Jesse Tyler Ferguson's White House Lunch

The "Modern Family" actor tweets about his lunch with Social Secretary Jeremy Bernard...
Social Secretary Jeremy Bernard had a special luncheon guest at the White House on Monday: Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Emmy award-winning star of the hit ABC sitcom "Modern Family." Ferguson tweeted the news with the picture, above.

"Lunch at the White House with the fantastic Jeremy Bernard!" Ferguson wrote. "I tried to steal this," he added about the plate.

The inscription on the plate reads "The White House Mess," which is the very nice staffers' cafeteria on the White House campus.  Looks like Ferguson was enjoying polenta and gravy with his asparagus.

Ferguson emcee'd a campaign event for President Obama at the House of Blues in West Hollywood on Sept 26. He was in Washington this weekend to attend the Human Rights Campaign Annual National Dinner as the President gave the keynote address.

Ferguson brought his partner, Justin Mikita, to his lunch with Bernard. Mikita describes himself as a "Lawyer, entrepreneur, and...Nacho Cheese Connoisseur" in his Twitter bio, and he also tweeted about the lunch.

"On way to lunch @whitehouse with @jessetyler. Excited doesn't even cover it" Mikita tweeted with a link to the photo, above. Ferguson is at left.

*Top photo by @JesseTyler; second by @JustinMikita

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USDA Awards Big "Beginning Farmer" Grant To Stone Barns Center For Food & Agriculture

New York farm had visit from First Lady in 2010; Board Member Dan Barber is on President's Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition...
Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture is one of 36 organizations awarded grants from USDA's Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program for FY 2011. The 80-acre non-profit farm, educational center, and restaurant in Pocantico Hills, New York, garnered global headlines in September of 2010 when First Lady Michelle Obama selected it for a very special luncheon for the spouses of world leaders attending the 65th UN General Assembly. The White House chefs joined Executive Chef Dan Barber at his on-site Blue Hill restaurant to cook the meal. Barber is a longtime leader in the sustainable farming movement, and a Stone Barns board member. He is also the only chef who is a council member of the President's Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition. Stone Barns received a grant of $735,130. (Above: Barber, left, and Mrs. Obama lead a walking tour of Stone Barns during the luncheon)`

"I fell in love with Dan," Mrs. Obama said of Barber during her remarks at the luncheon. "He’s one of the major players in our efforts to encourage healthier living around the country."

The grant, awarded to Stone Barns Restoration Corporation, will help provide workshops, conferences, apprenticeships, online resources and mentoring services for more than 1,200 beginning farmers by 2014. Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan (r) announced the grants on Friday, which are worth a total of $18 million and went to 36 projects across the US and in US territories. The grants will help people who want to go into farming but who need schooling in the business or marketing aspects of agriculture, Merrigan said.

“You can’t just love the soil. You have to love the accounting and books as well,” Merrigan said during a conference call with reporters.

The Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program was established in the 2008 farm bill, and is run by USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture. At least 25 percent of the Grant program’s funding supports the needs of socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers, as well as farm workers who want to get a start in farming and ranching, and those who are financially disadvantaged, Merrigan said.

Funds are available for more grants, Merrigan said, and encouraged organizations and individuals to apply. More information on the grants and applications is here.

FY2011 Grants were awarded to projects in Arizona, California, the District of Columbia, Georgia, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Vermont, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
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The FY 2011 Grant winners:

University of Arizona, Tucson, Ariz., $675,750 – This project will work with American Indian producers providing them with education on hoop house production techniques to grow more profitable specialty crops.

Sustainable Agriculture Education, Berkeley, Calif., $207,204 – This project will provide limited resource, immigrant and socially-disadvantaged farmers with an education and outreach program including workshops, field days, follow-up consultations and mentoring and networking opportunities with producers and advisors.

University of California, Berkeley, Calif., $745,506 – This project will focus on training minority, immigrant and limited-resource farmers and ranchers on sustainable production, food safety, financial literacy and market linking.

University of California, Oakland, Calif., $702,592 – This project will start AGROpreneurship to address barriers to beginning farmers starting and sustaining successful farming and ranching businesses in Sonoma County.

Center of Race, Poverty and the Environment, San Francisco, Calif., $50,000 – This project will build out a project model for training hundreds of beginning farmers in the South San Joaquin Valley on successful and sustainable farming practices while also creating community gardens, co-operatives and small-scale farms.

International Rescue Committee, San Diego, Calif., $644,244 – This project will develop innovative business and marketing models for urban farming and microenterprise in food and farming that can be adopted by many ethnic immigrant communities as well as lower-income residents in urban communities.

California FarmLink, Santa Rosa, Calif., $675,750 – This educational enhancement team project will join with two other groups to establish an educational community of groups serving beginning farmers through Individual Development Account asset-building strategies, improving the groups’ existing programs service delivery and project structure.

Farm Credit Council, Washington, D.C., $675,109 – This educational enhancement team project will work to improve beginning farmer and rancher training programs’ ability to provide financial education and enhance their success.

