The charm offensive is over! Obama gambles his rock star status in Kenya

[superbeets]

[h=1]The charm offensive is over! Obama gambles his rock star status in Kenya by blasting its barbaric treatment of homosexuals and women and calling out the country's 'cancer of corruption'[/h]

• President Obama's visit to Kenya is the first time a U.S. president has visited the African country while in office
• Billing himself as America's first Kenyan-American president, he was introduced to the crowd by his half-sister
• He aimed the speech in Nairobi at the nation's future leaders, urging them to 'choose the path to progress'
• Kenya has one of the continent's fastest-growing economies but is struggling to overcome corruption and terrorism
• President warned that the 'cancer' of corruption was costing the country 250,000 jobs

By IMOGEN CALDERWOOD



PUBLISHED: 13:18, 26 July 2015 | UPDATED: 00:37, 27 July 2015




U.S. President Barack Obama received a rock star's welcome during his first presidential visit to Kenya, the country where his father was born.
Billing himself as America's first Kenyan-American president, Mr Obama targeted his speech at the country's young people and leaders of the future.
He told a thousands-strong crowd, that had gathered at the Safaricom arena in Nairobi, that their country is at a crossroads and urged them to 'choose the path to progress'.
'I'm here as president of a country that sees Kenya as an important partner. I'm here as a friend who wants Kenya to succeed,' he said, in a 40-minute speech that was broadcast live on local TV.
'You can choose the path to progress, but it requires making some important choices.'

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[superbeets]

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Cheering crowd: U.S. President Barack Obama received a rock star's welcome from a thousands-strong crowd when he spoke in Nairobi during the first ever visit to Kenya by an American president

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Family bond: The president was introduced by his sister Auma before the speech, who referred to him as 'my brother, your brother, our son'

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Welcome: Billing himself as America's first Kenyan-American president, Barack Obama targeted his speech at the country's young people and leaders of the future

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Look to the future: The U.S. president urged the nation's leaders to continue to root out corruption, eliminate income equality and end tribal conflict and gender violence

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Leader: He told the thousands-strong crowd that had gathered in Nairobi that their country is at a crossroads and urged them to 'choose the path to progress'


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[superbeets]

Obama urged the nation's leaders to continue to root out corruption, eliminate income equality and end tribal conflict and gender violence.
'The future of Africa is up to Africans,' he said, adding that 'Kenya is on the move. Africa is on the move'.
'For too long I think that many looked to the outside for salvation and focused on somebody else being at fault for the problems of the continent.
'We can see that future for Kenya on the horizon, but tough choices are going to have to be made.'
He also warned that the 'cancer' of corruption was costing the country 250,000 jobs.
The president, playing on his status as a 'son of the soil', was introduced by his half-sister Auma, who described him as 'my brother, your brother, our son'.
'The guy slept in a camping bed behind my couch in a tiny living room in a tiny flat.'
That's how Auma Obama described her Obama's first visit to Kenya nearly three decades ago.
She gave the president a warm introduction at his speech Sunday at an indoor arena in Nairobi. As a young man, she recalled, Obama 'fit right in' and 'ate with us at multiple tables because we're a big family.'
Now, she said, 'we're happy to share him with the world because he's not just ours.'
Auma Obama is the president's half-sister on his father's side. Their Kenyan father died in a car crash in 1982.
She recalled picking up Obama in a battered Volkswagen Beetle on his first visit to Kenya, a vehicle Obama remembered as slightly less than reliable. 'It broke down four or five times,' he said.
What a difference a few decades make.
On this trip, Auma Obama said, it was her brother who gave her a ride from that same airport in the 'Beast,' the armored limousine shipped over from the U.S. before the president arrives in a country.
'He returned the favor,' she said.


