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Tag: president obama

  • Stevie Wonder Irks Funeral Attendees With His Politically-Infused Eulogy For Gospel Legend Andraé Crouch

    Stevie Wonder raised the ire of some funeral attendees after offering polically-infused remarks at the life celebration of gospel legend Andraé Crouch’s in Los Angeles on Jan 21.

    Many were apparently upset that Stevie Wonder made political statements during his tribute to Crouch rather than focusing on the Grammy-winning singer’s life and accomplishments.

    “Stevie Wonder took the opportunity to say that Obama’s goal of inclusiveness was largely thwarted because of hatred towards him because of his skin color,” a source told FOX411. “And that he supports freedom of speech, but we should make laws against people criticizing religion.”

    Stevie Wonder said many Americans were judging Obama based on his race.

    “We live in a time where I believe we have a president that truly wanted to see the world come together, to see this nation come together, but yet too much, too many people are judging their dislike of him based on the color of his skin,” said Stevie Wonder at the celebration. “And I know there are some who say, ‘No that’s not true,’ but I’m telling you what I see.

    “Yes, I truly believe in freedom of speech, I really really do believe in that,” Wonder added. “But I think if we don’t put some limits to us being able to give praise to that one that we hold sacred, we got a problem.”

    While some may agree with Stevie Wonder’s remarks, those close to Andraé Crouch — who died Jan. 8 at the age of 78 after suffering a heart attack — said he was about his faith, his music, and not about politics.

    “Andraé was not about color or politics. He was about his faith and reached out to everyone. In a time where racial tension has escalated, the inclusive spirit and heart of Andraé was a healing balm,” said the source.

  • Savannah Guthrie: Three More Years at ‘Today,’ and Interview With President Obama

    Savannah Guthrie can honestly say that 2015 is off to an excellent start. Earlier in January her contract as Matt Lauer’s co-anchor at the Today show was extended for three more years. And next week–on Super Bowl Sunday–she’ll conduct her first interview with President Obama during the pre-game show.

    On the two days leading up to the Super Bowl, Savannah Guthrie, along with Today show colleague Al Roker, will host the show from from Block 23 in Phoenix, Arizona. NBC will begin coverage of the Super Bowl on Sunday, February 1st at noon. The game begins at 6:30 PM ET.

    President Obama is expected to talk with Guthrie about his “State of the Union address, the growing threat of ISIS, and what laws the country can get passed as Obama works with a fully-controlled Republican Congress.”

    This is a huge step for Savannah Guthrie, who came on board the Today show at a time when many viewers were upset about Ann Curry’s firing from the show.

    “It required a delicate touch,” Guthrie recalled. “My own approach was not to go in there with guns blazing, saying, ‘Pay attention to me.’ It called for someone to come in, put their head down and do the work. I tried to be a credit to the show and not another problem.”

    The past two times President Obama was interviewed during the Super Bowl pre-game show, it was Matt Lauer at the helm. Do you suppose this weighs heavily upon Savannah Guthrie?

    “I hope to leave a favorable impression,” she said.

    And she’ll no doubt do just that. Guthrie, a new mom to baby Vale, has a way about her that appears to make her interviewees want to open up to her. That’s key in the job she holds–one she’s likely thrilled to learn she’ll be holding for at least three more years.

    Will you be tuning in to the Super Bowl pre-game show this coming Sunday to see Savannah Guthrie interview President Barack Obama?

  • Man Who Crashed Drone at White House Was Inebriated Government Employee

    We now know a little bit more about the guy who crashed a drone into the White House lawn in the early morning hours on Monday.

    The Secret Service has confirmed that the man is a government employee, who works for the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. The NGA is the ” nation’s primary source of geospatial intelligence, or GEOINT for the Department of Defense and the U.S. Intelligence Community”. It employs around 14,500 government civilians, military members, and contractors.

    Also, we now know at least part of the reason he crashed the drone – he’d been drinking.

    Here’s the story, from the New York Times:

    Officials say the plan was foiled, perhaps by the wind or a tree, when the employee — who is not being named by the Secret Service — lost control of the drone. He texted his friends, worried that the drone had gone down on the White House grounds.

    Investigators said the man had been drinking at an apartment nearby. It was not until the next morning, when he woke to his friends telling him that his drone was all over the news, that he contacted his employer, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, and then called the Secret Service to confess.

    The NGA has released a statement on the incident, saying that the employee who crashed the drone does not work on drones as part of his official duties.

    It’s illegal to operate personal drones in Washington, D.C. It’s not known at this time what, if any, disciplinary action will be taken against the man.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Savannah Guthrie Scores Huge Interview Before Super Bowl

    Savannah Guthrie was offered a contract extension on the Today show earlier this month that will see her working alongside Matt Lauer for another three years, and on Sunday she’ll take on a huge assignment: an interview with President Obama for NBC’s pre-game coverage of the Super Bowl.

