"From this desk, seven and a half years ago, pres bush announced the beginning of military opperations in Irag. Much has changed since that night. A war to disarm a state became a fight against an insurgency," Obama said.
The president mentioned that he had spoken with President George W. Bush about the future of Iraq.
"It's well known that he and I disagreed about the war from its outset. Yet no one could doubt President Bush's support for our troops, or his love of country and commitment to our security. As I have said, there were patriots who supported this war, and patriots who opposed it. And all of us are united in appreciation for our servicemen and women, and our hope for Iraq's future," he said.
Republican and House Minority leader John Boehner of Ohio also made remarks about the end of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
"Some leaders who opposed, criticized, and fought tooth-and-nail to stop the surge strategy now proudly claim credit for the results," he said, referring to then Senator Obama who opposed the surge which proved successful in fighting Iraqi insurgents.
Obama promised to continue the fight against al-Qaeda, and remarked on the future of operations in Afghanistan.
Beginning in July, "we will begin a transition to Afghan responsibility. The pace of our troop reductions will be determined by conditions on the ground, and our support for Afghanistan will endure. But make no mistake: this transition will begin -- because open-ended war serves neither our interests nor the Afghan people's," he said.
New York based blog Gawker called "Do you know who Snooki is?" the defining political question of our time yesterday. For someone who is famous for being famous, the Jersey Shore star sure has caused quiet a commotion on America's political scene. It all began this June Snookie revealed her preference for Republican presidential candidate John McCain over President Obama.
"I don't go tanning anymore because Obama put a 10% tax on tanning," Snooki said. "And I feel like he did that intentionally for us. McCain would never put a 10% tax on tanning because he's pale and he'd probably want to be tan."
"@Sn00ki u r right, I would never tax your tanning bed!" McCain posted on Twitter. "Pres Obama's tax/spend policy is quite The Situation. but I do rec wearing sunscreen!"
President Obama apparently took Snooki's public remarks seriously because he vowed to give her and the entire Jersey Shore cast an exemption to the tax provision of the health bill.
"The following individuals shall be excluded from the indoor tanning tax within this bill: Snooki, JWOWW, The Situation and House minority leader John Boehner," Obama joked at White House Press Correspondents Dinner.
Only two months later however, the president claimed he didn't know who Snooki was during his appearance on The View. This is flip-flopping at its worst.
Even though they're on hiatus, the Killers decided to reunite and celebrate America's independence at the White House Fourth of July party. The band played hits like "When You Were Young" and "Somebody Told Me", but they also performed a medly of "God Bless America" and "Read My Mind". Check out video from the group's concert at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave after the jump.
The health care bill has passed. Last night, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 219-212 to do so. Every House Republican voted no along with thirty-four Democrats.
This is a major victory for the Obama administration which was been criticized for not getting much of anything done in it's first year. "Yes we can," tweeted the Barack Obama Twitter account shortly after the vote.
The bill is expected to reach the President's desk tomorrow, and when it's finally signed, Barack Obama will be the one who Democrats and history credits for completing the Democrat's social agenda. His place alongside Franklin Roosevelt and Lyndon Johnson is all but assured. He'll also be the one who Republicans credit for making America more socialist.
Historically, it's amazing the bill passed. Universal health care has always been political suicide. Obama and the Democrats seemed destined to face the same backlash that the Clinton administration and the Democratic Congress faced in the 90s. Not even FDR or LBJ touched it.
Only time will tell how the bill will impact America. The cost, the bureaucracy, the unforeseen and unintended consequences, it will all reveal itself in the coming years and decades. After the jump, check out a map showing how Congressmen voted and check out the New York Times article explaining how the health care bill will impact you.
This Tuesday, American Idol winner Kris Allen released his self titled debut album. The same day, former Republican Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin released her book Going Rogue: An American Life. It seems fitting that Allen and Palin would share that day to release their respective works.
The finale for season 8 of American Idol was touted as a red state vs. blue state showdown. Allen, the humble Christian guitar player from Conway, Arkansas was up against the flamboyant and dramatic Adam Lambert from San Diego, California.
If Idol were just a talent competition, Lambert had the edge. Wowing the judges week after week, he displayed amazing range and was unlike any contestant the show has ever had. American Idol is much more than a talent competition though. It's also a popularity contest.
