hey, we have a shiny new gopolitico star! (updated!)

Well, actually, Byron Tau has been hanging around GOPolitico for a while, but a week ago he became the boss man on their ’44’ section – you know, the bit that’s devoted to telling us the President hates Israel and the First Lady is a food fascist.

Whatever happened our beloved Julie Mason? Did she get bored with her dearest hobby at GOPolitico – counting black faces in the White House?

Any way, just to let you know, Byron has started fantastically well. Here’s most of what he expertly picked out as the big news the past week:

Not since Woodward and Bernstein has a journalist broken a story so monumental: Joe Manchin doesn’t support the President? Who knew?! Spectacular start Byron! Pulitzer stuff!

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So, Byron listened to the President’s speech at Fort Bragg about the ending of the Iraq war and was moved. Moved to be stunned by the President’s failure to give a ‘love you lots’ shout-out to the man who started the war, thereby giving PBO the very lucky opportunity to end it. Breathtaking ingratitude. Keep it up Byron, you’re doing great.

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Next, Byron watches the VP’s interview with Rachel Maddow and is just gobsmacked when the VP completely fails to describe the ending of a pointless war as a ‘failure’. Well spotted Byron. VPs have been impeached for less. Well, no, they haven’t, but you get the point.

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Woot, only three days in to his new ’44’ job and Byron’s really hotting up! He spots an op-ed by that most principled of Blue Dogs, Dennis Cardoza, on The Hill site and almost faints with delirium as he links it for us! Byron Tau, the Walter Kronkite of our generation!

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After OFA promised to send a thank you email to your GOP-supporting relatives if they annoyed you enough to donate to Obama/Biden 2012, Byron was clearly pissed after his inbox was stuffed with emails …. after his Dem-supporting aunties, uncles, grandmothers, grandfathers, nieces and nephews passed on his address.

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Byron didn’t have much to say about the Obama family portrait, apart from quoting a GOPolitico colleague’s revelation that Sasha’s dress cost $73.99. That much?!? Jeez, a bit uppity!

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Another scoop by Byron – who knew Orrin Hatch still existed?

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We’re on a roll now! Byron shares with us Alex Burns’ story about the President shamefacedly letting the American people know the Iraq war is over. Thanks so much Byron, this outrage needed to be exposed. A commendable unveiling of an ugly truth.

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More brilliance. Byron’s take on that AP-GfK poll that had a gazillion different talking points, but this is the one he liked. Quite understandable too. Thanks Byron, your poll-dissecting abilities are special.

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Superb Byron! It never hurts to point out the President’s Godlessness! True, Amy Sullivan didn’t ‘lament’ anything, she simply pointed out how tricky it is for a President and his family to visit a ‘public’ church – from a security and ‘fuss’ point of view – and noted (although Byron must have missed this bit when he summarised) that “more often, Obama and his family have followed the lead of the Bush family, joining the congregation at Camp David …. but staying home on Sunday mornings when in Washington”.

But, never mind – great headline!

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You know, I was beginning to worry for Byron’s job security – a whole week had gone by and he hadn’t written about the President and Israel at GOPolitico. Phew, at last! Now, those of you who argue that the President didn’t “defend” his policy on Israel today, that he simply re-stated it, are just a bunch of picky Obots.

I’d like to think, though, that someone here helped Byron keep his job by sending him this reminder today:

Although, we can’t be sure if he actually read it, the fella is awfully busy on Twitter:

(Note: it’s never ‘President’ or ‘Pres’, it’s ‘Obama’ – but that’s okay Byron, we understand 😉 )

And re-tweeting the Drudge Report can be very time-consuming:

But, awesome job this week Byron, you’re destined for a stellar career at GOPolitico!

Hugs!

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Update – Byron’s very latest story:

Woot! And he even quotes Keith ‘I hate Michelle Obama so much I could cry’ Koffler in the story – you know, the guy who makes Michele Bachmann seem like Jane Fonda! Byron? You rock!

evening all

CBS: During a Toys-for-Tots event Friday, a marine asked First Lady Michelle Obama to accompany him to the ball next November. The music drowns out the invitation but you can still see the exchange and hug.

ABC: While sorting donations at the U.S. Marine Corps Toys for Tots campaign, this afternoon First Lady Michelle Obama received an unusual request.

Across a pile of race cars, the Associated Press reports Lance Cpl. Aaron Leeks invited Obama to be his date for next year’s Marine Corps Ball.

The 20-year-old Marine from Maryland told the AP, Obama said “she’d love to go.”

“Actually she said I’d need to speak to her husband, too, but she said she’d love to,” Leeks said.

No word yet on whether the request has received the president’s approval. “If the president’s watching this, this might be the first he’s heard of it,” White House Press Secretary Jay Carney joked at today’s daily briefing.

First Lady Michelle Obama delivers toys and gifts donated by White House staff to the Marine Corps’ Toys for Tots campaign at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling in Washington, D.C., Dec. 16, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

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The only thing that ever disappoints me about Steve Benen is that his charts aren’t BIGGER!

Any way, he’s back after a two day break and he’s catching up on the news about the drop in unemployment (see here) – this chart shows unemployment claims going back to the beginning of 2007.

And they say the Stimulus didn’t work?

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Don’t miss:

Milt Shook: There’s No Such Thing as an “Indefinite Detention Bill” and Other Pro Left Lies. (Stay to the end, and watch me expose Glenn Greenwald as a liar once again.)

