He's beautiful, he's brilliant, he's boring

Tennis purists, critics and writers may sing the same symphony of praises each time Roger Federer systematically demolishes an opponent with clockwork precision, but the fans beg to differ. The keywords 'federer, boring' on a web search throw up 173,000 links, and while the 27-year-old may have his defendants, the verdict is damning.

Tennis's former No 1 aspires for perfection, which has seeped out from his tennis racquet to his on-court demeanour -- the slow walk across court, the poker face, and each meticulous wipe of the wristband after a gruelling rally. New epithets on the subliminity of Federer's backhand keep cropping up, but the inescapable fact remains that the great man is a tad boring. The concept of sport as entertainment takes a beating far worse than anything the Swiss has inflicted on hapless opponents, miles removed from the days of John 'you cannot be serious' McEnroe, and Jimmy 'I can turn the crowd against you' Connors.

If you compare him with the contemporaries, there's Andy Roddick, a former No 1 himself, who has held forth on Saturday Night Live, and turned away questions about his love life -- from Mandy Moore to Maria Sharapova and swimsuit model Brooklyn Decker -- with a quick wit guaranteed to raise a few laughs. The talking point in Federer's case has often been the latest cow he was gifted.

It's war, but Federer doesn't seem interested in getting his hands dirty. He reminds you of another legend, who also had to battle with similar 'he's too boring for words' accusations, and coincidentally, possessed the same the one-handed backhand -- Pete Sampras. The American was constantly measured against Andre Agassi on the personality stakes, and Federer seems to have the same thing going with the passionate outpourings of the man from Spain who has taken away his throne. Both possess the brain of a champion, but while the Spaniard wears his heart on his sleeve, Federer keeps it all inside. What's more fun to watch?

George Obama ,Barack’s Half-Brother Arrested for Marijuana

The half-brother of President Barack Obama,George Obama was arrested for marijuana possession in Kenya. And I can already hear Rush Limbaugh gearing up with glee and gusto (I know that was a pretty pointless sentence, but I wanted the alliteration).
George Obama, who is in his 20s and barely knows the president, had one joint of marijuana on him, said Joshua Omokulongolo, the police chief in the area.

"He is not a drug peddler," Omokulongolo told The Associated Press. "But it's illegal, it's a banned substance."

George Obama has a court appearance scheduled Monday morning.

George Obama is denying the charges, but really who cares: He either had it or he didn't. But either way, how does that affect us as Americans? It's true he is the president's half-brother, the same president that was pretty up front in his book about his cocaine use. So is there a connection between the family and drug use?

He and the president have the same father, who died in a car crash in 1982.

The White House declined comment Saturday on the president's half-brother.

Several of President Obama's Kenyan relatives went to Washington, D.C., for his inauguration, but George was not among them. He lives in Huruma with extended family.

Media reports about him surfaced over the summer, after a magazine article said he lived in a shack and earned a dollar a day. George Obama has called the reports insulting.

"I'm proud of how I live," he told The Associated Press in an interview over the summer. "(The media) are tarnishing the family name."

He also said he was studying to be a mechanic and works with a local youth group in Huruma.

In President Obama's book "Dreams From My Father," he describes George Obama as "a handsome, roundheaded boy with a wary gaze."

Barack said in his book he met George Obama once in Kenya and it was a pretty sad affair. But you know what, I have plenty of friends who use marijuana and I think it's pretty much blown out of proportion. I mean, what do you get up to when you're high? Don't know about you, but I just sit around and talk about all the stuff I'd do to change the world for the better. If I wasn't high that is.

George is the youngest of the senior Obama's seven children, born six months before his father died.

Bring Sean Home

Bring The Sean Home!!

“It is like a nightmare for David Goldman, except that when he wakes up, it is still there. His son Sean, abducted to Brazil by the boy’s mother four years ago, remains almost in sight but always out of reach, in defiance of the laws of two nations and the world.”

“Goldman had been traveling to Brazil for every court hearing that ruled against him over the years. He went again, only to discover that his late wife’s Brazilian husband had filed a petition with local family courts to remove Goldman’s name from Sean’s birth records and replace it with his own.”

“Now, the question is how a person who is not related by blood to Sean can erase Goldman’s name from his son’s birth records.


The whole world joins the campaign for bringing David Goldman Seane to his father within a dateline....Whole world is fighting for Seane Goldman....

Lets join the fight....Sign the petition

Prison employee sentenced to prison for having sex with inmate

A former prison secretary has been sentenced to six months in federal prison for having sex with an inmate.

Janine Sligar, 47, of Wray, Colorado, was sentenced Thursday for sexual abuse of a ward. After serving her sentence, she will serve five years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender, spokesman Jeff Dorschner said in a news release.

Sligar, who must surrender to a facility designated by the Bureau of Prisons on March 2, did not respond to a telephone call to her home for comment.

She was indicted in July by a federal grand jury in Denver and pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in October.

According to the plea agreement, Sligar, a 14-year Bureau of Prisons veteran, said she and inmate Eric McClain met in February 2007, when he was assigned to clean her office.

Sligar, who acknowledged having detailed her activities in a journal, said she obtained a cell phone with a non-local phone number so McClain could call her without raising suspicion and admitted she gave him contraband that included photographs with explicit sexual poses, the plea agreement added.

Authorities began investigating the incident after receiving a tip about the inappropriate relationship. They then learned that Sligar had changed the primary beneficiary on an insurance policy from her children to McClain. A subsequent search of her home turned up the journal and photographs.
source:cnn

Seattle Earthquake

There were no immediate reports of damage from a 4.5-magnitude earthquake that rattled the Seattle and Puget Sound area early Friday, but it woke a lot of people up.

A 4.5 magnitude earthquake shook the Puget Sound area of Washington state early Friday morning, January 30, 2009 according to the USGS. The good news is that surrounding infrastructure seems to have weathered the seismic event without damage.

The quake, at a depth of 36 miles, occurred at 5:25 a.m. and was centered 14 miles northwest of Seattle near Kingston in Kitsap County.

The U.S. Geological Survey initially reported it as a 4.6-magnitude quake, but the University of Washington report on the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network listed it at 4.5.According to DOT spokeswoman Kristy Van Ness, crews remain in the field doing follow-up checks of bridges and other support structures. Initial examinations were made with flashlights in the dark, with no reports of damage.

The University of Washington is reporting it as a 4.5 quake on the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network. It was felt throughout the Puget Sound area in Western Washington. There were reports that the quake was felt in Victoria, British Columbia, 71 miles to the north.

Seismic Network director John Vidale said the quake was from the same general source as the 6.8 magnitude Nisqually earthquake of Feb. 28, 2001. That quake disrupted operations at SeaTac International Airport, and damaged the Capitol building in Olympia as well as the Alaskan Way Viaduct in Seattle.

The network shows it was felt throughout the Puget Sound area in Western Washington, and people reported feeling it in Victoria, British Columbia, 71 miles to the north.

Many said they were shaken awake.

"It shook the house like something had hit the roof," said Robert Lyden on Anderson Island in Puget Sound. "It just woke us up." Other than knocking a water fountain off his deck there was no damage, he said.

Lacey Menne says it shook her home as she was preparing to go to work at the Coastal Cafe in Kingston.

"It wasn't strong enough to make anything fall," she said. "It was like, what is that? I think it might be an earthquake. It's totally an earthquake!"

Seattle radio and TV stations heard from callers who said they felt the shaking for 10 or 15 seconds.

Small quakes are common in the Pacific Northwest. This morning’s quake was the largest in Washington since October 2006.

Nadya Suleman Is Octuplets Mother

Nadya Suleman is the second woman in the US to give birth to octuplets. The babies were all born on January 26, in California. And in the shocker of the week, The Sun reported that she works at a fertility clinic. Not only that, but she also reportedly has six other children, including a set of twins, and is a single mom! Of the eight newborns, six are girls and two are boys. What’s she going to do on “take your daughter to work” day, rent a school bus? All of the babies appear to be doing well, even though they were born prematurely by roughly two months.

Tanya Aldecoa, who lives around the corner from the home of octuplets mother, Nadya Suleman, said she hadn't seen her out with her children for a couple of months, likely because of the pregnancy, but she was always pleasant as she strolled the neighborhood with her children.

