Charles Pierce: …. That was about as bad a speech as you ever will see from a candidate who probably just wrapped up the nomination. …. At its heart, though, Romney’s speech featured some sub-Santorumish sarcasm directed at the president for having been a law professor while Willard was fighting his way up every inch of the hard road that leads from opulent wealth to incalculable wealth.
…. There was also the requisite sneering at community organizing. Let us consider, then, the community in which the president once organized. This is what I found out about it when I went and looked at it in 2008:
Obama also worked in the Altgeld Gardens, a housing development built in 1945 atop an ecological hellspout where two thousand families lived on an old landfill and hard by fifty-three different sites that had been designated as “toxic” by one study of the area.
Altgeld Gardens was built on the bones of old steel mills and factories, and atop the waste dumps and landfills that serviced them. And, when they built the projects there, they filled them full of asbestos. That poisoned neighborhood was a perfect product of the “freedom” that Romney talks about when he talks about an unregulated economy. Barack Obama went there to organize the people who were living on that deadly ground because The Market couldn’t have cared less about them, and the various governments allowed The Market not to care and, so, did not care either. The kids with the asthma, they weren’t free. The kids who developed the renal disease, they weren’t free. The people in all the cancer clusters, they weren’t free ….. in the 1980’s, when the president was working for peanuts trying to get some sort of justice for the people that The Market had chosen to poison, Willard Romney was making millions with Bain Capital…..
More here
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9:40: PBO Obama departs the White House en route Joint Base Andrews
2:40: Arrives Las Vegas
4:10: Tours Copper Mountain Solar 1 Facility
5:50: Departs Las Vegas en route Roswell, N.M.
8:15: Delivers remarks on the Administration’s commitment to expanding domestic oil and gas production
9:35: Departs Roswell en route Oklahoma City
10:50: Arrives Oklahoma City
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Michael Tomasky: Illinois was a breeze for Mitt Romney, and yes, numerically, maybe it’s getting close to done. But state by state, this still isn’t over. Rick Santorum remains likely to win Louisiana, which is next. Then comes Wisconsin on April 3. Santorum is still about 15 points ahead there right now. And it looks like Santorum has taken Missouri – again. So while Illinois probably means that Romney is on his way to the nomination, and maybe on his way to 1,144 delegates, it’s also a fact that Santorum isn’t going anywhere….
More here
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Jake Tapper: “Romney and his allies have spent $45 million. That totals $12.40 per vote. … Santorum and his allies have spent $3 per vote.” (Video)
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The Hill: Sen. Dick Durbin on Wednesday mocked GOP hopeful Mitt Romney, saying that the low turnout for Illinois’s primary had diminished his victory in the state.
“Romney outspent Santorum 5 to 1 and at the end of the night we had the lowest turnout for a Republican presidential primary in 70 years,” Durbin said on CBS’s “This Morning.”
“You could draw a bigger crowd at a Green Bay Packers rally in downtown Chicago than what Mr. Romney delivered at the polls yesterday in Illinois.”
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The Obama Diary 
First
Winner 😉
Ohhh, so cute.
Good morning everyone.
Oooh, I don’t remember ever seeing that one before. Leave it to Chips to find something new for us! 🙂
Sasha!!
I swear I can’t decide if she looks more like Michelle or Barack. When I look at this pic all I see is Sasha (eyebrows, eyes, dimples, ears, smile, teeth, and the nose a little bit).
Well done, LOL! What an alert and cheerful face! Could I have this one after you, LOL?
Hey, the picture’s gone. I just see an “x” indicating a missing image.
Good morning TOD……
I think that I heard on my local radio station last night that PBO will be attending Oklahoma Thunder(??) basketball game. Has anyone else heard this??
Good morning TOD. The most ridiculous message from Mitten’s attack on POTUS for having been an community organizer and college prof, is the fact that he’s trying to convince himself that the sitting President does not have the experience to be President.
He has 3 more years than Willard.
