Page 6 - Florida Sentinel 2-23-16 Edition

Presidential News
Dr. King’s Family View Bust
President Obama
During The President’s Last Black
Defends Upcoming Cuba
History Celebration In Office
Visit Amid GOP Criticism
President Barack Obama has long made it known that he is a great ad- mirer of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. During his first term in office, he added a sculpture of King’s to the
Oval Office.
The bust made history dur-
ing President Obama’s first term when it became the first image of an African American in any public space in the White House.
So it is only fitting that dur- ing his final Black History Month as President of the United States, Obama wel- comed four members of King’s family to view the bust in the Oval Office for the first time.
The unveiling came on the
The Kings with President Obama.
President Barack Obama
on Saturday defended his visit to Cuba next month amid re- buke from conservative circles, saying that it would further ad- vance his efforts to restore diplomatic relations after more than a half-century of Cold War-era conflict between the countries.
"I'm focused on the future, and I'm confident that my visit will advance the goals that guide us —promoting Ameri- can interests and values and a better future for the Cuban people, a future of more free- dom and more opportunity," the president said in his weekly address.
Related: President Obama to Make Historic Visit to Cuba
"My visit will be an opportu- nity to keep moving forward," he added. "I'll meet with Pres- ident Castro to discuss how we can continue normalizing relations, including making it easier to trade and easier for Cubans to access the Internet and start their own busi- nesses."
PRESIDENT OBAMA
The White House announced Obama's visit on Thursday, a move that would make him the first sitting American president to travel to Cuba in nearly 90 years. His plan to visit March 21-22 comes more than a year after the Obama administra- tion and Cuba made an agree- ment to restore diplomatic ties. The president vowed to "speak candidly about our serious dif- ferences with the Cuban gov- ernment, including on democracy and human rights."
same day that the President and First Lady Michelle Obama hosted the Black His- tory Month reception at the
White House. It was a festive occasion marked by jokes and serious reflections about race in America.
Jeb Bush Drops Out
Of The Presidential Race
Jeb Bush's Super PAC Blew Through $116 Million In Failed Effort
The cracks in Jeb Bush’s candidacy for president sur- faced before he formally en- tered the race.
Bush stumbled, repeatedly, over a question for which he had had years to prepare. It would take four days for him to provide a definitive re- sponse: that, given the advan- tage of hindsight, he would not have invaded Iraq.
Nine months later, Bush suspended his presidential
Jeb Bush announced he is ending his campaign.
campaign in the state he had hoped would resurrect his for- tunes. On Saturday, voters in South Carolina instead over- whelmingly chose Donald Trump, the businessman who a week before had blamed George W. Bush for the ter- rorist attacks of 11 September 2001, and accused the former president of lying about the existence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.
WASHINGTON -- When Jeb Bush dropped out of the presidential race on Saturday after his fourth-place finish in the South Carolina primary, he did so knowing that his once- mighty super PAC was essen- tially out of money.
After raising more than $118 million, Right to Rise USA has, at best, $2.5 million left in its coffers. The group raised just $378,000 in January, with the majority coming in the form of a $250,000 check from billion- aire Amway founder Richard DeVos.
Bush's super PAC poured out $34.5 million in January and another $22 million in February, yet the once-upon-a- time GOP front-runner's poll numbers didn't rise accord- ingly.
Right to Rise USA was sup- posed to be a juggernaut pro- pelling Bush through the Republican primary, but in- stead it struggled to promote a candidate who was no longer in tune with his party's increas- ingly radicalized base.
In December 2014, Bush an- nounced that he would "ac- tively explore the possibility of running for President of the United States." This carefully hedged statement declaring his not-yet-a-candidate status al- lowed him to evade campaign
finance laws that would have otherwise barred him from co- ordinating with Right to Rise USA. He went on to raise over $100 million in the first six months of 2015 for the group. Once Bush officially entered the presidential race, he had to stop soliciting large checks for the super PAC and its fundrais- ing suffered.
At the same time, the former Florida governor's decision to raise money for the super PAC early on, instead of officially entering the race and raising funds for his own campaign, stunted his campaign's money totals. Bush recently be- moaned the current campaign finance system, wishing that the million-dollar checks he raised for his super PAC could have gone directly to his cam- paign.
"We could not be more proud of Jeb Bush, the cam- paign he ran, and the hopeful and optimistic message of con- servative reform that he com- municated throughout this primary," Right to Rise USA said in a statement on Satur- day. "Our team is grateful to the more than 11,000 Jeb Bush supporters who helped us in our efforts. We are ceasing our activities in support of Gover- nor Bush's nomination."
Hillary Clinton Wins Nevada; Has Coughing Fit While Speaking In Harlem
While speaking about helping Black Americans over- come “seen and unseen” bar- riers to opportunity in Harlem, NY on Tuesday (Feb. 16), coughing fits took over the 68-year-old Democratic presi- dential frontrunner’s appear- ance as she struggled throughout between gulps of water.
Despite her ordeal, the crowd was clearly rooting for Clinton as they clapped and chanted “Hillary! Hillary! Hillary!”
The coughing fit in Harlem marks the latest incident in- volving Clinton and her chal- lenge in overcoming a persistent cough. The former secretary of state, whose med-
HILLARY CLINTON
ical history includes blood clots in her legs and a brain aneurysm in 2013, endured coughing fits when she ap- peared at a campaign stop in West Des Moines, Iowa last month. Last year, the cough-
ing fits emerged during Clin- ton’s time at the Benghazi hearings.
As Clinton spoke in Harlem, media sources note that some audience members wondered “What’s wrong with her?”
Nevertheless, Clinton ended up regaining her com- posure as she spoke with a raspy, trembling voice. After quickly finishing her speech, Clinton walked off the stage, still coughing.
In a dramatic and poten- tially pivotal night for both parties on Saturday, Donald Trump won in South Car- olina by a wide margin, while Clinton clinched victory in the Nevada caucuses.
PAGE 6 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2016