Obama Talks: Today's News for May 8th

Former President Obama gives a speech, and the Left and Right battle over what it means, as the rest of us give a collective shrug over why this matters.

First, the view from the Right:

Fox News:

Obama calls on Congress to have political courage in health care debate

Former President Obama called on members of Congress on Sunday night to show political courage in the debate over the new health care law, which was passed in the House last week.

Obama, speaking at the John F. Kenney President Library and Museum in Boston, did not criticize Republicans nor did he attack President Trump in his 30-minute speech. He was receiving the Profile In Courage Award from members of the Kennedy family.

“I hope that current members of Congress recall that it actually doesn’t take a lot of courage to aid those who are already powerful … but it does require some courage to champion the vulnerable and the sick and the infirm and those who often have no access to the corridors of power,” Obama said.

“I hope they understand that courage means not simply doing what is politically expedient, but doing what they believe deep in their hearts is right,” he added.

Sadly, it takes the Left to truly get what Obama was saying:

CNN:

Obama calls for 'courage' to oppose Obamacare repeal

Former President Barack Obama called on members of Congress to oppose the repeal of the Affordable Care Act, his signature health care law, in a speech Sunday night at the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation in Boston.

It took CNN one sentence to nail what Fox couldn't get in a full news story.

In other news...

Slate:

Jared Kushner’s Sister Tries to Woo Chinese Investors With U.S. Visa Promises

The family of Jared Kushner is apparently ignoring any conflict-of-interest concerns and is publicly trying to get overseas money for U.S. projects, raising questions about the way President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and adviser could profit from his government post. On Saturday, Kushner’s sister Nicole Meyer tried to convince more than 100 Chinese investors to invest in a Jersey City housing development.

To woo investors, Meyer touted what is known as an investor visa. The EB-5 program gives a path to citizenship to anyone who invests at least $500,000 in an American development project. An ad for the event held at the Ritz-Carlton laid it out explicitly: “Invest $500,000 and immigrate to the United States.”

Both the Trump Organization and Kushner’s family business have used the controversial visa program to attract investors before, but now the president has vowed to tighten the border—and that is being used as a selling point. “Invest early, and you will invest under the old rules,” one speaker said at the event.

Although the event in Beijing was publicly advertised, New York Times and Washington Post journalists were kicked out of the event. “At one point, organizers grabbed a reporter’s phone and backpack to try to force that person to leave,” notes the Washington Post. “Later, as investors started leaving the ballroom, organizers physically surrounded attendees to stop them from giving interviews.”