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Tag: White House

  • 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.

  • Marlo Thomas To Receive Presidential Medal Of Freedom

    Marlo Thomas To Receive Presidential Medal Of Freedom

    Marlo Thomas is one of the 19 recipients receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom from the White House. The medal is the highest civilian honor given to “individuals who have made especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.”

    Thomas, a native of Detroit, Michigan, rose to prominence as an actress. She is best known for her work in the television series That Girl which aired from 1966 to 1971. She now serves as the national outreach director for St. Jude’s Children Hospital, a facility founded by her father in 1962. The hospital focuses on pediatric cancer and other diseases plaguing children.

    In a statement released by the White House, they said, “Whether championing equality for girls and women, giving voice to the less fortunate, breaking barriers by portraying one of television’s first single working women on ‘That Girl,’ or teaching children to be ‘Free to Be You and Me,’ Thomas inspires us all to dream bigger and reach higher.”

    Other recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom include author Isabel Allende, journalist Tom Brokaw, economist Robert Solow, composer Stephen Sondheim, actress Meryl Streep, and musician Stevie Wonder, among others.

    U.S. Representative John Dingell will also be receiving the award. Dingell represents Michigan’s 12th Congressional District and is the longest-serving congressman in U.S. history. He will be retiring soon, after serving since 1955.

    According to President Obama, “From activists who fought for change to artists who explored the furthest reaches of our imagination; from scientists who kept America on the cutting edge to public servants who help write new chapters in our American story, these citizens have made extraordinary contributions to our country and the world.”

    The ceremony will be held at the White House on November 24th.

  • Medium Now Counts Barack Obama Among Its Users

    The White House announced that the president has joined Medium, the blogging platform Twitter co-founder Evan Williams launched roughly a year ago.

    Lindsay Holst and Kori Schulman wrote in a post on The White House blog on Thursday:

    We’re really excited to announce that the White House joined Medium, a new, self-publishing platform that encourages people to share ideas and stories that matter. And today, ahead of his visit to a tech hub in Los Angeles, the President published his very first post. The post talks about the new American economy and the innovations that are driving it forward — and, specifically, what that economy looks like for Millennials…

    You can read Obama’s first post here.

    “On Medium, you can expect to hear more from President Obama and his administration on issues from technology and innovation to education and the economy,” wrote Holst and Schulman. “Here at the White House, we’re continually looking for new and innovative ways to connect with people where they are. That’s where Medium comes in – and why you can find us on Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook, and more.”

    Obama is surely the highest profile user Williams’ service has, and could be just the thing it needs to really generate more interest from the public. It’s a fine platform, and there is plenty of good content on it, but let’s be honest. It’s not exactly another Twitter at this point.

    It will really be interesting if the president starts using Jelly, Twitter co-founder Biz Stone’s Q&A service.

    Image via Medium

  • 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.

  • Duck Dynasty’s Phil Robertson and Sarah Palin: White House Running Mates?

    Sarah Palin is a Phil Robertson fan. When introducing Robertson to a group of conservatives at the Annual Republican Leadership Conference, Palin praised the Duck Dynasty patriarch as a “self-made entrepreneur”, an “educator and a church elder who inspires others to be bold and to embrace family.”

    “His life is a testament to those truths, to…get off your butt to make a buck,” Palin said.

    Then came Palin’s grand idea. “Maybe he should be not just the Duck Commander. How about a Duck Commander in Chief?”

    The room erupted in applause.

    Now it sounds like Phil Robertson is returning the endorsement favor.

    Members of the Robertson clan visited with veterans in Alaska recently, as part of the Operation Heal Our Patriots wilderness retreat in Port Alsworth, Alaska. Also present at the retreat were members of the Palin clan.

    The resultant conversations — videotaped and produced for public consumption, of course — were a study in folksy conservative thought.

    “I’m thinking, you know what, I think if we loved God and loved each other, I think our culture would put spiritual men in high places to make political decisions,” Robertson told Palin.

    He then went on to compliment her on a moose dish she prepared for his visit.

    “We need moose-cooking women in the White House,” Robertson said.

    “There you go!” Palin enthused.

