Obamas Take Break at Kennedy Center

After a tough week of haggling over an economic stimulus package and cabinet nominee dramas, President Barack Obama took some time to unwind on Friday night and stepped out for a dance show with his family.

Obama, first lady Michelle and daughters Sasha and Malia attended a 50th anniversary celebration performance by the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington.

Date Night for President and First Lady Obama came Friday night as the two visited the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to take in "Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater At 50 -- A Golden Anniversary Celebration."

The audience at the sold out show greeted the Obamas with raucous applause as the first family waved from a red VIP box decorated with the presidential seal.

The Ailey company is a celebrated predominantly African-American modern dance troop founded in 1958.

The group has performed for estimated 21 million people in 71 countries.

The Kennedy Center program describes the show -- which was sold-out -- as "One of America's cultural ambassadors to the world, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater marks its 50th anniversary of bringing African American cultural expression and the American modern dance tradition to the world's stages." Tickets cost from $30 to $89.

Another theater at the Kennedy Center hosted the premiere of the documentary "Ronald Reagan: Rendezvous with Destiny," produced by Republican activist David Bossie along with Newt and Calista Gingrich.

Bossie's previous film, "HYPE: The Obama Effect," was a less glowing assessment of the Illinois pol. Gingrich recently said that by trying to be both bipartisan and partisan, President Obama resembled President Carter.

No word if there were any run-ins over Jujubes at the refreshment stand.

After their date night on Friday, the Obamas will go to Camp David on Saturday for their first visit to the presidential retreat outside Washington.

Senate Confirms Geithner for Treasury Post

Timothy F. Geithner was confirmed Monday night by the Senate as the secretary of the Treasury after a sizable bipartisan majority concluded that his experience in government and finance outweighed concerns about recent disclosures that he had been delinquent in paying taxes.

Geithner was confirmed by a 60-34 Senate vote, after paying back more than $42,000 in unpaid taxes and interest that he owed before he was nominated.

Specter joined most other Republicans in voting against Geithner.

Specter said at a Pennsylvania Press Club luncheon before the vote that he was inclined to overlook Geithner's unpaid taxes because he doesn't want a long delay in the selection of a new treasury secretary.

Mr. Geithner, 47 years old, was due to be sworn in immediately after the Senate vote in a ceremony at the Treasury Building adjacent to the White House.

What had been widely expected to be a quick and overwhelming Senate vote of confidence was complicated earlier this month by the disclosure that for the years 2001 to 2004, when he was a senior official at the International Monetary Fund, Mr. Geithner failed to pay federal taxes for Social Security and Medicare. He paid the taxes for 2003 and for some compensation in 2004 after the Internal Revenue Service audited him in 2006, but the statute of limitations had run out on the 2001 and 2002 liabilities.

Mr. Geithner paid those in November after Obama officials vetting his potential nomination raised the matter.

Ox year,Chinese New Year 2009

Today marks the beginning of the year of the ox in the Chinese lunar calendar, kicking off a 15-day celebration in China and around the globe.

Around Sarasota, most of the celebrations were truncated into two days over the weekend.

The new year celebration, during which ethnic Chinese and sinophiles -- people who admire and study Chinese culture -- gather to watch dragon dances, eat specially prepared food and visit with family, heralds a year that is expected to bring hope and prosperity.

The Chinese zodiac consists of 12 animals that, as legend has it, responded to an invitation from the Buddha to meet him on the new year.

All the animals were invited, but only 12 came, and Buddha named a year after each.

Those born in a specific animal's year are believed to possess the traits of that animal.

The ox is a symbol of prosperity, fortitude and hard work.

People born during ox years are said to be stubborn in the face of adversity, dependable, patient and methodical.

President Barack Obama, who was born in 1961, is an ox.

Meanwhile in China, the New Year and Spring Festival last for more than two weeks and include an array of parades, lantern festivals, fireworks and feasts.

Always, the festivities celebrate the zodiac sign of the coming year. The coming year is the year of the ox. People born in the year of the ox are strong, confident, quiet and reliable. Coincidentally, President Obama is an ox.

Dragons are another zodiac sign, the most desirable in fact, since they are thought to bring luck and prosperity and are considered by the Chinese to be one of the highest forms of divinity. Dragons are incorporated into every New Year’s celebration, with hand-crafted dragons up to 100 feet long paraded down Chinese streets.

The museum event incorporated Chinese cultural events, including a brush-painting demonstration and a Tai Chi lesson.

Tai Chi, a slow-moving Chinese martial art usually practiced for its health benefits, is good for people of any age, said Mike Shontz of Bozeman, a Tai Chi devotee. He said its principle of balance is especially important here in Montana, since it helps young and old with everything from walking on ice to hiking.

