Atlanta, GA – President Barack Obama delivered a commencement address to Morehouse College on Sunday, stressing the importance of personal responsibility to the school’s historically-black, all-male graduating class.

“My whole life, I’ve tried to be for Michelle and my girls what my father wasn’t for my mother and me,” Obama said, referring to his own childhood.

“I want to break that cycle where a father’s not at home, where a father’s not helping to raise that son and daughter. I want to be a better father, a better husband, a better man.”

He told the 500 graduates to “keep setting an example for what it means to be a man.”

He told graduates that they have an obligation to “those still left behind” in the African-American community to be role models both personally and professionally.

President Obama also seemed to suggest that the graduating class can’t blame discrimination in the country for their own failings from here on out. Encouraging them to do the right thing no matter what, he recalled:

“Sometimes I wrote off my own failings as just another example of the world trying to keep a black man down. I had a tendency sometimes to make excuses for me not doing the right thing.”

“But there is no longer any room for excuses,” he said.

The Morehouse College commencement address was notably more personal in tone and content than the speech President Obama gave to Ohio State University graduates two weeks ago.

That speech focused on “citizenship” and themes of civic duty.

He talked about recent tragedies in Aurora, Newtown and Boston, pointing out their respective aftermaths as examples of “courage and compassion, a sense of civic duty, and a recognition that we are not a collection of strangers.”

“That’s what citizenship is,” he said.

What do you think of President Obama’s speech to Morehouse College grads?

[Image via: Erica Joy, Flickr]

Obama Urges Morehouse Grads To Help ‘Those Left Behind’ In Black Communities is a post from: The Inquisitr

President Obama’s “marine umbrella” scandal is the latest in a long line of O-boo-boos this week that have us wondering when the POTUS became such an easy target.

Just in case you missed the original story, President Obama had a U.S. Marine hold an umbrella over his head during a speech, and all absolute hell broke loose.

But here’s what’s asinine about the story: The debate is over a U.S. Marine Corps policy banning umbrella holding. Uniform regulations state that a male Marine cannot hold an umbrella while wearing his uniform.

President Obama may or may not have known this, but in the eyes of his critics, he’s a huge hypocrite/socialist/Kenyan all the same for making this Marine break regulation.

Obama’s “marine umbrella” situation was considered an oddity by others, and a Marine Corps spokesman admitted that seeing a Marine holding an umbrella is “extremely rare.”

Of course, since President Obama is the Commander in Chief, if he tells a Marine to hold an umbrella for him, we’re guessing that said Marine’s commanding officer probably lets it slide.

Still, that hasn’t silenced critics of President Obama, who is just this week dealing with a whole slew of new scandals and several old ones popping up once again in light of the new hotness.

He’s staring down an AP scandal, an IRS scandal, renewed questions about Benghazi, renewed questions about Fast and Furious (the operation, not the movie) as well as juggling a litany of other garden variety complaints on his “to-do” list (“Why are we still at war, why haven’t you closed Gitmo, why is healthcare not as awesome as you promised,” etc. etc.).

Leading the charge against Obama yet again is former Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin:

Scandalous Hat TrickMr. President, when it rains it pours, but most Americans hold their own umbrellas. Today in… fb.me/zAZryzjj

— Sarah Palin (@SarahPalinUSA) May 17, 2013

What do you think of Obama’s “marine umbrella” scandal? Is it really that big of a deal, or is the POTUS just facing pressure for his other mishaps this week?

Obama’s ‘Marine Umbrella’ Scandal Earns POTUS New Round Of Criticism is a post from: The Inquisitr

Have you ever wondered what the President dreams about? Well, Barack Obama dreams of “going Bulworth.”

According to a piece in the New York Times, the President frequently talks about Warren Beatty’s 1998 black comedy Bulworth. The movie features senator Jay. Billington Bulworth who decides to put politics aside in order to speak his mind.

The NY Times writes: “In private, he has talked longingly of “going Bulworth,” a reference to a little-remembered 1998 Warren Beatty movie about a senator who risked it all to say what he really thought. While Mr. Beatty’s character had neither the power nor the platform of a president, the metaphor highlights Mr. Obama’s desire to be liberated from what he sees as the hindrances on him.”

President Obama may dream of going Bulworth but David Axelrod doesn’t believe that the President will go that far. Axelrod said that many presidents have probably fantasized about ditching the politics but said that Obama will attempt to stay practical.

Axelrod said: “Probably every president says that from time to time … It’s probably cathartic just to say it. But the reality is that while you want to be truthful, you want to be straightforward, you also want to be practical about whatever you’re saying.”

President Obama will never go Bulworth but that doesn’t mean that there isn’t a desire for an honest politician. There have been several movies made about politicians who discard the rhetoric in order to speak their minds and comedians like Stephen Colbert have even toyed with the idea of running for office.

Mother Jones notes that Sean Penn urged the President to go Bulworth back in 2011.

Penn said: “I would love to see Barack Obama be Bulworth.”

Obama Wants To Go ‘Bulworth’ During Second Term is a post from: The Inquisitr

President Obama has selected a Twitter lawyer for office.

Nicole Wong has more than a decade of experience as an attorney for Silicon Valley covering copyright and privacy, and all this behind the scenes of a site you might use all the time. Nicole Wong has worked for Google and Twitter, making her a formidable proponent for internet privacy law.

Nicole Wong previously was a vice president and deputy general counsel at Google at its Mountain View, California headquarters. Nicole Wong helped review privacy, copyright, and removal requests, and ultimately gave the thumbs up or down on things that could make or break the company. She was nicknamed “The Decider” for her work with a team of lawyers who reviewed Google’s products, according to the New York Times.

After eight years with Google as part of the Perkins Coie law firm, Nicole Wong moved on to Twitter. With Wong at the helm, Twitter won several accolades for privacy practices. The Electronic Frontier Foundation gave Twitter the full 6 stars in a recent survey of tech companies, titled “Who Has Your Back?” Twitter has also backed a coalition lobbying for three years to have Federal privacy laws rewritten to require search warrants for remote server data.

President Obama selected Nicole Wong as a senior adviser to the chief technology officer, focusing on internet privacy. The current chief technology officer Todd Park took over for Aneesh Chopra, who was the first one appointed to the job and left the company at the beginning of 2012.

Some may find President Obama‘s selection an odd choice after recent hacking from the Syrian Electronic Army had taken over several news site Twitter accounts, an obvious violation of privacy and security. It is also a reversal of previous picks for senior privacy officers, as in the past they have usually been selected from the Library of Congress.

Nicole Wong of Twitter being selected as privacy officer was a controversial move on the part of President Obama, but nowhere near his first.

Do you think President Obama’s selection of a Twitter privacy officer was a good choice?

Twitter Lawyer Selected For Office By President Obama is a post from: The Inquisitr

President Barack Obama made it clear that he has “no tolerance” for military sexual assault after a new Pentagon report shows that such instances have gone up since 2010.

After speaking with Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, President Obama drew a definitive line in the sand, promising to “exponentially step up” investigation into suspected assaults, and promising aggressive prosecution for discovered offenders.

“The bottom line is: I have no tolerance for this,” he said at a press conference Tuesday. The president also made it very clear what he planned to do with those convicted of sexual assault in the military.

“I expect consequences,” he said. “So I don’t just want more speeches or awareness programs or training, but ultimately folks look the other way. If we find out somebody’s engaging in this, they’ve got to be held accountable – prosecuted, stripped of their positions, court martialed, fired, dishonorably discharged. Period.”

New statistics released by the Pentagon show that military sexual assaults have risen dramatically – 35 percent – since 2010.

“For those who are in uniform who’ve experience sexual assault, I want them to hear directly from their commander in chief that I’ve got their backs,” President Obama pledged. “I will support them. And we’re not going to tolerate this stuff, and there will be accountability.”

Obama also talked about rising tensions between North and South Korea. The Tuesday press conference came just after his meeting with South Korean President Park Geun-hye. In their meet, Obama reassured Geun-hye that South Korea’s relationship with the U.S. is still strong after several weeks of intense threats from the North.

“President Park and myself very much share the view that we are going to maintain a strong deterrent capability – that we’re not going to reward provocative behavior,” Obama said.

“But we remain open to the prospect of North Korea taking a peaceful path of de-nuclearization, abiding by international commitments, rejoining the international community and seeing a gradual progression in which both security and prosperity for the people of North Korea can be achieved.”

President Obama Delivers Very Pointed Message On Military Sexual Assault is a post from: The Inquisitr

Just one day after President Obama said he was comfortable with the FDA’s decision to lower the age limit on Plan B, Fox News host Andrea Tantaros questioned how the change would apply to his 14-year-old daughter, Malia.

“So I’m just wondering, at 15 years old, is the Obama daughter, Malia, going to go on birth control? Are they gonna put her on birth control,” Tantaros asked on the May 3 edition of her Talk Radio Network show. “Because he’s very concerned with contraceptives and pharmaceuticals that are going in the mouths of everybody else’s 15-year-old daughter.”

Tantaros added, “President Obama is now the parent-in-chief. Kathleen Sebelius [Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services] is raising your kids. Joe Biden is raising your kids. Oh, not even, it doesn’t stop there. It’s not kids. They consider 15-year olds to be women.”

This is not the first time conservatives have targeted Malia Obama. In the first year of Obama’s presidency, commenters on Free Republic called the then-11-year-old a “typical street whore,” among other racial epithets, when she wore a t-shirt with a peace sign on it during a trip to Europe.

During the BP oil crisis in 2010, Glenn Beck joked that Malia probably asked her father “why he hates black people.” He also speculated on how she asked him about the spill: “Daddy, did you plug the hole yet?” The attack on the president’s adolescent daughter came just days after Beck insisted that the children of political figures should be left out of debates.

“Leave my family, leave people’s families alone…When it was Bill Clinton, you don’t go after Chelsea Clinton. You don’t talk about the Bush kids,” Beck said while interviewing Sarah Palin. “Now, the minute they get into politics, that’s a different story. You leave the families alone.”

Beck later issued a statement about the comment.

“In discussing how President Obama uses children to shield himself from criticism, I broke my own rule about leaving kids out of political debates,” he said. “The children of public figures should be left on the sidelines. It was a stupid mistake and I apologize–and as a dad I should have known better.”

You can listen to Andrea Tantaros’ comments about Malia Obama below.

Do you think Andrea Tantaros went too far questioning whether President Obama would put Malia on birth control?

Fox News’ Andrea Tantaros Asks If Malia Obama Will Take Birth Control [Audio] is a post from: The Inquisitr

On Tuesday, President Barack Obama shot back at Senator Lindsey Graham who had criticized the administration of being at fault for the Boston Marathon bombing last week.

“I have no idea who bears the blame. I just know the system is broken. The ultimate blame I think is with the administration,” Graham told CNN on Thursday.

Obama’s response to Graham was a bit more measured. “Mr. Graham is not right on this issue, although it may have generated some headlines,” he said in a press conference.

