‘night everyone

See you tomorrow 😉

chicago

Performer Janelle Monae embraces President Barack Obama

The University of Illinois at Chicago Forum, Jan. 11

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Janelle Monae performs at a fundraiser for President Barack Obama

Actor Hill Harper

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Occupy Chicago Protesters use cameras and cellphones to capture the President’s arrival at the corner of Roosevelt and Union streets

This photo cracks me up – OWS protestors so angry with the President ….. they started taking photos of him

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People crowd the sidewalk outside a house where President Barack Obama stopped for a campaign event in Chicago

chicago & richmond

President Barack Obama walks toward a group of onlookers after arriving at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport

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UStream Coverage of the event has started

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First lady Michelle Obama poses with Army Staff Sgt. La Keshia Whitmore and Staff Sgt. Tyeir Pritchard Davis at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Va. Michelle Obama had just announced a new commitment from medical schools to boost training and research for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental health injuries impacting military service members.

First lady Michelle Obama with John Prescott, Chief Academic Officer of the Association of American Medical Colleges

Defence.gov: First Lady Michelle Obama today announced a commitment from the nation’s medical colleges to better train civilian health-care providers in caring for war veterans and their families and to push for more research in the wounds of war.

Obama’s announcement at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond marked the latest endeavor of her “Joining Forces” campaign with Dr. Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, to rally nationwide support for military families.

Today, the first lady announced that the Association of American Medical Colleges and the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine, with 105 and 25 schools, respectively, have committed to leveraging their missions in education, research and clinical care “to meet the unique health-care needs” of the military and veterans communities…..

More here

 

afternoon all

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President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden take their seats as they hold a roundtable meeting on Insourcing American Jobs, Jan. 11, in the Old Executive Office Building on the White House campus

… with US Trade Representative Ron Kirk

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CNN has the 6:50 speech in their live streaming schedule …. but it’s down for 4:50. Confused!

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Just to repeat one of the, eh, ‘house rules’ I mentioned recently: I HUGELY appreciate you letting us know about posts at other blogs and various news sites in the comments here, it’s a completely invaluable service for us all.

But! Please only include very short extracts from the posts – the aim should always be to give a taster of the post that sends the reader to the author’s blog, otherwise we’re effectively stealing their work.

So, please don’t include any more than 2 or 3 paragraphs (2 if it’s a short post), and always include the link at the end. Thanks.

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See the video here – thanks Tulips

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Actress Angelina Jolie is seen in the Oval Office of the White House, Jan. 11, during a meeting with President Barack Obama

According to a White House aide, “President Obama spoke with Ms. Jolie about her work to raise the profile of preventing mass atrocities and combating sexual violence against women.” Brad Pitt also visited.

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President Barack Obama waves as he leaves the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 11, for Chicago

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Another of those ‘rules’ I mentioned last week:

99.9% of you are civil to each other, even if you don’t always agree, and that’s the way I want it here. By all means, battle away with anyone you disagree with, but no personal abuse, okay? Not welcome here. And no personal call-outs …. I’ve deleted more than a few in the last week or two.

Okay, I’ve already started a crackdown on this, any one who has, or continues to, ignore appeals to stop personal attacks on other visitors here is gone from the blog. Sorry, I don’t want that stuff here.

heads up

White House live

CNN live streaming

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12:30: First Lady Michelle Obama delivers remarks at a DNC luncheon in Richmond, Va

2:45: Michelle Obama delivers remarks at Virginia Commonwealth University

5:15: Michelle Obama delivers remarks at a DNC reception in Charlottesville, Va

rise and shine

There are longer clips at CBS

CBS: Michelle Obama said depictions of friction in a new book, “The Obamas,” between her and former top aides to her husband, President Obama, aren’t true …. the first lady also said that some have tried to portray her as an “angry black woman” since Mr. Obama first announced he was seeking the presidency.

