Politics Daily

Obama Getting Heat From Left and Right for U.S. Role in Libyan Attacks

Politics Daily Staff — 2011-03-22T09:32:00+00:00

Filed under: House, Democrats, Republicans, Terror, Obama Administration, National Security, Congress, Conservatives, Liberals, Moderates, United Kingdom, France, Military, Barack Obama

President Obama is getting blowback from both sides of the aisle for taking military action in Libya without first formally consulting Congress. Debate in Washington heated up even before reports Tuesday that a U.S. warplane, patrolling Libyan air space, had crashed.

Rep. Roscoe Bartlett (R-Md.), a conservative member of the House Armed Services Committee, said Obama's "unilateral choice" to join a U.N.-backed coalition establishing a no-fly zone "is an affront to our Constitution," The Hill newspaper reported. The United States, Bartlett said, "does not have a king's army."

Meanwhile, a CBS News poll shows a full 50 percent of Americans approve of the president's handling of Libya.

Since the intervention started Saturday, U.S. Navy warships have launched Tomahawk missiles at Libyan air defenses, while American warplanes have joined other coalition aircraft in attacking military installations and some Libyan ground troops.

A U.S. F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet crashed late Monday near Benghazi, but its two crew members ejected and were rescued, the Washington Post and NPR said. Military officials said the plane apparently malfunctioned and was not shot down.

In the Senate, Richard Lugar of Indiana, the top Republican on the Foreign Relations Committee and a White House ally on some issues, said Congress should have a full debate on the objectives and costs of the U.S. role in the attacks. And Democratic Sen. Jim Webb of Virginia, a moderate, said, "This isn't the way the system is supposed to work."

But earlier this month, Defense Secretary Robert Gates warned pro-intervention lawmakers that setting up a no-fly zone was a major undertaking that would have to begin with attacks on Moammar Gadhafi's anti-aircraft systems.

Traveling with the president in Santiago, Chile on Monday, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney insisted Obama had consulted personally with congressional leaders on the Libyan situation. And last Saturday, Carney said Deputy National Security Adviser Denis McDonough phoned top lawmakers "to inform them of the imminent action" about to happen. "We take very seriously the need to consult with Congress and we have been doing that," Carney said.

Under the Constitution, only Congress has the power to declare war. But the president, as commander in chief of the armed forces, has authority to take military action in emergencies or in the face of threats to national security. Obama, who was winding up a Latin American trip Tuesday, insists no U.S. ground troops will be deployed and that leadership of the intervention effort will soon be turned over to NATO partners such as Great Britain or France.

For Rep. Dennis Kucinich, that's not enough to justify what the U.S. has done in Libya. The liberal lawmaker called it "an act of war" and said Congress should be called back from a spring recess to decide whether to continue the military action.

On the website Raw Story, Kucinich (D-Ohio) went further, calling Obama's move in Libya "an impeachable offense." The president "didn't have congressional authorization; he has gone against the Constitution, and that's got to be said," Kucinich maintained.

Kucinich noted that then-Sen. Obama argued in 2007 that "the president does not have the power under the Constitution to unilaterally authorize a military attack in a situation that does not involve stopping an actual or imminent threat to the nation."

Kucinich, who has twice run for president as an anti-war candidate, said he was not actually proposing impeachment proceedings but only "raising the question" as to whether grounds exist. In any event, calls for a president's impeachment -- often coming from the far left or the far right on Capitol Hill -- are not unusual. Kucinich himself sought to initiate an impeachment article against President George W. Bush in 2008, but then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi wouldn't go along with it.

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Allied Airstrikes Buoy Libyan Rebels; Obama Stresses Limited Military Goal

Politics Daily Staff — 2011-03-21T22:29:00+00:00

Filed under: International, Barack Obama

U.S. and European forces continued their air strikes against Libyan strongman Moammar Gadhafi loyalists for the third straight night Monday, helping rebels regain control of Zuwaytinah, an oil terminal that had been captured by Gadhafi forces last week.

The Washington Post reported that explosions and plumes of smoke marked the scene of the strikes against Gadhafi's forces in Ajdabiya, about 100 miles south of the rebels' capital of Benghazi, and that advancing rebels cheered when Western warplanes flew overhead.

Monday night, Libyan state TV said a new round of strikes had begun in the capital, Tripoli.

But while the air strikes can stop Gadhafi's troops from attacking rebel cities -- in line with the U.N. mandate to protect civilians -- the United States appeared deeply reluctant to go beyond that toward actively helping the rebel cause to oust the Libyan leader, the Associated Press reported.

President Barack Obama said Monday that "it is U.S. policy that Gadhafi has to go." But, he said, the international air campaign has a more limited goal, to protect civilians.

"Our military action is in support of an international mandate from the Security Council that specifically focuses on the humanitarian threat posed by Col. Gadhafi to his people. Not only was he carrying out murders of civilians, but he threatened more," the president said on a visit to Chile.

In Washington, the American general running the assault said there is no attempt to provide air cover for rebel operations. Gen. Carter Ham said Gadhafi might cling to power once the bombardment finishes, setting up a stalemate between his side and the rebels, with allied nations enforcing a no-fly zone to ensure he cannot attack civilians.

Among the rebels, as well, there was a realization that fighting could be drawn out. Mohammed Abdul-Mullah, a 38-year-old civil engineer from Benghazi who was fighting with the rebel force, told AP that government troops stopped all resistance after the international campaign began.

"The balance has changed a lot," he said. "But pro-Gadhafi forces are still strong. They are a professional military and they have good equipment. Ninety percent of us rebels are civilians, while Gadhafi's people are professional fighters."

Disorganization among the rebels could also hamper their attempts to exploit the turn of events. Since the uprising began, the opposition has been made up of disparate groups even as it took control of the entire east of the country.

Meanwhile, in Brussels, the New York Times reported that as NATO members met to talk about details of participating in the no-fly zone, there seemed to be confusion about who exactly would carry the operation forward. NATO approved on Sunday plans to help enforce a U.N. arms embargo against Libya, but so far it has not been able to agree on how to proceed on either that or the no-fly zone.

Prime Minister David Cameron of Britain said that responsibility for the no-fly zone would be transferred to NATO, the Times reported. But France raised objections, saying the Arab League doesn't want NATO calling all the shots.

Turkey, a NATO member that has opposed the use of force in Libya, refused on Sunday to back a NATO military plan for the no-fly zone. But its prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, denied that his country was against NATO participation in the operation, saying only that he wanted assurances that it would be brief and not end in an occupation.

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U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Resigns Over WikiLeaks Disclosures

Politics Daily Staff — 2011-03-20T21:48:00+00:00

Filed under: Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama

The U.S. ambassador to Mexico, Carlos Pascual, resigned on Saturday night, becoming the first casualty of the WikiLeaks disclosures of communications between Washington and its diplomatic corps.

Pascual had drawn the ire of President Felipe Calderon of Mexico after WikiLeaks made public documents in which Pascual was critical of Mexico's anti-drug efforts.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton's statement on Pascual's resignation said, in part:

For the past year and a half, Ambassador Pascual has been an architect and advocate for the U.S.-Mexico relationship, effectively advancing the policies of the United States on behalf of the president and this administration. He has collaborated tirelessly with his Mexican counterparts to lay the foundation for a cross-border renewable energy market, to open negotiations on the management of oil and gas reserves that span U.S. and Mexican territory, and to build a new border strategy to advance trade while staunching illicit flows. Carlos has also engaged U.S. and Mexican business to build markets that have helped make Mexico the No. 2 destination of U.S. exports.

