Steve Benen: There were modest expectations for the new jobs report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and in this case, the economy met them. A net total of 120,000 jobs were created in November, which is just about what economists and analysts said would happen. The same report showed the overall unemployment rate dropping from 9% to 8.6%.
As is always the case, there was a significant gap between the private and public sectors. Businesses added 140,000 jobs last month, while budget cuts forced the public sector to shed 20,000 jobs, which continues to be a major drag on the overall employment picture.
Republican policymakers, it’s worth noting, are eager to force more public-sector layoffs, making the jobs landscape worse on purpose, while Democrats have fought to do the opposite.
Full post here
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President Barack Obama shows military officials the White House Christmas Tree in the Blue Room following a meeting, Dec. 1. The 18-foot-6 inch balsam fir is decorated with holiday cards created by military children and ornaments featuring medals, badges, and patches from all of the military branches. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
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USA Today: Later this morning, President Obama and former president Bill Clinton will take a tour of a building blocks away from the White House and announce a $4 billion initiative to improve the energy efficiency of government and private-sector buildings. Obama is scheduled to deliver remarks to reporters after the tour.
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Steve Benen: The Senate held two votes on extending a payroll tax cut for more than 160 million Americans, most of whom are middle class. As expected, Republicans killed them both. What was unexpected, though, was the vote totals on the proposals.
First up was the Democratic plan, which would have kept the payroll break in place for another year, and pay for it with a slight surtax on millionaires and billionaires. A 51-member Senate majority supported the bill, but that was far short of the 60 votes needed to overcome a GOP filibuster. It’s worth noting that one Republican, Sen. Susan Collins (R) of Maine, broke ranks and supported the Dems’ proposal….
…. What was just as interesting was the next vote, when the Senate considered the GOP alternative, which would also keep the payroll break in place, but pay for it largely through a pay freeze on federal workers …. it was rejected 78 to 20, with more than half of Republicans opposed. Yep, most Republican senators opposed their own party’s legislation….
Full post here
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Spiegel: The US Republican race is dominated by ignorance, lies and scandals. The current crop of candidates have shown such a basic lack of knowledge that they make George W. Bush look like Einstein. The Grand Old Party is ruining the entire country’s reputation.
Africa is a country. In Libya, the Taliban reigns. Muslims are terrorists; most immigrants are criminal; all Occupy protesters are dirty. And women who feel sexually harassed – well, they shouldn’t make such a big deal about it.
Welcome to the wonderful world of the US Republicans. Or rather, to the twisted world of what they call their presidential campaigns. For months now, they’ve been traipsing around the country with their traveling circus, from one debate to the next, one scandal to another, putting themselves forward for what’s still the most powerful job in the world.
As it turns out, there are no limits to how far they will stoop.
Full article here
Thanks JER
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Sacbee: President Barack Obama, who is a fervent basketball fan, will get his NBA fix next month but his campaign will have to postpone the Obama Classic fundraiser that was to feature more than two dozen professional basketball stars.
The campaign on Thursday notified ticket holders the Dec. 12 event would now be held in the summer.
The fundraising all-star game was planned while a lockout put the NBA season in jeopardy, and top players had committed to play. But team owners and players reached an agreement and games are set to begin on Christmas Day.
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Washington Post: There’s little doubt President Barack Obama has won high esteem among Native Americans by breaking through a logjam of inaction on issues that matter to them.
The Obama administration this week unveiled sweeping changes to federal tribal-land leasing rules that had not been touched in 50 years. Obama nominated a Native American to the federal bench, signed a law renewing the Indian Health Care Act and settled a tribal royalties lawsuit that had dragged over three administrations.
…. Obama on Friday speaks for the third time with the nation’s 565 tribal leaders in Washington…. Obama has gone beyond lip service, said Bill John Baker, principal chief of the Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma, and “backed up his words with actions that have made a positive impact on the lives of Native people.”
…. Jacqueline Johnson Pata, executive director of the National Congress of American Indians and an Alaska native, said native peoples’ enthusiasm for Obama goes deeper. Obama has embraced Native American tribal sovereignty preserved in the Constitution, court decisions and treaty agreements and made that the foundation for his administration’s dealings with tribes, Pata said.
…. “I think we have made strides under the Obama administration the likes of which tribes have not seen for 30 years,” said Stacy Bohlen, executive director of the National Indian Health Board…..
Full article here
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Jonathan Capehart: …. GOP hopeful Newt Gingrich defended his stance against certain child labor laws during a campaign stop in Iowa Thursday, saying that children born into poverty aren’t accustomed to working unless it involves crime.
“Really poor children, in really poor neighborhoods have no habits of working and have nobody around them who works so they have no habit of showing up on Monday,” Gingrich claimed. “They have no habit of staying all day, they have no habit of I do this and you give me cash unless it is illegal,” he added.
….. Gingrich’s blanket condemnation of “really poor children, in really poor neighborhoods” is unbelievably disgusting. And it’s disrespectful of the overwhelming majority of those children and their families who live their lives with far more integrity and far less cash than Gingrich ever will.
Full post here
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In case you missed them, lots more photos from last night’s Christmas concert here
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Morning everyone 😉
The Obama Diary 
Good morning!!
I’ve been waiting for you to get my daily dose of rejuvenation! 🙂
Chipsticks’ site is the first thing I look at when I get to work in the morning. The drive in is excruciating! 🙂
Morning Lonnie!!!! 😉
https://twitter.com/#!/stevenlwalker/status/142599422197497858
YAY for the 8.6 unemployment!! What is Mittens going to say to that!!! 😀
Now off to read all of the wonderful stuff you have for us this morning.
I haven’t had my coffee yet, so am not awake completely, please confirm to me if am reading right that the unemployment dropped from 9% to 8.6%.
It’s no illusion, it’s REAL. Wahoo!! 😉
they are saying these are not seasonal jobs. Go Potus
Just imagine where things would be if our President had some help from Congress. That is exactly what the Republicans are scared of, if things start to look like they are improving, their goose are cook. So they try to prevent anything which would help produce jobs and which would help the economy.
The President has been working his butt off to improve the jobs picture – even to the point of traveling around the world making deals to get more jobs in the USA.
That includes the two or more cowardly so called Democrats and progressives that are working against him. There are so many who desperately want this President to fail even those who claim to be on our side. We have a man who was raised by parents and grandparents that failure was not an option…he is USED to battling for what is important and succeeding…PRESS ON MR. President, We Have Your Back!
Yes, and as long as God, the ALMIGHTY, rules and reigns, Republicans CANNOT stop It!!!! HELLOooooooooooooo
Isn’t it great! And it has Boehner cryin like a baby that the unemployment rate is STILL at 8.6%. I love it.
Good Morning, Chipsticks 🙂
wonderful coverage of our First Family and the National XMas Tree Lighting!
And it’s disrespectful of the overwhelming majority of those children and their families who live their lives with far more integrity and far less cash than Gingrich ever will.
Daymn, if only the other fucking msm pos hacks are as bold and as truthful …
The Capehart article was great. Newt crossed the line with that nasty comment on the poor and I was glad to see a pub call him on it. Kudos to Capehart for doing so.
She was wonderful and very beautiful. I don’t know if the TV cameras showed this live but after she finished and said to the children let’s go – they all ran to her and gave her hugs and she warmly hugged them back. I want one of her hugs!!! She is for sure hugger-in-chief !!!! The whole evening was just a lot of fun and so Obama like !!!!
louc1, thanks for posting your story about being at this event. We love first-hand accounts like this. Sounds like you had a great time. Mrs. O is incredibly beautiful, much more so in person.
Chips. Everytime you knock the ball out of the park. This was such a treat to watch. Thank you thank you thank you so much for putting this together. 😀
Ah, you’re a dote UT! That video was a rush job, will do better next time – promise!
Beautiful Video Chips, the end just melted my heart. 🙂
LOLGOP Pete Nicely
Republicans. Blaming President Obama for their own farts since 2009.
15 minutes ago Favorite
I don’t know why the administration, the campaign or the DNC isn’t making issue out of the private sector vs public sector job numbers. Maybe they’re saving it for the campaign season or maybe they think it would be seen as making excuses. But if Pres. Obama is confronted with the numbers in a debate I think it only makes sense to point out that the spending cuts the GOP is forcing have consequences that they shouldn’t be allowed off the hook for. Spending cuts = job losses. And then look to the state house level where Republican Govs especially are hacking away public sector jobs – again how is that Pres. Obama’s fault? I don’t know the UER formula but have to imagine it would be at least half a point to a full point difference if public sector jobs were at 2008 levels – so it could be at 8.1 to even as low as 7.6
Relax SR. That contrast between private and public will come out when the frigging rethug nominee is known. The obama team is not stupid.
Thank you amk, why should the campaign or the DNC waste money before knowing which clown PBO is running against.
So the ads the DNC is running against Romney with their MittvMitt campaign is a waste of money?
No, that is not a waste of money since none of the goopers running agaist Mittens were bothering to go against him. But they certainly aren’t going to spend all of their money during primary season, better to save the good stuff for when there is an actual candidate.
No, we need to refer to Mitt, as Mr. 1%, just like the Ad, from Move On.org. I like that Ad.
No, it wasn’t. Romney ran an article against Obama. The DNC ad was probably a response to that.
Where did I say they were stupid? Was it when I said this “Maybe they’re saving it for the campaign season or maybe they think it would be seen as making excuses.”?
And to your point – “That contrast between private and public will come out when the frigging rethug nominee is known” seems interesting given I also said
“But if Pres. Obama is confronted with the numbers in a debate I think it only makes sense to point out that the spending cuts the GOP is forcing have consequences that they shouldn’t be allowed off the hook for”
Considering the only time he’d be in debate would be during the general election when the “frigging rethug nominee is known”.
You know the Republicans have attempted to paint public workers in such a negative light and it seems many people have bought it, except people who live in states like Ohio, Wisconsin, Indiana, etc. The people in these states have fought against the Repubs attempts at destroying public workers, as you know. I think federal workers are different. We definitely need to make a better case why federal workers are important – food safety, airport controllers, park services, etc. etc. Repubs have sold the American people a bill of goods that federal workers are a drag on the nation and the economy. That’s why (even though it didn’t pass) they weren’t shy about proposing to cut 200,000 fed workers and further freezing their salaries.
well
“I don’t know why the administration, the campaign or the DNC isn’t making issue out of the private sector vs public sector job numbers.”
amounts to freaking out regardless of your later defensive why’s & where’s
Good thing you can read my state of mind through words on a screen. Neat trick. Usually exclamation points, bolded letters and especially caps lock is used when that “freak out” effect is desired.
Hey, your own words. Eat it. 🙂
Certainly OFA is not stupid. However there is a pattern of all Dem’s letting Republican memes take hold and then having to work uber hard (often with limited or no success) to undo the entrenched meme.
I agree with SR on this one — ‘cutting spending’ means putting people out of work, depressing the economy, hurting middle class families, etc. How does that transfer to job creation? Turn the question back on Republicans and make THEM answer for a change instead of Dem’s playing catch-up or defense.
Besides, the longer this goes unchallenged, the more entrenched the deeper meme becomes — that any and all government work and workers are worthless and wasteful. Instead of replacing Republican lies with Democratic truths: government perform necessary and essential services and we should be proud of that, not run from it and let Republicans fill the vacuum.
We did that with ACA and it hurt us deeply. It still is hurting us because we haven’t come out with robust positives about ACA.
LIKE!
I’ve heard them make an issue of it. I’ve heard Pres.Obama, more than once, pointed outed the difference and I’ve heard it from Nancy Pelosi.
well SR, guess that should answer your question.
The Grover must be appeased…
by Dennis G.
Congress must act this month to extend unemployment benefits and the extend/expand the Social Security Tax Cut. A failure to do so will increase taxes for every working American and cut life sustaining support for the unemployed. To pay for this, Democrats have suggested that the Nation’s 300,000 millionaires have a very slight increase in taxes. This is quite fair and most people in the Nation support the plan.
But it angers The Grover and he must be appeased.
On Thursday, the vengeful demigod of the modern Republican Party met with his fearful worshipers in Congress to tell them what was and what was not acceptable……
http://www.balloon-juice.com/2011/12/02/the-grover-must-be-appeased/
IS THE GOP NO TAX PLEDGE A FORM OF BLACKMAIL??
There is a very interesting comment at the blog post below that really caught my eye. The GOP members of congress willingly sign the no taxes pledge. But apparently, there is no escape hatch. Once you sign it, the die is cast and there are severe consequences for breaking the pledge.
The commenter asks a very pertinent question about the intimidation and pressure on congress that is tantamount to blackmail. It’s food for thought since the no taxes pledge is making a mockery of our democracy. This is no way to run a democracy in the 21st century.
Does The Norquist Tax Pledge Only Apply To The 1%?
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DogFennel on December 1, 2011 at 1:25 pm
Grover Norquist and Americans for Tax Reform extract a pledge from conservative members of Congress not to vote for any kind of tax increase on penalty of having that fact publicized to conservative members of the electorate for the purpose of impairing the lawmakers’ chances of reelection. It is amazing to me that members of Congress have allowed themselves to be subjected to such intimidation and outright blackmail for all these years. It is time for it to stop. Members of Congress have to be free to vote their consciences.
Sec. 22-3252 of the D.C. criminal code has an expansive description of the crime of blackmail that reads as follows:
Section 22-3252 Blackmail
(a) A person commits the offense of blackmail, if, with intent to obtain property of another or to cause another to do or refrain from doing any act, that person threatens:
(1) To accuse any person of a crime;
(2) To expose a secret or publicize an asserted fact, whether true or false, tending to subject any person to hatred, contempt, or ridicule; or
(3) To impair the reputation of any person, including a deceased person.
(b) Any person convicted of blackmail shall be fined not more than $1,000 or imprisoned for not more than 5 years, or both.
I say “expansive” because most blackmail statutes only deal with threats that are coupled with demands for money or other property. This one is different because it adds threats made with the intent “to cause another to do or refrain from doing any act.” Moreover, the types of threats proscribed by paragraphs (a) (2) and (3), i.e., threatening to “publicize an asserted fact, whether true or false, tending to subject any person to hatred, contempt, or ridicule” or threatening “impair the reputation of any person,” are precisely the kinds of threats Norquist is making against Republicans in the House and Senate with regard to their conservative constituents.
Consider how many Senators and Representatives have signed the pledge and/or have felt threatened by Norquist’s threat to publicize the names of everyone who declines to sign it. That adds up to a lot of counts (and a large amount of potential fines and jail time), even if a short statute of limitations applies.
The beauty of seeking to prosecute Norquist and his organization for blackmailing Congress is that it does not require Congress to do anything. All that it needed is for a member of Congress (perhaps Sen. Tom Coburn and/or retiring Rep. Barney Frank?) to sign an accusation against Norquist and Americans for Tax Reform or for the D.C. D.A., to get a grand jury to indict him and his organization.
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http://www.politicususa.com/en/nordquist-tax-pledge-one-percent
I wish this could happen. Grover Norquist is a slimy little bugger.
It would be really sweet if this could happen…it is beyond a damn shame that one person could have such total control over a group of grown body of people, to the point that their actions bring down the entire country.
Goodmorning My TOD Family what a treat to wake up to this awesome news, I had to triple check if the good news is true. Thank you Chips for these great reads and videos. Thank you President Obama for working hard on our behalf. Yeeeeeees 🙂
Awww wittle willard haz no fwiedns From firstread.msnbc.msn.com
Most of the 12 Republican primary voters who gathered here to participate in a focus group that NBC/WSJ pollster Peter Hart (D) conducted for the Annenberg Public Policy Center believe the country is headed in the wrong direction. They’re not hopeful about the future. And they don’t like President Obama’s leadership. But they didn’t exactly love the GOP candidates. That was especially true of Mitt Romney. When asked who Romney would be if he were a member of their family, they answered, “black sheep,” “fun neighbor,” “cousin,” “second cousin,” “dad that was never home.” By comparison, the responses for Newt Gingrich were “grandfather,” “father,” “my favorite uncle,” and “uncle who keeps bringing home different wives.” When asked who they would like to serve as their character witness if they were in trouble, just one Republican mentioned Romney. And when Hart pressed them to further talk about Romney if he becomes president, one person described him as a “placeholder.” Another called him a “safe bet
“Placeholder” is an interesting word association for Mitt because I wonder if there isn’t a certain number of Republicans who will figure Eight Years of Romney vs four more years of Pres. Obama with the chance to elect Daniels, Christie, Bush, Pence, Thune, McDonnell, Rubio in 2016. Not to mention the A-Listers that sat out this election and their supporters have a vested interest in seeing the eventual GOP nominee lose. In 2004 Bill Clinton didn’t campaign for Kerry/Edwards for example.
I am no Bill Clinton fan but I did work on the Kerry Campaign in 2004 and Bill Clinton did all he could for that campaign. One thing that we tend to forget is that Bill Clinton had quadruple coronary artery bypass surgery on September 4, 2004. Just two months before the election. He did a couple of campaign appearances for Kerry but on doctors advice was NOT allowed to do vigorous campaigning. I just wanted to clarify that point.
… Not to mention the A-Listers that sat out this election …
What A-Lister’s…?
This bogus meme that the cowards amongst them who chose not to publicly implode are secretly superior grade is laughable…
The same would have been said of any number of these eight currently running… if they had not run…
How quickly we forget how each of these candidates were romanticized and highly touted as inevitable *before* they actually jumped in…
And how quickly they fizzled…
Awww wittle willard haz no fwiedns …….. 😀 😀 :D, too funny 🙂
Morning guys,
I have an idea: Lately, PBO is using the phrase “change is” to highlight the things that he has done. I think we should all swamp twitter with #changeis and just hit them with examples. What do you think?
Ok I will go tweet using #changeis. #obama2012
good idea bwd.
Good idea. give us an example
GREAT idea blackwaterdog. I love it and will send it out to my 13 Twitter followers! 🙂
GREAT IDEA, BWD. I’ll definitely work that into my tweets.
Great idea! Where’s Tigerfists??!!!
Yup. How are ya, BWD?
LIKE! But I don’t yet tweet. Keep at it tweeters.
It’s bloody fucking good to be President Obama this morning. Woohoooooo!!!!!!!!!!!
Good Morning TOD – Chips – what kind of vitamins do you take? Amazing as usual. Been so busy but have been telling anyone who will stand still long enough at our OFA office about TOD and that they should check it out!
One thing I have heard over and over again is the desire to make this election even bigger than 2008 – I’m all for that folks!
I asked this on the last thread but I’ll ask again just in case DF misses it – Hey DF didja hear about your school yet?
l8r! Have a great day all 🙂
I did…I posted over on the last thread…..unfortunately, we came in 17th…not the 15th place that we needed to win…..check out the last thread for more info 🙂 Thank you all so much for your support with this endeavor! We will do it again!
I need everyone’s help (again!)…I post comments on a local blog in AZ. ALEC is holding its convention here, right up the street from me, in fact….one of the regulars over at “Orange site” posted there…he/she was at this protest. I want to ask some questions of him/her……
Suggestions???? The person’s “name” is Azazello…I’m not familiar with posters at Kos…..never got into the place like so many here did….thought you may want to help me out here 🙂 Would LOVE to get a response…this pertains to ALEC, and not OWS stuff…was thinking about asking why they aren’t registering voters to vote AGAINST these clowns and democracy stealers…but he/she may be from out of town…..
***************Help Wanted**************** See my post above!
Sorry DF for taking so long I kinda had to wait until lunch so i could look up what’s going on there. So Brewer is speaking on the first day of the convention huh? And it looks like there are others who are going to try to interrupt the convention in some way.
here’s a link i found:
http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/bastard/2011/11/governor_jan_brewer_to_speak_f.php
I think your question of having voter registration would be great. also wonder if they are part of this group that would like to interrupt the convention. Is there any organized attempt on their end to recall brewer? In that link it looks like she wants to take her immigration thingy to the supreme court.
Ah, Brewer is just another mistake. When she was running for gov…she was far behind the Dem Atty. General that was also running…but then Russell Pearce amped up the fear mongering with regards to immigrants, 1070 was born, Brewer jumped on the crazy train of fear and loathing for anyone that isn’t lily white….and BLAM! the Dem lost because he was reasonable…and the rest is history…..the fine people of Mesa, AZ…educated themselves, threw the ugly yoke of fear from themselves, and recalled his sorry, pathetic, racist ass…1st time in AZ history that the Senate President has been recalled. Good on them!
I read the NewTimes post early this morning about her sorry ass speech to this sorry ass group of shadow lawmakers. People in this state are finally getting a clue, but they probably won’t recall her…she’s a lameduck gov….due to be gone in 2014….she can manage to do limitless damage until then. She is truly ignorant.Ugly piece of work….both internally and externally. I call her the Cryptkeeper.
I don’t know if anyone will interrupt the convention. I’ve been to this resort before…..high end everything…..Phoenix PD came ALL KINDS OF OVERDRESSED FOR THE OCCASION…full riot gear. Morons.
Jan already took her immigration thing to the Supreme Ct…that woman has wasted more taxpayer money with these ridiculous lawsuits. The only one that does it better and costs more taxpayer dollars is Joe Arpiao. Millions.
PhoenixNewTimes is actually excellent in keeping up with any of this….and all the numerous crazy that goes on in Arizona:)
That Time cover is KILLER. Can you imagine if Time had given Obama that same headline on their cover in the weeks before the Iowa caucus in 2008? Not that it would have been true as it is true for Romney but true or not it would have been devastating in the presumptive statement it makes.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1211/69526.html
And 99% of the people will not buy the magazine, but it will have a billboard effect when folks just see the cover at the news stand. Time is Halperin right? Halperin is a Huntsman guy I believe. Huntsman’s only chance is a Romney tank.
Huntsman has more problems thzn Romney, including the same ones, he is a morman and his daddy is Filthy rich!
US unemployment rate falls sharply to 8.6%
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/mobile/business-16005502
Der spiegel is right. The american fourth estate ar truly treasonous fifth columnist enemies.
Statement by the President
Tonight, Senate Republicans chose to raise taxes on nearly 160 million hardworking Americans because they refused to ask a few hundred thousand millionaires and billionaires to pay their fair share. They voted against a bill that would have not only extended the $1,000 tax cut for a typical family, but expanded that tax cut to put an extra $1,500 in their pockets next year, and given nearly six million small business owners new incentives to expand and hire. That is unacceptable. It makes absolutely no sense to raise taxes on the middle class at a time when so many are still trying to get back on their feet.
Now is not the time to put the economy and the security of the middle class at risk. Now is the time to rebuild an economy where hard work and responsibility pay off, and everybody has a chance to succeed. Now is the time to put country before party and work together on behalf of the American people. And I will continue to urge Congress to stop playing politics with the security of millions of American families and small business owners and get this done.
Why isnt this being reported?
Chipsticks,
I want you to know I ask myself a few times a day, “How does she find and post all this good stuff?? And do it so well and often?? And have time to keep up with the comments too?!” It’s all just amazing. I’m thinking “Chipsticks” is actually a small POTUS army of supporters off the coast somewhere…:)
Yeah Chips, you are a little Obamette 😀 Thank you so very much for your hard work, In making It so REAL and truthful. Chips, you got It going on, Girlfriend 🙂 You are truly a GREAT Hostess 🙂 🙂
“Obamette”? I like that!! 😆 Thank you Luci!!
Ha forus, with all of you very lovely people helping out, it’s a HUGE army!!!!
Just watched a clip of Eric Cantor and John Boehner trying to spin the good news of the drop in unemployment to 8.6%. Cantor was stammering something awful. It was painful to watch. They’re both sour pussies. Boehner sent out this disgusting tweet. Almost made me lose my freaking mind. I’ve been blasting him with tweets. All he ever does is cry, cry, cry like a wuss. He’s been speaker for almost a year and no jobs bills under him and then he wants to castigate PBO? Are you freaking kidding me? The Weeper of the House will soon be heading to a bar to drink his pain away. Blowhard!
I am shocked they are not taking credit for this.
excellent donna i’ll go throw something out there.
go donna dem!!!
go go go!!
Choke him with his own election rhetoric 😀
Disgusting! They have NO shame whatsoever.
After everything they did and still do to slow down the economy, actually to crash the economy…ON PURPOSE….they have the nerve to ask where are the jobs.
Arrrhhhhh.
Imagine if the President didn’t have to deal with these traitors.
I actually thought they would take credit for it but it would have been as insulting.
GROUNDHOG DAY WITH SPEAKER BOEHNER
I actually felt dirty reading that tweet from Speaker Boehner. He is just morally bankrupt. These are the same old tired comments we have heard all year no matter what the unemployment numbers are. It reminded me of the blog post below from Salon back in June 2011. The title says it all.
THIS IS WHY THE UNITED STATES IS DOOMED
The GOP response to the jobs report: The Earth is flat and two plus two equals five
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The Hill reports the House Republican response to Friday morning’s distressing jobs report.
House Republicans pinned the blame for Friday’s disappointing jobs report squarely on the White House, saying the Obama administration’s “over-taxing, over-regulating and over-spending” has stifled economic growth.
“One look at the jobs report should be enough to show the White House it’s time to get serious about cutting spending and dealing with our ailing economy,” Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) said.
How many blatant untruths can a Republican speaker of the House stuff into one sentence? Quite a few!
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http://www.salon.com/2011/06/03/this_why_the_united_states_is_doomed/
I know that dumbass John Boehner didn’t tweet this did he? You can bet I will send that do nothing speaker an email today.
Moving the goalposts I see. Whatevs, Orange Glo.
You should reply: For # consecutive months, you don’t have a JOBS BILL! JOBS MADE BY PBO INSPITE OF YOU!
OMG. That is so many kinds of WRONG.
@metaquest meta
@SpeakerBoehner You have LOT of nerve asking PBO “where are the jobs?” while you sit on sidelines for 1 year w/NOTHING to show for Americans
Before he composed himself to tweet, this was Rusty’s reaction to the news:
Was he looking into the mirror asking where are the jobs!
ROFL, what a sight for sore eyes lol 🙂
Great news for our wonderful president who has been working so hard without much help if any from congress. I know the repugs are going to try to credit themselves for something. On the other hand, that Newt is really an old asshole.
Before the great jobs/unemployment numbers were released, I heard Morning Joke make what may be the dumbest statement ever heard on teevee to Thomas Friedman. He said as he was coming home from din out last night, he drove by the Wash. mall and it was empty! And he thought back to President Obama’s inauguration day when it was packed with those believing in change. And now on this night, Dec. 1, 2011 at about 10:00 p.m., the mall was empty! And he summed up this shocking development with “President Obama has really failed, hasn’t he?” It was the most idiotic deduction ever, a tale told by an idiot. Thankfully, Friedman refused to go along with him on that preposterous right wing wishful thinking.
And then—-the stark difference between the parties was never so clear as was in evidence with the Joke/Sherrod Brown economic discussion. Joe represented the greedy, selfish, heartless GOP viewpoint, talking about the need to privatize s.s. and medicare etc. and Brown adamantly refusing to throw the non-millionaires who depend on those programs under the bus. Joe, in effect, said “Who cares about them?”
I thought his show was out of New York …
He broadcasts out of DC when he is in town attending celebrity events. In case you are not aware Joe is one of the most important political pundits in the country. At least that is what he tells us.
And I might summarize by saying this next election may be the most important ever, a crucial decision for the American electorate on the direction of this country. I keep thinking of President Obama saying he didn’t want the U.S. to be the kind of country where Malia and Sasha would have to live behind walls and gates. And that’s exactly the kind of country the GOP is proposing.
WTH?! He is such an idiot. Comparing Inauguration day to some random day in December?
All the while praying and hoping not to have to see a repeat of that cold January day with that bombastic President-elect 😀
Last month the CFTC passed a rule to curb speculation on gas prices.
Since then, oil has gone up and/BUT gas prices have steadily declined.
That’s right, declined.
These new rules from the CFTC, was made possible by the wall street reform bill.
Imagine that?
That’s awesome, Jovie. Link?
That’s a great find, Jovie.
MINORITY LEADER NANCY PELOSI
Pelosi Statement on November Jobs Report
December 02, 2011
Washington, D.C. – Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi released the following statement today after the Department of Labor reported that the economy gained 120,000 jobs in November and the unemployment rate fell to 8.6 percent – the lowest rate since 2009. With private businesses adding 140,000 new employees, this marks the 21st consecutive month of private sector job growth:
“Today’s jobs report sends a clear message: we’ve made some progress but we have work to do.
“The American people’s top priority remains job creation. Democrats want to put more money in the pockets of all Americans and strengthen small businesses by expanding the payroll tax cut. Republicans put the economic security of 160 million Americans at risk by insisting on tax cuts for people making more than a million dollars per year and job cuts for the middle class.
“More than 330 days into this Congress, the Republican majority has failed to put forward a clear, comprehensive jobs plan. Democrats are committed to creating jobs and bolstering our middle class – building ladders of opportunity and reigniting the American dream. Americans can’t wait.”
Biden is in Constantinople, Turkey today.
He has been busy over there, attempting to get the Turks to agree to tough Iran sanctions!
He’s an amazing negotiator. It’s a tough issue and the region is such a hot spot but I know he will make inroads.
I just love me some VP Joe Biden 😀 He’s cool, and oh soooooooooo much fun, In my opinion 🙂 He’s the best VP ever 🙂
Here is a picture of the building the President will be touring this morning-
http://www.akridge.com/properties.aspx?prid=53#description
My tweet to Boehner:
@SpeakerBoehner We’re still waiting for YOUR jobs, sir. The president is doing his job. When will you start?
excellent!
An agreement has been reached to avert a strike of the freight rail system in the middle of the holiday season, negotiators for a group of unions and railroad companies announced.
The National Railway Labor Conference’s National Carriers’ Conference Committee (NCCC) said that an agreement had been reached to extend a “cooling off period” for negotiations between the rail companies and unions representing parts of the industry that had been set to expire Dec. 6.
http://thehill.com/blogs/transportation-report/railroads/196833-unions-reach-deal-to-avert-rail-strike
*******ALERT************ Watch out DC area residents…Boner and Cantor will be on a drinking binge tonight! Stay OFF the roads or drive with EXTREME CAUTION! Beware of combination of DWI/DWC (driving while crying) For all the rest of us…BUY STOCK IN KLEENEX! Pissants…all of them.
LOL LOL LOL Love this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ROFL, you’re on a roll, *desertflower*, I like 🙂
Hahaha. Good one DF. Just tweeted it.
DWC – bah ha ha ha 😀
LOL 😀 😀 😀
The Senate late Thursday evening cleared a bill by unanimous consent which would ease bankruptcy rules for members of the National Guard and Reserves.
The National Guard and Reservist Debt Relief Extension Act, H.R. 2192, would allow qualifying soldiers to obtain Chapter 7 bankruptcy relief without having to go through a “means” test imposed on most Americans, which is designed to ascertain an individual’s ability to pay back their debt.
Sen. Pat Leahy (D-Vt.) argued from the floor on Thursday that the “means” test is onerous for all Americans and ought to be done away with.
“In my view, no American, particularly in times of such economic hardship, should have this burdensome requirement of the so-called means test imposed upon them,” said Leadhy. “The bankruptcy system was established to protect Americans and give them a fresh start.”
http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/senate/196813-senate-approves-bill-to-aid-soldiers-struggling-with-bankruptcy-
Wnen the GOP is blocking ACA I find the comment disparaging the least among us by Newt Gingrinch. He is a person without a heart and soul. He is a a despicable man and he degrades our country just being able to run for office which he is highly unfit. A low life bastard of a man who is very sick in the head.
