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Barack Obama Tag

Wait a second. I thought big banks are bad. Back in 2009, President Barack Obama called those on Wall Street "fat cats," which helped establish an uneasy relationship between banks and the White House. But less than a year out of office, Obama has had NO problem taking money from said "fat cats" for his speeches. Obama cannot run for president again, but remains an influence and just how will this affect a party that's already in shambles?

Appearing on today's Morning Joe, Rep. Joe Crowley, the fourth-ranking member of the Dem House leadership, stated that President Obama is "leading the charge" on efforts in state legislative races. Crowley was responding to Joe Scarborough's question as to what Dems will do differently from what they did in November, when they got "absolutely shellacked."

A report from Politico shows that national security officials warned former President Barack Obama of Russian interference in Western political systems, including the United States. Politico reported:
As early as 2014, the administration received a report that quoted a well-connected Russian source as saying that the Kremlin was building a disinformation arm that could be used to interfere in Western democracies. The report, according to an official familiar with it, included a quote from the Russian source telling U.S. officials in Moscow, "You have no idea how extensive these networks are in Europe ... and in the U.S., Russia has penetrated media organizations, lobbying firms, political parties, governments and militaries in all of these places."

When Donald Trump won the election last fall, many people wondered if Obama would be as courteous as his predecessor George W. Bush. Would Obama be able to fade into the background and stay out of policy debates? Now we know the answer is no. The spotlight is simply too alluring for Obama, who revels in attention. He is even mirroring Trump's actions in some ways.

In a transparent attempt at blame-shifting, former Obama spokesman Josh Earnest has tried to place responsibility for President Obama's failure to respond effectively to Russian meddling in the election . . . on Republicans. It's been reported that Obama was paralyzed into inaction by fears of seeming to help Hillary during the campaign. Appearing on today's Morning Joe, Earnest said:

"The first time, [McConnell] didn't have time to schedule time to talk about it. This is something that Republicans did not take seriously, and that did hamstring our efforts to respond to this as effectively as we would have liked."

If you know anything about President Obama, you know that he loves to campaign and he's quite good at it. He loves speaking to adoring crowds of fans, and answering softball questions from his disciples in the press. Obama signaled his eminent return to politics by weighing in on the special election in Georgia. Politics USA reported:
Obama Jumps Into GA Special Election Race To Slam ‘Shameful’ GOP Voter Suppression Tactics Just a day before voters in Georgia’s sixth congressional district will choose between underdog Democrat Jon Ossoff and Trump-supported Republican Karen Handel, former President Barack Obama jumped into the race to slam GOP efforts to suppress the vote.

The House Oversight Committee lashed out at former President  Obama and former Attorney General Eric Holder for obstruction over the death of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry. A cartel member used a gun from the ATF and DOJ's Operation Fast and Furious to kill Terry in December 2010. From Fox News:
The House Oversight Committee also Wednesday released a scathing, nearly 300-page report that found Holder’s Justice Department tried to hide the facts from the loved ones of slain Border Patrol Brian Terry – seeing his family as more of a “nuisance” than one deserving straight answers – and slamming Obama's assertion of executive privilege to deny Congress access to records pertaining to Fast and Furious.

Before I begin the review of Rising Star: The Making of Barack Obama by David J. Garrow, I feel the need to make a confession in the interest of full disclosure. Barack Obama has been very inspirational to me personally. He inspired me to help co-found the SoCal Tax Revolt Coalition. He inspired be to become an independent conservative blogger. He inspired me to re-register as "No Party Preference" in my home state of California. So, why did I order this 7-pound book on Obama?

While President Donald Trump had a busy day getting all the 28 NATO partners on board the global anti-ISIS alliance, former President Barak Obama appeared at a youth rally in Berlin alongside German Chancellor Angela Merkel. The event in Berlin was organised to mark the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation. Taking a swipe at his successor’s immigration policy, Obama got cheers from audiences in Berlin with meaningless platitudes like “we can’t hide behind a wall.” Yes, Obama decried walls as he sat fenced behind a security cover with “helicopters patrol[ling] the skies and snipers with balaclavas watch[ing] the scene from nearby rooftops” -- as one news-outlet described it.

Obama endorsed Emmanuel Macron for President of France yesterday in the tightly contested election which will take place this weekend. Obama's record on involving himself in the affairs of other countries might have Marine Le Pen's team smiling. USA Today reported:
French candidate Emmanuel Macron endorsed by Barack Obama Former president Barack Obama, who is wildly popular in France, has formally endorsed French presidential hopeful Emmanuel Macron, an independent centrist he calls the candidate of "hope."

Representative Keith Ellison (D-MN), deputy chair of the DNC, has rattled the left with his unflinching grasp of the obvious:  Obama, Ellison claims, deserves blame for Democrat losses during his presidency. While Obama himself somehow managed to win election twice, his party suffered the loss of over a thousand Congressional, state, and governor seats.  The party, even the left grudgingly admits, was decimated; what the left is less willing to admit is that Obama's policies—policies Americans consistently said put America on the wrong track—played a role in these stunning losses. Ellison, however, admits that the historic nature of Democrat losses under Obama are not only part of Obama's legacy but are also directly related to and reflective of Obama's poor leadership of the party.

Some in France would love if former President Barack Obama ran for president. Again. But this time in France. Obama is ineligible since he's a US citizens, but that's not stopping these people. 42,000 French citizens have signed a petition to persuade him to run for president.

Obama once famously said: "I do think at a certain point you've made enough money." The year was 2010 and he was addressing what he perceived as greed on Wall Street. Now that he's entering the lucrative post-presidency portion of his career, he's set to become an incredibly wealthy man. Both he and the former First Lady have reached a book deal worth tens of millions. Politico reports:
Barack and Michelle Obama reach book deal Publisher Penguin Random House announced Tuesday it will publish books by former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama.