Tag: President Obama

Obama: Voting rights bill must pass before next election

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Former President Obama said Monday that Congress needs to pass voting rights legislation before the 2022 midterm elections, or American democracy could be at risk.

“We can’t wait until the next election because if we have the same kinds of shenanigans that brought about Jan. 6, if we have that for a couple more election cycles, we’re going to have real problems in terms of our democracy long-term,” said Obama.

Speaking on a call with grassroots supporters alongside former Attorney General Eric Holder, Obama said debate over the voting rights bill, known as the For the People Act, was worth it for him to engage in political debate, even as a former president. Continue reading.

Obama blasts Trump on coronavirus response

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NOTE: This article is provided free of charge by The Washington Post.

Former president Barack Obama delivered an emphatic rebuke of President Trump and his handling of the coronavirus pandemic during campaign stops for Democratic nominee Joe Biden on Wednesday.

At a speech in Philadelphia, Obama said his successor has endangered the country and is “incapable of taking the job seriously.”

“Eight months into this pandemic, cases are rising again across this country,” Obama said. “Donald Trump isn’t suddenly going to protect all of us. He can’t even take the basic steps to protect himself,” Continue reading.

Obama calls filibuster ‘Jim Crow relic,’ backs new Voting Rights Act bill

The Hill logoFormer President Obama on Thursday called the Senate filibuster rule a “Jim Crow relic” and said it should be ended to help pass legislation that would restore a key provision of the Voting Rights Act.

Obama made the remarks while delivering a eulogy for civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), who died earlier this month at the age of 80. The John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act would make it harder for states to enact racially suspect voting restrictions.

“Once we pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, we should keep marching,” Obama said. “And if all this takes eliminating the filibuster — another Jim Crow relic — in order to secure the God-given rights of every American, then that’s what we should do.” Continue reading.

President Obama: How to Make this Moment the Turning Point for Real Change

As millions of people across the country take to the streets and raise their voices in response to the killing of George Floyd and the ongoing problem of unequal justice, many people have reached out asking how we can sustain momentum to bring about real change.

Ultimately, it’s going to be up to a new generation of activists to shape strategies that best fit the times. But I believe there are some basic lessons to draw from past efforts that are worth remembering.

First, the waves of protests across the country represent a genuine and legitimate frustration over a decades-long failure to reform police practices and the broader criminal justice system in the United States. The overwhelming majority of participants have been peaceful, courageous, responsible, and inspiring. They deserve our respect and support, not condemnation — something that police in cities like Camden and Flint have commendably understood. Continue reading.

Former President Obama’s Statement on the Death of George Floyd

Below is a statement from President Obama on George Floyd’s death:

I want to share parts of the conversations I’ve had with friends over the past  couple of days about the footage of George Floyd dying face down on the street under the knee of a police officer in Minnesota.

The first is an email from a middle-aged African American businessman.

“Dude I gotta tell you the George Floyd incident in Minnesota hurt. I cried when I saw that video. It broke me down. The “keen on the neck” is a metaphor for how the system so cavalierly holds black folks down, ignoring the cries for help. People don’t care. Truly tragic.”

Another friend of mine used the powerful song that went viral from 12-year-old Keedron Bryant to describe the frustrations he was feeling. Continue reading “Former President Obama’s Statement on the Death of George Floyd”

Endorsing Biden, Obama Warns Of GOP’s ‘Major Propaganda Network’

Barack Obama has generally kept a low profile during the 2020 Democratic presidential primary, but the former U.S. president broke his silence on Tuesday, April 14 and officially gave former Vice President, Joe Biden his endorsement.

Obama tweeted, “I’m proud to endorse my friend @JoeBiden for President of the United States. Let’s go.”

Obama’s endorsement comes only one day after Sen. Bernie Sanders officially endorsed Biden. Until last week, Biden and Sanders were the only two remaining candidates in the primary. But when Sanders dropped out — declaring that he believed Biden’s lead in the number of pledged delegates to be insurmountable — Biden’s nomination became inevitable. Continue reading.

The evangelical right wants you to pray for Trump — and forget their shameful smearing of Obama

Franklin Graham and several so-called Christian (religious right) leaders want Sunday to be designated as a day of prayer for Donald Trump under the guise that he is facing attacks like no president has before. The irony is that a  number of these “concerned folks” spent the last eight years smearing and demonizing President Barack Obama in some of the nastiest tones and untrue claims. From questioning his citizenship to claiming that he is paving the way for the Anti-Christ, their attacks had the same slanderous theme – that Obama was a Manchurian candidate who hated Christianity, hated America, and was doing everything in his power to destroy the country:

Franklin Graham once claimed that Russian president Putin’s persecution of his country’s gay citizens was more noble than Obama supporting LGBTQ equality?  Graham also helped to spread the nonsense that Obama wasn’t an American citizen?

Alan Keyes, who Obama defeated for the Senate seat from Illinois in 2004, once called Obama a “radical communist.” He also stoked the birther controversy regarding Obama to the point of pushing an unsuccessful lawsuit about it. In addition, Keyes said that Obama was destroying everything American.

View the complete June 2 article from the Daily Kos on the AlterNet website here.

Obama comes off sidelines, thrilling Dems

The following article by Amie Parnes was posted on the Hill website September 8, 2018:

It was a speech Barack Obama had held off from delivering.

For months, the former president refused to come off the political sidelines, even as some activists said that they wanted him to publicly take on President Trump.

Obama grumbled privately to close allies about Trump, but said he did not want to become even more of a foil to his successor, who frequently criticizes him on Twitter and in remarks to friendly audiences.

He said he wanted to create space for new leaders to emerge, and that he didn’t want to suck up all the oxygen.

View the complete article here.

Obama condemns Trump in fiery address

The following article by Jordan Fabian was posed on the Hillwebsite September 7, 2018:

Former President Obama stepped off the political sidelines on Friday and delivered a fiery rebuke to his successor, President Trump, saying he has undermined trust in government and preyed on people’s fears by inflaming racial and ethnic divisions.

“This is not normal. These are not ordinary times, these are dangerous times,” the former president, who since leaving office has avoided direct attacks on Trump, said during a speech at the University of Illinois.

The hourlong speech marked Obama’s return to the political stage and was intended to rally Democrats ahead of November’s midterm elections, which he framed as crucial for the future of the American democracy. 

View the complete article here.

 

Obama calls midterm votes urgent in rebuke of Trump: ‘Our democracy depends on it’

The following article by Peter Sullivan was posted on the Hill website September 7, 2018:

ormer President Obama on Friday urged Americans to vote because “our democracy depends on it,” saying the stakes are higher than any other election in his lifetime.

“I’m here to deliver a simple message: You need to vote because our democracy depends on it,” Obama said at a speech at the University of Illinois, as he wades back into the political fray.

“But just a glance at recent headlines should tell you that this moment really is different,” he said. “The stakes really are higher. The consequences of any of us sitting on the sidelines are more dire.”