I think they call that a “psychopath”. Fits.
More of a sociopath. They are truly the ones who lack a conscience.
I stand corrected! You studier of all things relating to our bodies and why we do what we do 🙂 God bless you, UT! I don’t know if you saw the comment I made the other day when you explained what you’re taking in school…but I said that I was exhausted just THINKING about that! Good for you…study hard. You make us proud!
Sociopath fits:)
Yes Ut
You make us vey proud with your smart head. Thanks.
How Republicans are being taught to talk about Occupy Wall Street
===================================================
4. Don’t talk about ‘jobs.’ Talk about ‘careers.’
“Everyone in this room talks about ‘jobs,'” Luntz said. “Watch this.”
He then asked everyone to raise their hand if they want a “job.” Few hands went up. Then he asked who wants a “career.” Almost every hand was raised.
“So why are we talking about jobs?”
5. Don’t say ‘government spending.’ Call it ‘waste.’
“It’s not about ‘government spending.’ It’s about ‘waste.’ That’s what makes people angry.”
6. Don’t ever say you’re willing to ‘compromise.’
“If you talk about ‘compromise,’ they’ll say you’re selling out. Your side doesn’t want you to ‘compromise.’ What you use in that to replace it with is ‘cooperation.’ It means the same thing. But cooperation means you stick to your principles but still get the job done. Compromise says that you’re selling out those principles.”
===================================================
http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/republicans-being-taught-talk-occupy-wall-street-133707949.html
All I can say is Luntz has a special place reserved for him in hell.
The reason why Luntz-isms won’t work this time is because of the relentless discipline of the Democratic messaging now. Plus it’s too easy to turn this news speak against them. He told these people not to use the term Middle Class, but to use Hardworking Taxpayers. Here’s one for ya, Luntz: The GOP just raised the taxes for 160 million Hardworking Taxpayers.
Great point, Tien Le. I so appreciate your expertise in communication skills.
Spot-on, Tien Le! I think you have exceptional communication skills that the DNC could benefit from.
Good morning Chips & wonderful TOD family. This has been a very busy week for me. Plus several democratic fundraisers. Tonight we are going to one for Senator Tester. I am still upset with him but Rehberg would be a train wreck. I hope I will get a chance to personally talk to him.. I’ll let you all know what happens. Have a great day.
I hope you get to talk to him, too! Tell him that he NEEDS TO SUPPORT THIS PRESIDENT! Dying to hear report, Marilyn……:)
He’s polling 2 points behind Rehberg and everything he is currently voting against isn’t near the 60 votes needed for cloture. I think the greatest thing he could do to support the President is to get re-elected, because if he’s re-elected it’s one more seat to hold the majority with. I don’t expect Pres. Obama to make a play for Montana either – so it’s not like their campaigns would clash in the state. I feel the same way about Nelson in Nebraska as well, he’s the best we’re going to get there and is a seat towards the Dem Senate majority.
I read today that Cook moved ND to toss-up from likely Republican. It was “Lean Republican” when Conrad was assumed running for re-election, than moved to “Likely Republican” when Conrad announced he was retiring. However with former ND Attorney General Heidi Heitkamp announcing her candidacy it jumped to a “toss-up”! She was a HUGE get.
Dems hold ND, MT and NB and it’s HUGE not just for now, but for 2016-2018 when it’s the mandate years for the next President. But it would virtually ensure the Dems would keep the Senate majority in 2012 and potentially even in 2014 which will be another rough year. ND was a sure loss, NB is a sure loss if Nelson doesn’t run again, Tester will be in a dog fight with the GOP making it one if it’s top targets.
Tester is (trying to) paint himself as a serious solutions Senator who isn’t about kicking the can down the road and short term solutions. Rehberg is in the Boehner House right now and is getting caught up in all the games they’re playing, so it’s an opening Tester sees.
Go for it, MTmarilyn! You speak for all of us, and I thank you!
good morning TOD family
boy are those pictures of Potus,Flotus and the FD beautiful or what? 😀
#chucktoddquestions
Mr. President, why is the unemployment rate 8.6% and not 8.5%?
Heads up everyone, the President is due to speak at 11:15 ET
http://www.whitehouse.gov/live
http://edition.cnn.com/video/flashLive/live.html?stream=4
Thank you!
THANK YOU, Chips! PBO looks like he’s enjoying the tour. You’ll never ever see a more intellectually curious POTUS.
Thanks, Chips!
“I have to say at this point, I’m begining to wonder if the GOP hasn’t already thrown this election. That isn’t to say it cannot be won; of course it can (and might even by a hefty margin if we enter another downward spiral). But if Obama is re-elected, and the sequestration defense cuts are enforced and the Bush tax cuts expire, and the ACA becomes irreversible … how will the GOP’s stratgey over the last three years look like in retrospect?”
MEEP MEEP
http://andrewsullivan.thedailybeast.com/2011/12/mitt-vs-newt-has-the-gop-already-lost.html
It would be nice if the ADP jobs predictions would match reality for once. It’s hard for me to take that outfit seriously, especially when they predicted 206,000 jobs created for November. However, it’s good to see the unemployment rate drop to 8.6% and 140,000 new jobs is nothing to sneeze at. It’s still progress. Are GOP governors just looking to find new state employees to lay off? I mean, 20,000 last month on top of the hundreds of thousands they have already laid off? WTF?
For awhile now, the numbers get adjusted up. I know we can’t count on that, but it’s been the recent pattern.
I would like to compare the methodology of how they compute the numbers. Like the CBO is unable to include certain factors in their computations that you know change the actual effects.
REPUBLICANS ARE THE PARTY OF BIRTHERS, BAGGERS AND BLOWHARDS
==================================
There is something downright poetic about Newt Gingrich emerging as the leader of the Birthers, Baggers and Blowhards in the Republican Party. The clown car GOP presidential candidates are a sight to behold. How appropriate that their leader would turn out to be the biggest gasbag of them all. Every time I see the incredibly unctuous Newt Gingrich strutting around like a peacock, I am reminded of Bob Beckel coining the phrase “birthers, baggers & blowhards” during an interview on Fox. It was hilarious and a spot on description of the Republican Party.
==================================
Fox Guest: Republicans Are The Party Of ‘Birthers, Baggers And Blowhards’
I kind of feel like an idiot for asking but I have a question. so here’s the voting tally for the motion to proceed on the payroll tax cut:
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=112&session=1&vote=00219
It looks like the majority voted yes, proceed with the tax cut. so why didn’t it pass? did it need to be a larger majority?
Filibuster. It needed 60 votes.
thankyou! 🙂
You all must read this article and visit the site. Offensive is too mild of a description.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
While Herman Cain weighs whether to stay in the race after being accused of carrying on a decade-plus affair, the campaign is looking to repair the damage his various alleged improprieties have caused with women supporters. His website just went live with a new “Women For Cain” section where female supporters can share their stories —and slam his accusers as “vindictive,” “jealous,” “unstable,” and “husbandless.”
The initiative, the site says, is chaired by his wife, Gloria Cain, who has been virtually 100% absent from the campaign trail so far and only recently gave her first interview — and that was after canceling previous ones first.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
On The Site You Will Find Comments Like This:
“Dear Mrs. Cain Don’t pay attention to these pathetic husbandless women who are jealous of women like you in happy long-term marriages,” a supporter from California writes. “These vindictive women can’t find a husband or keep one. They are like stalkers who try to latch on to any man who shows a bit of kindness or attention to them. When these unstable women come out of the woodwork to make accusations about Herman just say, ‘Honey, get a life, I believe my husband.’ We want you to be our First Lady Mrs. Cain!”
AND:
“now because of scheming women that can be swayed by money, attention or whatever else the reason may be, your reputation is at stake – not theirs as it should be. I do not believe these women are victims…I believe you are.”
More Here: http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/12/herman-cain-launches-women-for-cain-with-brutal-attacks-on-husbandless-accusers.php?ref=fpnewsfeed
Of all the things that Herman Cain has done to offend every decent human being, there’s an aspect of all this that gets ignored: He allowed this last public humiliation of Cain’s wife and its subsequent ‘excuses’ to go out over the airwaves without jumping on a plane and looking his poor wife in the eye. And he talks about that fact as if it’s reasonable. Remember, he’s not an official, in fact he doesn’t have a job. He has campaign stops. You don’t go to your wife? You continue to campaign?
There are no words to explain the sliminess of Republicans. Absolutely none.
And is it true that Gloria Cain is going along with this?!?
If Gloria Cain goes along with this scheme it seems she does not care about how this paints her and her family only that her husband can continue his quest. I wonder if this is akin to women who stay and defend their husband that abuse them.
It says in the article that she chairs the site. Cain could have made that up so who knows.
This looks like something the Cain campaign has self-populated. The tone is the same in both samples. I would imagine they asked Gloria Cain to “chair” this before Ginger came on the scene. I want to give her the benefit of the doubt, and will be watching the outcome from the weekend “kitchen summit”. What a humiliating spectacle from her husband.
Interesting watching the WH live stream….the body language and expressions are fascinating to me
I know. PBO isn’t looking at Clinton with a kind eye to say the least. 🙂
frack! I see Bill’O the clown is there. Can’t fricking stand him.
did I say that Clinton LOOKS EXACTLY like my dad?? Holy crap.
Ooooh we have Live stream of PBO on whitehouse.gov.
I can’t even freaking watch this damned feed cause seeing Clinton’s face makes me fucking wanna puke my guts out. Freaking shmuck.asshole.
Okay, I’m Clinton’s age and if I look like that, I’m going to hang close to home. He should, too. (Obviously, I have nothing against people my age or being this age, but he’s not a good representation of “the look”!)
Oh, my. What a difference between the former and the CURRENT Presidents. Loving me some PBO right now. Thank you, God. Young, vibrant, energetic, REAL, etc. Did I mention REAL?
Veganism which he is now practicing is taking its toll.
I really do believe that despite Clinton’s occasional lapses of the mouth, PBO and him established a decent relationships.
I agree. And I’m appreciative of that. (I just no longer “like” the former President – since SC ’08 – and I can’t help it.)
WORD. I’m sorry but that left a very bad taste in my mouth. UGH.
Especially after so many of us not only put up with him for eight years, but spent a great deal of it sticking up for him, because of all his flaws. That was a very long eight-year period.
By contrast, President Obama’s first of two terms is going so quickly I cannot believe it! I’d like to slow it down and keep him around for decades!
I’m completely with you on that. We watch his progress every day and it still seems like it’s flying by. I’m so grateful for this time with him.
Can you remember a president you felt so intensely about? With Clinton he had personal lapses as well as very centrist policies and in some cases quite backwards (welfare reform, killing a mentally-disabled inmate during the primaries, NAFTA). Even Ike had a mistress. President Obama is the only president I have followed so closely, contributed, and volunteered for. GOP followers of non-Romney and ROmney seem more motivated by hatred of the “Other” than by positive identification with their candidate.
No, Tracy, I can’t remember a president I cared so much about, although JFK comes the closest and I would have cared a lot if Bobby Kennedy had made it. But there is something about PBO that makes him more than a president. He always seems like someone you’ve known for a long time and who is someway, some how related. Hard to explain, but he is the realest president I’ve ever know.
Agree
Wow, get it done or you may not be leaving.
Good morning, TOD!~
House Won’t Roll Back Defense Cuts This Year
The House won’t be taking up changes to mandatory cuts to defense spending anytime soon despite increasing calls from GOP defense hawks and some leaders to tackle the issue this year. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) had been holding discussions with House and Senate Republicans and Democrats — including Sen. Joe Lieberman (I.-Conn.) — about attaching changes to the sequester’s defense cuts to must-pass unemployment and tax legislation this year.
~snip~
When asked whether the sequester could be repealed before the end of the calendar year, Appropriations Chairman Hal Rogers (R-Ky.) said, “I don’t see how you could.” A GOP aide familiar with the situation agreed, saying, “I believe that issue is settled” and that Republicans will now look to move the unemployment insurance and payroll tax cut extension as a stand-alone package. Cantor is expected to continue his efforts to craft a bipartisan deal to change the sequester, although it also will now be a stand-alone measure.
~snip~
http://www.rollcall.com/news/house_wont_roll_back_defense_cuts_this_year-210704-1.html
h/t John Stanton and Daniel Newhauser
Good morning, TOD family. Did anyone see Joe Watkins on MSNBC this morning defending Gingrich’s hideous comments about poor people and their children? I’m so upset I can barely breathe. If you follow me on twitter (@marabout40) you’ll see I was giving him a piece of my mind. If you saw the segment and you’re as outraged as I am, please tell him so: @revjoewatkins.
This country has lost its freaking mind.
Grrr. You know, I don’t think people like Joe Watkins have suddenly lost their minds … I think they’re just becoming more blatant in expressing their true views, because they are so up against the wall with their horrible candidates they have no choice.
Surely none of them could mean their defenses of people like Newt. Hypocrites (and worse), all.
You gotta love President Obama. He says exactly what he thinks about you to your face; never behind your back. Bill Clinton; he’s looking at you.
PBO just called out Bubba. PBO said that he hears the GOP parroting Bubba’s statement that raising taxes is a bad idea; well that’s why they should pass his payroll tax cut so that the middleclass will have money in their pockets to help them and the economy.
The body language between PBO and Bubba is very telling. PBO did not crack a smile while looking at Bubba and he gave him the stink eye a couple of times. I’d do the same standing next to that big mouth who doesn’t know when to SHUT UP.
You know, I’d have a much easier time believing that Bill Clinton “suffers” from “Big Mouth Syndrome” if he hadn’t been so quiet during the 8 years when Dubya was destroying our country. Hopefully, Bubba might just realize that his antics are counter productive in furbishing his legacy.
Bubba’s a petty, vengeful man. End of story.
LOL! Don’t you just love the actions of individuals who are affiliated with “the party of family values?” Doesn’t it just make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside…NOT!~
Michele Bachmann’s campaign stole a group email list from the Network of Iowa Christian Home Educators (NICHE) and used it for campaign purposes, according to an email obtained by the Iowa Republican. In a letter sent to its members, NICHE President Justin LaVan said the Bachmann campaign uploaded the list “without our knowledge or permission,” and used it “twice for emails from her campaign.”
The report did not say how the list was obtained or who was responsible, but noted that NICHE board member Barb Heki, who oversees communications for the group, is also a member of Bachmann’s Iowa campaign team. According to LaVan’s letter, the Bachmann campaign told NICHE that the events were “inadvertent,” and said it has completely deleted the list from its database. Still, the campaign will have to make financial restitution to NICHE for the two emails it sent to the group list.
~snip~
http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/196531-bachmann-campaign-stole-homeschooler-email-list
How to make friends with Christians in Iowa, Michele. Not.
Does “Thou shalt not steal” mean anything to you?
I guess this is just one more gaffe that she “hasn’t” made during the campaign…
Was that UpChuck Todd yelling out that question to Clinton?
Gag. The child reporter?
GAH, Clinton just can’t help himself.
Why the fuck can’t Bill Clinton just ignore the media jackals. PBO ended the briefing……but noooooo Bubba had to run back and hijack the mic. You’re not the f*cking President Bubba. My goodness!
I noticed and was thinking the same thing UT. He could not resist.
I noticed the hijacking too—-so typical. I don’t think President Obama was entirely pleased by that insistence on the last word.
PBO looked pissed and so was I watching Bill look like a toddler craving so much attention. During Bill Clinton’s intro remarks, I kept thinking that he (Bill) doesn’t look good, and I don’t mean that he looks old. I mean he doesn’t look well. Then I thought how pathetic and sad it is to be at his stage of life and still be so narcissistic. I’m sure the President thinks that’s sad as well. I would think that PBO realizes that after 2016, the only thing that matters is the love from his family and friends and not loving the microphone. Bill needs to go sit down and rest.