    Might a Presidential ticket be shaping up in the hinterlands of Alaska? If Palin wants Robertson as “Duck Commander in Chief”, is he teasing offering her another stab at the Vice President slot?

    It is a common American fantasy that a non-insider Everyman would be a better choice for president than someone who is educated and knows how the political machinery of America and other countries works.

    After Palin’s introduction, mentioned above, Robertson went on to profess proudly, “I’ve never owned a ring or a watch or a cell phone. And I’ve never turned on a computer in my life. I’m a C + man … Actually I’m a multi-millionaire and I’m famous so shut up and sit down.”

    “I’m not a political person I guess the GOP may be more desperate than I thought to call somebody like me,” Robertson said.

  • Google’s Megan Smith Is Your New US Chief Technology Officer

    The new Chief Technology Officer of the United States is a Googler.

    The White House has announced that Megan Smith, vice president at Google X, will be your next CTO. Smith co-founded Google’s Solve for X and as VP of Google X, helped to oversee some of Google’s most ambitious projects. She also served as Google’s VP of Business Development for nine years. Before joining Google, Smith was the CEO of PlanetOut, an LGBT-targeted media company.

    Also announced – a new deputy CTO, Alexander Macgillivray. Macgillivray is a former lawyer for Twitter.

    “Megan has spent her career leading talented teams and taking cutting-edge technology and innovation initiatives from concept to design to deployment. I am confident that in her new role as America’s Chief Technology Officer, she will put her long record of leadership and exceptional skills to work on behalf of the American people. I am grateful for her commitment to serve, and I look forward to working with her and with our new Deputy U.S. CTO, Alexander Macgillivray, in the weeks and months ahead,” said President Obama in a statement, per The Washington Post.

    “As U.S. CTO, Smith will guide the Administration’s information-technology policy and initiatives, continuing the work of her predecessors to accelerate attainment of the benefits of advanced information and communications technologies across every sector of the economy and aspect of human well-being,” said presidential science advisor John Holdren.

    Smith will replace outgoing CTO Todd Park, the second CTO of the United States. Park succeeded the first-ever US CTO Aneesh Chopra in 2012.

    “I thank Todd for his service as my Chief Technology Officer, and look forward to his continuing to help us deploy the best people and ideas from the tech community in service of the American people,” said President Obama of Park’s decision to return to his roots in Silicon Valley.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • ‘Mike Brown Law’ Petition to Make All Cops Wear Cameras Tops White House Threshold

    A petition to require all state, county, and local police officers to wear body cameras has blown past the signature threshold on The White House’s We The People online petition site in just a week. This prompts The White House, at least in theory, to craft a response.

    Petition creator J.C. from Hephzibah, Georgia (petitioners on the We The People site are anonymous) proposes a “Mike Brown Law,” referencing the unarmed teenager that was shot and killed by Ferguson, Missouri police nearly two weeks ago, prompting this mess. Images and videos of a heavily militarized police force roaming the streets of Ferguson have permeated the national dialogue over the past 10 days.

    The petition asks the Obama administration to…

    Create a bill, sign into law, and set aside funds to require all state,county, and local police, to wear a camera. Due to the latest accounts of deadly encounters with police, We the People, petition for the Mike Brown Law. Create a bill, sign into law, and set aside funds to require all state,county, and local police, to wear a camera. The law shall be made in an effort to not only detour police misconduct (i.e. brutality, profiling, abuse of power), but to ensure that all police are following procedure, and to remove all question, from normally questionable police encounters. As well, as help to hold all parties within a police investigation, accountable for their actions.

    The petition currently boasts over 135,000 signatures out of the 100,000 required to generate an official response.

    In other petition news, a Change.org petition with a more specific goal – to force Ferguson and St. Louis County police to wear body cameras – is nearing its 50,000 -signature threshold.

    The City of Ferguson has promised to “raise funds to secure dash and vest cams for our patrol cars.”

    Forcing police to wear vest cams isn’t an entirely new idea. A select number of police forces around the country have begun to equip all officers with cameras – most notably the force in Rialto, California.

    Those cameras have been recording for about a year – with drastic results. Apparently, incidents of ‘use of force’ by police dropped 60 percent, and the number of complaints against officers fell 88 percent.

    People behave differently when they know they’re being watched. And this is relevant for both the police and the citizen population. Proponents of officer cams argue that not only will the cameras help to ‘police the police’, if you will, but will also help to protect the police from things like false claims of brutality.

    The shooting of Mike Brown and the subsequent craziness in Ferguson, MO, have put police tactics at the forefront of the American conversation. It’s clear by the quick support of these petitions that people are concerned about police action and police accountability going forward. The White House is not required by law or anything to respond to petitions that succeed, but they say they “plan to respond to each petition that crosses the signature threshold.”

    As we know, they’re often a little slower than some would like when it comes to crafting those responses.

    Image via Thinkstock

  • Marijuana Legalization: The White House Fights Back

    One by one, states are taking matters into their own hands and legalizing marijuana in one form or another. For some, it is for medicinal purposes, commonly called “medical marijuana”. For others, they simply go the route of either “decriminalizing” marijuana — which means reducing possession from a felony to a misdemeanor — or legalizing it entirely.

    Just because a state decides to not arrest people in possession of marijuana, doesn’t mean the federal government is going to sit back and allow it. Marijuana is considered a Schedule I drug. To be on Schedule I, the following criteria must be met:

    1. The drug or other substance has a high potential for abuse.
    2. The drug or other substance has no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States.
    3. There is a lack of accepted safety for use of the drug or other substance under medical supervision

    This puts marijuana on the same list as heroin, meth, angel dust, and many other very powerful drugs. And it means that the Drug enforcement Agency has a mandate to go after anyone in possession of it.

    Recently, the New York Times editorial department officially came out in favor of federal legalization of marijuana, letting the issue of its criminality be left up to individual states, without fear of reprisals or loss of funding in other areas from the federal government.

    After a series of editorials calling for legalization, the White House responded with a write-up of its own.

    The Office of National Drug Control Policy issued the extensive response, which mainly stated many of the usual talking points against legalization.

    “The editors of The New York Times may have valid concerns about disproportionality throughout our criminal justice system. But we as policy makers cannot ignore the basic scientific fact that marijuana is addictive and marijuana use has harmful consequences. Increased consumption leads to higher public health and financial costs for society. Addictive substances like alcohol and tobacco, which are legal and taxed, already result in much higher social costs than the revenue they generate. The cost to society of alcohol alone is estimated to be more than 15 times the revenue gained by its taxation. For this reason, the Obama Administration and the Office of National Drug Control Policy remain committed to drug use prevention, treatment, support for recovery, and innovative criminal justice strategies to break the cycle of drug use and associated crime.”

    The White House uses the argument that alcohol cost is higher than revenue, yet alcohol is legal. Cost/revenue comparison alone is no reason to deny individuals the freedom to make a personal choice about their bodies. We tried that once. The cost of Prohibition was far too high.

    And that is the error in logic the White House makes, comparing only the benefit of revenue, that is to say taxes, from legalizing something, be it alcohol or drugs. They ignore the high cost of fighting a black market and all the violence and criminal behavior that go along with it.

    The major points the Obama administration raised include:

    1. Marijuana use affects the developing brain.
    2. Substance use in school age children has a detrimental effect on their academic achievement.
    3. Marijuana is addictive.
    4. Drugged driving is a threat to our roadways.

    Each of these points have been addressed and found wanting many times before. Curtailing access of young persons to marijuana, much as they are kept from buying cigarettes or alcohol, would solve three of the four issues. Marijuana growers and sellers welcome age restrictions and enforce them stridently.

    As for the drugged driving issue, this has been proven to be a total error in logic. Anyone who has smoked marijuana in the past week or more, then is in a car accident, is considered to have “marijuana present” in his system, and therefore it is chalked up as a factor in the accident.

    The fact is, in areas where marijuana is legalized, vehicle accidents have actually gone down.

    The true reasons for the White House doubling down on faulty policy are likely more about politics and election year positioning and posing. No one wants to come out as in favor of legalizing, lest they fall on the same grenade as Ron Paul has every time. It is an unpopular position for someone who needs donors, sponsors, and lobbyists behind him. For that reason, they ignore the voices of those who they should really be listening to, the voters who are turning states green every year.

