Obama: No Need To "Brave The Crowds" On Inauguration Weekend
In a new video in which he warns of "long lines, a tough time getting around, and most of all, a lot of walking on what could be a very cold winter day" on inauguration weekend, President-elect Barack Obama is urging Americans who don't want to "brave the crowds and commotion" to instead take it all in from the comfort of their living room.
Mr. Obama, asserting that "we've made this Inauguration open and accessible to communities across our nation," discusses inauguration weekend events and where you can see them on TV in the video. Sunday afternoon's celebration at the Lincoln Memorial, he notes, will be broadcast free on HBO that evening; the Disney channel will show Monday night's Kids' Inaugural concert, while the Neighborhood Inaugural Ball will be available on ABC and on the Web.
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Senate Seeks To Stop Inaugural Tix Scalping
The Senate last night voted to pass legislation making it illegal to resell or counterfeit tickets to Barack Obama's inauguration next week. Should the measure become law, inaugural ticket scalpers would face a fine and/or a year in prison.
(CBS)
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White House Responds To Bin Laden Video
(CBS)
"While I wont speak to the authenticity of the audiotape, that is for others, it appears this tape demonstrates his isolation and continued attempts to remain relevant at a time when Al Qaeda's ideology, mission, and agenda are being questioned and challenged throughout the world," Johndroe said.
"This also looks to be an effort to raise money as part of their ongoing propaganda campaign," he continued. "The United States promotes an alternative, hopeful ideology while continuing to partner with over 90 countries to pursue terrorists wherever they are."
Obama Reaches Across The Table
(CBS)
The dinner was not announced – according to the pool report, the fact that it was Will's home was deduced from tax records, while other dinner guests were spotted through a window by a photographer.
Quipped pooler Kenneth Bazinet of the New York Daily News, in reference to the gathering of the new Democratic president and the conservative old hands: "The bloggers are going to love this one."
The transition office did not release details of the dinner table conversation.
UPDATE: It's not just the conservatives who are getting an audience with Mr. Obama. This morning, as Politico reports, the president elect met with a group of prominent moderates and liberals, among them E.J. Dionne, Eugene Robinson, Gerry Seib, Ron Brownstein, Frank Rich, Maureen Dowd, Andrew Sullivan, and Rachel Maddow.
The "totally off the record" meeting took place around a conference table at transition headquarters, and one attendee described it to Michael Calderone as an "intense back and forth about a lot of stuff."
Morning Bulletin – Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2009
A roundup of news, schedules, and key stories from CBS News Political Director Steve Chaggaris:
Another bump in the road was revealed late yesterday when the Wall Street Journal's Jonathan Weisman broke the news that Treasury Secretary nominee Tim Geithner failed to pay Social Security and Medicare taxes when he worked for the International Monetary Fund and that he had employed a housekeeper whose immigration paperwork expired while she worked for him.
Mr. Obama's aides said these were "honest mistakes" – the housekeeper was legal when Geithner hired her and she eventually did get a green card; the taxes, the Obama folks explained, were the result of common confusion for IMF employees and he paid them back, with interest, when the "mistake" was discovered.
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(AP Photo/Ian Barrett)
Mr. Obama's aides said these were "honest mistakes" – the housekeeper was legal when Geithner hired her and she eventually did get a green card; the taxes, the Obama folks explained, were the result of common confusion for IMF employees and he paid them back, with interest, when the "mistake" was discovered.
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Michelle Obama Picks White House Decorator
From the Obama transition office:
Michael Smith has been chosen as the White House decorator by Michelle Obama to help make the White House residence their home.
The selection of White House decorator is a tradition for new first families. A native of California, Smith studied interior design at the Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles and continued his studies in London. He returned to California to open a home furnishings store and launched his own design firm in l990.
Smith serves on the Board of Trustees for the Otis College of Art and Design. He takes particular pride in his family-focused clientele and approach.
"Laura Bush has been a wonderful steward of the White House and created a beautiful residence for her family. I look forward to adding our own touch to the East Wing and creating a living space where our family feels comfortable, happy and settled," Michelle Obama said. "Michael shares my vision for creating a family friendly feel to our new home and incorporating some new perspectives from some of America's greatest artists and designers."
Smith said he appreciates "the [Obama] family's casual style, their interest in bringing 20th century American artists to the forefront and utilizing affordable brands and products will serve as our guiding principles as we make the residence feel like their home."
Michael Smith has been chosen as the White House decorator by Michelle Obama to help make the White House residence their home.
The selection of White House decorator is a tradition for new first families. A native of California, Smith studied interior design at the Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles and continued his studies in London. He returned to California to open a home furnishings store and launched his own design firm in l990.
Smith serves on the Board of Trustees for the Otis College of Art and Design. He takes particular pride in his family-focused clientele and approach.
"Laura Bush has been a wonderful steward of the White House and created a beautiful residence for her family. I look forward to adding our own touch to the East Wing and creating a living space where our family feels comfortable, happy and settled," Michelle Obama said. "Michael shares my vision for creating a family friendly feel to our new home and incorporating some new perspectives from some of America's greatest artists and designers."
Smith said he appreciates "the [Obama] family's casual style, their interest in bringing 20th century American artists to the forefront and utilizing affordable brands and products will serve as our guiding principles as we make the residence feel like their home."
