Obama has honor, and burden, of Nobel award

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Every U.S. president secretly harbors dreams of winning the Nobel Peace Prize.

I saw the headline about Obama winning the Nobel Peace Prize. The reporter writing about the event starts off the article with pushing out his own opinion, that every U.S. president secretly longs to win a Nobel Peace prize.

How does he know this? He writes about it as if it is fact but it is totally unsubstantiated. Maybe he should back up that claim with interviews from every one of America’s past presidents saying “I want a Nobel Peace Prize”

Arthur

Sorry, but I have no problem with that statement. The piece was clearly labeled as Analysis, which means a certain amount of opinion is to be expected. I think it is perfectly reasonable to presume practically anybody who knows what the Nobel Peace Prize would want to win one.

Besides, if we backed up the statement as you suggest, with interviews with past presidents saying they wanted the prize, then these would no longer be secret dreams, would they? GBU Editor

U.S. President Barack Obama smiles after making remarks in the East Room at the White House, October 9, 2009. REUTERS/Jim Young

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U.S. does not see settlement building as legitimate

Separately, Obama also said that the United States would now allow al Qaeda to launch attacks from safe havens in Afghanistan or any nation.

I think it should read, “the United States would NOT allow.”

James

Yes. We corrected: GBU Editor

U.S. President Barack Obama addresses the 64th United Nations General Assembly at the U.N. headquarters in New York September 23, 2009.     REUTERS/Mike Segar

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Uninsured Americans Hope Reform Brings Health Coverage

WITHOUT question the dumbest headline I’ve seen in my 65 years.

Now, if people where OPPOSED to getting free taxpayer provided health care, with no ellort on their part, THAT might be a headline. Stating the obvious is not a headline…….

A.B.

As headlines go, it isn’t exactly a startling click-magnet: GBU Editor

President Barack Obama holds a town hall meeting on health care in Grand Junction, Colorado August 15, 2009. REUTERS/Larry Downing

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Obama warns against scare tactics over healthcare

Protesters in Washington brandished American flags and home-made signs venting their anger at Obama and the Democrats who control both houses of the U.S. Congress, accusing them of pushing the country toward bankruptcy with reckless spending.

“Taxed Enough Already!” one man shouted, while others listened to speakers and traded leaflets. The crowd appeared to be one of the largest rallies against Obama since he took office, although it did not come close to matching the turnout on the National Mall for his inauguration in January.

I’ve not been able to find, on online Reuters, news on that huge protest demonstration in Washington, D.C. on the 12th. I searched news stories in the U.S. section and the Politics section, for the last 7 days. Where should I look? Thanks!

Ted W.

You call yourselves a news organization. But you did even mention the largest march on Washington in years. You are obviously in the Obama camp, hook, line and sinker. How shameful.

Rik

Where is the coverage of the Tea Party across the country? Same as all the other lazy no common sense news organizations. Dont have a clue as to whats really happening.

Kris

One million or more people protest in DC. Where is the coverage? Would be nice to see some old fashioned reporting.

Wodun

A number of readers wrote in looking for our coverage of the weekend taxpayer protest in Washington, DC.

We folded two paragraphs on the event into a larger story about a Minneapolis appearance by President Obama on Saturday, but did not have a separate text story.

We did have a video report, but likewise combined it with the Obama story, and the headline, “Obama healthcare plan on the road,” was not exactly user-friendly for readers trying to follow the protests : GBU Editor

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Thousands of demonstrators gather on the plaza near the U.S. Capitol to participate in a “Taxpayer March on DC” protest against President Barack Obama’s fiscal and economic policies including the administration’s health care reform plans in Washington, September 12, 2009. REUTERS/Mike Theiler

US housing, confidence data point to recovery

In addition, President Barack Obama nominated Ben Bernanke to a second term as chairman of the Federal Reserve, removing some niggling doubt from investors’ minds. The move promised a consistent approach to monetary policy in the years ahead.

My suggestion based on the story tonight on housing and consumer confidence pointing to recovery. My request is that the editor play a greater role in the reporter’s choice of words. It doesn’t seem to be coincidence anymore of the use of the word “niggling” in the same paragraph as President Obama is mentioned.

It’s gotten old. It’s gotten racist.

Clay

I don’t know where you’re seeing all these references, but it isn’t in our copy. We used the word in three versions of the very same story. Before that, I have to go back for months to find it in a paragraph that also mentions Obama.

If you honestly believe you’re finding objectionable racial references in our stories about the president, then I suspect you’re looking too hard for them. They aren’t there: GBU Editor

U.S. President Barack Obama in Oak Bluffs, Martha’s Vineyard, August 26, 2009. REUTERS/Jason Reed

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Obama looks to rebound from tough week

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Barack Obama will look to rebound from one of the most difficult weeks of his six-month presidency, one in which his legislative priority, healthcare, stumbled and he got caught up in a racial controversy.

