White House

Stories 1021 - 1040 | << Prev   Next >>

'Designated Successor' Gates Will Skip Inauguration

Pentagon boss would take over in worst case

(Newser) - Secretary of Defense Robert Gates will sit out the inauguration at a secure location and be available to take over the government in case of disaster, CBS reports. The White House designated Gates with the approval of the incoming administration, which he will serve in the same post. The move...

White House: US Must Assert Rights in Warming Arctic

Outgoing policymakers expect surge in region's military, commercial activity

(Newser) - With the Arctic getting warmer, the Bush administration predicts a multinational grab at resources there. To that end, it released a 10-page directive describing challenges the US faces and calling for an Arctic policy that underlines US concerns, the Washington Post reports. “The United States has broad and fundamental...

O No: Bushies Warned to Skip Pranks

Last time, Clinton aides took the "W" off office keyboards

(Newser) - White House aides have been ordered not try some of the pranks played by Clinton aides eight years ago, reports CNN. Mischievous Clintonites yanked the "W" keys from keyboards, and outgoing aides have been warned to keep their mitts off the "O" keys—or try any other tricks,...

Obama Is Update, Reboot for Presidency's Software

Dem will use internet to reach out to, get advice from voters

(Newser) - Barack Obama is poised to be, by far, the most wired president ever, reports CNN. With more than a million MySpace friends, 3.7 million Facebook pals, and online access to more than 13 million voters, Obama invented a new media model and will be able to communicate in ways...

Obamas Urged to Turn the White House Green

Advocates push for new first family to take up organic farming

(Newser) - Advocates for all kinds of green causes are hoping to find newly fertile ground for their ideas at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, the Wall Street Journal reports. Several groups are pushing for the president-elect to lead by example and plant an organic garden on the White House's ample grounds. Others urge...

Bush White House Empties Out Today

Staffers wistful as all traces of them get wiped away

(Newser) - By the close of business today, the White House will be almost empty of staff, reports Politico. By Monday, there will be no physical trace of the Bush administration left in the building, as if 8 years of history could be unwritten by the crew of cleaners and painters. Says...

Bush Out to Lunch at Yalie's Dinners

Barbara's Yale pal quits get-togethers after witnessing Bush's 'disturbing disconnection'

(Newser) - A president strangely disaffected by national matters eventually alienated a Yale grad who enjoyed several dinners with George Bush in the White House, he writes in Vanity Fair. C. Brian Smith, a pal of young Barbara Bush nicknamed "Smitty" by the affable president, initially enjoyed his relaxing evenings with...

Obama Staffers Stocking Up on Midnight Oil

President may encourage having families to White House for evening meals

(Newser) - The early-bird White House of the Bush administration is almost history, Politico reports. Unlike President Bush, who was usually out the door by 6pm, President-elect Obama’s staffers are expecting long, late hours to match their heavy workload. The Obama team is already working on ways to keep workers in...

Most Memorable Presidential Goodbyes

(Newser) - Since the days of George Washington, outgoing presidents have found saying goodbye to the nation to be cathartic—and sometimes used the speech to warn of worries to come. Ahead of tomorrow's Bush address, the Houston Chronicle looks at some favorites.
  1. Washington: Set the tone, paying tribute to the “
...

Poll: Nation Prefers a Mutt for Obamas

43% want first family to get pooch from shelter

(Newser) - A majority of Americans think the First Family should adopt a mutt, according to an AP poll. While the nation’s pet-less are split on the issue, pet owners, who represent 60% of the population, went 2-1 in favor of a mixed breed. That may not be enough to sway...

Interns Filled Out Seats for Bush Press Conference

(Newser) - When President Bush called a press conference yesterday to defend his legacy, he apparently overestimated the interest. Dana Milbank of the Washington Post notes that the White House had strict rules in place restricting news organizations to one seat each. Extras would have to stand. "But when the appointed...

Hollywood Decorator's New Gig: White House

(Newser) - This is one transition pick who won't have to sit through confirmation hearings: Michelle Obama has chosen an interior decorator from Los Angeles for the family's private quarters in the White House, Domino magazine reports. Michael Smith has previously done work for the likes of Steven Spielberg, Dustin Hoffman, Michelle...

Obamas Are 'Closing In' on First Puppy

It's a labradoodle or Portuguese water hound for Sasha, Malia

(Newser) - As their father prepares to take office next week, future first daughters Malia and Sasha Obama have only one question: When do they get their puppy? The girls have narrowed the choices down to two, Obama tells George Stephanopoulos—a labradoodle or a Portuguese water hound. All that remains, the...

Hoops Fans Await Jump Shots at White House

(Newser) - It's no secret that Barack Obama is an avid hoopster and that his presidency could usher in an era of basketball diplomacy, but a New York Times feature on the politics of presidential sports notes a potential hurdle for the president-elect: He's inheriting a cruddy basketball court. Little-used since Bush...

'First Grandma' Moving Into White House

(Newser) - Michelle Obama’s mother is moving into the White House, at least temporarily, the New York Times reports. Marian Robinson, 71, is already in Washington helping out the family, much as she did with the Obamas’ daughters during the campaign. “She will determine in the coming months whether or...

Obama Fills West Wing With Powerful Czars
Obama Fills West Wing With Powerful Czars
analysis
Jan 8, 2009 9:58 AM CST

Obama Fills West Wing With Powerful Czars

Critics warn of collision between Cabinet, top advisers in key jobs

(Newser) - Stories of agencies working on the same projects and not bothering to coordinate dog every presidential administration, but Barack Obama has an ambitious plan to avoid all that: He’s concentrating power over domestic issues in the hands of White House advisers. “It really is a way of him...

Cheney Says Harsh Interrogations Kept US Safe

(Newser) - Dick Cheney asserted today that "we don't torture" but said the limited use of "enhanced interrogation" such as waterboarding yielded information that helped fend off terror attacks, the Washington Examiner reports. Cheney told a roundtable of conservative journalists that the administration doesn't get enough credit for "what...

VIP Guest House Occupant Who Kicked Obamas to a Hotel Is...

... Uh, Australia's ex-PM John Howard

(Newser) - The VIP who blocked Barack Obama from moving into the White House guest house turns out to be George Bush pal and former Australian prime minister John Howard, the Washington Post reports. The Obamas, now staying in a posh Washington hotel, asked to move into Blair House early but were...

If Obama Can Bring Change to DC, Why Not Middle East?

He's proved having a black president isn't impossible, after all

(Newser) - As Barack Obama’s inauguration brings one thing once deemed impossible—a black US president—it will be accompanied by the renewal of another seemingly intractable issue, David Remnick writes in the New Yorker: the Arab-Israeli conflict. Obama claims to understand “the obligation to repair the world” set out...

Big Lunch Date: Obama, Bush, Bush, Clinton, Carter

(Newser) - Barack Obama is moving to DC this weekend, and he's already got an interesting lunch date lined up next week with some fellows named George Bush (both of them), Clinton, and Carter, ABC News reports. Wednesday's meeting at the White House will bring together the president-elect with all the living...

Stories 1021 - 1040 | << Prev   Next >>
Most Read on Newser