Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and President Bill Clinton pose with the 2011 Kennedy Center Honorees, front row from left, Sonny Rollins, Barbara Cook, back row from left, Yo-Yo Ma, Meryl Streep and Neil Diamond at the State Department following a dinner and reception on Dec. 3
President Barack Obama will host the five recipients of the 34th Kennedy Center Honors at a White House reception before attending the evening gala at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
… with Yo-Yo Ma
…. with Sonny Rollins
The Obama Diary 
Mornimg Ms Chips. Lovely photo!
Me, again, first?
awww shucks, but congrats ladyjazz!!
Wow, first……………Press On smartly everyone.
♥ ♥ ♥ Good Day Chips! Good Day TOD Family! ♥ ♥ ♥
Barack Obama Quote O’ The Day
Have a great day, everyone! 😛
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
BONUS: Michelle Obama Quote O’ The Day
PolticaJunkessa, Thank you , Thank you, Thank you for that.
I needed this today. Thank you.
Chicken soup for the soul from both these magnificent people. Thanks, PJ!!
Love that quote!!! 🙂 Michelle is AWESOME!!!
PJ, you, too, are the BONUS. Thank you, dear heart.
Terrific and so true.
You’re welcome, everybody. I just ♥ ♥ ♥ our First Lady…..and her husband 😉 .
PJ, your “O’ Quotes” do a lot to orient our thoughts, and sometimes our day, in a ‘quick and easy’ way. Much appreciated. Thanks, and have a PJ-Day yourself! 🙂
Ah excellent quotes. I know I can certainly can learn something from Michelle Obama’s quote – thanks PJ
She really is extraordinary.
Both of these are shining jewels. Pearls of wisdom that we need to remember. Thank you for these, PJ…..apropos indeed.
Political Junkessa, I am copying a request I made below.
“So happy to read your comments, follow your links and see these wonderful photos. This blog is like “online therapy for the soul”.
One of my favorite aspects is the “quote of the day”. Political Junkessa, I have a favor to ask. Could I post these quotes at my blog? They are so positive and uplifting they would be a valuable addition. I would of course credit you for the work you put in. If you have a facebook page or web page you would like me to link to just let me know. Also would you like me to use yoru screen name “PoliticalJunkess” or would you prefer another name?
If that is OK with you – I have another suggestion. We could spread these quotes in other ways. They would fit nicely on a Facebook page, they are a bit long for a tweet, but if I put each quote at my blog then they will be individual pages you could link to in a tweet. I was thinking we could come up with a Twitter hashtag. Obamawisdom or ObamaChickemSoupFor Soul (maybe a bit long) I don’t tweet but see it’s power.
It would also be easy to have one page that lists all the quotes, then folks who write blog posts could use this page as a reference for quoting the President. I love to make lists and organize and these quotes are just incredible., the more we can broadcast them the better.
WIW, 😳 I’m blushing!
You are the queen of research and positivity. I bow to you. Please! Spread the quotes far and wide — of course I didn’t say them, and I have no ownership over them. I enjoy the process of mining the thoughts and words of the Obamas and sharing them with you all. I would support anything you choose to do. Maybe just link back to this wonderful page? Chips work deserves the widest audience possible :-D.
♥ ♥ ♥ —- PJ
I see you blush and add an “aw shucks”. I will link back to the site and also add one of the incredible videos about Obama Chips and Donna make. Off to make pages… it is nice to have a project while hubby watches football.
THANK YOU …THANK YOU…..YOU ARE ONE OF THE MANY REASONS WHY I LOVE THIS SITE….
BIG SMILE
Hi PJ and Chipsticks:
We should consider having a separate section called “BQD” (or OQD) that stands for Barack’s (or Obama’s) Quote of the day. As we all know, there are a lot of thought provoking quotes from his various talks and writings that we should aspire to live up to. There might be other sites that do this already, but I cannot think of a more appropriate place than an Obama centric diary, to highlight these gems.
Chips, don’t know if you saw this. I thought it was a very good read.
http://prospect.org/article/ignoring-obama-presidency#.TtuE47czdU8.twitter
Thanks for all you do.
Thanks so much for the article Africa. Just tweeted it to that smug David Brooks of NYT.
Caption should read: “former president Bill Clinton”. Why is it that so many wire services and other neglect this truth?
Anyway, looking forward to seeing the photos of the reception at the White House with President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama.
Exactly. When you’re out of the oval office, you are NO longer the President of the United States. They derisively refer to President Obama as Obama or Barack; yet they accord Bubba a title he no longer bears?
Not true. They will forever have the title of President. The proper etiquette in introducing a former POTUS is, “The former President of the United States, President Bill Clinton. Welcome Mr President.”
That holds true for ALL LIVING PRESIDENTS.
I just want to photos with the CURRENT POTUS and FLOTUS with the above honorees. 😀
THE PHOTOS. frak.
I need some caffienne.
I’m not arguing that they won’t have President in their title. When you’re out of the Oval office you are referred to as the Former President of the United States because you are no longer the current occupant of the White House.
Trust me ut. Everyone knows who is who. That’s what bothers these mofos.
THISSSSSSSS!!!!
Same here! 😉
http://www.formsofaddress.info/FOA_president_US_former.html
The article reinforces my position. When reporters and others refer to Former President Clinton or Former President Bush as President Clinton or President Bush in formal/informal situations and in official pictures, they are technically wrong. With a high profile and high status office as POTUS, where there is only one occupant at a time, one is not supposed to refer to the former occupant as the President.
Thanks Tally. I just tweeted this to the media – although I doubt it will do any good. I just get so sick of EVERYBODY referring to President Obama as “Obama”. The left does it as well as the right.
I agree that the media loves to disrespect this President, however a lot of people (including some young children who LOVE our president) refer to PBO as “Obama” and sometimes it’s not out of disrespect but the complete opposite ( like Ghandi). I think President Obama is bigger than the office of the US Presidency – His name carries a prestige that supersedes the US Presidency. Unlike his predecessors, the US presidency is not what made him who he is. He has elevated the US presidency. After he leaves office, he will be a legend who also happened to be the first US AA President
i love what you said here: he has elevated the us presidency! thanks so much for all the positive messages on this site. i’ve only recently found it, and it lifts my heart every day.
incredible and true.
wow. just wow hopefruit2
this is very handy – thanks Tally
NICE! Added to my virtual reference library. You’re a gem!
I KNOW AND THAT IRRITATES ME…NOT ONLY THAT…PBO CARRIES GRACE. HE IS A HUMBLE PRESIDENT WHO CERTAINLY DOES NOT THRIVE ON ATTENTION. HIS COMPASSION FAR OUTWEIGHS…SELF!
Only chip will find the photos, as they will largely be ignored by the MSM!
I’m not sure why but this goes way back with the press referring to a former president as “president”. I’ve seen it for decades going back to Nixon and always thought it was odd. So…at least they are consistent…:)
The President, as well as Senators, Congressmen, Judges, etc. All retain their titles after they leave office. HOWEVER, it was inappropriate to refer to former President Clinton as such in a formal picture supposedly taken in the White House, while at the same time referring to the current Secretary of State by her CURRENT title (not as former Senator HIllary Clinton.)
TODers – we are going to want PBO to be called President once he completes his two terms – in the US we continue to call former Presidents by that title as a form of respect.
Yep! I was just thinking the same thing. President Obama in perpetuity. 😀
Well it is traditional to call any former president, president even if they aren’t the president at the time. This has been how it always has. Most articles refer Obama as president Obama, the only real exceptions are Fox News and MSNBC.
Thank you!!!!!!!!! FORMER PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON
Nice Honors class! Bubba always up in the action. Hillary looks very nice — strong and serene. Can’t wait to see the broadcast.
One thing is for sure, the Obama people are successfully defining Romney as a flip flopper with no core, and the Press hates it! Lol!
my take is Romney defined himself as a flip flopper with no core and a lying liar on top of that.
disgraceful
Hi all! Love this site – thank you so much. I am just a lurker here, but a friend shared this video. If you haven’t seen it, it is wonderful.
just wonderful
Thank you Mary, I haven’t watched BWD’s video in a while, nice to see it again!!
This is BWD!!!! I got here from there! Great to know Debz! Thank you!!
very cool. I always wonder if he gets to see any of these. This one is great.
HAIL TO THE CHIEF!
HAIL, HE IS THE CHIEF !!!
Mary thanks for sharing that! 🙂
Thanks Mary. This is the bomb. Go and lurk no more. 😉
Never saw this one. Bookmarked. ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL!
LOVE it! Thanks for sharing!
So choked up. Just really beautiful and right on.
And, yes…
YES.WE.CAN…DO.(Much)More, Together!
YES.WE.CAN, Again…Obama/Biden 2012!
PRESS ON!
