*****
11:20: PBO delivers remarks on government reform
1:45: PBO attends a campaign event at the Jefferson Hotel in Washington.
5:30: PBO and Michelle Obama host the Tuskegee Airmen, along with cast and crew members of the movie “Red Tails,” for a screening at the White House.
* Michelle Obama this morning joins the cast of Nickelodeon’s “iCarly” at a special screening of “iMeet The First Lady” in Alexandria, Va.
****
Washington Post: President Obama will ask Congress on Friday for the power to shrink the federal government, proposing a first step of combining several trade and commerce agencies under a plan that the White House said could eliminate more than 1,000 jobs and save $3 billion over 10 years.
A senior administration official cast the announcement, which Obama will make during an 11:20 a.m. White House appearance, as follow-through on the president’s promise during last year’s State of the Union address to create a leaner, more efficient bureaucracy.
More here
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CBS Philly: Vice President Joe Biden is coming to the Philadelphia area Friday morning to speak to high school students in Bucks County about the cost of college and what the Obama Administration is doing to make it more affordable.
Biden and Deputy Secretary of Education Tony Miller will speak to students at Central Bucks West High School in Doylestown. Even though students have finals next week, class schedules are being adjusted to give students a chance to take part in what could be a chance of a lifetime.
More here
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CBS: On the eve of a Texas meeting of prominent social conservatives and evangelical Christians to discuss the state of the Republican presidential race, one invitee is worrying that a Mitt Romney nomination would be “John McCain all over again.”
Dick Bott, founder and chairman of Christian Radio’s Bott Radio Network, says he would vote for the former Massachusetts governor against President Obama, but that “people just won’t care.”
“Why on earth give other things [like volunteering time or donations] for someone you think is a bit of sham?” says Bott, who would not confirm he will be attending this weekend’s summit. “All of a sudden there’s a conservative movement that is being spoon-fed by Republican establishment leaders.”
More here
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Steve Benen: ….. I don’t think we need any special insights to see the line Gingrich is pushing here. The disgraced former House Speaker, in advance of the South Carolina primary, wants Republican voters to think there’s something wrong with being bilingual, especially if the other language is French.
I have no idea if this will work, but the fact that “he speaks French” is considered a potentially potent attack in Republican politics in the 21st century is just sad.
Full post here
****
LA Times: As Mitt Romney defends his record running a private equity firm, he frequently points to a fast-growing Indiana steel company, financed in part by Bain Capital, that now employs 6,000 workers.
What Romney doesn’t mention is that Steel Dynamics also received generous tax breaks and other subsidies provided by the state of Indiana and the residents of DeKalb County, where the company’s first mill was built.
The story of Bain and Steel Dynamics illustrates how Romney, during his business career, made avid use of public-private partnerships, something that many conservatives consider to be “corporate welfare.” It is a commitment that carried over into his term as governor of Massachusetts, when he offered similar incentives to lure businesses to his state.
Yet as he seeks the GOP presidential nomination, he emphasizes government’s adverse effects on economic growth
Full article here
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Morning everyone 😉
****
PS Thanks for the reminder Pamela 😳
The Obama Diary 
Morning Chips and TOD Fam!! xoxox
Morning NZ, morning everyone 😉
Morning NZ, Chips and TOD family!
Yay! 😉
Morning:) I thought this was illuminating..
http://thinkprogress.org/health/2012/01/12/403539/gop-presidential-candidates-would-have-a-hard-time-finding-coverage-under-their-health-reform-plans/
tweeted – thx DF
Well…it is official….
PBO is a complete failure because he did not raise as much money as Bush by this time in his re-election campaign.
—
Maybe he should re-instate that silly Terror Alert color coding system to try and scare money out of people.
GOPOLITICO is comparing PBO’s fundraising to GWB in 2003, but they aren’t comparing Romney’s now to PBO in 2008. Obama was not particularly well-known and had far fewer connections than Romney – yet he raised more than Romney has now. HA!
Obama is not running against Bush in 2003. He’s running against Romney in 2012. And he will win.
Do they REALLY want to bring up Bush???? NOW? Love to!
The media only brings up Bush when (they think) it puts Obama in a negative light. But braying that Bush raised more money only alludes to the fact that he and Chinee had big money behind them as a reward for years of dysregulation and lack of proper oversight….Obama has by far more small individual donors and that puts him in a much better light with the VOTERS who will determine who wins in 2012.
I thought we always bring up bush. lol The nerve we want that credit.
Good morning TOD. Wasn’t Bush’s monies from big corps, as opposed to all the “little” people, the people who were “not his kind” ? And weren’t people constantly freightened into keeping him in office…”.oh, those terrible terrorists boogeymen……..” ? It’s a world of difference in the two campaigns.
