The rise and fall of Rod Blagojevich

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. —
The now-former governor, Rod Blagojevich, did it again last week. During one of more than a dozen interviews with national media outlets, he bragged about his low grades in law school.“I got a ‘C’ in constitutional law, which might have been one of my better grades,” he told Cynthia McFadden of ABC’s “Nightline,” as she asked how he could say he had done nothing illegal despite being caught on undercover recordings talking about deals that made it appear he wanted to benefit personally by taking official action.

“Maybe I’m the wrong person to ask,” he said. But, he added, “When this is all said and done, I will be fully vindicated.”Self-deprecating talk about bad grades has been somewhat of a recurring theme for a man who, in six years as governor, often acted as if he thinks he’s smarter than everybody else by dismissing rules and forgetting promises. He told the Chicago Sun-Times back in 2002 that he got an 18 or 19 on the ACT (a college entrance exam with a maximum score of 36), and when then-President George Bush was in Springfield in 2005, Blagojevich used his speech to tell a young essay winner that she could be president because — look at him, an 18 on the ACT and he was governor.

When he quickly signed a controversial bill sought by then-telecommunications giant SBC in 2003, his first year in office, he later deflected a question of propriety by saying, “One of the good things about being governor is I don’t have to be a lawyer again, at least for now. … I don’t have to sit here trying to figure out what the constitutionality is of all of those questions. I’ll leave that for the constitutional lawyers and the judges to make that decision.”Blagojevich also has said there was “a lot of surfing and movie stars and all the rest” at his law school, Pepperdine University in Malibu, Calif., and “I barely knew where the law library was.”The state Senate is not made up of all lawyers, but this week, they did serve as judges in the case of Blagojevich’s impeachment.

And given the result — a 59-0 vote to remove him from office — maybe it would have helped Blagojevich’s career had he hit the books a bit harder. For it was on grounds that he skirted state law, the legislative process and ethical boundaries as he cut his own path as governor. And the judges in this case said, “Enough.”The man who rose from blue-collar Chicago roots to graduate from Northwestern (with his first two years at the University of Tampa) and to become a lawyer, an assistant prosecutor, a state representative, a congressman and finally, governor, is now unemployed.

P.W. Singer's "Wired for War

A military expert reveals how science fiction is fast becoming reality on the battlefield, changing not just how wars are fought, but also the politics, economics, laws, and ethics that surround war itselfP. W. Singer’s previous two books foretold the rise of private military contractors and the advent of child soldiers— predictions that proved all too accurate.

Now, he explores the greatest revolution in military affairs since the atom bomb—the advent of robotic warfare.We are just beginning to see a massive shift in military technology that threatens to make the stuff of I, Robot and The Terminator all too real.

More than seven- thousand robotic systems are now in Iraq. Pilots in Nevada are remotely killing terrorists in Afghanistan. Scientists are debating just how smart—and how lethal—to make their current robotic prototypes. And many of the most renowned science fiction authors are secretly consulting for the Pentagon on the next generation.Blending historic evidence with interviews from the field, Singer vividly shows that as these technologies multiply, they will have profound effects on the front lines as well as on the politics back home.

Moving humans off the battlefield makes wars easier to start, but more complex to fight. Replacing men with machines may save some lives, but will lower the morale and psychological barriers to killing. The “warrior ethos,” which has long defined soldiers’ identity, will erode, as will the laws of war that have governed military conflict for generations.Paradoxically, these new technologies will also bring war to our doorstep.

As other nations and even terrorist organizations start to build or buy their own robotic weapons, the robot revolution could undermine America’s military preeminence. While his analysis is unnerving, there’s an irresistible gee-whiz quality to the innovations Singer uncovers. Wired for War travels from Iraq to see these robots in combat to the latter-day “skunk works” in America’s suburbia, where tomorrow’s technologies of war are quietly being designed. In Singer’s hands, the future of war is as fascinating as it is frightening.Learn more about the book and author at P.W Singer is a Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution; at 34 years old, he's the youngest person ever to hold that position. He's written for or appeared on a wide variety of media, from "60 Minutes" to the New York Times.

He has worked for the Pentagon and Harvard University, and in his personal capacity, served as the coordinator of the defense policy advisory task force for the Obama campaign. In his previous two books, Singer foretold the rise of private military contractors and the advent of child soldiers - predictions which proved to be all too accurate

Moments Reel Glamour

Anna Faris arrives at Glamour Reel Moments in Los Angeles on Tuesday, Oct.

14, 2008. The event featured the premieres of short films inspired by the stories of readers of Glamour Magazine.

(AP Photo/Matt Sayles)9:59 a.m. ET, 10/20/08

Meet The Cheapest Family In America

Meet the Cheapest Family in America, they are headed by Steve and Annette Economides. They are raising a family of 7 with an annual income of about $44,000 in Arizona.

Now the Economides family are turning their frugalness into money by creating this best selling book called “America’s Cheapest Family”.

Fat Jessica Simpson's Pictures

Jessica Ann Simpson (born July 10 1980) is an American pop singer and Actress who rose to fame in the late 1990s. She’s still sexy and a beautiful woman. Simpson starred with her then husband Nick Lachey in the MTV reality show. She has also begun working as an actress, and has an older sister of Ashlee Simpson, a pop-rock singer.

Jessica Simpson had a career slump in 2005 as her main role in an exercise video for Speedfit. She signed a multi-billion U.S. dollar contract, but decided at the last minute to scrap the project.
Jessica Simpson is reportedly in the running for an Oscar-caliber film role as if she lands it will require her to appear completely naked on the silver screen

17 digital TV conversion is still on after House vote

Bucking the Obama administration, House Republicans on Wednesday defeated a bill to postpone the upcoming transition from analog to digital television broadcasting to June 12 — leaving the current Feb. 17 deadline intact for now.

The 258-168 vote failed to clear the two-thirds threshold needed for passage. It's a victory for the GOP members, who warn that postponing the transition would confuse consumers.
The House Republicans say a delay also would burden wireless companies and public safety agencies waiting for the spectrum that will be vacated by the switchover, and create added costs for television stations that would have to continue broadcasting both analog and digital signals for four more months.

The defeat is a setback for the administration of President Barack Obama and Democrats on Capitol Hill, who fear too many Americans won't be ready for next month's analog shut-off. The Nielsen Co. estimates more than 6.5 million U.S. households that rely on analog television sets to pick up over-the-air broadcast signals still are not prepared for the transition. People who subscribe to cable or satellite TV or have a newer TV with a digital tuner will not be affected.

"In my opinion, we could do nothing worse than to delay this transition date," said Joe Barton of Texas, the top Republican on the House Commerce Committee. "The bill is a solution looking for a problem that exists mostly in the mind of the Obama administration."

Barton led the push to scuttle the bill, which passed the Senate unanimously on Monday night.
The Obama administration had no immediate comment on the House vote.
Congress in 2005 required broadcasters to switch from analog to digital signals, which are more efficient, to free up valuable chunks of wireless spectrum to be used for commercial services and interoperable emergency-response networks.

But the Obama administration called for the transition date to be postponed after the Commerce Department earlier this month hit a $1.34 billion funding limit for coupons to subsidize digital TV converter boxes for consumers. The coupon program allows consumers to request up to two $40 vouchers per household to help pay for the boxes, which translate digital signals back into analog ones for older TVs. The boxes generally cost between $40 and $80 each and can be purchased without a coupon.

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration, the arm of the Commerce Department administering the program, is now sending out new coupons only as older, unredeemed ones reach a 90-day expiration date and free up more money. The NTIA had nearly 2.6 million coupon requests on a waiting list last week and those people will not receive their coupons before Feb. 17.

Is Michelle Obama Pregnant?

