The President Acting Stupidly
Politico (WH Marine Evening Parade) — Washington Post (Marshall Plan for Protocol Chief) — China Daily (Chinese Flag To Be Flown At WH) — Woody’s Place Video Link
Mr President — Your Attention Please
Only one flag besides the Stars and Stripes that represents the United States has ever flown over the White House in Washington, DC. Only one flag is ever displayed in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda. That flag is not one that represents an individual state, branch of service, or other select group. It is the POW/MIA (Prisoners of War/Missing In Action) Flag that calls to mind the sacrifice and plight of those Americans who have sacrificed their own freedom, to preserve liberty for all of us. It’s presence serves to remind us that, while we enjoy the privileges of freedom, somewhere there are soldiers who have not been accounted for and may, in fact, be held against their will by the enemies of Freedom.
POTUS and FLOTUS at the Marine Corps Evening Parade
By CAROL E. LEE | 7/25/09
POTUS and FLOTUS at the Marine Corps Evening Parade, where POTUS was the guest of honor.
POTUS, FLOTUS and a Marine got into the limo outside the White House residence at 7:45 p.m. Motorcade arrived at Marine barracks in southeast DC at 7:53 p.m.
POTUS addressed a small group of Marines and family after arriving. Pool was not permitted to be present for his remarks, which our handlers said have same press procedures as Embassy staff visits, which are traditionally closed press. Pool could vaguely hear a well-miked POTUS from the 5-by-30 foot patch of grass where we were set, but was unable to make out anything he said.
POTUS and FLOTUS, along with the Commadant of the Marine Corps, Gen. James T. Conway, and his wife, entered the yard where the parade was held at 8:50 p.m.
POTUS, FLOTUS and the Conways walked down the center walk, flanked with grass, to their front row seats in the bleechers. POTUS’s seat was second one in from the walkway. POTUS greeted Gen. James Jones, whose seat was directly behind POTUS’s. FLOTUS gave Jones a kiss on the cheek.
Conway sat next to POTUS on the left, then FLOTUS, then Conway’s wife. In the seat to POTUS’s right was the Colonel of the DC barracks, Col. Andrew H. Smith.
First the President’s Own Marine Band performed. Their opening number was titled Chicago Tribune, which made POTUS smile – and the audience laughed – when it was announced. Then they played Stars and Stripes Forever.
After they finished and the lights dimmed, POTUS leaned in to say something to the Colonel of the barracks and stuck his hand out. They shook hands and chatted briefly – your pooler, still on the swathe of grass a short distance away, couldn’t hear anything that was said.
Then there was the presentation of the colors. POTUS did not salute as the color guard took its place, as Conway and Smith did.
There were drill routines and more tunes from the Commandant’s Own Marine Band. And, a cameo from Lance Corporal Chesty XIII – the English bulldog mascot of the barracks.
At 10:03 POTUS walked out to the center walk with Colonel Smith and Commandant Conway for the Commandant’s review. The band played the National Anthem. POTUS put his hand on his heart.
During the review POTUS seemed to struggle to figure out if he should salute when the Commandant and Colonel did. At first he went to lift his right hand but stopped. The next time the Commandant and Colonel saluted POTUS saluted quickly, like he does when boarding Marine One, while the Commandant and Colonel held theirs. At one point the Commandant and Colonel saluted, and POTUS did quickly. But this time the Commandant and Colonel held their salute for a long time. POTUS kept his hand at his side for a bit. Then at one point he put his hand on his heart. Then it was back by his side.
At 10:18 the parade ended and POTUS and FLOTUS greeted the Color Guard and other Marines in the center walk.
POTUS and FLOTUS even bent down to pet the mascot, Lance Corporal Chesty XIII.
POTUS and FLOTUS posed for a photo and exited to cheers at 10:25 p.m.
Motorcade was moving at 10:39 p.m., arriving back at the White House about 8 minutes later.
We have a lid. Your pooler apologizes in advance for any military terminology she screwed up in this report.
