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Republican Congressman: Obama "Raised By The Federal Government His Entire Life"

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“He’s been raised by the federal government his entire life and he wants to implement his socialist programs and that’s all he knows.”

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Pennsylvania Republican Congressman Tom Marino said Thursday that President Obama was "raised by the federal government his entire life." Marino was appearing on The John Fredericks Show where he also said the president wants to implement "socialist programs."

"He doesn't know what it's like to run a business. He doesn't know what it's like to have a bottom line," Marino said. "I worked in a factory until I was thirty years old, put myself through college and law school. I know what it's like to stretch a paycheck. He's been raised by the federal government his entire life and he wants to implement his socialist programs and that's all he knows."

"He can't lead, he can not come up with ideas. I've never seen a situation where a president can't even suggest an idea other than cause a wider gap between classes and between people. As I said he's doing the only thing he knows how to do which is go out and campaign and community organize, cause he has no concept of what else to do."

The full video of Marino's interview has been embedded:

youtube.com


Uber Denies Paying Conservative Writers

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RedState’s Erickson prints an allegation against himself, and denies it.

WASHINGTON — The booming taxi service Uber denied paying bloggers for favorable coverage after a post at RedState brought allegations of such activity to light on Friday. The company acknowledged giving favored bloggers free promotional codes.

"We have not paid bloggers," said Andrew Noyes, a spokesperson for Uber, in an email to BuzzFeed. "We've distributed new rider promo codes widely to all sorts of audiences including bloggers, atcommunity events, etc. We have advertising relationships as well. We have never stipulated that credits = endorsements."

RedState's Erick Erickson published a post on Friday based around an email I had sent to him following up on a tip I received about a possible pay-for-play scheme involving him, some other conservative writers, and Uber, the popular taxi service application which has been struggling with the Washington, D.C. taxi commission for over a year. (BuzzFeed asked the question in a private email, and would not have published the allegation without more evidence, had Erickson not chosen to air it himself.)

"I know I have some pretty stupid critics out there, but this may be the stupidest thing I've ever been accused of," Erickson wrote. "See this email from Rosie Gray at BuzzFeed. Bless her heart, she's having track down people and ask them if they are getting paid to say awesome stuff about Uber."

"But as I told Rosie, no I've never gotten a penny from Uber directly or indirectly," Erickson said. "Hell, I never even used the Uber promo code I tweeted out for people to use. I use Uber in Washington, New York, Atlanta, and even used them in Chicago on a recent trip. Uber is routinely attacked by taxi monopolies and regulators who hate creative capitalist endeavors. Of course I'm going to say nice things about such an awesome service."

In an email to me, Erickson reiterated what he said in the blog post, saying "I've never gotten a penny from Uber and neither has Eagle. I just use the service in DC, Atlanta, Chicago, NYC, etc and it is awesome."

Uber, whose libertarian founder Travis Kalanick sees the company as a model for disrupting government-created inefficiencies, has made efforts to reach out to the conservative movement recently, including a bloggers' lunch held with the Heritage Foundation last year, an official there confirmed.

"We see no record that he or his company have given us a single penny," Heritage spokesman Michael Gonzalez said. "We're still looking but I really don't think they have."

RedState has been the site of undisclosed paid content in the past, including pieces financed by the Malaysian government, and has taken part in a PR campaign in which some bloggers were paid by a proxy group for the Ukrainian government.

Obama Takes A Swipe At Romney At Pennsylvania Tour Stop

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No this post isn’t from last year. And no, it’s not really about a presidential campaign.

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SCRANTON, PA. — Some old political habits die hard. And so it was that President Obama went off-script on the last day of his college affordability bus tour here Friday to prod Mitt Romney over health care.

Obamacare "used to be a Republican idea," Obama said. "There was a governor in Massachusetts set it up. It's working really well."

