Navy corpsmen help Vice President Joe Biden and Dr. Jill Biden into gowns before their meeting with patients and families during a Christmas visit to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., Dec. 25, 2011. (Official White House Photo by David Lienemann)
Happy Holidays to you and all at TOD. Great job as always. I couldn’t wait to check Gallup today b/c it had to increase with other polls doing the same. Good to see the trend hit there too.
I keep running into folks trying to explain Ron Paul all over the Web today. Sorry, once you’ve called a group of the population “animals”, there’s no explaining left to do. It’s time to apologize profusely or shut up; my take anyway…………….
G’day all. i hope everyone had a wonderful, joy filled Christmas. It’s still good to be on the right side of the grass. 🙂
Those swabbies look good in their dress blues……Memories.
RON PAUL IS FROM TIMES PAST…OUR GREAT COUNTRY HAS EVOLVED…RON PAUL HAS’NT!!!
AMERICAN MUST CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD…NOT BACKWARDS!
WE MUST DO EVERYTHING IN OUR POWER TO RE-ELECT PRESIDENT OBAMA AND VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN…OUR NATION IS IN DEED AT THE TIPPING POINT!!!!
PLEASE .PLEASE.PLEASE…LETS STAY FOCUSED AND MOTIVATED IN 2012!!!!
Hope everyone had a great holiday. Our first child is returning back to Philly today, and our son leaves for Philly this Wednesday. Our other daughter leaves for U. of Arizona Jan 8th, and then life gets back to normal (whatever that is 🙂 ) My daughter in Philly got her DL renewed this Christmas, so she can change her California license to a Pennsylvania license in time to vote for PBO in November. Our son has his PA DL already, and so now am working on my D to vote absentee from AZ, as she’s a CA resident. Lots to do to get ready for the vote in 2012.
Love the pictures Chipsticks. The one with the baby with his hand in Prez. Obama’s mouth is hilarious!
HONOLULU — The first family and friends are hiking Monday at Kailua Beach Park, a short ride from their vacation rental.
They’re taking the Lanikai Pillbox Hike, which is “one of the most picturesque and pleasant Oahu hiking trails,” according to one website for visitors. Moving at a steady speed, the hike takes 60 to 90 minutes.
Kailua Beach Park is also conveniently located near Island Snow, the shave ice shop that the first family frequents while on vacation here.
I have been enjoying the pictures of the President’s marine base visit and the video was hilarious. I just imagine how fantastic it would be to grow up and have pictures of myself as a baby grabbing the teeth of the President of the United States!! So many children will have fantastic photos with the President.
These trends, Mettler says, fuel “the real if inchoate sense many Americans have that government has been “growing,” as measured by deficits and new programs, but in ways that don’t benefit them.” Therefore, making submerged state programs visible ought to be a key progressive goal. Seen in that light, Obama’s win over the payroll tax cut could an even bigger victory than people recognize.
Other comments are mentioning Ron Paul and I just wanted to give out the alert to a post by the incomparable Al Giordano at The Field. He has an excellent analysis of the GOP field including Ron Paul.. Al is saying that Paul will be a spoiler for Romney in Iowa and New Hampshire, allowing Gingrich to play out a plan to downplay those two states and surge in Southern states where he has more impact.
[quote) I thought long and hard about whether to imitate Rush Limbaugh and create a 2011 version of “Operation Chaos” (when he instructed his listeners to take Democratic primary ballots to vote for Hillary Clinton in order to weaken Obama for the general election), and do as Andrew Sullivan has done (he endorsed Paul last week).
After all, the Doctor Jekyll part of Doctor Paul is damn good: Legalize drugs! Stop foreign wars! And a Paul v. Obama general election campaign could really push the President into surrendering to the inevitable generational change to come on drug policy. I would love to see that happen and probably a lot of you would too.
The problem with that scenario isn’t even the Mister Hyde part of Doctor Paul and his more whacky positions on other issues, not even his racist newsletter of yesteryears that the media has suddenly discovered (such “revelations,” in fact, can only help him with the GOP base). Rather, it’s this: Ron Paul can win Iowa and even possibly win New Hampshire, but he would still go down to defeat before the GOP nominates its 2012 candidate. He is not going to be the nominee. Take that to the bank. The Republican establishment would rally around anyone to stop him. And I would wager that Paul would not handle a fall from frontrunner any better than Bachman, Perry or Cain did. He’s not ready for that kind of prime time. I’m almost sorry to say that, because I have good friends that I respect that believe in Doctor Paul, and I hate to pop the air from their balloon at the dawn of their newfound hope. But if there’s one thing you get from The Field, it’s an honest assessment of what I think will happen before it happens, and there it is.
And while the “conventional wisdom” (the kind that is always wrong) spouts that a Paul victory in Iowa would hurt Gingrich’s chances, I would argue that it could be the best thing for Gingrich, because it puts Paul into play in New Hampshire where Romney otherwise should win there convincingly, and ties Romney down in the Granite State while Newt races ahead to plant the anti-Mormon land mines (yes, I know it makes some uncomfortable to hear any acknowledgement that there is still bigotry in the United States, but that’s reality) in South Carolina and the rest of Dixie.
Paul, simply put, cannot withstand the scrutiny that would come upon him as an Iowa caucus winner. His ideas and positions, especially the best of them – the positions I agree with! – are too far outside the mainstream of thought in the far-right cauldron of Republican primary voters nationwide.(endquote}
He is however, most certainly Anti-Israel, and Anti-Israeli in general. He wishes the Israeli state did not exist at all. He expressed this to me numerous times in our private conversations. His view is that Israel is more trouble than it is worth, specifically to the America taxpayer. He sides with the Palestinians, and supports their calls for the abolishment of the Jewish state, and the return of Israel, all of it, to the Arabs.
AND, it make a girl cry to hear, in his book, that he thought Israel was an “apartheid state”. Yeah, that’ll go over well.
Ron Paul and extremism: You can read the NYT today, or you can read @Lizardoid from four years ago. Ron Paul: No Problem with Donations from Neo-Nazis
For example, speaking of Don Black, founder of neo-Nazi site Stormfront, who could forget this picture of Black and his son Derek (in the creepy hat), posing with Ron Paul at the Values Voter Presidential debate in Fort Lauderdale on September 17, 2007?
I see Al mentioned the liberal hope that Ron Paul would move Pres.Obama left on drug policy. I don’t believe it. Ron Paul wouldn’t even have the chance because his other toxic policies would take up a lot of time in the campaign.
Al is a first class political activist, and a political reporter who covers the war on drugs. I am ABSOLUTELY NOT a Paulite, but I used to do drug counseling and I, too, for many, many reasons believe marijuana should be legalized. It always sounds so naive when I read lefties saying they are going to push the President in any way. They don’t see his strength. So, I ignore stuff like that. I just liked Al’s savvy political analysis of the GOP.
I’m interested in seeing the rock uncovered on the GOP’s hidden agenda in whatever way it can be and the GOP presidential race is certainly doing that. In this too, I trust the President. He’s on it. I’m aware of so much power, focus and confidence in his campaign — much like the man himself! Obama/Biden 2012!!!
I don’t understand the interest in Ron Paul as a politician let alone a candidate for President. There is nothing about him I find viable as a leader. So I don’t get how someone as smart as Al could find respect for people who “believe in” Ron Paul. The mere fact that we’re discussing his candidacy in our nation is baffling to me because he strikes me as an aging NUT. Especially in this era with President Obama, I don’t understand how anyone in their right mind could be entertaining a complete throwback to the 50s. His attitudes, opinions, beliefs and awareness of the world in which we currently live are outdated and dangerous. I just don’t get it.
I also don’t understand the remarks about Gingrich scoring with anti-Mormon groups. He’s Catholic.
THE PRESIDENT IS CONFIDENT AND SO AM I …HE WILL BE READY TO RUN AGAINST WHOM EVER THE REPUPLICAN NOMINEE IS…NO DOUBT ABOUT IT…THIS WILL BE THE DEFINING MOMENT IN THIS NATION POLITICALLY AND HISTORICALLY….I STAND WITH #44!!!!
Bob, I donate to the O’camp at least $50 per month but do not do the reoccurring choice because I like to donate through people’s fundraisers. And I am not sure if the credit card companies charge the merchants (in this case the campaign) for individual donations so just to be sure that most of my money goes to the campaign and not to the banks, I chose to calculate the amount that we would be comfortable donating in one lump sum.
Bob I thought it was such a good idea I sent it to OFA and told them about it. I think it should be a big campaign. I think that map from your first link is splendid – in 1936 almost every state was blue. Wow! Well, anyways, good job I think it’s great and as soon as my sweetiepie isn’t looking I’m donating 19.36 to the cause!
The hope is that OFA, DNC, DCCC, DSCC etc could create a challenge truly to beat the 1936 record – we certainly have all the reasons Dems did then, and more, to turn the leadership, at all levels, Blue in 2012.
What a wonderful person making such a difference in the lives of chlldren and the elderly. It takes a special individual to open their heart and home to so many. Thank you again for sharing ‘What is Working’!
You are hereBlogs / Suzi LeVeaux’s blog / Stop the Hysteria Over the NDAA. Fact vs Fiction
Stop the Hysteria Over the NDAA. Fact vs Fiction
By Suzi LeVeaux – Posted on 17 December 2011
There is a lot of hysteria coming from the far left ( I call them the “professional left” ) and libertarians over the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Led by the ACLU, they are calling it the “Indefinite Detention Bill.”. The amendment about “indefinite detention” is only a small part of the Defense Dept budget bill. And, those who are fear mongering about it are leaving out something very important. The amendment clearly states:
‘AUTHORITIES.—Nothing in this section shall be construed to affect existing law or authorities relating to the detention of United States citizens, lawful resident aliens of the United States, or any other persons who are captured or arrested in the United States
And…..
APPLICABILITY TO UNITED STATES CITIZENS AND LAWFUL RESIDENT ALIENS.—
(1) UNITED STATES CITIZENS.—The requirement to detain a person in military custody under this section does not extend to citizens of the United States.
(2) LAWFUL RESIDENT ALIENS.—The requirement to detain a person in military custody under this section does not extend to a lawful resident alien of the United States on the basis of conduct taking place within the United States, except to the extent permitted by the Constitution of the United States.
The detainee provisions in the bill do not include new authority for the permanent detention of suspected terrorists. The “existing law” is contained within the Patriot Act.
“It turns out that the edited NDAA video of Carl Levin that was inaccurately cited in the mainstream media as proof that Obama wanted to detain US citizens was originally posted by a spammer. As we know, the President did not ask for language giving him the right to detain US citizens, he asked for the opposite. But that story wouldn’t get very many clicks for a spammer…..”
Neighborhood team members from Johnston huddled around a computer screen during our Mock Caucus last week. Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller filled in for President Obama, who announced on Monday that he’d be joining Iowa supporters at the caucuses on January 3rd via video call. Sign up to commit to caucus so you too can hear from President Obama on caucus night!
But but but my Brother stuck up for Ron Paul and said, what about the gold standard?
Ahhh, yes.
Can you all imagine, finding enough gold to cover the Federal budget every year?
This is just another way to shrink government down to nothing!
Jovie, ask your Bro about other way more rare earths like cobalt, platinum etc. Gold and diamonds are so common that we make cheap a** jewelry out of it that we hawk on various holidays so people will spend hard earned money for tripe. If you want gold come out west, get a gold pan, hit a dry wash or stream and pan away. With the price of gold so ridiculously inflated you can still make several hundred $ panning on a week end.
the author forgot to mention the number one item of good news: we have president obama in the white house! so much that the author is ‘happy about’ flows from president obama’s hard work.
That was a refreshing editorial out of USAtoday, but I wish these journalist or opeds would stop dancing around the fact (avoidence) and actually come out and say it is the DAMNED RETHUGS that have performed a record amount of OBSTRTUCTION and they are the cause for Congresses abysmal approval ratings. Lumping Democrats as a whole with them delutes any positive messages of our success. 😕 Thank God the president finally started to directly call them out.
Chips, my son always enjoys being with me when I visit TOD site daily, he thoroughly enjoys viewing Pete Souza’s WH pics, the funny GOP cartoons, video footage of POTUS & FLOTUS and the children, especially Bo. He always gets annoyed when he see’s news that I watch from online over there in the United States, that depicts POTUS in a bad way.. which tells me, his eyes are wide open to media bias and right wing talking points.. that he questions them to me LMAo!!
Although my son is 10 years old, he takes great delight in President Obama’s accomplishments like Libya and DADT to name a few. He sometimes has discussions with me about Obama making differences in the World like that.
At my son’s school, they had a Book event, where a child brings their favourite book and explains why they like it, and my son took his ‘Barack Obama : Hope for the World’ childrens book by Tim Alexander I had bought him a year ago lol
My son (an Obot mini-me lol) and I are going to spend our afternoon having lunch and going through past speeches of President Obama.. thanks to the TOD Speeches link to the side ——- > over there ————> just a little further over ————–> Yup… there!! lol
Welp okay, I see my son is waiting for me to get our lunch plans underway lol hahaha
I don’t discount the profound effect President Obama is having on the youngest generation. Their attraction to him and willingness to listen to what he has to say can stay with them for the rest of their lives. His speeches can be as inspirational to them as JFK and MLK were to my generation. While Reagan was a transformational President in the 80’s; his reach as an inspiration to youth seems confined to a certain segment of Americans. Reagan never achieved rock star status internationally. For one thing, he only took 11 trips outside the U.S. and most of those were to Western Europe. By contrast, President Obama has already taken 20 trips and gone to many more countries: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_international_trips_made_by_the_President_of_the_United_States#President_Barack_Obama
The President LOVES children and they love him. Children know how real he is. No matter what happens in the future, President Obama has made a far greater impact for the good on the young than any recent President, bar none.
Totally Co-Sign that! I just have to look at the young in my own family to see this. My soon to be 14 year old Grandson plans to GOTV for PBO. His only grief is that he won’t be able to vote himself until 2016. He plans to convince everyone he meets to: “vote for President Obama because he is the best President and he cares about all the people.”
aquagranny911, you have a smart young grandson. He may not be able to vote but we welcome whatever help he can give us who are fighting to re-elect President Obama.
My 17 YO son just registered to vote today…online 🙂 He’s SOOOOOOOOOOOO excited to vote for Barack Obama in 2012! That’s all four of us in my household!
