We sat down with the First Lady to discuss the “Let’s Move” program. Our favorite revelation? The Obamas are a “brocoli household”:
It is the one vegetable that my children will eat without creating chaos and havoc. There’s never quite clear harmony at the dinner table over the vegetables, but broccoli is a unifier in our household.
Justice Department poised to respond to states that have legalized marijuana:
Amid the celebrations for President Barack Obama’s swearing-in ceremony in January, Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper met with Attorney General Eric Holder during an inaugural reception in Washington, D.C., where the two men discussed an unorthodox topic, given their surroundings: marijuana.
"Roughly two out of three Americans say that automatic spending cuts set to trigger Friday will have a major negative effect on the economy, according to a new public opinion poll. And more would blame congressional Republicans (45 percent) than President Barack Obama (32 percent), the non-partisan Pew Research Center found in its survey."
Governors coming to terms with sequester, but demand more flexibility from Washington
WASHINGTON — Governors frustrated by the prospect of $85 billion in across-the-board federal spending cuts set to kick in next week have made the “F-word” their term of choice at the annual winter meeting of the National Governors Association.
That word, of course, is “Flexibility.”
“We believe in what we call flexible federalism,” said Delaware Gov. Jack Markell, a Democrat who chairs the NGA. “That’s a strong cooperative relationship between the states and the federal government that solves problems at all levels.”
(Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Just to get out ahead of the pack a little, I’m go ahead and call 2020election for the Democrats.
I’m less sure about 2016, though at the present this next election is not looking good for the GOP either. This forecast is based on extremely simple math: Take the current rates of turnout and party preference for the four major racial and ethnic groups and plug them in to the Census Bureau’s population projections for the 18-and-over population in the next half-century. Here, you can try it yourself
Jackie Collins totally loved John McCain’s memoir
I would like the president to settle back and pick up a copy of John McCain’s “Faith of My Fathers.” Now here we have a true American hero, a man with a moral compass and a sense of stunning loyalty and integrity. I think anyone will benefit from reading this book, especially the president.
Jackie Collins is a John McCain fan! Who knew! (via The Ticket)
‘Washington is Hollywood for ugly people,’ so the saying goes. By that standard, the nation’s capital should look a bit prettier come Sunday’s Oscars. This is a bumper year for Washington, with a trio of movies that have the capital at their core: “Argo”, “Zero Dark Thirty”, and “Lincoln.” And of course it wouldn’t be Washington if there weren’t a bit of controversy around these films.
"Republican Senator Lindsey Graham has put the death toll at 4,700—the first time an American official has publicly put a figure on the impact of strikes by unmanned aerial vehicles."
How to watch Obama’s State of the Union address
Jeff Greenfield on how to watch tonight’s big political event
If you’re in a civic-indeed mood and plan to watch tonight, is there any way to turn the speech into a more-or-less enjoyable experience? Here, a few helpful hints:
1. Count the standing ovations
2. Find a memorable phrase