Georgia Organics, Atlanta, Ga., $608,361 – This project will provide beginning farmers training in production and management strategies, business operations, decision assessments and marketing support.

Truly Living Well Center for Natural Urban Agriculture, East Point, Ga., $675,750 – This project will develop a training curriculum consisting of classes, internships and mentorships focusing on production and management strategies, business management, marketing, market linkage infrastructure and legal strategies to access land.

Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, $675,750 – This project will develop and Annie’s Project Farm and Ranch Transition Planning course which works to engage more women farmers and ranchers in implementing successful frm transitions.

Latino Farmers Cooperative of Louisiana, New Orleans, La., $103,700 – This project will address priority training needs of Latino farmers, including production and management strategies, business management and decision support strategies and marketing strategies.

Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association, Unity, Maine, $742,464 – This project offers a 2-year package of education and financial support to new farmers in Maine, including mentorship, business training and scholarship support.

Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Miss., $479,841 – This project will create and distribute training materials and decision aids targeted to high school and college students who plan to enter farming and ranching.

Fort Peck Community College, Wolf Point, Mont., $523,816 – This project will develop a training program for American Indian beginning farmers; topics focus on business and financial management.

University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada, $674,972 – This project, which targets American Indian, Hispanic, women and low-income farmers and ranchers, will work to enhance their sustainability through education, mentoring and outreach activities focusing on agricultural entrepreneurship and business and financial management.

Southern New Hampshire Services, Manchester, N.H., $78,889 – This development grant will assist the program in helping new Americans build sustainable farm enterprises that are consistent with their culture and lifestyle and that strengthen regional, sustainable food systems as a whole.

Northeast Organic Farming Association of New Jersey, Hillsborough, N.J., $564,840 – This program will restructure how farming is done in New Jersey and make it a viable, affordable profession, increasing the number of farmers while bringing more farmland into agricultural production.

Glynwood Center, Inc., Cold Spring, N.Y., $90,768 – This development grant will assist the Glynwood Center in training beginning farmers focusing on production, business management, marketing and legal strategies.

Stone Barns Restoration Corporation, Pocantico Hills, N.Y., $735,130 – This training program aims to provide workshops, conferences, apprenticeships, online resources and mentoring services for more than 1,200 beginning farmers by 2014.

Empire State Honey Producers Association, Rochester, N.Y., $57,925 – This project will develop a “train-the-trainer” program to educate at least 800 beginning beekeepers over the next three years.

Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York, Rochester, N.Y., $747,263 – This project will provide apprenticeships, formal mentoring, workshops and conferences to beginning farmers in the Northeast.

North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro, N.C., $566,523 – This apprenticeship project will connect socially-disadvantaged youth with mentor-farmers for one year, after which they will produce a crop for direct market and participate in university courses.

Inter-Faith Food Shuttle, Raleigh, N.C., $703,800 – This project will train beginning farmers and ranchers in the Piedmont region of North Carolina on sustainable farming strategies with innovative techniques for food production and food safety with the long-term goal of developing venues for entry into farming and enhancing the educational network of farms in the region.

Kerr Center for Sustainable Agriculture, Poteau, Okla., $742,526 – This project will provide an in-depth, year long training course, beginning with business and whole farm planning, along with two tracks in livestock and horticulture. Participants will also receive mentoring to follow-up on knowledge learned.

Pennsylvania State University, State College, Pa., $342,080 – This project will develop a safety and health best practices resource manual for new and beginning farmers and ranchers and develop hands-on workshops for teaching safety and health best practices to beginning farmers and ranchers.

The Rhode Island Association of Conservation Districts, Johnston, R.I., $148,853 – This development grant will help the program develop an incubator farm to provide beginning farmers with access to land, equipment and mentoring while they hone their skills and establish their businesses.

Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, $598,616 – This project will equip beginning farmers and ranchers with the knowledge of and ability to use online marketing tools to make informed marketing decisions to promote their agricultural operations.

University of Vermont, Burlington, Vt., $659,784 – This project will support the Vermont New Farmer Network, which will provide education, technical assistance, coaching and mentoring to beginning farmers.

University of the Virgin Islands, St. Thomas, USVI, $391,844 – This project will support a training program for minority beginning farmers focusing on production and management, business and decision-making and marketing strategies.

Institute for Washington’s Future, Seattle, Wash., $435,679 – This project will create a training and technical assistance program to provide Latino farmers with access to resources, skills, financial credit, business and marketing information and other support that they require to start new farming operations.

Seattle Tilth Association, Seattle, Wash., $483,160 – This project will work with refugee, immigrant and other socially-disadvantaged farmers to help them create viable agricultural enterprises growing and selling mixed vegetables and small livestock.

GrassWorks, Inc., Hudson, Wisc., $742,464 – This project will start the GrassWorks Apprenticeship Program, which offers mentoring, apprenticeships and internships, resources and training to beginning dairy farmers.

Community GroundWorks, Inc., Madison, Wisc., $744,475 – This project aims to reach beginning fresh market vegetable and fruit farmers, specifically socially-disadvantaged and immigrant growers, with training, technical assistance and vital access to farmland to they can begin and sustain successful farm businesses.

Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service, Spring Valley, Wisc., $227,345 – This project will enhance the in-classroom Organic University and develop an ongoing young organic stewards track at the Organic Farming Conference.

University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyo., $670,890 – This project will create four ranch management practicum courses covering holistic, system-based ranch management concepts including production, ecology, economics and labor.

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Photos by Eddie Gehman Kohan/Obama Foodorama. 

*Mrs. Obama and Barber are with Elizabeth Preval of Haiti and Yoo Soon-taek, wife of UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in the photo at top.

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International Obama Foodie Homage In Beijing, China: Obama Fried Chicken

The White House disapproves of the use of the President's likeness for commercial purposes, but there are Obama-themed restaurants around the globe, from Kyrgyzstan to New York...and is this one racist?
A shop has opened in Beijing, China with the name "Obama Fried Chicken," and features a logo with a cartoon image of President Obama. He's clad in the signature "uniform" of KFC's Colonel Sanders--a red apron and black string bowtie. The sign on the shop reads 吹牛逼呢吧, or "We're so niubi [cool], aren't we?," according to Shanghaiist, the first outlet to report the find. The shop is already being rebuked by internet critics--and the Rev. Al Sharpton--as racist. (Above: The restaurant front)

“It’s insulting, offensive and plays to racial stereotypes,” Sharpton told the New York Post. “What makes it even worse is that when we deal with this global competition between the U.S. and China, for them to be mocking the leader of the free world, I find it even more appalling.”

But KFC is the biggest fast-food chain in China--bigger than McDonald's--and President Obama is extremely popular there following his visit in 2010, and his State Visit honoring President Hu Jintao at the White House in January of this year. There's no telling what the actual intent of the Beijing restaurateurs is--other than using the wildly popular President Obama to market what's considered an American food. Sharpton was responding to a theory floated by UK's The Daily Mail that the Beijing eatery is an answer to the US filing a complaint with the World Trade Organization against China for placing tariffs on imported American chickens. That's pure speculation on the part of the Mail.

Meantime, Obama Fried Chicken joins a long list of restaurants that are partaking in Obama Foodie Homage. While the White House has a long-standing policy of disapproving the use of the President's name and likeness for commercial purposes--no matter who is in office--the Obama White House hasn't been able to keep up with the flood of Obama-themed restaurants and food products that have appeared since President Obama was inaugurated.

There's Obama British Africa in Barcelona, Spain; there's The Obama Café in Moneygall, Ireland, the President's "ancestral" hometown, which he visited this year; there's Toronto, Canada's Obama Cafe; and there's The Obama Bar & Grill in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, among others. In the US, there's Brooklyn, New York's The Obama Flavor ; and on a smaller scale, Meal O'Bama, a food cart. (Above: The sign for Obama British Africa)

The President is clearly stimulating the global and US economy through food, though two Obama fried chicken restaurants that opened in New York City were excoriated as racist. German food company Sprehe pulled its "Obama Fingers" product in 2009, after cries of racial insensitivity, too. Those were fried chicken chunks. Some of the foodie creations have been decidedly racist: The Obamitas cookies from Spain, which looked like Pickaninnies or Gollywogs--and the Obama-Duet Ice Cream Bar, courtesy of Russia. The ice cream bar was chocolate on the outside, and vanilla on the inside, and featured an ad campaign with a cartoon rendition of President Obama as a slicked up, modernized Pickaninny. "The Flavor of the Week! Black in White!" was the tagline.

KFC has used President Obama, too...
In January of this year, KFC itself used an Obama look-alike as a spokesman to market its Soft Roll Fish Fillet sandwiches in Hong Kong, with a play on the President's election slogan as a tagline: "Mmmmm, change is good!" This post on Obama Foodorama about the commercial campaign caused global headlines, and parent company Yum! brands rapidly put an end to it. A spokesman said no ill-will was intended. (Above: A screengrab from the commercial, with the Presidential lookalike)

“It was meant to be a spoof and no disrespect was intended," Yum! spokesman Ben Golden told Obama Foodorama.

President Obama's State dinner for President Hu did not feature fried chicken, of course--the menu was dubbed "quintessentially American," and that was at the request of the Chinese Delegation, according to the White House. On offer to President Hu and hundreds of guests: Poached Maine lobster and Dry Aged Rib Eye with Buttermilk Crisp Onions, as well as delights created with the bounty from First Lady Obama's Kitchen Garden.

The Obama re-election Campaign is happy to market the President with food...
The White House policy barring the sale of Obama products for profit doesn't extend to re-election efforts, of course. Well aware that the President and food together are a hot topic, OFA has raffled Mr. Obama off--twice--as a dinner prize for Campaign donors, first with the "Dinner with Barack and Joe" and then with the Dinner with Barack II sweepstakes.

OFA is selling foodie swag, too: Check out the Fired Up Ready To Grill apron.

