From the Washington Times: Obama ditches reporters after golf outing
President Obama ditched the small group of reporters that accompanied him on a golf outing Saturday at Andrews Air Force Base.
Mr. Obama arrived at Andrews in suburban Maryland at 1:08 p.m. to play golf with a foursome that included Marvin Nicholson, the White House trip director, and two other men. That was the last time the press traveling with the president saw him.
Normally, when the president completes his round of golf, reporters in the "pool" traveling with him accompany Mr. Obama's motorcade back to the White House. But on Saturday, the pool reporters were notified at 5:45 p.m. that the president had already departed the base without them, supposedly 10 minutes earlier.
George Condon, a reporter with National Journal, wrote in his pool report: "In a breach of longstanding policy, the motorcade departed without hooking up with the press vans even though the vans had been loaded and waiting for more than half an hour."
"The pool does not know first hand when the president left the base, what route he took, or when he arrived at the White House.
We were told that he arrived at 5:58 [p.m.] and went to the residence," Mr. Condon reported.
The reporter added, "Your pooler, no doubt invigorated by his inability to tell you anything for certain, registered a protest at this breach and would assume there would be a more formal followup discussion."
The press pool system is designed, in part, to provide a daily record of a president's appearances and travels in public.
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Monday, May 28, 2012
Best of Rush on today
Rush is not on his show today - probably in Florida or somewhere!
The President and VP have no public schedule today either.
There's no public schedule posted for the Secretary of State and her Diplomatic Corps, but in that instance I think it's just because the person who is supposed to keep the schedule is on vacation.
The President and VP have no public schedule today either.
There's no public schedule posted for the Secretary of State and her Diplomatic Corps, but in that instance I think it's just because the person who is supposed to keep the schedule is on vacation.
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Starvation soon in Libya and Egypt?
Some guy named Micah Halperin does a "this is what I've been thinking" spot on my radio station - the same one that hosts Rush Limbaugh.
Friday and today it was on the foot and mouth disease and avian flu that are currently ravaging Egypt's "protein suplly." Apparently when Libya had their little uprising lasyt year, their cattle that was infected with foot and mouth disease was not killed but rather sent into Egypt, where it proceeded to infect those animals.
I just did a search on this topic, and it looks like 2 whole articles have been devoted to it in the past month.
(I wonder if anyone in Libya or Egypt miss Ghaddafy and Mubarrak yet? And of course, where is all the money going to come from to help prevent these two countrys from starving? Why, the despised Christian countries, of course.
I only hope the West will enforce a quarantine on people coming from these countries, to prevent an outbreak of human avian flu in the West.
From the Atlantic: http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2012/05/egypts-real-crisis-the-dual-epidemics-quietly-ravaging-public-health/257072/ - Egypt's Real Crisis: The Dual Epidemics Quietly Ravaging Public Health
Friday and today it was on the foot and mouth disease and avian flu that are currently ravaging Egypt's "protein suplly." Apparently when Libya had their little uprising lasyt year, their cattle that was infected with foot and mouth disease was not killed but rather sent into Egypt, where it proceeded to infect those animals.
I just did a search on this topic, and it looks like 2 whole articles have been devoted to it in the past month.
(I wonder if anyone in Libya or Egypt miss Ghaddafy and Mubarrak yet? And of course, where is all the money going to come from to help prevent these two countrys from starving? Why, the despised Christian countries, of course.
I only hope the West will enforce a quarantine on people coming from these countries, to prevent an outbreak of human avian flu in the West.
From the Atlantic: http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2012/05/egypts-real-crisis-the-dual-epidemics-quietly-ravaging-public-health/257072/ - Egypt's Real Crisis: The Dual Epidemics Quietly Ravaging Public Health
Lost in the recent political jockeying and protest violence leading up to Egypt's May 23 presidential elections is the unfolding public health disaster there. Avian flu and foot and mouth disease are running rampant, killing people and livestock as well as inflating the price of food. It's a serious health and economic issue, but it has potentially much larger implications for Egypt. This little-discussed crisis is beginning to resemble those that occur in failed states.