Ambassador Pascual worked with the Mexican government to integrate human rights into our respective policies and engagement; he also partnered to enhance the human and cultural connections that underpin the friendship between the people of Mexico and the United States. Carlos partnered with his counterparts to reach beyond the Merida Initiative's initial focus on disrupting cartels to building institutions for the rule of law in Mexico and engaging Mexican civil society in advancing their security. These ties, grown and strengthened throughout his tenure, will serve both our nations for decades. ...

Carlos has relayed his decision to return to Washington based upon his personal desire to ensure the strong relationship between our two countries and to avert issues raised by President Calderon that could distract from the important business of advancing our bilateral interests. It is with great reluctance that President Obama and I have acceded to Carlos's request. Prior to returning to assuming his new responsibilities at the State Department, the president and I have asked Carlos to stay in Mexico to help us organize an orderly transition.

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Video: Obama Denounces Repression in Iran

Politics Daily Staff — 2011-03-20T18:28:00+00:00

Filed under: Barack Obama

Today, I want to extend my best wishes to all who are celebrating Nowruz in the United States and around the world.

Each year of my presidency, I have marked this holiday by speaking directly to the people of Iran. That is what I would like to do once more.

This is a holiday for the Iranian people to spend time with friends and family; to reflect on the extraordinary blessings that you enjoy; and to look forward to the promise of a new day. After all, this is a season of hope and renewal. And today, we know that this is also a season of promise across the Middle East and North Africa, even as there are also enormous challenges.

[Click play below to watch the video.]

I believe that there are certain values that are universal - the freedom of peaceful assembly and association; the ability to speak your mind and choose your leaders. And what we are seeing across the region is the insistence on governments that are accountable to the people.

But we also know that these movements for change are not unique to these last few months. The same forces of hope that swept across Tahrir Square were seen in Azadi Square in June of 2009. And just as the people of the region have insisted that they have a choice in how they are governed, so do the governments of the region have a choice in their response.

So far, the Iranian government has responded by demonstrating that it cares far more about preserving its own power than respecting the rights of the Iranian people.

For nearly two years, there has been a campaign of intimidation and abuse. Young and old; men and women; rich and poor - the Iranian people have been persecuted. Hundreds of prisoners of conscience are in jail. The innocent have gone missing. Journalists have been silenced. Women tortured. Children sentenced to death.

The world has watched these unjust actions with alarm. We have seen Nasrin Sotoudeh jailed for defending human rights; Jaffar Panahi imprisoned and unable to make his films; Abdolreza Tajik thrown in jail for being a journalist. The Bahai community and Sufi Muslims punished for their faith; Mohammad Valian, a young student, sentenced to death for throwing three stones.

These choices do not demonstrate strength, they show fear. For it is telling when a government is so afraid of its own citizens that it won't even allow them the freedom to access information or to communicate with each other. But the future of Iran will not be shaped by fear. The future of Iran belongs to the young people - the youth who will determine their own destiny.

Over 60 percent of the Iranian people were born after 1979. You are not bound by the chains of the past - the distracting hatred of America that will create no jobs or opportunity; the rigid and unaccountable government; the refusal to let the Iranian people realize their full potential for fear of undermining the authority of the state.

Instead, you - the young people of Iran - carry within you both the ancient greatness of Persian civilization, and the power to forge a country that is responsive to your aspirations. Your talent, your hopes, and your choices will shape the future of Iran, and help light the world. And though times may seem dark, I want you to know that I am with you.

On this day - a celebration that serves as a bridge from the past to the future - I would like to close with a quote from the poet Simin Behbahani - a woman who has been banned from travelling beyond Iran, even though her words have moved the world: "Old, I may be, but, given the chance, I will learn. I will begin a second youth alongside my progeny. I will recite the Hadith of love of country with such fervor as to make each word bear life."

Let this be a season of second youth for all Iranians - a time in which a new season bears new life once more. Thank you. And Aid-e-Shoma Mobarak.

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French Warplanes Enforcing Ceasefire in Libya After Gadhafi Keeps Up Attacks

Politics Daily Staff — 2011-03-19T16:42:00+00:00

Filed under: Hillary Clinton, Obama Administration, United Kingdom, Military, Barack Obama

French fighter planes, backed by U.S. missiles, patrolled the skies above Libya Saturday as a U.N.-backed coalition began enforcing a ceasefire and no-fly zone. The large-scale action came after Moammar Gadhafi defied demands for an end to the violence and attacked a rebel stronghold in Benghazi.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy said the intervention was ordered after Gadhafi's military attacked civilians with "murderous madness," the Washington Post reported. The French military said a Rafale fighter jet had destroyed a Libyan government tank near Benghazi, according to the New York Times.

President Obama said he had approved "limited military action" by the United States -- and U.S. Navy warships soon joined the fray, firing Tomahawk missiles at Libyan air defenses, the Associated Press said.

The U.S. and its allies on Friday demanded that Libyan dictator Gadhafi observe an immediate ceasfire, but attacks continued against the rebel base in Benghazi.

Before the military intervention Saturday, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met in Paris with Sarkozy and leaders of some 20 other countries, including Arab nations, to determine how to enforce the United Nation's-backed call for a ceasefire if Gadhafi's forces did not stand down.

In Brazil, President Obama said he had "authorized the armed forces of the United States to begin a limited military action in Libya. That action has now begun." He said it was not his "first choice and not a choice I make lightly." And the president reiterated that America would not deploy grounds troops in Libya.

Gadhafi was given a chance to avoid the intervention and now must face the consequences, Obama told reporters. "Despite the hollow words of his government, he has ignored that opportunity... His attacks on his own people have continued." The coalition partners, Obama said, are "answering the calls of a threatened people."

Earlier, Obama said the "consensus" among the allied nations was strong and clear. "The people of Libya must be protected," he said. "And in the absence of an immediate end to the violence against civilians, our coalition is prepared to act, and act with urgency."

On Friday, Obama warned Gadhafi to stop attacking Libyan citizens or face the consequences outlined in a U.N. Security Council resolution authorizing "all necessary measures," including a no-fly zone, to protect civilians.

Even before the French warplanes took to the skies above Libya, aircraft from Britain and the United Arab Emirates were poised to begin operations in the event Gadhafi ignored demands to pull back him military. And U.S. ships in the Mediterranean were already preparing to take action to help establish a no-fly zone.

"All attacks against civilians must stop," Obama said Friday. Gadhafi "must stop his troops from advancing on Benghazi," the rebel stronghold in the eastern part of the country, pull back his forces from three other cities, establish water, electricity and gas supplies to all areas, and allow humanitarian assistance to reach Libyan citizens."

Gadhafi has sent two letters -- one to Obama and another to U.N., British and French leaders -- in an apparent attempt to ward off military intervention, the Times said, citing citing a Libyan deputy foreign minister. In a conciliatory vein to Obama, he wrote that Libya was battling al-Qaeda and asked, "how would you behave?" Even if Libya and the U.S. went to war against each other, he said "you will always remain my son, and I have love for you."

But Gadhafi was combative in his missive to the other international leaders, threatening "you will regret it if you take a step to intervene in our internal affairs." The letters were read aloud to journalists by the minister, Khaled Kaim.

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Warren Christopher, Former Secretary of State, Democratic Wise Man, Dead at 85

Politics Daily Staff — 2011-03-19T14:14:00+00:00

Filed under: Democrats, Obits, Al Gore, Bill Clinton, Foreign Policy, Obama Administration, Barack Obama

Former Secretary of State Warren M. Christopher, who served as secretary of state in the Clinton administration during the bloody ethnic conflicts in the Balkans, died Friday from complications of kidney and bladder cancer. He was 85.

After four years as the nation's top diplomat, Christopher stepped down to serve as a senior adviser to Al Gore's 2000 White House campaign, leading the vice president's legal team during the disputed post-election recount in Florida.

