REMARKS AS PREPARED FOR DELIVERY BY ATTORNEY GENERAL ERIC HOLDER
AT THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE’S BLACK HISTORY MONTH CELEBRATION
WASHINGTON, D.C.
Thank you, Charles [Cephas]. I appreciate your kind words, and I’m grateful to you and your colleagues in the Department’s Justice Management Division for your work in organizing today’s celebration. It’s good to be among so many friends and colleagues. And it’s an honor to join you in welcoming Dr. [Freeman] Hrabowski, one of our nation’s most distinguished academic leaders, to the Justice Department.
This morning, I’m especially delighted to welcome so many students here. I want to thank the Spingarn Senior High School JROTC Color Guard for their presentation. You did a great job. Let me also say how wonderful it is to have the Howard University Choir with us, filling our Great Hall with such glorious music. Thank you all for sharing your gifts with us and making this celebration so special.
Today, as we commemorate Black History Month, we strengthen an important American tradition. For more than half a century, Americans have been coming together each February – or, when “snowmageddon” strikes, in early March – to reflect on how far our nation and, especially, our African-American communities have traveled on the long road toward equality and freedom.
For well over two centuries now, we, as a people, have been striving to build a more perfect union – an America where the words of our Constitution can, finally, reach the full measure of their intent. The work of the Justice Department is, and always has been, critical to this pursuit. As a law student and as a young prosecutor in our Public Integrity Section, I dreamed of contributing to this Department. Today, as Attorney General, I have the honor and responsibility of leading it. I also have the privilege of serving with colleagues who share my commitment to this work. Like you, I have great faith in our justice system. In fact, I’d argue that it’s among the most praiseworthy aspects of our national character. But I also realize this hasn’t always been the case.
Despite the great progress we’ve seen in my lifetime, it wasn’t so long ago that African Americans were prevented from owning property, attaining home or business loans, and joining unions. The legal framework we celebrate today – the same system that abolished slavery, encouraged women’s suffrage and ended segregation – once served as a barrier for black families struggling to build wealth and for black children who sought an adequate education.
There was a time when this very Department undermined the rights and privileges it was established to preserve. There was a time when it was accepted, almost universally across our country, that the American principles of justice, liberty and equality did not have to be applied equally to blacks and whites, or to women and men. For much of the last century, our justice system did not do enough to help our nation fulfill its promise of equal opportunity. And, as a result, the doors of economic prosperity remained closed to too many Americans on the basis of their race.
This year’s Black History Month theme, “The History of Black Economic Empowerment,” calls us to examine this past. It also challenges us to acknowledge that racial divisions and disparities continue to persist. This unfortunate truth is, perhaps, most evident when looking at the current state of our economy.
Today, we have faced the most serious financial crisis in generations. America’s manufacturing output has slumped. Our financial markets have lost tremendous value. Consumer spending and confidence have declined. Home values have decreased. Though we have made significant progress in combating the ills associated with the Great Recession, much work remains to be done. And it will be done.
In many ways, this recession has been an equal-opportunity offender, affecting Americans of all racial and ethnic groups, classes and ages — and closing off both blue- and white-collar job prospects.
But we know that some communities and demographic groups have been hit harder than others. Today, joblessness for young black men, those between the ages of 16 and 24, is higher than national averages and has reached proportions not seen since the Great Depression. And young black women of the same age now have an unemployment rate of more that 26 percent. This is particularly troubling when you consider that the unemployment rate for all 16-to-24-year-old women is about 15 percent.
These economic disparities will have long-term consequences for us all. And they should concern every one of us. We must not allow this generation of our young people, especially young African Americans, to become the first generation in decades to not keep up with or exceed their parents’ standard of living. That’s why this Justice Department, as part of our reinvigorated commitment to strengthening civil rights, is working to safeguard our markets, to combat financial crimes and to restore the opportunities necessary to rebuild our economy. This work is essential. And we all have a role to play in advancing it.
Today’s economic challenges have signaled that, despite the progress we’ve made in creating a more equal nation, we have much work ahead of us. It may be tempting – when you look at the diversity of people working in this building and walking the halls of Congress or at the man sitting in the Oval Office – to think that equality has been achieved for all Americans. We have made tremendous progress as a nation. But it will take more than the election of the first African-American President to conform our present reality with our founding idealism. And it will certainly take more than the appointment of the first African-American Attorney General to build a nation that always embodies our highest principles and contains our best selves.
That said, I have great hope for our future. Time after time, the American people have proven that we will not become victims of, chained to, a sometimes painful history. We cannot allow our past to haunt us. Instead, we must use it to hasten our work and press us further toward justice and through new doorways of economic opportunity.
We now stand at the beginning of a new decade. And we all have the chance to help write a new chapter in the history of this country. We’ve arrived at this moment together, and we will overcome our shared challenges as one people. But how? Some have asked. How can we achieve a future consistent with our dreams and worthy of our founding documents?
By summoning the lessons of the past. By standing together in days of struggle and uncertainty. And by inspiring each other to dream of and work for a more inclusive, more just, and more perfect union.
I am confident that the Justice Department we serve will strengthen and sustain this effort – indeed, will lead it. And I’m honored to count you as partners in this work and proud to call you my colleagues in the struggle to build the most perfect Union.
Revised: The President will arrive to and depart from Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah, Georgia.
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
_______________________________________________________________________________________
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 1, 2010
DAILY GUIDANCE AND PRESS SCHEDULE FOR
TUESDAY, MARCH 2, 2010
In the morning, the President and the Vice President will receive the Presidential Daily Briefing in the Oval Office. This meeting is closed press.
The President will travel to Savannah, Georgia for the next stop on the White House to Main Street Tour. The departure from the South Lawn and the arrival to Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah, Georgia are open press. While in Savannah, the President will tour a workforce development program at Savannah Technical College. The tour is travel pool coverage. Following the tour, the President will deliver remarks on creating jobs and strengthening the economy at Savannah Technical College. This event is open to pre-credentialed media.
Later, the President will tour a manufacturing facility and a local small business which will be travel pool coverage.
The President will return to Washington, DC later in the evening. The departure from Hunter Army Airfield and the arrival at the White House are open press.
At 5:30PM EST, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and Domestic Policy Advisor Melody Barnes will hold a live video chat through Facebook and WhiteHouse.gov on the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act and the Obama Administration push to reform student loans.