Rove attack! That has his name written all over it!
Rove and his jerk-buddies first yell about Obama’s Billion Dollar War Chest, then they turn around and say he hasn’t raised as much money as that stooge they tricked the country into re-electing.
Good grief, the GOP has all this money from CU and the superpacs, yet they still fear Obama and the Obots. They should.
Aren’t GOPolitico talking about a $2 million difference? Bush $70 million President Obama $68 million. Woo hoo. I whole 2 million.
OMG, I about lost it at “We know this about Mitt Romney, that he is very simple minded.”
Oh, snap!
Hahahaha.
Regarding PBO’s effort to streamline government, Mark Knoller is being a jerk – tweeting that Obama is only doing this right before an election. Glad to see he got good pushback for his clearly partisian remarks.
“He made a promise to come up with a smart reorganization of the government in his last State of the Union speech. That was nearly a year ago.
At the time, Obama grabbed attention by pointing out the absurdity of government inefficiency. In what he called his favorite example, Obama said: “The Interior Department is in charge of salmon while they’re in fresh water, but the Commerce Department handles them when they’re in saltwater. And I hear it gets even more complicated once they’re smoked.”
http://www.goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120113/APW/1201130648
And I hear it gets even more complicated once they’re smoked.”
PBO’s got mad jokes…..LOL. But, everything he said makes too much sense to argue with. So they can’t.
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal/2012_01/answering_the_public_editors_q034721.php
Must read!!!!!!!! About freaking time.
the underlying issue is whether journalists — more specifically, beat reporters —- should “challenge ‘facts’ that are asserted by newsmakers they write about.”
If an article is supposed to provide news consumers with the something more meaningful — offering context, scrutiny, and analysis that helps make sense of the arguments, giving the public a sense, not only of what the arguments are, but whether they’re accurate — then media professionals, including beat reporters and their editors, have a broader responsibility to help the public separate fact from fiction.
And more often than not, they don’t even try.
i thought that was a thoughtful piece.
It’s this very typoe of pathetic “equal sides” version of journalism that led us into a nine-year war in Iraq. You’d think they would have figured this out by now, but the press is obviously of being called names by Fox Limbaugh.
Oh brother! Russia launched a probe to the Mars Moon Phobos. Well, it did not make it out of low Earth orbit.
The Russians say it was shot down, by the US.
Paranoia!
“The disgraced former House Speaker, in advance of the South Carolina primary, wants Republican voters to think there’s something wrong with being bilingual.”
It’s silly and irresponsible nativism on Newt’s part. This incident cited below could have gone very differently if everyone lived in the monolingual world of Newt:
“The destroyer’s crew included a translator who understood Urdu. When the destroyer first contacted the Iranian vessel, the captain denied that there were any pirates on board. However, by speaking in Urdu, the Somali pirates were not able to understand. The captain pleaded with the Kidd to come to their rescue.
Members of the destroyer’s crew boarded the Iranian ship and were able to overpower and detain 15 Somali pirates on board. None of the hostages were injured in the rescue operation.”
http://www.gev.com/2012/01/u-s-naval-destroyer-rescues-iranian-fisherman-held-hostage-by-pirates/
His new ads are very weak and seem amateurish to me.
I had an issue with that ad myself. Its insulting actually.
Yes, I agree that insulting someone knowing how to speak two or more languages is ridiculous. However, Mitt has said so many insulting, ridiculous things like comparing Obama to Marie Antoinette, calling him a socialist and anti-American that I have no sympathy for him.
Tea Party feels jilted:
“Haley endorsed Romney in the state’s Jan. 21 Republican presidential primary, a decision that might vault her into national office or stall her career in Columbia, scorned by those who elected her.
“It was like your best friend took up with a really bad boyfriend,” said Karen Martin, 54, an organizer for the Tea Party chapter in Spartanburg County.”
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-01-13/haley-s-picking-romney-shocks-tea-party-disrupting-republicans.html
LOL… they think Nikki Haley cares about the Tea Party? HA!
Our First Couple was on the Today Show today, filmed a Happy 60th Anniversary wish to the program. Both appealing, as usual. (wonder if their appearance had anything to do with Lauer asking Willard that one tough question the other day re. “envy politics”)
They also aired a segment on all the Repub candidates’ multiple million dollar houses. All are living in fine style, not shockingly. Willard’s and Huntsman’s are the most impressive of the impressive lot. Willard has 6 choices. Huntsman has a mighty fine abode in Park City, Ut., which is a 12 bdrm., 16ba. home in a picturesque setting. Paul’s was the least magnanimous in appearance, not surprisingly, but still a sprawling ranch of over 5000 sq. ft.
