People would rather see their President in Put-in-Bay, Ohio, or the Wisconsin Dells than in the Kennedy realm of Cape Cod.
Presidential historian Douglas Brinkley • Regarding Obama’s upcoming vacation to Cape Cod. While presidents are likely to get criticism no matter where they vacation, Obama’s is even more acute because, well, the economy’s in the crapper, and it feels a tad tone-deaf. He should really consider what Bill Clinton did, according to journalist Ken Walsh, an expert on presidential retreats: “President Clinton, for instance, took polls to figure out where he should go on vacation when he ran for re-election. He took polls to figure out where Americans want the president to go. Well [it was] national parks, so President Clinton went to national parks.” So yeah, Obama, you should head to Montana, not send Michelle to Spain. source
This is America, and our commitment to religious freedom must be unshakable. The principle that people of all faiths are welcome in this country, and will not be treated differently by their government, is essential to who we are.
Barack Obama • Making a spirited defense of the whole Ground Zero Mosque thing. Which we should note a couple of things about. One, it’s two blocks away. And two, it’s in FREAKING MANHATTAN, pretty much the busiest place in the world. Seriously, there’s so much crap there that there’s a strip club and a horse-betting kiosk within a block of the mosque’s planned site. We actually have an AOL News article coming out about this over the weekend. We’ll keep you posted. source
bad Wyclef Jean’s pro-Haiti charity, Yele, has had years of financial issues brought on by questionable payments – bad accounting, money not going to charity, you name it. It’s scarred his reputation a little.
good Jean, however, will no longer be running the organization – likely so he can focus on his presidential run. He’ll hand the reins over to someone with a better history of working for nonprofits. source
He’s gonna hang with some buddies in Chicago, and according to Robert Gibbs, “I think he is looking forward to spending the night in his house for a change.”
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We’re not sure what, but it’s pretty weird. Jean, pretty much the most famous Haitian in the world, plans to take his deep knowledge of economi … oh, who are we kidding? He’s like Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2003. He’s famous and riding a strong wave of good will, and that high profile and good will may actually be helpful in rebuilding earthquake-torn Haiti, because (while he may only come with a level of political experience equivalent to Alvin Greene) he has charisma and can keep the tragedy on people’s minds. Someone has to. source
“I’m doing this for Sasha. I’m doing this for Sasha. I’m doing this for Sasha. Keep reminding yourself, Barry. I’m doing this for Sasha. I’m doing this for Sasha.”
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People have every right to be scared, to be angry, to be frustrated. I don’t expect the American people to be satisfied when we’re only half of the way back.
President Barack Obama • Backpedaling from his eight-month-old claims that his administration earned “a solid B+” for its work. Of course, that angered a bunch of people who feel like he hasn’t done his job completely. So now, he’s taking a different approach to the whole grade thing. “We still have a long way to go,” he says. But on the other hand, he claimed that his administration wasn’t getting the credit it deserves. So yeah, in the back of his mind, he’s still thinking, “we’re totally a B+, and we passed health care!” source
Fun fact about Chelsea’s wedding yesterday – Julius got arrested. We told him not to go, but he just couldn’t pass up the opportunity to stalk her one last time.
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I think Charlie Rangel served a very long time and served his constituents very well. But these allegations are very troubling. He’s somebody who’s at the end of his career. Eighty years old. I’m sure that what he wants is to be able to end his career with dignity. And my hope is that it happens.
President Barack Obama • Saying that Charlie Rangel should retire and just go away. The House ethics subcommittee has recommended a reprimand for Rangel, which would be light compared to the censure and expulsion he could get. Still, though, Rangel won’t admit his guilt and as a result is making the situation much worse for himself. But if he’s so convinced of his innocence, should he quit? source