    The big day comes with a lot of pressure, especially since Guthrie’s co-anchor Matt Lauer has had the job for the past several years. Savannah says she just wants to “leave a good impression” and seems excited rather than nervous about the task. Their conversation will likely touch on ISIS and the president’s State Of The Union address, among other things.

    Guthrie has been a relatively low-key–though successful–addition to the show, rising to fame during a time when Ann Curry was on her way out. Curry’s departure was fraught with drama, caught up in rumors that Matt Lauer had ordered her gone due to a lack of chemistry between the two of them. Savannah Guthrie says she knew better than to go into the job with a certain attitude.

    “It required a delicate touch. My own approach was not to go in there with guns blazing, saying, ‘Pay attention to me.’ It called for someone to come in, put their head down and do the work. I tried to be a credit to the show and not another problem,” Guthrie said.

    Though Today trails behind Good Morning America in ratings, Savannah Guthrie says she feels good about the direction in which her show is going.

    “Once people make a switch, it’s probably hard to get them to switch back. I feel good about our trajectory. You have to give them a compelling reason to come back, and maybe you have to give them time,” she told the L.A. Times.

    Savannah Guthrie and President Obama will sit down for their talk before this year’s Super Bowl begins on Sunday, February 1.

  • Drone Found on White House Grounds, Posed No Threat

    The White House was on lockdown early Monday morning as the Secret Service combed the perimeter after discovering a small device on the grounds. That device has now been described as a small drone.

    According to the White House, there’s no indication that the device posed any threat.

    “There is a device that has been recovered by the Secret Service at the White House. The early indications are that it does not pose any sort of ongoing threat to anybody at the White House,” said press secretary Josh Earnest. He’s currently with President Obama and the First Lady, who are both in India.

    It’s illegal to operate drones in Washington D.C. It’s just plain dumb to fly them over the White House.

  • Julia Roberts to Produce, Star in Feature Film About ‘Batkid,’ the 5-Year-Old Cancer Patient Who Captured the World’s Heart

    Julia Roberts is bringing the heartwarming real-life story of “Batkid” to the big screen, producing and starring in a film about five-year-old leukemia patient Miles Scott.

    Julia Roberts will tell the story of little Miles, who captured the hearts of people around the world in November 2013, when his Make-A-Wish dream was realized when San Francisco was transformed into Gotham City so the little guy, who is now said to be in remission, could defend the city.

    Julia Robert’s movie will be a remake of director Dana Nachman’s documentary Batkid Begins: The Wish Heard Around the World, which made its debut at the Slamdance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, on Saturday.

    Nachman’s documentary chronicles the day 25,000 San Francisco residents and celebrities, including Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice star Ben Affleck and President Barack Obama, helped make 5-year-old Miles’ day by participating in his costumed adventure.

    Nachman will continue to tell Miles’ story by serving as an executive producer on the remake.

    “It’s thrilling to me that Ms. Roberts and her team watched our film and were so moved by it that they want to dedicate their time and creative capital to make sure the widest audience possible will know and love Miles’ story and the spirit of this intimate special event that went global, as much as we do,” Nachman told Variety.

  • John Boehner Hate, Hate, Hates on Obama’s Free College Plan with Taylor Swift GIFs

    The staff of fiscal conservative John Boehner has taken the time to explain why you should be against President Obama’s recently announced plan to provide free community college to some Americans.

    Knowing that that only way to reach the kids these days is either adderall or Taylor Swift, Boehner’s comms office has smartly decided to go with the latter. Fresh today on the official .gov site for Speaker of the House John Boehner – 12 Taylor Swift GIFs for you.

    Here’s what the post has to say:

    Last week, President Obama announced his latest idea to provide “free” community college to millions of Americans. It sounded exciting at first…

    But then, we got to thinking … Free?! Is he using magic money? Nothing is free. So we did a little math. Turns out…when President Obama said “free” what he meant was “60 Billion dollars over 10 years.” Not even all the Taylor Swift album sales in the world would cover that bill.

    Still, 60 billion dollars is a lot of money…you can’t just shake it off. And the president knows full well there’s no blank space in the taxpayers’ checkbook. Does that mean he intends to try to pay for his “free” plan with a tax increase on millions of Americans? Or does it mean he wants to pile up more debt on the very young people this idea is supposed to help?

    Even then: college STILL wouldn’t be free – there are all kinds of other fees and costs – not unlike all the higher costs we’re seeing in this tough economy. Wait, wouldn’t it be better if we just worked together to lower costs for folks across the board and improve our children’s education?

    Looks like an apology is in order, Mr. President…

    We’re not mad. We’re just disappointed.

    Except that’s not it. Interspersed between the message are, in fact, 12 Taylor Swift GIFs. Like this one:

    Not since the great Mitch MoConnell memeing of 2013 have we seen such skillful deployment of internet. Congrats guys.

  • North Korea Denies Sony Hack, Makes Threats

    The point of North Korea’s lengthy, rambling denial of involvement in the recent Sony hacks is pretty clear – but the way they get to that point is anything but.

    Per usual, broken English is the method of delivery for “The Policy Department of the National Defence Commission of the DPRK”, which has released a statement of sorts re: Sony Hacks and the recent blame placed on them by US officials.

    The statement, titled “U.S. Urged to Honestly Apologize to Mankind for Its Evil Doing before Groundlessly Pulling up Others”, begins by calling the US an “ill-famed cesspool of injustice” and doesn’t really let up from there.

    According to North Korean officials, the US is wrong to blame the country for the recent cyberattacks that targeted Sony Pictures, and eventually led to the dissemination of private documents and had everything to do with the indefinite postponement of the film The Interview.

    “The NDC of the DPRK highly estimates the righteous action taken by the ‘guardians of peace,’ though it is not aware of their residence,” reads the statement.

    Last week, the FBI said it had enough evidence to say that North Korea was behind the attacks.

    “We are deeply concerned about the destructive nature of this attack on a private sector entity and the ordinary citizens who worked there. Further, North Korea’s attack on SPE reaffirms that cyber threats pose one of the gravest national security dangers to the United States. Though the FBI has seen a wide variety and increasing number of cyber intrusions, the destructive nature of this attack, coupled with its coercive nature, sets it apart. North Korea’s actions were intended to inflict significant harm on a U.S. business and suppress the right of American citizens to express themselves. Such acts of intimidation fall outside the bounds of acceptable state behavior,” said the FBI.

    Although the North Korean government denies involvement in the hacks (as it would no matter their level of involvement), it praises the so-called “Guardians of Peace” for their actions.

    “The grounds cited by the FBI in its announcement were all based on obscure sci-tech data and false story and, accordingly, the announcement itself is another fabrication. This is the DPRK’s stand on the U.S. gangster-like behavior against it,” said the statement.

    But it’s not just denial it’s going for. The threats begin late in the response.

    The DPRK has already launched the toughest counteraction. Nothing is more serious miscalculation than guessing that just a single movie production company is the target of this counteraction. Our target is all the citadels of the U.S. imperialists who earned the bitterest grudge of all Koreans.

    The army and people of the DPRK are fully ready to stand in confrontation with the U.S. in all war spaces including cyber warfare space to blow up those citadels.

    Our toughest counteraction will be boldly taken against the White House, the Pentagon and the whole U.S. mainland, the cesspool of terrorism, by far surpassing the “symmetric counteraction” declared by Obama.

    Though President Obama has called this an act of “cybervandalism” as opposed to using the “war” word, he’s said that the US will have an appropriate response to the act – but what that means, exactly, is yet to be seen.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Obama: Sony ‘Made a Mistake’ by Canceling The Interview

    President Obama has officially weighed in on Sony’s decision to pull the new film The Interview, due to threats made by a hacker group which previously exposed company documents.

    “Sony’s a corporation. It suffered significant damage. There were threats against some of its employees,” he said “I am sympathetic to the concerns that they faced. Having said all that, yes, I think they made a mistake.”

    “I wish they had spoken to me first,” he continued.

    The President declined to discuss any possible actions, saying only that “we will respond, we will respond proportionally, and in a place and time that we choose … it’s not something that I will announce here today at this press conference.”

    Obama closed with a sort of ‘slippery slope’ argument.

    “We cannot have a society in which some dictator someplace can start imposing censorship here in the United States. Imagine what they could do if they see a documentary they don’t like or news they don’t like. Even worse, imagine if producers or distributors start engaging in self-censorship because they don’t want to offend the sensibilities of someone whose sensibilities probably need to be offended. That’s not who we are. That’s not what America’s about,” he said.

    The FBI has announced that it feels the hacks were of North Korean origin, saying that its investigations have turned up “enough information to conclude that the North Korean government is responsible for these actions.”

    “We are deeply concerned about the destructive nature of this attack on a private sector entity and the ordinary citizens who worked there. Further, North Korea’s attack on SPE reaffirms that cyber threats pose one of the gravest national security dangers to the United States. Though the FBI has seen a wide variety and increasing number of cyber intrusions, the destructive nature of this attack, coupled with its coercive nature, sets it apart. North Korea’s actions were intended to inflict significant harm on a U.S. business and suppress the right of American citizens to express themselves. Such acts of intimidation fall outside the bounds of acceptable state behavior,” said the FBI.

