by Mike Memoli

Fox News host Glenn Beck did not mention President Obama at his "Restoring Honor" rally Saturday. But on his show this week he has been discussing what he calls the president's belief in "liberation theology," which he considers "Marxist."

"People aren't recognizing his version of Christianity," Beck said in an interview with "Fox News Sunday" this weekend, in which he also criticized Obama for his alleged belief in "collective salvation."

Asked about Beck's comments today, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs questioned what evidence the conservative icon would have as to "what the president does or does not believe."

"The president is a committed, mainstream Christian," he said.

Paraphrasing the late New York Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan, he said: "People are entitled to their own opinion, as ill-informed as it may be. But they're not entitled to their own facts."

President Obama's speech from the Oval Office, as prepared for delivery, is available after the jump.

by Mike Memoli

President Obama addresses the nation from the Oval Office tonight, marking the fulfillment of a campaign pledge to wind down the war in Iraq. But his remarks will be carefully calibrated, officials say, to avoid any definitive declaration of victory - or "Mission Accomplished."

"You won't hear those words coming from us," press secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters Monday. "Obviously tomorrow marks a change in our mission. It marks a milestone that we have achieved in removing our combat troops. That is not to say that violence is going to end tomorrow. We understand that those that would foment violence will still continue to try to do so."

In advance of his speech, Obama is now en route to Texas, where he will meet with servicemen at Fort Bliss to thank them for their service. On Monday, the president spent more than two hours at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, where he awarded 11 purple hearts.

Though the president's speech marks the end of America's combat mission in Iraq, approximately 50,000 troops will remain in a support role, assisting Iraq's security forces. Those forces will also be capable of responding in the event of escalated attacks.

by Mike Memoli

President Obama will deliver a statement on the economy in the Rose Garden this afternoon, on this his first full day back at work after his 10-day vacation in Martha's Vineyard,

But while some Democrats are looking for an aggressive focus on the economy from Obama in the final nine weeks of the mid-term campaign, much of this week's schedule is devoted to foreign policy.

Tomorrow, the president will travel to Texas and meet with troops at Fort Bliss. He returns to Washington for an Oval Office address on the end of America's combat mission in Iraq.

Tuesday, Obama welcomes leaders of Israel and the Palestinian Authority, ahead of direct talks between the two on Wednesday. Christi Parsons and Paul Richter preview those discussions, and Obama's role in them, in today's papers.

By Friday the economy will likely be front-and-center again, though, with the release of monthly jobs numbers. August has provided a steady stream of negative indicators despite the White House's billing of this as "Recovery Summer."

"We anticipated that the recovery was slowing," Obama told Brian Williams yesterday. "The economy is still growing, but it's not growing as fast as it needs to. ... I've said so before I went on vacation, and I'll keep on saying ... now that I'm back. We should be passing legislation that helps small businesses get credit."

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

by Mike Memoli

A recent poll showed many Americans are uncertain of his faith, but President Obama said in an interview Sunday that he can't worry about dispelling every rumor about him with so many serious challenges to handle.

"The facts are the facts, right?" Obama told NBC's Brian Williams in New Orleans, where he marked the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. "There is a mechanism, a network of misinformation that in a new media era can get churned out there constantly. We dealt with this when I was first running for the U.S. Senate. We dealt with it when we were first running for the Presidency. ... I will always put my money on the American people. And I'm not gonna be worrying too much about whatever rumors are floating on out there."

Alluding to rumors as well about whether he was not born in the United States, he added: "I can't spend all my time with my birth certificate plastered on my forehead."

Obama also defended his comments on a proposed Islamic community center near Ground Zero in New York, and said he has been consistent on the issue.

"I was not endorsing any particular project. I was endorsing our Constitution. And what is right," he said. "The media, I think, anticipating that this was gonna be a firestorm politically seemed to think that somehow there was inconsistency and there wasn't."

More highlights from the interview after the jump, including his reaction to the Glenn Beck rally in Washington Saturday.

by Mike Memoli

Eager to show he is still engaged while on vacation, especially as economic growth was revised downward, President Obama held a 15-minute discussion on the economy today with New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

The optics, however, did not exactly scream, "I feel your pain."

The president and the billionaire media mogul-turned-politician held that discussion in the clubhouse of a private Martha's Vineyard country club. According to the pool reporter, the two then hit the driving range and then the golf course.

One topic not addressed in the dispatch is whether the subject of the proposed Islamic cultural center and mosque near Ground Zero came up, a subject it would seem likely for the two to discuss. This is the first face-to-face meeting between the two since the Obama addressed the controversy earlier this month.

During an appearance on "The Daily Show" yesterday, Bloomberg made another impassioned defense for building the Park 51 complex in lower Manhattan, while arguing that much of the opposition to it is motivated by pure politics.

by Mike Memoli and Peter Nicholas

President Obama will mark the end of America's combat mission in Iraq August 31 with a prime-time address from the Oval Office, the White House confirmed today.

It would be the president's second address from his West Wing office, just two months after he spoke from there on the BP oil spill.

Deputy press secretary Bill Burton said Tuesday that the president would "talk about the importance of the milepost that that day is as we change missions in Iraq," praise the "bravery and the courageousness" of those who have served in the conflict, and outline our policy there going forward.

"We are reducing our footprint in Iraq under our terms, and through a transition to over 600,000 Iraqi security forces who have proven up to the task," John Brennan, the president's homeland security adviser said. "Our efforts to draw down in Iraq are a critical part of our transition to full Iraqi responsibility, in line with the President's goal of supporting an Iraq that is sovereign, stable and self-reliant."

For more on the significance of an address from the Oval Office, check out this Swamp piece from June.

UPDATE: Before his address to the nation, Obama will travel to Fort Bliss, Texas, to meet with troops there.

(Photo Credit: Pool / Getty Images)

by Mike Memoli

Is there a new campaign logo in the works for President Obama if he seeks re-election in 2012?

The photo above is part of the latest bulk release of snapshots from the official photographers at the White House to the photo-sharing site Flickr. It was taken earlier this month when Obama visited a Washington small business, Gelberg Signs, to speak about the state of the economy.

Obama's proclivity for hitting the links is well known by now, something he does almost every weekend. The RNC has attacked the president for golfing regularly as the BP oil spill crisis unfolded.

The president is said to value his time on the golf course, a rare chance to clear his head and break out of the White House bubble from time to time. He recently noted that one of the only times he can get behind the wheel is when navigating a golf cart.

Thus far on his Martha's Vineyard vacation, Obama has managed two rounds of golf, a total limited perhaps by the foul conditions on and off this week. He's also hit the gym for some basketball.

(This post has been updated to include reaction from White House)

by Mike Memoli

For the first time in its polling, the Pew Research Center finds that more Americans don't know what President Obama's religion is than correctly identify him as a Christian.

All told, more than two-in-five Americans say they aren't clear about the president's religion, up 9 percent from the previous survey in March 2009. Only 34 percent say Obama is Christian, down a whopping 14 percent.

Amid the uproar over a proposed community center and mosque near Ground Zero in New York, 18 percent now say they believe Obama is Muslim, up 7 points since last year and the highest percentage ever. From Pew:

The belief that Obama is a Muslim has increased most sharply among Republicans (up 14 points since 2009), especially conservative Republicans (up 16 points). But the number of independents who say Obama is a Muslim has also increased significantly (up eight points). There has been little change in the number of Democrats who say Obama is a Muslim, but fewer Democrats today say he is a Christian (down nine points since 2009).

Sixty percent of those who believe that Obama is a Muslim cited the media for that belief. Another 11 percent say Obama's own actions led them to believe that.

by Mike Memoli

President Obama is not second guessing his decision to weigh on on the proposed community center and mosque near Ground Zero, he said in Ohio today.

"The answer is no regrets," Obama told an ABC News reporter when asked about weighing in on the topic last Friday.

Obama was greeting participants and guests at a discussion of the economy in Columbus, and did not elaborate further.

The discussion of the Park 51 facility in lower Manhattan, which was given new prominence after Obama's comments, has largely overshadowed his message this week on the economy and put some Democrats -- and Republicans -- in tough political spots.

Earlier Obama had compared the stalled economic recovery to an illness as he maintained things were getting better.

(Photo Credit: AP / Carolyn Kaster)

by Mike Memoli

President Obama's trip to Washington state today is his first since taking office, and it will be a brief one with no events open to the public.

