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Barack Obama's New Portrait

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White House photographer Pete Souza made this official portrait for the president's second term. The official portrait hangs in all federal buildings.

Source: whitehouse

Here's a side by side with Obama's presidential portrait from 2009:

Here's a side by side with Obama's presidential portrait from 2009:


Obama Campaign To Reorganize Like Karl Rove Group

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501(c)4 to advocate for Obama's agenda. First up: guns.

Image by Kevin Lamarque / Reuters

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama's reelection campaign will relaunch this weekend as a nonprofit advocacy group devoted to promoting the president's agenda, two Democratic sources told BuzzFeed.

Obama For America will relaunch as a 501(c)4, a tax-exempt group that is also exempt from revealing its donors, the sources said, confirming a Los Angeles Times report Thursday evening. The organization would be in the same form as Karl Rove's Crossroads GPS the advocacy arm of his super PAC American Crossroads, which drew Democratic ire during the 2012 presidential campaign. Unlike the (c)4 groups, super PACs must reveal their donors.

It is not yet clear whether the Obama group will voluntarily reveal its donors, and its (c)4 status will curtail its ability to coordinate with the Democratic Party.

Obama officials have eyed an enduring presence for the president's final campaign organization since even before the last ballots of the election were cast, and some looked to it to stay active long past the end of his second term in January 2017.

"It could be his Clinton Global Initiative, targeted at home," suggested one Democrat close to the campaign shortly after Election Day.

The move is likely to infuriate some in the president's party who are wary of Obama's vast organization and email list and who forced the president to abandon a similar effort at advocacy in coordination with the Democratic National Committee when he first took office.

Obama campaign manager Jim Messina will head the new organization, the sources said, and it will immediately turn to promoting Obama's proposals to reduce gun violence as its first order of business.

Rahm Emanuel Loses It On Reporter: "What'd You Just Say To Me?"

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The Chicago mayor's blowups are legendary. Here's one captured on tape.

View Video ›

On Nov. 8, 2012, two days after President Obama's re-election, Mayor Rahm Emanuel delivered a speech at the Ritz Carlton in Chicago to raise money for an organization that supports the private funding of part of the city's struggling school system.

After the high-dollar event, I asked the mayor a question about his other fundraising role: the millions of dollars he raised in the final days of the campaign for the Obama superPAC, Priorities USA.

The mayor responded to my question by attempting to berate me, then grabbed me, while his bodyguards approached. A member of the mayor's staff later demanded that I delete the recording of the encounter, and a recording of the mayor's speech to the well-heeled donors.

I recounted the scene my new book PANIC 2012: The Sublime and Terrifying Inside Story of Obama's Final Campaign. Last night an audio tape of the encounter was aired in part on The Young Turks.

"Look, I don't mind being yelled at," I explained to the host, Cenk Uygur, on the show. "But I think the mayor clearly crossed the line by grabbing me. I've interviewed terrorist leaders. I've interviewed dictators. I've interviewed a lot of politicians. I've interviewed a lot of angry people, but none of them have ever laid a hand on me."

You can hear audio of part of the exchange in the clip above.

Obama Organization To Disclose All Donors

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A nod toward transparency.

Image by Charles Dharapak, file / AP

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama's new nonprofit will disclose all donors, a senior Democrat close to the White House said Friday.

The 501(c)4 will exist separately from the Democratic National Committee and will be able to accept unlimited donations.

The decision to disclose all donors will help placate good-governance advocates and a potential liability as the self-proclaimed "most transparent administration ever."

GOProud Backs Civil Marriage For Gay Couples

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The gay conservative group had avoided taking a position on the issue in the past. LaSalvia cites a need for “a truly conservative voice” to stand up for marriage equality.

GOProud's party at the 2012 Republican National Convention was one of the hottest tickets there — but now the group is taking on the marriage fight and heading into the states.

Source: s3-ec.buzzfed.com

WASHINGTON — After declining to take a position on the issue for years, GOProud, the group for gay conservatives, told BuzzFeed Friday it is coming out in support of same-sex marriage equality.

"We support same-sex marriage, civil marriage," GOProud executive director Jimmy LaSalvia said.

The move follows a decision by the GOProud board earlier this month to expand the group's mission to include state-level work. It also comes after, LaSalvia noted, the re-election of a president who supports same-sex couples' marriage rights, while some in the Republican Party are urging their party to reassess their position on the issue.

Since its founding in 2009, GOProud has always opposed the federal Defense of Marriage Act, calling the law a "federal power grab," but it avoided the underlying issue of marriage rights. In the course of a 285-word statement provided to BuzzFeed on "marriage and relationship recognition" being released publicly Friday, though, the group declares, "Where civil marriage is possible, we support civil marriage."

