On March 6th at 3 p.m. all the house-parents—including the Moroccan family—were ordered to leave the compound and the children. By 9 p.m., the Padilla’s found themselves on a bus headed for the airport escorted by police. They took their two biological children with them, leaving behind their belongings and beloved foster children.
The violence between backers and opponents healthcare reform began last summer. I warned then that we were crossing a dangerous threshold in America toward civic breakdown. So here it is again, in case you missed it the first time.
Within the past couple of weeks, Israel-U.S. relations have sunk to one of their lowest ebbs in decades. The Obama Administration is pressuring the Netanyahu government over construction of Jewish homes in Jerusalem.
Former New York City mayor Ed Koch calls the Obama Administration's treatment of the Israeli government over this issue "outrageous and a breach of trust."
Here's what the President is up to today:
9:30am The President receives the Presidential Daily Briefing
10:00am The President meets with senior advisors
10:40am The President departs the White House en route to Iowa City, Iowa
2:00pm The President delivers remarks on health care reform in Iowa City, Iowa
5:40pm The President arrives back at the White House
With the Final Four just around the corner, I will spend the next week studying each team (Currently 16) still trying to stake their claim to play in Indianapolis. Like every other sports reporter around the country the week before a major event, I’ll be pouring over stats, interviews, and watching the remaining games leading to the Final Four. However, unlike most other media outlets, it is also my job to identify the Christians on each team.
Democrats are receiving threats in the wake of their votes for health care reform. Members concerned with their safety have been briefed by the FBI and Capitol Police on how to handle security threats. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer says lawmakers who fear they are in harms way are getting the attention they need. The troubling behavior began over the weekend when some protestors yelled racial slurs at several black lawmakers and one protestor even spat at a black lawmaker on Capitol Hill.
White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs says an official White House Photo will be released of the President signing the executive order on abortion funding today. "You'll get a pretty picture from Pete." He means they will release a picture taken by White House photographer, Pete Souza. And hey, look, Pete's a great guy, a talented photographer, I follow him on Twitter, but it's not the same.
We have a free press in the US. And we, the free press, want to be in. We don't like being stuck behind closed doors.
In today's press briefing at the White House, Press Secretary Robert Gibbs was asked repeatedly about last night's meeting between the President and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu. The press was asking why there were no cameras allowed in, why we were not given a readout or statement following the meeting, and why not even an official White House photo was released.
Ever wonder what a signature done with 22 pens looks like? There you go.
(photo courtesy: Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)