The Egyptian state, which was not particularly well-prepared for public emergencies even before the February 2011 revolution brought it into near-chaos, has little capacity to cope with the outbreaks threatening not only Egypt, but also Sudan, Israel, the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and Jordan. Egypt's public health infrastructure barely functions. The sorts of social services that groups like the Muslim Brotherhood have provided over many years fall far short of what is needed to combat the current crisis. Cairo does not have the money to throw at the problem, having burned through more than half of its foreign currency reserves in the 15 months since Mubarak's fall.
Ground zero for Egypt's public health emergency is Libya, where last year, in the midst of civil war, foot and mouth disease swept through the country, killing more than 10 percent of its sheep and cattle. Smugglers subsequently brought infected sheep across the Libyan border, setting off a foot and mouth disease (FMD) wildfire that Egyptian officials have been unable to slow.
Within four weeks, FMD killed thousands of cattle, buffalo, sheep, goats, camels, and other livestock across Egypt. In March, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization declared a "catastrophe," warning that the epidemic in Egypt was threatening human food supplies for all of the Middle East and North Africa. The particular viral strain responsible for the epidemic, officially called SAT2, is a new one, against which standard FMD vaccines are useless. SAT2 was first found in Sudan in 1977, the same year it was also thought to have been eliminated. It appears to have resurfaced there in 2010, spread to Libya, then Egypt, and now the Palestinian Territory. Consequently, public and veterinary health officials in Israel, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and elsewhere around the region are on high alert.
For Egypt, which is reeling from the economic repercussions of last year's revolt against the Mubarak regime and ongoing political instability, the FMD epidemic is a serious blow. The loss of thousands of cattle, buffalo, and camels has resulted in a significant spike in the price of meat from Egypt's remaining livestock, which leaves a relatively poor population with only one unaffected source of protein: chickens. Yet Egypt is also in the sixth year of avian influenza H5N1 epidemic. Despite vaccination and control efforts, the deadly H5N1 virus, which swept into Egypt from Asia, persists.
Given the popularity of home-raised chickens in the country, where many households, rural and urban, possess flocks, controlling the infection would be a daunting undertaking for any government. Millions of the animals are estimated to have either died from infection or been killed off by veterinary authorities, according to the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization, in failed control efforts. The World Health Organization now ranks Egypt second in the world, after Indonesia, in human cases of the avian flu, which thus far has reportedly killed 60 Egyptians and infected about 100 more.
Recently, a strain of the virus has spreadto Egyptian ducks; this new strain carries mutations that are thought to play a role in enabling transmission between mammals. This is a particularly worrisome development because some Egyptians have caught the flu from their animals but have not yet passed it onto other people. Once the virus begins to spread between humans, an epidemic becomes far, far more likely.
There are only two well-established methods for controlling these viral animal diseases: through mass vaccination of more than 90% of all vulnerable animals, or via quarantine and culling measures that identify and slaughter all FMD-infected herds and H5N1-contaminated flocks. In either case, governance is the key. These are big, difficult undertakings, and they require public trust in the state.
Poor farmers are far less likely to cooperate with such a program, which asks them to risk, their livelihood, with faith that government will provide adequate compensation for culled animals.
In Egypt, where the military's ability to exert its authority has diminished over time, the transitional civilian cabinet is ineffective, and a variety of political forces jockey for advantage as the presidential election draws near, the government looks increasingly unable to deal with the FMD crisis, and people are furious about it.
When more than 7,000 cattle died in March, protesters took the streets to demonstrate against the al Gharbiyya governorate. Unable to get help from the state or compensation for dead animals, impoverished famers dumped animal carcasses into water systems and canals, and on the doorsteps of local officials. By late April, the animal death toll topped 20,000, as the infection spread to the Red Sea and South Sinai governorates as well as the Palestinian territories. When local veterinary experts tried to impose quarantines on infected herds, camel drivers threatened to block Egypt's main highways, insisting on the right to use their beasts regardless of contamination concerns.