Regardless of who is to blame, “We now have one individual deceased, one in custody. Charges have been brought,” Obama continued.

He also applauded the government response to the bombing, pointing out that everyone on the government side did their jobs, and well.

“I think that what we saw in Boston was state, local, federal officials, every agency, rallying around a city that had been attacked, identifying the perpetrators just hours after the scene had been examined,” he said.

Obama continued:

“What I can say is, is that based on what I’ve seen so far, the FBI performed its duties; Department of Homeland Security did what it was supposed to be doing.”

President Obama also waived the notion that people should be afraid of gathering in public places after the attack.

“You don’t get a sense that anybody’s intimidated when they go to Fenway Park a couple days after the bombing,” he said. “There are joggers right now, I guarantee you, all throughout Boston and Cambridge and Watertown.”

Do you think that the Obama administration is to blame for the Boston bombing?

[Image via: Will White, Wikimedia Commons]

Obama Rebuffs Lindsey Graham: ‘We’re Not To Blame For Boston’ is a post from: The Inquisitr

On Tuesday, President Barack Obama said that he is renewing efforts to close the controversial military prison facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, in light of the hunger strike being observed by 100 of the site’s 166 inmates.

“I don’t want these individuals to die,” Obama said of the hunger strike participants. “Obviously the Pentagon is trying to manage the situation as best as they can. But I think all of us should reflect on why exactly are we doing this? Why are we doing this?”

President Obama continued:

“The notion that we’re going to continue to keep over 100 individuals in a no-man’s land in perpetuity — even at a time when we’ve wound down the war in Iraq, we’re winding down the war in Afghanistan, we’re having success defeating al Qaeda, we’ve kept the pressure up on all these transnational terrorist networks, when we’ve transferred detention authority in Afghanistan — the idea that we would still maintain, forever, a group of individuals who have not been tried, that’s contrary to who we are, it’s contrary to our interests, and it needs to stop.”

Obama called Gitmo a ”lingering problem” that is “going to fester,” and admitted that it will be difficult to push closure.

“Now, it’s a hard case to make, because for a lot of Americans, the notion is out of sight, out of mind, and it’s easy to demagogue the issue,” he said.

He’s right, too. According to a 2010 poll, 55 percent of Americans favor keeping Gitmo open, with only 32 percent in favor of closing it. The remaining 13 percent didn’t know how to answer.

Additionally, several observers earlier this year argued that Gitmo’s continued operation is necessary, even if it is a necessary evil.

Writing for CNN, former attorney general Edwin Meese III argued that Gitmo has been “invaluable” during the War on Terror, which he conceded is “different from all previous wars in the sense that we would need to rely more on tactical and strategic intelligence to thwart and defeat the enemy than traditional military might.”

He also argues that under the “law of war,” the capture of enemy combatants is fair play, and as applicable to al Qaeda as to Nazi POWs in WWII.

He also says that neither the Bush nor the Obama administration have provided a feasible alternative to Gitmo, which would need to be considered before the site’s closure.

For the New York Times, Jennifer Daskal, a Department of Justice lawyer and former member of the “Al Qaeda 7,” a group of DOJ members who advocated the closure of Gitmo, reverses her opinion, arguing that Gitmo should stay open after all.

She makes a case that Gitmo’s continued operation isn’t really our fault, because nothing can really be done about it. Under an Obama administration review, many prisoners were found too dangerous to be released or unable to be prosecuted. Others cleared for transfer have been delayed due to increasing instability in home countries like Yemen.

What do you think? Should Gitmo close, or should it stay open?

Obama Renews Efforts To Close Gitmo: ‘I Don’t Want These Individuals To Die’ is a post from: The Inquisitr

President Obama and Conan O’Brien both cracked jokes at Saturday night’s White House Correspondent’s Dinner in Washington D.C. and the team at NowThis has compiled those jokes into a single video.

Joking with attendees Obama proclaimed that the years are finally catching up to him and he’s not ”the strapping young Muslim socialist” he used to be.

The POTUS also took jabs at the standard White House Correspondent’s dinner targets including his GOP opponents and other elite members of society.

At one point President Obama showcased a new hairstyle that looked just like the First Lady’s. Obama proclaimed:

Watch The Best White House Correspondence Dinner Jokes From Obama And Conan O’Brien [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

George W. Bush shed a few tears today during the dedication of his new presidential library.

Bush was joined today by President Obama, Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter, and his father George H.W. Bush in front of the George W. Bush Presidential Library in Dallas, Texas.

President Obama — as well as former presidents Clinton, Carter, and H.W. Bush — took the stage to honor George W. during the dedication ceremony. The former presidents praised Bush for trying to “reach across the aisle” during his presidency. Bush was also complimented for facing the “storm of 911″ head on.

Carter said: “Mr. President let me say that I am filled with admiration for you and deep gratitude for you about the great contributions you’ve made to the most needy people on earth.”

When it was Bush’s turn to speak, he thanked the former presidents and their wives for coming and then began talking about his 8 years as president and the future of America.

Bush started to tear up at the end of his speech, saying: “Franklin Roosevelt described the dedication the libraries an act of faith. I dedicate this library with an unshakable faith in the future of our country. It was the honor of a lifetime to lead a country as brave and as noble as the United States. Whatever challenges come before us I will always believe that our nation’s best days lie ahead. God bless.”

Here’s the video of Bush’s speech today at his Library dedication.

George W. Bush Tears Up During Library Dedication [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

Mitt Romney spent most of last year criticizing President Obama but that doesn’t mean that the former GOP candidate can’t extend a compliment every once in  awhile. Romney said that Obama gave a “superb” speech at the memorial service today in Boston.

Romney attended the service today to honor the the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing. The explosion killed three people and injured about 180 more.

Romney said: “I must admit I was also very impressed with the words of the mayor, Mayor Menino, with our governor, Gov. Deval Patrick, and with the president … I thought the president gave a superb address to the people of this city and the state and the nation. It was an inspiring day.”

During Obama’s speech, he reiterated that the people responsible for the bombing would be found and brought to justice. He also added that the bombing would not deter the spirit of Boston or the United States.

Obama said: That’s the message we send to those who carried this out and anyone who would do harm to our people. Yes, we will find you. And yes, you will face justice. We will find you. We will hold you accountable. But more than that, our fidelity to our way of life, for a free and open society, will only grow stronger, for God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but one of power and love and self-discipline.”

Here’s a video of Obama’s speech in Boston? Do you agree with Mitt Romney? Was the speech superb?

Romney: Obama Gave ‘Superb’ Speech At Boston Memorial Service is a post from: The Inquisitr

We reported earlier that a suspicious letter had been sent to President Barack Obama that may have been linked to a “very similar” letter sent to Republican Senator Roger Wicker that tested positive for the poison ricin. Now we can report that the suspicious letter addressed to Obama also tested positive for the poison and that it was sent from the same individual as the Wicker letter.

Officials confirmed that the Obama letter tested positive for ricin with NBC News on Wednesday.

The letter to Obama was pulled on suspicion at an off-site White House mail facility for testing. Federal officials now believe that they know who sent the letters to both President Obama and Senator Wicker but are waiting for further test results before making an arrest.

Despite the timing, authorities did not initially consider the Ricin letters to be connected to the Boston Marathon bombing on Monday.

“The investigation into these letters remains ongoing, and more letters may still be received,” said the FBI in a statement this morning. “There is no indication of a connection to the attack in Boston.”

Ricin is a poison made from castor beans that is capable of killing within 36 hours. People can become exposed to the poison by touching a ricin-laced letter or by inhaling the particles that enter the air when the envelope is opened. Touching it causes a rash but is not fatal. Inhaling it is a different story. There is no antidote.

Some threatening letters pass the preliminary ricin test when they merely contain ground castor beans instead of the concentrated poison. Because of this, authorities are waiting on full laboratory test results (expected in the next 24 to 48 hours) before acting on their suspicions.

[Image via: Scott Rothstein, Shutterstock.com]

Suspicious Obama Letter Tests Positive For Ricin is a post from: The Inquisitr

President Obama addressed the nation Monday evening after being briefed about the explosions that took place at the Boston Marathon. He said his security team is continuing to monitor and respond to the situation, and that he has directed the full resources of the federal government to help state and local authorities “help protect our people.” He also spoke to Gov. Deval Patrick and Mayor Thomas Menino to assure them that they have every resource to help the families and victims.

“We will get to the bottom of this. We will find out who did this. We will find out why they did this,” Obama said.

He also praised the city, saying, “Boston is a tough and resilient town, so are its people. No doubt they will pull together in this time of tragedy.” He added, “The American people will say a prayer for Boston tonight.”

President Obama also urged people to reserve any judgments about the attack. “We still do not know who did this or why. People shouldn’t jump to conclusions before we have all the facts,” he said. He added that tragedies like this transcend party lines. “On days like this there are no Republicans or Democrats, we are Americans, united for our common causes,” Obama said.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Homeland Security are now involved in the incident. “Anyone responsible will feel the full weight of justice,” the president said.

At this time, many are wondering what they can do to help the victims of the explosions. The American Red Cross is accepting monetary and blood donations,  but anything other than that should be considered a scam. A fake Boston Marathon Twitter account was set up shortly after the explosions, saying that for every retweet, $1.00 would be donated to the victims. Twitter users realized the account wasn’t legitimate, and it has since been suspended.

Any Twitter of Facebook pages asking for likes, shares, or retweets should be considered suspicious, and donation pages should be avoided.

[Photo credit: maxhphoto / Shutterstock.com]

Boston Marathon Explosion: President Obama Address The Nation is a post from: The Inquisitr

Are you a fan of President Obama? Would you like to get your hands on some Obama paraphernalia, even if you have to “circumvent” the law, so to speak? Well whatever you do, stay away from his teleprompters. Someone just got seven years in prison for stealing one.

Eric Brown of Richmond, Virginia, confessed to stealing one of President Obama’s teleprompters, as well as a truckload full of other White House press stuff.

This constitutes “theft of government property” which is worse than theft of private property, but it was Brown’s “nightmarishly long” record that likely saddled him with a seven year prison sentence. He has a history of drug use, and was a suspect in about a dozen other truck thefts, according to court documents.

Court officials didn’t mince words regarding Mr. Brown, either.

“If I had to sum up Mr. Brown’s character, it would be that he’s a thief,” said U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney said at the sentencing Thursday.

Brown stole the White House communications van which contained the teleprompter back in October 2011.

Probably the worst part for Brown is that he didn’t even realize whose van he had stolen until he started unloading it. Despite the presidential seals on the truck, Brown only realized what he had done when he found the teleprompter, sound system, and press office equipment, said prosecutor Laura Taylor.

“The theft of government property is a serious offense,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Roderick Young. “It’s all the more serious when the property belongs to the White House Communications Agency.”

Young did admit that seven years is a long time for Obama’s teleprompter thief.

“No it’s not,” replied U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney.

Don’t steal Obama’s teleprompters.

