President Party Animal

[Soul Crusher]

President party boy
By JOHN GIBSON
www.nypost.com

Last Updated: 4:15 AM, June 10, 2010

________________________ ________________________ _______


Last week's jobs report tanked the stock market; the president took weeks to assert control of the oil spill that threatens doom on the Gulf Coast -- but at the White House the Gatsby-like parties roll on as if happy days were here again.

Just yesterday, President Obama held another fun-filled White House event, a picnic for Congress members, complete with hot dogs, cold beverages and a fire pit.

All told, during the last seven weeks of spewing oil and rampant unemployment, he has frolicked and danced through three major White House music parties:

* The black-tie tent bash on the White House South Lawn after the state dinner for Mexico's President Felipe Calderón, which featured singer Beyoncé.

* The Paul McCartney hootenanny -- a night of tributes to the former Beatle, which featured the president himself scooting onto the dance floor to join the Jonas Brothers in the long "la-la-la" closing refrain of "Hey Jude." (Plus, of course, McCartney serenading the first lady with "Michelle.")

* The Ford Theater event -- in which the president, taking a break from "kicking ass" on the oil spill, kicked back and relaxed to the song stylings of one-time "American Idol" winner Kelly Clarkson, among other B-listers.

It was one thing when the president launched his White House days with a round of Martini Wednesdays, Stevie Wonder concerts, conga-line dancing and Super Bowl parties. That was before the gushing oil and before the employment picture defied the Obama hope-and-change cures.

Now it's different. Now the president's fascination with fun and parties in the midst of crisis has not only reinforced a feeling he's out of touch, but has migrated down the chain of command.

Last weekend, Vice President Joe Biden and White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel held a "super soaker" squirt-gun party at the veep's residence. Everybody ran around giggling and shooting squirt guns at each other. Members of the press covering Biden joined in, to their shame.

And last Sunday, presidential spokesman Tommy Vietor and Obama speechwriter extraordinaire Jon Favreau, both 29 years old, were spotted at a Georgetown bar, stripped to the waist, playing a game of beer pong with a gang of bare-chested buddies. (This game involves throwing a ping-pong ball into cups of beer -- loser drinks beer, winner drinks beer, everybody drinks beer.)

Meanwhile, MSNBC's Norah O'Donnell said on the "Morning Joe" program that she talks to White House staffers who are having nightmares about the oil spill. Evidently, Vietor and Favreau aren't O'Donnell's contacts at the White House.

Fine, folks in the White House pressure-cooker need to blow off some steam. But it seems the president and his underlings don't see any need to rein in their love of partying, even though regular Americans are facing catastrophe.

Yes, the president looks elegant and cool in his tuxedo, dancing to Jay-Z or the aging "cute Beatle" -- but there are people in the Gulf who can't pay their bills, and millions of the long-term unemployed who are on the outside, looking in on all the fun. Judging by the polls, the grumbling of the outsiders is getting louder.

The president may want to consider making good on his promise that all hands are on deck for national disasters, by passing the word that party time is now on hold -- and then leading by example.

John Gibson is a Fox News talk- radio host; his latest book is "How the Left Swiftboated America."

[Soul Crusher]

Now i'm sure Obama is going to pretend to be a Blackhawks fan and throw a few parties for the Stanley Cup victory. 

[Fury]

I didn't think it was possible to spend less time doing this job than Bush did but Obama seems to be proving that theory wrong.

[12secGT]

I didn't think it was possible to spend less time doing this job than Bush did but Obama seems to be proving that theory wrong.

I think you are completely incorrect. I think Bush was actively at his job. I think he made mistakes. But what president doesn't? I think Obama has and will make mistakes too. But the difference is, Obama is hellbent on styming any economical growth with his cap and tax, healthcare that has some corps possibly pulling employer-sponsored coverage because it will be cheaper to take the fines than cover their employees. His bungling of Russia in Georgia, NKorea, Chine now "owns" 60% of the US Tres. the Oil fisasco....
Funny thing is the only, THE ONLY thing this man has done right is continue the BUSH DOCTRINE on the war against terror. How ironic... 

[Soul Crusher]

AND OBAMA WENT GOLFING & TO THE BALL GAME!

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Obama hits golf course with Biden on another hot, humid weekend
By Bridget Johnson - 06/19/10 03:37 PM ET
 
WWW.THEHILL.COM


President Barack Obama hit the golf course Saturday with Vice President Joe Biden.

The White House pool report noted that Obama left at about 1 p.m. for the course at Andrews Air Force base, and his golfing parters included White House Trip Director Marvin Nicholson and photographer David Katz.