President Obama, in a statement Saturday, called Christopher a "skilled diplomat, a steadfast public servant and a faithful American."

Obama said Christopher was "deeply dedicated to serving his country" during a career that included World War II service in the Naval Reserve, a U.S. Supreme Court clerkship, a law practice in California and Washington, and a role as a much sought-after adviser to Democratic politicians.

"As President Clinton's secretary of state, he was a resolute pursuer of peace, leading negotiations with regard to the Middle East and the Balkans, including the Dayton [Ohio] agreement, which ended the war in Bosnia," Obama said. Christopher was also a U.S. negotiator in the 1981 release of American hostages in Iran.

Former President Jimmy Carter, in his memoirs, called him "the best public servant I ever knew."

Christoper died at his home in Los Angeles, the Associated Press reported.

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Obama in Brazil, Balancing Latin American Swing With Libyan Crisis

Politics Daily Staff — 2011-03-19T11:59:00+00:00

Filed under: Senate, Republicans, Trade, Foreign Policy, International, Barack Obama

President Obama, balancing the crisis in Libya with a long-planned trip to Latin America, arrived in Brazil Saturday at the outset of a three-country swing aimed at strengthening the nation's economic relationship with its neighbors and improving regional security.

"As we respond to these immediate crises abroad, we also will not let up in our efforts to tackle the pressing, ongoing challenges facing our country, including accelerating economic growth," Obama said in his weekly address before departing.

Newt Gingrich: President Obama 'Fixated' on Final Four

Politics Daily Staff — 2011-03-18T15:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Republicans, Obama Administration, Newt Gingrich, White House, Barack Obama

Newt Gingrich says President Obama is acting like the "spectator in chief instead of the commander in chief."

Appearing on Fox News Thursday night, the former House speaker and presumed 2012 GOP presidential contender told Sean Hannity: "Yes, the administration has just sort of checked out. You know, the president has this fixation with the Final Four -- spent time on ESPN giving us his version of what really mattered to him, which was the Final Four," said Gingrich.

Obama, said Gingrich, "may be the most out-of-touch president in modern American history."

Economic Issues Underpin Obama's Trip to Brazil, Chile, El Salvador

Politics Daily Staff — 2011-03-18T10:02:00+00:00

Filed under: Trade, Obama Administration, International, Michelle Obama, Jobs, Economy, Barack Obama

While still focused on the crises in Japan and Libya, President Obama heads to Latin America this weekend in an effort to promote economic ties and also patch up relations with Brazil, the dominant country in the region.

Obama will also visit Chile, an ally, and El Salvador, which is struggling with drug violence. But the main event is Brazil, where former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva once complained that the U.S. acted like an "empire" and that nothing had changed under Obama, the Washington Post reported.

Obama, in his first visit to Latin America as president, will meet with Brazil's new president, Dilma Rousseff, as the two leaders seek to re-set relations between their countries. Both sides are ready to start over, Julia Sweig, a Council on Foreign Relations scholar, told the Post. "Now they have to translate that optimism and goodwill to figure out what they can do together that's in both of their interests and how to mitigate the tensions that will naturally arise."

Obama said his trip is meant to "strengthen our economic relationship with neighbors" who play a growing role in the United States' economic future. The recent "turmoil and tragedy around the globe" underscores the importance of maintaining close economic links with neighboring countries, he said.

"Our neighbors in the Americas are bound to us by a shared history, values, interest," the president wrote in an op-ed column for USA Today. "What I will convey this week is that we are partners in progress. Strengthening these partnerships will advance common prosperity and common security of all our people, creating new jobs and new growth across the hemisphere, and helping our economy remain an engine of strength and opportunity for all our people."

Obama said Latin America's impressive growth "is good for the people of the hemisphere, and it's good for us. Thanks in part to our trade agreements across the region, we now export three times as much to Latin America as we do to China, and our exports to the region . . . will soon support more than 2 million jobs here in the United States."

First Lady Michelle Obama will also have a busy schedule during the trip, highlighted by visits to schools and cultural events, and a speech she will give in Santiago, Chile, aimed at Latin American youth, Politico reported. "She is extraordinarily popular overseas and is a huge asset to the U.S. in terms of her ability to continue our outreach to the region," Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes said earlier this week.

In preparation for the trip, the president granted interviews Friday with televisions stations in Miami, Philadelphia and Charlotte, N.C.

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Obama Says U.S. Safe From Japan Radiation, Orders Review of U.S. Nuclear Plants

Politics Daily Staff — 2011-03-17T17:09:00+00:00

Filed under: Environment, Obama Administration, International, White House, Barack Obama

President Obama reassured Americans Thursday that radiation from Japan's damaged nuclear plants poses no threat to this country, but added that he has ordered safety reviews of U.S. nuclear facilities.

"We do not expect harmful levels of radiation to reach the United States, whether it's the West Coast, Hawaii, Alaska, or U.S. territories in the Pacific," Obama said in an address from the Rose Garden. "That is the judgment of our Nuclear Regulatory Commission and many other experts."

Americans do not need to take any precautions against radiation contamination "beyond staying informed" of what's happening in Japan.

Sarah Palin Heading to Israel, Taking Path of Other GOP Hopefuls

Politics Daily Staff — 2011-03-17T12:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Republicans, Gaffes, Foreign Policy, Sarah Palin, Obama Administration, 2012 President, Governors, Barack Obama

In what has become almost a rite of passage for aspiring American politicians, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is heading to Israel, where next week she will meet with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and visit historic sites.

Palin, perhaps the most closely watched of all potential 2012 Republican presidential candidates, is scheduled to arrive in Israel Sunday after making a weekend speech to business leaders and politicians in New Delhi, India, the Jerusalem Post and Politico reported Thursday.

She plans to meet Monday with the conservative Netanyahu, and separately with Danny Danon, a pro-settler member of the Knesset. Palin is also expected to tour the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem and visit Nazareth, the childhood home of Jesus.

As with many politicians in both U.S. parties, strong and unwavering support for Israel is nearly an article of faith for Palin, the 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee. She has criticized the Obama administration for not being strong enough in backing the Jewish state in disputes with the Arab world and Iran.

Yet she also offended some Jews when she used the loaded term "blood libel" to complain about U.S. commentators who put part of the blame for the deadly shootings in Arizona on harsh right-wing rhetoric. Palin was faulted for posting a map showing vulnerable Democratic districts in cross-hairs.

Palin's trek to Israel follows recent visits by other Republicans with presidential ambitions, including Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee, Haley Barbour and Rudy Giuliani.

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New Irish PM in Washington for St. Paddy's, but Facing Money Crunch on Auld Sod

Politics Daily Staff — 2011-03-16T12:35:00+00:00

Filed under: International, Governors, Congress, Economy, Barack Obama

Ireland's new prime minister, Enda Kenny, has traveled to Washington to celebrate the wearing of the green on St. Patrick's Day, but also to begin rebuilding his country's damaged economic reputation.

The taoiseach (Gaelic for leader or first chieftain) wants to assure American investors that Ireland is still open for business and remains a good place for U.S. companies to take root, even with the recent European Union bailout of its finances.

Update: After an Oval Office meeting with the prime minister, President Obama announced Thursday that he would visit Ireland in May. Obama noted that his "great, great, great, great, great grandfather," Falmouth Kearney, was Irish. His trip will include a stop at his ancestor's home town of Moneygall, he said.

In addition to being entertained at the White House by the president Obama, Kenny will meet with U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, according to the Irish news agency RTE.