It was an ironic moment considering the circumstances, an appearance with Vice President Biden in a state that both presidential campaigns briefly treated as in play in the final days of the 2012 election. Political observers viewed the event as a possible first appearance of a 2016 bid by Biden, so the reminder of a presidential campaign moment gone by was especially delicious to the national press corps gathered here.

But Obama wasn't really falling back into old habits — he was using the veiled swipe at Romney to reiterate the point he's been trying to make throughout this trip: that Republicans are offering near-blanket opposition to his policy proposals because they're trying to score political points. The president spent Thursday and Friday pitching education reform ideas the White House is convinced should carry bipartisan support, but there weren't expectations from anyone — Obama included — that Republicans in Congress would join him in a national discussion about the way the federal government interacts with the higher education system.

The reference to Romney, which seemed to come off the top of Obama's head, came in response to audible groans when Obama mentioned some of his proposed college reforms would require action by Congress. He mentioned Romney as a way to say he understood the audience's skepticism.

"So yesterday I announced some new reforms to shake up the system," Obama said. "Some will require action from Congress that will..." That's where the groans came in, and Obama went off the familiar script he's been using for two days.

"You know, that's always challenging, but these are ideas that should have bipartisan support," Obama said before catching a case of cynicism. "Of course, so should 'Obamacare.' It's actually a really good idea. It's going to work. Used to be a Republican idea. There was a governor in Massachusetts set it up. It's working really well."

After the laughter died down, Obama promised he wasn't relying on Congress to get the job done.

"Some of the reforms we're proposing," Obama said, "we can make on our own."

Cory Booker At The March On Washington: "The Dream Still Demands"

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The U.S. Senate candidate gives a rousing speech at the march’s 50th anniversary celebration Saturday. “You drink deeply from wells of freedom and liberty and opportunity you did not dig.”

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C-SPAN

Newark mayor and U.S. Senate candidate Cory Booker gave a stirring address to tens of thousands on the National Mall Saturday at the rally marking the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington.

Booker's five-minute speech focused on what he called his generation's responsibility to carry on the commitment to justice and equality embodied by Dr. Martin Luther King and his historic "I Have a Dream" speech.

"Please allow me to speak to those like myself who were not even alive when the March on Washington happened," he began.

"My father when I was growing up said it very simply," Booker said. "He used to look at me and say, 'Boy, don't you dare walk around here like you hit a triple, 'cause you were born on third base. You are enjoying freedoms, opportunity, technology, things that were given to you bought by the struggles and the sacrifices and the work of those who came before. Don't you forget where you come from."

"'You drink deeply from wells of freedom and liberty and opportunity you did not dig,'" Booker continued.

Booker cited stagnating wages, increasing child poverty, gun violence, and LGBT discrimination as proof his generation "cannot afford to sit back consuming all our blessings, getting dumb, fat, and happy, thinking that we have achieved freedom," he said. "The truth of the matter is, the dream still demands, the moral conscious of our country still calls us, that hope still needs heroes."

"We still have work to do," he said.

Booker's trip to the capital comes just two months before he'll likely make a permanent move to Washington. The New Jersey special election to replace the late Sen. Frank Lautenberg will take place on Oct. 16, and Booker is leading his Republican opponent, former mayor Steve Lonegan, by about 20 points in the polls.

34 Photos From The March On Washington 50 Years Ago

Speakers Look To The Next Generation At Anniversary Of The March On Washington

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“This a day where we are passing the torch down to them,” said Rep. Frederica Wilson.

Rev. Al Sharpton links arms with Rep. John Lewis (D-GA), as they are joined by other civil rights activists and politicians to march during the 50th anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom at the Lincoln Memorial.

Kevin Lamarque / Reuters

WASHINGTON— Speakers at Saturday's 50th anniversary event commemorating the March on Washington delivered remarks to an audience of thousands, but the focus was on the younger generation in attendance who were not alive during the civil rights era.