Full post here

Thank you creolechild

Steve Benen on the NDAA: …… There’s been a fair amount of coverage this week, arguing that the bill, among things, empowers the executive branch “to throw American citizens into prison for life without charges or a trial.” Adam Serwer’s reporting shows otherwise.

This is not to say the NDAA is a good bill…. but it’s not quite as outrageous as some reports have suggested.

I had one related thought about this. President Obama has been facing quite a bit of criticism from the left over the NDAA’s provisions … if I’m making a list of those responsible for the NDAA’s most odious measures, the White House wouldn’t be on top. I’d start, obviously, with congressional Republicans whose misguided worldview intended to make the NDAA even more offensive, but it was a whole lot of congressional Democrats who went along with them.

… Regardless, the NDAA is done. Recalling a phrase I’m sure I’ve used more than once this year, it’s bad, but it could have been worse.

Full post here

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lies, lies, lies (updated with nyt correction)

NYT

From today’s speech:

White House

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Update:

Good, a correction. But seriously, why was the ‘mistake’ made in the first place? Did they actually listen to the speech? 🙄

afternoon all

President Obama at the 71st General Assembly of the Union for Reform Judaism

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First Lady Michelle Obama delivers toys and gifts to the Marine Corps’ Toys for Tots campaign at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling in Washington, DC on December 16

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Hi everyone, just a reminder, I don’t allow anonymous comments appear on the site – please remember to sign in with your chosen name and email address (which won’t be visible to others). You can also sign in using your Twitter or Facebook accounts (see here).

Sorry about the hassle, but it’s the only way of keeping Fire/Teabaggers out of the place 😉

rise and shine

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2:00: First Lady Michelle Obama visits Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling

2:10: President Obama delivers remarks at the 71st General Assembly of the Union for Reform Judaism

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Thanks amk 😉

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About today’s AP-GfK poll – OMG! Doom! Gloom!

As GOPolitico told us, white people hate the President!! Real bad!

The best bit was when they quoted Ron Fournier saying the President “only won 40%” of the white seniors’ vote in 2008 and “his approval rating with them now is 41%”. Em, I was never too hot at math ….. but is that, eh, not technically an increase? 😕

Any way, not surprisingly, the economy remains the number one concern of those polled. You’ll get all the bad news everywhere today, what will be largely ignored:

* After the jobless rate fell to 8.6% last month (its lowest level since March 2009), the President’s approval rating on handling unemployment rose 5% to 45% in the poll.

* 20% say the economy got better in the past month, up from 6% two months ago (64% said it stayed the same)

* 15% said it got worse, down from 49% two months ago

* Respondents describing the economy as “very poor” fell from 43% in October to 34% in the latest poll, the lowest since May.

* 60% say the financial situation in their own household is good, up 6%

* 30% blamed the President for the economy, compared to 43% who blame Bush

And:

* Despite the struggles with the economy, the President still beats Romney in a match-up: 47 to 46.

* The President beats the Newt 51-42.

* Among independents, it’s even better. The President beats Romney 45-41 and the Newt 54-31.

And buried in the last line in Time’s report on the poll:

“Among those with annual household incomes of $50,000 or less, Obama’s approval rating on unemployment climbed to 53 percent from 43 percent in October.

Get that? Climbed 10%.

* 60% approve of how the President is handling terrorism, 59% say he will “keep America safe”. Not bad for an appeaser, eh?

* 53% say he is a “strong leader”

* 76% say he is “likable”

There you go – the bits you won’t hear today. And hey, wait til the fella actually starts campaigning against Romgrich 😉

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OFA: Headlines over the past few weeks have shown with hard numbers how President Obama’s Affordable Care Act is helping young people and seniors. The reform allows young people to stay on their parents’ health insurance until they turn 26 and helps Medicare recipients save money on prescription drugs.

Take a look at this infographic summing up how the Affordable Care Act is impacting millions of Americans – then share it to pass on the good news:

Link – pass it on!

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Oooops:

Texas Monthly: As most readers know, every January TEXAS MONTHLY picks a Bum Steer of the Year, an honor conferred on whatever individual we feel has been responsible for the biggest screw-up, gaffe, fumble, stumble, train wreck, or humiliation of the past twelve months. This year, as the above cover makes pretty darn clear, our Bum Steer of the Year is Governor Rick Perry.

More here

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Jonathan Chait (NY Mag): With Ron Paul ascending in Iowa, winning the hearts of independents, and even the endorsement of Andrew Sullivan, it’s worth pointing something out: Ron Paul is not a kindly old libertarian who just wants everybody to be free. He’s a really creepy bigot.

…. Paul comes out of an intellectual tradition called “paleolibertarianism,” which is a version of libertarianism heavily tinged with far-right cultural views …. Paul is tied in deep and extensive ways to neo-Confederates, and somewhat less tightly to the right-wing militia movement. His newsletter, which he wrote and edited for years, was a constant organ of vile racism and homophobia ….. Fear and hatred of blacks and gays, along with a somewhat less pronounced paranoia about Jewish dual loyalty, are fundamental elements of his thinking….

Full article here

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Link

I’m guessing you very lovely people might have been inspired by the wonder that is Donna Dem – you pushed The Obama Diary past its fundraising target at OFA – thank you soooooooooo much!

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Meanwhile, if you’d like to say THANK YOU to Donna Dem for last night’s gorgeous account of her phone call with the President, you can help push her towards her mindboggling $12,000 target – link

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Almost forgot, it’s Friday!