Teenager Accidentally Kills Brother While Playing With Mother’s Gun

A 14-year-old in Henry County, Georgia unintentionally shot and killed his 15-year-old brother early Saturday morning while playing with his mother’s gun, according to police. The Atlanta Journal Constitution reports that charges may be brought against the teenager and his mother, who have not yet been named. Though the mother left the handgun unloaded, the brothers were apparently still able to use it:

The brothers, along with a friend who was spending the night, had gotten the mother’s handgun, “which at the time had been unloaded,” [Police Sargent] Smith said.
“During the course of the evening and early morning hours, one of the boys had evidently loaded the weapon, Smith said. “The 14-year-old at some point pointed the weapon at his brother and pulled the trigger, which resulted in the 15-year-old being struck in the chest area.”

The number of children killed in accidental shootings increased from 68 in 2009 to 84 in 2010, reversing a 20-year decline. There were 851 accidental gun deaths of all ages in 2011, up from 606 the previous year.

Saturday’s Gun Appreciation Day provided several more examples of how responsible gun ownership can still lead to tragedy; 5 people were accidentally shot at 3 different gun shows around the country.

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Climate Silence Lives: White House Insists Mayors’ Discussion Of Climate Change Occur ‘Behind Closed Doors’

The White House continues its fatally counterproductive strategy of promoting climate silence.

Reuters reports this remarkable story:

The White House asked that a discussion about climate change at the mayors’ meeting on Thursday take place behind closed doors, frustrating some participants, even as hot button topics from immigration to gun control got public airings.

“This should be discussed openly,” said Jim Brainard, the Republican mayor of Carmel, Indiana, who co-chaired the climate panel.

White House liaison for climate change Heather Zichal led the discussion, but declined to comment on why the meeting was closed.

While one academic political scientist seems to think Obama’s climate silence is not significant, real-world politicians know the President is the only person who can single-handedly change the media coverage and public conversation — and the national agenda:

“We are looking for leadership from the president in detailing to the American people the magnitude of this issue,” [Seattle Mayor Michael] McGinn said after the meeting with about two dozen peers….

“There is a lot of call for the president to use his ‘bully pulpit’ and explain the consequences here,” said Brainard.

Hear! Hear! Or, rather, Speak! Speak! and Act! Act!

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Obama, Biden families attend church service

President Obama and his family made the short trip to St. John's Episcopal Church on Monday morning for the traditional Inauguration Day church service.

The Obamas will be joined at the service by Vice President Biden and his wife, Jill. The group made the short trip from the White House across Lafayette Square Park via motorcade.

The Rev. Luis León, pastor of St. John's Episcopal Church, will also be offering the benediction at the president's inauguration later in the morning. He replaced Atlanta pastor Louie Giglio, who removed his name from the Inaugural program after reports of anti-gay comments he made during sermons in the 1990s.

The church, which opened in 1816, has been visited by every president of the United States since then. It features a bell that was cast by the son of Revolutionary War hero Paul Revere, and also contains a special pew that is reserved for when the president is in attendance. Some early presidents, including James Madison, were communicants at St. John's. León noted that the church had hosted the preinaugural service 11 times, dating back to Franklin D. Roosevelt's swearing-in.

The sermon was given by pastor Andy Stanley from North Point Community Church in Alpharetta, who thanked the president for his work after the Newtown, Conn. school shooting, commenting that he president should be called the "Pastor in Chief."

He then delivered a sermon centered around the story of Jesus washing the feet of his disciples to show that even the most important person in the room should work as a servant.

"You leverage that power for the benefit of other people in the room," he said.  "Mr. President, you have an awfully big room."

Bishop Vacti Mckenzie then offered a blessing to the president and vice president, who prayed to "bless this administration with both favor and grace" and "give them the resources and people necessary to get the job done."

The president also tweeted during his time at the church, his first public comment of the day:

I'm honored and grateful that we have a chance to finish what we started. Our work begins today. Let's go. -bo

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) January 21, 2013

The trip outside also provided the first glance of what first lady Michelle Obama would be wearing for the day's Inaugural events. The first lady donned a navy Thom Browne coast and dress, coupled with a belt, shoes and accessories from J. Crew.

Upon returning to the White House, Obama's eldest daunter, Malia, looked to interject some levity into the day. Traveling in a separate limousine with her grandmother, Malia jumped out of the car and snuck up on the president, shouting "Boo!" as he emerged.

"You scared me!" Obama said, before entering the executive mansion with the Bidens for a coffee with congressional leaders.

This post was updated at 10:33 a.m.