Wow – I’ve never seen this one. I love it! It has one of my favourite pictures (they’re all my favourites), with the President shaking hands on the stage and someone grabbing his ankle, just to get a hold of him. Great! The tune is so fantastic and optimistic, too. Thanks!
Spectacular!!!!! ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
This is beautiful, spoke right to me. Please all go to the UTUBE page and leave a comment and thank the person that created this.
This should be a theme for the election.
. Imissed posted below, this is where I wanted to post my remrks regarding “Why Im Grateful For President Obama”.This is beautiful, spoke right to me. Please all go to the UTUBE page and leave a comment and thank the person that created this.
This should be a theme for the election.
Thought I saw this before so skipped it the first time, but clicked on it when I came back to the blog. It made my evening. I am so proud of this President. I am so happy to have been involved in helping his administration if only from a lowly person’s point of view. Isn’t it great that we are on the right side of history? It would be so sad years later to have opposed him in the election. I am proud to be a donor, voter, and informer to others on why they need to vote for PBO. Thanks for the beautiful, inspiring video.
Bringing this over from the last thread; it disproves GOP and talking heads meme that health care reform is costly and should be repealed.~
Why Does Health Care Cost So Much in the United States?
By: Sarah Clune and Jason Kane
November 25, 2011 at 10:32 AM EDT
Staying healthy in the United States is expensive. In fact, in 2009, the average annual cost of health care was $7,960 per person — two and a half times what it was in Japan for the same year. That’s just one of the numbers we pored over in the new report out by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, which compared health care costs across all 34 of its members. The report illustrates significant variation between costs in different countries. The report illustrates significant variation between costs in different countries. But there were also some commonalities. Health spending has grown more quickly than GDP in the last decade in all of the member countries, except in Luxembourg.
~snip~
MATTHIAS: High spending by the U.S. on health must either be because the price of healthcare is higher than in other countries, or else because it provides more health activities than other countries, or a combination of the two. Evidence suggests that both factors are important, but particularly prices. The same set of hospital interventions (including the normal delivery of a baby, a Caesarean section, a hip or knee replacement, etc.) cost 60 percent more in the United States than in a selection of other countries. Similarly, 50 high-selling pharmaceuticals cost 60 percent more in the United States than in Europe. But the United States also uses a lot of expensive diagnostic tests, such as MRI and CT scans, and performs a lot of interventions where it is not always clear-cut whether the procedure is necessary or not — tonsillectomies, knee replacements, and so on. On the other hand, perhaps surprisingly, the U.S. does not have many doctors relative to its population, not many hospital beds, and people do not spend long in hospital when they have to be admitted. Overall, therefore, high prices are the main reason for high health care spending in the United States.
~snip~
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/2011/11/why-does-healthcare-cost-so-much.html
A poll in Japan finds 82% of people their have friendly feelings towards the US.
Because of how our Military and this President provided Aide during theme Earthquake-
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/05/world/asia/japanese-poll-finds-a-rush-of-good-will-for-us.html?_r=1&ref=global-home
Me thinks, I will email Barney franks this article, who hates the Military!
Looks like Hermit will endorse Newt
What’s that Mitt?
BWAHAHAHA. This might just have to be my new ring tone; replacing Tyler The Creator’s “Yonkers.” 😀
IN GREECE: Vice President Biden arrived Sunday in Greece, home to one of the world’s most-troubled economies, for a two-day visit. Deputy Prime Minister Theodoros Pangalos and U.S. ambassador Daniel Smith were among who greeted Biden upon his arrival in Athens. On Monday, he is to meet with the European nation’s leadership, including President Karolos Papoulias and Prime Minister Lucas Papademos.
Pool-
It’s such a bloody shame that there has been media black out regarding VP Biden’s trip to Iraq, Turkey, and Greece. He’s been incredibly effective at strengthening our ties with that segment of the world and no coverage. The media is an effed up institution. Must be a sign of his effectiveness that they keep calling for him to switch roles with Sec. Clinton.
They feel slighted! I was listening to CM rant the other day for clues.
He said that once the President got to where he is, he forgot about us(the media), and he said we put him there.
They are like children, they want to be coddled!
“They put him there”? Really? I remember “they” airing every nasty thing Palin said; I remember Rev Wright 24/7; I remember Bill Ayers; I remember “they” saying he couldn’t, wouldn’t win”. “They” can take a flying leap. It is very true that “they” do a disservice to the Administration, but “they’re” too stupid to realize “they” do a disservice to themselves. If I’m not mistaken the media doesn’t poll much better than Congress.
Someone needs to tell them the President is busy running the country. He does not have time to stroke people who should not need to be stroked. All they have to do is just report the truth. What a novel concept. Be fair. PBO should not have to kiss their asses for them to do their jobs. These people have everything. They seem to want their own personal president too.
Well, he should coddle them. This president seems alone to me and needs all the help he can get. He has a pathetic cabinet that can’t help him sell his policies in the media. He has very few Dems that are proud of him and will leap to his defense. The media, love it or hate it, have power. Wooing them is not a stupid idea when you’re under assault by everybody else and your team is lame. Debbie as the head of the DNC is the best thing he is done in this fight. He should pull in women like Granholm (labor sec?). Randell, though a Hillary man, is a fighter and a pitbull. In the meantime, yes, coddle coddle coddle the media babies. And kiss them, too.
They think they run DC, and they don’t. They are all about profits not truth. Haven’t you noticed?
I guess if he wanted to play the same old political games that he railed against in the campaign and even now, he would but then that would not be change we could believe in. PBO has to do this his way win or lose. I think that’s the only way he and Michelle can live with themselves. They don’t fake and shake and they are not going to spend their time on people who in so many ways are beneath them and clearly do not need them. The media and PL bastards are insatiable and blinded by racism and envy. They will always want more than he can give. PBO is a family man and should spend his free time with his young daughters, his wife and his close friends and not waste his time on people who despise him and want to see him fail. He did try to be sociable with those heathens in the beginning and it got him squat.
If the majority of the American people are dumb enough to elect one of those Republican idiots, then they deserve everything they get as a result. PBO and his family will be fine. If I were him I’d move my family out of this country because it will be a disaster without him.
You are essentially advocating for kowtowing to hostage takers and being beholding to an already rabid, unscrupulous and controlling media that have shown a willingness to brazenly destroy our democracy and a good man just to assert their importance, and to wield influence and garner wealth.
Pushing for the ‘wooing’ of this crowd and folks like Ed Rendell who have blatantly sabotaged and undermined at every turn and only seek personal gain for themselves, tells us all we need to know…
Thank God there are fewer people with your point of view supporting this transformational, once in a generation President…
We will prevail inspite of the obstructive media and assholes like Ed Rendell…
It will not be easy by any means, but we will not surrender and further empower the hostage takers and the spoilers who have for far too long held our democracy hostage and have only gotten more brazen and powerful because people like you continue to push for feeding these soulless beasts to get them to temporarily back off…
This surrender to the asshole bullies that have plopped themselves up as the gatekeepers and spoilers, is exactly the mindset that fueled this madness and has us where we are today…
No more…
I disagree. The msm can take a flying leap off a short pier. They are good for absolutely nothing.
They put him in the White House? What about the overwhelming turn out at the polls for PBO. They are so full of their own importance they think they can replace millions of voters? Well, they will be caught by surprise once more come November 6, 2012!
OBAMA/BIDEN 2012
FIRED UP!
When then Senator Obama talked of Change during the ’08 campaign the media did not expect that he really meant it. PBO has treated the old Washington influencial ways as what he needed to change. He gave them their chances to get with it and when it didn’t happen he went on to change the way he operated in WA. Thus taking it directly to the people and to the local news medias became more prominent over the old good boy WA media. The Chris Matthews and others that are filled with self-importance are feeling snubbed and reacting negatively to PBO because of that and probably because of Corporate pressures.
Nice group for this year’s Kennedy Center Honors. Hubby is very tickled for one of his favorites, Sonny Rollins.
Dakota~ that’s one of the first thing that caught my eye…Sonny Rollins. Honoring a jazz legend. YAY!!
Thanks everyone for your comments in response to my voter registration activities in the last thread. I did, however, forget to share this one story that I thought was really great. I asked these two women if either of them needed to update their voter registration. Apparently, they were related and one of them replied, “Of course we’re registered to vote. We vote as a family. She further explained that, “Whenever a member of their family turns 18 they all go to the Secretary of State’s office together to register that family member to vote and then they celebrate it as a momentous event. She said they make sure to vote as a family particularly when there’s a new voter in the family and said they began the tradition in honor of her 103-year-old grandmother.
Can you imagine that? What if every parent did that with their 18 year-old child. We could come close to full voter participation one day.
Wonderful story, it would be great if every family thought voting was important and did this! When you consider less than 50% of citizens vote, imagine how many new voters we would have.
Great story L3. You’re right, the responsibilities of being a citizen are a lesson best taught in the family. Sadly, few families do.
