Obama plans to lift longstanding U.S. restrictions on Cuba

By LAURA MECKLER | Wall Street Journal | APRIL 4, 2009

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama plans to lift longstanding U.S. restrictions on Cuba, a senior administration official said, allowing Cuban-Americans to visit families there as often as they like and to send them unlimited funds.

The gesture, which could herald more openness with the Castro regime, will fulfill a campaign promise and follows more modest action in Congress this year to loosen travel rules.

The president has authority to loosen the restrictions on travel and remittances to Cuba on his own. The new rules will affect an estimated 1.5 million Americans who have family members in Cuba. Other Americans are allowed to travel to Cuba but only if they qualify through certain cultural, educational and other programs.

President Obama doesn't intend to call for lifting of the trade embargo against Cuba, which would require congressional action, nor is any specific diplomatic outreach contemplated, the official said.

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Obama's Ultimate Agenda

By Charles Krauthammer
Friday, April 3, 2009; Page A19

Five minutes of explanation to James Madison, and he'll have a pretty good idea what a motorcar is (basically a steamboat on wheels; the internal combustion engine might take a few minutes more). Then try to explain to Madison how the Constitution he fathered allows the president to unilaterally guarantee the repair or replacement of every component of millions of such contraptions sold in the several states, and you will leave him slack-jawed.

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Brown: a new world order is emerging with the foundations of a new progressive era of international co-operation

By GEORGE PASCOE-WATSON
Political Editor and GRAEME WILSON
Deputy Political Editor at the G20 Summit

GORDON Brown yesterday forced the world’s richest countries to stump up $1TRILLION to kick-start global growth.

He strong-armed America, China, Japan, the EU and nations from across the planet into historic action at a gruelling G20 summit.

And afterwards the Prime Minister declared: “This is the day the world came together to fight back against the global recession — not with words, but with a plan for global recovery and reform.”

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Mark Steyn with Hugh Hewitt

March 26, 2009

click here for more Hugh Hewitt podcasts

Obama bows down to Saudi King

What a freaking idiot!
April 02, 2009
Clarice Feldman
I am quite certain that this is not the protocol, and is most unbecoming a President of the United States.

go here if you want to see video (55 seconds into clip)

Obama gives Queen a lousy iPod with his own speeches, show tunes

[who photoshopped the Queen and Duke to be munchkins? Nice wide angle lens...]
What Does One Get a Queen?
April 01, 2009 1:57 PM
President and First Lady Obama gave Her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth II a video iPod with inscription, songs uploaded and accessories, plus a rare musical songbook signed by Richard Rodgers.

Uploaded onto the iPod:

* Photos from the Queen's 2007 White House State Visit
* Photos from the Queen's 2007 Jamestown, Va., Visit
* Photos from the Queen's 2007 Richmond, Va., Visit
* Video from the Queen's 1957 Jamestown Visit
* Video from the Queen's 2007 Jamestown Visit
* Video from the Queen's 2007 Richmond Visit
* Photos from President Obama's Inauguration
* Audio of then-state senator Obama's speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, and
* Audio of President Obama 2009 Inauguration Address

Britain's Press Association reports that the Royal couple gave the Obamas "a silver-framed, signed photograph of themselves."

Best of Miller Time

Letterman loses it

Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it

The President Is 'Keeping Score'
Chicago politics has moved into the White House
APRIL 1, 2009, 9:46 P.M. ET
By KARL ROVE

"Don't think we're not keeping score, brother." That's what President Barack Obama said to Rep. Peter DeFazio in a closed-door meeting of the House Democratic Caucus last week, according to the Associated Press.

A few weeks ago, Mr. DeFazio voted against the administration's stimulus bill. The comment from Mr. Obama was a presidential rebuke and part of a new, hard-nosed push by the White House to pressure Congress to adopt the president's budget. He has mobilized outside groups and enlisted forces still in place from the Obama campaign.

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Mr. Jefferson -The Mike Church Show Band