If you’d like to celebrate the shiny new OFA site you could – maybe? – donate $5 to TOD’s 2012 fundraising page at OFA.
Thank you! 😉
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President Barack Obama greets Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of India at the start of their bilateral meeting at the ASEAN Summit in Nusa Dua, Bali, Nov. 18, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
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The BIG news!
“On Wednesday, November 23, 2011, President Obama will pardon the National Thanksgiving Turkey in a ceremony in the Rose Garden. The President will celebrate the 64th anniversary of the National Thanksgiving Turkey presentation, reflect upon the time-honored traditions of Thanksgiving, and wish American families a warm, safe, and healthy holiday. The 2011 National Thanksgiving Turkey and its alternate were raised on AgForte farm in Willmar, Minnesota.
“After the pardoning, the turkeys will be driven to George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens. The National Thanksgiving Turkey will be on display for visitors during ‘Christmas at Mount Vernon,’ a special program through January 6. After the holidays, the National Thanksgiving Turkey and its alternate will live in a custom-made enclosure at Mount Vernon’s nationally recognized livestock facility.”
2009:
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From Bali:
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Steve Benen: One of the top priorities of the House Republican leadership for this Congress was passage of a Balanced Budget Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. As of this afternoon, we can add another item to the list of GOP failures …. it needed 290 votes in the lower chamber, and came up with 261.
….only four House Republicans voted against it. The majority needed roughly 50 Democrats to break ranks, but ended up with about half the necessary total. [Here’s the roll call.]
The nation dodged a bullet today. This amendment would have devastated the economy and made responses to future crises effectively impossible….
Full post here
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Washington Post: Despite it all, the U.S. economy has entered a strong patch.
…. following a year of one economic disappointment after another, a variety of economic indicators are pointing in a more positive direction. The question is whether the U.S. economy has built enough momentum to withstand new shocks from overseas.
On Thursday, the Commerce Department said the number of permits to build new housing units rose 10.9 percent in October, compared with the 2.4 percent gain analysts had expected, suggesting that home-building may be finally picking up. And the Labor Department said the number of people filing new claims for unemployment-insurance benefits fell last week to its lowest level since April, continuing a two-month downward trend.
Full article here
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I know I don’t usually send you emails, but Joe has a birthday coming up this Sunday, and I’m trying something new.
The First Family and I are putting together a special card for him, and we’d like as many supporters of this campaign as possible to add their names and messages for Joe.
Because the year ahead is going to be a big one – not just for Joe and me, but for all of us. We’ve all got some work to do.
So help us make this birthday a memorable one for Joe. Add your names, and, if you like, your own notes and well-wishes for the year ahead.
Thanks,
Jill
Sign the card here
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NYT: Even with low approval ratings and an uncertain path to reelection, President Obama is exceeding expectations in one area: His campaign is doing far better at attracting grass-roots financial support this year than his GOP rivals or his own historic effort in 2008, according to new contribution data.
The sheer scale of small donations, totaling $56 million for Obama and his party, has surprised many Democratic strategists and fundraisers, who feared that a sour economy would make it difficult for Obama to raise money from disenchanted and cash-strapped voters.
A Washington Post analysis shows that nearly half of his campaign contributions, and a quarter of the money he has raised for the Democratic Party, has come from donors giving less than $200. That’s much higher than it was four years ago, and far beyond what the best-funded Republicans have managed.
…. “The number of small donations shows who it is that supports this president and who put him there,” said Katherine Hahn, a self-described “mom and artist” from Evergreen, Colo., who gives Obama $25 a month. “It wasn’t the powers that be so much as it was people like me.”
More here
Thanks Hopefruit
The Obama Diary 
WOW, I love the new look.
This was a heart warming story
Chef Buys a Cafe for $100 with a “catch”
http://www.whatisworking.com/2011/11/chef-buys-cafe-for-100-with-catch.html
That is a nice story WIW.
Now, that’s a great story! You find so many uplifting and informative stories and have so many good ideas. Thank you for what you do and for bringing them here to Chips haven.
The girl in that picture with PBO is someone I know.
Luck girl AND on the front page of the website? wow.
She’s an amazing woman. She was a summer organizer for the campaign and the top organizers got to have lunch with him last August.
As part of the series of talking point pages – here is one for women
Talking Points > Women
http://www.whatisworking.com/2011/11/talking-points-women.html
If you hear of powerful women who endorse Obama, let me know so I can add their names to an endorsement section of the page.
A wonderful story, Ellen D is a kind hearted soul.
Leap Of Faith Feeds Football Team And Hungry High School Students
http://www.whatisworking.com/2011/11/leap-of-faith-feeds-football-team-and.html
Great story WIW. Thanks for sharing that!
WIW, Posted your article to my Facebook. You are amazing. Thanks for all your hard work and time
tweeted – thanks Linda!
I love it. Its got a vintage feel.
Have they fixed the troll/teabagger/emoprog problem in the comments section?
If you are referring to OFA the short answer is NO!
Its funny with that site because when they launched the new site back in April we all complained that there was nothing wrong with the old site. The Obama campaign website was the envy of all the campains in 2008. Now 7 months later they have made the site more like what they had to begin with.
Sigh!!
Okay Chips what is going on here?
Hi Keith, sorry about this but I’m putting you on pending for a while. I asked you a few times to ease up on the ‘President is doomed! Romney’s gonna beat him’ comments (I’m paraphrasing!), but you just keep on posting them. This is The Obama Diary, not The Romney Diary! Again, I apologize, I genuinely hate doing this to people, but this place is about keeping spirits up and energy high, and we do that by fighting back against MSM crap and not reporting it as truth. I’ve no problem letting through ‘non-doomed’ comments, if you want to post them. Thanks.
Chipsticks, I agree with you for this very reason the election is over a year away, and for someone to act like they know what tomorrow may bring, what are they a physic. Do I know that the President will win? No I don’t, but I believe his chances of winning is as good as any the Republican candidate. I happen to believe that once the GOP candidate is chosen, the campaign truly starts America will see who is the best and only choice to lead this country and it ain’t that lying flip flopper. Heck we don’t even know if Romney will win the GOP nomination. Alot of those right wing conservatives are not fund of Romney. I thank you Chipsticks, because I want us to not have our head in the sand, realize we are going to be in for a battle, but a battle we can win. We have to stay encourage, and be prepared to fight like we have never fought before. This country need President Obama and I am going to do all I can to help him get re-elected. And that starts with not acting like he has no chance of winning.
That’s it exactly Anniebella. I really doubt any of us is under any illusions about how tough the election is going to be, we’re bombarded with so much negative ‘news’ and (GOP) opinions every day we couldn’t not know! It’d just be better if the ‘doomed’ talk wasn’t brought here, mainly because it’s untrue.
Thank you so much. It had gotten to the point for me where I’d just scroll by his comments as soon as I saw his name. I am certain he means well but it just started to feel like groundhog day. PANIC!!! Followed by others imploring calm. Then an apology of some sort and next week the same thing all over again. So exhausting.
Arrived safely at our daughter’s. thanks for prayers. Later”……..
have a wonderful visit!
Great Tnmtngirl. May you visit be an enjoyable time.HZ
Is this the same as Donna’s? I want to donate to her.
Hi relellit, sorry, no, it’s different to Donna’s – I’m just doing a mini fund-driving push on my page today, we’ll go back to Donna’s soon, promise! She’s our official fund-raising Queen!
Donna, are you out there? Could you give relellit the link to your OFA page? Thanks! 😉
Thanks chips, I’m in. You are so neat. 😎
No it’s the TOD page. But it’s all going to the same place — to PBO’s reelection.
Meep Meep Alert.
So remember a few months ago when the Weeper of the House crowed about getting 98% percent of what he wanted in regards to the debt deal and the professional left cried that once again, for the billionth time, President Obama had thrown them under the bus. Calling the debt deal a “Satan Sandwich” and what not.
Well, look who’s crying now?
“The bipartisan debt-limit deal, famously called a “Satan sandwich” by a prominent Democrat this summer, is looking more heavenly to the left.
Republicans crowed after striking the agreement with President Obama, while congressional Democrats cried foul. Despite the White House’s endorsement of the bill, 95 House Democrats voted against it.
Three months later, members of both parties are looking at the deal much differently.
A GOP lawmaker who requested anonymity told The Hill that “it’s the 2 percent that’s killing [Boehner] … I’ve never understood why we thought 12 people could come up with a solution any better than we could.”