My family votes as a block as well. Back in the day, I helped my father and others with voter registration even before i was old enough to do it myself. We are also a union family and I was Dad’s unofficial secretary when he was a union rep. I influenced all of my siblings to vote for PBO in the Florida primary, but did not have enough time to convince my mom (she voted for Hillary); however she happily came around to PBO soon after. The last child of the family has turned 18 (he checked with all of us in 2008 to be sure that we voted for PBO) and the next stop is voter registration. We all vote in the mid-terms, all local elections, and of course, the presidential elections. We know how many have fought and died for this privilege and we never take it for granted. It is one of our most cherished family traditions, responsibility and honor. I have the honor of being the family rabble-rouser.
OOOoooooo, I love that story!!!! Let’s spread it far and wide.
EXCITEMENT ALERT!! EXCITEMENT ALERT!! Hey TOD family. I have some great news. Our beloved David Plouffe will be in my hometown of Columbus on Thursday Dec. 8th to REV up the troops. He will be congratulating us on our great victory in November over Fascist Governor Kasich and his SB5 law. I can’t wait to see David in person. On Wednsday I will be asking ya’ll if you have any questions you would like for me to ask him. I definately will report on the event. Have a BLESSED and BEAUTIFUL Sunday afternoon. 😀
Love your passion, Keith!
Exciting news Keith!!! Hope you get to talk to him.
Thanks Debz and Jovie. We all benefit for the work that is done from all supporters. It is so terrific to see how everyone carves their little niche on the Obama train and how we all are helping in are own way. The Prez can’t lose with all of us having his back. 😀
Keith that sounds great! Have you decided on anything to ask him?
Keith, MY suggestion this time is for you to convey (y)our support INSTEAD of asking a question.
It seems the norm that everyone always thinks of QUESTIONS to ask when they are going to see key people. For variety, why not think of something specific that Plouffe or the Admin has done RECENTLY and say thanks, or give a recent, specific example that you and others are noticing their efforts in the face of monumental obstruction. For example, you could share heartfelt thanks for the Asia-Pacific initiatives which show that the Prez and his Admin are planning AHEAD for the country daily, in the face of monumental obstruction.
Since we all perk up when we are praised legitimately, this might be a good trend to start in letting the Obama Admin hear positive feedback. IMO – an opinion that popped into my head fully formed ONLY as I read your request – everyone is so often focused on GETTING answers from these guys, that we often forget to GIVE BACK ourselves so that they GET something too. Don’t get me wrong, I know we donate and volunteer, etc, but how often when we actually get the RARE chance do we say ‘thanks’ very specifically?
**Oh dear! Have NO idea where that all came from or why, but am going to let it stand.**
Keith, enjoy your anticipation and excitement in seeing David P, and don’t mind me! 😆 😆
Congratulations again to Ohioans on their history making recall!
Excellent suggestion ! These guys work like crazy and are so worthy of our support and our appreciation.
Thanks VCPrez. Excellent suggestion. I will definately let DP know how much we appreciate the work the adminstration is doing and offer encouragement to them as well. Upliftment, encouragement, and motivation is definately a two way street. I still will ask some very appropriate questions though. They always seem to ask us if we have any. Thanks for your input. 😉
Appreciate your response, and hope your group will have an empowering session with Mr. Plouffe. OBAMA/BIDEN 2012! 😆
Not as of yet alice.
Nice!!!!!!!!! You need to report back what he says to you 🙂 The family wants to hear !
Will do DF. 🙂
First thing I thought of Keith since weight is my own nemesis.
One of the great tasks of science is to hold up a mirror to reality: to make models that acutely reflect reality.
The Energy Department’s supercomputers make superlative reality reflectors. Among the fastest and most powerful machines in the world, they’re able to reflect nature with polished precision. They’ll get even better next year, when a powerful new supercomputer comes online at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL): Mira.
When it debuts in 2012, Mira, an IBM Blue Gene/Q supercomputer, will be one of the world’s fastest and most energy-efficient machines: It will be capable of running 20 times faster than the Blue Gene/P Solution, ANL’s current leadership-class supercomputer. With 48,000 nodes, 768 cores and 768 terabytes of memory, Mira will scream at some 10 petaflops per second – that’s 10 thousand trillion operations each second.
http://energy.gov/articles/superlative-supercomputers-argonne-s-mira-accelerate-scientific-discoveries-societal
10 petaflops? Wow!
remember, he gave his largely uninsured district the middle finger when he voted against healthcare not ONCE
BUT TWICE
and thought that bullshyt would be alright with his constituents. WELL, on election day, they returned the favor by giving him the middle finger.
Negro didn’t even win his LOCAL POLLING PLACE.
he got EXACTLY what he deserved.
……………………………………………………………………..
Artur Davis: From Dem star to exile
By: Alex Isenstadt
December 1, 2011 11:37 PM EST
The future once seemed limitless for Artur Davis.
Not so long ago, he was viewed as one of the Democratic Party’s rising stars, routinely evoking comparisons to Barack Obama. A smart, ambitious Harvard Law School graduate like Obama, Davis appeared to be on a trajectory to make history as Alabama’s first black governor. Some saw the youthful congressman as a future attorney general.
Today, all that is gone.
Less than a year after leaving Congress after a failed bid for governor, he is persona non grata in his party, another K Street lawyer living in the northern Virginia suburbs.
The story of the talented, youthful politician-who-fell-to-earth is a familiar one, but Davis’s fate is singular.
Many of his former Democratic colleagues now view him as something of a traitor, and Davis himself has emerged as a vigorous critic of the party and President Barack Obama. He’s even taking to supporting GOP candidates. Friends and allies who helped guide his ascent say they no longer talk to the congressman — and some Democrats believe he will leave the party altogether.
http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=F3C11A82-E39C-437C-AF45-05829BFFE789
The guy is a loser. And despite all this, watch msm start having him on their shows, as Alex Witt did yesterday, to share all his “wisdom” and hard truth telling to Dems.
they look good.Congratulations 😀
Well…her choice of clothes have never been very flattering have they ?
I still believe she is doing a GREAT job as SOS. PBO knew what he was doing when he appointed her. BRILLIANCE!!
No she has never been a fashionista, but I think she’s doing a very good job as SoS.
That travel schedule must be incredibly grueling. I actually think that her dress looks beautiful.
me too gn, I like her dress
I have no idea what Hillary Clinton is thinking but as a retired hairdresser I really wished she’d cut her hair. Just sayin’…… 😉
I’m glad I’m not the only one who noticed her hair, and I’m not a hairdresser. That style makes her look tired and old. Maybe she’s just been busy traveling and hasn’t had time to get it cut.
THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I think this longer hair makes her look dragged out and tired all the time. If she cut it to just to the bottom of her neck, I think it would look MUCH better….and I’m NOT a retired hairdresser 🙂 I totally agree, Lonnie. Maybe she’s just been too busy, flying the world (and doing superbly)….
I think the longer hair, makes her look younger.
I was thinking Hillary probably thought the longer hair helped her look younger too, but I seem to think her hair looks too thin and scraggy longer. I think shorter hair would frame her face better and actually improve her look.
I like it too. I like it better than her short hair anyway—too matronly. I’m guessing Bill likes it long.
😉 This reminded me ‘You can please some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can’t please all of the people all of the time.’
If there was ever a mainstream movie that needed to cast a Hillary Clinton character in a major role, Meryl Streep looks like she’d be a pretty good choice for said role.
She would be a good choice. Have you seen the previews of the movie of Meryl Streep as Margaret Thatcher? Jeez… the movie makeup gods are spectacular because not only does she look eerily like her; she sounds so much like her.
Daniel Day Lewis as Abraham Lincoln is another one I want to see.
SR, you’re totally reading my mind. I want to see that movie also. Lewis looks like Lincoln come back to life. I believe it’s Steven Spielberg who’s directing the movie and after watching previews for War Horse, I definitely want to see the Lincoln biopic. Did you see Lewis in Gangs of New York and There Will Be Blood? In There Will Be Blood he is so evil, greedy, and morally bankrupt yet he pulls you in because you can sense and feel to your core his desperation and his thirst for some form of redemption however misguided that redemption may be. That was an intense role and movie to watch. After seeing it, I was so chuffed that he won the Oscar.
I bet there will be a special screening of the Lincoln film at the White House. Too cool.
Actually, my dream is to see Daniel Day and Meryl in a movie together. I’ll bet they would be so magnetic, the celluloid would explode.
Ooooooooh, wouldn’t that be something?
Off topic but the eery resemblance comment brings up last night’s SNL opening skit with PBO. I was amazed at how much the character actually looked like PBO. I was trying to decide who was playing PBO as it seemed to be someone different than last year. I also think there may be a prosthetic nose and much more make-up involved than before. The voice is not so down for PBO but the looks are amazing.