In this post, there's a round-up of the flood of beer, wine and other products that were being marketed in 2009 with the President's image--there was even a lichen named after Mr. Obama. (Above: The Obama Cafe in Moneygall, Ireland)

One of the KFC ad videos with President Obama's lookalike:



*Top photo by Weibo user binson; Moneygall photo by AP

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The President And First Lady Celebrate 19th Wedding Anniversary At Restaurant Eve

At Alexandria eatery, a locally sourced, seasonal dinner for extra-special Date Night...
President Obama zipped back to the White House on Saturday night to retrieve First Lady Obama after giving the keynote speech at the Human Rights Campaign annual national dinner in Washington. The First Couple mark their 19th wedding anniversary on Monday, Oct. 3, and Mr. Obama escorted his beloved to the upscale Restaurant Eve for an early celebration. They arrived at the fine dining establishment, located about seven miles from the White House across the Potomac River in Alexandria, VA, shortly before 8:30 PM. (Above: The First Couple with part of their wedding party in 1992)

Cathal Armstrong, a transplanted Dublin native who is a leader in the local movement for organic and sustainable sourcing, is executive chef, and he cooked the Presidential meal, according to the restaurant. Armstrong is founder of Chefs as Parents, and works on school nutrition initiatives. He was among the small cabal of culinary professionals who helped advise Mrs. Obama and her Let's Move! team during the creation of the Chefs Move to Schools initiative in 2010.

Restaurant Eve's slogan is "Nourish the Palate," and the menu changes with the seasons; Armstrong creates his heady dishes according to ingredient availability. The restaurant is in a converted 1800s rowhouse, and there are two rooms available for the kind of private dining that the President and Mrs. Obama might have needed for their special evening: The Chef's Tasting Room and The Sunflower Room. The Chef's Tasting Room has prix-fixe menus that cost up to $150; Armstrong's signature dishes include an heirloom tomato tart with garden basil, and butter-poached Maine lobster with Eastern Shore corn. The "Bistro" menu has main courses priced up to $41, and a prix-fixe three-course menu on Friday and Saturday nights for $65.

"Love people who have great palates and dine with us... especially uh... THE PRESIDENT AND HIS BEAUTIFUL WIFE!!!" was sent out (sic) on the Restaurant Eve Twitter.

"Armstrong had to call home to turn the chicken stew off!- He forgot it on the stove when he ran in to feed uh THE PRESIDENT!," was another tweet.

Yet another tweet: "The dining room mood is surreal."

With his wife and business partner, Meshelle Armstrong, the chef owns three eateries in Alexandria, and Mrs. Obama has patronized these since moving to Washington. A visit that is on the public record came in 2009, when Mrs. Obama took First Grandmother Marian Robinson, daughters Malia and Sasha, and friends to a celebratory dinner at another of the Armstrongs' eateries, The Majestic. The resturant had hosted a fundraiser for Candidate Obama early in his presidential effort.

The President and Mrs. Obama were on the road back to the White House at 10:20, and by 10:50 the press pool had been dismissed for the evening. The First Couple also celebrated their 17th anniversary--their first in the White House--by dining out, with a fete a deux at DC's Blue Duck Tavern. Their 18th anniversary celebration in 2010 involved no dining outing that is on the record.

Earlier this week, Mrs. Obama thrust Alexandria, VA into national headlines with her visit to a Target store on Route 1.

The wedding...
Barack Obama and Michelle Robinson were married on Oct. 3, 1992, at Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, Illinois. Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. officiated; the First Lady's brother, Craig Robinson, walked her down the aisle. The reception was held at the South Shore Cultural Center. (Above: The tired couple during the celebration)

Stevie Wonder's song "You and I" was their wedding song. The legendary singer was last at the White House in August, where he led the celebrity-filled crowd celebrating President Obama's 50th birthday in a jazzy rendition of "Happy Birthday."

"I think it's fair to say that had I not been a Stevie Wonder fan, Michelle might not have dated me. We might not have married," President Obama told People magazine in 2009. "The fact that we agreed on Stevie was part of the essence of our courtship."

In 1991, Mr. Obama proposed to Ms. Robinson over dessert at Gordon's, a Chicago eatery. As Mrs. Obama has told the story, she spent dinner lecturing Mr. Obama about "getting serious." Then dessert came, and there was a ring box on the side of the plate. Mrs. Obama said that she was "shocked and thrilled," and also that she has absolutely no recollection of what exactly the dessert was that night. And the rest is history...

Information: Restaurant Eve is at 110 South Pitt street, Alexandria, VA. Phone: 703.706.0450.

*Archival photos

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At Human Rights Campaign Dinner, Obama Celebrates The End Of DADT, Vows To Do More

The fiercest advocate: President blasts GOP for homophobia; speaks out against bullying; says it's time to end Defense of Marriage Act "once and for all"...
President Obama painted a picture of an inspiring and expansive, all-inclusive America as he addressed the 15th annual Human Rights Campaign national dinner in Washington, DC, on Saturday evening, receiving a standing ovation for his speech to a crowd of more than 3,000 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. HRC is the largest LGBT rights organization in the US, and the President told the crowd that "the story of the gay rights movement is the story of America." (Above, the President during his remarks)

"Every single American -- gay, straight, lesbian, bisexual, transgender -- every single American deserves to be treated equally in the eyes of the law and in the eyes of our society," President Obama said. "We believe in an equal America that values the service of every patriot."

