in Indian Hills Community College, Ottumwa, Iowa, spending the night in Des Moines. April 28 Obama tours a POET Biorefining plant in Macon, Missouri and delivers remarks on rebuilding the economy. He then tours a local farm and visits with the family that operates the farm in Palmyra, Missouri. Later that afternoon he delivers remarks on the urgent need to pass Wall Street reform at the OakleyLindsay Civic Center in Quincy, Illinois. APRIL 29, 2010 Funeral of Dorothy Height President Obama, Vice President Biden, and the First Lady attend Dorothy Height’s funeral at the National Cathedral. Height was an educator and social activist who presided over the National Council of Negro Women for forty years. She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1994 and the Congressional Gold Medal in 2004.


Obama also honors the 2010 National Teacher of the Year and the state teachers of the year from across the country at an event in the Rose Garden. Dr. Jill Biden and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan join him for the event. He also attends a private DNC fundraising dinner in Washington, D.C.

April 30 From the Rose Garden President Obama makes a statement on the first quarter 2010 GDP numbers. He is joined by representatives and workers from two U.S. manufacturers, Itron, a Washington state based manufacturer of smart energy meters, and A123 Systems, a Massachusetts based advanced battery manufacturer, that are expanding production and hiring as a result of the Recovery Act. He also travels to the James J. Rowley Training Center in Beltsville, Maryland and observes the Secret Service's training procedures and demonstration activities. May 1 Obama delivers the commencement address at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. That evening he and the First Lady attend the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner, where he delivers remarks. May 2 Obama is in Venice, Louisiana where he remarks on the Times Square Car Bombing Attempt and the BP Oil-Spill. May 3


Obama speaks at the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy Presentation with the Naval Academy in the Rose Garden. He also hosts a dinner for the Business Council in the State Dining Room. May 4 Obama addresses the annual meeting of the Business Council at the Park Hyatt. The President remarks about the administration's ongoing efforts to spur job creation and the important role the business community plays in efforts to rebuild the economy. He discusses the urgent need to pass Wall Street reform and address core principles of reform that will protect consumers and put in place clear rules of the road to help prevent another crisis. He also meets with Elie Wiesel in the private dining room at the White House. May 5 Obama meets with Senator Kyl and Senator Hatch in the Oval Office. He signs the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2010, which will improve health care services for veterans and expand caregiver benefits and training. He also delivers remarks at a Cinco de Mayo reception in the Rose Garden. May 6 Obama meets with his national security team on Afghanistan and Pakistan behind closed doors in the Situation Room. May 9 President Obama delivers the commencement address at Hampton University in Hampton, Virginia.


MAY 10, 2010 Appointing Elena Kagan Due to the impending retirement of Justice John Paul Stevens President Obama appoints Elena Kagan as his Supreme Court nominee. Kagan was a professor at Harvard Law School and was later named its first female dean. She previously served the Obama administration as Solicitor General.

May 12 Mr Obama attends a bilateral meeting and joint press conference with President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan. May 17 President Obama signs the Daniel Pearl Freedom of the Press Act in the Oval Office. He then welcomes the NCAA Champion University of Connecticut women's basketball team. May 22 President Obama delivers the commencement address at the United States Military Academy at West Point in West Point, New York. May 24 The President meets with Prime Minister Saad Hariri of Lebanon at the White House.


May 25 The President meets with President Giorgio Napolitano of Italy at the White House. MAY 27, 2010 Obama Addresses the BP Oil Spill President Obama holds a news conference in the East Room to answer questions about the BP Deepwater Horizon Gulf of Mexico oil spill. The president explained strategies that BP was attempting to use to stop the oil spill and tried to reassure the nation that it was still safe to visit the Gulf Coast.

June 1 President Obama meets with President Alan GarcĂ­a of Peru. June 2 The President and First Lady host a concert honoring Sir Paul McCartney. June 3 President Obama delivers remarks to the United States-India Strategic Dialogue at a reception held by Secretary of State Clinton. June 4 The President participates in a meeting with Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen and Louisiana local elected officials at the Louis Armstrong International Airport in Kenner, Louisiana.


June 9 The President meets with President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority. June 10 President Obama meets with family members of casualties due to the BP Deepwater Horizon explosion. The oil spill was still gushing into the Gulf of Mexico. June 14 Mr Obama travels to the Gulf Coast to evaluate efforts to cap the BP oil spill. JUNE 15, 2010 Obama Addresses the Nation Speaking from the Oval Office, the President addresses the nation about the BP oil spill. He announces efforts that will be made to capture the oil that is being spewed into the Gulf and says the government will make BP pay for the disaster. He also announces a cleanup plan for the Gulf Coast.

June 25 The President travels to Muskoka, Canada for the G8 Summit and participates in various sessions and meetings.


June 26 The President participates in the G8 Working session in Muskoka and then travels to Toronto, Canada for the G20 Summit. The President holds separate bilateral meetings with Prime Minister David Cameron of the United Kingdom, President Lee Myung-bak of the Republic of Korea, President Hu Jintao of the People's Republic of China and attends the G20 Working Dinner. June 27 The President has a morning meeting with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of Indonesia and then attends the G20 Leaders Working Sessions and various plenery sessions. In the late afternoon he meets with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of India. In the evening President Obama meets with Prime Minister Naoto Kan of Japan. July 2 President Obama and Vice-President Biden speak at a memorial service for Senator Robert C. Byrd. July 4 The First Family holds an Independence Day celebration on the South Lawn of the White House. In attendance are military heroes and their families along with administrative staff and their families. July 6 In the fifth meeting between President Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, both agree to encourage direct Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.


July 8 President Obama travels to Kansas City, Missouri and visits Smith Electric Vehicles plant which received a $32 million Recovery Act Grant to build all-electric trucks. July 12 The President hosts President Leonel Fernåndez of the Dominican Republic for a working meeting at the White House. July 13 The President and the Vice President meet with the Senate Democratic Leadership Team. The President also delivers remarks on the National HIV/AIDS Strategy. July 14 The President briefly attends a meeting to discuss the progress made by the Administration’s increased cybersecurity efforts. July 15 The President travels to Holland, Michigan and delivers remarks at a groundbreaking ceremony for Compact Power battery plant. July 16 The First Family travels to Bar Harbor, Maine for several days of summer vacation.


July 19 The President delivers a statement to the press about the economy. He welcomes the WNBA Champion Phoenix Mercury to the White House to honor the team’s 2009 championship season. In the evening, the President and the First Lady attend the White House Music Series event saluting Broadway; the President delivers remarks. July 20 President Obama holds a bilateral meeting, working lunch, and press conference, with Prime Minister Cameron of the United Kingdom July 21 President Obama signs the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, considered to be the largest financial system overhaul since the New Deal. The law recognizes complex financial derivatives and protects consumers from unfair practices in loans and credit cards by establishing a new consumer protection agency. July 22 The President delivers remarks and signs the Improper Payments Elimination and Recovery Act as well as an extension for those receiving unemployment benefits. July 23 The President delivers a statement to the press on the economy.


July 26 President Obama delivers a statement to the press on the Senate campaign finance reform vote and delivers remarks at an event to commemorate the 20th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. July 27 The President holds a bipartisan meeting with members of Congress. He congratulates the Warner Robins Softball World Series Champions and later that day attends a DNC Fundraising Dinner. July 28 Mr Obama travels to Edison, New Jersey and delivers remarks about the Small Business Jobs Initiative. July 30 President Obama travels to the Detroit, Michigan area to promote the government bailout of the auto industry. He speaks to workers at the Detroit Chrysler plant and workers at the General Motors' Hamtramck auto assembly plant in Hamtramck, Michigan. August 3 President Obama delivers remarks at George Mason University to mark the implementation of the Post-911 GI bill. In the afternoon the President meets with the Emir of Kuwait Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. August 8


Obama's nominee, Elena Kagan, is sworn in as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. August 9 The New Orleans Saints football team visit the White House to be honored for their 2009 Super Bowl Championship. August 10 The President receives the credentials of Foreign Ambassadors and marks the beginning of their service in Washington, D.C. August 11 After a morning meeting with his national security team on the subject of Iraq, the President delivers remarks and signs the Manufacturing Enhancement Act. August 31 New design of the Oval Office is presented to the press. The President announces an end to the combat mission in Iraq with a speech given from the Oval Office. September 14 The President delivers his second annual Back-to-School speech. September 18 President Obama delivers remarks at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation annual Phoenix Award Dinner.


September 20 The President awards Chief Master Sergeant Richard Etchberger, U.S. Air Force, the Medal of Honor for conspicuous gallantry during the Vietnam War. September 23 The President travels to New York City and addresses the United Nations General Assembly. He also has bilateral meetings with Premier Wen Jiabao of China, Prime Minister Naoto Kan of Japan, President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan, President Juan Manuel Santos of Colombia, and President Roza Otunbayeva of Krygyzstan. SEPTEMBER 27, 2010 Small Business Jobs and Credit Act The President signs the Small Business Jobs and Credit Act of 2010 into law. The law authorizes the creation of the Small Business Lending Fund Program administered by the Treasury Department to make capital investments in eligible institutions, in order to increase the availability of credit for small businesses.

October 4 President Obama meets with the Economic Recovery Advisory Board. OCTOBER 5, 2010 White House Summit of Community Colleges


Along with Dr. Jill Biden, the President conducts the first ever White House Summit of Community Colleges. This event highlighted the critical role that community colleges play in developing America’s workforce and reaching educational goals. President Obama also signs “Rosa's Law” which changes references in many Federal Statutes that refer to mental retardation to refer, instead to, “intellectual disability.”

October 6 The President awards Staff Sergeant Robert J. Miller, U.S. Army, the Medal of Honor for conspicuous gallantry in Afghanistan. October 8 Mr. Obama signs the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010. October 15 President Obama meets with former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. OCTOBER 19, 2010 Hispanic Education Initiative President Obama signs a White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans in the East Room. The initiative established a multi-agency working group within the Department of Education charged with strengthening the nation’s capacity to provide high quality education while increasing opportunities for Hispanic American participation in federal education programs.


October 19 President Obama signs a White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans in the East Room. October 25 The President tours the American Cord and Webbing factory in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, and speaks with workers there. October 31 Obama issues a statement honoring former Kennedy aide Ted Sorensen, who died today. The President visits Cleveland, Ohio, stumping for that state’s governor, Ted Strickland. November 2 Obama appears on the Ryan Seacrest radio show along with several others to appeal to young voters to vote on Election Day. NOVEMBER 3, 2010 “Shellacking” President Obama holds a news conference in the White House to acknowledge that he and the Democratic party took a “shellacking” in the mid-term elections. The President stated, “We were in such a hurry to get things done that we didn’t change how things got done. And I think that frustrated people.” He also promised to seek common ground with Republicans


November 6 The President and First Lady Michelle Obama begin a ten-day trip to Asia to improve export opportunities. November 14 Mr and Mrs Obama return from their four-nation tour having met with various world leaders, spoke at multiple venues, held news conferences, and attended G20 plenary sessions and ceremonies. November 16 President Obama awards U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Salvatore Giunta the Medal of Honor for conspicuous gallantry in the Afghan War. November 19 The President arrives in Lisbon, Portugal to attend the Lisbon summit and discuss the Afghanistan situation, NATO and the European Union with European allies. President Obama holds various bilateral meetings with President Cavaco Silva and Prime Minister JosĂŠ SĂłcrates of Portugal, and with Mikheil Saakashvili, President of Georgia. November 20 While at the Lisbon summit, Obama attends various meetings pertaining to Afghanistan and various Russian Council sessions and holds a bilateral meeting with President Karzai of Afghanistan. November 23


Obama and South Korean President Lee Myung-bak agree in a telephone call to hold joint military and training exercises "in the coming days", in response to the Shelling of Yeonpyeong incident. November 24 President Obama officially pardons two turkeys, “Apple” and “Cider”, during the National Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation. November 26 Obama takes the day off and heads to Fort McNair for a game of basketball. he is inadvertently struck in the lip by Reynaldo Decerega’s elbow during the game and had to receive twelve stitches at the White House Medical Unit to close the wound. November 29 President Obama proposes a two-year pay freeze for federal employees. November 30 Obama meets with Congressional leaders of both parties, a meeting that is dubbed the "Slurpee Summit". December 1 The President meets over lunch with District of Columbia mayor-elect Vincent Gray at the White House. December 3 The President makes an unannounced trip to Afghanistan to speak with that country's president, Hamid Karzai, and to visit


with American troops. Obama grants the first presidential pardons of his administration to nine people. December 6 Obama speaks to Chinese President Hu Jintao, by phone, and urges him to unite with other regional powers and send a clear message to North Korea that its "provocations were unacceptable". The President announces a compromise agreement with Congressional Republicans regarding a tax package that revolves around the question of extending the Bush tax cuts, then begins an effort to convince unhappy Congressional Democrats to accept it. December 7 President Obama holds a news conference regarding the tax cut and unemployment benefits compromise. December 13 The President signs the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 into law. December 16 In an Administrative Assessment of the eight-year Afghanistan war, President Obama hails significant progress but says it remains "a very difficult endeavor". December 17 Obama signs the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010.


DECEMBER 22, 2010 Repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” Obama signs the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Repeal Act of 2010. The Act paves the way for homosexuals to serve openly in the military. Obama later departed Washington to join his family for his planned 11-day vacation at Plantation Estate in Hawaii.

