Ten Questions for Tonight's Presidential News conference:

Ten Questions for Tonight's Presidential News Conference 

President Obama asserts that failure to pass the economic stimulus package will result in a “catastrophe.” Since he’s about to be handed one trillion dollars, it might be a good idea for the press to ask him what he and his economic advisors project will happen if the stimulus bill passes. Nothing complex, just some simple comparatives:

1. You assert that without your economic stimulus plan unemployment will reach double digits. If your stimulus plan passes, as expected, what do you project the unemployment rate to be in one year? Two years? Three years?

2. How many jobs will the bill create in its first year? In what sectors of the economy will the job growth occur?

3. What will the deficit be in 2009? 2010? 2011? 

4. What will the national debt be in 2009? 2010? 2011?  

5. You have said that the economic situation is so serious that failure to immediately pass the plan would be a catastrophe. If the situation’s so serious, why is most of the spending slated to occur after the recession (according to historical patterns) will likely end? And if it’s so serious, why are tens of billions being spent on frivolous items? 

6. Since we don’t have the money contained in the spending bill, when will you have to raise taxes? Which taxes will be raised and on whom? What will be the highest marginal rate?

7. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the economic stimulus package will actually stifle growth. If your bill passes, what do you project the nation’s GDP to be in 2009? 2010? 2011? What do your experts say the GDP will be if your bill doesn’t pass?

8. What do you and your advisors believe your plan will do to interest rates and the rate of inflation in the next five years?

9. What’s the percentage probability that the stimulus plan will work? If you can’t give an estimate, why should we give you one trillion dollars?

10. What’s your Plan B if the economic stimulus doesn’t work? What's your exit strategy if the plan actually does harm? 

And two non-stimulus bonus questions: 

1.The tax problems of Geithner, Daschle, Killefer, and Solis are different in kind and degree. Please describe your standards for permitting some tax scofflaws to remain in your administration but not others.
2.You 're about to ramp up military operations in Afghanistan but Russia has pressured Kyrgyzstan to forbid the U.S. from using the Manas air base crucial to supplying our forces in Afghanistan. What have you done about that?
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Al-Arabiya Journalist Reflects On Obama Interview

Al-Arabiya Journalist Reflects On Obama Interview

27 Jan 2009 03:41 pm

Jeffrey Goldberg spoke with the reporter of the hour, al-Arabiya's Hisham Melhem, who detected in Obama's yesterday words a "shift in approach" in the way Obama described the Middle East conflict.

"I'm not willing to say there is a shift in substance, but there is a shift in approach on the tone vis-à-vis Palestinian suffering. He showed that he understands the need for dignity and a place to call their own. And there will be a different approach, in the sense that sending George Mitchell is an important thing. He has talked both about Palestinian violence and Israeli settlement"

JG: But come back to substance: He's not abandoning Israel, he's maintaining a hard line on Pakistan --

HM: Look, in the long run, he is telling the Muslim world that it's going to have a difficult time demonizing him. He's saying, "I'm willing to disagree with the people of the Muslim world respectfully." He was miffed and angry by Zawahiri and Bin Laden, the way they speak of him. And he jumped on it and dealt with it. There's a subtle shift here on how he looks at the war on al-Qaeda and the groups that collaborate with it. He doesn't put Hamas and Hezbollah in the same category as al-Qaeda. Is there going to be disappointment later? We're bound to have disappointments, but the main message is that a new wind is blowing. He's closing down Guantanamo, sending Mitchell, pulling out of Iraq, and maybe I'm dreaming but I hope he would show Palestinians and Israelis tough love, both of them. Do you want to tell me that Bin Laden and all these nuts are not going to be nervous about him?

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Obama to Order to Close Guantanamo

WASHINGTON — President Obama is expected to sign executive orders Thursday directing the Central Intelligence Agency to shut what remains of its network of secret prisons and ordering the closing of the Guantánamo detention camp within a year, government officials said.

The orders, which would be the first steps in undoing detention policies of former President George W. Bush, would rewrite American rules for the detention of terrorism suspects. They would require an immediate review of the 245 detainees still held at the naval base in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, to determine if they should be transferred, released or prosecuted.