On the official schedule, the president will sit down with three Seattle-area small business owners "for a discussion about strengthening the economy and creating jobs." He'll be joined by former Washington governor and Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, as well as current Gov. Christine Gregoire and Sen. Patty Murray, a Democrat up for re-election this fall.

Obama got a bit of unexpected good news as he's about to arrive in the state, with the Bureau of Labor Statistics reporting today that the state's unemployment rate has dropped for the fourth straight month, to 8.9 percent. The White House says 67,000 jobs have been saved or created in the state because of the Recovery Act.

On the political schedule: two fundraisers for the aforementioned Murray, who is on the ballot today as she seeks a fourth term. Officially a primary election, all voters actually receive the same ballot regardless of party (state voters actually don't register by party). The field of more than a dozen candidates -- Democrats, Republicans and independents -- seeking the Senate seat will be narrowed down to just two after today's vote.

Murray is expected to finish in the top two, with Republican Dino Rossi, a two-time gubernatorial candidate, the other likely finalist. Polls have shown a competitive general election race between those two, representing an unexpected challenge to a popular senior Democrat. Vice President Biden has already campaigned with her in the state as well.

(Photo Credit: AP / Elaine Thompson)

by Mike Memoli

For the first time in President Obama's term, Gallup finds that 50 percent of voters disapprove of how he has performed in office.

The pollster's three-day rolling average of presidential job performance from August 13-15 shows that just 42 percent approve, a new low. That survey window includes Obama's remarks on the Ground Zero-area mosque and his brief trip to Panama City Beach, Florida.

Some historical context from Gallup:

Obama's ratings in the low 40% range are not unusual in historical context. All presidents since Lyndon Johnson have suffered ratings below 40% at points in their presidencies, with several falling below 30%. Presidents Carter, Reagan, and Clinton were -- like Obama -- in the low 40% range during August of the second year of their presidencies. President George W. Bush left office in January 2009 with a 34% approval rating.

by Mike Memoli

Air Force One is now en route to Milwaukee, where President Obama is kicking off his first extended political road trip of the midterm election season.

By week's end, the president will have appeared at events benefiting Democratic candidates in Wisconsin, Washington, Ohio and Florida. An event in Los Angeles tonight will also benefit Democratic Congressional candidates nationwide.

Obama will also mix in some official events as well. Before today's event raising money for the Democratic Party of Wisconsin and gubernatorial candidate Tom Barrett, Obama will speak on the economy at ZBB Energy Corporation.

Press secretary Robert Gibbs noted Friday that the travel this week reflects how Obama takes seriously his role as a party leader.

"We obviously are getting closer and closer to some very important elections where we'll make some important choices about going backwards or going forwards," Gibbs said, teasing that his message will be similar to one we've heard in the past two weeks.

(Photo Credit: AP / Susan Walsh)

by Mike Memoli

On his brief holiday in Panama City, President Obama did, indeed, take a swim in the Gulf of Mexico.

The White House released the above photo today, showing the president and first daughter Sasha in the water at Alligator Point in Panama City Beach. Reporters and photographers were not allowed to capture the moment independently; Obama earlier told the press pool he did not want to be seen with his shirt off again.

The trip to Florida today was intended to show Obama was practicing what he preached, in urging Americans to visit Gulf of Mexico destinations despite the impact of the BP oil spill. The short nature of the visit -- just over 24 hours total -- has led some to criticize it as an empty photo op, since the First Family is sticking with plans for a much longer trip to Martha's Vineyard.

Obama earlier spoke of the progress in recovery from the spill, with efforts to cap the well finally successful.

"We mark an important milestone. But this is not the end of the journey," he said.

(Photo Credit: Pete Souza / White House)

by Mike Memoli

President Obama is en route to Texas now, where he's scheduled to speak at a pair of fundraisers and deliver remarks on higher education at the University of Texas. And again, in a state where his job approval rating is perilously low, he'll find few prominent Democrats there to greet him.

Just like last week when the president traveled to Georgia, the Democratic nominee for governor will not be on hand for any of the events featuring his party's leader. Former Houston Mayor Bill White, who some believe is Texas Democrats' best shot of winning back the governor's mansion since George W. Bush won the office in 1994, is curiously across the state sticking with his schedule, his campaign has said.

Much has been made this year of how certain Democratic candidates don't want to be seen with Obama, given his poor numbers in a given state or district. Peter Nicholas spoke last week with another Texas Democrat who planned to avoid the event: Attorney General nominee Barbara Ann Radnofsky. She said Obama hasn't done enough to take on Wall Street. As for White's decision not to be on hand, the White House says it understands.

"I don't think that it says anything broadly about the President's coattails," deputy press secretary Bill Burton said on Air Force One today. "He thinks that candidates should make their own decisions about how best to spend their time. He definitely does not take that as an insult."

The efficacy of this strategy is unclear, however. Texas news organizations have all pointed out how White is seemingly distancing himself from Obama, perhaps a headache the campaign deems preferable to the candidate being seen with him, but a headache nonetheless. And Gov. Rick Perry's (R) campaign is making hay of the visit, regardless of whether White is there -- even launching this web video parodying a famous viral clip from the 2008 campaign.

by Mike Memoli

Talk about a "Dream Team."

President Obama shot hoops Sunday with some NBA superstars, a combination late birthday present and a showcase for some wounded warriors and participants in the White House mentoring project.

The guest list included some of pro basketball's greatest players, both past and present: LeBron James, Derrick Rose, Kobe Bryant, Dwayne Wade, Magic Johnson and Bill Russell, to name a few. One woman, Maya Moore of the UConn Huskies, was on the list released to the press today as well.

According to pool reporter, no press was allowed in to see the game, so we can't be sure whether the pros took it easy on their commander in chief. But a White House photographer was likely on hand for the game, which took place at Fort McNair.

Obama, who marked his 49th birthday in Chicago on Wednesday at a dinner that included Oprah Winfrey, was set for yet another celebration today at the White House -- a barbecue with family, friends and staff.

The full guest list is after the jump.

(Photo Credit: White House / Peter Souza)

by Mike Memoli

In a recent story on whether former President Bush would be a factor in the 2010 elections like he was in 2006 and 2008, I referred to a poll conducted by Benenson Strategy Group that tested the potency of an anti-Bush message for Democrats this year.

There was good news and bad news for the party in its findings. On the one hand, when respondents were asked to choose between a candidate who supported President Obama's economic policies or one who would return to those of his predecessor, they chose the former by a 15-point margin.

The bad news was that only 25 percent of those surveyed thought Republicans in Congress would return to the Bush agenda if elected, meaning that as things stand today, Bush-bashing was no magic bullet for Democrats in a toxic political climate.

Faced with these numbers, Democratic strategists could have looked at other messaging scenarios. But instead, based on what we've heard from candidates and even Obama himself of late, it seems they've decided that to move the needle back in their direction the party needs to make an aggressive push aimed at convincing voters that the current GOP would govern no differently than it did with Bush in the White House.

by Mike Memoli

There's no place like home for President Obama, especially on his birthday.

Air Force One will take the president back to the Windy City tomorrow afternoon, where he plans to celebrate his 49th birthday at a dinner with friends, press secretary Robert Gibbs revealed today.

"I think he is looking forward to spending the night in his house for a change," Gibbs added.

He'll be home alone (well, as alone as someone with a full Secret Service detail can be). As Katherine Skiba reported this weekend, first lady Michelle Obama will be across the Atlantic with daughter Sasha this week on a trip to Spain. Obama's eldest daughter, Malia, is at camp.

"I think it's safe to say that, of course, he will miss them," Gibbs said. "They'll be all back together soon."

Peter Nicholas and Janet Hook write today:

Through two terms, Reagan eluded much of the responsibility for recession and foreign policy scandal. In less than two years, Obama has become ensnared in blame.

Hoping to better insulate Obama, White House aides have sought to give other Cabinet officials a higher profile and additional public exposure. They are also crafting new ways to explain the president's policies to a skeptical public.

But Obama remains the colossus of his administration -- to a point where trouble anywhere in the world is often his to solve.

The president is on the hook to repair the Gulf Coast oil spill disaster, stabilize Afghanistan, help fix Greece's ailing economy and do right by Shirley Sherrod, the Agriculture Department official fired as a result of a misleading fragment of videotape.

What's not sticking to Obama is a legislative track record that his recent predecessors might envy. Political dividends from passage of a healthcare overhaul or a financial regulatory bill have been fleeting.