The event was largely organized and made possible due to help from a wide array of volunteers, including a team of RSVP retirees who decorated and supervised, Denson-Guy said.

“All these different people contributed to make this a great event,” she said.

CHINESE ZODIAC'S ANIMALS

The signs, their traits and recent years they have ruled.

Rat: quick-witted, clever, charming
1912, 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008

Ox: steadfast, solid, hard-working
1913, 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009

Tiger: authoritative, self-possessed, charming
1914, 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998

Rabbit: popular, compassionate, sincere
1915, 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999

Dragon: energetic, warm-hearted, charismatic
1916, 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000

Snake: seductive, gregarious, generous
1917, 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001

Horse: energetic, self-reliant, money-wise
1918, 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002

Goat: creative, wandering, unorganized
1919, 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003

Monkey: upbeat, good at listening, lacking self-control
1920, 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004

Rooster: practical, resourceful, observant
1921, 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005

Dog: faithful, honest, distrustful
1910, 1922, 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006

Pig: extremely nice, good-mannered and tasteful
1911, 1923, 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007

White House Blasts Makers of Sweet Sasha and Marvelous Malia

When someone is glamour,then there is a person who will take advantage to make a profit from it.Now,they make a dolls!.Imitation may be the highest form of flattery, but president's wife Michelle Obama is none too happy about a toy-maker ripping off the likenesses of her young daughters for profit.

The company that makes and glamour with Beanie Babies, has released a pair of new dolls named Sweet Sasha and Marvelous Malia, both with brown skin and brown eyes.

But what seems like a sound business decision,the president's daughters, Malia, who only 10 years old, and Sasha, 7 years old, nearly stole the show at the Inaugural celebrations,has clearly miffed the Mom-in-Chief.

"We feel it is inappropriate to use young, private citizens for marketing purposes," Mrs. Obama's press secretary, Katie McCormick Lelyveld said.

source:people

Avoids Divisive Stands,Obama breaks from Bush

Barack Obama opened his presidency by breaking sharply from George W. Bush's unpopular administration, but he mostly avoided divisive partisan and ideological stands. He focused instead on fixing the economy, repairing a battered world image and cleaning up government.

"What an opportunity we have to change this country,The American people are really counting on us now. Let's make sure we take advantage of it." the Democrat told his senior staff after his inauguration.

In the highly scripted first days of his administration, Obama overturned a slew of Bush policies with great fanfare. He largely avoided cultural issues; the exception was reversing one abortion-related policy, a predictable move done in a very low-profile way.

The flurry of activity was intended to show that Obama was making good on his promise to bring change. Yet domestic and international challenges continue to pile up, and it's doubtful that life will be dramatically different for much of the ailing country anytime soon.

Obama's biggest agenda items — stabilizing the economy and ending the Iraq war — are complex tasks with results not expected soon. Even as Obama made broad pronouncements and signed a stream of executive orders to usher in a new governing era, his actions leave unanswered or unresolved questions, including how he will close the Guantanamo Bay prison camp for suspected terrorists.

Certainly, some Republicans are griping about Obama's economic stimulus plan and closing Guantanamo. But their protests are somewhat muted, perhaps because little of what Obama has done thus far is a surprise. He had prepared the country and Congress for such steps during the campaign and transition. He also has emphasized a pragmatic, bipartisan approach, and enjoys broad public support.

In a mix of symbolism and substance, Obama used a host of executive tools to put his stamp on the country without having to go through Congress, making statements from the bully pulpit and signing White House directives.

He pledged to take bold steps to reverse the recession while meeting with his economic team, and told top military officials to do whatever planning necessary to "execute a responsible military drawdown from Iraq." He issued new ethics rules for his administration and pledged to preside over a transparent government.

The high-tech Obama chose to keep his cherished BlackBerry, becoming the first sitting president to use e-mail. He made an impromptu visit to the White House's cramped media quarters just "to say hello." He also was spotted at one point ducking into the White House press office to consult with an aide. Bush avoided both areas at all costs.

source:Associated Press Writer

Obama reverses abortion-funds policy

President Barack Obama on Friday struck down the Bush administration's ban on giving federal money to international groups that perform abortions or provide abortion information , an inflammatory policy that has bounced in and out of law for the past quarter-century. Obama's executive order, the latest in an aggressive first week reversing contentious Bush policies, was warmly welcomed by liberal groups and denounced by abortion rights foes.The ban has been a political football between Democratic and Republican administrations since GOP President Ronald Reagan first adopted it 1984. Democrat Bill Clinton ended the ban in 1993, but Republican George W. Bush re-instituted it in 2001 as one of his first acts in office.

A White House spokesman, Bill Burton, said Obama signed the executive order, without coverage by the media, late on Friday afternoon. The abortion measure is a highly emotional one for many people, and the quiet signing was in contrast to the televised coverage of Obama's Wednesday announcement on ethics rules and Thursday signing of orders on closing the Guantanamo Bay prison camp and banning torture in the questioning of terror suspects.

