Results tagged “presidentobama”

John Brek, the former NJ airport security guard who was accused of threatening President Obama last month, was released today after serving 29 days in the Newark county jail for harassment. Brek was interviewed by CBS 2 for "about 15 minutes" after he was released, and denied the threat while lamenting his time in jail: "I wouldn't wish it on nobody...You can't sleep, can't eat. I lost a tremendous amount of weight. Trying to sit in that 4-by-7 room and rock yourself to sleep, wondering what they were saying about you on the outside." At least he lost some weight?

The Newark Airport private security guard who was overheard discussing "how someone could shoot the president through a hole in a fence at the airport" was sentenced to 30 days in jail today. John Brek had been initially charged with making terroristic threats but pleaded guilty to a lesser charges of harassment last week; the Star-Ledger reports, "They represent a drastic reduction from the original felony charges Brek faced: making terroristic threats and possessing a rifle stolen from Alabama; and possessing hollow-point bullets." Since he has been held in jail since last month, Brek is to be released today.

Last night, former CNN personality Lou Dobbs appeared on Bill O'Reilly Fox News program to discuss his departure from the cable news network. Dobbs blamed the new guy in the White House—and how CNN doesn't want to rock the boat, "You know, I discern more of a difference between then, which was under the Bush administration whom I was criticizing, and now, when it is the Obama administration and an entirely different tone was taken."

The Daily News' Elizabeth Benjamin reports that City Comptroller Bill Thompson's name is "being floated" for various positions, including Senator. Rep. Jose Serrano says, "Billy Thompson obviously is the kind of public servant who not only who serves the public well but has proven he doesn't need a lot of money to do well in an election. He would be a formidable candidate statewide anytime." And even though President Obama personally asked other pols not to run against Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a "senior New York Democrat" tells the News, "The presumption is that a White House that didn't really show strong support for Bill Thompson for mayor in this environment couldn't do that to him twice."

A House Republican joined 219 Democrats to vote for the landmark health care reform bill last night in the House of Representatives, enabling the bill to pass 220 votes to 215. Rep. John Dingell (D-Michigan), who has"> introduced national health insurance in every Congress since taking office 1955, said, "It provides coverage for 96 percent of Americans. It offers everyone, regardless of health or income, the peace of mind that comes from knowing they will have access to affordable health care when they need it."

After the U.S. Department of Labor announced that October's unemployment rate was 10.2%, one thing that was left unsaid was the number of people who have been unemployed so long they've given up looking for work, not to mention the people who are working part-time but would rather be in full-time jobs. According to the NY Times, "In all, more than one out of every six workers — 17.5 percent — were unemployed or underemployed in October. The previous recorded high was 17.1 percent, in December 1982."

The oh-so-close mayoral race continues to be thorn in many Democrats' side—and many are bitter. State Senator Eric Schneiderman (D-Manhattan) tells the NY Times, “Bill Thompson was always closer than people thought, and on our side, if people had been behind him more, there would have been more checks, more endorsements, more attention, and that might have made the difference. It really is disgraceful that a lot of people in the Democratic Party stayed home or kept their checkbooks closed."

President Obama officially declared swine flu a national emergency. He signed a proclamation which, according to a White House announcement, "enhances the ability of our nation's medical treatment facilities to handle a surge in H1N1 patients by allowing, as needed, the waiver of certain standard federal requirements on a case-by-case basis."

Yesterday, a 55-year-old NJ man who works as a security guard at Newark Liberty International Airport was arrested for allegedly making threats to President Obama. The Star-Ledger reports that two airport workers notified the authorities after John Brek, employed by a private company, apparently "made about Obama on Tuesday afternoon" which then led to a "predawn raid yesterday" at Brek's Linden home.

Updated: Now WCBS 2 reports says it was a Newark Liberty International worker (not a former NJ state trooper) who was arrested last night for making threats against President Obama. "The nature of the threat is unknown. According to sources, the employee was arrested in his New Jersey home after a co-worker alerted authorities that the suspect made threatening remarks about President Obama. At some point after learning of the threat, law enforcement officials searched the home and found several weapons." It's unclear whether the threats were related to Obama's visit to NYC yesterday and NJ today.

President Barack Obama did in fact mention Democratic candidate for mayor, City Comptroller Bill Thompson, during last night's Democratic fundraiser: "Our great city comptroller, our candidate for mayor, my friend Billy Thompson is in the house." And that was it. Even Thompson himself, when asked if he thought it was an endorsement, said, "No. Do you consider that an endorsement?" (See for yourself—video is below.)

The Post reports, "President Obama will visit FBI headquarters in the Big Apple tomorrow to personally thank agents involved in the arrest of a Denver man who allegedly planned to bomb the city's subways." He's also going to make a stop at the Time Warner Center—that's according to the sign we read at the Columbus Circle Whole Foods, which warned about possible delays.

Finally, we get to hear what Secretary of State Hillary Clinton thinks of President Obama's Nobel Peace Prize win! Of course, Clinton treaded carefully in her Today Show interview, pointing out she can't predict the Nobel Committee's mind, but says that the President's "attitude toward America’s role in the world" was the reason, "His willingness to really kind of challenge everyone ... restores a kind of image and appreciation of our country."

Oh, Mo. In her op-ed column today, NY Times columnist Maureen Dowd imagines a conversation between former president Bill Clinton and George W. Bush discussing President Obama's Nobel Peace Prize win. Here's some: "CLINTON: I guess my work with the Clinton Global Initiative saving lives in Africa and hanging with Bono and Barbra wasn’t enough. W.: Calm down, bro. You gotta take care of that ticker. CLINTON: It was a case of premature adulation. W.: Heh-heh-heh. Yeah, very pre-emptive, sort of like Cheney’s pre-emptive war policy."