[Image via: Will White, Wikimedia Commons]

Obama Teleprompter Thief Gets Seven Years is a post from: The Inquisitr

Representative Paul Ryan is earning a bit of criticism over comments made about abortion on Thursday. Ryan is unambiguously anti-abortion, and said that like-minded activists should try to find common ground with pro-choice individuals in order to advance their agenda.

The Wisconsin Republican said in a speech to the Susan B. Anthony List said that abortion opponents ”need to work with people who consider themselves pro-choice – because our task isn’t to purge our ranks. It’s to grow them.”

“We don’t want a country where abortion is simply outlawed. We want a country where it isn’t even considered,” he said.

Ryan said that the anti-abortion base should stay strong, and said that pro-choice advocates often condemn their opponents until they give up their convictions. But, in Ryan’s words, ”that would only demoralize our voters.”

He also said that instead of over-turning abortion outright, the pro-life movements should seek to make small changes to existing laws that ”raise questions about abortion.”

Ryan’s comments are somewhat ambiguous, because he doesn’t exactly lay out what changes should be made to the law in order to “raise questions” about abortion. Still, he is angling for a bipartisan solution to the divisive issue, and his comments recall those of President Barack Obama himself.

Speaking in 2012 on the 39th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, President Obama said (emphasis ours):

“I remain committed to protecting a woman’s right to choose and this fundamental constitutional right. While this is a sensitive and often divisive issue—no matter what our views, we must stay united in our determination to prevent unintended pregnancies, support pregnant woman and mothers, reduce the need for abortion, encourage healthy relationships, and promote adoption.”

Of course, the divide between the two is that President Obama supports Roe v. Wade, while Ryan does not. But there are some interesting questions here.

What do you think? Is Paul Ryan trying to find a backdoor to making abortion illegal, or can pro-choice and pro-life advocates come together to “reduce the need” for it?

[Image via: Gage Skidmore, Wikimedia Commons]

Paul Ryan Imagines America That Doesn’t Even Consider Abortion is a post from: The Inquisitr

Jay-Z’s “Open Letter” is the new song that he posted to SoundCloud today to vent to the world about all of his troubles this week. Poor Jay-Z. What a life.

In “Open Letter,” the always modest and unassuming rapper compared himself to Bob Dylan, mentioning “Idiot Wind” by name just in case you didn’t get it yet.

This week’s troubles began when, for reasons best known to Jay-Z and wife Beyoncé, the happy couple decided to celebrate five years of wedded bliss by traveling to Havana, Cuba, which has been under travel restriction for United States citizens for decades. Upon their return a few days ago, outraged Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) played to his Cuban emigré voters by demanding an investigation of the trip, which he called illegal.

Conservative actress Stacey Dash even weighed in on Rubio’s side, setting off a Twitter war.

Despite the brouhaha, the US Treasury Department spoke up to assure the public that the Jay-Z and Beyoncé anniversary trip was legal as an educational outreach, since they took time from chillin’ on the beach to meet locals at museums and schools.

Despite the help of the Treasury Department in calling off the conservative dogs, Jay-Z didn’t seem particularly grateful. In Open Letter, he raps, “Politicians never did sh*t for me/Except lie to me” and later suggests that Obama told him that he was in danger of being impeached over the trip.

I say, don’t let it go to your head, honey. You’re not that important.

However, he might feel a bit put-upon because the hassle comes the same week that Jay-Z was informed that if he wants to go ahead with his plans to become a National Basketball Association (NBA) agent, then he needs to sell his share of the Brooklyn Nets. Owning a piece of a team is a clear conflict of interest if you want to represent players.

His percentage is reportedly a tiny one percent, so it wouldn’t seem like a terrific sacrifice, but apparently he’s bitter about that too. In the new song, he alleges that he could have brought the Nets to Brooklyn for free, presumably with his pretty face and charming personality.

Billboard has posted Jay-Z’s NSFW rap, “Open Letter” here.

Do you care that The Jay Z”s have taken the capital you have given them and funded a communist oppressive regime?

— Stacey Dash (@REALStaceyDash) April 9, 2013

I just replayed Jay-Z “Open Letter” like 10 times already. Legendary bars man. SMH.

— Bdell1014 (@Bdell1014) April 11, 2013

Whether you’re a fan or a hater, you have to admit that Jay-Z’s trip to Cuba and the resulting publicity will get plenty of ears for “Open Letter.”

UPDATE: Jay Carney, President Obama’s press secretary, has responded to Jay-Z’s ‘Open Letter’ by saying, “I guess nothing rhymes with Treasury. The White House, from the president on down, had nothing to do with anybody’s…travel to Cuba. It’s a song.”

[Beyonce and Jay-Z photo by Featureflash / Shutterstock.com]

Jay-Z’s ‘Open Letter’ Fires Back At Cuba Critics is a post from: The Inquisitr

Michelle Obama is a single mom? The First Lady accidentally described herself as a “busy single mother” during a TV interview on Thursday morning.

Michelle was doing an interview with CBS this week when she momentarily forgot that she had a husband.

The First Lady laughed off the gaff and then explained that she sometimes feels like a single mom because her husband Barack is often busy, you know, being president.

Michelle said: “You know, when you’ve got the husband who’s president, it can feel a little single … but he’s there.”

The First Lady said that it also felt like she was a single mom when Barack Obama was a senator. Michelle said that she did most of the child raising while Obama was running for the White House.

Michelle said: “Before coming to the White House, I was in that position … Working, driving kids to practice, not having enough time to shop or cook, not having the energy.”

Obama’s single mom comments comes on the same day that the President was caught complimenting another woman. When the President introduced Attorney General Kamala Harris today he said that she was the best looking attorney general the United States had ever seen.

Here’s the video of Michelle Obama talking about being a single mother.

What do you think of Michelle’s comments? Do you think the President is a bad father for concentrating on his political career? Can a person be a good parent and a good president at the same time?

Michelle Obama: I’m A ‘Single Mom’ [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

In 2012, a YouTube video about Lord’s Resistance Army chief Joseph Kony went viral, introducing many to the cruel and violent war criminal for the first time. One year later, in 2013, Kony is still presumably at large, and no one is really that close to catching him. The White House placed a $5 million bounty on Kony’s head Wednesday, but Uganda has pretty much given up looking for him.

Kony is wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes, and is accused (along with his commanders) of abducting thousands of children to use as soldiers in his rebel army. Gruesomely, he is also known for chopping off the limbs of his slave soldiers as a form of punishment.

Kony and what’s left of his army are thought to be hiding in the jungles on the borders of the Central African Republic, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Uganda provides over 3,000 troops to the 5,000+ African Union force hunting Kony, but are pulling their men out and abandoning the search.

They say that hostility toward foreign troops by Central African Republic rebels is to blame for their decision.

“These rebels have been openly hostile to us and following that, the president (of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni) has ordered us only to be in defensive positions,” said Dick Olum, Ugandan troop boss and leader in the hunt for Kony.

“So we’ve temporarily suspended offensive operations against the LRA for now until we receive further orders,” he said Wednesday.

Interestingly, Uganda’s decision to quit the search (for now) comes on the same day that the Obama administration offered up to $5 million in rewards for information that leads to the capture of Kony.

The bounties are offered by the State Department through a provision in the War Crimes Rewards Program authored by Secretary of State John Kerry when he was still just a senator. It was signed into law by President Obama in January.

What do you think? Will a $5 million purse increase efforts to find Joseph Kony, or is Uganda’s search halt an even bigger obstacle to bringing this war criminal to justice?

Obama Puts $5M On Kony’s Head, Just As Uganda Stops Looking For Him is a post from: The Inquisitr

If President Obama wants to sell stricter gun control to the nation, he’s going to need to pick up some more relevant and accurate statistics to back his argument, according to several fact-checking outlets. As the POTUS heads to Colorado Wednesday to push such legislation, some are questioning the validity of his rhetoric and the accuracy of one particular statistic which is key to his argument.

The statistic being questioned is the oft-cited “40 percent of gun purchases occur without a background check.” President Obama has made the claim in several speeches, and now everyone from the NRA to the Washington Post are calling him out for it.

“Why wouldn’t we want to make it more difficult for a dangerous person to get his or her hand on a gun?” Obama asked in a speech last week. “Why wouldn’t we want to close the loophole that allows as many as 40 percent of all gun purchases to take place without a background check? Why wouldn’t we do that?”

That figure was pulled from a 1997 study performed by the National Institute of Justice. It’s actually an estimate on the sale of guns among people who are not licensed gun dealers. The estimate’s origins go even further back to a 1994 survey of 2,568 households. In that survey, only 251 people answered a question about where they purchased their guns.

Worse, PolitiFact tracked down the study’s co-author, Duke University professor Philip Cook. They asked him if he thought the 40 percent estimate is accurate. “The answer is I have no idea,” he told PolitiFact. “This survey was done almost 20 years ago.”

You can read a more complete and complex breakdown of the statistic’s flaws here.

Of course, not everyone agrees with the Post fact-checker.

“While slagging the president may be good for business, the effect of (the newspaper’s) false ruling is to undermine legitimate efforts to keep the public safe, and to obscure the real enemy of reliable data on gun violence,” said Mediaite‘s Tommy Christopher in a rebuttal.

“It is possible to conclude that as few as 26.4% of gun owners in that study ‘purchased’ their gun without a background check, 20.4% if you factor in the margin of error,” he said.

The Obama administration has not responded to questions regarding the use of the statistic.

What do you think? Do you agree with the Post fact-checker, or do you think that the statistic is accurate and fair game?

The Battle Over Obama’s Sketchy Background Check Statistics is a post from: The Inquisitr

Public Policy Polling released its latest “conspiracy” poll, which asks Americans questions related to just about every single conspiracy theory you’ve ever heard of. Of the 1,247 registered American voters surveyed, an uncomfortable margin still believe pretty weird stuff, like that President Obama is in fact, the Biblical Antichrist.

They’re in the minority, but you’ll probably be surprised by just how many people believe in a number of conspiracies. For instance, how many believe in “a secretive power elite with a globalist agenda … conspiring to eventually rule the world through an authoritarian world government?” Roughly 28 percent. Over a quarter.

From there, about 21 percent believe that a UFO did indeed land in Roswell, New Mexico, and that the government has covered it up ever since.

About 13 percent believe that President Obama is the Biblical Antichrist, who will usher in the end times according to Christian eschatology, and 4 percent believe that “shape-shifting reptilian people control our world by taking on human form and gaining political power to manipulate our societies.”

Now 4 percent is low, but that’s a one-in-four chance that one out of ten people you meet believes that life is the plot of They Live or the short-lived cult TV series V.

There are also other questions about the War on Terror, the conspiratorial link between vaccines and autism, even whether the government taints the water supply to control us. Interestingly, there’s a “not sure” option which floats around 10 percent on nearly every question …

Answering questions like “Do you believe media or the government adds secret mind-controlling technology to television broadcast signals, or not?” with “not sure” seems funnier (and maybe even crazier) than responding “yes” to me for some reason.