I totally agree, Tien Le. I think this is a big part of the almost primal reaction that PBO’s opponents have to him: they know that his very presence is inspiration and aspirational to a whole generation of children — both here in America and worldwide. I am reminded of their disgusting reaction to his first address to schoolchildren as President: something that should have been routine turned into an ugly, dramatic controversy by right-wingers. And yet, they can’t keep the children from loving him.
I agree with everything in your post Tien Le. Except I find it hard to describe Reagan as transformational other than helping end the Cold War as we knew it and his infamous Reaganomics. His biggest legacy was torturing us with the Bush one and Bush two legacies. 😦
Hi NZ. I love readiing your comments. That is a lovely comment about your son. Please continue to share those moments with him. What a beautiful way to teach him and have these discussions with him about POB and what is taking place in the world. Enjoy your lunch date together. HZ
Technically, there almost certainly is not enough gold on Earth to supply the present U.S. economy with its currency in the form of gold coins alone.
Though in fairness, if you are promoting an internal race war and are raising money from neo-Nazis, you may be planning for a *much* smaller economy and… population.
…
I would rather not comment on this option, but I believe it speaks for itself.
The price of gold, silver, diamonds etc is an artificial one, imho and has no real bearing on economics except for the filberts who want a return to the 19th Century.
Not just that, but imagine the cost and effort to remove the US from the world electronic financial system? This is an impossible fantasy that the gold-mongers are spinning for the gullible.
IBM found that online shopping jumped 16.4 percent on Christmas Day over last year, and the dollar amount of those purchases that were made using mobile devices leaped 172.9 percent.
he online uptick was continuing on Monday. As of 3 p.m. Eastern time, shopping was up 10 percent over Dec. 26, 2010. And the expectation was that the pace of buying would increase as the day wore on and consumers clicked on sales at various retailers.
“HO! HO! HO! Who wouldn’t go up on the house top quick, quick, quick and down through the chimney with good St. Nick……”
I know I spent more this year but I also got a new Granddaughter in September and I refuse to confess the amount I paid for the most adorable dress I got her for her first Christmas which she promptly puked on. Oh well, what are Grannies for after all? I did do my part to “stimulate the economy.”
Hope all is well at your casa, DF and that you had a lovely Christmas.
Hello, dear friend! Long time, no see! She puked on it? That MUST be good luck or something 🙂 As I always told my kids when they got some “special” clothing soiled…”That’s what washing machines are for!” No worries.
Our Christmas this year was quiet. Actually we postponed it. My husband lost his job two weeks before Christmas, so needless to say…we didn’t get gifts for each other this year…though my husband did get one thing for each of us…totally going against the agreement that we had made as a family to wait until he was employed again to celebrate the holiday.
I have to say though, that it WAS kind of nice just spending quality time with the four of us…making my phone calls to family and having Christmas dinner together. None of that “Commercialism that I have come to detest this time of year. The hardest thing was not having a beautiful tree this year…..I missed the magic of that…and the smell!
So in answer to your question…we did have a lovely Christmas…just not the one that we expected to have. Fingers and toes crossed for a better new year….but mostly…A JOB! 🙂
Hope that you and your family have a happy, healthy New Year! Don’t be a stranger…miss you !
desertflower, you know that you and your family are in our prayers. My prayer for you is that you have a better new year. That your husband will fine a job soon. Know that my fingers, my toes and everything else I can cross is cross. May the good Lord watch over you, keep you safe, sound, in your right mind, give you strength, and love. Bless you.
Thank you so much,anniebella 🙂 I do appreciate the kind thoughts and will keep good thoughts about the new year. I found the words from PBO (today’s quote) quite comforting to think about….my incredible children are healthy, my husband of nearly 31 years is still by my side, and I have family and friends (you all are included) that I adore. Good things will come soon. I feel it! PMA…positive mental attitude!
Be steadfast Dear desertflower. This is nothing more than a speed bump. It’s only a test. This too shall pass. 10] WORRYING does not take away tomorrow’s TROUBLES, it takes away today’s PEACE.
My heart to your heart for a better New Year… and just a piece of gripe….why wait till just before a holiday to lay someone off? That same thing happened to my son two years ago….Dang, Sweetie! I’m so sorry to read this. All my most positive thoughts are with you and your family. You have a sweet loving man who just wanted you all to have something from him under your tree.
Thanks to all of you. A little “Blip” on the bump of life….Been a tumultuous last 3 years…I just wish for stability, is all. Big hugs to all of you…I will think happy thoughts, and take your prayers and well wishes and keep them close. Hugs to all….and you’re right AG…right before Christmas? Seriously…his boss was psycho. All works out for the best !
So very sorry about your husband’s job. I really believe in when one door closes, another one opens, somehow, somewhere. I will be praying for your husband that he gets the best job ever as soon as possible.
sorry to hear that desertflower. I will add my prayers for a better New Year for you and your husband. He sounds like a sweet and lovely man. May you be blessed and may the New Year be a prosperous one.
DF, I will pray for great and big doors to open up where this one was shut. Let us keep that in our minds and hearts that soon there will be a great JOB for your husband. I will put you both in my beautiful book of prayer,, thoughts, and ‘Asking Big for these Dear God ‘ for you both. Keep your faith and positive thoughts toward this. It will come. I believe for you, okay.
(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( Please meet the needs of DF and Hubby, Dear Father))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))HZ
aquagranny – Ha! You’re reminding me of when my third granddaughter was born. She was slightly premature. I rushed to a very expensive children’s shop and bought her two perfectly pink little preemie outfits, so she’d have something to wear home from the hospital that actually fit her (I wanted to be sure of that). I think she outgrew them in about four days! However, those four days were well worth it, to me!
She’s now 17 and when I call her and she knows it’s me, she answers the phone, “Hello, beautiful.” Yep, she was and is well worth it!
Grandchildren are the very best of life! Wee Elena makes an even dozen for me now. I’m hoping that I live long enough for the “greats” to come along and see the world. I would really enjoy that so much
When I was a young man, I thought life was all about me — about how I’d make my way in the world, become successful, and get the things I want. But then the two of you came into my world with all your curiosity and mischief and those smiles that never fail to fill my heart and light up my day. And suddenly, all my big plans for myself didn’t seem so important anymore. I soon found that the greatest joy in my life was the joy I saw in yours. And I realized that my own life wouldn’t count for much unless I was able to ensure that you had every opportunity for happiness and fulfillment in yours. In the end, girls, that’s why I ran for president: because of what I want for you and for every child in this nation.
–from “Letter to My Daughters,” Parade Magazine, January 18, 2009
Hope everyone had a great Christmas yesterday — I was able to pop in a few times to read, but was too busy to post. I must echo all the words of thanks and gratitude for this wonderful cyber-oasis you have created, Chips, and that so many keep going with discussion, links, videos, posts and personality. This is the best place on the internet and I’m happy to have found it.
I’m looking forward to the year ahead — of a recovering economy, better days, and the re-election of the best President of our lifetimes.
Just back from Christmas with my family. Spent a couple of nights in NYC. Saw a movie, did some sightseeing, watched some TV, ate a lot and now I’m back in my bed. May see older sister again this week before she heads back to Florida. Mother heading back on Wednesday. So glad they came.
FCC proposes new media ownership rules
By Hayley Tsukayama| Posted at 05:08 PM ET, 12/22/2011
The Federal Communications Commission announced Thursday that it will move ahead with a proposal to loosen the rules on media ownership. Today, the agency voted to continue with a new proposal to lift a ban on allowing companies to own a major TV station and a major newspaper in the country’s top 20 markets. Currently, a rule dating back to the 1970s forbids a company from owning a major TV station and a major newspaper in the country’s top 20 markets — an effort to provide media diversity.
In a statement, outgoing Democratic FCC commissioner Michael Copps said that he was “deeply distressed” to discover that the measure was being considered again.
The chart contains information that is somewhat dated (2009), but is should give you a general idea about the effects of media consolidation. In other words, not much diversity here.~
Ownership Chart: The Big Six
The U.S. media landscape is dominated by massive corporations that, through a history of mergers and acquisitions, have concentrated their control over what we see, hear and read. In many cases, these giant companies are vertically integrated, controlling everything from initial production to final distribution. In the interactive charts below we reveal who owns what.
2009 revenues: $157 billion
General Electric media-related holdings include a minority share in television networks NBC and Telemundo, Universal Pictures, Focus Features, 26 television stations in the United States and cable networks MSNBC, Bravo and the Sci Fi Channel. GE also owns 80 percent of NBC Universal. On January 18, 2011 the Federal Communications Commission approved Comcast’s take-over of a majority share of NBC-Universal from General Electric. However, General Electric still has a 49% ownership stake in NBC-Universal.
2009 revenues: $36.1 billion
The Walt Disney Company owns the ABC Television Network, cable networks including ESPN, the Disney Channel, SOAPnet, A&E and Lifetime, 277 radio stations, music and book publishing companies, production companies Touchstone, Miramax and Walt Disney Pictures, Pixar Animation Studios, the cellular service Disney Mobile, and theme parks around the world.
News Corporation’s media holdings include: the Fox Broadcasting Company; television and cable networks such as Fox, Fox Business Channel, National Geographic and FX; print publications including the Wall Street Journal, the New York Post and TVGuide; the magazines Barron’s and SmartMoney; book publisher HarperCollins; film production companies 20th Century Fox, Fox Searchlight Pictures and Blue Sky Studios; numerous websites including MarketWatch.com; and non-media holdings including the National Rugby League.
2009 revenues: $25.8 billion
Time Warner is the largest media conglomerate in the world, with holdings including: CNN, the CW (a joint venture with CBS), HBO, Cinemax, Cartoon Network, TBS, TNT, America Online, MapQuest, Moviefone, Warner Bros. Pictures, Castle Rock and New Line Cinema, and more than 150 magazines including Time, Sports Illustrated, Fortune, Marie Claire and People.
2009 revenues: $13 billion
CBS Corporation owns the CBS Television Network, CBS Television Distribution Group, the CW (a joint venture with Time Warner), Showtime, book publisher Simon & Schuster, 30 television stations, and CBS Radio, Inc, which has 130 stations. CBS is now the leading supplier of video to Google’s new Video Marketplace.
Afghanistan clears oil deal with China’s CNPC
By Agence France-Presse| Monday, December 26, 2011
Afghanistan has agreed to sign a deal with China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) for oil exploration and extraction, the president’s office said in a statement Monday. The state-owned Chinese oil giant will develop three oil fields, along with Afghan company Watan Group, located in the Amu river zone in Sar-e Pol and Faryab provinces in northern Afghanistan, the statement said.
Had to tweet that one. I’m glad the real Ron Paul is being brought out into the open so that the young kids who have been following him will hopefully wake up to how misled they have been. I know he has hardened supporters who do in fact stand by his crazy beliefs but there are plenty of others who are just plain uninformed. The more I hear about this man the more appalled I am.
The Nissan Leaf is New York City’s newest taxi
By Raphael Orlove| Dec 26, 2011 8:00 AM
Starting in Spring 2012, six Nissan Leaf electric cars will begin service as regular cabs in New York City, bringing all-electric driving to the busy metered masses of Manhattan. It’s part of a test program to see how all-electric vehicles fare as taxis with further electrification of the New York City taxi fleet to follow.
New campaign seeks to curb unnecessary healthcare services
December 20, 2011 | Stephanie Bouchard, Associate Editor
PHILADELPHIA – With the cost of medically unnecessary care estimated to be in the billions of dollars, a new campaign is setting out to change the medical profession’s and society’s usage of healthcare. Choosing Wisely, a campaign developed by the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Foundation in partnership with Consumer Reports and nine medical societies, seeks to get patients and doctors and others in the medical profession to think and talk about overuse or misuse of healthcare resources.
GOP Constitutional Ignorance Inspires A Radical Attack On The Judiciary
By Rmuse| December 26, 2011
Democracy has worked in America for over two-hundred years because the federal judiciary has the ability to check legislation for constitutionality and serves as a protection against Congressional and presidential overreach. Perhaps the federal courts do not always side with popular opinion, or the will of the people, but they do provide a measure of continuity based on the Constitution. There is reason to be concerned that democracy is in jeopardy if Republicans seeking the nomination for the presidency ever reach the White House because three of the contenders have made statements that threaten the federal judiciary and by extension, the Constitution and nature of America’s government.
Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder Forces Unemployed Workers Off Unemployment Insurance While Giving Corporations A Tax Cut
By Tanya Somanader on Dec 26, 2011 at 11:55 am
In 2011, he “shaved billions of dollars off future health care and retirement commitments,” proposed ending the state’s Earned Income Tax Credit, cut funding for school districts by eight to ten percent, cut aid for 11,000 low-income families and nearly 30,000 children, and enacted a regressive increase in personal taxes — all in the name of the deficit.
While more than 1.5 million of his constituents faced poverty, Snyder enacted a $1.7 billion tax cut for corporations, or about “$30 in corporate tax cuts for every dollar saved in welfare benefit cuts.” Indeed, Snyder pushed to cut the state’s business taxes by nearly $2 billion, or 86 percent.
It is ashame that the people didn’t find it necessary to come out to vote in 2010, so we got all these no good Republicans Governors. Who is bent on destroying the middle class and working poor.
The U.S. government received record demand for its bonds in 2011, pushing longer-maturity Treasuries to their best performance since 1995 in a sign that President Barack Obama may have little difficulty financing a fourth consecutive year of $1 trillion budget deficits.
The Treasury Department attracted $3.04 for each dollar of the $2.135 trillion in notes and bonds sold, the most since the government began releasing the data in 1992 during the George H. W. Bush administration. The U.S. drew an all-time high bid-to- cover ratio of $9.07 for $30 billion of four-week bills it auctioned on Dec. 20 even though they pay zero percent interest.
While Standard & Poor’s stripped the U.S. of its AAA credit rating on Aug. 5, Treasuries due in 10 years or more still returned 27.3 percent. The spreading sovereign debt crisis in Europe and slower global growth is driving investors to the safety of U.S. assets, helping to contain borrowing costs and making it cheaper as a percentage of gross domestic product to finance deficits than when the nation last had budget surpluses.
First, the green groups complained about the big solar plant in California, saying they had to move the 2100 turtles that lived there. So, the dept of interior did.