Kenny's Fine Gael (Clan of Gaels) party came to power on Feb. 25 amid a shower of criticism for its predecessor, which took part of the blame for driving Ireland to near-bankruptcy and a $92.8 billion loan package, with plenty of strings attached. The previous Fianna Fail government was faulted for mishandling an economic crisis caused when a housing bubble burst, strapping banks that had financed the mortgages and construction. In his campaign, Kenny promised to seek better terms for the bailout with the EU and International Monetary Fund.

Irish prime ministers have journeyed "across the pond" to the U.S. for decades on St. Patrick's Day to promote investment and also to show their willingness to resolve sectarian strife in Northern Ireland, a British territory. Kenny's deputy, Foreign and Trade Minister Eamon Gilmore, will be a guest of honor at New York City's huge St. Patrick's Day Parade up Fifth Avenue on Thursday.

Northern Ireland's six counties have seen relative peace since the 1998 Good Friday Accord, which was brokered in part by former U.S. Sen. George Mitchell of Maine.

Kenny, who by custom will present President Obama with a bowl of shamrocks, will also be feted on Capitol Hill and hosted by Vice President Biden at the Naval Observatory. On Wednesday, he planned to speak at an American Ireland Fund dinner, honoring Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley, the Associated Press said. O'Malley, the former mayor of Baltimore, once headed an Irish folk band.

Folo Tom Diemer on Twitter http://twitter.com/tomdiemer

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Obama Jokes for His Supper at His First Gridiron Dinner Appearance as President

Annie Groer — 2011-03-13T11:48:00+00:00

Filed under: Hillary Clinton, George W. Bush, Democrats, Republicans, Barack Obama, John McCain, Mitt Romney, Dick Cheney, Nancy Pelosi, Humor, Bill Clinton, Sarah Palin, 2012 President, Harry Reid, al Qaeda, Republic of Dish, John Boehner

Bowing to precedent -- and perhaps the advice of his 2012 campaign staff -- President Obama attended a Gridiron Dinner on Saturday night for the first time since winning the White House.

He had skipped the two previous white-tie banquets and amateur theatricals where some of Washington's top journalists spoof the political/media establishment in song, dance and ridiculous costumes. But on Saturday night, Obama duly snarked for his supper by mocking himself, potential rivals and the tradition-bound club that even in this age of Twitter and You Tube, steadfastly bars TV coverage.

As commander-in-chief, he signaled Marine Gunnery Sgt. Kevin Bennear, one of the club's musically gifted ringer members, to "play that song we talked about," meaning the loud and proud "Born in the U-S-A, Born in the U-S-A" refrain made famous by Bruce Springsteen.

"Some things just bear repeating," Obama said of the lyrics, as if there might be any birthers questioning his citizenship among more than 630 politicians, government and media heavyweights who packed the Renaissance Hotel ballroom for the priciest and most exclusive of Washington's press celebrations of itself. ($300 per ticket, and a fraction of the more than 2,000 expected at next month's White House Correspondents' Association Dinner).

Then, taking aim at his hosts, whose predecessors entertained their first White House guests 126 years ago, Obama ticked off the heady events of 2011 that topped old regimes elsewhere in the world and said, "Look out, Gridiron Club."

The Gridiron Club's 2011 Political/Media Roast and Toast Lyrics

Annie Groer — 2011-03-13T11:43:00+00:00

Filed under: George W. Bush, Senate, House, Democrats, Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee, Dick Cheney, Nancy Pelosi, Ron Paul, Humor, Media, Bill Clinton, Governors, Congress, Conservatives, Harry Reid, Republic of Dish, Barack Obama, John Boehner, TSA Screening, 2012 Elections, Egypt Crisis

Once again, you won't see this costumed spoof on C-SPAN or YouTube, unless someone among the record 633 invited guests at Saturday night's 126th annual Gridiron Dinner surreptitiously captures the singing, dancing and wise-cracking and posts it online.

Of course there's always a chance an adroit cellphone or camera-toting guest will violate club rules, either at the dinner or at Sunday's matinee reprise show, thus busting an image-less tradition in place since 1885.

Say what you will about the irony or hypocrisy of a group of journalists barring media cameras from broadcasting the onstage antics (C-SPAN has been asking to do just that for a quarter century). Only the speeches by President Obama, Gov. Mitch Daniels of Indiana (cracking jokes for the Republicans) and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sibelius (doing stand-up for the Dems) will be on the written record, although many more details will likely leak out.

In a nod to the times, tweeting, Facebooking and other instant communication about all aspects of the dinner were embargoed until it ended.

So in the interest of semi-transparency, herewith the lyrics from every parody performed
this weekend by nearly 100 journalists and a handful of vocally-blessed ringers with truly great voices.

Don't Stop Believin' (Journey/Glee)

DEMOCRATIC CHEERLEADERS singing about Obama, Nancy Pelosi and Obama

DEM CHEERLEADER 1

He came from Ha-wai-i, with hope, change and audacity.
Now two years later and he is on the run.

DEMOCRATIC CHEERLEADER 2

In a designer blouse, not long ago she ruled the House. She lost her power, and it's just no damn fun.

DEMOCRATIC CHEERLEADER 1

He calls her on the telephone.

DEMOCRATIC CHEERLEADER 2

Says Nancy, are you all alone?

BOTH

For a moment, they both shut their eyes, and dream on and on and on and on.
What if midterms, had turned out very differently?

DEMOCRATIC CHEERLEADER 1

What if red states had turned blue?

CHEERLEADER 1

What if we could, cap and trade and then we'd save the whales.

CHEERLEADER 2

Health care for all,

DEMOCRATIC CHEERLEADER 2

Dental too!

BOTH

Don't stop, believin'.

REPUBLICAN CHEERLEADERS 1& 2

Who are you deceivin'?

DEMOCRATIC CHEERLEADER 1

We're cooked.

DEMOCRATIC CHEERLEADER 2

We're through.

DEMOCRATIC CHEERLEADERS 1 & 2

Whoa oh oh!
Don't stop believin'.

REPUBLICAN CHEERLEADERS 1& 2

Dudes, you must be dreamin'.

DEMOCRATIC CHEERLEADER 1

Farewell.

DEMOCRATIC CHEERLEADER 2

Aloha.

DEMOCRATIC CHEERLEADERS 1 & 2

Whoa oh -oh!

CHORUS

Don't stop!

LIVIN' ON A PRAYER (Bon Jovi/Glee)

REPUBLICAN CHEERLEADER 1

Boehner used to work in a bar.
Palin hunts for moose, they're not very far.
Like Russia, they're in her yard.

REPUBLICAN CHEERLEADER 2

Bachmann would repeal this whole room.
Newt is back for more, O'Donnell might fly in soon, On her broom.

REPUBLICAN CHEERLEADER 1 & 2

Now, that we're run by the Tea Party
Let's fire all the unions, make them work for free.
With God and money we rule the House for now,
Just don't ask us how.

REPUBLICAN CHEERLEADER 1

Are we screwed next year?

DEMOCRATIC CHEERLEADERS 1 & 2

Hell yeah! You haven't got a prayer.

REPUBLICAN CHEERLEADER 2

Senate seemed to be so near.

DEMOCRATIC CHEERLEADERS 1 & 2

No way, you haven't got a prayer.

CHORUS

Haven't got a prayer!

TIME WARP (Rocky Horror Show/Glee)

SPEAKER

And now the part, where we sing 'bout ourselves.
I apologize, boss, if this causes any stress.
But fair is fair, and no one is exempt here,
So now it's time, to poke fun at the press.

PRESS CHEERLEADER 1

I remember, when newspapers were dying
Network ratings in the dumps, it surely looked like the end.
The furloughs were appalling, but then Bloomberg started calling.
We're back in business again.

CHORUS

We're back in business again.