Nicholson and Katz, along with Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, joined Obama for four hours of golf last weekend. The Republican National Committee released an ad soon afterward taking aim at Obama's golfing during the ongoing BP oil spill crisis in the Gulf of Mexico.

The temperatures in the Washington, D.C., area Saturday were similar to last weekend, in the low 90s and humid.

Obama attended the Washington Nationals game Friday night wearing a cap for his hometown Chicago White Sox. Sources told the pool reporter that Obama sang "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" and left in the ninth inning, before the White Sox edged out the Nationals 2-1 in the 11th.
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[240 is Back]

Drinking with Obama.

Now THAT would be an interesting video.

he'd be just as passionate and loud as bob - only he would be shouting about the virtures of marxism.

hahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Soul Crusher]

Ha Ha. 

I think Glen Beck is more accurate though, Obama is nothing more than Vince the Slap Chop Guy. 

His role is simply to sell what others have told him to. 

[Soul Crusher]

I wonder if Hayward gave the same response how Obama and the left wing clown car would respond.    



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White House defends Obama's fun time during crisis
AP via Google News ^ | June 21, 2010


WASHINGTON — A White House spokesman says the whole country benefits when President Barack Obama takes time to go golfing and "clear his mind."

Obama spokesman Bill Burton on Monday defended Obama's leisure activities amid some Republican criticism that Obama should not be scheduling fun time during the Gulf oil spill crisis. The president went golfing on Saturday afternoon after attending a baseball game Friday night.

Burton said the people of the country stand by the notion that "their president ought to have a little time to clear his mind."

Burton said that having time to himself "probably does us all good."


(Excerpt) Read more at google.com ...

[Soul Crusher]

White House defends Obama's golf outings
By Sam Youngman - 06/21/10 02:36 PM ET
 
www.thehill.com

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The White House is dismissing criticism that President Barack Obama shouldn’t play golf during the Gulf oil spill. 

White House spokesman Bill Burton on Monday said the president deserves some time to relax, and he doesn't “think that there's a person in this country that doesn't think that their president ought to have a little time to clear his mind.”

During the weekend, Obama played the 39th round of golf of his presidency, according to reports.

White House reporters joke among themselves about who might get stuck with weekend pool duty, which seems more likely than not to include a few hours sitting at the food court near either Andrews Air Force Base or Ft. Belvoir while Obama hits the links.

But Burton dismissed Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele’s criticism that Obama should stay away from the links.

Speaking at the daily White House briefing, Burton said Obama needs some time to himself after dealing with the business of his office.

Burton listed the accomplishments the White House believes Obama made last week in making his point.

“And so after a week where the president was taking on the oil spill, got an historic agreement with BP to put aside $20 billion to pay claims; after a day on Friday when he strengthened lobby and ethics rules in the White House; after going to Ohio to talk about the economy and see the progress that's being made and some of those stimulus projects that are happening around the country — all the different issues that the president is dealing with, I think that a little time to himself on Father's Day weekend probably does us all good as American citizens that our president is taking that time,” Burton said.

Steele brought the president’s golf game into sharper political focus over the weekend with a statement comparing Obama’s round of golf to BP CEO Tony Hayward's weekend decision to watch a yacht race.

“While it is fitting and appropriate to look at the yachting activities of the BP CEO, with incredulity, it is equally incredible that President Obama finds himself on yet another golf course as oil continues to spew into the Gulf,” Steele said. “Until this problem is fixed, no more golf outings, no more baseball games, no more Beatle concerts, Mr. President. The stakes are too high for President Obama's lackadaisical approach to both his responsibilities and the challenges we face.”

Obama went to a Washington Nationals game Friday, and hosted a concert by Paul McCartney  weeks ago.

Former President George W. Bush publicly gave up the game while in office, saying he didn’t think it was appropriate that he keep playing while troops were fighting in Iraq.


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[Soul Crusher]

[Soul Crusher]

WWWTTFFF??

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G8: Obama interested in Huntsville’s golf courses: Clement
National Post ^ | June 25, 2010 | Staff

Posted on Saturday, June 26, 2010 3:36:27 PM by C19fan

When U.S. President Barack Obama stepped off his helicopter in Huntsville on Friday, the first thing he said was, “You’ve got a lot of golf courses here, don’t you?” Industry Minister Tony Clement told the National Post in an exclusive interview.

“I told him, ‘We would really recommend and love it if you could come back here with Michelle and the kids at some point — we think you’d really love it here,’” Minister Clement said on the sidewalk of Huntsville’s Main Street, in his home riding. “I think I’ve planted a seed in the President’s mind.”


(Excerpt) Read more at news.nationalpost.com ...

