JoAnne Allen

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)

The 2012 presidential campaign is not on her radar screen, says 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.  But she didn't exactly shut the door on the the possibility of making a run for the White House during her first interview to promote her book, "Going Rogue: An American Life."

Palin told TV talk show host Oprah Winfrey that right now it's all about the 2010 elections.

"I'm concentrating on 2010 and making sure that we have issues to tackle," Palin said in the interview taped last week and broadcast Monday. "I don't know what I'm going to be doing in 2012. (Running for president is) not on my radar screen right now."

The former Alaska governor keeps the theme going in an interview with ABC's Barbara Walters that begins airing Tuesday (ABC excerpts released on Monday).

Asked whether she wants to be president: "That certainly isn't on my radar screen right now," Palin tells Walters. "[But] when you consider some of the ordinary turning into extraordinary events that have happened in my life, I am not one to predict what will happen in a few years."

"My ambition if you will, my desire, is to help our country in whatever role that may be, and I cannot predict what that will be, what doors would be open in the year 2012," she said.

Palin is popular among many U.S. conservatives and her 12-state campaign-style tour to promote the book has political insiders, once again, speculating about whether she will launch a bid for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination.

A Washington Post/ABC News poll -- released on the eve of her book release -- found that 60 percent of those polled said Palin was not qualified to serve as president and 52 percent viewed her in unfavorable terms. Among Republicans, however, her positive rating was 76 percent.

In a email sent by her political action committee, SarahPAC, Palin says she's going to work with like-minded conservatives to help candidates, regardless of party, "who will stand up for our nation."

The message ends with a post-postscript: "P.P.S. Any level of support is welcome! Our Commonsense Conservative cause needs you. As a special offer, on behalf of SarahPAC, we will send you a signed copy of Going Rogue for any donation of $100 or more."

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Photo credit:Reuters/Nathaniel Wilder (Palin in Fairbanks, July 26, 2009) Reuters/KTUU-TV (Palin announcing intent to resign as governor)

Apparently all is forgiven.

Sarah Palin tells Oprah Winfrey she wants to welcome Levi Johnston back into the fold.

Her daughter's ex-fiance and father of her grandchild has been all over TV shows and in print media making unflattering comments about Palin, but the former Alaska governor says he's part of the family.

Palin, who ran for vice president on the Republican ticket with Senator John McCain last year, also had nice things to say about Oprah, who had supported the other party's candidate -- Barack Obama.

The interview with Oprah Winfrey will air Monday to kick off a book tour for Palin's memoir, "Going Rogue: An American LIfe."

Last year, Palin was skewered for fumbling a question about what she read, and she tells Oprah she knew that interview with CBS anchor Katie Couric had gone badly.

"The campaign said 'Right on, good. You're showing your independence. This is what America needs to see' and, of course,  I'm thinking 'if you thought that was a good interview, I don't know what a bad interview was.' So I  knew it wasn't a good interview," Palin says in a clip of the taped Oprah interview released Thursday.

She also talks about what went on inside the McCain campaign and entertains questions about her family, Oprah said on her Web site.

Winfrey asked whether Johnston would be at the Palins' Thanksgiving Dinner table.

"He is a part of the family and we want to bring him into the fold and kind of under your wing, and he needs that too, Oprah. "

"I think he needs to know that he is loved and he has the most beautiful child and this can all work out for good. It really can. We don't have to keep going down this road of controversy and drama all the time," Palin responded.

You can see more on Monday. Much more, says Palin. She wrote on her Facebook page that the taping went way over on time and the rest will air on Oprah.com. But anyone looking for drama or tension may go away disappointed. Palin says she and Oprah got along just fine.

"Oprah was very hospitable and gracious, and her audience was full of warm, energized and (no doubt) curious viewers," Palin said.

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Photo credit: Reuters/Steve Marcus (Palin at a rally in Nevada October 2008)

Amid the growing calls for congressional investigations into the Fort Hood rampage, House Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton is advocating a different approach -- wait and see how investigations by the Army and the FBI progress.

“It is important that we get to the bottom of this incident, but we must be careful to proceed in a deliberate, studied manner that will not interfere with the ongoing criminal investigation by the FBI and the Army’s criminal investigative service, Skelton, a Missouri Democrat, said on Tuesday. "Right now, we need to avoid jumping to any conclusions and give the Army and the FBI a chance to do their jobs.”

Calls for lawmakers to find answers came almost immediately
after 13 people were killed in a  shooting rampage at the Army post last week.

The alleged shooter, an American-born Muslim Army psychiatrist, is said to have been in contact with an Islamist sympathetic to al Qaeda.

Another call came on Tuesday, this one from Rep. Howard McKeon, the senior Republican on the House Armed Services Committee. The California representative requested a thorough congressional investigation conducted in a way that would not compromise the FBI and Army probes.

U.S. government officials have declined to speculate about a possible motive and the suspect isn't talking.