At the same time, the group is pushing strongly for a state-level, political efforts — not judicial decisions — and LaSalvia warned that "a sweeping decision" in the Supreme Court case challenging California's Proposition 8 ban on same-sex couples' marriages "will create a backlash" — including the proposed Federal Marriage Amendment being "brought to the forefront again."

LaSalvia explained why the group was weighing in now.

"Since we'll be forming groups in the states, that makes necessary that we take positions on state issues. And so, for the first time, we felt it necessary to articulate our position on marriage and relationship recognition for gay people. We hadn't had to do that before because we only worked on federal issues, and marriage has always been an issue dealt with with the states," LaSalvia said.

The group, which he said had nearly a $350,000 budget in 2012 that came from about 500 donors, is starting off by supporting the marriage equality bills in Illinois, Minnesota and Rhode Island. Asked about the bills, LaSalvia said the group support them, noting, "Where it is being considered and where it is possible, we support it and we're going to be there." He later added in a follow-up email, "[W]e haven't formed local affiliates there yet, so our level of engagement will be limited."

In announcing its position, the group's statement declares, "GOProud believes that stable, loving, committed relationships are the cornerstone of our society and should be protected and encouraged for all couples — including gay and lesbian couples. We believe that the decision about how to best do this is one that should be made at the state level and that these decisions are best made by the people directly or through their elected representatives — not by unelected judges."

The statement goes on to say, "Where civil marriage is possible, we support civil marriage. Where civil unions are possible, we support civil unions. Where domestic partner benefits are possible, we support domestic partner benefits. As federalists, we do not believe in a one-size-fits-all approach on almost any issue and that includes relationship recognition for gay couples."

Log Cabin Republicans, the older and generally more moderate of the groups for gay Republicans, has been in support of same-sex couples' marriage rights. Its statement of support also is more direct: "Gay or straight, Republicans are united in the belief that strong families are critical to a free society. Log Cabin Republicans are committed to advocating for the freedom to marry."

LaSalvia said that while GOProud supports civil marriage for gay couples, his group's new statement simply reflects the "political reality" that same-sex couples — absent Supreme Court intervention — aren't going to be marrying in Alabama anytime soon.

"The country's having a long discussion about marriage. I think many states, in the short term, will be considering civil marriage. Many states will not be. When a state considers civil marriage, we'll support that," LaSalvia said. "I think, ultimately — I happen to believe that some day, there will be civil marriage in every state for gay couples. Will that look the same in every state? I don't know but that's up for the people of the states to decide."

In terms of those who would question the group's stated support now for civil unions or domestic partnerships in certain circumstances, he said GOProud sees those options as a path toward civil marriage, saying of civil marriage, "In Alabama, that's not a reality as a political possibility, and so, in Alabama, we would support whatever is realistic to help [same-sex couples] … with the ultimate goal, I think ideally, civil marriage is the ideal situation for all couples, including gay couples. Every state is not going to come to that solution at the same time."

The bottom line, he said, is that GOProud "support[s] civil marriage for gay couples. How you get there and how it looks in the end is up to the states to decide."

Asked if the "unelected judges" line represented an opposition to either of the two Supreme Court cases pending by legal organizations — one challenging DOMA and one challenging California's Proposition 8 marriage amendment — LaSalvia said no.

The group agrees with the case brought by the American Civil Liberties Union that DOMA is unconstitutional, but on different grounds. The ACLU and Roberta Kaplan from Paul Weiss argue that the law, which bans the federal government from recognizing same-sex couples' state-granted marriages, violates the guarantee of equal protection found in the Constitution. LaSalvia, though, said, "DOMA is unconstitutional because the Tenth Amendment doesn't give the federal government that power. DOMA was a federal power grab of an unprecedented nature. We believe that violates the Tenth Amendment," an argument that has been advanced by Massachusetts in its challenge to DOMA and has figured into, though not been the sole basis for, the appeals court decisions striking down DOMA.

As for the challenge to Proposition 8, LaSalvia said, "There are specific issues with Prop 8, regarding a state — the people — rolling back a court decision, and that's something the judges will address." Because of that "specific question," LaSalvia acknowledged that the court would have to decide the issue but maintained that GOProud would "prefer that states' elected officials and the people directly should make these decisions." But the lead lawyers for the case brought by the American Foundation for Equal Rights, Ted Olson and David Boies, had previously argued a much more broad case — one based on the constitutional equal protection guarantees that could potentially apply to states other than California — and are likely to raise that possibility at the Supreme Court.

LaSalvia said "that's not the preferred path," adding, "We think the best way to solve all these problems is to do it through the political process. Now, that's not saying," he said of a more broad decision, "that it's not going to happen. It very well could." If it does, though, he warned of potential backlash. "I certainly think a sweeping decision will create a backlash, and I think that is something that a lot of people recognize. So, there would certainly be political backlash. And we've long been opposed to a Federal Marriage Amendment, but I think that would be brought to the forefront again should that happen."

