tagged w/ President Bill Clinton
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Confirmed Talent Includes LL Cool J, Paula Patton, Cuba Gooding Jr., Vanessa Williams, Jordin Sparks, Corey Reynolds, Judge Greg Mathis, Harry Belafonte, Sidney Poitier, Holly Robinson Peete, Regina King, Taraji P. Henson, Terrence Howard, Samuel L. Jackson, Cicely Tyson, Diahann Carroll, Archie Panjabi and Hill Harper with Performances by Lenny Kravitz, Jill Scott, Kirk Franklin and Ne-Yo and More. The Founding Members of the Black Stuntmen’s Association Will Receive the NAACP President’s Award.
An all-star line-up is set for the “43RD NAACP Image Awards,” broadcast live from Los Angeles’ historic Shrine Auditorium on Friday, February 17 (8-10 p.m. ET live/PT tape-delayed) on NBC.
Read more on Diversity News Magazine at http://diversitynewsmagazine.com/2012/02/sanaa-lathan-and-anthony-mackie-to-host-%E2%80%8F43rd-annual-naacp-image-awards-february-17th/Confirmed Talent Includes LL Cool J, Paula Patton, Cuba Gooding Jr., Vanessa Williams,... more
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From omnivore to vegan: The dietary education of Bill Clinton
By David S. Martin, CNN
August 18, 2011 7:15 a.m. EDT
CNN...
Editor's note: Tune in as Dr. Sanjay Gupta explores the signs, tests and lifestyle changes that could make cardiac problems a thing of the past on "The Last Heart Attack," Sunday 8 p.m. ET.
[Click on photo to watch video.]
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(CNN) -- By the time he reached the White House, Bill Clinton's appetite was legend. He loved hamburgers, steaks, chicken enchiladas, barbecue and french fries but wasn't too picky. At one campaign stop in New Hampshire, he reportedly bought a dozen doughnuts and was working his way through the box until an aide stopped him.
Former President Clinton now considers himself a vegan. He's dropped more than 20 pounds, and he says he's healthier than ever. His dramatic dietary transformation took almost two decades and came about only after a pair of heart procedures and some advice from a trusted doctor.
His dietary saga began in 1993, when first lady Hillary Clinton decided to inaugurate a new, healthier diet for her husband. In a meeting, she asked Dr. Dean Ornish to work with the White House chefs, who were accustomed to high fat, French cuisine.
"The president did like unhealthy foods, and we were able to put soy burgers in White House, for example, and get foods that were delicious and nutritious," said Ornish, director and president of the Preventive Medicine Research Institute in Sausalito, California. Other new menu items included such healthy fare as stir fry vegetables with tofu, and salmon with vegetables.
Even with the revamped White House menu, Clinton battled his weight throughout his two terms as president. At his annual physical in 1999, the White House physician noted the president had put on 18 pounds since a checkup two years earlier. The prescription: refocus on exercise and a low-calorie diet.
Clinton didn't know it, but weight was not his biggest health concern. The 42nd president has a family history of heart disease, and plaque was building up in the coronary arteries leading to his heart, undetected by White House doctors.
In 2004, less than four years after leaving office, the 58-year-old Clinton felt what he described as a tightness in his chest as he returned home from New Orleans, where he was promoting his memoir, "My Life." Days later, he underwent quadruple bypass surgery to restore blood flow to his heart.
"I was lucky I did not die of a heart attack," Clinton told CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta. After the surgery, the former president cut down on his calories and lowered the cholesterol in his diet, but his heart troubles were not over.
Last year, the former president went to Haiti to support the relief efforts but he felt weak. When he returned home, he learned he needed another heart procedure: two stents to open one of the veins from his bypass surgery, which had become, in Clinton's words, "pretty bent and ugly."
Ornish recalls meeting with Clinton a few days after his angioplasty. "I shared with him that because of his genetics, moderate changes in diet and lifestyle weren't enough to keep his disease from progressing. However, our research showed that more intensive changes change actually reverse progression of heart disease in most people."
"I told him, 'The friends that mean the most to me are the ones that tell me what I need to hear, not necessarily what I want to hear. And you need to know your genes are not your fate. And I say this not to blame you but to empower you. And I'm happy to work with you to whatever extent you want,'" Ornish recalled. They met a few days later, he said.
"I essentially concluded that I had played Russian roulette," Clinton said, "because even though I had changed my diet some and cut down on the caloric total of my ingestion and cut back on much of the cholesterol in the food I was eating, I still -- without any scientific basis to support what I did -- was taking in a lot of extra cholesterol without knowing if my body would produce enough of the enzyme to support it, and clearly it didn't or I wouldn't have had that blockage. So that's when I made a decision to really change."
The former president now says he consumes no meat, no dairy, no eggs, almost no oil.
"I like the vegetables, the fruits, the beans, the stuff I eat now," Clinton told Gupta.
The former president's goal is to avoid any food that could damage his blood vessels. His dietary guides are Ornish and Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn Jr., who directs the cardiovascular prevention and reversal program at The Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute. Both doctors have concluded that a plant-based diet can prevent and, in some cases, actually reverse heart disease.
"All my blood tests are good, and my vital signs are good, and I feel good, and I also have, believe it or not, more energy," Clinton said. His latest goal: getting his weight down to 185, what he weighed when he was 13 years old.
Clinton is trying to spread his newfound zeal for healthy eating to children. The Clinton Foundation has teamed up with the American Heart Association and is helping 12,000 schools promote exercise and offer better lunches so decades from now, today's children will not face the same heart troubles he has.
"It's turning a ship around before it hits the iceberg, but I think we're beginning to turn it around," Clinton said.
.From omnivore to vegan: The dietary education of Bill Clinton
By David S. Martin,... more
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Richard Holbrooke, U.S. Special Rep. for Afghanistan and Pakistan, has died, a senior administration official confirms.
Holbrooke dies days after heart surgery
From Jill Dougherty and Elise Labott, CNN
December 13, 2010 7:47 p.m. EST
U.S. diplomat Richard Holbrooke is "a towering figure in American foreign policy," President Barack Obama says.
Washington (CNN) -- U.S. diplomat Richard Holbrooke has died, a senior administration official told CNN Monday evening.
Holbrooke had undergone surgery in the past three days to repair a tear in his aorta, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Monday.
"He had a very serious medical emergency on Friday," Clinton said at a news conference in Quebec, Canada, with foreign ministers from Canada and Mexico. "He has received excellent care including many hours of surgery in the last three days. He is stable but still in very critical condition."
Earlier, a State Department official said Holbrooke was "absolutely fighting in an unbelievable way." Holbrooke remains unconscious after an additional procedure to aid circulation following the initial surgery on his aorta, the main artery of the body, the State Department said.
At a holiday reception for U.S. diplomats later Monday, President Barack Obama praised Holbrooke as "simply one of the giants of American foreign policy" who has served the nation "with distinction for nearly 50 years," including his work in negotiating the 1995 Dayton Accords that ended the Bosnian war in the former Yugoslavia.
"As anyone who has ever worked with him knows -- or had the clear disadvantage of negotiating across the table from him -- Richard is relentless," Obama said. "He never stops. He never quits. Because he's always believed that if we stay focused, if we act on our mutual interests, that progress is possible. Wars can end. Peace can be forged."
Holbrooke in critical condition
The president said he and his family were praying for Holbrooke's recovery, "and I know that everyone here joins me when I say that America is more secure -- and the world is a safer place -- because of" his work.
"And he is a tough son of a gun, so we are confident that, as hard as this is, that he is going to be putting up a tremendous fight," Obama said.
Holbrooke, the special U.S. representative on Afghanistan and Pakistan, is getting "fantastic care" at George Washington University Hospital, the State Department official said.
It is the same hospital where Ronald Reagan was taken after being shot in 1981. Holbrooke was taken there Friday after feeling ill at the State Department.
Clinton expressed appreciation for what she called an outpouring of concern and support from "presidents, prime ministers, foreign ministers" who have called the State Department since news of Holbrooke's illness broke.
His surgeon continues to meet with the family to gives frequent updates, and Holbrooke "is receiving great support from a broad and growing community of family and friends," the State Department official said.
"It's remarkable how many messages of support (his wife, Kati Marton) and the family keep receiving from all corners: foreign ministers and ambassadors from around the world, President (Bill) Clinton, senators and congressmen, colleagues from this Af/Pak job, from Vietnam, from the Balkans, from the U.N., from the private sector," the official said.
Clinton and Joint Chiefs Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen have visited the hospital numerous times, according to the State Department source, who said: "They've each come three times, informally chatting with family members, friends and staffers, and really helping to buoy the assembled."
The State Department also said Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari called Holbrooke's wife Sunday morning.
Zardari told CNN's Reza Sayah that Holbrooke is a "fighter." He said he told Holbrooke's wife to be "brave."
"I'm sure he will fight for his life, and he will come out of it," Zardari said.
Asked to reflect on Holbrooke's impact on the Pakistani region, Zardari called him an "extremely hard-working man" who can "get things done which would otherwise take weeks to get through."
http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/12/13/holbrooke.illness/index.html?hpt=T1&iref=BN1Richard Holbrooke, U.S. Special Rep. for Afghanistan and Pakistan, has died, a senior... more
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Johns Hopkins
Going Vegan: The Bill Clinton Diet
By Margaret Furtado, M.S., R.D.
Oct 14, 2010
Former President Bill Clinton won rave reviews for losing 24 pounds in time for his daughter Chelsea's recent wedding, and he credited it to his new vegetarian diet. He told Wolf Blitzer in an interview that although he does eat fish (rarely), he otherwise eats a vegan diet and feels great.
Clinton's high praise for veganism was all over the news and tabloid shows, and his remarks seemed to lend a little prestige to the idea of losing weight by eating as the vegans do.
Not merely a diet
Of course, many vegans have deep spiritual reasons for eating as they do, and I certainly don't wish to recommend it solely as a dieting aid. Nor would I ever relegate veganism to the status of a fad diet.
Adults in the U.S. follow many forms of vegetarian diets, but according to a 2009 Harris poll, only 1 percent consider themselves vegan (1 more percentage point of these adults follow a vegan diet in every way except for consuming honey). According to the Vegan Society, veganism is a way of living that seeks to eliminate, as much as is possible and practicable, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing, and any other purpose. Vegans exclude flesh, fish, fowl, dairy products (including animal milk, butter, cheese, and yogurt), eggs, honey, and animal gelatin, as well as anything else of animal origin.
Why people become vegans
Reasons for choosing to follow a vegan diet may include the diet's health and ecological benefits, one's religious and spiritual beliefs, a non-violent worldview, the desire to avoid hormones and contaminants, and a deep love for animals.
Health benefits of the vegan diet
* Lower levels of saturated (a.k.a. "artery-clogging") fat and cholesterol than in other vegetarian diets. Lacto-ovo vegetarians, for example, might consume cheese and other dairy products, as well as egg yolks, all of which are high in saturated fat and cholesterol.
* More fiber
* Reduced risk of obesity and high blood pressure
* Lower levels of total cholesterol and LDL ("bad") cholesterol
* Higher intakes of fruits and vegetables, usually
* Lower levels of environmental contaminants (as measured by studies of vegetarians' breast milk)
Nutrients to pay extra attention to
Some key nutrients, however, are missing in the vegan diet or in short supply, so that vegans must always make sure they are getting enough of the following:
* Vitamin B12. This vitamin is found exclusively in animal products, and so the B12 supplements derived from vegetarian sources are not of comparable potency and might even mask a deficiency. Vitamin-B12-fortified yeast can be a good B12 supplement for vegans, but experts recommend that you purchase only yeast products bearing the label of a respected vendor, since some yeast is kept in bulk bins and can actually provide little B12 if the quality is not verified. Otherwise, soy and certain breakfast cereals might be fortified with B12.
* Iron. Since many vegetarian sources of iron are not readily absorbed, vegans might also need iron supplements or iron-fortified vegan products.
* Vitamin D. Only a few foods are good sources of vitamin D--fatty fish and dairy products, mainly--so supplements are often recommended. Vitamin D2 supplements or D2-fortified soy milk is typically recommended. Vitamin D3 is not recommended by the Vegan Society since it’s not a vegetable source. Vitamin D2 is also created in our skin during sun exposure, but talk with your doctor about whether that's a good option for you and, if it is, how to do it safely.
* Calcium. Found chiefly in dairy products. Certain vegetarian sources of calcium, such as spinach and kale, can contain natural binders that make it difficult for the body to absorb the calcium.
* Protein. It's important to choose proper sources of vegetable protein in adequate amounts. Some examples: 1/2 cup beans; 1/2 cup tofu; 8 oz. soy milk; 1/2 cup edamame; and veggie burgers (protein varies here). Around 60 grams of protein per day should be sufficient for many people, although I recommend consulting with a Registered Dietitian to ensure you’re meeting your individual nutritional needs.
Not everyone can adopt the vegan diet, but more and more people (even Bill Clinton!) seem to be including more vegetarian meals in their diets, or getting interested in becoming "flexitarians."Johns Hopkins
Going Vegan: The Bill Clinton Diet
By Margaret Furtado, M.S., R.D.... more
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No words. There are no words for how absolutely thrilled we are with this amazing news!
President Bill Clinton recently confirmed in an interview with journalist Willow Bay that he is indeed eating a mainly vegan diet. In the interview, the former president explains the reason behind his decision to go vegan.
“I’m trying to be one of those experimenters,” said Clinton. “Since 1986, several hundred people who have tried essentially a plant-based diet, not ingesting any cholesterol from any source, has seen their bodies start to heal themselves — break up the arterial blockage, break up the calcium deposits around the heart. 82 percent of the people who have done this have had this result, so I want to see if I can be one of them.”
Just hours ago, Ecorazzi received exclusive information from a friend of Clinton (who wishes to remain anonymous) regarding first-hand conversations with the former president about his vegan diet.
According to our source, Clinton decided to adopt the diet in the early part of May. While he does occasionally eat fish, the former president otherwise follows a strict vegan diet.
What made him go vegan? According to our source, Clinton has read many books on the topic, including books by T. Colin Campbell, Caldwell Esselstyn and Dr. Dean Ornish. Although losing weight was a benefit of the dietary change, the choice to go vegan was about more than just losing weight.
“I’ve never known him not to say what’s on his mind,” says our source. “And he knows quite a bit and likely has a lot to say about the benefits of a vegan diet. He has read The China Study, and he knows the issues. With time, I think it’s likely he could become the most outspoken proponent of a complete vegan diet.”
That’s all the information we have for now. Stay tuned to Ecorazzi throughout the week for more information on Clinton’s fancy new vegan diet. Check out the interview below to hear the former president in his own words. What a way to start the weekend!No words. There are no words for how absolutely thrilled we are with this amazing... more
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The October Surprise Is Coming
Americanthinker.com
By Pamela Geller
July 13, 2010
The October Surprise. We all know it’s coming. In what shape, idea, form — who’s to say? Evil always surprises. Its goals are constant, the ultimate objective never changes, but inevitably it manifests itself as the savior of the day, the savior of man. The 2008 Democrat October Surprise that ushered in the first hardcore radical post-American president in American history was the “economic collapse.” Oh yes, that was a beaut.
But the party of haters, infiltrators, anti-capitalists, the party that is anti-freedom and anti-individual rights, is going to have to pull off something really catastrophic to stay in power this November
Clok for...MUST SEE VIDEO…Obama To Stage Another 9/11 To Save Presidency, Tea Party To Be Blamed…http://ctpatriot1970.wordpress.com/2010/07/14/must-see-video-obama-to-stage-another-911-to-save-presidency-tea-party-will-blamed/The October Surprise Is Coming
Americanthinker.com
By Pamela Geller
July 13, 2010... more
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by Lindsay Beyerstein, Media Consortium blogger
On Monday, President Barack Obama nominated solicitor general Elena Kagan to replace retiring Justice John Paul Stevens on the Supreme Court. Kagan’s nomination has raised eyebrows among progressives. Despite a long career in legal academia, Kagan has published very little. She seems to have studiously avoided taking a stand on almost any controversial issue. Ruth Conniff of the Progressive calls the Kagan pick “a triumph of the bland.”
“Partial Birth Abortion” ban
As a White House aide, Kagan wrote a memo urging President Bill Clinton to support a ban on so-called “partial birth abortion.” At the time, the House had passed a sweeping late-term abortion ban with no exceptions for the life and health of the mother. Clinton asked Kagan whether he should throw his support behind a more moderate Senate version of the same bill. She recommended a “compromise”—a ban with a maternal health exemption. In the end, Congress passed the extreme version and Clinton vetoed it.
Suzy Khimm of Mother Jones characterizes the memo as “more indicative of a political strategy than a legal argument.” In other words, Kagan was giving strategic advice to the president about what would be politically feasible, not legal advice about the government’s powers to regulate abortion. Kagan argued that the president should support the “compromise” position even though the Justice Department thought it was unconstitutional, according to Jodi Jacobson of RH Reality Check.
At TAPPED, Monica Potts argues that the memo gives us little indication of how Kagan would vote on abortion as a justice.
No Harriet Miers
There’s no question that Kagan is possessed of a formidable intellect. Stephanie Mencimer of Mother Jones quotes one of her former law school students, Elie Mystal, sharing his experience with Kagan on the blog Above the Law:
Like Frodo on Weathertop, there are some wounds that never fully heal. Professor Kagan massacred me intellectually, and brutalized my pride. I got some form of a B in her class (I honestly don’t remember if there was a modifier — I’ve tried to suppress those memories). Kagan was a frightening professor for those who wanted to match wits with the brightest legal minds in the world. For people like me, people who just wanted to get through law school with minimal mental damage, Kagan was nothing short of terrifying.
That’s the best news I’ve heard all day.
Kagan has never been a judge, but that’s not necessarily a deal-breaker in itself. As Steve Benen points out at the Washington Monthly, over a third of the 111 justices of the Supreme Court have had no previous judging experience.
A missed opportunity
Scott Lemieux argues in the American Prospect that Obama is wasting a rare political opportunity to confirm a more liberal justice. Right now, the Democrats still have a sizable, though not filibuster-proof, majority in the Senate. Lemieux argues that Obama is almost certain to get another Supreme Court pick before the end of his term. Then again, he points out, the Democrats are likely to lose Senate seats in the midterm elections.
If Obama were ever going to get a strong liberal on the bench, this would have been the time. No date has been set for a confirmation hearing. Kagan is in Washington today, courting lawmakers.
This post features links to the best independent, progressive reporting about health care by members of The Media Consortium. It is free to reprint. Visit the Pulse for a complete list of articles on health care reform, or follow us on Twitter. And for the best progressive reporting on critical economy, environment, health care and immigration issues, check out The Audit, The Mulch, and The Diaspora. This is a project of The Media Consortium, a network of leading independent media outlets.by Lindsay Beyerstein, Media Consortium blogger
On Monday, President Barack Obama... more
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For as long as we blog, we know we'll never match the excitement of this one. After being held in North Korea for almost 5 long months, our friends and colleagues Laura and Euna are finally home. Needless to say, we're overjoyed.
Some really big thank yous --
To everyone - our fellow Currentians, viewers, the online community, family, friends and strangers -- for your thoughts, prayers, letters and petitions.
To Laura and Euna's families who showed unbelievable strength and courage during this whole ordeal. You are an inspiration.
To President Clinton for bringing Laura and Euna home. And also for this amazing image that we kind of want to put on our office wall but will obviously have to wait and see if Laura and Euna would be OK with that.
Most importantly, thank you, Al and Joel, who we know worked tirelessly behind the scenes for many months to make this happen. Thank you for your leadership and constant support for the work we do.
But most, most, most importantly thank you to Laura and Euna for coming back, pumping your arms in the air, laughing, smiling and hugging your families. That's just what we wanted. Welcome home, ladies. We've missed you!
-- The Vanguard Team
For as long as we blog, we know we'll never match the excitement of this... more
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Everyone here at Digidose.com is glad to see Laura and Euna are safely on their way home. The two journalists for Current TV, former Vice President Al Gore’s media venture, had been detained in North Korea since March 17 after being accused of sneaking into the country illegally and engaging in unspecified “hostile acts”...Everyone here at Digidose.com is glad to see Laura and Euna are safely on their way... more
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