"We owe it to the men and women in uniform, and their families, to better understand how and why the tragic incident took place; whether this was a terrorist incident; and whether there was sufficient actionable information available to Army and government authorities to have prevented this tragedy," McKeon said in a statement.

Senate Homeland Security Chairman Joe Lieberman says his panel will open an investigation next week.

"The committee will be conducting an investigation into what Major Nidal Malik Hasan's motives were, whether the government missed warning signs that should have led to expulsion, and what lessons we can learn to prevent such future attacks," Lieberman, a Connecticut independent said in a statement on Monday announcing the probe.

The House Intelligence Committee, led by Texas Democrat Silvestre Reyes, said it plans to question national intelligence director Dennis Blair -- possibly as soon as next week.

Photo credit:Reuters/Jessica Rinaldi (U.S. soldiers hug in front of fallen soldier memorials; soldiers pay their respects at Fort Hood memorial for shooting victims; )/ HO Old (Lieberman)

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A lot has happened since the 2000 presidential race, when two Senate Democrats headed their party's ticket in a losing campaign for the White House.

Al Gore, the former vice president and 2000 Democratic presidential nominee, went on to win a Nobel Peace Prize, an Oscar and a Grammy after his documentary on climate change.

His running mate, Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman, left the Democratic party to become an independent, which put him in a position of power player in the Senate. And now he's a pivotal force as the congressional healthcare debate inches toward resolution.

Lieberman says he'll join Republicans and block a final vote on a healthcare reform bill if it includes the public option.

Despite their political split, Gore told MSNBC's Rachel Maddow on Tuesday that he and his former running mate are still pals.

Any regrets about the "turbo boost" you gave to Lieberman's career by picking him as your running mate -- given that he's changed his political affiliation and his current stance on healthcare? Maddow asked .

"The short answer is 'No.' We were very close friends in the Senate. We're still friends," Gore responded before proceeding on to the long answer.

"He was right and forceful on many of the issues that I felt were central, including global warming. He was one of the leaders on that issue. Women's rights. On a whole range of issues," Gore said. "I disagree with him on a lot of the issues that have become more prominent since then," he added.

"But I would urge people to wait until the denouement of this healthcare debate to see where it falls out because I do believe that (Senate Majority Leader) Harry Reid is going to be successful in passing it (healthcare reform) fairly soon."

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Photo Credit:Reuters/Win McNamee (Gore, Lieberman on a call with party leaders Nov. 27, 2000)

Iowa Republicans have differences over the propriety of a conservative group's effort to raise a $100,000 fee for former Alaska governor Sarah Palin to speak at a banquet next month,  according to Politico.com.

Whether Palin requested a fee (and there's no indication that she did says Politico) or whether she should be paid may be a moot point -- but, more about that later.

First -- It's not the amount of the fee that has some Iowans bothered -- it's that a fee is even being considered at all.

Iowa is sacred ground for presidential aspirants (is she or isn't she?) and folks there tend to feel that people with presidential ambitions should be grateful for any opportunity to visit the state.

According to Politico.com, some Republicans see the Iowa Family Policy Center's effort to cobble together the speaking fee for Palin as a striking departure from customary practice of White House hopefuls paying their own way in that state to advance political ambitions.

Other Iowa-based political advocacy groups say they would never consider paying for what many politicians see as a privilege, Politico said. "I found it really, really odd," one influential Iowa Republican insider was quoted as saying.

Palin's spokeswoman Meg Stapleton says the Nov. 21 event in Iowa is just one in 1,000 requests for Palin's presence and the former Republican vice presidential candidate may not be able to work it into her schedule.

"This particular invitation arrived late last week. It is under consideration, as so many are, but will be incredibly difficult to attend with her tightly-scheduled book tour underway at that point," Stapleton said.   Palin's memoir, "Going Rogue," is scheduled to be released on Nov. 17th.

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Photo credit:Reuters/John Gress (Palin campaigning in Missiouri in August 2008)

"Are you ready to work really hard?"

"Are you ready to get dirty?"

That was the rallying cry from first lady Michelle Obama Thursday as she invited local school children to help her pick crops from the White House garden.

The crops are the bounty from the garden that Obama started in the spring to promote healthy eating .

And it's frugal eating too.

"Do you know how much food has come out of this garden so far? Over 740 pounds of food have come out of this little piece of land," Obama told the kids.  The whole thing -- from start to harvest -- came in under $200, she added.

Some of the youngsters at the harvest had been helping with the garden as it grew -- along with Jim Adams, the chief horticulturist at the White House and the chefs at the executive mansion.

Everything harvested Thursday, including some gigantic sweet potatoes, was being donated to charity.

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Photo credit:Reuters/Larry Downing (Michelle Obama in the White House garden on the South Lawn)

Public support for sending more U.S. troops to Afghanistan is on the rise, according to an NBC/Wall Street Journal poll released on Tuesday. The poll finds 47 percent of Americans favor boosting the troop level in Afghanistan, compared to 43 percent who are opposed to the idea.

An NBC/WSJ poll in September found 51 percent opposed to a troop increase, while 44 percent supported it.

Other recent opinion polls have shown lagging public support for the war and members of President Barack Obama's own Democratic Party are divided over whether to send more troops.

Right now, there are  65,000 U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan as part of a 100,000 strong NATO-led force. The size of the U.S. contingent is expected to reach 68,000 later this year.

Obama is considering whether to send up to 40,000 more troops. His decision is expected any day now. Former Vice President Dick Cheney and other critics say he's taking too long to reach a decision. Cheney accused Obama of "dithering" over a strategy review and said he needed to send more troops right away.

If the poll is accurate,  a majority of Americans don't mind the time Obama is taking to review the U.S. strategy in the eight-year-old war.  The NBC/Wall Street Journal poll found 58 percent of respondents support delaying a decision until after Afghanistan's runoff presidential election on Nov. 7, when U.S. officials may have a better handle on  Kabul's political situation.

The NBC/Wall Street Journal poll of 1,009 adults was conducted Oct. 22-25 and has an overall margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.

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Photo Credit: Reuters/ Omar Sobhani (U.S. troops on patrol in Kandahar city 10/26/09)

Sarah Palin on Thursday endorsed Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman over Republican Party choice Dede Scozzafava in a special congressional election in upstate New York that has the GOP divided.

"I am very pleased to announce my support for Doug Hoffman in his fight to be the next representative from New York's 23rd Congressional district. It's my honor to endorse Doug and to do what I can to help him win," Palin said in a statement posted on Facebook.

"The people of the 23rd Congressional District of New York are ready to shake things up, and Doug Hoffman is coming on strong as Election Day approaches!" she added.

Some political observers view the election to fill the only open House seat this year -- with no big names in the running -- as an important fight in a battle for the soul of the Republican Party.

Palin, the 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee, made it clear she thinks her party made the wrong choice this time.

"Unfortunately, the Republican Party today has decided to choose a candidate that more than blurs the lines, and there is no real difference between the Democrat and the Republican in this race. This is why Doug Hoffman is running on the Conservative Party's ticket," she said.

"Republicans and conservatives around the country are sending an important message to the Republican establishment in their outstanding grassroots support for Doug Hoffman: no more politics as usual."

Palin lists what she says are his best Republican and conservative attributes and best of all, she says, Hoffman "has not been anointed by any political machine."

Moderate Scozzafava has been plagued throughout her campaign by grassroots conservative activists who have questioned her credentials, reports Politico.com. Critics call her a RINO -- Republican in name only.

The Democrat in the three-way race, Bill Owens, got a show of support from the head of his party on Tuesday at one of two Democratic fund raisers President Barack Obama attended in New York City.

The winner would succeed former Republican Represenative John McHugh, a nine-term House member who resigned in September after Obama tapped him to be  secretary of the Army.
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Photo credit:Reuters/Nathaniel Wilder (Palin at Governor's Picnic in Fairbanks in July )

Former Vice President Dick Cheney tonight joins a chorus of critics who say President Barack Obama is taking way too long to decide whether to send another 40,000 U.S. troops to Afghanistan.

Cheney, no fan of any of the current administration's foreign policy initiatives, prodded the White House to fulfill the president's promise to give the U.S. armed  forces a clear mission in Afghanistan and to do it now.

"It's time for President Obama to make good on his promise. The White House must stop dithering while America's armed forces are in danger, " Cheney said in remarks prepared for delivery at the Center for Security Policy, a Washington think-tank.

"Having announced his Afghanistan strategy last March, President Obama now seems afraid to make a decision, and unable to provide his commander on the ground with the troops he needs to complete his mission," Cheney said.

Cheney also refuted what he said was a complaint by White House chief of staff  Rahm Emanuel that "the Obama administration had to start from scratch to put together a strategy."

"The new strategy they embraced in March, with a focus on counterinsurgency and an increase in the numbers of troops, bears a striking resemblance to the strategy we passed to them," Cheney said.

"Now they seem to be pulling back and blaming others for their failure to implement the strategy they embraced. It's time for President Obama to do what it takes to win a war he has repeatedly and rightly called a war of necessity," he added.

Earlier in the day, Obama said he could reach a decision on a new strategy before the outcome of Afghanistan's presidential run-off on Nov. 7 And he pushed back against  critics who accuse him of vacillating.

"We are going to take the time to get this right," Obama told MSNBC.

"We're not going to drag it out because there is a sense that the sooner we get a sound approach in place and personnel in place, the better off we're going to be. But we also want to make sure that we don't put resources ahead of strategy."

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Photo credit:Reuters/Joshua Roberts (Cheney speaking on national security in May)