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10:30: The President is interviewed by regional television outlets.
11:25: The President delivers remarks at a campaign event.
12:45 Jay Carney briefs the press.
****
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Michael Tomasky: Could Obama Be Headed for a Landslide?
Obama’s approval rating is soft, but new polls of South Carolina and Florida show him ahead of Gingrich and Romney. Michael Tomasky asks: could the GOP be headed for disaster?
How can Barack Obama, as this new NBC/Marist poll has it, be beating Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney in South Carolina, of all places? …. Is it conceivable that 10 months and three weeks from now, Obama could actually win the state? If it happens, we will know that the Republicans are headed off the cliff. And that is precisely where we should all hope they go.
…. now let’s look at the Florida numbers from the NBC/Marist poll. There Obama is beating both Romney and Gingrich by outside the margin of error. He leads Romney 48-41 and Gingrich 51-39.
…. if Obama holds Florida, he can afford to lose Ohio, North Carolina, Virginia, Indiana, Nevada, New Mexico, and either Michigan or Pennsylvania, and still rack up a winning 270 electoral votes. But of course, if he’s winning Florida, he’s likely not losing any of those other states, with the exception of Indiana….
Ten months and three weeks is a long, long time. But today’s poll suggests that a wipeout of such proportions is not unimaginable….
Full post here
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Washington Post: Against the backdrop of a tightening Republican presidential contest, much of the hierarchy of President Obama’s campaign is decamping from Chicago to Washington on Tuesday for a high-profile debriefing on the the state of the president’s reelection effort.
…. At the top of the list is an erratic Republican presidential field roiled by the ascent of Newt Gingrich, whom the Democrats view as a weak challenger to the president. They also take some credit for the Gingrich surge, because it appears to have partly been a result of a devastating video attack on Mitt Romney produced by Obama’s longtime admaker.
A speech by Obama last week in Kansas – a searing attack on GOP economic policies – was hailed by one liberal critic as the “most important economic speech of his presidency.” This week, Obama is celebrating the end of the U.S. war in Iraq, making good on one of this central campaign promises. Even the unemployment rate has dipped.
….. senior Obama advisers and supporters are cautiously pointing to signs that perhaps the president’s fortunes have turned a corner. Among their favorites: the laundry list of politically tricky statements that front-runners Romney and Gingrich have made during the Republican race….
Full article here
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NY Daily News: Julianne Moore didn’t bring her research on Sarah Palin home with her ….. the flame-haired actress told us she “read every single thing” she could about the Grizzly Mama and “watched every interview” in order to prepare for her role as the former Alaska governor in next spring’s HBO mini-series, “Game Change.”
But when we asked Moore if she’d developed a newfound respect for Palin after delving deeper into her life, the actress, 51, raised an eyebrow and sighed deeply. “No,” she said quietly.
****
Rudy Giuliani to Piers Morgan: “My gut tells me right now as I look at it that Gingrich might actually be the stronger candidate, because I think he can make a broader connection than Mitt Romney to those Reagan Democrats…You won’t have this barrier of possible elitism that I think Obama could exploit pretty effectively.”
Poor Mitt 😆
****
Morning everyone 😉
The Obama Diary 
Good Morning, Chipsticks and everyone at TOD 🙂
Morning rikyrah, morning everyone 😉
After Carole King told Morning Joe how much she admired and supported PBO, he asked her wasn’t she disappointed with him. She said she has been lobbying for twenty years and realizes how difficult ir is to deal with Republicans. Joe had no response. It was beautiful.
KUDOS TO KING FOR KICKING MORNING JOKE IN THE SEAT OF THE PANTS! WE HAVE A WONDERFUL PRESIDENT…I HAVE NEVER,EVER BEEN DISAPPOINTED IN HIM AND NEVER WILL BE. AS FAR AS I’M CONCERNED…HE IS A ROLE MODEL FOR WHAT ALL PRESIDENT’S SHOULD BE..GRACEFUL AND MATURE,ALWAYS THOUGHTFUL LEADERSHIP!
I saw that interview. It was wonderful. Carole King has always been a PBO supporter. Joe will never learn. She’s made previous appearances on Morning Joe before and he always asks her the same stupid questions and wonders if she’s disappointed in PBO and she always gives him a resounding NO! and lists PBO’s accomplishments and the unprecedented level of GOP obstruction he’s facing. It was nice to see her words and support shut him up.
I also watched Piers Morgan yesterday and I’ve always known Harvey Weinstein (The King’s Speech, My weekend with Marilyn, The Iron Lady with Meryl Streep) is a Democrat but it was wonderful to see him knock down Rudy Guiliani’s crap about Gingrich being a more formidable candidate than PBO. He talked about PBO’s accomplishments and said he will be doing everything he can to make sure PBO is re-elected. That he’s the only one who’s been fighting for the middleclass, his Osawatomie speech was great, he likened the GOP debates to a clown show and said he’s glad more Americans are watching the debates and seeing the comparison between their abhorrent policies and PBO’s vision for the future. He also talked about the teaparty and called out the Koch Bros. for their funding of a “grassroots” organization. He lambasted the teaparty, said there was nothing grassroots about them, they were funded by a small group of billionaires who want to suppress the vote and make sure their inhumane policies get airtime in Washington. He said that he and his friends with money are on PBO’s side and will do everything to stop their nefarious plans. He also said he supported PBO’s American Jobs Act and he’s fine with paying more in taxes because America has blessed him and he knows that PBO wants to use the increased revenue for good policies like education, investment in our future, etc.
Piers Morgan was kind of taken aback at how political Harvey was being and how in tune with all the issues and PBO’s accomplishments he was. He then told him “Wow you’re being all uber political. That’s a new and weird thing.” Harvey replied saying “I’m not uber political and it’s not weird; I’m just a 100% Obama supporter.” BOOM! 😀
Weinstein is a major player and he is not fooling around. He has tremendous influence and I’m thrilled that he’s on our side. Thanks so much for the report, uta.