But but but, the Obamas go on vacation in Hawaii!!!
And they envy Robney!
Thanks Dotster, just found it and uploaded it:
OMG, HOW CUTE ARE THEY??!!
They certainly are!! Morning Meta 😉
Good morning, Chips. Hope you have a fabulous day.
They are such a smooooth couple, so pleasant to watch, here, and have as our first family. Smiles forever!
That was nice of POTUS and FLOTUS.
Ha! I love it.
I really like that color FL Michelle is wearing.
Very flattering and I think would be a good color for me, also too.
Think it’s the same dress Mrs. Obama wore for the Gayle King interview – a part of the interview was shown on the CBS morning show. So, she’s now worn it on two different networks, probably because the interviews were held on the same day, and Gayle said it was a J. Crew that was three years old. All of which I’m sure will rub the Republicans the wrong way – ha ha ha. We have the BEST First Lady in a long, long while – stylish to the max and yet so, so normal like the rest of us!
Saw it this morning & thought, “How adorable!” Usually tune out the show, but my ears picked this up & it was a simply lovely way for me to get going w/ my morning! Outstanding POTUS/FLOTUS!
I love her hair like that, I wish mine would do that, of course, I am half her height! (sort of), so it might not work as well for me!
Good Morning Chips and TOD Family. Beautiful day to all of you.
Our FLOTUS and POTUS are just too cute. Love their energy together. We are so proud of what we did in 2008 and what we will do in 2012. We will be celebrating our Nov. 6, 2012 also. Great!!! Pressing On.HZ
That’s a good way to start my day out here on Kaua’i..thanks Chips for bringing the Obamas right to my bedroom laptop!~
You guys see POTUS and FLOTUS were holding hands.
S.I.X.T.E.E.N. 16 bathrooms. And we have people living on the streets and under bridges in America.
PBO LASER FOCUS ON THE MIDDLE CLASS AND INCOME INEQUALITY
==========================================================
I watched Alan Krueger’s speech yesterday and it was like sitting through a college lecture. It lasts about one hour, and it reenforced President Obama’s speech in Osawatame, Kansas. It will make you feel proud to see yet another brilliant and highly qualified member of President Obama’s cabinet addressing the middle class income inequality issue and explaining what we need to do the address the problem. This will be a cornerstone of President Obama’s re-election campaign. This was a very informative and enlightening presentation.
Washington, DC
Thursday, January 12, 2012
White House Council of Economic Advisers Chairman Alan Krueger talked about economic inequality and his view that it threatens the middle class. The discussion was hosted by the Center for American Progress.
He also discussed President Obama’s economic plans and why he thinks a payroll tax cut is vital to the economy.
http://www.c-span.org/Events/WH-Economic-Adviser-on-Income-Inequality-in-US/10737427058-1/
Ladyhawke..I would love you to expound a bit more on the “Drain the Wealth, Replace with Debt” thought….I found it illuminating and chilling. Thanks. A link if you have it 🙂
df, I was paraphrasing an analogy made by Randi Rhodes earlier this week about the similarities between the Bain Capital business model and the GOP governing strategy. I think she said when you hear people talk about Bain and their dealings with companies, replace the word company with “country”. It was a chilling thought. I’m going to see if I can find a transcript of her comments.
In the meantime, below are a couple of items that I have found very helpful in trying to understand the Bain capital business model. This discussion about capitalism is long overdue.
1) Understanding Bain Capital
Lawrence O’Donnell interviewed Felix Salmon of Reuters (finance blogger) last night. His explanation of how Bain Capital operated was very enlightening. They would get the wealth and in many cases leave companies in debt destined for bankruptcy.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/45981010#45981010
2) Mitt Romney and our overdue debate about capitalism
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/mitt-romney-and-our-overdue-debate-about-capitalism/2012/01/11/gIQA0EyxrP_story.html
3) The New Debate About Capitalism
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gary-hart/capitalism-debate_b_1203153.html
HAPPY TO SEE OUR ‘O’ TWOSOME GETS TO RELAX WITH A MOVIE AND ESPECIALLY THAT ONE. I BET HE PUTS ‘WAR HORSE’ ON HIS NEXT LIST. I HEAR IT’S MIGHTY AWESOME! MY ‘OBAMA’ SISTER BROUGHT ME SOME MLK MEMORABILIA FROM THE CELEBRATION OF HIS MEMORIAL..ONE OF THOSE ITEMS IS A T-SHIRT W/ MLK’S ‘I HAVE A DREAM’ ON THE FRONT. I WILL PROUDLY BE WEARING THAT ON MONDAY! OF COURSE I’LL HAVE TO KICK IT UP A NOTCH HERE WITH SOME UNDERLYING LONGJOHNS…IT’S BRRRRRRR HERE AND FRANKLY SLICKER THAN SNOT! YOWZA!