[Soul Crusher]

Obama’s golf game tees up image debate.
www.thehill.com

By Alexander Bolton - 06/25/10 06:00 AM ET

________________________ ________________________

 
President Barack Obama is facing the same dilemma several of his Republican predecessors faced during times of national crisis: whether to golf.

His love of the game is clear from his willingness to play over successive weekends, even in sweltering heat.

But he has come under criticism from Republicans — and some in the media — for playing the country-club sport while millions of gallons of oil spew into the Gulf of Mexico.

Obama has played at least seven times since the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded on April 20, according to a compilation of media reports. He has reportedly golfed a total of 39 times since his inauguration, though some rounds came during vacations.

“Very seldom do people look at a president golfing with admiring eyes,” said Douglas Brinkley, a presidential historian at Rice University. “Like [Sen.] John Kerry [D-Mass.] with windsurfing and Obama with golfing, there’s a feeling that it is an Ivy League, country-club activity.”

Obama’s golf game became a political issue this week when Michael Steele, chairman of the Republican National Committee, called on the president to quit playing until oil stopped gushing into the Gulf.

A White House spokesman pointed out that the president, given the demands of an all-consuming job, deserved a little time to himself.

“I don’t think that there’s a person in this country that doesn’t think that their president ought to have a little time to clear his mind,” said Bill Burton.


Republicans used Kerry’s fondness for windsurfing to deadly political effect in 2004, when he was the Democratic presidential nominee. GOP strategists portrayed Kerry as a member of the elite and a politician who followed the prevailing political winds.


Some in the GOP have been leery of following Steele’s lead in criticizing Obama for how he spends his weekends. Sens. George LeMieux of Florida and Roger Wicker of Mississippi, two Republicans who have blasted Obama’s response to the spill, declined to take issue with his golfing during the crisis.


“He needs to be more focused on the Gulf of Mexico; it’s not just tar balls, it’s sheets of oil that have been washing ashore,” said LeMieux. “But I’ll leave the president’s personal time to him.”


Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) has likewise criticized the president’s handling of the Gulf disaster, saying he needs to have “a higher command-and-control operation.”


But Nelson said he is not concerned with how much time Obama plays golf.


Said Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.), who frequently disagrees with Obama on policy matters: “It’s a low blow.”


Other Gulf Coast lawmakers, including Rep. Allen Boyd (D), who represents the Florida panhandle, and Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu (D), said the same.


Democrats were more outspoken about commanders in chief who golfed when Republicans controlled the White House, according to presidential historians.

GOP President Dwight Eisenhower loved golf so much that he made several trips to Augusta, Ga., site of the Masters Golf Tournament, where he had a house on the course.


“Eisenhower was criticized by Democrats who didn’t have a great deal to criticize him for as being asleep at the controls and spending too much time on the golf course,” said historian John Sayle Watterson, author of The Games Presidents Play: Sports and the Presidency.

Eisenhower’s golf habit led to a confrontation with Congress when his staff tried to trap and remove squirrels digging up a putting green on White House grounds.

Former Sen. Richard guy, an Oregon Democrat, called on Eisenhower to leave the squirrels alone and helped set up a Save the White House Squirrels Fund. Eisenhower eventually backed down.

Former President Gerald Ford, another Republican, came under attack from Democrats and the media for taking a golfing trip to California at a time when the inflation rate was rapidly rising, threatening the economy.

“He was criticized for being away at a critical time,” said Watterson.

Former President John F. Kennedy and his aides were keenly aware of the public image golf projected. They used to joke about the amount of time Eisenhower spent on the links.

After Kennedy won the White House in 1960, he initially tried to keep his golf playing from the public eye.

Obama often plays at Andrews Air Force base, where public access is restricted. When he plays at other courses, he often deploys protective foursomes ahead of and behind his golfing party so bystanders have a tough time catching a glimpse of him mid-hack.

The president also holds his scorecards back from public scrutiny, perhaps fearful that an appalling score may raise questions about his prowess in other matters.

Obama was roundly mocked on the campaign trail in 2008 when he bowled an atrocious 37 out of a possible 300 while on the stump in Pennsylvania — though he did not finish the whole game.

Tim Joyce, a columnist for RealClearSports.com, said that sports can become a metaphor for a president’s governing style.

Former President Jimmy Carter’s reputation as a micro-manager was cemented after it emerged he had sign-off authority over who used the White House tennis courts.

Carter’s near-collapse from exhaustion during a Maryland 10K race became a troubling symbol of a presidency that seemed to be running out of steam.

Joyce noted that former President George H.W. Bush spent much of his presidency fighting the public perception that he was a pampered East Coast establishment elite.