With the supercommittee deadlocked, the sequestration cuts of $1.2 trillion are now likely to be triggered. Those reductions would hit national security programs, but NOT call for structural reforms to Medicare, Medicaid and/or Social Security”
source http://thehill.com/homenews/house/194473-dems-satan-sandwich-starts-tasting-pretty-good-
President Obama kicking ass at night and taking names in the morning is soooo getting old…when will these people learn? And will the professional left ever get an effing clue that HE is on your side?
BWAHAHAHAHAHA Karma’s a b*******ch. It’s a beautiful day. 😆
yes indeed 😆 😆
I will not celebrate until it officially fails. Also the Gang of Six is making noise again to fill the void if the Super Committee does deadlock and fail – and the Gang of Six came to their general agreement during the deficit/debt concern orgy of the summer, so their approach is high on austerity cuts.
gang of six can’t pass a bill on its own.
and they won’t even get enough GOP support either because they always want more.
Plus doesn’t the president have to sign these bills? Fat chance he’ll support any effort to undermine the sequestration cuts. These guys ALWAYS underestimate who they’re dealing with–to their peril.
They don’t have the votes. Reid will make sure of that. And even if they do it’s not enough to override The President’s veto. Here’s a great post from Deaniac who got it right regarding the original debt deal when the high profile types got it abysmally wrong.
http://www.thepeoplesview.net/2011/11/leverage-something-sanctimonious-left.html
You know the GOP is in trouble when Jeb Hensarling is begging for The President’s help.
Smartypants gives it a nice go, too!
http://immasmartypants.blogspot.com/2011/11/how-obama-and-democrats-outsmarted.html#comment-form
How Obama and the Democrats outsmarted Republicans on the debt ceiling deal
thanks for the report LOL!
No matter how many times Mr. Spock proves his loyalty and superior intellect, the racist Dr. McCoy spits and swears about how Spock doesn’t have a clue. Then McCoy ends up eating crow at the conclusion of another episode.
You know, I never did look at the McCoy/Spock dynamic in that way, but you’re right, McCoy basically was a racist (specist?).
That is a really smart interpretation Dudette.
Thanks sherijr. 🙂
Amen
I told you it would be a great day! Chips…I’m home for lunch…will donate when I get home!
I tweeted Rep. Cleaver and asked if he liked his “Satan CROW”. I know, I’m bad, but I couldn’t resist.
🙂
It was a very stupid thing to say when it was obvious Cleaver had not even looked at the details of the actual deal.
Bravo, Sabreen60. There is nothing wrong with being “bad” when you are speaking TRUTH!
Unfortunately the sum total of Americans who know that there will not be structural changes to the Big Three are all here on this site. The meme will be, I’m sorry to say, that there will be ‘drastic cuts to Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security” because cuts to providers can happen.
The issue of payments to providers is unclear to me, and I follow this stuff pretty well. The consequences of these ‘cuts’ remain to be seen. I have my concerns about how this will work out politically and policy-wise. No one knows.
With no new revenues, we have serious problems. I am now to the point where I want all of the Bush tax cuts to expire. I know there are many who make good use of their middle class tax cuts. But I’ve come to the realization that the economy and the country will benefit more from the government making use of revenues. I know a great many people buy shoes and textbooks. I also know people who could give up a third trip to Disney World next year and have that money repair a bridge or keep a library open.
Go tp http://www.thepeoplesview.net lots of wonkish good ness there…
People will ask how does it affect their benefits? When they find out it doesn’t then they will move on to something else. No one cares what Brian Williams or Chris Matthews has to say about it.
Thanks for sharing this, LOL! They should have listened, or rather read and paid attention to, the brilliant Deaniac at the TPV. Deaniac wrote a brilliant and detailed analysis debunking the pessimism of the PL, while pointing out how President Obama had outwitted the teabag-Republicans. The President seems to be doing the same thing with his Asian-Pacific trade deals that are slated to create hundreds of Jobs. As he repeatedly said, If Congress wont act to create jobs he was ready to do all he can to create jobs.
Dayumm! That looks good!
Love the new look. I haven’t seen any other candidates website as clean, creative, visually appealing, and dynamic as President Obama’s campaign website. Good on them!
BALANCED BUDGET AMENDMENT FAILS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
LOL, good news!!!!!!!!!!!!
To update from the previous thread, the Balanced Budget Amendment failed in the House, where it needed 2/3rds to pass. 25 Dems voted for it, four Repubs voted against it. 261-165 when it needed 290 votes.
Anyone have an idea who the 25 Dems were? You have to be as dumb as dirt not to understand the dire consequences of a balanced budget amendment. But then my congressman admitted he never reads the bills he votes on.
I believe it was basically all the Blue Dog Caucus.
Jay Inslee’s name is on that list of Yeas, which shocks the heck out of me…he’s anything but a blue dog and he’s running for Governor. I commented on his facebook page the minute I read that. Stunned.
I’m real tired of them dog gone blue dogs Dems.
chips has the roll call link now. Do you wanna know what I find interesting after reading through those names? No? 🙂 Well, anyhoo—–there are so many names that never distinguish themselves in any way. You never hear about most of those people. What are they doing? Treading water? Nothing? We hear from the same few all the time. It looks mostly like it’s the usual suspects voting with the Repubs again.
Might be for local aesthetic purposes. Nancy probably released them when she and her team figured out Boehner did not have the votes. That way they can go back and say they voted for this turkey. Why I have no idea.
China Pours Money into Smart Grid Technology
There is no way to get around this fact—China aims to modernize its energy infrastructure at home and dominate clean energy technology markets abroad. At the 2011 Smart Grid World Forum in Beijing late last month, China’s State Grid Corporation announced plans to invest $250 billion in electric power infrastructure upgrades over the next five years, of which $45 billion is earmarked for smart grid technologies. According to its three-stage plan, China will invest another $240 billion between 2016 and 2020 (including another $45 billion toward smart grid technologies) to complete the build-out of a “stronger, smarter” Chinese power grid.
When complete, this system will improve energy efficiency, lower carbon emissions, and give Chinese consumers more control over their utility bills. Chinese leaders are betting that upgrading to a smarter electricity grid will also drive technology innovation and move the country up the manufacturing value chain. The Chinese view smart grid technology as the next industrial revolution—and they want to make sure that once other countries start upgrading their own grids, they will buy most of their equipment from China.
http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2011/10/china_smart_grid.html
h/t Melanie Hart
All we need is a Democratic majority to get stuff like this done in the US. That’s why we need to get working.
A REAL majority. Not the fake majority that Obama had to placate the first two years of his administration. It was NEVER Republicans that caused the problems, it was the Blue Dogs who stabbed the President and a Democratic agenda in the back, time and again. I almost wish we hadn’t had the raw numbers that made it look as if Obama could actually get what he wanted for this country. The press made it sound as if it was Olympia Snowe he was courting — the problem always was the poor excuse for Democrats in the House and Senate.
If we had been able to enact ACA robustly before the 2012 election, we wouldn’t have to sell its potential now. We would have had a stimulus that really changed the course.
Never Republicans. Blue Dogs who showed no respect for the President or their party’s agenda, but were happy enough to take campaign money.
I totally agree with you Jackie!
this needs to be tweeted far and wide under the title China number 1?
Maybe then folks will get it.
Yeah, well they don’t have to worry about NIMBY in China. That’s what is holding up progress here. Nobody wants the new transmission lines in their back yard.
I read that the Senate killed high speed rail funds to California…..Thanks Do Things! While all the other countrys are advancing we will be stagnant until we have a House and Senate that will spend money on our future and NOT ON WARS!
Just before I saw this I was on the new site and took a bit of a shopping trip in the store. I shot my wad on a hoodie, a coffee mug, a tote bag and some bumper stickers. YEE-HA!!!! Can’t wait to get them and become a walking/driving ad for Obama/Biden 2012!
Donations will have to wait until the checking account re-loads next month. LOL
We’ll all be looking for you in your new gear as a “walking/driving ad for Obama/Biden 2012!” =) Good for you Smartypants!
Which tote bag? they are all cute but I love the one with “2012” written all over. I love the POTUS t-shirts with his face on it and the Michelle Obama buttons. I want almost everything actually.
Its the navy blue tote lined in pink – how “girly” of me!
I decided on the hoodie cause its COLD outside now. I’ll save the t-shirt until next summer. But I love the one with his face on it!
I want the hoodie too. It was on back order the other day, but it looks like they have a new supply. I’m wearing my new Obama/Biden bracelet right now—-my wrist is lookin’ good.
Well, Smartypants, on top of your new Obama gear, you have one of the most brilliant blogs that intelligently makes the case for supporting the re-election of President Obama. All I can say is that your contribution to the President’s re-election is already priceless! Thank you for the energy and time you put in in your blog.
