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Subscribe to RSSMIAMI, Fla. -- Capping off a busy day that took him from surveying tornado damage in Alabama to a scrubbed shuttle launch in Cape Canaveral -- where he met with the recovering Rep. Gabrielle Giffords -- President Obama encouraged graduating college students here to persevere and keep in mind that America's best days are ahead of it.
Despite discrimination and injustices in the country's past, "We carried the dream forward," Obama told about 4,000 students of Miami Dade College's North and West campuses here at the packed James L. Knight Center in downtown Miami.
Obama was warmly received. When he was introduced, he was greeted with chants of his 2008 presidential campaign slogan, "Yes, we can." The venue provided the president an audience with a key constituency group -- young, mostly African American and Hispanic students -- in a swing state. Miami Dade College is the largest institution of higher education in the country with more than 174,000 students enrolled, according to the school. It also boasts that it graduates more black and Hispanic students than any other in the nation.
And he didn't miss the opportunity to lay out his vision of society for the students, many of whom will vote for the first time in 2012.
He said the country faces choices between fighting for the middle class or not, continuing to invest in education and clean energy (instead of being vulnerable to swings in oil price), breaking promises to seniors and the disabled and "tell them to fend for themselves" or "keep strengthening" the social safety net, and pushing for immigration reform or not.
Many of those topics are ongoing battles in Washington, in particular, recently, the debate over Rep. Paul Ryan's (R-WI) budget proposal that would phase out a government-run Medicare program for those who are currently younger than 55 years old.
Obama again voiced support for the DREAM Act, which would give students in American schools but who weren't born in the United States citizenship. Obama noted that some Miami Dade College students had admitted to being undocumented in hopes of getting the DREAM Act passed.
"I firmly believe we should fix our immigration system," Obama said, adding, "I will keep fighting along side many of you in order to make the DREAM Act the law of the land. … It will be difficult, and it will take time. I know some of you wish that I could bypass Congress and change the law myself, but that’s not how democracy works. Democracy is hard, but it’s right."
Obama also drew on his peronal story, talking of his father and his efforts to get into a college, as well as his personal hopefulness for the direction of the country, rooted, in part, in his seeing astronauts come ashore in Hawaii while sitting atop his grandfather's shoulders when he was a boy. He likened that to today, when his daughters toured a space shuttle and got to meet with astronauts at Cape Canaveral.
That's "my proof America endures," Obama said. "Our brave endeavor on this earth continues."
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President Obama excels at doing what a President is supposed to do: inspire individuals to be their best.
Obama said carry the dream but he meant perpetuate his delusions.
Pretty impressive. Did he mention that he was the one who actually found one program to shutdown- the space program? He mention that, rather than shutting it down for all Americans to see, he merely "re- focused" its mission- its primary purpose is now Muslim outreach, requiring the same number of dollars, but no space exploration.
No? Well, perhaps he mentioned all the obstacles put in place to prevent people from creating businesses and, therefore, jobs?
He didn't? Well, good news! Somebody else did
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-martin-regulations-20110501,0,4664641.story
You tax dollars, and a whole lot of borrowed money, at work.
I have a plan: fire three quarters of the bureaucrats- federal, state, and local- then see where the economy heads. Here is a hint- it will go up, because the very people employed to thwart entrepreneurs will suddenly become very busy trying to help them succeed. Heck, they may just venture into business for themselves.
From that, we will all benefit.
John Glenn, on a local TV station here (just last week), talked about how GWB ended the Space Subtle program and how by the time the new administration took office it was too late to save it.
Sorry for the typo = Space Shuttle
I visited the Kennedy Space Center last weekend, it was very busy with visitors from all over the globe. You cannot spend time there and not be awed at the accomplishments of the men and women who have worked on these programs. I have been visiting there since the early seventies and never tire of it.
I think it is sad that most of the visitors nowadays appear to be from overseas who show a great interest and appreciation for such a fine example of American workmanship. We did it then, we can do it again and in other forms too.