You can read the full piece here.

by Mike Memoli

In a wide-ranging interview on "The View," President Obama said he has Jay-Z on his iPod, doesn't tweet, and is not invited to Chelsea Clinton's wedding. He knows that Lindsay Lohan is in jail, but confessed not to know who Snooki is (though he used her as a punch line at the White House Correspondents Dinner in May).

But for all the fluff, Obama also covered the major issues of his presidency thus far, including the economy, Afghanistan and health care. While acknowledging he's hit some rough patches, the president professed to taking a "long view" on the decisions he's made so far. He also bemoaned a political culture he ran on the promise of changing.

"I volunteered for this job, and politics is not bean bag. Politics is a contact sport and you expect people going at you," he said. "The one thing that does frustrate me sometimes is the sense that we shouldn't be campaigning all the time. There is a time to campaign and then there is a time to govern. What we've tried to do over the last 20 months is to govern."

Obama also criticized a media culture that focuses on conflict but not compromise. But critics argue that he has used a campaign-style approach to governing that has exacerbated the problem. For instance, he used a recent town hall meeting to go after House Minority Leader John Boehner for, as he described it, comparing the economic collapse to an ant.

And his comment about campaigning was of note given that immediately after the taping, he traveled elsewhere in New York for two major fundraisers.

by Mike Memoli

The last time President Obama came to the Garden State, it was for his third campaign visit for Jon Corzine's embattled re-election effort. Today after he bounded down the steps of Air Force One at Newark Airport, he was greeted by the man he argued was unfit for the governor's office -- Republican Chris Christie.

The two men chatted for some time -- nearly two minutes -- on the tarmac. Christie seemed to get a rise out of the visiting president, who offered a few back slaps during the exchange. Perhaps Christie realized he had to make that moment count, because when Obama hosted local leaders and small business owners later in Edison, Christie was noticeably absent.

"We're not passing it up," Christie spokeswoman Maria Comella said when asked why the governor didn't join Obama at Tastee Sub Shop. "We weren't invited."

Deputy White House press secretary Bill Burton confirmed that Christie was not on the guest list for the intimate venue. As the president himself entered the shop, he said he had a fondness for mayors, though.

"They don't have a lot of time for political back and forth," Obama said.

Photo Credit: AP / Rich Schultz

by Mike Memoli

President Obama today goes to a sub shop in New Jersey and a daytime talk show set in New York as he looks to sell his message on the economy. Now, we can add Internet pitchman to the ubiquitous president's resume.

Laptop ready, Obama stars in a White House video on the major health site WebMD to explain to visitors how the administration's HealthCare.gov page, launched at the start of this month, works.

It's just the latest in a series of digital media pushes the administration has done months after the health care reform law was signed to prop up the legislation. Earlier this month, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius participated in an online town hall at WebMD, in addition to regular web chats at WhiteHouse.gov.

"The video comes as the Affordable Care Act is growing increasingly popular with the American people who are beginning to see the benefits of health reform," the White House advertised in announcing the video. A CNN poll last week found that 44 percent of Americans approved of Obama's handling of health care, while 54 percent disapproved.

by Mike Memoli

A new poll in Missouri crystallizes something we've written about before -- how President Obama's sagging poll ratings will affect Democratic candidates this November.

Mason Dixon finds that in Missouri, Obama's job approval rating is just 34 percent, and 27 percent among independent voters. In a battleground state, even one that Obama lost in 2008, that's a remarkable figure and troublesome for someone like Robin Carnahan, running in the open-seat Senate race. The same poll finds her trailing Rep. Roy Blunt by six points.

Christi Parsons and Peter Nicholas had noted that while Obama would be active raising money and campaigning for Democrats, White House and party strategists would likely keep him out of areas where his numbers render him more of a liability than an asset. Obama did just appear with Carnahan, but with numbers like this, he likely won't be back.

Another case of this is in Pennsylvania, where we noted Obama's numbers have continued to slide. Rep. Joe Sestak (D) today was asked if he wanted the president to join him on the trail; he said he would welcome the president -- but prefers his wife, Colby Itkowitz of the Morning Call reports today.

Photo Credit: White House / Pete Souza

by Christi Parsons

President Obama will tour the Ford plant on the south side of Chicago next week to talk about the recovery of the auto industry and the importance of investing in energy-efficient vehicles.

The visit Thursday, Aug. 5 will include a conversation with workers at the plant, where Ford officials recently announced plans to add 1,200 new jobs.

The company has been retrofitting its Torrence Avenue plant to manufacture the redesigned Explorer sport utility vehicle for several months now. The new Explorer is supposed to go on sale later this year.

Ford is investing in its Illinois operations to help launch the smaller, more fuel-efficient SUV, assisted by Department of Energy loan guarantees to companies that invest in clean energy upgrades.

Photo Credit: AP / Lawrence Jackson

by Mike Memoli

In his first public comments on the matter, President Obama said that Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack "jumped the gun" in seeking the resignation of Shirley Sherrod.

Speaking with ABC News in an interview to be aired Friday, Obama blamed Vilsack's hasty decision on the current media environment.

"He jumped the gun, partly because we now live in this media culture where something goes up on YouTube or a blog and everybody scrambles," he said. "I've told my team and I told my agencies that we have to make sure that we're focusing on doing the right thing instead of what looks to be politically necessary at that very moment. We have to take our time and think these issues through."

Press secretary Robert Gibbs has rejected suggestions that Vilsack resign over the matter.

Obama also talked of lessons to be learned from the incident, saying that "rather than us jumping to conclusions and pointing fingers at each other, we should all look inward and try to examine what's in our own hearts and, as a consequence, I think we will continue to make progress."

by Christi Parsons

President Obama and his family plan to spend a weekend this August on the Florida coast, just days before they head to Massachusetts for their regularly scheduled summer vacation, a White House official says.

The addition to the schedule will put the first family on the Gulf of Mexico as oil spill clean-up and possibly containment efforts continue, underscoring the president's message that the beleaguered coastal state is still a nice place to visit.

The visit may also help ward off criticism that, while the president encourages others to go to the Gulf, he will spend his vacation among the elite set on the island of Martha's Vineyard. This is the second year that the Obamas are spending there.

White House spokesman Bill Burton said the administration will announce in coming days which beach city the Obamas will visit.

by Mike Memoli

Barack Obama's average job approval rating in the sixth quarter of his presidency ranks near the bottom of recent elected presidents, Gallup reported today.

Through the period beginning April 20 and ending July 19, Obama's average approval rating stood at 47.3 percent, the lowest in any quarter since he took office. Of the nine men who were elected president since 1952, only three others had average job ratings below 50 percent: two-term presidents Bill Clinton (46.1 percent) and Ronald Reagan (44.2 percent), as well as single-termer Jimmy Carter (41.8 percent).

George W. Bush had the strongest average job rating through the same period, at 74.9 percent.

Gallup notes that elected presidents with sub-50 percent approval ratings at this point "tended to see more significant midterm congressional seat losses than other presidents. This was particularly true for Reagan and Clinton."

by Mike Memoli

President Obama sounded a note of cautious optimism about efforts to contain the Gulf oil spill, saying a new cap on the damaged well offers hope that the end of the crisis is near.

Speaking hours after BP reported that oil had stopped flowing from its Deepwater Horizon site, Obama said scientists were working to determine whether the new cap can be a viable long-term solution. Even if it could not permanently shut in the well, Obama said it could potentially capture nearly all of the oil that would flow.

"It's important that we don't get ahead of ourselves here," he added, stressing that more will be known after scientists complete their tests. He also said that while oil may stop flowing, work continues on efforts to clean affected beaches and compensate victims.

"Obviously we've still got a big job to do."

by Mike Memoli

In a piece on the White House's midterm strategy, Peter Nicholas and Christi Parsons noted that in a state like Pennsylvania, Democrats were concerned that the president could be a negative this fall.

"His numbers are low, and I suspect there are going to be areas of Pennsylvania where people are not going to be anxious for him to come and, quite frankly, he's not going to be anxious to come in," Kessler said, pointing to the reelection campaign of Democratic Rep. Patrick J. Murphy in the GOP-heavy Philadelphia suburbs: "Do you think Patrick Murphy wants President Obama to set foot in his district?"

A new Quinnipiac poll released today offers greater statistical evidence to that point.

Pennsylvania voters say 48 - 42 percent that President Obama does not deserve reelection in 2012. In fact, 41 percent of voters say they would vote for an unnamed Republican candidate in 2012, while 40 percent say they would vote for Obama. Independent voters say they would go for a Republican 37 - 33 percent.

