Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden help Launch Service Nation Initiative
EmailFrom Whitney Ksiazek:
“One of the greatest privileges that I have as first lady is the chance to meet with veterans, and to meet with service members, and their families all across America,” said the first lady to a crowded auditorium on Veterans Day at the George Washington University as part of the Mission Serve event.
She was introduced by Dr. Jill Biden, who shared her personal connection to the cause and to the day because of her own son Beau’s service in the military.
The two women came together to help launch Service Nation's new civilian-military initiative, Mission Serve. The first lady said it was a privilege to share the stage with one of her role models, Alma Powell, the recipient of the events award.
Mrs. Obama got the crowd excited by mentioning her challenge to the GW community to meet the goal of 100,000 community service hours in exchange for her to speak at commencement in May, she enthusiastically reported that the university has already completed over 19,000 hours.
The first lady said she was in awe of the sacrifices that servicemen and women, as well as their families, make for their country. She also mentioned the courage and grace that she witnessed from them after the Ft. Hood tragedy.
“They want to make their entire life a tour of duty,” Mrs. Obama said, adding that their commitment does not end when they return to civilian life. She said that their skills are needed at home to turn around failing schools or to help rebuild communities, which is the mission of Service Nation’s new military-civilian initiative.
In her remarks she applauded the administration for the largest percent increase in the Veterans Administration budget in 30 years. She also mentioned the importance of the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act that the President signed into law this year as well as his executive order to step up efforts to hire veterans throughout the federal government.
In closing, she reminded the audience that supporting the military and military families required more than just good government.
“It also requires good citizenship," she said.
FLOTUS Fashion Watch: Mrs. Obama wore Gray slacks with a belted white-and-gray-patterned blouse.
-Whitney Ksiazek
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Her blouse was belted, you say?
Posted by: MayBee | November 11, 2009, 6:44 pm 6:44 pm
This is the lady who once said she hated America ? She also is bunch BS like her Husband.
Posted by: Joeray | November 11, 2009, 7:00 pm 7:00 pm
This is the lady who once said she hated America ? She also is bunch BS like her Husband.
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So actually, it’s not her that’s full of BS . . . it’s you!
Amazing how many poorly informed people there are – please provide proof that she said ‘she hated America’ . ..
You won’t be able to because it was never said.
Posted by: tierra | November 11, 2009, 7:12 pm 7:12 pm
“Her blouse was belted, you say?
Posted by: MayBee | Nov 11, 2009 6:44:11 PM”
It really does undercut the message doesn’t it?
Posted by: Ryan C | November 11, 2009, 7:16 pm 7:16 pm
The Powells had a very busy day helping the Obamas with their message.
Posted by: MayBee | November 11, 2009, 7:27 pm 7:27 pm
FLOTUS Fashion Watch: Mrs. Obama wore Gray slacks with a belted white-and-gray-patterned blouse.
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Is this stuff put in intentionally to lower the level of the event or the story? Or as Ryan says . .. is it to undercut the message?
It seems to make it more frivolous than it should be.
Drop the fashion nonsense Jake . .. you’re demeaning.
Posted by: tierra | November 11, 2009, 7:32 pm 7:32 pm
How much does this community service job pay? I need a job and she wants me to work for free? Get real girl.
Posted by: Lakisha | November 11, 2009, 7:51 pm 7:51 pm
Never fails to pain me when goofballs go after Michelle Obama with absolutely no cause. Laura Bush was some off limits saint but our current first lady is fair game for virtual lynching? Come on.
Posted by: Matt | November 11, 2009, 7:54 pm 7:54 pm
Posted by: tierra | Nov 11, 2009 7:12:19 PM
Maybe YOU should do your own research,..starting w/her college theses paper,…or maybe the company she keeps, maybe her comment about “Never before in my life have I been proud”….maybe people see this as an act because she blames America, or her lack of helping out,..maybe how little they give back to America,…so,.now you have just a little bit of a clue as to the direction you should take for your research,…do it yourself,..people like you w/your lack of research of BOTH sides being the main reason we are up a creek with no paddle,…funny how the media people like you blindly follow wont touch the fact that the man who sits in the white house will not release any of his papers,..and believe it or not, he’s yet to release his birth certificate,..again,check it out yourself,..another court date coming up in Jan 26,2010
Posted by: Tate | November 11, 2009, 7:55 pm 7:55 pm
How much does this community service job pay? I need a job and she wants me to work for free? Get real girl.
