GAO's curious list of urgent issues
Congress’ watchdog arm, the Government Accountability Office, put out a list today of the 13 most urgent issues facing President-elect Barack Obama and the incoming Congress. The list includes such...
View ArticleBush strips collective bargaining rights from ATF
In a late-term executive order that has a major union crying foul, President Bush has excluded about 1,500 employees of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives from collective...
View ArticleFBI's Mark Felt, AKA Deep Throat, dead at 95
Mark Felt, the former associate director of the FBI who helped break the Watergate scandal, died yesterday at 95. Felt, who for decades hid his role in the scandal and was known only as Deep Throat,...
View ArticleHager out, Whipple in as acting OPM director
President Obama just named Kathie Ann Whipple to be acting director of the Office of Personnel Management. Whipple, who had been deputy general counsel, will immediately replace Michael Hager, who...
View ArticleHow not to do a photo op
The Air Force likely will have some explaining to do following this particularly poorly thought-out photo op, as reported by the Wall Street Journal. Seems the Air Force thought it was a good idea to...
View ArticleWH defends swine flu response
Not having a secretary of Health and Human Services isn’t hurting the federal response to the swine flu outbreak, said White House press secretary Robert Gibbs Monday. “Our response is in no way...
View ArticleCIA Director Panetta on his way out?
ABC News today reported that strife is growing between CIA Director Leon Panetta, Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair, and the White House, and said Panetta might not be at Langley for much...
View ArticleWaPo: White House, unions strike deal on ‘Cadillac’ health plan tax
The Washington Post is reporting that the White House and unions have reached a tentative deal on the excise tax on so-called “Cadillac” health care plans: Lawmakers said the agreement would raise the...
View ArticleThe Onion weighs in on WH forum
The White House invited more than 50 private-sector chief executive officers to Washington last week to discuss how to modernize the government. Administration leaders said plenty of good ideas came...
View ArticleGet the White House on your iPhone
You don’t need C-SPAN to keep up with what’s going on at the White House, thanks to a new iPhone app launched by the White House last week. The White House posted a quick tutorial about the app on its...
View ArticleMore about new WH dashboard
My colleague Elise Castelli posted a blog earlier this week about the White House’s launch of a new open government dashboard, which you may have missed for all of the Snowpocalypse/Snowmaggedon/snOMG...
View ArticleWH declassifies cybersecurity parameters
The White House has declassified much of a cybersecurity initiative developed during the George W. Bush administration. The release of Comprehensive National Cybersecurity Initiative’s 12 key goals is...
View Article“Making government cool” is the Obama administration’s Poochie
If there’s one phrase I’m tired of hearing over and over from senior White House leaders, it’s their desire to ”make government service cool.” An occasional quip would be one thing. But it’s become a...
View ArticleWH talks government modernization
The White House held a modernizing government forum earlier this year, inviting more than 50 private-sector chief executive officers to share best business practices with government officials. The...
View ArticleKal Penn leaving White House for Harold & Kumar 3
One of the Obama administration’s more … um … unusual appointments is rumored to be leaving the White House this summer. Kalpen Modi, AKA Kal Penn, AKA the perpetually high Kumar from the Harold and...
View ArticleWhite House bends over backwards to apologize to Sherrod
What a difference a day makes in the Shirley Sherrod fiasco. According to three sources who spoke to Politico’s Ben Smith, White House deputy chief of staff Jim Messina praised the speed at which the...
View ArticleWelcome to the semantic jungle
A reporter sparred with White House Press Secretary Jay Carney today over possible reductions to Social Security — which might also lead to lower COLAs for federal retirees — and kicked off this...
View ArticleWhite House press secretary Carney is major rock nerd
The never-ending debt ceiling debate appears to be making White House Press Secretary Jay Carney punchy. Here’s how he began this afternoon’s press conference: CARNEY: Last night, the President called...
View ArticleStop Swag
In opening my emails every morning I’m accustomed to a plethora of press releases. Today the release that caught my eye was the announcement of President Obama signing an executive order to cut federal...
View ArticleMemphis soul comes to the White House tonight
The White House will host a who’s-who of legendary soul musicians and modern stars Tuesday night in its latest “In Performance” concert. This will be the tenth “In Performance at the White House” show,...
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