    Image via YouTube

  • Linda Ronstadt Awarded National Medal Of Arts

    Female rock and roll legend Linda Ronstadt was unable to make her induction ceremony into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last April due to Parkinson’s disease. However, with the assistance of a military aide who brought Ronstadt into the East Room of the White House by wheelchair, she was able to personally receive the highest US arts prize, the National Medal of Arts.

    Ronstadt, who is often referred to as “The First Lady of Rock,” was able to walk to the stage to receive her award from President Barack Obama on Monday. The 68-year-old is considered a pioneer for female rock musicians. Obama spoke of the importance of the ceremony, “The arts and humanities aren’t just there to be consumed when we have a moment … we need them.” He also admitted to having a little crush on Ronstadt when he was younger.

    The White House stated that Ronstadt “defied expectations to conquer American radio waves and help pave the way for generations of women artists.”

    Ronstadt is an 11-time Grammy Award winner. She also spanned many different music genres, some of her songs were considered country, some were thought to be standard rock, while others were geared towards a folk sound. A few of her greatest hits include: It’s So Easy, Different Drum, You’re No Good, Blue Bayou, and When Will I Be Loved. The singer-songwriter has also worked with several brand name rock and roll stars including James Taylor, Neil Young, Glenn Fry, Don Henley, and Emmylou Harris.

    Eleven others were honored with the National Medal of Arts on Monday: novelist, poet and playwright Julia Alvarez; the Brooklyn Academy of Music; Joan Harris, an arts patron; the dancer and choreographer Bill T. Jones; the music theater composer John Kander; Jeffrey Katzenberg, the director and CEO of DreamWorks; the novelist Maxine Hong Kingston; the documentary filmmaker Albert Maysles; the architects Billie Tsien and Tod Williams and the visual artist James Turrell.

    What’s your favorite Linda Ronstadt song?

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Tim Howard National Airport Has a Nice Ring to It, So Do Your Patriotic Duty and Sign This Petition

    It’s the morning after a USA World Cup loss so you’re understandably a bit depressed. It was such a good run and we came so close to somehow pulling out the victory over Belgium. But look at it this way – how exciting is 2018 going to be, right? Not only that, but we have plenty of USMNT soccer to look forward to between now and the next World Cup. So have an extra cup of coffee and cheer up.

    One thing we can all be happy about is the play of U.S. goalkeeper Tim Howard, who made up for a relatively porous USA defense with a breathtaking game – recording 16 saves, the most ever recorded in a FIFA World Cup match (dating back to the 60s when they started keeping records).

    Now, do your patriotic duty and honor this true American by helping get an airport named after him.

    Ok, this isn’t going to work. But it’s funny.

    WE PETITION THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION TO:
    Change the name of Washington National Airport (DCA) to “Tim Howard National Airport”

    Whereas Tim Howard has shown himself to be a national treasure, Minister of Defense, Friend of Joe Biden, and the holder for the record of most saves in a World Cup match; Therefore, we politely request that we rename the airport to recognize his accomplishments, and meritorious service to the United States of America.

    That’s what currently appears on the White House’s We The People online petition site. And who would argue that Tim Howard National Airport doesn’t sound a lot better than Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport?

    So, go sign this damn petition. It’s even easier now.

    Image via reddit

  • White House Makes It Easier to Sign Petitions

    The White House’s online petition site We The People, despite its many flaws and shortcomings, is pretty damn popular. According to the White House, it has over 14 million users and has logged over 21 million signatures in the couple of years it’s been up and running. Last year, they had to up the signature threshold to 100,000 for a response, due to the site’s popularity and the relative ease at which wacky petitions from secessionists could gain the then-required 25,000 signatures.

    But in order to sign any petition, We The People has always forced you to create an account. Today, that changes.

    “Since launch, we’ve heard from users who wanted a simpler, more streamlined way to sign petitions without creating an account and logging in every time. This latest update makes that a reality,” says Ezra Mechaber, the White House digital Strategy Office’s Deputy Director of Email and Petitions (yep, it’s a thing).

