NewsyType » White House http://www.newsytype.com Hot Topic News and Commentary Mon, 12 Mar 2012 23:47:22 +0000 en-US hourly 1 Obama grants presidential pardons for five, commutes one http://www.newsytype.com/13660-obama-grants-pardons/ http://www.newsytype.com/13660-obama-grants-pardons/#comments Tue, 22 Nov 2011 22:58:52 +0000 bryanh http://www.newsytype.com/?p=13660 The pardons Martin Kaprelian of Park Ridge, Ill. received a nine-year sentence for conspiracy to transport stolen property. Lesley Claywood Berry Jr. of Loretto, Ky., was sentenced to three years in prison for conspiracy to manufacture and distribute marijuana. Dennis George Bulin of Wesley Chapel, Fla., was given five years of probation and a $20,000 fine for possession of more than 1,000 pounds of marijuana, with the intent to sell. Ricky Dale Collett of Annville, Ky., landed a year of probation for aiding and abetting in the growing of 61 marijuana plants. Thomas Paul Ledford of Jonesborough, Tenn., was sentenced to one year of probation for operating an illegal gambling business.

The commutation

In his first such act ever, President Obama decided to commute (cut short) the sentence of Eugenia Marie Jennings of Alton, Ill. She was convicted in 2001 and sentenced to 22 years in prison for distributing cocaine. She is to be released next month, but is still subject to eight years of supervised release.

The presidential right to pardon

The presidential power to grant pardons cannot be undone by any other branch of government. Presidential pardons are not enacted to right a wrong or to correct a judicial error. They are a symbolic gesture intended to give a second chance to people who have atoned for their wrongs. It has become a traditional gesture for a Governor or President to offer pardons to a handful of convicts as an act of good will at the end of an administration's term.

Controversial pardons

Generally these pardons come without much public interest. On occasion, eyebrows have been raised when the pardons seemed to be self-serving or politically motivated. The most controversial pardon was in 1974 when President Gerald Ford pardoned his impeached predecessor Richard Nixon after the Watergate scandal. Ronald Reagan also drew criticism for pardoning George Steinbrenner in 1989. Steinbrenner was convicted of making illegal contributions to Richard Nixon's re-election campaign. Bill Clinton likewise came under fire for pardoning Marc Rich in 2001. Rich was convicted of cheating the government out of millions. Many believe the pardon was a result of Rich's wife's generous contributions to the Democratic Party and to Clinton's Presidential Library.

Sources

Los Angeles Times: http://articles.latimes.com/2011/jan/10/local/la-me-pardon-power-20110111 Info Please: http://www.infoplease.com/us/government/presidential-pardons.html Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/21/obama-pardons-commutation_n_1106812.html?ref=politics&icid=maing-grid7|maing9|dl6|sec1_lnk3|114694]]> http://www.newsytype.com/13660-obama-grants-pardons/feed/ 0 Obama signs executive order to address drug shortages http://www.newsytype.com/13243-exec-order-drug-shortages/ http://www.newsytype.com/13243-exec-order-drug-shortages/#comments Mon, 31 Oct 2011 21:22:05 +0000 bryanh http://www.newsytype.com/?p=13243 Three points to order The order demands three things of the FDA: 1) A wider reporting of potential shortages of certain prescription drugs, 2) to speed up the application process of making the drugs, and 3) more transparency in reporting instances of price gouging to the Justice Department.

Latest in 'We Can't Wait'

The order is the latest in the president's "We Can't Wait" campaign, which addresses important issues by using Executive Order to sidestep Congressional Republicans. Republican's continue to block his $447 billion jobs bill. President Obama was joined by Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, FDA Commissioner Peggy Hamburg, a pharmacy manager and a cancer patient at today's signing ceremony. The president said:
"Recently, we have seen how the potential of drug shortages for vital drugs, including some cancers, can really have an adverse impact on patients and those who are caring for patients. Sometimes we run out of or run low on certain types of drugs, and that drives up prices, and it increases patient risk."
At the ceremony, President Obama also said "Congress has been trying since February to do something about this." He further said that the nation can ill-afford to wait for "action on the Hill."

GOP says 'Just more words'

In response, Republican National Committee spokeswoman Kirsten Kukowski asked why the president hadn't issued the order earlier. According to her, drug shortages have been a documented problem since before the president took office in 2009. She dismissed the order as: "Just more words from an administration looking for talking points to get them through re-election." Last week the president signed other executive orders addressing the repayment of student loans, mortgage refinancing and jobs for veterans.

Sources

USA Today: http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/story/2011-10-31/obama-fda-drug-shortages/51011566/1 MSNBC: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45102150/ns/health-health_care/#.Tq7-rGWP-_0 Financial Times: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/42b83d8a-03de-11e1-864e-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1cObeCvbR  ]]> http://www.newsytype.com/13243-exec-order-drug-shortages/feed/ 0 Green Bay Packers greeted at White House reception http://www.newsytype.com/10078-green-bay-packers-white-house/ http://www.newsytype.com/10078-green-bay-packers-white-house/#comments Fri, 12 Aug 2011 23:51:32 +0000 bryanh http://www.newsytype.com/?p=10078 Reception for Super Bowl champs a tradition A long-standing tradition in American sports is that the winners of various national sporting competitions are invited to Washington D.C. for a White House reception to meet the president. The Green Bay Packers, winners of Super Bowl 45, finally had their reception on the White House lawn, according to USA Today. President Obama had hosted 21 different winning teams at the White House by June of 2010 from both the amateur and professional ranks, according to CBS. According to SportsGrid, CBS reporter and presidential historian Mark Knoller traced the practice of a sitting president inviting a sports team to Washington back to Calvin Coolidge, who invited the Washington Senators baseball team to the White House after they won the 1924 World Series.

It pained him to do it

According to USA Today, Obama wasted no time in alluding to the long-standing rivalry between the Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers. "This hurts a little bit. ... You guys come to my house to rub it in," he said. He congratulated them on their accomplishments, and then said "enjoy it while it lasts" before reminding the team about the two games the Packers will play against the Bears. He also cautioned them that he could order all planes in Green Bay grounded, if need be. Packers' cornerback Charles Woodson presented Obama with a certificate granting him ownership shares in the Green Bay Packers, the only publicly traded and non-profit team in the NFL. Obama joked that as an owner, "we should ... send Rodgers down to the Bears!" Obama and Woodson engaged in a little good-natured ribbing during the season; Woodson told the team after the Packers beat the Bears in the NFC championship: "The president doesn't want to come see us. ... We're gonna go see him!" Woodson, according to ABC, sent Obama a signed jersey reading "See you at the White House."

Presidents and Super Bowls

This is not the first time that the Packers-Bears rivalry has gone to the White House. According to Wikipedia, quarterback Jim McMahon, who won a Super Bowl as a Bear and again as Brett Favre's back-up, wore his Bears jersey to the White House, angering Packers fans. No sitting U.S. president has ever gone to the Super Bowl in person, according to a blog by Bill Ucey, a former researcher for the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. However, ex-presidents have. Vice President Joe Biden did go to a sports event in person, venturing to Frisco, Texas, to watch the Delaware Blue Hens take on the Eastern Washington University Eagles in the NCAA Division I football championship. His team lost.

Sources

USA Today: http://content.usatoday.com/communities/thehuddle/post/2011/08/president-barack-obama-welcomes-packers-to-white-house/1 ABC: http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2011/08/bears-fan-obama-welcomes-super-bowl-champion-packers-to-the-white-house.html SportsGrid: http://www.sportsgrid.com/media/mark-knoller-white-house-championship-team-visits/ CBS: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20010997-503544.html BillUcey.com: http://www.billlucey.com/2010/02/a-brief-history-of-super-bowl-sunday-at-the-white-house.html ESPN: http://espn.go.com/blog/dallas/colleges/post/_/id/4671617/vp-joe-biden-to-attend-fcs-title-game-in-frisco Jim McMahon on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_McMahon]]> http://www.newsytype.com/10078-green-bay-packers-white-house/feed/ 0 Obama blasts GOP on debt ceiling http://www.newsytype.com/8419-obama-blasts-gop/ http://www.newsytype.com/8419-obama-blasts-gop/#comments Thu, 30 Jun 2011 18:12:51 +0000 bryanh http://www.newsytype.com/?p=8419 Obama expects 'leaders to lead' Before the national press corps, Obama chided GOP lawmakers for not being willing to make tough decisions:
"Hopefully, leaders at a certain point rise to the occasion and do the right thing for the American people," he said. "Call me naive, but my expectation is that leaders are going to lead."

Dire results if debt ceiling not raised

The President suggested that every lawmaker should cancel July vacations to address the debt ceiling issue before August 2. At that point, the U.S. will have hit its debt spending limit, and will be forced to default on loans from other nations.
"Nobody wants to put the credit worthiness of the United States in jeopardy," he said. "(If) the U.S. cannot pay its bills - if it defaults - the consequences for the economy will be significant and unpredictable."

GOP intractable on taxes

Obama maintained that he will not support cutting the deficit unless the deal includes higher taxes and spending cuts. He accused the GOP of being intractable on taxes. His words were especially direct on the GOP's insistence upon retaining tax cuts for the very rich:
"I think it would be hard for the Republicans to stand there and say that the tax break for corporate jets is sufficiently important," said President Obama. "Or that we're so concerned about protecting oil and gas subsidies or oil companies that are making money hand over fist that that's the reason we're not going to come to a deal. I don't think that's a sustainable position."

Big business taken to task

Regarding putting the needs of big business over those of the middle class, Obama exclaimed, "The business community is always complaining about regulations. Frankly, they want to be able to do whatever they think is going to maximize their profits." Democratic Senate leaders after the conference told the president that they would consider canceling next week's schedule fourth of July recess.

Reactions along party lines

Reactions to the press conference have been predictably split along party lines. Republican House Speaker John Boehner said:
"(Obama's) administration has been burying our kids and grandkids in new debt and offered no plan to rein in spending. The president is sorely mistaken if he believes a bill to raise the debt ceiling and raise taxes would pass the House. The votes simply aren't there."
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said, “Bravo! This is the fight House Democrats have been making for the last six months under the Republican Majority as they move to end Medicare and continue tax breaks for Big Oil.”

Sources

Reuters: http://www.reuters.com/video/2011/06/29/obama-calls-for-action-on-us-debt?videoId=216616583&videoChannel=1003 CBS: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/06/30/ap/business/main20075662.shtml MSNBC: http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/06/30/6981281-first-thoughts-obama-vs-congress]]> http://www.newsytype.com/8419-obama-blasts-gop/feed/ 0 Defense of Marriage Act loses Justice Department backing http://www.newsytype.com/4450-defense-of-marriage-act/ http://www.newsytype.com/4450-defense-of-marriage-act/#comments Thu, 24 Feb 2011 18:53:09 +0000 bryanh http://www.newsytype.com/?p=4450 DOMA unconstitutional, White House and Justice Department decide Congress heard from the Attorney General Eric Holder recently regarding lawsuits concerning the Defense of Marriage Act, reports ABC. He said the Department of Justice won’t pursue any lawsuits that seek to validate the Defense of Marriage Act. According to DOMA statutes, even if a same-sex marriage legally occurred, no territories or states in the United States have to recognize it. DOMA passed in 1996, and the Justice Department's objection is not to the act in its entirety, but rather Section 3, which legally defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman as far as the government is concerned, meaning same sex marriages aren't recognized. President Obama and Attorney General Holder have concluded Section 3 of DOMA is unconstitutional.