Is It Really Just A "Hiccup"?
(AP Photo/Ian Barrett)
"That's basically what they are," Reid said Tuesday. "I am not concerned at all."
Nonetheless, some Senate Republicans say it's too early to say if Geithner's errors are nothing to worry about, and intend to question him at his confirmation hearing, reports CBS News correspondent Chip Reid.
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Bush Declares "Emergency" For Inauguration
(AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
By declaring an emergency, Mr. Bush opened the door for D.C. to get additional Federal funding to deal with the unique challenges that will accompany the influx.
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Inaugural Committee Offers Poster For Donations
Complete Inaugural Coverage
President-elect Barack Obama's Inaugural committee is still seeking donations for the festivities next Tuesday, and now they've added a new promotion to the mix.
(Presidential Inaugural Committee)
Fairey is the artist who created the familiar red and blue "hope" poster that spread virally to help launch Mr. Obama's campaign. That poster is echoed in this special inauguration version.
This new promotion was heralded in an e-mail to supporters and others today.
Meanwhile, the original "hope" poster has been donated to the National Portrait Gallery and will be on display before Inauguration Day, reports the New York Times.
Click Here For All Of CBSNews.com's Special Inauguration Coverage
Bush Bestows Final Batch Of Medals Of Freedom
This was written by CBS News White House correspondent Mark Knoller.
For President Bush, the hardest part of awarding Presidential Medals of Freedom is clasping them around the recipients' necks.
The easy part for him today was singing the praises of three of the foreign leaders he came to admire most during his eight years in office.
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For President Bush, the hardest part of awarding Presidential Medals of Freedom is clasping them around the recipients' necks.
The easy part for him today was singing the praises of three of the foreign leaders he came to admire most during his eight years in office.
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Geithner Faces Questions Over Taxes, Housekeeper's Immigration Status
*NOTE: This post has been rewritten as new information has come in.
This afternoon, President-elect Barack Obama's pick to be Treasury secretary, Timothy Geithner, met with members of the Senate Finance Committee to address questions about his payment of personal taxes and the immigration status of a housekeeper.
As reports about the meeting surfaced, the transition team released a statement standing behind Geithner but effectively confirming that questions were being raised.
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(AP Photo/Ian Barrett)
As reports about the meeting surfaced, the transition team released a statement standing behind Geithner but effectively confirming that questions were being raised.
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Still Time For A Fall Guy
This post was written by CBS News Legal Analyst Andrew Cohen.
It's hard to know what's more disheartening. The fact that the Bush Administration allowed a mean-spirited political hack named Bradley Schlozman to linger for as long as he did as acting head of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division despite his foul views and practices. Or the fact that the Bush Administration last week declared that it would not prosecute the man for allegedly making false statements to Congress when he testified there in 2007.
Either way you look at it, the scathing report released today by the Office of Inspector General represents a fitting close to an era at the Justice Department marked not just by bad actors in government but by a cynical management philosophy that torched and then tainted all those touched by it. There was simply too large a gulf between the intelligence and integrity of people like Schlozman, Kyle Sampson, and Monica Goodling and the power they were given by their political bosses and operatives in the White House. These inapt and inept officials were destined to ruin things and they did.
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(AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
Either way you look at it, the scathing report released today by the Office of Inspector General represents a fitting close to an era at the Justice Department marked not just by bad actors in government but by a cynical management philosophy that torched and then tainted all those touched by it. There was simply too large a gulf between the intelligence and integrity of people like Schlozman, Kyle Sampson, and Monica Goodling and the power they were given by their political bosses and operatives in the White House. These inapt and inept officials were destined to ruin things and they did.
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Polite Praise Greets Clinton
By CBS News State Department reporter Charles Wolfson
It was standing room only for the confirmation hearing of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, President-elect Barack Obama's expected secretary of state.
More than a hundred spectators lined up early and many had to wait their turn to enter the hearing room in the Senate's Hart Office Building.
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(AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
More than a hundred spectators lined up early and many had to wait their turn to enter the hearing room in the Senate's Hart Office Building.
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Palin Discusses Bloggers, Mockery
(AP)
"Bored, anonymous, pathetic bloggers who lie annoy me," Palin told the magazine. She then went on to discuss a traditional news outlet, the Anchorage Daily News.
"I'll tell you, yesterday the Anchorage Daily News, they called again to ask — double-, triple-, quadruple-check — who is Trig's real mom," Palin said. "And I said, Come on, are you kidding me? We're gonna answer this? Do you not believe me or my doctor? And they said, No, it's been quite cryptic the way that my son's birth has been discussed. And I thought, Okay, more indication of continued problems in the world of journalism."
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No Controversy At Energy Secretary Hearings
CBS News producer Mark Katkov reports on the nomination hearing for secretary of energy-designee Steven Chu.
There was no controversy at the hearing for physicist Steven Chu to be energy secretary, but there were indications of controversies to come over energy policy.
In his opening statement, Chu began by discussing climate change as "a growing and pressing problem."
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There was no controversy at the hearing for physicist Steven Chu to be energy secretary, but there were indications of controversies to come over energy policy.
(AP)
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