OFA has a voter registration drive this weekend, in MLK name!
Please find an event and signup!
Voter drive and community service. Look for events in your local area here:
http://www.barackobama.com/
Just enter your zip code. Lots to do!!
That’s MO’s birthday card 🙂
They put that flash screen up for the week but you can click through at the bottom to enter the main site. Then you can either click on the MLK events on the right or scroll down a bit and click on the Events button in the right column.
Oh, and don’t forget to wish Mrs. Obama a Happy Birthday!!!!
I did 🙂 Thanks!
I’m helping with voter registration in Pontiac, MI on Monday. Spent the whole week teaching my second graders about Dr. King.
CORPORATE MEDIA RUSHING TO ROMNEY’S DEFENSE BC THEY”RE IN ON IT TOO
Good MOrning, Everyone 🙂
emailpermalink
13 Jan 2012 01:30 AM
Yes, Romney Could Lose
[Reposted from earlier yesterday.]
I just watched the Bain documentary featured below and being broadcast throughout South Carolina by Newt Gingrich’s SuperPac in full. It’s loaded with out-of-context quotes and heavily biased; it focuses on the specific human suffering of the necessary “creative destruction” of capitalism not its general benefits to the economy. It does so through the voices and stories of ordinary Americans. And, as an emotional bludgeon, it’s devastating.
But what makes it so dangerous to Romney, it seems to me, is that the Bain Brahmin didn’t just fire thousands of working class people in restructuring and in closing companies. He made a fucking unimaginable fortune doing it. That’s the issue. Other Republicans can speak about the need for free markets in a sluggish economy. But with Romney, we have a singular example of someone who made a quarter of a billion dollars by firing the white middle and working class in droves in ways that do not seem designed to promote growth or efficiency, but merely to enrich Bain.
………………………………………….
Of all the jobs he liquidated, moreover, many are in the American heartland. And his response to the people in this documentary – white working class heartland Americans, the GOP base – is that they are merely envious of his achievements. They don’t come off that way in the ad. They come off as bewildered, betrayed and sure that Romney’s goal in all this was merely, solely to make money for himself – the kind of money that most Americans cannot even compute.
I simply cannot imagine a worse narrative for a candidate in this climate; or a politician whose skills are singularly incapable of responding to the story in any persuasive way. This ad is powerful. Romney has already seen a drop in South Carolina. I suspect he’ll drop some more. And I suspect once the potency of this line of attack is absorbed by the GOP establishment, there will be some full, if concealed, panic.
http://andrewsullivan.thedailybeast.com/2012/01/yes-romney-could-lose.html
So agree that it is mind-boggling that the GOP is going to be represented by EXHIBIT A in the corporate greed protests which have been erupting all over the place, with polls showing a great majority of the public outraged by the economic unfairness they see and feel.
That creaking and groaning sound you hear is the boundary of he’ll broadening to fit them all in…especially the ones we DON’T see, as they make themselves invisible to our reality.
*hell
Good morning, TODville!!
Another brilliant move by our POTUS today, where he will propose consolidating several agencies under the Commerce Department to save money, eliminate redundancies and create better efficiencies. The whole plan will require the approval of Congress, so fasten your seat belts for another high wattage SHOWDOWN where President Obama will demonstrate to the American people who cares more about cost savings and deficit reduction and the Republicans will of course stand in the ways and look like petty RW demagogue fools who only care about defeating PBO. HA!!
When Democrats Attack
Benjy Sarlin suspects that the Democrats’ Bain onslaught will be more potent than the attacks we are seeing now:
Once Democrats decide its time to make their ultimate Bain push, they’ll have the resources to flood the zone with TV spots, direct mail (likely referencing Bain layoffs in targeted swing states), and a small army of Democratic lawmakers and operatives reinforcing the story 24/7 on cable news. Think 2004, when the entire GOP apparatus (including, awkwardly, Mitt Romney) worked in unison to drive home the John Kerry “flip flopper” meme.
http://andrewsullivan.thedailybeast.com/2012/01/when-democrats-attack.html
I think that Bott and other Christian conservatives should wish that Romney were like McCain. As I said many times, McCain started out with a far stellar reputation and more national respect than Romney. He was lo-o-o-ved by the DC press corps, admired by the military and thought well of by people of all political stripes for his so-called “maverickness.” Romney is starting out as foul-tasting medicine that is being shoved down Republicans’ throats. They want to spit him out, but there’s no “sweet” alternative to ingest. The more polls that come out showing Romney is NOT a shoe-in against PBO, the more people are going to want to reject him. You do not start a campaign against a charismatic incumbent president with a masterful organization in place with a likeability deficit like Romney’s. He is bad medicine and isn’t going to cure what ails the GOP. Of, course, the real cure–reconstituting themselves for the 21rst century–will never occur to them.