PBO HAS A COMPASSIONATE HEART THAT IS OPEN TO ALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL PEOPLE…THAT PUTS HIM ON THE ‘A-LIST’ FOR PRESIDENTIAL QUALIFICATIONS!…:)
Indeed – that’s a stupid argument against someone who’s already doing the job, quite successfully, I might add. Plus, the presidency is an position responsible for executing the legislation and presiding over government and state. If the only rules that govern that role are the Constitution, then President Obama is uniquely qualified to be in the role, specifically when compared to any of the GOP candidates, none of whom were Constitutional law professors (not sure what Gingrich taught at the little college he taught at, but he’s not a real candidate).
Only a rich ass white man Republican can fine something wrong with going to a poor community and trying to help the people of that community. Mitt Romney is a poor excuse for a human being.
It shows how out of touch he is. There are many more community organizers in this country than there are rich white men. Mitten’s is the most disgusting politician I have ever seen, an arrogant jackass.
There are many, many more community organizers in this country since PBO took office. I believe people see a greater road to getting things done in their community’s than any time in the past.
While Mittens went to convert the sunbathers on the Riviera. Let’s talk about character, Mittens. Let’s talk about pulling yourself up by your bootstraps and becoming a success. Let’s talk about starting at home plate and actually hitting a home run and running around each and every base to win your run, rather than standing on your famous daddy’s shoulders and saying you hit a triple.
I loathe Romney. Soulless bastard.
Converting sunbathers 😀
While dodging the draft, let’s not forget that!
Good Morning TOD
As I said, the stupid attempt to denigrate the President’s prior professions worked so well for McCain and Palin, didn’t it??? Romney is a duffus and a lying duffus at that.
And comes off as a “mean girl” as he attempts this strategy.
How very Christian, er, Mormon of him. Oh whatever!
I despise all of the GOP contenders. I can’t wait until PBO gets in this thing full force. By August 2012, it’s going to be CRAZY.
Fasten your seat belts folks.
collegeday, so do I.
Good morning all.
Great thread, as usual Chips. Good morning TOD Fam. Hope you all have a great day.
Please join me in lighting a candle for our President ‘s safety as he travels outside Washington, D.C.
http://www.gratefulness.org/candles/candles.cfm?l=eng&gi=PBO
We need to light one for the entire Obama family.
I light two every day. One for the family and another for whatever is happening, travel, speeches, meetings, votes in Congress. Makes me feel better.
Thank you Jackie for always reminding up!
Thank you. I went there and lit a candle. Namaste.
Lit. Thank you.
Results of Fox polling of Latinos….holy shit they won’t like this!!
http://crocodoc.com/Qh1pRoz?embedded=true
Wow……..
I had heard that health care was important, but it surpasses the economy now. Those are devastating numbers.
At least that will put ACA front and center (I hope).
But a Romney spokesman says he gets to hit ‘reset’ and to disregard anything he said to win the primary.
What crass, miserable jerks.
I thank God daily for our wonderful president and first family. May He continue to bless them and surround them with a hedge of protection wherever they travel today. Love to all here
Amen…Amen…Amen
…and ditto! 🙂
The way Romney keeps bleeding money in an effort to beat his opponents is pathetic. He outspent Santorum 5 to 1 and still had the lowest turn out in 70 years? And someone on his team still hasn’t been fired?
I think it was a couple of weeks ago where he was almost pleading for people to go to his website and donate. Apparently he’s not getting any takers.
No, no…keep them all just right where they are, being ineffectual and predictable. Keep it up, Mitt; you’re doing great. 😉
I fell asleep last night watching The Ed Show (replay) and woke up to hear Chuck Todd say that the turnout was the same as the 2008 election give or take 10,000. Was the GOP turnout in Illinois for McCain low too?
I put Chuck Todd in the same category as Ed Henry, it’s the I can’t stand them category.
Give or take 10,000? I love the comment by Durbin, too funny. Very low turnout and as usual the mittbot only won in bigger cities. The right wingers do not like him.
How could this guy even command an audience during a State of the Union speech. I listened to his speech last night and could not stand to listen to him. He is horrible. Of course, we all know he lies, but that voice — so tinny and empty of emotion. Yuk.
TURN OUT IS LOW BECAUSE THE REPUBS. DON’T LIKE THE FIELD. THEY WILL WAIT TO SEE WHO WINS…IF IT’S MITT…EVANGELICALS WILL NOT VOTE IN THE GENERAL ELECTION. OTHERS WILL HOLD THEIR NOSE AND HIT THE MACHINE!..STINKY…STINKY!