The President signed the repeal of the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" law earlier this year, and it officially ended on Sept. 20. At a Republican candidates' debate on Sept. 22, the line of presidential hopefuls stood mute when audience members jeered an openly gay soldier who asked a question via video conference. Without naming names, the President sharply rebuked the GOP.

"We don’t believe in the kind of smallness that says it’s okay for a stage full of political leaders -- one of whom could end up being the President of the United States -- being silent when an American soldier is booed," President Obama said.

"You want to be Commander-in-Chief? You can start by standing up for the men and women who wear the uniform of the United States, even when it’s not politically convenient."

He opened with a joke about his meeting last week with pop star Lady Gaga, who paid to be a guest at a campaign fundraiser in Silicon Valley.

"I held some productive bilateral talks with your leader, Lady Gaga," President Obama said, to laughter. "She was wearing 16-inch heels. She was eight feet tall. It was a little intimidating."

But Gaga had said publicly that she wanted to meet with the President to discuss bullying, after 14-year-old Jamey Rodemeyer of Buffalo, New York, committed suicide after being bullied about his sexuality. The President pointed out that his Administration has held an anti-bullying summit, and vowed to continue the focus.

"We also have to keep sending a message to every young person in this country who might feel alone or afraid because they’re gay or transgender -- who may be getting picked on or pushed around because they’re different," President Obama said.

As he has done before, the President pledged to continue working to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act; a bill for this is currently sitting before Congress.

"My administration is no longer defending DOMA in the courts," President Obama said. "I believe the law runs counter to the Constitution, and it’s time for it to end once and for all. It should join “don’t ask, don’t tell” in the history books."

The President, of course, had to mention his American Jobs Act, which he now discusses at every outing. It will offer LGBT citizens opportunities for jobs, he said, as well as provide legal protection for them. The President closed by urging HRC to work with him--but did not mention bedroom slippers. Change will happen, he said. The "fabric" of America is changing slowly and inexorably.

"It happens when a soldier tells his unit that he’s gay, and they tell him they knew it all along and they didn’t care, because he was the toughest guy in the unit," President Obama said.

"I am hopeful -- I am still hopeful, because of a deeper shift that we’re seeing; a transformation not only written into our laws, but woven into the fabric of our society."



The transcript of the President's remarks is here. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg was on hand to receive a special award, and Cyndi Lauper performed. Sarah Jessica Parker was among the celebrities in attendance.

The President did not stay to dine at the event, however; instead he returned to the White House to pick up First Lady Obama. They traveled by motorcade to Restaurant Eve in Alexandria, Virginia for a late dinner to mark their 19th wedding anniversary on Monday, Oct. 3. (Above: With HRC president Joe Solmonese, who introduced the President)

The President also keynoted the HRC gala in 2009, where Lady Gaga happened to be the featured performer. (Above: Shaking hands in the crowd after his remarks)

*Top photo by Samantha Appleton/White House; others by AP

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Transcript & Video: President's Remarks, 15th Annual Human Rights Campaign National Dinner

President Obama spoke to a crowd of more than 3,000 LGBT activists and their guests at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC. He received a standing ovation. A post about the appearance is here.

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
__________________________________________________

For Immediate Release
October 1, 2011

REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT
AT THE HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN’S
15TH ANNUAL NATIONAL DINNER

Washington Convention Center
Washington, D.C.

7:26 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you so much. It is great to be back. (Applause.) I see a lot of friends in the house. I appreciate the chance to join you tonight. I also took a trip out to California last week, where I held some productive bilateral talks with your leader, Lady Gaga. (Laughter.) She was wearing 16-inch heels. (Laughter.) She was eight feet tall. (Laughter.) It was a little intimidating.

Now, I don’t want to give a long speech. Cyndi Lauper is in the house. I can’t compete with that. (Applause.) But I wanted to come here tonight, first of all, to personally thank Joe for his outstanding years of leadership at HRC. (Applause.) What he has accomplished at the helm of this organization has been remarkable, and I want to thank all of you for the support that you’ve shown this organization and for your commitment to a simple idea: Every single American -- gay, straight, lesbian, bisexual, transgender -- every single American deserves to be treated equally in the eyes of the law and in the eyes of our society. It’s a pretty simple proposition. (Applause.)

Now, I don’t have to tell you that we have a ways to go in that struggle. I don’t have to tell you how many are still denied their basic rights -- Americans who are still made to feel like second-class citizens, who have to live a lie to keep their jobs, or who are afraid to walk the street, or down the hall at school. Many of you have devoted your lives to the cause of equality. So you know what we have to do; we’ve got more work ahead of us.