To avoid fueling his country-club reputation, Bush would play tennis games at an indoor court in the Senate Hart Office Building, away from prying eyes and cameras.

Former President George W. Bush understood the potential public-relations fallout of playing golf during a time of national crisis. Bush said it would send the “wrong signal” to continue playing golf while American soldiers were fighting and dying in Iraq, and vowed not to.


He said he decided to quit after the bombing of United Nations headquarters in Baghdad in August 2003. But liberal critics shamed him when they found video of him on the green two months after making his promise.


But Bush seemed well aware of the sport’s image during a time of crisis.


“During the BP spill, it may have been wise to avoid a couple rounds here and there,” said Brinkley.


“Every elected official must be mindful of how things that seem a part of everyday life will be looked at differently during times of crisis,” said Rep. Dennis Kucinich, a Democrat from Ohio, who ran for president in 2008.

[Soul Crusher]

Unreal. 

[Soul Crusher]

Bob nails it. 

[Soul Crusher]

Pool Report: Obama Plays Golf July 11, 2010
Pool Report via Time.com ^ | 07/11/2010 | Pool Reporter

Posted on Sunday, July 11, 2010 2:46:51 PM by OldDeckHand

Yep, its golf. Motorcade rolled from White House at 12:31 pm and headed to Fort Belvoir. Unfortunately press van number two was moved to the secondary motorcade for some unknown reason before we left, and so your pooler and the rest of his colleagues, along with the only White House press staffer in the motorcade, were separated from POTUS and the primary motorcade a block outside the gates, at 15th and Constitution.


(Excerpt) Read more at thepage.time.com ...

[Soul Crusher]

Washington Whispers
After Oil Spill, Gulf States Want Obama Vacation
By Paul Bedard
Posted: July 13, 2010


As president, Bill Clinton always wanted to take summer vacations on ritzy Martha's Vineyard. But instead he headed west because then pal and pollster Dick Morris said it would boost his slumping re-election polls. Clinton shifted to Jackson Hole, Wyo., adopting a rugged Rockies image.

"I polled to convince Clinton to go to Jackson Hole and the Rockies on his vacation rather than to the Vineyard," says Morris, who was Clinton's secret adviser during his first term before the split. "The public was sick of the photos of his hobnobbing with celebrities and cruising on their yachts and the polling showed that they would rather see their president camping in the Rockies. So he went for two vacations--1995 and 1996--and hated it but it helped his polling."

Now 15 years later, President Obama is getting some similar vacation advice intended to bolster his image, especially with those upset with his administration's handling of the Gulf oil spill cleanup. On one hand, Gulf tourism officials think he should visit the area to help show it's still a good vacation spot while on the other hand the public wants him there to do some public service. [See photos of the Gulf oil spill.]

Gulf officials think that Obama, who is off to Maine this weekend for a short pre-vacation before a longer one likely in Martha's Vineyard, would help them with their sales bid to the rest of the nation. They say pictures of Obama and his family, beamed around the world through the huge White House press corps, would be much better than his brief visits to the oil spill site and meeting with local residents. Instead, a vacation would prove that the beaches are open for business. [Read 10 Things You Didn't Know About Martha's Vineyard.]

"It would be an honor to have President Obama and the first family vacation on the Alabama Gulf Coast," says Patti Culp, executive director or Alabama Travel Council Inc. "There are so many things to see and do that they have never experienced in the South. Walking our beautiful beaches, eating the best seafood in the world, shopping at the over 100 stores at the outlet center, playing miniature golf, enjoying the southern sun and the southern hospitality, going crabbing, going swimming, boggy boarding, going to the spa, para-sailing, fishing, boating, etc. etc. It's a family paradise! Come on down first family," she says. [See a gallery of cartoons about the oil spill.]

The public has another reason, according to our Whispers poll conducted by Synovate-eNation. They want Obama to spend part of his vacation doing public service in the Gulf helping to clean up the region. Some 46 percent our poll said he should help with the cleanup, though 30 percent think he should be allowed to take a break at the Vineyard. The rest think a stint on a Detroit unemployment line or working side-by-side with AmeriCorps volunteers helping rebuild New Orleans would be good.

The Whispers Poll

As President Obama readies for another vacation in Martha's Vineyard, some want him to try something different, like a volunteer project. Which should he do?

Help the Gulf oil cleanup: 46%

Stick with the Vineyard, he deserves a break: 30%

Help out in a Detroit unemployment office: 17%

Help AmeriCorps workers rebuild New Orleans
: 7%

Source: The Synovate eNation Internet poll was conducted July 1-July 6 among 1,000 nationally representative households by global market research firm Synovate.