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Remarks by the First Lady and Dr. Biden at the Kids Inaugural Concert

The White House

Office of the First Lady

7:45 P.M. EST

DR. BIDEN: Hello, everyone! (Applause.) Thank you for that wonderful introduction, Jaelen. I’m so proud of Jaelen, and I know you brought some other kids from Lee Hall Elementary. It’s so good to see all of you. (Applause.) Oh, they’re over there. And I want to thank your mom and your whole family for their service to our country.

J.R. Martinez, it is always wonderful to see you. Thank you for your service and all that you continue to do for our military families. The First Lady and I are so excited to be here with all these military kids.

I want to give a special welcome to some very brave kids from the Delaware Army National Guard 153rd Military Police Company. (Applause.) Just a few weeks ago, I was with them when their moms or dads were deployed to Afghanistan. I want you all to know that we are so proud of you and we will be here for you while your moms and dads are away.

The First Lady and I knew from the start that we wanted to celebrate the strength and service of our military families. That’s why we started Joining Forces -- our effort to encourage all Americans to find ways to honor and support our troops, veterans and military families. Joining Forces is especially important to me because I know something about being a military mom. Our son Beau is a major in the Delaware Army National Guard, and he was deployed to Iraq for a year. Beau has two children, Natalie and Hunter, so I know -- (applause) -- thank you -- so I know firsthand just how important it is for a child to have everyone’s support -- their friends, their teachers, and their entire community -- when mom or dad is away.

So we want tonight to be one special way that our country shows all of you just how much we appreciate everything you’re doing for our country. And we are so excited to be here with you tonight, here with everyone.

Now I would like to introduce someone else who is so proud of you and excited to be here. She’s been working so hard for military families. Please welcome my great friend and partner, First Lady Michelle Obama. (Applause.)

MRS. OBAMA: Wow. Thank you so much. Thank you, Jill. Big hand to Jill, my partner. (Applause.) How is everybody doing? (Applause.) Are you guys having fun? (Applause.) Are you excited to be here for the inauguration? (Applause.) Well, we are all excited that you could join us tonight, both here in Washington and from all across the country and around the world by video.

We’ve got kids from Fort Hood that are here. (Applause.) We’ve got folks who have joined us from Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. They’re in the house. (Applause.) We have folks from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base here. (Applause.) We’ve got folks from Camp Pendleton who are here with us. (Applause.) And we’ve got Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater here as well. (Applause.) Yes!

And for the wonderful kids from Naval Air Station Sigonella who led the Pledge of Allegiance -- (applause) -- yes! -- we have some very special guests that are here as well -- your parents! (Applause.) Those are your parents. So let’s give them a round of applause. We’ve beamed them in. (Applause.) They’re right there. Wave to them. They can see you. (Applause.)

Now, inauguration is a pretty big deal. The President and the Vice President are sworn in. There are all these inaugural balls, everybody dresses up and dances. We had a wonderful day of service today, and hundreds of thousands of people come from all 50 states to join in the celebration. And let me tell you, I love every single minute of it. Every single minute. But I have to tell you that my very favorite part of this entire weekend is being right here with all of you. (Applause.) Absolutely. Because for me, this is what inauguration is all about. It’s about celebrating who we are as Americans and all the things that make this country so great. And when I think about who we are, when I think about what makes America great, I think about all of you --our men and women in uniform, our military spouses, and our amazing military kids.

And that’s why Jill and I wanted to host this event. And we’re not the only ones that wanted to pay tribute to all of you today. You see, when we said we wanted to host a concert to honor our military kids, let me tell you, everyone wanted to be here. Usher wanted to be here. (Applause.) Katy Perry wanted to be here. (Applause.) Nick Cannon, the folks from Glee, and all the other amazing performers -- they wanted to be here, too. (Applause.) And let me tell you, they’re not here for me. They’re not here for Dr. Biden. They are here for all of you. Because they know the kind of sacrifices that you all make every single day.

Let me just share something. Did you know that the -- that a military kid attends an average of six to nine schools by the time he or she graduates from high school? I mean, just think about that. Just imagine how much courage it takes to always be the new kid -- to walk through the doors of a new school every couple of years; to have to make new friends again and again. And did you know that our men and women in uniform often have to be away from their families for months, sometimes years.

Just think about the level of maturity that is required for military kids during those times, just think about that. Think about how they have to step up at home without even being asked -- taking out the trash when dad’s not there; helping brothers and sisters with their homework when mom is away.

Think about how hard it is for military kids to be apart from the people they love most, how they miss their moms and dads every day and would do anything to have them back home. And that’s just a glimpse of what it means to be a military kid. It means always thinking about things that are so much bigger than yourself. It means growing up just a little faster and working just a little harder than other kids. And it means doing the greatest thing you can ever do with your life at such a young age, and that is to serve our country.