More details are emerging about a local woman who gave birth earlier this week to eight babies. Neighbors say she was a young, pretty woman who used to walk through the neighborhood pulling a wagon with some of her older children, but kept mostly to herself.


At the Suleman home Friday, an older woman who came out to greet a child arriving home from school told reporters Nadya would "come home when she's ready."

Suleman released a statement yesterday that said the babies "continue to grow strong every day and make good progress," adding that she and her family were "ecstatic" about the births. Suleman reportedly has six older children, including one set of twins.

The woman allegedly lives at home with her parents, and there is no information about the father. Also, in news that may not bode well for the children, someone in the Suleman household filed for bankruptcy last year, and even abandoned a house.

Apparently Suleman only expected seven children, but the eighth came through a cesarean delivery. The mother herself has yet to speak to the public, but in statement given through the medical center she said:

“Please know, in our own time, we will share additional details about this miraculous experience. The babies continue to grow strong every day and make good progress. My family and I are ecstatic about all of their arrivals. Needless to say the eighth was a surprise to us all, but a blessing as well.”

I hope the babies continue to do well, and that the mother handles all 14 of her children with care. Only a few more and she could tie the Duggars.

McCaskill offers plan to limit executive pay

Go, Claire, go.

Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill today got national attention for ripping into Wall Street executives and their excessive bonuses.

Sen. Claire McCaskill has delivered a sharp threat to the wallets of corporate executives who took large compensation packages even as their companies accepted government bailout funds. Things, she warned, are going to change.

"I've been mad for a while," said the Missouri Democrat. "When we passed the initial half of the TARP money, [there were] rumors about bonuses, the fact that too many of these guys were holding onto the jobs even though they were running these companies into the ground. Reality didn't seem to be the order of the day."

So McCaskill took to the Senate floor on Friday to put an end to the surrealism. In a bill that came to the surprise of reporters, her colleagues, and the White House alike -- there was no coordination with the Obama administration, she said -- the Missouri Democrat called for compensation for employees of bailout recipients to be capped at $400,000 a year.

"They don't get it," McCaskill said on the floor. "These people are idiots. You can't use taxpayer money to pay out $18-billion in bonuses... What planet are these people on?"

Then she backed up her tough talk with a proposed law.

She wants to limit compensation given out by any companies that accept U.S. bailout funds.

Great idea, Claire. Now good luck getting it into law, after the furor has died down, and the GOP revs up the "you-can't-tell-private-businesses-what-do-do" machine.

Of course, McCaskill would have a better chance of passing this law if Obama maintains his strong stance -- taken Thursday -- in opposition to the bonuses handed out last year.

Working together, McCaskill and Obama may have a chance to make a difference on this issue.

In an interview with the Huffington Post, however, McCaskill didn't just take on corporate CEOs. She criticized some of the spending in the House stimulus package, saying that her fellow Democrats had been "over-anxious."

"Whether it is the National Endowment of the Arts or some of the STD funding or contraceptive funding, all we did was just tee up ammunition for the other side to tear this thing down," she said. "And I would like to think we are smarter than that. I'm hopeful on the Senate side we will be smarter than that."

McCaskill chalked up the mistakes to Democrats only just getting comfortable to life without a Republican president. "There has been such a starvation diet for some of these programs that the appropriators got a little over-anxious in the House. They probably did some things they shouldn't have."

McCaskill also made news predicting that "a few" Republican senators would support the Employee Free Choice Act, a labor community priority that has engendered heated debate between the two political parties. And she called on leadership in her party to vote on the legislation -- which would allow unions to organize more easily -- "sooner rather than later."

Michael Steele Elected RNC Chairman

Michael Steele makes history as the first black chairman of the Republican National Committee, and as a rare winner — at least in part — of an outside game in what is usually an insider's contest. He won with 91 votes, 6 more than he needed, over South Carolina GOP Chairman Katon Dawson.

Michael Steele became the first African-American chairman of the Republican National Committee on Friday after defeating his lone remaining challenger, Katon Dawson, on the sixth and final ballot. The margin was 91 votes for Steele, 77 votes for Dawson.

"This is awesome," Steele told the crowd. "I accept and appreciate all of you for the opportunity to serve as the next national chairman of our very proud, our very strong, and our very, very hard working Republican National Committee."

Michael S. Steele served as Lieutenant Governor of Maryland from 2003 through 2007.

Steele is chairman of GOPAC.

When Steele was elected Lieutenant Governor of Maryland in 2003, he became the first African American elected to state-wide office in that state.

He is currently a partner in the international law firm of Dewey & LeBoeuf in Washington, D.C.

From 1991-1997, Steele was a corporate securities attorney at the international law firm of Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton in Washington, D.C., specializing in sophisticated financial transactions on behalf of Wall Street underwriters.

He also was a corporate finance counsel for the Mills Corporation and founded his own company, The Steele Group, a business and legal consulting firm.

His writings on law, business and politics have appeared in The Washington Times, Politico.com, Townhall.com, and The Journal of International Security Affairs, among others.

Named a 2005 Aspen Institute-Rodel Fellow in Public Leadership and awarded the 2005 Bethune-DuBois Institute Award for his ongoing work in the development of quality education in Maryland, Steele has served on a variety of boards and commissions, including the Export-Import Bank Advisory Board, the U.S. Naval Academy Board of Visitors, and the Republican National Committee.

Born in 1958 at Andrews Air Force Base in Prince Georges County, Maryland, Steele was raised in Washington, D.C.

He spent three years as a seminarian in the Order of St. Augustine in preparation for the priesthood, but ultimately chose a career in law instead.

He earned his law degree from Georgetown University Law Center in 1991.

Steele serves on the Administrative Board of the Maryland Catholic Conference and is a member of St. Marys Catholic Church in Landover Hills, MD, where he attends mass regularly with his wife Andrea and their two sons.

Wall Street Bonuses

Wall Street's image is undergoing a public flogging after financial firms here paid out bountiful bonuses in 2008 — one of the worst years in financial market history.

However,President Barack Obama believes the multi-billion dollar bonuses that Wall Street banks awarded themselves for 2008 are "outrageous", White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said on Thursday.

Despite losing hundreds of billions of dollars on risky loans and accepting massive cash injections from taxpayers to stabilize their businesses, Wall Street firms paid out an estimated $18.4 billion in cash bonuses, says the New York state comptroller.

While the hefty payout to bankers was 44% lower than 2007, it was still the sixth-largest bonus pool in history. A big chunk of Wall Street employees' annual income is in the form of performance-driven bonuses.

The New York comptroller reported this week that Wall Street firms paid out $18.4 billion (12.8 billion pounds) in bonuses to employees, despite receiving multi-billion dollar payouts from the government to save them from collapse in the face of the worst financial crisis in decades.

The bonus revelation was greeted with outrage by President Obama, as well as some lawmakers and compensation experts, largely because the cash was doled out at a time when the U.S. economy is suffering its worst downturn since World War II and nearly 5 million Americans are collecting unemployment.

President Obama described the payouts as "shameful," branding the Wall Street behavior as "the height of irresponsibility."

"We're not going to be able to do what is needed to be done to stabilise our financial situation if the American people read about this type of outrageous behaviour," he said.

Gibbs said Obama would talk in more detail about the issue before meeting his Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner at the White House later on Thursday.

The New York comptroller said it was unclear if the banks had used taxpayer money for the bonuses but he urged the Obama administration to examine the issue closely.

Gibbs also said the White House believed that the first $350 billion of the financial bailout programme had failed to live up to Americans' expectations. The Obama administration and many lawmakers have said there were too few strings attached to the money released to shore up banks.

After a meeting with Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, Mr. Obama said:

One point I want to make is that all of us are going to have responsibilities to get this economy moving again. And when I saw an article today indicating that Wall Street bankers had given themselves $20 billion worth of bonuses — the same amount of bonuses as they gave themselves in 2004 — at a time when most of these institutions were teetering on collapse and they are asking for taxpayers to help sustain them, and when taxpayers find themselves in the difficult position that if they don’t provide help that the entire system could come down on top of our heads — that is the height of irresponsibility. It is shameful

Obama signs 'Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act'

It's been a long haul for Lilly Ledbetter. But today, President Obama signed the Fair Pay Act into law that bears her name.