His action came one day after the 36th anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court ruling in Roe v. Wade that legalized abortion.

In a move related to the lifting of the abortion rule, Obama is also expected to restore funding to the U.N. Population Fund (UNFPA), probably in the next federal budget. Both he and Clinton had pledged to reverse a Bush administration determination that assistance to the organization violated U.S. law known as the Kemp-Kasten amendment.

The Bush administration had barred U.S. money from the fund, to contending that its work in China supported a Chinese family planning policy of coercive abortion and involuntary sterilization. UNFPA has vehemently denied that it does.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said the move "will help save lives and empower the poorest women and families to improve their quality of life and their future."

"Today's announcement is a very powerful signal to our neighbors around the world that the United States is once again back in the business of good public policy and ideology no longer blunts our ability to save lives around the globe," said Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

However,anti-abortion groups and lawmakers condemned Obama's decision.

Obama stares down reporter

President Obama paid a surprise visit to members of the White House press corps Thursday evening when he walked through their working area of the West Wing, but he quickly became agitated when he was confronted with a question by one of the journalists.

Obama said he dropped in on the press corps just to visit, but a Politico reporter asked him how he can reconcile his ban on lobbyists in his administration yet have a Raytheon lobbyist working in the Pentagon.

According to reports, when the Politico's Jonathan Martin asked the president about his nominee for deputy secretary of defense, William Lynn, Obama refused to answer, saying he was not there to take questions.

"I came down here to visit. I didn't come down here , this is what happens. I can't end up visiting you guys and shaking hands if I am going to grilled every time I come down here," said the new President

Pressed further by the Politico reporter about his Pentagon nominee, William J. Lynn III, Obama turned more serious, putting his hand on the reporter's shoulder and staring him in the eye.

"All right, come on,We will be having a press conference, at which time you can feel free to [ask] questions. Right now, I just wanted to say hello and introduce myself to you guys that's all I was trying to do," the president said.

President Obama must understand by now that asking questions — especially hard ones — is what reporters do. It's about all they do all the time. No way to get around it.

Obama seems to be a very nice guy. But there aren't a lot of them in the press corps — just reporters looking for news.

Obama spent about 10 minutes total, winding his way through a crush of reporters and photographers between the upper and lower floors of the journalists' workspace and asking questions about who worked where and how the booths and desks were assigned.

Reporters had little warning about the impromptu visit by the new president, and those who were in the downstairs portion of the press quarters only came to the briefing room after an unexpected and cryptic announcement on the internal intercom that they do so.

Obama made it to the back of the briefing room, in a narrow hallway, where he shook hands.

"I've got to say, it's smaller than I thought," the president said as he looked around for the first time.

He introduced himself to those whom he didn't already know from the long campaign trail and said it would take a little while to learn everyone's names.

The president then continued on, walking by the media outlets' booths on the same floor.

Obama asked about the reasoning behind why certain media outlets had work space where they did. When he got an answer involving the intricacies of press corps protocol, Obama responded: "This is worse than the Middle East here -- who's sitting where and all that stuff."

As he walked through the area where journalists have lunch, Obama noticed a pair of vending machines that dispense soda and junk food.

"Looks like you have some healthy snacks, guys," Obama said.

Then he walked through the basement quarters, where several other news outlets set up shop. He said that was smaller than he expected too.

Obama freeze salaries on first day

President Barack Obama's first public act in office Wednesday was to institute new limits on lobbyists in his White House and to freeze the salaries of high-paid aides, in a nod to the country's economic turmoil.

The pay freeze, would hold salaries at their current levels for the roughly 100 White House employees who make over $100,000 a year. "Families are tightening their belts, and so should Washington," said the new president

Those affected by the freeze include the high profile jobs of White House chief of staff, national security adviser and press secretary. Other aides who work in relative anonymity also would fit into that cap if Obama follows a structure similar to the one George W. Bush set up.

Obama's new lobbying rules will not only ban aides from trying to influence the administration when they leave his staff. Those already hired will be banned from working on matters they have previously lobbied on, or to approach agencies that they once targeted.

The rules also ban lobbyists from giving gifts of any size to any member of his administration. It wasn't immediately clear whether the ban would include the traditional "previous relationships" clause, allowing gifts from friends or associates with which an employee comes in with strong ties.

The new rules also require that anyone who leaves his administration is not allowed to try to influence former friends and colleagues for at least two years. Obama is requiring all staff to attend to an ethics briefing like one he said he attended last week.

"The new rules on lobbying alone, no matter how tough, are not enough to fix a broken system in Washington,That's why I'm also setting rules that govern not just lobbyists but all those who have been selected to serve in my administration." he said.