England for Obama

Thought you liked these two people before? Watch this:

Watch CBS Videos Online

Note 1: Don’t worry if you’re thinking, “I’d love to watch it, but I don’t have an hour”. The interview only takes up 40 minutes of the aforementioned 60.

Note 2: If you’re not distracted by the clock, the theme, erm, noise to 60 Minutes sounds spookily as if it’s about to burst into Zoo Station by U2.

Note 3: It’s a nice touch that the advert playing in the breaks is one helping people to stop smoking. What with that being Barack’s promise to Michelle, should he run for office.

Note 4: Isn’t it nice to see a First Couple who are bright, articulate, thoughtful, measured, compassionate, warm and grounded?

And I’m not going to list this as a ‘Note’, because it’s far too serious: but Barack’s re-commitment to closing Guantamo and ending torture was, for me, the most important thing he said in this interview, and was an utter relief to hear.

Thought that Zoe Bartlet’s codename ‘Bookbag’ was cute in The West Wing?  Well, that ain’t got nothing on seven-year-old Sasha Obama’s.

Yes, the secret service codenames for the Obama family have been revealed, and they are… <Drumroll>…

Barack Obama - Renegade

Michelle Obama - Renaissance

Malia Obama - Radiance

Sasha Obama - Rosebud

It’s alright. It’s OK to go “Aww!”.

Oh, and while we’re at it:

Joe Biden - Celtic

Jill Biden - Capri

The secret service have actually been giving the Obamas protection, and therefore using these names, for some time now - since during the primaries - and of course, secret service codenames aren’t secret in themselves. It’s secret service, see. As opposed to secret (service) codenames.

The codenames are chosen by the White House Communications Agency and used so that secret service staff can know who they’re talking about quickly, easily and without ambiguity. A quick look at Wikipedia reveals the names of White House inhabitants past and (just about) present - and yes, alliteration has always been the (code)name of the game. Here are some examples:

John F. Kennedy - Lancer

Jackie Kennedy - Lace

Caroline Kennedy - Lyric

Richard Nixon - Searchlight

Pat Nixon - Starlight

Ronald Reagan - Rawhide

Nancy Reagan - Rainbow

Bill Clinton - Eagle (clearly Bill Clinton was winning the ‘Coolest Secret Service Codename’ game until Barack Obama came along. Doh!)

Hillary Clinton - Evergreen

Chelsea Clinton - Energy

Al Gore - Sawhorse or Sundance

Karenna Gore - Smurfette (can’t work out if this is the best or worst codename)

George W Bush - Tumbler (was this because of his previous drinking habit? A little facetious, no?)

Laura Bush - Tempo

Jenna Bush - Twinkle

So there you have it. Coming soon: your family’s Random Secret Service Codename Generator. Why not pick a letter and play along at home?!

OK, OK, so it was only a matter of time before I used that headline. There. ‘Tis done.

Here’s today’s ‘pinch me’ footage: live coverage of Barack and Michelle Obama being invited into the White House by George and Laura Bush:

(Sadly not shown: Obama sitting down in the chair in the Oval Office, putting his feet on the desk and chucking some balled-up paper into the bin. Or rooting around in the drawers, National Treasure-style.)

Barack and Michelle cast their votes this morning, taking daughters Malia and Sasha with them to the polling station. Great stuff:

(Photos of the Obamas, Bidens and Clintons casting their votes here.)

And I don’t mean that rudely. Although, y’know…

Sarah Palin’s $150,000 a month on clothes (and accessories - don’t forget Piper’s Louis Vuitton handbag, now!), with the Obamas’ fashion habits, discussed below in July:

Hmm, now, remind me: who’s the regular mom? Who’s the elitist? And which team is it that understands ordinary Americans?

Yes, a British-style football match! Not an American-style ‘football’ game!

It was his daughter’s, admittedly.

Gotta love the headline:

‘Obama attends daughter Malia’s soccer game in Chicago; few notice’.

Be warned: this is just too darn cute.

Along with:
- David Axelrod, media strategist
- David Plouffe, campaign manager
- Steve Hildebrand, deputy campaign manager
- Betsy Myers, chief operating officer
- Robert Gibbs, communications chief

and Stockard Channing Michelle Obama.

This from Talking Points Memo:

“The McCain campaign is now broadening their attack on Obama’s past association with William Ayers to include Michelle Obama - even though McCain has repeatedly said spouses should be off limits during the campaign.

The attack? Bernardine Dohrn, Ayers’ wife and fellow former Weatherman, went to work in 1984 for the major Chicago-based national law firm of Sidley & Austin, and three years later, Michelle joined the mega-firm as well.

That’s the entire attack. We wish we were joking. But we aren’t.”

Ah yes, as one hand giveth, the other hand taketh away. What a surprise.