I was gifted a state 2012 pin and wear it each day where it is visible. It is amazing how many eyes go to that pin. I saw my favorite grocery store produce manager notice my pin and then he just started talking to me spontaneously about being a union member in the past, how he was so fortunate during those years to have good health care and how his current employer doesn’t provide an adequate policy. We talked about the Affordable Care Act briefly standing in the onion and potato section. The young check out girl noticed my pin and gave me the biggest smile imaginable. I have to tell you that I am in one of the reddest, rural midwest counties imaginable.
Good idea Chips for a little fundraising push. Let’s all look in our pockets/purses/bank accounts and see if there is anything we can give right now to support PBO re-election and to be able to give a nod to our most fabulous Chipsticks while doing so!
Agree it’s a great idea. Put a little in the OFA kitty just now.
Smacking down the latest Solyndra silliness
I’m as sick of writing about Solyndra as y’all are of reading about it, but somebody’s got to write something sane about this latest chapter, and obviously the political press has no interest in doing so. You may have seen the new rash of stories in the last couple of days. Politico’s is typical: “Emails tie Obama fundraiser to Solyndra push.” To the casual, busy news consumer, who never gets past the headline or the first couple ‘graphs, the implication here is clear: There’s a smoking gun! There was political favoritism here after all! Scandal!
Yet again, that impression is a) deliberately created by House Republicans, b) spread obediently and uncritically by the political press, and c) false.
~snip~
Recently, the White House released thousands and thousands of pages of internal documents. And Argonaut Ventures I provided 57,000 pages more. House Republicans — namely the Energy and Commerce Committee, chaired by Fred Upton (R-Mich.) — scoured through them and picked out three — yes, three — to release to the media. Not surprisingly, the three were picked precisely to create the false impression that Kaiser was cozying up to the White House on Solyndra’s behalf. Not surprisingly, the media fell all over itself to pass along those Republican talking points.
~snip~
Read more: http://www.grist.org/politics/2011-11-10-the-latest-solyndra-silliness
h/t David Robert S.
***Front page*** on LATIMES.COM right now:
October’s jobless rate in California declines to 11.7%
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/money_co/2011/11/california-unemployment.html
WOOOWOOOWOOOOOTTT!!!! Thanks, Tally!!
I hope he was sober, a lot of champagne was had after Ireland qualified for Euro 2012!!
He’s IRISH. He has single malt for breaky.
😉
I’d be worried if he smoked peyote.
Hi Tally!
He JoJo!!!
How’s Pass??
Pass is fine! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving if I don’t see you around here.
He’s an ace singer too:
😕
NICE! I had no idea. purrrrr…….
Now if we can get him to hit the back of the net on Sunday, instead of the damn woodwork, then he can sing this:
Excellent!!!!! Crikey yes, Robbie has had a bit of a woodwork issue since he joined your bunch!
A single malt woow!!!!!! terrific I got a 21year old Chivas Regal it’s realy realy fantastic.
I saw Florida’s was down to 10% too. As I check my sites around the country, I’m noticing more and more little good news tidbits—–increased jobs— new businesses opening, old businesses with new projects and job openings—-and jobless rates declining. We have a bunch of new business openings in my area of Illinois too. Homes selling. Hope it all keeps improving.
Thanks, Tally. I am glad to see the slow but steady improving jobs numbers in California and the rest of the nation. Pretty soon the teabag-Republicans will run out of issues to run on. For example: President Obama will be able to show that he created more Jobs in just three years than George Bush did in eight years. He will also show that he created more Jobs than Mitt Romney did when he was Governor of Massachusetts.
Leverage: Obama Gained It, GOP Lost It, Sanctimonious Left Never Got It
One of the things that President Obama’s detractors on the sanctimonious Left have always failed to understand is the concept of leverage. Or rather, they have always misconstrued that concept. It’s been equated with podium pounding, “pushing hard”, and totally, absolutely, and completely an abhorrence against compromise. As if leverage meant that the president was an elected dictator and he could do anything he wanted simply by wishing hard enough.
But leverage in politics and legislating is not about what you can do to convince your own side. It’s about what you can do convince the other side or if not convince them, put them in a bind so they have to acquiesce to your demands. That kind of leverage was not available to the president – Republicans (and some Democrats) had no incentive to cooperate with the President on health reform, financial reform, student loan reform, credit card reform, and so on. Actually, as the professional, sanctimonious Left joined the chaos of the radical Right to try to stop these reforms on the excuse of not-good-enough-ism, they helped reduce any leverage the president did have.
So what is leverage? This is leverage:
Hensarling looked for help from President Obama, who is traveling in Australia. He noted that he told the president in a phone call last Friday that he wanted Obama to clarify or rescind a veto threat he issued to Congress back in September, when he said he would reject any plan to overhaul entitlement programs without asking the wealthy to pay more in taxes.
That veto threat has shaken the Republicans to the core. I think that’s when they first began to realize that Obama is playing hardball, and that he has now successfully forced an internal GOP fight between the anti-tax religionists and the
http://www.thepeoplesview.net/2011/11/leverage-something-sanctimonious-left.html
Morons…..The President tried in the Summer, but Mr. Weeper wanted to work with Congress. Well, they got their wish. They are just looking for someone to blame WHEN this thing falls apart.
Exactly. I thought Mr. Weeper of the House was crowing about getting 98% of what he wanted in the debt deal. Now they are looking to PBO for help. When they could have come to the table and agreed with President Obama’s sensible deal in the summer, they decided to act like tantrum throwing kids. Now they’re in a bind. Oh what a tangled web we weave. Morons.
Morons, indeed! And that includes the PL who enthusiastically joined in applauding “Mr. Weeper” for getting 98% of the deal while unleashing the most vicious venom on the President. A great many in the PL accused him of being a sell out. Now that “Mr Weeper” and his Republican colleagues are pretty much conceding that President Obama played them like a fiddle, the PL is totally silent. By the way saying that you won 98% of any deal means nothing if the 2% you didn’t win happens to be the most important part of the deal. I am a sports fan, mainly football. At the end of any football game what matters most is not how many yards your team gained over your opponent, or how lopsided was your time of possession vs. the opposing team. What matters most is which team had the most points at the end of the game. President Obama is demonstrating the folly of those who prematurely celebrate before they reach the end zone and then end up being tackled and having the ball stripped from them. My favorite political and military strategist was the African leader of a small country of Guinea-Bissau, Amilcar Cabral. He always warned his fighters not to claim “easy victories” before the outcome of the fight was determined.
Dr. Biden and FLOTUS will have an event Sunday in Florida. Can anyone give me alittle more info about it?
That may be the NASCAR race in Miami http://sports.yahoo.com/nascar/news?slug=ap-michelleobama-nascar
Their body doubles will be in Florida. In reality, they’re coming to see David Beckham win the MLS CUP in LA.
right?
😉
Oh thorough Laugh out Loud on this….driving to my office and what do I see “Huntsman 2012″…..Surely, you jest kind sir.
I backed up and noticed a couple of things on the Beige 1984 Nissan Sentra…”Hillary 2008” sticker in MINT condition, “END THE WAR” sticker, and some other bumper stickers blatherings.
So, just like the Yetty and elusive chupacabra, I have found the 1%—no, not that one. The other one.
Speaking of hilarity. Joe Scarborough tweeted that Huntsman said this to Pres. Obama: ‘Nobody’s listening. Nobody cares’. Yes, Mr. 1% who’s getting his butt whooped by Cain, Perry and Bachmann is telling POTUS that no one’s listening.
Huntsman had to have offered Joke a position in his imaginary administration. Honestly, there has to be some FCC rule against openingly shilling for a candidate. The same with Halperin. I mean you go to “THE PAGE” there are like 3 stories on Huntsman from his appearance on Morning Joe today. He doesn’t need to buy commercials because between Halperin and Morning Joe—-that’s free advertisement.
Yes, its sickening.
“Huntsman had to have offered Joke a position in his imaginary administration.”
Or a night out with each of the Huntsman girls.
May be it will move his poll numbers from 1% to 1.1% That will definitely mean that Huntsman has the momentum. Just like the media’s other darling, in 2004, “Jomentum” Liaberman.
I was behind a Jeep with 3 bumper stickers: Ones said “Beware the liberal media”; one said something about cut spending, NOW, and I can’t remember the 3rd it was something about the liberal media, but at the bottom it said “Americans for Prosperity”.
Priceless. You got a PUMA.
Koch-funded group complains about ‘political favors’ in new ad. LOL.
