Come on. Seriously?

Next thing you’ll tell me that you think he composed all those e-mails during the campaign and that they weren’t the work of highly skilled pro writers.

Also, professional wrestling is pre-scripted. Even when Trish Stratus kissed that girl.

He didn’t introduce himself. He didn’t have to.

President Obama simply stuck out his hand and asked for my name as he stepped toward me amid a bone-chilling drizzle in the Gardens of Stone.

This was Section 60 of Arlington National Cemetery. I wasn’t there as a reporter, but to visit some friends and family buried there when Obama made an unscheduled stop – a rare presidential walk among what Lincoln called America’s ‘honored dead’ – after laying a Veterans Day wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns.

What I got was an unexpected look into the eyes of a man who intertwined his roles as commander in chief and consoler in chief on a solemn day filled with remembrance and respect for sacrifices made – and sacrifices yet to be made.

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Office of the Press Secretary

_______________________________________________________________________________________

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 7, 2009

Statement of President Barack Obama on House Passage of the Affordable Health Care for America Act

Tonight, in an historic vote, the House of Representatives passed a bill that would finally make real the promise of quality, affordable health care for the American people.

The Affordable Health Care for America Act is a piece of legislation that will provide stability and security for Americans who have insurance; quality affordable options for those who don’t; and bring down the cost of health care for families, businesses, and the government while strengthening the financial health of Medicare. And it is legislation that is fully paid for and will reduce our long-term federal deficit.

Thanks to the hard work of the House, we are just two steps away from achieving health insurance reform in America. Now the United States Senate must follow suit and pass its version of the legislation. I am absolutely confident it will, and I look forward to signing comprehensive health insurance reform into law by the end of the year.

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Still, majorities of voters in both states (55 percent in Virginia and 60 percent in New Jersey) said President Obama was not a factor in their vote today. Those who said Mr. Obama was a factor in New Jersey divided as to whether their vote was a vote for the president (19 percent) or against him (20 percent). In Virginia, slightly fewer voters said their vote was for Mr. Obama (18 percent) than against him (24 percent).

Among Corzine supporters in New Jersey, 38 percent said one reason for their vote was to express support for Mr. Obama, while 39 percent of Christie voters said it was to express opposition to Mr. Obama.

In Virginia, among backers of the Democratic candidate, Creigh Deeds, 38 percent said their vote was in part to support the president, while 42 percent of McDonnell voters said their vote was in part to oppose the president.

In their minds, historically, liberals and Democrats just roll over and die when the media goes on the attack. Often, liberals and Dems have apologized for no good reason simply due to media attacks. The Obama campaign didn’t do this, and so far neither has the Obama White House.

This is very upsetting for in the media and the conservative movement. Their hearts wish for the day when Democrats just sucked it up and took it like during the campaigns of people like Michael Dukakis and John Kerry. It is highly upsetting to them when Dems don’t just take it.

President Obama traveled to Dover Air Force Base early Thursday morning, where he met with family members and paid his respects as the bodies of 18 Americans killed this week in Afghanistan were returned to the United States.

While I certainly don’t share the dominant point of view in the progressive blogosphere that everything negative in the Obama administration is the work of Rahm Emanuel, I can note that it is less than helpful for the President’s chief of staff to be speaking at a meeting of the Chamber of Commerce right when the Chamber is doing their damndest to throw a monkey wrench into the President’s agenda. This news of course comes down right as the President is focusing on small business – the actual business of small business and not the climate change denial and basic rejection of reality that the Chamber embraces.

Today is President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama’s wedding anniversary. Congrats to them, they represent our nation well.

I want the Olympics back in America, but I don’t think the president needs to do anything to make that happen.

Landing an appearance by the president seems to be a game-changer at least for one show in late-night television. On Monday night, President Obama lifted David Letterman to his most-watched ‘Late Show’ in four years, with a total of 7.218 million viewers.

Among the alternatives being presented to Mr. Obama is Mr. Biden’s suggestion to revamp the strategy altogether. Instead of increasing troops, officials said Mr. Biden had proposed scaling back the overall American military presence. Rather than trying to protect the Afghan population from the Taliban, American forces would concentrate on strikes against Qaeda cells, primarily in Pakistan, using special forces, Predator missile attacks and other surgical tactics.

The Americans would accelerate training of Afghan forces and provide support as they took the lead against the Taliban. But the emphasis would shift to Pakistan. Mr. Biden has often said that the United States spends something like $30 in Afghanistan for every $1 in Pakistan, even though in his view the main threat to American national security interests is in Pakistan.