Now, green groups ate mad at the dept of interior over wind farms , saying it violates the migratory bird act.
Give me a break/ these green groups are stupid-
HONOLULU — After going hiking with family and friends this morning, President Obama sped to the links midday Monday, arriving at Marine Corps Base Hawaii a few minutes before noon.
This is the second time Obama’s gone golfing on the base overlooking Kaneohe Bay since he arrived here late Friday. It was sunny and about 80 degrees as the president started playing.
Monday’s been an active day for the president. Before golfing and hiking, he went to the gym on the base for a workout.
Sen. Charles Schumer’s brother-in-law was quietly nominated this month to a federal judgeship in New Jersey — a move that has some in the Garden State crying political foul, The Post has learned.
Kevin McNulty, who is married to Schumer’s sister, Fran, was named to the US District Court by the White House late on Friday, Dec. 16. According to a boilerplate quote, President Obama believes McNulty is a “distinguished individual” who “will serve the American people with integrity and a steadfast commitment to justice.”
These GOP have a nerve crying foul over any appointments when Cheney’s daughter and her husband had cushy state department jobs, and were entirely unqualified. Schumer is from New York – the brother in law is in New Jersey. Nothing to see.
Desertflower, I just wanted to tell you how sorry I am about your husband’s job. I’ve been through it myself with my husband. I love your PMA! I will send positive vibes and envision a much better job situation for your husband with a boss who appreciates his hard work.
Thank you, Sherry 🙂 I do appreciate your kind thoughts and good wishes…I will take all the good vibes we can get! Tough time of year…actually NO time is good, but this time of year makes it all the more difficult. We will get through this….God willing.
desertflower, I will be praying for you and your family to have the strength to face this,and also, of course, for your husband to find a good job. I will never understand an employer letting someone go two weeks before Christmas. Please keep us informed, and as you have seen from the above coments we are all pulling for you.
Thank you so much,carolyn. Strange to let someone go before the holidays, but it is what it is. I love this family, and I know that positive thoughts are coming our way…look how we all pulled for africa…and it worked 🙂 Will keep you posted. Promise.
Thank you so much, africa 🙂 Good thoughts came your way when you needed them most, and I am certain that the same will happen for us. I appreciate all the good thoughts and prayers you can muster. {{{{{{{{{{{{Hugs}}}}}}}}}}} right back to you. It will get better.
I love the pictures of the President and family with the service members, but I also love and cherish the picture of Vice President and Dr. Biden preparing to visit the vets at Walter Reed. That couple is a treasure also. We are so fortunate to have the Obamas and the Bidens in their respective positions. Never has there been such a quartet in those positions!!!
DF – your husband losing his job? This just happened to my good friend from chicago. her husband also lost his job 2 weeks before christmas. I just don’t understand how someone does that right before Christmas! I am thinking of you guys and sending good vibes your way — hope everything turns out OK!
Crazy, huh? I think happy thoughts…and try not to dwell too much on it. It doesn’t help that the week between Christmas and New Year’s is a down week…just extends it out longer 😦 Thank you for your positive thoughts…I will let everyone know when good news happens…and I know it will. Will be thinking of your Chicago friends, as well.
Thank you, JOB 🙂 Well look at that < A JOB! 🙂 I'm certain that good things will come to us this year….I will be certain to let this family know when the good news hits (and it will!) as soon as it happens…needs to happen soon so I can make bigger, more frequent donations to PBO! Hugs.
Tired of popcorn so I’m just gonna grab the chocolate chip ice cream
* Someone call the waaaaahhhmbulance, Mittens getz no wuv”
Despite the late hour and voting about to start, William Kristol pleads for someone else to jump into the race, and for those who took a pass to reconsider:
…[I]t is a moment, as you prepare to cast your vote, for others to reflect on whether they don’t owe it to their country to step forward. As this is no time for voters to choose fecklessly, it is no time for leaders to duck responsibility. Those who have stood aside—and who now may have concluded, as they may not have when they announced their original decision, that the current field is lacking—will surely hear the words of Thomas Paine echoing down the centuries: “The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.” Now is not a time for leaders to engage in clever calculations of the odds of success, or to succumb to concerns about how they will look if they enter the fray and fall short. Now is a time to come to the aid of our country.
Someone call the waahhhhmublance…Mittenz gets no wuv
Despite the late hour and voting about to start, William Kristol pleads for someone else to jump into the race, and for those who took a pass to reconsider:
…[I]t is a moment, as you prepare to cast your vote, for others to reflect on whether they don’t owe it to their country to step forward. As this is no time for voters to choose fecklessly, it is no time for leaders to duck responsibility. Those who have stood aside—and who now may have concluded, as they may not have when they announced their original decision, that the current field is lacking—will surely hear the words of Thomas Paine echoing down the centuries: “The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.” Now is not a time for leaders to engage in clever calculations of the odds of success, or to succumb to concerns about how they will look if they enter the fray and fall short. Now is a time to come to the aid of our country.
The auto club has just rolled out six roadside assistance trucks to recharge electric cars. The initiative was first announced at the Plug-In conference this past summer. Nielson says the goal is to give drivers a 15-mile charge in as little as 10 minutes. That’s a tall order for now.
AAA is testing three different types of charging technology. The first system is a lithium-ion battery pack that can be mounted on a small Ford TransitConnect van and charged by the generator whenever the van is running. Nielsen describes this is the most advanced technology they are assessing, but the least reliable. The second method uses natural-gas powered generators, which can be mounted on a Ford F-150 pickup with a utility body. The third option is a simple generator driven by the engine of a gas or diesel-powered ¾- or 1-ton pickup. This is the simplest, and so far most reliable system, Nielson says.
If the idea of dead electric cars being charged by big dirty diesel tow trucks strikes you as a Stephen Colbert fantasy come true, know that this equipment is installed on the same trucks that AAA has in the field already to provide lockout service and to bring gas to regular cars that have run out.
We have no doubt that President Obama understands and has well planned the next 11 months (and the four subsequent years of his 2nd term) with a comprehensive strategy as to how to rectify the vast injustice and harm the greedy have wrecked on Americans since 1968.
In that context please read:
Our4thEstate Bobfr
‘a sinister, usurious process by which wealth has systematically been funneled into fewer & fewer hands’ http://t.co/jbgs1LAL #1936ForObama
The 2008 Campaign was the warm up. The 2012 Campaign is the battle to save the Republic from the malignancy of greed that has metastisized throughout our America since Nixon & Reagan and then accelerated by Gramm-Leach-Bliley.
We must #OutPerform1936, eradicate the cancer of avarice, and restore the American Dream for all.
KUDOS Bob!! I’m glad you recognize that all this economic rape of the lower classes started with the election of Nixon in 1968. I totally agree with your posts and activism. Obama/Biden 2012
Dear desertflower–sorry to hear about the job situation. I suspect that any man married to you would have to be a pretty sharp individual. I’m going to think that he will no doubt get a better job with better boss, better pay, and better working conditions.
Hugs to you, auni and thank you for your kind thoughts. Yes…he’s a sharp cookie! He NEEDS a better boss, better pay and better working conditions. Luckily, someone in a position to hire him, wants to talk after the holidays. Please let this be the one!
Hi my former CT Lady 🙂 sorry to hear about your hubby’s job situation. I am a strong believer in taking it to the Lord and leaving the burden at his feet, so I will add your situation to my list that I am taking to him today … I trust that your hubby will find a job, one much better than the last. (((((hugs)))))
You remembered! (That we’re from CT!) Thank you….so very much for you kind thoughts . When you talk to God, let him know…sooner rather than later would be good! Thanks, again..CTGirl. Will keep you all posted.
Desertflower, I add my voice to all those before that you are in my thoughts. There are many of us going thru tough times in one way or another. We must stick together. I sure hope your husband finds a job soon.
Thank you, Marilyn 🙂 What a family we have here…I get strength from all of you. I have faith that this will be over quickly, and things happen for a reason…
Thank you, Dakota . Sorry that you guys are in the same spot. Hard this time of year….you will be in my thoughts. Glad to hear that things are looking up…will let you know when I can breathe again:)
I love it that both the prez and veep visit the troops in christmas every year. Has anyone of the rethugs, who spout ‘troops’ every other day, ever cared to visit them during chirstmas ?
That’s just another in the long list of BIG LIES told…Republicans never really gave a rats ass about the military…except to use them for their own end game.Not to say that they don’t appreciate them, but when it comes right down to it…their words never match their deeds (or lack thereof). They wrap themselves in the flag…well, that’s where it ends. Even people you THINK would be all over protecting the troops, don’t. I’m thinking of McCain, who often voted AGAINST VA funding,against anything to do with the care of the troops…..there are others, I’m sure. This President/VP walk the walk. I’m so proud to have them show what really supporting the troops looks like.
Had lunch today with some good souls. I said I had never been as aware of military families and what they contribute. Mrs. Obama and Mrs. Biden have done a wonderful service for our military by bringing the families forward as they have. Remember the picture of the President saluting the coffens that arrived in the middle of the night? There had been many men killed in one event. I believe that moment brought it into even more stark reality for him–the decision to send our young men into war has devestating results. I don’t think Bush, Chaney, Rumsfield and their ilk spent a lot of time grieving over that. My friends agreed–saying this president has put a face to cost of war–much more then any previous administration in memory.
FREEDOM, N.H.- Two weeks before the New Hampshire primary, GOP front-runner Mitt Romney holds a relatively narrow lead among independents – a critical voting bloc whose members remain largely undecided.
Romney’s lead among independents is seven percentage points, compared with his commanding 22 percentage point lead among all voters planning to cast ballots in the GOP primary Jan. 10.
That difference is especially important to Romney because he has portrayed himself as able to win the favor of independents and moderates crucial to victory in November.
“William O’Brien, the speaker of the New Hampshire State House, told a Tea Party group earlier this year that students are “foolish” and tend to “vote their feelings” because they lack life experience. “Voting as a liberal,” he said, “that’s what kids do.” And that’s why, he said, he supported measures to prohibit students from voting from their college addresses and to end same-day registration. New Hampshire Republicans even tried to pass a bill that would have kept students who previously lived elsewhere from voting in the state; fortunately, the measure failed, as did the others Mr. O’Brien favored.
Many students have taken advantage of Election Day registration laws, which is one reason Maine Republicans passed a law eliminating the practice. Voters restored it last month, but Republican lawmakers there are already trying new ways to restrict voting. The secretary of state said he was investigating students who are registered to vote in the state but pay out-of-state tuition.
Wisconsin once made it easy for students to vote, making it one of the leading states in turnout of younger voters in 2004 and 2008. When Republicans swept into power there last year, they undid all of that, imposing requirements that invalidated the use of virtually all college ID cards in voter registration. Colleges are scrambling to change their cards to add signatures and expiration dates, but it’s not clear whether the state will let them.
Imposing these restrictions to win an election will embitter a generation of students in its first encounter with the machinery of democracy.”
We’ll have our work cut out for us in these states making sure we outwit the voter suppression efforts. We’ll have to know exactly what ID is required and work our tails off to make sure every student who wants to vote can vote, or else gets an absentee vote into their own state. Then we’re got to make sure that there’s a backlash against these suppression techniques that sweeps out the Republican governors in the next election.
I have no idea why Ed Rendell is on tv sticking up for Willard, even arguing with rev. Al.
Eddie Rendell, shilling for Romney, saying Democrats are not that afraid of him.
Luckily, Gail Collins and Rev Al pushed back.
Good morning!
Short answer is that he’s an ass, who’s smarting because he didn’t get the attention and pandering he wanted from the Obama Administration. Longer answer is that his vaunted control of the Democratic party apparatus in PA got him nothing. He couldn’t get Arlen Specter elected and he didn’t get his expected kudos from the Clintonites. He wasted valuable good will doing a lousy job as governor and every okay thing he did do has been overturned by Corbett. He’s a bitter man and he doesn’t feel valued enough. So he’s allowing himself to be used by the R as their example of a true Democrat who hates the president. Bottom line? The guy has no class and deserve to be relegated to the dustbin of history. He would have made a good Tammany Hall boss, but can’t adjust to his irrelevant role in a changing world.
You would never see a Republican sticking up for President Obama. That’s the craziness of some people in the Democratic Party, or shall I say the Clinton clan. Alot of Hillary supporters whether it’s deep down or to the top, haven’t gotten over the fact that she lost to Obama.
BTW its a misconception that the President cannot make recess appointments because of the tactics that the Republicans are using by never really doing a full recess.
Steve Benen wrote a good article on it earlier this month.
What the Republicans are doing is really scandalous but again our lazy, sloppy, irresponsible media is giving them a pass on their outrageous obstruction.
I’d really like to know when the lazy media and nasty Repugs are gonna get their just desserts. It cannot be soon enough in my book. 😐
Ps- morning Donna D. Hope your Christmas was great! Morning Chips and TOD!
They have to break for the new congress on January 3rd.
Even if it is for five minutes, the President can use a recess appointment.
However, the only president that did was Truman,
And you know he will get absolutely no backup from our libertarian msnbc media.
Thx for that Donna I was so miffed because I thought that PBO was not able to make a recess appointment. It’s nice to know that he does have options. It’s hard to conceive how petty this republican house has been.
Steve Benen has been doing a terrific job of reporting on the Republican Party obstruction. He was one of the first bloggers to bring up the GOP sabotage issue. It is bad enough that we have elected officials in the Republican Party who are preventing a law that has already been enacted from being implemented. The bigger scandal is that this is not being reported by our feckless media.
A radical embrace of nullification
=========================
The GOP minority isn’t even questioning Cordray’s qualifications. Rather, Republicans are saying they refuse to allow existing law to function until Democrats meet the GOP’s demands and does Wall Street’s bidding. When the Senate minority is satisfied, they’ll consider allowing the law to function — if they feel like it.
As a matter of legal and institutional principles, Americans haven’t seen tactics like these since the Civil War. It led James Fallows to explain yesterday, “This strategy depends absolutely for its success on its not being called what it is: Constitutional radicalism, or nullification.” Jonathan Cohn made the same point last week, and Thomas Mann referenced a “modern-day form of nullification” in July.
Political tactics and schemes come and go, as politicians and parties win and lose. But what Republicans are doing now does real damage to the American system of government. It is, by any meaningful definition, a serious and important political scandal.