I noticed that…….he didn’t look happy at all. There’s something wrong with Bill Clinton, he just can’t let go….pathetic
At least Dubya knew enough (or listened to advice) to pretty much sit down and STUP. Too bad Clinton didn’t get the message.
I hope Clinton’s behavior doesn’t prompt President Obama to stay away from the limelight after 2016. I hope we still get to see him out and about – withdrawals will be very difficult.
It’s going to be very interesting to see how Bill conducts himself next year on the campaign trail and at the DNC convention in Charlotte.
I couldn’t believe it….
All right TODvillers. Show of hands. How many of you (still?) think that Bill Clinton was our “first black president”? heh.
I haven’t seen the video but I hope it’s not as obviously bad/weird as it sounds. Otherwise, the MSM will talk of little else for this 24 hour “no news” cycle.
I can’t wait to see the video either
Up untill a few months ago things appeared calm between the two of them. As BWD said, there seemed to be a decent relationship.
But it seems in the last few months it deteriorated. Clinton inserted himself in the debt ceiling debate (the 14th amendment remember?) He has repeated some of it in his book and now has apologized because he admits he was mistaken. He is going all over the place giving advice on the economy. His friends and allies in Congress are criticizing President Obama overtly and he has not done anything to stop them. And most recently he praised Gingrich ( in the latter case I hope it is a strategic praise but I’m not sure).
President Obama not smiling at Clinton in a public event is a big deal. This IS unusual.
I think it’s one of two things: (1) Hillary really is leaving the Administration after the first term, and Bill Clinton knows his time in the limelight will be coming to an end after that, or (2) he’s been having too many dinners with the Clintonistas and they’ve filled his head with dreams of a one-term-President-Obama.
I haven’t watched the video, but heard about it from my sister. Not looking forward to seeing it – but I do want to see the stink-eye that President Obama gave to Bill Clinton.
thankfully it is a weekend and it is December. Most folks are out doing Christmas shopping so by Monday the “hoopla” will go away.
Pastor At Kentucky Church That Banned Interracial Couples Calls For Vote To Reverse Decision
By Travis Waldron on Dec 2, 2011 at 10:03 am
The lead pastor at the Kentucky church that banned interracial couples from becoming members or participating in certain worship activities now expects that ban to be overturned. Gulnare Free Will Baptist Church, a small congregation in Pike County, Kentucky, voted to ban such couples Sunday, months after a former pastor originally drafted a resolution decreeing the policy.
But after outrage from local residents, local religious leaders, and the National Association of Free Will Baptists, current pastor Stacy Stepp told the Appalachian News-Express that he expected state and national Free Will Baptist officials to overturn the ban. He has also called for a new vote on the matter, perhaps as early as this Sunday, according to the Lexington Herald-Leader. The ban was instituted in a 9-6 vote of church members Sunday, though much of the 40-member crowd abstained. “We’re going to get it resolved,” Stepp said.
~snip~
http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2011/12/02/380537/pastor-at-kentucky-church-that-banned-interracial-couples-calls-for-vote-to-reverse-decision/
Is this 2011 or 1811? Refresh my memory, please.
disgusting, huh? we’ll move ahead, with or without them. Yesterday, I had to have a chat with my 20 YO daughter. The Salvation Army guys are out ringing their bells now. In years past, I would always drop a few dollars in the red bucket to help out. I had to explain to her why I won’t be doing that anymore. It is because as one of their tenets,they believe that marriage should only be between a man/woman….I’ll try and find the link….they do not believe in equality of all. I explained that because they have chosen to take that stance, that I have chosen to take mine. No more $$ from me.
Well. I hit the motherload. I don’t agree with ANYTHING THEY SAY!
http://www.salvationarmyusa.org/usn/www_usn_2.nsf/0/B6F3F4DF3150F5B585257434004C177D?Opendocument
This actually restores my faith a little in these people – they saw a wrong, and they’re trying to address it. The few bad apples are making it bad for everyone else, all over the place.
MORE good news! http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45520785/ns/world_news-mideast_n_africa/#.TtkB1rLRujM
It’s December. Our troops will be home for Christmas. Check out the sign in the picture 🙂 Thank you, Mr President!
And local papers across America will be filled all December with the men and women of the military being home with their families. I can’t believe the GOP came out so hard against it, and then even had the gall to claim that bringing the troops home was a defeat. Considering the war was sold on the threat of Saddam and WMD’s – that was their mission.
Another bad decision they made. Now, the rest of America will see who brought them all home. Sucks to be them.
I just wish there could be some national commemoration to celebrate the troops coming home and the end of a war that has caused us so much blood, treasury and world standing.
I am so happy that the troops are coming home and George W. Bush’s war of choice is over. I have tears just thinking about it. President Obama is just plain wonderful.
Thank you, df. And yes! That is a great sign!
🙂
Another promise that Our Beloved President has kept!
You would think by now the jackals would have enough sense not to mess with Jay!~
Say what? White House spokesman Carney dismisses GOP plan as ‘gorilla dust’
Press Secretary Jay Carney had been known to turn a phrase or two during his day as a White House correspondent at Time magazine. So perhaps it should not have come as a surprise to his former brethren when Carney spiced up an otherwise predictable attack against President Obama’s Republican rivals with a rhetorical flourish.
“Pick your metaphor,” Carney said at his daily briefing Thursday while dismissing a GOP proposal for a payroll tax cut as a showy, but ultimately shallow alternative to Obama’s plan. “Window dressing or gorilla dust.”
No one stopped Carney to ask what he meant, but afterward several of the seasoned wordsmiths in the press room agreed they had never before heard the evocative phrase. “It’s a rich and appropriate phrase,” Carney insisted when we followed up with him on the matter after the press briefing.
~snip~
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/44/post/say-what-white-house-spokesman-carney-dismisses-gop-plan-as-gorilla-dust/2011/12/01/gIQA1YjqJO_blog.html?wprss=44
h/t David Nakamura
Run read. I wonder if it will catch on more now. We can use it against Tapper, Knoller, Todd and the like when they’re falling for the GOP distraction attempt of the day/moment. “Quit falling for the gorilla dust Tapper!!!”
*FUN read
Love it, saintroscoe. All you tweeters just might help “gorilla dust” to be included in the Urban Dictionary, as well as creatively labeling #GOP FAIL.
🙂 used it on Boehner:
SpeakerBoehner Speaker John Boehner
There are now 25 bipartisan House-passed #jobs bills awaiting a vote by Senate Dems: j.mp/sp9tpZ List: 1.usa.gov/qdmGqR
24Sass Sass
@SpeakerBoehner @PressSec @BarackObama Trouble is that those 25 bills are gorilla dust.
THE GROUND HAS SHIFTED BENEATH THEM
This is the hardest working White House ever. Our energizer bunny President Obama and his cabinet are doing amazing work for the American people. This is what real leadership looks like. If the media would just report the facts, these amazing and dedicated public servants would be getting the credit they deserve. Just look at what is happening today……
———————————
– President Obama has relentless focus on the economy and job creation with the American Jobs Act.
– President Obama wants to extend the payroll tax and unemployment benefits for 2012.
– President Obama made a major announcement on energy efficiency today. If congress won’t do it, he will.
– Vice President Biden was in Iraq as troops are withdrawing.
– Vice President Biden is now in Turkey to urge sanctions on Iran.
– Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is on a historic visit to Burma and has met with Aung San Suu Kyi.
———————————-
Makes my head spin! Hardest workers ever….keeping their eyes on their goal. Never giving up. Hugs and thanks to them all for their hard work!
I really think the lack of press coverage for all the things PBO is doing towards helping the jobs situation is detrimental to our country. I am so glad he goes directly to the local media. It should be so much more evident to all the people though.
There is no stopping him. President Obama is extremely diligent and focussed. Once he sets his sights on something–well that is IT, I remember a story saying that before he became President that he had these workaholic tendencies but Michelle has helped him lighten up some. Can we imagine how it would be if he were to turn that energy on full force?
Living in VA with lots of troops from this area and in the Ft. Bragg area in NC, the story of troops coming home from Iraq is getting a lot of attention in the local news on a near nightly basis. It’s nice to see.
Will be MANY smiles, laughter, and happy tears this year!
Republican candidate Herman Cain has admitted giving money to Ginger White, who says they had a 13-year affair.
In an interview with the New Hampshire Union Leader newspaper, Mr Cain also said he had not told his wife, Gloria, about the friendship.
But he insists he never had sexual relations with Ms White. He is due to hold talks with his wife on Friday.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/mobile/world-us-canada-15996701
“hold talks” with his own effing wife ? rolflamo.
I know, amk….I found that more than a little odd myself. I feel so sorry for Mrs. Cain. Her business, but I would SOOOOOOOOOOO get a smart divorce atty…she’s been lied to for far too long.
I’m being beyond belief with the present crop of rethug ‘candidates’ for what is arguably the most powerful post under this sun.
Onion would go out of business at this rate. Fucking unbelievable, really.
Laughing at some tweets about Hermie’s homecoming—–“Honey, I’m home! Missed your pot roast!”
when I think of Cain and his mistresses;this Christmas song comes to mind 😉
“Roasted Nuts On an Open Fire”
I am not the most experience woman when it comes to “knowing” men, but what I’m pretty confident of is that not too many men just give money to a woman that isn’t their sister or mother, for NOTHING but “friendship.”
His version of the relationship just doesn’t pass the sniff test.
And…Gloria Cain is not surprised by any of this. I know woman that are “old school” who have very successful husbands that they would never divorce but they know that stuff is going on and IMO Gloria knew it as well. What has her pissed is that Cain has humiliated her by making it public. His ego got the better of him. As long as “home” was taken care of and he didn’t embarrass her she was cool with it.
Yep…she was able to look the other way as long as he kept it on the low.
Co-sign, Donna. I would add that as long as Hermie’s schedule kept him away from -Home Sweet Home-she was more than willing to let him do his THANG.
yup. I agree Donna and I still don’t think she is going anywhere now but he will certainly pay for it.
If Herman Cain was just “friends” with this woman, then why did the “friendship” have to end because he was running for President. Wouldn’t he have wanted her to be a character witness, at how generous he was to help her with her monthly bills, out of the goodness of his heart? He’s a liar.
Very sound question, theo67.
Alex Wagner—-irritating and constantly blabbing Repub talking points. Who is she? Why is she there? She just equated President Obama with Mitt Romney, saying they were both intellectual and dispassionate, meaning neither brings any excitement to the race. Who started this meme that Obama is “dispassionate” and unable to connect with people? Karl Rove? Frank Luntz? The media has really grabbed onto that and run with it. I hear it repeated multiple times a day on every talk show.
These media idiots are building their own reality, and the sad thing is that they are believing their own stories. That’s why it’s going to be so shocking to them when 2012 turns out to be a landslide victory for this President who just can’t connect. I say – let them keep doing what they’re doing. They’re only talking to each other in a bubble of stupidity.
“They’re only talking to each other in a bubble of stupidity.” I totally and enthusiastically co-sign, Theo67!
Oh great now we have David Gregory, Alex Wagner and Imogen lloyd Webber telling us that PBO can’t connect with people like Romney connects with people. That PBO doesn’t understand retail politics like Huntsman, Bush, Santorum, and Romney. To think they pay people millions to spew BS. I need to get a job on MSNBC then; so I can spew BS also.
Man, do I wish you were on MSNBC. The daily stupidity there now is just astounding. They’re all clueless and so off route. Almost completely unaware of facts. I guess we can’t ask you to quit school, utaustin, and apply for the job, so we will continue to be subjected to idiocy. Now here comes Buddy Roemer again. They love him on msnbc—-they’re begging for a 3rd party run. Ugh to the max!
All week MSNBC has been pushing a 3rd party candidate. It’s all topsy turvy. Wagner sits there and giggles in that annoying manner. Pushing Jon Huntsman over and over again. He’s Mr. 1%; he’s not going anywhere but Oh no, she and Morning Joe have to make us puke with their Huntsman love. And don’t get me started on Wagner pushing the Huntsman girls annoying videos.
Gregory would be wise to look at his abysmal ratings for MTP and figure out why he can’t connect instead of spewing crap about PBO.
Maybe MSNBC has talking points just like FOX NEWS does for their commentators. Maybe we only thought they were leaning Democratic and the corporate owners are being more elusive about their push against Obama towards the Corporatist Politicians.
The only good shows on MSNBC are Rev Al and Martin . The rest is garbage.
I so agree with you, Rev Al and Martin Bashir FTW…..
There’s one thing I don’t understand….I really don’t.
These idiots know that there’s gazillion of pictures and videos out there to completely debunk that lie and they still repeat it every chance they get. And it’s in the States and abroad, he is welcomed like a rock star.
Who the hell believe that lie? That the president doesn’t connect.
It’s infuriating.
On the other end, Mitt Romney don’t connect with people, that is not a lie, he is awkward and weird around people.
The media is so pathetic, the pretend left leaning MSNBC is the worst.
Here is my appeal to Chipsticks, Donna, WIW, and all the smart people on this blog. Put together a video of clips that clearly demonstrates how President Obama connects with people, both in this country and abroad. Send it to MSNBC/NBC. Challenge Wagner, Matthews, Gregory, and the rest, to show the video and then explain to the American people the basis of their false claims that President Obama does not connect with the people. As some one who has lived under 9 presidents (10 presidents, really, if you include JFK of my teen years), I know of no other President who was able to connect with ordinary people more than President Obama. Look at the millions of small donors to his campaign. I don’t have much money, but I still make it a point of contributing at least $20.00 a month to the President’s re-election campaign. That’s something I never dreamed of doing with respect to Presidential candidates, or any of the 8 presidents before him. Clearly, MSNBC and the MSM in general have embarked on a propaganda campaign to try to defeat President Obama by peddling lies about his character and his public policy record. Thank God for sites like TOD! Although this site is not as powerful as the MSM, at least there is place where people can go to learn the TRUTH about President Obama, his marvelous family, and his highly competent administration.
I am not certain who has the lowest IQ Imogen Lloyd Webber or Meghan McCain. Neither has the ability to make a coherent statement. They are both very fortunate to have the fathers they do and tell us something about MSNBC.
Because the sitting President can just jump into a crowd or show up at diners without it being security swept by the secret service an a hour before. Or he has the time to do small townhalls and answer questions at local Moose Lodges. They seem to forget he’s not even campaigning yet, and ignore that Huntsman, Romney, Santorum are campaigning full time.
No doubt they’ll make big issue of crowd size differences in 2012 from 2008 when once again for security reasons he simply cannot be in wide open spaces with 100,000 people on all sides.
Mighty Mouth…….”.here he comes to save the day”…..again? Shut up Bill !
Now I see what everyone was talking about above when they said Bill Clinton did not look well. His eyes tell that there is something not quite right healthwise. My Mom is in 4th stage Lung Cancer right now and her eyes have the same look as Clinton’s do. There was no hint of cancer before it was discovered in my Mom either. It was discovered through an Xray to see if a bone was broken in a fall.
Really? I’m not seeing that at all. Clinton always had very very light blue eyes so as he ages that becomes even moreso. IMHO it would have been a little chicken shit for him to just walk away and ignore the question that was directly asked of him. His statement was extremely supportive of POTUS’ initiatives and wasn’t about him.
I like Bill Clinton when he is supporting the President and I don’t like him when he doesn’t. Clearly POTUS didn’t need to invite him today so that alone would indicate that POTUS thinks he’s an asset to him. It clearly shows strength to have any former President be out there working with you.
Newt’s Appeal
A reader writes:
I spent Thanksgiving with my family of formerly-sensible moderates and conservatives. Every one of them has morphed into a Gingrich fan. As much as the commentariat likes to talk about electability, the just-regular-folks I spent the holidays with talked only about how Newt would “hammer” the President during debates. “Can you imagine,” my sister said, her eyes as lit-up as a child’s on Christmas morning. “When Obama starts that smartest-guy-in-the-room shit, Newt’ll shut him up.” No one talked about policy or even politics. This is a mob storming the Bastille, cheering the guillotine, and Gingrich is their most likely Robespierre.
