White House Correspondents Dinner: Obama Takes On Trump, Birthers, The Media, And More (VIDEO)

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama exercised his revenge Saturday after weeks of attacks from his would-be Republican challenger

Donald Trump, joking that the billionaire businessman could bring change to the White House, transforming it from a stately mansion into a tacky casino with a whirlpool in the garden.

With Trump in attendance, Obama used the White House Correspondents' Association annual dinner to mock the reality TV star's presidential ambitions. The president said Trump has shown the acumen of a future president, from firing Gary Busey on a recent episode of "Celebrity Apprentice" to focusing so much time on conspiracy theories about Obama's birthplace.

After a week when Obama released his long-form Hawaii birth certificate, he said Trump could now focus on the serious issues, from whether the moon landing actually happened to "where are Biggie and Tupac?"

But then - Seth Meyer (SNL Comedian) took the stage. Donald Trump served as perhaps Meyers' biggest victim of the night. The comedian taunted him for his potential presidential candidacy, saying, "Donald Trump has said he's running for president as a Republican -- which is surprising because I thought he was running as a joke." He also teased Trump for his involvement with the Miss USA pageant, sneaking in a subtle jab at Sarah Palin: "Donald Trump owns the Miss USA pageant, which is great for Republicans because it will streamline their search for a vice president." Trump, needless to say, did not appear to crack a smile.

While complimenting the First Lady on her dashing looks, Meyers blasted the president for appearing to age quickly over the past two years. "If your hair gets any whiter, the Tea Party is going to endorse it," he quipped. Seizing on Obama's sinking approval ratings, Meyers added, "I'll tell you who could beat you: 2008 Barack Obama. You would have loved him."

Video Courtesy of WorldStarHipHop.com

S.C. Democrats Uphold Greene's Primary Win

By: Meg Kinnard, Associated Press

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina Democratic Party officials on Thursday upheld a surprising U.S. Senate primary win by an unemployed military veteran, nixing a protest lodged by their favored candidate that could have required a new vote.

The party's executive committee decided there was not enough evidence of impropriety to nullify the June 8 election victory by Alvin Greene, a 32-year-old who lives with his father and waged no visible campaign against a former lawmaker.

Greene did not attend the meeting and nobody spoke on his behalf. Reached afterward by phone, he reiterated one of his few, common public statements about his candidacy.

"I am the best candidate in the U.S. Senate race in South Carolina. Let's stop my opponent from reversing forward progress in the United States and South Carolina," he said.

The move upholds the improbable win by Greene, who raised no money and didn't even have a campaign website. Democratic Party leaders intensified their scrutiny after The Associated Press reported Greene faces a felony obscenity charge and the candidate stammered through a series of awkward, terse news interviews. Some accused Republicans of having a hand in the election.

Greene won with 59 percent of the vote and faces Republican Sen. Jim DeMint, who is considered a heavy favorite. Vic Rawl, the candidate who filed the protest, had 41 percent.

The party's 92-member executive committee made its decision after experts and voters testified for Rawl that questionable balloting statistics and problems with touch-screen voting machines indicated a corrupted final tally.

Duncan Buell, a computer scientist at the University of South Carolina, testified he had experimented on the same machines in previous elections and was able to trick them into selecting a candidate whose name he had not actually touched.

"I believe that these should be used with an enormous amount of skepticism," Buell said.

But committee members said they hadn't been presented with enough concrete evidence and could not overturn an election, no matter how much they wanted Rawl, a former lawmaker and judge, to win.

"We do the right thing even when it hurts us," state Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter said before the vote that overwhelmingly went in Greene's favor. "We do the right thing even when by doing the right thing it conflicts with everything that we feel in our hearts."

Some had speculated that Greene, who is black, benefited from an undercurrent of support from black groups.

A state lawmaker has suggested that black voters looking for a black candidate might have chosen Greene because of the spelling of his name, with an "e'' on the end.

But the state's NAACP chapter says its leaders didn't even know about Greene's candidacy. And Walter Ludwig, Rawl's campaign manager, said Thursday that most registered South Carolina voters with that spelling are white, and Greene — who had did not attend state or county party conventions — did worse in heavily black counties, anyway.

"How would voters know Mr. Greene was black?" Ludwig asked. "He made no campaign appearances. He attended no Democratic events."

Rawl said he would not appeal the decision but did not answer other questions.

"This is not about me," Rawl said. "It is not about blacks. It is not about whites. It's about the sanctity of our electoral process."

Among the suspicions raised about Greene is that he has failed to fully answer how he paid the $10,440 filing fee to run for office in March. He has said he saved up his military pay for two years but has refused to back it up with bank statements.

Gay, Lesbian Candidates In 2009 NYC Election

It's almost time to go to the polls again, and this year in New York City, it's historic, because it's the first time more than one or two gay or lesbian candidates are in the running for high office in city government. Of the several LGBT candidates running on the Democratic ballot, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn (D-Chelsea) is perhaps the most well-known. Representing District 3 (Chelsea, Hell's Kitchen, West Village), Speaker Quinn has been a pioneer in the Council during her tenure. As the first openly lesbian Speaker of the Council, Ms. Quinn has consistently advocated for LGBT rights, stood up for small businesses, worked with other Council members and Mayor Bloomberg on legislation vital to the functioning of the city, and been a strong supporter of our community. Ms. Quinn is currently running for re-election in her district, and the LGBT community will do well to return her to City Hall.




In Queens, Daniel Dromm (D-Jackson Heights) achieved a stunning upset victory in the Democratic Primary for City Council. An openly gay schoolteacher, Mr. Dromm has been a visible activist on LGBT issues, speaking frequently in support of gay marriage, hate-crimes legislation, and the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA). That he won the nomination in highly conservative Queens speaks to the weather change among voters, who are less concerned with a candidate's sexual orientation, and more keen to look at his or her platform. Mr. Dromm sees the winds of political change in Queens as his opportunity to bring LGBT rights to the forefront of City Hall affairs.



Also in Queens, James Van Bramer (D-Sunnyside) won in the battleground 26th district to become a City Council nominee. Mr. Van Bramer, the Chief Affairs Officer of the queens public Library, prevailed in a tough campaign which further reinforced the political transitions in the borough of Queens. He has served as a reporter for the Lesbian and Gay New York, the forerunner of today's Gay City News, and has lobbied tirelessly on behalf of the LGBT community. A lifelong Queens resident and gay advocate, Mr, Van Bramer hopes to bring lasting change to City Hall, and looks ready to join Mr. Dromm in representing us on Park Row.





Finally, back in Manhattan, Rosie Mendez (D-SoHo) won her primary race in District 2. Ms. Mendez is a strong civil-liberties proponent, seves as Democratic District Leader, and her record on animal rights is among the best in the city. An out, lesbian lawmaker with a progressive vision for the city, Ms. Mendez joins the other gay and lesbian Council candidates in making history in New York City. But none of it will happen unless you vote! Election Day is November 3, and wherever you live, a trip to the polls is your right and responsibility. Here in NYC, the better represented we are as gays and lesbians in government, the more our issues will be heard and addressed. Because all politics are local, it's of paramount importance for everyone who visits the FUTURE to vote, and remind their families and friends to vote, as well. See you at the polls!