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Greeting: Mr Obama's father was born and is buried in Kenya, and the country has waited for years for the opportunity to welcome him back as president

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Young leaders: The president addressed his speech towards the young people of the country, urging them to 'choose the path to progress'

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Troubles: Although one of the fastest-growing economies on the continent, Kenya is struggling to overcome numerous challenges posed by widespread corruption and terrorism



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[superbeets]

As well as the more than 4,000 people packed into the indoor area, thousands more people lined the president's motorcade route to the arena, with some climbing on roofs to get a better view.
'When it comes to the people of Kenya, particularly the youth, I believe there is no limit to what you can achieve,' added Obama, who arrived in the country on Friday.
'Because of Kenya's progress – because of your potential – you can build you future right here, right now.'
Obama's father was born and is buried in Kenya, and the country has waited for years for the opportunity to welcome him back as president.
Although one of the fastest-growing economies on the continent, Kenya is struggling to overcome numerous challenges posed by widespread corruption, tribal conflict and the threat posed for the Somali Islamist militant group al-Shabab.
The group, based in neighbouring Somalia, has killed scores of people over the past two years, attacking a Nairobi shopping mall in 2013, and a university in the northeast in April.
Obama said that continued tribal and ethnic divisions are 'doomed to tear our country apart'.
The president also called for an end to violence against women, forced marriages for girls who should be in school, sexual assault and female genital mutilation.
He said: 'These traditions may date back centuries. They have no place in the 21st century.'
By the end of his speech, the crowd in the arena were chanting the president's name.
Obama's historic visit is the first time an American president has visited Kenya during his term in office.
He is due to travel to Ethiopia on Sunday, and will address the continent from the headquarters of the African Union, both representing firsts for a U.S. president.


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Striking a nerve: Speaking outside the State House in Nairobi, Kenya, on Saturday night, President Barack Obama (left) criticized Kenya for its treatment of homosexuals. In response, Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta (right) said gay rights are a 'non-issue' in his country

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Serious matter: 'As an African-American in the United States I am painfully aware of what happens when people are treated differently,' Obama said. 'When you start treating people differently... because they are different... that's the path whereby freedoms begin to erode'

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Different opinions: Obama dded: '[If] somebody is a law-abiding citizen... the idea they are going to be treated differently or abused because of who they love is wrong. Full stop.' Above, Obama gestures during his State House speech as Kenyatta watches him

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Listening: Kenya's Deputy President William Ruto (center) looks on as Obama speaks during his first trip to Kenya as U.S. president

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'It's a non-issue': Kenyatta (pictured speaking next to his American counterpart) said that after Kenya deals with other, more pressing issues such as terrorism, it can begin to look at new issues. But he said that the moment, gay rights is not at the forefront for the nation



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[superbeets]

But despite the warm welcome from the people, Kenya's leader Kenyatta did not seem so enamoured during a discussion on gay rights yesterday.
Obama spoke out in criticism of Kenya's treatment of homosexuals, comparing discrimination against gay people to racism.
He added that 'law-abiding' citizens should not be punished for loving a particular person.
'As an African-American in the United States I am painfully aware of what happens when people are treated differently,' he said.
'When you start treating people differently, not because of any harm they are doing, but because they are different, that's the path whereby freedoms begin to erode.
'[If] somebody is a law-abiding citizen… the idea they are going to be treated differently or abused because of who they love is wrong. Full stop.'
But Kenyatta, standing on a stage alongside Obama, declared that gay rights are a 'non-issue' in Kenya.
'The fact of the matter is, Kenya and the U.S. share so many values: common love for democracy, entrepreneurship, value for families – these are some things that we share,' said Kenyatta.
'But there are some things that we must admit we don't share, our culture, our societies don't accept.'
Eric Gitari, who heads a Kenyan gay rights groups, praised Obama for tackling the matter on Saturday night on the basis of 'the dignity of people by speaking about simple human to human interactions.' U.S. group Human Rights First also issued a statement praising Obama for addressing the issue.
Some African rights groups, and prominent Kenyan politicians, had urged Obama to tread cautiously on the issue to avoid inflaming public opinion.
South Africa is the only African nation to allow same-sex marriage.

