Obamas, Winfrey Talk Gifts on Christmas Special

From abcnews.go.com:

President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama talked holiday gifts when Oprah Winfrey went to the White House to film a Christmas special.

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Winfrey's special is to include a tour of White House holiday decorations and an appearance by Bo, the family's dog.

Winfrey also says she asked the president to give himself a grade on the job he has done. Winfrey hasn't revealed the grade Obama gave, but says it "might surprise you."

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Obama Praises Senate Deal on Health Bill

From online.wsj.com:

"The Senate made critical progress last night," President Barack Obama said at White House event announcing funding for community health care. He praised lawmakers for striking a deal that would scale back a government-run insurance plan and expand Medicare to some people ages 55 to 64. "I support this effort since it's aimed at increasing choice and competition and lowering cost," Mr. Obama said. He referred to the deal as a "creative new framework" that he said would pave the way for final passage of a health-care overhaul.

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CAPITAL CULTURE: Obama Christmas: no small feat

From www.google.com:

As in 50,000 guests, 28 parties and open houses, a couple hundred thousand holiday cards and untold quantities of cookies, cakes, brownies, truffles and the like to feed the Obamas' holiday throng.

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Scheib said the staff used to joke during the holidays about "White House flextime" — when "you can work any 100 hours you want this week."

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60 Senate Votes for Health Care?

From www.cbsnews.com:

President Barack Obama will accept his prize Thursday with a speech that aims at historical resonance but is constrained by his status as a new, ...

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Where did it go wrong?

From www.nouse.co.uk:

The location, Washington's National Mall, is the same. The backdrop, Capitol Hill, is the same. The crowds, chanting and waving banners, number the same. The object of their attention, President Barack Obama, is the same.

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Thousands flocked to Washington this September to condemn the actions of a man elected on a sea of positivity just ten months previously. Banners labeled him a 'socialist', posters depicted him as a modern-day Adolf Hitler and chants demanded him to "show us the birth certificate", in support of the 'birther' movement that came to prominence this summer and accuses Obama of being a non-US citizen.

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Obama Pushes New Stimulus

From online.wsj.com:

President Barack Obama pressed forward with an expansion of his $787 billion stimulus plan Tuesday, unveiling job-creation proposals that largely build on the initial package, including a hiring tax credit that his own party jettisoned as unworkable and some business owners deemed ineffective.

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These include putting an additional $50 billion toward infrastructure spending, ramping up Treasury Department lending to small businesses through the Troubled Asset Relief Program, extending tax credits for business investment and offering state and local governments a fresh lifeline.

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Editorial: Leave immigration out of health debate

From www.aurorasentinel.com:

Joe Wilson claimed his 15 minutes of fame by shouting, "You lie," at President Barack Obama during his speech to Congress, just about everyone in Washington ...

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CAPITAL CULTURE: Obama Drops Cautious Arts Policy

From www.nytimes.com:

WASHINGTON (AP) -- In his first year, President Barack Obama has marshaled the largest infusion of cultural funding in decades -- despite a few stumbles. ...

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U.S. casualties will rise with troop surge: Mullen

From www.cbc.ca:

Many soldiers at Fort Campbell already had orders to deploy to Afghanistan before U.S. President Barack Obama unveiled his plan last week to add about 30,000 troops to the 70,000 soldiers already stationed there.

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Another 6,200 Marines from Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, coupled with 800 from Camp Pendleton in California, will leave for Afghanistan early in 2010.

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Obama's birth certificate

From www.examiner.com:

A rumor that won’t die is the myth that Barack Obama’s birth certificate is fake. There are different theories on where Obama was born, if he was not born in Hawaii as he claims. A prevailing belief is that he was born in Kenya, and as a native Kenyan, is not eligible to be President of the United States. Some have also claimed that his full name includes the name “Mohammed,” adding to speculation that Obama is a secret Muslim. At this point, mountains of evidence are in and they all point to the fact that Barack Obama is a natural born citizen of the United States. As far back as July 2008, Obama had released a copy of his birth certificate. Obama had to release the birth certificate himself because in Hawaii, birth certificates are not public documents and must be requested by the family. Obama’s birth certificate can viewed here. Almost immediately, the certificate came under attack due to the lack of an embossed seal and signature. The answer to that challenge is that in Hawaii, the seal and signature are on the back of the certificate. The political fact-checkers at ...

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Obama sets plan to spur jobs, without busting budget

From www.reuters.com:

* Plans include aid to states, infrastructure spending (Updates with Obama comments, comments from Congress.)

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"Having gotten the financial crisis under control, having finally moved into a positive territory when it comes to economic growth, our biggest challenge now is making sure that job growth matches up with economic growth," Obama told reporters on Monday.

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Despite signs that the economy is emerging from two years of recession, the U.S. unemployment rate remains at a stubbornly high 10 percent and Obama and his fellow Democrats would dearly love to bring it down well before the November 2010 congressional elections.

The speech, in Washington, is scheduled for Tuesday at 11:25 a.m. EST (1625 GMT).

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Posey touts 'birther' battle to donors

From feeds.orlandosentinel.com:

The so-called "birther" bill enraged the left, who said Posey was capitalizing on conspiracy theories that inaccurately claim President Barack Obama isn't American. But the measure has drawn support from right-wing ideologues and since has attracted a handful of co-sponsors.

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I wrote to you not long ago asking that you stand behind me in defending our nation's constitution. My bill (H.R. 1503) that would require all candidates for President in the future to provide documentation (such as a birth certificate) to prove they are natural born citizens of the United States, has resulted in the national liberal left making me [a top target] for defeat in the 2010 Congressional elections.

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Politics Today: Obama Heads to "Main Street"

From www.cbsnews.com:

Stay up to the minute on the latest news and developments from Washington, from the White House to Congress and everything in-between with the best political reporters from CBS News and ...

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Can Obama Keep Eastward-Looking Turkey On Side?

From www.time.com:

One of Barack Obama's first overseas trips as President was to Turkey. When he visited in April he focused on the significant role the country — mainly Muslim, officially secular, and a member of NATO — has to play in the Middle East. Heralding "a model partnership," Obama said Ankara had an important part to play in global peace. "Turkey is a critical ally. Turkey is an important part of Europe. And Turkey and the United States must stand together," he told Turkish MPs in parliament.

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