One of the nice thing about having a glamorous First Family is that it can provide cheap escapist entertainment amid a bleak economy and partisan political rancor.

Rumors of Michelle Obama's pregnancy have surely helped lubricate many a cocktail-party conversation in recent days around Washington, DC, where the social scene is rebooting as a new Congress convenes and as Barack Obama's historic inauguration fades into the past.

Now the gossip can likewise fuel small talk the rest of the country. WowOWow.com, passing along a rumor from Perez Hilton, notes it thought Michelle Obama was showing a bump back on election night two and a half months ago (the site's artwork is pictured above). Hilton inscribed one of his trademark drawings onto a more recent First Lady pic (next photo below), tastefully omitting his usual ejaculate-sketch overlay.

The rest of us are now left to study inaugural pictures in hopes of finding shots of Michelle drinking, enough of which could prove the pregnancy rumor false. In the last photo below, unfortunately, you can't really tell what's in her glass. (It was taken Jan. 20 at a lunch in the U.S. Capitol building.)
Or we could just let the secondhand gossip pass us by. But then what would we do, balance out checkbooks? Ick.

Thursday's Talk Shows

Jon Stewart is a guest on 'Late Night With Conan O'Brien.'

The Early Show Foods people should eat throughout the decades of their lives; preparing coffee at home. (N) 7 a.m. KCBS 26726Today Author Sandi Richards ("Dinner Survival"); Harry Connick Jr. (N) 7 a.m. KNBC 297639.

KTLA Morning News (N) 7 a.m. KTLA 55252Good Morning America Renée Zellweger; Demi Lovato ("Sonny With a Chance"); former evangelist Ted Haggard and his wife, Gayle. (N) 7 a.m. KABC 40320Rachael Ray NFL players participate in the second annual Super Bowl Recipe Playoff; Super Bowl snacks.

(N) 9 a.m. KCBS 97813Live With Regis and Kelly Renée Zellweger ("New in Town"); Demi Lovato ("Sonny With a Chance"); Ultimate Game-Day Grub Week continues with chef Guy Fieri. (N) 9 a.m.

KABC 28707The View Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. (N) 10 a.m. KABC 69455The Morning Show With Mike & Juliet Antonique Smith ("Notorious"). (N) 11 a.m. KTTV 49469The Bonnie Hunt Show Seth Green ("Robot Chicken"); Tricia Helfer ("Battlestar Galactica"); Gary Faucher brings animals from SeaWorld.

(N) Noon KNBC 35875The Tyra Banks Show Gay men offer women advice on fashion, relationships, friendships and sex. 1 p.m. KTTV 47271The Martha Stewart Show Chef David Chang prepares a Korean pork dish; Martha tours the Momofuku Milk Bar; pastry chef Christina Tosi provides a recipe for cookies made with blueberries and cream. (N) 2 p.m. KNBC 83523Oprah Winfrey 3 p.m. KABC 52441Dr. Phil Drug addicts seek help changing their lifestyles.

(N) 4 p.m. KCBS 2900The Ellen DeGeneres Show Kevin Nealon. (N) 4 p.m. KNBC 4368The Tyra Banks Show Scott Baio, Eric Nies, Jeremy Jackson and Christopher Atkins ("Confessions of a Teen Idol"). (N) 4 p.m. KTTV 45726Larry King Live 6 and 9 p.m. CNN 516813, 445726Dr. Phil The doctor and his guests discuss their thoughts on the new presidency and what to expect in the next four years; Deborah Norville provides highlights from the inauguration.

7 p.m. KCAL 52558Tavis Smiley Mickey Rourke. (N) 7 and 11 p.m. KCET 90287, 71707The Daily Show With Jon Stewart Author P.W. Singer ("Wired for War"). (N) 11 p.m. Comedy Central 1702788Charlie Rose An appreciation of John Updike. (N) 11:30 p.m. KCET 786504The Colbert Report John Podesta. (N) 11:30 p.m. Comedy Central 4918146Late Show With David Letterman Renée Zellweger; former NFL coach Tony Dungy; Graham Nash.

