The Obama Presidency

A Dialogue with China

Addressing the first U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue, President Obama laid out a framework of his vision for another critical aspect of American foreign policy – the relationship with China, which he called "as important as any bilateral relationship in the world."

Delivering his address, the President drew upon lessons of the past to lay out his ambitions for the future, "As we look to the future, we can learn from our past -- for history shows us that both our nations benefit from engagement that is grounded in mutual interest and mutual respect," he said.

The President explained that today, perhaps in contrast to much of the last century, there is good cause to have optimistic ambitions for the future of the U.S-China relationship, and for the ability of the two countries to work together on issues of mutual concern:

"My confidence is rooted in the fact that the United States and China share mutual interests.  If we advance those interests through cooperation, our people will benefit and the world will be better off -- because our ability to partner with each other is a prerequisite for progress on many of the most pressing global challenges
…
these issues are rooted in the fact that no one nation can meet the challenges of the 21st century on its own, nor effectively advance its interests in isolation.  It is this fundamental truth that compels us to cooperate.  I have no illusion that the United States and China will agree on every issue, nor choose to see the world in the same way.  This was already noted by our previous speaker.  But that only makes dialogue more important -- so that we can know each other better, and communicate our concerns with candour." … (more)
 

From the White House

From the America.gov

President Barack Obama with the Apollo 11 astronauts, (L - R) Buzz Aldrin, Michael Collins, and Neil Armstrong.

President Obama honours the Heroes of Apollo 11

Exactly 40 years after man first stepped foot on the moon, the President welcomed Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Buzz Aldrin to the White House to honor their achievement.  He called the Apollo 11 astronauts "American heroes" and praised the entire NASA family for making that iconic flight possible.  He also noted how the men’s accomplishment served as inspiration for a generation, and reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to math and science:

"I also know that, as a consequence of the extraordinary work of NASA generally, that you inspired an entire generation of scientists and engineers that ended up really sparking the innovation, the drive, the entrepreneurship, the creativity back here on Earth.  And I think it's very important for us to constantly remember that NASA was not only about feeding our curiosity, that sense of wonder, but also had extraordinary practical applications.  And one of the things that I've committed to doing as President is making sure that math and science are cool again, and that we once again keep the goal by 2020 of having the highest college graduation rates of any country on Earth, especially in the maths and science fields."

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Obama Calls on Africans to Claim Their Future

Saying he too has the blood of Africa within him, President Obama does not see the African people as living a world apart, but as a fundamental part of an interconnected world.

“I’ve come here to Ghana for a simple reason: the 21st century will be shaped by what happens not just in Rome or Moscow or Washington, but by what happens in Accra as well,” Obama said in a July 11 speech before the Ghanaian Parliament in his first visit to sub-Saharan Africa as president.

“I have the blood of Africa within me, and my family’s own story encompasses both the tragedies and triumphs of the larger African story.”

The July 11 speech in Accra capped off a journey that began in Moscow July 6, followed by the Group of Eight Summit in L’Aquila, Italy, July 8–10, a visit with Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican on July 10, and then his visit to Ghana before returning to Washington … (more)
 

Obama Wins Global Support for Nuclear-Free Future

President Obama, at the G8 Summit in Italy, added another element to his goal of a nuclear-free world by calling for a global nuclear summit in March 2010.

The President sees this as another piece of the nonproliferation agenda he first put forward in his Prague speech in April, where he called for a nuclear-free world. The Obama agenda includes substantial reductions in the U.S. and Russian nuclear arsenals, which the president and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev agreed to July 6 at the Moscow Summit; U.S. ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT); and strengthening of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

In the President's Prague speech of April 5, he proposed a sweeping strategy to thwart the international nuclear threat: reducing and eventually eliminating existing nuclear arsenals; strengthening the NPT and stopping the spread of nuclear weapons to additional nations; and preventing terrorists and political extremists from obtaining nuclear weapons or materials.

