Jay Carney at a White House press briefing last March. (Photo: Getty)

White House Press Secretary Jay Carney responded to a plea from a group of sixth graders who had their tour of the presidential residence canceled due to the so-called "sequester" cuts in a press briefing this afternoon. Mr. Carney described the situation as "extremely unfortunate," but unavoidable due to the $85 billion in automatic budget cuts that took effect March 1 after lawmwakers were unable to reach a deficit reduction deal.

"The President and the First Lady have throughout the time that they’ve been here made extraordinary efforts to make this the people’s house, and it is extremely unfortunate that we have a situation like the sequester that compels the kinds of tradeoffs and decisions that this represents," Mr. Carney said. "The fact is the Secret Service, like other agencies of government, is affected by the sequester. And the Secret Service presented options that ranged from canceling tours to potential furloughs and cuts in overtime. And in order to allow the Secret Service to best fulfill its core mission, the White House made the decision that we would, unfortunately, have to temporarily suspend these tours."

The White House announced the decision to cancel tours due to the sequester cuts on Tuesday. According to the Secret Service, the tours cost the agency tasked with protecting the President and his family $74,000 a week. Because of the cancellations, a group of sixth grade students from St. Paul's Lutheran School in Iowa will miss out on their planned March 16 field trip to the White House. The sixth graders released a filmed plea to the White House to "please let us visit!" on the school's Facebook page yesterday.

In the briefing, Mr. Carney described the decision to cancel tours as a choice between letting guests visit the White House or cutting pay for Secret Service agents.

"The issue here is a choice between potential furloughs--and that's not just an issue that goes to the Secret Service mission, but also the individuals affected," said Mr. Carney. "We're talking about pay cuts and overtime cuts or a choice to suspend tours. And I'm not suggesting it's a happy choice, but it is one that we had to make."

Mr. Carney also urged Congress to make a deficit reduction deal and suggested that might allow the children's trip to be rescheduled.

"We are obviously disappointed about that kind of decision, but it would have been far better, in our view, if Congress had taken action to delay the sequester in the very same way they took action two months ago -- two and a half months ago, to delay the sequester to avoid just this kind of outcome," Mr. Carney said.

(Photo: Getty)

Beyoncé Knowles may or may not have sung the "Star Spangled Banner" at President Barack Obama's inauguration, but the country's executive branch seems disinclined to find out.

Ever since reports first accused Ms. Knowles of lip-syncing the patriotic anthem, inaugural news coverage has sharply focused on the issue, including front-page treatment from New York City's two tabloid dailies. Yet asked about the ongoing controversy during today's media briefing, Mr. Obama's press secretary, Jay Carney, had no significant comment on the matter.

"I actually have no idea what's true and what's not," Mr. Carney reportedly said, further claiming to have had zero conversations with the president about whether Ms. Knowles did, in fact, lip-sync the song.

Mr. Carney also suggested question itself was not worth responding to, sarcastically applauding the press for paying so much attention to the "important issues."

"I don't think it's a particularly important issue to address from the podium here," he said. “I'm glad you guys are focused on the important issues of the day."

(Photo: Getty)

Since last Friday's massacre at a Newtown, Connecticut elementary school, President Barack Obama has used vague phrases like "meaningful action" to express his administration's response to the slaying, while avoiding delving too far into specific plans. At a media briefing earlier today, however, White House press secretary Jay Carney listed some of the gun control measures Mr. Obama would actually support.

"He is actively supportive of, for example, Senator Feinstein’s stated intent to revive a piece of legislation that would reinstate the assault weapons ban," Mr. Carney said. “He supports and would support legislation that addresses the problem of the so-called 'gun show loophole,' and there are other elements of gun legislation that he could support. People have talked about [restricting] high capacity ammunition clips, for example. That is certainly something he would be interested in looking at. My point is that it goes beyond that."

Of course, left unsaid is how much political capital Mr. Obama is willing to spend to back this legislation. Advocates, including New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, have been pushing Mr. Obama to actively push these measures through Congress rather than simply await a bill to arrive on his desk. But Mr. Carney did say the wavering of some pro-gun legislators, like West Virginia's Democratic Senator Joe Manchin, gave Mr. Obama confidence.

