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The President: Come on!
Hi, my name's Barack Obama and I'm Josh Earnest's understudy.
Welcome to the 100th episode of West Wing Week,
your guide to everything that's happening at 1600
Pennsylvania Avenue.
I hope Josh likes that.
♪♪(music playing)♪♪
(cheering)
Josh Earnest: Not bad, Mr. President.
I'll take it from here.
Welcome to the 100th Edition of the West Wing Week.
It's hard to believe that when the West Wing Week first debuted
that "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" was still the law of the land;
Americans were still fighting in Iraq;
and the future of the American auto industry was
still in doubt.
And who knew the President could sing?
The President: (singing) ♪ Come on ♪
♪ Baby, don't you wanna go ♪
(cheering)
Josh Earnest: Whew!
What a difference 694 days make.
Is it -- it's make, right, not makes?
Camera crew: Make.
Camera crew: Yeah, it's make.
Josh Earnest: Okay, make.
Okay.
(laughter)
We've got a great West Wing Week for you this week.
B.B. King is here; the Boeing Dreamliner;
a speech about American energy; a payroll tax cut extension;
and special musical guest Keb' Mo'.
The President: Come on!
(cheers and applause)
Josh Earnest: On Friday, the President traveled to the biggest building
in the world, otherwise known as the Boeing Plant in
Everett, Washington.
He discussed his blueprint for "An Economy Built To Last" based
on American manufacturing and the importance of promoting
American exports.
The President: This was one of the biggest deals Boeing had ever done.
Over the years it will help support thousands of American
jobs -- including jobs here in Everett.
Everything that had gone in to making this day possible:
all the challenges; all the setbacks;
thousands of hours of brain power and manpower and
woman power.
(cheers and applause)
You said you would do it and you did.
That's what we do as Americans.
Josh Earnest: Meanwhile, the White House was honoring National Black History
Month in the East Wing with a visit from the North Carolina
A&T University Choir.
A&T University Choir: ♪ I'm gonna wait 'til the stars come out ♪
♪ Gonna wait ♪
♪ And see the twinkle in your eye ♪
♪ Gonna wait ♪
♪ I'm gonna wait 'til the midnight -- ♪
Josh Earnest: On Tuesday, the President invited Americans who have
shared their stories on WhiteHouse.gov and Twitter about
what $40 a paycheck means to them to join them for an event
at the White House to discuss the importance of the agreement
passed by Congress to extend the payroll tax cut and to urge
Congress to build on the success of the agreement by taking
additional steps to create jobs, strengthen the economy,
and help middle-class families get a fair shot and
a fair shake.
The President: This got done because of you.
Because you called, you e-mailed,
you tweeted your representatives and you demanded action.
You made it clear that you wanted to see some common sense
in Washington.
Josh Earnest: Later, the President and First Lady joined music legends and
contemporary major artists at the White House for a
celebration of "blues music" in recognition of Black History
Month as part of their "In Performance at the White
House" series.
One of the White House Blues all-stars, Keb' Mo',
serenaded this here special edition of the West Wing Week
with an impromptu tribute.
Director: One more time, Keb'!
Keb' Mo': ♪ It ain't my thing ♪
♪ It's your thing ♪
♪ Baby, it's our thing ♪
♪ Right here on West Wing ♪
Keb' Mo': That was better.
Josh Earnest: On Wednesday, the President and First Lady crossed the street to
the National Mall for the Groundbreaking of the
Smithsonian National Museum of African American History
and Culture.
The museum is scheduled to open in 2015 and will be the only
national museum devoted exclusively to the documentation
of African American life, art, history and culture.
The President: This day has been a long time coming.
The idea for a museum dedicated to African Americans was first
put forward by black veterans of the Civil War.
And years later the call was picked up by members of the
civil rights generation, by men and women who knew how to fight
for what was right and strive for what is just.
Josh Earnest: On Thursday, the President traveled to the University of
Miami, where he toured the engineering department and spoke
to the students and faculty about one of the pillars of last
month's State of the Union Address --
American energy.
(cheers and applause)
And let me say for the 100th time --
(laughter)
And let me say for the 100th time:
To find out more information on any of these topics or to see
complete videos of these events, go to WhiteHouse.gov.
And thanks again for checking out your Centennial Edition of
the West Wing Week.
♪♪(music playing)♪♪
Keb' Mo': ♪ And crown thy good with brotherhood ♪
♪ From sea to shinin' sea ♪
♪♪(playing guitar)♪♪