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I put in lots of time volunteering while I was unemployed, or in my spare time.
I did it because I wanted to, but it paid off big time eventually (excellent on a resume).
Posted by: tierra | November 11, 2009, 7:57 pm 7:57 pm
Mrs. Obama NEVER said she hated the United States. What she said on one occasion was that for the first time she was “really” proud of America. There is a vast difference. I am a white woman who grew up in the south and I can say that there have beem a number of times in the past 65 years when I was not proud of the US. That doesn´t mean I don´t love my country but can acknowledge the discrepancies between the real and the ideal. Most citizens can and that´s why we keep working to try to make the ideal more of a reality.
And I agree wholeheartedly with the posters who talk about how demeaning it is to mention what Mrs. Obama is wearing.
Posted by: BachisBest | November 11, 2009, 8:04 pm 8:04 pm
If you can’t argue the message, smear the messenger. Some of you people only remind us that you don’t really have to be sightless, to be blind. You see, what you want to see. What a miserable life.
Posted by: Elmer Fudd | November 11, 2009, 9:15 pm 9:15 pm
Thanks Michelle for focusing on the needs right here in America. This initiative will BE GOOD for America, and future leaders that already has the courage to help change this country. Never in the prior 30 years has more funds been directed toward our Veterans, and for this I am grateful. They should NEVER be forgotten, and NOT one of them should go without Healthcare, education, employment or a decent place to live. This is just a partial payment for their sacrifice and SHAME on America for taking so long to give something back to them
Posted by: sara | November 11, 2009, 9:40 pm 9:40 pm
The anti-americans will also find fault…even in the good.
Posted by: sara | November 11, 2009, 9:41 pm 9:41 pm
“who shared her personal connection to the cause and to the day because of her own son Beau’s service in the military.”
While I commend Beau for serving, how many more times will the press mention it? It’s all I’ve heard all day long. Palin was vilified for mentioning her son Track too much during the campaign.
Posted by: Mr. Magoo (the real one) | November 11, 2009, 10:21 pm 10:21 pm
Palin was vilified for mentioning her son Track too much during the campaign.
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No she wasn’t . . .
Posted by: tierra | November 12, 2009, 12:01 am 12:01 am
I hope it is not the ACORN type organization. Why Jill Biden is on the list? I think it will not look good if MO is the only organizer, the community organizer.
Acorn is smelling bad so we need to change it with another name: Serving the country initiative. It sounds better, ah?
Posted by: talk from sf | November 12, 2009, 1:10 am 1:10 am
he’s yet to release his birth certificate,
Posted by: Tate
I thought Halloween was over, looks like the Orly Taitz costume is still being worn….
Posted by: PO'd | November 12, 2009, 1:10 am 1:10 am
Ahhhh…..Adolf obama’s brown shirts are being launched. BTW, Obama’s group of clowns is also talking of making sure that the criminals are given jobs in these government programs. Any of you goofy bot supporters wondering why Obama needs a personal “civilian” army yet?
Posted by: VeryPainfulTruth | November 12, 2009, 2:17 am 2:17 am
making sure that the criminals are given jobs in these government programs.
Posted by: VeryPainfulTruth
you need to check the substantial number of criminal indictments and successful prosecutions of the Bush administration over the last 8 years…
I know , you’re like former AG Gonzales, ‘I don’t remember recalling that I didn’t remember’ (paraphrased)
Posted by: Whoa | November 12, 2009, 2:24 am 2:24 am
6 Billion is the cost just for the next 4 years and the whole point of this nightmare is to serve lib focus groups slush fund and army. I am a very tired of the Obama’s/soros’ power grabs and stents to still taxpayer money. I say start impeach and then treason and theivery trials.
Posted by: VeryPainfulTruth | November 12, 2009, 2:27 am 2:27 am
I say start impeach and then treason and theivery trials.
Posted by: VeryPainfulTruth
sounds like you’re making the case to get around to Bush & Cheney and the rest of the neo-con crime family for their criminal malfeasance, dereliction of duty, and crimes against the people and constitution of the USA.
Posted by: Whoa | November 12, 2009, 2:32 am 2:32 am
Adolf obama’s brown shirts are being launched.
