Author: Colleen Curtis

President Obama announced today that he wants Mary Jo White, a former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, who has built a reputation as a tough and effective prosecutor with a proven record of bringing criminals to justice, to head up the Security and Exchange Commission in his second term.

As U.S. Attorney, White specialized in investigating and prosecuting large scale white collar crimes and complex securities and financial institution fraud — and won convictions against the terrorists responsible for bombing the World Trade Center and American embassies in Africa, as well as John Gotti, the head of the Gambino crime family. As President Obama said during the personnel announcement in the State Dining Room, "You don't want to mess with Mary Jo."

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It's not unusual for guests on the White House tour to harbor a secret hope that they just might bump into the President, Mrs. Obama or even Bo as they make their way through the historic rooms that serve double duty as home to our First Family. In reality, it almost never happens, which is why these visitors found themselves nearly speechless on Tuesday, when three of the Obamas surprised them with an impromptu welcome in the Blue Room. Check out their reactions, below: 

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President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama greet visitors during an inaugural open house in the Blue Room of the White House, Jan. 22, 2013.

(Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama kicked off the second term with a tradition that began in the first: A special surprise greeting for guests on a White House tour on Tuesday. Followers of the First Lady's new Twitter account were given a heads up that something special was about to happen in the Blue Room when Mrs. Obama sent a tweet teasing:

Shhhh! Barack, Bo & I are about to surprise folks on @whitehouse tours! I love doing this. Watch here: wh.gov/live –mo

— FLOTUS (@FLOTUS) January 22, 2013

The President and First Lady welcomed the guests with handshakes, hugs and even fistbumps, and Bo was treated to a near-constant stream of affectionate pats and petting. The entire event was livestreamed, and you can watch a replay below: 

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In his Inaugural address earlier today on Capitol Hill, President Obama called on all Americans to work together to solve our nation's problems:

America’s possibilities are limitless, for we possess all the qualities that this world without boundaries demands:  youth and drive; diversity and openness; an endless capacity for risk and a gift for reinvention.  My fellow Americans, we are made for this moment, and we will seize it — so long as we seize it together.  

The President's second term will offer many ways for citizens to participate in conversations with the President and his team about the issues that are most important to them, from immigration reform to preventing gun violence to changing our tax code. In keeping with President Obama's commitment to creating the most accessible and participatory Administration in history, the next four years will feature ongoing opportunties for citizens to add their voices to discussions in Washington, creating an open dialogue and working together to move our country forward. 

We put together a video that looks at some of the ways President Obama has engaged with ordinary citizens over the last four years, and highlights ongoing opportunties for Americans to raise their voices and join the national conversation:

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The First and Second Ladies of the United States got an early start on the 2013 Inauguration celebrations at a concert honoring our military families.

The Kids Inaugural: Our Children, Our Future was hosted by Nick Cannon and featured artists including Katy Perry, Usher, the cast of "Glee," Far East Movement and Mindless Behavior. JR Martinez, the Army hero who won "Dancing with the Stars," also joined Mrs. Obama and Dr. Biden for the event, which was held at the Washington Convention Center. 

Dr. Biden said the concert was a chance to show military kids how much the country appreciates the sacrifices they make while their parents are serving.

The First Lady told the crowd that while she loves "every single minute" of the inaugural celebrations, the Kids Concert was the true highlight:

 I have to tell you that my very favorite part of this entire weekend is being right here with all of you. Absolutely. Because for me, this is what inauguration is all about. It’s about celebrating who we are as Americans and all the things that make this country so great. And when I think about who we are, when I think about what makes America great, I think about all of you –our men and women in uniform, our military spouses, and our amazing military kids.

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President Obama reiterates his commitment to do everything in his power to implement a series of common sense measures that would reduce gun violence in America. The President started off that effort with 23 concrete actions his Administration is taking immediately under its existing legal authority. But to have a lasting impact, Congress must join the administration by passing common sense laws like requiring a universal background check for anyone trying to buy a gun, and restoring a ban on military-style assault weapons and a 10-round limit for magazines. If they do that, we can respect the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens while helping to keep the irresponsible few from causing massive harm.

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Learn more 

• Read President Obama's plan to curb gun violence
• Watch the President announce his plan to curb gun violence
• See a photo gallery of Vice President Biden's meetings with concerned groups
• Sign on to show your support for the President's plan

President Barack Obama, with Vice President Joe Biden, signs executive orders initiating 23 separate executive actions, after delivering remarks to unveil new gun control proposals as part of the Administration’s response to the Newtown, Conn., shootings, and other tragedies, in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, Jan. 16, 2013. Joining them on stage are children from around the country who wrote the President letters in the wake of the Newtown tragedy expressing their concerns about gun violence and school safety, and their parents.

(Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

President Obama today announced a series of sweeping reforms that will help curb gun violence in our nation.

In front of a crowd that included victims of gun violence, families who lost loved ones to gun violence, elected officials, and school children who had written letters asking him to do something to prevent more senseless massacres like the one at Sandy Hook Elementary School, the President introduced a comprehensive proposal that will make it easier to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and will give law enforcement, schools, mental health professionals, and the public health community the tools they need to help reduce gun violence, and keep our children safe.  

“This is our first task as a society,” the President said. “This is how we will be judged.  And their voices should compel us to change.”

These actions are the result of the effort led by Vice President Joe Biden and members of the Cabinet to come up with concrete steps that we can take right now to keep our children safe, help prevent mass shootings, and reduce the broader epidemic of gun violence in this country. 

The President acknowledged that implementing some of these changes will be difficult, but vowed to make it a priority: “I intend to use whatever weight this office holds to make them a reality. Because while there is no law or set of laws that can prevent every senseless act of violence completely, if there is even one thing we can do to reduce this violence – if even one life can be saved – we have an obligation to try.”

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President Barack Obama responds to a question during a press conference in the East Room of the White House, Jan. 14, 2013.

(Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

President Obama today invited the White House Press Corps to the East Room for one last news conference as his first term comes to an end. Before taking questions from the assembled journalists, the President took a moment to reflect on the past four years, and look ahead to his agenda for the next term, which includes new jobs, new opportunity, and new security for the middle class:

One component to growing our economy and broadening opportunity for the middle class is shrinking our deficits in a balanced and responsible way. And for nearly two years now, I’ve been fighting for such a plan — one that would reduce our deficits by $4 trillion over the next decade, which would stabilize our debt and our deficit in a sustainable way for the next decade. That would be enough not only to stop the growth of our debt relative to the size of our economy, but it would make it manageable so it doesn’t crowd out the investments we need to make in people and education and job training and science and medical research — all the things that help us grow.

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