December 25 The President and First Lady Michelle Obama visit members of the military and their families at Marine Corps Base Hawaii.



2011 January 2 President Obama signs the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010 into law at his vacation rental house, Plantation Estate, in Hawaii. January 4 President Obama signs 35 acts into law including the Government Performance and Results Modernization Act of 2010 and the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act. January 5 President Obama meets with senior advisors. January 6 President Obama announces William Daley as his new White House Chief of Staff. January 7 President Obama tours Thompson Creek Manufacturing, delivers remarks on the monthly employment report, and appoints Holly Petraeus as the head of the Office of Service Member Affairs. January 8 President Obama releases his weekly address.


January 10 President Obama leads a national moment of silence for the victims of the 2011 Tucson shooting. French President Nicolas Sarkozy meets with Obama at the White House in anticipation of France's hosting of the G8 and G20 summits. January 11 President Obama meets with senior advisors. JANUARY 12, 2011 Rally in Tucson After a morning meeting with Prime Minister Hariri of Lebanon, the President and First Lady travel to Tucson, Arizona, where they visit Representative Gabrielle Giffords and other survivors of the recent shooting; later, the President delivers remarks at a memorial service for the six victims of the shooting.

January 13 President Obama meets with senior advisors. January 14 President Obama meets with President Zardari of Pakistan. Later, the President and the Vice President attend Ambassador Holbrooke’s funeral service, the President will deliver remarks January 15 President Obama releases his weekly address.


January 17 The President and the First Lady will participate in a service project in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. January 18 President Obama hosts a private dinner for President Hu of China. January 19 President and Mrs. Obama welcome Chinese President Hu Jintao to the White House for a state visit. January 20 President Obama and the Vice President meet with a bipartisan group of mayors to discuss jobs and the economy. The President later delivers remarks at the 50th Anniversary of John F. Kennedy’s inauguration. January 21 President Obama delivers remarks on the economy in New York and later attends the Democratic Issues Conference. He also announces that Paul Volcker will be stepping down as an adviser to the Economic Recovery Advisory Board. January 22 President Obama releases his weekly address. January 24


President Obama and the First Lady host a reception for new members of Congress. JANUARY 25, 2011 State of the Union President Obama delivers his second State of the Union Address to a joint session of Congress.

January 26 President Obama tours Orion Energy Systems, Inc. in Wisconsin and delivers remarks on the economy. He also tours Skana Aluminum Company and Tower Tech Systems, Inc. January 27 President Obama meets with his national security team for his monthly meeting on Afghanistan and Pakistan. He also participates in a YouTube interview with Steve Grove. January 28 President Obama addresses Families USA's 16th Annual Health Action Conference and later delivers a statement to the press. January 29 President Obama releases his weekly address. January 31 President Obama meets with senior advisors.


February 1 President Obama delivers remarks on the protests in Egypt. FEBRUARY 2, 2011 A New START President Obama signs the instrument of ratification for New START, a nuclear arms reduction treaty between the United States and the Russian Federation.

February 3 President Obama speaks at the National Prayer Breakfast. The President visits Penn State University to promote his "Better Buildings" energy conservation initiative. February 4 President Obama meets with Prime Minister Harper of Canada. February 5 President Obama releases his weekly address. February 7 The President speaks at a meeting of the United States Chamber of Commerce at the organization's headquarters near the White House. February 8


President Obama meets with the National Policy Alliance. February 9 President Obama and the Vice President have lunch with Speaker Boehner, Republican Leader Cantor and Republican Whip McCarthy. Obama also meets with Prime Minister Borut Pahor of Slovenia. February 10 President Obama views the Northern Michigan University's WiMAX demonstration and delivers remarks on the National Wireless Initiative. FEBRUARY 11, 2011 A Change in Egypt President Obama speaks about the Arab Spring revolution in Egypt following the resignation of that country’s president, Hosni Mubarak. On this day, Jay Carney replaces Robert Gibbs as White House Press Secretary.

February 12 President Obama releases his weekly address. February 14 The President unveils his spending request for the 2012 federal budget. Obama visits Parkville Middle School and Center of Technology in Baltimore County, Maryland, to highlight educational priorities in his proposed 2012 budget.


February 15 President Obama presents the Presidential Medal of Freedom to fifteen people in a ceremony at the White House. February 16 President Obama delivers remarks on the America’s Great Outdoors initiative. FEBRUARY 17, 2011 Tech Meet-Up President Obama and the CEOs of major technology companies —including Carol Bartz, John Chambers, Dick Costolo, Larry Ellison, Reed Hastings, Steve Jobs, Art Levinson, Eric Schmidt, Steve Westly, Mark Zuckerberg, and Stanford University president John L. Hennessy—meet at the home of John Doerr to discuss the President's innovation initiatives.

February 18 President Obama tours a semiconductor manufacturing facility, views student demonstrations by Intel Science Talent Search finalists, and delivers remarks on the importance of outeducating our competitors in order to win the future. February 19 President Obama releases his weekly address. February 22


The President speaks at the Winning the Future Forum on Small Business at Cleveland State University. February 23 President Obama visits with wounded service members and their families at the National Naval Medical Center and awards six Purple Heart medals. Obama delivers a televised statement on the situation in Libya. February 24 President Obama holds a meeting with his Council on Jobs and Competitiveness. February 25 President Obama and the Vice President meet with Democratic Governors. February 26 President Obama releases his weekly address. February 27 The 2011 Governors’ Dinner is hosted by President Obama in the State Dining Room of the White House. The President makes an appearance in a pre-recorded clip shown during the 83rd Academy Awards ceremony. February 28 President Obama meets with UN Secretary General Ban KiMoon.


March 1 Obama meets with the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations in the State Dining Room of the White House. March 2 President Obama presents the National Medal of Arts and the National Humanities Medal to awardees in a ceremony at the White House. The President signs a short-term budget extension bill to fund the federal government through March 18. March 3 Obama holds meetings and a press conference with Mexican president Felipe Calderรณn. March 4 President Obama meets with Chicago Mayor-Elect Rahm Emanuel. He also visits a classroom in Florida with former Governor Jeb Bush and Secretary Duncan and delivers remarks on winning the future in education. Later, he speaks at two DSCC fundraisers. March 5 President Obama releases his weekly address. March 7 Obama holds meetings and a press conference with Australian prime minister Julia Gillard.


March 8 The President ends his two-year ban on military trials for detainees held at Guantanamo Bay with Executive Order 13567. March 9 President Obama meets with Veterans of Foreign Wars National Commander Richard Eubank and hosts a party to watch the Chicago Bulls vs. Charlotte Bobcats game. MARCH 10, 2011 Anti-Bullying The President and First Lady host the first Conference on Bullying Prevention at the White House. The president also delivers a major speech on U.S.-Russia relations hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce in Russia.

March 11 President Obama holds a news conference about rising energy prices among other issues and then honors the 2009-10 Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks in a ceremony at the White House. March 12 President Obama releases his weekly address.


March 14 President Obama delivers a speech on reforming education and meets with Prime Minister Rasmussen of Denmark and General David Petraeus. March 15 President Obama is interviewed by KOAT Albuquerque, KDKA Pittsburgh and WVEC Hampton Roads on the importance of education reform and the need to fix No Child Left Behind. He later meets with student finalists of the Intel Science Talent Search 2011 competition. The President and the First Lady also host a dinner for the Combatant Commanders and spouses. March 16 President Obama meets with US AID Administrator Rah Shah. He also accepts an award in conjunction with Sunshine Week and delivers remarks at a DNC event. March 17 President Obama meets with Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny. The President and the First Lady host a St. Patrick's Day reception. March 18 President Obama is interviewed by WSOC Charlotte, WSVN Miami and WPVI Philadelphia to preview his trip to Latin America and highlight the economic benefits of America's relationship with the region. He also consults with a bipartisan group of Congressional leaders on Libya.


MARCH 19, 2011 War in Libya President Obama orders military air strikes against Muammar Gaddafi's forces in Libya. The air strikes helped level the battle field so Libyan rebels would have a chance to oust Gaddafi. Shortly afterward, he travels to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to meet with President Dilma Rousseff.

March 20 The First Family tours Christ the Redeemer Statue. March 21 The First Family arrives in Santiago, Chile. March 22 President Obama meets with President Funes of El Salvador. March 23 President Obama attends a U.S. Embassy meet and greet and the First Family returns to Washington D.C. March 24 President Obama meets with Secretary of the Treasury Tim Geithner.


March 25 President Obama hosts a reception for Greek Independence Day. March 26 President Obama releases his weekly address. March 28 Obama delivers a speech at the National Defense University explaining his rationale for ordering United States military intervention in Libya. He also participates in an education town hall hosted by Univision. March 29 President Obama delivers remarks at the dedication of the Ronald H. Brown United States Mission to the United Nations Building. March 30 President Obama discusses domestic energy policy and hybrid vehicles at Georgetown University. March 31 President Obama meets with senior advisors. April 1 President Obama tours the Landover UPS Facility and meets with Sudan Special Envoy Ambassador Princeton Lyman.


April 2 President Obama releases his weekly address. APRIL 4, 2011 Looking for a Second Term President Obama announces that he is running for a second term as President of the United States.

April 5 President Obama and the Vice President hold a meeting on Libya and meet with Congressional Leadership to discuss ongoing negotiations on a funding bill. Obama also meets with President Shimon Peres of Israel, the CEO of the Millennium Challenge Corporation Daniel Yohannes, and the CEO of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation Elizabeth Littlefield. April 6 President Obama holds a town hall discussion with Gamesa workers and delivers remarks at the National Action Network's Annual Gala. April 7 President Obama and the Vice President meet with Speaker John Boehner and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to discuss ongoing negotiations on a funding bill. The President meets with Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos.


April 9 President Obama releases his weekly address. April 11 President Obama holds a meeting on Libya. April 12 President Obama, the Vice President, the First Lady and Dr. Biden deliver remarks at the launch of the First Lady and Dr. Jill Biden’s national initiative to support and honor America’s service members and their families. The President meets with the Director of the Office of Personnel Management John Berry. April 13 President Obama and the Vice President meet with bipartisan House and Senate leadership to discuss fiscal policy. Later, the President delivers a speech on fiscal policy. APRIL 14, 2011 Nomination for Religious Freedom Ambassador President Obama renominates Suzan Johnson Cook for United States Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom. He had previously nominated her on June 15, 2010, but her nomination was put on hold in the Senate and expired without a vote at the end of the 111th session of Congress. The President also holds a bilateral meeting with Amir Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani of Qatar and delivers remarks at a DNC meeting in Chicago.


April 15 President Obama and the Vice President meet with leadership of the National Conference of State Legislators. April 16 President Obama releases his weekly address. April 18 President Obama presents the Commander-in-Chief Trophy to the Air Force Academy football team. He also is is interviewed by KCNC Denver, WRAL Raleigh, WFAA Dallas and WTHR Indianapolis. The President and the First Lady mark the beginning of Passover with a Seder at the White House. April 19 President Obama holds a town hall to discuss his vision for reducing our debt and bringing down our deficit, based on the values of shared responsibility and shared prosperity. He later meets with a broad group of business, law enforcement, faith, and current and former elected and appointed leaders from across the political spectrum on the importance of fixing our nation's broken immigration system. April 20 President Obama participates in a Shared Responsibility and Shared Prosperity town hall hosted by Facebook to discuss his vision for bringing down our deficit and delivers remarks at a DNC event.


April 21 President Obama participates in a Shared Responsibility and Shared Prosperity town hall where he will discuss his vision for bringing down our deficit. He also delivers remarks at four DNC events. April 22 President Obama returns to the White House. April 23 President Obama releases his weekly address. April 25 The First Family attends the 2011 White House Easter Egg Roll and the President delivers remarks, April 26 President Obama is interviewed by WSB Atlanta, WKYC Cleveland, WTKR Hampton Roads, Virginia, and WXYZ Detroit. He also meets with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates. April 27 President Obama and the First Lady tape an episode of the Oprah Winfrey Show. The White House releases a copy of Obama's "long-form" birth certificate. April 28


President Obama holds a meeting on Libya. He also meets with a group of influential Hispanics from across the country on the importance of fixing our nation's broken immigration system to meet our 21st century economic and national security needs. Later, he hosts Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli. April 29 The President meets with participants of the 1968 Memphis Sanitation Strike at the White House; travels to Alabama to view damage from the recent tornado outbreak and meet with Governor Robert J. Bentley; and delivers the commencement address at Miami Dade College. April 30 Obama attends the annual White House Correspondents' Association Dinner. May 2 President Obama awards Private First Class Anthony T. Kaho’ohanohano, U.S. Army, and Private First Class Henry Svehla, U.S. Army, the Medal of Honor for conspicuous gallantry. The President and First Lady also host a group of bipartisan leaders and ranking members and their spouses for a dinner. MAY 2, 2011 Osama bin Laden’s Death President Obama announces that a Navy SEAL Team has carried out a successful operation to kill Osama Bin Laden at his hideout in Pakistan. Bin Laden was the mastermind behind the 9/11 terrorist attacks.


May 3 President Obama honors the 2011 National Teacher of the Year and State Teachers of the Year. He also meets with members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. May 4 President Obama welcomes the Wounded Warrior Project’s Soldier Ride. May 5 The President lays a wreath at "Ground Zero" in New York City after visiting with police and firefighters there. May 6 Obama visits Fort Campbell where he meets with members of SEAL Team Six who participated in the raid on Osama bin Laden's compound; the President also awards Presidential Unit Citations to the military units involved in the operation. He also delivers remarks to workers at Allison Transmission Headquarters in Indiana. May 7 President Obama releases his weekly address. May 9 President Obama meets with the crew of Space Shuttle Discovery. The President and the Vice President also meet with the co-chairs of the U.S. and China Strategic and Economic Dialogue.