The remark intensified the controversy and eventually forced Obama to back down in a surprise appearance in the White House press briefing room on Friday in which he said he regretted the remark.

The story above stated that Obama “regretted the remark.” I have yet to find a quote where Obama could be remotely accused of “regretting the remark.” Can someone at Reuters direct me to the quote/story where Obama expressed his “regret” as it pertains to his remark?

Greg J.

Several readers objected to the r-word, which we also used in the headline of another story: Obama regrets remarks in racially charged case.

That story carefully explained that Obama “did not say he had apologized to Crowley, but his words were regretful.” Further, the president said he “could have calibrated those words differently.”

All of this sounds fairly regretful to me, and the president doesn’t usually make a surprise visit to the press briefing if there’s nothing weighing on his mind: GBU Editor

President Barack Obama makes remarks at the daily briefing after a surprise visit to the Brady Briefing Room at the White House in Washington, July 24, 2009.REUTERS/Jim Young

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Democrats expand Senate control, yet splits remain

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrats achieved their biggest majority in the U.S. Senate in decades on Tuesday as Al Franken of Minnesota finally took his seat — but President Barak Obama will still have to fight hard to muster the votes to pass healthcare reform and other major initiatives.

This article has Obama’s first name spelled wrong in the first paragraph. Boo!

D.W.

We corrected, but not before readers noticed. Which brings us to this next item.

Low-flying White House plane scares New Yorkers

NEW YORK, April 27 (Reuters) - One of President Barack Obama’s official planes flanked by an Air Force fighter jet flew low over the Statue of Liberty on Monday for a photo opportunity that reminded startled New Yorkers of the Sept. 11 attacks.

Your reporter mentions “One of President Barack Obama’s official planes…”

The plane does not belong to Obama! He has been allowed to use it for four years. Obama said that he wanted government to be more responsible in speeding. Spending who knows how much on a photo op is a waste of the taxpayers’ money!

Roger Y.

No, the plane does not belong to Obama, but I have no problem with the way we worded this story. It is Obama’s plane for at least four years, just as it’s Obama’s White House, Obama’s limousine, etc. I think readers probably understand he’s not going to take this stuff home with him when he leaves office: GBU Editor

President Barack Obama steps off Air Force One at Baghdad International Airport April 7, 2009. REUTERS/Jim Young

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Obama praises Islam, calls for Mideast peace

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama ended his trip to Muslim Turkey on Tuesday by calling for peace and dialogue with Islam and the creation of a Palestinian state living side by side with Israel.

This was a reasonably well written article! I liked it.

But, its title was a rather sickening bit of manipulative propaganda, was it not? Where in the article is there even a real hint of Obama praising Islam?

Please stop doing this! Let people speak for themselves, and stick to reporting! Especially our leaders.

Dan

This story was a wrap-up of the visit, one of a number of stories we did while he was there. I agree that if we put that headline on the piece there should have been material backing it up in the story, but the facts in the headline were accurate. Here is a quote from Obama:

“I also want to be clear that America’s relationship with the Muslim work cannot and will not be based on opposition to al Qaeda. Far from it. We seek broad engagement based upon mutual interests and mutual respect. We will listen carefully, bridge misunderstanding, and seek common ground.

“We will be respectful, even when we do not agree. And we will convey our deep appreciation for the Islamic faith, which has done so much over so many centuries to shape the world for the better including my own country. The United States has been enriched by Muslim Americans. Many other Americans have Muslims in their family, or have lived in a Muslim-majority country I know, because I am one of them.”

U.S. President Barack Obama participates in a town hall meeting with students at the Tophane Cultural Center in Istanbul April 7, 2009. REUTERS/Jason Reed

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TEXT-President Obama’s remarks on U.S. auto industryI

But just in case there are still nagging doubts, let me say it as plainly as I can — if you buy a car from Chrysler or General Motors, you will be able to get your car serviced and repaired, just like always. Your warrantee will be safe.

In fact, it will be safer than it’s ever been. Because starting today, the United States government will stand behind your warrantee.

This is an incorrect use of the word “warrantee”. A “warranty” is the correct spelling of the word you are looking for. The spelling ending in a “Y” is the one that comes with your vehicle. A “warrantee” is the person whom a “warranty” is for.

Other news sites have the transcript and correctly spell it with a “y”. If yours is the actual transcript, then shame on President Obama’s speech writers.

Janet O.

The error was cut and pasted from the White House version, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t have caught it: GBU Editor

President Barack Obama speaks about the auto industry in the Grand Foyer of White House in Washington, March 30, 2009. REUTERS/Larry Downing

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