I was thinking the same thing. Meryl Streep would play Hillary Clinton, Will Smith will play Barack Obama, Regina King would make an excellent Michelle Obama….
It oh. Apparently, Iran hacked our stealth drone, which enabled it to shoot it down.
This drone, you will recall, was the one flying over bin ladens compound, undetected.
How Iran has this technology, is beyond me? Perhaps, china or Russia?
This is not a good thing. Hope they can identify the vulnerability in the system ASAP.
Or Pakistan.
is there a link?
GOOD MORNING, CHIPSTICKS! AXELROD KICKED BUTT ON MTP TODAY. BEAUTIFUL PHOTOS
December 04, 2011 10:35 AM
What constitutes a ‘career’ in politics
By Steve Benen
I wish Mitt Romney would stop saying things like this.
Four years as governor does not make me a career politician,” said Romney, who served as Massachusetts governor from 2002 to 2006, but also ran for U.S. Senate in 1994 and for president in 2007. “I’ve spent 25 years in business.”
If the point Romney hopes to convey is that Newt Gingrich has been involved in politics for more years than he has, fine. That’s clearly true. I’ve never been altogether clear why that’s supposed to be an impressive selling point for a presidential candidate — if Romney wins the GOP nomination, he’ll be the least experienced major-party nominee in a generation — but as a matter of arithmetic, Romney isn’t wrong on this narrow point.
But this notion that Romney is some kind of political novice is just silly. It’s a talking point Romney is obsessed with repeating, but the facts keep getting in the way.
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal/2011_12/what_constitutes_a_career_in_p033887.php
And it’s a perfect set-up for a “Only reason you were not a career politician is because you kept losing elections” zinger.
Ouch.
Rikyrah, I mentioned in a previous thread here at TOD that Artur Davis — who used to be my US Rep in Alabama– is a traitor. In other words, he is a Republican at heart. I think he used his Dem creds as a stepping stone, garnering the AA vote to initially win his congressional district and later riding off the coattail and once “friendship” of President Obama. If by some miraculous chance Davis had won the Dem gubernatorial primary and gone on to become Alabama’s first Black governor, I believe he would have governed like a Republican–that is, one of the modern-day variety: staunch conservative, deficit hawk, union buster, etc.:(
I agree with you completely. that’s the wonderfulness of his constituents giving him the middle finger so decisively.
True dat! We AA’s gave Davis the middle finger, BIG TIME. LOL 🙂
so happy ya’ll did 😀
This is Prometheus6’s take on Herbie’s ‘ Campaign’:
December 3, 2011 — Prometheus 6
The curious thing to me is how his campaign seemed to just…proceed, irrespective of what Mr. Cain did or what came out about him. I believe the Koch campaign was essentially funded and operated by Koch operatives as an experiment, that Mr. Cain was the first attempt at creating a truly Corporate Candidate. And I also believe their next attempt will be a third party candidate.
…………………………………………………………………..
December 04, 2011 12:00 PM
A post-retail campaign model?
By Steve Benen
We know how presidential candidates get ahead in contests like the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary. They’re tests of candidates’ skills at “retail” politics — would-be presidents are expected to spend an inordinate amount of time meeting voters directly. The road to success goes through backyard barbecues, kitchen tables, and Kiwanis Club halls.
At least, that’s how it has traditionally worked.
For now, Newt Gingrich is leading the Republican pack in Iowa, despite not having spent a lot of time in the state, not opening a campaign office in the state until a few days ago, and not airing so much as a single commercial. Rick Santorum, meanwhile, has visited literally every county in Iowa, and invested months of effort. What does he have to show for it? Santorum is running seventh of eight GOP candidates.
Even Mitt Romney, though he’s seen his support steady slip in recent months, has been quite competitive in Iowa, even after ignoring Hawkeye State voters for much of the year.
The NYT’s Jeff Zeleny reported this week that the nature of retail politics may be “a thing of the past,” as candidates replace in-person visits with media interviews and debate performances.
At a certain level, one might have expected this shift several decades ago, as modern media reached nearly every household. But it wasn’t until “the Fox effect” began to dominate Republican politics that the larger shift completely took hold.
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal/2011_12/a_postretail_campaign_model033888.php
I think it’s because of the internet more than anything else. Anything you want to know about a politician is at your finger tips, as it’s tremendous fundraising potential. In the past you needed to meet with donors to get them to open up their wallets – now it’s as easy a s a click of the mouse. SuperPAC’s are another reason as money (especially start up money) isn’t an issue for any candidate with some corporate backing.
I really hope there is a move to lessen the impact of corporate money in the next congress, but I fear incumbents like their advantage they get from this money to ever give it up. Every Congressman will have their own SuperPACs run by former chief of staffs that they’ll run for years, whereas any challenger will start from scratch and thus at an even bigger financial disadvantage. Politicians more bought basically.
Does anyone know what time PBO will be speaking??
🙂
Long line forms overnight to get tickets for Obama’s Osawatomie visit
http://www.kansascity.com/2011/12/03/3299812/president-to-speak-on-economy.html#ixzz1fahIrzuF
My gut tells me this is going to be a speech for the ages. Let’s get ready to pump it up and make it go viral everywhere.
*My* gut says, “Good guess.” =)
We shall see… 😉
That is a beautiful site….
🙂
That is great news, bwd, and so good to see you. I can’t wait for the speech! I agree, let’s get the world out wherever we can.
Beautiful. Thank you, dear friend.
tweetd
I can’t wait for this visit. It’s going to be amazing. PBO shows no fear, no trepidation. I absolutely love his resolve, persistence, and vision. CAN’T WAIT!!!!!
10 Reasons Why Obama Will Win in 2012
From the GOP foreign-policy debate to Europe’s financial crisis, here’s why Obama will declare victory next year.
Watching this weekend’s Republican presidential debate on U.S. foreign policy, you might be forgiven if you thought it shed absolutely no light on U.S. foreign policy. After all, by definition … and by God’s good graces … the views expressed represented those of people who will have precious little influence over America’s international course. Only one of these people can be the Republican nominee. And, in part thanks to performances like what we saw on Saturday, even that individual is very likely not going to ever be president of the United States.
As a consequence the vapidity of Herman Cain is irrelevant. The pro-torture stance of the wing-nuts in the group is irrelevant. The ridiculous zero-based foreign aid formula suggested by Rick Perry is irrelevant. Even the pontificating of Republican non-Romney of the Month, Newt Gingrich is irrelevant. Because these weren’t foreign policy ideas or positions. They were desperate cries for attention.
………………………………………………………………………………..
1. Obama is the incumbent. That matters. And he has become increasingly confident in using the bully pulpit to his advantage, at appearing presidential. The crucial issue is going to be economics.
3. Like Reagan, Obama is liked and seen as trying hard to do the right thing. That, plus some signs of progress goes a long way with the American people.
4. Furthermore, none of these candidates are a Ronald Reagan. Moreover, none of them are even a George W. Bush, which is saying something. Mitt Romney is the whitest white man in America. He will look more like the establishment than Obama in an anti-establishment year. He will not get any journalistic good bounces because frankly it is hard to spin a narrative about the guy that will grab anyone’s heartstrings. Want evidence, look at how desperately half the Republican party is at looking for alternatives.
7. The reality is that while foreign policy won’t be central to the election, Obama has already succeeded in doing something remarkable: Taking it off the table. He is hard to criticize given his record with bin Laden, Al Awlaki, Qaddafi, meeting his promise in Iraq, starting to get out of Afghanistan, and restoring America’s international reputation.
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2011/11/15/10_reasons_why_obama_will_win_in_2012?page=0,1
Happy Sunday, TOD family! Can’t wait to see our President and First Lady this evening. So I keep trying to give Up with Chris a try and every Sunday he fails. I know many are excited about his show, but I just can’t get behind a so-called liberal who uses every opportunity on every subject to pivot to a criticism about President Obama. He does it every show. There is never any discussion of Pres Obama’s successes. Minimal coverage of his extraordinary deals for jobs with other countries, nothing. Zip. They sit there on their sanctimonious high horses telling the President what he should do and say. All the while they are just trying to promote and sell themselves. Katrina what’s her face had the nerve to title her book “Change I can Believe In” or something like that. They hate the President but don’t mind making money off of him.
I’ve so had it with them. And I just think Chris’s show is another liberal media fail. Today he had on PBO’s Medicare director who the president had to appoint by recess because the GOP wouldn’t confirm him. My tweet to Chris was why didn’t the PL yell and scream when the GOP was blocking this qualified nominee? Instead you yelled about the public option and bashed the president 24/7. They make me ill.
Meanwhile I’m cracking up at the clown show that is the GOP. Cain lying his butt off about the other women and his wife standing behind him like a, well I won’t use the word I want to use. Gingrich, liar and serial adulterer praising Clinton, dumb Perry begging for a second look. Willard throwing a tantrum because the DNC’s ads told the truth about him. Huntsman with his unseemly self using his daughters to get votes. The rest just crazy.
