Hello
The president of the United States - the one who actually won the election - is in Asia these days, trying to repair the damage done by the president who did not. Yet, guess which one was on TV non-stop the last few days, and which was completely ignored.
More under the cut.
President Obama marked Veterans Day this morning (last night, actually) with American troops serving in Seoul, South Korea, where he is for the G20 summit. You didn't see any of it on your TV.
On Tuesday, the president addressed the University Of Indonesia in Jakarta - in front of a huge crowd of mostly Muslim students. He rocked their world. You didn't see any of it either. Almost every international news channel carried the speech, but CNN preferred to show Ricky Martin talking about who-knows-what with Larry King, Fox continued their Bush orgy, and other networks ignored it too. They just don't want the American people to see the pictures that will come shortly.
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But first, Austan Goolsbee explains what the President is doing in Asia:
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At last, the fascinating Town Hall with super-smart students in Mumbai:
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On Tuesday, the president received from the president of Indonesia a special gold medal of honor to his mother, Stanley Ann Dunham.
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"A few years ago, there was an American woman who loved Indonesia and conducted research on the issue of the role of women and the empowerment of the economy," said President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono at a state dinner for the president and first lady Michelle Obama. "The result of her research was transferred into a scientific paper of high quality regarding the role of women and micro credits in the villages. That researcher is no longer with us, but her dedication and compassion continue to live in on in Indonesia. That woman is Stanley Ann Durham."
Transcript of the president's acceptance speech:
...But the fact, Mr. President, that you would choose to recognize my mother in this way speaks to the bonds that she forged over many years with the people of this magnificent country. And in honoring her, you honor the spirit that led her to travel into villages throughout the country, often on the back of motorcycles, because that was the only way to get into some of these villages.
She believed that we all share common aspirations -- to live in dignity and security, to get an education, to provide for our families, to give our children a better future, to leave the world better than we found it. She also believed, by the way, in the importance of educating girls and empowering women, because she understood that when we provide education to young women, when we honor and respect women, that we are in fact developing the entire country. That’s what kept bringing my mother back to this country for so many years. That’s the lesson that she passed on to me and that’s the lesson that Michelle and I try to pass on to our daughters.
So on behalf of our entire family, we thank you. I am deeply moved. It is this same largeness of heart that compels us tonight to keep in our thoughts and prayers all those who are suffering who from the eruptions and the tsunami and the earthquake. With so many in need tonight, that’s one more reason for me to keep my remarks short.
As a young boy in Menteng Dalam 40 years ago, I could never imagine that I would one day be hosted here at Istana Negara -- never mind as President of the United States. I didn’t think I would be stepping into this building ever. (Laughter and applause.)
And I know that much has been made about how a young boy could move between such different countries and cultures as Indonesia and the United States. But the truth is, is that our two countries have far more in common than most people realize. We are two peoples who broke free from colonial rule. We are both two vast nations that stretch thousands of miles. We are both two societies that find strength in our diversity. And we are two democracies where power resides in the people. And so it’s only natural that we should be partners in the world.
I am fortunate to have a very strong partner in President Yudhoyono -- Indonesia’s first directly elected president, and a leader who has guided this nation through its journey into democracy. And our two nations are fortunate that we are forging a partnership for the 21st century. And as we go forward, I’m reminded of a proverb: bagai aur dengan tebing -- like bamboo and the river bank, we rely on each other.
And so I would like to propose a toast. In the spirit of friendship between our two countries, we are reminded of the truth that no nation is an island, not even when you’re made up of thousands of islands. We all rely on each other together, like bamboo and the river bank. And like my mother riding between villages on a motorcycle, we are all stronger and safer when we see our common humanity in each other.
So President Yudhoyono, and to all the distinguished who are here, thank you for your extraordinary friendship and the warmth with which you have received Michelle and myself. And I promise that it won’t take so long before I come back.
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Then there was this both serious and fun speech at the University Of Indonesia:
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This is not Chicago, it's Jakarta (AP):
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With American troops in Seoul for Veterans Day:
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Some official WH stuff:*
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At a memorial for the victims who died in the Nov. 26, 2008 terrorist attack at the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower Hotel in Mumbai, India, Nov. 6, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
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First Lady Michelle Obama meets a survivor of the Nov. 26, 2008 terrorist attack at the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower Hotel in Mumbai, India, Nov. 6, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
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At the Mani Bhavan Gandhi Museum, housed in a private residence where Gandhi stayed, in Mumbai, India, Nov. 6, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
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First Lady Michelle Obama plays hopscotch at the "Make A Difference" (MAD) program at the University of Mumbai in Mumbai, India, Nov. 7, 2010. MAD volunteers use creative outlets, like a vocabulary-building hopscotch game to teach english to underprivileged children. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)
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Students from the "Make A Difference" (MAD) program show First Lady Michelle Obama's signature on their hands.(Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)
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President Obama visits booths staffed by students during a government and technology exposition at St. Xavier College in Mumbai, India, Nov. 7, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
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President Obama greets students following a town hall meeting at St. Xavier College in Mumbai, India, Nov. 7, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
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President Barack Obama delivers remarks in the courtyard of Ambassador Tim Roemer’s residence in New Delhi, India, Nov. 7, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
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First Lady Michelle Obama, accompanied by children from low income communities in the region, tours the National Craft Museum in New Delhi, India, Nov. 8, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)
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With children during a meeting with the U.S. Embassy staff at the Shangri-La Hotel in Jakarta, Indonesia, Nov. 10, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
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People watch from the top of a train as the presidential motorcade travels to Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta, Indonesia, Nov. 10, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
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On the way from the University of Indonesia to the airport in Jakarta, Indonesia, Nov. 10, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
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