May 10 Obama delivers a speech in El Paso, Texas, on immigration reform. May 11 President Obama participates in a CBS News Townhall Meeting on the Economy and meets with the Senate Democratic Caucus. The President and the First Lady host a celebration of American poetry and prose at the White House. May 12 President Obama delivers remarks at the National Hispanic Prayer Breakfast. The President and the Vice President meet with the Senate Republican Caucus. Later, the President and Vice President honor the National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO) TOP COPS. Obama meets with the Congressional Black Caucus and is interviewed by Telemundo, KINC Univision/Entravision Las Vegas, WLTV Univision 23 Miami and Telemundo Dallas. May 14 President Obama releases his weekly address. May 16 President Obama meets with families impacted by the flooding, state and local officials, first responders and volunteers in Tennessee. He also delivers the commencement address at Booker T. Washington High School, the winner of the 2011 Race to the Top Commencement Challenge. At the White House, he welcomes the University of Connecticut men's


basketball team to the White House for a ceremony honoring their 2011 NCAA national championship. May 17 President Obama meets with His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan. He also hosts a White House reception in honor of Jewish American Heritage Month. May 18 President Obama delivers the commencement address at the United States Coast Guard Academy. He also speaks at DNC events. May 19 President Obama delivers a speech on the events in the Middle East and North Africa, and U.S. policy in the region. He is later interviewed by the BBC and delivers remarks at the Women’s Leadership Forum. May 20 President Obama meets with Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel and delivers remarks to CIA employees. May 21 President Obama releases his weekly address.


MAY 23, 2011 Visit to Ireland President Obama and the First Lady arrive at the Irish President’s Residence and sign the guest book. They meet with President McAleese and his wife Dr. McAleese and participate in a tree planting ceremony. President Obama holds a bilateral meeting with Taoiseach Kenny. The President and First Lady visit Moneygall, Ireland, the home of one of the President's ancestors. Obama delivers remarks at an Irish Celebration.

May 24 President Obama and the First Lady arrive in the United Kingdom. Together, they have lunch with Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, view the Portrait Gallery, visit 10 Downing Street, and attend a dinner hosted by the Queen. May 25 President Obama meets with Prime Minister Cameron. They later attend an event hosted by Mrs. Cameron and the First Lady to honor military families and U.S. and U.K. service members and veterans. Obama also addresses the delivers remarks to the U.K. Parliament. May 26 President Obama attends the G-8 Summit in France. May 27 President Obama attends the G-8 Summit in France. Later, he participates in a wreath laying at the Tomb of the Unknown


Soldier in Poland. He also meets with President Komorowski of Poland and Central and European Union Leaders. May 28 President Obama holds an expanded bilateral meeting with President Komorowski of Poland. He and Prime Minister Tusk of Poland hold a working lunch. May 29 Obama visits Joplin, Missouri, in response to the city's recent tornado destruction. May 31 President Obama officially nominates Mr. John Bryson to succeed Gary Locke as Secretary of Commerce. June 1 President Obama receives the annual briefing on the forecast for the 2011 hurricane season and meets with the House Republican Conference. June 2 President Obama meets with the House Democratic Caucus and delivers remarks at the Pritzker Architecture Prize Event. June 3 President Obama tours Chrysler Group Toledo Supplier Park and delivers remarks to workers.


June 4 President Obama releases his weekly address. June 6 President Obama is interviewed by Hearst DC Bureau, WEWS Cleveland and WDIV Detroit about the importance of the auto industry resurgence. June 7 The President welcomes Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel to the White House for a state visit. June 8 President Obama visits Northern Virginia Community College – Alexandria Campus and delivers remarks on the importance of training and preparing our workforce to compete for manufacturing jobs across the nation. He also delivers remarks at an event honoring Auburn University’s 2010 BCS National Championship and meets with President Goodluck Jonathan of Nigeria. June 9 President Obama meets with President Ali Bongo Ondimba of Gabon. June 10 The First Family departs the White House to spend the weekend at Camp David. June 11


President Obama releases his weekly address. June 13 President Obama tours Cree, Inc’s manufacturing facility and meets with the Jobs and Competitiveness Council. He also delivers remarks at a DNC event in Florida. June 14 Obama visits Puerto Rico, the first such trip by a sitting U.S. president since John F. Kennedy. June 15 President Obama hosts military fathers and their children for a screening of Cars 2 from Disney/Pixar. He and the First Lady also host a Congressional Picnic at the White House. June 16 President Obama meets with Mongolian President Tsakhia Elbegdorj. June 17 President Obama visits the Walter Reed Army Medical Center and greets young elected leaders at the White House. June 18 Obama teams up with Speaker of the House John Boehner in a round of golf against Vice President Joe Biden and Governor of Ohio John Kasich.


June 20 The President and the Vice President meet with a bipartisan group of mayors to discuss the economy and hear from the mayors about their local efforts to create jobs and spur economic growth June 21 President Obama holds private meetings. JUNE 22, 2011 The Beginning of the End in Afghanistan The President announces his plan to withdraw 33,000 U.S. troops from Afghanistan by the summer of 2012. He also greets Asian American and Pacific Islander Community Leaders.

June 23 President Obama meets with soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division and meets with Gold Star Families. June 24 President Obama tours Carnegie Mellon University’s National Robotics Engineering Center (NREC) and delivers remarks on the need to focus on cross-cutting technologies that will enhance the global competitiveness of U.S. manufacturing and speed up ideas from the drawing board to the manufacturing floor.


June 25 President Obama releases his weekly address. June 27 President Obama welcomes the MLS champion Colorado Rapids to the White House. He and the Vice President also meet with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. June 28 President Obama tours Alcoa Davenport Works and delivers remarks on the critical role the manufacturing sector plays in the American economy. June 29 President Obama holds a news conference; welcomes the WNBA Champion Seattle Storm to the White House; meets with Senate Democratic Leadership; and delivers remarks at an event observing LGBT Pride month. June 30 President Obama delivers remarks at the Armed Forces Farewell Tribute in honor of Secretary Gates and delivers remarks at a DNC event in Pennsylvania July 1 President Obama heads to Camp David for the weekend. July 4


The First Family attends a Fourth of July celebration and the President delivers remarks. July 5 President Obama and the Vice President meet with Ambassador Crocker and Lieutenant General Allen. The President later delivers brief remarks on the status of efforts to find a balanced approach to deficit reduction. July 6 President Obama hosts a Twitter Town Hall. July 7 President Obama and the Vice President meet with Congressional Leadership. The President also participates in an Ambassador Credentialing Ceremony. July 8 President Obama meets with Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. He also delivers a statement on the monthly jobs report and participates in regional interviews on the economy and the importance of finding a balanced approach to deficit reduction. July 9 President Obama releases his weekly address and heads to Camp David. July 10 President Obama and the Congressional leadership.

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July 11 President Obama holds a news conference on the status of efforts to find a balanced approach to deficit reduction and meets with Congressional leadership. July 12 President Obama awards Sergeant First Class Leroy Arthur Petry of the U.S. Army the Medal of Honor. He also meets with Congressional leadership. July 13 President Obama meets with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. He also meets with members of his Intelligence Advisory Board and Congressional leadership. July 14 President Obama participates in regional interviews on the economy and the importance of finding a balanced approach to deficit reduction and meets with Congressional leadership. July 15 President Obama holds a news conference on the status of efforts to find a balanced approach to deficit reduction. He also calls the crews of the Space Shuttle Atlantis and the International Space Station. Later, he meets with Ruby Bridges and representatives of the Norman Rockwell Museum and views Rockwell’s "The Problem We All Live With".


July 16 President Obama meets with His Holiness the Dalai Lama. July 18 President Obama meets with members of the Giving Pledge including co-founders Warren Buffett, Bill and Melinda Gates, and others who have taken the Giving Pledge. He also nominates Richard Cordray to lead the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. He also hosts an education roundtable with business leaders, Secretary Duncan, Melody Barnes, and America’s Promise Alliance Chair Alma Powell and Founding Chair General Colin Powell. Later, he and senior administration officials meet with the heads of financial regulatory agencies to receive an update on implementation of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act July 19 President Obama makes a statement at the beginning of the Press Secretary's daily briefing. July 20 President Obama participates in regional interviews on the economy and the importance of finding a balanced approach to deficit reduction. July 21 President Obama meets with General Cartwright. He also meets with Marc Morial, President of the National Urban League (NUL), and Ben Jealous, President of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)


July 22 President Obama participates in a Town Hall on the on-going efforts to find a balanced approach to deficit reduction. He also meets with Prime Minister Key of New Zealand and Ambassador Karl Eikenberry and Mrs. Eikenberry July 23 President Obama releases his weekly address. July 24 President Obama calls House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to the White House for an update on negotiations concerning the ongoing debt ceiling impasse. July 25 President Obama delivers remarks at the National Council of La Raza's annual conference luncheon. He also welcomes the World Series Champion San Francisco Giants to honor the team and their 2010 World Series victory. He later delivers a prime time television address about the debt ceiling debate. July 26 President Obama holds private meetings. July 27 President Obama holds private meetings.


July 28 President Obama meets with Secretary of the Treasury Timothy Geithner and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. July 29 President Obama delivers a statement on the status of debt ceiling negotiations. He also meets with President Boni Yayi of Benin, President Alpha CondÊ of Guinea, President Mahamadou Issoufou of Niger, and President Alassane Ouattara of Cote d’Ivoire. July 30 President Obama releases his weekly address. August 1 President Obama meets with Commerce Secretary Gary Locke. AUGUST 2, 2011 Raising the Debt Ceiling The President signs into law the Budget Control Act of 2011 to raise the federal debt ceiling. He also meets with the crew of the Space Shuttle Endeavour and the U.S. Commander of the ISS Expedition 26.

August 3 President Obama meets with Attorney General Eric Holder. He also participates in a DNC video teleconference in Chicago.


August 4 President Obama returns to the White House. August 5 President Obama delivers remarks on the Administration’s work to prepare our nation’s veterans for the workforce and departs for Camp David. August 6 President Obama releases his weekly address. August 8 President Obama delivers a statement to the press and delivers remarks at two DNC events. AUGUST 9, 2011 Paying Respects President Obama—accompanied by high-ranking military officials and Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta—travels to Dover Air Force Base to pay his respects to troops killed when their helicopter was downed in Afghanistan. Earlier in the day, President Obama met with industry officials to discuss the first of their kind fuel efficiency standards for work trucks, buses, and other heavy duty vehicles.

August 10 President Obama hosts an Iftar dinner celebrating Ramadan.


August 11 President Obama tours Johnson Controls Inc. and delivers remarks there. He also attends a DNC event in New York. August 12 President Obama meets with business leaders to discuss the economy and welcomes the Super Bowl XLV Champion Green Bay Packers to honor the team and their Super Bowl victory. August 13 President Obama releases his weekly address. August 15-17 Obama embarks on a three-day, five-city bus tour to host town hall meetings to discuss the economy and jobs. On August 15, he stopped in Cannon Falls, Minnesota, and Decorah, Iowa. He is scheduled to make stops in Peosta, Iowa, on August 16 and in Atkinson, Illinois, and Alpha, Illinois, on August 17. August 18 Obama calls for President of Syria Bashar al-Assad to step down and issues an executive order prohibiting certain financial transactions with Syria. He also meets with his National Security Team. August 20 President Obama releases his weekly address.


August 22 President Obama delivers a statement on Libya. August 26 President Obama delivers a statement on Hurricane Irene. August 27 President Obama releases his weekly address. AUGUST 26-27, 2011 Irene Obama returns a day early to Washington, D.C., from his vacation on Martha's Vineyard ahead of Hurricane Irene. In response to the hurricane, the President declares a state of emergency for Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, and Virginia.

August 29 President Obama nominates Alan Krueger to be chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers. August 30 President Obama delivers remarks at the American Legion Annual Conference. August 31


President Obama holds an event to call on Congress to move forward in a bipartisan way to pass a clean extension of the Surface Transportation Bill. September 1 President Obama holds private meetings. September 2 President Obama leaves the White House for Camp David. September 3 President Obama releases his weekly address. September 4 President Obama holds an event in New Jersey. September 5 President Obama delivers remarks at a Labor Day event in Detroit. He also delivers remarks at the Cincinnati AFL-CIO’s Labor Day event September 6 President Obama holds private meetings. September 7 President Obama honors Jimmie Johnson’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship.


SEPTEMBER 8, 2011 Obama Proposes the American Jobs Act In a speech delivered to a joint session of Congress, Obama presents the American Jobs Act, his plan to create jobs and revive the economy.

September 9 President Obama delivers remarks at the University of Richmond. He later participates in an Ambassador Credentialing Ceremony. September 10 President Obama and the First Lady participate in a service project. September 11 President Obama and the First Lady attend the September 11th Tenth Anniversary Commemoration Ceremony. They also attend a wreath laying ceremony in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, and attend “A Concert for Hope� where the President delivers remarks. September 12 President Obama delivers a statement on the American Jobs Act.


