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Obama, Pelosi yet to endorse Harris

(Photo Barack Obama Twitter)

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s reaction to the withdrawal of Joe Biden from the presidential race was one of effusive praise for Biden but had nothing to suggest that she had endorsed Harris…reports Asian Lite News

Former President Barack Obama, former Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer have yet to make their stand clear on endorsing Kamala Harris for the Presidential nomination. This even as a slew of Democrat Party leaders on Sunday displayed a show of support for Vice President Kamala Harris as their new presidential candidate, Politico reported.

Former President Barack Obama in a post on the platform Medium said “We will be navigating uncharted waters in the days ahead. But I have extraordinary confidence that the leaders of our party will be able to create a process from which an outstanding nominee emerges.”

The statement, however, stops just short of officially backing Harris for the top job. Obama’s endorsement of Harris will be critical given that the Democratic National Convention is being held between August 19 to 22 on Obama’s home turf of Chicago.

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s reaction to the withdrawal of Joe Biden from the presidential race was one of effusive praise for Biden but had nothing to suggest that she had endorsed Harris.

“President Joe Biden is a patriotic American who has always put our country first. His legacy of vision, values and leadership make him one of the most consequential Presidents in American history. With love and gratitude to President Biden for always believing in the promise of America and giving people the opportunity to reach their fulfilment,” she said on X.

After President Joe Biden endorsed her to be the new Presidential nominee, Harris got support from several Democrats like former President Bill Clinton, and former Democratic Presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. In a statement, the Clintons said “We are honoured to join the President in endorsing Vice President Harris and will do whatever to support her.”

Congressman Ro Khanna also endorsed Kamla Harris saying “I am proud to endorse Kamala Harris as our nominee. Her trailblazing candidacy as the first African American woman and first Asian American will be a jolt of energy in our party. Our party can now run on a message of hope and a vision for the future.”

Congressman Jim Clyburn representing South Carolina’s 6th Congressional district said he echoed President Biden’s endorsement of Harris.

“I echo the good judgement he demonstrated in selecting Vice President Harris to lead this nation alongside him, and I am proud today to follow his lead in support of her candidacy to succeed him as the Democratic Party’s 2024 nominee for President,” he said.

The goal now for the supporters of Harris is to get enough backers on board to help her win the nomination when the Democratic National Convention gets underway.

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, who has been spoken of as a potential Vice Presidential running mate to Harris called for the party to unite behind her and focus on winning the election.

“The best path forward for the Democratic Party is to quickly unite behind Vice President Harris and refocus on winning the presidency. the contrast in this race could not be clearer and the road to victory in November runs right through Pennsylvania this collective work began. I will do everything I can to help elect Kamala Harris as the 47th President of the United States,” Shapiro said in a statement on X.

With barely a month to go before the Democratic party convenes in Chicago the task before them is tough, Donald Trump already has a head start and only a united front can hope to wrest the initiative from him (ANI)

Democrats throwing Biden overboard, alleges Trump

Republican Party presidential candidate Donald Trump crowed, “the Corrupt and Radical Democrats are throwing him overboard” after President Joe Biden announced he was dropping out of the race for the White House.

“He was annihilated in an Earth Shattering Debate,” Trump posted on Saturday on Truth Social, the X-like social media platform he uses, mangling the capitalisation of his text.

After the June 27 debate in which his performance raised questions about cognitive abilities and his capacity to match Trump’s campaign vitality, Biden announced he was dropping out of the race and endorsing Vice-President Kamala Harris to be the Democratic Party candidate.

Trump piled on personal insults and questions about Biden’s performance in the post, “Crooked Joe Biden is the Worst President, by far, in the History of our Nation.”

“He has done everything possible to destroy our Country, from our Southern Border, to Energy Dominance, National Security, International Standing, and so much more,” Trump said repeating his constant refrain.

Trump alleged that “the people around him lied to America about his Complete and Total Mental, Physical, and Cognitive Demise” to prop up Biden.

Trump did not mention Harris, but said, “Whoever the Left puts up now will just be more of the same.”

He said, “Kamaala, I call her laughing Kamaala. Have you seen her laughing? She is crazy. You can tell a lot by a laugh. She is nuts. She is not as crazy as (former Speaker) Nancy Pelosi.”

CNN reported that Trump said that she (Harris) will be easier to defeat than Biden.

Trump’s son Donald Trump Jr. fired the opening salvo on his father’s behalf, “Kamala Harris owns the entire Left-wing policy record of Joe Biden. The only difference is that she is even more liberal and less competent than Joe, which is really saying something.

