Houston Blogs: TheVote

President Obama's A&M Speech Uncut: "Howdy Aggies"

2009-10-18T21:23:38-05:00

Here is the 20 minute speech that President Obama delivered at Rudder Auditorium on the campus of Texas A&M on Friday, October 16, 2009. The video is courtesy of the White House.

Thanks for reading. TA

Houston Gets Veterans Day Nod

2009-10-18T16:32:01-05:00

The Department of Veterans Affairs has named Houston as one of 41 Regional Veterans Day Observances.

Here is part of the official release:

“Veterans Day is a national Thank You to the men and women who have served all of us in uniform,” Secretary Shinseki said. “These regional observances enable the federal government to bring resources closer to more Veterans.”

President Dwight D. Eisenhower formed the Veterans Day National Committee in 1954 to plan and promote the observance of Veterans Day nationally and regionally. Today, the committee is administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and is comprised of representatives from 44 organizations dedicated to supporting military Veterans.

The 2009 Veterans Day regional observances range from parades and ceremonies to military exhibits and tributes to distinguished local Veterans. Each site is recognized by the VA and may receive military support from the Department of Defense when available.

The 2009 Veterans Day Regional Sites are: Birmingham, Mobile, and Ozark-Dale County, Ala.; Phoenix, Ariz.; Palm Springs, Calif.; Loveland, Colo.; New Castle, Del.; Brevard Community College-Coco Campus, Fla.; Atlanta and Dawson County, Ga.; Emporia, Leavenworth and Valley Center, Kan.; Madisonville-Hopkins County, Ky.; and New Orleans, Shreveport-Bossier City, Shreveport and Slidell-Tammany Parrish, La.

Other regional sites include Sherborn, Mass.; Brunswick, Md.; Detroit, Mich.; Gulfport, Miss.; St. Louis, Mo.; New York, N.Y.; Columbus, Ohio; Ponca City, Okla.; Albany, Douglas County and Portland, Ore.; Gatlinburg and Nashville, Tenn.; Austin, Bonham, Dallas and Houston, Texas; Virginia Beach, Va.; Auburn, Port Angeles, Vancouver and West Richland, Wash.; and Milwaukee, Wis.

Veterans Day is on November 11, 2009. Here is the contact information for the

Houston
Stella Pereira
Houston Salutes American Heroes
Mayor’s Office of Special Events
City Hall
901 Bagby Hall 4th Floor
Houston, TX 77002

Phone: (823) 393-0826
e-mail: stella.pereira@cityofhouston.net

The event begins at 10AM on the steps of Houston City Hall. There is also a parade that starts at Smith Street downtown at 1130AM.

Thanks for reading. TA

A Video Wrap Up of The Presidential Forum On Service

2009-10-17T11:48:30-05:00

Here's the ten o'clock version of our reporting from College Station.

We were there for the 2009 Presidential Forum On Service, hosted by the Points of Light Foundation.

Jason Walker and Johnny Marquez were the photographers. Tom Kline was the engineer who enabled our live shots during and after the events.

Thanks for watching. TA

Here's a liveshot from six thirty too.

A Quick Talk To The Corp

2009-10-16T19:43:42-05:00

During President Obama's quick trip to Texas, he made an impromptu stop at Duncan Dining Center to meet with The Corp of Cadets.

Here is a transcript of what he said to them (as he stood with President Bush and SecDef Gates):

5:18 P.M. CDT

     THE PRESIDENT: I'm not here to give a long speech. I am here to say how proud I am of all the cadets here and all of you who are willing to give back to your country. I'm honored to be joined by one of the greatest public servants we've ever had and somebody who served World War II and then served on the civilian side and eventually served as Commander-in-Chief -- George H.W. Bush. Everybody please give him a big round of applause. (Applause.)

     Assuming some of you continue with your military careers, you may be ultimately reporting to this guy. (Applause.) He had a little something to do with the Aggies a while back. (Laughter.) Now he's the Secretary of Defense, and I am so glad to have him here. Please give a big -- Bob Gates a big round of applause. (Applause.)

     So today was about service. All of you are showing why I feel inspired and I get up every day even when I'm a little pooped, is because I know that there are young people and a next generation that's coming out here and is going to make this country better and is going to protect this country. You guys are symbols of that. And so we are just very appreciative of everything you do. Know that your Commander-in-Chief draws inspiration from you.