"When a politician's approval rating is down 13 points among independent voters, that is generally a sign of political vulnerability," said Brown. "The 6-point margin held by those who say President Obama doesn't deserve a second term over those who think he does also should make the White House nervous, especially since Pennsylvania has not voted Republican for president since 1988. Here too, his weakness is among independents, who say 51 - 35 percent he does not deserve a second term."

White House reporters Peter Nicholas and Christi Parsons have a must-read piece on the White House political operation's strategy for the midterms.

Administration officials concede that President Obama's standing among independent voters has diminished, but say he will be doing what he can to re-energize the Democratic base.

As for campaigning with Democratic candidates and incumbents, however, it may be Vice President Joe Biden who is most in demand. From the piece:

In a tag-team arrangement, the White House is carving out a separate campaign role for Vice President Joe Biden that tries to leverage the pair's distinct political skills.

While Obama raises money and tries to rekindle key elements of his 2008 coalition, Biden will crisscross the country, paying special attention to working class districts that may be more receptive to his blue-collar persona. As the president sells the larger economic message -- recovery is on the way, once his programs have time to work -- Biden will cast the policies in more personal terms.

Be sure to read the full piece here.

Photo Credit: Pete Souza / White House

by Michael Muskal

President Obama on Friday called on Congress to approve another $5 billion for clean-energy manufacturing tax credits as a way to stimulate job creation.

Speaking at the University of Nevada Las Vegas, Obama praised the popularity of the previous tax credits and called on Congress to increase them. Congress had approved $2.3 billion in such credits as part of the $862-billion economic stimulus legislation last year.

Obama said more than 180 projects in 40 states have been approved.

"The problem is, there aren't enough tax credits to go around," Obama told the crowd at the university. "When we announced the program last year, it was such a success that we received 500 applications requesting over $8 billion in tax credits. But we only had $2.3 billion to invest. In other words, we had almost four times as many worthy requests as we had tax credits."

Obama said he and Nevada Sen. Harry Reid, the majority leader who is in a tight reelection race, want to help companies that are seeking to grow.

"That's why I'm urging Congress to invest $5 billion more in these kinds of clean energy manufacturing tax credits, more than doubling the amount we made available last year. This $5-billion investment would generate nearly 40,000 jobs and $12 billion or more in private sector investment," he said.

Continue reading at D.C. Now.

by Mike Memoli

President Obama is back on the political circuit, with fundraisers planned in the next two days for Democratic Senate candidates in Missouri and Nevada. Obama has already held events for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in Nevada. But until today, the president has not held any campaign events with a non-incumbent candidate up for election this November, as he does today in Missouri with Senate hopeful Robin Carnahan.

"The President is going to be out talking about some of the choices that Americans will face as we get closer to the fall here and people go to vote, whether they want to choose someone who is going to continue the progress that we've made or choose someone who's wanting to go back to the policies that got us into the crises that we've been in," deputy press secretary Bill Burton told reporters en route to the Show-Me State today.

The heavily political trip represents the ramped-up White House engagement in the mid-term races. And given the current electoral landscape the political operation has quite a hill to climb.

With 59 seats in the Senate, Democrats would need to lose a net of 10 races this fall to lose their majority, something that long has seemed unlikely. But of 36 races currently scheduled (with another special election possible in West Virginia), the non-partisan Cook Political report now ranks 11 as toss-ups, eight of which are currently held by Democrats.

Add three more seats now held by Democrats that are favored to switch to Republican hands, and suddenly the idea of the Senate flipping to Republican control is not out of the question.

by Mike Memoli

A new Gallup survey puts President Obama's approval rating among independent voters below 40 percent for the first time, an ominous indicator of his support among swing voters who have begun to lean Republican this year.

One year ago, Obama posted a 56 percent approval rating among independent voters. That's down to 38 percent today. Among Republicans, support dropped from 20 percent to 12 percent. He is still strong among Democrats, though support fell from 90 percent to 81 percent.

Obama's overall job approval rating is at 46 percent, just shy of his lowest weekly average, Gallup reports.

by Mike Memoli

The White House had teased yesterday that President Obama's speech on immigration wouldn't contain much in the way of a new policy prescriptions. And that was indeed the case today.

As Peter Nicholas and Christi Parsons note in their story on the speech:

The president offered no new challenge or compromise. Rather, he outlined his longstanding prescription for reform, one that had no support from Republicans in Congress and had failed to unite his fellow Democrats.

As one asks why the president's time was devoted to a message event without a message, one other item on the president's schedule today is worth noting. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is meeting this hour in the Oval Office with Obama and Vice President Biden, ostensibly to discuss the legislative agenda in the coming months.

Reid has promised action on immigration reform, an appeal to the burgeoning Latino electorate in his state he needs to turn in if he is to survive what is universally seen as an uphill re-election campaign.

Obama had told reporters earlier this year that there may not be the "appetite" for legislative action this year, but today's event was meant to send the message to his base that his is indeed still engaged.

Photo Credit: AP / Charles Dharapak

by Mike Memoli

President Obama will use a town hall meeting in Wisconsin today to challenge the man who would become speaker of the House -- if Republicans win back a majority in Congress this fall -- over comments about the economy.

In an interview with the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Monday, House Minority Leader John Boehner slammed Democrats for a governing agenda that he said Americans see as arrogant and overreaching. He said a financial reform proposal Democrats are pushing is an overreaction to the economic crisis, equating it with "killing an ant with a nuclear weapon."

Since the interview was posted online, Democrats have seized on that and other remarks, including Boehner's proposal to raise the Social Security retirement age to 70 for those with 20 years remaining before retirement.

But the "ant" remark has been driving Democrats' attacks, with some saying it is a gaffe that rivals Rep. Joe Barton's (R-TX) apology to BP's CEO earlier this month. The party has already released a web video on the matter. Now Obama will specifically reference the comment as well.

by Michael Muskal

There was a time when a visit from the president of Russia to the president of the United States was full of protocol set amid an air of great historical forces at work.

On Thursday, President Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev skipped the formalities and dashed out for a quick hamburger.

Medvedev got a chance to go where Obama has taken his vice president -- to Ray's Hell Burger in Arlington, Va. According to pool reports, the pair took off their suit jackets and sat down to the house specialties.

Obama had a cheddar cheeseburger with onions, lettuce, tomato and pickles, washed down with an iced tea. Medvedev selected a cheddar cheeseburger with onions, jalapeno peppers and mushrooms. He ordered a Coke, in an echo of the days when another cola played a crucial role in U.S.-Russia relations.

Continue reading at D.C. Now

Photo Credit: AP / Charles Dharapak

by Mike Memoli

President Obama said this afternoon that comments attributed General Stanley McChrystal in a magazine profile showed "poor judgment," but that he would wait until tomorrow's scheduled meeting before determining whether to replace his top commander in Afghanistan.

The comments came late this afternoon after a meeting of the president's Cabinet. Obama added that whatever decision he makes would be guided entirely by whether the U.S. strategy in Afghanistan is the right one.

"Even as General McChrystal is on his way here, I want everyone to keep in mind what our central focus is. And that is success in making sure that al Qaeda and its affiliates do not attack the United States and its allies," Obama said.

Earlier, press secretary Robert Gibbs said that "all options are on the table" with regard to McChrystal's future, including firing. Asked specifically if McChrystal's job was safe, Gibbs responded: "We'll have more to say after that meeting."

McChrystal, who is still en route to Washington for meetings at the White House and Pentagon, has reportedly offered a letter of resignation.

Obama was measured in his statement to reporters, though Gibbs described the president's initial reaction to the Rolling Stone article as "angry." On Capitol Hill, meanwhile, reaction has ranged from guarded to furious.

By Christi Parsons

President Obama pledged a series of new initiatives to support responsible fatherhood on Monday, but called on fathers to recognize the limits of government to achieve what only they can do in the home.

In his annual Father's Day event, Obama urged fathers to mentor their own children - and to reach out to those in the community who don't have strong parental or guardian support.

"We can't legislate fatherhood," Obama told a crowd gathered on the southeast side of Washington. "But what we can do is send a clear message to our fathers that there is no excuse for failing to meet their obligations."

The message echoed that of a noted Obama campaign speech from 2008, when he told absent fathers to stop making excuses and take economic and emotional responsibility for their children.

Last year, Obama launched what he called a national conversation about fatherhood, and on Monday he unveiled some of the ideas his administration has come up with as a result.

Photo credit: AP / Susan Walsh

by Mike Memoli

Knowing that President Obama is an avowed White Sox fan, it may not have been a coincidence that Major League Baseball scheduled a Washington visit for the South Siders on the interleague slate this year. Whether Obama will make the short trip to see a game this weekend is still something of an open question, however.