Meanwhile, PBO leads the clowns everywhere.
By the way, what is up with the Clinton/Newtie mutual admiration society. As I heard someone say, Newt was using his new found praise and admiration of Clinton to slam Obama, how it was all so loverly and chummy with everyone when Clinton was pres.—–hahahahahahahaha!—-but why is Clinton praising Gingrich???—-telling anyone who will listen how smart Newtie is and that he has some really great big ideas? Why????
Because Bill is an uncontrollable, jealous ass. I guess both of these idiots forgot about this little thing called impeachment.
I love these pictures! Hillary looks beautiful and I always enjoy seeing her and President Clinton.
You know what is on my wish list? PBO for 4 more years. Obama in 2012!! And then Hillary runs for president in 2016 and wins. She has tremendous credentials with her experience as senator before, but as SOS she has done a fantastic job. It’s such a great balance with her domestic experience.
What do you think?
Hillary has done a great job of SOS. But Bill ruins my ability to support her. He just continues to butt in and disrespect President Obama as if it doesn’t matter that his wife works for the President of the US. I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be negative. It’s just what I see. Maybe I should try to be more positive about it. Maybe my TOD family can help me with that.
I can’t help. I agree with you 🙂
proudofobama, I’m thinking about having Democrats in the White House and that’s my focus. I appreciate how well the economy was under former President Clinton and I think Hillary has done an outstanding job as SOS.
I’m not pushing against your feelings about Bill. I just think President Obama is well able to handle himself.
I want to turn things around and get Democrats making decisions so that we have a chance to turn around the damage the Republicans have been doing for years and years. They have influenced a whole generation with Fox News and legislation at every level of government. They are relentless and not giving up just because PBO is in office. I see this as a much broader picture than just one election.
It’s just my perspective, but I thought that might help you understand why I said that. I was a supporter of Hillary before I became one for Barack Obama. I’m one of the Indiana voters that got him the win here in the primary. I’m absolutely thrilled with him, but I see Hillary as an incredibly strong candidate for 2016 and I WANT the wins to continue. That’s my focus and the other stuff falls by the wayside for me.
Again, not pushing against you at all. I appreciate you sharing your passion and as always appreciate those standing up for President Obama.
I’m with you Proud. My eye is on Governor Martin O’Malley of Maryland for 2016. He makes me proud to be a Democrat.
I like everything I’ve read and seen about O’Malley also—–he’s multi-dimensional, another one with multiple talents. And I believe Hillary when she says she is ready to walk away from politics for good when she leaves her SOS position. I think she wants a more normal, relaxing life where she can still be productive but without all the immense pressure. She said she wants to teach or be involved in womens’ issues in some way. I have always seen her as president of a university.
I think one of her deepest wishes is to be a grandmother.
he is my Governor and he is brilliant.
I agree that Hillary Clinton has done an excellent job as SOS. As far as her 2016 pursuit of the presidency goes, I believe she has indicated that she no longer has that political ambition. I could be wrong, but if that is true, I hope she sticks with that decision. I think other excellent democratic presidential candidates (including women) will emerge to carry on President Obama’s legacy after his second term ends (hopefully and prayfully). I don’t think I want to see another Clinton in the White House.
She’s an asset to Pres Obama for sure but I would be in favor of an age limit for anyone running for President. Perhaps age 60? (Putting in an IQ test would of course eliminate most all GOP candidates.) But seriously, in this day and age, the position requires physical endurance – it’s too much to expect an older person to be able to be mentally and physically ready for the minute by minute crisis and challenges. Granted Sec. Clinton is still sharp and traveling a ton, but with all due respect, her job is a walk in the park to the job required of an involved POTUS. Two women that I would like to see run would be Amy Klobuchar and Kirsten Gillibrand – both very sharp, young and good Dems and not polarizing. Another if she is able to fully recover would be Gabby Giffords.
I would like to add Elizabeth Warren to the list if she wins to be MA Senator. I also like Debbie Wasserman-Schultz and there is a woman in CA that may be a state prosecutor as I have forgotten her actual title but heard one of her speeches and she blew me a way. Something like Camilla something.
no way would SOS Clinton win the Presidency with Clinton by her side. She would never be able to do her job. He simply would not allow it and she cannot control him.
Good Morning TOD family.
So happy to read your comments, follow your links and see these wonderful photos. This blog is like “online therapy for the soul”.
One of my favorite aspects is the “quote of the day”. Political Junkess, I have a favor to ask. Could I post these quotes at my blog? They are so positive and uplifting they would be a valuable addition. I would of course credit you for the work you put in. If you have a facebook page or web page you would like me to link to just let me know. Also would you like me to use yoru screen name “PoliticalJunkess” or would you prefer another name?
If that is OK with you – I have another suggestion. We could spread these quotes in other ways. They would fit nicely on a Facebook page, they are a bit long for a tweet, but if I put each quote at my blog then they will be individual pages you could link to in a tweet. I was thinking we could come up with a Twitter hashtag. Obamawisdom or Obamasays something like that. I don’t tweet but see it’s power.
Each time I read these quotes I am so amazed at his wisdom, the more we can broadcast it the better.
That’s a great idea for the tweets. I don’t tweet either, but I can see how it would be an excellent way to communicate his thoughts.
I’ve been sharing them on my Facebook page and other PBO news and people love them. Even people I never thought were Democrats are so grateful for the news since they don’t get anything from the msm.
NO CONFLICT?
ARE YOU KIDDING ME?
G-T-F-O-H
………………………………………….
As Gas Riches Remake Plains, Lawmaker Shares in Bounty
By ERIC LIPTON
Published: December 3, 2011
CALUMET, Okla. — Gas money is transforming vast stretches of Oklahoma. Here, 40 miles west of the state capital, crews work through the night drilling new wells deep into the earth, and a small army of laborers rips through just-planted fields of winter wheat to install miles of gas pipeline.The spreading wealth from gas fields has also benefited Representative Dan Boren, a Democrat who has deep family ties to the industry — and has acted as one of its best friends on Capitol Hill.
Mr. Boren’s stepfather is an independent oil and natural gas producer in East Texas, just over the border. His father, David Boren, a former senator and Oklahoma governor, received $350,000 last year in total compensation for serving on the board of Continental Resources, whose stock has surged while it helps lead the exploration of gas reserves nationwide.
Serving as co-chairman of the House Natural Gas Caucus, Mr. Boren has worked to block any move by federal regulators to restrain the drilling and efforts by the Obama administration to curtail tax benefits for the gas and oil industries. He has also pushed for federal incentives to increase demand for natural gas. And he sees no problem with entangling his professional advocacy and his self-interest.
“There’s zero conflict,” Mr. Boren said in an interview. “It’s like if you are living in a timber community and your parents are working for the local mill. You should go and advocate for your local mill, even if you derive some benefit from it.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/04/us/politics/dan-boren-oklahoma-lawmaker-shares-in-gas-field-bounty.html?_r=2&hp
Good News about a company that is hiring
Getaround :: We’re hiring!
http://www.whatisworking.com/2011/12/getaround-were-hiring.html
I think the SOS job very stressful and she has to attend a lot of diplomatic dinners. Also many candidates, not named Barack Obama, put on weight on the campaign trail because of all the local foods that they feel obliged to eat to please people. She went from the campaign trail to State and never had a chance to physically recover. I honestly think Hillary is looking forward to a little semi-retirement when she steps down so she can focus on herself for a while.
She’d make a great SCOTUS.
Greening of a Steel Mill
http://www.whatisworking.com/2011/12/greening-of-steel-mill.html
when I first clicked on the website and saw Hillary and That Tool, I was like: “Why does Ms. Chips have up an old photo of Hillary and It? Is she comparing and contrasting an old photo of them to a new photo of Miche and PBO?” then I scrolled down and realized that it’s Hil and It with the 2011 honorees. My next thought was: ” Why are they posing with the honorees when it’s the president’s and first lady’s job to do that? Does Hil and It not realize it’s 2011, not 1998?” 🙄 Besides, what’s Hil doing here? Shouldn’t she be in Myanmar doing secretary of state stuff?
I had the same sort of reaction. I thought it was an old photo. But the reason for it is that the Clintons hosted a dinner for the recipients last night. Don’t know if POTUS and FLOTUS were there.
My thoughts exactly…
Everyone wants to pretend that this is normal…it’s not…
Ironic that Bill Clinton is inserted in the State Department photos this year ( previous years nada) just in time to continue the weird push for a Hillary run for president or V.P replacement…
These people aren’t slick…
They can fool some of the people some of the time…
Barney Frank’s BEST “truthful” insults:
http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/newsdesk/2011/11/the-lizza-list-barneys-best-insults.html?mbid=social_retweet
Hello Everyone
Point 1. Is it me or is anyone else SICK of seeing Bill Clinton everywhere? CNN yesterday, PBSNewsHour yesterday, with PBO on green jobs and now at the Kennedy Honors program. All the TV people calling his “Mr. President”. I am so sick of it I could scream!