     All right, now I'm going to try to shake as many hands as possible. (Applause.)

Thanks for reading. TA

A Day Of Service In Aggieland

2009-10-16T19:38:11-05:00

President Obama greeted the 2500 people in attendance with, "Howdy". It was a show of respect to the Aggie Nation and the service the University provides its community.

He was greeted with "Woops!" and cheers and applause.

He spoke about President Bush's life of service: naval aviator, member of congress, CIA director, Ambassador, Vice President and President. He mentioned that 41 has stayed pretty busy during his "retirement". That drew a big laugh from the crowd.

President Bush talked about his efforts with President Clinton post-Katrina and how there were a lot of politicians who showed up to "help", but most were there for face time. He said that he recalled how then Senator Obama was there to really pitch in. He wasn't about recognition. He also made mention of his letter to Aggies asking for their respect and cooperation during the event. They obliged.

On stage with the two of them was former A&M President and current Defense Secretary Robert Gates. Both presidents praised his service and commitment to his nation.

This was a day about serving others. It honored thetwo decades of "1000 points of light" and called for more action in the future.

The number flying around here: 23 million more people volunteering to help others since President Bush invoked the 1000 Points of Light in 1989. They call it a good start.

As President Obama said (to laughs and applause), President Bush didn't talk about one big shiningg light from Washington or a few bright lights from big non-profits. He called for individuals making big differences in their communities.

Thanks for reading. TA

In Aggieland

2009-10-16T11:25:15-05:00

We are here in College Station awaiting this afternoon's events, the primary one involving two Presidents.

This afternoon at Rudder Auditorium on the Texas A&M campus, Presidents Bush (41) and Obama will honor each others commitment to service and the 20th anniversary of the Points of Light Foundation.

Rudder Auditorium

Rudder seats about 2500 people. 600 of the seats went to A&M students. The rest are invitees. No public availability.

There are scheduled protests here on campus by outside groups. They have an area designated on campus that assures the Presidents won't see or hear them.

President Bush did send a letter to the Aggie community asking for civility and respect. You can read the letter here.

Thanks for reading. TA

Volunteering Does A Student Body Good

2009-10-16T05:00:00-05:00

A Texas A&M service program started 27 years ago is getting a huge honor today from a pair of U.S. Presidents.

The Big Event is a huge one day service project that involves more than 12,000 Aggies each spring. And today the effort is receiving a Point of Light Award from the Point of Light Foundation.

Here's a brief look at how the massive service effort has helped Aggieland (and now communities near dozens of colleges around the nation)

Mallory Myers, The Big Event Director for 2009 and a junior at A&M (double majoring in Political Science and Spanish), will be accepting the award at the Presidential Forum on Service on the A&M campus. At the event will be both President George HW Bush and President Barack Obama.

Mallory Myers (courtesy Glenlake.org)

We talked to Mallory yesterday about the award and the effort and her interview will appear on Eyewitness News later today.

We also spoke with the CEO for the Points of Light Foundation, Michelle Nunn.

Michelle Nunn, CEO Points of Light Foundation

She talks about the 20 years of progress since President Bush first called for a nation of service (1000 points of light) and the future of service under a new administration. That interview also will air later today on KTRK TV 13 in Houston.

Photographer Jason Walker and I will be at the afternoon event featuring both Presidents and we will report live all afternoon.

Thanks for reading. TA

An Open Letter To Texas A&M From President GWH Bush

2009-10-15T20:51:52-05:00

There is a letter that was sent throughout Aggieland on the eve of a joint visit by Presidents Bush (41) and Obama.

As you likely know by now, the two will be in College Station on Friday, October 16 for a Presidential Forum on Service. This is the 20th anniversary of President Bush's invocation of 1000 points of light.

The letter below was sent by President Bush to Aggies asking them to be welcoming of the 44th President as he makes he way to one of the states that did NOT give him its electoral votes last November.

We will be in College Station for the day long event and will report the campus of Texas A&M beginning with Eyewitness News at Four. Also check back here and on Facebook and Twitter for updates throughout the day.

Now...here's the letter. Thanks for reading. TA

To My Fellow Members of the Texas A&M Family:

Howdy! As you have probably heard, I have invited the 44th President of the United States of America to come visit the Bush Library and Texas A&M, and President Obama has graciously accepted.

