Obama to heckler: "Show me some courtesy"
President Obama chided a heckler at rally on Thursday at Ohio State University, telling the man, " sir, I'm hear to speak to these folks, you can hold your own rally, you're being rude."
The crowd erupted in cheers supporting the president but the man kept shouting. He wanted to give Mr. Obama a book.
With a grin on his face, Mr. Obama said he would be happy to read the book and added, "show me some courtesy."Continue »
Singing a different tune on the campaign trail
Let's say the 2012 election was a talent competition, based on singing. Who would you vote for?
President Obama and one of his Republican rivals, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, showed off their singing skills on Thursday. (watch at left) At his campaign headquarters in Charleston, S.C., Romney asked the crowd to help him sing "Happy Birthday" to South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley. Continue »
Romney praises Medicare overhaul proposal
Republican presidential candidates from left, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, Texas Gov. Rick Perry, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., and former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman participate in a Republican presidential debate in Sioux City, Iowa, Thursday, Dec. 15, 2011.
/ Pool,AP Photo/Eric GayRepublican presidential candidate Mitt Romney on Thursday applauded a new bipartisan plan to overhaul Medicare, hours after the White House slammed it as "radical."
During a Republican presidential debate in Sioux City, Iowa, the former Massachusetts governor called the proposal, which resembles a proposal Romney had earlier made, the result of politicians in both parties caring about "America in a critical time." Republican Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin and Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon put forth the proposal that would provide seniors a subsidy called "premium support" that would give them the option to receive traditional Medicare- a government-run health insurance -or the option to buy private insurance. The plan would go into effect in 2022 and the Medicare eligibility age would remain at 65. The White House slammed the plan today saying it would "end Medicare as we know it for millions of seniors."Continue »
Behind the scenes with the pardoned turkey
President Obama on Wednesday pardoned Peace and Liberty, sparing two turkeys from the dinner table.
But before grabbing the national spotlight, Peace and Liberty were just your average birds, enjoying the simple life on farm in Willmar, Minn., rocking out to music.
"They're real curious birds so we play ringtones on our phones, they perk up," said Preston Asche, one of the four Future Farmers of America students who helped raise the birds.
Today President Obama named the 45-pound turkey Liberty, and its alternate Peace, but the students just called them "Tom."
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Clinton denies knowing about "Fast and Furious"
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Thursday denied having any advance knowledge of a controversial program run by federal officials that allowed thousands of guns to be smuggled from the U.S. to Mexico in an effort to trace them to leaders of drug cartels before the program's existence became public.
She said the Justice Department did not "request coordination" or give "any kind of notice or heads up" about "Operation Fast and Furious," the ATF operation which put thousands of guns in the hands of Mexican drug cartels. The weapons may have been used in the murder of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry.
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Michelle Obama tries to break jumping jacks record
First lady Michelle Obama jumped at the chance to break a Guinness World Records title for the largest number of people doing jumping jacks in a 24-hour period.
Dressed in workout clothes, she instructed hundreds of students on the South Lawn Tuesday to "get their arms out" and get ready to exercise.
"All right you guys, I'm the first lady, I get to a do a lot of cool things, but this is really exciting," Obama told the kids.
Rubbing shoulders with world leaders at state dinners may be common occurrence for the first lady, but doing jumping jacks on the South Lawn is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
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Cantor pledges federal money for earthquake aid
House Majority Leader Eric Cantor assured his constituents on Wednesday that Congress "will find the monies" to assist earthquake victims in Mineral, Virginia - but the Republican lawmaker noted that "those monies will be offset with appropriate savings or cost-cutting elsewhere."
Cantor and Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell, speaking together in a news conference, had previously toured Mineral to assess the amount of damage the city sustained in the wake of Tuesday's 5.8 magnitude earthquake. Mineral, which was at the epicenter of the quake, falls in Virginia's 7th district, which Cantor represents.
Cantor was in Israel when he heard news of the quake, but said he "quickly decided that I had to get home to ensure I could do anything I could."
Continue »N.J. Gov. Christie jabs Obama on budget talks
AP Photo/Julio Cortez
A deal he brokered this week with Democrats on pension payments would not have happened with surrogates in charge, the Republican governor said.