In the meantime, he said there is "a need for a truly conservative voice in the states on the issue of marriage" — a statement with which Log Cabin leaders would take issue. Adopting language far more often used by more moderate groups, LaSalvia said of GOProud, "We are in the business of changing hearts and minds about how people feel about issues that affect gay people, and I think that we're in a unique position to be able to do that."

"I think that, so many times, the establishment gay organizations do gay outreach, and it's ineffective," he went on. "They say, 'Conservatives support gay marriage,' and then they shove Meghan McCain in their face. Conservatives hate Meghan McCain."

GOProud's Full Marriage Statement

GOProud's Full Marriage Statement

Via: goproud.org

Cory Booker Is Melting Guns And Turning Them Into Bracelets

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The Newark mayor is promoting a jewelry line made with melted metal from guns seized by the Newark Police Department. “The Caliber Collection.”

Via: calibercollection.com

Newark Mayor Cory Booker promoted his jewelry line, "The Caliber Collection," Thursday night on MSNBC's Rachel Maddow Show. The bracelets are made from metal "from 250 guns and bullet casings seized by the Newark Police Department" as part of the city's gun buy-back program, according to the line's website.

Booker told Maddow that "a large percentage of the proceeds go to more gun buy-backs in Newark."

Each bracelet has the serial number of a seized gun, as well as the word "NEWARK," etched on its side. The jewelry line program, Booker said on Maddow, transforms weapons into "an instrument of peace."

The most expensive product in the line is the "brass bangle with diamond" — retailing for $375 — which features a diamond described as "strong, precious and rare...like human life."

"The pieces are handmade, no two are exactly alike," according to the Caliber Collection website.

Sandy Hook Conspiracy Theories Edge Toward The Mainstream

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“By far the hottest topic of the moment.” Ignore it and it won't go away.

There are two kinds of conspiracy theories: The ones, about the Illuminati and about mysterious "chemtrails," that lurk forever in the online twilight zone, favored by a hard core of fringe believers; and the ones that, like the equally ludicrous speculation about Barack Obama's nativity, break into the nation's political conversation.

The repugnant and absurd theories about the massacre of children in Newtown, Conn. last month seem like an obvious candidate for the first category, simply too insane to gain any sort of wide acceptance. But some of the factors that can bring theories in from the fringe appear to be driving its unexpected surge this month: A connection to America's intensely polarized political culture in general, and a message that appeals to a longstanding fear among gun owners, in particular.

The leading version of the "Sandy Hook Hoax" theory, such as it is, holds that the incident was staged by the White House as a prelude to disarming America. Many of its claims are rooted in contradictory and confusing media statements that came out of the chaos of the first hours of the shooting, and which are virtually always present in such chaotic moments. (Similar confused media reporting served as the basis of the 9/11 Truth movement.)

The theory is ludicrous, but there is hard evidence that it has begun to go viral. The leading, anonymous, 30-minute video created by YouTube user ThinkOutsideTheTV had been viewed 10.6 million times by Friday morning. The search engine Topsy, which measures Twitter conversation, shows discussion of the video rising fast this week starting on Sunday and then, as those conversations peak and drop, discussion of a "Sandy Hook hoax" largely continuing to rise, with only a slight dip. And Twitter is just a tiny slice of a broader social space that includes Facebook, YouTube, and, in particular, email forwards, which typically are the key communication channels for conspiracy theories.

"It's by far the hottest topic of the moment," said David Mikkelson, the co-founder of the popular fact-checking website Snopes.com, which offers a detailed and extensive debunking of the theory's various planks.

The term "Sandy Hook conspiracy" was also a "hot search" on Google this week.

And it has begun to pop up around the edges of broader American culture. On Jan. 16, Washington Nationals center fielder Denard Span tweeted, "I was watching some controversial stuff on YouTube about the sandy hooks thing today! It really makes u think and wonder." His followers quickly responded with criticism: "c'mon man be smarter than that..." and "NO, man. Don't go into the conspiracies. They're garbage, cooked up by truly sick people."

Span apologized in a series of subsequent tweets, concluding with: "For the record if I truly offended anybody, I AM TRULY SORRY! I'm not in the business of hurting people. I'm ok twitter to have a good time."

In Cincinatti, a reporter for the local Fox affiliate, Ben Swann, has publicly doubted that there was just one shooter in Newtown (another core claim of conspiracists), and asked officials to release surveillance footage of the attacks.

After intense criticism, Swann blamed "the smear machine."

And Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton has launched an internal investigation of a communications professor, James Tracy, who has claimed the Obama Administration may have hired "crisis actors" who would grieve on camera and shape public opinion in favor of gun control.

