evening all

President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama talk in the Green Room of the White House before hosting a Smithsonian Museum of African American History reception in the East Room, Feb. 22, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

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President Barack Obama listens during the groundbreaking ceremony of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, February 22

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Don’t miss Liberal Librarian’s latest post at The People’s View

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Business Week

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The Hill: The Congressional Budget Office said Wednesday that President Obama’s 2009 stimulus package continues to have a significant effect.

The bill raised fourth-quarter 2011 gross domestic product by as much as 1.5 percent, it states, and lowered the unemployment rate by as much as 1.1 percentage points.

The package reduced the rolls of the jobless by up to 2 million people in the last three months of 2011.

More here

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LA Times: Sales of previously owned homes rose 4.3% in January and inventories fell to nearly seven-year lows as lower prices, unusually warm weather and an improving economy lifted demand.

….. January sales were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.57 million …. Sales rose in all four major regions, including an 8.8% pop in the West.

Job creation, mild weather, rising rents and increased household formation contributed to the sales gains, according to Lawrence Yun, chief economist of the Realtors group. “Things are genuinely improving,” Yun said.

More here

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Slate

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Link

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One photo, two cool cats.

Thank you Pam!

(You can buy the PBO poster here – thank you Donna Dem)

confused

When I saw this video tonight I knew it reminded me of someone:

Ah yeah! Romney! Like that cat, he doesn’t really know what the heck he is:

pete souza, genius (say hello in the comments to the father of the lovely irish girl)

** See comment #6 **

President Obama greets a little girl following his remarks during the Irish celebration at College Green in Dublin, Ireland, May 23

President Obama greets Hugh Hills, 85, in front of his home in Joplin, Mo., May 29. Hills hid in a closet during the tornado, which destroyed the second floor and half the first floor of his house

President Obama consoles a woman at the Joplin Community Memorial Service at Missouri Southern University, May 29.

President Obama and British PM David Cameron play table tennis with students at Globe Academy in London, May 24

President Barack Obama walks around the grounds of Buckingham Palace in London, England, May 24

President Barack Obama talks with pub-goers as First Lady Michelle Obama draws a pint at Ollie Hayes pub in Moneygall, Ireland, May 23

Please don’t let Bo ever see this photo: David Cameron introduces President Obama to Larry the cat at 10 Downing Street in London, May 25

First Lady Michelle Obama greets soccer star David Beckham at a dinner in honor of Queen Elizabeth II at Winfield House in London, May 25

Lots of new White House photos released today – see here

glitch alert!

Strange things happening with comments on the blog today, some of you good people are having your words dumped in the spam folder alongside assorted nutjobs, like the lady from Texas who keeps trying to remind us that the President is black. 😯 I didn’t know that, did you?

Hopefully this is just temporary oddness, maybe Sundays do strange things to WordPress?

So, fear not – if your comments don’t appear immediately, I’ll rescue them from that spam folder.

PS Still stunned to learn that the President is black. Why on earth didn’t any of you tell me? 👿

story time

First lady Michelle Obama prepares to read Dr. Seuss’s ‘The Cat in the Hat’, during an event at the Library of Congress on March 2, 2010 in Washington, DC.

trick or treat?

President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama welcome children from Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia schools for Halloween festivities at the North Portico of the White House, Oct. 31, 2009. October 31, 2009. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)