Fantastic!!! Thanks UT………I can just imagine Piers Morgan’s expression…how disappointing for him.
I love it
Wow, FABULOUS! Thanks for the info UT!
Fuck morgan. He had a noun-a verb-giluliani and accuses weinstein of being uber-political ? Fuck him.
No wonder Piers Morgan has Michael Moore on his show so often. The big difference between those 2 is that Harvey Weinstein know what he’s talking about, He tells the truth.
When I saw that Michael Moore said on his show that President Obama had majority in both houses for 2 years and did nothing, It just confirmed to me what a fraud he is and how stupid he is. He’s just a pathetic liar and obviously he is one of Piers Morgan’s favorite guest.
I can’t wait to see a video.
I remember Harvey from when he created Harvey and Corkey Productions in Buffalo, NY. He was one of the first to bring rock concerts to the area. My sister was a bank teller and he used to give her free tickets all the time. He is a great guy.
Now I wish I could have seen Mr. Weinstein. I would never watch Morning Joke.
I don’t know when Piers Morgan is going to learn that Republicans and their failed policies are really out there, and in the minority. They are in their own wind tunnel, and think the echoes they hear parroting each other’s confused thoughts are actually unique voices cheering in solidarity! They’ll learn in 2012.
The great think about Harvey Weinstein is that he’s making these comments while supporting a movie that’s about to be released, about a Republican hero – Margaret Thatcher. It’s a big risk for him to take. I’m glad he did it.
That was thrilling to read, ut! Thanks for such an amazing description of Harvey’s appearance on Pier’s show! I now love him for being so knowledgeably 100% PBO!
Hiya Cha, did you see the video? Well, do you hear the video (!), it’s audio only:
Brilliant summary UT 😉
Thanks Chips! This is NICE to come back to. The electricity here went out about 4 times last night and again today for a 1/2 hour(the rain has been relentless) and since I don’t have a battery(will get one asap)..I have to log back in everywhere and set up my homepage everytime..
I came back here saying..”now where was I?” 😛 :wave:
Mahalo nui loa, Chips! That was jammed packed with good information from Harvey W and delivered from the heart!..thanks for setting up the audio up so brilliantly, Chips~
He mentioned Matt Damon..I didn’t quite catch every word but I’m guessing..he was saying that he wouldn’t mind paying more taxes like Harvey to help our Country?
Video?
Bill, did Joe turn red when Carole King said what she said? And what did the I’m so beautiful beauty queen Mika do?
Thank you for that report, Bill! Carole King, one of my faves from back in the day..her and James!
I think Huntsman is a rich, spoiled weasel, so I just go BWA HA HA HA HA HA HA and his dumb ass being ignored by the GOP primary voters while being fawned over by the MSM.
…………………………………….
Tree Falls in Forest, Nobody Around
by mistermix
John Huntsman and Newt Gingrich had a foreign policy debate yesterday, and apparently it was well-mannered and carried out in complete sentences. If you look at Politico’s front page, which is leading with the question of whether Romney is to Gingrich as Clinton was to Obama (whatever the fuck that means), you’ll learn that Sarah Palin is trying to pimp another reality show, but you won’t read anything about the Gingrich/Huntsman debate. It’s as if the even didn’t even happen.
That’s pretty much the story of Huntsman’s entire campaign: he does something serious and everyone ignores him. Nate Silver has a new post detailing the kinds of needles various camels would have to pass through in order for Huntsman to win, and it’s a long, circuitous path. If you look at the polling, Huntsman has never gotten above a couple of percent, while Newt was up in the double digits many times before his current surge. Even Rick Santorum beats him consistently.
http://www.balloon-juice.com/2011/12/13/tree-falls-in-forest-nobody-around/#comment-2929276
I also think that Huntsman’s attacks on Romney could backfire for him in the future. I think the media reports about how Romney did negative ads against other Republicans in 2008 was a bit of a warning to Huntsman; that his current actions might come back to haunt him in the future.
Oh, I am crying, absolutely snorting! That Wing Newt thing is the funniest thing I’ve seen in a long time!
Good morning, everyone! I wasn’t trying to be first, just checking in, and then I get to meet Wing-Newt! Oh. My!11
I agree, so funny, so clever!
Alex Wagner is a hypocrite. When she hosts her show NowWithAlex she bashes PBO and when she goes on Rev Al’s show she does a 180.
I was yelling what you just said at the TV yesterday watching her. She is a phoney baloney.
Alex know she is not going to sit before Rev. Al and speak her bunch of crap, not about POTUS. I agree she is phoney. That’s why I don’t watch her show either.
Eric Holder wades into debate over voting rights as presidential election nears
By Jerry Markon and Krissah Thompson,
Published: December 12
The Obama administration on Tuesday will wade into the increasingly divisive national debate over new voting laws in several states that could depress turnout among minorities and others who helped elect the president in 2008.
A dozen states this year tightened rules requiring voters to present state-issued photo identification at the polls, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Although Democratic governors vetoed four of the measures, liberal and civil rights groups have been raising alarms about the remaining laws, calling them an “assault on democracy” and an attempt to depress minority voter turnout.
With the presidential campaign heating up, Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. will deliver a speech Tuesday expressing concerns about the voter-identification laws, along with a Texas redistricting plan before the Supreme Court that fails to take into account the state’s burgeoning Hispanic population, he said in an interview Monday.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/holder-to-wade-into-debate-over-voting-rights/2011/12/12/gIQAdUHZqO_story.html
It is tempting to think ‘ahhhhhh landslide’, but i’m not going to believe this guy – just like I don’t believe the MSM when ppl like Morning Joe or Piers Morgan constantly want to ask their guests if ‘they really just aren’t disappointed in the President.’ I’m going to act like we’re always 20 points behind and need to work to catch up. I don’t want to ever think I can just sit back and let the votes roll on in.
right TOD?
Right, a4alice 😀 Good morning TOD.