"He is heartened, I should mention, by what we have all heard from some members of Congress who have been longtime opponents of gun control measures, commonsense gun control measures like the assault weapons ban," Mr. Carney added. "In fact, not long before I came out here he was on the phone with Senator Manchin discussing just this issue."

Jerrold Nadler. (Photo: Getty)

In the wake of the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, that, as of this writing, left at least 27 people dead including the alleged gunman and 18 children, Congressman Jerry Nadler issued an impassioned statement calling for stricter gun control legislation.

"I am absolutely horrified by news of the cold-blooded shooting of dozens of children in Newtown, Connecticut. Yet another unstable person has gotten access to firearms and committed an unspeakable crime against innocent children," Mr. Nadler said. "We cannot simply accept this as a routine product of modern American life. If now is not the time to have a serious discussion about gun control and the epidemic of gun violence plaguing our society, I don’t know when is. How many more Columbines and Newtowns must we live through? I am challenging President Obama, the Congress, and the American public to act on our outrage and, finally, do something about this."

Following the mass shooting at a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, last July gun control advocates, including Mayor Michael Bloomberg, blasted the White House for not starting a discussion about gun control in the aftermath of that attack. At a press conference this morning, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney was asked whether today's shooting would cause gun control to be a higher priority for President Barack Obama.

"There is, I'm sure will be, rather, a day for discussion of the usual Washington policy debates," Mr. Carney said. "But I don't think today is that day."

Jay Carney (Photo: Getty)

The White House Press Office made a rather amusing error when they sent out the transcript of Press Secretary Jay Carney's afternoon briefing. In the transcript, Mr. Carney's answer to a question about rumors Vogue editrix Anna Wintour could be the ambassador to the United Kingdom was identified as coming from "Mrs. Obama" rather than the president's spokesman.

The original transcript was sent out shortly before 6 p.m. A corrected version was re-distributed about twenty minutes ago with the First Lady's name struck through and replaced with Mr. Carney's.

In the briefing, Mr. Carney did not comment on the rumors about Ms. Wintour's potential diplomatic career.

"I have no personnel announcements to make, and I’ll leave it at that," he said.

Unlike couture maven Michelle Obama, Mr. Carney normally wouldn't come to mind when discussing fashion, which may have led to this slip of the keyboard. View the transcript correction below.

A moment from the final presidential debate. (Photo: Getty)

Earlier today, the White House announced President Barack Obama and his one-time rival, Mitt Romney, would be sitting down for a bite to eat tomorrow, but outside of the event being scheduled no additional information was provided. Various journalists, naturally, weren't satisfied and attempted to score more details from Mr. Obama's press secretary, Jay Carney. They mostly did not succeed.

However, we did learn Mr. Obama is not planning to offer Mr. Romney a cabinet secretary position tomorrow, or at least that's not his intention. Additionally, the president was the one to invite Mr. Romney, instead of the other way around, but apparently has no specific questions in mind for his former opponent. And no, despite an earnest request, they won't reconsider opening the meeting to the press.

"I appreciate the request, but we’re going to let the two men, who spent a great deal of time in the public eye over the course of the past year, both of them, have a private lunch together," Mr. Carney explained.

Below you can find the official White House transcript of their back-and-forth on the topic:

Q One is, you all announced this morning a meeting tomorrow, at lunch, between the President and Mitt Romney. What does the President expect to get out of that meeting? Certainly during the campaign they didn’t seem to agree on much, but is there overlap in their positions on certain things that they could discuss?

MR. CARNEY: Let me take tomorrow’s lunch first. During his news conference two weeks ago, the President said that there are aspects of Governor Romney’s record and Governor Romney’s ideas that he believes could be very helpful. The President noted that Governor Romney did a terrific job running the Olympics and that that skills set lends itself to ideas that could make the federal government work better, which is a passion of the President’s. As you know, he’s requested reorganization authority from the Congress to do just that.

I don’t have an agenda for the lunch. The President, as he said then, looked forward to having this meeting with Governor Romney. It’s a private lunch; only the two men will be in the room. And I’m sure it will be a useful discussion.

Q A couple of quick follows on previously asked questions. The meeting with Romney -- can you give us a little bit on how that came about? Did the President call and invite him? When? And the President I think said he respects his ability to create efficiencies in the Olympics -- that’s a rough memory. Does he have a specific ask of Governor Romney in the meeting?