ALSO READ: World Leaders React to Biden’s Withdrawal

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-Top News Politics USA

Obama Praises Biden’s Presidency and Legacy

The Clintons said they were “honoured to join the President in endorsing Vice-President Kamala Harris and will do whatever we can to support her”…reports Asian Lite News

Former US President Barack Obama has called President Joe Biden “one of the most consequential presidents” and former President Bill Clinton said that Biden “advanced our founders’ charge to build a more perfect union”.

Biden “has been one of America’s most consequential Presidents, as well as a dear friend and partner to me,” Obama said in a statement, adding, his “outstanding track record gave President Biden every right to run for re-election and finish the job he started. Joe understands better than anyone the stakes in this election — how everything he has fought for throughout his life, and everything that the Democratic Party stands for, will be at risk if we allow Donald Trump back in the White House and give Republicans control of Congress”.

President Clinton and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in a joint statement that Biden “capped his extraordinary career of service with a Presidency that has lifted America out of an unprecedented pandemic, created millions of new jobs, rebuilt a battered economy, strengthened our democracy, and restored our standing in the world. By any measure, he has advanced our founders’ charge to build a more perfect union and his own stated goal of restoring the soul of our nation”.

The Clintons said they were “honoured to join the President in endorsing Vice-President Kamala Harris and will do whatever we can to support her”.

ALSO READ-Kamala Vows to ‘Earn and Win’ Democratic Nomination

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Obama ‘drops in’ for informal meet with Sunak

The prime minister’s official spokesperson said Obama had made “an informal courtesy drop-in as part of his trip to London”…reports Asian Lite News

Barack Obama has held talks with Rishi Sunak as the former US president paid a “courtesy visit” to Downing Street during a trip to London.

The pair are understood to have discussed a range of subjects during an hour-long meeting, including one of the prime minister’s favourite topics, artificial intelligence.

Obama, who served two terms in the White House from 2009 to 2017 before he was succeeded by Donald Trump, was in London as part of work with his Obama Foundation, which oversees a scholarship programme and other initiatives.

The prime minister’s official spokesperson said Obama had made “an informal courtesy drop-in as part of his trip to London”.

He added: “I think President Obama’s team made contact and obviously the prime minister was very happy to meet with him and discuss the work of the Obama Foundation.”

The two held what were understood to be largely one-to-one discussions in the prime minister’s study. Obama briefly paused at the door of No 10 to wave to the cameras but no photos were released from what Downing Street said was a private meeting.

As Obama left Downing Street in the company of the US ambassador to the UK, Jane D Hartley, he was asked by the media for his opinion on the state of Russian democracy and replied: “I’m tempted!”

The former president later met the Labour leader, Keir Starmer. Obama previously visited Downing Street in April 2016 when David Cameron was prime minister.

Lord Cameron, the foreign secretary, is understood not to have been present at Monday’s discussions. Despite early suggestions of a “bromance” when both men were in power, their public utterances about each other have been mixed.

Obama suggested in 2016 that Cameron was distracted by domestic priorities as Libya descended into a “mess”. He also said he warned his British counterpart that the “special relationship” would be at risk if the UK did not commit to spending 2% of national income on defence, in line with Nato targets.

Cameron was withering of Obama in his autobiography, accusing him of “dithering” on Libya and of being “clearly frustrated he had been sucked in”.

ALSO READ-Biden backs Senator, calls for fresh polls in Israel

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‘Everyone Complicit to Some Extent’: Obama on Middle East Crisis

(Photo Barack Obama Twitter)

In a strong condemnation of the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, former US President Barack Obama has said that the conflict is the “century-old stuff” that has now come to the fore and blamed social media for amplifying the divisions, according to the New York Times.

Not only did he condemn the October 7 assault on Israel that killed many innocent Israelis but he also underlined the sufferings of the civilians in Palestine.

In an interview conducted by his former staffers for their podcast, Pod Save America, the former US President said, “I look at this, and I think back, ‘What could I have done during my presidency to move this forward, as hard as I tried?’ ‘But there’s a part of me that’s still saying, ‘Well, was there something else I could have done?'” the New York Times reported.

Barack Obama provided a detailed analysis of the Israel-Gaza war, telling thousands of his former aides that everyone was “complicit to some extent” in the ongoing carnage.