September 13 President Obama tours a newly modernized graphic design classroom and delivers remarks at Fort Hayes Arts and Academic High School in Ohio. September 14 President Obama tours WestStar Precision Facility and delivers remarks on the American Jobs Act. The President and The First Lady attend the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute’s 34th Annual Awards Gala where the President delivers remarks September 15 President Obama awards Dakota Meyer, a former active duty Marine Corps Corporal, the Medal of Honor. September 16 President Obama signs the America Invents Act, a major overhaul of the U.S. patent system, into law. September 17 President Obama releases his weekly address. September 19 President Obama delivers remarks on his vision for a balanced approach to reducing our deficit and living within our means and announces his recommendations to the Joint Committee on Deficit Reduction. The President later attends a United States Mission to the United Nations (USUN) Meet and Greet in New York City.


September 20 President Obama meets with Libya's Transitional National Council (TNC) Chairman, Mustafa Abdel Jalil, and attends a Libya Contact Group Meeting. He later holds a bilateral meeting with President Hamid Karzai of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan; meets with President Dilma Rousseff of Brazil; attends the Open Government Partnership Event; and attends a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey. September 21 President Obama addresses the United Nations General Assembly. He also holds a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel; holds a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda of Japan; meets with Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, President of the United Nations General Assembly; meets with United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon; and attends a luncheon hosted by Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon. He later delivers remarks at the Clinton Global Initiative; holds a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister David Cameron of the United Kingdom; holds a bilateral meeting with President Nicolas Sarkozy of the French Republic; meets with President Salva Kiir Mayardit of South Sudan; meets with President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority. The President and the First Lady also attend the United Nations General Assembly Reception. September 22 President Obama delivers remarks on the American Jobs Act in Ohio.


September 23 President Obama delivers remarks on No Child Left Behind Reform and meets with members of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. September 24 President Obama releases his weekly address. September 26 President Obama participates in a LinkedIn Town Hall Meeting and delivers remarks at campaign events. September 27 President Obama delivers remarks at Abraham Lincoln High School in Colorado. September 28 President Obama participates in an “Open for Questions� roundtable and delivers his third annual Back-to-School Speech. September 29 President Obama participates in regional interviews on the need for Congress to pass the American Jobs Act now to put more people back to work and more money in the pockets of working Americans.


September 30 President Obama delivers remarks at the "Change of Office" Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff ceremony at Fort Myer. He is also interviewed live by Michael Smerconish. October 1 President Obama releases his weekly address. October 3 President Obama meets with the U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of the Netherlands Fay Hartog Levin. He is later interviewed by George Stephanopoulos and meets with the three student winners of the Google Science Fair. October 4 President Obama tours Children’s Laboratory School at Eastfield College and delivers remarks urging Congress to pass the American Jobs Act now. October 5 President Obama signs the Continuing Resolution and holds a bilateral meeting with President Porfirio Lobo of Honduras. October 6 President Obama honors the 2011 NCAA Champion Texas A&M University Women’s basketball team.


October 7 President Obama and the Vice President meet with Senate Democratic Leadership. The President also welcomes the 1985 Super Bowl Champion Chicago Bears to celebrate the 25th anniversary of their Super Bowl victory and holds a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Beji Caid Essebsi of Tunisia. October 8 President Obama releases his weekly address. October 10 President Obama visits the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. October 11 President Obama tours the IBEW Local No. 5 training facilities and delivers remarks there. He also convenes a meeting of his Council on Jobs and Competitiveness. October 12 President Obama delivers remarks at White House Forum on American Latino Heritage and meets with the National Association of Evangelicals Executive Committee. October 13 The President and First Lady host their fifth state dinner at the White House to honor South Korean President Lee Myung-bak.


October 14 In a letter to Congress, Obama announces that he has authorized the deployment of “about 100� U.S. troops to Africa "to provide assistance to regional forces that are working toward the removal of Joseph Kony" (leader of the Lord's Resistance Army). OCTOBER 16, 2011 MLK Memorial The President speaks at the dedication ceremony for the new Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial in Washington, D.C.

October 17-19 Obama makes a three-day bus tour of North Carolina and Virginia to promote his jobs plan. October 20 Speaking from the White House Rose Garden, the President delivers remarks on the death of Muammar Gaddafi. He also welcomes the 13 recipients of the 2011 Presidential Citizens Medal and holds a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg of Norway. OCTOBER 20, 2011 The End of the Iraq War The President announces that by the end of the year nearly all U.S. troops in Iraq will be withdrawn and the Iraq War will be over.


October 21 President Obama signs the Korea, Panama, Colombia Free Trade Agreements and the renewal of Trade Adjustment Assistance for workers. He also honors recipients of the 2010 National Medal of Science and National Medal of Technology and Innovation. October 22 President Obama releases his weekly address. October 24 President Obama meets with homeowners at a private residence and delivers remarks at several campaign events. October 25 President Obama is interviewed on the "Tonight Show with Jay Leno" and delivers remarks at campaign events. October 26 President Obama delivers remarks on college affordability. October 27 President Obama holds a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Petr Necas of the Czech Republic. He also greets city and municipal leaders from across the country and has dinner with winners of a campaign contest.


October 29 President Obama releases his weekly address. October 31 President Obama meets with former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. He also takes the next step in his “We Can't Wait” campaign and signs an Executive Order. November 2 President Barack Obama heads to France for a summit of world leaders, but before he does he makes another push for passage of a piece of his jobs bill. He speaks at a waterfront park in Washington near Key Bridge to urge Congress to pass the infrastructure part of his American Jobs Act. November 3 Obama speaks at the G-20 summit in Cannes, France. November 4 Speaking at the G-20, President Barack Obama says the U.S. economy is growing “way too slow” but that leaders have made progress at getting their countries on firmer footing. November 7 President Barack Obama holds talks with Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the secretary-general of NATO. He also meets with leading veterans' groups. Later in the day, he attends a fundraising event in the District of Columbia.


November 8 President Obama speaks at a Head Start center in Pennsylvania. November 9 President Obama meets with Portuguese President Anibal Cavaco Silva at the White House. In the evening, he addresses the National Women's Law Center's Annual Awards dinner in Washington. November 11 The President places a wreath on the Tomb of the Unknowns and speaks at Arlington National Cemetery in honor of Veterans Day. Later in the day, the President and First Lady attend the first annual Carrier Classic aboard the USS Carl Vinson in San Diego. November 12-19 The President attends the APEC United States 2011 economic summit in Honolulu (November 12-15) before traveling to Australia and Bali, Indonesia. November 21 President Obama plans to signs a bill into law that would help veterans find work. The legislation also creates tax breaks for companies hiring jobless vets and beefs up job training and counseling programs. November 22 In a speech at a Manchester, New Hampshire, high school, the president argued that a failure to extend the tax breaks would


hurt middle-class families already struggling amid a shaky economy. November 23 President Obama officially pardons two turkeys, "Liberty" and "Peace", during the National Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation. November 24 President Obama issued an official Thanksgiving Day proclamation. November 26 The President and First Lady attend a college basketball game between Oregon State and Towson University in Towson, MD. NOVEMBER 28, 2011 Hosting Europe President Obama hosts a White House summit for leaders of the European Union to discuss the European sovereign debt crisis.

November 29 President Obama meets with the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Mark Rutte. November 30 President Obama campaigns in Scranton, PA, and New York City.


December 1 President Obama speaks at a World AIDS Day event. The First Family participates in the National Christmas Tree lighting ceremony. December 2 President Obama announces a $4 billion effort to increase the energy efficiency of government and private sector buildings. He also hosts the White House Tribal Nations Conference at the Interior Department December 3 In his weekly address, President Obama pushes for the passage of the Payroll Tax Cut Extention. December 4 Obama offers his condolences to President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari for the deaths of Pakistani soldiers in a recent NATO attack. The President and First Lady attend the annual Kennedy Center Honors. December 5 President Obama meets with the presidents of about 10 colleges and universities at the White House to discuss affordability and productivity in higher education. December 6 President Obama campaigns in Osawatomie, Kansas.


December 7 President Barack Obama welcomes Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper to the White House for talks on economic competitiveness, security and other key issues. December 8 President Barack Obama meets with House Democratic leaders in the Oval Office. In the afternoon, he conducts interviews with TV stations from Indianapolis, Las Vegas, Memphis, Tenn., and Portland, Maine. He also delivers remarks at the annual White House Hanukkah reception, which recognizes and celebrates the Jewish tradition also known as the Festival of Lights. December 10 President Barack Obama saluted U.S. troops and kicked off a series of observances marking the end of the Iraq war by attending the 112th Army-Navy football game. December 11 An interview with President Obama airs on CBS’ 60 Minutes program. December 12 Obama meets with Prime Minister of Iraq Nouri al-Maliki at the White House; later, the two participate in a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery. December 13 President Obama holds more interviews with local TV stations.


December 14 The President and First Lady visit Fort Bragg to mark the end of the Iraq War. December 16 President Barack Obama speaks at the 71st General Assembly of the Union for Reform Judaism. December 17 In his weekly address, President Obama welcomes home troops returning from Iraq. Later in the day, he signs the stopgap measure. DECEMBER 20, 2011 The Return of U.S.F.-Iraq The President and Vice President attend a ceremony at Joint Base Andrews marking the return of the United States Forces – Iraq colors. USF-I was the official designation for U.S. forces in Iraq.

December 23 President Obama signs the two-month Payroll Tax Cut extension and then heads to Hawaii to join his family on vacation.


December 24-January 2 The President and the First Family spend their annual Christmas-New Year vacation in Hawaii. December 25 President Obama and his family attend church in Hawaii on Christmas Day. December 29 The President and First Lady—accompanied by Admiral Robert F. Willard, USN Commander, U.S. Pacific Command, and his wife—visit the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor where they observe a moment of silence. December 31 The President signs the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 and issues a statement explaining his reservations about specific parts of the act.



2012 January 4 The President appoints Richard Cordray as director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau despite earlier Senate opposition. In a similar move, Obama appoints three new members to the National Labor Relations Board. He also campaigns in Ohio. January 9 President Obama announces that Jacob Lew will replace William M. Daley as White House Chief of Staff. January 10 President Obama addresses the Environmental Protection Agency. January 11 President Obama hosts an "Insourcing American Jobs" forum. In the afternoon, he travels to Chicago for three campaign events. January 12 President Obama issues a formal request to the U.S. Congress for the next increase in the national debt ceiling. He also speaks with Israeli Prime Minister on developments in Iran.


January 13 The President requests that Congress reinstate presidential consolidation authority which would give the office power to consolidate federal agencies. January 14 The President expresses his desire to reduce the size of government in his weekly address. January 15 President Barack Obama and his family celebrate Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday at a morning worship service at Washington’s historic Zion Baptist Church. January 16 The first family participated in a community service project in Washington to honor the memory of Martin Luther King, Jr. Later, the President and first lady Michele Obama travel to the Kennedy Center for the Let Freedom Ring celebration in honor of King. January 17 President Obama hosts King Abdullah II of Jordan at the White House. He also meets with his Council on Jobs and Competitiveness and welcomes the 2011 World Series Champion St. Louis Cardinals to the White House. January 18 The President rejects a proposed extension of the Keystone Pipeline.


January 19 President Barack Obama pitches a plan for boosting tourism to the U.S. by speeding visa processing, choosing Walt Disney World near Orlando for the announcement. He also issues an executive order to that effect. January 20 President Obama meets with his senior advisers and attends a campaign event at a Washington hotel. January 23 President Obama hosts the NHL's Boston Bruins at the White House and prepared for the State of the Union address. JANUARY 24, 2012 State of the Union The President delivers his annual State of the Union Address before a joint session of Congress.

January 25-27 Mr. Obama travels to five states to encourage support for his economic proposals. January 27 President Obama meets with former president George H. W. Bush and his son, former Florida governor, Jeb Bush, at the White House.


January 28 The President attends the annual Alfalfa Club dinner. January 30 President Obama welcomes President Mikhail Saakashvili 20 years after the U.S. and Georgia established diplomatic relations. Later, the president hosts a reception for the foreign diplomatic corps, and in the evening he answers questions about his State of the Union address in an interview with YouTube and Google+. January 31 President Obama visits the Washington Auto Show. February 1 In Virginia, President Barack Obama called on Congress to make it easier for millions of additional homeowners to refinance their mortgages at lower interest rates even if they owe more than their homes are worth. FEBRUARY 2, 2012 National Prayer Breakfast President Obama speaks at the National Prayer Breakfast. He used the appearance to reaffirm his faith at a time when Republican critics had accused him of a “war on religion,� telling an audience of religious leaders that his policies are grounded in his Christian beliefs.


February 3 The president speaks about the economy at Fire Station No. 5 in Arlington, Va. February 5 President Obama is interviewed by NBC's Matt Lauer. February 6 The President signs an executive order aimed at freezing the assets of Iranian government and financial institutions. February 7 The President hosts the White House Science Fair. February 8 President Barack Obama takes part in the Democratic Senate Caucus Retreat at Nationals Park. February 9 President Barack Obama hosts the prime minister of Italy Mario Monti. February 10 Under fierce election-year fire, President Obama abruptly abandoned his stand that religious organizations must pay for birth control for workers, scrambling to end a furor raging from the Catholic Church to Congress to his re-election foes. He demanded that insurance companies step in to provide the coverage instead.