But we can also be proud of the progress we’ve made these past two and a half years. Think about it. (Applause.) Two years ago, I stood at this podium, in this room, before many of you, and I made a pledge. I said I would never counsel patience; that it wasn’t right to tell you to be patient any more than it was right for others to tell African Americans to be patient in the fight for equal rights a half century ago. (Applause.) But what I also said, that while it might take time –- more time than anyone would like -– we are going to make progress; we are going to succeed; we are going to build a more perfect union.

And so, let’s see what happened. I met with Judy Shepard. I promised her we would pass a hate crimes bill named for her son, Matthew. And with the help of my dear friend Ted Kennedy we got it done. Because it should never be dangerous -- (applause) -- you should never have to look over your shoulder -- to be gay in the United States of America. That’s why we got it done. (Applause.)

I met with Janice Langbehn, who was barred from the bedside of the woman she loved as she lay dying. And I told her that we were going to put a stop to this discrimination. And you know what? We got it done. I issued an order so that any hospital in America that accepts Medicare or Medicaid -– and that means just about every hospital -– has to treat gay partners just as they do straight partners. Because nobody should have to produce a legal contract to hold the hand of the person that they love. We got that done. (Applause.)

I said that we would lift that HIV travel ban -- we got that done. (Applause.) We put in place the first comprehensive national strategy to fight HIV/AIDS. (Applause.)

Many questioned whether we’d succeed in repealing “don’t ask, don’t tell.” And, yes, it took two years to get the repeal through Congress. (Applause.) We had to hold a coalition together. We had to keep up the pressure. We took some flak along the way. (Applause.) But with the help of HRC, we got it done. And “don’t ask, don’t tell” is history. (Applause.) And all over the world, there are men and women serving this country just as they always have -- with honor and courage and discipline and valor. We got it done. (Applause.) We got that done. All around the world, you’ve got gays and lesbians who are serving, and the only difference is now they can put up a family photo. (Laughter.) No one has to live a lie to serve the country they love.

I vowed to keep up the fight against the so-called Defense of Marriage Act. There’s a bill to repeal this discriminatory law in Congress, and I want to see that passed. But until we reach that day, my administration is no longer defending DOMA in the courts. I believe the law runs counter to the Constitution, and it’s time for it to end once and for all. It should join “don’t ask, don’t tell” in the history books. (Applause.)

So, yes, we have more work to do. And after so many years -- even decades -- of inaction you’ve got every right to push against the slow pace of change. But make no mistake -- I want people to feel encouraged here -- we are making change. We’re making real and lasting change. We can be proud of the progress we’ve already made.

And I’m going to continue to fight alongside you. And I don’t just mean in your role, by the way, as advocates for equality. You’re also moms and dads who care about the schools your children go to. (Applause.) You’re also students figuring out how to pay for college. You’re also folks who are worried about the economy and whether or not your partner or husband or wife will be able to find a job. And you’re Americans who want this country to succeed and prosper, and who are tired of the gridlock and the vicious partisanship, and are sick of the Washington games. Those are your fights, too, HRC. (Applause.)

So I’m going to need your help. I need your help to fight for equality, to pass a repeal of DOMA, to pass an inclusive employment non-discrimination bill so that being gay is never again a fireable offense in America. (Applause.) And I don’t have to tell you, there are those who don't want to just stand in our way but want to turn the clock back; who want to return to the days when gay people couldn’t serve their country openly; who reject the progress that we’ve made; who, as we speak, are looking to enshrine discrimination into state laws and constitutions -- efforts that we’ve got to work hard to oppose, because that’s not what America should be about.

We’re not about restricting rights and restricting opportunity. We’re about opening up rights and opening up opportunity -- (applause) -- and treating each other generously and with love and respect. (Applause.)

And together, we also have to keep sending a message to every young person in this country who might feel alone or afraid because they’re gay or transgender -- who may be getting picked on or pushed around because they’re different. We’ve got to make sure they know that there are adults they can talk to; that they are never alone; that there is a whole world waiting for them filled with possibility. That’s why we held a summit at the White House on bullying. That’s why we’re going to continue to focus on this issue. (Applause.) This isn’t just “kids being kids.” It’s wrong. It’s destructive. It’s never acceptable. And I want all those kids to know that the President and the First Lady is standing right by them every inch of the way. (Applause.) I want them to know that we love them and care about them, and they’re not by themselves. That’s what I want them to know. (Applause.)

Now, I also need your help in the broader fight to get this economy back on track. You may have heard, I introduced a bill called the American Jobs Act. (Applause.) It’s been almost three weeks since I sent it up to Congress. That’s three weeks longer than it should have taken to pass this common-sense bill. (Applause.) This is a bill filled with ideas that both parties have supported -- tax breaks for companies that hire veterans; road projects; school renovations; putting construction crews back to work rebuilding America; tax cuts for middle-class families so they can make ends meet and spend a little more at local stores and restaurants that need the business.

Now, you may have heard me say this a few times before -- I’ll say it again: Pass the bill. (Applause.) Enough gridlock. Enough delay. Enough politics. Pass this bill. Put this country back to work. (Applause.) HRC, you know how Congress works. I’m counting on you to have my back. Go out there and get them to pass this bill. (Applause.) Let’s put America back to work.

