Archive » Ross Colvin

Ben Stiller is in the (White) House

Ross Colvin — Thu, 14 May 2009 19:21:43 +0000

Actors Ben Stiller, his wife Christine Taylor and Ricky Gervais took advantage of President Barack Obama being out of town on Thursday to tour the White House.

They also stopped by the press briefing room, normally thronging with photographers, cameramen and other members of the White House press corps but largely empty as most were travelling with Obama in New Mexico, where he was addressing a town hall meeting.

Stiller and Gervais, best-known for his lead role in the British comedy series "The Office", starred together in the new comedy "Night at the Museum 2" and attended the world premiere in London on Tuesday.

During their visit to the White House with children in tow, Stiller and Taylor, were smartly dressed while Gervais was wearing his trademark black T-shirt and trousers.

They weren't the first celebs to visit in the past week. On Saturday wrestler-turned-actor Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson crossed paths with "Arrested Development" star Jason Bateman. Both were in town for the White House Correspondents' Association dinner.

For more Reuters political news, click here.

Photo credit: Reuters/Andrew Winning (Gervais, Stiller at a premiere in London on Tuesday)

Obama finds a friend in Washington

Ross Colvin — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 21:30:38 +0000

Forget the economic crisis, the North Korean nuclear stand-off and Somali pirates.

The hottest news at the White House Tuesday was the long-awaited arrival of Bo, the First Family's new dog.

Bo, a 6-month-old black and white Portuguese Water Dog, has excited a media frenzy in the United States, with television networks, newspapers and websites closely tracking the Obamas search for a pet.

President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle had promised to get their daughters Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7, a dog after the Nov. 4 presidential election.

At press opportunities with Obama, reporters have frequently mixed serious questions on his plans for rescuing the economy with attempts to get him to divulge one of the most closely kept secrets in Washington -- when would the family's new dog make its appearance?

Bo, a gift from Senator Ted Kennedy, appeared to take his new-found celebrity in his stride as the Obamas and their daughters took turns walking him on a leash on the south lawn of the White House in front of the White House press corps.

"I finally got a friend. It took some time," Obama joked, referring to former President Harry S. Truman's famous line. "If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog."

For more Reuters political news, click here.

Photo credits: Reuters/Larry Downing (Obama and family walk their new dog Bo)

Obama gets rockstar welcome at town hall meeting

Ross Colvin — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 03:20:20 +0000

President Barack Obama on Wednesday stepped out from behind the podium, took off his suit jacket and dispensed with the teleprompters to defend his budget, attack Republicans who label him a tax-and-spend Democrat and express outrage at the bonuses paid at insurance giant AIG.

Obama, who has made no secret of the fact he chafes in the White House "bubble" and enjoys engaging directly with Americans, headed west to California to hold a town hall meeting in Costa Mesa, a town of about 113,000 in Orange County that has been hard hit by the recession.

Obama's critics say his comments expressing outrage at the AIG bonuses and other Wall Street scandals lack passion because they are often scripted and read from a teleprompter.

But on Wednesday, Obama sounded like he was back on the election campaign trail as he rounded on Republicans for criticizing his $3.5 trillion 2010 budget, which he says is crucial to tackling the worst economic crisis in decades.

"Most of these critics presided over a doubling of the national debt. We are inheriting a $1.3 trillion deficit. So they don't have the standing to make this criticism, I think, given how irresponsible they've been," he said.

Under the glare of hot lights in an uncomfortably warm hall at Costa Mesa's state fairgrounds, Obama invited his audience to ask him questions and feel free to take him to task and tell him if he was a "bum and doing a bad job".

But there was little danger of that. When he entered the hall, he received a rockstar welcome.

Obama at times spoke with passion, his voice rising above the cheers, while he was at times professorial, explaining credit default swaps and mortgage-backed securities and breaking his promise to keep his answers short as he explained how and why America's economy had plunged to such depths.

Despite the fact that he has only been in office two months, one of the first questions he fielded was from a woman asking him if he would run for re-election in four years' time.

"I would rather be a good president taking on the tough issues for four years than a mediocre president for eight years," he replied.

And if he fails to deliver on his promises on health care, education and fixing the economy, then it will be the voters and not he who decides whether he runs again.

For more Reuters political news, click here.

Photo credit: Reuters/Larry Downing (Obama at town hall meeting in California)

Obama tries to turn page on nominee woes

Ross Colvin — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 23:24:56 +0000

If you're the United States president and two of your nominees for key government posts embarrassingly withdraw on the same day because of tax problems, what do you do?

Well, if you're President Barack "No Drama" Obama the answer is simple -- you go to a local school to read a book to a 2nd Grade school class with your wife.

Obama found himself on the defensive on Tuesday, first after his nominee to oversee and budget reform, Nancy Killefer, and then Tom Daschle, his pick for health secretary, withdrew their names over tax questions.

Just minutes after it was announced that Daschle was withdrawing his nomination, White House aides told journalists the president was hurriedly heading out of the White House to an undisclosed location for a previously arranged event.

That turned out to be Capital City Public Charter School, where 25 school children were sitting on the floor of the library waiting for the president and the First Lady to read to them.

"We were tired of being in the White House. We decided to break loose," Obama said, before he and Michelle took turns reading from "The Moon Over Star", an illustrated book about Neil Armstrong's first landing on the moon. They both held up the book so the class, quietly fidgeting, could see the illustrations.

After letting the children ask him a few questions -- his favourite superheroes are Spiderman and Batman -- it was back in the armored limousine to the White House, where he was due to face much tougher questions in a round of TV network interviews.

Photo credit: Reuters/Larry Downing

“He’s got the whole world in his hands”

Ross Colvin — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 22:07:17 +0000

If President Barack Obama hadn't realized already the burden of his new office, then the moment surely came on Wednesday as he sat in Washington's National Cathedral for a special prayer service.

A gospel choir gathered directly in front of the pew where he was sitting with his wife Michelle, Vice President Joe Biden and his wife Jill, and Bill and Hillary Clinton and began to sing a popular song that seemed to touch on a lot of the daunting challenges facing the new administration.

"He's got the whole world in his hands ... He's got the young and the old in his hands ... He's got the rich and poor right in his hands ... He's got the earth and the sky right in his hands," the choir sang. Some members of the congregation, including Obama and his wife, sang a few lines.

Of course, the "He" referred to in the song is God, and church leaders, in their choice of hymns and readings during the service, repeatedly asked God to give Obama the wisdom to be a wise and responsible leader during his four years in office.

Obama struck a contemplative pose, left forefinger resting on his chin, as he listened to Sharon Watkins, general minister and president of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada delivered the sermon.

"There are crises banging on the door right now, pawing at us, trying to draw us off our ethical center," she said. "We need you Mr. President to hold your ground. "

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- Photo credit: Reuters/Larry Downing (Choir sings in front of Obama's pew during National Prayer Service)

Biden pokes fun at chief justice’s verbal gaffe

Ross Colvin — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 21:50:45 +0000

Everybody is waiting for Joe Biden, U.S. President Barack Obama's genial but gaffe-prone vice president, to trip up and put his foot in his mouth.

But in the end, the gaffe that everybody was talking about on Wednesday was not his, but the verbal fumble by U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts. Roberts accidentally switched the word order when he administered the presidential oath of office to Obama on the steps of the Capitol on Tuesday.

Obama had appeared to jump the gun in cutting off Roberts as he administered the first part of the oath. Perhaps, momentarily confused by that, Roberts then asked Obama to recite, "I will execute the office of president to the United States faithfully," instead of, "I will faithfully execute the office of president of the United States."

While Obama later sought to play it down, Biden appeared to delight in the gaffe.

"My memory is not as good as Justice Roberts'," he joked during a swearing-in ceremony of senior White House staff on Wednesday, drawing laughter and mock boos from the audience.

Obama was more charitable, telling ABC television in an interview that both he and Roberts had had a lot on their mind during the swearing-in.

"He actually helped me out on a couple of stanzas there. So over all, I think it went relatively smoothly and I'm very grateful to him."

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- Photo credit: Reuters/Jim Young (Obama sworn in as president by Roberts on Jan. 20)

The First Draft: Packing day

Ross Colvin — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 13:59:58 +0000

It's not a day to move house in Washington. The U.S. capital woke up to a face-stinging hypothermic cold that had early morning commuters walking just a little bit faster to get to the heated comfort of their offices.

But it's packing day for the Bush administration. As White House staffers move out, ahead of President-elect Barack Obama's inauguration on Tuesday, President George W. Bush's spokeswoman Dana Perino will give her last news conference.

Over at the State Department, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will attend a farewell ceremony closed to the press. It follows Bush's televised farewell address to Americans on Thursday night in which he defended his record after eight tumultuous years in office.

Obama meanwhile says he is still tinkering with his inaugural address, but that there is a "good solid draft" that he is happy with. In an interview with USA Today, he rated the addresses given by Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy and Franklin D. Roosevelt.

"I will point out that JFK's speech is the second best ... Lincoln first. You know, FDR's actually isn't that great. It's got a great line. `The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.` The rest is kind of clunky."

Television morning shows eschewed political coverage in favored of what they dubbed "Miracle on the Hudson", hailing the heroism and skill of a U.S. Airways pilot after he safely ditched his plane with 155 people aboard into the frigid waters of New York's Hudson River.

(Photographer: Reuters/Jason Reed) President George W. Bush walks off after his final address to the nation at the White House

The First Draft: Nomination hearings today

Ross Colvin — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 14:37:13 +0000

It's a busy old day on Capitol Hill.

President-elect Barack Obama's picks to head the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Department of Homeland Security and his nominees for attorney general and ambassador to the United Nations will be on Capitol Hill for their Senate nomination hearings.

The Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs committee will hold a hearing on the nomination of Mary Schapiro as SEC head at 10 a.m. EST. At the same time, Obama's nominee for Homeland Security, Gov. Janet Napolitano, will be quizzed at a separate hearing on her suitability for the job.

Eric Holder, Obama's nominee for attorney-general, is expected to be questioned by the Senate Judiciary Committee about his role in pardons granted by former President Bill Clinton, in particular the case of billionaire financier and fugitive Marc Rich.

Clinton's wife Hillary had a relatively easy ride at her nomination hearing earlier this week. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee will vote today on whether she should be the next secretary of state. The committee will also hold a hearing on Susan Rice, Obama's choice to become the next U.S. representative at the United Nations.

In the Senate, Vice President-elect and Sen. Joe Biden will deliver farewell remarks to his Senate colleagues. Hillary Clinton, the junior senator from New York, will also bid farewell.

Roland Burris will also officially take the Senate seat vacated by Obama. Burris, was appointed to the seat by embattled Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich in December.

Off the hill, President George W. Bush is due to speak at a ceremony at the State Department marking his administration's foreign policy achievements.

Outside of the Beltway, Obama heads to Ohio to tour a wind turbine manufacturer. The trip is an opportunity to tout his $850 billion stimulus plan, which Congressional Democrats are still working on.

Is it a car, is it a tank? No, it’s the presidential limo

Ross Colvin — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 22:36:58 +0000

It's one of the world's most highly visible vehicles, but paradoxically also one of the most secret -- the U.S. president's armored Cadillac limousine.

The Secret Service said on Wednesday a new presidential limousine would make its debut at President-elect Barack Obama's inauguration on Jan. 20. The car will likely take the new president from the U.S. Capitol down Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House after the swearing-in ceremony.

"Although many of the vehicle's security enhancements cannot be discussed, it is safe to say that this car's security and coded communications systems make it the most technologically advanced protection vehicle in the world," Nicholas Trotta, assistant director for the Office of Protective Operations, said in a statement.

Not surprisingly, a Secret Service spokeswoman would not be drawn on whether the vehicle was resistant to bomb or chemical attacks. But it would be a safe guess to say it is.

Cadillac, a division of General Motors Corp., issued its own statement on the new vehicle, saying it had taken steps to ensure no details of its design leaked out during its manufacture.

It said the vehicle, which is completely different to the one now being used by President George W. Bush, had been subjected to "an extreme testing regimen," for which read: a lot of prototypes were blown up.

"The rear passenger area includes an extensive executive compartment with ample seating space, outward visibility and useful mobile office features," it added.

The tradition of U.S. presidents using Cadillac limousines dates back to Woodrow Wilson. Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman and Dwight D. Eisenhower used two convertibles dubbed the "Queen Mary" and "Queen Elizabeth."

"Named after the great ocean liners of the time, the vehicles were 21.5 feet long, weighed 7,660 pounds and were equipped with a full ammunition arsenal, two-way radios and heavy-duty generators," Cadillac's statement said.

It will probably be some years before we learn the secrets of Obama's new limousine.

For more Reuters political news, please click here.

Photo credit: Reuters/Handout (Secret Service handout photo of new Cadillac armored presidential limousine)

Obama dines with conservative columnists

Ross Colvin — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 20:14:54 +0000

U.S. President-elect Barack Obama says he is prepared to listen to all voices as he tries to rescue the U.S. economy from deep recession. He has also sought to portray himself as a unifier after the deeply divisive presidency of his soon-to-be predecessor George W. Bush.

So, in that context, his attendance at a dinner party on Tuesday night at the home of George Will, one of the United States' best-known conservative columnists, is probably not too surprising.

Guests at Will's dinner party reportedly included William Kristol, a founder and editor of The Weekly Standard and a leader of the neoconservative movement that was so influential in the Bush administration.

Also reportedly in attendance were David Brooks of the New York Times, Charles Krauthammer of the Washington Post, Michael Barone of U.S. News & World Report, Peggy Noonan of the Wall Street Journal, Larry Kudlow of CNBC and Paul Gigot of the Wall Street Journal.

The left-wing blog, The Huffington Post, reassured readers that the dinner did not mean that Obama was selling out to the right. "Talking with them is a shrewd move on Obama's part," wrote senior editor Jacob Heilbrunn.

"It indicates that Obama is completing the job of detaching the conservative intellectual elite from the GOP itself," he said.

Obama's traveling media pool stayed outside Will's upmarket Chevy Chase home, but an aide said in a statement later: "President-elect Obama had dinner this evening with columnists at the home of George Will.

"He will attend similar gatherings in the months to come, including one at his transition headquarters tomorrow."

It is not known what they discussed, but Obama stayed for about two-and-a-half hours.

Oh, to have been a fly on the wall.

For more Reuters political news, please click here

Photo credit: Reuters/Larry Downing (Security on porch roof at George Will's house; Obama entering the house for dinner)