In-Town Travel Pool
Wires: AP, Reuters, Bloomberg
Wire Photos: AP, Reuters, AFP
TV Corr & Crew: ABC
Print: McClatchy
Radio: FOX
Travel Photo: New York Times
Out-of-Town Travel Pool
Wires: AP, Reuters, Bloomberg
Wire Photos: AP, Reuters, AFP
TV Corr & Crew: ABC
Print: AFP
Radio: CBS
Travel Photo: New York Times
EST
9:00AM In-town Pool Call Time
9:15AM THE PRESIDENT and THE VICE PRESIDENT receive the Presidential Daily Briefing
Oval Office
Closed Press
9:45AM THE PRESIDENT departs The White House en route Andrews Air Force Base
South Lawn
Open Press (Pre-set 9:15AM – Final Gather 9:30AM – North Doors of the Palm Room)
10:00AM THE PRESIDENT departs Andrews Air Force Base en route Savannah, GA
Out-of-Town Travel Pool (Call Time 9:00AM – Virginia Gate, Andrews Air Force Base)
11:35AM THE PRESIDENT arrives in Savannah, Georgia
Hunter Army Airfield
Open Press
11:55AM THE PRESIDENT tours Savannah Technical College
Savannah, Georgia
Travel Pool Coverage
12:30PM THE PRESIDENT delivers remarks on jobs and the economy
Savannah Technical College
Open Press
1:20PM THE PRESIDENT tours a local manufacturing facility
Savannah, Georgia
Travel Pool Coverage
2:50PM THE PRESIDENT tours a local small business
Savannah, Georgia
Travel Pool Coverage
3:40PM THE PRESIDENT departs Savannah, Georgia en route Andrews Air Force Base
Hunter Army Airfield
Open Press
5:00PM THE PRESIDENT arrives at Andrews Air Force Base
Out-of-Town Travel Pool Coverage
5:15PM THE PRESIDENT arrives at The White House
South Lawn
Open Press (Pre-set 4:45PM – Final Gather 5:00PM – North Doors of the Palm Room)
Office of the First Lady
___________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release March 1, 2010
REMARKS BY THE FIRST LADY
AT THE SCHOOL NUTRITION ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE
JW Marriot
Washington, D.C.
2:05 P.M. EST
MRS. OBAMA: Thank you. (Applause.) Thanks so much, everyone. Please, sit. (Applause.) Thank you. It is such a pleasure to be here with all of you. Thanks so much for that warm welcome.
And I also want to thank Dora for that kind introduction and for your outstanding leadership of the School Nutrition Association.
And I want to thank all of you here today for the terrific work that you’re doing every day all across this country.
And I know that you always don’t get a lot of credit and recognition for what you do — and you deserve it. You know, there are not a lot of newspaper headlines about how the meals you serve are the only food that many kids may get all day long. People on TV don’t talk much about how kids who participate in the school meal program perform better in class and they miss fewer days of school. And a lot of folks still don’t understand how the cafeteria is actually one of the most important classrooms in the entire school — (applause) — because what you all know is that our kids don’t stop learning at lunchtime.
Every day, with the food you serve, you’re teaching them these critical lessons about nutrition and healthy eating. You’re shaping their habits and their preferences, and you’re affecting the choices that they’re going to make for the rest of their lives.
So now just multiply that by the 31 million kids in the school meal program, and it’s clear that all of you don’t just shape the future of individual students; you help to shape the future of this country.
And that’s been the case since the National School Lunch Program was first started by President Truman after World War II, back when one of the most common disqualifiers for military service was malnourishment, if you can believe that.
And that’s why President Johnson later in 1966 expanded the program to include school breakfasts and meals at preschools because, as he put it, he said that “good nutrition is essential to good learning.”
So whether it’s national security, education or child hunger, for decades we’ve looked to you for help in achieving our most urgent national priorities.
And that’s really why I’m here today — because once again today we’re going to need your help with a crisis that we face in our own time: and that’s the epidemic of childhood obesity in America today.
And you all know the statistics — how nearly one in three kids in this country is overweight or obese. And you all see the impact on the kids that you work with. You see firsthand kids who are struggling to keep up with their classmates, or worse yet they’re stuck on the sidelines because they can’t participate. You see how kids are teased or bullied. You see kids who physically don’t feel good, and they don’t feel good about themselves. You see kids who are at higher risk of conditions like diabetes, and cancer, and heart disease — conditions that cost billions of dollars a year to treat.
And by the way, today, one of the most common disqualifiers for military service is actually obesity.
Now, those of you who’ve been in this business a while, you know that this wasn’t always the case. Things weren’t always this way. I know you may remember a time when kids in your schools led lives that kept most of them at a healthy weight. They walked to and from school, they ran around during recess and gym class, and they played outside for hours after school. Many could — kids ate home-cooked meals, and many had actually seen fruits and vegetables before you served them to them — (laughter) — so they didn’t look at them like foreign objects when they got them at school. (Laughter.) Fast food, soda and candy were special treats; they weren’t part of every meal. And at lunchtime, in many schools, kids just had two choices: either what you served them, or what their mom or dad packed at home, whether they liked it or not.
But over the past few decades, we’ve seen these healthy habits falling away, replaced by habits of convenience and necessity. You know, parents want to buy healthy food for their kids, but they’re sometimes tight on money and can’t afford it. Or they’re tight on time because they’re juggling extra jobs, extra shifts, and they just can’t swing those home-cooked meals anymore. Those walks to school have been replaced with buses or car rides. And as you know, gym class and school sports have been cut in so many places, replaced by afternoons with the TV, video games, and the Internet.
And those two reasonably healthy choices at lunchtime, they’ve become dozens of choices — some healthy and some not. That occurs as schools struggle to get the revenue that they need. From fast food, to vending machines packed with chips and candy, to a la carte lines, we tempt our kids with all kinds of unhealthy choices every day. And it’s no surprise that they don’t always pick the healthy ones.
And by now, I think it’s clear that between the pressures of today’s economy and the breakneck pace of modern life, the well-being of our kids has too often gotten lost in the shuffle.
But we have to be honest: Our kids didn’t do this to themselves. You see, our kids don’t decide what to serve — or what is sold at lunch. Our kids don’t decide whether there’s time for recess and gym. They don’t decide whether they’ll learn about healthy eating or nutrition at school. They don’t make these decisions.
We set those priorities. We make those decisions. And even if it doesn’t always feel like it, we are the ones in charge. But that’s the good news — because if we make the decisions, then we can decide to solve this problem.
And that’s precisely what many of you are already doing right now in schools all across this country.
Anji Baumann, the Child Nutrition Director for Gooding, Idaho, she has local farmers grow fresh fruits and vegetables specifically for her school district. And I hear her staff makes many foods from scratch — including spaghetti and baked goods. In fact, they even came up with a recipe that uses pureed beans as a substitute for some of the oil in chocolate cake — and it was so tasty that none of the students even noticed.