  • Derek Jeter Golfs With President Obama…Who Won?

    Former Yankee shortstop and future Hall of Famer Derek Jeter traded swings with President Obama last Saturday in Las Vegas. The dynamic duo played 18 holes at Shadow Creek, an exclusive golf course in the desert built by Steve Wynn and Tom Fazio.

    Obama and Jeter were joined by Las Vegas Sun newspaper owner Brian Greenspun and businessman/Democratic donor Stephen Cloobeck. Even though the foursome’s round took over five hours to play, they presumably had such a good time that they went another nine holes.

    The question everyone is asking, “who came out on top?” Was it the President or the Captain? Unfortunately, that information was not released. However, we can make some speculations.

    First and foremost, Jeter is not a big golfer. We know he played a round with Tiger Woods in 2013, but he has devoted much of his time and attention to the diamond, not to the links. In fact, a 2006 Golf Digest ranking of athletes who play golf revealed that Jeter’s handicap was a very mediocre 30. Even though that was over eight years ago, he’s only been retired since September. Is that enough time to significantly improve a golf game?

    Obama, on the other hand, has reportedly played over 200 rounds of golf since taking over the Oval Office in 2009. The President is also a great athlete, tales of his pickup games are legendary. He also reportedly led Occidental College’s basketball team in scoring in 1979.

    Of course, Jeter was a professional athlete up until a few months ago. He has always maintained a svelte frame and has clearly dedicated himself to keeping in the best possible playing shape.

    All thing considered, sounds like Obama probably had the upper hand on the links last weekend. The President is an avid golfer, while Jeter has dedicated himself to baseball. However, if Derek Jeter decides that he wants to be a great golfer, then Derek Jeter will be a great golfer.

    Let’s see this matchup again in a year.

    What do you think? Did Obama outscore Jeter on the links?

  • Turkey Pardoning Is Still a Thing, and You Can Vote on Twitter

    America’s weirdest tradition is once again playing out on social media today, as the White House has enlisted the Twitterverse to help it decide which turkey to pardon this year at the annual holy shit we’re still pardoning turkeys event.

    This year we have 47-pound ‘Mac’ going up against 49-pound ‘Cheese’. You might think that Cheese would have the advantage, given he’s a bit heftier. But you should know that Mac apparently has a “rhythmic, melodious gobble”. Also, it’s not really a competition. Also this is dumb.

    Using Twitter’s voting cards, the White House is allowing people to vote for which turkey Obama will pardon and which he’ll send to be ground into burgers.

    The whole pardoning a turkey thing started in 1989 when then-President George H.W. Bush decided it would be a good idea. The White House got social media involved in 2012, asking Facebook users to help decide the turkeys’ fate.

    Recent controversy has forced the White House to issue this disclaimer:

    Note: It’s all gravy, no turkeys will be harmed during the selection of the National Thanksgiving Turkey. After the pardoning, both turkeys will travel to their permanent home at Morven Park’s Turkey Hill, the historic turkey farm located at the home of former Virginia Governor Westmorland Davis in Leesburg, Virginia.

    Of course, organizations like PETA aren’t happy with that explanation and have claimed that the whole spectacle “makes light of the mass slaughter of some 46 million gentle, intelligent birds and portrays the United States’ president as being in some sort of business partnership with the turkey-killing industry.”

    I mean, ok. Sure. That’s a bit extreme. It is America’s stupidest tradition, however, and that’s saying a lot when you consider that we force our citizens to endure a Detroit Lions game every Thanksgiving.

  • C-SPAN Caller Calls The President a ‘N––ger’ on Live TV

    In don’t tell me we no longer have a problem with race in this country news, a C-SPAN caller called the President of the United States a “n-gger” on live television.

    The conversation started off reasonably enough.

    “I would just like to say, that the Republicans – and I’m a Republican – please do not overreach,” said the caller. “I know they’re going to overreach but I’m telling you, if you advocate for the repeal of Obamacare and you get too extreme, then Hillary Clinton will be elected President in 2016.”

    And then this happened:

    “This is about race … the Republicans hate that nigger Obama.”

    C-SPAN’s Steve Scully, visibly shocked, cut the caller off.

    “I’m gonna stop you there. We’re not gonna use that kind of language,” he said. “You can certainly make your point, but you cross the line when you use language like that.”

    He then apologized to viewers.

    It’s 2014, folks.

  • Obama Walkout An Indication Of Decline In Support?

    Obama supporters walked out on him while he spoke at a rally in Maryland’s Prince George’s County on Sunday.

