Politics. On Point.

A jury, today, somehow found former presidential candidate John Edwards not guilty for telling an untruth about hiding an affair, hiding miss use of campaign funds, using said funds to hide an affair with his videographer mistress while still married to his supportive wife who was dying of cancer. Former Democratic presidential candidate, John Edwards, is free of campaign conspiracy charges. Edwards is a free man; even after being charged for several campaign fraud charges including accepting illegal campaign contributions, conspiracy, and lying. A jury of eight men and four women, who went back and forth deliberating the case for nine days, somehow couldn't come up with reason enough to convict the man who admitted today he did so much wrong. In a statement after the verdict, Edwards admitted he was a sinner and said, "I did nothing illegal, but I did an "awful, awful lot" that was wrong and that no one else was responsib...

A big day yesterday for America's leading contributors as novelist Toni Morrison , (born Chloe Ardelia Wofford); singer/songwriter Bob Dylan , former astronaut John Glenn , and others received the Medal of Freedom award from President Barack Obama yesterday in a very well packed East Room of the White House. Joining them were Madaleine Albright , John Doar , Judge John Paul Stevens , and NCAA women's basketball coach for the University of Tennessee, Pat Summit .  Novelist extraordinaire Toni Morrison shares a smile with President Obama.  Photo/CD Brown. "And I have to say, just looking around the room, this is a packed house, which is a testament to how cool this group is. Everybody wanted to check them out." Of the accolades given by Mr. Obama to the recipients, he credited one recipient for 'making it possible' for him to become president. Of civil rights worker and assistant attorney general, John Doar, the president...

The accolades as first lady just keep on coming for First Lady Michelle Obama.   Fresh off her visit to Atlantic City where she and daughters Sasha and Malia were treated to a concert featuring their friend, Beyonce , the first lady was back in town today in time to accept an invitation to serve as the sponsor of the future USS Illinois (SSN 786).  Illinois is a Virginia-class submarine, the Navy’s newest class of attack submarine, and is being built in Groton, Connecticut and Newport News, Virginia. “It’s an honor and a privilege to serve as sponsor of the USS ILLINOIS,” said First Lady Michelle Obama. “I’m always inspired by the service and sacrifice of the men and women of the Navy, as well as the families who support them. This submarine is a tribute to the strength, courage, and determination that our Navy families exhibit every day.” Illinois is expected to join the fleet in late 2015. In sponsoring USS Illinois, the First Lady joins a tradition of First ...

The day given to the memorialize fallen soldiers was actually started by a group of freed slaves.  This, according to David Blight , a white author of several books on African American history. Blight claims that several freed slaves commenced to properly bury soldiers who had died in the Civil War. Writes Blight,  Union soldiers were kept in horrible conditions...; at least 257 died of exposure and disease and were hastily buried in a mass grave behind the grandstand. Some twenty-eight black workmen went to the site, re-buried the Union dead properly, and built a high fence around the cemetery...  Then, black Charlestonians in cooperation with white missionaries and teachers, staged an unforgettable parade of 10,000 people. And so it is today that we celebrate Memorial Day; a day full of parades, picnics, time off from work, and of course remarks by the country's Commander in Chief who reminds Americans to remember those who have served this country. ...

While her husband was holding things down at Camp David during this year's G-8 and NATO Summits, First Lady Michelle Obama invited the wives of world leaders to the White House for lunch and a tour that included the now famed White House garden. Wives of world leaders take tour of White House with First Lady Michelle Obama.  AP images. The 'First Ladies lunch', prepared by Chef José Andrés, was a menu ensemble that featured Gazpacho, Maryland rockfish with local asparagus, grapefruit, Virginia berries, greens from the White House Garden and caramelized olive oil, and a dessert of Tangerine sorbet with Virginia strawberries. White House Curator Bill Allman helped facilitate the tour, pointing out the history of several White House rooms.  For instance, did you know that the East Room had been used by past presidents for roller skating by Presidents Garfield and Theodore Roosevelt and, later, the daughter of President Carter?  The room was al...