February 13 President Obama unveils his spending request for the 2013 federal budget. February 14 The President meets with Chinese vice president Xi Jinping at the White House to improve relations, promote stability and discuss breaches of human rights. February 15 President Obama in Wednesday visits a Master Lock in Milwaukee, WI, that has brought back jobs to the United States. February 16 President Barack Obama raises millions of dollars for his reelection bid in California. February 17 President Obama outlines new steps to boost U.S. exports during a visit to a Boeing assembly plant in Washington state. February 18 President Obama scored a coveted win on the payroll tax and jobless benefits after a five month campaign. February 21 President Obama holds an event at the White House to tout the Payroll Tax Cut Extension.


February 22 President Obama and former first lady Laura Bush will join in celebrating the start of construction for the National Museum of African American History and Culture. FEBRUARY 23, 2012 Apologies & Allies President Obama apologizes to Afghan president Hamid Karzai for the burning of Korans by NATO troops. The burning had sparked protests and riots across the Muslim world. The President also addressed gas prices and his energy policy at a campaign event in Florida.

February 24 President Obama attends a meeting of the nation's Democratic governors at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. He also meets with Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt in the Oval Office. February 25 In his weekly address, President Obama says there is no easy answer to the problem of rising energy prices, dismissing Republican plans to address the problem as little more than gimmicks.


February 26 President Obama hosts the National Governors Association for the 2012 Governors’ Dinner in the State Dining Room of the White House February 27 President Obama speaks at the annual winter meeting of the National Governors Association. February 29 President Obama salutes Iraq war veterans at a White House dinner. March 1 President Obama promotes his efforts to boost domestic energy production in a speech in Nashua, N.H. March 2 President Obama visits with troops wounded in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. He also delivers remarks at a conservation event at the Interior Department. March 3 President Obama delivers his weekly address and extended his support to Sandra Fluke. Fluke had been criticized by Rush Limbaugh for her speech to Congressional Democrats regarding contraception.


March 4 President Obama addresses the America Israel Public Affairs Committee. March 5 President Obama meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House. March 6 President Obama holds a full news conference and unveiled his plan to deal with the housing crisis. March 7 President Obama talks about the economy and jobs at a Daimler truck manufacturing plant in Mount Holly, N.C. March 8 President Obama hosts President John Evans Atta Mills of Ghana and dines with the winners of a campaign contest. March 9 President Obama visits a Rolls-Royce's advanced manufacturing plant near Richmond, Va. He later flies to Texas for two campaign events in Houston. March 12 President Obama is interviewed by local TV anchors from eight markets as part of "Live from the White House." He later meets


privately with local elected leaders representing the National League of Cities. March 13 Mr. Obama attends the first game of the 2012 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament with visiting British Prime Minister David Cameron. Bilateral meetings were held earlier in the day. March 14 President Obama and the First Lady continue hosting the Camerons of Great Britain. March 15 President Obama makes a trip to Prince George's Community College in Largo, MD, to talk about energy. March 16 President Obama raises money in Chicago and Atlanta with film producer Tyler Perry and performer Cee Lo Green. March 17 President Obama sips a Guinness at an Irish bar to observe St. Patrick's Day. March 18 President Obama attends services at St. John's Episcopal Church.


March 19 President Obama and Vice-President Biden meet with Irish Prime Minister Edna Kenny and attend a St. Patrick's Day luncheon and dinner. March 20 President Obama meets with Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny. March 21 President Obama promotes his energy policy in Nevada and New Mexico. March 22 President Obama defends his Keystone Pipeline decision at an event in Cushing, Oklahoma. March 23 President Obama nominates Jim Yong Kim to be the next president of the World Bank. He also heads to Seoul, South Korea for a summit on nuclear nonproliferation. MARCH 25, 2012 Visit to Korea’s Demilitarized Zone The President makes his first visit to the Korean Demilitarized Zone ahead of the 2012 Nuclear Security Summit in Seoul. He holds meetings with Prime Minister Erdogan of Turkey and President Lee Myung-bak of the Republic of Korea.


March 26 President Obama holds separate meetings with Prime Minister Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan, President Dmitry Medvedev of Russia, President Hu Jintao of China and with Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani of Pakistan to discuss nuclear security, non-proliferation and disarmament. The President also delivers remarks at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies about the spread of nuclear weapons. March 27 President Obama heads home after attending a nuclear summit session in S. Korea. March 29 The White House says President Barack Obama was "pleased" by the presentation made by his solicitor general before the U.S. Supreme Court on the health care law. March 30 President Obama raises campaign cash in Vermont and Maine. March 31 In his weekly address, President Obama called on Congress to pass the 'Buffett Rule' tax. April 2 The North American Leaders' Summit takes place. President Obama hosts Prime Minister Stephen Harper of Canada and President Felipe Calderon of Mexico.


April 3 President Obama delivers a speech and answers questions from newspapers executives at the AP Luncheon. April 4 President Obama signs the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act (STOCK) into law, April 5 President Obama signs the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act (JOBS) into law. April 6 The President speaks at the White House Forum on Women and the Economy. April 9 The White House hosts the annual Easter Egg Roll. April 10 President Obama outlines his support for the "Buffett rule" in Boca Raton, Florida. April 11 President Obama urges passage of a measure to have millionaires pay more in taxes at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building.


April 12 President Obama raises about $800,000 for his re-election effort during a profitable fundraising stop at the W Hotel in D.C. April 13-15 The President attends the 6th Summit of the Americas in Cartagena, Colombia. April 16 The President returns from South America. April 17 President Obama honors the 2011 Sprint Cup champion Tony Stewart at the White House. April 18 President Obama campaigns in Ohio and Michigan. April 19 BCS National Football Champions University of Alabama Crimson Tide are honored by President Obama at the White House. April 20 President Obama welcomes the Wounded Warrior Project’s Soldier Ride to the White House.


April 21 President Obama focuses on student loans in his weekly address. April 23 President Obama pays his respects at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington. April 24 President Obama visits colleges in North Carolina and Colorado pushing his message on student loans. April 25 President Obama holds a rally and participates in a roundtable discussion with students at the University of Iowa. April 27 President Obama signs the GI Bill executive order at Fort Stewart, Georgia. April 28 President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama attend the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner. April 30 Mr. Obama hosts bilateral meetings, a working lunch and press conference with Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda of Japan.


May 1 President Obama makes a previously unannounced visit to Afghanistan. May 2 President Obama attends a campaign event. May 3 President Obama speaks during a reception in honor of Cinco de Mayo in the Rose Garden. May 4 President Obama speaks to students and parents at WashingtonLee High School in Arlington, Va. May 5 President Obama officially kicks off re-election campaign with a rally at Ohio State University. May 8 The President delivers the keynote address at the Asian-Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS] 18th gala dinner. MAY 9, 2012 Obama Supports Homosexual Marriage President Obama announces his support of same-sex marriage. The announcement was the first by a sitting president. In an interview with ABC News, he said, “At a certain point I've just


concluded that for me, personally, it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same-sex couples should be able to get married.� Obama once opposed such marriages. He later indicated his views were “evolving.�

May 10 President Obama holds fundraisers in California. May 11 President Obama holds a campaign event in Nevada May 12 President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden honor the 2012 National Association of Police Organizations' TOP COPS award winners in a Rose Garden ceremony. May 14 President Obama delivers commencement address at Barnard College. May 15 President Obama welcomes the Los Angeles Galaxy to the White House to celebrate their third Major League Soccer Cup. May 16 President Obama hosts bipartisan congressional leaders at the White House to discuss economic proposals.


May 17 President Obama holds a campaign event in Ohio. May 18 President Obama hosts bilateral meetings, discussing French troop withdrawals from Afghanistan, with French President Francois Hollande prior to Camp David talks. May 18-19 The President hosts a meeting of the leaders of the G8 nations at Camp David. May 20-21 The President attends the NATO summit in Chicago. May 23 President Obama delivers the commencement address at the U.S. Air Force Academy. May 24 President Obama attends fundraisers and campaigns in Iowa. May 28 President Obama pays tribute to the nation's fallen warriors on Memorial Day, attending a ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery and honoring those who died during the Vietnam War.


May 29 President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama honor a diverse cross-section of political and cultural icons -- including former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, astronaut John Glenn, basketball coach Pat Summitt and rock legend Bob Dylan -with the Medal of Freedom at a White House ceremony. May 30 President Obama signs the reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank and hosts a Jewish-American Heritage Month reception at the White House. May 31 President Obama welcomes former President George W. Bush to the White House for Bush's official portrait unveiling. June 1 President Obama holds campaign events in Minnesota. June 4 President Obama hosts fundraisers in New York City with former President Bill Clinton. June 6 President Obama launches a two-day campaign fundraising swing in California. June 7 President Obama wraps up a two-day West Coast trip.


June 8 The President holds bilateral meetings with President Benigno Aquino of the Philippines and discusses security issues in the Asia-Pacific region. President Obama also honors the XLVI Super Bowl champion New York Giants at the White House. June 11 President Obama conducts interviews with eight local television stations to promote his Democratic administration's efforts for rural communities. June 12 President Obama holds campaign events in Maryland and Pennsylvania. June 13 President Obama presents the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Israeli president Shimon Peres. June 14 The President and First Lady visit the One World Trade Center construction site in Manhattan before two campaign events in the city. The president also speaks at a campaign event in Ohio. JUNE 15, 2012 Obama Ends Deportations of Young Immigrants President Obama explains his Executive Order on Immigration ending U.S. deportations of young undocumented immigrants.


The Executive Order helped the President politically with two groups vital to his reelection — Latinos and young people.

June 16 President Obama and his family return to their hometown as guests of honor at the wedding of Laura Jarrett, daughter of White House senior adviser Valerie Jarrett. June 17 On Father’s Day, President Obama goes golfing in Chicago. June 18-19 The President attends a two-day summit of the G20 in Los Cabos, Mexico, focusing on European financial troubles. June 21 President Obama holds and event urging Congress to stop interest rates on student loans from doubling on July 1. June 22 President Obama speaks at the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials. June 25 President Obama Massachusetts.

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June 26 President Obama attends fundraisers in Atlanta and Miami. June 27 The President lunches with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed. June 28 President Obama speaks on health care reform and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act from the White House. June 29 President Obama surveys damage from raging wildfires and thanks first responders in Colorado. June 30 President Obama heads to Camp David for a weekend break. July 4 President Obama celebrates the nation's 236th birthday at the White House. July 5 President Obama begins a two-day bus tour of Ohio and Pennsylvania.


July 6 President Obama signs the Surface Transportation Bill (HR4348) bill into law. July 9 At a White House event, President Obama calls on Congress to pass a one-year extension of tax cuts for households making less than $250,000 a year. July 10 President Obama campaigns in Ohio. July 11 President Obama meets with Democratic congressional leaders at the White House. July 13-14 President Obama begins a two-day campaign tour in Virginia. July 16 President Obama holds a town hall event in Cincinnati, OH. July 17 President Obama campaigns in Texas. He holds four fundraisers in Austin and San Antonio.


July 18 President Obama unveils plans to create an elite corps of master teachers, a $1 billion effort to boost U.S. students' achievement in science, technology, engineering and math. He also hosts Baylor University's women's basketball team at the White House. July 19 President Obama campaigns in Jacksonville and West Palm Beach, Florida. July 20 President Obama cuts short his Florida campaigning and addresses the movie shooting in Aurora, Colorado. JULY 22, 2012 Aurora, Colorado President Obama sought to provide comfort to hurting and grieving families, sweeping into Colorado to privately console relatives of the victims gunned down in a movie theater. The massacre left twelve people dead, dozens injured and a nation in stunned sorrow.

July 23 President Obama remarks at the 113th National Convention of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. July 24


President Obama campaigns in Oregon and Washington State. July 25 President Obama speaks to the National Urban League Convention in New Orleans, LA. July 27 The President signs the US-Israel Enhanced Security Cooperation Act in the Oval Office. July 30 President Obama welcomes new ambassadors at the White House and holds a campaign event in New York City. August 1 President Obama campaigns in Ohio. August 2 President Obama campaigns in Florida and Virginia. August 3 President Obama speaks on tax cuts for the middle class. August 4 President Obama turns 51, plays golf, and spends the weekend at Camp David. August 6


President Obama holds fundraisers in Connecticut. August 7 President Obama holds a meeting with the White House Rural Council and attends fundraisers in D.C. August 8-9 President Obama campaigns in Colorado. August 10 President Obama hosts an Iftar dinner at the White House. August 11 President Obama's campaign team responds to Romney's vicepresidential pick and says a Romney-Ryan presidency would hurt the middle class. August 12 President Obama holds fundraisers in Chicago. August 13-15 President Obama campaigns in Iowa. August 18 President Obama campaigns in New Hampshire. August 19


President Obama his family attend St. John's Episcopal Church. August 20 President Obama holds a press conference and dines with the winners of a campaign contest. August 21 President Obama campaigns in Ohio and Nevada. August 23 President Obama meets with teachers in Las Vegas and holds campaign events in New York City. AUGUST 26, 2012 Hurricane Isaac Mr. Obama speaks about Federal Emergency Management Agency preparations for tropical storm Isaac. He also declares a state of emergency in Louisiana.

August 28 President Obama campaigns in Iowa and Colorado. August 29 President Obama campaigns in Virginia.


August 31 President Obama talks to troops, service members and military families at the 1st Aviation Support Battalion hanger in El Paso, Texas. September 2 President Obama campaigns in Colorado. September 3 President Obama campaigns in Toledo, Ohio, and surveys hurricane damage in Louisiana. September 4 President Obama campaigns in Norfolk, VA. SEPTEMBER 6, 2012 DNC President Obama officially accepted the Democratic nomination for president and delivered a speech at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina.

