Angelina Jolie has spent plenty of time in Washington, D.C., as a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador, but yesterday, she visited the White House with Brad Pitt. There, they enjoyed a private meeting with President Barack Obama! The leader of the free world and Hollywood’s most famous couple dissected the New Hampshire primary . Kidding. They discussed a cause dear to Angelina’s heart … The plight of women caught up in war zones – such as the one depicted in her film The Land of Blood and Honey – and how the U.S. can get involved combating mass violence against civilians in troubled areas was Brangelina’s reason for visiting. Pitt, who has consulted with Obama regarding his plans for the redevelopment of New Orleans’ hurricane-ravaged Lower Ninth Ward, talked about that as well. You have to respect the couple’s commitment to these causes. No word on whether Secret Service confiscated Brad Pitt’s cane before he met with Obama. [Photos: WENN.com]
Dedicated volunteers inspire MTV News’ Sway. By Sway Calloway Volunteers in New Hampshire Photo: MTV News MANCHESTER, New Hampshire — After months of buildup, the people of New Hampshire finally came out to cast their vote today. I’ve had a great time over the past 24 hours talking to voters supporting just about every name on the ballot. I met a lot of really cool people and listened to why they voted and why they’ll do it again in November — even if their pick today doesn’t make the cut. I met people who are volunteering for President Obama and walked around the crowded office in downtown Manchester where they are trying to keep Democrats in this notoriously independent state excited about supporting the commander in chief. A lot of them were college kids who are already on the ground making calls from phone banks, waving signs outside polling places and spending their winter break learning how political campaigns work and filling up the office’s “Why Are You In?” wall with their motivation to service. I met one volunteer who came all the way from the U.K. just to support the Obama campaign, and at a rally for former Senator Rick Santorum , I sat down with a young man who drove in from Canada. He can’t vote, but it was important for him to just be here and participate in our political process. I also met a couple of young ladies who were Santorum supporters, including Jordanne Anderson, who shot her first deer the other day and, like me, is also a big-game fisherman — she caught a 160-pound swordfish. She was very, very well-versed when it came to the political process and the candidate she wants to vote for. What struck me about all of them was their passion. Whatever issue it was that drove them to the polls or to drive from three states over to knock on doors, make phone calls and wave signs, they were all in, even if they suspected their candidate wouldn’t end up on top when the polls closed. We had a lot of good times here in Manchester, where I learned once again that the 45 million young voters in this country not only have a voice, they’re ready and eager to use it. I can’t wait to come back next time and stay on this political trail with the Power of 12 and hear what they have to say. You guys rule this generation. MTV is on the scene in New Hampshire! Check back here around the clock for up-to-the-minute coverage on the primary caucuses, and stick with PowerOf12.org throughout the presidential election season. Related Videos New Hampshire Primary Sparks Youth Conversation
Lindsay Lohan is in “early talks” to play Elizabeth Taylor in the Lifetime movie “Elizabeth & Richard: A Love Story,” according to Entertainment Weekly . Who better to play the a glamorous Hollywood icon than a train wreck frequent jailbird Playboy model who hasn’t had a notable acting role in years! The film will focus on Taylor’s tumultuous relationship with two-time husband Richard Burton. So how on Earth did they think of Lohan for the part? Like Lohan, Taylor began her career at a young age, growing up in the spotlight. Some say she made plenty of missteps along her road to icon status. Lohan also posed for Marilyn Monroe-inspired Playboy photos which allegedly racked up record sales for the mag, resurrecting her career somewhat. Maybe a Liz T. photo spread is next? Eh, maybe not. Elizabeth Taylor passed away in March at age 79. [Photo: WENN.com]
Are Democrats salivating at facing the guy winning – or at least perceived, by the media, to have the best chance of winning – the Republican presidential race? Yes, Rush Limbaugh says. The radio host is one of several prominent Republicans who believe the party would stand a better chance with a less vanilla candidate – and Democrats know it. Rush Limbaugh: Dems Want Romney! “The Democrats are afraid of any candidate they have sought to destroy. You can start with Sarah Palin, you can move on to Santorum. Any – any conservative who shows any interest – the Democrats set out to destroy,” he said. “That’s who they’re genuinely afraid of. They are not hammering Mitt Romney at all, and (Democratic strategist) Donna Brazile let the cat out of the bag. Don’t doubt me.” Do you agree with Limbaugh’s point? Makes you wonder if Ron Paul were leading polls, how the White House and other prominent Dems would react.