Americans for Prosperity [“A Front Group for Big Oil”] has a lot of very concrete ideas about what happened with the Solyndra loan and the company’s collapse. None of those ideas are backed by evidence, since the investigation isn’t complete, but let’s pass lightly over that. The real hilarity here comes from the fact that Americans for Prosperity [“A Front Group for Big Oil”] — a group backed by uber-1-percenters the Koch brothers, whose entire existence is predicated on having legislators in their pocket — is using the ad to lob accusations of buying “political favors.”
~snip~
http://www.grist.org/list/2011-11-02-irony-alert-koch-funded-group-complains-about-political-favors-i
h/t Jesse Zimmerman and Tien Le!~
Smile. Thanks for that. You totally get it!
Thanks for sharing this Creolechild. I just love Tien Le’s brilliant posts, on many subjects, because they are always deeply grounded in reality. In my mind, It’s no wonder that reality based smart people, like Tien Le, support President Obama. Like President Obama, Tien Le, is very disciplined, systematic and analytical in examining controversial issues.
OT: Three very young chess masters
http://immasmartypants.blogspot.com/2011/11/masters-of-game.html?spref=tw
Something Even a Banker Can Understand
by BooMan
Fri Nov 18th, 2011 at 12:00:13 PM EST
As Matthew Goldstein and Jennifer Ablan report for Reuters, many of the people who work on Wall Street are in denial or simply befuddled about why they are on the receiving end of so much vitriol. Let’s start with a simple fact.
In New York City, the average pay for those working in finance is $361,183, more than five times the average salary of $66,106 for all workers in the city, according to the New York State Department of Labor.
Those making $361,183 a year are in the highest marginal tax bracket. Now, let’s move to another fact.
[The Bush tax cuts] are a defining issue at the heart of the broad ideological argument between the two parties. They were central during the 2010 elections, and they will again be central in 2012. They are a key cause of our current fiscal problems, and now they’re at the center of the supercommittee’s likely failure to do anything to solve those problems.
They are at the center of the GOP’s supercommittee’s demands; indeed, keeping them in place is one of the primary motivations driving the current overall conduct of the Republican Party.
The supercommittee is, of course, charged with trimming $1.2 trillion from the federal budget over the next ten years. As of today, they are going to fail to come to any agreement over those cuts, largely because the Republicans insist that the people in the highest tax bracket not have to share any of the cost or burden of those cuts. Instead, they want people to work longer before they are eligible for Medicare, and the want to reduce the value of people’s Social Security checks by tweaking how the cost of living adjustment is calculated. They want to slash money for Medicaid. And they want to trim money from programs that help people in need.
http://www.boomantribune.com/story/2011/11/18/12013/812
GREAT new OFA website but, GAHHHHHHHH – It will let me log into the site with my old ID but won’t recognize my login to let me post on the blog. GRRRR!! Anybody here from the old days at OFA who can give me a clue about how to break in to the comment section? When I try to register for Disqus, it says I already exist but my password is wrong. I’ve never used Disqus and they said they’d send me a password prompt but never did. All these login choices seem to require me to surrender access to my contacts, which seems crazy.
Blog
November 18, 2011 2:10 PM
House easily rejects Balanced Budget Amendment
By Steve Benen
One of the top priorities of the House Republican leadership for this Congress was passage of a Balanced Budget Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. As of this afternoon, we can add another item to the list of GOP failures.
The House has rejected a proposed constitutional amendment that would have forced Congress to balance its budget every year as a way to reverse years of deficit spending.
A majority of House members supported the balanced budget measure, but supporters fell short of achieving the two-thirds majority needed to amend the Constitution.
Earlier this year, it was largely assumed the House would approve of the amendment and that the real fight would be in the Senate. As it turned out, however, proposal had no chance — it needed 290 votes in the lower chamber, and came up with 261.
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal/2011_11/house_easily_rejects_balanced033589.php
thanks so much for the update. that’s freakin awesome. And another one bites the dust. I can’t wait to hear about the next idiotic proposal coming from those nincompoops.
While President Obama is busting his arse to spur job creation in this country the GOP obstructionists are doing everything in their power to sabotage job recovery. I hope the ows protesters are paying attention and taking notes.
INSTITUTE INDEX: The myth of ‘job-killing’ regulations
Number of weeks straight last month that Republicans used their weekly radio address to attack government regulations for killing jobs: 3
Percent of people who lost their jobs in 2010 because of government regulation: 0.3
Percent who lost their jobs because of a drop in business demand: 25
Number of temporary workers hired by energy giant AEP to build a pollution scrubber for one of its coal-fired power plants in order to meet Clean Air Act regulations: more than 1,000
Number of full-time employees the plant then hired to monitor the scrubber: 40
Number of temporary jobs created by installing scrubbers at two PSE&G coal plants: 1,600
Number of permanent jobs the installation created: 24
Percent increase in boilermaker jobs from 1999 to 2001 alone due to Clean Air Act regulations: 35
Number of person-years of labor occupied over the past seven years to comply with just one Clean Air Act standard: 200,000
Rank of environmental spending among the most labor-intensive of all business expenditures: 1
Number of U.S. jobs directly supported by the environmental technologies industry, which has grown dramatically because of the Clean Air Act: 1,700,000
Trade surplus generated by U.S. environmental technology exports in 2008: $11,000,000,000
Rank of the U.S. among world leaders in the environmental technology industry: 1
http://www.southernstudies.org/2011/11/institute-index-the-myth-of-job-killing-regulations.html
h/t Sue Sturgis
I like the new look of the web site!!
Now that I have caught up on PBO’s trip, once again I say Thank You Chipsticks!! Without you we would get very little to no information. Now I am just looking forward to our President getting home.
Did anyone ever hear Chuck T. mention President Obama or his activities while he’s been on this trip? I haven’t. I’ve seen his daily reports, and there he is in Hawaii or Australia etc. talking about Cain or Gingrich or whatever but never anything about why he was reporting from where he was reporting from and never mentioning President Obama. Anyone? I think that’s just despicable, in addition to being very strange.
I’ve been following this Twitter account TPM for a long time – it’s really good as it’s very supportive of POTUS and has other good info.
http://twitter.com/#!/TPM
Has anyone here heard some word that FLOTUS is two months pregnant? I heard this by a sensible person around 12:45 on my way to lunch. Anyone know if this is true?
I believe one of the supermarket tabloids have this on the cover this month.
I really don’t think so….people trot out the same rumor every 3 or so months.
some random tabloid is reporting it, so just BS and wishful thinking on some supporters parts.
i will say this though, if it was true, she looking positively svelte lately and isn’t “carrying” any extra weight anywhere from the pictures I’ve seen.
But naw, just gossip…lol
Which kinda bums me out because I’d love for them to have Barack H. Obama III who’s the spitting image of his handsome dad.
Like this fella?
Aaaawwwwww….so cute!
When I saw that baby picture I said to myself that could be Malia baby picture.
people really want Miche to be pregnant. I’m not gonna lie, it would be awesome if she were, but I doubt it. They are done with babies.
Just another hoax edp4bho:
Michelle Obama is NOT pregnant.
There’s a new rumor spreading across Twitter and Facebook, thanks to the phony news site, Weekly World News, which claims President Obama and The First Lady are expecting their third child in May 2012.
It’s NOT true.
The pregnancy story is almost identical to the same wrong rumor Gossip Cop busted last January.
http://www.gossipcop.com/michelle-obama-pregnant-november-2011-third-baby-child-first-lady-rumor/
Just checking back after reading The People’s View. I figured this person got a bit premature with this so-called news. It’s a shame because she is usually a sensible person (radio personality, educated, works for the school board), and she was just elated. 😀
Now she’ll have to walk back all that elation and misreporting. I hadn’t heard of any of this before as I mainly come here, POU and Positively Barack for news with truth. Oh, well, it was a nice thought anyhow. Thanks Chips 😀
And Michelle has squelched these rumors repeatedly —–saying they are done. No more. Not going to happen. They have enough going on.
November 18, 2011 12:40 PM
The weakest flip-flop defense yet
By Steve Benen
Mitt Romney and his campaign team have experimented with different responses to questions about his incessant flip-flopping. At different times, they’ve argued that the reversals don’t really exist, and if they were real, they wouldn’t much matter anyway.
Today, we see a new one: Team Romney is rolling out the I-know-you-are-but-what-am-I defense.
Romney’s team lists several examples of Obama’s contradictions. The president promised to fix the economy, and he didn’t. He promised to close Guantanamo Bay, and he didn’t. He promised a White House based on transparency, devoid of the influence of special interests. The unfolding Solyndra scandal, to them, proves that’s not the case.
I know I’m supposed to think Romney and his advisers are the serious ones, worthy of some modicum of respect, but this silliness is really no better than the kind of nonsense we’d get from Michele Bachmann. For one thing, the economy is improving, but if it weren’t, it’d be a policy failure, not a flip-flop.