Along with the administration, faculty, and so many of you, I am honored that The President, our President, is taking the time and making the effort to come to College Station on October 16th to talk about an issue that unites all Americans ‹ namely, community service and its vast importance to our continued well-being as a Nation. Our country still faces many tough challenges, and the message that will come out of our Presidential Forum on Service, I hope, is that every American regardless of age has an important part to play in helping us overcome the obstacles to our common progress.

This is not about politics. This is about the importance of service to our communities and our country.

It would be hard to imagine a more deserving college campus to host a Presidential Forum on volunteerism and community service than Texas A&M ‹ which is, after all, a school steeped in a rich tradition of service.
That¹s why I am so proud to have our Bush Library and Museum and Bush School of Government and Public Service here, and I cannot wait for President Obama to experience the open, decent and welcoming Aggie spirit for himself.

This will be an important national moment, and a moment for Texas A&M to shine in the global spotlight as it always does. I sincerely hope and believe it will serve as a point of Aggie pride for many years to come.

Gig Œem!

George Bush (#41)

New Details on President Obama/President Bush College Station Visit

2009-10-14T18:04:23-05:00

I have been in contact with the various entities putting together the events at Texas A&M on Friday.

As I first told you over the weekend, both Presidents Obama and Bush (41) will be on campus to honor volunteer service and the Points of Light Foundation.

White House Pool Photo

Here is the lastest schedule released to us today:

Presidential Service Forum

Schedule of Events

Bryan College Park, TX

Overview of the Presidential Forum

On October 16, 2009, Points of Light Institute, President George H. W. Bush and President Barack Obama will commemorate the 20th anniversary of the vision of a thousand “Points of Light” by hosting a Presidential Forum on Service at The George Bush Presidential Library Center at Texas A&M University.

The event will honor the enormous advances of the service movement that started 20 years ago under the leadership of President George H.W. Bush and that has been sustained and grown through the leadership of Presidents Clinton and George W. Bush. President Obama has dramatically expanded this movement with his leadership of the bi-partisan Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act. The event will also celebrate the contributions of more than 4,000 Daily Point of Light Award winners.

Event Details – Noon – 5:30 p.m. CST

·         Leadership Roundtable

Prior to the actual start of the Presidential Forum, Points of Light Institute is convening a Leadership Roundtable at Noon CST at the George H. W. Bush Presidential Library. Moderated by Walter Isaacson, the roundtable discussion will bring together civic leaders from all sectors that have shaped the service movement over the last 20 years and are now helping to reimagine service for the next 20 years.

The Roundtable will set the context for the Presidential Forum at Rudder Auditorium on Texas A & M campus that begins with a Pre-Show while attendees are seated, followed by a panel discussion and then remarks by President George H W. Bush and President Barack Obama. Rudder Auditorium seats 2,500 people.

·        Presidential Forum Pre-Show focuses on telling the story of the power and impact of volunteer service through video and live presentations. Video montages will capture current and past volunteer efforts spanning a wide range of projects and depicting the variety of ways people engage in their communities. We will also use this time to highlight our corporate partners who are investing with us in fulfilling the mission of Points of Light.

·        --Panel Discussion: The Power of People to Change the World

This will be a forward looking panel that focuses on the power of new technology and new media to enhance the power of people centered change. Renowned media executive, author and CEO of the Aspen Institute, Walter Isaacson will lead this diverse panel in a dialogue about how people can be even more powerfully engaged in the issues they care about.

--Presentation of a Daily Point of Light Award to a Texas A & M student

--Presidential Presentations

George H. W. Bush and President Barack Obama deliver remarks and present the Daily Point of Light Award for October 16^th.

I have also learned that President Obama will be flying into Houston aboard Air Force One. He will then take Marine One (the presidential helicopter) to College Station.

We will be there to bring you all of the developments LIVE on Eyewitness News during our afternoon broadcasts.

Thanks for reading. TA

President Obama Visits College Station, A&M Campus

2009-10-10T14:45:40-05:00

President Barack Obama is scheduled to visit College Station on Friday, October 16, 2009.

He will be visiting the campus to honor former President George H.W. Bush and the 20th anniversary of Bush's "1000 Points Of Light" program.

The Points Of Light Institute is calling the event a Presidential Forum On Service. It's being hosted at Rudder Auditorium at Texas A&M. The event is invitation only.

