Obama on Weiner: 'I would resign'
June 13th, 2011
11:14 PM ET
Comments (9 comments)

Obama on Weiner: 'I would resign'

Posted by:

Hours after White House Press Secretary Jay Carney weighed in on the controversy surround Rep. Anthony Weiner, President Obama surprisingly decided to do the same:

(CNN) – President Barack Obama told NBC's Ann Curry in an interview to air on Tuesday's "Today," that if he were in Rep. Anthony Weiner's shoes, he would leave Congress.

"I can tell you that if it was me, I would resign," Obama said in a segment released in NBC's "Nightly News" Monday. The president's comments come just days after Democratic leaders, such as House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Democratic National Committee Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz, called for Weiner's resignation. The New York congressman has been embroiled in scandal after being caught sending lewd photos of himself to women via Twitter.

"When you get to the point where, because of various personal distractions, you can't serve as effectively as you need to, at the time when people are worrying about jobs, and their mortgages, and paying the bills – then you should probably step back," Obama told Curry.

The decision to speak out on the matter was surprising, given the fact the White House has previously called this story a distraction and Obama was hoping to push a jobs message Monday.

More HERE
Topics: President Obama • The News
Obama takes his campaign to Broadway
June 13th, 2011
08:51 PM ET
Comments (25 comments)

Obama takes his campaign to Broadway

Posted by:

Washington (CNN) – Democratic fundraisers are hoping the lyrics from the final song in the movie “Sister Act: “I will follow him, follow him wherever he may go,” will resonate with donors next week in New York City.  They are gearing up for President Obama’s unique fundraising venue on Broadway at a performance of Sister Act: The Musical.

As part of a push to raise re-election funds ahead of the Federal Election Committee’s June 30th quarterly fundraising deadline, Whoopi Goldberg will host a performance of the show in the president’s honor, Democratic sources tell CNN.

All proceeds from the ticket sales go to the Obama Victory Fund and the Democratic National Committee.  The cheap seats start at $250, one source said, but donors willing to shell out $10,000 will get their photo taken with the president.
FULL POST
Topics: 2012 Election • People • The Buzz
Obama's Miami ATM
June 13th, 2011
06:20 PM ET
Comments (16 comments)

Obama's Miami ATM

Posted by:
,

MIAMI  (CNN) –President Obama will tap into big money donors and small contributors when he headlines three DNC fundraisers in Miami, Florida Monday night. 

He's expected to haul in an estimated $2.3-million based on CNN's tally of numbers provided by  a democratic official.  FULL POST
Topics: 2012 Election • DNC • The News
White House Cookout
June 13th, 2011
03:10 PM ET
Comments (6 comments)

White House Cookout

Posted by:

The smell of burgers on the grill wafted into the press briefing room all afternoon on Monday. White House cooks were out grilling burgers in preparation for Wednesday's Congressional Picnic on the South Lawn. Apparently, the idea is to partially cook them to get the charcoal flavor and will be fully cooked in time for Wednesday night's festivities.
Topics: The Visuals
Carney weighs in on Weiner
June 13th, 2011
12:04 PM ET
Comments (27 comments)

Carney weighs in on Weiner

Posted by:

White House Press Secretary Jay Carney is weighing in for the first time on Anthony Weiner's mishaps, stopping short of calling for Weiner's resignation:

(CNN) - President Barack Obama feels that the controversy over Rep. Anthony Weiner's conduct is a "distraction," White House spokesman Jay Carney said Monday. Obama also feels that Weiner's behavior and dishonesty were inappropriate, Carney said. The comments are the first from the Obama administration on Weiner since the New York Democrat acknowledged sending a lewd photograph to a woman over Twitter.

Here's Carney's full exchange with a reporter on the issue aboard Air Force One earlier Monday:

Q: Jay, does the President have a position on whether Anthony Weiner’s continued service in the U.S. Congress is in the nation’s best interests?

MR. CARNEY: The President feels - we feel at the White House that this is a distraction. Obviously as Congressman Weiner has said himself, this is - the behavior was inappropriate; the dishonesty was inappropriate. But the President is focused on his job, which is getting this economy continuing to grow, creating jobs, and obviously ensuring the safety and security of the American people.
Topics: Jay Carney
POTUS schedule for Monday, June 13, 2011
June 13th, 2011
09:15 AM ET
Comments (8 comments)

POTUS schedule for Monday, June 13, 2011

Posted by:

President Obama leaves today for a two-day swing through two states and one territory. He'll spend several hours in North Carolina meeting with his Council on Jobs and Competitiveness and touring a factory that makes LED light bulbs. He'll make remarks on the economy afterwards. Then he heads to Miami to attend three fundraisers (only one is open to cameras) where he will shore up support from Hispanics and Latinos.  He'll spend the night in Florida tonight before heading to Puerto Rico tomorrow.

For the full guidance from the White House, check out after the jump. FULL POST
Topics: Daily Schedule • The Vault