Obama Camp: $30K Ring for Michelle Is Bogus

DC's mood lightens as thousands crowd the Mall for inauguration

(NEWSER) - A tell-your-grandchildren moment is happening in DC right now, reports CNN. Barack and Michelle Obama went from church to the White House to meet George and Laura Bush; then they’re on to the Capitol. Hundreds of thousands are gathered, with up to 2 million expected. One local says Washington’s typical cynicism is evaporating: “People are walking lighter, standing taller, and are reaching out to one another.” More»

(NEWSER) - Barack Obama rolled into Washington tonight on the last stop of his historic whistlestop train journey, the Washington Post reports. Obama retraced the path of Abraham Lincoln and called for a "new declaration of independence" for the nation. To see photos of the trip—which Joe Biden joined in Wilmington, Del.—click on Slideshow. To read more about it, click on the links. More»

Next First Couple will be stretched thinner, by one gala, than Bushes in '05

(NEWSER) - The new First Couple will have plenty of opportunity to showcase their dance moves, the Washington Post reports, with 10 different inaugural balls scheduled for the night of Jan. 20—one more party than President Bush had in 2005. But the question on many minds is: What will Michelle wear, and will she give us (outfit) changes we can believe in? More»

President-elect told he can't move into official guest house early

(NEWSER) - Washington's hotels are booked solid for January and the Obamas have joined those struggling to find a place to stay, the New York Times reports. The president-elect and his wife had hoped to move into Blair House, the official White House guest house, in time for the girls to start their new school Jan. 5. But the Bush administration has told them it won't be available until January 15—just 5 days before the inauguration. More»

Comment at Obama fundraiser 'inexcusable,' says candidate

(NEWSER) - Watch out, Robert De Niro, you're on Newt Gingrich's bad side: Gingrich slammed the actor today after De Niro made a joke about first ladies last night at an Obama fundraiser. De Niro, speaking before Michelle Obama at the New York event, wondered, "Callista Gingrich. Karen Santorum. Ann Romney. Now do you really think our country is ready for a white first lady?" As the crowd cheered, he continued, "Too soon, right?" More»