4,004 Republicans voted in the city of Chicago. 25,000+ Democrats. turnout: 2.29% in the city of Chicago.
Fox News Latino Poll
If the election were held today, who would you vote for?
Obama v Romney —- 69.6% / 14.2%
PBO…………….ALLLLLLLLLLLLLL THEEEEEEEEEEEEEE WAYYYYYYYYYYYYYY…44 IS GONNA’ STAY!…:)
LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Not that it really matters, but Jovie keeps asking :), and I was curious also—– I cannot get President Obama’s vote total in Illinois yesterday from any source. Since only about 3 Chicagoans showed up to vote—–about—–it will hardly be significant. But that number is not available anywhere, which is irritating to me. I only found one sentence on one political/news site which stated, “There were more votes cast in the Democratic primary for president than in the Republican primary”—–but no numbers. Weird. There was a 22.8% Illinois turnout, the lowest since WWII, at least. Illinois voters were not fired up about this “exciting”—ha!—-Willard/Lil Ricky match-up.
And Willard was disgusting with his mockery of Obama’s resume’ as a community organizer and law professor. And so were the supporters behind him who laughed derisively. Horrible mean girl types.
25,000+ Dem’s.
4,004 Republicans, per the Chicago Board of Election website.
I don’t know PBO’s statewide totals. I thought I heard 212,000+ but I don’t remember where I heard it. If there weren’t down ticket races that applied to your district I’m assuming Dems didn’t vote. Hey, they didn’t care to vote in Chicago and there were a good number of important, if uninteresting votes to cast.
Okay, disregard the numbers I read directly off the Chicago Board of Elections website I’ve been posting — evidently they included two or three precincts or something. The turnout in Chicago was 25%.
I apologize. I kept refreshing the site and those were the numbers I was getting until just now when totals are completely different.
I’m really sorry for misinformation.
Someone has to explain to me how biliions of dollars are moved around every day through credit cards, etc. How you can buy soup at the grocery store and have it spit out a coupon for some other soup. And votes can’t be counted. I don’t understand, I really don’t.
In gopolitico map, it says dem primary – 0% reporting and B. Obama uncontested.
http://www.politico.com/2012-election/map/#/President/2012/Primary/IL
Just ignore them when they laugh. He who laughs last, laughs best. And we will be laughing come November when the votes are tallied. I look at it like this: Community Leader/ Law Professor that taught Constitutional Law vs Rich young man that inherited millions that never had to live with or help the poor. I will take the former anytime.
Good morning, Chips and TODers!
Every photo, every story about his signing “Thank you” in ASL, his humor, his leadership ~ it all just makes me “fall in love” with the goodness of President Obama, all over again.
I LOVE THIS IDEA!!! Can someone Tweet this? Put on FB?
http://www.governmentfreevjj.com/
The Snatchel Project
Let’s make a uterus or VJJ for each male rep in congress!
If they have their own, they can leave ours alone!
Damn! I wish I knew how to knit!
I just tweeted it and I will send it to all the women I know. I don’t know how to knit but I am sure others do. It’s a great project.
Too beautiful of a morning to go negative, but just a quick observation. Saw 5 mins. of Romney’s “win” (as if he could ever be a winner) speech last night. You know when you act out hate, your looks even change. He had deep ugly circles under his deep ugly eyes, looked haggard, almost like he was ready to keel over, and I think I could even spot his nose was growing while he was daring to use the name “Obama” in his little chat with the jerks that follow him.
Okay, I got that out – whew!
Off to think of the brightness and goodness that will be Obama-Biden re-election night of 2012. Go, Tammy Duckworth!
Since this gop primary began, Romney has gotten uglier. You are not imagining that. He is so consumed with hate and anger, first at voters for not seeing that he is “inevitable,” but mostly towards President Obama. That hate and anger has to go somewhere so it shows in his physical appearance.
Was watching Robin Meade and her guest on HLN … and they were both saying how bad Romney and Santorum (the haters) (my words, not theirs) were looking and sounding last night (faces drawn, look sick, voices scratchy). They said it was because of how tiresome these campaign gets. We know it’s because they have all that hate and anger inside.