Anyway, it’s a short survey and the results are very simple to read. You can check out the Public Policy Polling results here, but come back and let us know what you think of some of these “conspiracies.” Do you think UFOs landed? Do you think Obama is the Antichrist? Sound off!

[Image via: Wikimedia Commons]

Conspiracy Poll Shows How Many Americans Think Obama Is The Antichrist is a post from: The Inquisitr

Hurry, someone call the animal helpline. President Obama is forcing his dog Bo to pose for embarrassing Easter photos.

The President took to Twitter today to post a photo of his dog Bo in a pair of Easter ears.

The President started his Easter greeting with a link to his weekly address. The President used a quote from his weekly speech to wish American around the country a happy Easter.

Obama wrote: “These holy days afford us the precious opportunity to slow down & spend some quiet moments in prayer & reflection … To treat others as we wish to be treated ourselves. That’s the common humanity that binds us together.”

And then he shared a photo of his dog Bo, writing: “Happy Easter.”

According to Fox News, Obama celebrated the holiday with First Lady Michelle and his two daughters Sasha and Malia at a Sunday service at St. John’s Church. Obama has attended mass at St. John’s before and, according to the church, so has every other president since James Madison. The church even has the ninth pew marked with a brass plaque that reads: The President’s Pew.

It’s unclear if the President made Bo wear his bunny ears before or after church.

Happy Easter! twitter.com/BarackObama/st…

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) March 31, 2013

Bo was definitely in the Easter spirit this weekend. On Friday, the President’s best friend spent the day hunting for Easter eggs.

Here’s the president’s weekly address.

Bo Obama Wears Easter Ears For Presidential Twitter Pic is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Daily Show‘s Jon Stewart shredded President Obama Wednesday, criticizing him for failing our nation’s wounded veterans.

Stewart revealed that many veterans have been waiting for over a year for benefits, and that the number of those in queue has grown 2000% during Obama’s presidency. “That’s f—ing criminal,” said an incredulous Stewart, adding that the president can’t point the finger at Republicans for the problem, because it’s not an issue of obstruction or funding, but rather of poor organization and negligent oversight.

A big part of the problem seems to be that the VA tracks patient records on paper, while the Department of Defense uses a different and incompatible spreadsheet program. “I swear this is true,” Stewart defended.

Stewart placed the onus of the decision squarely on President Obama’s shoulders, arguing that it’s a decision he can just make himself, which would then lead to a positive impact on how our wounded veterans are treated and cared for.

“If you’re making a case that government has a meaningful role to play in improving people’s lives, then when you’re not obstructed from doing what you want, you better f—ing bring it,” Stewart concluded.

Though Stewart had very harsh words for President Obama, Republicans weren’t spared his ire on Wednesday, either. On the issue of marriage equality, Stewart condemned several Republicans who haven’t yet come around to support the issue, namely Senator Saxby Chambliss and Marco Rubio. He also criticized up-and-coming GOP favorite Dr. Ben Carson.

Particularly, he played a clip of Rubio saying that leaving the gay marriage decision up to the individual states doesn’t make one a “bigot,” to which Stewart agreed.

“He’s got a point. Believing that the definition of marriage should be left to the states doesn’t make you a bigot. But believing that those states should define that to be traditional marriage… that does, actually.”

Watch the video of Stewart criticizing Obama below:

Jon Stewart Shreds Obama On VA Benefits: ‘It’s F—ing Criminal’ [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

Does President Obama have a shape-shifting alien bodyguard? He absolutely does, and we have grainy, inconclusive video to prove it!

It’s possible you’ve seen a nutty conspiracy video on YouTube titled “OBAMA ALIEN demon UFO ghost 666 devil SECRET SERVICE.” With almost 3 million views, we clicked on it to see what all the hubbub was about. It’s basically three minutes of narrated footage showing “a shapeshifter alien humanoid working for the powers that be.”

The text-to-speech program narrator shows clips of a bald-headed Secret Service Agent protecting Obama during his March 4 speech to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. He acts strangely, and apparently shape-shifts into a reptile on camera. The best part? It was all “caught in a high-definition video during an event of the Zionist cabal.”

Shockingly, the video went viral with millions of views in just one week. It’s not the only one of its kind, either. I almost always have a “Nephilim” or “Anunnaki” video in my recommended or features stream on YouTube, and I’ve never gone looking for any such thing, scout’s honor.

In any case, the real fun began when the National Security Council was contacted about the video.

“I can’t confirm the claims made in this video, but any alleged program to guard the president with aliens or robots would likely have to be scaled back or eliminated in the sequester,” spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden said. “I’d refer you to the Secret Service or Area 51 for more details.”

Maybe that’s a joke, but we are required by our journalistic standards to point out that’s not exactly a “no.”

In any case, where is the public outcry for laid off shape-shifting alien bodyguards? They have zero fair representation. YouTube user “jane trivium,” you should be ashamed of yourself for such shameless character assassination. He’s just an honest shape-shifting alien bodyguard trying to provide for his family. He yawns and accidentally turns into a reptile for two seconds, and you’re ready to crucify him? Let’s not be so petty, people.

Here’s the video of President Obama’s shape-shifting alien bodyguard:

President Obama Has A Shape-Shifting Alien Bodyguard [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

Michele Bachmann really didn’t want to talk to CNN.

The congresswoman led CNN correspondent Dana Bash on a high-speed, high-heel chase Tuesday as she tried to duck questions about some questionable claims she had made during her CPAC conference speech. “She literally raced away from our Dana Bash,” Anderson Cooper said on his show.

Bachmann had claimed that President Obama was living a kingly lifestyle inside the White House on the taxpayer’s dime, claiming that he had hired an expensive professional dog walker and multiple first-rate chefs to prepare meals for the first family.

“The claims of $1.4 billion in White House perks and excess, they fail on the facts in simple fairness,” Cooper said.

Bachmann apparently culled her information from a 131-page self-published book by a long-time Republican lobbyist. The book’s claims are suspect because they don’t provide specific sourcing, and the only scholarly work done on the subject was published in 2010 by the Brookings Institution, a left-leaning think tank.

That report, brought to light by The Washington Post, showed that Bush’s White House cost about $1.6 billion to run. Most of it went to the Secret Service and White House helicopters, not perks. Even if Bachmann’s claims are correct, and Obama is spending most of his White House operating expenses on personal pleasures, his White House is still about $200 million cheaper as of now.

CNN dispatched Bash to follow-up with Bachmann, who soon found herself in a literal race for answers.

“She was moving so fast, I have to tell you it tested my endurance,” Bash recalled. A video shows an out-of-breath Bash asking Bachmann questions about her claims.

“You talked about the excesses that he’s engaged in, the fact that he has a dog walker, which is not true,” Bash said.

“The big point of my speech was about Benghazi,” Bachmann responded. “This was an absolute disaster.” Bachmann also snapped on Bash for bringing up the dog walker.

“But Congresswoman, you’re the one who brought it up!” Bash replied, to which Bachmann began to flee.

“What’s amazing about the quote is she tried to turn it against you as if, how dare you bring up a dog walker, something so petty when because of the horror of what happened in Benghazi,” Cooper said. “It takes a lot to make me speechless. I was speechless,” Bash said.

The video of Bachmann running away from Bash isn’t available to embedding, but you can watch it here.

Michele Bachmann Leads CNN’s Dana Bash On A High-Speed High-Heel Chase is a post from: The Inquisitr

Did you think that Satan looked an awful lot like President Obama on last night’s episode of The Bible? If so, it’s all in your head according to The History Channel.

Controversy dusted up early Monday morning over Sunday’s episode of The Bible, which depicted Satan portrayed by actor Mohamen Mehdi Ouazanni. Viewers took to Twitter almost immediately to allege that the role was cast with an actor who looks suspiciously like our Commander in Chief, President Barack Obama.

We reported on the Obama Satan look-alike earlier today and had to admit that the resemblance was pretty uncanny. Even conservative pundit Glenn Beck curiously pointed it out on his Twitter feed.

Just hours after the controversy started to stir, The History Channel released a statement in which they said that the resemblance was in no way intentional and that they wouldn’t dare disrespect the president in such a way intentionally.

The statement read, in part:

“HISTORY channel has the highest respect for President Obama. The series was produced with an international and diverse cast of respected actors. It’s unfortunate that anyone made this false connection. HISTORY’s The Bible is meant to enlighten people on its rich stories and deep history.”

The Bible‘s executive producers Mark Burnett and Roman Downey also sounded off on the controversy:

“This is utter nonsense,” said Burnett. “The actor who played Satan, Mehdi Ouzaani, is a highly acclaimed Moroccan actor. He has previously played parts in several Biblical epics– including Satanic characters long before Barack Obama was elected as our President.”

A peek at his IMDb page shows that Ouazanni has played villainous characters throughout his career, but whether he has played “Satanic” characters wasn’t readily apparent to this author.

Downey added, “Both Mark and I have nothing but respect and love our President, who is a fellow Christian. False statements such as these are just designed as a foolish distraction to try and discredit the beauty of the story of The Bible.”

Glenn Beck clarified his thoughts on the controversy this morning as well:

Media – relax. Actor has been in similar roles b4. Funny, nothing more. For different reasons, #TheBible is 1 of my fav shows. Keep watching

— Glenn Beck (@glennbeck) March 18, 2013

The Bible continues to be ratings gold for The History Channel, and, if nothing else, this morning’s Obama Satan look-alike controversy will undoubtedly drive up interest in the five-part narrative telling of the Christian holy book. So I guess everybody wins in the end.

Do you watch The Bible? What do you think of the Obama Satan look-alike controversy?

Obama Satan Look-Alike Was Not Intentional, Says History is a post from: The Inquisitr

If you were watching The Bible on the History Channel the other day, you may have noticed that the actor playing Satan looks an awful lot like our commander in chief. If so, you’re definitely not the only one.

Created by Roma Downey and her husband, reality TV demigod Mark Burnett, The Bible adapts Christianity’s holy book from Genesis to Revelation in “one grand narrative” within five two-hour parts.

In an op-ed for The Huffington Post, the couple wrote of their intentions, “we wanted to show how the Old Testament connects seamlessly to the New Testament. How they are one sweeping story with one grand, overriding message: God loves each one of us as if we were the only person in all the world to love.”

But is the idea that President Barack Obama is the Devil sort of a bonus message?

Satan, a.k.a. The Bible‘s “Big Bad,” showed up on Sunday night, with hundreds of viewers on Twitter noting the actor’s resemblance to President Obama. Actor Mohamen Mehdi Ouazanni looks pretty much exactly like Obama, albeit a slightly older version, so his casting as the Devil seemed like a political statement to some viewers.

It’s not like TV shows are opposed to doing such a thing. Remember Game of Thrones? The now-infamous impalement of George W. Bush’s head on a spike?