For another, President Obama still wants to close Gitmo, and would were it not for Congress. The president’s position hasn’t changed at all, and for Romney to think of this as a “contradiction” suggests the Republican campaign has forgotten what the word means. Want to call it an unfulfilled campaign promise? No problem. But a flip-flop? No.
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal/2011_11/the_weakest_flipflop_defense_y033583.php
Romney’s got nothing in his bag of tricks but little spitballs. You’re right, this is about the juvenile Bachman level of tit for tat. I’ll bet they had to scratch their heads really hard to come up with these gems. And then they probably patted themselves on the back for their “brilliance.” For some reason the old nursery rhyme about Georgie Porgie comes to mind. He stuck in his thumb and pulled our a plum and said, “What a good boy am I.” Of course in this case, all Romney got was a couple of shriveled old raisins.
It is often said of the President, by friends and critics alike, that he’s the smartest person in the room. Perry has accused the President of believing that he, the President, is smart. I think the President is intellectually so far above Perry and Romney et al, that they really don’t know how stupid they sound to anyone with half a brain.
LOL! Jacquie it was little Jack Horner who said “what a good boy am I.” 🙂
Georgie Porgie puddin’ n pie kissed the girls and made them cry (Herman Cain).
Oh, Gosh, you are right. Shows how long I’ve been away from the nursery. Thanks. Of, course, Willard does a pretty good job of making people cry.
Added to the post – the BIG news:
“On Wednesday, November 23, 2011, President Obama will pardon the National Thanksgiving Turkey in a ceremony in the Rose Garden. The President will celebrate the 64th anniversary of the National Thanksgiving Turkey presentation, reflect upon the time-honored traditions of Thanksgiving, and wish American families a warm, safe, and healthy holiday. The 2011 National Thanksgiving Turkey and its alternate were raised on AgForte farm in Willmar, Minnesota.
“After the pardoning, the turkeys will be driven to George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens. The National Thanksgiving Turkey will be on display for visitors during ‘Christmas at Mount Vernon,’ a special program through January 6. After the holidays, the National Thanksgiving Turkey and its alternate will live in a custom-made enclosure at Mount Vernon’s nationally recognized livestock facility.”
Gobble gobble.
Does this mean he will win the turkey vote??? 😀
Oh absolutely! Turkeys for Obama 2012. Politico haz a sad. 😉
In January GOPolitico will be telling us he’s losing the turkey vote. Polling poorly with turkeys!! 🙂
Sign Joe’s birthday card:
http://my.barackobama.com/page/s/happy-birthday-joe-biden
It’s VP Joe’s birthday? Awww…..thx for the heads up!
Yes, THANKS. I just signed, donated, and am getting my CUP-O-JOE. 😀
yes. I’m thinking I’ll be needing my cup of Joe. 🙂
I got an e-mail from Dr. Biden and immediately signed Joe’s happy Birthday Card. I also donated. Awaiting my “CUP OF JOE.” I have the highest respect for VP Biden who is a stronger and principled partner to President Obama. This country is really lucky to have the Obama-Biden team. Contrast that with the Bush-Cheney team.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In his remarks after touring the GE solar manufacturing facility in Arvada, Colorado today, Secretary of Energy Steven Chu highlighted the choice America faces on whether we should accept defeat and watch solar jobs go overseas, or play to win in the $240 billion clean energy market and create jobs here in the U.S.
http://energy.gov/articles/chu-we-can-and-must-compete-clean-energy-and-i-believe-we-can-win
threw a little somethin in the PBO Kitty – thanks for your tireless efforts Chips. 🙂
You’re a gem Alice, thank you so much – FOUR MORE YEARS!!!!
Want Proof That Current GOP is Incompetent? You’re Welcome.
~snip~
Put simply, the current incarnation of the Republican Party consists of hypocrites. But more importantly, their political philosophy is KILLING the country. Anytime someone tries to convince you that Republicans are better at running the government, show them these stats. In fact, print this and hand it out to any co-worker who argue that Democrats are screwing things up. It might not shut them up, but it’ll make you feel better. 🙂
http://pleasecutthecrap.typepad.com/main/2011/10/rightwingeconomynotsomuch.html#more
h/t Milt Shook
Good stuff! Thanks cc!
Here is a great exchange on Al Giordano’s Facebook page today:
Al Giordano
How did OWS, which started out with strong public support, sink after two months to become less popular than the “tea party”? “…voters are seeing the movement as more about the ‘Occupy’ than the ‘Wall Street.’ The controversy over the protests is starting to drown out the actual message.” 42 percent of “the 99%” now hates you. Only 34 percent favors you. It’s your own undisciplined behavior – or refusal to set decent ground rules on that of the parasites – that is to blame.
Occupy Wall Street Favor Fading – Public Policy Polling
http://www.publicpolicypolling.com
The Occupy Wall Street movement is not wearing well with…
• Karen Madoian Al, let’s face it. OWS hasn’t brought any visible result. This is why, I suppose, many people percieve it as a senseless action. This is what happened in Georgia in 2008 when local opposition parties brought their supporters who occupied the parliament and the presidential palace for 2-3 months. They were supported at least by half of the population. But there were two many political forces who failed to come out with one voice and reasonable demands. As a result, they lost all support.
Paulina Gonzalez A hard cord progressive actually said to me at the beginning of this whole thing that the Tea Party has been successful despite their low poll numbers. As if tea party status was something to strive for.
Al Giordano That’s a very common mantra in the “Netroots blogs,” Paulina. They glorify and imagine themselves as somehow “pushing Democrats to the left” or somehow pulling the national debate more onto “progressive” issues. And yet they can’t show any concrete examples of how that happened. It’s delusional excuse-making for “we’re going to keep doing things the way we want to do them regardless of whether it has any effect at all.” I’ve known a lot of NY OWS people for years. They live to march around, get in scuffles with the cops, then run home and watch Amy Goodman fawn all over them predictably as some kind of romantic new vanguard. Then they pat themselves on the back and say, “We’re living the revolution at the barricades, comrades!” But ask any one of them to do the heavy lifting of thinking and strategizing prior to a protest on how to make it a real movement, and they’d rather sit home and read their press clippings from past failed adventures in the media spectacle.
Jeff Simpson They just didn’t have the star power to go the distance. The people love their shiny objects. Even makeup, lights, and reverb can only cover up so much basic repulsiveness. OWS is something best appreciated in the abstract. It’s like a kid trying to get his mom to like the his grind-core music by reciting the lyrics; “I like the message, but that drumming is just awful! Did that man just poop in the street?” They would have been better off letting J-Lo and Simon Cowell screen the participants beforehand. I mean if you really want to be on the TV, maybe you should make sure you’re ready for prime-time.
Al called this when it began, he said it’s better to knock on 100 doors. Al is the best!! You can’t have a “movement” without getting involved politically, the only way to move to the next level. Protests should be a means to an end, not the end itself.
OMG, Debz, Giordano is right on the money. Rhandi Rhodes is pretty much saying the same thing. I think the pundits who are on the tv who are saying OWS is changing the narrative just by occupying are lying to themselves. Especially yesterday when they were preventing some 99 per cent folks from going to work.
I’ve been listening to Randi about this for the last 2 days. She had 2 ridiculous callers on yesterday, the last a woman from Cally, who was so emphatic that the “movement” was worth what they were doing, that she wouldn’t let Randi even talk. They need a strategy…….why can’t they get that through their heads. Today, it was announced that Philly OWS were demanind the passage of PBO’s jobs bill. Well, that got my ear, but I haven’t heard any details on it yet. Will keep abreast, if I can stand the usual chatter about OWS.
Me too. That woman yesterday just kept screaming at Randi and not listening to a word she was saying….. it was so sad.
I get WHY they’re so upset – they’re mostly all at the end of their own personal ropes, and are hanging onto their lives and sanity by their fingernails.
But they MUST FOCUS on HOW to make it better. Staying home next year IS NOT THE ANSWER. Just getting POTUS re-elected is NOT the end of the job. WE MUST GIVE HIM A DEM ARMY THAT HAS HIS BACK!
Does anyone know if Ben (D-ASSHAT) Nelson is up for re-election? If not, there needs to be RECALL NOW.
Al truly is the best. He’s been through so many effective protest movements in his life, he really knows what he’s talking about.
Didn’t know Al had a FB page. Haven’t been able to find it. Could you provide a link please? Would love to see that!
http://www.facebook.com/algiordano
OWS should take lessons from the people of Wisconsin and Ohio. THOSE people know how to organize and get er done. OWS says they aren’t going anywhere but what’s the next step? You can’t keep having clashes with the police because as wrong as some of these cops are, the public will turn against you if all they see is confrontations with the police.