(N) 11:35 p.m. KCBS 23180788The Tonight Show With Jay Leno Jenna Fischer; Justin Long; Franz Ferdinand performs. (N) 11:35 p.m. KNBC 23108184Jimmy Kimmel Live Andy Garcia; Ian Golder; Kraak & Smaak performs. (N) 12:06 a.m. KABC 6050566The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson Dominic Monaghan; Rosemarie DeWitt. (N) 12:37 a.m. KCBS 7136585Late Night With Conan O'Brien Jon Stewart; Mary Lynn Rajskub; Mike Birbiglia. (N) 12:37 a.m. KNBC 7121653Last Call With Carson Daly Angela Kinsey; Asher Roth performs. 1:36 a.m. KNBC 3713189

Lincoln, and his time, come to life

Abraham Lincoln turns 200 on Feb. 12. Where have all the years gone? Not just a corny question, given how present the 16th president is as the 44th takes office. In a myriad of ways, almost every day, Lincoln is referenced to underscore timeless lessons about unity, equality, freedom, team building and charity for all.

Publishers have jumped on the Lincoln bicentennial bandwagon, publishing many books to commemorate the big day. Some are overview biographies, but others try for fresh angles - boyhood adventures, marriage, his sons, allies and rivals, the Civil War and his death, for example. So with hundreds of children's books about Lincoln in print, it is fair to ask: How many more do we really need? And the answer: the good ones!

Three fall into the overview category, each happily for a different age group and each providing a firm foundation. Aimed at the youngest is Our Abe Lincoln: An Old Tune With New Lyrics, adapted by Jim Aylesworth and illustrated by Barbara McClintock (Scholastic; 32 pages; $16.99; ages 4-8). A dozen spirited verses cover Lincoln's life and character from the wilderness to the White House and to his final resting place.

The story can be read aloud or, better yet, sung to the melody of "The Old Grey Mare," as was the popular Lincoln campaign song that inspired this charming biography. The watercolor and ink art is droll, with childlike figures, short and squat, even the lanky Lincoln. There are some extras, too: end notes to explain and expand each verse, the music complete with chords, and a recipe for Mary Todd Lincoln's Vanilla Almond Cake. (That way she gets more than just one honorable mention.)

The biographical portion of the book is framed as a school play put on by multicultural cast of costumed kids. Teachers will appreciate the practical idea. But the modern-day class also serves as an important reminder of Lincoln's "noble deeds" and enduring legacy, representative of a deepening vision of what unity can really mean.

More attuned in tone to the complex man himself is Abe's Honest Words: The Life of Abraham Lincoln, written by Doreen Rappaport and illustrated by Kadir Nelson That's because Rappaport allows Lincoln to eloquently speak for himself in well-selected excerpts, the underpinnings of her gracefully layered biography. Yes, she recounts some familiar milestones in his life, but always to illuminate evident qualities of heart and mind that propel Lincoln to high office and high purpose.

Their words, taken in tandem, tell an epic tale of individual struggle, hard-fought success, inspired leadership, national tragedy and social progress. The telling is amplified by Nelson's dramatic renderings of Lincoln and his times. Grand outdoor scenes, candlelit interiors, unsettling views of slavery, stirring crowd scenes and stately Lincoln portraits make an impressive gallery of visual history. That Lincoln sometimes appears wooden and that skin tones are often too coppery takes little from the overall impact of this accessible and appreciative book.

Just as Rappaport provides in "Abe's Honest Words" a worthy companion to her award-winning "Martin's Big Words," author Candace Fleming turns to her own signature format for The Lincolns: A Scrapbook Look at Abraham and Mary (Schwartz & Wade; 200 pages; $24.99$; ages 10-14.) Check out her earlier scrapbook treatments of Ben Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt. For elegance and scope, nothing compares with her broad and deep examination of how the lives of husband and wife converge, for better and for worse.