Georgia Rep. John Lewis, a civil rights icon who was beaten in Selma, Ala., in 1965 and spoke at the 1963 March on Washington, spoke at length about the Voting Rights Act and the recent Supreme Court decision that struck down the part of the law requiring certain states to get approval before changing their voting laws.

He called on the young people in the audience to "get out there and push and pull and make America what America should be for all of us."

"Now a few short years ago … I gave a little blood on that bridge in Selma, Ala., for the right to vote. I am not going to stand by and let the Supreme Court take the right to vote away from us," Lewis said. "You cannot stand by, you cannot sit down. You've got to stand up, speak out and get in the way.

Some young marchers.

Kate Nocera/BuzzFeed

Newark Mayor and New Jersey Senate candidate Cory Booker opened his remarks by asking to speak for "those like myself who were not even alive when the March on Washington happened."

"My father when I was growing up said it very simply," Booker said. "He used to look at me and say, 'Boy, don't you dare walk around here like you hit a triple, 'cause you were born on third base. You are enjoying freedoms, opportunity, technology, things that were given to you bought by the struggles and the sacrifices and the work of those who came before. Don't you forget where you come from."

Attorney General Eric Holder said that the focus of the 1963 March on Washington was about justice "as it applied to African Americans." But now, 50 years later the movement had broadened.

"Their march is now our march and it must go on. Our focus has broadened to include the cause of women, of Latinos, of Asian Americans, of lesbians, of gays, of people with disabilities and countless others across this great country who still yearn for equality opportunity and fair treatment," Holder said.

Countless elected officials, candidates, union leaders, and activists attended the event, that was organized by Rev. Al Sharpton's National Action Network. Practically all of New York City's Democratic mayoral candidates attended, as did comptroller candidate, former Governor Eliot Spitzer.

Florida Rep. Frederica Wilson, wearing one of her can't miss glittering cowboy hats, was in the audience for the speeches. She said that Saturday's march was not only to commemorate the original march but for a younger generation to "take up the torch."

"The most important thing for today, for this new generation of children, is this a day where we are passing the torch down to them … for them to take up the torch and move forward with the next 50 years and make tremendous progress—more progress than was made in the last 50 years," she said.


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Meet The College Republican Who Took On The Religious Right In Alabama — And Won

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When Alabama GOP leaders tried to expel her for voicing support for same-sex marriage, Stephanie Petelos drew support from young conservatives across the country. On Saturday, they scored a rare victory.

Alabama Republicans voted Saturday to reject an amendment aimed at punishing the head of the state's college Republicans for publicly defending same-sex marriage — a rare, if minor, victory for gay rights supporters in the Bible Belt, and a sign of hope for conservatives who want to see their party embrace generational shifts on key social issues.

Stephanie Petelos, president of the College Republican Federation of Alabama, enraged some members of the state party earlier this summer when she gave an interview criticizing her party's religious rhetoric in the wake of the Supreme Court's DOMA decision, and suggesting the fire-and-brimstone approach was alienating younger voters.

As a result, some Alabama Republican leaders introduced an amendment to the party bylaws that would have removed any member of the steering committee who voiced opposition to the GOP's national platform. The amendment, flatly aimed at punishing Petelos for her remarks, gained national attention after BuzzFeed first reported on it last week. Amid an onslaught of negative headlines, the party voted down the amendment in a Saturday afternoon meeting.

"I really hope that this whole sequence of events doesn't shy anybody away from the party," Petelos told BuzzFeed shortly after the vote. "Like I said initially, young people are afraid to speak their opinions sometimes because they're afraid of being persecuted by party leaders. I hope after today, that won't ever happen again."

But the debate over the amendment Saturday was not without drama. According to a report in AL.com, Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore spoke out fervently against same-sex marriage during the meeting.

"If the Republican Party of this state should ever adopt same-sex marriage, I will no longer be a part of the Republican Party," Moore said, drawing loud applause.