Dixville Notch has cast its ballots in the New Hampshire primary. If the tiny village is anything like the rest of the state (which it’s not), this is gonna be close! Voters in the hamlet famed for casting the first ballots in the US’ first primary found themselves in a 2-2 tie between Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman. Coming in second with one vote apiece were Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul . For the Democrats, President Barack Obama received three votes. The nine residents who cast their ballots in Dixville Notch at daybreak include three registered Republicans, two registered Democrats, and four independents. Those voters also represent the town’s entire population. Talk about turnout!
‘I’m in because he brought the troops home,’ read one poster in the Obama campaign office in Manchester. By Gil Kaufman, with reporting by Sway Calloway Obama supporters in New Hampshire Photo: Getty Images MANCHESTER, New Hampshire — “I’m in because we are the change we’ve been waiting for.” “I’m in because I want my grandchildren to know what polar bears are.” “I’m in because the power is in the voice of the youth.” Those are a few of the handwritten signs penned by volunteers for the Obama 2012 re-election as part of a “Why Are You In?” wall aimed at inspiring them to get out the vote during Tuesday’s (January 10) primary. While most of the attention has been focused on the squabbling among the Republican White House hopefuls in the Granite State, as in last week’s Iowa caucus , the Obama team here has been hard at work training volunteers, making calls and reaching out to the state’s legendary independent voters and committed Democrats to remind them to come out on Tuesday. It’s part of an effort to keep the president’s supporters fired up and ready to go for the general election in November, and 19-year-old volunteer Kathieya Odiah said the chance to see how a campaign works has been eye-opening. “The Obama campaign is basically about having volunteers and having a grassroots campaign, so when we have volunteers come in we always have them make posters and notes about why they come here for Obama,” said Odiah, one of a number of Quinnipiac University students who will spend several weeks of their winter break working for Obama 2012. She pointed to one of the signs she wrote, “I’m in because he brought troops home,” explaining that she felt strongly about the president ending the war in Iraq. The Manchester office, the largest of seven such locations around the state, has housed hundreds of volunteers over the past few months, and during a visit from MTV’s Power of 12 team on Tuesday afternoon, young volunteers were sprawled on couches, on the floor and across several rooms as they clutched their call sheets and reached out to remind voters to make it to the polls before they closed at 8 p.m. Her friend and fellow volunteer, Long Island, New York’s Morgan Farra, 20, said she’s in because the president has helped make college affordable for students like her by increasing the number of Pell grant recipients by 3 million so far. “It’s really important to me because if you don’t have an education, you’re missing out on one of the greatest experiences of your life,” she said. Inspired by the unprecedented grassroots campaign run by Obama in 2008, 19-year-old Natalie Deduck said she has been putting in the 10 to 12-hour days at the Manchester office because she knows the importance of starting early and strong in order to rally the troops again. Jameson Cherilus, 22, is typical of the office’s volunteers. He started his day around 8 a.m. outside an elementary school, where he held up signs for the president and reminded primary voters that Obama was on the ballot before hitting the office for a long day of phone calls. “I’m here because President Obama supports small business,” read another sign that shouted out Flanders Fish Market in East Lyme, Connecticut. “It’s been pretty hard getting my … friends involved in the campaign [because] they honestly don’t understand how important it is to start now even though it’s only January,” said Odiah about the challenges she’s faced while making calls in Manchester and speaking to her peers about what she’s doing. “We have to explain to people that we need to start now. [Once] Republicans choose who they’re going to have for their candidate, they’re already going to have half of the votes. … Yeah, [Obama’s] going to win the primary, but this is a dry run. This is our way of knowing this is what it’s going to look like in November. It’s hard.” MTV is on the scene in New Hampshire! Check back here around the clock for up-to-the-minute coverage on the primary caucuses, and stick with PowerOf12.org throughout the presidential election season. Related Videos New Hampshire Primary Sparks Youth Conversation
MTV’s Power of 12 is on the scene as Republican candidates fight to be Mitt Romney’s runner-up. By Gil Kaufman Rick Santorum Photo: Andrew Burton/ Getty Images If you stayed up late awaiting the results of the Iowa caucus last week, there’s a good chance you’ll get to bed earlier this Tuesday when New Hampshire voters head to the polls for their presidential primary. While former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney slid out of the Hawkeye State with a razor-thin eight-vote victory over suddenly surging contender former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum , polls indicate that the leading GOP candidate will face much-weaker competition in his own backyard. Romney is polling at 40 percent in the state, which means that the real scramble this time will be for second place. Though Romney managed to emerge from Iowa with a win (barely), despite not spending much