"There is a growing awareness that the media coverage of the massacre of 26 children and adults was intended primarily for public consumption to further larger political ends," Tracy wrote on his blog. (The class he teaches is called "Culture of Conspiracy.")

The evidence on which these budding theories are based is, even by the standards of fringe conspiracy theory, remarkably thin, and demand massive collusion between hundreds of private citizens, the federal government, local authorities, and the news media.

The theorists claim some of the parents and witnesses are paid actors who, because they don't shed tears on camera, are pretending their children died. The "Sandy Hook Shooting - Fully Exposed" video shows a photo of children hugging Obama during a visit to Newtown. The theorists claim one of the little girls is Emilie Parker, who was killed in the shooting. The little girl, who shares many of Emilie's features, is her sister.

Other claims point to contradictory media statements during the coverage immediately after the event. One of those, which was cleared up soon after, was that shooter Adam Lanza couldn't have killed students with a semi-automatic rifle because it was found in his car by police officers. That weapon was in fact, police say, a shotgun they pulled out of his trunk.

Another component of the theory: There were multiple shooters. But a man initially handcuffed in the nearby woods by police (and implicated by theorists) was a father trying to visit his son's school when he heard shots ring out. He was interviewed and released, but this detail dropped from news coverage when Lanza was identified.

The media is often reluctant to engage such theories directly. The political press spent much of 2007 and 2008 ignoring grassroots conservative beliefs that President Barack Obama was a secret Muslim, and that his wife had thrown around the epithet "whitey." But both of those eventually became so widespread, embraced by local elected officials and other public figures, that they were impossible to ignore; their course served as a template for Obama's being forced to display, from the White House podium, his birth certificate.

Now the media is on the cusp of having to struggle with whether or not to cover and debunk another insane theory, at the cost of — critics say — dignifying it. But at some point they may not have a choice: At least one Newtown resident told Salon that he's begun to receive harassing accusing him of cooperating with a government cover-up.

So far, most of the mainstream press has chosen to ignore the theory, though some in the conservative media have confronted it head on. The conservative media figure Glenn Beck Wednesday took a call from the father of a Sandy Hook student, who wanted to dispel conspiracy rumors. Having to address the theories "makes me want to throw up all over again," he said, and added later, "It happened. It really happened."

Beck told the father he planned to do another show to "set the record straight" on conspiracy theories.

The most popular Sandy Hook conspiracy video

Democrats Explain "Organizing For Action"

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Seeking to preempt concerns by some members of their own party. “It definitely could be potential problem.”

Image by Jonathan Ernst / Reuters

WASHINGTON — Top Democrats laid out the case to BuzzFeed Friday for the transformation of President Barack Obama's massive campaign organization into a massive new nonprofit organization aimed at pushing forward the White House's policy initiatives.

Though Obama's expansive campaign has always been viewed with suspicion by some members of his party who worry that it will emerge as a rival to the Democratic Party itself, top Democrats close to the organization say it will strengthen the president's hand going forward.

Obama's campaign is preparing to relaunch as a 501(c)4 on Sunday, called Organizing for Action, the same day Obama takes the oath of office for his second term, and the group is set to rebrand itself as an issue advocacy organization designed to advance the president's agenda. Its executive director will be Jon Carson, a former field organizer who is now White House Director of Public Engagement. That means it also won't have to report its donors to the Federal Election Commission. News of the relaunch was first reported by the Los Angeles Times late Thursday.

The move is a second try at a failed, similar effort last cycle. After the 2008 election, Obama folded his campaign into the national party committee as Organizing for America in a short-lived push to influence policy. The group quickly drew the ire of Democratic lawmakers who were upset by the flood of calls and emails on controversial issues like health care reform.

But there was another, less-publicized reason the partnership didn't sit well. The Obama operation is a behemoth, requiring vast sums of money to keep organizers in the field — cost structure that before the Obama years was limited to the final months of a campaign is now a full-time operation.

By remaining separate from the DNC, the organization will be able to accept unlimited funds for its grassroots program, and a senior Democrat close to the White House said it would disclose the names of all donors.

"This strengthens the DNC because it allows the DNC to spend its hard political dollars on its mission to build a state and national party and winning elections," said the Democrat. "The (c)4 will directly advocate for policies the president has laid out."

"It makes more sense to spend soft money on this," added one top operative.

Former Obama campaign manager Jim Messina, who will play a major role in the new group, rejected claims that the Obama team kept OFA away from the DNC because of distrust of Democratic Party Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz.

"Debbie Wasserman Schultz has been an amazing chair of the DNC, which is why the President reappointed her for another term," he told BuzzFeed. "Everyone has complete confidence in her leadership and view her as absolutely essential to the team."