"We'll just have to see," deputy press secretary Bill Burton told reporters on Air Force One today.

Ordinarily, a presidential trip to the ballpark would hardly be controversial. President Bush, former owner of the Texas Rangers, was known to sneak in a ballgame or two after baseball returned to the capital city in 2005. But the unfolding tragedy in the Gulf of Mexico means every move the president makes is all the more scrutinized.

As the president's level of engagement became a matter of political debate, critics pointed to traditional presidential events like a visit with the NCAA men's basketball champion Duke Blue Devils or a send-off of the men's World Cup team as questionable uses of Obama's time. It's a fact that kept Obama from straying too far from his Chicago home on Memorial Day weekend, when some suspected he might attend a Stanley Cup Finals game.

Burton also said today that Obama will again visit the Gulf "at some point." But the week-ahead guidance included no such trip through next Friday, when the president heads to Toronto for the latest G-8 meeting.

Photo credit: Getty Images

by Mike Memoli

Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas), whose comments alleging a "shakedown" of BP this morning prompted widespread criticism -- especially from Democrats, has now apologized for what he says was a misinterpretation of his statement.

"I want the record to be absolutely clear that I think BP is responsible for this accident, should be held responsible and should in every way, do everything possible to make good on they consequences that have resulted from this accident," he said after questioning BP CEO Tony Hayward this afternoon." "And if anything I have said this morning has been misconstrued in opposite effect, I want to apologize for that misconstruction."

In a difficult political environment for the party, Democrats can barely contain their delight at what the perceive to be a monumental gaffe from the Texas Republican. The party's campaign committees have been flooding reporters' inboxes with statements on the matter, and demanding other Republicans to say whether they agree with his sentiments.

The reaction is no different at the White House, where Vice President Biden echoed an earlier rebuke from press secretary Robert Gibbs. Briefing reporters in the last hour, Gibbs also shared President Obama's reaction upon hearing of Barton's morning statement, saying the president "shook his head and couldn't understand why anybody would say that."

But it's not just Democrats who are criticizing Barton. Rep. Jeff Miller (R), who represents a Pensacola-based district in Florida that's feeling the impact of the oil spill, called Barton's comments "out of touch with this tragedy," and suggested he should consider stepping down as ranking member of the Energy and Commerce Committee.

UPDATE: Barton has released yet another clarification in which he retracts his use of the word "shakedown" this morning. You can read it in full after the jump.

Photo credit: AP / Haraz N. Ghanbari

by Mike Memoli

A new poll conducted after Tuesday's Oval Office address finds that Americans are less confident in President Obama's handling of the Gulf oil spill.

Forty-one percent of respondents in the CNN/Opinion research survey say they approve, down from 46 percent in a May survey, while 59 percent now disapprove, up from 51 percent. Two in three respondents also say the president has not been tough enough in dealing with the crisis.

Overall, only one-in-four voters surveyed approve of how the federal government in general has handled the crisis. But asked who they trust more to improve the situation, 54 percent say the government while 32 percent chose BP.

The survey does find overwhelming support for the idea of a fund created to compensate those impacted by the tragedy, something the White House and BP agreed upon Wednesday.

The survey finds Obama's overall job rating still in positive territory, with 50 percent approving and 48 percent disapproving, down slightly since late May. Conducted Wednesday, the survey of 534 adults has a margin of error of +/- 4 percent.

by Paul Richter

Confidence in President Obama among the world's Muslims is slipping, according to a poll of global attitudes that also found widespread concern that the United States remained a go-it-alone nation even under the new administration.

The survey, by the Pew Research Center's Global Attitudes Project, found support for Obama had remained strong in most nations even while his approval rating at home had slipped. But in five of seven Muslim nations that were polled, he was regarded with approval by about one-third or less of respondents, and his popularity had slid over the last year.

The finding is likely to be of concern to the White House, which has worked hard to improve the American image abroad, particularly in the Muslim world.

Obama got his worst grades for his handling of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Of 22 nations polled, a majority supported his approach to the issue in only three -- France, Nigeria and Kenya.

Obama administration officials have been concerned about damage to the White House image in the Muslim world stemming from developments in Gaza, where Israel, a staunch U.S. ally, has been tightly restricting the flow of goods, citing the need to prevent Hamas militants in charge of Gaza from obtaining arms.

In Pakistan, the number of Muslims who approved of Obama fell from 15% to 8% over the last year. Among Muslims in Egypt, which receives billions of dollars in U.S. aid, support for Obama has fallen from 41% to 31%, and in Turkey, it has dropped from 33% to 23%.

Many of those polled said the United States didn't give enough consideration to the views of other countries when making decisions on international issues. The median number who said the United States acted unilaterally was 63%, down slightly from the 67% who used the same description in 2007, when George W. Bush was president.

In most countries, especially wealthier ones, Obama won strong support for the way he had handed the international economic crisis. The exception was the United States, where the number of those who approved of his approach was the same as those who disapproved.

Christi Parsons and Janet Hook have the A1 piece on President Obama's speech.

Seeking to reassure Americans that his administration can handle the growing Gulf Coast oil crisis, President Obama promised Tuesday in his first address from the Oval Office to hold BP accountable for all costs and to "use everything we've got" in the federal response to the calamity.

Hours earlier, the scale of the problem widened dramatically when federal officials said in new estimates that the spill is at least 50% greater than previously known.

Obama, answering the catastrophe with an activist government philosophy, described a series of steps to overhaul federal oil industry oversight and to restore the Gulf of Mexico region.

The president also made a politically risky request that Americans accept a measure of responsibility by recognizing the need to change the country's consumption of oil.

"For decades, we've talked and talked about the need to end America's century-long addiction to fossil fuels. And for decades, we have failed to act with the sense of urgency that this challenge requires," Obama said. "The consequences of our inaction are now in plain sight."

Jim Tankersley has more on that energy pitch.

President Obama on Tuesday night capped his Oval Office address on the massive gulf oil spill with a call for new efforts to reduce U.S. dependence on oil, saying "the tragedy unfolding on our coast is the most painful and powerful reminder yet that the time to embrace a clean-energy future is now."

In a bow to political reality and the still-troubled economy, however, he stopped short of spelling out specifics for dealing with a problem that has bedeviled presidents since Richard Nixon in the 1970s and goes straight to the heart of such bread-and-butter issues as consumer prices, jobs and the viability of major industries.

"The one approach I will not accept is inaction," Obama said.

Photo credit: Pool / Getty Images

President Obama's address, as prepared for delivery, is available after the jump.

by Peter Nicholas

PENSACOLA, FL - President Obama previewed part of his Oval Office address in an appearance here this morning, saying he will talk about the need for British Petroleum to pay out claims "quickly and fairly'' to compensate victims of the worst environmental disaster in U.S. history.

Speaking to reporters at a beachside restaurant, Obama said that he wanted a more "nimble'' response to the oil spill. He said he would appoint separate commanders for Florida, Alabama and Louisiana to give residents of these states a more direct point of contact with federal officials presiding over the recovery.

Obama sat on a picnic bench at the Fish Sandwich Snack Bar, his back to Pensacola Beach. He was surrounded by aides, local officials, Florida Gov. Charlie Crist and the owner of the business, Mike Pinzone. He said Pinzone and other business owners have suffered a dramatic fall-off in revenue since the spill began and have not been made whole by BP.

In his Oval Office speech, set for 8 p.m. eastern time, Obama said he will discuss how "businesses need help right now.''

He said, "I will be their fierce advocate to make sure they are getting the compensation they need to get through what is going to be a difficult season.''

Peter Nicholas sends this update on President Obama's visit to the Gulf

THEODORE, ALA -- Even as he warns of the unfolding catastrophe in the Gulf, President Obama is fine-tuning his message so as not to scare off visitors and imperil a tourist season that is emerging as another casualty of the worst environmental disaster in U.S. history.

Obama returned to the Gulf region on Monday for a two-day, three-state tour -- part of a week aimed at showing he is fully in command of a crisis now in its 56th day. Obama will discuss the oil spill in a televised address from the Oval Office on Tuesday, the first time he has spoken to the nation from these iconic surroundings. A White House spokesman said Obama personally made the decision to deliver the Oval Office address.

In the speech, Obama will lay out the steps taken thus far to stanch the flow, the plan for capturing as much oil as possible until the hole is plugged, and the procedures for ensuring that British Petroleum pays out damages in a "fast, efficient, and transparent'' fashion, according to a White House official.