The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act is a response to a May 2007 Supreme Court ruling that made it tougher for employees to file pay discrimination claims.

This law will not go back and restore all those years of less pay for being a woman. Nor will it equalize her pension -- based on her lesser pay amounts -- even though Lilly was widowed in December and could probably use the extra money these days.

But it at least helps all the women to come behind her, and their families...and all the analogous civil rights cases to come. That is something enormous.

Gail Collins detailed some of the foremothers of women's workplace equality today. To her list, I'd add Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Ms. Ledbetter, a 19-year area manager for Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. in Gadsden, Ala., learned she was earning far less than male colleagues but could not pursue a case because, the justices ruled, the 180-day window to file a discrimination claim began with her hiring. The law amends the 1964 Civil Rights Act to allow for claims within 180 days of each paycheck considered discriminatory.
Vice President Joseph Biden greets Lilly Ledbetter as President Barack Obama leads her to the table before he signs the Lilly Ledbetter Bill, as a bipartisan group of Congress including Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), and Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD) stand by, in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., on January 29, 2009. (Katie Falkenberg / The Washington Times)

Ms. Ledbetter lost more than $200,000 in wages and benefits over her career, the president said.

Joining him were Ms. Ledbetter, first lady Michelle Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. and congressional leaders. Mr. Obama signed the bill using several presidential pens, giving each to the congressional co-sponsors onstage. But he saved one for the law's namesake: "This one is for Lilly," he said, a line that earned a standing ovation.


Before putting his pen to the paper, Obama said:

"Lilly Ledbetter did not set out to be a trailblazer or a household name. She was just a good hard worker who did her job -- and she did it well -- for nearly two decades before discovering that for years, she was paid less than her male colleagues for doing the very same work. Over the course of her career, she lost more than $200,000 in salary, and even more in pension and Social Security benefits -- losses that she still feels today.

"Now, Lilly could have accepted her lot and moved on. She could have decided that it wasn't worth the hassle and the harassment that would inevitably come with speaking up for what she deserved. But instead, she decided that there was a principle at stake, something worth fighting for. So she set out on a journey that would take more than 10 years, take her all the way to the Supreme Court of the United States, and lead to this day and this bill which will help others get the justice she was denied. ...

"I intend to send a clear message: That making our economy work means making sure it works for everyone. That there are no second class citizens in our workplaces, and that it's not just unfair and illegal -- it's bad for business -- to pay someone less because of their gender, or their age, race, ethnicity, religion or disability."

President Barack Obama signs the Lilly Ledbetter Bill as a bipartisan group of Congress and Lilly Ledbetter stands behind, in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., on January 29, 2009. (Katie Falkenberg / The Washington Times)

The measure passed the House 250-177 and the Senate 61-36.

The next significant piece of legislation that Congress is expected to send to Mr. Obama is a measure to expand the popular State Children's Heath Insurance Program, or SCHIP, for another 4 1/2 years.

Mount Redoubt volcano in Alaska expected to erupt 'within days'

Alaska’s known for dramatic scenery. That scenery is there because of very active geology.
Mount Redoubt, a volcano 100 miles southwest of Anchorage, is rumbling and simmering, prompting geologists to warn that an eruption may be imminent.

Mt. Redoubt, a 10,197-foot active volcano 103 miles west of Anchorage. Scientists at the US Geological Survey’s Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) are keeping close tabs on the mountain. They say an eruption may be imminent.

On Thursday, the observatory said: "Seismicity remains above background and largely unchanged with several volcanic earthquakes occurring every hour."

Last fall, it showed signs that it may be waking up after a decade’s slumber. Since Jan. 23, that activity has been rising — largely marked by an increase in tremors recorded by seismic sensors near the summit.According scientists to the AVO, the first tip that the mountain might be clearing its throat again came via peoples’ noses. Toward the end of last September, residents downwind of the volcano reported the pungent rotten-egg smell of hydrogen sulfide. The AVO ordered up some overflights of the mountain. Sure enough, scientists detected higher-than-usual levels of carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and hydrogen sulfide.

The difference is gas trying to escape gets blocked, possibly by a lava dome or a viscous magma that increases the power from beneath, said observatory geologist Jennifer Adleman.

"Its pressure keeps building and building," she said.

The last time the 10,197-foot peak blew was during a five-month stretch starting in December 1989. It disrupted international air traffic and placed a layer of volcanic dust throughout the Anchorage area.

Scientists at the Alaska Volcano Observatory have been watching it since the weekend. And so, it turns out, has the public. Two webcams have been set up to monitor the mountain. And in a particularly Web-savvy touch, observatory staff are sending out updates on Twitter.

Volcanoes in Alaska, including Redoubt, typically erupt explosively, shooting ash almost eight miles high. Volcanic ash features small, jagged pieces of rock and glass.
This differs from volcanoes in Hawaii, which usually have slow rolling lava ooze out.

Elisabeth Hasselbeck pregnant with third child

"The View's" conservative co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck is expecting her third child with former football star, Tim Hasselbeck.

Elizabeth Hasselback is pregnant. No, this isn’t old news. Elizabeth Hasselback is pregnant again. The most recent Hasselback pregnancy is with her third child, The Huffington Post is reporting

Hasselback told “The View” that she had no idea she was pregnant and considered her pregnancy “Electionitis.”

Hasselbeck says she found out the happy news after feeling sick at the presidential inauguration earlier this month.

"We were thoroughly happy with the surprise of it,I didn't even know for two months." Hasselbeck said.

Hasselbeck and her husband, Tim Hasselback, are already parents with Grace, 3, and Taylor, 1.

Hasselbeck famously got into a heated fight with Rosie O'Donnell in May 2007 when she was pregnant. O'Donnell left the show soon after.

The baby is due in August.

related story:Elisabteh Hasselback pregnant

Pat Quinn sworn in as Illinois' new governor

Illinois has a new governor, lawyer, onetime consumer advocate, and some say, political gadfly, Patrick Quinn.

Pat Quinn has been sworn in as Illinois' new governor. Quinn took the oath of office moments after the state Senate voted to remove Rod Blagojevich, who was ousted on charges of abuse of power.

Quinn is a strong supporter of our troops. I don't believe he has missed a single funeral of a single Illinois soldier who was killed in action serving our country in the War on Terror. And he did this without an entourage, and without fanfare.

Quinn had served for two terms under Blagojevich, but the two had little in common. In fact, Quinn has said the men have not spoken in more than a year, and Blagojevich said last year that Quinn was not even part of his administration.

Quinn was a running mate with Blagojevich twice, and was a beneficiary of Blago's strongarm fundraising tactics. In 2006, Quinn said Blago was "a person who's honest and one of integrity." He also said of Blagojevich, "I have confidence the governor does the right thing all the time."


Quinn's rise to the governor's mansion, although not as amazing as Barack Obama's rise to the presidency, is quite a story. CBS 2 Chicago's Mike Flannery wrote that Quinn has "been a thorn in the side of the state's political establishment for 33 years."

Flannery recalls that Quinn is the only man in history who received a standing "boo-vation," a three minute boo-fest, by members of the Illinois House.

The last dark horse candidate to win the White House, Harding, an avid poker player, explained his rise to the presidency this way. "I drew a pair of deuces and filled."

As did Quinn.

While still lieutenant governor, Quinn promised Illinoisans that he's remove those obnoxious "Rod R. Blagojevich, Governor" signs from the state's toll roads.

Quinn is a 60-year-old former state treasurer and tax attorney. He is best known for his efforts to cut big government and protect the little guy. One of the most pressing issues for him is the state's deficit of more than $3 billion.

Illinois senate votes to oust Governor Blagojevich

Illinois senators stripped Gov. Rod Blagojevich of power Thursday in the final act of a political drama that handed the reins of state government to his estranged lieutenant governor, Pat Quinn, and likely will end Blagojevich's career in politics.

More than two-thirds of the 59 senators, acting as a jury following the two-term Democrat's impeachment on Jan. 9, voted to find him guilty, effectively ousting him from office.

The vote was televised live from the state capitol building in Springfield, Illinois. Blagojevich is the first governor in Illinois history to be impeached and removed from office.

The outcome was never in doubt. In fact, Quinn went to the state Capitol earlier in the day to prepare to be sworn in.