Poin t2. Does anyone else see a full court PBO presson the European Debt Crisis:
*Banks invited to DC
*Geitner to tour affected countries
*VP Biden to Greece, Turkey, etc
I think he told the bankers to get their “sh*t” together NOW! Sent Geitner/Biden over to help them understand – YOU will not take the American economy down while I am president! So lets get this thing fixed!
Thats my piece today. I lurk every day several time some days. Absolutely love this site and send lots of stuff around on Twitter and FaceBook keeping folks informed. Thanks so much Chips!!!
Excellent observation, smiling l8dy. I noticed those things, but didn’t put them together. I think those points and that thought would be a great post, Chipsticks. Shine the light on it!
hello Smiling.Good to see ya 😀 and yes I am tired of Bill
I could be wrong but I thought I remember Hillary doing this the past couple years at the State Dept. as well as she had the Humanities Arts winners the day before the PBO gave awards. But I don’t think Bill showed at any of them in the past. I think he’s popping up everywhere now because Hillary will not be staying on for PBO’s 2nd term and he wants the spotlight as much as possible (notice how he’s just chatting away to dominate the conversation as if Hillary is not there). I think Bill will be even more unrestrained come PBO’s second term—he is one jealous, egotistical person with a lot of flaws that have not been corrected.
Unlike you Janelle, I’m not as generous in absolving Hillary…
She is very much part of what ever it is they are up to…
She still gets a chance to do this next year if as she says she won’t be staying on…
So Bill could have done his swan song thingy next year…
You can bet your bottom dollar that major players in the Obama administration are working behind the scenes to deal with this Euro crisis. A lot depends on it and I’m very happy that Geithner and VP Biden are involved at the highest levels. Keeping my fingers crossed that it will turn out for the best.
I’m very topped out on Bill Clinton. He had very kind things to say in support of PBO’s green energy initiative but not without a lot of patting himself on the back and then hijacking the presser. He’s just way, way, way too needy to be an effective spokesperson and I deeply question his motives. If you’ve ever noticed, PBO is often quite circumspect around him, very intent and with chin lifted. That’s his stance of assertiveness.
Yes, I noticed that too about PBO—he’s rarely smiling around Bill. PBO has a working relationship with the Clintons and nothing more. There is no closeness there—it’s hard to get close to someone who will smile at you one minute and stab you in the back the next. But sometimes it’s good to have adversaries nearby so that you can anticipate their next move.
Clinton may never appreciate it but Obama is trying to teach him how to be an elder statesman.
Very, very interesting comment.
yup Team of Rivals!
At the nomination meeting, can the delegates choose Hil instead of Bo since this time around how would you apportion the delegates to BO as there were no elections like in 2008?
I hope nothing like this kind of pulling the rug from under your feet is going on.
Someone wrote…it’s good to see Obama returning to his motherland…Kansas. That’s a good one 🙂
Here’s an interview with his grandmother’s cousin:
I’m going to send this to Rence Preibus the weasel RNC chair. He was on MTP this morning and said “Pres Obama came to this country.” And weasel David Gregory didn’t bother to correct the lie.
That coward doesn’t even have a twitter account.
He does have a twitter account. It’s @ReincePriebus and David Gregory’s is @DavidGregory. Use them wisely young skywalker. 😀
Ut, you are an absolutely wonderful gift to the Obot family…
I can’t wait to see the amazing things you do for your community, our country and the world…
I have great hopes for you…
May you sneeze often so that more young people like you will catch colds…
Nice story. I hope she got to visit her cousin in the White House. 🙂
Our Familiy Histories in the counry are remarkable…truly
One thing I love to do is go to gratefulness.org and light a candle for PBO. They walk me through a process where I reflect and become calm. I leave a saying from my heart to him. It’s very balancing, loving and peaceful.
This the PBO candle group
http://www.gratefulness.org/candles/candles.cfm?l=eng&gi=PBO
Today was simply with love and appreciation for President Obama. With all my heart, thank you.
Thank you for posting this, Suzanne. I too like to light a candle for our wonderful President and just did so. We should light one daily.
Thanks Suzanne. I went to the sight and lite a candle. Although, I don’t belong to any “organized” religion, I do believe in God and pray for the President. I have an alter in my home to my ancestors where I keep a candle burning all the time. Thanks again.
Hi Sabreen. I get in touch with my heart when I lite a candle and just love visiting that site. Gratefulness.org isn’t about any particular religion. It’s just good for the heart and spirit. Here’s what they say:
Our international nonprofit organization provides resources for living in the gentle power of gratefulness, which restores courage, reconciles relationships, and heals our Earth.
http://www.gratefulness.org/index.htm
I join with all of you who send the love in your heart to President Obama. @>—-
love that Suzanne. thanks for the link – I threw in a good word for VP Joe too
Yawn….another right wing freakout. The Prez is scheduled to go on vacay with the fam for 17 days…but if the past is any reminder, that will never happen. Why? Because the morons who just came back from a 10 day Thanksgiving vacay will behave like children and the adult in the room will have to stay to hold their hands and change their diapers. Honestly, how many times must they play this story.
Hasn’t Mitt Romney been on vacation since 2006!!?? That’s 1,825 days in a row.
No, not vacation! Remember Romney told some potential voters in a cafe campaign stop that he was also unemployed! LOL
The wingnuts on HuffPuff are melting…Something about a 17 day vacation in Hawaii…Anyone know what this is about ???
I heard Willard was in NH criticizing the President for taking 17 days off for Christmas holidays. Now we know Congress certainly won’t be working. So the Pres doesn’t deserve to take off too? It’s their annual vacation to Hawaii. Have taken it every year.
It’s going to be such a joy to see Willard’s face when he loses. New NBC poll shows PBO trouncing Willard in NH. Hah. Take that.
Sorry, must correct myself. PBO trounces Willard in Iowa. Is trailing Willard in NH by a few points.
I have a good friend who lives in NH. Can’t wait to get his take on his adopted state (he’s been there 5 years). He’s gay, liberal and if he hadn’t found kindred spirits there he would be back in Chicago. However he comes from a conserative family and maybe he’s just used to that nuttiness.
I certainly will report when I get to see him.
Keep in mind that this article was posted on March 29, 2011, so the stats probably need to be adjusted. Now, consider what the President has managed to accomplish in three years, as opposed to what the GOP, or any other elected official has achieved in that timeframe. I rest my case…
Congress: Nice Work, If You Can Get It
Here is how many days Congress has worked in the past three years (data from the Library of Congress):
2009 House — 44 days
2009 Senate — 51 days
2010 House — 40 days
2010 Senate — 40 days
2011 House — 33 days
2011 Senate — 31 days
This is pathetic. Even the high-water mark of 51 days is pretty laughable. How many people working in the private sector would be allowed to take eight working days off in the first three months of the year? That’s a week and a half. And that’s the high water mark. The low water mark is the Senate, this year, who has seen fit to only show up one-half of the weekdays available to it. They took an astonishing twenty-eight workdays off, in under three months’ time. That is taking almost six weeks off, to put it another way.
~snip~
But, fair or not, it is a fact that Congress is working fewer days each year. They all fly home for the weekends, and take a week off every month for fundraising back in the home district. In fact, the Senate this year has worked only two full five-day workweeks. The House? Zero. That’s right — the gung-ho “we’re going to change everything” House hasn’t managed to work one single full workweek yet, this year.
http://www.chrisweigant.com/2011/03/29/congress-nice-work-if-you-can-get-it/
h/t Chris Weigant
I wonder why they need a six figure salary when they get free healthcare and a taxpayer paid pensions.
The President deserves a 57 day vacation..
but, I guess we’ll have to settle for 17 days
I tweeted Willard and told him Pres Obama could take a whole year off and would still have done more than the GOP. (something like that)
Ask him how his 1,825 day vacation is going. Fucking loser. He has done NOTHING for 5 years. Nothing for the public good — no volunteer work, no travel to poor countries to bring the spotlight to those in need. NOTHING. Asshole.
Hillary does look tired–but no wonder. I don’t know how she manages the jet lag as well as she does. Plus, how old is she now? She has a hectic schedule and that is going to wear her down. She looks better then Bill though.
She has had a rough month — her mom’s illness and death; carrying out PBO’s agenda around the world. I have so much respect and appreciation for the way she faithfully supports the President.
While their disciples do the dirty work of undermining and sabotaging President Obama …
Quite the coup…
Keep your hands clean and let the James Carville’s, Ed Rendell’s Terry Macualife’s do the attacking and undermining with absolutely no push-back or restraint…
Hillary then comes off smelling clean as roses…
And everyone gushes, great ‘team player’…she couldn’t possibly support the way her husband, close friends and allies publicly attack and sabotage her boss…
Hillary Clinton is very much part of this not so slick circus act…you better believe it…
Anyone know if the Kennedy Center awards and the performance afterwards will be on TV or the net today?