    Could Obama supporters who walked out be an indication of his shrinking support base as the mid-term elections draw near?

    During his speech on Sunday, he said,

    “There are no excuses. The future is up to us. If you want better policies out of Washington, then you’ve got to vote for it.”

    Obama added, “If you want good policies to continue in Maryland, you’ve got to vote for it.”

    He was then interrupted by a man heckling him on his administration’s immigration policies.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLcdd5XQcAc

    Obama replied with criticism of Republicans.

    “They are a broken record. They keep on offering the same, tired, worn-out theories,” he said.

    After that heckler was escorted out, many of Obama’s supporter’s walked out, leaving glaring empty yellow bleachers behind.

    Was the walk-out a demonstration of his dwindling approval amongst his party ahead of the upcoming elections?

    Some might interpret it that way.

    Reuters reported,

    “President Barack Obama made a rare appearance on the campaign trail on Sunday with a rally to support the Democratic candidate for governor in Maryland, but early departures of crowd members while he spoke underscored his continuing unpopularity.”

    In Prince George’s County, Md., 65 percent of the population is African-American. Back in 2012, 97 percent of those African-American voters in Maryland supported Obama.

    This doesn’t sound like a group of Obama supporters that would simply walk out on his speech because they wanted to get back to their car before the rush.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3B-SuCBvts

    Uexpress‘ Mona Charen speculated,

    “Could it be that even loyal Democrats — even those who want to see Obama in the flesh — feel that they’ve heard it all before? Their actions send a clear signal: We think you’re a historical figure worth laying eyes on, but your words no longer interest us.”

    Ouch. What do you think? A case of a people wanting to beat the rush out or a painfully dwindling support system for Obama and his policies?

  • Ted Nugent Gun Rant: Who’s He Threatening, Exactly?

    Ted Nugent Gun Rant: Who’s He Threatening, Exactly?

    Ted Nugent is a loudmouth. Political news cycles have seen Nugent’s name and rants pop up from time to time ever since President Obama was elected. And we could go back way before that.

    “You probably can’t use the term `toxic cunt’ in your magazine, but that’s what [Hillary Clinton] is. Her very existence insults the spirit of individualism in this country. This bitch is nothing but a two-bit whore for Fidel Castro.”

    “Obama, he’s a piece of shit, and I told him to suck on my machine gun.”

    “MTV is a liberal lump of hippy snot. They are embarrassing. Those big, uneducated, greasy black mongrels on there, they call themselves rap artists.”

    Used to be, Ted ran his mouth only to brag about his music, his prowess as a hunter, or to tease vegetarians. But he has a taste of politics now.

    It’s a well-known fact that Nugent is an avid hunter, a gun enthusiast, and a vocal opponent of Obama and his policies. What is less known is that Nugent has twice admitted to getting out of going to Vietnam by forgoing showers and crapping his pants for days before showing up for his draft physical and evaluation.

    Nugent has tried to walk this claim back, saying it was a joke, and that he got a student deferment from Vietnam. But the paper trail says otherwise. His Selective Service record shows ratings of 1-Y and 4-F, which means he was ineligible for military service due to not meeting physical, mental, or moral standards.

    That’s right. Big-talking, gun-toting, threatening man Ted Nugent is a draft dodger.

    But that doesn’t stop him from telling the whole world how it is when it comes to his guns and yours. Nugent posted to his Facebook page, asking his fans to donate money to the Crime Prevention Research Center, a pro-gun outfit founded by John Lott. Lott claims to have done studies showing that more guns equals less crime because simply brandishing a gun or firing warning shots has an extremely high rate of deterrence for criminals.

    Nugent would like to see Lott’s work supported. So he posted the following, verbatim:

    GUNRIGHTS HERO PROFESSOR JOHN LOTT blew the freedom haters & gungrabbers outta the water with his stats/facts broadside MORE GUNS = LESS CRIME suckerpunch truth bludgeon. Read the book, share the truth with your elected officials & give away as many books to as many people as you can to de-sheeple the braindead masses with their peace&love disease. Make a donatoin to the CRIME PREVENTION RESEARCH CENTER to destroy the Obama/Holder/Clinton/Schumer/Pilosi/Boxer/Feinstein/Durbin/Bloomburgh propaganda jihad against our right to self-defense & TRTKABA. JOIN THE NRA! Be the best American you can be. Freedom or their evil carcasses for traction back to it.

    Not even counting the misspellings, this is a typical Nugent spew. Of concern to many is his final rallying cry of, “Freedom or their evil carcasses for traction back to it.” It seems that the only antecedent for “their” in that sentence is his list of:

    * [President] Obama

    * [Attorney General Eric] Holder

    * [Senator Charles] Schumer

    * [House Minority Leader Nancy] Pelosi

    * [Senator Barbara] Boxer

    * [Senator Dianne] Feinstein

    * [Senator Richard] Durbin,

    * [Former New York mayor, Michael] Bloomberg.