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Support: Thousands of Kenyans turned up to see Obama as he visited August 7th Memorial Park in Nairobi, Kenya, earlier in the day

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Big turnout: Obama is the first sitting U.S. president to visit Kenya - and thanked Kenyans for welcoming him into his father's homeland

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Relative: Obama's half-sister, Auma Obama (center), watches as her half-sibling toasts Kenyatta during a state dinner later on Saturday



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Kenyan President Uhuhu Kenyatta said on Saturday that Obama will be remembered in Africa for his support for the continent's young people, a vital section of the country's population.
Nearly a third of Kenya's population are aged between ten and 24, and about 60 per cent of the population is younger than 35, according to the US government.
Kenyatta has taken steps to tackle corruption by suspending four Cabinet secretaries and 16 other senior officials in an investigation into allegations of dishonesty.
But the suspensions have been met with scepticism by the public because in the past, suspensions of senior officials haven't resulted in anyone being convicted of a crime.
Some officials even returned to their jobs before investigations were complete.


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Kenyatta's two-year-old regime has come under fire from local media and economic experts, alleging that the administration is more corrupt than previous governments.
While Obama's late father was born in Kenya, the president himself was born in Hawaii.
Several years ago, he released a copy of his birth certificate in a bid to quell conspiracy theorists.
One of the most prominent theorists was real estate mogul Donald Trump, who questioned, over and over, whether Obama was really born in the U.S. as he debated running for president in 2011. When the document was produced by Obama, Trump said he was 'very proud' of his accomplishment.
He said he had achieved what 'nobody else' was able to do, while still referring to the document only as a 'so-called birth certificate'.
The certificate lists Honolulu, Hawaii, as Obama's place of birth.


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[superbeets]

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Proud: Obama's step-grandmother Mama Sarah Obama (pictured, right, in the yellow headband) listens to as Obama makes a toast

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Charming Kenya: With fond reflections on his family's ties to Kenya and even a 'birther' joke, Obama charmed the African nation's leaders on Saturday. Later in the night, the president couldn't resist making a joke about his birthplace - which critics have long questioned

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Quelling conspiracy theorists: 'Some of my critics back home might be suggesting I'm back here to look for my birth certificate,' Obama (pictured on Saturday) said from his father's homeland. 'That is not the case,' he jokingly added in a bid to quell conspiracy theorists

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Certificate: Obama's birth certificate (above), which was publicly released in 2011, lists the 53-year-old's place of birth Honolulu, Hawaii

However, the document's release hasn't silenced the president's doubters.
And with critics seemingly unlikely to quieten anytime soon, Obama has started to joke about his birthplace.
In 2014, he made a wisecrack about it at the White House Correspondent's Association Dinner.
'An American won the Boston Marathon for the first time in 30 years, which was inspiring and only fair, since a Kenyan has been president for the last six,' said the married father of two. And in 2012, at the end of an Oklahoma event, Obama gave a humorous response after a female audience member approached him and said that she was born at the same Hawaii hospital as him. 'Do you have YOUR birth certificate?' he responded to laughter.
During his toast at Nairobi's State House on Saturday night - hosted by President Kenyatta and his wife, Margaret - Obama also remarked that the occasion was a 'somewhat unusual Obama family reunion' because siblings, aunts, uncles and a grandmother related to his father attended.
Obama, who is the 44th President of the United States, spent nearly three hours at the dinner.
During the event, he also danced with the English and Swahili group, Sauti Soul, ABC News reported.
He said he 'could have never imagined the hospitality' he was met with in his father's homeland.
'So I feel my given African name, to be truly blessed,' he added.
Relatives at the state dinner included his step-grandmother, Mama Sarah Obama, and his half-sister, Auma Obama, among others.