Hmmm … not sure I remember seeing President Obama looking bad during the entire ’08 campaign!
Morning everyone…. My tuppence here: none of these Less-Than-Noble “candidates” are working at a job, never mind that PBO is handling the most critical and demanding work in the WHOLE WORLD. And looks mighty fine while doing so. Love fills him up, the love of the people all around the world lifts him to a level these other characters cannot fathom. The love he shares with his wife and family keeps him whole an strong. JO’B, I know you are right on about the hate and anger, people will run from that eventually.
Sorry it took me so long to get back here to say how beautiful your words were, Pamela.
Hey guys this is David Corn’s appearance on Morning Joe talking about his very good book on President Obama called “Showdown” It details the behind the scenes of the OBL raid and how PBO used the last 6 months of 2011 and the debt ceiling to mop the floor with the GOP.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036789/ns/msnbc_tv-morning_joe/#46806692
Not going to give them a hit. If someone comes on here and break it down for me I will read it. Not going to buy the book either. Every Tom Dick and Harry is writing a book about the President. What are they going to do in 2017?
Top of the morning mates. What’s the spin gonna be today? How many earthquakes has the President caused overnight? Is the planet still on it’s axis? How much did the national debt increase due to Malia’s trip to Mexico. And why doesn’t the President fly commercial?
I need to repost this because I’ve been dead wrong on the numbers I’ve been posting:
Okay, disregard the numbers I read directly off the Chicago Board of Elections website I’ve been posting — evidently they included two or three precincts or something. The turnout in Chicago was 25%.
I apologize. I kept refreshing the site and those were the numbers I was getting until just now when totals are completely different.
I’m really sorry for misinformation.
Someone has to explain to me how biliions of dollars are moved around every day through credit cards, etc. How you can buy soup at the grocery store and have it spit out a coupon for some other soup. And votes can’t be counted. I don’t understand, I really don’t.
PBO won 100% of the precincts reporting. the discrepancy between the vote totals is because they don’t have exact numbers from a few remaining precincts, but it appears to be unanimous.
In Chicago:
260,000 Dem’s voted
47,000 Repubs voted
Again, I’m really really sorry for the many times I posted the wrong information. If I keep this up I’m going to get a job offer from the Romney campaign!
Nothing to apologize for. We appreciate you doing the researh for us. So more Democrats voted than Republicans? Can you imagine the figures come November. If we all go out and vote there is no way they can win the election.
by over 5-1.
If we can be this fired up when the main focus of the primary wasn’t about us, imagine what we could do come Nov. 6th in all 50 states.
It’s only about Dem’s coming out to vote. It’s always been about Dem’s coming out to vote.
The idiocy of the media — there was a discussion last night that “Romney did well with independents.” the ‘independents’ who were interested in taking a Republican ballot, you jackasses! You think Chicagoans who are ‘independent’ bothered to vote (25% turnout), and if they were interested in voting, they would have taken a Democratic ballot because of the down ticket races. ‘Independent’ doesn’t mean ‘independent’. It means you believe the last lie you were told because you’re too busy standing in line to buy a new iPad than pay attention to what’s happening with your country.
A ridiculous waste of air time. And I’m talking about the air between all of their ears.
Tell the truth. A zazillion years ago, I considered myself and “independent”. Why? Because I didn’t have a clue about the issues and was not interested enough to find out. All one need do is question a so-called independent about policy issues and watch the blank look come across their face.
Yeah. That’s what I mean. When everything was sort of in the center, I can see that neither party distinguished itself that much from the other party. I remember considering voting for moderate Illinois Republicans. It was the impeachment of Bill Clinton that changed it for me. And let’s remember — the change from working together started with one man — Newt Gingrich. When I saw a party lurch toward personal destruction, using the careful tools of the Constitution, to destroy their enemy, I pretty much vowed that I would never vote for a Republican. And to think, those were mild days compared to what we have now.
Don’t paint all independents that broadly. I am an independent who votes mostly democratic, have traditionally split my votes. Went mostly Dem a couple years ago. Now I vote all Dem due to the crazies.But, I maintain an independent status, except in our primaries when I need to register Dem.