Another top Democrat added, "the president doesn't generally hire people or appoint people that he doesn't like or can't live with. If he didn't want her, he could have gotten rid of her and it would've been a one day story. They see her as an asset."

The president and the White House are still going to raise money for the DNC," the official added, rejecting claims that the group would weaken the Party organization. "The president is still the head of the Party, and the Party is still immensely important to what the president wants to do on the Hill."

It's an argument aimed primarily at Democrats who aren't close to the White House, who worry about centralized presidential power.

"There is the outstanding question of the lists, data, etc.," said one Democratic operative. "If that isn't shared with DNC it definitely could be potential problem."

But the senior Democrat close to the White House said the Obama campaign will make sure its data is accessible to Democratic candidates and the DNC, adding that they are "still working out the specifics."

Immediately after the election, top Obama aides told reporters that a central concern was keeping the organization intact and motivated.

"You just can't transfer this, right," Senior Adviser David Plouffe said at the time, ruling out just handing it over to the Democratic National Committee or a 2016 candidate. "I mean, people are not going to spend hours away from their families and their jobs, contributing financially when it's hard for them to do it, unless they believe in the candidate."

"We went and surveyed our supporters and they wanted to stay together, they wanted to work on issues that had been part of both Obama campaigns," the Democrat said Friday, noting that by focusing on issues close to Obama, the organization remains centered around the president.

Another Democratic operative who works on congressional races told BuzzFeed that Organizing for Action may be central to Democrats' chances in the 2014 midterms.

"They have an opportunity to do the grassroots push for the president's agenda, and more importantly keep his volunteers and voters engaged into the midterms," the operative said. "If turnout falls back to where it was in 2010 as opposed to where it was in 2012 and it will be a bad night for us, so this is really important for us."

It also remains to be seen how the organization will continue beyond Obama's time in office. Multiple Democrats speculated he may turn it into something akin to President Bill Clinton's Clinton Global Initiative, but focus on domestic issues and grassroots activism.

"I actually think this is going to be less effective and political past short term," said one operative. "His folks will do stuff and fight now. But once he's out of office you lose interest from a lot of people I think and it turns more into a legacy thing."
"He could do the Clinton-thing," said the top Democrat. "I don't know what that would look like exactly, but this can be his legacy."


Poll: Majority Want Obama To Lay Out Spending Cuts In Inaugural Address

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Most Americans also say the would rather have Oprah manage their money than the federal government.

Image by Carolyn Kaster, File / AP

WASHINGTON — A new poll released by the non-partisan fiscal conservative group The Public Notice finds that a majority of Americans want Obama to lay out specific spending cuts in his second Inaugural address Monday.

The poll, conducted by the GOP pollster The Tarrance Group, finds nearly three in four Americans disagree with the statement Obama reportedly made to Speaker of the House John Boehner that "We don't have a spending problem." 56 percent of Americans want Obama to lay out cuts in his remarks this weekend.

Jobs and the economy and spending and the deficit are tied for the most important issue on the minds of Americans, the poll finds, with each earning the top slot by 29 percent of those polled.

The poll also found that a majority of Americans (52 percent) would rather have Oprah manage their money than the federal government (22 percent).

"The reason that spending and deficits are once again a top issue is because Americans recognize that it's not only hurting our overall economy, but it's also having a direct impact on their own personal finances," said Public Notice Executive Director Gretchen Hamel. "The idea that we don't have a spending problem is out-of-step with nearly three-quarters of those surveyed and it's that view in Washington that is eroding public trust in the federal government's ability to manage a budget. Americans trust Oprah over Washington to handle their family finances by a more than two-to-one margin; it's time for our leaders to come clean about their addiction to spending."

Stephen Colbert's Sister To Run For Tim Scott's House Seat

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Elizabeth Colbert-Busch, an administrator at Clemson University, will file papers for the South Carolina special election. “Our best chance to beat Sanford.”

Two sources tell BuzzFeed that Elizabeth Colbert-Busch — the sister of television personality Stephen Colbert — will declare herself a candidate in the South Carolina special election to fill Tim Scott's open U.S. House seat.

A state Democratic official said Colbert's campaign manager confirmed Friday afternoon with the state party that they would be filing paperwork on Tuesday of next week.

Colbert, the director of development at Clemson University's Restoration Institute, will likely face former Republican governor Mark Sanford, who resigned from his second term in 2009 after disappearing for five days while in Argentina with his mistress.

"This isn't the first time that people have asked her to run," said the Democratic official, "but it's the first time that she's taking it seriously."

"I think she could win," added the source. "She is our best chance to beat Sanford, and she comes with incredible name recognition and an uncanny ability to fundraise. She is very well-liked in the community."

"Her brother mentions her once on his show and, what, that's a quarter of a million dollars right there," said the official.