“You do not start a campaign against a charismatic incumbent president with a masterful organization in place with a likeability deficit like Romney’s.”
Your entire post is truth!
The Danger Of Short-Term Gains
Joe Klein argues against blaming Romney for job losses. But he doesn’t let Mitt off the hook:
To my mind, the more questionable private equity practices had to do with the way they restructured the companies they bought: it was always in the direction of higher returns–higher salaries and bonuses for executives, higher returns for the investors in their funds. What’s wrong with that? Nothing, in principle. In practice, it led to a lot of short-term, quarter-to-quarter, thinking; often it led to a stripping away of research and development, less emphasis on the patience needed to bring new products to market and an addiction to ever-increasing profit margins. This caused a fundamental distortion in the free market system.
Yep, and it meant those companies were strapped with debt, while Bain sucked the equity life out of them.
……………………………..
But Mitt’s role in life has been that of the repo man, who wins the lottery every time he brings bad news. He may be necessary, but you sure don’t like him. And in this recession, I have to say it could be fatal.
http://andrewsullivan.thedailybeast.com/2012/01/the-danger-of-short-term-gains.html
thx riyrah for the articles – tweeted them,
GOOOOOOO Governor OMalley!!
That’s just awesome. Thanks, Meta!
Unlike what is happening here in PA
Last year, the state legislature passed and the governor signed a budget that included massive cuts in education spending. To cope with the loss of funds, Chester Upland reduced its budget by about $18 million, furloughed more than 100 teachers, and merged two high schools.
Our kids are suffering. We have as many as 50 children in some classrooms and not enough books for all of them…
http://www.philly.com/philly/opinion/20120113_Chester_schools_need_the_governor_s_help.html
This the stark contrast between a Republican led state and a Democratic led one. I wish people would open their eyes. Republicans in the 21rst century have no business governing anything.
Prettyfoot58, I live in South Jersey do you have a link to sign the petition.
Steven Colbert has an organization, donorschoose.org, that raises money for schools all over the country. They write about different projects that you can donate to and they keep you informed on how the project is doing, and when the project is done they send you pictures of the students using the supplies. Maybe one of the teacher’s or administrators could find out how to apply? I have donated to three projects last year after I learned about this organization from someone on this site. I would definitely donate money towards buying books for the schools in Chester Upland.
Yep. Our school system is really good. I’m looking forward to Governor O’Malley running for President in 2016.
From ThinkProgress
The U.S. government is on track for a smaller deficit in 2012 than the year before. The Treasury Department announced yesterday that the deficit for the first three months of budget year was $47 billion less than the same time last year. The Congressional Budget Office estimates the government will run a $973 billion deficit for the year, lower than last year’s $1.3 billion.
Do you mean lower than last year’s $1.3 Trillion instead of billion?
January 13, 2012 8:00 AM
‘The French Connection’
By Steve Benen
The short film put together by Newt Gingrich’s Super PAC is proving to be one of the bigger political stories of the week, but a new video from the Gingrich campaign itself is also likely to raise a few eyebrows.
This new spot doesn’t appear ready for broadcast — it’s a minute long, not 30 seconds, and is being billed as a “web ad” — but it could presumably be turned into a television commercial without too much trouble.
Most of the ad includes some clean hits. Viewers are reminded, for example, that Romney not only supported and donated to liberal Democrats, he even voted in a Democratic primary. It’s an issue that hasn’t come up much at all over the last several months, and one might ask Gingrich why it’s only coming up now, after Romney won Iowa and New Hampshire.
But it’s the last 10 seconds that stood out: “And just like John Kerry, [Romney] speaks French, too.”
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal/2012_01/the_french_connection034733.php
The video’s in the post, thanks rikyrah.
The xenophobia and “small-mindeness” of the conservatives never ceases to me.
He’ll be down to zero in no time
thinkprogress Two weeks ago, Romney said he created “over 100K jobs” at Bain. Two days ago: “Tens of thousands.” Today: “Thousands.” thkpr.gs/w3v0k
2 minutes ago · reply · retweet · favorite
love that DF!
More likely five, for his precious little boys…
HA! Yeah, Rick…you’re frikking Superman.