They’re hoping to depress voter turnout, by making people feel complacent. It’s completely foolish for anyone to predict anything a year out! And, the Republican machinery is so desperate right now, that I’m sure they’re polishing up a shiny “Independent” candidate, who will come in with traditional Republican values, and manage to pull the “sane” Republican voters away from the circus. And then it will truly be a battle for the Independents. The thing is, with the moderate path that President Obama has taken, and his willingness to consider Republican ideas – any contender they bring in will have a hard time battling him. And they’ll be forced to adopt the Paul Ryan budget, which is a non-starter for many Americans, who have now woken up to the fact that they’re being used to enrich a handful of people. This is only going to get more interesting.
Mark Halperin thinks that Bloomberg will jump in as an Independent if he thinks he can win. I am beginning to think Halperin is the most uninformed analyst around.
Imagine the ads…All we would need to do is show footage of the brutality at Zucotti Park.
I can’t think of one state Bloomberg would win.
Halperin is a tooth fairy. Bloomberg isn’t that stupid. I just don’t see how and why Republicans think anyone from New York could win the Presidency these days.
Halperin is the same one who predicted McCain would win the election after he suspended his campaign (foolish move) in 08 and said Sarah Palin was smart. Sometimes I wonder how he got employed at TIME. He spits moronic nonsense out of his mouth just to hear himself speak.
Hey, UT. Halperin has absolutely NO CREDS. He called President Obama, yes; that’s right THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA a dick. This MOFO is dead to me.
Just think Bagdad Bob of Iraq. He’s ours here! His commentary is usually wishful thinking. He is almost always wrong.
If Bloomberg does jump in it’s good news… FOR JOHN MCCAIN!!!
what a twit.
Ha.hahahahaa…..He is never right about anything.
Good morning, TODville. Rise and shine!!
I do not think we’re going to lose Nevada.
Heeeeee.
@marcambinder
Obama campaign mgr says his re-elect has more staffers on the ground in Iowa now than any GOP pres candidate.
@marcambinder
Messina says 45 percent of 1m+ campaign donors are first time givers.
Yes, you are correct, Meta. The people are on the phones. I participated in a phone bank a couple of weeks last month making calls to Nevada, and people are very responsive for our side. There was one also this Sat., by another group in my area. We are working very hard to get this done in Nevada.
Keep praying for us, and for me to get well to continue to participate in my area making those call. There is a caucus next month in Nevada, so people are moving with positive attitudes and responses.HZ
Monday, December 12, 2011
Zandar’s Thought Of The Day
Posted by Zandar
Old Broken Down GOP opinion on debates: Debates are stupid and meaningless. Voters only care about whether or not candidates are likeable enough to have a beer with. Dubya and Palin won all their debates just by agreeing to this outdated nerdy nonsense and showing up. Real presidents don’t have time for debates.
New GOP Hotness on debates: Debates are the most important thing ever and Newt Gingrich will put that uppity empty suit affirmative action hire in his place because he is the smartest Republican alive, just ask Ross Douthat.
It’s easy to see why this kind of myth-making would infuriate Obama’s opponents. And so ever since the 2008 election, the right has embraced a sweeping counternarrative, in which the president’s eloquence is a myth and his brilliance a pure invention. Take away his campaign razzle-dazzle and his media cheering section, this argument goes, and what remains is a droning pedant, out of his depth and tongue-tied without a teleprompter.
This is where Gingrich comes in. Just as Kerry’s candidacy represented an attempt to effectively out-patriot George W. Bush (“You have a war president? We have a war hero!”), the former speaker has skillfully played to the Republican desire for a candidate who can finally outsmart and out-orate Obama.
http://zandarvts.blogspot.com/2011/12/zandars-thought-of-day.html
NY Daily News: Julianne Moore didn’t bring her research on Sarah Palin home with her ….. the flame-haired actress told us she “read every single thing” she could about the Grizzly Mama and “watched every interview” in order to prepare for her role as the former Alaska governor in next spring’s HBO mini-series, “Game Change.”
But when we asked Moore if she’d developed a newfound respect for Palin after delving deeper into her life, the actress, 51, raised an eyebrow and sighed deeply. “No,” she said quietly.
http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/julianne-moore-research-play-sarah-palin-game-change-miniseries-hbo-article-1.990078#ixzz1gQIRF0H6
DUH!! Love Julianne Moore. Palin is elephant dust.
More like elephant pudu.
Ouch!!
I read somewhere a couple days ago that media coverage of Palin is down 95 % since May of this year.
oops
I think her last hideous Paul Revere bus tour was the clincher. Nothing but a lot of stupidity. They finally got bored.
Good morning TOD.
Yep Meta. And I think as soon as the clueless figured out that she wasn’t going to run for President her value hit rock bottom. I heard she’s shopping another reality show about Todd and can’t a single network to pick it up.
Hahahaha. Good on Julia. Another smart woman and a smart Democrat to boot.
That made me laugh Chips! Yay for Julianne!
The Hollywood Reporter has learned that Palin and Burnett are pitching another reality series, this one more focused on Palin’s husband Todd and his career as a championship snowmobile racer. But for now, TLC owner Discovery Communications has passed, say sources. And A&E Networks, which entered into a bidding war with Discovery for Sarah Palin’s Alaska, also is not interested.
Awwwww,,,,,,
What is there to respect about Sarah Palin?
Name one thing.
I bet you $10,000 dollars you can’t name one thing.
“A new found respect for a lying pandering shameless moneymongering traitor?” Say what!? Bless Julianne’s heart and her brilliant mind. They got someone to play palin who isn’t a sucker..yay!
December 13, 2011 8:35 AM
Why Mari Carmen Aponte was blocked
By Steve Benen
The outcome was expected, but that doesn’t change the fact that it was maddening.
Senate Republicans on Monday blocked President Obama’s choice to be ambassador to El Salvador after raising questions about whether her former boyfriend was a spy for Cuba. Republicans also were concerned that Mari Carmen Aponte wrote a commentary about gay pride that offended some citizens in the conservative Catholic country.