On the eve of the National Equality March in Washington D.C., President Obama spoke at a Human Rights Campaign dinner, "I will end 'don't ask, don't tell.' That is my commitment to you." He also emphasized he wants to help bring gays and lesbians full civil rights, "I'm here with a simple message: I'm here with you in that fight."

Well, one thing is for sure: The Nobel Prize Committee's decision to give President Obama the Nobel Peace Prize is at least giving people something to talk about this weekend! Even as the President himself admitted he didn't think he deserved the award—but said he'd accept it as a "call to action— a call for all nations to confront the common challenges of the 21st century"—the decision was met with some enthusiasm and a lot more criticism.

The wondering can stop: President Obama has endorsed City Comptroller Bill Thompson in the NYC mayoral race. Although he didn't make the endorsement himself—press secretary Robert Gibbs announced it. According to the Daily Politics, Gibbs said, "The president is the leader of the Democratic Party and, as that, would support the Democratic nominee."

A few hours after learning that the Nobel Prize Committee had bestowed on him the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize, President Obama spoke of his surprise and honor, "I am both surprised and deeply humbled by the decision of the Nobel Committee. Let me be clear: I do not view it as a recognition of my own accomplishments, but rather as an affirmation of American leadership on behalf of aspirations held by people in all nations."

In a major surprise, President Obama has been awarded the Nobel Peace prize, making him the first sitting American president to win the prize since Woodrow Wilson in 1919. (Theodore Roosevelt was in office when he received the honor in 1906, and Jimmy Carter won some two decades after he left office.) The Nobel Committee's press release said the prize was "for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples."

Apparently after last week's awkward embrace with President Obama, Governor Paterson has made it policy to keep his friends close and his potential political enemies closer. The two leading state Democrats crossed paths at a ballroom in Buffalo, where they were both giving speeches to a room full of their party mates. Cuomo was leaving as Paterson arrived. Reporters say after the two hugged, the attorney general slapped the governor on the back and said, “OK, buddy, go get ’em.”

Now that President Obama has officially opened himself up for criticism about the role he has taken in shaping New York's local politics, some Democrats are openly questioning where the presidential love for Bill Thompson is. One Democrat today is quoted as saying, "The first black President who tells the first black governor to get out, and he won't help the guy who wants to be the second black mayor? The irony is thick."

Governor Paterson once again told America Sunday that he has every intention of running to remain in office next year, but he made it even clearer that he has no intention of escalating or even drawing out his ongoing public feud with the White House. Paterson sat down with David Gregory during where the governor spent most of his ten minutes on the national stage refusing to go into the controversy that undoubtedly prompted the show to invite him on in the first place.

Andrew Cuomo came within a hair of missing out on President Obama's now famous public nod the attorney general in Troy on Monday because he was insistent on taking his daughters to school that morning. Good thing Cuomo made it to his unofficial canonization by Obama or else his assistant may have had no use for the anecdote. Instead, it was shared with both local tabloids in their respective Cuomo coming of age bios in this Sunday's papers. When Cuomo learned they were running late for the big Obama greeting, apparently the state's most popular Democrat said, "Oh no. I’m dropping the kids off at school. It’s what I do. And if we miss the president, we miss the president."

Who cares if the NYPD might have screwed up the federal authorities' investigations of suspected terror suspect Najibullah Zazi? According to Daily News sources, President Obama called Police Commissioner Ray Kelly to express his "appreciation and admiration" for the NYPD's work in stopping Zazi and for the NYPD's security during the U.N. General Assembly.

Governor Paterson's insistence on running to stay in the governor's mansion next year may have less to do with his concern for the Democrats and more to do with his love of the party. Yesterday the governor explained why he is so headstrong in sticking around despite suggestions to the contrary from some pretty heavy hitters. Paterson said, "It has been the most exciting time in my life. It has been the most challenging time in my life. ... I'm gonna keep doing it until the public tells me it's time to stop."

Eric Spiegelman put together this amazing stream of 130 photos of Obama posing with dignitaries during this week's U.N. meetings (long video after the jump). And Obama's smile never changes. Of course you may suspect some Photoshopping, but Spiegelman defends himself by directing us to the State Department's flickr site. [Via Daily Intel]

In yet another bit of bizarrerie coming from the NY Governor's office, Paterson now appears to be denying the story that President Obama requested that he not run for governor next year. In an interview with NY1 Noticias Paterson said, "I never got an authorized invitation from the White House not to run for governor. There was a New York Times article about Congressman Meeks telling me to get out of the race. It never happened. And Congressman Meeks confirmed it on the record."

Our new lieutenant governor does not know what Twitter is and has a playful sense of swearing. Richard Ravitch wasted no time in spinning out the "I don't give a shit" charm that makes him so appealing to many New Yorkers, telling reporters, "I know that my golf game is going to go to hell in a basket."

Besides admiring the heart-shaped potato an audience member brought in, President Barack Obama continued his media blitz by discussing various issues with David Letterman on the Late Show just now. For instance, when Letterman asked about former President Jimmy Carter's belief that some political attacks against the President (including Rep. Wilson's "You lie!") were steeped in racism, Obama joked, "It's important to realize that I was actually black before the election."

If this was the week you were thinking about finally signing up for that Driver's Ed class in midtown, think again. The UN General Assembly will be causing a clogged-up rut all around the center of the city, starting tomorrow and lasting all the way through Thursday. The worst of it will be on 42nd Street and 57th Streets, closed from 5th Avenue all the way over to 1st and 2nd Aves, respectively. Second Avenue between 42nd and 57th will be shut down for traffic that aren't emergency vehicles as well. And if you think taking the FDR will help you avoid the mess, think again. It'll be closed in both directions intermittently from 63rd Street to the South Ferry.