And Alabama GOP Chairman Bill Armistead lectured members for speaking to the press, reading a series of headlines about the saga and arguing that it only brought undue negative attention to the party.

Indeed, Petelos said the media attention was "a pretty big factor" in defeating the amendment, and noted the strong support she received from young Republicans across the country via Facebook and Twitter as she faced down Alabama's entrenched network of older conservative Christians.

Ultimately, Petelos said, the party dodged a bullet: "If they had passed this resolution and put restraints on people's ability to speak their opinions, then the press would have been a lot harsher next week than it was last week."

Syria Doves In Congress Want A Vote

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“The President must come first to our own Congress for authorization,” Rep. Gibson says.

President Barack Obama exits Marine One as he arrives back at the White House on Friday.

Olivier Douliery/Abaca Press / MCT

WASHINGTON — Leading Congressional opponents of military intervention in Syria said Saturday they worry the White House will deepen its involvement in the conflict without an authorization vote from Congress.

"The decision to use military force should always be one made with the utmost caution, with U.S. interests at stake, and with the consent of Congress," said Rep. Chris Gibson, a Republican veteran of the Iraq war who introduced a bill in June to block the U.S. from arming the Syrian rebels unless authorized by Congress, in a statement to BuzzFeed.

"Importantly, rather than being solely concerned with U.N. approval, the President must come first to our own Congress for authorization, and I urge him to do so. Finally, I understand the impulse to take action in Syria; however, I hope the Presidents carefully considers this matter and resists the call from some to use military force in Syria," Gibson said.

"Airstrikes are act of war," libertarian Republican Congressman Justin Amash, who co-sponsored a bill with Rep. Thomas Massie that sought to block military aid to Syria in June, tweeted on Saturday. "Constitution demands Pres get specific auth, not just 'consult' Congress, before commencing nondefensive strikes."

"As he inches dangerously closer to entangling us in the Syrian conflict, the President would do well to remember that Congress has the sole authority to declare war," Rep. Thomas Massie, another libertarian voice in the House, wrote on Facebook on Saturday. "On June 23rd, I introduced 'The War Powers Protection Act of 2013' with 9 colleagues to assert this constitutional responsibility in the context of Syria."

Though the War Powers Act requires congressional approval for acts of war, presidents have routinely bypassed Congress for military action, as Obama did in Libya. Now, the administration has shown signs of seriously considering direct military action in Syria after President Bashar al-Assad's forces reportedly used chemical weapons against civilians on Wednesday, a topic that was the focus of a National Security Council meeting on Saturday morning. Officials are looking at Kosovo as a possible precedent for such action without U.N. approval, the New York Times reported on Saturday. And President Obama will "consult" with Congress about possible air strikes, Roll Call reported, though neither House leadership nor the White House has given any indication it would wait for an authorization vote.

Some former doves in Congress have changed their minds on Syria recently, like Senator Chris Murphy, who said that if the Assad regime did use chemical weapons it would cause him to "reevaluate." But others are sticking to their position despite growing signs that the White House is considering further action and growing pressure from both the right and left for the U.S. to step up its involvement.

"2 reasons R & D leaders don't want vote on #Syria: 1.Opens door to debate on floors of House & Senate. 2.Puts Members of Congress on record," Amash said on Twitter on Saturday.

Amash called the use of force in Syria without an authorization vote in Congress "unconstitutional & illegal" Friday on Twitter.

"Intervening militarily would exacerbate — not resolve — the matter, and in the process will Americanize the Syrian civil war," Gibson said. "In my assessment, we lack a full understanding of the dynamics on the ground and the Obama Administration has not clearly stated our strategy nor objectives. Furthermore, having served in the United States Army for 24 years, leading paratroopers in combat, I have concerns that some of the same rebel forces we would be supporting in Syria engaged in combat operations against our U.S. forces in Iraq."