I said this from jump. If you’re serious then camp out in front of Mitch McConnell’s office and stay there until he begs Harry Reid to bring the AJA to the floor again. Greet John Boehner coming and going until he brings tax reform up for a vote. The kind of tax reform that makes hedge fund managers pay their fair share.
Throwing paper airplanes at a building or sitting in a drum circle is not going to do it. Trying to get yourself arrested for being a pest does not a revolution make. Unfortunately imo many of them were too scared to jump into the actual arena.
Thanks Tien Le for sharing this. Al Giordano, as far as I am concerned, is one of the most brilliant journalists who, like you, is deeply grounded in reality. I think OWS is quickly finding out that you can’t simply copy the “Arab Spring” model without having done serious work in organizing and preparing the public within the context of the United States. It’s been my contention all along that OWS modeled itself on what took place in Egypt without doing the hard work of examining the differences between Egypt and the United States and then doing the necessary planning and organization to convince the majority of Americans to support the movement over the long haul.
U.S. President Barack Obama announced on Friday a major new diplomatic initiative responding to positive changes in Burma, saying he is sending Secretary of State Hillary Clinton there next month.
Burma expert Sean Turnell discusses significance of U.S. diplomatic overture:
Just hours before he attended the annual U.S.-ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) summit in Bali ahead of the East Asia leaders summit, President Obama came to the microphones to announce the major initiative. While flying to Bali on Air Force One, he said he had spoken with Burmese opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi – the first conversation they have had.
Obama said they reviewed progress in Burma, where the government – though still heavily influenced by the military – has begun opening the country and loosening restrictions.
He said next month Secretary Clinton will go to Rangoon and Naypyidaw, the new capital constructed by Burma’s military, for discussions to explore possible further progress in relations between the two countries.
“Today I have asked Secretary Hillary Clinton to go to Burma. She will be the first American secretary of state to travel to the country in over half a century, and she will explore whether the United States can empower a positive transition in Burma, and begin a new chapter between our countries,” he said.
Obama said Americans have been deeply concerned for decades about the denial of basic human rights for the Burmese people, including persecution of democracy reformers, brutality toward ethnic minorities, and concentration of power in military leaders.
Referring to what he called “flickers of progress” in Burma after “years of darkness,” he pointed to steps taken by Burma’s President Thein Sein and parliament to begin a dialogue with Aung San Suu Kyi, release some political prisoners, relax media restrictions, and open the political environment.
Obama called these measures the most important steps toward reform in Burma seen in years. But he said more needs to be done.
“We remain concerned about Burma’s closed political system, its treatment of minorities, and holding of political prisoners and its relationship with North Korea,” he added. “But we want to seize what could be a historic opportunity for progress and make it clear that if Burma continues to travel down the road of democratic reform it can forge a new relationship with the United States of America.”
In his conversation with Aung San Suu Kyi, Mr. Obama said she confirmed that she supports U.S. engagement to help move the reform process forward. Obama says Burma’s government could deliver a positive signal to Secretary Clinton.
“If Burma fails to move down the path of reform it will continue to face sanctions and isolation,” he said. “But if it seizes this moment, then reconciliation can prevail and millions of people may get the chance to live with a greater measure of freedom, prosperity and dignity, and that possibility is too important to ignore.”
Obama said he would reinforce these messages on Friday in the U.S. – ASEAN meeting, attended by Burma’s president, and that Secretary Clinton would deliver the same messages when she visits Burma next month.
http://m.voanews.com/english/rss.jsp;jsessionid=9081DF2B2D53CD8144CA685A28B1E3F1.sonny2?rssid=25454871&item=http%3a%2f%2fwww.voanews.com%2ftemplates%2fArticles-mobiletech.rss%3fsectionPath%3d%2fenglish%2fnews%26contentID%3d134100878&cid=25228001
Obama Meets with Asian Leaders
President continues to meet leaders of Asian countries seeking US support in territorial disputes over South China Sea
(18 Nov)
U.S. President Barack Obama has held talks with Asian leaders attending the East Asia Summit in Bali, Indonesia.
Obama’s purpose on this Asia-Pacific trip has been to signal that the U.S. is “here to stay” as a Pacific power, intent on strengthening its political, economic and strategic engagement with the region.
But the U.S. is also encouraging the steadily increasing economic and security stake that India, the world’s largest democracy, has in the Pacific. Thus the first bilateral meeting on Obama’s schedule was with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Obama said both nations see the East Asia Summit as “the premier arena” to work together on issues ranging from maritime security and nonproliferation to expanded cooperation on disaster relief and humanitarian assistance.
http://m.voanews.com/english/rss.jsp?rssid=25454871&item=http%3a%2f%2fwww.voanews.com%2ftemplates%2fArticles-mobiletech.rss%3fsectionPath%3d%2fenglish%2fnews%26contentID%3d134111903&cid=25228001
(from above article)-
The president said he had his first conversation with Burmese opposition leader and 1991 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, while he was flying to Bali from Australia, saying they reviewed progress in Burma.
Hi Chips,
thanks again for all that you do. I’m visiting family in Texas (Yep Perry land 🙂 ) so I’ve been out of touch, for s couple days. Thanks for all the great pics and videos to help me catch up on PBO’s trip. Do you know which Democrats broke ranks and voted for that horrible Balanced Budget Amendment?
It was DEFEATED! It would have never gotten by PBO anyway.
GOP’s Job-Killing Balanced Budget Amendment Fails In House
~snip~
Update: The 25 Democrats who voted in favor of the amendment were: Jason Altmire (PA), John Barrow (GA), Sanford Bishop (GA), Dan Boren (OK), Leonard Boswell (IA), Dennis Cardoza (CA), Ben Chandler (KY), Jim Cooper (TN), Jim Costa (CA), Jerry Costello (IL), Henry Cuellar (TX), Peter DeFazio (OR), Joe Donnelly (IN), Kathy Hochul (NY), Tim Holden (PA), Jay Inslee (WA), Ron Kind (WI), Larry Kissell (NC), Dan Lipinski (IL), Dave Loebsack (IA), Jim Matheson (UT), Mike McIntyre (NC), Collin Peterson (MN), Mike Ross (AR), Heath Shuler (NC). A full roll call vote is here.
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2011/11/18/372481/gops-job-killing-balanced-budget-amendment-fails-in-house/
I just read that President Obama sent a note via Rev. Al Sharpton to be read to Heavy D’s 11-year-old daughter, Xea Myers.
He’s so thoughtful.
😦
Ahhhh, now that’s so sweet and thoughtful of our Beloved President 🙂 🙂 I tell you he’s a Man with a Biggggggggggggg Heart. I just love the Obamas and I just can’t help It 🙂 🙂
Yes, how very kind and thoughtful of our President. I’m choking up. I loved Heavy D.
President Obama is the best! He’s absolutely the best. Thoughtful, warm, compassionate, and a genuine honest to goodness decent human being. In his uber busy day, he still takes the time to remember a little girl who’s lost her father. There’s no way one can touch class like that.
At her age that would not be healthy for either mom or child.
HEADLINE: Obama outpaces GOP rivals and his own 2008 results in small donations
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/obama-outpaces-gop-rivals-and-his-own-2008-results-in-small-donations/2011/11/04/gIQANhTJWN_story.html?hpid=z1
But but but Joe Sestak keeps telling me that Obama not get small donations and he is behind in his fundraising totals and…
Awesome news! Just tweeted HF2.
Btw: the Republicans were caught flat footed on the Keystine pipeline decision. They really really liked all those green group rallies in front of WH, they thought they had the President in a box.
Then, a nice little X-mas present came. The Nebraska Republican Governor was concerned about the route of the pipeline, for environmental reasons.
Huge huge development, right there, it gave the Prez cover to delay this, and we know delay mostly means to kill.
So, yesterday, two hearings with Salazar and Chu, the Repiblicans grilled both dept heads about the aforementioned. Needless to say, they were not nice,
And today, Corker is demanding that Senator Kerry hold a Hearing on the administrations decision to delay the pipeline.
Thus, Big oil and the Republicsns are freaking out. Lol!
Because the pipeline folks have said they’d reroute it to appease Nebraska’s GOP Gov and GOP Sen.
NYTimes story:
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/11/18/exceptionalism-argument-may-prove-potent-for-republicans/?hp
My response:
Our4thEstate Bobfr
America – when a Republican says ‘exceptionalism’ they mean war of aggression & massive debt that you, the 99%, pay for ALL the bills & die
#YesWeCanDOMoreTogether
Let me get this straight, CNN is going to give Cain- carte Blanche, on a press conference he is holding on, wait for it, why he is getting secret service protection.