Here are some additional details from The Eagle in College Station:

Organizers said its purpose was to stress the importance of community service, like the program Obama created over the summer, but mainly George H.W. Bush's Points of Light program started 20 years ago during his first year as president.

Bush's program has recognized more than 4,500 individuals for their efforts in volunteering and helping a community. Obama's 2 1/2-month service program ended Friday to mark the eight-year anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and was developed by the families of those who died in the attacks. Projects ranged from food drives and home repairs to neighborhood cleanups and disaster preparation activities.

College Station's unique offering of a presidential library -- there are 13 in the country -- has drawn big-name politicians from around the globe and across the political aisle. It was less than a year ago that then-President George W. Bush came to the Texas A&M campus to give a December graduation convocation address.

In 2007, The Points of Light Foundation and HandsOn Network merge to become Points of Light Institute, creating the largest volunteer management and civic engagement organization in the nation.

The Points Of Light Foundation was "born" from the idea President Bush outlined in his 1989 Inaugural Address:

I have spoken of a thousand points of light, of all the community organizations that are spread like stars throughout the Nation, doing good. We will work hand in hand, encouraging, sometimes leading, sometimes being led, rewarding. We will work on this in the White House, in the Cabinet agencies. I will go to the people and the programs that are the brighter points of light, and I will ask every member of my government to become involved. The old ideas are new again because they are not old, they are timeless: duty, sacrifice, commitment, and a patriotism that finds its expression in taking part and pitching in.

I have spoken with both the White House and with representatives from former President Bush's staff and this promises to be a special event. We will be there for the festivities and will report live from College Station on Friday.

Look for more updates later in the week.

Thanks for reading. TA

The President Talks Peace

2009-10-09T16:33:57-05:00

Here's a copy of an email just sent out by The White House. It reflects much of what the President said this morning in the rose garden press conference.

This morning, Michelle and I awoke to some surprising and humbling news. At 6 a.m., we received word that I'd been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2009.

To be honest, I do not feel that I deserve to be in the company of so many of the transformative figures who've been honored by this prize -- men and women who've inspired me and inspired the entire world through their courageous pursuit of peace.

But I also know that throughout history the Nobel Peace Prize has not just been used to honor specific achievement; it's also been used as a means to give momentum to a set of causes. That is why I've said that I will accept this award as a call to action, a call for all nations and all peoples to confront the common challenges of the 21st century.

These challenges won't all be met during my presidency, or even my lifetime. But I know these challenges can be met so long as it's recognized that they will not be met by one person or one nation alone. This award -- and the call to action that comes with it -- does not belong simply to me or my administration; it belongs to all people around the world who have fought for justice and for peace. And most of all, it belongs to you, the men and women of America, who have dared to hope and have worked so hard to make our world a little better.

So today we humbly recommit to the important work that we've begun together. I'm grateful that you've stood with me thus far, and I'm honored to continue our vital work in the years to come.

Thank you, President Barack Obama

What do you think? Click here to cast your vote on whether or not the President deserved the award.

Thanks for reading. TA

Peace Prize: Cast Your Own Vote Here

2009-10-09T10:00:29-05:00

Here's the press release from the Nobel Committee:

The Nobel Peace Prize for 2009

The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided that the Nobel Peace Prize for 2009 is to be awarded to President Barack Obama for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples. The Committee has attached special importance to Obama's vision of and work for a world without nuclear weapons.

Obama has as President created a new climate in international politics. Multilateral diplomacy has regained a central position, with emphasis on the role that the United Nations and other international institutions can play. Dialogue and negotiations are preferred as instruments for resolving even the most difficult international conflicts. The vision of a world free from nuclear arms has powerfully stimulated disarmament and arms control negotiations. Thanks to Obama's initiative, the USA is now playing a more constructive role in meeting the great climatic challenges the world is confronting. Democracy and human rights are to be strengthened.

Only very rarely has a person to the same extent as Obama captured the world's attention and given its people hope for a better future. His diplomacy is founded in the concept that those who are to lead the world must do so on the basis of values and attitudes that are shared by the majority of the world's population.

For 108 years, the Norwegian Nobel Committee has sought to stimulate precisely that international policy and those attitudes for which Obama is now the world's leading spokesman. The Committee endorses Obama's appeal that "Now is the time for all of us to take our share of responsibility for a global response to global challenges."

Oslo, October 9, 2009

Do you think it is well-deserved or premature?