2012 Hanukkah at the White House

hat tip-The Obama Diary:


US President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama arrive for a Hanukkah reception on December 8, 2011 in the Grand Foyer of the White House in Washington.
--- MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images


2012 Hanukkah at the White House

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The White House Launches The Strong Cities, Strong Communities Initiative

From The White House Blog:

Announcing Strong Cities, Strong Communities
Posted by Melody Barnes
on July 11, 2011 at 12:28 PM EDT

President Obama knows that the hard work of strengthening American communities and revitalizing the American economy happens at the local level – in neighborhood schools and community colleges, at town meetings and neighborhood associations, through new start-ups and small businesses. That’s why the White House is excited today to announce the launch of the Strong Cities, Strong Communities Initiative.

Strong Cities, Strong Communities is a new interagency pilot initiative that aims to strengthen neighborhoods, towns, cities and regions around the country by strengthening the capacity of local governments to develop and execute their economic vision and strategies. Strong Cities, Strong Communities bolsters local governments by providing necessary technical assistance and access to federal agency expertise, and creating new public and private sector partnerships. By leveraging existing assets, providing new resources, and fostering new connections at the local and national level, Strong Cities, Strong Communities will support towns and cities as they develop comprehensive plans for their communities and invest in economic growth and job creation.

For more information about this innovative new initiative and its goals, check out the launch video:

As I mentioned in the video, Strong Cities, Strong Communities pilots a new approach to federal-local collaboration that allows the federal government to support efforts from the ground up in four key ways:

Community Solutions Teams will leverage expertise in areas like health, education and transportation to support the six pilot cities as they capitalize on opportunities and tackle challenges
A fellowship program that will place mid-career professionals in city agencies in the same six cities to work closely with the Community Solutions Teams, increasing the capacity of mayors and their staffs on key priorities
A new Economic Planning Challenge grant that, through a national competition, will help additional communities – those without an economic blueprint – design a comprehensive strategy
And the National Resource Network that, pending funding, will serve as a one-stop-shop for local governments to receive technical assistance from national experts with wide-ranging skills critical for promoting economic growth and resiliency.

This morning, Strong Cities, Strong Communities was announced across the country in the six pilot locations:

In Chester, PA, the Community Solutions Team will help Mayor Butler diversify the local economy, support small business development and revitalize the downtown.
In Cleveland, OH, Strong Cities, Strong Communities will support Mayor Jackson in his efforts to coordinate workforce and economic development and to maximize the economic potential of the Cleveland Port.
In Detroit, MI, the Community Solutions Team will partner with Mayor Bing and Governor Snyder to increase coordination and alignment on workforce and economic development issues, and to leverage U.S. DOT's investments in High Speed Rail and the Woodward Avenue light rail project to spur economic revitalization in the downtown corridor.
In Fresno, CA, Mayor Swearengin and the Community Solutions Team will work to capitalize on the coming high-speed rail station to improve the downtown area, and will also build on a successful neighborhood development program.
In Memphis, TN, Strong Cities, Strong Communities will partner with Mayor Wharton and his team to pursue his vision to strengthen the education system and attract new industries.
And in New Orleans, LA, Mayor Landrieu and the Communities Solutions Team will work to integrate existing federal resources to improve the delivery of health services, manage public safety and rebuild public infrastructure.

Over the coming months, with the support of Strong Cities, Strong Communities initiatives, these cities and others across the country will pursue their plans for growth and development, helping to create jobs and improve the quality of life for hundreds of thousands of Americans. We are looking forward to working with you, in your community, to win the future by building stronger and more resilient communities and laying the foundation for economic growth.

The President and First Lady Host A Reception for a White House Mentoring Program

Media Alert - Iron Chef comes to the White House

hat tip: W.E.E. See You

From Obama Foodorama:

First Lady Michelle Obama Graces Season Premiere of Iron Chef America; Executive Chef Cristeta Comerford Will Compete
Another first from the Obama White House Kitchen...First Lady reveals "secret ingredient"

First Lady Michelle Obama will make a special appearance on the season premiere of the popular Food Network show Iron Chef America in January, in a savvy move to extend her healthy food messaging to a new audience. Executive Chef Cristeta Comerford will compete on the show in a special two hour "super chef battle." Comerford's teammate is grill master Bobby Flay, who guest-cheffed at the White House for the Father's Day event in June, when he cooked up some lovely steaks with President Obama. Spoiler alert: Mrs. Obama will be revealing the "secret ingredient" that the chefs will use in their televised cook-off, which is a hallmark of the Iron Chef America series. The "secret ingredient" in this case is anything that grows in the White House Kitchen Garden, which leaves things wiiiide open, because the Kitchen Garden has produced a stunning variety of crops this year. Comerford and Flay are competing against the highly competitive team of celeb chefs Emeril Lagasse, who specializes in Southern/New Orleans cooking, and Mario Batali, an Italian cooking superstar. (Above: Mrs. Obama flanked by, from left, Flay, Comerford and show host Alton Brown; Batali is in the crocs, his signature shoe, and Lagasse is on right)

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The First Lady Receives the White House Christmas Tree

The State Dinner for the Prime Minister of India -Manmohan Singh

The President's Toast Tonight at the State Dinner

State Visit of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh

WASHINGTON - NOVEMBER 24: (AFP OUT) Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh (L), joined by U.S. President Barack Obama (R), walk down the Crosshall to the East Room of the White House November 24, 2009 in Washington, DC. President Obama hosted Prime Minister Singh in the administration?s first state visit with an Oval Office meeting, a joint news conference and a state dinner. ------Andrew Harrer-Pool/Getty Images


WASHINGTON - NOVEMBER 24: Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh speaks during a joint news conference with U.S. President Barack Obama in the East Room of the White House November 24, 2009 in Washington, DC. President Obama hosted Prime Minister Singh in the administration's first state visit with an Oval Office meeting, a joint news conference and a state dinner.
------Alex Wong/Getty Images



A young guest takes a picture as other guests hold the flags of the United States and India while U.S. President Barack Obama welcomes Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at an official arrival ceremony in the East Room at the White House in Washington November 24, 2009.
------REUTERS/Jim Young


Guests hold the flags of the United States and India as U.S. President Barack Obama welcomes Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at an official arrival ceremony in the East Room at the White House in Washington November 24, 2009.
--------REUTERS/Jim Young


WASHINGTON - NOVEMBER 24: U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama waves to members of the Indian delegation while standing with Mrs. Gursharan Kaur during a state arrival ceremony for Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh hosted by U.S. President Barack Obama in the East Room of the White House November 24, 2009 in Washington, DC. President Obama hosted Prime Minister Singh in the administration?s first state visit with an Oval Office meeting, a joint news conference and a state dinner.
----- Alex Wong/Getty Images


WASHINGTON - NOVEMBER 24: U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (L) bows to members of the Indian delegation while waiting with U.S. Vice President Joe Biden (R) and his wife Jill before a state arrival ceremony for Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh hosted by U.S. President Barack Obama in the East Room of the White House November 24, 2009 in Washington, DC. President Obama hosted Prime Minister Singh in the administration?s first state visit with an Oval Office meeting, a joint news conference and a state dinner.
---------Alex Wong/Getty Images


WASHINGTON - NOVEMBER 24: Omar Carrington (R) waves Indian and American flags while waiting for the start of a state arrival ceremony for Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, hosted by U.S. President Barack Obama, in the East Room of the White House November 24, 2009 in Washington, DC. President Obama will host Prime Minister Singh in the administration's first state visit with an Oval Office meeting, a joint news conference and a state dinner. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)



Students from Walker-Jones Elementary School stand with members of the Indian community as they wait for President Barack Obama to welcome India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during a State Arrival in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2009.
-----AP Photo/Charles Dharapak




---AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais


First Lady Michelle Obama meets with Mrs. Gursharan Kaur in the Yellow Oval Room of the White House, Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2009 in Washington.
-----AP Photo/Press Trust of India, Subhash Chander Malhotra

The President and First Lady Host a Classical Music Night

Here's a sample:


Cellist Sujari Britt, 8, completes her performance at the classical music series workshop in the East Room of the White House. November 4, 2009.
---------Official White House Photo by Samantha Appleton







President Barack Obama greets young musicians Sujari Britt, 8, and Josh Yoder,16, following a concert celebrating classical music in the East Room of the White House. November 4, 2009.
------Official White House Photo by Pete Souza





Entire program can be found HERE.

Official Portrait of the First Family

----Annie Leibovitz.

Astronomy Night at the White House

President Obama Presents a Night of Astronomy from White House on Vimeo.

NBC at The White House

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Media Alert

NBC NEWS PRESENTS "INSIDE THE OBAMA WHITE HOUSE: BRIAN WILLIAMS REPORTS"

Tuesday and Wednesday, June 2 & 3 at 9 - 10 PM ET, Williams to take viewers Behind-the-Scenes for an Insider's Look at a Day in the Life in the Obama White House.

Broadcast to include a One-on-One Interview with Williams of Obama on the Eve of the President's Trip to the Middle East and Europe

New York, N.Y., May 26, 2009 - On Tuesday and Wednesday, June 2 & 3, 9-10 PM ET, NBC News Anchor and Managing Editor Brian Williams will take viewers "Inside the Obama White House," for an exclusive, wide-ranging look at what happens throughout the White House and the West Wing during a day in the life of the Obama administration. There will be more than a dozen crews and cameras strategically placed throughout the White House, capturing nearly ever aspect of the day. This unique documentation will consist of behind-the-scenes footage, as well as interviews with key administration players and those who make the West Wing work.

For more than forty years, NBC News has made it a tradition to offer viewers a unique vantage point into a new president's White House with a day-in-the-life program. This seventh installment will be taped on Friday, May 29. On Tuesday, the eve of President Obama's trip to the Middle East and Europe, Williams will tape a one-on-one interview with the President that will air as part of the broadcast. "Inside the Obama White House" will be shot and broadcast in high definition

"This is one of the greatest traditions in all of broadcast television," said Williams. "We will show aspects of life in the White House -- the Obama White House -- that no one on the outside has ever seen before."

"It is an honor for our news division each and every time we produce a broadcast of this caliber," said Steve Capus, President, NBC News. "These richly detailed portrayals of the West Wing at work are only possible because seven presidents have placed their faith in the men and women of NBC News to document these important moments in time."

Information about the special, video blogs, extended interviews, and Web exclusive videos will be available on Msnbc.com will also have special slideshows and an interactive of the White House that allows users to take a closer look at the complex and explore some of the historic rooms.

Mark Lukasiewicz is a vice president of NBC News and executive producer of "Inside the Obama White House." Subrata De is senior producer of "Inside the Obama White House." Steve Capus is the president of NBC News.

Changing the Art on the White House Walls

Hat tip: Angelar

There are small and big changes with the Obamas being in The White House.

From The Wall Street Journal:

Changing the Art on the White House Walls
By AMY CHOZICK and KELLY CROW

Barack Obama is taking on health care, financial regulation, torture and environmental policy. He’s also revamping the White House art collection.

The Obamas are sending ripples through the art world as they put the call out to museums, galleries and private collectors that they’d like to borrow modern art by African-American, Asian, Hispanic and female artists for the White House. In a sharp departure from the 19th-century still lifes, pastorals and portraits that dominate the White House’s public rooms, they are choosing bold, abstract art works.

The overhaul is an important event for the art market. The Obamas’ art choices could affect the market values of the works and artists they decide to display. Museums and collectors have been moving quickly to offer up works for inclusion in the iconic space.

Their choices also, inevitably, have political implications, and could serve as a savvy tool to drive the ongoing message of a more inclusive administration. The Clintons received political praise after they selected Simmie Knox, an African-American artist from Alabama, to paint their official portraits. The Bush administration garnered approval for acquiring “The Builders,” a painting by African-American artist Jacob Lawrence, but also some criticism for the picture, which depicts black men doing menial labor.

Last week the first family installed seven works on loan from the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington in the White House’s private residence, including “Sky Light” and “Watusi (Hard Edge),” a pair of blue and yellow abstracts by lesser-known African-American abstract artist Alma Thomas, acclaimed for her post-war paintings of geometric shapes in cheery colors.

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Media Alert

Hat tip:claudia_m


Tonight Michelle Obama will be hosting “an evening celebrating poetry, music and the spoken word in the East Room of the White House.”

This first-of-its-kind "poetry jam" will be live-streamed at 7:45 PM ET at whitehouse.gov - how wonderful! Saul Williams is supposed to be there, along with James Earl Jones. You can find a few more details here.

Mortgaging the White House

Hat tip: Craig Hickman

On CommonDreams.org

Published on Saturday, May 2, 2009
Mortgaging the White House
by Bill Moyers and Michael Winship


Finally, here we are at the end of this week of a hundred days. As everyone in the western world probably knows by now, this benchmark for assessing presidencies goes back to Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who arrived at the White House in the depths of the Great Depression.

In his first hundred days, FDR came out swinging. He shut down the banks, threw the money lenders from the temple, cranked out so much legislation so fast he would shout to his secretary, Grace Tully, "Grace, take a law!" Will Rogers said Congress didn't pass bills anymore; it just waved as they went by.

President Obama's been busy, but contrary to many of the pundits, he's no FDR. Our new president got his political education in the world of Chicago ward politics, and seems to have adopted a strategy from the machine of that city's longtime boss, the late Richard J. Daley, father of the current mayor there. "Don't make no waves," one of Daley's henchmen used to advise, "don't back no losers."

Your opinion of Obama's first 100 days depends of course on your own vantage point. But we'd argue that as part of his bending over backwards to support the banks and avoid the losers, he has blundered mightily in his choice of economic advisers.

Last week, at a hearing of the Congressional Oversight Panel (COP) monitoring the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner tried to correct AFL-CIO General Counsel Damon Silvers. "I've practiced law and you've been a banker," Silvers said. Never, Geithner replied, "I've only been in public service."

We beg to differ. Read Jo Becker and Gretchen Morgenson's front-page profile of Secretary Geithner in Monday's New York Times, and you'll see how Robert Rubin protégé Geithner, during the five years he was running the New York Federal Reserve, fell under the spell of the big barons of banking to whom he would one day help shovel overly generous sums of money at taxpayer expense.

During "an era of unbridled and ultimately disastrous risk-taking by the financial industry," the Times reported, "... He forged unusually close relationships with executives of Wall Street's giant financial institutions.

"His actions, as a regulator and later a bailout king, often aligned with the industry's interests and desires, according to interviews with financiers, regulators and analysts and a review of Federal Reserve records."

Wined and dined at the Four Seasons, and in corporate dining rooms and fine homes by the very men whose greed and judgment helped bring on the Great Collapse, Geithner became so much a favorite of the Club that former Citigroup chairman Sandy Weill talked with him about becoming the bank's CEO.

According to Becker and Morgenson, "Even as banks complain that the government has attached too many intrusive strings to its financial assistance, a range of critics -- lawmakers, economists and even former Federal Reserve colleagues -- say that the bailout Mr. Geithner has played such a central role in fashioning is overly generous to the financial industry at taxpayer expense."

The two reporters write that Geithner "repeatedly missed or overlooked signs" that the financial system was self-destructing. "When he did spot trouble, analysts say, his responses were too measured, or too late."