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
__________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release May 13, 2009
President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individuals for key administration posts: Capricia Penavic Marshall, Chief of Protocol, with the rank of Ambassador during her tenure of service, Department of State; Evan Segal, Chief Financial Officer, United States Department of Agriculture; and Rocco Landesman, Nominee for Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts. The President also announced that he will be designating Gregory B. Jaczko, currently a Commissioner at the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, as Chairman of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
President Obama said, “This impressive group of people will add valued voices to my administration as we work to tackle the many challenges our nation faces. I am grateful for their decision to serve, and I am confident they will work hard as we put our country on a path towards prosperity and security.”
President Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individuals today:
Capricia Penavic Marshall, Nominee for Chief of Protocol, with the rank of Ambassador during her tenure of service, Department of State
Capricia Penavic Marshall has had an extensive career in public service. In 1992, after graduating from Case Western University School of Law, she joined Governor Bill Clinton’s Presidential campaign as Special Assistant to Hillary Rodham Clinton. Upon entering the White House in 1993, Marshall served as Special Assistant to the First Lady, traveling extensively and coordinating her agenda, meetings and public appearances. In October 1997, at the age of 32, Marshall was appointed Deputy Assistant to the President and Social Secretary to the White House, becoming the youngest Social Secretary in recent history. Marshall’s official responsibilities included the planning and execution of all White House international and domestic events. Marshall continued working with President Clinton helping to advance his work in policy, politics and community initiatives. In 2001, she began working as a consultant to a number of nonprofit and private sector organizations. In 2006, Marshall joined the re-election efforts for Senator Hillary Clinton, and subsequently joined Senator Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign. As Senior Advisor, she led the Surrogate Speakers Program and helped coordinate women’s outreach. In 2008, Marshall became Executive Director of Hillpac and Friends of Hillary and is currently overseeing the closure of both committees. A first generation American and native of Cleveland, Ohio, Marshall graduated from Purdue University with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and International Studies. She studied at the University of Madrid for a year and traveled extensively through Europe. Marshall holds a law degree from Case Western Reserve University School of Law.
A Marshall Plan for Protocol Chief
By The Reliable Source | May 15, 2009
After months of waiting, the White House sent Capricia Marshall’s name to the Hill this week for the plum chief of protocol slot — but it’s not quite the job it used to be.
If confirmed, the former White House social secretary and Hillary Clinton confidante gets the title of ambassador, but not necessarily the usual seat on Air Force One when POTUS travels abroad, reports our colleague Al Kamen. President Obama plans to name someone he knows better to be at his side on foreign visits.
It’s a big change for the high-profile post, which typically had three main duties: babysitting the diplomatic corps, handling U.S. visits by foreign leaders and accompanying the president on official trips abroad. On those trips, it was the chief’s job “to interface with his or her counterpoint in the host country — to smooth over glitches, but basically to keep the show on the road,” said Ambassador Donald Ensenat, chief of protocol from ‘01 to ‘07. Ensenat joined his Yale roommate George W. Bush on 40 trips, working with almost every major foreign leader. “I loved it,” he told us yesterday. “Best thing I’ve ever done.”
Some big names have held the job: Shirley Temple Black, tobacco heir-diplomat Angier Biddle Duke, billionaire Leonore Annenberg, social titans Lucky Roosevelt and Lloyd Hand. In many ways, the glamorous and energetic Marshall — a JD with an MD husband, popular in both social and political circles — fits the profile.
However: While on paper the job is part of Clinton’s State Department, its primary focus is White House diplomacy. Which is why most presidents handpick close friends for the gig. Marshall, though, is a longtime soldier in Clinton’s camp, a veteran of her Senate and presidential campaigns.
But one administration official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, denied the change represents a slight by the White House. “It’s a different dynamic. … She’s going to have a much higher workload” from State because of Clinton’s reliance on her and Clinton’s own busy travel schedule. Marshall said she can’t talk to the media during her confirmation process.
