The Oval: Tracking the Obama presidency

Toledo eatery promoted by Obama goes out of business

A Toledo restaurant that President Obama cited in an economic speech Friday is going out of business, the local paper reports.

"New Chet's Restaurant, in the 1000 block of East Manhattan Blvd., is closing for good, bringing to an end a nearly 90-year run at the corner of Manhattan and Cecelia Avenue, co-owner Richard Lawrence said Wednesday," reports the Toledo Blade.

Lawrence, 82, told the Blade a robber shot him twice back in 2008.

"Since I've been shot, I haven't been able to cook," Lawrence said. "It was the economy and the smoking ban that hurt us more than anything."

In his speech Friday at a Chrysler plant in Toledo, Obama said the government-assisted comeback of the U.S. car industry helps local businesses.

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See photos of: Barack Obama, Toledo

Obama struggling in Keystone State, poll says

It's no secret that President Obama is on the downslope politically, and that includes the pivotal state of Pennsylvania.

A new poll from Susquehanna Polling and Research says that 48% of Pennsylvanians disapprove of Obama's performance, while 41% approve.

Also: Only 43% of registered voters in Pennsylvania say Obama has done well enough to deserve re-election, the poll said; 50% say " it is time to give a new person a chance."

Writes Jim Lee, president of Susquehanna Polling & Research:

"The fact that 1 in 2 voters are looking for someone else suggests that President Obama has little room to grow and that Pennsylvania will again be a toss-up state in next year's presidential election, particularly if the slow economic recovery continues to haunt the president."

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See photos of: Barack Obama, Pennsylvania

Biden, Republicans try to work on debt deal -- under deadline

The clock is ticking on the debate over the $14.3 trillion federal debt ceiling, and Vice President Biden visited Capitol Hill today for more budget talks.

The veep met with a bipartisan group of lawmakers as rating agencies warn of the consequences of a government default

Fitch Ratings said it would assign a "junk" rating to all Treasury securities if the government misses debt payments by Aug. 15; Fitch said even a technical default "would suggest a crisis of governance from a sovereign credit and rating perspective."

Although the U.S. technically hit its debt ceiling in April, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said accounting maneuvers are enabling the government to pay its bills -- but only until Aug. 2.

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See photos of: Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Timothy F. Geithner

ABC: Obama first wanted to wait for DNA results before disclosing OBL's death

When the history of the Barack Obama administration is written, there's one thing you can count on.

There is going to be a lot of talk about the death of Osama bin Laden.

ABC News has already generated a video book called TARGET: Bin Laden: The Death and Life of Public Enemy Number One. The insta-book includes a chapter by White House correspondent Jake Tapper on Obama's involvement in the bin Laden mission that makes for interesting reading,

Among the findings:

-- President Obama wanted to wait until DNA results came back on OBL before telling the world of his death;

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See photos of: Barack Obama

Palin hits Obama on another 'WTF' policy (missile defense)

Potential Republican presidential candidate Sarah Palin is again using the phrase "WTF" to describe a Barack Obama policy, this one a plan to share missile defense technology with Russia.

"President Obama wants to give Russia our missile defense secrets because he believes that we can buy their friendship and cooperation with this taxpayer-funded gift," Palin writes on her Facebook page. "But giving military secrets and technologies to a rival or competitor like Russia is just plain dumb. You can't buy off Russia."

She concludes: "What it will do is create a situation where we are facing an arms race with ourselves. Russia gets access to our technologies, and we are forced to spend even more money because of the need to stay ahead. Does this make sense to you? Me neither. File this under 'WTF.'"

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See photos of: Barack Obama, Russia, Iran, Poland, Sarah Palin, North Korea, Dmitry Medvedev

Obama takes heat over the environment from some Democrats

Already under criticism over the economy, President Obama is now taking heat from fellow Democrats on another key issue: the environment.

Former Interior secretary Bruce Babbitt visited the National Press Club on Wednesday to question whether Obama is willing to take to congressional Republicans who want to open more acreage to logging and energy exploration.

"I am returning to the public stage today because I believe that this Congress, in its assaults on our environment, has embarked on the most radical course in our history," said Babbitt, who served in the Clinton administration.

A former governor of Arizona, Babbitt added: "Therefore, it is imperative that President Obama take up the mantle of land and water conversation -- something that he has not yet done in a significant way."

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See photos of: Barack Obama, Bill Clinton

Michelle Obama's dance: It's the Dougie, not the Doogie

A dance that first lady Michelle Obama made famous last month is the Dougie (DUG-ee), not the Doogie (DOO-gee).

And she will be happy to help you with the pronunciation, if necessary.

At a children's health event Wednesday, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius praised Obama for all her activities, and included the oft-played clip of the first lady "doing the Doogie" with local schoolchildren.

Obama thanked Sebelius for the tribute, but added that "I have to say, Secretary, it's actually called The Dougie, not The Doogie ..."

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See photos of: Michelle Obama

Obama's day: Debt talks

Good morning from The Oval. On this day in 1954, Army counsel Joseph Welch confronted communist hunter Joseph McCarthy with these famous words: "Have you no sense of decency, sir? At long last, have you left no sense of decency?''

President Obama has a string of meetings today, but the most watched development of the day involves Vice President Biden as he conducts another set of bipartisan budget talks on what to do about the growing federal debt.

Biden and six members of Congress hold their sixth negotiating session on raising the nation's $14.3 trillion debt ceiling, as credit rating agencies express concern about the nation's finances. The public is also divided about how the government should reduce its debt.

Obama's meetings, meanwhile, include one with President Ali Bongo Ondimba of Gabon.

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See photos of: Barack Obama, Joe Biden

Obama hails the Auburn Tigers (and Gibbs)

When President Obama welcomed the champion Auburn University football team to the White House today, he spent time talking about another big story this year in Alabama: tornadoes that killed dozens and destroyed property throughout the state.

Obama thanked members of the Auburn team for helping with recovery efforts from the tornadoes, even the ones that struck Tuscaloosa -- home of their rivals, the University of Alabama Crimson Tide.

"Even though one of the toughest-hit areas by the storm was the home of the Crimson Tide, this team knew what we all know in situations like this, which is we're all on the same team," Obama said. "We're all Americans first and foremost, and we've got an obligation to support each other in times of need."

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See photos of: Barack Obama, Cam Newton

Obama calls for world without HIV/AIDS

President Obama is marking the 30th anniversary of the battle against HIV/AIDS by calling on countries to do more and try to stamp out the disease.

"Together, we can resolve to meet our shared responsibilities," Obama said. "Together, we can come closer to our vision of a world without HIV/AIDS."

The president's statement:

As we mark the 30th year of our fight against HIV/AIDS, I join the United Nations High-Level Meeting on HIV/AIDS in honoring the memory of all those we have lost to this disease and rededicating ourselves to the fight against this pandemic.

Thanks to an aggressive global response, fewer people are being infected, a diagnosis is no longer a death sentence, and more people with HIV/AIDS are living long, vibrant lives. But so long as tens of millions of people live with this devastating disease, and so long as nearly 2 million people die from AIDS-related diseases every year, we cannot and will not rest.

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See photos of: Barack Obama

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