time there in the run-up to Tuesday’s first-in-the-nation contest, it was the roster of those below him that helped shake up the contest. Left for dead months ago after failing to climb out of the single digits, traditional family-values conservative Santorum nearly managed a huge upset but is unlikely to pull another January surprise in New Hampshire, where the large population of independent voters — who make up 40 percent of the electorate — can cast ballots in Republican primaries. His anti-abortion and anti-gay marriage fire-and-brimstone message may not resonate with Granite State voters the way Libertarian Ron Paul ‘s small-government outlook could. In fact, according to CNN, not only is New Hampshire the least-religious state in the nation, but a 2008 poll found that 55 percent of Republican primary voters believed that abortion should be always or mostly legal. Also, New Hampshire is one of the few states in the country where gay marriage is legal. Paul, whose pull with young voters helped propel him to a strong third-place finish in Iowa, could cement his status as a serious contender with a second-place finish. At press time, he was polling around 17 percent, edging out Santorum at 11 percent. With a win clearly off the table, even a runner-up finish was looking less likely, though, for former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman. The most-liberal conservative in the remaining field made a calculated risk by avoiding Iowa and betting the farm on New Hampshire, where he’s spent much of the past six months. But after crowing that he was certain he’d win the state in recent weeks, Huntsman began lowering expectations in the days leading up to the vote, when his poll numbers failed to rise above 7 percent. Like Santorum and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Huntsman already began setting his sights on the next contest in South Carolina (January 21), while Romney is hoping to solidify his hold on the leader spot and fend off the rest of the pack as the primaries head to Southern states, where Evangelical voters could play a bigger role in boosting Santorum. While the GOP contenders continue to rip each other apart in the scramble to come out on top after primary season, they also have been hitting President Obama very hard on his policies in their stump speeches. Though Obama does not face a primary battle on Tuesday night, he is running a robust campaign in New Hampshire, where his team is trying to get as many supporters out to the polls to vote as possible in order to shore up the commander in chief’s sagging support in the state. No matter what happens, MTV’s Power of 12 will be there to chronicle what’s on the minds of young voters and bring you their reactions to Tuesday night’s vote. MTV is on the scene in New Hampshire! Check back here around the clock for up-to-the-minute coverage on the primary caucuses, and stick with PowerOf12.org throughout the presidential election season. Related Videos Barnstorming The Iowa Caucus With Andrew Jenks
Scott Stringer (Photo: Wikimedia) Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer was among the officials at an “NYPD Accountability” rally this afternoon and strongly spoke out against police stop-and-frisk policies. The Borough President, who’s a potential 2013 mayoral candidate, additionally embraced the fact that he was the only white elected official to speak out at the rally. “I wanted to be here… Broadcasting platform : YouTube Source : The Politicker Discovery Date : 08/01/2012 02:27 Number of articles : 2
President Obama’s invitation to join him at the Apollo. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand fundraises around the world . Govenor Cuomo didn’t read his written remarks on independent redistricting. Mayor Bloomberg isn’t sure why. Adriano Espaillat also comments on the issue . Ruben Diaz said that Cuomo is “a good preacher; he preaches better than I do.” Speaker Silver’s agenda yesterday was specifically focused… Broadcasting platform : YouTube Source : The Politicker Discovery Date : 05/01/2012 22:42 Number of articles : 2
Cue the violins… Rep. Michele Bachmann suspended her presidential campaign after placing sixth in Tuesday’s Iowa Republican caucuses, she announced today. “Last night, the people of Iowa spoke with a very clear voice, so I have decided to stand aside,” Bachmann said at a news conference, flanked by her parents, husband and five children. “I have no regrets, none whatsoever. We never compromised our principles and we can leave this race knowing we ran it with the utmost integrity.” Bachmann said she will continue to fight the policies of President Obama, particularly his health care legislation, calling the 2012 election “the last chance to turn our country around, before we go down the road of socialism.” She said she was motivated to stop Obama and not by a thirst for power. “Though I’m a congresswoman by title, a politician I’ve never been. … I’m not motivated by vanity, glory or the quest for power.” Bachmann had staked her candidacy on Iowa, the state in which she was born and raised. In September, campaign manager Keith Nahigian called Iowa a “must win” state. Bachmann placed last out of the six candidates competing here in Tuesday’s first-in-the-nation caucuses, receiving only 5 percent of the vote and losing in Waterloo, the town where she was born. Source More On Bossip! Tie The Knot: The Top 10 Engaged Couples We Can’t Wait To See Get Hitched New Couple???: 106 And Park’s Rocsi Diaz Rocks A ‘Kini And Looks Cozy With Raphael Saadiq On The Beach In Miami!! That’s Gotta Hurt: The Most Embarrassing Break-Ups Of All Time Some Afternoon Preciousness: Look At Lauryn Hill’s Daughter Selah Marley Stuntin’ Like Her Mama
