Heard on the Hill: Obama Drops the N-Word
Roll Call Staff
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We all knew he was a smoker. But there’s another reason President Barack Obama’s mouth might need a good washing out.
From the department of why-didn’t-we-know-this-sooner: Obama himself narrates the audio version of his bestselling memoir, “Dreams From My Father,” including a passage in which he describes conversations with an old classmate named Ray, who is, like Obama, bi-racial. Ray, it seems, has a fondness for profanity, including prolific use of the f-bomb. And the n-word.
And so you have Obama (quoting Ray) using phrases like, “Ignorant motherf****ers,” “You ain’t my b****, n***a.”
Yes, folks, that’s our president uttering words we’re more used to hearing from foul-tongued comic Dave Chappelle.
L.A. comedian April Winchell has helpfully assembled audio files of all the best quotes on her Web site, aprilwinchell.com.
Go ahead, just try to resist playing them over and over.
Senator to the Stars. Sen. Barbara Boxer is known as a celebrity-friendly Member of Congress, with a campaign donor list that includes A-listers such as Barbra Streisand and Steven Spielberg.
And on Wednesday — which wound up being a huge day for famous folk hitting Capitol Hill — the California Democrat’s dance card was filled with visits from celebrity lobbyists.
Boxer or her staff met with actor Ted Danson (who also testified at the House Natural Resources Committee hearing on offshore drilling), actress Maria Bello (who is promoting awareness of violence against women in Darfur) and even “Hercules” actor Kevin Sorbo, who is seeking federal funding for his after-school program, “A World Fit for Kids!”
Danson called Boxer one of his favorite Members, praising her acting ability (the two appeared together on an episode of the TV show “Curb Your Enthusiasm”) and calling her an “old friend.”
In other star-watching developments, Sorbo chatted with HOH about his “Kids!” program, which offers exercise, mentoring and tutoring for at-risk students in Los Angeles. “It’s an hour of activity, and then boom, it’s hit the books,” Sorbo explained.
Aside from Boxer, Sorbo visited the offices of California Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D) and Golden State Reps. Xavier Becerra (D) and Lucille Roybal-Allard (D).
And Boxer wasn’t the only Member mixing with celebrities.
Singer Carole King joined Reps. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) and Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.) at a press conference introducing legislation that seeks to protect land in the Northern Rockies.
Actor (and possibly future New Mexico gubernatorial candidate) Val Kilmer also milled around Capitol Hill, at one point dropping into Rep. Ben Ray Luján’s office to chat with the New Mexico Democrat and his staff. The “Top Gun” star is scheduled to meet with New Mexico Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D) today, HOH hears.
Double Date With the Clintons. Actor Ted Danson wasn’t just in Washington to fight offshore drilling or to chat with Sen. Barbara Boxer (see previous item); he was here for a reunion. Danson and his wife, actress Mary Steenburgen, had a Tuesday night dinner with another famous power couple — the Clintons.
Danson and Steenburgen are longtime friends of the former first couple, but Danson told HOH they hadn’t hung out since the presidential campaign, when both actors campaigned for Hillary Rodham Clinton and then alongside her on behalf of President Barack Obama.
“It was lovely to see them,” Danson told HOH of the get-together.
By hobnobbing around Washington, Danson ran the risk of running into former “Cheers” cast mate Kelsey Grammer, who was in town for the reopening of Ford’s Theatre that evening. Danson says that despite their very different political stripes — Grammer is one of the most vocal Hollywood Republicans and Danson’s obviously a big Dem — they remain good friends, and the former “Frasier” star has been supportive of Danson’s clean-oceans work. “We were laughing and working hard for 10 years,” he said of their “Cheers” days. “Even if we do disagree on many things.”
Taylor: Preventing Another Underwear Bomber
March 19, 4:09 p.m.
The intelligence community faces challenges daily. No example is more emblematic of the problems faced than the so-called underwear bomber of 2009. As threats emerge, the hunt for “persons of interest” must occur in a more reliable and efficient manner because the consequences of inaction can be catastrophic. Read Full Article
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