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Showing posts from April, 2012

President Obama Slow Jams (The News)

Let's just say what you are about to see is more entertaining than than ANYTHING you've seen this week in entertainment news. President Obama's voice is at it again. Whether singing Al Green songs, or just speaking over (the right) music, he's an attention getter. Mitt Romney can't touch this. Don't even try it, Romney. Don't try to solicit the help of Wayne Newton, or The Boss (BS), or Willie Nelson, or Neil Diamond, or even Mick Jagger in your own sordid attempt to copy the president, as you've done so many times during your bid for candidacy. They wouldn't even have the same affect. Watch President Barack Obama slow jam (the news) on the Jimmy Fallon Show, which he appeared on this past Monday night. That is all. Oh, yeah. Tell Congress to keep student loans affordable.

Pool Report: Notable Quotes About the Secret Service Scandal

President Obama with Jimmy Fallon's late night TV show. A pool reporter provided this intel on what the president said after being asked by Fallon about the scandal: "The secret service, these guys are incredible," Mr. Obama said. "They protect me, they protect our girls. A couple of knuckleheads shouldn't detract from that they do. What they were thinking? I don't know. That's why they're not there anymore." The same pooler provided another piece of colorful commentary, writing in an email after the president visited the University of North Carolina earlier in the day: "In these days of non-stop coverage of the Secret Service scandal, your pooler feels obligated to note that Mr. Obama's speech at Carmichael Arena took place directly across the road from an athletic practice facility called " Hooker Field ." The irony. So far, at least twelve Secret Service members have been relieved of their duties, a few taking

Earth Day in.... the Everglades

Vice President Joe Biden will travel to the Everglades in Miami-Dade County, Florida on Monday. After touring part of Everglades National Park, the Vice President will deliver remarks on the Administration’s efforts to restore the Everglades. Over the past three years, the Obama Administration has made restoration of the iconic Everglades a top environmental priority by significantly increasing federal funding and breaking ground on several key projects. These efforts remain vital to the state of Florida, as the Everglades are the primary source of drinking water for more than 7 million Floridians and their natural beauty makes them a critically important part of the state’s tourism industry. President Obama issued an Earth Day Proclamation stating: "On April 22, 1970, millions of Americans came together to celebrate the first Earth Day. Students, teachers, activists, elected officials, and countless others challenged our Nation to confront our most urgent environment

No Raised Taxes, Or Student Loan Increases, Please.

President Obama will visit three key 'battle ground' states this week to talk student loan rate increase. On Tuesday, April 24, President Obama will visit the University of Colorado Boulder in Boulder, CO to deliver remarks as part of a concerted effort to get Congress to prevent interest rates on student loans from doubling this July. Student loan rates are set to increase from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent for millions of college students. "At a time when going to college has never been more important, it has also, unfortunately, never been more expensive", said Secretary of Education Arne Duncan last week in a White House briefing. Adding, "Families and students are struggling to meet these costs, and there's no reason why we should add to their burden.  And I have to tell you, as I’ve traveled throughout the country ... not just in disadvantaged communities, but more and more middle-class families are starting to think college might not be for them

White House Conference on Girls and STEM

On Tuesday, April 24, the White House Council on Women and Girls will host an event featuring a panel of trailblazing women in STEM fields, moderated by EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson.  The panelists will share their experiences and encourage young women to follow in their footsteps – or blaze a trail of their own.  This event will also include the very first public screening of “Girls in STEM,” a videofeaturing girls who participated in the 2012 White House Science Fair.  Women and girls continue to be significantly underrepresented in STEM fields.  This trend starts early and comes at a serious cost to both the career prospects of our young women and the success of our economy.  By ensuring that women and girls receive the exposure, encouragement and support they need to enter and succeed in STEM fields, this country can benefit from the full range and diversity of its talent. The event, featuring Lisa Jackson, EPA Administrator, Dr. Cady Coleman, NASA Astronaut; Colonel, U.S. Ai

