President Obama today unveiled Dr. Regina Benjamin today as his choice for Surgeon General.
A rural Alabama family physician, Benjamin made some headlines rebuilding her nonprofit Gulf Coast medical clinic in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
Obama said during the news conference announcing the pick, “For all the tremendous obstacles that she has overcome, Regina Benjamin also represents what’s best about health care in America, doctors and nurses who give and care and sacrifice for the sake of their patients.”
Benjamin calls the job a physician’s dream. “I cannot change my family’s past,” she said. “I can be a voice in the movement to improve our nation’s health care and our nation’s health. I want to be sure that no one falls through the cracks as we improve our health care system.”
Michael Steele became the first African-American chairman of the Republican National Committee today, after defeating his lone remaining challenger, Katon Dawson, on the sixth and final ballot. The margin was 91 votes for Steele, 77 votes for Dawson.
Former Rep. Dick Armey was scolded after losing his cool during an appearance on Hardball last night, where he told Salon editor in chief Joan Walsh he’s “so damn glad” she isn’t his wife.
Walsh and Armey were in a heated debate about the relevance of Rush Limbaugh in the GOP.
“I am so damn glad that you could never be my wife, ’cause I surely wouldn’t have to listen to that prattle from you every day,” Armey said.
“Well, that makes two of us,” Walsh shot back.
New York Times columnist Bob Herbert, waiting off camera for an appearance, later said on-air: “Dick Armey was so far out of line in the last segment with his sexist comments, and he owes Joan Walsh and your viewers an apology.”
Matthews later apologized on behalf of the former House Majority Leader, and said the comments were “overboard.”
In an interview with one of the Middle East’s major broadcasters, President Barack Obama struck a conciliatory tone toward the Islamic world, saying he wanted to persuade Muslims that “the Americans are not your enemy.” He also said “the moment is ripe” for negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians.
In between inaugural balls yesterday, President Obama ordered an immediate halt to the Bush administration’s military commissions system for prosecuting detainees at the detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Notice came just before midnight Tuesday. The decision is described as a pause in all war-crimes proceedings.
The decision will temporarily stop the prosecution of five detainees charged as the coordinators of the Sept. 11 attacks, including the case against Khalid Shaikh Mohammed.
Below is the full 17-minute version of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I have a dream” speech from the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, Aug. 28, 1963 from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.
President Obama today unveiled Dr. Regina Benjamin today as his choice for Surgeon General.
Michael Steele became the first African-American chairman of the Republican National Committee today, after defeating his lone remaining challenger, Katon Dawson, on the sixth and final ballot. The margin was 91 votes for Steele, 77 votes for Dawson.
In between inaugural balls yesterday, President Obama ordered an immediate halt to the Bush administration’s 