Speaking today at the US Chamber of Commerce, presidential candidate Mitt Romney told those attending the Latino Coalition Economic Summit he see to it that every child gets a good education. Blah. Blah. Blah. Bore. Bore. Bore. Why?   Because we've heard the promise before.   If everyone who said they're interested in seeing every child get a first-rate, quality education, kids East of the River in DC would have had more new text books, and less metal detectors by now.  Every politician promises a good education for all.   Yet we still, as Romney pointed out, see in America "one in four kids" fail to get a high school degree, and half that don't graduate. "Kids in America are getting a third-world education", Romney said, calling the education crisis "the civil rights issue of our era."   Gee, we thought gay marriage was.  (At least it was two weeks ago). In addition to creating jobs, saving the economy, finding alter...

President Obama nominated Thomas M. Durkin to serve on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Durkin is a partner at the law firm of Mayer Brown LLP, where he handles a broad array of matters including complex commercial litigation and white collar criminal defense.  Prior to joining the firm as a partner in 1993, Durkin served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Northern District of Illinois for over a decade.  During that time, he served in numerous leadership positions, including Chief of the Special Prosecutions Division, Chief of the Criminal Receiving and Appellate Division, and First Assistant United States Attorney.  From 1978 to 1980, he served as a law clerk to the Honorable Stanley J. Roszkowski of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.  Durkin received his J.D. with honors in 1978 from the DePaul University College of Law and his B.S. with honors in 1975 from the University of I...

While loyalty towards President Obama between Black community and Black churches have been tested in the last weeks since the president announced his support of gay marriage, Ethiopians have also found a reason to question President Obama's foreign policy decisions. Ethiopians upset over PM Zenawi's participation in G-8 summit and Food Security symposium held last week. Photo/CD Brown. As the president hosted the G-8 Summit and announced new global food regulations this week, inviting several world leaders, members of the Ethiopian community are outraged over the invitation of Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi , and are asking President Obama to stop supporting the man they say should be convicted of war crimes. "President Obama said during his election campaign that he wouldn't sand beside dictators, said Neamin Zeleke", one of the organizers of  DC protest last Thursday outside the Ronald Reagan Int'l Building where there president was speaking...

National Plan to Fight the Disease. HHS Secretary Sebelius outlines research funding, tools for health care providers, awareness campaign and new website Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today released an ambitious national plan to fight Alzheimer’s disease. The plan was called for in the National Alzheimer’s Project Act (NAPA), which President Obama signed into law in January 2011. The National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease sets forth five goals, including the development of effective prevention and treatment approaches for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias by 2025. As many as 5.1 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease and that number is likely to double in the coming years. At the same time, millions of American families struggle with the physical, emotional and financial costs of caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease. In February 2012, the administration announced that it would take immediate action to implement parts of the pla...

President Obama and Vice President Biden put aside their differences that came about over the timing of the administration's announcement to support same-sex marriage, to honor a few special police officers for their valiant acts of bravery. President Obama with Vice President Biden and Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano honor the nation's  top cops. "The officers here today have been singled out for extraordinary acts of bravery." said Vice President Biden who called the assembled men and women "a remarkable group of people". Vice President Biden, speaking in a ceremony in the White House Rose Garden, also credited the officers for their work in the community, calling the officers a "unique bunch of individuals." "You’re not only the people who risk your lives to protect all of us, you're also the first ones out there to volunteer to lay down the lines of the Little Le...

We have a very descriptive pool report that comes from Christina Wilkie of HuffPost on this afternoon's Joining Forces event with First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden. The two ladies helped celebrate Mother's Day with military families and their children. The report, modified for story line and content by POP, reads below as follows. At the Naval Observatory today First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden hosted a Joining Forces service activity with congressional spouses where they assembled Mothers Day care packages that will be sent to the wives and mothers of deployed military, at the request of the soldiers. The event comes a day after FLOTUS attended the annual Congressional Club lunch for spouses of House and Senate members. This is the third time she has invited them to join her for a service activity the day after the lunch, and marks FLOTUS's first visit to the Naval Observatory. Outside in the sun under a white USO tent were ap...