September 7 President Obama campaigns in New Hampshire and Iowa with Vice-President Joe Biden. September 8-9 President Obama campaigns in Florida.


SEPTEMBER 11, 2012 Benghazi The American diplomatic mission at Benghazi, in Libya, was attacked by a heavily armed group. The attack began during the night at a compound that is meant to protect the consulate building. A second assault in the early morning the next day targeted a nearby CIA annex in a different diplomatic compound. Four people were killed, including U.S. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens. Ten others were injured. The President spent the day in commemorative events marking the 9/11 attacks on the U.S. mainland. He also visits soldiers at Walter Reed.

September 12 President Obama addresses the killing of a U.S. Ambassador in Libya, and campaigns in Las Vegas. September 13 President Obama campaigns in Colorado. September 14 The President honors members of the 2012 Summer Olympics as well as the 2012 Summer Paralympics at the White House. September 17 President Obama campaigns in Ohio.


September 18 The President honors the WNBA champs Minnesota Lynx at the White House and sits down for an interview with David Letterman. September 19 President Obama presides at an Ambassador Credentials ceremony and meets with Myanmar democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi. September 20 President Obama visits Miami for a town hall at the University of Miami sponsored by Univision, the Spanish language television network. September 21 President Obama campaigns in Virginia. September 24 President Obama and the first lady tape an appearance for "The View" and attend the UN reception. September 25 President Obama speaks to the United Nations General Assembly and the Clinton Global Initiative. September 26 President Obama campaigns in Ohio.


September 27 President Obama campaigns in Virginia. September 28 President Obama campaigns in Washington D.C. September 30 President Obama campaigns in Las Vegas. OCTOBER 3, 2012 First Presidential Debate President Barack Obama participates in the first 2012 general election debate against challenger Mitt Romney in Denver, Colorado on various domestic topics. The Preisdent’s performance was criticized as lackluster and unenthusiastic.

October 4 President Obama campaigns in Colorado and Wisconsin. October 5 President Obama campaigns in Virginia and Ohio. October 8 President Obama campaigns in California.


October 9 President Obama campaigns in Ohio. October 11 President Obama campaigns in Florida. October 12 President Obama dines with winners of a campaign contest. October 14-15 President Obama prepares for the next presidential debate. OCTOBER 16, 2012 Second Presidential Debate The President participates in the second 2012 general election debate at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York, on various domestic topics in a town hall format moderated by Candy Crowley.

October 17 President Obama campaigns in Iowa and Ohio. October 18 President Obama campaigns in New Hampshire and speaks at the Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation dinner.


October 19 President Obama campaigns in Virginia. October 20 President Obama prepares for the next presidential debate at Camp David. OCTOBER 22, 2012 Third Presidential Debate President Obama participates in the third and final 2012 general election debate at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida, on various foreign policy topics. The debate was moderated by Bob Schieffer.

October 23 President Obama campaigns in Florida and Ohio. October 24 President Obama campaigns in Iowa, Colorado, and California. October 25 President Obama campaigns in Florida, Virginia and Ohio. He votes early in his home state of Illinois. October 26 President Obama tapes interviews at the White House.


October 28 President Obama attends St. John's Episcopal Church and speaks on Hurricane Sandy. October 29 President Obama cancels a rally in Florida and delivers a statement on Hurricane Sandy. OCTOBER 31, 2012 Hurricane Sandy The President views Hurricane Sandy damage with New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. Hurricane Sandy, later called Superstorm Sandy, devastated portions of the Caribbean and the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States during late October 2012.

November 1 President Obama resumes campaigning with rallies in Wisconsin, Nevada and Colorado. November 2 President Obama campaigns in Ohio. November 3 President Obama visits the Federal Emergency Management Agency for an update on the recovery from Hurricane Sandy.


November 4 President Obama campaigns in Concord, N.H., Ft. Lauderdale, FL, Cincinnati, OH, and Aurora, CO. November 5 President Obama campaigns in Wisconsin, Ohio, and Iowa before heading to Chicago to spend Election Day at home. NOVEMBER 6, 2012 Re-Election Barack Obama wins re-election as President of the United States. The Obama 2012 campaign overcame powerful economic headwinds, a lock-step resistance by Republicans in Congress and an unprecedented torrent of advertising as a divided nation voted to give him more time. Obama spoke to thousands of cheering supporters in his hometown of Chicago, praising Romney and declaring his optimism for the next four years. "While our road has been hard, though our journey has been long, we have picked ourselves up, we have fought our way back and we know in our hearts that for the United States of America, the best is yet to come," he said.

November 7 President Obama and the first family returns to the White House.


NOVEMBER 9, 2012 The Petraeus Scandal President Obama accepts the resignation of Central Intelligence Agency director David Petraeus. He resigned after an extramarital affair between him and Paula Broadwell became public information. The President also delivers a statement in the East Room on the economy and the fiscal cliff.

November 11 President Obama participates in Veterans' Day events. November 13 President Obama and Vice President Biden meet with labor leaders for input on deficit reduction. November 14 President Obama holds a news conference and meets with business leaders on the fiscal cliff. November 15 The President visits the New York City area for a first-hand look at devastation from Hurricane Sandy. NOVEMBER 16, 2012 “Fiscal Cliff” Negotiations Begin The President and Vice President meet with Congressional leaders to discuss the impending “fiscal cliff.” A separate meeting was held afterward with various civic leaders.


November 18 President Obama visits Thailand and meets with Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. NOVEMBER 19, 2012 Visit to Burma/Myanmar President Obama pays the first visit by an American leader to Myanmar and Cambodia, two Asian countries with troubled histories, one on the mend and the other still a cause of concern. Cheered by massive flag-waving crowds, Obama offered longisolated Myanmar a “hand of friendship” as it rapidly embraces democratic reforms. While in Myanmar, he met with democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi. Hours later, he arrived in Cambodia to little fanfare, then pointedly criticized the country’s strongman leader, President Hun Sen, on the issue of human rights during a tense meeting.

November 20 President Obama attends East Asian Summit while in Cambodia. November 21 Two turkeys, Cobbler and Gobbler, are pardoned by the President.


November 22 President Obama calls soldiers in Afghanistan and enjoys a quiet Thanksgiving holiday. November 24 President Obama shops at One More Page Books in Arlington, Virginia, to mark Small Business Saturday. November 27 The President and the Vice President meet with President-elect Enrique PeĂąa Nieto of Mexico. November 28 President Obama hosts business leaders at the White House, meets with his Cabinet, and holds an event with middle class Americans. November 29 President Obama meets with Mitt Romney for lunch at the White House. November 30 President Obama promotes his fiscal plan in Hatfield, Pennsylvania. December 2 President Obama goes golfing with Bill Clinton and later attends the Kennedy Center Honors Gala.


December 3 The President hosts a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Boyko Borisov of Bulgaria. December 4 President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden meet with some of the nation's governors. December 5 President Obama speaks to the White House Tribal Nations Conference. December 6 President Obama visits with a Virginia family to promote his fiscal cliff plan and then lights the national Christmas tree. December 7 The President signs the Child Protection Act of 2012 into law. December 9 President Obama meets with Speaker of the House John Boehner and later attends the Annual Christmas in Washington presentation at the National Building Museum with his family. December 10 President Obama visits Michigan auto plant to promote his fiscal plan.


December 12 President Obama holds a conference call with the country's mayors and other community leaders. December 13 The President and First Lady welcome friends and leaders of the Jewish community to the White House to celebrate the sixth day of Hanukkah. DECEMBER 14 & 16, 2012 Sandy Hook The President emotionally addresses the nation about the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting and orders flags to be flown at half-staff at the White House and other U.S. federal government facilities worldwide in respect for the victims. Two days later, President Obama speaks at an interfaith vigil in Newtown, Connecticut, with relatives of the victims and with emergency personnel who responded to the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.

December 19 President Obama holds a news conference to announce policy changes on gun control. He is also selected as Time magazine’s Person of the Year. December 21 President Obama speaks at Sen. Daniel Inouye's funeral and nominates Sen. John Kerry for Secretary of State.


December 22 President Obama and his Family arrive in Hawaii for Christmas vacation. December 23 President Obama and the First Lady attend a memorial service for the late Sen. Daniel Inouye in Hawaii. December 27 President Obama returns to Washington D.C. to attend to fiscal cliff legislation. He also speaks with congressional leaders via phone. December 28 President Obama holds meetings with congressional leaders and delivers a statement on the ongoing fiscal cliff debate. December 30 President Obama signs into law a five-year extension of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. The president also appears on NBC’s “Meet the Press” program.

This book contains 1,140 days of public activity by the President. Based on our research and according to the White House website, there were 300 days where no public events were announced for the President.


A CHRISTIAN RESPONSE BCNN1 is more than a news organization. We are more than historians and record-keepers. We are ‘watchmen on the wall,’ ‘voices crying in the wilderness.’ We care deeply about our country and desire for the United States of America to live up to her designation as a “shining city on a hill.” The Bible says that “Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people” (Proverbs 14:34). We earnestly desire for the U.S.A. to be a God-fearing, righteous nation-- for her to return to the Judeo-Christian values and principles of our founding fathers. We must say that during his first four years, President Obama has done and said some things that have set America back in terms of her righteous standing. He has made decisions that many Christian leaders in this country have disagreed with and, more importantly, that God has clearly stated are wrong in his Holy Word. Throughout President Obama’s first term, various Christian leaders like the prophets of old have spoken out regarding the wrongdoings of this administration. Their responses on key issues are given below. Obama’s Support for Homosexual Marriage The most immediate meaning of this announcement [that the administration would no longer defend the Defense of Marriage Act] is two-fold. In the first place, it means that the constitutionally appointed defender of the nation’s laws, the Attorney General of the United States, has now been ordered to cease defending this single law in the courts. That alone is almost surely sufficient to spell the doom of DOMA in short order. In the second place, this announcement means that President Obama and his advisers now believe that the full legalization of same-sex marriage is both inevitable and without major political


risk to the President and his plans for re-election. That, in itself, represents a moral earthquake. The President clearly believes that a sufficient number of Americans will either support or accept same-sex marriage — and this comes just a few years after a majority of the states passed constitutional amendments prohibiting same-sex marriage, and most by huge margins. The President has made his decision. The Attorney General has now made his announcement. Mark your calendars for yesterday. That day now represents a tragic milestone in the betrayal of marriage. Albert Mohler President of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary President Obama has betrayed the Bible and the Black Church with his endorsement of same-sex marriage. The Bible is crystal clear on this subject, and the Black Church strongly opposes same-sex marriage. His endorsement is an inadvertent attack on the Christian faith. America is now a candidate for the same judgment received by Sodom and Gomorrah. This was a sad, sad day and a very bad decision, by our beloved President. The moral impact of this day and decision is equal to the military impact of Al-Qaeda when they attacked the Twin Towers on 9/11. Today’s announcement is a moral earthquake equivalent to a tsunami or hurricane that will have far more devastating results than Katrina. Dwight McKissic, Sr. Pastor of Cornerstone Baptist Church It is our Christian faith that requires us to uphold the biblical definition of marriage as a sacred union between one man and one woman. I pray that his support of gay marriage does not exacerbate the growing intolerance of a Christian worldview. Samuel Rodriguez President of the National Hispanic Leadership Conference


I think the president has been in this place for awhile and that he chose this time because he thought that it might shift the balance of power. The timing made me suspect the motives were political, coming out of the North Carolina victory for the traditional marriage groups and maybe have people kind of rally behind this pro same-sex marriage cause. Harry Jackson Chairman of the High Impact Leadership Coalition Pastor of Hope Christian Church At the source of the same sex marriage issue is the spiritual emptiness of a nation which has forgotten God and denied His Word. Let me appeal to all my pastor friends to clearly and unequivocally state your support of Biblical marriage. Don’t sit this one out. Jack Graham Pastor of Prestonwood Baptist Church I am disappointed. As a Christian and as a person who believes the Bible has established clearly what marriage is supposed to be between a man and woman, and because of the reality that the saga of a nation is really the saga of its family's written large. And when you redefine the family other than what the Creator intended when he established it, then you look at the devolution of civilization. Tony Evans Pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship President of The Urban Alternative A very sad day for America when the President comes out in support of same sex marriage. No surprise, but deeply troubling for our future. Bryant Wright Former President of the Southern Baptist Convention The fact is, Jesus said in Matthew 19 that God's plan for marriage was one man with one woman for life. And so by


embracing same-sex marriage, President Obama has really contradicted the Jesus that he says he follows. Robert Jeffress Pastor of the First Baptist Church of Dallas Forget being "at odds with the views of others" for a moment, Mr. President, and focus on what God has said about marriage and homosexuality. That God instituted this union between a man and a woman, who become one flesh, is no mere trifle. It is part of His divine, created order, and homosexual "marriage" is outside that order. The Apostle Paul calls homosexuality unnatural and shameful, and those who commit the acts bear the punishment. Why punishment? Because homosexuality is a sin. How, from the whole of Scripture, does Obama find support for that which sent Christ to the cross? Obama conveniently ignores the context of the Golden Rule. In His Sermon on the Mount, Christ gives us an exposition of the law and a call to faith and repentance from sin. The concept of the "rule" goes back to before Christ and means we ought to treat others the way we'd want to be treated. It doesn't mean that because heterosexuals can marry, we should redefine the word and upend the institution so that two men can call themselves "married." With an eye toward the presidential election, Obama, who claims he's a Christian, invoked Scripture to support that which the Bible clearly condemns. La Shawn Barber Columnist and commentator As you may know, on Wednesday, May 16, 2012, (the week after President Obama announced his support for homosexual marriage) we immediately called and commenced a season of fasting and prayer for 165 days for America and the world through election day on November 6th (we include the world because America is the leader of the world).