Earlier today, in a long-shot attempt to save his job, Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich insisted Thursday he had done nothing wrong and shouldn't be removed from office over unproven criminal charges and complaints about his management decisions.

"You haven't proved a crime, and you can't because it didn't happen,How can you throw a governor out of office with insufficient and incomplete evidence?" Blagojevich said

Blagojevich acknowledged he sometimes mingled campaign fundraising with government decisions or cut administrative corners to achieve his goals. But he maintained his motivation was always to help constituents.

The plea did not appear to move lawmakers. After a lunch break, senator after senator stood up and declared Blagojevich unfit to hold office as they prepared for the historic vote on whether to toss him out.

"The whole world is watching Illinois today, and you know what? I'm tired of it," said Democratic Sen. Terry Link of the Chicago suburb of Waukegan. "You don't know whether to get angry or cry because we've been duped again. You were with the last governor, and we were with this governor," he said, pointing first to Republicans and then to his fellow Democrats.

The governor said he would like to apologize, but couldn't because he didn't do anything wrong. The senators watched attentively. Many leaned forward in their seats. Some took notes.

"It's painful and it's lonely, but I want you to know I never, ever intended to commit a criminal act," Blagojevich said.

Blagojevich acknowledged that the truth about his conduct is "maybe not flattering in some cases," referring to several secretly recorded conversations played earlier in the trial.

The FBI wiretaps appear to show Blagojevich linking his decision on legislation to receiving campaign contributions.

Blagojevich told the state Senate the tapes captured something that "all of us in politics do in order to run campaigns and win elections."

Blagojevich, 52, was arrested last month on a variety of federal corruption charges, including scheming to benefit from appointing Obama's Senate replacement and demanding campaign contributions in exchange for state services.

He was impeached in the House on Jan. 9 for abuse of power. The 13 accusations included plotting to give financial assistance to the Tribune Co. only if members of the Chicago Tribune editorial board were fired, awarding state contracts or permits in exchange for campaign

Biographical information on Blagojevich

NAME — Rod R. Blagojevich.

AGE — 52. Born Dec. 10, 1956.

HOME — Chicago.

FAMILY — Wife, Patricia; two daughters.

EDUCATION — Northwestern University, graduated 1979; Pepperdine University, law degree, 1983.

EXPERIENCE — Elected Illinois governor, 2002; re-elected, 2006; ousted by state Senate, 2009. Served in U.S. House of Representatives from Illinois' 5th district, 1997-2003. Served in Illinois House from Chicago's North Side, 1993-1997. Assistant Cook County state's attorney, prosecuting criminal cases.

QUOTE — "I don't care whether you tape me privately or publicly. I can tell you that whatever I say is always lawful."

Office Of Counsel To The President Takes Shape

President Obama rolled out 22 attorneys to join his White House counsel's office today, including one specifically designated for first lady Michelle Obama.

The plague of barristers will serve under White House Counsel Greg Craig and Deputy Counsel Cassandra Butts.

Most of the lawyers named today are alumni of either President Clinton's administration (as is Craig), Harvard Law School (as is Butts) or clerkships for left-leaning Supreme Court Justices.

The deputy counsels are Principal Deputy Counsel Daniel Meltzer (Harvard); Deputy Counsel to the President for National Security Affairs and Legal Adviser to the National Security Council Mary DeRosa (Clinton); and Deputy Counsel to the President for Economic Policy and Deputy Assistant to the President Neal Wolin (Clinton).

The Obama White House has appointed Norman Eisen to serve as a Special Counsel to the President for Ethics and Government Reform Norman Eisen. Eisen is an alumnus of both Harvard Law School and the liberal good government group CREW.

Associate Counsels named today include Kendall Burman; Susan Davies (Clinton, clerk for Kennedy and Breyer); Karen Dunn (Hillary Clinton's Senate Office, Breyer); Danielle Gray (Harvard, Breyer); Michael Gottlieb (Harvard, Stevens); Roberto J. Gonzalez (Stevens) Virginia Canter (Clinton); Caroline Krass (Clinton); Jonathan Kravis (Breyer); Trevor Morrison (Ginsburg); Alison J. Nathan (Stevens); Kate Shaw (Stevens); and Christian A. Weideman.

Susan Sher, a legal eagle who worked with Michelle Obama at the University of Chicago Medical Center and has served as Corporation Counsel for the City of Chicago, will serve as associate counsel to the president and counsel to the first lady.

Deputy Associate Counsels include Ian Bassin; Rashad Hussain; Blake Roberts (Harvard); and Jason G. Green.

Here are their profile

Daniel Meltzer, a professor at Obama's alma mater, Harvard Law School, and, like the president, a former head of the Harvard Law Review, has been named as a deputy White House counsel and deputy assistant to the president. Meltzer served a stint at the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare before entering academia and took part in the investigation of the Iran-Contra Affair in the 1980s.

Mary DeRosa, a member of Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy's staff, has been selected as the deputy counsel to the president for national security affairs and legal adviser to the National Security Council. DeRosa also worked for the Clinton White House. The president's selected deputy counsel for economic policy, Neal Wolin, most recently worked in the private sector but has also served as a Treasury department lawyer and an assistant to then-National Security Advisor Anthony Lake in the Clinton White House.

And Norman L. Eisen, who was lead ethics adviser to the Obama transition team, will continue to work for the president as special counsel for ethics and government reform. Co-founder of watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, Eisen will, according to a White House press release, help "to advance the president's overall government reform agenda."

Full bios, provided by the White House, are available after the jump.

Deputy Counsels and Special Counsel

Daniel Meltzer

The President has named Daniel Meltzer to be Principal Deputy White House Counsel to the President and Deputy Assistant to the President. Mr. Meltzer is the Story Professor of Law at Harvard Law School and the Vice Dean for Physical Planning. He joined the faculty of Harvard Law School in 1982, teaching courses in federal courts, criminal law, and criminal procedure. Prior to his tenure at Harvard, Mr. Meltzer served as Special Assistant to Joseph A. Califano, Jr., Secretary of the United States Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, and, after leaving the government, practiced law for three years at Williams & Connolly in Washington, D.C. Earlier, Mr. Meltzer served as a Law Clerk to the Judge Carl McGowan of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit and for Justice Potter Stewart of the United States Supreme Court. Mr. Meltzer earned his bachelor's degree from Harvard College and his J.D. from Harvard Law School, where he served as President of the Harvard Law Review and was awarded the Fay Diploma. From 1988-1992, he served as Associate Counsel, Office of Independent Counsel Lawrence E. Walsh, Iran-Contra Prosecution. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and has served as a member of the Committee on Rules of Practice and Procedure, Judicial Conference of the United States and on the Council of the American Law Institute.

Mary DeRosa

The President has named Mary DeRosa to be Deputy Counsel to the President for National Security Affairs and Legal Adviser to the National Security Council. Ms. DeRosa most recently served as Chief Counsel for National Security to the Senate Judiciary Committee, working for the Chairman, Senator Patrick Leahy. Prior to that, she was a Senior Fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Earlier, she served on the Clinton Administration National Security Council staff as Special Assistant to the President and Legal Adviser and Deputy Legal Adviser. She has also been Special Counsel to the General Counsel at the Department of Defense and an Associate in the Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles offices of Arnold & Porter. Ms. DeRosa served as a Law Clerk for Judge Richard J. Cardamone of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. She received her bachelor's degree from the University of Virginia and her J.D. from the George Washington University Law School, where she served as an editor of the George Washington Law Review.

Neal Wolin

The President has named Neal Wolin to be Deputy Counsel to the President for Economic Policy and Deputy Assistant to the President. Mr. Wolin most recently served as the President and Chief Operating Officer for Property and Casualty operations of The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. Prior to that, Mr. Wolin worked as Executive Vice President and General Counsel to the Hartford Financial Services Group. Earlier in his career, Mr. Wolin served as the general counsel of the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Prior to joining the Treasury Department, Mr. Wolin served in the White House as the executive assistant to National Security Advisor Anthony Lake. Prior to that, Mr. Wolin was the deputy legal adviser of the National Security Council, providing foreign affairs and national security legal advice to the National Security Advisor and the Counsel to the President. Mr. Wolin has also served as special assistant to three directors of Central Intelligence: William H. Webster, Robert M. Gates, and R. James Woolsey. Before joining the federal government, Mr. Wolin practiced law in Washington D.C. with the law firm of Wilmer, Cutler, and Pickering, and as Law Clerk for Judge Eugene H. Nickerson of the Eastern District of New York. Mr. Wolin received a bachelor's degree from Yale College, a Masters degree from the University of Oxford, and a J.D. from Yale Law School.