Somehow, CNN feels this is more important than covering the Presidents trip, which they have done a crappy job on.
Oh my goodness. What a ridiculous tabloid swamp we have that we call news media.
Tea-NN = FAIL.
Shame on them. They even labeled it “Breaking News” WTH is breaking news about a Cain presser. The only breaking news is if he admits to sexually harassing multiple women or that he’s quitting the race.
On the other hand, PBO has had a fruitful and productive trip to Australia and Indonesia – bringing back 110,000 jobs – and there’s been silence on the part of the msm. #MediaFail
Not even mentioned on CNN. Mika is the only one that has mentioned it, briefly, with No discussion!
Well said, UT! The so called MSM is, as Jimmy Carter would say, a total disgrace to tis country!
And worse again he’s talking about his stupid 999 when he supposedly had the presser for SS protection!
Now he says, that we fired rockets at Libya and that al Qaeda is part of their new transitional government.
This guy is using the secret service detail to get coverage on his stupid ass policies. And CNN fell for it!
SS is being used as a prop by Herman and his campaign. I wish him and Michele would just drop out the race, they know it is over for both of them.
There are no words to express how disgusted I am with the MSM.
I still don’t understand why he is getting Secret Service protection.
He must have received some death threats which were determined to be credible by the DHS. That’s why he won’t say what it is – because it would indict some far-right wing groups and anger his master Rush Limbaugh.
Hopefully,
Speaking of dhs, they think Russia did a cyber attack an shutdown water pumps in Springfield Illinois.
That is a bigger story, then these reality dhow freaks that CNN keeps propping up!
I guess its a rule that presidential candidates can do that.
Sen. Gillibrand Introduces Bill Allowing SEC To Prosecute Members Of Congress For Insider Trading: ‘It Has To Be Illegal’
Responding to a 60 Minutes report citing lawmakers who earned thousands from trading on information learned in private briefings, Brown’s Stop Trading On Congressional Knowledge (STOCK) Act of 2011 requires lawmakers to report transactions of at least $1,000 in bonds, commodities or stocks within 90 days.
Today, Sen. Kristin Gillibrand (D-NY) took it one step further with a bill that will not only ban insider trading for congressional members but will “empower the Securities and Exchange Commission to prosecute lawmakers for insider-trading cases as well as make insider trading against the rules of the House and the Senate.”
~snip~
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2011/11/17/371510/sen-gillibrand-introduces-bill-allowing-sec-to-prosecute-members-of-congress-for-insider-trading
h/t Tanya Somanader
Scott Brown introduced a very similar one as well – Sen. Brown is running scared of Elizabeth Warren.
He did? Oh my, he is running scared isn’t he? lol…..he should!!
You’re absolutely correct, saintroscoe! However, according to that same article a stark difference exists between Brown’s bill and what Gillibrand is proposing. Will be interesting to see if it gains traction…
“Brown’s Stop Trading On Congressional Knowledge (STOCK) Act of 2011 requires lawmakers to report transactions of at least $1,000 in bonds, commodities or stocks within 90 days.”
I think both Brown and Gillibrand (now with Snowe co-sponsor) are nothing more than political grandstanding. Brown and now Snowe are trying too look all moderate with some small potatoes issue. How about they really go after money in the political system and go after the Citizens United ruling? I bet all three have SuperPACS in their name bringing in unlimited secret millions to aid in their re-elections.
It would have been nice if they had voted for the portions of PBO AJA already presented.
saintroscoe, the timing is suspect isn’t it? But in Brown’s case I suppose there’s nothing like the fear of becoming unemployed to get his azz in gear and do the right thing for a change! He will have to do more than grandstand on issue this because if he doesn’t it’s a ready-made ad for Elizabeth Warren….don’t you just luv it?
Oops! s/b on this issue…
More breaking news from CNN, the traitor Bernie sanders will be on this hour. To discuss that he will not, will not be campaigning for the president and what Bernie sanders says he should do to gain his support.
Fuck Bernie sanders!!!
Did Bernie Sanders campaign for PBO or anyone else in 2008 ?
Who cares? PBO don’t need his help to win his state.
I don’t know why Mr. Sanders doesn’t simply come out and endorse Romney or Huntsman..We know that’s where he’s heading. He needs to stop the cowardice, stop looking for far-fetched reasons to explain why he’s not voting for PBO.
I will wait for a video before I go blast him on Twitter. Last time I had to apologize to Don Lemon when he denied to me he ever said the “LAZY” remark.
And yet he did!
They should just make a recording of Bernie Sanders and play the recording instead of dragging him out to say the same thing over and over. I realize he means well but I don’t like it when he bashes PBO.
I no longer buy the he means well argument…
Bernie Sanders has completely bought into his own hype unfortunately…
He is loving his new PL hero status and is practically giddy and drunk with it…
Ironically, Bernie is all talk and hot air…
It’s pretty easy to screech on about all the theoretical stuff the President should do…
But Bernie is living proof that talk is cheap…So Bernie Sanders really ought to quit his crap…
Bernie has been a member of congress long enough and apart from all his good talk, has precious little to show for it…
He knows too well the limitations and obstacles to every single thing he rattles off as easy fixes and pretends can be done with the wave of a hand…
Bernie Sanders reveals more and more his stunning arrogance, dishonesty and myopia as he continues to strut around lapping up the adulation of those who exploit his unfortunate lack of foresight, insight and naïveté to diminish President Obama…
I think that people like Bernie Sanders will find out in the end that he has actually done more damage to himself more than anything else…
LOL! Self-inflated ego gone wild.
How is that breaking news? Who cares whether Bernie campaigns or not. Not me said the cat.
Does old Bernie remember when he asked then Senator Obama to campaign for him?
Uploaded by sandersforsenate on Aug 31, 2006
The crowd was so large everyone wouldn’t fit in the chapel. Barack and Bernie took some time to address the overflow crowd before they went inside.
Sanders was not even running as a Democrat! These are the holier-than-thou critics who don’t have the President’s back, love being courted to primary him, and use his goodwill and coat tails whenever it bolsters their own image. Shame on ’em!
Fancieful, Thanks a million for sharing this clip. Please send a copy to “old Bernie” to remind him of the days he needed Obama’s support. Please also send it the holier than thou people in the media who are promoting Bernie’s divisiveness.
oops went into pending, sorry chips
why is this breaking news?
Seriously, can someone tell tweety that president Obama has no problem connecting with people. I am so sick of this nonsense. This is complete bunk.
I will go send tweety some nice pictures of PBO connecting with people.
Thanks!!! I tweeted him asking him to show proof. But the pictures will be even better.
Is he still going down that “not connecting with people” slippery slope today?
Tweety is like Romney. He blows in the wind depending on what the meme of the day is supposed to be.
This is his 3rd or 4th go round on this same subject. I don’t know who’s feeding him this nonsense—-I suspect Fineman. Or his Republican brother? They want it to be true, so they report it as fact. It’s so outrageous. I have never seen anyone be able to connect with the public the way President Obama does. It reminds me of ’08 when Tweety kept saying no white working people were going to vote for Obama, he was going to lose Pa., etc.—–he’s always wrong about Obama.
Booman’s analysis is spot on 9 times out of 10, it’s why I frequent his blog. His other main front pager (there is 2, but one main one) is so emoprog it ain’t even funny. Dude is always all over the damn place. He’s an emoprog ass and I refuse to even read his pieces. I go straight for Booman.
Anyway, here’s Boo’s latest:
And Their Heads Explode…
by BooMan
I used to like Booman but many (most?) of his followers who comment are negative doomsdayers. Steven D among them – notice he wrote the first negative comment on this story. If Booman axed him as a fellow contributor I might go back to regularly reading that blog. Booman was wrong about getting involved in Libya but totally owned up to it a few weeks ago.
I like Booman and most of his posts are reasonable – even when he does not agree with PBO. But he’s not one of those who disagrees with Obama just for the sake of disagreeing, and he is generally quite supportive and respectful of PBO. He doesn’t resort to name-calling and personal attacks for policy decisions that he might disapprove of. And unlike many of the emoprogs who are actually rooting for Obama to fail or lose in 2012, he’s clearly supportive of Obama’s re-election in 2012.
Some of the commenters there are just plain ridiculous and some others have a Libertarian bent. Fortunately, there are a few people from TOD and elsewhere who occasionally add voice of reason to the comments section (e.g., lamh31 & japa21).
Totally agree hopefruit.