    Was Nugent saying that “freedom” equals unimpeded gun rights, as he sees them, or that the people he lists should be killed to prevent losing those rights?

    I recently carried a whole stack of Ted Nugent vinyl records into a store that buys vinyl. There were ten albums, including his double live album and some Amboy Dukes classics. I got offered $10 for the whole stack. Why?

    “Nobody buys Ted Nugent records anymore. We can’t give them away.”

    Were it not for a few country albums that I had thrown in on the deal, I wouldn’t have gotten a dime offer.

    Maybe if Nugent stopped threatening people and acted like a decent person who conscientiously disagreed with and opposed the things he doesn’t like in our country, his discography — and reputation — wouldn’t be in the crapper.

    I didn’t take the offer for the vinyl. I know that, somewhere on Craigslist, there is someone who will pay for what Nugent sells. I might have to throw in a box of ammo on the deal. I have some to go with my gun. But I’ll sell these records. Lord knows I don’t want to hear anymore from Ted Nugent.

  • Boston Herald: Obama Cartoon Was Honest Mistake, Not Racist

    Twitter has been aflutter over a cartoon that recently appeared in the Boston Herald, and the newspaper, as well as the cartoonist behind the controversial ‘funny’, have made apologies.

    The cartoon, meant to poke fun at the recent Secret Service breach which saw an armed intruder make it wa(aaaaa)y too far into the White House, depicted said intruder sitting in Obama’s bathtub while the President brushes his teeth.

    “Have you tried the new Watermelon flavored toothpaste?” asks the man.

    The cartoon went viral (and not in the good way) soon after publication, as people pointed out that it played off a particularly prevalent racial stereotype involving African Americans and watermelon.

    The cartoonist in question, Jerry Holbert, recently went on the record – apologizing to any and all who were offended.

    “I want to apologize to anyone I offended who was hurt by the cartoon,” Holbert told Boston Herald Radio. “It was certainly, absolutely, not my intention … I was completely naive or innocent to any racial connotations. I wasn’t thinking along those lines at all.”

    What was he thinking? Apparently, the idea to go with ‘watermelon’ as opposed to any other flavoring was sparked by his kids’ watermelon-flavored toothpaste.

    The newspaper echoed Holbert’s insistence that the cartoon was in no way meant to offend.

    “As Jerry Holbert discussed on Boston Herald Radio this morning, his cartoon satirizing the U.S. Secret Service breach at the White House has offended some people and to them we apologize. His choice of imagery was absolutely not meant to be hurtful. We stand by Jerry, who is a veteran cartoonist with the utmost integrity.”

    Though the original version appeared in the Herald, an alternate version with “raspberry” instead of watermelon was drafted for syndication.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Watermelon Toothpaste: Boston Herald Cartoon Explained

    Watermelon toothpaste may seem like a rather benign topic for a cartoon, but when it’s paired with subject matter that surrounds an African-American man, it takes on an entirely different meaning. When that man is the President of the United States, it causes a problem for the artist…and the publication that distributed it.

    The Boston Herald issued an apology today for a cartoon which depicted just that, saying, “As Jerry Holbert discussed on Boston Herald Radio this morning, his cartoon satirizing the U.S. Secret Service breach at the White House has offended some people and to them we apologize. His choice of imagery was absolutely not meant to be hurtful.”

    The cartoon referenced an incident from last week in which a man named Omar Gonzales scaled the White House fence, ran across the lawn, and made it into the building before he was detected. The scene depicts President Obama brushing his teeth in the White House bathroom as a stranger bathes in the tub behind him and is captioned, “White House Invader Got Farther Than Originally Thought.” The man in the tub asks the president, “Have you tried the new watermelon-flavored toothpaste?”

    The cartoon was changed before it was distributed to clients of his syndicate–Universal Uclick–to read “raspberry toothpaste” at the request of Holbert’s editor, but it had already run in the Boston Herald and forced the question of whether it was meant as a racist commentary.

    “I had no intention at all of offending anybody. I thought this was a very lighthearted cartoon, just suggesting that the guy got as far as the bathtub and he’s recommending a different toothpaste for the president. They said there’s a racial element to it, and I disagreed to be honest with you, but I did it anyway because that’s what they were asking for. I didn’t think people would think that way. Obviously that was very naive on my part, that was stupid on my part,” Holbert said.

    Holbert says he “detests” racist humor and never uses it in his cartoons. The White House has not commented on the incident.