So to America’s military kids, let me tell you, make no mistake about it, you all are an important part of the greatest military on Earth. (Applause.) By supporting your families, you all are helping to protect this country and keep every single one of us safe. You’re doing that. And Dr. Biden and I are so incredibly proud of you all. Every day, we’re proud of you. Let me tell you, our husbands are proud -- the Vice President, the President -- they are proud of you.

And in the coming years, as these wars draw to an end and we draw down our troops, I want you all to know --(applause) -- absolutely -- but here’s the thing: I want you to know, you and your families to know that we will not be drawing down our work to support you. We will be doing just the opposite, because the fact is that today we have a greater obligation to serve you than ever before. And we will do everything in our power, everything to meet that obligation to make sure that our military families get the benefits they’ve earned and the support and recognition you all deserve.

So in the coming months and years through Joining Forces, Dr. Biden and I, we will keep calling on Americans to translate the love and pride that we all feel into action that makes a real difference for you and your families. Every single one of us has a role to play here. And I encourage everyone watching tonight to go to JoiningForces.gov and find out how you can give back to our military families. Because we cannot rest, no, we cannot be satisfied until we are serving all of you as well as you’ve served this country. You all deserve nothing less.

And with that, there is someone else here tonight who would like to show her appreciation for you all. She is our final performer for this evening. Should we bring her out? Are you ready? (Applause.) Are you really ready? (Applause.) All right, then. It is now my pleasure to introduce the fabulous Katy Perry!

Visit WhiteHouse.gov for complete coverage of the Presidential Inauguration.

Doris Kearns Goodwin, Robert Caro, Michael Beschloss, and Douglass Brinkley have written more than a dozen books about American presidents, and they have some thoughts about the 2013 Inauguration.

In two separate, private ceremonies, President Obama and Vice President Biden are officially sworn into office, marking the start of the second term.

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Second Inaugural Drinking Game: Climate Change (aka Sobriety) Edition

Since the inaugural address is in the middle of the day, I propose the following drinking game:

The first time the President uses the phrase “climate change” or “global warming,” down the drink of your choice.The second time, empty out the liquor cabinet.The third time, it’s a weekend in Las Vegas with Charlie Sheen or Chelsea Handler.

This is best called a sobriety game, given the Administration’s obsession with climate silence (see “Team Obama Launched The Inane Strategy Of Downplaying Climate Change Back In March 2009“).

Given that Obama called for increasing fossil fuel production in his last State Of The Union address, and given that we don’t want you plastered before all the parties tonight, I’m adding this:

Every time Obama talks up domestic oil production, drink one cup of coffee.Every time Obama talks up domestic natural gas production, drink one cup of non-herbal tea.

Finally, if Obama mentions “clean coal,” check yourself into the Betty Ford clinic just to be safe.

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Schumer Rips GOP Senator’s Pro-Gun Propaganda: ‘That Just Is Dumb’

Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) debunked Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX)’s pro gun advocacy during a debate on Meet the Press this Sunday, dismissing his arguments as “just dumb.”

Discussing his opposition to President Obama’s gun safety plan, Cruz suggested that increasing gun access among poor women in urban neighborhoods could reduce violent crime, argued that an assault weapon ban would be unconstitutional and accused the administration of exploiting the shooting in Newtown, Connecticut to advance a “partisan agenda.” Schumer, a long-time gun safety advocate fired back. He pointed out that the Supreme Court decision in DC v. Heller established an individual right to bear arms, but gave the government wide latitude to regulate guns:

SCHUMER: Heller also said that there should be reasonable limitations, that they’re allowed reasonable limitations. I don’t think that lady needs an assault weapon. I don’t think she needs a 100-round clip. I don’t think, for instance, that those things would help her in any way. So so to say she has a right to bear arms: yes. To say, just like on the first amendment — we say you can’t scream “fire” in a crowd falsely, we have anti-pornography laws, anti-libel laws. There are reasonable limitations. And the NRA [National Rifle Association], in many instances, doesn’t believe in any limitation at all. That’s not unconstitutional. That just is dumb.

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Indeed, to quote Justice Scalia’s decision in Heller, “nothing in our opinion should be taken to cast doubt on longstanding prohibitions on the possession of firearms by felons and the mentally ill, or laws forbidding the carrying of firearms in sensitive places such as schools and government buildings, or laws imposing conditions and qualifications on the commercial sale of arms.” The ruling also allows limitations on ownership of “dangerous and unusual” weapons — like, for example, the ones restricted in assault weapons bans.