Ultimately, Americans decided that Lambert was a little too "out there" for their taste. Either that or the 14-year-old Allen fans who voted dozens of times the night of the finale overwhelmed Lambert's supporters. Regardless, The New York Times ran a front page article questioning if AT&T swayed the voting results when they hosted parties in Arkansas and provided free phones for fans to text on. Sure, it isn't "hanging chads", but should we demand a recount?
The New York Times wasn't the only "liberal elite" media outlet that took sides following the more conservative Allen's coronation as America's Idol. Rolling Stone did a full on cover story of Lambert with the headline "Wild Idol: The Liberation of Adam Lambert". The singer appeared on the cover with a snake and publicly came out in the article.
Various news outlets, including the New York Times, hyped gubernatorial elections in New Jersey and Virginia a few weeks ago, calling them a referendum on Obama. Of course, Republican victories in a few states don't necessarily spell doom for Obama in 2012, but could album sales for Allen and Lambert be a barometer for the country's political climate?
Let's see what each artist has going for and against them in this red state-blue state showdown.
What Kris Allen has going for him:
Non-offensive singer-songwriter music can reach unlikely music buyers such as soccer moms.
His good looks and awe-schucks demeanor might be enough to sway Lambert loving homosexuals to buy both albums.
Without the support of mainstream media, his "underdog" status might make crazed 14-year-old female fans buy two copies.
What Kris Allen doesn't have going for him:
Radio programmers might deem him too boring.
What Adam Lambert has going for him:
Music co-written with proven hit makers Max Martin, Lady Gaga, and Dr. Luke might be catchy enough for red state record buyers to pick up a copy.
People who live on the coasts make more money than everyone in the "flyover zone", right?
If Lady Gaga vs. Britney Spears is any indication of America's political climate, Lady Gaga is winning right now.
What Adam Lambert doesn't have going for him:
Let's be honest, that album cover scares children.
Numbers for first week sales of Kris Allen will be available next week and Adam Lambert's For Your Entertainment will hits stores November 23.
President Barack Obama is traveling to Copenhagen this Friday to try and sway Olympic officials towards selecting Chicago as the site for the 2016 games.
This makes Obama the first U.S. President to meet with Olympic officials for such a purpose. British Prime Minister Tony Blair was the first world leader to make such a visit which resulted in London winning the bid to host the Games in 2012. Putin followed suit and Sochi, Russia is now preparing to host the 2014 Winter Games.
Chicago is up against Madrid, Tokyo, and Rio de Janeiro for the selection. Many see Rio as a front runner as it would become the first South American city to do such but others are hoping Obama's visit will change that.
Could there be more to the President's visit than simply getting the Olympics to his adopted hometown? Could this be an attempt by Obama to give Kanye West a second chance to wow the world? West, a Chicago native, would either perform at the Games closing ceremony or would jump into the stadium during the Smashing Pumpkins performance.
But seriously, I hope Chicago gets it because if West performed, it would be da bomb. And imagine Michael Jordan and Oprah too. It would almost be as cool as London's closing ceremony is going to be (Paul McCartney! The Rolling Stones! Elton John! Coldplay! The possibilities are endless). And unfortunately, I don't think Obama cares about West performing. After all, he says he's a jackass...
You would think that Obama would support Beyonce for best female video. After all, she supported him. Instead, the President agrees with MTV's choice to award Taylor Swift for the category. Check back later for more reactions to the VMAs.
17 Tracks Highlighted in Daily Universe Blog
We seem to talk a lot about President Obama in the interview and we are pictured with Sarah Palin. It's not that political an interview and we aren't that militantly conservative even though our parents wish we were.
Facebook Group Created To Commemorate Aretha Franklin's Hat
The most memorable part of Obama's inauguration was when the guy holding the Bible screwed up the oath of office. The second most memorable part was when Aretha Franklin, the queen of soul, sang wearing one of the most interesting hats I've seen in my entire life. It was such a big deal that Idolatorheralded it as the top story of the week. Users of the social networking site Facebook can now become a fan of her hat. Included on the fan page are pictures of people, both celebrities and those who wish they were, wearing the hat. My personal favorite is Snoop Dogg. Said Maura Johnston of Idolator: "Can we just take a moment to appreciate the majesty of Aretha Franklin's hat?" It is quite majestic, isn't it?
