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For a couple years in the early stretch of the Obama administration, Kal Penn quit acting for politics. It wasnt exactly a smooth transition. During an appearance on the podcast The New Abnormal, the actor whos promoting his new book You Cant Be Serious (and still awaiting Cardi B to officiate his wedding) opened up about how he managed to embarrass himself in front of both the former president and the former First Lady.

First there was Barack. Penn had been invited by his House co-star Olivia Wilde to an event for the him in 2007. He wanted to impress the then-presidential candidate, so he asked him about his thoughts on biofuels, paraphrasing an article hed recently read on how using corn could drive up food prices in developing nations.

He gave me that smirk and he goes, oh yeah, I read that article in Foreign Affairs too, Penn recalled. If you had read my website carefully you wouldve seen that Im proposing investing in corn-based ethanol as a bridge to cellulosic ethanol so that we can make fuel from things like our grass clippings and the leaves that we rake in our front yards. And he gives me another smirk and walks off and Olivia is loving every f*cking minute of this. Shes like, you just got schooled by Barack Obama.

Penn left the event so impressed with Obama that he joined his campaign and, late, his administration, ditching acting for about a year to become the associate director of the White House Office of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs. But before he landed that gig, he tried to get another D.C. jobby applying through change.gov like everyone else. He never heard back, of course.

At another Obama event, he wound up speaking with Michelle Obama, and he decided to tell her about his blunder.

I told her I put my rsum on change.gov like the email said and she looked at me like I was the biggest idiot in the whole world and I realized probably how ridiculous it sounded, Penn remembered. She was so weirded out by this she called the president-elect over and then looks at me and says, Tell him what you just told me.

I said, Well, sir, you know, I did apply for a job at the White House in case there was anything that I would be qualified doing. And he looks at me and says, Who did you apply with? And then I was like oh God, this again. I said I applied on change.gov. And unlike his wife he smirked at me and it was the same idea though, the smirk was like, God, you idiot and he said something like, Why didnt you reach out to anybody?

The next day he got a call offering him the gig that would briefly take him away from Hollywood. But the experience of humiliating himself in front of both Barack and Michelle taught him a lesson: My biggest takeaway from that experience was Im a gigantic idiot.

(Via The Daily Beast)

Originally posted here:
Kal Penn Once Embarrassed Himself In Front Of The Obamas - UPROXX

Former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder

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Former President Donald Trump "probably" will be indicted on criminal charges along with officials in his White House as part of a Justice Department investigation of efforts to reverse the 2020 election results nationally, ex-Attorney General Eric Holder said in an interview Thursday.

But Holder suggested that before that happens, Trump is more likely to first face possible criminal charges from the Georgia state prosecutor who is investigating attempts by Trump and his allies to undo President Joe Biden's win there in 2020.

Holder, who led the Justice Department during the Obama administration, made those predictions during an interview with the SiriusXM Urban View satellite radio show Joe Madison The Black Eagle.

Madison asked Holder whether he would seek to indict Trump if he still were attorney general.

Holder demurred, saying he did not have access to all the material that the Justice Department currently has regarding Trump.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump looks on during the pro-am prior to the LIV Golf Invitational - Bedminster at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster on July 28, 2022 in Bedminster, New Jersey.

Cliff Hawkins | Getty Images

But he told Madison that, based on his experience as a federal prosecutor who filed public corruption cases against elected officials, as "more evidence is elicited, you will see people start to cut deals."

"My guess is that by the end of this process, you're going to see indictments involving high-level people in the White House, you're going to see indictments against people outside the White House who were advising them with regard to the attempt to steal the election," said Holder.

"And I think ultimately you're probably going to see the president, former president of the United States indicted as well," he said.

The Justice Department reportedly is presenting evidence and testimony before two federal grand juries in Washington, D.C., one of which is eyeing a plan by Trump's lawyers and others to have so-called fake electors claim that the then-Republican incumbent won the election in their individual states.

Read more of CNBC's politics coverage:

The other grand jury is investigating events leading up to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot, when a mob of Trump supporters interrupted for hours the confirmation of Biden's Electoral College win by Congress.

Pat Cipollone, who served as Trump's White House counsel, has been subpoenaed to appear before one of those grand juries, multiple news outlets reported Wednesday.

For weeks after the November 2020 popular election, Trump falsely claimed that he defeated Biden and argued his Democratic opponent's Electoral College victory was based on widespread ballot fraud in several swing states.

The former president since leaving the White House has continued to dispute the 2020 election results and has said that the investigations into his conduct and that of his allies are politically motivated witch hunts.

Holder in his interview said the pace of the Justice Department investigation into election meddling is likely to proceed in the same way that a character in the Ernest Hemingway novel "The Sun Also Rises" answered when another character asked how he went bankrupt: "Gradually, then suddenly."

"I expect you're going to see the pace of this investigation or these investigations pick up," Holder told Madison.

But Holder also said that he expected the Justice Department to "go dark" and not take public action in the case until after this fall's midterm elections.

The department in a long-standing practice in the months leading up to elections does not tend to file criminal charges or issue statements that might influence the outcome of elections.

"You watch the Justice Department in 2023," Holder said.

"But I think before that, I expect something coming of that prosecutor in Atlanta," he added.

That Georgia prosecutor, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, is presenting evidence and testimony to a special grand jury empaneled to investigate possible criminal meddling in her state's election by Trump and his surrogates.

That grand jury has issued subpoenas to a number of fake Trump electors, as well to the former president's lawyers and to U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.

"I think in terms of time, that is the more advanced" investigation, Holder said Thursday.

"The case is in some ways less complicated," he said, noting that Trump is known to have phoned Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, the state's top election official, on Jan. 2, 2021, and pressured Raffensperger to help find enough votes to overcome Biden's margin of victory there.

"You have the former president on tape saying, 'Find me 11,780 votes,'" Holder said.

"Now people argue: 'What was his intent?'" Holder said, referring to questions about whether Trump had criminal intent in asking such a question.

"Really?" Holder said sarcastically. "Put that before a jury ... Regular people, looking at the evidence, I think, will get to what I think is an appropriate conclusion."

"So my eyes are on Fulton County first. Look at the Justice Department in 2023," Holder said.

Link:
Trump likely to be criminally charged in DOJ election probe along with other former White House officials, Obama AG Holder says - CNBC

More than just being a game, the National football league happens to be an emotionally connected sport for the fans. Sometimes they act crazy to vent their anguish for the teams loss and are often seen crossing their limits. One such incident happened in 2012 when the angry cowboys fans filed a petition to the then-American President Barack Obama to oust Jerry Jones from the executive post following their Thanksgiving loss to the Washington Redskins. This special request was launched for the first time in history when fans appealed directly to the president.

Regardless, the petition cant be held seriously because the Cowboys owner didnt violate any regulations or fudged the taxation rules in the country. According to the Dallas Morning News, per the NFL.com, a resident of Ft. Benning, Ga, has filed a complaint through the White House website to oust Jones from his position.

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It was filed under the Human rights category, making it even more fun. It seems the agenda of this fan was to receive national recognition in the name of the American president.

We, the Citizens of the Great State of Texas, and Dallas Cowboys fans worldwide have been oppressed by an over-controlling, delusional, oppressive dictator for way too long. the fan wrote. Request the Executive Branchs immediate assistance in removal of owner and GM, Jerry Jones. His incompetence and ego have not only been an extreme disappointment for way too long. But moreover, it has caused extreme mental and emotional duress, he added in his petition.

Per the reports, around 412 citizens have signed the complaint asking Obama to consider the issue seriously. Well, it can be considered a note written out of frustration, but the legacy that Jerry Jones left behind is impeccable.

The Los Angeles-born businessman has always been a risk taker in his life. He dared to take his chances in 1989 by investing in a money-losing team and brought fortunes to the franchise. He invested a whopping amount of $140 million and secured the ownership of the team.

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DIVE DEEPER

Jerry Jones Was $50,000 Away From Owning This Historically Undermined FranchiseInstead of Americas Team, The Dallas Cowboys

24 days ago

Rather than pouring money into building the team or hiring star players, he focussed on building the business. He invested billions of dollars in developing the financial ventures of North Texas and attracted other investors across the country to invest in the city. Slowly and steadily, the city of Dallas started evolving on the world map.

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Finally, when the city has completely developed, the brand of Cowboys started growing, and today the franchise is one of the richest clubs in the world. All credit goes to Jerry Jones and his master plan to rebrand the team in the National Football League.

Watch This Story Tom Brady Spills His Secret to Stay Healthy; Shares 6 Simple Steps

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A Petition Was Once Filed Asking President Barack Obama to Free the Dallas Cowboys From the Oppressive Dictatorship of Jerry Jones - EssentiallySports

Former President Barack Obama.PHILIP DAVALI/Ritzau Scanpix/AFP via Getty Images

Republican Rep. Ronny Jackson of Texas revealed an email former President Obama sent him in 2020.

Jackson served as the White House physician for both Obama and Trump.

He mentions Obama's letter in a forthcoming book, Fox News reported Wednesday.

Former President Barack Obama admonished his former White House physician-turned-MAGA-politician in a previously unseen letter.

Rep. Ronny Jackson, a Texas Republican, revealed an email Obama sent him during the 2020 campaign in his new book, Fox News reported Wednesday. Jackson served as the White House physician for both Obama and former President Donald Trump.

Jackson told Fox News he got the stern note from Obama about 20 minutes after tweeting an attack on Biden's cognitive health, suggesting the president should be given the screener for dementia that Jackson gave Trump.

"Remember the cognitive test that I gave @realDonaldTrump?" Jackson tweeted. "The one he aced! Sounds like somebody else might need some testing done!! Scary!!"

Obama was not pleased.

"I have made a point of not commenting on your service in my successor's administration and have always spoken highly of you both in public and in private. You always served me and my family well, and I have considered you not only a fine doctor and service member but also a friend," Obama wrote in the email to Jackson, according to Fox's report.

"That's why I have to express my disappointment at the cheap shot you took at Joe Biden via Twitter," Obama continued. "It was unprofessional and beneath the office that you once held. It was also disrespectful to me and the many friends you had in our administration. You were the personal physician to the President of the United States as well as an admiral in the U.S. Navy. I expect better, and I hope upon reflection that you will expect more of yourself in the future."

The Obama foundation did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

Trump popularized the test Jackson was referring to with his "person, woman, man, camera, TV" quote in an interview with Fox News.

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Jackson also gave Trump his annual physical while in office and praised the president's health, despite his weight being just a single pound below the threshold for obesity.

"The answer to your question is that he has incredibly good genes, and it's just the way God made him," Jackson told reporters when attesting to Trump's health in 2018.

Trump tapped Jackson to run the Department of Veterans Affairs that same year, but the doctor withdrew his nomination after CNN reported about his "grab and go" approach to handing out prescription pills among White House staff in the Obama administration, particularly on long trips.

Jackson was also accused of abusing White House colleagues and at times being intoxicated while at work, including at one point crashing a government vehicle while under the influence. A report by the Pentagon's inspector general last year included these allegations and others. Jackson has denied the allegations.

Jackson's book, "Holding the Line," is set for a July 26 release.

Read the original article on Business Insider

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Obama scolded former White House physician Ronny Jackson for 'cheap ...

Former President Barack Obama recently gave a speech in which he attacked the critics of identity politics.

At the June Copenhagen Democracy Summit Obama said: I have little sympathy for reactionaries who cynically condemn identity politics or cancel culture when really all theyre doing is trying to preserve existing privilege or excuse entrenched injustice, or bigotry. I mean, the original identity politics is racism and sexism and homophobia. Thats nothing if not identity politics, and its done a lot more harm than some tweet from an aggrieved liberal.

Reactionaries?

Yes, that would be the same Obama who burst on the national scene by giving a rafter-ringing keynote speech at the Boston 2004 DNC convention where he denounced identity politics. Then-Illinois state Sen. Obama said: There are those who are preparing to divide us, the spin masters and negative ad peddlers who embrace the politics of anything goes. Well, I say to them tonight, theres not a liberal America and a conservative America theres the United States of America. Theres not a black America and white America and Latino America and Asian America; theres the United States of America. The pundits like to slice-and-dice our country into red states and blue states; red states for Republicans, blue states for Democrats. But Ive got news for them, too. We are one people, all of us pledging allegiance to the stars and stripes, all of us defending the United States of America.

Days before he announced his race to become a Democratic nominee for president in 2008, Obama gave his first 60 Minutes interview:

60 Minutes correspondent Steve Kroft: You think the countrys ready for a black president?

Obama: Yes.

Kroft: You dont think its going to hold you back?

Obama: No. I think if I dont win this race, it will be because of other factors. Its going to be because I have not shown to the American people a vision for where the country needs to go that they can embrace.

At a 2007 speech at Brown Chapel AME church, presidential candidate Obama talked about the black struggle, how much had been achieved and what remained: The previous generation, the Moses generation, pointed the way. They took us 90% of the way there. But we still got that 10% in order to cross over to the other side.

This is the Obama the American people assumed they had hired in November 2008. Hopeful, positive, a liberal Democrat, to be sure, but a black man who could serve, at the very least, as a racial reconciler, keenly aware of how far America has come. When he entered the Oval Office the third week of January 2009, his approval rating approached 70%. A January 2009 ABC News poll found that 58% thought race relations would improve under Obama.

But by October 2016, one month before the presidential election, a CNN/ORC poll found 54% thought race relations worsened under Obama, including 40% of blacks and 57% of whites.

Obama, as president, peddled with little evidence an ever-growing list of race grievances. The list included the Cambridge police acted stupidly; racism is still part of our DNA thats passed on; if I had a son, hed look like Trayvon (Martin); holding up Ferguson as a microcosm of racial strife in America; inviting race-hustling incendiary the Rev. Al Sharpton to the White House over 70 times; and embracing the Black Lives Matter movement, an activist organization based on the false narrative of police systemic racism against blacks.

Obama rarely missed an opportunity to be the conciliator Americans thought him to be. He knows that racism has never been a less significant factor as an obstacle to American success. His very election and re-election stand as a testament to that truth.

Obama won the presidency based on a lie. He entered the presidency as an articulate, even-tempered racial unifier and left as an articulate, even-tempered racial incendiary. Today, he plays the race card from his $12 million bunker in Marthas Vineyard.

Larry Elder is a best-selling author and nationally syndicated radio talk-show host. To find out more about Larry Elder, or become an Elderado, visit LarryElder.com. Follow Larry on Twitter @larryelder.

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Barack Obama plays the race card from his $12 million estate