[Soul Crusher]

Obamas find a way to do Broadway at home, hosting star-studded PBS taping [Updated]
www.latimes.com
July 14, 2010 |  2:55 pm

________________________ ________________________ _________


 During the administration of President George W. Bush, news that Tony was to be heavily represented at a fete in the East Room of the White House would have suggested a British theme to the evening, with emissaries of then-Prime Minister Blair in attendance.

Times have changed. On Monday, the dignitaries hosted by President and Mrs. Obama will bring their regards from Broadway, not 10 Downing Street, while sharing talents that collectively have won them 11 Tony Awards.

The public is invited to watch -- eventually -- on "A Broadway Celebration," which will be taped for broadcast Oct. 20 as an installment in the PBS series, "In Performance at the White House."

The Tony-winning performers are actor-singers Nathan Lane (two Tonys), Audra McDonald (four Tonys), Idina Menzel, Tonya Pinkins and Karen Olivo (one each, for "Wicked," "Jelly's Last Jam" and "West Side Story," respectively), and pianist Marvin Hamlisch, a Tony winner for his score to "A Chorus Line." Working behind the scenes is Jerry Mitchell, Tony-winning choreographer (for the 2004 revival of "La Cage aux Folles"), who will guide 20 Washington, D.C., dance students in a segment from "Hairspray," another show he choreographed.

Also performing are Brian d'Arcy James ("Shrek: The Musical"), Chad Kimball ("Memphis") and Assata Alston, a 12-year-old from Queens, N.Y., who recently debuted at Jazz at Lincoln Center.

[Updated: The White House announced Friday that Elaine Stritch and "Hairspray" veterans Danielle Arci and Constantine Rousouli have been added to the show; Stritch is a Tony winner (for her one-woman show, "Elaine Stritch at Liberty"), bringing the ensemble's collective career Tony haul to 12).

Presumably, critics who slammed the president and first lady last year for wasting taxpayer money when they flew to New York for dinner and a Broadway show (August Wilson's drama "Joe Turner's Come and Gone") won't complain about Broadway coming to them. Obama-watchers can catch the president's show-opening remarks live on Monday at 4 p.m. Pacific on the Internet at www.whitehouse.gov, but the public will have to wait until October for the performances.

As for those who got their hopes up when we mentioned a British theme in the East Room, PBS will oblige July 28 with the next "In Performance at the White House" broadcast, starring Paul McCartney with guests Stevie Wonder, Elvis Costello, Jonas Brothers, Herbie Hancock, Corinne Bailey Rae, Dave Grohl, Faith Hill, Emmylou Harris, Lang Lang and Jack White. The show, celebrating Sir Paul's receiving this year's Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, was taped in the East Room on June 2.

-- Mike Boehm

[Soul Crusher]

Nathan Lane, Audra McDonald, Idina Menzel Offer "A Broadway Celebration" at the White House July 19
By Adam Hetrick
19 Jul 2010
 
Audra McDonald photo by Michael Wilson



Tony Award winners Nathan Lane, Audra McDonald, Tonya Pinkins and Marvin Hamlisch are part of "A Broadway Celebration: In Performance at the White House" July 19 in Washington, DC.

The Broadway-themed evening is presented as part of the White House's "In Performance" concert series. President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama host the 7 PM concert that will be filmed for an Oct. 20 broadcast on PBS.

The President is scheduled to introduce the evening that boasts performances by Lane (Guys & Dolls, The Addams Family), McDonald (Ragtime, Master Class), Pinkins (Caroline, or Change, Jelly's Last Jam) and songwriter Hamlisch (A Chorus Line, Sweet Smell of Success) as well as Idina Menzel (Wicked), Brian d'Arcy James (Next to Normal), Chad Kimball (Memphis) and Karen Olivo (West Side Story). Also performing is young actress Assata Alston and the Joy of Motion Dance Center ensemble.

In addition to the evening concert, a 2 PM dress rehearsal features students from the Duke Ellington School of the Arts and the Joy of Motion Dance Center, who are scheduled to perform a number from Hairspray under the direction of Tony-winning choreographer Jerry Mitchell.

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Advertisement

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"A Broadway Celebration: In Performance at the White House" will air on PBS at 9 PM on Oct. 20. The 60-minute concert is produced by WETA Washington, D.C., in association with Margo Lion, Ltd. and 101 Productions.

The Obamas have made three visits to Broadway in the past year, taking in performances of Joe Turner's Come and Gone, Memphis and

The Addams Family. The White House also featured Memphis star Montego Glover as part of "America Celebrates July 4th at Ford's Theatre," which was chaired by the First Lady, and also included performances by Laura Michelle Kelly, Gavin Lee and the Broadway company of Mary Poppins and Dick Dan Dyke. In April, the cast of "Glee," including Tony nominees Lea Michele and Matthew Morrison, performed during the annual Easter Egg Roll.