In early April, the Egyptian government announced it would buy $1.8 million worth of a vaccine manufactured to treat the specific strain of FMD threatening Egypt's livestock. The first stocks arrived at the end of April. Though vaccinations have begun, it is unclear when they will become widely available. Even if a mass vaccination of Egypt's hoofed livestock could be accomplished, despite the uncertainty of Egypt's politics and limited capacities of its sprawling bureaucracy, it will -- like all vaccines -- take two weeks before the benefits of immunization take effect. Under the best-case scenario, control of FMD would not be realized until June or July. As for bird flu, it's doubtful that Egypt could stop the viral spread of the disease, portending more human cases and deaths.
Observers have spent a lot of time and effort trying to understand Egypt's post-Mubarak trajectory, but this path will be much more than just the twists and turns of Egyptian politics. Public health is a critical factor for the country's transition and its future. Even if presidential elections are smooth, if the military hands power to civilians with no problems, and if Egyptians get down to the hard work of writing a constitution, uncontrolled foot and mouth disease and avian flu -- along with their attendant economic and human costs -- could risk everything. If the international community wants to help guide the Arab world's most populous country through its post-Mubarak crisis, addressing the country's twin epidemics would be a particularly high-impact way to do it.
Absent a global response, Egypt will likely experience continued political instability and violence, and potentially widespread malnutrition that would surely affect Libya, Sudan, Gaza, Israel, the West Bank, Jordan, and beyond. Endless debates about the Muslim Brotherhood's commitment to democratic change or the military's intentions are interesting, but not as important as a coordinated international effort to pull Egypt back from the public health brink.
Why do Asian boys rule the National Geography Bee?
My local PBS station is showing the National Geography Bee - not sure if its live or if it took place last month...maybe what Ive been reading in the news is all the "regional" contests, and now they're doing the national one on TV.
Anyway, of the 8 contestants I see during this final portion, one was an Indian girl, and two were Caucasian boys, one of whom has washed out, and one of will shortly wash out.
All the rest are Asians - one Chinese American I think, the others Indian-American (as opposed to Native American).
What's up with that?
Well, it's because Asian minorities put a special emphasis on education, something that apparently can not be said for other minorities or the Caucasian majority. I think the math bees and the spelling bees are also ruled by Asian minorities.
Time for parents of all kids to work with those kids to get them interested in learning for the joy of learning.
(Oh...and no, I couldn't answer ANY of the questions that any of these kids were answering so easily...)
Anyway, of the 8 contestants I see during this final portion, one was an Indian girl, and two were Caucasian boys, one of whom has washed out, and one of will shortly wash out.
All the rest are Asians - one Chinese American I think, the others Indian-American (as opposed to Native American).
What's up with that?
Well, it's because Asian minorities put a special emphasis on education, something that apparently can not be said for other minorities or the Caucasian majority. I think the math bees and the spelling bees are also ruled by Asian minorities.
Time for parents of all kids to work with those kids to get them interested in learning for the joy of learning.
(Oh...and no, I couldn't answer ANY of the questions that any of these kids were answering so easily...)
Thursday, May 24, 2012
24 May 2012, Thu, SoS Clinton and Staff Schedule
SECRETARY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
8:45 a.m. Secretary Clinton meets with Energy Secretary Steven Chu, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
9:45 a.m. Secretary Clinton meets with the regional bureau secretaries, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
10:30 a.m. Secretary Clinton delivers remarks for the Release of the Human Rights Report, at the Department of State.
(OPEN PRESS COVERAGE)
11:00 a.m. Secretary Clinton meets with Counselor Mills and Chief Economist Heidi Crebo-Rediker, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
11:40 a.m. Secretary Clinton meets with Counselor Mills and Science and Technology Adviser Bill Colglazier , at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
2:00 p.m. Secretary Clinton delivers remarks to the International Security Advisory Board Plenary Meeting, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
3:00 p.m. Secretary Clinton holds a bilateral meeting with Foreign Minister of New Zealand Murray McCully M.P., at the Department of State.