Good grief…how insufferable is this lady? And she wonders why she has not made it up the chain?Every major network (hell even FOX) took it as what it was—-an adorable moment that a baby sticks his hand in the world’s most powerful person’s mouth. Next thing she will be doing an investigative piece on Bo’s whereabouts in Hawaii. Must be auditioning for a politico gig.
Good grief. The first child was shy – I’ve seen kids do the same thing with their own family members and the second was a newborn doing what it knows how to do – SLEEP!
We all see through that gb. This woman just felt the need to share the heaping of hate she must of received under her Christmas tree this weekend. Incredible!
Editorial
Keeping Students From the PollsPublished: December 26, 2011
Next fall, thousands of students on college campuses will attempt to register to vote and be turned away. Sorry, they will hear, you have an out-of-state driver’s license. Sorry, your college ID is not valid here. Sorry, we found out that you paid out-of-state tuition, so even though you do have a state driver’s license, you still can’t vote.
Political leaders should be encouraging young adults to participate in civic life, but many Republican state lawmakers are doing everything they can instead to prevent students from voting in the 2012 presidential election. Some have openly acknowledged doing so because students tend to be liberal.
Seven states have already passed strict laws requiring a government-issued ID (like a driver’s license or a passport) to vote, which many students don’t have, and 27 others are considering such measures. Many of those laws have been interpreted as prohibiting out-of-state driver’s licenses from being used for voting.
It’s all part of a widespread Republican effort to restrict the voting rights of demographic groups that tend to vote Democratic. Blacks, Hispanics, the poor and the young, who are more likely to support President Obama, are disproportionately represented in the 21 million people without government IDs. On Friday, the Justice Department, finally taking action against these abuses, blocked the new voter ID law in South Carolina.
In The Business Of Giving You The Business
by Zandar
Kind of a depressing WaPo piece here about America’s House of Not So Commons and politics increasingly being a rich person’s game:
Between 1984 and 2009, the median net worth of a member of the House more than doubled, according to the analysis of financial disclosures, from $280,000 to $725,000 in inflation-adjusted 2009 dollars, excluding home equity.
Over the same period, the wealth of an American family has declined slightly, with the comparable median figure sliding from $20,600 to $20,500, according to the Panel Study of Income Dynamics from the University of Michigan.
The comparisons exclude home equity because it is not included in congressional reporting, and 1984 was chosen because it is the earliest year for which consistent wealth statistics are available.
The growing disparity between the representatives and the represented means that there is a greater distance between the economic experience of Americans and those of lawmakers.
December 27, 2011 8:00 AM
One of Gingrich’s divorces draws new scrutiny
By Steve Benen
Generally, when disgraced former House Speaker Newt Gingrich’s (R) first marriage draws attention, it’s because of questions about timing. Gingrich has been accused, for example, of haggling over the terms of his divorce from his first wife while she was in the hospital, recovering from uterine cancer surgery. What’s more, there’s evidence he had already proposed to his second wife before he was divorced from his first.
But CNN reported yesterday on a new wrinkle.
Newt Gingrich claims that it was his first wife, not Gingrich himself, who wanted their divorce in 1980, but court documents obtained by CNN appear to show otherwise. […]
The documents, and interviews with people close to the couple at the time, contradict the Gingrich claim about who wanted the divorce.
Monday, December 26, 2011
Entitled demagogue
by digby
I continue to be irritated by Mitt Romney’s apparent strategy to turn himself into the worst kind of Tea Party demagogue with this “entitlement” nonsense. Coming from a rich kid who parlayed his name into hundreds of millions as a front man for a Vulture Capitalist firm, it’s especially sickening.
Thomas Edsall had a nice piece on it yesterday, called “The Anti-entitlement Strategy”,(which is funny in itself):
Romney and his aides have designed his rhetoric to define pretty much all spending on entitlements, including provisions for the injured, unemployed, sick, disabled or elderly as benefits to the poor who, Romney implies, are undeserving. And it doesn’t matter whether the money to pay for these programs comes from employer and employee contributions and not just tax revenue — they are all under suspicion.
In an op-ed published Dec. 19 in USA Today, Romney described the 2012 election as a battle between the partisans of entitlement and the partisans of opportunity:
December 26, 2011
How did we (they) get here?
An excellent synopsis from Norm Ornstein:
Today’s Tea Partiers recognize that they share a similar governing philosophy with their forebears [of 1994], but they believe almost uniformly that the Gingrichites sold out too quickly, blinking unnecessarily when the political heat got turned up.
To which Jonathan Bernstein adds two other excellent points:
The first is the conservative closed-information loop: It’s very likely that Tea Partyers in Congress really don’t realize how unpopular many conservative ideas are with swing voters because the news sources they’ve listened to for years never happen to mention it. The other key factor was the 2010 elections, and in particular the primary challenges to incumbents such as Lisa Murkowski and Bob Bennett. Normally, the reality check on fantasies about the popularity of fringe partisan ideas comes when politicians start thinking of Election Day. However, when the Election Day that looms largest in the imaginations of those politicians is the primary, then they’re pushed toward those fringe positions, not away from them.
To which I’d add yet a third point: The GOP’s creeping institutionalization of rank amateurism in American politics.
December 25, 2011, 9:00 pm
The Anti-Entitlement Strategy
By THOMAS B. EDSALL
Mitt Romney wants to stigmatize most “safety net” spending – the array of social insurance programs from Medicare to food stamps to unemployment compensation to free school lunches — as a form of welfare that is “cultivating government dependence.”
“Our growing welfare state is slated to cost $10.3 trillion over the next 10 years — that’s $72,000 a household,” Romney told voters in Bedford, N.H., on Dec. 20:
Once we thought ‘entitlement’ meant that Americans were entitled to the privilege of trying to succeed in the greatest country in the world. Americans fought and died to earn and protect that entitlement. But today the new entitlement battle is over the size of the check you get from Washington.
An entitlement, as the government defines it, “legally obligates the United States to make payments to any person who meets the eligibility requirements established in the statute that creates the entitlement.”
Mitt Romney at the Town Hall in Bedford, N.H., on Dec. 20, 2011. Romney and his aides have designed his rhetoric to define pretty much all spending on entitlements, including provisions for the injured, unemployed, sick, disabled or elderly as benefits to the poor who, Romney implies, are undeserving. And it doesn’t matter whether the money to pay for these programs comes from employer and employee contributions and not just tax revenue — they are all under suspicion.
Monday, December 26, 2011
Elections have consequences. Including this one.
by David Atkins
There’s a lot of disappointment out with the Obama Administration, to be sure. I count myself as one of the disenchanted with the Administration’s tepid rhetoric and lack of forward progress on the issues that matter most to me: reversing the financialization of the economy, doing something about climate change, forcing the super-rich to pay their fair share again, reducing America’s over-expenditure on its war machine, protecting the social safety net, and increasing investment the rest of the federal discretionary budget not dedicated to Social Security, Medicare, and the military. Civil libertarians and education advocates would argue with some cause that the Administration’s stances have actually reversed progress on their key issues.
But it’s a long way from there to arguing that elections don’t matter, that Obama is as bad as Bush, and that therefore one shouldn’t vote. Paul Krugman would have a few words to say on that front:
Surprise: I got my wish, in the form of new Environmental Protection Agency standards on mercury and air toxics for power plants. These rules are long overdue: we were supposed to start regulating mercury more than 20 years ago. But the rules are finally here, and will deliver huge benefits at only modest cost.
So, naturally, Republicans are furious. But before I get to the politics, let’s talk about what a good thing the E.P.A. just did…
This E.P.A. decision would not have happened under a McCain administration, any more than this kiss would have been possible. And a Romney/Gingrich/Perry administration will likely reverse this E.P.A. ruling if it gets a chance.
Politics is often about taking the best choices one has available. The Obama Administration hasn’t been anything close to perfect by a long shot. But as election season nears and the consequences of the choice that lies before the country draw into clearer focus, the voices who argue that voting is irrelevant because there’s no difference between the parties are going to become self-marginalized.
The Obama Diary 
FIRST!
WooooOOOOOooooot! Congratulations Halo 😆
Chica, when you get a minute, HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA, 😀
Seriously, when you get around to it, can you please add the Osawatamie speech to ‘The Speeches” page? Thanks much.
MWAH!!! Love ya!!
Happy monday everyone..!! 😀
·oooO·.·.·.·.·.·.·.
·.·(·.·.)·.·.Oooo·
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·.·Rock Wuz Here.·.
·.·.·.·.·.·.·.·.·.·.·.·.·
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FIRED UP…!!
READY TO GO..!!! 😀
Happy Holidays, Rock!
Hey Chips,
Happy Holidays to you and all at TOD. Great job as always. I couldn’t wait to check Gallup today b/c it had to increase with other polls doing the same. Good to see the trend hit there too.
I keep running into folks trying to explain Ron Paul all over the Web today. Sorry, once you’ve called a group of the population “animals”, there’s no explaining left to do. It’s time to apologize profusely or shut up; my take anyway…………….
Exactly.
G’day all. i hope everyone had a wonderful, joy filled Christmas. It’s still good to be on the right side of the grass. 🙂
Those swabbies look good in their dress blues……Memories.
G’day yardarm. It is good to be on the right side of the grass. 🙂
Helloooooo Chipsticks, thanks for being you!
I still have snowflakes falling on my screen….while temp outside here in So Cal is in the 70’s.
IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE! Good to see the First Family.
RON PAUL IS FROM TIMES PAST…OUR GREAT COUNTRY HAS EVOLVED…RON PAUL HAS’NT!!!
AMERICAN MUST CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD…NOT BACKWARDS!
WE MUST DO EVERYTHING IN OUR POWER TO RE-ELECT PRESIDENT OBAMA AND VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN…OUR NATION IS IN DEED AT THE TIPPING POINT!!!!
PLEASE .PLEASE.PLEASE…LETS STAY FOCUSED AND MOTIVATED IN 2012!!!!
Well said, Lynn.
Hello Everyone…. Happy Day After….I hope Santa was good to All.
—
Yesterday at our family gathering, one of the guests said 3 or 4 times that he received the Ron Paul Family Cookbook as a gift.
Finally…..I asked him what kind of recipes are in that book ? Back of the Bus Bread ? Segregation Salad ? Whites only vanilla pudding ?
( I am in Georgia, he lives in South Carolina )
Hi Linda. Happy Boxing Day to you. I LOVE your question in response to your guests statement. Just perfect.
Thanks…..I try really hard not to discuss politics at family gatherings and ignored it the first couple times. Then I just blurted it out.
Good for you. I’d have done the same thing! NEVER seem to keep my mouth shut….I wouldn’t bring it up, but I’d finish it, for sure!
So… What did he say in response?
Nice!
Don’t leave us in suspense…what was the response??
I did not get one…….
You’re funny. That took guts. He didn’t answer because he knew what Ron Paul was all about and knows its not right.
Hope everyone had a great holiday. Our first child is returning back to Philly today, and our son leaves for Philly this Wednesday. Our other daughter leaves for U. of Arizona Jan 8th, and then life gets back to normal (whatever that is 🙂 ) My daughter in Philly got her DL renewed this Christmas, so she can change her California license to a Pennsylvania license in time to vote for PBO in November. Our son has his PA DL already, and so now am working on my D to vote absentee from AZ, as she’s a CA resident. Lots to do to get ready for the vote in 2012.
Love the pictures Chipsticks. The one with the baby with his hand in Prez. Obama’s mouth is hilarious!
HONOLULU — The first family and friends are hiking Monday at Kailua Beach Park, a short ride from their vacation rental.
They’re taking the Lanikai Pillbox Hike, which is “one of the most picturesque and pleasant Oahu hiking trails,” according to one website for visitors. Moving at a steady speed, the hike takes 60 to 90 minutes.
Kailua Beach Park is also conveniently located near Island Snow, the shave ice shop that the first family frequents while on vacation here.
–Jennifer Epstein
I have been enjoying the pictures of the President’s marine base visit and the video was hilarious. I just imagine how fantastic it would be to grow up and have pictures of myself as a baby grabbing the teeth of the President of the United States!! So many children will have fantastic photos with the President.
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal/2011_12/the_big_unspoken_benefit_in_ob034324.php
These trends, Mettler says, fuel “the real if inchoate sense many Americans have that government has been “growing,” as measured by deficits and new programs, but in ways that don’t benefit them.” Therefore, making submerged state programs visible ought to be a key progressive goal. Seen in that light, Obama’s win over the payroll tax cut could an even bigger victory than people recognize.
Other comments are mentioning Ron Paul and I just wanted to give out the alert to a post by the incomparable Al Giordano at The Field. He has an excellent analysis of the GOP field including Ron Paul.. Al is saying that Paul will be a spoiler for Romney in Iowa and New Hampshire, allowing Gingrich to play out a plan to downplay those two states and surge in Southern states where he has more impact.
http://narcosphere.narconews.com/thefield/4721/gringrich-could-still-win-iowa-or-lose-it-and-still-win-nomination
[quote) I thought long and hard about whether to imitate Rush Limbaugh and create a 2011 version of “Operation Chaos” (when he instructed his listeners to take Democratic primary ballots to vote for Hillary Clinton in order to weaken Obama for the general election), and do as Andrew Sullivan has done (he endorsed Paul last week).
After all, the Doctor Jekyll part of Doctor Paul is damn good: Legalize drugs! Stop foreign wars! And a Paul v. Obama general election campaign could really push the President into surrendering to the inevitable generational change to come on drug policy. I would love to see that happen and probably a lot of you would too.
The problem with that scenario isn’t even the Mister Hyde part of Doctor Paul and his more whacky positions on other issues, not even his racist newsletter of yesteryears that the media has suddenly discovered (such “revelations,” in fact, can only help him with the GOP base). Rather, it’s this: Ron Paul can win Iowa and even possibly win New Hampshire, but he would still go down to defeat before the GOP nominates its 2012 candidate. He is not going to be the nominee. Take that to the bank. The Republican establishment would rally around anyone to stop him. And I would wager that Paul would not handle a fall from frontrunner any better than Bachman, Perry or Cain did. He’s not ready for that kind of prime time. I’m almost sorry to say that, because I have good friends that I respect that believe in Doctor Paul, and I hate to pop the air from their balloon at the dawn of their newfound hope. But if there’s one thing you get from The Field, it’s an honest assessment of what I think will happen before it happens, and there it is.
