WASHINGTON (AP) - June 6, 2010
He thanked the theater for its work preserving President Abraham Lincoln's legacy and supporting the arts. Obama said it was impossible to separate the nation's history from the history of music and spoken-word performances, especially during times of trouble.
The president noted the current suffering in the wake of the Gulf Coast oil spill and again promised to do everything he can to make things right.
After the reception, Obama and first lady Michelle Obama were attending the theater's annual gala. Singer Kelly Clarkson, comedian George Lopez, actor Dick Van Dyke and others will perform, and South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu and South African Constitutional Court Justice Albie Sachs will receive the theater's Lincoln Medal.