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Obama takes oath again after inauguration mistake

Obama takes oath again after inauguration mistake

US President Barack Obama has been administered the oath of office a second time at the White House because a word was out of sequence when he was sworn in yesterday.

Chief Justice John Roberts, who first administered the oath to Mr Obama on the steps of the US Capitol, also administered the oath to the president today in front of reporters.

The White House counsel said in a statement read by a spokesman the oath was administered a second time out of an "abundance of caution".

"We believe that the oath of office was administered effectively and that the President was sworn in appropriately yesterday," Robert Gibbs told reporters, quoting a statement from White House counsel Greg Craig.

"But the oath appears in the Constitution itself and, out of an abundance of caution, because there was one word out of sequence, Chief Justice John Roberts will administer the oath a second time."

After finishing the statement, Mr Gibbs ushered reporters into a room where Mr Obama was waiting, smiling, along with the Chief Justice.

The President spoke with journalists and then stood next to Roberts and took the oath again.

- Reuters

Shakira sings in the inauguration

Obama invites Shakira to sing at inauguration

U.S. President-elect Barack Obama has invited Colombian singer Shakira to perform in the White House on the day of his inauguration that is on January 20th 2009.

"It's an honor to receive so much support from someone that talented and a person that generous," Obama said about Shakira.

Honestly it's an honor that the new president of the United States has invited the most successful Latin artist, Shakira to the Inaugural function. 

Presedent Obama's first dance

President Barack Obama and his wife danced to the Etta James song "At Last", performed by Beyonce

(The First Lady to dance with President Barack Obama was his wife Michelle Obama.)
President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, he was in a white tie and tux and she was in a white evening gown, they started the tour of inaugural balls. It started at "the Neighborhood Ball,'' which the president called one of the most important night.

Before the first dance, Obama asked the crowd, "How good looking is my wife?". The First Lady wore a shimmering white, one-shouldered, floor-length gown. It was embellished from top to bottom with white floral details and made by designer Jason Wu. 

After an introduction from actor Denzel Washington, Obama opened an informal speech at the Ball by saying ‘First of all, how good looking is my wife?’, prompting cheers from the crowd. After a short speech, the President and First Lady then danced alone on stage as Beyonce sang.

As the song was completed the crowd started chanting ‘Obama! Obama! ’ before making way for performances by Stevie Wonder and more. 

This campaign was organized by neighborhood,said Obama, calling himself a neighborhood kind of guy - at a ball in the Washington Convention Center where tickets were dispensed for little cost to a lot of people. He cut his teeth on neighborhood work, he told the crowd.

"Ad if you think about it, neighborhood starts with neighbor,'' Obama said. "This ball is the one which captures best, I think, the spirit of this campaign... We are going to need you... because together we are going to change America.''

But for now, all the president and first lady were changing were hands as they took a turn on the dance stage.

The singer, who earlier this week accidentally revealed that she would be performing the Etta James song ‘At Last’, wore a full-length cream satin dress for her performance.

(Mariah Carey performs at the Neighborhood Inaugural Ball)

Thank you George Bush

Thank you George Bush

A Heartfelt Thanks To George & Laura Bush for his 8 years of service as President of UN.

The citizen's of the UN thanked George Bush for keeping everyone safe since Sept 11, 2001. Although there have been dozens of attempts by groups to commit more attacks, "by the grace of God" none of them were successful.

 After Obama's innaugration ceremoney he thanks George Bush for  maintaning his role as a president of UN for 8 Years and later He (Berak Obama) was selected as the 44th President of United Natiuon.

Obama Inauguration happy photos

The people are really happy to see Obama as their new PRESIDENT

Obama inauguration speech transcript

President Barack Obama's Inaugural Address

President Barack Obama Delivers Inaugural Address at US Capitol in Washington on 20th January 2009.

I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.

Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers, and true to our founding documents.

So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.

That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.

These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land - a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.

Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many

Obama Speach Inauguration day..