And while the “conventional wisdom” (the kind that is always wrong) spouts that a Paul victory in Iowa would hurt Gingrich’s chances, I would argue that it could be the best thing for Gingrich, because it puts Paul into play in New Hampshire where Romney otherwise should win there convincingly, and ties Romney down in the Granite State while Newt races ahead to plant the anti-Mormon land mines (yes, I know it makes some uncomfortable to hear any acknowledgement that there is still bigotry in the United States, but that’s reality) in South Carolina and the rest of Dixie.
Paul, simply put, cannot withstand the scrutiny that would come upon him as an Iowa caucus winner. His ideas and positions, especially the best of them – the positions I agree with! – are too far outside the mainstream of thought in the far-right cauldron of Republican primary voters nationwide.(endquote}
His stance in Israel is a non starter…did we mention that?
http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/scarce/ron-pauls-book-christmas-gift-makes-republi
He is however, most certainly Anti-Israel, and Anti-Israeli in general. He wishes the Israeli state did not exist at all. He expressed this to me numerous times in our private conversations. His view is that Israel is more trouble than it is worth, specifically to the America taxpayer. He sides with the Palestinians, and supports their calls for the abolishment of the Jewish state, and the return of Israel, all of it, to the Arabs.
AND, it make a girl cry to hear, in his book, that he thought Israel was an “apartheid state”. Yeah, that’ll go over well.
Oh wait! There’s more! Let’s not forget the Neo Nazi’s…
http://littlegreenfootballs.com/article/39673_Ron_Pauls_Extremist_Connections_Redux
Ron Paul and extremism: You can read the NYT today, or you can read @Lizardoid from four years ago. Ron Paul: No Problem with Donations from Neo-Nazis
For example, speaking of Don Black, founder of neo-Nazi site Stormfront, who could forget this picture of Black and his son Derek (in the creepy hat), posing with Ron Paul at the Values Voter Presidential debate in Fort Lauderdale on September 17, 2007?
I see Al mentioned the liberal hope that Ron Paul would move Pres.Obama left on drug policy. I don’t believe it. Ron Paul wouldn’t even have the chance because his other toxic policies would take up a lot of time in the campaign.
Al is a first class political activist, and a political reporter who covers the war on drugs. I am ABSOLUTELY NOT a Paulite, but I used to do drug counseling and I, too, for many, many reasons believe marijuana should be legalized. It always sounds so naive when I read lefties saying they are going to push the President in any way. They don’t see his strength. So, I ignore stuff like that. I just liked Al’s savvy political analysis of the GOP.
I’m interested in seeing the rock uncovered on the GOP’s hidden agenda in whatever way it can be and the GOP presidential race is certainly doing that. In this too, I trust the President. He’s on it. I’m aware of so much power, focus and confidence in his campaign — much like the man himself! Obama/Biden 2012!!!
I don’t understand the interest in Ron Paul as a politician let alone a candidate for President. There is nothing about him I find viable as a leader. So I don’t get how someone as smart as Al could find respect for people who “believe in” Ron Paul. The mere fact that we’re discussing his candidacy in our nation is baffling to me because he strikes me as an aging NUT. Especially in this era with President Obama, I don’t understand how anyone in their right mind could be entertaining a complete throwback to the 50s. His attitudes, opinions, beliefs and awareness of the world in which we currently live are outdated and dangerous. I just don’t get it.
I also don’t understand the remarks about Gingrich scoring with anti-Mormon groups. He’s Catholic.
THE PRESIDENT IS CONFIDENT AND SO AM I …HE WILL BE READY TO RUN AGAINST WHOM EVER THE REPUPLICAN NOMINEE IS…NO DOUBT ABOUT IT…THIS WILL BE THE DEFINING MOMENT IN THIS NATION POLITICALLY AND HISTORICALLY….I STAND WITH #44!!!!
Ron Paul Signs Personhood USA Pledge, Proving Once Again That He Is NOT A Libertarian Or A Liberal
http://www.addictinginfo.org/2011/12/26/ron-paul-signs-personhood-usa-pledge-proving-once-again-that-he-is-not-a-libertarian-or-a-liberal/
But he is a pandering fool!
Yes, I read that. Pandering fool, indeed.
Truly a pandering fool!
Ron Paul is turning out to be one big fraud.
I think he’s always been a fraud. Now, it’s just coming out of his mouth too much to ignore.
Please join in the $19.36 Campaign 🙂
America – in honor of 1936 http://t.co/AIwU7Kxm Just made a $19.36 donation http://t.co/suICZGSc Please do so. #1936ForObamaBiden
#PRESSON
Bob, I donate to the O’camp at least $50 per month but do not do the reoccurring choice because I like to donate through people’s fundraisers. And I am not sure if the credit card companies charge the merchants (in this case the campaign) for individual donations so just to be sure that most of my money goes to the campaign and not to the banks, I chose to calculate the amount that we would be comfortable donating in one lump sum.
You are doing wonderfully. Thank you for supporting President Obama.
#PRESSON #1936ForObamaBiden
You are a trooper Bob and thank you for all that you do too for our president. We will do this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Obama/Biden 2012!
Bob I thought it was such a good idea I sent it to OFA and told them about it. I think it should be a big campaign. I think that map from your first link is splendid – in 1936 almost every state was blue. Wow! Well, anyways, good job I think it’s great and as soon as my sweetiepie isn’t looking I’m donating 19.36 to the cause!
Thank you so much, Alice!
The hope is that OFA, DNC, DCCC, DSCC etc could create a challenge truly to beat the 1936 record – we certainly have all the reasons Dems did then, and more, to turn the leadership, at all levels, Blue in 2012.
#PRESSON
😯 Wow Bob admitting FDR won in 1936 by landslide is an understatement. 😯
Wonderful Story, wonderful lady
Holiday heroes: Foster kids feel her love
http://www.whatisworking.com/2011/12/holiday-heroes-foster-kids-feel-her.html
that is heartwarming Linda! tweeted
I Dugg that one: http://digg.com/news/offbeat/holiday_heroes_foster_kids_feel_her_love_what_is_working
What a wonderful person making such a difference in the lives of chlldren and the elderly. It takes a special individual to open their heart and home to so many. Thank you again for sharing ‘What is Working’!
WiW that’s a wonderful story. Thanks.
Stop the Hysteria Over the NDAA. Fact vs Fiction
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Stop the Hysteria Over the NDAA. Fact vs Fiction
By Suzi LeVeaux – Posted on 17 December 2011
There is a lot of hysteria coming from the far left ( I call them the “professional left” ) and libertarians over the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Led by the ACLU, they are calling it the “Indefinite Detention Bill.”. The amendment about “indefinite detention” is only a small part of the Defense Dept budget bill. And, those who are fear mongering about it are leaving out something very important. The amendment clearly states:
‘AUTHORITIES.—Nothing in this section shall be construed to affect existing law or authorities relating to the detention of United States citizens, lawful resident aliens of the United States, or any other persons who are captured or arrested in the United States
And…..
APPLICABILITY TO UNITED STATES CITIZENS AND LAWFUL RESIDENT ALIENS.—
(1) UNITED STATES CITIZENS.—The requirement to detain a person in military custody under this section does not extend to citizens of the United States.
(2) LAWFUL RESIDENT ALIENS.—The requirement to detain a person in military custody under this section does not extend to a lawful resident alien of the United States on the basis of conduct taking place within the United States, except to the extent permitted by the Constitution of the United States.
The detainee provisions in the bill do not include new authority for the permanent detention of suspected terrorists. The “existing law” is contained within the Patriot Act.
http://www.republicansforobama.org/node/9821
But but but Jonathan Turley said…
It saddens me that the ACLU would strain its credibility in this fashion.
A video of President Obama was edited in a Breitbart way, exposed by Politicus USA
Exposed: A Spammer Fooled MSM & America with Edited NDAA Video
http://www.politicususa.com/en/edited-ndaa-video
“It turns out that the edited NDAA video of Carl Levin that was inaccurately cited in the mainstream media as proof that Obama wanted to detain US citizens was originally posted by a spammer. As we know, the President did not ask for language giving him the right to detain US citizens, he asked for the opposite. But that story wouldn’t get very many clicks for a spammer…..”
and
Lawfare has a readable guide to the NDAA
NDAA FAQ: A Guide for the Perplexed
http://www.lawfareblog.com/2011/12/ndaa-faq-a-guide-for-the-perplexed/
From Iowa OFA–
Neighborhood team members from Johnston huddled around a computer screen during our Mock Caucus last week. Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller filled in for President Obama, who announced on Monday that he’d be joining Iowa supporters at the caucuses on January 3rd via video call. Sign up to commit to caucus so you too can hear from President Obama on caucus night!
http://www.barackobama.com/news/entry/IA-photos-from-the-field-practice-makes-perfect
But but but my Brother stuck up for Ron Paul and said, what about the gold standard?
Ahhh, yes.
Can you all imagine, finding enough gold to cover the Federal budget every year?
This is just another way to shrink government down to nothing!
Jovie, ask your Bro about other way more rare earths like cobalt, platinum etc. Gold and diamonds are so common that we make cheap a** jewelry out of it that we hawk on various holidays so people will spend hard earned money for tripe. If you want gold come out west, get a gold pan, hit a dry wash or stream and pan away. With the price of gold so ridiculously inflated you can still make several hundred $ panning on a week end.
Some good news to celebrate 🙂
http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/editorials/story/2011-12-22/editorial-holiday-2011-christmas/52168112/1
That was a refreshing read desertflower. Thanks for it.
Thanks for bringing that here, DF. I really wish more of the media would take this approach to the news. Very enjoyable reading.
Thanks, FiredUP and PJ ! I look long and hard for news like this 🙂
Yeah df. That news weny very well with my evening cocktail. Thank you. 🙂
the author forgot to mention the number one item of good news: we have president obama in the white house! so much that the author is ‘happy about’ flows from president obama’s hard work.
That was a refreshing editorial out of USAtoday, but I wish these journalist or opeds would stop dancing around the fact (avoidence) and actually come out and say it is the DAMNED RETHUGS that have performed a record amount of OBSTRTUCTION and they are the cause for Congresses abysmal approval ratings. Lumping Democrats as a whole with them delutes any positive messages of our success. 😕 Thank God the president finally started to directly call them out.
Happy Boxing Day TOD Fam!!!
Chips, my son always enjoys being with me when I visit TOD site daily, he thoroughly enjoys viewing Pete Souza’s WH pics, the funny GOP cartoons, video footage of POTUS & FLOTUS and the children, especially Bo. He always gets annoyed when he see’s news that I watch from online over there in the United States, that depicts POTUS in a bad way.. which tells me, his eyes are wide open to media bias and right wing talking points.. that he questions them to me LMAo!!
Although my son is 10 years old, he takes great delight in President Obama’s accomplishments like Libya and DADT to name a few. He sometimes has discussions with me about Obama making differences in the World like that.
At my son’s school, they had a Book event, where a child brings their favourite book and explains why they like it, and my son took his ‘Barack Obama : Hope for the World’ childrens book by Tim Alexander I had bought him a year ago lol
My son (an Obot mini-me lol) and I are going to spend our afternoon having lunch and going through past speeches of President Obama.. thanks to the TOD Speeches link to the side ——- > over there ————> just a little further over ————–> Yup… there!! lol
Welp okay, I see my son is waiting for me to get our lunch plans underway lol hahaha
Enjoy your Monday folks! Back Later!!
What fun! And what an aware child that you have 🙂 Good for you, NZ! Happy Boxing Day!
I don’t discount the profound effect President Obama is having on the youngest generation. Their attraction to him and willingness to listen to what he has to say can stay with them for the rest of their lives. His speeches can be as inspirational to them as JFK and MLK were to my generation. While Reagan was a transformational President in the 80’s; his reach as an inspiration to youth seems confined to a certain segment of Americans. Reagan never achieved rock star status internationally. For one thing, he only took 11 trips outside the U.S. and most of those were to Western Europe. By contrast, President Obama has already taken 20 trips and gone to many more countries: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_international_trips_made_by_the_President_of_the_United_States#President_Barack_Obama
The President LOVES children and they love him. Children know how real he is. No matter what happens in the future, President Obama has made a far greater impact for the good on the young than any recent President, bar none.
Totally Co-Sign that! I just have to look at the young in my own family to see this. My soon to be 14 year old Grandson plans to GOTV for PBO. His only grief is that he won’t be able to vote himself until 2016. He plans to convince everyone he meets to: “vote for President Obama because he is the best President and he cares about all the people.”
aquagranny911, you have a smart young grandson. He may not be able to vote but we welcome whatever help he can give us who are fighting to re-elect President Obama.
My 17 YO son just registered to vote today…online 🙂 He’s SOOOOOOOOOOOO excited to vote for Barack Obama in 2012! That’s all four of us in my household!
yay!
wonderful news desertflower
True and insightful comment Tien Le.
I totally agree, Tien Le. I think this is a big part of the almost primal reaction that PBO’s opponents have to him: they know that his very presence is inspiration and aspirational to a whole generation of children — both here in America and worldwide. I am reminded of their disgusting reaction to his first address to schoolchildren as President: something that should have been routine turned into an ugly, dramatic controversy by right-wingers. And yet, they can’t keep the children from loving him.
I agree with everything in your post Tien Le. Except I find it hard to describe Reagan as transformational other than helping end the Cold War as we knew it and his infamous Reaganomics. His biggest legacy was torturing us with the Bush one and Bush two legacies. 😦
Brilliant story – having a child with a curious, open mind is a real gift, and a testament to your parenting. Lovely story!
GREAT! thanks for sharing 🙂
Hi NZ. I love readiing your comments. That is a lovely comment about your son. Please continue to share those moments with him. What a beautiful way to teach him and have these discussions with him about POB and what is taking place in the world. Enjoy your lunch date together. HZ
Technically, there almost certainly is not enough gold on Earth to supply the present U.S. economy with its currency in the form of gold coins alone.
Though in fairness, if you are promoting an internal race war and are raising money from neo-Nazis, you may be planning for a *much* smaller economy and… population.
…
I would rather not comment on this option, but I believe it speaks for itself.
The price of gold, silver, diamonds etc is an artificial one, imho and has no real bearing on economics except for the filberts who want a return to the 19th Century.
Not just that, but imagine the cost and effort to remove the US from the world electronic financial system? This is an impossible fantasy that the gold-mongers are spinning for the gullible.