Now, ultimately, these debates we’re having are about more than just politics; they’re more about -- they’re about more than the polls and the pundits, and who’s up and who’s down. This is a contest of values. That’s what’s at stake here. This is a fundamental debate about who we are as a nation.

I don’t believe -- we don’t believe -- in a small America, where we let our roads crumble, we let our schools fall apart, where we stand by while teachers are laid off and science labs are shut down, and kids are dropping out.

We believe in a big America, an America that invests in the future -- that invests in schools and highways and research and technology -- the things that have helped make our economy the envy of the world.

We don’t believe in a small America, where we meet our fiscal responsibilities by abdicating every other responsibility we have, and where we just divvy up the government as tax breaks for those who need them the least, where we abandon the commitment we’ve made to seniors though Medicare and Social Security, and we say to somebody looking for work, or a student who needs a college loan, or a middle-class family with a child who’s disabled, that “You’re on your own.” That’s not who we are.

We believe in a big America, an America where everybody has got a fair shot, and everyone pays their fair share. An America where we value success and the idea that anyone can make it in this country. But also an America that does -- in which everyone does their part -- including the wealthiest Americans, including the biggest corporations -- to deal with the deficits that threaten our future. (Applause.)

We don’t believe in a small America. We don’t believe in the kind of smallness that says it’s okay for a stage full of political leaders -- one of whom could end up being the President of the United States -- being silent when an American soldier is booed. (Applause.) We don’t believe in that. We don’t believe in standing silent when that happens. (Applause.) We don’t believe in them being silent since. (Applause.) You want to be Commander-in-Chief? You can start by standing up for the men and women who wear the uniform of the United States, even when it’s not politically convenient. (Applause.)

We don’t believe in a small America. We believe in a big America -- a tolerant America, a just America, an equal America -- that values the service of every patriot. (Applause.) We believe in an America where we’re all in it together, and we see the good in one another, and we live up to a creed that is as old as our founding: E pluribus unum. Out of many, one. And that includes everybody. That’s what we believe. That’s what we’re going to be fighting for. (Applause.)

I am confident that’s what the American people believe in. (Applause.) I’m confident because of the changes we’ve achieved these past two and a half years -– the progress that some folks said was impossible. (Applause.) And I’m hopeful -- I am hopeful --

AUDIENCE MEMBER: Fired up!

THE PRESIDENT: I’m fired up, too. (Laughter.) I am hopeful -- (applause) -- I am hopeful -- I am still hopeful, because of a deeper shift that we’re seeing; a transformation not only written into our laws, but woven into the fabric of our society.

It’s progress led not by Washington but by ordinary citizens, who are propelled not just by politics but by love and friendship and a sense of mutual regard. (Applause.) It’s playing out in legislatures like New York, and courtrooms and in the ballot box. But it’s also happening around water coolers and at the Thanksgiving table, and on Facebook and Twitter, and at PTA meetings and potluck dinners, and church socials and VFW Halls.

It happens when a father realizes he doesn’t just love his daughter, but also her wife. (Applause.) It happens when a soldier tells his unit that he’s gay, and they tell him they knew it all along and they didn’t care, because he was the toughest guy in the unit. (Applause.) It happens when a video sparks a movement to let every single young person know they’re not alone, and things will get better. It happens when people look past their ultimately minor differences to see themselves in the hopes and struggles of their fellow human beings. That’s where change is happening. (Applause.)

And that’s not just the story of the gay rights movement. That’s the story of America -- (applause) -- the slow, inexorable march towards a more perfect union. (Applause.) You are contributing to that story, and I’m confident we can continue to write another chapter together.

Thank you very much, everybody. God bless you. (Applause.)

END 7:45 P.M. EDT
##

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Bullseye: At Target, First Lady Michelle Obama Buys Dog Food--And Controversy

Was the First Lady's shopping trip part of an effort to maintain a precious piece of private life, or a well-managed photo op?
First Lady Obama's trip to the Target store on Route 1 in Alexandria, VA on Thursday is now the shopping trip heard 'round the world. Clad in sunglasses and a Nike baseball cap, the First Lady's purchases during the 30-40 minute "incognito" outing included dog food and toys for First Dog Bo, the White House confirmed. As noted in this post, Bo does in fact dine on an unnamed store-bought dog food, a White House aide told Obama Foodorama. Now we know it comes from Target. But the dog food run has inspired global headlines, thanks to criticism from those who routinely attack Mrs. Obama, including for her nutrition initiatives with the Let's Move! campaign. (Above: Mrs. Obama at the checkout counter with an aide)

Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck--among others--called Mrs. Obama's Target run a "set-up" designed to make the First Lady look like a regular citizen for Campaign Season, thanks to the fact that the photos at the check-out counter were snapped by veteran White House photographer Charles Dharapak of Associated Press. One of the photos was above the banner on Drudge Report all afternoon and evening on Thursday, which sent right-wing media into a feeding frenzy by Friday.

