Page 6 - Florida Sentinel 11-3-15 Edition

President Obama Gets Personal About Criminal
Baby Dressed As Pope Francis Wins White House’s Top Prize
Justice Overhaul
A toddler dressed like Pope Francis and pushed along in a popemobile got the top prize at President Barack Obama's White House Halloween.
Upon seeing the costume, the President turned to the news media and declared "top prize."
The baby was among hundreds of local schoolchildren and chil- dren from military families who came trick or treating at the White House on Friday dressed as caped crusaders, furry creatures, princesses and other figures. At least one girl dressed as the First Lady. The South Lawn was turned into an enchanted forest for the an- nual event.
President and Mrs. Obama appeared as themselves and handed out White House Hal- loween Cookies and M&Ms, fruit bars, kettle corn, candies and base- ball cards featuring their dogs, Bo and Sunny.
As President Barack Obama has toured the country in a recent push for a criminal justice overhaul, he's worried publicly about the possibility of his daughters' teenage rebel- lion. He's mused about his own drug use as a wayward youth. He's told stories of being pulled over for speeding — and not al- ways deserving the ticket.
In the national conversation about crime and punishment, the President hasn't been afraid to identify with the peo- ple being policed, as well as with the police.
It's a remarkable shift in tone after decades of politicians wor- rying more about being labeled soft on crime than too hard on criminals. Previous presidents have talked tough on the topic and heaped praise on police. They've rarely woven in per- sonal encounters with the law.
President Obama speak- ing to police chiefs in Chicago last week, praised police for their work, but also called for "serious and robust debate over fairness in law enforcement." He used himself as an example.
"There were times when I was younger and maybe even as I got a little older, but before I had a motorcade — where I got pulled over," the President told the crowd. "Most of the time I got a ticket, I deserved it. I knew why I was pulled over. But there were times where I didn't."
Such comments stand out from the history of presidential rhetoric in part because of President Obama's place in that presidential history. Ques- tions of racial bias in the crimi- nal justice system are not merely academic for him, noted Marc Mauer, executive direc- tor of the Sentencing Project, a group that advocates for sen- tencing reform.
"He's the first African-Amer- ican president and his life expe- riences are different than others. He's lived it — directly
President Obama spoke to the nation’s police chiefs last week in Chicago.
or indirectly — more than other presidents have. The empathy is there," Mauer said.
But the President’s com- ments also reflect the moment, Mauer noted. The current po- litical conversation about crime, justice, race and violence in America largely has been driven by a course correction. A push to overhaul sentencing laws has bipartisan support in Congress. Violent images of po- lice have sparked outrage about racism and use of force in polic- ing. All of this is playing out while crime rates overall are down.
The President isn't facing re-election, which allows him to venture into a political danger zone. He was the first sitting president to visit a federal prison, where he sat with a handful of inmates and dis- cussed their beefs with the sys- tem. He visited Newark, New Jersey, Monday to focus on ef- forts by formerly jailed people to re-enter society.
At a recent town hall meeting on drug abuse, he raised his own history of drug use and mentioned his 14- and 17-year- old daughters."
At each of these events, which are aimed at keeping pressure on Congress to pass reform legislation, President Obama notes the role of race in law enforcement.
President and Mrs. Obama admire baby dressed like Pope Francis in the Popemobile.
Paul Ryan Has Not Learned Yet: Says He Will Not Work With President On Immigration
Race to the White House
Congress’ new House Speaker, Paul Ryan on Sun- day ruled out a comprehensive overhaul of the immigration system while President Barack Obama is in office.
The new leader of the Repub- lican-controlled House said in several interviews Sunday that he will not work with the Presi- dent because he went around Congress with an executive order to shield from deporta- tion millions of people living here illegally.
"I don't think we can trust the President on this issue," Ryan said on NBC's "Meet the Press" and other programs. "I do not believe we should ad- vance comprehensive immigra- tion legislation with a President who has proven himself un- trustworthy on this issue."
The decision puts off any prospect of addressing a com- prehensive immigration over- haul until at least 2017 — after
Former candidate for V.P. Paul Ryan is the new Speaker of the House. Ryan is already digging a ditch to fight President Obama.
the presidential race and Pres- ident Obama's departure from office. It leaves the legis- lation stalled in the House and without a chance of being re- vived in the Senate.
For Ryan, the move re- moves the prospects of a clash with the same House conserva- tives who made John Boehner's life difficult and
helped push Boehner into re- tirement.
Clashing with President Obama over an issue as com- plex and volatile as comprehen- sive immigration reform, Ryan suggested, is not helpful for the GOP now.
He said it's possible to get smaller immigration-related policy passed.
‘Gotha’ Questions Lead Republicans To Suspend Relationship With NBC
The GOP has suspended its partner- ship with NBC after claiming the net- work's moderators at the most recent debate posed unfair "gotcha questions" to Republican presidential candidates.
Chairman Reince Priebus an- nounced on Friday that the RNC would no longer be partnering with NBC in a GOP debate scheduled for February fol- lowing last Wednesday night's debate in Colorado.
In a statement, Priebus mostly blamed the fallout on the moderators of the debate, which was aired by financial news network CNBC.
"While debates are meant to include tough questions and contrast candi- dates' visions and policies for the future of America, CNBC's moderators en- gaged in a series of 'gotcha' questions, petty and mean-spirited in tone, and
Republican frontrunners for the race to the White House after last Wednes- day’s debate.
designed to embarrass our candidates," Priebus wrote.
The theme of Wednesday's debate was officially economic and financial is- sues.
For instance, candidate Dr. Ben Carson was questioned pointedly about his relationship with controver- sial supplement company, Mannatech.
The RNC took issue with CNBC's handling of the debate as a whole and Preibus claims certain parameters that were set by GOP officials were agreed to "in bad faith" by the network.
NBC responded in a statement:
"This is a disappointing develop- ment," NBC News said. "However, along with our debate broadcast part- ners at Telemundo we will work in good faith to resolve this matter with the Re- publican Party."
Presidential News
PAGE 6 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2015