Jezebel: White House

JFK Memoir or Bad Erotic Fiction?

Doug Barry — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 11:45:00 EST

The New York Post, one of the most respected names in lurid journalism, has obtained a copy of a new "tell-all" memoir by Mimi Alford, a woman who claims to have had a pretty skeezy affair with President John F. Kennedy when she was a 19-year-old summer intern at the White House. A faithful Post scribe has copied and summarized some of the sexiest (or creepiest) passages from the memoir — which will be released this Wednesday — including Alford and Kennedy's first alleged encounter in "Mrs. Kennedy's room." More »

The Catholic Church Really Doesn’t Want to Pay for Your Magdalene Pills

Doug Barry — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 13:30:00 EST

The Catholic Church responded Friday to the White House's defense of new rules that will force many religious employers to provide contraception to their workers in government-mandated health plans with the grace and dignity you'd expect from an organization that used to sell raffle tickets for Heaven, that is, with very little grace and dignity. More »

Gay Newlyweds Receive Mysterious Congratulatory Letter From White House

Margaret Hartmann — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 22:22:44 EST

President Obama hasn't thrown his full support behind legalizing same-sex marriage, but he did send a card congratulating Matt Katz on his marriage in Brooklyn over the summer. It's pretty cool of the President — and also a little creepy since Katz and his husband have no idea why they received a belated thumbs up from the White House. Katz told Buzzfeed: More »

The White House Got Some Cute Trick-Or-Treaters

Cassie Murdoch — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 11:35:00 EDT

White House Lawn Now Features Top Secret Gaping Hole

Margaret Hartmann — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 11:20:00 EDT

For the past 17 months a giant hole has been dug in front of the White House, leaving the pipes below the Oval Office exposed. It's one of Michelle's damn nutrition-police gardens gone awry, isn't it? Er, no. Government agencies insist they're just updating the building's air-conditioning and electrical systems, which for some reason necessitates tight-lipped construction workers filing in and out of the hole, and lowering huge concrete blocks several stories underground. But that's just how they do heating and cooling in D.C.! Or is it? More »

Michelle Obama Frequently Sneaks Out Of White House For Secret Peasant-Style Shopping Trips

Erin Gloria Ryan — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 19:15:00 EDT

First Lady and steel biceps possessor Michelle Obama deals with unimaginable scrutiny every day of her life, and to escape the pressures of the White House, she frequently ducks out and goes shopping, often undetected by the general public. Is our President's wife a ninja? More »

First Woman Named Chief Usher At The White House, Whatever That Means

Margaret Hartmann — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 10:20:00 EDT

Actually, it's a big deal, just with an underwhelming title. The White House announced this week that Angella Reid, a Ritz-Carlton executive, has been appointed Chief Usher. Reid will be the first woman to hold the position, which involves overseeing all White House operation and activities, including tours, state dinners, and the historic preservation of the mansion. Okay, there's got to be something to describe this position that's better than "usher." More »

White House Now Brewing Its Own Beer

Margaret Hartmann — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 17:45:00 EST

At the annual White House Super Bowl party the Obamas served White House Honey Ale, a beer made with one pound of honey from a bee hive in Michelle's garden. Call us when they brew a batch of Four Loko. More »

Sasha Obama Practices Her Chinese With Hu Jintao

Margaret Hartmann — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 13:32:00 EST

Sasha Obama, who like most 9-year-old Americans is learning Chinese, practiced speaking the language with Hu Jintao during the state dinner. There's no word on what she said, but we suspect it was something about Tibet or U.S. monetary policy. More »

Mini-Obamas Keep President Grounded

Lauri Apple — Sat, 27 Nov 2010 13:40:24 EST

POTUS and FLOTUS Obama caught up with Barbara Walters to talk about Thanksgiving, Sarah Palin, and other American treasures, and the president gave daughters Malia and Sasha credit for helping him keep "his bearings." Aw. More »

Michelle Spots The Great Pumpkin

Margaret Hartmann — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 12:45:00 EDT

[Washington, October 20: Michelle Obama harvests pumpkins with local 5th graders from Bancroft Elementary as they participate in the White House Kitchen Garden Fall Harvest. Image via Getty.]

Michelle's Looking In The Pink

Margaret Hartmann — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 09:23:00 EDT

[Washington, D.C., September 21: President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama attend a ceremony to present the Medal of Honor posthumously to the sons of Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Richard L. Etchberger. Image via AP.]

Michelle Obama Gets Ready To Spar

Margaret Hartmann — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 18:31:00 EDT

[Washington, D.C., Septembr 7: First Lady Michelle Obama delivers remarks during the first White House Dance Series. The event honored Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Artistic Director Judith Jamison, a renowned modern dancer and choreographer. Image via Getty.]

