Obama name checks ‘Notorious RBG’

by Jordan Fabian - 07/13/15 12:56 PM ET

President Obama gave a shout out to Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, noting she goes by the nickname “the Notorious RBG.”

Speaking at the White House Conference on Aging, Obama mentioned a number of Americans who show that senior citizens are able to live healthier, more productive lives than ever before.

“Arguably the toughest justice on the Supreme Court is the oldest, Ruth Bader Ginsburg,” he said. “Also known as the Notorious RBG. She’s tough.”

Ginsburg’s fans gave her the nickname, a play on the late rapper Notorious B.I.G. It’s caught fire, appearing on a Tumblr site, t-shirts and even tattoos.

Obama’s praise for Ginsburg, 82, comes weeks after after the high court handed him a pair of victories.

A leader of the court’s liberal wing, Ginsburg sided with the majority to uphold a key provision of the president’s healthcare law and legalize same-sex marriage nationwide.

“Americans who once might have been dismissed as out of touch or past their primes are making vital contributions in every field.”

The president said the contributions of older Americans like Ginsburg sparks all Americans “to raise our ambitions about what we hope to achieve in our golden years.”

“And since I’m living out dog years here in the presidency, this is something I’m paying a lot of attention to,” Obama joked.

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