The Middle East Explained In One Excellent Letter To The Editor

ProPublica Joins NSA Chase

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Broadening the journalistic front on the National Security Agency documents leaked by Edward Snowden.

A new National Security Agency facility in Utah.

George Frey / Getty Images

The nonprofit investigative reporting group ProPublica is among the media organizations with access to some National Security Agency documents leaked by Edward Snowden, another suggestion that the reportorial investigation into the NSA's programs and practices is broader than previously known.

ProPublica, a source familiar with the situation said, is doing the lead reporting on one piece of the collaboration with the Guardian — which was the first to print Snowden's revelations — and The New York Times, which BuzzFeed reported Friday had been brought in to work on one portion of the documents, which relate in some way to the NSA's connections to its British counterpart.

ProPublica's president, Richard Tofel, confirmed the collaboration in an email, and suggested the group has quietly been in the mix for some time:

"While we do not usually comment on stories before they are published, in light of what's already appeared on this subject, we can confirm that we have for some time been working with the Guardian, and more recently also The New York Times, on a story based on documents provided by Mr. Snowden," he said.

A spokeswoman for the Guardian referred BuzzFeed to a statement Friday that cited the "climate of intense pressure" from the British government in its decision to work with the Times. The London-based publication appears to be working both to protect itself and to amplify the impact of its reporting by partnering with the American news organizations. The Washington Post's Barton Gellman was also among the first to obtain and publish the documents.

The details of the control of Snowden's documents remain hazy: Other revelations have appeared in the Brazilian and German press, and it's not clear who controls access to the full document store.

The fact that three major American publications, as well as the Guardian, have access to the documents is likely to ensure an increasingly competitive story that doesn't go away any time soon.

ProPublica, an unusual nonprofit headed by newspaper veterans, has won two Pulitzer Prizes, and is seen as one of the leading forces in, primarily, domestic investigative reporting. It has published several pieces seeking to explain the Snowden revelations, but has not yet given any sign that it has access to some of the documents themselves.

Sources declined to detail the exact publishing arrangement between the Guardian, the Times, and ProPublica.

50 Years After The March On Washington, Jim Clyburn Is Worried

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The South Carolina Democrat fears a younger generation has grown complacent. “I don’t think there’s an urgency of what’s happening now. I don’t think people see the correlation between today and 50 years ago,” he tells BuzzFeed.

U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn.

Chris Keane / Reuters

WASHINGTON — When Congressman Jim Clyburn was 15 years old, a white store owner pointed a gun in his face during a dispute over the cost of some honey buns and sodas.

He remembers every detail about the day: how his mother let him take the car to go to a school homecoming 20 miles away in Sumter County; how he had left his clarinet behind and couldn't march with his school's band in the parade; how the store was right off of Highway 378; and how terrified he was when he stared at the end of the gun.

"The guy told us how much we owed him and we disagreed with the price that he was charging us. We knew how to add — it added up to less money than he told us we owed him," Clyburn told BuzzFeed. "We ended up paying him what it cost, what was on the labels. And we walked out of the store. I got to the car and started to turn the ignition and the man came out with Colt 45 pistol and put it on the window of the car. He said, 'You boys owe me 50 more cents' with a pistol in my face. My two friends jumped out of the car yelling and crying and gave him the rest of the money they had on them — more than 50 cents. And we took off. It was a harrowing experience."

As the nation commemorates the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington this week, Clyburn, 73, said he feared too many people today were giving in to what Martin Luther King Jr. called "the tranquilizing drug of gradualism" — and forgetting the details of the past.

Citing events of the last year — from new voter ID laws in states across the country to the recent Supreme Court decision to invalidate part of the Voting Rights Act and the shooting death of Trayvon Martin — the South Carolina Democrat said he was fearful that a younger generation was becoming too complacent. Members of Congress, like himself and Georgia Rep. John Lewis, have spoken out forcefully against new voting laws and the Supreme Court decision, pledging to work to come up with a legislative fix that will prevent states from implementing laws he believes are intended to depress minority voter turnout. But he said he was concerned by a lack of engagement outside of Congress.