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On-stage: Kenyan staff members look on as Obama (second right) and Kenyatta (far right) speak outside the State House in Nairobi

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Conference: Obama (at the left lectern) and Kenyatta are pictured at the news conference, which followed a meeting at the State House

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Shaking hands: Obama (left) sported a serious expression as he shook hands with Kenyatta at the end of the joint news conference



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[superbeets]

Earlier in the night, Obama had said his mission to encourage growth in Africa is a personal one.
Speaking at a business summit designed to help supercharge the region's economy, the U.S. president hailed a 'continent on the move', which is lifting its citizens 'out of poverty'.
Obama, who is trying to encourage investors to support African nations like Kenya, has brought a contingent of more than 200 U.S. investors with him, whom he hopes will commit to the region.
He later expanded on his ideas, saying new business in Africa can offer hope to young people in the continent, parts of which continue to be ravaged by war, famine and extremism.
He said: 'Entrepreneurship offers a positive alternative to the ideologies of violence and division that can all too often fill the void when young people don't see a future for themselves.'
Obama also spoke optimistically of the country on Friday, tweeting: 'Proud to be the first American President to visit Kenya. Happy to see family, and to talk with young Kenyans about the future.'
Kenyans themselves have responded to the president with an enthusiasm which at least equals his.
Obama's address to the Global Entrepreneurship Summit in Nairobi, Kenya's capital, followed a family reunion on Friday night, where he met dozens of his relatives in an upscale city hotel.

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Two Presidents: Eric Gitari, who heads a Kenyan gay rights groups, praised Obama (left) for tackling the matter of gay rights on Saturday - despite Kenyatta's (right) reaction - on the basis of 'the dignity of people by speaking about simple human to human interactions'

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After his comments about gay rights, Obama warned the audience that corruption may be the biggest impediment to Kenya's growth and opportunities in the future, and revealed that the U.S. and Kenya are currently working to launch direct flights between the countries

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Difference in opinion: Obama said that treating people - such as homosexuals - differently is 'the path whereby freedoms begin to erode'

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Conclusion: However, the presidents then appeared to leave the stage on good terms, with Obama placing his hand on Kenyatta's back

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Greeting: Obama meets Kenya's Deputy President William Samoei Ruto at the State House in the capital

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Security: A U.S. military helicopter flies over while Obama and KKenyatta answer questions from the media

He told his audience: 'This is personal for me. There's a reason why my name is Barack Hussein Obama. My father came from these parts.'
Talking up the expanding economy, he said: 'Africa is one of the fastest-growing regions of the world. People are being lifted out of poverty... What happens in Africa is going to affect the world.'
Banners and billboards sporting the President's face sprung up around Nairobi ahead of Obama's visit, while thousands of eager fans waved American flags and painted their faces.
The tried to get as close as they could to the Presidential motorcade amid intense security.
In Kogelo, the hometown and place of burial of Barack Obama Snr, Obama has two schools named in his honor, dedicated when he was still an Illinois senator.
Kogelo locals named the Senator Obama Kogelo Primary School and Senator Obama Kogelo Secondary School in his honor when he visited in 2006.
Since then, the enthusiasm for the President has surged, with many children being named for him.
When the BBC visited the schools, two boys in a single class of eight-year-olds were called Barack Obama, while virtually an entire class of 60 in the high school said they wish they shared their named with the President.
While in Nairobi, Obama toured an innovation fair highlighting the work of vendors working with his Power Africa initiative, which aims to double sub-Saharan access to electricity.
The President also visited a memorial at the site of the 1998 bombing of the city's U.S. embassy, which killed more than 200 people.
He laid a wreath and bowed his head in front of the site, looking over the names over the 200 Kenyans and 12 Americans who died in the attack.
Obama spent Friday night reuniting with his father's family. Security was tight in the Kenyan capital, with some of the city's normally bustling streets closed to traffic and pedestrians for the visit.

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Dressed up: A Kenyan man wearing a clothe decorated with the Kenyan and US flags walks among those Kenyans who gathered to witness Obama as he visited the August 7th Memorial Park earlier on Saturday

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Dancers: Crowds of Kenyans watch Masai dance as they wait for the US President's motorcade to appear

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Employees: Kenyan staff members look on as Obama and Kenyatta (neither pictured) hold the press event

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Officers: General Service Unit (GSU) police officers carrying guns are pictured patrolling the streets of Nairobi after Obama (not pictured) visited the August 7th Memorial Park in Nairobi, Kenya, earlier on Saturday