On pages that look like an old-time newspaper are short pieces that zero in on familiar and unfamiliar aspects of the couple's story - from their beginnings as "Backwoods Boy" and "Bluegrass Girl" through courtship and marriage, their tumultuous personal and public lives in the White House, and the assassination with its tragic aftermath. Especially noteworthy is the humane treatment of Mary Todd Lincoln, often either skimmed over or misunderstood.

Original source material, including early photographs along with reproduced cartoons, catalogs, letters, paintings and such, are interspersed throughout and integral to the package. Fleming is to be lauded for her passionate five years of R&D on this astounding project. She researched the Lincolns with the keen eye of a historian and developed their shared story with the open heart of a fellow human being.

Ages 4 and up
Abe Lincoln Crosses a Creek: A Tall Thin Tale (Introducing His Forgotten Frontier Friend) by Deborah Hopkinson; illustrated by John Hendrix (Schwartz & Wade; 40 pages; $19.99; ages 4-8). In 1816, "on the other side of yesterday before computers or cars," Abe defies his mama and, with his first friend, traverses a spring creek. But this folksy yarn is about more than near disaster, being an exercise in how to reconstruct history and construct meaning from it.

Abraham Lincoln Comes Home by Robert Burleigh; illustrated by Wendell Minor (Holt; 40 pages; $16.95; ages 6-10). In this somber picture book, a father and son travel by wagon to watch Lincoln's funeral train pass on its slow and sad way from Washington, D.C., to Springfield, Ill. Moving prose and dramatic night scenes show them as part of a grieving yet grateful nation, paying homage to a fallen hero.

Lincoln and Douglass: An American Friendship by Nikki Giovanni; illustrated by Bryan Collier (Holt; 40 pages; $16.95; ages 6-up). A historic interracial friendship is seen at a White House celebration in honor of Lincoln's second inauguration. That friendship merits more than allowed in this well-intentioned picture book that offers high interest, to be sure, but is undermined by stiffness in prose and painting. And how about some source notes?

Mr. Lincoln's Boys: Being the Mostly True Adventures of Abraham Lincoln's Trouble-Making Sons, Tad and Willie by Staton Rabin; illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline .A beleaguered president worries about real soldiers in battle and a toy soldier in the White House in this vignette, expanded from actual accounts, perhaps beyond their literary limits. Still, the character studies are compelling - those rascally boys and Lincoln himself, indulgent father and compassionate commander in chief.
What Lincoln Said by Sarah L. Thomson; illustrated by James E. Ransome "Resolve to be honest in all events." "Just think of such a one as me as president." "If slavery is not wrong, nothing is wrong." The honest, humble and honorable Lincoln comes into friendly focus in this surprisingly upbeat biography built on his own words.

Bleiler tumbles, Bright take gold

ASPEN — Local favorite Gretchen Bleiler took perhaps the biggest spill of her professional career Friday night tumbling down the superpipe wall on her second run in the finals.
Australian Torah Bright, who qualified first on Thursday with the highest score in women's X Games history, won the gold with a 91.33-point run her second time down in the finals.

But it was the Bleiler spill that silenced the crowd. Trying to stretch out a 900, Bleiler caught the top of the deck, flipped over backward twice and smashed the back of her head on the bottom of the pipe. From the top of the pipe to the bottom is more than 20 feet.

She got up slowly and was able to slide down the pipe, but she did not return for a third run.

all taken our fair share of beatings this week," Bright said. "Only because everybody wants to ride their best and push the sports even further."

Bright's winning run included a switch backside 720 and ended with a cab 720.
Kelly Clark took silver with an 88.33 on her first run and crashed on her last two runs, picking up a black eye on the first crash. That let Bright take a victory lap on her final run. Hannah Teter was third with an 83 on her final run.

Theater Economics: Why Are There So Few Sequels?