More good news…
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45791965/ns/business-holiday_retail/#.TvkI9jXlPeg
IBM found that online shopping jumped 16.4 percent on Christmas Day over last year, and the dollar amount of those purchases that were made using mobile devices leaped 172.9 percent.
he online uptick was continuing on Monday. As of 3 p.m. Eastern time, shopping was up 10 percent over Dec. 26, 2010. And the expectation was that the pace of buying would increase as the day wore on and consumers clicked on sales at various retailers.
Shopping made easy 🙂
“HO! HO! HO! Who wouldn’t go up on the house top quick, quick, quick and down through the chimney with good St. Nick……”
I know I spent more this year but I also got a new Granddaughter in September and I refuse to confess the amount I paid for the most adorable dress I got her for her first Christmas which she promptly puked on. Oh well, what are Grannies for after all? I did do my part to “stimulate the economy.”
Hope all is well at your casa, DF and that you had a lovely Christmas.
Hello, dear friend! Long time, no see! She puked on it? That MUST be good luck or something 🙂 As I always told my kids when they got some “special” clothing soiled…”That’s what washing machines are for!” No worries.
Our Christmas this year was quiet. Actually we postponed it. My husband lost his job two weeks before Christmas, so needless to say…we didn’t get gifts for each other this year…though my husband did get one thing for each of us…totally going against the agreement that we had made as a family to wait until he was employed again to celebrate the holiday.
I have to say though, that it WAS kind of nice just spending quality time with the four of us…making my phone calls to family and having Christmas dinner together. None of that “Commercialism that I have come to detest this time of year. The hardest thing was not having a beautiful tree this year…..I missed the magic of that…and the smell!
So in answer to your question…we did have a lovely Christmas…just not the one that we expected to have. Fingers and toes crossed for a better new year….but mostly…A JOB! 🙂
Hope that you and your family have a happy, healthy New Year! Don’t be a stranger…miss you !
desertflower, you know that you and your family are in our prayers. My prayer for you is that you have a better new year. That your husband will fine a job soon. Know that my fingers, my toes and everything else I can cross is cross. May the good Lord watch over you, keep you safe, sound, in your right mind, give you strength, and love. Bless you.
Thank you so much,anniebella 🙂 I do appreciate the kind thoughts and will keep good thoughts about the new year. I found the words from PBO (today’s quote) quite comforting to think about….my incredible children are healthy, my husband of nearly 31 years is still by my side, and I have family and friends (you all are included) that I adore. Good things will come soon. I feel it! PMA…positive mental attitude!
Sounds very special. I am sending good vibes your way for employment for your husband. (((((desertflower and family)))))
Be steadfast Dear desertflower. This is nothing more than a speed bump. It’s only a test. This too shall pass. 10] WORRYING does not take away tomorrow’s TROUBLES, it takes away today’s PEACE.
My heart to your heart for a better New Year… and just a piece of gripe….why wait till just before a holiday to lay someone off? That same thing happened to my son two years ago….Dang, Sweetie! I’m so sorry to read this. All my most positive thoughts are with you and your family. You have a sweet loving man who just wanted you all to have something from him under your tree.
Thanks to all of you. A little “Blip” on the bump of life….Been a tumultuous last 3 years…I just wish for stability, is all. Big hugs to all of you…I will think happy thoughts, and take your prayers and well wishes and keep them close. Hugs to all….and you’re right AG…right before Christmas? Seriously…his boss was psycho. All works out for the best !
Only Believe df….God will take care of you and your husband.
Success is when preparation meets opportunity.
Oh, DF. So sorry about your husband’s job. I will be crossing my fingers and toes also in hopes of his attaining a new job in the new year.
So very sorry about your husband’s job. I really believe in when one door closes, another one opens, somehow, somewhere. I will be praying for your husband that he gets the best job ever as soon as possible.
sorry to hear that desertflower. I will add my prayers for a better New Year for you and your husband. He sounds like a sweet and lovely man. May you be blessed and may the New Year be a prosperous one.
DF, I will pray for great and big doors to open up where this one was shut. Let us keep that in our minds and hearts that soon there will be a great JOB for your husband. I will put you both in my beautiful book of prayer,, thoughts, and ‘Asking Big for these Dear God ‘ for you both. Keep your faith and positive thoughts toward this. It will come. I believe for you, okay.
(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( Please meet the needs of DF and Hubby, Dear Father))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))HZ
Gratefully Asking Tonight, Amen..
aquagranny – Ha! You’re reminding me of when my third granddaughter was born. She was slightly premature. I rushed to a very expensive children’s shop and bought her two perfectly pink little preemie outfits, so she’d have something to wear home from the hospital that actually fit her (I wanted to be sure of that). I think she outgrew them in about four days! However, those four days were well worth it, to me!
She’s now 17 and when I call her and she knows it’s me, she answers the phone, “Hello, beautiful.” Yep, she was and is well worth it!
Grandchildren are the very best of life! Wee Elena makes an even dozen for me now. I’m hoping that I live long enough for the “greats” to come along and see the world. I would really enjoy that so much
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/blogs/national-affairs/the-economy-whats-wrong-and-how-to-fix-it-20111223
Nice piece of straight forward economics from Jared Bernstein.
I think that baby plans to be a dentist when he grows up! Great pics and I hope everyone had a peaceful and enjoyable holiday.
I don’t usually read The New Republic, but following links led me to this excellent article about how the Tea Party Representatives in Congress are more like Gingrich and why they’re likely to keep giving Boehner fits: http://www.tnr.com/article/politics/98911/the-loneliness-the-speaker-why-conservative-republicans-keep-rebelling-agains
♥ ♥ ♥ Good Day Chips! Good Day TOD Family! ♥ ♥ ♥
Barack Obama Quote O’ The Day
Have a great evening, everyone! 😛
Make me cry, why don’t you?
PJ that is so good I gotta tweet it. Love it – thanks!
My heart skipped a beat. Beautiful. Just like him.
Lovely soul !
Beautiful gift we have been given in our President. Thanks PJ. HZ
This is dead on. . .
I heard he petitioned the courts to officially change his first name to ” Not”
🙂
Fo’ real!
Nice picture/avatar, Yardarm! 🙂
Tks. Brashears is my hero.
Hope everyone had a great Christmas yesterday — I was able to pop in a few times to read, but was too busy to post. I must echo all the words of thanks and gratitude for this wonderful cyber-oasis you have created, Chips, and that so many keep going with discussion, links, videos, posts and personality. This is the best place on the internet and I’m happy to have found it.
I’m looking forward to the year ahead — of a recovering economy, better days, and the re-election of the best President of our lifetimes.
♥ ♥ ♥ ——PJ
What’s Up TOD Fam!
Just back from Christmas with my family. Spent a couple of nights in NYC. Saw a movie, did some sightseeing, watched some TV, ate a lot and now I’m back in my bed. May see older sister again this week before she heads back to Florida. Mother heading back on Wednesday. So glad they came.
Sounds fabulous!
FCC proposes new media ownership rules
By Hayley Tsukayama| Posted at 05:08 PM ET, 12/22/2011
The Federal Communications Commission announced Thursday that it will move ahead with a proposal to loosen the rules on media ownership. Today, the agency voted to continue with a new proposal to lift a ban on allowing companies to own a major TV station and a major newspaper in the country’s top 20 markets. Currently, a rule dating back to the 1970s forbids a company from owning a major TV station and a major newspaper in the country’s top 20 markets — an effort to provide media diversity.
In a statement, outgoing Democratic FCC commissioner Michael Copps said that he was “deeply distressed” to discover that the measure was being considered again.
~snip~
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-tech/post/fcc-proposes-new-media-ownership-rules/2011/12/22/gIQAKjx4BP_blog.html
The chart contains information that is somewhat dated (2009), but is should give you a general idea about the effects of media consolidation. In other words, not much diversity here.~
Ownership Chart: The Big Six
The U.S. media landscape is dominated by massive corporations that, through a history of mergers and acquisitions, have concentrated their control over what we see, hear and read. In many cases, these giant companies are vertically integrated, controlling everything from initial production to final distribution. In the interactive charts below we reveal who owns what.
2009 revenues: $157 billion
General Electric media-related holdings include a minority share in television networks NBC and Telemundo, Universal Pictures, Focus Features, 26 television stations in the United States and cable networks MSNBC, Bravo and the Sci Fi Channel. GE also owns 80 percent of NBC Universal. On January 18, 2011 the Federal Communications Commission approved Comcast’s take-over of a majority share of NBC-Universal from General Electric. However, General Electric still has a 49% ownership stake in NBC-Universal.
2009 revenues: $36.1 billion
The Walt Disney Company owns the ABC Television Network, cable networks including ESPN, the Disney Channel, SOAPnet, A&E and Lifetime, 277 radio stations, music and book publishing companies, production companies Touchstone, Miramax and Walt Disney Pictures, Pixar Animation Studios, the cellular service Disney Mobile, and theme parks around the world.
News Corporation’s media holdings include: the Fox Broadcasting Company; television and cable networks such as Fox, Fox Business Channel, National Geographic and FX; print publications including the Wall Street Journal, the New York Post and TVGuide; the magazines Barron’s and SmartMoney; book publisher HarperCollins; film production companies 20th Century Fox, Fox Searchlight Pictures and Blue Sky Studios; numerous websites including MarketWatch.com; and non-media holdings including the National Rugby League.
2009 revenues: $25.8 billion
Time Warner is the largest media conglomerate in the world, with holdings including: CNN, the CW (a joint venture with CBS), HBO, Cinemax, Cartoon Network, TBS, TNT, America Online, MapQuest, Moviefone, Warner Bros. Pictures, Castle Rock and New Line Cinema, and more than 150 magazines including Time, Sports Illustrated, Fortune, Marie Claire and People.
2009 revenues: $13 billion
CBS Corporation owns the CBS Television Network, CBS Television Distribution Group, the CW (a joint venture with Time Warner), Showtime, book publisher Simon & Schuster, 30 television stations, and CBS Radio, Inc, which has 130 stations. CBS is now the leading supplier of video to Google’s new Video Marketplace.
http://www.freepress.net/ownership/chart/main
Afghanistan clears oil deal with China’s CNPC
By Agence France-Presse| Monday, December 26, 2011
Afghanistan has agreed to sign a deal with China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) for oil exploration and extraction, the president’s office said in a statement Monday. The state-owned Chinese oil giant will develop three oil fields, along with Afghan company Watan Group, located in the Amu river zone in Sar-e Pol and Faryab provinces in northern Afghanistan, the statement said.
~snip~
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/12/26/afghanistan-clears-oil-deal-with-chinas-cnpc/
I say to the Chinese, have fun securing those oil fields. What? You don’t think the Taliban will attack them? Watch?
Oh for crying out loud! Make this silly man GO AWAY!
http://thepoliticalcarnival.net/2011/12/26/video-john-birch-society-1990-video-starring-ron-paul-on-u-n-secret-plot-to-take-over-u-s-a/
Had to tweet that one. I’m glad the real Ron Paul is being brought out into the open so that the young kids who have been following him will hopefully wake up to how misled they have been. I know he has hardened supporters who do in fact stand by his crazy beliefs but there are plenty of others who are just plain uninformed. The more I hear about this man the more appalled I am.
The Nissan Leaf is New York City’s newest taxi
By Raphael Orlove| Dec 26, 2011 8:00 AM
Starting in Spring 2012, six Nissan Leaf electric cars will begin service as regular cabs in New York City, bringing all-electric driving to the busy metered masses of Manhattan. It’s part of a test program to see how all-electric vehicles fare as taxis with further electrification of the New York City taxi fleet to follow.
~snip~
http://jalopnik.com/5870585/the-nissan-leaf-is-new-york-citys-newest-taxi
New campaign seeks to curb unnecessary healthcare services
December 20, 2011 | Stephanie Bouchard, Associate Editor
PHILADELPHIA – With the cost of medically unnecessary care estimated to be in the billions of dollars, a new campaign is setting out to change the medical profession’s and society’s usage of healthcare. Choosing Wisely, a campaign developed by the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Foundation in partnership with Consumer Reports and nine medical societies, seeks to get patients and doctors and others in the medical profession to think and talk about overuse or misuse of healthcare resources.
~snip~
http://www.healthcarefinancenews.com/news/new-campaign-seeks-curb-unnecessary-healthcare-services
GOP Constitutional Ignorance Inspires A Radical Attack On The Judiciary
By Rmuse| December 26, 2011
Democracy has worked in America for over two-hundred years because the federal judiciary has the ability to check legislation for constitutionality and serves as a protection against Congressional and presidential overreach. Perhaps the federal courts do not always side with popular opinion, or the will of the people, but they do provide a measure of continuity based on the Constitution. There is reason to be concerned that democracy is in jeopardy if Republicans seeking the nomination for the presidency ever reach the White House because three of the contenders have made statements that threaten the federal judiciary and by extension, the Constitution and nature of America’s government.
~snip~
http://www.politicususa.com/en/gop-judicial-attack
Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder Forces Unemployed Workers Off Unemployment Insurance While Giving Corporations A Tax Cut
By Tanya Somanader on Dec 26, 2011 at 11:55 am
In 2011, he “shaved billions of dollars off future health care and retirement commitments,” proposed ending the state’s Earned Income Tax Credit, cut funding for school districts by eight to ten percent, cut aid for 11,000 low-income families and nearly 30,000 children, and enacted a regressive increase in personal taxes — all in the name of the deficit.
While more than 1.5 million of his constituents faced poverty, Snyder enacted a $1.7 billion tax cut for corporations, or about “$30 in corporate tax cuts for every dollar saved in welfare benefit cuts.” Indeed, Snyder pushed to cut the state’s business taxes by nearly $2 billion, or 86 percent.
~snip~
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2011/12/26/395242/michigan-gov-rick-snyder-forces-unemployed-workers-off-unemployment-insurance-while-giving-corporations-a-tax-cut/
It is ashame that the people didn’t find it necessary to come out to vote in 2010, so we got all these no good Republicans Governors. Who is bent on destroying the middle class and working poor.
The insidious part about it is, they are hoping people blame the President!
Newt goes mad negative on Willard-
http://thepage.time.com/2011/12/26/newt-bit-on-mitt/
However, MSM ignores all negative stuff about Mittens.