The official also noted that Colbert pronounces her last name phonetically, unlike her brother, who pronounces the surname with a silent "t."

The filing period for the special election began Friday and will end in two weeks. Sanford has already announced his candidacy, and another Democrat — businessman Martin Skelly — also filed papers Friday.

Chuck Schumer: Hagel "Convinced Me He Had Changed His Views"

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“I'll be watching him like an eagle,” the New York Senator tells a Jewish radio show.

New York Senator Chuck Schumer said on Friday that during his meeting with Chuck Hagel, the Secretary of Defense nominee had convinced him that his views on Israel and Iran had changed over the last few years.

"Well look, as is clear, I had my doubts about Chuck Hagel and in fact made them public on the meet the press show," Schumer said on Nachum Segal's morning radio show. "That was before he was nominated."

"The president asked me to meet with [Hagel] before I made any decisions, that was only fair," Schumer told the Orthodox Jewish radio host, who has been a leading local critic of his support for the former Republican senator.

"I asked him many many probing questions," Schumer said, about Iran, Israel, the Palestinians, Hamas, and Hezbollah. "His answers were not pat, were not check-the-box."

"He was sincere," Schumer said. "He basically said look, the bottom line is the world has changed since 2005, 6, 7. Iran is far more dangerous and far more militant than it was then, everyone would agree with that. He said Hamas and Hezbollah are closer to Iran and more militant and worse." "

Hagel, Schumer said, had "convinced me that he had changed his views."

Schumer said Hagel "satisfied my concerns," but "I'll be watching him like an eagle."

The senator pled ignorance of a report from earlier this week that President Obama had been privately saying that Israel "doesn't know what its best interests are."

"I don't know which instance you're referring to," Schumer said. "I'm not familiar with that statement, I've been busy with other things."

"When I disagree with [Obama] I make it public," Schumer said. "I think I'm basically the only major Jewish official, or any official, that has disputed their view of Israel and Palestine, in other words, whatever you think of settlements, whatever you think of borders, the reason there's no peace is because the Palestinians don't want a Jewish state."

Real Joe Biden Salutes Onion Joe Biden

Joe Kennedy Is The Hottest Ginger In Congress

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Joe Kennedy is the latest in a long line of Kennedys in politics. That is hot. He is also a ginger. That is hotter. Bask in the ginger hotness of Joe Kennedy. [Ed. note: This post is by a BuzzFeed user. BuzzFeed Politics has no official position on Joe Kennedy's hotness.]

This is Joe Kennedy.

This is Joe Kennedy.

He is a Kennedy. He is a ginger. He is hot.

OK. We'll pause for a minute so you can catch your breath...

Let's review: Kennedy. Ginger. Hot

Source: http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5v6ojyXIn1qh82vko1_500.jpg  /  via: Tumblr

He is indisputably the hottest ginger in Congress. It's probably been proven by Science or something.

He is indisputably the hottest ginger in Congress. It's probably been proven by Science or something.

Red hair? Check.

Blue eyes? Check.

Perfect teeth? Check.

Square jaw? Check.

Kennedy? Check.

Hot? Double check.

Source: http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5evmaYw661qh82vko1_500.jpg  /  via: Tumblr

He Already Has His Own Meme!!

He Already Has His Own Meme!!

Once you have a meme, you are pretty much set for life.

Did I mention he is also a hot ginger Kennedy?

Source: http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m9uoj4oLnD1rqe76qo1_500.jpg  /  via: Tumblr

He Works Hard!!

He Works Hard!!

In a hot manner, of course.

Source: cbsboston.files.wordpress.com  /  via: http://CBS%20Boston


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Obama Inauguration Bumps Up List Of Banned Items From 2009

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No mace!

2013

2013

2009

2009

Correction I originally put 2008 and 2012 instead of 2009 and 2013. I apologize for being dumb.

NRA's Ad On Armed Guards At Obama's Children's School Based Off Error In Article

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An error in a conservative outlet's article pokes a hole in the NRA's new ad campaign.

The National Rifle Association recently ran an ad calling President Obama an "elitist hypocrite" for having armed protection for his children at school. BuzzFeed and some other outlets reported the NRA meant Secret Service, but an extended version of the ad made clear that the NRA was talking about the school's staff security team.

"[The] school Obama's daughters attend has 11 armed guards," the longer ad's narrator says, citing an article from Breitbart.com.

But a fact-check by the Washington Post found that not to be the case. The Post called the school, Sidwell Friends, where Obama's daughters attend and asked if the school had armed guards. The school responded that none of their 11 security members carry any firearms.

But where did the myth of armed guards at Obama's school come from?