[The Showstoppa]

Alas, the usual suspects are of course totally silent on the issue.  You know, the ones who ragged on Bush on a daily basis about spending too much time in Crawford, golfing, etc... , yet I guarantee, if they do make an appearance in this thread, it will not be to address Obama's leisure time in the same way....  while those of us who criticized Bush for it, can do the same and with a CLEAR conscience.

[Soul Crusher]

Students and stars celebrate Broadway, arts at White House
Broadway at the White House
The White House Music Series celebrated Broadway on Monday with performances by theater royalty, including Idina Menzel, Nathan Lane and Audra McDonald. The event is to be broadcast on PBS in October.
 
By Nelson Pressley
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, July 20, 2010


________________________ ________________________ ________

Washington usually does ceremonial showbiz pretty well, but the East Room seemed to muffle dirty ol' Broadway on Monday night in the sixth installment of the White House Music Series. Politeness got the upper hand on pizazz -- as though the vaudeville-based genre was a bit at a loss in such official surroundings.

Not that the evening was a train wreck (except briefly, and memorably). Nathan Lane hosted and proved quick on his feet, even as jokes about show tunes making people feel gay (as in "happy," he wryly clarified) up and died. Idina Menzel, the original Elphaba from Broadway's "Wicked," provided some welcome electricity by dynamically belting out "Defying Gravity." And Audra McDonald proved that she's as captivating a singer as Broadway offers these days.

Education is a major thrust of this program as conceived under the Obamas, so New Yorker Assata Alston, 12, took the stage early and rose capably through the scales in the yearning "Gimme, Gimme" from "Thoroughly Modern Millie." The event, taped for an Oct. 20 "In Performance at the White House" telecast on PBS, also included an afternoon dress rehearsal for 20 Washington area students working on "You Can't Stop the Beat" from "Hairspray" in front of parents, the news media and the first lady.

"Now do it and smile," "Hairspray" choreographer Jerry Mitchell told the students in the afternoon, brushing them up moments before Michelle Obama's entrance. Mitchell added a note about the crowded East Room: "Look for the legs when you go running up and down the aisle."

Moments before, the 20 students from the Duke Ellington School of the Arts and the Joy of Motion Dance Center shuffled expectantly in an anteroom as Lane, who is starring in "The Addams Family" on Broadway, quietly filibustered in favor of arts education for a camera crew. Nearby, 85-year-old Elaine Stritch -- wearing casual white from her Keds to her kerchief -- hobnobbed with director George C. Wolfe.

That was the whole idea, the first lady said in that afternoon session: "To showcase this young talent, and get them mixed with some of the best talent that this country has to offer. And that's just a powerful combination."

During the rehearsal, the kids revved through "You Can't Stop the Beat," gyrating and belting. Quickly, parents were on their feet, applauding.

But Mitchell wasn't satisfied.

"Really great, really great," Mitchell said into a microphone, less as genuine praise than as a way to quiet the room. "Let's clean some things up."

To Mitchell's eye, the performers' arms weren't fully extended. Feet weren't high enough off the floor. And the exhausting number left the singers too winded.

"What is the joke?" Mitchell reminded his cast about this particular showstopper. " 'You Can't Stop to Breathe.' " He guided the youngsters to the comparatively slow spot in the dance -- just a few seconds long -- which represented the last chance to fill their lungs before the big vocal finish.

The cast ran through the trouble spot again. It was sharper, more exacting -- a cleaner adrenaline jolt. Lesson learned about practice and precision.

A tougher lesson came during the evening as Stritch lost the lyrics -- but good -- during Stephen Sondheim's "I'm Still Here." She started over but fumbled again, even with the pianist hollering cues to her, until merely finishing became an act of survival. The Obamas filled their ceremonial function brilliantly, rising and leading the applause as the stricken Stritch finally made it through.

When the applause died down, Stritch -- who nailed "Broadway Baby" to open the show -- pleaded guilty to a whopping case of nerves, reported how thrilled she was when Obama was elected and then said, "I'd love to get drunk with the president." After the whoops subsided, she added diplomatically: "And the first lady."

It's a tough room for Broadway, of course, accommodating only about 200 guests Monday. The East Room stage is a mere six feet deep (which explained why a mere four women from "West Side Story" sang and danced "America," with one of them apologizing to the first couple immediately afterward for reasons that weren't clear). And the four-piece band, expert though it was, could only achieve a certain scale.

