44 - Politics and Policy in Obama's Washington - February 14, 2010

Sunday talk-show guests

The guests scheduled to be interviewed Sunday on major television talk shows.

By Post Editor | February 19, 2010; 4:33 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: 44 The Obama Presidency
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Obama: Vegas remark 'wasn't meant to be a shot'

LAS VEGAS -- Now THAT'S an apology. Speaking before the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce, President Obama said he didn't mean to take a "shot" at the city when he urged people not to blow their savings in Vegas.

By Michael D. Shear | February 19, 2010; 3:24 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (40)
Categories: 44 The Obama Presidency, Barack Obama
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'Family Guy' actress says Palin has no sense of humor

Sunday's "Family Guy" episode -- in particular, one character, a girl with Down syndrome -- outraged former Alaska governor Sarah Palin and her daughter Bristol. But the actress behind that character, who herself has Down syndrome, thinks the Palins need to lighten up.

By Rachel Weiner | February 19, 2010; 3:20 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (197)
Categories: 44 The Obama Presidency
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Obama offers a sort-of apology to Las Vegas

HENDERSON, Nev. -- It may not have been an actual apology, but President Obama nevertheless brought the crowd here to its feet in this Las Vegas suburb Friday with an impromptu exchange with a tourist at his town hall meeting.

By Michael D. Shear | February 19, 2010; 1:50 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (42)
Categories: 44 The Obama Presidency
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Michele Bachmann brings 'miss me yet' billboard to CPAC

Bush is back -- at CPAC, at least. Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann got a big cheer for putting up a picture of the former president with the caption "Miss me yet?" "I like it too," she proclaimed. The image first appeared mysteriously on a billboard in her state earlier this month. It turned out to be the work of a group of small business owners.

By Rachel Weiner | February 19, 2010; 1:30 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (10)
Categories: 44 The Obama Presidency
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Sen. Frank Lautenberg diagnosed with cancer

New Jersey Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D) has stomach cancer and will begin receiving chemotherapy to treat it, his office announced Friday.

By Ben Pershing | February 19, 2010; 12:20 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (41)
Categories: 44 The Obama Presidency, Capitol Briefing
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Virginia politicians well represented at CPAC

At the annual Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington this weekend, Virginia will be well represented -- Rep. Eric Cantor, the House minority whip, will be there. So will former governor Jim Gilmore. And Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli.

By Post Editor | February 19, 2010; 12:00 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: 44 The Obama Presidency
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Sestak alleges WH offered him a job to drop Senate bid

The lawmaker challenging Sen. Arlen Specter in Pennsylvania's Democratic primary claims the Obama administration pushed him to get out of the contest, even dangling the possibility of a plum job in return.

By Ben Pershing | February 19, 2010; 11:55 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (26)
Categories: 2010 Election, Capitol Briefing
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Obama heads west to help Reid

If you want to gauge a president's popularity, you can always look at the polls. Or you can simply look at lawmakers from his own party. Do they want the president's help, or not? For Harry Reid and Michael Bennet this week, the answer is yes.

By Ben Pershing | February 19, 2010; 8:00 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (17)
Categories: The Rundown
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Obama rallies for Sen. Bennet at Colo. fundraiser

President Obama fired up a crowd of Democrats at a fundraiser for Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet, speaking to a crowd of several hundred who cheered "Yes he can!" as he entered the hall.

By Web Politics Editor | February 18, 2010; 6:52 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: 44 The Obama Presidency, The Green Zone
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Socialist books in the White House library? Yep -- since 1963

First lady Michelle Obama did not stock the White House library with socialist books. They have been in the library since 1963.

By Web Politics Editor | February 18, 2010; 4:42 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (7)
Categories: 44 The Obama Presidency
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Poll limns provisions of a more limited health-care reform bill

A Focus First poll shows what a more limited health-care bill might provide if Democrats can't find the votes to advance a massive health-care overhaul.

By Web Politics Editor | February 18, 2010; 4:14 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (5)
Categories: 44 The Obama Presidency, Capitol Briefing, Health Care
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Obama and Reid to meet with fates linked

Walk along the Las Vegas strip on Friday and you might just run into the entourages of President Obama and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) -- two Democrats who may need each other to revive their sagging political fortunes.

By Ben Pershing | February 18, 2010; 3:50 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (5)
Categories: 2010 Election, Capitol Briefing
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Dalai Lama throws snow at White House press

The Dalai Lama playfully threw snow at the press gathered in front of the White House on Thursday. The exiled spiritual leader of Tibet then admonished the media not to "ask silly questions" at a press conference later in the day.