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Another right wing extremist using fear mongering and Nazi imagery . . . creepy
Posted by: tierra | November 12, 2009, 2:32 am 2:32 am
maybe we can use those ‘enhanced interrogation’
techniques on old Scooter Libby, to get some accuracy and truth about what really went on with Cheney, Bush and the whole Iraq fiasco… according to republicans, it’s no big deal, we use that stuff on our troops, right?
Posted by: Whoa | November 12, 2009, 2:41 am 2:41 am
Obama is very much like Hitler, from the brown shirts to those creepy brainwashing stunts of children. Even Bush wasn’t this bad or Nazi like nor did he kill the constitution like Obama is trying. Impeach Obama..and then try him for treason.
Posted by: VeryPainfulTruth | November 12, 2009, 2:42 am 2:42 am
Hitler needed his own personal volunteer army
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More fear mongering and Nazi nonsense from the extremist right . ..
Posted by: tierra | November 12, 2009, 4:32 am 4:32 am
Posted by: ConScripted | Nov 12, 2009 3:30:29 AM
Can Glenn Beck take his salary with him to hell?
Posted by: tierra | November 12, 2009, 4:36 am 4:36 am
It got me this great job lying on the abc forum where I have been assigned to push a radical agenda and make nonsensical arguments with no logic or truth whatsoever.
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I get paid so much and the right wingers are so easy to take care of, cause they are generally not that smart and only get their talking points from the same source – and can’t really think for themselves.
Posted by: tierra | November 12, 2009, 5:28 am 5:28 am
Pfftt, funny how Obama is getting in GOOD with GWU, now. That’s where Hasan was listed as a Homeland Security Task Force attendee….talk about transparent!
Posted by: Obamacornlies | November 12, 2009, 8:22 am 8:22 am
We need real jobs,you know the kind that pays you real money that is earned by doing real work,not community organizing.
Posted by: Johnny L | November 12, 2009, 8:41 am 8:41 am
Stop begging and get off your lazy fanny and go back to school so you can get a real job that pays you real money!
Exit, stage right.
Posted by: ConScripted | Nov 12, 2009 9:25:35 AM
Nice. You’re going to have teabots (the real ones) cheering you on and quoting you soon. Your “mmm mmm mmm, ABC (All Barack Channel)” post was a masterpiece (though, next time you could also throw in Mao, czars, something stupid about Van Jones, something not quite right about the Constitution but self-righteous all the same, and maybe you could call liberals “yokels”… you know, if you want to make sure you get the part– though I’m fairly certain you’re “in”. Oh! wait, now call me out for not doing something or another that you always do, and try to insinuate that I’m someone else and I get paid for posting here.)
Posted by: Allycat 521 | November 12, 2009, 10:21 am 10:21 am
Posted by: VeryPainfulTruth | Nov 12, 2009 2:42:19 AM posted “Obama is very much like Hitler, from the brown shirts to those creepy brainwashing stunts of children.”
In 1989 GHW Bush said a call to community service is “…timeless: duty, sacrifice, commitment, and a patriotism that finds its expression in taking part and pitching in.”
Was this also somehow related to Hitler and creepy brainwashing? Seriously, where did you pick up such blind hatred for our country? It’s really bad for your health.
Posted by: CenterOne | November 12, 2009, 3:06 pm 3:06 pm
Posted by: old1 | Nov 12, 2009 2:37:39 PM posted: “America is being raped! Get it in gear and help us save our America from this Communist coup! Wake up America!”
Well, “old1” I’m not sure how “old” you actually are, but from what I recall, promoting citizenship is far from a “Communist Coup”.
Did you ever participate in the Peace Corps, or the volunteer fire department, or help teach a child to read? How in any twisted concept could volunteering be “bad” for our country?
Isn’t this what Americans of all political stripes would like to see – hiring veterans, helping kids and communities?
Posted by: CenterOne | November 12, 2009, 3:22 pm 3:22 pm
Wow, what a lot of crazy far right comments here!
How can helping out a soldier or his family be compared to communism? Maybe if someone is confused they should look up the actual definition of communism.
Helping one another is what most major religions teach, isn’t it? Are far-righters religious, ever? Maybe they should look up the word, hypocrisy.
I think it is wonderful that our First Lady Michelle Obama and Jill Biden are doing so much to keep our military and their families on our minds. We all owe them a tremendous debt of gratitude. If we each did some small thing for them, it would make a big difference.
Posted by: Lydia | November 13, 2009, 8:04 am 8:04 am