His sentiment was echoed during a Saturday event on the National Mall, where many speakers implored young people and the thousands gathered to become more involved and politically active.

"These are the kind of things that are happening today, we thought they were behind us," Clyburn said. "So I'm hopeful that this will be a call for us to learn the lessons of our past and at least conduct ourselves as if we've learned those lessons… I don't think there's an urgency of what's happening now. I don't think people see the correlation between today and 50 years ago. While we are commemorating I hope we're not celebrating."

Clyburn also spoke about the conversations he has had with his children and grandchildren about racism and sexism as it exists today. While much has changed since he was growing up, Clyburn said these conversations remain something "that most African-Americans have with their children."

"I have a grandson and I have talked with him about the way he conducts himself and the way he reacts to things. I've tried to be real with him. I told my daughter when she first left home to go away to school, I had a conversation with her that most African-American parents have with their children. I told her when she got to school that a lot of things were going to happen to her that were positive, and I said a lot of things that would happen to her that were negative. 'You're a woman and you're black, those will never even out. Those are things that you have to work to overcome,'" Clyburn said.

"It's an added burden that black children have that white children don't have," he said.

He was cautiously optimistic that Congress would come up with a new formula for the Voting Rights Act. The Supreme Court ruled in June that several states with histories of racial discrimination would no longer have to seek federal approval to change their voting laws, ruling that the model used to determine which states should face that regulation was old and outdated.

Clyburn said there was "urgency" among the black, Hispanic, and Asian-American caucuses in the House to come up with a solution, but he did not see that urgency elsewhere.

"I think it's possible that we'll do what's necessary to protect [the] Voting Rights Act. I don't hold it against the Supreme Court for saying the data was old and should be updated, and I think the invitation is there for us to fix it. I disagree the data was old," he said.

Because of his work as a schoolteacher, Clyburn did not attend the March on Washington 50 years ago but was active in demonstrations and recently wrote in a USA Today op-ed, "although my body was in South Carolina, like millions of Americans, my heart and soul were in Washington, D.C." He'll attend multiple events surrounding the anniversary, including a speech on Wednesday by President Barack Obama.

And Clyburn says he hopes people will pay attention.

"My history students used to ask, 'Why do we have to spend all this time talking about things that happened way back when?' Those things are never going to happen again. Well, I'm not too sure they wont happen again," he said.

Mika Brzezinski: "Pathetic" And "Disgusting" Miley Cyrus Has An Eating Disorder

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The Morning Joe host had plenty to say about Cyrus’ sexed-up performance with Robin Thicke at MTV’s VMAs.

"I think that was really, really disturbing. That young lady, who is 20, is obviously deeply troubled, deeply disturbed, clearly has confidence issues, probably eating disorder and I don't think anybody should have put her on stage. That was disgusting and embarrassing ... That was not attractive. That was not fun. That was not funny. That was really, really bad for anybody who's younger and impressionable and she's really messed up ... The whole thing was cringe worthy but I feel bad for her. She is a mess. Someone needs to take care of her. Someone needs not to put her on stage and make a complete fool of herself." — MSNBC's Mika Brzezinski

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Via nbcnews.com

QUIZ: Which Democratic New York City Mayoral Candidate Should You Vote For?

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Let us help you decide.

2016 Presidential Hopefuls As "Sesame Street" Characters

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Can you tell me how to get, how to get, to Pennsylvania Avenue?

Chris Christie as Cookie Monster.

Chris Christie as Cookie Monster.

Rand Paul as Curly Bear.

Rand Paul as Curly Bear.


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Under Obama, No Improvement For Gender Equality In The White House

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The President is considering appointing Janet L. Yellen for President of the Federal Reserve, but the number of women in cabinet positions remains low.