"You can't negotiate through a second person," Christie said on NBC's Today Show, "I didn't have to be dragged in the room."
Continue »Marines Train in Afghan Culture
"How much for a cup of chai and cookies?"
That's definitely not a question you expect to hear during a training drill at Quantico Marine Corps Base. The cultural exchange is just one of several scenarios Marines act out with Afghan role players inside a mock village on the base.
Jessica Wattman, a senior conflict specialist with USAID, follows the marines and critiques them as they make their way through a series of missions, including meetings with tribal leaders.
The Department of Defense has invested millions of dollars to teach marines how to interact with Afghan civilians.
Wattman says much of the "US failure" in Afghanistan has been simply a matter of taking their culture for granted.
"What we've been doing in Afghanistan for the last nine years, is going in and assuming we know what the problems are and oftentimes that's simply just not the case," Wattman said.
Watch CBS News' Fernando Suarez report on CBSNews.com's webcast "Washington Unplugged" in the video above.
Continue »Elizabeth Edwards Friend on What We Can Learn From Her
Friends and family honoring the legacy of Elizabeth Edwards say she did not lose her battle with cancer. The battle was about living a good life, which she did, so she won.
Dr. Gordon Livingston knew Edwards before she became a political figure. Both had lost children -and from tragedy grew a 14-year bond. Livingston told CBS News senior White House correspondent Bill Plante that Edwards had a lot to teach us.
Continue »Undocumented Students Speak Out for DREAM Act
She's 25, has three degrees and teaches music to autistic children.
But Gaby Pacheco is still chasing an elusive dream.
She's undocumented.
Her family immigrated to the United States in 1993, when she was seven.
In 2006, federal immigration agents raided her home, and her family's been fighting deportation ever since.
Pacheco and three other undocumented students just completed a 1,500 mile walk from Miami to Washington, D.C. to share their stories and urge lawmakers to pass the DREAM Act, or the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act.
On "Washington Unplugged," Pacheco told CBS News Chief Washington Correspondent Bob Schieffer that despite talk of the bill dying in the lame duck congressional session, she's hoping it will pass by Christmas.
"This legislation would allow students like myself who came to United States as children the opportunity to give back to the country we call home, the opportunity to serve in the military and fight in the line of duty hand-in-hand with our friends, the people we grew up with and at the same time have the opportunity to go to college and come back and give to the economy," Pacheco said.
Continue »Will Reality TV Star Palin Run for President?
The debut of "Sarah Palin's Alaska" drew just under five million viewers Sunday night, making the reality show starring the former governor and vice presidential candidate (and her family) the top-rated series premiere in cable network TLC's history.
On Washington Unplugged Monday, a panel discussed what impact the show will have on Palin's White House prospects.
Politics365.com's Charles Ellison, host of "The New School" on SiriusXM radio, said he doubts Palin plans to run in 2012.
"I think really this was all some sort of scheme to make more money, more book tours," Ellison said. "I just don't see her making a really serious run in 2012."But Real Clear Politics' Scott Conroy, co-author of the book "Sarah From Alaska," sees it differently.
"For her to sit out the next presidential campaign would be extremely difficult for her on a personal level to do. She's surrounded by people telling her she has to run, this is her time," Conroy said.
CBS News political analyst John Dickerson said he thinks the timing of Palin's reality show and an upcoming 16-city tour to promote her new book "America by Heart" hints at a possible run in 2012.
Continue »Alexandra Cousteau: U.S. Needs a Water Policy
Alexandra Cousteau spent four months traveling North America to document severe cases of polluted rivers and neglected bodies of water. She told CBS News chief Washington correspondent Bob Schieffer on Friday's "Washington Unplugged" that "Expedition Blue Planet" is only the beginning of her efforts.
Her tour racked up more than 17,000 miles and highlighted critical issues some Americans may not know exist.
"We saw the Colorado River die in the Mexican desert. It hasn't reached the sea in over 12 years, which has caused real hardships for the communities both farmers and fisherman who depend on the river reaching the sea," Cousteau said.
To protect our rivers and streams, Cousteau says the United States needs a national water policy.
That's a goal she is working on through her Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit organization, Blue Legacy.
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