Norman L. Eisen

The President has named Norman L. Eisen to be Special Counsel to the President for Ethics and Government Reform. Mr. Eisen most recently served as the Deputy General Counsel to the Transition, where his duties include serving as lead ethics advisor. He will reprise that ethics role in the White House, as well as helping to advance the President's overall government reform agenda. Before joining the Transition, Mr. Eisen was a partner at Zuckerman Spaeder LLP in Washington D.C. acting as outside counsel to governmental clients in a wide array of matters. He also handled white-collar and Congressional investigations during his 17 years at the firm. He is the co-founder of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), a progressive government watchdog group. Mr. Eisen received his bachelor's degree from Brown University and his J.D. from Harvard Law School.

Associate Counsels

Kendall C. Burman

The President has named Kendall C. Burman to be Associate Counsel to the President. Ms. Burman most recently served as Chief Staff Counsel to the Obama for America campaign. Earlier in her career, she served as an Associate at Latham & Watkins, LLP. Ms. Burman received her bachelor's degree from Bowdoin College and her J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School, where she was an editor of the University of Chicago Law Review.

Susan Davies

The President has named Susan Davies to be Associate Counsel to the President. Ms. Davies recently served as General Counsel to the United States Senate Judiciary Committee. Earlier in her career, she served in the Department of Justice in the Antitrust Division, the Office of the Solicitor General, and the Office of Policy Development. Prior to that, Mrs. Davies worked as a litigator at Sidley and Austin in Chicago. Ms. Davies also served as a Law Clerk to Justice Anthony M. Kennedy and Justice Stephen G. Breyer, and as a special counsel to President Bill Clinton. Ms. Davies received her bachelor's degree from Yale University and her J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School, where she was an editor of the University of Chicago Law Review.

Karen Dunn

The President has named Karen Dunn to be Associate Counsel to the President. Ms. Dunn most recently served as Deputy to Chief Strategist David Axelrod on the Obama for America campaign. Prior to that, Ms. Dunn served as a Law Clerk to Justice Stephen Breyer of the Supreme Court of the United States and to Judge Merrick Garland of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Earlier in her career, Ms. Dunn worked for Senate candidate and then-Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton as her press secretary and later as her communications director and a senior adviser. Prior to that, Ms. Dunn served as an aide to Congresswoman Nita M. Lowey. She received her bachelor's degree from Brown University and her J.D. from Yale Law School.

Danielle Gray

The President has named Danielle C. Gray to be Associate Counsel to the President. Ms. Gray recently served as Deputy Policy Director for Obama for America, focusing on domestic policy as well as law and judicial issues. Prior to this, she was an associate with the law firm of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom in New York. Earlier in her career, she served as a Law Clerk to Justice Stephen Breyer on the Supreme Court of the United States and to Judge Merrick Garland on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. She also worked on the policy and research staff of the President-elect's 2004 United States Senate campaign. Ms. Gray received her bachelor's degree from Duke University and her J.D. from Harvard Law School, where she served as an editor of the Harvard Law Review.

Michael Gottlieb

The President has named Michael J. Gottlieb to be Associate Counsel to the President. Mr. Gottlieb recently served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the United States Attorney's Office for the Central District of California. Prior to this, he was an associate with the law firm of Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale & Dorr. Earlier in his career, he served as a Law Clerk to Justice John Paul Stevens on the Supreme Court of the United States and to Judge Stephen Reinhardt of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Mr. Gottlieb received his bachelor's degree from Northwestern University and his J.D. from Harvard Law School, where he served as an editor of the Harvard Law Review.

Roberto J. Gonzalez

The President has named Roberto Gonzalez to be Associate Counsel to the President. Mr. Gonzalez recently served as an associate at Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale & Dorr LLP. Earlier in his career, he served as a Law Clerk to Justice John Paul Stevens of the Supreme Court of the United States and a Law Clerk to Judge Guido Calabresi of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Mr. Gonzalez received his bachelor's degree from Duke University and his J.D. from Stanford Law School, where he served as an editor of the Stanford Law Review.

Virginia Canter

The President has named Virginia Canter to be Associate Counsel to the President. Ms. Canter most recently served as Associate Director of the Office of Foreign Assets Control at the Department of the Treasury. Earlier in her career, Ms. Canter was Senior Ethics Counsel at the Department of the Treasury, General Counsel of the National Endowment for the Humanities, Associate Counsel to President Clinton, and Assistant Ethics Counsel at the Securities and Exchange Commission. Ms. Canter received both her bachelor's degree and her J.D. from the University of Baltimore.

Caroline Krass

The President has named Caroline Krass to be Associate Counsel to the President for National Security Affairs. Ms. Krass recently served as Senior Counsel in the Office of Legal Counsel at the Department of Justice. Prior to this, she served as Deputy Legal Adviser at the National Security Council. Earlier in her career, she served as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney in the National Security Section of the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia. Ms. Krass also worked as an Attorney Advisor in the Office of Legal Counsel, as the Special Assistant to the General Counsel at the Department of the Treasury, and as an Attorney Advisor at the Department of State. Ms. Krass served as a Law Clerk to Judge Patricia M. Wald of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Ms. Krass received her bachelor's degree from Stanford University and her J.D. from Yale University, where she served as an editor of the Yale Law Journal.

Jonathan Kravis

The President has named Jonathan Kravis to be Associate Counsel to the President. Mr. Kravis recently served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia. Prior to this, he was an associate at Williams & Connolly in Washington, D.C. Earlier in his career, he served as a Law Clerk to Justice Stephen Breyer of the Supreme Court of the United States and to Judge Merrick Garland of the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. Kravis received his bachelor's degree from Williams College and his J.D. from Yale Law School, where he served as an editor of the Yale Law Journal.

Trevor Morrison

The President has named Trevor Morrison to be Associate Counsel to the President for National Security Affairs. Mr. Morrison is on leave from Columbia Law School, where he is a Professor of Law. Earlier in his career, he served as a Law Clerk to Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg of the Supreme Court of the United States and to Judge Betty Binns Fletcher of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Mr. Morrison received his bachelor's degree from the University of British Columbia and his J.D. from Columbia Law School.

Alison J. Nathan

The President has named Alison J. Nathan to be Associate Counsel to the President. Ms. Nathan was recently the Fritz Alexander Fellow at New York University School of Law and a Visiting Assistant Professor at Fordham Law School. Prior to academia, Ms. Nathan was an associate at Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr. She served a Law Clerk to Justice John Paul Stevens of the Supreme Court of the United States and Judge Betty B. Fletcher of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. During the 2008 Presidential campaign, Ms. Nathan was the National Voter Protection Senior Advisor to the Obama campaign and a member of the campaign's LGBT Advisory Committee. Ms. Nathan received her bachelor's degree from Cornell University and her J.D. from Cornell Law School, where she served as Editor-in-Chief of the Cornell Law Review.

Kate Shaw

The President has named Kate Shaw to be Associate Counsel to the President. Ms. Shaw most recently served as an Associate Counsel in the office of the General Counsel to the Transition. Prior to this, Ms. Shaw served as a Law Clerk to Justice John Paul Stevens of the Supreme Court of the United States and to Judge Richard A. Posner of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. Ms. Shaw received her bachelor's degree from Brown University and her J.D. from Northwestern University School of Law, where she served as Editor-in-Chief of the Northwestern University Law Review.

Susan S. Sher

The President has named Susan S. Sher to be Associate Counsel to the President and Counsel to the First Lady. Mrs. Sher most recently served as the Vice President for Legal and Governmental Affairs and General Counsel of the University of Chicago Medical Center and was responsible for all legal, government, regulatory, and community affairs at the Medical Center. From 1993 through 1997, she was the Corporation Counsel for the City of Chicago. She was the City of Chicago's chief lawyer, responsible for representing the Mayor, city departments, boards, and commissions on all legal matters. She was the first Assistant Corporation Counsel from 1980-1993. Previously, she was Associate General Counsel of the University of Chicago, and earlier, was a partner at Mayer, Brown & Platt, specializing in Labor and Litigation. Mrs. Sher received her J.D. from Loyola University of Chicago School of Law, her bachelor's degree from George Washington University, and attended Smith College.