I frequent Booman, too, but sometimes the commenters are so uninformed in their disrespectful complaints and generally without correction from Booman that I can come away feeling disheartened. But have you all noticed that even though many of these sites will make the pragmatic effort, very few of them cover his overseas trips, or feature WH initiatives or travels across country in any detail? When the gloomers hit the comments sections, they could so readily be educated re the president’s broader initiatives, such as the recent incredible jobs-front advances he’s made on his Asia trip. I haven’t seen the Asian trip covered at Balloon Juice either. I mean, what good does it do to chastise the frustrati for undermining 2012 when you don’t use as much of the good news as you can to educate your readers and your commentariat?
I may be nit-picking here and I apologize if I’m being unreasonable or overly negative.
You are so spot on fancieful…
This is odd, Loriah just emailed me a HuffyPo link that says this video has just ‘resurfaced’:
HuffyPo? It’s been on YouTube for years!
The media is getting desperate!
Ah no Jovie, I don’t think there’s any implication that there’s anything negative about it (how could there be, it’s amazing!), they just seem to think it’s only just appeared. I first saw it in September of last year:
http://theobamadiary.com/2010/09/04/for-old-times-sake/
Strange!
Oh.
I kept waiting for the punchline. Did I miss something?
Tweety just showed it on Hardball saying that it is a now a hit on Youtube.
But I thought this has always been on Youtube and BWD had this video on TOAITR at some point in February I believe.
She did have it on her site. I`m like nospin, i don`t get it
I don’t get it. He did a moment in Black History.
Me either nospin. Is this suppose to be a bad thing???
Sorry Donna, I think my original comment misled everyone! 😳 I didn’t mean they were saying anything negative about it, it’s just that they think it’s only appeared now – it’s been around for ages!
Oh I see. Yes we saw this a while ago. It just goes to show how far ahead of the MSM these blogs are. You run circles around them Chips and the work you did this week with this trip has been nothing short of a masterful job.
lol Thanks Chips. I couldn’t understand why msm would want to spin PO doing a moment in black history. lol
http://immasmartypants.blogspot.com/2011/11/right-wingers-are-showing-their.html
Barack has a bit more base in his voice. Trying to be all serious…
I LOVE IT. What is wrong with this video if I may ask!
Nothing at all M4O, see my reply to Donna!
This video deserves a thread of it’s own. I can listen to that voice over & over & over & over…………:lol:
Your wish is my command, M4O!
http://theobamadiary.com/2011/11/18/1991-2/
Charles H. Houston is one of my heroes! I am elated to see the young Barak Obama pay tribute to him. President Obama shares many qualities with Charles H. Houston. Among these are: a keen intellect, fierce determination, meticulous discipline, hard work, and a mature pragmatism that is grounded in idealism. All the impatient people, like Cornel West, who are quick to condemn President Obama for not solving every problem in just three years in office, need to study the legal campaign launched by Houston and the NAACP to overturn the “Plessy v. Ferguson” Supreme Court decision that had given legal sanction to racial segregation. Launched in 1934, the legal campaign took 20 years, I repeat, twenty years, before the Supreme Court finally ruled in “Brown v. Board of Education” that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional; thus overturning the infamous “Plessy” decision. Unfortunately, Charles H. Houston — who taught and mentored Thurgood Marshall, the attorney who won the “Brown” decision and then went on to become the first Black Justice of the Supreme Court- -did not live long enough to realize the fruits of his labor. Charles H. Houston died four years before the “Brown” decision. Yet, before he died, and despite having been in the struggle for more than 16 years, he still expressed hope and optimism. I wonder where we would be now if great people, like Charles H. Houston, easily gave up hope, in just three years, because they run into some setbacks.
Seeing the young Barack Obama honor Charles H. Houston has made me even more stronger in my support and admiration of President Obama. Oh, by the way, Charles H. Houston, not Barack Obama, was first black person selected as editor for the Harvard Law Review.
That’s what I’m talking about!
https://twitter.com/#!/Vpone/status/137596834393755648
us too 😉
Did Tweety just say no one in the republican party seems to be catching fire Perry/Cain/Gingrich including President Obama?
Catching fire with what? Tweety is an idiot.
Was he implying that the President is a Republican?
Gee whiz!
Tweety is full of garbage. I heard him at the beginning of the show trying to lump all President Obama with all these Republican clowns who weren’t “connecting”
Excuse me Mr. Matthews but Barack Obama connected in 2008 which is why he won!!! And he’s still connecting. Mr. Matthews needs to ask himself why after 8 years on the campaign trail can’t Romney get more than 25% of the GOP vote. Why can’t Huntsman break past the 4% mark that he needs to pimp his daughters to tickle the fancy and interest of the horny men who control the media.
Romneys healthcare law is a liability to conservatives, and it is the only reason, in the Republican primary, that he cannot walk away with this nomination.
none of those candidates are qualified to shine PO’s shoes. Or even Nancy Pelosi’s as a matter of fact. I think that is the underlying problem with the Repubs. The media needs a horse race to make $$$$. So they have no qualms to invent one.
I hoped I heard wrong. But sadly my ears were not deceiving me. That slobbering jack rabbit is a moron. Thanks hopefruit2
When did President Obama become a member of those jackassess over on the right. Tweety is losing it.
You know, Anniebella, Tweety has been loosing it for quite some time. He is like Romney. He has no core! He simply sways with the wind. It is a shame that there are people who take him seriously.
When do the President suppose to leave for Washington D.C?
New post here:
http://theobamadiary.com/2011/11/18/1991-2/
I cannot describe how sick and tired I am to hear in the media that President Obama cannot connect with people.
It’s a lie…it’s always been a lie….
Pictures don’t lie, videos don’t lie….the joy on people’s faces……in the States and abroad……
Can someone tell me if the media ever made comments like this about Georges Bush during the 8 years he was president?…
Ever?
That he couldn’t connect with people?
In my opinion this is dog whistle language. And Tweety and some in the media insist on pushing this meme yet they pretend to be all up in arms when some right-wing nut talks about PBO’s birth certificate. Well Tweety, repeating false memes about PBO “not connecting with Amurkans” in the face of mountains of contradictory evidence is just as bad as repeating the lie that PBO wasn’t born in America despite seeing a copy of his birth certificate.
Maybe if every time that lie is repeated they’re bombarded with photos proving the exact opposite, they’ll get the hint and shut up. It could be a pragmatic alternative to the drinking game. LOL!
Not this again. Are they back to calling him Mr Spock or is Maureen Dowd on vacation?
Hi Chips:
I am knew at this and I posted a comment last night. The message that came up was something to the effect, “you said that before”. I don’t understamd the message neither did I see the post. Did it mean that part or t he whole message? Am I pending for that? If possible, can you answer this privately. I know that this is a family that I want to be a part of because of the valuable information that I receive here. I have been reading everyday for a long while. And refer this blog to everyone because I do not trust mainstream media. Thanks.
Hiya LDS, oh crikey, I hope you didn’t think you’d been sent to pending!! You haven’t, at all! What seems to have happened is that you haven’t signed in, when I found your comment in the admin section of the blog it came up as anonymous and had no email address, so that’s why it was in pending. When regulars, like you, forget to sign in I’m able to check to see who it is and let the comment through, but I must have missed the one you tried to post last night. That ‘you said that before’ message just means you already tried to post the same comment, it’s just an automated thing from WordPress to prevent double posts.
So, just sign in next time and everything will go through automatically – you’re a valued member of TOD, always love reading your comments. Thanks LDS.
Rev Al eviscerating Newt Gingrich right now….
===================================
Rev Al is blowing the lid off of some more Newt Gingrich hypocrisy. There are explosive new details about Newt’s think tank getting money from the health care industry. This while Newt is hammering the Affordable Care Act. Oh, this looks good.
He’s interviewing Barney Frank;
Barney said that Newt must be on a crusade to make Mitt Romney look principled. Hilarious ………..
Barney also said that Romney switches positions for political convenience. With Gingrich, you have to pay him to switch. Ouch …..
Barney is fierce when it comes to Newt Gingrich.
“The number of small donations shows who it is that supports this president and who put him there,” said Katherine Hahn, a self-described “mom and artist” from Evergreen, Colo., who gives Obama $25 a month. “It wasn’t the powers that be so much as it was people like me.”
AMEN TO THAT!
Oh my goodness. I just checked out the store and there is so much stuff there. I have my eye on the martini glasses and the “Made in the USA” coffee mug. Well I ordered a “cup of Joe” and made a donation today so these things are on my wish list for now. But I will be back. There should be a cuddly toy on the menu. A little “Bo” stuffed animal would be great! 🙂