Looking closer

Because of the lawsuits Pedersen v. OPM and Windsor v. United States, the government had to decide whether to uphold DOMA. Both lawsuits challenge Section 3 on constitutional grounds. The New York Times reports the lawsuits are located in court districts that did not have previous homosexual marriage cases. The Justice Department reviewed those cases using the legal tests of "rational basis" and "heightened scrutiny." The reason for a “rational basis” test is to see whether a law has a rational purpose based on constitutionally legal laws. A "heightened scrutiny" test is to determine whether an unconstitutional law serves a legitimate governmental purpose. The Justice Department and the White House concluded that no legitimate governmental purpose for banning same sex marriage exists and doing so was discriminatory, thus unconstitutional.

DOMA will continue to exist

DOMA lawsuits won’t be pursued by the Justice Department anymore., but the law hasn’t been repealed. President Obama has gone on record as saying that he believes DOMA is "flawed," but he is constitutionally mandated to uphold the unconstitutional law, to a certain extent. However, to see if a law is worth defending in court, the president can order reviews of laws by appropriate parties. Those reviews are usually the domain of the Justice Department.

Citations

ABC: http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2011/02/president-obama-instructs-justice-department-to-stop-defending-defense-of-marriage-act-calls-clinton.html NY Times: http://nytimes.com/2011/02/24/us/24marriage.html Justice.gov: http://justice.gov/opa/pr/2011/February/11-ag-223.html]]> http://www.newsytype.com/4450-defense-of-marriage-act/feed/ 0 Obama triggers blackouts, says Alex Jones http://www.newsytype.com/3941-obama-triggers-blackouts/ http://www.newsytype.com/3941-obama-triggers-blackouts/#comments Thu, 03 Feb 2011 23:11:51 +0000 bryanh http://www.newsytype.com/?p=3941 Obama triggers blackouts: Caught on tape! The house of cards that is the “Obama triggers blackouts” freak out is based upon an out-of-context 12-second video clip, reports Death + Taxes. Infowars presents a clip of Barack Obama when he was still an Illinois senator. The interviewer asks for Obama's stance on proposed cap and trade legislation on carbon emissions and how it would effect the coal industry, a known producer of greenhouse gases. In what Alex Jones has dubbed the Obama administration's industrial warfare against the U.S., then Sen. Obama says the following, which is taken out of context from the rest of the 2008 conversation (the full video is available on YouTube):
“So, if somebody wants to build a coal-powered plant, they can, but it will bankrupt them because they're going to be charged a huge sum for all that greenhouse gas that's being emitted.”
After watching the full version of the interview, it's clear that Sen. Obama didn't think the U.S. could suddenly function without coal energy. He was simply speaking in hypothetical terms of how cap and trade could encourage coal energy providers to work harder to store and re-purpose carbon emissions, rather than spewing it skyward. The idea is to motivate change, not attack an industry that provides many thousands of U.S. jobs.

No cap and trade, no effective environmental laws

The truth is that not only is there no cap and trade system, but President Obama's administration doesn't trigger blackouts. It's been roundly criticized for not being able to regulate big energy companies effectively, so what kind of power does Alex Jones think Obama actually has? The lack of effective environmental legislation has led to virtually unchecked industrial carbon emissions. A significant sampling of the scientific community believes this has caused real climate change, which includes the severe Midwestern blizzard. Excess greenhouse gases warm the Arctic, which scientists believe may lead to colder, snowier winters among the northern mid-latitudes.

Sources

Death + Taxes: http://www.deathandtaxesmag.com/50156/if-obama-triggers-blackouts-gop-triggers-apocalypse/ eHow: http://www.ehow.com/how-does_4566892_global-warming-work_.html Environmental Leader: http://www.environmentalleader.com/2011/02/03/why-cap-and-trade-is-good-for-environmental-marketing/ Time http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2039777,00.html

The out-of-context Obama proclamation that would trigger blackouts

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4aTf5gjvNvo

The full Obama interview

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpTIhyMa-Nw]]> http://www.newsytype.com/3941-obama-triggers-blackouts/feed/ 0 Competitiveness to be stressed in State of the Union address http://www.newsytype.com/3672-state-of-the-union-address/ http://www.newsytype.com/3672-state-of-the-union-address/#comments Tue, 25 Jan 2011 21:42:29 +0000 bryanh http://www.newsytype.com/?p=3672 The President's State of the Union

address

President Barack Obama gives the second State of the Union address of his presidency on Tuesday, Jan. 25. It's one of the biggest political events of the year, and there's a new theme for this year's address, according to ABC. The parties won’t be seated in separate wings this year, as is traditional. Instead, there will be a mix in the seating of Democrats and Republicans. The idea was Senator Tom Udall's (D-Colo.), who thought it would be nice if members of Congress would be willing to get “dates” to show bipartisan solidarity after Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was shot in the head in Tucson. A "date" means members asking someone from the opposite party to sit with them.

Addressing competitiveness and economy

The focus of the 2011 State of the Union address is going to be the economy. The Obama presidency has had to focus on that issue more than anything else. The Washington Post reports that President Obama has a focus on education, job creation and initiatives that will make the United States more competitive in trade. Obama has been emphasizing the need to be an international powerhouse economically in recent stump speeches, and he is expected to expand on that theme in the annual address to Congress. In light of recent events, gun control may be brought up. Fiscal policy is another possibility.

Foreign relations in the address

There is a good chance foreign policy will be mentioned. There are plans to pull out of Iraq completely by the end of the year -- and by the end of 2014, out of Afghanistan completely. There will be a lot of people broadcasting the State of the Union, including most networks and news channels.

Articles cited

ABC News: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/State_of_the_Union/state-union-date-night-lawmakers-court-seating-partner/story?id=12747545&page=1 Washington Post: http://washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/24/AR2011012402682.html?hpid=topnews]]> http://www.newsytype.com/3672-state-of-the-union-address/feed/ 0 Senator Joe Lieberman will not run for office in 2012 http://www.newsytype.com/3521-joe-lieberman/ http://www.newsytype.com/3521-joe-lieberman/#comments Wed, 19 Jan 2011 19:36:25 +0000 bryanh http://www.newsytype.com/?p=3521 Senator Joe Lieberman calling it quits after four terms After four terms in office, Senator Joe Lieberman (I-CT) has announced that he is effectively retiring from the Senate. There had been speculation for some time that he was going to, but Lieberman confirmed it in a recent press conference in a Marriott hotel in Stamford, according to the New York Times. He said that it was time to do something else, and joked that he had told his wife that "when Regis leaves television, I'll leave the Senate." Regis Philbin indeed recently announced his retirement from television. Lieberman went on to say that he didn't fit neatly in the current Democrat or Republican mold, hinting at his maverick status as a gadfly to both parties. Lieberman is one of two independent Senators in the current U.S. Senate, both of which caucus with the Democrats.

Long career in politics ends

Joe Liebermann has been in elected office for almost 40 years. After serving for 10 years as a State Senator in Connecticut, he was elected and served as the Attorney General of Connecticut to serve from 1983 to 1989. During that time, he successfully ran for a seat in the United States Senate. He held his seat four terms. Though he was defeated in the Democratic Primary in 2006, losing to Ned Lamont , he ran as an Independent and was re-elected. He has been criticized for advocating the war in Iraq and endorsing John McCain in the 2008 election, citing Barack Obama's lack of experience.

New candidates emerge

There is a slate of potential successors lining up to take Liberman's place. Linda McMahon, who unsuccessfully ran as the Republican candidate against Richard Blumenthal, is rumored to still be eying a Senate seat. The former Secretary of State for Connecticut, Susan Bysiewicz, has already announced she would run for his seat in 2012.

