Strollerderby : rahm emanuel

Morning News: McCain Takes Aim at Obama's Fancy 'Copter

Madeline Holler — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 14:00:00 GMT

At yesterday's Fiscal Responsibility Summit -- attended by the President and high-ranking Congress members, not free-spending teens and their pursed-lipped mothers as the name might suggest -- John McCain scolded Obama for an expensive fleet of helicopters that could soon be at the president's disposal. "Your helicopter is now going to cost as much as Air Force One," the Arizona Senator said to his former rival, who basically said, "yeah, I don't think I need them either." NB: the helicopters were ordered during the Bush administration.

Obama's response should only endear him further to a large number of Americans. In a Washington Post-ABC News poll, he's get high marks for his first month in office and for the almost $790 billion stimulus package and the $75 billion mortgage bailout program. Nearly 8 in 10 respondents say the President has exceeded their expectations. Love fest? Not from everyone. Republicans aren't as happy as they were back during the trasition. And few of any party seem to like the idea of bailing out the auto industry. Michigan? Ouch?

Still, more, more, give them more!

All the hundreds of billions in bailouts and the projected $1.5 trillion deficit by year's end makes this record-breaking Yves St. Laurent art auction look just kind of profitable. $261 million? It was lying around in the couch cushions.

A San Francisco lawmaker has got a great money-making scheme. Taxing pot! It's his state's largest cash crop (huh. We thought it was almonds.) and he thinks Californian's deserve a cut of the package.

Make $300 just by cutting up your American Express credit card. Really. They'll pay you.

Now, now, don't get mad if you got rid of that account years ago. It's a fact: anger can kill you. Settle down!

Will Obama's chief of staff Rahm Emanuel be the next to resign over tax dodging? Apparently, there are questions about whether he should have listed the Washington, D.C., basement room where he has lived for five years -- for free! -- on his taxes. Could he have written off the the air mattress and naked light bulb dangling from the ceiling?

Random: A Miami University student discovered an authentic fingerprint of Abraham Lincoln. That's cool! And odd.

Great, great news for Bedouin girls in Israel's Negev: genital mutilation is no more. It's gone. Over. Does not happen. What changed? The laws, for one. But also education, showing you can't just threaten to put people in jail.

Welcome to the world, Scarlet Starr (Hollywood name ...). She's the new baby girl and first child of Sporty Spice, Mel C.

The Real Story Behind Palin's Nomination

Economy Kills Kids' Fun As We Know It

Photo: HuffPo

Morning News: Is Hillary Back?

Madeline Holler — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 14:30:00 GMT

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton? Maybe. Last week it was a rumor that died down quickly. Since yesterday, though, there appears to be some traction. Obama camp insiders are trotting her name out among a few others (John Kerry, Republican Chuck Hagel, Bill Richardson), and some of his advisers say she's the best pick.

Why?

It's better to have a Clinton on the inside, rather than outside making trouble (true, that). The drawback of Hillary? One word:

Bill.

On foreign matters, this update: Osama bin Laden is apparently hanging on by a thread these days. He's mainly focused on his own survival and basically cut off from al Qaeda operations. Good news, sure, but on the lam for seven years? Damn.

Those leaky Dems have also disclosed that Lawrence Summers may no longer be under consideration for the Secretary of Treasury position, thanks in part to women's groups who can't stand the guy and his girl brain/boy brain "theories."

More than 1 million people are expected to attend Barack Obama's inauguration Jan. 20 in Washington, D.C. That's a ton of people. (Will you be one of them?) Everybody's scrambling to get tickets, places to stay, enough law enforcement, and enough public viewing space.

Think some generous Northern Virginia families would be willing to put up a few of these 8,000 bedouin tribesmen for the big swearing in? These guys claim to be the lost tribe of Barack Obama. They even have evidence that they are linked by blood to the president-elect. Come on, guys, we get him first!

If your priest is a real jerk, you might want to avoid being seen at the inauguration, on TV or otherwise. South Carolina's Rev. Jay Scott Newman is refusing communion to anyone who supports Barack Obama, unless they've done penance for their vote. Who knew the Holy Trinity was so dang bi-partisan!

And you thought Joe Biden was going to be an embarrassment. Obama's Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel had to apologize on behalf of his father yesterday. Dad, who was once a member of a militant Zionist group thought to have committed terrorist acts against Palestinians, had this to say about how influential his son will be: "Obviously he will influence the president to be pro-Israel," he was quoted as saying. "Why wouldn't he be? What is he, an Arab? He's not going to clean the floors of the White House." Oh, cringe.

Speaking of terrorists? Embarrassments? People who won't go away? Bill Ayers is on Good Morning America this morning in his first interview since the election. Will ABC let Elisabeth Hasselbeck take a few minutes off The View stage to watch?

Felon/Senate incumbent from Alaska Ted Stevens is almost certain to have lost his re-election bid. But did he get to keep the grill?

A complaint has been filed against the Mormon Church for not fully disclosing allllll the contributions made to the campaign to ban gay marriage in California. Seems stuff like state phone bank use, commericals and other promos weren't reported in the disclosures. We hope this complaint turns in to a huge pain in their asses.

Disaffected youth keep pouring into Nebraska hospitals as parents watch the deadline to abondon their teens under a very unrestrictive safe haven law grow nearer. State lawmakers will way lower the age limit (to, like, three days) in a special session in January. We've said it before, but Nebraska might want to consider beefing up its family services outreach. Because, wow. Just wow.

Best of FameCrawler: Week of November 7th

Whit Honea — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 21:00:00 GMT