Aponte is serving in the post temporarily as a recess appointment that expires at the end of the year. Efforts by the White House and congressional Democrats to defend and promote Aponte to a permanent position fell short when the Senate voted along party lines against her.
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal/2011_12/why_mari_carmen_aponte_was_blo034074.php
December 13, 2011 8:00 AM
The competition to reward the wealthy
By Steve Benen
Just about all of the major Republican presidential candidates have unveiled tax plans they’d pursue if elected, and the result has become a competition with a competition — GOP contenders aren’t just fighting for votes, they’re fighting to see who’s willing to give the biggest tax breaks to those who are already very, very wealthy.
For now, it looks like disgraced former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has taken the lead in this race, too.
The Tax Policy Center has run the numbers on Newt Gingrich’s tax plan. The verdict? Gingrich’s plan does more for wealthy American households than any plan released by the other 2012 candidates — and increases the deficit by trillions.
Gingrich would give the top 1 percent of U.S. households an average $430,000 tax cut, with their tax rate dropping 22 percentage points under the assumption that the Bush tax cuts expire in 2012. Households with an income of more than $1,000,000 would get a whopping $760,000 tax break on average, heavily weighted by the top 0.1 percent, who’d get a $2.3 million tax reduction. By contrast, the bottom 20 percent would save only an average of $649 under the Gingrich plan — with their tax rate dropping just 1.5 percentage points — and more than half of that group wouldn’t see any benefit at all. And those earning $40,000 to $50,000 would get a tax cut of about $1,900 on average.
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal/2011_12/the_competition_to_reward_the034073.php
Loved the martin bashir’s closure
“The one person who seems to stand head and shoulders above all of them ? He hasn’t appeared in single debate.”
I really love Martin Bashir, I wish I could watch him but am at work at that time but I see good reaction of his show here and on Twitter. PBO should grant him an interview if he promises not to pull a MJ.
I wish they would give him the 7 PM slot….Who needs a double dose of Tweety?
Linda why don’t we get in touch with MSNBC and make that suggestion. Matthews comes on twice, at 5pm and 7pm. To many times. I would prefer zero times, but I’ll take one. Still won’t watch him. When I see Bashir I can’t help but think of the B.S. job he did on Michael Jackson. But I do watch him sometimes, because he seem to support our President.
Morning everyone. I posted this in the last thread but I am posting again because I am way too giddy this a.m.. My president will be on my TV here today in Pensacola. He is being interviewed by one our anchors, Bob Solarski on WEAR TV. I will be in training all day, but will be sure to catch up with him tonight. Hopefully, they will ask for people’s opinions on what they think. If they do, I will be sure to report back.
Also, I sent Bob an e-mail telling him that I am an avid supporter of PBO. I told him about TOD and that if he wanted the best news on PBO to check us out. I told him that he might likely see clips of his interview here.
I am sooooooooo exicted. Shame I won’t be near a computer today to take a sneak peek at our noon news to see if interview is done.
Off to training. Hope everyone has a blessed day.
Thanks Chips, for all you do.
How exciting,africa! Please let us know what happens. One thing I am certain of,Mr. Solarski will conduct a much better interview that any DC, or network anchor will…..enjoy, and maybe we’ll all be able to watch. Have a great day!
Morning everyone 🙂
morning DF – Africa that’s exciting! I wonder if he’ll check out TOD?
Afternoon Chipsticks and TOD Family. Thanks for sharing with us Africa. Let us all say out positive energy conversations with a dear friend, a family member, a church member, your best friend, a great prayer warrior in your life, or just take a few quiet moments to say something good about what you want for our wonderful President, Barack Obama.
This energy that we send out makes a difference. Trust me, please. My day started off with a call from my best, best, best friend, and we always connect in prayer or great positive thanksgiving energy for our President.
We also ask for removal of those who are of a negative, mean-spirit to be remove from POB’s path. This is also important. Let us be bold for what we want and ask for in out meditations, prayer time, or whatever positive energy that you put forth at the beginning of your day.
We are helping the little children who can’t utter a prayer, the homeless who can’t utter a prayer, or be in the presence of positive energy people today. The seniors who are searching for ways to go to the doctor or try to purchase their medication on a very, very limited income.
This is what we mean by being our brother and sister’s keepers. I know that our TOD Family is doing this, so we will pray that others will do it as well. POB can’t do it all by himself. He needs those of us in the broiler rooms stoking the fire, while he is out there delivering the message. Let us get into the broiler rooms and do our thing for our nation and for the future generation.(((((((Love you all)))))))HZ
Good Morning TOD family, is Obama heading for a landslide? Heck YES.
Is the GOP’s War on Obama Obstructionism or Nullification?
=============================================
David Weigel at Slate put it thusly: “Republicans responded to the birth of the CFPB exactly how Hiroo Onada responded to the end of World War II—by pretending they hadn’t really lost.” And this is true. It has been true since 2008 in a colossal example of cognitive dissonance. But the democratic process says that they did lose – the CFPB was created and because they could not stop it at the time (in 2010) they are determined to retroactively defeat the measure by refusing to allow it to function against the wishes of the majority. The GOP is not only actively refusing to participate in the functioning of the federal government, it is doing all in its power to keep the federal government from functioning at all. There is good reason for feeling, as did President Andrew Jackson, that nullification is treasonous. In 1861 nullification led to Civil War. Where will it lead today?
http://www.politicususa.com/en/is-the-gops-war-on-obama-obstructionism-or-nullification
Chips,
I had problems with youtube videos playing. I deleted cookies and cache. Youtubes are working now, but I think my comments may be pending.
Hi Ladyhawke, yikes, sorry to hear you were having video problems. Found and freed your comment 😉
Thank you dear….
