Obama's Sexy Salsa Irks Michelle

(NEWSER) - When Barack Obama invited Stevie Wonder and 150 music lovers to the White House for a concert, it wasn’t just an excuse to hang out with a favorite musician. It was part of a carefully crafted political strategy to open up the White House, the New York Times reports. The Obamas have already hosted students, teachers, chefs, mayors, community leaders, and labor organizers at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. More»

Details of Jodi Kantor book continue behind-the-scenes look

(NEWSER) - Details from The Obamas, by New York Times reporter Jodi Kantor, continue to trickle out , and ABC News reports on revelations of a personal nature. According to Kantor, Michelle Obama felt "frightened and alone" during her first days in the White House. The first lady wanted to stay behind longer in Chicago with her two girls, and worried about living in a bubble and her daughters bumping into White House tourists during playdates. And the pressure was enormous. "She saw the responsibility, the impact, the potential of her role,” writes Kantor. And "everyone was waiting for a black woman to make a mistake,” an adviser told the author. More»

They may even grow hops in White House garden

(NEWSER) - The Obamas turned heads in the beer world when word broke that they’d served something called White House Honey Ale at their White House Super Bowl party. It turns out that ale was indeed brewed by White House chefs, using homebrewing equipment the Obamas bought out of their own pockets and honey from the White House beehive, the Obama Foodorama blog reports. And there’s more to come. More»

Epithet-hurling Baracka Flacka Flames gets down in the 'hood

(NEWSER) - An epithet-laced hip-hop parody of President Obama has triggered furious debate: Is the hit YouTube video an "antidote" for Obama's popularity troubles among youth or an "anti-valentine" from those voters whose support the president craves, asks the Christian Science Monitor. The slick "Head of the State" video is a spoof of "Hard in Da Paint" by Atlanta hip-hop artist Waka Flocka Flame, and it features "Baracka Flacka Flames" (aka James Davis) getting down and dirty in the 'hood—smoking pot, petting a pit bull, and denigrating everyone from Michelle to Oprah Winfrey. More»

Beatle is awarded Gershwin Prize at White House lovefest

(NEWSER) - Paul McCartney was honored last night with the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, and his evening at the White House was filled with reverent tributes, raucous performances, and a bit of humor. “After the last eight years, it's good to have a president that knows what a library is,” McCartney said after thanking the Library of Congress for the prize. More»