Moreover, the idea that poor urban neighborhoods would be helped by easier access to guns has it exactly backwards. David Kennedy, an expert on urban gun violence at City University of New York, has found that lax gun laws unequivocally contribute heavily to violence in cities: “The more we have learned about how concentrated gun offending is – this is, for all practical purposes, entirely a problem of seasoned criminal offenders – gang activity and drug market activity and robbery, homicide, all that sort of thing – the more evident it’s become that there are these very commonsense ways of intervening with them to quite dramatically sometimes reduce their violence. And the commonsense package on this has always been to work both sides. You do something about how to get guns and you do something about how they use guns.”

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Jennifer Granholm Destroys Santorum’s Opposition To Gun Safety: ‘Why Do You Need An Armor Piercing Bullet?’

Former Republican presidential candidate and likely 2016 contender Rick Santorum dismissed the need for gun safety regulations during an appearance on ABC’s This Week Sunday, arguing that Americans should have access to military-style weapons and magazines, including the armor piercing bullets used by criminals to kill cops.

During a heated exchange with former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm, Santorum argued that Obama should have focused on restricting access violent Hollywood movies and video games, rather than limiting the availability of assault weapons or high capacity magazines. Asked why American gun owners needed such powerful firearms and bullets that are often used by criminals to kill police officers, Santorum briefly hesitated, before insisting that Americans have a right to defend themselves with the most dangerous weapons:

GRANHOLM: Why do you need armor-piercing bullets, why do you need that?

SANTORUM: Because we’re talking about a particular type of bullet that is and can be available –

GRANHOLM: Deer don’t wear armor. Why do you need an armor piercing bullet?

SANTORUM: Criminals could and having, having…

GRANHOLM: And police officers certainly do…

SANTORUM: And having the ability to defend yourself is a right in our country.

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New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg — a stach advocate of gun safety — has railed against armor piercing bullets, arguing that they pose high risks to police officers. Police departments and prosecutors across the country supporting restricting access to such ammunition. As Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta asked troops at the U.S. Army Garrison Vicenza in Italy this week, “I mean who the hell needs armor-piercing bullets except you guys in battle?”

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Obama to officially nominate new Cabinet secretaries

President Obama will formally nominate three top Cabinet posts and the next director of the Central Intelligence agency (CIA) while at the Capitol on Monday for his inauguration.

The nominations, all of which have been previously announced, include former Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) to replace Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) to replace Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and White House chief of staff Jack Lew to replace Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner. 

Obama is also nominating national security adviser John Brennan to head the CIA, replacing acting irector Michael Morell, who has held the post since the resignation of former director David Petraeus.

The White House also announced that Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki would be the Cabinet official sitting out the inaugural festivities, a security precaution taken for large collections of top leaders. Shinseki is sixteenth on the presidential line of succession, above only Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano.

Obama will also sign a proclamation to commemorate the inauguration while at the Capitol. View Comments

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Joe Scarborough: Republicans Only Kept House Majority Because Of Gerrymandering

MSNBC host and former Republican Congressman Joe Scarborough admitted on Sunday that Republicans only kept their majority in the House of Representatives as a result of gerrymandering, noting that the GOP received less votes than Democrats in the 2012 election. Scarborough argued that Republicans must prevent radical ultra-conservative voices from dominating the party’s message and pointed out that the GOP is already losing electoral ground among voters who view it as too extreme and out of touch with middle class Americans:

SCARBOROUGH: William F. Buckley in the 1960s at some point had to start defining the boundaries of conservatism. He went after the John Birch Society, Ayn Rand, George Wallace. That has to happen again with this party because it’s getting smaller and smaller. In this debate, we actually have conservative thinkers, talking about ronald reagan being a RINO — a Republican in name only, because he supported an assault weapons ban. They keep pushing themselves closer and closer to the cliff. But I just have to say one other really important point, because I made a mistake over the past month talking about how Republicans have also won a majority in the House. As this article I was referencing mentioned, we actually got a minority of votes nationwide in House races. It was just gerrymandering from 2010 that gave us the majority.

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Indeed, a recent Republican State Leadership Committee report boasted that the only reason the GOP controls the House of Representatives is because state legislatures gerrymandered congressional districts in blue states. “Controlling the redistricting process in these states would have the greatest impact on determining how both state legislative and congressional district boundaries would be drawn,” the report reads.

“Aggregated numbers show voters pulled the lever for Republicans only 49 percent of the time in congressional races, suggesting that 2012 could have been a repeat of 2008, when voters gave control of the White House and both chambers of Congress to Democrats. But, as we see today, that was not the case.”

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