PRESS CHEERLEADER 2

There's Arianna on the left.

PRESS CHEERLEADER 1

Glenn Beck's on the right.

PRESS CHEERLEADER 2

Juan Williams works for Fox now.

PRESS CHEERLEADER 1 NPR?

Not so bright.

PRESS CHEERLEADER 2

Is that Jul-i-an Assange there?

PRESS CHEERLEADER 1

No, he's not that insane.

BOTH

But thanks, Jules, your leaks were our gain.

CHORUS

We're back in business again.

REPORTER

I took a flogging, before I started blogging,
Each morning I write tweets, then switch to video.
I like to write at Starbucks, it's like the newsroom 'cept it don't suck,
Maybe I'll go to work at Patch, and cover 'burbs in Kokomo.
Politico sent out a news alert, in just one hour it's the thirty-third.
The cycle never stops, 24-7 in the know.
Enrollment's up in J-school. We're the cool kids but not that cool.

DEMOCRATIC AND REPUBLICANS CHEERLEADERS AND REPORTER

So welcome to Gridiron, my friends.

CHORUS

Welcome to Gridiron, again.
Wel-come to Grid-iron, a-gain.

KNOCK AROUND BARACK (Rock Around the Clock, Bill Haley)

Cast portraying Republican Reps. Eric Cantor, Kevin McCarthy, Paul Ryan, Darrell Issa

CANTOR

House went up 63, thanks a lot Barack
Six more seats in the Senate, thanks a lot Barack
Boehner's now the Speaker, and the Dem's are still in shock
We're gonna knock Barack around the clock
Pick your spending cuts, and come with us
We'll put it all in an Omnibus

RYAN, McCARTHY, ISSA

We're gonna block Barack around the clock
We're gonna block block block it's our bedrock
We're gonna rock gonna rock our great big voting bloc

CANTOR

When health care dies, and earmarks flee
We'll owe a debt to the tea par-ty

TRIO

We're gonna move Obama to the right
We're gonna mock mock mock his election fright
We're gonna talk, gonna talk, and then we might indict

CANTOR

Republicans will have our way
We'll protect your wealth when you pass away
We're gonna knock Barack around the clock
It's just a recipe for more gridlock
We're gonna block, gonna block Barack around the clock.

CHORUS

We're gonna block Barack around the clock
It's a recipe for more gridlock
We're gonna knock, gonna knock Barack around the clock.

A BOEHNER MEDLEY (From: Johnny Angel, Shelley Fabares, and It's My Party, Lesley Gore)

Cast portraying John Boehner

LEAD SINGER

Johnny Boehner (GIRL GROUP: Johnny Boehner), he's our Speaker (he's our speaker)
He's got charm and grace and such élan
We Republicans are thrilled
That he's our No. 1 man

Johnny Boehner (GIRLS: Johnny Boehner), how we love him (how we love him)
He's the one who some of us adore
How we hold our breath when votes
Are counted on the House floor

He gets headaches
All his ducks in a row
Shot down by his own folks
No wonder that he smokes
In his loafers, and his bright-colored ties
At least he wears a shirt
While others online flirt

Johnny Boehner (GIRLS: Johnny Boehner), we still love him (we still love him)
He's so orange, suave and doctrinaire
If his convictions have to die
At least he'll do it with flair

ALL SHOUT: LOOK! HERE HE IS NOW!

BOEHNER (It's My Party and I'll Cry If I Want To)

Nobody knows just how hard it can be
Keeping a caucus in line;
Right wingers go their own way.
They pay their speaker no mind.

I'm try'n to show them some leadership here
Some gravitas and some gu-uts;
How did I end up in bed
With all these Tea Party nuts?

It's my party and I'll cry if I want to,
Cry if I want to, Cry if I want to;
You would cry too if it happened to you.

LADIES OF MAINE (Lady of Spain, Eddie Fisher)

Cast portraying: Republican Sens. Jim DeMint; Sen. Rand Paul; Sen. Olympia Snowe

DUET

Ladies of Maine, we abhor you
Loyalty means nothing to you
How could you work with those yahoos?
Just when we needed you most?

Stimulus money, how could you?
Gays and abortion, why would you?
Tea party's now aiming for you
Ladies of Maine, you'll be toast.

CHORUS:

Ladies of Maine, you'll be toast

REPUBLICAN MEMOIRS (Paperback Writer, The Beatles)
Cast portraying George W. Bush, Donald Rumsfeld, and Dick Cheney

BUSH

Hey Dick and Rummy, did you read my book?
It took me DAYS to write, you should take a look
it's based on my mem'ry of decider days
how I got Saddam,
Even when I learned that he had no weapons

CHORUS

He had no weapons

RUMSFELD

Iraq's my story and I do confess
How because of YOU it became a mess
Paul Bremer, Condi Rice and Colin too
Screwed the whole thing up
Never told me that we needed more troops there
Needed more troops there

CHORUS:

Needed more troops there...troops there....troops there...

CHENEY

Mine will come out soon and then I'll settle scores
Like Iraqi prisoners you'll be on all fours
Al Qaeda's working to destroy this place,
Still a real grave threat
But Obama knows that we did the right things

CHORUS:

We did the right things

BUSH, RUMSFELD, CHENEY

If you really like them you can have our rights,
We can make a movie for you overnight.

BUSH: Brad Pitt, RUMSFELD: George Clooney, CHENEY: and Matt Damon too.

They can play our parts
Just as long as they can make us look macho
Make us look macho

CHORUS:

Make them look macho...macho...macho

FINGER IN THE WIND (Candle in the Wind, Elton John)

Cast portraying GOP Sens. John McCain and Lindsey Graham

MCCAIN:

Gays in the military
Used to never bother me at all
I was happy once letting
The Joint Chiefs make that call
And on immigration,
You know my old stance was withdrawn
And my message, it became:
"Hey Juan, get off my lawn." [shout this line]

And it may seem to you I lived last year
With my finger in the wind
Never knowing what to cling to
'Cause I had to win
And when it comes to all your judgments
Frankly, I don't give a damn.
I still have my Senate seat
And my best friend, Lindsey Graham

CHORUS
He still has his Senate seat
And his best friend, Lindsey Graham

LEADER OF THE PAC (Leader of the Pack, the Shangri-Las)
Cast portraying Mitch Daniels and Girl Group

SPOKEN:

MITCHETTE 1

Is she really gonna give to HIM ?

MITCHETTE 2

Well, there she is. Let's ask her.

MITCHETTE 1

Betty - Is that Mitch's PAC you're supporting?

BETTY:

Mm-hmm

MITCHETTE 2

Gee - it must be great giving to Mitch.
Is he doing anything for you?

BETTY

Uhn - uhn

MITCHETTE 1

By the way, where'd you meet him?

SUNG:

Betty:

I met him at the O-M-B
He read tax code and rules to me
You get the picture?

MITCHETTES

Yes, we see

BETTY:

So now I give to the AIMING HIGHER PAC.
(Motorcycle Noise)
Some folks say he's a true heavyweight (Mitchettes: weight, weight)
Though he may come from a really dull state

MITCHETTES

(Watcha mean when ya say that he comes from a really dull state?)

BETTY

They said he had no height
But I fell for his might
That's why I give to the AIMING HIGHER PAC
(Motorcycle Noise)
One day I might want somebody new (Mitchettes: new, new)
But till then Mitch will just have to do

MITCHETTES

(Watcha mean when ya say that ya might want somebody new?)