I don't know that the US has ever had as inspirational a leader as President Barack Obama, save possibly JFK. Obama's sincerity and genuine ability to inspire makes us aspire to be better citizens!
HAHAHAHAH!!!! That's hillarious Scott!!!
no.it's just sad. open your eyes and smell the bullcrap obama is selling. the con man in chief is just that and nothing more.
Scott, I like your eloquent speech. You sound like the Barry himself. Look out he doesn't like anyone imitating him.
Scott, The Magician is the best inspirational liar I have ever heard. Now You See Him, Now You Don't. Obama is a well trained, well disciplined and well spoken Marxist Socialist and a Great ,Glorious and Excellent Leader for the implementation for income distribution.
Hate to break in to the Obama loveliest with real news, but
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/04/30/EDIF1J9TNO.DTL
Got a comment, Mark Murray? Chuck Todd? Domenico Montenaro? Any of you?
Perhaps this explains why all the pom pom waving. Here is a suggestion: why don't all of you call his bluff? If the SF Chronicle can, why not?
Seems to me that if that is the way the game is played, NO coverage would come back to bite him in the rear.
Of course, it takes courage. . . .
I see the NJ nut job is still indulging on SOUR GRAPES for breakfast!
Do you set your alarm to get up and locate a ANTI-OBAMA rant - no matter how obscure?
Have another helping hon, 'It does your body good'!
Politico:
“The San Francisco Chronicle violated the coverage rules that they — and every other media outlet — agreed to as part of joining the press pool for that event. If they thought the rules were too restrictive they should have raised that at the beginning,” White House press Secretary Jay Carney said in a statement. “However, no reporters have been banned from covering future presidential events and the White House of course would have no problem including any reporter who follows the rules in pool-only events.”
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0411/53960.html
OH NO!
Dennis - not the dreaded Politico! lmao
The NJ nut job must have missed the violated the coverage excerpt!
Like I was saying, sour grapes....
no joe,
What's new, huh?
In October 2006, Maureen Dowd wrote about the up-coming would-be king .......
A few months later, Obama caught Dowd in New Hamphire and said .......
He puts her on "notice"? I guess you call these the "pre-ban" days before he was president and had the real "bully pulpit".
San Francisco? People that paid $76,000 to him felt they wanted to a polite little song in support of Bradley Manning ......... and the news that filmed it gets banned. Wow. Yea the transparency prez is quite a man.
A week or so ago, it was WFAA reporter Brad Watson in Dallas that got the treatment. Seems you aren't supposed to ask anything harder than cotton candy in the way of a question to the petulant one. And when Obama says he only lost by a couple of points - NEVER ...... NEVER correct him by pointing out it was 10.
Nice knowing ya Brad.
It would be one thing if this behavior was limited to reporters, but it isn't. States whose citizens didn't support Obama seem to get the same treatment. Ask Bobby Jindal in Louisiana about off camera reprimmands and getting help during the Gulf spill, ask Perry of Texas and Brewer of Arizona, etc. what it is like trying to work with this guy.
Supreme Court Justices are mocked and misrepresented openly in a State of the Union address.......
Obama calls for bi-partisanship, working together on the serious issues facing us, then invites Ryan to his speech and does nothing but mock and ridicule Ryan's plan - offering no plan of his own. Nothing new, "they can ride in the back"....... "drinking their Slurpees" .......
Obama mocks average citizens - when asked about the promised shovel ready jobs, Obama laughs ...(idiots) "there is no such thing as shovel ready jobs"; when asked about high price of gas, Obama laughs and suggests they trade their trucks in before he hops back on AF1 (which cost $188,000 an hour to operate) to fly off to pick-up $38,000 a plate donations ........
It would be one thing is this was limited to reporters .... and governors ...... and supreme court justices ..... and congressmen ...... and citizens, but it isn't.
The Brits sent a bust of Churchill to us after 9/11 as symbol of their freindship, working together to confront the new evil as FDR and Churchill had confronted the evil of Hitler. What is one of the first things Obama does? Obama sends the bust back! Our best friend!