In Binghamton, New York, I hear they held a health fair to celebrate when six of the city’s seven elementary schools reached Gold status in the Healthier US School Challenge. Wonderful. (Applause.) And they celebrated with kids proudly displaying the school — their nutrition projects. And the whole community got involved — the local hospital, Boys and Girls Clubs, the USDA office, and others — they all sponsored booths with information on healthy living.
And in Jackson, Mississippi, thanks to the encouragement of the Executive Director of Food Services, Mary Hill, the superintendent now requires elementary school teachers to eat meals with their students. (Applause.) And as you can imagine, with teachers sitting at the table — both encouraging kids to eat fruits and vegetables, and eating them themselves — fruit and vegetable consumption has gone up there.
And I’m going to be visiting Jackson on Wednesday, and I am looking forward — (applause) — I’m looking forward to seeing Mary and hearing more about what she’s doing. And I’m hoping to come to your areas, too.
Every day, in communities across this country, you all are proving that if we’re creative and resourceful, if we meet this challenge with determination and commitment, then we can take back control; and we can turn back the tide; and we can give our kids the lives that we know they deserve.
That’s why earlier this month we launched Let’s Move. It’s a nationwide campaign to help our kids lead active, healthy lives right from the beginning.
And we’ve issued a call to action. We are telling people, let’s get going, let’s move to help families and communities make healthier decisions — uh oh — (laughter) — not meaning to call you out or anything — (laughter) – but leave it to the press, they’re just — (laughter.) We have to move to help parents make healthier choices for their kids. And we have to move to get the community together — governors, mayors, doctors, nurses, everyone — to tackle this challenge once and for all.
And we have to move. Let’s move to rally this country around a single, ambitious goal — and that is to solve the problem of childhood obesity in a generation so that kids born today reach adulthood at a healthy weight. (Applause.)
And we’ve already created the first ever government-wide task force on childhood obesity. It’s composed of Cabinet secretaries and senior administration officials. And over the next 90 days, they’re working fast and furious. They’re going to review every government program relating to child nutrition and fitness. And they’ll develop a national action plan to not just maximize those resources, but make recommendations that the public and private sectors can take to move this ahead. They’ll also lay out concrete benchmarks to measure our success and to hold us all accountable for meeting our goal.
But we are not going to wait for 90 days to get to work here. We’ve already gotten started on a series of wonderful initiatives to achieve our goal.
The first: Let’s move to offer parents the tools and information they need to make healthy choices for their kids.
You know, so many parents, they want to do the right thing, but they’re bombarded with all this conflicting information, and they don’t know who or what to believe or where to start. So we’ve started a Web site — letsmove.gov — that’s going to provide helpful tips and step-by-step strategies for parents.
In addition, we’re working with our doctors, encouraging pediatricians and family doctors to screen kids for obesity and actually work with parents to write out a prescription for the steps they can take to address the problem.
We’re also working with the FDA and the food industry to make our food labels more customer-friendly so parents won’t have to spend hours squinting at words that they can’t pronounce to figure out whether the foods that they’re buying are healthy or not.
And that brings me to the second part of this initiative: Let’s move to ensure that all our families actually have access to the foods — the healthy foods that they need in their own communities, because right now, 23.5 million Americans, including 6.5 million children, live in what we call food deserts, and these are areas without access to a supermarket. And as a result, what happens in those communities is that families wind up buying their groceries at a local gas station or a convenience store, places that offer few, if any, healthy options.
So we’ve set an ambitious goal in this area: to eliminate food deserts in America within seven years. (Applause.) And to achieve this goal, we’ve created a Healthy Food Financing Initiative that’s going to invest $400 million a year — and leverage hundreds of millions more from the private sector — to bring grocery stores to underserved areas and to help places like convenience stores carry healthier food options.
But we know that healthy eating is only half the battle. Experts recommend at least 60 minutes of daily activity. But we all know that many kids don’t even come close to that. So let’s move — and I say that and mean that literally. We have to move to find new ways for our kids to be physically active. And that’s the third piece of this initiative.
Our work here includes expanding and modernizing the President’s Physical Fitness Challenge. And we’ve recruited professional athletes from dozens of different sports leagues — like the NFL, Major League Baseball, the WNBA, and many, many more — and they’re going to work with us to encourage kids to get and stay active.
But here’s the thing: We can help kids eat better at home, and we can help them be more active both in and out of school, but the fact remains that kids who participate in school meal programs get roughly half of their calories each day at school. So that means that all of you have as much influence on what our kids eat each day as their parents do.
And think about that for a minute. This is an extraordinary responsibility. But it’s also an opportunity. And it’s why one of the single most important things we can do to fight childhood obesity is to make those meals at school as healthy and nutritious as possible.
So let’s move to help all of you get healthier food into our school. That’s the fourth and final part of the initiative.
And we’re going to start by working to dramatically increase the number of schools that meet the Healthier US School challenge. Those are schools that provide healthy meals, offer physical education and nutrition education, and ensure that children receive the free and reduced price meals that they’re eligible for. These schools that meet the standard, they are the gold standard. They’re the model of what we want for every school in America.
Now, I know that it’s not going to be easy to meet this challenge, because I know the kind of constraints that all of you are under in this era of budget cuts when you’re constantly pushed to do more with less. And I think that if the average person — if you asked the average person to do what you have to do every day, and that is to prepare a meal for hundreds of hungry kids with just $2.68 a child — with only $1.00 to $1.25 of that money going to the food itself — they would look at you like you were crazy. (Laughter and applause.) That’s sad, but that’s less than what many folks spend on a cup of coffee in the morning. So we’re going to have to do everything we can to help you.
Right now, we’re hard at work updating and strengthening the Child Nutrition Act to give you more of the resources that you need to do your jobs. And Secretary Vilsack, the Secretary of Agriculture, is taking the lead. He’s doing a wonderful job. And we’ve proposed a historic new investment of an additional $10 billion over the next 10 years.
And I’m pleased that just last week, 66 retired generals, admirals, and other senior military leaders — including two former Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff — sent a letter to Congress in support of these efforts. And that’s amazing. (Applause.)
Our goals here are very simple: We want to get rid of the unnecessary paperwork that keeps so many eligible kids from participating in the school meal programs — (applause) — and if we can do that, we can increase enrollment in the school breakfast program so that we can serve an additional 1 million kids in the first five years alone. (Applause.)
But we also want to improve the quality of food in our schools, increasing reimbursements so that you can add more fruits and vegetables and whole grains, and decrease sugar, fat and salt.
We also want to get healthier food into those vending machines too — which, by the way, has actually meant increased revenues for schools in Kentucky and Maine and elsewhere.
We also want to help you purchase the equipment that you need so that you can start phasing out those fryers and phasing in new ovens and salad bars and serving lines. (Applause.)