    “We’re calling it ‘simplified signing’ and it takes the account creation step out of signing a petition. As of today, just enter your basic information, confirm your signature via email and you’re done. That’s it. No account to create, no logging in, no passwords to remember.”

    So, it’s not going to be as easy as replying as AssButts420 at the email address assbutts420@goforkyourself.com, but a simple email confirmation to sign is less laborious than the account creation process, and will likely encourage more signatures.

    We The People’s biggest issue has never been interest, however. The main problems with the White House’s online petition initiative have always been joke petitions and the tendency to just ignore a bunch of petitions.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Christina Hendricks Pushes For Family-Friendly Work Policies, Campaigns To End ‘Mad Men’ Era

    On Monday, Mad Men star Christina Hendricks spoke at the White House Summit on Working Families where she shared her views on current policies for women in the workplace.

    According to reports, the United States is the only developed nation that does not require paid leave for new mothers. “Only three countries in the world report that they don’t offer paid maternity leave – three – and the United States is one of them,” Obama said.

    Hendricks plays a single mom named Joan in the 1960’s drama Mad Men.

    In her brief speech, she said “When President Obama discusses the issues facing working families, equal pay for women, affordable child care, to name a few, he often says that current policies seem to be from the Mad Men era.”

    She also said that in this century, “the only place for a story like Joan’s should be on TV.”

    Vice President Joe Biden opened the summit by discussing the importance of family time. “Not all of us have the kind of flexibility that I have,” he said.

    On Sunday, Obama’s adviser Valerie Jarrett said that the President is attempting to start a national conversation in order to explore the issue. Jarrett, however, acknowledged that cost is an issue for any federal program, but said that the Obama administration wants to give middle-class families paid leave without raising taxes. “But we also know what a good investment in our workforce it would be if they had paid leave, and that investment will pay great returns,” she said.

    Based on the 1993 Family Medical Leave Act, employers are only required to provide unpaid leave to employees who have family or medical emergencies.

    Obama advised Congress to pass legislation that would require employers to facilitate pregnant employees while they work. He also called for federal agencies to make their work arrangements more flexible.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • George W. Bush Undergoes Partial Knee Replacement

    Former President George W. Bush underwent a partial knee replacement in Chicago on Saturday and returned back home to Texas on Monday. His spokesman Freddy Ford said via an email statement on Tuesday that he was “doing great,” and was able to “get up, walk around, and go up and down stairs just a couple hours after the procedure.” He said these were the only details of the former president’s surgery that he would be releasing.

    George W. Bush has long been known for his love of physical activity. A noted fitness buff, he has hosted an annual 100-kilometer mountain bike ride in which he rides along with those injured in wars in Iraq and Afghanistan every year since he left the White House. He actually participated in that ride earlier in May at his Crawford, Texas ranch.

    On Memorial Day the former president shared his message about America’s fallen war veterans.

    Post by George W. Bush.

    He shared a message and picture on Memorial Day via Twitter as well.

    George W. Bush is no stranger to medical procedures. In August 2013 he underwent a heart procedure to repair a blocked artery. He will likely bounce back from this knee replacement even faster than he did the simple heart procedure last summer.

    Knee replacements and partial knee replacements have come a long way in the past few years. What once required several days of hospitalization and lots of post-op care and therapy now involves very little down time for patients, who typically regain lots of their motion lost due to the breakdown or damage to the knee.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Miss Beazley, Former White House Dog, Passes Away

    Miss Beazley, a Scottish terrier who was the pet of former President George W. Bush, passed away Saturday after a battle with lymphoma. The former White House dog was nine.

    Miss Beazley (October 28, 2004 – May 17, 2014), was adopted as a birthday present for First Lady Laura Bush, and moved into the White House as a ten-week-old puppy in 2005. Laura Bush and daughters Barbara and Jenna named the new dog after a character from Oliver Butterworth’s 1956 children’s book, The Enormous Egg.

    President Bush took to Facebook and Instagram to eulogize the beloved family dog – “This weekend our beloved dog, Miss Beazley, was put to rest after a battle with lymphoma. She was a source of joy during our time in Washington and in Dallas. She was a close companion to her blood relative, Barney. And even though he received all the attention, Beazley never held a grudge against him. She was a guardian to our cats, Bob and Bernadette, who – like @laurawbush and I – will miss her.”