MR. CARNEY: He does not have a specific ask. I’m sure that the topics will be many in their lunch. The President noted during the press conference that Governor Romney was very successful in running the Olympics. He was obviously a successful businessman and I’m sure has some ideas that the President will find helpful. But I don’t want to -- I don’t have an agenda for you and I don’t have outcomes before the meeting itself.

The way it came about was that the President expressed interest in the immediate aftermath of the election in meeting with Governor Romney, and so the staffs of the two men got together and worked out a time for that to happen, and that time is tomorrow.

Q One more about the meeting, the lunch tomorrow. The language that you're using today about the meeting and about Governor Romney's strengths and what we heard the President say in the press conference, it reminds me a little bit of what was being said last January when we were talking about the reorganization of the Commerce Department. Is Governor Romney here tomorrow in some kind of Cabinet-level position? (Laughter.) In some kind of audition for that position?

MR. CARNEY: No.

Q Beyond that, is there some kind of reorganization in the Commerce Department where Governor Romney could play a role?

MR. CARNEY: Again, there is -- the President does not have a specific assignment in mind for the Governor. He looks forward to discussing with Governor Romney a variety of issues, including the President's interest in making the federal government more efficient -- an interest that was demonstrated by that very broad proposal that he put forward asking Congress for reorganization authority, the same authority that Presidents up through Reagan had had for a long time -- and adding what he felt was a helpful enticement, which is that he would only use that authority with the promise that any action he took to reorganize government would result in savings to the federal government. And that’s what his proposal with regards to all the entities in government that deal with exports and commerce would do.

Q Jay, the strengths that Governor Romney brings do comport with the kind of vision that the President has for that reorganization --

MR. CARNEY: Well, I think Governor Romney has many strengths, but I know that the President will look forward to having a discussion about broadly the issues of government efficiency.

Q Jay, both then-candidates for the Oval Office seemed to have such disdain for one another, particularly when they were debating. What is the President's stand on his emotions and his feelings with Mitt Romney now? (Laughter.)

MR. CARNEY: Well, first of all, I would say that elections are serious business, and they tend to represent a clash of ideas and they're hard fought. And it's certainly no different this time than it has been in every election that I've been around for and covered in the past.

But the President, as he said in the aftermath of the election, believes that Governor Romney has ideas that he's interested in that were developed through some of the experiences that Governor Romney has had in his life, and he looks forward to discussing them with Governor Romney.

I think the President feels pretty good about how the election turned out, if that’s what you mean. (Laughter.)

Bill.

Q How long is the lunch for? Is it an hour, hour and a half, two?

MR. CARNEY: I don’t have an end time for you. I think it will be a substantial lunch, if not on the plate than in the discussion.

Q Just one -- would you please reconsider opening the President’s meeting with Mitt Romney to press coverage since it’s -- (laughter) -- no, just so -- to cameras, because it’s closed coverage and this was an historic election. This is the first time they’re meeting, and I would just respectfully request --

MR. CARNEY: I appreciate the request, but we’re going to let the two men, who spent a great deal of time in the public eye over the course of the past year, both of them, have a private lunch together.

Jay Carney at a White House press briefing in March. (Photo: Getty)

White House Press Secretary Jay Carney talked to reporters about Mayor Michael Bloomberg's endorsement of President Barack Obama before Air Force One landed in Las Vegas this afternoon. However, Mr. Carney didn't have much to say about the announcement, because the president has yet to communicate with his newest high-profile backer.

According to the White House press pool report, Mr. Carney didn't have any statement on the matter since he said he hadn't talked about it with the president either. In fact, Mr. Carney said he wasn't even sure whether the president was aware of the endorsement.

Mayor Bloomberg made his announcement in a lengthy essay posted in an op-ed written for the online editorial section of his eponymous media company. He said his main reason for the last-minute endorsement was the president's policies on climate change, which he described as an issue that's "too important" to ignore in the wake of the devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy in New York City and elsewhere.