In choosing a man to manage the bailout of the banks who's so cozy with its players, and then installing as his White House economic adviser Larry Summers, who in the Clinton administration took a laissez-faire attitude toward the financial industry which would later enrich him, the president bought into the old fantasy that what's best for Wall Street is best for America.

With these two as his financial gatekeepers, President Obama's now in the position of Louis XVI being advised by Marie Antoinette to have another piece of cake until that rumble in the streets has passed on by.

In fact, other Wall Street insiders -- many of them big contributors to the Obama presidential campaign, and progressive in their concern for the public interest -- privately are expressing serious concerns that Geithner, Summers and their associates are leading the president and America's taxpayers down a path toward further economic disaster.

This week, as Senate Majority Whip Richard Durbin of Illinois unsuccessfully fought for a congressional amendment he said would have helped 1.7 million Americans save their homes from foreclosure, the senator told a radio station back home that, "The banks -- hard to believe in a time when we're facing a banking crisis that many of the banks created -- are still the most powerful lobby on Capitol Hill. And they frankly own the place."

He could say the same of the White House.

There is a reason so many of us have serious doubts about Fredo and Summers and whether they are serving The President. I'll say it: I don't think their primary loyalty is to The President of the United States, and him listening to these crooked clowns could lead to him being a one-term President.

The Black Man In Charge of The White House

From BookerRising:

PHOTO OF THE DAY: The Black Man Who Runs The White House: Admiral Stephen Rochon, USA

No, I'm not talking about President Barack Obama. I thought I'd return to the older dudes. Who is this guy? Rear Admiral Stephen Rochon is the White House Chief Usher. The Louisiana native is in charge of the domestic staff at the White House, and making sure everything runs like clockwork. He is the eighth person and the first black person to hold this position. He was appointed to this position in 2007 under President George W. Bush after the previous usher retired after 20 years of service, and the Obamas decided to retain him.

However, don't get it twisted. Ol' boy ain't the butler. Admiral Rochon manages the day-to-day operations of the White House, with its 132 rooms, $13-million plus budget, and 90+ staff. He oversees the White House operations, maintenance and utilities and works with the White House Social Security on ceremonial events of President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama. If the president needs him, he's on it. If Mrs. Obama wants an environmentally-friendly, American-made swing set for Sasha and Malia, he's testing the equipment on her behalf. When the Obamas host dinners, he's there. When the Obamas say they want to make the White House more accessible to the public, he's on it.

His job is to run a tight ship, of which he is very familiar. Admiral Rochon previously served as the Coast Guard's commander of the Maintenance and Logistics Command Atlantic, where he was responsible for naval and civil engineering, financial management, personnel, legal, civil rights, electronic systems support, and contingency planning across 40 U.S. states, Puerto Rico, Europe, and the Middle East.

Admiral Rochon has a B.S. in Business Administration from Xavier University, and an M.S in National Resource Strategy from the National Defense University. He has earned the Coast Guard Distinguished Medal and three Legion of Merit medals.

Admiral Rochon is married and has four children.

When I was thinking about goosebumps moments, I mentioned that HGTV Special at The White House with The First Lady, and I thought it would be wonderful for Admiral Rochon, the first Black Chief Usher to be in service to the first Black First Family.

The Obamas Will Pay for White House Redecoration

Hat tip: isonprize

From NYMagazine:

Home Decorating With the Obamas
By Erica Orden
Published Mar 29, 2009

At a time when people are having trouble holding on to their houses, Barack and Michelle Obama have sensibly decided not to use taxpayers’ money to renovate theirs. New presidents are allotted $100,000 to overhaul the White House residence and the Oval Office, and the Obamas hired Hollywood decorator Michael S. Smith (known, per his site, for mixing “Old World classicism with very contemporary settings”). But the First Couple isn’t spending that money. They “are not using public funds or accepting donations of goods for redecorating their private quarters,” says Camille Johnston, director of communications for the First Lady. Nor is the couple, who reported $4.2 million in household income in 2007 tax returns, using money from the White House Historical Association, a privately funded foundation that paid for a $74,000 set of china shortly before Laura Bush left town.