    Post by George W. Bush.

    Barney died in 2013 at the age of 12, also from lymphoma. Barney once made headlines after infamously biting Reuters news reporter Jon Decker’s finger in 2008. Barney was also once criticized by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who feels a world leader should own large dogs, not smaller breeds such as the Scottish Terrier.

    Barney and Miss Beazley are both honored with a bronze sculpture featured in the George W. Bush Library.

    White House pets have always been around. George Washington’s menagerie included American Staghounds named Sweetlips, Scentwell and Vulcan, Black and Tan Coonhounds called Drunkard, Taster, Tipler and Tipsy, a donkey named Royal Gift, a horse named Nelson and an unnamed parrot said to have been owned by First Lady Martha Washington.

    Image via Instagram

  • Jessica Simpson Shows Off Some Leg At White House Correspondents’ Dinner

    Jessica Simpson isn’t the first person you’d expect to see at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. In fact, you might think the singer/actress wouldn’t show up to the event at all. Show up she did though and she even managed to show off some leg to the world.

    It was reported earlier that Simpson and fiance Eric Johnson attend the White House Correspondents’ Dinner to hear the president talk, enjoy some jokes and possibly even enjoy the food. The event might not have been that important, however, as Simpson’s mind was obviously elsewhere – the after party.

    Over on Instagram, Simpson shared a pic of herself and friends posing as they were preparing to head to the after party. She doesn’t provide many details regarding the dinner or the after party, but the caption on the photo at least proves that she categorize events in chronological order – “After the prez it’s the after party.”

    You can check out Simpson’s figure and a bit of leg in the photo below:

    She obviously looks great, but what’s her secret? The celebrity says her success in weight management comes from Weight Watchers. You may be the cynical type who disregards Simpson merely for the fact that she’s a paid spokesperson for Weight Watchers, but you may just change your tune after watching her testimony. After all, it’s not like wealthy celebrities can afford personal trainers and the healthy food needed to effectively lose weight.

    Anyway, we don’t have any details of what happened at the after party, but it was surely epic. I can only imagine Barack Obama laying down some hot tunes while Secretary of State John Kerry improved diplomatic relations with the dance floor. Either way, we can be sure that Simpson and her fiance had a fine time.

    Image via jessicasimpson/Instagram

  • Jay Carney Battles With Reporter On Benghazi Emails

    Jay Carney tried to hold his ground for eight full minutes after being confronted by ABC News’ Jonathan Karl on the implications of newly released emails. These emails containined specific instruction on how to handle the Benghazi attack report. He insinuated that the strategy of such emails and story-weaving was to protect Obama, as the country was only weeks away from election day.

    The emails, which were released only after the government was petitioned under the Freedom of Information Act, contain most notably instruction from deputy national security adviser for strategic communications Ben Rhodes to then-U.N. ambassador Susan Rise.

    The emails urge her to emphasize the now infamous offensive Muhammed video as the source of the demonstrations, not “a failure of policy,” in a series of impending Sunday show appearances after the attack. The exact words were “underscore these protests are rooted in an Internet video, and not a broader failure of policy.”

    Carney said on Wednesday during his sparring round with Karl that the emails reflected the truth even though it later came out that the attacks on the Embassy at Benghazi, Libya that killed four people were orchestrated and planned by al-Qaeda to happen on the anniversary of September 11th in 2012. He also claimed that guidance in the emails was directed more to the widespread demonstrations that were taking place at the time, not so much on the attacks at Benghazi.

    There is also the fact that the email from Ben Rhodes to Susan Rice was suspiciously withheld from the emails that were released in May 2013 that showed the correspondence amongst the Obama administration about talking points after the attack. Also, in the previously released documents, there is an email from State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland which was sent to Rhodes and others expressing worry that her agency appeared to be taking the blame for failing to listen to and consider CIA warnings of a possible attack on the anniversary of September 11th.

    Will the truth ever be clear and those responsible held accountable on this matter? I guess time only will tell.