Speaking on Friday to a group of his former staff members in Chicago, according to the New York Times, Obama stated, “This is century-old stuff that’s coming to the fore.” He held social media accountable for deepening the divisions.

“What Hamas did was horrific, and there’s no justification for it,” Obama said, adding, “And what is also true is that the occupation and what’s happening to Palestinians is unbearable.”

“And what is also true is that there is a history of the Jewish people that may be dismissed unless your grandparents, your great-grandparents, or your uncle or your aunt tell you stories about the madness of antisemitism. And what is true is that there are people right now who are dying, who have nothing to do with what Hamas did,” the former US President said, according to the New York Times.

“Even what I just said, which sounds very persuasive, still doesn’t answer the fact that, all right, how do we prevent kids from being killed today?” he said.

Obama strongly urged his former aides to “take in the whole truth” and called for support, saying that it is important to strike a balance when it comes to the Israel-Hamas war.

The conflict in Gaza escalated after the October 7 attack by Hamas, where about 2,500 terrorists breached the border into Israel from the Gaza Strip, leading to casualties and the seizure of hostages.

Israel has characterised its Gaza offensive as targeting Hamas’ infrastructure with the goal of eliminating the entire terror group while making efforts to minimise civilian casualties, The Times of Israel reported.

Over 9,488 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks since October 7. More than 1,400 people were killed in the Hamas attack on Israel.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently made it clear that Israel would not agree to a ceasefire, drawing parallels to the United States’ position after the bombing of Pearl Harbour.

He noted that calls for a ceasefire between Israel and Gaza are calls for Israel to surrender to Hamas.

While addressing a press briefing, Netanyahu had said, “I want to make clear Israel’s position regarding the ceasefire. Just as the United States would not agree to a ceasefire after the bombing of Pearl Harbour or after the terrorist attacks of 9/11. Israel will not agree to a cessation of hostilities after the horrific attacks of October 7.” (ANI)

ALSO READ: 88 UN Staffers Killed in Gaza

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Obama Condemns Israel-Hamas Conflict, Blames Social Media

(Photo Barack Obama Twitter)

Barack Obama provided a detailed analysis of the Israel-Gaza war, telling thousands of his former aides that everyone was “complicit to some extent” in the ongoing carnage…reports Asian Lite News

In a strong condemnation of the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, former US President Barack Obama has said that the conflict is the “century-old stuff” that has now come to the fore and blamed social media for amplifying the divisions, according to the New York Times.
Not only did he condemn the October 7 assault on Israel that killed many innocent Israelis but he also underlined the sufferings of the civilians in Palestine.

In an interview conducted by his former staffers for their podcast, Pod Save America, the former US President said, “I look at this, and I think back, ‘What could I have done during my presidency to move this forward, as hard as I tried?’ ‘But there’s a part of me that’s still saying, ‘Well, was there something else I could have done?'” the New York Times reported.

Barack Obama provided a detailed analysis of the Israel-Gaza war, telling thousands of his former aides that everyone was “complicit to some extent” in the ongoing carnage.

Speaking on Friday to a group of his former staff members in Chicago, according to the New York Times, Obama stated, “This is century-old stuff that’s coming to the fore.” He held social media accountable for deepening the divisions.

“What Hamas did was horrific, and there’s no justification for it,” Obama said, adding, “And what is also true is that the occupation and what’s happening to Palestinians is unbearable.” “And what is also true is that there is a history of the Jewish people that may be dismissed unless your grandparents, your great-grandparents, or your uncle or your aunt tell you stories about the madness of antisemitism. And what is true is that there are people right now who are dying, who have nothing to do with what Hamas did,” the former US President said, according to the New York Times.

“Even what I just said, which sounds very persuasive, still doesn’t answer the fact that, all right, how do we prevent kids from being killed today?” he said. Obama strongly urged his former aides to “take in the whole truth” and called for support, saying that it is important to strike a balance when it comes to the Israel-Hamas war.

The conflict in Gaza escalated after the October 7 attack by Hamas, where about 2,500 terrorists breached the border into Israel from the Gaza Strip, leading to casualties and the seizure of hostages.
Israel has characterised its Gaza offensive as targeting Hamas’ infrastructure with the goal of eliminating the entire terror group while making efforts to minimise civilian casualties, The Times of Israel reported.

Over 9,488 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks since October 7. More than 1,400 people were killed in the Hamas attack on Israel.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently made it clear that Israel would not agree to a ceasefire, drawing parallels to the United States’ position after the bombing of Pearl Harbour.
He noted that calls for a ceasefire between Israel and Gaza are calls for Israel to surrender to Hamas.

