barack-obama

Donald Trump's Birth Certificate Is Clearly a Fake

Jim Newell · 03/28/11 04:57PM

Pretend presidential candidate Donald Trump released his "birth certificate" to wingnut rag Newsmax today to prove that he's an American citizen, unlike Barack Obama. That was nice of him. But where's the real birth certificate? Because this... this thing, this piece of paper with bullshit scribbled all over it, is simply not a birth certificate. Just look at it. This is definitely not a legitimate birth certificate. If it were real, it would be real. Where's the birth certificate, Trump?

Bill Ayers Again 'Admits' He Wrote Barack Obama's Memoir

Jim Newell · 03/28/11 02:40PM

One of the all-time Top Five, or really Top One, Barack Obama conspiracy theories is back in the news! Did you know that Barack Obama's terrorist friend, former Weather Underground member Bill Ayers, secretly ghostwrote the president's memoir, Dreams From My Father? This story has been around for several years and still comically emerges from time to time, like right now. The wingnuts have caught Ayers "admitting" that he wrote Barack Obama's book, again, when he was clearly making fun of them for ever believing something so stupid.

The Question Barack Obama Should Answer in Tonight's Libya Address

Jim Newell · 03/28/11 12:56PM

President Obama will finally deliver an address tonight on the current bomb-everything campaign being waged in Libya. It may just be vague rhetoric about the moral need to prevent a massacre without addressing the more granular elements of day-to-day strategy and on which one of those specific days it will end. But if you start bombing a country, you should give a single address of any sort to the folks who pay for those bombs.

Bill Maher Creates the Anti-Obama Candidate of GOP Dreams

Matt Cherette · 03/25/11 10:30PM

On tonight's Real Time, Bill Maher declared that Republicans believe in "being against everything [Obama] is for" and "must nominate for 2012 a man who is the exact opposite of Obama." He even created one for them! Meet Karab Amabo.

Dennis Kucinich Won't Personally Impeach Barack Obama

Jim Newell · 03/25/11 11:27AM

Democratic Rep. Dennis Kucinich acquired plenty of attention this week when he floated the idea that President Obama committed an "impeachable offense" by starting a war in Libya without congressional authorization last week, before flying to Brazil for a few days. Where in the Constitution, Kucinich asked, does it allow the president to jaunt off to Rio without even inviting Dennis Kucinich? And what about the "starting a war without telling anyone" thing, too?

Racist Anti-Obama Signs Found at University

Max Read · 03/25/11 01:55AM

We are shocked—shocked—to hear that the University of Kentucky is under attack from a racist sign-maker, who has been leaving "juvenile" notices around campus that refer to President Obama using a racial epithet. The first was found hanging from a door in the law school building on March 15; on Thursday, a law student found a sign stuck to a bus stop reading "How Do You Spell Nigger? OBAMA," which is both hateful and factually incorrect. Ingeniously, the sign was composed of letters "cut out from a menu, glued to another piece of paper and photocopied," meaning we may never know the identity of Racist Sign Guy or Gal, and therefore never have the chance to say "what is your deal, man" to his or her face. [Lexington Herald-Leader]

All Hail Obama's 'Kinetic Military Action' in Libya

Jim Newell · 03/24/11 03:29PM

The obsessive semantic argument over what the United States and certain U.N. allies are "doing" in Libya really needs to stop. "War," "limited military operations," "freedom fighting," "paying off the defense industry," whatever. "We are shooting targets in Libya with missiles," is what the White House should say if it doesn't want to say anything. It's phrases like these, though, that just keep the confusion alive:

Republicans' Dreams Briefly Realized as Obama Gets Locked Out of White House

Richard Lawson · 03/24/11 12:32PM

Poor beleaguered Barack Obama returned home from a business trip to Latin America only to find the doors to his office locked. Video shows the president whistling away while he tries locked doors and is forced to seek another way into the house. Staffers apparently didn't know the president was coming home so early or something. Uh oh guys, clean up the puke and get the keg out of the bathtub! [ABC15]

Donald Trump's Delusion: 'I Definitely Think I Could Beat Obama'

Brian Moylan · 03/23/11 12:09PM

Donald Trump went on The View this morning to spread his birther nonsense and talk about potentially running for president in 2012. When Barbara Walters pushed for an answer of whether or not he could win he says, "I definitely think I could beat Obama." Really, Donald? Really?

Karl Rove Loves the Freedom of Information Act Now

John Cook · 03/23/11 11:12AM

Fat asshole Karl Rove, who helped design and maintain the most contemptuous and opaque presidential administration since Richard Nixon's, loves transparency now that a black Democrat is charge. So he's launched a clearinghouse for documents obtained through the FOIA.

Watch Jimmy Fallon Complain About President Obama to Brian Williams

Matt Cherette · 03/23/11 12:34AM

On tonight's Late Night, best guest ever Brian Williams stopped by for a chat with Jimmy Fallon. When the subject of conversation switched to Libya, Fallon got uncharacteristically angry/political and began bashing President Obama and his lack of communication.

Obama Is Thinking of Naming Eric Schmidt as Commerce Secretary?

Adrian Chen · 03/18/11 05:56PM

Eric Schmidt has already expressed interest in a book deal and a TV show. But is politics where he's actually headed after his stint at Google is up in April? Rumor has it Obama is "close to naming" Google CEO Eric Schmidt as Secretary of Commerce. This would be an OK idea as long as Schmidt never opens his mouth or offers his weird opinion on anything. Maybe he'll know how to help Obama boost productivity by spying on idle workers in Google Street View.

Obama Beefs Up His Libya War Talk

Jim Newell · 03/18/11 04:09PM

President Obama spoke from the White House earlier this afternoon to give some details about that minor U.S.-supported military intervention in Libya authorization the United Nations passed yesterday. He probably didn't want to say anything, but he's jetting to Brazil this weekend and felt he should throw American citizens a bone about the possible third war we're entering.

NRA Blows Off White House Invitation

Jim Newell · 03/15/11 11:30AM

Just when you thought he was too busy to deal with anything else, especially something with annoying culture-war implications, Barack Obama went and published an op-ed in this past Sunday's Arizona Daily Star to start a conversation on gun reforms. That does not mean, as he anxiously rushed to note in his column, that he wants to take everyone's guns and repeal the Second Amendment. He just wants "commonsense" reforms, of some sort. Unfortunately, this political process starts by reaching out to the NRA, and guess what? The NRA does not give a fuck about Barack Obama.

Libyan Rebels Defeated In Strategic Town

Adrian Chen · 03/11/11 06:57PM

Libyan rebels were pushed out of the oil town of Zawiyah today under a heavy assault by pro-Qaddafi forces on the ground and in the air. Things aren't looking too good for the rebels right now: They've lost a lot of momentum, and President Obama, though he's stuck with the "Qaddafi must go" line, has refused to offer any real support to rebel forces. All he would say in a press conference today was that when it comes to U.S. military actions, whether it's a no-fly zone or other options, you've got to balance costs versus benefits. And I don't take those decisions lightly."

Obama Fields Question About Bradley Manning's Prison Treatment

Jim Newell · 03/11/11 02:24PM

One of the questions President Obama fielded at this morning's White House press conference concerned the treatment of Pfc. Bradley Manning, the alleged Wikileaks leaker who's being held, and many would say abused, in military custody. ABC News' Jake Tapper, namely, asked Obama about chief State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley's candid claim that Manning is being "mistreated" in a way that's "ridiculous and counterproductive and stupid."

Obama Was Bullied As a Kid

Adrian Chen · 03/10/11 07:47PM

There was an anti-bullying conference today, where everyone talked about the importance of protecting America's dweebs and losers. (Kidding: Everyone is special in their own way.) During a speech, Obama said he was bullied as a kid for looking funny and being different. From CNN:

Ultra-Classy PR Rep Flacks for Restaurant By Planting Items About Obama's Daughter

John Cook · 03/08/11 04:06PM

Here's how all those "spotted" items get in gossip columns: celebrities eat at restaurants, restaurants tell their PR people, PR people call gossip columnists, and—voila!—"Celebrity A was spotted at Restaurant B last night." But what if the restaurant is a shitty chain eatery, and the "celebrity" is a 13-year-old girl whose father decided to get into politics and who has never taken an affirmative step toward establishing her own notoriety? Same thing.