‘They Cut Me Open Like A Hog’
Sticking with this theme of history as debt we come to North Carolina, which on the basis of “promiscuity” and “intelligence” testing, enacted a program of eugenics and sterilization. The program was not a legacy of pre-Civil Rights or pre-World War II America. North Carolina’s program began in 1924 and proceeded afoot as late as 1974. Nationally the effort was supported by big money businessmen like Clarence Gamble of Procter & Gamble
Now North Carolina is trying to make amends for the past, but can’t quite figure out how. The fact is that sterilization was perfectly legal, if shockingly immoral. Moreover, eugenics was national program enacted, in some form, in most states throughout the country. North Carolina is one of the few states that’s actually trying to grapple with the issue.
Again, the people who authored the policy are long dead. And we are left to pick up the pieces.
http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2011/12/they-cut-me-open-like-a-hog/249875/
Birthers Fly Aerial ‘Where’s The Real Birth Certificate?’ Ad Over NFL Game
Apparently there’s a lot of potential overlap between football fans and birthers, because the birther-tastic site WorldNetDaily took out an aerial ad asking “Where’s the real birth certificate?” at a Cowboys-Giants game on Sunday.
An article on the right-wing “news” site describes how the banner “took to the skies above Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, to let everyone within eyeshot know there are serious questions about the authenticity of Barack Obama’s purported record of birth.”
The banner was originally scheduled to run over the Cowboys’ Thanksgiving game, but had to be rescheduled because of inclement weather.
http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/12/worldnetdaily_runs_aerial_wheres_the_real_birth_ce.php?ref=fpb
Hey TOD: Does anyone know what time PBO’s speech in Fort Bragg, NC will be tomorrow?
Retail Sales Rise for the Sixth Straight Month
WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans spent more on autos, furniture and clothing at the start of the crucial holiday shopping season, boosting retail sales for a sixth straight month.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_RETAIL_SALES?SITE=TXHAR&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
THANK YOU PRESIDENT OBAMA!
The Gingrich-Huntsman ‘Debate’
By James Fallows
Dec 12 2011, 10:52 PM ET
I put “debate” in quotes because this was more like a well-mannered talk show with two guests. Archived video on this site. Here’s the significant point:
This was the first GOP debate of the four million we’ve had so far where the real winner was not Barack Obama. All the preceding debates have highlighted the very elements the Republican party would not like to bring into the general-election campaign: Fractiousness among the candidates; extreme, half-baked (“9-9-9”), or under-informed positions from many of them; sound-bite sloganeering from all of them; and barely any time to make a concerted case against Obama apart from saying that he’s awful.
http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2011/12/the-gingrich-huntsman-debate/249901/
I’m not sure what’s the point of this article – it’s praising the debate as “an overall win for Republicans” and the author implies that just because Gingrich and Huntsman happened to sound like two adults who spoke in complete sentences (well, shouldn’t they?! – DUH!) that this is an event to be applauded? Is the bar set so low for the GOP that a boring debate with two Republican elites advertising their dangerous policies is a win for them?!?!?
Newt is a adult, it is funny how people are ignoring all the racists crap Newt said about poor black people. And we know that is who he was talking about. I can’t ignore it, because I know he is a lying racists with what he said. For someone who divorce his first wife as she lie in the hospital with cancer, he has no right to be judging anyone about anything. And I haven’t even mention any of the other things Newt has done.
I know, hopefruit, I hate crap like that..very shallow Fallow. Guess what..the Winner was still PObama because all they told were lies. Got it?
What is Capitalism?
by BooMan
Tue Dec 13th, 2011 at 08:55:37 AM EST
I had Morning Joe on this morning (don’t ask me why) and I saw Scarborough ripping Gingrich because he had attacked Romney for bankrupting companies and shipping people’s jobs overseas. “Somebody’s gotta defend capitalism,” Scarborough cried, “somebody’s gotta defend the free market! Romney created Staples!!” Now, it’s my understanding that Bain Capital made a seed investment in Staples when it was just one store, and that helped it grow into a very successful chain that employs a lot of people. That’s venture capitalism, and no one is criticizing Mitt Romney for venture capitalism. It’s the vulture capitalism of taking over troubled companies, downsizing them, and/or shipping labor costs to foreign countries where costs are lower that makes people uncomfortable.
Of course, our economy needs scavengers just like the food chain needs them. Without scavengers our roads would be littered with roadkill and our economy would be filled with inefficiencies. But I think we have a right to set some standards and make it a national priority to maintain a manufacturing base in this country. I’m all for capitalism and the free market when we’re talking about the free exchange of goods and services. But when we’re talking about global capitalism that takes no notice of our sovereign interests and the health of our local economies, then I start to have a problem.
http://www.boomantribune.com/story/2011/12/13/85537/607
Homelessness Among Veterans Drops by 12 Percent
Date: Tuesday, December 13, 2011, 5:03 am
By: Kevin Freking, Associated Press
Homelessness among the nation’s veterans declined by about 12 percent during a one-year period ending January 2011, the Obama administration says.
Officials said the drop is a sign of progress and that the administration is on track for reaching President Barack Obama’s goal of eliminating homelessness among veterans by 2015.
In all, there are nearly 67,500 homeless veterans, according to a survey that thousands of communities around the country help to administer each January. More than 76,000 homeless vets were counted in the prior year’s survey.
http://www.blackamericaweb.com/?q=articles/news/the_black_diaspora_news/35337
http://politicalcorrection.org/blog/201112120012 Just to clarify Newt’s tax plan even further:
Comparing Gingrich’s tax plan to current law, the top one tenth of one percent would get an average tax cut of $2.3 million. Gingrich’s tax cuts would have devastating fiscal impact, as TPC found it “would reduce federal tax revenues dramatically. … [T]he Gingrich plan would lower federal tax liability by $1.28 trillion in calendar year 2015 compared with current law, roughly a 35 percent cut in total projected revenue.”
We all knew it was coming—-too much good news for Obama in the NBC poll—–so GOP must have put in a rush order for a bad Obama poll—-ask and you will receive. (Gallup) This one will likely get more attention. There are so many conflicting polls, so many variables, I don’t know how anyone can trust the outcome of any of them at this point. The objectivity of many of them can no longer be trusted.