And finally: GOP presidential hopeful Rick Santorum finally admitted this source of his strength: his sweater vest. “It sort of took a life of its own,” he told voters after a campaign event, “and the vest gave me this power.”
OMG
🙄
hmmm…..i’ve been kinda low energy lately. maybe i should get one……. 😉
I remember when my two boys were little and we wanted them to be dressy for a special occasion I’d dress them in white dress shirts, clip on ties and sweater vests. It was so much more affordable than suits and with them growing so fast they fit for longer. I have always thought of sweater vests in that way, for little boys.
Obama campaign memo shows just how devastating Bain will be for Romney in the general election.
http://images.politico.com/global/2012/01/freeenterprisememo.html
Mitt Romney boasts about understanding the “real economy,” but President Obama has worked alongside hardworking Americans in that “real economy.” President Obama — who, like Mitt Romney, earned a degree from Harvard and all the opportunities that affords — began his career helping jobless workers in the shadow of a closed-down steel mill. Mitt Romney, on the other hand, made millions closing down steel mills…
Between now and November the American people will decide whether to respond to this crisis by electing a corporate raider who profited from — and promises to restore — the conditions that caused it, or reelecting a President fighting to level the playing field for American businesses, restore fairness for consumers and help the middle class reclaim a sense of economic security that will benefit the entire economy. That’s what’s on trial, not “free enterprise.”
Mitt Romney plans to hammer Newt Gingrich and Rick Perry on immigration in a bid to win over conservative voters in South Carolina, where the GOP front-runner has a narrow lead in polls.
Romney intends to highlight his credentials as a firm opponent of illegal immigration in an appearance Monday with Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach (R), who worked with state legislators on Arizona’s controversial immigration law.
Appeals on immigration could be a winning formula in South Carolina, where the Legislature earlier this year passed a strict anti-illegal immigration law modeled on Arizona’s measure, which the Justice Department has sought to block.
http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/gop-presidential-primary/203941-romney-to-slam-foes-on-immigration-in-south-carolina
How does Robney win by alienating Hisapnics? This is a key voting block! To me, this is bad politics! Just saying!
Where is Michele Bachmann ? Not even one interview since “stepping aside ” ?
Who? 😆
For some reason her former spokesperson has a had gig on Alex Wagner’s show this week.
Don’t like Alex Wagner or her panel. Alex speaks one way on her show and completely different when she’s on with Rev, Al. As far as I can tell she’s a phony. Plus she writes/wrote for Huffington Post – nuff said.
Washington Post: First Lady Michelle Obama is planning to bust out some random dance moves at a northern Virginia high school. Mrs. Obama is scheduled to join the cast of Nickelodeon’s TV show “iCarly” Friday morning at Hayfield Secondary School in Fairfax County.
The appearance promotes an upcoming episode featuring Mrs. Obama thanking the families of military members for supporting their work. On the show, star Amanda Cosgrove plays the daughter of an Air Force colonel.
The first lady’s press office promises Mrs. Obama will participate in “random dancing,” a staple of the Nickelodeon show. Mrs. Obama will also take questions from students. Last year, Mrs. Obama wowed the students at a D.C. middle school when she joined in a dance routine that featured the “The Dougie” and “The Running Man.”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/random-dance-on-agenda-for-michelle-obama-in-va-scheduled-to-join-icarly-cast-at-school/2012/01/13/gIQAhEDPvP_story.html
nice. way to go FLOTUS! 😀
12 Jan 2012 01:23 PM
“The Bitter Politics Of Envy”
That’s how Romney frames debates about inequality in America:
Dan Amira expects this message to flop:
This is not a gaffe, really, just a particularly stark reflection of Romney’s true beliefs as he’s repeatedly expressed them. Still, it’s a ballsy way to handle issues of income–power inequality, particularly when he’s already being portrayed as an unfeeling, opulently wealthy corporate monster by Democrats and Republicans alike. And Romney might soon find that the 77 percent of Americans (including 80 percent of independents) who believe there is “too much power in the hands of a few rich people and large corporations” and the 61 percent (including 61 percent of independents) who say that “the economic system in this country unfairly favors the wealthy” don’t find his ideology very relatable.
…………………………………
A reader watched the above segment:
I honestly could not believe what I was hearing. In no way did Romney attempt to find some middle ground and admit that perhaps, just perhaps, there was some truth in the claims that the income distribution in this country is unfair. And then he doubled down, seeming to say that public discussion on the matter was not OK, that it was something to be discussed only in private. This man is completely tone deaf to the needs and opinions of most informed Americans. I don’t blame the majority of the Republican Party seeking a different candidate; they are sharp enough to know this guy is not a winner.
http://andrewsullivan.thedailybeast.com/2012/01/mitt-romney-anti-populist.html
Is it Friday yet?
