So the White House released their April Fool’s joke, a video with a kid president, which would be pretty unremarkable except this kid KILLS IT. It’s like a minute long, just watch it.
“I think I’m stuck.”
Today in the only April Fool’s joke we’ll post on this blog (well, barring this one, probably).
Obama’s Trip To Israel Summed Up As An Episode Of Arrested Development
So how many more episodes of this series are we gonna get, anyway? (Side note: This is awesome.)
Obama, Netanyahu address Iran, Syria threats
(Photo: Larry Downing / Reuters)
During a wide-ranging press conference in Jerusalem, President Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu discussed Middle East conflicts and a potential two-state solution.
“Whatever time is left, there’s not a lot of time.” — Netanyahu on figuring out a solution to the nuclear-enrichment issue in Iran, in direct response to Obama’s comment that “there is still time” to find a diplomatic solution.
By choosing not to ask for a single dime of deficit reduction from closing tax loopholes for the wealthy and well-connected, this budget identifies deep cuts to investments like education and research – investments critical to creating jobs and growing the middle class. And to save money, this budget would turn Medicare into a voucher program—undercutting the guaranteed benefits that seniors have earned and forcing them to pay thousands more out of their own pockets. We’ve tried this top-down approach before. The President still believes it is the wrong course for America.The White House’s take on Paul Ryan’s latest plan sounds like the same kind of statement they’ve made about everything Paul Ryan’s done since the beginning of time.
We must bring balance to the Force. #Sequester #JediMindMeld pic.twitter.com/lIZlgavhuR - @WhiteHouse
The White House twitter guy/gal might be drunk.
The Obama administration is messing with its key audience and getting away with it.
![breakingnews:
Obama calls automatic spending cuts ‘dumb’; blames GOP
NBC News: President Barack Obama said the “dumb” automatic across-the-board cuts going into effect today are the fault of Republican resistance to a reasonable deal to avert the sequestration’s budget reductions.
“I know that this has been some of the conventional wisdom that’s been floating around Washington,” Obama told reporters after meeting with congressional leaders. “Even though most people agree that I’m being reasonable, that most people agree that I am presenting a fair deal — the fact that [Republicans] don’t take it means that I should somehow do a Jedi mind meld with these folks and convince them to do what’s right,” he said.
Earlier, Obama met with House Speaker John Boehner, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell and House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi.
In a brief statement to reporters after the meeting, Boehner reiterated that Republicans will continue to oppose Democratic proposals to raise new revenues to offset the cuts.
Photo: President Barack Obama speaks to reporters in the White House briefing room in Washington, Friday, March 1. (Charles Dharapak/AP)
Doesn’t sound like anyone’s in a compromisin’ mood.](http://25.media.tumblr.com/d55dee18b9d2d85eababce252a3ba3af/tumblr_miztf8ubH61qj5rqko1_400.jpg)
Obama calls automatic spending cuts ‘dumb’; blames GOP
NBC News: President Barack Obama said the “dumb” automatic across-the-board cuts going into effect today are the fault of Republican resistance to a reasonable deal to avert the sequestration’s budget reductions.
“I know that this has been some of the conventional wisdom that’s been floating around Washington,” Obama told reporters after meeting with congressional leaders. “Even though most people agree that I’m being reasonable, that most people agree that I am presenting a fair deal — the fact that [Republicans] don’t take it means that I should somehow do a Jedi mind meld with these folks and convince them to do what’s right,” he said.
Earlier, Obama met with House Speaker John Boehner, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell and House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi.
In a brief statement to reporters after the meeting, Boehner reiterated that Republicans will continue to oppose Democratic proposals to raise new revenues to offset the cuts.
Photo: President Barack Obama speaks to reporters in the White House briefing room in Washington, Friday, March 1. (Charles Dharapak/AP)
Doesn’t sound like anyone’s in a compromisin’ mood.
Instead of directing his cabinet secretaries to trim waste in their departments, he’s going to go after first responders. And teachers. And almost any other sympathetic constituency you can think of. And he’ll arbitrarily close parks and monuments too – all to force Americans to accept higher taxes. He’ll claim his hands are tied.Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell • Throwing tough words at President Obama regarding the sequestration deadline, which passed at midnight without a deal in sight. House Speaker John Boehner, while calling the cuts “not smart,” instead pointed out that his own party was on the hook to find a solution … but it hadn’t.