China’s national flag to go up in White House on Sept 20
By Hou Lei (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2009-07-13 16:45
The national flag of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) will be hoisted at the South Lawn of the White House in Washington on September 20, media reported Sunday.
Chinese associations in the United States had applied to hold a ceremony in front of the US President’s residence to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the founding of PRC.
Chen Ronghua, chairman of Fujian Association of the United States, told reporters that their application was approved not only because of the sound Sino-US relations but also because China is a responsible country.
“Many Americans admire China due to the success of last year’s Beijing Olympics,” said Chen.
More than 1,000 people will attend the ceremony and the performances held after it, according to Zhao Luqun, who will direct the performances.
Zhao said the performances will demonstrate the friendship, magnanimous spirit and kindness of modern Chinese people.
From Wiki:
The final design was red with a large golden five-pointed star and four smaller golden five-pointed stars (arranged in a vertical arc toward the middle of the flag) in the upper hoist-side corner. The color red symbolizes the spirit of the revolution, and the five stars signify the unity of the people of China under the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party. The flag was officially unveiled in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square on October 1, 1949, the formal announcement of the founding of the People’s Republic of China.
… The current design uses red as its background and golden for its stars. The red background symbolizes the blood of heroes who died during the revolution. The golden colour mainly symbolizes the glorious history and culture of the Chinese people and was partly inherited from the colours of the flag of Soviet Union, which was also a combination of red and gold, in which case the gold symbolizes the brightness of the communist future.
The larger star symbolizes the leadership of the Communist Party of China and the four smaller stars that surround the big star symbolize the four classes of Chinese that were considered unitable by Mao at that historical time (from one of Mao’s work: On The People’s Democratic Dictatorship); these are the Workers, Peasants, Petty Bourgeoisie (i.e. Small Business Class), and National Bourgeoisie (i.e. Chinese non-governmental businessmen). The most popular modern interpretation is the four stars represent the four occupations most esteemed by the Communist Party of China, which are farmers, workers, teachers, and soldiers. An interpretation under a more historical context is the four stars represent the traditional four categories of the people in the state, which are Workers (gōng, 工), Farmers (nóng, 农), Intellectuals (shì, 士), and Businessmen (shāng, 商) (see also Four occupations). It is worth noticing that the color of the Chinese flag, red, used to be the symbolic color of the mighty Han dynasty. The Chinese people are known as ” the Han people” in Chinese language.”Five stars rising on the east” was considered a bless to the dynasty in old Chinese culture. It is also worth noticing that the color of the stars on the flag, yellow, was the symbolic color of another great dynasty in Chinese history, the Tang dynasty.
It is sometimes stated that the five stars of the flag represent the five largest ethnic groups.[1][2] This is generally regarded as an erroneous conflation with the “Five Races Under One Union” flag, used 1912–28 in the early Republic of China, whose different-colored stripes represented the Han, Manchus, Mongols, Hui/Uyghurs, and Tibetans.[1][3]
- ^ a b Shambaugh, David (June 1994). “Book reviews”. The China Quarterly (CUP for SOAS) (No. 138): 517–520.
- ^ Mayall, James (1998). “Nationalism”. The Columbia History of the 20th Century. ed. Richard W. Bulliet. Columbia University Press. pp. 186. ISBN 0231076282.
· ^ Zarrow, Peter Gue (2005). “Revolution and Civil War”. China in War and Revolution, 1895-1949. Routledge. pp. 363. ISBN 0415364485.
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US Flag FAQ: Betsy Ross Homepage Flag Rules and Regulations
LB YouTube Video: Obama-HandshakeSnub
Woody’s Place: A Fallen Soldier’s Homecoming (Video) “The good people of Georgia give respect to one of their fallen soldiers returning home from Afghanistan” WARNING **BE PREPARED TO CRY**
Update: Added Woody’s Place Video Link
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Thanks for the link! Nice site. You’re being added to my blogroll.
Thank you Sir.
What do you expect from some one like him not much he doesn’t respect our country period.
LAUS DEO
Do you know what it means?