Chart Watch Gaga Spends Second Week On Top
The #1 song in America when Barack Obama will become the nation's forty-fourth president this upcoming Tuesday will be Lady Gaga's "Just Dance" which holds onto the top slot for a second week. It sold 201,000 digital downloads to beat out Beyonce's "Single Ladies" which is leading in airplay. Kanye West's "Heartless" makes it to a new high of #3, the same peak his "Love Lockdown" reached. Apparently the All-American Rejects' "Womanizer" cover wasn't necessary because enough people care about their new single "Gives You Hell" to allow it to reach the top ten, just behind Britney's "Womanizer".
1. "Just Dance" - Lady Gaga feat. Colby O'Donis 2. "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)" - Beyonce 3. "Heartless" - Kanye West 4. "Live Your Life" - T.I. feat. Rihanna 5. "Love Story" - Taylor Swift 6. "Hot N Cold" - Katy Perry 7. "I'm Yours" - Jazon Mraz 8. "Let It Rock" - Kevin Rudolf feat. Lil Wayne 9. "Womanizer" - Britney Spears 10. "Gives You Hell" - All-American Rejects
As part of our continuing coverage of rock n roll and its influence on politics (see our last post here), we present the youtube sensation that's sweeping the internet after being posted on Drudge Report:
Sing for Change!
A lot more subtle than "Obama Is Here". I still prefer Will.I.Am's song. At least John McCain has his own theme song now, "Raisin' McCain" by some guy named John Rich.
The 1992 election saw Democrat Bill Clinton trailing behind Republican George H. W. Bush. It also saw MTV, now over a decade old, trying to find new ways to stay relevant and meet the needs of their audience beyond music videos. The Rock The Vote campaign had begun two years previously with musicians making ads to encourage young people to register and vote. These ads had been given plenty of play time on MTV and coupled with the growth of MTV News, it showed that young people cared about issues other than Paula Abdul's new haircut.
MTV began by assigning a team to cover the election and eventually set up a town hall meeting for the candidates. Both Bush and Perot turned the offer down, but Clinton needed all the help he could get in the polls. Clinton answered serious questions about serious issues but also about his first rock and roll experience (Going nuts over Elvis Presley). Did Clinton's time on MTV make any difference in the campaign? He ended up winning with 43 percent of the vote and young voter turnout was up 20 percent from 1988.
These days, MTV seems to have less 'M', instead of focusing on the worst dating reality shows imaginable and following around celebrities. You can't really blame them however as the internet has forced them to find new programming to keep viewers. Why sit around watching countless videos you don't want to see until your favorites show up when you can view whatever you want whenever you want on YouTube? As music videos have migrated to the internet, so has music's attempts to shape public opinion.
On February 2, 2008, the Black Eyed Pea's Will.I.Am released "Yes We Can", a video based almost exclusivley on a speech given by Barack Obama and directed by Bob Dylan's son, Jesse Dylan. Shot in black and white and featuring 34 musicians, actors, and actresses, it samples Obama's most hope-inducing rhetoric. As of the beginning of August, the video has had nearly 9 million plays on YouTube.
Ludacris recently made a pro-Barack song of his own, "Obama Is Here". His track has caused controversy, bashing on Hillary, Bush, and proclaiming that McCain, "don't belong in any chair unless he's paralyzed". Rather than the optomistic tone of Will.I.Am's video, "Obama Is Here" comes across as militant as Ludacris threatens to "paint the White House black". Obama spokesman Bill Burton commented, "While Ludacris is a talented individual, he should be ashamed of these lyrics," and went on to say that the song is "outrageously offensive".
And what of John McCain? Is anyone going to make a song for him? Unfortunatley, the music industry is predominantly liberal save a few stars. Paris Hilton is one(she recorded a few songs right?). Her family recently donated to the McCain campaign. We can only suppose that Britney Spears is supporting McCain after her comments about trusting President Bush and our involvement in the Iraq War. Loyalties aside, the two tabloid princesses are now being used in a McCain ad portraying Obama as the biggest celebrity in the world; all style but no substance. I guess they won't be making a song for him anytime soon.
So far the only artist to make a YouTube video supporting McCain is Madonna. Who would have thought?
Only time will tell if YouTube can make the same kind of difference in this election that MTV did in the early 90's. The one thing that is for sure is the fact that Obama is the first "YouTube-able" presidential candidate in the history of America. There is no telling how many of his 229,000 videos on the site are music related but it sure beats McCain's 85,900. No matter who you support, rock the vote America.