BETTY

My Hoosier's plans are grand
But sometimes he seems bland

CHORUS

But still she gives to the AIMING HIGHER PAC

THE IMPOSSIBLE TWEET (The Impossible Dream, from Man of La Mancha)

SARAH PALIN character

To tweet the un-thought-about tweet
To own my own name through trademark
To scorn those who opine against me
To shoot caribou on a lark

To give those at C-Pac the shaft
To star in reality shows
To bear the unbearable liberals
To blog about things I don't know

This is my quest
To side-step the press
To run if I want to
Not under duress

To fight for the right
And to lay waste the left
To be willing to refudiate
Without knowledge or heft

And I know if I only stay true
To my Tea Party base
That my books and my speeches will sell
If I just show my face

CHORUS

And her world will be richer for this
Who needs work or an office to seek

PALIN

I'll rise as a modern-day Shakespeare
To tweet the un-thought-about tweet

I'VE SEEN EVERYONE (I've Been Everywhere, Hank Snow)
Cast portraying Karl Rove and various GOP presidential candidates names in the song

ROVE

Well, back in the day, you know
They called me the ARCHitect
I had a certain knack for knowin'
Who the people WOULD elect

But this time I dunno unless
There's someone I've missed
And, listen, man, I've looked at
Every hopeful on the list!

I've seen every one, man
I've seen every one, man
Sure as the mornin' sun, man
They all wanna run, man
Egos by the ton, man
I've seen every one.

I've seen...
Romney, Huckabee, Christie, Giuliani
Johnson, Huntsman, Daniels and Pawlenty
Roemer, Cain, DeMint, Santorum
Trump, Bush, Bachmann, Barbour and Bolton
Perry and Pence and Palin and Paul
Gingrich, too, I've seen 'em all.

Tim is excitin' -- NO, not very
But HE's got Red Hot Smokin' Mary
Cain's an expert with a pizza
Mitch, he's shorter than Scalia
Haley hopes he can win it all,
And history'll get an overhaul.

I've seen every one, man
I've seen every one, man
Sure as the mornin' sun, man
They all wanna run, man
Egos by the ton, man
I've seen every one.

I've seen ...
Huckabee at his weekly weigh-in
Sarah Palin out surveyin'
Eye of Newt and chin of Romney
Guy in drag, that's Giuliani
Mitt, he's drivin' fast and far
With man's best friend strapped to his car.

John McCain, I guess he's history
What he's thinkin', it's a mystery
Where the heck is Harold Stassen
Guess he's pushin' up the grass..an'
Someone mentioned Alan Keyes

CHORUS (Shouted)

Not again!! Oh, spare us please!

CHORUS

We've seen every one, man
We've seen every one, man
Sure as the mornin' sun, man
They all wanna run, man
Egos by the ton, man

ROVE

I've seen every one.

EVERYTHING's COMING UP ROSES (Gypsy)

Cast portraying Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid

PELOSI

Things are swell!

REID

Things are fine!

PELOSI

Harry's still got his JOB, I got mine

REID

Now we're back.

PELOSI

Frick and Frack.
REID

Nancy, everything's coming up roses!
PELOSI

Lost the House
REID

That's okay

PELOSI

Running things was a drag anyway

REID

Budget cuts? Not for us

PELOSI

Honey, we would be holding our noses!

REID

Who needs winning! Power's lost its lus-TER

PELOSI

My head was spinning!
REID

It's our turn to filibus-TER!
PELOSI

We give up! To the right!
REID

Let them get 60 votes every night!
PELOSI

Our stimulus ... will stimulate!
REID

Any year now! Just you wait!
PELOSI

There's really nothing left for us to do!

REID

Nancy, everything's coming up roses for me and you!
PELOSI

Boehner's in charge; let's see how much that he can do!
BOTH

The mess that we left him will mess up his Tea Party!
CHORUS

Everything's coming up roses for you and for me!

JUST LIKE A LIBERAL (Bob Dylan's Just Like a Woman)

Cast portraying Howard Dean

HOWARD DEAN

Nobody feels any change
Since that election night Chicago - it's all the same!
Everyone supposed, we knew `The One' we chose
But lately we seen the emperor has no clothes
Now we're wondering: Who's that man?

(refrain)
He looks just like a lib-ral
Yes he does and he writes books just like a lib-ral
Yes and his knee jerks just like a lib-ral
But he works with ... the Re-pub-li-CANS

John Boehner's his new friend
Can you believe they cut the rich man's tax again?
What were those campaign pledges worth?
Quell the oceans, heal the earth
Don't ask don't tell the country of your birth
End the war, close Guantanamo - "No we can't!"

(refrain)
He's so cool just like a lib-ral
Yes he is Harvard Law School just like a lib-ral
Suffers us fools, just like a lib-ral
SOLOIST and CHORUS: But he rules with Republi-CANS

MY FAVORITE FRIENDS (My Favorite Things from "The Sound of Music")

Cast portraying Sec. of State Hillary Clinton and global leaders named in the skit:

(Spoken) Oh, no! We said WHAT about WHO?

How dare that Wiki-Leaks publish our super-secret cables? Can you imagine
a world where diplomats say what they really think about foreign leaders?

Well it would certainly make it more fun to listen to Hillary Clinton. Here
comes our frequent-flying secretary of state now.

HILLARY CLINTON, singing:

A thin-skinned French MIDGET who goes by Sar-KO-zy
A dirty old man that they CALL Berlus-CO-ni
A nut job named KARzai who we must defend
These are a few of my favorite friends

Kim JONG-il's a drunken delusional FAT man
MedVEDev and Putin are Robin and BATman
In a Mafia state run by Russian made-men
CHORUS: These are a few of my favorite friends

Germany's MERK-el is timid and NER-vous
QuaDAffi's had sexy UKRAINian nurses
Prince ANdrew's bad language can SOMEtimes offend
CHORUS: These are a few of her favorite friends

After long flights
When this job bites
When I'm feeling bleak
I simply imagine my favorite friends
When they see their WI-ki leak

IT WAS NEWS TO ME (You Belong to Me)

Cast portraying CIA Director Leon Panetta:

PANETTA

See the pyramids along the Nile.
Authoritarians were just our style.
Revolutions brewing all the while
How was I to see?

Tunis, Cairo, those kids ran amok
Hid their plans where we would never look
A very secret place they call Facebook
It was news to me.

Could it be that after all those years
Of giving tyrants cash and guns and gear
Egypt, Bahrain all that oil so dear
Won't belong to us?

CHORUS

Won't belong to us!

_________________________________________________

TSA MEDLEY (Heigh-Ho from "Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs" and Give up the Funk)

TSA SCREENER

Heigh-ho! Heigh-ho! To frisk you we must go! We'll reach way down and grope around!
Heigh-ho! Heigh-ho.

Heigh-ho Heigh-ho! Heigh-ho! We'll goose you 'til you glow!
We're going to look, in every nook! Heigh-ho! Heigh-ho!

If you say NO, say NO! To X-Ray you must go! And we'll divulge your every bulge!
Heigh-ho! Heigh-ho!

Heigh-ho Heigh-ho! Heigh-ho! This may feel kind of low!
If it's a pain, then take the train! Heigh Ho! Heigh-Ho

HARRIED AIR TRAVELER

You got a late flight to catch, you're in line, losing time
There's a whole lot of waitin' goin' on (Heigh-ho!)
You feel a hand on your waist, moving 'round, slidin' down
There's a whole lot of feelin' goin' on (Heigh-ho!)

Don't touch my junk! (Heigh-ho!)
CHORUS: Don't touch my junk! (Heigh-ho!)
I know my rights! (Heigh-ho!)
Stay outta my tights! (Heigh-ho!)
When did the courts (Heigh-ho!)
Let you into my shorts? (Heigh-ho!)
Yo, screener punk! (Heigh-ho!)
CHORUS: Don't touch my junk!
_____________________________________________________________

SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW (from the Wizard of Oz)

Cast portraying Health Sec. Kathleen Sebelius and characters from The Wizard of Oz

SECRETARY SEBELIUS

Somewhere over the rainbow
Mandates lay.
We made sure they won't start 'til
After Election Day.