  • White House Petition Site We The People Has Seen Over 363,000 Petitions in Three Years

    We the People, the White House’s oft-beleaguered but still culturally relevant and surprisingly popular online petition site, just turned three. So, how’s it doing?

    Pretty good, in terms of participation. The White House has just released the numbers and in three years, We the People has seen 363,908 total petitions, garnering 21,882,419 total signatures, from over 15 million total users.

    The site receives 20,594 signatures a day on average.

    “It’s three years later, and We the People remains incredibly popular: More than 15 million users have participated, collecting more than 22 million signatures on more than 360,000 petitions. To date, we’ve issued nearly 250 responses to petitions on a wide range of topics, including maintaining an open and innovative internet, reducing student loan debt, improving our economy, and even building a ‘Death Star,’” says White House Deputy Director of Email and Petitions Ezra Mechaber.

    “The We the People platform has led directly to policy changes and provided new opportunities for dialogue between citizens and their government. That’s part of the reason why, over the course of 2014, an average of response surveys showed a majority of signers thought it was ‘helpful to hear the Administration’s response,’ even if they didn’t agree. Nearly 80 percent said they would use We the People again.”

    But as I’ve said before, the problem with We the People has never been interest. The main problems with the White House’s online petition site have always been joke petitions (which are often funny, but in the end undermine any attempt to enact any meaningful change via this medium) and the administration’s tendency to just ignore a bunch of petitions.

    As of right now, there are 28 petitions that have hit their signature threshold that have yet to receive an official White House response.

    Still, the White House has issued almost 250 responses, and at least a couple have had far-reaching effects – most notably the one that kickstarted the cellphone unlocking movement.

    In the end, however, it’s hard to look at We the People as an agent of change. It is a place to at least have some sort of dialogue with the White House, as well as try (and fail) to finally get Justin Bieber deported. You’re silly and ultimately worthless, We the People, but we still love you.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • White House Evacuated Following Bizarre Incident

    Which politician would you logically expect to be the most secure individual on the planet?

    Many of us would quickly answer President Barack Obama.

    Following a bizarre incident where an individual somehow got too close for comfort, some tough questions must now be asked.

    According to reports Obama and his daughters left the White House in a helicopter bound for Camp David. Minutes later, a man scaled the White House fence and ran across the lawn.

    The unarmed individual made it through the North Portico Doors of the White House before he was apprehended.

    The man was soon identified as Omar Gonzalez of Copperas Cove, Texas.

    The 42-year-old man was captured and then promptly taken to George Washington Medical Center for a medical evaluation.

    No one was harmed during the alarming event, however the White House was partially evacuated in the aftermath of Gonzalez’s actions.

    It was later revealed that the man was previously known to the Secret Service. Secret Service spokesman Brian Leary shared this information with CNN, however he would not clarify the exact nature of their existing familiarity with Gonzalez.

    The rare call for an evacuation was troubling to bystanders. CNN producer Becky Brittain shared that in her nine years of reporting at the White House, she’d never once been evacuated.

    The entire situation raises some startling questions. For starters, how a man like Gonzalez was able to get as close to the President as he did. That was one heck of a SPECIFIC window of time for this man to make his move.

    Also baffling was how this individual, known to the President’s security, was able to get as far as he did.

    Unarmed or not.

    Hopefully this incident will allow for a more careful evaluation of White House security standards in the immediate future.

    Gonzalez was arrested and charged with unlawful entry into the White House complex.

  • Unlocking Your Cellphone Is Now Legal – Again

    Today, President Obama will sign a bill into law that The White House calls “a win for American consumers, a win for wireless competition, and an example of democracy at its best.” It’s the Unlocking Consumer Choice and Wireless Competition Act, and it will allow consumers to unlock their cellphones to work on other carriers.

    “The most important part of this joint effort is that it will have a real impact. As long as their phone is compatible and they have complied with their contracts, consumers will now be able to enjoy the freedom of taking their mobile service — and a phone they already own — to the carrier that best fits their needs. At a time when partisan gridlock all too often threatens progress on everyday issues that matter to consumers, working together we listened to your voices, and the American people benefited as a result,” says the White House.

    In other words – this kind of legislative smooth sailing is rare. Cherish it, folks.

    Here’s a little background on the whole cellphone unlocking saga:

    In January of last year, unlocking new cellphones became illegal via a decision from the Library of Congress. In short, they reversed their decision to exempt cellphone unlocking from the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (by opting not to renew the exemption). It’s still legal to unlock phones purchased before January 26th, 2013, but doing so on any device purchased after that cutoff mean you could run afoul of the DMCA.

    Quickly after, a petition on the White House’s We The People site garnered 114,000 signatures. It demanded a simple task of the administration: Make Unlocking Cellphones Legal.

    The White House responded – emphatically.