By Web Politics Editor | February 18, 2010; 3:04 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: 44 The Obama Presidency, Barack Obama, Washington Life, White House
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CPAC 2010: Live video, highlights from day one

Watch the entire 2010 Conservative Political Action Conference -- an annual gathering of right-wing notables and activists that dates back to 1973 -- live and see excerpts.

By Rachel Weiner | February 18, 2010; 2:58 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: 44 The Obama Presidency, Cast of Characters, Republican Party
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Lurita Doan looking for a comeback

Former General Services Administration chief Lurita Doan, bounced in 2008 by the White House amid allegations of trying to award work to a friend and misusing her authority for political ends, is now available as a "good government" expert.

By Web Politics Editor | February 18, 2010; 2:00 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: 44 The Obama Presidency, In the Loop
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Marco Rubio's CPAC speech: The transcript

The transcript of Marco Rubio's keynote speech Thursday morning at the Conservative Political Action Committee conference, held at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington.

By Post Editor | February 18, 2010; 1:45 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: 44 The Obama Presidency
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Bernard Kerik sentenced to four years in prison

Former New York City police commissioner Bernard Kerik, who was hailed as a hero after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks and nearly became chief of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, was sentenced to four years behind bars Thursday for eight felonies.

By Post Editor | February 18, 2010; 12:20 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (59)
Categories: 44 The Obama Presidency
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Obama establishes bipartisan commission on national debt

President Obama today signed an executive order creating the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, a bipartisan commission designed to confront the nation's growing debt in the face of congressional inaction.

By Web Politics Editor | February 18, 2010; 10:50 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (35)
Categories: 44 The Obama Presidency, Economy
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Focus shifts from first stimulus to second

With the economic stimulus measure now 366 days old, the two parties continue sparring over the first bill's effectiveness even as they plot strategy for a second package coming through the legislative pipeline.

By Ben Pershing | February 18, 2010; 8:00 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: The Rundown
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Olympic security breach allowed intruder near Biden at Opening Ceremony

A mentally ill man breached security and got within 12 rows of Vice President Biden as the U.S. leader watched Friday's Opening Ceremony of the Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, Canadian security officials said Wednesday.

By Spencer S. Hsu | February 17, 2010; 8:58 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: 44 The Obama Presidency, Joe Biden
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National Naval Medical Center looking into Rep. Murtha's surgery and death

The National Naval Medical Center has opened an inquiry into Rep. John Murtha's surgery at their Bethesda medical facility and his subsequent death, a Navy spokesman told The Post Wednesday.

By Carol D. Leonnig | February 17, 2010; 6:51 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (27)
Categories: 44 The Obama Presidency, Capitol Briefing, Cast of Characters
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McConnell video raises eyebrows in Kentucky

Sen. Mitch McConnell's emotional 18-minute farewell to departing Chief of Staff Kyle Simmons last week from the Senate floor has not become much of a viral video sensation. But C-SPAN video of the voice-cracking, nose-blowing, lip-quivering good-bye did lead to some chuckles in McConnell's home state of Kentucky for the intensity of the emotion the Senate Republican leader expresses in it, observers there say.

By Garance Franke-Ruta | February 17, 2010; 6:39 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: 44 The Obama Presidency
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Gibbs clarifies White House Twitter archiving policy

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs says that only his tweets and direct messages to him will be preserved under the Presidential Records Act.

By Garance Franke-Ruta | February 17, 2010; 6:35 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: 44 The Obama Presidency, New Media
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House GOP asks for jobs summit

House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) have written Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) to ask for an open meeting "focused on job creation and economic growth."

By Ben Pershing | February 17, 2010; 5:39 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (10)
Categories: Capitol Briefing
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Obama briefed on Afghanistan offensive

Senior U.S. military leaders told President Obama that the offensive in southern Afghanistan is proceeding well, and that a significant number of Taliban forces have left the city in the face of the U.S.-Afghan forces.

By Michael D. Shear | February 17, 2010; 4:40 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (5)
Categories: 44 The Obama Presidency, National Security
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The largest earmarkers in Congress

Congress spent more on earmarks in 2009 than it did a year earlier, although the number of earmarks dropped, according to a study by the independent watchdog Taxpayers for Common Sense. Following is the group's list of the top five earmarkers in each chamber

By Paul Kane | February 17, 2010; 4:39 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (5)
Categories: 44 The Obama Presidency, Capitol Briefing
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44: February 14, 2010 - February 20, 2010