President Barack Obama says Americans "have carried on because of the ideal of our forebearers"

Obama swearing in video

Inauguration of Barack Obama.-obama swearing in video

live inauguration coverage
LIVE INAUGRATION COVERAGE
# inauguration day 2009 live.# watch inauguration online

# inauguration streaming # inauguration video

Barack Obama the 44th president of USA.

Inauguration Coverage

 A roundup of stories and multimedia on the inauguration of  "Barack Obama" as the "44th president".

(Inauguration coverage will be onscreen & online)

Networks hope to reach out to those who'll have computer, but no TV In all their planning to cover Barack Obama's inauguration as the nation's 44th president, television networks have paid particular attention to those who will be near a computer, not a TV.

NEW YORK - In all their planning to cover Barack Obama's inauguration as the nation's 44th president, television networks have paid particular attention to people who must spend their day in front of a computer.

There are a lot of people who are going to be captivated by the entire day, and a lot of them are not going to be able to have a television set in the office, or have access to a television. People are just trying to figure out the blend right now, Everyone knows that there's something there, and this is an interesting step in the evolution. If you look at this moment in eight or 10 years it will be interesting to see what panned out and what went nowhere.

None of this means the networks are shortchanging their television plans. Like Election Night, a presidential inauguration is an event that has been in the planning for a long time and brings out the "A" team. It's even more so now, as Obama's installation as president caps a campaign that drew extraordinary interest from viewers.

The online coverage has a much higher priority than it has in the past. For a news division, it is the gift that keeps on giving.

Obama takes nation's helm today amid 'uncharted waters'

Black Tie & Boots scoots along without Bush: Monday night's Black Tie & Boots Inaugural Ball, the must-see and be-seen bash of recent inaugurations, didn't quite feel like the extravagant parties of years past.

Even in GOP strongholds, demand soars for Obama inauguration tickets: Even in the red strongholds of North Texas, tickets to the historic event are red-hot. Interest has overwhelmed congressional offices, with some getting thousands or tens of thousands of requests.

On the minds of Dallas students? Skepticism, optimism for Obama: Third-graders at Good Shepherd Episcopal School in northwest Dallas illustrated – through a class writing assignment – how this inauguration affects even the youngest Americans.

Dallas-area pastors deliver messages of hope about Obama inauguration: Dallas-area pastors urged members Sunday to celebrate Barack Obama's inauguration as a historic milestone that can lead to greater racial unity.

Boot-scooting in D.C.: The Lake Highlands Wildcat Wranglers are scheduled to perform at the Texas State Society's Black Tie & Boots Inaugural Ball in Washington. Before they do, they're sharing their experiences on a blog at neighborsgo.com.

Dallas-area residents board buses for trip to inauguration: Five buses carrying more than 200 local residents are tracking northeast, en route to a swearing-in ceremony many say breathes life into a dream intoned by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

Dancing, drinks and good deeds will mark Obama inauguration celebrations in Dallas-Fort Worth: There are plenty of opportunities Tuesday in Dallas-Fort Worth to mark America's changing of the guard — from a "gala" at an Oak Cliff church to a free-spirited gathering at a Greenville Avenue bar to a down-home brunch of fried chicken and waffles at a café in the Red Bird area.

Database: Donors to the presidential inaugural committee: Search this database to find out who the donated to the presidential inaugural committee.

North Texans urged to prepare for unusually cold weather at inauguration: A cold snap that has moved into the Washington, D.C., area is expected to drop temperatures into the mid-30s by Tuesday’s inauguration festivities.

Arlington woman invited to Obama whistle stop tour : Shandra Jackson and son Ryan, 11, are the only Texans invited to ride with President-elect Barack Obama from Philadelphia to Washington, D.C., before the inauguration.

Obama's aces, Local Tuskegee Airmen to have prime seats at inauguration.

Norma Adams-Wade: Lincoln High School students to make film on Obama inauguration.

Israel to pull out of Gaza

Israel to pull out of Gaza by Obama inauguration:

JERUSALEM — Israel plans to pull all of its troops out of the Gaza Strip by the time President-elect Barack Obama is inaugurated Tuesday, but only if Hamas militants hold their fire, Israeli officials said.