The president left Kenya on Sunday afternoon, pausing longer than normal atop the stairs to Air Force One to wave to the crowd, a huge grin on his face.
He arrived two hours later in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital, where he met with diplomats at the U.S. Embassy in the evening.
Obama has written emotionally about his first visit to Kenya as a young man nearly 30 years ago, and he recounted many of those same memories in his remarks Sunday. The battered Volkswagen his sister drove. Meeting his brothers for the first time. The airport employee who recognized his last name.
'That was the first time that my name meant something,' he said.
The president barely knew his father, who died in 1982 after leaving the U.S. to return to Kenya. However, Obama has numerous family members in the country, including his half-sister Auma Obama, who introduced her brother Sunday.
'He's one of us,' she said. 'But we're happy to share him with the world.'
The bulk of Obama's address was a candid commentary on the East African nation's future. He spent considerable time warning about the risks of government corruption, calling it an 'anchor' that could weigh down the country's promising future.
'Too often here in Kenya corruption is tolerated because that's how it's always been done,' he said. 'Here in Kenya, it's time to change habits.'
Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta has taken steps to tackle corruption by suspending four Cabinet secretaries and 16 other senior officials amid an investigation into allegations of dishonesty.

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Intense discussion: Kenyatta listens to Obama after their joint news conference at Nairobi's State House

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Arrival: The U.S. President leaves his car as he arrives to visit the State House in Nairobi on Saturday night

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Convoy: Police officers stand guard as Obama's convoy drives to the State House in Nairobi on Saturday



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[superbeets]

But the action has been met with skepticism by the public because in the past, suspensions of senior officials haven't resulted in anyone being convicted of a crime. Some officials even returned to their jobs before investigations were complete.
Kenyatta has been under public pressure to address corruption following reviews of his two-year-old government that claimed his administration is more corrupt than previous administrations.
Obama urged an end to old tribal and ethnic divisions that are 'doomed to tear our country apart. He spent significant time imploring Kenyans to respect the rights of women and girls, saying that marginalizing half of a country's population is 'stupid.' And he called for an end to forced marriages for girls who should otherwise be attending school and the tradition known as 'genital mutilation.'
'These traditions may date back centuries. They have no place in the 21st century,' he said.
The president drew on the recent debate in the United States over the Confederate battle flag, a Civil War-era relic that is seen by many as a racist symbol. The killing of nine people at a black church in South Carolina last month prompted a fresh debate over the flag, spurring some states to remove it from government grounds.
'Just because something is a part of your past doesn't make it right,' Obama said.
Some of those in attendance for the president's speech said they were inspired by his appeal for progress in Kenya.
Upenbo Abraham, a 23-year-old economics student from an area of western Kenya near Obama's relatives, said he was 'encouraged, as a poor boy from a village next to his home.' Ezekiel Oduor, an accountant, said Obama was 'candid and clear' about Kenya's problems with corruption and his desire to help the country rise 'to the next level.'

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Big up: Earlier in the day, Obama made a speech plugging the African economy at a business summit (above)

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Q&A: The President took questions from entrepreneurs alongside his Kenyan counterpart Uhuru Kenyatta (second from right) at the event, held on UN property

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In his honor: A woman carrying a U.S.-branded bag poses in front of the sign for the Senator Obama Primary School in Kogelo, his father's homeland

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Obamania: Three boys, all named after Barack Obama, pose for a photo at Senator Obama Primary School

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Aspirational: Boys at the school, which also educates girls, said they were proud to go to an institution named after the President

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Looking out: A huge crowd of Kenyans waits for the Presidential motorcade to pass Nairobi's Memorial Park