The White House has named no more women to high-level positions than the Clinton administration did 20 years ago, the New York Times reports.

The White House has named no more women to high-level positions than the Clinton administration did 20 years ago, the New York Times reports.

The White House, Pete Souza, File / AP

During Clinton's presidency, nine women served in the Senate. Today, there are 20 female senators, but the executive government does not reflect this increase.

During Clinton's presidency, nine women served in the Senate. Today, there are 20 female senators , but the executive government does not reflect this increase.

Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images

President Obama is now considering appointing Janet L. Yellen as the first female leader of the Federal Reserve.

President Obama is now considering appointing Janet L. Yellen as the first female leader of the Federal Reserve.

Nader Khouri/Contra Costa Times / MCT

The White House has taken additional steps to achieve gender balance, including nominating Samantha Powers as United Nations ambassador and Susan E. Rice as national security adviser. In total, Obama has named 13 women to cabinet-level positions.

The White House has taken additional steps to achieve gender balance, including nominating Samantha Powers as United Nations ambassador and Susan E. Rice as national security adviser. In total, Obama has named 13 women to cabinet-level positions.

Olivier Douliery/Abaca Press / MCT


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Julian Assange Sang And Danced In A Parody Rap Video For Some Awful Reason

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The WikiLeaks founder raps and sings and it’s really strange.

Wikileaks founder Julian Assange guest-starred in a satirical music video (he shows up around 3:30) and parodied an Australian '80s pop hit... while wearing a mullet.

The video, which parodies the upcoming Australian federal elections, is the latest in a series of comedic rap commentaries from Aussie duo Juice Rap News.

Assange's portion of the video was filmed at the Ecuadorian embassy in London, where he has been living since June 2012 in order to avoid extradition from Britain to Sweden.

Assange's portion of the video was filmed at the Ecuadorian embassy in London, where he has been living since June 2012 in order to avoid extradition from Britain to Sweden.

Ellie Hall / BuzzFeed / Via youtube.com

At first, Assange is clearly rocking out.

At first, Assange is clearly rocking out.

Ellie Hall / BuzzFeed / Via youtube.com

And then it gets really weird, as Assange begins to "sing" a parody of John Farnham's 1986 hit "You're the Voice," with new, Wikileaks-themed lyrics.

And then it gets really weird, as Assange begins to "sing" a parody of John Farnham's 1986 hit "You're the Voice," with new, Wikileaks-themed lyrics.

(He was lipsyncing.)

Ellie Hall / BuzzFeed / Via youtube.com


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John Kerry Calls Syria's Use Of Chemical Weapons "Undeniable"

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He says the White House will decide how to respond in the coming days.

Secretary of State John Kerry leaves after speaking about the ongoing situation in Egypt before the start of a press briefing at the State Department in Washington, Wednesday, Aug. 14.

Evan Vucci / AP

WASHINGTON — Secretary of State John Kerry suggested Monday that the United States is coming close to taking further action in Syria, telling reporters in a strongly worded statement that the White House will be making an "informed decision" about and dismissing any claims that the Syrian government did not commit a chemical weapons attack last week in the coming days.

"What we saw in Syria last week should shock the conscience of the world," Kerry said, calling last week's chemical weapons attack against civilians a "moral obscenity."

"By any standard it is inexcusable and despite excuses and equivocations that some have manufactured, it is undeniable," Kerry said in an apparent message to the Russians, who have contended that the West has not produced sufficient evidence that the Assad regime used chemical weapons.

"Anyone who could claim that an attack of this scale could be fabricated needs to check their conscience and their own moral compass," Kerry said. He announced that the U.S. government has "additional information" about the attack and that it will present it in the coming days.

"Our understanding of what has already happened in Syria is grounded in facts, informed by conscience, and guided by common sense," Kerry said.

Kerry implied that the administration will announce something soon on Syria, saying that the White House had been talking to Congress.

