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By Padraig Collins and Sarah Liversidge For Daily Mail Australia 23:41 27 Mar 2023, updated 01:21 28 Mar 2023

Ex-US President Barack Obama has been praised by a senior former Australian politician for his diet discipline - as Mr Obama and wife Michelle share a ritzy lunch in Sydney.

Bob Carr, the country's former foreign minister, said on Tuesday that Mr Obama, who is in Australia on an $AUD350-per-head (USD$230) speaking tour, is extremely careful with sugar and fat.

Mr Carr said that a meal during a G20 meeting in St Petersburg, Russia in 2013, he 'noticed out of the corner of my eye as this working banquet went on, (Mr Obama) carefully separated on his plate anything that would have had sugar or fat in it.

'And I thought this guy must have had a protein shake earlier in the day to take the edge off his hunger.'

Mr Carr, who is also a former premier of the state of New South Wales, continued: 'I thought ... this guy has got admirable discipline.

'He is going to leave office with the same waist size he had when he entered.'

The former First Couple were photographed outside fine-dining restaurant Bathers' Pavilion in Balmoral on the city's north shore, after arriving in the city on Sunday night by private jet.

Probably famished from their long flight, the couple enjoyed a seafood lunch at the waterside venue, where sprawling floor-to-ceiling windows offer a stunning view of Sydney Harbor.

While being a historic, heritage listed site hailed for its hospitality, the restaurant is not exactly cheap - with a plate of smashed avocado costing $22, and mains like grilled prawns and fish pie setting you back around $45.

Upon leaving, Mrs Obama appeared somewhat unsatisfied - perhaps still tired from the long haul flight.

Video snapped outside the eatery - where a six-course degustation menu including pink snapper sashimi and handmade fettucine costs $300 - show the couple greeting dozens who descended in hopes of catching a glimpse of the pair.

Despite not making a public appearance with his wife in more than five months, Barack, 61, looked ever the statesman, waving at a crowd clearly overcome with Obamamania.

Michelle also greeted revelers following a recent spate of interviewers promoting her new book and podcast in which she revealed previously difficulties of the pair's marriage during Obama's time in office.

A witness said the couple had dined in an intimate, beachside room at the Pavilion, electing to not enjoy its famed view with the curtains closed to the outside world.

Since forfeiting their rights to Air Force One, the pair has been known to frequently fly private, despite both stating that no challenge currently poses a greater threat to the world than climate change.

Mr Carr also commended Mr Obama for his political acumen.

'He was governed by the principles, as he put it, of "no more stupid stuff" and that meant nothing as adventurous as occupying Afghanistan or invading Iraq, which had happened under his predecessor, George W Bush.

'That made it easy to deal with him because he was coolheaded and not impetuous about foreign policy,' Mr Carr said.

Former President Barack Obama was legendary for his healthy diet regime while in the White House - which even bars coffee.

Although not a complete ban, his personal aide Reggie Love has revealed the 61-year-old much prefers orange juice, green tea or just water over a latte.

He stocks up on energy at breakfast with a big pile of scrambled eggs - sometimes as many as six at one sitting - with some toast and lightly fried potatoes. Other days he may simply have some fruit, or a bowl of porridge.

Salads with lean chicken are a top choice for the presidential lunch with wife Michelle - and the couple planted the first vegetable garden at the White House in 60 years during his term in office.

More than 50 different varieties of veggies and fruit were planted at the suggestion of kitchen staff, including superfoods like kale, spinach, lettuces, berries and tomatillos.

In the evening, a family favourite is their prized chilli con carne made from their own unique recipe which includes red wine vinegar, turmeric and basil.

To wash it down, he skips all fizzy soft drinks and grabs a beer - possibly even brewed by himself. He became the first President in history to make home brew in the White House with his chef Sam Kass.

In between meals, he'll power up on the road with a handful of trail mix, almonds and pistachios and the occasional guilty treat ofchocolate roasted peanut protein bars. He counters that though by also snacking on broccoli and spinach.

LOVES

Water, vegetables, nuts, simple nourishing food

HATES

Soft drinks, salt and vinegar crisps, mayonnaise, ketchup, fatty British food - and asparagus

Read more here:
Bob Carr sheds light on Barack Obama's unique eating habits - Daily Mail

A former top aide toPresident Obamasaid Republicans targeting TikTok is "bad faith BS," the latest in a string of Democrats downplaying or defending the popular social media app amid Chinese espionage fears.

Dan Pfeiffer, a former Obama senior adviser who now co-hosts Pod Save America, took to Twitter over the weekend to make the comments as fears surrounding the app continue to grow. Last year, a report showed that a TikTok team in China accessed data of U.S. TikTok users, including two journalists.