    Image Via YouTube

  • Oklahoma Execution Was Inhumane, Says White House

    In a press conference held earlier today, White House spokesman Jay Carney said that the botched execution of Oklahoma inmate Clayton Lockett “fell short of the humane standards required when the death penalty is carried out,” according to the AP.

    He went on to say that everyone could see that this was the case.

    On Tuesday evening, Lockett died of a heart attack after waking up mid-execution.

    According to the timeline, Lockett’s execution began at 6:23 pm. Ten minutes later, he was determined to be unconscious. A few minutes after the paralytic was administered, Lockett began moving and attempting to speak.

    “Lockett grimaced and tensed his body several times over a three minute period before the execution was shielded from the press. After being declared unconscious ten minutes into the process, Lockett spoke at three separate moments. The first two were inaudible, however the third time he spoke, Lockett said the word ‘man,’” says one eyewitness account.

    By 7:06, Lockett was declared dead due to an apparent heart attack.

    The news flooded Twitter, and shortly after Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin issued a stay of execution for another death row inmate, who was set to be executed later that evening.

    “I have asked the Department of Corrections to conduct a full review of Oklahoma’s execution procedures to determine what happened and why during this evening’s execution of Clayton Derrell Lockett,” said Fallin. “I have issued an executive order delaying the execution of Charles Frederick Warner for 14 days to allow for that review to be completed.”

    For anti-Death Penalty advocates, the botched execution is another cruel example of a broken system. As supplies of lethal injection drugs become more and more scarce (mostly due to hesitant pharm companies), states like Oklahoma have been forced to adopt alternative drugs–drugs that are oftentimes held from pubic knowledge. There are worries that these drugs are unable to provide a humane death, although some would argue that there is no such thing even with the standard cocktail.

    On Twitter, death penalty advocates pointed to the fact that Lockett’s crime, for which he was sentenced to death, involved the brutal death of a young woman whom he shot and then watched as she was buried alive.

    There’s no doubt that this latest incident will spur fierce debate–even more so now that the White House has weighed in on it. It’s worth noting that the White House and President Obama’s official position on the Death Penalty is that it should be allowed, but only reserved for the most heinous of crimes. He does, however, feel that the Death Penalty has been proven to do little to deter crime.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Deport Justin Bieber Petition Gets a Non-Response Response

    It took the White House nearly three months to respond to one of the most popular petitions to ever hit the We The People online petition site–and they didn’t really respond at all, unless you count “no response” as a response. I mean, it’s kind of a response.

    For any Justin Bieber haters out there that thought the Obama administration would act to remove the Canadian pop star/leather pants aficionado from these United States, I’m sorry to tell you that your hopes have been dashed. The White House has finally posted a response to the popular “Deport Justin Bieber and Revoke His Green Card” petition that hit the We The People site back in January.

    “Thanks for your petition and your participation in We the People…Sorry to disappoint, but we won’t be commenting on this one,” says the White House.

    Ok.

    From the response:

    The We the People terms of participation state that, “to avoid the appearance of improper influence, the White House may decline to address certain procurement, law enforcement, adjudicatory, or similar matters properly within the jurisdiction of federal departments or agencies, federal courts, or state and local government in its response to a petition.”

    So we’ll leave it to others to comment on Mr. Bieber’s case, but we’re glad you care about immigration issues. Because our current system is broken. Too many employers game the system by hiring undocumented workers, and 11 million people are living in the shadows.

    That status quo isn’t good for our economy or our country. We need common-sense immigration reform to make sure everyone plays by the same set of rules.

    Not only is it the right thing to do morally, it’s the right thing for our country: Independent economists say immigration reform will grow our economy and shrink our deficits by almost $1 trillion in the next 20 years. For those of you counting at home, that’s 12.5 billion concert tickets — or 100 billion copies of Mr. Bieber’s debut album.

    It’s a nice deflect into an immigration reform discussion.

    The petition currently sports over 273,000 signatures. It claims that “We the people of the United States feel that we are being wrongly represented in the world of pop culture. We would like to see the dangerous, reckless, destructive, and drug abusing, Justin Bieber deported and his green card revoked. He is not only threatening the safety of our people but he is also a terrible influence on our nations youth. We the people would like to remove Justin Bieber from our society.”