After his speech, Obama met with political opposition leaders, then with a group of African youth and civil leaders on ways to promote civil society efforts. He told the civil society group that 'the country is going to be better off' if it can cultivate habits of public participation and freedom.
At the end of his long day filled with speeches and meetings, Obama celebrated his trip with an official state dinner filled with singing and dancing.
In a video uploaded by Kenyan pop group Sauti Sol, Obama is seen stepping with them on stage just before his toast, according to ABC.
His half-sister Auma Obama, National Security Adviser Susan Rice, Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and First Lady Margaret Kenyatta also appeared with the group, which has won VMA and BET awards.
Sauti Sol then performed at the dinner. American hip hop artist Akon, as well as Obama's step-grandmother, Mama Sarah, were also in attendance.
When leaving Kenya, Obama mused about a very different kind of visit he said he'll make with first lady Michelle Obama and daughters Sasha and Malia after his presidency ends in 2017.
On his fantasy itinerary is a visit to Maasai Mara, the national reserve renowned for its safaris and wildlife, and the Serengeti region in which it sits. He also fondly recalled visiting the Kenyan coastal town of Lamu when he was engaged to wife, saying they went out on a boat and then ate fish that vessel's captain cooked on the beach.
These days, Lamu's once-vibrant tourist industry has virtually collapsed due to past attacks by al-Shabab militants based in nearby Somalia, where a suicide car bomber killed at least four people at a Mogadishu hotel Sunday. The Kenyan government recently lifted a dusk-to-dawn curfew in Lamu, but a heavy security presence remains there.
Another must-do for Obama's next trip: climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest mountain. Kiliminjaro isn't in Kenya, but is just across the border in Tanzania.
'Secret Service generally doesn't like me climbing mountains,' Obama said in an interview on Kenyan radio station Capital FM. 'But as a private citizen, hopefully I can get away with it.'
Similar to his trip to Kenya, Obama is expected to offer messages about good governance and human rights during his two days of meetings with leaders in Ethiopia.
Human rights groups have criticized the president for visiting the Horn of Africa nation, which is accused of cracking down on dissent, sometimes violently.
Obama planned meetings with Ethiopia's president and prime minister, and a separate session with regional leaders to discuss the situation in South Sudan, a young nation gripped by turmoil since civil war broke out in December 2013.
Countering the al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab in neighboring Somalia also was on the agenda for Obama's meetings with Ethiopian leaders. A suicide car bombing Sunday in Mogadishu, Somalia's capital city, shattered a period of calm in the city after a number of deadly attacks by al-Shabab. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast.

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Farewell: Obama stops to wave as he boards the Airforce One for his departure to Ethiopia, at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport

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Goodbye: Traditional dancers greet President Barack Obama as he departs Kenyatta International Airport on Sunday

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Final thoughts: President Barack Obama, right, talks with Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta before departing Kenya on Sunday

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Short visit: President Barrack Obama shakes hands with Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta before heading up the stairs of Airforce One to depart for Ethopia

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Next destination: Ethiopia's Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn (left) looks on as Obama receives flowers from children as he arrives aboard Air Force One at Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia



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[SheriffJoe]

 

[vitterd]

Crazy Joe going full birther again. Weren't you embarrassed enough at Obamaconspiracy.org?

lmao

 

[The Guesser]

Love it when Obama calls attention to the birther idiots like Casper, and makes even more complete fools of them than they do themselves. He doesn't do it enough, he has too much class. Of course The Donald is one of them still.

 

[SheriffJoe]

Love it when Obama calls attention to the birther idiots like Casper, and makes even more complete fools of them than they do themselves. He doesn't do it enough, he has too much class. Of course The Donald is one of them still.

Hussein is the biggest fraud in history who got away with it and both you and he damn well know it. You should be praising and thanking Republicans for being the traitorous wusses they are on scandal after scandal.

I never believed it was possible but after refusing to call out and scold yet another fraud you've sunk even lower than a sewer rat. Which would be what, a sewer rat turd?

 

[neverbend]

Obama to me never looked so comfortable visiting his ancestral home, maybe he should take up
residence there after his gig is up here

 

[Dave007inVegas]

Looks like a Gay Pride parade in San Francisco.

 

[Michelangelo]

Man, the world is catching up to us. Even Kenya has a White House.

 

[SheriffJoe]

Obama’s Kenyan Brother: Barack ‘Is Not An Honest Man’

CHRISTIAN DATOC
Reporter

3:34 PM 07/27/2015

Though President Barack Obama is currently on a trip to his father’s home country of Kenya, it’s doubtful he’ll be getting together for a family pot-luck with his older half-brother, Malik.​

According to the Boston Globe’s Farah Stockman, the relationship between the Obama brothers has soured since then 25-year-old Barack, “began his search for the Kenyan family members he’d never met” back in 1986.