Somewhere over the rainbow
Cost curves bend,
And the savings we promised
Will cause the debt to end.

But if you have a slacker son
Who's sitting home upon his bum,
He's covered.

And if conditions pre-exist,
You won't lack coverage due to risk.
Don't you just love this?!

Somewhere over the rainbow
Folks will see
A better system if it's fine
with Justice Kennedy.
Some day they'll thank us, yes they will,
But only after
They...get...very ... ill.

TRIANGULATE (Twist and Shout)
Cast portraying Bill Clinton

Well, take it from Bubba now (CHORUS: take it from Bubba)
Tri-ANG-u-LATE! (CHORUS: tri-ang-u-late)
Fake it, fake it, Obama now (CHORUS: fake it Obama)
For me it worked great. (CHORUS: It worked great)

You're going to look so tight (CHORUS: look so tight)
You're going to look so slick (CHORUS: look so slick)
Play the left against the right now (CHORUS: left against right)
Just like I did in 96 (CHORUS: ninety-six)

[8-bar dance break]

CHORUS

Aaah, aaah, aaah, aaah, (squeal)

Well, it's really not that hard now (CHORUS: not that hard)
Tri-ANG-u-LATE! (CHORUS: triangulate!)
Your opponents aren't that smart now (CHORUS: not that smart)
You know they'll take the bait (CHORUS: Take the bait, oooh!)

You're a silver-tongued devil, (CHORUS: silver-tongued devil)
There's no one so deft (CHORUS: none so deft)
You can own the whole center now (CHORUS: own the whole center)
If you freak out the Left (CHORUS: freak out the left!)

CHORUS

Aaah, aaah, aaah, aaah

"MAKE IT STOP" ("Start Me Up" Rolling Stones)

RED CHEERLEADER 1

Yeah we started up
So long ago you thought we'd never stop
Since we started up
You wondered when the show would ever stop

We've been on so long
Bill Daley's nappin' on a table top
Seventh course is done
Alan Greenspan's beggin'make it stop, make it stop, make it, make it, make it stop

We've made you ladies sigh
We've made you grown men cry
We singe but never fry
Sometimes we're cute, sometimes we're mean
Sometimes out meaning is impossible to glean

CHORUS

Time to stop
Time to stop

"THE GRIDIRON PLAYERS'' ("Livin' on a Prayer" Bon Jovi)

BLUE CHEERLEADER 1

They got some nerve to stand up on stage

They're barely employed, they don't act their age
They lust for . . . your gaffes

They been from Dogpatch to Camelot
Coverin' politicians some were clean some not
For tellin' truth to power they're OK but -- for laughs
Is this all they got?

Whoa-oh the Gridiron players
Whoa-no they don't have a prayer
They got a band, pretty costumes to wear
But whoa-no they don't have a prayer

CHORUS

Whoa-oh the Gridiron players
Whoa-no they don't have a prayer
They got a band, pretty costumes to wear
But whoa-no they don't have a prayer

"THE GRIDIRON-RON'' ("Da Doo Ron Ron," Crystals)

RED CHEERLEADERS; BLUE CHEERLEADERS; OLD NEWSBOY;
GOOD-GIRL & BAD-GIRL GROUPS
RED CHEER 1

Tonight we showed the world the way to get along

RED DUET

At Gridiron-ron at Gridiron

RED CHEER 2

Just drink a glass of wine and sing a silly song

CHORUS

At Gridiron-ron at Gridiron
RED DUET

Strange bedfellows
Dancing dosi-dos
'Til the curtains close
CHORUS

At Gridiron-ron at Gridiron

BLUE CHEER 1

Sebelius tried sell us medicine

BLUE DUET

At Gridiron-ron at Gridiron
BLUE CHEER 2

Mitch Daniels rocked us like a crazy man
CHORUS

At Gridiron-ron, at Gridiron
BLUE DUET

Monday we will fight
But we're friends tonight
By the rosy light
Of Gridiron-ron of Gridiron

OLD NEWS

We started up the show in 1885
CHORUS

The Gridiron-ron, the Gridiron

OLD NEWS

Some of us remember 'cause we're still alive

QUINTET

At Gridiron, son, at Gridiron

QUINTET

O say can you see
Sweet Civility
Baby 'tis of thee
We sing at Gridir'n at Gridi-ron

CHORUS REPEATS VERSE

O say can you see . . .

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Cuba Sentences U.S. Aid Contractor to 15 Years

Luisita Lopez Torregrosa — 2011-03-12T17:24:00+00:00

Filed under: Scandal, Obama Administration, International, Barack Obama

An American contractor accused of crimes against the Cuban state was sentenced to 15 years in prison in Cuba Saturday, government-run television reported.

In a decision likely to set back Havana-Washington relations, a five-judge panel concluded that the contractor, Alan Phillip Gross, was involved in what the Cuban government described as a Washington-backed "subversive project" to "topple the Revolution," Reuters reported.

Obama Calls for Passage of Workplace Fairness Act for Women

Politics Daily Staff — 2011-03-12T16:33:00+00:00

Filed under: Senate, Democrats, Republicans, Education, Energy, Congress, Barack Obama

President Obama, who has two young daughters, pressed Saturday for passage of a bill meant to make it easier for women to have their day in court when they feel employers are underpaying them simply because of their gender.

Obama, in his weekly address, said he was disappointed when the Senate fell just short of approving the Paycheck Fairness Act last year. He urged Congress to take another crack at it and vowed, "I'm going to keep up the fight to pass the reforms in that bill."

The legislation would treat gender discrimination involving wages in the same manner as discrimination related to race, age or disability -- effectively opening up another avenue for court challenges. Many business interests oppose it because they fear a flood of litigation.

"At a time when folks across this country are struggling to make ends meet -- and many families are just trying to get by on one paycheck after a job loss -- it's a reminder that achieving equal pay for equal work isn't just a women's issue. It's a family issue," Obama said. "It is something I care deeply about as the father of two daughters who wants to see his girls grow up in a world where there are no limits to what they can achieve," he said.

Women have made great strides, he said. For instance, they are now more likely to attend college than men. Yet American women are also more likely to live in poverty and still earn only 75 cents for every dollar made by male workers, the president said.

For the Republicans Saturday, Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) talked about energy costs as the price at the pump for motorists continues to rise in part due to the crisis in Libya. Murkowski acknowledged the upheaval in oil-producing Libya and the middle east. But she said the U.S. needs to produce more of its own energy from the Gulf of Mexico, the Rocky Mountain states and Alaska. "Our own shortsightedness and restrictions have played a role" in the cost increases, she said.

Watch video of Obama's remarks.

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Nuclear Plant Explodes in Aftermath of Japan Quake, Meltdown a 'Possibility'

Politics Daily Staff — 2011-03-12T14:25:00+00:00

Filed under: Foreign Policy, Obama Administration, International, Barack Obama

Fears of a meltdown continue to grow after a nuclear power plant exploded Saturday in earthquake-stricken Japan, while the country is still reeling from aftershocks, a devastating tsunami and a growing death toll.

The blast severely damaged the nuclear power plant in northern Japan, blowing the roof off one building and forcing an evacuation of the surrounding area. Japanese officials initially reported the containment vessel of the reactor at the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Station escaped major damage, thanks to a metal sheath that protected it even as the reactor's walls peeled away.