"The Republicans see the issue as a win-win," Pfeiffer tweeted. "If Biden doesn't ban TikTok, they can paint him as soft on China. If Biden does ban TikTok, he risks alienating the young voters who put him over the top in 2020. Per usual from the GOP, it's bad faith BS."

'SQUAD' DEFENDER OF ALLEGED CHINESE SPY APP TIED TO NONPROFIT THAT RECEIVED $150K FROM ITS PARENT COMPANY

Pfeiffer's comments follow several other Democrats rushing to TikTok's defense. New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez took to the app on Saturday and came out against a ban.

"This is not only my first TikTok, but it is a TikTok about TikTok," Ocasio-Cortez said. "Do I believe TikTok should be banned? No."

"I think it's important to discuss how unprecedented of a move this would be," she continued. "The United States has never before banned a social media company from existence, from operating in our borders, and this is an app that has over 150 million Americans on it."

Atrio of Democratic lawmakersalso held a press conference on Capitol Hill last week defending TikTok. During the gathering, New York Rep. Jamaal Bowman claimed that politicians are hypocrites for singling out the app when its American-owned counterparts have allowed Russia, for example, "to interfere with our 2016 election" and have "allowed lies and misinformation to live on their platforms."

FBI DIRECTOR CHRIS WRAY TESTIFIES CHINESE-OWNED TIKTOK HAS POWER TO 'DRIVE NARRATIVES,' 'DIVIDE AMERICANS'

Dan Pfeiffer, a former Obama senior adviser, said Republicans are engaging in "bad faith BS" when it comes to pushing for a TikTok ban. (Photo by: Nathan Congleton/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images)

Bowman also suggestedthat racism fuels TikTok's opposition. "Let's not have a dishonest conversation," he said. "Let's not be racist towards China and express our xenophobia when it comes to TikTok because American companies have done tremendous harm to American people."

Bowman, meanwhile, is a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, whose affiliated nonprofit, the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, in Decemberreceived a $150,000 donationfrom ByteDance, TikTok's parent company. The donation went towards honoring members of the caucus.

California Democratic Rep. Robert Garcia, a member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, joined Bowman at the press conference. Like the Congressional Black Caucus, a nonprofit affiliated with the Hispanic caucus received a $150,000 donation from ByteDance in December, Fox News Digital previously reported. Ocasio-Cortez is also a member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.

Republican lawmakers, on the other hand, have been sounding the alarm over what they say are Chinese spying concerns.

DESANTIS SAYS HE WOULD BAN TIKTOK NATIONWIDE IF GIVEN THE AUTHORITY: 'I DON'T WANT OUR KIDS ON' THIS STUFF

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has been vocal about her opposition to a TikTok ban. (ANDREW HARNIK/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

"The evidence that China is using TikTok to spy on and influence American citizens is clear, and it only keeps mounting as time goes on," Republican Florida Sen. Marco Rubio wrote in aFox News Digital op-ed.

"Moreover, Beijing's influence on ByteDance, TikTok's parent company, is undeniable. Not only does Chinese law compel ByteDance to hand over data at a moment's notice, but the Chinese government also holds an ownership stake in the tech giant's key domestic subsidiary."

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Last Thursday, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew testified before theHouse Energy and Commerce Committee. During the hearing, Republican Florida Rep. Neal Dunn asked whether ByteDance had ever spied on American citizens.

"I don't think that spying is the right way to describe it," Chew responded.

Pfeiffer did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment.

Fox News Digital's Gabriel Hays contributed reporting.

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Former top Obama aide claims GOP concerns over alleged Chinese spy app is 'bad faith BS' - Fox News

A former top aide toPresident Obamasaid Republicans targeting TikTok is "bad faith BS," the latest in a string of Democrats downplaying or defending the popular social media app amid Chinese espionage fears.

Dan Pfeiffer, a former Obama senior adviser who now co-hosts Pod Save America, took to Twitter over the weekend to make the comments as fears surrounding the app continue to grow. Last year, a report showed that a TikTok team in China accessed data of U.S. TikTok users, including two journalists.

"The Republicans see the issue as a win-win," Pfeiffer tweeted. "If Biden doesn't ban TikTok, they can paint him as soft on China. If Biden does ban TikTok, he risks alienating the young voters who put him over the top in 2020. Per usual from the GOP, it's bad faith BS."

'SQUAD' DEFENDER OF ALLEGED CHINESE SPY APP TIED TO NONPROFIT THAT RECEIVED $150K FROM ITS PARENT COMPANY

Pfeiffer's comments follow several other Democrats rushing to TikTok's defense. New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez took to the app on Saturday and came out against a ban.

"This is not only my first TikTok, but it is a TikTok about TikTok," Ocasio-Cortez said. "Do I believe TikTok should be banned? No."