Anyone else think the Devil in #TheBible Sunday on HIstory Channel looks exactly like That Guy? twitter.com/glennbeck/stat…

— Glenn Beck (@glennbeck) March 17, 2013

Okay, is it coincidence that satan in The Bible series on History Channel looks a lot like Obama? Please tell me someone else noticed this.

— Amelia Summers(@summersamelia) March 18, 2013

I had a lot of good will for Christianity this week. I like the new Pope, I’ve met a few people who live their lives faithfully and don’t…

— Diane (@FollowMal) March 18, 2013

push too hard, mostly show be example that Christianity is good. Then #TheBible with it’s purposeful Satan/Obama thing turned me off.

— Diane (@FollowMal) March 18, 2013

What do you think? Is Satan supposed to look exactly like Obama on History’s The Bible? Sound off below our gallery of famous depictions of The Devil:

Is Satan Supposed To Look Exactly Like Obama On History’s ‘The Bible?’ is a post from: The Inquisitr

Ha! You see? He loves pie! SOCIALIST!

Happy Pi Day, With President Obama is a post from: The Inquisitr

President Obama poked fun at himself and reporters during Saturday nights Gridiron dinner. The dinner is a function of the Gridiron Club and Foundation, an elite group of journalists founded in Washington in 1885. The foundation  is available by membership invite only.

After Bob Woodward attacked White House aide Gene Sperling and threatened him in an email, President Obama told the dinner’s guests, ”We noticed that some folks couldn’t make it this evening. It’s been noted that Bob Woodward sends his regrets, which Gene Sperling predicted.” President Obama then added, ” I have to admit this whole brouhaha had me a little surprised. Who knew Gene could be so intimidating? (Laughter.) Or let me phrase it differently — who knew anybody named Gene could be this intimidating? (Laughter)”

Going after Woodward further, President Obama told those in attendance, ”Now I know that some folks think we responded to Woodward too aggressively. But hey, when has — can anybody tell me when an administration has ever regretted picking a fight with Bob Woodward? (Laughter.) What’s the worst that could happen? (Laughter and applause.)”

Talking about the presses complaints over access and transparency, President Obama added, ”Now, since I don’t often speak to a room full of journalists — (laughter) — I thought I should address a few concerns tonight. Some of you have said that I’m ignoring the Washington press corps — that we’re too controlling. You know what, you were right. I was wrong and I want to apologize in a video you can watch exclusively at whitehouse.gov. (Laughter.)”

The President then went on to acknowledge the work of Ed Henry, telling those in attendance, “While we’re on this subject, I want to acknowledge Ed Henry, who is here — who is the fearless leader of the Washington press corps now. (Applause.) And at Ed’s request, tonight I will take one question from the press.” The POTUS then added, “Jay, do we have a question? (Laughter.) Surprisingly, it’s a question from Ed Henry. (Laughter.) “Mr. President, will you be taking any questions tonight?” (Laughter.)  I’m happy to answer that. No, Ed, I will not. (Laughter.)”

While President Obama was quick to joke with the press corps members in attendance, he was also quick to praise their integrity. According to President Obama:

“In an age when all it takes to attract attention is a Twitter handle and some followers, it’s easier than ever to get it wrong. But it’s more important than ever to get it right. And I am grateful for all the journalists who do one of the toughest jobs there is with integrity and insight and dedication — and a sense of purpose — that goes beyond a business model or a news cycle.”

This week we have seen quite a bit of the playful Obama side after a massive snowfall President Obama posted the following “Snow Day’ photo:

During the Gridiron dinner, President Obama also poked fun at Marco Rubio, the President picked up a class of water, took a sip, and then put it down. Obama then proclaimed,  ”That, Marco Rubio, is how you take a sip of water.”

Taking a jab at the Republican base, Obama declared:

“I am too skinny to run [for the GOP]. At least that’s what my friend Chris Christie keeps telling me.”

Obama poked fun at himself during the dinner, at the GOP, and at those who have attacked his administration; yet, for one night, it was all in jest and worth a few big laughs.

What do you think of President Obama’s Gridiron dinner jokes?

Obama Pokes Fun At Self, GOP, And Reporters During Gridiron Dinner is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Obama administration has been accused using some very vulgar terms to describe a young female reporter. Frequent MSNBC contributor Jonathan Alter voiced the allegations while discussing Robert Gibbs supposedly uninviting him to a White House press corps dinner.

Jonathan Alter maintains that a young female reporter was called a b***h, c**t, a**h**e during Barack Obama’s 2008 White House campaign. The veteran journalist also claims that he had the young reported ask some important and tough questions about a possible Obama Cabinet secretary, The Blaze notes.

Alter had this to say about the young female reporter allegedly being referred to in a vulgar manner:

“She was doing her job and they were trying to bully her. In an email they called her the vilest names.”

The MSNBC contributor also maintains that when he complained about the alleged reporter name-calling, he faced “hemming and hawing” and nothing really happened after the supposed incident was reportedly looked into.

As previously reported by The Inquisitr, Bob Woodward sparked controversy when leveling similar claims of admonishment and retribution against the Obama administration.

The president’s press office is more “skilled and disciplined” at manipulating the narrative than another other in history, according to the New York Post. Although the Obama administration may be very social media savvy when trying to get their message out, professional journalists have always had the ability to ask tough questions and offer scathing commentaries.

Pushing the blame for the Obama-friendly media entirely on the supposed horrible treatment of dogged journalists is somewhat disingenuous. Choosing such venues may have prevented a Bill O’Reilly style interview but did not negate the ability of journalists to write an honest critique of speech claims and policy initiatives.

Many members of the media need only look in the mirror when searching for a culprit in the literary love-fest. If fear of being uninvited to a dinner or being moved from the front row during a press briefing guides the fingers on the keyboard, then the journalist is not representing the media industry with any measure of integrity.

If the Obama administration is flexing their muscles to pressure the media more adeptly than other Oval Office holders, it took far too long for the information to come to light. I did not vote for President Obama and firmly feel he is taking the country in the wrong direction, but it would be unfair to place all of the blame for the lack of hard reporting at his feet.

The monopoly of fluff pieces and warm and fuzzy coverage of President Obama’s initiatives could not have happened without the complicity of those taking notes during press briefings and covering the campaign. The power of the pen may be a cliché phrase, but it still applies. Many conservative political commentators took the president to task for consenting to primarily soft news venues prior to the election.

If claims that the Obama administration bullied a young female reporter and called her vile slurs, that is, of course, very unprofessional behavior. But even if Bob Woodward and Jonathan Alter’s allegations are 100 percent accurate, a bully is only successful  if the intended target is willing to remain a victim.

What do you think of the relationship between President Obama and the media?

Obama Administration Accused Of Calling A Young Female Reporter Nasty Names is a post from: The Inquisitr

Leonard Nimoy isn’t normally one to sound off on politics, but a recent presidential flub was just too good for the Star Trek alum to pass up.

Nimoy, who played Spock in the original Star Trek series and the successful film franchise, corrected President Barack Obama’s Friday comments about needing a “Jedi mind meld” to deal with Congress.

Here’s Obama’s comments regarding the sequester:

“I know this has been some of the conventional wisdom floating around Washington, that somehow even though most people agree that I’m being reasonable, that most people agree I’m presenting a fair deal, the fact that they don’t take it means that I should somehow, you know, do a Jedi mind meld with these folks and convince them to do what’s right.”

Fans of both Star Trek and Star Wars were quick to point out the flub President Obama made. In Star Wars, you see, there’s the “Jedi mind trick,” by which a Jedi Knight can exert their will on the feeble-minded. Then in Star Trek there’s the “Vulcan mind meld,” which is more of a way to share memories, thoughts, etc. through touch.

“Completely different!” cries the nerd in all of us.

We could get into the finer differences between a “Jedi mind trick” and a “Vulcan mind meld” (and even uncover instances where they are sometimes pretty close to the same) all day, but this article is about Leonard Nimoy’s response to Obama’s pop culture flub.

Which was:

Only a Vulcan mind meld will help with this congress. LLAP

— Leonard Nimoy (@TheRealNimoy) March 1, 2013

Fantastic!

Of course, this just leads me to wonder which is worse: President Obama making a minor sci-fi faux pas, or going way out of your way to defend him for it?

Because that’s exactly what the Vancouver Sun, Mashable, and even an MIT blog bent over backwards to do. They reached into obscure novels of the Star Wars expanded universe to show that there is really a such thing as a “Jedi Mind Meld!” Well, that was close. God forbid President Obama be wrong about something so small as a pop culture reference.

Come on, guys. Even Salon and NPR were smart enough to steer away from that one.

What do you think? Was President Obama technically in the clear for his “Jedi Mind Meld” flub? Either way, the fact the Leonard Nimoy entered the fray to sound off on it was simply sublime.

Leonard Nimoy Sounds Off On Obama’s ‘Jedi Mind Meld’ is a post from: The Inquisitr

David Gregory grilled House Speaker John Boehner over his recent use of foul language in a directive to his opponents in the Senate.

Boehner raised a few eyebrows last Tuesday when he criticized the Senate’s lack of action on the sequester cuts (which went into effect this weekend). Boehner’s House passed legislation twice in an attempt to either stall or solve the sequester, while the president and the Senate didn’t do much of anything.

Frustrated, and likely understanding that the American people largely blame Republicans for our financial woes, Boehner scolded the Senate, telling them to “get off their ass and do something.”

Gregory, host of NBC’s Meet The Press, was apparently very troubled by the House Speaker’s use of foul language, asking Boehner if such talk was unbecoming of a person of his office in a recent interview.

Boehner balked at the question.

“Listen, I speak English,” Boehner replied. “The fact is, the House has done its work. We have this sequester because the president demanded it and because Senate Democrats have refused to act.”

The interview later turned to subject matter of substance, with Gregory asking Boehner if the sequester would hurt the economy or slow economic recovery.

“I don’t know whether it’s going to hurt the economy or not,” Boehner replied. “I don’t think anyone quite understands how the sequester is really going to work.”

When asked if the president and his cabinet were exaggerating the effects of the sequester, Boehner replied that he believed they were. He did add that he himself worries about sequestration’s impact on the “economy and its impact on our military.”

Sequestration has been a muddy and controversial topic lately, with both sides stumping more often to sling blame than to solve economic problems. President Obama and co., confident with their election victories, have attempted to discredit their rivals in the GOP (who wouldn’t, if given the opportunity?) but have left some wondering whether they over-played their hand over the sequester, according to a New York Times op-ed.

In any case, with our nation’s future uncertain, it’s a good thing we at least have people in the press like David Gregory asking the tough questions.

Watch the exchange between David Gregory and John Boehner over the speaker’s language below, via Mediaite:

David Gregory Grills John Boehner Over Foul Language [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

Mitt Romney spoke with Fox News Sunday‘s Chris Wallace today, and he told the talk show how that the President is “still campaigning” and that it “kills” him to not be the President of the United States.