And we want you all to have better training and professional development opportunities so that you know all of the latest research and the best techniques.
Now, all of this is going to help. But while we can pass better legislation and invest more money, at the end of the day, when it comes to making a school a healthy school, you all know that you’re where the rubber meets the road, because you know better than anyone what our kids will eat and what they’ll throw away. You know what it takes to make them finally — if even only reluctantly — try something new. And the training and mentoring that you provide, the contracts you negotiate, the decisions that you make about what to serve — that’s what really matters here. That’s what really makes the difference.
So let me tell you I am just thrilled that you all have agreed to work with us to meet the goals of Let’s Move, because we’re going to need everything that you’ve got. We’re going to need your best initiatives. We’re going to need your ideas, both big and small, because in fact, as you know, it’s often the small things that make the difference here.
For example, switching from 2 percent to 1 percent milk, that could mean 20 fewer calories. Switching from fruit served in heavy syrup to fruit served in light syrup or juice could mean another 13 calories. Substituting low-fat or non-fat salad dressing could be nearly 50 more calories. And little changes that cut 20 calories here, 30 calories there — all of that can add up to the hundreds of calories a week for kids. And over the course of a year, for some kids, that can mean the difference between being at a healthy weight or not.
But fighting childhood obesity isn’t just about the food you serve in your lunchrooms. It’s about the leadership you show in your schools and in your communities. It’s about your work as advocates and educators in your own right.
It could mean reaching out to parents — posting school menus online, or providing family-sized recipes, so that they can try the foods you serve at home. It could mean working with kids, having them do taste tests, or forming a student nutrition group to advise you on what to do for them. It could mean working with teachers and giving them healthy eating tips that they can share with their students. Or educating administrators about the value of programs like the Healthier US Schools program.
And it always means, as you know, reaching out to the community at large — partnering with local farmers and food suppliers to get better food and better deals; speaking to community groups like the PTA or the Chamber of Commerce about the work that you’re doing and what they can do to help you.
But let’s be clear: This isn’t your responsibility alone. We all have a role to play here, and the only way we’re going to solve this problem is by working together, because you all can give our kids the healthiest school meals imaginable, but if there’s no supermarket in their community and they’re eating unhealthy food at home, then they still won’t have a healthy diet.
And we can build all the shiny new supermarkets on every block in this country, but if parents don’t have the information they need, they’ll still struggle to make healthy choices for their kids. And then if kids aren’t active, then no matter how well we feed them, they still won’t be leading healthy lives.
That’s why I’ve met with so many people over the course of the past few weeks — with mayors and governors — asking them to do their part to build healthier cities and states.
That’s why I’ve met with parents, asking them to do their part to make healthier choices for their families.
That’s why I’ll be meeting with the food manufacturers in the Grocery Manufacturers Association, calling on them to offer healthier options.
And that’s why we need more folks from the private sector to step up: from school food suppliers improving the quality of their food, to retailers understanding that what’s good for kids and families can actually be good business, too.
And that’s why I’m here with all of you, because you all have a vitally important role to play in this effort.
See, I think President Truman put it best — I’ve said this before — nearly 65 years ago in a statement to the first national conference of state school lunch officials that read, and this is a quote, he said to them, “To you who carry out the program locally falls the crucial job of seeing to it that we build well for the future.” That we build well for the future.
And in the end, that’s what this is all about — ensuring that we build well for the future. Ensuring that our kids are ready to learn, that they’re ready to serve their country, that they’re ready to make healthy decisions for the rest of their lives. It’s about ensuring that our kids have the energy and the endurance to succeed in school, to pursue the careers of their dream, and believe it or not, to keep up with their own kids, if they’re blessed, and to live to see their grandkids grow up, and if they’re lucky, maybe even their great grandkids too. That’s why we’re doing this.
So let’s act. Let’s move. And let’s do everything that we can to give our kids the future that we want for them and we know they deserve. (Applause.) So I thank you all for your work and for your continued success. We are so very proud of you. Thank you all. Thanks so much. (Applause.)
WASHINGTON–Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) is in New York City on Monday, hosting a Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee fund-raiser at noon. While in Manhattan, Durbin dropped in at MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” show where he discussed the health care bill prospects andsaid it was hard to see how Sen. John McCain (R-Az.) was “brainwashed” over the bank bailout deal.
On Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” McCain was asked by host David Gregory:
Gregory: One question about the bailout, the TARP. You voted for it. But you said that you were misled by Former Treasury Secretary Paulson. How so?
McCain: We were all misled. We were all misled. I mean, he said that they were going after the toxic assets. The toxic asset– for– is– were with the housing market. He testified– that. I mean, we were all misled. So, what did he do then? They started pumpin’ money into the financial institutions. Now, the financial institutions are fine. Wall Street’s doin’ great. Main Street is in deep trouble. In my home state of Arizona, 48 percent of the homes are under water. In other words, they’re worth less than the mortgage payments people are making.
On Monday, Durbin was asked about McCain’s comment. Said Durbin, it was “hard to understand how John McCain could have been brainwashed” by Paulson
On health care, Durbin, as are other Democrats, is paving the way for use of a parliamentary maneuver called reconciliation that requires just 51 Senate votes to approve a health care bill, instead of 60 needed to avoid a filibuster. Said Durbin, “We have used this process for big ideas in the past. It can be used this time.”
WASHINGTON–Canada’s hockey victory over the U.S. in a 3-2 overtime win for the gold was viewed by President Obama, reported White House press secretary Robert Gibbs via Twitter.
“Wow unreal game…POTUS watched OT in his office right off the Oval Office – all of us are so proud of our great team,” Gibbs wrote.
The win, which handed Canada a record 14 gold winter Olympic medals–though the U.S. had more overall medals, a record 37, a storyline that should make everyone happy—means Obama owes Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper a case of beer.
Harper bet if the U.S. won, Harper would send Obama some Yuengling beer. Obama now owes Harper some bottles or cans of Molson Canadian
gold silver bronze total
1. United States 9 15 13 37
2. Germany 10 13 7 30
3. Canada 14 7 5 26
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
_______________________________________________________________________________________
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 28, 2010
DAILY GUIDANCE AND PRESS SCHEDULE FOR
MONDAY MARCH 1, 2010
In the morning, the President will receive the Presidential Daily Briefing in the Oval Office. This meeting is closed press.
The President will then travel to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and deliver remarks at The America’s Promise Alliance Education event hosted by Alliance Founding Chairman General Colin Powell and his wife and Alliance Chair Alma Powell where he will announce new steps in the Administration’s effort to improve our nation’s schools. America’s Promise Alliance, founded by Gen. Colin Powell, is the nation’s largest partnership organization dedicated to improving the lives of children and youth. This event is open press to pre-credentialed press. The credentialing process for this event is now closed.
