Politics. On Point.

After meeting with both sides today at the White House, it's politics as usual and the sides remain divided. In remarks afterwards President Obama said, " We discussed the various options available to us.  Everybody reconfirmed the importance of completing our work and raising the debt limit ceiling so that the full faith and credit of the United States of America is not impaired.  What we decided was that staffs, as well as leadership, will be working during the weekend, and that I will reconvene congressional leaders here on Sunday with the expectation that, at that point, the parties will at least know where each other’s bottom lines are and will hopefully be in a position to then start engaging in the hard bargaining that’s necessary to get a deal done" .    All or Nothing. "I want to emphasize that nothing is agreed to until everything is agreed to.  And the parties are still far apart on a wide range of issues.  But, again, I thought that ...

All work and no play makes Joe Biden a dull (and a bit sleepy) Vice President. During President Obama's speech this w eek at GWU on fiscal and responsibilty his right hand guy, and our Vice President, Joe Biden was caught catching a few zzzzs . In other Biden news, he was honored during this year's Grammy On The Hill event, the largest and most influential music lobby day in Washington, D.C. -- Related President Obama was accused of making not so flattering remarks during his speech at a DNC fundraiser last evening when he thought the mics weren't on.  White House Press Secretary Jay Carney clarifies:   "What POTUS said on the hot mic last night is the same as what he has said in public, and he is not embarrassed about anything he said."

41 members of the DC council, including Mayor Vincent Gray, were arrested yesterday outside the Dirksen Senate office building when they protested the President's budget deal which would leave DC with little control over the use of its own taxpayer funds. -- The Mayor explains his position on sticking up for the District's residents. Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) both praised and thanked D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray, members of the D.C. Council, and D.C. residents for rallying against attachments to Friday’s full-year continuing resolution (CR) agreement by the Obama administration, Senate Democrats and House Republicans, and for the arrests led by the Mayor and Council members. She said DC Vote particularly deserved the gratitude of every D.C. resident for its leadership in organizing the rally in just a couple of days, after learning that the city had been singled out in the CR for a prohibition on spending its own local funds for abortions for low-i...

President Obama met today with House Speaker John Boehner on budget negotiations. There were no clear cut concessions between the two. The president remarked during the White House press briefing. The president said he was more than willing to work with Republicans, but the Republicans bawked at an earlier agreement set by the two parties. The president explained that Speaker Boehner and Chairman Rogers' called for $73b in cuts. "We have agreed to $73b in cuts", said Obama, (among them Pell Grants for college students).  President Obama announced that the Republicans have expressed they don't like the cuts currently proposed. "Nobody gets 100% of what they want, but the American people should get the sense that somebody is worried about them. I want to get the business of the American people done", the President said. With the threat of various government agencies shutting down, the powers that be did agree last month to extend operation...

Yesterday at the White House, media and students from around the country were treated to a workshop and forum on Motown Legends as part of the White House's celebration of Black History Month . In attendance:  Smokey Robinson, Motown founder Barry Gordy, and artist John Legend.  Mrs. Obama speaks to high school students during Motown student workshop. The event was not only an oral history lesson for the students, but for the media as well.  Where else could you learn that Smokey Robinson credits shows like American Idol for helping today's talented individuals live their dreams?  "When I was starting out, we didn't have that.  Thankfully, I had Berry Gordy", said Robinson.  "He was a man that I could trust." Gordy, who created Motown because he "wanted to be heard, wanted to make money, and wanted to get girls", created his empire with a $800 loan from family members that helped catapult the universally indelible Motown sound....

Also Unveils 2011 Budget Amazing testimony today from President Obama as he spoke to students at Parkville Middle School and Center of Technology   to highlight work the students are doing in math, science and engineering. He was asked what it's like to be Commander in Chief. Read the exchange below, that includes some telling information, including what really gets on President Obama's nerves. Parkville Middle School Student: What does it feel like to be President? President Obama: " What does it feel like to be the President? You know, some days -- some days you're burdened by some really tough decisions. Some of you may have family members who are in Afghanistan, for example. And I'm the Commander-in-Chief, and so I'm responsible for sending those young men and women over, who are doing an amazing job. Some of them get hurt. Some of them get killed. And so you feel a responsibility that is profound about making that decision. Even though you think ...