Is that feeling widespread enough to get a loon like Gingrich elected? I hope not, and don’t think so. But it’s enough to get him nominated, and anyone who doubts that needs to get out more. There’s a big slice of the electorate that has lost all perspective. The only thing they’re interested in is the visceral joy of watching someone destroy and humiliate “that damned Obama.” They’re convinced that Gingrich is just the guy to administer the rough justice they crave, and whether he’s electable or would even be good for the country simply doesn’t enter into their thinking.
http://andrewsullivan.thedailybeast.com/2011/12/newts-appeal.html
That’s not surprising. There is a reason Newt keeps bringing up his idea to have a bunch of Lincoln-whatever style debates against the president. The idea of having someone embarrass, condescend, and disrespect the president is all they care about. The Republican party is just a bunch of people with Obama Derangement Syndrome. Their entire political motivation is to defeat and humiliate Barack Obama.
Precisely.
Candidates always look bright and shiny until the American public has a chance to learn more and see them in action. It won’t take long for Newt’s oversized arrogance and idiotic blatherings to show everyone who and what he is. And sorry, but one look at his wife is enough to send chills.
I think this is bigger than any “Obama Derangement Syndrome” This is emphatic hatred of the 44th President. Not his policies, not his party affiliation, but him. The man. Everything that embodies him and that makes him, him. I sometimes think of that scene in Oliver Stone’s Nixon. Now, that movie may not be the most factual story about President Nixon, but I remember at the tail end of the movie where Nixon, played by Anthony Hopkins, walks to Kennedy’s White House Portrait, and says “Every time they look at you, they see who they want to be, when they look at me, they see what they are.”
That is the enigma that plagues the Republicans. For years, they have touted themselves as intellectually, morally, physically and mentally superior to the Democrats. They have basked in it and glorified that in themselves. Their supporters think they are the same way. Then, there comes along this man, born of African and White blood, born the very year Kennedy was inaugurated. He grew up without a father, had a racial identity crisis which led to him hanging with the wrong crowd and experimented with illicit drugs and unlike Republicans who would hide that fact, admitted it and would openly without hesitation answer it when asked.He had a life that no other American child had. He went all over the world and learned the different cultures and customs. He didn’t even need to be elected to the U.S. Senate to know about foreign policy. He lived it. He then goes to two prestigious Universities, excelling in both. He marries a woman who is as strong and forthright as is he, probably more than him who he couldn’t live without. Has two lovely children who he cherishes and adores. Doesn’t need an entourage of adoring fanboys to make him feel important, but feels secure with friends he has known his whole life. He is secure in himself, he doesn’t need to put on a different aura or personality when in front of cameras. He is just him. He has that natural confidence, the confidence stems from him being content in his life and being grateful for all he has. He never wants more, but he always gets more. The Media knows that, the hard left and right which throws a barrage of insults and criticisms his way.
They believe that he is too perfect. Look at that slight above, “”When Obama starts that smartest-guy-in-the-room shit….” they know that he is smarter than them and they hate it. He is morally superior than they are and they hate it. He has no psychological troubles and they hate it. He is physically superior than they are and they HATE IT!!!! We have lived through Bush and Abramoff, Clinton and Lewinsky, Bush and Thomas, Reagan and Iran Contra, Carter and the Iranian Hostage Crisis, Ford and his bumbling pitfalls, Nixon and his sneakiness, Johnson and Vietnam, Kennedy and the Bay of Pigs. I have yet to see something which would damage Barack Obama like that. They are trying it with Solyndra, but it isn’t sticking. They really hate that, because not only do they want to see a scandal for political reasons obviously, but somehow if they can’t be better than him, they at least want to be the same as him. They want him to be as dirty, as horrendously nasty as they are. They want him to insult, belittle and be crass towards them. The fact that he is a true statesman blunts the plan of pulling him down to their level. They can’t do that now, which is why they are deluding themselves thinking that Newt Gingrich could best him. They have fallen for their own bullshit with the ” conservative intellectual with ideas.” Its gonna be a tums and ginger ale night for them when they figure out how wrong they are.
Oh, and go to 1:31:45 on the clip. I thought it would just get that segment.
Great big LIKE ! Can this get any truer ? Such a shame this can’t be tweeted.
Great comment.
this is FABULOUS
I love this – perfect!
Very well stated, Slyfox. He drives them crazy because he defies all stereotyping.
Excellent anotherslyfox, beautifully and truthfully stated…. If only I could condense this ALL into a tweet…
AWESOMEEEEEE COMMENT…..THUMBS up!!
Wow! What a great comment! This is absolutely a must read.
It is a marvelous read indeed…
You are absolutely right Slyfox. You say it so well. And the things they hate him for… those are the same things we love him for. He is just VASTLY superior to all of them. 🙂
True words!
THIS, THIS, THIS! Thank you so much SlyFox for so eloquently stating and distilling what it is about our President that we love and the other side hates. He is the one who truly connects with the people, he is truly the common man with the extraordinary talent who connects with the common person because he truly embodies the values that we hold dear.
Every time I look at our President, I am in awe and also humbled. I see my husband, who like the President is utterly devoted to his wife, children, and parents, who cares about the larger commununity, who lives his faith, as opposed to mouthing platitudes: for as the bible says, “faith without works is dead”, and “by their fruits ye shall know them”. I also see my father, who has steadfastly supported me and encouraged me to this day; who worked hard at his union job, never missing a day of work, to provide me with an education, keep a roof over our heads, food on the table, and clothes on our backs, pulling our family out of the poverty of his youth and solidly into the middle class. And here’s the difference, my husband is a constitutional law professor, my father was a NYC motorman, yet both these men have traits in common with our President.
President Obama is a DECENT human being who EMBODIES the ideals of American VALUES, this is why he CONNECTS with the people. He’s not in this for money or power, he’s in it for US, the PEOPLE, and decent people can see and feel that, no matter what the media says. The media is part of the 1% they have a vested interest in keeping the 99% down, but our President has already proved that the 99% is stronger than the 1% in his 2008 LANDSLIDE election, and will do so again in another LANDSLIDE in 2012. #PRESSON!
They like bullies and Gingrich IS a bully. I just can picture him in a presidential debate, taking advantage of the cowardness of the moderators and disrespecting the rules, talking over President Obama, throwing bombs, dodging questions. And low information voters missing this bullying for “strong leadership” and President Obama’s calmness and dignity for “weakness”.
Gingrich can be challenging because he taps into the MYTHS of the american presidency. The old white guy who plays “gangsta” , you know? If he’s a jerk, that’s not so important because he yells and gets what he wants.
Gingrich presents horrible ideas with so much aplomb that people can be fooled. He presents things in simplistic ways and that can seduce low-informed voters who don’t have any idea of how complex things are and how sound policy is also nuanced policy.
I have enormous admirarion for President Obama and think he’s one of the most courageous, honest, brilliant leaders I’ve ever seen. This man is exceptional. He has so much wisdom, and can see things in a large perspective. And he’s trying to make AMerica GROW UP…. TNOT EASY. In a political and media environment which rewards flash over substance, and in which liars and demagogues are not called out, things are difficult for a principled statesman like him. The good news is that President Obama is a very fierce competitor and will enter the election highly motivated because he knows what’s at stake.
I totally agree. Newt will appeal to the stupid who want to feel like a smart guy is on their side. The thing is, there are plenty of thinking people who will remember that Newt was FOR many of the very things that his followers are against. He also toured the country with Al Sharpton, after being requested to do so by President Obama. He sat on a couch and lovingly gazed into Nancy Pelosi’s eyes, committing to work together with her. Those were actually good things that he did – but they are anathema to the zealot teabaggers. Should be interesting. This will be a real test for America.
Anyone in DC/Virginia area….maybe you want to consider this 🙂
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal/2011_12/event_on_the_teflon_presidency033853.php
I love that many of the commenters (even one who refers to President Obama as the “Obomonation”) are pushing back on the title “teflon President”, and saying things like:
“It’s not a teflon presidency. That was Reagan, whose period in office was full of actual scandals. Obama’s team hasn’t had scandals. No reason for Teflon at all.”
Many comments like that.
Your family has not been paying attention….Newt will look like a spoiled two yr old next to PBO, The Only Adult in the Room. It will be cystal clear to any thinking American who the best person for the job of President has been (all his accomplishments) and will be for the future of America. Only those that want armmaggedon will vote Republican.
The only thing I “worry” about regarding Newt and the president debating is that Newt is good at being a smart ass and a jerk. The president will HAVE to defend himself and therefore, he could easily slip into a tit-for-tat situation and come across looking as petty as Newt just based on Newt dragging him down into his nonsense. It’ll be an interesting dance for the president. He’ll have to defend himself from Newt’s nonsense, without sounding defensive. He’ll have to dismiss Newt, without sound dismissive. Not sure if that makes sense.
Pres Obama is around 70% likeability rating – Newt’s antics will not play well with the public at large. It will be McCain’s “That one” on steroids. Newt thinks he’s the smartest man in the world. Pres Obama has had to defend his policies and ideas for the past five years from all sides and all comers, Newt preaches to the choir and speaks in echo chambers.
I agree saint roscoe
All of our supposition about Newt. Newt is out of his league when it comes down to dealing with our President. Not a chance will our President will stoop to the likes of Newt. President Obama is competent, confident, and intellectual capable of holding his own in any arena. Newt is a joke. He does stand a chance.
to cut to the chase – women will not vote for a man who cheated on his women. While married. While in the hospital. With cancer. And kids.
Aint. gonna. happen.
I am not worried. I have never seen President Obama not be able to handle every kind of situation in the most expert way possible, every subject, some the most prickly of our day, every detractor—-I’m not worried about slimy, morally bankrupt Newtie.
Yup, Newt plays dirty. President Obama would have to not play nice with Newt in a debate, because Newt will not play nice with him. Newt is very combative in debates.
McCain tried to challenge President Obama at a WH meeting on February 25, 2010 and was destroyed with a simple comment about who won the election. PBO will also destroy Newton Leroy Gingrich. It will be a great show.
Have you ever seen Pres.Obama in a tit for tat? How many times has he shut down clowns from the press corps? Please remember that every pundit has said Pres. Obama and us should be afraid of every single candidate that has entered the GOP race. Look how all of them have tanked already due to their own words or clumsiness with words?
This is one area where Bill Clinton may end up being useful, since he had to do battle with Newt during his presidency. He may be able to help figure out the psychology of Newt, if he can get over the prospect of a two-term-President Obama.
There’s really nothing to figure out about Newt or his psychology…
It’s all been on display for far too long…
“Hedge fund heavyweight Leon Cooperman was all over the business news today with his “scathing” open letter to President Obama. In this ridiculous piece of myopic pedantry, Cooperman eviscerates the president, blaming him and him alone for the divisiveness and incivility that he believes is destroying capitalism and the precious America that enabled his own ascent to billionaire-dom.”
~snip~
http://crooksandliars.com/steve-weinstein/douche-year-leon-cooperman
Nothing new here…same soup, different day….except…THIS. THING. OF. BEAUTY– which appeared in open letter form as a rebuttal to Leon Cooperman’s odious screed that’s briefly mentioned above! Thank you, Jill Klausen!~
Dear Mr. President,
It is with a great sense of pride that we write this. Like many others, we believed that your election would bring a salutary change of direction to the country, despite those critics who called you naive, unfit and too inexperienced to lead. We are glad to know that we were right. We do not blame you for the economic mess that you inherited, even if your opposition has taken every opportunity to ensure that any effort to address it has been largely ineffectual. We understand that when surrounded by cries of “This is just a lot of wasteful Washington spending,” even the strongest of minds will be hard pressed to effect the kind of sweeping change necessary to stave off the predicted apocalypse.
Unfortunately, in spite of your extraordinary efforts, you are now being held accountable for creating a tenor of rancorous debate that was actually started by your political opponents. You are being held personally responsible for “roiling” us in what Republicans were the first to characterize as “class warfare.” We know that this does not reflect on any “principled belief that the eternal divide between the haves and have-nots is at the root of all the evils that afflict our society,” nor is it “just a cynical, populist appeal to your base by a president struggling in the polls.” Understanding this fact is actually of monumental importance. It matters that the divisive, polarizing tone of your opponents’ rhetoric has already cleaved a widening gulf, at this point as much visceral as philosophical, between the downtrodden and the wealthy, who refer to themselves as “those best positioned to help us,” even though we don’t want their “help,” what we want is our fair share of the spoils of our labor, which they have not shared with us in decades.
~snip~
But what we find most objectionable is the highly politicized idiom your opponents have chosen to erroneously charge you with. We have never once heard you lay that charge or use that terminology, and we’re mystified as to how anyone could begin to accuse you of fostering it. Now, we may not be the wealthy elite, but we are not naive. We understand that in today’s Congress, this is how Republicans have forced the business of governing to get done — a situation that, given the gravity of our problems, is as deplorable as it is seemingly ineluctable. But as President first and foremost and leader of your party second, we are impressed that you have clearly endeavored, time and time again, to rise above the partisan fray and raise the level of discourse to one that is both more civil and more conciliatory, that seeks collaboration over confrontation. That is what “leading by example” means, even if many people have heretofore refused to acknowledge that you have attempted to do so.
~snip~
http://reelectdemocrats.blogspot.com/2011/11/open-letter-to-president-of-united.html
h/t Steve Weinstein
Sorry, Chips, for the long post. I got carried away; it won’t happen again.~ 🙂
Millionaires and Billionaires are scared that their “free ride” will be over come 2013. OWS will turn into Occupy the Vote! The peasants will not sit back and take crumbs anymore and they know it. The economy will improve inspite of the GOP who will run on “doing nothing” for two years while the President will run on saving the economy, american auto manufacturers, improving the trade deficit, lowering unemployment, killing Bin Laden, bringing the troops home from Iraq and many more from Afghanistan, and being a great family man with REAL family values, not the manufactured pretend crap of the GOP!
HAHAHAHAHA!
http://www.dickipedia.org/dick.php?title=Newt_Gingrich
*chuckles* 🙂
Heads up for Jay Carney’s press briefing, 1:0 ET
http://www.whitehouse.gov/live
Also, PBO is addressing the White House Tribal Nations Conference now:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/live
Typical opening of her show for Andrea Mitchell—-“The jobs numbers may have been an early xmas present for the WH, BUT (there’s always a but with Andrea), what about the 350,000 who have given up looking for work”. Certain media types can never deliver any good news for Obama without adding a “but”. I notice that with AP also. It’s manipulative and a sickness.
Dotster, I totally agree. That must be the talking point of the day. I was listening to the news on the radio and I heard the same words verbatium.
Mitchell’s an idiot with nothing useful or interesting to add to any conversation about anything 🙄
As AA’s we know that the goal post is a moving target for us, the problem is PBO has his own internal goals that are far higher than theirs could ever be. They were so used to lowering the goal post for GWB that whatever he did, they had to make it look GREAT!
LHM-Head of the Republican Clown Car will be moderating the Des Moines Debate In Iowa on the 27th.
It’s officially a reality television Republican primary now.
Donald Trump is pairing up with Newsmax, the conservative magazine and news Web site, to moderate a presidential debate in Des Moines on Dec. 27.
“Our readers and the grass roots really love Trump,” said Christopher Ruddy, chief executive of Newsmax Media. “They may not agree with
him on everything, but they don’t see him as owned by the Washington establishment, the media establishment”.