"What a phony-baloney plastic banana good-time rock-and-roll optic photo-op that was,” Limbaugh said on his Friday radio show. "It has gotten so bad, they had to send Mooochelle out there in a Lady Gaga-type getup. She went shopping at Target. Have you seen the pictures?"

Limbaugh, for his part, has set a new bar for bashing Presidential spouses, who in previous Administrations have been treated with far more respect.

President Obama on Friday also discussed his wife's Target outing, but he didn't address the criticism.

“One thing she loves to do is go shopping at Target,” President Obama told Philadelphia radio show host Michael Smerconish. He added that he was glad his wife “can sneak off," because he can't, thanks to traveling in a giant motorcade, which he joked included "an ambulance and a caboose and a dogsled."

Some in the media have jumped to Mrs. Obama's defense, saying the right-wing criticism is unfair and skewed, including Lynn Sweet, Washington Bureau Chief for the Chicago Sun-Times. In a column published today, Sweet pushed back by noting that Mrs. Obama is a known "Target shopper," and said that Beck and Limbaugh are being unfair.

"Mrs. Obama has very high-end, elite, expensive shopping tastes and has taken some lavish vacations," Sweet wrote. "But fair is fair. She also likes to shop at Target and has talked about the loss of her ability to just roam the aisles of one of her favorite stores."

Sweet pointed to a January 2010 interview where Mrs. Obama mentioned this exact subject. Asked what she missed about life back home in Chicago, Mrs. Obama said “going to the Target on Roosevelt Road and going to the Dominick’s. I mean, small things.”

Mrs. Obama has even worn a dress purchased from Target, like millions of other Americans. In August of 2009, she was photographed in a dress by Target brand Merona, which retailed for about $40.

Was the photographer tipped off?
The White House Press Office, run by the West Wing, and the Office of the First Lady, which micromanages Mrs. Obama's image and public appearances, do indeed work with members of the media, giving "exclusives" for interviews and story topics. But Kristina Schake, Mrs. Obama's Communications Director, declined to confirm if photographer Dharapak had been alerted.

"It is not uncommon for the First Lady to slip out to run an errand, eat at a local restaurant or otherwise enjoy the city outside the White House gates," was all Schake would say about the Target run.

As noted here, Mrs. Obama does indeed travel "incognito" around the Washington area, making visits to restaurants and other places which manage to go unremarked by the media or civilians if she is in a very small motorcade that doesn't attract a lot of attention (motorcades are routine in the Washington area, thanks to visiting world leaders, and if there aren't road blocks and, er," dogsleds," locals ignore these as part of daily life). The First Lady's "incognito" outings have become vastly more difficult to keep private thanks to Twitter and phone cameras, as hockey star Alex Ovechkin so aptly illustrated when he tweeted a photo of himself with Mrs. Obama after they bumped into each other at a restaurant that's two blocks from the White House. Many members of the media thought the photo was photoshopped until the East Wing confirmed the unplanned meet n' greet as real.

AP would not confirm if Dharapak had been tipped off, nor would Dharapak himself. It just so happens Dharapak is "wired in," AP spokesman Paul Colford told Politico, crediting Dahrapak's presence to "good source work." Dharapak has declined public comment.

Target would not comment about the First Lady's visit either, though the company tweeted about it.

"First Lady Michelle Obama may be incognito but there is no denying those signature @Target red carts!" was tweeted from the @Bullseyeview account. @Target retweeted it.

Tight security...
Secret Service agents swept the target ahead of Mrs. Obama's visit, and the store remained in "lockdown" mode even after she left, according to Politico. No media were allowed inside the store without permission, and employees were not allowed to speak with reporters. Television cameras had to get clearance from corporate headquarters even to film outside the store. Inside, Target allowed filming for no more than 20 minutes, and in only two aisles chosen by the store — and no pictures of cash registers.

Only store manager Maria Panagopulos was allowed to speak for the company, and only over the telephone.

“It was so quick,” Panagopulos, told WJLA-TV, which is owned by Politico's parent company. “We only realized it was her [Mrs. Obama] at the end of her visit. She was incognito. The team was really excited. We hadn’t had an Obama family member since the beginning of his term as far as we are aware.”

“We would love to see her again anytime she’d like to shop with us,” Panagopulos said.

The store manager shouldn't pin her hopes on President Obama, however. The President told Smerconish that he's personally not interested in a Target run.

“I don’t even want to shop. All I want to do is take a walk,” President Obama said.

Mrs. Obama has yet to be photographed shopping at a Walmart, though she has a historic public private partnership for the Let's Move! campaign with the company, which is Target's biggest competitor.  Walmart has pledged to trim fat, sugar, and salt from its private label food products, as well as build markets in "food deserts." Target has made no such commitment.

And by the way, if you walk into any Walmart in America, there's no sign that the White House partnership even exists. There are not photos of Mrs. Obama, and no sign that the store has gone to work revamping its products; the company's efforts are still largely behind-the-scenes.

*Photos by Charles Dharapak/AP

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