I think PBS carried it every year.
Actually, It’s CBS. 😀
Thanks I’ll check their website.
In case anyone is interested:
“The Honors Gala will be broadcast on CBS as a two-hour prime-time special on Tuesday, December 27, 2011 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.”
I just ordered some pizza hut. You all want some?
OK, now I’m hungry. Must go and find some lunch before Donna Dem shows up with her fabulous Sunday Supper menu, too.
AW! Got to see this!! Can’t answer WHY Bush tax cuts didn’t translate into jobs!
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2011/12/04/381510/upton-cant-explain-tax-cuts-jobs/
They always change the subject or say strict regulations and the lack of confidence with this presidency is at fault. Moderators always let them by on it.
More goodies 🙂
http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2011/12/04/381515/coburn-gingrich-difficulty-supporting/
Gingrich IS NOT liked by many Republicans…this should be interesting.
Hi everyone. I need to relate a charming short story. I am listening to the local jazz radio and on Sundays they feature young musicians. They just showcased and interviewed a 15 year old young man who said he got to play the White House for President and Mrs. Obama. The interviewer asked what that was like and he said it was amazing. He appreciated the history he was surrounded by but apparently he was smitten by PBO. He said PBO was all presidential like, but that he (the young man) was so impressed with how warm PBO and the Mrs. were towards him. The interviewer said “oh, I’m jealous…..LOL” and asked the musician if he got to meet Bo. I just enjoyed that little exchange and wanted to share it on this lovely Sunday afternoon. 😀
That is so sweet, thanks for sharing that story. Lucky young man 😀
Niiiiice!
Teen Contraceptive Use Goes Up, Birth Rates Come Down
Would it be wrong of me to start an article with an “I told you so?” Probably, but I’m going to it anyhow. In numerous articles, I (and many of my esteemed colleagues) have said that when given the information and the tools to do it, teens will act responsibly when it comes to their sexual health. We now have more data to prove that because the CDC announced earlier this month that teen birth rates hit a record low in 2010. Last year, there were 34 births per 1,000 teens ages 15 to 19. This is a 9 percent decline from 2009 and marks the third year in a row that birth rates came down. (Teen pregnancy rates have not yet been released but because there was also a decline in the teen abortion rate, researcher believe that overall teen pregnancy rates went down as well.)
~snip~
So, back to the “I told you so:” it looks like when we make good information and the contraception they need available, teens will use it and they won’t become pregnant. That is fabulous news that we all need to start spreading, especially now as the availability and coverage of contraception is under seemingly constant political attack.
http://www.alternet.org/newsandviews/article/742939/teen_contraceptive_use_goes_up%2C_birth_rates_come_down/#paragraph2
h/t Martha Kempner
Here’s an interesting read, emphasis on the information pertaining to Indian and Pakistan…
The Stories You Missed in 2011: 10 events and trends that were overlooked this year, but may be leading the headlines in 2012.
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2011/11/28/the_stories_you_missed_in_2011
h/t Joshua E. Keating
Thanks for the post BWD. I was going to mention that now. There are helecopters going south…………I’m in KC about 40 miles or so from Osawatomie. It’s been a long time since I’ve heard any. This is so exciting that they lined up last night. I called down there but being the weekend got no answer. I was ready to go down there this morning but heard about the lines and know that the High School can’t hold many people. I am so disappointed. KC (2 million) along with Lawrence home of KU and Wichita are very blue. It’s just the rest of the state that is Ruby Red.
It will be livestreamed but I want to watch it on TV. Knowing our media they will lock us out and this is going to be a very important speech. Oh, there goes another helicopter. Whhhhhhhhhhhhhhheeeeeeeeeee!!
How cool is that? Enjoy every moment. It’s time for a big speech from our President!!
Barbara Cook, Meryl Streep, Yo-Yo Ma — I’m in total awe.
I was very happy to see Barbara Cook there. The original Marian The Librarian in The Music Man.
US Jewish outcry over Israeli expat ‘return’ ads
The Israeli government has ordered adverts that urge Israelis in the US to return home to be pulled amid outcry from the American Jewish community. The ads suggest expats could lose touch with their Israeli identity because of assimilation into the US. Funded by an Israeli government agency, the campaign was criticised by US Jewish organisations.
The ads were posted on the agency’s website and ran on Hebrew-language US satellite channels. The campaign, which featured billboards in some US cities, has three Hebrew-language video ads.
~snip~
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-16013478
h/t
BTW, I am sure you all must already know this but Neil Diamond wrote the song “Sweet Caroline” for Caroline Kennedy. I would love to see her on stage when they sing that song. I just know they will but I don’t think she will do it.
Putin’s United Russia party suffers poll setback
Exit polls in Russia’s parliamentary elections point to a sharp drop in support for Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party. Polls for Russian state TV and the state-backed polling organisation showed United Russia got about 48.5% of the vote, down from 64% in 2007. That would give Mr Putin’s party 220 members in the 450-seat lower house.
Russia’s only independent monitoring group, Golos, logged 5,300 complaints alleging violations of election laws. Its party chairman said United Russia hoped to remain the largest party in the lower house of parliament, or Duma.
“We have received thousands of calls from regional offices, confirming massive violations and fraud,” said Communist Party deputy head Ivan Melnikov on the party website. “Throughout the day, it was like receiving reports from a war zone.” The BBC’s Steve Rosenberg, in Moscow, says if confirmed, the result will be a significant embarrassment to Mr Putin, three months before he is scheduled to run again for the Russian presidency. He says opposition parties are alleging widespread fraud, including the stuffing of ballot boxes and voters being offered money.
~snip~
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-16024938
In honor of one of the honorees tonight the talented singer and songwriter Mr.Neil Diamond. You guys probably know that Sweet Caroline was written for Caroline Kennedy. I will always be grateful to her for her sweet and inspirational endorsement of Sen Obama back when the going was tough for him.
“I’ve never discussed it with anybody before — intentionally,” the 66-year-old singer-songwriter told The Associated Press on Monday during a break from recording. “I thought maybe I would tell it to Caroline when I met her someday.”
He got his chance last week when he performed the song via satellite at Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg’s 50th birthday party.
Diamond was a “young, broke songwriter” when a photo of the president’s daughter in a news magazine caught his eye.
“It was a picture of a little girl dressed to the nines in her riding gear, next to her pony,” Diamond recalled. “It was such an innocent, wonderful picture, I immediately felt there was a song in there.”
Years later, holed up in a hotel in Memphis, he would write the words and music in less an hour.
No words.
http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/heather/ron-paul-it-wasnt-lack-regulation-caused-e
After Signaling Support, John Boehner Calls Tax Break For Middle Class ‘Chicken-Shit’
By Alex Seitz-Wald on Dec 2, 2011 at 4:10 pm
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:
GOP leadership told its membership at a closed-door meeting Friday morning it would couple with the expiring tax provisions an easing of environmental regulations on boilers, selling broadband spectrum and paving the way for the controversial Keystone XL pipeline. […]
Speaker John Boehner referred to the package he’s putting forward as turning “chicken-sh — into chicken salad,” according to people attending the meeting in the Capitol basement Friday morning.
Translated, he’s going to pass President Barack Obama’s preferred tax cut, but he wants some skin from Democrats for it.
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2011/12/02/381058/boehner-payroll-tax-chicken-shit/
This is what passes for journalism in David Gregory’s world
REINCE PRIEBUS: You know, we– we’ve had a lot of debates. And, as you know, some of them have been sanctioned by the Republican National Committee and some of them haven’t. I mean we’ve had debates with MSNBC as well. But– you know, listen, I think that these are– programs that each of these candidates have to decide for themselves whether they’re gonna compete in. There’s– strategy involved, whether– competing and not competing, those are things that those candidates–
DAVID GREGORY:
I’m not quite–
REINCE PRIEBUS:
–need to decision.
DAVID GREGORY:
–sure what– when you say you’ve with MSNBC. You’ve had with NBC News where it aired on MSNBC. Are you–
REINCE PRIEBUS:
Right.
DAVID GREGORY:
–equating that to– to–
REINCE PRIEBUS:
Well, I mean–
DAVID GREGORY:
–the (UNINTEL) debate with–
REINCE PRIEBUS:
–having–
DAVID GREGORY:
–Donald Trump?
REINCE PRIEBUS:
–Rachel Maddow and Ed Schultz, you know, discussing the debate afterwards for two hours isn’t exactly ideal. But we– but these candidates decide for themselves what arenas they want to–
DAVID GREGORY:
But do you think–
REINCE PRIEBUS:
–participate in.
DAVID GREGORY:
–it detracts from the seriousness of the debate to have Donald Trump moderating a debate with the presidential candidates?