But it's still possible to score under such conditions: Brian d'Arcy James's easygoing rendition of Irving Berlin's "Blue Skies" was a jazzy gem, and McDonald delivered a master class in phrasing during "Happiness Is a Thing Called Joe." Too much of Monday night, though, was Broadway not only unplugged, but also a little off-balance.

[Montague]

The repubs shouldn’t focus so much on where President Hussein spends his vacation.

Concentrate on November, which grows closer each day.
Form & refine your battle plans and try not to say or do anything stupider than your opponents are currently, which would be pretty damn hard to do, anyway.

And finally, we should encourage the president to take more vacations.
Maybe the less time he spends "working," the less damage he can do.

The Demorats should have encouraged Jr. to take more vacations over his eight years!

[Soul Crusher]

The Huffington Post July 23, 2010   
   
   
    Obama Birthday Party In Chicago: $30,000 Donation To The DNC Reportedly Required For Admission
 
First Posted: 07-23-10 08:53 AM   |   Updated: 07-23-10 09:03 AM

Want to attend President Obama's birthday bash in Chicago? It'll cost you $30,000.

Obama will be in his adopted hometown on August 5, headlining a fundraiser for Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Alexi Giannoulias, who has been trailing his opponent, Republican Mark Kirk, in campaign contributions.

While the president is in town, however, the Democratic National Committee will be doing some fundraising of their own.

Chicago Sun-Times columnist Michael Sneed reports that real estate mogul Neil Bluhm is hosting a private birthday party in his home for Obama, who turns 49 on August 4.

Sneed reports:

The dinner invite to the Barack bash at Bluhm's home requires a $30,000 donation to the Democratic National Committee!

[Soul Crusher]

Obama Chooses South Beach for Gulf Vacation After Party
NBC Miami ^ | Thu, Jul 29, 2010 | Todd Wright


Back then, Obama compared himself to a janitor, but he was cleaning up healthcare - not oil.

No word on costs yet to attend the gala, but we doubt any BP discounts will be handed out. It cost about $15,000 to eat dinner with the president in October.

Might we see a LeBron James and Chris Bosh siting when the Head Democrat in Charge comes to town? It's almost a lock D-Wade will be there.

As for the politics, Obama's help is desperately needed to boost the U.S. Senate chances of Kendrick Meek, who is trailing both Gov. Charlie Crist and Republican candidate Marco Rubio.

Back then, Obama compared himself to a janitor, but he was cleaning up healthcare - not oil.

No word on costs yet to attend the gala, but we doubt any BP discounts will be handed out. It cost about $15,000 to eat dinner with the president in October.

Might we see a LeBron James and Chris Bosh siting when the Head Democrat in Charge comes to town? It's almost a lock D-Wade will be there.

As for the politics, Obama's help is desperately needed to boost the U.S. Senate chances of Kendrick Meek, who is trailing both Gov. Charlie Crist and Republican candidate Marco Rubio.

[Soul Crusher]

Hope & Change.  - for freaking suckers. 

________________________ ________________________ ________________

www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/ct-met-kass-0804-giannoulias-20100804,0,6254683.column

chicagotribune.com
Party on: Obama back in Chicago for fundraisers
John Kass
August 4, 2010


With his poll numbers dropping through the White House basement floor and his 49th birthday at hand, President Barack Obama sure could use some real party time with the guys back home in Chicago.

And nothing says "let's party!" like a political fundraiser. Obama will headline one Thursday for his beleaguered basketball buddy, Alexi Giannoulias, who is campaigning as a Democrat for Obama's old Senate seat.

Naturally, all the guests will applaud when Obama gives Alexi a big hug, smiles and says, "My man."

But who are the guys behind the guys who won't be there to soak up the recognition? Shouldn't there be table of empty chairs, to silently honor those who are otherwise indisposed?

I'm guessing that Tony Rezko, the president's benefactor, friend and personal real estate fairy, would love to attend.

He was the star of a Sun-Times report published Monday about a $22 million development loan from the Giannoulias family's now-defunct Broadway Bank to a Rezko company.

It would be nice for Rezko to show up. That way, Obama could point, then shout for all to hear: "That's not the Tony Rezko I know!"

Sadly, Tony has no time for fundraisers these days.

He's in federal custody, awaiting sentencing on his convictions for political influence peddling.

Rezko has other pending cases, too, including one involving bouncing $450,000 in checks written against his Broadway Bank accounts to pay gambling debts.

The Rezko thing isn't Giannoulias' only problem. Giannoulias is getting thwacked on a daily basis for what Tribune investigative reporters David Jackson, John Chase and Ray Gibson disclosed in April.