(JOINT PRESS AVAILABILITY FOLLOWING BILATERAL MEETING AT APPROXIMATELY 3:40 PM)
4:15 p.m. Secretary Clinton attends a meeting at the White House.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY WHITE HOUSE)
6:20 p.m. Secretary Clinton hosts and delivers remarks at the annual reception for the Diplomatic Receptions Rooms, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
DEPUTY SECRETARY BILL BURNS
8:00 a.m. Deputy Secretary Burns meets with Turkish Under Secretary Feridun Sinirlioglu, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
12:45 p.m. Deputy Secretary Burns attends a meeting at the White House.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY WHITE HOUSE)
7:30 p.m. Deputy Secretary Burns attends a dinner hosted by Kuwaiti Ambassador to the U.S. Salem Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, in Washington, DC.
(media determined by host)
DEPUTY SECRETARY TOM NIDES
10:30 a.m. Deputy Secretary Nides hosts an interagency meeting on Law of the Sea, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
12:00 p.m. Deputy Secretary Nides speaks with U.S. Ambassador to Iraq James Jeffrey.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
2:00 p.m. Deputy Secretary Nides meets with Director of Foreign Assistance Robert Goldberg, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
7:00 p.m. Deputy Secretary Nides attends a reception hosted by Pakistani Ambassador to the U.S. Sherry Rehman, in Washington, DC.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY THE EMBASSY OF PAKISTAN)
USAID ADMINISTRATOR RAJ SHAH
3:00 p.m. Administrator Shah meets with Counselor Mills, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
UNDER SECRETARY FOR POLITICAL AFFAIRS WENDY SHERMAN
Under Secretary Sherman is on foreign travel in Baghdad, Iraq, for P5+1 talks with Iran. Please click here for more information.
UNDER SECRETARY FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH, ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT ROBERT HORMATS
Under Secretary Hormats is on foreign travel to Paris, France through May 24 to participate in the OECD Environment Ministerial Forum.
8:00 a.m. LOCAL Under Secretary Hormats attends a working breakfast, Management Issues on Russia, Key Partners & Colombia, in Paris, France.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
9:15 a.m. LOCAL Under Secretary Hormats attends a meeting on Partners for Development: The OECD Development Strategy, in Paris, France.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
9:30 a.m. LOCAL Under Secretary Hormats meets with Israeli Minister of Finance Yuval Steinitz, in Paris, France.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
10:45 a.m. LOCAL Under Secretary Hormats attends a meeting on Partners for Development: Working with Key Partners, Russia, MENA and others, in Paris, France.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
12:00 p.m. LOCAL Under Secretary Hormats meets with German State Secretary Anne Ruth Herkes, in Paris, France.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
UNDER SECRETARY FOR CIVILIAN SECURITY, DEMOCRACY, AND HUMAN RIGHTS MARIA OTERO
6:00 p.m. Under Secretary Otero joins Secretary Clinton for the annual reception for the Diplomatic Receptions Rooms, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
ACTING UNDER SECRETARY FOR ARMS CONTROL AND INTERNATIONAL SECURITY ROSE GOTTEMOELLER
Acting Under Secretary Gottemoeller co-hosts the Iraq Joint Coordinating Committee (JCC) Meeting with Acting Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Jim Miller through May 24. The focus of the JCC is strengthening the security partnership between the United States and Iraq. Events take place at the Department of State and the Department of Defense.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
12:20 p.m. Acting Under Secretary Gottemoeller attends a working lunch with members of the International Security Advisory Board, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
CHIEF OF PROTOCOL AMBASSADOR CAPRICIA PENAVIC MARSHALL
10:00 a.m. Ambassador Marshall attends the Diplomatic Reception Rooms Fine Arts Committee Meeting, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
6:00 p.m. Ambassador Marshall attends a reception honoring donors to the Diplomatic Reception Rooms and hosted by the Curator of the Diplomatic Reception Rooms, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR CONFLICT AND STABILIZATION OPERATIONS RICK BARTON
Assistant Secretary Barton is on foreign travel in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates to participate in meetings related to the Friends of the Syrian People Working Group on Economic Reconstruction and Development.
ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIAN AFFAIRS ROBERT BLAKE
9:00 a.m. Assistant Secretary Blake participates in a Facebook chat for audiences in Central Asia on Central Asia’s participation in the NATO Summit, Afghanistan, as well as U.S. policy in region.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
1:00 p.m. Assistant Secretary Blake meets with members of the International and Government Affairs Telecommunications Industry Association, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
6:00 p.m. Assistant Secretary Blake delivers remarks on the occasion of the Fourth Republic Day of Nepal, in Washington, DC.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY HOST)
ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT AFFAIRS WILLIAM BROWNFIELD
Assistant Secretary Brownfield is on foreign travel in Russia to participate in the U.S.-Russia Bi-National Presidential Commission Counternarcotics Working Group.
ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR EAST ASIAN AND PACIFIC AFFAIRS KURT CAMPBELL
Assistant Secretary Campbell is on foreign travel in Phnom Penh, Cambodia through May 26 to lead the U.S. delegation to Senior Officials Meetings on the East Asia Summit and Lower Mekong Initiative and to meet with counterparts in the region.
ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR INTERNATIONAL SECURITY AND NONPROLIFERATION TOM COUNTRYMAN
2:45 p.m. Assistant Secretary Countryman delivers remarks to members of the International Security Advisory Board, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR ECONOMIC AND BUSINESS AFFAIRS JOSE FERNANDEZ
10:00 a.m. Assistant Secretary Fernandez participates in Embassy Doha’s first Direct Line teleconference for American businesses, “Doing Business in Qatar.”
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
2:00 p.m. Assistant Secretary Fernandez meets with Paraguayan Vice Minister of Economic Relations and Integration Ambassador Manuel María Cáceres, to discuss Paraguay’s intellectual property rights and investment climate, in Washington DC.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS MIKE HAMMER
Assistant Secretary Hammer is on foreign travel to Baghdad, Iraq.
ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR WESTERN HEMISPHERE AFFAIRS ROBERTA JACOBSON
Assistant Secretary Jacobson attends the South America Chiefs of Mission Conference, hosted by U.S. Southern Command, in Miami, Florida.
ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR OCEANS AND INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL AND SCIENTIFIC AFFAIRS KERRI-ANN JONES
2:30 p.m. Assistant Secretary Jones participates in a meeting of the U.S. Interagency Committee on Trade in Timber Products from Peru, at the U.S. Trade Representative’s office.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR DEMOCRACY, HUMAN RIGHTS AND LABOR MICHAEL POSNER
10:30 a.m. Assistant Secretary Posner joins Secretary Clinton for the Release of the Annual Human Rights Reports, at the Department of State.
(OPEN PRESS COVERAGE)
AMBASSADOR-AT-LARGE AND COORDINATOR FOR COUNTERTERRORISM DANIEL BENJAMIN
Ambassador Benjamin is on foreign travel to Tunis, Tunisia to meet with government officials and discuss counterterrorism initiatives.
AMBASSADOR-AT-LARGE AND U.S. GLOBAL AIDS COORDINATOR ERIC GOOSBY
8:00 a.m. Ambassador Goosby convenes the PEPFAR Country Coordinator Annual Meeting, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
OFFICE OF GLOBAL CRIMINAL JUSTICE AMBASSADOR-AT-LARGE-STEPHEN RAPP
Ambassador Rapp is on foreign travel in Brijuni, Croatia to attend the 6th Regional Conference of State Attorneys.
AMBASSADOR-AT-LARGE FOR GLOBAL WOMEN’S ISSUES MELANNE VERVEER
10:00 a.m. Ambassador Verveer meets with First Lady of Niger Dr. Malika Issoufou Mahamadou, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
2:00 p.m. Ambassador Verveer meets with Secretary General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union Anders Johnson, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
4:00 p.m. Ambassador Verveer speaks with CH2M HILL Senior Vice President of International Programs Theresa Loar.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
6:30 p.m. Ambassador Verveer delivers keynote remarks on Burma at an event hosted by the Czech Embassy as part of their “Freedom of Expression in the Contemporary World” project, at the Czech Embassy in Washington, DC.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY HOST)
SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE FOR GLOBAL PARTNERSHIPS KRIS BALDERSTON
2:00 p.m. Special Representative Balderston meets with Executive Director of the Center for High Impact Philanthropy at the University of Pennsylvania Katherina Rosqueta, and USAID Chief Innovation Officer Maura O’Neill, to discuss public-private partnership opportunities including the Advancing Market-Driven Partnerships (AMP) initiative.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
4:00 p.m. Special Representative Balderston meets with Senior Vice President of SIFE Worldwide Sylvester John, to discuss plans for the upcoming SIFE World Cup in Washington, DC. Please click here for more information.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE TO MUSLIM COMMUNITIES FARAH PANDITH
Special Representative Pandith is on foreign travel to the Vatican to for meetings focused on youth and engagement with Muslim communities.