Not all to be sure and I certainly have the utmost respect for you and your principled right to identify yourself as independent. There is a difference between not wanting to affiliate with a particular party and those who think that there is no difference between the parties, in 2012. Those are low information voters who do make up the majority of ‘independents’ now and that wasn’t true a dozen years ago. We see in voting patterns that these voters swing pretty much with the last shiny object. Because after the Bush years and what has happened to PBO, you either understand that there is a stark choice or you do not understand. In these critical times, I don’t see alleged moderates fighting for the Republican party. Olympia Snowe can bemoan the state of affairs and John McCain can decry the anti-contraception issue, just a few weeks after voting for the Blunt Amendment. If you hold to the Republican brand and vote with the crazies, then you own that brand. The indies who will support PBO one day and Mittens the next are not serious, well-informed voters. they are not independents in the way that you are an independent. And I will be more careful to not paint with a broad brush in the future.
Good morning. New super Pac to raise $10 million for Pres Obama.
http://www.buzzfeed.com/buzzfeedpolitics/meet-the-new-super-pac
Crossroads GPS is following the Presidents trip, going on air with an ad blaming the President for gas prices.
In the States he will be going to, that is the Market they bought!
This is what Rove is going to do, follow the President in every State with negative ads.
In both SC and Illinois voters said ads didn’t make a difference. i believe that. No one really pays that much attention to them, and get tired of seeing them. I wouldn’t worry about it.
I also think people now know where these ads are coming from — lying Mitt. They are less effective.
And yet, their is proof that Robney is behind in all these States until he carpet bombs the Market.
Not really…
More like until Santorum opens his yappers and doubles down on his offensive rhetoric…
I saw two lame ads from Romney and from his superPac. Nothing else played in Chicago. They were repeated ad nauseum but they were stupid.
I haven’t seen many ads, but what I have looked low budget and not very impressive, stating the same nonsense we’ve been hearing for 3 years.
For someone who has done nothing but plan on running for President for the last decade and doesn’t have to worry about spending any pesky time making a living, he is a horrible candidate. The lack of imagination in those ads is staggering. for someone who lies as well as he does, it’s truly astonishing.
Of course this is the guy who fired the one successful debate coach he had because the debate coach was getting some credit.
If anyone thinks there is anything moderate or human about Mittens, they are delusional. Of all the RWNJ’s out there, he is the one who would be told by his handlers to push the red button and Willard wouldn’t lose a moment’s sleep about it. He is soulless.
I loved the one whetre Santorum was blasted for voting for the Bridge to Nowhere. I really doubt many people even remember that fiasco.
Yes. And seriously, “He voted to raise his own pay”? This is what you waste millions on?
Although the narrative is all about the Romney spending, IL was going to pick the alleged moderate over the “I don’t care about unemployment as long as I’m free to hold on to my health care and deny health care to everyone else” candidate. We were the only state in the rust belt that held off a tea party governor in 2010. we elected dumb Mark Kirk as senator but he allegedly is ‘moderate’ (unless you pay attention to his voting record until 4 months before any election when he finds his ‘moderation’ again).
Okay, for those who have been wondering about vote totals. Romney’s latest figure, according to the Chicago Tribune, is 429,533, with total votes in the Republican Presidential Primary being just over 910,000.
Looking at the numbers just for the Dem districts where there were contested primaries (many weren’t) the total Dem votes were 542,413. Giving PBO at leats 90% of those he gets 488,171 which is well over what Romney had. And considering the number of votes in non-contested primaries but where people woudl still vote for other issues, he probably went well over 600,000. Considering all the emphasis was on the Republican Primary, I think PBO’s totals would be pretty damn good.
I would venture to say that downstate there were precious few people choosing a Democratic ballot unless the particular congressional race was important to them. I’m thinking that PBO pulled 500,000+ statewide but I sure would like actual documentation.
Even if we’re going to be conservative and give PBO 85% of the total, that’s 461,000. More Dem’s voted for PBO uncontested than in the highly touted ‘must-win’ Republican primary for Romney.
ILRepublican primary means nothing for the GE except to pad Romney’s delegate count. And I’m hearing serious noises this morning about the party rallying around Romney, even from tea party organizations. Jeb Bush endorsed Romney today and said it’s time to coalesce.
Jeb endorses Mittens
And Lucy yelled at Charlie Brown.