But does this mean they’re going to spend more than $100,000 or less? Though Michelle Obama has talked up Pottery Barn, Smith’s client list includes cost-is-no-object types like Rupert Murdoch, Steven Spielberg, and former Merrill Lynch CEO John Thain—for whom he procured that $87,783 rug. “There’s no question that he’ll get it done in the way that it’s supposed to be done,” says Smith client and Democratic donor Katherine Chez. “But how, I don’t know.” The White House declined to disclose the budget, saying that all expenses would remain private as a result of the Obamas’ decision to absorb the cost.

So, however much it cost, since it's not taxpayer money - it's NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS.

Obamas to Plant White House Vegetable Garden

From The NYTimes:

Obamas to Plant White House Vegetable Garden
by MARIAN BURROS
Published: March 19, 2009

WASHINGTON — On Friday, Michelle Obama will begin digging up a patch of White House lawn to plant a vegetable garden, the first since Eleanor Roosevelt’s victory garden in World War II. There will be no beets (the president doesn’t like them) but arugula will make the cut.

While the organic garden will provide food for the first family’s meals and formal dinners, its most important role, Mrs. Obama said, will be to educate children about healthful, locally grown fruit and vegetables at time when obesity has become a national concern.

In an interview in her office, Mrs. Obama said, “My hope is that through children, they will begin to educate their families and that will, in turn, begin to educate our communities.”

I think this is a good idea. I read sometimes in the comments the posters discussing their gardens and I admit that I'm a little jealous. I have no green thumb. I have no thumb whatsoever, that could sustain living things. I love that the garden will be organic. I love that it's being done in the city. The garden itself is Old School. That it's organic is 21st century. The First Family brings the best of both - values that have sustained us throughout hard times, yet with a modern spin. I can't wait for the right wing to find something WRONG with this idea of The First Lady's.

Media Alert: Stevie Wonder Honored at The White House

Announcement from The White House:

Coverage Details about "Stevie Wonder In Performance at the White House: The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize"

The 60-minute program, to be taped by WETA Washington, DC, will air Thursday, February 26, 2009, at 8:00PM ET on PBS stations nationwide. The concert will include performances by Wonder himself and Tony Bennett, Diana Krall, Martina McBride, Esperanza Spalding, Will.i.am, and the gospel duo Mary Mary, among others. President Obama will confer the Gershwin Prize upon Wonder during the event.

Desiree Rogers Talks About Her Job As White House Social Secretary

Hat tip: This Week With Barack Obama

From NPR:

White House Social Secretary Reflects On Role
All Things Considered, January 29, 2009

At the White House Thursday, President Barack Obama held a signing ceremony for a new law aimed at halting age, race or gender discrimination in the workplace. The signing was followed by a reception hosted by the first lady.

Invited lawmakers and dignitaries munched on fruit and pastries. Somewhere in the background, a tall woman was making sure everything was just so in the state dining room — from the yellow orchids on the tables to the apricot coffee cake.

Her name is Desiree Rogers and she is the new White House social secretary, responsible for planning events from state dinners to the annual Easter egg roll.

Rogers comes to the White House armed with a Harvard MBA, a long resume in the corporate world and a keen knowledge of the first family's tastes as a longtime member of their Chicago inner circle.

"One of the things that is very important to the president and the first lady is that the art be reflective of all Americans," Rogers says. "And so one of the things that's already being looked at is the possibility of how can we diversify the art collection."

The Obamas plan to include in their White House decorations art, furniture and rugs created by every ethnicity and race, she says, in an effort to "be really reflective of America."

To listen to the entire interview, GO HERE

There's a moment, when Norris and Rogers talk about the Black White House staff...I dare you not to choke up.