Free Republic

With hindsight, a low-key dinner with close family and friends would probably have been more appropriate. But the small matter of a multi-trillion dollar debt crisis was not going to stop President Barack Obama pulling out all the stops for his birthday party. There has been speculation for days as to whether the President was going to make it to his own fundraising 50th birthday party - a lavish affair at a $40,000 a night ballroom in Chicago, with Dreamgirls star Jennifer Hudson booked to sing for the birthday boy. But with the announcement last night that a debt deal...

Back in June, the president told NPR that what he really wanted for his 50th birthday was a debt ceiling deal. He got that gift, of course, just two days ahead of his birthday today. But at a fundraiser that doubled as a birthday celebration last night, the president acknowledged that few are happy with the way the deal was reached. While the debate over the debt limit may have discouraged his supporters, particularly progressives, the president said during his fundraising events that the struggle proved just how important the next election is. "We've already seen over the last week...

Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday to me, I’m narcissistic you see, Happy birthday to me. It’s the perfect romance: a man who loves to be loved and, well, his biggest fan – himself. It’s hard to tell if we should mark August 4 as Barack Obama’s 50th birthday or his 50th anniversary with himself. In ordinary times, a concept now long-forgotten in Washington, we’d commemorate the president’s birthday with cake and candles. This anniversary is appropriately marked by the red ink of debt –- trillions more than ever before. “One nation under debt” should be our new motto as...