Pass the salt.
🙂 🙂 🙂
PM Cameron is still chuffed about the warm reception he received from PBO on his state visit.
http://www.dawn.com/2012/03/21/cameron-tucked-in-bed-by-obama-during-us-trip.html
I love that story! I hope Cameron comes back to visit soon … or the President goes there. I love England!
I like that. PO is just a good person.
Jeb Bush will now be tied to Robney and his anti immigrant policies. Lovely!
Jeb Bush has a ‘Trayvon’ problem as well. A “stand your ground” problem.
My county in Illinois had a paltry 19% turnout yesterday, compared to a 31% turnout in the ’08 primary. The county has a long Repub reputation, but PBO won a narrow victory here in ’08 surprising a lot of people. Demographics have shifted somewhat over the years—-an increasing influx from Chgo etc. But the low turnout here in this still Repub dominated county is another sign of the lack of enthusiasm for the Repub candidates.
He hee!
They are making this waaaaaaaay too easy.
As if they really think the Dems don’t have everything on video. ANJd if he actually tells the truth that he didn;t really mean those things and just said them to win the primaries, 50% of those that did vote for him and90% of the rest of the Republicans will just not vote. Yeah, those numbers are too high, but doing so won;t gain him back independents and will cost him more conservative voters.
I disagree japa. The rethug base will turn out in GE regard;less of who or how the candidate is. The establishment will to see that by means of riling them, up and their own innate hatred of left. And of course the corporate media will play a large role in that turnout too.
This play is for the fucking indies, the clueless maroons, who make up their mind in October end and thus swing the election one way or the other.
If only Democrats would do the same, we never would have gotten into this mess.
Obama staff is killing Eric Fern statement about etch a sketch. Lol!
Here’s the exchange on TV….http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/post/top-romney-adviser-mitt-will-erase-his-conservative-positions-once-hes-the-nominee/2012/03/21/gIQAMYOlRS_blog.html
Guys, you have to see and hear this. this is truly extraordinary.
Did I hear someone mention etch – a – sketch commercial/video?
NEW POLL: President Obama leads GOP in swing states.
President Obama is making strong inroads among independents. As recently as last month, the President was trailing a Republican challenger among independent voters (Santorum 44%, Obama 42%). Today, he leads Romney by 8 points (48% to 40%) and Santorum by 11 (50% to 39%) among independents in swing states.
These improvements appear to be fueled by a slowly improving political climate for the incumbent. President Obama’s approval rating continues to improve, and is now close to even at 46% approve to 50% disapprove. This represents a 5-point improvement over the last six months, compared to a 3-point decline in disapproval.
Additionally, a plurality (39%) now believes that the economy is improving, while 35% say it’s getting worse, and nearly a quarter say it’s staying the same.
http://www.politico.com/blogs/burns-haberman/2012/03/poll-obama-leads-gop-among-independents-118175.html
IT’S ALMOST LIKE AN ETCH A SKETCH
================================
Top Romney Adviser Says Romney Can Change His Positions After The Primaries: ‘It’s Almost Like An Etch A Sketch’
http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2012/03/21/448804/eric-fehrnstrom-etch-a-sketch/
Going to see the president!! Going to see the president!! Well, least I hope to see him in the “beast.” The freeway is directly in my backyard and they are closing it down so the motorcade can pass by. I’m heading to a little casino about 8 miles from me and hang out in the parking lot and hopefully take some good pictures. The casino is right next to the highway he’s going to pass on his way to a solar plant in Boulder City, NV which they’ll be shutting down entrance in to the entire for as least 3 hours. Bet that’s gonna stick in the teabaggers craw. Ha! Good luck to me!! 😉
Got so excited I omitted a couple of words. hee hee 🙂
Cool!
New post everyone:
http://theobamadiary.com/2012/03/21/coming-up-30/
Jeb Bush calling all Republican to unite to defeat this President is ludicrous. I can’t wait for President Obama to start campaigning to remind the American people the mess George Bush left this country in and what it’s taking to get us out of it. Man, this is a fight I’m so itching to have. These Republicans think it will be a cake walk to defeating our President, but they have another thing coming. WE WILL NOT GO DOWN WITHOUT A FIGHT, AND FIGHT WE MUST!!