Obama will meet with BP officials the following day in the White House. One issue expected to come up is his call for a special escrow account -- a means of ensuring BP doesn't renege on its financial responsibilities.

Facing criticism that he seemed too detached from the spill's consequences, Obama is now signaling that he is both in charge and profoundly disturbed by the tragedy. At every turn he is spending time in the company of local fishermen and store owners whose lives were upended when the Deepwater Horizon rig blew up, releasing up to 40,000 barrels of oil a day. Obama confided to NBC's Matt Lauer last week that he wanted to find out whose "ask to kick,'' a rare off-color comment from a president who weighs every syllable.

Photo Credit: Charles Dharapak / AP

by David Savage and Richard Fausset

In an effort to seize greater control of the gulf oil catastrophe, President Obama is prepared to compel BP executives to set up a multibillion-dollar escrow account to pay damage claims in the region, a senior White House official said Sunday.

The Obama administration could use its legal authority under the federal oil pollution act -- the landmark legislation passed a year after the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill --- to force BP to set up such a fund to cover damages that are likely to be astronomical and could prove to be a burden even for BP, which posted a $6.1-billion profit last quarter.

"Our mission is to hold them accountable in every appropriate way," Obama advisor David Axelrod said on NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday. "He is going to be very clear about what our expectations are in terms of taking care of the people who've been damaged by this crisis."

In a letter to BP Chief Executive Tony Hayward on Sunday, 54 senators, nearly the entire Democratic caucus, called on the company to set aside $20 billion for cleanup and damages, to be administered by an independent trustee.

The push for an escrow account is one of several strategies planned by the administration this week in an apparent effort to rebut mounting criticism from the left and right that Obama has failed to respond to the disaster with sufficient adroitness or passion.

Before meeting with BP executives Wednesday, the president will travel to the gulf on Monday for his fourth visit since the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded April 20, killing 11 men and starting what has become the largest oil spill in U.S. history. On Tuesday night, the president plans to deliver a nationwide address on the spill and the government's response.

Continue reading "Obama seeks BP escrow account" >>

by Mike Memoli

The White House this afternoon released more details of President Obama's scheduled trip to the Gulf of Mexico next week, announcing that he will stop in Gulfport, Mississippi, Theodore, Alabama, and Pensacola, Florida, "to survey the response efforts, visit with gulf residents impacted by the spill, and meet with area officials."

The administration response continues to be debated, as does the president's personal style in handling the crisis.

"I don't always have time to perform for the benefit the cable shows," he said earlier this week in response to a question about his "cool, calm and collected" demeanor.

In advance of his fourth trip, the White House today also offered a rare glimpse at Obama during his last trip to Louisiana a week ago. In footage of a meeting with residents who've been impacted by the spill, the president spoke candidly about what he is able to do.

"Even though I'm president of the United States, my power is not limitless," he is shown saying in the "West Wing Week", a video produced by the administration's new media team each week. "I can't dive down there and plug the hole. I can't suck it up with a straw. All I can do is make sure that I put honest, hard-working, smart people in place like Thad to implement this thing."

by Christi Parsons

President Obama this morning urged passage of his proposals to stimulate hiring by small businesses through tax credits and lending incentives, arguing that such measures are partly responsible for economic recovery over the past few months.

Small businesses have historically been responsible for two out of every three new jobs created in the U.S., Obama said, and so must be a critical part of the economic recovery.

"To replace the millions of jobs lost in the recession, we need to make sure small companies are able to open up, expand, and add names to their payrolls," Obama told reporters gathered in the Rose Garden.

But while Republicans in Congress agree with that idea, they don't buy the president's plans for stimulating private sector job creation. With critical mid-term elections looming this fall, GOP lawmakers are pushing instead for a reduction in federal spending to support long-term economic growth.

The president's remarks represent a renewed push within the administration to pass a key part of his economic program, at time when their public focus has been riveted on the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Even as that highly visible disaster unfolds on television, administration officials are working furiously behind the scenes with Democratic leaders in Congress to promote economic recovery.

by Christi Parsons

President Obama this morning will call on Congress to pass a series of his proposals to spur hiring in the private sector, following a meeting with owners and workers of small enterprises in the Oval Office to talk about how they are weathering the recession.

Four months after Obama first proposed his plans to help small businesses grow and hire, his Small Business Lending Fund Act has passed a House committee but since bogged down amid Republicans concerns about whether it would achieve the desired goals.

The president will specifically call on the House to take up and approve that plan, along with another proposal to direct lending to small business by way of state-based programs, according to a White House official.

In remarks in the Rose Garden following the morning meeting, Obama will also ask Congress to pass proposals to eliminate capital gains taxes for small businesses and grant new tax relief for small start-up companies.

Small business access to credit plummeted during 2008 and remains severely constricted now, forcing many operations to close their doors and survivors battling for survival.

by Mike Memoli

The first hometown team to visit the Obama White House as champions will be the Blackhawks, after Wednesday's stirring overtime victory in Game 6 of the NHL's Stanley Cup Finals. The president today phoned head coach Joe Quenneville to congratulate him and the team, saying he was proud of them as a Chicagoan.

"The pair joked that the President would now have bragging rights over Vice President Biden, a Philadelphia Flyers fan," the White House said today. "He reiterated that the Blackhawks' victory was great for the city of Chicago and said he looked forward to welcoming the team at the White House."

Obama, known to be a hoops fan above all, did invite the Bulls to the White House early in his term. But the Blackhawks will be the first Chicago franchise to come with some championship hardware.

Updated

by Mike Memoli

Seven weeks after the initial rig explosion at BP's Deepwater Horizon rig, President Obama has reportedly asked for a meeting with the company's top executive.

Obama told NBC News this week that he had not yet spoken with BP CEO Tony Hayward to discuss the disaster and the environmental crisis that followed. "My experience is when you talk to a guy like B.P.'s CEO, he's going to say all the right things to me," Obama said. "I'm not interested in words. I'm interested in actions."

The surprising revelation spurred new questions about whether a meeting would ever take place. Today, press secretary Robert Gibbs was asked if Obama might seek to meet next week when Hayward is scheduled to be in Washington.

"In a corporate structure the relevant person is going to be the chairman of the board," Gibbs replied. "I certainly wouldn't rule out that the President might see the chairman of the board at some point."

Bloomberg now reports that Admiral Thad Allen, who is heading up Gulf response, has invited BP chairman Carl-Henric Svanberg, along with any other relevant company officials, to a meeting on June 16. That would come after the president's next scheduled trip to the Gulf region, and before Hayward's scheduled testimony.

UPDATE: A copy of the letter inviting Svanberg can be seen here.

by Mike Memoli

In an interview aired Tuesday, President Obama struck a defensive tone when asked about the forcefulness of the administration's response to the BP oil spill.

"I was down there a month ago, before most of these talking heads were even paying attention to the Gulf," Obama told NBC's Matt Lauer.

Does the media critic-in-chief have a point?

An analysis of news coverage compiled weekly by the Pew Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism (PEJ) shows that it was well over two weeks before the Deepwater Horizon rig explosion emerged as the leading story across all platforms. Only in the past two weeks was it a dominant story.

To say cable news personalities were not paying attention to the disaster may be a stretch, however.

"It's been a story that certainly has generated a significant coverage," said Mark Jurkowitz, associate director of PEJ. But "now there's been a quantum leap" in coverage, particularly on cable news, he added.

by Mike Memoli

President Obama this afternoon heralded the "overwhelming" UN Security Council vote on new Iran sanctions, saying the outcome shows that "actions have consequences."

"We know that the Iranian government will not change its behavior overnight," he said in a statement to the press this afternoon. "But today's vote demonstrates the growing costs that will come with Iranian intransigence."

Obama emphasized that they day "was not inevitable," coming after his administration pledged a willingness to "pursue diplomatic solutions to address the concerns over Iranian nuclear programs." He added as well that the vote does not rule out a new effort along those lines. The intransigence of the Iranian government left the global community with no choice, however.

"Actions do have consequences, and today the Iranian government will face some of those consequences," he said. "Whether it is threatening the nuclear non-proliferation regime or the human rights of its own citizens, or the stability of its own neighbors by supporting terrorism, the Iranian government continues to demonstrate that its own unjust actions are a threat to justice everywhere."