😳
😉 😉 😉 😉 ;). Top of the charts, you are, Missy!
Ha, I’m not top of the charts for remembering what day it is 😳
That’s why you have us!
Yes, I agree. We’re talkin’ Chipsticks, right?? And then we also notice
that we have the best possible Potus and Flotus. whew.
and then how about all of us at TOD practicing being citizens, human beings,
in the world. w.o.w. These are the times, I’m tellin’ ya right now. xoox We
have a world to make, one for peoples. yes.
Another wonderful day in the neighborhood :-). Chips, it’s Friday 😉
I knew that CTGirl!! Well, no, I didn’t ….. 😳
We know you have got this! 🙂
Here we go again. S&P says it will downgrade Europe.
This is an attempt to slow down economy!
All of Europe? 😆
Sure, why not? Their problems started only after W kicked the bottom out of the US economy, they should have known better than to allow the same, right? Right. As in, yeah, right. The domino effect
The term ” quiet room ” comes from Mormon teachings….It is also known as “The Celestial Room”, so called because it is symbolic of the Celestial Kingdom in LDS theology.
January 13, 2012 10:00 AM
To hell with the ‘quiet room’
By Steve Benen
While some would have us limit all discussions of income inequality to “quiet rooms,” I’m relieved to see that President Obama’s economic team feels differently.
What Mitt Romney a few days ago called “the bitter politics of envy,” President Obama’s chief economic adviser instead described Thursday as the basic economics of unequal opportunity.
As long as the rich keep getting richer and the middle class languishes, he said, the economy as a whole will suffer.
Alan B. Krueger, the chairman of the White House’s Council of Economic Advisers and an accomplished labor economist, presented chapter and verse of the administration’s understanding of income inequality, economic opportunity and the fortunes of the middle class in a speech to the Center for American Progress, a research group closely aligned with the administration’s viewpoint.
His theme: “Rising inequality has been bad for the U.S. economy.”
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal/2012_01/to_hell_with_the_quiet_room034736.php
So the jackass Mitt Romney think that anyone who question Wall St., the financial institutions, and the distribution of wealth is envy. No Mitt it’s about fairness, envy has nothing to do with it, but I guess someone who was born with a silver spoon stuck up his behind, doesn’t know a darn thing about fairness, nor do they care to know.
https://twitter.com/#!/MichelleObama/status/157842945926639616
Don’t anyone tell Jodi Kantor about this. It’s another secret Hollywood gathering for the military families and ICarly.
That was so funny…
Loved it…
Ms. Kantor has earned every bit disdain and mockery aimed at her…
Orlando light rail project to begin construction on the 27th-
http://www.bizjournals.com/mobile/orlando/news/2012/01/11/sunrail-construction-to-kick-off-jan-27.html
That’s great news! Thought Gov. Scott turned down funding for that one.
That was HSR not light rail!
The sheer contemptuous arrogance oozing out of the lying mittens is disgusting. This fucker will be worse than dudya if elected.
+1,000,000,000. The guy makes my skin crawl.
Mine too.
It’s official- S&P just downgraded France.
Expect a bad January stock market
Bastards!
Wow, France? Jeez, what next? Germany?!
Possibly! S&P is totally a political arm of the rnc!
Good grief:
(Although Sommerville tends to be a bit hysterical)
Why can’t those countries get there act together?
Europe’s economies are just a catastrophic mess anniebella, they’ve tried bailing out a few countries, but things seem to be going from bad to worse.
I read this the other day about Greece, beyond shocking:
The Greek parents too poor to care for their children
Greece’s financial crisis has made some families so desperate they are giving up the most precious thing of all – their children. One morning a few weeks before Christmas a kindergarten teacher in Athens found a note about one of her four-year-old pupils.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-16472310
That’s sad.
The 10 year U.S. Treasury is now at 1.85%. It could make rates even lower in the US.
I love this alternate universe Limbaugh resides in that has the president getting non stop fawning from the media.
I guess that Pew Research finding was make-believe too.
🙄
It doesn’t matter to Limbaugh! His only purpose to paint everything President does negatively.
If the Keystone is so important to the GOP, why not get done additional goodies, like infrastructure bank?
Just saying!
OK, how messed up is this:
Americans Elect tried to convince Joe Lieberman to run for President in 2012
GEEZE.
Ha !….that is hilarious
joe liberman, of all people ?
Yeah, go for it, Joe. You’re a shoe-in.
Since the Americans Elect nominee has to pick a Veep from a different party, Lieberman could pick McCain (the “dream team” ol’ John wanted last time). Yeah – that’ll work!