Christian A. Weideman

The President has named Christian A. Weideman to be Associate Counsel to the President. Mr. Weideman served as a Law Clerk to the United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of California and as a Law Clerk to Judge Richard L. Nygaard of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. Mr. Weideman most recently served as an Associate at Williams & Connolly LLP. Mr. Weideman served the Obama for America campaign as a political advisor, assisting in debate preparation and in voter protection planning. Mr. Weideman received his bachelor's degree from The Pennsylvania State University and his J.D. from Stanford Law School, where he served as an editor of the Stanford Law Review.


Deputy Associate Counsels

Ian Bassin

The President has named Ian Bassin to be Deputy Associate Counsel to the President. Mr. Bassin recently served as a member of the Education Policy Working Group for the Presidential Transition Team, and had earlier served as the Florida Policy Director on the Obama Campaign for Change. Prior to that, Mr. Bassin served as a Law Clerk to Judge Sidney R. Thomas of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Mr. Bassin earned his bachelor's degree from Wesleyan University and his J.D. from Yale Law School, where he served as an editor of the Yale Law Journal.

Rashad Hussain

The President has named Rashad Hussain to be Deputy Associate Counsel to the President. Mr. Hussain recently served as a Trial Attorney at the U.S. Department of Justice. Prior to that, he was as a Law Clerk to Damon J. Keith on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. Earlier in his career, Mr. Hussain served as a legislative assistant on the House Judiciary Committee, where he reviewed legislation such

as the USA Patriot Act. Mr. Hussain earned his bachelor's degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, his Master's degree in Public Administration and in Arabic & Islamic Studies from Harvard University, and his J.D. from Yale Law School, where he served as an editor of the Yale Law Journal.

Blake Roberts

The President has named Blake Roberts to be Deputy Associate Counsel to the President. Mr. Roberts recently served as a member of the pre-election transition team and then as Assistant to Transition Executive Director Chris Lu. Prior to that, he worked as a Field Organizer in six states for Obama for America. Earlier in his career, Mr. Roberts served as a Law Clerk to Judge Diana Gribbon Motz of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. Mr. Roberts received his bachelor's degree from Georgetown University and his J.D. from Harvard Law School, where he served as an editor of the Harvard Law Review.

Jason G. Green

The President has named Jason G. Green to be Deputy Associate Counsel to the President. Mr. Green held several positions with the Obama for America campaign, most recently serving as the National Voter Registration Director. Prior to that, Mr. Green served as a summer associate at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen and Katz in New York. Earlier in his career, Mr. Green conducted a legal study of human rights compliance assessments in Johannesburg, South Africa. Mr. Green received his J.D. from Yale Law School and his bachelor's degree from Washington University.

Research Director

Shauna Daly

Shauna Daly is the research director in the White House Counsel's office. Ms. Daly most recently served as the Deputy Research Director to the Obama for America campaign. Earlier, Ms. Daly served as the Deputy Research Director at the Democratic National Committee. Ms. Daly has served as Research Director to Betty Castor for U.S. Senate, Tim Johnson for U.S. Senate, and Gifford Miller for Mayor. Ms. Daly earned her bachelor's degree from Smith College.


Staff Assistants and Administrative Assistants

Rhonda M. Carter

Rhonda M. Carter is the Executive Assistant to the Deputy White House Counsel, Cassandra Butts. Prior to joining the White House, Ms. Carter was the Assistant to the General Counsel at the Presidential Transition Team. Earlier in her career, Ms. Carter served as the Special Assistant for Domestic Policy at the Center for American Progress. Ms. Carter began her career at the University of Washington in Seattle where she was the Program Coordinator for the UW Student Support Services TRIO program. Ms. Carter earned her bachelor's degree at Claremont McKenna College.

Nicholas Colvin

Nicholas Colvin is a staff assistant in the White House Counsel's office. Mr. Colvin most recently served as a special assistant on the Obama for America campaign in Chicago. Prior to that, Mr. Colvin served as a special assistant and traveling aide to then-Senator Barack Obama in Washington D.C. Mr. Colvin earned his bachelor's degree at the University of Michigan.

Shomik Dutta

Shomik Dutta is the Special Assistant to the President's Counsel, Greg Craig. Mr. Dutta most recently worked as a member of the Presidential Transition Team and had earlier served as Mid-Atlantic Finance Director to the Obama for America campaign for two years. Prior to that, Mr. Dutta worked for Martin O'Malley's successful gubernatorial campaign in Maryland. Mr. Dutta received his bachelor's degree from Williams College.

Matthew Flavin

Matthew Flavin is a staff assistant on the National Security Counsel legal team. Mr. Flavin most recently served on the Department of Defense Agency Review Team for the Presidential Transition Team. Prior to this, he was a National Security advisor on the Obama for America campaign. Earlier in his career, Mr. Flavin served in the United States Navy, having joined shortly after September 11th. As a member of the Naval Special Warfare community, Mr. Flavin completed extended combat deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq - serving as the targeting and intelligence director for Special Operations Task Force West, where he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal. Mr. Flavin also served as the operations officer for a Human Intelligence Battalion in Bosnia. Mr. Flavin received his bachelor's degree from Amherst College.

Micah Fergenson

Micah Fergenson is the Executive Assistant to Norm Eisen. Mr. Fergenson most recently worked as a special assistant to the Office of Personnel Management in the Presidential Transition Team. Earlier in his career, Mr. Fergenson served as a field organizer for the Virginia Campaign for Change. Mr. Fergenson graduated from Washington & Lee University.

Matthew Kennedy

Matthew Kennedy is the Administrator to the White House Counsel's Office. Mr. Kennedy most recently served as Constituency Vote Director in New Hampshire. Earlier in his career, Mr. Kennedy successfully managed Senator Ted Kennedy's 2006 re-election bid in Massachusetts and worked as an associate at JMP Securities. Mr. Kennedy received his MBA from Harvard Business School and his bachelor's degree from Stanford University.

Desiree Pipkins

Desiree Pipkins is a staff assistant to the Counsel's office. Ms. Pipkins most recently served as the research assistant to the Presidential Transition Team's General Counsel Cassandra Butts. Prior to that, Ms. Pipkins worked as member of the pre-election transition team. Earlier in her career, Ms. Pipkins served as the Research Director at the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, where she worked on civil rights policy, judicial nominations, and voting rights issues. Ms. Pipkins received her bachelor's degree from Oberlin College.

Catherine Whitney

Catherine Whitney is the Executive Assistant to the President's Counsel, Greg Craig. Prior to joining the White House, Mrs. Whitney served as Mr. Craig's assistant at the firm of Williams & Connolly LLP in Washington, DC for ten years.

source:National Journal

John Coleman quits band after suspension

John Coleman was a Drum Major from Cleveland that marched in the Inauguration Parade. As Coleman passed Obama, President Obama waved at Coleman.Because of that,he got a six-month suspension for waving at President Obama during the Inaugural Parade while marching in his fife-and-drum-corps unit has resigned from the band.

Drum Maj. John Coleman said when he looked over and saw the president waving, he couldn't resist waving back,a violation of the unit leader's instruction to follow proper military rules of marching. Some, watching the video think Coleman also winked at the president, but he told CNN that, if you look closely, both eyes were in the process of closing.

Reportedly that waving back was an alleged violation of military rules of marching … even though it was a charming gesture.
In any event, band leaders were not amused.

“We had gone over and over time and again with everyone in the band that this was a military parade. Protocol and proper decorum had to be followed at all times,” band leader Pipe Maj. Mike Engle told the Cleveland Plain Dealer. No salutes to the commander in chief allowed. “Unfortunately, John chose to ignore that.”

Now Coleman — who says he was told not to salute and did not salute, merely waved — has decided to resign from the Cleveland Memorial Pipes & Drums. “There are too many bridges burned with the pipe band,” he said, “too many hurt feelings on both sides.”

Arrest warrant issued for former Bull Jason Caffey

An Atlanta judge has ordered the arrest of former NBA player Jason Caffey, who's accused of failing to pay thousands in child support.

