All Blog Posts from Political Hotsheet

For the president, it was a gesture to bring people together.

For the media, it was an opportunity to tap a keg of sud-soaked clichés.

Ever since President Obama announced he had invited Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates and Cambridge police Sergeant James Crowley over for a conciliatory beer, the press has tried to out-clever each other with hops-heavy headlines.

"Brewhaha" read more than one headline for the event aimed at quelling tensions over the controversial arrest.

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FBI Director Robert Mueller is a man who chooses his words carefully. In Washington parlance “he stays on message and in bounds.” And that’s what makes his answers today before the House Judiciary committee so curious.

He was pressed repeatedly about the potential danger Guantanamo prisoners may pose to America. And he tried to be clear. He said the administration is still trying to determine what to do with the 240 detainees still being held. Mueller did concede that maximum security prisons like Supermax prison in Colorado could safely house al Qaeda big shots if they were to be brought to the U.S. And it's true that some that some al Qaeda operatives like Ramzi Youssef are already inside Supermax.

But, the questions continued and Mueller soon was invited to answer a broad hypothetical query. Congressman Lamar Smith, R-TX, asked, “In general, what concerns do you have about releasing individuals suspected of terrorism into our communities? What dangers could they pose?”

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The implementation of President Barack Obama's stimulus plan will be transparent and vigilantly monitored to ensure the administration can effectively "follow the money," Vice President Joe Biden told CBS' The Early Show Wednesday.

"This is a matter of discipline and getting it right," Biden said. "That's what we intend to do."

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Celebrity blogger Perez Hilton has rarely let facts get in the way of gossip. Still his recent post about Michelle Obama has generated international baby buzz.

On Wednesday, an item appeared on PerezHilton.com (filed under Baby Blabber – Conspiracy Corner) with the headline: "White House Baby???"

"We're hearing talk in D.C. that Michelle Obama is pregnant," the post read.

Despite Hilton's blunt disclaimer ("this is completely unconfirmed"), the rumor has picked up steam. A Google search for the words "Michelle Obama" and "pregnant" churns out 826,000 results. Meanwhile, Gawker has begun scrutinizing recent photos of the First Lady for signs of pregnancy.

The speculation has also spread overseas. News outlets from England to Australia pounced on the news.

So did the gambling world. In the wake of the rumor, Ireland's biggest bookmaker Paddy Power slashed the odds on Michelle Obama giving birth this year from 10-1 to 2-1. You can also wager on the sex of the baby and even if the birth will produce multiple babies (it's 20-1 that Michelle Obama will have twins and 10,000-1 that she will have octuplets).

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WASHINGTON - Avis Berman won the presidential sweepstakes. The New Yorker entered Rep. Carolyn Maloney's lottery and was lucky enough to score two tickets to Barack Obama's inauguration ceremonies in Washington, D.C.

But her "silver seating" access didn't exactly shield her from the day's mayhem. Berman and fellow New Yorker Janis Conner found themselves at the whim of the human tide as they fought their way to Mr. Obama's inauguration ceremonies. Then after being denied access at multiple subway stations, it took them 4 1/2 hours to get home.

"No one was out there telling us what was happening," Berman said, sipping a beer after the arduous trip home. "It was serendipity whether you got there or not."

Finally, Berman and Conner were able to find their destination - but not until they cleared a very friendly security checkpoint.

"I got thoroughly patted down," said Conner of her frisking. "Then I gave (the security guard) a hug. I figured it was tit for tat."

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WASHINGTON -- Valerie McCarther-Parker is blunt when asked why she wants to brave the crowds and cold to witness Barack Obama's inauguration.

"It's history in the making, and I'm really excited about having a black president," the 14 year old says. "I want to tell my grandchildren that I was there. I don't want to tell them I saw it on TV."

Valerie's enthusiasm is palpable, but her comment has a somber undercurrent. Her grandmother passed away on Jan. 2 after suffering a massive stroke. Valerie was withdrawn and quiet after the death, according to her mother, Cynthia. But as the inauguration drew closer, she developed a sense of urgency.

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When Barack Obama declared his candidacy for president, he knew he had to fix a brewing economic crisis, confront war zones around the world and restore the nation's sagging reputation.

But apparently those were not the driving forces behind his White House run. That distinction goes to his daughters.

In an open letter to Sasha and Malia Obama, the president-elect declared: "I ran for President… because of what I want for you and for every child in this nation."

In the letter published in Parade Magazine, Mr. Obama tells his daughter that he knows life was hard for them while he was away on the campaign trail and that he wanted to explain why he wanted to "take our family on this journey."

"I thought life was all about me-about how I'd make my way in the world, become successful, and get the things I want," he writes "But then the two of you came into my world with all your curiosity and mischief and those smiles that never fail to fill my heart and light up my day. And suddenly, all my big plans for myself didn't seem so important anymore. I soon found that the greatest joy in my life was the joy I saw in yours. And I realized that my own life wouldn't count for much unless I was able to ensure that you had every opportunity for happiness and fulfillment in yours."

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Pat Quinn, Illinois' Lieutenant Governor, said he predicts Blagojevich will be impeached and removed from office by February 12, 2009 -- the 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birth on CBS News' Face the Nation.

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