PRESS BRIEFING SCHEDULE
12:30 p.m. Daily Press Briefing with Spokesperson Victoria Nuland.
8:45 a.m. Secretary Clinton meets with Energy Secretary Steven Chu, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
9:45 a.m. Secretary Clinton meets with the regional bureau secretaries, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
10:30 a.m. Secretary Clinton delivers remarks for the Release of the Human Rights Report, at the Department of State.
(OPEN PRESS COVERAGE)
11:00 a.m. Secretary Clinton meets with Counselor Mills and Chief Economist Heidi Crebo-Rediker, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
11:40 a.m. Secretary Clinton meets with Counselor Mills and Science and Technology Adviser Bill Colglazier , at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
2:00 p.m. Secretary Clinton delivers remarks to the International Security Advisory Board Plenary Meeting, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
3:00 p.m. Secretary Clinton holds a bilateral meeting with Foreign Minister of New Zealand Murray McCully M.P., at the Department of State.
(JOINT PRESS AVAILABILITY FOLLOWING BILATERAL MEETING AT APPROXIMATELY 3:40 PM)
4:15 p.m. Secretary Clinton attends a meeting at the White House.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY WHITE HOUSE)
6:20 p.m. Secretary Clinton hosts and delivers remarks at the annual reception for the Diplomatic Receptions Rooms, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
DEPUTY SECRETARY BILL BURNS
8:00 a.m. Deputy Secretary Burns meets with Turkish Under Secretary Feridun Sinirlioglu, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
12:45 p.m. Deputy Secretary Burns attends a meeting at the White House.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY WHITE HOUSE)
7:30 p.m. Deputy Secretary Burns attends a dinner hosted by Kuwaiti Ambassador to the U.S. Salem Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, in Washington, DC.
(media determined by host)
DEPUTY SECRETARY TOM NIDES
10:30 a.m. Deputy Secretary Nides hosts an interagency meeting on Law of the Sea, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
12:00 p.m. Deputy Secretary Nides speaks with U.S. Ambassador to Iraq James Jeffrey.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
2:00 p.m. Deputy Secretary Nides meets with Director of Foreign Assistance Robert Goldberg, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
7:00 p.m. Deputy Secretary Nides attends a reception hosted by Pakistani Ambassador to the U.S. Sherry Rehman, in Washington, DC.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY THE EMBASSY OF PAKISTAN)
USAID ADMINISTRATOR RAJ SHAH
3:00 p.m. Administrator Shah meets with Counselor Mills, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
UNDER SECRETARY FOR POLITICAL AFFAIRS WENDY SHERMAN
Under Secretary Sherman is on foreign travel in Baghdad, Iraq, for P5+1 talks with Iran. Please click here for more information.
UNDER SECRETARY FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH, ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT ROBERT HORMATS
Under Secretary Hormats is on foreign travel to Paris, France through May 24 to participate in the OECD Environment Ministerial Forum.
