mingling

President Barack Obama and President Hu Jintao of China talk with guests during a reception in the Yellow Oval Room in the Residence of the White House

…..in the Blue Room of the White House, Jan. 19. (Official White House Photos by Pete Souza)

wow, what happened?

The Guardian: Keith Olbermann, the liberal, outspoken anchor of MSNBC’s Countdown show, had his contract dramatically terminated by the US cable new network’s parent company NBC on Friday night.

Abruptly announcing that the current show would be his last, Olbermann calmly read aloud an extract by James Thurber before signing off with the words: “Good night and good luck.”

While Olbermann was live on-air, NBC issued a statement reading:

MSNBC and Keith Olbermann have ended their contract. The last broadcast of Countdown with Keith Olbermann will be this evening. MSNBC thanks Keith for his integral role in MSNBC’s success and we wish him well in his future endeavors.
Bizarrely, nearly half an hour later during an ad break in the following programme, MSNBC showed a station promo featuring Olbermann. But the promo was interrupted halfway through by a mattress advertisment.

walking the walk

President Barack Obama and President Hu Jintao of China walk along the Colonnade of the White House, Jan. 19, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

grand entrance

President Barack Obama, President Hu Jintao of China, and First Lady Michelle Obama descend the Grand Staircase of the White House, Jan. 19, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

39 & 44

President Barack Obama, along with President Hu Jintao of China, former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, and Vice President Joseph Biden, listen to former President Jimmy Carter during a reception in the Yellow Oval Room in the Residence of the White House, Jan. 19, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

front row

From left, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, former President Bill Clinton, former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, former President Jimmy Carter, Dr. Jill Biden, and Vice President Joe Biden listen to performers during the State Dinner reception in the East Room of the White House, Jan. 19, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

speaking the same language

President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama watch as President Hu Jintao of China greets daughters Sasha and Malia before the start of the State Dinner reception in the East Room of the White House, Jan. 19, 2011. Marian Robinson is pictured at right.(Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

ABC: It turns out that the State Visit of Chinese President Hu Jintao had one success not mentioned in the joint statement issued at its conclusion: Sasha Obama got to practice her Chinese with President Hu.

As first disclosed by Ben Rhodes, Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications in a videoconference with Chinese bloggers,  more Americans are studying about China these days.

“The president pointed out last night at the State Dinner that his daughter Sasha is a very young girl but her class is studying Chinese,” Rhodes said. “She’s under 10 years old but she’s studying Chinese and she wanted to have the chance to practice her Chinese with President Hu. You know not every 9-year-old has the opportunity to try out her first phrases in Chinese with the president of China.”

is he still a ‘homophobe’?

Washington Post: In the latest example of the Obama administration extending greater rights to gays and lesbians, the Department of Housing and Urban Development is making changes to ensure they don’t face discrimination when applying for federal housing assistance.

The department unveiled a series of proposed rule changes that would prohibit lenders from using sexual orientation or gender identity as a way of determining a borrower’s eligibility. In a nod to same-sex marriages and same-sex parents, the rule change would state that eligible families have the opportunity to participate in HUD-based programs regardless of marital status or sexual orientation.

The new rules, if adopted, also would prohibit owners and operators of HUD-funded housing from asking applicants or occupants of the housing about sexual orientation or gender identity.

…..”This is a fundamental issue of fairness,” HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan said Thursday.

The proposed rules must undergo a 60-day public comment period before formal implemented. If approved, they would joint a growing list of policy and procedural changes made by federal agencies that don’t require congressional approval, including gender-neutral passport application forms, changes to how the U.S. Census Bureau counts same-sex relationships and the extension of fringe benefits to the same-sex partners of gay and lesbian federal workers.

long day

President Barack Obama walks across the South Lawn of the White House following his return from a trip to Schenectady, New York. The President leaves again for Cambridge, Maryland this evening to attend the Democratic Issues Conference.

wow, look at your latest approval ratings, sir!

“Soaring like a bird.”

President Barack Obama, accompanied by GE CEO Jeffrey Immelt, left, and Plant Manager Kevin Sharkey gestures while touring a GE plant in Schenectady, N.Y., Jan. 2