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

"I think it's important to discuss how unprecedented of a move this would be," she continued. "The United States has never before banned a social media company from existence, from operating in our borders, and this is an app that has over 150 million Americans on it."

Atrio of Democratic lawmakersalso held a press conference on Capitol Hill last week defending TikTok. During the gathering, New York Rep. Jamaal Bowman claimed that politicians are hypocrites for singling out the app when its American-owned counterparts have allowed Russia, for example, "to interfere with our 2016 election" and have "allowed lies and misinformation to live on their platforms."

FBI DIRECTOR CHRIS WRAY TESTIFIES CHINESE-OWNED TIKTOK HAS POWER TO 'DRIVE NARRATIVES,' 'DIVIDE AMERICANS'

Story continues

Bowman also suggestedthat racism fuels TikTok's opposition. "Let's not have a dishonest conversation," he said. "Let's not be racist towards China and express our xenophobia when it comes to TikTok because American companies have done tremendous harm to American people."

Bowman, meanwhile, is a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, whose affiliated nonprofit, the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, in Decemberreceived a $150,000 donationfrom ByteDance, TikTok's parent company. The donation went towards honoring members of the caucus.

California Democratic Rep. Robert Garcia, a member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, joined Bowman at the press conference. Like the Congressional Black Caucus, a nonprofit affiliated with the Hispanic caucus received a $150,000 donation from ByteDance in December, Fox News Digital previously reported. Ocasio-Cortez is also a member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.

Republican lawmakers, on the other hand, have been sounding the alarm over what they say are Chinese spying concerns.

DESANTIS SAYS HE WOULD BAN TIKTOK NATIONWIDE IF GIVEN THE AUTHORITY: 'I DON'T WANT OUR KIDS ON' THIS STUFF

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has been vocal about her opposition to a TikTok ban.

"The evidence that China is using TikTok to spy on and influence American citizens is clear, and it only keeps mounting as time goes on," Republican Florida Sen. Marco Rubio wrote in aFox News Digital op-ed.

"Moreover, Beijing's influence on ByteDance, TikTok's parent company, is undeniable. Not only does Chinese law compel ByteDance to hand over data at a moment's notice, but the Chinese government also holds an ownership stake in the tech giant's key domestic subsidiary."

Last Thursday, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew testified before theHouse Energy and Commerce Committee. During the hearing, Republican Florida Rep. Neal Dunn asked whether ByteDance had ever spied on American citizens.

"I don't think that spying is the right way to describe it," Chew responded.

Pfeiffer did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment.

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Former top Obama aide claims GOP concerns over alleged Chinese spy app is 'bad faith BS' - Yahoo News

Dear editor,

As we all know from numerous Chicago City Council debates, protests, and letters to the Hyde Park Herald, many South Side Chicagoans have been outraged that the Obama Presidential Center has been locatedor not locatedin their neighborhood. Clearly, no location will satisfy all constituencies, so heres a modest proposal: Why dont we build hundreds of Obama Centers in neighborhoods all over the South Side?

Talented and charismatic politicians such as Barack Obama appeal to individuals in a variety of ways. For instance, Obama has always been a Rorschach test for left-of-center voters who have endlessly debated whether he is a pragmatic centrist or closet radical. But what if everyone on the South Side could create their own Obama Center and reimagine for themselves and others which Obama is important to them? In Obamas adopted hometown, centers would no doubt celebrate his history-making status as the first black president, his policy victories, his soaring rhetoric, and his community work here in Chicago. By contrast, local conservativesand college students who think they are funny might feel compelled to design ironic Obama Centers. And, of course, postmodern Obama Centers (perhaps actual houses of cards?) might serve as commentaries on the very notion of an Obama Center or whether Americans should practice politics as a form of hero-worship.

More practically, each South Side resident with an available room would have space for an Obama Center. The layout and memorabilia would vary depending on room size and building access. (Renters could negotiate with landlords about center aesthetics and permanency.) Those with two extra rooms could have two Obama Centers, each with a separate interpretation of Obamas significance, or maybe just one for Barack and one for Michelle. Side hustles for empty nesters might include remaking recently vacated rooms as Obama Centers, Airbnbs, or gift shops. Businesses could also get into the act: staff at Valois Restaurant could do a podcast from Baracks Tableplaced right across from Slims Table. And perhaps an Obamacare Center at the University of Chicago Medical Center? Repurposing existing real estate as Obama Centers could bring needed investments to many (not just one) South Side neighborhoods without costly, large-scale construction compromising existing neighborhood cultures, spaces, or parks. This solution would thus honor not only Obama but also Jane Jacobss New Urbanism.