President Obama, in recent months, has said he was "evolving" on the subject of whether or not gay couples should have the right to marry. Today, the president made a statement the news corp has been wanting him to make for the entire length of his presidential career. "I am for gay marriage." While campaigning for the presidency in 2008, Mr. Obama made his thoughts clear that he was not in favor of same sex marriages, saying he believed that the union of marriage is between a man and a woman. Two men in support of gay marriage. Today, seemingly at the completion of his 'evolution', and in an election year, President Obama affirmed his new belief in an interview with ABC News' Robin Roberts. "I have to tell you that over the course of several years as I have talked to friends and family and neighbors when I think about members of my own staff who are in incredibly committed monogamous relationships, same-sex relationships, who are raisi...

Get 'Er Done! Congress must finish a few loose ends before going on summer recess.   A list of demands, outlining what is expected, comes from the Commander in Chief. Speaking today at the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering State University of New York Albany, New York President Obama outlined what he'd like to see Congress take care of before their summer break. Going through 'the list' Obama pointed out at five items he'd like to see get done. "First, Congress needs to help the millions of Americans who have worked hard, made their mortgage payments on time, but still have been unable to refinance their mortgages with these historically low rates.  This would make a huge difference for the economy", explained the president. Two, helping responsible homeowners afford their home mortgages. Three, "Congress should help small business owners by giving them a tax break for hiring more workers and paying them higher wages." ...

Suffice it to say, the Obama election in 2008 was partly successful thanks to the millions of young people who voted for him. This time around, will he garner the same support?  Or will those same young people, many of the college students, side with the Republicans even though they voted against the president's effort to keep college loan rate from increasing on July 1st? "It is extremely disappointing that Republicans in the Senate today voted to ask millions of students to pay an average of $1,000 each in order to protect a loophole that allows millionaires to dodge payroll taxes", said White House press secretary Jay Carney. With millions of college students already unable to find work after college, the recent blow for students who must begin to pay back student loans - with no paycheck - is seemingly too much to digest at one time. President Obama made several stops last week at college and high school campuses, campaigning for Congress to lower student...

The University of Kentucky NCAA Championship men's basketball team invaded 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue today, bringing along with them their own raucous caucus of supporters and friends. President Obama honored the team for winning the NCAA title after they defeated the University of Kansas Jayhawks, 67-59, on April 1st of this year.  President Obama with the 2012 NCAA Champions, the Kentucky Wildcats. Photo/CD Brown. “Congratulations to the Kentucky Wildcats on your eighth national championship!” President Obama said, who picked the Wildcats to complete his NCAA March Madness bracket. "I had them in the championship game. But in the end, I thought, they got all these freshmen. These guys are too young. And keep in mind, at this time last year, three of the Wildcats’ five starters were still in high school. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist couldn’t even vote yet." Kidd-Gilchrist may not have been old enough to vote, but he was certainly old enough to ball, as were ...

Source: White House Blog Highlights . The Week Behind West Wing Week: 5/4/12 or "Out of Many, We are One." This week, the President traveled to Afghanistan to sign an historic Strategic Partnership Agreement, visit with our troops, and address the American people about responsibly ending the war. The President also traveled to Fort Stewart to sign an Executive Order to protect service members and their families from deceptive marketing practices, spoke at the annual White House Correspondents Dinner, welcomed the Prime Minister of Japan, and spoke at the Building and Construction Trades conference. On Afghanistan/Anniversary of Bin Laden Raid President Obama on Ending the War in Afghanistan This week, President Obama made a surprise visit to Afghanistan -- to meet with President Hamid Karzai and sign a strategic partnership agreement that will help to guide our future relationship with the country. ·       Photo Gallery: President Obama Travels to...