Romney is taking everybody with him to Iowa Tuesday-
Cristie
Thune
Talent
Coleman
Schock
Chaffetz
A bunch of middle-aged adolescent bullies, none of whom had the guts to singularly run against our President, but feel safe in their stupid “gang.”
FAIL.
Yes. He is just trying to intimidate his opponents. None of which have any establishment endorsements.
Romney is taking everybody with him to Iowa Tuesday-
Cristie
Thune
Talent
Coleman
Schock
Chaffetz
Levitz
Holy shit!
Is Christine O’Donnell going to? You know the witch. I don’t care who Willard Mitt “the flip flopper liar” Romney is taking with him to Iowa.
Lol! He is just trying to get attention from our biased media.
AND SO?????
Nothing.
Treasuries still the safest bet–//
The U.S. government received record demand for its bonds in 2011, pushing longer-maturity Treasuries to their best performance since 1995 in a sign that President Barack Obama may have little difficulty financing a fourth consecutive year of $1 trillion budget deficits.
The Treasury Department attracted $3.04 for each dollar of the $2.135 trillion in notes and bonds sold, the most since the government began releasing the data in 1992 during the George H. W. Bush administration. The U.S. drew an all-time high bid-to- cover ratio of $9.07 for $30 billion of four-week bills it auctioned on Dec. 20 even though they pay zero percent interest.
While Standard & Poor’s stripped the U.S. of its AAA credit rating on Aug. 5, Treasuries due in 10 years or more still returned 27.3 percent. The spreading sovereign debt crisis in Europe and slower global growth is driving investors to the safety of U.S. assets, helping to contain borrowing costs and making it cheaper as a percentage of gross domestic product to finance deficits than when the nation last had budget surpluses.
http://mobile.bloomberg.com/news/2011-12-26/obama-wins-most-demand-for-debt-of-u-s-presidents-since-before-first-bush.html
First, the green groups complained about the big solar plant in California, saying they had to move the 2100 turtles that lived there. So, the dept of interior did.
Now, green groups ate mad at the dept of interior over wind farms , saying it violates the migratory bird act.
Give me a break/ these green groups are stupid-
http://www.argusleader.com/article/20111226/NEWS/312260003/Group-targets-wind-farms
HONOLULU — After going hiking with family and friends this morning, President Obama sped to the links midday Monday, arriving at Marine Corps Base Hawaii a few minutes before noon.
This is the second time Obama’s gone golfing on the base overlooking Kaneohe Bay since he arrived here late Friday. It was sunny and about 80 degrees as the president started playing.
Monday’s been an active day for the president. Before golfing and hiking, he went to the gym on the base for a workout.
–Jennifer Epstein
May he relax and do whatever he wants, to his hearts content! He deserves every, single moment!
And then some.
Hope you all had a terrific Monday. See you all in the morning. It’s time to get back to work to get our President re-elected.
Sen. Charles Schumer’s brother-in-law was quietly nominated this month to a federal judgeship in New Jersey — a move that has some in the Garden State crying political foul, The Post has learned.
Kevin McNulty, who is married to Schumer’s sister, Fran, was named to the US District Court by the White House late on Friday, Dec. 16. According to a boilerplate quote, President Obama believes McNulty is a “distinguished individual” who “will serve the American people with integrity and a steadfast commitment to justice.”
Ny Post-
These GOP have a nerve crying foul over any appointments when Cheney’s daughter and her husband had cushy state department jobs, and were entirely unqualified. Schumer is from New York – the brother in law is in New Jersey. Nothing to see.
Exactly!
Desertflower, I just wanted to tell you how sorry I am about your husband’s job. I’ve been through it myself with my husband. I love your PMA! I will send positive vibes and envision a much better job situation for your husband with a boss who appreciates his hard work.
{{{{{{{{{{{{Desertfamily and Family}}}}}}}}}}}}}}
Thank you, Sherry 🙂 I do appreciate your kind thoughts and good wishes…I will take all the good vibes we can get! Tough time of year…actually NO time is good, but this time of year makes it all the more difficult. We will get through this….God willing.
desertflower, I will be praying for you and your family to have the strength to face this,and also, of course, for your husband to find a good job. I will never understand an employer letting someone go two weeks before Christmas. Please keep us informed, and as you have seen from the above coments we are all pulling for you.
Thank you so much,carolyn. Strange to let someone go before the holidays, but it is what it is. I love this family, and I know that positive thoughts are coming our way…look how we all pulled for africa…and it worked 🙂 Will keep you posted. Promise.
DF, ((((((((((hugs)))))))). You will be constantly in my prayers. I am sorry.
Thank you so much, africa 🙂 Good thoughts came your way when you needed them most, and I am certain that the same will happen for us. I appreciate all the good thoughts and prayers you can muster. {{{{{{{{{{{{Hugs}}}}}}}}}}} right back to you. It will get better.
Absulotely!! 🙂 🙂
desertflower – what a bummer. We will all hod positive thoughts and prayers for you and your husband. May 2012 bring much joy…
I love the pictures of the President and family with the service members, but I also love and cherish the picture of Vice President and Dr. Biden preparing to visit the vets at Walter Reed. That couple is a treasure also. We are so fortunate to have the Obamas and the Bidens in their respective positions. Never has there been such a quartet in those positions!!!
I totally agree, carolyn. Love the Obamas and the Bidens – we could not be luckier!
X2
The Bidens – Best Second Couple EVAH.
Two loving couples – and they’re all so cute!
carolyn, I tell you what, the VP Biden is a hell of alot better than that last thing we had. He shall go nameless, but he’s a lying criminal.
DF – your husband losing his job? This just happened to my good friend from chicago. her husband also lost his job 2 weeks before christmas. I just don’t understand how someone does that right before Christmas! I am thinking of you guys and sending good vibes your way — hope everything turns out OK!
Crazy, huh? I think happy thoughts…and try not to dwell too much on it. It doesn’t help that the week between Christmas and New Year’s is a down week…just extends it out longer 😦 Thank you for your positive thoughts…I will let everyone know when good news happens…and I know it will. Will be thinking of your Chicago friends, as well.
Best wishes to you and your husband, df. May the new year turn out to be a successful year.
Thank you, amk. I’m really thinking that this year will turn out to be a successful year….pray the job comes SOON! Happy thoughts.
All the best to you and your family, df! Let us know when the good news hits (and it will)!
Thank you, JOB 🙂 Well look at that < A JOB! 🙂 I'm certain that good things will come to us this year….I will be certain to let this family know when the good news hits (and it will!) as soon as it happens…needs to happen soon so I can make bigger, more frequent donations to PBO! Hugs.
Tired of popcorn so I’m just gonna grab the chocolate chip ice cream
* Someone call the waaaaahhhmbulance, Mittens getz no wuv”
Despite the late hour and voting about to start, William Kristol pleads for someone else to jump into the race, and for those who took a pass to reconsider:
…[I]t is a moment, as you prepare to cast your vote, for others to reflect on whether they don’t owe it to their country to step forward. As this is no time for voters to choose fecklessly, it is no time for leaders to duck responsibility. Those who have stood aside—and who now may have concluded, as they may not have when they announced their original decision, that the current field is lacking—will surely hear the words of Thomas Paine echoing down the centuries: “The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.” Now is not a time for leaders to engage in clever calculations of the odds of success, or to succumb to concerns about how they will look if they enter the fray and fall short. Now is a time to come to the aid of our country.
From Politico
Someone call the waahhhhmublance…Mittenz gets no wuv
Despite the late hour and voting about to start, William Kristol pleads for someone else to jump into the race, and for those who took a pass to reconsider:
…[I]t is a moment, as you prepare to cast your vote, for others to reflect on whether they don’t owe it to their country to step forward. As this is no time for voters to choose fecklessly, it is no time for leaders to duck responsibility. Those who have stood aside—and who now may have concluded, as they may not have when they announced their original decision, that the current field is lacking—will surely hear the words of Thomas Paine echoing down the centuries: “The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.” Now is not a time for leaders to engage in clever calculations of the odds of success, or to succumb to concerns about how they will look if they enter the fray and fall short. Now is a time to come to the aid of our country.
LOL.
what a pathetic little ‘plea’. So reaped what you sowed, billyboy, you trust fund mofo.
Good grief!!!!!
The auto club has just rolled out six roadside assistance trucks to recharge electric cars. The initiative was first announced at the Plug-In conference this past summer. Nielson says the goal is to give drivers a 15-mile charge in as little as 10 minutes. That’s a tall order for now.
AAA is testing three different types of charging technology. The first system is a lithium-ion battery pack that can be mounted on a small Ford TransitConnect van and charged by the generator whenever the van is running. Nielsen describes this is the most advanced technology they are assessing, but the least reliable. The second method uses natural-gas powered generators, which can be mounted on a Ford F-150 pickup with a utility body. The third option is a simple generator driven by the engine of a gas or diesel-powered ¾- or 1-ton pickup. This is the simplest, and so far most reliable system, Nielson says.
If the idea of dead electric cars being charged by big dirty diesel tow trucks strikes you as a Stephen Colbert fantasy come true, know that this equipment is installed on the same trucks that AAA has in the field already to provide lockout service and to bring gas to regular cars that have run out.
http://news.consumerreports.org/cars/2011/12/aaa-offers-roadside-assistance-trucks-to-charge-electric-cars.html
That is good to know!
We have no doubt that President Obama understands and has well planned the next 11 months (and the four subsequent years of his 2nd term) with a comprehensive strategy as to how to rectify the vast injustice and harm the greedy have wrecked on Americans since 1968.
In that context please read:
Our4thEstate Bobfr
‘a sinister, usurious process by which wealth has systematically been funneled into fewer & fewer hands’ http://t.co/jbgs1LAL #1936ForObama
The 2008 Campaign was the warm up. The 2012 Campaign is the battle to save the Republic from the malignancy of greed that has metastisized throughout our America since Nixon & Reagan and then accelerated by Gramm-Leach-Bliley.
We must #OutPerform1936, eradicate the cancer of avarice, and restore the American Dream for all.
#YesWeCanDoMoreTogether – We Must!
KUDOS Bob!! I’m glad you recognize that all this economic rape of the lower classes started with the election of Nixon in 1968. I totally agree with your posts and activism. Obama/Biden 2012
Dear desertflower–sorry to hear about the job situation. I suspect that any man married to you would have to be a pretty sharp individual. I’m going to think that he will no doubt get a better job with better boss, better pay, and better working conditions.
Hugs to you, auni and thank you for your kind thoughts. Yes…he’s a sharp cookie! He NEEDS a better boss, better pay and better working conditions. Luckily, someone in a position to hire him, wants to talk after the holidays. Please let this be the one!
Hi my former CT Lady 🙂 sorry to hear about your hubby’s job situation. I am a strong believer in taking it to the Lord and leaving the burden at his feet, so I will add your situation to my list that I am taking to him today … I trust that your hubby will find a job, one much better than the last. (((((hugs)))))
You remembered! (That we’re from CT!) Thank you….so very much for you kind thoughts . When you talk to God, let him know…sooner rather than later would be good! Thanks, again..CTGirl. Will keep you all posted.
Any pictures of the President , family and friends hiking today?
ok crap i gotta go to work tomorrow so that means i gotta go to sl-
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
(nitey nite TOD)
Love how fast you “check out” with us before going to sl— ! zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Night, alice….
Like this post: http://goo.gl/R1htk
Funny…but what’s with the car??? A little close?
Desertflower, I add my voice to all those before that you are in my thoughts. There are many of us going thru tough times in one way or another. We must stick together. I sure hope your husband finds a job soon.
Thank you, Marilyn 🙂 What a family we have here…I get strength from all of you. I have faith that this will be over quickly, and things happen for a reason…
Desertflower, my best wishes go out to you and your hubby. My hubby was recently let go from his job, but things are looking up for him also. Peace.
Thank you, Dakota . Sorry that you guys are in the same spot. Hard this time of year….you will be in my thoughts. Glad to hear that things are looking up…will let you know when I can breathe again:)
I love it that both the prez and veep visit the troops in christmas every year. Has anyone of the rethugs, who spout ‘troops’ every other day, ever cared to visit them during chirstmas ?
The answer to that question would be mostly….NO.
AG…how about this POS! What do you think? Is is arrogance going to finally end this guys illegal game? I detest this man.
http://www.azfamily.com/news/Critics-renew-calls-for-Arpaio-to-resign-136240578.html
That’s just another in the long list of BIG LIES told…Republicans never really gave a rats ass about the military…except to use them for their own end game.Not to say that they don’t appreciate them, but when it comes right down to it…their words never match their deeds (or lack thereof). They wrap themselves in the flag…well, that’s where it ends. Even people you THINK would be all over protecting the troops, don’t. I’m thinking of McCain, who often voted AGAINST VA funding,against anything to do with the care of the troops…..there are others, I’m sure. This President/VP walk the walk. I’m so proud to have them show what really supporting the troops looks like.
White House’s #40dollars campaign is a hit
http://blogs.reuters.com/mediafile/2011/12/22/whouse-social-media-guns/
Had lunch today with some good souls. I said I had never been as aware of military families and what they contribute. Mrs. Obama and Mrs. Biden have done a wonderful service for our military by bringing the families forward as they have. Remember the picture of the President saluting the coffens that arrived in the middle of the night? There had been many men killed in one event. I believe that moment brought it into even more stark reality for him–the decision to send our young men into war has devestating results. I don’t think Bush, Chaney, Rumsfield and their ilk spent a lot of time grieving over that. My friends agreed–saying this president has put a face to cost of war–much more then any previous administration in memory.
FREEDOM, N.H.- Two weeks before the New Hampshire primary, GOP front-runner Mitt Romney holds a relatively narrow lead among independents – a critical voting bloc whose members remain largely undecided.
Romney’s lead among independents is seven percentage points, compared with his commanding 22 percentage point lead among all voters planning to cast ballots in the GOP primary Jan. 10.
That difference is especially important to Romney because he has portrayed himself as able to win the favor of independents and moderates crucial to victory in November.
http://mobile.boston.com/art/35/news/nation/articles/2011/12/27/unaligned_nh_vote_a_test_for_romney/
My pug jenny, the sofa/bed occupier. Selfish bitch.