Later in the morning, the President will receive the Economic Daily Briefing and meet with senior advisors in the Oval Office. These meetings are closed press.
In the afternoon, the President will hold meetings with Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates in the Oval Office. These meetings will be closed press.
In-Town Travel Pool
Wires: AP, Reuters, Bloomberg
Wire Photos: AP, Reuters, AFP
TV Corr & Crew: NBC
Print: Huffington Post
Radio: CBS
Travel Photo: New York Times
EST
9:00AM Pool Call Time
9:30AM THE PRESIDENT receives the Presidential Daily Briefing
Oval Office
Closed Press
10:10AM THE PRESIDENT delivers remarks at The America’s Promise Alliance Education event
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Open to Pre-Credentialed Press (Gather Time 9:40am at the North Doors of the Palm Room)
10:45AM THE PRESIDENT receives the Economic Daily Briefing
Oval Office
Closed Press
11:30AM THE PRESIDENT meets with Senior Advisors
Oval Office
Closed Press
3:45PM THE PRESIDENT holds a meeting with Secretary LaHood
Oval Office
Closed Press
4:30PM THE PRESIDENT holds a meeting with Secretary Gates
Oval Office
Closed Press
WASHINGTON–President Obama got his first physical as commander-in-chief on Sunday and his Navy doctor said he is “fit for duty.” Obama, 48, is in “excellent health” though he is still struggling to stop cravings for nicotine.
After a routine exam at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, a Washington suburb, Capt. Jeffrey Kuhlman, the Chief White House physician, advised Obama to modify his diet to lower his LDL–known as “bad” cholesterol– and to continue his “smoking cessation efforts.” Obama uses what Kuhlman called “nicotine replacement therapy;” Obama has used nicotine gum to help him quit.
When Obama was considering a White House run, now First Lady Michelle Obama demanded that Obama quit smoking as a condition of her getting behind his 2008 presidential bid. Obama last June, was asked if he still smoked; he said he was “95 percent cured” but “there are times when I mess up.”
The president, who works out and plays basketball and golf, also has some “grind” and wear on his left knee and Kuhlman recommended a “lower extremity muscle strengthening program” to deal with this.
Obama’s health details from his physical exam:
Weight: 179.9 pounds (with shoes and workout attire)
Body Mass Index: 23.7
Resting Heart rate: (seated) 56
Resting blood pressure: (seated) 105/62
Pulse-oximetry: 98% (room air)
Temperature: 97.8 F
Vision: 20/20 both eyes. Mild astigmatism and presbyopia.
Gastriointestinal: Obama took a high-tech screening test, a CT-colonography. His test results were normal. Colonography is less invasive than a colonoscopy and does not involved having to be sedated.
Lipid profile with total cholesterol: 209
Triglycerides: 46
HDL: 62
LDL: 138
VLDL: 9
Total cholesterol to HDL ratio: 3.4
Homocystein: 11.6 and CRP ultrasensitive 0.015.
FBS: 87
PSA: 0.70
WASHINGTON–Likely Democratic nominee Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) is in “excellent health,” according to a summary of Obama medical records released on Thursday. The 276-word summary was written by Dr. David L. Scheiner, the Chicago doctor who has been Obama’s personal physician since March, 1987. Obama has not had a check-up in more than a year. Scheiner described Obama as “lean and muscular with no excess body fat.” Obama is still using Nicorette gum to stay off cigarettes–he has quit smoking several times, his doctor notes.
HIghlights:
*Triglycerides of 44(normal under 150), cholesterol 173 (normal under 200), HDL 68 (normal over 40), and LDL 96 (normal under 130). Chem 24, urinalysis and CBC were normal, PSA was 0.6, very good. An EKG was normal.
The Obama campaign decided to release this summary of Obama’s health status at this time to contrast with the long medical history of GOP presumptive nominee Sen. John McCain (R-Az.). The McCain campaign last week allowed a select group of reporters to study McCain’s more complex medical history, complicated because of his skin cancer and injuries suffered while serving in the military and as a prisoner of war in Viet Nam.
click below for full Scheiner letter….
from the Obama campaign….
Below and attached is a letter from Senator Obama’s physician detailing a summary of his health records.
DAVID L. SCHEINER, M.D.
Hyde Park Associates in Medicine, Ltd.
1515 East 52nd Place, Chicago, IL 60615
To Whom It May Concern:
I am David L. Scheiner, a board certified general internist licensed to practice in the State of Illinois. I am on staff at the University of Chicago Hospitals and Rush University Medical Center. I have been Senator Barack Obama’s primary care physician since March 23, 1987. The following is a summary of his medical records for the past 21 years.
During that period of time, Senator Obama has been in excellent health. He has been seen regularly for medical checkups and various minor problems such as upper respiratory infections, skin rashes and minor injuries.
His family history is pertinent for his mother’s death from ovarian cancer and grandfather who died of prostate cancer. His own history included intermittent cigarette smoking. He has quit this practice on several occasions and is currently using Nicorette gum with success.
Senator Obama’s last medical checkup was on January 15, 2007; he had no complaints. He exercised regularly often jogging three miles. His diet was balanced with good intake of roughage and fluids. A complete review of systems was unremarkable. On physical examination, his blood pressure was 90/60 and pulse 60/minute. His build was lean and muscular with no excess body fat. His physical examination was completely normal.
Laboratory studies included triglycerides of 44(normal under 150), cholesterol 173 (normal under 200), HDL 68 (normal over 40), and LDL 96 (normal under 130). Chem 24, urinalysis and CBC were normal, PSA was 0.6, very good. An EKG was normal.
In short, his examination showed him to be in excellent health. Senator Barack Obama is in overall good physical and mental health needed to maintain the resiliency required in the Office of President.
President Obama’s 2010 physical shows he is “fit for duty.”Click here for the story on the medical report and links to the pdf of the report and my story about Obama’s 2008 physical.
Pool report #1
Feb. 28, 2010
President Barack Obama met with wounded members of the military and
got a routine physical today at the National Naval Medical Center in
Bethesda, Md.
The president arrived by helicopter at the facility at about 6:40 a.m.
His physical was performed by Dr. Jeff Kuhlman, a navy captain and
head of the White House medical unit, said Press Secretary Robert Gibbs.
Some preliminary testing had taken place earlier, and the physical
lasted about an hour and a half.
Kuhlman reccomended Obama get his next physical in August 2011, when
he turns 50, Gibbs said.
Obama also visited 12 service members who were injured in Iraq or
Afghanistan, he said.