Please be reminded that we are not for Obama or Romney. Personally, I am not led to vote for either one of these candidates. You can vote or not vote however the Lord may lead you. If you do vote, however, I would encourage you not to shout who you vote for from the rooftops. (I am personally praying that God would raise up a third-party candidate who Christians can vote for.) We have called this fast for God to do something so dramatic that it would change the course of this country if He plans on tarrying His coming. Quite frankly, however, we are expecting the Lord to come back any day now, and if He is planning on doing that, then it won't matter. We believe that the choice we have been presented with for president is a result of the curse God has placed on this nation because of our own sins and failures in the church and because this nation, in general, has turned its back on God. This fast is about far more than politics. In fact, it is not about politics at all. Our nation and the world is in so much trouble that only God can help us now. Daniel Whyte III President of Gospel Light Society and Torch Ministries International A lot of African-American leaders right now are really dazed by this [Obama's announcement that he supports homosexual marriage] because we didn't see it coming. For the last four years, the African-American clergy have really supported, covered, and prayed for President Obama, and it really came without any warning. Sunday is going to be a real great divide in Black churches and churches across America discussing the issue. African-Americans are, by and large, sexually conservative and socially more aggressive. And so, pastors on Sunday morning are going to be really walking a balancing act. How now do we juxtapose this issue up against a president that we have supported over the last four years? I would say by and large, African-Americans are going to support President Obama. I don't think that this is going to be a deal breaker because there's so many issues at stake when you


deal with Pell Grants, when you deal with predatory lending, when you deal with job preparedness and you see the economy on the surge of rebound. I think African-Americans are going to stand with the president, with his presidency, but not on this policy. I'm a part of the African Methodist Episcopal church. And in 2008, we passed a legislation whereby we were against samesex marriages and same-sex unions, but at the same place, we believe in the human rights of all because we believe that God created everybody. For the church to be against same sex marriage doesn't make it bashing or homophobic! I have gay people in my church and in my family...I love them BUT I won't be marrying them! Jamal Harrison Bryant Pastor of Empowerment Temple I disagree not on political reasons but biblical reasons. It is not anti-gay this or anti-person this. It is pro-marriage. It is a 3000year-old institution. William Sheals Pastor of Hopewell Missionary Baptist Church We cannot and will not remain silent while marriage, the most fundamental institution in our and any nation, is undermined by our own President while using Christian language and relating it to civil rights. We stood, marched and fought against racial discrimination as legally and morally evil. It is a violation of the first principles of our faith that God created all men in His image, and the first principles of our nation that recognized that all men are created equal. For activists, politicians and now the highest office in the nation to link sexual behavior God calls sin to the righteous cause Martin Luther King gave his life for is abominable in and of itself. There is no civil right to do what God calls wrong.


Marriage between one man and one woman was created and ordained by God, is the only stable union in which women are protected and cared for, in which children are born, reared and nurtured in safety, and upon which the very stability of our society rests. The propaganda spun by moral anarchists who have taught our youth that sex is for entertainment and marital commitment is optional has brought death, chaos, poverty and great harm to our community for decades. The hijacking of the civil rights movement by homosexuals, bisexuals and gender-confused people is unacceptable. There is no legitimate comparison between skin color and sexual behavior. In addition, the high cost of achieving racial parity by ours and previous generations demands that we speak out against President Obama's support for this destructive agenda. Our God requires it, our nation needs it and our people deserve it. We will stand in our pulpits, stand in the streets, stand in the chambers of policymaking and stand at the ballot box for those who are for God's design of marriage and family. We, like Martin Luther in his crucible hour, can only say, 'Here we stand, we can do no other.' This fight for marriage, family and the very existence of a moral order has just begun. William Owens President of the Coalition of African American Pastors In God's eyes, there simply is no such thing as so-called gay marriage. It does not exist. It cannot be made to exist. To imply that Jesus would support same-sex marriage is contemptible. “Let marriage be held in honor; let the marriage bed be undefiled. God will judge the sexually immoral.� John Piper Desiring God Ministries Obama’s comments are deeply saddening. I pray for the President every day, and will continue to pray that he and his


Administration act justly to uphold and protect marriage as the union of one man and one woman. Timothy Dolan President of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops We must be concerned about our future -- our children and our grandchildren. The president and the preachers who support him in this matter are corrupting, confusing, and destroying our children. We are sitting in a slow cooker and the heat is slowly being turned up. It is the prophet/preacher's job to stand up and "Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins." and in this case, show the danger that we are facing in America. The Bible gives us repeated examples of God punishing and/or destroying a nation or people because of their sin. (Remember Sodom and Gomorrah? Remember the nations of Israel and Judah? Remember Babylon?) If our government sanctions the abomination of homosexuality, it is certain that God is going to judge this nation as well. God made mothers and fathers, husbands and wives, males and females for a reason. Far be it from us to try to change the natural order that God has formed -- or to encourage and support those who do. The road of homosexual marriage is a dead-end. Daniel Whyte III President of Gospel Light Society and Torch Ministries International Folks were so determined to make Obama a Christian. But Christians do not support gay marriage. So, what does that make him now? Mark 7:6: ‘He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.’ G. Craige Lewis Leader of EX Ministries


I feel a real sadness for America with the announcement of gay marriage support from Pres. Obama. The Bible is clear this is sin. PRAY! Jentezen Franklin Pastor, Free Chapel The most important thing is that there is no way in the world that I would vote for, regardless who it is, regardless how white they are, regardless how black they are, there is just no way I am ever going to vote for someone who believes in same-sex marriage and abortion. Ken Hutcherson Pastor of Antioch Baptist Church The charade is finally up. We’ve always known that Barack Obama supports same-sex marriage. With every action he’s taken, from court appointments to his rhetoric, he’s been preparing the way to undermine traditional marriage. Obama’s finally made that support explicit. Gary Bauer President of American Values My position is African Americans are people also, we want the same things that all other Americans want, we are a part of this country, we have built this country, so we should be counted also and considered. Our families, our homes have been decimated, and with the things that have happened in our community, do we need to add to it a President where little black boys and little black girls are hearing this great man in the most powerful position in the land say 'I believe same-sex marriage is the direction that the country ought to go in.' Then that same little black boy or little black girl looks to the heroes in the black community at the local level which are the preachers and the community leaders and the NAACP leaders and then they see the leaders line up and follow this man. What kind of message are we sending our children? And we're the most vulnerable.


Abortion is evil. Same-sex marriage, the greatest oxymoron that I know, is evil. Those who are tying to redefine marriage, that is an evil endeavor. Patrick Wooden Pastor of Upper Room Church Obama’s Lack of Support for Religious Freedom and Persecuted Christians Around the World The first sentence of [President Obama’s Religious Freedom Day] proclamation emphasizes the sacredness of the ‘freedom of worship.” I would remind the president that the Constitution does not guarantee us only freedom of worship but also the freedom of religion. The two are very different. Freedom of religion goes further by guaranteeing the right to live out one's faith not only in the privacy of his or her home but in the public square as well. While President Obama's proclamation extols the ‘freedom of worship,’ his administration has the worst record protecting religious liberty in American history. Tony Perkins President of the Family Research Council James Madison famously said the people are right to take alarm at the "first advance on their liberties." The Obama [Healtcare] Mandate will force us to violate our consciences. President Obama famously said he doesn't know when human life begins, but he's willing to force us to collaborate in the destruction of innocent human lives. We do know when human life begins. So does science. So, increasingly, do millions of young Americans who see their first photo--an ultra-sound picture taken of them in their mothers' wombs. This is why, even liberal columnist Joe Klein writes, "ultrasound has made it impossible to deny that that thing in the womb is a human being." He conceded this in TIME magazine, no less. But President Obama and his administration deny this eternal truth every day. And he wants to force you to deny it, too.


If the Obama Mandate stands, Americans will all be forced either to violate their own consciences or be taxed for the suppression of other Americans' consciences. We have long recognized conscientious objection in granting exemptions from the military draft. President Obama's proposed religious exemption from his abortion mandate is so narrowly drawn that it is questionable whether even Jesus' ministry would qualify. We are putting at risk America's unique contribution to the world: religious freedom. How much longer can we say, with George Washington, that in America “each shall sit under his own vine and fig tree and there shall be none to make him afraid.” Ken Blackwell and Bob Morrison Blackwell is the Former Ohio Secretary of State Morrison is a Senior Fellow for Policy Studies at the Family Research Council The Obama administration outreach and recently tried community. Given the state House ought to be focused Christians.

has been obsessed with Muslim to mend fences with the Jewish of the world, however, the White on helping the world’s oppressed

The United States has been wary to intervene in matters affecting Christians in the Middle East for fear of validating terrorist narratives that the West is engaged in a new crusade against Islam. The result of this passive policy has been to allow Islamic extremists increasingly to dominate the debate, often with tragic consequences. The White House issued a lukewarm condemnation [of violence against Christians in Egypt] noting that President Obama is “deeply concerned about the violence in Egypt” and that “as the Egyptian people shape their future, the United States continues


to believe that the rights of minorities -- including Copts -- must be respected.” In other words, the U.S. government will do nothing about the massacre of Christians. It’s no mystery why America’s Christian faithful have little faith in Mr. Obama. Editorial, The Washington Times There is a shadow growing over religious freedom in America... We are talking about the Obama Administration’s subtle, but apparently deliberate use of a language-sleight-of-hand, substituting the phrase “freedom of worship” for “freedom of religion.” That new phrase has been used consistently in several speeches by President Obama, and by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom noted this shift and complained about it in it’s 2010 report, causing Christianity Today to pick up on this trend in its July 9th issue. So, what is the big problem? Simply this: the phrase “freedom of worship” follows an international concept that departs from our First Amendment understanding of religious freedom. Under international law, “worship” is a limited right, and connotes activities within a church body, but can exclude public evangelism. The UN Declaration of Human Rights protects “teaching, practice, worship and observance” but fails to protect public preaching. Tim LaHaye and Craig Parshall LaHaye is a bestselling author and Bible prophecy expert Parshall is the Senior Vice President and General Counsel for the National Religious Broadcasters Every president faces decisions that test his character and principles. President Obama has failed this test, and the results will be tragic. He has trampled religious liberty underfoot and has announced his intention to force religious institutions to violate their consciences or go out of business.


This decision will lead to nothing less than the secularization of the good work undertaken by these religious institutions. Faithbased adoption agencies, hospitals, and educational institutions are being forced to secularize or cease operations already. This decision will add tragic momentum to that process. Albert Mohler President of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary Obama’s Support of Abortion Some of the drugs and devices required to be covered [in the President’s Healthcare law] will actually cause abortions. The required drugs include Ella and Plan B, both of which can destroy a developing human being prior to, or even after, implanting in the mother's womb. The government requirement also covers IUDs. These devices also prevent fertilized eggs from implanting in the mother's womb. While some, including the Obama administration, call these contraceptives, they are abortifacients. When a developing human being is expelled by direct human action from the mother's womb, that is taking a human life -- an abortion. We consider this callous requirement by the Obama administration to be a clear violation of our nation's commitment to liberty of conscience and a flagrant violation of our constitutional protection to freedom of religion. For many people of faith, this requirement is abhorrent. It forces them to choose between their religious convictions about when human life begins and providing health care for themselves, their families or their employees. Clearly, the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment protects people from such trampling of their religious convictions. Richard Land and Barrett Duke Land is the president of The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention Duke is the Vice President for Public Policy and Research and Director of the Research Institute at the ERLC


President Obama doesn't talk about abortion much. He famously tried to avoid the question in 2008 when Pastor Rick Warren asked him what rights, if any, unborn children have. "The answer to that question is above my pay grade," he said then. With his strong election victory, Barack Obama was promoted to the office where the buck stops, where such questions demand an answer. His answer has been clear: None. The unborn have no rights at any time, in any context. President Obama has been the most pro-abortion president in history. That was a distinction not easily won, especially after eight years of Bill and Hillary Clinton...Yet, Hillary told Newsweek abortion is "wrong." (October 31, 1994 issue). She only said it once in her entire career. Still, she said it. Barack Obama has never said that. From his first public office, he has been an advocate for abortion on demand. He led the fight in the Illinois State Senate to deny protection for newborn children who survive abortion attempts. These children are U.S. citizens under the Fourteenth Amendment. And just as too many states denied "equal protection of the laws" to black Americans under a century of unjust Jim Crow laws, Barack Obama denied protection of Illinois laws to newborns in the Land of Lincoln because they had been targeted for abortion. It is tragically ironic that a disproportionate number of these late term botched abortions are performed on minority women. From his first day in office until now, President Obama has quietly but vigorously pushed the abortion agenda. He records promotional videos for Planned Parenthood. This group kills 340,000 of the more than 1,200,000 unborn children killed each year by abortion. Under Obamacare, they will be able to kill millions more. We must decide if we shall proceed down the road toward a Culture of Death. That decision is not above our pay grade. Ken Blackwell Former Ohio Secretary of State


