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♪♪ (Drum and Bugle Corps) ♪♪
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Narrator:
Welcome to the "West Wing Week,"
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your guide to everything
that's happening at 1600
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Pennsylvania Avenue.
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This week, the President
focused on jobs,
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the intersection of
education and our economy,
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and honoring our veterans.
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That's October 1st through the
7th, or "A Farewell to Rahm."
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President Obama:
The Blue Room, so you
can come here any time.
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(laughter)
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Narrator:
Friday, October 1st, with
Rahm Emmanuel's last day
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at the White House as the
President's Chief of Staff,
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President Obama marked the
occasion in the East Room
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with his Cabinet, staff,
and the friends and family
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of Mr. Emmanuel.
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Military Aide:
The President of
the United States --
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Narrator:
Later that afternoon, the
President walked around
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the South Lawn with his outgoing
Chief of Staff and a final wrap-up
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with Rahm, a near daily ritual
for the two since the beginning
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of the Obama presidency.
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On Monday, October 4th, with
incoming Chief of Staff Pete
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Rouse working away
in the West Wing,
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President Obama walked over
to the State Dining Room,
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where a meeting of his
Economic Recovery Advisory
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Board was taking place.
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Mr. Goolsbee:
You don't have to just have
dinner in the State Dining Room.
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Narrator:
The President was
joined by Dr. Biden,
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to announce the launch of
Skills for America's Future,
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a new industry-led initiative to
maximize workforce development
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strategies, job training
programs, and job placement.
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He contrasted this important
investment in the future of our
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economy with the Republican
plan to cut education funding.
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President Obama:
And that's why I disagree so
strongly with the proposal from
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some on the other side of
the aisle to cut education
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by 20% in next year's budget.
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It's a cut that would eliminate
200,000 children from Head Start
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programs, would reduce financial
aid for 8 million college students;
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it would leave community
colleges without the resources
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they need to meet the goals
that we've talked about today.
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Narrator:
On Tuesday, October 5th,
President Obama and Dr. Biden
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reiterated this commitment to
education, kicking off the first
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ever White House
Community College Summit.
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President Obama:
Jill, you've got to
be in the middle here.
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Speaker:
Exactly.
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President Obama:
Here we go.
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Narrator:
President Obama asked Dr.
Biden to chair this event
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to highlight the critical role
that community colleges play in
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developing America's
workforce and reaching
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our educational goals.
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President Obama:
These are places where
young people can continue
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their education without
taking on a lot of debt.
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These are places where
workers can gain new skills,
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to move up in their careers.
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These are places where anyone
with a desire to learn and to
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grow can take a chance on a
brighter future for themselves
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and their families, whether
that's a single mom or a
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returning soldier, or an
aspiring entrepreneur.
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Narrator:
On Tuesday, the President also
signed the Gold Medal Bill into
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law, legislation that
recognized the contributions
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of Japanese-Americans during
World War II in the Army's 100th
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Infantry Battalion and
442nd Regimental Combat Team,
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including Hawaii's own
Senator Daniel Inouye.
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President Obama:
Is that right? Was he really?
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Speaker:
He saved my life.
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President Obama:
That's unbelievable.
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It's great to see you.
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Narrator:
On Wednesday, October 6th, the
President honored another veteran,
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posthumously awarding Staff
Sergeant Robert J. Miller
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of the United States
Army the Medal of Honor
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for conspicuous gallantry in
Afghanistan on January 25th,
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2008, the highest award a
service member can receive.
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President Obama:
Rob seemed to disappear into
clouds of dust and debris,
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but his team could hear
him on the radio still
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calling out the enemy's position
and they could hear his weapon
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still firing as he provided
cover for his men.
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Then over the radio,
they heard his voice.
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He had been hit.
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But still he kept calling
out enemy positions,
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still he kept firing, still
he kept throwing his grenades.
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And then they heard it.
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Rob's weapon fell silent.
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Narrator:
To find out more information
on any of these topics or to
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see complete videos of these
events, go to WhiteHouse.gov
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and thanks again for checking
out your "West Wing Week."
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President Obama:
I pointed out that Rahm when he
was a kid had lost part of his
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finger in an accident,
and it was his middle finger,
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so it rendered
him mute for a while.
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(laughter)