The Security Council resolution passed 12-2, with Turkey and Brazil dissenting. Obama said the outcome showed "strong international support," noting affirmative votes from Russia and China. He also noted that it comes just short of the one-year anniversary of Iranian elections that resulted in a disputed win by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, sparking deadly protests.

by Noam Levey

Facing lingering public skepticism about the new healthcare law, President Obama traveled to Maryland Tuesday to tout the distribution of $250 rebate checks for senior citizens who hit the so-called doughnut hole in Medicare's drug coverage, one of the law's first benefits.

At the same time, the president announced a new initiative to halve waste, fraud and abuse in the Medicare program by the end of 2012, an ambitious goal that would require the federal government to recover as much as $18 billion in 2012.

"I want to send a notice to all who would swindle and steal from seniors and the Medicare system," the president said during a townhall meeting in suburban Washington. "We are going to find you, we will prosecute you, and we will ultimately prevent those crimes from happening ever again."

Government authorities recovered $2.5 billion in 2009, according to the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Justice, which are jointly charged with stepping up enforcement efforts.

The same year, the health and human services department estimates that it made about $35 billion in erroneous payments in Medicare's fee-for-service program, or 12.4% of the total.

by Mike Memoli

Get used to seeing this clip on cable news today.

Speaking with NBC's Matt Lauer in an interview aired this morning on the Today Show, President Obama bristled at the notion that his "no drama" has become a detriment during a crisis that some believe demands a more passionate reaction.

"I would love to vent," he said. "I would love to just shout and holler because I'm thinking about this day in and day out. But my main job is to solve the problem."

Lauer followed up by expressing the sentiment of unnamed critics, that he has spent too much time meeting with advisers and not enough time on the scene demanding action.

"I'm going to push back hard on this, because I think this is just an idea that got in folks heads, and the media has run with it," the president replied. "I was down there a month ago, before most of these talking heads were even paying attention to the Gulf. A month ago I was meeting with fishermen down there, standing in the rain talking about what a potential crisis this could be. And I don't sit around just talking to experts because this is a college seminar, we talk to these folks because they potentially have the best answers, so I know whose ass to kick."

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

It was a rare, public use of the three-letter word by a president, one that already is generating considerable attention. Context is important, though, given that Lauer's question introduced the notion that "this is not a time to meet with experts and advisers. This is a time to spend more time in the Gulf and ... kick some butt." Obama appears to have rephrased it with a more salty alternative.

President Obama and Interior Secretary Ken Salazar address the media following a meeting with Cabinet members and administration officials. (AP/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

By Christi Parsons and Jim Tankersley

Angrily condemning "finger pointing" by oil executives over the spill in the gulf, President Obama this afternoon pledged to tighten up federal oversight of fuel companies and ordered a rigorous review of domestic oil and gas exploration in the U.S.

Recent congressional hearings about the accident were a "ridiculous spectacle" in which BP, Transocean and Halliburton executives blamed others, Obama said, even though there's clearly "enough responsibility to go around."

"That includes, by the way, the federal government," Obama told reporters after a morning meeting with top advisors at the White House. "For a decade or more there has been a cozy relationship between the oil companies and the federal agency that permits them to drill."

Obama said he is ordering a new examination of the environmental procedures for oil and gas exploration and development, along with inspections of all deep-water operations in the gulf. No plans to drill will go forward at least until his initial thirty-day review is complete, the president said.

The orders come on the heels of BP requests for government assistance in the clean-up of crude oil now headed toward the coast, the result of the recent rig explosion some 40 miles off shore.

Along with its pledge to help clean up and contain the spillage, the Obama administration has also promised a vigorous federal effort to figure out what caused the spill, and who is responsible for it.

On Friday, Obama made it clear he thinks federal officials are among the responsible parties. The federal agency that issues permits to drill has done so "based on little more than assurances" from the oil companies that their plans were safe, he said.

"We will trust but we will verify," Obama said of the future permitting process.

President Obama speaks after touring an industrial facility in Buffalo. (AP/Susan Walsh)

by Christi Parsons

Accusing Republicans of sitting idly by during the economic collapse, President Obama today claimed credit for helping to "keep the American Dream alive in our time."

He didn't want to bail out Wall Street banks last year, Obama told factory workers this afternoon, but it was necessary to avert disaster.

"If we simply gave in to the partisan posturing in Washington - all the poll-taking and calculation that caused an entire party to sit on the sidelines - the same party that was in charge when this crisis unfolded - millions more Americans would lose their jobs, their businesses, and their homes," Obama said this afternoon to a crowd in a Buffalo, N.Y.

The remarks came in an address to employees at Industrial Support, Inc., a manufacturing company that does metal fabrication, stamping and welding. It was another stop in the president's ongoing "Main Street" tour, focused on promoting his administration's programs and the Democratic lawmakers who have helped him implement them.

by Andrew Zajac

Orly Taitz, the southern California dentist/lawyer who has filed numerous suits challenging President Obama's citizenship, yesterday was fined $20,000 by a federal judge in Georgia for using the courts "as a platform for a political agenda disconnected from any legitimate legal cause of action."

Judge Clay Land earlier had dismissed Taitz's suit on a behalf of a military doctor who sought to dodge deployment by asserting that Obama is not a citizen, hence cannot lawfully dispatch troops.

Land said Taitz's suit was frivolous and that her conduct connected to it -- which included accusations of corruption and treason against Land -- was an abuse of her privilege to practice law.

by Andrew Zajac

A day after telling a political blog that the federal judge who threw out her case was corrupt and might merit a trial for treason, leading Obama birther Orly Taitz was slapped with a California Bar complaint alleging professional misconduct.

Cleveland attorney Subodh Chandra fired off the complaint after reading Taitz's interview with TPM in which she made her accusations against Judge Clay Land, a George W. Bush appointee, and compared herself to Nelson Mandela.

Chandra's complaint asserts that Taitz "violated her duty to maintain the respect due to the courts of justice and judicial officers."

Read Chandra's filing here: Taitz Complaint.pdf

by Andrew Zajac

Don't let the venom and bad manners in some of the town hall meetings on health care distract you from the real issues involving the availability and affordability of medical insurance, President Obama told listeners this morning in his weekly radio address.

Obama downplayed the ferocity of confrontations between citizens and lawmakers at a number of gatherings held to assess the national mood for an overhaul of the health care delivery system, saying that beyond "the chatter and noise out there" a serious discussion is taking place.

As he has for several weeks now, Obama sought to keep the pressure on insurance companies, whose practices, he asserted, put health coverage out of reach of too many Americans.

Read on about the debate below the fold, see the full texts below, see the president's address above and Sen. Orrin Hatch's response here:

by John McCormick

Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) is calling on Attorney General Eric Holder to do more to address youth violence in Chicago.

"Last school year, more than 500 Chicago school children were shot and at least 36 of them were killed," Durbin said today in a statement. "This is not a chance occurrence but, unfortunately, is a developing pattern of tragedy. We need to work with the Obama Administration and state and local officials to end this devastating violence in Chicago."

Durbin made his remarks during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing dealing with oversight of the Justice Department. He noted that he has also called on Education Secretary Arne Duncan, the former head of Chicago Public Schools, to join in the effort.

"No one in Washington knows the Chicago schools better," Durbin said.

Obama has come under some criticism for not doing more to address youth violence in a community where he still owns property, as noted in this April Tribune story.

by John McCormick

As President Barack Obama flies Monday to Chicago for a midday speech on health-care reform, the round trip on Air Force One will run about $236,000, according to government estimates of the operating costs for one of the top symbols, and perks, of the presidency.

But that does not include such expenses as Secret Service protection, motorcades and helicopter transports.

After landing at O'Hare International Airport, Obama is scheduled to spend about 2 1/2 hours here. To avoid snarling traffic on the Kennedy Expressway, he likely will be taken from the airport by helicopter to a location near the Hyatt Regency Chicago.

A Government Accounting Office report in 2000 showed Air Force One cost $54,100 to operate each flight hour, or almost $67,000 in today's dollars. It is a tough number to estimate, however, because of so many variables and fixed costs that could be included in or excluded from the calculation.

Read the rest of the story and view a three-quarter-page graphic in Monday's Chicago Tribune.

by John McCormick

As President Barack Obama delivered a highly anticipated speech to the Muslim world recently, he stood before the audience at Cairo University in Egypt and pointed to a place more than 6,100 miles away.

"As a young man, I worked in Chicago communities where many found dignity and peace in their Muslim faith," he said.

While Obama has not come home to Chicago much as president -- on Monday he plans to make just his second trip here since the inauguration -- the city apparently is never far from his mind. The same is true for First Lady Michelle Obama.

