The term "bully pulpit" stems from President Theodore Roosevelt's reference to the White House as a "bully pulpit," meaning a terrific platform from which to persuasively advocate an agenda. Roosevelt often used the word "bully" as an adjective meaning superb/wonderful.
The Bully Pulpit features news, reasoned discourse, opinion and some humor.
(By Becket Adams, The Blaze) - While speaking to a crowd of cheering college students at the University of Colorado in Boulder Tuesday, President Obama singled out Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) for recent comments she made about student loans.
“I have very little tolerance for people who tell me that they graduate with $200,000 of debt or even $80,000 of debt because there’s no reason for that,” Rep. Foxx said in a radio interview.
“We live in an opportunity society and people are forgetting that. I remind folks all the time that the Declaration of Independence says ‘life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.’ You don’t sit on your butt and have it dumped in your lap,” she added.
(By Meghann Evans, The Stokes News) - After a lengthy public comment session and a shorter discussion between the board, the Stokes County Board of Commissioners voted 3-2 to approve a resolution in favor of the marriage amendment.
Commissioners Ronda Jones and Leon Inman voted against the resolution on Monday night, citing the belief that they should not do anything to influence citizens’ votes on the issue. Jones also cited the potential far-reaching consequences of the amendment as one of her concerns. But Inman did state that he was personally in favor of the amendment.
Voters will see the marriage amendment or “Amendment One” on the May 8 ballot. The amendment will ask people to vote for or against a “Constitutional amendment to provide that marriage between one man and one woman is the only domestic legal union that shall be valid or recognized in this State.”
(By Meghann Evans, The Stokes News) - A campaign has begun to re-hire former Walnut Cove police chief Barry Conaway, who was terminated from the position in 2008.
The Walnut Cove police chief position was vacated a few months ago by James Hill. Conaway would not return calls last week to confirm that he had applied for the police chief job. But local attorney Jerry Rutledge said Friday that he had sent a letter to Town Manager Byron Ellis petitioning for Conaway to be re-hired.
The town of Walnut Cove began advertising earlier this month to hire a new police chief to replace Hill, who resigned abruptly on Feb. 14, stating simply that it was time for him to “move forward and seek other options.” At the time, he declined to go on the record to give any further comments about his decision to resign. Ellis said at the time that, to his knowledge, the resignation did not stem from any improprieties. Next in command Lieut. Chad Williams began serving as acting chief following Hill’s resignation.
(By Stephen Dinan, The Washington Times) - Supreme Court justices took a dim view of the Obama administration’s claim that it can stop Arizona from enforcing immigration laws, telling government lawyers during oral argument Wednesday that the state appears to want to push federal officials, not conflict with them.
The court was hearing arguments on Arizona’s immigration crackdown law, which requires police to check the immigration status of those they suspect are in the country illegally, and would also write new state penalties for illegal immigrants who try to apply for jobs.
The Obama administration has sued, arguing that those provisions conflict with the federal government’s role in setting immigration policy, but justices on both sides of the aisle struggled to understand that argument.
“It seems to me the federal government just doesn’t want to know who’s here illegally,” Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. said at one point.
WASHINGTON (By Ryan Sullivan, WGHP) — Newt Gingrich will officially end his bid for the Republican presidential nomination and formally express his support for Mitt Romney next week, two sources close to Gingrich tell CNN.
While details are still being worked out, Gingrich is likely to hold his final campaign event Tuesday in Washington, DC where he will make the announcement surrounded by his family and supporters.
It is not surprising that Gingrich is suspending his campaign for the White House as he has all but acknowledged it is winding down and Romney is the presumptive GOP nominee.
(By Ed Morrissey, Hot Air) - Via RCP and Twitchy, how embarrassing is it when a news anchor on any channel has to explain the conference committee process to a member of Congress? DNC chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) appeared on Fox News last night with Bret Baier, who asked the simple question: why haven’t Senate Democrats passed a budget? Wasserman Schultz wanted to gripe about the House-passed Paul Ryan budget, but when Baier asked why the Senate hadn’t passed a budget resolution in 1,092 days, Wasserman Schultz scolded him for talking about “process.” She did try to argue at one point that Democrats 'have' proposed a budget — the White House budget from Barack Obama — but Baier forced her to change direction when he asked why the Senate hadn’t bothered to vote on it.
(By Ed Morrissey, Hot Air) - Via Greg Hengler, I’m … kind of torn on this one. On one hand, it plays into every fear among the conservative base of the GOP about Mitt Romney. On the other hand, the statement from the man formerly known as the worst American President in modern times makes it very, very difficult for Team Obama to succeed in using the advice given by the only 'other' Democratic President in the last 40+ years to paint Romney as The Mostest Radicalist Scariest Right-Winger Since Barry Goldwater Nearly Nuked The Nation. I’d bet, under the circumstances, that Mitt Romney will be happier than Barack Obama with Jimmy Carter’s assessment of the general election in 2012, or at least less 'unhappy':
(New York Post) - Bruce Springsteen’s marathon, high energy gig at Madison Square Garden had a celebrity crowd rocking — except for New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who was caught dozing by fans.
Christie — an ardent Boss buff who’s said to have caught fellow New Jersey heavy-hitter Springsteen’s show more than 100 times — was seen snoozing by fellow fans in his MSG section.
“The governor was very active during the show,” said a spy. “Bruce started talking about ‘supporting food banks in New York and New Jersey,’ and ‘how people have been hit hard,’ and Christie was riveted. Then Bruce performed ‘Rocky Ground,’ and Christie visibly started fading.”
GREENSBORO, N.C. (By Joe Borlik, WGHP) — After years of investigation, denials and delays, jury selection was set to begin Thursday for the criminal trial of former presidential candidate John Edwards.
Edwards was expected inside a Greensboro, N.C., courtroom to face six criminal counts related to nearly $1 million in secret payments made by two campaign donors to help hide the married Democrat’s pregnant mistress as he sought the White House in 2008.
The money flowed to Andrew Young, a former campaign aide who initially claimed the baby was his. Young is expected to be a key witness for the prosecution. The mistress, Rielle Hunter, may testify as part of Edwards’ defense.
(FoxNews.com) - The Obama campaign was scrambling Thursday to distance itself from comments made by a top Democratic strategist who accused Ann Romney, wife of presumptive GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney, of having “never worked a day in her life.”
“Guess what, (Romney’s) wife has actually never worked a day in her life,” Hilary Rosen said Wednesday evening on CNN.
Romney immediately responded with a debut tweet, sparking a Twitter storm.
“I made a choice to stay home and raise five boys,” tweeted Romney, a 64-year-old mother of five and grandmother of 16. “Believe me, it was hard work.”
(By Meghann Evans, The Stokes News) - The Stokes County Board of Commissioners decided Tuesday that it will consider later this month a resolution in support of the proposed amendment to limit marriage to one man and one woman in the state constitution.
During the public comment session at the start of the board’s April 10 meeting, Walnut Cove resident Ramona Timm suggested the commissioners consider approving a resolution in support of the marriage amendment.
Voters will see the marriage amendment on the May 8 ballot. The amendment will ask people to vote for or against a “Constitutional amendment to provide that marriage between one man and one woman is the only domestic legal union that shall be valid or recognized in this State.”