And I noticed at the end of last thread others have mentioned droopy, dippy, driveling Tina Brown on MJ. Isn’t she just intolerable, saying Obama hates being president, that he’s so unhappy etc. etc.? She’s just not very impressed with this Obama fella. Well, I’m not impressed with anything about Tina Brown. She’s dishonest and a perpetual downer. And she always looks disheveled. Her hair is a fright, looks like she just slid out of bed a couple minutes ago. Too bad there are no decent hairdressers in New York City. (too catty?)
I call BullSh!t….The national numbers are Obama 50-44 over Gingrich and 47-46 over Romney…Strange how USATODAY neglects to mention that. Good Heavens, How obvious is their bias?
There is a diary on the Rec list at The Daily KOS calling bs on this poll.
Keith, are you here?!
http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2011/12/13/388360/documents-show-boehner-engineered-gerrymandered-ohio-map-giving-gop-3-of-4-congressional-seats/
Yes, we are working on that. Petitions are going around to repeal the knew redistricing. They are coming from all sides in our state.
I love Axe:)
At briefing for reporters, Chicagoan says of the Gingrich “The higher a monkey climbs on the pole the more you can see his butt.
😀 😀 😀
Even before his rise in the polls, Gingrich had challenged Obama to a series of seven three-hour “Lincoln-Douglas” debates. And he reminds voters every chance he gets that he’s willing and able to take on the president.
So eager is Gingrich that he all but called the president “a chicken” during a previous campaign stop Monday morning.
“The president is a Columbia and Harvard law graduate. He was the editor of Harvard Law Review. He is the best orator in the Democratic party,” Gingrich said. “How does he look in a mirror and say to himself, `I’m afraid to debate a teacher from West Georgia College?'”
The Obama campaign declined to respond.
But Gingrich says he won’t give the president an option. He promised to resort to stalking if necessary.
“The White House will become my scheduler,” he said, adding that everywhere the president delivers a speech, he’d show up and deliver his own rebuttal that same day.
He’d do it as long as it takes for Obama to give in.
“Four hours after he speaks, I will answer his speech every single speech from that day on. And I just think in the age of mass media, and blogs, and talk radio and 24-hour cable news, the White House won’t be able to take more than two or three weeks of that.”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/13/newt-gingrich-jon-hunstman-lincoln-douglas-obama_n_1145523.html?ref=politics
Sorry for HuffyFluffy link… but Newt saying he’s going to stalk the President… what a creepy creepy man!
When you see this phrase: “There’s no fool like an old fool” – Newt’s picture is next to it.
These people (GOP’ers) love stalking him don’t they? They’re like groupies.
PBO will address crowds of 100K +. Then Newt will follow with a speech at the local Rotarians. Yeah, that’ll look good.
It may sound all good in theory but I can tell you that Newt Gingrich with his overfed, overweight bloated physique does NOT have the stamina required to follow the President. No way, no how.
I will go here. Newt reminds me, in this case of the big belly white man stuffed in his overalls riding in his red pickup truck in the south who was always trying to intimidate the blacks who had gone to college and earned multiple grad degrees and had just returned home for a celebration with family members and church members.
Then the rednecks showed up in the neighbood trying to give the message that no matter how hard your parents worked and you worked to get through those colleges, you are still my little Negro. (They used the other word, ofcourse) However, the bait was not taken. So it will not be taken by this ugly mean spirit of a person, Newt. Not this time, Newt.
How dare he pull this mess. POB did not succumb to McCain’s bullying with a similar request, who is the hell do these old white men think they are. Any nasty and mean disrespectful gesture toward this President is what moves the small minded and ugly Americans in this country, and some of us and a great majority of the young people are tired of this. Moving on. Stop pissing me off, Newt.HZ
“Resort to stalking”? That’s all newt is and will ever be..a motormouth full of lies and dirty newty insults.
Newt’s History of Lies and Hypocrisy..
http://politicalcorrection.org/factcheck/201105110003
Newt the Stalker can go fuck off..there are laws against that. And, why would the President acknowledge a stalker..there are SS for that.
Romney says his views are progressive..God Bless Youtube
*starts 51 secs in*
Frank_Schaeffer Frank Schaeffer
watch me & Chris Hedges explain 2012 election o Al Jazeera too bad no American media can make something this good aljazeera.com/programmes/fau…
Politics, Religion and the Tea Party
What role does religion play in the US presidential elections?
http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/faultlines/2011/12/2011121093110983115.html
Scary stuff….very scary actually.
I just watched it, it’s about 24 minutes……..worth it!,.
I just watched and it was riveting and horrifying. An amazing report from Aljazeera. And of course what can I say about Frank Schaefffer. He was terrific. This video needs to go viral. I was glad to see they zeroed in on one of the most crucial reasons why President Obama has to have a second term: the supreme court. All Americans and especially the emoprogs need to see this video.
Thanks for this ChristiMtl. 🙂
That document was wonderful, excluding Chris Hedges of course, whose been nothing more the a pompous, cynical radical for years now.
Lord Voldemort speaks
This is awesome news. http://www.blackamericaweb.com/?q=articles/news/the_black_diaspora_news/35337#.TudqTyUHvvc.twitter
Good morning, TOD! Americans, and the GOP in particular, should NEVER…EVER underestimate President Barack Hussein Obama. He is a “Master Strategist!” 🙂
Did You Know President Obama and Congress Already Raised Taxes On the Rich?
December 12, 2011 01:00 PM
By karoli
Yes, he did. Well, they did — President Obama and the 111th Congress. I had completely forgotten about this, mostly because at the time the right wing was making so much noise about how President Obama broke his campaign promise and raised taxes on everyone, only he didn’t.
That’s right. I had totally forgotten about the .9 percent increase in the Medicare tax, effective January 1, 2013. Here’s something else important about it: It’s not just on earned income. For married couples earning $250,000 or more (singles are $200,000), the Medicare hospital tax increases by .9 percent on all earned income above the cap for employer and employee alike (.45 percent each). But for people whose earnings consist primarily of capital gains, they, too, will pay an additional tax on those capital gains at a rate of 3.8 percent. That means people like Mitt Romney and others whose earnings are primarily capital gains and dividends will be subject to an additional 3.8 percent tax over and above the usual capital gains tax, but only on amounts which exceed the $200,000/$250,000 cap.
