Gibbs: ‘Every President Makes Mistakes, Including Barack Obama’
White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said that President Obama will acknowledge that mistakes have been made during his first year in office. “The president is going to explain why he thinks the American people are angry and frustrated,” said Gibbs, who also said that “every president makes mistakes, including Barack Obama.”
Obama’s Day Ahead: The State Of The Union
President Obama and Vice President Biden will receive the presidential daily briefing at 9:30 a.m. ET. Obama will meet at 2 p.m. ET with senior advisers. At 9 p.m. ET, Obama will deliver his State of the Union address, to a joint session of Congress at the Capitol.
Biden’s Day Ahead
Vice President Biden will attend President Obama’s 9:30 a.m. ET daily briefing. At 11:30 a.m. ET, Biden will host a lunch meeting at the Naval Observatory, with Kurdistan Regional Government President Masoud Barzani. At 4 p.m. ET, Biden will host athletes and coaches from the Special Olympics, at the White House. In the evening, he will attend President Obama’s State of the Union address at the Capitol.
Obama To Freeze Salaries For Top White House officials
President Obama will reportedly freeze salaries for senior White House officials, saving $4 million in fiscal 2011. Obama could potentially mention the freeze during his State of the Union address.
Hillary Clinton To Be In London During State Of The Union
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will miss the State of the Union speech, and will instead be attending international meetings in London to discuss issues involving Yemen and Afghanistan.
Joe Wilson Promises No Outbursts: ‘I Am A Gentleman’
Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC), who famously yelled out “You lie!” during Obama’s speech to Congress last September, is promising that there won’t be any outbursts this time. “I am a gentleman. My natural inclination is to be on my best behavior,” Wilson told the Associated Press. He also added: “That was truly a one-time … town hall moment. Since that time, it’s been my view to have a civil discussion on the issues.”
Members Nab Aisle Seats For A Presidential Handshake
Roll Call reports that some members of Congress make an occasion of the State of the Union speech, by making sure to get an aisle seat in order to shake hands with the president –Â such as Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY) who arrives in the House chamber at 9 a.m., and waits all day for the speech. “What we do is, after a while, we kind of have a little bit of a picnic,” said Engel, who praised the bipartisan camaraderie. “We pass around some snacks.”