On Monday, the President Obama will announce new steps in his Administration’s effort to improve our nation’s schools at an America’s Promise Alliance Education event hosted by Alliance Founding Chairman General Colin Powell and his wife and Alliance Chair Alma Powell. America’s Promise Alliance, founded by Gen. Colin Powell, is the nation’s largest partnership organization dedicated to improving the lives of children and youth.
On Tuesday, the President will travel to Savannah, Georgia for the next stop on the White House to Main Street Tour. During the visit, President Obama will meet with Georgia workers, small business owners, and local leaders to share ideas for continuing to grow the economy and put Americans back to work. President Obama will spend the day in the Savannah area speaking to Georgians about the challenges they face and listening to their ideas for working together to turn the economy around.
Wednesday through Friday, the President will attend meetings at the White House.
WASHINGTON–Jay Leno gets back the Tonight Show this week and hosts Sarah Palin on his Tuesday show–with the Monday debut featuring Vancouver Olympic greats. To counter, David Letterman on Tuesday booked Mitt Romney. I don’t think it’s much of a match: Palin will bring Leno more viewers than Romney. Don’t take this as a prediction of who will be the 2012 GOP presidential nominee, but, rather, who people want to hear from next Tuesday. Ted Johnson, over at Variety’s Wilshire and Washington blog notes how Leno and Letterman are booking political figures for their shows.
WASHINGTON–The White House makes it official on Saturday: Desiree Rogers, who is stepping down as White House Social Secretary, will be replaced by Julianna Smoot, who ran President Obama’s presidential fund-raising operation.
Below, from the White House…
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
_______________________________________________________________________________________
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 27, 2010
White House Announces Julianna Smoot as Social Secretary
The White House today announced Julianna Smoot has been named Deputy Assistant to the President and Social Secretary. She joins the White House staff from the office of U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk, where she serves as Chief of Staff.
“Julianna shares our commitment to creating an inclusive, dynamic and culturally vibrant White House, and Michelle and I are pleased to have her join our team,” the President said.
“I am humbled and excited to take on the role of White House Social Secretary and support the Obama administration in a different capacity,” said Julianna Smoot. “Over the last year, I have had the honor of building relationships in the international community through my work at USTR, and I am looking forward to implementing this experience at the White House.”
“Julianna Smoot brings extraordinary organization and people skills to the role, and sharp attention to detail – all attributes critical to the highly complex responsibilities of the White House Social Secretary. I know that she will continue on the path of creating beautiful events and opening up the White House in new and creative ways that have been established this past year. I’m pleased to welcome her to the East Wing,” said Susan Sher, Chief of Staff to First Lady Michelle Obama.
A native of North Carolina, Smoot has worked in and out of Washington. Prior to joining the Administration, Smoot served as finance director for the Obama Campaign. She has also worked for Senators Schumer, Durbin, Reid and Rockefeller.
WASHINGTON — White House social secretary Desiree Rogers told me Friday she will step down next month, after presiding over 330 events in the White House in 14 months.
Rogers, a friend of President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama, is part of a high-profile group of Chicagoans in the Obama White House — along with senior advisers Valerie Jarrett and David Axelrod, chief of staff Rahm Emanuel, and Susan Sher, Mrs. Obama’s chief of staff. Rogers will be the first Chicagoan to leave.
I’ve been told by several sources that Rogers will be replaced by Julianna Smoot, the chief of staff to the U.S. trade representative who ran the Obama presidential campaign’s fund-raising operation. The social office is run out of Mrs. Obama’s East Wing.
In an exclusive interview, Rogers told me she is resigning after achieving a major goal of the first couple — opening up the White House to make it a more inclusive “people’s house,” offering more access for everyday people.
“As we turn the corner on the first year,” Rogers told me, “this is a good time for me to explore opportunities in the corporate world.”
Rogers told me it has been “an honor and a privilege to serve this president and first lady, in what has certainly been a historic presidency.”
“When I took on this assignment, we talked about the importance of creating the people’s house. My work was really to create this framework,” she told me.
“I think I completed that work. Our office has been able to lay the foundation for what will be known as the ‘people’s house,’ and it has already taken shape.”
Rogers’ tenure was marked by high points — she was a moving force behind a White House music series — and the low point, when the Obamas’ first state dinner, for the prime minister of India, Manmohan Singh, was crashed by a publicity-seeking couple, Tareq and Michaele Salahi.
Though the Secret Service immediately said the Nov. 24 breach was its fault — agents did not follow security protocols — critics pounced on Rogers for not posting staffers at the East Wing entrance. The controversy swelled when a House committee held a hearing on the incident and the White House declined to let Rogers testify.
Chicagoans knew Rogers, 50, as a former Illinois Lottery director, Peoples Energy chief and Allstate Financial executive, a major social and civic figure. The glamorous Rogers, who was the first African-American social secretary, came to Washington with a splash of upbeat publicity, which in this town always has backfire potential down the road.
The Rogers I saw in Washington had her designer sleeves rolled up, ready to go to work for the Obamas.
I asked Rogers if the Salahi episode, where she came under fire, was a factor in her resignation. “The incident at the state dinner was not a deciding factor,” she told me. “But it did show me a side of the job and of Washington that I had not seen before.”
Jarrett told me Friday afternoon that Rogers had decided to leave the White House even before the state dinner. “She told me in November that she had decided to return to the private sector in the not-too-distant future,” Jarrett said. In Washington, Rogers, Jarrett and Sher have apartments in the same Georgetown building.
After I spoke to Rogers, the Obamas said in a statement, “We are enormously grateful to Desiree Rogers for the terrific job she’s done as the White House social secretary.
“When she took this position, we asked Desiree to help make sure that the White House truly is the people’s house, and she did that by welcoming scores of everyday Americans through its doors, from wounded warriors to local schoolchildren to NASCAR drivers. She organized hundreds of fun and creative events during her time here, and we will miss her. We thank her again for her service and wish her all the best in her future endeavors.”
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
_______________________________________________________________________________________
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 26, 2010
WEEKEND GUIDANCE AND PRESS SCHEDULE FOR
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 27 AND SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2010
The President has no scheduled public events on Saturday.
On Sunday, the President will travel to the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland where he will undergo a routine physical. Afterwards, he’ll visit with wounded warriors who are getting treatment at the facility. The Departure to the National Naval Medical Center and the arrival to the White House are open press.
