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(^pic from the slate)
Lunch with the President..
The new president was keeping with a longstanding tradition on days when the commander in chief delivers an address to a joint session of Congress: Around the table Tuesday sat television anchors and the Sunday morning interview program hosts and two senior aides. The location was the dining room in the White House residence.
Over lunch of lobster bisque and striped bass, it was a chance for the president to share his thoughts on the goals of Tuesday night’s big speech and the challenges ahead. There were ground rules for the discussion: We are not allowed to quote the president or his senior aides directly.
On a more personal note:
• The first movie Obama viewed in the White House theater was “Slumdog Millionaire.” He loved it, and parts of the movie reminded him of his childhood days in Jakarta, Indonesia.
• He enjoys the “baubles” that come with the presidency — Air Force One, Marine One and Camp David, for example. But he already finds the “bubble” too restricting and wishes it was easier to just take a walk, or attend his daughters’ school and sporting events. One way of trying to better stay in touch with everyday Americans: Obama has instructed his staff to bring him 10 letters a week from citizens writing with a complaint or an observation.
• He cherishes family dinner in the White House, where “thorns and roses” is now the favorite family game. Each family member describes the day’s highlight, or rose, and the day’s worst moment, the thorn. We were told after describing one particularly challenging day at the White House, Malia Obama had this to say to her father the president: “You have a really thorny job”
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/02/24/sotn.king.lunch/index.html
WASHINGTON (CNN) — President Barack Obama’s pick for commerce secretary is likely to be former Washington Gov. Gary Locke, two administration sources told CNN Monday.
Locke served two terms as Washington’s governor and five terms in the Washington Legislature.
Locke, 57, was the country’s first Chinese-American governor, elected to lead Washington in 1996 and re-elected in 2000.
Prior to becoming governor, the Democrat served five terms in the Washington Legislature and one term as executive of King County, Washington. He was chairman of the House Appropriations Committee from 1989 to 1994.
A lawyer, Locke is currently in private practice with Davis Wright Tremaine in the national firm’s Seattle, Washington, office.
Locke would be Obama’s third choice for the post. Obama’s first pick, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, withdrew from consideration in early January, citing the distraction of a federal investigation into ties to a company that has done business with his state. Democratic officials told CNN the investigation involves a California company that won municipal bond business in New Mexico after contributing money to various Richardson causes. Richardson denies any wrongdoing.
Obama went outside his party for his second pick, Sen. Judd Gregg, R-New Hampshire. But Gregg withdrew on February 12, citing “irresolvable conflicts” over the administration’s economic stimulus bill.
Richardson and Gregg have not been the only ones to withdraw their nominations to Obama’s Cabinet. Former Sen. Tom Daschle, who was tapped for secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, withdrew on February 3 after controversy erupted over his tax records and questions over his work in a field that some consider lobbying.
The former Senate majority leader apologized for a series of errors that included unreported car service and more than $80,000 in unreported income from consulting. He filed amended tax returns and paid more than $140,000 in back taxes and interest for 2005-2007.
Information about Locke
Born into an immigrant family on Jan. 21, 1950, Locke spent his first six years in Seattle’s Yesler Terrace, a public housing project for families of World War II veterans. He worked in his father’s grocery store, became an Eagle Scout and graduated with honors from Seattle’s Franklin High School in 1968. Through a combination of part-time jobs, financial aid and scholarships, Locke attended Yale University, earning a bachelor’s degree in political science in 1972.
After receiving his law degree from Boston University in 1975, he worked for several years as a deputy prosecutor in King County, prosecuting felony crimes. In 1982, Locke was elected to the Washington State House of Representatives, where he served on the House Judiciary and Appropriations committees, with his final five years spent as chairman of the House Appropriations Committee.
Prior to being elected governor, Locke served as chief executive of King County in 1993 and took on the issues and challenges facing Washington’s largest city.
Locke and his wife, Mona Lee Locke, a former reporter for the NBC affiliate KING 5 television in Seattle, were married Oct. 15, 1994. The Lockes have three children—Emily, born in March 1997, Dylan, born in March 1999 and Madeline, born in November 2004.
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/
PolitiFact has compiled more than 500 promises that Barack Obama made during the campaign and is tracking their progress on our Obameter.
We rate their status as No Action, In the Works or Stalled. Once we find action is completed, we rate them Promise Kept, Compromise or Promise Broken.
The report card at right provides an up-to-the-minute tally of all the promises.