President Obama Announces More Key Administra​tion Posts

President Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to key Administration posts: Charles Benton , Nominee for Member,National Museum and Library Services Board Charles Benton is the Chairman and CEO of the Benton Foundation.  He also currently serves on the boards of the Educational Development Center in Boston, and the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, where he was named a Lifetime Trustee.  In addition to his work on these boards, Mr. Benton previously was President or Chairman of the Encyclopaedia Britannica Education Corporation, Public Media, Inc., Films Inc., Home Vision Entertainment, and The Partnership for a Connected Illinois.  In recognition of his work in the media and telecommunications fields, Mr. Benton has been appointed to serve as Chairman of the National Commission on Libraries and Information Science, Chairman of the First White House Conference on Library and Information Services, and Member of the Presidential Advisory Committee

Romney Fund Raiser To Be Hosted By Former Dog Killer and Griller

Fred Malek , president of Marriott hotel and accused dog 'killer and griller' in the 1950s is slated to host Mitt Romney in an upcoming fundraiser.   Dog BBQ. Popular in Laos. Dogs Against Romney (go ahead, Google it) don't think a presidential candidate should keep company with someone so vile. But remember, Romney tied his family dog to the roof of the family car for 12 (count them, 12) hours during a family vacation. I guess what they say is true: Dogs of the same 'fur', do bark together. Read this story for yourself. We can't make this stuff up. And they say Mike Vick was cruel.

The Secret Service & Prostitution

So, this is how The Secret Service gets down? This isn't the first time, nor is it a secret, that the U.S. Secret Service has been suspected of soliciting prostitutes.  In 2008, a prostitution sting in the area of 11th and K Streets, NW around 12:50 a.m. found a marked Secret Service Uniformed Division patrol car had stopped to speak with an undercover female officer who was posing as a prostitute. The patrol car was driven by a Uniformed Division sergeant.  The NSID officers assumed he was going to tell the undercover female officer to leave the area. Find out what happened next. Today we find that more than a dozen Secret Service personnel traveling with President Obama to Cartagena, Columbia, while he attends the Summit of the Americas , have been released amid allegations of 'sexual misconduct'. The Associate Press received an anonymous tip about the incident.  Secret Service spokesman Ed Donovan has neither confirmed, nor denied, any wrong-doing.  While soli

President Obama Makes A Push For the Buffet Rule (One More Time)

Speaking today in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building (EEOB), President Obama made another plea to Congress, and the American public to call Congress, in support of the Buffet rule which would stipulate that the wealthiest Americans pay their fair share of taxes.  President Ronald Reagan offered the same plan during his presidency as well.  Willing to comprise with Congress (yet again), the president suggested, "And if it will help convince folks in Congress to make the right choice, we could call it the Reagan Rule instead of the Buffett Rule." Billionaire Warren Buffet , whose secretary pays a higher amount of taxes than he, was the inspiration behind the proposed rule. A transcript follows below. President Obama with wealthy business owners who don't mind paying higher taxes.  Photo/CD Brown. "Lately, we’ve been talking about the fundamental choice that we face as a country.  We can settle for an economy where a shrinking number of people do v

Joining Forces One-Year Anniversary: Complimented By Community Challenge

Joining Forces , the military initiative designed to aid and bring awareness to the plight of military families around the country, will turn one year-old in July.   To get the celebration started a bit early, First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden, the duo and driving forces behind Joining Forces, today recognized winners of their Joining Forces Community Challenge .  The 'Challenge' went out to communities across the country admonishing communities to help a military family where ever they could.  First Lady Michelle Obama and NBC News correspondent Tom Brokaw at today's Joining Forces Community Challenge event at the White House.  Photo/CD Brown Said Second Lady Jill Biden, "Since we launched Joining Forces a year ago, we have been so inspired by the many ways Americans all across the country are honoring, celebrating and supporting our military families.  Our partners in this effort are businesses, schools, churches, communities and individuals.  The Joi