Israel has been a good a friend, the sole true democracy in the Middle East. Obama deliberately snubs/insults Netanyahu by walking out of a meeting to go have dinner with Michelle and the girls, as it if Netanyahu was some workman fixing the sprinkler heads.
Presidential behavior? Style? Grace? or the behavior of a petulant Chicago punk?
Dennis,
Really?
I expect the little chihuahua Feisty to chase that ball, but puleeeeez ....
Can't we have at least one liberal here at FR with a modicom of common sense?
No Jo, I followed your link. Sounds like the very definition of a stage 1 kerfuffle. Big whoop.
Threatening to ban reporters because you do not like their coverage is just a "big whoop"?
Not in this country.
And, Dennis and Amy, READ THE CHRONICLE. The White House lied about the incident. Period.
I'm sure it is not the first time- just the first time it got reported.
I wonder what the White House reaction to NO COVERAGE would be? You guys try that for a week, and I am pretty sure the Chicago thug tactics will end.
Better yet, report in each and every time you get threatened. That should do it.
Now that the NJ nut jobs has stuffed herself with the sour grapes, she's moved onto washing it down with some nice cold OBAMA hatoraide! lol
You know things aren't going well with the other resident liar in chief has to WHIP out the Churchill 'bust' NONTROVERSEY! LMAO!
Enjoy kids - it's understandable that ConservativeVille is stormy these days!
Unfortunetley for you two - there is NO sun in the forecast! LOL
Thanks, bob. I was so outraged by this episode, and the certainty that this was not the only such incident, that I could not post all of what you pulled together.
I reminds me if the fact that "Mr. transparency" refuses to report all he hauls in at the "little people" fundraisers he headlines- I wonder just where those paper routes are, since they can afford to pay $38,000 a plate to go see their idol.
It is nothing more than a "he said she said" but for some they will always believe anyone other than this administration {period}.
Oh, and read real slowiy now booby & look up the meaning of the word LOAN!
Keep those umbrellas handy... lol
Hey no joe,
Please have you husband fill-up the car next time ....... I was so livid - the needless harm and burden done to so many Americans.
This guy is despicable on so many levels.
Hang in there and have a good weekend.
Feisty,
What's your point, moron? Need someone to "loan" you a clue?
My point was that Obama is a jackass.
Your ignorant response was to give me a link .........
Thanks for helping me make you look like a fool ......... again, and thanks for helping me make the point that Obama is "wrong-headed and crassly insensitive" jackass.
You never learn do you.
Tsk Tsk booby!
You're slip is showing...
It' alright the stinging should subside anyday now! ;o)
Like I said - keep that umbrella handy it's gonna be a LONG 6 years for all you haters!
You know I've been reading this blog for a long time and I have come to a conclusion,
Â
Fiesty, You are just a nasty b!tch.
How sweet, another KeyBoard Warrior!
Did you type this vulgarity with 1 Hand, while the other was in your LAP?
I'm sure some think of your beloved Wife-Girlfriend in the same manner!
Chivalry lives in the form of weak kneed liberalism from Ky.
White Collar......you sound kinda like a nasty bitch.
The attempt by the administration to reign in the press as explempified by the SF reporter issue should alarm all Americans. The job of the press is to keep government in line by exposing them when they cross it. A free press should have no "rules" and should be allowed at any event in which even one tax payer dollar is involved. If the President, any President, wants to be free from press scrutiny then they should leave pubic service and take a job in the private sector.
The papparazi has more freedoms than does the WH press core.
Amazing that the rights of the press to camp out on some private citizens yard is more protected than the right of the white house press core to use a cell phone camera to report on a non-violent act of civil disobedience at a presidential fund raiser by a sitting president.
i'm calling BS on this speech. america has had some bad days behind it, but the worst is yet to come. we are carrying on insane wars using words like democracy and human rights while these wars are all about geopolitical power and oil. we are robbing and killing people to take their property. we are torturing people and getting false confessions out of them. we are waving the flag of national security to cover up crimes that only create a bigger threat to national security. we are creating 1000s of new enemies each day which gives us an excuse to fight these wars.
when are you college students going to wake up? obama is a brilliant speaker. he says all the right things. [so did bush when he said america doesnt torture-it was just his bad luck those pictures came out right after] the torture continues under obama. the crimes continue to get covered up. the justice system has gone to hell. he wants you to keep the dream alive, just as long as you keep sleeping.
i was a real obama supporter before. now i think he's just an eloquent liar.
