There was some serious star power in the East Room of the White House Tuesday and it had nothing to do with politics. The Major League Soccer champion Los Angeles Galaxy including star players David Beckham, forward Robbie Keane, midfielder Landon Donovan and their team mates were honored by President Obama and dozens of young soccer fans invited to the White House.

Calling them the "Miami Heat of soccer" the president commended the team for their success.

"[T]ogether you pulled off one of the toughest feats in team sports: You lived up to the hype. You combined star power, hard work; it paid off."

The president poked a little fun at David Beckham telling the 36 year old, "I said half his teammates could be his kids."

"We're getting old, David. Although you're holding up better than me," the president laughingly told Beckham.

But he thanked the team for agreeing to stay and talk with children invited to the White House to meet the players.

"As a soccer dad, I know you've inspired a lot of kids. And today you're giving them an experience that they will never forget," the president told them.

After the East Room event, the players joined Michelle Obama and about 60 children invited for the event in the State Dining Room as part of a Let's Move program, the first lady's initiative to instill healthy eating habits in children.

Mrs. Obama said she hoped to hold a soccer clinic outside on the White House lawn but rain forced them inside. She told the kids about the importance of sports and remaining active.

"[W]e want to show kids just like you that there are all kinds of ways to be active, and that being active is also a whole lot of fun. So a lot of what we do while there are soccer drills and things like that going on, we're doing a lot of playing around and laughing, and realizing that that's what being healthy is about. It's not always work; most of the time it's a lot of fun."

She left admonishing the children to "eat your vegetables."

A sentiment that was echoed by star soccer player Beckham who when asked by one child was his favorite food is he hesitated only briefly and answered, carrots!

President Obama is back at the White House on this rainy Tuesday, holding several meetings alongside Vice President Biden. This morning, he'll make a quick trip up to Capitol Hill to make remarks at the annual National Peace Officers Memorial Service, a ceremony honoring law enforcement who were killed in the line of duty in the previous year. He'll also host the Major League Soccer champs, the LA Galaxy in the East Room and then the First Lady and the Galaxy will participate in a Let's Move soccer clinic in the State Dining Room (the event was moved inside due to the weather.) But don't forget, President Obama's appearance on the View will appear this morning where he apparently takes a pop quiz.

EDT

9:30AM Pool Call Time

9:30AM THE PRESIDENT and THE VICE PRESIDENT receive the Presidential Daily Briefing

Oval Office (Closed Press)

10:55AM THE PRESIDENT delivers remarks at the National Peace Officers Memorial Service

U.S. Capitol Building (Open to Pre-Credentialed Media)

2:15PM THE PRESIDENT welcomes Major League Soccer champions, the LA Galaxy, to the White House

East Room (Open Press)

3:30PM THE PRESIDENT and THE VICE PRESIDENT meet with Secretary of the Treasury Geithner

Oval Office (Closed Press)

4:30PM THE PRESIDENT and THE VICE PRESIDENT meet with Secretary of Defense Panetta

Oval Office (Closed Press)

5:30PM THE PRESIDENT and THE VICE PRESIDENT meet with the Combatant Commanders

Cabinet Room (Closed Press)

7:00PM THE PRESIDENT and THE FIRST LADY host a dinner for the Combatant Commanders and spouses at the White House; THE VICE PRESIDENT also attends

Blue Room (Closed Press)

Briefing Schedule

12:30PM Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jay Carney

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It’s the one night of the year when the president, his staff and those who follow him are allowed to loosen up and tickle their funny bones.  Every year, the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner gives politicians and the reporters who cover them a chance to laugh at themselves and the world around them.  And for the comic tapped to deliver the keynote address at the dinner, it’s an opportunity to entertain Washington’s elite.  But there are times where the comic makes the headlines for all the wrong reasons.  You’ve gotta watch these moments when the keynote comics made more headlines than the jokes.

2011: Obama laughs off Osama joke

In 2011, “Saturday Night Live” star Seth Meyers joked about Osama bin Laden hiding on C-SPAN. What Meyers did not know was that U.S. intelligence had already found bin Laden and that he would be killed within hours. Watch President Obama and his staff put on their game faces about 30 seconds into the clip while Meyers poked fun. In 2011, “Saturday Night Live” star Seth Meyers joked about Osama bin Laden hiding on C-SPAN. What Meyers did not know was that U.S. intelligence had already found bin Laden and that he would be killed within hours. Watch President Obama and his staff put on their game faces about 30 seconds into the clip while Meyers poked fun.

2009: Sykes' controversial Limbaugh joke

Comedienne and actress Wanda Sykes pulled no punches and took no prisoners when she addressed the 2009 Correspondents’ Dinner. But Sykes heard a few “boo birds” when she connected radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh to Osama bin Laden and the 9/11 hijackers. Listen to Sykes’ remarks about 10 seconds into the clip and see if they were appropriate. Comedienne and actress Wanda Sykes pulled no punches and took no prisoners when she addressed the 2009 Correspondents’ Dinner. But Sykes heard a few “boo birds” when she connected radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh to Osama bin Laden and the 9/11 hijackers. Listen to Sykes’ remarks about 10 seconds into the clip and see if they were appropriate.

2006: Colbert rips Bush, Washington

In 2006, just a few months after his Comedy Central show premiered, Stephen Colbert brought his brand of satire to the Correspondents’ Dinner. While many laughed, his jabs at then-president George W. Bush and his administration angered a number of Bush’s aides and supporters, some of whom walked out during the performance. Watch and decide for yourself if Colbert was funny or infuriating. In 2006, just a few months after his Comedy Central show premiered, Stephen Colbert brought his brand of satire to the Correspondents’ Dinner. While many laughed, his jabs at then-president George W. Bush and his administration angered a number of Bush’s aides and supporters, some of whom walked out during the performance. Watch and decide for yourself if Colbert was funny or infuriating.

NASCAR driver Tony Stewart speaks with President Obama in front of his car on the South Lawn of the White House. Obama was joined by NASCAR drivers to honor Tony Stewart's Sprint Cup Series Championship.

Obama transcript following the jump

FULL POST

The space shuttle Discovery made three passes by the White House and the National Mall on its farewell flight to the Smithsonian's Air and Space Udvar-Hazy Center near Dulles Airport. Members of the White House Press Corps gathered on the north side of the White House to see the shuttle over the West Wing. No word yet on whether President Obama caught a glimpse of the shuttle.

NASA's shuttle program ended under the Obama administration after funding was cut by $1.5 billion dollars. Obama has said the closing of the program "propels us into the next era of our never-ending adventure to push the very frontiers of exploration and discovery in space."

The Obama family decided to keep it local Sunday morning, walking just across Lafayette Park to St. John’s Episcopal Church for Easter services.

“Happy Easter, everybody” the president said on the way to church, holding hands with his younger daughter Sasha as he walked by the press pool.

During the service the Rector, Rev. Dr. Luis Leon spoke about the mystery of Easter and the resurrection, comparing it to the global economy, neither of which he said he understands. "You ruin it if you try to explain it," he said. "It can't be explained."

Music from a sound check ahead of Monday’s Easter egg roll could be heard on the White House North Lawn as the Obama family walked back from services. Unfortunately this writer is not hip enough with the tween scene to recognize the artist.

The Muslim Brotherhood, the controversial group in Egypt key to the country's new government, is on a public relations tour and members had meeting with White House officials. CNN's Brianna Keilar reports on the meeting that the White House hopes to open lines of communications.

The head of the General Services Administration resigned Monday after a scathing report which called government spending on a training seminar in Las Vegas "excessive, wasteful, and in some cases impermissible." In some election-year damage control, the White House quickly put out a statement that President Obama was “outraged” when he found out about the spending.

GSA Administrator Martha Johnson admitted in a letter of resignation that her agency had made a "significant mis-step" and that "taxpayer dollars were squandered."

A GSA Inspector General's report on the 2010 GSA "Western Regions" training conference in Las Vegas shows that the government spent more than $822,000 for the 300 attendees including $75,000 on team building exercises, $6000 on commemorative coins and $6,000 on canteens, keychains, t-shirts.

President Obama who was informed about the report last week before his South Korean trip and administration officials say he acted quickly. "[H]e was outraged by the excessive spending, questionable dealings with contractors, and disregard for taxpayer dollars." White House Chief of Staff Jack Lew said in a statement Monday.

"[H]e was outraged by the excessive spending, questionable dealings with contractors, and disregard for taxpayer dollars," White House Chief of Staff Jack Lew said in a statement..

FULL POST

About 300 supporters of Trayvon Martin marched down Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House today to show their support for an investigation into the death of the Florida teen.

Many were students and faculty from the School Without Walls, a D.C. magnet high school located on the campus of George Washington University.

The marchers called for justice for Trayvon Martin, who was shot to death in February while walking unarmed through a gated community in Sanford, Florida.

President Obama was not at the White House. He is flying home from his trip to South Korea and will arrive later this evening.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - The Obama administration turned over 432 pages of e-mail communications and other documents Friday to congressional Republicans investigating the collapse of the solar energy firm Solyndra, the White House said.

The hard-copy and electronic documents include e-mail communications from the offices of the president and vice president, the White House said in a letter to Reps. Fred Upton of Michigan and Cliff Stearns of Florida.

"These documents, like the over 187,000 pages previously provided by Executive Branch agencies, demonstrate what we have said throughout the course of this investigation: decisions on the Solyndra loan guarantee were made on the merits by the Department of Energy," wrote Kathryn H. Ruemmler and Cynthia C. Hogan, counsels to the president and vice president, respectively.

"None of the documents support the committee's allegations about favoritism to campaign contributors or improper White House involvement in the decision-making process," the counsels wrote.

The House Energy and Commerce Committee, chaired by Upton, and its investigating subcommittee, chaired by Stearns, are investigating the failure of Solyndra, which received an Energy Department loan in 2010.

Solyndra used the loan to build a factory in Fremont, California, that produced state-of-the-art solar panels. President Barack Obama touted the company in a widely publicized visit after the loan guarantee came through. FULL POST