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Betty White got a nice little tribute from President Obama for her 90th birthday, so it’s no surprise that she’s publicly endorsing him, though it’s hard to think that America’s Sweetheart (other than Justin Bieber) would give her vote to a guy whose name is the same as a baseball glove. Hopefully, this isn’t just some well-orchestrated joke for her prank show.
[gawker]
In his weekly address today, President Obama outlined some of his plans for a continued effort in Afghanistan, as well as how to bring the U.S. debt down to soften the currently economic climate. To wit:
Because of their bravery and dedication, the tide of war has turned in Afghanistan. The goal that I set — to defeat al Qaeda, and deny it a chance to rebuild — is within reach.
On domestic plans, Obama said:
I’ve called on Congress to take the money we’re no longer spending at war, use half of it to pay down our debt, and use the other half to rebuild America.
With summer on the horizon, the president’s reelection bid will go into hyperdrive, with a rally today and stops in Seattle and Los Angeles.
The real genius behind the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner is the fact that it’s President Obama’s chance at a somewhat well-written, if slightly rough, open-mic routine. As in past years, Obama doesn’t really pull any punches and makes a nice reference to Hillary Clinton’s celebrity meme status.
[tmz]
Asked at a press conference today in Louisiana about the persistent belief among many Americans that President Obama is a Muslim, Newt Gingrich said he personally takes the commander-in-chief “at his word” concerning his Christianity, but understands why some do not.
“Why does the president behave the way that people would think that [he’s Muslim]?” Gingrich told reporters. “You have to ask, why would they believe that? It’s not cause they’re stupid. It’s because they watch the kind of things I just described to you.”
According to Politico, those “things” included the president’s “excessive sensitivity” toward non-Judeo-Christian faiths. Gingrich has also accused the Obama administration of “anti-religious bigotry” and slammed the president for “apologizing” to Muslims.
“The fact is I take him at his word,” Gingrich is quoted as saying, “but I think it is very bizarre that he is desperately concerned to apologize to Muslim religious fanatics while they are killing young Americans while at the same time going to war against the Catholic Church and against every right to live Protestant organization in the country. I just think it’s a very strange value system.”
Maggie Haberman notes that, in a radio interview yesterday, Gingrich admonished the media for “going easy on coverage of Obama’s ‘Muslim friends’.”
In Case You Missed It of the Day: President Obama roasts Donald Trump and burns the birther movement at last night’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
After The Jump: Host Seth Meyers does more of the same.
Long Form Birth Certificate of the Day: In an effort to put an end to the birther debate once and for all, the President reached out to the Hawaii State Department of Health to request an exception to allow the release of his long form birth certificate in the name of putting the “fake issue” of his citizenship to rest.
The White House has now made that birth certificate available to the public via the White House website. In addition, the President is expected to make an official statement on the matter shortly.
White House Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer: “The President’s hope is that with this step, we can move on to debating the bigger issues that matter to the American people and the future of the country.”
[@whitehouse.]
Official Response of the Day: George Stephanopoulos gets President Obama to react to Donald Trump’s birther claims: “Most people feel pretty confident the President was born where he says he was — in Hawaii. He doesn’t have horns.”
[jmg.]
