U.S. President Barack Obama turned on the charm at an event in Wisconsin when an audience member told the president that his daughter Kennedy was missing school to come hear Obama speak about healthcare reform. One 10-year-old Wisconsin girl has a rock-solid excuse for missing the last day of school: a personal note to her teacher from President Barack Obama.
Obama pardons girl for missing school
See the note at the end of the video by AFP. (Can’t embed)
When CNN’s Ed Henry presses Obama about why “it took days” for him to express outrage over AIG, Obama hits back, “It took us a couple of days because I like to know what I’m talking about before I speak.”
President Obama to Reporter: “I Like to Know What I’m Talking About Before I Speak”
Here’s a president who thinks before he speaks. That’s an awesome answer. The reporter just got served.
Because of John Howard? And he is just staying for a day there. Blair House has 119 rooms with 35 bathrooms and just because Howard is there for one night, Obama and his family cannot move in there. This is just horrible arrangement at the Bush administration’s part. It goes to show how childish politicians can get. Obama requests to move in a week earlier into White House’s guest house so his daughters could start school. Obama is not the first president to request that and I think this could have been in consideration before the request was made.
In December, President-elect Obama asked the White House if he and his family could move into Blair House — the White House’s guest house — a week early, so that his daughters Malia and Sasha could start school. The White House rebuffed them, saying the house was already booked for another guest. A White House source added that “Blair House was appalled†by the request.
After weeks of speculation, the mystery guest that trumps the President-elect and his family has finally been revealed. The White House offered the house to John Howard, the former Prime Minister of Australia who is set to receive a Medal of Freedom. Instead of arranging other accommodations for Howard’s one-night stay, the Bush administration told the Obama family to stay in a hotel for two weeks. (Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Colombian President Ãlvaro Uribe, who are also receiving the Medal of Freedom, opted to find other accommodations.)
Last night on MSNBC’s “Countdown,†Bloomberg journalist Margaret Carlson revealed that when the White House turned down Obama’s request in early December, it had not yet even invited Howard to stay at the Blair House:
I reported…on December 11 and 12 that there were no foreign dignitaries booked into Blair House during that period of time. … I have the feeling they asked him [Howard] to come and stay so that there might be some plausible reason for not letting the Obamas stay there.
She also pointed out that Blair House has “119 rooms with 35 bathrooms. Howard wouldn’t even have to share a sink with the Obamas.” (Source: ThinkProgress)
White House Chooses Disgraced Australian PM Over Obama For Guest House