"The administration is actively consulting with members of Congress and we will continue to have these conversations in the days ahead," Kerry said.

President Obama will be "making an informed decision about how to respond to this indiscriminate use of chemical weapons," Kerry said.

"Make no mistake: President Obama believes there must be accountability for those who use the worlds most heinous weapons against the world's most vulnerable people," Kerry said.

Kerry also condemned the Syrian government for attempting to keep out United Nations investigators, saying that it had "only further weakened the regime's credibility."

LINK: Related: Putin Says There's No Evidence That Syrian Chemical Attack Took Place

LINK: Snipers Fire On U.N. Inspectors In Syria


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Reporter Asks White House If Chelsea Manning's Gender Identity Will Play Role In Possible Pardon

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White House press secretary Jay Carney said he wouldn’t speculate, responding to the question from The Washington Blade’s Chris Johnson.

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Democrats' Favorite Industries Vs. Republicans'

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Democrats like the government way more than Republicans do and Republicans like the oil and gas industry way more than Democrats do.

A Gallup poll released last week of how Democrats and Republicans feel about different industries shows Democrats and those who identify as leaning Democratic feel more positively about a number of industries than Republicans and those who identify as Republican leaners do.

Gallup noted, "No single reason explains all of these partisan differences. While some may reflect clear ideological differences between Republicans and Democrats, others may be a function of differences in the demographic make up of the two parties."

The computer industry was Democrats' favorite industry with 69% of respondents saying they felt positively about it.

The computer industry was Democrats' favorite industry with 69% of respondents saying they felt positively about it.

Bloomberg / Getty

Farming and agriculture was Republicans' favorite with 66% of respondents saying they felt positively about it.

Farming and agriculture was Republicans' favorite with 66% of respondents saying they felt positively about it.

Matt Cardy / Getty

The industry with the biggest difference was the federal government, with 39% of Democrats saying they had a positive response but only 13% of Republicans saying they did.

The industry with the biggest difference was the federal government, with 39% of Democrats saying they had a positive response but only 13% of Republicans saying they did.

images.newscred.com


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White House Begins Reaching Out To Congress On Syria

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Inching closer to potential action in Syria, the Obama administration begins talking to Congress.

J. Scott Applewhite / AP

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration has begun consulting with top leaders in Congress as the U.S. ramps up the rhetoric against the regime in Syria after a chemical weapons attack took place in the country last week.

On Monday, White House staff consulted with staff from House Speaker John Boehner's office about Syria. According to a Boehner spokesperson who told BuzzFeed of the meeting, there was "nothing substantive" in the meeting in terms of what actions the U.S. might take following the Syrian attack Secretary of State John Kerry called a "moral obscenity" in a statement Monday.

There were reports of other discussions between White House officials and congressional leaders Monday, fueling speculation that American military action is coming in Syria.

At the White House briefing Monday, Press Secretary Jay Carney said no decision about military action has been made, and said the outreach to Congress should not be interpreted one way or the other.

"I think you can expect to hear [Obama] speak on it again as he evaluates the potential options and responses, and as he makes a decision about a potential response. But he has not made that decision. And when he does, I'm sure you will hear from him," Carney said of Syria. "When it comes to Congress, we're consulting with Congress and we'll continue to do that."

Syria dominated the briefing, with Carney insisting again and again that no decision has been made on military action. What a military response might look like is unclear as well. The White House has repeatedly said putting troops on the ground is not an option under consideration, and it's not clear if the U.S. would use its military resources in a limited way or to help the rebels trying to over throw the Syrian regime.

"I'm not going to speculate about the timing of the response or decision," Carney said.

Obama placed calls to the leaders of France and the United Kingdom to discuss Syria over the weekend after holding a meeting with his National Security Council on the topic. The outreach to Congress is the latest sign that the ongoing situation in Syria will dominate the coming days.

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