The First Family swooped in for a swift spot of volunteering Wednesday at Martha’s Table, about two miles from the White House, handing out turkeys and groceries to a fast-moving line of the local needy.

On the eve of Thanksgiving, first lady Michelle warmly greeted people and handed them bags of fresh vegetables - she’s big on eating right - while leaning over to gently pinch the face of her youngest daughter, Sasha.

The eight-year-old was busy in the turkey stuffing department next to dad, President Barack Obama. Clad in a black zip-up jacket and open necked white shirt, Obama greeting people with a hearty “Happy Thanksgiving, How Are You,” as he flashed wide smiles and industriously slipped pumpkin pies into food bags while simultaneously shaking hands. Eldest daughter Malia, 11, standing next to her mother, also seemed to be having a good time as she distributed packets of food.

The Obamas were joined by a dozen or so family and friends,  in town to share Thanksgiving with them at the White House, including Michelle’s mother, Marian Robinson, as well as the president’s half-sister Maya Soetoro-Ng and brother-in-law Konrad Ng.

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(Photo credit: Reuters/Jason Reed (Obamas hand out food on day before Thanksgiving in Washington DC Nov. 25, 2009))

After an evening of high-level state diplomacy, President Barack Obama came face-to-face with the other side of his job Wednesday and found himself speaking a little too candidly.
 
Talking turkey, you could say.
 
“There are certain days that remind me of why I ran for this office,” the U.S. chief executive said as he studied a large Thanksgiving bird nearby.
 
“And then there are moments like this,” he said to laughter, “where I pardon a turkey and send it to Disneyland.”
 
The annual Thanksgiving turkey pardoning came a day after a glittering state dinner at the White House for Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh — the first state visit of the Obama presidency.
 
But duties of another order beckoned Wednesday and this time Obama found himself staring across a table at a large white bird.
 
The turkey, whose name is “Courage,” was provided for the White House event by the National Turkey Federation, which has been doing the honors for more than 50 years, Obama said.
 
“I’m told Presidents Eisenhower and Johnson actually ate their turkeys. You can’t fault them for that,” he said. “That’s a good-looking bird.”
 
Kennedy declined to consume a turkey given to him, despite a sign around its neck saying “Good Eatin’, Mr. President.” But it was President Bush who 20 years ago issued the first official presidential pardon for a turkey, Obama said.
 
To hear the president tell it, that tradition almost didn’t survive this year.
 
“I am pleased to announce that thanks to the interventions of Malia and Sasha — because I was planning to eat this sucker – ’Courage’ will also be spared this terrible and delicious fate,” he said.
 
Turkey pardoning duties aside, Obama said he was thankful for the “extraordinary responsibility” voters had given him, and he paid tribute to U.S. troops abroad and their families. He acknowledged many are suffering because of the recession.
 
“There’s no question this has been a tough year for America,” Obama said. “We’re at war. Our economy is emerging from an extraordinary recession into recovery, but there’s a long way to go and a lot of work to do.”
 
And with that, he had some formal turkey pardoning to do.
 
“Before this turkey gets too nervous that Bo (the dog) will escape and screw up this pardon or before I change my mind, I hereby pardon ‘Courage’ so that he can live out the rest of his days in peace and tranquility in Disneyland.”
 
Don’t think every turkey’s going to get off so light.
 
Later in the day, Obama said, his family was taking two of Courage’s “less fortunate brethren” to Martha’s Table, a Washington group that provides meals for the hungry.
 
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Photo credit: Reuters/Jason Reed (Obama attempts diplomacy with turkey)

Watch out James Patterson, Stephen King and Dan Brown. Sarah Palin has you beat — at least this week.

All that experience on the campaign trail has served Palin well. The 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate, who is popular among many U.S. conservatives, has excelled in the first week of her multi-state, campaign-style media tour to promote her new book which was released on Nov. 17.

The former Alaskan governor’s memoir, “Going Rogue: An American Life” topped the charts in its first week of publication.  Nielsen Bookscan said the new author eclipsed best-sellers Patterson and King whose books also debuted that week.

In a comparison of other first week book sales by current or past presidents or vice presidential candidates, Palin came in second only to former President Bill Clinton who sold about 606,000 copies of his memoir ”My Life” in its debut week.  The former Republican vice presidential candidate’s sales at 469,000 were just above Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s “Living History”.

The figures don’t include numbers from big box stores Wal-Mart, Sam’s, BJs or libraries.

Fans have told of driving for hours to wait in long, snaking lines at Palin’s book-signings which are reminiscent of last year’s campaign stops.

Palin’s sales were far above those of President Barack Obama, for his 2007 best-seller “Audacity of Hope”, which garnered him so much success as he launched his run for the presidency.

Palin, who stirred controversy with her new book even before it landed on the shelves, complained in her memoir that she was “all bottled up” last year by advisers to her running mate, the Republican presidential candidate John McCain.

After the book was published, McCain strongly defended the top advisers from his 2008 campaign who were sharply criticized by Palin in “Going Rogue.”

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Photo credits:  Reuters/Larry Downing (Palin’s book on sale at a book store) ; Reuters/Rebecca Cook (Palin signs books in Grand Rapids, Michigan on Nov. 18)

President Barack Obama’s mideast peace envoy George Mitchell is an unlikely optimist.

Ten months into an assignment that has confounded generations of U.S. diplomats, Mitchell said on Wednesday he remained upbeat about bringing Israel and the Palestinians back to peace talks — thanks in part to his experience resolving another once-intractable crisis, the dispute between Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland.

Mitchell, credited with shaping the 1998 Good Friday Accord that ended that long and bloody conflict, said the key was not to lose heart.

“Over a period of five years, I chaired three separate sets of discussions.  The main negotiation lasted for nearly two years.  For most of that time, there was little or no progress, and our effort was branded a failure,” Mitchell told a news briefing.

“But then, after two years of saying no, both sides said yes. In a real sense, we had 700 days of failure and one day of success.”

Mitchell, a former Senate majority leader, has thus far had little success in shuttle diplomacy aimed at resuming stalled Mideast peace talks, which have seen the two sides still bitterly divided over the issue of Israeli settlement construction on Palestinian lands.

Mitchell said there was no alternative but to push forward.

“If you’re serious about peace, you can’t take as final the first no, the second no or even the hundredth no.  You can’t get discouraged by setbacks and you can’t be deterred by criticism.  You have to be patient, persevering and determined,” he said.

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Photo Credit:Reuters/Fadi Arouri (Mitchell during a meeting in the West Bank city of Ramallah in September)

If President Barack Obama opts to increase the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan next week, the decision could be underscored by something a bit unusual for his policies: growing U.S. public support. 
    
Polling data have shown for a while now that most Americans don’t favor many of Obama’s policy positions, despite his enduring personal popularity.
    
A USA Today/Gallup poll depicts Obama battling headwinds on a number of fronts: Americans oppose the closing of Gitmo by more than a 2-to-1 margin; those against healthcare reform edge out those in favor by 5 percentage points; and most don’t want accused Sept. 11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed tried in civilian court in New York City.
    
Afghanistan is no cakewalk, either. Public opinion is divided over the question of more troops and 55 percent of Americans disapprove of the president’s handling of the war up to now — a reversal of his 56 percent approval rating four months ago.
    
But the polling data, compiled Nov. 20-22, might also suggest a silver lining for the president as he nears an announcement that could send 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan.
    
Less than half of Americans — 47 percent — favor a troop increase. But that’s up from 42 percent in a Nov. 5-8 survey.
    
Plus, the opposition is down: 39 percent of Americans now want the president to reduce the U.S. military footprint, vs. 44 percent earlier.
    
What hasn’t changed for Obama is that Republicans, not fellow Democrats, are his best buddies when it comes to increasing troops. Seventy-two percent of Republicans back a bigger U.S. force in Afghanistan, while 57 percent of Democrats say it’s time to start pulling out.     

That could be important for Obama’s agenda in Congress as the 2010 election approaches and Democratic incumbents in tight races consider how they might fare with Democratic voters.

The USA Today/Gallup findings are based on telephone interviews with 1,017 adults. The margin of error is 4 percentage points.

Photo credits: Reuters/Jason Reed (Obama and Defense Secretary Robert Gates); Reuters/Mathieu Belanger (U.S. soldier departs for Afghanistan); Reuters/Lucas Jackson (NYC crowd watches Obama)

By Alister Bull
Honoring his first state visitor with a gracious dinner under a huge tent on the White House South Lawn, President Barack Obama marshaled a wine glass into the teetotal hands of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Tuesday evening for a toast to a new and closer relationship with the world’s largest democracy. Singh rewarded his host with warm words of praise.

“Your journey to the White House has captured the imagination of millions and millions of people in India. You are an inspiration to all those who cherish the values of democracy, diversity and equal opportunity,” Singh told Obama to loud applause after they had walked together down a candle-lit tan carpet while the band played Hail to the Chief.

The Obamas, him in a sleek tuxedo and first lady Michelle in a much admired flowing floor-length champagne and silver gown designed by Indian-born designer Naeem Khan, looked to be very much enjoying their first state dinner.

“As we all know, in India some of life’s most treasured moments are often celebrated under the cover of a beautiful tent. It’s a little like tonight,” Obama said.

The guest list included usual suspects from Washington’s power elite, General Electric boss Jeff Immelt, Hollywood’s Steven Spielberg and David Geffen, and Katie Couric (CBS), Brian Williams (NBC), and Dr. Sanjay Gupta (CNN) from TV.

In a bipartisan gesture that Obama has tried to make a hallmark of his administration, guests also included a number of Republicans, including Sen. Richard Lugar of Indiana and Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal.

After dinner, an announcer introduced the National Symphony Orchestra, then (moment of surprise here) a green wall of curtain  on the south side of the tent fell to each side, revealing a vast stage where the orchestra was arranged and a dance floor.

Presumably, a good time was had by all.

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Photo credits:Reuters/Jason Reed (Obama and Singh toasts at State Dinner; Obamas await arrival of Singh and his wife Gursharan Kaur), Reuters/Jonathan Ernst (Katie Couric (r) at State Dinner)

New York Senator Chuck Schumer has called a foul on German sports equipment giant Adidas AG and its plans to shift production of official National Basketball Association uniforms to Thailand from a factory in upstate New York.

In a statement, Schumer said the shift could cut some 100 jobs at American Classic Outfitters in Perry, New York, which has made official NBA gear for about 40 years.

“It is flat wrong for Adidas to move the production of the jerseys worn by NBA players outside the United States when there are U.S. companies that have done this work so well for so long,” the Democratic lawmaker said in a statement.

“To do it in this economic climate adds insult to injury,” he added. “The jerseys the NBA players wear should be made in the USA, plain and simple.”

Adidas told ACO several weeks ago that it was canceling a contract that started in 2008 and was supposed to run through the end of 2014, according to The Buffalo News.

The company said in a statement the shift in production was part of a supply-chain consolidation, to move production closer to the source of the fabrics now being used.

About half of the NBA’s game-day jerseys have been made in Perry, along with uniforms worn by the WNBA and teams in the NBA’s farm leagues.

- Photo credit: Reuters/Steve Dipaola (Portland Trail Blazers forward LaMarcus Aldridge shoots)

A: When the visitor is not head of state.

The flags are out in Washington for Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who is on what is widely billed as the first official state visit of the Obama administration.

That’s all fine for Singh, whose Congress party swept to victory in May elections, giving him a second term as powerful prime minister of the world’s most populous democracy.

The problem is, India has also a president — Pratibha Patil — who is the first woman to hold that largely ceremonial office and, technically, India’s head of state.

So what’s with all the D.C. pageantry?

A senior U.S. official said the White House had decided to elevate the status of the visit out of recognition of Singh’s friendship and the importance of Indo-U.S. ties, and that everything was set up for full state honors — with one exception.

Those listening to the artillery barrage that marked Singh’s official arrival may have mistaken it for a 21-gun salute, but it wasn’t.

It may have been 19 guns, or possibly 17, said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity.

But definitely not 21. Only “real” state visitors get that.

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Photo credit: Reuters/Larry Downing (Obama and Singh at the White House)

The healthcare reform debate brewing in the U.S. Senate may cause dyspepsia for some special interests.
    
But the mere prospect of reform could be making the American public feel better already — about health coverage, at least. That’s according to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, a nonpartisan philanthropic organization devoted to health and healthcare issues.
    
The foundation’s consumer confidence index for healthcare climbed to a new high of 104.4 points in October, as the debate gathered pace in the Senate and House of Representatives.
    
Why? There was a big jump in people’s confidence about future access to care and coverage. Fewer worried about losing their insurance and concerns about future affordability dropped, too.
    
“During a month when there was considerable momentum around health reform, including the passage of a reform bill by the Senate Finance Committee, the American public appears to be more confident about the future,” Robert Wood Johnson Foundation president and CEO, Dr. Risa Lavizzo-Mourey said.
    
“Americans of every ideology know that our health care system needs to be fixed and want some type of reform,” she added.
    
That last remark — “some type of reform” — could prove prophetic.
    
Republicans seem to think reform is a terrible idea and appear to be in lock-step opposition to it.
    
That leaves it to Democrats and allied independents to forge a filibuster-proof, 60-vote majority to push legislation through. Despite sharp differences within their already frayed coalition, Democratic leaders appear to be betting that the whole bunch, in the end, will opt for “some type of reform” rather than returning home empty handed for the holidays.

Photo Credit: Reuters/Jonathan Ernst (U.S. Capitol)

“…it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to heaven, we were all going direct the other way…”
    
Charles Dickens never met U.S. senators Chuck Schumer of New York and Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas. But he may have inadvertently captured the partisan spirit of the U.S. healthcare reform debate when he published his novel, “A Tale of Two Cities,” with its famous introduction, 150 years ago.
    
Democrat Chuck and Republican Kay made clear on NBC’s Today show how many in their respective parties see the sweeping overhaul legislation that reached the U.S. Senate floor over the weekend. And by the sound of things, Washington could be two different cities. 
    
Chuck seemed to present healthcare reform as a vehicle for economic salvation: “The future of the country depends on getting something done or the government will go broke, private businesses will go broke and people will go broke.”  

Or could reform lead in that other direction?    

Here’s Kay: “We are in a jobless situation in our country, an economic crisis. You are going to put taxes and mandates on business that are going to make that situation even worse. One in 10 people in America today do not have a job. Now you’re putting mandates and taxes on every individual who doesn’t have healthcare and every business that we want to ask to hire people. And yet you’re putting taxes and mandates on them that makes this unaffordable. This is a terrible idea at this time.”
    
Of course, partisan differences will mean little if Democrats can retain the same 60-vote, Republican-filibuster-proof sense of community that got the bill to the floor in the first place.
    
Chuck seems confident: “We will come together for this reason. The healthcare system is broken in this sense: Medicare will be broke in seven years, private insurance doubles every six years (and) tens of millions will lose it. If we don’t do anything, that is the worst situation. And we have a good bill that cuts costs, reduces the deficit and covers more people.”
    
Either way, it’s bound to be one dickens of a debate. 

Photo credits: Reuters/Chip East (Schumer); Reuters/Jonathan Ernst (Hutchison)