Part of Serco’s “dodgy reputation” includes the company’s reputation as one of the questionable Obamacare contractors, after receiving up to $1.25 billion to process Obamacare applications. In one facility, employees reported playing board games, reading books, and sleeping in offices at their taxpayer-funded center in Missouri.
President Obama said he’s of his Kenyan heritage during his trip to that country, pointedly described himself as “the first Kenyan-American to be president” of the United States during a speech.
President Obama lectured the entire Republican party on Monday, criticizing the people running for president for their rhetoric and saying they’re trying to get attention from the media.
“This was a symbol for those states who fought against the Union to preserve slavery,” Obama explained to the rapt Kenyan audience, noting although the Confederate flag was an “historical artifact” it shouldn’t be a “symbol of heritage” in public places.
“I suspect that some of my critics back home are suggesting that I’m back here to look for my birth certificate,” Obama said as the dinner party laughed and applauded. “That is not the case,” he added.
Obama was greeted by his half-sister Auma Obama, according to the White House pool report and a group of dignitaries who gathered at the airport. A red carpet was rolled out one the runway for his arrival as one little girl wearing a white dress curtsied and gave him a bouquet of flowers.
In South Carolina, according to CNN, Clinton said that the embattled organization was important to provide “essential services for women” like abortion – which women could choose based on their faith. She asserted that abortion was “the most personal, difficult decisions that any woman would face, based on her faith and the medical advice that she is given.”
Obama also appeared pleased that he was finding ways to break past the obstruction of a Republican majority in Congress, citing his executive orders as one way to go beyond the unpopular institution. “The robust exertion of executive authority within the the lawful constraints that we operate under is something that we’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about,” he said.
“The one area where I feel that I’ve been most frustrated and most stymied – it is that the fact that the United States of America is the one advanced nation on earth in which we do not have sufficient common-sense gun safety laws – even in the face of repeated mass killings,” Obama says.
“Having the United Kingdom in the European Union gives us much greater confidence about the strength of the transatlantic union,” he said.
“My rapping skills are terrible, that’s one thing I can’t do is rap,” he said to the group, as he prepared to give the microphone back to rapper Wale, who performed at the event. “I like rap, but cannot rap,” Obama said.
“I was aware that Sen. Cruz was planning a pro-war rally in front of the White House today,” Josh Earnest said when asked by reporters about the White House reaction to the rally. Cruz and members of the rally suggested that the Iran Nuclear Deal was a sign of weakness as Americans still remained unjustly detained by Iran after a deal was reached.
“Planned Parenthood has said that they have done nothing illegal,” Pelosi said during her press conference on Capitol Hill today, insisting that the corporation doesn’t charge for fetal tissue transfers, only enough money to “defray the cost of mailing.”
Christie told the panel that Snowden was “empowered” by political figures like Sen. Rand Paul, even though what he was doing was “illegal and unconstitutional.”
One line in particular of Perry’s prepared remarks, channelled President Obama’s own denunciation of Trump in 2011. “He offers a barking carnival act that can be best described as Trumpism: a toxic mix of demagoguery, mean-spiritedness and nonsense that will lead the Republican Party to perdition if pursued,” Perry warned in his speech today.
Obama plans to present the plan to Congress in the coming days, Earnest added, calling it a priority for Obama as he prepares to leave office. Earnest lectured that Republican members of Congress who block efforts to close the prison were on the wrong side of the debate, arguing that “closing the prison is actually in the national security interests of the United States.”
Last Friday, Paul called for a vote on defending the controversial organization as a result of the undercover investigation videos showing Planned Parenthood officials bartering over the remains of unborn children. Earnest confirmed that the White House opposed efforts to defund the organization, describing Paul’s effort as an “idealogical rider” to the highway bill.
“I do believe he will have some time to spend privately with his family,” Rice confirmed, but cited constraints on time and logistics for Obama’s schedule as to why he would be unable to personally visit his father’s village of Kogelo. Obama leaves for his trip to Kenya tomorrow.
“Government works better now than it probably ever has, given what we ask it to do,” he said confidently, assuring that he was able to improve many functions of government during his time as president. He argued that government agencies were full of people who worked hard and cared about helping people, but admitted that it was slow and often time failed to function properly.
During President Obama’s last interview on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart, the comedian famous for criticizing the media questioned Obama about his opinions on the media.
Obama explained that accusations that they were specifically targeting conservative organizations was false and that IRS employees were simply implementing laws passed by Congress “poorly and stupidly” The taped interview is Obama’s last for the Daily Show with Jon Stewart and was covered by the White House press pool, but will air later tonight.
During his speech to the VFW convention today, President Obama called for the release of U.S. citizens wrongfully imprisoned in Iran, but botched the last name of Washington Post journalist Jason Rezaian.
Yesterday, White House officials declined to explain why Obama hadn’t ordered the flag lowered, even though the shooting took place last week. This morning House Speaker John Boehner ordered flags on Capitol Hill flown at half-staff and a moment of silence on Capitol Hill to recognize the victims.
“We will continue to pray for their loved ones and also take action to protect our men and women in uniform who protect all Americans,” Boehner concluded. Boehner’s move comes a day after White House officials declined to explain why the President had not ordered the flag flown at half-staff to honor the fallen.
During the White House press briefing yesterday, one reporter asked if there was any reconsideration about federal funding for Planned Parenthood. “No,” White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest replied shortly before moving on to another question.
