Obama Picks 16 for Medal of Freedom

[sledgehammer]

Source: Wall Street Journal

Physicist Stephen Hawking, Sen. Edward Kennedy, gay rights pioneer Harvey Milk, and actor Sidney Poitier are among the 16 recipients of the 2009 Presidential Medal of Freedom—the highest honor given to civilians—the White House announced today.

In a statement, President Barack Obama said the recipients were chosen for their contributions as “agents of change” and span fields from sports to medicine to art.

“They have blazed trails and broken down barriers. They have discovered new theories, launched new initiatives, and opened minds to new possibilities,” the White House said in a statement.

The other winners are Nancy Goodman Brinker, founder of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Dr. Pedro Jose Greer for his work with the poor and homeless, former Republican congressman Jack Kemp, who passed away in May, Tennis icon Billie Jean King, civil rights leader Rev. Joseph Lowery, Native American author Dr. Joseph Medicine Crow who is the last living person to have received direct oral testimony from the Battle of Little Bighorn, former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, Tony-award winning actress and dancer Chita Rivera, Ireland’s first female president Mary Robinson, geneticist Janet Davison Rowley, Nobel Peace Prize winner and Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and anti-poverty activist Muhammad Yunus.

Read more: http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2009/07/30/obama-picks-16-for-medal-of-freedom/

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A good list, very deserving people.

For more info on the Medal of Freedom:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidential_Medal_of_Freedom

[graywarrior]

1. Oh god, are they all liberals?

[sledgehammer]

2. Jack Kemp is in there for balance! n/t

[graywarrior]

4. LOL!!!

Token repub.

[JI7]

13. Jack Kemp would be considered a liberal by todays Republican Party

[onehandle]

3. I trust there are no "Brownies" in the bunch. nt

[JanusAscending]

6. ???

:wtf: ??

[sledgehammer]

8. I think the reference is to Bush cronies ("heckuva job Brownie!") n/t

[JanusAscending]

10. Ok

Got it!

[JackBeck]

9. "Heck of a job Brownie." n/t

[JanusAscending]

11. Thanks for clearing that up!

I've tried to forget about him!

[cybildisobedience]

5. Sandra Day O'Connor? please....

the woman who brought us eight years of disaster in the U.S. -- rewarded?

[RamboLiberal]

12. She was the first woman on the SCOTUS

Give Obama a break on that one. I understand though, I'm still pissed about 2000.

[JanusAscending]

7. It seems that Kindergarten

and pre schoolers have the day off today!!

[DebbieCDC]

14. Jack Kemp -- WTF?

Throwing a football or championing supply side economics? Which gets this puke a medal?