” …I guess it’s more interesting to imagine this conflicted situation here and a strong woman and – you know? But that’s been an image that people have tried to paint of me since the day Barack announced, that I’m some angry black woman.”

…. “…who can write about how I feel? Who? What third person can tell me how I feel, or anybody for that matter,” she told King. “You know, I just try to be me. And my hope is that over time people get to know me. And they get to judge me for me.”

As for living in the White House, Mrs. Obama told King, “It has been a privilege, from day one. Now, there are challenges with being a mother and trying to keep your kids sane. And I worry a lot about that. I mean, if there’s any anxiety that I feel, it’s because I want to make sure that my girls come out of this on the other end whole. But me, Barack, we’re grown-ups. You know, all the ups and downs, we take it on.”

More here

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12:30: First Lady Michelle Obama delivers remarks at a DNC luncheon in Richmond, Va

2:45: Michelle Obama delivers remarks at Virginia Commonwealth University

5:15: Michelle Obama delivers remarks at a DNC reception in Charlottesville, Va

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Charles Pierce (Esquire): … we have nearly a flat year of Willard’s defending his lucrative career as a vulture capitalist and looter of old people’s pensions on the ground that he is a classic American up-from-the-bootstraps success story, and that he is only in this to make sure that other children like him have the opportunity to be born into wealth and make themselves wealthier. The way he’s going – and his staggering recitation of tinpot Reaganite banality after his win here was only the most recent indication of where he’s headed – by the middle of, oh, April, we are going to hear about how Willard was raised a poor black child.

…. President Obama, Willard told his crowd, is practicing “the bitter politics of envy.” He warned them not to be seduced by the president’s “resentment of success”. It was a moment of almost transcendental meanness and fakery. Willard was explaining to his audience that he was just like them, and that they were the keepers of America’s promise, and that they would continue to be – at least until, for his own profit and that of his wealthy investors, Willard wrecked their companies, stole their retirement, and shipped their jobs to China, never to return. They were all in it together, Willard assured them.

….Willard Romney, Boy of the Streets, proud American, and proof positive that, in this great country, any son of an auto millionnaire and former governor of Michigan can grow up almost to be president.

Full post here

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Mediaite

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Steve Benen: Last week, underwhelming Republican turnout in the Iowa caucuses fell short of expectations and hinted at a listless, uninspired party. Yesterday in New Hampshire, it happened again.

…. Remember, Republican turnout was supposed to soar in these early contests. GOP voters are reportedly eager, if not foaming-at-the-mouth desperate, to fight a crusade against President Obama …. This suggested energized Republicans would turn out in numbers that far exceeded the totals we saw in 2008, when GOP voters were depressed and all the excitement was on the other side of the aisle. And yet, in two contests in a row, that hasn’t happened.

The Romney campaign almost certainly won’t care, at least not publicly, but behind the scenes, the turnout numbers in Iowa and New Hampshire should give party leaders pause.

Full post here

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Michael Tomasky: Mitt Romney is obviously going to be the nominee. But this is not a strong showing. The average percentage for a New Hampshire winner is 39 percent, and Romney’s at 40 percent with 95 percent of precincts reporting. And that’s with him owning a house in the state! True, he leaves New Hampshire in a strong position, undeniably. But this is not a very impressive number. Similarly, turnout was low. State Republicans were hoping to break the record of around 240,000 from four years ago. The total ended up at around 225,000. Voters aren’t terribly energized by these people.

Jon Huntsman is basically finished, and I say good riddance to him….To Ron Paul fans, I say: Ron Paul is still unimportant!

Full post here

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MSNBC: While Mitt Romney tonight over-performed among the groups he struggled with in Iowa – conservatives, Tea Party supporters, evangelicals – he didn’t fare as well among middle-class and lower-class GOP primary voters.

According to the exit polls, Romney got 51% from those making $200,000 or more …. But among those making less than $30,000, he captured just 31%. And among those making between $30,000 and $49,999, he got 32%. And among those making $50,000 to $99,999, he got 35%.

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Morning everyone 😉