While addressing a press briefing, Netanyahu had said, “I want to make clear Israel’s position regarding the ceasefire. Just as the United States would not agree to a ceasefire after the bombing of Pearl Harbour or after the terrorist attacks of 9/11. Israel will not agree to a cessation of hostilities after the horrific attacks of October 7.” (ANI)

ALSO READ-Obamas condemn Supreme Court ruling on affirmative action

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SC continues defending voters’ rights: Barack Obama

(Photo Barack Obama Twitter)

Chief Justice said that the Constitution “does not exempt state legislatures from the ordinary constraints imposed by state law.”..reports Asian Lite News

US former President Barack Obama, on Tuesday, said that the Supreme Court rejected the fringe independent state legislature theory that threatened to upend state election laws nationwide and made clear that the institution can continue defending voters’ rights in North Carolina.

Taking to Twitter, Obama said, “Today, the Supreme Court rejected the fringe independent state legislature theory that threatened to upend our democracy and dismantle our system of checks and balances.”

“This ruling rejects the far-right theory that threatened to undermine our democracy, and makes clear that courts can continue defending voters’ rights–in North Carolina and in every state. Thanks to @RedistrictFdn and @EricHolder for helping make this happen,” he said in a tweet.

This tweet came after the Supreme Court ruled in a case where it rejected a legal theory that would have radically reshaped how federal elections are conducted by giving state legislatures largely unchecked power to set all sorts of rules for federal elections and to draw congressional maps warped by partisan gerrymandering, as per The New York Times.

The vote was 6 to 3, with Chief Justice John Roberts Jr writing the majority opinion. He said that the Constitution protects voting rights in federal elections and state courts can enforce those provisions.

Chief Justice said that the Constitution “does not exempt state legislatures from the ordinary constraints imposed by state law.”

Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito Jr and Neil Gorsuch dissented.

The case concerned the “independent state legislature” theory. The doctrine is based on a reading of the Constitution’s Elections Clause, which says, “The times, places and manner of holding elections for senators and representatives, shall be prescribed in each state by the legislature thereof.”

The Republicans, seeking to restore the legislative map last year, have urged the Supreme Court to immediately intervene and also appealed that the state court was not entitled to second-guess the Legislature, reported The New York Times.

After their request, the justices rejected it for immediate intervention, and the election in November was conducted under a map drawn by experts appointed by a state court. That resulted in a 14-member congressional delegation that was evenly divided between Republicans and Democrats, roughly mirroring the state’s partisan divisions.

The composition of the North Carolina Supreme Court changed after elections in November, favouring Republicans by a 5-to-2 margin. In what a dissenting justice called a “shameful manipulation of fundamental principles of our democracy and the rule of law,” the new majority reversed course, saying the Legislature was free to draw gerrymandered voting districts as it saw fit, according to The New York Times. (ANI)

ALSO READ-Rajnath slams Obama for remarks on India

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Obama: Disinformation is a threat to our democracy

Obama said that while we’re reaping what social media companies have sown, it may not be too late to make different choices, reports TechCrunch…reports Asian Lite News

Former US President Barack Obama has broken his silence after a long time, saying that social media platforms are well-designed to destroy democracies.

Speaking at a Stanford University event late on Thursday, Obama called the present “another tumultuous, dangerous moment in history”.

“Disinformation is a threat to our democracy, and will continue to be unless we work together to address it,” he said.

Obama, who served as the 44th US President from 2009 to 2017, raised concerns on Russia’s 2016 election interference and the invasion of Ukraine.

“People like Putin, and Steve Bannon (Donald Trump’s senior advisor) for that matter, understand it’s not necessary for people to believe (misinformation) in order to weaken democratic institutions,” Obama emphasised.

“You just have to flood a country’s public square with enough raw sewage. You just have to raise enough questions, spread enough dirt, plan enough conspiracy theorising, that citizens no longer know what to believe,” he added.

Obama said that while we’re reaping what social media companies have sown, it may not be too late to make different choices, reports TechCrunch.

“Not all problems we are seeing now are an inevitable byproduct of this new technology. They’re also the result of very specific choices made by the companies that have come to dominate the internet, generally, and social media platforms in particular,” he noted.

In the competition between truth and falsehood, cooperation and conflict, “the very design of these platforms seems to be tilting us in the wrong direction. And we’re seeing the results,” Obama continued in his hour-long speech.

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