In a series of related statements, G8 leaders endorsed that strategy on the first day of the summit July 8 … (more)
 

View of the White House South Lawn: The Foo Fighters performed July 4, 2009. White House 4th July on Flickr

President Celebrates Independence Day with "Nation's Heroes"

On Saturday, July 4th, President Obama celebrated Independence Day alongside hundreds of service members and their families at a USO concert on the South Lawn of the White House.  The concert, emcee'd by Jimmy Fallon, featured the Foo Fighters and Michelle Branch, and was immediately followed by the 4th of July fireworks over the National Mall - a traditional and spectacular fixture of Independence Day celebrations in Washington.

President Obama addressed the his guests, remarking that he was "honored and proud" to host them on Independence Day, and noting that the service members gathered were "the latest, strongest link in that unbroken chain that stretches back to the Continental Army.  You're the heirs of that legacy of proud men and women who strained to hold together a young union; who rolled back the creeping tide of tyranny; who stood post through a long twilight struggle; who have taken on the terror and extremism that threatens the world's stability."

He also remarked that "our gathering tonight is not so different from gatherings that are taking place all across the country, in parks and fields and backyards all across America.  In small towns and big cities, folks are firing up grills, laughing with family and friends, and laying out a blanket in preparation for the big show.  They're reliving the simple, unmistakable joys of being an American." (more)
 

President Leads by Example on Energy Efficiency

Amidst the tremedous progress being made in Congress on legislation to create a clean energy economy, on June 29 the President led by example and did his part in the Executive branch.  The President and Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced today several innovative actions that will promote energy efficiency while saving Americans billions of dollars annually.

The announcement highlights the fact that clean energy not only makes environmental sense, but it also makes smart economic sense. The President explained that this is why the administration has put energy at the forefront of our economic recovery, working to build a new, clean energy economy for the future:

"So we've gotten a lot done on the energy front over the last six months.  But even as we're changing the ways we're producing energy, we're also changing the ways we use energy.  In fact, one of the fastest, easiest, and cheapest ways to make our economy stronger and cleaner is to make our economy more energy efficient.  And that's something that Secretary Chu is working every single day to work through."

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The World is Watching Iran

President Obama's Statement on Iran

The Iranian government must understand that the world is watching. We mourn each and every innocent life that is lost. We call on the Iranian government to stop all violent and unjust actions against its own people. The universal rights to assembly and free speech must be respected, and the United States stands with all who seek to exercise those rights.

As I said in Cairo, suppressing ideas never succeeds in making them go away. The Iranian people will ultimately judge the actions of their own government. If the Iranian government seeks the respect of the international community, it must respect the dignity of its own people and govern through consent, not coercion.

Martin Luther King once said - "The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice." I believe that. The international community believes that. And right now, we are bearing witness to the Iranian peoples’ belief in that truth, and we will continue to bear witness … (more)
 

President Obama at the D-Day 65th Anniversary Ceremony in Normandy.

Heroes of D-Day Changed the Course of an Entire Century

It was unknowable on June 6, 1944, but much of the progress that defined the 20th century began when Allied forces stormed a slice of French beach only six miles long and two miles wide, President Obama said in a speech commemorating the 65th anniversary of the World War II D-Day landings.
“What we must not forget is that D-Day was a time and a place where the bravery and the selflessness of a few was able to change the course of an entire century,” Obama said at the elegantly maintained American Cemetery above Omaha Beach near Colleville-sur-Mer in Normandy. Unlike the overcast day 65 years ago, the afternoon commemoration took place under beautiful skies.
It was at Omaha and similar beaches with code names like Juno, Sword, Gold and Utah and at Point du Hoc that the Allied armies of Britain, Canada, Poland, the Free French and the United States landed in the largest amphibious landing in modern history, aided by daring behind-the-lines airborne landings of American and British paratroopers … (more)
 

"A New Beginning": Obama Seeks Fresh Start with Muslims Worldwide

Saying he came to seek a new beginning between the United States and Muslims around the world, President Obama told an audience in Cairo June 4 that the cycle of suspicion and discord that has defined the relationship for so long must end.

“There must be a sustained effort to listen to each other; to learn from each other; to respect one another; and to seek common ground,” Obama said. “So long as our relationship is defined by our differences, we will empower those who sow hatred rather than peace, those who promote conflict rather than cooperation that can help all of our people achieve justice and prosperity.  This cycle of suspicion and discord must end.”