It was $27.7 million in loans from Broadway Bank to some earthy felons who ran their own street-loan business.

Every 10 minutes or so, Giannoulias' opponent — the serial embellisher U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk — and his Republican allies suggest that Giannoulias was a mob banker.

"To hear my opponent Congressman Kirk say it's a mob bank is offensive," Giannoulias told WGN-AM morning host Greg Jarrett the other day. "It's dangerously inaccurate. I wouldn't know what a mafia guy looked like if he walked down the street."

OK, fine. But could he recognize Michael "Jaws" Giorango and Demitri Stavropoulos?

They received the $27.7 million in loans from Broadway Bank. The majority was loaned when Giannoulias was a senior loan officer. He touted his bank experience in his campaign for state treasurer.

Giorango and Stavropoulos, according to the Tribune, used the money for real estate deals and for street loans — a curious practice that I'm told is legal.

Giorango was convicted in 2004 of promoting a nationwide prostitution ring. Some of the call girls worked for famous Chicago madam Rose Laws. He was sentenced to two years in federal prison.

We called Giorango's lawyer, Arnold Landis, to see if Jaws might be attending the fundraiser. After explaining it to the secretary, she hit the hold button. Some 30 seconds later, she picked up again.

"Is there something specific you want to ask?" she said.

What's Mr. Giorango up to these days?

"Yeah, OK," she said. "We have nothing to say, but thank you very much for calling."

What about the fundraiser?

"Bye-bye."

Click.

Stavropoulos received a two-year sentence for running an illegal sports betting operation and was released in 2006. He has since found a new career.

He's a consultant at Polekatz Gentleman's Club, a strip club in southwest suburban Bridgeview where he earns $5,000 a week.

That works out to more than $250,000 a year, without tips. And he doesn't even dance.

But in a sworn 2009 deposition in a civil matter unrelated to Broadway Bank, Stavropoulos was asked about his consultant duties by lawyer Lawrence Karlin.

Question: You indicated that you provided consulting for Polekatz.

Stavropoulos: OK.

Question: What do you mean when you say "consulting"?

Stavropoulos: I don't understand. What do you mean what do I mean?

Question: OK, do you know what the word "consult" means?

Stavropoulos: I think so, yeah.

Question: OK, what does the word "consult" mean to you?

Stavropoulos: "Consult" means to confer with people about certain things.

Later in the deposition, Stavropoulos was asked about his experiences in the lending business.

Question: In late 2006, early 2007, you were in the hard-money lending business?

Stavropoulos: Yes.

Question: What is the hard-money lending business?

Stavropoulos: What is hard money? As opposed to soft money? I was in the lending business.

Question: I take it you don't have advertisements in publications for your lending business, do you?

Stavropoulos: No. We never advertised.

Clearly, a consultant at the zenith of his profession, a discreet fellow who understands hard and soft money, has every right to be at a political fundraiser.

A message on his lawyer's phone said the lawyer wasn't available. So we called Polekatz, home of the Pole Kitties.

I asked the young woman who answered the phone — she assured me she wasn't a Pole Kitty — if Stavropoulos was attending any fundraisers.

"I don't know," she said. "You'll have to ask Mark the manager."

Later, Mark the manager called back to say he hasn't seen his $5,000-a-week consultant for at least two weeks.

"I work days," Mark reasoned. "He works nights."

Will you give him my number?

"Of course," he said, then hung up.

I'm still waiting to hear from Demitri.

Ah, politics in Chicago. It's just one rockin' party.

jskass@tribune.com


Copyright © 2010, Chicago Tribune

 

[Soul Crusher]

Obamas to begin sixth holiday of the year
Telegraph.co.uk ^

Posted on Wednesday, August 18, 2010 3:47:34 PM by Sub-Driver

Obamas to begin sixth holiday of the year

The Obama family will begin their sixth holiday of the year today, an 11-day sojourn in Martha’s Vineyard, the island destination of the wealthy and well-connected American elite.

By Toby Harnden, Washington Published: 8:18PM BST 18 Aug 2010

President Barack Obama will be accompanied by his wife Michelle and daughters Malia, 12, and Sasha, nine, and are expected to stay at the historic Blue Heron Farm in Chilmark.

Bill Burton, the deputy White House press secretary, said that the US president was “going to spend a little time recharging his batteries” at the Massachusetts island ahead of the November midterm elections.

“There will be some hiking, some time at the beach, some time at the ice cream store - all the sort of things you do when you’re at Martha’s Vineyard. You enjoy the people and the good food.”

He is also expected to work on his swing at Mink Meadows golf club in Vineyard Haven and to work out every day, as he did when the First Family visited Martha’s Vineyard last year.


(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...