Sarah Palin (Photo: Getty)

Former Alaska governor and 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin sparked a controversy yesterday when she posted a note on her Facebook page accusing President Barack Obama of engaging in a "shuck and jive shtick" with "lies" about the attack on the U.S. Consulate in Libya last month. The term "shuck and jive" originated in the Deep South and has been used as a derogatory description of African-Americans. After Ms. Palin faced accusations her use of the phrase was racist, she fired back with another Facebook note that pointed to past uses of the term by Governor Andrew Cuomo, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney, and MSNBC's Chris Matthews.

"For the record, there was nothing remotely racist in my use of the phrase 'shuck and jive'–a phrase which many people have used, including Chris Matthews, Andrew Cuomo, and White House Press Secretary Jay Carney to name a few off the top of my head," Ms. Palin wrote. "In fact, Andrew Cuomo also used the phrase in reference to Barack Obama, and the fact that Mr. Cuomo and I used the phrase in relation to President Obama signifies nothing out of the ordinary."

Mr. Cuomo, who supported Hillary Clinton's presidential bid in 2008, used the phrase to describe her opponents (including Mr. Obama) during that year's presidential primary.

"You can’t shuck and jive at a press conference. All those moves you can make with the press don’t work when you’re in someone’s living room," Mr. Cuomo said.

Politicker reached out to Mr. Cuomo's office to see if they have a comment on Ms. Palin's note. As of this writing, we have yet to receive a response.

Mr. Matthews used the phrase in 2010 to describe his MSNBC colleague, Rachel Maddow. Mr. Carney used the phrase at a White House press briefing last year to describe himself.

After listing other high-profile figures who have used the phrase, Ms. Palin went on to defend herself by pointing out that many people use phrases she has deemed potentially offensive to Eskimos.

"I’ve been known to use the phrase most often when chastising my daughter Piper to stop procrastinating and do her homework. As she is part Yup’ik Eskimo, I’m not sure if this term would be deemed offensive when it’s directed at her or if it would be considered benign as in the case of Chris Matthews’ use of it in reference to Rachel Maddow," Ms. Palin wrote. "Just to be careful, from now on I’ll avoid using it with Piper, and I would appreciate it if the media refrained from using words and phrases like igloo, Eskimo Pie, and 'when hell freezes over,' as they might be considered offensive by my extended Alaska Native family."

Ms. Palin's husband, Todd, is one-quarter Yup'ik Eskimo and her children are one-eighth Eskimo.

Robert Gibbs (Photo: Wikipedia)

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. -- The Obama administration has been criticized for offering evolving, confusing explanations for the cause of last month's attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya. However, current senior Obama campaign advisor and former White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs thinks his successor in the press office handled the situation well. 

Politicker spotted Mr. Gibbs walking through the press filing room at tonight's presidential debate. We asked him for his take on White House Press Secretary Jay Carney's handling of the Libya attack.

"I think the press secretary's handled it well because he's told people what we know when we knew it," Mr. Gibbs said.

We wanted to ask Mr. Gibbs more about his thoughts on the White House's public statements after the incident, but he walked behind a curtain and an aide told the reporters who were accompanying him that we weren't permitted to follow.

"Guys, you can't come back here," she said.

President Obama boarding Air Force One this morning at Andrew Air Force Base. (Photo: Getty)

Air Force One had a close encounter of the Ahmadinejad kind on the way to a campaign event in Ohio this afternoon. According to the press pool report, President Barack Obama's plane passed by the jet being used by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at Andrews Air Force base in Maryland.

"As Air Force One taxied down the runway at Andrews, plane passed Iran Air, which is parked at the air base, presumably waiting there before spiriting Mahmoud Ahmadinejad home. The Iranian plane is a handsome-looking white 747," wrote pool reporter Helene Cooper of The New York Times.

Mr. Ahmadinejad is on American soil to attend the U.N. General Assembly where he delivered a fiery, messianic speech this morning in which he criticized the U.S. government for "following an international policy of bullying" and predicted the world will soon witness "the arrival of the ultimate savior," the Twelfth Imam, Muhammad al-Mahdi, a holy figure to Twelver Shi'ia Muslims.

After Air Force One took off, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney and President Obama's campaign press secretary, Jen Psaki, discussed the U.N. General Assembly with reporters. President Obama has been taking heat for not scheduling more meetings with world leaders who are here for the annual confab, particularly Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Ms. Cooper noted the pair of press secretaries had  "nothing to say on any possible meeting with Netanyahu Friday."