Obama said he seeks a new start that is based on mutual interest and mutual respect — “one based upon the truth that America and Islam are not exclusive and need not be in competition. Instead, they overlap, and share common principles, principles of justice and progress; tolerance and the dignity of all human beings.” … (more)
 

President Condemns Nuclear Weapon Test

President Obama has condemned the North Korea’s apparent nuclear weapon test in violation of international law, describing it a “grave concern to all nations” and a “blatant defiance of the United Nations Security Council.” Members of the Security Council were unanimous in voicing their strong opposition to and condemnation of the nuclear test.

Stating shared concerns, President Obama and NZ Foreign Minister Murray McCully have both described North Korea’s actions as provocative, and as destabilising the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asian region.

The President has stated that North Korea’s behaviour “will only serve to deepen North Korea's isolation. It will not find international acceptance unless it abandons its pursuit of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery.”

Minister McCully said that New Zealand “remains fully supportive of dialogue through the Six-Party Talks process to resolve issues on the Korean Peninsula”.

The United States will continue to work with allies and partners in the Six Party Talks, as well as other members of the UN Security Council, to resolve the situation on the Korean Peninsula.
 

President Obama: Proud of Achievements, Not Satisfied

Marking his first one hundred days in office, President Obama reflected upon what has already been achieved, but also on what is yet to come.

“I think we’re off to a good start. But it’s just a start. I’m proud of what we’ve achieved, but I’m not content,” Obama said in an hourlong, nationally televised press conference from the East Room of the White House.

“We still confront threats ranging from terrorism to nuclear proliferation as well as pandemic flu. And all this means you can expect an unrelenting, unyielding effort from this administration to strengthen our prosperity and our security — in the second hundred days, and the third hundred days, and all the days after that,” the president said … (more)

Seeking a world without nuclear weapons

Speaking in Prague on April 5, President Obama has declared the U.S. commitment to work toward a world free from nuclear weapons.  Calling upon all nuclear weapon states to join the U.S. in this goal, the President nonetheless recognised that "as the only nuclear power to have used a nuclear weapon, the United States has a moral responsibility to act. We cannot succeed in this endeavour alone, but we can lead it".

He has vowed that the U.S. will begin a sequence of concrete steps towards this goal, including:

 •  reducing the role of nuclear weapons in U.S. security strategy;
 •  vigorous negotiation with other nuclear states on strategic arms reduction, a new treaty with Russia this year as just a first step;
 •  aggressive pursuit of U.S. ratification of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty;
 •  seeking a new treaty to cease the production of fissile materials intended for use in state nuclear weapons;
 •  working with the international community to strengthen the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty;
 •  and announcing a new international effort to secure all vulnerable nuclear material around the world within four years.

The President acknowledged that a nuclear weapon free world is a long term goal, but one that must be pursued immediately and with full conviction.  "This goal will not be reached quickly - perhaps not in my lifetime. It would take patience and persistence. But now we, too, must ignore the voices who tell us that the world cannot change," he said.  [full text]

U.S. Trade Representative Takes Office

U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk was formally sworn into office on Friday, March 20 (Saturday, March 21 NZ time) in a ceremony presided over by Vice-President Joe Biden.  Ambassador Kirk's swearing in follows overwhelming approval from the Senate confirmation process. On March 18, the Senate voted 92-5 in favour of confirming Ambassador Kirk.

As United States Trade Representative (USTR), Ambassador Kirk is member of President Obama’s Cabinet and serves as the President’s principal trade advisor, negotiator and spokesperson on trade issues.  During the swearing in ceremony, Vice-President Biden described the role of the USTR "This administration is about improving lives everywhere, plain and simple.  And as the U.S. Trade Representative, that's pretty much his job description in a nutshell, improving lives everywhere." … (more)

A New Era of Responsibility

In his first address to a joint session of Congress, President Obama laid out his plan to confront the global economic crisis.

Acknowledging that for many Americans the state of the economy is "a concern that rises above any others", President Obama laid out his plan to strengthen the economy and spur economic growth not just in the U.S., but worldwide.  "We are working with the nations of the G-20," he said "For the world depends on us to have a strong economy, just as our economy depends on the strength of the world’s."

