President Obama at the 2011 White House Correspondents’ Dinner
Archive | May 1, 2011
Quote of the Day
“Live life fully while you’re here. Experience everything. Take care of yourself and your friends. Have fun, be crazy, be weird. Go out and screw up! You’re going to anyway, so you might as well enjoy the process. Take the opportunity to learn from your mistakes: find the cause of your problem and eliminate it. Don’t try to be perfect; just be an excellent example of being human.”
– Anthony Robbins
Alabama Tornado
April 28, 2011
Deadly tornadoes and thunderstorms ripped through the South Wednesday, devastating dozens of cities and killing more than 290 people across five states.
The majority of the deaths have been reported in Alabama with 195 people killed, including 15 in the city of Tuscaloosa alone, where 200-mph winds swept homes off their foundations.
President Obama declared a state of emergency for the search-and-rescue response in Alabama late Wednesday and said federal officials had their eye on the storms and would offer help as needed.
Find out below how to help and donate to the April 2011 tornado relief effort.
Donate to Tornado Relief Effort
American Red Cross: The Red Cross is providing relief to people across the hardest-hit states, providing shelter, and relief to survivors.
To make a donation to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief, visit its online donation page.
You can also call 1-800-RED-CROSS or text “REDCROSS” to 90999 to make a $10 donation.
Gary Cosby Jr./The Decatur Daily/AP Photo
Amy Ledford stands by the remains of her house, April 27, 2011, near Athens, Ala.
Tuscaloosa Tornado Caught on Tape Watch Video
85 Million Americans in Path of Latest Storms Watch Video
Tornado Forms in Alabama Watch Video
The Salvation Army: The Salvation Army Emergency Disaster Services is responding to the deadly tornado activity throughout the South, mobilizing feeding units and providing support to the victims.
To donate to the Salvation Army’s tornado disaster response, visit www.salvationarmyusa.org, click on their donation page and designate “April 2011 Tornado Outbreak.”
You can call 1-800-SAL-ARMY and donors can text “GIVE” to 80888 to make a $10 donation. Checks can be made out to the Salvation Army Disaster Relief, P.O. Box 100339, Atlanta, Ga., 30384-0339.
Feeding America: Feeding America helps food banks provide food to communities affected by the recent tornadoes.
To make a donation to Feeding America, visit its online donation page.
Alabama
Governor’s Emergency Relief Fund: The Fund, part of the Alabama Governor’s Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, provides additional recovery assistance to Alabama residents who have exhausted all other coverage provided by relief organizations, government programs and insurance. To donate, visit the online donation page.
Obama, Seth Meyers Roast Donald Trump at Correspondents’ Dinner – ABC News
Obama, Seth Meyers Roast Donald Trump at Correspondents’ Dinner – ABC News.
By RYAN CREED
May 1, 2011
President Barack Obama turned the tables on Donald Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Association annual dinner Saturday, lampooning the real estate mogul and reality TV star’s would-be presidential bid.
“I know that he’s taken some flak lately, but nobody is prouder to put this birth certificate matter to rest than The Donald,” said the president, who Trump has been hounding for weeks with questions about his birth certificate and college education. “And that’s because he can finally get back to focusing on the issues that matter, like: did we fake the moon landing? What really happened in Roswell? And where are Biggie and Tupac?”
Trump sat smirking among the laughing and sometimes uncomfortable audience.
Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP Photo
President Barack Obama points to the video screen as he starts his speech at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner in Washington, Saturday, April 30, 2011.
Seth Myers Kills at White House Watch Video
White House Correspondents Dinner Highlights Watch Video
All kidding aside, we all know about your credentials and experience,” the president said, winding up his next barb. “In an episode of ‘Celebrity Apprentice’ … the men’s cooking team did not impress the judges from Omaha Steaks. You, Mr. Trump, recognized that the real problem was a lack of leadership. So ultimately, you didn’t blame Lil Jon or Meatloaf, you fired Gary Busey.
“These are the kinds of decisions that would keep me up at night. Well handled, sir. Well handled,” Obama said.
This week Obama released his long-form birth certificate from Hawaii to address all doubts that he is an American-born citizen, but at the Correspondents’ Dinner the president made sure he put all lingering questions to rest.
“Tonight for the first time I am releasing my official birth video,” the president said, before showing the crowd clips of the “The Lion King,” an animated feature that takes place in Africa. In the lower right-hand corner of the footage was the president’s birthday as an apparent time-stamp.
Before introducing the president, Seth Meyers, the head writer for “Saturday Night Live,” served as the evening’s featured entertainer and took his turn mocking Trump.
“Donald Trump has been saying he will run for president as a Republican, which is surprising because I just assumed that he was running as a joke,” he said.
“Donald Trump often appears on Fox, which is ironic because a fox often appears on Donald Trump’s head,” he said to the crowd’s nervous laughs.
The White House Correspondents’ Association was formed in 1914 to serve as a liaison between the press and the president, and the dinner is often attended by celebrities and politicians alike — former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, actress Scarlett Johansson and musician Will.i.am were in attendance.
This year the association gave out more than $100,000 in scholarships for journalism students and honored ABC News’ Jake Tapper, The Washington Post’s Dan Balz, The New York Times’ Peter Backer and The Seattle Times’ Michael Berens.
Bits and Pieces of My World 