A few weeks ago Dave Itzkoff reported that Andrew Lloyd Webber was creating a sequel to “The Phantom of the Opera,” entitled Phantom: Love Never Dies.” While this is not the first theatrical sequel ever penned, it is relatively rare.

But why? When a film is a hit, it is virtually guaranteed to be followed by a sequel — a continuation of the original plot, generally with the same characters, actors and themes. Make “Austin Powers 2.

Naked Gun 33 1/3.” “Scary Movie 4.” “Halloween 5.” If people enjoyed the first one, they’ll come out to see the next one — or four — even if the sequels aren’t nearly as good as the original.

In other words, many theater producers and investors hoping to make money favor “safe” productions, which, given evidence from Hollywood, should include sequels. Yet sequels to theatrical blockbusters (think “The Producers”) are almost unheard of. I’m not talking about those cultural products originally crafted as a serial, like the “The Coast of Utopia” or “Angels in America.” I’m talking about the productions that were done after the original became a commercial hit, a la “Revenge of the Nerds.

So what’s so different between the theater and film?
There are a few potential explanations for why sequels are less attractive on the Rialto than in Hollywood. (Feel free to suggest your own theories in the comments.

For one, moviegoers interested in a sequel can rent the original to get caught up on the plotline. The same is not generally true for theatrical productions. If Lord Lloyd Webber decided to write “Cats 2,” you’d have trouble tracking down a stage version of “Cats [1]” to figure out who this Grizabella is that everyone’s talking about. (Though, of course, there is a filmed version of the show now.

“There are way more sequels in theater than there used to be,” argues Tyler Cowen, an economics professor at George Mason University who has written about the economics of the arts. “If the Brady Bunch makes it into a theatrical performance, I think of that as like a sequel. They’re building upon other media where people will want to see something they already know they’ll like.

Addendum: There have been a few cases where successful musicals were made into feature films, and then turned into sequels. “Grease 2” comes to mind, as does “Hairspray 2,” which is reportedly in the works. (“Hairspray 2,” oddly enough, would be the sequel to a film version of a musical version of a film.) “High School: The Musical” has enjoyed at least one filmed sequel that was subsequently adapted for the stage

Joanna Pacitti: American Idol Favorite

As a biography she was born on October 6, 1984 in Philadelphia which makes her 24 years old. Her gorgeous dark hair and light complexion are due to a mix of Irish and Italian heritage.

Her father owned a local barber shop where Joanna began signing at the age of only 5 years old. Since that time, she has doggedly pursued an all-American dream to become a musical star. At the age of 11 years old, she joined the cast of “Annie” on Broadway, only to develop bronchitis and get Cut from the show in a controversial move by the directors.

Her most popular single is “Let It Slide” which was produced under the Geffen Records label which also produced her only album, This Crazy Life in 2006. Our hunch is that she has a lot more singles to produce and a lot more albums in her, based on her American Idol performance.

Jonas Brothers surprise Sasha and Malia during White House fun

WASHINGTON—Their parents may have danced the night away Tuesday, but First Kids Malia and Sasha Obama apparently had a real ball. White House staffers treated the girls to an inauguration night bash complete with Disney movies, a scavenger hunt and a surprise visit by the Jonas Brothers The invitation list included close friends from Chicago, a few new Washington school pals and the children of White House staffers, according to sources familiar with the gathering.

The first daughters and their guests watched Bolt and High School Musical." Following the movies, the attendees participated in a scavenger hunt aimed at getting them familiar with the White House and its many trappings. At the end of the Obamas' quest, they found the Jonas Brothers waiting for them behind closed doors.

Planning ahead, to the end of 'Lost'

LOS ANGELES - After last night's dizzying fifth-season premiere of "Lost," executive producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse understand if some fans of the time-warped series are feeling as dislodged as the inhabitants of the mystical isla

Hopefully, as season five unfolds, you will realize that time travel has been in the DNA of the show for quite some time," added Lindelof, referencing the flashbacks and flash-forwards of past seasons. "We think the audience is now prepared to go on that journey with us."
One reason fans may be able to focus more clearly on the time-shifting elements of the series was last night's purge of the bedraggled troupe of extra survivors of Oceanic 815.nd.