    “The White House agrees with the 114,000+ of you who believe that consumers should be able to unlock their cell phones without risking criminal or other penalties,” said Senior Advisor for Internet, Innovation, & Privacy David Edelman. “In fact, we believe the same principle should also apply to tablets, which are increasingly similar to smart phones. And if you have paid for your mobile device, and aren’t bound by a service agreement or other obligation, you should be able to use it on another network. It’s common sense, crucial for protecting consumer choice, and important for ensuring we continue to have the vibrant, competitive wireless market that delivers innovative products and solid service to meet consumers’ needs.”

    All that was left to make it happen was for Congress to act. Senator Patrick Leahy authored the Unlocking Consumer Choice and Wireless Competition Act, and it got a companion bill in the House. The House measure was passed in February and the Senate Judiciary Committee approved Leahy’s bill earlier this month. Last week, the full Senate unanimously passed the bill, sending it over to the House. They also passed it unanimously.

    It went to Obama’s desk, and he’s signing it today. Congratulations, it’s no longer a crime to do what you want with something you own.

    Unfortunately, the new law only restores the exemption to the DMCA that allows consumers to unlock their cellphones and change wireless providers when their contracts expire. It doesn’t address the bigger problem – the DMCA itself. The exemption will be up for renewal again in a few years.

    Image via White House, Flickr

  • Between Two Ferns’ Obama Bit Gets Emmy Nod

    Thursday’s Emmy nominations, though dominated by HBO (per usual), featured a striking number of nods for Netflix, whose hit series House of Cards and Orange Is The New Black garnered 13 and 12 nominations, respectively. One nomination for Rick Gervais’ Derek and five for two Netflix original documentaries brought the grand total to 31 nominations – something that must absolutely thrill Reed Hastings, Ted Sarandos, and company.

    But Netflix wasn’t the internet’s only representative in the Emmy noms. Funny or Die, along with executive producers Zach Galifianakis, Scott Aukerman, BJ Porter, and Mike Farah, received a nomination for Between Two Ferns in the Outstanding Short-Format Live-Action Entertainment Program category – all thanks to their episode featuring President Barack Obama. You know the one:

    It’ll be up against Adult Swim’s Childrens Hospital, a Parks and Rec In Europe short, The Soup‘s True Detective parody, and the Super Bowl XLVIII Halftime Show (Bruno Mars). I’d say it has a pretty good shot at taking home the trophy.

    Other than showing the world that he could expertly pull off a fat joke, Obama sat down with Zach Galifianakis on Between Two Ferns to spur signups for the Affordable Care Act’s health insurance exchanges as the signup period was ticking down. The White House made a calculated decision to reach out to the younger crowd by throwing them an (admittedly pretty funny) elevated sales pitch – and it worked.

    “I can assure you that the Funny or Die video will be one of the reasons we get young Americans to HealthCare.gov–one of the reasons we get young Americans to enroll in health insurance programs, but not the only one,” said (former) White House Press Secretary Jay Carney.

    And now, it could also win an Emmy.

    Image via Funny or Die, screenshot

  • Rick Perry Sourpuss Photo with Obama Draws Laughs

    Given all the uproar lately about President Obama’s DACA memorandum and the immigration battle that it has spawned, the president’s recent visit to Texas to pow-wow with Governor Rick Perry would be expected to be a tense meeting.

    “It’s not that people are evading our enforcement officials,” President Obama explained about the illegal immigration crisis along the U.S. southern border, “the issue is that we’re apprehending them in large numbers. And we’re working to make sure that we have sufficient facilities to detain, house, and process them appropriately, while attending to unaccompanied children with the care and compassion that they deserve while they are in our custody.”

    The immigration crisis is such a hot button issue that a few, but certainly not all, Republicans are grumbling for Obama’s impeachment.

    So, when President Obama landed in Dallas for a pair of meetings with Governor Perry, it was presumed that there might be some animosity in the air. Some predicted that it might be similar to Arizona governor Jan Brewer’s infamous finger-wagging encounter with the president when he landed in her state.

    After their meeting, Perry said, “Five hundred miles south of here in the Rio Grande Valley, there is a humanitarian crisis unfolding that has been created by bad public policy, in particular the failure to secure the border. Securing the border is attainable, and the president needs to commit the resources necessary to get this done.”

    But the biggest news to come out of the meeting was a photo.

    Right now, it is not clear why everyone in the room is laughing, but Governor Perry look like he just got pranked with a Dutch oven. As would be expected, how you interpret the picture depends on which side of the aisle your politics falls.

    Governor Perry had previously declined to meet President Obama as he landed in Texas, but ended up greeting him with a handshake on the tarmac in Dallas.

    Image via YouTube