White House Unveils Cutting-Edge Oval Office Redesign

Margaret Hartmann — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 10:21:00 EDT

While President Obama was on vacation, new neutral-colored wallpaper, couches, rugs, and lamps were installed in the Oval Office. Looks crazy, right? The White House says the renovation was paid for with surplus campaign funds, but won't reveal the cost. More »

Women March To The Beat Of The 19th Amendment

Margaret Hartmann — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 13:57:00 EDT

[Washington, D.C., August 26. League of Women Voters marches in front of the White House on the 90th anniversary of the 19th Amendment to bring attention to the fact that D.C. residents still lack representation in Congress. Image via Getty]

I Can See Russia From My House

Anna Holmes — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 17:10:00 EDT

[Washington, D.C., June 24. Image via Official White House Photostream]

Herb Your Enthusiasm

Anna Holmes — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 16:10:00 EDT

[Washington, D.C., June 4. Image via AP]

Adorable Obama Video Sparks Controversy

Margaret Hartmann — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 15:40:00 EDT

Video has surfaced of the entire Obama family singing "Hey Jude" at a White House event honoring Paul McCartney. Though President Obama mentioned the Gulf Coast, critics say singing as oil gushes into the ocean is tone-deaf. [NYT, VillageVoice] More »

Give Me A Break

Anna Holmes — Wed, 26 May 2010 09:10:00 EDT

[Washington, D.C., May 25. Image via Getty]

After The Fall

Anna Holmes — Wed, 19 May 2010 19:50:00 EDT

[Washington, D.C., May 19. Image via AP]

Bright Star

Anna Holmes — Thu, 06 May 2010 14:10:00 EDT

[Washington, D.C.., May 5. Image via Getty]

Walk This Way

Anna Holmes — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 16:10:00 EDT

[Washington, D.C., April 22. Image via AP]

Casey Anthony's Prison Buddies Speak • Teen Sues Mom Over Facebook Slander

Katy Kelleher — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 17:40:00 EDT

• Casey Anthony's former jail-house friend recently told police that Anthony confessed to "knocking out" her 2-year-old daughter with chloroform so she could go out and party. She also gave several different accounts of Caylee's disappearance, including: More »

The Season Of The Witch

Anna Holmes — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 18:15:00 EDT

[Washington, April 5. Image via Getty]

Have A Heart

Anna Holmes — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 13:10:00 EDT

[Washington, D.C., April 5. Image via Getty]

We Are Family

Anna Holmes — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 09:10:00 EDT

[Washington, D.C., March 29. Image via Official White House Photostream]

By George, I Think She's Got It

Anna Holmes — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 19:10:00 EST

[Washington, D.C., March 8. Image via Getty]

What Does The White House Social Secretary Do Anyway?

Anna North — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 09:30:00 EST

Outgoing White House Social Secretary Desiree Rogers will be replaced by Democratic fundraiser Julianna Smoot, and one strategist says the "social aspect of the job will be a little bit secondary for her." But what is the Social Secretary's job? More »

Days Of Wine And Poses

Anna Holmes — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 09:10:00 EST

[Washington, D.C., February 21. Image via Getty]

Oh Happy Day

Anna Holmes — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 18:10:00 EST

[Washington, D.C., February 9. Image via Getty]

Snow Angel

Anna Holmes — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 09:10:00 EST

[Washington, D.C., February 9. Image via AP]

Executive Branches

Anna Holmes — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 09:10:00 EST

[Washington, D.C., February 2. Image via Getty]

Helen Thomas On The Role Of The Reporter:

Katy Kelleher — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 09:40:00 EST

"[Presidents] hate the press really...Everything they do is accountable to the American people and that's why we're there. We're the watchdogs. And I think everything belongs to the public domain practically, except for where the atomic arsenal is." [NPR] More »

Cindy McCain Models For Marriage • Polanski's Prosecutors Motivated By Politics?

Katy Kelleher — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 17:30:00 EST

• Cindy McCain has posed for an ad for the No H8 campaign - in 2008, John McCain endorsed the measure. Is there about to be a same sex marriage mutiny in the McCain household? • More »

Garden-Gate: Food Network Uses Faux Obama Veggies • Cat Saves Family From Fire

Katy Kelleher — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 17:30:00 EST

• The Obamas have been involved in a "veg scam," according to the NY Post. The vegetables used for the January 3rd Iron Chef White House Special were not, in fact, from the first lady's garden. • More »

Crash The Crashers' Party

Katy Kelleher — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 09:45:00 EST

According to "sources," professional famewhores Michelle and Tareq Salahi have been offered $5,000 to host a party at a nightclub in Las Vegas. The Salahis will be playing host at Pure later this month. [NYP, TMZ] More »

Decorating The Oval Office: Obama Swaps Texas Theme For MLK Items

Margaret Hartmann — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 13:45:00 EST

Though President Obama opted not to launch a major redecorating project in the Oval Office, he has gradually made the room his own, replacing Bush-era Texas landscapes and decorative plates with civil rights movement memorabilia and Native American art. [AP] More »

Hit Me With Your Best Shot

Dodai Stewart — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 09:10:00 EST

[Washington, DC; December 20. Image via The Official White House Photostream.]

Bo Reduces Michelle & Oprah To Baby Talk

Dodai Stewart — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 09:20:00 EST

Nothing forces a serious conversation to grind to a halt like a puppy. "He has tricks!" Additional stills below. More »

Don't Be Tardy To The Strangely-Controversial Obama Party

Sadie Stein — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 13:40:00 EST

It may be "one of the hottest holiday events for the nation's Jewish elite," but the December 16th menorah-fest has been called a half-assed exercise in "studied callousness." Others have just invoked latkes. A lot. More »