Question: Michelle Obama hasn't given any indication that she'll run for political office, but Sen. Mark Kirk is suggesting otherwise. The Illinois Republican sent a fund-raising letter to supporters referring to the "press and rumor mills" that Obama may run for Kirk's Senate seat in 2016. The letter was first reported by the Chicago-Sun Times and confirmed by Kirk's office. Kirk even compares Obama's potential run to speculation in 1999 over whether then-First Lady Hillary Clinton would run for the Senate. She eventually did. So is Kirk looking for supporters to connect the dots? Kirk also writes in the letter that he is "not one to believe rumors or engage in political gossip," but he takes "all potential threats seriously." "Help me fend off a challenge from a Democratic opponent who will be backed by the national Democrat party as well as the home state political operation of the President," Kirk writes. Capping off the letter, Kirk asks his supporters to open their wallets and drop $25 to $1,000 to help him stave off those types of "threats." The first lady's office declined to comment on the fund-raising appeal. While the "rumor mill" has been active for some time, Obama has explicitly said she has no plans for elected office. Asked by ABC's Robin Roberts whether her next move will be political, Obama said, "No, it will not be political," and went on to say her next role will be "mission-based" and "service-focused." White House senior adviser Valerie Jarrett, a close friend of the Obamas, flat out rejected the suggestion that Obama would ever run for political office. "No. I'm absolutely 100 percent positive that will never happen," Jarrett said on NBC's "Meet the Press" in June. That came less than a month after President Barack Obama himself said there was no chance. "One thing I can promise you is that Michelle will not run for office," Obama said in an interview with ABC in May. First lady to campaign for Democrat in tight Iowa Senate race. Michelle Obama hits the campaign trail.
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Important parts: Sen. Kirk implies in a fund-raising email the first lady may run for his Senate seat. Kirk ties the Obama "rumor" to 1999 suggestions Hillary Clinton would run for Senate. He asks supporters to help him "fend off a challenge from a Democratic opponent" But even the President has said there's no chance Michelle Obama will ever run for office.

Question: By. Chris Greenwood. PUBLISHED:. 10:35 EST, 4 July 2012. |. UPDATED:. 17:48 EST, 4 July 2012. A nurse who pinned a golliwog doll to her uniform to mock black colleagues went on to draft a council’s policy on race relations, a hearing was told. Susan Horton branded a junior nurse a ‘gorilla’, joked about feeding them bananas and made monkey noises while discussing a black doctor. She was sacked along with her colleague Sarah Cullum when their two-year reign of terror at St Mary’s Hospital in Kettering, Northamptonshire, was exposed. Guilty: Nurse Susan Horton (left) clipped a golliwog doll (right, file picture) to her uniform as she made a series of racist remarks about her black colleagues, a misconduct hearing was told. But in a bizarre twist, a Nursing and. Midwifery Council hearing was told yesterday that after she was fired by. the NHS in 2007, Horton was hired by Wellingborough Council as a. community safety officer. ‘During her time at the council, Susan. wrote a policy on race hate and delivered a talk on that to 300. employees at the council,’ said John Lynch, representing Horton. 'Terrible behaviour': Horton's colleague Sarah Cullum (pictured) was also found guilty after the hearing was told she referred to one ward as the 'United Nations' because 'they are all black' Last night Horton and Cullum were kicked out of the nursing profession after being found guilty of more than 60 charges. Richard Williams, of the NMC, said:. ‘There was physical abuse of patients and use of inappropriate language. when referring to patients both in front of them and behind their. backs.’ The tribunal was told Horton and Cullum acted in ‘partnership’ to racially abuse staff at all levels, including senior doctors. They were also responsible for physically abusing some patients, including a 70-year-old man who was hit and kicked by Horton. Both nurses shouted at another. patient, said he smelled of urine and asked if he was gay and if he. liked sharing a room with men. Healthcare assistant Sandy Smith said. Horton and Cullum swapped racist remarks when they met for shift. handovers. She said Horton’s golliwog was on her. uniform ‘so it was always accessible’ and that she often pointed at it. and then at black nurses. Horton made monkey noises while. discussing a black doctor, referred to her as ‘scary Mary’ and said she. ‘shouldn’t be allowed to breed’. She also joked about ‘saving the bananas for Mary’. Both nurses commented that two nurses. from Guyana were ‘jabbering away in their gobbledegook’ as they spoke in. their native language. Kicked out: The two nurses have been struck off after waging a campaign of racist abuse on their ward at St Mary's Hospital in Kettering (pictured) The tribunal panel was told Horton did. monkey impressions while discussing a black doctor and referred to. black colleagues as ‘n*****s’ that ‘look like apes’. Giving evidence, Horton had. strenuously denied making racist comments and described the golliwog. doll she wore as ‘lovely’. Cullum’s lawyer, Sarah Christie-Brown, said. she was ‘sucked in’ by behaviour on the ward which had become a ‘way of. life’. A spokesman for Northamptonshire. Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust said: ‘This behaviour discredits. professional nursing and we know they do not reflect the views of other. nurses in the trust.’ Unusual turn of events: After being fired by the hospital, Horton went on to get a job with Wellingborough Council (above), where she drafted policy on race relations.
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Important parts:
Susan Horton and a colleague struck off for campaign of racist abuse. Horton branded junior nurse a 'gorilla' while running hospital ward. Made joke about 'saving the bananas' for doctor she called 'scary Mary' Referred to black colleagues as 'n*****s' and said 'they look like apes' After sacking she became Wellingborough Council community safety officer. She wrote policy paper on race hate and delivered seminar to 300 employees. Fellow nurse Sarah Cullum referred to one ward as 'The United Nations' Cullum said it was because 'there is not a single white face' Pair found guilty of more than 60 offences between 2006 and 2007.