~snip~
http://crooksandliars.com/karoli/did-you-know-president-obama-and-congress-a
House to vote on extension of payroll-tax reduction
By Rosalind S. Helderman and Felicia Sonmez
Published: December 12
In another test of House Speaker John A. Boehner’s leadership of his restive Republican majority, the House is expected to vote Tuesday on a GOP plan to extend a one-year reduction in the payroll taxes paid by 160 million workers. Republicans have been divided over whether to extend the tax cut, as President Obama has urged, or allow the levy to revert to 6.2 percent in January from 4.2 percent.
That division was on display at Saturday’s Republican presidential debate, where three of the six candidates — including front-runners Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney — urged Congress to extend the tax break, while three others argued that it wouldn’t spur job growth.
~snip~
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/house-to-vote-on-extension-of-payroll-tax-reduction/2011/12/12/gIQAjtAgqO_story.html
I’m really enjoying this site. I’ve added it to my favorites.
I love this yard sign: http://goo.gl/5xxpe
😆 Cracked me up!!!!
Secretive Millionaires Funding Online Primary For ‘Independent’ White House Run
By Justin Elliott
December 12, 2011
There’s an increasing amount of buzz around Americans Elect, a peculiar Internet-based effort to shake up presidential politics. But dig a bit beneath the surface and there’s reason to be deeply skeptical of the endeavor. The basic pitch of Americans Elect goes like this: We’ll go through the expensive and time-consuming process of getting ballot access in all 50 states. Then we’ll hold an online convention in June in which any registered voter can participate.
Here’s what the group is not so upfront about: It’s fueled by millions of dollars of secret money, there is a group of wealthy, well-connected board members who have control over Americans Elect’s nominating process, and the group has myriad links to Wall Street. Americans Elect has been getting periodic bursts of support from prominent commentators.
~snip~
http://www.alternet.org/news/153412/secretive_millionaires_funding_online_primary_for_%27independent%27_white_house_run/
Its another Republican party. I think Joe Scarbourgh and Lady Lynn de roeschol is on the board too. This she tell you alot about Americans Elect when you see whose on the board,
I mean this should tell
Desraye, here’s some additional information about Americans Elect. Quite the eye-opener, given the ties that some of these individuals have!~
Americans Elect Board of Advisors: Names and Connections
The following is an annotated list of the Board of Advisors for Americans Elect, the 501c4 corporation with plans to nominate its own candidate for President of the United States in 2012. Starting from a previously unpublished Americans Elect document obtained by the Los Angeles Times on July 26 2011, the list below is a work in progress, containing not just the names of the Board of Advisors contained in the Americans Elect but also hyperlinks to information about the Board of Advisors’ relevant affiliations. Additional known roles in Americans Elect and its predecessor Unity08, if any, are indicated in parentheses. Annotations are incomplete and being added on a daily basis; a lack of information about a person’s affiliations should not be interpreted as a lack of affiliations themselves.
~snip~
http://irregulartimes.com/index.php/americans-elect-board-of-advisors-names-and-connections-july-26-2011/
The people on the list are part of the 1%.This is nothing but a group of people that want to keep the status quo.
Please repost this when they announce their “independent” candidate in 2012. They are hoping to only have to run their candidate for three months, starting in the summer. This will give very little time for people to really investigate this secret candidate, who will say all the “right” things. We’ll need to circulate this info again at that time, when people are paying attention.
Gary Johnson Reminds Voters Gingrich Proposed the Death Penalty for Marijuana
December 12, 2011 01:15 PM
By: David
Over the weekend, struggling Republican presidential candidate Gary Johnson reminded MSNBC viewers that GOP frontrunner Newt Gingrich had once to called to punish some drug offenders with death. “Newt Gingrich, in 1997, proposed the death penalty for marijuana — for possession of marijuana above a certain quantity of marijuana,” Johnson explained. “And yet, he is among 100 million Americans who’ve smoked marijuana.”
“I would love to have a discussion with him on the fact that he smoked pot, and under the wrong set of circumstance he proposed the death penalty for, potentially, something that he had committed. I have troubles with that,” he added.
Johnson, a former New Mexico governor who has advocated for marijuana legalization since 1999, is at least partially correct about Gingrich’s position.
~snip~
http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/david/gary-johnson-gingrich-proposed-death-penalty
Johnson is who greenwald endorsed!
Just like all Herman Cain’s ideas came from the Pokemon movie, all Newtie’s Big Ideas come from James Bond movies:
http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/12/colbert-likens-newt-gingrich-to-a-james-bond-plot.php
Republicans Cave On Anti-Gay Amendments In Defense Bill
—By Adam Serwer| Tue Dec. 13, 2011 5:16 AM PST
In October, House Armed Services Committee Chairman Buck McKeon (R-Calif.) vowed not to let the National Defense Authorization Act pass, if provisions prohibiting military chaplains from performing same-sex marriages weren’t included in the bill. But as the final version of the defense spending bill emerged Monday evening, the anti-gay amendments had been stripped.
~snip~
Republicans deliberately mischaracterized the memo as forcing military chaplains to perform same-sex marriages even if they were against their religious convictions. “We think that chaplains should not be forced to do something that goes against their conscience,” McKeon said in October. As noted above, given that the administration memo explicitly says chaplains can’t be forced to officiate at such ceremonies, that objection was entirely bogus.
http://motherjones.com/mojo/2011/12/Republicans-cave-anti-gay-provisions
Whats up with these so call Democrats going on National TV bashing Obama? yesterday one were on moring joe now one wrote an op-ed in a Republican online site. Its to close to the election for this, We need to stick together, Unless they want him to fail.