The possibilities are endless. Many Obama Centers would be solely online, but some people could also reinvent themselves as Obama Centers and I dont just mean tattoos or plastic surgery. Could a new performance art form, the Obama Center, come into existence on historically significant street corners, like where the Obamas first kissed on 53rd and Dorchester? Of course, academics at Chicago universities would also study the economic and cultural impacts of various Obama Centers. And Obama Center tourism would become the fashion for political wannabes thumbing Obama-centered travel books at the Seminary Coop Bookstore (e.g., Lonely Planet: Obama Center).

Our belated solution would also stimulate surprisingly useful political debates, even if the official Obama Presidential Center has already been built in Jackson Park. For although the official center might be a resonant physical analogue for Obamas now monumental career, having hundreds more Obama Centers would also encourage people to visit neighborhoods new to them, to discuss politics with people there, and to put new political coalitions together. The resulting community organizing might productively highlight the now downplayed Chicago-based activist work of the younger Obama, thus reshaping ongoing discussions about his political legacy and the official center designed to promote that legacy. And isnt that, seriously, what presidential centers are supposed to do?

In jest,

William Weaver

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A belated solution to the Obama Presidential Center location debate - Hyde Park Herald

I first came across the term third culture kids(TCK) in 2008, when Barack Obama was running for election to become the first ever Black American president of the United States.

Obama, who is currently in Australia for a speaking tour, was born in Honolulu, Hawaii. He spent six years there before moving to Indonesia with his mother, who had recently remarried. He returned to Hawaii when he was 10 to continue his education.

Much like the former US president, I too lived in different countries growing up. I was born in Pakistan, then moved to the Gulf nation of Bahrain, and then my family moved again, making our home in Sydney.

Obama and I are third culture kids (TCK), a term coined by American sociologist Ruth Useem in the 1950s, to mainly describe the children of expatriates who spent a significant time during their childhood living in a culture other than their country of nationality or their parents country of nationality.

Obama has never been one to shy away from speaking about his identity. In his memoir, Dreams from My Father, Obama wrote about his childhood spent in Indonesia and Hawaii, and how these experiences shaped his sense of identity and perspective on the world. My identity might begin with the fact of my race, but it didnt, couldnt, end there. At least thats what I would choose to believe, he wrote. In his now infamous speech during his first presidential campaign, then Senator Obama spoke passionately about his race and identity: I am the son of a Black man from Kenya and a white woman from Kansas. I was raised with the help of a white grandfather who survived a Depression to serve in Pattons Army during World War II and a white grandmother who worked on a bomber assembly line at Fort Leavenworth while he was overseas. Ive gone to some of the best schools in America and lived in one of the worlds poorest nations.

He went on to say, At various stages in the campaign, some commentators have deemed me either too Black or not Black enough.

This feeling of not belonging as if youre neither here nor there is commonly felt by many TCK

This feeling of not belonging as if youre neither here nor there is commonly felt by many TCK.

In an article in The New York Times about TCK, Noor Brara wrote: If asked, any third-culture kid will tell you that shape-shifting rousing one of the many selves stacked within you to best suit the place youre in becomes a necessary survival skill, a sort of feigned fitting in that allows you to relate something of yourself to nearly everyone you meet.

Its something I have felt personally, as if my identity was scattered across continents, especially when I was growing up. Its also something Ive tried to tap into in my own writing.

In the novel I wrote,The Matchmaker, the protagonist Kal discovers he is a TCK. Kal reads in a book: TCK were adaptable, did well in social situations, made friends easily. They were not of one place but of many. But despite the positives, TCK often felt alone, not knowing where exactly to call home or which culture to identify with. As soon as he does, everything clicks into place and he realises just having a label to his identity helps him navigate the world better.

And while it can be confusing, at least initially, to figure out your identity, a recent studyfound that, Contrary to previous knowledge, this review found that TCKs are not confused by the multiplicity of their identity.

Obamas own complex identity helped him, at least a little bit, to become relatable to vast swathes of people not just in America, but around the world. It is why so many of us turn up to listen to him speak to this day.

Obama once said: .... what I benefited from is a multiplicity of cultures that all fed me

I was raised as an Indonesian child and a Hawaiian child and as a Black child and as a white child, Obama once said. And so what I benefited from is a multiplicity of cultures that all fed me.

Its this feeling of being fed by multiple cultures rather than being alienated by them, that perhaps TCK can turn to, especially when we feel we dont belong.

In my case, I was confused about who I was and where I belonged as I was growing up - a feeling that spilled into my 20s. As Ive become older, Ive come to realise that identities are complex. They are shaped not only by where we grew up or the places we lived, but by so many other factors too. In many ways, Ive made peace with the fact that my identity doesnt neatly fit in a box. My multifaceted identity has helped shape me into the person I am today.

Saman Shadis an author and freelance writer. Her debut novel,The Matchmaker,is out now through Penguin Australia.

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Barack Obama - the most famous Third Culture Kid - SBS