Barack Obama voted three times against protecting these born alive victims. I guess we shouldn't be surprised when we look at his consistent anti-infant voting record. The Obama's are advocates and supporters of Planned Parenthood with full knowledge of their racist practices against African-Americans. I cannot fathom how any person, or leader of conscience, would support a candidate that not only willfully promotes an institution of such racist origin, but embodies their value system. It's despicable and unconscionable. In Rome in their declining years, it became law that upon the birth of your newborn child, if you didn't like the color of their eyes, the texture of their hair, the complexion of their skin, you could by law lay your child by the side of the road to die. The law further stated, anyone touching your child to give aid would be put to death. The newborn child was to be left to die! The early church under the threat of death scooped those children up and raised them as their own. Martin Luther King called not giving children "left by the side of the road" receiving no aid, evil! Barack Obama calls it a good thing. 80% of Americans call partial birth abortion, evil, while Mr. Obama calls it a good thing. St. Augustine said, "An unjust law is no law at all." I would say, "Far worse than the unjust laws are the persons who would vote to elect candidates who support unjust laws." Clenard Childress New Jersey Director of the Life Education and Resource Network and Founder of BlackGenocide.org Ever since Barack Obama emerged on the national political scene he has been promoted and protected by a corps of preachers and religious leaders who have tried their best to explain that he is not so pro-abortion as he seems. Nevertheless, his record is all too clear -- as is this most recent statement [on


the 38th anniversary of Roe v. Wade]. There was not one expression of abortion as a national tragedy, even as a report recently indicated that almost 60 percent of all pregnancies among African American women in New York City end in abortion. How can any President of the United States fail to address his unspeakable tragedy? There was no hope expressed that abortion would be rare, only the expression that he would remain "committed to protecting this constitutional right." The only words that even insinuate any hypothetical reduction in abortion were addressed to reducing "unintended pregnancies" and promoting adoption. But no goal of reducing abortion was stated, or even obliquely suggested. No reference at all was made of the unborn child. There was no lament -- not even a throw-away line that would cost him nothing in terms of his support from abortion rights forces. These words were not imposed upon this President. This is his own personal statement. It is one of the most revealing -- and tragic -- statements made by any political figure in our times. Albert Mohler President of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary I'm as black as Obama, and I'm tired of any legitimate criticism of the President’s policies reduced to lazy and ludicrous charges of racism. Obama and the Democrats have been promising a whole lot of hope and change but, instead, have delivered higher unemployment, higher poverty rates and millions more welfare enrollees while aggressively promoting abortion in the black community. Abortion, occurs up majority promotes

which has cultivated a culture of abandonment, to 6 times more in the black community than in the population. Yet, President Obama persistently Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion


chain, which claims that ‘abortion and food stamps elevate the black community.’ Ryan Bomberger Chief Creative Officer of the Radiance Foundation

A Call for President Obama to Repent of his Disobedience and to Reverse the Ungodly Decisions that he has made for the Good of his Presidency and the Good of the Nation Based upon the Word of God, it is our strong conviction that if President Obama would correct his positions on the issues above, his presidency would be blessed by God, and we would see the return of God’s favor on this nation. Specifically, we believe that President Obama should do the following: 1) Order the Department of Justice to resume defending the Defense of Marriage Act and to not try to push the recognition of homosexual marriage on a national, federal level. The President should also renounce his support for homosexual marriage as it is detrimental to society and it goes against the President’s own belief that children should have their father and their mother in their lives. 2) Cease trying to get religious organizations to violate their consciences and their stated beliefs by making them pay for contraception and other policies that they do not agree with. Even organizations such as Hobby Lobby and Dominoes Pizza, which are owned by Christians, should not be forced to do something they strongly believe is wrong. America was founded by people who fled from countries that did not allow them to worship and practice their religion as they wished and live their lives according to their religious beliefs. Quite frankly, there will be hell to pay if those basic rights continue to be threatened.


3) Push Congress to pass legislation ceasing the federal funding of abortion (via Planned Parenthood and other organizations), and then sign that legislation into law. Taxpayers who oppose abortion should not have their money used to kill innocent babies. Let those who wish to have abortions and those who support abortion pay for it on their own. 4) Do more to highlight the issue of Christian persecution around the world. Just as the President speaks out strongly about violence against Muslims, we want the President and the State Department to do all that they can to protest and prevent Christian persecution in countries such as Egypt, Nigeria, Ethiopia, China, Pakistan, and Iran. We truly hate to bring this up, but if President Obama does not choose to repent of these issues and continues to push these issues on this nation, as we celebrate the end of the Civil War this year and the signing of the Emanicpation Proclamation, ironically, he will be bringing upon himself a new civil war that would be far more devastating than the first Civil War and it would last for years to come. Yes, we know that some would say that we are being alarmists and overreacting. But that is what they said before the last Civil War. A president who may be smart but is not wise can lead us down this path and may not even know he is doing so. The following is an article that ran on BCNN1.com for the first time in the very early months of Obama’s presidency and that ran numerous times afterwards with additions pointing out the President’s unwise actions.


PRESIDENT OBAMA IS SMART, BUT IS HE WISE? by Alonzo Brooklyn, BCNN1 Columnist "...Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his: And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding" (Daniel 2:20-21). "...the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will" (Daniel 4:32). "...till he knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever he will" (Daniel 5:21). The mark of a wise ruler, prime minister, king, or president is that he or she understands that there is an "Invisible hand" which rules this world, and that they, whether they are a believer in God or not, are placed in the position of leadership by God to do what He wants done in the earth. That leader must understand that God rules in the affairs of men. The governmental leaders who fail to recognize and obey this "invisible hand" will do so at their peril, no matter how smart and gifted they may be. Like so many others in our world, I am impressed with the gifts that God has bestowed upon Barack Obama. It is true that President Obama is smart, shrewd, charming, and he knocks people dead with that million dollar smile. I often told my wife and children during the presidential campaign that he was probably going to win, if for no other reason, because of that great smile. Be that as it may, even though Barack Obama is apparently well-equipped for the job of President of the United States and the leader of the world, humanly speaking, he can have all of those gifts and abilities and not truly recognize or obey the "invisible hand" of God as it relates to our country, our


world, our economy, and in the social realm. Recognizing and obeying this "invisible hand" is the true mark of a great leader. Right now, President Obama is showing himself to be smart, capable, and even presidential, but I am afraid he is not showing himself to be wise. Let me show you what I mean using some examples from the Holy Scriptures: 1. Pharaoh was smart, built great works, and ruled a mighty empire, but when God said "Let my people go," Pharaoh did not recognize the "invisible hand" of God, and he did not take heed to what the invisible, Almighty God was doing in his nation, thus bringing upon himself and his country devastating consequences. 2. Saul was a smart, tall, and good-looking king, but he did not recognize the "invisible hand" of God. While he thought he was doing good and that everything would work out alright, he was actually disobeying God's direct commands, and thus he brought on himself, his family, and the nation devastating consequences. 3.King Nebuchadnezzar was smart, powerful, a great leader, and he knew about God's power, but he ignored the "invisible hand" of God to his peril and was found eating grass like an animal to permanently help him to realize Who was truly in control. 4. King Belshazzar, just like his father, was smart and powerful, and he definitely knew about God's power because he saw how God made his father eat grass like an animal. But he, too, chose to ignore the "invisible hand" of God, and thus brought on devastating consequences - his death and the overthrowing of his empire.


In President Obama, we apparently have another shining, charismatic, gifted, and smart governmental leader, who is very capable and shows great judgment in certain areas, but I am afraid he does not understand the glaring principle of the "invisible hand" of God. Like rulers of the past, either he does not truly recognize the "invisible hand" of God or he chooses to ignore the "invisible hand" of God as Nebuchadnezzar did. Either way, it will be devastating for this country, sometimes referred to as a shining "city on a hill," if he does not begin to recognize, acknowledge, and obey the "invisible hand" of God. Let me show you why I say that. Notice with me what he has done in his first 100 days that says to me he is not allowing God to control his decisions: 1. On January 23, 2009, President Obama reversed the former president's abortion funds policy and lifted the global abortion gag rule. This policy restored funds to the groups who kill millions of innocent babies each day across this country. Dr. Frank Page just said yesterday in a CBN report that "what is striking here is not only that he did such things, but that he did it so quickly." In my opinion, this shows a gross lack of wisdom. 2. On March 9, 2009, President Obama overturned the former president's policy on stem cell research. This decision allows federal taxpayer dollars to fund significantly broader research on embryonic stem cells. 3. On March 18, 2009, President Obama announced his support of the U.N. Declaration which supports homosexual marriage, just three months after the former president's administration refused to endorse it. And little by little, homosexual marriage is being legalized. Whether Barack Obama knows homosexuality is against biblical principles or not, I do not know, but he certainly, personally believes that there is something wrong with it, because he said that he believes that marriage should


be between a man and woman, at the Saddleback Civil Forum on the Presidency, when he was a candidate. 4. Even though this article is not really about the economic situation, anybody with common sense knows that you cannot spend and borrow your way out of debt. The Bible says very clearly that "The borrower is servant to the lender." Unless the President and the rest of us are willing to learn Chinese and eat with chopsticks, we better stop this borrowing and spending real fast. It has never worked in the past and it never will work. Allow me to repeat a simple truth here that I have shared with many people in the past: if you had to borrow money to get it, you don't own it; somebody else does. These are all things that go against the eternal, moral, and biblical principles of God. Throughout history, we have seen time and time again, how that when governments, leaders of governments, and the people under these governments throw off of themselves the eternal laws and principles of God, the nation crumbles. Sodom and Gomorrah crumbled because of homosexuality. Israel and Judah fell because of idolatry. Babylon was destroyed because of their disrespect of God. Rome destroyed itself because of greed and immorality. And remember, God destroyed the entire world because of sin during Noah's time. God's Word says, "Righteousness exalteth a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people." Here's What the President, Ministers, and You Need To Do What President Obama needs to do to prevent God's judgment against this country is repent and reverse these ungodly acts, by humbling himself before the Lord and rising above his personal feelings, politics, and popularity and do what is biblically and morally right. Not only does his Christian faith that he claims he


has go against these things, but even his Muslim upbringing goes against these things. Because, even though he may think we are not a "Christian country," we are certainly a country built upon the principles laid out in the Hebrew and Christian Bible. Even the Koran, which is a part of his life background, is against these things. What God-honoring pastors and ministers need to do, and this includes the following: Joel Hunter, T.D. Jakes, Frank Page, and Kirbyjon Caldwell, is stop pussy-footing around with Obama, and as the prophets of old did, stand flat-footed, and "cry aloud and spare not," and tell President Obama "Thus saith the Lord" and warn him that he is treading on dangerous ground, and if he does not reverse his ways, the "invisible hand" of God will begin to work against him. I perceive in Barack Obama to be a young man who not too many people have said "no" to down through the years. One of these men of God or a group of men of God ought to come to him and tell him, face-to-face and eyeball-to-eyeball, to reverse these things, get on a path that is compatible with the Scriptures, or we will cease advising you and the titanic will finish sinking. What God-fearing Christians, such as you, ought to do are the following three things: 1. Get right with God yourself. "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land" (2 Chronicles 7:14). 2. Pray for the president and his family. "I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty." (1 Timothy 2:1-2).


3. "Pray without ceasing" for only God can help us now. May God truly bless America.



HOW YOU CAN HELP AMERICA Many people have the view that the only way America’s problems can be solved is through the government. These people place their hope and trust in the government for solutions to the difficulties that our country faces and that they themselves personally face. However, there is Someone else who we should look to for the solutions to all of our problems. His name is Jesus Christ. He is God’s Son who came to this earth two thousand years ago. He came to die on the cross for our sins, so that we would not have to suffer eternal punishment in Hell. Billy Graham once said, “I do not believe that any man can solve the problems of life without Jesus Christ.” No matter what problems you are facing, you can only find the solution for your problems in Jesus Christ. If you do not know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, please read the following to find out how you can accept Him as your Saviour today: 1. Accept the fact that you are a sinner, and that you have broken God’s law. The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 7: 20: “For there is not a just man upon earth that doeth good, and sinneth not.” Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” 2. Accept the fact that there is a penalty for sin. The Bible states in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death…” 3. Accept the fact that you are on the road to hell. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 10:28: “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” The Bible says in Revelation 21:8: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake


which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” 4. Accept the fact that you cannot do anything to save yourself! The Bible states in Ephesians 2: 8, 9: “For by grace are ye saved through faith: and that not of yourselves: it is a gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast.” 5. Accept the fact that God loves you more than you love yourself, and that He wants to save you from hell. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (Jesus Christ, John 3:16). With these facts in mind, please repent of your sins, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and pray and ask Him to come into your heart and save you this very moment. The Bible states in the book of Romans 10:9, 13: “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” If you are willing to trust Christ as your Saviour, please pray the following prayer: Heavenly Father, I realize that I am a sinner. For Jesus Christ sake, please forgive me of my sins. I now believe with all of my heart that Jesus Christ died, was buried, and rose again. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save my soul and change my life. Amen. If you just trusted Jesus Christ as your Saviour, and you prayed that prayer and meant it from your heart, you are now saved from Hell and you are on your way to Heaven. For more information to help you grow in your new found faith in Christ, go to GospelLightSociety.com and read "What To Do After You Enter Through the Door". Jesus Christ said in John 10:9, "I am


the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture."


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