David Drake

How low will he go? Obama gives Japan's Emperor Akihito a wow bow (Updated with video, pic).

(UPDATES: 12:22 p.m. A brief news video has been added below, showing the greeting in this photograph. Contrary to some claims, the video shows no reciprocal bow by the emperor, who traditionally bows to no one. And we've added a file photo from 2007 of Vice President Dick Cheney greeting the Japanese Emperor in the same door way in a different fashion.)

A sculpture by Chinese artist Liu Bolin titled "Burning Man Obama" is tested at a workshop in Beijing November 11, 2009. The sculpture represents U.S. President Barack Obama's impact on the world.

On Thursday, July 9, a representative of each national delegation had the opportunity to meet the leader of their own country for a picture.

The Brazilian representative, the carioca (from Rio de Janeiro) Mayara Tavares, a 16-year-old beauty on its way to meet Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, caught the eyes of a discreet Nicolas Sarkozy and a much less discreet Barack Obama, the presidents of France and the United States respectively.

The picture showing Obama's covetous gaze at the girl's derriere has become very popular in the Internet.

A German frozen food company hopes to raise sales with a new product: Obama fingers. The tender, fried chicken bits come with a tasty curry sauce. The company says it was unaware of the possible racist overtones of the product.

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There are Obama dolls, Obama T-shirts, Obama soap-on-a-rope(1). There is even Obama thong underwear on offer.

Not wanting to miss the boat, a German food company has now gotten into the act. Sprehe, a company that has all manner of frozen delicacies on offer, has come up with a new product it calls "Obama Fingers." Far from being real digits, though, the "fingers" in question are "tender, juicy pieces of chicken breast, coated and fried," as the product packaging claims.

Fried chicken, in other words. With a curry dip.

President Barack Obama, sounding weary of criticism over federal earmarks, defended Congress' pet projects Wednesday as he signed an "imperfect" $410 billion measure with thousands of examples.

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Obama signed the bill in private, unlike a number of recent signings that took place with fanfare[.]

[Obama said], "if senators failed to pass the 736-page bill "an economy that is already in crisis will be faced with catastrophe".

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"...every day that Washington fails to act, that recovery is delayed,"[said Obama].

"It is inexcusable and irresponsible to get bogged down in distraction and delay while millions of Americans are being put out of work," [said Obama].

After pushing Congress for weeks to hurry up and pass the massive $787 billion stimulus bill, President Obama promptly took off for a three-day holiday getaway.

Obama arrived at his home in Chicago on Friday, and treated wife Michelle to a Valentine's Day dinner downtown last night. The couple was spotted leaving upscale Table Fifty-Two, which specializes in Southern cuisine, with the first lady toting what appeared to be a doggie bag.

The president plans to spend the Presidents' Day weekend in the Windy City, and is not expected to sign the bill until Tuesday.

Michael Signator has been paid $47,600 so far this year.

Michael Signator was paid $50,000 by Obama in 2004.

A police officer in a suburban Chicago town, Signator met Obama while volunteering for his 2004 U.S. Senate campaign, which eventually hired him as Obama's driver.

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Though Signator owns a home in suburban DuPage County — about an hour west of the Obamas' Chicago home — he also rents an apartment on the 16th floor of a high-rise called Regents Park, located just a few blocks from Obama's house in the leafy Kenwood neighborhood on Chicago's South Side.

Apartment Size / Apx. Sq. Ft. / Rent Range
Studio / 550 - 650 / $1,025 - $1,250
One Bedroom 715 - 750 / $1,195 - $1,435
Two Bed / Two Bath / 1,095 - 1,140 / $1,495 - $1,875
Three Bed / Two Bath / 1,255 / $1,895 - $2,250

The residential real estate values in 2006 in DuPage County, Illinois are greater than the Census values accounted for in the year 2000. The values have increased by $123,900 or 63.5%, since their median values in that year of 2000 of $195,000.

DuPage County had a median home value in the year 2000 of $195,000 according to the 2000 Census. This value is greater than the State of Illinois 2000 home value of $130,800.

Bloomingdale, IL - $469,975

Roselle, IL - $115,000

West Chicago, IL - $158,900

Roselle, IL - $219,900

Bartlett, IL - $498,990

Naperville, IL - $170,000

Winfield, IL - $295,990

Wheaton, IL - From the upper $600's

He's the star of bulletins chronicling Barack Obama's movements, one of only a few nonrelatives to consistently get time with the Democratic candidate for president and a trusted confidant who has shared some of the most pivotal moments of Obama's career with him.

Yet journalists who have followed Obama's campaign for the better part of two years don't know what he looks like, staffers who have logged countless hours traveling with Team Obama didn't even know he works for the campaign and there's never been a story in a major media outlet about him.

He is Michael Signator, an aide and buddy of the man who — according to polls — stands a better-than-50-50 shot of becoming the next president of the United States of America.

Technically, Signator's job is to provide "supplemental security support" for Obama's presidential campaign and also to coordinate the Obama family's personal and campaign schedules, according to Obama campaign spokesman Ben LaBolt.

A police officer in a suburban Chicago town, Signator met Obama while volunteering for his 2004 U.S. Senate campaign, which eventually hired him as Obama's driver.

For security reasons , Obama's presidential campaign refuses to reveal the details of Signator's role, but LaBolt said it brings Signator into frequent, close contact with the Obamas. [And even in closer contact with Barry! LOL! - Drake]

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Though Signator owns a home in suburban DuPage County — about an hour west of the Obamas' Chicago home — he also rents an apartment on the 16th floor of a high-rise called Regents Park, located just a few blocks from Obama's house in the leafy Kenwood neighborhood on Chicago's South Side.

When Obama is at home, he works out regularly in the well-appointed gym on the ground floor of the building. But according to "protective pool reports" distributed among journalists following the campaign, Obama may also occasionally stop by the building just to hang out with "Sig," as some campaign staffers call him. [Oh, is that what living on the Down Low is called by Obama, "hang out with Sig"? - Drake]

On a Sunday morning in late June, for instance, a pool report explained that Obama "went for a workout at his friend's Mike Signator's building. He wore his black White Sox cap; a gray T-shirt and black workout pants. He only stayed about 15 minutes. [Who does a 15 minute workout? No one. But that's plenty of time to...um...have some male-on-male action. - Drake] Press staff was unsure whether he worked out or just hung with his friend."

Pool reports have characterized Signator as, among other things, a "friend," a "longtime aide" and a "former bodyman." [Wow, does this not just scream SECRET GAY RELATIONSHIP!?! - Drake]

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Signator, though, is 50 years old [Oh, so Barry likes his men older than he is, huh? - Drake] — three years older than Obama — and displays few of the trappings of a rising Beltway insider, with public records indicating he's spent most of his adult life in and around Chicago.

Reached by telephone, he declined to comment on his relationship with Obama ["He's my beeatch", is what Sig is rumored to have said. - Drake] and his family, and asked how Politico obtained his telephone number.

Michael Signator consistently gets time with Obama. [I'll bet he does! Wink, Wink, Nudge, Nudge!- Drake]

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Michael Signator is unrecognizable to Obama’s staffers.

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Michael Signator has been paid $47,600 so far this year.

Michael Signator was paid $50,000 by Obama in 2004.

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Michael Signator has been quoted as joking joked that he “thought Barack was going to rise up over the people and start saying, ‘My children, my children, I have come to free you.’”