The President also reiterated before both chambers of Congress his commitment to engaging with the global community in confronting the security challenges of the 21st century.  "In words and deeds, we are showing the world that a new era of engagement has begun.  For we know that America cannot meet the threats of this century alone, but the world cannot meet them without America," he said. [full text]

Early Start  in Wellington to Inauguration Day

U.S. Embassy Wellington hosted over a hundred guests at an early morning event to watch the live coverage of the inauguration of President Barack Obama.

In Washington, crowds began to stream onto the Mall well before dawn, to try and secure a good spot from which to view the ceremony and parade.  In Wellington too, arrivals began before dawn, as attendees came early to watch the various inaugural activities leading up to the swearing of the oath of office.  There was much discussion of the election, and speculation as to what an Obama Presidency would mean for America and the world.

"This is a truly historic moment for America," commented Chargé d ‘Affaires David Keegan, "and not one I was sure I'd be around to see.  I'm glad that I did get to see it; I am immensely proud of my country."  President Obama is the first African-American to be elected to the office.

Guests and embassy staff fell quiet as the oath of office, followed by President Obama's inaugural address, began.  And they were not disappointed, President Obama outlined his vision for the future of America, and the role of America within the community of nations.

"To all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: Know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more," said President Obama, addressing not just Americans, but all people worldwide.

A New Birth of Freedom: Inauguration 2009

From the the Whistle-Stop train journey President-Elect Obama undertook to travel to Washington, through to the use of the Lincoln Bible for the Presidential swearing in ceremony, the 2009 Presidential inauguration has been themed around Abraham Lincoln's "New Birth of Freedom".  Abraham Lincoln, in his Gettysburg address, expressed his hope that the sacrifice of those who died to preserve the United States would lead to "a new birth of freedom" for the nation.  Now, almost exactly 200 years after Lincoln's birth - on February 12, 1809 - these words express the intended direction of President-Elect Obama and his incoming administration.

The cornerstone of the inauguration is the swearing in ceremony when, at noon on January 20th, Barack Obama took the oath of office; the 56th time that a U.S. president has been sworn in for a four-year term since 1789, when George Washington first took the same oath.  From that moment, President Obama has been the 44th President of the United States of America …  (more from america.gov) (more from senate.gov)

Martin Luther King Day Observed Through Service

Across the country, Americans marked Martin Luther King Jr. Day January 19 with community service projects. Among those volunteering was President-elect Barack Obama.

Obama encouraged Americans to use the day honoring the late civil rights leader, a federal holiday on which most schools and businesses are closed, to give back to their communities. People participated in more than 11,000 service projects such as feeding the homeless or tutoring children. (See “Americans Urged to Do Volunteer Work on Martin Luther King Day.”)

“Dr. Martin Luther King's was a life lived in loving service to others. As we honor that legacy, it's not a day just to pause and reflect — it's a day to act,” Obama said in a statement.

Obama and King’s son, Martin Luther King III, volunteered at a homeless shelter for teens in Washington. “This country is great because of its people. And when all of our people are engaged and involved in making the community better … we can accomplish anything,” Obama said as he helped paint the shelter’s walls.

Earlier in the day, the president-elect visited a secondary school and talked with injured troops at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Michelle Obama, her daughters Sasha and Malia, and Jill Biden, wife of Vice President-elect Joe Biden, visited a stadium where people were putting together packages to send to troops overseas …  (more)

Inaugural Train Trip Follows Path of Lincoln

The inaugural events began in Philadelphia January 17, where Obama boarded a train for Washington. Following the path taken by former President Abraham Lincoln before his inauguration in 1861, Obama and Biden made several stops along the 219-kilometer (137-mile) route to speak to Americans. Thousands waited for hours in below-freezing temperatures to catch a glimpse of America’s next leaders.

At train stops, Obama thanked his supporters, saying they will help him bring change to Washington.

An estimated 400,000 people watched an inaugural concert at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington on January 18.“You proved once more that people who love this country can change it. And as I prepare to leave for Washington, on a trip that you made possible, I know that I will not be traveling alone; I'll be taking you with me,” Obama told a crowd of about 40,000 in Baltimore.

“Yours are the voices I'll carry with me every day in the White House. Yours are the stories I'll be thinking of when we deliver the changes you elected me to make,” he said … (more) (video)