Saturday’s In-Town Travel Pool
Wires: AP, Reuters, Bloomberg
Wire Photos: AP, Reuters, AFP
TV Corr & Crew: CNN
Print: The Hill
Radio: AP
Travel Photo: TIME
Sunday’s In-Town Travel Pool
Wires: AP, Reuters, Bloomberg
Wire Photos: AP, Reuters, AFP
TV Corr & Crew: FOX
Print: Houston Chronicle
Radio: AURN
Travel Photo: New York Times
Saturday, February 20, 2010
EST
8:00AM Pool Call Time
Sunday, February 21, 2010
EST
5:15AM Pool Call Time
6:30AM THE PRESIDENT departs The White House en route the National Naval Medical Center
South Lawn
Open Press (Pre-set 6:00AM – Final Gather 6:15AM – North Doors of the Palm Room)
6:55AM THE PRESIDENT Arrives to the National Naval Medical Center
Travel-Pool Coverage
8:05AM THE PRESIDENT visits wounded warriors
National Naval Medical Center
Closed Press
9:10AM THE PRESIDENT departs the National Naval Medical Center
Travel-Pool Coverage
9:30AM THE PRESIDENT arrives at The White House
South Lawn
Open Press (Pre-set 9:00AM – Final Gather 9:15AM – North Doors of the Palm Room)
Schedule for Week of March 1, 2010
On Monday, the President Obama will announce new steps in his Administration’s effort to improve our nation’s schools at an America’s Promise Alliance Education event hosted by Alliance Founding Chairman General Colin Powell and his wife and Alliance Chair Alma Powell. America’s Promise Alliance, founded by Gen. Colin Powell, is the nation’s largest partnership organization dedicated to improving the lives of children and youth.
On Tuesday, the President will travel to Savannah, Georgia for the next stop on the White House to Main Street Tour. During the visit, President Obama will meet with Georgia workers, small business owners, and local leaders to share ideas for continuing to grow the economy and put Americans back to work. President Obama will spend the day in the Savannah area speaking to Georgians about the challenges they face and listening to their ideas for working together to turn the economy around.
Wednesday through Friday, the President will attend meetings at the White House.
WASHINGTON–The resignation of White House Social Secretary Desiree Rogers, a story I broke on Friday, triggered questions a few hours later at White House press secretary Robert Gibbs daily briefing.
Here are the exchanges about Rogers:
Q And presumably, if he thinks somebody raised a legitimate point, that would be reflected in this new — okay. White House Social Secretary Desiree Rogers is resigning.
First of all, the President and the First Lady put out a statement saying that they thought she did a terrific job. Could you tell us what she did that was terrific?
MR. GIBBS: Well, I think — I think countless — countless numbers of people have come to events here that have — that showcased the People’s House, as they said in their statement. I think the doors of this house were open to folks that had not necessarily always gotten to be here — whether it was schoolchildren from the area, whether it was low-income kids that got an opportunity to see the White House not from outside of Pennsylvania Avenue through a fence or a gate, but instead up close and inside of it.
I think the President is tremendously grateful for all of her hard work in organizing literally hundreds of events over the course of the past many months, and thanks her very much for serving her country.
Q The White House has been criticized for the Chicagoans who are part of the team. I know this happens with every White House, they bring people from their home — the President brings people from their home city or home state and they get criticized by Washingtonians. But certainly, Desiree Rogers was part of that Chicago circle. Is that an unfair criticism? What does the President think when he hears people going after Chicagoans like Valerie Jarrett or Axelrod or Desiree Rogers?
MR. GIBBS: Well, look, we — I’ve not talked specifically to the President on that. I think, as you said, Jake, there is — there are criticisms of many people that work here —
Q Including yourself?
MR. GIBBS: — including myself. But Helen, I didn’t realize you blogged under that name. (Laughter.)
Look, that’s part of what comes with this. I don’t think anybody that works here understands that they’re — including myself — are free from any of that criticism.
Again, I think if you look at the enormity of the number, the size, and the scope of events that transpired here at the White House, I think her service, as the President and the First Lady have said, is to be commended.
Yes, sir.
*******************
Q On Desiree, why is she leaving? Was she pushed or did she jump?
MR. GIBBS: No, you saw Desiree — many of you, I think, saw the interview that she did, where she was asked to come here by the President and the First Lady to do many of the things that I told — talked to Jake about. And she told them around the beginning of the year that she thought it was time for her to go back to the private sector. She’s not been asked to leave. She’s decided it’s time to go back to doing other things that she loves.
Q And the State Dinner incident did not play into this at all?
MR. GIBBS: I don’t think it did, no.
I think that the President has on so many occasions asked for the ideas, the help, and the support of people on both sides of the political aisle. Their desire not to help solve the problem on behalf of the American people is something that they’ve made a decision.
********************************
Q Quick on Desiree. You said she wasn’t pushed, but did the President entreat her to stay — “We need you”?
MR. GIBBS: Desiree came to the President and the First Lady to give them her decision in wanting to go back.
Q When was this?
MR. GIBBS: I don’t have the exact date, but it was — again, I’d point you to what she said in that interview — closer to the beginning of the year.
Q Can you confirm reports that Julianna Smoot will replace her?
MR. GIBBS: I don’t have any announcements to make on replacements.
Q And can I ask you about Desiree? Is today her last day? Has she already left?
MR. GIBBS: No. She will be here for some transition period, but I do not have a final day.
WASHINGTON–The Obama White House on Friday tapped several Chicagoans for various positions in the administration:
Below, from the White House….
Katherine M. Gehl, Nominee for Member, Board of Directors of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation
Katherine M. Gehl is presently the fourth-generation Chairman of the Board of her family-owned company, Gehl Foods, Inc. The company has approximately $175M in sales and 200 employees. As Chairman she oversees the development and execution of the company strategy. Previously, Ms. Gehl was a Vice President at Bernstein Investment Research and Management providing investment analysis and planning for private clients, foundations and endowments. Prior to joining Bernstein in 2002, she was Special Assistant to Mayor Richard M. Daley for Technology and Economic Development where she was responsible for developing and overseeing the Chicagoland New Economy Growth Strategy-a five year plan for economic development designed to spur job creation and income growth and position Chicago at the forefront of technologically-advanced cities. In between her work at Gehl and her work for the Mayor, Ms. Gehl was Director of Information Technology Services at Chicago Public Schools for a year and a half, and Director of Organizational Development at Oracle Corporation for three years. Ms. Gehl serves on the Boards of Directors of Public Allies and The Joffrey Ballet. She graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1988 and holds an MA in education from the Catholic University of America, and an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management.
