President Barack Obama announced a plan to open up offshore drilling for oil and natural gas. Photo courtesy of ScrapeTV.com.

President Barack Obama announced his proposal to open up new offshore areas for oil drilling at the Andrews Air Force Base in Washington, D.C. earlier today.

The goal of his speech was not only to announce his decision to the public, but also to try and gain support from Republicans for the energy and climate bill in the Senate. However, the announcement has been receiving mixed reactions from the public.

The American Petroleum Institute (API), a group representing the oil industry, is excited about President Obama’s decision.

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Farrakhan claimed that the "white right" is set on making Obama's presidency limited to one term.

Nation of Islam Minister Louis Farrakhan delivered his annual Saviour’s Day speech this past Sunday to an audience of 20,000 at the United Center.

The speech, lasting 3.5 hours long, revolved around the usual controversial remarks towards white society and around President Obama.

A long time supporter of Obama, Farrakhan pleaded with him to “speak for the poor, speak for the weak.” He argued that if Obama could provide a voice for homosexuals, he should be able to provide a stronger voice for the poor people of the nation.

Obama began to distance himself from Farrakhan during the campaign due to his history of racist and Anti-Semitic remarks. Still, Farrakhan reaches out to him and claims that “the white right is trying to set Barack up to be assassinated.”

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Tuesday, the Armed Services Committee met to discuss the controversial policy “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT),“which bars gays, lesbians and bisexuals from openly serving in the military. This year, Obama vowed to repeal the policy and instructed his top advisors to look into how to best implement the change.  The meeting demonstrated a marked shift from the Armed Service Committee meetings 17 years ago that instituted the policy under the Clinton administration. 

Pres. Obama meets with Admiral Mullen and Sec. Gates. Photo by Pete Souza, official White House Photo.

At the meeting both the  Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman, Admiral Michael Mullen and Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates endorsed the repeal. Sec. Gates stated that “I fully support the president’s decision. The question before us is not whether the military prepares to make this change, but how we best prepare for it. We have received our orders from the commander in chief and we are moving out accordingly.” Admiral Mullen’s endorsement was even stronger. He stated “No matter how I look at the issue, I cannot escape being troubled by the fact that we have in place a policy which forces young men and women to lie about who they are in order to defend their fellow citizens….For me it comes down to integrity — theirs as individuals and ours as an institution.” Read more…

Most people can agree that Fox News isn’t an unbiased news source. White House representatives are now going on the record trying to get Fox to admit this.

Interim Communications Director Anita Dunn was one of the first official White House reps to go on the record saying that Fox News isn’t a real news source. Surprisingly, other valid news organizations went up in arms at this accusation.

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Barack Obama admitted to smoking marijuana in his first book. "Of course I inhaled, that was the point," he wrote. Image via Coed Magazine.

In a big win for states’ rights and potheads alike, it was announced late last night that the Obama administration would no longer seek to arrest medical marijuana users and suppliers as long as they conform to state laws.

Two Justice Department officials described the policy to the Associated Press, saying that prosecutors will be told it’s not a good use of their time to prosecute people who provide  medical marijuana in states where the drug is allowed.

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Up until 1967, it was illegal for interracial couples to marry in many states in the US. A 1967 Supreme Court ruling made the illegality of marriage between different races a thing of the past. The law determined that the government could not determine who could marry or live with whom. Apparently, Keith Bardwell of Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana didn’t get the memo.

Earlier this month, Bardwell, the Justice of the Peace of Tangipahoa Parish refused a marriage license to an interrcial couple out of concern for future children. Bill Quigley, director of the Center for Constitutional Rights and Justice refuted this claim with slap, saying “Perhaps he’s worried the kids will grow up and be president.” Referring, of course, to President Obama being born of a black man of Kenya and a white woman of Kansas. Read more…

Aww, It's okay Obama. You tried. Courtesy of The New Republic

Despite the Obamas pleas to the International Olympic Committee this week in Copenhagen, the news came out this morning that Chicago has officially been shot down, along with Tokyo, as possible hosts of the 2016 Olympic Games.

Cue sad Obama face.

The Olympic Committee just did not seem to bite even though Michelle Obama delivered an emotional speech that, according to CNN, chronicled ‘her family’s roots in the South Side of Chicago, Illinois, and her late father’s battle with multiple sclerosis.’

Barack Obama pushed the angle that Chicago was already experienced in hosting large events, citing the 1893 World’s Fair and the 1994 World Cup as examples. Apparently, the IOC didn’t think hosting a 116 year old fair and a big soccer match were good enough credentials. But it’s okay everybody, don’t be upset- Tokyo has giant robots and ninjas, and they aren’t in the running anymore either. Read more…