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/12/02/trump-to-moderate-republican-debate/
Oh crap TOD I’m in trouble. Chips this is all your fault. With all your wonderful links and articles, you’ve unleashed a twitter monster for PBO. 😆 @JeffersonObama (love him to pieces. Solid supporter of PBO) and I were tweeting back and forth about Bill Clinton hijacking the mic, our love for PBO, and the horrendous panel on Alex Wagner’s show. Alex trotted out Buddy Roemer for the gazillionth time and MSNBC just seems to keep pushing the idea of 3rd party moronic candidates our way. Well I’d had enough and tweeted so. And I do admit that I’ve entangled with Roemer a time or two on twitter because he tweets lies about PBO and never has facts to back them up and when he’s challenged, he goes strangely mum. Well now Roemer is following me on twitter. Egads!!!! What do I do? 😆 😆 😆 I’m coming after you Chips. 😀
UT block the hell out of him. Don’t let him follow you. I love @jeffersonobama he is a huge PBO supporter.
No don’t block him! On Twitter, generally you want people who disagree so they can learn something from your tweets. Blocking is for rude and stalking behavior only imho. Congrat on getting him to follow you!
Buddy Roemer who said Joe Lieberman would be his first choice for VP? Bwahahahahahaha how will the nutroots deal with that?
I heard Alex on Bill Maher’s show and wondered if I was listening to the same person. She’s progressive, articulate and passionate about progressive issues. So if you ever had a doubt that the GE Powers that Be stifle and direct their ‘independent’ pundits, you’re sorely mistaken.
It’s officially a reality television Republican primary now.
Donald Trump is pairing up with Newsmax, the conservative magazine and news Web site, to moderate a presidential debate in Des Moines on Dec. 27.
“Our readers and the grass roots really love Trump,” said Christopher Ruddy, chief executive of Newsmax Media. “They may not agree with
him on everything, but they don’t see him as owned by the Washington establishment, the media establishment
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/12/02/trump-to-moderate-republican-debate/
I’ll catch that on on youtube. Refuse to watch Trump.
not giving him any ratings
HOUSE GOP PLAN TO ATTACH KEYSTONE XL POISON PILL TO PAYROLL TAX CUT PACKAGE | Rep. Lee Terry (R-NE), the biggest proponent of the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline in Congress, expects a bill stripping President Obama of authority over the pipeline’s approval and giving it to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission will be folded into the year-end House unemployment/payroll tax holiday package, according to Politico’s Darren Goode.
I wonder how it can get worse!
tweeted! thanks UT
I’m usually at work now. I took a personal day. Listening to Jay Carney’s press conference….I only have one question. HOW THE HELL DOES HE DO THIS EVERYDAY? The man is a saint. Wonder if when these are over if the “stupid” makes him laugh or cry.
Hey DF Look back up at your “help wanted” post upthread I don’t think I really helped but I tried giving you some kind of answer.
OK back to work I go.
Got it, alice Thank you!
DF. I have no clue how Jay aka Clark Kent Carney deals with the media jackals. That man has the patience of a saint. I watch the press conferences whenever I can catch them and I swear, I feel like I’m losing my mind at the plethora of idiotic, moronic, sophomoric questions they ask. When he’s answered them in his brilliant way, one jackal is sure to pipe up 5 minutes later, asking the same dumb question. Everyday I’m thankful that he’s the Press Sec. He does his job so well. I always make sure to send him a tweet of thanks and encouragement once in a while. Me…….I’d blow a friggin gasket!
TRULY! I really don’t know how that man does this day in and day out !
Donald Trump Will Moderate A GOP Debate
Just when you were starting to get bored with the Republican primary debates, Donald Trump steps up.
The (barely) flaxen-haired businessman is teaming up with the conservative news website Newsmax to moderate a debate in Iowa on December 27, the New York Times reports.
http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/12/donald-trump-is-hosting-a-gop-debate.php
—
I cannot stop laughing.
WTF this is absolutely crazy.
:LOL:
The Gop heads are exploding trying their best to spinn the unemployment numbers. Now that potus just received new abt more jobs for construction. They are stuck on stupid.
Well….I just read somewhere this morning…that Bachmann got her first endorsement! From someone JUST AS CRAZY AS SHE IS! None other than AZ’S own…Trent Franks!
And were she to win the nomination, she says that she would consider Santorum for AG or VP……..or, Donald Trump for VP! How freaking nutsoid IS this woman? (rhetorical question) Luckily, she will never get near that position for us to find out…..why doesn’t SHE know that yet?
pardon me while I laugh my arse off 🙄
Cain Adviser: ‘Women For Cain’ Reflects Gloria Cain’s ‘Grace And Beauty’
http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/12/cain-adviser-women-for-cain-reflects-gloria-cains-grace-and-beauty.php?ref=fpnewsfeed
Laugh? I want to gag.
I posted about this guy very late last night…no one probably saw it 🙂 HE GETS IT!
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal/2011_12/raise_nick_hanauers_taxes033863.php
Is that a joke about Donald Trump. It can’t possibly be true. I have started watching Jay’s briefings, don’t know why I haven’t been on them before, but noticed how foreign reporters ask decent questions about things that might actually be immportant. The ones that talk the most in the 1st and 2nd rows are like high school reporters. It’s embarrasing to see how immature they are–just crazy stuff!
SIng along with Newt’s Bouncing Checks!!
http://thepoliticalcarnival.net/2011/12/02/1992-video-newt-gingrichs-bounced-checks/
Love it. I’ll be looking for more of Newt’s baggage. Thx.
The clown show continues. The Donald is going to moderate a Republican debate sponsored by Newsmax at the end of the month. The Republican party is trashing itself.
I thought Cain was going home today. I clicked on the cnn stream after the presser ended and I heard him say we have a moral problem. I immediately switched him off. I don’t know how he can even mention that word. 🙂
Yeah the republican/newsmax debate will be on December 27th. Cain’s going home today to speak with the Mrs. but he did say he’ll have a big announcement tomorrow.
This is all staged. I don’t believe his wife has an ounce of say into what this guy does. He tried to fundraise yesterday to see if his “followers” would give him more money. Does that sound like someone who cares what she thinks? It took him 5 days after the bombshell news of his affair to talk face to face with his wife. I’m not buying it. He wanted to see if he could still raise money and if he can he will stay. If he can’t he is toast.
I have to hand it to him he is performance art at its best.
Heads up everyone:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/live
Will catch up soon 😉
DUN!DUN!DUN!
http://thepoliticalcarnival.net/2011/12/02/gloria-cain-wants-her-husband-to-exit-race/ Mr.”If my wife wanted me to, I would….but she won’t ask me to do that” Cain….you had more than your freaking 15 minutes AND you humiliated your wife and LIED TO HER! Get the “F” outta here Hermie…you’re really stinking up the place! I thought that wasn’t possible, but he managed.
He’s making a big announcement tomorrow – but I don’t think he’s getting out as the statement will be outside of his newest campaign office in Atlanta.
Jonathan Capehart: If There’s A Pot Of Hot Grits On The Stove When Herman Cain Goes Home, He Better Run
http://www.mediaite.com/tv/jonathan-capehart-if-theres-a-pot-of-hot-grits-on-the-stove-when-herman-cain-goes-home-he-better-run/
lawd hammercy 😆
BWAHAHAHA 😆 😆 😆
😆 😆 😆 😆
Lawd today!!! Yeah, Uncle Hermie…ask Al Green ’bout them hot grits!!!
😆 😆
Mitt vs Newt: Has The GOP Already Lost?
Charles Krauthammer has about as honest a column as can be expected from a Republican partisan at this point in time. It’s not pretty, even though the economic fundamentals should make this an election tilted strongly toward the opposition. Money quote:
Two ideologically problematic finalists: One is a man of center-right temperament who has of late adopted a conservative agenda. The other is a man more conservative by nature but possessed of an unbounded need for grand display that has already led him to unconservative places even he is at a loss to explain, and that as president would leave him in constant search of the out-of-box experience — the confoundedly brilliant Nixon-to-China flipperoo regarding his fancy of the day, be it health care, taxes, energy, foreign policy, whatever.
The interview was not a disaster in any objective sense. It was not Palin-Couric. Romney knows his shit. But what came through in the interview, as it pulled apart Romney’s chameleon-like record, was that this really is a man without a core. As I have said before, he makes plastic look real.
http://andrewsullivan.thedailybeast.com/2011/12/mitt-vs-newt-has-the-gop-already-lost.html
Leaving Iraq
by BooMan
Fri Dec 2nd, 2011 at 11:22:53 AM EST
The U.S. military handed over control of the Victory Base Complex to the Iraqi government today. That was the huge base near the Baghdad airport, containing numerous palaces (the Iraqis will now have to decide what to do with them). There are now no more than 500 U.S. soliders in the capital, and only 12,000 in the whole country. I don’t know how many mercenaries are there.
We are on schedule to remove the remainder of our troops by New Year’s Eve.
For weeks now, according to news reports, the main highway leading south to Kuwait has been clogged with American convoys, and the skies over Baghdad have echoed with the roar of aircraft flying troops home. This troop movement is part of an accelerated effort to meet the December 31 withdrawal deadline of all American forces from that ancient land between the Tigris and the Euphrates…
…December 31, 2011, will represent for Americans the end of a harrowing eight and a half years of war…
This has been done quietly, and largely without incident. This was the biggest promise Obama made to me, and he kept that promise. For that, I will be forever grateful.
Next up, Afghanistan.
http://www.boomantribune.com/story/2011/12/2/112253/049
Nice. Booman is a class act.
How Much Was Race A Factor In 2008?
New research indicates that “racial animus” cost Obama three to five points in the popular vote:
[Seth] Stephens-Davidowitz limits his data to an area’s total [Google] searches from 2004 to 2007 that include the word “nigger” or “niggers” (terms used to constrain the amount of data). His analysis includes data from nearly 200 media markets, including over 99 percent of voters. The results are dramatic. “A one standard deviation increase in an area’s racially charged search is associated with a 1.5 percentage point decrease in Barack Obama’s vote share, controlling for John Kerry’s vote share,” writes Stephens-Davidowitz. … Put another way, Obama would have won between 56.7 and 58.7 percent of the vote if the country were as tolerant as its most tolerant area.
John Sides rounds up more research on the subject.
http://andrewsullivan.thedailybeast.com/
Interesting. We’ve been working hard on race unity and cross-cultural understanding in my area (especially my county) since the 90s — particularly in terms of getting a lot of churches and organizations to sponsor that kind of work, and getting these concepts taught in our local public schools. Also, while predominantly white, our main town, Boone, was a major stop on the underground railroad, and our local Mennonite church membership is mostly descended from people who escaped slavery, but decided this was a good place to settle down.
Curiously, this was one of about three counties the President won in the mountains of North Carolina. Whatever your political outlook, that speaks to the impact of doing good, and doing it consistently, over time.
DON’T CARE WHO OR WHAT….I WOULD STRONGLY APPRECIATE NOT SEE THE “N” WORD…….IT IS VERY VERY VERY OFFENSIVE!!!!
OMG…I cried for the Tribal Conference…..they called him “my son” and have adopted PBO as their own…and the entire Obama family! I am crying like Boner!
PBO’s Crow Nation name is “Awe Kooda bilaxpak Kuuxshish” or “one who helps people throughout the land.” He is of the Black Eagle family. The ceremony when he was inducted was incredibly beautiful. It was the first time a candidate had ever visited an Indian reservation.
What an honor. He is humble and sincere in his desire to see a better life for everyone. He makes me so proud.
“He makes me so proud.” Me too, desertflower! I have said it before, but I’ll say it again, President Obama is the best, and the most hard-working president, in my lifetime. I say that based on my experience with presidents that go as far back as JFK.
This makes me so emotional. I remember the President loved his Crow name Black Eagle. Very nice.
Just wow.
Me too df. That was very touching and sweet.
It was at that 🙂
“ONE WHO HELPS PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE LAND”
============================================
May 19, 2008
ABC News’ Sunlen Miller Reports: Traveling though Montana on Monday, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., made his first stop as a presidential candidate to an Indian reservation – and got a little more than expected.
Obama was adopted as an honorary member into the family within the Crow tribe that inhabited the reservation – who gave the presidential candidate a new name and new parents.
“Awe Kooda bilaxpak Kuuxshish” was the honorary name given to Obama meaning, “one who helps people throughout the land.”
Obama was escorted out to the stage in Crow Agency, Montana arm-in-arm between his adopted parents: Sunny and Mary Black Eagle.
Obama thanked his honorary new parents – for giving him another name to tack on to the list, “I like my new name Barack Black Eagle. I mean that’s a good name.”
============================================
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2008/05/obamas-new-name/
Thanks, Ladyhawke!! I cried during that ceremony. So much kindness and pride from that family.
Some slides from that day:
http://www.crowtribe.com/obama.htm
Video of his speech to them. Notice how he kept every promise.
Thank you, Ladyhawke!
Barack Obama embraces the world.
December 02, 2011 1:40 PM
Raise Nick Hanauer’s taxes
By Steve Benen
Nick Hanauer’s op-ed this week on taxing the wealthy caused a stir, and with good reason. As Jared Bernstein put it, “This guy totally gets it.”
If Hanauer’s name doesn’t sound familiar, he’s a very successful venture capitalist, playing a role in the creation of companies like Amazon.com. This week, he took on a standard Republican talking point: the notion that job creation suffers if taxes go up on the rich. Hanauer explained very well why the GOP’s approach is backwards.
I can start a business based on a great idea, and initially hire dozens or hundreds of people. But if no one can afford to buy what I have to sell, my business will soon fail and all those jobs will evaporate.
That’s why I can say with confidence that rich people don’t create jobs, nor do businesses, large or small. What does lead to more employment is the feedback loop between customers and businesses. And only consumers can set in motion a virtuous cycle that allows companies to survive and thrive and business owners to hire. An ordinary middle-class consumer is far more of a job creator than I ever have been or ever will be.
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal/2011_12/raise_nick_hanauers_taxes033863.php
Df you beat me to it. I was bawling through that whole prayer. And when
he said my Son and Daughter in law and 2 granddaughters…well I just plumb lost it.
I have pics from 2008 of him holding mom and pop Blackeagle with their arms slung thru his.
Those are two of my fav pics of the gazillion pics I have of him.
How can one not loveeee this wonderful, genuine,caring,compassionate man,President Barack Obama?!!!
God Bless you Mr President. You are a part of my family too…my husband can attest to that 🙂
He thought he would get a break after the 2008 elections…yeah, right!
🙂 I was blubbering. Tugged my heart.
December 02, 2011 2:30 PM
Gingrich’s grim ground game
By Steve Benen
For all the talk about Newt Gingrich and his grand, big ideas — most of which are neither big nor grand — a vision doesn’t get voters to the polls; a campaign ground game does.
There’s a reasonable debate underway in many circles as to whether Gingrich’s recent rise is meaningful, a mirage, or a miracle — or perhaps some combination therein — and for what it’s worth, count me among the skeptics who still find it very hard to believe the disgraced former House Speaker is the likely nominee. But one of the factors driving my doubts is the fact that Gingrich’s entire campaign lacks basic, necessary components.
In an embarrassing display of organizational weakness, for example, Gingrich recently failed to qualify for the ballot in Missouri’s primary. The campaign structure, such as it is, simply didn’t follow through. Similarly, the Gingrich team was supposed to provide New Hampshire officials with a list of 40 committee volunteers who would represent the campaign as Republican National Convention delegates — but Gingrich’s staff couldn’t track down 40 willing supporters. Instead, they submitted a hand-scrawled, typo-ridden list of 27 people.
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal/2011_12/gingrichs_grim_ground_game033866.php
It’s hard to believe the Republican party will really nominate someone for the GOP presidential ticket who couldn’t even get his name on a ballot and who submits a list of delegates with spelling errors. Really?
Promise kept
Today, what a beautiful ceremony with the President Obama speech and the prayer by his adopted Crow Nation parents.