When asked by Wallace where he sees his political future with the GOP, Romney said:

“I want to have influence on getting our party to a position where we can be successful in solving the problems the country has.”

While Romney claims President Obama is “still campaigning,” he also sounded very much like a campaigner, telling Wallace:

“I still care and I still believe there are principles that we need to stand for. I look at what is happening right now. I wish I were there. It kills me not to be there. Not to be in the White House, doing what needs to be done. The president is the leader of the nation, he brings people together and does the deals, does the trades, knocks the heads together and the president leads and, I don’t see that kind of leadership happening right now.”

Romney’s “campaigning” continued further as he noted:

“He’s campaigning, he’s the only one that can say to his own party, ‘Look, you guys, I need you on this’ and get some Republicans aside and say, pull them off one by one. We don’t have to have these gridlocks one after the other on issue after issue and it will take real leadership and people in both parties, will need to put aside political victories and start fighting for national victories.”

Here is Romney speaking with Chris Wallace on Fox News Sunday:

Do you think President Obama is still campaigning for his own political party?

Mitt Romney Attacks Obama: President Is ‘Still Campaigning’ is a post from: The Inquisitr

The sequester has arrived as lawmakers on Capitol Hill failed yesterday to make an 11th hour deal to avoid $85 billion in automatic spending cuts. Blame is already being assigned by the usual suspects in the usual directions, but former GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney said in a recent interview that the fault lies with President Obama.

“Well, no one can think that’s been a success for the president. He didn’t think the sequester would happen. It is happening,” Romney said in a Fox News interview.

“But to date, what we’ve seen is the president out campaigning to the American people, doing rallies around the country, flying around the country, and berating Republicans. And blaming and pointing. Now what does that do? That causes the Republicans to retrench and then put up a wall and fight back. It’s a very natural human emotion.”

The Huffington Post reports that House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) is also criticizing President Obama for his handling of the sequester, accusing him of “campaigning.”

According to The New York Times, House GOP members “cheered” Boehner for not negotiating over the sequester cuts on Friday.

In the interview, Romney was also asked about the Immigrations and Customs Enforcement release of some detainees, as a response to our current fiscal woes.

“I think the president has to act in the interest of the country,” Romney said. “And that means if we need an aircraft carrier in the Gulf — and I believe we do, I thought we needed one more — he should do it.”

Romney also opined that people who are “incarcerated” should be kept in prison.

But overall, the man-who-would-be-president holds President Obama solely responsible for the political climate.

“Look, it’s politics,” he said. “It’s, ‘OK, How do we do something that will get a headline that will make it look like those terrible Republicans aren’t coming together?’”

What do you think? Do you agree with Mitt Romney, or do you think that Republican opposition to the President’s plans has gotten us into this sequester mess?

Mitt Romney Blasts President Obama Over Sequester Failure is a post from: The Inquisitr

John Cusack is wondering if President Barack Obama is “just another Ivy League a**h**e.” An article published by the movie star takes the Democratic leader to task on a series of issues. The continuation of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the drone program are near the top of his list, but are not the only issues which drove Cusack to cursing.

In John Cusak’s TruthOut article, he also expressed angst that the Constitution has been “gutted” and noted a firm belief that America is on the decline. Although the actor does not think the end is here, he does think the “foundation” has been set for hefty consequences to emerge, The Blaze notes.

Cusack’s article about President Obama and the state of America reads:

“An excerpt from One is forced to asked the question: Is the President just another Ivy League a**hole shredding civil liberties and due process and sending people to die in some sh*thole for purely political reasons.”

The Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil star also took issue with a speech President Obama gave at West Point in 2010. The speech centered about a promise from the president to “get the job done” in Afghanistan. The Hollywood star also sounded more than a bit incredulous that the president was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize when the war in Afghanistan raged on, the Washington Examiner notes.

John Cusack had this to say about what he considers a lofty and broken promise:

“The Christian president with the Muslim sounding name would heed the admonitions of neither religions prophets about making war and do what no empire or leader, including Alexander the Great, could do. Change that we can believe in is not using the other guys’ mob to clean up your own tracks while continuing to feed at the trough.”

Perhaps Cusack’s most poignant question came near the end of the article. He asked how a person could believe in the Constitution, yet violate it so much. John Cusack is on the Freedom of the Press Foundation Board of Directors.

Do you agree with John Cusack’s assessment of President Obama?

[Image Via: Featureflash/Shutterstock.com]

A Hollywood Star Wonders If President Obama Is ‘Just Another Ivy League A**h**e’ is a post from: The Inquisitr

Nothing is coming very easily for President Obama when it comes to getting his cabinet confirmed. Jack Lew has been the easiest confirmation by far, with Chuck Hagel being held up for weeks and John Brennan now being slowed up as well.

The delaying tactics by the Republicans is certainly nothing new. Brennan’s delayed vote in the Senate Intelligence Committee is probably even a move that most Republicans can explain away with actual, tangible reasons for why they want to take a longer look at Brennan.

Still, the number of times that the Republicans have roadblocked nominees that are certain to be confirmed once an up or down vote is recorded has been raising some eyebrows. The Obama administration has done itself no favors by nominating candidates that come with baggage.

Hagel had his comments about the “pro-Israel” lobby. John Brennan has his acceptance and endorsement of a drone program that has targeted Americans who were suspected of terrorist activities. Reuters reports that Democratic leaders had hoped to hold a confirmation in front of the full Senate on Thursday.

Those plans were derailed when the Senate Intelligence Committee announced they were going to wait for their own vote until next week. The most interesting thing about this particular delay, is that the Republicans might be getting help from their Democratic colleagues on the committee.

Yahoo! News reports that some in the President’s own party have bristled at just how secretive the Obama administration has been regarding the drones. One of those Democrats, Ron Wyden from Oregon made it clear that at the present time he could not vote for Brennan.

Wyden said that he still wasn’t satisfied with the information the White House had provided him in regards to the drone strikes adding:

“Americans have a right to know when their government believes it is allowed to kill them, and that’s what getting these documents is about. I’ve made it very clear to the White House that we need those legal analyses before we vote. There is certainly additional time to work this out.”

With the continuing battle over drones, will John Brennan be confirmed as CIA Director next week?

John Brennan’s Confirmation Committee Vote Delayed is a post from: The Inquisitr

Respected journalist Bob Woodward has become an unlikely hero for the Republican Party lately, calling out President Obama on several manipulative tactics and half-truths spun by the left over the national debate on the sequester.

Woodward, a longtime columnist for the liberal Washington Post, appeared on MSNBC’s Morning Joe Wednesday to criticize President Obama’s handling of the sequester fight. He said that Obama has displayed a “kind of madness” in his decision to make military spending cuts as painful and draconian as possible.

Scarborough began by re-capping the war of words between Woodward and the Obama administration, with Woodward confirming that the White House conceded his assertion that the sequester originated with the Obama administration, reports Politico.

Then, Woodward talked about the sequester. “I think peoples’ heads are about to explode about all of this, you know, what the hell is going on here,” he said. “I’m not sure the White House understands exactly what happened in all of these negotiation at the end of 2011 with the sequester and the super committee, because they were really on the sidelines.”

Woodward also took Obama to task for his decision to announce that sequester cuts would prevent an American aircraft carrier to not deploy to the Persian Gulf.

“Can you imagine Ronald Reagan sitting there and saying ‘Oh, by the way, I can’t do this because of some budget document’?” Woodward mocked. “Or George W. Bush saying, ‘You know, I’m not going to invade Iraq because I can’t get the aircraft carriers I need.’ Or even Bill Clinton saying, ‘You know, I’m not going to attack Saddam Hussein’s intelligence headquarters,’ as he did when Clinton was president because of some budget document?”

Woodward went on to reveal what he sees as tricky rhetorical maneuvering from President Obama, which is not constitutionally founded.

“Under the Constitution, the president is commander-in-chief and employs the force. And so we now have the president going out because of this piece of paper and this agreement, I can’t do what I need to do to protect the country,” Woodward said. “That’s a kind of madness that I haven’t seen in a long time.”

Watch the video below, via Mediaite. Let us know what you think: Is Bob Woodward right about President Obama’s rhetorical tactics?

Bob Woodward Blasts Obama For ‘Madness’ Regarding Sequester [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

The White House has campaigned heavily over the past few weeks, with President Obama giving several speeches on the threat of the looming sequester budget cuts. Today the President gave a half-hour long speech at the Newport News Shipyard in Hampton Roads, Virginia. He expressed a willingness to compromise and frustration with too many of the Republicans in Congress. His message was well-received in an area of the state that helped him carry Virginia in both 2008 and 2012.

“The main reason I’m here is to call attention to the important work you’re doing on behalf of the nation’s defense, and to let the people know that this work, along with hundreds of thousands of jobs, are in danger,” President Obama said.”

He began the speech with a list of negative outcomes Virginia would face as a result of the sequester. Around 90,000 Virginians working for the Department of Defense would be forced to take paid leave, money would be cut to programs supporting college tuition and Head Start, and airports would face delays. The naval base in nearby Norfolk is the largest in the world, and the Newport News Shipyard builds and services many of the Navy’s ships. A large part of the region’s economy is driven by federal spending.

The President expressed a desire to compromise and said there were leaders in both parties who wish to do the same, but they were all held up by Republicans in Congress who refuse to bend on taxes.

“There are too many Republicans in Congress right now who refuse to compromise even an inch when it comes to closing taxing loopholes and ending deductions,” the President said. “That’s what holding things up right now.”

The President was greeted with applause throughout much of the speech. The President was met with heavy support in the Newport News, which he won recently with 64 percent of the vote. He also won all of the major cities in the Hampton Roads region, with the exception of his narrow defeat in Virginia Beach.

“The other thing we have to do is stop having these crises manufactured every month,” the President said, drawing another line of applause.

The chances of a compromise continue to look slim. The sequester budget cuts are fast approaching, and Washington remains paralyzed around lines in the sand.

Sequester Brings Obama To Virginia Shipyard is a post from: The Inquisitr

John Boehner harshly criticized the Senate for their lack of action regarding the pending budget cuts. The House Speaker appeared extremely frustrated when issuing the call to action during a recent press conference. Unless you have been living under a rock for the past few weeks, the sequestration debate has been invading your consciousness every time you turn on the news.

The Ohio lawmaker did not mince words when calling out the Senate for supposedly sitting out the biggest political debate of 2013. The 2 percent across the board cuts represent a reduction in spending increases. Speaker Boehner noted that Republican intend to make sure that the government if funded and stated there is no looming shutdown, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Boehner had this to say about the Senate and sequestration:

“We have moved a bill in the House twice. We should not have to move a third bill before the Senate gets off their a*s and begins to do something.”

President Barack Obama will be in Virginia on Tuesday afternoon to talk about how he feels sequestration cuts could impact shipbuilding in the region, NBC News reports. John Boehner stated during the same press conference that he does not feel President Obama really wants to find a sequester solution.