The president and first lady often mention Chicago and Illinois when speaking, generating the kind of global advertising that is impossible to buy.

The rest of the story is in Sunday's Chicago Tribune.

By John McCormick and Stacy St. Clair

Malia and Sasha Obama are starting their summer vacation with a trip to Europe.

The White House confirmed Thursday that the girls will join their parents at ceremonies Saturday marking the 65th anniversary of the D-Day invasion, then stay on in Paris for several days with their mother.

The girls, ages 10 and 7, have made numerous trips to their father's native state of Hawaii, but have never before been to Europe. They traveled to Kenya with their parents in 2006 and are expected to make numerous additional overseas journeys now that they live in the White House.

The eventful weekend for the First Daughters follows completion today of their first semester at the Sidwell Friends School in the Washington, D.C., area.

President Barack Obama is traveling through the Middle East and Germany, before joining his family in France on Friday.

by John McCormick

President Barack Obama's great uncle, a Chicagoan who helped liberate a German concentration camp in 1945, plans to travel to France late this week to take part in a weekend event to commemorate the 65th anniversary of D-Day, the Tribune has learned.

Charles Payne, 84, is expected to travel to Normandy with a delegation led by the head of the Department of Veterans Affairs, retired Army Gen. Eric Shinseki. The group will also include former Sen. Bob Dole and Susan Eisenhower, President Dwight Eisenhower's granddaughter and a Republican who backed Obama early on in the campaign.

Payne landed at Le Havre in the Normandy region of France in January 1945 - well after D-Day - to start an often confusing and cold journey across Europe that eventually took him to a concentration camp where more than 50,000 people had been killed.

Obama will visit that concentration camp on Friday as part of an itinerary that also includes stops in Saudi Arabia and Egypt. The president's tour of the Buchenwald concentration camp in Dresden, Germany, will come roughly in the middle of his trip.

Read the rest of the story in Wednesday's Chicago Tribune.

By John McCormick and Jeff Coen

Virtually every Wednesday evening, Diane Wood leaves one courthouse and travels a few blocks to another for a two-hour rehearsal with the Chicago Bar Association Symphony, an ensemble where she has played the oboe and English horn for roughly two decades.

Like virtually every aspect of her life, from the multiple languages she speaks to the tomatoes she grows, the federal appeals court judge approaches her music from the perspective of a perfectionist.

"There are people who play notes and people who play music. She plays music," said Chicago lawyer and clarinetist John Vishneski, who has sat next to her throughout her symphony tenure. "She understands what she is playing."

Wood, a judge on the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago, is believed to be a finalist to succeed retiring Justice David Souter on the U.S. Supreme Court. Just days ago, she had a face-to-face interview in Washington with President Barack Obama, a former colleague at the University of Chicago Law School.

Those who know Wood well describe her as exceedingly driven and pragmatic, qualities often also used to describe Obama. But unlike the president, she is fluent in more than one language, speaking very good French, strong German and some Russian.

Read the rest of the profile of Judge Diane Wood in Sunday's Chicago Tribune.

by John McCormick, updated

Although not exactly a 'stop the presses' moment, two top aides to President Barack Obama broke a small piece of White House news while appearing this afternoon at a Chicago luncheon to boost the campaign coffers of U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.).

Chicagoans Valerie Jarrett and Tina Tchen said an office they both lead, the White House Office of Public Liaison, is being renamed to the Office of Public Engagement to give it more of a community organizing tone that is central to Obama's biography.

Jarrett, a senior adviser to the president, and Tchen, director of the engagement office, told stories about their first months into the White House during a joint half-hour appearance before a heavily female audience of about 2,000.

Schakowsky, meanwhile, said she will announce on June 8 -- an arbitrary deadline -- whether she will run for U.S. Senate. "If I do run, we will put together a campaign that leaves no stone unturned," she said.

With the Democrats in control of the White House and Congress, she said she has no plans to leaving public life, even as she prepares to turn 65 later this month.

"I find retirement unthinkable," she said. "This is harvest time."

Should she decide to run, questions about her husband, Robert Creamer, will almost certainly be raised.

by John McCormick

For much of his 84 years, Charles Payne has lived in Chicago in relative obscurity and watched his sister's grandson rise to the presidency.

But now it appears possible that a painful part of Payne's own story will be brought to the forefront, based on German news reports that President Barack Obama is considering a visit to the concentration camp that his great uncle helped liberate in April 1945.

Payne, who spent much of his career working in library science at the University of Chicago, was a private first class in the 89th Infantry Division during World War II when he participated in the liberation of Ohrdruf, a forced-labor camp that was a satellite of the Buchenwald concentration camp.

"I remember seeing a lot of really emaciated people in rags at the point of starvation. People were clutching tin cups for food," he said Thursday in a Tribune interview. "I saw sheds where dead bodies had been stacked up."

But Payne said he had thought little in recent years about the horrors he saw, until German reporters started calling to ask about a possible presidential visit.

A German government spokesman told reporters in Berlin that Obama may visit Buchenwald while in Europe this summer. The president is expected to commemorate the 65th anniversary of the D-Day landings in France on June 6, and a Group of Eight summit will be in Italy in July.

Read the rest of the story in Friday's Chicago Tribune.

by Peter Nicholas and Christi Parsons

As President Obama prepares to mark his 100th day in the White House, he is acknowledging that the nation might not reach one of his major environmental goals for a while longer: 15,000 days, or 41 years.

That's how long it could take for the nation to cut its carbon emissions by 80%, Obama said during an appearance at the National Academy of Sciences yesterday.

His caution plays into the administration's efforts to deflate expectations about what he reasonably could have solved by Wednesday.

The White House initially downplayed the 100-day benchmark -- one of his senior advisors, David Axelrod, called it the "journalistic equivalent of a Hallmark holiday."

But now, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs says, the administration is "playing along."

On Wednesday, Obama will take part in a town-hall-style event in St. Louis and a prime-time news conference from the East Room of the White House. Every major broadcast network but Fox will air the news conference live.

The president is certain to get a question on what he's accomplished in his first 100 days -- and he's certain to have a ready answer. But Obama also wants to discourage the idea that progress will be quick.

"It's an arbitrary demarcation of time created by some conglomeration of reporters and historians," Dan Pfeiffer, Obama's deputy communications director, said Monday. "Any suggestion we could do more than make a down payment on the change the president promised in 100 days is unrealistic."

by Christi Parsons

He may suffer in other reviews of his first 100 days in office, but one analysis finds that President Obama has at least got game.

That assessment came from the star point guard of the University of Connecticut women's basketball team who shot hoops with the president this afternoon. (Photo by Gerald Herbert / Associated Press.)

The president met with the Huskies women's team at the South Portico of the White House, where he congratulated them on their NCAA championship and thanked them for being role models for young women -- especially tall ones, like his daughters.

"As a father," he told them, "I want to thank all of you."

Then Obama invited the team to walk down the drive to his basketball court -- he in his blue suit and tie and most of them in sundresses and sandals.

Out of sight of reporters covering the event, the president reportedly took a few shots and possibly even played a game of some kind. After ten or fifteen minutes of occasional cheering, the president went back to work and the players headed back to the portico.

Who won? Point guard Renee Montgomery offered the only report.

"He did!" she said. "The president can shoot!"

No word on whether the president will fill out brackets for the women's tournament next year, but he did promise to wear the team jersey they gave him -- it has the numeral one on the back -- when he plays.

"Number One," he said. "That's what I'm talking about."

by John McCormick

On the mid-December morning when Arne Duncan was introduced as the nominee for Secretary of Education, he was greeted by Reggie Love, a Duke University basketball and football star who served as a traveling aide to Barack Obama during the campaign and now works for him at the White House.

As the two extra-sized men exchanged a hug, Love passed along his congratulations and a nod to Duncan's basketball prowess. "Now we know we've got some ball in D.C.," Love said in a hallway at a West Side school.

But during the busy first three months of the new administration, there apparently hasn't been much presidential ball, at least involving Cabinet members.

"It's been very sporadic. We've played a couple times and we're not in any good rhythm yet," Duncan said during a visit to the Tribune earlier this week. "We keep saying we want to do more, but we are struggling to sort of figure it out."

Duncan, a co-captain at Harvard who played four years of pro basketball in Australia, said he did manage to take a few shots Monday during a basketball clinic he helped with on the White House grounds that was part of a massive Easter egg party there.

(Secretary of Education Arne Duncan met with the U.S. Conference of Mayors' on March. 31. Photo by Win McNamee / Getty Images)