MO twitter @ 247 K.
Just 3 K to pass that slime-bucket willard.
Chipstick Soledad Obrien took Jodi kantor to task. i could not embed the video but this is a must see. also is piers morgan he also hammered. http://www.mediaite.com/tv/jodi-kantor-soledad-obrien/
Wow Tulips, Soledad really went for her! Excellent. Will watch Morgan now … although even seeing his face will be painful. Thanks Tulips.
Why would anyone on the WH staff talk to such a twit?
I think Valerie Jarett was the source of many of author’s little anecdotes—-which Kantor then took, added some salt and pepper and tried to make them something of interest, which they weren’t. I can’t figure out that decision either, staff talking freely to author.
dotster3, you can bet nothing like this won’t happen again, during the next four years.
I meant to say, nothing like this will happen again during the Obamas next four years.
No wonder GOP’s S&P wants to stall the economy.
Wow, you are fast, I just tweeted that!! Here’s more of the story:
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Consumer sentiment continued to pick up steam in early January, rising to the highest level in eight months as Americans became more optimistic about job prospects, a survey released on Friday showed.
The Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan’s preliminary reading on the overall index on consumer sentiment rose to 74.0 from 69.9 in December, making for the fifth month of gains and the highest level since May 2011.
The report topped expectations of 71.5 among economists polled by Reuters.
http://news.yahoo.com/consumer-sentiment-rises-highest-level-8-months-145957284.html
I have never tried to share a link for video so don’t know if it will work. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IAhDGYlpqY. The title is: Why I Hate Religion but Love Jesus. It is SO true…..every word. Fingers crossed that it works.
Heads up everyone:
http://theobamadiary.com/2012/01/13/heads-up-80/
Here’s that Soledad O’Brien interview with Kantor (thanks Tulips):
You can also see the Piers Morgan (spew) interview here:
http://www.mediaite.com/tv/jodi-kantor-soledad-obrien/
oh gawd.that twit talks like a high school teenager. how she is a ‘journo now’ ?
Valley girl!
Is this twit related to Eric C/Kantor they both have that nasal whinny voice. She also sounds like a Kadashian too.
WAY TO GO SOLEDAD!
I love her she is sassy, she fried her big time.
Translation:
Jodi Kantor: “I didn’t need to interview the Obamas because it is much easier to make shit up and I need the money from this book.”
Bravo, Aquagranny for zeroing in on the TRUTH! Trashing the President has been big money maker. This woman figured she could make money by trashing the First Lady.
Thanks Chips~ I just saw the Piers Morgan one but left before it was over because Kantor’s voice was grating and boring me too much.
The President to propose making SBA head a Cabinet position!
Wow, that’s some big restructuring there. I love how the President wants to try new things and breathe some fresh air into the stale way things ar usually done in D.C. Too bad the GOP wil lfilibuster any SBA head he nominates just out of spite.
Hey guys and girls, I’ve just completed my first ever “Chirpstory” about our wonderful First Lady’s amazing Twitter debut on yesterday. YEAH Me! 🙂 Please check it out. It’s called “Michelle Obama Shows Star Power in the Twitterverse.”
http://chirpstory.com/
Some tweets from a few TODvillers are in the news story! BTW, as of this moment, FLOTUS has 247,698 followers. America loves First Lady Michelle Obama! Jodi What’s-Her-Name can go to H.E.L.L. 🙂 🙂 🙂
Woot, excellent NCW! Heading there right now!
ooh neat NewC I tweeted your tweet this chirpstory is interesting I gotta look into it……
Nearly 40 people were arrested protesting the Guantanamo Bay prison camp and indefinite detention outside the gates of the White House yesterday. The protesters were from the grassroots group Witness Against Torture, which is calling for the closure of the prison camp.
—
Shouldn’t they be protesting in the halls of Congress, not at the White House. ?
January 13, 2012 10:35 AM
Get to know Steel Dynamics
By Steve Benen
Mitt Romney has a new ad out this morning, which, in addition to moving the job-creation goal posts, defends the candidate’s private-sector business practices at Bain Capital. Hoping to bolster Romney’s record, the commercial highlights an Indiana company called Steel Dynamics.
Romney campaign staff may want to reconsider their choice of examples.
What Romney doesn’t mention is that Steel Dynamics also received generous tax breaks and other subsidies provided by the state of Indiana and the residents of DeKalb County, where the company’s first mill was built.
The story of Bain and Steel Dynamics illustrates how Romney, during his business career, made avid use of public-private partnerships, something that many conservatives consider to be “corporate welfare.”
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal/2012_01/get_to_know_steel_dynamics034737.php