Politics. On Point.

"I'm ready to act." Speaking in the Rose Garden of the White House this afternoon, President Obama made the case for U.S. intervention in Syria.  "This attack is an assault on human dignity.  It also presents a serious danger to our national security.  It risks making a mockery of the global prohibition on the use of chemical weapons.  It endangers our friends and our partners along Syria’s borders, including Israel, Jordan, Turkey, Lebanon and Iraq.  It could lead to escalating use of chemical weapons, or their proliferation to terrorist groups who would do our people harm.   In a world with many dangers, this menace must be confronted." Congressional members are already in opposition of a strike on Syria. Representative Charlie Rangel (D-NY) doesn't share the president's views.  Speaking earlier today with CNN's Wolf Blitzer, Rangel said he doesn't see where the U.S. is in any real danger, and opposes any action against Syria. Ran

" Our intelligence sources in the Damascus area did not detect any indications in the  days prior to the attack that opposition affiliates were planning to use chemical weapons." - Senior White House Officials During a White House conference call today with Senior Administration officials, media were given a U.S. government assessment of the Syrian government’s use of chemical weapons on August 21, 2013, with two very different accounts. Part of the Assessment indicates that US intelligence was unaware of the planned attacks on Syria. " Our intelligence sources in the Damascus area did not detect any indications in the  days prior to the attack that opposition affiliates were planning to use chemical weapons."   Another portion of the Assessment makes the claim that the US did have intelligence, indicating that Syrian forces were preparing chemical munitions prior to the August 21st attack. " We have intelligence that leads us to assess tha

  Today, the Obama administration announced two new common-sense executive actions to keep the most dangerous firearms out of the wrong hands and ban almost all re-imports of military surplus firearms to private entities. These executive actions build on the 23 executive actions that the Vice President recommended as part of the comprehensive gun violence reduction plan and the President unveiled on January 16, 2013.   As Congress fails to act on common-sense proposals, like expanding criminal background checks and making gun trafficking a federal crime, the President and Vice President remain committed to using all the tools in their power to make progress toward reducing gun violence.  Tea Party member stands on busy overpass strapped with assault weapon.     Building on the 23 Executive Actions the President and Vice President Unveiled Last January ·          Last December, the President asked the Vice President to develop a series of recommendations to reduce gun v

Virginia Commonwealth University has been awarded a $62 million federal grant to oversee a national research consortium of universities, hospitals and clinics that will study what happens to service members and veterans who suffer mild traumatic brain injuries or concussions, the White House announced .   The concussions that will be studied include both combat injuries, such as those from blasts and bullets, and civilian injuries, such as those from car accidents, sports injuries and falls.   [Read Article HERE ]. “This is another significant milestone in VCU’s ascent as a national-caliber public research university,” said VCU President Michael Rao. “We recognize that an award of this magnitude only results from the research excellence that is fostered and encouraged across VCU.”   This is the second particularly large grant that VCU has received in recent years. In 2010, VCU received a $20 million grant – until now, the largest federal award in its history – from the  Nation

President Obama and family are vacationing at Martha's Vineyard this week. We're told the First Daughters are, of course, joining their parents. The president is using this time as Congress recesses for their own five week vacation. President and First Lady Michelle Obama arrive at Martha's Vineyard. The president, with plans of golfing and rest on his agenda, will continue to be briefed daily on world affairs while on vacation. From today's pool report : Greetings from the island. It’s a sparkling, sunny day for the Obamas’ first full day of vacation. The sky is blue. The breeze is light. The pool is chipper and well rested. The president is going golfing. The pool started the day with a visit to Alley’s farm stand (great peaches), followed by some hanging and waiting in a field near the estate where the president is stay. We began to roll at 11:15 am, but got no sign of the president. The trip along South Road was easy and uneventful. For those

The twice presidential candidate smiles happily as his son Jack McCain marries Renee Swift this past June 1st. The 29-year-old Swift is captain in the USAF reserve. Jack and Swift met while they both were stationed in Guam. He joins several other McCain family males to serve in the U.S. Military .  Senator John McCain's Son Marries Renee Swift in a June 1, 2013 ceremony. The bride, who described herself as "mixed race" (maybe she's related to Taylor Swift) is a graduate of San Diego State University-California State University, currently working as the Chief Financial Officer at 36th Medical Group, Andersen AFB. Along with several other 'descriptions' of herself on her social media pages, she posted that her hair "leans more towards her Black ancestry". Oh, these 'mixed raced' Blacks. You never hear a Caucasian person say, I'm Jewish, but my long, pointed nose leans more towards the Irish persuasion. Before heading ba

2013 Marks 50th Anniversary of President Kennedy’s Establishment of the Presidential Medal of Freedom A nice , and notable, group of Americans are slated to receive the 2013 Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the Nation’s highest civilian honor, presented to individuals who have made especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors. The awards will be presented at the White House later this year. This year marks the 50th Anniversary of the Executive Order signed by President John F. Kennedy establishing the Presidential Medal of Freedom, as well as the first ceremony bestowing the honor on an inaugural class of 31 recipients.  Since that time, more than 500 exceptional individuals from all corners of society have been awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.  President Obama said,

  "Today marks the 15th anniversary of al-Qaeda’s terrorist attacks against the U.S. Embassies in Nairobi, Kenya, and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, which killed innocent Americans and Africans.  On this day, we honor the families of the twelve Americans who lost their lives, and we join with the people and governments of Kenya and Tanzania honoring the sacrifices of the African victims of this heinous act, which killed over 200 and wounded over 5,000.    Last month, I was honored to pay tribute to those who lost their lives, and to meet with some of the survivors, at a memorial to the fallen in Dar es Salaam.  The United States is steadfast in our commitment to protect the American men and women who dutifully serve our nation overseas, and we will remain resolute in working with our partners to combat violent extremism  in East Africa, across the region, and around the world.  We continue to stand with our East African partners to bring terrorists to justice and will carry on ou

Local Activists Not Impressed With Lifestyle of the Obamas President Obama has, once again, made his thoughts known about how he feels about Kanye West . One may recall Mr. Obama calling Kanye West "a jackass" while microphones were still running backstage after an Obama speaking event early during his first term as president. Now, the president, in an interview with Amazon.com is saying that to have the status of a Kanye West (and Kim Kardashian, the mother of West's infant daughter) isn't what America's kids should aspire to be. Really? Said President Obama, "The American Dream involved some pretty basic stuff. A good job where you felt some security. A good education. People felt if they worked hard they could get there. I don’t think people went around saying to themselves, ‘I need to have a 10,000-square-foot house I think, there has also been a shift in culture. We weren’t exposed to the things we didn’t have in the same way that kids th

Hopeful About the Future, Determined to Act to Strengthen Democracy Rep. John Lewis , House and Senate speakers Nancy Pelosi and John Boehner , joining at the U.S. Capitol building, put politics aside on Wednesday to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington. [ Video here ]. Fifty years ago civil rights leaders and advocates marched on Washington in an event that lead to the passage of civil rights legislation that ended Jim Crow and began the modern era of civil rights. Also attending, and speaking at the occasion, was Sen. Harry Reid who recounting his experience on the day said,  "These proud people would no longer stand silent while a nation that promised liberty and justice for all denied true freedom to so many." "When I look back on the March on Washington I see it as one of this nation's finest hours.  They [activists] pushed, pulled and some even died to see a more fair and just society, said Rep. Lewis.  In 1963 Lewis wa