The House Speaker maintains the president will use the military as a prop during his Virginia visit. Boehner noted that President Obama has traveled all over the country to “campaign rally” type event to garner support for tax hikes.

Washington Representative Cathy McMorris Rogers has also taken issue with President Obama’s frequent flights over the past several weeks. She had this to say about the president sitting down with Congress to discuss sequestration before the Friday deadline:

“He has traveled over 5,000 miles the last two weeks and we challenged him to travel a mile and a half and come to Capitol Hill. Sit down with Harry Reid and urge the Senate Democrats to take action.”

If only POTUS spent half as much time working w/Senate Dems to replace his sequester as he does at campaign rallies j.mp/Yw7bgW

— Speaker John Boehner (@SpeakerBoehner) February 26, 2013

Do you think sequestration is a real threat to the American economy or just a manufactured emergency?

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

[Image Via: Shutterstock.com]

Boehner Chastises Senate Over Lack Of Action [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

COMMENTARY | Kanye West has slammed President Obama, and really needs to shut up, again.

Perhaps Taylor Swift will enjoy knowing that she was Kanye West’s first. The first famous person the rapper has slammed publicly, anyway. Now he’s moved on to President Obama.

Of course, President Obama did slam him first, but almost everybody knows the rapper deserves some payback for his antics.

Kanye West’s rant at a London concert on Saturday didn’t really surprise anyone, seeing as he’s quite the big-mouth when he gets upset. According to the Huffington Post, the infamous rapper went on a freestyle-like rampage about everything that’s upset him recently:

“I don’t give a f*** what the president’s got to say.”

Kanye West included other such notables as Justin Timberlake, Jay-Z, the Grammys and “business people.”

Yup, Kim Kardashian, you got yourself a real winner. Kanye West is just as publicity-crazy as most of your family seems to be. He’ll fit right in.

Kanye West dropped a slam on Justin Timberlake’s comeback single which features Jay-Z:

“I’ve got love for Hov but I ain’t f***ing with that ‘Suit & Tie.’”

Jay-Z and Kanye West have been together in the business and friendship for a long time, so it was a shock to see him included in “wild wild” West’s rants.

There has been some speculation among fans that Kanye West’s “suit and tie” reference was toward business people in general. So if his old buddy isn’t in the crosshairs, he’s probably attacking his record company. Way to bite the hand that feeds you, Kanye.

Good luck with this father figure, Kim Kardashian. Kanye West is a real time bomb and needs to shut up. Just check out the video below for another example.

What do you think of Kanye West slamming President Obama and the rest?

Kanye West Slams President Obama [Op-Ed] is a post from: The Inquisitr

Bobby Jindal, the Republican governor of Louisiana, has turned criticisms back to President Barack Obama over the impending sequester.

Speaking to reporters at a Republican Governors Association news conference following a meeting with Obama this week, Jindal said, “I think he’s trying to scare the American people,” reported The Washington Post on Monday, February 25.

Democrats and Republicans have until Friday to avoid the automatic spending cuts that would affect education, public health assistance, and military spending, among other areas.

Jindal’s state would take a hit of at least $75 million in education and military readiness alone, according to numbers released from the White House.

Generally, the Republican position has been for the overhaul of spending with certain exceptions to military funding and other areas, while opposing taxes that would run in addition of recent increases the President won in the debate over what to do with the expiration of the so-called “Bush Tax Cuts.”

Democrats continue to look for more revenues and some spending cuts, though Republican opposition doesn’t feel the concessions that are there would affect the country’s $16 trillion-and-growing national debt.

This was the position Jindal took when he said to reporters on Monday, “It has become clear to me that this president, this administration, has an insatiable appetite for new revenues.”

Jindal said the governors, in their meeting with Obama, wanted “flexibility” in where the cuts were made, but the President balked.

“He didn’t jump at that,” Jindal added.

Danny Kanner, spokesperson for the Democratic Governors Association, pointed blame to Republicans and had some words of his own for Republican governors.

“Republican governors like to say they’re different than Republican politicians in Washington, but it’s all talk,” Kanner said. “They refuse to urge congressional Republicans to embrace a balanced approach or end special tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans in order to stop job-killing automatic spending cuts, demonstrating that they have no interest in a bipartisan agreement.”

Criticisms from Jindal, however, have not been reserved exclusively for Obama and the Democratic party. In January 2013, following the defeat of Republican candidate Mitt Romney in the 2012 presidential election, Jindal issued a warning to the GOP.

“We must stop being the stupid party,” Jindal said. “We must stop looking backward … We must stop insulting the intelligence of voters.”

Do you believe Jindal is right that President Obama is trying to “scare the American people” in the sequester debate? Should states be allowed to determine where spending cuts are made in the event of sequestration?

[Image via Anne Power / Shutterstock.com]

Jindal To Obama: ‘Stop Trying To Scare The American People’ is a post from: The Inquisitr

Around $85 billion in budget cuts are scheduled to occur this Friday unless Congress can come to an agreement on how to further reduce the deficit. This sequestration is taking place as a result of the Budget Control Act of 2011, passed as a solution to that summer’s debt-ceiling crisis. The clash taking place in Congress is the latest in which conversation centers around the false dichotomy between raising taxes and cutting spending.

Economists are split on what the outcome of Friday’s budget cuts will be. 60 percent of economists surveyed in a report produced by the National Association for Business Economics this month believe that sequestration will occur in either partial or full form, but many do not see the US sinking into a recession as a result. This survey of 49 economists presents a picture that is not as dire as the “fiscal cliff” that was largely avoided at the beginning of this year.

The White House views the situation with the utmost concern. Even if the country does not dip back into recession, the budget cuts will severely hamper many of President Obama’s second term plans. The President gave a speech last week about the jobs that would be lost as a result of these cuts, during which he was flanked by emergency responders whose jobs may be at risk. Regardless of whether the economy dips back into a recession, hundreds of thousands of jobs will be lost.

Republicans have sought to place the blame for the upcoming sequester on the President. They are pushing the #obamaquester hashtag on Twitter, insisting that the current crisis is entirely the result of Democratic refusal to cut spending and reduce waste.

The White House has again taken to Twitter to get its message out. Tweets have been coming in rapidly, sometimes only a minute apart.

President Obama: “In 4 days, Congress is poised to allow a series of arbitrary, automatic budget cuts to kick in that will slow our economy”

— The White House (@whitehouse) February 25, 2013

Two minutes later:

President Obama: “Here’s the thing: these cuts don’t have to happen. Congress can turn them off anytime with just a little compromise.”

— The White House (@whitehouse) February 25, 2013

Followed by:

President Obama: “We’ve got to make the tough, smart choices to cut what we don’t need so that we can invest the things we do need.”

— The White House (@whitehouse) February 25, 2013

Republicans in Congress are not phased by the President’s remarks. Speaker of the House John Boehner tweeted earlier this morning:

Instead of campaigning, Pres Obama should call on his Dem-led Senate to pass a plan to avert sequester that can pass both Houses of Congress

— Speaker John Boehner (@SpeakerBoehner) February 25, 2013

And House Majority Leader Eric Cantor:

RT if you think Washington has a spending problem.

— Eric Cantor (@GOPLeader) February 25, 2013

If Washington’s track record is anything to go by, social media staffers may just have the safest jobs on the government payroll when the sequestration budget cuts take place.

With ‘Sequestration’ Budget Cuts Fast Approaching, Debate Reaches Twitter is a post from: The Inquisitr

John McCain appeared on State of the Union on Sunday where he confirmed that Chuck Hagel will likely be confirmed as Secretary of Defense within the week.

According to McCain:

“I don’t believe Chuck Hagel, who is a friend of mine, is qualified to be secretary of defense. But I do believe that elections have consequences, unfortunately, and the president of the United States was re-elected.”

Senate members will vote again on Tuesday to determine if the Republican filibuster of Hagel’s nomination should come to an end. Two weeks prior, the nomination fell 60 votes short to end the debate.

After the Republican party managed to filibuster Obama’s nomination, he took to Google+ Hangouts to discuss the situation:

“What seems to be happening — and this has been growing over time — is that the Republican minority in the Senate seems to think that the rule now is that you have to have 60 votes for everything. Well, that’s not the rule. The rule is that you’re supposed to have a majority of the hundred senators vote on most bills.”

Hagel will likely be confirmed but receive only a handful GOP votes.

According to John McCain:

“I believe that when the questions are answered, and I believe they will be this week, that the president deserves an up or down vote.”

McCain isn’t the only person worried about Chuck Hagel’s nomination. Last week, 15 GOP members sent a letter to President Obama begging him to withdraw Hagel from consideration.

Chuck Hagel had previously aligned himself with the Republican party, serving as a GOP senator for Nebraska.

Attacking Hagel over his nomination shouldn’t come as a surprise. Despite his GOP classification in Nebraska, Chuck Hagel quickly realigned his political support. Hagel sparred with George W. Bush over the war in Iraq, avoided support for Senator John McCain during the 2008 presidential elections, and eventually endorsed Democrat Senator Bob Kerrey in last year’s Nebraska Senate race.

Hagel, 66, currently serves as an intelligence adviser for the White House. Upon his confirmation, Hagel will replace the eager to retire Leon Panetta.

McCain also attacked President Obama’s nomination of  John Brennan for CIA director. According to McCain:

“Mr. Brennan said he was opposed to waterboarding and torture, but at the same time he has said it has saved lives. I would like to know what lives were saved because the information I have is it saved no one’s life. In fact, it was a lot of misinformation.”

Going on the offensive against McCain’s attack of Brennan was Senator Claire McCaskill of Missouri. McCaskill told Fox News:

“The president wants him in the room as he’s making important decisions. There’s no question about his integrity of character. I think the president deserves to have the Cabinet he wants as long as the person is qualified.”

McCaskill added:

“He’s qualified, and I think it’s despicable how his character has been impugned by some people through innuendo and inference.”

Here is John McCain on State of the Union:

Do you think Chuck Hagel will be confirmed in the next week?

John McCain: Chuck Hagel Will Be Confirmed This Week is a post from: The Inquisitr

As more and more information comes out about the Obama administration’s controversial drone program, the president’s promise of a transparent government is receiving scrutiny. Though feeling that Obama has been a “fairly good president” overall, Dan Rather said that his vow of transparency has been his biggest broken promise to the American people.

On HuffPost Live Friday, Rather told host Ahmed Shihab-Eldin that he is disappointed with President Obama’s lack of promised transparency with the American people.

“He did promise more transparency. He has delivered less transparency,” Rather said of the president. “Far less transparency. He hasn’t met his promises about that, no question about it.”

The conversation turned to the controversial drone program as well. Rather opined that not “any one person, not even the President, should have the power alone to call strikes on other American citizens like what was done in Yemen” and calling for a “national debate” over the US’s use of drones.

“I think decent-intending people with common sense can work out a way to use the drone weaponry when it’s appropriate to use it and with the proper checks and balances,” Rather said. “We do not have those checks and balances in place right now. We need them…. We need to have a national debate about this. We need to have a consensus decision: are we going to use drones under any circumstances? If so, what are those circumstances, and who’s going to check on the power?”