LAUS DEO
One detail that is never mentioned is that in Washington , D.C. there can never be a building of greater height than the Washington Monument ..
With all the uproar about removing the ten commandments, etc., this is worth a moment or two of your time. I was not aware of this amazing historical information.
On the aluminum cap, atop the Washington Monument in Washington , D.C. , are displayed two words: Laus Deo.
No one can see these words. In fact, most visitors to the monument are totally unaware they are even there and for that matter, probably couldn’t care less.
Once you know Laus Deo’s history , you will want to share this with everyone you know. These words have been there for many years; they are 555 feet, 5.125 inches high, perched atop the monument, facing skyward to the Father of our nation, overlooking the 69 square miles which comprise the District of Columbia , capital of the United States of America
Laus Deo! Two seemingly insignificant, unnoticed words. Out of sight and, one might think, out of mind, but very meaningfully placed at the highest point over what is the most powerful city in the most successful nation in the world.
So, what do those two words, in Latin, composed of just four syllables and only seven letters, possibly mean? Very simply, they say ‘ Praise be to God!’
Though construction of this giant obelisk began in 1848, when James Polk was President of the United States , it was not until 1888 that the monument was inaugurated and opened to the public. It took twenty-five years to finally cap the memorial with a tribute to the Father of our nation, Laus Deo ‘Praise be to God!’
From atop this magnificent granite and marble structure, visitors may take in the beautiful panoramic view of the city with its division into four major segments. From that vantage point, one can also easily see the original plan of the designer, Pierre Charles l’Enfant …a perfect cross imposed upon the landscape, with the White House to the north. The Jefferson Memorial is to the south, the Capitol to the east and the Lincoln Memorial to the west.
A cross you ask? Why a cross? What about separation of church and state? Yes, a cross; separation of church and state was not, is not, in the Constitution. So, read on. How interesting and, no doubt, intended to carry a profound meaning for those who bother to notice.
Praise be to God! Within the monument itself are 898 steps and 50 landings. As one climbs the steps and pauses at the landings the memorial stones share a message.
On the 12th Landing is a prayer offered by the City of Baltimore ;
on the 20th is a memorial presented by some Chinese Christians;
on the 24th a presentation
made by Sunday School children from New York and Philadelphia quoting Proverbs 10:7 , Luke 18:16 and Proverbs 22:6 . Praise be to God!
When the cornerstone of the Washington Monument was laid on July 4th, 1848 deposited within it were many items including the Holy Bible presented by the Bible Society. Praise be to God! Such was the discipline, the moral direction, and the spiritual mood given by the founder and first President of our unique democracy ‘One Nation, Under God.’
I am awed by Washington ’s prayer for America Have you ever read it? Well, now is your unique opportunity, so read on!
‘ Almighty God; We make our earnest prayer that Thou wilt keep the United States in Thy holy protection; that Thou wilt incline the hearts of the citizens to cultivate a spirit of subordination and obedience to government; and entertain a brotherly affection and love for one another and for their fellow citizens of the United States at large. And finally that Thou wilt most graciously be pleased to dispose us all to do justice, to love mercy, and to demean ourselves with that charity, humility, and pacific temper of mind which were the characteristics of the Divine Author of our blessed religion, and without a humble imitation of whose example in these things we can never hope to be a happy nation. Grant our supplication, we beseech Thee, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.’
Laus Deo!
When one stops to observe the inscriptions found in public places all over our nation’s capitol, he or she will easily find the signature of God, as it is unmistakably inscribed everywhere you look. You may forget the width and height of ‘Laus Deo ‘, its location, or the architects but no one who reads this will be able to forget its meaning, or these words: ‘Unless the Lord builds the house its builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain’ (Psalm 127: 1)
It is hoped you will send this to every child you know; to every sister, brother, father, mother or friend. They will not find offense, because you have given them a lesson in history that they probably never learned in school. With that, be not ashamed, or afraid, but have pity on those who will never see this because someone failed to send it on.
Amen…