All work and no play

Valerie Jarrett: Obama is sleeping through his Presidency [Reader Post]
Barack Obama and his gang think you’re an idiot. The sad part is that they are 43% right. Byron York reports on Valerie Jarrett’s recent appearance on Meet the Press during which she made quite apparent that she and her boss really believe Americans are blatantly stupid. Jarrett shared this thought: On “Meet the Press” December 26, top White House adviser Valerie Jarrett said President Obama’s “biggest regret” is that the severity of the economic crisis ...

Aww, WH Staffer Laments That Poor, Overworked Obama Has to Spend So Much Time in D.C.
The hell? It's like the collective new year's resolution for everyone at the White House was to tell as many little white lies as possible. They're not major fabrications, just enough to spin a whole 'nother narrative. Just below I posted the lie by omission in Obama's statement about the attack on a Christian church in Egypt. Here's something from last week, spotted by Byron York: On "Meet the Press" December 26, top White House adviser Valerie Jarrett said President Obama's "biggest regret" ...

Monday morning quarterback: Skins done
The Washington Redskins finished the season Sunday with a 17-14 loss to the New York Giants. Truth be told, the Giants played as poorly as the Skins did. Nevertheless, it was appropriate, I guess, that the Skins lost by 3 points - the value of the missed field goal. Although they posted the win, the Giants will also be at home once the Playoffs start.  The Redskins finish at the bottom on the NFC East, even below the Dallas Cowboys, who have the same horrible 6-10 record but won one mor...

Another ranking
Guide to Online Schools Top Political Blogs I’ve been meaning to mention this for a while but somehow never got around to it. In cleaning up my inbox this morning, I found the email in which I had been named one of the Top 50 Best Political Blogs by the Guide to Online Schools website.  (Note: online schools is not the same as for-profit schools. Yes, the for-profit schools are included but so are traditional schools with an online component.) Share this: Print Email Share Digg Share R...

It can only go downhill from here
Sunday, Virginia Right released a series (1, 2, 3) of rankings of Virginia Political Blogs which the proprietor, Tom White, tracks in his Old Dominion Blogs aggregator. Using webArbiter, it was interesting to note that my little blog is theoretically worth $109,500, good enough for second place in the first list.  My rank in global reach - 226,490 - and local reach - 43,245 - were good enough for first place in both categories. I’ve never been much for the variou...

Obama considers J.P. Morgan's Daley as senior aide
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama is considering tapping J.P. Morgan Chase executive William Daley for a senior role within the White House, possibly Chief of Staff, a person familiar with the matter said on Monday. Daley is also a former commerce secretary. If he is chosen, the move would help satisfy a clamor within the business community to have greater representation in the administration. The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, cautioned that no decision had been made. ...

Obama Looks to Reagan Legacy as Way to Move Agenda in Congress
Source: Bloomberg As Barack Obama prepares to confront a strengthened Republican opposition to his tax, spending and Immigration priorities when Congress convenes this week, his advisers are comparing him to another president who faced similar circumstances: Ronald Reagan. Like Reagan and Bill Clinton, Obama must spend the next two years of his presidency navigating a new balance of power after Midterm Election losses. Before leaving for a year-end Vacation, Obama sought advice from Reagan chie...

Pelosi, Obama Hawaiian vacations end, but taxpayers left with the bill
BY MALIA ZIMMERMAN – Nancy Pelosi’s final days as Speaker of the House were spent at the exotic Four Seasons Resort Hualalai at Historic Ka’upulehu in Kona on the island of Hawaii. Escorted throughout her trip by a mini security Motorcade that included Secret Service and Hawaii County Police officers, Pelosi was seen at St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Kailua-Kona, where she received Communion. Parishioners greeted her warmly, Hawaii Reporter was told. Two police SUVs w...

More from Hawaii and President Obama
Latest White House Press Pool Report - President Obama visits his grandfather's grave. President Obama is visiting his grandfather's grave at Punchbowl Cemetery. He is with his daughters, Sasha and Malia. The official name of the cemetery on the stone pillars flanking the entry is National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. Pool is holding at a distance and has not seen POTUS. We do not expect to either. The cemetery is quiet and empty. The sun is beginning to set over Honolulu. POTUS left his K...

'Birthers'aren't crazy
Despite what Chris Matthews, Bill O'Reilly and Glenn Beck say, so-called "birthers" aren't crazy. In fact, they represent the clear majority of the American People – not some fringe element of society. It wasn't that long ago that Matthews and O'Reilly were waiving copies of Barack Obama's certification of live birth, claiming it was a Birth Certificate that answered all the questions anyone needs to have answered regarding his constitutional eligibility. They went even further, ridicu...

Republicans should demand double-layered fence finally be built along border
On September 13, 2006, Rep. Peter King (R-NY) introduced the Secure Fence Act into the U.S. House of Representatives. The next day, the House passed the bill by a voted of 283-138. Two weeks later, the measure passed in the Senate by a vote of 80-19. The Secure Fence Act of 2006 was signed into law by President George W. Bush on October 26, 2006. At the bill signing ceremony, Bush told reporters: “This bill will help protect the American People. This bill will make our borders more secure....

Back to Work
Obama and fam to return from Hawaiian Vacation Tuesday. Get The Page delivered to your inbox. newsletter today!...

Obamas End Hawaii Vacation at the Beach
(Wall Street Journal) - President Barack Obama and his family were trying to soak it all in Monday, spending the better part of their final day in Hawaii at Pyramid Rock Beach on Marine Corps Base Hawaii. If the final day of a Vacation defines how it will be remembered, the Obamas will be packing memories of teal-colored water, soft breezes and plenty of sunshine, The Wall Street Journal reported. Their Vacation is a far cry from their year-ago trip to picturesque Oahu, when the attempted bombin...