8:00 a.m. LOCAL Under Secretary Hormats attends a working breakfast, Management Issues on Russia, Key Partners & Colombia, in Paris, France.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
9:15 a.m. LOCAL Under Secretary Hormats attends a meeting on Partners for Development: The OECD Development Strategy, in Paris, France.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
9:30 a.m. LOCAL Under Secretary Hormats meets with Israeli Minister of Finance Yuval Steinitz, in Paris, France.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
10:45 a.m. LOCAL Under Secretary Hormats attends a meeting on Partners for Development: Working with Key Partners, Russia, MENA and others, in Paris, France.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
12:00 p.m. LOCAL Under Secretary Hormats meets with German State Secretary Anne Ruth Herkes, in Paris, France.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
UNDER SECRETARY FOR CIVILIAN SECURITY, DEMOCRACY, AND HUMAN RIGHTS MARIA OTERO
6:00 p.m. Under Secretary Otero joins Secretary Clinton for the annual reception for the Diplomatic Receptions Rooms, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
ACTING UNDER SECRETARY FOR ARMS CONTROL AND INTERNATIONAL SECURITY ROSE GOTTEMOELLER
Acting Under Secretary Gottemoeller co-hosts the Iraq Joint Coordinating Committee (JCC) Meeting with Acting Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Jim Miller through May 24. The focus of the JCC is strengthening the security partnership between the United States and Iraq. Events take place at the Department of State and the Department of Defense.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
12:20 p.m. Acting Under Secretary Gottemoeller attends a working lunch with members of the International Security Advisory Board, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
CHIEF OF PROTOCOL AMBASSADOR CAPRICIA PENAVIC MARSHALL
10:00 a.m. Ambassador Marshall attends the Diplomatic Reception Rooms Fine Arts Committee Meeting, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
6:00 p.m. Ambassador Marshall attends a reception honoring donors to the Diplomatic Reception Rooms and hosted by the Curator of the Diplomatic Reception Rooms, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR CONFLICT AND STABILIZATION OPERATIONS RICK BARTON
Assistant Secretary Barton is on foreign travel in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates to participate in meetings related to the Friends of the Syrian People Working Group on Economic Reconstruction and Development.
ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIAN AFFAIRS ROBERT BLAKE
9:00 a.m. Assistant Secretary Blake participates in a Facebook chat for audiences in Central Asia on Central Asia’s participation in the NATO Summit, Afghanistan, as well as U.S. policy in region.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
1:00 p.m. Assistant Secretary Blake meets with members of the International and Government Affairs Telecommunications Industry Association, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
6:00 p.m. Assistant Secretary Blake delivers remarks on the occasion of the Fourth Republic Day of Nepal, in Washington, DC.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY HOST)
ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT AFFAIRS WILLIAM BROWNFIELD
Assistant Secretary Brownfield is on foreign travel in Russia to participate in the U.S.-Russia Bi-National Presidential Commission Counternarcotics Working Group.
ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR EAST ASIAN AND PACIFIC AFFAIRS KURT CAMPBELL
Assistant Secretary Campbell is on foreign travel in Phnom Penh, Cambodia through May 26 to lead the U.S. delegation to Senior Officials Meetings on the East Asia Summit and Lower Mekong Initiative and to meet with counterparts in the region.
ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR INTERNATIONAL SECURITY AND NONPROLIFERATION TOM COUNTRYMAN
2:45 p.m. Assistant Secretary Countryman delivers remarks to members of the International Security Advisory Board, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR ECONOMIC AND BUSINESS AFFAIRS JOSE FERNANDEZ
10:00 a.m. Assistant Secretary Fernandez participates in Embassy Doha’s first Direct Line teleconference for American businesses, “Doing Business in Qatar.”
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
2:00 p.m. Assistant Secretary Fernandez meets with Paraguayan Vice Minister of Economic Relations and Integration Ambassador Manuel María Cáceres, to discuss Paraguay’s intellectual property rights and investment climate, in Washington DC.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS MIKE HAMMER
Assistant Secretary Hammer is on foreign travel to Baghdad, Iraq.
ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR WESTERN HEMISPHERE AFFAIRS ROBERTA JACOBSON
Assistant Secretary Jacobson attends the South America Chiefs of Mission Conference, hosted by U.S. Southern Command, in Miami, Florida.
ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR OCEANS AND INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL AND SCIENTIFIC AFFAIRS KERRI-ANN JONES
2:30 p.m. Assistant Secretary Jones participates in a meeting of the U.S. Interagency Committee on Trade in Timber Products from Peru, at the U.S. Trade Representative’s office.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR DEMOCRACY, HUMAN RIGHTS AND LABOR MICHAEL POSNER
10:30 a.m. Assistant Secretary Posner joins Secretary Clinton for the Release of the Annual Human Rights Reports, at the Department of State.