Rather also praised groups like Anonymous and the controversial Wikileaks website, calling internet hactivism a “public service” and a potential new “form of investigative journalism.”

You can watch the full segment below via HuffPost Live:

Dan Rather: President Obama Broke His Promise Of Transparency [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

The President attended daughter Sasha Obama’s recital Saturday night at the Music Center at Strathmore.

Taking a break from his presidential responsibilities to support his daughter, Obama watched as 11-year-old Sasha performed during a dance recital just last night, reports the Washington Post.

Sasha is Obama’s youngest of two daughters. Sasha’s older sister is 14-year-old Malia.

Even though they are arguably the two most famous kids in America, Michelle Obama has said before that she works very hard to make sure that the Obama girls have a normal life.

“I want them to be normal kids, just like you guys, polite and respectful and kind,” she said back in January.

The president seemed to agree. Now that his girls are becoming teenagers, they don’t have much time to spend with their dad.

“Now that my girls are getting older, they don’t want to spend that much time with me anyway, so I’ll be probably calling around, looking for somebody to play cards with me or something, because I’m getting kind of lonely in this big house,” he also said in January, per the Christian Post.

Sasha enjoyed some spotlight of her own during Obama’s presidential inauguration ceremony when she was caught yawning. The reaction went viral.

Hang in there, Sasha. You’ve still got a big day ahead of you. gifboom.com/x/745fb39e

— Dave Itzkoff (@ditzkoff) January 21, 2013

What do you think? Is it a good thing that President Obama still makes time for things like Sasha Obama’s recital? Sound off!

Sasha Obama Recital: President Takes Night Off To Be A Dad is a post from: The Inquisitr

You know, for the most Internet-savvy administration to date, the Obama White House really doesn’t understand the Internet very well.

White House Says Obama Shotgun Photo Is Not To Be Meme’d is a post from: The Inquisitr

Ted Nugent insists that he’s a fan of African Americans, and that President Obama and the Democrats are the real enemies of Black America.

In a column for WorldNetDaily (in honor of Black History Month), Nugent says that African Americans have been duped. Though president Obama boasted 93 percent of the black vote, his policies have made it apparent that he is “the clear and present engineer of the destruction of black America.”

“The economic and social policies he endorses are destroying what is left of a once proud and strong black America,” Nugent says. “As a MotorCity Motown guy whose gravity-defying career pivots on my intense adulation for my black musical heroes, it pains me deeply to witness this self-inflicted destructo derby. The destruction of blacks has been engineered by President Obama’s party for at least the last 50 years.”

Mediaite points out that Nugent does use several statistics in defense of his version of Obama’s “destructo derby.” He argues that Obama’s social welfare policies have caused vast disparity between black and white unemployment rates, dropout rates in inner cities, and an “epidemic” of black-on-black crime in Democratic cities designated as “gun free zones.”

“With all this unbelievable negative information, what is more unbelievable is that black Americans continue to support Democratic politicians who have raped and plundered black America forever,” Nugent wrote.

“I don’t celebrate Black History Month. I celebrate it every day, as my very black-inspired musical dreams could not have been successful were it not for black Americans,” he, citing Bo Diddly, James Brown, and BB King as big influences on his music.

Nugent also said that he plans to name his 2013 tour Ted Nugent Black Power 2013. “Say it loud: my music is black and I’m proud!”

What do you think of Ted Nugent?

Ted Nugent: ‘I Honor Blacks’ But Obama ‘Wants Black America Destroyed’ is a post from: The Inquisitr

President Obama’s approval ratings are the highest they’ve been in three years, giving a boost to the commander in chief as he prepares to face off with congressional Republicans over sequestration cuts.

A Bloomberg National poll released Wednesday found that 55 percent of Americans approve of Obama’s performance,the best he’s done on the poll since September 2009. To give Obama even more of a boost, 49 percent of respondents say his proposals to increase government spending will do more to create jobs than GOP plans to cut spending and taxes.

The looming showdown over how to handle sequestration cuts is set to come to a head soon. In March, close to $85 billion in cuts are set to go into effect. Many within his party have called on Obama to take a harder stance than in past negotiations with Republicans.

Obama’s approval ratings would seem to give him at least a small edge with the public. Since winning re-election handily in November, those approval ratings have trended steadily upward. His approval reached 60 percent in a Washington Post/ABC News poll conducted last month, and a CBS poll from December put Obama at his highest point since the killing of Osama bin Laden in 2011.

Obama’s stock appears to be going up among voters just as the GOP’s is sinking. Just 35 percent of respondents said they view the GOP favorably, the lowest marks in the poll’s three years and a six point drop over the last six months.

The HuffPost Pollster‘s chart, which aggregates data from all polls, puts President Obama’s approval rating at 52.7 percent.

President Obama Approval Rating Hits 3-Year High is a post from: The Inquisitr

A Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Wednesday, February 20 indicated that a majority of US citizens want illegal immigrants deported.

Approximately 53 percent of those surveyed said they were in favor of deportation, Reuters stated, with 30 percent saying they favored doing so “with some exceptions” while 23 percent preferred the action for all immigrants.

Thirty-six percent were opposed, with 31 percent stating they wanted “most” and 5 percent preferring “all” immigrants to stay in-country and be afforded a path to citizenship as President Obama has proposed.

The results highlight the tough fight ahead on immigration reform between a Democratic party that captured an “overwhelming” majority of the Hispanic vote in the 2012 general election and a Republican party that feels compelled to reach out to them, according to Ipsos pollster Julia Clark.

And for Republicans like Florida Senator Marco Rubio, the efforts of President Obama are getting in the way. In a Sunday, February 17, press release, Rubio said the Obama plan would “further undermine the American people’s confidence in Washington’s ability to enforce our immigration laws and reform our broken immigration system.”

However, that doesn’t mean naturalization is dead in the water. In fact, naturalization supporters received a boost of sorts on Wednesday from Arizona Senator John McCain, a Republican, according to CBS.

“There are 11 million people living here illegally. … We are not going to get enough buses to deport them,” McCain told an angry forum, adding that “any path to citizenship must require immigrants to learn English, cover back taxes, and pay fines for breaking immigration laws.”

Do you believe illegal immigrants should face deportation or be provided a pathway to citizenship?

[Image via Juan Camilo Bernal / Shutterstock.com]

Poll: More Than Half Of US Citizens Want Illegal Immigrants Deported is a post from: The Inquisitr

Another win for Team CoCo: Late night talk show host and comedian Conan O’Brien will be kicking it with President Obama on April 27 at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner.

MSN reports that the annual dinner for the White House Correspondents’ Association will feature O’Brien as the central act for the April event.

Association president Ed Henry called Conan O’Brien “one of television’s most innovative and influential talents,” adding, “As social media has changed all aspects of the media business, Conan has embraced this shifting landscape to become a creative force both online as well as in the traditional television model.”

The president, the first lady, government officials and journalists traditionally attend the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner. Proceeds from the event go towards scholarships and awards that recognize excellence in journalism.

Last year’s even was headlined by Jimmy Kimmel, another late night show talk host and comedian. Kimmel’s shtick was partially a roast of the president, reports The Huffington Post.

“You remember when the country rallied around you in hopes of a better tomorrow? That was hilarious,” joked Kimmel. “There’s a term for guys like President Obama,” he continued. “Probably not two terms.”

Obama himself used quite a bit of self-deprecating humor in his own speech that night. He also thanked Republicans for “taking time from their exhausting schedule of not passing any laws” to attend the dinner, and joked that then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton “can’t stop drunk texting me from Cartagena.”

O’Brien seems ready for the dinner, tweeting Monday:

In honor of President’s Day, I won’t be getting along with Congress.

— Conan O’Brien (@ConanOBrien) February 18, 2013

Will you be watching Conan O’Brien at this year’s White House Correspondents’ Association dinner? Here’s a clip of Obama’s speech last year:

Conan O’Brien To Headline White House Correspondents Dinner is a post from: The Inquisitr

When US leader Barack Obama visits Israel in March of this year, he will receive the prestigious Israeli Presidential Medal Of Distinction. The award was announced Monday by Israeli President Shimon Peres in recognition of President Obama’s “unique and significant contribution to strengthening the State of Israel and the security of its citizens.”  The Israeli medal is similar to France’s ”Legion of Honor” or the “Order of Canada.”

Although Mr. Obama toured Israel as a United States Senator, he has not visited the Jewish State since he was elected President. Critics of Obama have made much of the fact that the President didn’t stop in Israel to pay a courtesy call on Prime Minister Netanyahu when he was only a short plane flight away delivering his Cairo Address to the Muslim World on June 4, 2009.

The relationship between Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Obama has been contentious and adversarial, with Obama making demands that angered the Israeli leader. President Obama stunned Netanyahu when the Prime Minister visited America in 2011, insisting Israel accept the borders that existed before the 1967 war as a starting point for negotiations with the Palestinians.

Not only did the Prime Minister of Israel declare that 1967 borders were “indefensible,” but he had the chutzpah to lecture the President on Israel’s defense needs, talking down to Obama like the American President was a schoolboy.

While many Israelis spoke with pride about Netanyahu’s powerful defense of his nation, Obama was outraged. The President stormed out of the meeting for a private dinner with his family and refused to pose for a photo-op with the Prime Minister. The next day, the Israel leader addressed the United States Congress, where he received more standing ovations than they gave Obama during his State of the Union address.

Prime Minister Netanyahu also managed to put aside his anger over the events of November, 2011, when French President Sarkozy was overheard on a hot mic calling Mr. Netanyahu a “liar.” Obama, who was chatting privately with Sarkozy, replied, “You’re sick of him — but I have to deal with him every day!”

Recently, both Netanyahu and Obama were re-elected and they seem to have repaired their personal relationship; at least in public. Perhaps it is not a co-incidence that the medal was awarded by a committee appointed by President Peres, who is on good terms with the American leader. Peres is known to be a member of the Israel peace movement and he strongly supports the Obama plan to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Mr. Peres was awarded America’s Presidential Medal of Freedom by Obama on June 13, 2012 and the meeting between the two men was quite cordial. Shimon Peres will reciprocate the honor and present Israel’s Presidential Medal Of Distinction to his American counterpart during a State dinner at the President’s residence in Jerusalem in March of 2013.

The Israeli President spoke highly of Mr. Obama when he announced the award:

“Barack Obama is a true friend of the State of Israel, and has been since the beginning of his public life. As president of the United States of America, he has stood with Israel in times of crisis. During his time as president he has made a unique contribution to the security of the State of Israel, both through further strengthening the strategic cooperation between the countries and through the joint development of technology to defend against rockets and terrorism. [President Obama] is a symbol of democratic values who exemplifies the spirit of equality of opportunity in American society.”

Obama To Receive Israel’s Presidential Medal Of Distinction is a post from: The Inquisitr