Knock Knock, A lot of people are finding out that Barry is nothing but Barack the Boastful and millions regretted they voted for him. I call him President Now you see him, Now you don't. Glad your eyes is opened. Another thing, if you notice Barry is courting populous areas where certain ethnicity of his own dwells. The speech in Florida, the talk shows that reflect his ethinicity and opinions, the call to the aliens to fulfill the dream, etc. There is a smell of arrogance in addition to the corruption of the present govt. You notice that whenever a new vibrant candidate surfaces and looks like he or she can defeat the Magician, they are branded as bigots and racists. Obama's speeches and campaigns are gated and pointed to this aim and all those who are gullible and fall for it. The race card and Obama knows this. He feels smug in this and he knows that his supporters on the Far Left are adept in damaging anyone who dare to question this Maskelyn figure.Now you see him, Now you don't. Hey ladies of the Red Left, your Red slip is showing and it isn't pretty.
Great job President Obama! You are the best leader in the world! Keep up the good work
Mr Obama,"I firmly believe we should fix our immigration system" too. Of course to me that would mean enforcing the existing immigration laws and strengthening them to close the loopholes to illegals instead of pandering to 11 million illegal aliens/criminals who are in our country illegally.
Instead of considering amnesty for these criminals please consider enforcing our laws and supporting the following legislation:
H.R. 140, the Birthright Citizenship Act of 2011
H.R. 1134 to prevent sanctuary cities from receiving federal law enforcement funding
H.R. 800 the E-LAW Act to require employers to verify all new hires and current employees
H.R.100, the CLEAR Act to provide the resources and training necessary to local police for enforcement of federal immigration laws
H.R. 692, the Nuclear Family Priority Act to end chain migration.
Glenn-
Not to trivialize your list of legislation, but we do not have an illegal immigration problem in this country, we have an illegal EMPLOYER problem in this nation.
If employers stopped hiring illegals then they would stop coming here. And please, please, please do not tell me these employers don't know their employees are illegals. They know full well what they're doing when they hire em'. Their eyes are WIDE open.
The real immigration problem is the LEGAL immigration problem with the H1B Visa classification which allows employers to import foreigners to take jobs away from Americans. Auto engineers being hired at auto companies are almost entirely Indian or Chinese. Americans need not apply.
A big part of the problem is the illegal aliens are welcomed into immigrant communities and become part of that communities underground economy. They deal drugs, clean offices, work in neighborhood stores, etc. Working for other illegal aliens or sympathetic legal immigrants. Then of course if they can squat out a kid they are home free.
So many foreign ivy college students and other colleges go back to their countries because of bad immigration laws .They want to stay here.A waste of intellectual capitol.high school Students who want to be citizens that believe in the American dream more than American citizens.More tax revenues from these people ,also they have a desire to advance that America needs to uplift this countries spirit.Dont Agree With President Obama on everything ,but I do on this issue.
If they truly respected the U.S.A. like you claim they do...They would voluntarily deport themselves. You don't show your respect for a country by breaking it's laws.
If I rob a bank because the money I would get would provide "a better life for my children" would the laws against robbing banks be ignored? After all it's for the children....No, the law would be enforced you say? If you arrest me and send me to jail you will be destroying our family...tearing my children from my arms while they cry. If you do insist that the law be enforced certainly you are not going to deny my poor children the means to a better life I that illegally obtained (by not allowing them to keep the money) are you? They may have never known life without that money. It would not be fair to punish the children for my decision to break the law.
Sound familiar?
Glen the dream act isnt for criminals they will continue to do sneaky actions and hide.The dream act is for motivated individuals interested in advancing themselves,and adding skills and heart that this country needs at thi very moment.People whose aspirations will lift America once more.