(OPEN PRESS COVERAGE)
AMBASSADOR-AT-LARGE AND COORDINATOR FOR COUNTERTERRORISM DANIEL BENJAMIN
Ambassador Benjamin is on foreign travel to Tunis, Tunisia to meet with government officials and discuss counterterrorism initiatives.
AMBASSADOR-AT-LARGE AND U.S. GLOBAL AIDS COORDINATOR ERIC GOOSBY
8:00 a.m. Ambassador Goosby convenes the PEPFAR Country Coordinator Annual Meeting, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
OFFICE OF GLOBAL CRIMINAL JUSTICE AMBASSADOR-AT-LARGE-STEPHEN RAPP
Ambassador Rapp is on foreign travel in Brijuni, Croatia to attend the 6th Regional Conference of State Attorneys.
AMBASSADOR-AT-LARGE FOR GLOBAL WOMEN’S ISSUES MELANNE VERVEER
10:00 a.m. Ambassador Verveer meets with First Lady of Niger Dr. Malika Issoufou Mahamadou, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
2:00 p.m. Ambassador Verveer meets with Secretary General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union Anders Johnson, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
4:00 p.m. Ambassador Verveer speaks with CH2M HILL Senior Vice President of International Programs Theresa Loar.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
6:30 p.m. Ambassador Verveer delivers keynote remarks on Burma at an event hosted by the Czech Embassy as part of their “Freedom of Expression in the Contemporary World” project, at the Czech Embassy in Washington, DC.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY HOST)
SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE FOR GLOBAL PARTNERSHIPS KRIS BALDERSTON
2:00 p.m. Special Representative Balderston meets with Executive Director of the Center for High Impact Philanthropy at the University of Pennsylvania Katherina Rosqueta, and USAID Chief Innovation Officer Maura O’Neill, to discuss public-private partnership opportunities including the Advancing Market-Driven Partnerships (AMP) initiative.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
4:00 p.m. Special Representative Balderston meets with Senior Vice President of SIFE Worldwide Sylvester John, to discuss plans for the upcoming SIFE World Cup in Washington, DC. Please click here for more information.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE TO MUSLIM COMMUNITIES FARAH PANDITH
Special Representative Pandith is on foreign travel to the Vatican to for meetings focused on youth and engagement with Muslim communities.
PRESS BRIEFING SCHEDULE
12:30 p.m. Daily Press Briefing with Spokesperson Victoria Nuland.
24 May 2012, Thurs, Pres and VP Schedule
Yesterday the President traveled to Colorado Springs, CO, today he has no public schedule.
Nor does the Vice President.
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Stop JIP-ing people when they're talking!
I don't know if that's the right term for it... but Rush, Glenn and Sean will always play audio of some politician, and then insert their own voice-over making fun of what's being said or repeating what's being said in a mocking tone. Kind of like what Mystery Theater 3000 does. Annoys me no end.
So I listened to the opening of Sean Hannity's show, and he's JIP-ing Obama's speech from the last campaign cycle, where Obama admits he took drugs and says, "I inhaled, that was the point." And Hannity is JIP-ing this and making it seem like Obama's makibg it seem "like it's cool. I inhaled. That was the point."
And of course, the reason why Obama said "I inhaled" was because Bill Clinton said, in 1992, "I tried marijuana in England, didn't inhale, and never tried it again." And he was ridiculed for that statement. And so Obama was saying, "Yes, he inhaled," not to be cool but because he wasn't being wishy washy and denying what he'd done as Clinton tried to do.
And unfortunately, the fact that we'd had a president that did drugs as a teenager didn't matter to most voters (a googly percentage of whom, black and white, also do "recreational drugs."
Yes, it would have invalidated him as a candidate to me.
Back to my point. Let the audio speak for itself. If you have to use this voice-over to color people's opinion of the speaker, that means you think your audience is too stupid to get it themselves.
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