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  March 12, 2010, 5:58 pm

Mexican ambassador excited for Michelle Obama trip

By Christina Wilkie

Arturo Sarukhan, Mexico's ambassador to the United States, is thrilled that First Lady Michelle Obama chose his country for her first solo trip abroad.

Sarukhan took to his Twitter account soon after the White House made its announcement:

First Lady's first solo trip abroad -to Mexico- underscores importance of our relationship. We are glad to host her!

Mrs. Obama will travel to Mexico City April 13-15 to discuss the economy and education.

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  March 12, 2010, 4:17 pm

One-time Senate candidate 'Granny D' dies at age 100

By Christina Wilkie

Doris “Granny D” Haddock, the woman best known for walking more than 3,200 miles across the country in 1999 to advocate for campaign finance reform, died Tuesday at the age of 100.

Haddock was a former shoe factory employee who got involved in national politics in her mid-eighties, when her husband died of Alzheimer's disease.

A fierce opponent of "soft money" political donations, Haddock spearheaded a petition for campaign finance reform, culminating in her decision to walk from Pasadena, Calif., to Washington. She arrived in the spring of 2000, where she was joined for the last few miles by dozens of members of Congress and more than 2,000 supporters.

Haddock penned two books about her experience, and in 2004, mounted a brief campaign for Senate against GOP incumbent Judd Gregg (N.H.). She received 34 percent of the vote.

On Wednesday, Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) memorialized his fellow progressive, saying that Haddock, who legally changed her name to Granny D, had a "vision for an America in which every citizen has a voice in a government free of corporate control."

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  March 12, 2010, 3:55 pm

Oh Canada! Gibbs makes good on his Olympic wager

By Christina Wilkie

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs wore a Canadian Olympic hockey jersey to the press briefing Friday, paying his debt to his Canadian counterpart after losing a wager over the final Olympic men's hockey game.

Gibbs wore jersey number 39, in honor of U.S. goalie and MVP Ryan Miller. Gibbs's name was written on the back.

The president's spokesman also said the U.S. ambassador to Canada was instructed by President Barack Obama to deliver a case of Molson Canadian and Yuengling beer to Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper to make good on the two leaders' bet over the same game. Team Canada beat Team USA 3-2 in overtime.

But in the middle of the press conference, Gibbs had another surprise for journalists: he peeled off his Canadian jersey to reveal a Team USA jersey underneath.

This prompted one reporter to ask if Gibbs planned on taking anything else off that day.

Gibbs fired back, "That's Rahm, man. That's your chief of staff," a reference to reports that Rahm Emanuel confronted ex-Rep. Eric Massa (D-N.Y.) in the House gym while both were nude.

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  March 12, 2010, 1:07 pm

Grayson's daughter: Send dad money for his birthday

By Christina Wilkie

On the heels of an appeal for funds from Rep. Alan Grayson's (D-Fla.) daughter Skye on Monday, Grayson's campaign sent out another appeal from the teenager on Friday.

Monday's letter was about a birthday present Skye received from her father. This one is about a birthday present supporters can give to Rep. Grayson. Money.

The letter begins, "Tomorrow, March 13th is my dad Alan Grayson's 52nd birthday. If you appreciate all he's doing to stand up for all of us, I encourage you to give a gift of $52 to his campaign."

This note referred more directly to politics, and highlighted Grayson's recent proposal of a Medicare buy in.

The note was signed by Skye Grayson and linked to Grayson's campaign website.

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  March 12, 2010, 1:05 pm

Johanns: One hour per day online is a lot for me

By Kim Hart

Sen. Mike Johanns (R-Neb.) isn't a big user of the Internet, he said during yesterday's Senate Commerce Committee hearing to examine the proposed merger between NBC Universal and Comcast.

"If I spend an hour a day on the Internet, that would be a lot for me," Johanns told Comcast CEO Brian Roberts.

He said he is aware, however, that other people spend most of their day on the Internet, reading news, watching videos and sending email.

"Should the two of us pay the same amount" for Internet? he asked.

Roberts said he believes that no one should pay more for access to the information available on the Internet, but he did not go into specifics about his thoughts on usage-based pricing models.

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  March 12, 2010, 11:41 am

Michelle Obama to visit Mexico on her first solo trip

By Christina Wilkie

First Lady Michelle Obama will visit Mexico in April, her first solo foreign trip since becoming first lady.

The White House announced that her trip would "amplify the president’s commitment to advancing mutual interests, mutual respect and mutual responsibility between nations and peoples around the world."

She will also build on a recent conversation she had with Mexican First Lady Margarita Zavala de Calderon on "the issues of education and economic advancement in both countries."

In addition to policy meetings, Obama will visit with schoolchildren during her trip, something she has made a cornerstone of her domestic travel agenda.

The trip dates are April 13-15.

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  March 12, 2010, 10:53 am

Hillary Clinton will speak at AIPAC conference

By Christina Wilkie

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee said today that Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will be the plenary speaker on the closing day of the group's March 21-23 conference.

President Barack Obama was invited to speak, but will be traveling in Indonesia at the time. He addressed the conference as a presidential candidate in 2008.

Vice President Joe Biden addressed AIPAC last year.

Other speakers at the AIPAC conference include Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Kadima Party leader Tzipi Livni, and Sens. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.).

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) and Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) will address conference attendees in a closed-press session.

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  March 11, 2010, 6:40 pm

Reid's wife and daughter injured in car accident

By Christina Wilkie

A spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said the senator's wife and daughter were involved in a traffic accident Thursday in Washington.

“Today Senator Reid’s wife, Landra (seated, center), and daughter, Lana (seated, left), were involved in an accident in which their vehicle was rear-ended by a semi-truck," said spokesman Jon Summers.

"Mrs. Reid has a broken nose, broken back and broken neck.  Lana has a neck injury and facial lacerations," he said.

"Both Mrs. Reid and Lana are conscious, can feel their extremities, and according to doctors their injuries are non-life threatening" 


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  March 11, 2010, 5:24 pm

Obama doles out $1.4 million Nobel prize to 10 charities

By Michael O'Brien

President Barack Obama announced Thursday the charities where he'd be donating his Nobel Peace Prize winnings, giving the most to a military charity and earthquake relief in Haiti.

Obama split his $1.4 million in winnings between 10 charities, after having been awarded the Peace Prize in October of 2009.

The president said he'd donate $250,000 to Fisher House, a nonprofit that helps provide housing to families of military patients receiving care at VA hospitals, as well as another $200,000 to the Clinton-Bush Haiti Fund, the fund headed by the former presidents to organize earthquake relief to Haiti.

“These organizations do extraordinary work in the United States and abroad helping students, veterans and countless others in need,” Obama said in a statement. “I’m proud to support their work.”

Obama gave six-figure sums to eight other charities.

The president gave $125,000 to College Summit, a non-profit to help prepare elementary and middle-school students for graduating high school and going to college.

The Posse Foundation, which provides scholarships to high school students, received $125,000, as did the United Negro College Fund, the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, and the American Indian College Fund.

The president donated the same $125,000 amount to the Appalachian Leadership and Education Foundation, which encourages students in Appalachia to pursue higher education through scholarships.

The president also looked abroad in spreading his peace prize winnings.

Obama gave $100,000 to Africare, an organization providing assistance in African nations in health and HIV/AIDS, food security and agriculture, and water resource development.

He also donated $100,000 to the Central Asia Institute, which promotes community-based education with an emphasis on young girls, in rural areas in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

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  March 11, 2010, 5:13 pm

Obamas to host Tom Hanks, Spielberg for movie night

By Christina Wilkie

Actor Tom Hanks and director Steven Spielberg will screen their new HBO series, "The Pacific" at the White House on Thursday night for President Barack Obama.

The series covers the experiences of Marines in the Pacific theater in World War II. Earlier in the day, Hanks (shown here at the event) and Spielberg held a premiere event on the National Mall at the World War II Memorial with over 250 veterans of the war.

According to the White House, in addition to the Hollywood attendees, Members of Congress and the Joint Chiefs of Staff will be there, as will National Security Advisor General Jim Jones, and members of the VFW and the Women in the Military Service for America Memorial.

Last spring, the Obamas hosted an advance screening of James Cameron's "Avatar" in 3-D.

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