Malik — who has attempted a political career of his own in his home province — said in a recent interview that after failing to provide money for a family member’s funeral, it’s clear that POTUS “doesn’t want anything to do with” his Kenyan family members. “He’s not an honest man,” said the elder Obama. “It’s a big humiliation.”

[h/t: Boston Globe]

 

[Seymour]

Obama to me never looked so comfortable visiting his ancestral home, maybe he should take up
residence there after his gig is up here

He looked pretty damn comfortable when he was visiting his friends in prison the prior week - first to go to a prison - first to go the Kenya - wonderful

 

[SheriffJoe]

Video: Barack Obama In Kenya; I’m The
First Kenyan-American To Be President​

Barry Obama: "I am proud to be the first American president to come to Kenya. And of course, I'm the first Kenyan-American to be president of the United States. That goes without saying."

VIDEO HERE:

( Video via White House. Full Video. )​

NBC News veteran reporter Chris Jansing, who once reported Obama was born in Kenya, reports (attempted) it was the first time Obama referred to himself as such;

NBC News:

CNN:

The Blaze:

 

[superbeets]

Barack Obama touches bones of humankind's ancient ancestor 'Lucy'

The US president was invited to touch one of the the 3.2 million-year-old bones of 'Lucy' in Ehtiopia, something usually only permitted for scientists

US President Barack Obama (2nd R) touches a bone fragment of "Lucy", who was estimated to have lived 3,2 million years ago, alongside Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn (R) and Zeresenay Alemseged (2nd L), head of the California Academy of Sciences, prior to a State Dinner at the National Palace in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Photo: AFP








By Reuters

11:16PM BST 27 Jul 2015













Barack Obama came to Africa partially to connect with the continent of his forefathers.

On Monday, he met an ancestor of an altogether different kind: "Lucy," the 3.2 million-year-old partial skeleton of a hominid discovered in Ethiopia.

"That's amazing," the US president said of the bones, which were brought specially for him to view from a museum to the National Palace, where he was attending a state dinner.

Mr Obama is on a two-country tour of Africa that started in Kenya, where his father was born. He arrived in Ethiopia on Sunday and returns to the United States on Tuesday.

[SUB]US President touches a bone fragment from "Lucy" who was estimated to have lived 3.2 million years ago, prior to a State Dinner at the National Palace in Addis Ababa





[/SUB]

Scientists told reporters the valuable partial skeleton was transported secretly and under tight security out of its museum. Mr Obama was invited to touch one of the bones, something usually only permitted for scientists.
"We honour Ethiopia as the birthplace of humankind. In fact, I just met Lucy, our oldest ancestor," Mr Obama told attendees at the state dinner later in the evening.
"When you see our ancestor ... we are reminded that Ethiopians, Americans, all the people of the world are part of the same human family, the same chain," Mr Obama said to applause.
Some commentators have questioned why Mr Obama was allowed to touch the fossil.
Lucy's bones were taken on a six-year exhibition tour of the US from 2008-2013, despite Don Johanson, who discovered the fossil, stating that although he was somewhat uneasy about the possibility of damage.
But Ehtiopian scientist Dr Zeresenay Alemseged, who was on hand to answer questions the president had about Lucy, said “Extraordinary people have extraordinary access."
A little bit of American politics crept into the moment as well.
Dr Alemsegard referenced Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, the billionaire businessman who claimed for a long time that Obama was not born in the United States.
"It shows that every single person here, 7 billion people, including Donald Trump, came down through the chain," said Dr Alemseged, referring to Lucy's place in the evolution of humankind.

 

[neverbend]

He looked pretty damn comfortable when he was visiting his friends in prison the prior week - first to go to a prison - first to go the Kenya - wonderful

So these are the latest happenings: Obama WAS in kenya trying to speak kenyan , Jeb boy
Bush is in Florida speaking spanish so well than english has now become his "second" language
,,,,,,,,,& TRUMP was on the border SPEAKING THE TRUTH....