Hahahahahahaha!! 😆
“William O’Brien, the speaker of the New Hampshire State House, told a Tea Party group earlier this year that students are “foolish” and tend to “vote their feelings” because they lack life experience. “Voting as a liberal,” he said, “that’s what kids do.” And that’s why, he said, he supported measures to prohibit students from voting from their college addresses and to end same-day registration. New Hampshire Republicans even tried to pass a bill that would have kept students who previously lived elsewhere from voting in the state; fortunately, the measure failed, as did the others Mr. O’Brien favored.
Many students have taken advantage of Election Day registration laws, which is one reason Maine Republicans passed a law eliminating the practice. Voters restored it last month, but Republican lawmakers there are already trying new ways to restrict voting. The secretary of state said he was investigating students who are registered to vote in the state but pay out-of-state tuition.
Wisconsin once made it easy for students to vote, making it one of the leading states in turnout of younger voters in 2004 and 2008. When Republicans swept into power there last year, they undid all of that, imposing requirements that invalidated the use of virtually all college ID cards in voter registration. Colleges are scrambling to change their cards to add signatures and expiration dates, but it’s not clear whether the state will let them.
Imposing these restrictions to win an election will embitter a generation of students in its first encounter with the machinery of democracy.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/27/opinion/keeping-college-students-from-the-polls.html?_r=1
Unreported, unprotested, unacceptable and undemocratic.
We’ll have our work cut out for us in these states making sure we outwit the voter suppression efforts. We’ll have to know exactly what ID is required and work our tails off to make sure every student who wants to vote can vote, or else gets an absentee vote into their own state. Then we’re got to make sure that there’s a backlash against these suppression techniques that sweeps out the Republican governors in the next election.
I have no idea why Ed Rendell is on tv sticking up for Willard, even arguing with rev. Al.
Eddie Rendell, shilling for Romney, saying Democrats are not that afraid of him.
Luckily, Gail Collins and Rev Al pushed back.
Good morning!
Rendell is a Clinton shill.
Short answer is that he’s an ass, who’s smarting because he didn’t get the attention and pandering he wanted from the Obama Administration. Longer answer is that his vaunted control of the Democratic party apparatus in PA got him nothing. He couldn’t get Arlen Specter elected and he didn’t get his expected kudos from the Clintonites. He wasted valuable good will doing a lousy job as governor and every okay thing he did do has been overturned by Corbett. He’s a bitter man and he doesn’t feel valued enough. So he’s allowing himself to be used by the R as their example of a true Democrat who hates the president. Bottom line? The guy has no class and deserve to be relegated to the dustbin of history. He would have made a good Tammany Hall boss, but can’t adjust to his irrelevant role in a changing world.
Rendell should never be trusted. I don’t care if he says anything nice about Pres.Obama – don’t trust him.
You would never see a Republican sticking up for President Obama. That’s the craziness of some people in the Democratic Party, or shall I say the Clinton clan. Alot of Hillary supporters whether it’s deep down or to the top, haven’t gotten over the fact that she lost to Obama.
Any word on PBO using recess appointments for the CFPB?
I think I read that the Senate will stay in pro forma session , blocking any recess appointments.
Are they? I know mcturtle talked about it but are they in session right now ? I read that schumer’s BIL got appointed as federal judge y’day ?
I thought is was a nomination.
Nothing yet halo.
BTW its a misconception that the President cannot make recess appointments because of the tactics that the Republicans are using by never really doing a full recess.
Steve Benen wrote a good article on it earlier this month.
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal/2011_12/are_recess_appointments_still033996.php
What the Republicans are doing is really scandalous but again our lazy, sloppy, irresponsible media is giving them a pass on their outrageous obstruction.
I’d really like to know when the lazy media and nasty Repugs are gonna get their just desserts. It cannot be soon enough in my book. 😐
Ps- morning Donna D. Hope your Christmas was great! Morning Chips and TOD!
They have to break for the new congress on January 3rd.
Even if it is for five minutes, the President can use a recess appointment.
However, the only president that did was Truman,
And you know he will get absolutely no backup from our libertarian msnbc media.
Thx for that Donna I was so miffed because I thought that PBO was not able to make a recess appointment. It’s nice to know that he does have options. It’s hard to conceive how petty this republican house has been.
THE GOP “NULLIFICATION” SCANDAL
Steve Benen has been doing a terrific job of reporting on the Republican Party obstruction. He was one of the first bloggers to bring up the GOP sabotage issue. It is bad enough that we have elected officials in the Republican Party who are preventing a law that has already been enacted from being implemented. The bigger scandal is that this is not being reported by our feckless media.
A radical embrace of nullification
=========================
The GOP minority isn’t even questioning Cordray’s qualifications. Rather, Republicans are saying they refuse to allow existing law to function until Democrats meet the GOP’s demands and does Wall Street’s bidding. When the Senate minority is satisfied, they’ll consider allowing the law to function — if they feel like it.
As a matter of legal and institutional principles, Americans haven’t seen tactics like these since the Civil War. It led James Fallows to explain yesterday, “This strategy depends absolutely for its success on its not being called what it is: Constitutional radicalism, or nullification.” Jonathan Cohn made the same point last week, and Thomas Mann referenced a “modern-day form of nullification” in July.
Political tactics and schemes come and go, as politicians and parties win and lose. But what Republicans are doing now does real damage to the American system of government. It is, by any meaningful definition, a serious and important political scandal.
==========================
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal/2011_12/a_radical_embrace_of_nullifica034050.php#
Brianna Keiler from CNN, somehow managed to spin the Christmas day visit with the troops, or rather PBOs chemistry with kids negatively:
http://www.wnem.com/story/16397304/baby-sticks-his-hand-into-obamas-mouth
The video is on the upper right hand corner. 🙄
That is pathetic….off to e-mail blast TeaNN
Good grief…how insufferable is this lady? And she wonders why she has not made it up the chain?Every major network (hell even FOX) took it as what it was—-an adorable moment that a baby sticks his hand in the world’s most powerful person’s mouth. Next thing she will be doing an investigative piece on Bo’s whereabouts in Hawaii. Must be auditioning for a politico gig.
Good grief. The first child was shy – I’ve seen kids do the same thing with their own family members and the second was a newborn doing what it knows how to do – SLEEP!
We all see through that gb. This woman just felt the need to share the heaping of hate she must of received under her Christmas tree this weekend. Incredible!
Morning all… Wet and warm(ish) in Seattle… Will take it over snow any day!
Editorial
Keeping Students From the PollsPublished: December 26, 2011
Next fall, thousands of students on college campuses will attempt to register to vote and be turned away. Sorry, they will hear, you have an out-of-state driver’s license. Sorry, your college ID is not valid here. Sorry, we found out that you paid out-of-state tuition, so even though you do have a state driver’s license, you still can’t vote.
Political leaders should be encouraging young adults to participate in civic life, but many Republican state lawmakers are doing everything they can instead to prevent students from voting in the 2012 presidential election. Some have openly acknowledged doing so because students tend to be liberal.
Seven states have already passed strict laws requiring a government-issued ID (like a driver’s license or a passport) to vote, which many students don’t have, and 27 others are considering such measures. Many of those laws have been interpreted as prohibiting out-of-state driver’s licenses from being used for voting.
It’s all part of a widespread Republican effort to restrict the voting rights of demographic groups that tend to vote Democratic. Blacks, Hispanics, the poor and the young, who are more likely to support President Obama, are disproportionately represented in the 21 million people without government IDs. On Friday, the Justice Department, finally taking action against these abuses, blocked the new voter ID law in South Carolina.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/27/opinion/keeping-college-students-from-the-polls.html?_r=2
tweeted grrrrrrrrr
In The Business Of Giving You The Business
by Zandar
Kind of a depressing WaPo piece here about America’s House of Not So Commons and politics increasingly being a rich person’s game:
Between 1984 and 2009, the median net worth of a member of the House more than doubled, according to the analysis of financial disclosures, from $280,000 to $725,000 in inflation-adjusted 2009 dollars, excluding home equity.
Over the same period, the wealth of an American family has declined slightly, with the comparable median figure sliding from $20,600 to $20,500, according to the Panel Study of Income Dynamics from the University of Michigan.
The comparisons exclude home equity because it is not included in congressional reporting, and 1984 was chosen because it is the earliest year for which consistent wealth statistics are available.
The growing disparity between the representatives and the represented means that there is a greater distance between the economic experience of Americans and those of lawmakers.
http://www.balloon-juice.com/2011/12/27/in-the-business-of-giving-you-the-business/
December 27, 2011 8:00 AM
One of Gingrich’s divorces draws new scrutiny
By Steve Benen
Generally, when disgraced former House Speaker Newt Gingrich’s (R) first marriage draws attention, it’s because of questions about timing. Gingrich has been accused, for example, of haggling over the terms of his divorce from his first wife while she was in the hospital, recovering from uterine cancer surgery. What’s more, there’s evidence he had already proposed to his second wife before he was divorced from his first.
But CNN reported yesterday on a new wrinkle.
Newt Gingrich claims that it was his first wife, not Gingrich himself, who wanted their divorce in 1980, but court documents obtained by CNN appear to show otherwise. […]
The documents, and interviews with people close to the couple at the time, contradict the Gingrich claim about who wanted the divorce.
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal/2011_12/one_of_gingrichs_divorces_draw034337.php
Monday, December 26, 2011
Entitled demagogue
by digby
I continue to be irritated by Mitt Romney’s apparent strategy to turn himself into the worst kind of Tea Party demagogue with this “entitlement” nonsense. Coming from a rich kid who parlayed his name into hundreds of millions as a front man for a Vulture Capitalist firm, it’s especially sickening.
Thomas Edsall had a nice piece on it yesterday, called “The Anti-entitlement Strategy”,(which is funny in itself):
Romney and his aides have designed his rhetoric to define pretty much all spending on entitlements, including provisions for the injured, unemployed, sick, disabled or elderly as benefits to the poor who, Romney implies, are undeserving. And it doesn’t matter whether the money to pay for these programs comes from employer and employee contributions and not just tax revenue — they are all under suspicion.
In an op-ed published Dec. 19 in USA Today, Romney described the 2012 election as a battle between the partisans of entitlement and the partisans of opportunity:
.
digby 12/26/2011 04:30:00 PM
http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2011/12/entitled-demagoguery-earl-of-romney.html
December 26, 2011
How did we (they) get here?
An excellent synopsis from Norm Ornstein:
Today’s Tea Partiers recognize that they share a similar governing philosophy with their forebears [of 1994], but they believe almost uniformly that the Gingrichites sold out too quickly, blinking unnecessarily when the political heat got turned up.
To which Jonathan Bernstein adds two other excellent points:
The first is the conservative closed-information loop: It’s very likely that Tea Partyers in Congress really don’t realize how unpopular many conservative ideas are with swing voters because the news sources they’ve listened to for years never happen to mention it. The other key factor was the 2010 elections, and in particular the primary challenges to incumbents such as Lisa Murkowski and Bob Bennett. Normally, the reality check on fantasies about the popularity of fringe partisan ideas comes when politicians start thinking of Election Day. However, when the Election Day that looms largest in the imaginations of those politicians is the primary, then they’re pushed toward those fringe positions, not away from them.
To which I’d add yet a third point: The GOP’s creeping institutionalization of rank amateurism in American politics.
http://pmcarpenter.blogs.com/p_m_carpenters_commentary/2011/12/how-did-we-they-get-here.html
December 25, 2011, 9:00 pm
The Anti-Entitlement Strategy
By THOMAS B. EDSALL
Mitt Romney wants to stigmatize most “safety net” spending – the array of social insurance programs from Medicare to food stamps to unemployment compensation to free school lunches — as a form of welfare that is “cultivating government dependence.”
“Our growing welfare state is slated to cost $10.3 trillion over the next 10 years — that’s $72,000 a household,” Romney told voters in Bedford, N.H., on Dec. 20:
Once we thought ‘entitlement’ meant that Americans were entitled to the privilege of trying to succeed in the greatest country in the world. Americans fought and died to earn and protect that entitlement. But today the new entitlement battle is over the size of the check you get from Washington.
An entitlement, as the government defines it, “legally obligates the United States to make payments to any person who meets the eligibility requirements established in the statute that creates the entitlement.”
Mitt Romney at the Town Hall in Bedford, N.H., on Dec. 20, 2011. Romney and his aides have designed his rhetoric to define pretty much all spending on entitlements, including provisions for the injured, unemployed, sick, disabled or elderly as benefits to the poor who, Romney implies, are undeserving. And it doesn’t matter whether the money to pay for these programs comes from employer and employee contributions and not just tax revenue — they are all under suspicion.
http://campaignstops.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/12/25/the-anti-entitlement-strategy/
Monday, December 26, 2011
Elections have consequences. Including this one.
by David Atkins
There’s a lot of disappointment out with the Obama Administration, to be sure. I count myself as one of the disenchanted with the Administration’s tepid rhetoric and lack of forward progress on the issues that matter most to me: reversing the financialization of the economy, doing something about climate change, forcing the super-rich to pay their fair share again, reducing America’s over-expenditure on its war machine, protecting the social safety net, and increasing investment the rest of the federal discretionary budget not dedicated to Social Security, Medicare, and the military. Civil libertarians and education advocates would argue with some cause that the Administration’s stances have actually reversed progress on their key issues.
But it’s a long way from there to arguing that elections don’t matter, that Obama is as bad as Bush, and that therefore one shouldn’t vote. Paul Krugman would have a few words to say on that front:
Surprise: I got my wish, in the form of new Environmental Protection Agency standards on mercury and air toxics for power plants. These rules are long overdue: we were supposed to start regulating mercury more than 20 years ago. But the rules are finally here, and will deliver huge benefits at only modest cost.
So, naturally, Republicans are furious. But before I get to the politics, let’s talk about what a good thing the E.P.A. just did…
This E.P.A. decision would not have happened under a McCain administration, any more than this kiss would have been possible. And a Romney/Gingrich/Perry administration will likely reverse this E.P.A. ruling if it gets a chance.
Politics is often about taking the best choices one has available. The Obama Administration hasn’t been anything close to perfect by a long shot. But as election season nears and the consequences of the choice that lies before the country draw into clearer focus, the voices who argue that voting is irrelevant because there’s no difference between the parties are going to become self-marginalized.
http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2011/12/elections-have-consequences-including.html
A super duper batbus.
http://www.rediff.com/business/slide-show/slide-show-1-a-stunning-superbus-that-beats-a-private-limo/20111227.htm