Rep. Dennis Cardoza (D-Cali.) writes in an op-ed in The Hill that President Obama seems like he would rather be a academic than chief executive:
Dennis Cordoza is a blue dog. His coalition is almost extinct, which probably is the reason why he is not running in 2012.
they are not real democrats. they are
1) republicans pretending to be democrats or independent, corporate racist greedy wolves in sheep’s cloathing
2) PL nose up in the air racist A-holes
3) Naterites selfish racist rich beotches
4) Ron racist corporate paul
5) Puma none brain racist brats
6) self hating envying samboes
7) butt kissing blue-dogs
I think that about covers it!
lol
Oooh…Mitt haz a sad!
Romney: Newt’s The Frontrunner
Benjy Sarlin December 12, 2011, 2:22 PM
Mitt Romney is taking up the underdog mantle in the GOP race, conceding that Newt Gingrich’s leads in the polls make him the frontrunner to win the nomination. Asked by Politico if Gingrich was the favorite, Romney replied: “He is right now,” before adding that it’s still “a very fluid electorate.”
With the early primary calendar weighted against him, Romney predicted that his fight with Gingrich “could go for months and months,” lasting past Super Tuesday and well into the later states in the process. “I think I’ll get the nomination,” Romney said. “I can’t predict when…I’ve got — what? — five or six more months to go to make that a reality.”
~snip~
http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/12/romney-newts-the-frontrunner.php?ref=fpnewsfeed
Government Employees Union Launches ‘Explain It To Me, GOP’ Campaign
December 12, 2011 05:00 PM
By Kenneth Quinnell
The American Federation of Government Employees has launched a new advertising campaign calling Republicans to task for attempting to pay for an extension to the payroll tax holiday by cutting government employee salaries and jobs:
The “Explain it to me, GOP” campaign highlights the hypocrisy of forcing federal employees to pay for extending payroll tax relief that benefits all working Americans.
“Extending payroll tax relief for another year will boost the economy by putting an extra $1,500 in the pockets of the average American family. But forcing middle-class workers to pay for it is hypocrisy at its worst,” the ad reads. “Federal employees are part of the 99 percent. Explain to me, GOP, how slashing their jobs and wages helps the economy.”
~snip~
http://crooksandliars.com/kenneth-quinnell/government-employees-union-launch
Hi everyone, here’s that Carole King interview you VERY kindly told me about –
http://theobamadiary.com/2011/12/13/carole-king/
I’m off to buy her album 😉
DODGE THIS, Ron Paul!~
Don’t Believe the Ron Paul Hype
—By Tim Murphy| Fri Dec. 9, 2011 3:00 AM PST
Until his opponents start talking about the following issues, you’ll know Paul isn’t a serious threat:
The newsletters: Since 1978, Paul published and sold a newsletter (known alternatively as Ron Paul’s Political Report, Ron Paul’s Survival Report, and Ron Paul’s Freedom Report) to tens of thousands of libertarians scattered across the country. Especially in the beginning, it played into the concerns of a certain kind of conservative white guy. As the New Republic reported, the newsletters suggest Paul is “not the plain-speaking antiwar activist his supporters believe they are backing—but rather a member in good standing of some of the oldest and ugliest traditions in American politics.” Some excerpts:
Read more: http://motherjones.com/politics/2011/12/dont-believe-ron-paul-hype
Good morning TOD family!
Michele Flournoy, adviser to Leon Panetta and top female Pentagon official, stepping down “for family”
December 12, 2011 16:31
Michele Flournoy, the most senior female Pentagon official in history, is reportedly stepping down as Defense Secretary Leon Panetta’s chief policy adviser. Flournoy, 51, told The Associated Press on Monday that she was quitting to spend more time with her family — she has children age 14, 12 and 9 with husband, W. Scott Gould, deputy secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
She said she would leave in February but intended to support President Barack Obama’s re-election campaign, possibly as an informal adviser on national security issues. “I’m very much planning on giving the full measure of support to this president and this campaign, and I’m going to work as much as I can from the outside to do that,” she reportedly said.
Flournoy’s departure would leave two key Defense Department posts without permanent officials in place, The Hill writes.
http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/americas/united-states/111212/michele-flournoy-pentagon-defense-secretary-leon-pannetta-cia-w-scott-gould
Yikes, she was my pick to replace Panetta in early 2013 to be the first female Secretary of Defence.
You turned me on to her – sad to see her go. I hope she does return to act as Sec Defense in President Obama’s second term.
Mikhail Prokhorov to challenge Vladimir Putin for Russian presidency
Jessica Phelan| December 12, 2011 08:29
Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov plans to run for president next year, he announced Monday. Speaking at a press conference, Prokhorov described the decision to take on Vladimir Putin as “probably the most serious decision in my life,” reported state news agency Ria Novosti. The businessman, who Bloomberg describes as Russia’s third-richest man, will stand as an independent candidate. He has not discussed his plans with Prime Minster Putin or President Dmitry Medvedev, he said.
Ria Novosti speculates that Prokhorov could joing forces with former finance minister and liberal Alexei Kudrin, who said in an interview published Monday that he had discussed forming a new political party with Prokhorov.
~snip~
http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/europe/russia/111212/mikhail-prokhorov-challenge-vladimir-putin-russian-president
Dominique de Villepin announces he will run for French presidency
Talia Ralph| December 11, 2011 18:51
Dominique de Villepin, former French prime minister and right-wing politician, announced on Sunday that he will run for president in 2012. “I intend to defend a certain idea of France,” Villepin told TF1 television. “I have a conviction: the 2012 meeting will be a meeting of truth, courage and will.”
Villepin is a bitter rival of President Nicolas Sarkozy, and was recently acquitted for participating in a smear campaign against the president, which claimed that Sarkozy had taken secret kickbacks from arms deals with Taiwan and deposited them in a Luxembourg bank. The trial focused on a web of claims about who was responsible for a fake list of names of participants in the scandal being released to the press, and whether or not Villepin could have put a stop to it, AFP reported.
~snip~
http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/europe/france/111211/dominique-de-villepin-announces-he-will-run-french-presid