However, concerns are increasing over the possibility of a meltdown at one if not more reactors at the station. CNN is reporting an official with Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency as saying there is "the possibility" of a meltdown based on the levels of radioactive chemicals in the air. The official also said engineers have been unable to get close enough to confirm what is happening.

The AP is also reporting cooling systems have failed at another reactor on Japan's coast.

Sarah Palin's Popularity Slips to 60 Percent Disapproval Rate in Poll

Tom Diemer — 2011-03-11T16:05:00+00:00

Filed under: Sarah Palin, 2012 President, Poll Watch, Economy, Barack Obama

Sarah Palin, perhaps the most closely watched of all potential 2012 Republican presidential candidates, is viewed in an unfavorable light by 60 percent of those questioned in a new Bloomberg News poll.

Palin's numbers suggest she would face a challenge in attracting voters beyond her conservative base if she decides to run for president next year. Bloomberg's survey of 1,001 adults was taken between March 4-7 by the Iowa firm, Selzer & Co. The margin of error was plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.

Within the 60 percent who disapproved of Palin, 38 percent said they had "very unfavorable" feelings about her. She was viewed favorably by 28 percent, with only 4 percent not sure how they felt. A December Bloomberg poll had Palin's unfavorable rating at 57 percent.

But the former Alaska governor and 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee isn't holding back. On Thursday night, Palin told Fox News she thought union bosses were "acting like thugs" in their fight against a bill in Wisconsin taking away public employees' collective bargaining rights. Labor leaders should "turn down the rhetoric and start getting truth out there so nobody gets hurt," she said.

There was good news for President Obama in the Bloomberg poll: 45 percent said he had a "better vision" for the nation's economic future than the Republican opposition. One-third (33 percent) of the sample preferred the GOP approach, and 22 percent didn't like either or weren't sure.

Watch Fox' Sean Hannity's interview with Palin.

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Obama on Oil: Tapping Strategic Reserves Possible, But It's a Last Resort

Alex Wagner — 2011-03-11T14:51:00+00:00

Filed under: Foreign Policy, Energy, Obama Administration, International, Middle East, White House, Economy, Barack Obama

President Obama has not ruled out tapping America's strategic oil reserves if oil prices continue to rise, but he added such a move would first require a "severe disruption of supply."

Increasing gas prices, triggered by the unrest in the Middle East, were among the topics the president addressed at a Friday afternoon press conference that touched on the devastating Japanese earthquake, America's possible involvement in Libya, and the budget stalemate in Congress.

Obama said the opening of the country's strategic oil reserves remains a possibility, but he declined to specify under what circumstances the reserves would be opened, other than to say it would take a major event -- one similar to 1970s OPEC crisis, or one that severely hobbled production capabilities, as when Hurricane Katrina shut down oil refineries in the Gulf.

He added that opening the reserves could be done expediently -- that the process "was teed up" and would not require months or weeks of preparation.

However, the president also maintained that now there is "no shortage of supply" in the global oil market and said the real problem is uncertainty. "We are confident about our ability to fill any potential gaps in supply," he said, noting that Libya in particular did not account for a significant portion of overall world production.

With oil prices edging up in recent weeks, some analysts have called for increased domestic drilling. Obama shot down suggestions the White House has discouraged it, saying, "Any notion that my administration has shut down oil production might make for a good political soundbite, but it doesn't match up with reality."

The proof, he said, is that the United States is "better prepared for supply disruptions" than in previous years, noting that "Today we use seven percent less oil than we did in 2005." The president attributed the decrease in part to more fuel-efficient cars.

Last year, American domestic oil production reached its highest level since 2003, and that for the first time in over a decade, oil imports accounted for less than half of U.S. consumption, he added.

The president insisted that comprehensive energy reform is the only way America can end its dependence on foreign oil. "We've been having this conversation for nearly four decades now," he said. Vowing not to hand reform off to the next administration, Obama said, "I think the American people are tired of that. They're tired of talk."

Switching to Libya, Obama remained cautious regarding any military measures the U.S. was prepared to take, and instead offered that America had "an obligation to prevent" violence akin to the situations in Rwanda and Bosnia. But he was careful to say there's no evidence that violence on that scale is occuring in Libya."I'm not saying that's what happening," he clarified, "and [that] we're prepared to step in" right now.

The president also addressed the budget war currently being fought in Congress, calling for both sides to come together and compromise. He opened the door to another potential two-week extension to continue funding the federal government, but criticized any temporary measures beyond that as "irresponsible."

Obama placed some blame for the stalemate on Republican leaders, accusing them of filling their approved House budget with a raft of "political" riders -- ones he felt had no place in a budget bill. He further maintained that Democrats were going to "hold the line on critical programs" that he believed were key to America's future, including education funding and reform efforts.

Regarding the recent earthquake in Japan, Obama said he was "heartbroken." He assured the public that the White House was coordinating with the Japanese government regarding security concerns, including possible nuclear containment from damaged reactors.

American efforts to assist the Japanese government, he said, would likely be centered around "lift capacity" and cleanup efforts. Obama remained confident that the Japanese would rebound from the crisis, given the fact that the nation was "so resourceful, with such an advanced economy." Still, he said, the tragedy of the quake was being felt across the world: "Humanity is one," he said.

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Obama: U.S. Is Ready to Assist Japan in Wake of Earthquake, Tsunami

Politics Daily Staff — 2011-03-11T09:01:00+00:00

Filed under: Foreign Policy, Obama Administration, Barack Obama

In the aftermath of Japan's massive earthquake, President Obama said the United States is "ready to help the Japanese people in this time of great trial."

The president later spoke with Prime Minister Naoto Kan and offered assistance.

Update: An explosion severely damaged a nuclear power plant in northern Japan on Saturday, blowing the roof off one building and forcing an evacuation of the surrounding area because of a radiation leak. The blast rocked the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station and smoke billowed up from a reactor, its containment vessel still protected by metal casing.

At a news conference Friday, Obama said he was confident Japan would rebuild quickly, praising the strong economy and resourcefulness of the people.

"It has dealt with (natural disasters) before and will deal with them again. And Japan, I'm sure, will come back stronger than ever -- hopefully with our help," he said.

Obama was awakened at 4 a.m. by Chief of Staff William Daley, who informed him of the 8.9 magnitude quake, the largest in Japanese history, according to the Associated Press.

The official death toll stood at 574 on Saturday, but a government spokesman said at least 1,000 had perished. Thousands more were missing following the earthquake, which triggered more than 70 aftershocks and a powerful tsunami that swept over cities and farmland in the northern part of the country.

Obama got a mid-morning briefing from FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, and other senior officials who updated him on the evolving situation, including "actions being taken to assist U.S. states and territories that could be affected," the White House said.

The quake damaged a nuclear plant about 170 miles northeast of Tokyo. The New York Times reported that thousands of residents in a six-mile radius of the facility were evacuated and the government declared a state of emergency. Experts estimated radiation levels were 1,000 times above normal in a reactor control room after the quake damaged the plant's cooling system.

The president said he asked Energy Secretary Steven Chu to be prepared to assist with any breaches in Japan's nuclear power system, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Three U.S. warships in southeast Asia were ordered out to sea to reposition themselves in case they are directed to provide assistance to Japan, an American 7th Fleet spokesman told the Times. The Pentagon said there were no reports of damage to American military facilities or naval vessels.

The U.S. would "continue to closely monitor tsunamis around Japan and the Pacific going forward," Obama said. He instructed FEMA to be ready to assist areas that could be affected by the tidal surges. Waves as high as seven feet hit parts of Hawaii but little damage was reported. Powerful surges also reached the U.S. west coast, causing boats to sink in northern California. At least four people in California were swept out to sea and one was still missing.

Watch video of the scene in Japan, courtesy the Associated Press.

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