Thousands of troops have left Gaza since Israel declared Saturday its intention to unilaterally halt fire after a devastating, three-week Israeli onslaught. Gaza's Hamas rulers ceased fire 12 hours later. Large contingents of Israeli soldiers have kept close to the border, prepared to re-enter the territory if violence re-ignites.

A swift troop withdrawal would reduce the likelihood of clashes between militants and Israeli forces that could rupture the truce.

By getting its soldiers out before the Obama inauguration, Israel hopes to pave the way for a smooth beginning with the Obama administration and spare the incoming president the trouble of having to deal with a burning problem in Gaza from his first day, the Israeli officials said.

They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the plan.

Israel has been quietly concerned about possible policy changes by the incoming administration after eight years of staunch support from President George W. Bush. Obama has said Mideast peace will be a priority even as he grapples with a global economic crisis and wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Israel made its troop withdrawal plan known at a dinner Sunday with European leaders who came to the region in an effort to consolidate the fragile cease-fire, the Israeli officials said.

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told his guests that his country had no desire to stay in Gaza, a Mediterranean strip of 1.4 million people that Israel vacated in 2005, while retaining control of its airspace, coastal waters and border crossings.

"We didn't set out to conquer Gaza. We didn't set out to control Gaza. We don't want to remain in Gaza and we intend on leaving Gaza as fast as possible," Olmert told the leaders of Britain, France, Germany, Spain, Italy and the Czech Republic, according to the officials.

Israel also holds elections next month, and polls show Israel's wartime leaders have been strengthened by the offensive that drew overwhelming support at home even as it attracted widespread condemnation across the globe because of the high Palestinian casualties.

At least 1,259 Palestinians were killed in Israel's air and ground onslaught, more than half of them civilians, according to the United Nations, Gaza health officials and rights groups. Thirteen Israelis died, including four soldiers killed inadvertently by their own forces' fire.

In Hamas' first statement on losses it suffered during the offensive, spokesman Abu Obeida said Monday that the militant group lost 48 fighters. It was impossible to verify the figure, which is far below the hundreds of militants that Israel claims it killed.

Neither side has reported a violation of the truce since Hamas halted its fire. But the quiet remains tenuous because neither side achieved its long-term goals.

Israel won a decisive battlefield victory but did not end Hamas' rocket fire into the southern part of the country or solve the problem of smuggled arms reaching Gaza militants.

Hamas remains firmly in power in Gaza, but Palestinian casualties were steep and large swaths of the tiny seaside territory were devastated by the Israeli air and ground assault. Gaza municipal officials said an initial assessment showed some 20,000 residential and government buildings were severely damaged and another 4,000 destroyed. Some 50 of the U.N.'s 220 schools, clinics and warehouses were battered in shelling and crossfire.

Before arriving in Jerusalem, the European officials met with Arab leaders in Egypt to discuss ways to cement the truce. Delivering humanitarian aid to rebuild Gaza and opening borders blockaded by Israel emerged as key goals.

Gaza's border crossings have been sealed since Hamas violently took over the territory in 2007, deepening the already grinding poverty there and trapping the residents inside.

The gathering failed to deliver a specific plan to stanch the flow of arms into Gaza by sea and through tunnels built under the 8-mile border Gaza and Egypt share. Israel wants international monitors, but Egypt has refused to have them on its side of the border.

The truce brought relief to Gaza's citizens, who took stock of the devastation in relative safety for the first time since Israel launched the offensive on Dec. 27. And it brought more trauma, as rescue workers in surgical masks ventured into what were once no-go areas and pulled 100 bodies from buildings pulverized by bombs.

Tension eased in southern Israel, even though Hamas launched nearly 20 rockets in a final salvo before announcing a cease-fire. Three Israelis were lightly wounded, while two Palestinians were killed in last-minute fighting.

In the rocket-battered Israeli town of Sderot, residents went back to their routines, after sitting out the war locked inside their homes or in safer parts of the country.