The warrant, issued Tuesday, claims Caffey failed to follow a court order instructing him to pay $200,000 to Lorunda Brown and her attorney, The Seattle Times reports. Caffey had previously filed his own bankruptcy case to counter the court order. His case was rejected by a judge last fall.

In October, a judge in Alabama rejected a bankruptcy case filed by Caffey, clearing the way for him to be sued for child support.

Caffey has had run-ins with the law, including other arrest warrants and time spent in jail, over child support payments in the past.

"We've been trying to get his attention and this should do it," said Brown's attorney, Randy Kessler. Kessler said Brown is the mother of Caffey's 6-year-old son.

Jason Caffey played for nine years in the NBA. His career included stints with the Chicago Bulls, the Golden State Warriors, and the Milwaukee Bucks.

The following video shows Jason Caffey as a starter for the Bulls in a 1997 game against the Knicks.

A listing under the name Jason Caffey in the Atlanta area was disconnected Monday night, and an attorney who represented Caffey in the past didn't immediately return an e-mail seeking comment.

Brown is believed to be the mother of Caffey’s 6-year-old son.

Cioppino,a tasty food

Cioppino is a rich, ethnic stew of edible oddments, analogous to its country of origin — America. At its essence it is a story of immigration patterns, cultural heritage and local adaptation.

Mention the word to anyone not on the West Coast and the response will usually come in the form of a shrug or quizzical frown. Of course, most of us here along the Central Coast know cioppino as our answer to the French bouillabaisse, a seafood melange that evolved from the tastes of its inventors — and the largess of the ocean.

Its colorful history was painted by Italian immigrants, fishermen with roots in the port city of Genoa who concocted the dish based on the catch of the day. Although its exact origin has never been verified, most agree that cioppino was created in San Francisco in the 1880s; and it wasn't until after World War II that the stew became known elsewhere.

Originally prepared on the boats while the fishermen were at sea, cioppino (pronounced chuh-PEE-noh) was built on flavors of tomatoes, onions, garlic, herbs, red or white wine and, of course, fresh fish (crab, shrimp, clams, mussels, squid and white fish have long been common additions).

Pisto can rattle off more than a dozen different versions of cioppino he's eaten over the years. For this article he submitted a simple, "lazy-man's" cioppino, in which the crab meat is removed from the shell. Generally, the seafood is cooked in broth and served in the shell, including the crab that is often served halved or quartered. It therefore requires special utensils, typically a crab fork and cracker. Depending on the restaurant, it may be accompanied by a bib, damp napkins and a second bowl for the shells.

"This thing has taken on a life of its own," said DiGirolamo, 65. "I'm very humbled by it all."

DiGirolamo's passion about "this thing" called cioppino cannot be bridled, and his reputation reached all the way to New York and the studios of the Food Network. Scouting for West Coast cioppino experts for an episode of "Throwdown with Bobby Flay," producers eventually settled in Moss Landing and zeroed in on DiGirolamo's restaurant (the show airs tonight at 9 p.m. on Comcast channel 35).

Pisto uses white wine, not red, canned Italian tomatoes, a lot of garlic (eight cloves) and ½ cup of Italian green olives (pitted).

Finally, in the interest of ocean ecology, we called Dory Ford, executive chef at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, to steal his sustainable seafood cioppino recipe that is currently on the menu at Portola Cafe inside the aquarium.

Hale family cioppino
(Serves 6-8)

3 T. olive oil
1 large fennel bulb, thinly sliced
1 head Swiss chard, torn into pieces
1 onion, chopped
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 T. basil, cut into chiffonade
4 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
½ tsp. dried crushed red pepper flakes, plus more to taste
¼ cup tomato paste
1 (28-oz.) can whole tomatoes in juice
1½ cups red wine
5 cups fish stock (see note)
1 bay leaf
2 whole cooked, cleaned and cracked Dungeness crabs, broken into quarters
1 lb. manila clams, scrubbed
1 lb. mussels, scrubbed, debearded
1 lb. uncooked large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1½ lbs. white fish fillets, such as halibut or sea bass, cut into 2-inch chunks

Steps: Heat the oil in a very large pot over medium heat. Add the fennel, onion, salt and pepper and saute until the onion is translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and ½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes, and sauté 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste. Add whole tomatoes with their juices (breaking apart each tomato with your hands), red wine, fish stock, Swiss chard, basil and bay leaf. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and bring to a simmer, about 30 minutes.
Add the clams and mussels to the cooking liquid. Cover and cook until the clams and mussels begin to open, about 5 minutes. Add the shrimp and fish. Simmer gently until the fish and shrimp are just cooked through, and the clams are completely open. Add crab, stirring gently, and cook about 5 minutes longer until crab is heated through (at this time discard any clams and mussels that do not open). Ladle the soup into bowls and serve.

Note: Some recipes call for bottled clam juice, which contains half the flavor and much more sodium than homemade fish stock. To make the stock, place 2 to 3 pounds of fish bones, trimmings, heads and tails in a stock pot with six cups of water. Bring to a gentle boil for 5 minutes, skimming foam from surface until clear. Reduce to a simmer. Add half an onion, one split leek and one carrot (sliced). Simmer 20 minutes, skimming foam from surface until surface is clear. Strain stock through a fine colander or sieve lined with several layers of cheesecloth. Discard bones and vegetables. Season with salt, if desired. Makes about 5 cups.

John Pisto's Lazy Man's Cioppino
(Serves 4-6)

2 large live Dungeness crabs
12 each, clams and mussels
2 lbs. shrimp
1 large yellow onion, chopped
8 garlic cloves, chopped
1 bunch Italian flat-leaf parsley, de-stemmed and chopped
Olive oil
½ cup white wine
2 28-oz cans Italian tomatoes (whole, peeled)
½ cup Italian green olives (pitted)
Salt and black pepper

Steps: Bring a large pot (8 quarts) of salted water to a rapid boil. Carefully drop live crabs into pot. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until done. Remove from water (do not rinse) and cool. Remove crab meat from shell. Remove crab legs, crack gently and remove meat. Cut between knuckles and remove meat. Add crab "butter" from outer shell to sauce.

In a large skillet, saute onions, garlic and parsley in olive oil. Add white wine and continue cooking on high heat until onions and garlic are soft. With your hands, squeeze tomatoes into skillet with juice. Add green olives. Add sugar to balance tomato acid. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes.

Add clams and mussels and cover skillet. Steam for 6-8 minutes. Add shrimp to skillet 4 minutes after clams and mussels are added. Shake the skillet to help open the shells.

Place mussels, clams and shrimp in a large serving bowl. Add crab meat. Pour sauce over dish and serve immediately with crusty Italian bread.

— From "Monterey's Cookin' Pisto Style" (Pisto's Kitchen, 1994)

Sustainable seafood cioppino
(Serves 10-12)

This recipe is from Dory Ford, executive chef at Portola Cafe inside the Monterey Bay Aquarium. All seafood served at the aquarium is sustainable, in accordance with Seafood Watch and the principles of Bon Appétit Management Company.

Vegetables/base
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup garlic, minced
1 jumbo yellow onion, small dice
1 cup white wine
3 28-oz. cans diced, fire-roasted tomatoes, course ground with hand blender
17-oz. can tomato paste
½ cup Italian parsley, chopped
6 sprigs thyme
1½ tsp. oregano, dried
1 T. toasted fennel seed

Steps: Heat canola oil in large saucepan over moderate heat, add, garlic and sauté briefly. Add onions, sauté 5 minutes more. Add wine to deglaze. Add tomato paste and stir until smooth, add ground tomatoes, herbs and fennel, stir and simmer 20 minutes. Season with sea salt and cracked pepper. (Base can be cooled at this point and held).

Sustainable seafood
1 lb. wild salmon or arctic char, cut into 1-inch cubes (frozen acceptable)
1 lb. halibut, barramundi or California white sea bass, cut into 1-inch cubes
3 lbs. farmed littleneck clams (cooked and shelled) — reserve 1 cup broth
2 lbs. Prince Edward Island mussels (cooked and shelled) — reserve 1 cup broth
1 lb. trap-caught spot prawn tails, blanched
1 lb. Dungeness crab leg meat

Garnish
1 cup each julienned red onion, leek, fennel and carrot

To finish Reheat cioppino base and add reserved clam broth and mussel broth. Heat large, heavy-bottomed, high-sided skillet with small amount of oil until smoking. Add cubed salmon and white fish in single layer and cook until almost cooked through. Top with remaining seafood. Ladle warm cioppino base over seafood and bring to simmer over medium heat, giving little shakes to release fish from bottom of pan. Do not stir! Add garnishing vegetables, cover and simmer 3 minutes.