Newt Gingrich Visits Pepsi Plant

The down, but-not-yet-counting-himself-out, presidential candidate Newt Gingrich, remains on the campaign trail. Today he is visiting a Pepsi plant in Bern, NC where he tweets - "This is an original bottle of Pepsi." He also tweeted a picture of him visiting with John Johnson, owner of Hamlin Drug Co, the oldest African American owned pharmacy in America. We're guessing this is his last ditch effort to gain voter support from the African American community, as he continues to trail substantially behind Mitt Romney. Note to Gingrich:  It probably won't work. **Just in** Presidential candidate Rick Santorum is expected to bow out of the presidential race today, sighting his daughter's illness as the primary factor. Gingrich has not officially conceded to Mitt Romney, the likely Republican presidential candidate, but has suggested that his party rally behind Romney to defeat President Obama in the 2012 election. President Obama spoke at Florida Atlantic

The JOBS Act. Why You Pay More In Taxes Than The Rich. And More.

On the White House blog this week, three items became the central focus. White House press release. On the Budget/Buffet Rule How Many Millionaires Paid $0 in Taxes? Find Out for Yourself This week, the White House launched the official Federal Taxpayer Receipt for 2011 , an online tool that gives Americans the ability to calculate where their tax dollars are being spent. The President believes the American people deserve to know exactly how and where their tax dollars are being spent, that’s why he launched the first such receipt last year. President Barack Obama signs the Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act, which includes key initiatives the President proposed last fall to help small businesses and startups grow and create jobs, in the Rose Garden of the White House, April 5, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza) On the JOBS Act The JOBS Act: Encouraging Startups, Supporting Small Businesses President Obama recognizes the critical role these types

President Obama On the Rwandan Genocide

Eighteen years after the Rwandan genocide, we pause to reflect with horror and sadness on the 100 days in 1994 when 800,000 people lost their lives.  The specter of this slaughter of mothers, fathers, sons, and daughters haunts us still, and reminds the nations of the world of our shared responsibility to do all we can to protect civilians and to ensure that evil of this magnitude never happens again.  The United States grieves with the Rwandan people, and we remember those whose lives were cut short. And as we do, we also recognize Rwanda’s progress in moving beyond this horrible tragedy, the strides it has taken to improve the lives of its people, and its contributions to protecting civilians from other nations in UN peacekeeping missions around the world.  The U.S. government and the American people will continue to extend our friendship, partnership, and support to the Rwandan people as they seek to build a peaceful and prosperous future.

Members of Congress and Parents of Trayvon Martin On Capital Hill

Can There Be An  Enforced Stop Racial Profiling Act? Members of Congress have been more than focal about the Trayvon Martin murder that happened in February of this year. Last week members of Congress took to the House floor, along with Trayvon Martin's parents, to put the word out that racial profiling is still an unacceptable practice. Martin was gunned down by a renegade neighborhood watch captain as he was walking back home to his father's house, located in a predominately white, gated community.  His killer, George Zimmerman remains at large while the 18 year-old's parents and family continue to seek justice. "We are with you, Congressman Gregory Meeks said to Martin's parents.  Meek also had a message for those believing a young life like Trayvon Martin is expendable. "We are sending a message to all of America. . . you cannot discriminate and profile individuals because of his or her looks." Cases like Trayvon Martin are cropping

Take an at-home 360-degree tour of the White House’s public rooms with Google Art Project

The web site isn't yet available (at the time of this posting), but the White House today announced the latest step in President and Mrs. Obama’s efforts to truly make 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue “The People’s House”, by working with Google Art Project to create a virtual 360-degree tour of the White House’s public rooms.  Since the President’s inauguration – when he and Mrs. Obama surprised guests attending public tours – the Obamas have worked to make the White House more open and accessible. Over three years later, approximately 2.5 million visitors have walked through the gates of The People’s House, including Residence tourists, guests at the annual White House Easter Egg Roll events, Fall and Spring Garden Tours, guests at State or Official Arrival Ceremonies and White House Kitchen Garden school group tours.  Now through the Google Art Project, millions more will be able to virtually visit the White House. “The White House isn’t simply a home to First Families or meetin