Under the Constitution, the president is commander-in-chief and employs the force. And so we now have the president going out because of this piece of paper and this agreement, I can’t do what I need to do to protect the country. That’s a kind of madness that I haven’t seen in a long time.Legendary Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward • Making a veiled comparison of Obama to Nixon on “Morning Joe” this morning — specifically in regards to Obama’s decision to announce an aircraft carrier could not go to the Persian Gulf due to the budget issues. This is a new approach for Woodward, we’ll give him that.
With one newspaper cover, The Washington Post Express wins sequestration. (via Newseum)
While Obama’s job ratings are up at least slightly among many demographic groups, one of the most striking turnarounds over the past year is in the views of Hispanics. Read more.
It’s hard not to assume that the upswing in President Obama’s job approval rating among hispanics relates to the recent push for immigration reform. And though well it may be, it’s worth remembering that immigration isn’t the sole politically-influenced area of hispanic life in America. There’s a panoply of topics before us — jobs, health care, education, justice, and social issues among them — that animate people across all demographic lines. It’s important not to lose sight of that complexity.
Yahoo wants to buy Hulu now too. They’re going on an “I...
I’m moving back to New York in a few days. Unlike past...
OMG. I got so...
In this week’s Newsweek, a little...
Tumblr this morning. [h/t anne]
#@#$%!.tumblr.com
Here’s a hidden feature that shipped in...
Obama Weighs Stepping In On Gay Marriage Case
Facing heightened expectations from gay rights supporters, the Obama administration is considering urging the Supreme Court to overturn California’s ban on gay marriage - a move that could have a far-reaching impact on same-sex couples across the country.
The administration has one week to file a friend-of-the-court brief with the justices outlining its opinion on the California ban, known as Proposition 8. While an administration brief alone is unlikely to sway the high court, the government’s opinion does carry weight with the justices.
Opponents of the Proposition 8 ban believe the president signaled his intention to file a brief when he declared in last month’s inaugural address that gays and lesbians must be “treated like anyone else under the law.” An administration official said Obama - a former constitutional law professor - was not foreshadowing any legal action in his remarks and was simply restating his personal belief in the right of gays and lesbians to marry, though the official said the administration was considering filing a brief.
The Proposition 8 ballot initiative was approved by California voters in 2008 in response to a state Supreme Court decision that had allowed gay marriage. Twenty-nine other states have constitutional amendments banning gay marriage, while nine states and Washington, D.C., recognize same-sex marriage.
Photo Credit: (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green)
If he were to step in on this, would it help or harm the case in front of the Supreme Court?
Because the sequester is (and is likely to continue to be) very ill-defined in the minds of most Americans, the politics of it will devolve into a popularity contest between the major players. Which gets us to the fact that Obama is at (or close to) his high-water mark in terms of job approval, while Congress sits in political reporter/used car salesman territory.The Washington Post’s Chris Cillizza, theorizing that there’s no way possible way Congress can win the sequester battle against President Obama. The thinking here is is based on three premises: One, that Obama believes the sequester ultimately will not be avoided, because Congress is dysfunctional and if they could have struck a deal on these cuts, there wouldn’t have been a sequester to begin with; two, that effects of the sequestered cuts will be felt by many Americans once they come into effect; and three, that Obama is significantly more popular than Congress. Given these three assumptions, it seems reasonable enough to conclude that if the sequester happens, Congress—and the GOP-led House of Representatives—will be blamed by the American public. It’s not a bad theory, though it’s still quite speculative given the assumptions. More information on the sequester here. source
By the way, it’s worth noting that the bill is intended as a backup plan, in case members of Congress fail to come to a bipartisan solution on the issue.”We’re doing exactly what the president said we would do last month … which is we’re preparing. We’re going to be ready,” said White House Chief of staff Denis McDonough.
Copyright 2009-2013 Ernie Smith • Ask us stuff! • E-mail us • Follow us on Twitter • Follow us on Facebook