On another note, I can’t understand how the Nation Capitol football team can continue to have a name that the Native American people have said is offensive to them. In fact they suited the “Washington Redskins” owners to have the name changed, but unfortunately, but not surprisingly, they lost. And the argument by the football team owners were that they have too much money invested in the name and in the team’s logo which is the head of a Native American. What a weak excuse—I guess money trumps everything… The local residents in the ‘DMV’ area should put moral pressure on the owners to do the morally right thing and change the name. It has been done before. And, if Washington changes its team’s name then maybe other teams with similar offensive names will follow suit. This should be a no brainer—if the shoe were on the other foot the name would be changed asap! Just my humble opinion.
Ohio Dems: Chamber Of Commerce Doctored A Photo Of Sherrod Brown
Ohio Democrats are crying foul over the ad, which includes a grainy photo of a disheveled Brown, with a growth of stubbly beard.
There’s just one problem: While Brown’s messy hair is certainly recognizable, he is not known to go out in public unshaven. The state Dems have tracked down what they believe to be the original source photo from the Associated Press — to which the Chamber ad’s producers would have photoshopped in the beard.
http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/12/ohio-dems-chamber-of-commerce-doctored-a-photo-of-sherrod-brown.php
Can somebody tweet Exzra Klien to shut the F–up he is a PL. When is 8.6 % unemployement not better than 9%. Thr keep saying we need a trend downwards and when it does they complian about it. this guys are never satisfied, instead of laying blame on the RETUGS they will come to all this shows and analyze progress to benefit the republicans , what planet are these PL from.Just saw Exzra on Martin Bashir and all he talks about is the underlying bullshit.
Tweeted him for you Chica. I see other people are mad at him as well.
He is ignoring the revisions upward from previous months. September now has 207k jobs for that month, and October was revised upward 20k.
Expect novembers to be revised upward, as well.
You should have seen the looks on Mika and Andrea kitchens face when those numbers came in? Mitchel panicked and said, but the revisions will make the unemployment rate higher. Nope, completely opposite- nice try Andrea ,but we gotcha!
Tweeted him twice. The Repubs and the so-called professional left have been screaming about the high unemployment numbers. It’s ticked down and now they move the goal post to “number of jobs created” as though that’s the only indicator. President Obama has been saying all along that about 200,000 (I believe) jobs need to be created every month. So why is Klein acting as though he’s making some profound statement. They just don’t want to give President Obama any credit. As I tweeted earlier President Obama has traveled the world bringing jobs back to this country. Do they give him any credit? No. Why? Yeah, guess.
Hey guys C-SPAN has video of the Tribal Nations Conference where PBO was spoken so highly of and embraced warmly. Get some Kleenex. It’s doozer. 😀
http://www.c-span.org/Events/Tribal-Nations-Meet-in-Washington/10737425972-1/
Watching now, thx.
UT – Can’t thank you enough for that video link. Got to see “One Who Helps People Throughout the Land” with his adoptive Crow Nation parents, who obviously get a kick out of their role. Brought tears to my eyes … again.
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s administration is rolling out a new strategy to deal with the waves of protests that have fallen upon the state Capitol, ever since he rolled out his anti-public employee union legislation, and which have given rise to the recall campaigns targeting him and other Republicans: Make the protesters pay for all the costs of the increased event security.
As the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports, the Walker administration announced the new policy on Thursday, and it will be phased in by Dec. 16. Under the policy, groups of four or more people must request permits at least 72 hours in advance, for events at the state Capitol or other state buildings.
In addition, organizers would have to pay for the extra Capitol police officers, at a rate of $50 per hour per officer — plus costs for police officers brought in from outside agencies, according to the costs billed to the state. The police payment would have to be tendered in advance, as a requirement for getting a permit. Afterwards, organizers would then be charged for any clean-up costs.
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/12/walkers-new-plan-charge-protesters-big-money.php
Can’t imagine this won’t be court challenged.
The eu wanted to bailout the mess over in Europe, with a 270 billion euro from the imf- directed to the ECB. Until, the righties in this country said not so fast.
You see, 17% of the IMF is funded by the US, and the republicans don’t want the situation in Europe to improve, so…
Isn’t that unbelievable?
Here are the highlights from today’s daily briefing: 1.) Hillary Clinton will not be veep: Question: There’s been speculation about Hillary Clinton being on the presidential ticket as veep: Carney: “Only among people who know absolutely nothing about which they speak. 2.) Canadian PM Harper to visit next Wednesday. Carney won’t explain the details of the visit despite reports in the Canadian press. 3.) Gorilla dust explained again: Carney: “gorilla dust is, as I understand it, a diversionary tactic that gorillas use when they engage in combat.” 4.) Obama the Grinch?: Obama’s threat to keep Congress in session until Christmas underscores “the president’s commitment to ensuring that the payroll tax cut will pass.” Carney starts at 1:10. Carney announces President Obama will welcome Stephen Harper that Wednesday December 7th.Carney gets a question about the president’s plans to engage in the payroll tax cut debate. Carney: “I thought that vote last night was very surprising given the unbelievable lack of support in one party for giving tax cuts to middle class Americans.” “We’re going to work night and day to make sure that Americans get the tax relief that they need and deserve and that this economy needs and deserves.” Won’t provide any specific details aside from “conversations at various levels” (1:15) Carney gets a question about the Republican proposal to strip the administration’s power to make a decision on the Keystone pipeline (1:19). Carney: “This is a process being run out of the State Dept. … The timeline is being decided on the merits and on the issues by the State Dept.” He refuses to say whether the President will veto such a bill. Carney gets a question on the unemployment numbers and the rise. Carney: “Way too high,” and then pivots to the American Jobs Act: It would have an impact. “This is the medicine our economy needs. Apparently, only in one section on Capitol Hill is there disagreement about this. The support for this is widespread in communities across America.” Carney is asked about what unemployment number the admin would like to see. Carney: I’d leave that to economists. “We’re not in any danger of reaching a point where the unemployment rate is satisfactory low which is why we need to do everything we can: through congress, through the president’s executive authority” (1:23). Carney is asked about whether the Canadian PM’s visit will involve a cross-border security initiative by Bloomberg. Carney has no comment (1:24) Will the president keep Congress in session through Christmas? Carney: It’s a measure of seriousness and “the president’s commitment to ensuring that the payroll tax cut will pass.” Carney: Congressional leadership heard what the president said today. “I won’t add any more context to what the president said” (1:26). More Carney: “I can’t imagine that they would want to go back home explain that they raised taxes” (1:27) On the defense bill, ACLU and others want the President to veto the bill. Where is the admin? Carney: On the detainee issue, counter-terrorism professionals say the language will impact our security. “Our position has not changed. Any bill that challenges the president’s authority… would prompt his senior advisers to recommend a veto” (1:32) Carney pivots back to the American Jobs Act. The question is whether the proposals are small bore in the Jobs act and the We Can’t Wait campaign? Carney: Admin needs to do “big things and small things. … We’re going to try everything.” (1:34). Question: Are European leaders still asking for bailout mony? Carney: I wouldn’t characterize it that way (1:35). More: “We made clear that this is a problem that is a European problem that the Europeans have a capacity to deal with.” Carney says the United States’ role is to offer advice and counsel. Question: Is Syria a civil war? Carney: The level of violence has increased, but not necessarily civil war. “Rather than characterize it, we simply are working with our international partners to increase pressure on the Assad regime, to isolate Assad and to make it clear that the behavior is unacceptable”
http://www.politico.com/politico44/perm/1211/jaytalking_183539ac-52b2-4b9d-866f-4b6da09af252.html
From Al Jazeera:
Turnout in the first round of voting in Egypt’s parliamentary elections reached 62 per cent, elections officials said.
“This is the highest turnout in Egypt’s history since pharaonic times until now,” Abdel Moez Ibrahim, the head of Egypt’s Elections High Comission, said on Friday.
More than eight million voters cast ballots in Monday and Tuesday’s vote, the first of three rounds for the lower house. Three other rounds lasting until March will elect the less powerful upper house.
The figure for voting in a third of the country’s provinces was lower than an estimate from Egypt’s ruling military leadership of 70 per cent given earlier this week.
Al Jazeera’s Sherine Tadros, reporting from the Egyptian capital, Cairo, said: “Sixty-two per cent of voter turnout, that is about 8.5 million people that voted this week.
“As soon as that figure [was announced] everyone that was in attendance at the press conference started cheering and clapping.”
I had to laugh at the comparison between this turnout and “pharaonic times”, but good on Egyptians for — mostly — not shirking their duty to vote and choose their own government. I have sympathy for the protestors at Tahrir Square, but only to a certain extent. There was no indication that these elections would be rigged as they were under Nasser and Sadat and Mubarak, so calling for a delay or a boycott was as short-sighted as the attitude among the OWS people. If you don’t vote in a free system, you really don’t have much of a right to complain afterwards.
Full article is here: http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2011/12/2011122181522174366.html
December 02, 2011 3:30 PM
With the grace of a crashing gymnast
By Steve Benen
Every single time the Huntsman campaign releases another anti-Romney video, I have the same reaction: “Hey, that’s pretty good!”
I thought that about the “pretzel” video, the flipping-toy-monkey video, the weathervane video, and this week’s “Mittstant Replay” video.
Today, via Taegan Goddard, Huntsman’s team offers another gem, this time connecting Romney’s incessant flip-flopping to his background with the Olympics. It turns out, Romney flips with all the grace of a crashing gymnast.
Notice, again, that the video can, should, and probably will be used by any other campaign — just lob off the last five seconds and it’s good to go.
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal/2011_12/with_the_grace_of_a_crashing_g033867.php
lmao Question: There’s been speculation about Hillary Clinton being on the presidential ticket as veep: Carney: “Only among people who know absolutely nothing about which they speak.
Gotta love Jay
Good day my PBO peeps. In the words of Ice Cube, “Today’s been a good day”. ;>) However, I’d like to get something off my chest before I blow up…
Newt Gingrich is the epitome of a heartless and willfully ignorant Right-wing political megalomanic when he sayid “that poor children should work as janitors in schools” AND “that child labor laws should be abolished” as part of HIS plan for “economic equality”. This is why his plan is beyond comprehension and below contempt and I’ll try to keep this as concise as possible…
OK, given the hypothetical nightmare scenario that he wins the Presidency (try to hold back your vomiting LOL) or ANY GOTP candidate for that matter, The GOTP also wants to “privatize” ALL public schools, creating a “tuition-based” educational system where only those who can afford it can attend. But at the present time, they are laying off janitors that are public employees as they attempt to destroy the unions that protect them…
NOW, if they had their way, the GOTP would fire ALL public workers so they can have children working as janitors at below minimum wage while private industry contractors rake in all the surplus cash as their employers (Think about the “prison laborers” in the movie “Shawshank Redemption” and the warden got rich exploiting cheap prison labor as an example).
But it doesn’t end there…. because these “working children” still have to go to school… BUT they’ll also have to pay for it. Now, since their parent(s) are already among the working poor and can’t afford private school tuition, essentially those poor children would have to work for free JUST TO GET AN EDUCATION… which would make their households even more economically destitute. Just imagine a 12 year old child working half the night cleaning up a school that he or she can’t afford to go to unless their family makes even MORE economic sacrifices when they’re already barely surviving.
What this RIGHT WING “dream” would turn into is a SLAVE LABOR “nightmare” for millions of families all over this country of ALL cultures and ethnic backgrounds… but mainly in the inner cities that have sizable African American working poor populations… as Newt indicated with his commentary regarding his “economic plan”.
I could get into some serious detail as to what would would happen IF Newt or ANY Repuke becomes President that would make your skin crawl, but I’m sure you get my gist. The GOTP isn’t just a “political party”… it’s a group comprised of ” cold and heartless poor excuses for human beings”
The GOTP IS “the Enemy Within” OUR Nation that would wreak havoc and dissolve all the forms of Democracy that is the ONLY real protection of “We the People”. So in order “to form a more perfect union”, they MUST BE stopped and politically obliterated from the AMERICAN socio-political scene BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY AND AVAILABLE… that are peaceful and legal of course. Thank you for your time and letting me get that out. Whew… I feel much better now. ;>)
OBAMA / BIDEN / SUPER MAJORITY DEMOCRATIC PROGRESSIVE CONGRESS / 2012
Great points, eclectic, we truly are fighting an enemy, not just an opposition party. The stakes are HUGE.
The stakes are HUGE, to be sure. If everyone thought to connect ALL THE DOTS, I think that the scenario you describe is just the tip of the iceberg. I think that you should put this very real truth out there as often as possible, to give them all food for thought. Money and power is THE ONLY DRIVER for the things they do.Not people…unless of course, you happen to be extremely wealthy. Those are the only people that matter to them. Scary is an understatement.
According to this article in Forbes, Single Payer is on its way – Please Read and pass it on
http://www.forbes.com/sites/rickungar/2011/12/02/the-bomb-buried-in-obamacare-explodes-today-halleluja/
Thank you Sabreen60 I will pass it on Twitter.
Wow, just wow. This is the first time I’ve read how the 80-85% ratio would ultimately lead to a single payer system, as the for-profit insurers just can’t survive on 20%. If PBO weren’t so brilliant politically, he could’ve easily become a chess grandmaster.
HUGE HUGE HUGE news!!! So awesome that it was in Forbes. Thanks for posting it – I forwarded it to friends. (Now why aren’t Ezra Klein, Paul Krugman, Markos, Rachel Maddow, and the other liberals who continually whine about Obamacare trumpeting this?? This is HEADS above their pet Public Option.
Nice article…thank you!
Walker’s New Plan: Charge Protesters Big Money
Eric Kleefeld December 2, 2011, 12:54 PM
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s administration is rolling out a new strategy to deal with the waves of protests that have fallen upon the state Capitol, ever since he rolled out his anti-public employee union legislation, and which have given rise to the recall campaigns targeting him and other Republicans: Make the protesters pay for all the costs of the increased event security.
As the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports, the Walker administration announced the new policy on Thursday, and it will be phased in by Dec. 16. Under the policy, groups of four or more people must request permits at least 72 hours in advance, for events at the state Capitol or other state buildings.
In addition, organizers would have to pay for the extra Capitol police officers, at a rate of $50 per hour per officer — plus costs for police officers brought in from outside agencies, according to the costs billed to the state. The police payment would have to be tendered in advance, as a requirement for getting a permit. Afterwards, organizers would then be charged for any clean-up costs.
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/12/walkers-new-plan-charge-protesters-big-money.php?ref=fpnewsfeed
Groups of threes by the hundred of thousands can still skirt this policy. That means WI Scott Walker is still an a hole.
Interesting. From TPM:
The Wall Street Journal reports that if the main opposition group in Syria came to power, they would cut ties to Iran and stop providing arms to militant groups in the region, including Hamas and Hezbollah. These changes would be part of a larger political reorientation into an alliance with the major Arab powers the region.
We can hope 🙂
White House press secretary Jay Carney announced Friday that Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper will visit next week. The Canadian press has the details on what the two leaders will announce:
Prime Minister Stephen Harper is heading to the White House on Wednesday for a meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama, where it’s expected they will finally announce details of the Beyond the Border trade and security deal.
Canada and the United States have for months been looking to finalize the Beyond the Border initiative, a bilateral trade and security agreement designed to better co-ordinate intelligence-sharing at the border and streamline cross-border trade.
The Harper government originally said the plan would be ready by the end of summer, but details haven’t been unveiled. The deal is expected to formally be announced following Wednesday’s meeting at the White House.
Carney was asked in the briefing if President Obama and PM Harper would be announcing the Beyond the Border details, and he declined to comment.
Pool-
The Bomb Buried In Obamacare Explodes Today-Hallelujah!
{Snip}
…the provision of the law, called the medical loss ratio, that requires health insurance companies to spend 80% of the consumers’ premium dollars they collect—85% for large group insurers—on actual medical care rather than overhead, marketing expenses and profit. Failure on the part of insurers to meet this requirement will result in the insurers having to send their customers a rebate check representing the amount in which they underspend on actual medical care.