A quick search found that the first post about it came from the Weekly Standard's blog. A post by Daniel Halper said that the school — attended by both Obama's and David Gregory's children — had 11 armed guards on staff, citing the 11 members of the security team. The error by the site presuming the security at the Quaker school was armed led to the NRA's two incorrect ads.

"But when it comes to Gregory's own kids, however, they are secured every school day by armed guards.

The Gregory children go to school with the children of President Barack Obama, according to the Washington Post. That school is the co-ed Quaker school Sidwell Friends.

According to a scan of the school's online faculty-staff directory, Sidwell has a security department made up of at least 11 people. Many of those are police officers, who are presumably armed.

The NRA cites a Breitbart article from the same day which aggregated the Weekly Standard's post.


John Boehner Makes Peace With Conservatives At Republican Retreat

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Republicans' debt ceiling proposal is the result of a détente reached in a Williamsburg resort that may not last long. One conservative aide see a Biblical comparison.

Via: speakerboehner

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. — When Republicans rolled through the heavily guarded gates of the Kingsmill resort here Wednesday for a three-day annual Republican retreat, it was under a cloud of tension and infighting that had pitted House Speaker John Boehner against stubborn conservatives throughout the 112th Congress.

By the time the retreat ended, Republicans across the spectrum of conservatism had apparently come to an agreement on the most polarizing immediate fight that awaits them: the debt ceiling.

How was the détente, however temporary, reached? It depends on which side is doing the spinning.

One aide to a conservative member compared the fight between Boehner and Congressional conservatives with the Biblical rivalry between David and King Saul. According to the Old Testament, Saul (in this analogy, Boehner) was threatened by divinely-selected David (the conservatives), and tried repeatedly to kill him. Then, one night, David sneaked into Saul's cave while he was sleeping, cut off a piece of his robe, and showed it to the King the next day to prove he had the upper hand.

"Saul saw that David could have killed him, and he was humbled by it," the aide said, suggesting Boehner has recognized the power of the conservatives in his conference.

That may be wishful thinking on the conservatives' part, but the Republican proposal — hashed out between Boehner and conservatives over the course of the three-day retreat — to extend the debt limit for an additional three months seems to indicate some compromise on both sides.

The plan does not include spending cuts — which has always been a major sticking point for Boehner's conference. Rather, Republicans agreed to include language requiring the Senate to pass a budget and language that would withhold lawmakers' pay if they do not. It is far from clear whether that provision is even remotely constitutional, and the bill is unlikely to pass the Senate, but it's still a victory for Boehner, no matter how slight.

When asked if there were any hard feelings on display, Rep. John Fleming said "In fact, just the reverse."

"Having open forums where we get up and talk in front of microphones and talk to the speaker and leadership and ad hoc committees, that's exactly what we want to do. So, no, if anything we're complimenting the Speaker," Fleming said.

Lawmakers also said that conservative leaders in the House like Rep. Tom Price, who has been critical of the leadership of late, didn't turn the retreat into an extension of the fiscal cliff civil war, and instead played constructive roles in the debate.

And Reps. Tim Huelskamp, Justin Amash and Raul Labrador — who have all been very critical of Boehner — played no significant role in the retreat at all, according to multiple colleagues.

Much of the good will seems to stem from his handling of the short-term extension to the debt limit proposal leadership announced Friday.

Fleming said Boehner assured the conference he will no longer negotiate with the president and then bring a deal to the House. "Those days have ended," Fleming said, noting that plan for the short-term extension came together as a result of hours of discussions between leaders and rank and file members.

The internal agreement allows Republicans to "reorder the fights to increase our odds of success," a leadership aide said Friday, adding that "members appreciated the fact that leadership allowed an open robust discussion."

And that's no small feat for Boehner and his leadership team, which ended the 112th Congress divided over the fiscal cliff, facing a growing revolt amongst Republicans, and holding virtually no serious leverage over Democrats and the White House.

Of course, even if a three-month delay of the debt ceiling is passed, it is far from clear that Boehner will be able to regain control of his conference. The fight over the sequester and a looming government shutdown remain, and Republicans have little political capital to use in fighting with Democrats.

The delay could give the Ohio Republican enough maneuvering room to regain his footing in the House and with Obama. But all the while, conservatives will be dangling a piece of Boehner's robe in front of him.

The Worst Story Intro You Will Ever Read

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The lede ran in a Toronto Star column Friday about a sexual assault victim testifying against a doctor who she said violated her while she was sedated.

Via: thestar.com

Via Doug Saunders

The BuzzFeed Inaugural Guide To Hometown Washington

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If you're coming to DC for the inauguration, forget what you think you know about the nation's Capitol.

WASHINGTON — So you're coming to DC for President Barack Obama's second inauguration. You've got your warm mittens, your map of the relevant museums and historical sites and enough cash to get back and forth your hotel and the National Mall or Georgetown.