    The White House will often respond to some of the sillier petitions to gain popularity and ignore many of the more important ones. Though the White House has refused to make any statements on this clearly important issue, I guess another agency will have to figure out something.

    I mean, we did lose the bet.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Samsung’s Obama/Ortiz Selfie Ad Miffs White House

    Samsung’s Obama/Ortiz Selfie Ad Miffs White House

    Earlier this week, President Obama welcomed the Boston Red Sox to the White House to honor their 2013 World Series run. It wasn’t huge news, as the President of the United States has been welcoming championship sports teams to the White House for decades.

    There was an interesting moment, however, when Red Sox slugger David Ortiz snapped a selfie with the President. The selfie soon went viral, and at this point has garnered over 41,000 retweets. Check it out:

    Soon after, the innocent selfie came under fire as it was revealed that it was all probably just a marketing ploy to promote Samsung devices (what Ortiz used to take the selfie). Here is Samsung retweeting the selfie from its Mobile US corporate account:

    Sports Business Journal reported that the selfie came on the heels of a recent endorsement deal between Ortiz and Samsung.

    Couple that with the fact that Samsung had just done the exact same thing at the Oscars with Ellen Degeneres’ (much more popular) tweet, and you have a pretty open and shut case of corporate interference. Oh, and there was also the fact that Samsung released a statement on the selfie calling it an “historic moment” and basically admitted to teaching Ortiz how to best “share images with fans.”

    Ok, Samsung, you win again. End of story, right?

    Well, no. Now the White House is pissed.

    The Wall Street Journal quotes White House press secretary Jay Carney as saying:

    “As a rule the White House objects to attempts to use the president’s likeness for commercial purposes. And we certainly object in this case.”

    Carney said that the President’s legal team objects to this stunt, but wouldn’t comment on whether or not lawyers will be involved in the future. President Obama himself hasn’t made a statement on the issue.

    The White House did retweet Ortiz’s selfie at the time, and it still remains in their Twitter feed:

    And the White House blog talks about the selfie in their post about the day, saying Big Papi “made the most of the moment” with his selfie.

    So it looks like the White House press was unaware of Samsung’s influence on the now-infamous selfie until recently.

    Image via White House blog

  • Obamacare Sees 6 Million Enrolled As Deadline Approaches

    Obamacare Sees 6 Million Enrolled As Deadline Approaches

    As the Affordable Care Act (or commonly referred to as “Obamacare”) approaches its March 31st deadline, there’s been much debate about whether Obamacare would hit its enrollment goal of 7 million. The White House announced on Thursday that there’s been just over 6 million Americans who’ve enrolled already, and they’re expecting a huge surge during Obamacare’s last open week of enrollment. In March alone, 1.8 million have signed up for Obamacare, surpassing the projected 1.2 million for the month. “We are seeing near record numbers of consumers coming to check out their options and enroll in coverage,” says Marilyn ­Tavenner, head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

    Already, Obamacare has dropped the uninsured rate in America from 18% to 15.6%. The official measure is likely to come in the fall, when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention releases its National Health Interview Survey. However, it’s still predicted that there will be 30 million Americans that remain uninsured for the long haul. The reason? Many are illegal, undocumented immigrants, or residents of low-income neighborhoods who simply can’t afford it.

    However, national figures aren’t as important as federal numbers, as insurance is based on local markets. The success of Obamacare is more dependent on how many enrollees sign up in each state. “There definitely is no magic number,” says Drew Altman, chief executive of the Kaiser Family Foundation. “It will vary a lot around the country.” Premiums also range in price around the country, depending on density of hospitals to residents, and rates of obesity and heart disease in a given area. In places like rural Georgia and Texas, applicants are facing higher premiums and costlier deductibles.

    After the March 31st deadline passes, uninsured Americans (who haven’t qualified for an extension) face a $95 tax penalty. Obamacare is allowing enrollment after March 31st only if applicants have tried earlier and prevented by technical problems with the website. If Americans miss the deadline, they cannot sign up for coverage again until the start of 2015.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons