Tori Amos, the amazing singer with a penchant for openly speaking her mind on a vast number of subjects, is considering throwing her hat into the political arena and may run for the US Presidency in 2012 … IF former Alaska governor Sarah Palin tries to run for Vice President again. In a new interview with the Daily Express, Amos explains that if an unqualified person like Palin believes she can run for major political office then she should have no problem running herself as well:

American singer TORI AMOS has vowed to run for office if former U.S. Vice President candidate SARAH PALIN ever tries to get elected again. Republican Palin’s role in the 2008 White House race divided America, with many questioning her credentials – and the Spark hitmaker insists she’ll run alongside the Alaskan if she ever eyes the vice presidential candidacy again. She says, “If Palin runs again, I’m going to run on a Republican ticket. What I know about Middle Eastern policy could fit on a thumbnail, but I still know more than she does. You have to ask, how could a nation nearly vote in somebody who isn’t qualified for the job?” But Amos feels more positive about the future of her country now U.S. President Barack Obama is in power: “I’m a lot more hopeful. The (George W.) Bush years were really difficult times if you were an American who loved your country. Having someone now that so many people respect doesn’t mean there aren’t going to be problems, but so many problems have been left behind.”

Altho this quote from Tori is a bit confusing, I believe the point she is trying to get across is that altho she herself is NOT qualified to run for office she cheekily believes she is more qualified than Palin is. And if the Republican party decides to put Palin on the ticket again, then she should have no problem running on the very same ticket. I’m fairly certain that Tori Amos is aligning herself with the Republican Party in this way to make a point of Palin’s lack of qualifications (and not because she actually believes in the Republican Party platform). In any event, the point is taken … and, to be honest, I can’t say I’d mind Tori Amos running for political office here in the US. The mind boggles at what sort of accomplishments Amos would make if she were in office. If Tori were serious about this claim, then I think I would actually support Palin’s bid for office again.

Okay, yeah, not really but it’s fun to dream.

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In early October we learned that US President Barack Obama was awarded the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize and today in Oslo, Norway President Obama was on hand to formally accept his award. In a speech that lasted twice as long as his inauguration speech, Obama spoke of the irony of accepting a peace prize during a time of war but expressed his belief that the collective forces of good will overcome and emerge victorious over the forces of evil in the world. Here are a few photos of President Obama at his Nobel Prize ceremony today:

President Obama, accepting the Nobel Peace Prize [in Oslo] on Thursday, acknowledged the age-old tensions between war and peace but argued that his recent decision to escalate the conflict in Afghanistan was justified to protect the world from terrorism and extremism. “We must begin by acknowledging the hard truth,” Mr. Obama said. “We will not eradicate violent conflict in our lifetimes. There will be times when nations — acting individually or in concert — will find the use of force not only necessary but morally justified.” In a ceremony at Oslo City Hall, Mr. Obama was formally welcomed into the ranks of Nobel laureates who have won the prize, which was established 108 years ago. He said he accepted the award with “deep gratitude and great humility,” conceding it could be seen as premature. “I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the considerable controversy that your generous decision has generated. In part, this is because I am at the beginning, and not the end, of my labors on the world stage,” Mr. Obama said. “Compared to some of the giants of history who have received this prize — Schweitzer and King, Marshall and Mandela — my accomplishments are slight.” He added, “But perhaps the most profound issue surrounding my receipt of this prize is the fact that I am the commander in chief of a nation in the midst of two wars. One of these wars is winding down.” Trumpets sounded when Mr. Obama walked down the long aisle of the soaring ceremonial room, where an audience of 1,000 people waited. The president walked alongside his wife, Michelle Obama, who took her seat in the front row, while he assumed his position on the stage not far from the king and queen of Norway. It was a sober 36-minute speech by Mr. Obama. His remarks were only occasionally interrupted by applause, including when he said the United States “must remain a standard bearer in the conduct of war.” He renewed his pledge to close the prison at the American base at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. “We lose ourselves when we compromise the very ideals that we fight to defend,” Mr. Obama said. “And we honor those ideals by upholding them not when it is easy, but when it is hard.” The president conceded that there was “a deep ambivalence about military action today,” which he said was rooted in “a reflexive suspicion of America, the world’s sole military superpower.” But he offered a forceful defense of the United States, saying that the lessons of history should ease those suspicions. “Whatever mistakes we have made, the plain fact is this,” Mr. Obama said. “The United States of America has helped underwrite global security for more than six decades with the blood of our citizens and the strength of our arms.” The Nobel chairman, Thorbjorn Jagland, opened the ceremony by explaining how the committee came to its decision two months ago. He said Mr. Obama’s leadership had been a “call to action for all of us.” As he invoked the story of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the winner of the prize in 1964, he turned to Mr. Obama, saying, “Dr. King’s dream has come true.” Mr. Obama pursed his lips and nodded gently as the audience applauded loudly. When he was presented his gold medal, he stood for well over a minute as he was honored by a standing ovation. His speech, which he was still writing and editing during his seven-hour flight here, called for the world to embrace a bolder vision of itself. “Let us reach for the world that ought to be,” Mr. Obama said, “that spark of the divine that still stirs within each of our souls” … He added: “I do not bring with me today a definitive solution to the problems of war. What I do know is that meeting these challenges will require the same vision, hard work and persistence of those men and women who acted so boldly decades ago. And it will require us to think in new ways about the notions of just war and the imperatives of a just peace” … “I have no doubt that there are others who may be more deserving,” Mr. Obama said. “My task here is to continue on the path that I believe is not only important for America, but important for lasting peace and security in the world.” … Kjell Terje Ringdal, a commentator and communications adviser to Norwegian political leaders, said Mr. Obama’s speech broadened the discourse that normally attends the ceremony and undercut criticism that he was not a worthy winner. “I think he did the Nobel prize a favor,” said Mr. Ringdal. “I think the debate will continue about whether this year’s award was premature and so on, but I also think he stopped the negative feeling that there has been a devaluation of the award.”

Whatever one may think of the merits of bestowing this honor on President Obama at this early stage of his presidency, there is no doubt that his commitment to ensuring the peace of the world is true. It is very clear that he is very aware of the hard road ahead that leads to peace but I am very heartened by his resolve to work towards making the world a better, safer place and it is my hope that this Nobel Prize medal will be a constant reminder of the hard work it represents. The naysayers will never be silenced and the sharp criticism thrown his way will never end … but Barack Obama did not become President of the United States of America by succumbing to his detractors. I believe he is very capable of achieving great things. He’s won his award and now I hope he will truly earn it.

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Happy news for the Clinton family today … word is finally out that Chelsea Clinton, the only begotten child of President Bill Clinton and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, has announced her engagement to long time boyfriend Marc Mezvinsky. The couple, who have been together for AGES now (like 10 years or something crazy like that), made news of their engagement public via mass email to family and friends over Thanksgiving. Here is the full text of the couple’s email engagement announcement:

“We’re sorry for the mass email but we wanted to wish everyone a belated Happy Thanksgiving! We also wanted to share that we are engaged! We didn’t get married this past summer despite the stories to the contrary, but we are looking toward next summer and hope you all will be there to celebrate with us. Happy Holidays! Chelsea & Marc.”

As you may or may not know, Chelsea works at a Manhattan hedge fund and Marc is a banker, both are alumni of Stanford University and neither show any interest in holding political office (at least, not yet anyways). On paper they sound like the perfect couple but the fact that they have been together for so long leads me to believe that they truly are perfect for one another. Let’s send our warmest wishes and heartiest congratulations to the happy couple!!

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President Barack Obama did his duty as our nation’s leader today and bestowed a presidential pardon for a very lucky turkey in order to spare him from the fate of many of his turkey cohorts this Thanksgiving season. In a ceremony at the White House earlier today (which was also attended by first daughters Malia and Natasha Obama), a turkey named Courage was chosen from all of the turkeys in the country for this special pardon and will NOT be made into Thanksgiving dinner. Instead, Courage will be flown FIRST CLASS to Disneyland here in SoCal to be marched down Main Street in a lavish parade tomorrow in his honor and will live out the rest of his days in Frontier Town at Disney. Here are a few photos from the fun event along with some deets about what went down:

After 10 months in office, President Barack Obama granted his first pardon Wednesday to “Courage,” a 45-pound turkey spared from the Thanksgiving table. Accompanied by daughters Sasha and Malia, Obama stood under the North Portico of the White House to honor a holiday tradition that dates to 1947 — receiving a bird from the National Turkey Federation. “I’m told Presidents Eisenhower and Johnson actually ate their turkeys,” Obama said. “You can’t fault them for that; that’s a good-looking bird.” President George H.W. Bush was the first to officially pardon a turkey. Obama joked about wanting to forgo the tradition and eat “Courage.” “Thanks to the interventions of Malia and Sasha — because I was planning to eat this sucker — ‘Courage’ will also be spared this terrible and delicious fate,” he said. Obama said he wished all American service members at home and abroad a happy Thanksgiving, saying it is a “tremendous honor it is to serve as commander in chief of the finest military in the world.” He also spoke about the first family’s plans for the holiday dinner. “Just like millions of other families across America, we’ll take time to give our thanks for many blessings,” Obama said. “We’ll also remember this is a time when so many members of our American family are hurting.” Obama noted that President Abraham Lincoln made Thanksgiving a holiday in the midst of the Civil War, “when the future of our very union was most in doubt.” “This is an era of new perils and new hardships,” he added. “So on this quintessentially American holiday, as we give thanks for what we’ve got, let’s also give back to those who are less fortunate.” After his remarks, the turkey was lifted to a table and Obama raised his hand over its head to deliver a mock-serious pardon. “You are hereby pardoned,” he said. Obama said “Courage” will get to spend the rest of his life in “peace and tranquility” at Disneyland.

As much as I love this tradition and am very happy that Courage will live out the rest of his “peaceful and tranquil” days at Disneyland, I have to admit that all I kept thinking during this ceremony was how much I want to eat turkey right now (it looks like Sasha was thinkin’ the same thing). I have been invited by some very dear friends to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner with them tomorrow afternoon so I am really looking forward to that. As for Courage, well, I think we can all send him our best wishes this Thanksgiving … unlike many of his compatriots, it looks like his best days lie ahead of him :)

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Last week we learned that Sesame Street, the educational children’s program that has been broadcast on PBS for the last few decades, is celebrating its 40th anniversary and today we learn that First Lady Michelle Obama will be included in the celebration. Sesame Street officially turns 40 years old tomorrow and will feature a slew of celeb guests on this year’s anniversary show, including our First Lady:

Oscar the Grouch had better behave – and keep his political opinions to himself. On Tuesday, to mark the 40th anniversary of the groundbreaking children’s program Sesame Street, some very special guests pay a visit, including First Lady Michelle Obama. According to previews circulating the Net, she meets Big Bird – who observes that the two of them are tall. Mrs. Obama also delivers a message that may not entirely sit well with Cookie Monster. Appearing with three kids and the show’s fuzzy, red resident Elmo, she encourages them to plant seeds in the ground, water them and then expect them to sprout tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce and carrots. Also dropping by the ‘hood on Tuesday’s anniversary episode: Cameron Diaz, who introduces the word of the day, “habitat.” Elmo helps the actress with the term – and visits a frog habitat – abetted by his goldfish, Daisy. Now if only the first lady and Diaz could give Gonzo advice on his love life …

Some of you may recall that I mentioned that First Lady Obama paid a visit to Sesame Street to film a little PSA with the Sesame gang to teach kids the importance of good eating habits … this time, she will appear on an actual episode. I know many of y’all mentioned how watching clips of old Sesame Street vignettes brought back a bunch of memories when I posted them last week … I think it might be worth DVRing tomorrow’s 40th anniversary ep. It’s carzy to think that the show is turning 40 years old … and is still as young as ever.

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The White House is releasing today the first official photo of the First Family which was shot last month by famed celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz (who has been struggling with HUGE debt problems lately). Here is our first look at the official White House photo of the First Family — President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama and their daughters Malia Ann and Natasha (Sasha) Obama:

The Obamas have released a new official first family portrait this morning. As you can see at left, Barack and Michelle Obama are seated in the Green Room of the White House, along with their daughters Sasha, age 8, and Malia, age 11. The portrait was taken last month by famed photographer Annie Leibowitz, who has taken a number of Obama family portraits in the past.

Such a beautiful family, such a beautiful portrait. If you would like to have a high-res copy of this photo suitable for framing or what have you, you can download the file HERE at the official White House Flickr photostream. Great photo!!

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Congratulations goes out to President Barack Obama who has just been named the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize recipient at an announcement ceremony in Oslo, Norway by the Norwegian Nobel Committee Head Thorbjoern Jagland. Cited for his “extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy, cooperation between peoples and vision for a world without nuclear weapons” in just the first few months of his presidency, President Obama becomes only the 3rd sitting president to win the Nobel Peace Prize (after Presidents Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson). Obama becomes the 4th president to win the Nobel Peace Prize overall (President Jimmy Carter won his award after he left office). Here are photos of Jagland making the award announcement in Oslo earlier today and President Obama making his acceptance comments at the White House just moments ago:

US President Barack Obama sensationally won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday just nine months into his term, prompting world leaders to urge him to use the accolade to step up efforts for global peace. The jury hailed Obama’s “extraordinary” efforts in international diplomacy and to hasten nuclear disarmament, but criticism surged quickly over how the award could be given so soon. The US leader, 48, said he was “humbled” by the distinction. “Only very rarely has a person to the same extent as Obama captured the world’s attention and given its people hope for a better future,” the Nobel jury said in making the stunning announcement. A gasp went through the Nobel Institute in Oslo as Obama’s name was read out. The committee attached “special importance to Obama’s vision and work for a world without nuclear weapons” and said he had created “a new climate in international politics.” Obama took office on January 20 and has sought to restore US standing after widespread criticism over the war in Iraq and the world superpower’s attitude to efforts to control global warming. The first black American president has brought the Israeli and Palestinian leaders together for a meeting, approved new diplomatic engagement with Iran, Myanmar and North Korea and signalled a new willingness to attack growing environmental problems. Obama went to Cairo to make a major speech on relations with the Muslim world, badly tarnished by President George W. Bush’s order to invade Iraq. At the United Nations, he has launched an initiative to reduce the number of nuclear weapons. The US president was awoken at 6:00 am at the White House by his spokesman to be told of the award. An administration official quoted Obama as saying he felt “humbled”. Obama was honored “for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples,” the head of the Norwegian Nobel Committee Thorbjoern Jagland said, adding that it was “a unanimous decision.” The jury said: “Dialogue and negotiations are preferred as instruments for resolving even the most difficult international conflicts. The vision of a world free from nuclear arms has powerfully stimulated disarmament and arms control negotiations,” it said. “Thanks to Obama’s initiative, the US is now playing a more constructive role in meeting the great climatic changes the world is confronting.” The committee said it was seeking to encourage Obama’s ideals rather than recognise concrete results. Speaking to AFP, Jagland said: “It was unavoidable to give the prize to the man who has improved the international climate and emphasised negotiations and dialogue. Before he took office the situation was so dangerous. Step by step he has given the message to the world that he wants to negotiate on all conflicts, strengthen the United Nations and work for a world without any nuclear arms.” German Chancellor Angela Merkel welcomed the award, calling it an “incentive to the president and to us all” to do more for peace.

This is quite an achievement and much congratulations goes out to our President today. Obama seems to instill a vision of hope that resonates beyond our US borders and was clearly recognized by the jury of the Nobel Prize. I fully expect this honor to inspire President Obama to do even more to work towards “strengthening international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples” not only for the duration of his time in office as president but for the rest of his life. Much, much congrats President Obama!!

UPDATE: President Obama has announced that he will donate the $1.4 million in prize money to charity. That’s classy, y’all!

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