Joseph that is where you are wrong. Everyone who would benefit from this bill are by definition criminals. The DREAM Act would provide conditional permanent residency to certain illegal and deportable alien students ....
I condiser motivated individuals those who would immigate here legally.
The DREAM act is amnesty for the children of criminals. These students stole their educations from the taxpayers of the United States of America because our Federal Government is not doing its job of enforcing the law. All of these illegal aliens should be deported. The employers who hired illegals should be fined and our government needs to start securing our border.
Our country has enough unresolved problems that Obama does not want to work on and he promotes the Dream Act. It's all for amnesty and votes, nothing else. He should be working on job creation and economy and nothing else. What's the point in getting an education when you can't find a job. We have a generation of college grads that can't find jobs in the field that they educated themselves for. I myself is a perfect example of it, I'm working two jobs and they have nothing to do with my college education, that's all I can get. It's shameful that my parents spend all that money and what they get is a son that can't afford to move out of their house.
Did you watch “Meet The Press” this morning? If not then try to see if you can catch a rerun or read the transcript.
You may find what Michael Bloomberg (Mayor of NYC) had to say about immigration very informative.
Liberal media I have to ask the question. Are you pro censorship or against? Seems this administration is very pro censorship. Funny how it came to bite you all in the butt. I'm referring to the San Francisco Chronicle issue.
Yes its just a silly matter Barack.
You finally gave us another birth certificate, which I recall your minions did publish one before. Which one is the true one? Also, the font did not exist in 1961. Seems like the font did not exist also in 1961. Anyhow, something is not right. Obama's father is stated as born in Kenya. Somehow, Kenya did not exist in 1961. Is this true? There is no seal on the certificate, another inaccuracy. Why? I dunno. What about the academic records? We hope to see that soon. But onto more pressing things. OIL. The Barack has stifled every oil producing entity in the USA. Now, he blames the oil companies. No Barack the oil companies do not produce the oil. The cartels do, in other words the Arabs is the ultimater producers who control its supply and demand in order to make their profits. The oil companies only buy and store the oil and supply the nation. Your Marxist Socialism simply cannot work.
The President is apparently not well read on the current Federal Immigration Laws now on the books. If he does understand the current Federal Immigration Laws now on the books?? Yet he still supports the Dream Act. Then this speech is simply for poltical gain. Why are these laws not being enforced consistently?? Why are our South Western borders not being guarded correctly?? The Federal Immigration Laws are very clear concerning illegal immigration. IT IS NOT LEGAL!! Why are states in the South West not given the needed funds to enforce the current Immigration Laws on the books?? These Federal Immigration Laws have been law for several important reasons. These laws make sure that any individual wanting to be a citizen must wait their turn, and earn their citizenship rights. These laws also make sure that the rules for citizenship are same for immigrants. Those that came to the United States 150 years ago or just 1 day ago. To give speeches inspiring individuals to succeed is great! Just make sure the individuals are legally able to live in the United States. The Dream Act is a clear violation of the current laws concerning immigration. All laws must be fair for everyone, or they are not fair for anyone. The President has a different view concerning the issue of immigration, and he needs to explain his position much clearer. As of now in the United States. Individuals crossing the border in an illegal fashion are in clear violation of the law. This is fact!
Progressive,
While I like most of what you say on this I have a different view.
First, our President has provided more boarder security than any previous president, allocated more money toward security and deportations are up sharply since shortly after he took office.
Second, no President or any national leader will ever deport 12+ million illegals. So if no one is going to deport them (not even considering the cost) shouldn’t there a defined path to citizenship? I am not all that much in favor of the higher education part of the Dream Act but I do like the military service part of it.
What I don’t hear is a plan coming from any of the Conservatives or any one else.
Well we deported (or they self deported) a few million in the 50's so I am not sure why you think we can't deport even more now. All it would take is to strictly enforce existing immigration laws, have very stiff penalties for hiring illegal aliens and doing away with anchor babies by interpreting the 14th amendment the way the drafters of it intended. This would cause a mass self-deportation of illegal aliens and act as a deterrent against future illegal aliens.