REINCE PRIEBUS:
It’s up to the candidates. I mean it’s– I– I don’t make those decisions. What– the decisions I make are making sure that we have a functional operation–
DAVID GREGORY:
You’re the chairman–
(OVERTALK)
DAVID GREGORY:
–of the party. You must have an opinion.
REINCE PRIEBUS:
Yeah, but I don’t– but– but I don’t– but as– my personal opinion doesn’t matter.
—
I need a translator.
Double talk!
btw, those are the oddest medals for the Kennedy Center Honors. They look like farmer suspenders with clothespins clipped on. I hope whoever designed it didn’t get the same award for design. 🙂
LOL !!
lolololol
*****************MUST,MUST,MUST READ****************************** AND PASS AROUND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
http://immasmartypants.blogspot.com/2011/12/hold-up-on-compassionate-gingrich-meme.html
I’ll wait until after the GOP primaries. I would much rather face off against Newt than Romney come the general.
Either or, they both have major baggage!
I agree, Jovie…they BOTH have major baggage. Both are despised by people in their own party and they are BOTH flip floppers. I don’t think it matters one bit who gets it.
Newt has much, much more. Romney has been running for President for 20 years, if not an eye to it his whole life. Newt thought he reached his pinnacle as Speaker of the House, and when he was removed due to ethics violations he figured his political career was over so went into complete cash-in mode.
Obama Campaign isn’t hitting on Newt afterall, they want him as the nominee.
Wait to pass it around? What for?
I don’t want to help Romney to help take down Newt. Come the general I’ll gleefully help Pres. Obama take down Newt with this information and all other pieces.
🙂 deal.
I share your feelings about the election.
But I didn’t write that to give Romney any ammo.
I wrote it because we need to be informed about what real compassionate immigration reform looks like. Gingrich isn’t even close – and the rest of the wanna-bees are even worse.
yah. geez df. smartypants is chock full of info on that one. good read. off to tweet. thx
good post thanks
After much controversy about the hiring of the Rev. Al Sharpton to fill the MSNBC time slot vacated by liberal pundit Cenk Uygur, the new TV ratings are in, and Sharpton’s show is a smash.
http://newsone.com/nation/news-one-staff/sharpton-ratings-smash-msnbc-1-among-black-viewers/
John King is a Fox-wannabe hack. Folks who want his slant might just as well watch Fox. I’m happy for Rev. Sharpton nonetheless, hopefully it’s an eye opener for others to see that there is viewership for supporters of the President. CNN is a mess.
Shallow comment …
Hillary is aging much better than Bill, and looks lovely here. However, Hillary, please let go of the “Ginger Rogers” hair. Wasn’t good when Ginger wore it at your (our) age and beyond, and it’s just not a good look for you.
End of shallow comment. Thank you.
I dislike long hair on women 60+. I’ve seen it look good maybe twice ever, and those were exceptionally beautiful women.
Hey….I am 60+ and have very long hair….is to my waist ( but I keep it braided or in a bun )
How did you know I am exceptionally beautiful ????? teehee
And I’m the other one! (I’m 65 but have short hair, but thought I’d own up to my beauty, too.) 🙂
🙂
I am on the countdown to Medicare…..I will be 65 in May.
I grabbed my SS as a Widow at 62 and now just work for my son part time out of my home doing the book keeping for his small business.
Speaking of Faux News…
Fox News Mooching Off Taxpayers For Its Security?
While demanding cutbacks and austerity for the rest of us, Fox News has no problem hitting up the taxpayers of New York City to the tune of an estimated half a million dollars a year. According to an article on The Daily Beast, police ostensibly protect Fox News headquarters in New York as part of a “counterterrorism initiative.” But, the article says, “Some ex-Fox News employees attribute the patrol to the ‘paranoia’ of Fox News chairman and CEO Roger Ailes.” We’ve previously reported on Ailes’ paranoia and his use of News Corporation’s security guards to tail former staffers of small-town newspapers that Ailes owns privately. Now it appears, Ailes may be using New York City security to do what other networks pay for themselves.
http://www.newshounds.us/2011/12/04/fox_news_mooching_off_taxpayers_for_its_security.php
h/t Ellen
HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAHAAAAHHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!
Get your Sunday afternoon jollies from “The Grand Delusional One” OMG. She needs to find a good asylum that will take the health care that WE pay for. She needs to STFU, and retire somewhere….in the woods.
http://thepoliticalcarnival.net/2011/12/04/video-michele-bachmann-i-will-shred-barack-obama-in-the-debates/
NO words.
http://thepoliticalcarnival.net/2011/12/04/video-foxs-dave-briggs-wonders-arent-women-more-prone-to-be-scatterbrained/
Well, he can apply that to your comment before this one and stand correct 😀
A blast from the past!~
By John E. Yang
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, January 22 1997; Page A01
The House voted overwhelmingly yesterday to reprimand House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) and order him to pay an unprecedented $300,000 penalty, the first time in the House’s 208-year history it has disciplined a speaker for ethical wrongdoing.
The ethics case and its resolution leave Gingrich with little leeway for future personal controversies, House Republicans said. Exactly one month before yesterday’s vote, Gingrich admitted that he brought discredit to the House and broke its rules by failing to ensure that financing for two projects would not violate federal tax law and by giving the House ethics committee false information.
“Newt has done some things that have embarrassed House Republicans and embarrassed the House,” said Rep. Peter Hoekstra (R-Mich.). “If [the voters] see more of that, they will question our judgment.”
~snip~
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/govt/leadership/stories/012297.htm
Those republicans had at least some integrity. This crop has none — they would probably cheer Newt on, and grab a little cash action for themselves.
I am so very thankful to Chips for putting up the absolute best information for supporters of President Obama. She keeps my faith alive. But … I am really tired of all the snide comments about the Secretary of State’s hair, clothes, weight, etc. I think you should honor the President’s choice for this extremely difficult job, honor her tireless service and show her the respect she deserves. She has earned it. Hillary Clinton has legions of attackers from the right wing; why is that kind of drivel allowed to surface here?
I could be wrong but I have seen people here comment about the President’s hair (and mom-jeans), Mrs Obama’s hair, appearances, and the different outfits they have on at times. Unless the comments are vicous and demeaning, I usually shrug them off and move on.
Thanks, Linda. You’re right. I’m sure Hillary pays no attention to such drivel.
Referring way back upthread…..there is no reason the president should coddle the press! His job is to be president, their job is to report. Never before has a president been told to “coddle” the president…..surely not Johnson, not Bush 1, not Clinton, not Nixon……they have a job to do, and they have fallen down on it for three years. THEY did not elect him; millions of people walking thousands of miles and knocking on thousands of doors, and taking thousands of people to the polls, and voting did that. Yes, for a while they were “in love” with him….remember CM’s “tingle down his leg” and I think they and they have been trying to make up for that negatively for three years!
They gave GWB the benefit of every doubt, touting his war and pushing his tax cut….and reporting on every move he made. I guess he gave them silly nicknames and they thought they were important. Well…..they have diminished themselves and have diminished their importance by the way they have been acting. They ARE NOT doing their jobs!!! They all want to talk about themselves, as if they are the story!
Agreed. I made a similar comment up thread.
The world is going through many fundamental political changes and ALL dictators around the globe should play close attention otherwise they may find themselves run over by the democracry and change trains.
Case in point is strongman Putin who must be asking himself this question today: “what in the world just happened”? If the vote totals hold then ALL those reports broadcast in the other parts of the world (except by the lazy US media) that said oridnary Russian people were organizing against Putin’s party on the website must be true.
Here is the new flash:
Russian voters deal Putin an election blow
By Timothy Heritage and Ralph Boulton
MOSCOW | Sun Dec 4, 2011 3:35pm EST
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Vladimir Putin’s ruling party suffered a serious blow in a parliamentary election on Sunday, exit polls showed, as voters signalled growing unease with his domination of Russian politics before a planned return to the presidency next year.
The result, in which the opposition said Putin’s United Russia was boosted by fraud, is likely to dent the authority of the man who has ruled for almost 12 years with a mixture of hardline security policies, political acumen and showmanship.
Two exit polls suggested Putin’s party, United Russia, would win 45.5 and 48.5 percent of the votes in the election to the State Duma compared with 64.3 percent in 2007 and that it could struggle even to hold on to a majority in the chamber.
“These elections are unprecedented because they were carried out against the background of a collapse in trust in Putin, (President Dmitry) Medvedev and the ruling party,” said Vladimir Ryzhkov, a liberal opposition leader barred from running.
“I think that the March (presidential) election will turn into an even bigger political crisis; disappointment, frustration, with even more dirt and disenchantment, and an even bigger protest vote
Please read full story here:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/12/04/us-russia-election-idUSTRE7B019B20111204
Hey GN,soo ice to read you. You are a bit scarce round these here parts,as you know I always look forward to your eloquence.