isonprize (and chat away)

I was watching the President arrive in Philadelphia today and as he met the supporters waiting to greet him, I saw him shake hands with and talk to a tall, striking young man in a red t-shirt. (From 2:07 on in the video).

I just happened to record it, but didn’t get the chance to upload and post it. (Until now).

And then Isonprize left this comment:

So, I’ve been volunteering on the campaign since 2007 and I always try to volunteer for the Pres. Obama events. So, it helps to work the campaign (and do what you say you are going to do!) and get to know your regional field director. Whenever there is a presidential event, try to volunteer for it and get to the training on time!

Me getting to the airport this time was sheer luck …. a few planes landed, then about a 5 minute lag, and all off a sudden you see this HUGE plane gradually getting bigger and bigger, closer and closer. The distinctive ‘hump’ on the front of Air Force One was visible. I immediately knew that getting up at 5:30 this morning was ALL WORTH IT!!

Air Force One touched down as smooth as butter then disappear behind some of the airport buildings to taxi around to where we were. WHERE WE WERE!!!!

…. Then Pres, Obama walked straight over to us. I got video of him walking. I LOVE THAT MAN’S STRIDE!!! (:oops: Sorry Chica, I’ll behave) My son was the 3rd hand he shook.

My son said “Hi, President Barack Obama!”

He said. “Well, who is this tall young man? So, nice to meet you!”

I caught the audio on tape, but not the video because I was so close and so nervous, I forgot how to use my video camera. But I recovered enough to get them in the same frame of the camera shot.

Pres. Obama just seems so down to earth, so ‘normal’.

…. He spoke or shook hands with every single person, then waved and hopped in the “beast” I got some video of the motorcade and Air Force One just chillin’ on the runway.

Then I dropped my son off for the rest of his day. And crazy me? I went and canvassed some turf for election day. Ran into a few folks that forget it was election day (!!), got 7 campaign volunteers and knocked about 50 doors. Wanna lose some weight? Canvass in a city neighborhood. Going up and down those stairs is a workout!!! Then I voted, got the kid, got some din-din, and here I am.

All in all, an AWESOME DAY!!

****

Isonprize? You’re an inspiration, press on! Thrilled you and your son had such a memorable day.

****

Wednesday:

4:15: The President holds a bilateral meeting with President Silva of Portugal.

8:35 PM: Delivers remarks at the National Women’s Law Center’s annual awards dinner.

****

Magnificent. Thanks GoBrooklyn

****

Ohio? We salute you!

President Barack Obama helps spell out “Ohio” with the Weithman family in Columbus, Ohio, Aug. 18, 2010

TPM

evening all

President Barack Obama says goodbye to students lining a second floor hallway at the Yeadon Regional Head Start Center in Yeadon, Pa., Nov. 8, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

****

****

ABC: President Obama holds leads over the top three Republican presidential candidates in a new national poll conducted by Latino Decisions for Univision, with the president enjoying far wider advantages among Latino voters, an area of strength that could ultimately prove crucial come next year’s election.

…. Among registered voters nationwide, Obama holds the largest lead over Perry at 10 percent, with his edge over Romney at 9 percent. Cain, meanwhile, is within 6 percent of the president.

Among registered Latino voters in the 21 most Latino-heavy states, Obama’s advantage is far greater, exceeding two-to-one margins in every case. The president is up 65 percent to 22 percent on Cain, 67 percent to 24 percent on Romney and 68 percent to 21 percent on Perry…..

More here

Thanks Hopefruit

****

Pete Souza

****

Greg Sargent: As you may have heard, Republicans on the supercommittee are privately offering Dems what they’re calling a big concession: They will agree to hundreds of billions in new revenues through an overhaul of the tax code in exchange for making the Bush tax cuts permanent.

A senior Senate Democratic aide directly familiar with the discussions tells me that as part of that tax rate overhaul, Republicans are also pushing to drop the highest end tax rate down to 28 percent.

Full post here

****

ABC: Michelle Obama told high school students taking part in a mentoring program at Georgetown University on Tuesday that being married to the president can be scary at times, because he makes the family get out of its comfort zone.

The first lady urged students not to let fear guide them after a student asked about being worried about going away to college.

“I mean this is scary,” she said. “Shoot, being married to Barack Obama? He’s got big plans. He’s always pushing us beyond our comfort zones, and I’m dragged along going, ‘What’s he doing now? No, not this.'”