Sources

New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/20/nyregion/20lieberman.html NPR: http://www.npr.org/2011/01/19/133053320/lieberman-announces-he-will-retire-2012]]> http://www.newsytype.com/3521-joe-lieberman/feed/ 0 Liz Cheney becomes upset by President Obama terror attack statements http://www.newsytype.com/2483-liz-cheney-upset-obama/ http://www.newsytype.com/2483-liz-cheney-upset-obama/#comments Wed, 29 Sep 2010 18:55:19 +0000 Alyssa Plumb http://www.newsytype.com/?p=2483 What was the comment made by President Obama? President Obama is quoted in  "Obama Wars,” the new book Bob Woodward wrote, regarding his feelings on terrorist attacks, including the Sept. 11 attack. In it, President Obama is quoted saying:
We can absorb a terrorist attack. We’ll do everything we can to prevent it, but even a 9/11, the biggest attack ever… we absorbed it and we are stronger.
This statement made Dick Cheney’s daughter, Liz Cheney, really mad.

Cheney’s response

Liz Cheney was outraged by this statement on the part of President Obama because she felt like he was stating that he wouldn’t protect America with all of his power and resources. She called for an explanation from Obama about this. According to CBS News, she said:
Americans expect our President to…use every tool at his disposal to find, defeat, capture and kill terrorists. We expect him to … make it clear to our adversaries that an attack on the United States will carry devastating consequences. Instead, President Obama is reported to have said, 'We can absorb a terrorist attack.' This comment suggests an alarming fatalism on the part of President Obama. … The President owes the American people an explanation.

Others want an explanation

The Obama terror attack statement is raising a few heads. People want an explanation. The author of "Obama Terror Attack: Save His Presidency" on 12 News wants to know why the president would ever say that. He was another one concerned about what was said. He wanted to know why the president wouldn’t be doing everything he can to protect America. Many others are wondering why the President would be egging on terrorists to come to the country. Then there is Mitch Marconi. He thinks that everyone is just overreacting to the comment because of the joy they get in criticizing the Obama administration along with Cheney. An explanation will be expected soon from Obama, no matter which is true. Sources CBS News: http://cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20017323-503544.html The Post Chronicle: http://postchronicle.com/news/original/article_212324056.shtml 12 News: http://12news.us/obama-terror-attacksave-his-presidency.html Wisepolitics.com: http://wisepolitics.com/bob-woodward-obamas-wars-book-obama-terror-attack-quote-1925.html]]> http://www.newsytype.com/2483-liz-cheney-upset-obama/feed/ 0 Obama announces withdrawal of troops from Iraq by September http://www.newsytype.com/1213-iraq-withdrawal/ http://www.newsytype.com/1213-iraq-withdrawal/#comments Mon, 02 Aug 2010 20:53:46 +0000 bryanh http://www.newsytype.com/?p=1213 Handing Iraq back to Iraqis According to The Guardian, the President announced that military authority will be handed over to Iraqi authorities by the end of August. President Obama recently gave a speech at the Disabled Americans Veterans conference in Atlanta, Ga. He highlighted that he had promised a withdrawal in his campaign platform. The President also pinpointed that 90,000 troops have already been withdrawn from Iraq since he took office.  It is projected that on August 31, full military authority will be given to Iraqi forces, and 50,000 American troops will remain in an advisory role. American combat operations will effectively cease at that time.

Focus on Afghanistan

Though the war in Iraq seems to be winding down, the Afghan conflict is still ongoing. According to CNN, Obama has vowed that he will not allow the Taliban and Al Qaeda to return to power in Afghanistan on his watch. The war in Afghanistan has been the subject of considerable controversy of late. A scandalous Rolling Stone interview prompted the firing of General Stanley McChrystal, and the Wikileaks release of 90,000 pages of documents pertaining to the Afghan conflict have created a firestorm concerning the long term occupation of Afghanistan.

Beginning of the end or end of the beginning

The timetable for withdrawal of American troops from Iraq is proceeding as planned. However, the Afghan conflict is far from being resolved. Currently, more troops are in Afghanistan than Iraq, and some believe that the war in Afghanistan may not winnable. No end is currently in sight to the Afghan conflict. Further Reading The Guardian: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/aug/02/barack-obama-us-iraq-combat CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/08/02/obama.iraq.drawdown/index.html?hpt=T1]]> http://www.newsytype.com/1213-iraq-withdrawal/feed/ 0