WHITE COLLAR, Why argue with hard boned Marxist Socialists? I call them Rosenbergs. Why? That's where they originated with their traitorous brethren. Now let's take that one you referred as a NB. She curses out people she don't like but that is a small matter. Small as her pea brain. These Socialists KNOW that Marxism do not work. Yet they persist in this wrong headed ideology. Remember Cambodia and PolPot? He was such a nice , honest, humble as the Barack, quiet, superb speaker, beautiful family man with attractive wife and children and a very cultured personality. Everyone who met PolPot was charmed and struck by his fatherly and godlike figure and personality. But his doctrine was the same as Feisty and the Democratic Left, income distribution of the wealth of the Cambodian people. They did. The result was the infamous mountain of skulls. That is the belief system of Feisty and the good Dems and their photograghic , smiling faces of such honesty and charm. But behind that facade is the aim to deprive the American people of their wealth. This is what the hard boned, hard headed Democrats and the Left do not understand. That it will not work. Has never worked. Millions died when it was invoked and implemented in Cambodia. You never hear them praising Stalin, Mao and Polpot. Why? Because they are Communists. Feisty and the rest of the girls on this blog are very, kindhearted and smiling , friendly Commies. Their writings give them away. Behind their mask of friendliness is lurking their hard boned belief of income distribution and Marxism.
I like the cops in Los Angeles. Even in broad daylight the cops are doing porn on their channels. In the streets. Imagine that. The Democrats doing porn in broad daylight. Nice Democrats you have there.
Mighty strange that the Magician wasn't invited to the Royal Grand ball. I don't hear the Dems and the Far Left screaming anything. Not even racism. There were some token Blacks in the predominatly white British society. I didn't even hear a squeak from American Blacks or the Stoned White Americans. Wonder why? Will we ever have a Black British King and Queen? If the Barry had been invited over there I am sure he would have stole the show. But the English speaking world speak one language , unlike American who speak nowadays, a Marxist language. The English speaking world know feet is feet and not feets, as so eloquently spoken by the Barry. I wonder how many feets he has? I know I have two. And maybe the rest of us. What say you Fiesty and Jody and the others on the blog. How many feets do you have? Inquiring minds would like to know.
I wouldn't like to see the Marxist girls in person. They may have feets and that will lead on to other things. Like more that two thighs, more than two knees, more than two heads, of course I forgot. They have feets, more than two hands and more than ten fingers and toes. Or maybe two bodies. I wonder what else they have more than one? I'm dying to know.
Now, I know how the Magician travels so fast about the states to campaign. He has two feets. Isn't that something? A Great and Glorious Comrade Marxist Leader with feets.
I am curious. How come Obama's father says that he was born in Kenya on the BC and Kenya did not become an Independent state till 1963? And the Magician was born in 1961. See what I mean, President Now You See Him, Now You Don't. Can't Fiesty or any hard headed Commie explain that to me? This is fantastic. This is like I was born in the period before 1776 and my father's place of birth would show USA. Come Dems , you have some Marxist explaining to do. Or should I say some deep feets explaining to do. Seems like the Magician can't get it right. Inquiring minds would like to know.
One way to defeat the Magician before he make us all disappear is for the Republicans, Tea Party and the Independents to support Trump if Palin or Bachmann is not running. Very strange that the stupid Repubs should not support a man like Trump who represents the Capitalist base of this country. I find it stranger than fiction that they would reject a man like Trump.
I like the Magician. He boasted that if Trump takes the White House, he will make it into a casino. How nice of Mr. Trump, to live the American Dream, by employing jobs and bringing much needed revenue for Americans. Well, Americans can see the difference now that the Barry is occupying the White House. Its like Vlad's castle with his vampiric legions sucking the life blood of all Americans from their jobs and livelihood. Hey Barry, which one do you think the Americans will prefer? This bone headed Magician is just like his Socialist pals in the country.