After all, that's the only place you'd want to go since the rest of the city is a wasteland of boring Ann Taylor pants suits or crack addled zombies murdering their way through the day, right?

Not so! Regardless of what certain people may have you believe, Washington is a wonderful, vibrant city full of great food, music, people, and more history than you can shake an upper east side ego at. Trust me, I'd know. This is my hometown.

So forget Ben's Chili Bowl (which is delicious) and Café Milano (which is not), forget the Lincoln Memorial and the Kennedy Center, and come see what Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton lovingly refers to as "Hometown Washington."

Eat Breakfast Like A Gangster

Eat Breakfast Like A Gangster

Via: floridagirlindc.blogspot.com

Florida Ave Grill
1100 Florida Avenue NW Washington, DC 20009
(202) 265-1586
floridaavenuegrill.com

Before there was Avon Barksdale and the crew from The Wire, there was Rayful Edmund.

For Washingtonians who grew up in the region in the 1980s, Edmund continues to be a mythical, larger-than-life figure. In the minds of many residents, Edmund is equal parts ruthless gangster, pop icon, drug dealer, and Robin Hood-type hero.

As the old families who controlled the drug trade in Washington began to collapse, Edmund and his crew stepped in, flooding the streets with cheap crack and cheaper bullets.

According to legend, Edmund would regularly hold court at the Florida Ave. Grill, located just a few blocks off the historic U St. corridor.

Established in 1944, the Florida Ave Grill is one of the best soul food joints in D.C., and it's a perfect spot to fill up before heading down to the mall for the festivities — or get over that banging post-inaugural hangover.

Catch A Show At The 930 Club

Catch A Show At The 930 Club

Via: welovedc.com


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Bill Clinton Courts Obama Donors

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Hillary 2016?

Image by Gene J. Puskar / AP

WASHINGTON — Former President Bill Clinton is addressing President Barack Obama's top donors Saturday at a meeting of his National Finance Committee in Washington, according to one of the attendees.

On the weekend of Obama's second inaugural, the committee is celebrating the largest fundraising haul by a presidential candidate ever, topping more than $1 billion. On Friday, Obama met with many of the donors at the White House for a brunch and a reception.

Clinton took on an outsized role for Obama after his widely-hailed and fiery speech at the 2012 Democratic Convention, but his visit with the top donors will surely fuel speculation that he is laying the groundwork should his wife, retiring Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, decide to seek the presidency again in 2016.

Mysterious LGBT "Group" Pays For Ad Opposing Chuck Hagel

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A liberal who has clashed with Obama about the pace of action on LGBT rights says the group behind “Use Your Mandate” ad is “chicken” for not revealing the funders' names. The ad is scheduled to run on several Sunday news shows.

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WASHINGTON — People associated with two prominent LGBT organizations — one loyal to President Obama for the most part and the other one of his loudest critics on the left — disclaimed any knowledge Saturday of the funding source for a TV ad opposing former Sen. Chuck Hagel's nomination for defense secretary that is scheduled to run during multiple Sunday morning news shows.

The Huffington Post reported that the group placing the ads is calling itself "Use Your Mandate" and stated that the group is "made up mostly of Democrats and independents" who are "choosing to stay anonymous" for now.

The ad attacks Hagel as "anti-woman, anti-choice, anti-Israel, anti-gay and pro-assault weapon" and is reportedly scheduled to run on NBC's "Meet the Press," CBS's "Face the Nation" and ABC's "This Week." The Huffington Post based the report on "a source close to the group who declined to be named in order to speak openly." To that end:

The source close to the group said that for now, those involved are choosing to stay anonymous because they are allies with the Obama administration and hesitant to criticize the president publicly or fear retribution or pressure from the White House. The source characterized members as a "concerned group of people who ... have some questions about Chuck Hagel," including individuals who have "fought for LGBT rights for a long time."

A spokesman for the nation's largest LGBT organization and the person who helped organize the funding for the direct-action, liberal group that most often challenged President Obama's first-term efforts on LGBT issues both told BuzzFeed Saturday that they had no knowledge of the ad prior to the Saturday report and also said they were unaware of who was funding it.

Paul Yandura, who worked with Jonathan Lewis to secure funding to start Get Equal — the liberal organization that led civil-disobedience actions against President Obama at the White House and against Democrats in the Capitol in 2009 — said he had "no idea" who is behind the ads.

Get Equal already has gone on the record in opposition to Hagel for his LGBT record and his larger civil-rights record, and Yandura was incredulous that the funders of the new ad campaign are attempting to not reveal who is behind the group.

"It's laughable that they want to stay anonymous because they are too chicken to criticize the president since they are his supporters. Either this is a serious enough issue to call out the president or not," he added.

HRC vice president for communications Fred Sainz said he had not even heard of the new group or the group's ad.

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