Michelle Obama Interviwed by Matt Lauer on The Today's Show

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The Today's Show Matt Lauer interviwed Michelle Obama
“Last question,” Lauer said. “Is this fun? Is fun even a word that can be used to described what you’re living through right now?”

“I am having a ball,” Mrs. Obama said emphatically. “I really am. I mean, I love people, first of all, and I think it would be hard to be in this position if you fundamentally didn’t love people. So, I come to this with a certain level of just joy in hugging — I’m a hugger.”

She ticked off all the things that are right in her life.

“My life is filled with these wonderful interactions with Americans all across the country. That’s what I do every day. My staff is terrific. My kids are healthy. My husband’s fine. He’s got a hard job, but he can handle it.

“I’m having a ball, and, hopefully, I'm doing some good in the process. Check back with me in a year. But right now, I’m doing all right.”

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First lady:
I’m ‘not that interesting’
Feb. 3: In an exclusive interview with TODAY’s Matt Lauer, Michelle Obama addresses the intense scrutiny she faces, but also says she is enjoying her role as first lady.

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She’s taking on childhood obesity.

“There are the shocking statistics that are there,” Mrs. Obama said. “One in three kids are obese in this nation. And the numbers go up when you’re talking about the African-American and Hispanic communities. The most shocking sort of reality that really hits you is that, because the young generation is on track for the first time in this nation’s history of being less healthy, having a shorter life span than their parents.”

Pres. Obama Joined Senate Dems to Rework Agenda, Campaign Message

President Obama and the Dems Caucus Annual Retreat

Pres. Obama met with the Senate Democratic Caucus at their annual retreat earlier today, where he urged Senate Democrats to support his ideas on various policies including job creation efforts, health care and climate change. The senators gathered to strategize on policy issues and define their political message ahead of the Congressional elections later this year. Washington, DC : 1 hr. 22 min.

Obama to do televised Q&A with Senate Dems

By Michael O'Brien - 02/02/10 04:50 PM ET

President Barack Obama will take questions from Senate Democrats on television this week at their retreat, Majority Leader Harry Reid's (D-Nev.) office announced Tuesday.

Obama will speak to the 60-member Senate Democratic Caucus on Wednesday morning during their retreat at the Newseum here in D.C.
The speech will be followed by a question-and-answer period, which will be televised, as was Obama's Q&A with House Republicans at their retreat last Friday. The nonpartisan political network C-SPAN announced the session would be televised in a tweet on Tuesday afternoon:

Watch C-SPAN 2 click the link above to watch President Obama addresses and takes questions from Senate Democrats at their retreat in DC.

Pundits on both sides of the aisle had welcomed the televised exchange with Republicans, and the White House said it hoped for a similar, televised session with Senate Republicans. The session with Democrats will be the second such session in less than a week.

Obama took questions from members of the House Democratic Caucus during their speech, though that session was behind closed doors.

Bald Eagle Tired Of Everyone Just Assuming It Supports War February 1, 2010

The symbol of American might called the 2003 invasion of Iraq "ill-advised at best, illegal at worst."

THE OREGON WILDERNESS—Frustrated by the widely held assumption that he unequivocally endorses the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, a bald eagle said Monday that his thoughts on the conflicts were far more nuanced than many Americans might expect.
Speaking to reporters from his nest in the upper branches of a 175-foot ponderosa pine tree, the eagle explained that each member of his species was different and none should be taken for granted as a lockstep supporter of American military policy.
"I think World War II was justified, and I got behind the first Gulf War [in 1990]," said the bird, who has served as the national symbol of the United States since 1782. "But the recent war in Iraq, with its shifting rationale and poor planning, was clearly a huge mistake. Personally, I believe that these crucial, life-and-death matters deserve more honest and less politicized discussion than they get."
"I'm not a hawk or a dove," he added. "I'm an eagle."
The majestic bird of prey, who said he is not registered with any political party, admitted to having some ambivalence about the current mission in Afghanistan, lamenting that any argument one could make seemed to prompt an equally valid counterpoint.

Enlarge Image The eagle said he would like to visit Iraq someday, but is worried it might cause impromptu firefights.

"Sure, I understand the reasoning behind the latest troop surge," the eagle said regarding President Obama's plan to commit 30,000 additional soldiers to the region to combat the Taliban. "Can we allow that country to collapse and become an al-Qaeda safe haven again? That seems like a disastrous outcome to me, but at the same time, maybe our continued presence is just creating more terrorists in the long run. Plus, how can we work with someone as corrupt as [Afghan president] Hamid Karzai and still purport to be champions of democracy?"
"You see, these issues are not so cut and dried," continued the Haliaeetus leucocephalus specimen. "And yet, every time I try to explain myself from atop a flag pole or the middle of a baseball field, no one wants to listen. They just cheer and chant 'U.S.A.! U.S.A! U.S.A.!'"
Sources said the eagle then excused himself and launched into the air with a shrill "skree!" sound, returning three minutes later with a glistening fish in his talons.
"And another thing: We can't forget Pakistan," the eagle said as he used his hooked beak to tear at the flesh of the writhing rainbow trout. "We have to make sure that they're not so preoccupied with India that they neglect the terrorist threats within their own borders. Remember, Pakistan has nukes."
The eagle went on to tell reporters that, despite his attempts to individuate himself from the general public's perceptions of bald eagles, he could ultimately control his image only so much. He also admitted that he still had lingering resentment over the fact that someone had covertly photographed him crying on 9/11 and used the picture on a "Never Forget" dinner plate.
"I really hated being exploited like that," the eagle said. "Of course I cried on 9/11. Everyone did. But I guess that's the burden of being the symbol of a nation: People are going to use you in ways you don't always like. You step out of the nest to clear your head with a few minutes of soaring, and people automatically peg you as some kind of embodiment of American freedom worth killing and dying for."
"And, frankly, that's a little messed up," he added. "I'm just a bird."

Terror Experts Warn Next 9/11 Could Fall On Different Date

Michael Chertoff cautions citizens to accept the possibility of a 5/24.

WASHINGTON—In an alarming development with wide-reaching implications for America's safety, Department of Homeland Security head Michael Chertoff and CIA Director Michael Hayden issued a joint report Monday warning that the next 9/11 could in fact occur on a different date.
The report, based on intelligence gathered by field-agents, found that a future 9/11 might take place on an entirely new month and day, including 4/24, 6/13, or even 10/12. According to the report, the nation could realistically find itself in the midst of a 5/25 scenario, as well as a potential 3/14 situation in the months to come.
8/28, 6/19, and 11/7 were also cited as possible 9/11s.

Enlarge Image A poster from the new DHS public-awareness campaign.

"While 9/11 has historically always fallen on 9/11, we as Americans need to be prepared for a wide range of dates," Chertoff said during a White House press conference. "There's a chance we could all find ourselves living in a post-6/10 world as early as next July. Unless, that is, we're already living in a pre-2/14 world."
"1/1, 1/2, 1/3, 1/4, 1/5," Chertoff continued for nearly 45 minutes, "12/28, 12/29, 12/30, 12/31—these are all plausible and serious threats."
An addendum to the report that includes leap years will be released by the end of March.
Though the DHS has identified more than 7,000 sensitive dates spanning the next 20 years, it did manage to rule out 4/15/04 and 10/38 as future 9/11s. The government report also confirmed that the next 9/11 would more than likely not involve an assault on the World Trade Center's North and South towers as it has in previous attacks.
Furthermore, the 350-page document rejected long-held beliefs that the next 9/11 would commence at 8:46 a.m. on a sunny Tuesday morning. In fact, it warns that a future attack could occur on a cloudy, snowy, or even brisk day, at 8:53 a.m., 10:42 p.m., or any one of the other 1,440 known times.
"We are dealing with agents of terror who are willing to carry out another 9/11 on—if you can imagine it—6/8," Hayden told reporters. "Indeed a day may come when we as a nation have to live in fear of another 6/8, recount where we were when 6/8 happened, and swear never to forget the events of 6/8."
"At some point we might even have to come to terms with the harsh lessons of 6/8," Hayden continued.
Hayden assured citizens, however, that no matter what date the imminent attacks fall on, he has every reason to believe that the next 9/11 will be carried out by militants, radicals, zealots, or extremists, who will stop at nothing, next to nothing, or very little to destroy America.
Hayden also said he was certain that at least one of the world's 6.7 billion human beings will plot the future 5/24 or 3/17 attacks, and that it will most likely target either the nation's subways, seaports, landmarks, stadiums, buildings, structures, or other indoor or outdoor areas where large groups of people tend to gather.
"Instead of calling major terrorist attacks on their soil 'our 9-11,' other nations may soon refer to their own national disasters as 'our 11/28,'" Chertoff said. "Which, incidentally, is also my birthday, though I admit that is neither here nor there."
At the conclusion of the press conference, Chertoff urged Americans not be alarmed by the recent news, and to continue living their lives as they have for the last seven years—with the crippling fear that at any moment they, or someone they love, could die in a fiery inferno.

Daily Kos/Research 2000 Poll

 Research 2000, MoE 2%, Jan 20, 2010 - Jan 31, 2010

QUESTION: In the 2010 Congressional elections wll you definitely vote, vote, not likely vote, or definitely will not vote?

	DEF VOTE	VOTE	NOT LIKELY VOTE	DEF NOT VOTE	NOT SURE
All	41	42	8	5	4
Men	44	44	6	4	2
Women	38	40	10	6	6
White	42	43	7	4	4
Other/Ref	33	34	16	13	4
18-29	38	38	9	7	8
30-44	42	43	7	5	3
45-59	42	43	7	4	4
60+	41	41	9	5	4
NE	38	40	12	6	4
South	43	43	6	4	4
MW	41	42	7	5	5
West	40	41	10	5	4

QUESTION: If the 2012 Primary for President were held today, which of the following would you vote for? (ROTATED):

	Palin	Romney	Cheney	Gingrich	Huckabee	Pawlenty	Paul	Thune	Undecided
All	16	11	10	7	7	3	2	2	42
Men	14	10	12	8	7	3	3	2	41
Women	18	12	8	6	7	3	1	2	43
White	17	12	11	8	8	3	2	2	37
Other/Ref	8	3	2	1	1	1	2	2	80
18-29	15	10	9	6	5	2	3	1	49
30-44	16	11	10	7	7	3	2	2	42
45-59	16	11	10	7	8	4	2	2	40
60+	16	11	11	7	7	3	1	2	42
NE	13	15	8	5	5	3	2	1	48
South	19	9	11	8	8	2	1	1	41
MW	14	11	10	7	7	5	2	4	40
West	14	12	10	7	7	3	3	1	43
Def	17	11	11	6	6	2	1	1	45
Vote	16	12	10	9	9	3	3	2	36
Not Like	15	10	9	6	6	3	3	3	45
Def Not	14	9	8	6	6	3	2	2	50
Not Sure	14	9	8	4	4	3	2	2	54

QUESTION: Should Barack Obama be impeached, or not?

	YES	NO	NOT SURE
All	39	32	29
Men	43	30	27
Women	35	34	31
White	40	31	29
Other/Ref	31	41	28
18-29	38	33	29
30-44	38	32	30
45-59	40	32	28
60+	40	31	29
NE	34	35	31
South	42	29	29
MW	38	32	30
West	37	36	27
Def	40	31	29
Vote	39	32	29
Not Like	38	34	28
Def Not	37	35	28
Not Sure	37	35	28

QUESTION: Do you believe Barack Obama was born in the United States, or not?

	NO	YES	NOT SURE
All	36	42	22
Men	39	37	24
Women	33	47	20
White	37	41	22
Other/Ref	28	51	21
18-29	38	39	23
30-44	38	41	21
45-59	35	43	22
60+	34	43	23
NE	29	47	24
South	43	39	18
MW	33	43	24
West	31	44	25
Def	37	41	22
Vote	36	41	23
Not Like	35	45	20
Def Not	34	46	20
Not Sure	34	46	20

QUESTION: Do you think Barack Obama is a socialist?

	YES	NO	NOT SURE
All	63	21	16
Men	66	20	14
Women	60	22	18
White	64	20	16
Other/Ref	55	30	15
18-29	62	22	16
30-44	63	21	16
45-59	63	21	16
60+	64	21	15
NE	57	25	18
South	67	18	15
MW	61	22	17
West	60	23	17
Def	64	20	16
Vote	63	21	16
Not Like	61	23	16
Def Not	60	24	16
Not Sure	60	25	15

QUESTION: Do you believe Barack Obama wants the terrorists to win?

	YES	NO	NOT SURE
All	24	43	33
Men	27	41	32
Women	21	45	34
White	26	42	32
Other/Ref	9	51	40
18-29	23	44	33
30-44	24	43	33
45-59	24	43	33
60+	24	42	34
NE	19	49	32
South	28	39	33
MW	22	44	34
West	21	46	33
Def	25	42	33
Vote	24	43	33
Not Like	22	44	34
Def Not	22	46	32
Not Sure	22	46	32

QUESTION: Do you believe ACORN stole the 2008 election?

	YES	NO	NOT SURE
All	21	24	55
Men	23	22	55
Women	19	26	55
White	22	23	55
Other/Ref	7	42	51
18-29	19	25	56
30-44	24	24	52
45-59	21	24	55
60+	19	23	58
NE	18	28	54
South	23	21	56
MW	20	25	55
West	19	27	54
Def	22	23	55
Vote	22	24	54
Not Like	19	25	56
Def Not	18	27	55
Not Sure	17	27	56

QUESTION: Do you believe Sarah Palin is more qualified to be President than Barack Obama?

	YES	NO	NOT SURE
All	53	14	33
Men	55	13	32
Women	51	15	34
White	54	12	34
Other/Ref	45	31	24
18-29	52	16	32
30-44	53	14	33
45-59	53	14	33
60+	53	13	34
NE	47	19	34
South	57	12	31
MW	52	14	34
West	50	16	34
Def	54	13	33
Vote	53	14	33
Not Like	52	15	33
Def Not	51	17	32
Not Sure	51	18	31

QUESTION: Do you believe Barack Obama is a racist who hates White people?

	YES	NO	NOT SURE
All	31	36	33
Men	34	34	32
Women	27	38	35
White	33	35	32
Other/Ref	12	44	44
18-29	28	38	34
30-44	30	37	33
45-59	31	36	33
60+	33	34	33
NE	27	40	33
South	35	33	32
MW	30	37	33
West	28	39	33
Def	32	35	33
Vote	31	36	33
Not Like	30	38	32
Def Not	29	39	32
Not Sure	30	39	31

QUESTION: Do you believe your state should secede from the United States?

	YES	NO	NOT SURE
All	23	58	19
Men	27	56	17
Women	19	60	21
White	25	57	18
Other/Ref	7	66	27
18-29	21	60	19
30-44	22	60	18
45-59	24	56	20
60+	23	58	19
NE	10	66	24
South	33	52	15
MW	18	61	21
West	16	63	21
Def	24	56	20
Vote	23	58	19
Not Like	21	61	18
Def Not	21	62	17
Not Sure	21	62	17

QUESTION: Should Congress make it easier for workers to form and join labor unions?

	YES	NO	NOT SURE
All	7	68	25
Men	6	70	24
Women	8	66	26
White	6	71	23
Other/Ref	15	44	41
18-29	6	69	25
30-44	7	68	25
45-59	7	68	25
60+	7	67	26
NE	11	64	25
South	5	71	24
MW	7	68	25
West	9	65	26
Def	6	69	25
Vote	7	68	25
Not Like	9	67	24
Def Not	9	67	24
Not Sure	9	67	24

QUESTION: Would you favor or oppose giving illegal immigrants now living in the United States the right to live here legally if they pay a fine and learn English?

	FAVOR	OPPOSE	NOT SURE
All	26	59	15
Men	23	63	14
Women	29	55	16
White	24	61	15
Other/Ref	45	42	13
18-29	29	54	17
30-44	28	55	17
45-59	27	58	15
60+	24	63	13
NE	33	53	14
South	23	63	14
MW	27	56	17
West	27	57	16
Def	24	60	16
Vote	27	59	14
Not Like	27	58	15
Def Not	28	57	15
Not Sure	28	57	15

QUESTION: Should openly gay men and women be allowed to serve in the military?

	YES	NO	NOT SURE
All	26	55	19
Men	24	59	17
Women	30	51	21
White	26	55	19
Other/Ref	30	49	21
18-29	31	47	22
30-44	30	51	19
45-59	25	54	21
60+	23	60	17
NE	32	49	19
South	23	60	17
MW	26	54	20
West	29	51	20
Def	25	56	19
Vote	26	55	19
Not Like	28	55	17
Def Not	29	52	19
Not Sure	29	52	19

QUESTION: Should same sex couples be allowed to marry?

	YES	NO	NOT SURE
All	7	77	16
Men	4	80	16
Women	10	74	16
White	7	77	16
Other/Ref	7	75	18
18-29	11	74	15
30-44	9	75	16
45-59	7	77	16
60+	5	78	17
NE	11	69	20
South	5	82	13
MW	6	78	16
West	10	70	20
Def	6	78	16
Vote	7	77	16
Not Like	9	76	15
Def Not	10	75	15
Not Sure	10	74	16

QUESTION: Should gay couples receive any state or federal benefits?

	YES	NO	NOT SURE
All	11	68	21
Men	8	72	20
Women	14	64	22
White	11	69	20
Other/Ref	12	61	27
18-29	15	64	21
30-44	13	67	20
45-59	11	69	20
60+	9	69	22
NE	17	61	22
South	9	73	18
MW	10	66	24
West	13	64	23
Def	10	69	21
Vote	10	68	22
Not Like	14	67	19
Def Not	16	66	18
Not Sure	15	66	19

QUESTION: Should openly gay men and women be allowed to teach in public schools?

	YES	NO	NOT SURE
All	8	73	19
Men	7	77	16
Women	9	69	22
White	8	74	18
Other/Ref	9	66	25
18-29	9	71	20
30-44	8	73	19
45-59	8	73	19
60+	7	74	19
NE	12	66	22
South	6	77	17
MW	8	74	18
West	10	68	22
Def	7	74	19
Vote	8	73	19
Not Like	10	72	18
Def Not	11	71	18
Not Sure	11	71	18

QUESTION: Should sex education be taught in the public schools?

	YES	NO	NOT SURE
All	42	51	7
Men	41	51	8
Women	43	51	6
White	41	52	7
Other/Ref	50	43	7
18-29	47	46	7
30-44	44	48	8
45-59	43	52	5
60+	39	53	8
NE	47	45	8
South	39	56	5
MW	41	50	9
West	45	46	9
Def	40	52	8
Vote	42	51	7
Not Like	45	49	6
Def Not	46	48	6
Not Sure	47	49	4

QUESTION: Should public school students be taught that the book of Genesis in the Bible explains how God created the world?

	YES	NO	NOT SURE
All	77	15	8
Men	79	14	7
Women	75	16	9
White	79	13	8
Other/Ref	58	31	11
18-29	74	19	7
30-44	75	17	8
45-59	78	15	7
60+	78	13	9
NE	70	23	7
South	82	9	9
MW	77	14	9
West	72	21	7
Def	78	14	8
Vote	77	15	8
Not Like	76	18	6
Def Not	75	19	6
Not Sure	75	19	6

QUESTION: Are marriages equal partnerships, or are men the leaders of their households?

	MEN	EQUAL	NOT SURE
All	13	76	11
Men	15	75	10
Women	11	77	12
White	13	75	12
Other/Ref	12	82	6
18-29	11	79	10
30-44	12	77	11
45-59	13	76	11
60+	14	75	11
NE	9	80	11
South	16	73	11
MW	13	75	12
West	10	79	11
Def	14	75	11
Vote	13	76	11
Not Like	12	78	10
Def Not	11	79	10
Not Sure	11	79	10

QUESTION: Should contraceptive use be outlawed?

	YES	NO	NOT SURE
All	31	56	13
Men	32	54	14
Women	30	58	12
White	32	55	13
Other/Ref	22	64	14
18-29	27	64	9
30-44	29	60	11
45-59	31	56	13
60+	33	53	14
NE	27	60	13
South	34	53	13
MW	29	55	16
West	29	59	12
Def	32	55	13
Vote	31	56	13
Not Like	30	58	12
Def Not	29	59	12
Not Sure	28	59	13

QUESTION: Do you believe the birth control pill is abortion?

	YES	NO	NOT SURE
All	34	48	18
Men	36	47	17
Women	32	49	19
White	35	47	18
Other/Ref	26	57	17
18-29	31	54	15
30-44	33	51	16
45-59	34	47	19
60+	36	46	18
NE	30	53	17
South	36	45	19
MW	34	47	19
West	32	51	17
Def	35	47	18
Vote	34	47	19
Not Like	33	51	16
Def Not	32	52	16
Not Sure	32	51	17

QUESTION: Do you consider abortion to be murder?

	YES	NO	NOT SURE
All	76	8	16
Men	78	8	14
Women	74	8	18
White	77	8	15
Other/Ref	68	8	24
18-29	73	9	18
30-44	74	9	17
45-59	76	8	16
60+	78	6	16
NE	72	11	17
South	78	6	16
MW	76	8	16
West	74	10	16
Def	77	7	16
Vote	76	8	16
Not Like	75	10	15
Def Not	74	11	15
Not Sure	73	11	16

QUESTION: Do you support the death penalty?

	YES	NO	NOT SURE
All	91	4	5
Men	93	4	3
Women	89	4	7
White	91	4	5
Other/Ref	90	3	7
18-29	89	5	6
30-44	90	4	6
45-59	91	4	5
60+	92	4	4
NE	88	5	7
South	93	3	4
MW	91	4	5
West	89	4	7
Def	92	3	5
Vote	90	4	6
Not Like	90	6	4
Def Not	90	6	4
Not Sure	90	6	4

QUESTION: Should women work outside the home?

	YES	NO	NOT SURE
All	86	4	10
Men	84	5	11
Women	88	3	9
White	85	4	11
Other/Ref	94	3	3
18-29	91	3	6
30-44	88	4	8
45-59	86	4	10
60+	83	5	12
NE	91	3	6
South	84	5	11
MW	85	4	11
West	88	3	9
Def	85	5	10
Vote	86	4	10
Not Like	88	3	9
Def Not	89	2	9
Not Sure	89	2	9

QUESTION: Do you believe that the only way for an individual to go to heaven is though Jesus Christ, or can one make it to heaven through another faith?

	CHRIST	OTHER	NOT SURE
All	67	15	18
Men	69	14	17
Women	65	16	19
White	70	13	17
Other/Ref	42	34	24
18-29	62	21	17
30-44	64	18	18
45-59	67	15	18
60+	70	12	18
NE	63	20	17
South	70	11	19
MW	66	17	17
West	65	18	17
Def	68	14	18
Vote	67	14	19
Not Like	66	18	16
Def Not	65	19	16
Not Sure	66	18	16

Demographics

MEN	1125	56%
WOMEN	878	44%
WHITE	1787	89%
OTHER/REF	216	11%
18-29	178	9%
30-44	418	21%
45-59	664	33%
60+	743	37%
NE	217	11%
SOUTH	846	42%
MW	437	22%
WEST	503	25%

Methodology

DKOS REPUBLICAN POLL 2010

The Daily Kos Republican Poll was conducted by Research 2000 from January 20 through January 31, 2010. A total of 2003 self identified Republicans were interviewed nationally by telephone. Those interviewed were selected by the random variation of the last four digits of telephone numbers, nationally.

The margin for error, according to standards customarily used by statisticians, is no more than plus or minus 2% percentage points. This means that there is a 95 percent probability that the "true" figure would fall within that range if the entire self identified Republican population were sampled. The margin for error is higher for any demographic subgroup, such as for gender or region.GEOGRAPHIC BREAKDOWN:
Northeast:
DC, ME, VT, NY, MD, PA, CT, DE, MA, NH, RI, WV, NJ
South:
FL, NC, SC, AL, MS, GA, VA, TN, KY, LA, AR, TX
Midwest:
IL, MN, MI, OH, WI, IA, MO, KS, IN, ND, SD, OK, NE
West:
NM, CA, OR, WA, AK, HI, MT, ID, UT, NV, AZ, WY, CO