Serve immediately in same sauté pan, with crusty bread, butter and/or aioli.

Everyone's recipe reflects certain differences because cioppino is a happily versatile dish. Monterey native Phil DiGirolamo showcases his Sicilian roots at one the county's most popular seafood restaurants, Phil's Fish Market in Moss Landing, where customers (some bringing their own empty pots or buckets) line up outside waiting for Phil's famous cioppino.

Mail Days Need To Be Cut

A crisis economy and a defisit could force the post office to cut out one day of mail delivery, the postmaster general told Congress on Wednesday, in asking lawmakers to lift the requirement that the agency deliver mail six days a week.

If the change happens, that doesn't necessarily mean an end to Saturday mail delivery. Previous post office studies have looked at the possibility of skipping some other day when mail flow is light, such as Tuesday.

Faced with dwindling mail volume and rising costs, the post office was $2.8 billion in the red last year. "If current trends continue, we could experience a net loss of $6 billion or more this fiscal year," Postmaster General John E. Potter said in testimony for a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs subcommittee.

Total mail volume was 202 billion items last year, over 9 billion less than the year before, the largest single volume drop in history.

And, despite annual rate increases, Potter said 2009 could be the first year since 1946 that the actual amount of money collected by the post office declines.

"It is possible that the cost of six-day delivery may simply prove to be unaffordable,I reluctantly request that Congress remove the annual appropriation bill rider, first added in 1983, that requires the Postal Service to deliver mail six days each week." Potter said.

"The ability to suspend delivery on the lightest delivery days, for example, could save dollars in both our delivery and our processing and distribution networks. I do not make this request lightly, but I am forced to consider every option given the severity of our challenge," add Potter.

That doesn't mean it would happen right away, he noted, adding that the agency is working to cut costs and any final decision on changing delivery would have to be made by the postal governing board.

If it did become necessary to go to five-day delivery, Potter said, "we would do this by suspending delivery on the lightest volume days."

Dan G. Blair, chairman of the Postal Regulatory Commission, noted in his testimony that cutting service could also carry the risk of loss of mail volume. He suggested Congress review both delivery and restrictions it imposed on the closing of small and rural post offices.

Potter noted that the agency has cut costs by $1 billion per year since 2002, reduced its work force by 120,000, halted construction of new facilities except in emergencies, frozen executive salaries and is in the process of reducing its headquarters work force by 15 percent.

Jackson Pollock Birthday

I see from my first Google search today that it's Jackson Pollock's birthday. I love Pollock. If you love Pollock, in honor of his birthday, you should go try your hand at creating your own Pollock today. Today marks what would have been the 97^th birthday of one of the foremost exponents of Abstract Expressionism, Jackson Pollock.

Born Paul Jackson Pollock in Cody, Wyoming in 1912, he was the youngest of five sons.

In 1930 he followed his brother Charles to New York City where they both studied under Thomas Hart Benton at the Art Students League of New York.

Pollock’s dripping technique was inspired by Indian sandpainting demonstrations he observed in the 1940s, Mexican muralists and surrealist automatism.

His most famous works were done during the “drip period” between 1947 and 1950. He attained national popularity after appearing in a four-page spread in Life Magazine in 1949. The article asked, “Is he the greatest living painter in the United States?”

Pollock abandoned the practice of naming his painting in favor of assigning them numbers. He said he wanted observers to “look passively and try to receive what the painting has to offer and not bring a subject matter or preconceived idea of what they are to be looking for.”

His wife Lee Krasner said Pollock “used to give his pictures conventional titles…but now he simply numbers them. Numbers are neutral. They make people look at a picture for what it is: pure painting.

At the peak of his fame, Pollock abruptly abandoned the drip style.

After 1951 Pollock’s work was darker in color, including a collection in black on unprimed canvases, followed by a return to color the reintroduction of figurative elements in his work. During this period Pollock had moved to a more commercial gallery and a great demand from collectors for new paintings put a tremendous amount of pressure on the artist.

In response to the pressure and personal frustration, he slipped deeper into an already prevalent alcohol problem.

Pollock did not paint at all in 1955. After struggling with alcoholism his whole life, his career was cut short when he died in an alcohol-related, single car crash less that a mile from his home in Springs, New York on August 11, 1956 at the age of 44.

Lynyrd Skynyrd keyboardist Billy Powell died

Lynyrd Skynyrd keyboardist Billy Powell died Wednesday morning (January 28) at his home in Orange Park, Fla. He was 56.

No cause of death has been announced, and a post on the official Synyrd Website reads, “A Great Loss — Beloved Pianist for the Lynyrd Skynyrd Band, Billy Powell, passed away last night. We will post more info shortly. The family and band request your respect and understanding during this difficult time. Thank you.” The band is canceling upcoming shows and directing fans to its Website for tour updates.

According to the Associated Press, Powell called 911 around 12:55 a.m., saying he was having trouble breathing. Rescue crews arrived at the home, but Powell was pronounced dead just before 2 a.m.Orange Park Police Lt. Mark Cornett told the AP that Powell had missed an appointment yesterday for a cardiac evaluation.

Powell, whose fluid piano runs spiced such classic Skynyrd songs as "Freebird," "Call Me the Breeze" and "Sweet Home Alabama," and founding guitarist Gary Rossington were the only two original members of the Southern rock band to survive the 1977 plane crash that killed singer Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines and backup vocalist Cassie Gaines.

Since then, guitarist Allen Collins and bassist Leon Wilkeson have also died; former drummer Artimus Pyle survived the crash but no longer tours with the band, which re-formed in 1987 and still is a powerful concert draw.

Skynyrd lore has it that Powell, a former roadie for the band in its earliest incarnations, was asked to join by Van Zant when the latter heard Powell's keyboard take on "Freebird."

Powell first joined Skynyrd in 1973 after serving as the band’s roadie for a year. His keyboard work features prominently on the band’s debut (pronounced ‘leh-’nerd ’skin-’nerd), with Powell credited for crafting the intro for their epic anthem “Free Bird” (Number 191 on Rolling Stone’s Greatest Songs of All Time). After impressing Ronnie Van Zant with his work on the song, Powell was officially invited to join the band, and remained a member from their debut album until 1977’s Street Survivors.

Deadly winter storm barrels into Northeast

A winter storm had strike Northeast and has left more than 600,000 customers without electricity . The storm is delaying flights and turning the morning rush into the morning slush as communities brace for the worst.

Tree limbs snapped with a sound like gunshots, blacking out thousands of homes and businesses, and schools and government offices were closed Tuesday.

On Tuesday, the storm already blamed for at least 19 deaths, and a glaze of ice and snow caused widespread power outages from the southern Plains to the East Coast. Authorities say it could a week before some communities have electricity again.

Highway crews fought to keep up with slippery roads and in some places were blocked by fallen tree limbs and power lines. Ice had built up eight centimetres thick in sections of Arkansas and Oklahoma.

The National Weather Service posted ice storm and winter storm warnings Tuesday along a broad swath from Texas and Oklahoma through the Mississippi and Ohio valleys all the way into northern New England.

The same storm system is poised to strike large parts of Ontario and on through Quebec and Atlantic Canada.

About 30 Greyhound routes were cancelled Tuesday afternoon, mostly in the Midwest, while Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport spokesman Ken Capps said about 140 of the 900 daily flights had been cancelled.

Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear declared a statewide emergency Tuesday; Oklahoma Gov. Brad Henry did the same on Monday.

Hundreds of public schools, colleges and universities called off classes Tuesday in parts of Arkansas, Oklahoma, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri and Maryland.

The New Hampshire legislature cancelled Wednesday's sessions. Up to 38 centimetres of snow was forecast Wednesday in New Hampshire.

Since the storm began building on Monday, the weather had been blamed for five deaths in Texas, three in Arkansas, three in Virginia, five in Missouri, two in Oklahoma and one in Indiana.

Winter storm warnings are in effect from Texas to New England.