More here

Video of the First Lady’s speech here – thanks P and Lisa

****

Marketwatch: Job openings at U.S. workplaces rose to 3.35 million in September – the highest level since August 2008 – from 3.13 million in August, the Labor Department reported Tuesday.

Overall job openings rose 22% from the prior year, with private openings up 23% to 2.99 million. Meanwhile, government openings rose to 366,000 from 326,000.

More here

****

Happiness is ….. when the very great Steve Benen links to a photo on TOD: woot! I know, I’m sad.

****

More soon

afternoon all

****

****

Steve Benen: Every bit as interesting as the Obama administration’s big win today in a case challenging the Affordable Care Act are the judges who agreed with the White House’s reasoning:

    A conservative-leaning panel of federal appellate judges on Tuesday upheld President Barack Obama’s health care law as constitutional, helping set up a Supreme Court fight.

    A panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia issued a split opinion upholding the law. The court agreed to dismiss a Christian legal group’s lawsuit claiming the requirement that all Americans get health insurance is unconstitutional and violates religious freedom.

Full post here

More at the WH site here

****

Obama campaign press secretary Ben LaBolt sent this to reporters after Mitt Romney said in an interview that President Obama shouldn’t have written “a check first” to the auto industry:

“If Mitt Romney was President, there would not be an American auto industry. Industry experts have been clear: our auto companies would have faced liquidation if Mitt Romney had his way and more than 1 million Americans would have lost their jobs. Mitt Romney must explain to Michigan voters this week why he would have let Detroit go bankrupt. The loan package the President extended to the auto industry – combined with a restructuring plan – was essential to ensuring that the auto companies return to profitability and produce cars that will keep them competitive in the future.”

****

Thanks VC

****

Crooks and Liars: Multimillionaire Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney told employees at a steel fabrication plant on Monday that government employees “are making a lot more money than we are”.

….. “The tax payers shouldn’t have to have money taken out of their pay checks to pay people in government who are our servants who are making a lot more money than we are.”

…. The former Massachusetts governor has a net worth estimated at up to $250 million.

More here

Thanks Loriah

****

Steve Benen: We’ve been exploring for nearly a year the “sabotage” question: are Republicans trying to hurt the nation’s economy on purpose, simply to undermine the Obama presidency?

…. Pollsters, however, have shied away from the question — until very recently. Today, a new survey from Public Policy Polling, commissioned by Daily Kos and SEIU, put the question to respondents nationwide.

“Q: Do you think the Republicans are intentionally stalling efforts to jumpstart the economy to insure that Barack Obama is not reelected or not?”

Yes: 50%
No: 41%
Unsure: 10%

…. this is a rather striking shift.. We’re talking about the American mainstream accepting the idea that a major political party, for the first time since the Civil War, actively trying to undermine the strength of the United States in a time of economic crisis.

Full post here

****

****

First lady Michelle Obama at the Riggs Library of Georgetown University where she delivered remarks and answered questions from students who participated in a day-long ‘immersion experience’ which included pairing with college mentors, taking campus tours, visiting classes and learning about the transition from high school to college.

philadelphia here he comes

President Obama departs the Oval Office to travel to Philadelphia, November 8

Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter greets President Obama at Philadelphia International Airport

President Obama tours a classroom at the Yeadon Regional Head Start Center

President Obama prior to speaking at Yeadon Regional Head Start Center

Flat Stanley!

Back at Andrews

… and back at the White House

rise and shine

****

April, 2009

Steve Benen: Bill Daley’s tenure as White House chief of staff has proven to be more difficult than administration insiders had expected…. It’s not a surprise, then, that Daley’s “responsibilities are shifting” in the West Wing:

On Monday, Mr. Daley turned over day-to-day management of the West Wing to Pete Rouse, a veteran aide to President Obama, according to several people familiar with the matter…..

…. Rouse served as acting White House CoS from October 2010 to mid-January 2011 – a time when the White House put together quite a winning streak. Rouse also enjoys strong support among White House staffers and, as a former leading Hill staffer, will get along much better with congressional Democrats. (Harry Reid, in particular, had no use for Daley, and was known to have complained about Daley directly to the president.)

As someone who was less than thrilled when Daley got the job, I’m not exactly sorry to see the “shift” in his responsibilities. Regardless, I’d argue the more Rouse is helping run the West Wing, the better.

Full post here

****

Good luck today Ohio

****

****

****

Morning everyone 😉