Politics. On Point.

President Obama celebrated his birthday (officially today, August 4th) in Chicago last evening with a few friends while making a couple of speeches during DNC events. Among those helping him celebrate, singer Jennifer Hudson , and others at Chicago's Aragon Entertainment Center. Mr. President said he couldn't have had a better birthday present than spending the night in Chicago, his 'home town'.  "It's true that I turn 50 tomorrow," he said, adding that by the time he wakes up tomorrow he expects an email from AARP "asking me to call President Obama and tell him to protect Medicare." Despite the focus being on him he was par for the course in addressing the needs of Americans, and of course, the tumultuous few weeks (months) in Washington trying to pass the debt ceiling bill. Addressing the crowd of about 2,400 at one DNC event the president said, "We’ve just gone through an extraordinary week in Washington", the president sai...

White House Reporter's Career Ends After Nearly Sixty Years I was there when (then) White House Correspondent Helen Thomas was stopped - as she headed to the James Brady Briefing Room of the White House - by Rabbi Nesenoff as he began his interview with the storied reporter. Rabbi Nesenoff (seated left of woman in glasses) at the President's media event prior to the  Jewish American Heritage reception at the White House on May 27, 2010.  Photo/CD Brown. Apparently, what started out as a friendly interview by Nesenoff, his son and another young Jewish American from New York, credentialed to cover the Jewish American Heritage Festival on May 27th (their first time at the White House) turned sour, and shocked many. As I stopped by to briefly listen to the interview, Ms. Thomas was asked by Rabbi Nesenoff about her career in the media as well as what advice she had to those just starting out in the media, to which Ms. Thomas replied...