This is the true ‘bomb’ contained in Obamacare and the one item that will have more impact on the future of how medical care is paid for in this country than anything we’ve seen in quite some time. Indeed, it is this aspect of the law that represents the true ‘death panel’ found in Obamacare—but not one that is going to lead to the death of American consumers. Rather, the medical loss ration will, ultimately, lead to the death of large parts of the private, for-profit health insurance industry.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/rickungar/2011/12/02/the-bomb-buried-in-obamacare-explodes-today-halleluja/
Just tweeted it. This is HUGE, A BFD
It really is a BFD. Tweeted it also. PBO is a bloody good chess master. All those whiny emoprogs who couldn’t shut the F up and just read how wonderful the bill is. If it wasn’t so great why the hell is the GOP so desperate to gut it?
This is why they want to repeal it so bad.
And it will cut down on those $12MILLION annual CEO paychecks & bonuses.
YAAAAAAAAY!!!
MLK’s niece is a Cain supporter. I think I just threw up a bit. She’s behind the “Women for Cain” website. Article here: http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/12/cain-adviser-women-for-cain-reflects-gloria-cains-grace-and-beauty.php?ref=fpb
I am not surprised . She spoke at Glenn Beck’s minstrel show that was held in DC.
Liberal Librarian, All that proves is that everyone in Dr. Martin L.King Jr family isn’t very small.
I meant to say smart.
It’s hard to understand how some people can hate themselves so much. There’s no other explanation for any person of color, or any minority, or any thinking person to still belong to today’s Republican party. They are no longer “conservative”. They are just racist and insane and greedy and selfish and full of hate.
You write the caption 🙂
http://www.daylife.com/photo/0e9p8Bs43UftX?__site=daylife
The GOP accuses “Obama” of eating people because he (President Obama) is carnival!
PBO: “I wonder what’s for dinner?”
Martin Bashir is hot, in a sexy/smart way. Like LOD.
yeah, I said it.
And I’m in my own personal naughty CELL, so STFU.
😀 😀 😀
It’s because BRAINS are sexy!
YES, intelligent men are very hot. Kindness and humor help, too!!
It’s because he’s the only pundit that has had the courage to speak the truth about these ugly GOP candidates and Congress people. Courage is sexy.
OMG. Michelle Bernard is a fuckin’ idiot. I was just gonna say ole girl got a nice new wig, but then she wants to go on and give Newt “poor people don’t work” Gingrich the benefit of the doubt and he was trying to tell “all” people to pull themselves up by the bootstraps and whatever.
It was up to the freakin’ white guy to gpoint out that hell yeah it was a dog whistle and it was also NOT the first time Newt has had disparging things to say about poor people. They even showed the clip from ’94 where Newt said essentially that the gov’t should stop aiding poor single mothers and instead the money should go to orphanges and the kids should be put in orphanages…
Michelle of course then decided to change her tune a little bit. It was so obvious that she was gonna carry Newt and the GOP water like she usually does, but she was stopped short by the clip and the other guest.
I was already too through with Michelle Bernard anyway and now I’m reminded why.
Idiot!!!
I watched that segment. She was nuts for saying that. Steve Kornacki had to corral her and point out that what Newt did was classic dogwhistle politics.
Couldn’t believe that she said that at least Newtie was showing concern for poor people. How clueless do you have to be to come up with that deduction? Wonder if she also agrees with Newt when he said that poor people are using food stamp money to take Hawaiian vacations, which of course has no basis in fact, only in Newt’s poor people hostile dreamland.
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2011/12/02/380647/gingrich-food-stamp-vacation/
I turned it off when she said that…
Michelle Bernard was a Republican before she became an independent(during the Bush years). She is just like the rest of them. I am surpised she hasn’t started calling for a third party yet.
Politico said that bill Clinton stole the show today at the Green buildings Thingy.
Stole the show? What show?
@JeffersonObama tweeted the article to me. I knew the media would hype Clinton up. Bubba couldn’t shut the F up and just let the good work that PBO was doing in making sure that Federal buildings are more energy efficient thereby saving tax payers money speak for itself and be the news of the day. Oh no…he had to hijack the mic. So tired of him and our worthless media.
Who cares what pollute-i-go says….
That is where msnbc goes for All their storylines!
I see Mike Allen is making the rounds promoting his “e-book”. I guess he thinks America cares about Mitt’s eating habits.
That site is secretly funded by old Reagan people.
I don’t watch MSNBC and neither does millions of americans. Just sayin……
Donna, we so have to remember that. I used to say this quite frequently on BWD’s blog: Cable news is a niche market. The CBS Evening news, which is the lowest rated of the network news programs, pulls in as many viewers as all the cable news networks combined. And even more people depend on their local news to get their information. This is not to say that the sins of cable news should be glossed over; but its influence should be put into perspective.
NANCY SMASH!
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) says Republicans can forget about using the looming expiration of a year-long payroll tax holiday for workers to squeeze a host of unrelated conservative priorities through Congress, and projected confidently that her party has the GOP cornered on the issue.
In an exclusive interview Friday with TPM, Pelosi sketched out the Democrats’ strategy for renewing (and possibly expanding) the payroll tax cut, which most economists say would promote job creation next year — when persistent unemployment will be at the center of the election debate.
“It is really a stalling tactic,” Pelosi said of recent reports that Republicans want to use the lapsing tax cut as leverage to pass key GOP priorities, including construction of a major oil pipeline from the Canadian border to the Gulf of Mexico, and rolling back Obama’s health care law. “It’s unworthy of the needs of the American people for them to go all around the mulberry bush with this stuff. If they want to do something for the American people — to remove the uncertainty as to whether these payroll tax cuts will be extended, whether [unemployment insurance] will be extended … let’s just get about doing it.”
“They know that this stuff isn’t going to fly, that the President’s not going to sign it — so why are they doing this,” Pelosi says. “It’s about votes at the end of the day, and some of their people are never going to vote for anything, so they’re going to need our votes, we’re going to have to work together, and they’re going to need the President’s signature — and they’re going to need it to pass the Senate.”
While I certainly wasn’t happy over 2010, I had a feeling that it wasn’t a great change of course, basically from my reading of the prag prog blogs. It was a blip — a nasty one, yes, and an annoying one — but ultimately ephemeral. 2010 was a perfect storm which won’t be repeated in 2012 — and will probably be reversed in next year’s elections. One could always say that while the GOP base wasn’t that smart, the leadership had some grasp of how to get things done. That can no longer be said. The leadership is as stupid and overreaching as the base.
Full interview here:
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/12/pelosi-puts-the-kibosh-on-gop-payroll-tax-cut-strategy.php?ref=fpa
John McCain, Michelle Bachman and Ron Paul on candy Crowley Sunday show.
No words for that one!
Good grief.
Gibbs on FTN and axelrod on MTP debating Rinse Priebus!
That should be cool!
I do. AVOID.
I just e-mailed her and told her she is pathetic and we are sick of her bias towards the Republicans.
I also e-mailed Anderson Cooper and let him have it over his badgering of Jay Carney the other night.
Screw Newt and his hate for poor children.
Lisa Murkowski endorsed Mittens today.
Funny, half her support in the last election was from democrats in AK, and she has voted 100% for republican bills.
Democrats in AK were either fooled, or they are not Democrats up there!
The Dem Begich votes with the Republicans to much also.
She’s a Republican…Dems voted for her only to keep that TeaNut from winning. I doubt if they ever thought they were getting anything other than a Republican.
The disgusting dog-whistle slurs Newt leveled at poor people and poor children is really affecting Rev Al. Not only is he mad as hell; he’s emotionally affected. Newt is a heartless, conscienceless cretin. People are out there suffering, crying for help. They obeyed the rules but they still got shafted. There’s a special place in hell reserved for the likes of Newt Gingrich.
OK, so the Republicans have finally laid bare the whole truth about their party. They will officially hold a Birther debate hosted by idiot Trump and sponsored by the filth that is Newsmax, the ones with the nasty pop-ups on the web, always asking a dumb question about PBO, complete with an unflattering photo of him? The circus has it’s barker and couldn’t be more grotesque.
That “carnival barker” label is really going to fit during that debate. The whole thing is a circus.
Huntsman announced he’d going to skip the Trump moderated debate. However he did say he and Newt Gingrich have agreed to a unmoderated Lincoln-Douglas style debate after Christmas but before Iowa. I think Newt and Huntsman could be best of buddies the next 45 days as both have the same goal – damage Mitt. Newt and Jon know they’re not not splitting voters, but they know that Huntsman and Romney are and if Newt can help raise Huntsman’s polling 3-4 points in NH that’s 3-4 coming from Romney. Unfortunately this is also why Newt is going to flame out – his ego. He should be doing less debates and media not more. He should be keeping his head down as it gives him less opportunities to put his foot in his mouth.
Huntsman just lost what little respect I may have had for him.
Hee haw:
HHS rejects insurance commissioners’ request to remove broker commissions from health insurer spending formula.
http://bit.ly/tufEV5
Latest GOP talking point…Social Security is WELFARE!
http://crooksandliars.com/bluegal-aka-fran/latest-gop-meme-social-security-w
Ok, this is no longer a political party with a program with which we disagree. It’s the mad flailing of a soon-to-expire lion. Soc Sec is welfare? Well, I guess it is, but welfare which we pay into. The political system of this country is of the two-party variety, and one of them no longer functions.
LL, if this is the horse they want to ride out of Washington on…for decades….let them! This will NEVER FLY with the American public.
Agree 1000%. Makes your head spin.
then why the heck are we all paying into welfare? Welfare is paying those cretins in Congress known as republicans for work that they are not doing.
UT….This one’s for you 🙂 It’s your “Buddy”
http://thinkprogress.org/special/2011/12/02/381013/gop-presidential-candidate-roemer-romney-represents-the-one-percent-and-gingrich-is-their-lobbyist/
Although, on this, I think he’s right.
Hahaha. 😆
The following distinguished flag officers in the United States Armed Forces have signed a letter of support for the pending Shaheen Amendment to the FY 12 National Defense Authorization Act (S. 1867) that would provide servicewomen and military dependents with abortion coverage in cases of rape and incest.
Dear Senators:
We, the undersigned flag officers, write in strong support of the Shaheen Amendment to the FY12 National Defense Authorization Act (S. 1867) that provides abortion coverage for servicewomen and dependents who are victims of rape and incest. It has been our privilege to treat, care for, or serve alongside the brave men and women of our armed forces and we believe that they deserve the best medical care that our country can provide. We also believe that our women in the military, who serve their country and in many cases risk their lives and safety to preserve our freedoms, should have access to the full range of medical care, including comprehensive reproductive health care.
We are greatly disappointed to learn that, by federal statute, the Department of Defense is barred from providing coverage for abortion care except where a pregnant woman’s life is endangered. Unlike the other federal bans on abortion coverage, the military ban provides no exception for cases of rape and incest. The current policy is unjust and unfair.
~snip~
http://blogs.alternet.org/speakeasy/2011/11/30/military-leaders-standing-up-for-servicewomen-in-support-of-shaheen-amendment/
h/t RH Reality Check
Good for those military leaders. Well done!
First Lady Michelle Obama is ramping for the 2012 re-election drive with Allyson Laackman, a Chicagoan who is the chief financial officer for the president’s office, tapped to be her campaign chief of staff.
The building of a political team comes as Mrs. Obama campaign schedule is still a work in progress with the timing to be determined in part when a GOP nominee emerges from the crowded primary field.
The Obama 2012 campaign, headquartered in Chicago’s Prudential Building, also is adding a press secretary for Mrs. Obama—Olivia Alair, who is currently the Department of Transportation spokesman.
http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2011/12/michelle_obama_ramping_up_for_.html
Helloooooooooo! New post here:
http://theobamadiary.com/2011/12/02/afternoon/
Despite A 0.0002 Percent Rate Of Voter Fraud, Reince Priebus Claims Wisconsin Is ‘Riddled With Voter Fraud’
Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus made a curious claim on MSNBC today, alleging that Wisconsin is a state “that was absolutely riddled with voter fraud.”
The problem? A recent study by the nonpartisan Brennan Center for Justice found just seven cases of voter fraud out of three million votes cast in Wisconsin during the 2004 election, a fraud rate of 0.0002 percent. All seven of these cases involved persons with felony convictions who weren’t eligible to vote after being released from prison.
http://thinkprogress.org/
Rep. Schakowsky: Blackwater’s Erik Prince Tried To Intimidate Me
December 01, 2011 09:00 AM
Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) has been a tireless opponent of U.S. Government spending on military contractors in general and Blackwater/Xe in particular, largely due to their rampant, wanton, violent behavior in Iraq and Afghanistan. This is not news. She consistently opposes them. But in October, she reacted strongly to the release of a new videogame based on Blackwater and licensed by Blackwater’s Erik Prince. Here’s the trailer:
~snip~
Schakowsky has introduced the Stop Outsourcing Security Act since 2007, as a way to phase out private contractors like Blackwater. “While the problem applies to other private contractors,” she said Wednesday, “there is one company that has become synonymous with misconduct: Blackwater.” “Recently,” she continued, “Mr. Prince has launched a video game, called Blackwater, glorifying the discredited company he started. And now, Mr. Prince has adopted yet another heavy-handed tactic: attempted intimidation of a member of Congress.”
The letter from his attorneys, she said, “characterizes my efforts to urge investigations into Mr. Prince as a violation of Congressional power, and describes possible legal action if I persist.” “I want to make it clear to Mr. Prince that I will not stop working to end our reliance on private security contractors and to investigate any and all allegations of misconduct,” Schakowsky said.
~snip~
http://crooksandliars.com/karoli/rep-schakowsky-blackwaters-erik-prince-trie
h/t karoli
After Signaling Support, John Boehner Calls Tax Break For Middle Class ‘Chicken-Shit’
Despite their stated opposition to tax increases, Republican lawmakers have been largely cool or even hostile to a proposed extension of the temporary payroll tax cut, pushed by President Obama and Democrats. Finally, this week, Republicans seemed to relent as GOP congressional leaders publicly urged their caucuses to vote for an extension of the plan. “The fact is that Republicans are doing everything we can to allow American families and small businesses to keep more of what they earn,” Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) said this morning of efforts to whip GOP lawmakers to support an extension.
But in private, Boehner seems to hold a different view. Politico reports that in a closed-door GOP meeting this morning, Boehner referred to an extension of the payroll tax holiday as “chicken-shit,” saying he wanted to tack on unrelated legislation favored by Republicans to make it palatable:
http://thinkprogress.org/
Everything is “chicken shit” with that orange bastard, isn’t it?
AMAZING HOW HUFFPUFF BURIED THE NEWS ON JOBS TODAY. ONLY WHEN ITS BAD NEWS WILL HUFFPUFF BLARE THE HEADLINES.
Wow, I’m sooo surprised (snark) that Joan McCarter at the Orange Satan doesn’t have anything written about Obamacare portion of the law that goes into effect today: the medical loss ratio, that requires health insurance companies to spend 80% of the consumers’ premium dollars they collect—85% for large group insurers—on actual medical care rather than overhead, marketing expenses and profit. Failure on the part of insurers to meet this requirement will result in the insurers having to send their customers a rebate check representing the amount in which they underspend on actual medical care.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/rickungar/2011/12/02/the-bomb-buried-in-obamacare-explodes-today-halleluja/
She is the WORST person at Daily Kos so she got this tweet. In 2008-2010 when I still read it, she was hammering POTUS non-stop about her theories on him stopping the public option, blah blah blah. This is as nice as I could say it to her:
FORUS50
@joanmccarter so surprised u have NOTHING to say about this: forbes.com/sites/rickunga… healthcare is yr bailiwick bt yr hate for POTUS tops it.
3 minutes ago Favorite Reply