Obamas Hit the Beach on Final Vacation Day
Yahoo! Buzz President Barack Obama and his family are trying to soak it all in, spending the better part of their final day in Hawaii at Pyramid Rock Beach on Marine Corps Base Hawaii. If the final day of a Vacation defines how it will be remembered, the Obamas will be packing memories of teal-colored water, soft breezes and plenty of sunshine. Their Vacation is a far cry from their year-ago trip to picturesque Oahu, when the attempted bombing of a Detroit-bound plane on Christmas Day shattered...

Obama takes family out for final vacation treat
HONOLULU (AP) — President Barack Obama took his family and friends for a final Vacation treat before heading back to Washington. After an afternoon at the beach, the Obama party stopped at Island Snow for shave ice, a Hawaiian snow cone. First Lady Michelle Obama, daughters Malia and Sasha, and about a dozen friends joined the president for one of the rare public stops of his nearly two-week vacation. Island Snow is a favorite local stop for the first family; Obama took his daughters there...

GOP Agenda May Mean More in 2012 Than Now
WASHINGTON — Even if the next two years end in congressional gridlock, Republicans hope to build a record that demonstrates to voters in 2012 that they can get it right. The GOP is promising to use the new Congress that convenes Wednesday to cut spending, roll back President Barack Obama's health care overhaul and prevent unelected Bureaucrats from expanding the government's role in society through regulations that tell people what they must or can't do. Passing their top priorities may ...

2010 Year in Review for Civil Rights.
From hitting the grounds running in Haiti last January after the Earthquake to advising current President Obama on what has become some of his biggest victories, former President Clinton has more than rebounded from being called "crazy" and "Racist" during his wife's Presidential Campaign. He's secured the rescue of a Journalist being held captive in North Korea and did pretty much everything else you could imagine, showing why his legacy could outweigh any negativity that would be said abo...

Obama spends nearly half his presidency outside Washington, plans to travel more
But it turns out Obama has already spent nearly half his presidency outside Washington. As of January 2, Obama has been president for 712 days. According to figures compiled by CBS News reporter Mark Knoller, who serves as a sort of unofficial White House record-keeper, Obama has spent 339 of those days -- nearly 48 percent -- outside Washington. According to Knoller, Obama has spent 176 days on domestic trips, 70 days on foreign travel, 58 days on Vacation, and 35 days at Camp David. (You can a...

Wm. Daley in line for White House job?
WASHINGTON, Jan. 4 (UPI) -- Former Commerce Secretary William Daley is a likely Candidate for a top position in President Barack Obama's White House, sources tell The Washington Post. Daley, who served in President Bill Clinton's administration and as chairman of Al Gore's 2000 Presidential Campaign, is the brother of Chicago Mayor Richard Daley. The Post suggested his appointment would show former Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel's continued influence in the White House. Neither the White House nor ...

Obama's Schedule Jan. 4 2011
1:45 AM The First Family departs Honolulu, Hawaii Local Event Time: 8:45 PM HST January 3, 2011 Hawaii, Honolulu, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam Open Press 10:15 AM The First Family arrives at Andrews Air Force Base Andrews Air Force Base Travel Pool Coverage 10:30 AM The First Family arrives at the White House South Lawn Open Press 4:30 PM The President meets with Secretary of Defense Gates Oval Office Closed Press ...

First They Came For The NSF
Belatedly, for I posted this originally over at Balloon Juice some time ago — here’s a bit of justified (IMHO) Godwinization of our New GOPer Overlords for their disastrous approach to science policy: We’ve seen this one before. As gleefully announced by Eric Cantor (R - Faust) Congressman Adrian Smith, (R-Torquemada Nebraska), a member of the House Science and Technology is kicking off the GOP “YouCut Citizen Review” of federal agencies with an assault on ...

Obama's Job Approval Rises to 50 Percent in New Gallup Poll
President Barack Obama got more than rest and relaxation while he was on Vacation in Hawaii over the holidays: His job Approval Rating, which had been languishing in the mid-40-percent range for more than six months, rose to 50 percent, according to Gallup Daily tracking. The results are the average from tracking conducted Dec. 28-29 and Jan. 2, Gallup said. Obama's rise in Ratings comes after a particularly busy lame-duck session of Congress, which the president termed "a season of progress." ...

Update on President Obama
President Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, Sasha, Malia and about a dozen others - including White House chef Sam Kass and the Nesbitts - got shave ice at Island Snow. It’s POTUS, Sasha and Malia’s second visit this trip. Everyone was already inside the shop when pool entered at 2:23 pm. FLOTUS wore large, dark sunglasses, purple and white pants, a black bathing suit and a turquoise shrug around her shoulders. She stayed up near the counter as POTUS and others walked around the smal...

What is President Obama doing right now in Hawaii?
Below is one of the last White House Press Pool Reports we will get from Hawaii.  The President is winding down his Vacation and will soon be headed east to the White House. Motorcade was rolling from Marine Corps Base Hawaii at 2:12 pm local, just 7 minutes after pool was rushed from hold outside the clubhouse to the pool van, which had to drive to the McDonald's to get in motorcade-joining position. Seems POTUS and Co. abruptly decided they'd had enough of the beach. Clouds had rolled in...

Obama signs health bill for September 11 responders
HONOLULU (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Sunday signed into law a bill that funds medical care for Firefighters and other responders to the September 11, 2001 attacks. The five-year, $4.3 billion measure will provide medical treatment for emergency responders sickened by toxic dust inhaled at the World Trade Center site in New York in the days following the hijacked plane attacks. It also includes a health program for responders sickened by the toxic debris and establishes a Victims' compe...