The show is now moving into a phase where the presence of [the extras] was no longer directly necessary," said Cuse. "So we killed them with arrows. And that's just what you do," he said with a laugh.

One character moving back to center stage in this penultimate season is Josh Holloway's nickname-bestowing Sawyer, who received less screen time last year as the off-island story of the "Oceanic 6" played out. Lindelof intimated that Sawyer is the right character to serve as a stand-in for audience members confused by the recent turn of events.

Barack Obama retakes oath—and then proceeds to govern

WASHINGTON —

In his first full day in the White House, Barack Obama pushed his top military advisers for a plan to withdraw combat troops from Iraq, and in an extraordinary exercise took the oath of office a second time over concern about a miscue during his swearing-in.

Obama retook the oath before a handful of aides in the White House Map Room—31 hours after he spoke the words before more than a million people arrayed on the Mall. In the first go-around, Chief Justice John Roberts botched the wording, deviating from the language in the Constitution.

Following along, Obama repeated the mistake."Out of an abundance of caution," White House Counsel Greg Craig said in a statement, Obama decided to retake the oath Wednesday.

The president spent part of the afternoon in a meeting with top military commanders running the war in Iraq. In a statement released afterward, Obama said he asked them to "engage in additional planning necessary to execute a responsible military drawdown from Iraq.

"

On the campaign stump, Obama often pledged that on his first day as president he would call such a meeting. But then his language was more forceful. He typically said he would instruct the Pentagon it had a "new mission in Iraq": Ending the war and bringing combat forces home within 16 months.

Officials briefed on the meeting afterward said Obama's goal remains the same— accelerating the troop withdrawal from Iraq. The discussion was amicable, with the president gently prodding the military to plan for a quicker drawdown than they might have preferred.Obama and military leaders are not far apart in their respective timetables. Obama has called for a withdrawal of combat forces by mid-2010.

Gen. Ray Odierno, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, has planned for a more conservative drawdown, but it would still remove most forces well before the end of 2011. In the new Status of Forces Agreement, the U.S. has pledged to remove all military forces from Iraq in three years.

Roberts again presided.In any case, Obama proceeded Wednesday in true presidential style, mixing international diplomacy, ceremonial events and bureaucratic action. The 44th president arrived at the Oval Office at 8:35 a.m., following a late night dancing at the inaugural balls.

Savoring the moment, he spent 10 minutes alone, reading the private note left to him by his predecessor in an envelope marked "To: #44, From: #43." But that was about the only quiet moment he got.

Obama Retakes Oath

President Barack Obama has taken the oath of office for a second time after stumbling over the words when originally sworn-in as president.

Obama raises his hand as Chief Justice Roberts administers the oath a second time

In a highly unusual move, Mr Obama took the oath in the Map Room of the White House, the day after his inauguration as the nation's first African-American president.
Chief Justice John Roberts, who first administered the oath to Obama on Tuesday on the steps of the US Capitol, again performed the ceremony - this time with no bible and in front of only a handful of staff and journalists.

We believe that the oath of office was administered effectively and that the President was sworn in appropriately (on Tuesd"

But the oath appears in the Constitution itself. And out of an abundance of caution, because there was one word out of sequence,

Chief Justice Roberts

administered the oath a second time."
The reporters present said Mr Obama was sitting on a couch and joked: "We decided it was so much fun ..."
He then stood and walked over to make small talk with the journalists as Justice Roberts donned his black robes.
"Are you ready to take the oath?" Roberts asked.
"I am, and we're going to do it very slowly," Obama replied.
After a flawless recitation, which took 25 seconds, Roberts smiled and said, "congratulations - again."ay)," said White House legal advisor Greg Craig.