President Obama also announced his intent to appoint the following individuals to administration posts:
Lester Coney, Appointee for Member, President’s Advisory Committee on the Arts for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
Lester Coney is the executive vice president in Mesirow Financial’s Office of the Chairman. As a civic leader, Mr. Coney has been actively involved in many organizations in support of the arts, civic betterment, and minority and ethnic issues. He is a past chairman of both the Goodman Theatre and City Year Chicago, and founding chairman of Congo Square Theatre Company. He is a trustee for many organizations including: the Art Institute of Chicago, Columbia College Chicago, and Lincoln University. He sits on the board of directors of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation and board of governors of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Mr. Coney’s honors include the 2007 Executive Leader Award from the Association of Fundraising Professionals Chicago, the 2007 King Legacy Award from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Boys and Girls Club of Chicago, and he was awarded for Leadership in the Arts by the Arts and Business Council of Chicago in 2006.
Howard Gottlieb, Appointee for Member, President’s Advisory Committee on the Arts for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
Howard Gottlieb is the general partner of Glen Eagle Partners, Ltd., which is a family private investment firm. Mr. Gottlieb is an accomplished violinist and has played in the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and has performed as a soloist with orchestras, in recitals and in chamber music groups in the United States and Europe. He is a life trustee of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and serves on the board of trustees of the Merit School of Music, the Lyric Opera, the Ravinia Festival and the American Friends of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. He is a former trustee of the Aspen Music Festival. Mr. Gottlieb is a graduate of the University of Chicago and serves on the Visiting Committee of the College.
Cari Sacks, Appointee for Member, President’s Advisory Committee on the Arts for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
Cari Sacks is a civic and community leader and philanthropist in Chicago, Illinois. She is a Trustee for the Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art, serving as the Chair of the Exhibition Committee and serves on the Midwest Regional Advisory Board for the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Ms. Sacks is a Trustee of the Erikson Institute, a nationally recognized graduate school in early childhood development focused on its commitment to educate and support children and their families though research and policy initiatives.
Amy K. Singh, Appointee for Member, President’s Advisory Committee on the Arts for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
Amy K. Singh is an attorney who practices in the areas of entertainment, advertising and marketing, and provides counsel to clients on event production and promotion, television production, talent and other matters. Before starting her own practice, she held several positions, including as General Counsel/Senior Vice President of DDB Chicago Inc., and as an associate in the Chicago office of the firm now known as Sidley Austin LLP. Ms. Singh works to support the arts and youth, was a member of the Junior Board of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and is currently on the Board of the Mikva Challenge, which develops civic leadership in Chicago’s high school youth.
##
WASHINGTON–White House Social Secretary Desiree Rogers told me Friday she will step down next month, after presiding over 330 events in the White House in 14 months.
Rogers is departing after achieving a major goal of President Obama and First Lady Michelle — opening up the White House to make it the “peoples house.”
“As we turn the corner on the first year,” Rogers told me, “this is a good time for me to explore opportunities in the corporate world.”
Rogers told me it has been “an honor and a privilege to serve this president and First Lady, in what has certainly been a historic presidency.”
Rogers, a friend of the First Couple for years, was one of the first Obama administration appointees.
“When I took on this assignment, we talked about the importance of creating the people’s house. My work was really to create this framework,” she told me.
“I think I completed that work. Our office has been able to lay the foundation for what will be known as the ‘people’s house’ and it has already taken shape.”
Rogers tenure was marked by high points–she was a moving force behind a White House music series–and a low point, when the Obama’s first state dinner was crashed by a publicity seeking couple, Tareq and Michaele Salahi. Though the Secret Service immediately said it was their fault–agents did not follow security protocols–Rogers got some of the blame.
I asked Rogers if the Salahi episode was a factor in her resignation. “The incident at the State Dinner was not a deciding factor,” she told me. “But it did show me a side of the job and of Washington that I had not seen before.”
After I spoke to Rogers, President Obama and First Lady Michelle said in a statement, “We are enormously grateful to Desiree Rogers for the terrific job she’s done as the White House Social Secretary. When she took this position, we asked Desiree to help make sure that the White House truly is the People’s House, and she did that by welcoming scores of everyday Americans through its doors, from wounded warriors to local schoolchildren to NASCAR drivers. She organized hundreds of fun and creative events during her time here, and we will miss her. We thank her again for her service and wish her all the best in her future endeavors.”
I’ve been told by several sources that Rogers will be replaced by Julianna Smoot, the chief of staff to the U.S. Trade Representative who was the Obama presidential campaign chief fund-raiser.
WASHINGTON — President Obama’s bipartisan meeting with congressional leaders over stalled health-care legislation seems to have set the stage for Democrats to press ahead with or without Republicans aboard.
After daylong talks Thursday, here’s where I think things stand:
1. Obama needs to show he can govern.
After a month to six weeks — the timetable Obama cited at the very end — Democrats will start moving health-care measures. If he can get some Republicans on board, the politics would be better, but “if we can’t, then I think we’ve got to go ahead and make some decisions and then that’s what elections are for,” Obama said.
“We have honest disagreements about division for the country, and we’ll go ahead and test those out over the next several months till November, all right?”
2. The session was aimed at swing Democrats and independents.
The Democrats don’t mind if the 2010 midterm elections turn on the health-care issue. They welcome running against health insurance companies, which is how the issue will be framed.
3. Some ideological divides will not be bridged.
Republicans and Democrats have a fundamental core difference: The GOP wants incremental changes to health-care coverage; the Democrats want a comprehensive plan.
4. Democrats will incorporate some GOP proposals into their legislation and call it bipartisan.
Obama said at the session he was open to some compromises on tort reform and selling health insurance across state lines.
5. Democrats will take the heat for jamming a health bill through on a partisan vote.
That should be their worst problem.
The Obama White House and Democratic leaders will move ahead, betting the public won’t punish them if the Senate passes a health bill with a 51-vote majority using a complex, and in this context controversial, bit of legislative sleight-of-hand called “reconciliation.”
The Democrats lost their 60-vote filibuster-proof roll call with the death of Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) and the election of Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.).
At the beginning of the session, Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) asked Obama and the Democratic leaders to “renounce” use of reconciliation.
“It’s never been used for anything like this,” Alexander said.
Obama several times brushed aside such pleas as mere matters of “process.”
Republicans can end up positioned as being more concerned with procedural wrangling than in working for substantive change.
6. Slogan alert.
The Republicans keep saying Obama and the Democrats should “start over.” That’s not going to happen; Thursday made that very clear.
7. Transparency matters may still be on the table.
Did the session mean Obama is now released from his campaign pledge to have health care negotiations on C-SPAN and that it can be checked off as “done”? The White House may well try to argue that.
C-SPAN, CNN, Fox and MSNBC (before cutting to Olympic coverage) televised the meeting. Obama last year broke his transparency promise when it came to making the back room the front room, and Thursday’s Blair House meeting was a way of trying to regain the high ground. But the vow, as it was made in the campaign, was expansive, not limited. Obviously, there will be more negotiations between the White House and lawmakers, whether or not Republicans are in the mix.
